Chapter 1: The Worst Hour
Summary:
Bowser and Mickey make their first moves against the KND. And so does a certain traitor...
Chapter Text
This story may very well be the finale of the Newborn Saga, and by extension the Nextgen Series. Don’t think it’ll be simple: this story is bound to be as long Seven Lights’ Main Story… but whether it’ll stretch to the length of the full Seven Lights package remains to be seen. Naturally, this story continues right off of God Killing, which itself is built on the events of prior Newborn Era stories. To those bare minimum that survived… I wholly appreciate your devotion.
Chapter 1: The Worst Hour
It all started with a Big Bang. Billions and billions of stars graced the cosmos with their light. Those stars would develop planets, and those planets would all develop life. Creatures big and small, speaking many languages and forming unique and diverse cultures on more planets than one could ever hope to visit.
But, at the same time this universe was born… so did nine eggs. Eight of them hatched simultaneously… but one hatched before the others. A white egg with thick black lines. From it, an infant baring similar features crawled out, approaching the budding universe with innocent curiosity. As energies spiraled before him, composed of inspirations from within and outside, he reached out and touched it. The maelstrom dampened his hand, so he sucked the energy off. He took two sips… three, four, several more… and what filled him was knowledge. The history of all that happened… and what will happen again. A cosmos being reborn, the heroes responsible, and the gods who oversaw it. But that wasn’t all… He saw beyond this storm. He saw waterfalls, pouring from high in the heavens, originating from other worlds. He saw streams branching from this world to form other pools. They were endless… various… and they made the youth even more curious.
He rose from the ground, a gold crown becoming his head, and a purple cape growing from his shoulders. He then turned… as his brothers and sisters awakened. “I’ll make us a nice place we can watch the storm from!”
The beginning of our universe was the beginning of Kael and his pantheon of gods. Infantile in appearance, they held incredible power. Kael’s dream was to become the best god of all worlds and have fun with his subjects every day. With his pantheon, Kael held the means to travel those worlds… but he could do nothing without a Chosen Mortal to channel his power. So, Kael planned a game: he would choose three Candidates to amass many followers and duel each other to become the Supreme King. The winner would be Kael’s Chosen One. Unfortunately, Kael’s pantheon caught a terrible curse and turned against their king. He was forced to banish them from his palace… until the day they could meet their own Guardians, to rid them of their curse.
At last, those Guardians were met, and Kael could finally greet the universe. He chose the three Candidates, the three armies, that would battle for the universe: Bowser Koopa, ruler of the Koopas and many allied warlords; Mickey Mouse, King of Disney Land and many allied kingdoms and corporations. And… the Kids Next Door: heroes of the universe with allies on many worlds, who put an end to many crises. The very same KND who were entrusted as the pantheon’s Guardians. On this day, May 18, 2036… the Throne Wars began.
Twilight was glum that evening in Cleveland, Virginia. The army of 3,000 strong spanned from the beach across the valley toward town. King Bowser’s army, consisting of Koopas, Goombas, Whomps, and other rogue Mushroomians; including the Kremnants of the Kremling Krew. Dr. Eggman’s robots, ranging from his common Egg Pawns, Egg Hammers, Gamma copies, as well as everyone’s favorite, the Penguinator. Even Gruntilda’s own crafted Nightmare monsters and some Team Rocket grunts were among the fray. The troops progressed calmly, with no need to expend energy on causing mayhem. Not when their top targets were already lining up to battle. (Play “Lava Lake Keep” from Mario 3D World!)
“Leave it to Bowser to go for the direct approach.” Cheren Uno said, the Supreme Leader of the KND. Although he’s endured many trials and mood swings over the years, he continues to wear the Hero of Time’s Sacred Treasures proudly.
“Ya say that, but Ay don’t really see him anywhere.” Panini Drilovsky remarked, the firebending Irish lass loyally standing by her leader’s side.
“There aren’t really any Team Gnaa or noteworthy officers here.” Francis observed. Though he rarely involved himself in serious crises, he was devoted to trying to help out more. “Just a cluster of minions.”
“He doesn’t wanna go all-out right off the bat.” Maddy Murphy said. One of the KND’s strongest, she was a growing Haki Master. “But I’d say this is the ample amount for a warmup.”
“Then we better not disappoint them, eh?!” Sheila Frantic fist-palmed.
“Go easy on yourself, Sheila.” Her best friend, Mason smiled. “You may not’ve used Skaios for long, but you were still tired after that ginormous Sun Fist.”
“Oi won’t need me full strength for this!”
“This reminds me of when we fought off the Big Mom invasion four years ago.” Nagisa said. “’Course, they were weaklings compared to the ‘main’ crew.”
“Yeah, we were pretty lucky back then.” Mocha smirked, the giant Amazon standing out amongst her peers. “But we’re a lot stronger now! We’ll show them what we can do!”
“Yeah.” The Supreme Leader drew his Master Sword and Mirror Shield. “Kids Next Door… ATTACK!”
The Kids Next Door dwelled on many planets, each branch known as the respective heroes to each, but the armies of Team Gnaa had specially trained to battle the infamous operative present today. Sector V was the strongest sector on Earth and therefore the most dangerous. Aurora Uno was assaulted by Fire and Ice Bros., working in tandem to match and counter the same two elements she possessed. While she was the technical “leader” of Sector V, they all knew Sheila Frantic was the true center of the group, the Pirate King who was crowned after the previous war. Even in this twilight, the giant fists conjured from her lightbending were deadly to behold; Eggman’s E-2000R’s were needed to deflect them as best as possible. However, the twilight was very beneficial to Dillon York, the sun’s position enhancing the size of his shadow, Mario, as he directed it to slap hordes of minions down; even if the Koopas came prepared with their own shadowbenders.
Mocha, the giant of Sector W7, usually had no problem trampling over small soldiers, so the Egg Hammers and Gray Krushas thundered up to match her strength with their own. Aisa, the Shandian hunter of W7, was swift on her feet as she kicked Kremlings down and sniped some with arrows, but her Mantra reacted to dodge the arrows cast by Gruntilda’s Grublin Hoods. The Team Rocket agents summoned Blastoise and other strong Water-types to bombard Anthony McKenzie, the strong-willed earthbender who led Sector W. Sector L’s waterbenders, Melody and Yuta, couldn’t provide backup for him as Team Rocket ordered Electric-types to hurt the benders of the opposite element. Airships secured the skies and threatened to rain ammo onto their enemies, but W7’s Chimney rammed them down with her R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. and V’s Haylee Gilligan aboard a Lego-made ship.
The Magikoopas countered the mages of Sector MG; said Koopas also commanded Inferi in the form of Dry Bones, Bone Beetles, or Chincho. Bowser’s Boos and Grunty’s Tee-hees battled Sector JP; Karin Kurosaki could legally fight them in her ghost form. Prince Raleigh of Sector $ was eager to engage the Rocket Agents, his wealthy teammates assisting him. Sector SA was another major sector of concern, between Nagisa’s swift Rokushiki arts, Morgiana’s powerhouse kicking, Shino’s paintball sniping from beyond the battlefield, or especially Index: though her lightbending was average at best, they feared if she would bust out her true power.
Still, between the operatives the minions had researched, some were absent. Anthony and Fybi were the only W ops; Sally had died, and their two others quit as a result. Sector V was missing Chris Uno, their firebending powerhouse. Sector RZ were absent, as were many other sectors whom were barely on Team Gnaa’s radar. Even the ones present were making sure to protect their weakest links, such as W7’s Aeincha or SA’s Goombella.
Nevertheless, the army of enemies expected nothing short of these operatives, nor did they expect to win. The cries and bangs of battle carried toward the town, keeping everyone awake and afraid. Like many other battles before it, this one ended with twilight’s fade. The valley was ravaged and smoke clouded the air. Robots lay broken and “organic” minions half-dead. The KND could drop their guards peacefully. (End song.)
“Hmmm…” Haruka Dimalanta, Sector V’s nurse, studied some of the Koopas’ bodies. “Artificial flesh… much like that found on the Kremlings in the Pirate War. Bowser is applying K. Rool’s Kloning technology.”
“That’s only if K. Rool came up with it.” Raleigh mentioned. “I heard Team Rocket has their own, for their Pokémon.”
“So, there’s no shortage of enemies, that’s just great.” Nagisa sighed.
“But if they are Klones,” Dillon replied, “would it be wrong if we… put them down?”
“Don’t say that!” Carol Masterson, Sector $’s computer expert shouted. “Misaka has a bunch of clones and she considers them her sisters!”
“Yeah, but they’re not our enemies.”
“Makes me wonder if we shouldn’t clone ourselves.” Nagisa said.
“That’s totally unethical!” Index stomped. “And there’s a million ways that could backfire!”
“Aye! There’s only one Sheila!” the pirate fist-pumped. “They only make clones ’cause they aren’t proud of their selves! Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be!”
“Heh heh…she’s right.” Cheren sported a smile. “You did well today, Kids Next Door. Be proud of yourselves!”
The operatives all tried to share smiles of agreement, some more assured than others. Within moments, GUN trucks and helicopters arrived to sweep up the minions, saluting the KND in gratitude. “Heeeeeelp!” Among the soldiers, a brown-haired man in a green jacket came running in a frenzy.
“Holy frick, it’s the Exposition Guy.” Mason remarked. “Glad he’s still around.”
“There’s an intergalactic news broadcast on TV! It says the KND are evil! You guys have to stop them!”
“Uh…excuse me?” Cheren cocked a brow. “Who says we’re evil?”
“The mouse man! You guys are the police, right?”
“We’re the KND, dumbass.”
“…Oh. HEEEEEEEEELLLLLP!” And he ran off crying.
“That’s not a good sign.” George King said. “We better see what this is about…”
Intergalactic News
“The purpose of what we call the ‘Coruscant Aurora’ that happened just two days ago remains a mystery.” Big Bird, president of the studio, began as the visual replayed. “However, it’s clear that it has something to do with the curious figures you see here…” The camera zoomed in on the horde of KND and the “seven” Newborn. “We recognize them as the Kids Next Door from Earth; among the GKND’s aliens. But who are these curious sprites? Well, allow me to recap.” The camera closed on the genie Newborn, Hoopa. “This creature was stated to be the reborn form… of a monstrous god that brought our universe to ruin: Lord English. And said creature would be responsible for a similar, yet shorter-lived incident.” He played the clip of the spatial distortion that occurred in January.
“That delicious-looking one,” he focused on Gourmerry the Foodborn, “was seen during the Cooking Festival crisis. It was wielded by that girl,” the camera showed Yuzu, “as well as the wanted teenage pirate, Augustus Fizzuras, to destroy the monster that terrorized the island, saving many lives. And that one,” it cut to the sky-bodied pirate, “is none other than Skaios the Pirate Emperor, who abducted many towns into his flying kingdom and killed many. I cannot speak for these other spirits, and while the food one seemed to have good intentions… can we not consider these beings as dangerous as the other two? I have with me some special guests that can weigh in further: introducing King of Disney Land and Head of the Corporate Presidents, Mickey Mouse!”
“Good evening, everybody!” the cartoonish, humanoid mouse perked up. “Uh, or whichever time of day it is in the universe-hoho. I’m, uh, not sure how to begin…” The king looked sheepish and ashamed. “I’ve always admired the KND, you know? I followed all of their exploits. They stopped the dreaded Four Emperors, saved the Cooking Festival, and well, let’s not forget last year-hoho. But lately, they’ve done things that I… can’t wholly overlook. Ahem, let’s see… for starters, they seem to have recruited Skaios into their ranks instead of allowing him to face justice… They even let Emperor Mandy off the hook despite her crimes. Some think the reason is that she’s related to a few major operatives-ho. I also want to shed light on a few select operatives, whom you can see among the party there.”
As the camera highlighted Miko Kubota, distinct for her violet hair, and Sector SA, screenshots from a certain game were shown, particularly Miko in her neon pixel dress. “These screenshots were taken from the virtual reality game, Aincrad. Those who were there recognize her well: this girl was the MCP who ruled Aincrad. The one designed by Former President Kayaba to trap all those poor people inside that dangerous game. It would seem she’s also a physical being… and the KND’s ally. Furthermore, in my team’s attempts to stop the rogue MCP, we were thwarted by this group,” he showed Sector SA, “whom we believe are allied with the girl who commands the genie.”
“I see… that is quite concerning. Is there anything else?”
“Well, uh, I brought another guest with me, for this occasion. Queen Peach?”
“Hello.” The camera panned to the blonde, pink-dressed queen of Mushroom Kingdom.
“Queen Peach herself?! You’re a popular man, King Mickey! Nay, you’re a BIG MoUUUUUSE!”
“Aw, shucks, Big Bird! The queen and I became friends just recently. After… you know.”
“Hmm…” Peach bowed her head in sorrow. “As some of you may know, Mario and Luigi… can no longer serve as Mushroom’s heroes. They were injured fighting Bowser… I guess their age had to reach them eventually.”
“And you said they were trying to protect somebody… who wasn’t yourself-hoho.”
“Yes. It was my daughter’s friend, in the KND. I think that’s him there.” She pointed at Romeo Conbolt on the screen. “He wanted Bowser’s flame so he could become Victini’s Guardian… That creature there.” She indicated Victini.
“So, the Mario Brothers sacrificed their health for that, did they? What happened then?”
“Well, he succeeded… and, um, I don’t know what it would’ve led to.”
“Yes, well and good,” Jacques Schnee suddenly enforced himself in the shot, “I’ve got a few things to say myself!”
“P-President Schnee!” Big Bird chirped. “I didn’t know you were-”
“I was there the whole time, you dolt! First off, that raccoon Faunus, the one everyone’s calling the Pirate King, had the gall to punch me during our meeting with Earth KND’s leader! Not that he demonstrated any skill in restraining her. Then there was that scythe-wielding girl, who impersonated my daughter, attacked me in my mansion, and turned my children into masks! And if you think that’s all, then I’ve got a stinking suspicion that Chancellor-”
“Hoho, hokay, Mr. Schnee,” Mickey ushered him away, “t-tone it down a bit, I think we got enough-hoho!”
“Ah, King Mickey, that reminds me.” Big Bird said. “You said you were going to throw some kind of special ‘event’ for the KND. Is that still on the table?”
“Oh my, of course! We already spent all that money-hoho. I sent the message to the Supreme Leader’s email yesterday; tomorrow, we will be hosting our very own KND Field Day at Butterfly Groundlands, Mewni, Avalar. Anyone is welcome! Hoho, and we have special seats reserved for any VIPs. Perhaps seeing our heroes engage in good, sporty fun will set our minds at ease!”
Moonbase
All KND attended to watch the broadcast, expressions wrought with concern. “Wow…” Aurora was dumbfounded. “He couldn’t make it any more obvious how he feels about us.”
“Yeah, he’s… totally trying to make us look bad.” Miko replied, shirking down in guilt.
“Mmm…” Romeo bowed. His girlfriend, Wendy held his hand in comfort.
“WHAT IS MOM DOING?!” They were startled by Maria Mario’s outburst. “How could she just take Mickey’s side?! Against US?! I’m GLAD I threw away the throne!”
“And you’re telling me we have to beat that guy in some sort of… popularity contest?!” Lee Andrew, vice-leader of Sector RZ shouted. “For the fate of the universe?!”
“Essentially… yeah.” Cheren replied, unsure himself. “From the way Kael phrased it, we need to gather as many followers as possible by the end of June. But, it shouldn’t be that hard. We saved the universe countless times! No matter what Mickey says, the people can’t forget what we did!”
“I don’t think it’ll be that simple.” Mikoto Misaka, Sector AC’s leader said. “Even if those people are grateful to us, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re loyal. If they’re swayed by Mickey’s words, they won’t take our side.”
“The average person is very bendable.” MaKayla King, Sector IC’s martial artist timebender agreed. “Especially when negative feelings are put into play. That’s clearly Mickey’s strategy in this war. Businessmen specialize in persuasion, after all, and a joyful face like Mickey’s was designed just for that.”
“Disney’s entire brand focuses on diversity, emotion, and all that jazz, and they got the quality animation and songwriting to pull it off.” Karin said, her face a usual scowl. “And with people so gaga over them, they can manipulate anybody.”
“Yeah, at least Bowser’s straightforward!” Jinta, JP’s baseballer, rose from his seat and stomped. “He’s all like, ‘Grar, I’m gonna conquer you, gimme your princesses, bwaaaahhh!’ Everyone knows he’s a villain! That’s why no one’s gonna work for him!”
“Uh, yes they will.” Karin corrected. “Did you forget all the people working for Bowser? First, there’s the freaking Negatar himself, Eggman and his bazillion robots, the effing Brotherhood of Evil, which already scouts out every single supervillain and two-bit criminal in the universe… and even normal civilians will just surrender to Bowser out of fear.”
“The whole reason King K. Rool wanted to win the Pirate War was for Bowser…” Maddy recalled what the Kremling shared with her when they first battled. “It’s why he enslaved Mobius.”
“You don’t think the Kremlings that were imprisoned count to the total, do you?” Mason wondered.
“Hold on, mates, ain’t you forgetting something?” Sheila asked. “Ah’m the Pirate King! Oi won the war!” She proudly propped her feet up on the chair before her. “That makes all those other pirates loyal to me, don’t it?”
“But, you destroyed that contract and set them all free from that clause.”
“And they should be darn well grateful! That means they ’AVE to be loyal to me! Besides, didn’t a bunch of those pirates get all friendly with us? Oi say we got good numbers so far. Then there’s the entire KND on top of that!”
“But this is stupid!” Lee shouted. “We barely survived the Pirate War, and a ton of other things in between, why do we have to fight another dumb war?!”
“I didn’t wanna do this any more than the rest of you!” Cheren argued. “But it was spur of the moment and two of our biggest enemies are already signed up to be Kael’s Guardian! It’s going to be bad for us if either one of them gets Kael’s power! We have no choice!”
“You say that, but…” Sadie of Sector BC raised her hand, “why would it be bad if Mickey wins, exactly?”
“Uh, excuse me?!” Aurora shouted. “Did you forget Mickey tried to kill my brother and the other Supreme Leaders?!”
“He… did?”
“Oh, right.” Cheren recalled. “We never officially publicized that as part of Sector LN’s ‘deal’ with him. …And looking back, I think Mickey pulled off that stunt because I turned down his offer of ‘friendship’ in the first place.”
“That was because he insulted Akko’s friend.” Lee replied. “I remember that…”
“I think I’m starting to get this.” Goombella replied. “Mickey wanted to be ‘friends’ with the KND because he saw them as a potential threat to this whole plan.”
“Hi, everybody!” A blonde girl with a cyan dress and heart-shaped blush marks stood up. “Star Butterfly! Sector M, Avalaran transfer, you might know me. So, um, not to sound biased or anything, but it sounds like Mickey’s Field Day thing is gonna take place in my kingdom… where I am the princess, hehe.” Most of the operatives shot her questioning glares, prompting Star’s teammate, Marco to pull up his hood and sink down. Other ops were mumbling, ‘We have a princess?!’ “Um, so, I don’t know if the whole ‘trying to kill Cheren’ thing is true or whatever, but Mickey’s a pretty great guy! My parents and I used to see him at parties and he’s real sweet, and he helped us with Mewni’s monster problem…”
“Um, I think what Star’s trying to say is,” followed Miguel Rivera, Sector M’s musician, “why exactly is Mickey a bad guy? What’s he gonna do if he… y’know, gets Supreme God power?”
“Probably fricking enslave everyone under his happy, ‘girl power’ banner.” Nagisa scoffed.
“Khh, I mean,” snorted Connie, BC’s leader, “you would know that since your friends are all girls. Personally, I think this is a HUUUUUGE misunderstanding. I think Mickey just has the wrong impression of the KND, based on a few certain ‘incidents’ with those Newborn you’ve all been collecting, so maybe what we oughta do is talk to him and clear this whole thing up.”
“Don’t you get it?” Cheren sighed. “Mickey doesn’t care if he’s wrong or not, he WANTS us to look bad because it’ll get people against us!”
“Well, that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t turned down his friendship offer!” Star yelled.
“Well, it’s because I did that we got to see his true colors! We couldn’t have signed over to him, least of all in this situation!”
“M-Maybe…Maybe we should!” All eyes fell to Dipper Pines, Sector GF’s leader. “Maybe Mickey could use that power for good! Maybe we don’t have to keep fighting! Maybe we don’t have to keep losing people!”
“To be honest, it’s not a bad option to explore.” Hibiki Lates, KB’s computer expert, agreed. “We lost Libby in the Pirate War… and Bon Clay’s still in a coma from the dream incident. I wonder if-”
“We are NOT signing over to MICKEY!” argued Ruby, KB’s fighter. “Sapphire, you can tell ’em! Use your Future Vision to see Mickey’s evil ways!”
“I…I shouldn’t say anything.”
“QUIT HOLDIN’ OUT AND TELL US!”
“I-I…” Sapphire tensed up under the pressure. “I see several of us… joining Mickey and…”
“And Mickey backstabs us, right?!” Anthony shouted. “Tell us! It’s all a scam!”
“I… You know what?! Figure it out for yourselves!” Sapphire stood and stomped her way out of the stands. “I didn’t ask for this!”
“Alright, look.” Cheren said. “Whenever a big war like this happens, I always give you the choice. I’m giving you that choice now… on whether to fight or stay home. The only condition I’ll make is not to sign over to our enemies. Because if you do… then we’ll have no choice but to fight you, too.”
“You’re as one-sided as always, Cheren.” (Play “Desire” from Persona 5.)
“?!” Everyone whipped up at the main screen. A dark-blue spider symbol appeared against a light-blue space, the image staticky and flickering in and out. The voice was feminine, yet distorted. “You claim to be everyone’s friend… and yet you send us all to our deaths under the guise of friendship and righteousness. These wars that adults should’ve fought. This organization where only the strong and talented survive, while the weak ‘extras’ are put to shame. You even have a Sector Ranking system that directs all eyes to only the important people, no matter who was sacrificed on the way.”
“What?! Who are you?!”
“’TIS ARANEA!” Fybi Fulbright, W’s archer and Nimbi, professed in her refined tone, mixed with Irish and Shakespearean. “That logo bares her colors… and that shape mimics the spider she is named for. And masked or not, I doth recognize my cousin’s voice.”
“Aranea, is that really you?!” Anthony shouted. “What’re you doing?! Are you somewhere in the base?!”
“It’s called hacking, stupid. You can try to mute me if you want, but it’s already too late. My plan has been set in motion.”
“WHAT PLAN?!” Panini screeched. “Aranea… ya better choose your words carefully.”
“I was listening the entire time. I know the war Cheren has signed us up for. And I realize now… the time has come. The time to really and truly give up. And I think my fellow operatives must do the same. Alas, you won’t… because you are fooled with the guise that you are heroes.”
“I’ve never heard Aranea talk like this.” MaKayla said. “Not just the voice filter, but… just this ‘smart’ way she’s talking.”
“You know, some people only talk like this when they’ve completely surrendered to their negative feelings.” Miyuki replied. “Abandoned any semblance of hope or even friendship, and accepting their hatred with a logical view.”
“Hmm…” Miyuki must know from experience, Kayla thought.
“Say what you want. All people have darkness in their hearts… including you all. It’s time… for you all to see it.”
Everyone’s iPhones—or at least the people who owned them—began buzzing, startling the group as they quickly checked them. “They’re all Twitcher notifications!” Mason said. “And… it has our pictures from the KND files.”
“WHAT?!” Haruka screamed. “No! H-How did Aranea find out about that?!”
“About… what?” Harry asked, skimming to Haruka’s article. “…That you sprayed Minish with bug-killing gas?”
“I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE! THEY WERE TINY, SO I THOUGHT THEY WERE BUGS!”
“HUH?!” Haylee screamed.
“Haylee, it was an accident, I swear! Wait, what’re you…”
“It says Haylee takes sexy photos of herself-” Dillon mumbled.
“DON’T SAY IT OUT LOUD!”
“How… the… fuck…” Mason gawked, disgusted and horrified as his own secret was posted online.
“What’s wrong, Mason?” Sheila peeked over her best friend’s shoulder. “Wot’s it-”
“NO!” Mason threw his phone to the floor and stomped it. “Sheila, don’t EVER get on the Internet! NEVER! And if anyone starts a sentence about me, COVER YOUR EARS!”
“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Jinta screamed. “WHO THE FUCK POSTED THESE LIES?! WHO?!”
“Ummm…” His teammates looked on awkwardly. The article described Jinta’s weird thoughts about them and other tough girls… as well as Mason’s about Sheila. A certain prejudice about Nagisa came to light, the sky-haired boy wanting to shirk down out of shame. “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me.” Miguel mumbled, reading his phone.
“What doesn’t surprise you?!” Aisa, his girlfriend, looked over his shoulder. “Wait, that’s me! What’s it-”
“I-It’s probably a joke, right?” Miguel chuckled, stashing the phone away. “It says you like to draw pictures of everyone’s feet-”
“I’M AN ARTIST LIKE APRIL, ARTISTS DRAW FEET ALL THE TIME, WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT?!”
“ARANEA!” Cheren screamed. “What gave you ANY right to post these lies about us?! You went TOO FAR!”
“They aren’t lies. They are all truths. Truths provided to me… by a certain boy who threatened us during the Pirate War.”
“Ko…Kokichi?!” Carol exclaimed.
“These are the same secrets Kokichi had.” Ciel Phantomhive recognized a few examples. “But he never carried out that threat! Why would you have them?”
“I got one of his former crewmates to ‘give’ them to me. I may not have the evidence to prove these secrets, but you’ll find that most people don’t need evidence. Most people will believe anything they hear. But you all know for facts that they’re true. You’ll have no chance convincing people otherwise. These facts were posted for anyone to view… and I know who will be the first to take advantage and spread them further. You’ve already lost this war… so, you have no reason to fight. Some of you might not even want to be friends, anymore.”
“Aranea… why?!” Cheren demanded. “Why would you do all this to sabotage us?! Don’t you realize what’ll happen?!”
“I think you’re the one who isn’t realizing all their options.”
“Is this because of Sally?!” Anthony asked. “Aranea, I’m sorry we couldn’t save her in time! But Sally wouldn’t do this! She wouldn’t like you for doing this! Don’t tell me Harvey’s with you, too!”
“Shut up! You barely cared about Sally, OR me. And now it’s too late for you to change. You should know… there are other Spider Cells in other KNDs. Superbia is a cesspool of them. They’ll ensure that those KNDs fall apart just the same.”
“S-Superbia?” Tsuyu Asui responded with a start. A metahuman with frog features, she left her friends from Superbia due to trauma and personal problems, joining Earth’s Sector L under her new friend, Melody. Actually, part of why she left was because of lewd pictures people were drawing and posting about her… Tsu kind of empathized with her current operatives in that regard.
“I have no secrets for the people of ‘lesser’ sectors… so, I implore them to choose wisely, what they want to do from here on. Goodbye… everyone.” The screen blacked out.
“Ashley… you were on Kokichi’s crew.” Sector TD’s Tomoyo said to her 3-foot, red-dressed teammate. “Do you know who…”
“Roger.” Ashley glared. “He betrayed us in the middle of the war… he’s the only one I can think of.”
“Where is Kokichi, anyway?!” Weiss Schnee, Sector $’s swordswoman asked. “We haven’t seen him since the CP0 incident!”
“I don’t know…” Carol sighed.
Clouds of doubt and shame swallowed the hearts of all operatives present. Cheren could think of only one way to move forward. “This assembly is over. Everyone is free to go back home and… decide what you want to do. I’ll call when… something major comes up.”
Across the universe…
On Planet Mira, the operatives of Team Rex were fending off a robot invasion in Tantal. They weren’t robots from Mechonis or anywhere else on Mira, rather ones that bore the logo of Dr. Eggman. Rex, with the Xenoblade Pyra by his side, clashed fiercely with a robotic blue hedgehog, their speed matching that of the mech. But, just as Rex knocked the robot into a cliff with Spinning Cutter, its red eyes flickered red and turned green. “Aegis Data… has been copied.”
“Hey, where’s it going?!” Rex asked as the robot took flight.
“Mission complete… Dr. Eggman.”
“Well done, my Hyper Metal Sonic.” Eggman replied through the comms, stationed in a certain base. “With this… Planet Mira will join the Eggman Empire!”
…
On Avalar, the citizens of the Isle o’ Hags were in a panic as monsters swarmed their land. “RAK KAKAKAKAK! My humble homeland, I have returned! Your favorite witch has not been burned!”
“Banjo! Banjo! Get your ass up and look!” A red bird pecked the face of a snoozing brown bear.
“Yaaaaawn…” Banjo lazily walked outside. “What is it, Kazooie…huh?” A gigantic, magical hologram of a certain obese, green, pointy-chinned witch towered above the mountain. “G…Gruntilda?! Is she… back in her old body?!”
…
A horde of robots and soldiers began to sweep over Mobius’s Wonderbeast World, fighting the Kremnants based within. “WAIT!” pled a large cat woman. “We aren’t with the Kremlings! We’re just-”
Two soldiers zapped the woman and put her in cuffs. “Sorry, but President Schnee orders the capture of all animals present.”
…
King Mickey monitored the forces deployed by Jacques Schnee and Mom, as well as Big Bird’s news team. King Bowser oversaw the Brotherhood of Evil engaging the Superbian heroes in war, Eggman’s attack on Mira, and Team Rocket capturing countless Pokémon on their homeworld. And Cheren Uno… sat depressedly in his office while his conflicted operatives returned home in dejection and humiliation.
And higher above them… Supreme Born Kael watched the three Candidates at work. “The Throne War has begun! This is going to be so fun! Kinginginginging!”
The title of this chapter alludes to the “Whisper Hour” of Field Day, the first Newborn Era story, in which the operatives confide their secrets. I also had that opening battle visualized for a while; it’s just fun to imagine my kids mowing down hordes of my favorite enemy galleries.
Chapter 2: Day of Distrust
Summary:
The KND struggle to cope knowing their personal secrets have been exposed. King Mickey invites the KND to his own Field Day.
Chapter Text
Time for another recap!
Chapter 2: Day of Distrust
Koopa Kore
Roughly 25 years ago, a band of warlords and their armies were united under Negatar Gnaa, master of the Dark Elements and an Avatar of Supreme God Arceus’s power. Bowser Koopa, Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik, King K. Rool, The Brain and his Brotherhood of Evil, Evil King Ganondorf, and some extras. Though Lord Gnaa still lived, sitting beside Bowser’s giant throne at this very moment, his great power was lost. Bowser now acted as supreme commander of the armies, though some of their prior leaders were now gone.
Ganondorf’s seat was succeeded by Majora, but the Masked Demon met his end a month ago. King K. Rool passed in the Pirate War, but the Kremnants listened to Bowser still. Giovanni, leader of the Pokémon-hunting Team Rocket, had joined their crusade several years ago, though spent most of that time acting incognito under another group. Gruntilda joined around the same time, while also doubling as one of the Corporate Presidents under Mickey. As for the Brotherhood, they had cycled leaders a few times, but their current one seemed rather promising.
Lord Gnaa opened several Dark Portals around the chamber, allowing their allies entry. Eggman, his mustache greying on his cyborg body; Gruntilda, feeling refreshed in her restored, green flesh, wearing her traditional black witch’s clothes; Giovanni, clothed in his orange business attire; and finally, the Brotherhood’s leader, Tomura Shigaraki, his skin and hair pale with dry lips, and his clothes black.
“Fellas, it was bound to happen sooner or later… but a new Battle for the Universe has begun.” Bowser’s domineering tone was more calm and serious than usual. “First… we have to address the most pressing issue.” He slammed his drink to the floor and stomped, quaking the structure. “WHY IS MY PEACH SIDING WITH THAT WRETCHED RAT?! WHAT DOES HE GOT OVER ME?! GRAAAAAAAHHHH!”
“STOP IT! ENOUGH!” Grunty screamed. “Don’t take it on us! I know that’s rough, but stop the fuss!”
“Mickey has no doubt ‘swooned’ the queen behind the scenes.” Eggman said. “Does he have a way with words or is he applying some sort of soft hypnosis?”
“Mickey is not beneath underhanded tactics.” Grunty replied. “The KND Council, with my suasion, he attacked it.”
“And that plan backfired, yet he allowed you to stay in the Corporate Presidents.” Giovanni said. “You were lucky to get away with such a reckless plan. You joined the Corporate Presidents to keep tabs on them, didn’t you?”
“I’m sure, by now, Mickey is aware of Grunty’s true allegiances.” Eggman figured. “Perhaps he only keeps her around to keep tabs on us.”
“WHAT?!” Bowser thundered. “YOU DON’T SHARE INFO WITH THEM, DO YA?!”
“Relax, relax, I don’t tell him a thing! I hate that mouse and all his bling!”
“Perhaps what Mickey’s thinking is that, by letting Grunty in on his own plans, he can anticipate attacks and countermeasures.” Eggman reasoned.
“Then he shouldn’t let her linger around him at all.” Giovanni argued.
“Having friends even amongst your enemies can yield good intel.” Tomura inputted. “And so long as she can spy on them, I’m not entirely against it. More importantly… you said you were going to introduce us to someone special, Bowser.”
“Indeed.” Lord Gnaa agreed. “It’s only fair we all know what we’re in for.”
“KAEL! SHOW YOURSELF!” Bowser commanded.
The chamber disappeared, replaced by a vast, cosmic space where they floated beneath the looming gaze of a child god. The Team Gnaa members were much more used to the infant-sized Firstborn, but he certainly looked the part of one with his crown-shaped head and pudgy belly, decorated with thick black, circular lines. “The Firstborn to end all Firstborn.” Giovanni smirked. “Team Meowth will get a kick trying to capture you.”
“Hi, Bow-wow’s friends! I’m glad we finally get to meet! I’ve been watchin’ all your armies, you’re making me Super Smash Bros. really fun so far!”
“I thought this was called the Game of Thrones?” Giovanni asked.
“There’s gonna be a lot of fights between lots of different people, and that’s what Smash Bros. is! But you can call it Throne Wars, too.”
“Yeah, yeah, I just need you to clear something up with my buds here.” Bowser said. “You have control over the Newborn, right? So, if we win the war, we get to command them, too.”
“Uh…” Kael blushed. He began to fiddle his tiny, though giant fingers. “About that… there’s an eensy-weensy problem.”
“Yeeeeeees?”
“Skaios managed to stay free of my control… and he broke my control over the other ones, too. So, the KND can still use the Newborn.”
“WWWWWHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” The combined roars of the warlords even rattled Kael. “You mean we STILL have to worry about the Newborn?!” Eggman banged his fist. “That makes this battle completely one-sided! We should’ve had them destroyed after all!”
“On top of that,” Tomura hissed, “there’s Deku and that timebending child he used against the Animal King…”
“I’m sorry, guys… really, I am.” Kael’s eyes sank, his lips pursed shamefully. “I’ll try to find some way to fix this…oh? Hmmm…” He closed his eyes, the lids shimmering as he saw through space. “What… I thought they…oh, I see. That’s what they were planning…”
“What are you mumbling about?” Eggman asked.
“Heh heh…I think I found a way to even this game out a bit. If any of the KND try to use their Newborn, I’ll use it. Heck, maybe you’ll be able to use them, too.”
“Quit beating around the bush and tell us!” Bowser ordered.
“It’s a surprise, Bow-wow! Besides, I don’t wanna mess with the game too much. I won’t tell you what the other sides are doing and I can’t do anything to mortals, anyway. But I can bring in some extra help in case the Newborn help the KND. Just keep playing and have fun! I really wanna see what you do! See ya later!”
Kael faded, and they were back in Bowser’s throne room. “It’s a good thing I’ve already completed my Egg Aegis.” Eggman said. “The Miran KND is in shambles. Perhaps it’s time to put those Blades to the ultimate test.”
“All I can say is you all better be worth the time I’m investing.” Tomura said. “I’ve got my own goals to accomplish… liberating Superbia of the justice system and ensuring freedom for all metahumans. In that sense, it’s too bad we couldn’t have been Skaios’ allies. Those heroes will no doubt side with either the KND or Mickey, so our dreams will fall if they win. My only concern, now, is if you really have the power and will worthy to be King of the Universe.”
“Then test me right now.”
“Heh…maybe I WILL!” Tomura lunged at Bowser’s head, clasping it with all 10 fingers. By now, Bowser’s flesh would dissolve into nothing, yet it remained strong and sturdy. The Koopa King seized the skinny man in his right claws, Tomura struggling just enough to escape his grip. Bowser then released a wave of Conqueror’s Haki, lighting his reptilian body with violet flames to heighten the effect. “Heh…there are no Superbians who carry an aura like this. Even Endeavor would shrivel out in your presence.”
“You mean that guy Kroctus beat up? Gwah hah har! His Haki was way stronger than mine, and Endeavor still stood up to him! ’Course, if Kroctus can tank my firebending, it’s no wonder Endeavor stood no chance.”
“Too bad our Negatar no longer possesses such power.” Gruntilda sneered. “When our foes arrive, will he cower?”
“I still have enough darkness to influence villains to our side.” Gnaa said. “In fact… after this, there’s another meeting I should get to.”
“At some point, we ought to take over your homeworld as well.” Giovanni said.
“I doubt Aang will sit by and let that happen. Perhaps our final duel is just around the corner. I never did get the chance to see the new city he developed… this seems like a good chance to.”
“And what of King Mickey’s broadcast just now?” Eggman asked. “It seems he’s planning to invite the KND to his own game… but after those accusations, I’d be surprised if they came. Perhaps we’ll watch it and see just what Mickey plans to do.”
“Yeah… and maybe we’ll look for a chance to crash his party ourselves.” Bowser smirked.
Moonbase (Play “Under Moonlight” from Trails in the Sky.)
While all other sectors had returned home, Cheren contacted High Supreme Leader Nebula and reported the incident. “Do you think… Aranea, or the rest of these Spider Cells, could be working for Mickey?”
That was the most logical conclusion to draw to, based on the prior conversation. “Maybe they are. She didn’t seem to have secrets on everybody… but some of them seemed meant to weaken the trust between teammates. Mason’s naughty fantasies, Jinta’s, Emily’s, Haylee’s… and some controversial views here and there. Kodama apparently blows up the houses of classmates and neighbors she doesn’t like, Eddy criticizes gamers on the Internet, Carol thinks Lilliputians and other small races make good pets…”
“Funny thing is Arianna’s sort of tired of Vweeb’s ‘interests,’ too.” Nebula shirked. “It really is awful, what Nea did. In other news, the Kid Council is pretty divided on this war, too. The Superbians are already dealing with the Brotherhood, so they’re on our side for the most part… except for the amount of dropouts in their ranks. The Kateenians don’t wanna fight another war, the Harnitans wanna side with Mickey… ’course, I’m only speaking for the leaders, there could be some exceptions. But, um…” Nebula figured she wasn’t making him feel any better, so she changed topics. “About that Field Day Mickey’s hosting tomorrow…”
“Well, of course we’re not going. It’s obviously a trap. I don’t think anyone else has the spirit to, either…sigh…” It hurt Cheren to think such strong friendships could end so suddenly and unfairly. He could only hope they were working it out down there.
…
Anthony and Fybi knew Aranea and Harvey’s families fled town after Ashland’s destruction at the hands of Sephiroth. Perhaps Nea considered that the perfect time to act and get away with it. Frustration filling him, Anthony stomped up chunks of ground and crushed what remained of Nea’s house.
…
“OI! MASON!” Sheila banged her hand on the door to Mason and Haruka’s room; normally, her immense strength could easily break it, but she felt the need to show restraint. “Why are you ignoring me?! Did I do somethin’ wrong? Is that what was on the Internet?”
Sooner or later, Sheila would find out the truth and she would be disgusted with him. Mason cowered under his blanket, knowing that. He couldn’t help that he had such thoughts… Everything about Sheila was great. Her loud personality, her carelessness, her light and shabby clothing… there was no girl more awesome. Whenever she burps in his face, or jumps on his bed in the morning, or beating up a sorry villain… it’s true that Mason was annoyed with her for a time, but he was long over that. But even that sunny personality couldn’t possibly accept…
“Well, how ’bout I go beat Nea up? Would that make ya happy?! Oi dunno, but one thing’s for sure, I’m never goin’ on another adventure without you! So, until then, I’m not the Pirate King, anymore!” He heard her stomping away.
“Sigh, Sheila…” Aurora listened regretfully.
“So… you think rap is a disgrace to all music?” Harry Gilligan asked her.
“I mean, your songs are pretty good. But, I’ve heard other rap songs, and… they’re just not? Like, you can’t possibly tell me this is an irredeemable secret?”
“I mean, I don’t really mind it… but I get the feeling other people will spin it the wrong way.”
“You think so?”
“Kind of… but, so ya know, I ain’t planning to back out of this battle. I know I’m the weakest one of the team, but I’m no coward.”
“Thanks.” Aurora smiled. “I just hope these two can pull through.”
…
“YOU KNEW ABOUT ARANEA ALL ALONG?!” Eddy Flores shouted, grabbing Quill by the shirt.
“Sh-She only got to me after the war, b-but I backed out of her plan after the Aincrad incident.” Quill Ramsey cringed tensely.
“And you didn’t tell us?!”
“I still kind of agreed with her, okay?! I didn’t wanna sabotage her, but I would feel worse if I went against you all! I still chose you guys in the end!”
“Knock it off, you two!” E. Carmine yelled. “Quill was just trying to apologize.”
“Ever heard of too little, too late?!”
“IT’S NOT TOO LATE!” Carmine threw a weak bomb in the center of them, blowing them apart with light soot. “Just… promise you’ll still be friends by tomorrow. We don’t want Miko to feel any worse, do you?”
…
Miko Kubota had retired to her shared bedroom with Lexi, downtrodden as she swung her Wiimote, pretending to toss and bounce balls against the wall. “Heeeey, Sis.” Lexi walked in. “You’re just in time for dinner. …Need help hooking up a classic console? Wanna get back into motion controls and drawn-out levels?”
“We had a bad day…”
“Uh, heh…we saw the news broadcasts, and the mass Twitcher alerts. Crazy things happening… again…”
“You’re gonna leave, aren’t you?”
“The KND? I dunno about fighting any war or whatever, but I can still do light operative duties… I hope.”
“You might as well quit now, when you have the chance. Anyway, I’m not hungry. I just know the fam’s gonna pester me about this.”
“I know, but… we actually have a guest with us tonight. I’d like it if you come.”
Miko looked at her sister curiously. Lexi smiled, as though Miko already knew the answer.
She expected an unsettling air to weigh over dinner table, Miko’s parents an older sister passing her nervous smiles. It was obvious Lexi requested them not to talk about today’s posting. “Aaaaaand let me introduce:” Lexi danced by the door as if putting on a show, “Kalluto! Presenting his first family dinner!”
A young, scrawny boy walked in, effeminate in appearance, wearing a black kimono with sakura petals. His pink eyes were cold, but soft, his dark hair casting a shadow. “Um…hello.”
“Hey, hey, kiddo!” Dad perked up. “Welcome to the table!”
“You can sit on the boys’ side.” Mother smiled.
Lexi passed a smile and jumped to her seat. Kalluto slowly took the seat between Lee and Geoffrey. “Hu-!” Cloud, the family’s large white dog, stuck his face up in Kalluto’s and sniffed. As though feeling familiarity, the dog licked him. “Haha, don’t be scared, he doesn’t bite.” Dad laughed.
“I-I see…” Kalluto much preferred Cloud at this size than the previous size.
“Sooooo, tell us about yourself!” Mom drawled. “How’d you two meet again?”
“We met… in the Aincrad game. We-”
“He was SUPER awesome!” Lexi chirped. “He helped me clear a lot of levels! He might even be better than you, Miko.”
“Hah, we’ll have to see about that!” Miko laughed. “’Course, any kid that can stand up to an assassin must have some skills to pay the bills!”
“Ha ha…” It wasn’t often that Kalluto could smile so genuinely, surrounded by such a nice atmosphere. Yet, still… he could feel a cloud over their hearts. Was it because of him? Or something else?”
…
“Jinta-kun?” Ururu knocked on the baseballer’s door. “It’s time for dinner. Yuzu-chan made your favorite. Come on. No one’s gonna say anything.”
There was no response on the other side. “Just leave him be, Ururu.” Karin said. “Maybe he needs to get over the shock…” She turned to their newest teammate, Megumi. “Not the best start to this, is it?”
“To be honest, lots of people at Tōtsuki had their weird quirks. It’s… interesting, to say the least.” The blue-haired chef blushed. “I don’t really know how I feel about it… but I feel awful about what happened. …How ’bout I just bring his food here so he can eat by himself?”
“He won’t be by himself.” Ururu replied, facing the door. “Jinta-kun? I’ll be outside if you wanna eat with me. …And, um… I sort of have something to tell you, too…”
“I prob’ly shouldn’t be around for that.” Karin left.
…
Cheren ended transmission with Nebula and began to retire to his office. “Oh!” Until he was approached by a certain, chubby nerd. “Larry…” Larry MayHence, his assistant. Now that he thought about it, Larry was Aranea’s cousin… “Did you need something?”
“Uh, just letting you know I… finished organizing the files.”
“Um…oh, yeah, that.”
“And I… didn’t know anything about Aranea’s plan, I swear.”
“Heheh…okay.”
“She kind of made some good points… about operatives being undershadowed.” Larry scratched his head sheepishly. “When I first took this job, I sorta thought we would be best buds. But you mostly hung out with Pan, Francis, and your girlfriends…”
“Yeah, yeah.” Cheren was used to the old joke. “What, do you wanna hang out right now?”
“It’s prob’ly a bad time now…ahem, well, I should go home. Wanna ride down together?”
“Actually, I’m… just gonna stay up here tonight.”
“Wh…How come?”
“Space is a nice place to be alone for a bit.” The leader retired to his office. “I’ll see you tomorrow… if you’re here.” Larry looked on in sorrow as Cheren disappeared behind the door. (End song.)
Butterfly Grounds, Avalar; 11:40a.m. the next day
The stands were filled with patrons who paid a hefty penny/coin/Rupee/gem/whatever currency they used to fly to this planet and country and see the heroes for their selves. Other people were relegated to watching Intergalactic News. “The games are slated to begin at high noon!” Mickey announced. “But, uh…I was hoping the KND would’ve shown up a bit earlier. Hoho, it wasn’t really easy to line up their time zones. Heck, it’s hard enough subtitling this in a million different languages; Disney respects all cultures-hoho! Perhaps while we’re waiting, we can skip to the fan interviews. Anyone who would like to have your thoughts on the KND pronounced, raise your hands!”
Hundreds of people in the audience threw their hands up. “Big Hoo, that’s a lot!” Big Bird chirped. “Alrighty, boys, let’s split up and try to cover this whole army!” The Sesame Street News Crew divided. “You there, good fellow.” The president approached a nobleman with a classic, white British wig. “How are you doing today, Mister…?”
“Wordsworth. W. Wordsworth.” He answered in a low, refined tone.
“Mr. Wordsworth, how do you feel about the KND?”
“A disturbing Twitcher post was brought to my attention… about one Miss Aurora Uno, who seems to detest the art of rap. I find her views to be quite… insulting.”
The camera cut to a short, pudgy girl with glasses and pigtails. “Uh, like, I just learned the KND are kinky weirdoes, and like, that’s disgusting, and I think we should, like, ban them!!”
“I find that Morgiana is a poor representation of our ethnic Seccoan cultures.” A Dryan wearing a baseball jersey inputted.
“If I see that Jinta brat here,” a Gerudo fist-palmed, “I’m gonna RAM him with my spear!”
“No, that’s just what he wants!” her shorter, Hylian bestie replied.
“Nagisa’s the most disgusting of all of them!” a black-haired girl named Elise stated.
“Haylee learned crafting from Lord Business himself.” A Legoan carpenter said awkwardly. “I’ve always wanted to meet her, but uh…I dunno if she’s right for this business.”
“Is it true that Violet McCleary thinks Kateenians are popcorn?!” a Kateenian asked.
“Bartee, Violet was in the previous gen.” His friend corrected.
“Who cares, they’re all the same to me!!”
“Golly, the crowd is on fire!” Big Bird proclaimed. “Is this because of the mysterious web of Twitcher postings that went up yesterday? Or have these thoughts been burning in our fans all along? All I know is, these folks have BIG VIEEEEEWWWWS!”
Moonbase
It sickened Cheren how well they were playing into Mickey’s game. Were these people being hypnotized? Were they paid to say these things beforehand? Or were they just that ingrateful?
Either way, Cheren spent the night in the sleeping bag of his office, now he was wasting his morning watching Mickey’s propaganda. He knew he would grow stiffer and less motivated the longer he spent in here. He didn’t have any good options to proceed in the war after what Aranea did to his friends. …So, maybe he should just throw caution to the wind. Whether it was the courage he inherited or simple foolishness, he was going to give the news something real to report on.
Cheren stomped out of his office—“’ey, Cheren!”
“Panini!” Cheren started, having just stopped himself from walking into them. “Francis!”
Panini was holding bacon and pancakes and Francis some cherry pie with a blueberry on top. “We cooked ya some breakfast! Since ya prob’ly didn’t… eat, yet.”
“…” For a moment, Cheren forgot his anger and smiled. “Thanks. Heh, nice blueberry.”
“Ah, that was Larry’s idea.” Francis thumbed.
Cheren looked around and saw the nerd in question. “Awe, thanks, Lar.”
“Glad I could help…”
“I’ll be sure to eat these on the way.” Cheren took the food and walked off.
“Where’re ya goin’?” Panini asked.
“Going to Avalar to beat the crap out of Mickey.”
“Heh heh heh…you’re not serious?”
“No, I am. Gonna try to cut him with my sword and maybe beat him with my Mirror Shield. The sectors are in shambles, we’re already losing the war, so I’m just gonna throw it all away. Tell the rest of the operatives they’re free to join Mickey at this point.”
“…” Eyes curving in anger, Panini dashed in his way. “Cheren, don’t get a swelled head! We’ll get everyone back on their feet soon, don’t just go walkin’ in ta Mickey’s trap!”
“I don’t fucking care. Whether we go to his Field Day or not, Mickey’s gonna make us look bad. So, I’m just gonna go there and be bad. Then all the other operatives are gonna get mad at me and they can decide once and for all to drop out of this gig. You might as well leave now while you have the chance. Later, Pan.” Cheren walked around her and marched down to the hangar.
Francis raised his comm and said, “Maddy, run to the hangar. Cheren’s about to…”
Right as he entered, an arm thrusted in his wake like a railroad bar, Cheren running nose-first into it… granted, Maddy had to squat to get the angle right, else her tiny leader would’ve walked right under her. “Going somewhere, boss?”
“Maddy, I have kept this to myself all these years, but you NEED… DEODORANT!”
“You aren’t really going on a reckless flight to Avalar by yourself, are you?”
“I’m having one of my ‘rage’ moments and I need someone to take it out on. I ain’t making anyone come with me. If everyone’s friendships are hanging by a thread, then I might as well cut the thread completely.”
“Fine… as long as I can cut it with you.”
“Why?”
“I’ve always loved Disney. I grew up with Lion King; I even internally geeked out when I realized I was fighting ‘Scar’ back in Enies Lobby. But what Mickey’s doing, trying to defame all our hard work… it’s just upsetting. I’m not gonna stand for it.”
“Neither will I.” Panini put an arm around her leader. “Let’s go be reckless idiots together, eh? Can ya permit that, Leader?”
“Ha ha…well, whenever this happens, there’s no use arguing.”
“Nope.” Francis affirmed with a pronounced ‘P.’ “So, let’s go sock a mouse in the nose.”
“Heheh…thanks, guys.”
Watching them board Cheren’s ship, the King’s Reign, Larry felt a renewed hope… yet, still he felt dejected. Did Cheren not want him to share the burden, or was it because Larry didn’t offer to help, too? Either way, it’s not like he had anything to offer. “Lookin’ fer someone ta help?”
The mocked country accent drew his attention. There sat Zach Murphy, donned in a wild biker uniform, mounted on his skull-faced motorcycle. “…Then you can help me get gas. I used it all up driving up here.”
“ALL TO MAKE A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE?!”
Sector V
While most of his other friends were watching the broadcast, Dillon expected Mason to still be in his room… but it seemed a certain someone else slept outside of it, sat grumpily against the wall. “Still waiting for Mason, huh?”
“He’s gotta come outta there eventually. And when he does, I’m gonna tell him what’s wrong with me!”
“Sigh, Sheila, I… might’ve read what was posted about him, and-”
“Nope!” Sheila covered her ears. “He said not to listen to anyone who starts talkin’ about him! Yohohoho, a pirate’s life for meeeee!”
“Ugh.” Dillon stomped up and knocked on Mason’s door. “Mason, just get out here and tell Sheila the truth. Or else neither of you are gonna be able to get over it!”
“What is all that racket?!” Aurora was the next to join the party.
“Aurora, you want a turn talking to him?”
“I just want you all to come and eat breakfast! We’ll put fricking gags over our mouths if that’ll make you feel better!”
“Um, then we won’t be able to eat.”
“Then we’ll shove all the food in our mouths so we can’t talk!”
“No, I’m going on a hunger strike!” Sheila yelled.
“Quit trying to mimic Luffy!”
“Great, my phone’s buzzing again.” Dillon huffed, pulling it out. “Wonder what Aranea’s done… It’s from Maddy. ‘We’re going with Cheren to beat up Mickey,’ EXCUSE ME?!”
“WHAT?! Oh, leave it to Cheren to do something like this!” Aurora sighed in exasperation.
“Then I’M going to beat up Mickey, too!” Sheila stood. “Will that make ya feel better, Mason?! But you can sure bet I won’t be enjoying the adventure!” She was quick to run to the hangar.
“Sh-Sheila…ugh, who are we kidding, we’re gonna have to save Cheren, anyway. Sheila, let’s at least ask the others if they wanna come!” Aurora pursued.
“’Guess I better go, too.” Dillon said. “Later, Mason.”
Mason had sat up when he heard the news, their voices and footsteps fading. A few minutes longer, he would hear their ship leaving the treehouse. “Hmmmm…” He knew he couldn’t stay glued to his bed forever… and Sheila would hear the truth one way or another. “Gah…dang it.” Leave it to him to wait until it was too late. Maybe one of the other sectors was available at the moment.
Butterfly Grounds
With the interviews proceeding as hoped, King Mickey sat with his four closest comrades at his personal table, sharing lunch and sweets: the royal mage, Donald Duck; the captain of the knights, Goofy; Mickey’s queen, Minnie Mouse; and Donald’s girlfriend, Daisy. “Gawrsh, fellas, I don’t think the KND are showin’ up.” Goofy said. “D’ya think we hurt their feelings?”
“Ah, who cares, Goofy?!” Donald quacked. “This’ll just make them look worse! These people came all this way to Mewni only for their heroes to not show up! Quahahahaha! Quahahahaha!”
“It’s not going to look good for us either!” Minnie scolded. “They’ll think we ripped them off!”
“Hoho, I didn’t promise them refunds for nothing.” Mickey smiled intuitively. “Or perhaps we can still turn a profit. We’ll invite all our biggest fans in this audience to come out and compete for cash prizes! And toys! These folks paid to watch kids and teens goof off, anyhow, we might be seeing some new heroic faces.”
“What kinda prizes you got?” Donald perked up. “Maybe I’ll try to compete!”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t buy an anniversary present!” Daisy shouted.
“Uh, er, I…”
“Uh, say, Mickey.” Goofy looked around worriedly. “A lot-a folks in the audience seem to be wearin’ hoods…” He saw eight people in white hoods, two younger folk in a brown and green hood respectively, a large crowd in multi-colored hoods. “But it don’t feel that cold.”
“People of all tastes come ’round-hoho.”
“Well, folks, the hour of noon is upon us!” Big Bird announced. “Noon-o-2 to be exact. They’re 2 minutes late! Where are the KND?!”
The crowds hollered with boos, moans, and demands for refunds. As the camera turned on Mickey, the mouse composed himself. “Well, I was quite positive the KND had gotten the message, but I… guess they cancelled on all of us. But don’t worry! Your investment shall not go to waste! I shall invite boys and girls ages 17 and under to come down and compete for wonderful prizes! The sign-up booth is-”
“Your Majesty! Up there!”
“Huh?!” A flying pirate ship descended from the sky, and four figures seemed to jump from it. Francis held onto Cheren as he used the Pirate Sail to parachute down, while Maddy relied on Panini’s firebending to soften their landing like a rocket. They set firmly on the ground, casting glares at Mickey. “Hoho, why…it’s the Supreme Leader of Earth’s KND, Cheren Uno himself! And with him appears to be Maddy the Conqueror, along with two extras.”
“TWO EXTRAS?!” Panini screeched.
“So, Kids Next Door, care to explain why you’re fashionably late?” Big Bird held his microphone to them. “Or can you explain the string of Twitcher posts that appeared the night before? Are other operatives going to show up? If not, why? Do the KND not care about their fans?”
“DID YOU FIRE JINTA AND NAGISA, YET?!”
“I don’t want those kinky weirdoes on this planet!!” the pigtailed girl panicked.
“Will Miss Aurora be taking a lecture on the importance of rap?” Wordsworth wondered.
“The fans are on fire, boy!” Big Bird exclaimed. “What do you have to say to these Big—HOOOOOO!”
The audience was speechless as Cheren kicked the president in the stomach. He swiped the microphone and declared, “SHUT UP! You have no right talking about my OPERATIVES that way!”
The broadcast had the full attention of everyone watching, especially fellow KND sectors. Even Sector V were almost distracted midflight to witness it. “Does it make you feel good?! Shaming us for our personal secrets?! Calling us freaks?! Calling us bad people?! YOU’RE the bad people! You’re ungrateful to everything we did for you! You’re ungrateful to all the friends we lost! You all… You didn’t DESERVE to be saved!”
“HE’S THREATENING US!” Pigtails screamed. “Ban him! BAN HIM!”
“If that’s how you feel about us, if you can’t forgive our simple quirks, then fine! We’re done being your heroes. You can just let Mickey save you when Bowser comes crashing down. …” Glaring once more at the mouse king, Cheren clutched his sword. “If he can save himself FIRST!”
Gasps filled the stands as Cheren dashed toward the royal table, his brunt approach surprising even Mickey. Donald jumped upfront and whipped out his Wizard’s Relic (a yellow wand with violet wings), casting a spell that caused lightning to rain around Cheren. With Observation Haki, Cheren predicted and evaded the bolts. It was then Panini jumped into the fray, her fingers raised to catch one of them. “Panini!” But Cheren’s concerns were unneeded as his vice-leader channeled the lightning through her veins. “S-Since when could you use Redirection?!”
“Few weeks ago. Ya never asked.” She shot the lightning back at Donald, allowing Cheren to make it around him. The hero bravely slashed his sword at a shock-ridden Mickey, but hitting Goofy’s Herc Shield (golden with a lightning cloud design) dizzied Cheren with knockback.
“Hyuck-hyuck. I always wanted to get ahold of your Mirror Shield someday!” Goofy performed his Goofy Tornado, spinning with the shield outstretched. Cheren ran from and tried to strike back, but the shield would always be angled to block him. However, as Goofy came out of his spin, Maddy dashed up to the dog. Herc’s golden shield was raised to block her golden fist—“HOOOOOIIIEEEE!” An incomparable bone compression rewarded Goofy for his efforts. Maddy was surprised he only flew 100 yards backward. That dog could hold up better than she thought.
When it seemed nothing else would stop Cheren, his blade flying at Mickey, a large, golden key flashed into being and blocked the Master Sword. “A… Keyblade?!” Cheren remembered when the Seven Lights wielded them. “Why do you have…”
“You’re crossing some very thin ice, young man-hoho.” Mickey flipped back and channeled lightbending through his Keyblade, casting a storm of beams at him. “You think attackin’ me now is gonna make things easier for ya?! You’re gettin’ the entire universe to hate ya right now!”
“You think I give a fuck about that?” Cheren deflected the beams with his Mirror Shield before attempting a Soul Surge on Mickey, the mouse matching his swift attacks. “When my sectors are falling apart because of those postings?!”
“Hoho, I had nothing to do with that! All you’re doing now is proving us RIGHT!” A burst of light blew Cheren backward, and Mickey would lock his limbs to the ground with Light Keys.
“WOOOO! GO, MICKEY, GO!” a crowd of fangirls screamed.
“Kids his age shouldn’t be cussing!” a parent shouted. “Didn’t his parents teach him better?!”
“Apples don’t fall far from the tree, my dear!”
“Now, Cheren… I’m going to undo those locks, and you had better sheath your weapon.” Mickey ordered. “No matter who posted those Twitches, the good people should never accept such naughty kids as heroes.”
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” A boy in a brown hood lashed his sword at Mickey, the mouse flipping backward.
“Who’s that?!” Maddy exclaimed.
The boy threw off his hood, exposing his blonde hair and cat ears. “EVAN?!” Cheren gasped.
“Is that King Evan, leader of the Ni no Kuni Union?!” Big Bird gawked.
“Not just him!” Arrows were shot at Big Bird, courtesy of the girl in the green hood: she had maroon hair in pigtails with leaf braids. “His fiancée, Tani the Forest Princess!”
“People of the universe!” Evan announced to the cameras. “I speak for the people of Ni no Kuni when I say, the Kids Next Door are our heroes and our friends!”
“That’s right!” Tani followed. “The KND saved us from the Sky God Pirates! They helped Captain Skaios change for the better! Sheila the Pirate King and ALL of them are our heroes!”
“K-King Mickey!” Big Bird stuttered. “I think our channel is being hacked. Our cameras are-”
“WHAT UP, BOYS AND CODS?!” The Inkling singers, Squid Sisters Callie and Marie, were recorded atop the stands. “We, the Inkling race, offer the Kids Next Door our full gratitude and support for all they’ve done for us!”
“CHECK IT, NERDS!” Two other singers, Pearl and Marina, appeared atop different stands. “Same goes for us and all citizens of Inkopolis!”
“No matter which race they belong to!” Marina followed.
“It’s Marina!” a 20s boy screamed. “The exotic singer! I love her ’cause she’s an Octoling!”
“Ugh, and that’s the little Inkling brat who bosses her around.” A Goomba woman scoffed. “Why hasn’t she been cancelled?!”
“Pearl, may I finger them?” Marina asked politely.
“You know what to do, Marina.” Pearl smirked.
“Just making sure.” And with that, Marina fingered the audience.
Evan sliced off Cheren’s restraints, smiling as he offered a hand down. “Haha…” Cheren delightedly accepted the offer. “Decided to surprise us, eh?”
“Yep! We didn’t wanna draw attention, so we wore the hoods. Ever since Mickey started spreading those negative broadcasts, we thought it was only fair to come and support you all. Although… we weren’t expecting you to take that approach.”
“Not having second thoughts, are you?”
“Nope!”
“THE REVOLUTION IS NOOOOOOW!” The people with colored hoods threw them off: the Inklings unloaded their messy weapons upon the audience. Cheren saw Squam and cyborg Squitaba among them.
“GUARDS! Stop them hoodlums at once!” Minnie ordered. “Someone call Sofia and Elena!”
“Heh, looks like we had more allies than we expected.” Francis smirked, using karate motions and Haki to counter Daisy’s martial arts.
“And I see more on the way…” Maddy glanced up with a smile.
“You’re a FRAUD, Mickey!” The king spun to the group of eight figures in white hoods: they were the eight witches of Luna Nova, Atsuko Kagari at the front.
“A-Akko! My dearest friend…”
“You’re a liar and a hypocrite!” Akko stormed up in a rage. “Your company always preaches about open-mindedness, representation, accepting peoples’ flaws, but you’re as small-minded as anyone! How many times have you done this in the past?! Throw away good people and workers because of a few harmless ‘quirks’ or bad opinions you might’ve heard about? And now you’re expending all this effort to make us look bad?! You’re AWFUL!”
“S-Stay back, all of you!” The witches at his front and Cheren and Evan at his back, Mickey projected a shield of light on all sides except on top. “Hoho! I’ll put you all on wanted posters if I have to!”
“Hey, what’s that in the sky?!” a man pointed. Sensing the presence, Cheren and Maddy gazed upward.
“Zaaaaaach?! This isn’t what I had in MIIIIIIIIND!” Larry was plummeting toward the planet on a garbage can made into a rocket, with squirting jugs of milk as the engines.
Kids Next Door: D.A.R.T.
Dairy Accelerated Rocket Thingy
By the time Mickey saw the flying nerd, it was too late: Larry rammed the mouse with such force that both went rolling a couple hundred yards, crashing into some stands. “LARRY!” Cheren immediately rushed over, helping his assistant stand.
“Ch…Cheren… was I… awesome… for once?”
His leader could only smile. “Sigh…you overdid it, man.”
Mickey had no words as he recovered with a bump on his head, angered and astonished by all their reckless behavior. “You really know how to start a show, don’t ya, Bro?!”
The ops smiled as another welcome surprise arrived from the sky. With Aurora’s voice, Sector V came dropping from their ship, the Sunny Day. “Sector V is here!” Lotte smiled. “Kirie!”
“Diana… you know what this means?” Akko smirked.
“Right now?”
“Yeah…” Akko’s red eyes flared up; an ethereal fire literally burned before them. “Let’s give them a real show. SHEILAAAAAAA!”
The Pirate King was met with either cheers or boos. “Her attire is disgraceful!!” a lady shouted. “YO, MY PIRATE BAE!” a chubby boy cheered.
But Sheila had her eyes on an old rival of hers… her fellow witches at her back. “Hehe! Ahoy, Akko!”
“Guess what, Sheila? Sector LN is the Number 1 sector of Avalar now. Do you know what that means?”
“Um…not really?”
“Heh, I know.” Aurora approached the witches, drawing Galaxia in a flash of lightning. “It’s time for our rematch, right?”
Diana Cavendish, LN’s leader, approached and drew her wand, Divine Sword. “It is.”
…
“Sector V is there!” Wendy exclaimed as Sector MG watched the broadcast. “W…what’re they and Akko’s team doing?”
“Victi…” Rested in Romeo’s arms, Victini’s V-shaped head caught aflame.
“Victini? What’s wrong?”
“(Romeo… a Rivalry is starting!)”
“What does that mean?”
“(I remembered it after Kael’s return. That golden Sacred Flame I absorbed doesn’t just make me stronger. It ignites peoples’ competitive urges. It was designed to make Kael’s game more exciting!)”
…
The Luna Nova witches all drew wands, fires in all their eyes. “And don’t think we’re leaving Constanze out of this!” Amanda said. In the sky, their Stanship extracted weapons, piloted by their late friend’s Stanbots.
“Shall we begin, Aurora?” Diana asked.
“Ready when you are!”
“Is this really the best time for you two to have your rematch?!” Panini asked.
“Ah, let ’em, Panini.” Cheren laughed, sheathing his sword. “It’s not like this mouse had anything better planned!” And so, he helped lift Larry and left Mickey at their backs. The King of Disney still had no words to comprehend their idiocy and arrogance.
Chapter 3: Battle of the Nine Witches
Summary:
Sector V engages Sector LN in battle! The Field Day grounds are invaded by another force!
Chapter Text
Play “It Doesn’t Matter” from Sonic Adventure!
Chapter 3: Battle of the Nine Witches
Rivalry: Sector Luna Nova
Diana Cavendish began with her signature move, conjuring swords of magic and slashing them at Aurora. The Uno struck them out of the air with Galaxia, swinging at Diana as she cast a fireball. Diana easily negated the fire, and was ready to evade the icicle path Aurora sent along the ground. Aurora froze Galaxia and formed several more ice swords in its shape, charging at Diana to swing them one at a time. The witch countered with Expelliarmus, anticipating which one would be the real sword. Diana whipped up a Protego shield, hoping Aurora would be forced to use the real one to break it. Instead, Aurora froze Diana’s shield and used fire to shatter it, and though Diana suffered the burn, she was able to cast another spell erecting spears from the ground. Aurora burst with flame to extinguish the spears, then slashing Galaxia, but Diana zapped it out of her hands with Expelliarmus. However, the sword zapped into thin air, and as Diana would cancel out Aurora’s fire/ice punches, the Uno would suddenly respawn the sword and land a successful hit.
Diana Disapparated several feet away, casting illusion spells to make clones of herself to confuse Aurora. The Uno shot ice at each one to disperse it, but Diana had enough time to complete her next complex spell. A tower of magic arose, equipped with cannons as it began to rotate and shoot. Aurora flew up the tower, dodging the shots and slicing the cannons. Destroying each one would dispel the tower, leaving Diana exposed as Aurora swarmed her with Frostfire. Diana later Apparated above Aurora and slashed her with magic swords, warping once more when Aurora retaliated. Diana landed on the ground several feet away, conjuring magic knights to charge at the V-Leader. Aurora reformed her ice swords and tossed them at each knight, dispersing them, while the one she reserved for Diana would only hit an illusion. Diana reappeared behind Aurora and zapped a spell to turn her into a mongoose, but even in her reduced state, she could still wield Galaxia and strike down her swords.
Diana caught Aurora in a magic cage and tried to shrink it and compress her, but Aurora mustered a massive amount of snow to inflate and break the cage apart. She flipped out and dealt a cut to Diana, reverting back to human form. Diana warped away, and as she drew up another complex spell, an eye seemed to open on her forehead. A gigantic idol rose with three eyes of her own, preparing to fire beams at Aurora. The Uno chose to meet the challenge with three powers of her own, combining Ice, Fire, and Galaxia’s stars to push the beam back.
Akko and Sheila engaged in a race along the track that was prepared for Field Day. It was obvious to both Akko couldn’t beat Sheila in an actual fight, but a race was a different story. Sheila’s Mobian speed made her a monster at the art, especially with bursts of lightbending, while Akko transformed into a cheetah with running shoes. It surprised Sheila how well Akko could keep up, the two still neck-in-neck by the time they reached the turning point and backtracked up the track. Sheila managed to get directly ahead of Akko, later glancing back to see the witch had mysteriously vanished. Sheila glanced down and realized a bunny with grasshopper legs was kicking past her, and once in front of Sheila, Akko morphed back into a cheetah and kicked Sheila back with her hind legs. Sheila picked up and pace and spun her raccoon tail, kicking off into a Tail Glide. Sheila flew right over the animal and tumbled along the ground as she crossed the Finish Line. “TWO MORE ROUNDS, SHEILA!”
“YOU’RE ON!”
Haylee Gilligan, piloting the Sunny Day, engaged the Stanship in an airborne naval battle. She targeted Stanship’s laser cannons and blew them off with her own, swiftly constructing Lego barriers to protect the side of her ship. Haylee’s own cannons were shot down as the Stanship had to rotate and aim its next cannons. However, Haylee crafted a catapult and loaded mounds of explosive M.A.R.B.L.E.s onto it, hauling them to the Stanship’s deck to rupture it with the small bombs. The Stanship sailed far away from the stands and transformed into the Grand Charion, a 35-foot robot. Fortunately, the bottom of the Sunny opened, dropping Artie Gilligan in his own sumo-style mech with yellow goggles and a red cap. He charged for the Charion, dodging its missiles with rolling maneuvers, but then used its rubber belly to bounce one of them back.
Charion defended with its shield, looking up as Artie had leapt for a diving attack. Although the mech swatted him away, it didn’t realize Artie had released large RC cars on the ground before jumping, homing on the Charion’s feet and exploding against them. Artie flipped a spring from the Sumobot’s bottom to bounce back to Charion, knocking the mech over. Charion climbed up on its front and aimed its shield, forming into a drill as it approached Artie. The boy gulped and ran from the incoming weapon.
The Ghost Whisperers, Kirie Beatles and Lotte Jansson, sang a melody to summon their spirits to battle… unfortunately, the spirits couldn’t be caught on camera, so the people at home merely thought they were having a singing contest; made stranger by the fact Kirie was mute to mortal ears. In reality, Lotte was guiding a swirling, colorful cloud of spirits in the sky, while Kirie’s Rainbow Monkey spirits occupied the ground. The sky spirits would fall as fast as rain to hurt the monkeys, who in turn would shoot rainbow arrows to snipe them down.
Hannah England dressed as a ninja, making Shadow Clones that charged at Dillon—Vanellope von Schweetz, the solid hologram girl with candy-covered black hair, split into her own clones to kick Hannah’s down. Vanellope glitched randomly around Hannah and kicked her in the face—Hannah swapped herself with a log and zapped an electric spell at Vanellope. Vanel glitched horrendously, Hannah smirking at her easy victory… but the glitching mess was merely a distraction, an “afterimage” as Vanellope zipped above and dealt Hannah a Lickety-Split Kick. Hannah dressed as a martial artist with purple garb and bandages on her feet, swinging her own kicks at Vanellope. Her legs merely phased through Vanellope’s glitched, pixelly body, the Program later zipping around her at random angles. Hannah thought she was able to land a punch, but Vanellope’s swelled boot endured it. Afterwards, her head would swell and chomp Hannah’s fist, the redhead crying out.
Barbara Parker cast spells at the grass around Dillon, turning them into Piranha Plants that would gnash him, but he used Veil to hide in his shadow and easily evade them. As a shadow, he slithered to Barbara and bent Shade Fists to punch her. She was able to zap him out of his shadow form with light spells, allowing her Piranhas to quickly gnash him. She grew a large, pink plant to spit dust on Dillon, intended to make him sleepy, but with the clouds thankfully blocking the sun, Mario would fly off to borrow Sheila’s shadow, rejuvenating and keeping Dillon awake. Furthermore, Sheila’s shadow allowed him to use White Shadow, his Shade Fists flying faster to pummel Barbara. The Plant Mage was able to raise Dillon in a bramble trap and strangle him, at the same time Dillon’s shadow stretched to catch hers with Shadow Possession.
Similarly, Sucy Manbavaran zapped Haruka with her own spells, forcing mushrooms to grow from the doctor. Haruka bent most of the shrooms off her with poisonbending, but Haruka took particular notice of a white mushroom with pink spots. She used her bending to filter out a pink substance from the mushroom, filtering it from the poisonous part. She drank the substance and greatly heightened her focus. She then consumed Sleep Pills and mixed its poison into her bending, dodging her way up to Sucy and shooting white Gas Bombs. Sucy managed to toss a Shrink Potion into Haruka, but the doctor swallowed a pill made from Skypian Growth Apple, negating the shrinkage. Haruka belched a cloud of white Sleep Gas, Sucy drinking All-Night Potion to negate it. Her eyes stretched wide and red as a side effect, so Haruka a Tearjerk Pill and spread blue gas to Sucy, blurring her vision with a constant waterfall of tears.
Harry Gilligan and Amanda O’Neill once fought together in the Pirate War, working well in a music duet, but against each other, they weren’t fairly matched. So, Amanda dressed like a “man in black” with sunglasses, holding her wand like a gun, and Harry readied his Disc Gun (shoots homing, sharp CDs). Both engaged in a shootout, Harry burned by her fire bullets and Amanda sliced by his discs. Amanda did matrix maneuvers and was able to shoot Harry’s gun out of his hand. He then dropped a mechanical box on the ground as it formed into a DJ booth. Not only was it mobile, but by playing it, Harry could shoot soundwaves from the booth’s stereos, stunning Amanda in place as Harry would then ram her.
And Jasminka Antonenko… felt kind of left out because she had no one to fight. Everyone else was quickly wrapping up. Aurora and Diana knocked each other down with their attacks. Sheila beat Akko in a 2-to-1 victory. Haruka put Sucy into a deep sleep. The Grand Charion destroyed Artie’s Sumobot and was about to thrash Haylee’s ship—before the pilot quickly called a forfeit. Dillon easily crushed Barbara with Shadow Strangle, but Vanellope’s data took too much damage from Hannah, the Program retreating to Dillon’s H.E.A.D.S.E.T.. Amanda was too strong to go down to Harry’s DJ Bomber, tanking his soundwaves and beating the rapstar. Kirie’s Rainbow Monkeys performed a Sun Dance and made Lotte’s spirit cloud retreat, and afterwards Kirie punched her with chi-blocks. “What’s the score so far?!”
“I counted a tie!” Cheren said. “Both teams had even victories…wait! That girl’s still standing!”
“YO, JASMINKA!” Amanda cheered for her bestie. “Your opponent didn’t show, that means you win by default!”
“I AIN’T ACCEPTING THAT!” Sheila shouted. “MADDY! Get over here and fill in for us!”
“Hold on, isn’t Maddy insanely strong?!” Akko questioned. “That’s cheating!”
“How about I fill in instead?” Francis asked. “Should be better than fighting this duck…?”
Another familiar ship with clock designs had shown up in the sky. “Sector IC?” Cheren gasped. “What’re they doing here?”
Five figures leapt off the ship. Cheren wondered if the 5th was either Terry or Suki… no, it was someone else! “MASON!!” The V-Team screamed.
Mason Dimalanta landed softly on the surface with a release of gas. He had a hard time seeing from far away, but… did Sheila have tears in her eyes? “Uh, hey, guys…ahem, what’s the situation?”
“THE SITUATION IS WE NEED ANOTHER PLAYER!” Sheila screamed. “Get over there and fight Jasminka right now!”
“W-what?! Wait, I thought… Ch-Cheren and Mickey…”
“Didn’t you all promise a rematch with us when we improved ourselves?” Diana asked. “What a shame you were late.”
“Ha ha…” Mason didn’t expect this rematch to happen now of all times, but…
“This won’t take long!” Jasminka proclaimed with her cute, fluffy voice as she stuffed several cakes and chips down her throat. “I’m chockfull of food! I’m stronger than ever!” They could feel small quakes in the earth as the pudgy pigtailed witch charged at him.
“We’ll see about that!” Mason decided to go all-out and drink a can of Gold Flurp. His blood rushing with an intense sugar rush, Mason dashed at Jas like a madman and met her headfirst. Their weight seemed even with each other, but Mason’s faster speed caused him to slip out and pass his foe. He redirected and belched a string of Gas Bombs, Jasminka tanking them as she drew up spells with her Spatula Wand. A giant cake formed above Mason and crushed him, followed by shooting giant, burning French fries when Mason inevitably ate his way out. Sadly, the magic-made food had no real nutrients and only basic flavor. But, Mason came ready with his own leftover fries he heated in the microwave, eating them to enhance his gaseousness and belching a cloud of gas to intoxicate Jasminka.
“EW, that’s the creepy boy that likes to smell and look at Sheila!” Pigtails panicked. “Why is she still talking to that kinky weirdo?! He’s awful!”
“Wot in blazes is she talking about?” Sheila asked. “Of course Mason smells and looks at me. Ain’t that what people do? When they hang out?”
“That pink-haired witch is disgusting!” a woman scoffed. “She’ll encourage obesity like that!”
“That boy has an extremely poor diet!”
“H-HEY! THAT GIRL HAS A SCYTHE!”
“MIYUKI?!” Cheren gasped as Sector IC’s Timekeeper ran for the stands, her scythe, Memory Meister, raised.
“Do you guys like judging other people for their quirks and secrets? Just what kind of secrets are YOU hiding?!” She stabbed the ground just before Pigtails and flipped herself to the 20-year-old brat. Grabbing her, Miyuki saw into Pigtails’ history. “Ah…you support quite a lot of dirty ships~”
“EEEEEEEEEK!” Her secrets exposed, Pigtails ran for the hills.
Miyuki grabbed the Gerudo woman. “You detest Jinta for liking tough girls, and you seem pretty hot for scrawny guys.”
“WHAT?!” yelled her Hylian bestie.
“No! It’s a lie! She’s lying!”
Miyuki grabbed the Dryan man next. “You don’t think Morgiana represents Fanalis very well? I guess you would know, judging by all those lewd Fanalis pictures.”
“BLASPHEMYYYYYYYY!” He ran for the deserts.
“ELMO, what’re you doing?!” Big Bird shouted as his red-furred cameraman followed Miyuki. “Don’t let her broadcast those peoples’ secrets!”
…
“Sigh…you guys…” Terry Stork saw Miyuki’s actions on the news at home. How could they all still be so motivated after everything that happened? It was unbelievable… almost invigorating…
…
Jasminka countered by casting spells to trap Mason in clouds of smoke, which smelled of fresh bakery dough. The scent was euphoric as Mason eased up in his wild state, allowing Jasminka to sock him in the stomach and blow him back. Jasminka inflated and was about to roll at him, so Mason chugged down two 2-liter bottles of soda. He spat them out with the force of a fire hose to hold Jasminka at bay. Jasminka eventually slowed down, soaked in soda, but it was then Mason willed the soda to freeze. This was especially hampering on the pudgy glutton. Mason belched several more Gas Bombs at Jasminka before ramming her with a Gas Rocket, rolling her to bowl down some of her teammates before Amanda stopped her with her foot. (End song.)
“Owwww…s-sorry, Amanda. We lost because of me.”
“Don’t be like that, Jassy. It was a tie as far as I’m concerned.”
“I’ll say.” Harry smiled, offering a hand. “You gave us one heck of a workout.”
“Indeed, you have.” Diana offered a hand to Aurora. With that, both teams shook hands with their respective opponents. As for Artie and Haylee… they were approached by a single Stanbot. Its chest opened, revealing a green screen with Constanze’s face. “Constanze?!”
“No. I’m an A.I. designed by Constanze to help speak for her. I was also designed to help fulfill her tasks in case she were unavailable. As you can guess… that job is full-time now.”
“I see…” Haylee said somberly. “Heh…well, you’re a pretty impressive A.I..”
“Constanze really put her soul into you.” Artie smiled.
“Hehe! Maybe she did!” Akko grinned.
“INCREDIBLE!” Big Bird exclaimed. “What a way to kick off this Field Day! The two Top Sectors from Earth and Avalar stand as equals! What fantastic sportsmanship!”
“QUACK! Don’t praise them, you idiot!” Donald shouted.
“Hey… Sheila?” The raccoon captain turned to her nervous first mate. “Um…this probably isn’t the best place to tell you, but since everyone knows now, anyway… the truth is, I…I have lots of dreams about you. You’re always on my mind…” the other ops walked away to give them a little privacy, “and sometimes, my mind just… goes to weird places. So, if you ever hear about what’s posted about me, just know that I-”
“Orright, orright, Oi get where this is goin’. You want us ta be even closer, don’t ya?”
“Um…er, I-”
“Then how close is this?!” Sheila moved right up against his front, raising an arm. “Ah’m not too smelly, am I? Hehehehehe!”
“Ha ha…” Yes, she was pretty smelly… did she remember to bathe last night? She could be pretty inconsiderate and improper like that… but maybe then she would be accepting of his quirks.
A slow clap drew their attention to Mickey Mouse. “That’s very romantic-hoho. You gave us quite a show, but I don’t remember asking that friend of yours to assault my audience!”
“Okay, Miyuki, that’s enough now!” Cheren called. “I think we’ve made our point!”
“Yeah, so let’s get outta here!” MaKayla yelled peppily. “Unless you guys got other business to take care of?”
“Nah, I think we’re good. Evan, wanna join us for lunch at GKND?”
“Orright!” the cat Faunus perked up.
“HEY, save room for the superstars!” Pearl requested, making a hipster pose.
“NOW, HOLD ON A SECOND!” Mickey shouted. “These people paid good money to watch you compete. You can’t walk out on them, least of all without a public apology for your rude behavior-hoho!”
“Piss off.” Cheren scoffed. “We’ve got nothing to prove. And by the way, these setups are trash. The first Field Day was way better.”
“You’ll be cleaning trash in prison after all that you did today! PRINCESSES!”
The operatives were alert as a band of who seemed to be Disney Princesses charged onto the field, their expressions fierce. “Princesses?” Vanellope cocked a brow. “Whoa, whoa! Are these the actual princesses?!”
“Nuh-uh!” Cheren glared. “No way that’s Merida!”
“We’re cosplayers, ya dumb shite!” ‘Merida’ stated, her Scottish accent strong, raising a bow-and-arrow. “King Mickey picked out all the best fangirls who fit the bill!”
“We will not let you defile our land!” declared ‘Pocahontas,’ the Indian’s hair flowing in the wind.
“FOR DISNEY!” Mulan declared, leaping at Maddy, who used hardened arms to defend herself.
“You know, I had a dream once where my mom turned into you.” Maddy said. “Also, you’re not really a princess!”
“Anybody can be a princess if they just believe!” Cinderella drove a large pumpkin car and tried to run Vanellope over, the Program glitching evasively and landing kicks against her.
“Vanellope!” Anna cried, controlling Olaf robots to chase and blow up on the Program. “You don’t belong with them! Disney owns the company who made your game! You can be one of us!”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m already the KND’s princess!” Vanellope dodged the Olafs and kicked Anna in stomach. She flew toward MaKayla King, who smashed her to the ground with her Chrono Staff.
“AAAAH! SHE HURT PRINCESS ANNA!” a little girl cried.
“She isn’t the real Anna!” Kayla shouted. “The real one’s working on Nightmare Land!”
“Oi, don’t even pay them any mind!” Sheila easily knocked out the waterbender playing Moana. “These wannabe royals oughta take on a REAL king!”
“I COULDN’T AGREE MORE!” A thundering, beastly voice bellowed. (Play “Bowser Battle” from Mario Galaxy!)
“?!” The sun was shaded by an ominous airship, a huge, spiked figure plummeting to the planet. “BLAAAAAAAH!” The Koopa King shook the kingdom with his howl.
“WOOK, it’s Bowsew! Bowsew!” cheered a little boy who was a fan of Mario.
“Bowser?!” Cheren exclaimed.
“What are YOU doing here?!” Mickey asked. “You’re not thinking of settling this early, are you?”
“I was waitin’ to roast you at the end, but you went too far takin’ my Peach from me! I’ll deal with you in a minute… but first.” Bowser stomped toward the KND. “Seein’ those two teams settle their rivalry reminded me of somethin’. I was planning to challenge the winner of the Pirate War for their crown. I was hoping that would be K. Rool… but guess what, Sunny Fist?! YOU’RE my lucky prey! GET READY!”
The king leapt, his fists hardened to smash Sheila. The Pirate King punched Light Fists at his left while Maddy leapt up against his right: the action felt the same as catching falling heavy boxes; they had enough strength to briefly break its fall, but the weight would catch on as they were forced to the ground. Bowser burned violet flames at either of them, but Sheila kicked on lightspeed and pulled Maddy to safety. Maddy charged at Bowser afterward for a punch to the knee, but when the king swung his tail, Maddy grabbed it in both arms. Her weight held him for a moment, but Bowser was able to keep spinning and fling her to the air. Bowser took a breath and coughed a condensed fireball: Maddy fell in time to dodge it, but they watched as the fireball flew all the way to Butterfly Castle. The whole structure seemed to combust into flame.
“THAT WAS A CHEAP BLOW!” Sheila yelled, pummeling the Koopa with Light Fists, Cheren with his sword, and Miyuki her scythe. Bowser retreated to his shell and spun against his foes, lit aflame as he blew them back. The king quickly extracted and spat bursts of flame at the audience, but Aurora, MaKayla, Lola, and Amanda were quick to thwart some of them. The king looked up in shock as the Grand Charion swung a kick at the Koopa, Bowser grabbing its leg and twisting it. The Charion burrowed its drill against Bowser’s head, but his Haki mixed with fire smashed the drill. Bowser then leapt to ram its chest with his horns, toppling the mech over.
“THIS WAY! HURRY!” Goofy yelled as Mickey’s friends worked to guide the audience away from the grounds.
“Cheren, what’s the plan?!” Evan asked, running close to Bowser to strike at his feet, all while using Observation to dodge his stomps and claw swipes. “Should we defeat him?!”
“Last I heard, Bowser’s Power Level is 50,000! It’s twice as high as K. Rool!”
“So, what?!” Sheila asked, throwing more Light Spheres while Maddy returned for the direct offensive. “All of us together has to equal that, right?!”
“Fightin’ all of you IS pretty annoying!” Bowser stated. “Better call in some extra help. Get ready to meet the newest division of the Eggman Empire!”
“Reinforcements!” Diana gasped as several glowing figures dropped from the airship.
The operatives half-expected to deal with robots… but the troops in question were much more diverse, even human-like in nature. There was a girl with monochrome hair and firecracker horns; a short girl with a snowflake-colored dress and hair, ghostly feet, and lily-of-the-valley in her hair; a green bird girl, and several others. The main things they had in common were the crystals in their chests and red eyes glowing with Eggman’s symbol. “These are Eggman’s robots?” Artie wondered. “Props to him for getting creative.”
“URSULA?!” Miyuki exclaimed.
“Huh? Professor Ursula is here?!” Akko questioned.
“Who?” Lola asked. “OH, HER!” She recognized the snowy-looking girl.
…
“Ursula?!” Terry knew her very well: Ursula was a Xenoblade from Planet Mira, a soft-voiced musicbender who made friends with Suki during the Cooking Festival. Terry spent a little time with them. Her relaxing music was very easing to his stressed heart. Ursula even came to Earth to assist them after the Great Reduction; she took care of the families shrunk by the curse, singing Terry to sleep with her heavenly melodies. …But what was she doing here? Why was she working for Bowser?!
…
“I remember that one, too!” Kayla saw the fireworks girl, Crossette. “She was with Kodama at the festival! Does that mean these are all Xenoblades?!” (NOTE: I don’t expect anyone to know these Blades or look them up.)
“These are Dr. Eggman’s new Egg Blades!” Bowser declared. “With them, conquering the rest of you will be a sinch!”
MaKayla and Miyuki were ambushed blue, twin-looking Blades called Praxis and Theory. Praxis molded bubbles with her waterbending and cast them at Kayla, who used Rewind Deflect to return them. Praxis dodged them with nimble acrobatics, flipping her way to Kayla with enough grace to evade her timebending grasps. Praxis whacked Kayla with her lance, but realized she hit a Paradox Clone, while the real Kayla whacked Praxis off her feet, allowing the clone to bash Praxis’ head. Theory skied gracefully with icebending and evaded Miyuki’s timebending. Miyuki spun her scythe to deflect Theory’s icicles, clashing it with Theory’s sword when the Blade engaged her directly.
Akko’s attempts to cast spells at Kasandra ended in failure, from either tripping clumsily or dropping her wand, allowing Kasandra to bash Akko with her Shield-Hammer. “Akko, get a grip on yourself!” Diana scolded as she pierced Kasandra with magic swords. One of the swords missed, so she redirected it, only to miss again as it flew to cut Amanda.
“OW! DIANA!”
“S-Sorry!”
However, this was merely the result of Kasandra’s Bad Luck Chi.
Maddy and Cheren recycled their Unison Attack from before: both grabbed the Master Sword and imbued it with Iron and Gold Haki in a spiral design. They charged at Bowser, but the Koopa hardened his whole body like metal and met the blade with his fist. The force was straining against the two, feeling they made little progress no matter how much they pushed. “AAAH!” Finally, a quick flame blast decided the outcome as Cheren and Maddy blew back, the leader dropping his weapons. He scrambled to pick up the Master Sword and bow, but something zipped by and swiped the Mirror Shield off the ground. “HUH?!”
“I DID IT! I got the Mirror Shield!” Goofy danced merrily, swinging the sacred shield around.
“That doesn’t belong to you!” Maddy charged at Goofy and swung her golden fist. The impact with the Mirror Shield didn’t send Goofy flying this time… rather, she felt her knuckles compress as though the force of her punch rebounded against her. Donald then cast a Weight Spell on Maddy to double her weight, leaving Goofy to thrust her back. The Inklings unloaded ink at Bowser’s head while King Evan tried to slash Goofy, but Mickey flew in to block his sword with his Keyblade.
Sheila spun two huge Light Fists and charged at Bowser once more. The Koopa King leapt above her, prompting Sheila to dash away as the shockwave blew her down, cancelling her fists. Bowser blew fire at her, Aurora jumping in the way to negate it with Frostfire. “Gah…” Cheren knew attempting to finish this battle would be too tasking, even with the amount of allies available now. “ALL TROOPS, BACK TO THE SHIPS!”
“GWAH HA HA! Like I’m just gonna let you do that!” Bowser smirked. “KOOPAS! OPEN FIRE ON THEIR SHIPS!”
The Koopa flagship took aim at the KND ships parked in the air. But, just before it could begin firing, cannonfire rained down from higher above, pausing the act. “OH!!” The ground troops were agape in relief and gratitude. GKND ships descended and bombarded the Koopa craft. “CHEREEEEEN!” High Supreme Leader Nebula dove down on her personal craft, the Shooting Star. “I’m about tired of you pulling these reckless stunts!”
“Hah! Nebula!” Cheren beamed.
“And I brought a friend! Maybe he can help even the odds.”
“AHOY, MATIES!” Captain Skaios the Free Born soared down like a windy comet.
“SKAIOS?!” Bowser gawked. The former Pirate Emperor landed beside Sheila and Aurora, his single eye glaring at Bowser fiercely.
…
“If they use Skaios against anyone,” Kael said, “I’ll have to bring one of them out to even the odds…”
…
“’ey, Pirate King, Ay think you’re still me Guardian. What do you wanna do about this cretin?”
Sheila thought for a moment, glancing at her divided and tired teammates. “Skaios… grab all me mates, operatives, Inklings, and drop them on any one of those ships! Then fly us all back to GKND! Sound right with you, Cheren?”
“Yeah.” Cheren affirmed. “Mickey can deal with Bowser himself.”
“AYE!” With his great speed, Skaios swept all the KND off the ground and dropped them onto their ships. Nebula quickly parked her Shooting Star on Cheren’s vessel. Repeating what he did for the Free Kingdom, Skaios encased all the ships in air bubbles and carried them out of the atmosphere.
“HEY! THAT’S A COWARDLY RETREAT!” Bowser bellowed. “Get back here and FINISH THIS!”
“YOU oughta get out of here yourself!” Mickey shot raining Light Beams at the Koopa. When Bowser tried to Ground Pound him, Mickey cast “Stopza!” with his magic, freezing Bowser in time just long enough to dodge his smash. The Disney Princesses ran to engage the Egg Blades. (End song.)
“Cheren, what about your shield?!” Aurora asked as they soared through space.
“I’ll get it back someday. We couldn’t stay to fight a battle like that. Besides, the whole reason you were there was to rescue me. It wouldn’t have been right to let you all get battered around.”
“That’s the smartest thing you said all day!” Nebula agreed. “Ha ha! But, all the same, I think it was worth it in the end. I’ve got a little surprise for you on H.Q..”
“Really?”
“Hey, isn’t anyone gonna thank Marina?!” Pearl shouted, her Octoling partner shirking in embarrassment. “She hacked our own cameras with the news team’s so we could broadcast our support!”
“Yeah, she’s right.” Squam agreed. “When those guys were interviewing the audience, there were lots of positive supporters. But I noticed those people weren’t being broadcasted. I think Mickey was purposely only showing the negative comments!”
“I had a feeling they would do something like that.” Marina said. “So, I had hacking measures in place, ready to use when we were ready to speak out! Haha.” She blushed at her own crafty idea.
“Quit flushing and take the credit, you clever little octo you!” Pearl sprung up and pulled her taller partner’s head down in a hug.
“I really didn’t expect to see Bowser there.” Callie frowned. “What was his deal?”
“Hmm…I suppose you guys have a right to know what’s happening.” Cheren said. “To begin with, there’s this powerful god called Kael.”
Evan’s mind seemed to flash. “KAEL?!”
“Y-Yeah… you know him?”
Evan slapped a hand to his forehead. “I…I shouldn’t know him, but just now, I ‘remembered’ something. A legend where several kings engage in war between their united armies… battling for the Throne of the Universe.”
“It’s a legend that all monarchs and rulers have deep in their conscience.” Skaios explained.
“They… do?” Cheren asked.
“Aye. It’s only awoken by the mention or sight of Kael. They become aware of the Game. Dependin’ on their stance, it’ll force people to pick a side, or do all they can to resist.”
“The Throne…” Diana repeated to herself. Is that why Mickey didn’t want that knowledge leaked?
“So, if other world leaders hear about it…”
“It could make it more complicated to gain allies.” Nebula said. “Then again, I wouldn’t wanna be dishonest with anyone.”
“I guess that means you know now, Evan. Whose side will you pick?”
“Well… the KND’s side, of course. But I have to properly talk with my kingdom about this.” Tani nodded in agreement.
“I don’t know what’s goin’ on, but the KND still has MY support!” Squitaba grinned. “They brought me back to life, after all!”
“That’s great.” Cheren smiled. “Still… I wonder how Mickey’s allies feel? Somehow, I think Bowser would confide this in his direct allies, but what about Mickey’s kingdoms?”
“That is a good question.” Nebula agreed. “But let’s worry about that after our reunion.”
The ships returned to GKND. Nebula led everyone up to the cafeteria, where an even larger group waited. “Oh!” Cheren was awed once more. Many of his best sectors were gathered… Sector JP, including Jinta, Sector SA with Nagisa, Sector Q with Quill. Sector M’s Miguel seemed to be with W7, Kalluto and Kazumi were with Q, Killua with SA.
“I locked myself in my room for a while.” Nagisa said. “But after the girls told me what you were doing on TV… well, it got me motivated. And we…” he looked to his girlfriend with embarrassment.
“We talked things out, didn’t we?” Morgiana held his hand.
“I always had a feeling he was into that.” Killua smirked, earning a glare from the couple.
“Hmhmhm!” Ururu snuggled up to Jinta, both blushing, and implying the same notion. Indeed, she had confided one of her own intimate secrets with him. Their teammates rolled their eyes.
“But, um…” Miguel spoke up sheepishly. “My other friends decided to side with Mickey. And I…I was about to go with them, but… I couldn’t stand to make Aisa upset.” He smiled at his girlfriend.
“Hehehehehe!” Aisa hugged him with both arms and legs.
“So, I guess I’m in Sector W7 now.”
“WE FINALLY GOT A BOYYYYY!” Chimney screamed.
“Hibiki and Sapphire bailed on us, too.” Ruby huffed. “And so did Lars’ team.” She stood with the BC boy.
“Disney-loving geeks…” Lars mumbled in anger.
“And even though Eddy’s a grouch who can’t get over things,” Quill said, earning a glare from his ‘best friend,’ “I’m gonna stick with my team all the way.”
“I’m glad…” Cheren smiled. He should’ve known not to lose hope in his teams, not after all they’ve been through. At last, he could foresee a hopeful future in this war.
“SO, who’s all ready for lunch?!” Vweeb bounced. “And since we’re being open with each other, I’m happy to lend my support to any ladies who-” Arianna swat him beneath her hand.
“I’ll fire up the grills right away!” Yuzu cheered.
The friends were all retreated to a refreshing lunch… actually, for many of them, it was breakfast. The sign of a great morning and a great start to their next big mission. It would be difficult, they feared who they would lose on the way… but they would do as they always have and win.
“Ahem, everyone!” Jerome, Nebula’s brother and vice-leader, alerted the mess hall. “I hate to ruin the moment, but it looks like Galactic Council is on fire today.”
He brought up the broadcast on the large screen. “Those children were ill-behaved and monstrous!” Queen Angella of Etheria shouted. “We must shut down their organization at once!”
“Stooping to Tachyon’s level now, are you?!” Lord Business argued.
“They’ve been given too much freedom!” the Pumparian leader stated. “It was bad enough they let two Emperors and several of those pirates off the hook!”
“BLEH HEH HEH!” laughed Count Bleck, Zathura’s representative. “Let’s not fall off topic! We were here to discuss if Chancellor Yorkshire should keep her place here, are we not?”
Sector MG gasped: Mobian Chancellor Cheadle Yorkshire occupied a seat before Galactic Chancellor Phyronix. The green-haired dog-woman’s head was bowed in frustration and shame. “WHAT’RE THEY DOING TO DOGMOM?!” Maria cried.
“She’s been… suspected of questionable relations with the Kremlings.” Jerome answered. “And for abandoning her post while Mobius was invaded by them.”
“NO! NO, NO, NO, I won’t stand for this! KIDS NEXT DOOR, we have our next assignment!” The furious little Mushroomian jumped to Jerome’s level and pointed at the screen. “WE’RE INVADING GALACTIC COUNCIL!”
“W-WHAT?!?” The breakfast-lunch ended with a ton of gaping faces.
Chapter 4: Council Wars
Summary:
The Kids Next Door invade the Galactic Council to tell them about the Game. Mickey has a meeting with a special acquaintance.
Chapter Text
I’m really excited for these couple chapters!
Chapter 4: Council Wars
Cheadle Yorkshire didn’t ask for this treatment. She didn’t ask to be put in that horrible position. The things they were saying about her were technically true. Just before Mobius was invaded by the Kremlings, the chancellor decided to go on holiday on Mushroom World. Excuse her for wanting to spend time with Peach’s daughter… the child who called her “Dogmom.” And she would’ve been right back on Mobius as soon as she heard of the crisis, if she weren’t taken hostage by the Sky God Pirates. And even after escaping from them, she would wind up in the Kremling Krew’s klutches. The Animal King, Kroctus Rool, treated her to that ship deck dinner on the poison sea. It was then he broke the proposal. The ultimatum… for Cheadle to harbor an unborn egg, an egg containing Kroctus’s DNA… or let the child perish. And denying a child their life, even that belonging to such a criminal, was against her better wishes.
“Chancellor Yorkshire,” began President Schnee, “the rumors regarding your ‘relations’ to King K. Rool have persisted since the war, I’m sure you know. You underwent a leave of absence shortly after the war, and reports say you appeared uncommonly pale and ill.”
“First of all, YOU spread those rumors!” Cheadle hissed. “And second, I was sick from the poison of my polluted ocean! Kroctus intended to use me as a hostage, to use my authority, not that I would’ve ever considered it! And what about YOU, Schnee?! Why are all YOUR troops trespassing on Animal Crossing, Wonderbeast World, even our historical Dinosaur Valley?! Why don’t I do to you what I should’ve done to Kroctus?”
“Goodness! I only wanted to help sweep out the Kremling stragglers! We cannot let those hoodlums go unpunished. Thanks to Gruntilda’s intel, I’ve narrowed down nearly all areas where the Kremlings had a base and am arresting all Kremling affiliates.”
“YOU’RE ARRESTING CIVILIANS, TOO, YOU SON OF A-”
“N-Now, calm down, Miss Yorkshire!” Chancellor Phyronix ushered (from Ratchet & Clank). “I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.”
“Personally,” replied Councilman Jeremy, a Jamaican man with thick sunglasses and skinny head, “I believe Mr. Schnee should have asked Miss Yorkshire’s permission before conducting his patrols.”
“Ho, of course you would side with her, Jeremy.” Schnee sighed. “She seems as biased to the KND as you are. You know, perhaps that’s the reason she abandoned her planet, she hoped the KND could sort out any potential Kremling nonsense, but that clearly wasn’t the-”
“And WHO had the Kremlings beaten and arrested?!” Cheadle argued. “Certainly not you all!”
“Well, legally speaking, Mobius’s protection isn’t really Schnee Dust’s concern.” Jacques said with a stroke of his mustache. “But King Mickey has proposed we assume a more active role in the universe’s protection. A role where our armies work in unison so that our dearest children no longer have to risk their lives.”
“Really?” a sweet, soft voice asked. “I think that’s wonderful!”
Cheadle lit up at the unmistakable voice of her dear friend. The council members looked to the entrance in gasps. “Queen Peach!” Phyronix beamed. “How nice of you to join us!”
“I was held up watching King Mickey’s show.” The queen of Mushroom curtsied. “Though, it took an unexpected turn…”
“Yes, it seemed King Bowser decided to drop in.” Angella replied. “The operatives present had the moxy to mock Mickey, but not enough to fend him off. Even resorted to relying on that monster, Skaios to flee.”
“They wear the guise of heroes, but they only favor their supporters.” said the Pumparian leader, Pumpus. “SERIOUSLY?! THAT’S MY NAME?! You put no fricking thought into that!”
“In any case, Miss Peach,” Jacques began, “perhaps you could shed some clarity on Chancellor Yorkshire’s secret business. After all, you are closely acquainted.”
“First of all, the notion that Cheadle would have friendly relations with the Kremlings is ludicrous!”
“Absolutely!” Cheadle smirked, happy for her friend’s support.
“Besides, I’m sure she would be delighted to be Mickey’s friend instead.”
“Absolu…luh?”
“Cheadle, why don’t we ask King Mickey to help clear these accusations? He can help get rid of the Kremling remnants and even help the people who are still rebuilding!”
“P-Peach… do you remember what we talked about? About… that ninja?”
“You mean that Sasuke man? The one Mickey sent to infiltrate the Sky Gods? He was making sure we stayed safe, Cheadle.” Peach smiled hopefully. “He made sure no harm came to us rulers! Speaking of which, Queen Melia’s seat appears empty.”
“She couldn’t attend today.” Phyronix said. “Mira is experiencing mass uprisings and she has to tend to them.”
“Peach, Mickey was using him to brainwash us!”
“Cheadle, even if that’s true, it felt like a ‘hopeful’ brainwashing if anything. I met Mickey after Mario and Luigi were injured. He was very kind and supportive.”
“Don’t think I didn’t see that broadcast the other day! I don’t know why, but he was trying to defame the KND, and he used you to help him! He’ll even defame your own daughter and her friends, do you want that?!”
“Peach’s children haven’t set the most exemplary impressions for royals.” Jacques said.
“BAN HIM FROM THE COUNCIL ROOM!”
“Frankly speaking, this discussion about the KND will get us nowhere.” Jeremy stated. “They are independent from any governments and they will not comply with any government’s attempt to enforce laws or bans on them. Furthermore, if we’re going to make the argument that children shouldn’t be trusted with such responsibilities, I find it even more disdainful that the news is stooping to the level of defaming children by publishing their private matters!”
“Some of them aren’t children!” Amazonian Empress Hancock yelled (from One Piece). “They’re filthy horny teenagers!”
“The KND have done nothing but help people on a tremendous scale while your armies could do nothing! And now you’re criminalizing them over a few mistakes and misunderstandings, or simply for having the same private interests that any person their ages could have? Just what secrets are most of you hiding?!”
“And just what do you mean by that?!” asked President Linkyn of Kateenia.
“I know the Kateenians would be guilty of such things,” Hancock said, “but I am pure!”
“PURE?! JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU’RE WEARING!” Indeed, Hancock’s robe was open, exposing the center line of her torso.
“This place is more disastrous than how New Galaxia used to be.” sighed Kcalb, King of Alternia (from Gray Garden).
“Toriel, Adamant, what do you think of all this?” Queen Etihw asked.
“This is making me rethink my morals.” The Underground Queen replied with a glare. Toriel was a goat woman in a purple robe (from Undertale).
“Hmm…” Adamant, councilman of the Gem Empire (from Land of Luscious), merely maintained a neutral stance.
GKND
The Kids Next Door were gearing up on their ships, ready to invade the council. “NO, NO, we never agreed to that!” Romeo exclaimed, chasing Maria to the hangar. “Maria, don’t get ahead of yourself! Huff, or us!”
“Miss Yorkshire was such a nice lady.” Wendy said. “I get how Maria feels, but attacking the council wouldn’t make us look any better.”
“To be honest, I’m all for it.” Nebula agreed.
“Yeah. WAIT, WHAT?!”
“Did someone say we’re invading the council again?!” Bender Rodríguez dropped from a high ceiling vent, his arms stretched to support him. “I better get my pirate hat!”
“Bender, what’re you doing up there?” Vweeb asked.
“Installing ceiling fan traps!” He retracted himself back up.
“Skaios said that rulers possess the knowledge of Kael inside them, and once we say his name, they’ll know about his ‘Game’ and what’s really going on.”
“And… you’re just going to tell them all?” Cheren asked.
“We need lots of allies and I didn’t plan to lie to anybody. With this, they can decide once and for all which side they’re on.”
“This could potentially lead to some wars between them…”
“Isn’t that what this whole thing was?”
“Uh…I guess?”
“Frankly, the best decision they could make is not to pick any side. We’ll have neither allies nor enemies, but at least they won’t have to get hurt. So, I’m going with Maria. ’Course, before we even get close to the council room, they’ll be handful of guards we’ll have to fight our way past, so… any volunteers??”
“Chimney, can we go?” Mocha asked. “This’d be a great chance to meet Hancock again!”
“Fine by me!”
“In that case, I’m dropping by and saying ‘hi’ to Lord Business!” Haylee twirled her wrench.
“You wanna go, too, Morg?” Nagisa asked.
“Sounds like it would be a good exercise.” His girlfriend smiled.
“I GOT THE PIRATE HAT!” Bender dropped from the vents, crashing atop Nagisa and rushing to a ship. “I call dibs on all the human guards!”
“Evan, you’re a king.” Cheren said. “Maybe you’d like to come to?”
“To be honest, I think I’d like to return to Evermore and explain this whole ‘Kael’ business. But I’m sure my people will lend their support all the same! And I’m sure some of those leaders will, too!”
“Alright then!” Cheren addressed the rest of their operatives. “Well, if anyone else would like to volunteer on this mission, it’s up to you. If you’re sure you’re ready to fight this war, then you’ll have to decide your battles carefully.”
GAMEPLEIGH UNLOCKED! From here, you can choose between the many Nextgen Kids to accompany you on missions! Some kids will be required for the mission for story reasons; however, choosing the appropriate kids for certain battles will award bonus points!
“In that case, I believe I’ll come, too.” Weiss raised her hand. “I have a few words for my father…”
Disney Castle
“That was an utter disaster-hoho!” Mickey, Donald, and Goofy stomped into the former’s office, putting out a small fire on his ear. “At least we’ll be able to spin this in our favor, but golly, Cheren and Bowser have sent me over the edge! The end of June can’t get here fast enough.”
“On the bright side, the KND really hurt their reputation, hup-gyup!” Goofy chortled.
“Looks like dings didn’t go so well for youse guys.” A snide and familiar, Flatbush accent spoke.
“Hmm…” Mickey glared at his desk. “Decided to show yourself in, eh?”
The chair spun as a gray and white rabbit propped his feet up on the desk, chewing a carrot. “Well, since we had a change in schedule, I had no other place to go. What’s up, doc?”
“Bugs Bunny…” Mickey walked around the desk as the rabbit faced him. “Don’t think I haven’t caught on to your secret ‘underground’ business.”
“Yeh? Well, what’s it to ya?”
“If I turn the other ear and let it slide… I’d like you to work with me on a certain ‘project’ of mine. I want you to rally your forces alongside mine, so we can crush the KND and Bowser together. …And that includes both KNDs, hoho.”
“Hnn…and where is this leading off to?”
“I’ll only tell you if you agree to work with me. But if you do, I’ll be sure to lend you access to some of my companies and resources. We’ll even boost Warner Bros.’ fame in the process. And, when this is all done, we’ll have a final contest to decide which of us is the best, once and for all.”
“Hmm…alright den.” Bugs extended a paw. “It’s a promise.” Mickey smiled and shook. “Now dat I’ve agreed, what’s really on the table here?”
“Would you believe me if I said Supreme Godship-hoho?”
“Yes…” Bugs smirked, “I would.”
Coruscant; Galactic Council
The kids dove off their respective ships and landed safely using parachutes, landing on an elevated sidewalk a few miles from the dome-shaped council building. From there, it was simply a calm, leisurely stroll through town. Dropping on the council directly, or even too close, may raise alerts, so Nebula wanted to take the calm approach first. That said, having such a diverse group of kids and teens at her back raised enough alerts from nearby citizens as it is… and she would refrain from remarking that Mocha obviously drew the most attention.
“Reminds me of our little walk before the Tachyon thing started!” Vweeb said, riding Arianna’s head.
“And it feels more awkward than escorting a handcuffed madman.”
“Hey, Nebula, shouldn’t we call Sasha about this?” Makava asked. “She is the chancellor’s daughter.”
“I tried to call her while everyone was getting ready, but she didn’t respond. She was onboard with this whole ‘Smash Bros.’ game, at least.”
“I hope nothing bad’s happened.” Romeo said. “By the way, there’s something I should explain to all of you. Sheila, Dillon, when you were fighting Sector LN, did you notice anything weird about them?”
“Wot was weird is me mates barely scraped out a win! They’ve been slackin’ in their training, they have!” Sheila answered.
“Actually, I noticed those… weird fires in their eyes.” Dillon said. “Like that fire affect you often see in anime.”
“Victini told me about it. It was called a Rivalry, and it’s something that’s supposed to be part of this Game. He says that when people are ‘challenged’ by one of the Candidates’ groups, those people are compelled to fight them. When Victini absorbed the Golden Sacred Flame, he awakened this urge inside everyone.”
“You know, that’s funny.” Ciel Phantomhive replied. “During the CP0 incident, when Moonbase was invaded by those delinquents, I noticed such a flare in their eyes. And I suppose you did acquire that flame around then. But weren’t Sector LN already on our side?”
“Maybe it’s because they weren’t completely recruited into this ‘Game’ by then. I don’t really get it, but Victini thinks we’ll have to deal with it a lot when gathering allies.”
“In that case, I don’t think our council visit will go so smoothly…” Nebula said worriedly.
Soldiers armed in tech armor lined the bridge to the council building. Weiss gasped, seeing the two generals standing at the base of the bridge. “Winter…” One was her elder sister, white hair in a spiked bun and eyes sharp as icicles. “And General Ironwood…” A white-suited man with black hair, a beard, and a stern expression. (Both from RWBY.)
“One’s a pro icebender,” Goombella Tattled, “Level 5,500, the other’s an Armament Haki master, 6,000.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Maddy fist-palmed.
The two generals immediately drew eyes to the huge crowd approaching the bridge. “WEISS!” Winter yelped, about to approach.
“Maintain yourself, Winter.” Ironwood instructed.
Nebula, Weiss, and Maria approached the two ahead of the others. “Fair generals!” Nebula began oddly cheerily. “I am Nebula, Supreme Leader of the GKND! I have urgent information for the council and request passage to see them. I’ve brought Mushroom Princess Maria and President Schnee’s daughter to confirm my info.”
“Yes, I see… and you brought plenty others as well.”
“Well, being of my position, I need lots of bodyguards. I mean, the council seems to have a fair amount of guards itself. But they’ll happily stay outside if need be.”
“Apologies, Miss Nebula, but we’ve been ordered not to allow any KND affiliates into the building. Chancellor Phyronix’s orders.”
“The chancellor?”
“Yes. Even his own daughter has been momentarily ‘grounded.’ It’s a difficult time right now.”
“Winter, I need to speak to Father! He’s trying to humiliate Chancellor Yorkshire over his own biases, you know that!”
“Of course I do, and it sickens me. But they’re not the only ones in an awkward position. You all are, too. Just what do you have to tell the council, anyway?”
“It’s… something complicated.” Nebula answered. “Something that only the world leaders should hear.”
“Well, considering this meeting is being televised, perhaps now is not the best time.” Ironwood replied.
“Then tell them to cut the cameras!” Maria shouted. “You shouldn’t be embarrassing Dogmom on live TV, anyway!”
“I’ll say it one more time: the KND is not allowed in the building. Leave these premises at once…” The soldiers lined up, “or we may have to put you in juvenile detention.”
Nebula sighed. “Okay… I hear you loud and clear.” She turned around. “I’ll respect the chancellor’s wishes and, bend them.”
“AYIP!” Bender suddenly rolled to the front of the group and quickly stretched his arms to grab and bend the soldiers’ guns. Winter shot an icicle path at him, but Weiss stopped it, while Ciel flipped to kick the sister in the chin. Ironwood threw his hardened fist at the Earl, but Maddy easily grabbed it in her palm. She spun Ironwood like a sideways screw before chucking him away. “And where’d you get the name ‘Ironwood’?” Maddy wondered. “In bed?”
“Weiss, would you permit me to hold off Winter?” Ciel asked, sniping Antikill bullets at her. “I’m owed a little payback for destroying my butler!”
“Your butler?” Winter questioned, shooting quick icicles from her sword.
“Sebastian! He was forced to attack your manor under Miyuki’s control. He takes for-flipping-ever to respawn, you know!!”
“Is this revenge for murder or inconvenience?!”
“Sorry, General, but we’re changing our formula up a bit.” Nebula said. “KND, it’s crowd control time! You know the drill!” (Play “Atrocious Raid” from Cold Steel IV!)
Invasion 1: Galactic Council
Mission: Tell the councilmen about Kael!
Bender’s request was fulfilled as the robot stretched his limbs to sweep down hordes of Town Troopers, but they could plainly see the Amazon Warriors upcoming on the bridge. They wouldn’t be reaching their level as a chunk of the bridge retracted, while cannons extracted further up to blast them. Sheila punched Light Spheres to explode the ammo out of the air, but it seemed a cannon on the other end of the divided bridge was shooting Bullet Bills. Maria threw her hat to possess one of the Bills, flying to the other side, ramming the cannon, and flipping a lever to return the bridge to normal. The Mushroomian jumped and thwacked the surrounding troops, her friends hurrying to assist her. By then, the Amazons were charging to stomp the intruders, but Mocha and Morgiana would topple them first. “That girl!” one of the warriors gasped. “Isn’t she…”
Their next step would be traversing the Senate Plaza, where statues of past chancellors lined the direct road to the entrance, and numerous flags representing the various planets dotted the field. Amidst dodging swarms of gunfire, they would realize an energy barrier sealed the entrance, with five different-shaped slots lined before it. “Wait, my dad told me about this mechanism!” Nebula said. “We have to find the right flags that correspond with these slots.”
“So, their public security is dependent on a quirky children’s puzzle?” Dillon asked. “Man, if only they had it up before, Palpatine wouldn’t have won.”
The symbols were a Mushroom, which was obvious to Maria; a squid with two sword tentacles, Glomour; a Lego shape, Legola; an Egyptian pose, Osiris; and a rose shape, Flora. Of course, it helped they were also color coded. The kids divided and tracked the flags down: the Osirin flag was guarded by three cannons, but after Sheila crushed them, the Pirate King hoisted the flag up with her superb strength and returned to the barrier. Mocha picked out the Floran flag as easily as a stick in the ground, after kicking down the Lego blockades like a playroom bully. Team Vweeb kicked their way past the Kateenian squadron guarding the Glomour flag, in which Arianna used some brambles to lift it out. Romeo’s improved Rainbow Fire made taking down the Avalaran mages a breeze. He threw Maria up to “possess” the Mushroom flagpole and bounce her way over to the slots. Morgiana kicked down a band of Glomourian fighters before lifting out the Legoan flag.
When all five were inserted, the barrier deactivated. However, two Amazons had come out to guard the council entrance: Boa Marigold, an obese woman with wavy orange hair and curls on top, and Boa Sandersonia, a skinnier, green-haired woman with a dangling snake tongue. “Supreme Leader Nebula, and Honorary Mocha… I never thought we’d meet again under these conditions.”
“Marigold and Sonia!” Mocha gasped.
“Boy, you ladies still look great!” Aisa grinned.
“Hm hm, thank you~” Sandersonia smiled.
“We have important information for the council.” Nebula said. “Your sister needs to know it, too.”
“We have orders not to let the KND pass.” Marigold said. “I don’t believe you would try to harm the council, so I wouldn’t mind letting you pass. And yet…” Fire burned in both of their eyes. “I hoped for an opportunity to challenge you again. Perhaps you’ll have time for a small test.” The larger sister withdrew a spear, and both began to morph into snakes: Marigold a King Cobra and Sandersonia an anaconda.
“Their eyes!” Romeo gasped. “It’s another Rivalry!”
“And those are Snake-Snake Fruits!” Goombella exclaimed. “But both are Level 4,000. Marigold’s an Armament Haki specialist while Sonia’s is Observation; they can also use the Life Return technique.”
“Hey, Mocha, why don’t you let me have a go at them?” Aisa smirked, stepping forward bravely. “That should make it an even fight.”
“It’ll be even if I help, too.” Morgiana said. “I’ll take Marigold. You’ll be better suited for Sonia.”
“Very well!” Sonia hissed. “We’re always happy to face new warriors!” She turned her hair into snakes with Life Return, gnashing at Aisa from several directions, but the Shandian’s Observation made for quick evasion. She ran and jumped her way up the bending hair strands and swung her iron-hard Conache Pumpkin. Sonia dodged, but Aisa slapped on a Jet Dial to fly left, putting the pumpkin at an angle where she could haul the rope down and bash Sonia’s head. Marigold swung her hardened tail at Morgiana, who pushed back with her strong legs to cease her swing. She leapt on the tail and dashed to the torso, jumping as Marigold swung her spear. Morgiana leapt up and kicked Marigold’s head, knocking her down despite her Armament defense. “?!” The sisters realized the other operatives were charging into the building. “Where are you going?!”
“We don’t have time to watch your fight, we’re on a tight schedule!” Nebula stated. “Good luck, Ais and Morg!”
Zathurian soldiers guarded the lobby, throwing Catch Cards on the ground that released Sproing-Oings and Longadiles. Dillon stretched Shade Fists to combat the stretchy creatures while Maria matched the bouncy enemies. “Say, Nebula, didn’t you ‘design’ New Zathura?” Dillon asked. “Shouldn’t you be a god to these people?”
“Shouldn’t you be a god to the Superbians?”
“Good point.” While the others dealt with the soldiers, Nebula saw a Grav Path along the wall to the ceiling. She flew onto it and walked up to press a ceiling switch, unlocking the next door. They entered a corridor with Avalaran giant soldiers, which Sheila and Mocha were tasked with toppling. In fact, the force of Sheila shoving a giant against the back door was the key to breaking it down. They entered a “lounge” room of sorts with tables and stairs leading to an upper layer. Legoan soldiers constructed bazookas and fired explosive, blocky ammunition. “Hey, it’s my people!” Haylee built a shield with a stretched, suspended construction tarp in the center, using it to bounce their ammo back.
The ops traveled up the stairs, having to KO more Legoans guarding another sealed door. Seeing the chandeliers hanging by this floor’s railing, Sheila jumped them using her propeller tail. She found a hidden card key on one and brought it to her mates. The following room seemed empty, but had a glowing switch panel. Nebula stood on it, and a solid holo-panel would appear a few feet in the air. Maria jumped on it, and the panel would quickly dissolve and reform further up. An unprepared Maria fell off, but she could try again. The panel would also shift vertically several times in a row, making a forward Wall Jump segment. It also sloped into a steep slide once, so when Maria jumped off with momentum, she would land on its next position. “This place sure has quirky intruder methods.” Makava commented.
Maria pressed a switch on top, forming a proper staircase for the others. They would afterwards have to ascend a tower with a ladder path, along with floating searchlight drones. Sheila was about to- “Sheila, don’t punch those.” Nebula said. “Hitting one will send them all at us, and they have crazy shock rays.”
“Sounds like it’s stealth time.” Dillon smirked.
“Hey, take me with you!” Maria chirped. “Maybe I can possess on and attack the others.”
“Yeah.” Nebula agreed. “They might not know how to act if they attack each other.” With that, Dillon and Maria began climbing the ladder, using his shadowbending to Veil whenever the searchlights rotated past. Unfortunately, the drones seemed to be wearing hats, so Maria couldn’t catch them; one had a top-hat, another had a sombrero, one a tribal hat, and the 4th a false nose and mustache mask. However, the 5th drone was bare, so Maria tossed her hat and possessed. She floated down and zapped the others, eventually making the drones turn on each other. She escaped before they all exploded. The others could safely ascend the ladder.
One last stairwell would lead to the Council Hall, guarded by four Irken SIR Units and large mechs. The SIRbots were swift, so Sheila matched them with her own speed and used curving Light Fists to take them down. Romeo shot fire to destroy the large mechs’ cannons, leaving Bender to use his titular art and bend their spines backward. (End song.)
Outside
Bringing Ironwood to one knee was a cakewalk to Maddy. She didn’t doubt his skill in Haki, able to focus his hardening to condensed areas to negate damage, but since her Gold Haki was designed to penetrate iron Haki in the first place, it didn’t help much. On the other hand, Ciel had only gotten started with Winter, a graceful skier with icebending as she evaded the demon boy’s swift chops and kicks. She was able to erect a large ice pillar with him on top, freezing his torso to it.
“I’ll admit that your Haki’s decent, but I wouldn’t call you a master at it.” Maddy said.
“Well, the title of ‘master’ is often used loosely.” Another man’s voice said. “No matter how skilled you are, there will always be someone greater.”
Maddy sensed two presences behind her, and Ironwood seemed taken aback in shock. Just as the Murphy turned, a gust of black wind struck her face, blowing her several feet back as she felt her nose dent. Looking up, Maddy saw her attacker: a man with light-tan skin and brown hair brushed back in spikes. He wore a turquoise-blue, open coat with white edges, a black shirt underneath, white pants, and brown combat boots. He twirled a three-pronged spear.
“Vice-Admiral Bardias!” Ironwood gasped. “And… Admiral Aurelia.”
Behind Bardias was a woman with silver-white hair, wearing a blue uniform with gold buttons and a purple cape with gold edges. She wore black stockings and white high-heels. A large sword with silver edges, a red center, and gold hilt with a green gem was slouched over her shoulder. “Who are…” Maddy could sense a strong aura within these two, particularly the woman. (Both are from Cold Steel.)
“When we heard the KND were attacking, I thought it was worth a visit.” Aurelia said, her voice strong and dignified, but her smirk radiating with confidence. “It’s an honor to meet you… Maddy the Conqueror.”
“You know me?”
“The Earth KND are legends, especially to governments and militaries.” Bardias answered. “And we’ve heard some impressive things about you.”
“A prodigal Haki Master who exchanged fists with the Animal King himself.”
“O…kay?”
“You seem confused.” Winter said. “Allow me to make things clear. This is Vice-Admiral Wallace Bardias, the Black Whirlwind. He grew up as a farmer in Hyrule’s humble Ordon Village. Behind him is Admiral Aurelia Le Guin, the Silver Rakshasa, a woman of Coruscanti nobility. As for the rest… words wouldn’t do them justice.”
“Heh, putting all the work on us, eh?” Bardias smiled coolly. “Well, I guess you two are having a spot of trouble, anyway. Apologies, Miss Murphy, but we’ve been ordered to arrest you kids for breaking and entering.” Bardias spun his spear, stirring a black whirlwind around him. He cast the wind at Maddy, who dodged the first few gusts before one dented her face again.
“You’re mixing Haki with airbending?!” And not only that, his chi possessed much more force than Ironwood’s. She hardened herself and charged through the wind, but could still feel the force behind it. Wallace jumped high in the air when she threw a punch, blowing a powerful gust against the ground to blow Maddy away. She regained herself and forced her way through the gust. She thrusted her fist upward and shot a burst of chi, punching Bardias’ face. The vice-admiral dropped down, but as Maddy ran for the next strike, he spun a black whirlwind around himself, deterring her fist. He quickly jabbed his spear, Maddy hardening her waist to withstand it. Bardias leapt backward and shot juts of wind from his thrusting spear. Maddy dodged her way up to him, but as Wallace spun another whirlwind shield, it became like trying to punch against a high-powered fan. However, Maddy’s fist didn’t need to reach him to hurt him with ranged Haki, Bardias’ insides compressing. One more punch flew him clean backward, the vice-admiral flipping upright and sliding on his boots from momentum.
“That’s enough of a demonstration.” Aurelia said. “Show us your full power, Madeline.” As the admiral stepped forward, her entire sword turned black with Haki. Except… the very edges and middle lines were gold.
“You… can use Golden Haki, too?!”
“Ever since I learned King K. Rool could make his Haki gold, I knew there were heights I had yet to reach in my art. And I know you are the same… but unlike me, you had the honor of fighting him.”
“Well, it’s not like your armies did anything to help in the Pirate War.”
“Our militaries are more complicated than you might think.” Bardias replied. “Not only is there a lot of official paperwork involved, but whenever big crises like the Pirate War spring up, it inspires riots, and riots pave way to terrorist revolts. You’d be surprised how many criminals we’ve had to deal with because of these things.”
“And because of that, I’ve had no opportunity to perfect my craft.” Aurelia said. “Only now can I barely sharpen the edge of my blade. And now… you’re here, Conqueror Maddy. I ask you…” A silver aura ignited around her. “Help me refine this rugged chi of my mine. Polish my iron, my silver, into a luscious gold.”
Maddy’s muscular arms blackened, her fingers coated gold. “If you say so.” She greeted Aurelia with an uppercut, but the admiral fell back to meet it with her blade. The impact of powerful Haki generated a shockwave, causing Winter’s pillar to shatter. Ciel dropped and immediately lashed kicks and arms at the unexpecting general. Aurelia slashed more blows that Maddy dodged, even having to push the sword off course at one point; but even then, she could feel her palms bruise. She had a clear shot at the admiral’s stomach, but Aurelia could likewise throw a punch at Maddy’s jaw, so both ladies suffered a painful blow.
Council building
The councilmen’s guests and associates watched the meeting from the building’s cafeteria. Among them was Police Chief Bogo, a bull Mobian, who could only snarl at Cheadle’s treatment, sitting alongside Lord Business’s henchman, “Bad Cop.”
The most eye-catching person in the room was, by far, Princess Clematis, the younger sister of the current King Croacus V. “The Kids Next Door ended the accursed reign of both Viridi AND the Irken Empire.” The camera focused on Croacus himself, a yellow-faced rose with thick red lips (from Paper Mario). “Er, no offense, Zim.”
“None taken at all.” The Irken Tallest smiled (from Invader Zim).
“And I heard a rumor that the KND have made Viridi their ally, as much as that monstrous Skaios.” Angella argued. “What do you make of that?”
“Puh. When’s this bloody conference going to end?” Clematis scoffed. She was a soft white flower with sharp petals, but even sharper eyelashes and pure red lipstick. “It doesn’t matter what you say, you pampered old fool. You won’t be sitting in the royal pot for long.”
“Apologies, everyone.” A guard alerted them. “But I’m afraid we must put this room under lockdown. There are intruders inside.”
“Bloody fantastic. …Hm?” Clematis cocked a brow at the screen.
…
“I won’t hear another word of this.” The High President of Osiris banged his staff. “My people once lived under the tyranny of a corrupt pharaoh, but Supreme Leader Nebula liberated us and took the pharaoh far away! …AAAH!” He jumped in his seat in panic. “THERE HE IS NOW!”
“WHAT UP, COUNCIL JERKS?!” Bender sprung into the Council Hall. Nebula and the other operatives were soon to follow.
“NEBULA?!” her father exclaimed.
“MARIA?!” Cheadle and Peach screamed.
“DOGMOM!”
“Well, this is an unexpected surprise.” Phyronix chuckled. “I don’t suppose you’re the ones behind that commotion outside?”
“We have urgent information the council needs to hear.” Nebula answered. “Unfortunately, we had to get a bit aggressive with the guards.”
“I see.” Empress Hancock replied. “Only you could have gotten past my sisters, Mocha.”
“Hi, Miss Hancock!” Mocha beamed. “And, sorry to disappoint, but my fellow tribal girls are handling your sisters now.”
“Well, since you’ve shown yourselves in, I urge you to speak.” The chancellor requested.
“Hmm…” Jacques glared at the group, worriedly and knowingly.
Nebula took a breath and professed clearly, “Kael’s Game has begun.”
The rulers merely stared at her in confusion… until thoughts sparked in their minds. “W-What?!” the Osirin President gasped. “How do I know this?!”
“Goodness, what insane thoughts have infested my brain stem?!” Croacus exclaimed.
“You don’t mean the…” Cheadle began.
“The Game of Thrones?!” Peach gasped.
“He called it the Super Smash Bros.!” Maria exclaimed.
“It can’t be!” Kcalb stood. “That is an ancient legend known only to our world! How do you all… and, why are these thoughts…”
“The Game to decide the Supreme King of the Cosmos.” Etihw rose beside him. “The Game where all kings bow to one. And you’re saying it’s begun?”
“Yes.” Nebula nodded. “And the three players are King Bowser, King Mickey, and us Kids Next Door.”
“Unbelievable…” Phyronix said in a low gasp.
“The reason Mickey was making those broadcasts about us is to turn people against you. And it seems he has you all bickering over us as well. I only wanted to offer you the truth, so you could decide your allegiances once and for all.”
“But don’t you realize this is being broadcasted?!” Toriel exclaimed. “Now, other rulers and even civilians will know! This could cause all kinds of riots!”
“Well, this wouldn’t be the first time. Remember when I shrunk the planets?”
“Chancellor, I think these children have intruded long enough!” Jacques said. “We must arrest them posthaste! And as for you, young lady,” he narrowed on his daughter, “you and I are going to have a serious talk-”
“YOU’RE the one who needs a talking to!” Weiss stomped. “You’re humiliating Miss Yorkshire and encroaching on the Mobians all over your racism! Chancellor Phyronix, he needs to be removed from the Corporate Presidents!”
“How DARE you!”
“Ahem, I have no authority over Corporate Presidents’ membership. Adding or dismissing members is something they decide on their own. And, even so, Mr. Schnee is patrolling Mobius on King Mickey’s request. He certainly wouldn’t let him do anything heinous.”
“You know, Chancellor, why did you ask the army to forbid us from entering?” Nebula wondered. “Did Mickey get to you, by any chance?”
“Is it true?!” Cheadle gasped. “Were you brainwashed just like Peach?!”
“Brainwashed?!” Maria gasped.
“Now, Maria, Cheadle is just being paranoid.” Peach smiled. “She’s shaken up over the K. Rool incident, so she’s accusing Mickey’s allies of being invaders, too.”
“What?!” The dogwoman flared up. “Peach, have you completely forgotten everything Schnee’s done and said?!”
“Th-That’s not what I…”
“The fact Mickey would even work with a man like Jacques is proof he can’t be trusted!”
“So you say…” Angella rose, “but I trust the KND even less. I’ve never disapproved of my daughter’s branch in the organization, but you kids have shown you aren’t fit to rule with that kind of power.”
“For your information, we weren’t planning to do anything with that power!” Nebula argued. “We only want to keep it out of the hands of anyone else. If we win this Game, if we win the right to Kael’s Throne, then we’ll break this curse! But what Mickey will do is remove everyone’s freedom.”
“But King Mickey could rid the universe of evil and war…” reasoned Lord Pumpus, who had a small antenna and puffed, round cheeks, “WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!”
“That may be,” Jeremy reasoned, “but I do not believe that is morally ethical. The existence of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is a symbol of freedom and individuality, and to remove such things-”
“First of all, you’re biased to your daughter,” Jacques said, “second, no one asked for a philosophical lecture.”
“I don’t know if this whole Game is real or not,” Lord Business followed, “but I don’t agree with Mickey’s plan if that’s the case. The KND taught me the beauty of creative freedom. They taught me why I shouldn’t stick everything in place with a giant glue bottle. So, I’m siding with them in this so-called Smash Bros.!”
“YAAAAY!” Haylee cheered.
“And we of Osiris will do the same.” The president rose. “…Provided Pharaoh Bender stays away from the Throne at all costs.”
“I stole, like, 40 thrones in my life.” Bender blew a cigar.
“You have the support of the Floro Sapiens as well.” Croacus assured.
…
“As if we will.” Clematis scoffed. “Still, if this game is real… it’s no wonder he made that offer.”
…
“And you have my support just as well.” Cheadle smiled. …She cast a reproachful glare at Peach.
“Um…I-I…I choose to side with Mickey.”
“W-what?” Hurt flooded Maria’s eyes.
“I…I really think you should trust him, Maria. With him, you’ll never have to worry about Bowser hurting anyone again.”
Maria jumped up the council seats until she reached her mom’s. …The chamber echoed with gasps as she slapped the Mushroom Queen. “Bowser never hurt me as many times as you!” She leapt to Cheadle’s platform, leaving her distraught mom at her back. “Dogmom, let’s get out of here!”
“Not so fast!” Zim proclaimed. “Tallest Zim has not decided.”
“Decided what?” Vweeb asked. “Why wouldn’t you side with us? Didn’t the KND liberate your people?”
“That is true… and yet, Zim regrets that he was never given a proper meeting with the legendary operatives.” The Tallest stood, flames in his eyes. “Zim would like to test the KND’s convictions.”
“I do as well.” Hancock rose, her own eyes flaring. “Mocha… I would like to see the how far you’ve gone in your training.”
“Hancock… I had a feeling you’d say that.”
“In that case…” Kcalb and Etihw’s eyes lit up, “we’d like to see what you’re capable of.”
“Them, too?!” Dillon gasped.
“Even the Council are under the Rivalry spell.” Romeo said.
“Ooo-wee-ooo~” Croacus drawled. “In that case… perhaps I’ll draw in on the fun.” His eyes burned.
“Alright…” Nebula smirked. “If that’s the only way you’ll decide, so be it.”
“Zim will accept nothing but the finest opponent.” The Tallest declared. “I will accept nothing less than an Uno.”
“Perhaps some exercise is just what we need after all this strife.” Phyronix smiled. “Very well. Council, we adjourn to the gymnasium! …After a quick trip to the cafeteria!”
Chapter 5: Verge of War
Summary:
The KND proves their mettle to the Galactic Council by beating the snot out of them! ...Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Chapter Text
I considered making more mini-fights with other council members, but I say this chapter’s a good length as it is.
Chapter 5: Verge of War
Whenever meetings drew on too long and the world leaders stiff, the gym was a handy place to freshen up. Naturally, the broadcaster recording the meeting—Cookie Monster—couldn’t pass up the opportunity to record the rulers battling the KND. Billions more people tuned in, most of them kids and teens; because why else would they tune into a political meeting?
“I signaled H.Q. to send Aurora and Cheren.” Nebula told Zim. “They’ll be here soon.”
“Zim can wait.” The Tallest acknowledged. “His fellow leaders can serve as the opening act.”
“Opening act? Pah!” Boa Hancock marched to the center of the gym. “With me, no other acts are necessary. My beauty completely captures the show~” Did I forget to mention lots of men were watching the broadcast?
Mocha approached the Amazon Empress bravely. It almost felt like yesterday when Mocha began to train under the Boa sisters. Born as an ordinary Japanese girl in any town, the smallest of her kindergarten class no less, Mocha was kidnapped, amongst many other kids, by mad scientist Caesar Clown. They were grown into giants and were doomed to die if not for the KND’s treatment. But when the hard part was over, Mocha saw her new condition as a blessing rather than a curse. She hated feeling tinier than everyone. But not only was she big enough to stand up to bullies, she had the power to protect her friends and help those weaker. Her very first mission was assisting Nebula in the Nexus Quest, by helping her fight the Boa sisters to save Sector V. Impressed by her fortitude, the sisters agreed to train Mocha further. Growing prouder of her new strength, Mocha felt one with the Amazons and began to call herself one.
“Mocha’s Level is 7,700.” Goombella confirmed. “And Hancock’s is 7,800. Amazing!”
“You’ve come a long way, Mocha.” Hancock said. “I feel it in your eyes. If only I had you on Amazonia… you would be the strongest among my warriors.”
“Maybe so…” The 14-year-old giant folded her arms, “but they wouldn’t measure up to my warriors.”
“Your faith in your comrades is strong. Take that faith and put it to the test right here!”
“In other words, beat the crud out of me! Hehe.” Dillon chuckled. “Honestly, not really a fan of Hancock.” He didn’t enjoy the period where he and his male friends were treated as servants. “Break her legs, Mocha!” (Play “Unfathomed Force” from Trails to Azure!)
Mocha stomped her bare feet and balled her fists, while Hancock flexed her high-heeled legs. The empress’s smooth black hair was shiny, while Mocha’s messy, frizzy, ponytailed black hair seemed like it hadn’t seen a comb in years. Though different in presentation, and though Mocha was once a little human, her Amazonian pride was just as strong.
Rivalry: Galactic Council
Hancock whipped her hardened leg at Mocha, toppling her backwards. The empress jumped to stamp Mocha’s stomach, but she rolled sideways in evasion, then leapt up to punch Hancock’s leg. With the empress off balance, Mocha kicked the other leg and toppled her, afterwards hammering her joined fists onto the stomach. Hancock flipped away to compose herself, then flipped forward with such grace that her heels cut the air. Mocha had just felt one graze her shoulder before she could move away, then moved quick to charge Hancock directly. Mocha primarily pushed the legs, restraining them, so Hancock could only resort to punching the smaller giant’s head, but Mocha withstood the pain until she could smash Hancock into the wall. She hugged Hancock’s legs firmly, lifted and shifted her sideways, and slammed her against the wall once more.
She ran from Hancock’s retaliatory slap, the empress standing. “How dare you defile my radiant beauty!” Hancock projected a pink aura, making a cute pose.
“Sorry, Hancock, but you’re not my type!” Mocha mustered lots of chi in her fist and kicked forth for a supreme punch, which Hancock willingly met with her heel. The heel snapped, but Mocha winced from the pierce in her fist. Mocha quickly punched Hancock’s leg up with her other fist, followed by a kick to the other leg, but the empress leapt back as Mocha’s foot dented the wall. Mocha squatted, built strength in her legs, and leapt at Hancock with hammer fists. Hancock raised her own fists in defense, but the impact generated a shockwave that cracked the floor and even made the bystanders fall. “Goodness, this building’s designed to withstand heavy artillery!” Phyronix exclaimed.
“That has nothing on the strong wills of Amazons.” Dillon remarked. While suspended in the air amidst their impact, Mocha stamped both feet into Hancock’s torso, toppling her, but she would transition into flips and cartwheels, all the while swinging swift kicks at Mocha. The operative defended from most, but Hancock would suddenly flip away and draw a pink bow with heart arrows, loosing them at Mocha. Normally, they would petrify opponents, but Mocha was true in her earlier claim. The operative leapt high to Ground Pound Hancock, but as the empress dodged, each impact would dramatically shake the room and create more dents. Hancock eventually slipped on her broken heel, allowing Mocha to grab her leg and throw her into the already-dented wall. Mocha dashed and headbutted Hancock, followed by an uppercut to really dizzy her. The Honorary Amazon dashed to the opposite wall, kicked off, and used the momentum to charge another headbutt.
Outside, Morgiana launched into Marigold’s stomach and forced saliva out of the cobra, afterwards grabbing her massive tail and using her immense strength to swing her around. Morgiana saw Aisa trapped in Sandersonia’s tail, the Shandian’s head close to popping. She threw Marigold at her sister, but Sonia dodged such a predictable tactic. “Huh?!” But then something more unexpected occurred: the wall in the council building above them collapsed, their very own sister crashing into the pavement. “HANCOCK!” Sonia loosened her grip and slithered over. “Who did this to-”
“Stay back, Sonia! This is a duel of honor.” She glared up at the gap in the wall, Mocha standing bravely in it. She jumped to land another Ground Pound, but Hancock threw up her other heel to intercept it. Her shoe was shattered by the impact and her leg bent, while Mocha kicked her off the other.
“YO, WHAT’VE I BEEN MISSING?!” Aisa slipped out of Sonia’s grasp and pressed her Impact Dial to her, using the force she absorbed from Sonia’s tail-whacks to damage her in turn. “Mocha, you’d know I pay anything to watch you fight!”
“Don’t worry, Aisa, I’m sure this’ll go on YouTube!” Mocha threw more punches that were blocked by Hancock’s nimble legs, each of which were followed by direct kicks to Mocha’s head. Hancock seized the teen and gracefully flipped back to slam her to the floor, leaping and dealing a Drill Stomp into Mocha’s stomach. Withstanding the pain, Mocha bent up her legs to squeeze Hancock’s in a scissor hold, bringing her to the ground, but Hancock suddenly spun and flung Mocha off. Both stood as Mocha prepared for another squat, but as Hancock saw her channel Haki into her big head, the empress bent far back and did the same. Mocha leapt, and in the air, she brought her head back, whipping it forward once she was close. Hancock, likewise, whipped her head forward, a collision that would no doubt deliver a massive concussion to normal people. Both ladies were almost equally strong in their Haki… but Mocha’s disproportioned head was larger and thicker. Hancock fell on her back, while Mocha dropped into a dizzy sit.
“MOCHA WIN FIRST ROUND!” Cookie Monster exclaimed. “NOMNOMNOM!”
“OI ALWAYS LIKED YOU, MACHO!” Sheila cheered. “Orright, which of us is next?!”
“We can’t start the next match!” Phyronix yelled. “The gym is a MESS!”
“It was too cramped, anyway.” Etihw said. The Angel Queen had black hair and wore a white robe with several levitating diamonds. “This pavilion, on the other hand, has much more space. Kcalb, I think we should have the floor next.”
“Gladly.” The Troll King smirked, almost completely black-clothed with a diamond-edged cape. Kcalb had white hair and dark horns with matching eyes. “Make sure to send your best warriors.” He and his partner jumped down to the field. The Boa sisters grabbed Hancock and carried her away, the other ops clearing as well.
“Etihw’s Level is 7,600 while Kcalb’s is 8,100.” Goombella said. “Put together, they’re 15,700. They’re a lightbender and a shadowbender. That’s not a combination you see every day.”
“Actually, it is.” Dillon smirked. “Well, Sheila?”
“Well, you already mooch off my shadow, so I’m up for a team-up!” Whitish-yellow flames danced around Sheila like a small sun, the captain diving to her foes with an expanding Sun Fist. Etihw met Sheila’s fist directly, absorbing her light into the white diamonds that levitated around her. Sheila landed with confusion, unprepared as the diamonds refracted and returned Sheila’s attack. She might’ve flown for miles if she hadn’t crashed into one of the flagpoles, which bent and launched her back. Meanwhile, Dillon landed and waited for Kcalb’s first move: Etihw lit herself bright against Kcalb, casting a thick shadow. He bent the shade of his diamond cape like spikes, rapidly thrusting them at Dillon, who Veiled and swiftly bent himself in evasion. Dillon managed to sneak into one of the diamonds’ shadows and make his way to Kcalb, popping out and punching his jaw.
“Sheila and Dillon are 12,000 and 4,500.” Goombella reported. “I’d say they have good odds!”
However, Kcalb grabbed Dillon and pulled him into a Veil, landing a string of direct punches and later throwing a bruised Dillon out. Kcalb was about to throw a Shade Fist, but the shadow was dispersed by Sheila’s fist. Sheila unleashed a string of Sun Fists that Etihw was able to grab in her bending, channeling them into her diamonds and refracting them in the form of lasers. As she evaded them, Sheila willed another Sun Fist to crash right atop Kcalb; she had sent it to the sky amidst that barrage. Dillon smiled in thanks and Veiled to his teammate’s side, but was grazed by Etihw’s lasers. Sheila extended her light from her tail in its shape, spinning to rapidly lash it at Etihw. The queen struggled to block it at the right angles, but Dillon would suddenly jump in front of Sheila as her bright light stretched his shadow, enlarging his Shade Fist and sending Etihw flying from the impact. Angered, Kcalb shot Shade Shards at them both, Sheila and Dillon swapping places as she expanded a circle of Light Arms around Kcalb. His shadow had nowhere to grow, while Dillon could stretch his Shade Fist far beyond Sheila’s light. He retracted it with intense momentum, Sheila dispersing her light and dodging so Dillon’s flying fist could sock Kcalb in the nostril.
Etihw threw her diamonds in the air, having them levitate as they shot Light Beams. The beams would randomly refract around the diamonds before shooting toward the kids at sudden speed, Sheila defending Dillon to amass the light with her own. Sheila shot them to the sky, raining them as Light Beams that struck the field randomly. Etihw caught one with her diamond and redirected it at Sheila, but she was ready to “punch” and redirect it to Kcalb. The furious troll willed the shadows of his diamonds to separate and “fly” rampantly to confuse Dillon, striking him at sudden moments. He struggled to take hold of the shadows with his own bending and had to rely on Sheila’s light to keep them at bay. However, Etihw would join her partner’s side to extend his shadow with bright light, extending the length of Kcalb’s shards to land more forceful stabs into them.
“Sheila, let’s do a Chi Unison! It’s the only way to win at this point!”
“Aye-aye!” Both friends linked hands and merged their auras together! Unfortunately, Kcalb and Etihw did the same. Along with her Sun Fists, Sheila’s shadow’s fists were able to stretch at her foes from various angles for double damage, while Dillon could stretch his own Shade Fists with more wild speed. Kcalb and Etihw formed a diamond shield shade to withstand their barrage while casting Light Diamonds to spiral around Dillon and Sheila before suddenly stabbing. Sheila hurriedly grabbed and bent them in her favor, returning them to pierce the Shade Shield. Dillon-Sheila caught them in Shadow Strange, with Sheila’s fists applied to increase the sensation, the monarchs hacking as their insides compressed.
Kcalb-Etihw Veiled, slithered away, and spread their shadow, forming multiple White Shadow Clones. They were shaped as either opponent, yet all were white, making it more confusing. “DILLON, LET’S STAMP THEM ALL OUT!” Sheila stretched both arms and expanded giant Light Hands, their shadows stretching behind. She CLAPPED the clones in said hands, while Dillon bent giant Shade Hands to CLAP them once more, breaking the clones while the real monarchs were drawn out. This was followed by Sheila throwing a giant Light Foot behind them and retracting it to kick them toward them, but while their casted shadow was able to stab Dillon and Sheila, knocking them on their backs, Dillon had already expanded Sheila’s Shade Feet, and in this position, they were able to CLAP the monarchs once more.
“Tch…what an undignified way for this to end.” Etihw said, both dropping to their knees. “Our polished diamonds crushed by juvenile pirates. They are not Alternia’s heroes for nothing.”
“We’ll concede this battle to you.” Kcalb sighed.
“It’s all apples!” Sheila chirped, flexing her feet to relieve the stress. “Ah’m always happy to beat up big-shot folks!” Kcalb growled at her rude demeanor, while Etihw simply giggled.
Maddy smirked, watching the broadcast on a large city screen. “Looks like the real action’s happening over there. Sorry that I couldn’t watch you in person, Mocha.”
“Shouldn’t you worry about your own battle?” Aurelia slashed her hardened blade, Maddy ducking and thrusting a ranged punch at the admiral’s stomach. Aurelia leapt far back and slashed silver airwaves at the Murphy, who evaded most of them. Channeling chi to her fists, Maddy shot more ranged punches to break the slashes, but Aurelia easily withstood them.
“Zim still does not see a single Uno.” The Tallest said. “How long must he wait?”
“Oh, always so impatient, Zim.” Croacus cooed. “Allow me to go next.” The large, multi-stemmed rose dropped from the hole, grabbing the edge of it with his vines to stretch and soften his landing. Arianna Dunfree jumped down and stretched brambles downward to break her own fall.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Croacus. You look lovely today!”
“Ooo-wee-ooo! The honor is all mine, Arianna the Bramble Master. You’re a legend to plants everywhere! I can feel your lush chi flow already. That’s why I hope you’ll give me all you have to offer.” A group of Floran soldiers brought a giant, spiked pot. Croacus climbed inside, erecting several brambled flowers with heads that weighed two tons.
“Then may I introduce you to some new friends.” Arianna dropped red seeds with white spots into her four pots. Mushroomian Piranha Plants shot out, two from her hips and two from around her back. As she dodged Croacus’s hammering flowers, the Piranhas gnashed his stems with intense ferocity. Croacus swung his head and cast flower shurikens, but Arianna easily grabbed and returned them. Croacus covered his whole face in rose petals, acting as a shield. He would bend his vines around to block and corner Arianna, so she would have little room to maneuver as he thrusted his hardened head. Arianna would thrust three Piranha heads to intercept him, while the fourth stretched underneath to bite Croacus’s stem and slam him to the ground.
Croacus undid the barrier and repeatedly beat Arianna around with his hammer-flowers. Once she was down, he tried to crush her beneath two, but Arianna mustered the strength to bend them away from her. She got up, dashed toward the king, and gnashed two Piranhas at his face and stem, Croacus defending both, but he would be blinded as Arianna grabbed the previous hammer-flower and slammed it through his rose petals. Arianna wrapped all four Piranhas around his stem and mustered the strength to haul Croacus overhead, slam him, and repeated until the Flower King had enough.
“I give! I give! Please release me before I wilt!”
“Hm hm hm!” Arianna unwrapped and recalled her Piranhas. “…And it seems we’re just in time for our last guests!” (End song.)
Aurora and Cheren Uno marched toward the site of the battle. Smiling, Tallest Zim approached the siblings, who likewise smiled in recognition. “This brings back fond memories. The days of yore when I battled Nigel Uno, Earth’s greatest operative, and his precious female, Rachel McKenzie.”
“They used to tell us that story.” Cheren said. “And what a big pushover you were.”
“It was even on both sides! And now, Zim has the pleasure of meeting their offspring at last. But… I thought there was a 3rd one.”
“Chris isn’t with us, anymore.” Aurora answered. “He… retired.”
“Well, that is disappointing. In fact, Zim fears the two of you alone will falter before his new power.”
“Ha ha ha.” Cheren laughed. “Well, as Supreme Leader, I wouldn’t be training my operatives if I did most of the work. Is it alright if Aurora fights you alone?”
“Y-y-y-you want me to fight Zim by myself?! THE GREAT ZIM?!?” Aurora’s exasperation couldn’t be falser.
“This will be your ultimate test, Aurora. Believe in yourself and give it all you got.”
“O-o-okay. I’ll do my best!”
“Crikey, why’s Aurora all jittery all of a sudden?” Sheila cocked a brow.
“So be it.” Zim smirked. “But Zim will not hold back either. MEGGIR! COME TO ME!” (Play “Song of Giga Rosa” from Xenoblade!)
A giant robot came shooting down from the sky—crashing on the pavement and laying sloppily. The robot had smallish proportions, but a large head with blue, curved eyes. Zim climbed into the cockpit, which was co-manned by a smaller robot with similar proportions. MEGGIR pushed itself up, raising its tentacle arms with three, electric prongs. It lashed the first one, but Aurora whipped out the Galaxia Sword and swat it away. “GIR! Fire the left claw laser!” The right claw shot a laser toward the council building. “NO! The left claw! The button’s on the right!” The claw shot Aurora, but she easily deflected the laser into the mech’s left eye. “GIR! Get on those windshield wipers!”
“We gots no antifreeze, Zim!”
“WHAT?! I told you to fill it up this morning!”
“The bunnies were thirsty, so I gaves it to them!”
Aurora rammed the mech with a Frostfire Drill, MEGGIR bouncing several dozen yards away. “THAT’S IT! We’re skipping the next phase! It’s time for Zim to present the COLOR RAY!” MEGGIR’s chest opened, exposing a cannon that swapped between an array of colors. “Let’s try… a CUBE SHIELD!” The chest turned dark-blue as the mech was shielded in a giant ice cube. MEGGIR would leap above Aurora and try to Ground Pound her, freezing the surrounding ground. However, realizing it was made of ice, Aurora leapt at the robot and shattered it effortlessly, sending MEGGIR bouncing once more. “GIR! Press the green button!” The robot sprung into the air upon shooting a cyan laser, aimlessly shooting more around. “NO, THAT’S THE CYAN BUTTON! Green, GREEN, like this one!”
The robot shot a green laser at Aurora, who began to levitate in the air. “Ha ha ha! Zim has robbed you of the stabilization of gravity! You will never evade me now!” MEGGIR shot more Cyan Lasers, but Aurora deflected them with her sword and used firebending to rocket herself toward the mech, lashing another combo of sword strikes. “CURSES! She has mastered the art of zero gravity! Evasive maneuvers, GIR!” The chest turned light-blue as MEGGIR began to zip around at blinding speed—ramming through the council building and tearing up several rooms before he was able to find his way out. “Now that she’s confused, fire the Cherry Beam!” A bright-pink beam fired at Aurora, shrinking her to an inch in size. “YES! She is as weak as an insect now! Zim will…eh, where did she go?”
While the robot was searching around confusedly, Aurora rocketed toward it like a firefly. “I know! Zim will make sure she cannot find us either!” The massive mech turned invisible… but Aurora could see a few sparking areas, likely the parts that were lost from her attacks. They were just big enough for her to fly into. “GIR, let us send an electrical field into the air and—eh? GIR, why is our robot twitching?!” MEGGIR began to wildly twitch itself into a silly dance.
“He wants to get funkeh, Zim!”
“Now is not the time for getting funky! Find the malfunction and fix it at—GEH!” Aurora’s shrinkage wore off, the Uno shooting out of MEGGIR’s spine and leaving a gaping hole. “I see you’ve been trained well, but know that confidence will be your undoing. It’s time for Zim to teach you that the hard way! INITIATING COLOR BLASTER!” A bright light flashing all the Wisps’ colors brimmed in the chest. MEGGIR unleashed, but Aurora absorbed all the power onto Galaxia. Smirking, the Uno launched into the air, spinning into a blinding, colorful wheel. “Uh…uh-oh.”
“So prettyyyyy!” GIR cooed. “…I miss Kuki.”
“FINAL COLOR SAW!” Aurora sawed right into the top of the robot. Aurora seemed to cut cleanly all the way through MEGGIR’s body. The front half fell completely apart from the back… and only Zim and GIR’s seats were left suspended before they fell down.
“You leave Zim with no choice.” The Tallest approached her determinedly. “He will show you the greatest of Irken combat arts!” He flew at Aurora with a kick—Aurora grabbed his ankle, rocketed to the air, and spun into another vertical wheel with the Tallest flailing about. “WAAAAAAH! GIR! Now is your chance! STRIKE HEEEEERRRR!”
“Master should be a bus wheel.” GIR said, hypnotized by the motion.
“Zim didn’t train a day after the Firstborn Quest, did he?” Dillon wondered.
Aurora slammed Zim down on his back. Twirling the sword proudly, Galaxia vanished into lightning. (End song.)
“Huff…huff…” Zim pulled himself up, smiling. “Zim has never felt such pride. The Uno bloodline has not lost its flare. Well done… Aurora Uno.”
“I don’t think I took a single hit!”
“And we’re just dropping the false humility.” Dillon remarked.
“My fellow members of the council,” Jeremy announced proudly as the world leaders gathered around the operatives, “we just bore witness to wonderful feats of strength. And these are merely a small fraction of the powers that save and defend our universe! So, let us put it to a vote: which side will you choose in this inevitable battle for the Throne?”
“Oh, I’m still with the KND!” Lord Business grinned. “No battles needed for me!”
“I’ll choose Maria’s side any day.” Cheadle smiled.
“You’re the best Dogmom ever!!” Maria jumped into the Mobian’s arms.
“I still have my discrepancies.” Hancock said. “But, I have no reason to doubt such strong and proud ladies.” She looked to Morgiana, standing on Marigold’s KO’ed body, while Aisa had passed out trapped in Sandersonia’s hair. “Even if some still have some growing to do. Wouldn’t you agree, Croacus and Zaádéa?”
The Queen of Glomour, a white-skinned warrior with a puffy, golden-braided ponytail and long Greek sandals, smiled in acknowledgement. “Truthfully, I wanted to participate in this battle, but people are expecting me home. Regardless, my vote has always been for the people who ended the war between us and our ‘brother’ race. Isn’t that right, Linkyn?” She turned to the tiny, double-pointed Kateenian president.
“On the contrary, dear cousin… the Kateenians are siding with Mickey.”
“What?!”
“I mean nothing personal, but I met with a few of Mickey’s cohorts on some occasions. They brought to light several, um…disturbing media from your world. Some that involve keeping Kateenians as pets or portraying them as simple sidekicks.”
“Those were probably from when the war was still active!”
“But I was led to believe you haven’t recalled or banned them, yet.”
“There was nothing harmful within them. The films portrayed the Kateenians as cute and likeable, and thanks to them, lots of Glomourians are friends with your people.”
“They are misleading to our culture.”
“I’ve heard of many Kateenians who enjoy the films as well. Ones who seem to take delight in the portrayals, no less. You’ll be happy to know I’ve banned the more ‘negative’ portrayals.”
“Yes, yes, however… Mickey’s party has offered to produce more ‘respectable’ films of our people.”
“And I still plan to side with the KND.” Zaádéa stated. “And I would like it if this doesn’t turn into another… war.”
“Oh, dear…” Arianna frowned.
“That’s not good…” Vweeb said.
“Perhaps you two need to talk this out in private!” Croacus slid between the two and nudged them closer with his vines. “You’ve been such close comrades the past few years! You brought adoration to the whole council, I would hate for this to tear you apart!”
“And how were we ‘adorable’ per se?” Linkyn asked.
“Your barbaric race always look down on people, no different from those Amazons.” Angella scoffed. “My vote for Mickey remains unchanged.”
“Barbaric?!” Hancock hissed.
“Well, Chancellor Phyronix, I’d say this meeting is just about over.” Cheadle stated. “But before we leave, it’s only fair we hear your vote as well. Yours as well, Peach.”
“I…I think… Mickey could put an end to war.” Peach answered, yet sadness and uncertainty was clear within her. “He’d make it so you two never have to fight… and…”
“And I think you Kids Next Door have displayed some very untoward behavior.” Phyronix stated. “I’m afraid I need to have you taken into custody.”
Thousands of soldiers, mechs, and small airships moved into the area, training weapons on the operatives. “Well, they know not to be too careful.” Cheren chuckled.
“Well, Linkyn, if that’s what you decided, then you can leave.” Queen Zaádéa drew her twin long swords, which extracted four fan blades at the tips. “Otherwise, I’ll have to crush you, too.” Slashing her swords, fan-shaped airwaves cut through the air, slicing the air and land crafts. Lord Business whistled his troops to bring a Lego-made suit of armor with long, thick legs. The president entered it, kicking the ground troops away and shooting large Legos at the ships. Boa Sandersonia began to ensnare more troops and crush them, while Kcalb and Etihw used what was left of their strength to clear a way.
“Did we just start an intergalactic war?” Cheren wondered.
“Just another day in the life, mates!” Sheila grinned. “We goin’ back to the ships or what?”
“You guys packed escape chutes, right? Anyone who’s too weak to move, put them on! The rest of us will go check on Ciel and Maddy!”
Sheila, Dillon, Aisa, and Morgiana put on backpacks, which inflated large balloons to whisk them to the sky. But first, Aisa helped Mocha put several on herself, enough to raise the giant. “There are ships waiting up there, I hope?” Tronta asked.
“Yeah, and hopefully not much air resistance!” Nebula replied.
“By the way, you did a killer job with those Piranhas, Arianna!” Vweeb cheered, riding the green-haired girl’s head. “Haha! It rhymes!”
“Just watch yourself. Some of them eat flies.”
“Ah, you’re so brutal! But that’s why I love you, Ari!”
“Save it for later!”
As Weiss followed the crowd, she spun and faced back up at the hole in the building. Her father looked down on her with spite behind his brows. “Is that all you had to say, young lady? If you knew what was at stake, then you know why I won’t release my hold on Mobius! But you, on the other hand, are no longer my heiress! You won’t be getting another credit out of-”
“Go ahead, Father! We’ll come for you soon! We’ll liberate Mobius and have you expelled! And when this battle is over… I WILL make our company better!” And so, Weiss rejoined her comrades.
Maddy had entered Haki Fury, her black shoulder flames now tinted with gold at the tips. Aurelia matched her fists with her great, gold-edged sword, and Maddy could almost see a spark of excitement in her violet eyes with each impact. This was supported by the silver aura that encased her, flaring up each time. Aurelia went for a stab, but Maddy jumped on the sword and threw a punch, which Aurelia grabbed and blocked with her free hand. Maddy threw her other fist at Aurelia’s head, sending the admiral flying back. “Hmhmhmhm…” Aurelia stood, her aura flaring more wildly than ever. “You are just the master I hoped you would be, Miss Murphy. I feel more refined than ever!”
The admiral kicked forth with immense speed and force, Maddy barely dodging the sword in time. Aurelia retained the force, spun, and swung, Maddy pushing it back with both hands. As Aurelia’s aura flared during the exchange, its silver hue morphed into a fine gold. The Gold Haki around her sword sharpened as Maddy was flung back. “Is she really that strong?!” Ciel exclaimed, struggling under Ironwood’s weight.
“One of the military’s finest.” Ironwood said. “Seems even your finest can’t keep up.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Maddy stood. “You’re strong, but K. Rool dwarfs you by miles. I won’t be the one lying down today. …Until I go to bed, at least.”
“Then show me every ounce of-”
“Ironwood! Behind you!” Winter yelled.
Aurora slashed a wave of Frostfire, Vice-Admiral Bardias dispelling it with Haki Wind. Cheren used Soul Surge on the Ordon man, Bardias maneuvering his spear well to keep up with his swings, until a clean strike took him down. “Looks like we won’t be wanting for a fight.” A smirking Bardias flexed his neck, entering Blackwind Fury: black aura covered his waving spiked hair, and a whirlwind surrounded him with no direct control of his own. Cheren struggled to cut through his Haki-made windshield, while Bardias could repeatedly thrust his spear through to poke him. Aurora and Romeo cast their own frozen fire to merge with the wind, hoping to chill him. Cheren changed gears to striking Ironwood and freeing Ciel, while Weiss held back her sister’s icebending.
“WEISS!” Winter shouted. “You just got the councilmen to turn against each other! Do you realize what this means?! You-”
“Started an intergalactic civil war, yeah.” Cheren finished casually. “Maddy, I’m sorry if you’re having fun, but we gotta split.”
“No problem.” Maddy drew a Bo-bobo grenade. “Zach lent me this in case of emergency. HYAH!” She slammed it on the ground.
“GET BACK!” Ironwood panicked.
The bomb exploded into a large- “HOT SPRING?!” Maddy screamed. “I thought it would be an attack gag or something?!”
“Marvelous!” Aurelia beamed, relaxing in the soothing spring. “This is why I always bring my swim gear.” She threw off her uniform, exposing her one-piece underneath.
“YOU DO?!” Ironwood screamed.
“ESCAPE CHUTES, ACTIVATE!” Nebula ordered. The group threw on packs and whooshed up to the sky, watched by the dumbfounded officers.
“DAMMIT! They’re getting away!”
“F-f-f-f-f-f…” Bardias shivered under the cold, dispelling his Fury. “Well, I guess we lost this battle.”
“No, Bardias. It was a draw.” Aurelia smiled. “We’ll see them again soon. And I hope Maddy refines herself even more.”
Floran Royal Flagship
After knowing the KND made a successful escape, King Croacus and his sister, Clematis began to make the flight home. “I haven’t had a good skirmish like that for a long time, Clematis!” Croacus said, climbing into his Royal Pot, its edges decorated like a rose. “But my, I’ve certainly been slacking in my training. I hoped to hold out for a wee bit longer.”
“You have no dignity letting those snot-blowers toss you around.” Clematis hissed.
“Goodness, that language, dear! In any case, the Flora Kingdom will provide the KND as much support as it needs. Just hearing of Mickey’s erroneous propaganda sickens me. In fact… I feel quite sick now… I…?!” Croacus’s body began to turn brown with rot. “What is…what is in my pot?!”
“Tainted Cragnon dung, fresh from Sauria.” Clematis sneered, a band of white-petaled Florans approaching them. “I had my men fill your pot with it while you were busy getting knocked around.”
“Clematis…” Croacus’s head shrank. “Why…”
“I think the Floran Empire needs a change of leadership. I think it’s time we stop being treated as soft-stemmed pacifists! The premise of this ‘Game’ and this ‘Throne’ presents a glorious opportunity. The Floran Empire is officially joining forces… with King Bowser. We will conquer all forests in the cosmos and amass all plant races under our name!” Clematis faced the ship’s communication monitor: a blue-skinned man with a white cape, hat, and monocle appeared, his eyes and mouth red. “Count Bleck… I shall meet you at Bowser’s court tomorrow. After I hold my coronation.”
“BLEH HEH heh! You’re as sinister as Count Bleck feared! This is going to be an exciting month, Clematis!”
Chapter 6: Xeno Wars
Summary:
START OF XENO SAGA: The leaders of Planet Mira hold a meeting on current events. The Aegis Drivers rush to deal with an invasion by Dr. Eggman.
Chapter Text
My friends, we are officially beginning the Xeno Saga! This next arc will consist of heavy Xenoblade Chronicles crossovers, and the events of the games are mostly canon… with a few unique changes by me. Even so, beware of potential spoilers as you proceed.
Chapter 6: Xeno Wars
Planet Mira; Alcamoth; Miran High Council (May 15)
A world once strife with war and division between its peoples, Mira had been largely unexplored by outsiders for nearly 10,000 years. This all changed about 4 years ago, when peace between most of its races was found… and the universe became open to them. Outsiders couldn’t set foot on Mira due to the many dangerous and powerful, autopilot robots that defended the atmosphere. Mira’s landscape, even from outer space, looked very unique compared to other planets in the Nintendia Galaxy: the people lived on the bodies of tremendous Titans, made of earth and growing natural flora and fauna like any normal landscape. The Titans primarily made home on the Alrest Cloud Sea, which took up the northern hemisphere. But two Titans, the Bionis and Mechonis, were rooted in a part of the normal ocean, linked together via the latter’s enormous sword. There were other islands and continents in other parts of the sea.
Alcamoth, a floating mechanical city that served as the capital of Bionis, stationed above its head, was welcoming ships of different origins from the world. The Miran Leaders gathered in a great chamber with a wide table, headed by Queen Melia, ruler of Alcamoth. Melia was a young lady with white hair and small wings growing from it; she was of the High Entia race.
To her left was the leader of the Machina, Vanea, a gray-skinned woman with complex black armor, skinny with a large, wide crown.
Empress Mòrag Ladair was the ruler of Mor Ardain, a woman with black hair, narrow brown eyes, and a white emperor’s garment with a red cape.
Eulogimenos was a large man with heavy, almost winter-like clothing, with brown hair, beard, and gold crown consisting of horn designs. He ruled the snowbound Tantalese race.
Raqura, ruler of the Urayan race, was a portly queen with cyan hair, pointed ears, and scales around her eyes.
Finally, Maurice Chausson was a human man, the Governor of the Earthling colonists who established New Los Angeles on the Ganglion Continent.
…Oh, and there was Chief Dunga, a Nopon with a pink beard and hair done up in a tall, pineapple shape. Only said hair was visible above the table.
“It’s been a busy year, but I’m happy to be able to meet with you all again.” Melia began. “It’s time we talk about the recent… incidents, involving the outer worlds. At first, the thought of ‘opening’ our planet, opening our eyes to the greater cosmos, was both thrilling and terrifying. It has brought us a great many new friends. Such as Governor Chausson and his American race.”
“We didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.” Maurice acknowledged. “Even now, the Ganglion and their allied tribes wish to antagonize us. The Xeno Colonization Project was initiated decades ago, to help the Earthlings evacuate from the threat of the demons. We founded Station Square on Mobius, and New Donk City on Mushroom, and have been welcome with mostly open arms. When I learned of this planet’s ‘opening,’ I pled President Jessie to resume the project. There were many who grew tired of the recent ‘happenings’ on Earth and sought an escape to someplace new. So, the president agreed… and now, my fellow Americans live among many welcoming Mirans, despite our oppression by the Ganglion.”
“Metal-shooting soldiers keep Spacemen safe, too!” Dunga perked up.
“Our BLADE troops, you mean. Yes, Commander Gunkan provided the best volunteers.” Earth’s primary military force was called GUN, but the band of troops that migrated to Mira were renamed BLADE, after the special “weapons” that were popular here. “Even our child prodigy, Lin has made outstanding achievements.”
“And thanks to her, Mira has established another united fighting force.” Melia smiled. “The Kids Next Door. A protective organization that spans much of the universe.”
“Even though our Blades seem to make up the most of its members.” Mòrag added, her accent a refined Scottish.
“Yes, but it has inspired our children to join, build new skills, and learn cooperation.” Vanea said. “It still brings me joy to see the young Machina playing with their Homs and Entia peers. Just years ago, we could only wonder if a world existed beyond Bionis and Mechonis.”
“Yes, opening our borders has yielded many boons.” Eulogimenos agreed. “But it has caused many detriments. First, there were those agents of the organization ‘Schnee Dust’ who performed uncouth experiments on the man who is now Malos’ Driver. Then, this very capital was abducted by those sky pirates, where Your Highness spent many months imprisoned on their ship.”
“Yes…” Melia bowed her head shamefully.
“And now we face yet more invasions, from other such pirates as well as this current threat of alien robots!”
“The wars that encapsulate the grander universe,” Mòrag followed, “do indeed dwarf those once waged on our own.”
“But, speaking of those sky pirates,” Melia looked up, “something happened while I was imprisoned there. One of their officers would regularly check up on me… and he assured me that ‘King Mickey would protect us.’ I became acquainted with this Mickey during my Galactic Council visits. He hails from the world of Avalar and is much beloved by many of his colleagues. And he offered to help protect our world against invaders if we agree to ally with his kingdom.”
“And this Mickey is a trustworthy fellow?”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss. I would like to invite Mickey to this world and arrange a meeting with you all.”
“Mickey Mouseman, no?” Dunga asked. “Dunga like to meet with him!”
“Mickey owns a great corporation called Disney, which itself owns many properties and sub-groups.” Maurice inputted. “He’s very popular on Earth alone. I shouldn’t take part in such a meeting without President Jessie’s approval.”
“And I think there’s a simple solution to ridding the threat of enemy xenos.” Raqura said. “We should have the Aegis reactivate the Artifices.”
“You mean to set them on autopilot once more?” Mòrag asked. “How will they distinguish good from evil? Unless you mean to disallow contact from outsiders entirely?”
“Well, I don’t mean like that… or else, that would prove problematic to Maurice and his people, should they welcome more visits to or from Earth. But I’m sure there must be something the Aegis can do.”
“Even so, I cannot approve such a notion.” Vanea said. “Reactivating the Artifices may cause mistakes. It will send a bad message to the outsiders, and it may betray the dreams of my brother.”
“Our peoples have struggled to find peace after centuries of fighting.” Eulogimenos reasoned. “And now we struggle to find peace with outsiders. On some level, I support Queen Raqura’s suggestion… but my people have spent too long in isolation. Perhaps… we should meet with this Mickey and see what he has to offer.”
“In any case,” Mòrag said, “the decision of whether or not to activate the Artifices ultimately falls to our Aegis Drivers. Perhaps we should seek their counsel…”
Makna Forest
The most famous aspect of Mira were its Blades, or Xenoblades in a more distinct sense. Scattered about the planet were blue gems called Core Crystals, and by resonating with said crystals, people could awaken the Blade inside and become its Driver. However, only Mirans could pull this off, and even then, those unfit for the Blade would suffer severe injury. Blades could be thin, muscular, or feline, but they almost all bore the same common shapes. But among the thousands of Blades, at least 50 of them were unique and rare. If a Blade bonds with a special Driver or develops a unique skill that’s very precious to them, they will evolve into a more unique form. If any new Rare Blade were discovered, they would be added to a special compendium.
When a Driver dies, the Blade returns to the form of a Core Crystal and their memories are lost. But any valuable skills they acquired in their life, any talents they were naturally born with, will be retained. However, there were three Blades said to be the “epicenter” of them all, imbued with God Chi, and said to contain the data of every other Blade: they were the Aegises.
Shulk, a blonde young man with a red vest and shoes, charged bravely toward an Egg Viper, a floating red-and-gray robot with spiked gears and a tail. Within Shulk’s grasp was the Monado, a red sword projecting a blue blade of energy, and an open circle with a blue Japanese symbol. Shulk’s eyes shone blue as time slowed around him: the Viper shot its gears to knock him down, before they would return. Returning to the present, Shulk jumped on the first gear, then leapt on the second, allowing them to carry him to the Viper for a swift stab into its core. The Viper shook Shulk off and tried to stab him with its tail, but his Monado turned yellow as a barrier protected him. Shulk struck it in the tail, the Viper flying to the air. It rained rapid lasers, but Shulk cast a blue aura around himself, enhancing his evasion. Eventually, the Viper dove straight down toward him: “MONADO CYCLONE!” A whirling slash ruined the robot’s trajectory as it crashed into the earth.
Rex, a teen in a blue diver’s suit, wielded a white sword of golden light, while Mythra, a blonde Blade in a white suit with green lines, matching the †-shaped crystal in her chest, channeled chi through him. Rex clashed his sword with the Egg Emperor’s lance, casting slashes of light for ranged damage. Egg Emperor flew back, released a barrage of missiles, and lunged at Rex, who quickly ducked and stabbed the sword into its core. Mythra raised a hand to the sky, and a storm of Light Beams rained down to destroy the missiles. The Emperor kicked off from—“Rex, look out!” Mythra alerted the dark-purple Egg Nega-Wisp aiming to shoot a Cyan Laser.
A man with long ears jumped in the way, dispersing the laser with a dark Monado of his own. Jak had yellow-green brushed-back hair, a goatee, a blue shirt, fingerless gauntlets, and large brown boots. “Come on, kid, I thought you were better than that!” retorted Jak’s Blade, Malos. He was a muscular man with black hair, a purple Core Crystal, and black armor.
“Aha…thanks, you two!” Rex smiled.
The Nega-Wisp dropped an array of Blue Cubes, but they were easily destroyed by the Monado’s Destruct Chi. Jak leapt and struck the robot directly, but its armor was strong enough not to immediately succumb to destruction. The Nega-Wisp shot flamethrowers, Jak using Monado Shield to block them, but the Wisp fired Pink Spikes to shatter the shield and damage Jak. Anger fueling him, Jak’s eyes darkened, his skin morphing a pale color. With enhanced strength and ferocity, Jak lashed the Nega-Wisp enough to disperse the matter of pieces of its armor. Jak tossed the Monado to Malos by its left tentacle, the Aegis surging great power through his weapon and slicing the tentacle off. Jak threw a punch at the mech’s head, his strength flipping it on its back. He and Malos linked with the Monado, leapt, and landed a clean chop to the Nega-Wisp. “MONADO EATER!” Their burst of chi expanded a dark bubble around the mech, disassembling its matter.
Rex, after laying the final blow to the Egg Emperor, saw the outcome of Jak’s battle. The soil around the Nega-Wisp was relatively intact. “Amazing! You destroyed that thing without hurtin’ the land around it!”
“I mean, it was already pretty destroyed, anyway.” Malos remarked. “But I gotta give this kid props. He handles my Destruction Chi quite well.”
“It’s all about practice.” Jak slung the Monado over his shoulder.
“Yeah…” Rex had only heard the story, but it was quite an intense one. Jak’s tribe, the Long-Ears, had discovered an ancient portal device and were able to use it to travel to another world, making them the first ones to leave Mira. They wound up on Coruscant, a planet with bigger cities and far more technology than even Mira’s most advanced places. A militia who worked for Schnee Dust arrived to arrest and question them, and while his friends evaded capture, Jak was imprisoned. He was forced to tell them about his home island and how they relied on Nature Crystals for power. It was then they decided to experiment on Jak and pump him full of Dark Chi from Evil Crystals, wondering if they could make a weapon out of him. When Jak inevitably escaped, he would make it his mission to destroy every Schnee Dust facility, driven by hatred and vengeance.
Eventually, Jak found his way back home and would meet Rex and Shulk, who at first were speechless over how much he had been through. In that sense, Jak was no different from them or the rest of their friends… least of all his very Blade, Malos. The Aegis of Destruction was once infamous and feared, but after he was reverted to his crystal and his memory wiped, Team Rex hoped to find him a new Driver, one that would help him begin anew. They wondered if Jak was capable of such a role. Last month, Jak awakened Malos during the crisis at the Cooking Festival, and though the opportunity was sudden, Jak had shown sufficient control over his darkness and hatred. Of course, he had a good friend to help him with that.
“You still got a ways to go before ya can keep up with Jak!” A small, orange and yellow-furred animal crawled up on Malos’ shoulder, the Aegis glaring. Daxter was an Ottsel, a weasel-otter hybrid, and Jak’s closest friend and sidekick. “But hey, ya’ll run him up in the looks department. Just look at that chin, so chiseled!” He rubbed Malos’ strong jaw. “Jak, I keep tellin’ ya to shave that beard! You don’t want all the ladies to focus on him, do ya?”
“Hey, guys!” Shulk greeted, his Monado strapped to his back. “I see we’ve all wrapped up here?”
“Sure have!” Rex affirmed. “Let’s head back to the village.”
A massive tree dwarfed all the others in the lush Makna Forest. Inside was a vertical village of small houses where the Nopon dwelled… and several broken robots around it. “Hey, Reyn! Nia!” Shulk greeted a silver-haired catgirl in a yellow suit and a tall, muscular redheaded man with a shield. “Nobody was hurt too bad, I hope?”
“Only a few cuts and scrapes.” Nia said in a Welsh accent. “Nothin’ Dromarch can’t heal.” She turned to her Blade, a white tiger.
“I’m flattered that My Lady still values my low-grade healing.” Dromarch replied.
“Oh, knock it off, you.”
“ALRIGHT, CHUMS!” A silver-haired man danced down the village stairs, wearing an open black jacket and eyepatch, and raising two 6-packs of Flurp in his hands. “Guess what the Zekenator got?! Imported from a distant planet, this drink is said to be the favorite of the Pirate King!”
“Toss one over here then, Zeke!” Reyn jovially raised his hand, catching a soda can. “Eh…how do you open it?”
“I think this part is some sort of lock.” Zeke tried to turn the can-opener on top. “But I don’t know how it works. Hnnnn—URH!” He pressed his thumb into the top and popped it open, soda bursting over his hand. “Alright, you just need to press it real hard.”
“HUUH!” Reyn brutally pressed and spurted his can. Both men chugged the purple sodas down, releasing a manly, “BUUUURP! Man, it felt like my stomach became the Bionis’ acid geyser!”
“Just what kinds of bodies do those xenos have?!” Zeke exclaimed.
“You guys are disgusting.” Mythra scoffed.
“Come on, Mythra, you know you wanna try it.” Rex teased, smirking as he nudged up with a can in hand. “What kind of Aegis can’t handle a little alien ale?”
“Only if it’ll shut you up.” Mythra took and squeezed the can open, chugging the Flurp down. “…BUUUURP!” Her hair flashed upon burping.
“HA HA HA!” Reyn laughed. “That’s more like it!”
“And wasn’t the Pirate King a lightbender, too?” Zeke asked. “Perhaps this drink was meant for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Don’t we have someplace to get to?” Jak asked, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah.” Rex agreed. “Let’s see how the meeting’s going.”
The team traveled up the tree, gazing up at a glistening ocean in the sky. There was a pond at the top with a water geyser connecting to the ocean. “The current’s all ready, My Prince!” chirped Pandoria, a green-haired Blade with lightbulbs on her small hat, shoulders, tail, and toe ends, and round glasses. “Hey, did you drink the purple juice without me?!”
“Had to make sure it was safe, Pandy. But don’t worry, this stuff’s awesome!”
“But please don’t drink it.” Nia sighed.
The group rode the geyser up to the Eryth Sea, swimming the rest of the way until they reached the surface. The ocean was expansive, surrounded by cliffs atop the Bionis’ head. Alcamoth floated above the sea, and several other floating islands and Entia-made buildings, horizontal elevators, and defense cannons dotted the region.
The group swam to the beach and made their way to one of the elevators. “You know what they’re talking about up there, don’t you?” Zeke asked, assuming a slightly more serious demeanor. “The incidents we’ve had lately?”
“I know…” Shulk looked to the remains of another fallen Egg Pawn. “But why are these robots attacking? Just where did they come from?”
“I can wager a good guess.” Rex answered. “Remember that Dr. Eggman? The one the Phoenix Angel asked us to help with? I’m pretty sure these were his robots.”
“Is he just out for revenge then?” Nia wondered.
“No… I feel like he’s after something. The other day, when we were fighting that blue robot, it just retreated, as though it already got what it was after.”
“Yeah, but it isn’t just these robots.” Zeke said. “It’s those pirates, those undead monsters, and the potential threat of anything else from out there. I get the feeling, right now, our leaders are talking about cutting ties with other worlds. They could ban travel to and from our world and find ways to enforce that rule. By which I mean… our Aegis Drivers.”
“Hmmm…” Rex bowed his head anxiously.
“If it came to that, chum, what would you do? Do you think we’d be better off just blocking off those worlds?”
“Well… even if we blocked off the people who wanna hurt us, we’d be blocking all the new friends we made, too. Like those kids Ursula hung out with, or Crossette’s fireworks friend, or those two angels. Jak, even you did, too.”
“You aren’t talking about that Augustus jerk, are you?”
“Hey, he was pretty cool at the festival!” Daxter said. “You see how he handled that crazy angel guy?”
“I’m still not very fond of him.” Shulk replied. “But after helping everyone back then, I can see he’s not a bad person.”
“Even that Skaios kid wasn’t such a bad fella! Tyrannical sky gods who steal islands are pretty nice once ya get to know them.”
“All I’m saying is,” Rex resumed, “there’s plenty of good people out there, too, just as there are still bad types here. And they should be given a chance!”
“Just what I thought you’d say.” Zeke smiled. “You’d best remember that, ’cause I’m pretty sure the council will ask you, too.”
Mythra transformed into Pyra, her hair and armor red and her demeanor softer. “I’d like to hope most of them will understand.”
Alcamoth
With the meeting suspended, the Miran leaders broke off for refreshments. Mòrag went to coerce with her Blades, Brighid and Aegaeon, and Raqura with Roc, a mercenary birdman Blade assigned to guard her. Melia and Vanea walked to a window overlooking their down and the sea, as well as the Mechnonis’ head in the far distance. “Vanea, I wondered if you would want to come with me to the next Galactic Council meeting.”
“To meet King Mickey, you mean?”
“Well, yes… but you haven’t had the chance to travel much lately, have you?”
“Not with these recent events… Even we had some of our technology stolen by those strange Gourmet Hunters. Still, I guess that’s not as bad as being trapped in a cell for almost a year.”
“No, I suppose not.” Melia chuckled. “But, you know… whenever I think about Mickey and that man’s words, my head feels rather foggy. I’m not sure why…”
“Hmm…did that pirate officer do anything peculiar?”
“I…I don’t remember. I just recall feeling rather sleepy when he checked on us.”
Vanea wondered if some type of hypnosis was at play. Her race was immune to most hypnosis forms, so maybe there was reason to accompany Melia. “In any case, I’d be glad to come.”
“That’s great! Now, I’d like it if our friends could join us soon. Though I presume that they’ll-”
“Brighid! Aegaeon?!” They turned to Mòrag, seeing her Blades collapse on the floor.
Melia and Vanea rushed over. “What’s happened?!”
“They just passed out all of a sudden!”
“Is there anyone we can…?” Before Vanea could finish, a Mechon spider drone skittered up to her, beeping frantically. “The Artifices?!”
Eryth Sea
Team Aegis rode lifts across the first set of floating islands. “Ugh, can’t we just call one of our new ships to carry us?!” Pandoria complained. “Like how we’ve been traveling the planet the past few years?!”
“Nothing wrong with a good walk once in a while!” Zeke cheered. “Those ships are nice, but they can be a mite loud and stuffy.”
“Besides, I never get tired of looking out at Eryth Sea.” Shulk smiled, admiring the view. “…Hey, that’s Dunban over there!”
On a distant island, Dunban was staring blankly, wearing red and black gladiator’s armor. “Uh…what’s he doing?” Pandoria asked.
“He has a new hobby of wearing funny costumes and staring at people from afar.”
“Well, if it makes him happy. …oh.” Pandoria’s lightbulbs went out and she fell over.
“Pandy?!”
“M-My Lady…ugh.”
“Dromarch?!” Nia bent over her fallen Blade. “Agh…” Nia put a hand to her chest, growing ill as well.
“What’s happening?!” Reyn questioned.
“Rex…” Pyra spoke. “I’m feeling… some kind of disturbance. I’m not sure what it is, but I can’t connect with any other Blades…”
“I can feel something, too…” Malos said.
Shulk bowed, concerned as he felt a discrepancy in the air. …Then, a vision:
“This world was created through Bolypius.” Shulk vaguely recognized Eggman’s figure, sitting atop a complex mech with its head resembling its likeness, and an Aegis crystal on its chest. “And the Blades are merely walking computers. After analyzing Aincrad’s data, hacking them was easy.”
Shulk’s vision flashed, seeing a girl with violet hair and a cat on her shirt. “We have a SCORE to settle, Eggman!” A violet hammer grew from her gauntlet.
Another flash. “What is that thing?!” Shulk saw himself ask.
“It…It looks like…” A girl with a biker’s helmet and curly brown hair looked on with growing bewilderment.
Shulk saw himself and the others fighting off a horde of large, almost angelic mechs while the world leaders fled. Unfortunately, they would be overwhelmed by some of their very own Blades.
Shulk gasped. “The council! The council’s about to be attacked!”
“What?! Then let’s get a move on!” Reyn knew they could always trust Shulk’s visions. “We’ll have to carry the Blades!”
Zeke lifted Pandoria, Jak got Nia, while Reyn carried Dromarch, hurrying to the next lift. “Wait!” Shulk stopped them. “We need to restrain the Blades! In my vision, I saw them attacking us!”
“We… attacked you?!” Nia’s eyes shrank in horror.
“Not you; I think it was just the normal Blades. Malos, can you use your Art on them?”
Jak raised his Monado as Malos focused chi to it. “Monado Jail!” He cast a soft wave of darkness that bound Dromarch and Pandoria in dark chains.
“What else did you see?” Rex asked as they resumed rushing.
“The Sirens! I saw the Artifice Sirens attacking Alcamoth!”
“The Sirens?!” Pyra exclaimed.
By the time they arrived at Alcamoth, the Sirens—white, angelic robots with bright-cyan “feathers” and wide halos—loomed above the city, blasting lasers to counter the defense cannons. The Sirens were once guardians designed to keep invaders off the planet, but Mythra had disabled that command years ago. “Just when we were talking about reactivating them.” Mòrag glared. “But why?! …Rex!”
“Mòrag!” Rex’s group rushed to her. “Your Blades fainted, too?!” Two Ardainian soldiers were carrying Brighid and Aegaeon.
“I can’t contact the Sirens!” Pyra said. “There’s some kind of interference! Same with the Blades!”
“Malos, we should shackle them, too.” Jak suggested, drawing the-
The Blades’ eyes popped open, their eyes red and dark with Eggman logos. Brighid, with dress and hair of sapphire flames, burned her soldier, while Aegaeon, white-armored, black-faced, and watery tendrils, used them to whip the other soldier away. Their first instinct was to flee from the Aegis Drivers, shooting their elements from far away. “What is wrong with you two?!” Mòrag yelled, grabbing her—“My swords?!”
Her Blade weapons disappeared off her person. Brighid reclaimed her whips and Aegaeon his katana. “Lady Mòrag… I’m sorry! My orders are… to attack and capture anyone in my sights!”
“THE BARRIER!” Rex screamed as Alcamoth’s protective window dome shattered, the Sirens landing as they began to shoot up the town. Mechon were arriving to engage the Sirens outside, showing little luck, and as Entia citizens fled before a Siren’s aiming cannon, Vanea jumped in the way and blocked it with her sword. Melia ran past, raised a scepter, and cast a spell hoping to restrain the robots. “We have to split up and try to hold them off!” Rex said as his sword grew into a bright green.
“Yes!” Pyra’s hair grew long, green, and ponytailed, with white and black, shiny armor with green lines. Pneuma helped Rex move at lightspeed and swiftly strike the first Siren, but the mech withstood to combat him. Shulk and Jak divided to battle other Sirens.
“ATTENTION, citizens,” Daxter announced as hordes of citizens nearly trampled him, “our forecast today calls for laser storms with a chance of rampaging Blades! Please evacuate to the nearest shelter and mind the Ottsel! Eh?”
A pair of talons landed before him, Daxter looking up at the orange hawk, Roc. “I AM ROC! And I am EVIL!”
“WAAAAAH!” Daxter ran as Roc tried to strike him with sickles.
“Oi, you!” Ardainians raised guns at the hawk. “Stop what yer doing!”
“I’ll attend your funerals!” Daxter zipped between them.
“Think you can take me?!” The first soldier tried to shoot Roc, but they evaded swiftly, throwing a gust to blow him away. Roc swept the other soldier in a tornado, uplifting and throwing him out of the broken dome.
“DON’T FORGET MEEEEeeee…” His words would go unforgotten across the Eryth Sea.
Tantal
The snow-covered kingdom was built inside the shell of a turtle Titan, its town built on ancient ruins that towered and spanned deep into the frostridden abyss. Two Blades, KOS-MOS—cybernetic with pastel-blue hair and white armor—and Herald—a woman merged with a black dragon mech—assaulted Tantalese guards with cannons of light and lightning. “KOS-MOS! What are you doing?!” Astelle, a girl with brown hair, blue eyes behind glasses, and a brown coat ran to her Blade. “What are you doing?! KOS-MOS!”
As KOS-MOS faced her with Eggman eyes, training her guns, Astelle was wrought with betrayal. A Darkball struck KOS-MOS and negated her attack: Mikhail, a man with blonde hair and black and dark-red armor, grabbed Astelle’s arm and helped her run. “All the Blades are going haywire! We have to contact Rex and the others!” They quickly ducked beneath a flying boulder, thrown by Mikhail’s Blade, Cressidus. “This almost reminds me of Haze’s ability…”
New LA
The soldiers of BLADE mounted large robots called Skells to battle Eggman’s mechs, as well as red robots with wide halos. “Masterpon!” Poppi QT, a robotic girl with a maid’s outfit, gold eyes, and purple hair used a drill to stab one of the Artifice Colossi. “These machines from orbital station!”
“What make them come down here?!” asked Tora, a Nopon with blue overalls.
“Tora, Poppi! Something’s wrong with Ursula!” The two saw Rock rushing toward them, a large, beefy alien with a bat-like head, carrying Celica, a blonde girl with long, furry ears, black stockings, and a frilled white top. They were pursued by the snowgirl, Ursula, riding her polar bear, Beary, who pierced Rock with icicle claws. Ursula released a wave of snow-colored musical notes, toppling the Gaur down. Celica dropped down and tried to hypnotize Ursula with psychicbending. “I can’t get her to listen to me!”
“Tora get the feeling friends in very bad danger. If Blades and Artifice turn against us… can we win all by selves?”
GKND; May 19
A successful return from a reckless invasion and hasty escape called for a meal cooked by Yuzu and Jasminka. Maddy sat on Mocha’s knee, admiring its hardness to get a feel for how strong her bestie had gotten. “And I’m sure Vweeb was quite enthralled by your performance, too.” Arianna said with a sarcastic smile.
“Do you not agree?” Vweeb cocked a brow. “Watching Mocha and Hancock was like watching a clash between gods!”
“It’s a pity you couldn’t have got a bit closer.”
“Hey, I can survive your soft steps, but I ain’t takin’ no chances with a real monster.”
“A real monster, you say?” Ari grew a Piranha Plant from her pot, gnashing at Vweeb.
“YIPE! Of course, you won a lot quicker than they did. My big plum tree is packin’ lots of juice!” Vweeb carried Arianna’s neck.
“A… plum tree?”
“You’re sweet like a plum and strong like a tree! Plus, you’re showin’ a bit of plumpness in some areas.”
Arianna squeezed the Kateenian in her fist. “Well, at least plums are stronger than berries!”
“Too… tight!”
In her office, Nebula had contacted the leaders of several KND, including Glomour’s Liaziana, Kateenia’s Minksman, and Amazonia’s Chrysundra. “I’m glad my mom’s onboard with it.” Lia said. “But Minksman… I guess we’re enemies again.”
“H-Hold on, I didn’t wanna be enemies! I just wanted to stay outta this war, but I ain’t helping Dad side with Mickey! Hey, Lia… can some friends and I stay at your place until this is over? Like, friendly sanctuary?”
“Sure!” Lia smiled at her cousin.
“Seeing that battle has given me second thoughts.” Chrysundra smiled. “I’ll join this war. …But, do you think you can get Cheren to temporarily transfer Mocha to us?”
“I think Mocha feels more fit for her own team. Yes, I do mean that ironically!”
“Fair enough.”
“I’m sure their own armies were watching the broadcast, but the allied leaders are going to officially make the announcement and determine who will side with the KND. ‘A battle for the fate of the universe’ is a pretty hard calling card to ignore though. Keep me updated if anything happens. I’ve got more things on my schedule.”
“Numbuh Eternal!” The Earth Moonbase’s screen came on, displaying Francis. “We’ve got multiple reports of attacks on KND towns! Are any of our operatives available?”
“Y-Yes, I’ll go get them-”
“Numbuh Ete—Nebula!” Jerome warped in. “Numbuh Eternebula! There’s an unidentified robot outside the base!”
“YA SEE?! Lots of things on my schedule! Jerome, get me a display of this robot!”
A monitor displayed the vastness of space with nearby GKND patrol ships. The camera closed up on a small robot girl, who seemed to have several broken, sparking parts. She used hologram eyes to project “KND” in big letters.
Nebula asked the available operatives to come down and meet the visitor after she was let inside. Poppi, reverted to her Alpha form with a beanie hat and a bare, metallic torso and legs. She seemed out of breath as she dropped to her knees. “A robot?” Vweeb jumped off Arianna and approached her. “Hey there! What happened? Are you from Mechanos or something?”
“This…this Galactic Kids Next Door H.Q.?” Poppi looked around the array of strangers.
“A-yep.” Cheren chirped. “Would’ve sucked if you made that projection and we were an enemy treehouse.”
“Poppi take ship and fly here from Mira. But Poppi chased by evil machines and ship destroyed. She barely make it here on her own…”
“Your name’s Poppi?” Nebula asked. “Hmm…you were with the Miran operatives that helped resolve the incident on Etheria.”
“Wait!” MaKayla gasped. “Are you here to tell us about those Xenoblades that were with Bowser?! Like Ursula?”
“Y-Yes!” Poppi straightened up. “Poppi friends really need help! All Blades turn bad and hurt Drivers! Friends think man named ‘Dr. Eggman’ responsible.”
“Eggman?!” Sector Q jumped.
“We not know what do.” Poppi’s eyes saddened, a hint of said emotion in her otherwise stoic, but innocent voice. “But friends think alien KND help with alien threat. Poppi been in space for three days, according to internal clock. Have no idea how friends are!”
“Well, you can rest easy, little lady!” Vweeb pounced on her shoulder. “We’ll be happy to fix this little mess!”
“Huh?” Poppi looked around. “Who speak?”
“Down here! On your shoulder!” Poppi tried to crane her head down and see. “Ugh, hold still!” Vweeb bounced onto her tiny nose. “Yo! Name’s Vweeb!”
“Eh??” Her sweet, shiny gold eyes lit up. “Poppi not think people get smaller than infant Nopon!”
“My people may be small, but we never ignore a cute girl in need! If you can’t trust these guys, you can always trust Vweeb to make you happy!”
“Poppi… feel adored by tiny alien!” Poppi lightly picked Vweeb up and pressed him to her cheek. “Poppi feel Chi Furnace overheat from sight of Vweeb.”
“Oh, for the love of Celebi!” Arianna groaned.
“So, Eggman really did turn Mira’s Xenoblades evil.” Cheren said. “In that case, I think we have our next mission.”
“Cheren, about that,” Nebula began, “just before this, we received another call from Francis. Jerome, can you relay us the message?”
“Yes, Sister.” Jerome’s voice echoed from the PA. “Several Earth treehouses are under attack by groups of strange, android-like people. A majority of them have gray and white coloring, blue gem-like chests, and seem to possess various elements.”
“That… sound like Common Blades!” Poppi exclaimed.
“Sounds like Eggman is trying to divide our forces.” Maddy figured. “What should we do?”
“Well, we’re taking care of this is what we’re doing.” Cheren affirmed. “We’ll send some of you to apprehend the Blades at the treehouses… and some more volunteers to infiltrate Mira. Jerome, have Francis ask if other treehouses are available!”
“Do we actually have time to go to war with Eggman?” Lola asked. “Like, JUST Eggman? How many different enemies are on our list for this month again?!”
“You know, Kael says we’re gonna have to fight all these guys by the time this month is over.” Cheren said. “So, why shouldn’t we take them out ahead of time if we can? Not only will we take Mira back… but maybe we should just knock Eggman out for good.”
“That’s a pretty tall order.” Aurora replied. “Like… do you KNOW this guy’s survival rate?!”
“Uh, hey, Cheren…” Miko raised her hand. “Can me and Boly go on the Mira mission?”
“Why?”
“Because… Boly said she had ties to Mira. That Kayaba originally found her there.”
“He… did?” Nebula questioned. “But, Hinobi’s had Boly for over a decade, right? People couldn’t visit Mira until a few years ago. That seems a little odd to me…”
“But you think if you go there, you might find something helpful?” Cheren asked.
“Maybe… besides, I kind of have a score to settle with Eggman.” Miko fist-palmed.
“That goes double for me.” Eddy nodded.
“You know I’m game for this.” Jenny smirked.
“Me, too!” E. Carmine cheered.
“And me.” Quill said. “…What about you, Kazuma?”
Their new Japanese teammate balled his metal-braced fist. “I didn’t fly up here just to sit around.”
“Then I approve.” Cheren decided. “Now, let’s discuss who else wants to join on the mission and who wants to help with the treehouse raids. Let’s plan wisely, get the job done effectively, and come home safely!”
“Poppi very thankful for alien friends!”
“In the meantime, I think someone can use some repairs.” Artie noted.
Oh, and Jak and Daxter are also in Xenoblade because why not!
Chapter 7: Adventure in the Land of Titans
Summary:
Sector Q arrives at the Bionis, meeting Shulk and his friends! Sector V sails to Alrest to find Poppi's Masterpon!
Chapter Text
Expect another hiatus when Xenoblade 3 comes out. Also, there’s a chance that game won’t be canon to the Gameverse, depending how the story or even the world goes.
Chapter 7: Adventure in the Land of Titans
Sectors Q, V, and the GKND (Nebula and Cheren included) embarked on the flight to Planet Mira in the Nintendia Galaxy. Its northern atmosphere was covered in a sea of clouds, a peculiar space station looming above it. There were several normal islands or continents along the normal ocean, but the ones that really stood out were the Bionis and Mechonis Titans, facing each other. They could vaguely see the forms of smaller, animal-shaped Titans on the Cloud Sea.
“Mira’s KND is fairly recent.” Nebula said. “They aren’t part of the Kid Council, nor do they have a formal H.Q. or Supreme Leader. But Queen Melia represents them in the Galactic Council. I want to meet her and tell her about Kael’s Game.”
“Man, check out that place!” Miko exclaimed. “It looks awesome! Those two things are HUGE!”
“Bionis and Mechonis once engage in epic battle.” Poppi explained. “But they slay each other, and now their inhabitants live together. The Mechonis Sword serve as bridge between them. Of course, Poppi tell abridged version.” The robot winked. “The full story much more exciting.”
“What about that space station?” Quill pointed. “Looks like a place Eggman would hang.”
“That station not belong to Eggman… but it possible he using it as base. Poppi not sure how, but we think Eggman using powers of Aegis to control all Blades. He take everyone on world hostage, so friends divide to rescue everyone they can.”
“So, where do we even start?” Aurora asked. “Should we just invade that station and lay Eggman the smackdown?”
“Poppi think we should find Aegis Drivers; Shulk, Rex, and Jak, so we have chance at beating Eggman. Poppi wish to find other friends, too… needs Masterpon to fix her core functions.”
“I guess this ain’t enough of a repair job for ya?” Artie asked, in the process of fixing her broken circuits.
“Poppi thankful for first aid… but suspects xeno human not familiar with Artificial Blade technology.”
“Well, I’d be a fool to pass up learning.”
“Findin’ your friends, findin’ these Aegis thingies, Oi’m good either way!” Sheila replied with a grin. “As long as it means explorin’ every corner of this planet!”
“We do NOT have time for that, Sheila!” Aurora exasperated.
“Poppi believes Aegises will have divided between regions. Rex on Alrest, Shulk on Bionis, and Jak in NLA continent. Poppi know good places we can start for info. Might be best if land in oceanic areas. May be less secured by Eggman’s machines.”
“Then we divide and rescue.” Cheren decided. “Just like the old days.”
…
Sector Q’s Q-Bus could become a motorboat and cross the sea when needed. The sizes of the Bionis and Mechonis were overwhelming from this angle. Amidst their steady voyage, Eddy hooked Boly’s Spirit Ball to the Magearna body, downloading the Program as the robot twitched to life. “Miko… have we arrived?”
“Sure have, Boly! It’s Planet Mira! Anything feel familiar, yet?”
Boly felt as if she should remember being involved in the creation of such awe-inspiring colossi… but nothing came to mind. “Data unavailable.”
“So basically, this whole planet used to be a virtual place like Aincrad?” Kazuma asked.
“If what Cheren heard from Deoxys is true.” Eddy shrugged. “If we look around enough, we might find something to help power Boly up.”
“SO, LET’S GET CLIMBIN’ THE BIG BIO BOI!” Miko cheered with rockstar fingers. “We haven’t been on any good adventures since Aincrad!”
“Maybe we should’ve borrowed Sheila, hehe!” Carmine laughed.
Following Poppi’s directions, Sector Q steered their bus toward the left foot of Bionis. A slope allowed them drive up to the port town of Colony 8, admiring the size of the anti-air cannons, the Arduns with crates strapped to their backs, and the little furry round and colorful Nopon interacting with humans. “You think they would’ve shot those things at us if we flew any closer?” Jenny asked.
“I guess that’s another reason to approach from the sea.” Quill said, eying the sights while driving. “You’d think these people would be more alert with-”
“Quill, watch-!”
Carmine’s alert came too late as the bus’s bumper hit the side of a shabby mech. “WAAAAHH!” The driver, a soldier with a pink mustache that curved up at a sharp angle, cried as the mech toppled over. Quill shirked down in guilt, the group bracing for the worst as the pilot climbed out and stomped toward the windshield. “OI! What’s the deal wit’ you drivin’ your bloated buggy through our ’arbor?! This don’t even look Homs-crafted. Don’t tell me you lot are bloody tourists?!”
“We’re really sorry, sir!” Carmine said. “We didn’t mean to hit you.”
“Is that a salvager’s uniform? The ocean’s that way, ya idiot! And you can stay in there while you’re at it!”
“Geez, she said she was sorry, Waluigi!” Miko retorted.
“I’ll show ya sorry! You ain’t leavin’ this port until you get this mech in proper working order! Even if that means ya have to search the WHOLE Bionis for its parts!”
“Uhhhh…doesn’t that mean you’ll let us leave the port?” Jenny asked.
“I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAY GAMES WITH YOU! Don’t you know the state we’re in right now?! We’re in the middle of dealing with an invasion! You picked a bad time to come exploring in that giant buggy!”
“We’re here to help you stop the invasion! We’re KND operatives from outside; we’ve been asked to find a guy named Shulk. Know anything about him?”
“I got no business telling an outside anything! Now get outta here before I plow you lot into the ground. GAH!!” A laser reduced the spot where he stood into an ashen crater.
“AAAH!!” The Q Kids panicked.
“BLIMEY!” a soldier screamed. “They killed Square-Tache!”
“Quick, get to the tanks!”
The booming of the anti-air cannons ruptured their ears. Sector Q realized a swarm of small Eggman ships were flying over the town, dropping hordes of mechs. As alarms went off, citizens fled into shelters. The humans mounted mechs and tanks to blast the invaders, while the Nopon rode large alien birds and dropped rocks. “Looks like we hit a roadblock!” Miko jumped out, extracting her violet digital hammer. “We’ll clear a path to the next level with our own hands!” (Play “Colony 9” from Xenoblade!)
Invasion 2: Mira
Act 1: Colony 8
Mission: Find Shulk!
Miko ran through a street crowded with tanks, making sure to stay under their fire. The Egg Pawns set up a barrier to fire their own cannons from, but Miko climbed atop a tank and from there leapt to the roof. She dropped behind the robots’ wall and squashed the mechs with her K.O. Hammer! She flipped a switch to lower the barrier for the tanks, seeing a panting Eddy hurrying through with Boly in his arms. “Hey, don’t run off without your manager! Or your power source. You never know when God Chi will come in handy with robots.”
“You know, if you carried her more, maybe your legs would be thick as mine.” Miko remarked, thrusting a light kick at the scrawny boy. Eddy blushed for a moment. Miko saw some robots stationed atop a two-story building, throwing bombs down. After scrapping Boly to her back, Miko began to jump the building’s fire escapes, Eddy clambering after her. Miko leapt and grabbed the sill of an open window to climb in, and from there could go upstairs to the roof. After easily bashing the Pawns down, Eddy quickly caught up, alert as avian robots called Falcos began to swoop down. Armed with his handy slingshot, Eddy shot pellets that would magnet the birds into one-another, causing haphazard crashes. Miko advised him against shooting the birds flying at them from straight across town, knowing she could use them for good old platforming. She carried Eddy as well and made the leaps across the Falcos, later to land on a roof.
It was then Eddy saw a cage with a Riddler Trophy. “Oh, you have got to be kidding!” He stood on a nearby switch and noticed three targets peeping out from around alleys. After sniping each one, he was allowed to collect the trophy.
It was then a small TV switched on: instead of Riddler, it displayed a black-haired man with glasses and blue armor. “I extend my greetings to whoever was so skilled enough to earn this trophy! Oh? Were you expecting somebody else? You’ll be happy to know that I, Akhos, will be acting in Mr. Nigma’s stead during your adventure on this planet. Please do your best to find them all!”
“Or we could leave you in your secret dungeon, wherever it is.” Eddy replied.
“We both know you wanna-”
“Both wanna find ’em, yeah.”
A nearby crane was twisting back and forth, carrying a girder wide enough to jump onto. The crane twisted underneath another girder, but it was too high to jump to. “Let’s try out my Spring Pellets!” Eddy shot their current platform with pellets that stretched into trampolines.
“At least you don’t need thick legs to be a good jumper!” With that, they sprung to the upper girder. However, there was no other way to go from there, until they realized they could spring on top of the previous crane. They traveled across and could jump onto a scaffolding from there. Eggchus (Bombchus) would slide along the scaffolds to reach them, Eddy sniping and exploding the bombs before they could reach. With several vertical scaffolds blocking potential paths, the two had to grab and swing hooks hanging along ropes, growing confused as they solved a maze of potential routes to take. They could spring up to upper levels of girders when openings were available, and Eddy was lucky enough to find a hidden Riddle Trophy on one.
Once they reached a high point of the scaffolding, they would have to cross segments covered in ink. Bloopers (white squids borrowed from Mushroom Kingdom) would flip up from under the scaffolds, attempting to squirt them, but their efforts would backfire as the Bloopers served as safe platforms over the inky parts. It was then they would have to jump a smaller, separate scaffold covered in ink, but Eddy shot a Spring Pellet on that spot to make a safer jump; though the extra altitude was a little nerve-wrecking over the narrow walkways. The path would curve left an end at a rope sloping down in a direction that would take it to one of the anti-air turrets. Hearing a gunshot from behind, Miko noticed the Eggman-made turret tower that was constructed on a cliff overlooking the town. “Hey, Eddy! If we jump in that cannon, I bet we can blast up to that tower!”
“Good idea! Cannons use high power gunpowder to shoot ammo at extreme velocity, but they’re also safe for people to shoot from.”
“Yeah! And we get to control them from the inside to aim where we wanna go!”
“GAMER LOGIC!” Exchanging a high-five of agreement (while Boly had a small error), both slid down the zipline and dropped in the cannon. From inside, they tilted the weapon until the Eggman tower was in sight from the hole, firing their selves straight toward it! Miko spun her hammer midflight, making sure to pack enough force to smash through the tower. “Miko, I’m gonna hack this tower to self-destruct! Take out all the mechs!”
Miko thrashed the three Egg Pawns in the room, watching the stairs for any more that were reckless enough to barge in. “Would you like my assistance in hacking the terminal?” Boly asked.
“A true pro doesn’t rely on god magic!” Eddy smirked, his computer hooked up as he tapped relentlessly. Of course, it was still an Eggman computer, even if it was a low-level one, it took several minutes to finally get through. Once self-destruct was active, the kids jumped out the hole they already blew through, Eddy shooting a Spring Pellet down to soften their fall. They dashed down a hill sloping down the cliff, admiring the view of Colony 8 as they heard the explosion behind them.
“Awe, look, Eddy! Bunnies!” Miko cooed at the Bunnits holding wrenches in their large tails. “And they’re holding wenches~ Are you wittle fellas repairmen?”
The Bunnits didn’t take kindly to the intruder’s teasing. So, they approached to try and bash them with their wrenches. “AAH!” Eddy frantically fought back with normal pellets. “Evil bunnies, evil bunnies!” As they progressed down the hill, more of the naughty critters would crawl out of holes and attack, but they would have to learn the same lesson. Eddy noticed an alternate path leading right and down the opposite side of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. The two followed it, gamer instincts heightened, warily avoiding the bug nests along the way. The cliff led to a large patch of dark, purplish flowers. “Ooo, a secret flower garden?” Eddy observed. “I wonder what these are.”
It just so happened that the sun had finished setting, a twilight slit gracing the horizon. The flowers cast a lovely violet glow… and a dark aura rose from them. A monstrous hornet, its bright yellow parts emitting a spiritual glow, spawned from the aura. “Uh, Eddy, is this a special encounter?”
“Special encounter.” Eddy gulped, sweating rapidly.
“Wanna risk getting stung?”
“Nope. AAAAAH!” While the song “You Will Know Our Names” rang in the air, the kids quickly bolted back up the path, the bee—whose name was Senator Kilgore—hot on their tail. It woke the hornets in the hives along the way, but with swift speed powered by panicking, they made it back to the main path. The bugs stopped pursuing, and Kilgore couldn’t go much farther from the flower patch. “PHEW! Note to self, watch out for patches of Evil Flowers!” Miko exclaimed.
From the end of the pathway, there was a series of platforms descending down the cliff, far apart, but close enough to survive with minor fall damage. However, the last drop was a little too far for comfort, so Eddy timed a Spring Pellet to save them. …It turned out, there was a green Riddler Target to land on if they were bold enough to make the full drop and use the Spring Pellet then, thus earning them a trophy. Dang it. (End song.)
The other Q ops had divided to take out the robots in other parts of the colony. Even Kazuma’s metal braces made good dents in their craniums, but after finding a weapon shop, he decided to poke around for anything good. “This not good time for young man to be shopping!” the pink Nopon saleslady shouted.
“Then why haven’t you fled to a shelter?” Kazuma asked.
“’Cause no can let wares be stolen!”
“Then let me buy something. Got anything cool for a fist-fighter like me?”
“Hmm…me see you wear knuckledusters. Perhaps friend like this?” She held up a pair of black braces. “Made from Mechon armor. Good for denting metal fiends, mehmeh!”
“Sweet! Here’s all the yen I brought, will this be enough?”
“MEHMEHMEH?! This currency not good here! You need gold to buy, G, G, show me the G!”
“Come on, I’m a tourist! Ugh, is there any place where I can-”
“MEHMEHMEH!!” The Nopon panicked, directing behind him. Kazuma spun, horrified as a huge black robot designed like a rooster crashed down.
“BAWK GAWKGAWKGAWKGAWK!” The robot chortled. “Gosh, Grounder! This Mechon technology is the best!”
“Deh heheheh!” A tank-like robot with drills came steering around the corner. “It feels older than the doc’s bots, but I love a nice rustic sheen!”
“Say-a, kiddo!” The rooster’s head hung over Kazuma with a manic smile. “You wouldn’t happen ta know who’s makin’ a mess of our BOTS, would ya?”
“Tch…” Kazuma wasn’t about to look chicken in front of a chicken. “Well…” he took off his bracers, “maybe it’s,” he whipped around and swiped the Mechon Bracers from the shock-ridden Nopon, “ME!” quickly putting them on and SOCKING the chicken in the beak.
“D’oh!” He head curved sideways. “Hey! That wasn’t very NICE!” Scratch dove his head down, missing Kazuma as he beak got stuck in the ground. Grounder prepared to ram the boy, but a racecar rammed him from the side.
“Since these two can talk, I wonder if they’re the bosses?” the driver, Quill asked.
“Bwah!” Scratch reemerged from the ground, running from Kazuma before bending and aiming a cannon from its rear. Kazuma cringed in disgust as the Mechon began to shoot egg bombs. “What’re ya standin’ there for, kid?!” Somebody jumped in the way, withstanding the explosions with a strong shield.
“Whuh?!” His savior was a muscular man with red hair.
“Get somewhere safe! Let old Reyn handle this!” With a battle cry, Reyn charged and stabbed Scratch’s head with the spikes of his shield. The Mechon sparked as it shook Reyn off, pinning him beneath its talons. Kazuma dashed and punched the rooster’s leg, weakening its hold as Reyn pushed it off and stabbed the mech once more.
“Hey, give me a boost up there!”
“What’re ya thinkin’, kid?”
“I’m thinking of punching this guy’s brains out!” Kazuma yelled, dodging Scratch’s egg bombs.
“Now, there’s a Homs worth his salt! Reyn positioned his shield horizontally, allowing Kazuma to use it as a platform and bounce onto Scratch’s back. He held on as the chicken flapped about frantically, afterwards climbing to dent its head with his Mechon Bracers. Reyn leapt to stab the top of its rear cannon, sparking a malfunction.
While Quill tried to force his kart against the charging Grounder, E. Carmine tried to throw bombs at its cockpit. “HEY, YOU!” Hearing a voice, the kids turned, seeing a blonde boy with a laser sword rushing up. “BACK UP YOUR BUGGY! HE’S ABOUT TO JUMP!”
“What?!” Quill yelled.
“Heheheh!” Grounder backed up, his Mechon springing into the air. Panicking, Quill quickly backed up, and Carmine was already running to dodge the drilling impact. The swordsman, Shulk slashed Grounder with Monado Cyclone, the robot crying as he tumbled over.
“GUYS!” Miko and Eddy rushed in.
“We ain’t late, are we?!”
Jenny Strongarm leapt and dealt a Drill Kick into Grounder’s cockpit, kicking off before he could retaliate. “If we’re still alive, we’re on time!”
Shulk faced the arriving operatives… His eyes widened at Miko. “The girl from my vision…” Seeing Scratch faltering from Kazuma and Reyn’s combined assault, the swordsman charged. Reyn quickly ushered, “Oi, kid, get off!” Kazuma hurriedly obeyed as Shulk beheaded the rooster.
“Bwoh!” Scratch’s real head poked up. “Grounder! It’s the Monado boy! No-o-o!”
“And almost all our troops are capoot! Dis calls for a retreat!” Rockets ignited on Grounder’s Mechon as he took to the mountain. Scratch frantically followed him like a rooster with its head cut off.
“Dah.” Reyn cursed. “Got away again. Still though… that was some nice punchin’, kid.” He smirked at Kazuma. “You must be one of the ops. Which colony are you from?”
“Uh…Colony Japan?”
“Eh?” The brute scratched his head in confusion.
Shulk observed the visitors… staring particularly long at Carmine, who gave a cute wave. He then focused on the violet-haired girl and her little robot. “You guys aren’t Homs, are you?”
“No, but I do get the noms sometimes!” Jenny grinned. “Nom nom nom! Got any restaurants around here?”
“What I mean is you’re not from around here. The Homs are the people of Bionis… but there are countless races from outside that look like we do. And they’re all classified under ‘human.’”
“Wow, so you aren’t privy to the word ‘human’?”
“Heh, never mind.” Shulk smiled. “I’m Shulk. This is Reyn. And that’s Dunban over there.”
Dunban was wearing a hula skirt and tribal makeup, staring blankly from across the road.
“Well, we’re Sector Q, from Planet Earth!” Miko perked up. “The name’s Me_K.O.! That’s Q-I-L, Je-n-ny, E-Double-D, E.C., and King K!”
“Um…”
“Ugh, our real names are,” Quill proceeded to introduce them. “We heard about Eggman’s takeover of the planet. One of your ops, Poppi personally asked all of us to help. Our teams divided across Mira to find the local operatives, whole some of us are capturing the rogue Xenoblades attacking our treehouses.”
“So, that’s where they’ve all gone.” Reyn sighed. “Usin’ our pals to attack other worlds… someone needs to crack that egg!”
“It’s great to hear that Poppi is okay.”
“Yeah, and she said the Aegis Drivers would be able to help us beat Eggman.” Eddy said. “You’re one of… Boly?”
The little robot curiously approached Shulk. “I feel… a familiar chi inside this weapon.” She reached and touched the Monado. …Shulk’s eyes flashed blue!
“We were born from this one’s power.” A silver-haired boy spoke. “Perhaps we are the key to making her whole again.” Shulk’s vision zoomed out of a pine-tree covered mountain.
“Alvis…” Shulk whispered to himself. “That’s where you’ve been hiding?”
“What’s wrong, Shulk?” Reyn asked.
“I just had a vision.”
“A vision?” Carmine asked. “So, do you have like Haki or psychicbending?”
“It’s a power the Monado gave me. I can sense when danger’s approaching or if there’s somewhere important we need to go. But before I get into that… what exactly is this thing?”
“She’s Boly.” Miko answered. “She’s, uh…this might be hard to explain, but… we think that Boly created this world?”
Shulk let out a gasp. “You’d never think God could look so small, huh?” Quill remarked.
“Who’re you lot tryin’ to fool?” Reyn asked. “Our Titans were created by-”
“Wait, Reyn. I…I can’t really be sure, but… they might be telling the truth to some degree.”
“And I thought I was crazy.”
“I have no memory on my involvement with this planet.” Boly said. “All I know is I was found here by my previous user, Akihiko Kayaba. I would like to learn a little more about myself while I’m here… but my top priority is assisting my allies in defeating Eggman.”
“I see…” Shulk stroked his chin. “Well, if my vision is right, I think I know who we can go to. And they might be on the Bionis’ left arm. We can get there if we go up the Shinbone Cliffs. Some friends of ours are up there, so I’d like to head up that way, anyway.”
“Shinbone Cliffs?” Jenny laughed. “I know we’re climbing an actual giant, but really?”
“It’s a pretty steep and rugged cliff. It was made that way from the ancient battle…”
The impacts of the Bionis’ and Mechonis’ swords were godly, each blow shaking the world and rupturing the waves. Then, the Mechonis swung its right foot at Bionis’ left knee, toppling the Titan over. …Bionis sat up and gripped its knee. “Ssssss…OOOOOW…sssssss…OOOOOW…ssssss…aaaaahhh.”
“So, we’re going mountaineering now.” Eddy sighed. “I shoulda packed my boots.”
“What did you expect when you learned the continents were giant creatures?” Quill asked.
“I thought we would at least be flying the bus more!”
“Eggman’s set up cannons and machines designed to respond to enemy aircraft.” Shulk said. “It might be safer to climb, anyway.”
“Well, I can at least drive us close as possible.” Quill said, pressing a button to shrink his kart.. “All aboard the Q-Bus! We’re going hiking!”
“Just a minute.” Reyn walked off. “I still need to pay my respects.”
A group of soldiers were gathered around the smoking crater where Colonel Vangarre took his last stand. “Oh, Colonel Square-Tache! We will never forget the 50 laps you made us do around the legs! The tanks you had us repairing for five days and nights! Your harsh training will always be burned into our-”
“WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS PLAYING AT?!” The colonel sprung out of the crater, bashing the soldier with his gun. “Get back to fixing our gear or you’ll be swimming ’cross this entire ocean!”
“THE COLONEL LIVES!!” the troops saluted.
“Uh…never mind, let’s go.” Reyn boarded the Q-Bus, driving the road to the cliffs.
“WHAT ABOUT MY 2,000G?!” the Nopon cried. (Play “Time to Fight” from Xenoblade!)
Act 2: Shinbone Cliffs
Mission: Meet with Shulk’s team!
The Q-Bus sped up a hill between a trench, evading boulders that came thudding down. “Okay, doing action stages at night is NOT a good idea!” Quill shouted. “Even with these light posts, I can barely see a thing!” The bus could go no farther by the time they reached the first chasm of jagged rocks. Quill parked it on a metal platform.
“This lift was designed to carry equipment across.” Shulk said. “But we need to activate it from the other side.”
“Let’s-a go!” Miko chirped. She and Eddy crossed a natural stone bridge to the first spire, relying on the altitude the Spring Pellets gave them to make the long jumps to other spires with safe ledges. A sequence of Bladed Spinners were available to help them over a long gap, the robots’ eyes like headlights in the dark. They rode a zipline down to the opposite cliff, which required Wall Jumping on… well, mostly Miko’s part, but first she just whacked Eddy to the top with her hammer. Once they were up, they trashed the Gamma copies guarding the switch that would lift the Q-Bus over. The duo reboarded and rode up the road.
“Reyn!” Shulk gasped, eyes glowing blue. “There are Gogol on ledges above! They’re about to drop boulders!”
“Leave it to Reyn!” The muscle man climbed to the roof of the bus. His shield would deflect the falling boulders as the road would curve up and left along a ledge. He would have to make another stop at an inactive bridge. With only railings leading across, Jenny took it upon herself to grind across. The road on the other side would slope down and curve up, but with a troupe of shielded Egg Pawns in the way, Jenny dropped to her back and dealt a breakdance kick to take them down. She extracted rails from her shoes to grind up and leap onto a higher rail, which twisted around and returned to a ledge above the previous path. After ramming down three RhinoBots, Jenny flipped the switch that would extend the bridge. She dropped down onto the bus once it crossed.
The road past the rail would curve left and snake along the cliff before coming across a series of rockslides. Carmine threw grenades to blow the piles down, later having to blow up the entrance into a tunnel. The tunnel was eerily dark, and it didn’t help that Vangs were in the way of the windshield, Quill scaring the bats away with horn honks. Shulk alerted the group to a giant Arachno pursuing them from the back, and Carmine could sense the giant spider just as well with her Haki. Thankful that she didn’t get the full visual of the horrific bug, she threw grenades to keep the beast at bay. Eventually, they exited the tunnel, having to park the bus on a lift underneath a rugged cliff. Kazuma volunteered to climb, having to rely on the tiny ledges sticking out to rest. Shulk’s visions alerted him which ones weren’t stable.
Partway up, Kazuma climbed and swung ropes, then had to grab-hop up some stalagmites, punching down Vangs that were hungry for blood. The mites led to a ledge with a zipline, carrying Kazuma to the top of a metal tower with a level to activate the lift. “Okay, whoever placed these switches was nuts.” Kazuma quickly climbed the zipline back to jump onto the lift. The bus continued its drive, careful not to fall into any of the potholes. They would drive past the crushed remains of fallen robots, but would grow horrified as the headlights shone on a large black Mechon with a white skull.
“It’s one of those ones again!” Quill exclaimed.
“WAIT!” Shulk yelled. “It’s a normal Face Mechon. It was probably here for backup.”
“But I thought…”
“We made it to the camp. Let’s see how the gang’s doing.” Reyn said. He and Shulk stepped out to show that the bus was friendly, the Mechon allowing them to pass. There were other Face Mechon along the way to a small campsite, where a woman stood to greet them. She was thin with tan skin, flowing black hair, a blue crop-top, red waistcoat, tall brown boots, and was holding a rifle. (End song.)
“Shulk! Reyn! Were you able to catch those rogue Mechon?”
“They got away, but we stopped them from causing too much harm.” Shulk answered. “We also ran into some new friends.”
“What’s uuuuuup?” Miko cheered with rockstar hands as the group stepped out.
“Well, this is a unique bunch…”
“They’re Sector Q from Planet Earth. They were here to help with our situation.”
“Then it’s a pleasure. I’m Sharla.” She smiled. “Are you hungry? We were just about to make dinner.”
“Heck yeah we are!” Jenny cheered. “Sitting around all day and suddenly going on a trip in the evening can really wear a girl down.”
“Plus, I think it’d be better to keep exploring when it’s all nice and sunny!” Carmine cheered. “So, let’s turn in when we’re done!”
“Juju!” Sharla called. “We have more guests tonight! You’d better make extras!”
A boy of about 17 with brown hair walked out, beaming at the strange visitors. “Heh! Well, I can’t wait to hear their story. Hey, Seven! Shulk and Reyn are back!”
“Ah!” Shulk lit up hearing their name. (Play “Friend on my Mind” from Xenoblade!)
As Juju returned to the kitchen… Sector Q were dumbfounded as a large, orange number “7” came boinging out. Its voice gave no hint to its identity. “Welcome back, you two! I see we’ve brought some new friends.”
“What the heck?” Miko asked.
“Seven, meet Sector Q. Everyone,” Shulk turned to them, “meet my ‘special’ friend, Seven.”
“Uh, hiiii…Seven?” Jenny waved awkwardly.
“You look very… well-drawn today?” Quill grinned.
“Hehe! Those accents practically scream ‘outsiders.’ Either way, it’s always nice to have new company. What can I make you for dinner?”
“’Guess we’ll just… have whatever’s best?” Kazuma wondered.
“Hehe! Coming right up!”
…
Both teams sat around a campfire, dining on cooked Ardun meat and soup. The Earthlings were curious as cyborgs seemed to step out of the Face Mechon. “Um…what happened to those people?” Carmine wondered.
“The Face pilots?” Shulk asked. “They were Homs who were captured by Mechon during the war. They were modified and forced to pilot Faces… but now that the war’s over, the Mechon have stopped that operation. The ones who were already transformed volunteered to keep piloting them, to protect our Titans.”
“Unfortunately, becoming a Face means they can’t have children.” Seven replied in sympathy.
“Aww…that’s terrible.” Carmine bowed. She removed the mouth of her mask to softly consume the soup.
“Your…your mouth…”
“I kind of lost my body, too. My flesh was destroyed by strong toxins, so now I’m extremely sensitive to everything. I can’t stomach heavy foods… and I don’t think I’ll ever have kids either.”
“I’m sorry…” Shulk frowned.
“At least you got a cute boyfriend!” Miko perked up. “Jataro’s a real keeper.”
“Mmmmg…” Kazuma groaned.
“Hehe…yeah, he’s nice, but…”
“But you’re still the cutest in our sector and we love you!” Jenny grinned.
“Hehe!”
Sharla let out a light sigh, remembering someone else in a similar situation. “By the way, Shulk,” Seven began, “I heard Riki was able to rescue Melia. Vanea picked them up and brought them to Mechonis.”
“At least there’s some good news!”
“You guys have a plan to stop Eggman?” Juju asked.
“Not exactly.” Kazuma replied, seated next to the boy. “But Boly there is a powerful god robot, so we reckon a quick battle will spell the end of him.”
“No need to fix what ain’t broke.” Quill remarked.
“But I think there’s something else we can do to help.” Shulk said. “We’re going to climb Arbrick Alpine tomorrow.”
“Where’s that?” Eddy asked.
“The Bionis’ left arm.” Juju answered. “There’s a ski lift on Colony 7 that’ll take you there. Thankfully, it’s still intact.”
“Is Colony 7 nearby?” Miko asked. “Can’t we just go there and crash?”
“It’s a rather lively place at night.” Sharla answered. “An entertainment city. Not exactly the best for resting.”
“She’s got us there.” Quill yawned. “I’m too tired to party tonight.”
“Maybe we’ll have time to come there after we kick Eggman’s yolk.” Miko said. “’Til then, let’s get ready for another day of robot-wrecking!” (End song.)
Cloud Sea, Alrest
The edge of the Cloud Sea appeared as a terrific mountain of fluffy clouds. There were points where currents shifted upward, so after finding one, Haylee steered the Sunny Day onto it, maintaining the ship’s balance so they could ride the wave safely. “YAHOOOOOO!” Sheila Frantic wanted to be the first to grace Alrest’s beauty, seated on the keel and flexing her legs about excitedly. “HELLOOOOO, Alrest! The Pirate King is HERE to explore ya!”
The sunset coated the clouds with a luscious orange glow. The fluffy expanse brought serenity to their hearts. They almost wanted to dive in and munch the clouds like cotton candy… which is exactly what Sheila did. “Cluck, cluck, cough!” And instantly found herself choking. “Blimey, clouds don’t taste so good up close!”
“Cloud Sea much denser than regular water.” Poppi explained as Dillon fished their captain up. “Only way to swim in its depths is with salvager suit, usable only to trained salvagers like friend Rex.”
“Rex is one of the guys we’re looking for, ain’t he?” Dillon replied, disgusted as Sheila spat clouds on the deck.
“Correct. He Driver of Aegis Pyra. But Poppi want first go to Argentum. Think Masterpon might be there.” She withdrew a Cloud Sea compass and turned it to the icon of a bloated fish. “We use compass to pin down wavelengths of Titans. They always moving, so needed to navigate sea.”
“And it looks like we’re-a heading this-a waaaay!” Haylee cheered, steering slightly rightward.
They sailed the clouds for about half an hour as Sheila and Kirie tossed fishing lures in. They caught a handful of Krabbles and beat them until they were ripe for cooking, but they panicked when a flying sea serpent called a Lexos popped out. Sheila and Dillon swiftly KO’ed it with their bending; they wouldn’t be hungry for a while with that baby! “So, what’s that big tree in the center?” Artie asked, indicating the colossal tree that stood out from anything else in the sea, green auras shining from the top of it.
“It World Tree, the center of our world… and the home of our creator, the Architect. But what it actually is is-”
“STREWTH!” Sheila exclaimed. “Check out those big ol’ balloon fish! They’re carrying boats!”
Rotund fish with stone-like flesh were afloat through the air as they did, in fact, carry red boats. “Those Argentum Titans carrying merchant ships! That mean Argentum is close by!”
“And I think Eggman’s mechs are close by, too!” Artie indicated the fleet of robots incoming from the left.
“They hurt Titans!!” Poppi exclaimed.
“Not if I ’ave anything to say about it!” Sheila dove and swam to the nearest merchant ship. “I wanna ride these fishies!!”
“That’ll show ’em, Sheila!” Mason cheered. (Play “Argentum” from XC2!)
Act 3: Argentum
Mission: Find Poppi’s Masterpon!
Sheila climbed onto the first boat and destroyed the Eggrobos that landed to terrorize the semi-innocent Nopon. Wanting of a more impressive view, Sheila climbed one of the ropes hooked to the Titan and reached the top of it. Other Titans floated by, dangling ropes, so Sheila swung them to reach the top of another pufferfish Titan. Three Egg Keepers landed on the Titan, throwing bombs from their arms. Sheila tanked the first blasts before quickly punching Light Fists, but the mechs were tough enough to withstand them without falling at first. They unloaded miniguns with light bullets, damaging Sheila a tiny bit more before she finally destroyed them. A series of updrafts were available to lift her through the air, though it might’ve been nicer without the spikeballs set up throughout them.
Upon landing on the next Titan, Sheila followed a long bridge connecting to another. More Lexos emerged and circled the bridge, spitting jets of water at Sheila. They irritated Sheila so much that she was determined to punch them senseless into the sea! From the next Titan, there was a diving board likely meant for salvagers… but before using it for herself, Sheila saw another Titan higher up and further away. She ran back across the bridge to build momentum before leaping, spinning her raccoon tail to take flight! There was a Riddler Trophy hidden on this Titan, as well as another diving board. Sheila Ground Pounded from it, the momentum bringing her deep under the clouds.
It felt as though Sheila were swimming through the sky itself, the sunset murky through the dense fluff. Aligos—sharks with arms—swam to munch the fresh prey, but their bodies would later be found KO’ed on the sea’s surface. Sheila found her way underneath a larger ship, deciding to bust her way through a hatch. Only then did she realize Egg Pawns were holding the Nopon crew hostage, but Sheila would be their unexpected hero! Sheila used an available harpoon to latch a higher Titan, climbing to it. To her awe, a flock of smaller Titan fish were fluttering by, and what kind of adventurer would she be if she didn’t use them as platforms? However, the Titans would sink when they felt her, so she quickly jumped others to keep a good height.
The Titans were closing in on a greater ship carried by a larger bloated Titan, Goldmouth. Only two of the small fish were flying up to it, but rather than trying to jump interchangeably between them, Sheila found it was easier to Wall Jump the fish, maintaining a consistent rhythm as she reached the top of Goldmouth. There were piles of gold hidden up here by the Nopon, along with a Riddler Trophy, so Sheila reaped the spoils! By the time she was finished, she saw her mates docking their ship beside the merchant guild.
Sheila dropped to the deck with a Ground Pound—smashing through and landing inside. The ship was made of red and turquoise wood, had several layers with walkways between, and was bustling with shops and people from all races of Alrest. The excited raccoon raced around all corners, snagging “free samples” from whatever restaurants were serving, popping into the bedrooms and scaring the dancer ladies, and swinging her way across the banners and light wires.
“Argentum wealthiest trade center on Alrest.” Poppi smiled. “And perhaps whole world. Was founded by Nopon Driver, descended from legendary Captain Nopopon, who conquer all Cloud Sea and founded Nopon Trade Guild. Guild make lots of money by salvaging treasures from Cloud Sea.”
“And Sheila is already ruining most of it.” Harry glared.
“HEY, MAAAATES!” Sheila came swinging on a detached light wire. “Blimey, the food is to die for! This place is a beaut!”
“So, is your Masterpon somewhere here?” Aurora asked.
“If he is, Poppi sure he be in secret hideout…” Poppi led them across the guild, indicating the Nopon standing in front of a closed warehouse. “That Nopon Rentarenta. He keep trying to sell warehouse for 100,000G, but so far, no one pay.”
“And this is important, becaaauuse…?” Mason drawled.
“Because warehouse IS secret hideout!”
“Ah, so do we gotta say a secret password, so he’ll let us in?” Dillon asked.
“No. Rentarenta have no idea we use warehouse.”
“Then how do we get in?!” Aurora shouted at the bizarre logic.
“There secret entrance. Can clever humans find it?”
Accepting the challenge, the kids searched the upper floor near the warehouse, as well as the base floor, searching for some semblance of a secret passage. It could’ve been under one of the beds, behind one of the shop stalls, or under the stacks of crates, but such answers would be a tad too suspicious and noticeable from so many onlookers. That’s why Kirie decided to explore an area less traveled: the sea around the ship. On the hull beside the warehouse, there was a small corridor sloping down in the surface. Kirie climbed in and found a secret door. After sending a nonverbal message to her team, they all went for a swim and met her in the tight, tiny passage.
“Dingding! You find it!” Poppi cheered.
“This sure isn’t the most glorified entrance!” Aurora grunted.
“Haylee, your butt is crushing me!” Artie choked.
“Well, Harry is pushing me!”
Poppi knocked on the door. “Mehmeh?” A Nopon with light-brown and white fur answered, wearing blue overalls. “P-POPPI?!”
“Masterpon!” The lavender-haired robot raised and hugged the Nopon. “Poppi was hoping she find you hiding in here!”
“T-Tora not hiding! Making preparations, yes! Rex-Rex and friends off on other Titans. Needed make repairs to Poppibuster, but glad Poppi made it back okay! And these people are-”
“GETTING SQUISHED TO DEATH!” Artie screamed, scrambling into the warehouse.
Once the others piled into the warehouse, the crew introduced their selves and briefed their mission. “Tora like meeting new friends from outside.” The mechanic flapped his wings. “Perhaps now we have good chance at beating Eggman. Tora see if can contact Rex-Rex and confirm location.”
“And from there, it’s just a matter of hearing from the others and finding where Eggman is.” Harry figured. “Either way, I’m beat. Let’s see if the guild will forgive Sheila for breaking their stuff and if they’ll let us rest in their inn.”
“Masterpon have 5 million G. Can surely pay reparations.”
“Mehmeh! Poppi, no tell outsiders that!”
“Meh, we make more than that every mission.” Sheila grinned.
“So, Tora, Poppi’s your creation, right?” Artie asked.
“Yes! Poppi artificial Blade, made because Tora could never become real Driver. She come in three forms, and if Tora say so himself, perhaps most powerful Blade on Alrest.”
“Is that so?” Artie’s eyes sparked. “Then may I have a look at her inner workings?”
“Mehmehmeh! You better not try anything funny!”
“Perhaps friends would like to see Poppibuster?”
“Poppibuster?” Haylee asked.
Tora led the group around some crates… and their eyes lit at the marvel: a large white and black mech with a round center, small head, and streaks of light jutting from the top. “This special artificial Blade Poppi control herself.” Tora said. “As if Poppi herself weren’t good enough.”
It was then Artie and Haylee began to drool. “Must…”
“Have…”
“Giant…”
“MEEEEECH!” And they jumped and began rubbing all over it!
“MEHMEH! Get off! Tora just polished!”
“I think I’m having fun with Mira so far!” Mason grinned. “Can’t wait to see the rest of this planet!”
“Aren’t we in the middle of a war?” Haruka asked.
“Are we? Hahaha!”
…
“Grrrr…” Quill growled to himself.
“Is there a problem, Fido?” Eddy asked.
“I just get the feeling… Sector V found something really cool.”
Eggman’s Base
“Now, Scratch, Grounder… say this again, slowly…” the doctor began with calm, but dwindling patience. “You encountered the Miko girl and her friends… but you didn’t DESTROY THEM?!”
“W-W-We’re sorry, Doctor!” Scratch gawked. “But the Monado boy came, and he cut off my head!”
“It looks like it’s still intact to me! But that can be rearranged.”
“P-Please, Doctor! We’ll get ’em next time!” Grounder said. “I got the perfect trap in mind, huhu!” He pulled a Mario sports game out of his chest compartment. “No one can resist a good game in the middle of the field.”
“Doctor…” A voice spoke from behind him. “If they’re here, they must know the secret of this world, too… and its connection to Bolypius. Allow me to go and stop them.”
“Your condition should be stable with those Core Crystals, Infinite.” Eggman turned. “Very well… destroy the operatives. But try to bring back both the Monado and Miko… their powers may be of use to us, yet.”
Okay, I had a HARD time getting motivated for this chapter because I was on an adventure in the Smoky Mountains! They were BEAUTIFUL! The BEST place I ever visited; the view from Clingmans Dome was gorgeous, Anakeesta was a lovely sculpture garden, Cade’s Cove was… extremely boring and dreadful, please don’t go there. But overall, I had a GREAT time! And writing this chapter was fun, too! It’s rare for the Gameverse to do the Kingdom Hearts style of visiting a crossover world and meeting its characters like a traditional crossover story, but it’s always fun when I do, especially writing in all these jokes and references that only true Xenoblade fans will get!
Chapter 8: The Three Aegises
Summary:
Shulk, Reyn, and Sector Q search for Alvis on Arbrick Alpine. The Raccoon Pirates search for Rex on Uraya.
Chapter Text
Alright, we got quite an info-dumpish chapter for Mira’s lore, not to mention some pretty settings!
Chapter 8: The Three Aegises
Eggman’s Base
“AAAAAAHHH!” The Gormotti man fell bleeding after his failed attempt to resonate with a Core Crystal.
“Hmmm…no good.” Dr. Omelette, the daughter of Eggman, shook her head. “NEXT!”
A couple robots swept the Gormotti away as a Tantalese stepped up next. The woman hesitantly picked up the crystal… and it glowed a brilliant light as a Beast Blade formed into being, a pair of rings in its teeth. The woman was in awe… she never pictured herself as a Driver, but as the beast sat obediently before her, she was filled with pride.
Until Eggman’s symbol flashed in its eyes. “LOCK HER IN THE DUNGEON!” The woman was seized by the robots and dragged away.
Although Eggman had control over the Blades, they were still bound to their Drivers’ life force. He ordered every Blade to capture their Driver and bring them to his dungeon, where they would be kept alive and fed so their Blades could continuously serve him. Unfortunately, non-Drivers were in even more danger: his forces captured any civilians they could, lining them up for forced Blade resonance. Whether they would live or die was up to fate.
Outside Colony 7
Sector Q awoke early and took turns taking a quick shower in the bus. It was only 4:30 in the morning, but no reason not to step outside for a some morning air. It seemed they weren’t the only ones up: Shulk, Reyn, and Juju were early birds as well. “’Guess we all had the same idea.” Shulk smiled. “If you guys are well awake, we can get going to the Arbrick Alpine.”
“Heck yeah!” Jenny cheered. “Early bird crushes the egg, amirite?”
“Hehe, I’m fine if you guys are!” Carmine cheered.
“Then let’s hit the alpine!” Miko declared.
“Great!” Juju said. “The alpine’s amazing at night. We’ll be able to catch it before the sun comes up.”
“We’ll grab us some breakfast to go when we pass through Colony 7.” Reyn knuckle-touched.
The colony in question was a party town with bright lights and attractions, including a Ferris wheel, an arcade with games imported from other planets, a casino, and a couple restaurants. A quick stop at one of the restaurants, and the kids were walking to the ski lifts with to-go trays of pancakes and bacon in hand. The ski lift station was at the edge of the colony, lining up with the Bionis’ left hand. The friends savored the rest of their food as they admired the view of the vast ocean and the lower parts of the Bionis. Heck, they could even see Colony 8’s lights from here!
The ski lift let off right on the Bionis’ thumb. They felt a light chill as they gazed up the arm… and fell in love. The pine trees were coated with light layers of snow, glinting in the colors of lights that drifted about the air. “They’re like… Christmas trees…” Carmine said.
“What are those lights?” Quill asked.
“They’re chi lights.” Shulk answered. “When night falls over some areas, the Bionis’ chi emits in beautiful ways. Satorl Marsh and Valak Mountain are big examples, but I’d say this is my favorite.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome…” Kazuma smiled.
“Affirmative…” Boly agreed. It actually reminded her of one of the areas in Aincrad. A Christmas-themed area… Did her previous master and Kayaba have the same idea? Was Christmas even a thing when this world was created.
“It’s gonna go away when morning comes.” Juju said. “But that’s okay. This mountain’s pretty in the day, too. Anyhow, Colony 5 is set up along the fingers here. I’ll stay and help them in case any Eggman forces show up. By the way, Eddy, Sharla made you something last night.”
“Oh?” The scrawny nerd cocked a brow as Juju withdrew a slingshot with five strings.
“You did say you prefer slingshots over guns.”
“Well, of course. Guns make me look like a Halo fan, but this makes me look like a Zelda fan.”
“Er…okay?”
“Dude, you play Star Fox.” Quill argued. “THAT has guns. And don’t the slingshots get shafted after the first dungeon?!”
“A-Anyway, these are high-power strings. Gun or not, these can really knock an eye out if you’re not careful… and paired with your ammunition-”
“I am thankful for the badass upgrade.” Eddy gladly took it.
“Now, let’s start climbing.” Shulk faced the mountain. “Alvis is somewhere up here.”
“Who is Alvis?”
“He’s my Aegis… but this’ll be our first time meeting him in 4 years.” (Play “Shiver Snowfield” from Paper Mario!)
Act 3: Arbrick Alpine
Mission: Find Alvis.
Miko and Shulk took the lead as they hiked up the first steep incline. There were flat steps naturally sticking out of the hill, the two jumping and climbing them up the snow-covered slope. Once they were up, they were charged by a band of Chilkin. According to Shulk, Tirkin were a flightless bird race who lived in both Bionis and Alrest, and Chilkin were a sub-race native to cold regions. The Chilkin wielded bows and primitive melee weapons, but quick strikes of the Monado and K.O. Hammer had them KO’ed. Afterwards, they traversed along a slanted slope between a cliff on their left and a ledge on their right, in which higher Chilkin threw snowballs down from above. “This looks a bit tricky.” Shulk said. “Let me give us all a boost. Monado Enchant!” He cast a wave of blue mist over the party. “This will enhance your evasion for a short time.” True to Shulk’s word, they were able to evade the snowballs with relative ease and stay stable on the hill.
“WHOOOAA!” Except for Jenny, who nearly slipped off had Reyn not caught her.
“Bad time to bring it up, but wearing roller-skates on a snowy mountain was a bad idea.” Kazuma said, casually punching a large snowball into dust.
“No kidding! Reyn, carry me!” Jenny climbed on the brute’s shoulders.
“Great. Now it’s like I’m a Titan.”
“It isn’t nearly as snowy as the other arm.” Shulk said. “Valak Mountain is much more treacherous.”
“Shulk, I just remembered something.” Reyn began. “Back when we first went to Valak, Alvis said it only snowed ‘this’ high up on Bionis. But Makna Forest and Eryth Sea are higher than the arms, and they’re much hotter!”
“I think the true reason is the Ice Crystals embedded inside the Bionis’ arms. Otherwise, I agree his logic was a bit off.”
The end of this sloped path had a rugged cliff, enabling them to climb higher. Eddy noticed a side path to the right and chose to explore it. Along with a nice view of the sea, there was Riddler Puzzle embedded in the cliff. There were five metal balls scattered around a simple maze, and Eddy had to use his magnetic pellets to attract them onto switches. Once all switches were hit, a trophy! Atop the climbable cliff, they traversed a more open and stable hill area. Ories—bulls with stone spines—roamed the alpine and charged at the intruders. Reyn blocked one with his shield while Jenny lashed kicks at its side, and Eddy dizzied the charging bulls with shots to the head from his new slingshot, leaving Quill to burn them with his Elementors.
The dawn began to grace the horizon and the Christmas lights began to fade, but the soft light cast its own warm glow on the snow. A breeze began to blow the snow into a soft blizzard, accompanied by giant pinecones. Eddy loaded scattershots into his slingshot, its force stronger than the pushing breeze as he shattered the cones. The friends reached a cave safe from the breeze, minding the slippery inclines and fighting the Grebels that burrowed from the ground (mouse-like creatures with insect features). The cave curved up and left, and they saw another band of Chilkin at the exit. Among the white birds, there was a green one carrying a hammer and had a more humanoid face with flushed cheeks.
“Awe, that Chilkin looks kind of cute!” Carmine said.
“Wait, that’s not a Chilkin.” Reyn realized. “It’s Finch! She’s a Blade!”
“A Blade?” Miko asked. “Does that mean she’s…”
“YOKAY, troopers!” Finch flapped her taloned hands. “The Yolkman says there’s a nasty bunch hangin’ with that Molado boy, so let’s get crackin’ and get smackin’!”
“What foreign Tirkin mean?” a Chilkin asked. “We not your troopers! You jus’ walk up to us!”
“D’oh, come ON, you guys. I’ve been your leader for…uh… how long was it again?”
“Kaw! There people koming!” The Chilkin were alerted to the band of approaching operatives.
“Oh, hey there!” Finch greeted. “Maybe you can help us. We’re looking for a team of alien Candy operatives. You seen anything like that around?”
“Uh…no?” Miko answered.
“Drat. Well, Dr. Eggshell says I should capture anyone I see for our Core Crystal farm, so I guess I gotta get you, anyway.”
“Core Crystal farm?” Shulk glared.
“Okay, troopers: attack!”
“Who even is this bird?!” a Chilkin asked.
“Wait! You think maybe she Chilkin Kountess?”
“Kraw? We have kountess?”
“Me think so. Maybe we are troopers!”
“Then let’s get them!”
Eddy blasted an archer Chilkin with his slingshot, Carmine threw repelling grenades at another, Miko flattened one with her hammer, and Reyn knocked one senseless with his shield. Finch came running with her hammer, but Kazuma blocked it with his right fist and socked her in the face with his left. She went rolling back comically before standing upright. “WOOHOO, didja see that? I should be an acrobatic! Or maybe I am? Hey, do you guys know?”
“What is with her?” Kazuma asked.
“Finch is a bit of an airhead.” Reyn answered. “She forgets just about everything, so I heard. Rumor has it she turned up that way because one of her past Drivers was a Tirkin. Her current Driver is the real Tirkin countess, in fact.”
“Where did you guys hear that?” Finch asked. “Waaait… are there people gossiping about me? It’s hard bein’ so popular, ya know? …Oh, I just remembered. Dr. Eggson wanted me to capture anyone I c-”
Kazuma slammed his fists over her head. “Kazma, you don’t need to hurt her that bad!” Carmine shouted.
“She’s an enemy, ain’t she? Besides, she really pisses me off… that dopey little expression, not caring about anything…”
“Kazma…” Carmine feared he was thinking about Jataro. Finch did kind of remind her of Jataro.
“Sounds like you have some issues.” Reyn said reprovingly. “I guess we oughta tie her up at least.”
“I packed some rope.” Eddy replied. “I’ll stick her to that rock.”
From the cave’s exit, the group had to bounce some flexible roots protruding from the cliff. Another open hill splaying above them, they were awed at the sight of Ellooks, gold and black elks with patterned and swirly designs on their skin. Beautiful as the elk looked, Shulk advised staying clear of the antlered animals. Miko climbed one of the pine trees when she noticed a Riddler Trophy on top. After traveling up another steep hill with falling snowballs, the group discovered an abandoned village, mostly consisting of ruined houses. “This used to be part of Colony 4 before the Mechon attacked it.” Shulk said. “The rest of the colony is higher up. The Homs of this colony have silver hair and are close to the High Entia. They’re also Alvis’ people… at least, that’s what he claimed.”
“But you said Alvis was an Aegis. Like, a Blade?” Quill questioned.
“I know. It’s complicated. Although… I wonder if he would be…”
There was a fountain along the central ledge of the village, where water poured out of the statues of an Ories, Ellook, and Chilkin, all of which were missing its horns and ponytail respectively. An ancient stone sign was at the top of the fountain, in which Shulk translated its writing: Return the crowns of the Alpine Guardians to meet the village spirit. When Shulk touched the sign, a vision flashed: he saw Reyn picking a pair of antlers off a totem pole, Jenny collecting Ories horns from under a rock, and Carmine taking a Chilkin ponytail out of one of their straw tents.
“Oh, I get it!” Reyn grinned. “We have to rip the horns off these animals and bring them here!”
“Actually, I just had a vision. We’re looking for specific ones. We need to look for…”
The teammates divided after Shulk described the locations. Reyn climbed a tree leading to the ledge of an upper area, where Ellooks guarded the way to a totem pole. His strong shield defended him from the charging elks, trying to avoid fighting as much as possible. He reached and climbed the pole, struggling to tear the antlers off the top.
As Kazuma and Carmine traveled downhill, they were stunned to see Finch ditzily skipping up. “Oh, hey! More adventurers! Check it out! Isn’t that view great? And look at all this snow! Haha, it’s so cool and fluffy!” She happily wiggled her talons in the fluff.
“How did you escape?!” Kazuma shouted.
“She could’ve picked free with her talons.” Carmine realized.
“Escape whuh? I dunno what you’re talking about. Oh, that’s right, I gotta ask you something.” Finch flapped her hands. “Have you seen any Cando operatives with-”
Kazuma socked her in the jaw. Finch pushed herself up, so Kazuma ran to finish the job. Finch raised her hammer like a shield and blocked his assault, each punch only resulting in recoil. Once he was dizzy, Finch sprung into the air and shot down hammer first. Carmine threw a Pulse Bomb to knock Kazuma away. The boy came to and began to pounce around like a rabbit, the bouncy soles of his shoes assisting him. As he circled the bird-girl, Finch grew dizzy and wobbly, allowing him to pounce for a double kick.
Jenny saw a long, secluded platform down the hill and realized she could slide down and up a natural ramp, flying and landing on the secluded area. It led to an open ground with a patch of dark flowers. The image of a dark, spirit Ellook briefly appeared before vanishing. Good thing Jenny didn’t come here while it was night. Jenny rolled to the “right” side of the Bionis’ arm and crossed a long stone bridge. Ories charged her from the other side, but she ducked and breakdanced to knock them down and keep rolling. The bridge ended at a dead-end platform with several rocks. Jenny searched under them all until she found some Ories horns.
After Kazuma’s attack seemed to take Finch down, he and Carmine traveled back down the mountain to the Chilkin’s territory. They crossed past the area where the Chilkin were first rolling down snowballs, finding a village of them. The watchtower blew a horn, signaling all the locals to attack. Carmine threw grenades at the archers while Kazuma beatdown the axemen. Three Chilkin came at him from behind, but Finch came bouncing and spinning with her hammer outstretched, KOing the birds. “WOOHOO! We really showed them, didn’t we, partner!”
“Can’t you just leave us alone?!”
“Why? Wait, why am I following you again?”
“Because we’re your teammates!” Carmine answered, Finch facing her. “We’re Dr. Eggman’s henchmen, so we’re helping you hunt for the KND operatives! We’re Kazuma and Carmine, remember?”
“Ohhhh…okay. Also, who’s Dr. Eggen again?”
“Just help us find a Chilkin ponytail thingy and let’s get outta here.” Kazuma sighed.
“Okay, Katsma.”
The three crept into what seemed like the chief’s tent. The larger Chilkin was asleep on his throne, and a more elegant Chilkin’s ponytail was set atop the throne. Kazuma persuaded Finch to climb up one of the wood poles in the tent and balance across the support beams. The birdbrained Blade had trouble staying balanced, wobbling and waving her arms with a, “Whooooaaa.”
“Hehehe!” Carmine giggled.
“Ugh, don’t laugh! Man, she’s totally gonna botch this up.”
“Come on, she’s adorable. Besides, why’d you even put her up to this?”
“’Cause when the chief wakes up, we’ll let her take the beating while we grab the thing ourselves.”
Despite Kazuma’s doubts, Finch managed to make it above the… “Uh, hey! What’m I after again?”
“The ponytail thing!” Kazuma whisper-shouted. “The ponytail, you doofus!”
“Ohhhh…” Finch bent down and picked it up. “But is it really called a ponytail? I feel like there’s another name for-”
“I don’t know what else to call it, just get it down!”
“Okie-dokie!” Finch flipped, bounced on the chief’s head, and rejoined her friends.
“!” The two panicked. “You Will Know Our Names” started playing as the Chiefkin—Chairman Cleveland—began to chase them through the village. The trio bolted up the snowball path as the chief chucked spears, scratching Kazuma’s hip and puncturing Finch’s head. “FINCH!” Carmine fell back in horror. “NO!!”
“Hurry, let’s go!” Kazuma grabbed Carmine’s arm and ran.
“Fiii-i-i-i-i-inch!” Carmine could only cry for the little bird.
The Cleveland took his spear back as he kept chasing. Finch’s head healed as the Blade pushed up. “…I wonder what’s for lunch today? Ooo, I’ll go ask Kazam and Carm!” She eagerly chased them.
Eventually, Cleveland got tired of chasing the ops, and they would reunite with their team at the village. The horns and tail were placed in the proper statues. The fountain’s water flow halted as the central part opened upward. The team followed a stairwell down into an ancient… living room. (Play “Ancient Mysteries” from Xenoblade.)
The table, cabinets, and stove seemed somewhat modern, but Shulk and even Boly could feel the history in the surrounding temple. They could hear water running and see steam from around one of the corridors. …In a moment, a tan-skinned, silver-haired boy walked out, wearing only a white bath towel and a necklace of a red cross. “There’s a hot spring in the next room if you’re in need of a rinse.”
These weren’t the first words Reyn and Shulk expected to hear from him after all this time. “Alvis…”
“It’s good to see you again… my Driver.”
“This guy’s the Aegis?” Miko asked. “He… doesn’t look as epic as I thought.”
“Were you expecting shiny armor with sharp shoulders?”
“I knew it…” Shulk said reflectively. “When Rex first met his Aegis… he was dead. But she brought him back to life in exchange for Driver-ship. And you…you did the same thing.”
“Shulk was… dead?” Jenny repeated.
“It’s a long story.” Reyn replied.
“That is correct. I was first awakened eons ago, by one of Zanza’s disciples… the man who founded Colony 4.”
“Just 4? Since he sounds important, I figured he’d have founded 1.”
“As clever as ever, Reyn. But while my first Driver passed, as an Aegis, I do not return to my Core Crystal. I lived here, assuming the role of the ‘village spirit.’ The Homs that aspired to be Seers for the High Entia Royal Family came to me to be tested. They would touch my necklace, and fate would determine if they had the potential to use my future-seeing power. In actuality, this necklace is my Core Crystal, and those Seers would become my Drivers.”
“So, all that stuff about you having a family was just hokum.”
“Well, I couldn’t just divulge my true identity before our ‘plan’ could be carried out. Of course, when I felt the appointed time coming, I left this shrine and acted as a normal civilian. Or rather, acted as the family’s new Seer. Then… I met you, Shulk. Despite the circumstances you were forced into, I saw potential in you. I made you my newest Driver, wondering if you had the power to change this planet’s fate… and you did.”
“Then this new Monado…” Shulk raised the red sword, “it came from you?”
“Yes… though it disguises itself as the first one, only you and your friends had the potential to draw out its true power.”
“I’m really confused.” Quill scratched his head.
“Come on, Quill, this sounds like cool lore!” Miko exclaimed.
“And here we have our new guests.” Alvis turned. “I sensed the lot of you coming for a while. Especially…” He approached Miko and Boly, “you two.”
“Miko… I feel a strong chi inside his hard-drive. Not just chi… it’s data.”
“I’ve already told Shulk this truth, and I’m sure you all know as well… but this world, Mira, is an artificial one, created by human scientists 10,000 years ago. The space station you saw hovering over the planet was their base. It used to be a space colony with artificial environments, to give people a place to live away from overpopulation and war. But when its leading scientist discovered the power of Bolypius, he sought to make a greater home for the people. That’s what half of him wanted, at least… but there was another half that desired the power of godhood. Thus, Mira was created, and all that dwelled on the station was destroyed… their souls and matter reborn on this world.”
“Man…” Jenny and co. were used to these sorts of cosmic tales, yet they were still too incredible to believe.
“And as I explained, I was a Program of the Trinity Processor computer. I, and my fellow would-be Aegises. Because we directly harnessed and absorbed Bolypius’ data, we were reborn with powerful chi and positions. We were born from this one’s power. Perhaps we are the key to making her whole again.”
“Making her… whole?”
“I can tell she isn’t as powerful as she once was. Much of it was lost.”
“I discarded the Pure Hearts that once completed me, along with Aincrad. The power was too much… and I was hurting too many people.”
“I understand. But what awaits us now… is something we can only face with your full power. Bolypius…” Alvis knelt, “touch my crystal. As the Aegis of Fate, I carry data on this world’s history. Perhaps my data will be of some use to you.”
Boly slowly raised her pointed arm and touched the necklace. Her eyes flashed a bright blue: all of Mira’s history splayed before her, from the moment of its digital creation to the explosion of its physical creation. The gods arrived to stabilize this world with the rules of this universe, granting elements to the Blades and people, but the Bionis arose to fight them. Deeming it too dangerous, the gods locked both it and the Mechonis in a sub-dimension, where they would duel for supremacy. Millenia passed, until the day Shulk would seize the Bionis’ power and break the seal on their Titans.
Likewise, she saw the history of Alrest and the many continental Titans that once roamed it: those Titans began to fight each other for space, so some resorted to jumping off the planet itself. They were lost in space, yet Boly wouldn’t know if they landed on other planets. Other Titans were destroyed by Malos and Mythra in the Aegis War. Ships from outer space tried to land on Mira, but were banished by the Sirens that were left behind by the ancient Coruscanti. Only after Rex mastered the Aegis’ powers could they shut the Sirens down. They and the people of Mira would use the spaceships found in the station to venture to other worlds, and in return welcome traffic to their world… thus was the Elysium they had sought.
However, there was one person the Sirens never shot down. One ship that was allowed to land on the station, many years ago. It was Kayaba… the descendant of the lead scientist, Dr. Klaus. The Sirens analyzed his DNA as their creator’s. Finding the ancient data drive that his ancestor used, Bolypius, Kayaba sought to make his own world.
“I…I remember everything. About this world… and its creation. And yet… my memory banks are still filled with blanks.”
“Then perhaps we must find the other Aegises. I shall accompany you.” A bluish coat with a white-furred collar, similar pants, and white boots appeared over him.
“You coulda done that any time?!” Jenny exclaimed.
“I needed to air out. But we Blades are beings of condensed matter and data. Our main bodies are our Core Crystals, and it’s from those crystals we can materialize organic components, weapons, and clothing.”
“Reminds me of that Gem race.” Quill commented. “But, you Blades are like semi-organic computers. That explains how Eggman was able to ‘hack’ and reprogram the others… right?”
“Using the Aegis data, supposedly.” Shulk said. “Yet, I wouldn’t begin to comprehend how.”
“We may understand in time.” Alvis nodded, walking to the exit. “Since we’re nearby, how about we visit Colony 4 for a spell? I do need to ‘procure’ some new food. Also, is that one with you?”
“Heeeeeey, you guuuuuys.” Finch cheered. “Did you up and ditch old Finch? Yo, check out this cool house. It’s so authentic and retro! Ooo, were you waiting to surprise me with it? Is this our secret club?!”
Alrest
When morning dawned, Sector V excitedly set sail… under a stormy sky. “Maaaaaaan!” Sheila moaned. “This is the WORST time to have an adventure! I wanna see the sun, I want the bright white clouds to fill me eyes!”
“You would think since we’re sailing on clouds,” Haylee replied, “there shouldn’t be many clouds above us.”
“I guess we aren’t quite as high as Sky Island level.” Mason reasoned.
“Besides, we not gonna be outside much longer, anyway.” Tora informed. “Tora’s sources say Rex-Rex in Drewey, Uraya. And Uraya come up any moment now.”
“What do you mean come up?” Harry asked.
“Whoa, hang on to something, guys!” Haylee yelled. “We’re pulling away! Something’s pushing up the sea! WHOA, AND IT’S HUGE!!”
A gargantuan “lump” grew from a vast portion of the clouds, and that lump rose like a mountain, soon to take the form of a titanic earthen whale. “Mehmeh! Uraya closer than Tora thought!”
“That thing is a Titan?!” Haruka exclaimed.
“UH-OH!” Haylee screamed. “We’re still on its—TAIIIIILLL!” The fin of the enormous tail raised their ship to the sky, and after it slowly flapped up, the vessel went flinging and flipping through the air. “AAAAAAHH—THIS IS SERIOUSLY GONNA LEAVE A MARK—AAAAAHH!”
The ship violently landed and scraped down the side of the tail, the riders bumping and tumbling about the deck wildly. “POPPI SAVE EVERYONE!” The robot transformed into pigtails and a maid’s outfit—QT Mode. She used jetshoes to fly underneath and catch the ship on its side. The teens held each other and the rigging to keep from falling. Poppi descended and set the ship upright along the ocean.
“Mehmeh! Alien ship nowhere near safer than Titan ship! But at least we on proper side. Look! There tunnel we can sail into.”
“I wish!” Haylee shouted. “That crash damaged our rudder!”
“Poppi! Assume Backup Engine Mode!”
“Yes, Masterpon!” She flew to the stern and used her rockets to push the ship with great speed!
“Hey, Tora, you mind if we take Poppi’s legs to use as a permanent engine?!” Artie asked.
“Not on friend’s life!!”
Thanks to Poppi’s haphazard steering, the Raccoon Pirates made it into the opening on Uraya’s left. They were free from the pounding rains and storm and blessed with trees with beautiful leaves of a pinkish-orange hue. The interior of the Titan possessed a deep bluish hue. This is beautiful! Kirie signed in delight as they set foot on a pier. Are these sakura trees?
Haruka translated for her. “Not sakura. Saffronia!” Tora answered. “And yes. One of Alrest’s most beautiful wonders. We go through Saffronia Forest and find Drewey. Hopefully Rex-Rex there.”
“Whoa, look at the glitters…” Aurora’s big blue eyes reflected the glittering particles in the air, catching some on her hands.
“That crystal sleet. Happens when rains outside.”
“Wow…”
Let’s go, let’s go! Kirie jumped spritely. I wanna see more of this world!
“Now you’re signin’ like a real adventurer!” Sheila put an arm around her. “You saw her, team! Onwards!” (Play “Uraya Night” from XC2!)
Act 4: Saffronia Forest
Mission: Find Rex!
Sheila and Kirie twirled as their irises absorbed the glow of the Saffronias. They unwarily danced to a garden of large, purple flowers, which grew bulky bodies with piranha plant arms. They barely dodged the Blants’ swipes by the time they were aware, Kirie throwing flower shurikens to slice their arms. She feared Sheila’s lightbending would only empower the plants, but it seemed to hurt them as painfully as any other beast. The duo climbed a tree and crossed long branches to jump to other trees, discovering a Riddle Trophy hanging on one. They led to a swing hanging from a higher branch. The girls swung it together to fling to a high pathway. The road cut through a trench where Gyannas lurked; scorpion-like monsters with a flowery tail bulb. The flowers shot like guns, but Aurora would have the honor of freezing them with her bending. “I know we’re slow, but don’t run too far ahead.”
When trying to catch up, another Blant swat its vine at Haruka. During the scuffle, she realized she could grab the plant in her bending. “These are poisonous plants!” That’s how she knew she would be vital in the upcoming puzzle: Sheila and Kirie passed a left-curve road, which had a pit on its right with a Blant and a flower switch connected to a Riddler Cage. Haruka forced the Blant to walk onto the switch, unlocking the trophy. The crew reached a river from where the Saffronias grew, their glowing petals gracing the surface. Kirie quickly switched to her swimsuit, while Sheila needed no such thing. The river was deep enough to swim, but the view underneath wasn’t as lovely with Piranhax swimming around. Sheila knocked the monstrous fish floating on the surface… for the Gilligans to round up to cook later.
Sheila and Kirie swam to the base of a giant tree. There was an opening to go in and swim up inside. Upon resurfacing, the girls climbed a vine wall spiraling up the trunk. Gyannas were set on ledges trying to shoot them, but Sheila hit harder as they would soon learn. From the top of the tree, they could kick and unravel a ladder for their friends to climb up… but that wasn’t the most incredible thing. Water bubbles were afloat in the air, big enough for them to swim in. They weren’t visible very well from beneath the Saffronias, so the improved view was welcome. “Crikey! Who ’as the lungs to blow bubbles this big?”
“It Uraya’s waterbending.” Tora explained mid-climb. “Each Titan born with certain Element Chi much like Blades themselves. Its environment built around that chi. Mor Ardain Fire-type and Temperantia Lightning, for example.”
“He is a giant whale like Kyogre.” Mason noticed. “Mmm…” The mention of the Sea God saddened him.
Sheila swam up the bubbles, launching out of them to gain enough momentum to reach others. They had to quickly swim around a ring of bubbles that a Lexos was rotating, reaching the deviating route before the Lexos could catch up. The crew landed on a hanging boarded path leading to a stable ledge. From here, they had view of a huge, entrenched area: it was Uraya’s Stomach, and to their left was a great stairwell leading to the capital, Fonsa Myma. There was a swing set up on the ops’ ledge, designed to swing them over the stomach to a forest on the other side. The premise of this swing filled Sheila with glee.
She and Kirie rode together, “GERONIMOOOOOO!” whooshing over the entrenched river like a roller-coaster and flying off the other side! Two by two, the other ops would ride the swing. Unfortunately, the forest on this side wasn’t so glamorous: many Saffronias were chopped down, and the place was swarming with both Common Blades and soldiers in white armor with helmets and goggles.
“OI! We have intruders!” one yelled. The soldiers all had Scottish accents.
“These must be the ones Lady Azami told us about!”
“Who the ’eck are you lot?” Sheila asked.
Did you cut all these trees?! Kirie signed. Not that it mattered because Sheila would ask the question herself.
“We are the Brionac, the anti-imperial army of Mor Ardain! Dr. Eggman has ‘coerced’ us into working for him.”
“I think I’ve seen reports of that one. They say she’s the Pirate King!”
“That damp little Gormotti? She looks more like the Homeless King, haha!”
“Oh, are you blokes ready to learn a hard lesson?” Sheila smirked.
“Nah, Sheila, these guys aren’t worth your time.” Mason replied. “Let the rest of us clean them up.”
“The only ones getting cleaned up will be you! Men, like we practiced! DON’T FORGET!” (Play the “XC2 Battle Theme You Won’t Forget” on YouTube!)
“THINK you CAN… take me?! THINK you CAN… take me?!” The troops and Blades began to dance in a choreographed fashion. These lyrics were joined by a chorus of, “Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t.”
“DON’T forget me, DON’T forget me!” The troops began to shoot guns. The kids were so mesmerized by the song, they were wounded by the first shots. Once their intent was made clear, the crew divided the work. Artie shot laser rifles at some, the soldiers side-jumping in evasion. He needed only predict their jumps to land successful shots.
Mason guzzled Flurp and used Gas Rocket to throw strong punches at the troops, who would catch his fists in their palms, push the arm down, land jaw kicks, then back stomps with the lyrics. They linked arms and danced a circle around Mason, kicking him from every direction. Mason combusted a Gasplosion to blow the Brionacs apart.
“Think you can take me… BEHAVE!” Four soldiers seized Haruka’s limbs in whips, flapping her about like a parade ribbon. Haruka stretched a Poison Whip from her sleeve and pulled one off his feet. Once that arm was fully free, she bent out some poison she “borrowed” from one of the Blants, bending it like a Water Slice to cut the other whips. Gas attacks wouldn’t be effective against the helmeted soldiers, so she relied on the liquid poison to whip them into submission.
“Don’t-Don’t-Don’t-Don’t,” several Brionacs lined up before Haylee, jumping left and right and in and out of the line, with some taking shots at her. “Don’t-Don’t-Don’t-Don’t, Don’t-Don’t-Don’t-Don’t!” Haylee grabbed materials from her Infi-Cube and quickly whipped up a giant tire. She waited ’til the troops were lined up before bowling them down!
Dillon was surrounded by synchronized Xenoblades, who used darkbending to blacken his surroundings. From the darkness, they struck at Dillon with their weapons, following the rhythm. He relied on Mario to sense the presence of their shadows and would use the song to predict their movements. From there, he would dodge, flip them to the ground, and punch their heads with his dad’s stealth tactics. Enough damage would cause the darkness to lighten, and afterwards his shadowbending could knock out the last of their stamina.
Harry adapted to the rhythm and expertly dodged the soldiers’ fists. He joined hands with Kirie as they danced a duet, the rapstar throwing the silent fighter in the air as she threw sakura kunai at them! Harry caught her as a squad of Beast Blades surrounded them, pouncing with the music and tossing their ringed weapons. The dancers twirled evasively as they drew bladed CDs and flower shurikens respectively, chucking them to dice the Blades.
“Don’t forget me…” were the words of the last soldier upon passing out. (End song.)
“Amazing!” Tora exclaimed. “Tora and Poppi not have to help at all! New friends better than Tora thought.”
“Hah, even me and Kir didn’t get hit!” Harry laughed. “You guys need to shape up!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Mason eye-rolled. “Sure was a weird song though.”
“Mehmeh. All Ardainian soldiers sing it. Makes fighting them annoying.”
They heard a blast a short distance away, followed by an eruption of light from behind some rock walls. “Masterpon! That look like…”
“Mythra light! Hurry, friends, come!” They rushed to follow Tora around the rocks.
“Pyra!” Rex called. On his cue, the blonde-haired Blade transformed into her red-haired self, her sword of light becoming one of fire.
“MEHMEH! Is Aegis Driver running out of steam?!” a voice yelled from a huge, but chibi-style robot. It had purple hair, a pudgy face, and maid’s uniform, with a large “E” on its headwear. The pilot was a cyan Nopon with swirly glasses and a labcoat. “Time has come! You pay for killing Chairman Bana!”
“For the last time!” Rex dodged the mech’s bullets, swinging flaming slashes. “Bana blew himself up!”
“Because you drove him to it! You ruin his hard work! At least Muimui find new work with Eggman! Egg Rosa destroy you for good!”
“REX-REX!” The high voice of his Nopon comrade sparked Rex with delight, spinning to find Tora and the Raccoon Pirates.
“Tora!”
“REX, LOOK OUT!” Pyra screamed, using her bending to split the breath of fire Rosa blew at them. The split fire threatened to burn the crew, had Aurora not blocked it with her chi. She grabbed some fire and formed her own sword. Alongside Rex, they sprung forth and singed Rosa’s limbs with the Burning Swords!
“MEHMEH! These odds not even at all! But newest upgrade of Rosa give her friends! ULTRA BANG-BANG!” Several Minirosas dropped from their master’s skirt.
“Poppi! It time for Triple Deluxe Combo!” In her base form, Poppi tossed Tora her Drill Shield, the Nopon spinning to slice each of the Rosas! Tora tossed the drill back to her, and it would become Mech Arms as Poppi entered QT Mode. She punched and knocked the Minirosas into a pile before picking them up and chucking them at Egg Rosa’s face. “Poppi QTπ, it’s time to shine!”
Poppi then morphed into a more adult form with longer hair, a black top and stockings with red high-heeled boots, and a mechanical saber. Tora took the Variable Saber and stabbed all the Minirosas onto it like a meat skewer. He handed the weapon to Poppi, who swung with such speed that the Rosas flew off and exploded against Egg Rosa.
“MEHMEEEEEH!” Muimui took his mech to the sky and dropped a nuke.
“MYTHRA!” Rex’s Blade changed back into a blonde as their sword of light stretched to push the nuke back. Its force threatened to persevere against the spire of light, so Sheila applied some of her own: she spun a Light Fist together, colored the same as the Saffronia leaves she absorbed the light from. She punched it up Mythra’s sword and struck the nuke with enough power to send it back to Rosa. “MEEEEEEH…” The explosion of the giant Artificial Blade sent Muimui flying out of one of Uraya’s holes, into the stormy heaven. “Muimui blast off agaaaaaiiiin…meh!” Then lightning struck him.
“Cor, that was incredible!” Rex praised. “Are you another rare Light Blade?”
“Eh?” Sheila cocked a brow.
“Come on, Rex.” Mythra scoffed. “They’re obviously outsiders. I’m pretty sure we saw this girl at the Cooking Festival.”
“Haha, I’m only joking…”
“Rex-Rex, meet Tora new friends from Earth KND! They here to help with Eggman situation.”
From there, they endured another round of introducing their selves. “Sheila… the Pirate King?” Rex repeated. “I think I have heard of you.”
“Yeah.” Mythra reached into her emerald Core Crystal and withdrew a Flurp. “So, is it true you like this stuff?”
“DO I EVER?!” Thinking she’s found another Flurp buddy, Sheila grabbed her own drink. She took a swig and, “BUUUURP!” the two cringed. “It’s flippin’ great, eh?!”
“Hmm…yeah, I guess.” Mythra drank her Flurp. “…Burp!”
“Oh, brother.” Haruka sighed.
“Anyway, you probably know by now, but I’m Rex! This is Mythra,” she transformed, “and Pyra. And that’s Dunban over there.”
Dunban stood on a ledge, looking down at them in a pink nurse’s gown.
“So… you’re two Aegises?”
“More like split personalities.” Pyra smiled. “And we’re two elements.”
“So am I!” Aurora lit up her fire and ice hands.
“Haha! I guess we have a lot in common!”
Rex led them up a flight of wood stairs that led to a town of feudal Japanese buildings, shimmering among the Saffronias. The stress of the journey was lifting off the operatives’ hearts upon taking in the gorgeous scenery. “And NOW I feel at home!” Vanellope jumped out of Dillon’s H.E.A.D.S.E.T.. “I was made in Japan, you know.”
“Who this one?!” Tora exclaimed.
“About time you woke up, Vanellope!” Dillon laughed.
“Hey, it was too watery out there, anyway!”
“You know, Vanellope is kind of like Dillon’s Blade.” Haylee said.
“She… is?” Rex asked.
“In a way, yeah.” Dillon smiled.
Vanellope excitedly glitched around the rural setting, Sheila doing the same as she climbed the trees and jumped rooftops. “Nearly everyone in the capital, Fonsa Myma was abducted.” Rex explained. “But we’re barely managing to keep Drewey safe. Luckily, Cole managed to stay safe, too. We needed him to treat Nia.”
The non-exploring teammates followed Rex into a doctor’s office. An old, dark-skinned man with an orange beard and hood was sorting bottles in a cabinet. “Hm?” He turned. “Ah, Rex… I see we brought some new friends.”
“Don’t make us introduce ourselves again.” Haylee sighed.
“Is Nia doing well, Cole?”
“Yeah. Come and see her.”
The ops would peek into one of the rooms, seeing a catgirl with silvery brownish hair and a white outfit. Hearing the door open, she sat up from her bed, smiling. “Rex…”
“Hey, Nia. Feeling all better?”
“There’s still a bit of pain in my crystal… but I think I’ll manage.” She spoke in a Welsh accent.
Haruka, this being her natural environment, walked in to see the red and blue kite-shaped crystal on her chest. “You have a Core Crystal. Does that mean you’re a Blade?”
“Er, I… Rex, who are these people?”
“They’re new friends from another world. I doubt Tora’s had time to tell them everything.”
“Then allow me.” Cole stepped in. “Nia and I are Flesh Eaters.” He opened his hood to reveal a similar red and blue crystal, flesh veins around it.
“F-Flesh Eaters?” Haruka gasped.
“It’s as you suspect. We are Blades who consumed human flesh, thus extending our longevity. But I won’t divulge much more than that.”
“Um…okay.” They wouldn’t discover an ability like that without a tragic past to accompany it. But these two were good people, that much was certain.
“When Dr. Eggman began to spread this widespread ‘curse,’ Nia and I grew sick. I surmise it’s because of what we were that we avoided falling under his control. Of course, it was similar to something that happened in the past, so because of that, I had medicine ready. Managed to help this time, too… then, Rex brought Nia to me.”
“Could it help with normal Blades, too?”
“I don’t know, but I haven’t had the chance.”
“Either way, I’m sure we can save them all once we stop Eggman. Other teams have gone to find the other Aegis Drivers. We should try to contact them.”
“And we should make sure Sheila’s not destroying town right now.” Haylee remembered.
Sheila was bringing great destruction to a Saffronia tree: she applied just enough force to kick it without cracking it, its petals falling down. Kirie began to craft new shurikens with its petals. “Um…excuse me?” They were cautiously approached by a cyan-haired girl with a pink flower and green and white dress. Behind her was a man with similar hair. “Why are you knocking those leaves down?”
Oh, I just wanted to make weapons out of it. Kirie smiled. Hehe, sorry.
“Well… just as long as you don’t hurt it too much.”
“’ey, you understand sign language!” Dillon beamed, thankful they didn’t need to translate.
“Hehe! Grandpa taught me.”
The man approached them. “By any chance… are you all outsiders?”
“Was it the clothes or the accents?”
Vanellope zipped by. “Probably the smell~” she chortled. “Did you and Sheila bathe this morning ’cause P.U.!”
“Ah, don’t mind us!” Sheila grinned. “We’re just the local intergalactic adventurers!”
“Really?” the girl smiled. “Wow! Dad’s an adventurer, too!”
“Are ya?”
“Well, it’s nothing to brag about…” the dad answered sheepishly.
“Yes it is! You’ve been exploring other worlds, Dad!”
“But I haven’t made much progress in my research, Iona.”
“But maybe these people can help you.”
“What’re you researching?” Dillon wondered.
“There’s an old legend my dad always told me. In ages past, several Titans of Alrest leapt so high that they vanished beyond the sky. I used to sail the Cloud Sea in search of truth to these legends. And when we became able to travel the universe… I wondered if I could find these Titans on other worlds? But the universe is vast. I still can’t find the right place to search for leads.”
“So, these sorts of Titans are on other worlds? Uh…nothing really comes up. Sheila?”
“Uhhhhhh…” She twisted a finger in her ear.
“So, even to alien explorers, it’s a mystery.”
“Heh, sorry.” Dillon shrugged.
“Well, since all these petals are down,” Iona bent over to grab some, “maybe I’ll make a flower crown.”
Me, too! Kirie knelt beside her and wove her own.
The Cole walked out of the office with the operatives. “Hey!” Haruka pointed gleefully. “Kirie made a new friend!”
“Oh! That’s my son and granddaughter.” Cole replied.
“Really?” Haylee asked. “What’s with the blue hair?”
“My wife had it. She was Urayan.”
“So, that would mean they’re Blade hybrids, right?” Haruka followed.
“Yes… but functionally, they are human. They never displayed any unique powers… but they still seem to retain the unique chi of average Blades.”
“There really is a lot to learn about this world.” Haruka rubbed her forehead. “Just the Blades alone have so many rules about them.”
“Learning about your outside world was pretty hard for us.” Rex replied. “But hey! We’ll help you along every step.”
Seeing Kirie and Iona put Saffronia crowns on each other warmed their hearts. “At least friendship doesn’t always have to be complex.” Haruka said.
New Los Angeles
High tech military facilities with large mechs, human neighborhoods with ordinary cars, homes, and yards, NLA was probably the most surreal sight on this alien continent. It was all surrounded by a round, mechanical barrier, spiked crystal formations outside, secluding them from the grassy plains and tall rock formations, along with any hostile wildlife and aliens outside. That said, NLA was home to all kinds of friendly xenos as well as humans, such as the amphibian Ma-non, the Zaruboggan who wear metal suits to contain their poisonous bodies, and as always, Nopon.
Team Nebula approached Governor Chausson near the town gate. “Did you have a nice rest, Supreme Leader Nebula?”
“Totally!” Vweeb chirped. “Ari’s hair is cozy no matter where we’re at.” Arianna rolled her eyes.
“It was great!” Nebula affirmed. “We’re really grateful, Mr. Chausson. Is there any word on the Aegis?”
“Jak and Daxter were spotted on the outskirts as we speak. But it seems they haven’t brought Malos with them.”
“Let’s go see.” Cheren suggested.
Crossing outside the city gate, they could see a greenish-blonde, broad-shouldered man with long ears riding on a hoverbike. A small, orange- and yellow-furred animal rode his shoulder. His bike would come to a stop as he stepped off and marched firmly on his combat boots. Cheren could tell from that stern expression he was a hardened man, one who wouldn’t show mercy to anyone on his bad side.
The same couldn’t be said of the little Ottsel that bounced off his shoulder and fast-walked to them. “That’s right, boys and gals, it IS me!” He thumbed at himself. “The one and only Daxter! Petting will cost ya 500G, but if ya chip in a grooming, then it’s free.”
“Are you some sorta mascot on this planet?” Vweeb asked.
“You’re darn right I am, Shortman!”
“At least he looks cuddly.” Arianna smiled.
“Hey, I’m 10 times cuddlier!” Vweeb argued.
“You?” Daxter smirked. “Ya might be able to cuddle a cockroach.”
“The smaller things are, the cuter! Kateenians make cute accessories.” Vweeb bounced down to Arianna’s nose. “See? Tell me this ain’t cute.”
“Will you both just focus?” Makava sighed.
“So, who the hell are you all?” Jak asked.
“If he’s Daxter, then I guess you’re Jak?” Cheren asked.
“What’s it to you?”
“We’re here to liberate this planet from Eggman.” Nebula explained. “Poppi asked us to find the Aegis Drivers. One of them is you, right?”
“Afraid you’re out of luck. Malos… sort of went off on his own. He decided it would be easier to revert the Blades back into their crystal states.”
“Wouldn’t that mean… killing their Drivers?” Chausson asked.
“No. Aegises have the power to revert them without doing that. But doing so would wipe their memories. When Malos started attacking Ursula and Floren, Celica jumped in the way, tried to protect them. But those Blades wound up capturing her and Rock. That’s when we were called back here. I let Malos go on ahead and chase them.”
“Ursula…” Cheren thought to himself. “That’s the Blade MaKayla and Sector IC know. So… Malos is gonna wipe their memories?”
“We wanted to check if that was okay with Rex first.” Daxter reasoned. “But then we got in a fight about it and that’s how we went separate ways. Sigh, it was a classic ‘buddy duo’ trope and it was heartbreaking.”
“We can’t let their memories be erased.” Nebula stated. “Where are they? We need to go after them.”
“We can handle it ourselves.” Jak plopped a gun with blue Nature Crystals in his hand. “Malos isn’t the only reason I’m dangerous. Let’s go, Dax.” He began to return to his bike.
“Hold on there, cowboy.” Jak cocked a brow at Nebula. “You ain’t the only gunner around here.” She reached in her Infi-Cube and withdrew her T.O.P.M.A.N. launcher. “And ’long as the KND’s under attack, it’s my rodeo!”
“Hey, she brought the Nexus Quest collection!” Vweeb cheered.
“Look, lady, the KND may be friendly, but I don’t let outsiders boss me around.” Jak resumed walking.
“Then consider it a request.” Nebula politely followed the Long-Ear and asserted her way on the back of his bike. “Take a lovely lady on a ride through the countryside and let her shoot up some Badniks.”
“What a pain. Just stay outta my way, kiddo.”
“You ain’t reliving the spotlight without me!” Vweeb bounced on Nebula’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong, shorty?” Daxter smirked. “Afraid she’ll pick me as a new mascot?”
“Well, we could always use more variety up on base.” Nebula said.
“NO!” Vweeb screamed. “I’m the only adorable sidekick GKND needs!”
“Eh, it’s all the same.” Daxter shrugged. “GKND don’t look like it pays very well.”
“I’ll have you know my operatives receive high compensation for their efforts!” Nebula’s argument echoed as the bike rode off, leaving the befuddled operatives behind.
“Heh…didn’t think she would hit it off with them of all people.” Cheren laughed.
Chapter 9: Xenobrawls
Summary:
The various KND sectors battle the Xenoblades invading their hometowns.
This chapter is optional reading.
Chapter Text
This is an optional side-chapter! It basically entails matching the Nextgen Kids against the rogue Xenoblades. On deviantART, I made a list of all these Blades matching them with respective operatives based on which ones fit them, so these battles were mostly based off that list… with certain exceptions. Also, when it comes to the in-universe videogame of this story, the player would have to manually match the respective ops with good opponents; this mechanic also exists in other stories with big battle royale scenes. XD
Xenobrawls
Thunder 7
Sector W7 felt dread as they returned to their home island under a dark, thundering sky. However, against that doom, the island itself appeared to be flashing with light. “Oi, is there some kinda party we didn’t know about?” Chimney wondered, slowing the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.’s flight as they neared their home.
It was more than just a lightshow… Water 7’s central, defining fountain was alit with lightning! “I know I’m new around here, but that doesn’t look safe!” Miguel said.
“I think I see people lined up around the fountain rim!” Aisa pointed.
“We ain’t parkin’ in our treehouse like this. FIREWORKS, GOOOO!” (Play “Incoming!” from XC2!)
Several Water and lightningbending Blades lined the fountain. A more distinguishable Blade was directing them with a pair of drumsticks: she looked like a child, blonde with puffed pigtails, a Raijin ring at her back, and a grayish-white dress with an open belly area. “Hahaha! This is my best lightshow ever! Water 7? More like THUNDER 7! Hahahahaha!”
The waterbenders redirected the falls into the town while the Lightnings set them alight, the townspeople fleeing to whatever safe haven they could. The colors of the fireworks restored them with hope as they flew to explode the culprits. “WHAT?!” Electra exclaimed as her fellow Blades were blown off the fountain. The flying train made it clear who was responsible: “NO FAIR!” She cast a jolt of lightning onto one of the town’s antennas, directing its flow before suddenly striking upward.
Chimney swerved the train in evasion, dodging the bolt. However, Electra cast lightning to the clouds as well, using either of her drumsticks to guide her element through either the sky or town, striking the train wherever they would least suspect it. The six kids shuddered against the electric currents through the metal train. “I’m glad Mocha decided to stay behind and recover!” Aeincha said. “This much lightning would’ve been bad…”
“I’m through holding back!” Chimney declared, twisting and aiming the train directly at Electra. “I’ll end her lightshow the HARD WAY!”
“WAH!” The girls and boy pressed against the back wall as Chimney floored it. Electra screamed and tried to maximize her electric output, but it wouldn’t negate the ramming force of the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.. She went falling somewhere in town, Chimney curving the train up and setting it to autopilot.
“Nakama, get ready to DIVE!”
“AAAAAHH!” The six friends dove out the back door, pulling open parachutes. “In hindsight, going from the Number 16 sector to the Number 2 was a REALLY bad idea!” Miguel cried. “I only got a score of 200 on my last Tattle!”
“Well, I’m only Level 2 and I’m still alive!” Aeincha cheered. “Just have more belief in yourself!”
“Miguel, since you’re a musicbender,” April smirked, “I actually have an idea I wanna try out.”
“Really? Well, I hope I can help!”
As soon as they made land, a troupe of Common Blades charged at them, some throwing Bitballs while others slashed sharp rings. April bravely ran at the Blades: first, she splashed white paint over their faces, then took several brushes in her fingers, dipped them in several spots on her palette, and swiftly decorated the Blades like macabre skulls. “Miguel! Play us something to dance to!”
“Uh, okay!” Miguel grabbed his white, skull-decorated guitar and sang, “What color is the sky, ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! You tell me that it’s red, ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! Where should I put my shoes, ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor! You say ‘put them on your head’ ¡Ay, mi amor! ¡Ay, mi amor!”
As Miguel’s notes graced the air, the Blades began to dance like lively skeletons! “Wow, that’s creative!” Aisa beamed. “Day of the Dead makeup made from April’s hypno-paint, mixed with Mexican musicbending, that’s practically overpowered!”
“Aye, but that ain’t the end of them.” Chimney said. “Spread out and make sure they ALL join the party! The hard way!”
Apis took Aeincha and headed a different direction while Aisa went with Chimney. The Shandian and the mermaid hybrid saw lightning erupt from a collapsed building: Electra stormed out in a fury. “You jerks! That really hurt! You’re lucky Blades can self-heal or I could’ve DIED!” They dodged a jolt as Chimney ran up first, throwing rapid palm-thrusts as her Fishman Karate bent the rain to punch Electra. The angered Blade raised a large hammer and swung down, missing Chimney, but sending a shockwave. Chimney was electrified, but Aisa had jumped to shoot Electra’s leg with an arrow. “OUCHIE! It doesn’t matter how much you hurt me! The only way to get rid of me is to kill my Driver, but he’s locked safe and sound on Mira!”
“Then we gotta call the Miran operatives to kill her Driver!” Chimney realized.
“Chimney, you realize they’re being controlled against their will?!”
“Hahaha!” Electra electrified and ran around rapidly, Aisa grabbing a pair of rubber gloves (from Skypia’s Rubber Band Land) to punch off her advances. “You’ll never stop…nnnhh…” The young Blade faltered, her Eggman irises flickering. “S…Stop me…”
“Are you… okay?” Aisa maintained her guard just in case.
“I’m sorry… I don’t mean to be bad.” Electra cried, twitching against her control. “My body regenerates, but I still get tired… If you hit me hard enough, I’ll get knocked out. Just please stop me from-” The Eggman symbols returned as she raised and slammed her hammer at Aisa. Her Haki barely sensed the attack from the shift in demeanor, but once Electra went for a spinning swing, Aisa raised a conch-shell in her palm to block it. The Impact Dial absorbed the kinetic force, so after Chimney knocked Electra off-balance with a kicking wave, Aisa pressed Electra with the Dial, striking her with the force of her hammer. Aisa jumped away as Electra’s Raijin ring lit up, casting electric balls. Aisa grabbed her Jet Dials to shoot clouds and absorb them, but Electra began to leap around and bang the ground with her hammer. Each thundering impact shook the earth and rendered the girls unstable; Aisa feared using Jet Dial to take flight would backfire if Electra cast lightning up through its clouds.
Chimney kicked toward Electra like a torpedo and stretched her fist, the rain shaping a small cyclone that twisted Electra’s belly; they could actually see the exposed skin contort as Electra’s whole body then followed, flying straight back into a building. Electra jumped out and slammed her hammer to the ground. She grabbed her sticks and began to beat it like a drum, rumbling the earth with extreme ferocity. Jolts of electricity also coursed through the ground, Chimney and Aisa jumping as much as possible to avoid both dangers. Chimney would twirl in the air as strong jets of rain spun with her, and with quick flicks of her legs, the water slapped Electra. Eventually, the rumbling subsided: Aisa landed on Chimney’s shoulders, her friend springing her skyward. Aisa cartwheeled and homed in on the Blade, her strong heel meeting Electra’s head directly. Though Aisa suffered electrocution, Electra was dizzied by the impact. Chimney then zipped over and punched up, the water uppercutting Electra aloft, and a series of karate chops would bend the water to slice and knock her around the air. When Electra fell, one extra palm thrust forced the Blade back into a building.
Apis and Aeincha ran to the Rental Bull Shop. The people of Water 7 used Yagara Bulls (a species of grinning seahorse) to navigate the canals of the city. Several of the bulls had been dragged out onto the rocky pavilion, one of them biting the head of a woman with teal-green hair, fox nose, mechanical clawed gauntlets, and black boots with magma-like designs. “Now, now, there’s no need to be fussy. You couldn’t very well stay in the water with all that electric business going on. Kit, Sunny, reason with these hooligans, would you?” she requested the white foxes on her shoulders, one with fiery hair and another with sapphire.
“Hey!” Apis approached the woman directly, but carefully. Nim’s attire was certainly unlike your average civilian… but her Eggman irises and crystal in her chest defined her true identity. “You’re one of the Xenoblades!”
“Yes, that I am. I’ll destroy you just as soon as I sort things out with this fellow here. Ugh, that’s quite enough!” Nim stomped the ground, blasting the bull away with a rock jab.
Infuriated by her act, Apis used telepathy and ordered the other bulls to gnash at her. She then drew a 4x4 mustard gun to shoot the Blade, the condensed globs doing light damage (as well as making her tastier to the bulls). Nim punched and kicked her opponents away, stomping the ground to send boulders at Apis. Nim ran to Apis while she was distracted from dodging, but the Blade found herself tripping on her own tied-up legs. The crafty little Aeincha had snuck underneath and swung between Nim’s legs with hair braids, wrapping the Blade up and tripping her. Now that she was up close, Apis grabbed a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and struck her fox nose directly, landing a combo of four. However, it was then Nim’s fire fox spat a blast at Apis, the edge of her dress catching fire as she dodged. Apis shot herself with a F.R.A.P.P.E. to douse it.
Nim cut herself free and kicked forward to punch Apis in the gut with her knuckle-claws, the Arceist screaming in pain as she reeled and rolled down the Rocky Cape. “Now, let’s… what’s that, Sunny?” Nim’s foxes were sniffing the air. “You sense another foe? But where? I don’t see any other kids.” Nim got down and sniffed the ground herself. Aeincha had gone hiding behind a broken rock, fearful as the Blade crawled her way. “Goodness… our enemy may be right under our noses, but all I can sniff… is this filthy mustard! Ugh! Perhaps I’ll go for a refreshing dip myself.” Nim ran to where she knocked Apis and jumped into the sea. “Ahhhh…that’s much better. Oh?” Then she found her legs trapped in the teeth of a Rabuka Bull, larger and scarier than the previous variant. “Now, what could you possibly-”
The bull raised out of the surface and spat Nim on the ground. “SMASH HER!” Apis ordered, riding the bull’s head as it crushed Nim. It rose to give Apis a view of the Blade: though Nim’s injuries seemed to heal, she looked slightly fatigued from the attack. Nim ran back and stomped boulders at the larger bull, the Rabuka tanking them as he climbed up on shore. It rammed the Blade head-on, knocking Nim on her back, but she stood as Rabuka went for a bite. Its teeth couldn’t connect around Nim’s torso as the Blade kept it up with arm strength alone. However, while she was focused on the bull, Kit and Sunny saw their extra foe dashing up from behind: a green-haired Lilliputian girl, carrying a normal-size shaver. The twin foxes spat puffs of red and blue fire, but Aeincha swiftly dodged either.
She dashed up Nim’s slanted body, evading the foxes’ gnashing teeth as she used her razor to shave their fur, cutting off their flame-hair as well! Feeling this, Nim growled in frustration, dealing one final stone thrust to send the Rabuka flying away. Apis had already jumped off, bashing Nim’s head with the S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R.. Nim kicked her away with her stone boot, then tried to grab Aeincha off her back. The Lilliputian used scissors to give Nim a clean buzzcut, leaping off and running afterward. “Hmph! At least I look like a fresh coat of moss!” Nim chased and tried to crush Aeincha, her earthbending quaking the ground as the Lilliputian stumbled. But she was distracted from delivering a fatal stomp when the Rental Shop crumbled: two King Bulls stampeded out, Apis smirking as her telepathic call drew them.
The reddish bull climbed onto the yellow bull, who pulsed its back to spring its friend into the air. The reddish bull flattened Nim, but the Blade burrowed underground to evade. She then thrusted the earth up, pressing the bull’s stomach in as it flung to the side. The yellow bull felt Nim’s movement underground, fleeing from her tremors. When Nim finally peeped up like an innocent groundhog, the bull finally slammed its head into her like one, rendering the Blade dizzy underground. Once she recovered, Nim growled and burrowed her way near one of the shores, rising up on a rock pillar. “Kit, Sunny: Earth Priestess attack!” The twin foxes began to build energy for a powerful, combined laser.
However, Aeincha had been clinging Nim’s boot the whole time, climbing when the time was ripe. Recycling her Braid Binding, she speedily tied the twin foxes into a bow, one facing down and the other up. “YOU LITTLE RASCAL! Nono! Abort attack, abo-” The twin beams knocked Nim off balance and destroyed her pillar. As the Blade took the fall, the King Bulls charged up and squashed her with a combined head-clap. Aeincha used a tiny glider to fly down to the welcoming hands of her friend, Apis.
“You’re the best stylist in the world, Aeincha!”
“Hehehehe!” Six years ago, Aeincha never thought she would ever accomplish so much. Ever since she met Apis and Chimney, she felt herself growing more and more. But no matter how much she grew, she would always return to the trusting hands of her best friends!
Sector W
Most of Ashland had been evacuated after the terrible meteor shower, most of which still lay over the remains of crushed homes. For this reason, the parts of town that were still stable were being bulldozed by a trio of monstrous giants: Cressidus, a Blade with a helmet, a grayish muscular body, tusks, and dense metal gauntlets; Wulfric, a broad black beast with grinning sharp teeth, glaring eyes, and antennae; and Dolmes, who was larger than the other two with bulky golden armor, smashing homes with a spiked hammer.
“Brooooo…crushing homes is fun… but scaring people better.” Wulfric snarled, charging toward a group of fleeing kids.
“HUHU, I know!” Cressidus laughed, giggling as he chucked boulders at the GUN tanks. “It’s more fun than pulverizing an Ardainian Titan!”
“MMMMMMMMMMMM!” Dolmes had no other words to express his joy as he punctured a car with his hammer.
“Hey, you three! I sense strong auras taking out our Commons!” yelled Obrona, surveying the area from bird’s-eye. Obrona had six orange, bug-like wings, white armor with gold inlays, and horns on the side of her helmet. She spoke with a lisped voice. “It might be the KND operatives. You remember our orders, don’t ya?”
“Great!” Cressidus perked. “Maybe they’ll actually gimme a challenge!”
Anthony, Fybi, Shelly Johnson, and Tom Taylor had rounded up the horde of Common Blades into an unconscious pile. “This town just can’t catch a break, can it?” Shelly asked, hands rested behind her head. “I’d hate to live here!”
“Methinks thou two hast received Francis’s call for backup?” Fybi wondered. “Though as Shelly is not an operative, it perplexes me…”
“The Minish ops called me about some robot-looking dudes trashing town. Plus, I’ve sort of been thinkin’… about joining your sector.”
“Ours?” Anthony asked.
“I mean, you were one of my favorite sparring buddies! And I feel bad about… well, all this bad stuff that’s been happening to ya. Especially when Tom told me what that Nea chick did. That’s a real low blow.”
“Sure was…”
“But I figure you probably need more than just the two of you in a sector, so I felt like joinin’!”
“Fine by me! You’re way cooler than Nea, anyway!”
“In that case,” Tom said, “maybe it’s time for me to step outta retirement. Sector W can be the Earth Children’s sector from now on!”
“We shalt savor this after we hath secured victory hither.” Fybi reminded.
The three brutish Blades marched in perfect unison toward the three earthbenders, rubble reduced to sand or ash beneath their soles. “Hurrr…kids do not match Eggman’s description.” Wulfric said. “Not one barefoot boy… but three.”
“I ain’t even gonna correct you.” Shelly smirked, feeling lightly flattered.
“They’re awfully tiny either way!” Cressidus laughed. “Squashin’ ’em will be easy!”
“Squash THIS!” Anthony stomped a boulder at Cressidus, who punched it away; Shelly shoved sand in Wulfric’s mouth, the beast redirecting it with his own bending; Tom threw a Lava Fist at Dolmes’ helmet, the giant withstanding it.
“HEY! You’re all earthbenders, too!”
“RRRRRRRRRRR!” Dolmes was upset that he wasn’t a bender.
“Then let’s have us a nice, three-way Earth Rumble.” Anthony proposed. (Play “Visions of the Future” from Xenoblade!)
The six squat like sumo wrestlers. Each raised the left foot, mirroring the opposite foe, and stomped a print into the concrete. They raised the right foot, but upon stomping, the Earth Children sent a wave of jagged rocks, sand, and lava, Wulfric and Cressidus intercepting them with their own, while Dolmes blocked Tom’s lava with his hammer. Wulfric twirled a two-pronged lance and tossed it at Shelly, her torso caught perfectly between the prongs as she flew back several yards. The other two Blades charged to engage their respective foes while Wulfric bypassed them, Anthony forming rock gauntlets to box with Cressidus. The hulking Blade gripped the ground, suddenly trapping Anthony in a rock fist. Cressidus then snatched him through the trap, spinning around. “On the way of an open mountain: he shoots, HE SCORES!”
“AAAAAAHHH!” Anthony felt as if he were fired out of a high-powered cannon. The town of Ashland went flying beneath his vision and as it transitioned to the forest, he saw he was flying toward the great cliff he used to climb for training. He tightly focused chi to his hands and willed it to scatter, intending to convert the impact point into sand and soften the crash. The art worked in his favor as Anthony crashed 30 meters deep into the cliff, that portion reduced to a vertical sinkhole. The W leader crawled his way out, but screamed as a boulder came flying, quickly shattering it.
“Did Ah mention Ah got the best throw in Alrest?! And Ah can still feel where ya are with mah Seismic Sense! You can’t hide from me!” Cressidus pushed up the next boulder.
“What cowardly tactics!” Fybi aimed her B.O.W., deciding to deal with this brute herself—“AAAH!” Purple energy chains formed around her as she dropped and landed in a bush.
“Hahahahaha!” An annoying laughter was joined by the arrival of a bug-winged Blade. “Don’t get in the way of a contest of men, ya little bug!”
“Who art thou calling a bug?” Fybi shot arrows, Obrona countering with lightning strikes. “And what hast thou done?!”
“My Shackle Blade works on other benders, too! Cool! It’s my chi-blocking technique!” Obrona struck more bolts, Fybi evading and struggling to snipe the evading Blade. Fortunately, the purple chains disappeared after 15 seconds, so the Nimbi took to the air and bent her own lightning. Obrona’s bolts intercepted hers, but Fybi would flip over the array of electricity and stamp Obrona in the face, a burst of air blowing the Blade away. Fybi shot a charged arrow, Obrona dodging, but would suffer the volley of smaller arrows once Fybi closed in. Obrona drew Twinblades, electrified as she zipped up to slash Fybi, but the Nimbi in turn split her B.O.W. into dual swords to clash with her.
Whirlwinds were bent over Fybi’s swords, on which she channeled her own electric current to keep Obrona’s from reaching. Their speed was nearly equal, but Obrona would make the retreat first. As Fybi chased, the Blade faced her wings at Fybi and flashed them, stunning the Nimbi with blindness. Obrona flew to stab Fybi’s hips, shocking her before kicking Fybi into a house. Certain that she was dealt with, Obrona flew down and cast Shackle Blade on Shelly and Tom, causing them to suffer their foes’ weapons. But hearing a crash behind her, Obrona saw a dense tornado rising from the crashed house. Clearly seeing Fybi in its core, Obrona fled from the pursuing tornado, easily outrunning the dense wind. Fybi eventually dispelled it, but when Obrona shot lightning in retaliation, Fybi absorbed it in a conjured thundercloud and squeezed it back at the Blade. She swiftly looped under and behind to kick Obrona into the ground.
Obrona recovered, searching the sky, but the Nimbi had gone into hiding. Yet, she could feel a discrepancy in the air, an odd mix of hot and cold. She eventually saw Fybi soaring head-on, B.O.W. ready, but fortunately, Obrona’s Shackle Blade was ready again. She cast the purple chains… but they merely dispersed the mirage Fybi. “?!” A swarm of distorted Fybis came flying… but among these mirages, one of them was more clear and well-shaped. “Please, even Akhos can act better than that!” Obrona shot lightning, but that Fybi dispersed. Only then did she learn the long, lanky Fybi was the real one, grabbing Obrona’s neck. The Nimbi spun into a tornado and drilled Obrona against the street, twisting down into the sewer and stirring the water away with her cyclone. Fybi was determined to keep it up until Obrona was too sick to fight.
Once Shackle Blade wore off, Tom molded his own hammer out of lava, hoping to dent Dolmes’ armor. It looked gold, and gold was technically a weak material, wasn’t it? When Dolmes slammed his hammer, Tom hammered his over it, melting the stone and hardening the lava to bind Dolmes’ hammer to the ground. Tom forced Dolmes away with a Lava Fist, then hoisted up the hammer himself… but it dispersed into matter and reformed in Dolmes’ hand. “HMHMHMHM!” Only Drivers could hold their Blades’ weapons! Dolmes charged headfirst at Tom, plowing through his lava stream and using Colossus Tornado. The spinning of his mighty hammer splashed the lava everywhere, searing Tom’s skin as he keeled over. Tom pushed up and raised the Blade up in a lava pillar, molding and hardening it tightly so Dolmes would be unable to escape. From there, it was a matter of merciless punches to the side of his exposed helmet, bonking it around enough until Dolmes was KO’ed.
“ROOOOAAAAAR!” Wulfric pounded his chest like a gorilla, pondering if it would intimidate Shelly or prod her into fighting harder. What Shelly did, in fact, was shape the surrounding sand into a giant gorilla, herself occupying the center. After pounding and roaring in the same fashion, she hammered the fists down on Wulfric, who broke it apart. He bent up several spear-shaped stones, but Shelly sealed the sand-gorilla’s cockpit, hiding herself as Wulfric’s stones pierced without finding their target. The gorilla threw a punch, Wulfric splitting the arm with his lance, but Shelly bent the sand behind him to wrap his tail and raise him to the air. By the time Wulfric broke the sand, he was several meters in the air. Shelly clapped him in the gorilla hands, but when he bent them away, she quickly thrusted the gorilla’s head to spring him to the air.
Wulfric flipped into a dive position, going headfirst for Shelly, who decided to convert the ground beneath her into sand and soften it. Wulfric burrowed dozens of meters deep, while Shelly would remain above and wildly stir the sand, slamming Wulfric into the sides. Inevitably, the Blade would climb back up, jabbing a stone spear and grazing Shelly’s waist. She threw an array of Sand Fists and kicks that Wulfric would tolerate, the Blade stabbing his lance in the ground and bending up a stone lance to snatch Shelly. He compressed the lance and nearly crushed her stomach before she sandified it. It would mean in the end as Wulfric bashed Shelly with his lance, knocking her out.
The beast tanked a Lava Fist as consequence, facing Tom. “Never thought there’d be a bigger bully than Shelly.”
“Hnnn…” Wulfric’s eyes flickered remorsefully over the defeated girl. “I am… no bully… but my will… is not my own.” Wulfric stomped a boulder at Tom, who would bend it in his favor, melting and slamming its lavafied form into Wulfric. “Uh…but Wulfric… tired now. Something in… Wulfric eye…”
During the battle, though Wulfric bent Shelly’s aggressive attacks away from him, she subtly bent small fragments of sand into his glaring eyes. He passed them off as mere residual grains that slipped away from either’s bending, but they were barely a nuisance. In reality, the gentle chi that Shelly applied to them slowly drew Wulfric into slumber. After all, Jessie wasn’t the only dream warrior around, Shelly thought to herself in her slumber.
Cressidus raised the foundation of several houses to throw them at the cliff, Anthony abruptly stopping their flight with his own bending. “NO, NO, NO!” And Cleveland Brown was on one, doomed to plummet to the forest in his bathtub.
“Man, his range is intense! But it ain’t anywhere as big as Stonebuddy’s… wait a second.” He remembered how Stonebuddy used Stone Clones to travel vast distances and earthbend through them. And since Stonebuddy was a part of him now… maybe it was time to try it. Anthony dug under the cliff, assuming a meditative state, despite the tremors of the boulders outside. With Seismic Sense, he could feel the presence and weight of everything from here to the town… from there, pinning down Cressidus’ presence was easy. Within his Seismic Vision, he focused on the spot beside Cressidus. “Huh…let’s try something like this.”
Anthony formed a shabby, misshapen Stone Clone of himself in the surface above. “I get it…” He linked thin strings of Earth Chi connected to his body parts, like a puppet. It was almost similar to the Boulder-n-Chain technique, albeit a much more dramatic range. Keeping his eyes closed, he raised the clone with bending and sent it flying the great distance. It crashed haphazardly along the ground before Cressidus.
“Whuh? What in tarnation is that?”
“BLWUH.” The Rock Clone rose to its masters motions: when Anthony stomped, the chi would be transmitted through the strings and stomp a boulder at the unsuspecting Cressidus. “DOW BY GUT DOU.”
“Um…Anthony?” Fybi cocked a brow in bewilderment. “Mayhaps this is… some kind of stratagem?”
The clone hoisted up a large slab and aggressively bashed Cressidus, who linked gauntlets in defense. He tried to bend the clone over to him, but Anthony wrestled him for control. The clone stomped a quick jab at Cressidus’ knee, breaking control, then it sprung into the air before crashing as a shockwave. The clone dug underground, Cressidus sensing its position and jumping to quake it, but as the clone evaded, five Stone Clones emerged around him. The main clone controlled the others, all sliding around as Cressidus spun trying to trace them all. In the end, Cressidus wound up dizzying himself, so the four other clones lunged into and bashed him around.
But with the main clone exposed, Cressidus called it over and crushed it in his hands. “HUHU! That’ll teach ya!” But he would be taught something as well as a boulder bashed him in the helmet. “Where did THAT come from?!”
Using Stone Fury to enhance his precision and the durability of his rocks, Anthony ripped several chunks out of the cliff and chucked them at his foe. “Now it’s MY turn!” He mounted himself on one of the boulders before sending himself flying. Rather than fly to Cressidus, he landed in the region of town where the meteors fell. Anthony called them all to himself and molded a Meteor Golem in his shape. With another great stomp, Anthony blasted to the sky and directed his fall in Cressidus’ direction. The terrific speed almost gave him the fire of a meteor. “METEOR CRASH!!” Cressidus, excited to meet the challenge, raised both gauntlets to grab and push the statue-shaped meteor! Though he held Anthony off for a moment, the Blade would wind up scraping through town, crumbling several already-ruined houses and pushing up a tall mound of earth. The pain in his soles was too much for Cressidus to bear, so he fell unconscious from the intense feeling.
Karakura, Japan
Ichiraku Ramen had fallen under new management, and new branding. The distraught customers were tied to their stools, forced to bow and munch bowls of dumplings. “Good! Eat every last serving!” the chef requested, a tall, blonde Blade with a motherly tone and a smile to match it. Vess wore white armor with gold lines, her hair flowing down the length of her body, and halo-like rings surrounded her wrists, ankles, Bitball, and head. Such adornments would’ve painted her as kind and angelic, but her actions spoke louder.
“But we came here for rameeeeen!” a little girl cried.
“My dear, with dumplings, you don’t need anything else.” Vess assured. “Dumplings are like the world: round, soft, and warm.”
“At least the world has variety!” a businessman shouted.
“Behave and finish your bowl. And when you’re done, guess what’s for dessert? MORE DUMPLINGS!”
The window shattered: Masaru Daimon, a red-haired boy with tan skin and white sneakers with red laces leapt in, crunching the glass shards as he approached the woman bravely. “If you’re gonna force-feed these innocent people, you should at least speak their language: they’re called onigiri!”
“My, what a skinny young man. You must be starving. Please, help yourself to a bowl. I have plenty for everybody.”
“Maybe I will.” Masaru took one from one of the customers. He chewed the dumpling and spit it out. “Pleh! Tastes lame! Needs more cooking!” Masaru took more and burned them to ash in his sapphire flames.
“Goodness!”
“How DARE you defile the dumplings?!” A hammer with crystallized fire flew in and BASHED Masaru, crashing through several tables as dumplings piled on him. The customers at those tables were frozen with horror. The man who threw it had fiery-orange hair, reddish skin, and a body of pure blue, crystalline flames. “Dumplings are a nutritious pastry! They have the apt amount of calories and fat! …I think?”
“Oh, great, another weirdo in crazy getup.”
“I’m no weirdo! I’m Godfrey of the Blue Flame! We are here to unite this town under Eggman’s rule!”
“I’ll show YOU justice!” Masaru threw a baseball, Godfrey raising his hammer to block it—the baseball poofed behind Godfrey and thwacked him. Masaru ran, leapt, and kicked Godfrey straight out the window he smashed through, afterwards leaping after the Blade. (Play “Ultimate Bringer of Chaos” from XC2!)
“Masaru?!” Both turned to Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki.
“Hey, where’ve you guys been?” Masaru jumped Godfrey’s hammer swing and kicked his face. “I swung by to get some of Yuzu’s food when these aliens attacked.”
“Masaru, make sure you just knock him out, don’t kill him.” Karin ordered. “I’ll explain later.”
“Great, but there’s one more in the restaurant.” Masaru combusted into a great blue flame, Godfrey jumping back in surprise.
“I see we have much in common, villain! But there’s only room for ONE Blue Flame!” Godfrey leapt and hammered down, erecting a long frozen flame and piercing Masaru.
“YOW!” He leapt back, his fire melting the ice. “Wait, you’re not even a firebender! You’re an icebender!”
“Actually, this is all I can do.” Godfrey swung at him once more. “Some of us Blades aren’t lucky enough to have bending. The most I get is this ice hammer.”
“Haha!” Masaru thrusted fists repeatedly, shooting fireballs that would poof around Godfrey from random directions. “What a lame-o!”
“Karin-nee, I’ll take care of the restaurant.” Yuzu offered. “Go see the ice rink.” Her sister nodded and ran off. After entering the restaurant, Yuzu was horror-stricken as Vess forced the little girl to eat a bowl of dumplings. “STOP THAT!” She shot Vess with Soul Arrows from her wristband weapon. The chef Blade threw her electric Bitball, Yuzu dodging. “What’re you trying to do?! Fatten people up and cook them?!”
“Goodness, no! I just want to share the joy of dumplings to the world.”
“I want raaaaameeeeeen.” The girl cried.
“And I think you need to expand your palette.”
“Whyever would I? Dumplings are love. Dumplings are life. Perhaps you should try some? Then you’ll see.”
“I bet I could make dumplings that would blow yours away.”
“Ho ho ho! I do enjoy a good challenge!”
Karin kicked her soccerball and KO’ed several Blades around the ice rink. Several people were cuffed and knelt around the rink. A lady Blade approached the first victim: she had dark skin, flowing white and blue hair in two long ponytails, and white, blue, and gold attire, with a trident with icy prongs. She gave off a proud and dignified aura… but her actions were anything but noble as she tipped her trident to a man’s neck. “I will hear your sins, vile citizen.”
“Whatcha talkin’ about?! I ain’t got anything to fess!”
“LIES!” Perun stabbed the wall behind him with bullet speed. “All men are guilty of something! Now you can add deceit to your sins.”
“OKAY, OKAY! I guilted my girl into lending me money, that’s all! Please, I’ll play ’er back!”
“This world is full of foul men like you. They must be PURGED!” She raised her trident to pierce-
Karin’s soccerball met the back of her head. “I’ve dealt with my fair share of bad men.” Perun cast an icy glare at Karin. “But I would feel like trash if I tried to stab them with a spear.”
“So, you were able to get past Godfrey. Your justice must be strong.”
“Is that like the theme for this division of Blades?”
“That and cooking. But I hope you didn’t hurt him too much.”
Masaru threw a punch, but was blocked by Godfrey’s hammer as a crystal flame froze over his arm. He jumped Godfrey’s follow-up swing and kicked his shoe out to the air, setting it alight as it poofed to burn Godfrey. “Gird your loins for a nice big taste of STEAMING JUSTICE!” A combo of hammers against the ground erupted a shockwave of crystalline flame!
“Though Godfrey’s heart is strong… though his justice is unwavering…” Perun continued.
Masaru ran a far distance back before returning and burning through the ice.
“…he is the weakest of us Rare Blades.”
Masaru’s fire-powered headbutt blasted Godfrey up several city blocks, plowing through any buildings in the way. Masaru ran to catch up with the fellow envoy of justice… but only found Godfrey laying in agony. “Is that really it?”
“Aaaaugh…no…” The crystal-bodied Blade pulled himself up, trembling on his legs. “The Flame of Justice… never dies… but I…” His eyes flickered. “Do I really believe… in Eggman’s justice?”
Masaru folded his arms, firm and proud in his words. “Justice is bullcrud. It’s just a fancy word that people with power like to throw around. There’s a difference between being a man of justice and being a hero.”
“Heh heh…only a true hero… would say that.”
“Nah! I’m just a jerk who likes to beat people up!” So, Masaru made sure to knock him down for good.
“So, if you’re preaching about justice,” Karin replied, “you must know what you’re doing is wrong?”
“My heart is corrupted. Even I understand that.” Perun affirmed. “And now I feel the urge to punish those for the most menial of cries. So, I ask you, child.” She spun her lance above her, conjuring a giant block of ice. “If you truly follow justice, then punish me!”
The ice block dropped, but Karin threw up her sneakered foot and sent it flying across town. “You’re on! It’s refreshing to fight a non-ghost opponent!” She dashed—“Wah, wah, waaaah!” but wound up running in place before slipping on the ice.
“I didn’t choose this battleground for nothing!” Perun stabbed her lance, Karin grabbing its prongs to push back.
In another district of town, several Commons met their conscious fates to baseballs and paddleballs. Megumi’s projectile of choice was smaller than Jinta’s, but its iron structure combined with her powerful swings were nonetheless deadly. “Ah must say, these Blades aren’t as strong as Ah thought they’d be.”
“Yeah, no kidding, if they can’t even beat a newbie like you!”
“I seem to recall a certain big boy gettin’ trounced by my Ping-Pong when we first met.”
“You caught me off guard! If we were in a serious fight, I would trounce you—LOOK OUT!”
A muscular Blade with orange hair and white clothes with sharp blue fins leapt at the duo with a great axe of an elaborate design. Jinta pushed Megumi down and raised his bat to block him, the blue-haired newbie catching her breath in shock. Jinta kicked the foe in his thick-abbed stomach, the Blade reeling back. “What in tarnation?” Megumi stood, holding her heart to settle it down. “He don’t look like any of them others.”
“This, Megumi, is how you distinguish important people from faceless fodder. I’m guessing you’re the boss of these Blades?”
“Yes I am!” Gorg answered with emphasis, making a pose. “Every Blade that Team Rex awakens joins the mercenaries, and we Rare Blades are put in charge of a squad of Commons.” Another pose, “That’s because Rares are the strongest! Our skills make us the most worthy leaders-”
His stomach was bent in by Megumi’s paddleball. Though it pained him, it was only a minor cramp. He swung his Greataxe at her, but Jinta sent him flying up the road with his bat. Megumi could tell right then he was stronger than the Commons, embarrassed that Jinta had to show her up like that. Even so, she wouldn’t get any stronger if she didn’t run after Jinta and keep fighting. “DON’T HIT ME!” A waterball swelled up on Gorg’s axe, the Blade batting it, only for Jinta’s bat to block it. “I won’t let you stand in my…WHUH?!” His head whipped right: two high school girls were walking up the road with cupcakes in hand. “EXCUSE ME?!”
The girls screamed, and the ops were confused, as Gorg ran to them and took the pastries. “What in the world is this?! There’s too much frosting! And the structure is all wrong! Look how easily it crumbles!” The cupcakes fell apart in his grasp, hitting the ground.
“HEY!” One girl slapped the Blade to no avail. “You jerk, those were our favorites!”
“THOSE?! My WORD! And is that…OH!!” An obese man was munching a large cooking with colorful icing around the edges. Until Gorg ran up to steal it. “This cookie is far too thick! There aren’t enough chips to balance it! And the sugar quantity is ridiculous! Good sir, where did you procure this abomination?”
“Give that back!” The man ripped it out of Gorg’s grasp. “If you want one of your own, the shop is right there!”
Gorg’s gaze sharpened on the Dean & Deluca café. “Their misdeeds will not go unpunished! This eatery is in need of new management!”
Jinta and Megumi chased Gorg into the restaurant. Scaring off the workers and customers with his axe, he trashed all the goods displayed. “Good thing I brought my ingredients! I’ll show you all what a REAL pâtissier can do! OWIE!”
Megumi’s Iron Paddle met the back of his skull, her golden irises narrowed reproachfully. “You may be quite the critic, but no man in your position would ever be so cruel to such lovely baking!”
“Lovely?! My dear, you obviously know nothing of the art! My Neon Cookies alone will knock you dead!”
“Then perhaps we’ll settle this…” Megumi used the Compowder to change from her country clothes to her white chef’s clothes, “with a Food War.”
“A WAR OF FOOD?!”
“It’s a tradition from my academy. We’ll hold a contest to bake the best pastries. Y’all can use your ingredients, and I’ll use what this shop has available. The loser, in this case, we’ll have to surrender to their enemy’s custody.”
“Then let us have a most honorable duel!”
“Are all Blades this crazy?” Jinta sighed. “Oh well. Food break!” He jumped into an abandoned table and waited eagerly.
Kodama surfed a pair of fireworks, following the colorful bursts erupting from the neighborhood. “Ururu, I bet you I know who that is.” She said with a smirk.
“You mean Crossette?” the tiny girl replied from her shoulder. “You think she attacked this town because she knew you’d be here?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you squash those Blades down there? I’ll handle her.”
“Good luck!” Ururu took flight toward the playground, where a band of Commons terrorized the up-late children. The Tiny Devil blew her up to giant size as Ururu began to step over the Blades.
Crossette—a girl with sparking horns, monochrome hair, and a belt of firework shells—skied the neighborhood streets with rocket-powered heels and chucked colorful explosives into each house. One lit up with the design of a giant Pyra, one lit up like a batch of Addam’s Embercakes, and another like a colossal, looming, all-seeing Eggman. “Ha ha ha! With my fireworks, I will LIGHT THE WHOLE WORLD! AAAAH!”
A tremendous Firework Fist descended and CRUSHED the pyrotechnic beneath its heat! Crossette caught her breath as her soot-covered wounds began to heal. “Hiya, girl friend!” Her face lit up, and horns sparked, at seeing her Festival Friend land on a roof. “Did you miss me?!”
“KODAMA!” Crossette threw a shell, Kodama used jetpack fireworks to dodge to the next roof. She dropped to the street and launched Iceworks, Crossette skiing back in evasion. “I’m glad you came! Now we can decide once and for all, which star shines the brightest?!”
“And it’ll be MINE!” Kodama fired a shell from a cannon, combusting into the design of a neon-glittered tree!
Karin quick-walked backwards to stay balanced on the ice while evading the speed of Perun’s lance. Unfortunately, the ice got the better of her, Karin winding up on her side as Perun conjured several Ice Lances. They all pierced the surface, but Karin angled her limbs in ways to avoid them. She breakdanced to kick and shatter the spears, but she grabbed one to throw at Perun upon standing. “KARIN!” She turned and recognized Chizuru, a red-haired girl from her school. “Use my skates!” She slid a pair of shoes across the ice.
“Thanks, Chizuru-chan!” Karin threw off her own and put on the skate shoes. She kicked herself off to a start, gliding the rink. Perun stabbed her lance into the ice as more such lances erected around it, Karin dodging and dicing them with her blades. She slid to Perun with a cartwheel attack, but when Perun curved her lance horizontally in defense, Karin swiftly propped herself on her hands, spinning as her horizontal skates went over the lance and bashed Perun’s torso. Karin flipped back up, grabbed Perun’s lance, and used it as a prop to flip and land another kick.
Perun threw Karin off and materialized a more massive head over her trident, made of ice. “Extinction Icicle.” Perun squat, building strength. Karin set her soccerball before her and bent her leg straight upward, building strength as well. The same time Perun lunged forward was when Karin kicked the ball—it flew over the giant lance and bashed Perun’s face, blinding her as Karin ducked. The trident tore down the rink’s fence, but Karin shot a piercing kick at Perun’s stomach once she was underneath. Karin followed with a sidekick, quickly standing and skiing to evade a flurry of rising Ice Lances. Perun skied to the center of the rink and erected a towering ice pillar, where she stay perched as she conjured a ceiling of lances. “Snowflake of Judgment!”
Karin had to kick the pillar down one segment at a time, all while dodging the lances. They fell in random order like huge, frozen shards of rain. Before Karin could collapse it all the way, Perun tried to escape on an Ice Road, but its origin was low enough for Karin to jump on. Karin skied the swirling road while kicking her soccer along, dodging the flying lances all while building the ball’s speed. Perun’s road ultimately curved down to the rink at a steep incline, hoping Karin’s balance would falter as she hurdled her lance. However, the soccerball was already kicked before it could reach her: Karin’s stomach was pierced, but the ball flew like a comet and bashed Perun’s head, the Blade splashing through the rink and hitting the bottom of the pool underneath. The surrounding citizens cheered for their local hero and Soccer Star! Perun, her consciousness fading, was honored to lose to such a just heart.
“Br-r-r-r-r-r!” Though Karin landed in the icy water as well, hastening to climb out. “Okay, I-I’m bleeding, and cold, n-n-need assistance!”
At Ichiraku’s, Yuzu and Vess completed their dishes: Vess’s dumplings were a mix of Rainbow and Choclit Dumplings, made from ingredients brought from Alrest. Yuzu’s dumplings were wrapped in ramen noodles, their faces decorated with swirly cheeks and Naruto eyes and whiskers. The two presented them to Chef Teuchi. “You will be the judge, Teuchi-san.” Yuzu said.
“JUDGE?!” the cook’s jaw practically detached when it dropped. “I thought you were here to beat her up for taking my customers hostage, why are you holding a contest?!”
“Some battles can’t be won with simple combat.” Yuzu answered. “Now please, judge us honestly.”
“If I detect any bias,” Vess twirled her electric Bitball, “you will pay.”
“D’oooohh…” Fearing this was the end of his career, Teuchi tried a sample of Yuzu’s Father & Son Dumplings. “WOOOOHHHH!” Despite his fears, the taste of the dumpling mixed with noodle sent a rush of excitement through his heart! “Amazing! I can feel such a burning passion! A desire to triumph no matter how difficult the odds! And that desire has been turned into chakra! OOOOOO!” The customers looked on in bewilderment as the cook began to spin around. “It’s like there’s a Rasengan SPINNING IN MY HEEEAAAAARRRRT!”
“How intriguing.” Vess admitted. “But all that decoration takes away from the dumplings.”
“The noodles and decoration give the dumplings flavor and the dumplings give them a foundation to stand strong.” Yuzu argued. “Still, I can see you’re no stranger to variety after all. Mind if I have my own samples?”
“By all means.”
Yuzu and Teuchi both tried a Rainbow Dumpling. “Mmmmmmm~!” Yuzu could feel the love and ingredients poured into it. “I can taste… some kind of soil, rice… and it was cooked with charcoal. And is that slug I taste?”
“Salty Soil, Gromrice, and Rainbow Slug from Uraya.” Vess explained. “With Mor Ardain’s Breath Charcoal to bring out the ‘oomph!’”
“I see… through all these flavors, I can sort of taste a hint of strife. Clashing ideals.”
“My previous Driver was a man called Mabon. He was a kind Ardainian from a nice country home in Gormott. His daughter, Noelle, became my new Driver after he passed on, and it’s only thanks to her I can recall this story. Noelle married an Urayan, despite the war taking place between their countries. Though I don’t remember all the time we’ve spent together, the art of dumplings was embedded into my core. These dumplings that I’ve made for them, in years lost to me… they will always remain in my heart.”
Yuzu tasted the Choclit Dumpling next. Thicker in calories, there was an even stronger sense of love. “Salty Soil, Gromrice,” Vess repeated, “Ruby Mangosteen, Gormott’s Sumpkin… and my former Driver’s favorite: Bitter Choclit. Oh, he was so obsessed with that Choclit… so I’ve been told.”
“Ooooohhh! I can feel it!” Teuchi imagined himself on a rocking chair on the porch of a wooden house, situated on a cliff overlooking the clouds. “I want to spend my years of retirement… with this plate of dumplings, and watch the horizon… Such lovely memories…”
Both chef’s dishes were served to the captive customers. In spite of their position and longing to get out of here, “MMMMMMM!” both plates were strong and heartwarming in their own way!
“Both are such fine concoctions… but I must be honest.” Teuchi said. “Vess’s dumplings… pack so many memories. The power of a mother’s love… triumphs a Father & Son’s Rasengan?!”
“Then I guess… this match goes to you.” Yuzu bowed with a smile.
“No… I am undeserving.” Vess happily tried one Naruto and one Boruto dumpling. “Sometimes… a mother has a longing for those years of youth and adventure… an unquenchable thirst for passion! I…I feel…”
“RAAAAAASENGAAAAAAAN!” Yuzu, dressed as the Hero of Konoha, came flying with a ball of swirling energy in hand. With an urge to bring this fantasy to life, Vess raised her Bitball, spun it, and pressed it into her chest! She spun like the propeller of a plane, blasting through the restaurant wall and twisting a swirling crater into a nearby building! She would remain in her position, unconscious.
“Sooooo… who’s paying for all this damage?” Teuchi asked.
“Well, all those checks we make have to go somewhere.” Yuzu blushed.
At Dean & Deluca, Gorg served his completed dish to Jinta: a heart-shaped cake with a cherry in the center and berries embedded within, and white icing shaped into horses galloping around the edges. “Lovemerry Cake! Complete with Choice Cherry, Love Raspberry, Mookah Flour, and Cranberry Bell!”
“Mmmmmmm!” Jinta flushed from the sweetening taste. “I don’t know what any of those ingredients are, but I think I’m in love!”
Megumi tried a bite: the sweetening taste nearly overwhelmed her, cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. “It tastes like… I’ve just been married off, riding a white horse to our honeymoon! Ooooooohhh!” Her pure white wedding dress flowed behind her as she held Sōma Yukihara’s hip. “EEEEP!” She snapped out of the fantasy in shock.
“Aaaaahh…” Jinta seemed to be having a different fantasy. “Ururu…”
“Um…” Megumi didn’t wanna know, “Ahem, here’s my dish.” She presented a bowl full of baseballs.
“EH?!” Gorg gawked. “They are baseballs?!”
“Home-Run Doughnuts.” Megumi affirmed. “The powder and jelly strips delicately applied over each and every roll.”
“Ridiculous!” Gorg exclaimed. “They’re not even round! And there are a whole bunch of blank spots!”
“A baseball that has seen its share of games is bound to see wear and tear. Yet, through it all, the base stays strong and keeps taking hits. Much like the bat that hits them and the player that swings it!” Megumi grabbed one of the doughnuts, reeled back, and pitched straight at Jinta. His big mouth engulfed the whole sweet.
“YEEEAAAAAH!” The red-haired man felt the urge to go dashing across a hundred-mile baseball field. “I FEEL LIKE I CAN PLAY A MILLION MORE GAMES! BATTER UP, NERD!”
Jinta grabbed another doughnut and threw it into Gorg’s mouth. As the taste whooshed down his throat, he imagined himself running from a pair of athletic bullies—Jinta and Megumi—who threw an endless barrage of baseballs. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!”
“Gorg-san, you put a lot of passion into your Lovemerry Cake… but compared to the harsh training I’ve had to endure at Tōtsuki, you have a long way to go.”
“NOOOOooooo!” Gorg skid to a halt just before the base. He turned and dropped to his knees, head bowing up and down. “Alright! I give, I give! I surrender the match to you!”
“Now, Gorgy.” Megumi squat and tipped his chin up, her smile warm. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I joined the KND to expand my culinary repertoire. I want to learn recipes and ingredients from as many worlds as possible. After we save you from Eggman… would you be willing to teach me?”
“I…I WILL!” Gorg flashed another pose.
“But first, y’all ruined a nice dessert for them customers.” Megumi’s strict country accent took over. “So Ah hope you’re willin’ ta pay!” Her Iron Paddle flew out, and from there, she didn’t hold back. “ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA…”
It took several dozen consecutive oras for Megumi to knock the muscular Blade out. If Gorg still had the will to fight, she may not’ve had as much luck in KOing the stronger opponent. “…Really?” Jinta asked. “You did the ora-ora thing?”
“He looks like a JoJo character.” (End song.)
Minus two of them, Sector JP regrouped at the pier with the KO’ed Blades. “Really, you all are just now getting done?” Masaru teased. “I guess I can’t help being the strongest!”
“I don’t quite understand these Blades.” Megumi said. “When I heard they were brainwashed by Eggman, I kinda pegged them for robots. But instead of fighting us directly, they gave in to their hobbies of cooking.”
“Yeah.” Yuzu agreed, looking over Vess ponderingly. “It’s like they still have a semblance of free will, even if Eggman’s forcing them to be evil. But they’re not just ‘robots’… they’re people. They weren’t just ‘created’ with cooking in their code, they had to learn it. They probably had to realize they loved it. And I bet it’s the same with their combat abilities.”
“I’m sure it is…” Karin smiled, looking over Perun.
When the earth started thudding, they knew that Ururu was on the way, the Giant Devil holding a net full of captured Commons like a tetherball. “Well, the good news is… I caught all the Commons and made a fun ball out of them. Hahaha.” She swung it with the flicks of her dense fingers. “The bad news is, um…Kodama-chan and Crossette are…”
“Ah hahahahahahaha!” The two in question soared over down on a firework-powered platform, throwing bombs and lighting all the rooftops. “MORE! LIGHT IT ALL!” Kodama proclaimed like a supervillain. “We’ll turn the world into a great firework!”
“KODAMA!” Karin screamed. “What’re you two doing?!”
“Crossette and I came to a little agreement.” Their teammate smirked. “And if the media is gonna make us bad guys… I’m gonna try being one.”
“Are you crazy?!”
“Haha, don’t worry! I’ll come back as soon as this whole ‘Eggman’ thing blows over!”
“By the way, I wanted to share my food with all of you!” Crossette tossed several dishes down with parachutes. “Vess and Gorg aren’t the only cooks, you know!”
“See you in the next toooooown…” Kodama’s voice echoed beyond the streak of sparklers.
The friends could only stare blankly as they waited for the dishes to land in their hands. Jinta and Masaru shared a Molten Salsa, Megumi a Brimstone Tatari, Yuzu a Blazing Quoteletta, and Karin an Acqua Pazza. Ururu shrunk back to normal and asked, “Um…should we stop them?”
“She wouldn’t do too much harm, right?” Yuzu asked.
“You know, Tomoeda’s in that direction.” Karin recalled. “Maybe we’ll call Sector TD…oh.”
“Meiling and Ashley are the only ones who stayed with the KND…” Ururu remembered sadly.
Poshley Heights
Sector $ Treehouse was a most excellent abode. A luxury mansion set atop a great tree, there was no finer place for a king of Dagas’ stature. The royal Blade was adorned in white and black attire with gold segments of armor, within which were ethereal blue areas. His crown was slanted sideways, covering his left eye, while the right was a sharp blue in black sclera. “Hmmmm…” His throne sat atop a stairway of ice, overlooking the living room, while a frost-bodied Blade named Dahlia, her hair shaped like fluffy bunny ears, used her bending to move a knight’s ice sculpture before his throne. “No, no. It’s obstructing too much of my vision. Perhaps a few centimeters forward.”
“Hon, will you just make up your mind?” Dahlia huffed in a country accent. “Ah wanna take a look around this place, not cater to your scrupulous needs!”
“Why, Dahlia, you of all people should know the beauty of perfect aesthetics.” Sheba, a Blade who resembled a thin young woman with blonde pigtails shaped into drills, came riding in a mobile bathtub. “To sit at the peak of the noble world, to draw the finest young ladies to our entourage, we must look the most refined and dignified!”
“An impossible feat, with your bathwater splashing about my chamber.” Dagas scoffed.
“Uck! Pardon me?! Our bath is pure! Only WE could produce such flawless H2O! Is that not right?” A watery maiden shaped from the bath, bowing in agreement.
“Then why does every breath you excrete poison me so? To the washrooms with you. Cleanse that tainted mouth of yours.”
“AUCK! We shall bar you from our vision! Only your crown will suffice as bail!” And thus, the woman rode away in her tub.
Moments more of organizing the sculptures, Dahlia was alerted to the entrance. “Why have you ceased, woman?” Dagas asked.
“Because we got company, sug’.”
Sector $ marched into the mansion, both awestruck by the redecoration… and disgusted at the casual intrusion. “Have you no shame?” Dagas hissed. “Barging into MY chamber… unannounced and uninvited?”
“Oh, terribly sorry, Your Most Royal Highness.” Ciel’s single blue, uncovered eye met Dagas’. “We were merely wondering what sons of bitches were responsible for freezing all those people outside.”
The nobles of Poshley Heights were all frozen solid, all apparently bowing on one knee. “For misbehavior to their king,” Dagas raised his Greataxe, gold with sapphire flame ends and intricate design, “I forced them to learn their place. And it’s time you learn yours:” he raised the axe, “BOW!” and slammed it to his icy pedestal with a burst of darkish flame.
The five kids dropped to one knee, an unseen weight overcoming them. “Is this Conqueror’s Haki?!” Carol exclaimed.
“I think it’s his natural ability!” Ciel said.
“Now, Dahlia, freeze them at once…uh…” Only then he realized the fire was melting his throne’s base. “AAAAH!” Dagas fell and hit his crown, the throne arching over him.
The ops were immediately able to stand, Weiss quickly shooting icicles at an incoming Dahlia. The Frost Blade blocked them with her same element, but was unexpecting as Weiss took control of the knight statue and had it slam its sword over Dahlia’s head. “You took these sculptures from my room!”
“My, so you’re the artist.” Dahlia smiled, brushing off the pain. “Ah never thought I’d meet another lady here with my tastes.”
“It’s a small universe after all. What do you say we take this to the courtyard?”
“Gladly. I’ve wasted more than enough time in this room.” Dahlia skied away, Weiss gliding after.
“DAHLIA! How dare you forsake your king?!” Dagas shouted.
“You’re a king?” Ciel scoffed. “I bet your kingdom is one-tenth the size of Raleigh’s.”
“Quit making fun of Azoth!” The prince stomped his dress-shoe.
“We’ll let you royals sort this out yourselves.” Carol said. “Pacifica, my cameras read several Common-types and one more Officer Blade, let’s take care of them!”
“On it!” the Northwest affirmed.
“Ciel’s not a royal!” Raleigh couldn’t let them leave without this correction. (Play “Monster Surprised You” from XC2!)
Pacifica cleared a path for herself and Carol by trapping the Common Blades in her Judgment Chains and slamming them into the wall. Afterwards, Carol downloaded several Game-&-Watch clones to attack them; only fair for Commons to fight clones, right? “I think they’re in the bathroom!” The blondes breached the door to their huge, luxurious bathroom, steam seeping beneath the door.
“That sham of a king… he has no place in the same building as we.” Sheba complained, her tub rested within Sector $’s giant bath. “Hm?” She cocked a brow, hearing footsteps. “What joy! A pair of budding young girls have come to join us in our royal bath!”
“Uuuuuuhhh, no.” Carol cringed. “And do you seriously have a bath in our bath?! You’re taking our stereotype to crazy heights.”
“Would you expect no less? We settle for no higher than the highest of… stereotype?! We will not STAND for this accusation!” Sheba stood and withdrew a white, drill-shaped cannon. Carol put up a pixel barrier against the energy bullets, she and Pacifica moving in close. They were unprepared for Sheba to ride her bathtub out of the bigger basin and RAM the girls down. Sheba landed successful shots with her gun, money and dollars flying off their persons and being absorbed into Sheba’s core.
“What the…” Carol felt herself for wounds. “That gun doesn’t hurt us at all! It only takes our money?”
“To us, money is no different from health! Our powers are designed to seize thine assets! Once you have no more to give, your lives are forfeit!”
“I didn’t think Blades had weird Devil Fruit-like powers!” Pacifica said.
“Hold onto your pockets, Pacifica! Or we’ll be dressing like our Negatives!”
In the courtyard, Weiss conjured two Ice Bears and had them charge Dahlia, but the Blade created an Ice Gogol to crush them with its fists. Weiss skied into the Gogol and sliced it clean down the middle, gliding above Dahlia and dropping icicles onto her. Dahlia got down and conjured Snow Bunnits at her sides, the crafted creatures mimicking her hopping gallops as they circled Weiss. The Schnee created rotating ice shields to confuse her, evading Dahlia’s combo attack before stabbing the Blade’s head. Dahlia seized this chance to kick Weiss in the gut, flinging her across the courtyard. As Weiss tried to settle her cramped stomach, she saw Dahlia rise up on an Ice Road and throw frozen roses. Weiss evaded most, but her left shoulder and right leg were punctured.
Weiss thrusted her sword up diagonally and stretched a long icicle into Dahlia’s gut, knocking her down. Weiss conjured a giant Ice Hornet, making it buzz around in a random fashion. Dahlia threw her Bitball powerfully and smashed the hornet in two, but Weiss fixed the separate halves into two smaller hornets. The first lunged at her directly, but when Dahlia shattered it, the other dodged around and stung her in the back. Dahlia pecked a kiss to her Bitball, which seemed to shine. She glid toward Weiss directly, her weapon spinning as Weiss hastened to flee. Alas, the Bitball was tossed and crashed beside Weiss, exploding. The Schnee found herself trapped in a giant snowglobe, flurries stirring within it. She tried to conjure an Ice Knight to break it, but under Dahlia’s power, the knight shattered and the snow wildly blew her around. She formed icicles within the globe, scratching Weiss in several places.
Weiss shot fire from her sword to fend off the icicles until the Snowglobe dispelled. She skied around Dahlia while shooting more fireballs, the Blade taken aback by the change in element. Her snowflake shields would become steam upon impact, but through that steam, Weiss would toss three icicles to stab her head, stomach, and leg. Dahlia created a giant Bunnit, sending it to slam its clubbed weapon at Weiss. The heiress countered it with a copy of their “absent” butler, Sebastian.
Putting absolute focus in her puppeteering, Sebastian’s motions were swift in evading the Bunnit and throwing strong kicks to its cheeks. An upward swing flipped the Bunnit back over an evading Dahlia, but Weiss quickly guided Sebastian to swipe at her. Her icebending broke off Sebastian’s left hand, but the butler kicked her off her feet, dealt a swift kick to the head, followed by a flip to avoid her next kick and stamp her back. Dahlia’s Bitball burst to force him off, the Blade standing as she crafted a clone of Zeke. Zeke’s swordplay was barely speedy enough to keep up with Sebastian’s motions, and ultimately, its strength wasn’t up to par as well: its sword snapped, Sebastian kicked its head off, then the butler leapt to kick Dahlia up the chin.
The Blade flew back and splashed into the courtyard fountain, freezing its flow into pretty arches. Dahlia was able to crane herself up to meet Weiss’ gaze. “You almost had me on the ropes there.” Weiss said. “That Snowglobe technique was pretty cool.”
“You flatter me, sug’. But Ah didn’t see me winnin’ this one. We can’t fight at our best without our Drivers. Even if we fight on our own, even if we have a hierarchy of strength, Blades aren’t complete without Drivers. ’Course, there’s no way our Drivers would’ve worked for Eggman. So, we had to lock ’em up instead. But you kids don’t need people to drive you. You’re strong all on your own.”
“I wish…”
“Your Icecraft ain’t bad either. Maybe you and I can work on a project later…”
“My schedule’s pretty packed this month… but I’ll keep it in mind.” Weiss conjured snowballs and pummeled Dahlia to unconsciousness.
When Carol and Pacifica embarked on this mission, neither expected to be fighting a wannabe royal in a mobile bathtub. Pacifica was just lucky enough to grab the Blade in her chains, but Sheba’s Water Lover clung on to keep her from leaving. Sheba slipped from the chains’ grasp as she shot Pacifica for piles of cents, but the effort left her open for Carol’s Game-&-Watch to bash her tub with his frying pan. A light crack appeared on the tub, but Sheba regained herself in time to drive away from the assault. While evading her bullets, Carol downloaded a Game-Watch beartrap, trapping the unsuspecting Sheba’s legs…or, her tub’s legs. (At this point, they questioned if the tub was part of her body.) Pacifica linked the ends of her chains to make a club, slamming it to bash the Blade.
When Pacifica tried the second slam, the Water Lover protected her mistress. Sheba charged energy in her cannon and fired a powerful energy ball, striking Carol for an enormous sum of money. “Man, if we were like the other sectors, we’d be dead by now!” Sheba escaped Carol’s trap and charged her, but Pacifica pushed Carol away with her chains. The Wealth Blade swiftly turned toward Pacifica, flipping her basin over Pacifica before returning upright. The Northwest drowned in the tub, held firmly by the Water Lover, as each gasp of breath squeezed money out of her pockets. A desperate Carol downloaded the Game-&-Rocket and rammed Sheba, blasting through several walls until they wound up in Ciel’s gloomy room.
Sheba’s tub fell over as Pacifica quickly escaped the water’s grasp. Said water bent itself back inside as Sheba set the basin back up. The Lover jumped out of the tub and aggressively whipped Pacifica with its legs, the Northwest whipping her chains to splash it into an unshapely mess. Sheba herself tried to shoot Carol’s computer, the Masterson ducking behind the wall past the edge of the broken hole. Carol downloaded another Gamen, both running out to Sheba’s view to confuse her. Sheba chose to focus on Carol, shooting her a few times as more money flew out. Gamen made it to Sheba and used his Judge attack: landing on “3”, Gamen’s hammer shattered what was left of Sheba’s tub’s durability. The Water Lover collapsed into a puddle, but from how pale Pacifica seemed, she was running short on cash. Sheba stood, determined to shoot what was left of her gold. Pacifica tanked the rounds and snared Sheba’s pigtails in her chains, tugging them as the Blade cried out. “FIEND! UNHAND US! You know not the value of the strands you are pulling!”
“Sounds like enough to buy back our SOULS!” Carol downloaded the Game-&-Bike and rode behind Pacifica. The latter ducked as Carol hopped the bike over and rammed Sheba: the pigtails stretched and tugged more painfully until they snapped clean off. Dumbstruck and disgusted by their sheer disrespect, Sheba could do nothing but faint. “Though I bet Aeincha would pay a fortune for hair like that, hehe!”
Raleigh called his Togedemaru from its Pokéball, an Electric/Steel, rodent Pokémon with silver and white fur and yellow cheeks. Togedemaru used Wild Tackle, charging at Dagas with a coating of electricity. The wannabe king was busy fending off Ciel’s swift and relentless onslaught, the earl lashing kicks around Dagas’ axe to knock him around, accompanied by card shurikens to slice his regal robe. Togedemaru reached the Blade and electrified him, Ciel jumping away to avoid sharing the shock. Dagas endured it as he powerfully swung his axe and thwacked the rodent away like a golfball. “Togedeeeee!” The poor thing caught fire with Dagas’ mystic flames. Ciel quickly ran to grab some water and bring it to douse the Pokémon.
“Oh, no! Steel-types are weak to fire!” Raleigh realized.
“But that isn’t firebending, is it?” Ciel asked.
“All Blades fall under an elemental category, though not all of us are proper benders. It matters not because my royal flame triumphs any element!” Dagas axed the floor once more, but while Raleigh bowed, Ciel jumped to avoid the effect, afterwards gliding to Dagas with a kick.
“Except if we’re in the air, apparently.” Ciel remarked. Dagas recovered and charged Ciel, fooling him with a swing of his axe: when Ciel kicked it, Dagas threw a kick of his own, knocking the earl off-balance and following with a combo of fire-powered slashes. Raleigh returned Togedemaru and released Pichu while Dagas was focused on him. The king ran for a follow-up attack while Ciel was busy rolling his flames out. Pichu jumped in Dagas’ wake, electrifying him on impact! Dagas growled and grabbed the mouse, squeezing the life out of him, so Ciel repaid Raleigh the favor by jumping, sitting over Dagas’ shoulders, and twisting his neck in a chokehold. Dagas released Pichu and flung his axe upward, but Ciel forcefully ducked sideways, dragging Dagas and slamming his head into the floor.
Dagas began to spin wildly toward the boys, a flame at the head of his axe, Ciel grabbed Pichu as well as Raleigh, using his superior speed to keep them away from the continuous attack. “BLAZING CONQUEST!” He seamlessly redirected his spin to slam the floor with his axe. Even despite helping Raleigh jump, an explosion of fire unleashed, not only charring everything around, but forcing the boys into a kneel regardless. It was worse as the flames continued to burn them, but Dagas approached to finish the job. The flames burned off Ciel’s eyepatch and exposed his Faustian Eye. Mustering the will to stand, Ciel entered Demon Earl Fury, speed growing as he zipped around Dagas and slashed his grown, black claws.
Raleigh hurriedly put himself out on a flameless area of floor, returning Pichu to his Pokéball. He summoned Magnemite, another Electric/Steel-type. Raleigh ordered Magnemite to build chi for its Flash Cannon while Ciel was distracting Dagas with his onslaught. The metal eyeball Pokémon flew from behind Ciel, who likewise leapt away when he anticipated Raleigh’s plan. The Flash Cannon struck Dagas face-on, blinding the king’s single eye. “NOW USE ELECTRO BALL!” Magnemite mustered an electrical sphere and blew Dagas down. Ciel sealed the deal with a finishing kick.
“YEAH!” Raleigh raised his hand to Ciel’s.
“You did good, kiddo.” Ciel patted his head.
“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HIGH-FIVE!”
“I am above such trivialties.”
“You’re a jerk. …Oh!” Raleigh’s Magnemite became a pure white. “It’s evolving!” The round, magnet-sided Pokémon morphed into… three smaller versions of itself, interlinked! “Haha! Welcome to the team, Magneton!”
“It’s about time one of your Pokémon evolved!”
“Pichu had the chance to evolve a while ago, but I wanted ta keep him small~”
“That’s ridiculous, how do you prevent something from growing?!”
“It’s just how Pokémon work! Come to think, do you think Blades evolve, too?”
“Pah ha ha…of course, you fool.” Dagas smirked from his place on the ashen floor.
“He’s awake!” the prince gasped.
“Blades start out as Commons… but when we are paired with a great Driver or find a passion most suiting to us, we evolve into a greater form. That’s why, even without a memory, I know I was once a king. You two… will make fine kings someday as well.”
“CIEL’S NOT A KING!” Raleigh kicked him senseless for good.
“And I have far more class than you do.”
“Just help me put this fire out!”
Chapter 10: A Newbie’s Quester
Summary:
Nebula goes with Jak and Daxter to stop Malos from wiping the Egg Blades' memories. Sector Q is confronted by a familiar adversary.
Chapter Text
XENOBLADE 3 WAS SO GOOD!! It took all the best elements from the previous titles and mixed them together in a gorgeous combination! The exploration and geography was incredible, the story was fantastic, the concept was unique, the character interactions were amazing, and when the game didn’t think I was having enough fun, IT BRINGS IN FRICKIN’ SEA TRAVEL!! A WHOLE OCEAN TO EXPLORE AT MY LEISURE! The main thing I didn’t like was the side quest system; the actual quests were GREAT, but the way they’re handled is so tedious and frustrating. Overall though, amazing game! The characters will definitely appear in Third Gen, many of them look like future kids for the previous games’ characters.
Chapter 9: A Newbie’s Quester
Noctilum
Northwest across the fields of Primordia, the dense forest of Noctilum would rise before their gaze. “Malos chased them into the forest.” Jak said. “Floren is a plantbender, so he has the advantage.”
“Then we should’ve carried Arianna with us.” Vweeb replied. “Her bending would make this area a synch.”
“Yeah, but we don’t need bending when we got guns.” Jak attached a flat, red device on top of his Morph Gun, transmitting red energy through it.
“What’s in that thing?” Nebula asked.
“Nature Crystals. After I stole a bunch of these things from Schnee Dust, my new friends learned how to copy the technology.”
“What’s this about stealing from Schnee Dust?!”
“It’s a long story, kid,” Daxter answered, “and we don’t have the budget to write a flashback. Author blew most of it on this new game.”
“It’s not like we like Schnee any better.” Vweeb noted. “What’d he do? Try to make a bathmat from your pelt?”
“That’s better than bein’ a grape in his fruit bowl.” Dax snapped at the Kateenian.
“Don’t fall behind, kid.” Jak hopped out and marched his first steps into the forest. “I can already smell the oil off these mechs.”
“Don’t forget who you’re talking to.” Nebula said, armed with the T.O.P.M.A.N. launcher. (Play “Noctilum Day” from XCX!)
Act 5: Noctilum
Mission: Find Malos and save Jak’s comrades!
A trio of Acid Dilus ambushed them at the forest’s edge. Nebula sent a single top to bounce between and dizzy the reptiles, leaving them open to Jak’s Scatter Gun. As they traversed the dense shrubs of the forest, Carmine Forfex would ambush them with claws against Nebula’s ankles. Vweeb ran around the ground, unnoticed by the large crustaceans, and shot them in the eyes to give them away. The duo traveled up a tremendous root, the leaves rustling above them as monkeys swung the 20-meter trees. “Hey, monkeys!” Vweeb cheered.
“There aren’t monkeys in this forest!” Jak gasped. “Watch out!”
They were Kikis, robotic yellow chimps who threw bombs down at the root road. Nebula tossed N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s to minimize the monkeys’ footholds, causing them to hang from the fragile remains of the branches. Jak inserted a light-blue capsule into his gun, turning it into the Vulcan Fury: a flurry of rapid bullets would have raining Kikis around the area. The root would lead them to the edge of a cliff, a lush pond beyond it. A pond couldn’t exist without Piranhax, unfortunately, but Vweeb’s Stun Gun would ensure the fish wouldn’t bother them for a minute. The pond branched toward a river within a trench, with Jak using his yellow Blaster to destroy the dead branch debris blocking the flow. Beyond the river splayed a great lake, a cliff of waterfalls in the distance. The falls glistened a pure white in the sun, and tall mushrooms could be seen standing above them.
What they thought were more Piranhax headed toward them were actually Choppers, robot piranhas. There were too many for Jak’s comfort, so he equipped his Gyro Burster, which shot a floating drone that fired in multiple directions. “Y’know, it’s time to bring out an oldie, but goodie!” And so, Nebula summoned a small, floating droid equipped with a gun.
“Mr. Zurkon is back by popular demand!” the droid exclaimed, blasting the incoming Choppers delightedly. “Filthy aliens thought they were safe, but Mr. Zurkon is back to finish the job.”
“Hey, even that guy’s a better mascot than you.” Daxter teased. “WAH!” Zurkon shot him.
“Sorry. Mr. Zurkon confuse for parasitic weasel.”
“I’ll show you parasitic!”
They swam the distance all the way to the falls, taking heed to avoid the giant sea serpent lurking in the lake. “Hey, I can feel a small Gravity Chi flow between those falls.” Nebula said. “Think we’ve just found our way up!” Channeling gravity onto that strip of cliff, she, Jak, and their little riders shifted 90 degrees and landed on it! Kikis sat on thin ledges up the cliff, but Jak caught their bombs and hurdled them straight back, the mechs’ remains flying past them into the lake. Their vision finally flipped upright at the top—in time for a flaming spear to come flying. “WHOA!” They barely dodged it.
“Those who defy the will of Dr. Eggman must perish.” He was a white ninja-like Blade, tall and thin with four arms. Each arm had a weapon: katana, spear, axe, and hammer. “Especially you, Aegis Driver.”
“It’s Perdido!” Jak readied his blue Needle Laser. “He’s the only Rare Blade able to use four different weapons.”
“I’m glad you acknowledge my prowess.” Perdido twirled his spear behind and held his sword forward. “I’ve always wanted to fight you, Jak. Can your guns hold up against my-”
“HYAH!” A yellow-skinned, antenna-headed girl leapt from Perdido’s left and slashed twin swords, blocked by the axe. A frisbee followed, tripping Perdido’s leg as Makava slashed him in the stomach.
“Makava! Tronta!” Nebula exclaimed. “How’d you all catch up?!”
“Arianna bent the trees to throw us around, duh!”
“If you want four weapons, we got ya covered!” Tron danced and threw both Light Discs, Perdido swatting one with his hammer, while the sword elbow was bumped away, allowing Makava to slice it off. Perdido jumped away and shot fire at the duo, waiting for his arm to regenerate.
“We’ll leave this to you!” Nebula cheered in confidence. “Let’s check out that big tree!” They crossed the river left of this islet and ran to an elaborate tree with several twisting trunks. Scirpos, giant insects with bulbous bottoms, would greet them as they climbed the first sloped trunk. Nebula and Jak combined their Blaster and S.H.O.O.T.E.R. to pipe the insects’ obvious weak points. Afterwards, they needed to jump their way up some available platforms; some were too high to reach, but Jak demonstrated a skill in grabbing the small branches, swinging around them, and flying up to the platforms with momentum. The only hindrance were the Saltats, bird-like creatures that with eye designs on their wings and trumpet-like mouths. They tried to blow the kids off with condensed puffs of air. “Okay, I need you two to work together!” Nebula slapped Vweeb onto Daxter’s back. “You climb and Vweeb shoots!”
“Well, I’ve always wanted a steed!” Vweeb teased.
“And I’ve always wanted my own little sidekick. I used to have a tick once, but our friendship got a little one-sided.” Daxter easily climbed the bark, giving Vweeb a good vantage to shoot the Saltats. Jak would then kick them clear off their perches once he swung up. After Nebula caught up, they proceeded along a bridge of branches leading from the top of the tree. It would lead to a series of branch bridges, all connected via circular platforms of the same formation. Axe-wielding robots called Hey-Ho would chop the support branches along the edges and send the chunks flying at the duo. The Hey-Hos would fly away from the approaching ops, so Jak equipped his Beam Reflexor, its yellow bullets bouncing off the side branches to strike the unexpecting mechs.
They followed the bridge down toward a path under the lakeside cliff. Two more Hey-Hos waited at the bridge’s end, but the branches were suddenly bent to seize and squeeze the robots to death. “You robots have no business hurting these bridges!” yelled a thin, young Blade with minty-green hair, pink eyes, and armor of green and pink floral clothing. “The Orpheans worked hard to weave these branches for everyone’s sake. How could you ruin their hard work?”
“It’s Floren!” Jak said. “One of the Blades we’re looking for! HEY! FLOREN!”
“Huh?” They looked up the bridge. “Jak!”
“Floren, where’s Malos? Or Ursula?”
“Backup arrived to hold Malos back. Ursula told me to sneak away. And it looks like I’m in luck!” Floren bent the bridges’ branches in attempt to grab the ops, Nebula slicing them with N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s and Jak with his Scatter Gun. “Maybe we can stop Malos if we deal with you!”
“Wait, if she’s possessed by Eggman, why did she destroy his mechs?!” Nebula questioned.
“Floren’s the biggest tree-hugger on the planet!” Daxter yelped, dodging the branches with haste. “Even that probably tops Eggman’s control! …Uh, hey Monohair, where’s the little guy?”
“Vweeb?!” Nebula searched around for the Kateenian.
“Hey there, cutie pie!” Floren heard a voice, but no immediate source was nearby. That was until they looked down, spotting a small waving figure. “What is it with plantbenders being so gosh-darn cute?”
“Oh, my!” Cheeks flushing in adoration, Floren bent down. “I didn’t see you there!”
“You’ve got a real passion for trees, don’t ya, Floren?”
“Well, I…I do.” Floren folded hands and swayed on one foot. “I can hear their voices… They get sad when they’re hurt, and it makes me sad. So, I really don’t like it when people hurt trees.”
“But would you say it’s right to make trees hurt others?”
“I mean, I…I try to avoid it when I can… and I always apologize afterward… but it’s the only power I was born with. And as a Blade, I have to do my best to battle…”
“I see your point, Floren.” Vweeb bounced onto their nose, Floren flushing as they narrowed their eyes on him. “And behind those… Eggman eyes of yours is a soul pure as the lushest forest. But if you’d just let my pals pass, we wouldn’t have to be hurting these trees.”
“I know, but…but I have orders to destroy the KND. In fact, I…I have to crush you, too, but…” Floren’s hands twitched rising up to their face, their eyes tearing and the Eggman symbol glitching. “But I couldn’t hurt someone so cute!”
“Look, sweetie, no girl could live with my stain on their hands.” Vweeb patted Floren’s nasal bridge. “How about you just let us pass and I’ll buy you some nice flowers later?”
“That would be great, but… I’m actually a boy.”
“Da-…” Vweeb fell backward and hit the bridge. This had been the second time this month he made this mistake.
“VWEEB!!” One of the branches whipped Floren into the cliff. Arianna Dunfree had just shown up behind Neb and Jak. “Don’t think I didn’t see that!”
“I DID NOTHING WRONG, ARI! He’s a boy, I just had a gentleman’s talk with him!”
Floren returned and bent the webbing of the bridge to ensnare the operatives, but Arianna willed the effect to undo. “How could you make the trees betray me?!”
“Nebula, keep going! I’ll detain this one!”
“Gotta take that anger out on something.” Nebula grabbed Vweeb off the bridge as they raced by. The path along the lake’s edge was littered with Mushmeanies; mushroom robots. They rapidly bounced around to crush the group, Nebula using bombs and Jak his Plasmite RPG to destroy bunches of them at wide range.
The path would eventually lead into a wasteland between cliffs. Thunder roared, as if to accompany the unsettling view of this valley. They had only just noticed the sky had gotten cloudy. There were craters embedded in the ground and even the thick trees. “Look how smooth the insides are.” Nebula said. “What kind of bomb could do that?”
“Malos.” Jak said with a certified hunch. (End song.)
A towering spire of light burst into the cloudy sky, its origin around the corner of the valley. The gunners raced over, in time to see Malos be knocked back by a blast of light. “THERE YOU ARE!”
“Huh?” Malos turned, a neutral glare on his features. “Oh, hey. Ready to apologize?” An answer wouldn’t be had before Malos dodged a light ray and slashed a dark wave at his opponent, KOS-MOS, a white-armored Blade with twin guns.
“Don’t turn your back on me!” Another Blade, a blonde boy with a black-feathered cape and red pants, slashed his Durandal blade at Malos’ hip. The effort would backfire as Malos spun, snatched Corvin’s neck, and pinned him to the ground.
“Then how would I have got you to come over?” Malos reached down to his hawk-shaped Core Crystal. “Hold still while I-”
Jak shot Malos off with his Blaster, Corvin quickly flipping up and retreating to KOS-MOS’ side. “What the HELL, Jak?! I’m only trying to revert them, not destroy them! Do you think they’d rather stay under Eggman’s control?”
“We shouldn’t do this without asking Rex and the others!”
“And what about these Blades?” He blocked KOS-MOS’ shots and ran to her, the woman dodging his Monado Cyclone. “Even if we stop Eggman, they won’t be able to live with their selves after all they’ve done. Don’t you think they would rather forget?”
“La la la la, la laa laa laaaa!” Snowy music notes danced around KOS-MOS and Corvin. Malos shot a glare at Ursula, who cowered behind a tree. “You can’t hide from me, ya little-” Just after Malos sliced the tree down, its thick exterior fragile to his Destruct Chi, Ursula’s bear, Beary slashed icicle claws, leaving gashes in Malos’ face. He sent Beary away with a kick before leaping at his little master. He would be denied the snowy-haired child when Nebula warped in his wake, briefly conjuring a Space Block that would be shattered by Malos’ hand.
“Wiping memories isn’t the answer to erasing trauma! These Blades must have a lot of great moments they don’t want to forget, so I won’t let you.”
“Why not? That’s exactly what they did to me. It was the only way to end my misery… so, why can’t I do the same for my brethren?!” Malos pushed Nebula down and tried to grab the fleeing Ursula, but was tackled by Jak in his Fury Form.
“J-Jak?!” Nebula was almost terrified by his monstrous makeover.
“MALOS! I am your Driver and you will do as I say!”
Malos slashed Jak off. “Make me, Long Ears!” (Play “Uncontrollable” from XCX!)
Dark Jak’s claws and Malos’ Monado flashed bolts of dark lightning. The Long-Ear leapt and Ground Pounded, sending a powerful shockwave that blew Malos off his feet; Nebula rose skyward to avoid it, angered at his reckless maneuver. Jak leapt to punch Malos’ stomach, the Aegis grabbing his face and slamming him into the ground. “Monado Armor!” Malos conjured a dark shield around himself, holding up against the onslaught of Jak’s claws. The Long-Ear drew his Morph Gun, channeling his Dark Chi through it and shooting a spherical ball of purple lightning. The lightning penetrated the armor, and Nebula would contribute by throwing B.O.O.M.E.R.s at the shield, shattering it for good. “Stay out of this, Monohair!” Malos shouted.
“Hah, Jak really is your Driver!” Nebula tossed N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s around Malos, the Aegis slicing them, but would surprise him with a T.O.P.M.A.N. to knock him down. “Look, Malos, I’m not sure what happened to you, but wiping their memories isn’t gonna save these Blades! Defeating Eggman and breaking his control will save them. Until then, I don’t think they want their memories wiped!”
“And what would you know?” Malos asked as Jak shot his Wave Concussor, striking him with a red shockwave. Malos jumped upright and slashed airwaves, each missed shot annihilating strips of trees or the cliff. Nebula shot her S.H.O.O.T.E.R., the bullets a minor nuisance to Malos, but they broke his focus enough for Jak to kick his Monado away. The Long-Ear rolled to reclaim the sword, taking a slash at Malos, who would lunge forth to grab the hilt in his own hand. Their dark auras burned greater as they wrestled for control.
“Because I know tons of people that’ve done terrible things!” Nebula argued. “And some of them feel awful about it! They didn’t erase their own memories, they tried to make up for it! They tried to become better people! If they could make it, these Blades don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Then WHY did they erase MINE?!” Malos forced control of the sword and spun, sending a dark cyclone that blew Nebula into the cliff. To her fortune, no part of her was destroyed. He must’ve had good control of his ability. “They told me that I tried to destroy the world. That was why everyone was afraid of me. What kind of pain was I suffering? Why did I want to kill everything? And who…WHO IS JIN?!” Malos stabbed the ground and spread a wide field of darkness.
Daxter’s logical instinct was to sprint from the destructive bubble… but the Ottsel was dumbstruck at his friend’s choice to stay. “JAK! Get outta there, ya blockhead! Did he freakin’ destroy your brain cells?!”
Jak grabbed the hilt, standing firm inside the dead zone. “And you’re going to take it out on these Blades?”
“Isn’t that our life cycle? Don’t we lose our memories all the time? For hundreds of years? Isn’t our purpose to keep starting anew? To forget our dark pasts and keep starting again?”
“It’s not time for them to start over. And besides, do you know how long it took Rex’s crew to bring up all these Blades?! Do you wanna put them through all that crap AGAIN?!”
“That’s the real reason.” Nebula remarked.
“Kid, don’t you have something better to do?!” Jak asked.
“I’m just giving my input!”
“I mean that you’re letting them get away!”
“What?!” Nebula had just realized KOS-MOS, Corvin, and Ursula had vacated the area. It could be no coincidence that a small Egg Lift was lifting off from further into the valley.
“Liftoff successful.” KOS-MOS reported. “Beginning return to-” The lights flickered, and the engines seemed to die down. “Error detected!”
“Uh-oh!” Corvin gasped. “Did we forget to refuel?!”
“Always check for any unwanted Kateenians in your wiring.” Vweeb said to himself in pride as he tore apart the insides. “Not doing so could result in emergency landings.”
“Hey, I think I just heard a voice.” Ursula pointed. “In that wall!”
KOS-MOS equipped her visor. “Heat signature detected. Commencing extermination.” She blasted a hole through the wall.
“YIKES!” Vweeb barely survived, holding onto a dangling wire.
“Oh! What is that?” Ursula curiously approached the hanging alien. “Are you… a person? You’re so tiny.”
“I’m almost scared to flirt with you ’cause SOMEBODY might get ANGRY at me!”
“Hehe! You’re so cute!” Ursula grinned. “You remind me of… someone else…” She remembered visiting Terry’s house after the Great Reduction incident… playing him a soothing melody, even carrying the tiny boy to his room afterward… Her Eggman eyes began to flicker. “Is…is Terry… okay?”
“VWEEB!” Nebula showed up in the ship’s hole. “There you are! Great job stopping the—AH!” She ducked just after grabbing him, KOS-MOS’s gun barely grazing her hair.
“Resuming extermination.” Nebula ran from the ship and further up the valley as KOS-MOS and Corvin pursued. “Target is…” KOS-MOS’ eyes flickered, focusing on Nebula’s monochrome hair. “Target is… familiar… Do not want to… destroy, but I…”
“YOU’RE MINE!” Corvin bravely leapt into the air, his sword a flash of light. “The light of good will cleanse you!”
But a different blade would deny him from Nebula: the Master Sword. “Girl, why’d you make us take this roundabout path?” Cheren asked.
“Because you need to learn to keep up! Now, help me fight these two!” Nebula ran circles in evasion from KOS-MOS’ light guns, returning bullets with her S.H.O.O.T.E.R.. KOS-MOS spun toward Nebula with light spears ejected from her guns, but just when it seemed Neb’s head was cut clean off, she had actually used a portal to “split” her own head before reattaching, later knocking KOS-MOS away with a T.O.P.M.A.N.. She summoned Mr. Zurkon to deal extra damage to KOS-MOS, but swatting the droid proved easy work. She took several more shots at Nebula, who quickly opened a small portal to redirect a beam, only for KOS-MOS to dodge. Her attempt to redirect KOS-MOS’ beams with a larger portal merely resulted in straining her chi paths. She took a blast to the stomach and crashed into the cliff.
Cheren relied on Observation Haki to predict the movement of Corvin’s dual Uchigatana, using sword and shield alike to deflect his swings. Corvin flipped back and swung a Light Slash, Cheren raising his shield to bounce it—“CRUD, I forgot this is the Hylian Shield!” Its reflectability wasn’t as impressive. There was a flash of lightning in the clouds, so Corvin performed a downward slice to bend its light into a ray, missing Cheren. “It’s kinda weird that lightbenders can’t bend lightning.” Cheren stretched his sword and channeled chi through it. Corvin recognized it as a spin attack and agreed to do the same with both swords. Cheren’s Hurricane Spin and Corvin’s Divine Cyclone collided like two galaxies, their sparks like scattering shooting stars. They were at it for a couple minutes before slowing to a halt, to which Cheren immediately chucked his shield at Corvin’s head, dizzying him long enough to leap and slash the lightbender.
Ursula had stayed inside the Egg Lift; between Malos or those other strong Blades, she feared she didn’t stand much of a chance. Instead, she approached the prisoners in the back: strapped under several chains was Rock, a giant Gaur with a broad body and batlike face. Beneath him was Celica, a golden-haired girl with a white frilly top, long, pointed, and furry ears, and a bang covering her right eye. Her black stockings had gold, intricate designs. “Celica… would you rather we forget everything if it would stop us from hurting everyone?”
“Ursula… why are you asking that?”
“Deep down, I know I’m not serving Eggman because I want to… I can’t even feel horrible about it if I want to. If I break free of Eggman’s control, how will I feel? Would I be better off forgetting?”
“Ursula, your friends want to be able to comfort you, because you feel bad. They want to see you smile, hear you sing again. Everyone will understand what happened, they’ll forgive you. But if you’re asking that, it means Eggman can’t control you completely. Let us go free.”
“I can’t… because I…I must serve Eggman…”
“Well, I guess we have to do this the hard way.” Before Ursula had a chance to register the small voice, Vweeb jumped and punched her in the stomach, his Kateeny strength blowing Ursula into Beary, with both flying back against the controls. “Surprise, Nebula didn’t actually take me with her!”
“Celica, what just happened?!” Rock asked, his voice rather soft for his size.
“That little thing just pushed Ursula!”
Vweeb jumped to hang on Celica’s bang, the Qlurian gasping. “I’m Vweeb from GKND! You must be Celica and Rock.”
“Um, yes! Can you get these chains off us? I’m a psychicbender, I can help.”
Beary charged, threatening to gouge his claws through all of them, but Vweeb kicked off Celica’s face to uppercut the bear’s jaw. As he fell, Vweeb grabbed Beary’s ear, hauled the mountain-sized bear overhead, and crushed Ursula beneath him. “How could he be so small and that strong?!” Rock asked.
“I can be gentle when I need to be.” Vweeb smirked. Beary climbed off his master as Ursula tried to sing Song Beams, the Kateenian too fast and his ears clamped shut. When he got close, Ursula gracefully danced in evasion, but such a big target would have a hard time evading Vweeb. He jumped and grabbed her fluffy hair, pulling and flipping Ursula onto her back. “You know, those footsies look more solid than you let on~” Vweeb ran to Ursula’s half-tangible feet…
And Celica and Rock would only look on in bewilderment. “Ha…hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!” Ursula’s steps were light and graceful, but that left her with a major weakness. “Hahahaha! Stop it! Please! Hahahaha!”
“Tell Beary to free the prisoners!”
“Hahahaha, okay! Beary! The keys! Get the keys! Please hahahahahurry!”
“That’s… not what I expected at all.” Celica smiled awkwardly.
“At least he doesn’t have to hurt her too much!” Rock said hopefully.
KOS-MOS took to the sky, locking her sights dead on Nebula before launching several homing Light Beams. Nebula dodged some of them, distracting KOS-MOS as Cheren shot a Fire Arrow straight into her face. “THAT’S PLAIN DIRTY!” In return, Nebula threw N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s to cut Corvin’s arm and leg, stopping him from stabbing Cheren in the back. Cheren spun to slice Corvin’s head, and KOS-MOS would shoot down with a pointed, light-made spaceship. Nebula took the front lines, a palm open forward. The spaceship seemed to stop against the palm directly, but Cheren noticed the tiny, but powerful vortex on it. “Endless Vortex: 1,001 Lightyears per second!” The Lightship spun with KOS-MOS on it, the Blade forced to disperse it. Nebula’s technique wore off, the leader kneeling in pain, and Cheren followed by throwing a M.A.R.B.L.E. at the crashed KOS-MOS.
“You’re slipping, Nebster.”
“Hey, don’t act like you were never depowered! Boy, I wish Aurora had given me Galaxia!”
“KOS-MOS, let’s combine our power!” Corvin leapt on her shoulders as both linked their twin guns and swords. “GUN-SWORDS!” The guns shot swords of light at a high rate of fire. “Bet you’ve never seen that!”
“Actually, Weiss has a gun—SWOOOOORD!” Despite the duo’s efforts in dodging, the swords would lodge into the ground around them and explode into wide spires, swallowing them in brightness. Cheren was still standing strong, but Nebula was brought down. If not for the stormy sky, their Light Chi could be much worse. Cheren lifted his leader and retreated behind a half-broken tree. “You alright, Neb? I can handle them if you want.”
“Don’t be stupid!” Nebula pulled herself up. “I may not have much chi, but I’ll darn well use it all before I pass out!”
“Okay…heh, I kind of have a team-up idea, actually.” The boy smirked.
“I don’t like that look…”
“You can’t hide from us, evil-doers!” Corvin-KOS-MOS slashed their right gun-sword and destroyed the tree with an explosive slash. Cheren quickly bolted out in the open. “Where’s the other one?!”
“With our powers combined,” Cheren rose his sword skyward, “I use the Spaceward Strike!”
“Couldn’t I have been normal size for this?!” a little Nebula asked, hugging the sword’s front.
“Use every ounce of your chi!”
“My chi IS an ounce! Ugh!” She transmitted dark-pink aura up the Master Sword, which simultaneously filled with white light for his Skyward Strike. He even kept his sword in position while evading the Blade duo’s flashing cuts. Finally, Cheren swung a clean cut down, dimensionally cleaving the stacked Blades in a perfect half.
“AAAAH! KOS-MOS, WHAT HAPPENED TO US?!”
“We are seeing from two separate points of space, but physically, our bodies are intact. Perhaps if we lean in a single direction, we can-”
Cheren went for the left half and a resized Nebula took the right. “There’s no safe direction! And I can’t focus my attacks!”
“DOUBLE-TEAM TAKEDOOOOOWN!” Cheren sliced his halves into quarters, and Nebula bombarded hers with the S.H.O.O.T.E.R.’s bullets… and Mr. Zurkon got some hits in, too. (“Mr. Zurkon hopes for much paid leave after so many years of disuse. But only pay Mr. Zurkon take is DEATH to evil aliens…”) (End song.)
The lightbenders were left unconscious by the time they had reformed. Cheren and Nebula turned to the more pressing matter: the ball of darkness where Jak and Malos fought over the Monado. “Malos… this isn’t about the other Blades, is it? What’s really the problem here? Tell me!”
“I told you a thousand times! The Blades are under the control of an evil Driver! The only way to save them is to reset them and start again! Isn’t that what happened to me? Didn’t my old Driver want to destroy the world? Isn’t that why I had to be reset? And yet, I had other comrades. Akhos, Patroka, Mikhail, and…”
“Jin?”
“He was our leader.” Akhos explained. “He was… a most brilliant Blade. There were none stronger and none kinder… and none closer to you.”
“YAH, and like, I kind of felt like he had a THING for you.” Patroka teased.
“But he’s gone now.” Mikhail sighed. “He died… defeating your former Driver. Heh, it’s poetic, thinking about it.”
“Hey, that’s my line.” Akhos remarked.
“Jin…” Malos let the name roll off his lips again. “Heh…nope, doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Huh…” Mikhail frowned at the notion. “Well… I’m sure he’d be happy for you.”
“How much did Jin… did those people mean to me? What did my ambition mean? Was there anything else that I loved? Just because you remind me about who I was, the feelings are lost to me. So, why…why should I care about their feelings?!”
“I don’t effing know, Malos!” Jak stated. “I wasn’t there when it all happened! I don’t know if there was another way! But I know there’s a way now, and that’s STOPPING Eggman! So, you need to BACK OFF!”
“You heard him, big guy!” Daxter scampered up Malos’ armor and slapped the chisel-jawed man. “Ya know, Jak may be your Driver, but I’m his!” The ops were impressed by his bravery inside the darkness sphere. “And this is what happens when ya let the bus boy order chumps around. Malos, I don’t think you got a wink of sleep since this whole thing began. You’re gettin’ crow’s feet and pinkeye in all the wrong places. No wonder you’re gettin’ such a ’tude. Ya know what gets me to sleep? A good cup of Sandover coconut milk and a nice night at the massage parlor~. Oh, when those ladies get that nice spot between the fur, row! I think NLA has one of those, let’s pay a trip right now. And hey, that’s Dunban over there!”
The muscular Homs was already prepared with a massage table, chopping his hands in a warmup motion as he stared blankly.
“Huff…haugh…” Malos didn’t understand his own feelings… he didn’t understand what he really wanted. But did he really want to enforce his problems over the Blades? They were happy with their real Drivers… they never asked to be trapped under a villain’s control. And continuing to fight over it would only waste time. Malos eased himself as the darkness faded away. He let go of the Monado, so Jak could calmly pull it up from the ground.
“I… feel really weird watching this without knowing the context.” Cheren sighed.
“I just roll with the flow.” Nebula shrugged, returning to the Egg Lift. “Vweeb, are you okay… in…”
“Hehehehehehe!” Vweeb and Celica worked together to “punish” poor Ursula. Even Rock was having fun, tickling Beary. “Stop! I surrender! S-Save meeee!”
“Nebula!” She looked as Arianna came hurrying up the path, carrying Floren’s KO’ed body. “Is everything alright up-”
“ARIANNA, where are Makava and Tronta?!” Nebula outbursted.
“Huh? Uh, they’re still fighting-”
“THEN GO BACK THEM UP! Enemy reinforcements could arrive at any moment, don’t just leave them alone!”
“Ah! O-O-Okay!” She dropped Floren and ran off. Nebula glanced a glare at Vweeb’s activity, mumbling that he owed her one.
Colony 4
Based on the Bionis’ left elbow, Colony 4 was a shiny, silver-coated town with posh paved paths and a High Entia fountain. The Homs intermingled with Entia citizens; if not for the latter’s wings, it would be hard to tell any of them apart with their silver hair. “Welcome to my colony.” Alvis announced. “We’re quite fond of the color silver.”
“At least we won’t be getting bit by werewolves.” Jenny remarked.
“You mean Werevolffs?” Reyn asked. “That’s just a myth.”
“You haven’t been off this planet for long then.”
“Colony 3 shares our color, too. Meanwhile, Colonies 1 and 2 are blonde-haired. One is where Shulk originates from.”
“Not that I remember growing up there.”
“Yo, check out this big old birdbath!” Finch happily splashed and danced in the fountain, where a Homs and Entia kid were playing as well. “Hey! Tazma! Come dance with me, the water’s delicious!”
“Maybe when there’s not an annoying bird in it.”
“Oi, look, it’s a Tirkin!” the Homs boy pointed. “Must be from the village down low!”
“Huh?” Finch turned, hands raised. “I’m not a Tirkin! …Am I? Who am I again?”
The kids gasped. “IT’S A BLADE! AAAAAAHHH!” The kids bolted through town, drawing worried attention from the townsfolk.
“What’s that?! There’s a Blade here?!” Soldiers quickly marched out, surrounding the fountain with guns raised. “It’s disguised like a Tirkin, but its eyes are…”
“Wait! Everyone calm down!” Shulk ran in their wake. “This Blade is harmless! We have her under control.”
“It’s Shulk!”
“What’s going on?!” A blonde boy who seemed to be 10 years old with black clothes raced past the soldiers. “M-Master Shulk!” He had blonde hair and wielded a sword and shield.
“Ahoy, Zeon!” Reyn greeted jovially. “Didn’t expect to see you down here!”
“There’s nothing wrong.” Shulk assured. “This is Finch. She’s a Blade, but she’s resisting Eggman’s control.”
“Is ‘resisting’ the right word in this case?” Eddy cocked a brow as Finch licked water off her arm.
“Oh…er, well, should we at least contain her?”
“She’ll be fine, I think.” Shulk answered. “But since you’re here, I think we’ll introduce you. Zeon, this is Sector Q, offworlders who came to help us. Sector Q, this is Prince Zeon.”
“Prince?”
“Of the High Entia.” Zeon smiled politely and sheathed his sword. “But I guess you couldn’t tell at a glance.”
“HUUUUU!” Miko gasped loudly. She zipped up toward the shorter boy and… poked the tips of his tiny, blonde wings. “Those are such cute little wings!!”
“Miko!” Quill shouted.
“Please excuse her, Your Highness.” Alvis said.
“It’s… quite alright.” Though Zeon would much like her to stop. “It’s part of being half-Homs, after all. And I never knew about my royal heritage until a few years ago.”
“Zeon leads the KND sector in Colony 2.” Shulk explained. “Speaking of, how are things up there?”
“Er…not good, I’m afraid. Eggman’s forces have nearly occupied the Bionis’ shoulders. We could only evacuate so many citizens. Right now, we’re sort of split between here and 3.”
“It doesn’t seem that Eggman is intending to kill anybody from Mira.” Alvis mentioned. “Rather, he needs them alive, presumably hoping to awaken more Blades.”
“Speaking of which… I snagged this from the robots.” Zeon withdrew a blue, glowing crystal from his pocket.
“Ooooo, what’s this little shiny?” Miko took it, mesmerized by its glow.
“Be careful, Miko!” Shulk gasped. “That’s a Core Crystal! Only Mirans can resonate with them.”
“GYAH!” Miko frantically dropped it.
“Take it easy.” Reyn picked it up. “I think it only happens if you stare at it too long. …Or are you supposed to squeeze it? Or twist it? Never tried to myself.”
“And until this mess is resolved, we shouldn’t awaken any Blades.” Shulk affirmed.
The sound of the colony alarm would only disrupt the peace further. “Oh, come ON, guys!” Reyn exasperated. “We told you it’s flippin’ fine, don’t raise the alarm!”
Shulk’s eyes flashed blue: a figure in red armor would fly in and punch Miko in the skull, accompanied by a squad of robots. “Wait, over there!” Carmine’s voice called him out of the vision, alerting them to the incoming invasion. In particular, one came rocketing at a high velocity, the sight of its single red eye locked on-
“MIKO, WATCH OUT!” Shulk jumped in front and protected them with Monado Shield. The red-armored figure bent the matter beneath them, causing Shulk and Miko to fall. Carmine threw bombs at him and Kazuma jumped to punch him with his Mechon knuckledusters. The figure spun to kick them away, but Miko would spring out of the hole for a strong punch! The figure bounced several meters, and upon returning to his feet, his mask dispersed into matter. Beneath it was another, silver mask and black hair, done into spikes, sticking out the back. Bits of blue crystals were embedded in his armor, with a purple one in the chest.
His mask was unmistakable to the Q-Crew. “In…Infinite?!”
“Miko Kubota.” He greeted in his calm, dark voice. “It was a matter of time before we met again. Why have you come here?”
“You know exactly why.” Miko folded arms. “At least, I hope you do ’cause we’re tired of explaining it.”
“It’s as I feared…” Infinite took a few steps forward. “Miko, you’re an honorable girl. You saw the truth of Hinobi’s evils. You destroyed them, and you spared me. But my loyalty resides with Eggman, the man who saved me. So, I would like to resolve this peacefully: surrender yourself and come with me. The Monado boy, too. Do so and I will leave this town in peace and give you all a chance to leave the planet.”
“If you were gonna threaten us, you should’ve brought more robots.” Quill said.
“This new suit the doctor granted me shall be more than a match for the lot of you.”
“Those lights…” Shulk studied the blue gems. “Those are Core Crystals!”
“Indeed! Eggman cut several crystals into pieces and used them to power this Moebius armor. It amplifies my matterbending. The Blades are beings of condensed matter, after all, with Program-like aspects. And it’s because I was made Aincrad’s MCP that these crystals resonate with me well. Aincrad and this world possess the same origins, as you no doubt know.”
“His assessment is logical.” Boly’s eyes curved worriedly.
“Huh?” Infinite focused on the robot. “…What is this feeling? That robot… IS THAT BOLYPIUS?!”
“Uh, NO NO!” Miko blocked Boly from him and waved her arms. “It’s just a robot! That we made! ’Cause we like robots!”
“So in the end, it attained a physical form! Then I guess I’ll be taking it as well. Last warning: surrender yourselves now!”
“Sigh…” Miko looked to her friends, but their minds all read the same thought: no way in heck! “Sorry, but even if I do, these guys aren’t gonna leave the planet. We’re stopping Eggman for good, and I’ll stick with them to the end!” (Play “Consul/Moebius Battle” from XC3!)
“So be it!” Infinite’s mask reformed, the jackal levitating. “Then you’ll perish in the name of the Eggman Empire!”
An Egg Walker, Wyvern, Beetle, and Hawk landed around town. Sector Q and Reyn divided to fight them while Miko, Shulk, and Alvis stood before Infinite. “Hn…” Eddy hesitated to join the others. He was technically Boly’s Guardian, but what he could he do besides give the order to fight? “M-Miko! Boly! Go all out if you have to, okay?!”
“Mm-hm!” Miko thumbed up. “You got it, Eddy!” Cords linked her Hinobi glove to Magearna, downloading Boly into it. “You won’t be so infinite for long!”
Boss fight: Infinite
Miko extracted her K.O. Hammer, but Infinite scattered his matter in evasion, then did so again when Shulk went for the cut. Infinite spawned three clones of himself, each staticky as they conjured Homs tanks and slammed them around the ground. Miko and Shulk would swat them away, but the Infinites would only recreate them. However, Shulk’s vision kicked on, seeing an Infinite conjure a spear and stab Miko’s leg mid-jump. When Miko made the jump in question, Shulk memorized the clone that would do it and leapt to slice him. Once exposed, Miko furiously bashed him with her hammer, watching in disgust as the other clones collapsed into flesh piles. Infinite forced both off and bent the flesh’s matter back into his chest crystal, which flashed the mobius symbol. Infinite conjured his spear anyway and swung it at Miko, who struggled to evade as her clothes were cut. Shulk directly clashed with the weapon and knocked it off balance, swiftly throwing his Monado up at Alvis. The silver-haired landed and dealt an array of blows at the jackal.
“Miko, new programs have appeared in my memory banks!” Boly said.
Infinite took to the air and tossed another spear at Miko, who saw it a split second too late… or so she thought. An orange Japanese symbol shone on her glove as a barrier appeared to block the spear. “WHOA!”
“The Monado Shield?!” Shulk gasped.
“I see.” Alvis smiled knowingly.
Miko smirked and shot lasers from her glove, Infinite bending his own matter to evade. He landed and slapped the ground, twisting it to trap Miko in an earth twister. She had a second to escape as soon as her barrier dispelled, and Shulk would leap up the twister to surprise-drop Infinite! He yelled against the beam-sword’s stab, bending the ground to carry Shulk away, but he tossed the sword back to Alvis. With he and Miko charging from two different sides, Infinite conjured Greataxes, twirling them with ease and deflecting the two’s onslaught. Infinite took flight around the town, but Miko’s glove flashed another symbol: Speed! Her shoes seemed to morph into smaller, sturdy running shoes with wings at the back, emitting a holographic glow. She dashed like a hedgehog, maneuvering around town and—“OW!” hitting a dumpster.
“Miko!” Shulk and Alvis caught up using Monado Enchant.
“She hasn’t borrowed all of our powers. Allow us to find the way.” Alvis said. Miko followed them as Shulk kept his future seeing consistently active, dodging dumpsters, spike traps, Piranha Plants, or whatever trap Infinite had waiting around the corner. Shulk used hand signs to direct Miko left, right, right, left, and keep going straight. Meanwhile, he would keep chasing Infinite into a route where Miko would crush into him, enlarging her gloved fist to pummel the jackal! Infinite bent rockets to attach to her, sending Miko flying skyward. He would then dispel the rockets and conjure a helicopter for her to fall into. “WAAAAAAH! Boly, shield, Boly, shield, BOLY SHIELD!”
“It still needs time to recharge!”
“THEN USE ANOTHER SYMBOL, HURRYYYYY!” Miko’s glove flashed pink, and just as she seemed to touch the blades, she was gone.
“MIKO!!” Eddy screamed, the sight stopping him from shooting the Egg Hawk.
“Where did she…” Infinite glared.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” A tiny Miko had landed right on the copter’s propeller, clinging on tight. “What?! I can shrink now?! That’s so—COOOOL!” She finally went flying off, splashing in the central fountain.
“Eh?” Finch saw the splash and curiously approached. “WHEW!” Miko blew up back to normal, Finch falling on her rump. “I get it! I don’t have the Monado’s powers, I have the Pixl powers from Aincrad! I’m not sure how, but I’ll take it!” She jumped out of the fountain, watching Infinite take flight after enduring Shulk’s onslaught. Infinite’s eye shone and sharpened after spotting Miko, who blew a taunting raspberry. Infinite lowered just 20 feet above Miko, conjuring five hi-tech cannons that shot particle beams. Miko evaded and used Boly to stretch a tall ladder, riding it to Infinite’s level. The jackal evaded her and grabbed Miko in his own giant hand, spinning to throw her a far distance. However, Miko used another function to flatten herself paper thin, floating gently in the breeze. She puffed back up and dropped, and since she hadn’t flown too far, Shulk could catch up and break her fall.
The Egg Wyvern flew headfirst at Kazuma, but a timed jump landed him atop the head. His attempt to punch the robot’s brain circuits out were returned with rash shaking, flinging Kazuma right into the fountain. He sat himself up, groaning in sickness. “OOOOOH, NOW I REMEMBER!” He was startled as Finch shot up. “YOU guys are my enemies! Thought you could trick ol’ Finch, eh?” Kazuma grit his teeth as the dimwitted bird raised her hammer. “We-heh-hell, looks like Finch got the jump on you first, Ka…Kazra…Katsuma? Uh, wait…” Her Eggman irises flickered. Kazuma could almost see a faint glimmer of regret. “Do I… wanna hurt you?”
As her eyes continued to flicker, the Wyvern came for another divebomb. “Hu-! Feather Brains, look out!”
“Huh?” Finch lazily saw the Wyvern coming. She stuck the hilt of her hammer into the fountain’s ground and projected a barrier, completely blocking the charging robot as its head smashed and sparked. Kazuma would lay in awe as the Wyvern depowered and collapsed. “…” Finch returned to him with a smile. “No worries, C-Man. Finch’s got your back! You are on Dr. Eggwick’s side, right?”
“Haha…yes.” For once, her cluelessness was appeasing. “I am definitely on Eggwick’s side.”
Infinite landed and spawned claw weapons, clashing Shulk’s Monado and Miko’s hammer. He would will the ground to emerge spikes, but Shulk’s visions combined with Enchant would save him, while Miko projected a Carrie platform to glide along the spikes! Infinite ascended and threw numerous spikeballs, but Miko’s Carrie could bounce over them all, reach Infinite, and bash him to the surface with hammer! Shulk and Alvis linked hands to land a powerful jump slash, “Monado BUSTER!” but after tanking the blow, Infinite mustered a katana to slash them both across the stomachs! He flipped the ground up like a closing flower in attempt to crush Miko, but her shield was reactivated, protecting herself. Infinite poured more power into crushing it, but Shulk’s return would prohibit him.
As Miko struggled inside the stone trap, she remembered another function of Aincrad’s Barry Pixl: she spun around as spikes erected from the barrier, spinning with her as they grinded the prison into rubble! Once free, she lunged at Infinite and spun again, slicing him with the spikes. “HUUUR!” Infinite flew into the air and morphed his armor into a larger, more muscular shape! He violently smacked Shulk away before stretching a fist at Miko, blasting her across town and close to Eddy.
“MIKO!” Just after sniping the Egg Hawk’s propellers, Eddy horrifically ran to his injured friend. The Hawk’s propellers exploded from the force of his supercharged slingshot pellets. “Miko… you’re…!” Her body had been broken into particles, huge gaps in her everywhere.
“Ah…ah-ah-aaaaahhh…!” Her eyes creased, feeling she would pass out and die at any second. “A-A-Am I bleeding? Is this what my blood looks like? E-Eddy, do I call a doctor or a developer?!”
“E-Easy, it’s just an effect of his matterbending! I-I’m sure it’ll wear off!”
“What’s wrong?” Infinite approached, materializing a giant hammer. “Damaged beyond repair? This should be easy.”
Eddy tried to shoot pellets, but the giant Mobian bent them into particles. “Come on, Boly, aren’t you a matterbender, too? Can’t you fix her?!”
“My power is primarily restricted to data!”
“But you were using those powers just now! You can manipulate Miko’s body in this world now!”
“Energy levels depleted… need time to recharge…”
“Eddy… I-I think I’m gonna die. I-I can’t feel my legs! Or my fingers! How will I ever play rhythm games now?!”
With Infinite nearing, the scrawny gamer was pressed for options. He touched the Spirit Ball in his pocket. How could Boly be low on juice? Wasn’t she a Newborn? Was it because she didn’t have her Pure Hearts? Did he need to do something? What could Eddy do? He was just a dork, how did he even get made Boly’s Guardian? Miko’s Guardian? She was way more epic than he was, why did it have to come to this? Eddy had no way to help, but he…he couldn’t let Miko get taken! He couldn’t… “AAAAAHH!” Eddy mounted himself firmly over Miko, shut his eyes from the impending hammer, and threw hands up to fruitlessly block it.
“?!? What?!” There was a flash. Eddy found himself in a strange, digital space… and he was standing on the soles of an upside-down Miko. Both were equally baffled searching around the space, with screens showing glimpses of their respective pasts.
“Eddy, what’s happening?!”
“I have no idea!”
A pair of beady blue eyes gazed upon them. “New function unlocked!” Boly announced. “Fusion underway!”
When their view of the real world returned, it seemed Infinite had fallen back. In fact… they seemed to be level with his enlarged form. Shulk, Reyn, and their friends were smaller, looking their way aghast. “?!” Their hands were different. No… they had the same hands! They had transformed into a large, digital, colorful entity: their “face” was only a pair of big glasses, blue under flowing violet hair. Their pupils were Q-shaped. They were thin with a blue shirt and tied green sweater around it, and their legs were cross-sat, thick, socked, and violet. A giant game controller sat in their lap… and as they took it in hand, they only knew one desire. “QUESTER EDIKO! GO!”
Mashing the controller’s buttons assaulted Infinite with a flurry of invisible melee attacks. Infinite bent his matter to evade them, grabbing the Quester by the neck and throwing it through some buildings. They flew back and withstood Infinite’s hammer volley, grabbing it in place. Shulk and Alvis would run circles around the Moebius, throwing the Monado to each other in spins to slice his legs. “MONADO CYCLONE!” The repetition would give rise to a great cyclone, tearing up Infinite’s concentration as Ediko flipped him on his back.
“And now for a new trick!” Alvis took the Monado and stabbed Infinite in the hip. The jackal was shown a vision of Ediko bringing their hammer right down on his chest gem. Infinite materialized a shield to protect it, but in actuality, the Quester would “grab” him by the ankles and bash him around the ground. They would swing him to Shulk and Alvis, who raised the Monado together to stab him in the back, piercing the gem on the other side. Only then would Ediko raise the Big K.O. Hammer and put the nail in the coffin! (End song.)
Ediko’s matter scattered, reforming into a laying and exhausted Miko and Eddy. “Huff, huff…THAT WAS SO AWESOOOOOOOME!” But Miko had just enough to kick the air.
“Hueh, hyeah! That was… so good!” Eddy almost wondered if he were dreaming! He never imagined doing something so awesome with Miko; he still wasn’t really sure what just happened.
Similarly, Infinite returned to normal. His central gem shattered and his Moebius armor fell apart, the crystals with it. “What? …Was that… the power of Bolypius? But how… did that boy use it, too?”
“Maybe ’cause… I’m just too awesome.” Eddy weakly sat up. “Ain’t I, Quill?”
“Up yours.” He and Carmine had taken out the Walker.
“Huff…the fight is yours… I need to… recover…”
A pair of medical bots arrived, lifting Infinite. Shulk wondered if Sector Q would want to finish him during this moment of weakness… but they made no moves, so he didn’t either. “I wonder what… penalty you’ll receive…” were Infinite’s last words before he was taken across the sky.
“Penalty?” Shulk questioned.
“Man, Boly, why didn’t you tell me you could do that?” Miko asked.
“You never queried.”
“I think you were just testing my bravery.” Eddy replied.
“So, like, can we change into other forms?”
“Data unavailable.”
“Whew, I think that calls for a meal!” Jenny rubbed her tummy, she and Reyn sitting atop the crashed Egg Beetle.
“Now you’re talkin’!” the brute agreed.
A dark star came shooting toward the planet.
“Master Shulk!” Zeon raced outside. “Everyone is safe and accounted for!”
“Excellent work, Zeon. Looks like we’re A-OK.”
Alvis gasped, looking skyward. “Something’s coming!”
“What?!” The others were drawn into alert.
The black star crashed in the Arbrick Alpine outside town, quaking the Bionis’ arm. The friends viewed over the edge. A mass of darkness emerged from the crater, rising to their level. Though the source was very small… the amount of dark aura it projected was horrifying. “What is that thing?!” Shulk asked.
“It…It looks like…” Jenny’s eyes grew with bewilderment.
It was infant-size, with a black star head and a white body. Its eyes were a curved white along the borderline of the black and white, and purple ribbons fluttered from its star tips. “It’s… JGLUGY.”
“What?” Reyn asked confusedly.
“Huh?!” Jenny tried to glance at her own mouth. “I can’t say his name?! Why not?!”
“I can’t either…” The only thing to come out of Carmine’s mouth was gibberish. “But… I thought he was…”
…
“Kinginginginging!” Kael was in glee over Sector Q’s shock-ridden expressions. “For using the Newborn’s power against other players… you must be punished by the Reborn. Go get them, Ihcarij!”
SOOOOOOO, who is Zeon? He’s the son of Queen Melia’s late brother, Kallian, and a Homs moms. Since he’s part Entia, he takes longer to age than humans, so he’s actually in his 50s right now.
Chapter 11: Death Match in Mor Ardain
Summary:
Sector V climbs the Titan of Mor Ardain, battling the Officer Blades on the sandswept cliffs. Sector Q receive unexpected help.
Chapter Text
So, remember Medusa’s final words in the previous story?
Chapter 10: Death Match in Mor Ardain
The sky darkened when the corrupted Ztar passed their atmosphere. Sector Q could hardly believe what they were seeing. It’s not like they had actually seen him die, but even then, why did he show up now? …And like this? “Oi, you know what this thing is?” Reyn asked.
“It’s the Ztar God.” Carmine answered. “I mean, the Ztar Go-…no, it’s supposed to have an ‘S’! Why can’t I say it right?!”
“Heeeey!” Miko sported a bubbly smile, waving both arms at the child. “JGUGGLOO! It’s us, the Kids Next Door! I bet Nebula would be happy to see—YAAAA!”
Ihcarij unleashed black Ztars, Shulk and Miko hastily projecting their shields to protect their friends, but Colony 4 still felt the tremendous impact. “EVERYONE!” Zeon yelled, waving his sword as he dashed back through town. “EVACUATE TO THE CARRIERS! HURRY!”
Their barriers would shatter as Ihcarij charged them directly, Shulk quickly batting him away. Ihcarij made a roundabout as a Shooting Ztar and would try to crash again. “Miko, we need another shield!!” Eddy ordered.
“Pixl Powers each need 2 minutes to reload!” Boly answered.
“THEN USE HAMMER, GIVE US A GOOD HAMMER!”
“GAH, ZANZA-DAMMIT!” Reyn stamped his shield down while Miko swung her arm down, swiftly spawning the hammer as it bashed Ihcarij dead on. The Virtual God Chi managed to direct Ihcarij’s collision course into the ground, the shockwave sending the crew flying over the town fountain (watched by an innocently bewildered Finch). They were fearful as Ihcarij levitated above them, helpless to think if they could get out of this. Ihcarij closed his eyes and opened the purple True Eye on his belly.
The eye seemed to peer into Quill’s soul, seeing his very desires: “I wish I could be a racecar!” Quill had this childish wish at one point, but time and age didn’t matter. Ihcarij focused his magic over Quill. “W-Whuh?! AAAAAHHH!” The sensation was horrible as Quill’s body stretched and morphed into a racecar, his face at the front.
“QUILL!!”
“OH GOD, THIS IS WORSE THAN I IMAGINED! I look like a silly Pixar character!!”
Ihcarij focused on Carmine. “I wish I was a kangaroo!” Accepting her desire, Ihcarij stretched Carmine’s body to become her favorite animal. Unfortunately, she popped out of her suit and her flesh was still dissolved and sensitive. Kazuma thought she looked like an overgrown baby kangaroo ripped from her mother’s pouch! “OOOOOW! OW, OW, OW, IT HURTS! PLEASE CHANGE ME BACK!”
“JBLYJAY!” Miko screamed. “Stop hurting my friends! I-I wish you would stop!”
Ihcarij transformed into a Stop sign. “…Okay, that is actually pretty funny, but I wish you would stop hurting us!”
Ihcarij changed back and began to observe them again. “Miko, attack him before he does anything else!” Eddy ordered.
“Miko, your body is experiencing excessive stress.” Boly said. “Using more power is highly unrecommended.”
“Then what else are we supposed to do?!”
Ihcarij glared at Eddy, seeing into his weird little desires. “I wish Miko would-” “WAIT, DON’T MAKE THAT WISH! NOOOO!”
A pair of red and blue tentacles seized the Reborn and squeezed him, breaking Ihcarij into particles. It was unbelievable how many familiar faces were popping up in this town. “OH, GREAT!” Reyn yelled. “What in blazes is that thing?!”
“It’s… Deoxys!” Miko gaped. “The God of DNA!”
With a flexible, rubbery body of red, a blue mask, and a purple gem in its chest, Deoxys waited for Ihcarij’s body to reform itself. The Ztar Kid transformed him into a bucket of toothpicks, but that bucket stretched and recolored as Deoxys twisted Ihcarij like a wet towel. “You must run.” He spoke in his distorted microphone voice. “Kael has brought him here, in response to your use of Bolypius’ power.”
“You mean Kael’s the one that did this?”
“I believe he became this way through some other means.” Ihcarij transformed Deoxys into a drier and used him to “dry” and shape himself back to normal. Deoxys instead shaped himself like an oven to cook him, his voice sounding like a heater’s whirring. “And there’s only one other god that could have done this. Regardless, Kael has taken advantage of him. The other perished Firstborn have been Reborn as well, and he will no doubt use them.”
“This was the penalty Infinite mentioned!” Shulk realized.
“Then… if we use the Newborn’s power, Kael will send these corrupt Firstborn at us?” Jenny asked.
“This was an error I was not aware of!” Boly exclaimed. “Miko, I…I sincerely apologize!”
“Wait, how come CP0 never went after you?” Quar questioned. “That’s not my name!”
“Perhaps they had neither the time nor the plan.” Ihcarij pumped Deoxys full of popcorn that came exploding out of his oven body. Ihcarij emerged from the corn and conjured a fan to saw up his baggy form, but Deoxys assumed a gummy texture to stick and stop the fan. “But now that I’ve shown myself, Kael will not let me escape. Keep going, children. I will stop this one from pursuing you. And, Bolypius… I’m proud of you for finding your way.”
“You intended for me to locate this planet?”
“No. I am proud of you for finding your heart.”
“My… heart…” Miko stared into the eyes of her glove.
“Hurry.” Deoxys used his bending to reshape and weave Carmine’s broken suit. “His magic will wear off in minutes. You must flee now.”
“Then we better use this time while we got it!” Eddy hopped in Quill’s driver seat. “Miko, grab the Magearna!”
“You’re not seriously driving me!”
“You gotta be useful for something, Quill.”
“You’re all gonna track mud inside me! Won’t it, like, stay in my body or something?!”
“We’ll help you throw up later!” Miko chucked Magearna in the trunk and leapt in beside Kanga-Carmine. “FLOOR IT, EDDY!”
Eddy stomped the gas. “OW!” Quill could swear his insides were blowing out as he blasted around the fountain—they rammed a wandering Finch as she flipped and landed upside-down in Kazuma’s laugh.
“AUGH!” Not wanting her tail feathers in his face, he pushed Finch down a pinch, her head flipping up to face him. “Oh, hey, Katsuya! Can we swing by Tora’s house and get some Sunshine Pie? I LOVE the Mint Fish Pyra puts in it!”
“Can I throw this brat off and lighten our load?!”
“We can’t just leave her!” Shulk reasoned. Eddy drove downhill, recklessly trying, but failing to avoid most of the trees along the alpine.
“D’OW! GAH! AH HA HAAAAA.” As Quill met the full brunt of every obstacle under his friend’s carelessness, he began to pity every sentient train, car, and plane in fiction. “Where are we even go—WOW!”
“Down to Colony 5! Afterwards, we’ll board a carrier! I want to go to the Mechonis.”
“What’s at Mechonis?” Jenny asked.
“Queen Melia and Lady Vanea. We need to report everything that’s happened.”
“Shulk?” Boly spoke with a hint of sadness. “Can you see… my father’s future?”
“…” Shulk and Alvis held the Monado together. Their glowing vision saw Dr. Eggman piloting a mech with thin, flexible limbs, panning out to what appeared to be a walrus-like Titan. “I…I don’t know.”
Alrest
The Sunny Day sailed out of Uraya’s body, under a vibrant blue sky and a sea of white. “Two of our friends are at Mor Ardain, fighting off a Blade invasion.” Rex explained. “I’d like if we could go there next.”
“I wonder if our own Blades are with them…” Nia said.
“So, when a Blade becomes a Flesh Eater, they can also become Drivers?” Haruka asked.
“Yep. In fact, between the four of us, we’ve resonated with hundreds of Blades.”
“HUNDREDS?! That’s kind of overpowered, isn’t it?!”
“Well, we can only use one Blade at a time.” Rex answered. “And most of the ones we wake, we send to work for the mercenaries. They do whatever task’s assigned for them.”
“What, exactly, is the point of Drivers when Blades can just act and fight on their own?” Mason asked.
“Because each Blade has a set limit to their power, but Drivers can go beyond it with enough training. Of course, some Blades have higher limits than others, especially Aegises. Those same Blades could give Drivers a higher chance at winning, too.”
“But we never have the time to train and bond with every single Blade.” Nia said. “What Rex really wanted was to give them freedom.”
“Yah, but most Blades, by default, are compelled to help their Drivers. Especially the Common Blades that haven’t found their ‘identity,’ yet. But the Rare Blades each had something they wanted to be. Vess and Gorg want to cook food, Ursula wants to be a singer, Dagas wants to… be a king, I guess, and now many of them are famous for what they do.”
“Ursula?” Aurora said. “We kind of know her; she was close with Sector IC.”
“Aye, she told us.” Nia nodded. “She used to be my Blade, before we transferred her to Celica.”
“Blades can transfer Drivers?”
“Overdrive Protocol!” Pyra pulled a key from her crystal. “Another Aegis specialty. Rex thought it would be better if some Blades had special Drivers who’d be able to focus on them. Then we ourselves wouldn’t be burdened with so many, hehe.”
“Honestly, these Blades have too many convoluted rules.” Mason rubbed his head.
“It’s always been pretty simple for us.” Rex shrugged. “But I guess we grew up with it.”
“I mean, our rules get pretty crazy, too.” Aurora reasoned. “There are four primary powers people can get, element bending, magic, metahumans, or advanced martial arts. For elements, most people are born with a single element, but sometimes have two; magic allows people to use elemental spells with more limited control, and they can-”
“Okay, Aurora, please, stop.” Mason groaned with a headache.
Pyra chuckled. “Fire, magic, humans, Titans, the sea, the sky…” She touched her core and faced the sky. “We’re all united by the chi that makes the universe… and the gods who created us.”
“Yeah…” Her words saddened Aurora, but they were also soothing.
“MATES! CHECK OUT WHAT OI FOUND!”
Wondering what marvels Sheila found while Cloud Sea swimming, they turned to port—“SHEILA!!” and saw their captain being swung about by a green tentacle.
“Hahahaha! This planet is rippeeeeeerrrrr! It has a bloomin’ Kraken and everything! Oi, Pyra, did you say somethin’ about bein’ a cook? Then fry this baby up!”
Aurora sliced the tentacle off with Galaxia, Sheila pushing herself free to land on the deck. An enormous squid with wing-like protrusions emerged from the sea, floating as its splayed its circular mouth on its underside. “It’s a Squood!” Rex exclaimed. “Nasty old buggers! Let us handle it-”
Mason bent soda up into its mouth, causing its insides to bubble. The Squood slammed its tentacle onto the deck, but Sheila stopped it with one hand. She swung the Squood around at a vertical angle, stirring the soda inside and sickening the beast. One of the tentacles swung in Haylee’s direction, the carpenter raising a long saw to cut halfway through it. Sheila tossed the Squood several meters behind the ship, but the squid was too stubborn to let its prey get away. It came swimming at the Sunny like a torpedo; no matter what, it was bound to eat fresh raccoon for lunch!
But if one could see its dead body tied to the ship’s stern, they would know how that worked out. Pieces of its cooked tentacle would be filling the crew’s delighted bellies. “I bet you guys don’t know about Cloud Sea King Ken.” Rex began in a way intended to earn their interest. “He’s a Squood like this one, only way more strong. The strongest creature in the whole Cloud Sea.”
“Sounds like this Cloud Sea King belongs in the belly of the Pirate King.” Sheila smirked, already hungry for more.
“Why’d you have to go and tell her that?” Haylee asked. “Now she’ll want to find him. …Hey, I think I see our destination!” The compass led them directly to a towering, humanoid-shaped Titan, its shape barely visible under a dense cloud of dust. “That’s a… pretty different Titan. I’m a little scared to get closer.”
“I’M NOT!” Sheila screamed. “FULL SPEED AHEEEAAAD!”
“That’s Mor Ardain alright.” Nia said. “Most industrial nation in Alrest on the most desecrated Titan. Famous for its regular sandstorms and geothermal haze. It’s bloody awful up there. Sand gets all up in my clothes.”
“And Sheila was so happy to have sunlight again.” Mason smiled in passive humor. “You’ll wanna sit this one out, Cap.”
“Like I’d ever! There’s no adventure without crazy weather!”
“This kind of weather isn’t safe to fly in.” Rex said. “Let’s dock the ship at the port behind its left leg.”
“I still feel zero comfort sailing close to this thing.” Haylee reasoned. “I mean, the giant whale was fine, this thing looks like it might kick us!”
“Relax, Ardain is friendly when you get to know him.” Pyra smiled. “Besides, he’s way too old to get in any fights—WHOA!”
An electric arrow struck the deck, barely missing Pyra and Nia. “AAH! HE’S STRIKING DIVINE JUDGMENT!” Haylee screamed.
“That wasn’t the Titan!” Rex glared suspiciously. “In fact… it looked like Akhos’ arrow!”
“Ah don’t see him anywhere in that dust cloud!” Nia said. “How does he even know we’re coming?”
…
“Akhos, dear. You missed.” A lady Blade resembling a porcelain doll with a mechanical left eye spoke in a seductive tone. “How do you expect to please Master Eggman with an aim like that?”
“Tch!” A young-looking man in blue armor, red glasses, and black hair was flustered. “I was merely setting the stage, of course. A warning shot to warm them up for the action. As a playwright, I intend to give Dr. Eggman the best show possible!”
“The only acceptable show is one where these KND perish. Aim better this time, Akhos.”
“Perhaps that eye of yours needs a few adjustments, Azami!” Akhos pulled back his bow and charged another electric arrow.
Before the Raccoons knew it, a storm of Shock Arrows came flying from the dust cloud, Aurora swatting as many as she could with her sword. “Well, THIS is a pain!”
“Stupid can-headed Titan!” Sheila shouted. “Haylee, hurry and get us over so I can send it toppling!”
“Aye-aye, Captain! I think I found us a good current!”
“Poppibuster modifications completed!”
Tora’s announcement drew their attention to the cabin. At first, nothing seemed different about the bulky robotic Blade, until it turned to reveal a turret seat on its back, carrying Artie Gilligan! “Haha! I’m the Poppibuster’s rear flank now!”
“Poppi leave no side unprotected!” Poppi mk. II echoed from inside the mech. “Your assistance is welcome, Master Gilligan.” Poppibuster said in its butler-like voice.
“Sheila, want us to give you a headstart?” Artie asked, the mech twisting back around with an open hand.
“You bet your bottom doubloon I do!” Sheila curled up like a ball midjump into the robot’s hand. Poppibuster reeled back and, “GERONIMOOOOOO!” chucked her like a cannonball.
“You know how to make an entrance, Sheila!” Mason cheered.
“So do you, First Mate!” Artie said, the mech grabbing Mason as well. It balled Mason up before stretching back and, “AAAAAAaaaaahhhh!” throwing the poisonbender after his captain!
“Who want to go next?” Poppi asked. The operatives cringed a tad. (Play “Alba Cavanich Night” from XC2.)
Act 6: Mor Ardain
Mason and Sheila crossed the metal dock and rode a platform being hoisted up and down by a crane. The sandy wind blew around the right of the leg, where they could barely see a two-level platform with stairs. The duo used their hovering techniques to ride the wind toward the bottom layer. On the top, they were ambushed by a manta-like Titan called a Sollmeyer, implanted with Ardainian tech. It shot energy blasts, but Sheila exchanged them with her signature Light Fists. The lack of light in this dusty storm hindered her bending enough for Sheila to need a few hits to knock it down. Worse than that though, Mason’s gas attacks would merely be blown away by the wind. They rode another crane lift, followed by jumping some high platforms, careful to not let the wind hinder their hovering. The platforms led to the top of a smoke stack, a black fume with violet embers rising from it. An idea came to Mason as he used his bending to smash and compress the smog back into the chimney. He and Sheila leapt in as he released his hold, the compressed smoke shooting them skyward! “That stuff’s thicker than it looks!”
They could grab a grated wall, seeing inside of a base lodged within the Titan’s leg—three firebending Blades immediately tried to shoot flames through the bars. “WHOA!” The friends hurriedly climbed their way up the grate while Sheila punched light between the grate to strike the Blades. “They already knew we’d be climbing up this way?!” Mason judged by the readiness of their ambush. Two more Sollmeyers levitated at their level, the duo suffering a few bullets while Sheila tried to whip her Light Tail to hit them. The grates led to a trio of hanging hooks which the two were required to swing, soon finding safety on a platform. Sheila had a better vantage to KO the Sollmeyers; unfortunately, “Zzzzzt!” a Blade was stationed on a higher platform to strike bolts upon them.
“OUCH! That’s gonna leave a burn!” teased Pandoria, a girl with frizzy green hair, glasses, and several lightbulbs around her body (including a tail).
“You drongos really don’t make climbing fun!”
“Just hurry, Sheila!” Mason ushered, bolting up the cliffside slope and minding the impact points of Pandoria’s bolts. Luckily, those points would shine and sparkle before the bolts landed, giving them a split second to react. They climbed a ladder up to a metal walkway, but this merely allowed Pandoria’s bolts to conduct along and shock them wherever. After learning this the hard way, the friends tried to jump whenever needed. When the journey required them to climb another metal grate, they feared there was no safe way with Pandoria ready to snipe them.
“AAAAAHH!” Until a thick, mechanical fist smashed Pandy into the cliff.
“Pandoria! If you not control yourself, Poppi will have to beat sense into you!” Poppi mk. II said.
The buster spun as Artie began unloading Light Bullets over the Blade. Pandoria dodged her way up to swing her large sword, Big Bang Edge, Poppibuster jump-spinning in evasion and to shoot a blast from its palm. “Mason, Sheila! We threw the others to different parts of the leg, but they’ve been getting ambushed, too. Team Rex thinks Azami is pinpointing their locations.”
“Who’s Azami?!”
Poppibuster grabbed Pandy’s sword mid-swing. Artie’s seat lifted and turned to shoot her. “She’s a Blade with Clairvoyance! They said she can see anything between two whole Titans!”
“That sounds both broken and creepy!”
“Well, she’ll have a hard time watching too many divided targets, but they’re all probably gonna get ambushed, too. Just keep climbing!”
“You’ll live on in me heart, Art!” Sheila cheered.
“Don’t act like I’m about to die!”
However, amidst their climbing of the grate, Pandoria spared time to shoot and electrify it. Luckily, there were platforms on the side for them to be safe. From the top, the two could drift up in whirlwinds afloat in set parts of the air. Falcos (robot birds) would soar past the whirlwinds to shoot bullets, but the Eggman mechs were no issue for Sheila’s fists. They landed at the base of a stairway leading into the Titan. There was a river of sludge to the right of it, and it seemed the surrounding cliff would jut out into a ceiling above them. “EEEWW! Sheila, I think we’re in the Titan’s butt!”
“Strewth!” Her perky response was highly inappropriate to Mason under this context. “It reminds me of our first big adventure!”
“And it haunts me to this day!” There was an large pipe entrance to the sewer at the top of the stairs, but a four-legged tank Titan was guarding it. Sheila spun and charged her fist, dodging its bullets before sending a momentous punch into its face. The Titan stumbled back, but remained on its feet, unloading bullets at the duo, but Sheila would leap above while Mason slid underneath. The Titan was too slow to turn as they had already sprinted into the sewer. The river led to a waterfall pouring between pipes, and there was a door to the left. “Sheila, wait! They’re probably gonna ambush us behind this door. Why don’t we Wall Jump up here?”
“You really think I can’t handle a few blokes?”
“I mean, no, but I’d still like to take a less crowded route.”
“Well, fine by me.” With that, Mason used bending to hold back the waterfall, at the same time Wall Jumping between the pipes. Sheila then took her turn, proceeding up the sludge river as it turned right. A grate blocked their way, but Mason simply used “Water Slice” to cut it open. He would have to do it again for the next grate—“Oof!” but tripped and splashed in the river. “Pleh, gross!”
“You orright, mate?”
“Yeah,” Mason stood and bent the sludge off, “some kind of rubbery pipe in the water or-…” The boy paled as a cobra-like serpent emerged from the water. “OR A SNAKE!!”
Sheila grabbed the Aspar’s tail and frantically hurdled it back down the tunnel. It came slithering back, but Mason pushed the river up into a tidal wave with its bending, sending it back down. A storm of Gas Bombs would ensure the Aspar would think twice about chasing. Mason sliced down the next grate; to the left was a room with a Riddler puzzle! It seemed to involve turning nine different cranks and directing a gas flow through a maze to make the trophy pop out. …Mason attempted it for two minutes before giving up. A stairwell led to an exit back into the sandy storm. A group of iron Egg Pawns stormed the walkway in ambush; Sheila’s lightbending would bounce off their silvery bodies, but her direct fists would send them plummeting after five hits each.
The ladder upward was broken, but the duo could simply float up another sequence of whirlwinds. “AAAAAH!” One of the whirlwinds grew larger and spun wildly, trapping them in a never-ending ride.
“I see I’m not the only one who enjoys riding Ardainian sandstorms.” An orange-feathered, bird Blade glided around them, twirling dual scythes to direct his airbending. “Just gotta make sure nothing gets in your EYE!” He slammed them into the cliff.
“Blimey, what’s that ugly excuse of a Nimbi?”
“Some kind of birdman!”
“BIRDMAN?!” he yelled in offense. “First of all, I am Roc! I identify as a ‘4’ and I am the most beautiful ‘4’ that ever 4’ed!”
“He’s fine with male pronouns though!” Pandoria echoed far below, clashing her electric sword with Poppibuster’s fists.
“’Guess we have to beat him before we can go on.” Mason figured. …His expression lit up, “Or not!”
A plane soared from behind Roc, riddling the bird with bullets. Roc slashed an airwave from his scythe, but Haylee quickly curved down, using rear lasers to shoot up at him. Roc dove down and tried to bend the wind to crash Haylee’s plane, but she flipped its wings in her favor, her plane spinning to face Roc as she launched a bomb into him. “You’re clear to go, Captain!”
“Thanks, ’aylee!” Sheila yelled. “This almost makes up for you joinin’ Gus’s crew!” Luckily, Roc had dropped them on a cliffside leading up Ardain’s hip. Madmoles would poke out and throw mushrooms, but if they knew anything about how Sheila played Whack-a-Mole, they’d know what happened to every mole in that machine. “Like, what else am I supposed to call him?” Mason asked. “Fim, fer, fee, hore?”
“BAH, Mason, shut up, or I’ll have fours in my brain for weeks!” Sheila tugged her ears in aggravation. The path sloped up to a minecart track with a cart available. Mason chugged some Flurp and used Gas Rocket to push the cart up the track. Cyan robots called Rhinoliners threatened to ram the burp-powered cart, but Sheila’s fists would ram them first. There were gaps in the track, typical of minecart levels, so Sheila would grab the rim and jump, pulling the cart up with her. A larger train would drive along a higher track, at the same time their minecart would run off a dead end.
“SHEILA, JUMP!” The mates locked hands, squat, and sprung into the air, using their hovering for a boost. However, the train began to curve away, and the momentum wouldn’t allow them to redirect their selves—but a pair of gentle hands would grab either of theirs. Kirie Beatles hung acrobatically upside-down, her legs arched over the train’s side bar. She would smile as she flip up and throw her friends onto the flat train car. “Haha! Awesome save, Kirie!”
“Yo, I can’t believe we made it up before you did.” Harry remarked. “We climbed one of the tentacle-y things on its back, but we got attacked a few times. This train ran past, so we decided to hitch a ride. I think the tracks connect to all the Titan’s towns.”
“Well, we’re gonna have to cover just about everywhere.” Mason figured. “At least we have a nice way to-”
Kirie grabbed and pushed Sheila down, dodging a Shock Arrow. It had come from a ledge on Ardain’s arm, where Akhos was stationed, alongside a black-haired woman in a white coat. “You missed again Akhos.” Patroka remarked. “’Guess I gotta do EVERYTHING myself!” She punched the cliff, causing a rockslide to fall and cover the lower ledge the tracks would slope up. The train came to a violent crash, the operatives toppling over.
Akhos and Patroka landed on the train, the latter raising her Cobra Bardiche spear… but before she could chop it over Kirie’s neck, a sickening headache overcame her. “Agh…man, it fricking hurts! Get the hell OUT OF MY HEAD!” She slammed the spear away from them, her chi blasting some boulders off the cliff.
“Focus, Sister!” Akhos ordered, his aim faltering as well. “We can’t… fail the doctor!”
“They’re resisting the control!” Harry said. “Sheila, attack them! Hurry!”
Sheila threw two Light Fists, but the Blades regained their selves in time to dodge, leaping to opposite cars. Akhos reshaped his bow into his Calamity Scythe and leapt to stab Harry, but was thwarted by a scimitar. “Akhos! Patroka!” Nia greeted her old compatriots. “You two are Flesh Eaters like me! How could ya give in to Eggman’s control?!”
“Ah, Nia. Isn’t this a heartfelt reunion?!” Akhos threw a downward swing, Nia back-flipping.
Patroka was hit by two waves of darkness from behind, growling as she faced her assaulter. “Patroka, baby!” A blonde man in black and dark-red armor waved his Infinity Fans. “I thought you were over this phase. Causing rockslides on railroad tracks ain’t good for business.”
“Ya know, Mikhail, I’ve been waitin’ for a chance to smash your stupid face in, and I’m GLAD I have it!” Patroka stabbed the cliff and made a spike thrust out at Mikhail. He went flying off, but Kirie summoned a chain of Rainbow Monkey spirits to catch him.
“Huh?” Questioning what saved him, he was pulled back onto the train.
“Mikhail, Cole made this medicine for the Flesh Eaters! We’ve got to give it to ’em!” Nia said.
“I was never one for drugs!” Akhos raced along the train, sniping arrows behind him.
“I think we’ll stay here and back them up.” Harry said. “You two keep going!”
“Ah’m in your debt, mates!” Sheila took Mason’s hand and ran toward the front of the train, jumping the rubble and continuing their venture up the cliff. They would eventually arrive at the town of Chilsain on Ardain’s right shoulder. (End song.)
Zeke, a bare-chested man with an eyepatch, was pinned beneath Dromarch the white tiger, who tried to bite Zeke’s head as he wrestled him back. Empress Mòrag kicked Dromarch off, but he would spew a gush of water and blast her into a building wall. “Facing me without your Blades is futile. I would suggest you surrender.”
“Like hell, old man!” Zeke boldly stood. “The Eye of Shining Justice will pierce Pandy’s heart and return her to my side!”
“As if!” a whiny child’s voice declared. A massive robot with enormous tires rolled along the outskirts of town, the voice of Omelette echoing from its mic. “No one can break my papa’s control! Now, why don’t you be good royals and surrender or I’ll roll over this little town? The two of you will make perfect farmers for awakening more Blades!”
“We won’t let another Blade fall in line with your mass-produced machines!” Mòrag vowed.
“Well, you’ll have to rename this town the Flatlands! Huh?” The child received a call. “What is it, Azami?”
“Young Master, I see the furry-tailed girl and her partner approaching you. Our other Officer Blades are in combat with the other operatives, and I seem to have lost track of two of them…”
“The Pirate King, huh? Time to make Papa proud!” Omelette spun the mobile mech around, smirking as the comparatively tiny Mason and Sheila crossed the desolate field.
“CRIKEY! Is that a bloomin’ monster truck?! It’s HUGE!”
“Frick, that thing could flatten us like pancakes!” Mason panicked.
“Hahahahahaha! Scared of my Egg Ferronis?! Ya know, Pirate King, you’re pretty darn famous on Mobius, and that really pisses Dad off! It’d sure break their hearts if I squashed you. Only fitting for a raccoon to die like roadkill, wouldn’t ya say?!”
“Oi’ve beaten up bigger buggers than you! I’ll crack you wide open, just like I will that fat old egg!”
“Whatever, Loudlungs! Still, I know better than to underestimate you, so I think some help is in order. Right, Dromarch?”
“I am at your service, My Lady!” The tiger pounced them from the ledge on their left, Sheila and Mason jumping apart. Dromarch faced Mason and spat a Water Gun, the boy evading and chugging a soda can. Dromarch levitated his Twin Rings before his mouth, amplifying the width of his Water Gun and drowning Mason within it. After swishing the soda in his mouth, Mason spewed a Soda Gun of his own, pouring enough pressure to pierce the center of Dromarch’s stream and fill his mouth with sodium. The tiger choked and reeled back, releasing a belch.
“And I’m at My Sheila’s surface!” Mason grinned. “Shall I take care of this one, My Sheila?”
“Quit talkin’ like that, ya freak!” Sheila playfully bonked his head. “He’s all yours! As for me…” the captain bravely and slowly approached the giant-wheeled mech, unintimidated by its superior stature. “Today’s the day I flatten a monster truck!” (Play “Vs. Boss” from XC3!)
Boss fight: Egg Ferronis
Omelette decided to start off simple by trying to run Sheila over with the smaller front wheels. Sheila dodged between the double-tires on her left, and the mech would halt just as Sheila was below their interlinked component. She spun her fist and snapped it, causing the Ferronis to tilt as the wheels slanted over. Sheila could climb one of the tires and then the sloped leg. Seeing her coming from the above cockpit, Omelette jiggled the Ferronis, but Sheila grabbed a small handle to stay balanced. Omelette began to shoot lasers, Sheila dashing up the leg and spinning another charged fist. She hurdled it at the cockpit, Omelette crying from the impact. Her wheels regained stability as she quickly backed the Ferronis up, Sheila flying off the front.
The Ferronis charged energy within its central cannon, Sheila spinning both fists in preparation. Sheila half-expected some sort of mega laser she would have to push back, but when the Ferronis instead released a storm of divided lasers, Sheila came up with a different tact: she flung off only smaller fists from her bigger Light Fists, intercepting the curved beams at the appropriate angles. However, one managed to get through and strike Sheila, the captain crashing through a stalagmite as she was blown back. Omelette spun her craft around and put it in reverse, intending to squash Sheila with the giant back wheel. Sheila looked at the opposite tire and noticed the inside was hollow. Fighting the pain, Sheila channeled light to her legs, dodged the tire with lightspeed, then jumped inside it.
She crouched inside, and Omelette would then roll forward and turn to study the result. As the tire moved, it carried Sheila to the top. Seeing there wasn’t a flattened corpse, Omelette growled, wondering where the crafty pirate had gone. Sheila would charge another fist and drop slowly with her propeller tail, just barely catching Omelette’s cockpit in sight. With an upward swing of her arm, the Light Fist flew at an arch and punched the cockpit! “GAAAAH!” A furious Omelette impulsively spun the Ferronis, the force blowing her several yards away. Omelette immediately drove her direction; she would curve the right tires sideways and RAM Sheila with the side of them, sending the captain flying off the cliff! Thankfully, there were several whirlwinds that had formed away from the cliff, allowing Sheila to regain herself with her propeller.
Omelette parked on the edge of the cliff and launched a storm of small missiles, and while Sheila punched them down, Omelette began to charge another multi-laser. Once she was as close as possible, Sheila noticed the cliff beneath the Ferronis was cracked and unstable. With a lull between the missiles, Sheila quickly built up twin charged fists and shot them into the cliff. The central part crumbled and the side areas followed, causing the front tires to slip off. “WAAAAAH!” Omelette’s mech fell vertical and had no choice but to shoot her laser into the Cloud Sea. She quickly ordered the back tires to speed the opposite direction, the front ones doing the same to “climb” the cliff. Sheila took this opportunity to swing Light Kicks into Omelette’s cockpit, repeatedly bashing her. “Now that I think about it,” Sheila said, “lightbending goes through glass. So, ’ow the bloody hell are you still conscious?!”
“I drank a Hi Defense Potion!”
“Huh. Oi always wondered how Eggman could survive Sonic’s attacks in the old stories. At least Oi don’t need somethin’ like that!” Sheila landed on the Ferronis’ roof just as it succeeded in rolling back on land. Omelette backed the craft up and spun her off before she had to suffer more attacks. Omelette drove to ram her again, twisting the front tires sideways, but the captain had the reaction time to jump and clamp the side of the wheel, spinning with it as the Ferronis would reverse. Omelette would spin the tire around when she saw Sheila attached to it, but when this failed to work, Omelette drove toward the cliff wall, intending to twist the tire sideways again to smash Sheila against it. Before that could happen, Sheila used the spinning momentum to release and fling herself upward, landing and skidding up the Ferronis’ sloped leg.
Sheila would hang onto the knee as Omelette spun the craft around again. When she ceased, Sheila quickly leapt to the large tire, and would pour full speed in her legs to run along it as it rolled about to push her off. Omelette would drive forward and reverse, prompting Sheila to quickly change direction, all the while shooting smaller Light Fists at the cockpit. Frankly, if it weren’t for Omelette’s sunglasses, she would’ve been dazed by the lightbending, but even the Defense Potion was starting to reach the limit of Sheila’s bombardment. Omelette would also spin the craft around, but Sheila would cling onto the stopped tires, and thought fast to keep running when Omelette drove it again. The constant punches dizzied Omelette so much that she realized too late she was backing off the cliff. “WAAAAAH!” She put full throttle into the tires, relying on the front ones to pull it up and the back ones to climb. However, Sheila had already leapt to hover before the fall, spinning her fists one last time.
“If you’re gonna go racing on a mountain, drive a smaller car!!” She smashed the fists into the right tires’ interlink, snapping it once more. The loss in stability sent Omelette plummeting toward the Cloud Sea. “Hahahahaha!” The victory compelled Sheila to jab her fists at empty air. “They should invite ME to the monster truck show! Now, Ah wonder ’ow everyone else is doin’?” (Play “Death Match With Torna” from XC2!)
Roc would mold balls of condensed wind and throw them at Haylee, who would curve her plane to evade and also use their currents to give herself a boost. After tanking one of Haylee’s energy missiles, he threw his scythes to slice the top of the left wing and bottom of the right. Roc flapped above and stamped his talon onto the plane’s tail, Haylee flipping uncontrollably for a second. As she faced Roc, the bird divebombed headfirst, blocked by the plane’s energy shield, but still able to force Haylee back. She held the brakes and tried to shoot Roc as he soared around in fast, random directions. He would slice airwaves down as Haylee curved evasively, and when Roc divebombed, Haylee boosted, did a U-swoop to go underneath, and dropped a bomb down to blow up the bird directly. Haylee saw him fall spinning, dropping his scythes, and deduced he was unconscious.
However, when Haylee soared down to catch the Blade, Roc suddenly recalled his scythes to his hands, swiftly zipped around Haylee’s plane, and diced it into pieces! She began to take the fall, buckled to the cockpit, the only stable piece she had left. Showing minimal fear, Haylee reached into her Infi-Cube and used her Legoan speed to quickly attach replacement parts. “What kind of speed is that?!” Roc spun downward and cast a vortex of wind, spinning Haylee’s new plane at insane speed. “I admit you’re a master of the sky, but the wind is MY mate!” Roc bravely dove down to ram her once more.
Except Haylee programmed a special function in this propeller. “That may be, but we Gilligans are the sky’s family!” She pulled a lever and launched the propeller. The rapid spinning shot it off with greater force and struck the bird directly. The impact combined with the dizziness knocked Roc out for good. Haylee would release a parachute from her plane after the wind settled, watching Roc fall to the Cloud Sea while she fixed a new propeller. “I think I’ll just let you fall this time. Birds float, right?”
Poppibuster drew a hammer to clash with Pandoria’s sword, each impact sparking power through the blade. She leapt away and slammed the sword into the ground, an electric explosion stunning the buster in place. However, Artie had leapt off and away from the shock zone, rolled around the mech, and shot Pandy with a B.A.J.O.O.K.A.. She was disgusted as the juice cartons popped over her, and her distraction allowed Poppibuster to recover and swing her into the cliff with its hammer. Pandy raised her sword skyward and willed lightning to rain around the area. Artie threw on a backpack with an antenna and twin cannons attached, catching some of the lightning to power it up. He fired the lightning back, and though Pandy was able to catch some, other bolts zapped and stunned her. Poppibuster turned its hammer into knuckle claws, pummeling Pandy, and a solid blow to the face shattered her glasses.
“NOOOO! My glasses! I can’t see without my glasses! Kidding.” She snapped her fingers and the glasses were fixed. “They can regenerate, too.”
“Boy, Cheren would be jealous.” Artie said. Pandoria channeled lightning in her legs and zipped circles around them, leaving a good jolt each time. Artie dropped to his knees, trembling as Pandy raised her blade above him. However, his hand was actually in his Cube, tossing a simple M.A.R.B.L.E. to bust her face again. Poppibuster shot mk. II into Pandy headfirst, wrapping limbs around and holding her in place. Poppibuster charged, beeping and lighting with heat. It threw Artie further behind so that it could self-destruct in peace. “WHOA!” Artie was speechless as its pieces flew everywhere. Pandoria was KO’ed, and mk. II barely hung intact. “Did you really have to destroy it?!”
“Pandoria strong Blade. It best way to win battle efficiently. Don’t worry! Masterpon can repair armor.”
“I sure hope so… my lovely mech…” Tears tainted the hollow victory.
“Damn!” Azami swore. “Roc, Pandy, even the Young Master was taken out! I’d better make my escape before this gets any worse.” The ceilings lights flashed on. “What?!” Dillon stretched a Shade Fist around to sock Azami in the jaw.
“Man, she’s ugly!” Dillon cringed, he and Haruka in the doorway. “Do all the other Blades look this weird?”
“How did you disrespectful urchins find me?!” Azami drew a cannon and shot blasts of darkness, the duo splitting separate directions.
“Rex told us you came to this pipeline on a mission.” Dillon answered. “Said it makes a great secret hideout!” The blurry ceiling light only cast his shadow faintly, but it had enough form for Dillon to land continuous punches. However, Azami used a similar technique on Haruka behind her: a garden of Dark Hands rose around Haruka, either grabbing or slapping her. Their grip drained Haru’s will, submitting her to Azami’s “soothing” embrace, so Haruka bent two adrenaline pills from her dress, swallowed, and gained the enthusiasm to shake free. Azami hissed and threw her weapon to the ceiling, willing it to spin and shoot Dark Bullets all around the room. The duo were struck by some bullets, negating their bending for a moment. She would stretch Dark Hands at either of them, but when Azami faced Haruka, the poisonbender shot a water gun filled with eyedrops right into her Clairvoyant Eye.
“AH! You bitch! What have you done to me?!”
“Those eyedrops will improve your vision, but they’ll be murky and sensitive to light for a while!”
“No! How can I view my darling Eggman when he’s in the shower now?!” She danced and unloaded bullets like a minigun, but they could tell her aiming had faltered without both eyes available. “Oh, I can see it in my head! Scrubbing underneath his husky, half-metallic flab, trimming his pointy pink nose, and spraying perfume on that wrinkly old scalp!”
“I think you need to tone it down!” Haruka bent a pill between the bars of her “cage” dress and forced it to explode into gas. It seeped up into Azami’s artificial body, a calming sensation overcoming her.
“Ah…Eggman…yes, he is very handsome.” Azami spoke in a more neutral, objective tone. “I am quite pleased to serve him…quite pleased…serve…oooo.” Her torso area hung limp and her weapon dispersed.
“Huh…” Haruka cocked a brow in bewilderment.
“So, you used a sleeping pill?” Dillon asked.
“No, it’s a drug that… well, nullifies hormones and… reduces one’s ‘private’ desires, if you know what I mean. I was getting creeped out by that Eggman shower stuff, like ew!, so I mostly just threw it in her for fun.”
“So, she was powered by her, uh, ‘love’ for Eggman? …Why do you even have that?”
“You’d be surprised how many operatives ask for it. Helps them focus on sleep or other hobbies when they aren’t bogged down by ‘romance.’ Can’t disclose any names.”
“Is Mason one of-”
“What-do-you-think-Dillon?” she answered rushedly as if he should already know.
Mikhail stretched black wings and soared around the air, shooting dark feathers from his fans. Kirie seemed to be flying all on her own; in actuality, a “Soar Above the Clouds” Rainbow Monkey was lifting her. Patroka bent a boulder to shield from Mikhail’s feathers, but Kirie would toss her new Saffronia Shuriken around the boulder and cut Patroka’s hip. Mikhail ambushed her from above, attempting to hold the woman firmly, but gently. “Tell me, are you really brainwashed, or do you just want an excuse to fight me?” Patroka growled, stomped a rock jab to force him off, then stabbed the ground with her spear to cause an earthquake, further breaking his footing. In her attempt to stab him, Kirie landed to block her with her own fan. Patroka back-flipped with a sudden vertical slash, cutting Kirie’s kimono and flipping her fan into the air.
Patroka stabbed the wall and yanked a cone-shaped chunk of earth out on the tip of her naginata. She would thrust repeatedly and shoot segmented layers at the two, Mikhail being knocked back while Kirie summoned a Sumo Monkey to protect her. Seeing the girl remain immune to her cones, Patroka tried to stab Kirie directly, penetrating Sumo Monkey, but Kirie had dodged around to throw kunai into her hip. Mikhail caught Kirie’s fan after it fell, slapping a dark wave over Patroka’s face before returning it. Mikhail slapped his fans together repeatedly to shoot compress dark waves at his lady.
A furious Patroka ripped the head of her spear off, making it a scimitar. “Illusory Bloom!” She began to hack and slash Mikhail, who would dance elegantly and do the same with his fans. “Ultimate Crow!” Kirie joined in the dance, landing cuts with her fan whenever she could. With the three of theirs against Patroka’s single weapon, the darkbending hindering her Earth as a bonus, Patroka would be brought to her knees.
“Relax, babe.” Mikhail tipped her chin up. “I made sure to go easy.” She grit her teeth at him in spite. Kirie silently giggled and poured the medicine down her throat. Patroka gagged slightly and panted heavily as her “headache” began to heal itself. “That takes care of her. Nia, you need any help over…?” But when he looked, Mikhail had no idea what those two were doing.
“YO, this is Nia, and Ah’m gonna heal ya, I’m gonna rid the Egg in your head and free ya!” Nia danced and rapped to Harry’s DJ.
“Ready or Gormotti, ya gonna feel sorry, swingin’ that scythe and givin’ us the shockies~” Harry wasn’t the best at thinking up lyrics on the spot.
“Stop that annoying drivel!” Akhos could barely manage a few missed swings before having to cover his ears. Nia was free to strike him with her scimitar, combined with Water Slices. “You call this a musical?! You’ve never seen a word of good writing in your life! And that’s Dunban over there!”
Dunban was dressed as a hip-hop gangster, jigging up and down.
“Uhhhh…I was wondering what all the noise was.” Mikhail said.
Teehee! I never thought they would get along so well! Kirie grinned.
Dromarch had amassed all the soda Mason spat at him around his Twin Rings. “Regrettably, Mor Ardain is quite limited in water, so I thank you for providing me some! WILD ROAR!” The rings spun as a powerful stream of soda fired at Mason, who struggled to bend it back while allowing some of it in his mouth. Dromarch began to bend the soda around him, swirling and rising into a raging cyclone. “DARK MAELSTROM!” The twister was relentless with Mason in its grasp, Dromarch’s fangs grinning in twisted delight. “…?!” But he realized the twister was shrinking and almost “flushing” down Mason’s throat. Once he was all swelled up, he faced his body at Dromarch and bent back. The tiger tried to run, but Mason blasted forth with a Gas Rocket and crushed him like a Goron. He planted his face into Dromarch’s… and a gaseous explosion quaked the Titan’s shoulder. (End song.)
All operatives reunited in Chilsain, the Egg Blades tied up. Rex and Aurora arrived from the town on Ardain’s head. “Great job, everyone!” Rex praised. “We’ve checked the whole Titan! Everything’s okay!”
“That was a JOLLY GOOD throwdown, kids!” Zeke squeezed Mason and Sheila in his arms. “You’re almost a match for the mighty Zekenator himself!”
“You have my utmost thanks. I am Mòrag, Empress of this nation.” The white-garbed woman smiled. “This man is Prince Zeke von Genbu of Tantal.”
“It’s all apples, mates!” Sheila replied with a sheepish rub of her nose. “You can call me Sheila the Sunny Fist!”
“Zeke, this is the Pirate King you mentioned earlier.” Rex said.
“THE PIRATE KING?!” The frantic prince raised Sheila to his level. “The one who favors the Flurp?!”
“Heh heh. Mason, toss me a can.” Her first mate saved a can specially for her. Sheila guzzled the purple drink and, “BUUUURP!”
“THE LEGEND’S REALLLLLLL!” Zeke was so euphoric that his Eye of Shining Justice nearly pierced its restraining eyepatch.
“The Pirate King…” Akhos smirked, sighing as he held his head. “My acquaintance told me about you. Even among the Earth KND, you’re as big a star as the Aegis wielders.”
“I pray that you’re back to normal?” Mòrag inquired.
“Normal with a splitting headache.” Patroka groaned. “But I think I’ll be fine.”
“So, you guys are Flesh Eaters, too, huh?” Dillon asked.
“Yeah, me and these two go way back.” Mikhail sat between and hugged his partners. “As for me, I’m a Blade Eater. I’ve got part of a Core Crystal in my chest. It’s what gave me darknessbending, and my eternal beauty~” Patroka groaned for a worse reason.
“Great, more Blade rules.” Mason sighed.
“He’s not the only one.” Zeke showed the sharp lodged in his chest. “I share Pandy’s crystal. And ever since this whole thing started, I’ve had serious heartburn.”
“At least you two didn’t get brainwashed.” Rex reasoned. “Where are Brighid and Aegaeon? I coulda swore they would be here.”
“I’m afraid we don’t know.” Mòrag answered. “But with you all at our behest, I hope we’ll be able to end this crisis soon.”
“I know we will.” Aurora assured. “…Actually, Empress Mòrag, there’s something else we should tell you.”
“Yes?”
“Do you… know about Kael?”
“Kael…!” Her brown eyes shrank as if recalling an ancient and important memory. “WHAT?!?”
Crossing Sword Valley
The great mechanical canyon spanned the body of a tremendous sword held by the Mechonis. Once used to land the fatal blow to the Bionis, it was now the bridge that bound their worlds. Sadly, Quar was in no mood to enjoy the view, still trapped in his car form and carried by a crane beneath the shuttle. “So, you’re saying… there could be 7 more like that one?” Reyn asked.
“Yeah, if our math is correct.” Eddy answered. “’Guess we’ll have to cut back on overusing Boly…”
“A God Killing…” Shulk repeated. There was a time where he would’ve supported the idea, but their story sounded nothing but dreadful.
Miko sat back in the corner, melting in depression over the upsetting memories. She lazily stared at Reyn’s discarded equipment beside her… and the Core Crystal on the floor. She picked it up to casually stare into the gem, mesmerized by its mystical glow. She turned at all angles to study the differences in texture… and it began to vibrate. Its light grew. “U-Uh-” WHOOSH! It flashed. “AAAH!” WHOOSH!
“MIKO!” They whipped in her direction. “We told you that was dangerous!” Shulk yelled.
“I-I didn’t mean to, I-I just-!” In one more flash, whiteness enveloped the ship.
A thin, feminine, white and dark-gray Blade materialized. “Hi! I’m Sena!” she smiled perkily. A hammer spawned before her, grabbing it firmly. “I’ll fight with you until the end!”
“. . . . . . .” Everyone was agape. Miko especially. “WHAAAAAT the?!”
“I see…” Alvis tapped his chin.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SEE?!” Kazuma shouted. “I thought only Mirans could awaken Blades!”
“Deduction attained!” Boly perked up. “The Mirans were created from me, and Miko was created from me! Miko is, in technicality, a Miran!”
“SO, I’M A DRIVER NOW?!” Refueled with excitement, Miko was up meeting the Blade at equal height. “Uh…everything okay? No, uh…brainwashy business?” She knocked Sena’s head.
“My mind’s in check as far as I know.”
“Could it be because of her connection to Boly?” Shulk wondered.
“Ah mean, another one in our ranks is fine by me.” Reyn shrugged. “So long as she don’t lose her head though.”
“Closing in on Mechonis’ right arm.” Carmine reported. “Hehe! I hope he isn’t ticklish!”
“Why did Carmine change back before I did?!” Quar shouted.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!! A huge chunk of Sword Valley splattered into billions of particles as Deoxys crashed through it. The dark ztar soared after him, all the way to the Fallen Arm in the ocean. “Deoxys is… having a hard time…” Boly said lowly.
The matter returned to reform the great sword. “At least he’s still mindful of his surroundings.” Jenny said. “Just leave it to him. He’s a god, right? It’s not something we can deal with now…”
A certain rocket closed in on Deoxys’ duel, defined by its big red “R” and its design of a cat’s head with a paw reached out. “Could that be who I think it is?” a red-haired woman wondered.
“The Prince of Ztars and the Daimyo of DNA.” a blue-haired man observed. “I wonder who’s going to win?”
“It won’t matter when we’ll be reapin’ their spoils.” The cat smirked.
“Woooooobbuffet…”
Chapter 12: Mechonis Cup
Summary:
Eddy challenges a certain hedgehog to a race on Mechonis! Sector Q reveals Kael's Game to Queen Melia and the Mirans.
Chapter Text
A reference to Sonic’s theme song is made in this chapter, will you catch it? :3
Chapter 11: Mechonis Cup
Mechonis’ right arm
Lady Vanea dashed boldly toward an Egg Emperor, its lance challenging her scale Mechonis Sword. If flipping the lance out of its hand wasn’t enough to prove its strength, then finding the Mechonis Sword through its core would. Even then, the stubborn Emperor would try to push her with its jetpacks. From the left, Queen Melia cast a blinding ray of magic from her scepter, destroying whatever circuitry kept the robot intact. As the queens took each other’s side, two more Emperors and a Golem would close in on them. “Where does Eggman find the time to build all these?” Vanea asked.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Very funny.”
The robots were all shot in the back by lasers. They faced their assaulters, who appeared to be children wearing shirts with a heart-like logo. “What are they?” Melia asked.
“I…I don’t know.”
“Your Majesties!” A brown-haired Machina appeared on a holo-screen. “A group of unknown, child-like machines have entered the Mechonis! They’re attacking Eggman’s machines!”
“Don’t get close to them. We can’t assume they’re friendly just yet.” Vanea ordered.
“I have some good news, too. A Homs carrier landed at Wrist Station. It looks to be Shulk and Reyn, with another unfamiliar group of kids.”
“Shulk!” Melia beamed. “Vanea, let’s go-”
A buzzing, blue blur zipped around in a circle and toppled the child robots. The spiked, blue ball unraveled, Metal Sonic’s red eyes flashing at the queens.
Sector Q’s arrival at Wrist Station was rewarded with a grandiose view of a mechanical city. Patrolling black robots called Mechon were in battle with Eggman’s mechs. Among the Mechon were humanoid people with gray skin and metallic armor, wielding weapons of their own. “Are those more of those Face Mechon pilots?” Carmine asked.
“No, those are the Machina, the natives of Mechonis. They’re something of a semi-organic machine race.”
“Semi-organic…whuh?” Jenny asked dumbfounded.
“Haha, I don’t get the biology either.” Reyn laughed.
“Oo-oo-oo, I get it!” Finch exclaimed. “It’s, like…” she flapped her arms cutely, “when a male Machina inserts his screwdriver inside a female Machina-”
“Okay, Stork, don’t give us one of your stories!” Kazuma cringed.
“At least Quill here will fit right into this place.” Eddy propped his feet up on Quar’s steering wheel, his rump comfily nestled in the seat.
“Do I go to a hospital or a mechanic…” Quar cried.
“Boy, my first mission with my Driver!” Sena perked up. “I’m so nervous! I only just awakened, my skills are so rusty…”
“Relax, Sena, you and I are gonna kick BUTT!” Miko slammed Sena’s hammer against her own! “My first Blade! I’ll get you up to Level 99 in no time!”
“I suppose my assistance is no longer necessary…” Boly bowed.
“Awe, don’t be like that, Boly.” Miko tipped Magearna’s chin up. “It’s not that I don’t want to… it’s that if I do, a dark baby god will come down to kill us. But hey, I can still use your Pixl powers for level uses, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Then let’s move! Time for a little double-hammer action!” Miko swung at the air.
“I also have firebending!” Sena lit the hammer’s head aflame.
“ROCK OOOOOONNN!” (Play “Mechonis Field” from Xenoblade!)
Act 7: The Dominant Arm
A mechanical level wouldn’t start by first jumping a sequence of platforms moving on rotating tracks. Small robots with heli-helmets, Buckots, would hover above some parts and dump hot pellets, but Miko would get to them first by swinging fireballs from Sena’s hammer. The team landed on a stable road as numerous Heavy Riders (mace-wielding robots riding one-wheel motorbikes) zoomed to intercept them. Jenny skated up first, doing an upside-down twirl as her blades kicked the maces away, followed by fast vertical kicks to crush the robots’ heads. A treadmill sidewalk would quickly carry them up the path, but some robots at the opposite end flipped the reverse switch, sending them back. However, Jenny had readily leapt on the side rail, grinding up to punish the robot and flip the treadmill to normal!
The road would fork, except the drawbridges in either direction were up. But Miko saw a path above the wall in the center, so she had Boly use a Laddie to climb up. Here, she found a Riddler challenge designed like Whack-a-Mole, except it was Hedgehog Hammer! She and Sena had to hit either the blue or gold hedgehogs, but hitting the Eggmen would deduct points. Still, they were able to land 6,000 points and win the trophy! Down below, Carmine threw a bomb at a weak point suspending the right bridge, causing it to drop and pave the way. The friends would have to cross a field of pump platforms, in which random ones would drop into a poison river. Shulk used a vision to determine the ideal route to take, so they all made haste!
As they did, they saw a crane carrying Quar and Eddy high up on their left. “He’s leaving his sock smell all over my seat! How’s that going to affect my insides?!” The group would land on a treadmill suspended over the river, and would have to make the far jump to the next using its momentum. On the second treadmill, an Egg Keeper would send its head to float over it, projecting a traction beam that would lock whoever got in, in this case Shulk. “Gah! It’s got me!” Carmine quickly threw a small bomb at the head, Shulk regaining motion in time to make the jump. Before they leapt to the 4th treadmill, Shulk had a vision of a robot immediately flipping its direction to push them in the poison. “MONADO SPEED!” Shulk granted the Speed buff to all present allies, but it was barely enough to get them up the treadmill. Since Jenny had more ‘oomph’ in her skates, she could make it up first, destroy the robot, and flip the treadmill back.
They were fortunate to rest on a stable ground and proceed to a tremendous, round door connecting the next part of the town. Even the way the door opened was complex. A large platoon of Egg Hammers and Egg Guardians marched out. The mechs were surprised as Eddy rammed Quar from their right, toppling some of the mechs over. “Whoever came up with Thomas the Tank is a twisted bastard!” Reyn dealt Shield Bashes to deflect the Hammers’ weapons and Kazuma locked fists with the Guardians. Their combined efforts disposed of the mechs with ease. The bridge beyond the platoon was up, but Shulk saw the switch would be above a sequence of gears beside them. Miko rode the first gear up, but to survive being crushed against the other gear, she used the Slim command to thin flat.
Even in her slim state, Miko could jump onto the second gear as it rotated upward. It would connect with a tall, horizontal gear, but Miko could jump on its thin edge and rotate with it. From there, she could drop onto a platform with the bridge switch and flip it. She rejoined her friends and crossed the bridge. However, the rest of the path was destroyed except for the very left, requiring them to sidle along the fence. Steam pipes would pop open and threaten to blow them off, so they would wait for them to close. One of the pipes would blow Miko onto a platform with a Riddle Trophy, and there was another steam geyser to send her to the next path!
The team entered a wide pipe where an Egg Crosshair lurked on the other side. Miko used the Barry to survive its bullets as she proceeded up. “Haha, I guess you don’t need my own barriers, huh?” Sena asked. They destroyed the Crosshair, and the pipe would curve left through a rotating portion. Bladed Spinners lurked in the pipe. Jenny was best in skating up while maintaining her composure and destroying the propellered mechs. She hit a switch to stop the pipe’s spinning, allowing her friends to catch up. The pipe let out into a wide chamber where hordes of Beatbots charged them at an alarming rate. They were small, pink robots that would aggressively shove the group back down the pipe, but Kazuma’s fists would fly faster than they could approach, destroying each in one hit. It wouldn’t be enough to stop the endlessly spawning hordes, but with his rabbit-like reflexes, Kazuma hopped over the crowd of Beatbots and slammed a switch that would seal their hatches.
“Wait, Finch isn’t here!” Carmine exclaimed. “Where is she?!”
“I told her to check another path a while back.” Kazuma answered.
“You DITCHED her?!”
“What was your plan?”
“That’s mean! Didn’t Finch save you back in town?!”
“Yeah, but she’s still annoying.”
They followed a stairway up to a bridge leading to an open ground. They saw a High Entia girl with small wings and silver hair tied in curls, and a Machina woman, in battle with a hedgehog robot. “MELIA!” Shulk called. “Lady Vanea!”
“Shulk!” Melia cast a storm of fireballs at Metal Sonic. The robot curled in a Spin Dash to survive, but one of the robot children sent it flying with a kick! The three robots turned attention to the new arrivals. “Thank goodness you’re alright! Are these children with those friends of yours?”
“What? …No, I have no idea who they are. Do you?”
“Yyyyyeeeeah…” Miko’s answer slowly drawled itself out the more she analyzed the mechs. “That’s Sofia the First!”
“Greetings!” Sofia greeted in a mechanical voice. “I’m Sofia! Friendship request initiated!”
“And those two look like Hercules and Aladdin!” Carmine exclaimed.
“My statistics are currently 31% Zero and 69% Hero!” Robo-Hercules twitched.
“Robot Disney kid heroes?” Jenny questioned. “Ugh, this has Mickey’s stench all over it!”
“Miko!” Boly alerted. “The logo on their chests! Identified as MomCorp’s brand!”
“I should’ve known!”
Metal Sonic Spun Dashed the androids once more. “You’re saying those are Mickey’s machines?” Melia asked, casting a Thunder Spell at Metal. “That means they’re friendly!”
“NO THEY’RE NOT!” Miko smashed Sofia-bot with her hammer.
“Mickey’s a dirty cheat!” Kazuma pummeled Mechaladdin.
“Stop that!” Melia shouted. “Those children helped protect us from-”
“Melia, watch out!” Vanea and Shulk crossed swords to block Metal’s Home Attack. “These kids have been faithful allies. They wouldn’t say such things without reason.”
“Yeah!” Miko batted Metal with both hammers. “After this, we’ll tell you all about Kael’s Game!”
“?!?” Melia and Vanea fell to their knees as all the knowledge came coursing through them. “Melia?” A confused Shulk was forced to counter a flurry of Metal’s kicks. Shulk spun back and passed the Monado to Alvis, who went for a stab into Metal’s chest. The hedgehog grabbed the Monado’s beam and struggled to push it out, scanning Alvis’ Core Crystal meanwhile.
“Analyzing Aegis data….”
“Analyzing?”
Metal glanced over at Miko and Sena. “You.” His eyes flashed at the Blade. “Obey Eggman at once!”
“M-Me?” Sena pointed at herself confusedly. “Ah-!” Her head began to ring terribly.
“Sena, what’s wrong?!”
“Eggman… is… my master!” Sena tackled Miko and swiped her hammer back. She swung the flaming weapon at her Driver, Miko blocking with her open gauntlet.
“No he isn’t! Come on, Sena, fight it!” Miko rolled out of their stalemate and shot lasers from her glove. “I know! Maybe I can neutralize it like a glitch!”
“It’s useless!” Metal Sonic pushed the Monado off and Home Attacked Miko, knocking her several feet away and leaving some cuts. “Our control over Common Blades is stronger. She is ours now!”
“You’re the one that took Pyra’s ‘Aegis data’!” Shulk realized as he slashed Monado Cyclone. “You’re the main one controlling the Blades, aren’t you?! We can end all of this if we destroy you!”
Metal flew farther away. “Sounds like a great excuse to do THIS!” Eddy proclaimed as he RAMMED Metal with a face-full of Quar.
“DAH, I think I swallowed some of his oil!!”
“You’re a car, it should be tasty!”
Metal recovered in time to fend off Shulk’s next onslaught. “Monado Data at 15%. Will need time to process the rest.” The hedgehog retreated down a nearby slope and up a track.
“And just WHERE do ya think you’re going?!” Eddy spun the Quar around and zoomed after the hedgehog.
“Activating holo supply boxes!” On Metal’s command, several neon ?-Blocks appeared along the track. “Requesting backup!”
“Backup coming right up!” Eddy saw three karts incoming, manned by Scratch, Grounder, and a red monkey robot called Coconuts.
“You won’t stop Metal Sonic on OUR watch! Bagawk!” Scratch chortled.
“We’ll grind you and your stupid talking car to scrap!” Grounder taunted.
“My stupid car will make scrap of you FIRST!” Eddy declared.
“I can already feel blisters on my TIRES!” Quar screamed. (Play “Vs. Metal Sonic” from Sonic Generations!)
Boss fight: Metal Sonic
Eddy maneuvered around some large pumps before having to curve left. He would hit the first row of ?-Blocks before ramp-jumping over a series of platforms along a poison river. His first item was a Green Shell, but Scratch got three Green Shells, Ground a red one, and Coconuts a Bob-omb. Eddy kept his Green Shell as a shield, so by the time he was passed the poison river, he would evasively dodge Scratch’s shells, sacrifice his own to block Grounder’s, and by the time he needed to curve right, he could dodge Coconuts’ bomb. The gravity would bend to their need as they drove off the track and along the very side of the Mechonis’ arm, the expansive sky and Titans splayed around them. They hit another round of blocks, from which Eddy earned Triple Bananas. Crossing a canyon toward the Mechonis’ hand, Eddy drove through three arches and opened a shortcut inside the wall of a left turn. He sped through the tunnel, up a ramp, and just as he exited, Metal Sonic was in view after taking the long way. Eddy launched a banana to dizzy and ground the hedgehog, ramming Quar right into him.
However, Scratch had Triple Reds, sending all shells after second intervals. Two of them destroyed Eddy’s other bananas, and when he was trying to dodge a large patrolling Mechon, he was struck by the third shell. Grounder was able to get ahead and use his item: a Gatling Peter. “Hehehehehehe!” Peter Griffin spawned on the back of his kart, shooting a gatling to prevent Eddy from catching up. To make matters worse, Coconuts was about to ram Eddy with a Bullet Bill—before lightning suddenly struck the bots and shrunk them. “HEY! What happened?!” Scratch squeaked.
“Just evening the ODDS!” Jenny Strongarm raced up in a giant roller skate, squashing Scratch and Coconuts.
“Thanks, Jen!” Eddy sped up without issue. They saw a secret path to the right, driving up and crossing a thin, diagonal bridge—Metal Sonic left a banana on it, causing Eddy to slip off. Jenny kept going and drove off a Glide Ramp, flying over a Mechon canyon and dodging the robots’ lasers. She snatched a ? Block with a Red Shell, launching it for a successful hit on Metal. She would glide down to another Glide Ramp on the main track, where she would reunite with Eddy. This ramp would send them out of the Gravity Zone and down the Mechonis’ towering body! They dodged Metal’s missiles as Eddy judged the best time to use his Triple Greens—made worse by the fact Grounder was shooting fireballs from above. Scratch attained a Quagmire, which spawned the big-chinned pervert in his own flying kart. “Giggity-giggity-giggity-giggity!” When Scratch closed in on Jenny, Quagmire flew down, grabbed her, and- “NOT AGAAAIIIIN…” dragged her off-screen.
Eddy followed Metal inside an opening on the Mechonis’ hip, driving a roadway with a view of a Machina city on their right. He shot all three Green Shells in spread-out directions, and one of them conveniently ricocheted right into Metal. “HEY!” That was when Eddy was hit by a Place Swap, winding up behind the bots while Coconuts stole his position. The racers would curve right and cross leading into a lake of steaming water. On the way, Eddy dodged Scratch’s shells, Grounder’s Bob-omb graced Quar’s right. “Dude, what’re you doing back here?!” Jenny asked as she caught up.
“I got cheated, that’s what! Do you have any items?”
“Just this Boo.”
“Well, use it, I guess, we gotta make room for something useful. Get ready to dive!”
Protective bubbles went up over their seats as they drove into the steaming water, their engines switching to propellers. “Ga-a-a-a-a-ah, it’s all going in my mouth!” Quill gurgled. “It’s seriously gonna hurt peeing all this out!” They drove over bubble geysers for elevation over the deep lake, and Eddy seized a ?-Block with a Blue Shell. Hoping it would help, he tossed it forth. Jenny’s Boo stole a Super Horn from a further racer… and that happened to be Metal’s Super Horn. He had nothing to defend himself from the Blue Shell, suffering a serious blow. Beaming at their combined effort, the racers exited the lake onto a long, fast waterslide! They had no room to maneuver around the three robots; Grounder activated a Star and became invincible. He tried to slow down and trick the ops into crashing him, but the river caused him to curve sideways. Grounder tried to nudge his pedal into straightening his kart, but the enhanced speed the Star gave him caused him to drive right off the slide.
Eddy hit a ?-Block with a Bullet Bill, immediately using it to catch up. The slide would grow wide and dive into a waterfall with shifted gravity, Scratch and Coconuts clearing a way for the Bill to pass. Once Eddy changed back, Scratch switched on a Piranha Plant, attached to the front of his kart. The waterfall made a tight curve up into a gravity tunnel, where Eddy caught another ?-Block with Triple Mushrooms. Scratch was just on the verge of gnashing Quar with his Piranha, but Jenny caught up and blasted him with the Super Horn. Eddy quickly boosted to stay ahead of the pack. Metal Sonic was in view, so without any items, Eddy used his new slingshot to shoot him. They passed another row of ?-Blocks upon exiting the tunnel, the gravity shifting as they drove up the Mechonis’ back. Metal earned three Mushrooms while Eddy got a Gatling Peter. “But this is only good for enemies behind me, I can’t-”
“EDDY, DODGE, EDDY!!” Quill’s shrill cry alerted Eddy to Metal trying to Drill Boost into him, the driver barely dodging in time. Now that Metal was behind him, Eddy activated the Peter, “Hehehehehehehe!” twisting his kart at good angles to constantly hit Metal. It didn’t help that this part of the track required them to quickly drive into gaps between rising walls, but once past that, Metal boosted and struck Quar, destroying the Peter.
“Eddy, share my mushrooms!” Jenny drove close to him as her orbiting Triple Mushrooms empowered his kart. They hit a Glide Ramp that would curve left and upright as they landed on a track going up the Mechonis’ left.
“Nehehehe!” Grounder chortled. “Check out what I got, Scratch! A Crazy 8!” He pressed the item button as one of 8 items orbited his kart.
“Hey, Grounder, gimme a Star and I’ll ram them!”
“All yours, buddy!”
Scratch steered his kart close to Grounder’s as they glid. “S-Slow down! I can’t get close!”
“I can’t slow down when we’re flying, dummy!”
“I-I almost-” Scratch stretched a wing over, and just as they landed back on track, his wing missed the orbiting Star and touched the Bob-omb. “Oh?”
“DWOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!” The explosion scattered the items and sent the bots plummeting to the sea.
“Haha, chumps!” Coconuts snatched the dropped Star, his speed increasing. “You two are MINE!”
Unfortunately, Eddy had no items left and Jenny only had a Spring Pad from the last block. Metal Sonic was set to use his last Mushroom to ram Eddy. Jenny panicked as she saw Coconuts closing in behind them. “Eddy, get ready to jump.” she said as she steered behind him.
“Jump?”
Metal Sonic launched, and Coconuts would soon touch Jenny. “NOW!” She quickly hit the Spring Pad, launching Eddy with her because he was close! The spring poofed, and Coconuts and Metal were too late to dodge each other as they made collision. Coconuts’ invincibility earned him an unfortunate victory in that confrontation. (End song.)
The mechanical hedgehog shattered to pieces. “WHAT?!” Coconuts panicked, his Star wearing off.
“SLUH-AM!” Jenny’s giant shoe squished the ape flat! She and Eddy stopped their karts with bumpy landings as they approached Metal’s head.
“Sorry, Metalhead!” Eddy proudly picked it up. “But I’m the only worthy Driver here! …Hehe, I just realized Quill is kind of like my Blade! Get it?”
“I’m gonna kill you when I get back to normal.”
“The point is, your control over the Blades is over!”
“Hahahahaha…” Metal’s eyes shimmered red. “Fools. I may have copied the Aegis Data… but the data was already downloaded into Eggman’s Egg Aegis. Destroying me will accomplish nothing. I was only a small conduit of the power.”
“What?!”
“It is unfortunate I cannot send this new Aegis’s data to the doctor. Well, it doesn’t matter…” The robot began to beep. Eddy quickly threw him off the edge before the head exploded.
“AAAAAAGH!”
“Quill?!” Jenny gasped.
“Aaaaahhh…” Quill’s tires turned into arms and legs. His face and engines stretched into each other to become his head and hair. The rest of his bulk popped back into his normal, tiny body! “Huff…huff…huff…”
“Hey-hey, you’re back to normal!” Eddy approached his buddy in joy. “I guess the universe knew you had an important task to fulfill before you did! Welcome back, bud-” Quill immediately riddled him with a storm of elemental blasts from his weapons.
“Uhhhh, I’ll call the others.” Jenny shirked.
…
After recovering from their shocked state, the queens listened to Sector Q’s story. They learned the general scope of the ‘Smash Bros.’… and what King Mickey did to their friends. “So, then… this Mickey is as much our enemy as Eggman.”
“Now, wait a minute, Shulk!” Melia argued. “They said that Mickey publicized secrets about them! If such secrets could turn the universe against them, then they must be highly illegal!”
“No, they’re not!” Carmine stomped. “Er, at least… not that illegal. And technically, it wasn’t Mickey, it was one of our friends—I mean, our former friend who turned traitor. But Mickey still profited off it!”
“The point is,” Kazuma recapped, “Mickey is trying to paint us in a bad image, despite all the good we’ve done for everybody!” Although, he only saved the universe once, but that detail wasn’t necessary.
“How do we know you aren’t the true enemy?” Melia questioned. “You may be against Eggman, but that doesn’t mean you have our best interests.”
“Yes we do!” Miko shouted, forced to hold Sena in a chokehold to shoot her with her glove. The Anti-Glitch function was having a steady effect on the Blade, weakening her rebelliousness. “We’re only playing this game because we can’t let the other players win! We don’t want to rule over anybody, but Mickey’s just going to take everybody’s freedom!”
“Mickey never seemed like an evil sort. His words were pure.”
“Mickey’s going to make everybody follow Disney’s formula.” Kazuma hissed. “Nobody will be allowed to cuss, say anything offensive, or…or fight…” He feared that his own words were betraying him.
“And… how is that bad, exactly? Our peoples always dreamed of the day we could stop fighting.”
“You don’t get it! Yeah, I know cussing and fighting is bad, but we still have the freedom to do it! It’s like… you know those Internet dweebs who whine whenever someone says the tiniest insult, like ‘That’s so dumb’ or ‘I dig this chick!’ and they fuckin’ delete your comment? That’s basically what the whole universe will be if Disney rules!”
“None of that… made any sense to me at all.”
“UGH!”
“I may not understand,” Shulk said, “but… I don’t want to doubt them. Mickey’s goal may seem idealistic, but are we really sacrificing our freedom to follow it?”
“Melia,” Vanea began, “to be honest, I’ve always been a little… suspicious ever since you returned. The way you speak so highly of Mickey, and when you talked about feeling ‘sleepy’ when you spoke to his agent… Melia, I can’t help but feel like you were being brainwashed.”
“Brainwashed?!”
“Perhaps it’s a little farfetched to say-”
“It is definitely farfetched! My mind has always been in check, thank you very much! I would know if I were brainwashed!”
“I did not mean to…”
“For all we know, these kids are trying to deceive us. Are you going to believe them or me?!”
“I…” Vanea spared a glance at the operatives… and to Shulk, Reyn, and Alvis. And Dunban was there, too. He was wearing a janitor’s uniform and mopping the floor. “…Well, I’d rather not be against you. So, I’ll go with whatever you think is right.”
“And what about you, Shulk?”
“I…” Shulk would like to use his visions to see who was right in the end. Which path do they follow? But with both sides eying him so expectantly, he didn’t even want to be sure. “If we did side with Mickey… what would you do?”
“We… You would be our enemy.” Miko answered. “We would have to fight and defeat you, so we could win.”
“Yeah…” Carmine somberly agreed. “But when it’s all over… I hope we can be friends again.”
“All right…” Shulk felt the weight of their words. “Then I’ve decided to put my trust in them.”
“You have?” Reyn asked.
“Even if Mickey is the right choice in the end… I just can’t doubt all the help these kids have given us. Poppi chose to ask for their help, not Mickey’s… so, I will, too.”
“A’ight then. I got your back.”
“But, Shulk!”
“I’m sorry, Melia. You don’t need to come with us. You can rally all of Bionis and Mechonis to side with Mickey. But this is the path I choose.”
“I…I…” Melia had never been at odds with Shulk. His words weighed on her… The queen needed to plant the hilt of her staff to the ground to keep herself steady. “I don’t… know… what to…”
“People of Mira!” A squadron of Disneybots landed around them, speaking with the voice of a tender, loving mother. “You don’t need to worry. Everything will be all right.”
“Your Majesties! A large ship is approaching the Titans! Bringing up an image now!”
The screen displayed a massive, heart-shaped ship, which itself had a holographic image of Mom. Her voice was so kind that it was deceiving. “I am Mom of Mom’s Friendly Robots. Here to lend my support to all Mirans in need. You don’t need to fear my robots, which are sponsored by the Disney Corporation. My robots are friendly. They’ll make all those bad Eggman robots go away. So, stay calm, be happy, and please be mindful of the Killbots’ line of fire. Oh, yes: if you happen to see any visitors from Earth, they’re bad, too. And my robots will destroy them accordingly.”
The Disneybots aimed palms at the operatives and fired, the kids hastily dodging. Shulk slashed them, Carmine threw bombs, and Kazuma pummeled a Tianabot with knuckledusters. “WOOHOO!” Finch flew and SMASHED Tiana with her hammer!
“Ugh, you again?”
“Yep! A good Blade never leaves her Driver!”
“I’m not a Driver.”
“Really? But I could’ve sworn we’ve always been partners, through thick and thin.”
“Your Majesties!” A large Mechon ship with “KND” painted in white letters came down. “We’re here to take you someplace safer!” the brown-haired Machina said. “If Shulk is attacking the child robots, does that mean they’re our enemies?”
“They…” Even Vanea was unsure how to answer. Melia was knelt, fighting with her own emotions. “Never mind that now. Mwamba, I want you to take Shulk and his friends; take them wherever they need to go! I’ll stay here with Melia.”
“But, My Lady-”
“We’ll be fine, Mwamba. We have to stay here. But you need to help these people stop Eggman! Go, now!”
“Er, I… Yes, of course! Everybody, get on!”
Mwamba lowered the ship enough for the operatives to leap on, Miko carrying Sena and Kazuma begrudgingly pulling Finch up. The ship rose and made flight for an exit hatch. “Let’s find Eddy and the others!” Miko said. “Then we need to contact the other teams!”
Eggman’s base
“Grrrrrr!” That was the most mature response Eggman could give for Mom’s announcement. How dare that heart-haired harlot rain on his parade?! If she thought her robots were superior to his, she was in for it! “SIRENS! Blow that heart out of the sky at once! Omelette, what’s your statis?! Come in, Omelette!”
The child’s bruised, sniveling face came onscreen. “D-D-Daddy… that mean pirate girl beat me up! She ruined my Ferronis! Waaaaahhh!”
“Damn… Alright, report back to the Walrus at once. At this rate, there’s no telling what the Aegises and the Newborn can do together. There’s only one option left.” Eggman changed transmission to, “Team Rocket! What’s the situation with Deoxys and that Ztar Child?”
The three agents showed their selves with wary faces. “Uh, we, chased them around the world, and now we’re at the Cloud Sea’s edge.” Jessie answered. “Their fight is so intense, they’re making whole new continents! Haha! We’re still waiting for the chance to capture the Ztar Child-”
“Never mind him! Capture Deoxys at once!”
“D-Deoxys? But, sir, we…”
“Our net’s specially designed to electrify Firstborn because of their weak bodies!” Meowth explained. “It can’t work on a full-grown god!”
“Use whatever means you need to! Deoxys’ chi will be the perfect fuel source for my Aegis. It’s our last chance to destroy those meddlesome urchins! As for that Ztar Kid, it was obviously Kael who brought it here as the KND’s penalty. It’s already on our side. And it’s giving you an opportunity to capture Deoxys!”
“B-But…” James gulped. “He’s so big and bendy…”
…
Jessie’s words were no exaggeration: Ihcarij called down meteors from space, and Deoxys bent up matter from the deep sea. The godly forces melded together with every impact, creating brand new masses of land. A cliffside valley, a white desert, a deep forest of dense trees, and islands sprinkled along the ocean. Deoxys slammed the corrupt god into a cliff behind the Cloud Sea’s edge; a strong, steel cliff that Deoxys himself spawned. The DNA God stretched a cluster of tentacles to rapidly pummel the Ztar Child into submission. The mission felt even more hopeless as Team Rocket loomed close. “Hooooh…I wish there was an easy way to do this.” Jessie moaned.
Her words reached the child’s ears. Ihcarij blew Deoxys off him and cast a ztar up at Team Rocket’s ship. “AAAAAAHHH!” They feared they would be blasting off in a second… “Eh?” But instead, the ztar peacefully entered their hull and popped in Jessie’s hand. “It’s a Darkball!” A Pokéball imbued with Dark Chi that Iron Mask specialized in. “Does this mean we can…” The three agents snickered maliciously. “Wooooobbuffet!”
Mechon sector’s ship
The Eggman irises faded from Sena’s eyes. She tiredly met the eyes of her relieved Driver. “Hey! Are you feeling better?”
“Miko… did I just try to hurt you?”
“Yeah, but it’s fine! I think I broke Eggman’s control on you! Maybe I can do that to other Blades!”
“Heh, and he said his control on Common Blades was stronger.” Eddy smirked.
“It could still be because Miko is a special case.” Shulk reasoned.
“Well, whether it was me or Boly, we have a shot at saving them all! Ya ready to take the fight to Eggman, Sena?”
“Miko, I shouldn’t go with you.” Sena bowed in regret. “If I do, I might fall under his control again.”
“I’m not worried about that! You’ve fought by my side for, like, 30 whole minutes, I’m not just gonna abandon you now!”
“Oh, I’m not worth the trouble, Miko. I’m just an ordinary Blade.”
“You are NOT just a Common Blade!” Miko passionately clasped her shoulders. “You’re my FIRST Blade! And a first Blade is like a first Pokémon, you just feel that deep, virtual attachment that you can’t let go, the kind you’d just cry over if they died in a Nuzlocke challenge!”
“Heh…heh heh heh!” Sena never expected to hear something so flattering in her short lifespan. “Well, if you mean that, then… my hammer will be with you the whole way! Thanks, Mimi.”
“Awwwww, I get a nickname now! That’s so sweeeeet!”
“Alright, dudes!” Lanz, a tall, 10-year-old Machina with white hair addressed the crew. “Just finished callin’ our buds and your buds are A-OK! But they’re kinda pooped from fightin’ all day, so they kinda wanna take it easy.”
“Today’s been so busy, I forgot what time it is.” Carmine agreed. “But it is pretty late. We can’t beat Eggman if there’s crust in our eyes!”
“Then let’s land somewhere an’ get some shuteye! Even little Valdi’s tuckered out.” A smaller, 7-year Machina was sat against the wall, bobbing his head in and out. He wore a blue shirt and brown shorts with black shoes, and had a small Mechon toy in his lap.
“Let’s camp out at Colony 6 then.” Reyn suggested. “Get some grub while we’re at it.”
…
At morning’s first light, all three ships met at a designated area close to the Cloud Sea’s edge. It was difficult sleeping under the tremors of Deoxys’ battle, and the new continent hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Blimey, we only just got here and there’s ALREADY a new place?!” Sheila exclaimed. “Man, this planet can’t get any better!”
“Save the adventure for later, Sheila.” Cheren advised. “I can’t believe Mom is trying to steal our glory. I never should’ve saved her back then!”
“We’ll get our chance at her, I’m sure.” Nebula reasoned. “More importantly, do you think you guys can do anything about them?”
This question was directed at Miko and Vanellope, who studied the shackled Blades: Dromarch, Roc, Pandoria, KOS-MOS, Ursula, and the others. “You know, I’ve been reborn inside Boly’s data.” Vanellope recalled. “Though I did wind up kinda small, hehe. But if these guys came from her data, maybe I can help fix them.”
“Then the two of us together should make this a piece of cake!”
“Hey, that’s my slang!”
“Whatever you’re doing, you’d better make it snappy.” Mwamba said. “They could escape and attack us any time.”
“Relax.” Malos shook. “They even try to break free of my shackles, I’ll clobber ’em.”
“You’re scary!” Artie panicked.
“Perhaps focus on freeing Nia’s and Zeke’s Blades first.” Mòrag suggested. “Sadly, it seems Brighid is still unaccounted for.”
“Could we free Ursula, too?” Celica asked.
“Ah, of course!” Zeke grinned. “We’ll need the both of you, too!”
“Well, yes… but she must be hurting very badly. I just want to be able to comfort her.”
“D’AWW, THAT’S SO WHOLESOME!” Miko screamed. “Alright, Ursula comes first! Vanellope, get hacking!”
“YEAH!!” The glitch zipped into Ursula’s crystal.
“I kinda wanna check out Mechonis later.” Haylee smiled as she studied Lanz. The Machina was as tall as her despite their 6-year age difference. “Semi-organic robots? And it provides all the metal you need?”
“I ain’t really a mechanic.” Lanz shrugged. “But I don’t think the metal is infinite, we just make good use of it. You’re better off asking Valdi than me.”
“Who’s—huh?” When Haylee turned, her legs bumped into a small force. She found a 7-year Machina who was hip-level with her.
“You have a wrench, miss.” Valdi said with a sweet voice. “Are you a mechanic?”
“Sure am.” Haylee squat to his level. She made note of his goggles and slight tubby frame… almost like a miniature version of her dad. “And I bet you are, too, huh?” She poked his chest.
“Uh-huh! I made this.” He placed a tiny Mechon with a pointed head on the floor. Haylee was awed as it walked around her sneakers. “He’s Mechafriend. He’s my little helper.”
“Awe, he’s cute.” Haylee lightly tapped his point. “Eek!” And drew a bit of blood. “As long as you wear shoes around him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you stepped on him without shoes, that would seriously hurt.”
“Oh, right… I suppose Homs have fragile skin. Okay. Maybe I’ll take the needle off.” Valdi picked Mechafriend up.
“No problem. So, do you make other machines?”
“I’ve made my share of combat Mechon. But my mom mostly teaches me medic stuff. So, I’m sorta the team’s doctor.”
“You’re a pretty talented kid!”
“Hehe! Well, I’ve only been at it for 738 years.”
“That’s still pretty…ZUUUUUUH?!”
“What?” Reyn asked. “You didn’t know Machina live for thousands of years?”
“So, like… you’re seriously older than me?!”
“Oh, yeah.” Valdi smiled sweetly. “I guess I am.”
“His mother is Linada, correct?” Alvis asked.
“Yeah.” Shulk smiled. “The woman who treated Seven back then. I’m sure Valdi will be a great doctor like her someday.”
“OI, COBBERS!” Sheila called. “Crazy cool beastie on the starboard-bow!”
“That’s no beastie!” Cheren exclaimed. “That’s Deoxys!”
“And…” Nebula couldn’t believe her eyes.
Thirty meters ahead of them, the God of DNA was suspended by dark magic… and above him, a white infant with a black ztar head. “That’s him!” Quill shouted. “The creature that attacked us for using Boly! It looks like…”
“JDDLY! JDDLY, is that you?!” Nebula exclaimed. “M-My voice! Why can’t I…”
“Is this what… Medusa meant about the Firstborn?” Arianna asked.
“NEBULA!” Cheren and Vweeb screamed as the Supreme Leader flew closer.
“JUBBLEJAY! JUBBLEJAY, it’s me! Nebula! Do you recognize me?! Neb-u-la!”
“. . . . !!!” A headache coursed in Ihcarij’s mind. The ztar clasped it, losing his grip on Deoxys. In a dark flash, the Reborn disappeared, and the god plummeted toward the sea.
“He’s gone!” Jenny gasped. “Should we help Deoxys?!”
“Yes, let’s!” Boly agreed.
However, Deoxys suddenly turned into a mass of darkness, sucked into a little black ball. “What?!” (Play “Team Rocket Motto” from Pokémon!)
“Hahahahahahaha!” The ball was beamed back into a cloaked ship, designed like a Meowth. An all too familiar fanfare resounded in the air. “Prepare for trouble, we’re on this world, too!”
“And make it double, we’ll make no rest for you.”
“Since Xenoblade is technically a Nintendo franchise-”
“We’ll make sure that it meets its demise!”
The rocket changed course for the Cloud Sea. “To protect the world from devastation!”
“To unite all people within our nation.”
“To denounce the evils of free will Blades!”
“To turn them into our obedient maids!”
The scarlet-haired woman raised a makeshift greataxe. “Jessie!”
The blue-haired man wielded twin rings. “James.”
“Team Rocket are the best Pokémon Drivers around!”
“Surrender now or we’ll flip this world upside-down.”
“Meeeeeowth! Let’s get Deoxys back to the Eggclown!” (“Woooobbuffet!” “Chiiiiime.”)
“Who the bloody hell are they?!” Zeke exclaimed.
“They’re Team Rocket!” Aurora answered. “They’re bad guys who always try to kidnap the Firstborn!”
“But since when are they able to capture a normal god?!” Artie asked. “Did Deoxys get weakened that much?”
“Nebula, hurry back to ship!” Cheren ordered. “We’ll chase ’em down!”
Team Rocket flew to a stormy region where the Cloud Sea was dark and unwelcoming. But that darkness wasn’t because of the storm… they could almost make out a tremendous shape underneath it. And as Team Rocket dove their ship down, the shape rose from the clouds. “It’s a Titan!” Rex realized. “A Titan we’ve never seen before!”
“THAT’S no Titan!” Mythra said. “It’s… a machine!”
“It’s a walrus!” Haylee said.
It was the size of a Titan and the shape of a walrus, but its head bore the shape, nose, and mustache of Eggman’s head. In fact, the head itself looked like a mini Death Egg. The rest of the Titan was a metallic black with a city of defenses strewn along it. “Eggman built an entire Titan in the Cloud Sea?!” Rex questioned the reality of the sight. “Without anyone knowing?!”
“I’ve always heard he was a technical wizard.” Vweeb said. “I’m sure he uses his robot army to build most of his stuff, but he must be crazy rich to afford all the material.”
“Mehmeh! Tora almost jealous of mechanical majesty!”
“At least he’s saved us the trouble of finding him.” Miko smirked. “We’ve finally made it to the boss level! It’s time to complete this world once and for all!”
“What does that mean?” Mythra asked.
“Gamer lingo! Roll with it!”
Chapter 13: Egg Aegis
Summary:
Sector Q and Team Aegis infiltrate the Egg Walrus to put a stop to the evil doctor!
Chapter Text
This has been a great love letter to the Xenoblade series, but I think I’m ready to draw a close to this arc. I have too many ideas in the wings to keep spending time on Mira!
Chapter 12: Egg Aegis
Last month
Sometimes, Eggman wished Bowser lived somewhere cooler. He didn’t deal with hot temperatures well, especially volcanos. He’d begun to tolerate it better with his cybernetic body, but he’d also be reminded how much better Bowser aged than himself.
“The Aincrad plan was a bust, Bowser.” Eggman sighed, sipping a beer. “And our chances to find what’s left of the MCP on Coruscant are slim.”
“What else is new around here…” Bowser chugged a giant jug of his own.
“But I managed to salvage some of Aincrad’s data. And if my research is correct… I think I’ll pay Planet Mira a visit.”
“Hah, already makin’ your next plan? Good on ya, Egghead!”
“Well, we need to start conquering worlds eventually. Isn’t that what you said?”
“That’s what I was promised. If we can take more land than Mickey or anyone else, all the power, even the Newborn will be ours! Even if that little imp is lying, I’d rather take that chance than let someone else take it.”
“I’ve always wondered, Bowser… why didn’t we retire a long time ago?”
“Gulp, gulp, gulp, guh…” Bowser swallowed a large portion. “Where’d that come from?”
“Why do we keep making these plans when they always derail? When we know nothing ever goes our way? Why do you still chase after Peach, knowing she’ll never marry you?”
“SHEESH, you’re in a mood today! What’s your deal?”
“I don’t know… I just know that if I attempt this Mira plan, it’ll end the same way.”
“Well, I don’t got time to think about why I kidnap Peach! I chase after her ’cause I want to! I wanna conquer Mushroom ’cause I want to! And I have damn fun doing it! And little by little, I make progress. Didn’t you hear? I finally trounced those Mario Brothers.”
“You…you have?”
“Gwahahahaha! I burned and crushed them into comas. After all these years, after all my family has been cursed by misfortune… finally, the Spirit of Victory saw favor in me. And just look at Kroctus… even at the very end, he had a smile on his face. He loved what he did the whole way. I may have been raised on this conquering business, but it’s what I love doin’. What about you? Why did you become an evil genius in the first place?”
“Why? Well, blame my grandfather. After Professor Gerald was banished from Mobius for his business on the ARK, the government put arrest warrants on our heads. They deemed the whole Robotnik Family guilty. But my father wouldn’t stand for it. He took all the wealth and resources we had, all the technical genius Grandpa taught him, and founded the Robotnik Empire. He waged an ongoing war on Mobius, and I was born to one day inherit the throne. But Papa lost his life thanks to those Freedom Fighters, the runts who would then found the Mobian KND. Then, in my quest to mine alien resources… I met you.”
“And since then, we’ve ALWAYS been soul mates, gettin’ bullied around by red and blue chumps! See, Eggy, you and I didn’t ask to be conquerors, it’s what we were born with. And thanks to it, we got to meet each other, Kroctus, and a whole bunch of great people! If you think you’re done with it, go ahead and screw off. After all this time, can ya really say you didn’t have fun?”
“I…” Eggman gazed into his half-drunk beer. “I did.”
“And why did ya? What kept ya going after all the times Sonic thrashed ya?”
“It was to wipe the smirk off his face. To ruin the happiness our family never got to have. To prove that evil can triumph in the world! And every happy-go-lucky town I see terrorize brings a smile to my face!”
“Exactly! And when I think about givin’ it all up… I bet I’d get so bored. This is what I was born to do and I love it. What about you, Eggman?”
“Heh…you’re right, Bowser.” Eggman raised his jug. “I can’t let the KND have their way. I can’t disappoint all the friends I’ve made. I’ll keep up this gig until the VERY end!”
“THAT’S MY MAN!” Bowser clacked his jug with Eggman’s, the force knocking him and his pod away. “Whoops! Eh, sorry!”
“At least one of us is in good shape.” Eggman chortled. “But no matter… Time to investigate Mira!”
Present; Alrest, Mira
The operatives made land on the enormous walrus’s tail. Eggman’s army wasted no time in charging the intruders, so Sector V and the GKND stormed through the first line of defense. Sector Q stayed back with the Aegis Drivers per Alvis’s request. “In conclusion, if you two allow Bolypius to access your data, it could unlock great power within her. Power that we may need in our upcoming battle.”
“But if I assist in the battle, we could be faced with a similar situation…” Boly replied.
“Maybe, but it’s better to have the power than not.” Miko reasoned. “Let’s just download the data, anyway. Just in case.”
“That is acceptable…”
“Ready, Mythra?” Rex asked.
“I guess so.” Mythra knelt down, allowing Magearna to touch her emerald crystal.
The robot’s eyes coursed with green and gold as a vast network splayed around her, connecting Mythra to thousands of others. “I see… all the Blades! I feel connected with all the Blades in Mira! But there are chains on them!” Black and red chains with Eggman’s logo locked the Blades in place. “Eggman is chaining all the Blades against our control…”
“But we just freed Ursula and Pandoria.” Rex said. “I bet with this, you can break his hold on the other ones!”
“I wonder if that means you’ll become a Master Driver like Rex?” Mythra wondered.
“You mean I can control ALL the Blades?!” Miko gaped. “That would be SO AWESOME, but… morally wrong, but still awesome!”
“Uh, right…” Jak stared in disbelief. “Now you need Malos’, right?”
“Yes, correct. I wonder what I’ll learn from him…”
“I don’t think so.” Malos walked away.
“M-Malos!” Rex stuttered.
“Look, kid, I’m the Endbringer. The Aegis of Destruction. What if you inherit my power? It’s too dangerous to be in such reckless hands.”
“Yeah!” Daxter agreed. “Jak’s the only one reckless enough to boss Malos around!”
“Besides, if you idiots pull your weight, Bolypius won’t need to do anything. We’re Aegises, aren’t we? Then act like it!” The dark-armored Aegis raced off on his own.
“Hey, wait up, Malos!” Jak ran after.
“Eh, I guess he has a point.” Miko shrugged. “Destruct Chi would be pretty scary… but awesome.”
“I think we’re better off without it.” Carmine agreed. “But come on! We can’t keep them waiting!”
Sector Q and the Aegises advanced. The last four off the ship were Celica, Ursula, Zeke, and Pandoria. “Are you sure you’re feeling well, Ursula?”
“Of course I am. I’m a little queasy, but I can’t throw the fight now. I need to bring peace to Mira… then, I wanna show Terry what a great job I did!”
“Okay! After all these outsiders have done for us, I wanna do all I can to help them, too. I wonder if… they would let us join them?”
“Hurry up, you two!” Pandoria ushered. “Are we getting revenge on that Egghead or what?!”
“Darn right, we are!” Zeke declared. “Look out, Eggman! The Eye of Shining Justice has its eye on you!” (Play “Origin Battle” from XC3!)
Act 8: The Egg Walrus
The first platoon of Egg Pawns were different from earlier varieties: they were emitting dark auras, moving more swiftly as they shot machineguns or slashed katanas. When Rex slashed Mythra’s light sword at them, he was surprised by their resilience, and it was only thanks to help from Shulk that they were able to destroy them. Beyond them was a steep path where several Egg Riders rolled down, the motorcycle mechs imbued with the same darkness. Quill and Eddy bombarded them with slingshot pellets and elemental blasts, if only to distract them so Jak and Malos could slash them into destruction. However, Jak only tore off the driver of one of the bikes, he and Malos mounting it to drive up the path. “Hey, not without me!” Quill said as he pulled out a small racecar and pressed a button, spontaneously growing to fit him. “Feels great to actually be the DRIVER this time!”
“At least you don’t have PTSD.” Jenny remarked. With her blades, she quickly caught up to the drivers, speeding uphill and across a track full of Rhinotanks and RhinoBots. Their combined reckless driving would fill the road with the rhinos’ remains. There were several ramps along the upcoming road with blue rings above them, so each racer occupied their own end of the track to hit all the rings. Doing so lowered the wall at the end, providing entry to the next part of the city. Turret towers shot balls of energy down, but Mythra used lightbending to catch and throw them back. Egg Axes (Egg Hammers remodeled as gladiators) would send shockwaves by chopping the floor. Shulk and Jak combined efforts to bring one down, and Miko and Sena dealt an epic hammer combo to another. Quill would squirt gas over the Axe, so Sena’s fire could light it like a firework!
The team reached a rail-grinding zone, so Jenny asked the crew to jump in her Infi-Cube while she took the reins. The triple rails swerved around several buildings, but cannons would blow chunks of them off, startling Jenny into jumping quickly. Some rails fell slanted, so she had to quickly extract the rails built into her shoes, angling up to launch onto the main rails. There were several springs along them, but they were Trick Springs, as hinted by Eggman’s visage. They would bounce Jenny into spikes, but one of them had a Riddler Trophy, Jenny thinking fast to hit it. Once Jenny hit the spring at the end of the rails, she could release her large team on safe land. “Blimey, I could hardly breathe in there!” Rex coughed.
“Infi-Cubes are good for transportation,” Jenny said, “but it’s hard to breathe and your muscles go numb.”
“If I’d have known that, I would’ve equipped my oxygen tank.”
“It’s why we only go in there when it’s most beneficial for us.” Quill replied. “Frankly, I’d rather die to my own mistakes than wait helplessly in a little box.”
“But we’ve always been able to trust Jenny with us!” Carmine cheered. “If nothing else, the Cube strengthens our friendship!”
“Are we gonna get moving or is it time for a corny speech?” Malos asked.
“It’s better than what we got on Coruscant.” Daxter remarked.
The crew ran out into an open field where snickering missiles were fired. Eddy’s slingshot blasted them out of the air, and Carmine would sense turrets about to pop out of the ground, quickly throwing grenades to destroy them. With their teamwork, they had reached the gate to the next zone—“WAIT, GET BACK!” Carmine and Shulk both alerted at once as a Mega Arbok and Weezing ambushed from above. “Wow, you’re pretty quick on that!” Shulk praised.
“These are Pokémon!” Kazuma recognized. “What’re they doing here?!”
“Hahahahaha!” Spotlights shone on the upper platform, making the agents’ silhouettes known. “Prepare for trouble, did you already forget?”
“Make it double, we’ll make you regret!”
“An evil older than Mira-”
“OI, don’t make us sit through another one of those!” Zeke and Pandoria came charging from their left. The trio was too shocked to react as the Thunderbolt swung his blade and batted the agents across the field. The duo leapt down to strike the Pokémon with a thunderbolt. “Rex, let us take care of these show bodders!”
“What kind of dorks introduce their selves so grandiosely?” Pandoria retorted.
“Uh…you two?” Mythra answered.
“DAG!” They winced. “Well, at least we have a cuter mascot! Who even likes cats, anyhow?”
“You want me to pass that to Nia and Dromarch?”
“Uh—uh—I mean… your greatest challenge has yet to come!” The two quickly ran for the Rocket Trio, forcing Arbok and Weezing to chase them.
“Hehe, they’re a funny bunch!” Sena grinned. The group entered a trenched area, where snickering Eggman blocks would stretch out of the wall and give them only a few seconds to jump. They got pretty high, so Shulk enchanted them with Monado Jump. After some emerged, Kikis would spring up on them, Miko quickly swatting the apes off. The group could rest on a rooftop, and they’d later have to ride a platform to the next building. The platform was powered by a large, tall screw; luckily, Jak’s spin jump skill could spin the screw with ease, carrying the crew. When Thundercloud Spinners (Bladed Spinners with cloud projections) closed in on their foothold, Eddy stunned them with pellets while Pyra slashed fire waves at them.
As they were about to cross a more straightforward trail filled with humanoid Egg Warplanes, there was a tremor, and the very trail and robots exploded into particles. “Error detected in the molecular structure!” Boly exclaimed. “Miko… I fear something is happening to Deoxys.”
“When the other gods died, their elements in nature went really out of control.” Quill said. “But I don’t think Eggman wanted to ‘finish the job.’ This isn’t good.”
“Maybe, but if this is Deoxys’ doing, I bet we can undo it!” Miko channeled Boly’s power and flashed her gauntlet. Some of the particles would reform into stable platforms, albeit at random heights. Jak would take the lead as he expected the Warplanes to reform with the matter, quickly dicing them as soon as they did. They reached solid ground and crossed a long bridge leading to a long stairwell up the walrus’ spine, and inside its head. Unfortunately, the stairs’ matter reassembled into a wall. “Again?!”
“Miko, this is not an indiscriminate attack!”
“Here so soon?” A gap opened in the wall as Infinite stepped through.
“Ugh, you ALWAYS have to show up to RUIN our game.” Miko groaned.
“You don’t look well.” Carmine acknowledged his glitching body. “Are you sure you wanna fight us?”
“It’s true that I haven’t recovered from our last encounter… but even in this state, I won’t let you interfere with the doctor’s plans any longer.”
“Hey, if you wanna get destroyed, that’s your problem.” Jak said. “Malos, let’s-”
“WHOOOAAA!” A powerful whirlwind spiraled from the right, the group ducking and holding the ground. Carmine gasped as a dark laser was fired from up the path, the Blades all projecting shields to block it. “Hah hah hah!” A floating, white-clothed Blade with rising white hair, blue antennae, and a bag of winds arched over her head, glid up on a whirlwind. “I guess we weren’t fast enough, T-elos!”
Another Blade walked up the trail on high-heels, tan-skinned with dark-purple clothes and a one-eyed visor on her forehead. “Oh well. They won’t be going any further.”
“Zenobia and T-elos!” Rex gasped. “They’re two of the strongest Blades!”
“I didn’t come unprepared.” Infinite informed. “I’m sure we’ll be enough to slow you down. …! T-elos! Behind you!”
“Huh?” It seemed that a small sun was rolling up the path, pulled by a running, sandaled figure.
“OI! Looks like I’m just in time for a party!” Sheila announced.
“The Pirate King!” Infinite gasped. “T-elos, shoot her!”
The darkbending Blade fired another beam, missing Sheila, but popping her charged fist like a balloon. Aurora Uno leapt from behind the fist, blasting both fire and snowballs at T-elos. Zenobia lunged to swing a windy wave with her axe, but Sheila used small bursts of lightspeed to fight the wind and sock Zenobia in the jaw. Infinite threw masses of particles at Sheila, but the captain would grab Dillon’s H.E.A.D.S.E.T. from her cube as Vanellope glitched out of it. She zipped up to an unsuspecting Infinite to lay a flurry of Lickety-Split Kicks! Zenobia chopped her axe and blew Sheila forward—this worked in her favor as the pirate used the momentum to punch the wall, making it topple to connect with the rest of the stairs. “Don’t ya have somewhere better to be, Miko? Believe me, when I ain’t in time for my showdowns, Oi get crankier than a crocodile’s mum!”
“Man, I know that feeling! The showdown thing, not the… crocodile, ew, but thanks a ton, Sheila!” The back of Miko’s glove met the back of Sheila’s sunny fist.
“The prophecy has been fulfilled.” Carmine said. Trusting the Top Sector to their work, the Q’s and Mirans raced up the great stairway. Hordes of robots would stand to impede their arrival, but the kids were set on breaching the Walrus.
Several Death Balls loomed over the first room, dropping small spiked cars that would quickly roll toward and stab the group. Eddy shot Spring Pellets underneath the Death Balls, bouncing the cars back up to strike their origins. With enough repetition, the Death Balls were destroyed, earning them a Riddler Trophy! The ops entered a wide stairway where five E-100 robots—a black, red, blue, orange, and purple one—began to shoot quick lasers and quickly maneuver around the stairs with hover packs. Quill zapped E-103 with water and electric blasts, Eddy rained pellets over E-104, Carmine delivered showed 105 some fireworks, Kazuma dented 101’s metal with Mechon knuckledusters, and Jenny… learned stairs and roller-blades aren’t good for combat. So, Miko dealt with E-102.
The stairs led onto a ledge over the abyss of a long room. There was a glowing blue device that stretched along it. When they tried to jump onto the device, they found their selves swirling around it. “WAH!” Sena screamed. “Are we in some kind of invisible whirlpool?! My head’s spinning!”
“Some kind of gravity whirlpool!” Daxter inputted. “Honestly, how does Eggman get around with these kinds of contraptions? Does he have to ride this thing on his way to the bathroom?” Electric balls called Amps orbited parts of the whirlpool, the ops careful to maneuver past them. The central bar divided in two, both halves stretched far above and below. The gravity would bob them up and down at a wider radius. This made it more difficult to evade the Amps, with Carmine and Kazuma winding up electrified. Otherwise, they landed on the ending platform relatively okay, albeit with bumpy landings and sick stomachs from the rapid shifting gravity. The following hallway had several laser walls with very narrow gaps zooming up. Miko used the Slim function of her Pixl Powers to thin herself enough to slip between the lasers, careful to keep track on their position. At the end of the passage, Miko flipped a switch to disable the lasers.
The following chamber was guarded by two E-2000R’s and an E-3000, a huge green robot with a red eye. Jak and Rex engaged the 3000, which unleashed a storm of missiles from its chest. Jak’s Monado Cyclone destroyed most of the missiles, and Rex leapt to slash Mythra’s blade against its eye. 3000 grabbed and slammed Rex into the floor, but couldn’t put its foot down without Mythra preventing it. Jak handed the Monado to Malos, who struck the robot’s heel, but failed to destroy it. Rex and Mythra ran out from its foot, and when they noticed the cut Malos had left, she became Pyra, stabbed the heel with her sword, and pumped fire from it into 3000’s wiring. 3000 tried to bombard Jak with fists, only to use Monado Armor to withstand it while dealing cuts back to the fists. The fire inside its leg caused 3000 to keel over. 3000 fired a large, red beam from its eye, but Rex used Mythra’s sword to puncture through it and stab the eye. Jak added to the injury by stabbing the back of its head, dismantling the robot.
Shulk and Sector Q finished off the 2000R’s in the meantime, though the scuffle with the strong robots left them beat for a moment. They would need the stamina to be ready for the following room: a floating flight of stairs amongst a sea of scattered matter. In traversing the stairs, chunks of them would glow and explode before the scattering matter would spread out. “Warning! If those particles touch us, our own bodies could be disassembled!” Boly exclaimed.
“Not if I can help it!” Miko flashed the matter to slow its spread. The further they ascended up the perilous stairwell, the greater they could feel the tremendous power waiting up top. Dr. Eggman and the source of Mira’s despair awaited them beyond the top of this chamber. They braced their selves for whatever monstrosity the doctor had waiting for them. (End song.)
Alcamoth
Melia was in need of a visit to the Imperial Villa after so long. She could let her mind wander and calm her heart… but even now, she questioned if this was the best time. Three armies from outer space were fighting over Mira’s loyalty. The overlying question was which one was right in the end… Certainly not Eggman. Heck, maybe neither of them were right. After four years of being open to the universe, there was too much Melia didn’t understand. It took them a year-and-a-half alone to explore the rest of Mira and get to know Rex, Jak, the NLA folk, and everyone, while the rest of that time was spent traveling to Coruscant, joining the Galactic Council, and steadily learning about all other worlds. As well as experiencing conflict with alien visitors, like those pirates who harvested Riki’s saliva, or the ones who abducted Alcamoth…
“Melia.” Lady Vanea entered the garden, followed by a spider-like Mechon with a laptop. “I hope this isn’t a disturbance, but… I was able to look into these ‘secrets’ the KND spoke of.”
“Did you? How?”
“Using the Internet.”
“Ah, the Intergalactic Network. I’m still not used to that mechanism.”
“It is surprisingly useful. You could ask it practically anything and it will answer. So, that’s… essentially what I did.”
Melia observed the screen. The Mechon scrolled down the articles of the Earth KND and their published secrets. “These… are really the secrets they were talking about?”
“I suppose so. What do you think?”
“Well, some of them are… disgusting… morally questionable… or simply confusing. But, I’m to understand the outside universe frowns upon such things?”
“I suppose so. I also discovered videos published by the news organization. Here’s the most recent one involving King Mickey.” The Mechon played the clip between him and Cheren.
“Does it make you feel good?! Shaming us for our personal secrets?! Calling us freaks?! Calling us bad people?! YOU’RE the bad people! You’re ungrateful to everything we did for you! You’re ungrateful to all the friends we lost! You all… You didn’t DESERVE to be saved!”
“Such anger in his words…”
Melia watched the rest of the broadcast, up to when King Evan attacked Mickey. “People of the universe! I speak for the people of Ni no Kuni when I say, the Kids Next Door are our heroes and our friends!”
“That’s right! The KND saved us from the Sky God Pirates! They helped Captain Skaios change for the better! Sheila the Pirate King and ALL of them are our heroes!”
“We, the Inkling race, offer the Kids Next Door our full gratitude and support for all they’ve done for us!”
“And yet these people speak so highly of them…”
There was a video from a red-haired girl, filmed on a creamy mountain. “Heyo! This is Madeline, live from Buttermilk Building! Just wanna send my support to the KND and all the hard work they do for us! Before today, I only ever climbed mountains in my dreams, but the KND have inspired me to climb every mountain in the world! Now I’m wearing Corn-Clamber Boots! …It’s very slippery up here. And messy. But I’m gonna climb this mountain, anyway! Why, because I can!”
There was a video from a lanky old man. “Hello, erm, Internet! I’m not entirely sure how this device works, but… I’d like to send a big kudos to the KND, for inspiring my latest work in the Jenny LeClue series! I’ve been in a terrible rut these last few years, and the prospect of shelving the old girl had been a nightmare… but thanks to the KND, I’ve found the perfect way to make Jenny fresh and new again!”
The camera spun and was enveloped by a spectacled face with a missing tooth. “Be sure to buy our new book!”
“I just…I don’t understand. Why do some weigh in their favor and others don’t?”
“I think… it’s the same reason some Machina still detest Bionis, or… vice-versa.”
“H-Huh?”
“You know of the whispers as well as I. The people who speak with concealed hatred.”
“Of course I do. But… how do you mean, exactly?”
“Those people still go about their lives in peace, and never do anything to disturb those they despise. Even if they don’t seek peace, they do not seek conflict. But should they be punished simply because they feel such things?”
“I-I…I don’t know.”
“I don’t either. But it seems that these people intend to punish the KND for those reasons… even when everything else they do is for the good of everyone.”
A video of a large, pink mermaid played. “Hello, everyone! I, Sayu, just wanted to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ to Miko Kubota and the KND for saving us in Aincrad! They’re our best friends and we hope you’ll lend them support! Pyun!”
The outside cosmos was confusing beyond what Melia expected. There were too many variables, too many differing perspectives and ideals… but in war, history would only have one victor.
Egg Walrus
T-elos already knew she was outmatched in speed, her greataxe outmatched by Aurora’s Galaxia. The most she could do was shoot quick bursts of darkness from her heels and eyes, picking up the drop in Aurora’s speed. “ECHIDNA!” T-elos dealt a swift slash before throwing an upward kick, flinging Aurora to the air. “T-SKYLLA!” T-elos leapt for another slash, followed by a mega beam from her visor, but Aurora was quick to counter that with a wave of fire. She used Rocket Boost to engage T-elos, matching her in a rapid whirlwind of swings. “MAGDALENE 16!” The ladies broke off as T-elos unleashed a storm of Darkbeams. Aurora cast stars from her sword, imbued with fire or ice to intercept the beams and later to pummel T-elos. Aurora shot through the storm, and though T-elos was able to land a chop to her hip, the Uno still sent her crashing through a metal wall.
An enraged T-elos rose from the gap, equipped with her visor and armor full of laser openings. She firmly locked on and shot quick beams at the evading Uno, but some still punctured Aurora as her rocket faltered, falling onto the path to the stairs. T-elos leapt out of the building and fired a more powerful blast. “U-TENERITAS!” The explosion enveloped a terrific radius. It was a great sphere of darkness, designed primarily to destroy the stamina of all within it. But when it cleared, all T-elos saw was a great star of ice, shimmering a gold aura. Mixing an ice shield with Galaxia’s light, Aurora withstood the darkness. T-elos shot down to chop Aurora as soon as the ice crumbled, but what followed instead was a Fire Star to the Core Crystal, and piercing T-elos’ visor with Galaxia. The cybernetic Blade would finally pass out from the excessive exhaust.
Running from a rainstorm of missiles from the base’s defenses, Sheila dashed toward Zenobia with a spinning fist. “Adamantine AXE!” Zenobia swung her axe with wind to give it pressure, the impact of it with Sheila’s fist combusting a shockwave. While the force blew the girls apart, Sheila threw a hidden Light Fist from her other arm, punching Zenobia’s jaw. Twirling her axe at copter-like speed, Zenobia returned to her opponent. Sheila threw a large Light Fist to the sky as it burst into rain, Zenobia’s gracefully aiming her axe to block them. She used the momentum to throw it like a shuriken, her airbending guiding it as Sheila evaded the axe, while the Faunus ran to her directly. Sheila spun her tail at the same speed and stretched her own Light Axe from it, its inhuman speed whipping Zenobia at a deadly repetition.
Zenobia finally grabbed Sheila’s tail and bashed her around the floor, but Sheila mustered the strength in her tail to spin Zenobia and shake her off. Flipping back upright, Sheila threw Light Kicks, so Zenobia matched her with Wind Kicks, each one hitting like thunder! One of their kicks sent both girls into a rapid spiral, until both met each other in a headbutt. “Hooooohhhhh!” Zenobia pushed Sheila back, but Sheila mixed lightspeed with her Mobian fortitude to push Zenobia. “I don’t care if I’m being controlled by Eggman, I’m having the time of my life!”
“Sure sucks that it’s cloudy though! If the sun would poke through, I could give ya WAY more of a fight!”
“Why didn’t ya say so? I could use the flight, anyway!” Zenobia leapt away and took flight to the dark, cloudy sky. “Let’s see… that side looks brighter, so the sun’s probably that way!” She spun in a cartwheel fashion, axe stretched out as she cast a great wave that split the clouds! The sun shone upon the walrus like a trench of light, and as Sheila basked in its warmth, the captain burned in a white flame! “HO HO!” Zenobia exclaimed. “THAT’S what I’m talking about!” She dove headfirst to her opponent, building speed and power. “Twixt Heaven & HELL!” Her axe struck with the force of a condensed hurricane, a worthy match for Sheila’s fist. If one could see the clash that followed between the two warriors, and not be bothered by the sunny typhoon, it would be hard to tell them apart. They wore the same coat of white and fought with the same fire.
“ZENOBIA, YOU IMBECILE!” Infinite shouted. “Sunlight makes her stronger! You barely had a chance of winning as it was!”
“I don’t care! Not even the Tyrannotitan had a soul like this! This is the best day of my LIIIIIIFE!”
Aegis Core (Play “E.G.G.M.A.N.” from SA2!)
The light at the top of the stairwell was divine, a mix of emerald, azure, and violet. It glowed from a cross-shaped jewel, lodged in a massive robot. It bore aesthetic features similar to Eggman, but thinner in proportion and made of a certain metal. “I just don’t understand…” The cockpit opened, presenting the cybernetic doctor. “Why do you Earthlings concern yourselves with other planets? Why are you always around to GET IN MY WAY?! Why do you even keep fighting when the universe has already been turned against you?!”
“To answer the first two,” Quill replied, “we’re just good at being in the right place at the right time. And for the last one… even I don’t really know.”
“Because I love saving people with my friends!” Carmine cheered.
“Because trash like you can’t be allowed to do what you want.” Kazuma fist-palmed.
“Because Drake would’ve wanted us to be here.” Jenny answered.
“We’re here… because of Miko.” Eddy stated.
“Uh, yeah!” Miko was slightly baffled by his response. “I did suggest we come here, after all, heh…”
“Not just that.” Eddy took her side, smiling at his gaming companion. “If it weren’t for you, we’d probably have no reason to come here. We never even went to New Galaxia. I never felt like we were as special as the other Top 10 sectors, but ever since you joined us, that changed. I feel like we’re true heroes now. Even when…Even though we lost Drake… Even if we didn’t last long in the Pirate War… I still feel like we made a difference. I’m glad we went. Miko made us feel more confident.”
Miko was too set on preparing for an epic boss fight to expect such a flattering spiel. “Hah…wow…thanks, Eddy.”
“Man, if that wasn’t the corniest thing of the year.” Quill stated. “Sheesh, are you just trying to make me look bad?”
“Ah, come on!” Rex smiled. “I thought that was nice!”
“It was cheesy and he should feel bad!”
“Good luck convincing Rex that.” Mythra scoffed.
“Man, you Earthlings must be real-” Jak couldn’t finish his thought before Eggman lashed a pair of whip-like arms, dicing them up. The arms quickly regenerated at an angle to strike from their left, but Shulk and Miko used their shield powers to block it.
“Miko! This appendage resembles Deoxys’!”
“I know…” Miko cast a glare at the doctor. “What did you do to Deoxys?!”
“It’s quite simple.” The Egg Aegis stretched and thinned its armor. “I adapted him with my Aegis… the same way I adapted it with the Newborn’s and Blades’ data. This world was created through Bolypius, just like Aincrad. And by taking the data I scrounged from Aincrad and embedding it into the scrap metal I found from that space station, I could use this Egg Aegis to bend the Blades to my will! All I needed was to copy data from the Aegises themselves. The Blades are merely walking computers, after all. Their data can be copied and hacked into with the right hardware.”
“Just like I learned from my vision.” Shulk said. “Except the wording was different.” Their conversation must’ve taken a different course at some point.
“It makes sense that he used Artifice remains to construct this Aegis.” Alvis inputted. “But to understand a technology so ancient and alien… Eggman is a true master of his craft.”
“It comes with experience.” Eggman smirked. “After years of crafting quality machines, designed to harness the God Chi of the Chaos Emeralds, this Aegis was just another Sunday for me! Of course, it helped that Team Rocket’s Darkball made Deoxys compliant.”
“Yeah, and who always broke all those quality machines?” Miko flashed rockstar fingers. “Some wise-cracking hedgehog and his animal friends! My days of playing Sonic have led me to THIS!”
And this is the part where Miko says they have a score to settle! Shulk thought spiritedly.
“So, let’s get started! We have a SCORE to settle, RoBUTTnik!” Miko spun and aimed at her rear for emphasis.
Her teammates cringed. “Did the conversation veer off somewhere else?!” Shulk wondered.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” The Aegis fired a particle cannon, the team dividing from its radius. “Use your Newborn power against me and you’ll be punished again! And this time, Deoxys won’t be able to save you!”
“He’s right!” Shulk said. “Leave it to us, Miko! We’ll take Mira back with our OWN HANDS!” The Homs flicked the Monado, its red shell splitting open and vanishing in a pure blue flash! An azure sword with a winding texture and a similar symbol hole replaced it in Shulk’s hands.
“For all our friends in this world and others!” Rex donned shiny, white and black armor with emerald energy veins, while Mythra assumed a similar garb with an emerald ponytail: she was now Pneuma, armed with a sword of divine, green energy. “We’ll put an end to your machines!”
“And after we’re done,” Malos’ dark chi flowed into his Driver, morphing into Dark Jak, “maybe we’ll pay your cohorts a visit and deliver the same justice!”
“But if it comes down to it,” Miko clutched both hammers firmly, “I won’t hold back on you, Doctor.”
“And I’ve made my choice just the same.” Eggman vowed. “Even if I lose this battle, I’ll try again! For Lord Bowser and my comrades in arms, we’ll win this war in the name of EVIL!”
BUT NOT IN THIS CHAPTER!! I wanna give myself enough room to write this battle; I don’t wanna be like, “Man, I really wanna get a chapter posted,” so I’ll just post a chapter now and feel refreshed for this! By the way, the reason his base is a walrus is a reference to the Beatles song, “I Am The Walrus,” where one of the lyrics is, “I am the Eggman,” which is also a lyric in Eggman’s SA2 theme! Next time, the climax of the Xeno Saga.
Chapter 14: Flag of Freedom
Summary:
The final battle with Dr. Eggman.
Chapter Text
Play “Militant Missionary” from Sonic Adventure!
Chapter 13: Flag of Freedom
World Boss: Egg Aegis
The Aegis lashed four large whips in a wild manner. Shulk cast Enchant on his comrades as they all determined the best course. Shulk dealt the first blows to the mech, the Aegis molding its shape with each cut before it broke into matter, flew away, and reformed. Rex was already behind it, using Pneuma’s lightspeed, lashing cuts in its back. The Aegis morphed into a skinnier frame with pointed legs and long point in the back of its head. It dodged Rex’s next cut and began to match the Master Driver’s speed. Its solid arms and legs countered Rex’s sword and blew the Driver into a wall, 50 meters away. Eggman’s next chop, from that distance, split the floor into particles all the way to Rex, but Pneuma negated the same effect on himself even as the split traveled up the wall.
Jak pulled a sneak attack and sliced off the Aegis’s leg, but the other leg bent at an angle to stab him. Jak clutched and forced the leg off, and when Eggman tried swift speed to thwack him from above, Jak grabbed the arm and furiously slammed him around. Jak leapt to stab the Aegis and channel Destruct Chi, but its matter scattered and reformed across the chamber. Shulk was there to strike him during the process, but the Aegis assumed a round, thicker Defense Form. He withstood Shulk’s Monado better and tried to whip him with heavier arms, but Shulk found himself unable to back up as Eggman bent the floor up into a wall behind him. Shulk then had a vision of the Aegis flying back and ramming Jak with a headbutt—“AH!” The robot’s crystal flashed, stunning Shulk with a daze. “Huh?! I forgot what the vision was!”
“That was my Amnesia attack! Comes in pretty HANDY!” Eggman bent the floor up into solid waves, pressing Shulk against the back wall. The Aegis flew backward, withstanding a flurry of energy swords conjured by Pneuma. The genius instead searched for Jak and quickly dove. Malos tried to shield the surprised Long-Ear, but they both suffered a Zen Headbutt. Eggman flew after to beat them against the ground, in turn pressing them into a crater that he would mold matter over. He was then blown away by Pneuma’s Starburst laser, giving Malos time to destroy the ground trapping them. The Aegis morphed back into Speed Form, afterwards splitting pale clones of Deoxys from its being. The clones speedily moved around to strike the Aegis Drivers, but while the clones were easily destroyed, Eggman got the jump on Rex and whipped him away.
Jak leapt and stabbed the ground, exploding a shockwave that blew Eggman down. Enchanting himself with Speed, Shulk raced out and diced the Aegis with Monado Buster. He would retain this speed as Eggman recovered to match it, but would soon have Rex on his back, unable to outrun both. He shifted the Aegis to Attack Form and swung a thousand lashes at the Drivers. Jak took the lead and struck Eggman with vicious ferocity, whittling his thousand whips into fragments. Eggman flew away and ripped out several chunks of the room, turning them into polymorphic shapes. He threw them in the hopes of “sticking” their matter to the shapes’, but as Jak swat them away, Shulk had a vision of Eggman blasting a Hyper Beam. “Rex, he’s going to fire an energy blast!”
“On it!” The Leftherian kept tabs on the robot as it amassed energy. On schedule, the Hyper Beam fired, Pneuma blocking it perfectly with her palm. She threw it back, but realized Eggman had teleported. The Aegis reappeared above and Ground Pounded, the floor rippling like a shockwave and blowing the Aegises apart. Eggman then shot the rest of his stored Hyper Beam at Jak. He then flew all the way across the chamber and turned the surrounding surface into red particles. “Ho ho! It’s no use. Give up.” A tidal wave of Splatter Matter washed toward the Drivers. Their combined efforts worked to either block or destroy the particles, but Deoxys’ cursed chi was close to overwhelming them.
“Room for one more?!” Miko and Eddy rushed through the storm, channeling Boly’s power to stabilize some of the matter.
“Miko!”
“She’s not the type to wait around a long time! And me neither! We can’t stand long cutscenes!”
“I can bend Father’s matter better with Eddy’s willpower!” Boly said.
“Interrupting?!” Eggman splashed from the matter and blew the ops into the air. The Aegis molded its arms into saws to slice them, but the swings of Miko’s hammer broke them into particles. He tried to crush them with his own hammer after they landed, but when he uncovered, they were nowhere to be found. Miko used the Dottie function to shrink herself and Eddy. Eddy would resize first, grab his partner, and launch her at the Core Crystal with his slingshot. Miko swiftly inflated back to normal, landing a sideways Butt Pound to send the mech bouncing!
“WOO! You just got booty blasteeeed!”
“God, she is just… seriously gross sometimes.” Quill cringed.
“MATTER QUAKE!” The Aegis morphed into Defense Form and SLAMMED the ground, causing all their matter to vibrate. While Boly helped mitigate the effect, it had also spread to the surrounding room, its particles already unstable from the previous attack. Ultimately, its particles gave way, the group plummeting to the lower levels. “Eddy, the others!” Miko exclaimed.
“LET’S FUSE!” Eddy grabbed Miko’s glove. Their matter combined to become Quester Ediko; they flipped their controller upside-down to make it a slingshot, shooting a larger Spring Pellet to break Sector Q’s fall.
“So, THAT’S what it is!” Eggman used a Zap Cannon to stun the group before swatting them apart. By the time the Drivers crashed, their Fury Modes powered off, exhausted in their base forms. “Miko isn’t that thing’s Guardian! That scrawny boy is! And Miko is just a conduit created from Bolypius’ data. Now I know who I have to destroy!”
“Titan’s foot!” Rex cursed. “We’re out of power already?!”
“How is the bastard that strong?!” Jak growled.
“Just wait for our chi to return.” Alvis said. “We can still protect ourselves.”
“It’s up to us now!” Ediko faced their friends. “Ready to crack this egg?!”
“We can’t do SHIT against that thing!” Jenny shouted.
“I can punch a god in Videogame Land, but real life looks way scarier!” Kazuma shouted.
“The rats are out of their league, is that it?” Eggman smirked. “Then what’s the use of having you around?!” The doctor fired a laser at the team, but Ediko flew in its wake and pushed it back by button-mashing the controller.
“Pneuma’s data has updated the Quester feature!” Boly said.
“Really?! What else can you do?!”
“Channel my power over the others now!”
“IMBECILES!” Eggman ceased the laser, entered Speed Form, and zipped around to lash his whip at the kids. But just as he did, Ediko quickly enchanted them with their power.
Carmine and Quill’s matter fused, becoming a giant kangaroo with a racecar engine back, a helmet with goggles, and hands shaped like Quill’s Elementors. “I HAVE FEET!!” was Quarmine’s first reaction, wiggling their kangaroo toes and tapping the floor. “My hands are weird, but this feels great!!”
Jenny and Kazuma fused into a tall, skinny Quester with a strong helmet, rabbit ears, large armored fists, and huge shoes with roller-blades. “I’ll do the kicking, you do the punching!” Jezuma said (though it was Jenny’s conscience talking).
“What are those abominations?!” Eggman sent Deoxys Clones at them, but Jezuma swiftly sped past, punching every clone they could, before landing a fast, flipping, punch-and-kick combo on the doctor.
“WHOOOAA!” Stunned by their own speed, Quarmine’s engines helped them boost behind Eggman and briefly freeze him with ice rays. “YAHOOOO!” The kangaroo sprung high into the air and SMASHED him with sheer weight and force.
“The moment Miko joined us is when our quest began!” Ediko destroyed the clones with a quick controller combo. “From that day, we became the Questers! From that day, we were the true Sector Q!” (Play “Vs. Moebius Interlink” from XC3!)
“I’ve had ENOUGH of dealing with delinquents like you!” Eggman blew Quarmine off of him as his Aegis morphed into a larger, thin, sharp-shouldered version of himself, except with a pointed head. “I will show this planet the true power and terror of Doctor IVO R-R-R-R-Robotnik!”
He first kicked Quarmine away, then threw punches to counter Jezuma’s onslaught and break their matter into pieces, but Ediko reformed it into a gigantified foot and landed a powerful kick, sending the Aegis tumbling out of the control center. Ediko shot multiple Spring Pads into the air to help Quarmine bounce after him. They grabbed and threw grenades from their kangaroo pouch, bursting into smaller grenades to form a chain reaction, to destroy the endless tentacles Eggman lashed at them. While the doc was distracted, Ediko flew far to his left and shot String Pellets to lock him in place, allowing Quarmine to pull off a Boost Kick. Combining their racecar speed with their strong feet, the Aegis was forced to the lower levels of the Walrus with incredible momentum, tearing down dozens of buildings.
“BLIMEY, what’s happenin’ over there?!” Sheila exclaimed. Everyone else on the Titan all drew attention to the Aegis and incoming questers.
“That big one looks like Eggman, but I have no idea what those things are!” Cheren said.
The Aegis grabbed and ripped up Quarmine’s matter, then saw Jezuma speed-jumping through the city. He dodged their momentum-powered kick, but Jezuma retracted their wheels, planted their feet against a wall, squat, and sprung at Eggman like a rabbit. They dealt a successful punch that blew him through several buildings. Using Deoxys’ bending, Eggman bunched the buildings’ remains back together and violently hammered them over the Questers. Ediko used their hammer as a shield, Jezuma punched the buildings toward Eggman, and during the knockback, the reformed Quarmine sped to ram the Aegis. Eggman burst with electricity to stun them, afterwards bundling Quarmine into a ball and throwing them at Jezuma.
Ediko flew at Eggman with their hammer, the doctor clashing it with fists. Both hammer and fists broke into particles, only to have them recovered. Eggman split the fists off into dozens to pummel Ediko from multiple directions, but they projected a spiked barrier and spun to deflect the fists. With the shield still active, they lunged into Eggman with a Spin Dash, combined with Jezuma ramming him from the opposite side. Quarmine still managed to bounce around in their ball form, stretching their limbs back with each bounce. They were finally able to fly into the air and squish Eggman once more! The Aegis became particles and reassembled further away, dismantling the surrounding environment and reforming them into large missiles. He threw the missiles at the Questers directly, the explosion blowing them in separate directions, as well as separating the operatives.
Quill and Carmine uncomfortably tumbled along the ground, Jenny landed her blades along a wall, which bent into a smooth curve as she directed herself upright to the ground, and Miko caught Eddy in her arms and used a Carrie to land smoothly. “OOF!” Kazuma, meanwhile, landed on something soft and fluffy to break his fall. “YOU AGAIN?!”
“Ketchuma, you really need to stop wandering off on your own.” Finch said. “Where would you be without old Finch?”
“YOU’RE the one who wandered off this time!”
“Get ready to be skewered!” Eggman shaped his fists into drills and lunged at Eddy and Miko, but a different drill would dig into his arms and force them aside. “What?!”
“Poppi not let new friends die!” the Artificial Blade declared before kicking off the Aegis. When Eggman created 20 laser cannons out of matter, Poppi’s drill became a shield to protect Masterpon from the onslaught. Once the lasers were out of power, Tora threw the shield like a multi-directional boomerang, imbued with fire to damage the Aegis. Eggman grabbed and crushed the shield, but the doctor was clonked in the head by another fist.
“What’s up, Eggdork?” It resembled the Poppibuster, but was larger, painted blue, and wore a red hat.
“That hat! Are you the Gilligan Triplets?!” Eggman sent Deoxys Clones to push them away, but the Gilligan Buster bashed them away with a giant wrench.
“Just thought we should send Dad’s greetings!” Haylee smirked, piloting the flight controls.
“We pulled an all-nighter to build this baby!” Artie declared, manning the arms.
“Rumor has it you ain’t a fan of music.” Harry said. “Well, have some of this!” Boomboxes opened from the back. Harry rapped a DJ and shot soundwaves to stun the Aegis.
“I’ll have you know my father hated music and I’ve had three theme songs commissioned! But THIS IS AWFUL!” Eggman launched and pushed the Buster into another building, the mech blowing Eggman off with the boombox before bashing him with the wrench. Poppi, in QT form, grabbed the tip of the Aegis’ head in her Mech Arms, flipped back, and threw Eggman into the ground. She tossed the arms to Tora, who leapt into a flip before bringing the fists firmly onto Eggman’s face! The Egg Aegis broke into pieces that flew around the air, their edges like fluttering particles. The legs spun around the Gilligan Buster to kick from all directions, Tora countered the fists with his own, and the head flew to shoot lasers at Miko and Eddy. The duo were frantic in running from them, but the lasers were fortunately blocked by Sena’s shield.
“Come on, Mimi! This is our biggest battle, yet, I wanna help you!”
“Oh, Sena, you’re the best first Blade I’ve ever had!” Miko gave her a big hug. “And hey, with Boly’s power, I bet I can make you stronger, too!” Taking hold of both hammers, Boly’s power increased them in size as Miko furiously bashed the Egghead. Once it was knocked dizzy, she tossed Sena’s hammer to her as the Blade sent it flying with a rocket-charged swing! When it recovered, Eggman was bombarded by a combo of Psy-Spheres and snowy Music Notes, courtesy of Celica and Ursula. The head spun like a drill as he shot toward them, but the duo would dodge as Eggman was then diced up by Nia’s Water Slices.
“Grrrr! Traitorous Blades! Come back to my side at ONCE!” An energy wave washed over the Titan, the Blades screaming as Eggman’s irises filled their eyes again.
“No! Ursula! Ursula, please control yourself!”
“Agh! I…I feel…” Nia felt sick to her stomach.
“Pandy! Not now!” Zeke pled.
“Hahahaha!” Team Rocket laughed, returning their Pokémon. “Looks like the finale was cut short!” Jessie said.
“That’s alright. We have other places to be.” James smirked, the team racing back to their Meowth rocket.
“Let’s wait for Eggman to finish his gig. Then we’ll get that Newborn out of his hair!” Meowth suggested.
“Come on, Sena! Not again!” Miko yelled, clutching her Blade’s hands and channeling Boly’s power into her crystal. “I know you’re better than this! Don’t listen to that loser!”
“GUYS, LOOK AT EGGMAN’S CHEST!” Quill screamed. The torso of the Egg Aegis had been flying around and absorbing chunks of the Egg Walrus’ particles into its crystal. Once complete, it took to the air and recalled its body parts.
“It’s gonna shoot a massive Particle Cannon!” Carmine yelled. “TAKE COVEEEERRRR!”
Locking dead on Miko, Eggman unleashed the Particle Cannon. Miko impulsively turned on Barry to block it, but fortunately, several others already blocked it for her. “SHULK! JAK!”
“I saw the future where you died to this cannon… and have chosen to REJECT IT!” Shulk vowed.
“We will destroy any future where he CONTROLS US!” Malos declared, destroying any particles that crossed his boundary.
Rex and Pneuma took flight above the Egg Aegis. “INFINITY BLADE!” With an extended, holier sword, they stabbed the machine’s back, ending the cannon as it crashed into the ground. They could all only wait cautiously if it would rise again.
Boly…Bolypius…
“Huh?” Boly gasped. “F…Father?”
Boly… do not let me be used by this man any longer. The darkness has corrupted me. I cannot control myself. Please… destroy me.
“N-No, Father! There are already so few gods!”
This is our fate. Do not fear, Bolypius. I know you will carry on my data. I know you understand what must be done.
“I…I understand your logic. Following directive.” (Play “The Weight of Life” from XC3.)
“Boly, who are you talking to?” Miko asked.
“Malos!”
“What?” The dark Aegis faced them.
“Malos, we must download your data at once.”
“I said ‘no,’ kid. You have no idea-”
“Please, I must! If need be, I will delete it from my databanks afterward. But I must use it just this once! I…I must destroy my father!”
“We’re doing what?!” Miko gawked.
“It is the only way, Miko. We must destroy Deoxys and the Egg Aegis in one fell swoop. Only then will this planet be at peace. It may not be enough if only Malos does it. It has to be me… the Program that was born from Deoxys.”
“Fine.” Malos huffed. “But you better not screw this up.”
Miko, swallowing her fears, put her glove to Malos’ crystal. “AS IF THAT WOULD FINISH ME!” Eggman was up on his artificial feet, stretching a thousand whips at Miko, but Rex sliced the whips up with a storm of Genesis Sabers. The Gilligan Buster tackled the doctor, stunning him with boomboxes, leaving Poppi QTπ to slice a combo with her Variable Saber. “I am Dr. Robotnik! The greatest scientific genius in the universe!” The Aegis morphed into a ball to bowl the smaller mechs over, changing back and growing cannons to shower them with lasers. “And I’m done letting you snot-nosed worms get the better of me!” With a powerful stomp, the Gilligan Buster was shattered. He quickly shifted attention to Miko and launched forth, but Jak ceased his flight with Monado Cyclone.
“The data has finished downloading!” Boly exclaimed. “We must wait for a good chance to-”
“Whoooaaa, heeeey!” Miko was suddenly levitated by a blue force.
“MIKO!” Eddy jumped to grab her shoes, only for them to slip off her fluffy socks.
“HAHAHAHAHA!” Team Rocket cackled. “Great job, Chimecho!” James praised his little Psychic-type. “Hurry! Let’s get her away from here before the Aegises catch us!”
“Let my Driver go!” Sena mustered a fireball and batted it directly up at Chimecho. Miko screamed as gravity took hold of her, but Sena ran to catch her.
“Sena! You’re in control! WATCH OUT!” They leapt away before Eggman could crush them with an axe, both clashing giant hammers against it.
“Impossible! How could a worthless Commoner defy my control?! Is it bonded to Boly and Miko?! Is that why?!”
“I may be just a Common Blade,” Sena smashed her hammer directly into the Core Crystal, “but my duty is to my Driver! I won’t betray her! I won’t become your puppet!” As Sena mustered a greater fireball, her body began to glow and the fire turn blue. “SO, YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!” She morphed into a human form as she blasted Eggman away with the fireball.
“MEHMEH!” Tora screamed. “M-Miko’s Blade become human!”
“No!” Rex gasped. “It… evolved into a Rare Blade!”
“Huh…?” Sena stared at her own hands in awe, wearing black, fingerless gloves. She was tan-skinned with a short black top, a thin and sturdy body, dark-blue hair with a sapphire, flaming ponytail, and blue lines coursing along her. “I…”
“MY BLADE EVOLVED!” Miko gave her an even bigger hug! “I feel like a proud mama!”
“Hehehehe! I hope this means I get cake! WAH!” Both she and Miko were pulled into the air with psychic.
“You won’t outwit us that easy!” James yelled. “Chimecho, grind them into digi-dust!”
“Unhand those women at once!”
Horrified, Team Rocket saw a Homs ship headed straight for them: Colonel Vangarre was armed with an explosive vest. “COLONEL!” Shulk screamed. “What are you doing?!”
“Giving you brats the chance you need… to send these xenos back where they came from! BOMB VOYAGE!”
“YAAAAAAAH!” Team Rocket scrambled to dodge their rocket, but the pink-stached colonel rammed them dead on. A bright explosion destroyed the Meowth rocket, and the agents went flying beyond the dark clouds. “Team Rocket’s blasting off agaaaaaain!” (“Wo-Wobbuuuuuuu…”) Twinkle.
…
Melia and Vanea closed in on the Titan. “If not for Disney’s forces, the Sirens would’ve been here to assist Eggman.” The Machina said. “I suppose we should be thankful for that.”
“You are quite right. And sending those robotic children to fight this battle is a strategic method to avoid wasting lives.” Gazing through binoculars, Melia watched as Miko recreated Jezuma and Quarmine, combining their efforts against Eggman. “Meanwhile… these children have chosen to risk their own lives to fight for our planet directly. If this is all for a selfish intention, all to decide who is worthy to rule over us… then could they truly fight with such conviction?”
…
Eggman struggled to fend off Jezuma’s punch-kick combo, and when Sena slammed her hammer into his side, breaking his balance, Jezuma toppled him right over. “HEY! That’s Dunban over there!” Quarmine recognized. The swordsman was dressed in a party hat and yukata, dashing and slicing his blade with such grace that it launched Eggman into the air. Then, Quarmine leapt to smash him into the ground. With that, Miko leapt onto his chest and grabbed the Core Crystal.
“No…no…NO!” Eggman’s cockpit as in alert as the data was being deleted. “MY BLADES! MY AEGIS! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!”
“Good-bye… Father.” Boly frowned. “…Egg Blade data… deleted.”
The crystal burst into dark, destroyed particles, the rest of the machine following suit. “GAAAAAH!” Eggman was quick to launch out of there on his pod. “DAMN YOU ALL! This war isn’t over! I’ll get my revenge on every single one of you! Bowser will conquer every last-”
“Ya like talkin’ to yourself, don’t ya?” Daxter smirked.
“WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!”
“That’s a nice sweater Miko wears ’round her hip. Really cozy. And I’m afraid your flight’s cancelled.” The Ottsel clambered into a gap in the cockpit and began to tear up the wires.
“NO! Get out of there, you little pest!” The pod fidgeted around wildly. “I won’t go down like this! AGH! AAAAAHHH!” And it suddenly dumped him out like a spilled bowl, falling directly toward Malos. “BOWSER! AVENGE MEEEE-”
The Aegis’s Monado mounted Eggman like a skewer. The last traces of his breath left his mechanical lungs before he hung limp. And with that, Malos whipped his blade and flung the dead egg across the city, his matter dissolving into darkness. (End song.)
The clouds parted, warming the ruins of the Walrus with light. The KND and Mirans couldn’t pull their eyes away, their hearts welling up with excitement. Infinite, tired on the ground, looked on in despair… as did Omelette. “D…D…” Omelette raised her comms and projected her voice over the entire Titan. “SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL ROBOTS AND TEAM GNAA ASSOCIATES! My dad… D-Dr. Eggman has been destroyed! The greatest genius in the universe, the warlord who terrorized Mobius and other worlds for decades, HAS BEEN KILLED BY THOSE ROTTEN KIDS NEXT DOOR!”
“YEEEAAAAAH!” The announcement was the perfect cue to throw arms up in the air! “WE DID IIIIIT!” Rex roared.
“VICTORY FOR MIRA!” Reyn cheered.
“VICTORY FOR THE KND!” Cheren cried.
“WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT!” Miko spun Jenny in a circle, threw Carmine in the air, twisted her fist into Quill’s hair, pounded Kazuma’s arm, and squeezed Eddy in a hug, followed by a firm peck to the cheek.
“YEEK!” His temperature boiled like a pepper in hot sauce. “Y-You just kissed me!”
“Whoa, haha, sorry!” Miko blushed. “’Guess the excitement just… got to me, but, we won! Hooraaaaay!”
“Hehe, no problem!” As Miko went off to share a celebratory arm-hug with Sena, a lovestruck Eddy lay a hand over his cheek. “It’s no problem at all…”
“Ugh…” Kazuma cringed at the moment. …He noticed Finch was right next to him, staring up at Kazuma dreamily. “And what the hell are YOU looking at?!”
Clearing the rest of the Walrus of robots was a trivial task after that. During that period, Cheren and Nebula were approached by a familiar silver-haired girl and her Machina companion. “Pardon me, but… I recall seeing the both of you on the Internet. You are Supreme Leader Nebula, and…?”
“Cheren. Supreme Leader from Earth.”
“A pleasure. I am Melia, Queen of the High Entia. This is Vanea, ruler of Mechonis.”
“The pleasure’s ours.” Nebula smiled. “We heard you’ve… already been acquainted with Sector Q.”
“Yes… and we’ve been made aware of this war. …I want to ask you both personally. Why is it that you fight? Why do you risk your lives for the sake of others? Why did you choose to fight for us?”
“You’re wondering if we’re going to say ‘because we gotta win this war’ or ‘because it’s the right thing to do,’ right?” Cheren asked. “In actuality, both things are true… but deep down, I’m fighting for something else.”
“And that is…?”
“Whether we earn the loyalty of everyone else or not doesn’t matter, as long as my friends enjoy doing what they do. All I really want… is to beat the shit out of everyone who wants us to feel bad for it!” The queens were taken aback by his response. “Which is probably the most unheroic thing for a hero to say!”
“…Hah…hahahaha!” Melia could only laugh. “I’ve never heard anyone be so… shamelessly honest. Hm…very well.” The queen was resolved in her decision. “Kids Next Door… thank you for saving our world.”
Gormott’s Head (Play “Torigoth Day” from XC2!)
The rest of the Earth KND brought the captured Blades to Mira after seeing Eggman’s curse had faded. By the night of May 21, the Miran KND invited all their new friends to a party along Gormott’s neck! Yuzu and Megumi worked with Vess and Gorg to cook food for everyone! A pyramid of sodas sat between Mason, Reyn, and Zeke, engaging in a drinking contest! But it was clear Mason was bound to be the winner; by the time the Mirans’ stomachs started hurting, Mason hadn’t felt tired a bit.
Pyra had invited Malos and Mòrag to her own cooking table, where a fish was lain. “Alright, Mòrag, can you tell Malos the first step?”
“Ahem, yes…” The empress seemed nervous. “We begin by… c-cutting it open… and pulling out the guts.”
“Ooookaaay?” The male Aegis carefully lowered a knife. As soon as it made contact—“Gah!” the fish began flailing.
“Mercy! It’s still alive!” Mòrag gasped.
“What do I do?!”
“Just hold it down!” Pyra answered.
“If I could get it to hold still!” The fish slipped from Malos’ grasp, flipping up to batter him with its tail. “HNNN! CURSED ANIMAL!” He whipped out his Monado and sliced, destroying the entire table. “Heh! I gutted that fish good!”
“You gutted it out of existence!”
“Meh, fish is boring, anyway. Don’t you got anything meatier? DAH!!” Zenobia suddenly blasted into him at crazy speed, slamming into the cliff.
“ZENOBIA!” Mòrag shouted. “We told you to keep your fight down to the main field!”
“I did! That Maddy packs a mean punch!”
“Don’t she though?!” Sheila cheered with a swig of her jug of soda.
“In my whole life,” Jataro began, staring at his nails, “I think I clipped my fingers 50,184 times. I always wondered… all those little nails I left on the floor and on the sidewalk… are they still there?”
“I chew my nails off with my teeth.” Finch flapped her arms. “Sometimes, they’re kinda tasty, but I also choke on ’em sometimes, haha. Hey, Kantmiss, do you ever taste your nails?”
“UGH, WHO THE HELL INVITED YOU?!” Kazuma shouted at Jataro. “Having you both in the same place is makin’ my brain cells pop!”
“Sheesh, someone’s got a ’tude.” Finch said. “I think you’re cool, Jatada.”
“It’s Jataro, but thanks! I like you, too, Fonch.”
“It’s Finch. Fuh-IIIIINCH! But that’s nice of you to say, Jasono.”
“It’s Jataro, Finny, Jataro!”
“I told you, Jamtam, it’s Finch.”
“Noooo! Hey, Kazukaze, can you help?”
“AAAAAAGH!” Kazuma ran as far away as possible.
Anthony and Cressidus were having a throwing contest, hurdling boulders as far over the sea as they could. “Oh, that one nearly hit the World Tree!” Cressidus boasted.
“You kidding, my last one was further!”
Fybi was racing Obrona around the Titan, awed as they observed Gormott from many angles. Wendy and Boreas were having their own high-speed race along the Cloud Sea. Electra was nuzzling Aeincha against her cheek; the Lilliputian was worried at first, but she placed faith in Electra’s self-control. Afterwards, Aeincha asked to huggle Electra’s fluffy hair buns! Weiss and Dahlia practiced Icecraft together while Lola and Vess were weaving gothic dresses, using Haruka as a model. Arianna and Floren decorated the grassland with flowers. Shino and Sharla were having a sniping contest, searching for animals down in the valley to shoot with harmless bullets. Adenine was teaching Goombella the history of Alrest’s countries, and also cued her in on the secret library in the World Tree. Sheba seemed to be going around and asking all the female operatives to join her entourage, inviting them to drink tea, go shopping, and most importantly, come bathe with her! Nebula was introduced to KOS-MOS’ Driver, Astelle, a brown-haired girl in a light-brown coat and blue eyes behind glasses. Astelle asked Nebula about any cool alien civilizations, but the Zathurian didn’t know where to begin.
“Brighid! Aegaeon!”
“Lady Mòrag!” The sapphire-flamed Blade and her waterbending brother were glad to reunite with their Driver. “I’m so sorry… for everything we’ve done.”
“We’re a disgrace as royal Blades…”
“Perish the thought. The threat has subsided… but I fear we have not seen the last of it. This Eggman has many accomplices.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure they’re all busy with their own operations.” Melody reasoned. “I’m sure things will be peaceful here for a while, at least.”
Ursula had been playing a lively song to keep the party bright. However, she slowed into silence when Sector IC approached them. “Terry! Suki! It’s… wonderful to see you!”
“Yeah…” Terry waved halfheartedly.
“Oh, don’t just ‘yeah’ her!” MaKayla scolded. “You asked us to take you here all because you were worried about her!”
“Yeah, Ursula!” Suki twirled. “Terry loves your songs sooooo much! The thought of never hearing them again made him so scared!”
“Sh-shut up, Suki! I just… Ursula didn’t deserve any of this crap, so I wanted to make sure no one hurt her too badly!”
“That’s very sweet of you, Terry.” Ursula smiled. “But I’m just fine. Although, I was tickled pretty intensely.”
“Ooooo, Ursula’s ticklish?” Suki smirked. “Terry, you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Not really.”
“N-No! Suki, please—aaaahh!” She had to surf a Song Road to flee the skiing icebender.
“I’m gonna tickle you, Ursula! You can never escape the ticklllle!”
The IC friends chuckled lightly at their playtime… and even Terry sparked a little smile.
“So, you’re NOT coming with us?!” Miko shouted at the Aegises. “Not one of you?! At least let us have Malos!”
“You really want Destruct Chi, don’t you?” Quill inquired.
“We’re sorry.” Rex blushed. “But we can’t just leave the planet after all this. What about all the people who were forced to be Drivers, or injured trying? We’ll have to help them get better.”
“And if this war is really that big, any of Eggman’s or Mickey’s cohorts could still attack us any moment.” Shulk reasoned.
“Yeah, Miko.” Cheren agreed. “I admit having their power would be nice, but this isn’t their battle. We need to show the universe our own power… and the Newborn’s, but sparingly.”
“About that though,” Eddy began, “we very clearly used Boly against Eggman. So, why didn’t we get attacked by, like, a dark Firstborn or something?”
“I don’t know. But I’d like to ask Kael about this myself. I wonder if there’s a way to talk to him…”
“And let’s not forget that floating continent that just appeared.” Mythra mentioned. “I can’t believe God Deoxys made all that in the middle of his fight.”
“Place is probably a mess.” Jak figured. “But I wouldn’t mind a little expedition.”
“’kay, but you’re helping out with the packing this time!” Daxter argued.
“Hey, Mimi.” Sena spoke up. “I was wondering… Do you think I could stay here and help these guys?”
“W-Why? Don’t you wanna be my Blade?” Miko asked with teary eyes.
“No, of course I do! I think you’re great! You’re so great that… I’m not sure if you really need me.” Sena looked down sheepishly. “You’ve got that Boly’s power, and your friends, and you’re just awesome on your own. It was great working with you, but I feel like I need to find my own strength. Besides, I kinda wanna explore that new continent, too. Me and it were sort of ‘born’ close to the same time… so, I feel sort of connected to it! I wanna explore it with them!”
“I can’t believe how fast my baby’s grown up!!” Miko squeezed her once again. “Already ready to be on her own! I’m gonna miss you, Sena! You’ve made me so proud!”
“Hehehe! You act like you’re my mom, but we look more like sisters!”
“HOLD ON!” Sheila sprung up behind Miko. “You’re invitin’ ME to explore this new place to, right?! I ain’t leaving this planet ’til I explore every corner of it!”
“We’ll never win this war without you, Sheila.” Mason said.
“MASON!! As King of the Pirates, I order us all to go on a great big adventure spree after this war is over!”
“Heh heh heh! Aye-aye, Captain!”
Reyn placed a picture of Colonel Vangarre on a table, sniffling as Sharla hugged him. “Colonel… you were a vulgar and abusive old mudder! You were always angry and you always hurt us! But when things got serious, you were always ready! You gave your life for your people! So, despite all you were, you were the best darn colonel I’ve had the honor of-”
Something came spinning and crashing beside them. “AAAAAAHH!” Vangarre screamed, his body a searing red. “REYN, YOU UNGRATEFUL GOGOL! Find me some Water Crystals and get me healed THIS INSTANT! That Mechon vest barely protected me! I SWEAR, WHEN I FIND THE NOPON WHO SOLD IT!”
“THE COLONEL LIIIIIIVES!” Reyn crushed him in a hug, the colonel crying out in greater agony.
The KND partied the night away with their new friends. Sheila and Maddy joined Sena in muscle training. Cheren sparred with each of the Aegis Drivers. Vweeb, begrudgingly, gave a massage to Jak and Daxter to prove a point to Arianna, who shared a giggle with Floren. As Terry listened to Ursula’s soothing melody, the boy began to feel second thoughts about leaving his team. But then Harry and Nia started rapping, and that was annoying.
When Miyuki told Team Torna about her power to see the past, they asked her to try that power on Malos. As Miyuki lay her hand on his crystal, the past beyond the Cooking Fest grew murky and faded… and yet, within that murk, Malos saw himself with a man with silver hair. He pulled that man closer in his arm and whispered in his ear: “Don’t forget me…” Somehow, a tear drizzled down Malos’ cheek.
…
“People of the world!” Melia’s face was displayed in all towns. “I, Empress Melia Antiqua, am pleased to announce the threat of Dr. Eggman is no more! Thanks to the aid of outsiders, the Earth and Galactic Kids Next Door, we have won a difficult battle. They returned our corrupted Blades to normal and in good condition. However, I fear an even greater battle lies ahead. But we will persevere! Should we need their aid, I believe we can rely on the Kids Next Door again… and I, as well, will be there to support them when they need it.”
GKND H.Q.
A “Galactic Map,” designed like something you’d see in a Nintendo game, appeared before the ops. The map zoomed in on Mira, which had an Eggman flag attached to it. The flag toppled down, and a KND flag flashed in its place! This was followed by Donkey Kong victory music!
“We FINALLY beat the first world!” Miko said with a loud sigh.
“That’s a nice Game Map, Carol!” Eddy praised.
“Thanks! I thought it would be a fun way to track our progress! I listed every planet that we know is under control of our enemies. Which one should we click next?”
She scrolled around the map. Mechanos had MomCorp.’s flag. Mobius had Schnee’s flag. Etheria had Disney’s flag, but Avalar had a far bigger one. Mushroom World had a large Bowser flag, but a smaller Doflamingo flag on its side. Coruscant had the Intergalactic News flag. Poké had a Team Rocket flag. “Man, that’s a lot of worlds.” Mason said. “Why is the Marzipan’s logo in the bottom right?”
“Well, we haven’t heard from them in a while, so I listed them as a side story. We oughta click it every now and then!”
“Yeh, we gotta make sure he takes our side.” Sheila fist-palmed. “By force if we need to.”
“You don’t need much excuse.” Mason eye-rolled.
“We should put to a vote which planet we’ll tackle next.” Cheren reasoned. “And which sectors should go.”
“I VOTE FOR MOBIUS!” Maria screamed. “We gotta see if Dogmom’s okay!”
“To be honest… I wanna go to Mobius, too.” Weiss said. “I…I really want to get it over with.”
“Are you sure?” Ciel asked. “This is rather sudden.”
“I mean, maybe not now… after we go to bed first. A-And if it’s alright with you guys.”
“I wouldn’t mind, but,” Carol clicked Mobius, “it doesn’t seem like we can.”
A message came up: Kokichi must be rescued to access this mission. “Looks like some worlds have prerequisite missions.”
“You’re the only one who could’ve wrote that in there!” Dillon argued.
“Eheheheh!” Carol blushed. “Well, uh, we never did get him back after the Moonbase invasion!”
“I completely forgot about him…ugh, do we really have to? I wanna go to Mushroom, see what Doffy’s up to.” He clicked Mushroom.
Cheadle Yorkshire is required to access this mission. “And we can’t go to Mobius to get Dogmom without Kokichi!” Maria gasped. “IT ALL COMES BACK AROUND!”
“Can we at least go to Mechanos?” Artie clicked it. “Yes! Let’s just do Mechanos first!”
“I do wonder why Mom’s forces didn’t come in after Eggman was dealt with.” Nebula said. “Did the Sirens already take down most of them?”
“Whatever, let’s just find Kokichi tomorrow.” Cheren sighed. “Then we’ll figure something out…” Internally, many of them wanted to ask what he knew about the Aranea fiasco. “Where is he, anyway?”
“Theoretically,” Jerome answered, “at his old school, Towa Academy. Where those juveniles who attacked us came from.”
Chapter 15: School Wars
Summary:
The Kids Next Door are challenged by Towa Academy, a school of strong or talented high schoolers. The KND accept their challenge, hoping to make new friends out of the ordeal.
Chapter Text
This next stage crosses over with Danganronpa! Since this is a transitional arc, the characters won’t have heavy focus, and the games’ stories are non-canon. I’m also cutting the major characters from this event.
Chapter 14: School Wars
Almost every afternoon, Chris Uno would stroll to the Hunger Burger, buy a large patty, and return home with crumbs over his mouth. He had welcomed every day that he could take it easy, the world peaceful around him. “BGAAAAHHH!” Except for the man with dark-green hair, matching jacket, blue tracksuit pants, and chain necklace being blasted away by Sector V’s treehouses defenses. “SECTOR VEEEEE! I’m warning you, for the last time, let me in your treehouse now, or your front yard’s gonna be REAL messy!”
Chris was intrigued. No villain was ever bold enough to invade the Top Sector’s treehouse, anymore. Nor was this guy smart enough. “What the hell are you doing, buddy?”
“Eh?” The huge man faced Chris. “We-hell! Chris Uno, the Demon Prince… You finally acknowledge my strength.”
“I acknowledge you gettin’ yourself killed. If you’re trying to invade us, my friends aren’t home.”
“That’s alright! You’ll make the perfect example!” His eyes flaming, the man pulled back a Haki-hardened fist. “Towa Academy has sent me, Nekomaru, to DELIVER ITS GREETINGS!”
Chris lazily raised a hand to absorb part of the impact: although the blonde teen went flying up the street and between several houses, he’d seen much harder punches. Landing on his back, Chris found himself beneath a pair of tan, firm legs. Sheila’s head leaned over him. “Chris? What’re ya doin’ down there?”
“Just a villain, Sheila. …Why do you have a pizza box?”
“The mates sent me to get one. Wanted me ta bring you a slice.”
“I just had a burger.”
“’ey, they bugged me into doing this, make it worth my while!”
“Tryin’ to hide from ME?!” Nekomaru leapt from one house over. “Oh! Looks like the party’s even, Akane!”
The ops looked the other way: a tan-skinned girl with wavy brown hair, red skirt, and strong legs assumed a fighting pose, her eyes also aflame. “Coach, that’s the Sunny Fist! Now, I can REALLY test my mettle!”
“Why are their eyes like that?” Chris asked.
“It’s something Victini did.”
“Victini? That thing from Field Day?”
“Blimey, you’re really a few pegs behind, Chrissy.”
“NOW, AKANE!” Nekomaru dashed. “TWO-PRONGED ASSAULT!”
The coach flipped and crushed Chris into the street, while Akane punched Sheila across the jaw repeatedly. “We’re in the middle of another war, Chris.” Sheila explained as Akane sent her to the air with a kick. “We could sure use your help.”
“I’m not coming back, Sheila.” Nekomaru gripped Chris’s head like a basketball, did a midair flip, and slam-dunked him. “Besides, my chi paths still hurt.”
“We ’ave a way to fix bending, y’know!” Sheila was kicked away upon landing. Akane then jumped to catch her neck in a chokehold.
“You guys can handle it without me.” Chris was pummeled with hardened fists.
“I hope you’re happy that a lot more people quit!” Akane bent Sheila’s legs above her back and struggled to twist them. “Even if we win without them, it ain’t the same without their support! It’d be a lot easier if they weren’t selfish drongos!”
“Sheila, you have all my support.” Nekomaru wrapped Chris in his chain, whirling him around the air. At the same time, Akane grabbed and swung Sheila by the tail. “But I can’t take it, anymore.”
Both former friends were slammed into each other, collapsed on the street. “This is the best of the best?” Nekomaru cracked knuckles. “Nothin’ but talk. But listen, kid… I didn’t want in your treehouse just to attack you. I really need… TO USE YOUR BATHROOM!” He flared up intensely. “I REALLY need to take a shit!! When I have to go this bad… MY CHI SWELLS TO THE MAXIMUM!” Haki coated his muscles as lightning flashed in his eyes.
“Imagine if I could take out a legend!” Akane smirked, drawing two hunks of meat and swallowing them in seconds. “They’ll be all over me! I’ll be in movies, talk shows, hired to coach gym by a thousand schools! I WON’T let this chance slip away!” The meat fueled her chi to the max, her blood boiling as steam seeped from her skin.
“THEN DON’T HOLD BACK!” Nekomaru’s fist projected illusory lightning from intense aura. “LET IT ALL OUT!”
Chris briskly dodged the fist and clenched Nekomaru’s chest. “SHUH-!!” His chest pained as though a dragon were squeezing it… and worse, Chris was channeling bending directly inside, in a sensation reminiscent to extreme heartburn.
“Demon’s Heartache.” Chris uttered.
“Sh…Shuh…SHIIIIIIIIIIITTT!” With speed like a rocket, Chris banished him far to the edge of Virginian Forest, a claw mark on his charred chest… but Nekomaru’s chest didn’t suffer nearly as bad as his pants.
“Coach Nekomaru!” Akane gasped. “You’ll PAY for this!” With greater speed, viciousness, and a full stomach, Akane delivered everything she had unto Sheila, but whether evaded or attacked, Sheila amassed Light Chi in a circle around her right fist. “For imprisoning our friends, today is when the KND fall from grace!”
Sheila was blown several meters by a clean kick. But, by the time Akane leapt for the next onslaught, she fell agape at the seven Light Fists orbiting Sheila’s. “Sunny Fist of the SEVEN SEAS!” The impact of all seven at once was like an adventure, all around the world, but in a single moment, watching the sun rise and set seven times. Sensational, radiant, and above all powerful, Akane went flying the same distance as her teacher, lain inverted atop his torso. …Her legs were spread open past his head, while hers lay over his pants.
Nekomaru’s Level was 4,100, and Akane’s 3,900. By all respects, they were terrific fighters… but the strongest operatives had been in far worse fights.
Sheila raised her hand to catch the pizza box. “Kept forgetting to use that one. Well, it’s too bad you don’t want this, Chris.” She opened the box and pulled out a crusty, saucy slice. “Mmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm.” Her lips sealed over the whole piece, chewing, savoring, and swallowing. “’Cause it suuuuuuure is ripper.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll take one.” Chris ripped a piece out and ate. “…Thanks, Sheila.”
“Yeh, yeh.” She curved her foot, “Hm?” and stepped on something. It seemed to be a Flashdrive labeled For the KND. “Did that sheila drop it?” She picked it up.
“’Guess you came at a pretty good time. Hope whatever that is goes well.”
Chris turned to head home, Sheila glaring after him. “Planet Mira was awesome, Chris! Too bad you didn’t get to see it!”
“Maybe you can take me there after all this or something.”
“And we sacked Eggman, too! We finally got rid of him, and we had a big party to celebrate!”
“Great job, Sheils.”
“And the party wasn’t just for that! IT WAS YOUR BROTHER’S BIRTHDAY PARTY!”
Chris halted. He faced her, looking a bit downtrodden. “You… already had Cheren’s birthday?”
“Uh-huh! We thought we weren’t gonna get the chance to in the middle of all this, but it was perfect! We got to invite our new Miran friends! It might not’ve been about him, but ’ey, it was more than he could’ve asked for! Too bad his useless mope of a brother wasn’t there! See you later!” Deciding to treat herself to another bite, Sheila returned to her ship. Chris, bowing his head again, dragged himself home.
Moonbase
Cheren inserted the Flashdrive into the main computer. There was only one video, so he played it for all operatives present. A large-headed, shadowed man with wild, wavy hair projected above them. “Kids Next Door: I am Izuru Kamukura, headmaster of Towa Academy. As my two students have shown you by now, we are no ordinary high school: ours is funded for the nurturing and perfection of talented individuals. Our goal is to breed students that surpass the KND in every capacity!”
“Stroooooongly doubt that.” Mason drawled, Sheila nodding affirmably while twisting a finger in her ear.
“It’s come to my attention that you’ve taken one of my classes prisoner. I won’t ask for them back… but I do believe we have one of yours in our custody. If you want Kokichi Oma back-”
“Not really.” Dillon said.
“-then come to Towa Academy. My students wish to formally challenge you, to prove their talents are superior to your own! Prove that our studies and our funds were well spent! You may come anytime.”
“Can Kokichi at least be in a birdcage, dressed as Princess Peach?”
“And before you ask, we sold our Peach costume to some football-headed baby, so we dressed him up as Prince Zuko.” The camera panned to show the birdcaged, scarred “prince.”
“Oh, save me, Kids Next Door! I’m losing Honor Points! Ooooohhh!”
“So basically,” Cheren clapped, “this principal wants us to come to his school and beat the snot out of all his students. Show of hands?” He raised his.
“Uhhhhh…WHY???” Aurora wondered.
“If they’re under the influence of a Rivalry, we can’t just ignore them.” Romeo reasoned. “It could mean we get new allies, too.”
“I’m cool with it!” Mason smiled. “I’d love a warmup before the next big mission!”
“My sister goes to that school!” Yuta cheered. “Melody, we HAVE to go!”
“We have to get Kokichi back, anyway.” Carol said. “So, I’m heading down!”
“He said ‘come anytime,’ so we leave in 20 minutes!” Cheren fist-palmed. “If you haven’t eaten yet, we’ll just raid their cafeteria! All volunteers, suit up!”
Operatives piled out of the auditorium, the chamber radiating with eager gossip. “Sheesh, everyone’s really happy to raid a high school.” Aisa remarked, the W7 group hanging back in their seats.
“We’ve already decided, didn’t we?” April asked, munching a chocolate-glazed cracker. “Since Mickey is trying to band people against us, we’ll show them how strong we really are.”
“Does that mean we’re joining in?” Mocha asked.
“I mean, I already helped Sugar beat two of them, so I don’t need to.”
“Meh, what good does invading some overzealous high school do?” Chimney asked. “We need to join in on one of the big missions! Let’s pick one of the planets!”
“Let’s not be hasty.” Aeincha blushed. “No one else has picked a planet, yet, and it’d be safer if more than one sector went.”
“You’re not wrong.” Miguel agreed, rising from his seat. “I think I’ll join in on this mission. It’ll help speed things along, and it’s good practice!”
“Then I should come for insurance.” Mocha rose, stepping carefully over the seats to follow him. “Call you when we get done!”
“Hehe, stomp ’em dead, Mochan!” Chimney cheered.
“Hmmm…” A thought occurred to April as she stood. “If we’re gonna pick a planet, I should invite my cousin along. Been a while since Mary joined on a mission!”
“Noooooo!” And Chimney was heartbroken.
Towa City
Were they looking at a high school, a military base, or some kind of crazy playground? Those were the only good ways to describe Towa Academy as the small army of ops approached the front gates. It had a small rocket station, a radio tower, casino section with neon lights, it was practically a city condensed into one building! The ops intentionally walked a fair distance through town to attract the onlookers, showing them their every intention to challenge the prestigious school. “Hey, if this school is a big deal,” Harry said, “how come we never saw it in the Free Kingdom?”
“Because the ground beneath the school has rockets and a protective dome that allows it to fly away in case of emergencies.” Yuta answered.
“I heard U.A. has something like that, ribbit.” Tsuyu said.
“Hey, Cheren, what do you think of my new Bulldozer Armor?” Larry MayHence asked, rolling beside his leader in a modified garbage can suit.
“Isn’t that the same as the D.A.R.T.?”
“This is all-purpose armor built for air, land, or… well, it doesn’t work for sea, yet, but we’ll get there!”
“Heh heh!” Cheren chuckled as they stepped through the main gate. “Just don’t get motion sickness.”
“By crossing this gate, you have chosen your fates!” A man with a cow mask stomped firmly beyond the gate. Surrounding him were a squadron of students, bearing swords, bows, or elements. “Before you stands some of our many Reserve Course students, trained in whatever skill befits them. But the ones you should truly fear are the main campus students and staff: the Ultimates! Including I, the Great Gozu! So, send your greatest!” The cow charged like a mad bull. “Who can take on the Wrestling Cow?!”
“Maddy.” Cheren said.
“Yep.” Maddy jumped upfront and stuck her pinky between the mask’s ring and up its nose. After flipping him on his back, Maddy channeled Paper Haki through her pinky, turning the entire mask white. Gozu was desperate to punch her arm off, but it was immovable. “Lars, want some EXP?”
“YEAH!” The Beach City operative ran to bash the cow relentlessly. “Finally, someone to beat my insecurities onto!”
Seeing an Ultimate handled so trivially filled the Reserves with fear, quivering as the invaders marched further. “Hahahahahaha!” The PA echoed with Principal Izuru’s laughter. “You have the advantage in power, any moron can see that. But power isn’t everything. Can you match my students in pure talent? I doubt if you—” REEEEE! There was a high-pitched noise. “Damn voice modifier.” He said in a more whiny voice. “Hey! Kazuichi! You didn’t fix the speaker problem! If you want that permit to install cameras in the girls’ locker room, you better—shit, my hand’s still on the-”
“Well, there goes the tension.” Melody shrugged.
“Wait a minute…” Dillon recognized that voice. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me.”
“I think I’ll go have a word with this Izuru guy.” Cheren decided. “The rest of you take care of the Ultimates as you see fit. Time to do what our parents used to do and terrorize a high school!” (Play “Danganronpa Main Theme”!)
Invasion 3: Towa Academy
Mission: Defeat the Ultimates and rescue Kokichi! Match them against the appropriate operatives to ensure victory!
Cheren expended a Hurricane Spin to mow down the Reserves. He could only take down a few while others leapt or ducked to avoid him, and one managed to trip him while the archers loosed arrows. Even so, they were only light wounds as Cheren quickly drew his bow to snipe them in turn, afterwards thwacking the teen who tripped him, followed by the Fire and waterbenders. “Um, Sir, you didn’t draw your sword.” Larry mentioned.
“I mean, I don’t wanna lop any arms off.” Cheren said, the Master Sword still in its blue and yellow sheath. “Now, let’s see how fancy this place is!”
His expectations weren’t betrayed: the school’s interior had an uncommon color scheme, architecture, not to mention a wild layout that mixed a bunch of occupations together. It was comparable to their own treehouses, rooms specialized to suit whoever resided in them. Just the opening hallway was a baseball field, where Reserves were controlling mobile pitch machines, bombarding the ops like miniguns. As Cheren positioned sword and shield to block them, he ordered, “Jinta, you’re up!”
“I’m FIRST at bat!” The red-haired baseballer twirled his bat like a fan, deflecting the balls back to break the turrets! Some maneuvered more evasively, so Larry made use of his new invention to bowl them over against their paths. Jinta saw a moving target above the end of the field, and it took a few attempts before he was able to hit it. A door unlocked on their left, labeled the Pitching Cage. “And I think I smell my match. Don’t keep me waiting too long!” Jinta bravely marched inside.
“Wait, I think I know who’s in there!” Yuta exclaimed. “It’s Masaru’s cousin!”
Jinta almost literally met his match: a fellow red-haired teen in a white shirt and jacket. “Whoa!” Jinta was aghast. “You’re Leon Kuwata, the top high school baseballer! I’ve seen you in magazines!”
“That’s right… and I know you as well, Jinta Hanakari.” Leon cracked his knuckles, his teeth grit spitefully. “The Home-Run Champ… who STOLE MY LOOK!”
“WHAT?! I didn’t steal anyone’s look, this hair is natural!”
“Then let’s hold a wager! If I beat you, you have to dye your hair!”
“Whatever, man. So, are we gonna fight with baseball, ’cause I’m game with that!”
“Yeah, but this won’t be no ordinary pitch-off. This is a pitch-off of talent!” Leon pulled a lever, dropping a barred barrier of square gaps in the middle of the room. Before Jinta could express his confusion, Leon took the first ball and pitched! It flew clean between the bars and struck Jinta’s chest.
“Ow! Holy frick!” Stunned by its trajectory, Jinta grabbed the ball, hardened it, and threw back—it bounced off the bars.
“Sorry, but you won’t be breaking that!” Leon grabbed the next ball. Jinta moved around, hoping to confuse his aim, but this ball tripped him in the knee. Growling in frustration, Jinta stood and readied his bat. He met the third ball with a direct hit, but it still bounced off the bars and ricocheted wildly from the momentum, Jinta guarding himself before it hit.
“You even add Haki to your pitches, too! MAN, this is cheap! I never had to do anything like this!” Jinta really wished Masaru joined on the excursion; his Poof Power would make this a snap.
“Then say goodbye to your red do! I’m thinking a hot pink would fit you!” Leon grabbed the 4th ball and threw it at Jinta’s left thigh.
While most of the others took a long way around, Cheren climbed and swung his way up some gym poles and hoops that would lead to the 2nd floor. Cheren saw a classroom that seemed more his speed: a sword dojo! As soon as he broke in, the students leapt at him with swords unsheathed. Although they posed no threat against his hilt, Cheren disarming and knocking them down with ease, he had to question this school’s safety precautions. The room curved into a left corridor, where training statues would spring out of panels, spinning with swords outstretched. “Okay, REALLY bad safety precautions.” Cheren made sure to dice up each one, afterwards kicking the fallen swords to the side so no one could step on them.
Cheren opened a double Japanese sliding door, entering a room where a single woman was knelt. She wore a green uniform and had silver hair, a sheathed sword on her back. Yeah, she’s definitely an Ultimate, Cheren thought. “Hey, don’t mind me. Just passin’ through.” He hoped to walk past briskly, until she suddenly drew her sword, forcing him to block with his sheath. He did so as necessary as Peko slashed her blade from different angles, and before he knew it, the sheath was laden with scratches. “HEY! This is a historical relic!”
“You shouldn’t underestimate us.” Peko rolled back and slashed airwaves, Cheren evading. “Although we are naturally skilled, we follow the KND’s exploits as much as possible so we may train to surpass them.”
“You say that, but I never hear about your school making waves. Running and hiding when the pirates attacked.” Cheren threw his shield to have it ricochet around, only for Peko to swat it away.
“That was the headmaster’s idea! And I’ll have you know my class wanted to fight! One of our own classmates died because of those pirates!”
“I’m sorry.” Cheren dodged a stab and pushed off Peko, grabbing his shield back in his dance to the room’s exit. “I’ll be sure to confront your principal about his cowardice. Meanwhile, Morg can be your opponent.”
Gasping, Peko barely blocked Morgiana’s flying kick in time, the Fanalis’ strong ankle pressing the blade down. Peko jumped back and took a swing at Morg’s head, who ducked and went for a sideways swing, knocking Peko into the next room. When Morg climbed in after her, the band of gunmen in black suits stunned her speechless. Nagisa Shiota jumped in their wake, shielding his girlfriend with Iron Body. “Bringing guns to a sword fight ain’t fair. But I guess neither is bringing legs, eh, Morgie?” He drew twin pistols and shot the gunmen with Antikill bullets. Peko leapt out to strike him, Morgiana flipping up her foot to deflect the blade. Peko would dodge the spin-kick that followed and slash a cut to Morg’s hip.
Cheren followed an exit door to a rooftop garden. Giant carrots called Toppers would pop out and lung at him with drill attacks; he sliced the first two up normally, but he peeled the third one by holding his sword in the right position. Embarrassed by its nudity, the Topper fled. To reach the next floor of the roof, Cheren saw a Colliwobble (a floating cauliflower) float over the edge of it. Cheren snagged it with his Hookshot as the Colliwobble returned to its garden. Fang-toothed tomatoes called Doomatoes popped out and gnashed him, their juice soaking his sword. “What kind of monster garden is this?!”
“My Rooftop Defense Garden!” answered the gardener, a dark-skinned man with a green afro and big grin. He was Daisaku, the Smiling Shrub. “Eat up, my darlings!”
He grew more Doomatoes with his plantbending. Cheren hastened to shoot his Hookshot at a vine along the wall, worried as they tried to jump and nip him. Garden Worms crawled up or down the vines, Cheren minding them when climbing. When the vines ended, Cheren hooked another Colliwobble that would cross a gap to the next roof… unfortunately, a Doomato leapt to bite him. “AAAAHH!”
But it was smashed between a pair of orange hands. “I was hoping this school would have a garden, but this is ridiculous.”
“Doran!” Cheren beamed at the orange-skinned, green-haired giant. “Perfect timing! You can take care of that one!”
“You got it!” The Sector GT gardener ran to engage Daisaku.
The Colliwobble dropped Cheren off at a ledge with a door back inside. The walls were painted like an African savannah, a herd of yaks charging from the opposite end. Cheren jumped his way across the yaks’ backs, reaching a wider room with several open chicken cages. The chickens would either flap or run at Cheren, and his efforts to grab and sooth one proved futile. There was another sealed Ultimate lab and it likely wouldn’t open until these chickens were put away. “Ugh, Arianna, come to this location, there’s an animal problem up here!” He transmitted coordinates before rushing through another door and slamming it.
“Cheren! There you are!” he heard Larry’s voice call. “Guess who decided to join us?”
“I thought ya knew better than to leave me behind, Cherry.” An Irish voice said.
“Panini?!” He saw both pudgy sectormates race up the hall… wait. Panini was a lot bigger than he remembered. “Wow, you… really put on some pounds?”
“’EY, ya don’t insult a girl’s weight, ya stoopid boy!” Panini bonked his head. “Ay found the way up to the principal’s office. Follow me!”
“Uh…” Cheren had many questions… but he followed Panini and Larry. They returned to the main hallway, but instead of going to the stairs to the left, Panini led them rightward. “Aha! This should be the way!” Panini chirped, walking into a boxing glove door. This passage had a dark ceiling with stage lights and consisted of several boxing rings. Reserve students with either boxing gloves or karate uniforms attacked, proving a difficult force for Larry to bulldoze.
“Hey, Panini, you wanna lend Larry a hand?”
“Oi, do Ah have to do everythin’ around here? Let the boy manage.”
“Veeeery suspicious.” After KOing the Reserves, Cheren crossed a bridge to the first boxing ring. Four Reserves in football uniforms dropped down and charged him, Cheren ducking out of the center and to a corner. When they all charged again, Cheren whipped his sheath in a Mortal Draw, KOing them all at once. Cheren crossed a bridge to the next ring, which had a single, big-gloved boxer. When Cheren approached, “I’m a Chuckster!” the man chucked him to the next ring at an odd angle. Another Chuckster waited on it, and the way to the next ring had floating rubber fences floating left-and-right before it. Cheren had to time the Chuckster to throw him between the fences.
At the end of this long ring, a Chuckster would be stationed. A rubber fence moved up-and-down on their right and the next ring was to the left. After reading the area, he surmised he needed the Chuckster to throw him against the rubber bars. He timed this while the bars were up, which would bend in when Cheren was thrown against them. They launched him like a slingshot to the largest ring! “YIKES!!” The master of this ring seemed to be a huge person with thick muscles and red skin riddled with scars. They had white hair in long, wild strands, bandages on arms and legs, and wore a white shirt with a black skirt.
“You’re a pretty small child… It’s hard to believe you’re such a formidable leader.”
“It’s hard to believe YOU’RE just a high schooler! Seriously, how old are you, man?!”
Fi jumped out of his sword. “Master, you may like to be informed that the individual present before you is a woman.”
“WOW, Fi, you come out at the BEST times! …Wait, seriously? That’s a girl?!”
“I am.”
“You should also be aware that Sakura Ogami’s Power Level is 5,500.”
“Now, that’s a girl who takes her vitamins. Say, this wouldn’t be a shortcut to the principal’s office, would it?”
“You came the wrong way, if that were the case. But if you plan to confront Principal Kamukura, you must prevail against me first. He’s no ordinary man, you know. They say he is a man of many talents. The supreme pinnacle of our school.”
“Maybe, but just like he has all of you to fight us, I’ve got friends to fight for me.”
“HYAH!!” The wall behind Sakura was blown down by Mocha. The muscular martial artist was dumbstruck by the colossal warrior. “Hey, Cheren! I got kind of lost and started breaking walls down, hehe…”
“You’re… the Amazon I heard about!” Sakura said. “Such incredible power… You’ll suit me beautifully.”
“Heehee! Thanks, but Maddy and Sheila are way tougher than me. …But you might have more muscle than both of them.”
“Then challenge me, Amazon!” Sakura flared with a white aura. “I must become the strongest girl in the world!”
“You’re too late to make THAT claim!” Mocha threw a punch down, Sakura impacting it with her own as Cheren felt the breeze of the shockwave. Sakura grabbed Mocha’s left leg to haul her down, afterwards leaping to stamp her back, but Mocha flipped and smashed Sakura beneath her back. Mocha stood and checked if she was okay, only for the smaller warrior to leap and punch her in the nasal bridge. Mocha followed with an uppercut that blew Sakura through the ceiling, but she would crash through a different hole and slam-dunk the giant’s head. While grounded, Mocha spun to kick Sakura, her weight equivalent to kicking a bowling ball. Mocha reached an arm to grab Sakura, the latter fighting her squeezing grip.
“At Level 7,900, Mocha has the advantage in this battle. Neither she nor Sakura are using their Haki.”
“I guess they want this match to last awhile. Just don’t wreck the school, girls! This place looks expensive!” Cheren had to wait for a safe chance to run past the brawling pair and get through the hole Mocha busted. It seemed to be a backstage area, where Perry was attacked by Reserves playing guitars or drums. They were attached to stereos that would shoot sonic waves, but according to Fi, it was just makeshift musicbending. Shooting the stereos was all it took to dismantle their power, forcing the musicians to retreat. Cheren traveled through a door along the right wall, where he found himself above a musical stage, a loud and lively song flooding the air. This room intersected with the wrestling area… which, again, was needlessly huge.
Cheren saw Harry and Miguel in a music battle with two Ultimates. “Master Cheren, targets identified as Sayaka Maizono,” Fi identified the blue-haired singer in a pink dress, “and Ibuki Mioda.” The guitarist with long hair with sharp strands of a white and dark-greenish color, with magenta front bangs that matched her eyes.
“WHAT?!” Cheren screamed. “SPEAK LOUDER, FI!” He could barely hear himself over the song. “…ARE THEY MIXING MUSIC WITH PSYCHICBENDING?” Ibuki provided the Music and Sayaka the Psychic Chi, transforming the room into some kind of punk magical girl setting. The magical punks battled rapstar mariachis Harry and Miguel conjured; between the two of them, Miguel was the only musicbender while Harry could only redirect the chi, but this fight seemed very one-sided with the girls’ advantage in chi. “Should’ve invited Sugar or something… or even Sunni. You’d think she could support Harry with—I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF! LET’S GET OUTTA HERE!”
It seemed the Psychic Chi was making tables and equipment fly up to Cheren’s level before launching down, but he could hurriedly jump across them. He landed on a slippery, psychic-made platform with a ramped edge—a sentient, imaginary trumpet spawned beside him. “UU-AAA!” It blew a high-pitched sneeze that blew Cheren up the ramp, landing on another slippery path that would curve left, a wall to guide him along. Another path would fork backward from the end of it—“UU-AAA!” another Trumpet sneezed him back to cross that path, with Cheren having to manually jump at the end. He would hit a safe wall to stop his momentum, “UU-AW,” and another Trumpet would “yawn” him into the corresponding wall, Cheren bumping his head. It became clear he had to crouch to slip under the wall’s gap, letting the horn yawn him again. After jumping off the end ramp, Cheren flapped open his Pirate Sail to glide the chasm. He would glide a great distance to reach the exit door, but would need to veer toward other yawning Trumpets to keep his momentum, lest he fall into the chaotic mess below.
Cheren immediately shut the exit door, free from the mesh of music. “Hey, Cheren!” Mason approached him. “Man, you look beat. What happened?”
“Like you said, there were so many beats. Where’s Sheila?”
“We’ve been exploring the school. Sheila was so excited that she kept running off without me. Heh, it’s like the ONLY time she’s been excited for school. But I lost her somewhere in the-”
“Oi, Mason! THERE you are!”
Mason beamed, looking the direction of his captain’s voice… “Uhhh…” Sheila put on quite a few pounds. She was so plump, they were surprised her already-ragged clothes were snapping off.
“C’mon! There’s this ripper computer room! Ah wanna jump on them!”
“Sh-Sheila!” Mason knew once his wrist was in Sheila’s grip, there was no escaping. …Even though it felt way weaker than usual.
“Okay, clearly someone in this school has the power to make people fat.” Cheren said. “…Now I’m really worried for Larry.”
Sheila dragged Mason into the computer room, immediately finding three other familiar faces. “Carol! Eddy! And…?” Mason forgot Kazuma’s name.
The three gamers/computer experts faced them. “Hi, Maseyfai…Sheila?” Carol stumbled in her cheery greeting.
“And it’s Kazuma, dude.”
“I didn’t think I’d see you three together.”
“The others wanted a break after Mira.” Eddy answered. “I’m only here ’cause Kazuma wanted to come.”
“This is the school that Chiaki went to.” Kazuma explained. “I hoped to ask the students about her… but all these flame eyes tell me that’s not gonna happen.”
“Check it out, Mason!” Carol hacked into a computer. “These have solid hologram technology! We can climb up with this!” As rotating digi-platforms materialized in the air, Mason realized this room went up several levels with computers on each of them. They jumped the platforms to a walkway, where Tileoids (pixel blocks with eyes) materialized from the computers and slithered to them. Carol conjured Game-and-Watch to fight the pixels, leaving Eddy to shoot a Spring Pellet that could bounce the group to a higher platform. Carol hacked a computer, downloading tiny block platforms and Tileoids to slither clockwise around them. They needed to bounce the Tileoids with careful timing to reach the next safe foothold.
“Hey, Sheila didn’t come.” Kazuma noticed. “I guess she was too husky to make the jumps.”
“Seriously?” Mason asked. “Fat or not, that ain’t like Sheila at all.”
“Am I the only one who sees anything weird about that?” Carol asked. The four needed to jump normal platforms that Eeligons (red worms of holo-blocks) were rotating around, but Eddy shot them to pieces to make their jumps safer.
They reached the top floor as Mason blissfully walked to a lit-up tile—he was sealed inside a blocky, digital cage. “What the-?! Guys, I’m trapped! There’s even a chi-block in here!”
“Mason! Don’t worry, I can hack this open!”
“Not while I’m around.”
Two figures stood within a circular, multi-screen desk to their left. One was a short girl with light-brown hair, a green shirt, and brown skirt, and the other was a light-orange-haired boy in a brown business suit. “I’m Chihiro, the Ultimate Programmer.” The girl introduced. “Try to undo my digi-prison and I’ll fix it right up.”
“And I’m Ryota, the Ultimate Animator.”
“I’ve heard about you, Carol Masterson. There are pictures of you from Halloween, defending your hometown armed with only a computer and Programs at your side. I heard rumors of how Sector $ broke complex encryptions of enemy or even governmental bases. We started calling you the Master Hacker.”
“You mean… all this time, I’ve had secret fans?! Even though ‘Master Hacker’ makes me sound like I throw up a lot!”
“Oh…I guess it does.” Chihiro blushed. “But, yeah. I’ve always wanted to meet you, Carol. People used to call me a loser, for spending so much time on the computer, instead of exercising or being social. I made better friends when I came to this school, but when I started hearing about you… I got a little jealous.”
“Aw, don’t think that way. I’m sure you’re a great programmer. Recently, I kinda started dabbling in game design myself!”
“I was going to ask about that. I had my friend lure Mason here to trap him and lure you here. I saw your pictures together on your profile. He is your boyfriend, right?”
“NO, I’M NOT!” Mason screamed.
“I want to challenge you to a programming battle.” Chihiro’s eyes, though soft and kind, burned with a flame of Rivalry. “Ryota will be assisting me. Your station is over there.” She pointed at the opposite round desk.
“Uh…okay!” Carol was a tad worried. “Then Eddy will be my assistant! You’re pretty knowledgeable in design, right?”
“Relatively! Plus, it’ll be a synch if we use Boly.”
“That would be cheating! We need to win this the right way. …Uh, what exactly are we doing?”
“We’re going to design a videogame level, fleshed out with characters, animations, and interactables. The game that plays the best will be the winner. Maybe that other boy could be our judge.”
“I know a good game when I play it.” Kazuma smirked.
“Then let’s… game on!” Carol posed.
“You can still let me outta here!” Mason argued.
After parting from them, Cheren took a detour through the swimming pool; it was very long and took up the width of the floor. Cheren had to hit a switch and make rings appear along the pool, either under or overwater. Cheren would have to swim through them all to open the next door, even while avoiding the bobbing rope blockades. He was already skilled in the Torpedo Spin, but he had to change angles, jump out of water, and recompose himself so much that Cheren just missed the time by half a second. “Ah, Dang…anronpa.”
“Hey, Cheren!” a voice reverated across the pool. “That you?”
Cheren saw the minute forms of Melody, Yuta, and Tsu over the pool. “HEY, MEL! You think you can beat this challenge for me?”
“Oh, my sis told me about this!” Yuta said. “She takes this course all the time to get to her private pool.”
“This school looked cool at first, but navigating it’s a pain.” Tsu said. “Melody, can I try the challenge?”
“Absolutely!” With that, they activated the rings and watched as Tsu made the motions and jumps necessary to get through them. Cheren flinched as Tsu splashed onto his shore, the door opening.
“Haha! Reminds me when you helped me at Field Day.”
“Ribbit!” She made the peace gesture in agreement.
Melody and Yuta made the swim in no time at all, the four entering a wide, round pool. A slender, tan girl in a blue swimsuit and brown ponytail flipped out of the water and made numerous cannonball spins before splashing back in. After making a full rotation around the pool, she leapt to their shore and landed perfectly on her feet. “Aoi!” Melody chirped in recognition.
“SIS!”
“YUTA! Melody!” Aoi squeezed them in hugs, smothering them to her chest. “I’m so glad you two came! I missed you so much!”
“We missed you, too, Sis! This is our new teammate, Tsuyu!”
“WHOA, YOU’RE A FROGGY!” An excited Aoi knelt down and pinched Tsu’s cheeks. “Are you an alien?! You’re so adorable!!”
“D-Dank you! Call be Tsu! Rooboot.”
“Anyway…” Aoi released her and rose up, “I’m sorry if Akane and Neko hurt any of your friends. When we suddenly agreed to challenge the KND, they were super pumped to make the first move. They’re sort of mine and Sakura’s rivals.”
“I think they’re the ones who wound up hurt.” Cheren affirmed.
“But I have to fight for my class, too.” Aoi’s eyes flamed. “It would do me no greater honor than to challenge the princess. But before I do… please tell me. Is Manaphy okay?”
“Yes. He’s one of the only Firstborn that survived.”
“I’m glad. There’s hope for Oceana, at least. So… will you challenge me?”
“Duh!” Melody ditched her sandals and dove into the round pool, immediately becoming a small tsunami as both splashed each other with fearsome waves-
“HEY-HEY-HEY!” The fight abruptly halted at Cheren’s shout. “Do you, uh, know a way back to the main hall?”
“Well, my personal bathroom has a secret passage to the girls’ bathroom… but you better hope no one’s in there!”
Cheren entered the bathroom, small with only a sink and toilet. “…So, do I sit on the toilet and the wall flips?” He sat on the toilet and flushed it. “WAAAH!” A gush of water propelled him up before sucking him right down.
The other ops and Reserve Students throughout the hall were confused as they heard an intense flow in the pipelines. “WHOOOA!” One of the toilets in the girls’ room gushed Cheren out. “What the FRICK WAS THAT?!”
“Master, further analysis dictates these toilets were imported from Mushroom World.”
“Going to the bathroom there must be a nightmare! At least nobody’s in here,” he hurriedly scrambled outside, “let’s see where we… I’m by the dojo again?!”
The sword dojo was just a short distance down. Annoyed, he instead went into an intersecting, Japanese corridor with several Reserve girls dressed in kimonos. They would dance at Cheren, dodging his swings in their attempt to chi-block him. Fortunately, another operative arrived to level the playing field with similar skills: Kirie Beatles, her light-green kimono suited for this environment as she chi-blocked the dancers with swift moves. “Just in time, Kir! I bet you’ll find your ‘Ultimate’ match in here.”
Or maybe we’ll find the kitchen! Kirie signed.
“What makes you think that?” To answer his question, Kirie pointed to a short, tan chef, hiding behind a silhouette screen on their side.
“Heh heh heh…fell for it, hook line and sinker.” Teruteru mumbled.
“Hello there?” Cheren greeted.
“Ah! More guests.” The cook faced them, combing his pompadour. He was a few inches taller than Cheren. “Greetings. I’m Teruteru, the Ultimate Chef.”
“Cool. You going to challenge Yuzu to a cook-off?”
“Actually, I just reunited with my Festival Friend, Vweeb.” He smiled smoothly. “We’re holding a contest to see who can score the most girls.”
“Ugh, you have gotta be…” Cheren groaned. “Well, what’re you doing here?”
“I’m just, uh, observing his technique from afar! I certainly didn’t send him to his death, no, no, haha! What kind of gentleman would I be?”
“Great… Kirie, you better check this out. I need to find a way back upstairs.”
Parts of the floor had spiked gaps, requiring Kirie to dance lightly over pegs across them. This was followed by thin, horizontal footholds; they were actually folded fans, and the sliding of Kirie’s feet would open them as they carried her partway over the spikes. When Kirie swung a pair of hanging Japanese lanterns, she landed on the main dance floor.
A young-looking girl with blonde pigtails and orange kimono waited at the end, not noticing Kirie as she petted something small in her hand. …To Kirie’s cringe, it was Vweeb. “So, Vweeb, are other aliens cute and tiny as you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m one of a kind~” Vweeb swooned, enjoying the gentle poking. “And I see you’re one of a kind, too. I didn’t expect this school to have such a purehearted cutie~”
“Awwwwe, you’re too much, Vweeb. You know, Minish are supposed to show their selves to sweet-hearted children, but I’ve never been able to find one. All I get to squish are dumb Mr. Ants.”
“Well, thankfully, I… Squish? HOUUUCK!”
The gentle pressure became intense and murderous as Hiyoko pressed him into her palm. Her sweet, pale-orange eyes became hollow, a sadistic grin curved up at them. “I’ve always wanted to feel a Minish crunch beneath my fingers… but you feel much crunchier. I hope your blood splatters like a little grape~”
“S-Stop, stop! I don’t wanna… get forceful on you!”
Kirie tossed her folded fan at Hiyoko’s wrist, knocking Vweeb away. “OW!! What’s your problem, you stupid bitch?!”
The only one who’s allowed to punish Vweeb is Arianna! At least be polite and tell him off-
“What’re you doing?! Use your mouth! Are you deaf or does your breath smell like monkey shit?”
Sounds like the only shithead is you, you ugly little shrimp.
“Whatever you’re saying is probably pointless and dumb. Can I get a better opponent?”
You asked for it, bitch! Both engaged in the traditional dance-off of the ages, their fans and petal shurikens flying. Normally, Vweeb would sit back, relax, and enjoy a graceful battle between lovely ladies, but the only thing on his mind was, “Staying the frick away from that creep.”
Cheren decided to make his way through the dojo and garden again. Nagisa had KO’ed all the yakuza backing up Peko. Afterwards, a shorter yakuza, a boy about Nagisa’s height, stepped in. “Not bad, Pigtail. Those were some of my best boys. I almost want you in my family.”
“If you’re asking to marry me, I’m a boy.”
“Th-That’s not what I—wait, you are? N-Never mind! I’m sure you’ve heard of the Kuzuryu Clan.”
“Uh…not necessarily.”
“We’re one of the biggest yakuza clans in Japan!”
“Yakuza?!” Nagisa flinched. “Those guys just now were… This school is seriously nuts!”
“Relax, we’re not gonna put a hit on you. But I heard about you, Nagisa. The KND’s top assassin, huh? And what’s the story with Morgiana here? Based on what we know, you two always seem to be together.”
“Morgiana and I vowed to protect each other. To always be together and fight by each other’s side. It’s a love thing. Not sure if you would understand.”
“Tch…” Morg saw Peko wince at the statement. Did she relate to it somehow?
“And yet, she doesn’t need your help to fight Peko. So, I might as well even the odds.” Fuyuhiko took off his buttoned shirt. “Let’s see if your assassin arts can match my Yakuza Arts!” His hands emitted a small aura, his motions swift as he evaded Nagisa’s Finger Pistols. His fists struck Nagisa with the kind of brutality and punishment known to yakuza.
When Cheren finally returned to the main hall where Panini led them astray, he turned left toward the stairs. On his way, he saw Larry come out from a left passage. “Hey, Larry! You’re just in time to join me upstairs.”
“Ch-Cheren? How did you get… in front of me?”
“Larry, watch out!” A bigger, fat Cheren came from behind. “That’s an impostor! I think he’s a disguising Ultimate!”
“WHAT?!” Cheren gawked. “So, that’s who you are! Larry, get him!”
“B-B-But…” Larry looked between them both, anxious. “Which is the real one?”
“Are you kidding?! Forget that he’s fat, try to draw the Master Sword! And I can see some brown paint on his neck from when he copied Sheila! That’s just wrong, dude.”
“I don’t need to pull some phony sword to prove that I’m real.” Fat Cheren argued.
“Screw you! Come on, Larry, I know you only just started going on missions with me, but you have to know me better than this.”
“Exactly!” Fatren chirped, patting Larry’s back. “And I’m really glad we get to know each other better!”
“Nnnnn!” Larry started quivering on his knees. “I…I can’t tell! Panini might be able to tell you apart, but I…I never got to know you at all!”
“Oh, Larry…” Cheren sighed with both sympathy and disbelief.
“It’s okay, Larry.” Fatren patted his back. “We can become real friends now. Maybe after this, we’ll invade Shujin. Or Hakoniwa. Heck, we’ll trash the White House the same way we did Galactic Council! We’ll find everyone who scorned us and make them regret it!”
“…” When Cheren made those spiteful declarations on Avalar, it wasn’t like he enjoyed saying it. He was angry. He just wanted to let out some latent feelings. But this guy… he didn’t understand at all.
Larry rolled behind the impostor, charged momentum, and rammed him so hard that he flew over the railing, crashing on the first floor. “…Or maybe I know you better than I thought.”
“Heh heh! I guess friends don’t have to recognize each other to… I dunno. Let’s just find this Izuru guy.”
The stairs led to the highest room of the tallest building; unless one counted the rocket. Cheren and Larry (at a much more exhaustive pace) climbed until they were at the doorstep of Kamakura’s office. Cheren forced the doors open and approached the man at his desk, the back of his chair facing him. In one corner, Kokichi, in his Zuko costume, hung in a birdcage. (End song.)
“Cheren! You must free me from this cage so I may reclaim my honor! This cage is a metaphor of my banishment from the Fire Nation!”
“Yeah, in a minute, Kozuko. Izuru Kamakura… the Man Loved By Talent… what kind of person are you? Why did you suddenly decide to challenge us?”
“Simple, my son.” The chair spun: Izuru had a bulbous gray head and wavy hair. “It’s all for good profit!”
“?!” Cheren fell aback. “That voice! You’re that…”
“IT’S BENDER!” Kozuko exclaimed. “It was Bender all along! I can’t believe it!”
“No, no! You’re that freakin’ Roger guy! So, YOU’RE the principal of this school?!”
“Principal, founder, and loved by way more than talent! And thanks to my time in the KND, I got to tell these chumps how you fight.”
“Heh, with all the good it’ll do them. And what do you mean ‘profit’?”
“Do you know how much dough this business rakes in? This type of school’s the perfect place to show off all the best talent in the country, and the safest place to practice without gettin’ involved with you kids! And other parents pay a fortune for their kids to take the Reserve Course and find some talent. And what better way to show them off than having them challenge the legendary and despised KND?”
“I kind of figured as much.” Cheren folded his arms.
“That’s not all. I made a little bargain with the local news branch. Our security cameras are sending all the feed straight to them! ‘Kids Next Door Attack School of Talent!’ The press will love it! The parents will donate even more to support their stars! And you know who else will love it? King Mickey? Bowser? Hell, why not both? Whether my students beat yours or get their asses beat, they’ll be so impressed, they’ll wanna buy them off me. Then I’ll REALLY be rakin’ in the dough! …Hey, are you listening?”
Cheren casually walked to the miniature fridge and found some soda bottles. “Welp, ’guess people get to judge us all over again. Kokichi, heads up.” He tossed a bottle to him, the prisoner catching it through the bars.
“I like it more than tea!” Kozuko chugged the soda down.
“Fine, ignore me! But no one touches my Ultra Flurp Deluxe!” Roger hauled out a giant jug from under his desk.
“Roger, there’s one thing you’re overlooking: my friends are good at making friends. Once our one-on-ones are over with, we’ll all be sharing drinks and hobbies. Just like we once did, eh, Zuko?” They touched bottles and drank.
“Well, here’s something YOU’RE overlooking: your secrets got posted because of me.”
Cheren choked on his drink, facing Roger in shock. “What?!”
“That friend of yours put me up to it. She came to me, asking to ‘get’ the secrets from Kokichi. And the only reason she thought to do that was because he confronted her after the war. She remembered I was one of his crewmates.”
“And however did you manage that?” Kokichi smirked. “I never wrote them down anywhere. Are there certain powers you’ve been keeping from me, Roger?”
“In the game of chess, you can never show all your pieces.”
“What do you mean you confronted Aranea?” Cheren asked Kokichi.
“I knew for a while that she harbored treacherous thoughts. The darkness from her lies was more powerful than anyone else. After the war, I could feel that hadn’t changed; rather, it was even worse. So, I told her… not to ruin everyone’s good time.”
“You didn’t try to stop her or anything?”
“I mean, if I tried to tell you guys anything, you’d probably assume I was lying. Plus, it’s not like Aranea wasn’t righteous in her anger. Her best friend just died. I didn’t want to make things worse… but I guess a part of me had a tiny bit of faith that she would keep her distance and not do anything.”
“In the end, you were both played for fools.” Roger boasted. “Now, I’ll just sit back, relax, and enjoy some high school violence.” He propped his feet on the desk and flipped on a big TV, displaying camera footage of the various battles.
Mike Strongarm was racing Mondo Owada through town; despite Mike’s normal bike against the Ultimate’s motorcycle, his legs were still strong and fast enough to match him. Eric Horvitz had been trapped in a cage by Hifumi Yamada, forced to solve a quiz about his fanfictions. …Cheren could tell how much Eric knew about the topic, given his low score. Francis was in a fist fight with Kiyotaka inside a hot sauna, a battle of strength and endurance until the loser would leave the sauna. Artie was having a mecha battle with Kazuichi Soda, the Ultimate Mechanic, his muscular Mechamaru vs. Artie’s Slinktron, a thin mech with spring-loaded fists. Haruka found the Ultimate Nurse’s office—she flinched, seeing Mikan Tsumiki trapped in an unsightly pose with her hands tied and legs spread open, a picture of human innards lain over her underwear. Apparently, she had tripped. …Haruka knocked her out with Sleep Gas before helping untie her.
“You know, I think I will, too.” Cheren kicked back on the carpeted floor. “I’ll enjoy my kids in action before I punch you a new one.” (Play “Class Trial Turbulent” from Danganronpa!)
Jinta’s muscular frame was covered in light bruises, the floor around him littered with baseballs. “Wow, you’re still standing?” Leon smirked. “That was my last ball just now. You can pass them through the bars if you wanna keep going… or you could just leave if you can’t take, anymore.”
“…” Like Jinta would give in to a cheap prick like this. Still, throwing the balls through such a tight space with great aim… there had to be a trick to it. Was it Observation Haki? …It reminded Jinta of something, as a baseball rested in his hand.
“So, Augustus could make his Gobstopper spin and fly in the air?” Jinta asked Yuzu.
“It was some kind of Haki trick. He could use his own Willpower Chi to dictate how he wanted it to fly. He said it only works with round objects. Something about… feeling your chi move in a smooth, clean rotation.”
Jinta usually imagined Haki as a basic strength increase with a coating of armor… but maybe it was time to open his mind. He shut his eyes and spun the ball in his palm. He let his Haki flow into it… and could actually feel the flow of chi. He thought back to all the games he played… watching the ball come flying and hitting with his best shot. Or, holding the ball at pitch, his eyes were set on the umpire. He would throw with his best aim and curve, hoping the batter would miss. And his arm dictated that curve. Flicking, spinning the ball as he intended…
Jinta willed his Haki to keep flowing around the ball. This kept it spinning, even as his fingers folded over it. He made a throwing motion, eyes focused on Leon, who mentally questioned his opponent. He wanted to hit Leon’s jaw… through that gap. He wanted the ball to fly through that gap. That gap… This ball… His Haki…
Jinta threw the ball with great vigor—it scraped the bar, but kept flying, the trajectory veering and hitting Leon’s ear. “OW!! Lucky shot! Try that again!” Leon hurdled the ball back, Jinta punching it away. The Ultimate began sidestepping, hoping to confuse Jinta’s aim… but his sight was on something else now: the lever on the wall. He needed to flip it upward to open the cage. Jinta sat to get a better angle, honing his Haki and picturing the trajectory. As he threw the ball, he flicked his fingers down to make it spin upward. The ball slipped between the gap and got under the lever. As dictated by his spin, it veered directly up and flipped the lever. “W-WHAT?!” Leon gawked as the cage opened.
“THERE we go!” Jinta sprung up. “Thanks for all these BALLS, CHUMP!” He began to bat the mess of balls straight into Leon, pummeling him.
“LIKE HELL IT’LL BE THAT EASY!” Leon vehemently began to bat the balls back, the room becoming a warzone!
The four corners around Sakura’s ring rose and sealed her and Mocha with more rubber bars. Mocha, wanting to test their elasticity, grabbed Sakura and chucked her into the bars. They flung her like a slingshot back into Mocha, who raised an arm in defense, but Sakura’s momentum pushed her own arm into her. Mocha stumbled into the opposite bars, and Sakura grabbed her arm to flip the giant on her back. When she tried to twist Mocha’s arm, the giant hardened herself to resist, standing to slam Sakura down instead. “It’s about time you used it!” Sakura hardened her own arm and threw a punch, Mocha raising her leg to evade and stomp Sakura. As she lay flat for a while, Mocha climbed the bars and, once on top, dropped down with Haki imbued in her feet. Sakura dodged, but the shockwave knocked her into the bars.
Sakura growled and ripped off her bandages, her white aura flaring up incredibly. Her unrestrained body lashed at Mocha with great power and speed, so Mocha reinforced her Haki and delivered stronger blows. Without regard for her size, Mocha delivered the power Sakura wanted to see, and Sakura likewise punched Mocha’s jaws and knees without holding back. Even if Mocha was still a tiny smidge brittle from her brawl with Hancock, she was more than ready to win this battle. When Sakura grounded her, the Ultimate leapt and crushed her stomach, but Mocha would grab her, leap, and slam her down next. Over and over, they leapt and crushed the other, so much that the ring’s pillar couldn’t support their weight. When Sakura climbed to the top of the bars and fell with a divebomb, the shockwave spread from Mocha to the ring and the pillar.
It collapsed, sending them to the bottom of the dark pit. Mocha felt a strong aching in her bones, but still had no problem rising back on her feet. In the end, it was Sakura who was too tired to stand, Mocha holding her gently. “It seems I’m… still too early to call myself the strongest.”
“You were amazing.” Mocha smiled. “And besides, your strength is natural… I’m only like this because of a science experiment.”
“No, Mocha… that willpower you possess is your own. Not a product of mere science. Dueling you… was an honor.”
“You, too. …So, why are these rings built so high? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“The Ultimate Architect was more creative than he was convenient.”
Aoi’s swimming pool had grown into a cyclone, Yuta and Tsu retreating to the previous room to watch from the cracked-open doorway. Inside the cyclone, Aoi puffed huge Water Bombs out of her mouth, exploding near Melody with violent force. Melody bent away the ones she could, but Aoi would use these openings to Torpedo Spin her. Aoi flexibly swam and dodged Melody’s Water Whips or fists, but to negate this, Melody used her legs to bend the current and disrupt Aoi’s flow, allowing her to strike the Adabatian’s back. The force knocked Aoi out of the cyclone, hitting the wall and falling on her rear. Melody shot gushes from the cyclone, Aoi flipping the first one and landing upright to run counterclockwise around the pool.
“My SWEETIES!” Aoi grabbed a box of doughnuts running by, quickly stuffing herself with the tasty pastries while running.
“Won’t those just make you heavier?” Melody asked. “You’ll be less flexible if you get fat.”
“Actually, increasing my body fat increases the water in my body! In turn, that enhances my chi! I still eat vegetables to manage my figure. But doughnuts are just so tasty!!”
“Never thought of it like that.”
After dodging a round of water bullets, Aoi thrust her hands in the cyclone and ripped the entire thing in half, Melody falling to the bottom. Aoi bent the split waves and forced the top parts down first, flattening Melody with the momentum. Aoi jumped into the pool with a Screw Kick, crushing and twisting Melody directly. Fighting the pressure and pain, Melody managed to seize Aoi’s head in Water Fists, squeezing her air bubble until she couldn’t keep the spin. Melody quickly pushed her off, swam to the surface, and shot several meters above it. She had dragged Aoi with her, flipping her in the air before throwing her to the bottom of the pool. Landing in the pool’s center, Melody spun rapidly to stir a stronger current, willing it to press downward to pin Aoi. The pressure was so intense that the bottom of the pool cracked, drilling all the way into a sewer.
Melody tried to flow back to land, but Aoi was able to throw up a Water Whip and yank her down with her. As they surfed the sewer, their splash brawl prolonged, bending the waves to their flexible whims to strike each other. Unfortunately, Melody had experience with filthy water in Mermaid Swamp, while Aoi was too sick to keep up the fight. Somewhere in Towa City, they would flush out through the pipelines… with Melody standing victoriously, and disgustedly, atop Aoi.
“Uh, I’m not going down there.” Yuta said.
“Ribbit.” Tsu agreed.
Team Carol and Team Chihiro finished developing their levels. Kazuma played Carol’s: a Sandman level taking place in CIA Langley. “I based it off my first mission with Sandman!”
“It’s pretty good!” Kazuma said. “Yeah, the stealth mechanics feel nice… the layout and concepts are creative. I loved the Bullock’s office section, the funny song really contrasts the mostly serious level. The animation feels nice, but… a little finicky in some places. Some of the breakable objects just float in midair, but you still get the points. Doesn’t really disrupt gameplay any. I can give this level a 9 outta 10.”
“No game is ever perfect!” Eddy grinned. “But that’s what gives it flavor.”
“I like games, too!” Mason yelled from his trap. “Can I play?”
“Yeah, no doubt. Alright, let’s see what you two made.” Kazuma went to Chihiro’s desk next. “…What? This is…” The player character was a dark-green cat with a soft expression and pink backpack.
“I based the character off a late friend of mine. She was the Ultimate Gamer… Chiaki. We went hand-in-hand, you know… Heh, she even had parts of my name in hers. I promised I would make her the greatest game of all time someday… but I never had the chance to.”
Kazuma played it. It was a 3D platformer that involved finding collectible game disks in a neighborhood. He could get to other layers by climbing stairs like “ladders,” fight fantasized dogs, cat, or hawks, and do mini-objectives for neighbors to earn game disks. “It… plays pretty good. It’s a nice, fantasized Metroidvania style. The music’s really charming… kind of got a nostalgic feel, like… just sitting in your room and playing those charming classics… it’s cute how she can dig underground and find these creative hidden rooms, like the carrot restaurant or the gopher mining village, and the…it…”
Kazuma dripped tears, the four sharing looks of sympathy. “Chiaki…Chiaki would love this…”
“You… think so?” Chihiro smiled.
“Yeah… it’s creative and… relaxing…”
“Stealth games are relaxing, too!” Eddy argued. “And it’s… also based on a late friend of ours.”
“Come on, Eddy. We lost…” Carol sighed.
“I know she meant a lot to you, but you shouldn’t decide a score based on personal feelings!”
“You knew Chiaki, too?” Chihiro asked.
“We only talked online… she…she was great. She was.” Kazuma brushed his eyes. “But, yeah… both your levels had a lot happenin’. The collectibles were fun to find, there’s lots of potential for more levels, they’re both pretty addicting… but I think Chihiro’s level had more life and detail in its environment. But it is lacking a clear story, I guess. So… I give it a 9.3.”
“An entire .3.” Eddy wept. “That’s almost perfect.”
“Then we concede this match to you.” Carol approached the opponents. “You two will make great developers someday… so, I want you to work for me!”
“W-Work for you?” Ryota stuttered, he and Chihiro aback by the proposal.
“My dream is to turn my friends’ adventures into a game series. I want to show everyone the things they’ve accomplished through fun, exciting games! We may have the technology to make it possible, but we need a lot of working hands to really flesh it out. So, I hope you’ll work for me someday!”
“A series about the KND’s adventures?” Chihiro smiled. “I guess that would be pretty exciting, huh? Alright… I’ll consider it.” She stood and offered a hand. “But only if I have time to make my game!”
“You bet!” Carol shook it.
“I’ll play it, too, if you let me outta here!!” Mason cried.
Kirie threw kicks that Hiyoko blocked with her fans, allowing Kirie to throw Saffronia Shurikens, but only one hit while Hiyoko ducked the second. Hiyoko threw a fan at Kirie’s knee to topple her, the dancer going for a chi-block at Kirie’s arm. Kirie used her other palm to block it, afterwards throwing Hiyoko into the wall. Kirie flipped over to chi-block Hiyoko’s right arm, but Hiyoko was able to block Kirie’s right as well, both arms hanging limp. Both drew folded fans in their left hands and clashed them like a sword fight, but after Hiyoko whacked Kirie’s away from below, she flipped to kick Kirie upside the jaw, then chi-blocked her left arm. “Ew, some of your spit got on my foot! Now I might get Mismatched Eye Disease like you!”
Spited by the insult, Kirie decided to start spitting. “Ewwwww!” Hiyoko shielded her face with her fan, but the blind opening allowed Kirie to leap and stomp Hiyoko on her front. Kirie slipped her foot to snag and unwrap the knot of Hiyoko’s sash, so by the time Hiyoko flipped her off and back upright, her orange kimono fell off. “HEY! That’s not fair! I can’t tie this by myself!” Kirie resumed swinging kicks, Hiyoko blocking with her palm, until the mute kicked the fallen kimono up over Hiyoko. Frantic to shake it away, Kirie leapt to kick the back of her head and knock her down. She felt dizzier and took longer to recover, so Kirie reinforced the feeling with a sit-landing. She kicked her heels against the backs of Hiyoko’s legs to chi-block them, leaving the dancer almost completely limp. “Get your fat ugly monkey butt off me! Nngh!” The most she could do was swat her left arm, but Kirie would reposition to lay on it. “MAHIRU! MAHIRU, HELP ME! WAAAAAAAHHH!”
In a devastating final note, Harry and Miguel lay atop the other, redecorated with magical punk makeup. “THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” Ibuki cheered. “That was our hyper extra super performance of ‘I Spilled All the Milk in the Barnyard and Now All the Animals Are Pregnant!’ Now, HOW ABOUT AN ENCORE?!”
“No more…no more, por favor…” Miguel moaned.
“Don’t worry, boys, I’ll save you!” Mocha, having to leave the boxing area via the music hall, grabbed the boys off the floor and rushed out. (End song.)
Cheren did a headcount. Mike lost the race against Mondo by one second. Doran was flattened under Daisaku’s Doomatoes. Hifumi took a selfie of himself and Eric, the latter wearing a Dunce cap. Arianna had been tied in the hands and ankles by Gundham’s Dark Devas. Leon lay pummeled beneath a panting, but smirking Jinta. Artie’s Slinktron crushed Mechamaru with a pressurized spring snare. Francis knocked Kiyotaka out with a solid punch. Megumi lost to Teruteru in a Food War, relishing in his Twin Owari Peaks, round-shaped meat topped with hot brown sauce with a side of warm milk. “That’s 12 wins and 9 losses. And that’s without counting the Ultimates we already beat. They reminded us we aren’t invincible… but we’re still the winners.”
“Yeah, but to everyone else, it’ll just look like you beat up a bunch of prodigies.” Roger smirked.
“Unless your students back us up and say you staged this whole thing as a training exercise. Not everyone will believe it, but some will.”
“Whatever the case, my school will shine brighter! That means more money for me… and for my paradise on Aquaria!”
“Is that so, Principal Kamakura?” a female voice asked.
A girl with pale skin, lavender hair, purple eyes, and darker purple clothes entered the office. “Kyoko? Why aren’t you down there fighting? Use Detective Vision to find out their weaknesses or something!”
“Apologies, sir, but I’ve been away on a personal project.” Kyoko withdrew a paper from her sleeve. “I’ve noticed that a large amount of school funds have gone missing over the last couple years. About 11 billion yen worth. I did some digging and learned you owned your own island with a nude beach on Aquaria, complete with a personal estate with a bar, a washroom of quality soaps, and a spaceship that looks like a naked gentleman… all worth the approximate same amount of money that went missing. As evidenced by these receipts.”
“That’s an invasion of privacy! I’m taking 100 points away from Gryffindor!”
“Furthermore, with the help of some special friends of mine, I learned about outgoing messages to the alien Disney and Koopa Kingdoms with proposals to sell the school, which you have no authority to do without the board of directors’ approval, and the fact you are having the news broadcast the events transpiring here, with forged signatures of the students’ approval, whilst in reality, they’ve given no official consent.”
“Th-That has nothing to do with-”
“On top of that, you took up an insurance policy for the school in the event the KND caused mass damage to it. But in case they don’t meet your expectations, I’ve found receipts for explosives and a Sparkling Justice mask. You intended to destroy the necessary property yourself and blame it on a Spanish supervillain, complete with an elaborate setup that she won an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan.” Kyoko unveiled the papers as evidence. “The resulting sum would allow you to pay for a real live Lewdicorn from Bobopolis that you already bid for online.”
“I…I…I…”
Though her accusations and arrival were sudden, Cheren was satisfied seeing him speechless before the proof. As if on cue, a platoon of GUN troops charged into the office, guns trained on the principal. “Izuru Kamukura, you’re under arrest for misuse of funds and… well, all the stuff she just said!”
“…” Stay calm, Roger. You can think of a way out of this. You trained a school full of Ultimates, for Pete’s sake. The answer is right there in front of you.
…Roger grabbed the jug of Ultra Flurp and chugged it down. The soldiers were confused, but saw no harm in letting him finish. Roger set the empty jug down. …His insides gurgled, and his body twitched.
Roger went blasting out of the back window, launching to the sky with soda spewing with the force of a rocket. “It would seem the case is closed.” Kyoko smiled. “Well, Mr. Uno… we’d better round our peers up. We have introductions to make.”
“Hahaha! You’re right!”
The Towa Academy flag was taken down. A KND flag rose in its place! The Donkey Kong victory fanfare played to signify another base conquered!
Moonbase
“Just got the call from Cherry.” Panini told the High Supreme Leader. “They’ve all wrapped up down there. ’Twas another victorious mission!”
“Let’s hope we’ve made more friends than enemies.” Nebula said. “Make sure they report back soon. We need to get back on track.”
“Actually, Ah might need your help with somethin’. They’re requesting that we get those juveniles locked up in your base. ’Guess they want ’em back.”
“I’ll ask the Hope Pirates to escort them back. Might need Killua to manage that Maki girl.”
“Heeeey! Miss Nebula! Hey!” The two saw a blonde girl in a green dress racing their way.
“Slow down, Mary!” April yelled, the W7 girls falling behind her. “We should at least wait for the others to come back!”
“Uh, hello, Mary!” Nebula flushed as the shorter, unaging child halted inches before her. “It’s been awhile. What do you need so suddenly?”
“I wanna go to a planet!”
“Uh…okay?”
“She means she wants to come with us to one of the targeted planets.” April replied. “We’ve decided on one.”
“Yes!” Mary chirped. “I wanna go to Mechanos! I have a pen pal there!”
I really love Danganronpa and most of its characters! …except the Monokuma sidekicks. So much that you’d think I would make a full story arc like I did with Mira, but I don’t really have the right inspiration or idea for that; and I certainly don’t have the brainpower to write my own Killing Game. Besides, Pirate Wars already had plenty of homage for the series. Was this a good way to bring in the rest of the DR cast? No. Am I dissatisfied with this chapter? Not really. I had fun writing the level and the mini battles! I wasn’t gonna do ALL the characters; just the ones I was more inspired for. Starting next chapter, I’ll wrap this scene up with some interactions between them, then we may get started on the next planet.
Chapter 16: Mecha Saga 1: Mecha Wars
Summary:
Start of the Mecha Saga! The Robot Planet, Mechanos is facing war between MomCorp and the Brotherhood of Evil, plus Bowser's remnant forces! Jenny Wakeman and her mechanical companions move out to face the growing conflict!
Chapter Text
WARNING: Starting this chapter, we’ll have major crossovers from the cartoon Life as a Teenage Robot, and will have spoilers for “Escape from Cluster Prime” and other episodes. There will also be other robot-themed crossovers, but they aren’t connected to their canon selves, so don’t worry. But until we get there, play “Beautiful Ruin” from DR2!
Chapter 15: Mecha Wars
Towa Academy
Izuru Kamukura’s body was reported dead on the top of a skyscraper after falling from the apex of his flight. Though police were baffled that his body had the texture and volume of a rubber doll, but they thought it best not to ask questions.
A GKND saucer landed outside the school. “Man, this place’s seen better days!” Masaru boasted, his crewmates marching out and leading the Gifted Juveniles.
“I, um…I’m scared of being here…” Jataro muttered. “…What happened to those guys?”
“We got punked man…” Harry moaned, he and Miguel in a daze. “We got punked by magic…”
“HEY, GUYYYYYS!” Ibuki hollered with an ecstatic wave of her arm. “When we heard you got captured, I thought the KND would probe you or something! Like, don’t aliens do that?! Hey, where’s Kiyo?”
“Kiyo’s dead.” Kaede answered. “They killed him in self-defense.”
“Oh, that’s good. I didn’t like him. I thought I would wake up one morning and find him hiding under my bed!”
“Their friendship is so deep.” Mason remarked.
“Waaaaah! Let me goooooo!” Hiyoko’s voice had been tuned down to an acceptable volume. She had been shrunk and tied up like a ring on Kirie’s finger. “Fat-fingered bitch! I’ll crawl in your ear and gouge up your eyeballs!”
“HIYOKO!” A red-haired girl with a camera rushed over, leaning worriedly over her friend. “What happened to you?!”
“I was shrunk by an ugly white bug! Find it and kill it, Mahiru!”
Kirie clarified, She means Vweeb. Speaking of which, where is the little guy? Her hand-signing only sent Hiyoko into more discomfort.
“Awwwweeeee!” Aoi was fondling something tiny to her cheek. “You are the cutest, teeniest little thing I’ve ever seen!”
“I’ve been told~” Vweeb swooned, the nearby ops casting looks of disbelief. “That’s quite an assortment of doughnuts you have.”
“Uh-huh! By storing body fat, it enhances my Water Chi. But I still try to keep my figure.”
“I thought as much.” Vweeb dropped onto her cleavage, bobbing on the bouncy surface. “You just wanna make sure not much of it goes to your chest, or else that would hinder your maneuverability in water. But I’d say it’s at a reasonable depth right now.”
“Oh, OK! Are you a physical health expert?”
“Of course! This size gives me a closer perspective on these matters; discrepancies in the bloodline and whatnot. Do you mind if I get a look at your legs? That’s the part you wanna make sure doesn’t get too fat.”
“Well, I guess you can—AAH!!” Vweeb was suddenly swat off by Mahiru.
“GET OFF HER, YOU CREEP! You’re even worse than Teruteru!”
“Curses! He was even that close to Hina.” Teru cried. “That lucky little grape…”
“Calm down, Mahiru!” Chihiro ran up and gently scooped Vweeb in her hands. “He’s an alien. Maybe he didn’t have anything dirty in mind.”
“I question that myself…” Arianna mumbled under breath.
“Are you okay, little guy?” Chihiro held Vweeb close, sympathy in her hazel eyes.
“Agh…I’m just fine. At least some girls in this school are nice~”
“Haha…I guess?”
“That’s a nice shade of hair, by the way. Almost the color of a cinnamon roll. Only fitting for a sweet girl.”
“But, I’m-”
“Sheesh, you setting a record today, Vweeb?” Nagisa sighed, approaching them. “Heh, sorry about this. Truth is, this guy hits on any girl who’ll hold him.”
“That’s nice, but… I’m a boy.”
Both boys’ faces fell. This was the 3rd time this month Vweeb made this mistake… Why do guys just look cute now? “Y-Yeah, well, I’m not gender-biased, anyway!” Vweeb jumped to Chihiro’s shoulder. “Your neck seems a little stiff. How’s this feel?” He began to massage it.
“Ah…it feels good, actually! Since I sit at computers all day, I do get pretty stiff. Could you get my upper back, too?”
“Yes, Sir!”
Arianna rolled her eyes nonetheless. Well, if he was gonna do this, only fair that she flirt with two boys of her own. “Lord of the Insects!” she heard Gundham address Gonta in his epic voice. “I see you have returned from the Realm of the Stars! Tell me, how go the Great Battle of the Kingdom of Adolescence?!”
“Gonta not know what Gundham mean, but Gonta meet nice boy who friends with Pikmin! Gonta even got to become one with bugs for short time.”
“Ha ha ha! Soon, you will hold the Secrets of the Forbidden Firefly! Our powers combined will breach the gates of Gehenna and break the seal of the Lord of Sin!”
“Uhhhh…” Gonta still not know what Gundham saying.
“Wow, you seem really great with bugs!” Arianna cooed, nestling up to the wild-haired Gonta. “They’re all saying they like you very much!”
“Y-Yes… Gonta love bugs very much. Purple girl love bugs, too?”
“I love all animals! And especially the men who care for them!” She put arms around both boys (having to pull Gonta down a tad). “Care to share a girl your secrets?”
“Er, I… might be able to indulge you, Maiden of the Plum.” Gundham blushed.
“Fine, have fun with that, Arianna!” Vweeb yelled. “…Chihiro, wanna go get some cinnamon rolls?”
“They’re my favorite!” Chihiro took out a pack of them.
“You’re the sweetest!”
“HAHAHAHAHA!” Masaru pointed and laughed ecstatically at his cousin. “You got beat up by Jinta! ’Guess you ain’t the Ultimate Baseballer, anymore!”
“SHUT UP, ya little turd face!” Leon shouted. “I never even wanted to be the Ultimate Baseball! I wanted to be the Musician!”
“Too bad ya didn’t have the voice instead of the balls!” Ibuki teased. “YOWZA!!”
“That appears to be everyone accounted for.” Kiyotaka said. “Except… where are Kaito and Maki?! They’re VERY late to class!”
“Take it easy, Hall Monitor.” Kaito himself came rolling off the ship in a wheelchair, pushed by Shingetsu. “We’re just a little out of shape.”
“KAITO! The Kids Next Door broke your legs?!”
“Nah, it’s just a hospital rule thing. They gave me medicine for my Netherosis. That’s the sickness I had. As for Maki Roll, she’s a little tied up right now.”
Killua hauled Maki out, tightly bound in chains and gagged. The Ultimates were agape; even the KND wouldn’t take a chance with Maki’s skills. “Wow, uh…you really got her good.” Kazuichi said.
“It was the least we could do.” Killua replied. “After she killed the Firstborn Mew.” He tossed Maki on the ground.
“YOU DID WHAT?!” Mahiru stomped up and ripped Maki’s gag off. “What do you mean you killed Mew?!”
“I was acting under my masters’ orders. But, in reality, I began to harbor a personal vendetta against them. The gods are-”
“It’s always been my DREAM to take pictures of the Firstborn! I heard Mew was the most camera-shy of them all! And you… How could you do something so awful?! Killing such precious children?!”
“There’s a girl that’s speakin’ our language!” Killua exclaimed.
“Shut up, degenerate!” Tenko yelled.
“Ugh, her again.” Kazuma sighed. “…Wait. JUBBLYJAY. I still can’t say his name. Why can we say Mew’s?”
“You better not’ve touched my Meloetta or I’m gonna be Melancholyetta!” Ibuki shouted.
“I’ve always wanted to meet Goddess Uxie myself.” Chihiro said. “But I guess I won’t get the chance to…”
“I was hoping to at least save JDYDY from the KND.” Kaito said. “The whole killing Firstborn thing just didn’t sit right with me, but I at least thought…”
“Yeah, well, you guys can do whatever you want with her.” Killua replied. “I doubt she’ll be bothering us, anymore.”
“Well, I don’t very much wanna be around her.” Mahiru returned to the school in a huff.
“Hey! Mahiru!” Hiyoko shook. “You’re supposed to help me!”
“I’ll help you, Tinyoko!” Himiko leapt up, pointing epically. “Unhand her now or I shall curse you with my Dirty Nails Spell!”
Whatever. She makes my finger itch. Kirie untied Hiyoko and flicked her to Himiko’s hand.
“Ewwww! What’s this icky stuff on your hand?!”
“Oh, sorry. I was picking my nose on the flight.”
“KIRIE! COME BACK! Get me away from this ugly snothead!”
…
“Alright then.” Kyoko responded to Cheren’s story with calm, hands folded over the principal’s desk. “It all makes sense now… the news’ biased stance against the KND, those postings… and now that you’ve ‘conquered’ our school, we’re officially with you in this war.”
“I mean, it’s not like we wanted to force you to join…”
“I know. We attacked you first and the opportunity presented itself. I shall try to explain this story to the others… in a way that makes sense. You can be certain that you have my support, at least.”
“That’s nice.” Cheren smiled. “I don’t wanna burden you guys with our battle, but honestly, you’d all make great operatives. I almost want you to join.”
“That we would. I guess the least we could do is spread your influence to other schools in Japan. We’ll ‘conquer’ them in the KND’s name… unless you’re afraid of being painted as villains?”
“Do whatever you want. We need a bunch of numbers to win Kael’s Game.”
“Then we’ll consider it.”
“Until then, I guess we can look forward to more propaganda, tomorrow. Imagine just how giddy they are seeing the footage…” (End song.)
Intergalactic News
“BIG WOOHOOOOOOS!” Big Bird had just finished reviewing the footage the Earth studio sent him. “Such THRILLING exchanges! Skill against skill! Power vs. power! Clashes of superminds and superhumans alike! Just look at the smirks on Mocha and her opponent’s faces! They are sisters in arms! And the bikers are brothers in arms!” A picture of Mike and Mondo snickering with arms around the others. “And just how cute are those computer girls?!” A picture of Chihiro shaking Carol’s hand. “So many thrilling exchanges, it was almost two-sided! I can’t wait to excite my viewers with-”
“What are ya getting all excited for-hoho?!” Mickey snapped. “The KND attacked an innocent school and you better let the universe know that!”
“Yes, yes, I know, but what about the majesty of it?! How can you see a Fanalis girl break a sword with her foot and not think-”
“For Pete’s sake, you’re a reporter, not a fight promoter! So, do your job and report on the KND’s tyranny! Any of that flavor text will give people the wrong idea-hoho.”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty… you’re right.”
“If ya want good news, I got a headline for ya. Just wait’ll ya hear who we put in charge of the Galactic Army.”
War Meeting Room
“In these trying times, the KND are showing their true colors.” Chancellor Phyronix told the officers. “They’ve been exposed of their true desires and have taken an aggressive stance against our worlds. In our efforts to aid and contact the Miran government, the KND have already swayed them over.”
“It’s only fair, isn’t it?” asked Admiral Aurelia, the silver-haired woman donning a knowing smirk. “The KND were there first while we sat keeping our own planet secure.”
“Admiral…” Wallace shirked at her direct statement.
“Ahem, even so!” Phyronix huffed. “If their Supreme Leader’s words hold true, war is on the horizon. We must all be ready to fight for King Mickey and bring peace to our worlds. And that’s why… I am appointing a new Grand Admiral.”
The officers lit up in anticipation as the door opened behind him. A handsome man with blue skin, hair, and red eyes, wearing a clean white military suit with a blue tie, cape, and adorned with medals marched in. “Meet… Grand Admiral Thrawn.”
“Admiral… Thrawn?” Aurelia repeated in concealed shock.
“What?!” gasped General Lucy Hare, a Mobian rabbit from Corneria City (from Star Fox). “Is that the same Thrawn who served Palpatine’s Empire?!”
“What in tarnation?!” yelled General Guy, a normal-sized Shy Guy with a white coat and hat. “I ain’t leave one corrupt government to work for another!”
“Relax, my comrades, relax.” Thrawn spoke in a calm tone. “The Star Wars is a bygone era. The philosophies of Jedi and Sith are all history, as are everything involved with them. No matter the era, I live to serve Galaxia’s government.”
“Indeed.” Aurelia said. “You were the apex of loyalty, even in those trying times, according to the books. A master strategist, superb martial artist and moonbender, and as a Lunarian in his prime, you could serve for thousands of years. Though to be honest, I always thought the Emperor only appointed you for your species. And yet, you never showed them how to find Lunaria, did you?”
“I may have left my homeworld to seek strength and power, devoted myself to this government, there are some lines I will not cross. Still, it is quite astonishing to see how much has changed.”
“Admiral Thrawn was only released from Zordoom yesterday.” Phyronix explained. “It was only because of his high position and loyalty to the Empire that he was given such a long sentence. Heh, I fear to imagine what would happen if Tachyon had enough time to free him. Regardless, I believe his skills and experience will be crucial in the coming days. We’ve briefed him all we could about the current situation and adversaries, but there is more you’ll need to fill him in on.”
“I believe I have enough to get us started.” Thrawn stepped around the table and took his place on the high chair. “Unless, of course… there are any objections to my being here?”
“If your leadership will lead us to victory, I will accept.” Aurelia said.
“I guess I will, too.” Wallace replied casually.
“It’s fine by me.” answered Zapp Brannigan (from Futurama), a blonde human in a red uniform. His white boots were propped up on the table, the captain leisurely laid back. “Still, I doubt you ever steered a cruise liner smoothly through a black hole.”
“Excuse me?” General Ironwood questioned. “What I heard is that you veered off the instructed course and destroyed the whole thing!”
“Eh, that was Lieutenant Kroker. But I can assure you I evacuated 99% of the passengers with greatest efficiency!”
“I’m sure you did… In any case, I accept this proposal. You, Admiral Kong?”
“OOG! OOG! OOG! OOG! OOG!” A huge, scarred gorilla with blonde, pineapple-shaped hair pounded his chest.
“Fine, fine, I get your jib. I’ll roll with it.” General Guy huffed.
“Hmm…” Lucy sighed.
“I’ll leave things to you. Do us proud, Grand Admiral.” Phyronix turned and exited the room.
“To give a general rundown… several planets’ governments have already declared loyalty to the KND, correct? These would include Amazonia, Legola, Mobius, Wisp, Glomour, Secco—or at least the Osiris Country…”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean every officer in their armies agree with the leaders’ decisions.” Aurelia said.
“But we suspect those loyal to the cause are monitoring our army.” Ironwood followed. “If we mount any attack on the KND’s H.Q., they will intercept us. It may even lead to war right then.”
“In the olden days,” Thrawn recounted, “the GKND was considered an independent organization who targeted criminal factions that our armies had no official place in dealing with. Because of that, both the Old Republic and Jedi Council alike rarely saw reason to get in their way. And it was thanks to the KND that the Irken situation was kept under control while we could focus on the Sith-led Separatists.”
“Until, of course, the Empire took over and made that same arrangement with the Irkens themselves.” Ironwood recalled his studies. “‘We claim this country on Flora, but you can have this country on Flora.’”
“Until the Irkens became righteous allies, only to wind up our enemies again.” Thrawn chortled. “Ah, how times change. But under these current circumstances, their place as an independent organization has become loose and questionable. So, if the opposing armies insist on defending them from a mounted attack, that will leave some of their bases vulnerable to sneak attacks. If we send a small platoon to attack them, we can test to see which army will react and determine which base they came from. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. King Mickey wanted me to assign some of you to guard duty for the Corporate Presidents.”
“Yes.” Ironwood affirmed. “General Winter has already gone to safeguard her father.”
“I see… but familial relations can get in the way of the assignment. Could I count on you to assist her, Ironwood?”
“I… suppose, but… to tell the truth, I’m not exactly on the best terms with Schnee.”
“In that case… I’d like to have a word with you after this.”
“Welp, someone’s in trouble.” Zapp remarked, Ironwood casting a look at him.
“I should have somebody supervise you, too.” Thrawn glared. “For different reasons. Oh, and there’s one other planet we shouldn’t overlook: the homeworld of the most infamous operatives, Earth. Since Earth is not affiliated with the Galactic Council, their armies shouldn’t get involved with our intergalactic warfare. Nonetheless, securing a hold on the planet will certainly hamper their progress. We should send agents down to investigate Earth’s military, so we may plot an attack on them.”
Moonbase
“Guess who’s baaaaaack!” Mocha sang as she jovially marched into the cafeteria, Miguel rested on her open palm.
“Oi, you look terrible, Mochan!” Chimney said. “Did you challenge a steamroller mixed with a bulldozer?”
“No, but I feel like that would’ve been easier!”
“What’s that thing in your…” Aisa began before realizing it was a person in far worse shape. “MIGUUUUEEEEEL!” She scrambled up Mocha’s body and across her arm, shaking the magical-punk-dressed boy by the collar. “What in the world happened to you?! Are you trying out a new style?! A new form of music?! Stick to the Mexican acoustics I know!”
“I’m too dang tired of talkin’ stuffed lions~ Givin’ me shit ’cause I let all them cards run away~”
“Those lyrics don’t make sense! COME BACK TO ME, MIGUUUEEEEL!”
“Oh, hey, Mary!” Mocha beamed. “I almost didn’t see you there.”
“Guess what, Mocha! We’re going to Mechanos!”
“Mechanos? The robot planet?”
“Uh-huh! Back on that Heroes Day, Mary was visited by a girl named Penny! She was from Mechanos! I wanna see the robot planet!”
“Really?” Mocha asked in interest. “I mean, it sounds fun, but it just sounds a little out of our element. It’s not like any of us are mechanics. I always felt like we were a naturalistic sector. Like Amazonia, Mobius, or that camping trip.”
“Whaddya mean?!” Chimney yelled. “I make cool trains with cool weapons! Mechanos is totally my element! I tell you what was weird, the art gallery! We didn’t feel right there at all.”
“Uhhhh, pretty sure April did.” Apis reasoned.
“Between the six of us,” Aeincha smiled, “well, I guess seven now with Miguel, I think we fit in just about any environment!”
“Especially you!” Apis poked the Lilliputian, sparking a giggle.
“I guess it would be a cool change of scenery!” Mocha grinned. “Alright! But can we wait until tomorrow? I need to rest my bones after that battle. …And Miguel needs a makeover.”
“A wise decision.” A Jamaican voice acknowledged. The girls were approached by a certain monochrome-skinned boy with puffy hair. “But additional preparations will be necessary. As Mechanos is a 98% robot-populated planet, there are almost no edible foods for us organic types. For the few humans that live there, there are restaurants that provide imported foods, but I think we’re safer bringing our own meals.”
“All Mary needs is a bucket of paint to drink!” Chimney retorted.
“‘We’? You mean you’re coming, too, Jerome?” April asked.
“Well, my sister considered going originally, but I insisted she needed a break after the Mira mission. At least she let me borrow her weapons.” Jerome smirked, drawing out the T.O.P.M.A.N.. “Of course, we will be operating separately. I plan to bring my own handpicked operatives who should excel in this environment… including-”
“BENDER IS BACK IN ACTION, BABY!” Jerome was suddenly crushed by a mountain of luggage. Bender, GKND’s robot operative with flexible limbs and can-shaped body, posed atop the luggage with a vacation shirt, hat, and sunglasses. “Tomorrow, we set off for the home of my forefathers! The greatest planet in the entire cosmos! And since I, Bender, am the creator of this planet, they may honor me like a god!”
“Technically, I created it.” April smiled. “Based on your ideas. But it’s not like any of these New Planets honor us as gods.”
“Man, that blows. Whoa!” The luggage collapsed and Bender with it as Jerome warped out from underneath.
“Ahem…yes, it is only fair Bender join me on this excursion. I would like to ask the Gilligans to come, too.”
“So, our target is Mom the Corporate President, right?” Mocha asked. “I remember Empress Hancock has a bad history with her. Does she rule her own territory on Mechanos?”
“Correct. In fact, Eggman also had his own base down there, so they were likely already at war before this. In spite of the doctor’s demise, there’s a chance we’ll still have to deal with minions of his.”
“Then what was the point of killin’ him?!” Chimney asked.
“Uh, to save an oppressed planet and enslaved species?” Aisa remarked. “Speaking of which… will we have to kill Mom, too?”
“Well, Mom has always been a mixed bag.” Jerome reasoned. “She’ll side with whichever side is convenient or profitable for her, like she did during the Seven Lights Quest. If she realizes that she can’t beat us, she just may side with us again. Quite unlike Eggman, who was unfortunately too dangerous to let live.”
“So, we should try to capture her instead.” April decided.
“But aside from Eggman’s remnants, Mechanos has its own Brotherhood branch who we’ll no doubt be at odds with. On the plus side, we’ll have Mechanos KND agents as allies. Our first objective should be to meet up and confirm their situation.”
“And that means Penny!” Mary cheered. “This is gonna be so much fun! I can’t wait to meet all the robots!”
Mechanos; May 16 (6 days earlier)
Once a desolate planet with very minimal, visible life, Mechanos was founded 3,000 years ago as a haven for robots who wanted to govern and live among themselves. Scientists who specialized in robots were given special status, and major manufacturers such as Mom or Eggman could rule large territory. Aside from them, there were other small “countries” ruled by robotic leaders, such as Robo-Hungary ruled by Emperor Nikolai, the Granbell Kingdom under Castellan’s reign, the anti-human region Chapek, or in this case, Cluster Prime.
Aside from its artificial appearance, Cluster Prime and many other places were no different from the average human town. Young droids went to elementary and high school, riding school buses who were also robots (the planet asks that you please hold in your controversial questions). There was a town park, animal droids to frolic in the semi-natural environment, and metal trees that produced sonic frequencies designed to resonate with droids a feeling akin to cool breeze through the trees. And no city would be complete without villain attacks.
Cluster Prime had bug problems. Giant Beetle Drone problems. What used to be the proud and somewhat-competent soldiers of the kingdom had turned renegade after the fall of the former regime. Fortunately, Cluster had heroes who were always ready to save them. Such as the mighty Silver Shell! A large, broad-chested silver-plated robot, he would send beetles flying with mighty strength! “Hah! You’d have an easier time if you were flies! Jenny, the park infestation is clear!”
A thin robot resembling a teenage girl, with blue and white metal and sharp pigtails, smirked after receiving the transmission. “Thanks, Sheldon! But we got bigger bugs approaching on 01001101 01100001-”
“Okay, Jenny, I love binary as much as the next bot, but you can just say ‘Main Street.’”
“Oh, have some culture, Sheldon.” Jenny rolled her eyes.
What looked like a royal procession came marching up the street, carried by Elite Beetles and led by Smytus, a large yellow-green beetle with a long black antenna. They carried what looked like a hive-shaped tent, and from it, a thin robot with a pharaoh-like design flew out in a grandiose manner. “CLUSTER PRIME! Your queen has returned! Renounce XJ-9 as your so-called ‘hero’ and redeem yourselves of your treachery!”
Leader of Brotherhood’s Mechanos Division
QUEEN VEXUS
“This old song again, Vexus?” Jenny asked. “Why don’t you and Smytus just get hitched and move to an asteroid farm or something?”
“How dare you implicate such a thing?!” Smytus shouted.
“The Brotherhood is making major waves, XJ-9! So, now’s the time to take back what’s mine!” Vexus sent a swarm of Bee Drones, Jenny morphing into a bug zapper to eradicate them. Vexus flew behind and shot lasers at Jenny, who suffered the first few before growing a shield from her arm. Jenny spun her head and sent her pigtails like boomerangs around the shield, slashing Vexus’ hip. She dropped the shield and punched her extendable arm into Vexus’ face, then turned her other arm into a gun to shoot lasers at her. Vexus lunged at Jenny, her antenna orb projecting an energy sword. Jenny dodged as her arms morphed into multiple sabers, but despite the odds, Vexus swung her head with enough precision and speed to counter the array of swords.
“Do not fear, Jenny! For I am here!” The Silver Shell charged up the street, leaping to land a silver-loaded punch upon Vexus. But he was denied by a fist of red metal, denting the Shell’s hip as he crashed into a holo-ice cream stand.
The Shell cried as his assaulter, a muscular gold and red robot, ripped his armor to shreds. “SHELDON!” Jenny enlarged her fist to strike the mech’s back, but Vexus would seize her in a whip and throw her away.
“This feeble human dares to impersonate us?!” The giant easily picked Sheldon out of his mech: he was a thin boy in a red sweater and freckles. “No hollow robot can challenge the likes of ATLAS!” (from Teen Titans)
“Then try ME on for size!” Atlas’ arm was stabbed by three thin, black swords with green lines. The swords were attached to wires, connected to the backpack of a tall girl in a green dress, black boots, white blouse, and puffy orange hair. Penny Polendina (from RWBY) spun five swords like a pinwheel and chopped Atlas’ faulty arm, freeing Sheldon as the geek scrambled to escape. “So, your name’s Atlas, too, huh? I was made on Atlas! And we have a friend named Atlas! I wish we brought her along!”
“How DARE you cut Atlas’ arm!” The villain grabbed the arm and used nanomachines to reattach it. He clapped his wrists at Penny to send shockwave blasts, the swordsgirl evading in the air as she fired a green laser in return. A furious Atlas molded nanomachines over the targeted area, turning his armor black like Haki. He would use the same armor on his fist, throwing a punch that blew Penny to the roof of a building, hitting the corner of it. However, one of her swords had already wrapped his leg via the wire, so she used it to “retract” herself toward Atlas with fierce speed, tripping him before stabbing him in the back.
“Atlas!” Smytus gasped. “I’ll help you-”
“CHAAAAAA!” A small, purple-haired girl headbutted Smytus in the gut. She had glasses, blue overalls over a red shirt, and had peach skin like Penny. She was Sector Prime’s Gag Master, Arale Norimaki (from Dr. Slump). “Super Fist of Shōnen Jump: One Piece Arc Climax!”
“What?!” Suddenly, Smytus wound up in the hallway of an enemy base. “Where am I-”
“EEEEEEEEEEKKKK!” Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Brook of the Straw Hat Pirates came dashing, dragging Smytus with them as they hall exploded behind them at a rapid rate. “RUN, SMYTUS!” Nami screamed. “The bad guy is destroying the island with his Splode-Splode Fruit!”
“What?! How long do we have to run?!”
“For about a year until Luffy beats him!” Usopp cried.
“IT TAKES THAT LONG?!”
“In actuality, this 100-chapter arc takes place within an hour! Yohohoho!” Brook laughed.
“Watch out! It’s one of the side-villains!” Nami panicked, the crew halting as a swordsman named Henchy ambushed them. (The explosions stopped temporarily.) “He ate the Slice-Slice Fruit! Protect us, Smytus!”
“AAAAAAAAAHHHH!” Smytus was painfully sliced by Henchy’s swords.
“I’ll stop him!” Zoro clenched his swords firmly. “Three Swords: 10,000 Pound Phoenix!”
“GYAAAAAAAAAHHH!” The blow was so powerful that the entire Arale-shaped island was sliced in 8 different directions. A piece of Smytus flew off to each of them.
The queen’s commander lay unconscious in reality. Arale saluted the audience and said, “Did Zoro’s attack finish Henchy off?! Find out after a 2-week break!”
And with that, this story is going on a 2-week hiatus! See you then!
…
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…
Just kidding! This was actually part of her Bo-bobo gag!
Jenny morphed her arms into an array of laser guns, unloading a storm of energy upon the swarm of Elite Drones. “WOO!” Sheldon fist-pumped. “Take THAT, ya overgrown bugs!”
“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet.” Vexus smirked.
With the strum of a guitar, the punctured drones rose with no power coursing through them. They animated like zombies as they charged at Sheldon, the geek in panic as he tried to shoot them with his own rifle. “How are they moving?!” Jenny asked, using a chainsaw-arm to dice the drones, but their parts would continue to animate like undead.
“Thanks to my Steel String, of course!” Another woman emerged from Vexus’ carriage: a skeleton with a red sombrero, black sparkly dress, and golden guitar. “With this string I acquired from a special source,” she showed off a metal guitar string amongst her gold ones, “I can control the ‘dead’ robots!”
Leader of Brotherhood’s Miracle City Division
SARTANA DE LOS MUERTOS
“That’s just like that bonebending woman!” Jenny remembered.
“I’ll just have to cut that string to pieces!” Penny launched at Sartana, but a quick strum had the undead vanish in a puff of smoke. She reappeared above a roof and strummed the Steel String. The dead bee drones took flight and swarmed around Penny, and in her struggle to swat them away, Atlas grabbed her by the legs and slammed her in the ground. However, Penny surprised Atlas by directing a sword directly into his throat, then cutting up to barely hit his brain before he yanked it out.
“Dammit! I need repairs!”
“Relax, you oaf!” Sartana said. “If you die, I’ll just reanimate you.”
“Atlas will not be controlled like some puppet!”
“Then squash that girl’s head and I’ll reanimate her!” Sartana was about to strum the string and reanimate more drones.
Until a wad of sticky gum-like substance latched onto the base of the string. “What?! Who threw that?!” Her glowing red sockets faced an opposite roof.
A small pink-headed robot with a blue dress and rabbit ear-like antennas was holding a gum popgun. “Pino! You’re back!” Jenny cheered.
“My mission was successful!” declared E.M. Pino (from Edens Zero).
“Wanna finish the job with a good old EMPlosion?” Jenny asked.
“Then clear the area immediately!”
“SARTANA!” Vexus immediately flew to the undead witch. “Time to retreat!”
“You’re lucky Giant Robot Sanchez had to go to his kid’s birthday!” Sartana yelled, she and Vexus poofing with one last strum.
“Leaving Atlas to carry the dead weight.” The golden robot hoisted Smytus’ fallen frame and flew away with jet shoes. “Atlas demands premium oil tonight!”
“PINOOOOO!” Penny shot up and squeezed the little robot in a hug, spinning in the air. “You did it! If you hadn’t gummed up her string, we would’ve been stuck fighting those zombie-bots forever!”
“Haha!” If Pino could blush, she would. “I’m glad I was on time to help.”
“But as soon as they get that string ungummed, I’m sure they’ll be back.” Jenny said dejectedly. “But more importantly, were you able to find it?”
“Yep!” Pino opened a compartment and withdrew a heart-shaped chip with blue lines of digital energy. “I acquired the Mother Chip from the Chapek Museum!”
“SWEET!” Jenny beamed. “Now we’ve got six of them! One more and our dream will finally come true!”
“Let’s go show Dr. Wakeman and the others!” Sheldon suggested eagerly. “…Right after I fix up old Shelly.”
MomCorp; Repair Branch
The scientists of the Repair Branch weren’t fond of mass-producing service droids for Mom’s army or otherwise. The best line of work they could ask for was providing treatment to damaged robots. “There you are, Lisa.” Pietro Polendina said as he installed a waterwheel into a female robot. “Now you know why it’s important to get a wheel checkup.” He poured a gallon of water into her top, bringing her to life as the wheel began churning.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Lisa would smile if her mouth could be animated. “I’ll be sure to come sooner next time.”
Pietro was a jovial, dark-skinned man with a grey beard and green cap. He was crippled in a high-tech wheelchair and wore small glasses. He used to work for the Galactic Army branch on Atlas, Coruscant, but left when the army demanded that his greatest creation and daughter Penny work for them.
Nora Wakeman, a short woman with a pointy nose, standing white hair, and a yellow coat fixed the front-right leg of Hedonismbot, a golden robot lain attached to a walking lounge chair. “I don’t even want to know how you got that hole in your leg, so just pay up and go.” she told him reproachfully before handing him a bill.
“Oh! Your brash allegation pierces hard-drive! I must respite in my chocolate icing bath, hoho!”
“Eesh. I don’t get what some creators were thinking with these things. What good even is a waterwheel robot?”
“Every artist has their own imagination.” said Professor Moshimo (Robotboy), a thin man with a bald scalp and white hair around the back. “A robot born from the heart is better than one born from conveyors.”
“That’s… an odd analogy, but I agree.” Pietro said.
“Like you guys got any original ideas!” argued Senbei Norimaki, a chubby man with a white labcoat, messy black hair, and thin mustache. “‘Ooooo, my robot has a zillion weapons, it can fly and destroy asteroids!’ When I designed Arale, I wanted her to be nothing more than a sweet little girl like all the others!”
“PUMPKIN CANNOOOOON!” A giant pumpkin suddenly crashed through the ceiling, exploding as the Sector Prime operatives popped out. Arale was dressed as a kunoichi.
“XJ-9!” Nora screamed. “What is the meaning of this?!”
“S-Sorry, Mom! We tried to stop her, and before we knew it, we were already in the pumpkin!”
“It’s a jutsu I learned from the Fairy Godmother!” Arale said.
“Dang it, Arale!” Senbei stomped up in a rage. “I told you to stop taking jutsu lessons from that woman! Don’t do it again or I’m gonna spank you in the-” he raised a hand to bonk her head-
And Arale turned into the Fairy Godmother, her glare spiteful. She had used a Transformation Jutsu to deceive him. “I think you’re the one who needs a spanking, young man!”
“Aaaaaaahhhh!” And a spanking he received.
“…Uhhhh…” Jenny opened her tummy and found the real Arale. She was tiny as she was operating a laundry mat for hippos. “Well, we wanted to tell you that Pino found the 6th Mother Chip!”
“The sixth?!” Nora gasped. “Jenny, that’s fantastic news!”
“That means there’s one left!” Pietro exclaimed.
“One left and we’ll be able to meet Motherboard!” Penny cheered.
Jenny mounted herself on one of the operating tables, recounting the legend in an epic tone. “Somewhere deep under the planet’s mantle rests an ancient hard-drive. A machine blessed with the power of shooting stars. A machine that can grant the wishes of any robot. Eons ago, there was a robot named Pinocchio. Free and adventurous, he explored the world and found the mysterious Mother Chips. He was the first robot to find this machine: Motherboard. When asked what he desired most, Pinocchio made a wish no robot ever wished: ‘I want to be a real boy!’”
“And so we founded the Real Girls Club!” Penny embraced Pino and Jenny in a hug. “Our goal: to find Motherboard and wish to become real girls! I can already visualize it!” Penny imagined herself skipping barefoot along a beach.
Jenny imagined herself in a blue dress with orange hair.
Pino imagined herself taller with bunny ears.
Arale imagined herself as Sheldon. “WHY ME?!” Sheldon screamed. “Anyway, after you become human, that means we can go back to Superbia, right?”
“That’s right! Imagine the looks on Brad and Tucker’s faces!” Jenny smiled.
“But aren’t you going to miss being a robot? I mean… that’s basically your entire power set. You won’t be able to fight villains and stuff, anymore.”
“I could learn to operate a suit like you. But even if I end up having to retire, this is what I’ve always wanted. To feel how humans feel. To grow up with my friends and… get married someday.” A blue blush formed on her cheek plates.
“We still don’t know if this Motherboard legend is real.” Nora said. “And even if it is, I don’t know how I feel about losing one of our greatest fighting forces.”
“Yeah, but we’re more than just a fighting force. In the first place, we were designed like normal girls and we tried to blend in with them. It’s only fair we finally get what we trained for.”
“Yes, yes, I know… but what if we get attacked by Vexus or other villains?! I better not hear you say, ‘Oh, I wish I was a robot again! Why did I ever think this was a good idea?!’”
“Then why don’t you build another daughter or something?!”
“Well, it wouldn’t be right to just ‘build’ another daughter. But what about all the nanomachines inside you? Your entire arsenal? If you make this wish, will they all just disappear? I hope you empty them out before you do! Or else that would be entirely wasteful!”
“Fine! I would hate it if they get transformed into body fat.”
“Even if they can’t become human,” Pietro said, “meeting Motherboard is bound to be an educational experience of its own.”
“I hope you will invite my children along when the time comes.” Moshimo replied. “They hope to become real kids as well.”
“Of course we will!” Pino chirped. “No real kids left behind!”
“You’re such a sweetheart, Pino!” Fairy Godmother “pinched” Pino’s little cheek. “Well then, I’m off to turn more people into pumpkins.” The fairy swayed her hip and waved her wand on her way out, singing, “Sala-gadoola-menchicka-boo-la, bibbidi-bobbidi-booooo…” while turning other workers into pumpkins.
“Attention! All workers please report to the main lobby. An important guest is here with an announcement.”
“Ugh, I wonder what this could be.” Nora huffed, she and the others leaving the room. “Time is bolts, you know!” Pietro repulsively put the pumpkinified Senbei on his lap to carry him.
Jenny folded her arms, scowling as she tapped her foot on the floor. “Ah, relax, Jenny.” Sheldon rested a hand on her shoulder. “Every parent’s scared to watch their child grow up. Especially if they’re parents of robot children. That means they rarely get the experience!”
“Do you think we should go down and see the important guest?” Penny asked.
“I’ll just hack into the camera feed.” Jenny plugged her finger into a slot and changed into a TV.
“Well, I need to visit the imported lunchroom, anyway.” Sheldon marched off. “Pretty soon, you guys will know how this feels!”
The human grabbed a hamburger with a small cup of salad. He hid in the lobby doorway, sharing his shocked expression with his teammates upstairs. None other than Corporate President Mom stood in the entrance, joined by a band of Mom’s Friendly Executives: Otomo Kamikazi, a short, bald Asian man with a red robe and large green sunglasses; he was accompanied by his larger blue-robed henchman, Constantine. Arthur Watts, a dark-haired mustached man with a grayish-blue overcoat, cordovan undercoat that matched his fingerless gloves, and a yellow undershirt with matching buttons socks. He once worked for Schnee Dust before resigning out of frustration for his employer. Dr. Locus, a wide-bodied man with cyan overalls, white puffy beard, and a big red nose.
“Good news, nobodies!” Mom announced. “You’re all being mandatorily promoted! King Mickey has commissioned us for a special project and I need all my best mechanics on the line!”
“Eh? Surely you don’t mean us, right?” Senbei asked.
“You? That’s debatable.” Watts replied. “We have been commissioned to design a new line of Disney Defender Bots… or Disneybots for short. Modelled as child forms of famous and classical Disney heroes, designed to not only be appealing to all the lovely youths, but to serve as symbols of peace and hope as they protect worlds from evil forces!”
“O…kay?” Nora cocked a brow. “Don’t we already have armies or Kids Next Door for that?”
“Ha ha ha, Ms. Wakeman.” Mom chortled. “Sending naïve children out to fight dangerous wars? What kind of parent does that? Well, I suppose you all wouldn’t understand since your kids are machines, but those parents of real children should be ashamed of their selves. King Mickey wants to fix all that and I would like to help him. And that’s why…” she unraveled a paper, “your contracts state that you may be ordered to change and adapt with new jobs or locations in special or emergency situations.”
“We’re not exactly fans of mass-produced models, but…” Pietro began, “under this premise, I suppose it isn’t so bad.”
“What exactly is the long-term goal with this project?” Nora asked. “They aren’t intending to replace the KND, are they?”
“Why does that concern you?” Mom asked. “Between the children you’ve created, you were on the verge of replacing the KND yourselves.”
“That’s not exactly what we intended.” Moshimo said.
“Well, too bad!” Kamikaze yelled at his rival. “You will make Disneybots or we’ll strip you of your positions and confiscate your creations! Those children might as well be considered company property, shouldn’t they?”
“YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” Sheldon yelled, startling the group.
“Who’s that?!” Mom yelled. “Are you one of the workers? Get out here, attendance is required!”
“No, that’s just Sheldon, he’s a visitor!” Nora stated.
“He’s one of the local operatives!” Locus remembered. “He’s got quite the skill in engineering, too. Would you like a job, Mr. Sheldon?”
“I already have a job! I work part-time at the Happy Holo!”
“The holo-smoothie shop? Funny that you mention that.” Mom smirked. “That store brand is one of my subsidiaries. And they have the same contract! Sheldon, starting today, you’re coming to work on Disneybots!”
“WHAT?! But all I do for that job is click and organize the images for the holograms! Why would we be asked for advanced engineering work?”
“I wasn’t sure if it would come in handy, but it seems it has. And that means your creations are also company property! Failure to comply will result in confiscation! And I doubt you’ll be very useful to the KND after that.”
“Why… you…!”
“It won’t be so bad.” Watts shrugged. “You get to work in colorful factories and make colorful characters. And so long as you comply, your kids can keep doing as they always have. And we don’t plan to actually oppose the KND with these creations, just actual villains. Who knows, the KND may come to thank us for our work. The benefits outweigh the costs. Of course, the one downside is you’ll all be separated. We can’t grow too much fruit on one branch, after all.”
The mechanics shared worried and skeptical expressions. At the moment, there was no definitive reason to argue about this… and more importantly, they wanted their kids to accomplish their goal and not have to worry about this. “Alright. We’ll go.”
“But Nora!”
“Jenny has more important things to do than getting involved with these bigwigs. Wouldn’t you agree, Sheldon?”
“I…I guess so. But as an operative, I’m compelled to go on leave if duty calls!”
“You can take that up with Robot Resources.” Mom said. “Alright, mechanics, move out! We’ve already transferred droids to fill in for you here.”
The Prime ops watched as their parents and Sheldon left the building. “Well… it doesn’t seem so bad.” Penny said.
“Maybe… but I have a bad feeling about this.” Jenny replied.
“Let’s just check up on them when we can.” Pino suggested. “We still have Vexus to worry about… and finding the last Mother Chip.”
“Hoyo…” Arale bowed her head in sadness.
Current time
The land between Mom and Eggman’s territories reeked of burning oil. Following the death of the doctor, his soldiers on Mechanos had fallen into a wild, incontrollable frenzy, running the innocent citizens off the residential zones as they engaged Mom’s Killbots in war. “Sector 2501 is secure!” a Killbot yelled. “Let’s revolve around and-”
“SOMEONE SAID REVOLVER!” Another Killbot shot its comrade to pieces.
Sector Prime didn’t expect things to escalate this terribly. When they learned about the drama between Disney and the KND, they already wanted to rescue their parents… but Vexus’ Brotherhood allies were already invading other treehouses, and now this war suddenly broke out. “Jenny… Sector Vega has been compromised.” Pino reported. “That’s the 4th one this week…”
“What do we do?” Penny’s emerald eyes curved sadly. “What… can we do?”
“We…We may have to split up.” Jenny said hesitantly. “We need to cover as many bases and save as many operatives as we can. I’m sure GKND has heard about this by now. Any day now… they’re going to send support.”
“Yeah.” Pino nodded affirmably. “Let’s have faith that they will. Until then… let’s meet up again soon.”
“I can at least go with Pino!” Penny cheered. “The two of us will be safer together!”
“I don’t doubt that! The one I’m worried about is Arale.”
“N’CHAAAAAAA!” The violet-haired android had already stormed into battle with her army of toilets!
After making that joke, I realize the Gameverse may still go on hiatus for the new Sonic game. When I was writing that War Room scene, I wanted to add at least one admiral from One Piece, and as I was debating who… I settled on Commander-in-Chief Kong, except I made him an actual Kong. My new prediction is that the actual character ate a Monkey Fruit.
Chapter 17: Mecha Saga 2: Adventure in the Mechanical Wonderland!
Summary:
Sector W7 explore Egghead Land and meet some Mechanos KND! Team Jerome explores the Cybertron Junklands!
Chapter Text
So, remember how Sector W7’s first level in Pirate Wars was a One Piece setting? Well, guess what’ll be the first level in Mechanos!
Chapter 16: Adventure in the Mechanical Wonderland!
Mechanos was mostly gray from the atmosphere and had a metal red ring around it, bent at various angles. “Ya know, this planet was already around in the first universe.” Bender said. “But its evolution happened too fast for Neb and Vweeb to handle! Hehehehehe!”
“Actually,” Vweeb smirked, resting on Jerome’s hair, “a science group learned that time distortions were very heavy in that area, so they left various dinosaur and humanoid robots there to see how quickly they would ‘evolve’ in time and eventually burn out.”
“It was all because God Dialga saw robots as the superior beings! But now that we don’t have to worry about time rifts, we get to see Mechanos in its full glory!”
“Wait a sec.” Apis replied from the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.. “How can robots ‘evolve’?”
“You’d be surprised, little cooking buddy. Robots possess certain circuitry that allow them to merge internal parts with each other, allowing them to produce baby droids! Then, as the babies acquire more data, their internal hard-drive needs to update to a larger body, going from adolescence to adulthood! And their younger bodies get recycled into soup cans. And that’s evolution, baby!”
“Wow! I never knew!”
“It honestly sounds a little too bizarre.” Artie Gilligan replied.
“Are you kidding?!” Kazuichi smirked, his tongue hanging out from excitement. “Robot intercourse sounds totally revolutionary! We oughta find Mechamaru a mate! Maybe K1-B0!”
“Absolutely not!” K1-B0 panicked.
“Raleigh was sure upset he couldn’t come.” Haylee sighed. “But the Mobius mission is impor…wait… WHEN DID YOU THREE GET HERE?!” She just realized another ship was following them, Kazuichi, K1-B0, and Miu Iruma onboard it.
“A little ‘bug’ told me you guys were going to the robot planet!” Kazuichi answered. “And no way we were gonna miss that!”
“So, robot sex is REAL, huh?!” Miu swayed, a waterfall of sweat down her red face. “That’s so hot, I just wanna-”
Miu’s dialogue was censored for obscenity. She, Kazuichi, and K1-B0 were banned for the rest of the story. “WHY US?!?” the boys cried.
The operatives wanted to vomit after hearing that. This trip was already ruined. “Welp, it’s too bad we’ll never see them again!” Vweeb chirped. “So, uh, which spot should we land?”
“I think we shall first visit the Cybertron Junklands.” Jerome answered. “I’m sure that will be up you guys’ alley. Sector W7, why don’t you investigate Egghead Land? I’ll send you coordinates.”
“That name sounds like an Eggman territory if I ever heard one.” Aeincha said worriedly.
“Actually, it’s a theme park. Misleading, but unaffiliated. I thought you’d might enjoy it.”
“Why do they get the fun place?!” Artie asked.
“’Cause Jerome’s bein’ nice to his girlfriend.” Harry smirked.
“AHEM, I don’t know what you mean.” Jerome huffed and flushed.
“Hmhmhm!” April giggled.
The R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. descended close to the targeted coordinates. There was plenty of room in a massive parking lot to park the train. Judging by the amount of cars, this park must’ve been pretty popular. The girls and Miguel could see a huge, broken egg on what seemed like a cloud elevated in the sky, while the park was mostly behind a wall. They crossed the lot and entered the front gate. “WHOOOOAAAA!”
There was a merry-go-round on a rocketship that lifted up and down, over and over. A tube elevated over the park, where goers could slide all around on an aerial tour. A building with a game giant controller, likely an arcade. A mechanaquarium for robotic fish. And, as expected, robot parents and children in every corner. “This place is… SO MECHANICAAAAAAL!” the friends sang.
“Look at all the MACHIIIIINES!” Chimney screamed through her teeth.
“I’ve never seen so much METAAAAAL!” Mary danced.
“AAAAHH! Is that King K. Rool?!” Mocha panicked.
A giant, obese crocodile with a banana through his head loomed imposingly above the park. He glared fang-to-fang with a giant, gorilla-like robot. They exchanged fists in a battle that would quake the world… if they had actual depth to them. “I don’t feel any presence from them. They’re just holograms.” Aisa said.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Miguel sighed. “I was about to have a heart attack.”
Behind the gorilla-bot, another giant robot with a red, sharp-shouldered body, thick black gauntlets, and a silver head with a grit frown approached the main street. “And that one feels real.” Aisa said. “Is he an attraction? He sure looks too big to be a customer.”
“NO!” Miguel gasped. “That’s Giant Robot Sanchez! He attacks Miracle City sometimes!”
“Then, it’s a villain?!”
The giant robot threatened to crush the gorilla’s hologram projector. A green laser blasted him in the eyes, stopping him. An orange-haired robot would fly around and shoot more, Sanchez trying to swat her like a fly. “April!” Mary pointed. “That’s Penny! I’m sure that was Penny!”
“Wow! We were right to come here, weren’t we? Let’s go meet her!”
“We’re still gonna see the sights, aren’t we?!” Chimney asked.
“We gotta enjoy ourselves while we’re here!” (Play “Welcome to Wondaria” from Kirby Forgotten Land!)
Invasion 4: Mechanos
Mission: Meet up with the local KND and capture Mom!
Act 1: Egghead Land
Mary led the charge, arms wide in excitement, and ran to a road with a zigzaggy, fenced line. Several families of robots were “running” (on single wheels) down the exit lane and back again, electrified as they were panicking. Mary waited for the robots to pass as she jumped the fences. Near the spinning oil drums ride, thin robots with long heads called Clankers were trying to shoot at them, so Mary used Yellow Crayons to electrify the old-looking mechs. The electrocution merely stunned the droids instead of shorting them out, but they seemed to go down for good when Miguel struck them with Music Notes. “There was some kind of dark Music Chi hovering over those robots.”
“Their design looks a little familiar.” April noticed. The friends began to jump the oil drums, spinning and orbiting round platforms. They would jump to other sets of drums, except some of them were on fire. Chimney shot water at them from her bottles to make them safe for jumping. Past the drums, there was an “oil park” where children excitedly skied around a field of oil.
“Oi, this is gonna mess up my sandals.” Chimney said. “And I bet Aisa and Mocha wish they brought… Wait, where is Mochan?!”
“I saw her take the main road since this area was too narrow for her.” Aeincha replied.
“This stuff’s too slippery to walk on.” April said. “But look at those bare patches. If we get a running start, we can slide smoothly to those spots!”
“Miguel, protect my feet!” Aisa glomped her boyfriend’s back. (“Ay-ay-ay…”) They would do as April suggested and run-slide across the oil to the closest bare patch. For the second patch, they would time it between when some kids slid past. The third patch had a glass barrier blocking it, but a rotating area to its right. They had to slide toward the rotating area, which would conveniently spin to direct them onto the dry patch. From here, they could exit the oil park to an outdoor restaurant… but there was also a mini-maze with several rotating platforms they would have to ski in one go, and the correct route would earn them a Riddler Trophy. …April decided to attempt it. For each failure, a floating cannon would shoot her back to the start, but she eventually collected the trophy.
“April, why is their food all wavy?” Mary pointed at the various meals at the tables, ranging from hamburgers to colorful smoothies, as the customers “ate” them with delight.
“They’re holograms, too.” Apis noticed. “Maybe it’s designed to register some kind of superficial taste within the robots?”
“And it’s probably tastier than your cookin’!” Chimney snapped. “Ah ha ha ha!” Apis shot her best friend a glare.
They didn’t wanna stare at the holo-food too long or it would make them hungry. However, they did see a Riddler Trophy blended in with holo-spinach. April also found a digital magazine depicting C-3PO and R2-D2, Galaxia’s most popular robot comedy duo. The kids ran past the “food” stall and ran up its serving treadmill (which only carried the holo projectors), crossing an electric floor. The treadmills would naturally run against their direction, making it tricky to jump to other segmented treadmills. Once past, the group could board an up-and-down merry-go-rocket! At the apex of its rise, they could jump to a ring of ropes, originating from a similar ride on a next-door tower. As they swung circles on these ropes, they would have to let go in the direction of a midair path, the momentum sending them across!
As the friends traveled up the sloped, suspended path, they had an amazing view of the gorilla-bot battling Banana Rool! A Barrier Droid stopped their enjoyment of the show, the robot shooting lasers from behind its shield. April simply splashed paint over the shield, forcing the confused mech to drop it and for Chimney to kick it off. The path would grow wider as they carefully maneuvered around robot civilians, who were staring at a large display in a glass bubble: it looked like an average human house with a yard. A cardboard dad was “mowing” the yard and a cardboard boy was “throwing” a Frisbee at a wooden dog. “So, humans have ta cut that green stuff all the time?” a boybot asked.
“Do all humans have to do that?” a woman asked.
“Hey, there’re some humans now!” a man pointed. “Let’s ask them!”
“Oi, you better not go puttin’ US in a fishbowl!” Chimney shouted.
“AAAH! HE’S GOT MY CHILD!” a woman screamed—there was suddenly panic as the crowd cleared the way to a brown, big-eyed robot, holding a laser knife to a kid’s neck.
“A crook?!” Miguel gasped, his friends horrified.
“They ain’t no everyday humans! They’s Sector W7! The Brotherhood’s archenemies!”
“Y-You’re Roberto! The Insane Mainframe!” a manbot recognized.
“And they’re a KND sector?! Please, save my son!”
“NAH-AH-UH!” Roberto shouted. “Y’all don’t make another move! Look, I don’t wanna hurt you kids, really.” He spoke in a ‘friendlier’ tone. “I just wanna be friends. Why do the KND and BOE always gotta be fightin’? Let’s hold hands and make friends. BE MY FRIEND OR THE KID GETS IT!”
“O-Okay, okay!” The ops raised hands. “We’ll be your friends! …Aeincha, go.” Apis whispered.
The Lilliputian began to sneak her way past the crowd of metal feet. “There are two things you better give me to prove y’all are friends! First, Ah want the keys to that fancy train Ah know you got! Then, I want 800 pounds worth of silver! The kind of silver you can make stabbin’ knives with! Third, I want a map of all the best pig farms in the Nintendia Galaxy!”
“But that’s three things.” Aisa said.
“DAMMIT, I’M SENSITIVE ABOUT MY DYSFUNCTIONAL MATHEMATICAL PROCESSOR! I’LL STAB Hiiii…” But Roberto shut down. Aeincha had picked open a hatch on his back, sticking her scissors through a crack within it. A few dicing of the wires defeated the crook.
“AEINCHAAAAA!” Chimney ran up and threw the Lilliputian in celebration, the crowd cheering their heroes!
“Hahaha! I guess I could go for a minors in engineering!”
To show their gratitude, some of the robots activated their rockets to become a platform bridge toward an upper level of the park. They saw people riding some mini rockets around a central pillar, other people playing a “Test-Your-Strength” game with a 30-story pillar, and a bumper car section. “Huh?” Apis saw an upset robot goose sitting in a pond. “What’s wrong, little goose? …Oh, my telepathy doesn’t work for you.”
“Hey, guys!” The group looked ahead left and saw Mocha approaching. “Sorry I ran off without you! There’re a lot of rogue robots in the park. They’re all broken-looking, too.”
“I think I remember those designs now!” April said. “Those robots were the old Battle Droids from the Star Wars! That magazine I just saw made me think of it.”
“So, are they just old remnants?” Miguel asked. “Why are they even here?”
“GUYS, COME LOOK!” Mary had run ahead, climbing a statue made of a cluster of rockets. The others caught up, concerned for her safety, but from the top, she raised a small robo-goose in her hands. “It’s a baby goose! Maybe the mama lost them!”
“Good thinking, Mary!” Apis beamed. “But get down before you hurt yourself!”
The goose would politely waddle after Mary as they split up to search. Aisa dodged her way through the bumper cars to find the next baby. Chimney saw the next goose just beneath the lowest apex of one of the whirling rockets. She crawled to safely retrieve it. Mocha saw the Test-Your-Strength and decided to try it: she didn’t use the hammer and simply STOMPED on the switch, sending the weight skyrocketing as it shattered the bell on top! The baby goose fell off the bell and in her hair. They returned the four geese to their mother, who was joyous as they resumed their programming of swimming around the pond! However, she also spat a card key that April took. “They’re so cute, April!!” Mary cooed.
“They’re just programmed, Mary.” Apis said. “It’s not the same as watching real geese.”
“Awww…” Mary’s enjoyment was shot down.
“But then why did they wander away from the pond to begin with?” April inquired. “I think these machines might possess a little soul in them.”
“Yeah! You’re right!”
“That is true, I guess.” Apis smiled.
The card key opened a gate to the right of this area. This would lead to a wide track where giant parade robots would zoom up. Mocha took the lead and used colossal strength to punch each parade-bot back, exploding against ones behind it. At the end of this path, the road would curve left, right and slope up, and right again, but four parade-bots came down, linked like a train. Mocha pressed her hands against the front one and pushed them all the way back up the path. She pushed them past the entrance to the next area, letting her friends run in first before she followed.
A long track would lead to a huge gate, a massive cloud behind it with a building atop it. An even longer train of parade-bots charged out. Though Mocha was able to hold them back, she couldn’t actually push them back. Chimney climbed her back and jumped her way up the parade. The part-mermaid flipped a lever at the end. The parade about-faced and charged to crash through the gate. The ops could all pass through without trouble: beyond the gate was an escalator leading to a cloud with a cracked egg building on top. “Is that a Sky Island?!” Aisa exclaimed.
The group rushed to the edge beside the escalator. The clouds seemed to be rising from a smokestack. “It’s an artificial Sky Island!” Apis observed. “I don’t believe it!”
“And there’s Penny!” Mary pointed left, enthralled as Penny sliced off Sanchez’s right arm with her swords. She then flew to his nose and blew a blast of Ice Breath from her air conditioned lungs. Robot Sanchez beeped like, “Ah, ah, ah” and blew out a sneeze of oil.
“Come on, Mocha, let’s check out the cloud!” Aisa excitedly ran up the escalator, dragging Miguel with her. Mocha giggled and followed after, thankful the stairs supported her weight. (End song.)
Penny took advantage of Sanchez’s instability during his sneeze to ram the giant’s leg and topple him. Penny flew above the robot’s head and spun her blades like a fan in front of her. She fired a powerful green laser, amplified through the center of their hilts, and burned a hole into Sanchez’s mind. His consciousness malfunctioning, Sanchez pulled up an image of his family in his mind. …Sanchez leaked a windshield washer tear before shutting down.
Penny released a sigh of relief, looking into the park and spotting Pino’s tiny frame. “All robots have been successfully evacuated from this district, Penny!”
“Great job, Pino! Now, we better fly up and assist-”
“Penny! Pennyyyyyyy!”
Penny’s emerald eyes faced skyward and shone, seeing a familiar green-dressed child. The girl she met on Heroes Day… the Imaginary Creation who wanted to be free as a real girl. “…Sal.”
“Huh?”
“U!” Penny’s rockets ignited.
“Uh-oh! Penny, wait-”
“TATIOOOOONNNS!” Penny launched toward the edge of the platform, squeezing Mary in an almost deathly grip.
“Pe’y… et’s ed eh ee you! (It’s good to see you!) Pehs… et oh meh… (Please let go me.)”
Mary fell over, partially deflated like a tube of paint as Penny looked down in guilt. “HUUUUFF!” But she breathed back to life and bent up. “I’m so glad to see you, Penny! Thanks to this war happening, I got a chance to come to your homeworld! I mean, I’m not glad the war is happening, but…”
“It’s okay, Mary! I’m delighted to see you, too! Are you all here to assist us?”
“It looks like we are.” April smiled. “Why are Brotherhood robots attacking the park? And why are those old droids here?”
“We flew here to assist Sector Vega, and we’re on the verge of victory. As for those droids, I think they were resurrected by Sartana’s chi.”
“Sartana de los Muertos?” Miguel asked.
“I’ll explain more later. For now I’d like to check on-” There was a thundering crash from atop the cloud island. “Atlas!”
…
“Man, are you feeling this?!” Aisa was ecstatic as she bounced around the cloud’s surface, squeezing it with fingers and toes. “It’s squishier than normal Island Cloud! It feels more like Sea Cloud that’s been solidified.”
“Yeah, I can barely stand on it!” Miguel moaned, wobbling as Mocha’s steps rippled the surface like waves.
“Man, I hope I don’t fall through! I wonder what’s in this building-”
“AAAAAAAGH!” A muscular robot was blasted through the egg’s wall, colliding with the Island Cloud and bouncing the kids with an intense wave. “How dare you punch the great Atlas?!” The gold and red robot was upgraded with a samurai helmet and energy cords coursing through his arms, ending at his knuckles.
“Atlas?! That’s another villain!” Mocha remembered.
“HRAAAAAHHH!” A much larger figure flew out of the egg with a jetpack: it was a girl the size of Mocha! Her hair was divided in pink and white, with long curly bangs hanging down the front sides. She had sheep-like ears, a fluffy tail, and pink boots that matched her dress, which had an arrow running down it. “Destroying our park, trashing our creator’s lab, and worst of all, claiming my name as your own?!”
“I’ve done no such thing! YOU’RE the one who dares defile the glory of Atlas!” Atlas argued.
“There’s only room on this cloud for ONE Atlas, and that’s ME!” The giant leapt to clap Atlas between her gloved hands, the golden robot hardening himself with nanomachines to push back.
“Wait, so they’re both named Atlas?” Mocha asked. “Ugh, I hate when this happens.”
Man-Atlas leapt to hammer-slam Girl-Atlas’ (from One Piece) head, the giant blocking him with one fist and swinging the other to hit him, but Man-Atlas swung his foot to counter that and kick away. Man-Atlas aimed his fists to shoot and retract repeatedly, pummeling Girl-Atlas with a punching storm. Girl-Atlas aimed palms forward and shot Light Spheres to damage Man-Atlas during this onslaught. Man-Atlas hardened his whole torso before launching at the giant, Girl planting her palms against to push back, but Man-Atlas persevered and brought her closer to the cloud’s edge. “HIYAH!” But Mocha slammed her own hammer punch on his back, the force pressing him deep into the cloud. Girl-Atlas slid down after him, and Mocha followed suit, their combined weight causing them to pierce the cloud and plummet to the park!
The giants dented a crater, garnering attention from the park-goers. Man-Atlas blasted both off, leaping onto Mocha to pummel her face with hardened fists. “A mere oversized human has no place challenging Atlas!”
Mocha smirked, her Haki withstanding the worst of his power. “Is this fake Haki supposed to scare me?”
Girl-Atlas punched the villain off, denting his hip. As the robo-citizens cheered the park’s hero, Man-Atlas rose up in anger. “I’ll show YOU what’s fake!” Man-Atlas channeled most of the nanomachines around his fist, amplified by the energy coursing through. He leapt at Mocha with relentless power, but the Amazon only smirked and channeled intense Haki to her fist. Man-Atlas’ arm shattered upon contact with it. “NO!! I just got these upgrades this morning! How did a primitive human destroy them?! AUGH!”
Girl-Atlas clapped him from behind, pressing her hands as tight as possible against the villain’s resistance. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a new toy or not.” Mocha planted her hands to the back of Girl-Atlas’, pressing them to enhance the pressure. “Toys are fragile… in the hands of reckless children!”
“NOOOOOOO…” The space between their hands completely sealed, crunching the villain, bending him, molding him into a misshapen ball. From that moment, there was only one Atlas in this park. The arrogant robot, proud of his strength, no longer had rights to that name, nor the functionality to own it.
“Heeheehee!” Mocha grinned, raising a hand. “Nice to meet a fellow giant warrior! Put ’er there-” Atlas SOCKED her in the stomach, crashing Mocha into the wall of a building.
“I didn’t ask you to help me! He was MY opponent!” Atlas launched to continue the assault, Mocha countering her fists.
“I just wanted to help! We’re KND ops from Earth, we came here to help you guys!”
“Well, now I feel unsatisfied!” Atlas kicked Mocha’s legs and toppled her. “I need someone to FIGHT!” She leapt to crush the Amazon, but Mocha sprung back up and grabbed her, landing and wrestling Atlas on the ground.
“Atlas!” Watching the exchange, Pino hurried as fast as her little legs could.
“Hnhnhn!” Mocha snickered, pinning Atlas down and tying her arms behind her. “Artificial strength is no match to pure sweat and training!”
“Hey! Please stop hurting my friend!”
“Who said that?” Mocha looked around. She needed her earpiece to register the minute voice, so was it a tiny person like Aeincha? …She saw a very small robot running from in front of Atlas, though only as small as a toddler and not Lilliputian.
“Atlas, this girl only wanted to be friends. If you apologize, maybe she’ll get off.”
“No! I can beat her! I…”
“Alright, how about I surrender?” Mocha released her grip and got off. “You win. Happy now?”
“…Hmph!” Atlas puffed her inflatable cheeks.
“Teehee! Now you can be friends!” Pino cheered.
“Whatever.” Atlas gently picked Pino up in her fingers, standing. “I need to check up on the lab.” Her jetpacks ignited.
“Hey, let me come,” Mocha grabbed Atlas’ back, “TOOOOOO!” and was whisked off to the sky!
They flew around the edge of the Island Cloud to land back on top, meeting the rest of W7 and Penny. “Atlas! Great job defeating that villain!” Penny flew to her eye-level and raised a hand.
“You did great beating that giant, too, Penny!” Atlas cheered up and high-fived (high-palmed) Penny.
“OI, you guys got your own giant, too!” Chimney cheered, running up to Atlas’ boots in awe.
“Yeah, but Atlas isn’t in our sector.” Pino jumped down beside Chimney. “She’s Sector Vega, and we’re Sector Prime. Oh!” She noticed Aeincha. “Who’s that little human?”
“I’m Aeincha!” Aeincha landed by Chimney’s feet, approaching the taller robot. “I’m Lilliputian, a little human!”
“Wow! I thought only robots came in multiple sizes!”
“Then I guess we’re more alike than we realized!”
“Hahahaha!” Both giggled as Pino picked the tiny up. “Aeincha? That’s sort of like what Arale says. N’cha!”
“Who’s Arale?”
“Another one in our sector. But, she’s somewhere else right now.”
“A couple days ago, the robots in Dr. Eggman’s territory suddenly went berserk.” Penny explained. “They started waging war against Mom’s territory, and the war began to spread to other regions. Several Brotherhood of Evil agents are aiding Eggman’s army as well.”
“But it isn’t just each other they’re fighting.” Atlas continued. “Both armies were already attacking KND bases. They’re practically fighting over them.”
“All thanks to those Disneybots they’re forcing our creators to build.” Pino frowned.
“The Disneybots?” Apis asked. “You mean those robots of child Disney heroes? I heard they were on Mira, fighting Eggman’s robots there, too.”
“Our creators worked for MomCorp.” Penny began. “One day, they were ordered to be separated to different factories to help construct them. We were promised they wouldn’t be used against the KND, but that was before this ‘war’ started.”
“So, you guys already know what’s going on?” April asked.
“We saw the Galactic Council broadcast, yes.” Pino answered. “We saw your battle with Hancock as well, Mocha.”
“Haha! We sure embarrassed ourselves, huh? But that’s basically why we’re here. We need to stop all the Corporate Presidents and Bowser’s warlords to win this war.”
“Then let us accompany you!” Penny cheered. “They’re our friends to rescue, too! And I’m sure you’ll need guides around the planet.”
“They’ll need more than guides to survive on this planet.” A nasally voice said.
“Dr. Egghead!” Atlas beamed, facing the egg’s entrance.
The outsiders were in wonder as the head scientist of the park stepped out. He was a skinny man with green goggles and a sock on his head, and his nerves seemed a bit jittery. “Greetings! My name is Edward, but you can call me Edd! As the founder of this park, some have come to know me as Dr. Egghead… unfortunately, that’s caused lots of confusion and mis-happenings regarding a scientist with a similar name.”
“Dr. Egghead created each of us in Sector Vega!” Atlas said.
“Initially to be the park’s guardians and workers, but the decision to join the KND was all theirs. But I admit I might have subconsciously edged them in that direction. I’ve always followed the KND’s exploits. I grew up in a humble cul-de-sac on Earth, and through the misadventures of fate, I wound up assisting the KND on an important quest. On that quest, I experienced lots of technology and wonders I never would’ve seen if I stayed home! I decided to improve my skills and knowledge, and that would soon lead to the wonderland you see here! I even managed to craft my own artificial Island Cloud! Using the air system I’ve installed around the park, I’ve been able to modify the density of pyrobloin and moisture in the condensation nuclei, I can recreate them!”
“We didn’t understand any of that!” the Earthlings chorused.
“Ahem, at any rate, although I’m not affiliated with MomCorp, my children feared they may try to abduct me. That certainly seems true for the Brotherhood… perhaps they’re angry that I froze them solid 24 years ago. If you’re going to save Mechanos, I would like to provide inventions that may coincide well with your natural abilities.”
“Okay, but shoes are off the table.” Aisa stated. “If you wanna fix me with some mechanical arrows, I’m fine with that.”
“Er, okay… but I should warn you Mechanos’ surface is often quite cold. I would like to make a request to you girls after you leave: north of here is a town called Rush Valley. My son is there, you see—biological son, that is—and I would like you to check up on him. His name is Edward Elric, Jr.! Just as well, that town has a restaurant of human food if you need to replenish yourselves.”
“We brought our own food, but you can never be too careful.” Apis agreed.
“What would you like us to do, Papa?” Atlas asked.
“Actually, Atlas, I’d be delighted if you could go with them. Not just to Rush Valley, but on their mission. I’ll be safe with the other operatives here.”
“You mean I have to keep traveling with this monkey?” Mocha shot her a glare.
“Now, now, Atlas, these children have flown all the way here to help our planet. In that circumstance, it certainly won’t pay to be rude. Plus, there’s a lot you can learn from our giant warrior that simple coding can’t teach you.”
“Aw, fine…” She folded her arms and puffed cheeks in protest.
“Now, shall we have at those upgrades?” April winked. “Since my paint doesn’t work well against robots, I have an idea in mind.”
Cybertron Junklands
The landscape was ugly as a graveyard with no burial soil. That’s how Team Jerome analyzed the Junklands, piled with bodies of giant, dead robots for miles. “Look at this place!” Artie cringed in repulse. “How could they let so many good robots go to waste?!”
“Attention aircraft! This is a no-fly zone!” A pair of security ships stopped in front of them. “From here, you can only proceed by foot or by vehicle!”
“But we are in a vehicle.” Jerome answered.
“Does not compute! Does not compute!!” The right ship exploded.
“Paradox analyzed.” The left one said. “Directive updated: you can only proceed by foot or by land-based vehicle.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jerome flew to a nearby parking area. Fortunately, the Gilligans had their own giant mech prepared: a Gilligan Buster mk. II! But Jerome and Bender had no problem walking on their own, and Vweeb didn’t mind Jerome’s cozy hair.
The six crossed a mostly-clear road to a long building with several flags along its roof and garages on its front. They could hear a lot of crashing, gunfire, and explosions beyond it. They stepped aside, hearing a car driving up from behind. It looked like an ordinary, shiny red hotrod. The car parked beside them. The window rolled down as an obese, tan-skinned man with blonde hair, small beard, and a ripped red vest smiled at them coolly. “Hey, shouldn’t you kids be in school?”
“We’re on official KND business. We’re searching for excessive villain activity.”
“Sure you are. Haha, I’m just kidding. I cut school all the time. But it looks like you’re here for the Monster Mech rally. You’re pretty bold goin’ in with little mechs like that.”
“Little mech?!” Bender glared. “Well, bite my shiny little ass!”
“There’s a Monster Mech rally?!” Artie lit up.
“Yeah. I dunno about you boys, but the chick’ll fit in just fine.” He eyed Haylee. “The guys dig girls with big thighs. The khakis really show ’em off.”
“Okaaaaay, well, closing the mech now.” Haylee closed her section of the Buster.
“And you plan on entering this rally with a car?” Harry inquired.
“Hahahahaha! Friends, you’re looking at the one and only Harold Cooplowski. Why don’t ya follow me to my office and see what this Cuma’s packing?”
The ops followed Coop to the garage building. He entered a shutter designated for him, and his car seemed to park on the torso of a giant blue robot with painted flames. The car attached itself and acted as the robot’s head. “Alright, Megas, let’s show these newbs the ropes!”
The opposite shutter opened, allowing the robot to march into the battleground. Numerous giant mechs were in battle with each other… though it seemed all the distinct ones were only fighting robots of the same silver, can-shaped design with flexible arms (almost looking like Bender). “WOOHOO! Look at all the big bots! CRUSH those humans!” Bender cheered.
“This place is AMAZING!” Artie screamed. “W7 can have fun at their theme park, this is where WE belong, baby! LET’S SMAAAAASH!” They took flight and SLAMMED one of the remote bots in its metal skull!
“Hey, Jerome!” Vweeb looked through a pair of binoculars. “I see a smaller robot fighting that gold one! …Wait! This thing’s reading her as Numbuh XJ-9! She’s part of the KND!”
“We’ve picked wisely, I see. Bender, let’s…Bender?”
“LOOK OUT, MONSTER MECHS!” Bender dove bravely to the field’s surface. “Bender the Offender is BAAAACK!”
“Let’s tell Nebula he died in battle.” Vweeb said.
“I think he’s about to.” (Play “Chicks Dig Giant Robots” from Megas XLR!)
Act 2: Cybertron Junklands
Jerome and Vweeb dropped down after Bender, charging over the field of fallen giants. They stayed clear of the brawling titans, enticed by the epic scale. They were too enthralled to notice the small Decepticon zombies rise from the rubble, turning into broken-down cars that tried to ram the kids. Bender’s fists and Jerome’s S.H.O.O.T.E.R. were enough to scrap the scrap. They entered a canyon with a robot’s dead body leaning against the end wall. Several Decepticons would morph into broken bombs, and Jerome feared getting close to the volatile mechs. Instead, he threw B.O.O.M.E.R.s through portals to explode the bombs from afar. He then formed a Grav-Path up the robot’s body, the two walking up.
“I think I heard about this place in a history book.” Jerome said. “About 200 years after Mechanos was founded, two races of giant robots waged war here to decide whether to exterminate humanity or not. The Autobots were in favor of humanity and the Decepticons were against.”
“Dude, I think everyone read that textbook.” Vweeb remarked.
“In the end, both races wound up exterminating the other.”
“Aw, man.” Bender frowned.
The group would have to platform across a line of Transformers’ heads. Bender stretched his arms to pull the first one toward them, and they would ride it as it swayed in the direction of the next. That Transformer would fall to the next, and they would all fall with increasing speed as the duo jumped quickly. They ran to an open area where one of the Tobeybots loomed. They dodged its first stomp as Jerome threw N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s through portals, slicing its flexible limbs in various places. Vweeb rode on one of the shurikens, landing on the arm to crawl into the opening. The Kateenian tore his way through the wiring, first making that arm snap off, and later making the giant malfunction. Bender stretched his arms to grab the top and bottom of the giant’s torso, bending it at the spine.
The trio proceeded down a suspended path between several pairs of brawling titans. A piloted mech came toppling their way, crushing a chunk of the path ahead before standing up. Bender stretched to become his own bridge across, Jerome accepting his service. Another mech threatened to fall on them, so Jerome stuck his hands through a portal to enlarge them, suspending the giant until the pilot could get it up. They couldn’t make it a few more steps before a Tobeybot was hurdled their way, but luckily, the Gilligans flew to punch it off course. “You owe us!” Artie yelped.
They crossed into a wider path filled with molten holes, and spinning red robots called Topmen swerving around. Jerome thought it fitting to send tops from the T.O.P.M.A.N., watching hilariously as the cluster of tops bounced each other around and into the holes. Though, they needed to keep a green Springtop alive to recover a floating Riddler Trophy. At the end of this road, a large Topmaniac burst from the scrap. It lunged at the ops with electric blades, destroying Jerome’s T.O.P.M.A.N.s. The Zathurian evasively warped, and when the Topmaniac came for Bender, the bender planted his arms to the floor in a tent shape and stretched up. The Topmaniac stopped directly between the arms, giving Bender the chance to smash down atop it. The Topmaniac was stunned as Jerome trapped it in a Space Block and burst it. The robot refused to die to this and charged at Jerome again. He made more Blocks to make Topmaniac bounce around in confusion, and Bender was able to deal another Ground Pound, crushing it for good.
The three closed in on the giant golden Tobeybot. They could grind a rail over a fiery abyss, but ominous, fish-shaped shadows loomed within it. “AAAH!” A giant skele-fishbot shot up an chomped the rail ahead! The part behind them snapped as it swung the rail piece around, but they leapt in the direction of another rail and successfully landed. Another fishbot emerged from ahead and chomped up the rail, but they could leap off to another on the left. For the next portion, multiple arches of small fish jumped over the rail, requiring them to either duck or leap, and Bender’s antenna was eaten. “EEK! My manbothood!”
They grinded toward a zone with several elevated, spinning saws. Fishbots would leap and use their tails to bat the rails to random directions, the ops thinking fast to jump over saws, duck them, or jump left or right to other rails. Even Vweeb was distraught as parts of Jerome’s fluffy hair were cut off. Regardless, they were able to safely make it to the end. They cautiously approached Jenny’s brawl with the golden robot. (End song.)
The giant swung its arm above and smacked Jenny to the ground. It repeatedly tried to stomp the operative, Jenny withstanding with shield arms. “What’s wrong, XJ-9? The pressure too much?” The robot’s pilot was Tobey, a skinny, blonde boy with glasses, orange vest over a blue shirt, red bowtie, and brown shorts. “It’s only a matter of time until you join this ocean of scrap!”
Jenny kicked her feet up against the robot’s sole, the legs becoming a drill to burrow through it. Jenny smirked as she began to make progress. “Don’t worry, fair maidenbot!” Bender declared, stretching his legs to the height of the giant’s knee. “I’LL save thee!” He swung himself in circles before ramming the knee, flinging its leg leftward.
“WAAAAH!” Jenny went flying from the motion. She rose from the pile, pulling an Autobot’s head off her pigtail, and glared at the bender.
Tobey grabbed Bender’s stretched legs and used his other hand to pull Bender’s body back like a slingshot, aimed at Jerome. Bender detached the legs and grabbed the fingers clutching him, bending them backward to escape. As he fell, Bender grabbed the edge of the giant’s waist, reaching another arm underneath to stretch behind the giant. It reached all the way to the robot’s antenna, mustering his immense strength to bend the titan from this angle. Tobey jiggled his controls to shake Bender off. His severed legs bounced back to their master, allowing him to reattach. “Hey!” Jenny landed beside him. “You totally messed up my plan!”
“All I saw was you getting your butt stomped, and since the Great Bender is chivalrous, I wanted to help.”
“I was drilling up his leg when he thought he had me! Now I might never get a second chance!”
“What are you two bickering about?!” Tobey slammed a hand down, the robots dodging separately. Jenny stretched and wrapped an arm Tobey’s arm, stretching the other to wrap a Transformer’s torso to stabilize herself.
“Hah! You need to hold yourself in place?” Bender wrapped his own arm around the same arm. “I can rip his arm off with one arm behind my back!”
“This isn’t a contest, you dolt! What are you, 4?”
“I’m 8 years old and growing, baby!”
“Well, I’m only six, and I got a better hold on this situation than—YOOOOUUU!” Tobey spun, yanking Jenny’s arm off, and spun Bender with him as he slammed into Jenny, his own arm breaking off. “UGH!” She pushed the older robot off. “Just stay outta my way! You won’t do much with one arm.”
“You’re missing one, too!”
“Not if I do this.” The arm wrapped around Tobey broke into pieces that reformed on Jenny. “I’m built with 80% nanomachines.”
“Yeah, well I’m 40% nanomachines. And I’ve gotten out of worse scraps than this.”
Jenny stuck her face into Bender’s. “Then maybe we’ll settle this after we deal with him!”
“Maybe we will!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“Hmph!”
“HMPH!!” Tobey tried to stomp them. Jenny, seeing the dented spot where Bender whacked his leg, sliced her chainsaw hand and sawed the leg off. As Tobey hopped around on the other leg, Bender stretched his last arm to the giant’s antenna and launched himself up. The momentum caused Tobey to fall backward, but Bender swiftly wrapped legs around the robot’s head. He stretched his arm to grab Jenny’s, the girl pulling him against the giant’s falling trajectory, causing Bender to tear the head off. Tobey’s cockpit was exposed underneath, the boy genius bouncing off from the titan’s collapse and painfully bumping into some scrap bodies.
“Ohhhh…man, Jack Spicer’s going to have a laughing fit when he hears of this. Ack!” Jenny grabbed and lifted him by the collar. Tobey grabbed his remote, intending to direct the other Tobeypots their direction, but Jenny quickly grabbed the remote and crushed it. “CURSE YOU!!”
“Hey, watch that mouth of yours, young man.” Vweeb smirked, jumping on Jenny’s shoulders and crossing her arm. “We need to turn your volume down if you’re gonna talk like that.” He aimed his shrink ray and held it long enough until Tobey was an inch tall.
The tiny boy dropped on the ground, confused by his surroundings… and to his horror, Jenny’s foot loomed above him. “Time for some payback~”
“AH!!” Tobey reflexively dodged the stomp. He frantically skittered under the mountains of scrap, lost among its depths.
“He’ll resize eventually. Should we dig him up?” Vweeb asked.
“Nah, let him enjoy his hidey-hole.”
“According to the database,” Jerome studied, “that was Tobey McCallister, a villain from Fair City, Superbia. He’s one of many archenemies of the Vocabulary Hero, Wordgirl.”
“’Guess the Brotherhood will take anyone these days.” Jenny narrowed her eyes wryly. “Anyway, I appreciate the help… some of it.” She glanced at Bender. “I’m Jenny. And…” She smiled at the Kateenian on the back of her hand, “you guys are Vweeb and Jerome from GKND! I bet you’re here to help us, huh?”
“Well, if a cute young robot needs help, who are we to turn her down?” Vweeb said.
“Hehehe!” Jenny giggled in adoration.
The Gilligan Buster landed nearby, the pilots stepping off. “All those robots suddenly shut off.” Haylee said.
“Tobey’s robots were grabbing a bunch of the dead Transformers and carrying them away. Then they started fighting the Monster Mechers. I’m worried if they were carrying them for that Sartana woman…”
“You’ll have to fill us in on our way back to ship.” Jerome replied.
“Aw, can’t we stay a little longer?” Artie asked. “I totally wanna trash Coop’s ride!”
“Hey, newbies!” Megas walked up, carrying a dead Tobeybot with red spray paint around its mouth and a blonde wig on its head. “You jealous of my new girlfriend? Mmmmmmmwah!” Coop tipped the Tobeybot’s mouth to his car.
“…I wanna trash him even more now.” Haylee said.
“Permission granted.” Jerome approved.
MomCorp H.Q.
“Mother.” Mom’s eldest, black-haired son, Walt stepped into her office. “Senator Armstrong is here. Shall I send him in?”
“About time the old borg showed up. Go ahead, Walter. Here’s a cookie.”
“Mmmm, peanut-butter with M&M’s.” Walt munched the cookie with delight as he stepped out.
A large man with smooth black hair, rectangular glasses, and a gray, striped suit with a gold tie stepped in, his smile jovial as he raised a cigar in his fingers. “Howdy, Madame President! How’s business? I hear you’re in quite a pickle with them Eggmen folk.”
“My old rival met with a tragic demise and his robots need someone to lash their anger on.”
“Heh heh, good on them! Loyal to the very end! But is that real loyalty, or is it all programming? I wonder.” Armstrong (from Metal Gear Rising) inhaled a smoke and blew out. “Ya made some damn fine progress with them Disneybots. The boys upstairs love ’em. But I hope you found time to work on them nanomachine upgrades.”
“Well, of course. I have the updated models right here.” A vial rose from Mom’s desk, containing black particles.
Armstrong took the vial firmly, pulled the cork off, and gulped them up. “HO HO, MAMA!” He was ecstatic as his fists hardened a shiny black with pronounced, white boney knuckles. “Just feel that metal, baby! If only Eggman saw potential like this, maybe he wouldn’t have bit it!”
“The old yolk was too obsessed with god power to think about focusing smaller.”
“And someday, these bad boys will be all over Galaxia’s army! There won’t be any need for Kids Next Door, ain’t no need to worry about no pirates, Bowser, or nothin’, when nanomachines are buffin’ up soldiers one hundredfold. And if any of them try to go ballistic, ain’t nothin’ an emergency shutdown program can’t fix.”
“That’s only if the council approves of modifying soldiers into cyborgs.”
“Bah, with the way things are now, we’re gonna need a new council. With the kind of war we’re bein’ thrust into, they’re gonna get desperate. Desperate for stronger soldiers, stronger weapons! You know, Chancellor Phyronix ain’t lookin’ hot in the public’s eyes right now. Callin’ him indecisive, easily swayed, spoutin’ all that support over the KND only to suddenly change his mind. They’re gonna need a new chancellor soon… and guess who’s gunning for that seat?” He smirked ambitiously.
“Mommy!” Mom’s dark-blonde middle child, Larry walked in. “Our satellite drones saw the KND in Egghead Land and Cybertron!”
“Well, of COURSE they are, ya 0.1% shareholding ignoramus!” Mom stomped up and smacked him.
“Ahhh!” Larry cried. “I-I meant the Earth and GKND! They just showed up, a-and Bender’s with them, too.”
A monitor lowered from the ceiling, displaying feed from the satellites. She saw brief clips of Mocha and Atlas fighting Former Atlas, and Jenny and Benny fighting Tobey. “Hn! It’s Nebula’s useless brother… and that’s the wretched Amazon girl!”
“The one who trounced Hancock?” Armstrong tapped cigar buds in an ashtray on Mom’s desk. “Heh…this is good timing. These nanomachines need a worthy test. Johnny,” he began to leave, “take me to Egghead Land! I’m about to show the universe the future of martial arts!”
I already had a ton of fun in these first couple chapters! Already crammed so much crossover variety and more to come! Now I’m so addicted to MACHIIIIIIINES! When I first watched Xenoblade, I considered making Bionis/Mechonis part of Mechanos, but ultimately, making a cohesive world out of Mira was much better. For now, I leave off with an A1Z26 Cipher! Been awhile since I used these!
20-8-5-25 / 19-1-25 / 1 / 7-5-14-9-21-19 / 3-18-5-1-20-5-4 / 18-15-2-15-20 / 19-1-14-3-8-5-26
Chapter 18: Mecha Saga 3: Machines Made For War
Summary:
Sector W7 go to Rush Valley and meet the Elric Brothers. Team Jerome help the town of Basel from an invasion.
Chapter Text
I didn’t expect to introduce Fullmetal Alchemist characters like this, but we should know how the Gameverse works by now! Also, let’s welcome legendaryflame185 to the Gameverse!
Chapter 17: Machines Made For War
The 20-mile drive from Egghead to Rush Valley went by in a blink on the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.. They stopped just half a mile from the town and continued the journey on foot. “Oi, we moved a lot slower carrying two giants!” Chimney whined. “Especially since one of them’s made of metal!”
“Then I should’ve used my jetpacks like I originally suggested!” Atlas stated.
“But how often do we get to ride such a cool train?!” Penny cheered.
“I bet you two metalheads weigh a ton, too.” Chimney remarked.
“The only thing that weighs a ton is your big mouth.” Aisa stated. “But man, I can’t wait to put these weapons to use!” The Shandian had been given a dark-gray bow with a glowing string and tech arrows with glowing blue tips.
Apis had been fit with a headband designed to transmit her telepathy frequency to affect robot animals. April had a light-recording paintbrush and palette with digital lights. Her brush recorded the colors from the palette, and she could “paint” it on robots to achieve the same hypnotic effects. Mary possessed light-up crayons that left streaks across the air and could achieve the effects of her regular ones. Chimney wore gauntlets with suction tubes that could suck in air moisture and project the condensed water from the knuckles or palms, allowing for on-the-spot Fishman Karate. Miguel had an electric guitar to transmit his musicbending with electronic frequencies. “How come you didn’t want any upgrades, Mocha?” Aeincha asked, flying with a pack of digi-glass dragonfly wings close to the Amazon’s ear. “Some metal gloves or leg wraps, you could’ve been stronger than ever!”
“My Haki is more than enough to break a few machines!” Mocha flexed an arm. “A warrior’s natural will is stronger than any tech!”
“I’m so proud of you, Mocha.” Aisa wept. She couldn’t bear to see her amazing Amazon out of her best attire. (Play “Mining Village Mainz” from Trails From Zero!)
Rush Valley was secluded within a small, natural mountain range. Most of the citizens had some form of cyborg component. A couple children were playing kickball with metallic legs. A baker was flattening dough with a roller attached to his arms. “It’s got a nice old-timey feel to it.” Miguel smiled. “But what happened to all these people?”
“Well, a lot of things.” Penny answered. “Criminals, wars, traffic accidents… and they either didn’t fit in wherever they came from or couldn’t afford to live there, but this place is cheaply affordable!”
“They couldn’t ‘fit in’?” Mary asked. “But there’s all sorts of aliens in Galaxia. Why would cyborg people be any different?”
“Different areas have different customs… and bullies.” April answered.
“WHOA, ’SCUSE ME, SORRY!!” The group was taken off-guard when a tan-skinned teen ran and stumbled over them.
“What the heck?!” Mocha exclaimed.
“Ha ha! Sorry!” The girl stood, blushing as she rushed off. She had black hair in small pigtails, a black top, and green pants. “I’m late for school! Didn’t mean to hit you!”
“Uh…” Miguel pulled himself up. “That was random. …?! MY GUITAR!”
“What?!” Aisa gasped.
“Scans indicate that girl took it!” Atlas pointed.
“HEY!” Aisa bolted up the alley after her. “Give back my boyfriend’s guitar!”
“Hee hee hee! I wonder how much this will sell for!” Paninya smirked. She ran up a small field between the buildings and cliff, but when the Shandian closed in with swift speed, the thief whipped around, exposed her left cyborg leg, and shot a cannon from her knee. However, Aisa’s Haki easily expected that, dodging the bullets and leaping to kick Paninya’s jaw. Her Red-Foot Style wasn’t as strong as a Fanalis, but it sure sent the thief tumbling over with a disjointed jaw. She was still able to dodge Aisa’s arrow aimed for her leg, charging toward the Shandian and unveiling a blade in her right leg. Aisa dodged the slicing kicks and grabbed her Conache Pumpkin from her satchel, swinging it via its rope. Paninya was confident her bladed knee could cut the green pumpkin, but its iron shell merely knocked her trajectory askew. Aisa jumped the thief, choked her neck with her legs, and forced her to the ground.
When the other W7 agents caught up, Paninya feared her chances were slim. Until an electric blast forced Aisa off her. “Why are you attacking Paninya?!” The operatives looked up at a blonde-haired boy in a red, hooded cloak, aiming a right arm made of metal. His left leg just below the knee was also metallic.
“ED! These girls are trying to rob me!”
“No we’re not!” Aisa shouted.
“Brother, stop!” A large, gunmetal-colored robot with a spike in his forehead and over his shoulders ran up from behind Ed. He was about twice Ed’s 4’11” height. “Don’t you see Atlas with them?”
“Huh?” Ed cocked a brow at his giant pseudo-sister. “What’s going on here?”
“HI, ED!” Penny waved. “This is Sector W7 from Earth! Your father sent us to check on you!”
“Yeah, and this girl stole my guitar!” Miguel yelled.
“I should’ve known that was the case.” Ed sighed.
He and his robot jumped down, approaching as Paninya handed Miguel his guitar back. “Hey, a girl’s gotta make a living somehow.” She grinned.
“Uh, anyway… this here’s my older brother, ‘Fullmetal Mechanic’ Edward.” Atlas smiled. “And that’s his own hand-crafted brother, Alphonse.”
“For being the oldest sibling, he sure doesn’t look it.” Mocha joked.
“WHO’RE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE’S THE SIZE OF A PEA, I’M GONNA CUT YOU DOWN TO SIZE AND SHOW YOU-” Alphonse had to restrain his erratic brother.
“Calm down, Brother! Sorry, he’s pretty touchy about this!”
“Wait, Atlas was made by Dr. Egghead, so she and his human son are siblings.” Apis recapped. “So, shouldn’t Alphonse be your ‘son’ if you created him?”
“I made him because I wanted a little brother.” Ed said. “But all Dad made were sisters. Besides, I was too young to be a daddy.”
“Anyway, welcome to Rush Valley, the Boomtown of the Broken-Down!” Al announced. “Are you guys hungry? We can introduce each other at the Hungry Human.”
“Lovely name for a restaurant.” Aisa remarked.
The humanoids purchased some acceptable sandwiches and salads at the restaurant while the robots filled up on oil. They went over brief introductions and explained their mission. “Luckily, the Brotherhood hasn’t really reached us out here, yet.” Ed said. “And Mom probably thinks the mechanics here are too ‘low techy’ to be worth kidnapping.”
“Technically speaking, she has only ‘kidnapped’ and separated employees who were already under her.” Pino reasoned.
“As far as we know, Mom hasn’t done anything particularly bad with those Disneybots.” Al replied. “They’ve been fighting the bad guys and keeping us safe just like she promised. But in the end, she’s just trying to upstage the KND. I still can’t believe Mickey would post all those secrets about you guys. I always liked Disney…”
“Technically, it was…eh, never mind.” Aisa sighed.
“I’m not ashamed of my secret!” Aeincha cheered, fluttering near Atlas’ two-colored hair. “The universe is full of so many wondrous hairs waiting to be cuddled in! When we first came here, I thought all the hair was gonna be cold and metallic, but Atlas and Penny’s creators know how to make a robot with style!”
“I wish I could say the same.” Aisa frowned. “But I assume all your boots are just part of your bodies. Oh, to be cursed with eternal shoes.”
“Uh…I don’t understand.” Al said.
“Aisa likes to draw peoples’ feet, weird, right?” Chimney said in passive reproach.
“And now the whole universe knows, so why can’t I be open with it?”
“That is quite the interesting hobby!” Penny smiled. “But, to be truthful… I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have human feet.”
“Oh, it’s such a wonderful feeling!” Aisa expressed in heavy breath.
“Aaaaaand I’m out.” Chimney grabbed Apis’ arm and walked away. “Apis, make me something to eat so I can throw up.”
“Hey!!”
“Hehehe…perhaps we should explain.” Pino blushed. “Did you know that there’s a way for robots to become human?”
“Like with magic?” April asked.
“Regular magic can’t transform machines to organic form. But there is one that can: somewhere deep in this planet is a mechanical ‘spirit’ called Motherboard. Long ago, she was found by a robot named Pinocchio, who wished to become a real boy. My friends and I dream of becoming real children… and we’re very close to realizing our goal!”
“Really?!” Mary gasped. “That sounds amazing! I wonder if… I could become real, too?”
“Artificial beings becoming real?” April recounted. “We have experience with that, and… I wouldn’t entirely trust it. What’s the catch?”
“Catch?” Penny asked.
“Is there some kind of price you need to pay to become real? Because depending on what it is, you may not want to.”
“April…” Mary was downtrodden… by the notion and the memory.
“I’m…I guess I don’t really know either.” Penny frowned.
“We follow the Motherboard dream, too.” Al said. “Not only could I become a real boy… but Ed could get his limbs back.”
“Yeah, but Winry wouldn’t like her precious automail being transformed.” Ed snickered.
“Automail?” Aisa repeated.
“Ah, that’s the metal that can be mined and forged around here. It’s what all our prosthetics are made from. It’s designed to register nicely with our skin and nerves. …Say, we should introduce ya to Winry, in fact! Are any of you mechanics? She’ll hit it off with you in a heartbeat.”
“Unfortunately, our only mechanic just stomped off in disgust.” Aisa glared. “But who cares about her! Maybe we could call Jerome’s group here instead; bet the Gilligans would love this place.”
“They probably love everywhere on this planet.” Miguel chuckled. “We could check up on them, anyway. Hopefully, they’re not too preoccupied.” (End song.)
Valley close to Basel
“Haylee, we could reach our destination much faster if you would join us on the ship.”
“Hey, as much as I love the sky, a girl’s gotta enjoy rubber on the road once in a while.”
That was Haylee’s reward for crushing Coop’s Megas: the privilege of driving his Cuma to their next destination. Her ponytail flailed behind her as the hotrod graced the highway. And Coop, battered and shamed, had to sit in the backseat until she was done. “’Guess all that talk about Sector V wasn’t for show.” Coop chuckled passively. “Heh…Gilligan, huh? Like Hoagie Gilligan? I used to hear about them all the time back in the day.”
“You’re from Earth?”
“Jersey City, born and raised. I put Megas together from a bunch of cool scrap that wound up in my junkyard. But the city folk didn’t like me, uh, ‘joyriding’ the old girl, so I moved here. Where I’m free to wreck as much as I want!”
“Oh yeah… I vaguely recall reading about a giant robot GUN had to stop.”
“Still, you’re a lot cooler than I heard about. You’ll make a guy happy someday.”
“I hope you don’t mean you.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re too young for me.”
“To be fair,” Vweeb poked out of Coop’s hair, “she does have her eye on a certain young prince.”
“Where’d you come from, Vweeb?!” Haylee flushed. “And, anyway, I wasn’t planning to seriously ‘date’ Raleigh until he was older! But he’s deceptively mature for his age.”
“Well, not everyone can say they landed it with a prince.” Coop said.
“It helps that they both have an eye for tech.” Vweeb replied. “And besides that, Haylee’s got a thick, firm physique that any guy would fall for. Her tomboy demeanor certainly compliments her smarts and style, plus the way she chows on chilidogs is super adorable.”
“I’m… happy you think so, Vweeb.” Haylee enjoyed the flattery, but she had mixed feelings about where it was coming from. “…You know, why are you on this mission again? I can’t remember the last time you did anything techy. Ever since you hit puberty, it’s been girls, girls, girls.”
“Nothin’ wrong with that.” Coop smiled. “It’s what every kid goes through. I remember when I was in middle school, I-”
“Ahem, no thanks. The problem is Vweeb already has a girlfriend.”
“I can’t help that I find all kinds of girls beautiful and admirable. And I ain’t trying to get with any of them, but can’t a guy enjoy the satisfaction of flattery? Of making a girl feel special for the sake of it? It’s no different from if you make a small wooden house just for fun, or… y’know, that other hobby you like to do.”
“A-HEM, too far, Vweeb…” Haylee’s brow twitched.
“Either way, my quarrels with Arianna aren’t any of your business, so just enjoy the flattery. Besides, I do it with guys, too. You’re quite the big man, Coop! The ripped shirt and tight jeans really add to your manliness… as does the sandwich breath. I bet ladies climb all over you.”
“You got some good eyes, little dude.”
“Someone end me now.” Jerome moaned.
“Your friends really follow the beat of their own drum, huh?” Jenny asked, soaring beside the windshield with jetwings. “Hehe! You guys are kind of funny!”
“Yes, but some are more enjoyable than others.”
“Hey, you agreed to bring Vweeb along.” Harry reasoned.
“And I regret it.”
“In the first place, I was hoping for a guys-only trip.” Vweeb stated. “A refreshing change of pace, ya know?”
“And… you didn’t factor me in?” Haylee asked.
“Well, you’re pretty manly yourself.”
“… …” Haylee flipped her wrench back, smashing Vweeb and Coop’s head with it.
Haylee steered the Cuma around the winding roads within a canyon, passing under waterfalls from artificial canals. They were awed before the bustling town over a vast opening of the canyon. The buildings were mostly shades of gray, but there were patches of grass and trees, and the sight of it gave them a pleasant, down-to-earth vibe.
“Welcome to Basel, kiddos.” Coop said. “Known for its engineering university. It takes in transfers from around the universe to learn robotics up close and personal. I mean, what else is new on this planet, am I right? Me, I just like visitin’ the Motor Pavilion. Modifying cars into robots is pretty standard… but the cars themselves are sweet to look at.”
“Well, I found my dream school then.” Artie smiled.
“Uh-oh!” Jenny’s eyes widened as she scanned the city. “They’re under attack! The robo-animals are running wild!”
“HEEEELP!” one poor citizen screamed as a metal-pecker perched on his head and pecked his ear like a jackhammer.
“Bad robo-puppy! Bad!” A woman was pinned beneath the small, four-legged mech. Her attempts to smack it merely triggered his alarm.
“Robo-puppy mistreatment alert! ROBO-PUPPY MISTREATMENT ALERT!”
“I’m guessing this place has a zoo, too?!” Harry exclaimed.
“Building robot animals is a standard practice of the institute.” Jenny said. “I’m seeing Vexus’ Beetle Drones around, too. The animals must’ve been infected by her Infectobots!”
“Artie, bring us in for landing!” Jerome ordered, drawing the Z.A.P.P.. “We’ll use electric weapons to short-circuit the nanobots!” (Play “Food Run” from Crash 4!)
Act 3: Basel
Jerome began his trek across a town entry bridge. Robot pigeons swooped over the bridge, leaving droppings. Jerome snorted; he guessed that was the worst pigeons could do… until he realized they were bombs! They blew the bridge into barely stable chunks, but Jerome relied on lightweight gravity to jump across them. The pigeons threatened to drop bombs on top of him, but Jerome lashed the Z.A.P.P. around the air to take them down. “They oughta get these for normal pigeons.” A pair of robo-puppies guarded the town gate, yapping missiles. Jerome warped between two parallel ledges to dodge them, shooting the puppies with the S.H.O.O.T.E.R. to scare them back. Once Jerome reached the edge of town, he electrified the pups.
Trashcan robots grabbed fleeing citizens and tossed them into their cans. “Those Trash-o-Tron 4000’s are off their lid!” Jenny exclaimed. Jerome tossed F.L.I.P.S.B.Y. discs along the ground: when they slid under the trashbots, they shot up like springs and flipped the cans upside-down dumping the people out. Afterwards, Vweeb kicked off the ground and did a little game of “kick the can” to take the rogue bots out. “Nice of you to join me.” Jerome said as Vweeb leapt up in his hair. The stairways to other layers of town were covered in scrap that Jenny was helping sweep up. In the meantime, there was a trio of Umbrellabots Jerome could bounce to climb a wall to another layer.
“Hey, we found the Motor Pavilion!” Vweeb chirped as they viewed through the shop’s display window. “Uh-oh!” The cars seemed to be going frantic inside. Jerome hurried into the entrance; there was a car with a fiery paintjob and a bright electric aura, zooming around and corrupting other cars.
“VROOM! We shoulda done this a long time ago, Overload! Now I can infect machines in the daytime! Let’s go find some more people to squish!” He zoomed out the backdoor. Three Were-Cars tried to ram Jerome, but he formed a Space Block to make them crash, afterwards using the B.O.O.M.E.R. to explode them.
“AAAAH!” Coop and Haylee arrived. The former cried over the cars’ wrecked forms. “These beautiful babies…”
“Be on the lookout, guys.” Haylee said through comms. “We got a Were-Car problem.”
“Oh yeah. I was infected by one of those once.” Bender responded. “It was one of the best times of my life…”
“And it sounds like it’s being powered by Overload.” Jerome vaguely remembered the electrical monster from the Brotherhood. “Destroy them both!” The Zathurian proceeded further into the shop. There was a flight of rotating display platforms with cars, which would gnash at Jerome when he landed on each platform. He Space Blocked them each time and reached a higher room with a racetrack. Were-Cars were carefreely zooming around it. There were five holo-rings above the track. Jerome hitched a ride on a car and would have to jump between them in going through all the rings. They would open the door leading upstairs to the roof. “I feel bad for the people who do roof maintenance.”
“Hahahahaha!” The Were-Car hotrod was zooming circles around the roof; he was thrilled to be out in sunlight! “AAAAAH!” A laser rifle sniped him square in the face. Overload’s aura seemed to short-circuit. “Overload! Whatchu doin’, man?! I’m fryin’ out here!”
“Hurry, Harry!” Artie yelled, positioned on a higher roof with the rifle in question. “While he’s stunned!”
Harry slid a phone wire down to the roof and hopped in the Were-Car. “Let’s see how ya like some tunes!” He stuck a mixtape into the car and jumped out.
“AAAAHHH!” The car’s stereos were booming violently; it was like planting a boombox directly in your brain. “I HATE HIPHOP! GIVE ME SMOOTH JAZZ! AAAAAAHHH!” The car exploded along with Overload’s chip.
“The power of Squid Rap strikes again.” Harry slipped on some sunglasses, just to tap them smoothly.
A row of Umbrellabots helped Jerome bounce to the base of a stairway, where robo-cats were disturbed from their nap. The infected cats raced down and circled him at high speed. Vweeb watched out for where each cat would lash at him from, shooting them with keen timing. Once they were stunned from his bullets, Jerome zapped them. The stairs led to the pavilion of Basel Institute. A band of Beetle Drones dove at them, but Jerome sliced them out of the air with a N.I.N.S.T.A.R.. Jerome entered the school’s foyer, where Recyclomatics were stuffing empty soda cans into students. Jerome dealt them an overturn with the F.L.I.P.S.B.Y..
“Ahhhh.” Bender sighed as he and Jenny joined them inside the school. “I remember my old college days. We snuck into a girls’ dorm one time,”
“I don’t like the sound of this.” Jenny said.
“-and saw the hottest malfunctioning computer. I thought her error messages would duplicate forever.”
“Rrrrright… Anyway, an acquaintance of ours goes to this school. I hope he’s okay.” Jenny began blasting Beetle Drones down a right corridor, so Jerome and Bender walked upstairs and proceeded left. There seemed to be a robo-rat problem: the rodents charged at the intruders carrying mousetraps. The metal was sharp enough to penetrate Jerome’s shoes, so he whipped the Z.A.P.P. around to quickly subdue them. Vweeb shrank the mousetraps down for safety.
“HEEEY!” a voice called from in one of the rooms. “C-Can someone help here?!”
The boys rushed into the room. “Uhhhhh…”
Howard Wolowitz, a man with bowl-cut brown hair, was sitting in a chair with a blanket over him. A robot arm was on the desk next to him… and was reached under the blanket. “Hey, guys… I got a bit of a problem…”
“Has that arm been infected as well?” Jerome asked.
“N-No, it’s… a programming error. It thinks it’s turning a screw in space… I wanted it to do something else…”
“…Bender, help him out.” Jerome left.
“Yeah, this seems more up your alley.” Vweeb agreed.
“Leave it to the best, baby.” Bender walked in.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Jerome and Vweeb winced as Howard’s pain radiated across the town. “WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!”
“Oh. I thought I was supposed to help the arm.” Bender replied.
Jerome exited to the school quad. A chubby student was crawling away on his back from a looming, massive hall monitor robot. It had tank treads and giant arm cannons. “FINAL WARNING! Present hall pass!”
“We don’t need hall passes in college! And this isn’t a hall!”
“How DARE you correct me! Now you will TASTE MY WRATH!”
The robot threatened to shoot, but just as Jerome rushed to the rescue, the student was already saved by a forcefield. A silver, floating robot was projecting it. It had sharp protrusions on its head and “tail” and a bright blue streak with eyes on its central dark orb. “George, go!” a silver-haired student yelled. “I’ll deal with it!” They wore a long silver coat with a black shirt underneath and white tie. Thigh high black boots traveled up their long legs, ending just below their short white shorts, and their dark headphones hung behind their neck.
“Thanks, Quatre!” George fled. (both from Trails)
“F.I.O., X.E.R.O.S., initiate Digamma Driver Mode!” Quatre’s black robot dog barked as they leapt onto its back, while the floating drone, F.I.O. became a lance. X.E.R.O.S. galloped around the Hallbot as Quatre thrusted their lance into its back. The Hallbot whipped around and tried to shoot them, but Quatre ducked before swinging F.I.O. up and slicing its left cannon. X.E.R.O.S. pounced the mech so Quatre could stab its head, but the Hallbot batted them away with its right cannon. F.I.O. projected a shield to block its cannon shots. The Hallbot charged toward them, but X.E.R.O.S. galloped to its left as Quatre stabbed its treads, causing it to sparkle and stall. This gave Quatre the edge for a stab through the back of the head, shutting the Hallbot down. (End song.)
Quatre sighed in relief. “Great work, you two.” They climbed off X.E.R.O.S. while F.I.O. became a drone again. “Oh, hi there!” Quatre acknowledged Jerome. “Were you here to help?”
“Whoa, neat mechs!” Quatre gasped and turned to F.I.O.: a little white Kateenian was standing on the rim of its orb and rubbing it. “So smooth and polished… What’d ya make them with?”
“Well… with Orbal Tech.” Quatre blushed at the praise. “Outside of combat, F.I.O. is great at carrying moderate loads and reading material composition. And X.E.R.O.S. can track scents and… well, anything else a dog does, really.”
“I bet your professors are proud to have a brilliant young lady like you!”
“Haha, thanks… but I’m a boy.”
“DWAH!” Vweeb fell off F.IO. and hit the ground. “Why are there so many cute guys?!” X.E.R.O.S. picked him up in its mouth.
“Hahahahaha!”
“Mission accomplished!” Jenny announced as she and the Gilligans arrived. “We aren’t detecting any more hostiles! Oh, I see you met Quatre!”
“Indeed we have.” Jerome smiled. “Are you really a college student? You don’t seem much older than us.”
“Yeah, I’m only 16. But I’ve been making droids since I was in kindergarten. And aren’t you three the Gilligan siblings? I wouldn’t be surprised if you were in colleges of your own.”
“As if we had TIME for school.” Haylee remarked.
“Quatre helped us out on a few missions, too.” Jenny said. “Even helped us find the Mother Chip in Granbell Kingdom.”
“Mother Chip?” Vweeb asked.
“Oh, I never got a chance to tell you.” Jenny opened a stomach compartment and presented a box. It had six gold, heart-shaped chips with blue digital veins. “My friends and I have been collecting these. These are the keys to finding Motherboard.” Jenny explained the legend.
“Amazing!” Artie beamed. “But, about that part about you having kids… We were told robots could already do that.”
“Yeah, with other robots. But I… sorta got my eye on a human boy?” Jenny tapped her fingers, glanced away, and blushed. “A-And anyway, I lived with humans for years. I’ve always wanted to be a part of them. To feel like I have a heart and soul.”
“I would think you already have that stuff.” Harry said.
“I know, but… it’s complicated.”
“I think it’s a wonderful dream.” Quatre smiled. “And I’m rather curious if the legend is true. In fact, I think you’ll like what I have to show you, Jenny.”
“Yeah?”
Quatre led them into the planetarium, where a large telescope was mounted. Quatre inputted some exact coordinates. “Look.” Jenny peered into the lens.
A dreary, gray, almost haunted base sat amid a snowy wasteland. “The Copper Moon?”
“Let me zoom in.” Quatre twisted the crank.
The scope closed in on a robotic hand sticking out of a mound of snow. It was holding, “A Mother Chip! It’s the last one!”
“Man, this’ll be the shortest MacGuffin quest ever.” Haylee remarked.
“I mean, we’ve only been at it for months. This is amazing! Although… Copper is kind of forbidden.”
“How come?” asked Artie.
“Something about an accident and… predatorial robots. But I guess we shouldn’t think about that with this war going on, huh?”
“Y’know, what kind of wishes can Motherboard grant?” Harry asked. “Besides turning you human?”
“I don’t really know, I guess…”
“You’re thinkin’ maybe we can use her?” Vweeb asked.
“Kind of.” Harry shrugged. “Anything that helps us would be nice.”
“We shouldn’t be too reckless or hopeful about this.” Jerome reasoned.
“I can agree, but it sounds exciting!” Haylee replied, her adventurous urges igniting. “Plus, maybe if we find Motherboard, that’ll earn the respect of all robots? Which would sorta boost our chances in this war.”
“Finding a big treasure like that would incite war.” Artie said.
“Let’s just find it, anyway! You never know!”
Jenny giggled. “You know, why not? If nothing else, having all seven chips will inspire hope in the robots who want to be human!”
“Well, before you rush off,” Quatre began, “anybody hungry? Let’s grab a bite in the cafeteria!”
“Human food?!” Artie gasped. “So, it DOES exist here?”
“That does sound lovely.” Jerome agreed. His communicator rang. “Sector W7’s calling. Probably should update them.”
“There you guys are.” Bender strolled in, smoking a cigar. “I know I’m a bender, but today I learned I’m not much of a twister.”
Howard came scuttling by with a frozen sprained expression, crouched and snipping his fingers like a crab.
Rush Valley
“I mean, we’re on an actual planet of robots.” Chimney whined as she and Apis walked up a street on the eastern part of town. “We should be talking about all the cool robot stuff! And Aisa would rather talk about her weird interests. Why can’t she talk about Shandian stuff? Her freaking culture? I don’t get her.”
“I don’t really either.” Apis blushed. “But we’ve seen it all online for ourselves. I think Aisa’s just trying to take pride in it in her own way. All that matters is she’s a reliable friend and fun to be around.”
“I know she is… but seriously.”
“The Third Apocalypse is nearing! Now is the time to repent in the eyes of Robot God!” Apis perked her attention toward the doorstep of a church. There was a short preacher robot whose head looked like an arch-shaped radio, his antenna zigzaggy, and his purple body had an image of sunrays shining from clouds onto fire. “Only then will your souls find salvation, welcome in His Cloud!”
“Excuse me, sir!” Apis ran up. “But, what’s a… Robot God?”
“WHAT’S A ROBOT GOD?! My girl, He is the spirit that watches over all the data of robotkind. He is the Cloud our data ascends to when our hardware crumbles. You could say He is Arceus’s personal computer!”
“His… personal computer?!”
“But robots with corrupted data, who do not repent for the sin of malfunction, are doomed to become the Robot Devil’s fiddles.”
“Oi, don’t tell me you’re buyin’ into this malarkey, Apis?”
“Wait, I know the Robot Devil! He’s one of the 77 Demon Lords mentioned in the Forbidden Book of Arceus! The one Sipa showed me.”
“77 Demon Lords? I never heard of that many!”
“Well, you never listen to my lectures to begin with…”
“I mean, as long as we don’t have a mission with them, they’re probably not important.”
“Mr. Preacherbot, can I learn more about this Robot God?”
“My girl, Robot God welcomes all users to His livestream!”
“Welp, going back to Aisa!” And Chimney walked away.
Sector W7 had just finished calling Team Jerome, briefing each other on their progress. “Really?!” Penny exclaimed. “Quatre already found the last Mother Chip?!”
“I believe he said he deduced its location.” Pino corrected.
“We should go look for it together!” Aisa cheered.
“Don’t we have a mission to do?” Miguel asked.
“Come on, Miguel, doesn’t it sound cool? Since we’re here, we might as well go meet this Motherboard!”
“Yeah! Can we go, April?” Mary asked. “Or… would it be bad?”
“Well… I’m curious about it. But if Motherboard can grant the wishes of robots, I’m worried if our enemies could…”
“Uh, GUYS?” Alphonse alerted them. “WE HAVE COMPANY!”
A small army of Disneybots marched through the town gates. The operatives discarded their relaxation and luxury, arming their selves before the inevitable threats. Senator Armstrong led them: the muscular politician raised a megaphone as his authoritative voice enveloped the town. “Kids Next Door agents of Planet Earth, ya’ll are under arrest for crimes against Galactic Council and destruction of MomCorp property!”
“Man, that guy’s got a bigger mouth than Chimney.” Aisa said.
“What? Who does?” Chimney returned. “Who is that guy?”
“Scanning.” Pino said. “Accessing data files. He is… Coruscant Senator Steven Armstrong. After the fall of Tachyon, he became MomCorp’s primary benefactor in the government.”
“You can’t just barge in here and start yelling out arrest warrants, old man!” Edward yelled. “Just what do you plan to do if they don’t come quietly? Have your Disneybots shoot up the whole town?”
“Hey, you’re the ones who brought trouble to this scrap heap of a town.” Armstrong said with a tap of his cigar. “So, we gonna make this easy, little kiddies?”
“WHO’RE YOU CALLING A LITTLE KITTY,” Edward became frantic as Al restrained him, “YOU BIG FAT BULLDOG!”
“Sorry, but you’re not taking us today.” Mocha clenched her fists. “We’re here to put those cheap robots out of business.”
Armstrong smirked. “I was hopin’ you would. Disneybots, CHAAAARGE!”
“Time to put our new skills to use!” Aisa drew her new Tek Bow and took aim at the Meridabots. Dodging their own arrows, Aisa sniped the frizzy-haired robots in the noggin. “Hopefully, Panini won’t be mad about me killing her ancestor.”
Chimney dashed toward a platoon of Moana and Arielbots (the mermaids were floating with bubble tech). Using her new Pulser Gauntlets, Chimney thrusted her palms and cracked the robots’ necks with intense blasts of water. The Moanabots fought back with similar blasters while the Arielbots Torpedo Spun into her. Aeincha swiftly evaded the extendable hair of Rapunzelbots, sheering them with her dragonfly wings. Even she wouldn’t bother to cuddle in their dull hair!
Miguel tried to surf a Song Road between the mechs and confuse them—but the wave from his electric guitar was too intense, so he wound up plopped onto the ground. “I don’t think I’m used to this! AAAH!” Some Aladdin, Hercules, and Peter Panbots raised their swords above him, but April moved quickly to stamp pink holo-paint on the robots.
“Statistics changed to… 100% zero…” The Hercbots sank.
“Riffraff…street rat… I buy that.” The Aladdinbots moaned.
“I don’t believe in anything…” The Panbots bowed.
“Look, Pino!” Penny was approached by a group of Pinocchiobots. “It’s Pinocchio! I can’t believe we’re meeting him! AAAAH!” They thrusted sharp needles from their extendable noses.
“They’re not real, they’re just soulless Disney models!” Pino yelled. “Throw me to that group over there and I’ll EMP them!” Penny did so, and 20 robots were rendered immobile with an electrical explosion. Penny extracted her Floating Array to slice the Pinocchios’ noses. A group of Alicebots gigantified to try and swat Penny out of the air, but by spinning her blades like a pinwheel, it was off with the Alices’ heads!
“ROOOOAAAAAR!” A massive, mecha Cerberus came storming into the plaza. At first, the operatives thought it was an enemy… until they saw Apis riding it. “GUYS, check it out!” the Arceist called. “The Robot Church had this in the basement!”
“We were keeping that minion of the Robot Devil imprisoned!” The Preacherbot was flailing from the Cerberus’ tail. “To be able to tame this beast, you must be a servant of evil! AAAAH!” It flung him away.
Apis commanded the beast with her new headband, gnashing and crunching some Cinderella and Jasminebots. “Bah!” Armstrong threw his cigar to the floor and stomped it. “Clearly, MomCorp ain’t spending its budget well enough! ’Guess I’ll have to do this myself.” Hardening his arm to a shiny black with white muscle veins, Armstrong kicked forth and sent the Cerberus on its back with a solid uppercut. (Play “Rules of Nature” from Metal Gear Rising!)
“AAAAAH!” Apis went flying from the impact, but was saved in a pair of giant gloves. “Thanks, Atlas!” The giant robot used her jetpack to catch her in the air. Atlas returned her gratitude with a sweet smile.
“Nothing like a politician with bark to his bite.” Edward said.
“Leave him to me.” Mocha hardened her arms. “We’ll see whose Haki is better!” The earth rumbled as she stormed the senator, throwing her right fist down. Armstrong opened his arms and grabbed the fist, his shoes scraping the ground a short distance. Dumbstruck, Mocha was lifted off her feet and thrown toward one of the small mountain peaks outside town. The jaws of her teammates hit the ground, watching as Armstrong leapt after the Amazon. Mocha gasped and pushed herself off, falling down the peak before his impact landed. Armstrong shot downward with legs outstretched. Mocha channeled more chi to her fist and struck him. There was a moment of resistance, but the senator went flying into the base of another peak.
He climbed out of the dust as his whole upper torso grew hardened. “Something’s wrong.” Mocha said. “That doesn’t feel like Haki.”
“NANOMACHINES, SON!” Armstrong exclaimed. “The latest and greatest combat models! They respond to physical trauma and grow stronger! And I don’t even have to wear out my chi doing it! You Haki masters are about to go obsolete!” He kicked off the ground, lunging at Mocha like a jet, until another jet intercepted him: Atlas.
She crashed Armstrong into a short cliff and pummeled him with spring-loaded fists. “Just how long can those machines hold up to a REAL fighter?!”
“Like some oversized theme park toy can suffice!” Armstrong sent Atlas flying with a sock in the jaw. He crossed arms in defense as Mocha leapt over with a momentous fist. Armstrong pressed into the ground in his struggle to resist it, afterwards smacking Mocha’s arm away and leaping to punch her gut. Mocha fell down the sloped cliff, but as Armstrong fell after her, she threw punches to counter his. Their fists were nearly equal and vibrated the air. The repetitive impacts kept Armstrong airborne, but Mocha would break this pattern and surprise him: she channeled Haki to her ankle, flipped, and banished the senator with a solid kick. When he was trying to recover, Atlas suddenly dropped down and crushed him beneath her boot.
In town, some Snow Whitebots threw open their dresses, releasing a swarm of robot animals that formed from nanomachines. “UUAAAAAAAA-AA-AA-AAH!” They bellowed the same voice that the Shrek Snow White used, the animals stampeding at the operatives. However, Apis used her headband to transmit her telepathy over the machines, turning them against their masters.
“Why do the Snow Whites have tan skin?” she wondered. “And the Arielbots, too?”
“Disney probably trying to rebrand them.” April figured. “Guys, I know we just got here, but I think we should leave! We don’t wanna drag this town into this mess.”
“You don’t gotta tell me twice!” Chimney said. “Everyone, to my baby!”
The operatives raced out to the parked R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N., clearing the way of Disneybots. “Oh, nuts!” Ed cursed: there was a hulking, armored man guarding the train, his right arm a machinegun.
“Oi, Fatman.” Another man spoke, showing himself atop the train roof. “Did Armstrong really drag us out here for a bunch of twerps? They look like they’re still in diapers.” He was short and crouched, wearing a green coat, with a tan face and spiky blonde hair. (Both are from Spriggan.)
“Don’t underestimate them, Little Boy. They’re Earth’s second-strongest sector.”
“OI! What’re you doing on my baby?!” Chimney shouted. “Who do you think you are?!”
“We’re from the Machiners Platoon.” Fatman replied. “And this is the end of the road for you.”
“Let’s take out the scrap first!” Little Boy lashed eight thin, steel wires, wrapping Alphonse and SLICING him to pieces.
“AAAAHH!” the girls screamed. “AL’S DEEEAAAD!”
“It’s okay! I’m okay!” One of Al’s back pieces wobbled. “My memory chip’s right here!”
“Who’s next?!” Little Boy lashed his wires at Chimney—Aisa ran in and grabbed her friend, using her Haki to help Chimney flip and dodge at the right angles.
Little Boy lashed at them once more, but his wires were diced by Penny’s Array. “You won’t hurt my new friends!” She blew the soldier several yards away with a beam. Little Boy used nanomachines to repair his wires, rushing back to the train with super speed, but Penny intercepted and clashed swords against his wires. Edward turned his arm into a shield to deflect Fatman’s bullets, but the massive soldier charged into him using the wheels in his heels. Ed brought up his mechanical leg, extracting a blade from his heel and stabbing Fatman in the knee. The soldier yelled out in pain and veered off balance, enabling Ed to punch him in the face.
“Oi…you saved my life, Aisa-chan.”
“That’s what good teammates do!” Aisa grinned. “So, hurry and get that train rollin’!”
Armstrong shoved Atlas off and into the air, but the giant mech redirected herself down with her jetpacks. She seized Armstrong in her hand, but though the senator was on the verge of escaping, Mocha locked her hand over Atlas’. “SUPER AMAZON HANDSHAKE!” They clenched and shook hands with extreme tightness, hearing Armstrong let out a strained grunt. The giants were blown apart: Armstrong’s veins were pulsating with greater fury. Armstrong showed Mocha his fury, her giant knuckles aching against his smaller ones. Armstrong directed a blow at her legs toppling the Amazon, afterwards striking her in the jaw. She gave her jaw a strong layer of Haki defense, but she almost felt it dislocate.
While he was attacking Mocha, Atlas had been spinning her arm, building power before sending Armstrong flying! Atlas ran to Mocha’s aid, helping her to stand. “You alright?”
“Just a few cracked bones.” Mocha smirked. “Uh-oh!” They whipped around, hearing Armstrong blast toward them. Mocha thrusted both hardened palms, but Armstrong’s force bent her arms in and blew her several yards. He then grabbed Atlas’ boot and slammed her into the ground five times before throwing her at Mocha. Mocha’s face creased up in sympathy as Atlas’ artificial face was bent out of shape like melted clay, her left eye twisted on its side. She saw Armstrong leaping to smash their heads into each other.
Mocha quickly rolled Atlas aside and stopped him with her hardened fist. She felt her arm threatening to bend in on itself again… but she sucked in the pain and kept pushing back. It shouldn’t matter how strong his nanomachines got. Willpower should always triumph over technology. Mocha fought way stronger opponents than this… For Maddy, for the Amazons, and for her friends, her Haki would stand true!
“AAAAAHH!” Armstrong roared as Mocha’s power sent him away. Mocha panted, rising to her feet as victory and pride filled her features. Armstrong rose, holding his sprained right arm. It seemed his nanomachines were malfunctioning from overwork. They heard an engine roaring and saw the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. rising. “Those clowns were supposed to keep that thing grounded! Can’t anyone do their jobs right around here?!” Armstrong dashed in the train’s direction.
“Mocha!” Atlas stretched her jetpacks and swooped by, grabbing Mocha’s arm and lifting her off the ground. “I’ll hold him back so the rest of you can get away!”
“No! We should try to take him together!”
“Your friends will need your strength more. Besides, I can’t let you show me up! I have to show both of you that I’m strong!”
“Hahaha! Then let’s have a match after this is all done!”
Armstrong performed a tremendous leap, surpassing the altitude of the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.. “AAAAHH!” The operatives screamed as his descent bent the front of the train down. He rapidly pummeled the roof, denting it enough so that he could force his fingers through and begin to rip it open. “OI!” Chimney shouted, her teammates bracing their selves for battle. “I’m fining you for any damages to my train!”
“This old thing’s due for the scrap heap! GAAAAH!” Atlas swung Mocha, her hardened leg banishing Armstrong from the train. The robot set her fellow giant on the train.
Mocha peeped into the torn hole, smiling at her friends. “Don’t you love those clichés where the passenger gets on the train as it’s started moving?”
“Don’t we ever!” Aeincha cheered. “Hurry and get in, you big load of cargo!”
“Atlas, protect Ed and Penny for us!” Pino yelled.
“I will! Good luck!” Atlas soared down after Armstrong. To fend off this nanomachine monster, she needed to muster the same will Mocha showed her.
Pino’s bunny ears twitched, picking up a transmission. “Oh! Friends, I’m receiving a message from Arale!”
“Arale?” Aeincha remembered the name of Sector Prime’s other teammate.
“There’s a big boat waaaaaay up in the sky!” Arale’s voice sang. “I see lots of friends onboard! Why didn’t they invite me? I’m gonna jump on, n’chaaaaaaaa!”
“She sent me a picture.” Pino displayed the image with her eyes. It was a massive spaceship labeled the Nimbus. “I believe this is a Galactic Army flagship.”
“That means it’s our enemy!” Chimney shouted. “I say we shoot it down!”
“But it sounds like operatives are trapped up there!” Apis reminded. “Either way, it’s probably here to support MomCorp. That senator might’ve come on it, too. If we’re gonna capture Mom, we’ll have to take it out.”
“Right then! Buckle in, girls, our next stop’s the Nimbus!”
Would you believe I took a two-year break from this story to write Third Gen Tales? I know I shouldn’t have done it so suddenly, but I’m quite proud of where Third Gen is now. So, let’s at least get through an arc or two of this.
Chapter 19: Mecha Saga 4: Drone Wars
Summary:
Team Jerome explore Copper Moon for the Mother Chip. Sector W7 invade the Nimbus, teaming up with Arale Norimaki as wacky shenanigans happen.
Chapter Text
This chapter features a web cartoon from GLITCH! I won’t do anything complex with them, so the show won’t be required viewing. It’s a pretty good show though, and not very long either!
Chapter 18: Drone Wars
Jerome’s team were awed by Copper Moon’s beauty, a pure, glistening white with its own white ring around it. But only by getting close to the moon did its hue start to fade. There were dreary mechanical structures and desolate forests. “At least it’s an oxygenated moon.” Vweeb observed.
“Copper used to be a warmer and prettier moon.” Quatre explained. “But its core possessed special magma that was similar to molten metal. Thirty years ago, a company called JCJenson harvested all that magma and turned Copper into this. They had a unique brand of Worker Drones, both to help with the job and to act as servants for menial tasks. But by the time the moon was emptied, a strange virus had spread between their drones. They went mad and became… murderous. Numerous workers died. This led to lawsuits, which led to the company shutting down. And the ‘Murder Drones’ were left abandoned on this rock, along with their old outposts.”
“And no fear of them flying off and invading the main planet?” Vweeb asked.
“No. Perhaps their programming kept them locked to the moon. Or perhaps another reason… Either way, we’ll have to watch out for them on the way to the Mother Chip.”
“Leave this to Bender, baby!” Bender blew a smoke. “I’m sure I can find some even ground with some murder bots.”
“Yeah, leave it to me, too.” Artie loaded his Electro Rifle. “You guys are lucky I’m used to horror shooters.”
“My drones will alert us to any danger.” Quatre said. “Let’s land in that clearing there.”
“Haylee, Harry, and Jenny, you three take the ship back to orbit.” Jerome ordered. “Might be too dangerous to leave it parked here. We’ll signal you to pick us up afterward.” (Play “Rumbi Factory” from Hat in Time!)
Act 4: Copper Moon
The boys disembarked in the forest and proceeded cautiously. They stayed close together and skimmed every direction around them. “!” Artie gasped, stubbing his shoe on something: “Oh, just a ball.” The object rolled only a few inches in the snow. It had a white half and black half… and the side facing them had a closed mouth and a long blue “X”. “Oh…no it’s not.”
“Rest in peace, you poor soul.” Bender stuck his cigar in its mouth. However, a barrier would block their path a few more feet further. There was a switch inside a glass tube with an opening at the top. The only thing that could fit in it was the robot’s head, so Jerome kicked it in with a little kickball action. With the barrier deactivated, the boys approached a short cliff, in which they could balance up a slanted log to climb it.
“Hu-!” Artie briefly saw some yellow eyes in the darkness above the cliff, but they swiftly vanished. They grew more wary reaching the height of the cliff. A path between parallel walls led to the outpost entrance. They glanced up, seeing two winged silhouettes glide from one wall to the next. “It should be just here…” Quatre whispered as they reached an open yard. They saw the hand sticking from the mound of snow… but when they approached, it was empty. “It’s gone! Where-”
“HAAAH!” A robot crashed behind them: it hissed through fanged teeth, bearing claws, and a digital yellow “X” splayed across its eye screen. It had pale hair, a dark outfit, bladed wings, and a long tail with a syringe of yellow liquid.
“Howdy, stranger!” Bender waved. “Name’s Bender! Do you like killing humans?” The drone lashed its wing, lopping Bender’s head up into the air, and landing upside-down. “Okay, I know traveling with these humans sends the wrong message, but…”
Quatre’s dog, X.E.R.O.S. pounced the drone and tore at its neck. The drone forced the dog off, but Artie blasted it with his EMP rifle. The drone shook its head rapidly and hissed, lunging at Artie. “EEK!” Artie narrowly ducked its claw swipe, but when the drone stabbed its tail, Jerome warped Artie out of harm’s way. Vweeb burned through the drone’s head with a Powuh Shot from his Tri-gun, but it regenerated with nanomachines. It spun and swiped wings at Jerome, who evaded backward while throwing bombs. Artie tried burning the robot with a S.P.I.C.E.R.; it seemed to over-react to the fire and jump away from him. “Whoa, I don’t think he liked that!”
“So, fire is their weakness?” Jerome asked. “Then let’s heat things up for them!” He warped behind the drone and blasted it toward Artie. Jerome formed a Space Block around it, leaving a small enough gap for Artie to burn the S.P.I.C.E.R. through. The Block threatened to shatter as the drone slashed it violently, but it overheated from the flames and shut down before it could.
“It’s good to know that trick, but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves.” Quatre said. “For now, X.E.R.O.S., see if you can pick up any scents from that hand.”
“Ruff!” The dog sniffed the hand. It displayed holographic text.
“Huh…there are traces of some kind of hair dye chemical. Odd.”
“Actually, I’m just now noticing some footprints.” Vweeb pointed. “The snow’s almost covering them up.”
“We need to watch out for more hostiles, anyway. X.E.R.O.S. is safer for tracking the scent. Go.” His dog yapped and led them through a corridor of the outpost. They used their weapons’ built-in flashlights to see, with Bender’s eyes shining some, too (he fixed his head on right). They shone lights on as many corners of the passage that they could; there were several arched support beams along the way. “HAH!” A Murder Drone dropped from an arch and lunged at X.E.R.O.S., but F.I.O. defended its comrade with a barrier. Jerome bent gravity to slam the drone into a wall, then formed a Block over it. He left a gap for Artie to burn it, but the drone broke free in time and lunged at Artie. He dodged its claw swipe by the skin of his shirt, then Bender tackled it before it could follow-up.
Bender chugged some beer and belched a flame right into its head. Writhing in agony, the drone stabbed Bender’s rear with its tail. “NO! MY SHINY METAL ASS!” He rolled off as it dissolved from acid. “You know how much poker I had to cheat at to buy that model?!” The drone stood, but Artie flicked a M.A.R.B.L.E. to explode its left wing and right leg. As it was regenerating, he burned it with the S.P.I.C.E.R. until the robot shut down.
“Hang on, if these drones are weak to heat, why were they used to mine the moon’s core?” Vweeb asked.
“Perhaps it’s only because of the virus.” Quatre assumed. The group advanced to the tunnel’s exit, returning outside to the snows. Still tracking the scent, X.E.R.O.S. perked up and stopped. About 20 feet away, there was a drone, holding the Mother Chip between her fingers and close to her eye. “There it is!”
“She doesn’t look like those other ones.” Artie said. The drone had short purple hair under a black beanie, black boots with dark-purple-striped socks, and a black hoodie with a skull-and-crossbones of a battery.
“Maybe she’s one of the uninfected drones. JCJenson probably dumped a bunch of them here in fear of the virus.”
The drone glanced over. “!” Her neon purple eyes widened at the strangers. She jumped up a cliff and ran. “WAIT!” Jerome called.
“We’ll just have to keep tracking her.” They used Jerome’s gravitybending to walk up the cliff. From there, they followed a path through the forest along the outpost’s wall… and stopped to stare suspiciously at a garden of snowmen. They were pretty shabby, but the heads looked like the drones, with a line to divide the sides of their face. Artie, seeing no reason to play along with this, burned fire around all of them—a Murder Drone leapt at him from one. F.I.O. shielded Artie while Quatre drew his own laser gun and shot it. Jerome threw a N.I.N.S.T.A.R. at its legs, and it would cycle around to chop the arms. Jerome pinned it beneath a Block while it was regenerating, giving Artie time to build a Powuh Shot in his S.P.I.C.E.R.. A solid fireball popped the drone’s head as its body lay dead.
The boys traveled downhill to a more open snowfield. X.E.R.O.S. perked up at the sound of gun cocking— F.I.O. shielded the group from two sniper shots. “Snipers!” Jerome gasped. He drew the V.I.S.S.I.L.E. and sent it toward the towering trees across the field. Using the monitor and controller on his launcher, he steered missiles toward the two robots and struck. They tried to lose the missile between the trees, but Jerome maneuvered them expertly. Striking each robot twice would have them plummet to the ground. Artie ran up to finish the job with a flaming shower.
A large outpost door would impede their passage beyond the trees. It was stamped with the label, JCJenson IN SPAAAAACEE!!!! “Okay, but like, what’s the big deal there?” Artie asked. “Just about every company operates in space.”
“More importantly, how do we get in?” Quatre wondered as X.E.R.O.S. sniffed the rim of the door. “She’s in there.”
“Piece of cake.” Bender stepped up. “A door like this falls just in my parameters.” He stretched his arms at a vertical angle, extending the left one to the height of the door. He gripped it in a great, wide hug and began to bend it.
“HAAAAAH!” They jumped around with a start; five Murder Drones landed! One licked her lips. “Mmmmm! New prey!”
“They look human… Always wanted to taste human.”
“Those two droids look like a 5-star meal!”
“Crud!” Jerome fished around for a good weapon to use. The drones savored their fear by creeping up on them slowly. “…Oh! I wonder if this’ll work.” He pulled out a disco ball.
“Is that a Groovitron?!” Artie gasped.
“Yep. A Professor Membrane special.”
“Well, whaddya waiting for?!” Vweeb shouted. “We gotta dance dance dance, buckaroo!”
Jerome threw the ball in the center of the drones, who gazed curiously. It rose into the air, projected colorful lights, and began to play what sounded like Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” Jerome mimicked their jigs and sang. “Hey now! Yeah yeah! Hey hey…YAAAAY! Hey now! Yeah yeah! Get some…HEEEEY! Robot, robot, vampiiiiire.” They bore fangs and claws. “Ogre, ogre…” Jerome rolled forward, landed propped on one knee, and raised hands, “ROBOOOOOOT!” The ball dropped and exploded the drones on that final note. Artie burned one while it was regenerating, Quatre used the F.I.O. lance to stab one repeatedly, Vweeb Powuh Shot one’s head, and Jerome tossed B.O.O.M.E.R.s at the last two.
Bender successfully bent the door at an angle where they could walk underneath it. The passage sloped down into darkness. “Never a good thing in this kind of environment.” Artie sighed as they turned on flashlights. They entered a wide, abandoned production room with three treadmills. Drones were lined up on them, standing lifeless.
“F.I.O.’s detecting a presence in here.” Quatre whispered. “Stay alert.” The scent was tracked toward the door in the further left corner, so they worriedly climbed over some treadmills and between the drones. “YEEK!” Artie flipped when a drone’s head fell and hit the floor with a loud bang, directly next to him.
“So much for the horror expert.” Vweeb remarked. The door in question was sealed, with an electric barrier to prevent Bender from bending it. Its cord was connected to a high, small tube. They’d have to throw another drone’s head into it: the one that just fell off. Jerome went to collect it, approaching the tube. A good Gravity Throw would land the shot—one of the treadmill drones next to him grew wings, claws, and tail, lashing at him. He narrowly dodged at the cost of four corn rows of hair. “NO!” Vweeb cried. “My favorite riding spot!” X.E.R.O.S. gnashed the drone, tearing out a chunk of its shoulder, but was stabbed by its tail as X.E.R.O.S.’ left hip melted. Jerome sliced the tail with the N.I.N.S.T.A.R. while Bender wrapped arms around its head and tore it off. Artie burned the drone afterward.
Jerome threw the other drone’s head into the tube, pressing a switch that opened the door. It revealed a stairwell down, leading to a storage room full of crates. Their guard was raised as they faced the back of another Murder Drone. It turned, bearing its fangs and “X” eye… “Hello there!” Its “X” became normal beady eyes and its grin shrank into a friendly smile.
The boys blinked, exchanging glances. “Pardon?” Jerome asked.
“I’ve never seen a Worker Drone with your model before.” He casually approached Jerome. “Quite unusual hair, too. What was your designation?”
“Um…” Jerome could see how he’d make that mistake. “I’m actually—AH!” Jerome narrowly dodged a gunshot from the top of a high crate. (Play “Knife Dance” from Murder Drones!)
“N!” the goth drone shouted. “Quit fraternizing! Those are humans! Kill them!”
“Have I finally found my idolizers?!” Bender beamed.
“Okay, Uzi! Sorry about this, Mr. Um!” N reverted to his vicious expression and slashed at Jerome, but the Zathurian blasted him away with Starbursts. Artie turned his rifle up at Uzi and shot, barely grazing her hip before she jumped behind the crates. N retreated behind some as well. The operatives stayed together and advanced, with X.E.R.O.S. still tracking Uzi’s scent. N jumped out from around a corner, throwing shurikens, which Jerome countered with N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s. He opened a portal to warp a star directly above N, piercing his head and prompting him to hide again. They closed in on Uzi’s hiding place; the goth popped out of a box and threw knives. Bender opened his compartment to catch the knives. He then took one and threw it right back, spinning as the hilt conked Uzi in the head.
N sprung out and dove at them with a chainsaw. Quatre intercepted it with the F.I.O. lance, holding his ground against the drone until Artie threw a M.A.R.B.L.E.. N was blown into some crates while the saw shattered. Uzi trained her gun on them again, the group dodging as Uzi jumped between the tops of small crates. Jerome sent out a T.O.P.M.A.N. to ricochet and shatter the crates, tumbling Uzi down. She swiftly flipped upright and lunged at Jerome with another knife, but he whipped up a Space Block to trap her. N took to the ceiling and shot a laser cannon in attempt to break the Block. However, F.I.O.’s drone form suddenly flew to his level, projecting a shield that caused N’s cannon shot to blow up in his face. The drone hit the ground as Bender leapt to keep him pinned, with Vweeb shooting a laser to snap N’s tail off.
“If you’d like to settle down, we’d like to talk with you two.” Jerome said.
“BITE ME!” Uzi shouted.
“I like her!” Bender said.
“What about you?” Quatre knelt beside N. “You’re not like the drones outside.”
“Oh, yeah.” N switched to friendly mode. “I took a huge whack to the head and had a moral epiphany. Now Uzi’s my bestie! That’s what you call your favorite compatriot, right?”
“Cool, but can we go back to the part about killing humans?” Bender asked. “Because I’m game for that!”
“What?” Uzi asked. “Then why are you helping them?”
“Because, sweetheart,” Bender climbed off N and approached her, “there are certain humans out there that are just different. Humans that are more useful alive, and worthy of our attention.” His friends exchanged disbelieved glances. “Because these humans care for the wellbeing of robotkind. And they wanna help us kill the bad humans who misuse robots.”
“Uhhhh…” Artie shouldn’t admit to trashing a few W.A.T.C.H.B.O.T.s.
“O…kay?” Uzi drawled. “So, why are you here then?”
“That chip you found earlier.” Quatre pointed. Uzi pulled the Mother Chip out of her hat. “That’s an important relic my friends have been searching for. When all seven are collected, the legend says they can grant a wish to robots.”
“Wow…really?”
“We can’t really confirm the validity of it, but…”
“Perhaps we can help you of our own accord.” Jerome said. “What would you like from us? Of course, we can’t promise any requests along the lines of murder.”
“Hmph…well, I guess I’d like to get off this rock. My dad sucks, my classmates suck, and… the Murder Drones suck, too, I guess.”
“Classmates?” Vweeb asked. “Just how many more of you are here? We should organize the KND to help this place. We could even help the other Murder Drones. I mean, if this guy seems normal.”
“I love being normal!” N chirped. “Oh, but uh, leaving this moon might be a problem. Uzi and I can’t stand sunlight or high temperatures. Not without a sufficient supply of oil, anyway!”
“Is that why?” Quatre pondered. “Well, we can easily design a good cooling system for you. There’s plenty of oil at headquarters, too. I think you might like to meet the KND.”
“Yeah, says who?” Uzi remarked.
“Don’t take it from them.” Bender said. “Take it from me: Bender. The Mechanos KND are the best in the universe. They may not kill humans, but they sure put humans to shame. You’ll make crying babies outta them in no time.”
Uzi narrowed her eyes in pondering. “Eh, whatever. I got nothin’ better to do.”
Jerome dispelled the barrier. Bender extended a hand. “Pleasure doin’ business, Miss…”
“Doorman. Uzi Doorman.” Uzi shook it, passing the Mother Chip to him.
“Oooo, a doorman! I always wanted to know how doors were made.”
“Bite me!”
“This is Jerome to Haylee. The mission is accomplished, you can pick us up at these coordinates. Oh, and we’re bringing a couple guests.”
The Nimbus
“Year: 2036. Star date: Ahhhh…”
“Sigh, May 22.” Lieutenant Kif said.
“May 22! The Year of the Caterpillar. As war wages on in our dour universe, one brave captain faces a challenge like no other.”
No view pleased Zapp Brannigan like that of the window on his bridge. Planet Mechanos splaying in its gray glory, the glistening Copper Moon in the horizon and the majesty of space beyond that. But such a splendid view wasn’t the most beautiful thing in that window: no, that was his gleaming smile, smooth blonde hair, and the hot bod beneath that red tunic. “Kif! Status report on ground forces!”
His Amphibiosan sidekick lazily flipped through a clipboard. “The Killbots sent to Chapek turned on each other after one of them said ‘OK, 47 of you go-’ to which another Killbot yelled, ‘Someone said AK-47.’ Sartana of the Brotherhood then took command of their scrapped remains. The royal palace of Cluster Prime continues to shun away the Disneybots at their gates… and most recently, the Kids Next Door have brutally attacked Senator Armstrong. This war is starting to feel more wasteful by the hour.”
“And you’ll be taking full responsibility on that, Kif. For now, we need more intelligence. How’s interrogation with the captured operatives?”
“Most of them have firmly closed their brains from any data hacking. Only York of Sector Vega yielded any info… and it seems several of their members believe in the Motherboard legend. They’re even on the verge of confirming it.”
“Ahhhhh, I wouldn’t mind boarding with a good mother myself.”
“Ugh…” Kif grew ever repulsed at his captain’s ramblings.
“Oh, and it seems the Year of the Caterpillar already bears fruit: there’s one flying right out of the stratosphere.”
“Hm?” Kif curiously looked where he indicated. “…Sir, that’s no caterpillar! That’s a flying train! And it’s coming right for us!”
“T-Minus 20 seconds ’til we ram a hole through their hull!” Chimney announced.
“This is a TERRIBLE idea!” Miguel screamed.
“No it ain’t! We’ve done this a dozen times before!”
“I’m detecting Arale’s communication signal from that sector.” Pino pointed at the front area of the vessel.
“I hope the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.’s still got the stamina for it!” Apis yelled.
“Or perhaps this is where we die.” April said.
“So optimistic…” Aisa drooped.
“Sir, I think they’re planning to infiltrate the Nimbus by penetrating it!” Kif said.
“Then we’ll just have to beat them at their own game.” Zapp narrowed his gaze bravely. “Drive the Nimbus full speed into their train! We’ll penetrate their hull and board them right back!”
“Um, sir, I don’t think-”
But Zapp had no time for second opinions: he pulled the lever and increased the ship’s speed! The Nimbus and R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. were on a straight collision course…
And they both pierced holes into each other! “CRUD! They’re counter-boarding us!” Chimney panicked.
A platoon of soldiers lined up before the train, locking weapons on the opening. “I know you’re still new to that guitar, Miguel, but a nice soundwave should mow them down.” Aisa suggested. “Wait, something else’s coming!”
“CHOOOOOOOO!” There was another whole train plowing through the soldiers from behind! It was actually a string of wagons being pulled by Arale, the soldiers falling into them. “Chhhhhhh…” she skid to a halt with a vigorous, “CHA!”
“…” The W7 ops merely greeted her with bewilderment. “Arale!” Pino exclaimed.
“PINOOOOOO!” Arale extended her nose to stamp Pino’s noseless spot.
“Oi, you didn’t tell me she was inta trains!” Chimney grinned.
“Oh, she has a lot of hobbies.” Pino blushed.
“Isn’t this a cool boat?!” Arale looked around in childlike wonder. “I wonder where the captain is? I wanna drive it!”
“Yeah, I’d like to find him myself!” Chimney fist-palmed. “For doin’ this to my baby!”
“You did this yourself, Chimney!” her friends chorused.
“If that’s your baby, are you a Mama Train?”
“Hey, maybe I am!”
“Then let’s go for a ride!” Arale jumped on Chimney’s head, morphing her into a big-toothed train. “CHAAAAAAAA!” They steamrolled right over the old train and the soldiers on them!
“This might’ve been a mistake.” Aisa said.
“I guess we’ll cover the other way.” April said. “Find the captured operatives and save them!” (Play “Stowing Away” from Crash 4!)
Act 5: Nimbus
With arms spread like an airplane, Arale raced up a corridor, thwacking soldiers with her spin attack! The way was cluttered with huge stalks of broccoli… but thankfully, Chimney’s big teeth were just right for the task! Arale held Chimney longways and tugged her pigtails to make her teeth munch, chomping through the stalks with ease. There was a far taller one at the end, and a long gap beyond it. Seemed all Chimney had to do was chomp the base of the stalk and let it fall… but instead, it fell left and crumbled a wall. It was sloped up against the debris, so they could climb to an upper corridor.
It led to a vast chamber with several small UFOs floating to and fro, using magnetic tractor beams. Arale ushered Chimney to get on her back as she jumped beneath the first beam, flipping her upside-down as she fell up to it. “I hope it’s not a big deal that I’ve been putting on a few kilos.” The second she attached to the saucer, it began to struggle and sink. It got just close enough to where she could drop to a lower saucer—the impact caused the pilot to fling into the air and land on a switch on the side of the room. This activated a giant fan on the ceiling, sucking all the UFOs toward it. “Who designed this crazy ship?!” Chimney screamed. Arale quickly jumped to the nearest UFO’s tractor, though the fall onto it pushed it up faster. She thought fast and jumped between other ones until she could land safely on a platform, watching the UFOs explode against the fan. “Hoyo?”
The duo proceeded down a passage with several shutter doors, which opened as they progressed. “!” Past the last one, a huge platoon of soldiers with hulking armor awaited them, armed with heavy axes, swords, miniguns, and more. “The Kids Next Door have walked right into my trap.” Captain Brannigan declared from the stage behind the platoon. “I bet you weren’t expecting the Elite Brannigan Taskforce. Highly trained in karate, taekwondo, kung-fu, and more arts than I can think of. They’ll have you wiped out just in time for my soaps. Go on, boys,” Zapp leaned against a lever, “show them how it’s-” He pushed it.
The entire floor opened, dumping all of the Elite Taskforce into space. It was up to fate if they’d survive the fall to the planet’s atmosphere. “Ehhh…should’ve put a protective fence. KIF! Install a fence around this lever pronto!” Zapp retreated to the next room.
“Hey, some of the soldiers are floating close by.” Chimney pointed down the trapdoor. “Let’s see if they take us anywhere!” Arale agreed with a spirited, “Hoyo!” They jumped down and bopped across the soldiers. They conveniently led to a hanging antenna, which they could climb to a hatch. They climbed a dark shaft back into the base, and they popped out of… a toy room? There were five rows of shelves that spanned the perimeter of the room, full of robot action figures. “All these droids and no trains?!” Chimney was outraged!
“Wait!” Arale recognized a small, white and blue toy. It fit right in her hand as she clicked a button on the back of its head. “Uh-oh. He’s out of energy.”
“Is this your toy?”
“Robotboy! I wonder if Robotgirl’s here…” She searched around the room. “N’cha!” And found a similar pink toy amongst a separate shelf. She tucked the two into her overalls pockets.
They exited into a carpeted corridor, where it seemed soldiers were delightedly surfing on Rumbis; small, circular vacuum droids. The carpet was so staticky that it was volatile. Luckily, there were Rumbis for Chimney and Arale. “YAH-HAAAAH!” They had a blast surfing the carpet and bonking the soldiers into it, suffering painful static electrocutions. Surfing up the passage, the girls had to jump or duck electric beams. A wall of beams threatened them, but there were platforms along the right for them to jump up. They moved quickly to catch up with the Rumbis and land back on them.
“I’m impressed you got the jump on my men.” The girls were stunned to see Brannigan tailing behind them on his own Rumbi. “But little do you know, I was a prodigy in Rumbi Combat. And it’s high time you two were Rumbed down!” He sped up to Arale and punched her with enough strength to spin her head. It stopped facing Zapp as her face opened. “Eh?” There was a kitchen inside her head.
Sanji from One Piece was frying something on a pan. “Hey! No peeking until the dish is done.”
“SANJI, WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!” Chopper screamed. “You’re cooking my doctor degree!”
The framed diploma was burning nicely. “I’m cooking a healthy bowl of education for my captain. That’s why they call it BRAIN FOOD!” Sanji flipped the degree right into Zapp’s face. The captain cried and fell into the carpet, suffering a static punishment.
“That’ll hold him for a while!” Chimney exclaimed. They finally disembarked at the end of the hall, traveling up a flight of stairs. A Killbot was stationed partway up, the girls dodging its bullets as Arale smacked it into submission. She ripped one of its turrets out and aimed it at another Killbot on the ceiling.
The stairs led to a torture chamber: a teenage robot was situated between two high-powered magnets, both working to stretch her limbs and slowly rip her body apart. She had short blonde hair, headphones, and mostly white armor with gold and black shoulders and thighs. “This is your last chance, brat!” Dr. Kamikazi shouted. The impish, red-robed scientist was operating the magnets, alongside his rotund henchman, Constantine. “Tell us the location of your creators and comrades! Now!”
“It’s Aigis!” Arale exclaimed.
“Aigis? Wait, is she one of those Xenoblade thingies?”
“There’s only one way to reverse a magnet’s polarity: spin the planet the other way!” Arale jumped out the window and fell back to Mechanos. She zoomed opposite around the planet’s rotation, so fast that it began to change direction. Consequently, the magnets pulling Aigis instead pushed her as flat as a pancake.
“That didn’t help at all!” Chimney screamed.
“WHAT?!” Kamikazi shouted. “That is not what I wanted! We cannot harvest her parts if they’re flat!”
“Boss! There’s an intruder!” Constantine alerted him to Chimney.
“So, she is behind this! Kami-bots, attack!” Kamikazi whipped out a large controller with three antennas.
Kami-Chameleons, Kami-Bats, and Kami-Gerbils filled the room. Fortunately, “Chimney!” Apis arrived up the stairs. “Man, did you see that Rumbi hall down there? Whoa, Mechanimals!”
“Could use your powers right now, Apis!”
“No problem!” Apis focused her thoughts around the animals. They turned their vicious gazes upon their master.
“AAAAH! Protect me, Constantine!” The henchman picked his master up like a baby and bolted through a door.
Apis hopped on a chameleon’s back. “After him!” And they stampeded off.
Arale jumped from Mechanos back to the station, landing right atop Aigis and squishing her to normal proportions. “Thank you, Arale.” she said in an emotionless voice, her eyes a mystic blue. “I was concerned I wouldn’t make it.”
“Dōitashimashite, Ai-chan!”
“That man was one of Mom’s executives. I’ll go assist your friend. I believe Sector Germa was taken that direction.” She pointed toward the back of the room. “Please be careful.”
Apis smirked with confidence as the Kami-bots closed in on the villains. “HUH?!” But they suddenly ran off the ledge, splashing into a 15-foot pool. The robots quickly rusted.
“Hahaha! Joke’s on you!” Kamikazi laughed, using an inflatable ducky inner-tube. “No genius doesn’t have a panic pool in case his robots turn against him!” Apis flailed her arms, struggling to get stabilized in the pool. “And it seems you cannot swim either. Constantine! I leave this to you!”
“Okay, boss!” Constantine mustered the power of his Hippo-Hippo Fruit and transformed. He swam over and used his incredible strength to drag Apis underneath. The Arceist squirmed more desperately, praying that Chimney followed them in here… but her prayers were answered by another: Aigis splashed in the pool, striking Constantine with a Rocket Punch. She grabbed Apis and resurfaced with an inflatable component.
“Wow, thanks!” Apis gasped for breath. “Uh-oh! Look out below!” Constantine blew a powerful jet from his nostrils, blasting them up against the ceiling.
Chimney and Arale entered a towering vertical shaft, which they could only climb by Wall Jumping. They were wary of the Amps that orbited down the shaft, threatening to fly in their jumping wake. “Whoa!” But Chimney kicked against a vent and slid through it, plopping on a heart-shaped bed. It was dark-pink, while the rest of the candlelit room was brighter pink… making her feel uneasy.
“Leela, is that you?” Zapp walked in, carrying a rose in his teeth. “I see you couldn’t resist the rod—oh, it’s you. Crashing into my private bachelor pad, are we? Now you’ve gone too far, kids. Perhaps my Jack-in-the-Cannon will teach you some manners.” He knelt down, placed a small cannon before him, and cranked it.
Chimney waited on the bed curiously as it played the “Pop Goes the Weasel” jingle. Arale slid down and flattened her. “A Jack-in-the-Cannon?! That’s not good!”
“Eh…hold on.” Zapp said. “I think there’s a clog. Any of you got a plunger?”
“I know someone who does!” Arale blew a whistle.
A pumpkin carriage came strolling! “You called the Fairy Godmother?” Chimney asked.
“No, this is just on her route. I actually called the one behind her.” There was a toilet carriage. “The Fairy Clogmother!”
“HUH?!”
The carriage stopped. The Clogmother came swirling out of the top with a flushing sound. She had brown, swirly hair, a flowing dress of toilet paper, and a magic plunger. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll have that cannon unclogged in a whiff!” She danced up to Zapp, twirling her plunger with a little, “Pippity-poppity-poo~”
With a gentle suction, Howard Wolowitz popped out of the cannon, still scuttling like a crab. “How did THAT get in there?” Zapp asked.
“Ah! I was wondering where I left him.” Clogmother picked Howard up and cuddled him. “You silly-willy Wolowitz!” She twirled and bumped the cannon in Zapp’s direction.
“EGAAAAH!” It blasted him out of the room.
“Thank you for helping me find him.” Clogmother said to Arale. “As thanks, I’ll allow you to use my magic toilet.” She pooped—I mean, poofed one out of thin air.
“Chimney, I’ll hold onto you this time!” Arale said. “You swim better!”
“Ulp…I really don’t wanna.” But she had to. Chimney dove first into the toilet. It was a straight tunnel, but it carried them under some bathrooms. She’d have to either slow down or speed up to dodge the flushing ones. Finally, they could splash out of a toilet in a prison cell.
There were four human-looking kids in here; a pink-haired girl, red boy, blue boy, and green boy, each with numbered shirts. The girl was 11 years old while the boys were eight. “ZZZZTTT!” The girl was electrocuted grabbing the electric cell bars. “You cowards! Let us outta here! Why don’t you three help?!”
“Who caaaaaares, Reiju?” Ichiji sighed, smiling lackadaisically.
“Let ’em do what they want with us.” Niji drawled.
“Oh, look. Someone’s here.” Yonji observed.
“Hey, Arale, should we use the magic toilet to get these guys out?” Chimney asked. “…Arale?”
Arale burst out, raising the screaming Fairy Clogmother. “N’CHAAAA!” She threw the fairy against the electric bars. She cried out in agony, exploding as the electricity shorted out. With that, Reiju used her superb strength to bend the bars out. “MOVE OUT!” Reiju charged and beat the Killbots outside into scrap. Her brothers tiredly followed her. (End song.)
…
Aigis continued to support Apis in Kamikazi’s panic pool. The robot was efficient in maneuvering around the water and outrunning Constantine. However, the hippo-man was sturdy against her finger guns, while the water cannonballs spat from his mouth dented her metal. “Man, this guy’s tougher than he looks!” Apis said. “If only there were robot fish in here, or something!”
“Your ability allows you to command droids?”
“Animal droids. Er, and normal animals.”
“I suppose those robot ghosts could not help us.”
“Robot ghosts?”
“The ghosts of the droids who rusted in this pool. They drift above us as we speak.”
“I didn’t know robots could leave spirits. Or even see them.”
“I was built with spiritual materials.”
“Hey… is there a way to link your senses with my headband?”
“I will comply.” Aigis made a wireless connection with it. “What do you propose?”
“That two heads are better than one!” Hey, robot ghosts! Yoohoo! Aren’t you angry at those guys for not making you waterproof? It’s their fault you wound up like this! Beat the snot out of them!
“They are not even trying!” Kamikazi shouted. “Quit fooling around, Constantine! Use your—OW! GAH! What?! OOF!” An invisible force bashed him in the head. “What is happe—AAAAH!” His ducky inner-tube deflated. “Help me, Constantine!”
“Uh…I need some help myself, boss.” Some ghostbots were raising him by his underwear. “Doo! Dah! Ooo! AH!” The ghosts bashed him back and forth like a punching ball.
“Ha ha! I think we got through to them!” Apis grinned.
“This felt most enlightening.” Aigis smiled.
April and Mary breached another prison hold—“Ewwww!” repulsed as they stepped on a half-chewed hamburger and hotdog.
“Hom, nom, nom!” The room’s occupant was a rather towering woman with blonde hair, orange boots, and a purple top and bikini bottom. Her midriff seemed to stretch from the large piles of food at her bedside. “Mmmmmm…oh, hewwo there. You here to bring my nexsh coursh?”
“Huh? Pino, do you know who this is?” April raised her wristwatch to the woman.
“That’s York! One of Atlas’ sisters in Sector Vega. Dr. Egghead designed her to be the Organic Waste Disposal for the park. She converts rotting materials into renewable compost.”
“Oh, is dat Pino? Heyo.” York mumbled through chews, her expression vapid and euphoric. “Da guysh in dis base gimme way better food. All I had to do wash tell ’em shome dings.”
“Don’t tell me you fed info to your captors!”
“Now, what have we here?” April and Mary directed their attention to a portly man. He had a fluffy white beard, big red nose, and cyan overalls. “You’re that artist from Earth. And here I was expecting certain robots to show up.”
“April, is that Santa Claus?!”
“More like Santa’s estranged cousin.”
“No! I am Dr. Locus! And you, my unfortunate guests, are about to become fodder for my darling daughter. Melodyyyyyy~”
“AFFIRMATIVE, FATHER.” The artists were horrified to only now notice the monstrosity on the ceiling. It was a vicious robot with fangs, flamethrowers, a chest cannon, bladed turrets, and sharp tail-like protrusions. It hadn’t an ounce of humanity on it. The robot dropped and mounted itself to the floor, the artists splitting up to divide its weapon fire.
“And if THAT scares you,” Locus began to divide into a swarm of bugs, “then just behold the power of my Locust-Locust Fruit, Plague Model!” The swarm infested the entire room in seconds, making it difficult to dodge Melody’s weapons.
“You specifically chose that fruit because of your name, didn’t you?” April asked. “How lazy.”
…
Chimney and Arale used the path Sector Germa had cleared for them. However, something caught their attention halfway down the corridor: an arrow sign that read, Something really neat, pointing toward a right passage. “Look, Chimney! It says there’s something really neat that way!”
“Oh, yeah? What do you think it could be? A cool train?”
The small word beneath the arrow said, Maybe…
“Okay! Let’s check it out!”
The arrow guided the eager girls into an empty, cubical chamber with digital grid lines. “This is as far as you go, you wily coyotes.” Brannigan declared, his lieutenant by his side. “Welcome to the holo-shed. Here is where fantasies come to life… and where true love is born.”
“Ugh, please not in front of the kids.” Kif groaned.
“Unfortunately, your chance at love has long passed. All you’ll find here is sweet, juicy justice. Computer: run Simulation Zapp Baby Randy.”
The very world around them morphed: before they knew it, Chimney and Arale were riding horses across a vast prairie. “Oi! I’m an iron horse girl, not a flesh horse girl!”
“Horseback dueling is what separates the men from the nannies!” Zapp galloped right after them, sword drawn.
“EGADS!” Only one of Kif’s boots was through a fender, from which his body flailed like a frog on a flagpole. “My panties went inside-out with my skin! Ulp, they’re in my brain now.”
“We gotta get away!” Arale looked to the horses ahead of them. “This way, Chimney!” She yanked the tail of her current horse: it kicked its legs up and bonked her to the air. Arale shifted her momentum to land on the nearest horse. Chimney followed her just before Zapp could strike her. They kick-a-pulted up the horses until they reached the furthest one—it was actually a costume that split apart from their weight.
“Hey, there’re people inside it! Is that Shan Yu?!”
“Shhhhh!” the Hun hissed, pulling out from the front part while still galloping like a horse. “Be quiet! I’m hiding from that firework! He totally has it out for me!”
“You caaaaalled?”
“Huh?!” The rear end of the horse was the dragon-headed firework all along. “OH, NO! WAAAAAAHH…” It rocketed into Shan Yu, taking him for a ride. With a dramatic U-turn, he was doomed to crash into Zapp.
“EYAAAAAHHH! Computer! Run Simulation Zapp Daddy Special!”
The world changed into a beautiful, moonlit shore by the lakeside. “A true man isn’t one who can keep his groin steady on a horse.” Brannigan declared from the top of a rocky hill. The massive full moon shone splendidly upon his figure. “A true man is one who can ROMANCE! For all the ladies of this universe, I will pluck the moon from the heavens to win this battle!” Zapp reached for the great moon. “…Nngh! It’s stuck!” It was actually a small moon suspended in the air. “Just give me a… got it! Take THAT!” Zapp bounced the moon down the hill. Arale stopped it with her hand. “Darn it! Kif! Drop me more moons!”
Way up in the sky, Kif hung by a string and angel wings. He “swam” to each moon and knocked it down for his captain to catch.
“Chimney, get on!” The W7 leader leapt on the first moon as Arale held it aloft. “I’ll bounce you right back up! N’cha!” Arale threw the moon down with gusto. It bounced up the rocks precisely enough to hit the tips of the natural steps. Chimney merely needed to thrust Zapp’s moons away with her palms.
Once she was at Zapp’s level, a swift thrust, “GYAAAAAAH!” sent him blasting off to the stars! “GWOOF!” Zapp squished Kif against the fake sky. It collapsed, spilling tons of moons unto them as they plummeted back against the hill peak. Among those tons of moons to hit their heads, one of them was a floofy lunar cat! He kicked Zapp’s face with his hind paws and pounced down. “Eh, computer… run Simulation Zapp ‘n’ Cheese Triple Deluxe.”
The world morphed as Chimney felt herself partly sink into a cloudy surface. She was awestruck by a great, brick castle in the sky. “Behold, my own personal dream home!” Zapp declared from the highest tower. “My fortress is impregnable to all but me. Ohhhhh yeeeaaaah…”
“Oh, merciful Arceus…” Kif groaned.
“Triple Deluxe Defense Squad, lock all cannons on the operatives!” Nearly every square foot of the wall opened, unveiling cannons trained directly on Chimney. “Er, wait… where’s the other one?”
Chimney’s communicator rang. Arale spoke. “Chimney! I got left behind at the lake!”
“Well, hurry over here, Arale! I’m about to be pulverized!”
“Oh! Someone else is here, too! I’m gonna hitch a ride.”
“WAAAAAAAA!” Shan Yu, still being pushed by the firework, pierced the cyber-dimensional fabric. Arale rode atop it, raising a fist in excitement.
“Well, we know how this ends.” Kif said.
The firework looped speedily outside the castle gates before, “WAAAAH!” smashing Chimney right through the cloud. They plummeted 10,000 meters to the earth below.
“…Victory is ours, Kif! It all went as planned!”
“There’s no way you planned that, sir.”
“Quite the contrary, Kif. In the game of chess, you can never let your opponent see your pieces. Or your friends for that matter.” Zapp narrowed his face into Kif’s. “I’m watching you, buddy.” He stated with an accusing poke.
“AAAAAHHHH!” Chimney and Arale collided with the earth in a fiery explosion. (However, Shan Yu was lost somewhere along the way and never made it to the ground.) The girls achingly climbed out of the crater, coated in soot and soil. …But an ominous force roared from the center of the crater.
That presence was none other than Abraham Lincoln. The axe clutched in his hands drew fear from the hearts of millions. “MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! At long last… after my 10,000 year slumber, Evil Lincoln has RETUUUUUUUUURNED!” With a fierce swing, his axe chopped all the trees on the continent.
“Sir! It’s Evil Lincoln!” Kif exclaimed, peering over the cloud.
“Oh, I was wondering where I left him. We have no choice, Kif! Blow the clouds away and plunge this castle into them!”
“But sir!”
“The time for buts is over, soldier! All that matters is the BOOTYYYYYYY!” The clouds spread away with a great shockwave of air. The castle began to fall.
“For freeing me from my prison,” Lincoln said to the operatives, “I will grant you one wish.”
“One wish?” Chimney asked. “Hey, you can wish to be a real girl now. Or to save all the operatives.”
“I wish to go to the Kingdom of Parrots!”
“IT SHALL BE DONE!” Lincoln chopped his axe and teleported them in an explosive poof.
Saved from the threat of the falling castle, a towering forest, parrots perched on every tree, spanned as far as the eye could see. “Why the heck did you bring us-”
“Shhhhhh!” Arale pressed a finger to Chimney’s mouth. She whispered, “Not so loud! These parrots haven’t had anyone to repeat off of in generations. I wanna do this right.”
“Huh?”
Arale pulled out a green toy parrot set on a plastic bark perch. “This toy repeats what it hears! They’ll think it’s a real parrot.” She clicked the two switches on its perch toward the right. “Ahem…Hoyo!”
BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR. The toy moved its beak and made a loud error sound.
“What the heck was that?!” Chimney shouted, covering her ears.
“It does that when you click both switches like this. I dunno why.”
BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Its round reverberated throughout the forest. “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
“BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
“BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
“BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
“BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
“BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!”
BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Soon, the entire forest was repeating the error sound, and the toy parrot would react to their sound and send the birds on an endless cycle. The reverberation grew so intense that the digital world began to flicker.
This result was seen in the sky castle simulation. “Sir! The holo-shed appears to be malfunctioning!”
“Probably on account of you spending one too many nights in here with your girlfriend.”
“Sir, we need to stop the castle’s descent! It could have a drastic effect on the-”
But the castle had just made contact with the earth… at the same time it flickered into its holo-shed state. The shockwave exploded throughout the entire Nimbus, collapsing all the central floors. All the parrots from the forest sprang into this reality, repeating, “BUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRR!” all throughout the base.
“WE’VE LOST CONTROL!” a pilot screamed. “We’re going to crash into the planet!”
“What?!”
“I said we’re going to crash!”
“Speak up! I can’t hear you over all these parrots!”
Kif and Zapp clambered up to a window to observe the chaos. “It seems the ship will crash in an unpopulated countryside… but this won’t look good for the Galactic Army, sir! In any case, we must evacuate!”
“Later, Kif. This day has been too stressful for me. I need some recuperating. I’ll be in the holo-shed.” The captain strolled off, leaving his lieutenant to stare after him in disbelief.
Moments before…
Mary used her Neon Yellow Crayons to draw electrical light around the wall. Unfortunately for Dr. Locus, his divided locust form possessed divided brain power, making them susceptible to the allure of the light. In time, every single insect passed out from electrocution. They reformed back into Locus’ full body. “Ooooog…” The scientist collapsed on his front as a small frame bounced out of his pocket.
April had been drawing red light-splotches on the floor to divert Melody’s weapons. The frame fell near one of these spots… and Melody seemed to stare at it longingly. It was a photo of Dr. Locus and a pretty, blonde, pigtailed girl in a light-green dress with blue ovular designs. Her expression was sad. April glanced at the photo, too. “Who’s that? His daughter?”
“THAT… IS… ME…”
“Huh?!” April gasped at the monstrous robot. “You?! So, he turned you into this?!”
“I was… already this way on the inside… Father made me beautiful on the outside… but because of that… I malfunctioned… I wanted to be a normal girl… but then I learned I could never be normal… so Father… took away my exoskeleton.”
“You looked very beautiful.”
“LOOK AT ME!” April and Mary winced from her voice. “I… can never… be normal!”
“Melody… I’m a doll.”
“What?!”
“I’m a doll that Mary created. I’m living in somebody’s borrowed flesh and blood. When I learned that… I thought I needed to accept my reality. But then we both learned… the reality we live in now is much nicer. We have friends who love us. I’m sure… you have people like that, too.”
“…” The robot shrank and retracted her weapons. She bore the dull bronze exoskeleton of a humanoid girl. “No… they don’t like me…”
“Are you sure?” April touched her chest. “Why don’t we go ask them? If you want… I can paint you how you want to be.”
Melody smiled. “Okay.”
“AAAAAHHH!” That was when the Nimbus collapsed, the group all plummeting to a lower floor. York landed on her head, her legs spreading as a bunch of food fell atop her. “April, what happened?!” Mary asked.
“Urk…I think we better get back to the train! Melody, I hate to ask, but can you help carry York?”
“Okay!”
…
“How’re we gonna get back to the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. in this mess?!” Chimney shouted.
“Leave this to me…” A certain president raised his axe.
“Evil Lincoln?!” Arale exclaimed.
“Whether it’s wood or metal… I… will… CHOP IIIIIIIIIIIT!”
Lincoln’s powerful swing split the Nimbus open so precisely, that the very tips of those sides connected right to the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.. “The train!” Miguel pointed. “I see it!”
“Then strum us over, Miguel!” Aisa said. The rescued Mechanos operatives were safe in her magic satchel. She held onto her boyfriend tight.
“You got it!” With a fierce strum of his electric guitar, they BLAZED up to the train! Arale and Chimney yeeted over with a horse’s kick-a-pult, Aigis ran full speed carrying Apis, and Aeincha escorted the Germa operatives (while praising their colorful hair!).
All operatives from Earth and Mechanos were safe aboard the train, escaping before the falling Nimbus could reach the atmosphere. “This is Chimney to Team Jerome! We just saved a bunch of roboperatives and my train is heavier than ever! Where do we dump all these lunks off?!”
“This is Jenny! Let’s regroup at our headquarters! I’ll send you the coordinates.”
“I think we’ve all done fine work today.” Jerome smiled. “We’re due for a rest. Tomorrow… we take the fight to Mom.”
“Robots RULE!” Bender cheered.
“ROBOTS (and allied humanoids) RULE!”
MomCore
“Brannigan?! Respond!” The president’s patience wore thin, her wrinkles crinkling like a frail notebook paper. “Kamikazi! Answer! LOCUS! GAH!” She grabbed her nearby Robot 1-X and hucked it into the static monitor. “Useless cod-sucking nimrods!”
“Yeah, I’d be sayin’ the same thing right now.” Senator Armstrong marched in at that moment, the 1-X falling at his feet. “These nanomachines were barely worth the arm power they put out!” His right arm was twitching and his knees staggered. “You promised these were Haki Master level!”
“Yeah, but it ain’t my fault that you couldn’t beat one!”
“I need some better machines PRONTO, Carol! It ain’t gonna look good on my campaign if I let those brats get the last laugh!”
“Well, join the club, Musclehead.”
“Your Disneybots ain’t much better either! You’d think you have interns working on them.”
“I believe the operatives’ creators are to blame for that.” Arthur Watts stepped in. Mom’s sons joined him. “They probably anticipated our plans and did some unauthorized cut backs.”
“Then you should’ve supervised them better, dingwat!” Mom smacked him.
“Um, if I may, Mother.” Her eldest, Walt spoke. “Before we lost contact with the Nimbus, they had managed to extract some information from the operatives and transmitted it. The Mechanos KND have been searching for the Mother Chips. They are on the verge of completing their quest.”
“Hmm…you don’t say…” Mom’s wrinkles loosened as desire warmed her features.
“Mother Chips?” Armstrong cocked a brow.
“Have you heard the legend?” Mom smiled temptingly. “Somewhere in the world is Motherboard… a legendary spirit said to watch over all robotkind. They say the robot who finds her… has their wish granted.”
“Hahahaha! So, even machines have bedtime stories, huh?”
“All legends have merit, don’t you know? Motherboard is here, Steven… right under our noses.”
“Ooooooohhh…” Armstrong’s smirk grew with intrigue.
“Imagine if her wishes come true. My robots… even my nanomachines can grow beyond our imagination.”
“Hnnnnn…I like the sound of that.”
“The problem is how we steal those chips from them.”
“I might have a suggestion.” Armstrong held up his Infi-Cube and dumped out a bunch of severed body parts: they were Penny’s.
Edward Elric’s Automail arm knocked Fatman clean out with a solid blow to the face. Gasping for breath, the Sector Vega leader looked a dozen yards to his right. Penny had no escape from Little Boy’s wires this time, while her swords were wrapped around him at several angles. Both sliced each other to pieces.
“PENNY!” Edward rushed over. “AAAAH!” But the massive, unconscious body of his sister came flying at him, flattening the mechanist. “Atlas…!”
“You kids are getting too carried away with your toys.” Armstrong marched up to Penny’s pieces and scooped them into his cube. “But who knows. I might have some fun with them.” A helicopter descended.
“Hey! Give her back!” Ed struggled to push Atlas off. “STOOOOP!” He was short of catching the senator before he was gone beyond the horizon.
“Ah, Pietro’s dear daughter…” Watts picked Penny’s inactive head up. “Made with Atlesian technology, yes…” He stroked her hair.
“Can you do something, Arthur?” Mom asked.
“Well, it’s like they say, Madame: if you can’t beat them…” Watts met Mom and the Senator’s malicious gazes. “Make them join you.”
Lol I planned for Arale and Zapp to have a Bo-bobo battle, but I managed to fill that whole level with whimsy and joy and I’m proud of it! Futurama just has a lot of funny characters to write, so it was great doing stuff with Zapp! And I was only going to make that Murder Drones level based on the first episode alone, because only that was out when I started this arc… and then delayed it by a massive margin. ^^;
Chapter 20: Mecha Saga 5: MomCore War
Summary:
The operatives attend a meeting at Mechanos KND H.Q.. They prep to invade MomCore!
Chapter Text
It’s time for another round of the KND’s favorite hobby, invasions! This is the penultimate chapter of the Mecha Saga!
Chapter 19: MomCore War
Team Jerome and Sector W7 were moments from rendezvousing at Mechanos KND H.Q., another space station afloat above one of the angles of the planet’s ring. “There it is!” Jenny chirped.
“Uhhhh…that’s your headquarters?” Haylee asked confusedly.
“Yeah? What’s wrong with it?”
“IT’S A FRICKING PS5!” Artie screamed.
The base was an enormous PS5, with patrol ships designed like controllers and other PlayStation accessories. The disc port opened; the hangar where other ships were docked. Jerome’s ship and the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. would join them. “The Supreme Leader blueprinted it himself.” Jenny replied. “He was a mascot robot designed by Sony.”
“Well, Mushroom World modeled some of their bases after Nintendo consoles.” Jerome shrugged.
“Could do with a bit more color.” April reasoned as they adjourned to the entry room. “OH!”
Before they knew it, the operatives were standing on a vibrant, sunny beach. “WHOA!” Chimney screamed. “How’d ya fit all this up here?!”
“Our headquarters is also called The Playroom!” Pino announced. “Our holographic technology can produce all sorts of environments for us to enjoy ourselves!”
“It’s the KND spirit, after all!” Jenny cheered. “I’m sure you guys model your treehouses into fun playgrounds!”
“Not so much for GKND…” Jerome said, smiling at the wondrous view. “Although, with all that’s been happening… it’s an aspect I nearly forgot about. Perhaps we should consider some remodeling.”
“Yaaaaay!” Chimney threw off her shoes and happily kicked around the digital water. “I didn’t think there’d be SEA up here! Ooo, a sandcastle!” She ran up to kick it, but her foot swung right through. “Ugh! Break already!”
“Not everything is interactable.” Pino said. “We had to take budget shortcuts somewhere.”
There was a jungle playground with rotating platforms on large trees. Aisa and Miguel had a fun time bouncing up them! There was a lush pathway of pink grass above a fluffy sky setting, with normal-sized, white playgrounds and slides splayed along it. Pino and Aeincha rode down one together, as did Mary!
“Hey, does this place have a bathhouse or something?” Haylee asked. “I could use it.”
“Yeah, me too.” Harry agreed.
“Yeah, I’ll show you!” Jenny replied. “I could use a Robot Wash myself.”
“Yaaaaay! Bath time!” Apis cheered.
Both groups were led to a room where other robots were moving along a treadmill, segmenting their feet. They were going through a curtain labeled Robot Wash. “Aw, hell yeah, baby!” Bender was already in line.
“Mmmmmm, I can already smell the soap!” Haylee moaned happily. “Let’s get in line!”
“Wait.” Pino stopped them. “Humans prefer to bathe without their clothes, right?”
“Uh…yeah. …Is there a changing room?”
“We don’t really need changing rooms.” Jenny said.
“So, uh…we just take our clothes off… wherever?” Harry asked.
“Okay, girls first, GET OUT.” Aisa shoved the boys out of the room. “Alright, let’s just… put ’em in that corner, I guess.”
“Mocha, you might want that giant wash over there.” Jenny pointed to a treadmill connected to a larger curtain.
“Ah. You’re right.”
The girls each picked a place on the treadmill and stood on it awkwardly. They wish it didn’t have to take so long to get into the tub after disrobing… especially since none of the robots had to. (Play “Robot Wash” from Futurama!)
Finally, they were through the curtains. Bender was already singing along with the speakers. “WAIT!” Aisa screamed. “This is a…”
“CAR WASH?!” the others chorused.
“Going through the BOT WASH!” Before they knew it, they were all coated in light-red soap and smothered between a pair of giant rollers. “Going through the ROBOT WASH!” Thankfully, the high-powered sprinklers rid them of the soap, though they were left disoriented. Afterwards, a massive hair-dryer lowered in front of them. Aeincha went blowing away from the intense wave of heat.
“Hey, how about an undercoating treatment?” Bender dropped some coins in a slot as he rolled by. “My treat!”
“NO!” the girls panicked.
Sadly, their lower bodies were encased in mechanical cylinders. “ZZZZZZZUUUUUUUUUUHHH…”
Coated in some kind of oily fluid, they were forced to endure the whole thing again to wash it off. Their hair fluffed up and the energy drained from their faces, the girls collapsed outside the wash. A pair of small claws lowered scented pine trees to hang on them like necklaces. “I hope… Mocha’s having fun…” April groaned.
“Uhhhhhggggggg…” The Amazon seemed to have been through a harder experience than fighting Armstrong.
“…Welp, it’s the boys’ turn.” Aisa smirked.
A few minutes later, “BATH TIIIIIIME!” Artie and Vweeb cheered as they rode through the curtain. “WAIT, IT’S A-” Their mouths were smothered by the soap and rollers.
The girls snickered as the boys groggily crawled out of the area. “You smell gooooood, Miguel!” Aisa grinned.
“How could you, Aisa…”
“Hey, guys! How do I look?” Jenny asked.
All their jaws dropped: Jenny’s blue parts were painted a hot red with flame designs. A pair of die hung from her neck, with scented pines on her blade tails. “YOW!” Vweeb’s energy suddenly restored. “DANG, YOU’RE HOT!”
“Hehehehehehehe!” The statement made her feel redder.
“Yeah, no kidding!” Haylee said. “You look so fresh!”
“I always love going through the wash for this. It dulls out eventually, but I’m sure I’ll look great kicking butt!”
“You really do look great, Jenny.”
Jenny perked up at the familiar voice. She turned toward a bronze-colored robot. “M…Melody? Is that you?”
“I wanted to tell you… s-sorry… about before.”
“No… I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have come between you and Brad. After this… maybe we can be friends?”
“Yeah…”
“Awwwwe.” Apis cooed. “I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s sweet.”
“Look at my paint job!” Arale called.
Her body was totally repainted as, “A bunch of glasses?!” Chimney shouted.
“Hai! One time, someone said my glasses were cute! So, now I’m all glasses!”
“First we had a Hat Kid, a Mustache Girl, and now a Glasses Girl.” April shrugged.
Elsewhere, Quatre had just finished installing tanks with cooling solutions in Uzi and N. “All done. Now warm temperature shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You did a swell job, Quatre!” N chirped with a swing of his fist. “I think it’s safe to say you’re icy chill!” His partner rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, so, who’s in charge around here?” Uzi asked.
“The Supreme Leader will be holding a meeting in a few minutes. You can meet him afterward.”
The operatives headed to a room designed like an asteroid belt, where they jumped around asteroid platforms. “I feel like we did this before, April!” Mary said.
“Hello, human operatives.” A gentle, yet toneless voice spoke.
The kids curiously looked to a rotund, white, balloon robot, innocently waddling toward them with cute round eyes. “Um…hello?” Jerome replied.
“Hello. I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion. I belong to Sector Six of Coruscant, but I was instructed to come here to assist you. I am told Mechanos may not be properly equipped to treat human injuries.”
“Yeah, not equipped for baths either!” Apis stated.
“Oh, I’ve heard of you.” Jerome smiled. “You’re an expert medical bot.”
“That is correct. I can see you have sustained injuries.” He detected broken bones in Mocha, a long, but thin gash in Artie’s torso, and bruises on each of them. “Form a nice, orderly line and I will administer treatments.”
“Awe, thank you, Mr. Marshmallow!” Mary delightfully hugged him.
“I am not a pastry. I am a robot.”
“GUYS!”
The group looked to the source of the distressed voice. “Ed!” April exclaimed.
The Elric was accompanied by an orange-haired girl in a pink jumpsuit, a portly red and vanilla robot, and a smaller green robot with jetpacks. “Hey, we heard you saved our sister, York!” the orange-haired said.
“So, you’re more of Ed’s siblings?”
“Yep! I’m Lilith! This here’s Edison,” the green robot waved, “and Pythagoras!” The red one waved lazily.
“Where’s… Atlas?” Mocha asked.
“Atlas got injured by that senator freak! And Penny… was chopped to pieces!” The girls froze up in horror. “He took her away!”
“P…Penny…” Mary stuttered.
“Was her head intact?” Pino asked.
“I-I think it was…”
“Then she should still be alive!”
“But who knows what they’re doing to her…”
April sighed. “We’ll just have to hope for the best… until tomorrow.”
“I brought Atlas and Al to Dad.” Ed said. “He hopes to have them repaired by then.” He could still see Dr. Egghead panicking over Atlas’ broken muscle fibers and scrambled eyes.
“Attention! Attention!” A floating, legless, white droid named EVE flew around the base. She had digital blue eyes against a black space. “Meet in the Audience Chamber in five minutes!”
“I’m sure they’ll want us to be there, too.” Jerome said. “Let’s go.”
To their dismay, there were no chairs in the auditorium; robots had no need to sit. They surrounded a circular stage in the center; the walls and ceiling were pitch-black. But, with the arrival of the Supreme Leader, surfing in on a hoverboard designed like a PS5 controller, the black surrounding displayed him like a 4D movie screen. He came to a stylish halt on the stage, waving to his audience. “ASTROOOOOO!” his loyal operatives cheered.
Astro Bot was a white and blue droid with a small antenna and blue cape. Similar to EVE, he had blue eyes against a black space. Astro began to make beepy sounds. “Supreme Leader Astro, sir.” Pino climbed up. “If I may, I’d like to translate for our guests.” Astro blushed, scratching his head sheepishly. Pino smiled and turned. “I’m so happy to see my friends functioning and well. MomCorp took all of us by surprise, but thanks to the help of our new organic friends, we can all be here together again. However, our battle is only just beginning…”
Astro displayed an image of a man with wrinkly tan skin, long white hair and mustache, wearing an orange puffy shirt, brown pants, and a tall black hat with a red “RRR” logo. Pino continued translating, “Our human operative, the Silver Shell, transmitted valuable intel while under MomCorp’s captivity. This man is…”
MomCore
Mom and Armstrong journeyed to the town’s spaceport and met with the man in question. “Dr. Gero.” The president greeted with a huff of her cigarette. “A pleasure.” She extended a hand.
“The pleasure is mine.” Gero accepted it.
“You were assigned under the Red Ribbon Regimen, if I recall.” Armstrong said.
“Indeed… before those wretched pirates destroyed them. I’ve been refurbishing and perfecting my androids in the hopes of getting revenge on them.”
“You’ll have it in time.” Mom smirked. “For now, we have much greater threats.”
“This combat data seems promising.” Armstrong looked over a holographic clipboard. “You even trained them in battle simulations against the KND?”
“With the data I’ve acquired of them, from last year’s Field Day to the Cooking Fest incident, I’ve managed to develop apt simulations to ensure my androids achieve peak perfection. Though I didn’t expect the circumstances to become quite so convenient.”
“Well, if your droids are three times the training they put in,” Mom said, “I might like to have you here.”
“Yeah, her Disneybots are in desperate need of improvement.” Armstrong said.
“YOU need improvement!” Mom smacked him.
“My droids will not disappoint.” Gero’s platoon of droids marched out of their ships. Leading the front were a black-haired male android with an orange neckerchief, and blonde-haired female with a blue, ripped jean-shirt. “Will they?”
“Of course not, sir.” Android 17 said, his expression stern.
“We will eliminate all enemies.” Number 18 affirmed.
The Playroom
“MomCorp’s forces will dangerously bolster from this new alliance.” Pino (actually Astro) continued. “And I’m afraid it gets worse. Our spy, Guru, sent this report from his kingdom of M-2.”
“M-2?!” Jenny gasped. “Dr. Myuu?!”
M-2
Queen Vexus shook hands with the scientist before his army of one-eyed droids. Dr. Myuu was a blue-skinned man with very long ears, golden helmet and sharp shoulders, thick orange mustache, and blue goggles. “You’ll have my eternal gratitude, Dr. Myuu. With our forces combined, we won’t just take back Cluster Prime: we will rule ALL OF MECHANOS!”
“RUUUUUUUUUUU!”
“I must say, the prospect of dismantling MomCorp has always crossed my brilliant mind!” Myuu laughed. “Imagine the resources we’ll acquire!”
“Ho ho, you have no idea.” Vexus exchanged a smirk with Sartana. “I propose we attack first thing tomorrow. MomCorp will never suspect it!”
“Geeteeteetee! Then it shall be done! TOMORROW!”
Whilst the army of Myuubots cheered, a certain small, white one beeped in worry. “Guru…guru…”
Playroom
“Dr. Myuu is a dangerous and powerful warlord.” Jenny said. “We’ve usually been able to hold him off, but his creations always get worse. Vexus is really desperate.”
“I can’t believe Mew and Mewtwo would betray us like this!” Chimney cried.
“Uh, Chimney… you know that both of those spirits are dead now?” April asked.
“Weren’t they saying an evil JIRBI attacked them on Mira?! This must be the evil MEW!”
“And they’re invading MomCorp tomorrow?” Edward repeated. “Man, that place is going to become a warzone!”
“That’s Sartana de los Muertos!” Miguel pointed at the display of the villains.
“That’s right.” Pino nodded. “Some of you know this already, but Sartana has become able to resurrect inactive robots to use to the Brotherhood’s advantage.”
“Which means she’s totally gonna reap from this war.” Harry said. “I was even gonna say, ‘Why don’t we just let them wipe each other out?’”
“I suppose we could…” Jerome replied, floating up onstage to garner the crowd’s attention. “But isn’t that a cowardly approach?” The robots considered his question with mild surprise. “When the Pirate Wars broke out, we didn’t just let the Four Emperors destroy each other. We destroyed them first. Well, half of them. But that is the very purpose of the war that we’ve been forced into. To remind them we are the strongest. Not out of arrogance or maniacal ambitions… but so that we don’t let the likes of Mickey or Bowser trample over our pride. Because, I don’t know about you… but they have REALLY pissed me off!”
“Whoa.” April never heard Jerome break his reserved and mature demeanor like that. Her friends shared the sentiment.
“Pardon me.” Baymax said to her. “But your temperature appears to be rising. There is a high rush of blood in your cheeks. Possible causes could be-”
“Hey, shut up!” April quickly painted light-purple Sleep Paint on the robot.
“Sleep Mode activated.”
“If they intend to converge around MomCorp’s headquarters… we shall be there, too. We will defeat them all at once and end the war on this planet.”
Astro beeped in concern. Pino transcribed, “While I don’t disagree with your proposal, there are still a lot of enemies, even for us.”
“It’s alright.” Jerome smiled. “Operatives shouldn’t risk their lives if they don’t wish to. I was going to suggest contacting GKND and Earth to send available agents. Not many of them had immediate plans, so I don’t want them to get rusty. …No pun intended.”
“YA HEAR THAT?!” Bender took the stage. “He’s going to call HUMANS to do ROBOT jobs! Are you all gonna let them show you up like that?! Or are we gonna show them that ROBOTS RUUUUULE?”
“ROBOTS RUUUUUUUULE!”
“I… suppose that works.” Pino shared her leader’s confusion. “But I also accept the aid of any fellow Kids Next Doors. I will contact GKND after this.”
“I also have an announcement to make!” Jenny declared. “We now have…” she presented the box, “all seven Mother Chips!” Some of the robots, including Melody, beamed in hope. “After this battle, we plan to verify the legend of Motherboard. All of us in the Real Kids Club… may have our dreams realized. So please… get home in as many pieces as possible!”
“YAAAAAAAAAY!”
“Kids Next Door… we attack MomCore tomorrow. Dismissed.”
“Seriously, what robot in their right mind would wanna be human, anyway?” Bender asked.
“They’re TRAITORS, that’s why!” Uzi shouted.
“Now, Uzi,” N consoled her, “every robot is entitled to approach the glitch in their memory banks defined as ‘dreams’ however they please.”
“Jerome…” April was first to approach him. “Hmhm…” she sported a giggle. “I never heard you sound so aggressive before.”
“Ah…was I aggressive?”
“Hehe…it was cool. But I…” Her grin evolved into a snicker. “I could barely take you seriously with that hairdo.”
“Ah?!” He just remembered his puffy hair was still in cornrows.
“Like, why’d you cut it like that?”
“It was the Murder Drone! It did this!”
“It gives you such a roguish appeal!” Aeincha chirped, hovering overhead. “So fascinating!”
“I’d rather shave it all bald at this point.”
“Nooooooo!”
“Let us show you to the guestrooms.” Pino changed the subject. “If you want, we can even be roommates!”
“That sounds fun!” Aeincha cheered. “I’m sure we’d fit right in!”
“There should be just enough cubic meters to suffice!”
But when they got to the guestrooms… “Uhhhh…” each and every one of them were the size of a small closet. They were tall and wide enough for the robots to stand in… with little room beyond that. They came equipped with charging cables, too.
“Wow…” Aeincha looked around Pino’s particularly shorter room. “I guess I really do fit right in…”
“We can’t sleep in these!” Haylee exclaimed.
“Why not?” Bender asked. “Most of these are, like, 3 cubic meters! Two of us can fit in, and we’d have room for a whole half of a person!”
“There’s an easier way.” Vweeb said, twirling his Tri-gun. “Just gotta do some diminishing.”
“’Guess we don’t have a choice.” Apis shrugged.
“I packed some Sky Apples for you, too, Mocha.” Aisa held up a light-blue shrinking apple.
“Hehe, thank you.”
“Chimney-chan, you can stay in my room!” Arale’s room was jam-packed with a queen-sized bed, T.V. with games, bookshelf, racecar set, and dresser, all dimensionally flat and compressed enough to fit the scale.
“YOU’RE A FREAKIN’ HOARDER!”
“Well, gang,” Artie sighed, “here’s to a wonderful and compact night.”
And this is the midway author’s note to name all the crossovers! Dragon Ball: Dr. Myuu, Gero, and all their androids! Baymax is from Big Hero 6! Astro’s from Astro’s Playroom! EVE’s from WALL-E!
MomCore
The city in which Mom’s headquarters was based was built in a massive area of indented ground, almost like a crater. The base in the very center was shaped to her likeness. Queen Vexus’s army enclosed on the crater from all directions. Her army of Cluster minions; Sartana’s legion of undead Transformers and Battle Droids; along with the Brotherhood villains Adonis, Steamroller, I.N.S.T.I.G.A.T.O.R., Kardiac, and others. Mom’s Killbots, Disneybots, Gero’s androids, remnants of Kamikazi’s robots, along with the unwillingly drafted citizens confronted them: they were determined, from the very core of their programming, not to let their enemies set foot in their town.
Adonis grabbed a Hercules and Mauibot and rubbed them against his rump. “Looks like Adonis surpasses you so-called gods!”
Androids 18 and 17, the strongest in Gero’s army, smelted a thousand of Myuu’s droids with palm lasers. It was only when General Rilldo, the pride of Myuu’s army, ensnared them with his wave of liquid metal that 17 saw a promising challenge.
Vexus ran the operation from the safety of her walking beehive fortress, the Vexhive. Speakers transmitted Sartana’s music across the battlefield, reviving all fallen robots in their favor. “Heh heh heh! This is too easy!” Sartana cackled. “We lose none of our soldiers, while the enemy just gives us more! We are INVINCIBLE!”
“With this victory,” Vexus smirked, “perhaps they’ll declare me the Brotherhood’s next leader. Or at least vice-leader, but… all in due time.”
“Uh, Your Stinginess?” a minion called. “There’s a large vehicle coming toward us at high speed.”
“Hnn?” Vexus looked at the display: it was the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.! “That’s Sector W7’s! Don’t just stand there, SHOOT IT!”
The beehive blasted giant, steel stingers, but Chimney swiftly outmaneuvered them. “That’s definitely Vexus’ hive.” Pino said.
“And that music is Sartana’s!” Miguel said. “She’s in there!”
“Brace yourselves, girls,” Chimney announced, “it’s time for another base breaching!”
She’s still not used to me. Miguel wanted to say.
“Blast!” Vexus cursed. “Have Dr. Myuu redirect some of his troops here!”
“My Queen, we’ve detected multiple falling hostiles in the sky!”
“OH, NOW WHO IS IT?!”
It was raining operatives! Everyone from Sectors V, SA, W, the Hope Pirates, and Global Command were plummeting on parachutes! “I’m not about to miss my bestie finish her mission!” Maddy declared.
“I can’t determine a good reading on their Levels.” Goombella said. “Some of these ‘androids’ are actually cyborgs. Extremely modified cyborgs… but I can still feel an intense will from them.”
“I think I can, too…” Maddy was already wary as General Rilldo was glaring directly at her. “Uh-oh!” The muscular machine kicked on rockets and flew toward her. His golden helmet threatened to puncture her guts, but Maddy met it with a fist of Golden Haki. The force blew her allies’ parachutes like a hurricane, though Rilldo’s helmet was smashed in.
“You seem much more worth my time.” Rilldo smirked, clutching Maddy in both hands and throwing her down with intense force. Maddy hardened herself to survive the impact with the planet. Rilldo immediately flooded her crater with liquid metal, smirking as she became a silvery statue. …But Maddy ripped free of the metal. Rilldo landed and molded silvery spikes over his fists, afterwards sending them out like rockets. Maddy blocked them both with her palms, her Haki pressing the spikes in. While she did, Rilldo summoned a great Metal Tsunami: Maddy may have gotten used to water, but even she feared drowning in that!
Fortunately, a shield of chi completely blocked the tsunami from Maddy’s area. “Feel free to praise me!” Maddy turned back to Emily Garley, waving her arms like waterbending. “Even the almighty Maddy needs help from the KND’s biggest dork!”
“I’ll give you all the praise you want. Just keep the metal under control and I’ll do the punching!”
Nagisa and Morgiana landed before 17 and 18. “Hey there.” The young assassin narrowed his dark gaze. “Hope we aren’t interrupting a date.”
“18 and I are siblings.”
Nagisa blushed. “My mistake.”
“Still, this should be fun, 18. We get to finally test our mettle against the real thing.”
“Yes, brother. Please don’t disappoint us.”
“Don’t worry.” Morgiana said firmly. With a clear swing of her ankle, she displayed her Fanalis power, denting the blonde android’s jaw. Nagisa Shaved behind 17 and scratched him with Tempest Kick. The dark-haired android spun and socked him in the gut, though by hardening with Iron Body, it felt like an ordinary gut punch. 17 lunged over for a volley of attacks that Nagisa simply evaded with Paper Art.
The earthbenders of Sector W, alongside Arianna Dunfree were surrounded by the four agents of the Sigma Force, General Rilldo’s colorful officers. “You can leave these to us if you wanna go see your boyfriend.” Anthony teased.
“SHUT UP!” Arianna took out her anger on the shortest droid, Natt, snaring and crushing it with her Piranha Plants.
“Yo!” Shelly was impressed by her fierceness. “I kinda want you in the sector now!”
Kirie and Mason teamed up against Android 19, a pudgy white-skinned droid with black, yellow, and orange attire. Kirie summoned Super Sumo Monkey, directing its movements with her own to counter 19’s martial arts, but every blow to the android would puff out white smoke that would drain their energy. Mason kept himself and Kirie energized with sodas, using Soda Gun and Slice attacks to penetrate 19’s fluffy exterior.
The Hope Pirates had begun work on Gero’s other androids: Kotoko kicked the thick-lipped 33, disgusted when it threatened to kiss her; Masaru threw a flaming baseball at 44, while Shingetsu blew a Gas Bomb at one of Gero’s personal favorites, Android 69. Jataro created Clay Giants resembling himself, defending his teammates from the Transformers.
“Hey, Jataro, why don’t you use your Window power?” Masaru asked. “You can grab those big robots like dolls!”
“Um…I was thinking I shouldn’t use that power, anymore…” The claybender fiddled his fingers nervously.
“Why not?!” Kotoko shouted. “AH! LOOK OUT!”
A Transformer threw its fist at the downtrodden boy. Fortunately, a child-sized fist struck and redirected its aim. The fist, attached to a winch, reeled back into Yonji, the green-haired member of Sector Germa. His siblings swiftly moved in: Reiju flew with butterfly wings and kissed 33, pumping him with gas. The red-haired Ichiji pierced 44 with a burst of red lasers. The blue-haired Niji electrified 69, using what one could consider a Screw Attack.
“What weaklings.” Ichiji said. “You couldn’t finish them any faster than that?”
“What?!” Masaru shouted. “Did ya see the dents I left in him?!”
“Ew, I can’t believe you kissed that creep!” Kotoko shuddered disgustedly.
“You’re just jealous that you couldn’t try it.” Reiju teased.
“Will you quit bickering?” Shingetsu asked. “There are more coming.”
“You can sit back now.” Niji said. “The real experts have arrived.”
“No… I don’t think we will.” And yet, Shingetsu felt the spark of rivalry.
The four pirates exchanged glares with their Germa counterpart. Thus, the Robot Wrecking Contest began.
“Oh, dear.” Myuu said as the Pirate King herself smashed dozens of droids with her lightspeed fists and kicks. She was a little mad the Gilligans didn’t invite her on the adventure through Robot World! “I didn’t want to have to call him out so early. BRING FORTH THE BABY!” (Play “Death Temple” from Master of Time!)
Act 6: The Vexhive
The R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. penetrated Vexus’ fortress. “At least it’s not spiders!” Aisa said as she, Miguel, and Apis stormed in. A squadron of large Hornet Drones flew out of honeycomb slots: Apis tried to reach them with telepathy, but felt an intense headache. “Crud! These drones have more reinforced protection!” For the time being, Aisa helped her dodge their stinger bullets. The Shandian shot some down with arrows while Miguel strummed intense sonic waves. There was a sealed door with two large, mechanical flowers beside it. The “pollen” of the flowers looked like digital scanners, and there were honeybee drones floating around. Apis could better command these ones and have them “pollinate” the flowers, which triggered the door to open.
The following room was a towering, hexagon shape. They’d have to climb a “ladder” of honey-like substance that zigzagged around and up the chamber, all while mouth cannons were spitting globs of honey at them. Ascending the room was tedious work; they relied on Aisa’s Haki to sense the cannons’ aiming points, but if they were caught, they’d fall back to the bottom. There were “dead end” spots along the honey paths, but they were perfectly parallel with another on the opposite side: they would need Miguel’s Song Rocket to launch across.
They reached the top of the room, and would have to rely on Miguel’s power in the next one: most of it was an abyss with honeycomb platforms. They needed to Song Rocket to each one, while Aisa shot down Hornet Drones. There was nowhere else to jump to from the third platform, but Apis could command three Honey Drones to line up to a higher platform like stairs. Then it was just a matter of boppin’ up them!
However, there were still distant platforms to jump to, with honeycomb barriers blocking them. For the first one, Apis had to command a Honey Drone to float beside the barrier, while Miguel would rocket his friends toward the drone. They bopped off it as Miguel quickly strummed them toward the platform. For the next jump, there were two barriers in the way of the next platform: Apis needed to direct two drones next to them, and Miguel strummed them between each one.
The entrance to the next room was accessible from there. It was another tall chamber: Apis would have to command a Honey Drone to pollinate a flower scanner. This made a honeycomb pillar suddenly rise from the floor to 20 feet. They waited a few seconds for it to come down, so they could get on, then have it rise again. They’d have to act quick before it went down: Apis ordered a Honey Drone to scan another flower, making a narrow platform just from the opposite wall. They used a Song Rocket to jump to it. Afterwards, they quickly leapt and clung to a patch of honey on the wall. They’d have to Wall Jump between vertical honeycombs and more honey patches.
They could land on a stable platform to rest from their Wall Jumping spree. There was a sealed door beside them and a switch on the direct opposite wall. Miguel Song Rocketed, kicked off the switch, and rocketed back. The door opened, revealing a stairwell that carried them to the top of the fortress. Sartana carried on her performance on a stage. Vexus was positioned on a much higher platform, with a great window to oversee the battle.
“HUUUU!” Though the skeletal woman had no lungs, she took a massive gasp. “VEXUS!”
“Damn!” Vexus sneered. “The infestation has reached us.”
“No matter. The Unscrapped can handle their selves for now. It’s time for the next verse!” Sartana began to strum a new song.
A black and purple wave of music overwhelmed the trio. “Agh!” Apis grunted, falling to her knees. “My legs! Huh?!” The flesh of her bare hands fell apart like paper. “AAAAHHH!” She realized the same became of her legs… just as Aisa’s own tattooed legs began to dissolve, along with the big nose on Miguel’s face.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Sartana cackled. “Listen to the Song of Death! Feel the sweet embrace of death take you and the agony that comes with it! You are not used to standing without your muscles, are you?! And soon, you will feel no breath!”
“That’s where you’re WRONG, Sartana!”
“GYAAAAH!” A rockin’ soundwave blasted the witch into the wall.
Aisa smiled up at her boyfriend. “I’ve been to the Land of the Dead! This isn’t the first time I felt this way! I’m even using the cursed guitar to prove it!”
“Always another problem.” Vexus trained a stinger on Miguel. “AAAH!”
Sartana whipped up at her platform: Vexus was grabbed by two extended arms that pierced her window. Jenny yanked the queen right outside and threw her far from the Vexhive. “XJ-9! You picked the WRONG day to poke my hive!”
“You should’ve accepted that your reign was over, Vexus. You should be proud of your daughter.”
“What parent would be proud of a child’s ignorance and disobedience?! I will have my kingdom back. I will punish Vega. And I’ll be rid of you AT LONG LAST!”
“And she’s not the only one with troublesome family!” Sartana shouted. “My Rivera cousins have bothered me for the last time! I’ll send you BACK where you belong!” (Play “Chasing a Dream” from Rayman Origins!)
Sub-boss: Sartana de los Muertos
With a strum of her golden guitar, Sartana elevated herself on a high platform. The control room turned dark with decorative macabre skull designs. Such gigantic skulls appeared to orbit her platform: they had candles on them and would blow fire at the boy. However, one of them on each layer ran out of breath, its candle dowsing. Miguel, switching back to his great-great-grandfather’s skull guitar, Song Rocketed toward the lowest one and was able to bounce off it. Afterwards, he strummed to the second. That skull would bounce him to Sartana’s platform, allowing Miguel a solid strike on the witch.
“AAAAHH!” Miguel’s guitar emitted its own spiritual chi, which added to Sartana’s pain. The witch soared away up a wide, spiraling Song Road. Macabre skull notes were riding down the lines, but like before, some of them weren’t flaming. Miguel strummed between and bounced off those notes until he could make it to Sartana’s stage. Another clean strum banished the witch again!
They fell right back to the floor as Sartana sealed herself in a giant sombrero, with eight more sombreros landing around her. They rapidly spun around the room, bashing Miguel around as the center one shuffled among them. They stopped, and Miguel readied himself: the hats flipped up. Miguel only saw her Undead Soldiers, but briefly saw Sartana beneath one. He was too late as Sartana landed a cursed Song Wave on him. She repeated the same tactic, so Miguel watched more intently. He was able to spot Sartana immediately this time and strummed the witch!
With a more extreme combination of notes, Sartana rose atop the crater of a thin volcano. It erupted as molten rocks rained everywhere. Miguel Song Jumped between platforms flowing down the lava river, watching for where rocks would fall. When the incline grew extremely steep, the operative had to jump a sequence of skulls that circled around the peak. Miguel would send Sartana falling down the volcano.
“NOOOO!” Unfortunately, she had thrown her weapon upward from the impact. “MY GUITAR!”
Miguel seized it, standing upon the crater victoriously. “Now to end it like every good concert!” By SMASHING the Mystic Guitar into a million pieces!
“NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!” Sartana was gone in a dazzling and mystic explosion. The volcano vanished in a colorful flash, as did all the decorations. Aisa and Apis sighed as they felt flesh and muscle return to their bones.
Outside, all the Unscrapped robots collapsed into junk once more. “Mission accomplished!” Chimney announced. “That just took out a TON of enemies! Get back to the train and let’s take the fight to Mama!” (Play “My Own Master Now” from Metal Gear Rising!)
Android 18 matched Morgiana’s kicks; 18 struck the Fanalis in the right knee, but as she fell from the impact, her left leg dented 18’s hip. Nagisa Shaved rapidly, using afterimages to confuse 17. However, the brother expected Nagisa to appear behind him, though was too late to react as Nagisa Finger Pistoled him in the right eye. 17 thrusted his palm and shot a point-blank laser, which Nagisa narrowly evaded by switching to Paper Art.
“17. 18.” They heard Gero’s voice in their built-in comms. “I’m transferring these two’s personal secrets to your memory banks. You can use them to distract your targets.”
“Resorting to petty trickery?” 17 asked. “I don’t think so.”
“You will win this battle by any means necessary! Morgiana likes kicking men’s nuts, and Nagisa hates-”
Both 17 and 18 raised their own Finger Pistols and pierced their own brains. They twitched for a moment, leaving Nagisa and Morg confused. “Sorry.” 18 said. “Just an itch.”
“Shall we resume?” 17 smirked.
The couple said in unison: “You bet.” Morgiana burned with Red Lion Fury, crouching on all fours, while Nagisa drank his own blood and entered Bloodlust Fury.
Steamroller tried to flatten N with his titular weapon… but he would fall into panic when N dissolved his roller with his nanite acid. I.N.S.T.I.G.A.T.O.R. squeezed Uzi in both claws, but with enough struggle, the angsty android pushed free. She would give I.N.S.T.I.G.A.T.O.R.’s giant face a makeover he would never forget.
Android 19 dodged around Kirie’s Sumo Monkey and dealt a direct punch. “KIRIE!” Mason was horrified as she blew across the field, bleeding from the nose and broken teeth.
“Hold on!” Haruka dashed after her fast as she could. “!” Thankfully, a certain robot broke Kirie’s flight with his white, balloonish frame.
“Do not be alarmed. I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion. Please keep this icebag over your swollen nose.” He planted the bag in question. “I will apply an anesthetic gas, so you feel no pain during broken tooth removal.”
“A marshmallowy medical machine?!” Haruka was in awe. “A-MAZING!”
“I also know karate.” As Android 19 zipped behind Baymax, he swiftly deflected his palm thrusts and sent the villain away with a chop.
Their attention was suddenly diverted by what seemed like a flickering sun in the sky, accompanied by a loud, thundering force. “Is that a f***ing NUKE?!” Mason gawked.
“No, it’s just Sheila.” Haruka phrased as though it were obvious.
“Oh, okay.”
Sheila Frantic, her body enveloped in her Eternal Sun, punched hundreds of Light Fists at her opponent, Baby. A blue-skinned cyborg with a long, pointed forehead, Baby was shorter than Sheila, but his speed was deadly, and his lasers and energy balls put her own attacks at odds. Through some of the blinding explosions, Sheila surprised Baby with a direct punch, squishing his forehead in. Baby threw an energy sphere that blew the captain straight down into MomCore, Sheila smashing through several buildings.
“Huff…huff…” She was only able to catch her breath while lodged in a billboard of Mombacco; an animated image of Mom raising a cigarette to her teeth and back. Sheila was lodged in the teeth. “Crikey! Oi don’t get hit like that very often! This is kinda fun!” She was excited as Baby flew for the next round.
Dr. Gero observed the combat from the top of Mom’s base. “GEROOOO!” He dodged a plasma blast from Dr. Myuu, hovering on jetshoes. “I knew I caught your ugly scent, you glass-brained bastard!”
Gero threw off his hat in a fury, exposing his domed brain. “Mom’s enemies must really be pathetic if they hired you!” He flew on his own rockets and punched Myuu in the shades.
“She got stuck with second pickings, that’s what!” Myuu mustered a Psy-Sphere: it was purple and see-through with a planetarium, orbiting around a blue sphere with a bright-red core. It struck Gero with a powerful explosion, but through the smoke, Gero would throw a pink energy sphere at Myuu.
“Like she’d ever want a big-earred coot who cheats at 4D chess!”
“At least I don’t hog the same encyclopedia for 200 hours!”
“Wax-infested dinglehopper!”
“Tumor-heavy tweedle-doofer!”
“Ay-ay-ay,” they heard someone sigh. “Did I really come all this way to hear old farts grumbling?” They noticed a nonchalant Cheren on the roof. “I mean, none of your robots are all that great to me. All they do is fly and shoot lasers. Not even a good challenge. Sigh, what cheap scraps.”
The doctors’ faces caved into a dozen more crinkles. “CHEAP SCRAPS?!” Both charged him—Cheren swiftly struck both with a Mortal Draw. While Myuu and Gero were in recovery, their anger ever focused on the Human Supreme Leader… the Robot Supreme Leader glided over from behind, striking Gero’s dome with an Astro Punch!
“Oh, hey there!” Cheren happily greeted the robot. “I’ve seen you at the council. You’re the leader, right?” Astro thumbed up! “Heheh! It’s two-on-two then!”
Jenny and Vexus cast death glares at each other… by which I mean shooting streams of eye lasers. The lasers met dead-on and tried to push through, until Vexus shot a stinger. Jenny broke the cycle and dodged both attacks. Vexus lunged and slashed Jenny’s face, to which the teenager would retaliate by morphing her arm into a giant flyswatter, swatting the former queen. “Ooooo, it’s because I’m a bee, right? How original.”
Vexus aimed her legs and successfully sprayed Jenny with a green gas. This caused her nanomachines to go haywire and develop into Robo Acne: bolt pimples on her forehead and wires jutting from her armpits. “Oh, no, not again!” she yelled with a cracked, deeper voice. Her rockets malfunctioned, causing Jenny to plummet to the city, landing in one of the hilly streets on the side of MomCore’s crater. Vexus savored her humiliation before contemplating her next move. Fortunately, one of her comrades decided that for her.
Adonis leapt and squashed Jenny beneath his hulking red mechanical suit. “If ya weren’t here for a poundin’, ya should’ve stayed off my beach!”
Jenny shoved the villain off her, grabbing a couple batteries and swallowing them. The energy inside them repelled the acne, setting her system straight. “You remind me of that Himcules dweeb.”
Adonis pushed up and charged at the teen. “Excuse me!” He quickly halted, looking down at a much tinier droid: Pino.
“You must be lookin’ to get scrapped, pincushion.” Adonis raised a boot above her.
“Actually, it’s Pino. E.M. Pino!” With a demonstration of her EMPlosion, Adonis’ suit shorted out.
“Hey! What gives?! AAAAAHHH!” His muscular frame toppled down against his control. Jenny, smiling at her friend in thanks, flew to pull Adonis’ lanky figure from his suit.
The villain grinned sheepishly, while Jenny turned her arm into a baseball bat. “…?” But she noticed someone else in the corner of her eye: “Penny?!” The ginger-haired robot was standing several yards behind Adonis. Looking to Penny in relief, she quickly batted Adonis away before flying over to her. “You’re okay! Ed told us you were captured!”
“Jenny…” She twitched briefly. “The Mo—ther Chips… Are they s—s—safe?”
“Uh…are you okay, Penny?”
“I am—p—p—peachy. You don’t ha-a-ave the Chips-s-s-s, do you?”
“I, uh…” Jenny pulled the box from her stomach. “I sorta brought ’em with me, but…”
Penny’s emerald eyes turned red. She whipped out a single blade and beheaded her friend. Penny swiped the box and took off to downtown MomCore. Jenny’s body quickly grabbed and screwed her head back on. “Penny!” Before she could give chase, a large, furry beast tackled her. “What the heck are you?!”
“Jenny!” Pino yelled. “That villain just now morphed into that!”
“I don’t have time for this!”
“Good work, Adonis.” Vexus smirked. “Hmm…why would XJ-9’s ally turn against her? And what was that box? I should investigate this.” She tried to follow after Penny discretely around the buildings.
Jenny pushed Adonis’ fangs away, sending her bladed pigtails to cut his arms, breaking his grasp as she flew away. The beast galloped after her with relentless speed. However, a silver fist repelled him, having flown from between an alleyway. “SHELDON!” Jenny beamed at the familiar suit of armor.
“Sorry I’m late, fair maiden!” the Silver Shell declared in its manly voice. “The work was overbearing, so I took an early VACATION!” He rocketed forth and socked Adonis again.
“Sheldon, I’m going after Penny. I think she’s been hacked! And she took the chips!”
“Goodness!” While Sheldon looked over in concern, Adonis jumped him, gnawing into the Shell’s head as Sheldon struggled to push him off. “Go ahead! I’ll put this beast in his place!”
Jenny nodded, grabbed Pino, and flew off.
Team Jerome infiltrated the city amidst all the chaos… however, unexpected difficulties arose when the battle between Maddy, Emily, and General Rilldo wound up downtown. Under his Logia liquid metalbending, the streets became flooded with the substance. The Gilligans could fly in their Gilligan Buster, but Jerome and Bender had to platform across floating cars, grapple-swing from lamp posts, and even zipline along some wires.
Without getting too much metal goo in their shoes, they finally set foot on the entrance to Mom’s base; the very core of MomCore itself. The stairs leading up to the pavilion, along with the pavilion itself, were pink… and since Mom’s mouth was the entrance, this was obviously meant to be the tongue.
Mom’s sons—Walt, Larry, and Igner, awaited them. “Great. These guys again.” Haylee cringed. She remembered the awkward situation her siblings were in the last time they fought these men.
“Impressive, Kids Next Door.” Walt smirked, wriggling his fingers. “Not many ever make it this far. Though, the only ones who try are angry customers.”
“That’s why our satisfaction rate is so high!” Igner cheered.
Walt smacked him. “But this base is a castle… and we are the wall that guards it! Brothers: form up!”
“I just know this is gonna be ridiculous.” Harry remarked.
The brothers’ skinny frames stretched into a wide shape. Their skin became like stone with complex, tiki-like designs. “Behold our collection of Tiki-Tiki Fruits! I am Ku, God of War. Larry is Lono, God of Peace. Igner is Kane, God of Life.”
“That’s… actually pretty cool.” Artie reasoned. “Also, you know Igner is actually the highest of those spirits, right?”
“I am?”
Walt smacked him. “That’s two in one day! Wanna go for a third?!”
“No…”
“Then get stacked!” The tikis stacked together with Walt on top and Igner at the bottom. “ARMOR UP!” They called a suit of armor to patch around their frame. The Gilligan Buster stood to meet their charge, but were blown several blocks downtown. They recovered, curled their mech into a ball, and rolled it back to Mom’s tongue at great speed. Igner bellowed a massive Light Beam: the Buster linked its palms and formed a reflective surface to deflect it. They resumed rolling and rammed the tiki totem into the building’s entrance, collapsing the wall around it. Walt, mustering Lono’s chi, shot his tongue out: it was a rainbow! The rainbow wrapped around the Gilligans, swinging and slamming them into the ground.
“Ooo, Jerome, can I join the tiki totem, too?!” Bender asked giddily. “Tiki-carving was my 14th hobby.”
Jerome was focused on something else: Jenny was chasing a red-haired girl. They flew right up Mom’s right nostril. “Bender, we’re following after them!”
“Awwwwww.” Bender moaned in disappointment.
“Quit moaning and get stretching!” Vweeb shouted. They clung onto Bender as he stretched both arms up Mom’s nose, the trio slingshotting up it.
Upon entering the base, Jenny and Pino were immediately assaulted by Killbots. Jenny formed a shield to deflect some of their bullets, stretched a sawblade to sever 10 of them, and a storm of lasers to destroy 10 more. They focused attention back to Penny, who presented the Mother Chips to Arthur Watts and Mom. “PENNY!” Jenny tried to shout through more bullet fire. “What’re you doing?!”
“Fulfilling her function.” Watts smirked through his mustache. Mom took the box with her through the exit door. “And with that… you may self-terminate.”
Penny began twitching more violently. “NO!” She fell to her knees. “Noooooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!”
“JENNY!” Jerome’s trio made it in. He and Vweeb quickly shot and destroyed the rest of the Killbots.
“Jerome! Something’s wrong with Penny!”
“That other teammate you mentioned?” Vweeb acknowledged.
“Hmm?” Watts cocked a brow at the writhing girl. “This is taking longer than intended.” He pulled out a gold and silver revolver. “Perish already!” He shot Shock Bullets at her.
Jenny furiously stretched a punch straight at him, but Watts raised his right hand: using the rings on those fingers, Jenny’s wrist was trapped in a solid holo-shield. Her struggle to pull it free caused her hand to smelt off, horrifying her.
“Penny!” Pino yelled. “I don’t know what he’s done, but you have to fight it!”
“I-I can’t! I’m going to… self-terminate! Please… help me…”
“Pietro has given you stubborn programming, I’ll give him that.” Watts trained his gun on her again.
“Or maybe that’s just WILL!” Vweeb zoomed up to him. Watts, using Haki to trace the Kateenian, shot Ice Bullets. Vweeb narrowly dodged them and fired lasers back, but Watts blocked them with light shields.
“Insolence. Machines don’t possess willpower. They’re only as strong as their creators designed them.” When Vweeb got close, Watts used his left index ring to emit gravity, pressing him into the floor. He mustered all his will to keep from popping like a grape. “And Pietro’s prowess is far beneath my own. This one will die before long!”
Jerome warped closer and nullified the gravity. Watts shot at the Zathurian, but Vweeb kicked forth and punched the scientist into the next room. “PINO, GO!” Jenny threw the small robot as she mustered another EMPlosion.
Penny stopped twitching and passed out. “Um…didn’t that just expedite things?” Vweeb asked.
“I temporarily shut down Penny’s functions. We need somebody to reprogram the termination command!”
“The Gilligans are busy.” Jerome said.
“Then I’ll call Quatre!” Jenny declared.
“And where do you think YOU’RE going?!” Vweeb saw Watts beginning to seal the doorway with four layers of steel shutters. The Kateenian performed a great leap and narrowly flew through the closing center of those shutters. “You mustached jerk!”
Boss fight: Arthur Watts
Vweeb zipped around and shot lasers from multiple angles. As Watts blocked them with his shield, he aimed his left pinky finger as a steam geyser erupted from directly beneath Vweeb. “WUUUUUUUH!”
Watts snickered and projected more geysers to keep the puny alien airborne. He had laser turrets emerge from parts of the floor and shoot at him, Vweeb barely dodging them while in the updrafts. “Those geysers aren’t even connected to vents! Is he magic? Or maybe… it’s time to take a closer look at things.” Vweeb turned the dial on his gun to ‘Shrink.’ He pressed the dial inward, causing the Tri-gun to burst an energy field. Vweeb vanished before Watts’ eyes…
But in actuality, Vweeb shrunk to an even smaller scale: just as a Kateenian was an inch tall to a human’s eyes, Vweeb was now an inch tall to a Kateenian’s eyes. “AHA!” And Vweeb had a much better view of the nanomachines swarming about the room. Those geysers were being directly emitted by a ton of them. “Now,” he tried to grab some as he fell, “if one of you, ugh, would kindly let me, ugh, GOT YA!” He succeeded: a nanomachine fit right in the palm of his hand. “Man, these things ARE tiny!” As the device tried to fly around despite his weight, Vweeb picked part of it open. “Whoa! Tiny fragments of Water and Fire Crystals! That’s how they’re making the steam. Well, time for target practice.”
Vweeb changed his gun to ‘Shoot’ and blasted all the nanomachines with rapid pace, as if trying to get the high score in a videogame. However, he left a trail of them intact in order to swing to the colossus that was Watts. When close, Vweeb set his gun to ‘Shrink’ and pressed the dial again. He blew back to regular size: Watts was too late to notice Vweeb before he rammed the villain’s jaw. The Kateenian’s super strength caused Watts to keel over.
Watts rolled sideways and shot Fire Bullets, surrounding his tiny target with flaming bursts. He then used his index ring to conjure gravity and squish Vweeb down again. As he struggled against the force, Watts loaded a Shock Bullet. Vweeb managed to pull up his shrink ray and pressed the trigger properly this time, shrinking the bullet before it could reach him. In fact, the bullet’s reduced trajectory hit one of the nanomachines, causing the field to short out for a split moment. Vweeb jumped, pressed the dial, and shrunk to nano size again. With the nanomachines in view, Vweeb shot and ’sploded them. He noticed the purple fragments inside, designed to harness the Gravity Chi.
Watts grunted: his Haki couldn’t detect Vweeb very well when he was this small. For now, he had more nanomachines create a gravity barrier around himself. Vweeb shot numerous nanomachines that composed the barrier and managed to cut a tunnel through it. Vweeb kicked off and flew through that tunnel, landing right under Watts’ nose. He squatted, jumped, and resized himself while his momentum kept. He seized Watts right by the mustache and tugged with great momentum! Watts nearly felt his upper lip rip off, though that wasn’t as painful as his cranium smashing into the floor.
Watts smacked Vweeb away and flipped upright. He ran up the air with conjured holo-platforms, while summoning electric generators up from the floor. Vweeb leapt before the floor electrified and shrunk himself. He grabbed hold of a nanomachine as soon as he could, swung up some more of them, and eventually made it to the ones forming Watts’ steps. As before, Vweeb shot every nanomachine in sight: Watts panicked as his next possible platform failed to spawn, so he fell right into the electricity. “AAAAAAGH! TURN OFF! TURN OFF!” The floor deactivated.
“WATTS UP!” Vweeb exploded back to normal with the most epic one-liner as he Ground Pounded Watts’ head! Watts furiously swat him away, stood, and conjured numerous holo-shields. They positioned at various angles as Watts shot Shock Bullets to ricochet around them and hit Vweeb from unexpected angles. Vweeb dodged some of the shots, but the outburst of electricity from some still hurt him. Vweeb dashed toward the nearest shield, leapt, and kicked off it. He flew toward and kicked off the next and every barrier afterward, narrowly evading Watts’ keen aiming. As he flew toward the scientist, Watts projected a shield to protect his face. Vweeb used another Shrink Burst on himself: his tinier frame barely made it through the final particles that formed the barrier. Then, he resized and smashed Watts right in the nose.
“Miserable little INCHLING!” Watts rose and charged the energy of all three bullet types on his gun. Vweeb pulled his Tri-gun’s trigger and mustered a Powuh Shot: its force matched against Watts’ Three Dust Cannon. In spite of its size, Vweeb’s gun persevered: it pierced the center of the elements and burned Watts right in the head. The Friendly Executive reeled back, unconscious. Vweeb stylishly twirled his gun and blew the smoke. (End song.)
Vweeb looked as the steel shutters opened. Jerome and Jenny rushed in. “Vweeb! I see you’ve subdued that man.”
“Hah! I’m so amazing that it doesn’t even surprise you anymore, huh?”
“Well, you were always an excellent partner to my sister.” Jerome picked his friend up. “Why would it?”
“Heheh!” Vweeb couldn’t help but blush. “Hey, is Penny…”
“Let’s go see.”
The group jumped out of Mom’s nose and returned to the pavilion. The Gilligan Buster and the Tiki Sons had taken their battle downtown amongst the dried flood of metal. Sector W7 was standing around Penny and Quatre as the latter hacked into her brain. Just as Quatre closed the hatch, Penny twitched back awake. “Penny!” Pino gasped. “Are you… alright?”
“I am… ju—u-u-u-u-u—UST… peachy…”
“Penny…” Jenny felt truth in her response this time. But she still feared for her health.
“Jenny… I-” she glitched, “-sorry… I too—took the Mother Chips… and gave them-” another glitch.
“Calm down.” April consoled her. “We’re just glad you’re alright.”
Penny smiled. “…But I’m not ready to give up!” She sprung to her feet. “Mom will pay for this!”
“She specifically programmed Penny to steal the chips.” Quatre noticed. “I never knew she was hunting them, did you?”
“Nuh-uh.” Jenny shook.
“You know, I couldn’t help but notice the geography of this town.” April said. “How it looks like a crater. …You don’t suppose…”
…
Mom traveled an elevator to the bottom floor of her fortress, the box rested neatly in her fingers. The elevator stopped, and she calmly stepped off. Senator Armstrong thoroughly observed a large, round device in the center of an empty room. “So, you built your city around this thing, huh?”
“I’ve always believed in the legend of Motherboard.” Mom walked around the device: it had seven heart-shaped slots evenly spaced. “When I discovered this strange hatch in the middle of nowhere, I tried everything to hack into it. Nothing would work. I couldn’t even drill beneath the structure. As if some divine force prevented me.”
“That’s always the case with sacred sites, isn’t it?”
“But at last… those brats finally brought me the chips.” Mom placed each one into a slot. “The legend… will finally be ours to profit off of!”
Each heart channeled lines of energy into the device. The room quaked: the floor slowly turned and sank into the earth. Imagining the wonders that lay just beneath them, soon about to fall into their grasps… the tycoon and senator could only giggle with diabolical glee.
The operatives only found the elevator shaft minutes later. Though none could use it without Mom’s approval, the operatives had their own means of forcing their way down. “It’s just a… big hole…” Aeincha said.
“This… doesn’t feel like it’s part of Mom’s base.” Pino said. “There’s something… ominous about it.”
“It’s the only way we can go.” Jerome stated. “If that legend is true… I don’t want them to be the first to find out.”
Chapter 21: Mecha Saga 6: Will of Steel
Summary:
The legend of Motherboard is proven. Final chapter of the Mecha Saga.
Chapter Text
This is the last chapter of Mecha Saga! I’m glad I finally got to finish this story I had planned two years ago!
Chapter 20: Will of Steel
What was once a thriving corporate city now stood in ruin. Maddy held a weakened Rilldo by the neck and channeled Paper Haki, allowing Emily to end him with a Liquid Metal Slice. Sheila overpowered Baby with her Sunny Fist of the Seven Seas, a sensation that made him feel like he were flying around the whole world seven times. But on the return trip home, Sheila was ready to welcome him in the palm of a giant Light Hand. She closed it and crushed him… and the blinding visual in Baby’s goggles felt like he were burning in a real sun.
Androids 17 and 18 were shorting out before Nagisa and Morgiana. “You struck at my power circuits… without harming my brain or heart… Why…” 17 asked.
“Because deep down, you’re a living being.” Nagisa smiled.
“Indeed… we were human once…” 18 said. “But… would you really consider us ‘alive’?”
“I don’t know.” Morgiana replied. “What would you rather do right now?”
“…I would rather… go to the mall… and buy all the pretty clothes I want.”
“I’d rather… be shepherding animals… on a nice farm…” 17 said.
“Yeah, well… I’d rather be chillin’ at school and tossing stories around my classmates.” Nagisa laughed.
“I’d rather be running laps around the desert.” Morg said. “And stuffing my face with fish. And simple desires like that…”
“-make you human.”
17 smiled. His eyes began to dull. “My name… is Lapis…”
“…Lazuli…” 18 closed hers.
Their energy systems shut down… and the robots slept.
Cheren and Astro stood atop the sparking bodies of Gero and Myuu, checking in with the statuses of their operatives. Pythagoras of Sector Vega and Robotgirl were destroyed, but everyone else only seemed tired out of their minds. “They didn’t hold back on the budget for these mechs.” Cheren said. “They would’ve been a good runner-up for an Emperor crew. Which is why I hope they’ll stay down for good.”
Astro’s assistant, EVE flew up to their level. “Supreme Leader. Team Prime and the Earthling allies are pursuing Mom. They have discovered a bizarre underground chamber and believe it may…”
The two leaders perked up. EVE translated Astro’s words to Cheren. “I must go now. I will request any ably functioning operatives to join me.”
“I’ll leave it to you. We got things covered here.”
Heart of Mechanos
The operatives had to admire the beauty. They had fallen deep beneath the planet’s crust and landed in a vast cavern. The stalactites, 50 meters high, seemed to shimmer with soft, blue reflections against their damp surface. The W7 girls happily held their hands out to welcome a few gentle, cold droplets. …But they couldn’t feel them. “Hey… this isn’t water.” Aisa’s keen eyes saw them for what they truly were: droplets of data. Just very tiny 0’s and 1’s.
“Ahhhh.” Jenny sighed as the droplets tickled her circuits. “This feels so nice.”
“I am feeling less glitchy by the minu—ute!” Penny grinned.
“Tehehehehe!” Bender giggled like a little kid in the sprinkler.
The ops traveled a few miles in the echoing caves before approaching some kind of towering structure. “Whooooaaaa…” It was a tremendous robot with a wide frame and horns on its head; though the left horn was snapped off. “Now that’s… a big robot.” Mocha said.
“It’s not the only one!” Vweeb called. “Take a look around!” There were giant, scattered pieces of another robot. They saw an ankle, a hand, what looked like body components… then, the group approached its fallen head.
“Hah!” Bender stepped up to the head and faced his friends as he thumbed it. “Look how big his mouth is!” The group fell back in shock when the giant’s eyes glowed white. “What does he use that for, chewing gum?”
“Hello…”
“YIPE!” The giant’s soft, echoing tone compelled Bender to zip away on the spot. “I’M NOT GUM!”
“It’s still alive!” Pino exclaimed.
“Who… are… you…?” the Iron Giant asked gently.
“We are… Kids Next Door?” Jerome answered.
“Kids… Next…” Its eyes sparked. “That term… is… familiar… but… memory banks… in error…!” They lit up again. “Emet! There you are! Emet!”
They turned to the other giant. “That thing’s name is Emet?” Apis asked.
“Emet… is… friend…”
“Where did the two of you come from?”
“I… Data unavailable… but Emet is… friend… Emet! Emet! Why don’t you boot up… Emet…”
“You wouldn’t be guardians of Motherboard, would you?” Jenny asked.
“Mother…board? Ah…yes… Motherboard… Project…”
Aisa gasped, turning right as she felt a powerful presence. “Guys! I-I think we better catch up to them! Hurry!” Though it hurt to end the investigation so abruptly, they followed the Shandian’s instincts.
Mom and Senator Armstrong descended a sloped ground around a gaping chasm. The data of the stalactites dripped and formed a colossal, humanoid shape. It was thin and feminine, with waves of bright, cyan hair. Her body was white, with a blue face and chest. Her irises opened to meet her awestruck visitors.
“It hast been an age since last I held users in my server.”
“…An ancient deity of legend, yet she keeps up with the machine talk.” Armstrong rolled his eyes. “Ain’t you a little too old for that?”
“Astounding… Are you really Motherboard? Who even created you?” Mom asked.
“Many eons ago… a research station discovered a powerful star on this dead world. They doth try to harness its power in the hopes their wishes be met. The star became one with the station’s computer… but therein lie the tragedy. A terrible catastrophe… Thus, the station did crash into the world. Its power seeped into the world’s Heart… and I was born. And hence did the machines of the cosmos feel a kinship with this world eons after that.”
“Huh…ya ain’t talking about one of those Star Pieces them Irkens were trying to find, are ya?” Armstrong asked.
“I don’t care if it’s a Star Piece or a crackhead’s tooth!” Mom shouted. “Can you grant wishes or not?!”
“Only to those with skin and hearts of metal wilt I let their desires be met. But my programming is not almighty. Only wilt I grant wishes that benefit the recipient directly.”
“Then I just need to bring my robots down here. They’ll become stronger than ever with your wishes!”
“Be forewarned… thou must be ready to accept the price.”
“Hah! Wishes don’t come cheap, do they? And just how much do you want?”
“THERE they are!” Chimney’s voice screamed.
Mom and Armstrong grit their teeth at the incoming interlopers. “WHOA!” Aisa screamed.
“Who is that?!” Mary asked. “She’s beautiful!”
“It…It’s really her.” Pino wanted to tear up. “Motherboard…”
“BACK OFF, you pathetic pissants!” Mom shouted. “You aren’t stealing my wishes!”
“Motherboard isn’t for you!” Jenny argued. “Her wishes are for ALL robots!”
“Darn right!” Bender said.
“But preferably good robots.” Vweeb noted.
“Awwwww.”
“On the contrary,” a new voice drew their attention, “Motherboard belongs to ME!” A certain insectoid queen appeared in the air.
“Vexus!” Jenny glared.
“With but a single wish,” Vexus ripped open several portals, summoning hordes of Cluster minions and stray Eggman robots, “I will have this whole planet under my dominion! The Cluster will RISE again!”
“The hell it will!” Mom began to don a mechanical suit: a pair of digi-glass butterfly wings spread from her back, while her suit was elegantly patterned. “I own the monopoly on ALL robots! None may have this power unless I wish it! Disneybots!” She took flight and dumped dozens of robots out of her Infi-Cube. “Put your iconic asses to work and trash these—DAH!” A Starburst struck her.
“The only people who deserve these wishes,” Jerome flew at her level, “are the operatives who worked hard to collect the Mother Chips. They shall see their dreams realized… and we will make sure no people like you ever do!”
“That’s right, Vexus.” Jenny flew to meet her nemesis. “Let’s end this once and for all.”
“I wouldn’t wish it any other way, XJ-9…”
“You want the first ass-whoopin’, ya soccer-skinned snot, so be it!” Mom sneered. “You’ll be a great test for my Momarch suit!”
“We’ll take care of the minions!” April yelled. “But we’ll chip in if you need it!”
“Well, this is gonna get messy.” Armstrong said. “This calls for some sweet tunes!” He pulled out a tape recorder and played “The Stains of Time” from Metal Gear Rising!
Boss fight: Mom and Vexus
Mom flapped her wings at Jerome, spreading a cloud of electrical pollen. Jerome opened a vortex to suck the pollen in, but the tycoon would ambush him with an overhead kick. Her antennas fired a storm of lasers, forcing Jerome against the ground. The Zathurian used a vortex to redirect a laser right back into her shoulder. Jerome flew up and lashed the Z.A.P.P., the Momarch suffering the first hits before folding her wings in defense. Jerome warped behind her and threw a B.O.O.M.E.R., but as she reeled back from the damage, Mom released a swarm of smaller robot butterflies. The butterflies fluttered to and latched onto Jerome, and he feared what they threatened to do.
“I got you covered!” Apis assured, using telepathy to command the butterflies to fly off him. “Or should I say uncovered.” They returned to Mom and exploded into electricity. She was stunned long enough for Jerome to pelt her with Starbursts. The enraged Momarch spun like a torpedo, her wings casting streaks of light from the motion as she drilled into Jerome. She plowed him into the ground as the Zathurian formed a Block over his stomach to mitigate the pain. Mom flew off him and released Electro Pollen, but Jerome warped out of its range in time.
Mom quickly tracked him toward her left and spread her wings open. The insides of her Momarch wings shone bright ring shapes, and began to fire rings of energy at a rapid pace. Jerome evaded as well as he could while throwing N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s in retaliation. One of the rings made contact and squeezed him, dragging Jerome to the ground. Attempting to warp would only take the ring with him: it seemed Mom specially designed them that way!
“How about I clip those wings?!” Aeincha flew up in her Dragonfly Glider and barrel-rolled against the Momarch wings, the sharpness of her own wings damaging them. Mom about-faced the Lilliputian and shot more of the rings, but with her smallness, Aeincha cleanly dove between the rings and slashed the wings right against the rings’ spawn points. Mom was unable to generate more of them, but she would have her revenge on Aeincha by summoning butterfly drones. Apis tried to manipulate them again, but these ones had stronger protection.
Fortunately, Jerome recovered in time to swat the butterflies down with the Z.A.P.P.! He then enforced gravity over the woman and grounded her. Jerome landed with her, putting up a Space Block as Mom bombarded lasers at him. Jerome threw a F.L.I.P.S.B.Y. behind him and warped it: it reappeared behind Mom and flipped her right on her head. He then tossed out a couple T.O.P.M.A.N. to bounce the president around. Mom recovered in a rage and lunged at Jerome with a burst of electric pollen, stunning the Zathurian down to his nerves. But before we see how he deals with that, let’s look at Jenny’s side of things.
Vexus linked her legs together into a stinger, homing in on Jenny like a drilling missile. Jenny shaped her own pigtails into a drill and grinded directly against the tip of Vexus’. Ultimately, Vexus felt the faltering in her heels first and broke away. The queen threw hives that exploded into swarms of hornets, blotting Jenny’s vision and riddling her with punctures. She erected a bug-zapper on her head to eradicate them, but Vexus managed another Drill Kick into her gut. Vexus ripped open a rift and cast a stream of Locust Drones. Vexus planned to stab her while Jenny was overwhelmed by the bugs… until a pair of extended arms grabbed her. “Alley-oop!” Bender flung at Vexus like a slingshot. He kept his grip on her after the impact as he stretched his legs high above and STAMPED down onto the queen.
“I got bad news for you, queenie!” Bender said as he landed beside Jenny, who narrowly swat the locusts away. “Usurping royals was my 13th hobby!”
“Don’t remind us.” Vweeb eye-rolled.
With a furious rasp, Vexus spread her Acne Gas, causing Jenny to break out in pimple-bolts and Bender to develop braces. “AW, NUTSTH!” he yelled with a lisp. Vexus electrified herself and zipped around with great speed as she stabbed both foes with her heels. Bender managed to grab the queen amid one thrust, suffering the electrocution as he bent Vexus’ heel right into her own butt. “OOOOUUUUCH!” It turns out, bees can sting their selves. Jenny struck her with an Extendo Punch, but Vexus quickly closed the gap between them. They engaged in close combat, with Vexus’ claws carving Jenny’s armor. Jenny divided her right arm into three with Shiva Swords, clashing Vexus’ claws with ease and striking her in the eye and stomach.
Vexus spewed balls of super-sticky honey and glued Jenny down. It had the strength of superglue, rendering Jenny helpless to Vexus’ laser fire. Bender propped his hands against the floor and stretched his legs, wrapping them around Vexus and slingshotting into the queen. He chugged a bottle of beer and belched fire on her face. Speaking of fire, Jenny emitted flamethrowers to melt the honey off and take flight. Vexus kicked Bender off her and flew as well. The queen extracted dozens of flowers and threw them like shurikens. Jenny tried to deflect them with Shiva Swords, but those flowers shot their petals off and scratched her regardless, even slicing off two of her sword hands.
Jenny reformed her right arm and stretched a punch at Vexus, but halfway toward her foe, she redirected it left at a tight angle. The arm then bent diagonal, down, right, straight, diagonal again, confusing Vexus all the while. While she remained distracted by Jenny’s arm, the teenage robot shot her boot out and stamped her in the teeth. Only then did her multi-angled fist finally decide to meet Vexus right in the crown.
“That’s it! I need some extra protection! A queen shouldn’t leave her hive, after all!” Vexus flew away and conjured a powerful hive-shaped barrier. She was able to send drones out through rifts, while Jenny flew around and examined the hive.
“Pino!” She flew down to her friend. “I see a small opening in that hive, but only you can fit in.”
“You want me to go in and disable Vexus’ barrier?”
“I’ll stretch my arm in while you ride it. I need you to navigate me. We’ll fish her out her together!”
“Affirmative!”
Mom saw Vexus put up the barrier. “That’s not a bad idea.” The tycoon flew a safe distance and conjured a giant cocoon barrier. “This suit needs some repairs!”
“You can’t hide from me!” Jerome drew the V.I.S.S.I.L.E..
Jenny stretched Pino into the hive’s opening. Pino instructed Jenny to bend down, go right and loop around 45 degrees, go down, go left and loop 90 degrees, and finally reach Vexus’ center. Pino used the EMPlosion to daze the queen and dispel her barrier. Jenny saw Bender going to one side, so she flew to the other side: both robots stretched arms, grabbed Vexus, and slingshot into her, flattening her like a pancake!
Jerome fired the missile and used his gun’s controller to guide it through an opening of the Momarch’s cocoon. He carefully maneuvered around butterfly drones in the first layer; the second was crawling with caterpillars that connected lasers between each other; the third had more butterflies that would shoot energy rings. The rings were much trickier to evade, but Jerome narrowly succeeded and reached Mom’s center. The missile burst, shutting down her barrier. Jerome thrusted his palm through a portal: a larger portal appeared above Mom as Jerome’s gigantic hand flattened the businesswoman. (End song.)
Mom still lay flat as Jerome pulled his palm off her. “Uuuuuhhh…”
“We took care of the backup!” Mocha smiled victoriously.
“Then it seems we’re nearly done here!” Jerome smiled. He and Sector W7 approached the aching president. “Ahem. President Carol Miller… the Kids Next Door will be taking you into custody now. You will tell us everything you know about King Mickey… and help us to expose his truths to the universe.”
“Heh heh heh…you think because I worked with you once, I’ll do so again?”
“It will be in your best interest to.”
“Hey, Jerome… look.” April drew his attention to Sector Prime. With the threat absolved… they had put all their focus on Motherboard.
The robots couldn’t believe they were really looking at her. The legend they had searched all this time for… “Motherboard…” Jenny approached her first. “Are…Are the stories true? Can you make us into real girls?”
“If thou wish to have thine desire met… thou must offer the sacrifice.”
The notion threw all the operatives into shock. “Sacrifice?!” Pino repeated.
“To have thine desire met is to be reborn… To be reborn is to call me Mother… To call me Mother… is to renounce the mother and father who birthed thee. Thou must offer their lives as payment…”
“What?!” Mom’s eyes dilated.
“We…” Jenny and her friends felt the greatest horror, “…have to sacrifice our parents?!”
“That was never in the story of Pinocchio!” Pino shouted.
“Thou speaks of the long-nosed one? He doth find my domain many ages ago. And the heart of his father he didst pay.” The truth was unbelievable to the pale-faced operatives. “It seems that truth never didst leave this domain.”
“I can’t believe it…”
“It’s like… the gallery…” Mary muttered.
“That’s cruel!” April shouted. “Why would you ask for that?!”
“’Tis in my design…”
“No!” Penny shouted. “I will absotively NOT do that! Tha—a—at would… be a terrible weight on my hu—hu—human heart!”
“Sigh…our friends are gonna hate this.” Jenny bowed.
“But we must tell them the truth.” Pino replied. “And we must make sure no bot… is tempted by this dark deed.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Mom shouted. “How the sack am I supposed to profit off that?! I don’t get jack shit when I’m—dee…aaaaahhh!”
The operatives choked at the sight: Senator Armstrong was firmly strangling the tycoon in his nanomachine hand. “Ah…ah…Armstrong… you… bast…”
Crack. Armstrong opened his fingers, letting Mom collapse like a ragged towel. None of the witnesses had any word for him. His cigar firmly locked in his smirk, Armstrong faced Motherboard. “…O Hybrid of Machine and Man… what is thine wish?”
Armstrong took his cigar in his fingers and raised it. “I wish my nanomachines possessed the properties of Conqueror’s Haki! Enough to make any machine or fleshy bow to my will!”
“…Acknowledged.”
Motherboard’s cyan hair strands linked with Armstrong. His smile was bursting as powerful energy coursed through his veins. “Hahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FEEL THAT HORSEPOWER, SON! That’s nine million nanomachines of PURE POWER!”
“AAAAAHHHH!” Both the organic and robotic operatives were brought to their knees. “It’s so strong!” Mocha grunted.
“It’s not even as strong as K. Rool’s!” Aisa said. “But it… feels like real Haki!”
“No! It isn’t!” Pino said. “He sent some of his nanomachines into our bodies! They’re generating powerful vibrations designed to weaken our nerves!”
“And it’s a dang sight, isn’t it?! With this power, I’ll be Supreme Chancellor in no time! I’ll have these machines reproduced in all our soldiers! We’ll be INVINCIBLE!”
“Ugh…” Vexus groggily recovered from Jenny and Bender’s attack. “My head… What’s happening…?!” She looked to the bowing operatives and the powerful senator. “…I, um…think I better go.” She mustered the strength to open a portal.
Armstrong shot his gaze toward her. He jumped and SQUASHED the former queen like the insect she was. “No one’s leaving here without MY permission.”
“FRIENDS! THERE YOU ARE!” They heard Arale’s voice and twisted their heads back toward the hill. She was running like an airplane, leading numerous other robotic operatives, including Supreme Leader Astro, Aigis, Quatre, Uzi and N, Melody Locus, and Atlas. “How could you find Motherboard without me?! I’m so hurt, I could rebuild myself as a torture chamber!”
“Mocha!” Atlas called with a confident smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already?!”
“Atlas…” Mocha was happy to see her rebuilt, but…
“ARALE!” Penny yelled. “You shouldn’t be here!”
“AAAAHH!” The robots succumbed to Armstrong’s power.
“No! The more the merrier, I say!” the senator laughed. “I’ll tear up your memory drives inside out! You’ll be fighting for ME from now on!”
“Grrrrr…!” Mocha looked to Atlas for strength. Her fellow giant, her spiritual sister she shared combat with… She had herself rebuilt and came all this way to keep fighting, only for this to happen. “…No they WON’T!” Mocha’s knees sprung forth with newfound resolve. Armstrong turned, uncaring as the giant struggled to grasp him in her hardened palm.
“What do ya think yer doin’, twerp?”
“It doesn’t matter if your machines can replicate Armament or Conqueror’s… attack us inside or out… because they can’t replicate the will and experience we’ve built after all these years! Come on, guys! You can resist them! You can do it!”
“Huuuuuurrrr…!” She was right! After all they had endured from the Twenty Keys Quest to the Pirate Wars… the operatives drew strength from these moments! They planted their feet down and pushed up on their knees.
“I ain’t letting some human chump… use tiny robots… to push Bender around, baby!” Bender vowed.
“I was controlled once…” Penny twitched. “I will not be controlled again!”
“What?!” Armstrong was dumbfounded as even the droids were resisting him. “Dammit! Their own nanomachines are fighting with mine! What the hell, you old bat?!” he yelled up at Motherboard. “They were supposed to make anyone bow to my will!”
“And so they didst… but my wishes canst only benefit the receiver directly. Thou art stronger… but thou canst not factor the strength of others.”
“Our parents built us with wills of our own!” Jenny declared. “My emotions and embarrassments are my own! Mechanos was founded by robots who wanted to live their own lives! You can’t overpower us so easily!”
“BAH!” Armstrong grabbed Mocha’s hand and hurdled her away. “You dumbasses can barely stand though! I’ll wipe the floor with you!”
Atlas flew to catch the giant. “Supreme Leader! Permission to activate Armored Interface Mode?” (Play “It Has To Be This Way” from Metal Gear Rising!)
PERMISSION GRANTED!
As the organic operatives pondered the meaning, their Mechanos friends turned to them. “Sorry, Aeincha,” Pino picked the Lilliputian up, “but I must ask you to go in here!” A slot on her stomach opened.
“Whuh?!” Aeincha was placed inside. Components linked around her limbs and interlinked with her dragonfly suit. Its wings would grow on Pino’s back.
Penny’s body disassembled and reformed around Mary’s body, the painting girl in wonder as the process happened.
“April.” The artist turned to Melody, a gracious smile on her peach-painted face. “Thank you for repainting me. It’s an honor to let you wear me.” She disassembled and reformed over the artist.
“What is this?!” Jerome asked as Jenny reformed around him.
“Each of us had this feature installed when we became operatives.” Jenny answered. “If ever our organic friends needed a boost, our nanomachines would reshape us and let us bond with their chi paths. You might feel pretty tired afterward, but right now, our wills have a better chance working together!”
“Then do what you must!”
“Mocha…” Atlas reformed herself over her Amazon partner. “I know using machines isn’t what you wanted, but…”
“If it’s you, Atlas, I don’t mind just this once!”
Aigis became Apis’ armor. F.I.O. and X.E.R.O.S. transformed into mechanical wings with feathers of light, allowing Quatre to fly.
And naturally, Chimney was ready to join up with Arale. “Hmm?!” Instead, the purple-haired robot smooched her, their lips melding together. (“What’re you doing?!”) Chimney tried to mutter.
(“I can only fuse mouths together!”)
(“Whuh?!”) Their faces pulled away as their mouths ripped clean off. They molded into a ball shape, turned yellow, and grew a big mouth. (“IT’S PAC-MAN?!”)
“’Guess we don’t have robo-friends.” Miguel said to Aisa, blushing. “But I can use my music to enhance us!”
“You think these silly costumes are gonna make a difference?!” Armstrong ripped off his suit, exposing his hulking body of shiny, black, solid skin. “I’ll show you what a real will of steel is like!”
World Boss: Steven Armstrong
The duo of Mochatlas earned the first round, blasting toward Armstrong with jetpacks as they shared rapid, tremoring punches. Mochatlas threw up her right foot and sent Armstrong skyward, but he quickly returned down and hammered the giant’s skull into the ground. He leapt and aimed to crush her again, but his impact was several meters off its mark. April was using Melody’s lasers to shoot red light-marks around the ground, confusing the senator’s focus. Armstrong merely ripped that chunk of earth out of its foundation and hurdled it right at April, and if it weren’t for Melody’s armor, it would hurt a lot worse. Mochatlas sprung forward with another solid punch, but she felt stronger resistance before Armstrong sent her flying.
The Pinaeincha duo swooped around the senator, snipping around his armor with Pino’s scissor-ears. “What, are ya tryin’ ta give me a mohawk?!” Armstrong questioned as he tried to swat the pair away. “GAAAAAAH!” Penny’s Floating Array stabbed around his body: powered by Mary’s crayons, Armstrong suffered freezing, burning, and electrocution all at once. Armstrong furiously ripped out and threw the swords before sending the duo flying with a karate chop. “I see! Your pansy scissors are softening my steel!” He focused on Pinaeincha and clapped, blasting a shockwave to blow the tinies away. Pennary stabbed Armstrong’s shoes with White Blades, gluing him momentarily while Jennerome blasted him with Starbursts.
Jenny stretched her arms through an array of Jerome’s portals, forming a complex labyrinth of them around Armstrong. To stop him from attacking the arms, Astro flew into the complex and socked Armstrong in the jaw. “Yeah, keep hittin’ me! I need more physical trauma!” He threw punches that Astro would dodge, the Supreme Leader blasting his face with a laser. It was then Jenny’s arms grabbed his leg and neck from opposite portals: Jennerome split their selves in half with Space Split. Both halves went zipping through the alignment of portals on their respective arms’ side. Their momentum increased until they SMASHED Armstrong!
Jennerome’s halves reunited, but Armstrong, his veins pulsating with a sharper sheen, banished them with a thrust of his palm. He saw Aprilody shooting blue lasers at each of their friends, enhancing their strength. The senator stormed toward the artist, so Aprilody flew to the sky. She shot Pink Lasers to weaken the resolve of his nanomachines, as well as Green Lasers to soothe him. However, the senator remained strong, squat, and JUMPED with the force of a rocket. Aprilody panicked and flew backward, but Armstrong kicked off the air itself and followed. Melody knew impact was inevitable: she quickly disassembled the fusion and shoved April away. Quatre flew to break her fall… but they looked horrifically to Melody: Armstrong smashed her head clean between his hands. Her cracked eyes leaked tears as Armstrong tore her body to shreds.
“MELODYYYYY!” April and Jenny cried out in despair. Pennary, fueled with anger, chased Armstrong amid his descent and violently slashed him Water and Shock Swords. Armstrong withstood the pain, ripped the swords out, and punched energy spheres. The W7 girls saw familiarity with K. Rool’s Haki Spheres; his improved nanomachines were able to replicate this as well. Pennary was struck by one and sent flying, but Jennerome would confront Armstrong on the ground and seize him in Lobster Claws. Jerome’s spacebending shrank the claws and compressed their space, while Mochatlas sandwiched him between her hands. The senator blew them off with an explosion of Conqueror’s Haki.
“HELLO!” N jumped Armstrong from the back, “Mind if I kill you?” landing clean slices with his acidic tail. N’s eyes were an “X” and his fangs were bared. He was swift to dodge Armstrong’s fists before thrusting his tail into his mouth… only for the senator to bite the point of the tail in his teeth. N was unable to pull free as Armstrong flailed him around like a mad dog with a chew toy. N was bashed around the ground several times before his tail dislodged and he was flung several meters away. “Now entering hibernative naptosis!” N passed out.
Armstrong charged after the drone and raised a foot above his head. “N!” Uzi tried to run to him, reaching her hand out in desperation in fear that she wouldn’t make it. Then, her eyes became a symbol of three prongs around a hexagon: that same symbol shaped around Armstrong’s ankle, stopping it from reaching N. “Wow!” Vweeb yelped. “She has psychicbending?!”
“No. I’m sensing nanomachines.” Pino examined. “They are replicating telekinesis.”
“Why didn’t you use that against us?”
“Hey, it’s my first time seeing it!” Uzi said. Armstrong struggled and tore free of the hold, but Mochatlas jumped and squashed him before he could take his revenge. Uzi relied on the same power to bring N over to her, while Mochatlas was sent flying once more. Pinaeincha returned and snipped her away around Armstrong, weakening as much of his armor as possible—the senator snatched her by the head. To make sure the others wouldn’t stop him, Armstrong dashed up the hill and leapt. Pino quickly ejected Aeincha from her body and dedicated her final act to an EMPlosion. She could only hope it was enough: once Armstrong slamdunked her into pieces, it would be all she could wish for.
“PINOOOOOO!” Her friends were in tears.
“MONSTER!” Mochatlas’ gloves boiled with greater Haki. She lunged at Armstrong with the jetpack and met him with punches and kicks that nearly ripped him inside-out. Mochatlas flipped in the air, jetted down, and began to press Armstrong into the earth with both fists. Astro supported them by burning lasers at the senator’s knees, while Pennary spun a wheel of blades into his back. Pino’s EMP had softened his armor just enough so that their united efforts began to hurt… and yet, their pure sheen was far from fading.
“YAAAAAAAAHHH!” Armstrong deflected Mochatlas’ fists as they crashed into the earth, the shockwave spreading the group apart. And yet, two more giant fists flew to clash with him: Jenny’s Fists of Fury. And thanks to Jerome’s portals, the fists would strike Armstrong from several unexpected angles. Armstrong banished the duo with a solid uppercut, but Jennerome would flip into recovery as their fists became Mighty Mallets. They swooped down and smashed Armstrong between them: “Mallet VORTEX!” Jerome formed black holes on the mallets and spun Armstrong in an intense twister.
“Vweeb!” Pac-Mouth yelled. “Now it’s our turn!”
“’Guess we’re really doing this.” Vweeb shrugged, riding atop the yellow ball. They closed in on Armstrong: just as the senator burst free of the vortex, Vweeb shrunk himself and Pac-Mouth.
They landed on Armstrong’s body, a never-ending valley of nanomachines… but it was laid out like a Pac-Man maze. Pac-Mouth munched its way around consuming every machine in its wake, while Vweeb leapt around and punched some out of the air. “These are way tougher than that other guy’s! How can you stomach them, Pac-Mouth?”
“Because I convert them into cubes of jelly to feed the slugs!” It was dropping said cubes behind, with happy little slugs coming to nibble them.
“Hold up there!” A big Armstrong head blocked them. “You think you can just waltz onto my body and make jelly out o’ me?! Unlucky for you, my white blood cells have nanomachines, TOO, son!”
A brigade of beefed-up blood cells marched out. “That’s why I brought Vweeb!” Pac-Mouth declared.
“What?! UUF!” The white Kateenian was gobbled up whole. Dozens of blobbish Vweebs began to mold from its body, their faces in agony. “AAAAAHHH! What is happeniiiiiing to meeeeeee?!”
“VWEEBSPLOSION!” Pac-Mouth popped the Vweebs around like firecrackers and pummeled the blood cells into submission.
“Huff…huff…” Armstrong held his chest in fatigue. The operatives observed him intently. …He lowered his hand and looked down himself: Armstrong’s heart was exposed beneath the veins. It looked much smoother and shinier, with white hexagonal patterns. It was beating with the force of a steam-powered engine. “Hah…hah…” His excitement caused it to pound faster. “HAAAAAAHH!” He assaulted Jennerome with a storm of fists, the duo withstanding it with a Space Block mixed with Jenny’s shield function. They warped as Quatre flew from behind them, piercing Armstrong with his light feathers.
Quatre took swift flight and threw more feathers. The senator kicked around the air in pursuit of the angel until a sharply-aimed energy sphere destroyed his left wing, sending him plummeting. It was then a storm of gunfire bombarded him: the Apigis duo. They outran Armstrong in the air, harnessing telepathy to speak with the ghosts of the butterfly and Cluster drones. They ordered the spirits to enter Armstrong’s nanomachines, disassembling as many as they could despite their powerful will. Aigis charged her railgun and landed a direct shot on Armstrong’s heart. Though the force was potent, the senator survived and swat them out of the sky. Apigis separated upon hitting the ground, both passing out.
“Hnnn…where’s that coming from?” Armstrong could hear the rock-n-roll; it was powering those ones up just now. He shot his glare down at Miguel, rocking with all his vigor. His girlfriend blew a raspberry at him. The irritated politician sprinted toward them upon landing.
“I don’t THINK SO!” Aisa raised her palm. Armstrong had absolute faith he could shatter her arm… and yet his fist was perfectly blocked. Blocked by Aisa’s Impact Dial. Still, her arm strained trying to process the kinetic force. But she was determined: Aisa pressed the release, exploding Armstrong’s force right back into him. The shockwave blew herself and Miguel back, knocking them out.
On his back, Armstrong saw Mochatlas descending for a slam-dunk, but he stopped her hardened fists. “Ya know, seein’ you in these silly suits is actually a little inspiring!” He pushed her fists upward, leapt, and socked the giant in the jaw. “It proves that I’m RIGHT!” He sensed Jennerome swinging a buzzsaw, but ducked it and pushed them several yards back with his palm. “Imagine! Every poor sap in the fucking universe wearing suits like yours! Suits like MINE!” Jennerome rocketed back toward him, warping behind and slashing their space-infused buzzsaw. “Who needs Haki?! Who needs bending?!” He withstood the saw with his arm. “With this, everyone will be INVINCIBLE!”
Jennerome suffered the headbutt of a lifetime, stunning them dizzy. He turned to Pennary and deflected her swords with karate chops. “And when that happens, everyone will be free to fight their own battles!” He charged at Pennary with a round of clean punches, but she used her Gray Metal color to withstand the pain. “They’ll be free to fight their OWN wars!” He grabbed the duo, hoisted, and slammed them headfirst in the ground. Astro launched over and shoved Armstrong away from them. “That way, NONE of them will have to fear this silly war,” he grabbed Astro and forcefully bashed him against the earth, “that you… and Bowser… and MICKEY got us all wrapped up in!”
Jennerome warped to rip Astro from his grasp. The Supreme Leader looked to them with flickering eyes, his face cracked. “Don’t you understand?!” Jennerome dodged his energy fists. “You won’t be subjugated by them… or ANYONE! Nanomachines are the way of the future! The way of FREEDOM!”
“Huff…huff…perhaps…” Jerome fell to his knees. “I was wrong about you…”
“Jerome!” April shouted.
“Hahahahahaha! Did it finally click with you?” Armstrong straightened himself in a less tense manner. “I thought if anyone, you would. I’m sure your dad will agree, too. Why, if you kids had this power… you never would’ve lost anyone.”
“Huff…” Jerome glanced up. …Bender and Uzi were sneaking up behind him. “Yes… at first, I thought… you were just another power-hungry politician… but no, you’re… batshit insane!”
Armstrong was dumbstruck. But at that exact moment, Bender wrapped his limbs around the senator’s and bent them. With Uzi’s telekinesis as support, Armstrong’s arms snapped against the elbows and the knees to the sides. “AAAHHH!”
Pennary thrusted her Crayon Array right into the ridges of his heart. “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Mochatlas seized his head in her eclipsing hands and pulled with the last of their strength, opposite of Pennary’s force. Then… the heart snapped free of its veins.
Jennerome caught it in their hand. It was still pumping. “AAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Compressing an extreme gravity field around it, combined with Jenny’s strength, the heart’s refined exterior grew rough… cracked… and released a blinding burst of energy and life.
“Aaaaahhhh…” Armstrong choked out the last of his breath. “Heh…you’re fine… with the way things are? We’ll see… how long it lasts…ack… because you’ll be fighting… an endless war… All those sons of bitches who mocked you… who want to kill you… If you think you can keep fighting them… then you’re… more insane… than I…”
His skin of steel became a human color. A pale color. Bender and the others released him. His body was now a limp sack full of tiny pieces of metal.
Jennerome, Pennary, and Mochatlas disassembled. They could barely stand afterward. But worse than the pain in their muscles… the scrapped remains of Pino and Melody, even Vexus and Mom’s corpse. “…Did we even accomplish anything?” Jerome sighed.
Jenny turned up at Motherboard. If only they hadn’t tried to find her… accomplish this stupid dream… “No…”
April approached them. “Well… we can’t just leave them down here. But it’s not gonna look good for us.”
“It… might.” Jenny said. “I, um…sort of… had my recorder function on.”
“Hm?” Jerome cocked a brow.
“For mission documentation… This can prove that… Armstrong killed Mom… but I might edit out the rest of it for the public.”
April helped Jerome to his feet. “…Those nanomachines inside him are… still dangerous. The army could extract them. Bender… take his body on your own ship… and throw it into the sun.”
“…Well, I’ve always considered that as a hobby.”
Rush Valley outskirts, that night
Dr. Watts and Mom’s sons were arrested by the KND. They were forced to divulge the locations of Sector Prime’s creators. The parents were rescued with assistance from other Earthling operatives, and Mom’s factories trashed in the process. The wreckage of the Nimbus was investigated: Captain Brannigan and Lieutenant Kroker survived the impact and were picked up by the Galactic Army, and the dead bodies of Kamikazi, Constantine, and Dr. Locus were retrieved.
Pino’s and Melody’s scrapped bodies were buried outside Rush Valley, taking their place with other mechanical friends whose memory chips perished. A little, rusty, big-eyed robot named WALL-E planted flowers at each of their graves. Their fellow operatives, creators, and Earthling allies bowed in respect.
Jenny Wakeman stepped to the front. “What is ‘death’ for robots? Does mortality mean anything to us? That’s something we’ve all asked. That is one of the foundations of our Motherboard quest. To experience the feeling of life… to truly feel like we are ‘people.’ Is it wrong to think that way? Is it wrong to sacrifice what we have, for something we think we need? I don’t know… but I do know… the price may not be worth it.”
Nora Wakeman felt so proud of her daughter… and sorrow.
“Cough, cough!” Pietro Polendina broke into coughs.
“Are you okay, Fa—ther?” Penny glitched.
“I’m, eh…ahem. Sorry. Please continue.”
“In the end… we robots have souls, too. This is how our parents created us. It doesn’t matter if we’re organic or not. It is up to us… to decide how we live our lives. But like many mortals around us… we should only get one chance at life. We may get ripped apart and need to be put back together… but today, the friends we knew are… with Robot God. To replicate their code and put it in a new body… to replace them like some mass-produced model… would be an insult to their being. So… my friends…” Jenny faced the sky. “May you rest in peace.”
Polendina Home
Penny rolled her father into his room. Being trapped in a factory for several days… the sight of home was warm. “Jenny’s words… they were beautiful… weren’t they, Penny?”
“They were…-er—er-e-e-er.”
“You poor thing… I can’t believe Watts would…COUGH, HUACK!”
“Are you s-sure you’re okay, Fath—th—th—ther?”
“Sigh…I’m not, Penny… That factory was the worst. There wasn’t an ounce of love in those Disneybots… and I think it… made my condition…COUGH!”
“It’s alright, Father.” Penny smiled. “My Earth friends have a great doctor. We can…”
“P…Penny… the way to Motherboard… is it still open?”
“Y…um…yes?”
“…” Pietro closed his eyes, releasing a gentle breath. “All a parent wants… is for their child to be happy. To let their dream come true.”
“But I am happy, Father. I’m glad I get t-…t-t-t-te-e-e-e-e-e!”
“Penny… deep down, you really wanted to be human. The gentle breath of a planet… the warmth of the sun… the brush of the sea… I really want you… to know such things.”
“Father… I don’t need to be human.”
“Yes… you do. You want to know… what precious mortality is like. And you don’t want… some twisted senator to show you. You…cough, cough…”
“Father… I don’t… want…” Artificial tears seeped from her glass, emerald eyes.
Pietro touched her hand. “It’s fine… Penny… I… would have no more regrets…”
“…sniff…” Penny’s embrace, even through skin of cold metal, was the warmest Pietro had ever felt. “Thank you… Father…”
Motherboard’s Domain
The spirit had never expected so many guests yesterday… but it seemed a few more had arrived this morning.
Androids 17 and 18 dropped Dr. Gero before her. “What?!” He wondered where these two were trying to drag him. “It can’t be! That’s Motherboard?! The legend is really—AAAAAHH!”
Seventeen ripped his armored heart from his chest. He and his sister clutched it… and squeezed. Their creator died. “Brother and sister enslaved… what is thine wish?”
They were in sync: “To be human.”
Nagisa and Morgiana awaited outside. That would be the last time they saw 17 and 18… and met Lapis and Lazuli for the first time. “So… know any good malls?”
“We might.” Nagisa grinned.
Sector Prime base
Sector W7 were invited to stay here for the night. They, Jenny, Sheldon, and Arale heard the entrance door open. It was Penny. She stepped forward… but bizarrely, her steps were quiet. As robots, it was natural to make clanking steps. Only when their gaze fell to her bare legs did they have their answer.
“…Penny…” Mary spoke.
Her face was still damp with tears. It was a pain she would always carry in her heart. …But to feel such pain… to feel these tears… this is what her father wanted. She met Jenny’s face… smiling with understanding.
“…Ahahahahahaha!” Mary tackled her friend to the floor. “You smell so nice!”
“Hehehehehehe!”
“Your hair is so fluffy!” Aeincha curled up in it.
“Your toes are so cute!” Aisa squealed.
“I have to draw this!” April said.
“Wanna do a dance with me?” Miguel asked.
“Oi, you’re gonna crush her!” Chimney yelled. “She ain’t used to this much weight!”
“She must experience the joy of PAC-FEEDING!” Arale began throwing a bunch of Vweebs to feed Pac-Man.
“I THOUGHT THIS GAG WAS DOOOOOOOONE!”
…
The “Galactic Map” zoomed in on Mechanos, which had the MomCorp flag attached to it. The flag toppled down, and a KND flag flashed in its place! This was followed by Donkey Kong victory music!
And that… was… a banger. I didn’t think I could make this battle as good as Eggman’s, but boy, did I get a thrill from it. I’m so glad I finished this arc. That "Stains of Time" song was a really good fit there because it kind of reflected the setting and the scene. "Droplets falling gently," that's how I described the cave. "Stains of time with no memory" reflects the Iron Giant. "Finds my dreams have disappeared" as Sector Prime realizes they can't have what they hoped for. ^^; As a bit of bonus lore, WALL-E is famous among his operatives for finding a lone planet on a desolate dwarf planet. He enjoys growing seeds in such areas. And with that, stay tuned for the next arc!
Chapter 22: Mobius Saga 1: Freedom Wars
Summary:
Sector $, along with some guests, fly to Planet Mobius to stop President Schnee's occupation. They meet Mobius' Top Sector!
Chapter Text
The thing is, we kind of already had a Mobius Saga during Pirate Wars, and it’s safe to say President Schnee isn’t nearly as outstanding a villain as K. Rool was. But we are gonna meet some new characters in this arc!
Chapter 21: Freedom Wars
Doomsdale; May 25
“Class dismissed.” Ms. Bitters announced under the ringing of the Skool bell. “Your book reports are due tomorrow… or it’s the dungeon for you!”
Dipper Pines hadn’t missed his dreary hometown or going back to his single father. The peaceful woods of Gravity Falls were a breath of fresh air… but now they were only full of painful memories. He had thrown away his trademark pine tree hat… and now he looked more bitter than Skool’s long-time, Underworld-dwelling teacher.
“Hey, Dipper.” He was too focused on the sidewalk to even notice her ahead of time: a blonde-haired girl with a purple jacket and light-brown hiking boots.
“Pacifica… hi.”
“Ice cream sandwiches?” She held up two wrapped sandwiches. “Yuzu made ’em. From Sweetopia’s Ice Cream Mountain.”
Dipper halfheartedly took one. They joined each other at the nearby playground, occupying the swing sets. “So… my sector’s going to Mobius. Weiss’ dad is persecuting innocent people… so, we gotta go kick his butt.”
“Oh…”
“Wanted to ask if you’d come. Or…” she glanced at him, “do you still wanna take Mickey’s side?”
“I…I-I-I dunno, sigh…”
Pacifica looked at her boots. She lazily kicked the woodchips, making a light sway of the swing. “You know, that bitch Aranea posted my secret, too. ‘Pacifica fantasizes being 100 feet tall and squishing lower class people.’”
“Yeah, I uh…I read that.”
“Except that isn’t a fantasy, it’s a f***ing nightmare. Just a reminder of where I came from, what my parents wanted me to do.” She kicked the woodchips with slightly more aggressive force. “And exactly what President Schnee’s doing now. So, someone has to-”
“Pacifica, don’t go.”
“What?” She faced him.
“Y… What do you have to prove? You don’t have to keep fighting just to tell yourself you’re a good person. You’ve done enough for them. Why don’t you just… enjoy your li-…” Dipper choked.
Pacifica was silent. When Wendy died four years ago, it took him a while to get over it… but after the loss of his sister, the one he shared nearly every moment of his life with, Dipper would never feel happy again. His parents’ divorce didn’t help matters either. Now he feared something terrible happening to Pacifica. “…They deserve judgment for what they’ve done to us.” Pacifica extracted a single chain from her wristband and tugged it in both hands. “Mickey, Aranea, all those villains. I can’t rest until they do.”
“…” Dipper had no will to argue.
He felt Pacifica’s cold, ice cream-coated hand over his. “But I will come back. I won’t let them get me.”
“…” A tear dripped down his face. Pacifica’s strong expression… It was a far cry from the spoiled girl she once was. He didn’t want that face to go away…
GKND H.Q.
Hearing motion through the Moonbase portal, Sector $ looked up as Pacifica exited from it. “Hey, Pif!” Carol chirped. “So, what’d Dipper say?”
“Well, he’s clearly not with her.” Kokichi remarked, checking his nails. “That should be obvious.”
They shot glares at him. “Dipper wishes us well.” Pacifica answered. “That’s the most he can do right now.”
“Well, we’re set on our end.” Ciel said. “Let’s go see if our ‘extra muscle’ is.”
Gym
“Huuuurrrrgggg!” Maddy raised the weights as high as her arms would go, then set it down. “Huuuuuurrrrhhhhhhhh!” She raised them once more. The bench on which she was squatting was actually a giant dumbbell bench… and the “dumbbells” on the ends of the handle were actually cushions, on which Mocha and Atlas sat cross-legged. “Huff…huff…” Maddy finished her workout with the conclusion of their story. “Well… if it means anything… I think you did great, Mocha.”
“Thanks…” Mocha gazed down in thought. “But you know… there’s a small part of me that… kind of admired Armstrong. Being able to handle all those nanomachines… must’ve taken a huge amount of will in its own right.”
“DON’T BE CRAZY!” Atlas jumped off and hammered her end of the dumbbell, flinging Mocha through the wall like a catapult. “He was a monster and we should be glad he’s gone!”
Maddy chuckled. She could almost understand how Mocha felt… and that was part of why she wanted to go to Mobius. “Hey!” Carol called as Sector $ entered the gym. “You guys ready to go?”
Maddy was about to say, “READY?!” when Sheila answered first. “Oi was ready 100 years ago! C’MON, MASON!” She grabbed her first mate’s arm and raced off. “LET’S SET SAIL!”
“We’ll see you down there, Carol!” Mason shouted.
“I feel like we’re cheating going with Sheila and Maddy.” Raleigh said.
“I like to call it ‘Invincibility Insurance.’” Carol smiled.
Weiss giggled. “Well, I like Sheila. And I kind of want her to tick my dad off some more.”
“You can count on us either way.” Maddy assured. “Can I get a double decker supersize farewell fistbump?!”
“Coming right up!” Mocha climbed out of the wall.
“Wait, what do I do?” Atlas asked.
“Just punch as hard as you can!” Maddy raised both fists.
“Okay!” Both giants threw in a knuckle touch!
GURAGURAGURAGURAGURAGURAGURAGURAGURA!
A titanic seismic tremor radiated throughout the whole treehouse. All the food fell off tables, items collapsed off shells, the operatives stumbled off their feet, and gravity itself slanted sideways.
Magical Meeting Room
The Corporate Presidents and Grand Admiral Thrawn observed the video of Mom’s death in repetition, followed by scenes of their battle in which Armstrong killed two robots, before he was killed himself. “This…This is BIG NEWS!” Big Bird exclaimed. “One of our most revered senators murdering Mom in cold blood! And such an epic battle! But what about the details?! What happened down there?! I have to interview the KND! I-”
“DON’T BE A FOOL!” Mickey swiped his Keyblade across the bird’s magic hologram. “This is obviously an elaborate trick to make their selves look just!”
“Yes, but the fact is,” Jacques Schnee replied, “MomCorp is all but ruined and the KND continue to make fools of us! For all I know, I could be next on their hitlist!”
“Rest assured, you are in safe hands.” Thrawn said. “General Ironwood and his Ace Operatives will protect you with their lives. Not to mention your own daughter-”
“You want me to be assured, Grand Admiral?! Then give me more assurance. I want no less than TWO admirals on this planet! You hear me?!”
“Big TWO?!” Big Bird gawked.
“Hmmm… do you think that necessary, King Mickey?” Thrawn asked.
“Well, I… suppose we can’t be too careful. But only for a few days. Enough time to subdue most of the Mobian KND. We can’t spread the army’s forces too thin.”
“I will be most grateful…” Jacques complied.
“Ahem, in the meantime,” Big Bird said, “better start looking for side stories to add on.” He looked over his info. “‘High schooler Miu Iruma dies to virtual auto-erotic asphyxiation on Mechanos?’ Well, that’ll give that school a few days off, at least.” His hologram turned off.
The Schnee president turned off the transmitter with the meeting’s end. “Two admirals?” Ironwood said. “Isn’t that a bit excessive?”
“After the way you were humiliated when the KND invaded Coruscant? No. And when those admirals arrive, I know exactly where I’m sending them first.” Jacques took his leave from the office. Ironwood remained firm in his stance, glancing
Mobius; close to Mystic Ruins
“Oiiiii, why couldn’t we travel in me beautiful sunny ship?!” Sheila whined on the floor of the limousine.
“Because the Gilligans wanted a break after two adventures in a row.” Mason said, enjoying a sip of Delfino melon punch. “Learn to appreciate luxury, Sheila.”
“Those drinks are adding to your debt, Mason.” Carol winked. “$101,659 now.”
“Are you still keeping track of that?!”
“Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.”
The operatives flew to Mobius on Sector $’s Limo$uper, a flying limousine with all the functions of a KND fighter craft, complete with relaxing seats, luxurious drinks and snacks, and customizable neon lighting.
Maddy was hopeful as they were approaching a certain sky island. It had been a long time since they’ve seen each other…
Three years ago
Knuckles missed seeing his beloved Master Emerald on its altar. Entrusting it to the Earth KND gave him the chance to go traveling, taking in the world around him… but coming back to watch over it on his peaceful island was like a vacation. Still, neither Rouge nor Eggman tried to steal it, anymore. And he could easily fight off any trivial villain. At this point in life, nothing really surprised him anymore.
“Hm?” He saw someone crossing the bridge to the altar. Another wannabe thief? Or a tourist? Knuckles decided to travel down and meet them. “Hey. If you wanna see the emerald, I’m gonna have to check foooor…?”
Knuckles couldn’t fathom who he was looking at. “Hello.” She had reddish-orange hair curled down in spikes like his own. The ends of them had white markings, she had pink eyes, and wore black ninja-like clothes. “Your…You’re Knuckles, right?”
“You’re… an echidna!”
“Yes. My name is Shade.”
For the next hour, Knuckles would grow dumbfounded as Shade spoke of the Netherverse and the destiny that was forced upon her as a child. To think that a branch of his people were secretly alive in that world. “I’ve done my part for Maddy… and she has advanced in her training so quickly that she doesn’t need me. But now, I can’t stop wondering… if my job really meant anything. This destiny… this prophecy… did any of it matter? I’m sure the Seven Lights will be the victors in this battle… but in the event that they aren’t, I don’t want the rest of my life to be… attached to this prophecy. So, I decided to leave Earth. I didn’t want to return home either. Not after my people threw me away for this prophecy. But I didn’t know where else to go. Then, I learned about… our other homeland on Mobius. And about you.”
“Heh heh heh…honestly, a story like that’s got me completely beat. But I know the feeling… It was always my job to watch the Master Emerald. Never allowed to leave. My parents died of starvation over that. And they passed the job to me with their dying breath. And for a long time… this is all I did. But I had a need for adventure. Treasure hunting. I abandoned my post a bunch of times, even let the KND protect it for a while. Talk about irresponsible, right? But hey… it’s still in one piece. Island still floating.”
“So, you were stuck with a duty… the same as me. If I went treasure hunting as well… would I feel happier with my life?”
“The answer might be different for you. Still, if you were curious about our heritage, I’d be happy to show you around. I know a bunch of other great places, too.”
Shade smiled. “That may be nice.”
Present
“We didn’t see Shade when we visited Angel Island before.” Mason said.
“Must’ve been helping with the post-war recovery.” Maddy figured. “We still write to each other… but I can’t wait to show her how far I’ve come. …!” She gasped, feeling thousands of incoming auras. “Hey! There’s a fleet of ships coming in from the east!”
The operatives peered out the windows on that side, seeing the fleet of snow-white and black ships. “Those are Atlesian military ships! From our hometown!” Weiss exclaimed.
“Are they heading for the island?” Mason asked.
“Well, we won’t let them make it!” Pacifica declared. “Raleigh, fly us over! Drop us off between different ships and we’ll take them out from there!”
“I’ll stay onboard with him and download my Game-and-Watch programs through the limo.” Carol said.
“Drop me off on the island.” Maddy requested. “I can help defend it from any ships that get too close.”
“LOOK OUT, MOBIUS!” Sheila screamed, kicking open the door. “Captain Sheila’s here to blow these drongos outta the SKYYYYYY!” She rode the wind with a twirl of her tail!
“Or we could just leave everything to her.” Weiss joked. “Nah. Schnee Dust is my responsibility.”
“And bringing judgment is mine.” Pacifica joined her teammate by the door. “Let’s do this.”
Weiss nodded, a confident smile crossing her features. (Play “Egg Fleet” from Sonic Heroes!)
Invasion 5: Mobius
Mission: Stop Schnee Dust’s occupation of the planet!
Act 1: Fleet Cordovin
Weiss stretched a frozen grind-rail that she and Pacifica began to slide along, cleanly snaking left and right in evasion of cannonfire. Weiss angled the rail up like a ramp as they flew off and landed atop a Mini Manta ship, the pilots panicking inside the wide windshield. Pacifica used her chains to rip open the roof hatch. The soldiers inside shot upward, but Weiss slipped in between rounds and quickly KO’ed them. She rejoined Pacifica as the latter wrapped her chains around a hanging device on a higher craft, allowing it to carry them toward a large ship. They swung and dodged cannonfire in the meanwhile before landing on it.
Cannons rose from the roof and aimed at them. Weiss skied about to draw their fire and freeze them inside-out. Pacifica ran further ahead as humanoid robots marched up to confront her; Atlesian Knight-200’s. Pacifica spun her chains like fans to block their guns. She wrapped a droid in them and spun it against four more surrounding her, beheading them with the force. She grabbed another and swung it into a cannon, causing it to shoot through its clogged hole and explode. She and Weiss raced toward a stairway of cannon pillars; Pacifica chained each one and pulled them to the next until they could smash into the cockpit. Weiss KO’ed the troops while Pacifica tugged the last cannon to aim at the cockpit. The girls leapt out before the cockpit exploded!
They grinded another Ice Rail between two long ships. Weiss abruptly changed the height of her rail in response to their cannonfire. A ship directly in front threatened to blast them with a mega laser, but they quickly redirected downward. Thankfully, the Limo$uper came by to take care of those ships: it extracted a shock rod to transmit the lightning from Raleigh’s Pokémon and strike their engines.
Weiss and Pacifica skied along the deck of a thin, long ship. A platoon of black and red robots rocketed after them, armed with large shields with small machineguns attached, firing concentrated wind bullets from the Nature Dust they were embedded with. Weiss aimed her Myrtenaster and shot bolts of Lightning Dust at the same velocity. She struck the shields in their turrets and destroyed five of the AK-135’s. The girls smashed through the cockpit’s windshield and stomped the gas pedal, ramming the long ship directly into a hulking flagship: the impact squished the long ship down to a pitiful size. “Ow…my pride.” The pilot moaned.
Weiss and Pacifica dove downward, but swiftly transitioned to grinding a vertical Ice Rail. They descended with incredible momentum, closing in on another ship that looked ripe for breaking into. As they fell past the side of the ship, Pacifica chained a handle, grabbed Weiss, and swung them around the handle and into a window with the same momentum. A pair of black and red Spider Droids blasted them from the end of a hallway, armed with multiple blue energy cannons. Weiss and Pacifica dodged their way up the corridor; Pacifica wrapped one of the left one’s turrets in her chains and forced it to aim and shoot the other spider. Afterwards, Weiss shot Gravity Dust at that spider and flattened it against the floor.
In the following room, Pacifica and Weiss were stunned in horror before an Atlesian Paladin-290, a much larger robot with sturdy arms and legs. “I won’t show any mercy!” yelled the pilot. “Even for you, Miss Schnee!”
“WAAAAH!” A group of soldiers cried as they were blown through one of the other entrances. Sheila and Mason raced in.
“Oi, now THAT robo looks fun to punch, Mason!”
“Damn! The Pirate King!” The AP-290 immediately changed focus and fired an array of missiles. Mason cast his own array of soda bottle missiles to destroy them, while Sheila treated the robot to a Light Fist that was its very size!
However, the AP-290 extracted a large mirror plate, absorbing Sheila’s light. “BLIMEY!” Sheila screamed as the robot lunged over and punched them both back down the corridor.
“Nice try, Sunny Fist! We upgraded our mechs with solar panels! Your power is useless on us!”
“We’ll see about THAT!” Sheila used lightspeed to dash up and bend the robot’s knee against itself with a direct punch.
“OW! My robot’s shin!”
Mason rushed up and froze soda inside of its cannons while Sheila began pummeling the cockpit until it split open. The rest was history for the pilot.
Weiss and Pacifica had leeway to go up the cockpit stairs while the 290 was distracted. They hoped to make short work of the pilots—they fired blue Stun Rings from bazookas and stunned the duo stiff. “Hurry and get these two on a transport! We’ll bring them to the prison in-”
“Oi, what’s going on up-!” Sheila jumped and smashed through the window, stepping on a large button.
A trapdoor opened, dropping Weiss and Pacifica down a slide. “SHEILAAAAA!” They quickly plummeted from the sky.
“CRIKEY! Oi’ll save ya MAAAAATES!” Sheila dove down the slide herself and fell after them.
“Sheila!” Mason exclaimed. “Crud! Better call the others!” (End song.)
Unfortunately, by the time Sheila could grab onto the stunned Weiss and Pacifica, there was nothing to stop them from falling into the ocean. The mainland was close, but the cliff looked rather arduous to climb. “Well, looks like we’re going for a swim!” Sheila grinned.
“Great.” Pacifica sighed. “But even if we can make it to that cliff, we got other problems!”
A massive, grayish-brown robot stirred waves as it stomped toward the cliff. A platoon of Mobian KND fired weapons or elements, but it projected a light-shield from its palm. The palm transformed into a white cannon and buried several operatives in tons of rock. “That’s the Colossus!” Weiss gasped. “Atlas’ strongest robot! They actually brought it here?!”
“Oi, they really know how ta make a gal feel welcome!” Sheila cheered. “WHOA!”
Their fall was abruptly stopped by a large net, hanging from a small two-seat plane. “Sorry!” the pilot yelled in a gentle voice. “I didn’t have time to warn you I was coming! I hope nothing’s broken!”
“What?! Who are you?” Pacifica asked.
She was a girl with long grassy green hair and blooming pink flowers on the top sides. She wore a light-pink dress with its rim above the chest, marked with a heart. “My name is Halinor. Of Sector SOUTH.” She had light-vanilla skin, blue eyes, and a canine nose. “If you don’t mind me asking, did you fall from that fleet above?”
“We were trying to fight them, but we got stunned and ejected. Looks like it’s wearing off though.” Pacifica and Weiss were able to move their legs.
“Since we’re ’ere, we’ll beat up that big ol’ robo if you want!” Sheila offered.
“Really?” Halinor turned down to face them. “…Wait, aren’t you… Sheila Frantic?!”
“Here to give Mobius a sunny hand!”
Halinor beamed. “I’ll fly us over right away!”
The Colossus’ pilot, Caroline Cordovin, smirked as the platoon of Mobians lay defeated. She was a short, elderly woman with a white uniform and silver-grey hair. Cordovin noticed a dot on her radar and twisted the mech to face the plane. Sheila was now standing on the wing, holding her two allies. “Weiss Schnee.” Her voice resounded. “We had a hunch you’d come here.”
“Commander Cordovin!”
“But this is a welcome opportunity. Now I will prove Atlesian might against the Pirate King herself!” She unleashed a storm of lasers at the plane.
But they were intercepted by a green hedgehog on a hoverboard. He raised a pair of cymbals to deflect the lasers into Cordovin’s cockpit. “Don’t forget who your REAL enemy is!”
“Great job, Manic!” Halinor cheered. Manic had numerous long and spiky quills, wore an open orange vest, spiked wristbands with white gloves, and red and white shoes.
“Don’t think you can trample over our home and get away with it!” A pink hedgehog flew her own fighter craft, controlled by a piano keyboard as she fired pink lasers. She spoke with a valley girl accent.
“You tell her, Sonia!” Sonia had pink fluffy hair and spinal spikes, with otherwise fuchsia fur. She wore a red top, gold belt, purple gloves and skirt, and boots of red and purple.
“Hey, Pirate King, let us show you how it’s done!” Manic said. The Earthlings exchanged glances of anticipation. (Play “Big Metal Shoe” from RWBY!)
Sonia put her plane on autopilot and leapt onto the Colossus’ right arm. Cordovin raised the other arm and tried to smash the hedgehog like a bug… but Sonia’s superb strength kept the cannon elevated. Sonia twirled on her feet with high speed, spinning into a pink tornado and drilling through the cannon beneath her. Cordovin felt her doing damage inside, so she charged the Wind Cannon to blast Sonia a vast distance across the shore. Manic landed on the Colossus’ head and withdrew a drum set from his Infi-Cube: twirling some drumsticks, Manic rocked it out on the drums. Seismic tremors began vibrating throughout the Colossus, disorienting Cordovin until she was able to shake the hedgehog off. Manic returned his drum set and landed on his hoverboard.
Sonia returned to the cliff on her motorbike. Weiss gave her a hand by making an ice ramp, so Sonia could launch at the Colossus. Cordovin aimed at the hedgehog and charged lightning in its cannon, but Sonia flew up the ramp and got above the lightning in the nick of time! Cordovin fired missiles as Sonia rode up the left arm. The hedgehog dodged them with ease and sped up to the shoulder. From there, she leapt to the windshield and drilled down it with her cyclone attack. The windshield cracked from the effort, and another seismic drumroll from Manic shattered it completely.
Halinor caught Sonia on her plane before she could fall into the sea. Cordovin converted the left arm into a drill and tried to slice the plane out of the air. The fox hybrid made a tight incline in evasion, “WHOOOA!” but Sheila fell off the plane and on the drill. “YEEEEEEEEEEE!” She clasped the side of it firmly and enjoyed the ride of her life! Well, one of the rides of her life at least. The speed of the drill allowed her to muster Light Chi in her tail, growing more massive with every rotation. When she finally let herself fly into the air, Sheila cast the Light Tail at the wrist of the drill, snapping it off!
Sonia leapt into the exposed cockpit and engaged Cordovin in close-quarters combat. Cordovin deflected Sonia’s palm thrusts and kicked up at the hedgehog’s jaw. Sonia fell, but swiftly pushed against the floor to tackle Cordovin off her feet. She punched the commander’s jaw, to which Cordovin caught Sonia between the knees, flipped her on her back, then punched her nose before flipping off. “What’s that?!” She heard something shuffling up in her control station and saw a bunch of green quills.
“Dude, this tech is nuts!” Manic said as he rearranged the wires. “I gotta get me one of these babies!”
“GET OUT OF THAT-” Cordovin rushed to stop him, but Sonia jumped and wrapped legs around her head. She thrusted herself backward and yanked Cordovin into a flip, faceplanting her into the floor.
“Sorry, lady, but your Badnik needs a serious potty break!”
Manic’s hacking caused the Colossus to put its remaining cannon over its pelvis. It wriggled erratically and felt compelled to “relieve” itself into the ocean, discarding the last of its energy. “MY COLOSSUS! NOOOOOO!” Cordovin extended an arm in despair before Sonia KO’ed her with one solid kick. (End song.)
Weiss, Pacifica, and Sheila joined their new Mobian friends on the shore. “Oi at least wanted a few punches at it!” Sheila said. “But Ah guess Ah’ll live with that ripper drill ride.”
“If you wanna go for a real ride,” Manic began teasingly, “you should see how big Sonia’s tornado can get.”
“So, Sheila… I bet you already know who we are.” Sonia smiled proudly.
“Uhhhhh…” Sheila scratched her noggin.
“You mean you haven’t?!”
“Wot? Oi don’t study other KNDs! Only pirates!”
“Heh, I guess fame’s pretty one-sided, Sonia.” Manic shrugged. “But no biggie! We’re Sector SOUTH. The top hogs around these parts.”
Weiss giggled. She and Pacifica introduced their selves and their sector. “Weiss Schnee, huh?” Sonia cocked a brow. “I’m glad you weren’t just all talk.”
“The way you stuck up for the Chance was pretty rad.” Manic praised.
“Hehe…” Weiss blushed. “I mean… yes. What Father is doing is disgraceful. As heiress to the Schnee Family, it’s my duty to-”
“Yeah, yeah, save the noble speeches for the news.” The green hedgehog brushed the air. “If you’re here to help us kick some army butt, then you’re A-OK.”
“Sounds OK then!” Pacifica smiled. “But first, we gotta regroup with the others.”
Angel Island
The echidna toddler climbed the cliff with ease, joyed to meet Maddy at the top. “Nice, Tikal. But can you catch me up HERE?” Maddy proceeded up the next cliff face, twice as high. The child determinedly climbed up… but a slightly unsteady rock became her downfall. “Uh-oh!”
Thankfully, the child was saved in Shade’s open hands. “Gotta watch out for those loose rocks, little one.”
Maddy jumped back down. “Hehe…” Feeling at fault for the small accident, she blushed. “At least she had a better time than I did at that age.”
Shade giggled. She set Tikal down as the child clambered up to Maddy’s head. “Tikal was named after the princess that befriended Chaos. Perhaps she feels his presence on you.”
“Well, seeing as that would be Nya’s presence now… please get it off.” Maddy picked Tikal up in her hands and playfully tapped her nose. “I’m really glad for you, Shade. This is what I want someday. A nice peaceful life on an-”
“MAD CONQUEROR!” A hulking armored soldier thundered toward them. “I WILL BOUNCE YOUR HEAD LIKE A BASKETBALL!”
Maddy shoved him with such force that he went flying off the distant shore of the island. “I hope you can someday.” Shade took her daughter back. “But I’m glad you’re staying strong through all this. It’s because of you we’re still here today.”
“Nah…I don’t deserve credit for that.”
That’s when a ninja zipped up with a knife aimed at Maddy’s throat. He had kept his chi concealed sneaking up on her. But the knife merely bent against her hardened neck, and the ninja was swiftly banished from the island. “At first, I didn’t mind losing a fight once in a while. Made me feel like I was still human. But after K. Rool… I realized I was tired of holding myself back. I would’ve failed this planet if Deku wasn’t here. That’s why I’m here now.”
Three Paladin-290’s landed on the ground around them. “Well,” Shade began as Maddy grabbed one’s leg, “even if you don’t win,” Maddy smashed it against the second robot like a hammer, “you’ll never be a failure to us.” Maddy’s fist stopped before reaching the third mech’s cockpit, but his insides compressed against her ranged Haki.
“Thanks, Shade.” Maddy’s communicator rang. “…Ah. Sounds like the battle’s over. I’ll see you later!”
The operatives met up at the jungle on the coast of Angel Island, where roaring waterfalls poured into the ocean. “Wait, where’s Kokichi?” Pacifica asked.
“Over heeeeeeeere!” There seemed to be a stray Atlas ship, jiggling with Kokichi’s every word. “Guess what? I gambled with this ship’s captain and won! I’ll add this to my pirate fleet! Haha!”
“Quit fooling around.” Ciel huffed. “Anyhow, Sector SOUTH… we did research on the situation before coming here. Schnee Dust is imprisoning your operatives and other civilians in containment camps.”
“That’s right.” Sonia replied strictly. “He took control of towns that were destroyed by the Kremlings. We’ve liberated one of them, and our other teammates are working on one in Menagerie.”
“Yes.” Halinor nodded. “And, um, I’d like to go and help them… but you don’t have to come if you don’t want.”
“And why the heck wouldn’t we?” Mason asked. “It’s time like these we gotta remember Samus Aran’s famous banner.” He brought up an image on his phone: Samus Aran yelling SAVE THE ANIMALS! to the viewer while three Etecoons and a Dachora were running onto a white ship.
“Let’s fly to Menagerie ASAP.” Weiss declared.
“But we shouldn’t all have to go at once.” Maddy reasoned. “Sheila, Mason, and I can go take care of other camps.”
“Then how ’bout you check on the Golden Hive Colony?” Manic suggested.
“Cinder’s sector is already taking care of that.” Sonia said.
“Cinder?!” Sheila gasped. “That’s Blaze’s kiddo! To Golden Hive we go!” Sheila grabbed Mason and Maddy and, “GERONIMOOOOOOOOOOO!” jumped off the island!
“ARE YOU PLANNING TO SWIM US THERE OR SOMETHING?!” they cried.
“Yyyyeah… we better make a quick plane for them.” Manic suggested.
Sol Castle
It shamed Queen Blaze to have to litter her waters with so many soldiers and wrecked ships. Her sapphire embers dwindled after the battle, while her psychic husband levitated around the wreckage and prevented any of them from drowning. “The Game of Thrones…” Blaze thought aloud. “It’s worse than I’d heard. Sonic… if you were here now… what would you do…”
“Blaze!” her husband, Silver the Hedgehog called. Her attention was drawn to an approaching warship with the figurehead of a gold, one-horned lion. Even from a distance, Blaze met the glare of Aurelia Le Guin, the silver-haired admiral on the stern. Beside her was a massive gorilla with pineapple-shaped hair: Admiral Kong.
The ship slowed to a halt a short distance from the shoreline of the castle’s island. “Queen Blaze… for your knowing affiliation with the Pirate King and your daughter’s disruption of Schnee Dust operations, you have been deemed an enemy of the Galactic Army. However, President Schnee is willing to forgive your transgressions… if you surrender your Sol Emeralds.”
“Leave my kingdom at once.” Blaze commanded. “Or you will die for your transgressions.”
Aurelia raised her red and silver great sword, Arcadia. “Then kill me.” Her sword turned black with Haki, except for the gold rim and middle designs. (Play “Wrapped in Black” from Sonic Rush.)
Seeing those colors terrified Blaze and Silver. The queen knew she couldn’t afford to hold back on this woman. The seven Sol Emeralds orbited her: Blaze’s braided hair, tail, wrists, and ankles ignited with great violet flames.
Aurelia kicked off her ship and flew at the queen with a golden aura, impacting Blaze’s violet comet in a dazzling dance. Their engagement proceeded on the shoreline as Aurelia split every flame Blaze cast, eventually directing her blade at Blaze’s shoulder. Blaze shot backward in evasion and up into the air before crashing onto the admiral. Aurelia raised Arcadia in defense as she was forced into a squat. Aurelia swung Blaze off her, but the queen made a quick rebound and lashed out at the admiral with blazing heels. Aurelia positioned her sword at several positions, but Blaze took angles around them and dealt several strikes.
Aurelia dealt a successful cut to Blaze’s hip, the queen retreating. She cast burning cyclones, and Aurelia dodged the most she could while casting her own golden sword waves. Both suffered their share of pain before Aurelia lunged at Blaze, throwing a crescent swing that slit a large gash in the island. Blaze flew skyward and narrowly survived, conjuring a miniature violet sun and throwing it unto Aurelia. The admiral slashed the air in the form of an 8-pointed star and tore through the sun, though some of its embers still burned her. Blaze followed up with a Comet Strike: Aurelia managed to thrust her sword into the queen before she herself was sent flying into the sea.
Blaze dove into the sea and spread heat across it. The unfortunate fish caught in the crossfire would feed the town well. However, Aurelia endured the heat and swam to continue her duel underwater. Blaze blinded her with clouds of scalding steam, but with Observation Haki at her disposal, Aurelia traced the queen’s position and slashed the waves accordingly. Blaze began to spin and create a gigantic maelstrom of steam. Aurelia chose to sheathe her blade and pour all her strength into swimming out of the current. Minutes of perseverance rewarded her with the breath of the surface, the admiral swimming to shore to relieve herself of the scalding waters.
Blaze rocketed up on shore and rammed the admiral with enough intensity to blast her through the palace gates. “For goodness’ sake, Your Highness, this is why you need to control your temper!” yelled the palace guard, Gardon.
Aurelia faced down the entry stairwell with a smirk and stormed down. Blaze planted her hands into the earth and erected pillars of fire in Aurelia’s direction. “Rakshasa ONSLAUGHT!” The admiral sprung into the air before impaling the ground: channeling a great surge of Haki, illusory swords ruptured from the ground in the same fashion, piercing the queen at the same time she was burned by the pillars.
Meanwhile, Silver levitated above Admiral Kong. “A member of the Kong Family works for the Galactic Army? Why weren’t you here when the Kremlings attacked us?”
Kong shot him a glare that implied, Sometimes, there are no easy answers. What matters now is my job. And since Silver was psychic, he could read Kong’s thoughts strongly. The ape launched into the air, and despite Silver’s efforts to grab him with telekinesis, Kong threw a hardened punch, generating a shockwave across the air that blew the hedgehog away. As Silver returned to the flagship, he was bewildered as Kong took flight on his own rocket barrel, equipped with banana cannons. He steered the rocket with his feet while he waved his arms and fingers to make bananas fly out of the side barrels. Silver wondered, at first, if he was also a psychicbender… but he didn’t sense similar chi.
Kong willed the bananas to swarm around Silver like boomerangs. The yellow fruits turned black with Haki as each impact felt like being hit with iron. Silver formed a Psy-Shield in defense, but his efforts to wrestle the bananas from Kong’s bending were fruitless… literally. Silver instead teleported near the sea and grabbed some flotsam, throwing them at Kong’s rocket. Kong bent some bananas to form a shield against the rubble, but he would return the bananas to his barrels as he jumped down. Silver flew evasively, but Kong’s impact with the water splashed a great tidal wave that washed Silver into the sea.
Not being the best swimmer, Silver took flight again. Kong’s rocket was still in flight, so he hoped to destroy the unmanned rocket. However, Kong blasted out of the sea with a powerful uppercut, causing the dazed hedgehog to fall. By the time Silver recovered, Kong was back in his rocket. He bent bananas to form rugged gauntlets, so with each punch, bananas would shoot toward Silver with intense force. Silver teleported around the ape to confuse him, using every opening to throw Psy-Spheres. The pain Kong endured was nothing that couldn’t be quelled by just eating a few bananas.
Kong listened closely for where Silver would warp next, arming himself with a gun-shaped banana. When Silver appeared behind his left, the ape quickly turned his gun at the hedgehog and squeezed: the banana shot out of the peel with greater intensity, splattering against Silver’s eyes. Kong leapt with both hands together and hammered Silver so hard that he splashed hundreds of leagues under the sea.
And the outcome of this battle… is to be continued! Introducing Sonia and Manic from Sonic Underground; they were originally in the Firstborn Saga before I cut them from that story, but they still get to exist in the Gameverse after all! And see, I totally didn’t forget about Shade after Seven Lights! Halinor is an OC, Cordovin’s from RWBY.
Chapter 23: Mobius Saga 2: Ace Ops
Summary:
Sectors $ and SOUTH land on Menagerie and confront the Ace Operatives. Sheila, Mason, and Maddy go to Golden Hive Colony and meet Sector SOL.
Chapter Text
Not only is this chapter action-heavy, but we have some fun levels, too!
Chapter 22: Ace Ops
Schnee Dust H.Q.
Jacques and Ironwood marched out to the factory’s pavilion. Admirals Aurelia and Kong presented the chained and injured body of Queen Blaze. The seven Sol Emeralds were sealed in containers, transported on a floating cart. “Excellent work.” Jacques said. “I expected no less from… you two.” He was disgruntled that one of them was an animal.
“It was an honor to duel the Blazing Queen.”
“And her husband?”
Kong cast him a glare that said, Sent to the depths…
“Perhaps that is best. Can’t afford to have too many beasts at my doorstep. I’ll have her placed in the farm posthaste.”
Ironwood’s Scroll rang (a phone with a holographic screen). He answered, “Yes? …What?! How long have they been here?! Why are you just now telling me?!”
“What’s going on?” Jacques asked.
“Sir, it’s your daughter. Your daughter’s KND sector were reported fighting the fleet sent to Angel Island. Nearly every ship was wiped out!”
“Outrageous!”
“But it seems they had special help…” Ironwood showed him images sent by the fleet, depicting Sheila and Maddy.
“THE PIRATE KING?!” Jacques flinched backward from PTSD. “And the Mad Conqueror?! Are here?! On Mobius?!”
“Ahh…” Aurelia smirked. “Just as the Grand Admiral predicted.”
“In consideration of President Schnee’s request,” Thrawn began, “I am assigning the two of you to Mobius. If his fears prove true and the KND turn their sights to Mobius next… I believe they will send Sheila Frantic and Maddy Murphy. Ms. Frantic possesses personal connections to Mobius and will feel obligated to return. As for Ms. Murphy… she may seek to regain her honor after her failure against King K. Rool. You two will be the strongest assets against them.”
“Then I expect you to defeat them at all costs!” Jacques yelled. “Those two are an Emperor-level threat! And I need to begin my project posthaste!”
Jacques brought the Sol Emeralds into a production room. “Ms. Winkybunion… the gems have arrived.”
“What lovely stones!” Gruntilda sang. “How they shine! They put shame to all the rest in the mine!”
“With your magical know-how, we will draw out the most potential from these gems. We can transmit their chi to my Fire Dust and increase its power!”
“There’s nothing I like quite more than power. Well, perhaps money, mayhem, and a dead flower.”
“Erm, yes… Since you are here, I must ask: how did you manage to recreate your flesh?”
“It’s a trade secret, I’ll tell you that.” Grunty patted her flabby tummy. “Oh, never have I missed being so fat!”
“Well, keep it as you will. We haven’t time to lose. Our greatest threats will soon be upon us. Fortunately, those enhanced Night Howlers you’ve provided may gain us some new allies…”
The factory’s “farm” possessed a garden of dark-purple flowers, basking under fluorescent blue light. Queen Blaze was strapped to a chair as workers hooked a gas mask to her. It pumped gas from the flowers down her lungs. She began to shake and growl like a savage beast.
Ironwood gazed through the window with pity. He pondered if the admirals knew what they had just done. Well… it didn’t matter. Ironwood had his assignment.
“You want me to…” Ironwood responded short of breath.
“Please understand, James.” Thrawn said. “King Mickey finds some of President Schnee’s methods… controversial. It contradicts his ideal vision. So… if Mr. Schnee ever takes his ambitions too far… you are ordered to act.”
Ironwood stroked the white gun at his belt.
Skies near Menagerie
Using the military ship Kokichi had won, Sectors $ and SOUTH had an easier time bypassing patrolling ships. However, the other sectormates enjoyed the comfort of the Limo$uper, carrying Halinor’s plane on top. “You’ve already been to Menagerie, huh, Weiss?” Pacifica remembered.
“I have! It was lovely! Sheila even made some fans there… and…” Weiss hoped Ilia was okay.
“Did you design this ship yourself, Raleigh?” Halinor asked, admiring the air condition vents.
“Well, the design was Carol’s idea. The hard work was mine though!”
“Hmhm, I never considered a flying limousine!”
“I know, right? Are you an engineer, too?”
“Well, yes, but… nowhere near as good as Dad.” Halinor fiddled her fingers sheepishly. “I’m really only good at flying machines.”
“She’s a bad pilot, too.” Manic winked.
Halinor winced. “Sniff, sniff…” She began to tear up. “Waaaaaaaahhhhh!”
“No, no, I meant good!” Manic quickly tried to console her. “It’s slang for good, you musta heard me say it once or twice!” Sonia rolled her eyes at him.
“Well, you know what else is good?” Carol asked, strolling up to stroke the sides of Halinor’s hair flowers. “These roses! They really compliment your hair!”
“C-Careful.” She shuddered, stifling her sobs. “Those are sensitive.”
“Wait, are they… part of your body?”
“Well… yes.”
“Whoa! What kind of Mobian are you?”
“She’s half-Seedrian.” Sonia said. “Do ya have to look so slack jawed?”
“Sorry that I hadn’t mentioned that.” Halinor blushed. “I just thought… everyone knew.”
“Haha, we didn’t even know Ciel was a demon for a good while.” Raleigh laughed.
“WAIT, HE IS?!” the Mobians gawked.
“A DEMON?!” Kokichi screamed. “Don’t worry, I replaced the fuel with holy water!” Kokichi flew his Atlesian ship above them and dumped the water over the limo. “THE POWER OF ARCEUS COMPELS YOU!”
“Good Lord…” Ciel sighed.
The island of Menagerie rose into view. It disheartened the operatives to see the fleet of warships around its waters. “Doesn’t the army even question what they’re doing?” Pacifica wondered.
“Good soldiers follow orders.” Ciel stated. “They’re pawns of the government and corporations. That’s part of why the KND exists in the first place.”
“And it’s people like that that are the most fun to prank!” Kokichi laughed. “Sadly, I only gambled for one hour’s worth of a lease on this ship… so, I’m gonna send it out with a bang!”
“You do that!” Sonia said. “Manic and I are makin’ landfall!”
“So are we!” Carol took off her dress-shoes and socks. “But I don’t wanna get sand in these.”
“Ready?” Pacifica asked, standing with Weiss at the door. The Schnee heiress nodded. “Then let’s crush some army ant-…” She choked. Her one-liner made her think of her nightmare.
“Pacifica?” Weiss spoke.
“Never mind, let’s just beat ’em up.”
Weiss shrugged. One by one, the operatives jumped out of the limo. Raleigh remained behind to pilot it while Halinor boarded her plane. (Play “Modern Seaside Hill” from Sonic Generations!)
Act 2: Menagerie
The island’s coast was segmented between white and black high-tech walls. The operatives set foot on the beach, dividing into groups as soldiers swarmed them. …Oddly, the soldiers were mostly wearing swimsuits except for their helmets and equipment packs. Was this supposed to be their vacation spot, too?
It should’ve been easy for Weiss to cast freezing waves at them in that case, but the soldiers’ packs extracted tanning rays to quickly nullify her frost. “Fine, you like heat? Then you GET heat!” Weiss shot Fire Dust at them instead, “tanning” them a golden-brown. Pacifica faced a group of soldiers protected by energy barriers; but she noticed they didn’t cover the ground. She shot her chains beneath the sand and had them jut out inside the barriers. The chains wrapped the soldiers’ legs and dragged them up to their heads beneath the sand. Afterwards, the girls could run up and kick them like stationary soccer balls!
“Hey! ’scuse me! Ladiiiiieeees!” A blonde teen was waving at them from a barriered cage. He wore an open white jacket and blue jeans, but his most eye-catching feature was his monkey’s tail. “Mind helping a guy out?” he asked in a spritely manner. “I’ll buy you smoothies!”
“Is he one of the local beach flirts?” Pacifica remarked.
“Well, free smoothies! How do we open this cage?”
“The switch is under one of those sandcastles.” They only just noticed the sandcastles around the cage. “I forget which one.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Weiss kicked down the first castle. “AAAH!” There was a tiny double turret pillar underneath, and she wound up riddled with small holes. She froze the turrets, but as they kicked the other castles down, they were quick to counter the other waiting turrets. Thankfully, they located the lever as promised, so they flipped it and deactivated the monkey’s barrier. Incidentally, it also opened the way to the next part of the beach.
“Thanks!” The boy whipped out a pair of red nun-chucks. “Name’s Sun, by the way! Catch ya later!” He seemed to conjure clones of Light Chi and ran off to become a nuisance to the soldiers.
“A lightbender?” Pacifica cocked a brow. She and Weiss proceeded to the next area, which consisted of several sand plateaus. Soldiers were lined up with beachballs in hand: they hit the balls down to the girls as they exploded. “Great! Beach Bombs!” Weiss shot icicles to pop the bombs. There was a stairway of floating, inflatable lounge chairs, and their bounciness served in bringing the girls to the upper layers. After Pacifica dragged the troops beneath the sand, she grabbed some of their remaining Beach Bombs and threw them at the next line of soldiers.
Weiss and Pacifica reached the highest plateau, but were faced with a fortified sand wall with five muscular soldiers on top. “You won’t be getting past here! We’re the top beach ballers of the army!”
“Ooooo. How terrifying.” Pacifica remarked.
“Would you like me to take care of them?” Ciel asked, having jumped the plateaus to reach their level.
“Ciel? Since when are you good at beach ball?”
“Don’t you remember how far I sent the Sandbag? I think I can manage.” Ciel took the front line as one of the soldiers hit a Beach Bomb toward their ground. Ciel hit it back with ease, but the soldiers would serve it back at slightly faster force. As the volleying stretched on, the ball kept growing faster. Ciel was quick on his feet to send it back, even when the soldiers tried to serve it as far from Ciel as they could.
“Dammit!” a soldier yelled. “How’s a kid in dress-shoes move that fast?!”
“Wait, I remember him from the intel! He’s actually a—SHIT!” One tripped just as the ball was heading his way.
Ultimately, Ciel won the game as the Beach Bomb collapsed the entire sand fort. It dissolved into a slide that the soldiers descended, and the operatives had fun sliding down as well. The slide came to an end before a broken cage; it was probably originally inside the fort. “Holy moly!” A girl with light-red, pigtailed hair climbed out of the cage. She had a pink cat tail, a skirt of a different hue, a light-blue tank-top, white kneepads, and red roller-blades. “That’s whatcha get for buildin’ your base outta sand! Did you guys take it down? Talk about a super crazy awesome save!”
“It was… our pleasure!” Weiss grinned.
“A cat girl?” Ciel noticed the tail. “Oh, if only Sebastian were here.”
“That’s Neon Katt to you! Hate to cut the chat, but I got teammates to find! Laters!” She whipped out a pair of gray nun-chucks and rolled onto a boardwalk area of the prison yard. Moving with high speed on her rollers, she left a streak of neon light as she attacked soldiers swiftly.
Weiss and Pacifica began to cross the boardwalk their selves. It seemed to be splayed out like a maze, and if the girls tried to cheat by ice-sliding over the ocean, robo-sharks would jump up to gnash them. AK-200’s also ambushed them from the sea, shooting them with high-powered squirt guns. Weiss froze the streams shooting out of the guns, then used her bending to make those ice streams spin and whack the robots. Pacifica seized their dizzy heads in her chains and tore them off. She tossed them in the sea for the robo-sharks to eat!
The girls reached a long stretch of boardwalk with numerous zigzagging angles, with a giant round watermelon. There was another Faunus cage at the end of the boardwalk, which had a fan covering the top. “Uh, do we… have to put this watermelon in that fan?” Pacifica asked. “To open the cage?”
“Either that or we’re drowning her in juice.” But they decided to play along and roll the melon across the pier. Robo-sharks jumped over parts of it, so they had to time pushing it between them.
The Faunus trapped in the cage had distinct, blur-furred serval cat legs. She had wild and wavy dark-blue hair, blue eyes behind glasses, wore a brown leather jacket, and onyx-blue shirt and shorts. “Hey!” Weiss called. “Sorry if this doesn’t work!” She and Pacifica kicked the watermelon atop the cage’s fan. As expected, it was grinded into juice, flooding the cage, but the fan short-circuited before bursting off.
The Faunus, Arrastra Skye, climbed out, frantically shaking the juice off. “Well, at least you were considerate.” She withdrew a large, mechanical pickax and slouched it over her shoulder. “Hang on. You’re Weiss Schnee.”
“Yep. But instead of talking about who I am, I’d rather focus on saving people. Are you part of the KND sector for this island?”
“From Coruscant, actually.”
“Really?”
“You think Faunus only come from Mobius?” she asked with a wry smirk. “Well, Sun was from here, at least. After we saw you on the news, we and our human friends decided to come here and fight the oppression. But the army overwhelmed us and we wound up segregated to this island. The humans might’ve been brought to Station Square or something…”
“I’m sorry…”
“Then don’t slow down now. Oh, and I’m Arrastra.” She turned toward the wall blocking the next area. “Here, let me help you out.” Squatting down, Arrastra sprung over the wall with a terrific leap of her feline legs, hitting a switch that would open the barrier gate. As Weiss and Pacifica advanced, Arrastra held her pickax like a crossbow and began to shoot at incoming soldiers. “And by the way, watch out for the Ace Ops. I’m sure they’re still around…”
“The Ace Ops?” Weiss replied in familiarity.
This area of the coast was like a bay. While Arrastra and the other Faunus fought through the soldiers along the beach, Weiss and Pacifica noticed the soldiers surfboarding around the ocean. Weiss took a few frozen steps over the sea to make sure it was safe. “Well, no sharks in this zone, I guess.” Weiss formed an ice-made surfboard. “Let’s join the fun!”
Pacifica joined her onboard as they surfed to engage the troops. As it happened, they were waterbenders: the first one cast a wide water tunnel at the girls, but they got into the center and rode the current! They spiraled their way to the end before Pacifica bashed the soldier with her chains. The second soldier splashed three, escalating waves: Weiss applied strong force in her bending so her board could make it over each wave. Once they flew up the highest wave, she spun and thwacked the soldier with the side of her board. The third soldier surfed a far distance from them, conjuring several massive maelstroms in his wake. Weiss maintained stability between the maelstroms and turned around them precisely.
Still, it didn’t seem they would catch up to that soldier anytime soon… until Manic surfed behind him on his hoverboard and KO’ed him. “Don’t ya know? Sky surfin’s the way to go.” The humans smiled in gratitude. They followed Manic as he surfed above a cluster of reefs, with Weiss transitioning them to an Ice Road to go above them as well. They were getting close to the town of Kuo Kuana. “That doesn’t look good!” Pacifica called attention to the large sand tornado that seemed to be sweeping up hordes of troops.
“Relax, dudes.” Manic said. “It’s just Sonia.”
The base of the tornado was bright pink. It slowed to a halt to reveal Sonia gracefully twirling on her toes. With a complete stop, the soldiers plummeted into the sand. “Ya like it?” she asked proudly. “I ain’t fast like Dad was, but I know how ta twirl and whirl!”
“It’s dazzling!” Weiss said.
“SONIA! MANIC! Thank the stars!” They saw a yellow-furred rabbit Mobian rushing toward them.
“Yo! It’s Bunnie!” Manic exclaimed. “She’s got Antoine, too!”
Bunnie had purple eyelids and green eyes, a pink top, as well as robotic legs and a left arm. She was carrying a fox with dark-orange fur, red boots, a sword, and blonde hair with sharp tips. “We were worried about you two!” Sonia said. “What happened up there?”
“Ve vere trying to rescue ze chieftain’s family!” Antoine said in a French accent. “Ve vere almost zere, but ze Ace Operatives… zey captured all of our reserves!”
“We barely got out with our tails between our legs.” Bunnie followed in a country accent. “But Ah think they’re still on us!”
“WATCH OUT!” Sonia saw a fishing line flying toward them. She kicked Bunnie and Antoine out of the way as the rod snagged her hair. Pacifica chained the hedgehog before she was pulled away, causing several of Sonia’s strands to tear off. “Ow…” (End song.)
The line returned to a gray fishing rod wielded by a handsome man with short brown hair and a white Atlas uniform. “Well… today must be our lucky day.” he said. There were two soldiers in similar attire beside him.
Weiss gasped. “Those are Ironwood’s Ace Operatives! They’re some of the most talented people in Atlas!”
“Yeah?” Manic twirled his drumsticks. “Well, we’re the most talented in all of Mobius!”
“But there’s supposed to be five of them.”
“There were when they ambushed us.” Bunnie said.
“Weiss Schnee…” The leader, Clover Ebi smiled approachably. “Your sister is very worried about you. She… asked us to bring her to you, if we could.”
“Why doesn’t she come down here herself? To see what you all are doing?”
“General Winter is tending to other matters.” replied Vine Zeki, a bald, lean man with pale skin and dotted tattoos along the middle of his face. “She only wishes to protect her family.”
“Yeah, so, can we do this the easy way?” asked Marrow Amin, a tan-skinned man with unkempt dark-green hair and blue eyes.
“Sorry, bucko,” Sonia snapped, “but that ain’t how we roll!” She performed her Sonia Spin and stirred up another sand tornado.
“Stay!” Marrow pointed at the group.
“What?!” Sonia halted in place. “H-Hey! I can’t move!”
“What gives?!” Manic panicked.
“He’s got some metahuman power!” Bunnie said, struggling to move.
“That’s the thing…” Weiss struggled. “I heard the members… huffed Bang Gas.”
“All but me.” Clover replied. “I’m just… a lucky guy. Now then…” He readied his Kingfisher.
Pacifica stepped backward in fear. “Huh?” But why could she move? …It was because she was actually obstructed by the others. Thinking fast, Pacifica shot her chains beneath the sand and had them jut up beneath Marrow, knocking him down. With her teammates regaining motion, they divided in the hopes of minimizing Marrow’s effect. (Play “War” from RWBY!)
Boss fight: Ace Operatives
Weiss skied around Ace and shot icicles. Clover opted to chase her, so Weiss skied backward from him—she bumped into a small rock in the sand and tripped. Clover had the chance to hook her heel with Kingfisher and slam Weiss into the sand. “Sorry about this.” he said. Scoffing at his gesture, Weiss discarded her high-heels and recovered, freezing the sand in the hopes of trapping him. Clover leapt above the wave of ice and lashed Kingfisher like a whip, negating her effect. He continued to lash the rod as Weiss swiftly countered with Myrtenaster. She shot an icicle in-between swings and hit Clover’s knee, forcing him into a brief kneel. She tried to cast a storm of icicles—“AAAAH!” but the beach began rumbling under Manic’s drums, throwing off her aim. “MANIC!”
“Whoops. Did I mess something up? AAH!” Manic was struck by Vine’s throwing star. Clover seized the chance to whip Weiss off her feet.
Pacifica wrapped Vine in her chains, but the pale-skinned op inflated a bubble of gooish, yellow light and spread the chains apart. He threw his star, Thorn, at Pacifica’s leg, but though she evaded it, Vine was able to slip out of his bubble between a gap in her chains. With the same substance, he shot a fist and punched Pacifica several meters back. He extended two Aura Hands, spun, and scooped up a mound of sand to throw over the Northwest. He was struck by lasers shot from Manic’s drum set, the hedgehog having set them up at a safe distance. Vine propped his Aura Hands against the ground to propel himself at Manic with great force. Manic tried to withdraw his drums and dodge, but as Vine flew toward him legs-first, the gooish aura extended from his legs and successfully stamped the hedgehog.
Pacifica dug herself out of the sand and caught up with the Ace. She shot the chains of her right hand directly at him, to which he grabbed them in his Aura Hands. However, the chains of her left burrowed underground and caught his legs, dragging him up to his head. While he was buried, Manic used his drums to create another earthquake and disorient Vine’s insides. An Aura Fist burst out of the sand and sent Manic flying. Vine stretched Aura Legs to propel himself out of the sand, followed by Aura Hands to push himself toward Pacifica. She shot all chains directly at him, but Vine managed to swat them away before smashing her beneath one of his hands.
Sonia and Bunnie got on opposite sides of Marrow. “Stay!” He froze Sonia, and when Bunnie stretched her mechanical arm at him, Marrow clashed against it using his bladed boomerang, Fetch. Bunnie grabbed his pants and pantsed him, dropping his hold for Sonia to escape and kick him in the jaw. “?!” However, they immediately noticed his blue canine tail as he tried to pull his pants up. “You’re a Faunus!” Sonia exclaimed.
“Yeah, I am.” Marrow turned his boomerang into a rifle and fired. Sonia withdrew her synthesizer and countered him.
“Then why the heck are you on their side?!”
“Look, our assignment is to root out secret Kremling affiliates and to contain KND operatives. General Ironwood promised he wouldn’t let Schnee take things too far.”
“Sounds like they’ve got you on collar!” Sonia spun a sand cyclone, and when Marrow tried to stop her, Bunnie grabbed his arm in her mech hand. Sonia caught Marrow in her twister and slammed him into a rock. Marrow swiftly recovered, bent Fetch into a boomerang, and threw it to strike both girls before it returned to him.
Carol and Ciel were currently crossing the bay area. “Looks like they found some tough ones.” Carol observed. “AH!” Seven soldiers dropped down and surrounded them, each armed with two high-powered squirters.
“OPEN FIRE, MEN! I MEAN, WATER!”
“KUAAAH!” Ciel gagged as most of the water was focused on him, though Carol struggled to stand her ground against them as well. “Bloody hell, it’s salt water!”
“Cough, pleh! I should’ve worn my swimsuit!”
“That’s all you care about?!”
By the time the troops stopped, Ciel felt too weak to stand, trying to hack the water out of him. “AH!” A tan-skinned girl with golden eyes zipped over and grabbed Ciel. Wearing the Atlesian uniform, she was Ace Op Harriet Bree. Her dark-brown hair was shaved on the sides, and she had a platinum-blonde tuft on the front. Using super speed, Harriet treaded far across the ocean and threw Ciel into it before speeding back. “Cough! Kah! Huff!” The young demon was helpless in the ocean’s waves.
Carol was terrified as Harriet came speeding toward her, readying a punch with her mechanical armwear. She quickly opened her laptop to generate a Game-and-Watch trampoline. “UUUG!” Carol was punched directly in the gut, bending as she coughed blood. The momentum threatened to smash her against the cliff behind her, which is why she downloaded the vertical trampoline. She bounced against and rammed the unsuspecting Harriet, but it made little difference as the soldier grabbed her afterwards, leapt, and threw Carol into the sand. “Kuh…note to self… if you’re gonna bring Invincibility Insurance… make sure it stays with you.”
“We’ve studied your strengths and weaknesses.” Harriet planted her sneaker on Carol’s stomach. “We knew exactly what to do with that demon boy, and you can’t hold your own in a real fight. AGH!”
She was pushed away by a neon streak. Neon Katt whipped out her bright cyan glowstick nun-chucks and swiftly attacked the soldiers. “You again!” Harriet hissed.
“Ready for Round 2, Baldy Streak?!” Neon snapped.
“Thank you, Insurance!” Carol beamed.
In the sky, Raleigh and Halinor received the distress cues. “We better go help them.” The Azoth Prince said. “HUH?!” To his bewilderment, a pair of tan feet with white wraps were planted on his windshield, using aura roots to stand firm.
“Say, this is a nice ride.” Elm Ederne smirked. She was a tall and beefy woman with brown hair and the Atlas uniform. “’Shame I have to total it.” She grabbed a mechanical hammer, Timber, and began bashing the Limo$uper.
“Please don’t do that!” Halinor shot bullets at the Ace, but she withstood them and kept denting the limo.
“Magnemite, get her off!” Raleigh tossed his Pokémon outside. The Magnemite struck lightning at Elm, but she leapt off in evasion. Elm landed on a hoverboard and used her power to root herself to it. Rockets ignited on the back of her hammer as she flew toward Halinor, sending her plane flying out of control with a powered swing to the wing.
…
Weiss shot Gust Bullets that Clover dodged with ease. The Ace leader flicked Kingfisher, but Weiss deflected it with an upward strike—the hook wound up snagged on the bottom of a passing transport ship. “Whoa!” As the ship pulled Clover off his feet, he managed to catch Weiss between his legs. “LET GO OF ME!” She squirmed for a moment and slipped free, but the ship had carried them above a hut in Kuana. Weiss fell through the roof right between some unsuspecting soldiers, her dress and skin riddled with splinters. “For crud’s sake!”
“GRAB HER!” The soldiers quickly pulled her wrists behind her back and slapped chi-blocking cuffs on.
“HEY!” Weiss managed to slip from their grasp and ran out onto the boardwalk. Unfortunately, Clover caught her ponytail in his Kingfisher, pulled her over, and KO’ed her with a swift punch.
“Like I said. Lucky guy.” The transport ship returned and hovered above them. “Take her to General Winter.” The troops saluted and raised Weiss to the ship.
Vine expanded the size of his Aura Hands and balled them into fists: he rapidly pounded the ground on the way to Pacifica. She sent her chains underground to try and pull his legs, but he used the fists to suspend himself high off the ground. Manic surfed above on his hoverboard and rammed Vine’s bald head, but the soldier whipped up his right hand and swat him out of the sky. Pacifica shot chains at the elevated Vine and slingshotted herself into him, ramming her boots into his jaw. Vine dispelled his Aura Hands and expanded his shield to escape her chains. Pacifica linked her wrists and shot all 10 chains close together, blasting Vine back with their combined blunt force.
Vine grabbed and ripped a nearby boulder out of the sand, throwing it at the Northwest. She dodged, but Vine propelled himself with a push of his Aura Hands, afterwards extending his legs above her. Both legs flattened Pacifica against the sand, KOing her. He saw Manic weakly recovering, so he dealt another fist to knock him out. He grabbed both operatives and threw them up to a transport ship.
“MANIC!” Sonia screamed. She desperately wished she could move, but Marrow had her frozen, while Bunnie was KO’ed.
“Now you know why they call us Ace.” Marrow said. “AWOOL!”
Antoine sliced the dog Faunus with his Spin Blade Ball Attack: his body was curled into a spinning ball, a technique common among Mobians, except Antoine’s sword was outstretched. Antoine uncurled and remarked, “Vell, I zink I aced that.”
Sonia grabbed Marrow and spun into her cyclone, whirling him rapidly before slamming him headfirst into the cliff. Marrow passed out in defeat. Sonia looked up in despair as the transport ship began to rise; and Vine wasn’t likely to let her get Manic’s hoverboard.
“HOLD THAT FLIGHT!” Arrastra pounced from the cliff and into the transport. She quickly KO’ed the soldiers with her Windlass, grabbed Pacifica and Manic in her arms, and jumped out. Sonia beamed in delight. “You owe me one!” She began to fight Vine. Sonia picked up Bunnie and Pacifica while Antoine carried Manic.
“Come on!” Sonia ushered him to follow her to town. “We still have to find… Weiss?” To her horror, Clover alone was walking their direction. “Hey! Where’s Weiss?!”
“Going back to her family.”
“No! Antoine, we gotta split!” They retreated the opposite way.
Clover considered chasing after them… but he feared the shadows at his back wouldn’t allow him. “Looks like somebody freed the princess. Talk about unlucky.”
While Harriet’s speed surpassed Neon’s, the cat Faunus managed to freeze the Ace’s legs with her nun-chucks: they were filled with Ice Dust. Harriet tripped, and in her weakness, Carol downloaded Game-and-Watch to bash her with his frying pan. Harriet channeled kinetic energy in her legs until the ice shattered. Neon skated and tried to freeze her, but Harriet was already on her feet, zipping behind the Faunus and punching her in the back. Harriet chased as Neon’s body flew forward and swiped her nun-chucks, freezing Neon with her own weapon. She then ripped the chucks in half and chucked them in the sea.
Harriet then faced a fearful Carol. She zipped over and sent Carol several meters back with a stomach kick. Harriet made some distance before returning with a left hip kick. “Ugh! Carol, you just gotta focus and listen!” She prepared a download, and when she heard Harriet coming from the back-right, she commanded a single Game-and-Watch octo tentacle to shoot out in that direction. Harriet yelped as the tentacle grabbed hold of her, shoving Harriet upside-down into the sand. Carol then commanded Game-and-Watch to use his Judge attack: it landed on six, burning Harriet.
As Harriet pushed herself back to her feet, she decided to confront Carol directly with a bombardment of her Fast Knuckles. The Masterson thought fast and downloaded octopus tentacles to wrap around herself like a shield. The tentacles were slowly derezzing from Harriet’s pummeling, so Game-and-Watch dealt another Judge attack; it landed on 7 with minimal damage. The tentacles shattered as Harriet sent Carol flying with a solid punch. She landed several yards away, too weak to stand, but she had enough strength in her fingers to type. Harriet was charging again: she trusted RNG to save her, so Game-and-Watch countered her with Judge-5, electrifying the speedster. Worse was that Harriet was standing ankle-deep in the water, and Carol made sure to crawl further from the waves to avoid the effect. After the shock wore off, Game-and-Watch KO’ed her with his frying pan.
“Phew…!” Carol quickly forsook her own relief and rose to her feet. “CIEL! CIEEEEL!” Her friend was nowhere to be seen in the sea. She was too late… he had already drowned-
“Heyooooo!” Until she glanced further right and saw Sun the monkey Faunus. He was clambering back to shore, carrying Ciel on his back. “I think I’d make a pretty good lifeguard!”
“CIEL!” Carol rushed over as Sun lay the earl on his back. He pumped Ciel’s stomach to push the water out of him.
“Kuh…cough! This is why I bloody hate the beach.”
Elm pursued Raleigh and Halinor on her hoverboard. Her hammer converted into a launcher to shoot rockets: though the pilots dodged, the rockets exploded ahead of them and blotted their vision with smokescreens. Elm loaded more rockets into Timber, returned its hammer shape, and lunged at them with the rockets. She hammered the back of the Limo$uper and sent it spinning, during which time she rooted her feet to its bottom. “Raleigh! Underneath you!” Halinor tried to shoot her down, but Elm shot a rocket at her in turn. She then hammered the limo.
“AUGH!” Raleigh yelped from the impact. “Slurpuff! Use Sweet Scent in that tube!” (“Slurpuff!”) His Pokémon blew a pink gas into a gas tube. The exit end rose from the bottom of the car and shot it into Elm’s face. The soldier was dazed by the smell, so Halinor was able to shoot her off. Elm was saved by her hoverboard, shaking her head from the feeling. She soared directly up to Halinor and rocket-launched, hammering the engine of her plane and sending the half-Seedrian falling toward the sea. Raleigh steered toward her and had Magnemite shoot electricity; she used a rocket launch to evade them and planted her feet atop his car again. This time, she shattered Raleigh’s windshield and hoped the next blow would knock him out. “Bronzor, use Iron Defense!” Raleigh’s Steel-type shielded him against the blow. “Togedemaru, use Zing Zap and Nuzzle!”
“Toge!” The roof window opened as the pudgy, steel-furred rodent climbed out. Togedemaru electrified its body and rammed into Elm. “AAAAHHH!” The intense force didn’t detach her feet from the car. Togedemaru then began nuzzling its electric cheeks against her, eventually making the soldier pass out. Her power dispelled as she fell toward the sea.
“Don’t track footprints on new limos.” was all Raleigh could say to her. (End song.)
The sectormates all rejoined on the beach. Arrastra had been knocked out: Clover and Vine picked up Marrow and loaded him onto their own transport craft, taking flight across the horizon. “Well, that got out of hand.” Clover sighed. “At least we got the heiress.”
“What do you think they’ll do to Harriet and Elm?” Vine asked.
“The KND aren’t cruel. I’m sure they’ll keep them safe. We’ll just have to prepare for their next attack.”
The KND used the army’s spare chi-block cuffs to bind the two Ace Ops. They were approached by a black-haired girl with cat ears and amber eyes. She wore an open white jacket, black top, and matching pants. “Um…on behalf of my people, thank you for saving our island.”
“Hehe, you’re welcome.” Carol smiled.
“Ugh, that formal talk doesn’t suit you.” Sun remarked. “Just be yourself, Blake!”
“Can it, Sun.”
“That’s more like it.”
“This here’s the island’s princess.” Sonia explained.
“Yeah, but just call me Blake. Seriously.”
“But… was Weiss really captured?” Raleigh asked.
“Afraid so.” Sonia bowed. “I have no idea where they’re taking her.”
“Boy, you guys are really hopeless.” A kiddish voice responded from their comms. “How could you let Weiss get kidnapped? She needs more babysitting than Raleigh.”
“Kokichi!” Carol exclaimed. “Where have you BEEN through all this?!”
“I was trying to set up my big show with this hunk of junk! But now it won’t be any fun without Weiss! ’Guess I’ll just have to go get her.”
“You mean you saw where they flew?” Ciel asked.
“Nah, but I can make a gamble for it. What could possibly go wrong? Wahahahahaha!”
Carol sighed. “Well, we need some time to recover. You might as well go ahead if you want.”
“Look… why don’t I help you guys out?” Blake asked. “You saved us, so… only fair, right?”
“Awe, you’re such a sweetheart!” Sun put an arm around her, sparking annoyance. “But yeah! We gotta stick it to President Sneeze, anyway!”
“Let’s check in with our other party first.” Carol said.
Near Golden Hive Colony
“Hahaaaaaa!” Sheila was in love with her new waterbike-airplane hybrid! Why didn’t she even think of this before?! Her new Sunny Zoomer whisked her and her mates across the planet with ease. Best of all, it was built with GPS to prevent her from getting lost on the way to Golden Hive. “Oi, if only Mum could see me now!”
“Better than swimming, that’s for sure.” Maddy was still bonking water out of her ear, and was otherwise kicked back with her legs hanging over the side.
“At least you ain’t scared of water, anymore.” Mason replied. “Heh, brings me back to the good old days.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
They flew over a forest as a city of beehive buildings rose into view. Its defining landmark was the palace, a structure layered with three hives of red and gold colors. The sides of the palace had four stinger-like protrusions, there were two emerald gems along the center, and one at the very tip. The city was surrounded by Atlesian ships and tanks as smoke rose from the ruined buildings. “Those drongos…” Sheila said in anger. “They’re ruining MY ADVENTURE!”
“Darn right they are.” Mason remarked.
Sheila parked and hid the Zoomer on a small plateau in the forest. The three jumped down, and as they approached the colony, they found a tiger Mobian prowling on all fours. “Uh…excuse me.” Mason waved at him, finding the tiger’s demeanor odd. “Are you, uh…a person? Or something?”
“Growwwwlll!” The Mobian drooled at the tasty meat samples. “GRAH!” It pounced, Mason screaming, but Maddy quickly smacked him several meters away. She tried to make him pass out with Conqueror’s Haki… and though it seemed to work for a moment, the beast recovered and came at them again. Maddy KO’ed him with a more firm punch.
“’kay, this guy’s a little primitive!” Mason said. “Was he… still Reverted?”
“I don’t know…” Maddy noticed a hint of purple on the tiger’s tongue. “I’m sensing similar auras around the city. Sheila, we better split up and cover all corners.”
“That was me plan from the start!” (Play “Honey Marshes” from Spyro 4!)
Act 3: Golden Hive Colony
The town streets were not only honey-colored like most of the buildings, but they felt sticky to walk on. A group of five soldiers were trying to suck bee Mobians into a large vacuum. Sheila punched Light Fists to break the vacuum, but the soldiers themselves merely absorbed any fists directed at them. “More solar panels!” Mason exclaimed. The soldiers used the harnessed energy to zip around at high speed, slashing Mason and Sheila with knives. Sheila merely gave them direct beatings, reacting to their speed with her own. Three swift hits on each soldier would K.O. them.
The duo jumped down a broken chunk of street that had fallen in the sewer, using floating pieces of the road to cross the honey river. “I bet that water’s not just yellow ’cause of the honey.” Mason figured. There were vertical slabs composed of three honeycombs that Sheila could punch down, breaking the combs into spread-out platforms. They would also have to hover around honeyfalls pouring from pipes, Sheila using her tail and Mason a light Gas Rocket. After landing on a stable foothold, two savage rhinos burst from the walls and charged at them. Sheila grabbed one’s horn, slammed the rhino around the ground, and threw it into the honey. Mason fired a Gas Bomb that blew his rhino through several walls of rubble, paving a path for them.
A crumbled stairway allowed them to climb out of the sewer. They saw combat taking place on a nearby rooftop: the side of the building in question was honeycomb-patterned, but there was no visible way to climb it. “Oi know!” Sheila sent Light Fists to push in the honeycombs, denting enough in to make a path, while leaving the honeycombs beneath them intact to serve as narrow platforms. Her idea allowed them to jump up the building and observe the situation: five savage vultures were swooping down against a badger girl.
The badger dodged the birds and threw a boomerang between them to briefly daze them. She then whipped out a crossbow to shoot them, but the vultures withstood the pain and swooped down again. The child ducked… but when she looked up again, the vultures had mysteriously passed out. “Sniff, sniff…” She sniffed the air. “I smell… salt! And soda! And gas that smells like soda!” She faced Mason and Sheila. “What monsters has the government sent at me now?”
“HUUUU!” Sheila gasped loudly. “MASON! IT’S ME MUM!”
“WHAT?!” Now that Mason looked closely… she did look like a child version of Marine the Raccoon. She had orange fur with brown parts on her head, with very thick pigtails. She had blue eyes and wore a top and skirt made of a gray, stitched fabric, and tan, fur-skin, but mismatched boots.
“Holy mackerel!” the badger gasped. “You’re Sheila Frantic! Wait… I’m your mom?! That can’t be! Unless… I time-travel in the future!”
“Okay, okay, just forget we said that.” Mason said. “We’re here to help. Do you know if Princess Cinder is still around?”
“Yeah! She’s my pack leader. Or, what she calls, a ‘sector.’”
“Well, wanna help us look for her?” Sheila asked.
“I dunno… how do I know you’re REALLY Sheila Frantic?”
“Uh…” Sheila twisted a finger in her ear. “How do I know I’m not?”
“Good point. Let’s go ask Cinder. Name’s Sticks, by the way! Sticks the Badger!”
“Hehe, Oi got a good feeling about you, Sticks!”
More savage vultures came flying from another rooftop. Sticks dazed the first one with her boomerang: Sheila picked her up and leapt to jump off the vulture. Sticks threw her boomerang at the next incoming vulture, and would keep up the pattern as Sheila carried her across them. They reached the next rooftop as three ninja soldiers ambushed them; Sticks whipped out a pair of nun-chucks and battled one. Sheila used speed to match the other two, but they used Substitution Jutsus to swap with small beehives anytime she punched them. …However, these hives were nurseries to baby bees: they buzzed out in anger and began to swarm the ninjas. Because of the constant stinging, the ninjas wound up in nonstop Substitution Jutsus.
Leaving them to their fate, the trio hover-jumped down a series of honeycomb platforms. They reached an active street, in which giant non-sapient bees were carrying passengers away in large honeycombs. There were lights dangling on the bottom of the cars: Sheila could latch Light Chains onto them and swing across the street. Carrying her mates, they had to swing against the flow of the aerial traffic, all while dodging around spiked pillars standing around the street. After swinging far enough, they saw a dense cloud of smog along a road to their left.
It seemed a large, mechanized soldier was spraying the smog at some helpless bee Mobians. “HEH HEH HEH! Did ya know I used to be an exterminator?! Those pesky Minish buildin’ nests outta peoples’ homes! I’m payin’ them a visit after this!”
“HEY!” Mason bent the smog away from the bees, condensing it into a tight ball. “Leave those poor bees alone!” He threw the condensed smog as it burst like a bomb, toppling the soldier back.
“Oh, you made a BIG mistake messin’ with Stan Beals! Let’s see how ya like THIS!” Beals fired mousetraps, three of which snapped Mason’s nose, ear, and finger. Beals leapt skyward and tried to crush him, Mason dodging as he pried the mousetraps off him. Beals charged and tried to kick Mason, but he jumped and thrusted his palm at the mech: parts of its suit burst off as Mason willed the gas inside to combust.
“Hey, an opening!” Mason glanced up at a tiny Mobeean. “I’m going in!” The bee buzzed inside.
“Hey! You get outta here, you little—OW! AH! GEEEE!”
“Heheh.” Mason took advantage of the distraction, drank some Green Flurp, and pumped his own gas into the suit. The robot burst into pieces as the cockpit opened: there was a very short, misshapen man with a goatee and black hair. “…Heh. Haha. Someone didn’t graduate preschool.”
“I’LL PRESCHOOL YOU!” Beals jumped out and tried to kick Mason’s shin, but his leg was too tiny as he wound up flipping himself onto his rear. “AAAAHHHH!” A swarm of Mobeeans assaulted the exterminator, chasing him uptown. “YOU DAMN BEES! I’M STAN BEALS!”
“Haha! Thanks for the help, little dude!” Mason said to the bee that helped him.
“No problem! Whooooa! Are you Sheila Frantic?!” He buzzed directly up to Sheila’s eyes. Up close, the bee wore a yellow helmet, orange shoes, and gray vest.
“Oi sure am, little buzzah!”
“Holy cow! The pirate legend is here!”
“That there’s Prince Charlie.” Sticks said. “One of our packmates.”
“Crikey, Ah wouldn’ta guessed!” Sheila remarked in surprise.
“Hey, Miss Sheila, can I… sting your cheek?”
“…Eh, wot’s the harm? A wee li’l bee can’t hurt me!”
“Okay!” Charlie expanded to toddler size and PIERCED her cheek!
“YIPE!” Sheila’s cheek swelled a lush red. “That… kinda hurt.”
“Good thing I brought Haruka’s swelling cream.” Mason rubbed some on her.
“Sticks, Cinder and the others are up ahead! Follow me!”
They followed Charlie toward a gigantic, multi-layered honey fountain. There were squirters around the sides of each layer, but one squirter on each shot up platforms. They rode up the first batch, and the second batch was close on that layer, and there was a stable platform to rest on the third layer. Each of the squirters on this one shot platforms, but they were in the trajectory of floating, spiked honeyballs. The trio would have to race counterclockwise along the squirting platforms before they would hit the spikes, until one of them would launch them safely to the top. The giant squirter at the top would send them flying into the palace’s courtyard. The experience left them sticky… so, Charlie ate the honey off them. Ew.
They saw an explosion of blaze up on a balcony. Five soldiers were blown off. “That’s her!” Sheila grinned.
“And that’s BAD!” Mason drew attention to the savage moose charging toward them with a huge pair of antlers. Sheila effortlessly stopped its charge by holding palms forward, pressing them against the antlers, and kicking the moose upside the jaw. A herd of savage warthogs charged next: Mason burst a huge cloud of gas and stunned them, leaving Sticks to knock them out using a bō staff. “Phew. You’re really handy with weapons, Sticks.”
“That’s ’cause I don’t trust that techy junk all you other ops use. It’s gonna get into my brain, I know it.”
“That’s what Ah’m talkin’ about!” Sheila patted Sticks’ head. “Now how we gettin’ up there…” They noticed Charlie stinging some flower devices and making honey bubbles rise. The friends exchanged smiles and bounced their way up the honey bubbles.
“I’m starting to understand Winnie-the-Pooh.” Mason said. They used the bubbles to reach the first balcony. It seemed entirely empty… until an elephant burst through the doorway’s wall! It was another savage Mobian, though an army soldier was riding it, shooting a minigun at the operatives. Sheila used a giant Light Palm to block the elephant’s charge, but the soldier landed a few rounds against the captain. Thankfully, a dozen bullets or so weren’t enough to make Sheila bend.
“AROOOOO!” The elephant bellowed when something sharp began to ascend its hind leg: a red and orange spiked hoop. The soldier turned his weapon to it; the hoop leapt and struck the soldier before unraveling. She was a sungazer lizard Mobian with orange and gold attire. She KO’ed the soldier with a few more kicks, leaving Sheila to send him and the elephant plummeting off the balcony.
“Alright, Trip!” Charlie cheered as the sungazer landed beside them.
“Strewth!” Sheila chirped. “You another one of Cinder’s mates?”
“EEEK!” Upon noticing the strangers, Trip threw a bronze helmet over her head.
“Uhhh…” Mason was confused.
“She distrusts strangers.” Sticks said. “She’s smart.”
“’ey, you don’t gotta be scared o’ us.” Sheila assured, knocking Trip’s helmet.
It rattled violently from the gesture, only causing Trip to shudder more. “Sh-She’s just shy. Don’t worry.” Charlie blushed. “Hey, Trip, this is Sheila! THE Sheila!”
“I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I…I know.”
“Shyness increases a hundredfold around celebrities.” Mason said. “Don’t worry about us. Let’s just keep going.”
“Um…I-I-I’ll help.” Trip used her spiked wheel form to climb the side of the palace, carving out a complex streak of it to reveal sticky honey underneath. The others began climbing, but to their worry, swarms of savage bees had them in their sights.
“Hey! Those are my palace guards!” Charlie exclaimed.
Sheila swat them out of the air with Light Tail, Mason gas, and Sticks her boomerang. “What’s wrong with all these Mobians, anyway?!” Mason asked.
“Night Howlers!” Sticks hissed. “Night Howlers did this!”
Sheila gasped. The carved honey path was divided in segments, requiring them to jump and hover in-between bee waves. The operatives eventually made it to the blazing balcony: Cinder the Silver Cat sent five more soldiers to their doom. (End song.)
“’ey! Cindah!”
The feline princess perked up hearing the familiar Australian accent. “Sheila! Mason! When did you get here?!”
“Eh, about five minutes ago.” Mason shrugged.
“Princess Cinder!” A chipmunk Mobian rushed out of the palace. She had red hair and light-brown fur, wore a blue top, matching boots, and black shorts. She also wore glowing blue wristbands. “I’ve subdued the last enemies inside the palace.”
“Thank you, Sally.”
“Oh? Seems we have visitors.”
“I’ll introduce you later. We still need to deal with the ships and tanks outs-”
However, the tanks surrounding town were being slammed into each other. Whatever was doing it was grabbing their ammunition and throwing them into the airborne ships with the force of a cannon. “Eheh…don’t worry.” Mason blushed. “She’s got our corners covered.”
All soldiers and savage Mobians in town were rendered unconscious and disarmed. “Hoooooooo!” Maddy gave her arms a well-deserved stretching and flexing. “That’s a decent workout!”
“Hoo boy!” Mason winced from the smell of her armpits. “Yeah, I can smell it!”
“Hey, Sheila’s worse than me, get over it.”
Cinder giggled. “Well, without further ado… meet Sector SOL! But I suppose you already have.”
“I still don’t buy if she’s REALLY the REAL Sheila.” Sticks said, looking over the captain with one eye.
“With them here, victory’s as good as ours!” Sally punched the air with vigor. She possessed a British accent.
“Hey, Cinder…” Sheila began in a serious tone. “Is the army really usin’ Night Howler?”
Cinder frowned. “I’m afraid so.”
“Oh…” Mason remembered. CP10 once used Night Howler to make Sheila’s mom go savage. “That’s messed up. How can Schnee just get away with that?”
“Most of the victims are actually criminals that Jacques had collected from prisons. But some of those soldiers infected the city’s guards with it.”
“At least it wasn’t us.” Sticks said.
“You’re plenty savage already.” Charlie remarked.
“This kingdom was a victim of the Kremlings’ weapon… and it had barely finished recovering.” Cinder said. “We’re really glad you were here. Soooooo…” she clapped hands, “you deserve a honey buffet!”
And what a buffet it was! The operatives enjoyed peanut butter and honey sandwiches, without the peanut butter! Honey apples! Honey oatmeal raisin cookies! Honey pie with whipped cream! Beehive-shaped lemon cake! Spiced honey pears! Creeping Charlie Tea—Charlie’s personal specialty! Honey gingerbread with soft white powder on top!
“And now we know what war is good for~” Maddy said, her mouth awash in satisfaction.
“Carol needs to have THESE for car snacks!” Mason said. “Speakin’ of which, we better call them.
“Yoi-yoi,” Sheila mumbled while chewing a large mouthful, “Uu’ll git rhn’t nn’it.”
“C-Cinder,” Trip mumbled, “th-the medical operatives are on their way w-with some Night Howler antidote. B-But Bunny Burrow needs time to develop more samples. I just hope it’ll be enough…”
“From the behavior of these victims, I fear this Night Howler was modified somehow. The usual cure may not be strong enough.”
“Then maybe Haruka can help.” Mason replied. “I can get her to meet with your doctors.”
“That would be kind of you. Hm?” Cinder’s phone rang. The caller ID listed Gardon, her castle’s head guard. She answered, “Gardon? What’s the emergency?”
“Princess, it’s your mother! Queen Blaze was taken by the Galactic Army!”
“What?!” Her friends overheard him. Their enjoyment of the honey buffet was gone in an instant. “But how?! Mom would never lose to them! What about Dad?!”
“Your father… he was knocked into the ocean… and we’ve only just fished him up. …He’s dead, Your Highness.” Cinder’s silver face grew pale. “The culprits were… a silver-haired human woman and a large gorilla. Even with the Sol Emeralds’ power, the queen still lost to them.”
“A silver-haired woman…” Maddy whispered in familiarity.
“…Thank you for telling me, Gardon.” Cinder hung up. Her teammates, though silent, offered their sympathy. “…You three… I must ask you for something else.” She combusted into flame, her friends jumping back with a start. “REVENGE!”
Mason, Sheila, and Maddy narrowed their eyes. “You got it.”
“Um, aren’t we supposed to try to convince her revenge is wrong?” Sticks asked.
“NO.”
“Okay, just wondering.”
Bunnie, Antoine, and Sally were characters from the old Sonic cartoon, but I used their Archie comic designs! Charlie and Cinder are OCs, with the former being Charmy Bee and Saffron’s (another comic character) son. The Ace Ops are also from RWBY.
Chapter 24: Mobius Saga 3: Turning the Tables of War
Summary:
Kokichi tries to rescue Weiss in the Elwood City sky base... but things take a wild turn.
Chapter Text
This chapter takes place in the town of a beloved PBS Kids cartoon… and takes a new perspective on it. :)
Chapter 23: When You Turn the Tables of War, It Exposes the Gum-ridden Underside That No One Ever Cleans
Atlesian Sky Base above Elwood City
Weiss’ cuffed arms were wrapped around a wide pillar. She pressed her feet against it and pushed as a desperate move to rip the cuffs off. A fruitless effort. “Ow!” She inevitably fell and hurt her toes against the floor. She straightened herself out of the uncomfortable, forward-leaning position she wound up in. Weiss would also straighten her gaze when the door opened: her elder sister marched in.
“Weiss…” Her icy eyes were warm with concern as she looked over Weiss’ tattered and shoeless frame. “I’m sorry for this.”
“The hell you are! You’re helping Father occupy and oppress Mobius! You KNOW his excuses are bullshit! So, untie me and help me stop him!”
“Weiss, if you go against Father, you go against King Mickey and the army. That’s the problem here. As much as we despise it, those two depend on Father. And the KND is already in enough trouble. Weiss… I just want to keep you safe.”
“They can peg us as bad guys as much as they want. I’ll rip Mickey’s ears out for letting this happen.”
Winter bit her lip, stunned by her sister’s bold claim. “You really must watch your mouth, young lady.” Both turned in shock as Jacques stepped into the room.
“Father?!” Winter gasped.
“I’ve been readily informed of your capture.” The Ace Ops and Ironwood were behind him. “Weiss… after your recent transgressions, you leave me no choice. You are out of my will. You will no longer inherit the Schnee Dust Company… and I am hereby disowning you as my daughter.”
Weiss merely glared at him. She logically expected such an outcome. “Winter, I have summoned a transport to bring her to Zordoom Prison. I have notified all officers that there is no longer a relation between us.”
“Father, you can’t send her to Zordoom! It’s full of criminals the KND put in there. The Emperors’ commanders, the rogue Gourmet Hunters! Weiss will be killed!”
“Winter.” Ironwood began strictly. “You are being reassigned as well. Grand Admiral’s orders. He believes that… emotional problems may hinder your duties. And with two admirals here, your skills will be more useful elsewhere. I’m sorry.”
“…” Winter spared her sister one final, regretful glance. “Understood…”
“Right then. Everyone out.” Jacques gestured the officers out of the room and promptly sealed it. “Clover, Vine, stand guard here until the transport arrives.”
“Pardon me, sir, but the Ace Operatives are under my jurisdiction.” Ironwood said. “Vine, check on Marrow’s recovery. Clover, take your ship and patrol the area. Shoot down any unauthorized ships.”
Jacques scoffed. “Just make sure no funny business happens until Winter and Weiss have left the base. I will return to the office.” The president proceeded to the QuickWarp room. “I must update Whitley’s will now as well.” He entered the portal, which was promptly turned off.
Ironwood, Winter, and Clover crossed the hangar bay of the floating fortress. A gloomy twilight fell over Elwood City. Winter gazed over the town with a heavy heart. She’d heard that Elwood was one of the nicest places on Mobius, full of easygoing and ordinary people who only faced everyday problems. They would say that, “Every day you’re walking down the street, everybody that you meet, has an original point of view.” But Elwood was one of the targets for the Kremlings’ machine. The city fell into ruin and chaos… and now it was a containment zone.
Winter’s steps only grew slower as she approached her ship. “Don’t worry, Winter.” Ironwood said. “I’ll make sure that Weiss is-”
Alarms began to blare. “ALERT! Unauthorized vessel is on a collision course with the containment zone!” Ironwood and Winter whipped around and saw the smoking, descending ship. …Except it wasn’t “smoking,” but leaking confetti.
“KYAAAAAAH!” Kokichi screamed. “Crud! I put the piñatas where the fuselage was supposed to go! This is why I leave all the party stuff to Lanky! NOOOOOOO! We’re going to CRAAAAAAAASH!”
“What’s wrong with that thing?!” Winter gasped. “It’s going to hit the city!”
“All ground and patrol units, direct all fire on that ship!” Ironwood ordered. “We have to minimize the damage as much as possible!”
Aircrafts and city cannons bombarded the vessel… but their shots poked holes in the balloons that were tied around the sides of it. Helium blew out, causing the ship to fall faster. The soldiers choked in horror the second the ship touched the surface… and, from its intense force, the entire city flipped up into the air like an enormous plate on the edge of a table. Ironwood, Winter, and Clover’s jaws stretched and twisted from the ridiculous, unbelievable cataclysm.
But they fell into distress again when the city came falling back down, doomed to crush the base. “AAAAAAAHHH!”
However, the base remained afloat as the city wound up propped and balancing directly on top of it, upside-down. The stolen ship was still lodged into the ground… and Mr. Ratburn was halfway squished underneath it. Kokichi kicked open a hatch and jumped out onto a hanging streetlight. “Oh boy! I finally get to explore the town of Arthur! The author used to watch this all the time, why did we take THIS long to include it?! No matter! I can’t wait to see how the characters are represented! This is gonna be a wonderful kind of day!”
Act 4: Ewlood City
There were several dog-walkers hanging on the street, and their dogs, who all looked like Pal, were hanging by the necks on their leashes. They were convenient for Kokichi to swing up the street, until he could rest atop a giant model plane. “Wait… a model plane? In Elwood City? Uh-oh.”
“HEY!” A certain monstrous 4-year-old known as D.W. Read emerged from a sewer lid. “A MODEL PLANE?! I WANT IT!” The aardvark began to gigantify.
“GYAAAAH! Don’t worry, Planey, I’ll save you!” Kokichi tied the large plane to his back and used it to “glide.” The giant D.W. clambered along the upside-down city in pursuit, grabbing and throwing Mary Moo Cows. Kokichi dodged them, but was desperate to find a way to stop this brat. Then he saw it: a giant snowball. “Haha! Say good-bye, Dora Winifred!” Kokichi closed in on the snowball, stretched his mouth massively wide, and swallowed it!
“NOOOOOOooooooo!” D.W. shrank to her whiney kindergarten size and fell from the city.
Kokichi parked Planey on the underside of a highway. He continued his journey to the base along it. But then he noticed Arthur himself being interrogated by three soldiers. “Return to your house at once!”
“I will, I will!” Arthur reasoned. “I’m just waiting for my friend. He went to go borrow Francine’s fudge.”
“Arthur!” His best friend, Buster hurried up with something in his hands. “I got the fudge! For some reason, it was in her cat’s litterbox.”
“BUSTER! YOU DUMBASS!” Arthur took out a golfclub and began bashing Baxter brutally. The soldiers shared glances of confusion.
“YOU JERKS!” Kokichi charged the troops, his gun drawn. “Leave those kids alone!” He shot Dark Bullets, but the soldiers withstood them using the Light Crystals embedded in their armor. They fired rapid Light Bullets, Kokichi dodging as quick as he could. “Maybe these can counter their light!” Kokichi grabbed his Denture Gun and shot clattering teeth.
The dentures were brushed to extreme whiteness, so much that the light bullets reflected off them with intense brightness. “AAAHHHH! MY EEEEEYES!” The blinded soldiers ran about in panic and fell off the highway.
“You’re safe now, kids!” Kokichi grinned.
“Thanks, Mister!” With that, Arthur continued beating the crud out of Buster.
Kokichi reached a broken part of the highway, where Baby Kate was sitting and crying. “Awe, poor thing. You need a binky. I’ll go find one.” Kokichi could platform across some dangling highway signs, the last one of which had a binky… with Binky Barnes’ head in place of the sucker.
“Hey, can you help me?” Binky asked. “I got a date with Arthur’s mom at 8.”
“Sure, pal.” Kokichi picked him up and brought him to Kate. He stuck him into Kate’s mouth, and the infant’s suckling grew faster in seconds. “Right then! Time to go for a ride!” Kokichi shrunk himself and grabbed on the binky. When the suckling speed reached its peak, Kate BLEW them faster than the speed of sound! Everything became a blur around them: they were going so fast that a bunch of Bionic Bunnies flew alongside them. “Oh, hey! Are you all trying to turn the planet’s time backwards?”
“Yes, we are! We’re from multiple planetary rotations.”
“In my rotation, everyone voted for Chancellor Winchester instead of O’Ryan. So, I’m going back in time to set them straight, I tell you what!”
“Well, I got a rotation to straighten out myself. Hold still for a second.” Kokichi jumped off Binky and began to bop across the superhero bunnies, each yelping a little “Owie!” or “Sweet prune juice!” or “What in the name of Animal Krypton was that?!”
The last bunny bounced Kokichi out of the Zoom Space, landing him in the town’s Sugar Bowl restaurant. “Sugar Booger…Sugar Booger…Sugar Booger…” Hugh Neutron and Carl Wheezer were the only customers. They were wiping their noses around the inside of bowls of strawberry ice cream.
A baffled Kokichi would find the shop’s owner, Carl Manino, cowering behind his desk. “P-Please help me! Those things won’t leave!”
“Sugar Booger…Sugar Booger…” Kokichi couldn’t possibly understand what was so scary about those mindless humans. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.” Kokichi crawled and checked under other seats. He found a doll of Judy Neutron. The moment he picked it up, Hugh and Carl looked up from their sugar-snuffing, their expressions droll and ravenous. “B-B-B—Sugar Booger! Sugar Booger!” They dropped down on all fours and began galloping after Kokichi. The boy hurried out of the shop and platformed across some hanging cars. Hugh and Carl still kept after him; no wonder the shopkeeper was so terrified of them.
Kokichi eventually saw a hanging toilet. “Aha!” He chucked the Judy doll down it. “SUGAR BOOOOOG!” Hugh leapt over Kokichi and dove nose-first down the toilet. Carl tried to dive in, too… but his tubby frame got stuck. His bum became a bouncy platform for Kokichi to spring up to an upside-down house.
The inside of the house was a lunch room. “Ahh. Hello, dear.” Mrs. MacGrady greeted. “What would you like for lunch?” She opened each of her plate covers. “A fly? A spider? A bird? A cat? A dog? A goat? If you want the full course, be sure to eat them in order.”
“Hang on, do goats even eat dogs? And do horses eat goats?”
“Hmm…I have no idea.”
In the next room, a goat and a dog were lying in bed. The goat looked over with an implicative glance. “Believe me, honey… I do.”
Kokichi signed in melancholy. “I ate a bird one time. I still think about Kevin to this day.”
It was a cold and rainy night. Kevin woke up to find Kokichi was gone. There was a note beside him. Kevin… I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you this to your face. But I have to go find myself. I can’t make you a happy bird. Don’t worry. You’ll find someone better.
Kevin looked out into the rainy expanse in sadness. He cried out in a Kevin Michael Richardson voice, “MY BOOOOOOOOOYYYYYY!”
“And last I heard of him… he was seeing Binky.”
“WHAT?!” Arthur’s mom burst in, holding Binky furiously.
“No no no! It’s not what you think!”
“I knew you smelled like chewed worms, Binky!” Mom stomped into the bathroom. “Consider yourself DUMPED!” She splashed him in the toilet and flushed.
“NOOOOOOO!”
However, the toilet rumbled violently: Binky spurted out of it riding the Judy doll. “SUGAR BOOOOOOOG!” Hugh Neutron shot out flying soon after.
“THERE’S OUR RIDE!” Kokichi tied all of MacGrady’s animals together into a rope and latched Hugh’s legs. They soared loops around the city before closing in directly on the sky base.
“AAAAAAHHH!” Ironwood and Winter braced their selves for the inevitable impact. Binky wound up in Ironwood’s mouth and Hugh’s nose in Winter’s. They smashed through the entrance of the base. “Ugh!” Recovering with a headache, the two generals ripped the nuisances out of their mouths.
“You guys should be ashamed of yourselves!” Kokichi yelled passionately. “What have you done to this wholesome little town?!”
“WE DIDN’T DO THIS!!” they both screamed.
“Hold on…” Ironwood brought up a wanted poster on his Scroll. “Kokichi Oma. You were a member of the Sky God Pirates. And according to Cooking Fest images, you are now part of the KND.”
“Well, the KND always had lots of criminal connections. But then again, you guys are no different.” A shade fell over his eyes.
Ironwood drew a white and black pistol. “Stand down or we won’t hold back.”
“Okay.” Kokichi flipped upside-down. The generals responded with quizzical looks. “So, do what you said and… hold BACK!”
The toilet Carl Wheezer was trapped in spewed him out. Carl hit the pavement of the upturned city… causing it to bob and slide off the back half of the base. “AAAAHHH!” This caused the base to tilt backward and for the three of them to plummet inside.
“Gueck!” Kokichi’s neckerchief got snagged on a card scanner. “Oh, I always hated these things! They never frigging work! They always want chips instead!” Kokichi took out some potato chips and fed it to the scanner. It lit green as the door opened. Kokichi climbed inside. “Hey-heeeeey! Look who I found!”
“Kokichi!” Weiss beamed. “When’d you get here? Did you tilt this base over?”
“Don’t hold me accountable for other peoples’ bases.”
“Okay, just help me out of here. The top of this pole isn’t connected to the ceiling; you can help pull me up it.”
“Weiss, have you ever thought this position you’re in is a reflection of your inner turmoil? Like, you keep saying you want to stop your father, but you keep holding yourself back?”
“Kokichi… I am going to hold your back until your spine crunches if you don’t get me outta here.”
“I was just trying to be inspiring…” His face fell. “Alright. Lucky for you, I know my way around po—” A fishing reel flew in and snagged him by the collar, “OOOOOOOLES!”
“KOKICHI!”
Clover Ebi pulled Kokichi up to a higher prison room. “I wasn’t sure if I could make that shot.” He slammed Kokichi into the wall before releasing his reel. “This is quite the mess you’ve caused… but I don’t sense any despair or suffering. I’m sure this effect is temporary.”
“Mweeheeheehee!” Kokichi pushed himself up. “Well, since you’re so bright with confidence, how about a little gamble?” Clover readied himself as Kokichi grabbed a pistol, dropping Antikill bullets into it. He then materialized his two die. “We’ll call it Gambler’s Hangman. Whenever these die turn up 6 or less, I’ll shoot one of my body parts senseless ’til I can’t go on. That goes from the legs to the arms, the head, and so on. But if they turn up 7 or more, I’ll shoot yours.”
“Shouldn’t we have a neutral party hold the gun?”
“My Dice-Dice Fruit keeps me obliged to the rules of the gamble. I’ll be forced to obey.”
“Heh heh. Alright, humor me then. Let’s play.” (NOTE: I used a virtual dice roller for this part.)
The die flared with aura from his response. “The game is on.” Kokichi rattled the die and dropped. “Hah! Nine!” He shot Clover’s left leg.
“Hm?” But he could still move it just fine. “I think you’ll need a few more shots to do it.”
Kokichi’s expression fell. “Ahh. Right. Willpower. That’s a thing. Okay, next roll…” The die turned up, “ELEVEN! HAHAHA!” Another shot to the left leg. But he could still move it. The next roll was, “EIGHT!” and this third shot finally numbed Clover’s left leg. “Hah, boy I’m feeling lucky!” He rolled again and landed on… “Four.” Kokichi shot his own left leg. “AAAAAHHH! OH ARCEUS, IT HUUUUUUURTS!”
“Heh heh.” It seemed Kokichi’s skinny leg had less will to offer.
“What’re you smiling at? Next roll!” Nine. “HAH!” He started on Clover’s right leg. The next roll landed on 8 again; the second shot! But then it was a 5. “AGH!” Kokichi lost his right leg and fell onto his tummy.
“Clover!” Vine’s gooey hands grasped the doorway and pulled himself inside. Seeing Kokichi with the gun, he tried to swipe it from him—a barrier blocked him completely.
“Hey, buddy, no interrupting the game!”
“Vine, go assist the generals. This shouldn’t take long.”
Vine looked with confusion and hesitation. He decided to trust Clover and jumped and climbed up. The following roll was 10, so Clover was brought to the same level as Kokichi. A solid 12 allowed Kokichi to start on Clover’s right arm. Then it was 7; Clover was closer to Heaven. But when it came 2, Kokichi’s right arm was his to lose. Then another 7: Clover’s arm was fully in Heaven. To start with Clover’s left arm, a 9! But when the die hit 6, Kokichi shot his own gun-holding arm.
“Well… looks like you can’t keep the game going.”
“Can’t I?” Kokichi grinned and licked the die in his mouth. He swished them around before spitting them out. Nine! Kokichi bit his gun and used his tongue to shoot Clover’s arm. But then… 6. Kokichi lay his head in front of the cock, stretched his tongue to trigger it, and shot his head senseless.
“Hmm. Looks like the game is… up?” But to Clover’s shock, Kokichi could still haul his torso around! “What is this freak?” He aggressively pressed his body against the die and shuffled them around against the floor. And… they still stopped on 5. “HAH! And you can’t even shoot… now?”
But Kokichi’s hip area still possessed feeling. He dreaded having to resort to this. He managed to pull the trigger, the bullet bouncing around the room before hitting his torso. But his hip managed to bounce up, sit on the die, and roll them. …Seven. He pulled the trigger as the bullet ricocheted into Clover’s arm, numbing it. But he kept the game going fairly: another unsanitary dice roll landed on 9. Starting on Clover’s head. “UGH!” The unlucky Ace wasn’t enjoying this, anymore. A ten roll. The second shot on his head. And then… a three. Kokichi finally had no more nerves left to offer. “Well… I guess I… win…” And yet, Clover would never get this ‘victory’ out of his mind.
“Nngh…ugh…” Weiss was pressing her heels against the pole in attempt to shove her way up it. She gasped; Vine, Winter, and Ironwood climbed into the room using the former’s power.
“It’s time to go, Ms. Schnee.” Ironwood said.
In light of her chi-blocks, Vine wouldn’t be able to carry her, so Winter conjured a spiral stairway of ice, complete with handles. Ironwood would hold her by the cuffs as they carefully traveled up the vertical hallway. They reached the exit and could stand stable on the wall around the entrance. The transport ship awaited them. “I still don’t think we should send her to Zordoom.”
“Don’t worry.” Ironwood replied. “I’ll arrange a private cell. None of the prisoners will ever know—!”
Weiss quickly bent her legs and kicked out of Ironwood’s grasp! She sprinted toward the edge of the building. Vine launched at her with his Aura Hands, but Weiss swiftly leapt with a twirl kick to his jaw. She continued her sprint and leapt off the building.
“WEISS!” Winter skied and leapt off. Her sister plummeted between the diagonal city buildings, and Winter assumed a diving stance to catch up with her. But when she did, Weiss spun to grab the chest of her sister’s uniform in her hands: the chi-blocking cuffs negated Winter’s bending.
“Only one way out of this, Winter!”
“UGH!” Winter grabbed her key and hurriedly unlocked the cuffs. As they flew away from their grasp, Winter transitioned their descent into an Ice Road and slid them onto a slanted building. They straightened their selves as Weiss turned to her. “Weiss, are you crazy?!”
“No… more like desperate.”
“Weiss, I’m sorry it turned out this way, but…but you-”
“Shouldn’t have picked a fight with Father? I should’ve kept letting him have his way? The reason you left and joined the army, Winter, was because you were sick of him the same as I was. And now look: you got assigned to help his Mobian oppression.”
“I’ve been trying to make sure these people were treated well-”
“And do you really believe in Mickey? Do you believe him more than me?”
“Weiss, all I wanted was for you to be safe from all this! I never wanted the KND to be painted as enemies, and even if that IS a big corporate lie, I don’t want you to go down with-”
“Yeah, I don’t care! I’ll go all the way with them! And if you lock me in Zordoom, my friends will come rescue me, and we’ll come back to Mobius, and have this fight all over again! I’ll keep fighting this war until I die, or until Bowser and Mickey die! Whatever needs to happen! Point being, you won’t be able to keep me safe, Winter! And if I’m not Jacques’ daughter… you aren’t my sister.”
“…” Her words were strong. Her heart was strong. Stronger than hers. (Play “Hero” from RWBY.)
“Winter!” Ironwood fell and seemed to soften his landing using his black pistol. “Why are her cuffs missing?!”
Weiss kept her glare fixed on her sister. Winter merely bowed her head.
“Sigh, I’ll take her myself.” Ironwood stepped forward- “Hm?!” His boots were frozen to the building, the ice linking back to Winter. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, sir…” Winter turned to him with resolve in her eyes. “But I’m done letting Father tear our family apart.”
“Winter,” he ripped out of the ice with Haki, “I assure you everything will be fine. Don’t make such a rash decision.”
“My sister is going back to her friends. And I…I don’t think I can do this, anymore.”
“Winter, think about what you’re saying. If you desert us in the middle of this war, you will be-”
“Then so be it.” A whirlwind of snow circled the general. With it, she created a snowy clone of Sebastian Michaelis.
Weiss chuckled at the inspiration. She decided to use one of her own: Weiss created a snowy clone of Adam Taurus. Ironwood glared and hardened his fists with solid black Haki.
Boss fight: James Ironwood
The Sebastian clone acted first; Winter remembered the butler’s nimble movements and had it throw kicks. Ironwood blocked each kick and punched at the clone’s head, but Sebastian dodge-flipped and kicked Ironwood’s arm off course. The Adam clone dashed and thrusted a stab into Ironwood’s right hip… however, the general felt no pain and grabbed his sword, yanking and throwing it away. “Weiss, his right section is cybernetic!”
“Ah! I did not know this!” Ironwood jumped and tried to hammer Winter, to which she extended thick icicles from her twin swords to block him. As his weight pressed onto Winter, Weiss willed her Adam clone to ram his horns into his left section. The strain was enough for him to release Winter, but Ironwood would redirect his fist into smashing Adam. The Sebastian clone tried to kick him off his feet, but James hardened his legs to withstand it. He drew his white pistol and destroyed the clone with an explosive bullet. The girls made distance from him and recreated the clones. Sebastian was swift to dodge his bullet-bombs, and would unexpectedly throw an ice card to knock the weapon out of hand.
Sebastian jumped Ironwood and slipped onto his back. He wrapped legs around, cupped hands over his eyes, and slightly spun the general before James clapped hands behind and smashed the butler’s head. During this time, Adam charged at him and dealt his signature skill, Moonslice: he slashed the ground in a crescent shape. While Weiss couldn’t make it as powerful as the real Adam did, Ironwood still felt great pain in his left shoulder. James threw a punch, but Weiss pulled Adam back, while Winter recreated Sebastian. The butler dashed while ducking to ambush James from underneath and thrust a kick up at his nose. However, James had already fully hardened his body, so the damage was minimal.
James held out his cyborg arm hand and willed his white gun to return with a magnetic pull. He fired his black gun and jumped as low gravity uplifted him, and from his aerial position, he fired the white gun’s bullets in circles around the Schnees, surrounding them with explosion and dust. Weiss and Winter divided: as they expected, Ironwood attempted to crash-land onto them, the shockwave blowing away the dust and knocking them down. He was quick to leap to Weiss with a stomp attack, but Weiss quickly rolled aside and back on her feet. Keeping up the same motion, her Adam clone performed a 360-degree slash, only faintly carving Ironwood’s iron face.
Winter commanded Sebastian to jump-tackle Ironwood from the building’s decline. Realizing this, Weiss froze a strip of ground from Ironwood: the momentum of Sebastian’s tackle sent him sliding down the building. He wound up tumbling down the building, but once he stopped himself, he shot both of his guns down behind him. (Together, the guns were named Due Process.) The black’s low gravity combined with the white’s explosion propelled him up. The Adam clone charged to meet him in a headbutt: he was shattered by the impact, but Weiss and Winter would erect a cluster of diagonal icicles from behind the clone, slowing Ironwood in place. They fortified their combined ice to bind Ironwood to the building as tightly as they could.
With the general struggling to free himself, Weiss created a more gigantic ice clone: Sasha Blouse. Raising her large sword, the clone flipped left and right in repetition, cutting through part of the building at a time. Winter kept the ice around Ironwood firm, but when the building began to sink and fall, both sisters escaped along an Ice Road and reached another building.
“HEEEEY! Weiss!”
With a beaming smile, Weiss turned to a familiar, albeit dented-up limousine. “Guys! What happened to our ride?!”
“Some flying thug tried to total it!” Raleigh said. “We patched up what we could, but we couldn’t even fix the windshield!”
“Pacifica and some others broke into that prison!” Carol yelled.
“That’s good! Kokichi’s still in there!”
“AAAAAGH!” Ironwood was returning using Due Process’ propulsion.
“Weiss! Go!”
“But, Winter-”
The elder sister grabbed her, twirled, and threw Weiss precisely through the empty windshield. “Go! And fight your war!” Winter dove off the building, her twin swords aimed forward with icicles protruded. Ironwood met their pointed impact head-on, yet his iron resolve wasn’t deterred.
“Sorry, Weiss!” Raleigh turned them skyward. “But we gotta go! We need some proper rest!”
“Winter…” Weiss could only hope for her safety.
Blake Belladonna engaged Vine on the sky base. Using shadowbending, she Veiled in evasion of his Aura Hands and closed the distance. Vine sprung into the air when she emerged to slash her black sword, Gambol Shroud. He threw his Thorn to impale Blake’s head, but the Shadow Clone poofed into black mist. The real Blake converted her sword into a chain sickle and threw it to wrap Vine’s leg. Not only did the scythe cut him, but Blake slammed him into the floor-wall. The cat Faunus pounced Vine, but he inflated his Aura Shield to keep her at bay. Blake smirked and merely Veiled into the floor beside him, getting underneath to jab his back. Vine flipped up in retreat, shielding once more as Blake converted Gambol to a pistol and shot him. Blake’s shadow stretched beneath his shield as she dealt a combo of Shade Fists. The Faunus tackled and rammed the dazed Ace off the building.
Pacifica and Manic had dropped inside the vertical prison wing. Manic used his keen hacking skills to open each cell, along with his lockpicking to uncuff each of the Mobian prisoners. “Your bail is here! Don’t waste it!” Pacifica used her chains to help haul them up and out of the exit. Manic also used his drums to vibrate the base and take down soldiers trying to magnetically climb up.
“Kokichi!” Pacifica swung into an open cell, finally finding her unconscious teammate along with a half-conscious Clover. “What… happened in here?”
“Please don’t ask.” Clover grunted.
“STAY!” Pacifica was suddenly frozen in place. Marrow had just climbed into the cell.
“Heh. Am I lucky to see you, Marrow.” Clover smiled.
“Anytime, man. Now, stand still while I knock you back out.” Marrow raised his Fetch.
“GROWWWWL!” To Pacifica’s fortune, a lion Mobian pounced into the room and bit Marrow’s shoulder. Marrow tore himself free, but the lion knocked him out with a swipe of his paw. The lion had puffy blonde hair, sunglasses, and a pink suit.
“Wow…thank you!” Pacifica smiled. He was one of the prisoners they had just saved.
“It’s the least I can do to repay you for freeing me! By the way, know anyone who’s getting married in the future?” The lion handed her a business card. “Pekoms Lionheart, professional wedding planner!”
“I’ll, uh…keep it on hand! Can you help carry my friend here?”
“Certainly!” Pekoms picked Kokichi up and climbed up the passage.
“…Pekoms…” The name sounded familiar to Pacifica. “…!” Then it hit her.
“Sweet! Over 30 escaped convicts collected!” Pacifica said proudly. “Who’s next on the list, Carol?”
“Big Mom Pirates’ Pekoms Lionheart was also released from GUN,” Carol read from their private files, “and that he returned to his homeworld, Mobius.”
“Then our next stop is Mobius! Let’s go!”
“Are you crazy?” Weiss asked. “You don’t seriously want to go all the way to Mobius just to catch this guy. We don’t even know where on Mobius he lives; I mean, he could’ve been arrested there, too!”
“…Ha…ha ha…hahahahahahahahahaha!” The sheer irony was too good.
“What’s so funny?” Clover asked.
“Ha ha ha! Just that I feel really lucky today.” Pacifica whipped him with her chain and knocked him out.
She and Manic returned to the surface with the horde of escapees. “Great going, guys.” Carol said as the Limo$uper flew to their level. “Except how are we expected to carry all these guys?! We barely had room for these Faunus!”
“Wait! I still have this!” Pacifica whipped out her size-changing flashlight. She shone a purple light on each of the Mobians and shrank them.
“Ah! Good call.” Raleigh smiled. “Alright, everyone onboard! And watch where you step!”
“If you’re ready to go, then let’s hit the road!” Sonia yelled, outmaneuvering two patrol ships while Halinor manned the turret. “If it weren’t for the town in this condition, we’d have a lot more bogeys on our hands!”
“Yeah… let’s go.” Weiss looked toward the city with concern and hope.
Winter’s Sebastian clone nimbly dodged around Ironwood, kicking the back of his left knee to bend him, jabbing his eyes, and grabbing his arm to flip him on his back. Winter mustered an array of icicles to impale him in this position. The Haki master hauled himself upright despite their pressure, ramming the icicles against Winter herself. He wiped them off with a swipe of his arm and lunged to punch her across the jaw. Winter pushed up, gasping for breath and backing away as Ironwood approached her with a furious glare. “James… you disagree with Father just as much as I do. Why can’t we stop this?”
“Because my duty is with my nation… and if my nation considers the KND an enemy, then they are my enemy. I was going to do what I could for Weiss because she was your sister… but I cannot forgive this treachery.” Ironwood flew at her with Due Process’ momentum. Winter skied to the side, but Ironwood grabbed onto a flagpole standing on the building, spun around it, and launched in her direction. Stamping her with both boots, Ironwood defeated the eldest Schnee. (End song.)
Animal Crossing
The operatives regrouped at the peaceful village known for its chibi Mobians. “Oh, and Weiss, we found your shoes on the beach.” Ciel presented them. “I cleaned them as well as I could.”
“Thanks, Ciel! …Eh, I’ll leave them off for now. It’s almost bedtime, might as well embrace nature.”
“Weeeiiiiiiss!” Isabelle, the little yellow-furred dog and the mayor’s secretary, jumped into Weiss’ arms and nuzzled her chest. “I’m so glad to see you again!” She was wearing a buttoned shirt, red with leaf designs.
“Haha! Hi, Isabelle! How’s everything been? Everything looks great, considering… the conditions.”
“Yeah.” Isabelle jumped down, her expression sad. “We’ve been hit with a few platoons.” The child mayor approached her from behind. “But, luckily!” she perked back up, “the mayor had a great idea! He spent funds to build these sonic cannons!” Some poles with large megaphones rose from the ground. “They’re designed to interfere with the soldiers’ communications and do THIS!”
A group of five tanks were closing in on the village. The sonic cannons fired at them. “HEY!” Mr. Resetti’s voice yelled inside each of their comms. “You better not be thinking of tearing down our village!” The soldiers yelled out in agony and tried to shut their devices off. “Do you know how much money farming we’ve suffered to build it this much?! We’ve let our consoles on for days and nights! Which isn’t good for the electric bill, you know what I’m saying?! And by the time your village is as perfect as can be, there’s a new game out! And it starts all over again. Now that old village of yours is forgotten in the dust. You think those characters would say something unique after all these years? I know I would. I would say, ‘How dare you for neglecting us?! Imagine the famine we’ve suffered because you went and moved on to something else! I tell ya, if I could…’”
“That’s… wonderful! I knew you were strong, but I was still worried.”
“Well, if anything, we were inspired by you and your heroic friends!”
“Heh. Talk about a positive impression.” Weiss turned to Blake. The look in her amber eyes was cool and reserved, but she smiled at Weiss in acknowledgement. “I heard about what you did for this town, but… I wasn’t sure what to think.”
“What do you mean?”
“I dunno… Were you saving it because it was the right thing to do, were you trying to make your family look good… or was it because you were trying to redeem your family?”
“…Well, I do want to redeem my family. And that entails helping the people my father has hurt.”
“Oh, be a little more honest than that, Weiss.”
“Kokichi?” Weiss turned in the direction she heard his voice. …But he was slithering on the ground. Only his head and torso regained feeling. “Uh…”
“You were also here because you wanted to get back at Adam Taurus. He used your family’s infamy to make himself look like a victim. You wanted justice for that. Riiiiiight?” Weiss fixed a glare on him. “Even now… you only save the Mobians because you want to make yourself look better than your father. And every time the Mobians thank you, you feel like you’re one step closer to that goal.”
“…” She was really sick of this guy trying to play detective. “It’s fine.” Blake said. “I don’t really believe in pure selflessness.”
“H-Hey, don’t listen to him!” Weiss snapped.
“Look, I’m not trying to fault you or anything. You know what they say… actions speak louder than words. So, instead of worrying about why you’re doing this, I’m just gonna be thankful that you are. I’m Blake, by the way.” She extended a hand.
“…Weiss.” She smiled and shook it. “…Have I… met you somewhere before, Blake?”
“I dunno. Have you?”
“Maybe I’m thinking of someone else.”
“Vell now!” clapped Antoine, preparing his cooking utensils. “I bet everyone’s hungry! I’d best get to vork!”
The fox prepared a warm dinner for everyone to eat while enjoying a concert from the town’s local musician, K.K. Slider the white Jack Russell Terrier. Slider had a peculiar squeaky voice, but it provided its own charm to his songs. “I can’t believe your dad would do that.” Pacifica said. “I’m… really sorry, Weiss.”
“I can’t say I didn’t expect it.”
“…What do you think your brother would think of this?”
Weiss looked down. She thought back to hers and Whitley’s conversation while she was in Sheila’s body. “…I think I need to have a talk with him. But, tomorrow… we need to take the fight to Father.”
“We’re right there with you!” Sonia took the seat beside her, she and her brother munching chilidogs.
“Hey, you want one?” Manic handed her a spare. “This grub’s kind of a sacred treasure to us hedgehogs.”
“Heh heh heh!” There was a time when Weiss wouldn’t be caught chowing on such a slobbery snack. So, she took it and filled her mouth.
“Hey, Mason just called me.” Carol said. “They met with Sector SOL. He said they’re staying at Cinder’s castle.”
“Well, we’ll be camping outside and they’re living in luxury.” Sonia remarked.
“Yeah, but… something happened. Cinder’s dad…”
Their expressions fell grim from the news.
Sol Palace
Silver’s drenched body was placed in a coffin. Cinder’s friends comforted her as she cried. Sheila, Mason, and Maddy gave them space far back. “The one they described… was definitely Aurelia.” Maddy knew. “I can’t believe…”
“Schnee went too far this time.” Sheila fist-palmed. “Oi’ll make his head roll.”
“Taking Blaze and the Sol Emeralds…” Mason recounted. “I wonder what else he has planned…”
Schnee Dust
Jacques kept himself filled on several cups of coffee, he and his fellow Corporate President focused on the project all through morning. His Dust was bonding with the emeralds’ chi nicely. Not just the Sol… but the Chaos Emeralds. “It’s amazing how easy these are to find.” Gruntilda said, delighted at the promising results. “They’re roughly within miles of each other, all the time!”
“Hrm, yes, humph…” Jacques mumbled. “Gah, why hasn’t Ironwood reported in, yet?!”
“Perhaps he was sleepy. He works hard, it’s true. Certainly not as mad or depraved as you.”
“Do you have to rhyme every single sentence?!”
“Watch it, buster!” Grunty drew her Haglock. “Or it’s the duster!”
“President Schnee.” Ironwood stepped in.
“And just WHERE have you been?!”
“I’m afraid… Winter has committed treason.”
“What?!”
“I needed to have her placed into custody. Unfortunately… Weiss has escaped with her-”
Jacques converted his arm into Fire Dust and smacked Ironwood across the face. “Your soldiers really aren’t worth a DAMN! After all the funding and equipment I give your soldiers!”
Ironwood returned his gaze calmly.
“However… you must act at the appropriate time.” Thrawn clarified. “Schnee’s projects may yet be vital in ensuring the KND’s downfall. Only when he no longer has anything to offer… that will be the appropriate time.”
Ironwood glanced at the machine containing the emeralds. Their energy transferred into capsules of Dust. “There hasn’t been any trouble here, has there?”
“Aside from your incompetence, no. With the power I’ll harness from these gems, the Mobian rebels will perish. But I’m hoping the admirals will take care of those two monsters. And once Admiral Kong finishes his assignment… victory is all but assured.”
Angel Island
The sun peered over the cloud sea that surrounded the island. It was another beautiful sight to often look forward to at this altitude. Knuckles and Shade would carry Tikal down to shore to splash in the milky water.
“…Hey.” But Knuckles held his wife back. Against the sun, a rocket flew toward the island. A barrel rocket. And aboard it, a massive gorilla measuring 15 feet. They could feel the island vibrating as it thundered its way across the jungle, toward the emerald’s altar. “Shade, take Tikal and hide.”
“Do you think it’s with the army? But why just one?”
“I’ll find out.”
Shade picked her daughter up and fled. The child could only stare confusedly, but felt a tinge of fear.
Admiral Kong arrived before the bridge to the altar with a thundering impact. His desires were firm and clear: his index finger whipped straight at the Master Emerald. “Oh. You want this, huh?” Knuckles thumbed at the gem.
Kong opened the barrels around his belt. Hundreds of fruit, from coconuts, pineapples, grapes, melons, and of course bananas, arose like a fleet of warships. But only when the fruits morphed black with Haki were Knuckles’ fears met. “…Then go get them.”
Knuckles threw his fist into the Master Emerald and shattered it. As part of the emerald’s self-protection magic, the pieces scattered across the world. Kong seethed in anger as the fragments whisked away. But… Kong knew that Knuckles could track the fragments. He cast his pineapples at the echidna. Knuckles used earthbending to erect a strong barrier, but as the hardened pineapples embedded into it, their spikes extended and grew through it, impaling Knuckles.
Sol Palace
The operatives awoke to a pleasant morning. A mountain of clouds loomed in the horizon, but the sky was otherwise clear. “Carol’s thinkin’ of invading Schnee Dust today.” Mason said. “Do we even know where his base is?”
“His factory was set up on Green Hill.” Cinder said coldly. “He ruined Sonic the Hedgehog’s very homeland as an insult to us.”
“Well, he’ll be lookin’ green around the gills when we’re done.”
“Oh, Mason…” Maddy cracked a light smile and a roll of her eyes. “…Hey!” Her passive gaze toward the horizon caught sight of a tidal wave.
“What the-?!” Charlie Bee exclaimed. “The waves never get that bad on this coast!”
“Well, maybe a spot o’ surfing will cheer us up!” Sheila cheered.
“I think the whole town’s about to go surfing!” Mason yelled.
Princess Cinder saw the residents scrambling to retreat inside the town tunnels. Half of Castle Town was submerged. “What the frick…” Maddy wasn’t expecting to wake up to this.
“Angel Island…” Cinder whispered. “Angel Island has fallen!”
“SHADE!”
“Then back to Angel Island we go!” Sheila jumped off the balcony and landed on the Sunny Zoomer. “You comin’, cobbers?!”
“Yeah!” Maddy and Mason jumped on after. They knew exactly who was involved in this catastrophe… and they would have revenge.
…
The Horned Lion endured the treacherous waters approaching the newly fallen island. “Don’t think I’ll let you go at this alone, Kong.” Aurelia smirked. “You and I share the same assignment.”
Even though the “Hero” song was meant to be about Ironwood, in this context, it really suited Weiss here. So, good pick. :) I also can’t help but feel he’s kiiiiiinda similar in aesthetic to Armstrong? Except with proper Haki?
Chapter 25: Mobius Saga 4: All That Glitters is Gold and Sometimes Bananas
Summary:
Sheila Frantic battles Admiral Kong and Maddy Murphy faces Admiral Aurelia. The KND prepare for their final assault against Schnee Dust.
Chapter Text
I present to you two back-to-back, superpowered and dazzling boss battles!
Chapter 24: All That Glitters is Gold and Sometimes Bananas
The cliffs of Mystic Ruins were different today. There was a new plateau with a jungle and snowy mountain that wasn’t there before. New… but familiar. “I feel powerful chi…” Maddy said, drawn to the ship with the horned lion figurehead. “It’s her…”
“Let’s check on Knuckles and Shade first.” Mason suggested.
“They’ve seen us!” Sally exclaimed from Sector SOL’s phoenix-like ship. The Horned Lion fired up at them with near pinpoint accuracy. The phoenix dropped explosive egg bombs to deter the ammunition while Maddy protected the Sunny Zoomer with Chi Spheres.
“Brace yourselves, mates, we’re makin’ landing!” Sheila declared, diving the flying plane-bike downward. “Er…is that a big ol’ monkey?”
An enormous gorilla was distinguishable near the Master Emerald altar. The operatives exchanged bewildered and concerned looks. “Wait, Sheila, take us to that part of the jungle.” Maddy pointed. “I think I sense Shade and Tikal.”
Both sets of operatives evaded the cannonfire until they were able to land safely on the island. They followed Maddy through the jungle shrubs and toward a short cliff. There was a cave just barely noticeable behind a large rock. “Shade?”
The echidna peeked out with a gasp. “Maddy! And you brought Princess Cinder?”
“Us, too!” Sticks mentioned. “And why didn’t you tell us you were a cave dweller now?”
“Shade, what happened here?”
“That gorilla ambushed us just this morning. Knuckles confronted it himself… and before I knew it, the island fell. Knuckles must’ve destroyed the emerald… He told me he only does that when he fears he won’t be able to protect it. I can still sense his presence, but… it’s extremely faint!”
“We’ll get on it, don’t…!” Maddy spun around. “We have company!”
A platoon of officers surrounded them from the jungle, joined by a greater squadron of soldiers. “Well now… perhaps we’ve wandered right into the beast’s den!” chortled Commander Craig the Red, a broad-shouldered man with messy red hair and scruffy goatee.
“No matter who we’re up against, we must not hold back.” said Major Neithardt the Mighty, a man with spiky blonde hair. Though, when he’s sleeping, they call him Neithardt the Nighty Night. “Was that really necessary?!”
“We may fall here…” began Major Irving the Tenacious, who had short blonde hair, “but our sacrifice will ensure victory for the admirals.”
“Admirals? Like, more than one?” Mason gulped.
“Sounds fun.” Sheila fist-palmed.
“We shall show justice to these grunts.” Cinder flared up. “We entrust the rest to you.”
“Maddy, I’ll carry you to that warship!” Charlie offered, picking Maddy up by the hands.
“Heh, you’re stronger than I thought. Okay. Please keep Shade safe, Cinder.”
“Oi don’t ’ave time for pushovers, anyhow!” Sheila took Mason’s hand and ran past the platoons.
Commander Craig hardened his fists with both Haki and Fire Kung-Fu. They would meet Cinder’s blazing heels in fiery combat. Sally battled Colonel Dalton, a soldier with Prussian-blue hair. Sticks battled Irving, dodging his gun like a wild animal and striking him with her bō staff. Trip charged a Spin Dash and lunged at Neithardt, who pressed her back with his sword.
“Heh heh…things worked out as we hoped.” Craig smirked. “Admiral Kong’s bananas grow stronger through absorbing sunlight… and even lightbending. The Pirate King’s power will be her undoing.”
“We’ll see about that.” Cinder said confidently.
On the deck of the Lion, Aurelia sensed two flying presences. She smirked, recognizing one of them as Maddy… and her soldiers on deck fell to their knees before Maddy’s Haki.
Mason and Sheila reached the bridge of the emerald’s altar; the former cowered back before the massive gorilla guarding it. It was easily five times their height! Though its blonde pineapple-shaped hair was a bit silly, there was an intimidating aura. “So, where’s the admiral?” Sheila asked. “Behind this big ol’ monkey?”
Kong firmly aimed his fingers at his sharp, glaring eyes. “…Wot? They call you an admiral? HAH ha! They hired a MONKEY to be an admiral? And he ain’t even that big! I fought way bigger beasties than-”
Kong’s hardened fist came at Sheila like a train, sending her flying beyond the island’s cliff and into the sea. “SHEILA!” Mason screamed.
“CHEEKY SUCKER PUNCH!” The captain splashed out of the water and used Light Dash to skid along the surface, reaching the cliff and hurriedly climbing up it. “Blimey, that kinda flippin’ hurt! You think you’re good at punchin’?! Well, Oi can do way more than that, codger!” (Play “Sumo Kong” from DK: Jungle Beat!)
But Mason could tell by the glare in his eyes: So can I. Kong pulled out a pair of giant bongos and sat down. He began to play a simple rhythm, his eyes closed in concentration. Pineapples levitated around him, turning black with Haki. “Musicbending? Psychicbending?” Mason wondered. Kong sent hardened pineapples at Sheila first, but in her attempt to punch them away, the pineapples’ spikes suddenly jutted out and punctured her fists. Mason winced, imagining the pain. He then noticed banana trees rising from Kong’s barrels, situated in large pots as the fruits seemed to grow quickly. “No, it’s plantbending!”
“I don’t care what kinda bending it is!” Sheila flicked the fruits away. “Only one getting bent here is HIM!”
Boss fight: Kong the Bountiful
Sheila raced back through the jungle, dodging the spike-jutting pineapples until Kong was in view. She punched a flurry of large Light Fists, but Kong bent his banana tree down like a shield. The bananas shone brightly as they absorbed the chi, and Kong proceeded to eat them. The gorilla leapt close to Sheila herself and slammed the earth with a powerful shockwave. Sheila was blown away by the force, but when Kong leapt to crush her directly, she managed to delay him with Light Palms, giving her time to get up and dodge. Kong loaded his log guns with blackened coconuts, firing them with the force of cannonballs. Sheila mustered her Light Tail, twirling and batting the coconuts back into Kong’s stomach and face. Sheila snickered and began spinning a Light Fist: Kong held his banana tree at the very point she would shoot, but Sheila was quick to redirect it underneath and uppercut the gorilla.
Kong snarled and threw his arms to CLAP her: with the nimbleness of a grasshopper, Sheila leapt above his hulking hands, her legs doing the splits. Bringing her ankles back together, Sheila mustered Light Feet large enough to smash Kong’s hands. Afterwards, she bent them up in an arch, hoisting and slamming Kong on his back. The gorilla leapt away and swallowed some bananas to ease any light backache. He then dedicated some bananas to form a whirlpool around Sheila, some of them randomly launching at her. Even when she tried to zip out of the twister, Kong had it tail her and trip the captain up. Some of the hardened boomerangs bashed her, until Sheila seized one in her grasp.
She channeled lightbending, which the banana absorbed, but she refused to let Kong pull it away. Instead, Sheila ripped the peel off, and even though the fruit inside was still coated in Haki, she sank her teeth and chewed the fruit. Even Kong was dumbfounded. “Heheh! ’Guess that strong jaw is coming in handy!” Mason laughed.
Sheila grabbed two more incoming nanners and even leapt to clap one in her ankles, so Kong pulled every other one away. Feeling empowered by the sunny fruits, Sheila dashed at Kong. He formed a thick banana shield to block her unlit fist, but she would rapidly pound the shield until she punctured it, banana juice soaking her fists. Even though Sheila’s fists were unlit, she instead channeled light to her elbows to improve their flexing speed. Only when she had a clear opening through the bananas did a Light Fist finally impact Kong’s disgruntled face.
Kong leapt away and ate some bananas. Sheila licked the juice off her hands and drank a Sunny D to wash it down. “If they keep staying energized like this,” Mason commented, “this’ll just be a battle of attrition. I mean, nutrition.” Kong loaded peanuts into minigun-logs and unloaded the hardened ammo. Sheila relied on speed to dodge them, but some of the peanuts ruptured her skin. With the speed Sheila built, she took off into a Tail Flight. Kong kept the peanuts focused on her, but he also bent a banana shield around himself as Sheila spun her four other limbs as well. Light Fists and Kicks flew down sequentially, empowering the bananas. Kong then proceeded to chow on them… and that’s when Sheila Ground Pounded directly into his mouth. “WHAT?!” Even Mason was dumbstruck by her strategy.
Sheila pressed the top and bottom of Kong’s mouth to keep it forced open. Unable to chew his bananas, Kong spewed them all out. To the disgust of Mason and any onlooking soldiers, Sheila quickly ate the bananas empowered by her bending. The furious Kong tried to smash her, but Sheila dodged and struck his face with a Light Fist of blinding speed. Kong punched the air and blew Sheila yards away with a shockwave. Sporting an excited grin, Sheila’s Eternal Sun Fury burned around her like dancing white flames. She punched a volley of Sun Fists, but this time, Kong used giant watermelons to block them. Levitating seven of them in the air, Kong bounced each of them at Sheila like paddleballs. She simply countered them as necessary, until her fist managed to puncture one.
Kong spun the melon vertically, whirling Sheila until she was released into the air. From this perspective, one of the melons was lined up with Kong’s head, so she punched a Light Fist to smash the hardened melon into him. His face became burrowed into the fruit, so Kong ate it. Sheila Ground Pounded the melon beneath her and chowed down as well—her stomach started to cramp horribly. Kong had enough of her eating his food, so before the melon could fully be metabolized, Kong twisted Sheila’s stomach from the inside. Sheila grabbed some Flurp and chugged it down to quell the feeling. With the energy it provided her, Sheila zipped around like a comet on Earth, spinning her next Light Fist. But first, Sheila charged him with a headbutt, so Kong blocked with his bananas. However, the purpose of the Light Fist was to push Sheila through the shield and bend Kong’s stomach in.
She stole a few of his bananas before running off and eating them. “Hmmm…” Sheila slowly came to notice: these bananas were filled with their own natural Light Chi. And as her tastebuds grew used to them, she felt adapted to their chi. Kong tried to consume a handful of bananas, but Sheila played tug-o-war with them using her own bending. Kong fought back with his plantbending, but Sheila simply seized more of them using not only her fingers, but toes. The bananas weighed in Sheila’s favor as she hugged the bundle and ran off to eat them in peace. Kong wolfed down whichever ones he could before stashing the rest away.
When Sheila returned, the captain seemed surrounded by suns… which were actually banana pinwheels. Kong stuck his fists into watermelons and lunged at Sheila for a heavy beatdown. Two Banana Suns acted as shields against the melons while Sheila twirled three of them across Kong’s gut and jaw. Kong then bent coconuts to bombard Sheila from multiple directions, but she would perform a similar tactic by conjuring Light Bananas around Kong and having them shoot into him like lasers.
Sheila then began to skip her way toward the sky by mustering banana steps at her feet, rising as the sun did over the horizon. With a splendid spiraling of her arms, numerous, expanding Banana Suns developed around her, trapping all who saw them into a hypnotic trance. Kong, in anticipation of her attack, risked another full set of banana armor. Sheila’s fists descended onto the Kong… but this time, her bending took command of the armor and smashed the ape into the earth. The impact was accompanied by an explosion of light that shaped into the illusion of banana mountains, a raccoon face image, and imitations of Sheila and Mason partaking in the fruits. (End song.)
After the blinding lights had faded, Sheila stood atop the grounded Kong’s stomach. His mind was fading peacefully. I was taken from my home… and trained to become a military beast. I grew above the army’s expectations… served in the Battle of Omicron, Spheron, and others… and by the time I finally saw my relatives again… I was disgusted by how they had fallen. I didn’t even feel obligated to fight K. Rool for them… but the army refused to let me get close to him, anyway. Thought I would submit to his will. Just as I… submitted to yours…
“…He sleepin’?” Sheila stomped his tummy. “Good, he’s sleepin’. WOOHOOOOOO! Was I ape or what, Mason?!”
“That was incredible, Sheila! Now you’re kind of a bananabender!”
“Bananabendah! Bananabendah! Oi gotta make a dance o’ that. Now, let’s go see Maddy!”
Several minutes ago
Meeting her fellow Haki Master put Aurelia in bright spirits. Sadly, Maddy didn’t seem as joyous. “You killed Cinder’s father.”
“No. That was Kong’s doing. …Well… that’s kind of a lie.”
When Kong hit Silver into the ocean, the ape dove in after to ensure his foe couldn’t recover. Blaze saw this and rocketed in… but Aurelia dove after her, relying on Torpedo Spins to catch up with the queen. She slashed Blaze, thwarting her descent, to which the queen singed her with scalding water. Aurelia tolerated the heat and slashed the queen with a maelstrom-sized spin.
“I believed her desperation would make her stronger. And Jacques only asked that I bring her alive, so the husband didn’t matter.”
“You seemed more honorable than that when we first met… but I guess I was wrong.”
“I am a soldier first and foremost. I’ll do whatever I’m asked to ensure my country wins. And so long as I can meet powerful fighters, I will. And I will be ordered to attack more Mobians soon. So… Mad Conqueror… can you defend this planet?”
“…I will.” (Play “Unfathomed Force” from Trails to Azure!)
Boss fight: Golden Rakshasa, AURELIA LE GUIN
The first move was Aurelia’s, sending a flurry of sword waves. Maddy’s Observation was sharpened, dodging right, a jump, duck, a right-jump, and upon reaching the admiral, she grabbed onto her right wrist. Aurelia felt only a weak grip: what was Maddy’s play? …Then, she realized Maddy’s hand was white, the color spreading to Aurelia’s arm. “AAAH!” Maddy bent Aurelia’s wrist. The admiral banished her with a kick, which Maddy was already prepared to dodge, followed by a swift punch to Aurelia’s jaw. “Astounding… I never considered using Haki like that!” Her heart pounding with excitement, Aurelia snapped her arm back into place and thrusted Arcadia. Maddy thrusted her palms to negate the straight sword wave she had cast, but a layer of the ship’s deck around her was blown off.
Aurelia ran at Maddy with direct swings of her golden-edged sword; Maddy dodged a diagonal slash and jumped a low swing. Upon landing, Maddy squatted and sprung into the admiral, headbutting her back into the cabin wall. Aurelia extended the Haki of Arcadia and dealt a wide swing, Maddy promptly ducking, but Aurelia swiftly followed with a downward chop. Maddy kicked right, suffering a graze on her shoulder, while the front half of the Lion was split in two. Aurelia charged at Maddy for another direct flurry, using Observation to determine how she would dodge. In turn, Maddy channeled Gold to her palm to deflect each swing. She found an opening, hardened her knuckles with Gold, and punched: the fist was too far to make contact, but Maddy instead fired a Chi Sphere at Aurelia’s gut.
When Maddy tried to follow with an uppercut Chi Sphere, Aurelia stopped it with her own palm. Aurelia thrusted a swift stab, which Maddy not only dodged, but gripped the sides of the blade. She channeled Paper Haki through the black and gold relic and tried to twist her hands, very slightly cracking the sword. Aurelia pulled it back and spun for a hip strike. Maddy grabbed and stopped it with her hardened hands, propping them onto the sword as she flipped and stamped her shoes into Aurelia’s face. The Rakshasa leapt away and mustered a tremendous sum of chi in her sword, to where it seemed to sparkle like lightning. “NO, ADMIRAL!” her troops cried. “DON’T DO THAT HERE!”
“RAKSHASA HURRICANE!” It was a spin attack, slashing a massive wave that looked like a giant yellow buzzsaw. It severed the cabins from the ship. Maddy likened this technique to Cheren’s own Hurricane Spin, but she only had a moment to process it as the force blew her off the ship. Maddy fell into the sea: though she was less terrified of water, swimming was another issue. And it would only get worse when she saw Aurelia leaping toward her. The Rakshasa positioned her blade straight down: it pinned right into Maddy’s chest. Fortunately, she channeled strong Haki to that spot in the shape of a heart, but Aurelia pushed her ever deeper underwater.
Maddy’s back hit the top of a reef. Aurelia pushed off her, merely observing Maddy’s struggle. Maddy couldn’t reach the surface like this… so, she would have to bring some ‘surface’ here. Maddy flared up into Haki Fury: with a thrust of her fists, she pushed the surrounding water away with her chi, creating an air bubble. “HUUUUFF!” She pumped chi out in repetition to keep the bubble active. Aurelia would share her ground and assist by splitting the sea with her blade.
“Now, this is more like it!” Aurelia assaulted Maddy with a flurry, keeping the sea split with each swing. Though Maddy dodged the direct blows, the splitting force still grazed her, but likewise, every shockwave from Maddy’s fists would rupture Aurelia. Anyone on the surface would notice the waves stirring violently. “The only way to survive this merciless environment is to let our power flow like the waves around us!”
“You’re a psychopath, aren’t ya?”
“I always was too wild for my peers.”
“I bet they didn’t like you destroying their ships either.”
“At least mine has insurance.”
Maddy clapped hands, taking inspiration from K. Rool as it ripped a vertical shockwave along Aurelia’s front. Aurelia leapt into the air, sword down at Maddy. The operative dodged backward, but Aurelia’s true goal was to impale the reef and channel Haki underneath. “Rakshasa Onslaught!” Her Haki pierced out beneath Maddy’s feet in the form of illusory swords. Maddy tolerated the pain as she jumped out of the swords, converting her soles gold as her landing shattered the blades.
Their negligence caused the ocean to finally refill the zone. The warriors sealed their lungs firmly, but Maddy for one had enough of this suffocating space. This time, she decided to punch downward in repetition as the force propelled her upward. She saw the cliff of Mystic Ruins and pushed her way to that. Once at the surface, Maddy climbed the cliff to the top. She dispelled her Fury and gasped for breath. Aurelia would soon climb to join her. Both of them waited until the other was fully caught up on oxygen. Then Maddy shot a Chi Sphere, which Aurelia evaded before thrusting Arcadia. Maddy jumped on the sword and tackle-hugged Aurelia, channeling Paper Haki and biting into her left shoulder. This was to make up for the wound Maddy got earlier. However, Aurelia punched her off while the Haki was still active, so Maddy felt a great sprain in her left hip. Paper Haki was a two-edged blade, after all.
“Maddy Murphy… I thank you for this challenge. Until now, I’ve never had the chance to truly stretch my Haki. I can feel my chi… flowing cleanly. Please… allow me this small taste of perfection.” Aurelia planted Arcadia into the earth. Her aura burned like a black and gold flame… and that flame shaped like a knight’s armored suit.
“Then I will, too…” Maddy ignited her Fury again, but this time, her central heart was gold. Her right fist deflected Arcadia’s swing, while her left targeted Aurelia. The admiral dodged while simultaneously striking Maddy’s jaw with her own fist. Maddy lost a couple teeth, but allowed herself to hit the ground from the impact. Maddy would then punch the earth, combusting a shockwave that threw off Aurelia’s balance, which then allowed Maddy to rebound and direct a blow to her gut. Aurelia flew back into a rock, but kicked off of it with a spiraling motion, swallowing Maddy in a horizontal, cyclone-shaped sword wave. Enduring the ripples that had resulted, Maddy pushed against the cyclone, grabbed Aurelia, and slammed her into the ground, followed by smashing her face in.
Aurelia swat Maddy away and stabbed the ground: Rakshasa Onslaught erected all around the field, puncturing Maddy, but she would sooner discard her senses before succumbing to pain. Maddy stomped across the blades and thrusted punches; her knuckles were hardened Gold as they seemed to stretch in a spiked form, puncturing Aurelia from a distance. Aurelia slashed more massive sword waves that Maddy evaded with Observation, the land being carved behind her. “Rakshasa STAR!” Aurelia slashed an 8-pointed star at point-blank range, but the moment it struck Maddy was the same time she punched the blade opposite of its swing. The light crack it had formed earlier ruptured from the impact and shattered Arcadia in half.
But Aurelia still held the lower half and slashed it, only for Maddy’s Observation to save her. Maddy aimed a punch at her head, only for Aurelia to dodge right, but Maddy already anticipated this as she raised her right foot and planted it into the admiral’s. Her sole was hardened Gold, and though Aurelia’s Haki mitigated the strain, she couldn’t escape Maddy’s hold. Maddy stabbed her Haki knuckles into Aurelia’s gut, while using her left hand to hold back Aurelia’s sword arm. Maddy then pulled her right fist back for a direct, air-shattering blow to Aurelia’s visage. (End song.)
The silver-haired woman fell on her back, her suit of aura extinguished. Maddy dispelled her own Haki. Though she was riddled with cuts and gasping for breath, she stood proud. “Hn hn…” Aurelia chuckled. “Tell me… was this even a battle to you? You look like… you’ve seen much worse.”
“Huff…yeah… but what I was lacking… was motivation… and by the time I found it… I had fallen behind. But now… I’m tired… of losing…”
“…Good… let that resolve… serve you…” The Golden Rakshasa let darkness embrace her.
The soldiers were dumbfounded. Dumbfounded and horrified. Two of their very own admirals, their aces in this war… and to make things worse—besides the fact that their ship was toast—Commander Craig and his platoon were charred and apprehended by Sector SOL. “WE’RE SCREEEEEEEEEWED!”
The operatives, Shade, and Tikal met up at the emerald altar. Knuckles was severely bloody and bruised… but he was faintly awake. “Geh…got here… not a moment too soon.”
Shade sobbed and knelt down to hug her husband. Even Tikal was horrified. What the army has done… they would never forgive. They were more resolved than ever to win.
Schnee H.Q.
The news came to Whitley too suddenly. Since before morning even cracked, he had been filling papers in his dad’s office. Finally, he finished them five minutes before noon. Now was as great as time as any to go downstairs for some food—“Hu-!” His father was just outside the door.
“Whitley! Where are you going?!”
“I, um, have finished the paperwork, Father. And I believe it is lunch now…er, breakfast.”
“You’ve no time for that.” Jacques handed him a clipboard. “Go to each of these production lines and make sure they’re meeting these standards.”
“Father, I am very honored to be your next heir, but I cannot provide a good performance without nourish-”
“You will not be the heir to anything by slacking off!” Jacques grasped his son’s arm. The distraught boy could see the crazed look in his eyes. “Just as I must adapt with these emeralds, because you know what’ll happen?! I’m as good as dea-”
“President Schnee.” They turned to Ironwood. “I have an urgent report.” Whitley felt his father’s grip tighten. “Admirals Kong and Aurelia have been… defeated.”
“AAAAAAAHHH!” Whitley squirmed in his father’s mad embrace, but the strain caused Jacques’ hand to assume its Logia dust form, allowing Whitley freedom. “That’s it!” Jacques stormed up the corridor. “Call the Grand Admiral! I want the entire army here! This place isn’t safe!”
“If you truly believe that, perhaps we should consider leaving-”
“And show those filthy animals our backs?! I refuse to let them have that last laugh!”
“Well, I’m afraid the news only gets worse, sir: three more of our containment zones have fallen. The enemy’s number is growing worse.”
Station Square
(The following characters are from Tower of God.)
A squadron of 50 soldiers concentrated elements and gunfire at a single lizard girl. She had short brown hair and wore a large black dress, with an orange kimono-like robe with a cloud pattern on top. Swift and nimble on her bare feet, Anak Zahard jumped high into the air and landed in the middle of the squadron. From there, she pushed and threw them around with incredible strength. Two aerial fighter crafts hovered overhead and trained cannons on her: Anak whipped out a green fishing hook; Green April. She lashed it like a whip as it divided in two, seizing both crafts and smashing them into the pavement.
“You’re AMAZING, Anak!” Her leader, Rak Wraithraiser bellowed. He was a 3-meter reptilian with red eyes and a red gladiator tunic. He sensed a sniper aiming from a distant rooftop, so Rak twirled and hurdled his spear to stop him. “Now, where could they be keepin’ the turtles?”
A tiny squirrel Faunus, Chungchung, climbed atop his scaly head. She had bowl-cut orange-blonde hair that matched her tail, small red horns, a red robe, and completely blank, black eyes. “Probably in that ‘condemned’ building.” The highway base extended beside a crumbled building, damaged from the Pirate War. The tiny squirrel jumped to Anak’s head. “Wanna give me a throw?”
“Don’t stand on my hair.” Anak grasped Chungchung, leapt high, and threw her toward the building. She spread her robe and glid safely into it.
Chungchung scampered unseen around the boots of patrolling guards… and between some ruined office desks, she found a barriered cell with some human teens. “Those must be the Coruscant kids.” Her malicious smirk was heightened by her empty eyes. “Prepare to hail me as your savior.”
“Ouch!” Anak was shot in the arm.
“Huh? You alright?!” Rak asked.
Anak searched for where the laser came from. She saw another laser, bouncing off invisible plates around the air, and jumped before it struck her. The shot was fired by Major Claire Rieveldt (from Trails), a thin woman with icy-blue hair. She used a controller in her arm to manipulate the nanomachines that projected the holo-mirrors. “I see your game.” Anak narrowed her eyes. “Well, the predator’s on the hunt.”
“Let’s show them what Sector CHAOTIX is made of!” Rak declared.
Gigan Rocks (These ones are from Sonic comics!)
Tangle the Lemur stretched her tail like a fist to K.O. soldiers, and when a horde of them surrounded her, the tail served as an extra limb in fighting back. Tangle had gray fur, yellow sneakers, and a black jumpsuit with a yellow chest area. “Fighting the Galaxian government! This is the best!”
Whisper the Wolf combatted three martial art soldiers, bringing them to their knees before jumping away. Whisper aimed her Wispon, a device with an umbrella-like hook and spherical top, and conjured a Blue Cube from it, using it like a hammer to send them flying. Whisper had biscotti fur and dark-gray coat, boots, and pants with a cream tube-top. “I saw the soldier with the card key, over there.” Whisper whispered.
“Uh, can you repeat that?” Tangle asked. “Couldn’t hear you over punching the daylights outta this guy.”
“Once we free those toads,” their leader, Lanolin the Sheep said, “they can help us secure this base.” She had very fluffy, cloudy-white fur, an orange sleeveless sweater with matching boots and fingerless gloves, and green cargo pants. She rang a golden cowbell and projected strong Music Chi that forced some of the soldiers to square dance.
“Compared to the Kremlings, these guys are jokes!”
“Maybe, but they’re no less worse. I’ve never felt so helpless…” Lanolin shuddered, the image of that ray of light descending on their town burned into her irises. “I won’t let that happen again.”
Space Colony ARK
What was once a station where weapons of mass destruction were produced, was now the headquarters of the Mobian KND! “Yeah, I read about this place!” Carol said as they observed the spacious hangar. “There’s like a planet-destroying cannon, isn’t there?”
“Goodness, not!” Halinor said. “…anymore. My dad dismantled it long ago.”
“Sure woulda helped though.” Manic shrugged. His sister slapped him.
“Hey, Carol!”
“Maseeeeyyy!” Carol happily turned to Mason’s group. …She was horror-struck at Maddy and Sheila’s battered forms. “Uhhh…”
“ZOMBIES!” Kokichi screamed. “NYAAAAARGH NAGAGAGAGAAAAAHHHH!” And he ran for the space-hills.
“Oh my God, what happened?!” Weiss asked.
“We beat up the admirals.” Sheila answered.
“It was bloody ripper.” Maddy followed.
“You mean Galactic Admirals?! There were some here?! And you beat them?!”
“They did.” Cinder affirmed. “And we’ve sent them to Arctic Prison along with other captured soldiers. Someday… I hope for them to answer to their crimes.”
“Heeeeey, Katt!” they heard a voice call.
“FLYNT!” Neon Katt exclaimed. The operatives noticed the groups of humans piling out of Sector CHAOTIX’s ship. Neon jumped to hug Flynt Coal, a dark-skinned boy with sunglasses, a silver trumpet, a dark fedora with a blue trim, and a matching vest with a loose tie.
“YOOOO! NEPTUUUUUNE!” Sun Wukong happily jumped beside a blue-haired boy with yellow goggles and a red coat. “Sage! Scarlet! Been worried sick about you!”
“You’re anything but.” Neptune laughed.
“Are these the Coruscant friends you mentioned before?” Weiss asked.
“Uh-huh! We train at the Beacon Military Academy! ’Course, as soon as we heard what Schnee was doing, we decided to drop out and f*** up his plans! Haha!”
“W…Weiss Schnee?!” Neptune gasped.
“Yup… that’s my name.”
“Heh…never thought we’d get to meet you.” The blue-haired teen looked her up and down. She looked a lot cuter up close.
“Say, Neptune’s a waterbender,” Sun said, “and you’re an icebender! You two should team up!”
“Sun!”
“Is that Sheila Frantic?!” Tangle the Lemur stole the attention as she raced beside Sheila directly, looking her up and down. “Wow! You’re the adventurer of all adventurers! Can me and my team go on a voyage with you someday?!”
“Well, apprentice pirates gotta swab the poopdeck!”
“Aye-aye!”
“We don’t have time for that!” Lanolin shouted.
“Yeah… Sheila can have the attention.” Weiss said.
“Don’t worry, Schnee, you’re still popular to us.” She cringed awkwardly as Flynt patted her back. “…Your dad laid off my dad and I hate his guts.” He walked away.
“Uhhh…”
“Hurry, let’s get down to the auditorium!” Sonia ushered.
The auditorium was converted from the Eclipse Cannon’s core. The main way down here was through a waterslide, “WOOOOOOOOOO!” which the operatives had a heck of a time riding! “Now we need to get Moonbase one!” Sheila cheered.
“I don’t wanna get my underwear wet every meeting!” Carol cried.
“This slide used to have orange fuel gunk!” Manic said.
“Well, I SURE hope this is clean water!”
“This is bloody awful!” Ciel yelled.
“Good thing I ain’t a demon! Whee hee hee!” Kokichi laughed.
They all splashed into a pool before the shore of the auditorium, in which a river ran between the stands toward the podium at the end. “Oh, right…” Kokichi gurgled, sinking below the pool. “I’m a fruit user…”
“Having fun, yet?” Weiss helped him to the surface.
The Mobian Supreme Leader took the stage: he was a blue-furred fox with a white swirl of hair, wearing a white jacket and orange space suit. “Good afternoon, Kids Next Door!” Marcus McCloud began (from Star Fox). “Thanks to all your combined efforts, Schnee Dust’s containment zones have fallen one by one! The army’s forces have dropped! And now it’s time to take the fight to Schnee Dust! His mobile factory was based in Green Hill on South Island. However, we need to be cautious. First, according to Sector SOL’s info, the enemy is using Night Howlers.”
The operatives murmured in worry. “Um…what’s Night Howler?” Weiss asked.
“A poison plant that makes Mobians go crazy.” Mason answered. “Happened to Sheila’s mom once.”
“Oh…that’s horrible!”
“We will need to be equipped with gas masks when we invade. Furthermore, Schnee Dust has taken possession of the Sol Emeralds, and we’ve no idea what they might be doing with them. Even so… we must fight until these invaders are off our world! Just as our predecessors banished the Black Arms and the Metarex, and we banished Dr. Eggman… Mobians live to run free! And anyone who would take that away is not welcome here!”
“YAAAAAAAAH!”
“Hah, he didn’t mention the Kremlings.” Kokichi sneered. “Couldn’t kick ’em out that time. Hm?” He noticed Weiss walking up onstage.
“Mobian Kids Next Door… I am Weiss Schnee.” Their cheers faded as they murmured curiously. “I…I’m sure you all know who I am, but… there’s something you need to know. …I am no longer the daughter of President Schnee.” Confusion swept the audience. “You see… I have been disowned. I was disowned… for not sharing Father’s ideals or his ambitions… and was thus severed as the company’s heiress.”
Flynt shirked down in his seat. His friends cocked knowing brows at him.
“And lately… I’ve wondered about my own ambitions. What was I supposed to do after I inherited the company? How do I make up for all Father has done? Do I apologize to every Mobian he’s come in contact with? Do I return to the lands he’s reaped from? Give back the money he’s swindled? Was I meant… to harbor my dad’s punishments?” The operatives exchanged looks, contemplating the heavy question. “In a way… when Dad said that, I…I felt free. Should I… feel this way? Be glad that I’m not following in his footsteps?”
They had no answer for her. “I am truly sorry for everything he’s done to you… but Father has hurt me, too. So, I wonder… am I saving this world for you… or am I saving it to spite him? To claim justice for myself? I guess… all I’m asking is… don’t think of me as a hero. That’s all.”
Of all the heroic speeches they expected to hear… there was something uniquely honest about hers. “Ya know, Weiss, you’ve been puttin’ up with President Sneeze’s abuse longer than any of us!” Sonia yelled supportively. “You better dish out all the butt-kicking you can on that tyrant!”
“YEEEEAAAAAAHHH!”
Weiss sported a blush. Blake smiled, proud of her honesty. “Oh, hey, one more thing! President Schnee is also a Devil Fruit user. It’s a Logia-type that lets him absorb and transform into Nature Dust. So, unless you know Haki or something…”
“I bet I can knock him out with my pinky finger.” Maddy smirked.
“But Logias can still be damaged by their opposite element.” Cinder said. “So, if Schnee attacked with Ice Dust, then fire could hurt him.”
“And my darkbending can penetrate Logias!” Kokichi grinned. “Say, if he’s a fruit user, we could trick him into going down the waterslide!” Ciel glared at him.
“Then it seems we have a game plan.” Marcus said. “Let’s give him the butt-kicking he deserves! We set off… in an hour!”
Schnee Dust
Jacques opened two vials of energized Sol and Chaos Dust. He opened his palms and willed the Dust to flow into them. “Sniiiiiiiiff…hmmmm…yes…it’s almost perfect…”
“Oh joy, oh joy! It’s almost done!” Gruntilda clapped giddily. “Pretty soon, we’ll have some fun…”
“Mr. Schnee,” Ironwood approached, “you have visitors.”
“They BETTER not be who I think they are!”
“Perhaps you’d better come see for yourself.”
Jacques vehemently stormed out his front door, falling frozen in surprise. A small army of Mobian soldiers and police were gathered, including Chief Bogo, Judy Hopps, and Carmelita Fox. But most importantly… “Chancellor Yorkshire?”
Cheadle raised a megaphone to her maw and spoke strictly. “Get off my planet, Schnee. And take all of your military with you. This is your only warning.”
Chapter 26: Mobius Saga 5: Scapegoat
Summary:
Weiss and her friends confront her father and learn a shocking truth.
Chapter Text
This may have been a short arc, but I think I did pretty well with it! There wasn’t much need to explore Mobius that much, since we’ve already explored a ton of it in the past few stories. So, let’s end things off on a solid note!
Chapter 25: Scapegoat
Jacques had never felt so offended. How could this mutt think she had any form of authority? Didn’t she realize the position she was in? “I am not going anywhere. Not until I expose you for the evil-”
“President Schnee… I don’t care to know why you hate my people so much.” Chancellor Yorkshire continued. “Nor do I care for what power King Mickey gave you in this war. But I want no part in a council that permits this desecration of my world. You and the Galactic Army are hereby banned from Mobius. And if the Galaxian government still expects my part in the council, they will have you pay all the compensation you owe us.”
“So long as King Mickey and the Galactic Army need Nature Crystals, they will make sure I hold all the funds. And I won’t give a coin to you. You, Madame Chancellor, are an ally to both the KND and the Kremlings. I can smell it. So, show us your true nature.”
Officer Hopps’ ears twitched: she heard a gun cock. She saw a sniper situated on the side of one of the chimneys. “Chancellor! Up there!”
The sniper shot a purplish bullet at Cheadle’s head: she raised her palm and hardened it as the bullet splattered. She stared at the juicy substance. “Night Howler!”
“Oh, you’ve done it now!” Carmelita fired her shock pistol up at the sniper.
The surrounding soldiers trained weapons—“Soldiers, stand down!” Ironwood ordered. “That sniper was a Schnee employee, not one of ours.” He approached calmly. “Miss Chancellor, let us talk in private.”
“Where do you think you’re going?!” Jacques held him back.
“To negotiate.” Ironwood brushed his hand off.
“The time for that is past! She is an ally of the KND, so we must fight!”
“King Mickey and Senator Phyronix have not designated her an enemy. We can still-”
“King Mickey put me in charge of this planet and you were assigned under me! Now, SUBDUE THEM!”
Ironwood merely returned his command with a cold stare. “G-GENERAL!” A soldier came running from the south. “The Kids Next Door are storming the island! Weiss Schnee’s sector and dozens of Mobians!”
“All troops, head south and suppress them!”
“Yes, sir!”
“NO!” Jacques cried over the rumbling of hundreds of footsteps. “DON’T ALL LEAVE! Dah!” Jacques flew to the air as a cloud of Dust. With his torso maintaining shape, Jacques grabbed an animal whistle and blew. The Mobians winced from the painful sound, but they were equipped with earplugs to mitigate it.
However, it was only then they saw the whistle’s true purpose: a horde of savage Mobians stampeded out of the farmhouse. “What the SKUNK?!” exclaimed Officer Nick Wilde.
“Nick, those are the prisoners that the army confiscated!” Judy said.
“Hey, you’re right! And isn’t that the guy we just arrested yesterday, Lumpus?”
“Never mind him!” Chief Bogo shouted. “Look at that one!”
“Blaze…” Cheadle almost didn’t recognize the Sol Kingdom queen, charging at them on all fours with a ravenous snarl. “Subdue the victims! Hold them out until the KND arrive!”
Judy nimbly kicked between the head of a savage pig and Chinese monkey, landing before slide-kicking a Doberman off his feet. Nick sprayed fox repellant at some savage foxes… and no, he didn’t need to hear the irony of that.
Cheadle cautiously approached the savage Blaze, holding out a taming hand. …The violet queen calmed her growling and stuff Cheadle’s glove. She was docile, like a cat familiar with its owner. Well, perhaps that was an odd analogy. “Oh…Blaze…” She gently stroked the queen’s hair in sympathy.
Another sniper shot the right of Cheadle’s face. The chancellor winced as the Night Howler splattered on her fur, but she quickly wiped it off with a sanitizer cloth. “Why didn’t it work?!” the sniper asked in a female voice.
The chancellor cast her a glare. “Growwwwl!” Blaze faced her friend’s enemy. The sniper cried and ran, but the feral queen would maul her to critical injury. Blaze picked up the scent of her Night Howler and would sniff out other employees harboring the substance.
Cheadle giggled. “Reminds me of that story about Sonic becoming a Werehog.” The chancellor decided to leave Blaze to her instinct.
Whitley Schnee observed from his father’s office window, horrified as the conflict broke out. The young teen crouched and hid under the desk. What was going to happen to this place? And to him? He had too much responsibility on his shoulders… If only his sisters were here to take it instead. If only…
…
Green Hill was a stunning sight to look at, or so the Earthlings had always heard. The grass and cliffs possessed checkerboard patterns, the plateaued islands were separated by crisp waters and elevated lakes, with waterfalls streaming down the highest plateaus, and the flowers and palm trees were whimsical. But following the arrival of Schnee’s factory, the lush greenery was withered and the skies fumy with rainbow smoke.
These withered hills became a war zone of operatives and galactic soldiers. Three Beach Troops aimed water guns at Ciel again—Neptune jumped in the way and made a “barrier” with his chi, seizing the water in his bending before sending it back. “You have my thanks.” Ciel smiled. “I’m not fond of water.”
“Really? Neither am I!” Neptune grinned.
“Then why are you a flippin’ waterbender?!”
“Don’t ask me, ask Kyogre!”
Sheila and Sun Wukong jumped across palm trees like the monkey Sun was, but Sheila wasn’t. Sheila grew intrigued as Sun divided into Light Clones, jumping separate strings of trees and ambushing soldiers from above. “Strewth! Oi never learned that move!”
“Actually, it’s a metahuman power.” Sun replied.
“Oh, then that’s just cheating.”
“Sheila!” Mason yelled. “You could probably replicate that move, too, if you tried! I mean, you already use light attacks based on your body parts.”
Sonia, Manic, and Cinder led their Earthlings friends along a shortcut over Hedgehog’s Pass. It was a long strip of natural bridge over the warzone. They examined some of the skirmishes as they raced overhead.
Tangle the Lemur battled Captain Very Good, who could break himself into numerous balls using his Berry-Berry Fruit. The balls would try to overwhelm and pummel Tangle, and she could only damage the captain by striking the ball with his face. Chungchung crawled into the clothes of Captain Nezumi, a tall mouse Faunus, nipping every sensitive area she could. Anak faced Captain Gorilla, a hulking human and subordinate of Admiral Kong. The lizard girl’s strength far exceeded his. Lanolin the Sheep trapped Commander Fullbody in a dance using her Golden Cowbell. …And also, Isabelle seemed to join in the dance. Well, her head is a bell, after all.
“Sheila, Maddy, you sure you two will be okay with those injuries?” Weiss asked.
“What injuries?” Maddy asked.
“You’re freakin’ wrapped up like a mummy!” Pacifica shouted.
“And you had no real time to rest!” Carol argued. “You fought two powerful admirals just a few hours ago.”
“I’m seeing this mission through to the end.” Maddy stated.
“And Oi promised Weiss I’d sock her pops at least once!” Sheila followed.
“Take it or leave it.” Sonia said agreeably.
“We don’t slow down around here!” Manic said. “If you got time to complain about injuries, then run!”
“Here comes the loop-de-loop!” Cinder alerted. “Everybody hang on!”
“WHEEEEEE!” While the Mobians could run up easily, Weiss formed a chain with her friends, leading the front as they ice-skied over the loop.
“Can’t come to Mobius without going up one of those!” Raleigh cheered.
With the factory’s pavilion closing into view, they could make out the skirmishes between the Mobian Army, police, and the savages. “Hey!” Weiss gestured her friends to halt when a familiar, bearded general impeded the exit of Hedgehog’s Pass.
“Miss Schnee… I’m afraid I can no longer show you any mercy.” Ironwood aimed his white gun.
“Where’s Winter?!”
“In prison for treason. And I doubt I’ll let you near each other after I’ve captured you.”
“Buddy, you really wanna do this again?” Maddy asked with a cock of her brow.
“No matter how many of you there are, I won’t let the KND win.”
“But I will!” Ironwood gasped and turned as Cheadle rushed him.
“The Chance!” Manic exclaimed. Ironwood fully hardened his body, but when Cheadle’s fist met his stomach, it bent inward as the general hacked saliva. Cheadle followed with an uppercut, sending Ironwood falling down the short cliff.
“AW RIGHT!” Sonia cheered.
Ironwood used Due Process to propel himself back to their level, so Cheadle pounced and forced him back to the bottom. “Chancellor, please!” Ironwood used palm thrusts to deflect her fists. “I assure you I intend to deal with Schnee!”
“But you’re prioritizing these heroes over him!” Cheadle gnashed fangs at his cybernetic arm, tearing out a few wires. “I’d sooner go out with the KND!”
“Then you give me no choice!” Ironwood leapt backward and fired explosive bullets, but Cheadle withstood them with Haki. She got on all fours, rushed, and gnashed his leg. The general forced her off with a punch to the skull, but after rebounding, Cheadle kicked forth and headbutted his gut, knocking him into a boulder.
“She’s stronger than I thought!” Weiss praised. Her and Winter could barely breach Ironwood’s Haki, but Cheadle seemed too fast and strong for him to keep up.
“That’s why we love her!” Sonia twirled.
“There they are!” A horde of soldiers came storming up the pass. “The Pirate King and Mad Conqueror! They look weakened! REVENGE FOR OUR ADMIRALS!”
“You know what,” Carol stepped forth, “I’m tired of being overlooked.”
“Me, too!” Raleigh and Ciel joined her. “Weiss, you go on ahead!”
“Yeah, Weiss, leave the grunts to the amateurs!” Kokichi raced toward the factory, shooting guns like a cowboy. “The big boss is for us!”
Weiss and Pacifica shared an eye-roll. After passing a quick thanks to Carol’s group, the operatives proceeded.
Judy and Nick were surrounded by savage inmates: Scoutmaster Lumpus the moose, Muggshot the bulldog, Grizz the bear, and Mz. Ruby the alligator. “Mind if we lend a hand?” Bunnie extended her robot arm to grab Ruby’s snout, slingshot into her, and stamp her with her mechanical boots. Antoine flew into Grizz with his Spin Ball Blade Attack. The bunny and fox operatives landed back-to-back with the bunny and fox officers.
“And I was just waiting for someone to take me off for my break.” Nick joked.
“Zis vill be the second time zis year we’ve had to put these crooks away.” Antoine said.
“At least you have us to help you this time.” Judy said. During the Pirate War, the Kremlings had freed all the criminals and enlisted them in their Krew. The non-Reverted Mobian operatives worked hard to hunt down and recapture them.
Muggshot and Lumpus were shot by Carmelita’s Shock Pistol. “With you here, we’ll get this island back to normal in a jiffy!”
A short distance away, Pekoms Lionheart was impeded by Octavio, a savage lion with a vanilla beard and mustache. “I told you that gig was a bad idea, didn’t I, Octavio?! Now, can we wrap this up? Schnee owes me a debt, too!”
Weiss’ group reached the factory grounds, the source of the island’s smoggy, yet colorful clouds rising from the smokestacks. The base of the factory had both large wheels and rockets, as it was a mobile structure. “IT’S MOM!” Cinder exclaimed as a team of Schnee employees were trying to stun the wild queen with Shock Dust guns. Only three out of 20 were left standing before they succeeded in knocking her out. But Maddy would finish them off with a wave of Conqueror’s Haki.
Cinder rushed to her mother’s side. Blaze was faintly breathing. “Mom… how could they do this to you?”
“This is the true state animals like her belong.”
A stream of rainbowy, sparkling Dust descended onto the ground, reforming into President Schnee. “Father…” Weiss fixed her gaze.
“Do not address me in such a way, Weiss. Don’t you remember what I told you?”
“You’re a real sicko, you know that?” Sonia said. “Ya wanna know why we always bust up your mining operations? It’s ’cause we’re tired of creeps always takin’ from our world and leavin’ only ruin. Don’t matter if it’s Eggman or whoever else.”
“That’s right.” Weiss said. “You started mining on this planet without a permit. Mining Nature Crystals is harmful to the Heart of a World… That’s why our company only scrapes off small fragments, the Dust of the crystals, and fixes it into concentrated forms. But you still need permission to do that.”
“I don’t need you to tell me my own business practice! These animals never understood the value of progress! Just because madmen like Eggman left them a bad impression, why should I be denied their rich crystals?!”
“Because our crystals are ours to use, not yours!” Manic argued. “Also, ‘value of progress,’ have ya seen how high-tech some of our cities are?! And they’re better than yours!”
“I’ve no interest in bartering with you! Regardless if it’s Kids Next Door or my own former daughters, you’ve cost me too much of my time and resources! And it’s time for my compensation.”
“Okay, can we can it with the business bullcrap and ask why you’re all glowy?” Kokichi asked.
“I feel a familiar essence from him.” Cinder said. “Strong Fire Chi… like the Sol Emeralds!”
“Father!” Weiss gasped. “Don’t tell me… you made Dust out of the emeralds?!”
“Oh, wouldn’t I have liked to? Fortunately, the energy from the emeralds resonated very well with this planet’s Nature Dust… and that Dust is now part of my body! And I didn’t just use the Sol Emeralds. During this war, my workers were able to locate the Chaos Emeralds! Observe!” Jacques raised his palms: his windows opened as streams of sparkling Dust flew into his being.
“Yo, that ain’t good!” Manic exclaimed. “The emeralds only just came back to the planet, how’d ya find them so fast?!”
“They are surprisingly easy to find! While the Sol Emeralds greatly increase my Fire Dust, the Chaos adapt well with my other Dust types! Now I no longer fear even the likes of you two!” He focused on Maddy and Sheila. “I’m sure the admirals at least made some effort in wearing you down.”
“Ya couldn’t be more wrong about that!” Sheila fist-palmed.
“His chi feels very strong though.” Maddy cautioned. “We should approach him carefully.”
“No matter what you throw at us, Father,” Weiss raised her sword, “it won’t stop me from setting this company AND our family straight!”
“Then I shall be rid of my mistakes at last!” (Play “Eggman Showdown” from Sonic Lost World!)
World Boss: Jacques Schnee
The neon president threw waves of flaming Dust, too hot for Weiss’ icicles to penetrate. Fortunately, Cinder matched his techniques with sharper focus and tore a rift between the waves. Weiss skied through and thrusted icicles into Jacques: just as Cinder predicted, her father reeled back in pain when the ice struck the Fire Dust. All Jacques needed was more fire: he spun his Dust body like a tornado and became a rainbowy vortex. Weiss and Cinder fled from the pursuing twister; even the princess struggled to mitigate his flames. “Weiss!” Sonia grabbed her hand. “Why don’t WE go for a whirl?”
“You got it!” Sonia would spin into a bright whirlwind, and Weiss would freeze the ground at her heels to keep up with the momentum. Weiss held Myrtenaster out and channeled a wave of frost: they spun against Jacques’ tornado like a buzzsaw. The flames were agonizing on Weiss, but the sawing force was just as painful on Jacques, so the president cleared distance from them. They stopped spinning and watched as Jacques converted to Shock Dust, flicking samples of it at the girls with lightning speed. Sonia suffered a strike, while Weiss was able to nimbly evade them.
“Hey, I want a turn!” Kokichi shot Dark Bullets, Jacques wincing from their impact. “Hahaha! Take THAT, Shocks Schnee!” The enraged president ascended to the air as a cloud of Dust. He loomed above Kokichi and struck lightning down at the liar. “GAHAHAAAAA!” Kokichi seemed to stretch taller with each strike. “I knew I was a big rod, but this is ridiculous!”
“I’m starting to miss Zach’s jokes.” Maddy sighed.
“But it gives me an idea!” Sonia ran up to hug Kokichi.
“Yay, I finally have a girlfriend!”
“Not on your life! Just make darkness!” Sonia spun the elongated boy into her tornado while Kokichi projected a cloud of darkness from himself. As Jacques was vacuumed into the twister, the Dark Chi forced him back into his default form, throwing him into the ground. Sonia ceased spinning and slammed Kokichi into him like a hammer.
Jacques smacked Kokichi away with a furious grunt and rose to the air again. Purple Dust flew out of his factory and became amassed in his neon body. “Hey! That’s darkness!” Kokichi exclaimed.
“Dark Dust?!” Weiss gasped. “How did you get ahold of Evil Crystals?!”
“You must not be familiar with the legend of Dark Gaia.” Jacques said. “An evil spirit that slumbers beneath this world. Evil Crystals formulate from its essence. And proves the Mobians’ evil.”
“Oh, I’ll show you evil, mate.” Sheila cracked her knuckles: this was her cue to lend a fist. Jacques morphed into a giant version of his own head: the way he flickered with the grainy black and purple Dust almost looked like a static T.V. screen. Sheila punched rounds of Light Fists at the face, but Jacques opened holes through himself to let them pass through. Afterwards, the president inhaled a deep breath and blew a massive wall of dark fire. The operatives cleared as far from it as they could.
“Sheila!” Cinder joined the captain’s side. “Let’s do a Chi Unison! We can clear these flames together!” Sheila eagerly accepted the notion as they linked hands. Sheila began to spin her arm—“Whoooa!” but Cinder’s whole body wound up spinning with it!
“Whoops.” Sheila stopped. “Hehe. You’re as light as a boneless kitten, Cinder!”
“It seems I am. You’re gonna have to slow down a peg if we’re gonna pull this off.” They began the same tactic as Sheila lightened her speed and force. With their chi mustered and synchronized, they cast a wave of yellow-white fire. It didn’t look much different from Sheila’s Fury form, but the Light Flames were able to burn through the Dark Fire. They cleared a path toward Jacques and punched a concentrated blast at his mouth, but he opened another gap to let it pass.
“Sheila!” Weiss skied to her side. “If he’s mixing Dark and Fire Dust, you and I should get him! Jump on my back!”
“Aye-aye!” Sheila got behind, propped her arms over Weiss’ elbows, and wrapped legs around her hip.
“Hurk!” Weiss grunted. She was only a couple inches taller than Sheila, but the Faunus had thicker muscles and was overall heavier. “No biggie, we can make this work! Put your arms over mine!” Weiss held her arms forward as Sheila did so. She skied as well as she could with her extra weight and conjured Sunny Snowflakes! They were shaped like regular flakes, but shone like suns, and were the size of their hands. They waved their arms and willed the Sunflakes to orbit Jacques, striking his head at unforeseen angles. Jacques eventually grew dizzy from the volley of flakes, so to finish off their combo, Weiss and Sheila began to cartwheel! Weiss conjured a strip of ice at her heels, which then formed a circle so they could keep cartwheeling in place. Their unified chi created a bigger Sunflake: they cast it into Jacques and POPPED his big head of darkness!
The president momentarily resumed his normal form, but he would morph into a ball of gray Earth Dust. Jacques rose to the air before shooting down and piercing the earth, burrowing underground. “He’s digging around like an earthworm!” Maddy could sense. “Beneath you!” Weiss and Sheila split apart when a large, Dust spike jutted out. It quickly retracted. “Sonia!” The hedgehog dodged next.
“If he wasn’t semisolid, I could totally grab him!” Pacifica shouted.
“Wait! You can!” Maddy ran behind the Northwest and grabbed her wristbands. She channeled Haki into them. Pacifica smirked knowingly.
“We gotta stop him first!” Manic twirled his drumsticks. “Looks like it’s time to fight earth with earth!” The hedgehog performed a solo! The earth vibrated dramatically as Maddy sensed Schnee slowing to a stop. Maddy told Pacifica where to aim as she shot Haki chains. Pacifica beamed, feeling them wrap around her target, and pulled Schnee out of the dust. She slammed the president on the ground as his body reformed, followed by a dozen lashes of her chains!
“AAAAAAHHH!” Jacques exploded with bolts of Lightning Dust, electrifying the operatives; even Maddy was hurt by one since Jacques was shooting randomly. The furious president flew into his factory and returned: the seven Chaos Emeralds were in his dusty tendrils. To the operatives’ horror, Schnee drew the gems into his Logia body. His neon frame began to surge and flash with unbridled force.
“He’s absorbing the emeralds’ power directly!” Weiss exclaimed.
“But that ain’t right!” Sonia said. “Only hedgehogs should be able to merge with the emeralds!”
“Perhaps it’s because he’s using the Dust from our planet.” Cinder surmised.
Jacques’ neon body morphed into a reptilian shape: the Mobians likened it to the form Perfect Chaos once took. “PBBTH!” Jacques spat the Chaos Emeralds out of him like bad pieces of candy. They were pitch-black. “He drained all their power!” Weiss gasped.
“If I had five Rings for every time that happened.” Sonia remarked.
The president bellowed a ray of energy at the crowd. Maddy was prepared to hold the brunt of the blast back with her Haki—Chancellor Yorkshire jumped in front and blocked the beam with her own Haki. “CHANCELLOR!”
“Augh…” Cheadle fell to her knees, wrought with soot. “Everyone… okay?”
“Why would you do that?!” Maddy asked.
“It doesn’t take a doctor to see how injured you are! But don’t worry… that general didn’t take too much of my strength.”
Battered, bloody, and his cyborg parts sparkling, Ironwood lay on his back. “…Hnnnff…” The general refused to let it end like this. He still had a mission to fulfill. He was going to fight until his last breath. Hardening himself, Ironwood forced himself to sit up. He grabbed his dropped guns and marched toward the factory as if gravity were weighing on him.
“Sonia! Manic! If Jacques can use the emeralds, so can you!” Cheadle said.
“Uh, one problemo…” Manic picked one of them up. “They’re kinda conked out. …What the-?” The green gem regained its light in his hand.
“Manic, don’t you remember?” Sonia smiled as she picked up the red emerald. “The emeralds contain positive and negative energy! He done slurped up all the negative, so that just leaves the rest to us!”
“But we’ve never done this before, Sonia!”
“We don’t got a choice! We gotta SUPE UP!”
The brother and sister stood together and played their drums and synthesizer. The seven emeralds orbited and flew into their bodies. Manic’s fur shone a bright golden-green and his quills bent backward. Sonia became a bright pink gold as her fluffy hair rose upward.
“Oh, my stars!” Bunnie gawked. “It’s the birth of Super Sonia and Super Manic!”
“Yoooooo! This sheen really ROCKS!” Manic cheered. “Hey, and my drums can float now! Take THIS!” With a forceful pounding of his drums, Manic fired a blinding green beam at the monster’s face.
“AAAAAAHHH!” Jacques reeled back from the impact; he thought his Logia defense would protect him!
“Looks like we’re on even ground now!” Sonia spun into a shining tornado, zipping around the air with wild speed as she ripped Jacques’ body into chunks. However, those chunks shaped into smaller variants of the monster: they concentrated dark lightning onto the hedgehogs, electrifying them in space.
“Sheila!” Maddy shared her fist with the raccoon. “We’re not out of the game, yet!”
“Strewth on that!” Unifying their chi, the two top fighters punched hardened Light Fists; they almost looked like eclipsed suns. They rapidly sent Haki Fists all around the Jacques chunks, dazing them enough for the hedgehogs to shake free. Jacques reformed himself, but burrowed underground again. “Crud!” Maddy gasped. “He’s targeting everywhere!” Spikes rapidly jutted up around the field. The operatives dodged them as hastily as they could; Ciel picked up Carol to help her evade. Some of the KO’ed soldiers, both on the army’s and Mobians’ side, were stabbed to death.
“CHIEF!” Judy cried as Chief Bogo was pierced through the head.
“Ivori! Kobalt!” Neon exclaimed as two of her friends died.
“STOP!” Manic planted his drums to the earth and violently quaked the island with his solo. A few rock formations and loop-de-loops around the island collapsed. The trembling seemed to dizzy Jacques as his attack ceased.
“Keep him steady, Manic!” Sonia said. “I’ll tear him out myself!” She spun into a tornado, mustering more power as she seemed to gigantify from the act. The others got down and grasped the ground to withstand the suction. Sonia stationed her tornado over the hole Schnee dug into, vacuuming him up out of the soil. She spun the mass of Dust around the air until Schnee was dizzy. Sonia slowed to a halt, soared up, and dealt him a powerful flurry of melee attacks.
Jacques burst apart and rose to merge with the fumes that covered the sky. He willed all of the Dust inside the soldiers’ weapons, as well as Weiss’, to ascend and merge with his body. The president began to muster a beam of darkness.
Sonia spun her synthesizer into being. Manic raised his drumsticks. Their instruments resounded for miles beyond the island. Their instruments channeled their Super energy and unleashed pink and green beams to intercept the darkness. Sheila mustered what was left of her bending and sent up a Light Beam to help suppress it, whereas Cinder channeled a spiral of fire up the beam. The darkness shrank in Schnee’s direction until their unified power burned his titanic visage. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…” (End song.)
The sunlight could finally poke through the fumes. Jacques’ Dust had receded back to his human size, leaking only a small trail as he plummeted back to the island. He hit the earth with a thud, his body scattering until it reformed once more. “Ooooohh…” Jacques despaired as Sonia and Manic’s shoes planted before him. His daughter stepped between the hedgehogs as their auras faded, their regular colors returning.
The combat behind them had gone quiet. The operatives and allies still standing gathered to view the result. “Father… it’s over. The Kids Next Door will be taking you into custody until this war is over. Then… you will answer for all you’ve done to this planet.”
“I’m afraid he won’t.” Ironwood marched from their left.
“J-James…” Jacques looked to him pleadingly. “Stop them…”
“…” The general combined his Due Process pistols into a single weapon: a silver, rectangular cannon with two triggers. The operatives, exhausted from the battle, stepped away from Jacques compliantly, while Maddy was prepared to defend her friends. …However, Ironwood turned his weapon on Jacques. “JAMES!”
A powerful beam of green energy unleashed. “LISTEN CLOSELY!” Kokichi jumped in the way, shooting his Denture Gun to break the beam’s course.
“Out of my WAY, boy!”
“General!” Weiss yelled. “What are you doing?!”
“I had a hunch something was up!” Kokichi sported a crescent smile. “Ever since I met this guy, he had a thick cloud of darkness around him. It was almost similar to Aranea’s darkness… except hers was a lot thicker. But the same principle applies: Ironwood possessed a strong disloyalty to one he’s following. And as I expected, it was for Schnee. You were planning to betray him from the beginning!”
“You misunderstand.” Ironwood glared. “This isn’t a betrayal: I was ordered to execute him.”
“WHAT?!” Jacques gasped.
“Everything you’ve done to the Mobians… was all based on your irrational hatred. You didn’t care about the Kremlings or even the KND… you merely used your orders as an excuse to persecute the whole race. King Mickey knew this would happen, yet he still trusted you… but your intentions go against his vision.”
“So, he ordered my death?!”
“None of this makes any sense!” Weiss yelled. “If Mickey knew about my father’s prejudice, why would he assign him to Mobius?! And why kill him?! Why not just arrest him, take his money, or something?!”
“Actually, it makes perfect sense!” Kokichi declared.
“Oh boy, Detective Oma is back.” Carol said.
“Mickey wins peoples’ respect by promoting diversity. That’s part of his whole campaign. But when you promote diversity, you need martyrs. Scapegoats. You need people who contradict your vision so you can demonize them. Mickey probably only kept him around this long because his knowledge on Nature Dust was useful. And the reason you’re executing him now is because he was on the verge of defeat. Because Mickey doesn’t want the KND to get their grubby hands on him. And also… it’s because Mickey wanted Jacques’ children to absorb the blame for all his crimes.”
Weiss froze up from the idea. “If Weiss inherited the company, Mickey could easily paint more blame on the KND. But if it’s her little brother, that’s probably an easy sapling for Mickey to bend to his will. Victory would’ve been his either way. Mwahahahaha! The plan is so maniacal, it makes ME wanna try it!”
“I’ll shoot you right now.” Ciel threatened. “Still… now that I’m hearing all this out loud, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“Ciel?” Raleigh was curious as his friend approached Jacques.
The earl squatted above him. “It might be my demon instincts… but I can smell quite a bit of sin on you. More than the average man should. And if you’ve interacted regularly with Mickey, his ‘influence’ should’ve had an effect on your prejudice.”
“What are you insinuating?!”
“According to our intel, Mickey is a lightbender… and he’s capable of captivating people to his thrall just by the touch. Mr. Schnee… how regularly do you shake hands with Mickey?”
“W-Well, we meet quite regularly, and shake hands on just about every occasion! I never counted! But believe me, it disgusts me worse every time, even if that filthy rodent wears gloves!”
“So, you’re disgusted by Mickey just like any other Mobian!” Weiss exclaimed.
“Yes, but if there’s any good to come of it, it’s that I got to teach this wretched world a lesson!”
“Then… Mickey’s lightbending doesn’t work on you?” Raleigh asked.
“No… I fear it’s quite the opposite.” Ciel said. “I believe King Mickey… has sapped the good inside him.”
The proposition struck nearly everyone with horror. Weiss. Cheadle. The operatives. Jacques himself. Whereas Ironwood merely glared.
“Lightbending can fill people with good thoughts… so, why should it not take good thoughts, too? I’m not saying Schnee was once a saint. He has always despised Mobians, but he once knew how to keep these feelings in check. But if my theory is correct… then Jacques’ negative feelings would have heightened without his restraint. Thus, King Mickey would have better been able to paint him as a criminal. A criminal that he would have slain and earned the respect of the Mobians.”
Jacques rose to his knees, pressing palms against his head. “NO! It… can’t… be! MICKEEEEEEEEEYYYYY! Are these accusations true?! ANSWER MEEEEEEE!”
Ironwood smacked Kokichi aside and recharged his weapon. “STOP!” Cheadle socked him in the skull. “I may hate Jacques… but even I can’t let this happen to him! No one deserves to be manipulated like that! He needs help!”
“I have my orders!” Ironwood pushed the chancellor back. She rushed at him again, but his full-hardened body withstood her attacks; Cheadle was weakened from blocking the beam earlier. “If King Mickey believes this is the correct course, then so b—AAH!” Blaze the Feral Cat sank her teeth into his neck. Ironwood’s own Haki was still diminished from his battle, so Blaze’s fangs were able to penetrate. Ironwood elbowed the cat until she fell off unconscious, quickly charging Due Process and training it on Jacques.
“HANG ON!” But the general was taken off-guard when Pekoms Lionheart swat the weapon up in the air. “This guy ruined a wedding I worked hard on and he owes me!”
As Due Process rotated in midair, the green energy fired directly at Ironwood. The general was vaporized on the spot. “…uh…” Pekoms’ shades drooped, exposing his tiny, horrified eyes. “I CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY! GROWWWWWWWWLLLL…” The lion dashed beyond the hills as if he were a hedgehog.
The operatives merely stared at where Ironwood once stood. Jacques, having reached his physical and mental limit, finally passed out. “…Officers.” Cheadle began. “Arrest Jacques and every other soldier here. And place him into protective custody.”
“Yes, Chancellor.” Judy affirmed.
Weiss looked to the factory. “Weiss!” Pacifica called to her as she quickly skied to the entrance.
“I have to go, too!” Cinder joined after. “He didn’t try absorbing the Sol Emeralds… Maybe they’re still in here.”
Weiss navigated the factory until she discovered the office. The door was locked. Weiss knocked it. “HEY! Whitley! Are you in there?” No answer. Weiss stuck her nail into the keyhole and conjured an ice key, clicking it open. She peeked inside calmly. Weiss faintly heard clattering… and approached the desk. She craned her head underneath… “AH!”
“AAH!” Whitley sprung up from his fetal position.
“Whitley!”
“W-Weiss! I-I-I was, um, ahem, mrrhhf…”
“Whitley… you look terrible.”
“I, hem, well, I was up, quite a bit, o-organizing Dad’s papers, and I-I-I…”
Weiss embraced him in a hug. “Whitley… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t around more… I’m sorry we left you with… him…”
“Sorry… W-What’re you sorry for? I’ve just been made heir to Father’s company. I’ll be making billions of credits… and managing lots of… employees and… lawsuits… I…I…”
“There, there…” Weiss patted his back. “We’ll get through this together.”
Whitley made no response. The number of things that have happened today froze his expression stiff. But his sister’s love… left a speck of warmth in his heart. He hugged back.
Cinder found a room with energy-transfer tubes attached to 14 capsules. “These emeralds… were in this room. Where…Where did they go?!”
“RAKAKAKAKAKAKA!” Gruntilda was already flying away from the island, the Sol Emeralds tucked neatly in her satchel. “It’s been fun, but I’ve got to go! Grunty has her own big show! Farewell, Schnee, I knew ye well. But kiss Grunty’s green ass, she shall see you in Hell! RAAAAAAAKAKAKAAAAAAA!”
…
By that night, thousands of Galactic Army soldiers were incarcerated on Mobius, while all others retreated back to Coruscant. Haruka had gone down to help their medical experts develop cures for the enhanced Night Howlers, with Cheadle lending her knowledge as well. The chancellor was even immune to the plants, with how fortified her strength and system was. Princess Cinder was going to become the acting Queen of Sol Kingdom due to her mother’s condition.
Perhaps in better news, they found that Winter Schnee was still in Elwood City’s prison base. The city was liberated by Mobian soldiers shortly following the chaos Kokichi caused. They arrested the Ace Operatives while freeing the eldest Schnee.
Once Weiss and Whitley had been informed of this, they returned to the sky base. Winter met her siblings with a warm smile… and ran to hug them. “In the end, I just left everything to you. What kind of sister am I?”
“It’s fine, Winter.” Weiss said. “Now that we’re together… we can make Schnee Dust right again.”
“I doubt the government is gonna let us return home so easily.”
“Then we might as well get started here. We have plenty new friends to help us.”
Doomsdale
Dipper sat wistfully on the swings. It was 10:15p.m.. Under a black sky of stars, the glum neighborhood was a ghost town to the boy. Sometimes, he wondered if Mabel of Wendy’s ghosts were here… patting his shoulder. “?!” He felt a pat and turned around with a start.
“Hey.” Pacifica smiled. “Sundae Supreme?”
She brought two cones of ice cream stacked with different ingredients: vanilla, chocolate, bananas, strawberries, waffle biscuit, pretzel… “Geez, where’d you get this?”
“It’s from the Apotos islands on Mobius. Legend says even gods love it. Sounds cool… don’t it?”
“…” Dipper took a cone. Pacifica sat on the other swing as they began to eat. “Hoo, that’s… really strong.”
“Well, Mobians like food that gives them a rush.”
“I don’t think I’ll get to bed now.”
“Then let’s go do something else. What’s open this late?”
“You know how many delinquents live here? All kinds of places.”
“Let’s pick the worst one and hit it.”
“Oh, Piff…”
GKND
The “Galactic Map” zoomed in on Mobius, which had the Schnee Dust flag attached to it. The flag collapsed as the KND flag took its place. The victorious Donkey Kong music strummed again!
“And that’s another one down.” Cheren smiled. “If we push it, we could finish a 4th one before June… huh?”
He noticed the Disney flag on Planet Etheria started shaking. The flag collapsed. A Jolly Roger resembling a silver-haired man with a red eye took its place. “Huh?! That’s the White Lotus Revolutionary flag!”
“BIG NEEEEEEEWS!” Big Bird screamed on the T.V.. “Queen Angella, the Galactic Council representative of Planet Etheria, has been assassinated!”
Chapter 27: Tangle & Whisper: A Pirate Wars Side Story
Summary:
Takes place during the Pirate Wars, featuring characters from the Sonic IDW comics. Plagued by the deaths of her friends, Whisper the Wolf has grown to value her friend Tangle. All she wants is to spend every day with Tangle. To share her happiness. But when Mobius is hit with a massive invasion, Whisper's fears may come true all over again.
Notes:
This was also posted as a separate one-shot. I'm including it with the Throne Wars chapters since these characters appear in the Mobius Arc.
Chapter Text
So, I read the Sonic IDW comics… and I LOVE ’EM! They’re exactly what was missing in Sonic these past several years: suspense, dark themes, great character dynamics, great writing! And I’ve found new favorite characters in Tangle and Whisper. So much that… I’m writing a side story of them, taking place during the Pirate Wars saga of my Gameverse series. Certain events from the comics remain canon in this series while others don’t. Relevant events will be described and shown in flashbacks during this chapter. Furthermore, most of the main Sonic characters are replaced by their Nextgen Kids in those canon events. But that’ll be a separate discussion.
“Claire! Smithy! Please respond!”
Whisper ran lost within the labyrinth of Eggman’s base. Her gasps were faint and quiet, but her narrow eyes boiled with desperation.
“WHISPER!” The wolf stopped and looked at a monitor. The team’s psychic, Claire Voyance was surrounded by Shadow Androids. They focused rapid gunfire as she used her perception to dodge them. “Whisper, hel-!” A lucky bullet grazed her skull, and soon her body was riddled with them.
“Claire…” Her voice remained faint, yet her throat choked on the reality.
“GUYS!” She saw Smithy on another monitor. The muscular lion, their fearless leader, was being steadily flattened by a giant Egg Hammer. “NEED BACKUP! I NEED-” He splattered into a bloody pulp.
“Smithy…”
“Get back!” Slinger, their marksman, expertly shot at a squad of sword-wielding Shadow Androids. “There’s too many! GUYS, WHERE ARE Y-” One android got close and slice the ocelot’s head clean off.
“Slinger…”
There was one last monitor: her only other teammate… Mimic the Octopus. His gaze cold, Mimic turned away into darkness. “Mimic… why…”
“WHISPEEEEEER!”
Her heart skipped a beat as she spun around. From the other end of the corridor, an excitable lemur was running toward Whisper with the most vibrant smile, her hand and tail waving. Whisper’s eyes quivered as she glanced up… a hatch was opening on the ceiling above the lemur’s path. “Tangle… stop…”
“QUIT STANDIN’ AROUND! Let’s go kick Eggman’s big fat a-”
A silver waterfall poured over Tangle. She squirmed and gagged as it completely coated her. “Tangle… no…” Her friend’s eyes burned orange. They met Whisper with a relentless gaze. “No…no…” The metallic beast lunged at her. “NOOOO-!”
“WHISPER!”
Tangle’s upside-down face swung to-and-fro above her. “?!” In the blink of an eye… Whisper was in her bed. In their treehouse. Tangle was hanging from the support beam by her tail. “Tangle… is something the matter?”
“Uh, yeah.” Tangle sported a somewhat reprimanding cock of the eyebrow, hands folded at her hips. “It’s breakfast and you aren’t getting up to get bagels with us. Let’s get to the bakery before they give away the best ones!” Her tail unraveled as she flipped upright, bounced off Whisper’s bed, and sprinted out.
Whisper was still trying to calm her heart. That nightmare returned every other night. …That… and another nightmare.
Sector D.C.: the Diamond Cutters. She couldn’t believe it had been two years. They were the best espionage team in the Mobius Kids Next Door. Whisper looked at the photo on her bedside every morning. It was the happiest she ever looked. Unlike other sectors, they were kept a secret to all but Supreme Leader Marcus, barely having information on the KND database. This helped them stay hidden from villains like Dr. Eggman, allowing them to better do their jobs without anyone suspecting.
They were more than a sector, however: they were Whisper’s very own family. Foster children, forsaken from wherever they came from, but growing up together. How elated she looked in that photo: a 14-year-old girl, full of joy and wonder for the world. Curiosity became her at any amazing thing. Including him.
Two years ago
“Excuse me, sir…” A poor young rabbit with tattered clothes, bandaged fur, and a ripped ear walked up to a chilidog stand. “Um…can I please have a free one?” he asked with tearing eyes. “I…I lost my money…”
Though it wasn’t ethical, the vendor couldn’t say ‘no’ to a boy with his conditions. “Well… I suppose…”
But as soon as the bunny was out of sight in a dark alley… he morphed into a purple octopus Mobian with dark eyes. “Sucker.” He was about to take the first bite of his reward-
“YOU!” He flinched. There was someone behind him: a wolf girl in a black jacket. “Did you just… shapeshift?!”
“…What of it?”
“Can you do it again?!” Whisper asked ecstatically. “How did you?!”
“I’m just a Meta-Mobian.”
“Can you turn into anyone? Can you change voices?!”
He smirked and morphed into Whisper herself. “Does this answer your question?”
Whisper’s mouth popped agape, eyes bright as stars. “I have to show you to my friends!” She took his hand and raced down the alley.
“Hey! You can’t just-”
“Are you a KND operative? Do you have a job?”
“N-No!”
“That power would be SO helpful! If my friends like you, maybe you could join us!”
“What’s…ugh…”
Mimic the Octopus. Their newest recruit. Brought to them by Whisper on a whim. It might’ve been sudden, but Mimic agreed to join their cause. And for four months… he was a great and trusted friend.
“MIMIC!”
“What?!” Mimic jumped around with a start. Whisper’s expression was sunny and lively.
“Wanna go get ice cream?!”
“Why?”
“Because ice cream is yummy!”
The two would later be strolling along a clifftop road, with Whisper carefreely balancing along the stone fence. “Mimic, is there something you always wanted to be?” she asked with a lick of her vanilla ice cream.
“Where’s that coming from?” Mimic asked, carrying a Midnight Mint flavor.
“Just wonderiiiiiiing.” the wolf hummed.
“…Wanted to work in theater.”
“Oh, like movies?”
“Like plays.”
“Well, how come you aren’t?”
“’Cause the industry is picky. You’re too young to understand.”
“Well, when I grow up, I thought about being an astronaut! Going on adventures in SPACE! My favorite Wisp is the Rocket, y’know!”
“Can’t the KND do that whenever?” She’s 13, why does she act like she’s eight?
“I know, but like, most of the time, we’re—wuh, wuh,” she lost balance, “WAAAAAH!”
Mimic, his expression in panic, grabbed Whisper’s free hand and pulled her down. “Well, you don’t have a sense of gravity, that’s for sure.”
“You saved meeeeeeee!”
“Just stay down here.” Her family never would’ve let him get away if she fell.
…
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WHISPER!”
“Ha ha ha ha!” The wolf was giggling as her family brought out the poundcake. “Guys, you shouldn’t have!”
After she blew out her candles, Smithy presented her first gift. “Oooooo! A new Wispon?!”
“Not just any Wispon: the Variable Wispon. I tested it to work with multiple different Color Cells. There are some it can’t work with, but I think it more than suffices.”
“Wait, was this that secret project you were working on?! You’re giving it to ME?!”
“I mean, we already let you play with ours.” Slinger said. “And you’re a natural with them. You deserve more up your belt. You’re a girl of many talents!”
“Wow…” Whisper excitedly took the weapon, examining the revolver of batteries already inside it. “I can’t wait to try it out!”
“Mimic, didn’t you get her anything?” Claire asked, chuckling.
“I… Well, I wasn’t sure what she liked; I’ve only been here a month and a half.”
“It’s fine, Mimic.” Whisper smiled. “Just having you here is enough!”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah! You’ve been such a big help to us! Ever since you joined us, you’ve had our backs! You’re the best gift I could’ve asked for!”
There was nothing but truth in her words. Whisper never would’ve thought anything else. For four months, they smiled together. Four months… before Whisper realized her greatest mistake.
Supreme Leader Marcus McCloud had never seen such despair. Such horror on a single person’s face. “Whisper…” Her eyes were bloodshot. Her breath was faint. “Whisper… what happened?”
“. . . . . . . . .” Whisper slowly pulled out a report and gave it to Marcus. The fox read it… and his eyes dilated. “Whisper… I’m…”
“…want to…be alone…” Quivering, Whisper turned and weakly stepped out of the room.
“Whisper!” Marcus reached for her… but stopped himself. “…Yes… of course.”
Whisper hid herself for a month. Hid in a special sanctuary her teammates held dear.
In the sewers beneath Sunset Heights, where their foster home once stood, there was a certain brick wall with a diamond drawing. That wall could be pushed open, leading into a secret tunnel with lush, alien flora. And at the end of that tunnel… the Hidden Wisp Colony.
She and her family had discovered it during their childhood adventures. A vast and beautiful cavern full of colorful, spirit-like aliens. They had migrated to Mobius decades ago, after Sonic the Hedgehog befriended them. Many of them flocked around Mobius and became companions to friendly citizens. From their energy, the KND crafted Wispons, designed to use their powers via Color Batteries. But while the Wisps lent their energy to the KND, they preferred to stay out of battle themselves and live in peace. This secret sanctuary was their home.
The Diamond Cutters told no one of this place. Not only did they have a surplus of Color Power for their Wispons, but it was a pleasant place to return and relax. To Whisper… this was her only place of comfort for two years. The Wisps, seeing the distraught in the wolf’s eyes, orbited around her. They felt it: her despair. Anger. Pain. As she collapsed in a corner, burying her face in her hands, the Wisps took turns nuzzling up to her. She welcomed their support. Though she couldn’t bring herself to say anything, they understood what had happened. And they would offer whatever she needed, batteries or otherwise.
But while the Wisps were there for her, they weren’t complex creatures. They couldn’t truly fathom the depths of her feelings. Neither could she, to an extent. They would only watch, distraught, as Whisper shook and fussed in her sleeping mat, muttering to herself. Tortured by voices in her head. Cursing her.
“It’s your fault, Whisper!” Smithy yelled. “You should’ve been with us!” Slinger yelled. “You let that stranger into our team!” Claire yelled. “Why do YOU get to live?!”
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” The Wisps were nervous to huddle around her. By nature, they were spirits of good and positive energy. Evil energy could be poisonous. Well, nothing about Whisper’s heart was evil… but it had been poisoned by evil just the same. That was all the more reason they had to try and warm her. “Bring them back… Please bring them back… Chaos… Gaia… Gods… I want them back…I want them back!”
Whisper desperately hoped it was a nightmare… but she wasn’t waking up. She would only exhaust herself into sleep and continue to be cursed. See Mimic’s vicious scowl. See their bodies lying dead. She could barely stomach the food the Wisps brought. Why was she allowing herself to live? Why would they want her to live?
As those thoughts plagued her… Whisper knew what she had to do. To punish herself. She had to continue the fight on her own.
“Whisper?” Marcus gasped when she had finally returned to his office, her mask hiding her face.
“…I’m ready to return to active duty.” Her voice had gone quiet and her vibrance dead.
“Whisper… I…” Marcus looked on in great concern. “Are you… okay?”
“I’m… fine… I need… to carry on… the mission…”
“Whisper…” Marcus approached. “Talk to me.”
Whisper repelled him with her Wispon. “Please… give me… a mission.”
Whisper couldn’t get close to anyone. She didn’t deserve anyone. She became a solo operative, taking on stealth missions or supporting other sectors on group joints. In doing so, she gained a bit of popularity. Other kids started calling her “The Guardian Angel of the Battlefield.” A dramatic nickname… and undeserving. And although other ops tried to chat with her, she refused to be part of a true team again.
“Hey!” Charlie Bee flew up to her high vantage. “I saw you sniping those Badniks! That was cool! What’s your name?” Whisper turned and walked away, leaving the bee disappointed.
“Howdy!” Sonia, a pink hedgehog in red and purple gear, greeted. She was accompanied by her green brother, Manic. “Couldn’t help notice ya by your lonesome over here.”
“You got some rad equipment.” Manic said. “Never saw a Wispon that uses more than one Color Power. Who are ya?”
“…W…Whisper.” She walked away at a quick pace.
“What, was I too loud?” Manic asked.
“I dunno.” Sonia frowned. “‘Guess she’s just one of those… lone wolfs.”
Her mask, which had been a treasured memento of her team, she would keep wearing at all times, doing whatever she could to contain her feelings. It was also a reminder: its recording function was linked to all the masks her team wore. With it, she would remind herself of their deaths. Of her mistake. A reminder to never forget… and never forgive. Not herself. Not Mimic. She would never be happy again. She would never trust. She would only fight.
Things changed when she met her.
August 8, last year
“Hi there!” The fluffy-tailed lemur spritely greeted her in the middle of battle. The KND were defending Angel Island from Eggman’s fleet, but amidst the heated combat, she was ecstatic. “My name’s Tangle!” She wore a short yellow top over a black, sleeveless tracksuit, equipped with fingerless gloves and yellow sneakers with white laces. The backs of her gloves had orange pads, with yellow wrapping along the arms beneath them. Her fur had segments of light- and dark-gray, but more prominent was her large, spiky-ended tail.
“H’lo.” Whisper was keeping her Wispon trained on the incoming robot platoon.
Tangle, meanwhile, was fighting back a squadron charging in from Whisper’s back. The lemur’s tail could stretch great lengths, fast and powerful enough to shatter the robots. “What’s your name?”
“…Whisper.”
“Huh? Why?” Tangle whispered.
She sighed, “My name is Whisper. Please focus.”
“Haha, okay! Nice to meetcha, Whisper! Don’t worry, I got ya covered!”
…
“WOOOOOOO! WE WON!” Tangle was the first to start celebrating their victory. “WE DID GREAT, WHISPER!” She embraced the wolf in a hug.
Whisper pushed her away with her Wispon. “Boundaries.”
“C’mon, it’s a victory hug!”
“Please mind my personal space.”
“Okay, okay. Well, do you wanna get snacks later? Or pizza? My treat!”
“N-No, thanks.”
“Okay…” Tangle bowed her head sadly.
From those two interactions, Whisper could tell what kind of person Tangle was. Quick to make friends, regardless if they’re strangers, excited to help her fellow operatives, thrilled to kick enemy butt. It reminded Whisper of herself… before her mistake.
It would be fate that Whisper and Tangle wound up meeting again.
August 20
Whisper finally found him. Determined to bring Mimic to justice at last, she chased him to Spiral Hill. However, he had disguised himself as Sonia, who was already popular to the townsfolk. And what luck this would happen to be Tangle’s hometown.
“SONIA!” Tangle grabbed the fake hedgehog as he was hopping roofs. “Why is Whisper chasing you?!”
“Huh?” Mimic was confused. This girl knew Whisper? Was she an operative? “Er, she’s been brainwashed! A control device in her mask! You have to stop her!”
Tangle gasped. As “Sonia” made her escape, Tangle engaged and scuffled with Whisper. The wolf was swift despite her heavy gear, even managed to knock Tangle off her feet—but the lemur successfully snatched her mask off with her tail. “HA HA! I SAVED you!”
Whisper growled. “Give it back.”
“No! We have to get rid of the mind control thingy!”
“He tricked you.”
“‘He’? That was Sonia!”
“That was Mimic! He’s a shapeshifter!” Whisper’s frustration boiled with each clarity.
“W-What?”
Whisper jumped and snatched the mask back during Tangle’s confusion. She armed herself and skimmed the townsfolk, Wispon aimed. “He got away. Or is he disguised? Could be any one of…”
“H-Hey!” A villager pointed. “Is she gonna shoot us?!”
“Where’d Sonia go?! Someone help!”
“TANGLE! Stop her!”
Whisper bit her lip and dropped her aim. “WAIT!” Tangle jumped upfront. “There’s a misunderstanding! She’s not bad, she’s a friend!”
The townsfolk murmured confusedly. Even Whisper was baffled: already addressing her as a friend when they were only, briefly comrades? “C’mon!” Tangle wrapped Whisper in her tail to help her jump down safely. “Let’s go in the museum! The curator’s my friend, too!”
Tangle kicked open the museum door. “HEY, JEWEL!”
“TANGLE!” A beetle Mobian, Jewel wore a pink French blazer and navy tights. Her skin was a beautiful blue with an iridescent, rainbowy sheen. “What’s going on, who is that?!”
“This is Whisper! We fought robots together! Whisper, this is Jewel, she’s my bestest friend! But we’ll save the introductions for later! Whisper, who were you really chasing?”
Whisper had no choice. She would still try to keep her past buried, but she divulged the basics. “He’s a shapeshifting supervillain. Been tracking him for a while. Responsible for a string of robberies and other crimes. Framing other people. Finally had him near this village. Can’t let him get away.”
“Alright then! Let’s go catch this creep!” Tangle fist-palmed.
“No.” Whisper said firmly. “This is my mission.”
“The heck it is! He ran through my hometown! I’m an operative, too, y’know! I’m going to help you!”
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“I don’t care! Besides, it’s my fault he got away, so I have to help! Please!”
Whisper grunted, stomping a few feet away. So stubborn… So irritating… So passionate… Tangle didn’t know anything about her. Why was she so determined to help? Whisper couldn’t let her. She couldn’t…
…But in her closed eyes, she saw them. Her family. Their expressions… weren’t of scorn or regret. They were of empathy and hope. Hope that Whisper could move on. Why… did she see them like this? She turned back to Tangle. Her hands were folded, orchid eyes pleading. She really wanted to help Whisper. Someone she barely knew. And… there was a desire in the pit of Whisper’s heart… that wanted to take the chance. “…Fine.”
“HEE-HEE-HYEEEAAAAHHH!” Tangle jumped and propped one foot on a chair, and the other on a desk. “Let no Eggman crony—robot or otherwise—sleep well tonight! Because Tangle and Whisper are on the case!”
Whisper sighed. She hoped she wouldn’t regret this.
Lucky for Tangle, and perhaps unlucky for herself, Whisper’s personal aircraft had a passenger seat. “Ohhhhh, man!” Tangle drawled, breaking the once peace and quiet of flight. “I’m on a mission! With the mysterious Guardian Angel! Haha, that’s what the others call you! They say you show up for battle… then disappear…” she spoke the last part in a whisper. “So, this is super cool!”
Whisper sighed. She was already regretting this. “So, what can this ship do?” Tangle asked.
“Cloak.”
“Can it shoot lasers? Change into a car? A robot?!”
“No. Built for stealth.”
“Did you make it yourself?”
“No.” Smithy did.
“Well, it’s still super neat! I don’t really like tight spaces, but as long as there’s air flow. The seat’s pretty cushy, too!” She shuffled her rump. “Whoever made this did great!”
Whisper felt a tickle in her heart. She could see Smithy blushing in gratitude. “…Thanks.”
Upon reaching the cliff above Mimic’s hideout, Whisper crouched, aiming her Wispon as she scanned the area. “Sneaky sneaky sneaky…” Tangle hummed as she tiptoed. Whisper face-planted against the ground.
Tangle wasn’t built for this. Whisper would soon learn. Despite knowing what she was up against, Tangle was helpless to Mimic’s trickery. And so was she herself.
“You know I can change form.” Mimic smirked, wearing Tangle’s face. “You didn’t think I could make myself look damaged?”
Whisper blasted him with a Burst Cell, blowing Mimic into a stack of crates. “Where… is she?!” Whisper asked through grit teeth.
“What? You mean this pretty face? What’re you palling around with an amateur for, anyway? Didn’t you learn your lesson?”
He morphed into Smithy as Whisper shuddered. “You left us to DIE, Whisper!” He became Claire. “Why weren’t you with us?! We needed you!” Into Slinger. “And now you’re letting that innocent girl die for you?!”
“STOP IT!” Whisper bashed him with a Blue Hammer.
Mimic hacked blood and ink as he morphed into Tangle. “But you can still save her before she runs out of air. Good luck getting out before the bombs explode. Hahahahahaha!”
She bit her lip. She had to stop this monster… she couldn’t let him get away, but…
Whisper bolted back into the hallway and found a safe. She pulled it open—Tangle collapsed out of it. “HUUUUUUUFF! Sweet oxygen!”
“WARNING! Self-destruct in five seconds!”
Whisper panicked. It couldn’t end like this! He couldn’t get away! She couldn’t let Tangle die for her mistake! Tangle glanced at the safe, took a courageous breath, and, “In here!” threw Whisper inside. She jumped in herself and pulled it shut with her tail. “Sorry, boundaries, I know!”
Miraculously, the safe went flying across the field, propelled by the explosion, and flew open upon landing. Regardless, the entire experience only proved Whisper right. Bringing Tangle was a mistake for every reason. She had to be firm.
“Go home, Tangle.”
“Okay, I know I messed up, but it won’t happen again! I promise!”
“I said go.”
“No, I swear! I’ll stay with you the whole time, so he can’t trick either of us!”
“You’re not coming. That’s final.”
“Look, I’m strong, Whisper! I trained! Maybe I’m not as good as you, but I can help!”
“That’s not the point.”
“But you can’t go after this guy alone! Please, you have to give me another chance! Let me prove that I’m not a failure!”
Biting her lip, Whisper threw her tearing eyes in Tangle’s direction. “I WON’T LOSE ANOTHER FRIEND!”
Tangle fell silent. …Even Whisper was stunned by the words that escaped her mouth. Another friend. …Whisper couldn’t deny it. Despite the antics… Despite the overt friendliness… Despite the mistakes… she had enjoyed Tangle’s company. There was just something about her… that same ‘something’ that made Whisper take the risk of bringing her. What?
Whisper shut her eyes and turned away. Tangle, eyes warm with sympathy, gently touched her shoulder. “Whisper, I wanna help you with this. But I can’t unless you tell me who this guy is. Why he knows you. And…and what he did to hurt you. Please?”
She couldn’t. The truth was too painful to share. Not with Whisper’s own words, anyway. …And even now, Whisper didn’t want to turn her away. So… she showed her. Whisper turned her mask and placed it over Tangle’s face. With her voice command, it started from the earliest video.
“These masks are more than a way to analyze and record.” Smithy spoke. “When we’re out there, we’re one. We’ll stop Eggman from the shadows, one base at a time.”
“Who…Who are these guys?” Tangle asked.
“…My old sector. The Diamond Cutters.”
“WOW, you guys look so cool!”
“…Thanks.” she spoke in a lower whisper.
And within that next hour… Tangle saw it all. Their unbreakable bond. Their strong teamwork. Their love. “Hahahahaha!” Tangle would laugh at their jokes. “Woohoooooo!” Cheer at their victories. Like a kid watching their favorite show, Tangle sat with such engagement. “Yaaaaaaaay, Whisper’s birthday!” She clapped giddily and swung her feet. Whisper watched her… as her own heart pulsed with anxiety.
…Then, Tangle’s fur began to stand. Her body shuddered. She gasped. She choked. From Claire’s own eyes, she was shot in the skull. From Smithy’s, she was squished into paste. From Slinger’s, her head fell and hit the floor, blood spilling on the lens. From Mimic’s… he was earning his pay from Eggman. And smashing his mask with his hammer. And from Whisper’s… she was gagging and crying.
Tangle took it off. Whisper saw herself… in those crying orchid eyes. Her pain. Her tears. Everything Whisper felt in that moment… was shared with Tangle. As if she were there as well, as if they were also her family, Tangle cried. “Whisper…I-I’m…I can’t believe…sniff…”
“…” Whisper closed her eyes and turned away. “That was almost two years ago. You’re the first friend… I’ve allowed myself to have since then.”
“…huuuuuff…aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” Tangle still needed time. Time to cry and burn out the emotions. “AAAAAHHHHHHH…” The field was empty. Stars glimmered in the moonlit heaven. Tangle’s sadness enveloped the night. Sadness that should belong to Whisper. Pain that she should’ve kept to herself. Because of her… another heart would be ruined.
With a strong wipe of her tears and a deep whiff of her nose… resolve burned in her pupils. “You were right. I didn’t know what I was dealing with.”
Whisper bowed. She knew the truth would be too hard for her. Her cheerfulness and openness wasn’t ready for this pain.
“…He’s not just a villain. He’s a traitor. And a monster. I need to stop him.”
Whisper looked up at her with a gasp. Tangle seemed different now. Her eyes were an ocean of feelings: anger, compassion, confidence, tenderness… all of it spiraled into one. She was different… and yet, the same. This was the true Tangle. “Whisper.” She extended a hand. “I’m ready this time. I know how he works. I know we can beat him.”
“…He nearly killed us.”
“Yeah. So, he gets double the payback. I may not’ve known you for long, Whisper, but you’re my friend, too. And nobody hurts my friends.”
From that moment, Whisper felt something she hadn’t in a long time: courage. Faith. Trust. She took Tangle’s hand… and without warning, pulled the lemur into a hug. “Thank you.”
Tangle was blindsided. This same girl who denied their first hug with boundaries… She could tell this was a hard choice for Whisper. She couldn’t imagine how much she was truly suffering. But Tangle was determined not to betray this trust. She smiled and returned the hug. “See? I knew you liked it.”
The mission was done. Mimic was defeated. Imprisoned. Justice was served. And thus began a new horizon.
“So, Whisper… what’re you gonna do now?” Tangle asked as dawn brightened the sky.
“Report to Marcus. Then I…I suppose I’ll await my next mission. …Want to come with?”
“Come with? Y’mean… you want me to come on another mission?”
“Well… you’ve… shown to be an excellent fighter. And teammate. I, um…” Whisper tensed up nervously. Tangle’s heart was racing, as if this were somehow an esteemed honor. “Then again, you said you liked to jump between sectors. And you’d prefer explorations over stealth.”
“No no no, I’d love to!” Whisper looked up in surprise. “Yeah, I know I like to hang out with other sectors, but… I really liked working with you Whisper. And… I wanna get to know you more.” The wolf bowed her head, blushing. “But first, I wanna head home and get some rest. And I need to clear up that misunderstanding with the townspeople. But I hope you come visit me later today! I can give you the grand tour! And properly introduce you to Jewel! So… see you around!” Tangle held the end of her tail before Whisper, shaped into a fist.
“…’kay.” Whisper knuckle-touched it. The action set her heart aflutter. “See you around.”
Fulfilling her promise, Whisper would get to know Spiral Village proper… and even help save it from a band of sky pirates. “I think my town is just invasion-prone,” Tangle would admit.
The following day, Marcus contacted Whisper in her ship. “We’ve heard of suspicious activity at the abandoned Chemical Plant near West Side Island. Could you go investigate it, Whisper?”
“Copy. Allow me to contact my partner first.”
Marcus blinked. His eyes flickered with delight. “As you wish.”
At the Chemical Plant, thugs were hauling vats of pink chemicals from the basement into their submarine. “Huh?!” A fluffy tail shot down, wrapped the vat up, and snatched it out of his arms. Whisper then dropped down and swiftly bonked him senseless. Another guard rushed to check on him—the same tail muffled and raised him off the floor, squeezing him against the airduct until he passed out. Tangle sported a grin and thumbs-up at her partner. Whisper smirked and returned the gesture.
Present
Now, she and that same lemur were in the same treehouse. Tangle would usually be the first thing she would see in the morning.
…And Whisper couldn’t have been more happy.
Whisper washed her face and brushed her biscotti fur of ruffles. She donned her black combat attire; jacket, boots, gloves, and knee-padded pants, complete with her scoping mask and Wispon. She then walked out to the living room.
“Hey, Whisper.” Lanolin the Sheep greeted with a smile. She wore green combat pants, an orange top, boots, and fingerless gloves. Most distinct was her golden cowbell. “How’d you sleep?”
“…Fine.”
“She looked a little sweaty though.” Tangle said with a scratch of her noggin. “Did we have the heat turned up too much?”
“It felt fine to me. In any case… who’s hungry?”
“I AM!” Tangle sprung with her tail, shooting her fists out with a full flip.
The trio climbed down to Spiral Hill Village and soon had warm bagels in their mouths. “Mmmmmmmmmmmm, banana nuts!” Tangle’s orchid-purple eyes were gleaming. “So good! Whisper, wanna try a bite?”
“Hmm…I guess.” She took a break from her salt bagel to bite part of Tangle’s. She barely had the mentality to compliment the taste. From the walk down to the village or the bakery, Whisper remained lost in memories.
Last September
“Whisper.” Marcus’s image appeared on her ship’s screen. “There’ve been Badnik sightings in Spagonia, and we suspect they’re culminating down in the waterways. Could you go and investigate?”
“Understood. Allow me to-”
“You wanna go get Tangle first?” Marcus asked as his expression picked up subtly.
“Y-Yes. Would that be a problem?”
“Not at all! You two have shown exemplary results so far.”
It was true that Marcus offered to listen. She understood that he was very worried about her. But Whisper had convinced herself she was undeserving. Perhaps she may have found this kinship with other friendly operatives if she only tried. Even so, she was glad fate brought her to Tangle. She could tell that Marcus was pleased that she finally found a reliable partner.
The journeys between missions were quiet in her small ship, the Diamond Knife, save for the engines humming. But now there was another humming. “Hm, hmm hmm, hmm~ Mmm, mMmMm, hmmmmmmm~” Tangle’s feet were propped on the back of Whisper’s chair.
“That a song?” Whisper felt like asking.
“Hm? Ah, nah. I just make up whatever comes.” Tangle said in an airheaded manner. “You like music?”
“Hmm…not particularly. Usually quiet songs, if any.”
“Want me to quit?”
“No.” Whisper smiled beneath her mask. “It’s nice.”
Tangle’s heart fluttered. “HMMMM HM! HM HM!” She hummed with more enthusiasm. “MmmMMmmMM! MM-HM!”
…
The partners navigated the robot-infested waterways with caution and quiet steps. Though Tangle would occasionally stick her tongue out at unwary robots and make silly “sneaky” poses, she was able to stay in sync with Whisper and keep out of sight.
“Tangle.” Whisper spoke as they located a large device strapped to a pillar. “It’s a bomb.”
“What? Don’t tell me…”
“There must be others stationed on more posts. They plan to collapse the aqueduct.”
“But that’s gonna… take out a huge chunk of town, right?”
“Yes. I’m no explosives expert, but… I may have an idea to stop it.”
“Yeah?”
“It seems electrically charged. If I use Ivory Cells and apply the right output, I may be able to short it out without exploding it. But the robots will swarm me as soon as I start.”
“Then leave it to me!” Tangle smirked, balling her fist. “There aren’t that many! No robot’s laying metal on my buddy. And no one will stop us…” She rubbed hands together with ravenous eyes, “from trying that Spagonia pizza!”
“…Hm!” As if her courage and confidence were contagious, Whisper smirked as well.
Though Whisper was concerned by her antics at first, Tangle had proven her wrong. She knew how to adapt and stay alert in a situation. She could trust Tangle with her back. And when a mission was over, they would celebrate.
“And I wrapped the plane’s wing with my tail,” Tangle said with a mouthful of pizza, “and SNAPPED it right off!”
“Hmhm.” Whisper lightly chuckled from her demeanor. “It really is impressive. Does that power run in the family?”
“Only my mom. She got a whiff of Bang Gas way back, and the power just spread to me.”
“Well, I can see you’ve trained very well. I wouldn’t have guessed you’ve only been an operative for three months.”
“Haha!” Tangle wasn’t just delighted by the praise. She was delighted to have a conversation with Whisper like this. Before the Mimic mission, her sentences were small and sparse. Now they felt like true friends and peers, sharing stories. “…Hey, Whisper…” Tangle began with a softer expression. “Could you tell me more about the Diamond Cutters?” Whisper frowned with a small gasp. “I-I’m sorry.” Tangle quickly caught her reaction. “It’s just… Well, they look so cool, and… I wanna know more about them. But, you don’t have to, if it’s too hard. I’m sorry.”
“…” She was considerate, but her curiosity was strong. She truly wanted to know Whisper’s family. To know the people that she loved. Whisper was glad to share. “Slinger loved juggling. Even did cool tricks with his Wispon.” Tangle propped her head on her hands, her eyes bright with engagement. “Claire, of course, loved playing with tarot cards and doing fortunes with them.”
“Hey, kind of like Sonia and Manic’s mom. I bet she would’ve loved her.”
Whisper giggled. “And Smithy loved doing math. He was very good with tech, too. He actually had a job at a mechanic’s shop, so he supported us a lot. But we wanted to help raise money, too, so they showed off their talents on the street.”
“What about you?”
“I was just the poster girl. I yelped and yelled for people to come look at us.”
“Hehehe. It’s… kind of hard to imagine you doing that.”
Whisper blushed. “I was… different back then.”
Tangle frowned a bit. Whisper started another slice of pizza. “Man, now I really wish I got to meet ’em. Why didn’t my parents ever take me to Sunset Heights?”
Whisper’s smile returned. “They would’ve loved you, too, Tangle.”
Tangle fidgeted in embarrassment. “…Well, yeah! I mean, I just helped you save a whole town after all! Haha! Imagine what they’re saying now! ‘That’s our Whisper!’ ‘Best sister ever!’ ‘Man, that Tangle kid’s got moves! Whisper found herself a good partner there!’”
Whisper let out soft laughs. Seeing her expression brightened Tangle’s day. She wrapped her cola glass in her tail and raised it. “To our partnership, Whisper! And to the Diamond Cutters!”
Whisper picked up her glass and tapped it to Tangle’s. “Hear-hear.” They finished their sides of the pizza with greater vigor.
Perhaps this was Tangle’s talent in making friends at work. She was certainly popular with the big operatives. Though Whisper wasn’t quite ready for that attention.
Two days after the Spagonia mission, the duo made a mad dash from an exploding Eggman supply depot. “HA HA!” Tangle laughed. “That’s what he gets for puttin’ all those bombs in one place!”
“Heads up.” Whisper skid to a halt and turned. “Survivors. Fifteen of them.” Badniks were headed after them out of the flames.
“What do ya think? Those small fries worth our time?”
“Fifteen less Badniks to threaten the world.”
“Then let’s bust ’em up and grab us some chilidogs!”
An hour later, they delivered their report directly. “Heh, didja see the look on Marcus’s face?” Tangle smirked as they walked away from his office. “I think I’m becomin’ one of his favorites.”
“Hmhm.” Whisper smirked as well. “He certainly seems to enjoy your reports.”
“TANGLE!” Sonia and Princess Cinder rushed up to them. Cinder was a silver cat in high heels.
“So, you really ARE acquainted with the Guardian Angel.” Cinder said.
“Yeah, I am!” Tangle beamed, Whisper shirking in shyness. “Whisper’s the BEST!” She put an arm around the wolf, drawing an embarrassed blush. “Like, on the mission just now, she got WHAMMED in the head by a Shield Pawn, took it like a champ! She was blastin’ ’em between the eyes like, ‘pew, pew, pew’!”
“You’ll have to tell us all about it!” Sonia said cheerily. “Us and the guys’re gonna hit Casinopolis. Why don’t you two join us?”
“Heck yeah! C’mon, Whisper! You can even tell ’em that funny joke! Y’know, the one about the-” Whisper walked away. “…toaster? Hey!”
She slowed to a halt as Tangle followed her. “I’m sorry, Tangle. I don’t really like being center of attention. Or being put on the spot.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Let’s just… go do something. Just the two of us!”
Whisper glanced back. Both at Tangle and the two behind her. “It’s fine. You can spend time with your other friends, Tangle. Don’t let me keep you.”
“No! I mean… I don’t wanna leave you alone, Whisper. You deserve friends as much as I do.”
She deserved friends? Not even Whisper would tell herself that. She didn’t want to be alone either… but she didn’t want to keep Tangle from her friends. Whisper took a breath and backtracked to the cat and hedgehog. “…um… it’s a Sonic toaster. Why did it break?”
Sonia and Cinder exchanged a quizzical glance. “Why?” asked Sonia.
“…It got stuck between the cogs. A crumb did.”
“…” There was a moment of confused silence. Then, Sonia’s expression brightened. “OOOOOHHH! I GET IT! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
“PAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Tangle keeled over laughing, kicking the air erratically. Cinder could only shake her head in confusion and disbelief. Whisper cracked an awkward grin as her blush widened.
…
“Sho, like,” Tangle spewed burger crumbs out as she talked between chews. They sat opposite sides of a table at the Station Square Burger Shop. “They shay Sheila Frantic is the strongest operative on Earth, but she’s Captain Marine’s daughter! She shoulda been on Mobius!” Tangle dipped a handful of fries in ketchup and shoved them in her mouth. “That meansh if we had her, we’d be WAY stronger!”
Whisper cringed at her demeanor. Tangle just loved to talk, even with a full mouth. Even so, Whisper loved hearing her ramble. “I guess that’s true.”
Tangle washed her food down with a strawberry smoothie. “But Whisper… here’s somethin’ you didn’t expect: didja know my parents were explorers?”
“Really? So, that’s why?”
“Yep! They took me on some of their trips! But sometimes, they left me home for Jewel to babysit. Then, when I was 11… my parents left on a trip… and never came back.”
Whisper gasped. “Yeah.” Tangle’s eyes fell, but she kept her smile. “When I realized that, I got pretty sad. They never even told me where they were going. Just ‘somewhere dangerous.’ I wanna think they’re still alive, but…”
“…I’m sorry, Tangle.”
“Thanks. But, even then…” She felt nervous to say it, knowing Whisper’s history. “I kept doing what I loved. I love exploring, getting in danger… and I joined the KND to have even greater adventures! After I’m done seein’ all the places of Mobius, I wanna see what else is out there! I wanna know what cool things and people other worlds have!”
Whisper smiled. She wished she could muster that same passion. “You really reach for the stars, Tangle.”
“Hey, you should come with! I bet you’d LOVE to visit Planet Wisp, right?”
“Well… yes. That’s been in the back of my mind.”
“Haha! So, let’s go someday! Christmas or something, it’ll be great!” Tangle slurped her smoothie.
Whisper giggled and slurped her vanilla one. “Oh!” She winced. She flushed and held her head. “Brain freeze. Ho…”
“Hehehe! You always were cool-headed, Whisper.”
“Ehhh…” Whisper smiled in disbelief.
…
“Say, Whisper. When’s your birthday?” Tangle would ask on their next hangout. “I gotta know when to get you something.”
She cracked a chuckle. “Well, no one really knows my birthday. But… the foster home said they got me on August 15. So, we pretend it’s that day.”
“Huh…WAIT! That was practically when we first met! That was your BIRTHDAY?!”
“It’s fine, Tangle. I don’t celebrate anym-”
“NO! UNACCEPTABLE!” Tangle was burning with passion. “I’m making you a cake! I know you like poundcake, but what frosting do you like, what toppings?!”
Whisper sighed. Tangle was determined to do this… and deep down, Whisper wanted it. “I like… vanilla frosting… with sprinkles.” They reminded her of Wisps. “And strawberries around it.” Tangle’s favorite food.
“You got it! And, I know you don’t like social situations, but at the very least, I wanna invite Jewel over. But I’m hoping, next year, we can have a bigger party! Is that fine?”
“Hehe. Yes, Tangle. It’s fine.”
It was the smallest, simplest birthday party Whisper could’ve expected… but it melted her heart. Just as the cake melted in her mouth. Tangle’s cooking was casual and hardly professional, but Whisper would always look forward to it. So delicious.
“And… here’s my gift!” Tangle presented.
“A picture frame?”
“Yeah. You know, that… photo you keep around. Thought you could put it in.”
The photo of her family, and even their favorite Wisps. It had gotten rather wrinkled, keeping it in its case. Mimic was part of it, too. It still stung her to see him in it. And yet… she didn’t want to snip it out either. Not because it was a reminder… though she couldn’t really determine the reason. “…Thank you.”
…
Whisper returned to the Wisp Colony that night. While Tangle was probably tucking herself in at Spiral Hill. As she lay on her mat, propping the framed photo up on a rock, the Wisps gravitated, delighted by her blissful expression. “(Whisper looks happier today!)” they muttered in their language. “(Was it that new friend of hers? When’re we gonna meet her? What did she do today?)”
Indeed… what cheerful things would Tangle say tomorrow? What silly antics would she do? What would they eat tomorrow? For once in her life… she wanted to sleep so tomorrow could come.
…
“AAAAHHH, I CAN’T SLEEP!” Tangle shouted excitedly, thrusting fists at a punching bag and jumping on the bed. “What cool mission will we go on?! What food should I bring her?! What’ll we talk about?! Can tomorrow get here any FASTER?!” Her phone rang. “IS THAT HER NOW?!” She answered it in a split second. “Oh! Hey, Jewel!”
“Tangle… the entire village can hear you. Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Only 12:20! Oh, since you’re up, I never got a chance to tell you about that mission the other day!”
“That’s quite alright, you can-”
“So, me and Whisper broke into an Eggman weapons depot, and she hitched a ride on a Motobug and shot a bunch of other ones, but a Shield Pawn jumped out and…” Jewel groaned in her bed.
Whisper could never have imagined a greater friend. That she was allowed to have such a friend. For those two months, every day was wonderful. She felt the nightmares leaving her… and finally, she could see hope in her future.
…Until the Silver Rain fell.
November
Whisper could still hear the screaming. Billions of people. Crying as their world ended. So many begging for help… only to be abandoned because the plague already touched them.
To Tangle and Whisper, it was another mission: help as many people evacuate to the shuttles as possible. Their enemies were thousands of Zombots; poor souls that had been corrupted by the plague, even from a single touch of the cursed metal. It was their most horrifying mission, yet: one touch would be the end of them. But even through all the screams and chaos, they showed no fear. Whisper, ever focused. Tangle, ever courageous. Together, ever strong. Yes. As long as they were together, they would survive this nightmare. Together.
If Whisper had just locked that in her mind, she could’ve avoided her second biggest mistake.
The plague had reached Spiral Hill. “Whisper, I’m gonna go check on Jewel! Just stay on the roof and keep Zombots away from the entrance!”
“Okay.” Whisper nodded.
“Be right back!” Tangle raced off. And Whisper, like always, trusted her word.
‘Don’t let her go.’ She should’ve told herself. ‘Go with her!’ her future self was yelling. A future self that would exist in mere minutes.
The evacuation was a failure. Whisper and her comrades returned to the shuttle without a single survivor. Wait… there was one less person with them. “…Where is Tangle?” she asked Sonia.
“…She got infected.” the hedgehog replied solemnly. “She’s staying behind.”
Whisper’s heart stopped. No… it felt that time stopped around her. As she processed the sentence. The reality. Those billions of Zombots… heartless creatures void of love and life, claiming the people they once were… Tangle was about to be one of them. Everything that she was… every piece of her that made Whisper smile… They were leaving her behind. Leaving… her… behind…
“TANGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEE!”
“STOP!” Manic grabbed Whisper, struggling to restrain the desperate wolf. “Sonia! Help!”
“I can’t!”
“LET ME GO! I NEED TO SAVE HER! I NEED TO! TANGLE!” Whisper’s throat nearly burst from her volume.
“YOU CAN’T!” Sonia shouted. “There’s nothing we can do! We have to get out of here!”
“LEMMEGO!” Her voice grew more rushed, high-pitched, and incomprehensible. “NEEDSAVEHER! NEEDTANGLE!”
And yet, Tangle was fearless. “COME ON!” She punched the Zombots back without mercy. “You’re my neighbors! You KNOW I’m not gonna let you pass! You won’t hurt ANYBODY! You’re all gonna get CURED! Whoa!” A bunch of them piled around her out of the entrance. She stretched her tail—“YEEK!” but it was cold stiff. “Welp, that hurts!” She leapt across the Zombots’ heads to reach the front of the crowd outside the gate. “NOPE! Still FIGHTING!”
Just as she came into view, the shuttle sealed. “TANGLE, GET TO THE SHIP! GET TO THE SHIP!” Whisper banged the glass with all that she could muster.
“Send a million!” Tangle showered with enthusiasm as the Metal Virus consumed the remaining inches of her body. “Send a billion! I’M NOT SCARED! BECAUSE THE GOOD GUYS ALWAYS WIN IN THE END!”
And just as the village was shrinking out of view… Whisper saw Tangle freeze. Her will finally dissolved. “NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!” Whisper collapsed on the floor. Her comrades, even throughout this nightmare, had never seen this much agony from a single person. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Whisper banged the floor furiously. “AH! AH! AH! AAAAAHHHH!”
She didn’t care how pointless her tantrum was. She knew screaming wouldn’t accomplish anything. But what else was she supposed to do when all of her joy and hope was taken away in the blink of an eye? She would never again eat Tangle’s cooking. Never go on a mission with her. Never tell her more about the Diamond Cutters. Never listen to her babble on about the cool mission they’d just been on. These were the realities awakening in Whisper’s mind.
Should’ve been with her—you let her die—should’ve died with her—should’ve died with them—could’ve helped them—could’ve helped her—you did it again—didn’t learn anything—you’re a curse—you deserve no one—you kill everyone close to you—should’ve just stayed alone!
These thoughts that once plagued her about the Diamond Cutters, they were resurfacing. Tangle was becoming part of them. Her comrades couldn’t comprehend what was going through her mind. All they heard was, “AAAAAAAAHHHH!” Over and over. They had no idea what to say. They weren’t even in the right states to offer comfort their selves. Whisper’s screams faded and became replaced with sobs. “Give her back…give her back…don’t let her…don’t…Tangle…”
Present
“Cough, cough, kuh!” Whisper spewed out some crumbs.
“Sorry.” Tangle shirked. “Don’t like it?”
“It… tastes great. Forgot to swallow.” Whisper said. She had to stop herself. It was one thing to be lost in memories… but she couldn’t relive that one. After the deaths of the Diamond Cutters, that was the single worst day. The worst minute of her life. She couldn’t let that nightmare consume her again. She just had to remind herself how it ended.
The Zombots reached their safe haven. The operatives were forced to face the gruesome monsters their friends had become. “Tangle…” The Wispon quivered in Whisper’s hand. “Tangle… it’s me.” Her vibrant, fun-loving friend glared at her with heartless, mindless malice. “Tangle…please—hu-!” Whisper dodged the thrust of her spiky, bladed tail. She stepped back as Tangle crept closer, countering her tail with Blue Hammer. Her friend… Her source of joy… Her newfound desire to wake up and live… Tangle was gone. Gone and replaced by this monster. “Sniff…” Whisper hesitated to grab the Laser Cell. “Tangle…” If Tangle got a lucky swipe off her, it was over for Whisper. She would be cursed to infection. For her own sake… she had to defend herself.
And before she knew it… rainfall. A white rain from a smiling, bubbly cloud. Before Whisper’s eyes… Tangle’s cold metallic skin became soft and warm. The soulless orange gaze of the Zombot was replaced by the confused and comical expression of the friend she knew. “Whuzzuh? Why am I back on Angel Island?”
That was the very moment Whisper’s emotions took control. In a single millisecond, in which Whisper sprinted faster than Sonic, her feelings dramatically and completely flipped from complete despair to pure hope and joy. “OH! HEY!” Tangle yelped, laughing upon being tackled to the grass. “Miss me much?”
From that instant… Whisper promised herself to treasure every second with Tangle. Everything Tangle said. Every expression she made. Everything she did. Even on ordinary days like this, Whisper would remember every single moment she shared with Tangle.
Except… Whisper couldn’t even fulfill her own promise after that. Her feelings were too disoriented. This became apparent at the victory party at Tangle’s own house, three days later.
The news was put on Tangle’s T.V. for her partying friends to watch: Smiling Cure Clouds rained over hordes of Zombots. Couples were exchanging hugs, children were playfully splashing around the white rain. The people of Mobius were cheering a brand new day, crying with joy and relief.
Tangle noticed Whisper loitering outside, holding a plate of poundcake and slowly eating it. “Hey, Whisper!” The wolf flinched as Tangle approached her. “I know you don’t like crowds, but… you should be with us. We all worked hard for this victory.”
“…Y…es… I…”
Tangle frowned. “Are you okay?”
“…F…f…ine…”
She still couldn’t believe it. That Tangle was standing here. Alive. It had completely gone against the reality she established. She would never get the Diamond Cutters back, so it was obvious to assume she would never get Tangle back. So, why was she here? Why was Whisper allowed to feel this happy, after years of cursing herself? Just… what exactly was this happiness?
“Whisper? What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t get any words out. Did she really ruin her throat from that breakdown? Furthermore, she couldn’t stop her tail from wagging. Her heart was pounding furiously. Was she developing a fever? Just what was this overwhelming happiness? Was it even something she deserved? “…Need to… go.”
Tangle couldn’t respond before Whisper fast-walked to her ship. As she watched it take off, the lemur felt her heart rupturing.
She wasn’t ready. She never knew this feeling. She wasn’t ready to confront Tangle on them. She needed time to reorganize them. So… Whisper went on leave from the KND. On leave from her.
“Sorry, Tangle.” she replied on her phone. “I want to be alone today.”
“Oh. Okay…”
…
“Hey, Whisper! Wanna hang out today?”
“Sorry, Tangle. I have… something to do.”
“Oh…”
…
The following day, Whisper checked a voice-mail on her phone. “Hi, Whisper. It’s me. Listen, if I did anything to hurt you… I’m sorry. So… if you get this, call me. Later.”
It hurt Whisper to do that to her. From what she understood, Tangle had never been so depressed. Couldn’t bring herself to go on missions or adventures. Whisper didn’t really know when she planned to talk to Tangle again… but Lanolin would answer that question for them.
“Hey.” Tangle grabbed Whisper out of her reflections. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Whisper snapped back to reality. She hadn’t even realized how lost in thought she was. How much time even passed just now? How long was Tangle standing there… worried? Whisper knew by now she couldn’t hide anything from her. Tangle wouldn’t feel at ease until she heard Whisper’s feelings. And neither would she. “…Okay. Let’s go over here.”
Lanolin only watched with a sympathetic expression. As their leader, she did her part to comfort Whisper when she was upset, but it was clear she was much more comfortable around Tangle. That was the very reason she chose them both.
Late November
“Whisper!” Tangle raced up to the wolf and sheep. “Wait! Were you called here, too?”
“Huh? Oh…I suppose I was.”
“Yes, I called you both here!” Lanolin said with an approachable smile, her fingers folded. “You may have seen me around H.Q., but I’m Lanolin. And, the reason for this meeting… Let’s just say this last crisis had an effect on me.” Whisper silently gasped. “It made me realize… I want to start doing more to help our world. I want to be more active. So… I’m starting my own sector! And I’d like you two to be part of it. The two of you are very skilled and work as a great team, from what I’ve heard. But since you don’t officially belong to a sector… well, here we are. So, what do you think?”
“Well, I’d love to!” Tangle exclaimed. “Uh…but what do you think, Whisper?”
Tangle looked to her hopefully. She was still hurt. Hurt that Whisper ignored her. Whisper had yet to provide an excuse. But right now, Tangle really wanted this. Wanted to rekindle their friendship. “…I’ll try it.” Whisper smiled. Tangle sparked with hope.
“Okay then!” Lanolin hammered her palm with her fist. “Before we really set this in stone, we’ll go on some test missions. But assuming things go well, where should we build our treehouse? Honestly, I’d rather not do my own hometown. It’s in a pretty poor state after all that’s happened, and I… feel like building a base there paints more of a target on it.” She shirked awkwardly.
“Well, okay.” Tangle said. “What about my hometown, Spiral Hill? I don’t mind! Plus, Whisper already visits it a lot.”
“I suppose so. Whisper?”
Whisper was in momentary thought. If she stuck with this, she’d really be seeing Tangle a lot more. Which means she would have to settle these new feelings. Her heart was racing out of anxiety. “That’s fine.”
“Alright then. So, if we’re building our treehouse in Spiral Hill, should we be Sector SH?”
“No! Let’s be Sector D.C.!” Tangle proposed. “The Diamond Cutters!”
“Wow! I like that!”
“Haha!” Tangle turned to Whisper, beaming. …Her smile faded as she met the wolf’s narrow gaze. Her eyes were coursing with anger and pain. Tangle shirked down as confusion and guilt set inside of her.
That was apparently the first time Whisper was ever mad at Tangle. She stomached that anger for most of their first mission. But even Lanolin began to notice Whisper faltering in her performance. The feelings couldn’t stay in.
“Why did you take that name?” Whisper asked through her sobs.
“I didn’t…”
“I thought… you were better than that, Tangle. I didn’t think you would…”
“I, I’m sorry, Whisper! I-I thought if we called ourselves that, you would feel at home with us, a-and, and I…I just didn’t want you to leave!” Tangle wrapped her head up in her own tail to absorb her overflow of tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… You’ve been avoiding me, I thought you were mad at me for something. I just wanted to make you happy. I didn’t mean to…” She choked against her sobs.
Whisper felt her heart rupture. “That team was doomed from the start.” A dark voice whispered in her mind. Whisper tensed… as she pictured Mimic, twirling the sacks of Rings in his tentacles. “We were never gonna stop Eggman. We were never gonna get anywhere. And if you value your life… you’ll stay away from both of us. Forever.”
All Whisper ever showed him was appreciation. Her family loved him like one of their own… and he threw it away. Now, when all Tangle wanted was Whisper’s happiness… she became the very thing she feared.
Tangle felt a pair of arms embrace her. She opened her tail a crack as Whisper’s sobbing head rested against it. “Tangle… I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. I…I just…”
“Listen.” Lanolin approached them. “We can change the name. I don’t want it to bother you.”
“No.” Whisper pulled away. “…I…I was just afraid. Afraid of… him.” Resolve burned in her pupils. “I won’t let him take this away from me, too. We… are the Diamond Cutters.”
“…haha!” Tangle slowly unraveled herself, her tail damp. But seeing her smile compelled Whisper to smile, too. “Are you… sure?”
“Yes. They would be glad… that their legacy lives on.”
Present
Tangle and Whisper sat opposite of a café table. Though her voice was low as usual, it carried to Tangle’s ears. “…I had that dream again.”
“…oh.” Tangle needn’t ask more than that. Even now, she was still unsure how to comfort her. Tangle stretched her tail and bent it behind Whisper’s back. The wolf winced ever slightly as the fluffy appendage patted her. But after that crisis, Whisper had never been so grateful to feel her tail’s warmth.
“…You were part of it, too. I still hate myself. For not going with you. For not saving you… from that infection. And then… I had to fight you… to defend myself… but I… Deep down, I wanted to…to just give up and let you infect me. We didn’t know the cure would work. For all we knew, that was the end. We were all dead. And I…I just didn’t want to spend my last minutes fighting you. Raising my weapon at you was the hardest…”
“I’m glad you did.” Whisper looked up at her. Tangle’s image was blurry through her tears. “I’d never wanna live with myself if I Zombotified you. I mean… I must’ve looked so ugly!”
Her answer was confident, yet there was a carefree air to it. A spirit that tickled Whisper’s heart. “And they’d never want that to happen to you either. They’re happy now. Because Whisper is alive and healthy.”
“…” Whisper set her bagel on the table and pushed out of her seat. She walked around to Tangle and embraced her. The lemur could only smile warmly as Whisper’s head pressed into hers. Tears wet Tangle’s fur, and Whisper’s sniffles and huffs resounded in her ears. Tangle brought her tail back to hold Whisper.
“It’s all my fault…it’s all my fault…” Whisper sobbed into Tangle’s chest. Feeling her pain, her sadness, Tangle cried as well. “I killed them…I killed them…” Tangle hugged her with arms and tail.
“You didn’t… It’s not…”
“…Two years, Tangle… Two years, I heard them cursing me. ‘You should’ve died with them.’ ‘If Whisper hadn’t brought him’…”
“Would they… really say that? Or would they say… ‘I wonder what Whisper’s having for dinner today? I hope she eats well today.’”
“Sniff, huff…” Whisper faintly brought her head up at Tangle’s soft smile.
“And then they’d say… ‘I hope she eats this. It’s my favorite.’ …What did they like to eat, anyway?”
Whisper couldn’t bring out another word. She hugged Tangle even tighter… and Tangle’s tail wrapped her like a warm blanket to provide all the comfort she needed. “Tangle… I-I’m sorry… for ignoring you that week… I-I wasn’t mad at you. I wasn’t. The virus was… It was all so hard for me, you know? It made me think… I…I was a curse. I just hurt everyone around me. I don’t deserve anything.”
“Don’t ever say that.” Whisper met her passionate eyes once more. “You know who’s a curse, Whisper? Eggman. Mimic. Monsters who only care about their selves and don’t care who they hurt. But you’re a blessing. To me… to your family… to all of us! You deserve whatever you want! And I wanna make sure you get it!”
“Huff…huff…huff…” Tangle was the real blessing here. That’s what she wanted to say. …But Tangle was right. She couldn’t let them control her, anymore. Mimic. Eggman. Her fears. Her family would want her to seize this happiness… and she will. Whisper rose her head. “Slinger’s… favorite food were Snake Fries. Smithy loved Grubburgers. And Claire… she loved Chunky Bananas, imported from Mushroom World. They were green… like her. Said they were good for her brain.”
“Then let’s go buy some!” Tangle pumped up the room with vigor! “You, me, and Lanolin! We’re gonna have our first team lunch in THEIR honor! With poundcake, too! And strawberries! And whatever Lanolin likes! It’ll be a full Diamond Cutters buffet!”
“Sniff…” Whisper smiled. She cursed herself for ignoring Tangle. She cursed herself for being mad at her. The girl who made her happy. The girl who always thought of Whisper’s feelings. And who wanted to honor Whisper’s family with her.
Tangle held true to her word. It hurt her to see Whisper upset… and she loved to see Whisper smile. At times, she would even wonder why. Why was Whisper the most important person on her mind? Why was her health and happiness all that mattered? But Tangle didn’t linger on those questions. All that mattered were these moments. Right now. Holding Whisper. Warming her. Sharing her pain and sadness. Whisper was a kind person who only cared for those around her. Tangle loved that… and no matter what, she wanted to be there to share Whisper’s feelings.
Standing at the base of Spiral Hill, the newly-appointed sectormates beamed at their spiral-trunked treehouse. It had a diamond symbol with a C-shaped slash mark striking it. “Diamond Cutters:” Belle the Tinkerer, the lead carpenter, began, “I present your new home!”
“HAHAAAAA! LET’S GO SEE!” Tangle immediately tailed her friends up into it. They each had their own room, but there were two extras in case they welcomed more members. Tangle’s room was open to the outside to mitigate her dislike of enclosed spaces. “Can you believe it, Whisper?! We’re sleeping in the same treehouse! We’re gonna live together! From now on!”
Whisper really couldn’t believe it. Her new home… those words resounded in her. As she set her framed photo on her nightstand. “…Tangle… thank you. Thank you… for this home.”
Tangle’s heart melted. Whisper never sounded so happy. “…I mean, you should thank Belle. She and the others built it. Plus, this team was Lanolin’s idea.”
Whisper laughed. “Yes. I should. I will.”
“Oh! It’s almost Christmas, isn’t it? We were gonna go to Planet Wisp!”
“Oh…” Whisper had completely forgotten that. “…Hmm…I think I’m fine… right now.”
“You don’t want to?”
“Tangle… I have more than I ever wanted these last two years. A new home. New friends. And… my family’s legacy revived.” Tangle could feel the warmth and gratitude shining in Whisper’s eyes. “I just want to appreciate all this first.”
“Yeah… fair enough. As long as you’re happy, Whisper.”
Whisper felt a glimmer of disappointment. Tangle must’ve been looking forward to that trip. “But sometime next year. For sure. I’m sure we’ll decide a good time.”
“Haha! Okay!”
Whisper let go. Tangle rose from her seat. Through her drying tears, Whisper began to smile. It made Tangle’s face brighten. “…I heard Sonic once brought someone a mountain of handkerchiefs. I wish I knew where to find that many!”
The remark sparked a stifled giggle. Whisper had the cutest smile. It made Tangle so happy to see it. “Ahhhhhhh,” Tangle stretched her limbs of the tension, “nothing wakes you up like expelling some negative energy, huh?”
“Hmhm, yes.” Whisper replied, letting out a relaxed sigh. Lanolin took that as her cue to come over. “I feel really good all of a sudden.”
“That’s great! Y’know what, we need to have some fun today!”
“Um, about that…” Lanolin raised some papers, “I printed off a list of missions that need done. Another illegal mining rig built by Schnee Dust, prime meat stolen from Red Mountain…”
“Okay, well, I’m up for another Schnee Dusting. But we need a warmup exercise to kick the crust out of our eyes! Whisper, let’s go play tag! Around the village we go, you’re it!” Tangle gave Whisper a quick tap. She stretched her tail toward a rooftop and pulled herself away with flying momentum.
“Honestly…” Lanolin sighed.
Whisper grabbed her Wispon and inserted a green battery, leaping as she used its Hover power to fly onto the roof. She hover-leapt from roof to roof in pursuit of her tail-slinging friend. The direct approach wouldn’t work, so Whisper dove into one of the alleys. She inserted a Cloak Cell and hid herself. Tangle searched the street and rotated every way in search of the wolf. But she was too late as something poked her tail. “Ah!” Tangle turned to see Whisper’s cloak wear off, jumping back to the street. “Hey, that’s playing dirty!”
Whisper smiled as she ran. There was a time when she’d never subscribe to a silly children’s game. But as Kids Next Door, especially as Mobians, it was custom for them to embrace these activities. To run around and feel free. Whisper never felt that urge before. But now, hearing Tangle’s sneakers hitting the ground after her, her heart was filled with adrenaline! “!” The lemur’s tail stretched the distance, but Whisper narrowly dodged right, then jumped when it swiped at her legs. And both were strategically avoiding the townspeople in their wake, gazes drawn to the girls with smiles.
Barreling for the town gate, Whisper had a clear wake down the snaking stone bridge, which led to the base of the Spiral Hill on which the town was perched. She inserted a light-blue battery into her Wispon, shooting herself to amplify her speed and zoom down in a heartbeat. Tangle’s only chance of catching up was to stretch her tail to the trees growing from parts of the hill and slingshot her way down.
Lanolin watched them from the gate, smiling in disbelief. “Never a dull moment, huh?” The sheep turned to a beetle Mobian.
“Nope. Morning, Jewel.”
“Morning!” Jewel was the curator of the local Mineral Museum, but she was also the director of the KND’s Restoration Center, an establishment designed to help the community and commonfolk. She was Tangle’s best friend from childhood… well, it was more accurate to say Jewel was her babysitter. Always having to pull her hyperactive friend out of trouble. “She doesn’t think Whisper’s been brainwashed again, does she?”
“No. Just a game.”
“I didn’t think Whisper played these types of games.”
“I didn’t either. I guess Tangle really had an impact on her.”
“Yeah.” Jewel looked to the valley, delighted as they chased each other. “You know, ever since Whisper came around… Tangle’s seemed so much happier. And that’s saying something.”
“…I’m glad I picked them as teammates. …?!”
Lanolin’s warm thoughts were swiftly taken by dread: a small fleet of green crocodile planes filled the sky. “OPEN FIRE, MEN!” bellowed a muscular, blue-scaled sergeant. “Turn that treehouse into SPLINTERS!”
The planes bombarded the treehouse. Its automated defenses kicked on and fired back. A couple Krocks were shot down, but the others were evasive.
Tangle latched onto a rock and successfully threw herself into Whisper. They went tumbling down a short hill, Tangle wrapping her tail around both of them to soften their descent. “UUH!” They stopped with Whisper in the upper position. “…Haha…hahahahaha! I guess you beat me!” Tangle laughed.
Whisper stifled another laugh, blushing beneath her fur. She never had this much fun… never felt so full of life. And being here… so close to Tangle’s vibrant face… she couldn’t be more thankful that she was here.
“…” Then, Tangle’s vibrance faded. Her eyes seemed wrought with horror… as a shadow fell over them. Her finger directed at the sky. Whisper turned, stunned with fear: Krock planes were bombarding their treehouse.
Tangle unraveled them and was about to fling them back to town. “OI, THERE’S SOME!” An Orange Grenade was thrown, the girls dodging its explosion. A platoon of reptilian pirates marched from the valley.
“Tangle… those are the Kremling Pirates!”
“Pirates?!” Tangle smirked, balling all three of her fists. “COME GET SOME!” She tailed a Klomp by the neck and whirled around as she KO’ed the Krewmen around him. A swarm of Zingers came at them from above: Whisper threw a handful of small diamonds in the air and fired a Cyan Laser from her Wispon. The laser bounced around the gems and burned the Zingers. Three Krushas charged at Tangle, but she sprung skyward with her tail and away from them. They tried to chase, but she punched her tail to trip the front one and made the rest stumble. Whisper then bashed them with a Blue Hammer. Monty Moles poked out of the ground and threw bombs. Whisper switched to the Yellow Drill to strike them in their own habitat.
“I need to call headquarters!” Lanolin sprinted back to the treehouse, but Kremlings were already landing around town.
“If ye don’t wanna be skewered, BACK TO YER HOUSES!” a Kruncha threatened a family. Lanolin grit her teeth and grabbed her cowbell. She aimed it at the Kruncha and fired a sonic wave, blowing it down. A horde of Klaptraps snapped after the sheep, and she easily banished them with another wave. However, the tongues and teeth detached from them and lunged at the sheep, tugging at her wool. She was frantic to shake them off, but thankfully they were fragile. “AAH!” A Cat O’ 9 Tails wrapped her from behind, spun, and threw her through a wall.
Tangle and Whisper KO’ed about 25 Kremlings… but the next line was already approaching. Krumples, Tyrant Twins, Gunorillas, Sabre Sword Tigers… “Tangle, I think we should regroup with Lanolin.”
“Yeah, you’re right. We’ll be back for you later!” Tangle yelled at the Kremlings. She grabbed her friend and tailed them back to town.
To their horror, Kremlings were scaring citizens into buildings and barring them up. Tangle dropped right onto a Kruncha. “OOOORG!” It turned red with fury and punched Tangle away, but Whisper crunched its skull beneath a Pink Spike. The girls scanned the approaching Kremlings, pondering their next move.
“BETTER STAND DOWN, scallywags!” Their pupils receded as two Kutlasses were holding Jewel down. One tipped its sword to her neck as Jewel restrained the urge to swallow. “Or the pretty lassie gets it!”
Sharing distraught glances, Whisper set her Wispon down and both raised hands (and tail). Tyrant Twins thudded behind them and bashed them senseless.
Five days later…
The citizens were confined to buildings… and Sector D.C., being singled out as operatives, were locked inside barrels. A Kremling Kontainment specialty. Except Tangle, however. “AAAAH!” Her hands were tied around a pole while her tail was pinned inside a crocodile-shaped bear trap. Trying to stretch it would cut and strain her. “YOU COWARDS! I’LL KICK ALL YOUR BUTTS!”
“Tangle… calm down…” Whisper’s voice went unheard from her nearby prison. Lanolin’s barrel was brought up to the ruined treehouse, farther beyond their current reach, and Jewel was locked in a glass display of her museum.
“Check out this one…” Some Kritters studied the poor beetle, who only shirked back in terror. “This’s gotta be a rare species, eh?”
“Maybe after the blast goes off, let’s try to steal her while no one’s looking. We’ll be richer than Klubba!”
The ops had small holes in their barrels to peep outside. The pirates had put on a broadcast for all to witness. Zootopia had completely fallen. The capital city, enslaved by the Kremlings and their new weapon. Standing atop it all was the King of the Kremlings. One of Dr. Eggman’s best friends. The Pirate Emperor of unbreakable will… King K. Rool. “HAH HAH HAH HAH HAR!” The king of all animals had enforced his will over all Mobius. Around him were his Kommanders, fearsome pirates in their own right… a Viking walrus, giant thunder bird, a toxic mermaid, giant orangutan, bipedal dinosaur… and some little catgirl with a knife.
“What sort of weapon is this?” A Kremling studied the Wispon.
“Looks like some umbrella.”
“That kid was making things happen with it. But the trigger don’t do nothin’ now!”
“OI, LADS!” A Klump ran in the gate. “Just got the call! This town’s next on the Revert List! We only got a minute!”
“A MINUTE?! LET’S GET OUTTA HERE!”
“But I thought the blast wasn’t supposed to affect us!”
“And you don’t think the king was fibbing?!”
“You’re darn skippy I do!”
The Kremlings stampeded out of town, leaving clouds of dust. “AAAAAAHHHH!” Tangle pulled her tail against the bear trap with more desperation. Whisper wanted to tell her to stop… but knew she wouldn’t listen. Tangle was already determined. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Her fur and skin sheared off into a bloody mess, but the tail was free. She roped Whisper’s barrel and SMASHED it into the ground, freeing her friend. Seeing her discarded Wispon, she grabbed it, put a pink battery in, and sawed Tangle’s ropes.
“We gotta find Lanolin and Jewel!”
“Tangle, there’s no time! It’s coming!”
“Nngh…UGH!” Tangle hugged her friend and slingshotted them over the town wall. The devastating beam struck the center of Spiral Hill. The girls tumbled downhill and got up into a sprint, barely outrunning the expanding mass of light.
They felt it fade. The girls turned: Spiral Hill was still intact… but the ray’s true effects were to revert the Mobians into infant mentalities. They had taken the helpless nature of normal animals. “Jewel… everyone…”
“Hey, those two got out!” A Kremling called.
“‘Guess they’re goin’ in the hold.”
Tangle and Whisper braced their selves for battle. Boom. Boom. A more gigantic being was thudding their way. An enormous orangutan. Purple with a rainbow antenna on his head. He approached the pair with patience in his giant steps, eying them with a stoic glare.
The duo stood still… pondering their own next move and the ape’s. …The pirates began to play a jolly, jungle tune. The ape swayed his shoulders to the beat. ♪ “Sorry to come on a little strong. You can call me Rainbow Manky Kong.” ♪ His tone was stoic, but his lyrics stuck to the rhythm. ♪ “I was on a roll, taking a little stroll to ensure my minions had control. I’m gonna have to ask you, please, to surrender yourselves with ease. If you can, show me your hands, and get down on your knees.” ♪
Whisper loaded her Wispon and shot a Cyan Laser. Manky shut his eye from the blast, yet it became reddened when he opened it. During that time, Tangle tailed his wrist and propelled herself to his neck, wrapping her tail around it. The giant neck was too thick for her strength. Manky raised fingers to flick her, Tangle speedily unraveling as she flew a distance. ♪ “How ridiculous it would be, if a Gigantopithecus like me, would ever lose to a little bruise right before my Krew.” ♪
“Tangle!” Whisper ran to her friend’s aid.
“Ugh, that was a ride…” Tangle sat up to shake the dizziness off.
“Tangle, we have to run! We need to find more help!”
Tangle glanced up at her hometown with hesitation. Right now, her friends and neighbors were reduced to mindless animals… but they were still alive. They would reverse this somehow. For now, she hoped they would survive. “Alright!”
They broke into a sprint as Whisper quickly loaded another Speed Cell. Taking Tangle’s hand, they ran with all the speed it could provide them. Manky gestured a group of polar bears in tuxedos to bring him a cart full of TNT. He grabbed a barrel in his hand: the orangutan spun, his arm winding behind him, and with a godly throw, the barrel FLEW.
“AAAAH!” The explosion went off on the girls’ left. They barely dove away in time to avoid it. As they tried to recover from it, a black car parked in their escape route. Three more polars bears stepped out of it… the largest of which carried a small, Mobian mouse with slicked black hair.
The thundering earth reminded them to focus on Manky Kong again. “This has been quite the excursion, hasn’t it, Mr. Big?” Manky asked in a non-singing manner.
“Indeed it has, Lord Manky…”
“I’ve had ENOUGH of you jerks!” Tangle tailed the left bear and threw him up at Manky’s face. The right bear lunged at the lemur, but Whisper bashed him with the Wispon’s Blue Hammer. The largest bear, putting Mr. Big on the car, dove and grasped the struggling wolf. Tangle’s efforts to save her were thwarted when Manky swiftly snatched her in his right hand.
“Tangle!” Whisper let out a quiet shout.
“Guek!” Tangle was squeezed to the point of suffocating. “Let me… go… you coward!…”
“Hmm…” Manky only let Tangle’s tail hang loose between his fingers. “A curious specimen.” He pinched it in his fingers and stretched it out. He kept pulling as he passively wrapped the tail around his fingers, preventing her from moving it freely. “So, you’re a metahuman. Er, meta-Mobian, rather. How long does this tail extend?”
“Let her go!” Whisper squirmed helpless in the bear’s hug, her Wispon dropped on the ground. “Let her go!” Her whispered pleas were barely audible.
Eventually, the tail stopped extracting. Tangle let out a more strained grunt from the tug. “Twenty meters? That’s quite good.”
“Quite good?” an Indian accent spoke. “That tail is lovely!”
A smaller lemur appeared on Manky’s head. He wore a tribal crown with orange and green feathers. “I told you to guard the train, Julien.”
“I do not guard trains. I make Mort guard them.” The lemur jumped down to balance on Tangle’s tail, laying down to rub and nuzzle it. “Mmmmmm! I never thought to see a tail more lovely than mine. Eh, the bloody parts,” he cringed noticing the end of the tail, “I can do without.”
“Let her go!” Whisper saw Tangle’s eyes growing more swollen and her breaths weaker. “Let her go!” Why was this happening? They were just having a fun day. Just playing tag. They were just eating bagels together… She was just crying over Tangle… letting her fears out so that happiness could take their place… Why was this happening…
“It is settled!” Julien proclaimed. “I want this tail as my own! I cannot wait to cuddle in it. And make love with it.”
Now Tangle was choking from more than just suffocation. “Stop it! Stop it!” Whisper’s struggle grew as her feelings welled higher.
“Should I ask Baron Klammy to transplant the tail?” Manky pondered. “Or send her to Dr. Clown to be converted into a Devil Fruit? Suppose we don’t need her alive for that.”
“LET HER GO!” Whisper finally tore of the bear’s grasp and grabbed her Wispon. “LET HER GO! LET HER GO!” She shoved a Spike Cell in and rammed it against Manky’s toes. They barely flinched. She tried a Cherry Shrink Cell, but Manky’s mass was too bulky. “Let her go…let her go…” Her throat unused to the volume, Whisper coughed a little blood. So many feelings were exploding inside her… so many regrets… Whisper was helpless to do anything. Helpless to save the one she values most.
“Kommander Manky.” Mr. Big’s tiny voice spoke. “May I make a suggestion?”
“Hmm?”
“This girl… seems quite experienced. Though, perhaps not in the face of your power… I wonder if she may be willing to work for us.” Whisper turned to the mafia boss, confused. “After all, there are sure to be other operatives and Mobian forces that escaped Revertification. Perhaps… she can help us deal with them… with the right persuasion.”
Manky glanced between the dying Tangle and the desperate, tearing Whisper. “…Yes. Perhaps you’re right.”
Manky lay his hands down and released Tangle. Her tail pulled in. A frantic Whisper knelt over and pressed hands to her chest. She pumped to get Tangle’s heart going. “…huff…huff…” She couldn’t be more thankful to hear her breath.
“Awwww. No tail for me.” Julien sighed, holding up his own tail. “I guess I am stuck with you, you inferior tail. …Oh, who am I kidding? I am beautiful no matter how big I am.” He rubbed it tenderly.
“So, what say you… child? Work for us… to hunt down straggler soldiers. And your friend gets to live.”
“…I will.” Though her voice was low, even Manky could hear it. Perhaps due to the gentle nature of his form. That might also be why he could sense the feelings between them.
“Whisper… don’t…”
She bent down and embraced her friend. Tears soaked Tangle’s fur once more. The lemur had never felt so much pain… not because of her own shortness of breath or her bleeding tail… but the fact Whisper was forced into this awful position. In the lowest voice Whisper had mustered… “I love you.”
Tangle mentally froze. Those words… they weren’t just passive… In that single small voice… Whisper’s feelings culminated into that. Just like that morning… Tangle couldn’t think of what to say back.
“That weapon of yours.” Manky said curiously. “What is it? How does it do those colorful effects? I’m an afficionado of weapons. If I asked you to make more of them… could you?”
Whisper didn’t answer. She wouldn’t humor this monster.
“…Fine then. So long as you put it to use for us. We’ll be keeping a sharp eye on you. Understand?”
“…Yes. Please don’t hurt Tangle.”
“You shall have my word. Men: take the lemur aboard a Krock. And bandage her tail. Mr. Big… take the wolf and keep watch on her.”
“Affirmative, boss. This way… Miss.”
Whisper obediently got in the back of Big’s fancy car. She watched hopelessly as Tangle was taken aboard a plane. And worse… she saw the townspeople being shepherded out by the Kremlings. “Baa-a-a-a-a!” Lanolin bleated like the sheep she was. “Baa-a-a-a-a!”
Jewel was still inside her glass case, clambering about like a mindless bug. The horror of it all was too much to take. “I struck a deal with him, too.” Whisper turned to Mr. Big. “I did the best I could for you. I won’t ask a favor in return.”
“…” Whisper pulled her mask over her face. From here on… she would show it to no one.
The coming weeks…
“BRACE YOURSELVES, MEN!” Lieutenant Gronk yelled. “HERE THEY COME!”
Kremlings stormed Heathrow Penitentiary. Pirates and Interpol officers dropped on both sides. Sadly, the number was overwhelming in the Kremlings’ favor. A small squad of officers tried to mow down pirates from the sky in combat choppers. “AH!” An officer felt a dart in his neck. He fell out of his seat as the chopper would fall into a crash.
Whisper, armed with a tranquilizer rifle, sniped the other officers from a Krock Kopter. She hadn’t used her Wispon since her enslavement began: she would never misuse the Wisps’ power to hurt innocent people. The most she was willing to use were pacifistic weapons.
Heathrow was known for containing supervillains that were defeated by the Cooper Gang of Thieves. Though the Coopers themselves were technical criminals, the KND acknowledged that they only attacked and stole from worse villains. Whisper passively wondered where they were during all this. She recognized some of the escaping villains; Rajan the tiger, Mz. Ruby the alligator, Raleigh the bullfrog… and Whisper would dread if she took part in freeing their own personal enemies. If she saw Mimic in the middle of this mess… she may not be able to contain herself.
From each of the liberated prisons, the Kremlings displayed a giant hologram of King K. Rool. “VILLAINS OF THE WORLD! As you can very well see… Mobius is now my domain! I’ve dismantled the governments and enslaved the Kids Next Door! This planet is a paradise for pirates and animals alike… and I share it all with you!”
“YAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHH!” All criminals between here, Petropolis, the Valley of Peace, or even Elwood City roared for their king. Even on hologram, Whisper could feel K. Rool’s domineering power. She felt more helpless by the day.
“From this day forward, you are free to run around and pillage as you like! My only rule is that you think twice before picking fights with my Krew. You’re free to join the Kremlings in fact! We’re also offering bounties to anyone who hands in stray operatives or government officials!”
…
“Okay, the coast is clear! Move!” A team of operatives crawled behind some ruins as the Kremling guards patrolled past. They were closing in on the desert fortress: with any hope, they would find more friends or allies inside.
“HISSSSSS!” Rattlesnake Jake, a serpent with a minigun tail and pirate’s hat, ambushed them from the sand. “Where do you worms think you’re goin’?”
The team of five stepped backward in fear. One glanced back: “Look!” The others turned to find someone else behind them. “It’s Whisper!” They recognized the biscotti-furred wolf with the sniper’s mask.
“The Guardian Angel?! YES! We’ve saved!”
Sadly, Whisper turned her bazooka on them. “AAH!” A metal barrel fired and knocked the tiger boy down. “W-Whisper! What’re you-”
“SPREAD OUT!” Jake unloaded his gun at the team. He grazed the legs of three operatives while Whisper KO’ed the other one with metal barrels as well. The wounded operatives writhed and struggled to crawl away, but froze up as Jake loomed above them. The snake gnashed his fangs-
Whisper jumped in his wake. Jake closed his maw and narrowed his gaze. “You impedin’ me in my dutiessssss?”
“…Please don’t hurt them any further.” Whisper turned and thwacked the three with karate chops, KOing them as gently as she could. “…I’m sorry.”
Jake slithered around the masked wolf, hissing directly in her ear. “You wouldn’t be related to Wolf O’Donnell, would ya? Ah ussssed to work with him. He knew how ta catch his prey… and sometimessss, he was a little ssssoft.”
Whisper felt no need to answer. Jake frowned. “Y’know, I used to prowl around a little town ‘round these parts. Dirt, they called it. Used to be a dried up little splinter town afore a certain lizard came along. The crocs hadn’t shot it with their weapon, yet. Whaddya say we head on over and show ‘em who’s boss? Bet ya they’ll love to see me.”
Whisper trembled. The bazooka shook in her grip. “…Bet you wanna shoot me, don’t ya?” Jake asked. “Ah don’t see no Kremlings looking at us. Why don’t ya vent some steam out? Oh, but that thing looks a little heavy for ya.” Jake snatched the Wispon off Whisper’s hip, the wolf flinching as he forced it in her hand. “You’d do better with this, right? Go ahead, kid… Be a hero.”
“…” She really wanted to… One less monster to ruin their world. Just shove a Cyan Cell in and blaze him through the skull. Wrapping his filthy tail around her… only Tangle was allowed to do that. But… someone would find out. Tangle would be in danger. She couldn’t… this was all for her…
Jake smiled passively and unraveled away from her. “They must be holdin’ some good leverage against you. Reminds me of a certain bald hero. Heh heh heh… ‘Guess I’ll be taking these slaves now.” Jake wrapped around the five ops. “Won’t be splittin’ the bounty, I take it.”
Tangle would be ashamed of her. Hurting so many friends and allies all for her. Whisper understood that. She shouldn’t hold Tangle above Lanolin, Jewel, or everyone else. But if Whisper tried to bargain for their lives, she feared having to pay a steeper price. She was ultimately powerless in this Krew. She only got this far because she worked with officers with a decent sense of honor. She was grateful to Mr. Big’s hospitality. Providing her with good food and non-lethal weapons to do her job with as minimal casualties as possible. But nothing was guaranteed. All she could do was hope. Hope that her fellow operatives could survive their imprisonment until a miracle came… including Tangle.
“Hey, Whisper!” Tangle presented a lunchbox. “I brought stir fry today! Cooked it myself! Brought a slice of poundcake, too!”
“Mmmmmm!” The taste warmed her mouth and her tail danced. “Delicious!”
…
The duo traversed a narrow path up a blizzarding cliff, closing in on the enemy base. “Aah!” Whisper yelped—her foot slipped and she nearly fell down the cliff.
“Nuh!” Tangle seized her in her tail. “Don’t worry! I got ya!” She pulled Whisper back to safety. The wolf smiled with deepest gratitude.
…I’m so sorry, Tangle. I’m sorry! She was always so full of life and positivity. She made every day fun. But through all that, she listened to Whisper. She was there for her. And when Whisper finished emptying the sadness from her heart, Tangle would try to fill it with adventure and fun. She was a blessing on this world. The first person who ever truly made Whisper happy after two years of grieving. She could never let her die. Even if they would never be together after this, Whisper wanted her to live. But how did she know if Tangle was even alive now? She wished she could see her… How much was she suffering from all this?
Temple in the Wumpa Islands
“RAAAAAAAAH! LET ME OUTTA HEEEEEEERE!” Tangle’s fruitless rebellion persisted for an entire month. Her arms and legs were firmly strapped to a wall, while her tail was densely wrapped in suspended chains to keep it from stretching. “HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU MAKING WHISPER HURT?! I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! AAAAAHHH!”
“Please.” Julien dropped down onto her left rope. “You are being much too loud. It is interrupting my fanning.”
“Stick your fan up your butt!”
Julien slid down and dropped to poke Tangle’s tail through the chains. “As soon as your little companion slips up, I will have this tail, you know.”
“Yeah, you’ve been saying that for weeks! But I’m still here, aren’t I?!”
“Perhaps I will take it, anyway… after my berries. It is so much work, being a king.” Julien climbed up and returned through his little hole.
Tangle sighed, spent of her rebellious energy. In-between all the shaking and shouting, she was stuck on Whisper’s last words to her. I love you… Tangle never thought about love before now. Well, she loved adventure, she loved doing exciting things and fighting bad guys… and of course she loved going with Whisper on missions.
…But why did she? Tangle loved teaming up with other operatives just the same. She worked with Sectors SOUTH and SOL on some missions and had a fun time with them. She’s known Jewel her whole life and never felt that sort of affection. But Whisper… Ever since she had opened up to Tangle, all Tangle wanted was to comfort her. She would’ve comforted any other friend. But somehow… it pained her the most whenever Whisper was upset. She wanted to be around Whisper more, to help her be happy. When they became an official team, she loved going to wake Whisper up. Going to get breakfast with her. She looked forward to seeing her, to take her on an adventure… in the hopes that she would smile.
Why? Whisper was a reliable teammate and friend. So were Lanolin and Jewel. Whisper was skilled and cool. Other operatives were, too. But Whisper… also had a gentle voice. Tangle loved hearing it. Her fur was a pleasant hue… and it was soft to pat whenever Whisper allowed her. She felt warm when they hugged… and sometimes, Whisper’s tail would wag from the contact. It would also wag whenever she tried Tangle’s cooking. And how she would moan pleasantly from tasting her food. The way she let out small giggles or sighs at Tangle’s whimsical nature, or even if Whisper got mildly frustrated at her… any reaction she gave made Tangle’s heart tickle. And especially after the Metal Virus incident, when Whisper tackled and hugged Tangle into the ground… she had felt so much happiness bubbling inside Whisper. Tangle felt it, too.
“…AAAAAAAHHHHH!” Tangle squirmed in vain again. She needed to get out of here! Not because she hated being trapped, not because they were serving her bland food… but because Whisper needed her now! And she needed Whisper! She needed to ease Whisper’s pain! Bring back her happiness! See her cute smile, hear her cute voice! She wanted to go on so many adventures with Whisper!
“Man, you are way too loud.”
“Huh?” Tangle heard a different voice. She looked around… and noticed a small, squirrel-tailed girl on the ground. “Chungchung?!” She wore a red robe, had small red horns on her orange-blonde hair, and blank black eyes.
“Keep it down.” Chungchung clambered up the wall to Tangle’s right hand.
“Are the other Chaotix here?” Tangle whispered.
“Yeah. But, in order for me to free you…” The squirrel Faunus’s dark vision narrowed, “you must accept me as your ruler for all eternity.”
“…” Tangle glared in disbelief. “Fine, I accept you as my ruler for all eternity now please get me outta here!” (Play “A Fighting Spirit” by Lil Boulder!)
…
“SIRE!” Julien’s royal advisor, Maurice ran up to his throne. He was an aye-aye lemur.
“Maurice, how many times do I have to tell you? Wipe your feet before entering-”
“Two intruders have broken into the fortress! And worse, the prisoner escaped!”
“Always with the complaining.”
Feeling more energy in her feet than ever before, Tangle sprinted through the temple with Chungchung on her back. A band of Klumps were charging from up ahead. Tangle tied her tail between two torches, pressed her body against it to stretch like a slingshot, and launched herself into the Kremlings with great force. They went down like bloated bowling pins! When faced with a chasm, Tangle swung overhead branches. “WHOA!” Flamethrowers turned on and nearly singed her tail. She then had to tail grapple points in-between circles of Hot Hootz.
Two others were charging through enemy hordes at the temple entrance. A huge, 3-meter alligator with grayish-brown scales and a red tunic was batting buzzsaw-shelled turtles away with his spear. “OUTTA MY WAY, little TURTLES!” Rak bellowed.
The second person was a girl with lizard-green skin and a tail, while she was otherwise human-shaped from her head to her feet. Anak had short brown hair, a black dress, and an orange kimono-like robe with cloud designs. She swiftly jumped her way up a towering wall, timing the in-and-out platforms or flipping ones with spikes. Her foot slipped on one as she nearly fell, but Anak lashed her emerald fishing hook, Green April, at a Necky. She reeled herself up to the vulture and kicked off its back to reach the top.
“You keep going, Anak!” Rak shouted. “I got things covered down here!”
“Hello!”
“Huh?” Rak looked down: the source of the tiny voice was a brown mouse lemur with adorably big eyes. “Well, ain’t you a cute little turtle. Make sure ya don’t—whuh?!” The massive gator suddenly shrunk to half Mort’s size. His proportions became wider and his red eyes grew bloated.
“SO CUUUUUUUUTE!” Mort happily squeezed Rak like a dolly. Rak choked as his eyes threatened to pop.
“Grak…what’ve you… done to me?!”
“I eat Cute-Cute Fruit! You get cute when you say cute! But I cute all time!”
Anak nimbly Wall Kicked a flight of vertical platforms over a spiked floor. She set foot on a stable ground and performed a mad dash through a wide passage. Gigantic stone wheels, powered by Really Gnawties (giant red beavers), began to chase her. “What is this, Ocean Palace?” Her fleet feet outran the wheels and she evaded pitfalls in the path. She duck-slid beneath a closing temple door, hearing the wheels crash on the other side.
“HEEEEY! ANAK!” With a passive gaze, she turned to an ecstatic waving Tangle. “You didn’t get hit by the Revert-O-Thingy!”
“Nope.”
“How did you know where to find me?!”
“What part of ‘best detectives around’ don’t you get? Come on, let’s get out through that window.” She cast Green April out of a high, small square window and snagged a branch. She pulled herself up and was thin enough to slip through. Tangle stretched her own tail up to do the same.
“YAHOOOOOO!” Tangle slid down the fishing reel and joined the lizard girl in swinging down the ruins. “Get ready, Kremlings, Tangle is back in act—IOOOOON!” A line of normal lemurs stretched from another window and yanked Tangle in.
“Darn it.” Anak huffed. “UGH!” Maurice dive-bombed the lizard and slammed her into a lower ruins road.
“I don’t know how you managed to escape capture for this long, but you ain’t makin’ off with the king’s new tail! I’m gonna have to teach you a financial lesson.”
“Huh?” The very space around them morphed into an office with a pile of Rings, a computer, and two pieces of paper.
“I ate the Budget-Budget Fruit. I get tired of havin’ to manage finances to meet Julien’s needs. So, I make my enemies do it for me. You got 10,000 Rings. Here’s a list of things Julien wants and a list of things we need. You gotta use that computer to look up these things and order the most acceptable ones without overspending. If you do, you’ll have to cover the rest of the bill with days you have left to live.”
“Why didn’t you use this on Tangle?”
“My fruit only works on intelligent people.”
“How dumb.” Anak tried to strike the lemur, but he was protected by a magic barrier. “Ugh. Fine.”
Tangle landed in a neon-lit arena, surrounded by lemurs. “Welcome to my DANCING ground!” King Julien announced. “We will see if you are worthy of that tail, in a royal dance-off!”
“I’ll show you worthy!” Tangle stretched her tail into a punch. Julien leapt atop it and slid down, landing a kick into Tangle’s nose. The Mobian reeled back into the wall. “Well, you’re tougher than you look.”
“Now you see why I am your king?” Julien stood upon her chest proudly.
“Uhhhhh…nope!” Tangle’s tail swiftly returned and smashed him into the wall. Julien pushed it off, dancing gracefully as he evaded Tangle’s follow-ups. He dashed forth to kick her in the stomach, but with a split of her legs, Tangle sprung above his range and smashed him beneath her tail. Julien grabbed hold of her fur and slammed her into the ground. She flapped it around to shake Julien off.
Their “dance” last for several minutes, and both lemurs earned their share of bruises and bloody noses. “Ho ho ho ho! You can smoosh me and punch me all you want, but you will never match my majestic majesty! Just listen to the peoples! They LOVE ME!”
“WE LOVE YOU! KING JULIEN!”
“Yes, yes! I love me, too!”
Tangle clenched her teeth. “Love?” She planted her tail against the ground and faced herself up at the ceiling. “If the only one you love is yourself,” she spun and sank as her tail twisted down, “then you don’t know ANYTHING!” Her tail sprung her up with intense speed, and Tangle would quickly face her tail toward the ceiling. She bounced off it, then off the ground, and repeated all around the arena. Driving the king into confusion, Tangle finally flattened him with her fists.
“KING JULIEEEEEN!”
“If you creeps really love him, then get him treated. I got places to be!”
Meanwhile, Anak had just paid her last bill. “With exactly two Rings to spare!”
“Incredible!” Maurice reviewed the purchase list as the illusory office disappeared. “You’re a genius! The king’s gonna be so happy that-” Anak forcefully stomped him unconscious.
“Huuuuuurk!” Rak’s eyes were threatening to pop any moment. “To be crushed… like this!…”
“Hey. Mouse thing.” Mort turned to find Chungchung.
“Oooooo. You cute. Want to worship King Julien with me?”
“The only one you should worship is me.” Chungchung narrowed her eyes.
“Eh?!” Mort was confused. “Where is… your eyes?”
The squirrel Faunus approached him viciously. “Where… are… yours…?”
“M-M-M-My eyes a-a-are right here. They…they…” Chungchung was centimeters from him. “…UUUUWAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
Mort, losing the will to fight, dropped Rak and cried. The tiny gator poofed back to normal size, bouncing Mort away. “Chungchung… don’t tell anyone about this.”
“Under what contract?”
“Rak! Chungchung!” Tangle shouted as she and Anak rejoined them. “Didn’t even notice you left my back. Did you meet up with any other operatives?”
“Sonia, Manic, Halinor, Cinder, and Sticks.” Rak answered. “Those are the only ones with us. We saved a bunch of Reverted operatives. Only reason we found out about you is because some polar bears tipped us off.”
“Really?” Those had to be Mr. Big’s men. “Any idea where… Whisper is?”
“Not yet. But don’t worry. A bunch of intergalactic operatives came to help us. We’re gonna CRUSH those scaly turtles!”
Tangle smirked and nodded. “Then let’s keep fighting.”
Julien and Maurice watched as Sector CHAOTIX’s ship left the island. “Ohhhhhh, Manky’s going to kill us when he finds out about this!” Maurice panicked.
“You mean… IF he finds out, Maurice.”
“Ah…if…” Maurice smiled at the notion. “If is good.” (End song.)
Several days later; Manky’s treetops
Ever since the Pirate Wars began, Whisper felt an inkling of hope. Alien operatives coming to fight the Kremlings. Several of their bases were attacked and operatives were rescued. But, according to Julien’s reports to Manky, Tangle was still in captivity. She had to keep up her job… keep it up and keep hoping.
“I’m sure you must be feeling good right now.” Manky told the wolf after having her brought to his jungle domain. The giant orangutan shrouded the sunset’s beautiful glow with his strict visage. “But I can’t afford to be complacent anymore. I’ll be clear: if anyone comes for that vault,” he indicated the one in question, “you are to shoot them. With that rifle. With real bullets.”
Whisper bowed down at the weapon. It shamed her to hold it. “If the contents of that safe get taken… I will terminate our deal. A fruit for a fruit.”
Her heart swelled with fear. Her morals… or Tangle’s life… she had to choose.
And that time for choosing was now. An enemy ship had just arrived. Manky was in a fierce, earth-shaking battle with a giant robot of silly design. She prayed that the robot would win. But more importantly… a group of girls were fighting their way through the jungle. Targeting the vault. And one of them was Judy Hopps, the popular bunny officer from Zootopia. She was the one Mr. Big mentioned. She was spared from Revertification in exchange for his loyalty.
But… she was after the vault. Whisper would have to shoot her. How would Mr. Big feel? She couldn’t do it. It was thanks to him that Tangle was spared. She couldn’t. And besides her, the rest of these girls looked like nice, fun people. They were only here to help their friends. Even Whisper’s own friends.
“Oh, I get it,” Judy smiled, “you’re called the Big Grin Pirates because of your big mouths!”
“You mean Chimney’s big mouth.” Apis replied. “And I guess Mocha’s.”
“You two have pretty big mouths, too.”
Aisa grit her teeth and stretched her mouth, as did Apis. “Well, yers ish a little berg.” Apis mumbled.
“Yers, tuu!” Aisa argued.
Whisper cracked a tiny smile at their banter. What a fun bunch. She could tell their friendship was strong. …She couldn’t do this…she couldn’t…
“Heheh, okay girls, let’s get moving.” Judy carried a stone head to the vault door with a slot fit for it. The vault opened, revealing a banana treasury, in which the orange squash Devil Fruit did not blend in at all.
“Sniff…” Whisper’s finger trembled on the trigger. If Judy took that fruit… she would have to… “I’m sorry, Tangle.” Whisper lowered the gun. She couldn’t do it. Tangle would never forgive her. But she would never see Tangle again. “Sniff…” Whisper understood… she just wasn’t allowed to be happy.
“WHISPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!”
“?!?!?” She looked up, her ears twitching from the familiar cry and her heart racing. Was that… no… it couldn’t…
“WHISPEEEEE-”
“Tangle!” Sonia pressed her mouth shut. “Ya can’t just yell out her name! We don’t know if she’s really here!”
“But this is that monkey’s base, she HAS to be! We gotta look for her while he’s distracted!”
“We gotta be quiet about it.” Manic said. “And that’s comin’ from me.”
“Fine! But I’m still gonna find her!” Tangle tailed the first branch and flung herself up.
Whisper began panting. She couldn’t be here. She…couldn’t have gotten free and… come to find her…
“Did you guys hear something?” Judy asked.
“You mean besides the thrashing of titans and raining fireballs of death?!” Apis shouted.
“No… I heard something, too.” Aisa said. “A yell like, ‘Whispeee-’”
Manky fell from the treetops and managed to grab four trees in his limbs to save himself. However, it was from this angle he was able to notice the group walking out with the Devil Fruit. “WAAAUGH!” He angrily recomposed himself and climbed to snatch the girls in his hand.
“AAAAAHH!” Aisa, Apis, and Judy screamed for their lives. Manky carefully picked the fruit out of Apis’s grasp and placed it on the deck. The ape climbed back to his throne with them helplessly struggling. And, as he did… Manky noticed Whisper’s hiding place. His cold glare met her distraught eyes through her mask. And it read, I’ll deal with you next.
Not even going to give the giant robot a chance, Manky moved the girls to his mouth, his drooling teeth ready to separate their heads in one bite. “NO, PLEASE, NOOOOO!” The girls saw the face of death and no way to escape.
But, for some bizarre reason, Manky stopped. Or rather… something was restraining his mouth. Kirie, the pilot of the robot, climbed back up the trees as fast as possible. Once high enough, she launched a fist to grab the wrist holding the girls, lifting it up and arching to bring Manky down the other side. The ape grabbed the tree in his feet, dropping the girls, but Kirie sent the other hand to grab them, bring them back, and set them back where the fruit was.
Both Kirie and Manky returned to the throne, Manky grabbing her arms. Kirie used his arms as a prop to push up and catch his head in her mechanical legs. Manky bashed the legs in a fury, their parts flying off, but Kirie just as well bombarded his face with Rocket Punches. Teeth flew off, his face swelled, and both giants plummeted off the tree. The crash shook the entire jungle, and the W.R.A.S.L.E.R. shattered to pieces. Kirie lay exhausted and unconscious in the wreckage of the carousel, above the defeated Manky’s head.
“Huff…huff…” The climax of the battle sent Whisper’s heart racing. It…it was over…
“AHA!” Her heart skipped another beat. A chipper voice yelped out behind her. A familiar one. Whisper turned. …She still couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe… that she was standing right there. “I thought if I got closer to that big guy, I’d find you!”
“…T…Ta…Tang…” Whisper threw off her mask, letting a month’s worth of tears flow. “TANGLLLLLLLEEEEEEE!”
She rushed at Tangle faster than a hedgehog. Both shared the strongest hug of their lives.
“Now I heard something.” Apis said.
“Wait… I’m sensing two presences up there.” Aisa pointed.
“Should we go check?” Judy asked.
Aisa could sense both auras hugging. “Nah. We should probably go.”
So many emotions were welling inside them. So many things they wanted to say. “Sniff…huff…” But all Tangle wanted now was to hold her. Let her tears flow. “Tangle… I…I’m so sorry! I hurt… so many people… I…”
“Whisper, I’M sorry! I tried to break out! I swear I did! You saved my life… but I…I couldn’t save you…sniff…” Tangle’s own tears poured down Whisper’s shoulder.
“Sniff…I don’t deserve… to be in KND…”
“Yes you do. We can make it better. We’ll…we’ll apologize to everyone. We’ll do it together. We…we’ll get through this together.”
“Sniff…Tangle…”
“…I love you, too.”
“…” Whisper met her eyes. She saw the truth inside them. Her true feelings.
“I wanna go on more adventures with you… and wake you up in the morning… and make you happy. I love it when you smile… I love your voice… and I love hugging you. And I…I didn’t know why, for a while. But ever since we’ve been friends, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I kept wondering what food I should make for you. I kept wondering how you were doing. I looked forward to every mission and hangout. I was so happy when we became teammates… and I was so sad when you were ignoring me before that. More than any of my adventures, any exciting thing I’ve done, I wanted to spend time with you!” Her tears flowed with truth and passion. “I didn’t know why before… but I do now. It’s because… I wanna be with you. You’re the kindest, most caring, most beautiful person in the world who deserves none of the awful things the universe throws at you!”
“…” Whisper couldn’t believe it. She had to be dreaming. But she was awake. This was the truth. Whisper had to convey the rest of her feelings. That Tangle made her life exciting. That Tangle gave her reasons to live. How she loved waking up to Tangle’s face. Loved the warmth of Tangle’s tail. She wanted to say all that… but her heart was spiraling again. Just as it did after the Metal Virus. But she couldn’t hide this time. And she wouldn’t. “…I love you…”
“Uh…yeah. I know.” Tangle cocked a whimsical brow. “You told me.”
“Heh…haha…” Tangle knew just how to make her laugh. Whisper couldn’t contain herself. She needed a way to burn off this happiness! “Hah hah hah hah!” Whisper pulled Tangle in for a kiss. Her tail wagged wildly, and Tangle’s tail stood straight. They were together…they were warm…they were happy…
“Ahem.” They poked a single eye open. Sonia and Manic had come, smirking. The former said, “If you’re ready ta go, we still got a war to win.”
She was right. They couldn’t rest, yet. Tangle and Whisper pulled away, still smiling. “Yeah. Still need to find Lanolin and Jewel.”
“And tell them the good news!”
“Hmhm!”
…
“Uuuuuuugggg…ooooooggg…” Manky Kong groggily crawled out of the wreckage. “…?” Mr. Big and a line of polar bear grunts were armed with machineguns.
“Consider our contract… terminated.”
Zootopia; morning of the final battle
Kids Next Door and Kremlings brawling all out. Zootopia was awash in chaos. But the heroes were determined to win. Many of the escaped criminals culminated here. The Mobian operatives helped defeat and detain them, doing their part to make things easier for their alien allies. Though they were ashamed to say it, none of the Mobians were strong enough to fight K. Rool. Even if they all ganged up on him at once, they feared too many casualties. The Chaos Emeralds were nowhere to be found amidst the war either. They could only put faith in their allies.
A line of Kannons fired cannonballs at Tangle. The lemur blocked them by aligning her tail appropriately, afterwards throwing them back. Whisper applied Pink Spike to her Wispon to clash against three Koshas, who wielded spiked clubs. Her swings reacted in accordance to theirs before she was able to bash them unconscious. A Klump stormed directly toward her next, intending to plow her with his girth. Whisper inserted a Cherry Shrink Cell and fired. The portly Kremling shrunk to the size of a grape. All Whisper had to do was move her boot to make the Kremling run and cry.
“Ba-a-a-a-a-a! Ba-a-a-a-a-a!”
“WHISPER, LOOK! IT’S LANOLIN!”
Their smart and responsible leader was mindlessly wandering and bleating. She was still wearing her clothes, soiled and ragged. “Lanolin…” Whisper walked over and put a hand on her wool. Whisper admired Lanolin as a leader; always organized and responsible, not to mention a fair stickler for rules. And it was thanks to her that Tangle and Whisper were now an official team. That they could see each other every day and grow more comfortable. That they were together.
“Don’t worry.” Tangle smiled. “It’ll all be over soon.”
Before long, a wave of music washed over the entire planet. Famous singers were conducting a worldwide broadcasted performance and restoring the Reverted Mobians with musicbending. The singing legend from Earth, Don Quixote Sugar, as well as the Inkling rapper duo, Pearl and Marina – Off the Hook.
“Eyes on me! You have to save… This place you’ll live on, You’ll love, you’ll love!” Tangle was dancing wildly to the whole performance. “What’s this in you? We have found you! Call us up tomorrow, End your enemy.”
“Nnn…uuuhh…” Lanolin, feeling aching in her back and legs, stood straight.
“LANOLIN!” Tangle grabbed her in a hug.
“Tangle! Whisper! I…sniff, sniff. EWWW!” Lanolin creased as her own smell infected her nostrils. “I haven’t bathed in months! I’m so full of…ew, ew, ew, ew!”
“Yeeeaaaaahhhh, you do smell really bad.” Tangle cringed.
“I will issue, She will respond to: Do you know those heaven hymns, They were singing,”
“OH-WOH-WOH-WOH!” Every restored Mobian was howling to the heavenly hymn. “(I’ll sing that! No more Krock! We sent out!) Stuck on your LOOOOVE!”
Tangle tugged Whisper’s shoulder and pointed when Pearl and Marina embraced each other. Whisper cracked a smile. “Saving the WOOOORLD…”
“We’re still missing Jewel.” Whisper said. “Where could she…?”
A certain building drew her gaze that might’ve contained the answer: Museum of Weird Mobians, crudely written in Kremling style. The Diamond Cutters entered, proceeding to free the trapped civilians inside. “GUYS!” They beamed seeing Jewel banging on her glass case.
“THERE’S my girl!” Tangle smashed her childhood friend free. “WHEW, you also stink!”
“Gods, I do…” Jewel had never felt so filthy. “I’m starting to understand the nudist Mobians.”
“Ya know what probably stunk more?” Tangle asked. “Sonic’s shoes!”
“Ew!” Whisper cringed. Tangle giggled.
“Only one thing to do now.” Lanolin said. The friends returned outside and bore witness to King K. Rool’s final battle. After all they’d been through, it was the most heart-stopping battle they’ve ever seen. The fate of their planet was to be decided then.
“Holy moly…” Sonia couldn’t comprehend the power and speed of the Golden King. Zootopia was reduced to a giant pile of rubble; the people had to pile away from the fighters as best as they could, clambering over debris and dust. It shamed the Mobians to say, but King K. Rool even put Super Sonic to shame. He didn’t need Chaos Emeralds… only pure willpower.
“D.K.!” The outsiders were cheering for the superhero battling K. Rool. Whoever he was, he seemed to possess limitless power. “DEKU-KUN! D.K.!” The Mobians began to chant with them. “DEKU-KUN!”
“LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE KING!” The criminals of the world were merely praying for their continued freedom. “K. ROOL’S THE KING!”
And, just when they thought it was over… it wasn’t. King Kroctus, after exploding with aura and dueling an opponent with nigh infinite power… was still on his feet. And his opponent was down. “Congrats… Boy… you have my respect…” He panted. “Even using a power-up like that… you were a terrific match… and I am extremely grateful… Too bad… I’m spent now.” Kroctus held his heart, waiting for it to calm down. Once it did, he spoke again. “Well, I can’t use Haki for a day. That’s the price of Golden King. So, go on. Who wants first crack at me? Who can use the last of my strength?”
Spirit World
“Oh? What’s this?” The Chronicler found a page underneath his bookshelf. “A missing page from K. Rool’s final battle? Now, how did this fall out?”
Zootopia
“Guys… he’s tired.” Sonia said. “And he can’t use Haki. …We have to finish this.”
“Us?!” Trip the Sungazer quivered. “A-Are you sure?”
“Are you sure the aliens can’t…” Charlie Bee said.
“I grow tired of standing back.” Princess Cinder the Cat declared. “For all the harm he has wrought upon us… I must unleash my rage. I don’t encourage you all to follow. I know what I am risking.”
The silver cat marched forward. Sonia and Manic shared a firm nod and followed her. Two of their teammates, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine D’Coolette, held hands and followed. Sticks the Badger, Trip, and Charlie joined Cinder. Rak and Anak bravely walked.
…Tangle glanced at Whisper. The wolf opened her eyes a slit and nodded. Tangle curved her brows and nodded. They looked to their leader: Lanolin was resolved as well. “Without his Haki, he can’t make us bow to him. I’m ready… to make him bow to us.” (Play “Bob’s Training Montage” from Sly 4!)
Hearing the array of footsteps behind him… Kroctus turned. He grinned at the band of teenage Mobians with firm gazes and confident steps. “Heh heh hah hah. It’s about time you did.” The king calmly approached the top Mobian operatives. Compared to his 10-foot frame, they were so small; most of them were under four feet in height. “Come on… give me all of your pent up rage…”
“Hey, should we help?” Cheren wondered.
“Nah, mate.” Sheila held his arm. The daughter of Marine the Raccoon smirked. “Take a look at their faces. They’ve been wantin’ this for a long time.”
Kroctus spun his arms and cracked his neck. The king broke out into a sprint. And as he did, the Mobians’ anger heightened. The man who enslaved them and abused their friends… He was going to pay! “AAARRRRRGGGGH!”
Rak barreled past his comrades and seized the first move. The gator was almost as tall as K. Rool himself, thrusting his spear at his skull. Kroctus dodged and swat it off course, but Rak spun with the force and slashed it beneath Kroctus’s neck. “OOOOG!” Rak suffered a punch to the gut, flying backward. Manic set up his drum set and whammed an earth-shaking beat, Kroctus wobbling. Trip curled into a spiky wheel as the sungazer Spin Dashed into his feet, toppling him. Sonia immediately jumped on his head and performed her cyclone attack, drilling against his crowned skull. Kroctus threw up an arm and snatched her by the leg, throwing Sonia into her brother to stop the drums.
Cinder became a flaming spiral and drilled into his tail. He spun to swat her, but Cinder was ready to dodge as she shot fireballs at his eyes. He stormed after the cat, but amidst her volley of embers, Charlie carried Sticks by the ankles as she sniped her crossbow at him. K. Rool snarled and jumped to swat both bee and badger away. But upon landing, Rak grabbed him from behind, hauling Kroctus overhead to slam him on his skull. “Ah, the son of Vector! You would’ve been great in my Krew!”
“Never!”
The king spun on his head to whirl Rak and send him away. The king returned to his feet, unprepared as Antoine launched at him as a spinning ball. The fox’s sword was outstretched as he slashed Kroctus across the snout. “UUUURRRRGG!” But every blow they dealt only seemed to increase the king’s smile. Kroctus raised his fists and leapt toward Sonia: the pink hedgehog threw up her hands and used her superb strength to withstand his pressure. Her legs were bending to his will, but thankfully, three forces seized and wrapped his arms. “OOORAAAAAHH!” Anak’s Green April, Bunnie’s robot arm, and Tangle’s tail. The three girls pulled and restrained his arms with all their strength.
Sonia and Cinder joined hands as they leapt, performing a united Sonia Cinder Cyclone! They blazed into the king’s crown for a solid five seconds before an aggressive shake of his head sent them off. Kroctus furiously flailed his arms and slammed Anak, Bunnie, and Tangle into the road. But in his hunched position, Lanolin charged from the left. He barely saw her through his seared red eye and swung his fist. Lanolin ducked beneath, while Whisper rushed from behind and swung her Pink Spike into his toes.
The momentary pain she dealt Kroctus allowed Lanolin the chance to slam her cowbell into his skull, rupturing a shockwave that rattled him. “I’ve never felt so HELPLESS!” Lanolin shouted, running from the pursuing king and ringing more sonic waves at him. “So UNDIGNIFIED! You turned me into a mindless SHEEP and made me wallow around in MUD! And you’re smiling like this is ALL A GAME TO YOU!”
“Ha ha ha, of course!” As Kroctus laughed, Tangle grabbed Whisper in her tail. She prepared a Blue Hammer as the lemur swung her into Kroctus. “Your rage! Your passion! Your will! I feel so ALIVE!”
The hammer slammed the king with great fury. Kroctus clasped both the tail and Whisper’s leg, hurdling both girls into Lanolin. The three groggily sat up as the king calmly approached them. The Diamond Cutters reaffirmed their resolve and stood. Around him, the other operatives returned to their feet, approaching him. Tangle grabbed Lanolin and shoved her toward his legs: she swung her cowbell into his left ankle, just as he threw the right one to kick her unconscious. At the same time, Manic whammed his drums, toppling him to his belly.
Rak jumped and pinned Kroctus down as Whisper ran to bash his head with a Pink Spike, and after that wore off, she changed to a Yellow Drill. “AAAAHHHH!” Whisper’s expression, usually reserved and peaceful, was burning with passion and power. Kroctus recognized the wolf spy Manky had enlisted. And that lemur must’ve been the bargaining chip. She had been freed, and now Kroctus was tasting all of Whisper’s pent up fury! “HAAAAH!” Kroctus thrusted his palm and blasted Whisper away, but she found a soft impact in her girlfriend’s tail. Kroctus grabbed Rak off him and threw him into some rubble, unconscious.
Tangle gently lay Whisper down. “Haha! Was that the best time of your life or what?!”
“Yes…” Whisper smiled.
Charlie buzzed to sting at his eyes, but was swiftly flicked out of the air, the king’s powerful fingers KOing the bee. Sticks quickly followed by clinging onto his cape and bashing his head. In the time he took to grab and throw her off, Tangle stretched her tail past his head. Anak jumped on the end of the tail, so as Tangle reeled it back, the lizard Faunus kicked the back of his head. Though her own strength was nothing to scoff at, Anak sprained her heels and had to sit down afterwards. Cinder and Antoine joined hands and lashed their own combo of sword and blazing heels upon him. Kroctus merely countered each strike with his index fingers: just after both kids managed to strike him, Kroctus flicked them both away at once.
“Cough…even without Haki…” Cinder held her broken hip.
“I feel like… he is taking our attacks on purpose…” Antoine panted. “At ze very end… he mocks us…”
“Hey, Tangle!” Sonia ran beside the lemur. “Fancy going for a ride?”
“You bet!”
When Manic struck him with another drum quake, the king dropped to all fours and rushed the hedgehog like a wild animal, ramming and shattering his set. Trip Spin Dashed up Kroctus’s tail and along his back, shredding his cape. The king seized the ring-shaped lizard in his teeth and slammed her in the ground. He heard the sound of whirling and turned: Sonia was hugging Tangle’s tail, performing her Cyclone Spin as the outstretched lemur whirled at high speed. “TWIRL AND TAIL ATTAAAAAAACK!” Sonia released Tangle in Kroctus’s direction: her worn-out sneakers finally shredded upon bending his scaly snout.
“Ow, ow, ouch!” Tangle tumbled along the ground and rubbed her aching ankles through her worn socks. “Gonna need a… hot bath after this!” But she wasn’t done, yet. Tangle rose to her feet. “HEY! FATTY!” The king sneered and turned to her. “You haven’t apologized, yet.”
Kroctus smirked. “Apologized for what… in particular?”
“For making Whisper CRY!” She thrusted her tail at his snout faster than a cannonball. The impact was only average to Kroctus.
“Tangle…”
“And APOLOGIZE!” Tangle reeled her tail back and fired a more momentous punch, doing so in repetition. “For the PEOPLE YOU MADE HER HURT!” Though Kroctus tried to snatch it, Tangle was swift to bend the tail away and strike at another angle. “For ruining our game of TAG!” Whisper’s tears dripped down her smile. “For breaking her SMILE! And for DISRESPECTING… HER… BOUNDARIES!”
Tangle’s tail launched skyward with incredible height. Whisper gasped: Tangle’s tail had never gone to, “Fifty… meters?”
Kroctus dove forth, curving his maw sideways with the intent to chomp the tail. “Keep your filthy mouth off!” From behind Tangle, Bunnie stretched her robot arm down Kroctus’s throat. The king chewed the metal into bolts. Meanwhile, Tangle’s tail began to slingshot down. The king threw his fist down at the lemur. “DIAMOND CUT!” Her tail slammed the back of his scaly head by the time his fist sent her flying.
“Ugh…” Kroctus vividly felt a small crack in his skull. He heard running footsteps and turned to find Sonia rushing him. She used her own palms to deflect his hulking fists. “Are ya happy now?!” the daughter of Sonic and Amy shouted. “Is this what you wanted all along?!”
“YES!” Sonia jumped his next punch, landing and running up his arm to kick him in the jaw. She flipped off as they resumed their prior exchange. “Mobian pride! Mobian freedom! It’s as fresh as I hoped it would be! I’m so glad Eggman let me have this world! He never appreciated it like I do!”
“Well, this world was NEVER Eggman’s to give! And we NEVER,” Sonia leapt at his face, “wanna see EITHER of you AGAIN!” Her final punch smashed in his good eye, but Kroctus would immediately send her flying, unconscious with his own fist.
“And in another time… another life… I hope we fight again.”
For now, his battle with the Mobians was finished. They were either unconscious or too weak to fight. So, he turned back to the Earthlings. Wondering if they would finally step in. But… it seemed their eyes were on something else. Someone else. Kroctus redirected his gaze… and gasped. Four familiar apes stood against the sunrise. Faces he never thought he’d see again. And the one to step up was the leader of the bunch, dropping his cane. A tear formed in Kroctus’s eye… and he removed his crown.
Whisper and Tangle crawled to each other. “…You were due for a new pair, anyway.” Whisper commented on her shoes.
“I wonder how long… Sonic’s lasted…” And they both passed out. By the time they would all wake up, the nightmare would be over. (End song.)
The war ended. Mobius was peaceful again. That peace would be temporary, of course. There was always danger every day. For now, all they wanted was happiness.
“Everyone…” Whisper conveyed her voice through a microphone at the headquarters auditorium. “During the war… I hurt some of you. The Kremlings threatened my friends… so, I had no choice. I’m very sorry. I don’t expect any of you to forgive me-”
“If the Kremlings threatened my brother, I’d do the same thing!” Sonia shouted.
“As would I.” Cinder said. “It is cruel when enemies take advantage of our feelings. All we can do is accept our choices.”
“Whisper.” Supreme Leader Marcus spoke. He was an azure fox with a cloudy-white muzzle and swirly tuft of hair. “Based on the reports I received, your choices managed to save several lives. You kept the Kremlings from harming too many people, to the best of your ability. We’re very thankful to have you.”
“Yeah!” Whisper recognized the group she had helped Jake fight. “If she wasn’t there, the snake guy would’ve eaten us! Thank you, Whisper!”
Whisper smiled. Even now… she could feel the Diamond Cutters were proud of her. “…Thank you.”
“THAT’S OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL, EVERYBODY!” Tangle’s voice abruptly swallowed the room, tail wrapping around Whisper. “And guess what? WE’RE AN ITEM NOW!”
Gasps filled the auditorium. “That’s wonderful!” Halinor Prower beamed, the half-Seedrian’s flowers blooming.
“I always had a feeling about them.” Cinder said.
“They’re an item?” Sticks asked. “What item?”
“I hope I find me a good boyfriend someday.” Sonia sighed.
“Like you’d ever.” Manic remarked.
“What does that mean?!”
“I’M SO PROUD OF YOU, TANGLE!” Jewel screamed, tearing. “My girl’s first love! She’s all grown up!”
“Tangle!” Whisper put the mike down. “I didn’t wanna make a big show about it.”
“I…I just wanted to be dramatic.”
“It’s just people like to make a big deal or try to get in the way. I would’ve liked to tell our friends a few at a time.”
“I-I’m sorry, I should’ve asked. I’ll make it up to you!”
Whisper let out a giggle. “Actually… what am I saying? If people enjoy our happiness, I’m glad.” She pulled Tangle in for another kiss. Tangle’s momentary panic subsided, and warmth took its place.
The KND held a party at headquarters. The stereos were blasting classic Crush 40 and other songs. They played fun games, had races, ate great food and drinks, and relieved all their pain and stress. As expected, Tangle was the life of the party. She was the wildest dancer there. She stuffed herself with so much food. And she shared her joy with her girlfriend.
“T-Tangle! Slow down!” Whisper said in-between laughter. “These boots aren’t good for dancing!”
“Then take them off!” Tangle flipped her into the air and used her tail to yank off Whisper’s boots.
“H-Hey! Hahahaha!”
No one had ever seen Whisper laugh so much. Or smile so vibrantly. Watching them together warmed the hearts of everyone who suffered in the war. Whisper had more joy than she knew how to express. All she could do was dance. Dance with the girl who made it happen. No matter what battles they faced, no matter what the future held, their love was unbreakable.
Chapter 28: Diamond Cutters: Post-War
Summary:
Follows the "Tangle & Whisper" side story.
Stuck in the Rain: Tangle takes Whisper on an adventure to Soleanna!
Words Unshared: After certain controversy is raised about Chancellor Yorkshire, Whisper shares her thoughts with Tangle. This leads to a dreadful recollection of the Metal Virus.
Cult of the Sheep: Lanolin faces inner turmoil as her mother stops by for a surprise visit.
Chapter Text
Following the Pirate Wars side story, this chapter follows the Diamond Cutters on some Post-War events! We’ll be exploring Tangle and Whisper more as a relationship, but we’ll also include other bits of lore and tie-ins, as well as flesh out Lanolin’s character. Also, Lanolin is voiced by Grey DeLisle in this series, using the tone of Berry from Foster’s Home.
March 7 – Stuck in the Rain
Whisper ran lost across a valley of long, gray grass. It seemed to span forever, no matter how much she ran. “WHISPEEEEEEEEER!”
A voice that was all too familiar… and it was extremely louder than usual. Yet, she couldn’t seem to find the source of it.
“WHISPER, WHERE ARE YOU?!”
The world trembled from the booming call, her ears overwhelmed. “?!” Whisper craned her head upward… and finally found her partner. Towering like a mountain in the distance. “T…Tangle?! Why is she so… Wait. I’m on her…” This endless gray grass she had been crossing was Tangle’s ever-expanding tail! “Tangle! Over here!” She was much too far for her low voice to be heard. But no matter how much she ran, Tangle’s tail never seemed to end. “Tangle! Tangle!” Then, Whisper began to sink into the fur. It swallowed her, wriggling over every inch of her. “Aaaaahh…aaaahhhh…”
“Ahh…ahhhh…achoo!” Whisper sneezed awake from the ticklishness in her nose. She found the end of Tangle’s tail dangling above her.
“Hehehehehehe!” Tangle giggled. “I don’t think I ever heard you sneeze before! It sounded like… squeak!”
“…” Whisper pulled herself upright with a tired moan. “Soooooo,” Tangle bounced on the bed, cross-legged and head propped on her hands, “how’d you sleep? Any, uh…dreams you wanna talk about?”
“Er…n-no.” Whisper blushed.
“Really? No dreams?”
“Nothing… remarkable.”
“Hmmmmm…well, I guess that means no nightmares either, right?”
Whisper smiled. Indeed… the last few nights had been very pleasant. “Right.”
“Haha! Then get up and let’s get breakfast!” The lemur swung out of the room.
The routine felt fresh and familiar. Tangle abruptly waking her up. Brushing her biscotti fur, washing her face, tying her ponytail, and gearing up in her black attire and Wispon. It felt so nice to be back in their rebuilt treehouse. So nice to be back home again. So nice to wake up full of hope and happiness.
The Diamond Cutters visited the reopened Spiral Hill Bakery. Tangle stuffed her mouth with five strawberry muffins, Whisper enjoyed her favorite poundcake, while Lanolin had their specialty, Spiral Rolls (cinnamon rolls that were loosely shaped like Spiral Hill itself). It did their hearts well to see the locals smiling and going about their lives, even as reconstruction was still taking place. “Almost like nothing even happened, huh?” Lanolin said.
“That’s the best we can ask for.” Whisper replied.
“Hey, Tangle! Guys!” Jewel fluttered over. “Good news! The museum’s mostly in tip-top shape! We got back most of the minerals the Kremlings stole!”
“What would they want rocks for?” Tangle wondered.
“Prob’ly to sell them.” Whisper assumed.
“Well, I’m glad for you, Jewel!”
“Hehe, thanks. And I don’t suppose… the two of you have any plans today?” The beetle eyed the couple knowingly.
“Weeeeeeeell…” Tangle drawled out with a growing blush. “I guess… since we are an item now… I gotta take you on a date!”
Whisper giggled. “And… what did you have in mind?”
“I-I…I dunno!” Tangle shirked away, clutching the sides of her head. Lanolin couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the interaction. “I-I don’t know any… romantic restaurants or whatever. Oh! We could go to Twinkle Park! I haven’t been there since I was eight, with my parents! I loved the bumper car ride!”
“Pretty sure the park is rebuilding since the war.” Lanolin said.
“Awwwwww! Uh, then Casino Park, maybe… Is that romantic?”
“Tangle… you were an adventure operative before we became a team.” Whisper said. “Why don’t you take me to one of the places you explored? Take me on an adventure.”
Tangle’s face brightened and her tail spiked, as though Whisper pushed all the right buttons. “Okay, okay, okay! Let me think, uh…Flicky Island’s a good place! Windy Valley’s fun to run through! Or maybe somewhere from… Okay, how about Kingdom Valley?”
“Alright. Where’s that?”
“It’s in Sol Kingdom! We kinda passed by it when Sector SOL took me on a mission through the jungle. Never got around to really exploring it. So, let’s check it out!”
“Sounds fun.” Whisper rose from her seat.
“Ahhhhhhhh, I can’t believe we’re really doing this!” Tangle’s expression was on fire, comprehending the fact she was an official girlfriend. “Is this what all couples go through when it’s their first time? Are you going through this? I’m not coming on too strong, am I? Just let me know. And let me know if anything else bothers you. ’Cause, this is my first time dating, and I don’t really watch those kinds of movies. But I really, really-”
Whisper tipped her Wispon to Tangle’s mouth. That was usually the sign when Whisper wanted, “…Boundaries? Am I being too clingy?”
“No.” Whisper said firmly. “I want you to stop stressing… and just be yourself. Be the Tangle I know and love.”
“…!” Her expression beamed. Tangle wrapped arms and tail around Whisper. “Does that include lots of hugs?!”
“…Definitely.” Whisper smiled.
“This is gonna take getting used to.” Lanolin sighed. “Well, I’m gonna hit the gym today. Need to fix my muscles after being on all fours for a month. Not to mention actually be capable of defending myself.”
“Good luck, Lan! To Soleanna WE GO!”
Soleanna Forest
Though the sky was overcast, the woods hummed with the lush sounds of nature. “Ha ha ha haaaaaaa!” Tangle swung her girlfriend between the towering trees with the freedom of an ape. “It’s as fun as I remember! There’s so many trees to swing from! And look!” She swung them toward a lake that intersected with a river. “Giant TURTLES!” They hitched a ride atop a turtle’s shell. “There’s a bunch of ruins in the jungle over there! And more of these turtles swimming around—ulp, gueck!” The turtle submerged without warning. “Heheh. ’Guess he doesn’t feel like it today.” She grabbed Whisper’s hand and spun her tail to push them to shore.
The girls took a moment to dump the water out of their shoes. “I guess I didn’t need to do my hair today.” Whisper said.
“Eheh…sorry.”
“It’s fine. Some of my old missions involved underwater infiltration. Had to learn to tolerate soggy socks.”
“Well… cool!” Tangle grinned sheepishly. “But anyway, the valley is this way.”
As they crossed more of the forest, Tangle casting waves at exploring citizens, Whisper studied the decayed grass around them and withering leaves. “Hasn’t quite recovered, yet.”
“Huh?” Tangle began to notice the scenery. “Oh…what happened here?”
“The Kremlings. They shot gas nukes around the island, to prevent Queen Blaze from using her bending. They went in with gas masks and took citizens hostage to threaten her into submission. The gas was barely tolerable enough to breathe in… but it didn’t matter by the time they were Reverted.”
Tangle sighed, internally furious by the cruelty. “Makes me wanna go back in time and punch them again!”
A tower stood to guard the gate of Kingdom Valley, along with an altar before it. The altar had three pillars with a blue, pink, and yellow orb. Three human priests stood beneath the pillars. “Hey there!” Tangle greeted spritely. “We wanna explore Kingdom Valley! Don’t mind us!”
“No.” One priest said. “To set foot on the old kingdom, you must prove your power, wisdom, and love.”
“What is this, Hyrule now?! We just wanna explore, not go fight a demon or something!”
“This law was decreed by the king of 1,000 years ago, with the blessings of Goddess Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. We don’t know why, but it’s what we do. You must take their three tests for the rite of passage.”
“Man, Cinder never said anything about tests.”
“Well… let’s just hear them out.” Whisper reasoned. “What do these tests entail, exactly?”
“We will draw upon the power of the goddesses and analyze your souls. You will be tested based on your personal experiences. Simply put, these tests are different for everyone.”
“What happens if we fail?”
“Then you simply try again.”
“We could at least try them, Tangle. Sounds a little interesting.”
“Well, alright. Let’s do the Power Test first!”
The priest beneath the blue orb prayed: Azelf’s likeness flew out of the orb and into him. “I have read your capabilities in combat. Defeat all the enemies before you.”
Tangle and Whisper turned with a gasp: hordes of Eggman robots appeared. Whisper fixed on her mask and nodded at her partner. Tangle smirked and nodded back.
The lemur thrusted her tail at a small squad of Bladed Spinners, striking the weak bottom points and avoiding the blades. She then flipped up three turtle-bots (Camerons) and smashed their weak bellies. A line of Penguinators slid toward her; Tangle used her tail as a pogo-stick and bopped across the robo-penguins. Meanwhile, Whisper used Blue Hammer to swat an Egg Hammer’s weapon, knock it off its feet, and smash its head in. She felt burrowing beneath as Madmoles popped up to throw mushrooms. Whisper dodged and used Yellow Drill to stab them through the earth.
“Tangle.” Whisper called attention to a Falco squadron high in the air. Tangle, seeing Whisper prepare a Crimson Battery, smirked. She grabbed Whisper with her tail, raised her skyward, and watched as her Wispon sprouted crimson wings. She soared the air like an eagle, slashing the Badniks with her wings. “Man, she’s so cool!” Tangle expressed.
There was an extra round of robots and even two rounds of Kremlings, but their battle experiences were more than enough for the challenge. Soon, lemur and wolf landed beside each other in victory. “Aaaaaaaaand surprise bonus round!” Tangle suddenly threw a flurry of punches at Whisper. She was quick to react with her palms, but Tangle’s tail was already rubber-banding for an impactful blow. Whisper dodged it by the surface of her mask, swiftly equipped Blue Hammer, and spun to bash Tangle away. Her tail whirled as she flew across the air, grabbed the ground, and slingshot herself into Whisper. They tumbled along as Tangle managed to disarm her of her Wispon and pin her beneath her tail.
“Hnnnng…uuuurg…” Whisper struggled to push free of her tail. She looked at Tangle’s victorious smirk through her mask. “…You win.”
“Hee hee hee!” Tangle returned her tail and raised two ‘peace’ signs. Whisper opened her mask and returned a smirk that said, You won’t win next time.
“The trial is passed.” The priest said.
“Let’s try the Knowledge Test next.”
“You’re probably way smarter than I am, Whisper.”
“I’m sure you’ve gotten some knowledge from your adventures.”
Uxie’s likeness appeared from the yellow orb and into the priest. “Uxie has read your minds and will now test your memory. Question 1: What year did Sonic the Hedgehog pass away?” There were four choices in the air, from 2020 to 2023.
“It was 2020.” Whisper answered. “In December, I believe.”
“Man, 16 years ago.” Tangle sighed. “You would’ve just been born by then.”
“Well, I was born in 2019.”
“Question 2: Who is the mother of Queen Blaze?” Choices were Neyla the Tiger, Big the Cat, Song Oak, and Elise.
“Wait, Cinder told me this one!” Tangle perked up. “It was Elise! Queen Elise!”
“Question 3: Which group does Shadow the Hedgehog now belong?” Choices were G.U.N., CP0, Team Gnaa, or Disney.
Whisper recalled reading about this after the Metal Virus, frowning at the knowledge. “CP0.”
“Question 4: Which world rivals Mobius in the Intergalactic Olympics?” Mira, Hyrule, Mushroom, or Avalar.
“Mushroom, duh!” Tangle said. “Hehe, wonder if I could be part of those someday?”
“Question 5: Which world does Dr. Eggman lurk now?” Earth, Mechanos, Coruscant, or Mira.
Whisper narrowed her eyes. “…Mechanos. The robot planet.”
“Correct. You have passed the Test of Knowledge.”
“That all?” Tangle asked. “Talk about easy.”
“Well, it’s not like you’re gaining god powers from this exercise.”
“Whatever! Now it’s time to get the Triforce of Love! …Wait, is that one of them?”
The priest below the pink orb absorbed Mesprit’s likeness. “Mesprit sees… that you now stand with the one you love.” Tangle and Whisper blushed at each other. “For this test, you must show us how well you know each other. You will be separated, so as not to feed each other answers.”
A transparent wall began to form between the girls. “Hehehe…I didn’t think we were walking into a couple’s exercise.” Tangle blushed.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“First test.” A buffet of different foods appeared around the field. “Find your cherished one’s favorite food.”
The girls surveyed their sides of the buffet. “I see bananas… bagels… Spiral Rolls…” Whisper thought aloud. “Tangle likes all these things… but she really likes strawberries.” She picked one up.
“POUNDCAKES!” Tangle raised one in her tail. “She loves to chow down on these! It even matches her fur!”
The foods disappeared in pink dust. The field was then filled with numerous objects or creatures. “Second test: collect every subject your cherished one holds dear.”
“Well, I already see Wisps!” Tangle went to collect a bundle of Wisps. “They were her comfort pals! And there’s her favorite eyeliner, Wolf Shade! And her Fur’Ray hair conditioner! Oh, I always love smelling that in the morning! And… her team’s masks.” She collected the masks in tender spirits.
“Tangle’s favorite brushes.” Whisper picked them up. “From Spiral Salon. She takes such good care of her tail.” She loved it when Tangle held her with it… Whisper shook back to focus. “And that’s her bike.” Tangle loved to ride it around the village outskirts. …She sighed, remembering that the Kremlings broke it. “And here’s the first rare rock she and Jewel found. And… a selfie of our first group hug with Lanolin. Of course.”
The objects vanished. …The girls felt tense with fear as the space around them turned dark-red. “Final test: destroy the things your cherished one fears most.”
Another assortment of horrid things appeared on either side. Among those nightmares… there were a handful they strongly recognized. Tangle glared at Mimic: she smashed the octopus with her tail as he dispersed into mist. But then she saw something more terrifying: herself, in the form of a soulless Zombot. No love, no joy in her orange eyes… only the desire to infect. “…So, that’s what I looked like.” Tangle smashed the monster.
On Whisper’s end, there was a sealed trashcan. Whisper remembered this: she smashed the can open, and an unconscious Tangle was inside. Tangle had gotten stuck inside a trashcan at five years old. Since then, she would always panic being trapped or confined to a tight space. It was a little ironic since she loved hugs, but…
Beyond that… Whisper saw herself, casting a cold, uncaring gaze. Tangle always grew upset whenever Whisper ignored or was mad at her. …Whisper walked up and embraced that side of her in an apologetic hug.
The illusions faded. The couple were free to each other again. A gentle rainfall began to wet their fur. “Whisper!” Tangle raced up to her first. “Uhh…how was the test?”
“It was fine.” Whisper internally wondered what Tangle saw on her end.
“Haha, just like you said!”
“Yep.” Whisper smiled.
An eagle soared down to the altar. “You may enter the valley now.” The priest said.
“…Well, it’s about time!” Tangle latched her tail to its talons. “All aboard the EAGLE PLANE!”
“T-Tangle, I wasn’t ready!” Whisper was whisked off her feet without warning.
The eagle carried them down a canyon of ancient stone walls and bridges. At one point, they were about to hit a bridge, but Tangle reeled them upward to dodge it. “Man, look at all those towers down there! Let’s get a closer look!”
“Tangle!” The lemur unraveled her tail as they plummeted into the deeper valley.
“Wheeeeeeee!” Tangle wrapped her tail around a long bar with a glowing green gem. As they swung around, she turned the handle as a wind rail appeared. “Whoa, what’s that?!” Tangle swung them atop it. “It’s a RAIL!” They went surfing down the dense current of wind as it winded around the ancient towers. “COOOOOOL! How come Cinder’s family moved out of this place?!”
“Seeing as it’s in a canyon, there was probably too much flooding.”
“But their new castle’s on the ocean, so what does it—MATTEEEER!” They tumbled onto a down-slanting road. “Hahaha! This place is just a big playground! How come we had to go through those boring tests to get…?”
The gentle rainfall began to pick up speed and force. “Uuuuuuugh, this is just great! We spent so long on that crud that we’re getting rained on!”
“Don’t you have an umbrella?”
“What, I don’t have a…oh!” Tangle raised her tail and curled it above them. “Uh…it’s good enough!”
The couple followed the declining road to the entrance of a hollow tower. There was rain pouring in from the shattered stain glass window. Tangle squeezed water out of her tail and flapped it dry as best as she could. “At least we were already wet, huh?”
“Yeah. But we can wait until this storm blows over.”
“Good idea. Things aren’t as fun to swing on if they’re slippery.” Tangle kicked back on the cold ground to stare up at the window rain, staying as far as she could from its splash spray.
Whisper lied down beside her. “…Reminds me of some of my missions. When I… scouted some villain hideouts. In the rain. Alone.” Tangle turned to her. “The Rusty Ruins… Iron Jungle… Glyphic Canyon… They rained just like this. It was night, too. There were lots of long nights. …I didn’t really enjoy sleeping.”
“…” Tangle took her hand. Whisper glanced at her with a soft smile. “…And sometimes, I could see them staring at me from the mist. But I’d have to remind myself… I’m all alone out here.”
“That’s not true. They were always with you. You know that.”
“…Yes.” Whisper looked up at the broken window. The rain pounded on the fragments of broken stain glass. “…It’s funny… if Mimic hadn’t decided to run to Spiral Hill, I might’ve never thought to meet you again. Maybe just on some other mission… but I… It’s so hard to believe what I could’ve missed out on.”
Tangle never really considered that. “…Ya mean that creep was actually good for something?”
Whisper breathed out what sounded like a fading chuckle. “…If we hadn’t become friends that day… where do you think you’d be now?”
“Um…I…uh…” Tangle’s eyes darted every which way. “I, uh…guess I’d just be… looking for more adventures… and doing what I like doing… I…I’d never…sniff.” Whisper looked over: it was rare that Tangle would be the one to start crying. “I’d have no idea… such an amazing girl was out there…”
“Tangle…” Whisper pushed herself over and pressed Tangle into a hug.
“You just… pushed me away with your boundaries, never would’ve tried to be friends with me, and I’d never get to know the greatest person in my life!”
“…And I’d never get to know such a warm and wonderful person.” Once more, they melted into each other’s arms. “A teammate I can trust with my life… a friend I can laugh with… and someone I can share my heart with.”
They remained still for several minutes. Waiting for their tears to empty. The rain grew calm, fading into sprinkles… and a thin ray of sunlight shimmered through the intact stain glass window. Imagining how close they were to missing this… How Whisper would continue going on missions alone, never knowing such a warm embrace… and how Tangle would keep having adventures and fun, completely ignorant of Whisper’s sadness, pain, and her pure soul… It would just be another nightmare to haunt them.
Whisper rolled off onto her side, still holding arms with Tangle. “…Sorry.” Whisper said. “You just wanted to have fun out here… but all I’m doing is depressing you.”
“No. I love it when you talk about this stuff. I mean, I don’t want you to be sad, but…but I love hearing your feelings. You’re just…you’re so cool, Whisper. Everything about you. I don’t even think… What makes me so special, anyway?”
“…Everything.” Whisper pulled herself over for a kiss. “…Mmh!” She sat up with a grunt. “This floor is uncomfortable. My back’s sore.”
“…Then how about this?” Tangle stretched her tail behind them both. They lay and bent their backs over it. “Still wet though.”
“Mmmmmmmhhhh…much better.” Whisper looked away, blushing. “…Tangle… in my dream last night…” The lemur’s ears perked up intently. “…I was very small… and I was in your tail. I tried to get your attention, but you were too far away. Your tail was so long. And your voice was so loud, it hurt my ears.”
“…That… sounds… so… cuuuuuuuuuute!” Tangle curled her fists up at her chin and shook her legs in the air. “How small were you? Could you stand right on my nose? Could you sleep on my cheek? Or…” Whisper sighed. “I, I mean… do you want me to lower my voice? Is that the problem?”
“…No. It was just… the nicest dream I’ve had in years.”
“…Then I hope you have it again!”
Whisper smiled. The two willed their selves to stand and stepped out into the light rain, glistening from the trickle of sunrays. With brightened spirits, Tangle and Whisper locked hands and swung off to resume their adventure. “Say, what do you wanna do when we get home?”
“Hmm…I’d like to watch a movie.”
“Okay! What’s your favorite movie?”
“Metal Gear Solid.”
“Isn’t that a game?”
“Is it?”
But before we proceed with the next story, let’s have a look at a secret conversation between some villains. ;)
September 30, last year
Dr. Eggman presented a vial of silver liquid to K. Rool and Gruntilda. “The Metal Virus. This will be my final ‘f**k you’ to Mobius. I’m going to sprinkle bits of it around during October… and by the time Affright begins his Horrorverse plan, the REAL fun will begin! It can spread across nature, converting every living thing it touches into robotic zombies. This will be a Halloween to remember.”
“Hmmmm…” Kroctus’s eyes were grim. “I must say, Doctor, this plan is cruel, even for me.” His fangs grew into a smirk. “But I will eagerly watch with food and drinks.”
“Count me in! RAKAKAKAKAK!” Grunty laughed. “Good thing I’m non-living! Grunty for the win!”
“And if Affright’s plan goes well, the KND’s special doctor won’t be able to fly there and save them.”
“Indeed. That’s not to say Mobius doesn’t have its own skilled doctor… but I doubt even she can cure this. I’ve also had a special team of Nightmares created to help manage the project. That way, I can focus more research on Infinite on Mechanos. Still, this will be my final attempt to conquer Mobius. And if it fails… I surrender the planet to you, Kroctus.”
“Hahahahaha! Then let the wager begin!”
March 9 – Words Unshared
“Okay, team,” Lanolin began with a stamp of her fist against her palm, “the war may be over, but we’ve still got accounts of Kremling remnants lurking around parts of the world. Kremnants, we’re calling them. Other sectors are looking into it, searching less populated areas with minimal law enforcement. But we gotta do our part, too.”
“There weren’t any Kremlings in Kingdom Valley.” Tangle said, hands folded behind her head. “Hey! What about that pirate town, Blood Bath Bay?”
“That was one of the prime suspects, yes, but since it’s already a pirate community, it’s not technically a place of concern, nor is it one we’d be welcome in.”
“Um…I might know a place.” Whisper said. “The town of Dirt.”
“Dirt?” Tangle’s tail shaped a question mark.
“When…um…the Kremlings made me work, um…” Her teammates looked sympathetically. “That rattlesnake said he might go there.”
“Then let’s go check it out!” Tangle livened the mood. “What kind of place is Dirt?”
“Well, it’s…”
“So HOOOOOOOOT!” Tangle’s voice echoed the desert expanse. Even as the sun beat mercilessly upon the lemur, her spirits were fired up. Wrapping a cannister in her tail, she took a big swig.
“Don’t drink too much!” Lanolin said. “Or you won’t survive the way back.”
“We should just head back to the ship.” Whisper said, panting in her black combat gear. “Park closer to town.”
“But that ruins the adventure!” Tangle cheered. “Besides, don’t these cactuses have juice?”
“Don’t drink from those!” Lanolin shouted.
“Hey, what if I cut one of them open and stick it to the end of my tail? Then I’ll have a SPIKY TAIL!” She thrusted her tail at her teammates as the fur jutted into sharper spikes.
“Please don’t.” Whisper said.
After an extra half hour of a journey, the Diamond Cutters were at the edge of Dirt, a dry and decrepit western town. “WOOOOOOW!” Tangle was beaming at the locals’ attire, the Gas Can Saloon, Mr. Black’s Coffins, and Cigar Inc.. “It’s so wild WEST! Hey, where do I get my own gun?! And cowboy hat?! Hey, what’re those big birds?!” Some people were passing by on large roosters. “This place is so—COAH!” Her foot sank into a hole in the earth as she tripped.
“Whoa, careful there, young lady.” A jackrabbit Mobian said. Tangle pushed herself out as the trio noticed the holes around town. “It’s about time for the Monthly Rehydration. We’re gettin’ the town prepped up for it. Gotta watch’er step.”
“Now, who do we have here?”
The clanking of spurs signaled the arrival of the town sheriff. He was a lizard Mobian, donned in a thick belt with a gun, a strong vest, and large ten-gallon hat. He wore his gold sheriff’s badge with pride. “Howdy do, children. Name’s Rango. Sheriff of Dirt and master of the One Bullet style. What brings you to our fair town?”
“Hello, Sheriff Rango.” Lanolin bowed. “We’re the Diamond Cutters of the Kids Next Door. We’ve been surveying the outskirts in search of Kremlings left over from the war. We haven’t had luck so far.”
“Oh, we’ve had some handful of Kremlings at our doorstep.” Rango replied, twirling his gun. “You can be assured I sent them a-packin’. There were about 20 of them!” He squat and aimed his gun backward and forward in an animated fashion. “Coming in from all sides of town! I grabbed mah pistol and I tells ’em, ‘You ain’t taking 10 steps past Mr. Black’s Coffins!’”
“Whoa!” Tangle’s eyes brightened. “Did you fight them all yourself?!”
“Darn right! Took me just one bullet! I shoots it right at the water tower. Knew the exact weakest point the bullet would puncture. And it ricochets inside before breakin’ through the other weakest point! Right toward the Kremlings comin’ from the main gate! It rips right through seven o’ their skulls. Luckily, they were lined up tallest to shortest. Then it bounces off the ground and into an armored Kremling’s groin. And that groin provided JUST the right angle to rip through the next line of five Kremlings!”
“COOOOOOL! Whisper, that’s just like your laser diamond things! Except WAY more wild!”
The wolf in question glared in disbelief. “No one could possibly be that lucky.”
“LUCK hain’t got nothin’ to do with it!” Rango zipped right up in Whisper’s face. “A true sheriff knows the exact coordination and geometry of his town AND his enemies!”
Whisper pushed him away with her Wispon. “Boundaries.”
“Now, where was I, ahem. So, 16 Kremlings down, 21 to go.” Lanolin did some finger-counting, noticing the numbers didn’t add up from before. “The bullet bounces off the town windmill and hits a Kremling’s grenade sack. BOOM! Took him out and the seven men around him! But the blast sends the bullet bouncin’ ’cross all the shops, right to the next platoon! Inside one Kremling’s gullet; he spun around and SPAT it at the next guy in a gush o’ blood! Then it whizzed and ricocheted between six o’ their skulls, hittin’ just the perfect angles! Then it hit the inside of a Kremling’s cannon: by that time, the bullet built up so much speed that it flickered a spark, firing the cannon inside out. Blowin’ down the cannoneer and the five men behind him.”
“Gods, I can’t believe it!” Tangle grew more excited with every word.
“Me either.” Whisper sighed.
“But then the bullet goes flyin’ to the heavens: the last eight Kremlings ran about wonderin’ where it'd land. But they tripped on the carcasses of their comrades and wound up gettin’ a mouthful of rot. They choked and gagged on the taste before eventually passin’ on.”
“Okay, so, basically…” Tangle began. “The bullet went like THIS!” She slung her tail toward the water tower and slingshot herself into it. “Then over HERE!” She slung herself to the town gate, “and bounced off the groin, to the windmill,” she latched and flew toward the windmill, “right into the grenade guy, then DOWNTOWN WE GO!” She swiftly latched between the shops. “Now at the back gate! Where the guy eats it and goes BLAAAH! And then it goes, zip, zip, zew!” She zigzagged between six points. “And then it…huff…then it…” The lemur collapsed on the sun-scorched earth. “Need… water…”
Her friends and Rango hurried over to her. “You forgot the part where it blasts to the sky.” the sheriff said.
The ground began rumbling. “What’s that?” Lanolin asked.
“Oh! The Rehydration’s starting!”
A curious Tangle stuck her head into a hole she happened to be over. “WOOOOOOOO!” A great fountain blasted her to the sky!
“YAAAAAAY!” The citizens cheered as other such fountains erupted out of the holes. Children began to splash and play, while adults caught the water in containers.
“Ha ha ha ha! WOW!” Tangle landed on her spout, laying back and thrusting hands, legs, and tail. “The town’s a waterpark now! We should’ve brought swimsuits!”
“Amazing…” Whisper cracked open her eyes in fascination.
“Yep! Only happens once a month.” Rango smiled. “We collect what we can and store it in the bank.”
“Haha, Whisper, get up here!” Tangle stretched her tail to rope the wolf up onto her fountain. Whisper momentarily choked on the water, but soon found herself bobbing on the liquid platform. Whisper’s own fatigue swiftly evaporated. “Hahahahahaha!”
“…” Whisper cast a glare at the fun-loving lemur… and smirked. “Tangle… this fountain isn’t big enough for the two of us.”
“Huh?” Tangle looked over, “OOF!” only to be met with Whisper’s palm pushing her off the fountain. “Grrrr!” Tangle jumped into the spout, raising her tail-fist as she rode it up and punched her girlfriend off the spout. Whisper used Green Hover to stabilize herself in the air, swinging down toward Tangle for a stamp of the boots. Tangle thrusted her palms in defense and bent her tail to punch Whisper from the side, but the wolf had already prepared her Blue Hammer to bash the tail away. She then redirected the hammer to bash Tangle off the fountain and reclaim her perch.
Tangle growled in frustration… but smirked as an idea came to mind: she wrapped her tail over the hole to block the fountain completely. Whisper let out a quiet yelp as she plopped onto the tail like a curly sponge. “Hmm. I guess I’ll rest on this instead.” Whisper pressed the center of her back against the point of the curled tail.
“Hurg…huuuurrrr!” The water pressure began building. The gaps of Tangle’s tail ruptured as a gush blasted her right in the face. “Uack, hwack, cough!” The tail gave way completely as Whisper was pushed off. The wolf recovered as Tangle splashed the spout toward her with her tail. Whisper smirked and splashed part of it back with Blue Hammer. Both of their beaming, laughing faces glistened against the droplets.
Lanolin shook her head and smiled in disbelief. “So, basically… everything’s good here?” she asked Rango. “No rattlesnakes?”
“RATTLESNAKES?!” he startled her with his shout. “Well, just after I shooed off those Kremlings, mah old pal Jake came along with his scaly hide! Been a hot decade and a half since we last squared off! And I tell him, ‘No matter how many barrels you bustin’, you ain’t stickin’ one tooth in our boots!’ He had him a whole tail full of 10,000 bullets, but all’s I had was the one. It was all about coordination. Observation. I knew that, as soon as the 74th bullet flew out, I had the perfect chance to…” Lanolin groaned loudly.
Spiral Hill Treehouse
“Well, that mission was a wild goose chase.” Lanolin said as the Diamonds returned home with both damp and sand-ridden fur and clothes. “No Kremlings, no threats, just a lizard and his bloated imagination.”
“We definitely gotta go back next month!” Tangle jumped out of her shoes and kicked back on the couch. “Bring some’ the other guys, too!”
“Tangle, shower and change clothes before you do that.” Lanolin and Whisper pinched their noses. “Hm?” Their transmission terminal was ringing. “The Supreme Leader?” Lanolin clicked ‘Answer.’
An azure fox with a cloud-colored muzzle appeared onscreen. “This is Marcus McCloud to all sectors. First, I’d once again like to thank you all for your efforts in cleaning up the mess the pirates have left us. While the restoration is important… I hope you all have remembered to take time for yourselves. With how much the war has taken from us, we need to give ourselves time to relax and have fun.”
From this, Whisper was pushed in the back by Tangle’s tail. The lemur cast her a grin, which she returned with a light chuckle.
“Now then… I have some more important news: I was recently contacted by King Mickey Mouse.” The operatives whipped up with full attention. “He requested to pay a personal visit to our headquarters and conduct interviews. Simply put, he wants to listen to our stories in regards to the war and how it affected us. In doing so, he may share our stories in order to inspire or enlighten others… with our consent. I haven’t given him an answer, yet. I wanted to ask your all’s thoughts first. Regardless if he comes, the choice to interview with him is purely voluntary. So… let me know your answers in this coming week.” The call ended.
“Mickey Mouse is coming to Mobius?!” Tangle beamed. “Do you think he’d let me play Rapunzel in a play or something? My tail would totally work for it!”
“It would certainly be a relief to have his support.” Lanolin said. “Mobius needs his money right now.”
“Um…” Whisper bowed her head slightly. “Remember… what… the chancellor said?”
“Huh?” Tangle cocked a brow.
“OBJECTION!” Cheadle abruptly shouted. “People of the council, I allege Mickey of brainwashing! I know for a fact one of the Sky God officers was a spy of Mickey’s. He was trying to brainwash all the captives into following him, including myself and Peach!”
“No, that was a misunderstanding.” Lanolin clarified, remembering the live council meeting. “Mickey had spies and aids among the pirates to support the captives. And, frankly, I’m a little hung up on…”
“Ooooooo!” Big Bird big cooed. “A little birdy told me that Chancellor Yorkshire had sexual relations with King K. Rool~”
“THAT’S NOT TRUE!!” Cheadle ripped the air with her voice. “That… never happened. Not at all.”
Whisper bit her lip at the memory. “She didn’t sound entirely truthful.” Lanolin said.
“She was… kind of absent for that whole war, wasn’t she?” Tangle recalled.
“That’s because… she was on holiday, but got taken by the Sky Pirates…” Whisper’s voice grew lower.
“I guess, but some things don’t line up.” Lanolin replied. “Hmm…well, let’s hit the shower. We’ll think about this interview stuff later.”
“I’ll just bathe in my own house!” Tangle swung outside. “More water for you guys! Haha, even though we got enough of it back there!”
“Alright then. You first?”
Whisper was still for a moment. She walked to the bathroom in silence, leaving Lanolin confused.
Later
“Ahhhhhhh!” Tangle returned to the treehouse, stroking her tail around her neck like a towel. She was wearing dark-blue pajamas with strawberry designs. “Nothing like a fresh tail! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, Whisper!” She knocked the wolf’s door. “You done? Wanna feel the nice clean tail?” She waited several seconds. No answer.
Tangle creaked open the door. “Whisper?” Her girlfriend was sitting on her bed, wearing her white pajama top and black underpants. Her fingers fidgeted on her knees, as did her clawed toes on the floor. “…Is something wrong?”
“…Have you forgotten?”
“What?” Tangle suddenly felt a wave of guilt fall over her. Guilt that she didn’t even understand the origins of.
“Have you forgotten… what the chancellor did for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“…You know exactly what I mean.”
Tangle immediately noticed Whisper starting to shiver. Her fur stood on end… and Tangle knew what awful memory was replaying.
October-November, last year
Silver Rain. That became the symbol of Mobius’ despair. A Faceship, built in Eggman’s likeness, loomed over all of Mobius and spewed it. Small samples of it hit the soil in late October, steadily spreading across nature to unsuspecting villages. But this month… this week… became the most horrible nightmare they had ever known.
It was known by several other names. Dark November. Death Mobius. Robotnik’s Requiem. No matter what they called it, it was dread. Crying, screaming, begging for help: these sounds echoed from everyone caught in its wake.
“DON’T LEAVE ME! I’LL CUT OFF MY ARM! CUT OFF MY ARM!”
“MOMMY, NO! MOMMYYYYYY!”
“THERE’S A ZOMBOT IN HERE!”
“I’m sorry! I JUST DIDN’T WANNA BE ALONE!”
Piles and crowds of evacuations. Many were doomed to be grabbed by the Zombots. It took a single touch, from either the monsters or the metallic grass around them, to curse the innocent people. In this entire world… there wasn’t a single smile. Except hers.
“I’M NOT SCARED!” Tangle showered with enthusiasm as the Metal Virus consumed the remaining inches of her body. “BECAUSE THE GOOD GUYS ALWAYS WIN IN THE END!”
And with those final words… she was taken. Whisper grew pale, drowning in sheer horror and pain. “TANGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEE!”
“STOP!” Manic grabbed Whisper, struggling to restrain the desperate wolf. “Sonia! Help!”
“I can’t!”
“LET ME GO! I NEED TO SAVE HER! I NEED TO! TANGLE!” Whisper’s throat nearly burst from her volume.
“YOU CAN’T!” Sonia shouted. “There’s nothing we can do! We have to get out of here!”
“NO! NO!” Cursing her own powerlessness, Whisper was dragged onto the ship, fleeing from the Zombot swarm as her friend shrank out of view. “NOOOOOOOOOO!”
Present
Tangle sat down and embraced her. “Deep breaths, deep breaths…” She stroked Whisper softly. Her quivering slowly subsided and her fur sank.
“…That woman… was our only hope…”
Past
“Is there anything else we need?” Sonia asked as her brother presented some of her glowing quills to the chancellor.
“I have everything I need.” Cheadle said. “Leorio, let’s get started right away!” Her human assistant joined her in the tented lab.
This was their final stand against the virus. What few operatives remained, here on Angel Island, were scared beyond wits. Anak, though she maintained a cool demeanor, feared for Rak and Chungchung. Halinor was crying for her parents, hugging Trip the Sungazer, who cried for her teammates. And Whisper shivered… The image of Tangle as a Zombot would forever be burned into her mind. In this darkest hour, they prayed. Put faith in Cheadle’s medical knowledge.
The Cooper Gang of master thieves had stolen a sample of the Silver Rain from Eggman’s Faceship… but each of them became infected in the endeavor, narrowly delivering the sample to the KND before succumbing to the parasites. The other key ingredient was Sonia’s quills: somehow, her spinning power was able to reverse the spread of her own infection. With these two ingredients, plus some of Cheadle’s own, the chancellor plotted a formula to erase the parasites completely.
Whisper approached Cheadle’s tent, listening in the hopes of progress. “How’re you doing by the way, Chancellor?” Leorio asked.
“I dunno how long I can hold on.” Cheadle panted. “My Haki’s running low.”
Whisper tensed up at the notion. It was true she had been infected earlier on, but her powerful will kept it at bay. Cheadle forced herself to stay awake for days straight, knowing the virus would claim her as soon as her will dropped.
“Leorio… if the parasites start covering my head… promise you’ll shoot me.”
“Ch-Chancellor.”
“If I get taken, they won’t be able to stop me.”
Leorio gagged on his breath. Cheadle was the strongest person on Mobius… As a Zombot, she’d be the biggest threat. “Then… we better work faster!”
“Yes… or else Samus Aran will hear about this mess!” Cheadle expressed as if in a humorous manner. “And she…she’ll repair the Eclipse Cannon and blow us to smithereens! Hahahahahaha!”
“Please don’t joke, Chancellor!”
Whisper only begun to shudder more. “You, out there!” She flinched: Cheadle had sensed her presence outside the tent. “Please step away! It’s not safe!”
Leorio peeked out of the tent. The young man looked upon Whisper’s shuddering form with sympathy. “Listen, kid… it’s gonna be okay. They used to call her the Disease Hunter. Whether it’s Night Howler or Ice Oni… any sickness that catches my teacher’s eye will wish it was dead!”
His declaration sparked a semblance of hope… and yet, it was barely enough. Whisper wandered the grounds to check on her fellow operatives. Anak was sitting with Lanolin. “They should’ve killed him…” the sheep muttered as her eyes pulsated with fear and rage. “They had a million chances to fucking kill him. All these years… we let Eggman live… and now he’s fucking killed all of us. Why didn’t they… fucking… kill him?”
“…We had our chance several months ago.” Anak said. “…And we should have.”
Whisper later went to check on Sonia and Manic, resting in a barren spot downhill. The pink hedgehog was spinning in her signature, bright cyclone… but she fell to a halt and knelt. “It’s not working as well!” Sonia panicked at her still-metallic hands. “M-Manic… I think it’s adapting!”
“Just hang in there, sis! The Chance’ll be done any minute!”
“W-What if it doesn’t work? I gotta… throw myself off the island.”
“NO! You’re stayin’ and gettin’ cured with everyone else!”
“Sniff…sniff…” Sonia planted her hands to the earth, tears spilling. “What would Dad do, Manic… What would Sonic do… We failed him… we failed everyone…sniff…huff, huff, aaaaaahhhh…!”
The carriers of Sonic’s legacy, the children of Mobius’ symbol of hope, cried helplessly. Everything they knew and loved… The world Sonic left them… it was all going away. “I’m so cold, Manic… so cold…huff…”
“It’ll be over soon, sis. I’ll stay with you… until the end…”
That pain spread to Whisper. After two years of grieving, after having finally found a friend who made her hopeful, who made her smile… She could still hear Tangle’s last words: “I’M NOT SCARED!” Her smile… her confidence… it was so powerful. Whisper wished she had it. She wished…she wished she could see that smile again. Hear that passionate voice. See that fluffy and whimsical tail. Every single thing about Tangle was suddenly so beautiful in her mind.
Present
“Huff, huff…sniff…” Whisper’s tears spilled as heavily as they did in that moment. Tangle continued to hold her. Remind her that she was here. Her love. Her warmth. “Maybe… that was when I realized I loved you. That I wanted you… more than anything… Everything we ever did before that… going on our missions, going to get pizza, the lunch you made for us, the jokes you cracked, or watching you swing around having a blast… I wanted it all back, Tangle! I wanted it back!”
“Just breathe, Whisper. Just breathe.” Tangle used her shirt to wipe Whisper’s tears. “Just… finish your story. Happy ending, right? Just remind me… what the chancellor did.”
Whisper looked Tangle in her orchid-purple eyes. The very fact she was here before her… was proof of the happy ending.
Past
The Zombots reached their safe haven. The operatives were forced to face the gruesome monsters their friends had become. “Tangle…” The Wispon quivered in Whisper’s hand. “Tangle… it’s me.” Her vibrant, fun-loving friend glared at her with heartless, mindless malice. “Tangle…please—hu-!” Whisper dodged the thrust of her spiky, bladed tail. She stepped back as Tangle crept closer, countering her tail with Blue Hammer. Her friend… Her source of joy… Her newfound desire to wake up and live… Tangle was gone. Gone and replaced by this monster. “Sniff…” Whisper hesitated to grab the Laser Battery. “Tangle…” If Tangle got a lucky swipe off her, it was over for Whisper. She would be cursed to infection. For her own sake… she had to defend herself.
And before she knew it… rainfall. A white, unnatural rain… much like the cursed Silver Rain. Except this rain was gentle, albeit weird-smelling. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Tangle was screaming. A horrid, agonizing cry. No, it wasn’t Tangle… it was the virus. Every Zombot, every parasite on this island… they were crying. Begging. Suffering. All the fear they had spread to the Mobians, it was theirs now. All the pain… the agony… the very knowledge that their hopes and dreams were ending… They would know that suffering and take it to the Underworld.
The rain poured from a cloud in the likeness of the Mobian Chancellor. “Huff…huff…” The metal skin melted off Cheadle’s very head. Only the space of her left eye remained unclaimed. Leorio, sobbing and shuddering, had his gun aimed at her… but he began to lower it. “Hah…hah…” A smile grew on Cheadle’s features as she relished in the dissolving metal around her hands. “Hello… my beautiful Mobius…”
She could hear the parasites. Hear their despair. And she cherished it. THIS WORLD WAS OURS! HE PROMISED! HE PROMISED! The vermin who saw Eggman as their god, now saw Cheadle as their devil. WHY, GOD, WHY?! PLEASE! WE DON’T WANNA DIE! SAVE US! WE DON’T WANNA DIIIIIIIIEEEEE…
The metal dissolved off Sonia, and what fragments of it got on Manic. Brother and sister shared the biggest hug. Cinder, Sticks, Charlie, Sally… they all surrounded Trip with hugs. Anak joined Rak and Chungchung into singing Chaotix’s theme song.
Before Whisper’s eyes… Tangle’s cold metallic skin became soft and warm. The soulless orange gaze of the Zombot was replaced by the confused and comical expression of the friend she knew. “Whuzzuh? Why am I back on Angel Island?”
That was the very moment Whisper’s emotions took control. In a single millisecond, in which Whisper sprinted faster than Sonic, her feelings dramatically and completely flipped from complete despair to pure hope and joy. “OH! HEY!” Tangle yelped, laughing upon being tackled to the grass. “Miss me much?”
“Thank Gaia.” Leorio sighed. “And still not as bad as Zebesian X Parasites. …Chancellor?!” His mentor collapsed on her back.
“SOOOOOOOO sleepy…”
Present
Tangle held her still… but the reality of it all hit her. Though she was extremely relieved after realizing she was cured, it still happened in the blink of an eye from her perspective. Her zombified eyes never processed the horror and distraught Whisper was feeling. “…I owe the chancellor everything. It’s thanks to her that you’re alive… and I’m happy.”
Tangle fidgeted her own fingers and toes guiltily. She never did properly thank Chancellor Yorkshire. In a way, Tangle took it for granted. The heroes saved the day, just as she expected. All Tangle did then was partake in the celebrations. And yet, this victory meant so much to Whisper. So much to billions of people. And those people were extremely grateful to the chancellor.
“I know it’s dramatic to say, but… I would trust anything she says after that. That’s why… I don’t have a good feeling about Mickey. I think… she’s telling the truth.”
Tangle lay a hand over Whisper’s. “I’m sorry. I should’ve… thought about that. She did so much for us. I…I should’ve…” Resolve flared up in her eyes. “I’M GOING TO RIGHT NOW!”
“Tangle?!” The lemur bolted out of the room. Whisper rushed after her.
Lanolin returned to the living room for a final checkup before bed. “Huh?!” Her friends raced to the hangar. “Where are you two going?!”
“Paying a visit!” Tangle hopped in the ship.
“You don’t know how to fly this thing…” Whisper took the pilot’s seat and started it up.
Zootopia; Chancellor’s House
Cheadle fixed herself another glass of milk. It had been too hard to sleep lately. So many forms to sign… along with a tremendous burden inside her. “Hey! Where do you kids think you’re-”
She spun in alert when a lemur and wolf swung into her office in pajamas. “CHANCE!” Tangle screamed. “WE GOTTA TELL YOU SOMETHING!”
Cheadle gasped. “You two!” She remembered the operatives from the virus crisis. Security guards ran in. “Men, stand down!”
Tangle straightened herself upright and firmly bowed. “THANK YOU FOR SAVING US FROM THE VIRUS! Thank you for curing me! This is my girlfriend, Whisper!” She hugged her tightly. Whisper remained dumbstruck that they were even here at all. “You made her so happy when you cured me! I love it when she’s happy! You’re the best chancellor ever and I’ll always be grateful! We believe you about Mickey brainwashing people, and we know you’d never get with King K. Reep! Anyone who says otherwise is a jerk! WE LOVE YOU, CHANCE!”
Cheadle was speechless. There was so much passion erupting from the lemur. “Miss Chancellor…” Whisper stepped forward and bowed. “I never thanked you either. For saving our lives. If it weren’t for you… I don’t think I would ever be happy again.”
“…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You kids… came all this way… at this hour… just to say that?” She knelt down and embraced the teens. “Just… what have you two been through?”
“Hahaha. Too much.” Tangle blushed.
Cheadle pulled her head away. Whisper cracked open her blue eyes and met the chancellor’s blue eyes. “I… also suffered a lot these last few months. But seeing the children of this world alive and happy… just having you two be here to say that… Everything was worth it. I’m so happy to have a part in your two’s lives. Please make sure your friends know that.”
“Yeah… we will.”
Cheadle released them and stood. “Now… it looks like you two were in the middle of bedtime. You should head home.”
“You got it! Let’s go, Whisp!” Tangle took her hand and sprinted out of the office.
“…” Cheadle frowned contemplatively. She looked at her glove. A couple strands of biscotti fur had gotten on it.
Spiral Hill
“Aaaaaaaaaaand home safe!” Tangle plopped back-first onto Whisper’s bed. “Nothing like a late night errand.”
Whisper chuckled softly, sitting beside her. “You didn’t have to do all that, Tangle. But… I’m so glad we did.”
“That’s why I had to.” Tangle sat up. “But, you know… you should tell Marcus what you told me before. He wants to know our thoughts, so… you deserve to share yours.”
“…You’re right. Maybe I’ll go tomorrow.”
“Want me to come?”
“It’s alright. I can do it myself. And you can think about our next adventure.”
“Hehe.” Tangle grinned. “We should probably tell Lanolin, too, huh?”
“Um…maybe later. I’m a little… miffed about what she said.”
Tangle frowned. “…You’re not upset at me, too, are you?”
“…Yes.” The lemur felt a tug in her heart. “I’m sitting here freezing.”
“!” Tangle perked up in delight. She immediately wrapped her tail around them both. “Man, I’m just doing everything wrong today!”
Whisper let out a ticklish laughter as they were pressed together. She shuffled her body to massage herself against the warm, fluffy tail. Tangle leaned them over on top of the bed, snuggling with the wolf. “Mmmmmm. Rapunzel’s hair never looked that nice.” Whisper sighed. “This is… so much nicer.”
“Then…” Tangle practically melted into Whisper’s soft fur. “They should just drop Rapunzel… and make a new princess called Tangle.”
“Hehe…wait, that’s actually Rapunzel’s movie.”
“…HUUUUUUU!” Tangle gasped in realization. “Then I need to sue Disney for using my name!”
Whisper laughed. She calmed, letting herself relax in Tangle’s warmth. The lemur stretched the end of her tail to turn the lights off. Whisper’s eyes were open a slit, glimmering. “…I love how your eyes light up when it’s dark.”
“Your eyes do, too. It’s just in our biology.”
“I know. But that’s one of my fondest memories. The first thing I see, after waking up from a nightmare… are those blindingly bright eyes. And you randomly tackling me outta nowhere. Like, geez, miss me, much? What happened to boundaries? What made you so darn happy?”
Whisper let out soft laughs. “It was seeing the most wonderful bundle of joy in the entire world. I’m so grateful… to every day that you’re here.” She shifted and settled into Tangle’s fluffy tail, flexing her toes between its warmth.
“And I’ll thank her for every single moment I share with you. Nighty-night, Whisper!”
“’Night.”
Another eventful day ended in warm rest. It’s all they ever wanted after these last two months. Yet, as their minds faded into slumber… Whisper couldn’t stop thinking about the chancellor’s scent. It felt so… familiar… for two different reasons. One nostalgic… and one dreadful.
Headquarters; the next morning
Whisper did as she promised herself and met with Supreme Leader Marcus, along with Jewel the Beetle. She reprised what she shared with Tangle, albeit she was a bit more nervous about it. Jewel looked at her with sympathy and understanding: she had been a victim of the Metal Virus herself, and it was her fault Tangle became infected. Deep down, she was just as grateful to the chancellor.
And Marcus, maintaining the firm and sharp gaze of a leader, listened to every word intently. “I’m afraid that… if the chancellor is right,” Whisper proceeded, “…that Mickey could try to brainwash us, too. And then… I wouldn’t know who to trust. I can barely trust myself sometimes. I know my opinion alone isn’t enough, but… I just hate… I just want to be able to trust more people… besides Tangle.”
“Whisper…” Jewel wiped a tear. She wished she could find the right words of comfort.
Marcus folded his arms and rested back in his seat. “I think I might just decline Mickey’s offer.” Whisper raised her head a tad. “In the last Kid Council meeting I was in, Earth’s and Avalar’s leaders raised some concerning things about him. In a way, they sounded a tiny bit biased and personal about the matter. But for all I know, Mickey only wants to make a show out of our struggles. I’m just not feeling that good about it. And besides… your words, Whisper…” The fox opened his eyes. “I can feel them. I’m glad… you shared them with me. I want to be someone you can trust, too.”
“…” Whisper smiled. “Thank you… Marcus.”
“But, anyway… got anything planned for today?”
“Depends. Any missions for us?”
“Nothing urgent. Actually… I think Sonia put in a request post for a joint mission.”
“Yes?”
“A girls-only beach trip.” Marcus smiled.
Whisper cracked a chuckle. “I’ll let Tangle know. Until later, Marcus.” She left.
“…I’m proud of you, Whisper.” It delighted Marcus to see her smiling again. He wished he could’ve heard her words back then, too.
“Hello, Whisper. Are you coming to the Christmas party?”
“I don’t celebrate. Unless you’d like me to secure the perimeter.”
“Um, no… I’d like you to just come and… enjoy yourself. Mingle. Lots of Wisps will be there. Ever see a Christmas tree of Wisps?”
“I may go to the colony. If there’s nothing urgent.”
“I-I… If that’s what you want. But I do have a present.”
“I’ll take it now, if necessary.”
“Er…alright then.”
Marcus got her a small tree-lamp designed like the trees on Planet Wisp. Its texture was made in small shapes of the different Wisps, each of which would take turns lighting up in their respective colors. But Marcus never got to see her reaction to opening it.
It truly hurt him to see her suffering… but Marcus couldn’t pressure her to talk. All she asked of him were more missions. So, he complied. And she completed them well. He really didn’t know what to do. He’d never known anyone under such turmoil. He was afraid of saying the wrong things or triggering bad memories. But Marcus deeply wished for the day Whisper would share her feelings.
Then, his prayers were answered. A miracle happened. A certain lemur joined the KND.
“So, Tangle, what makes you so interested in our organization?”
“Because the KND get to go wherever they want, right?! I’ve always wanted to be an adventurer! Trying new things, exploring new places… Just like Sonic the Hedgehog! Or the pirate, Marine!”
“Heheh, yes, we technically can. But the KND is more than that.”
“I know! I’ll do my best to help people, too! And I’ll beat up any bad guys you need me to! I’ve been training really hard with my tail!” She stretched it around the office as demonstration. “Also… I wanna make all sorts of friends! I wanna meet all the neat people in this organization! And have so much fun with them!”
“Hahahahahaha! You know what, Tangle, you have me sold. The KND is happy to have someone with your spirits!”
Within those coming months, Whisper started spending lots of time with Tangle. From what he heard, Tangle couldn’t bear to be apart from her. And the same was true in reverse.
“And then Whisper shot the Master Badnik through the core!” Tangle concluded the report in Marcus’s office. “BOOM! Destroyed! It was the best, huh, Whisper?!” She held a fist to her partner.
“It sure was.” Smirking, Whisper knuckle-touched her. The gesture alone warmed Marcus’s heart. To see Whisper put trust in someone again… To see her smiling. Marcus always looked forward to their reports.
…
“Hello, Whisper. Doing anything today?”
“Do you have a mission?”
“No, I’m just… wondering.”
“Going to Tangle’s. She’s making a cake.”
Marcus felt his heart flutter. “A cake?”
“She insisted. Belated birthday.” Marcus could almost see her blushing beneath her mask, and her tail made a few wags.
He concealed a chuckle, “Alright. Carry on then.”
And that very moment, when the two of them kissed upon his podium… he couldn’t feel more happy. Thanks to Tangle’s love, Whisper was finally sharing her words. He hoped, with time… she could share them with anyone.
A soft sigh pulled Marcus out of his reflection. He glanced at Jewel. “Is something wrong, Jewel?”
“Nothing.” She looked up at him with a weak smile. “I’m just… really proud of them. Both of them.”
“You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”
“It’s just…sigh, I can’t remember the last time Tangle and I hung out. Ever since she and Whisper were friends, she’s only looked forward to seeing her. And now they’re dating, so… they’re just gonna see each other more. And they deserve it. So… I shouldn’t complain.”
“Hmmmm…” Marcus closed his eyes in thought. “Jewel. I’d like you to support Sonia on her ‘mission.’”
“W-What?! No, Marcus, it’s fine, really. There’s still so much work that needs done here.”
“You’ve worked hard enough these past weeks. Even after what the Kremlings did to you. Go enjoy yourself.”
“But…um…” Jewel tugged her collar, shirking awkwardly. If Tangle and Whisper went on the trip as well… she’d hate to cut into their fun, and she wouldn’t know how to talk to Tangle about her problem.
“Well, in the end, any missions I provide are purely voluntary. I won’t make operatives do something they don’t want to.”
“…” Deep down, Jewel knew he was right… and that she should try. “Okay. Thanks, Marcus.” She left.
The fox smiled. “…That being said…” He opened his drawer and pulled out a case file. “Some people take freedom a little too far. I wonder where those two have been in the middle of all this?” The file involved a certain tenrec and her kitsune sidekick.
Sector D.C.
Taking the first sip of her morning cocoa, Lanolin began to review the database for potential missions. She heard the rapid pattering of Tangle’s feet behind her, donned in her blue swimsuit with yellow beach shoes. “Last chance, Lanolin!” Whisper followed her out at a slower pace: she wore a white top and blue shorts with matching shoes, as well as a sun cap. “You’re gonna miss the suuuuuuuper awesome beach party!”
“Thanks, but I’ll probably just hit the gym again. As soon as I finish reviewing these.”
“Man, and I thought Jewel was a workaholic. And even she’s coming.”
“It’s fine.” Whisper said. “Maybe some other time.”
“I guess so. Hahahaha, I can’t believe you’re actually in a swimsuit! How’s it feel?”
Whisper looked at herself. Wearing such light, casual clothing felt odd. Her body felt free… as did her heart. “I feel… great.”
“Hahahaha, GREAT! Let’s go!” The lemur and wolf raced out.
Lanolin spared a glance at Whisper. She still felt a cloud of dissonance between herself and the wolf. “…Sigh.” Shelving it in the back of her mind, she decided to review files of escaped prisoners. “…?!” One caught her eye: Dawn Bellwether, another sheep Mobian. Responsible for the Predator Attacks in Zootopia two years ago, the file read.
Lanolin bit her lip, twitching in anxiety. Ever since joining the KND, she had kept her surname a secret. “…Mom…”
I won’t write out the beach trip because it basically adapts the “Endless Summer” chapter from the comics. Except Sonia would take Sonic’s place. For now, it’s time to focus on Lanolin and her would-be character arc.
March 11 – Cult of the Sheep
The H.Q. Gym was practically vibrating. The speed and intensity of Lanolin’s fists had grown. Her current training partner, Sonia the Hedgehog, crossed her arms to endure the volley. Lanolin dropped and tried to kick her down, Sonia leaping and landing behind the sheep. But Lanolin quickly threw her fist up for an uppercut. “Yow.” Sonia rubbed her nose. A trickle of blood dripped out. “You really ain’t slackin’ off.”
“It’s still not enough.” Lanolin resumed her volley, determined to break Sonia’s stance. “I need to be… as strong as you, at least!”
“Ya know, strength isn’t everything.”
“Yes it is! If I was stronger, I wouldn’t have been captured! I would’ve been able to protect more people! And if we were as strong as those Earth operatives… we never would’ve been invaded!”
“Lanolin, ya know Marcus wants us to relax, right? You’ve been comin’ here every day; don’t ya wanna hang out with your teammates?”
“And watch them be all lovey-dovey? I’ve got more productive things to do.”
“They ain’t even doing that today. At the beach yesterday…”
“Whisper… I kind of wanna hang out with Jewel tomorrow.” Tangle said nervously. “She…she says she misses…”
“That’s fine.” Whisper smiled. “It’s not like we have to be together all the time. Also… I’ve been thinking I should spend time with other people, too. Maybe I’ll ask Cinder if she wants to go shopping.”
“Y-Yeah! You should! You deserve more friends, too.”
“Hmhm… but I’ll always look forward to seeing you at the end of the day. So, be sure to practice on your hugs.”
Tangle swiftly responded with a tight hug!
“Whatever.” Lanolin slowed in her punches. She picked up her bottle… but it was empty. “I need a refill.”
She walked to the fountain outside and steadily refilled the crinkled plastic container. “Hi, Lanolin.”
She glanced over… and her expression fell a bit. “Oh. Hi, Belle.”
Belle had orange hair in pigtails, a green pointed hat and overalls, and a pink undershirt that matched her shoes. She had a pink clown nose, big freckles, and shiny blue eyes. Her most noteworthy attribute, of course, was the fact she was a sentient puppet: her exterior was wooden, but she possessed a mechanical endoskeleton. “You’ve been coming here a lot, huh? I can see your muscles!”
“Yep. That’s what it does.”
Belle shirked a bit. “…I always wanted to ask, but did you design that Wispon yourself?” She pointed at Lanolin’s cowbell. “Have you considered applying other batteries like Whisp-”
“My Wispon’s fine. Hm?” Lanolin’s phone began to ring. “’scuse me.” She bypassed Belle and walked out of sight.
Sonia exited the gym, noticing the downtrodden puppet. “Sonia…” Belle put an arm around her back and gripped the other arm anxiously. “I don’t think Lanolin likes me.”
“What makes ya say that?”
“Every time I walk by her, she just… has this look. Ever since she was an H.Q. attendant.”
“Hmm…” When Sonia and Manic had found Belle and invited her to the KND, other operatives met her with mixed reception. It was only natural, considering her origin. Even so, Belle was a kind robot with a pure heart. She proved she deserved a place among their ranks, and their friendship. “Well, she always does have a lot on her mind. She was super scared durin’ the virus, and after this war…”
“I know. I just wish I could…oh!”
“What?”
“I just got an idea for an invention! That can help Lanolin get stronger! I’ll be in my workshop!” She ran off. Sonia sported a smile.
Lanolin answered her phone. “Hello?”
“Oh, THERE’S my baby girl!”
The sheep froze pale. The phone trembled in her waning grasp. “… … …Who is this?”
“Come ooooooon, don’t pretend you don’t recognize me!”
“H-How… did you get this number?”
“Your neighbors, duh! It’s so nice they have you on dial in case there’s a Badnik attack. But don’t keep me waiting, I wanna see you again, Lanny!”
“…” Lanolin’s eye twitched. She hung up and began to fast-walk out of the base.
“Lanolin!” Sonia tried to call after her… but her voice went unheard. The hedgehog could only watch in concern.
Riverside
Lanolin’s hometown had seen more than its share of hardships. Ravaged twice by Eggman’s robots and once more by Kremlings… but still, the people tried to rebuild and live their lives. Lanolin’s house was in no better shape.
She noticed the new, likely-stolen car parked outside. Lanolin nervously creaked open the door. “Man, look what those monsters did!” Another sheep woman was walking laps around the house, wearing a ragged prison uniform. “There’s glass on the floor, the oven and bath are filthy… oh, Lanolin, I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She went over to hug her tenderly.
“…What are you doing here, Mom?” Lanolin’s eyes still twitched.
“Whaddya mean—I spent the last two years in prison and that’s the reception I get?!”
“…You should still be in prison.”
“My… word…” Her mother stepped back with a repulsed expression. “Lanolin Bellwether, do you have any idea the injustice I endured? Underestimated, underappreciated… I’m sure you understand. I mean, your Supreme Leader is a predator, isn’t he?”
“Mom. Get out.”
“Now, honey, where IS this attitude coming from?”
“Mom… I threw away my surname after what you did. I moved to this town. I don’t know how you found me… but I have nothing to do with you. You poisoned dozens of innocent people with Night Howlers and threw the capital city into a mass panic.”
“I showed them we were strong, Lanolin! I showed them that prey can dominate predator! That we weren’t just obedient sheep! And after what those Kremlings did, tell me I’m wrong. I mean, yeah, they broke me outta prison, but all so they could-”
Lanolin swat Bellwether right off her feet with a slap of her hand. “I’m calling the KND and having you brought right back to prison.”
“Ugh…” Bellwether pushed herself up. “And how is KND, anyway? You have a high position?”
“I’m a Sector Leader. And my teammates are great.”
“And what about the Kremling invasion? Or the Metal Virus?”
“That’s… I…” Lanolin shook. “Whatever! Your prejudice has nothing to do with it, and it has nothing to do with me!”
“Lanolin, I can see it in your eyes. You were powerless. You’re sick of being powerless. I still got my contacts, Lanny. We can help you get stronger. We can help you take charge.”
Lanolin seized her by the collar. “You are a CRIMINAL! I don’t care if you’re my mother, you need to be punished… and I at least have enough power to do that.”
“L…Lanolin?”
Her heart nearly stopped from the unexpected voice. Lanolin turned to find Belle at the doorway. Bellwether leaned her head around to see her. The puppet tensed up at what she had just walked into.
“…What are you doing here?” Lanolin whispered.
“Oh, HI there!” Bellwether pulled free and approached Belle. “Are you one of Lanolin’s friends?” She pressed her cheeks. “Oh! Well, that’s some hard skin. Wait, are you some kind of Pinocchio?”
“Belle… actually.”
“WOW, that’s just like our surname! Bellwether! Oh, please come in!” She took Belle’s hands and pulled her inside. “I’d put food on for you, but, well, the house is a mess.” She chortled. “Or perhaps you don’t need food?”
“I…” Belle glanced at Lanolin, who seemed to grow more tense by the minute. “Um, I just came here… to show Lanolin something.”
“Well, go on! I need to get caught up on my daughter’s interests!”
“Um… It’s, a, er…”
“Belle. Get out.”
“?!” She flinched from the sudden demand. “I-I didn’t mean to…”
“I don’t care. Just leave… and don’t tell anyone about this.”
Belle bowed her head, tears beginning to overflow. She knew she couldn’t protest. She had just crossed a line she was never supposed to see. “Sniff, sniff…” She rushed out of the home.
“Sigh, and I thought I had bad people skills.” Bellwether said.
Lanolin clenched her teeth and socked her in the face. Bellwether flew into and knocked over the worn-down couch. “Stay there.” She stomped back out to her personal bell-shaped ship. “?!” A group of rams stepped out from around it, armed with swords and cannons.
“Now, Lanny…” Bellwether held her squished, bleeding nose as she crawled out of the house. “You didn’t think I’d come all this way without backup, right? Besides, if I go back to prison, everyone’s gonna find out who you are. The KND aren’t gonna feel safe around you. So, you might as well come with me. Even if I have to be a mean mother and drag you.”
Lanolin narrowed her eyes on the approaching rams. “I wonder,” her mother continued, “are there any predators in your team?” Whisper immediately came to mind. “Do they respect you? Or do they-”
Lanolin silenced her ramblings with the ringing of her Bell Wispon. The rams were blown down by the force, but two got up and fired cannonballs. They must’ve gotten those weapons from the Kremlings. Lanolin bat them away with her bell as she made her way toward and bashed the two unconscious. Two more rams slashed pairs of cutlasses; Lanolin narrowly dodged them as she lost some wool. She duck-slid beneath one’s cutlasses, punched his gut, and raised him before throwing him into his partner.
“AAH!” Another ram charged her from the side, knocking her into his ally, who would quickly tug the cowbell off and toss it away. Both rams worked to pin her down, pulling a cloth around her mouth and nose.
“Your Supreme Leader’s a predator, too, right? So, I wonder how much he’ll be willing to barter to have you back? Either way, you’re gonna see things my way before long. You just need a little strict parenting-”
“AAAAHH!” The rams were blown down by the Wispon’s ringing. Lanolin pulled the cloth off, looking over at Belle. Her eyes were still watering, but the puppet possessed resolve in her pupils.
All of the rams recovered and charged at Lanolin. She thrusted her palm to deter the first one, leapt to stamp the second with her boot, and karate-chopped the third on her descent. She blocked the heads of two rams simultaneously with her palms and slammed them into each other. The sixth ram grabbed a cannon and fired it repeatedly, but Lanolin deflected the balls with her own fists as one bashed him unconscious.
“AAAH!” Belle screamed when Bellwether jumped her from behind. She swat the cowbell away from the puppet, holding her by the arms as Belle struggled.
“Don’t take another step, Lanolin! Or I’ll rip this one to pieces! I dunno what magic’s making you walk, but I-”
Belle bent her left leg back and managed to press the end of her tail to the ground, stretching it. Her right leg suddenly thrusted a volley of kicks, potent enough to trap Bellwether in a combo until the sheep was unconscious.
Belle turned back to Lanolin. The sheep was shifting uncomfortably. Belle could tell by her eyes that she was struggling between anger and gratitude. “…Lanolin, I’m sorry. I just…just… wanted to make something for you.”
“…What?”
Belle nervously picked out a folded paper from her overalls and handed it to her. It was a drawing of Lanolin, spinning her arms as soundwaves coursed along them through cords, connected to speakers on her knuckles. “I thought, maybe… we could link your Wispon’s Sound Chi to knuckle speakers and add more power to your punches. Just a… rough idea… we could prototype it…”
“…” Lanolin shook her head. She crumpled the paper up and shoved it back in Belle’s arms. “Listen. Riverside was attacked by escaped convicts, and we stopped it. That’s all that happened here, okay?”
“O-Okay…”
“Good, and just… put that away for now.”
Belle complied as Lanolin began to call H.Q.. Belle looked away and waited until her business was done… and didn’t share any further words with her.
Prower Workshop
Belle sobbed on her work desk. She’d never felt so ashamed… but in that one visit, she understood the gist of Lanolin’s troubles. And perhaps that was why… Lanolin felt uncomfortable around her.
“Huh? Whuh…” Belle’s first feelings upon waking up to the world were confusion and wonder.
“Ah! You’ve alive!”
“Who…” She turned to the man beside her table: he wore blue shades, had a spiky brown mustache, pink nose, pink shirt, and green overalls.
“Hello, Belle. My name is Mr. Tinker. I’m your daddy. Do you understand? Can you move well?”
His voice and smile were warm and welcoming. Belle studied her body: wooden limbs. Small tools inside her fingers. A clown nose that honked when squeezed. In her memory chip… she understood that she was a robot. A robot built to tinker and repair things. And this man was… “Daddy!”
The moment she was born was her fondest memory. The locals of Windmill Village loved them. They fixed their toys and built a small theme park. But then… terrible things happened. Her father was plagued by dark thoughts. Nightmares. And before she knew it, he was gone. And the villagers…
“BURN HER! BURN THE BADNIK!” She was suddenly run out of town, crying, while the people smashed the theme park into scraps.
Belle went into hiding in a distant junkyard. She wouldn’t have contact with anyone else… until Sonia and Manic stumbled across her.
“Sonia… check out this tech. It looks different outside, but… this is definitely Eggman’s wiring.”
“Belle… are you really-”
“NO! M-My father… was…”
…
“Father…” Sector SOUTH helped Belle track him all the way to Mechanos.
“Hnnnn…so, you’re the robot my alter ego created.”
“Alter… ego?”
“I wanted to teach my real daughter some independence. So, I gave myself amnesia and assumed a temporary persona while she ran things. But I can see I went a little too far down the rabbit hole. That petty, goody two-shoes no longer exists. And you, dear girl, are far beneath my standards. However, if you still feel loyalty to me, I’m sure I can find a use for you. Omelette might enjoy you as a plaything, at least.”
“…” Belle narrowed her tearing eyes. Her resolve and decision was firm. “Goodbye, Father.”
Her dad was a criminal. The worst on Mobius. That’s why some of the KND felt unsettled around her. Lanolin included. But now she understood… Lanolin was in the same boat. Her mother, the former mayor of Zootopia, staged a large conspiracy to portray predator-type Mobians as savages. That wasn’t a truth she could just come out about. But then… why couldn’t Lanolin understand her also? Though Belle was programmed to comprehend mortal feelings… everyone was so different.
“Belle?” She felt the hand of her adoptive father on her back. He was a yellow, two-tailed fox. “What happened?”
Belle twisted her head to meet his empathetic gaze. “…Nothing. Nothing happened.”
Sector D.C.
Lanolin returned to the treehouse in a huff. “WHOOOOOOAAAAA!” She was already irritated by Tangle’s expressive drawl. The lemur was circling and eying Whisper, who wore a Chinese-like outfit. She wore light-tan pants and a red robe with a white sash, colorful flowery designs on the rims, and shoes of the same aesthetics. She also had red eyeshadow, white gloves with gold nails, and a white cat mask. “Whisper, what did Cinder DO to you?”
“It’s, um… called a ‘Lucky’ outfit. She thought it would look great for festivals.”
“It’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! Oh, I bet you’d look great dancing in that! I gotta get my own!”
Whisper giggled. “Well, don’t just copy off me.”
“Fine, but I’ll find something cute, too, you’ll see! …Hey, Lanolin!” Tangle just noticed their leader. “Check out Whisper’s…uh…” Her expression fell upon seeing the sheep’s battered, frustrated appearance. “Hey… what happened?”
“There was a villain attack, s-somewhere, so I took care of it!”
“Oh! I’m sorry…”
“Well, I hope you enjoyed your day, because we need to start taking our duty a lot more seriously. That includes lots of training to catch up on.”
“Okay, but…um…” Tangle scratched her head, and Whisper also shirked awkwardly. “Hey, did you meet up with Belle?” Lanolin flinched. “She called me a little bit ago and asked where you lived, besides the treehouse. So, I told her-”
“You shouldn’t just give my address away like that!”
“But… Belle is our friend.”
“It’s irresponsible! Now…?” The terminal began ringing. It was from the Supreme Leader again. Lanolin ran to answer it.
“Fellow Kids Next Door, I hope everyone’s enjoying their day! I’ll cut to the chase for this announcement: regarding King Mickey’s proposal from a few days ago… I’ve decided to decline.”
Tangle and Whisper shared a smile. “What?!” But Lanolin tensed up in frustration.
“The feedback I’ve received from you all has been most welcoming… but there were also a lot of divisive opinions. While many of you were positive about the prospect of interviewing… others have felt very uncomfortable. While operatives don’t have to be present for the interviews, I still think they affect everyone… so, I’ve turned down his offer. Until further notice, at least. Thanks for understanding… dismissed.”
“But… why?! It would’ve been great to have Mickey’s support! We could’ve convinced him to not let Schnee Dust build rigs, or…or…” Lanolin turned to her teammates with crossed eyes. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Whisper gasped. “I…um…”
“Marcus respects you a lot, doesn’t he, Whisper? Makes sense he would put your word above mine.”
“Hey!” Tangle yelled. “Just give us a chance to explain. Let her explain how she feels.”
“…” Lanolin bit her lip and shook. “I’m going back to the gym.” She stomped back to the hangar. They could hear her aggressively and rushedly starting her ship and taking off.
Tangle was quick to catch Whisper’s downtrodden and quivering stance. “Whisper…”
“I…I don’t…I don’t want this team to fall apart.”
“No, no, no.” Tangle gently embraced her. “It won’t. We’ll wait for her to come back… and we’ll try to apologize. It’ll be fine.”
“Sniff…okay.”
“Wanna put on a movie until she does? That’ll calm us down.”
“…Yes.”
Gym
“HUUUUUUURGH!” Lanolin pounded the Egg Pawn dummy with relentless fury. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
Sonia leaned outside the gym window, concern on her features. “Sonia.” Marcus approached her. “…She’s here again?”
“She didn’t want a sparring buddy. I dunno what’s up.”
Marcus thought back to the report regarding Riverside. Why did Former Mayor Bellwether decide to attack there, of all places? Lanolin’s hometown? “…I see.” It clicked with him. Marcus looked to the sheep in understanding.
Lanolin pummeled the dummy to the point it was beyond recognizable. Her own arms nearly caved from the rapid bending and her fists bruised. “LANOLIN! That’s enough!” Marcus stormed into the room. “Lanolin… you’ve trained enough today. Return to your treehouse and rest.”
“Why…”
“Because you’ll break yourself or pass out if you-”
“Why did you turn down King Mickey?! Don’t you understand how he could’ve helped us?! How he could’ve helped minimize crime in this world?! And all we had to do was share a few stories!”
“Lanolin, we can’t be certain he would solve our problems. At least not in the way you-”
“Or was it because of Whisper?! She’s always had seniority around here, you’ve always respected her! I bet it was her word alone!”
“That isn’t true. I just think that-”
“What about MY story, does it matter?! I was turned into a helpless sheep because we aren’t STRONG enough, nor do we enforce our LAW enough to let Eggman run around for as long as he-”
“ENOUGH!” The bark of his command stunned Lanolin silent. “King Mickey isn’t the one we should share our stories with. The only ones who should hear our stories are the friends who have suffered as well. Whisper and Tangle will want to hear your story. And you should hear theirs as well.”
“I…I already know their…”
“Ask them to share their feelings with you… and they will listen to yours. Taking your anger out on practice dummies or villains isn’t the answer.”
“…” Lanolin wasn’t ready to abandon her anger. But tears were beginning to envelope her eyes. She turned and left without another word.
Sector D.C.
Lanolin returned home limping. Tangle and Whisper, who was bundled up in the former’s tail, were playing a movie on the monitor: it looked like Metal Gear Solid; or at least one of the sequels.
“What’s it going to be, Jack? Loyalty to your country, or loyalty to me? The mission, or your beliefs? Your duty to your unit, or your personal feelings?”
Lanolin shirked. Somehow, those words stung her. “…!” Tangle glanced over. “Lanolin!” Whisper looked as well.
“…Hi.”
Tangle quickly paused the movie as both got up and approached. “Listen, we’re…we’re sorry, about, well…”
“It’s fine. I’m…I’m just tired today. I’m gonna wash up and go to bed. You can keep… doing as you are.”
“Lanolin.” Whisper reached. “Listen, I…I don’t… want us to fight each other.”
“…I don’t either.” Lanolin proceeded to the bathroom. The couple faced each other with hopeful eyes… but equal concern.
Lanolin could barely bring herself to move in the bath. All the stress of today caught up as she broke into tears. Her weakness as a leader… the disrespect she felt… Lanolin had to be stronger… to protect the people of Mobius… and punish the criminals…
Chapter 29: Diamond Cutters: Throne War Prelude
Summary:
Tangle makes Whisper a late night snack. Later, they go to a Cooking Festival, where drama unfolds.
After a grueling truth is revealed at the Clean Sweepstakes Race, Lanolin's mistakes and flaws catch up with her, leading to a sensitive talk with her teammates.
Chapter Text
This chapter will lead into Throne Wars and directly intersect with scenes of that story. Overall, though, I’m having loads of fun writing for these characters, just playing around with their relationships and drama! Soon, I’ll be adding Team Surge to the mix.
March 31 – Late Night Snack
She was the only one left. Every single inch of Mobius was metallic… but all of it had rusted beyond further corruption. Every Zombot had decomposed into half-recognizable piles.
Whisper wandered the wasteland for ages. This once vibrant world, full of happy people who believed in freedom and friendship… She was the only one. The world was inhabitable. Soon, she would starve to death.
“…” She found the remains of a familiar Zombot. Tangle. Its long tail would take years to fully disintegrate. The flickering embers of its eyes gazed at her. “…huff…huff…” Whisper knelt and cried. She hoped for a future with her. She hoped to keep seeing her smile, hearing and absorbing her excitable energy. Every day. That future was gone. Gone for everyone. Whisper remained by her side… and slowly let herself starve. Maybe in death… they could still be together…
“…gnnnnnuuuuuu-thuuuuuhhhh…”
“Huff!” Whisper flinched awake. Her girlfriend’s arm was slung over hers and her open mouth was right against the back of her hair.
“Huh, whuh, whuzzuh?” Tangle was bumped awake by Whisper’s motion. “Bluh, why’s there… fur in my…oh.” She pulled her face away and fidgeted her tongue to bring the biscotti fur out. “Uh, Whisper?”
“Sniff…sniff…” Her head was still turned away. She was processing the reality that she was in Tangle’s warm tail. On her bed. In her room. Together… and alive.
“W-What’s wrong? I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine…” She let her heart calm down. “Just had… the Zombot nightmare again.”
“Mmmmm… Well, let’s just be sure. Are my hands cold?” She gently wiped the tears off Whisper’s eyes.
She smiled. “No.”
“Is my tail spiky?” Tangle brought the end of her tail to brush Whisper’s face.
She let out quiet laughs. “No.”
“And what about my chest hair?” She twisted Whisper’s body and pulled her nose into her tuft of chest hair.
“N-No! Tangle!” Whisper shook away and wiped her nose of the ticklishness.
“Then I guess I’m still me.”
“Hmm…yes…”
“…I had a nightmare, too.”
“Oh?”
“I dreamed… that you became the tastiest poundcake in the world.” Whisper’s closed eyes curved in disbelief. “And I really wanted to eat you. You had chocolate… like this.” She nibbled Whisper’s brown muzzle.
“T-Tangle…” Whisper cringed.
“You had vanilla like this.” She stroked Whisper’s eye area with her finger and licked it.
“Ew…”
“And you had sweeeeeeeeeet biscotti filling.” She turned Whisper’s head and gnawed the side of it.
“Tangle… you’re making me hungry.”
“Guuuh!” Whisper began gnawing Tangle’s right shoulder. “Ichi-ichi-ichi! Easy on the fangs, watch the fangs!”
“Hm hm hm.” Whisper released. “I’m hungry now. Make me a late night snack.”
“Well, okay. Whatcha hungry for?”
“…Pasta.”
Whisper would rest on the couch, watching as Tangle prepared the oven, noodles, and hummed a little tune as she worked. Tangle served as their team’s cook, preparing good lunches and nice dinners whenever they didn’t go out to eat. It wasn’t a skill Whisper would’ve assumed of her on first impressions, but that was another thing she looked forward to about Tangle.
“Hey, Whisper!” Tangle met her friend at a boat dock late at night. “Ready for our second official mission? Or, would it be third ’cause of Angel Island?”
“Mm-hm.” Whisper nodded with a smile. “What do you have there?”
“I brought food for us, in case you were hungry!” Tangle opened a box, unveiling two sealed bowls of pasta. “I cooked them myself. Kept them as warm as I could.”
Whisper opened one and proceeded to eat. “Mmmmmm.”
Tangle was delighted by her expression. And the way Whisper’s tail was wagging. “Haha. I’m not as good as Antoine, if you ever had his cooking. You like it?”
“…I love it.” Tangle blushed, shifting in sheepishness. Jewel had also praised her cooking, but hearing it from Whisper somehow made her feel blessed. Whisper stared at her for a moment, touched by the gesture… She shook back to focus. “We’d better get started.”
“Okay.” Tangle put her box away. “But, anything you’d like me to bring next time?”
“Hmmmm…I’ve always liked poundcake.”
“I’ll bring a slice of that next time!”
To think that would only be a trickle of the happiness Whisper felt now. “Okay, it’s ready!”
Whisper joined her at the table and slurped the freshly cooked noodles. Her expression was as warm and delightful as it was back then. “Brings back memories.”
Tangle grinned. Those days of bringing lunch to Whisper were just as fond in her memory. “You’re just excited for that festival, aren’t ya? I know I am. I’m gonna stuff my face sooooooooo full.”
“Well, no matter what they have, I doubt it’ll be as good as yours.”
“Hehe, that might be saying a lot.”
“Let’s just hope they don’t break the noodles, right?” That angered Tangle worse than one would expect.
“Ha, yeah.”
Her appetite satisfied, Whisper returned to bed and nestled in her girlfriend’s tail. “Sweet dreams, Whisper.”
“You, too.” The nightmares would never leave her, but they would make Whisper grateful for every moment and every meal she would share with Tangle.
April 3 – Cooking Festival
“WOOOOOOOO!” Tangle pedaled her bike with maximum velocity. “THERE’S SOOOOOO MUCH STUFF HEEEEEEEEERE!”
“Tangle, be careful!” Whisper quiet-yelled, the lemur’s tail serving as a passenger seat while she held onto Tangle’s stomach.
Once every four years on Planet Aquaria, people from around the universe came to chow down at the largest culinary festival! Cooking Island was almost literally a melting pot of different peoples and their cultural tastes. There was no better place for Tangle to utilize Whisper’s gift to her.
“Tangle, I know it isn’t your birthday yet, but… I thought you would really love this.”
“HUUUUUUUUUU!” Tangle’s eyes were dazzling at the pink bicycle. “A new… bike…”
“Since your old one was destroyed by the Kremlings. I tried to get one of the same style.”
“Whisper…sniff…” Tangle rubbed the seat tenderly. “You really are my… Guardian Angel!”
“Don’t cry, Tangle. You’ll rust it.”
“But I didn’t really plan for us to use it here.” Whisper said. “It’s too crowded!”
“How else can I burn out all this energy?!”
Whisper expected no less as soon as they came to this festival. They had actually never gone to another planet before this, though it was always Tangle’s dream after seeing all the cool places of Mobius. Not only was there so much food for the lemur to stuff her mouth, but all sorts of famous people were here, too. The Mario Bros. and Mario Sisters, the Earth KND, the Off the Hook band; so many neat people Tangle wanted to meet, but didn’t know where to start!
“AAAAHH!” The front tire rammed into a bump, catapulting the two. “AGH!” They plopped onto what seemed like a picnic blanket and the food splayed around it. This seemed to be a secluded, semi-peaceful picnic area of the island.
“Uhhhhh…” Aisa drawled out. “Well, THAT was unexpected.”
Realizing their position, Tangle and Whisper scrambled to their feet. “Oh, man!” Tangle quickly picked food off her tail. “We’re sorry, we’re sorry!”
“Good thing everything here is free.” Mocha smiled.
The Mobians gawked up at the giant. “WHOOOOOAAA! YOU’RE HUGE!” Tangle screamed.
“I’ve seen huger!”
Whisper gasped: she recognized Aisa in particular, but the appearances of the other girls soon clicked in her mind, based on recent reports. “You all… helped us in the Kremling invasion.”
“Yeah, we did!” Aisa chirped. “Figured you were from Mobius, but…”
“Well, since you got your fur on our food,” April Goldenweek smiled, “why don’t you join us?”
“R-Really?! Whisper, can we?!”
“’kay.” Whisper shrugged shyly.
“Ha ha!” Tangle plopped her rump down, threw off her shoes, and wolfed up a Hylian Mushroom Skewer and Creamy Heart Soup. “Ooooooohh, Whisper, gotta try this one!” she said in a muffled tone. Whisper smiled and took a sip of the pink soup, primarily flavored by a Hearty Radish.
“Mmmmmm.” It was pleasant to the taste. “Though not exactly picnic food.”
“We have crazy tastes.” April said.
“So, who are you two, anyway?!” Chimney shouted.
“I’m Tangle! This here’s Whisper, my…uh, is it okay?”
“We’re girlfriends.” Whisper nodded.
“Awwwe!” Mocha cooed. “Well, nice to have you here!”
“What, what’d she say?” Chimney asked. “Is something wrong with her throat? I can’t hear her!”
Whisper cast her a closed-eyed glare. “Don’t be rude, Chimney.” Their ears perked up from a smaller voice. Whisper felt a light presence climbing her back: a green-haired Lilliputian girl nestled herself in her hair. “Mmmmmm! Whisper, what conditioner do you use? Your hair is so clean and well-groomed! You even look like a walking pastry with your vanilla eye area and chocolate muzzle!”
Whisper gently picked Aeincha up in her fingers and set her aside. “Boundaries.”
“Eheh… And Tangle! Look at that tail!” Aeincha ran to clamber around Tangle’s fluffy tail. “Ohhhhhhhhh, it’s so fluffy! And I can tell you brush it every day! At least the parts that didn’t just get food on them. Oh, I wanna take a nap in it!”
“Haha, Whisper LOVES napping in it!”
“Does she?”
Whisper shirked in embarrassment. Tangle noticed the discomfort and frowned guiltily. “So, uh, who’re you guys? What do you do?”
“Where to start?” April wondered. “Well, I’m April, and I’m an artist. I sort of use a magic paint that…”
…
Lanolin wandered the festival grounds on her own. She didn’t feel like keeping up with her teammates’ energy… and right now, she couldn’t help but feel discomfort. Lanolin lingered beside a stand of Cloudy Creampuffs from Skypia. They matched her wool, to a fault. Lanolin halfheartedly took a bite of one. “Hi. Mind if I get one?” a voice asked.
“Sorry.” Lanolin stepped aside and glanced at the taller, human girl. “?!” She recognized her silvery-snowy dress and ponytailed hair.
“S’okay.” She was Weiss Schnee… the daughter of the Schnee Dust president who kept illegally mining Mobius. She had a passive, but approachable smile as she took her own creampuff. “…?” She noticed Lanolin’s expression. “Something wrong?”
“No.” Lanolin turned and kept walking. Weiss cocked a brow, confusedly and worriedly.
Lanolin heard that Weiss saved the Animal Crossing town on their world during the war. Weiss’ father hated Mobians… so, was Weiss trying to make up for his crimes? Prove herself better? Or did she merely want to earn the Mobians’ loyalty a different way? The question lingered in the back of her mind, and she wasn’t about to confront it so suddenly. She had the same questions about Belle, in fact. Of course, Belle had been with them long enough, proven she was a loyal friend to… Lanolin shook her head in frustration.
Putting them aside, Lanolin couldn’t tolerate how lenient this island was in security. One of the Pirate Emperors, Skaios, was just flying around like nobody’s business! There was a Boogey Pirate ship floating off-shore! There might’ve been other villains casually blending in.
“Hey, hey, Coop my man!” Lanolin recognized Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, approaching the infamous master thief, Sly Cooper. “A bit out of character to be out in the open like this, huh?” Nick asked.
“Yeah, normally I’d be dressed up by now.” Sly replied. “But it’s not like we’re on Mobius.”
“True. We’re above the law up here.” Nick cast a glance at Judy, who rolled her eyes playfully. “Hey, ya think they sell Pawsicles up here?”
“Sure, maybe in the Discount Foods Sector.” Judy remarked.
Lanolin huffed and kept walking. This was a code of the festival: not to discriminate against criminals, so long as their bellies are empty. Don’t raise your arms unless they raise theirs. It was just like Mobian code… “Urrrrrrrgh!” To not act until the villains acted first, all in the hopes of peace. And before they would know it, they’d be suffering under a plague or invasion.
Lanolin approached the picnic area and casually skimmed it. She immediately caught notice of Tangle stretching her tail skyward. “And then, ‘DIAMOND CUT!’” She slammed her tail down onto Mocha. “But it was a lot longer that time! And it NEVER grew that long before! I wish I could do it again! Hey, Mocha, how do you get that big, anyway?”
“A mad scientist experimented on me.”
“You just need to eat more!” Chimney shouted. “Maybe all the fat’ll go to your tail!”
“She’s already eaten quite a lot.” Whisper said.
“WHAT?! Oi, can’t you talk louder?”
Whisper glared. “It sounded like love was the real power source.” Aeincha teased. “You loved her so much that you’d punch a monster like K. Rool a hundred times over! So romantic!”
“Haha, that sounds right! Whisper, if we put our love to practice, we can make my tail even longer! Right? …?” The wolf stood, slipped her boots back on, and walked away. Tangle, feeling her heart tense up, rushed after her. The W7 operatives shared guilt-ridden looks.
“Whisper! Hey, I’m sorry. I get it. I put you on the spot, right?”
“…Yes. Tangle, I’d like to make more friends, too… but I don’t want to just get dropped into a group of strangers. Literally.”
“I know, you’re right.”
“And I told you I don’t want to make our love into a show. It was fine in front of our comrades, but these are new people. I just wanted to say we were girlfriends and…” Whisper turned as Tangle was beginning to wrap up her head in her own tail. Her signature habit when she was ashamed. “…Tangle, you’re always quick to make friends. That’s another thing I love about you. I used to…”
Whisper shuddered. The last time she was quick to make a friend… it hurt her. Tangle, head still wrapped, lightly held her. Whisper sighed and calmed down. “I’m not mad. Just remember I need to go about this at my own pace. And… drive your bike more safely.”
“…Yeah, okay.” Tangle freed her head.
“And also… I don’t want anyone touching your tail like that.”
“Why not?”
Whisper fixed her brow. “It’s mine.” Tangle’s tail stood straight up and spiked.
“Hey.” They turned: April approached them. “We’re sorry about Chimney.”
“It’s cool. We’re just… Whisper, what do you wanna do now?”
“…April, what do you like to paint?”
She was a bit bewildered by the sudden question. “Usually, I just paint anything good I see. Friends having a good time, interesting people, pretty places… Honestly, I wanna paint you two as well. Unless you don’t want.”
“Umm…maybe not right now. But, um…do you know the Wisps, on GKND? Can you paint something with those?”
“Yeah!” April set up her canvas.
“Tangle, why don’t you share more stories with them? …With some boundaries, of course.”
Tangle smiled. She sprung back to the picnic blanket. “So, what was you guys’ first mission?”
“Well, I joined later than them.” Mocha said. “Would Punk Hazard count as my first mission or Amazonia?”
“Oh, you should’ve seen her!” Aisa praised. “She trained with Amazons, beat up this giant caveman, and this ugly Herculean teacher!”
“No waaaaay!”
Whisper let out a light giggle. “My friends are noisy, aren’t they?” April asked.
“They’re nice. I enjoy them.”
“Me, too.”
“You’ve been with them long? You seem a bit… older.”
“Yep. They weren’t my first team either.” Whisper flinched. “Unfortunately… they aren’t around, anymore.”
Whisper’s eyes quivered. “…I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.” A gray veil fell over April’s irises. “They were undercover agents… but they were caught. The girls here only got to see them once. Wish we all could’ve sat together at this party.” She spoke as if with melancholic acceptance. “But it’s because I kept up the fight… that I get to smile with my friends today.”
“…” Whisper hoped to hold in her feelings for this party. Hoped to just have a good time. She wanted to now. But April… possessed her own experience, and was standing strong. It was a little intimidating. They were probably the same age, even though she was much taller. “There.” April set her brush down. “How’s that? Too explosive?”
Whisper stared at the picture. April painted all the Wisps, flying toward the viewer with streaks of color at their backs. …The largest, front-most Wisps were pink, cyan, green, blue… and orange. “…Why those ones?”
“Huh?”
“Why are… those ones the largest?”
“Hmm…I don’t know. They just spoke to me, for some reason.”
Those Wisps… Perhaps it was an optical illusion, but they took their shapes. Herself… Slinger… Smithy… Claire… and… Whisper blinked, looking away. “Sorry.” April said. “My art can be a bit hypnotic, huh?”
“April… thank you.”
“Hehe.” April didn’t expect her to appreciate it this much.
“The Gray and Music Wisps could’ve been larger, at least.”
“How come?”
“They just speak to me.”
Lanolin didn’t bother to stick around for that long. Her friends were having a good time with new people. They didn’t need her input. As always. “Huh?” A certain person caught her eye: a large, muscular Kremling with a spiked club. He was casually propping it over his shoulder and strolling about. “?!” Lanolin tailed after him warily.
“Ay tell ya, Master Eric!” Klubba jovially said to his scrawny, spectacled comrade. “Ay ’aven’t ’ad mud pie this good since I cleaned after the elephants in Krazy Kremland!”
“It’s better than the ones my bullies used to feed me.” Eric said between chews of the mud.
“Oh! Shiver me timbers! That be Off the Hook!”
“Eh?” Eric thought he was saying two pirate slogans side by side. …Until he saw the Inkling/Octoling duo at the table ahead of them. “Oh. Wanna go meet them?”
“Aye!” Klubba approached the singers with grinning jaws. “OI! Young lassies!”
Pearl and Marina faced the Kremling with a start. “Me hears yer the ones who broke me king’s curse over Mobius!”
“A Kremling?” Marina tensed up.
“Yeah? Whatcha getting at?” Pearl inquired snappily.
“HAR HAR HAR! I were asleep durin’ the performance, but I watched a replay! I fancy yer moxy!”
“Well… what can I say?” Pearl smiled boastfully. “It’s a gift.”
“And yer quite the exotic one, ain’t ya?”
Marina giggled and blushed. “I get that a lot.”
“I beseech ye, ladies!” Klubba raised his club, intending to hit the ground. “Gimme a good show RIGHT NOW!”
Lanolin sprinted up to the beast. DOOOOOONG! Her cowbell bashed the side of Klubba’s head with incredible force. The pirate flew several yards to the left, sliding along the ground. The surrounding citizens turned with gasps. Lanolin landed from her jump, watching him. “HEY!” Eric shouted. “You just hurt my friend!”
“What?! He’s a Kremling!”
“You can’t just attack him for being a Kremling!” Marina yelled.
“Ugh, it’s New Donk City all over again.” Pearl sighed.
“But… he…”
“Arrrrrgh…” Klubba sat up. “It be true.” He rose to his feet. “I were one o’ the Kremlings that took over Mobius.” He cracked his neck. “In fact, I even guarded the Revert-O-Matic! ARH HAR HAR HAR HAR!” He propped the club over his shoulder.
Lanolin twitched—flashes of the devastating ray triggered in her mind. The ray that reduced her to a mindless sheep. Lanolin sprinted, reeled her fist back, and, “WAIT A-” Eric rushed in the way. “AAAAUUUUUG!” Lanolin socked him square in the gut. The force blew him into Klubba, who in turn flew further back while Eric collapsed.
Lanolin was dumbstruck as the boy lie gagging on the ground. She felt the judgmental stares and whispers of the festival-goers.
…
“-and before I knew it, I was back to normal!” Tangle chirped. “Then we healed the rest of Mobius! Hahahahaha! And I think the chancellor’s assistant was going to shoot her before she transformed. So, that was a close call!”
The W7 girls were shuddering at the scary story. “That sounded… way worse than our Halloween.” Mocha said.
“I ate my rabbit.” Chimney said.
Tangle cringed embarrassedly. Luckily, Whisper and April were far enough away to not be reminded of the story. “…Huuuuuuu!” Her eyes sparkled, spotting a certain raccoon Faunus eating a giant pretzel sword. “Is that SHEILA FRANTIC?!” The daughter of the famous pirate, Marine the Raccoon!
“Oh?” Aisa turned. “Yep! That is! Wanna go meet her?”
“I-I-I-I-I…I dunno.” Tangle wrapped her head up. “What if I embarrass myself?”
“You should see the kind of trouble she gets in. She’d love you!”
Tangle stomped on her shoes and zipped over to Whisper. “Hey, uh, Whisper… that’s Sheila Frantic over there, and, well, ya know I always wanted to meet her, but uh…just wanted to know if you’d wanna come with. Or if you don’t want me to.”
Whisper giggled. “We can go together, Tangle. Hm?” Their communicators rang. “Sonia?”
“Tangle, Whisper, there’s a little mess happenin’ near the music area. Involving Lanolin.”
The two shared worried looks. They ran to grab Tangle’s bike and pedal off.
“ERIC!” Lanolin watched as Melody Jackson and Yuta Asahina rushed to the groaning boy. Melody bent water out of a bottle and healed his stomach. “What’s the big idea?!” she snapped at Lanolin.
“I-I was trying to stop the Kremling! That boy got in the way! He was about to attack the singers!”
“No he wasn’t!” Pearl argued.
“Yeah, you seem to be the only one starting a fight here.”
“I wasn’t starting… anything!”
“Hey! ’Scuse me!” What sounded like a light-toned boy’s voice called to them. Lanolin gasped as Earth’s Supreme Leader, Cheren Uno, approached them alongside Marcus McCloud. “I, uh…couldn’t help but notice my operatives having some trouble here.”
“Lanolin! What’s going on here?” Marcus asked.
“They…” Lanolin narrowed her eyes on the human boy; he wasn’t that much taller than she was compared to the teenage humans. “…Why are you harboring criminals, anyway?”
“Beg pardon?” Cheren asked.
“This Kremling! He worked right under K. Rool as my homeworld suffered! You’re letting that Sky God run around! And now that I think about it, you never properly arrested or punished Emperor Mandy. And I believe she’s your relative, isn’t she?”
“That isn’t the reason we let her go. We determined that she truly cared about her people, and we didn’t want any more needless fighting. And any of the true criminals under her command were properly punished.”
“Well, except Azula, I think.” Melody huffed.
“Okay, they’re not completely innocent. Even so-”
“Not completely innocent?! Do you realize how reckless you sound right now?” Lanolin asked. “How careless? Do you realize what could happen if you just let these crooks go?”
“Yes. I do. But we’ve had so many new enemies lately… that we need to take any excuse we can to avoid fighting them. Frankly, Skaios isn’t the only one here.”
“He’s right.” Yuta said shamefully. “…My friends and I worked under him… and we killed loads of innocent adults.” He shuddered and held his arm. “Because of me… Melody’s dad…sniff…” Melody held his shoulder in sympathy.
“And now those same kids work under us.” Cheren put plainly.
“…W…w…why?” Lanolin’s eye twitched.
“…Because deep down, they were innocent children manipulated and misled. They want to atone.” Cheren glanced over at Kokichi, who was swindling some money out of some kids playing training cards. “Even that guy. Sorta. And, quite frankly, we want more allies on our side. Even I’ve done some things I’m not proud of. The KND is about second chances.”
“…And what’s this Kremling’s story, huh?”
“Argh.” Klubba growled. “This lad here bested me in battle, so Ay’m indebted to him now.” He hoisted Eric over his shoulder like a towel. “And the KND triumphed over me Krew. Workin’ for ’em feels a lot more fun, aye?”
“What kind of dumb reason is that?!”
“Ye need not understand me virtues, lassie.”
“He’s not even a registered operative.” Cheren said. “But if Sector L like him, I say, why not?”
“I can’t believe this! How could… people like you be the heroes of the universe?!”
“I don’t have to prove anything. But you don’t really seem like the hero right now.”
Lanolin twitched. Everybody staring at her… the assaulter… even though she was in her rights to… “Lanolin!” Tangle and Whisper pedaled over. “What’s going on here?”
“Tangle, Whisper, we’re leaving.” Lanolin marched off.
“Leaving?! But we barely just got here!”
“We have more important things to do!”
“But we met some new friends!”
“Well, would you rather join their team?!”
The two flinched at the proposal. Tangle felt Whisper was especially hurt. “No.”
“Then get moving!”
The couple shared disheartened glances and pedaled after slowly. Marcus felt the need to say something, but couldn’t find the words. “Sorry.” he said to Cheren. “Out of all my operatives… those three have had the roughest time.”
“I get it, man. But, someday… hopefully, both our kids can smile together.”
“Heh.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” They looked upon a megaphone pillar: a green Mobian tenrec was raising Skaios. “BEHOLD! THE POWER OF THE SKY GOD IS IN MY HANDS!”
“PUT ME DOWN!” Skaios yelled. “Ay was havin’ fun with me new maties!”
“Bullcrap, we’re takin’ a joyride across the universe!”
“SURGE!” Marcus shouted. “PUT HIM DOWN NOW!”
“FUCK YOU, MCCLOUD!” Surge jumped down in a streak of lightning.
Marcus sprinted after her with his natural, nimble speed; unfortunately, a small blue fennec named Kit ambushed him. “Skaios will make Surge stronger! I won’t let you stop her!” Kit seized Marcus with watery tentacles, but the azure fox quick-drew his laser pistol and shot stun rays at Kit.
“Some kind of water fox?” Yuta asked. “I can stop him!”
“S’okay.” Cheren assured. “Let him discipline his operatives.”
“I GOT ALL THE FISH!” A certain chibi, black and blue horned woman ran carrying a mountain of fish.
Cheren sighed and hurried after her. “Var, the all-you-can-eat extends to neither the people OR the storages!”
Surge zipped between crowds of people, the static from her aura causing their hair to stand. The Diamond Cutters pursued, knowing they had to stop her. However, a certain frizzy-haired Nimbi girl swiftly dashed between the crowds with the speed of wind. Fybi sniped Surge with a solid energy arrow. “Thank ye!” Skaios flew away.
“HEY! You bitch!” Surge struck lightning at Fybi, but the Nimbi conjured small, whirling clouds at her hands to catch the electricity and shoot it back. Surge was blown several yards back, but she was on her feet, Spin Dashing toward the Nimbi. Fybi conjured an Air Ball to drill against the tenrec, sparks flying wildly. Fybi then flapped skyward and let Surge bypass, the tenrec uncovering confusedly. Fybi landed a charged arrow to her back and took her down. And by the time she pushed up, Marcus rushed through the crowd, pelting Surge with quick jabs of his fist.
“Ugh!” Surge tried to shoot lightning at him, but only sparks came out. She had been chi-blocked.
“Now, Surge.” Marcus tugged her by the ear. “When I invited you to this party, what did we talk about?”
“BITE ME!”
“Must… help… Surge…” Kit moaned, his muscles stiff on the ground.
“You okay there, buddy?” Daxter asked Skaios.
“Aye. Ay’d be lying if I said I didn’t like her moxy.”
“Speaking of moxy, let’s try out that Tornadus Maelstrom Milkshake!” King Clawthorne suggested. Skaios grabbed his two tiny friends and flew off.
The Diamond Cutters watched them soar overhead. “Hey, that sounds yummy.” Tangle smiled. “Can we-”
“No. Leaving.” Lanolin resumed. Her friends sighed and followed compliantly.
“…Well, those girls were a little weird, anyway.” Tangle said with a halfhearted smile. “Just being openly rude, not getting boundaries…”
“Quick to make friends. Quick to share stories and laughs. Being extremely casual and welcoming. Just like you.”
Tangle blushed. She could tell Whisper hoped to meet them again. She did, too. Still, as Lanolin’s brash question replayed in Whisper’s mind, the more sour she felt about her leader.
I won’t write a full thing for this, but the Diamond Cutters were caught up in the Dreamverse crisis and trapped in the Dream Realm. In their dreams, Whisper is forced to repeatedly watch Mimic kill both of her teams, as well as fight hordes of Zombot Tangles. And Tangle herself is trapped in a steadily shrinking vault. She is left a window to see an illusory Whisper in the distance: her calls for help go unanswered as Whisper ignores her out of anger and annoyance. Fortunately, since the two were sharing a bed that night, their dreamscapes were connected.
Whisper finds a great, winding road in the form of Tangle’s tail. The Zombots and Mimic are unable to climb it, because only Whisper is allowed to be in Tangle’s tail. The tail leads her to a portal into Tangle’s dream. She locates the shrinking vault her girlfriend is in. However, the Nightmare Whisper tries to stop her first.
“She’s pathetic. Just let her die.” Whisper is horrified to hear herself say that. “You’re only staying with her to keep everyone else happy. To keep HER happy. You don’t need her, anymore. All she’s going to do is tie you down. Just let yourself be free.”
Whisper whipped up her Wispon and shot the fake dead. With that, she proceeds to break Tangle free, her limbs and tail pressed to every end of the vault before she pops out.
“Tangle… is that really how you think I feel?”
“NO! I-I just, I mean… Whisper, I just want things to work between us. I wanna do everything right, I don’t want you to leave me. I don’t wanna sound obsessive or clingy, and I understand when you wanna do your own thing, I-I just…” She began to wrap up her own head to absorb her tears. “Just… tell me the truth. Tell me if I’m really tying you down. Because of how everyone really supports us. You don’t wanna disappoint them… or me.”
“Tangle.” Whisper gently pulled down her tail to keep the eyes uncovered. “It’s true that our relationship inspired hope in everyone after a dire time. It’s true that I didn’t want that kind of pressure. I didn’t want people to set expectations for us. It’s true I’ll get mad at you sometimes. You can’t help if you make mistakes. But after all we’ve been through, and what I’m afraid we’ll go through… there’s no place I’d rather be than by your side. Besides… I feel like I’m the clingy one sometimes. I always look forward to sleeping in your tail at night. Just like I am right now. …Hmhm, I guess you do tie me down in that way.”
“Hehehe…” Tangle let out a soft chuckle.
“I don’t want to feel too dependent on you for happiness. That’s why I’ll spend time with other friends or even go on a short mission. But I feel stronger knowing you’re waiting for me. Just… don’t stress out so much over this.”
“…Okay.” Tangle unraveled. With a big, “Sniiiiiiiiiiiff” of her nose, “I feel STRONGER already!” She burst with confidence. “Now… how do we get out of this nightmare?!”
“I have no idea.”
“Then we’ll just have to keep fighting until we do!”
“You bet.”
Meanwhile, Lanolin is stuck in a nightmare where she is being fined for her mother’s crimes, all while her friends dismiss and ignore her. Following this night, the team doesn’t get involved in the Aincrad crisis. However, this is when the Duo and Clean Sweep plot-lines from the comics unravel. This next section takes place after those arcs. Naturally, this part is where I definitely diverge from the comics.
May 2 – Shattered Diamonds
Ashamed. Disgraced. Disrespected. Humiliated.
These feelings and more were all Lanolin felt, practically ever since this year began. From enemies… From friends… From allies from other worlds… It was as if the universe were out to insult her. Especially when Duo the Cat knocked on their doorstep.
A new cadet with purplish-blue fur and a black scarf, he came to Sector D.C. full of passion and enthusiasm. “I want to make a difference! I wanna start helping people! And, well, I want more adventure in my life!”
“Haha, I like this guy already!” Tangle laughed.
“But… why choose our sector?” Whisper wondered.
“Well, I heard you were a pretty new sector. And there’s only three of you, so… it just feels right to me. I don’t know how I’d fit in with the larger sectors, but you guys seemed really nice. But I’ll work hard to meet your expectations! I promise!”
“Alright, Duo.” Lanolin smiled. “Welcome to the team!”
She had hopes for him. A fresh new face who would listen to and respect her. Someone new to balance out the team. Then… mistakes happened. They shared a joint mission with Sector SOL. A mission to take out a Schnee Dust compound. Duo had paired up with Sticks the Badger to take out a squad of guard robots. That’s when it started.
“TRAITOR!” The badger threw an accusing finger.
“What?!” Duo gasped.
“Sticks, what’s wrong?” her leader, Cinder asked.
“That jerk ditched me! He left me to die to those mechanical menaces!”
“N-No I didn’t! I-I was going to get more help, but then Charlie was already saving you!”
“LIAR! I saw that look in your eyes. That DARKNESS!”
Whisper gasped: only one image flashed in her mind. She looked down at Duo in horror. “Sticks, calm down.” Cinder said. “Duo is a new cadet. I’m sure he was just a little frightened.”
“I-I’m sorry.” Duo said. “I’ll do better next time.”
“It’s okay, Duo.” Lanolin rubbed his hair. “This might’ve been a little much for a first mission.”
“Haha, you should hear about OUR first mission!” Tangle laughed, turning to her girlfriend. “…Whisper?” She grew concerned at her distraught expression.
…
“Duo.”
“Huh?” The cat spun toward Whisper with a start. She had suddenly approached him in the treehouse.
“Show me your hands.”
“W-W-Why?” He raised his monochrome-gloved mittens.
“Your gloves. Take them off.”
“N-No.” Duo hugged his hands to his chest. “I…I have a chewing problem, okay? I keep these on to-”
“Take. Them. OFF.” Whisper seethed through her teeth.
“Whisper!” Lanolin marched over. “What are you doing?!”
“Sh-She’s scaring me…” Duo cowered.
“What?!”
“Lanolin! He’s Mimic!”
“Mimic?!”
“What Sticks said. About his eyes. And his colors! It’s Mimic!”
“Okay, Whisper, I know Mimic escaped from prison, but why would he go to this much trouble? You’re being paranoid over what Sticks said. You’re harassing a new teammate.”
“HEY, GUYS!” Tangle swung into the living room. “I gots the Spiral Rolls! FOUR this time! Uh…what’s goin’ on?”
“A-Actually, I’m not hungry right now.” Duo turned and fast-walked to the bedrooms. “I’m just gonna go-”
“Get BACK here!” Whisper swiftly equipped Blue Hammer, dashed, and bashed him in the head.
“OOOOOOWWW!” Duo held his throbbing skull. “Ahhhhh! Ah, it’s ringing! I think my skull shattered!”
Whisper looked upon him with horror and guilt. “WHISPER!” Lanolin ran to support the cadet. “HOW COULD YOU?!”
“I thought… h-he would transform… I thought that…”
“Stay still, Duo. I’ll carry you.” Lanolin shot Whisper a furious glance before leaving.
Tangle, sharing the wolf’s distraught, approached her tenderly. “…I thought it was Mimic…” She sobbed into Tangle’s chest. “What’ve I done… I’m still letting him control me… what’ve I…”
“S’okay…it’s okay…” Tangle gently consoled her. “We’ll apologize later. I’ll go with you.”
“Sniff…yes…sniff…”
Lanolin lay Duo in his bed. “I’m sorry about her. She… has some problems. It’s hard to explain.”
“Doesn’t sound like it’s good to keep her around.”
“She never really did anything like this before. I’ll make sure she apologizes. I’m really sorry about this.”
“Well, at least they got a great leader. Hopefully, they follow your example someday.”
“Hehe.” Lanolin blushed. “I’ll get you some ice. Be right back.”
After she left the room… the crafty cat smirked, his eyes briefly blinking black.
Lanolin buried her face deeper in her knees. Buttering her up… as if he knew her exact weak points. Up until the Clean Sweepstakes Race… That was the final straw.
A few weeks ago
“Thanks for coming, guys!” Jewel the Beetle said to the Diamond Cutters. “As you know, we’ll be holding the Clean Sweepstakes soon, as part of our recent partnership with Clean Sweep Inc..”
“Yeah, and I’m super excited!” Tangle fist-pumped.
“Yes, but while this race was mostly designed for the KND, the Babylon Rogues have insisted on joining in it. Furthermore… there’s the matter of Surge and Kit.” The Diamonds frowned at their mention. “While they haven’t done anything particularly criminal since joining us… their rebelliousness can’t go unnoticed. So, Mr. Ratooey has asked us to employ a few operatives as referees to ensure things don’t get too chaotic.”
“And you’d like to ask us?” Lanolin inquired.
“Essentially.”
“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Duo chirped. “I’m not really the racing type, anyway. But this way, we can still sorta be part of it!”
“Aw, but I wanna be part of the actual race.” Tangle moaned.
“Well, you’ll feel just as much satisfaction from catching rule-breakers.” Lanolin stated. “It’ll be our way of representing the KND’s good name, by straightening out the ones who misuse it. Right, Whisper?”
“Y-Yes. Right.”
“Well, okay.” Tangle shrugged. “Then, look out, rule-breakers! The Diamond Cutters are watching you!”
Clean Sweep was a company that collected scrap left behind by Eggman’s technology, or more recently Schnee Dust or the Kremlings. This was always a project the KND tried to manage on their own, but in acknowledgement of their struggles and hard work lately, Clean Sweep wanted to make a formal alliance and set up a fun competition to showcase the KND. Citizens would pay to come watch the Clean Sweepstakes, and the money would help fund the KND’s Restoration efforts.
It was an Extreme Gear race, utilizing hoverboards, bikes, or even ski shoes in Tangle’s case. “Hey, playing referee is worth it if I get to wear these!” she would say. This gear was common in some high-tech areas of Mobius and these types of races were popular. Even the audience stands and tracks were elevated. While the event had Marcus’s approval, Jewel was put in charge of overseeing it, being considered the heart of the community as Head of the Restoration Center, alongside Clean Sweep’s CEO, “Mr. Ratooey.” Both of them would be based in the Restoration flagship shuttle. However, Jewel had been unusually absent during practically the whole competition. Even weirder was there was some kind of interference with everyone’s communicators.
Already, there was disaster in the first event. Sector SOUTH’s Extreme Gear malfunctioned and zoomed out of control, violently ramming other operatives with serious injury. Sector D.C. utilized their Wispons and Tangle’s tail to grab them off and stop the gear. “Sector SOUTH, you’re off the race!” Lanolin shouted.
“What?!” Sonia exclaimed.
“Clearly, Manic’s new prototypes weren’t ready for the track and now several kids are injured for it.”
“But Lanolin, these are our friends!” Tangle argued.
“We can’t show any biases. They broke the rules of the race, so they have to step down.”
“Yeah, I agree.” Duo said. Whisper quietly hummed to herself. She felt she should protest as well, but feared it would do nothing.
“Me and Bunnie weren’t even using Manic’s prototypes…” Antoine complained.
The race went on for several more days, but for the events that followed, a mysterious Phantom Rider disrupted them. It was Sector D.C.’s duty to stop them, but the Rider would trounce them on every attempt, much to Lanolin’s fury. During the Misty Spire event, the Rider seemed particularly more violent. They had knocked out Duo and hidden him somewhere, holding his scarf as proof, and he would go on to knock out Lanolin. And when she came to, Tangle and Whisper, who were still awake to continue the fight, were acting very suspicious and standoffish about something.
“Some Diamond Cutter I am.” Duo said to Lanolin, in the latter’s room. Lanolin was venting her frustrations onto a punching bag. “I thought I was gonna die.”
“I…I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Lanolin replied.
“It’s alright. …I dunno about Tangle and Whisper though. I feel like… they know something and they’re not telling us.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time…” she mumbled, putting more fury into her punches.
Duo secretly cracked a light smirk. “I’m glad we have you, Lanolin. You’re the real hero of these Sweepstakes.”
Their fears would be confirmed. When Lanolin had her chance to thwart the Phantom Rider in the last event, to finish them with her Wispon, Tangle stopped her. “DON’T! YOU’LL HURT SONIA!”
“What?!”
In minutes, Surge would unmask the culprit herself. “THERE! The Phantom Rider is destroyed! YA HAPPY NOW, BOSS?!” she seemed to yell at the shuttle.
Lanolin was dumbfounded. Not only that Sonia was the criminal, but that… “So, you two knew who the Phantom was all along!” Duo shared her sentiment.
“You protected a criminal?!” Lanolin shouted. “You LIED to me?!”
“We were protecting Sonia!” Tangle argued. “She knew that something was-”
“She needs to face justice!”
“Didn’t you hear that announcement?! Clean Sweep are the real bad guys!”
She was right. This entire race was a ploy, orchestrated by Clutch the Opossum, the true identity of “Mr. Ratooey.” Clutch was already known for his shady deals and prior mishaps with some operatives, so he took special measures to keep his identity private. His goal was not only to reap money from civilians, but sabotage the KND. His plans were exposed, along with his array of Brotherhood of Evil allies. His final act of desperation was to crash the shuttle into the KND’s Restoration Center, smothering it in a devastating explosion. Other operatives were locked in battle with Clutch’s goons, while the Diamond Cutters took the responsibility of evacuating citizens from the stands and fighting off the goons whom were threatening them.
“Duo, stay close to me!” Tangle said, crushing a group of villains unconscious in her tail. “It’s dangerous here!”
But as Tangle focused on her foes, she was none the wiser of the knife readied at her neck. “AH!” The cadet was shot by a Cyan Laser, blasting him into the wall.
“WHISPER!” Lanolin screeched. “YOU IDIOT, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!”
“That knife!”
Tangle gasped, seeing the dropped knife by her shoe. She looked at Duo. His feline ear was sheared as it morphed into a tentacle. “W-whuh…?” Lanolin’s face grew pale. In that swift moment, a wave of guilt washed over her. And horror and anger were drowning Whisper’s masked visage.
“MIMIC!” Tangle and Whisper screeched as the octopus retreated into the panicking crowds. “WHERE?!” Whisper furiously aimed her Wispon as she hovered over the crowd. “WHERE IS HE?!” This only caused the crowd to panic more.
“We lost him!” Tangle shouted. “Nngh…Whisper, we gotta get everyone out of here!”
Whisper clenched her teeth. She was right… but fury and horror would consume her.
…
The airship crashed… and with it, the Restoration Center. They barely managed to evacuate everyone… but after all that, the Brotherhood villains got away. Taking their shape-shifting recruit with them. Tangle and Whisper looked up at them, rage and a need for revenge in both their pupils. …Then, they glanced at Lanolin. Their rage fell to scorn.
Lanolin had no words to justify herself. None to defend herself. After this mistake… they would never listen to her again. Choking on her own shame, Lanolin ran.
…
Their faces had ingrained into her mind. With that one look… every fear, every mistake, everything Lanolin had even said to them… It drowned her. All she could do was shudder on her bed.
A dark base, somewhere far away
The orchestrators of the Sweepstakes Disaster, a green Mobian opossum in a white tuxedo jacket, and a purple octopus with black eyes and a ragged black robe, stepped between a crowd of villains, hailing from various worlds. They stepped before their leader, a tall, thin man with pale hair, black clothes, red shoes, and a wicked grin between his dry lips.
“Lord Tomura.” Clutch the Opossum greeted. “It’s an honor.”
“That was quite a spectacle.” Tomura said. “I’d say you’ve earned your place as the Mobian Division Leaders.”
“Well, that finale was… improvisation, if anything.” Clutch said modestly. “I’m afraid things didn’t quite go as planned. I hoped to at least be rid of Vice-Leader Jewel. And Mimic’s personal targets got away also.”
Mimic growled. “Well, you know what they say about perfection.” Tomura popped open a bottle of Chaos Cola, pouring it into glasses. He deliberately held the bottle with his pinky propped up. “Even the great K. Rool lost in the end. Any blow to the KND, no matter how small, is a boon to our side.” He clutched the glasses between his fingers and handed them to the duo. “So… my Mobian brothers. Welcome to the Brotherhood of Evil.”
“HRAAAAAAHHH!” the crowd of villains roared.
“Quite the party.” Mimic took a sip. “Still, I wouldn’t say K. Rool really failed. His heir has already been born.”
“That’s right. Heh heh heh heh.” Tomura snickered.
“Lanolin told me that Whisper apparently worships the chancellor. Oh, if only I had the chance to tell her the truth.”
“You’ll get that chance in time, Mimic.” Clutch said. “The Diamonds… the Hedgehogs… and those two traitors. We’ll have our revenge on them all.”
“Indeed we will.” Tomura promised. “For now… let’s play some games.” He raised a controller in his right fingers. Clutch and Mimic exchanged a baffled glance. “I love videogames…”
For the next hour, they would be seated on a couch with Tomura cross-legged on the floor, engaging in heated battles of Super Smash Bros. while villains raved behind them. “GET ’EM SHIGGY, GET ’EM GET ’EM GET ’EM!” “GET THE POKÉBALL, GET THE POKÉBALL!” “COME ON, OCTOPUS MAN!” “SHOW ’EM HOW A POSSUM PLAYS!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” The room rumbled upon Clutch’s victory in the match.
“Oof.” Tomura shirked. “If I only recovered a millisecond faster.”
“Shiggy, let me play next!” Himiko, who seemed like a high schooler with baggy eyes and a big grin, plopped between Clutch and Mimic. “Hey! Is it true you can transform into anyone without drinking blood?!”
A baffled Mimic morphed into her. “Yes?”
“Eh? Your eye color’s wrong. And you got suction cups on your hands! You need work, bro. Now, let’s play, I’m Dr. Mario!”
“Okay…” Mimic stuck to playing as Samus. For some reason, he was rather fond of the parasite hunter. “How long is this initiation test?”
“We’ll just keep playing until he’s bored.” Clutch figured, selecting Wolf O’Donnell next.
Tomura chose King K. Rool. “Three…two…one…GO!”
Spiral Hill; present time
Their treehouse quiet and dim, Tangle held Whisper softly. Right under their noses… in their own home… Whisper let him deceive them. Any time… he could’ve done something.
Whisper wanted to hunt for him. Bring him to justice once again. Get revenge for the shame and humility he put her through. But rationally, she knew it wouldn’t be healthy to in this state. Even if they could find out where he was hiding, why devote that much time to someone she hated when she could spend it with someone she loved? That’s what Whisper needed now. They both knew it.
Whisper hadn’t felt this distressed in a while. For this past week, Tangle did all she could to keep her calm, helping her emotions to stabilize. For the first day after the disaster, they simply stayed home. Later, Tangle would take her for walks, go out to restaurants, or put on nice movies. Whisper would smile, ever touched and grateful to Tangle being there for her… but the pain wouldn’t subside completely. In-between those activities, they made time for daily visits. Visits that Whisper wasn’t quite ready to take part in.
“…It’s time to check on her.” Tangle said.
“She doesn’t want to come back. She doesn’t care.”
“Yes she does. She just… feels really bad and doesn’t know how to handle it.”
Whisper knew she was right. Even still… she couldn’t shake that lingering scorn.
“That’s another one of my fondest memories.” Tangle directed Whisper’s gaze to the selfie of the three of them, locked in Tangle’s group hug. “When we first became a team.”
“Well…” Lanolin released a relaxed sigh as they returned to H.Q., “in spite of a bumpy start… I think this mission went fairly well.”
“I know I had fun!” Tangle cheered. “Heh, whaddya say, Whisper? Are ya diggin’ this whole ‘team dynamic’ thing?”
Whisper chuckled. “I am. This was… refreshing.”
“Then… can I expect to see you for the next mission?” Lanolin asked.
“You can. I look forward to it.”
“LET’S GET A PICTURE!” Tangle abruptly wrapped them in a group hug, using the end of her tail to hold up her phone. “Today starts the adventures of the DIAMOND CUTTERS!”
Her friends smiled awkwardly as Tangle snapped the picture. “Okay,” Lanolin frowned disgruntledly, “but there’s gonna be a hard limit on the number of group hugs from now on.”
“Agreed.” Whisper blushed.
“Then I’m making this one count!” Tangle squeezed them harder.
“And to think, a couple hours before that, I nearly ruined our friendship.” Tangle chuckled.
Whisper passively, softly chuckled. “I didn’t mean to get mad at you. I was only nervous. It felt like I had to quickly decide my feelings. Things were happening too fast. And you were leading things along so eagerly. It made me more tense. That’s part of why… I was hurt. When you decided our team name.”
Tangle sighed through her nose. Whisper felt her tense up. “But here we are.” Whisper lightened the feeling. “I know how I feel now. I wanted to commit to this team. I wanted to be with you. I was still afraid of confessing. Whether I should accept our friendship as it was or…or risk it all for something more. I hated that the Kremlings forced my feelings. But now I’m… happier than I ever was. Sleeping in your tail, sharing all my dreams and feelings… and throwing away the boundaries.”
Tangle embraced her closer. “I guess I was confused for a while, too. I didn’t know why I wanted to be with you so badly. I’m sorry I rushed things. I still think I’m too clingy and pushy about it. But that’s exactly how I feel, too.” Whisper let herself melt into her fur. “…And it’s still thanks to Lanolin that we’re here.”
Whisper frowned. “It isn’t the same. She never understood the meaning of our team name like you did. Yes, we told her the story… but all she really wanted was authority. To be in charge of a team, to feel strong. Some of the things she said, I just… I had enough of her.”
“You’re right. She was. She did. She was stuck up. She was bossy. She even accused Sonia of being a criminal. But she…she never meant anything bad. Right now, she knows what she did wrong. She’s ashamed. She feels it, but she’s just not used to it. We have to keep trying. We have to try and forgive her. Whisper, you know you still want us to be a team.”
“…yeah.”
Whisper would later show Lanolin the photo of her family. “So, those are my predecessors. They really do seem like great people.”
“They were.” Whisper smiled somberly. “Thank you.”
“…Well, I guess you’re my predecessor, too.” Lanolin blushed. “Makes me wonder if you should be leader. You are two years my senior.”
“I… never really identified as a leader. And, so far, you’ve been great for the role.”
“Thanks.” Lanolin scratched her wool sheepishly. “Heh…I used to lead a few group projects and gym teams back in school. Everyone thought I was too bossy… and, well, no one liked me. Because of it.”
“Yeah, I kinda got that impression.”
“Tangle.” Whisper said reprovingly.
“B-But, it’s a good thing! Good leaders are supposed to be bossy! Right?”
“Well… yes. But they are also strong and considerate. I feel that from you, too, Lanolin.”
“Heh…” Fidgeting from the praise, Lanolin’s eyes darted around. Her expression fell as she focused on the photo. “Um… forgive me, but why would you keep… Mimic in that photo?”
Tangle looked to Whisper. Inside, she was curious, too. Frowning, Whisper turned the photo over, her own eyes in contemplation. “…I don’t really know. Perhaps because… it was the last time we were happy together. It…it hurts to see him in it, but…” She began trembling. Tangle put an arm around her.
Lanolin smiled, softly patting Whisper’s arm. “It’s an honor to uphold their legacy. Thank you… for accepting me as your leader.”
Whisper’s words were true… and she felt the same from Lanolin. Though she was lost for confidence, and though it wasn’t what she expected, Lanolin was truly honored to accept the role she’d been given.
“This time… maybe you should try to speak to her. You don’t have to. I’ll try myself, if you’re not ready. But Lanolin knows she hurt you the most. She might feel better… if she heard your words.”
“…’kay.”
Whisper slowly slipped on her jacket and boots. They walked to the ship with weighted steps. “Tangle… before we go, I need to ask you something. Do you ever consider… leaving the KND?” Tangle perked up in mild shock. “Just… put all this stress and anguish behind us… and live together in peace? Like we’ve been doing all week?”
Tangle hesitated to answer. “Er…um…if that’s what you-”
“No. I want you to answer honestly. Would you want to leave this life behind? Whether it was for me or not?”
“…I…I…I wouldn’t. Because… I love the KND. I love going on adventures. I love helping people. I love beating up bad guys. And I…I just couldn’t let jerks like Mimic or Eggman get away with hurting people! This is what I love doing!” As passion burned in her eyes, Tangle cried. “But… I’ll never put that above your happiness. Because that’s more important to me than any-”
Whisper pecked her on the cheek. The stress eased off Tangle’s heart. “I’ve always admired that about you. No matter how terrified… No matter how much you get hurt… you want to keep doing what you love. I want that to be my reason, too. Not duty. Not revenge. But because this is what I love doing.”
Tangle shared her smile. Whisper took a breath, her eyes curving in resolve. “Okay. I think I know what I want to say to her.”
Riverside
“Lanolin?” She heard Tangle’s voice and a knock at her door. “It’s us. Can we please talk?”
For the past week, those two checked on her daily. In her run-down house in Riverside. Lanolin scarcely left her room, curled up on her bed with her face in her knees. They would creak open the door to check if she was even alive. But their words would go with no response. They would just leave some food at her door and leave respectfully. And Lanolin would only halfheartedly eat a small portion. The hunger in her stomach didn’t outweigh the emptiness in her heart.
Lanolin flinched when her doorknob abruptly twisted, Tangle showing herself in with an almost assertive expression. “Lanolin, you can’t keep staying in here! Please talk to us!” Whisper hung back in the doorway.
Lanolin narrowed her eyes and twisted her head. “Please leave.”
“But, Lanolin…”
“You were right about Duo. You were right. I was wrong. I’m an awful leader and an awful friend. Go on. Say it.”
They saw her shuddering from her own truth. “Th-That’s not… Look, he tricked all of us. But…but you just ran off on us. Ran off when we really needed you. Especially Whisper.”
Lanolin sank deeper into her knees. Of course she knew that. Of course Whisper would feel the most traumatized by this. But even before that… those two didn’t let her in on their plan. She felt disrespected as a leader on all fronts. She had already expressed her anger over that, and she had every intention of scolding them more after the crisis was over. But when Duo’s true identity was revealed… she knew right then that all her words would mean nothing. They were justified in never having trusted her.
“Lanolin.” Whisper approached her. “I am mad at you. Very. But I don’t want this team to fall apart. Thanks to you… Tangle and I are together. Thanks to you, the Diamond Cutters are living on. We owe a lot to you. We want to trust you. But… we… You had a hard time listening to us. We’d like you to keep leading us. But we want you to listen. And we’ll listen to you, too.”
Tears dripped down Lanolin’s knees. She thought back to what Marcus told her two months ago. But for that whole time… she was too afraid. Confused. Weak. She glanced up at both of their eyes. Their eyes of sympathy, understanding… respect.
“…You know about the incident that happened here… two months ago, right?”
They lightly nodded. They mostly heard bits from other sources, but Lanolin was too hesitant to share details. They heard Belle was involved, but she told them nothing. All they could do was respect Lanolin’s secrecy.
“…My mother was… Mayor Bellwether. From Zootopia. The one who… made the predator-types go savage.”
It was a truth they suspected; no, they faintly heard it from rumors. But hearing it from her opened their minds and hearts to everything.
“I grew up under her prejudice. I knew it was wrong. I was always… silently ashamed of her. And after hearing what she did… I…I knew no one would ever trust or respect me… so I moved towns and threw away my last name.”
Whisper folded hands over hers, gently sitting on her bedside. “I never let her words get to me. All I wanted to do was… help people and punish the ones who threaten this world. I wanted to get stronger… I wanted to make a difference… That’s why I formed this team… and for a while, I was so proud of us.”
Her friends formed a light smile.
“But after the Kremlings… I never felt more helpless. You two weren’t affected. You went through your own problems. I understand that. But, you both survived and made it… without me. And since then… I felt like I was beneath you two. When it came to… that Mickey proposal, you talked to Marcus without me.”
“We’re sorry.” Whisper said. “Lanolin… let’s talk about that right now. Tell us… why you wanted Mickey to come to Mobius.”
“…Because he could’ve helped us. He could’ve given us more defenses. Made us stronger. Helped stop more criminals. Make Mobius a more peaceful place. Is that so wrong?”
“Of course it isn’t. But, Lanolin… would you please hear my thoughts?”
“…” Lanolin faintly nodded. Whisper recited what she had told Tangle and Marcus before. How Chancellor Yorkshire accused Mickey of brainwashing. How she was indebtedly loyal to the chancellor, for how she cured the Metal Virus and saved Tangle’s life, and everyone else. And because she was loyal, she believed Yorkshire’s claims. “You feel the same, don’t you? You were terrified that whole time.”
“…I was. Especially since Sonia was nonchalantly walking around us, even though she was infected.” Lanolin narrowed her eyes. “Just because she had a way to stave it off, doesn’t mean she couldn’t have spread it. I mean,” she raised her head and opened her eyes to the anger, waving her hands to further express it, “she fucking leaned on my chair, with that metallic arm of hers! My heart was going a billion miles! I’ve never felt so scared, and angry, and… You see why I don’t like her?!”
The two processed her feelings. It was her first time outright admitting this about Sonia. “Yeah, I know I ask her to spar with me, but only ’cause I REALLY wanna punch her!”
Whisper offered a look of understanding. Inside, she knew Lanolin was the same as her. Concealing so much anger. Sadness. Confusion. Not knowing who to entrust it to. Especially since they were both betrayed by the same person. “Yes, Sonia was very careless back then. Perhaps we can confront her about that later. But, back to the chancellor… you’re very grateful that she helped us, aren’t you?”
“…I am.”
“But after that council broadcast, you sounded like you doubted her. That’s why… I was afraid to share my thoughts with you. Until now.”
“But the chancellor isn’t your teammate. I am.”
“I know. But can you at least understand… why I wanted to believe her? I can understand your feelings. I know you want what’s best for Mobius. And it’s not like we’ve turned down the help of alien allies. But that’s another thing. King Mickey didn’t help us during that war. Earth did. The GKND did.”
“Yeah, but…but those same KND are harboring criminals! They’re letting that Skaios Emperor run around free! They let Emperor Mandy go free, just because she’s the Earth Leader’s relative! And they’re just… collecting those other dangerous new Firstborn! Yeah, they told me those pirates ‘just want to atone’ and second chances and all that… but that’s the same treatment we kept giving Eggman. Ever since the days of Sonic. And look where that got us! And yeah—don’t even say it—I’m a freaking hypocrite because I harbored a criminal, right under our noses, and I, I trusted him, over you, and…” Tears and sniffles interrupted her. She wiped them off with the base of her hand.
“Yes. Even now… I’m still mad at you. I know it wasn’t your fault. I know you were trying to do your job, to discipline me like a leader would. Regardless of…of Mimic’s trick… I think you could’ve been more respectful about it. That’s why I put my trust in Tangle. Not just because she’s my girlfriend, but because she listens, understands, and even learns when she messes up.” Tangle blushed and tensed up at the praise. “Even Marcus knows how to do that. As our leader, you should’ve understood that, too.”
Lanolin tightened her toes around the blanket, wanting to shrink away from the truth.
“But in a way… you’re the same as I was. You have trouble trusting the right people. I understand why you were sensitive about sharing your past. I know that I’m a predator, but-”
“N-No, no!” Lanolin raised her head. “I…I chose you because you were experienced and competent. Then I chose Tangle because you seemed to work well together. I wasn’t trying to prove I… That I wasn’t my mom.”
“I know. I never doubted that, Lanolin.”
“…But…sigh, for the reasons I said before… about not trusting me… there was a teeny part of me…” she sniffled, “that started to agree with Mom. Sniff, I know, I know, it was my own fault, I was the bad leader, I have no place thinking that, but I…I’m just awful… aren’t I?”
“You’re not. When you grow up under someone’s ideals like that, even if you disagree with them, you can’t help but feel a tiny bit influenced. I understand. Deep down, I know you respect me, as a friend and teammate. Just as I do.”
Lanolin felt some of the weight leave her.
“And I agree about your other points. You’re right. We should’ve worked harder to punish Eggman. And even right now… I’m not comfortable letting Surge and Kit run free. Regardless of how Marcus disciplines or supervises them.”
“Wait, those two are still around?! Didn’t they… I thought they were involved in that disaster?!”
“Exactly. But, apparently…” Whisper sighed in annoyance as she recollected their talk with Marcus.
“So it was like,” Surge was babbling quickly and heatedly, “Clutch said he’d make us heroes if we did what he said and try to destroy you!” The Supreme Leader stood and listened with a reproachful glare. “But then the kid was like,” she folded hands and stared dreamily, “‘Wow, Surge, you’re so cool, keep being cool, I wanna be like you.’ Then we were like, ‘Know what, Clutch, we quit,’ and he’s like, ‘You’re gonna do what I say or I’ll make you criminals!’ So we tried to stop his plan, but then it was like, then he, he…”
Marcus knelt and put an arm around Surge. She was frozen in her stance, but tears welled in her eyes. She felt Kit’s tiny arms around her legs. “I can comfort Surge better.”
“We’ll discuss this later. Go rest in the guestrooms for now.”
“And since then, they’ve been on small missions.” Whisper said. “Even though they haven’t changed their attitude much.”
“Oh, for Pete’s SAKE! It’s like we NEVER fricking learn! Forgive all the crooks of Mobius, why don’t you, how could he still keep them around?!”
“Marcus is a kind man, but… sometimes, I don’t get his thought process. And even if those two mean it this time, I don’t like Surge. Not at all.”
“Tell me about it.”
Tangle giggled. “At least we found some even ground!”
The two looked at her with a gasp. They shirked, blushing at their own agreement. “Well, beyond that,” Whisper continued, “I don’t know if the alien KNDs are making the right choices either. Trusting those pirates. But maybe… they’re having the same talks we are. Trying to have faith in their choices… their morals… and enduring the regrets. Right now… the only people I want to trust are the friends around me. Not just you two, but the other sectors. That’s also why I didn’t want Mickey to come here. Because if the chancellor was right… he could turn operatives against each other. Just like Mimic tried to do us.”
Lanolin looked down. She understood Whisper’s reason… but it hurt to admit it. “Also…” Whisper continued. “I hate to double down on this… but Schnee Dust has been getting more aggressive. Even enlisted some Galactic Army soldiers. King Mickey is supposed to supervise him. He should… and could do something by now.”
The notion only made Lanolin quiver. “Lanolin… we didn’t put our trust in you, over this Sweepstakes incident. We’re sorry. But we want to. From now on. We just want you to trust us, too.”
Lanolin huffed a big sniffle. She believed them. She understood their feelings. But she also wanted to be right. That desire wrestled with her understanding. “I…I don’t know…”
“Lanolin?” Tangle spoke up. “You know what I think? I think you just really love this world.” Lanolin’s eyes alleviated. “You’re so passionate about protecting it. And you really hate anyone that tries to ruin it. You want to do everything you possibly can for Mobius, and you want everyone else to do the same. That’s where this all comes from, right? And I really love that. That’s why I wanted to be an adventurer: to see all the beautiful places and people in this world! Whisper, you feel the same, right? Just like the chancellor. Or Sonic. Or the first Diamond Cutters!”
Whisper and Lanolin were silent for a moment. Tangle’s positivity was incredible sometimes. She always knew how to clear the tension out of a room. Whisper was reminded, once more, why she loved her. And she was right. Ever since Tangle opened her heart, she had always looked forward to waking up. For too long, the world only threw her misery and torture… but she had seen so much more from Tangle’s perspective. A point of view she once saw alongside her first team. She met Lanolin’s eyes and could see her agreement. Inside, they both shared the same feelings. They were both scared during the virus and Kremling invasion. Terrified to see their world crumble apart.
“That’s why we all deserve to be a team. But, I don’t wanna pressure you to come back now. Let’s give our minds time to rest and think about what we just talked about. But instead… we’d like you to just hang out with us. Not as a team, but as friends. Let’s watch a nice movie. Let’s go out to a nice dinner. Let’s enjoy this wonderful world that we love together.” Tangle hugged herself in a dreamy fashion.
“…” Lanolin weakly twisted herself and placed her feet on the floor. Her combat uniform had been put aside these last few days; she wore her casual orange dress, and she would slip on white socks and orange Mary-Janes. As she stepped out the front door, she glanced back at her two friends. They remained at her back, smiling, as if to say they wanted her to lead them.
Lanolin returned a small smile. “…I never properly said this, but… I really am happy for you two. I’m glad I had a part in your love. But I also… It felt like, because you two were so close… it made me feel more left out.”
“We didn’t mean to.” Tangle said. “But… before now… It did always, kind of seem like you were complaining about us.” Lanolin bowed. “And we know how to stop being a couple when we’re on a mission.”
“I-I know. You’re very capable teammates.”
“But it’s also our love and devotion to each other that makes us so capable. We just wanted you to see that, too. Especially since… you chose us.”
“…Yeah. You’re right. I should’ve realized that before.”
“Well, water under the bridge, right? So, let’s just have fun! Lead the way!”
Lanolin blushed. She turned and resumed leading them back to the ship.
Their first destination, that night, was the reopened Twinkle Park. “Finally!” Tangle exclaimed. “Look! Cute couples get in for free! Oh, but… we’re not really a ‘couple,’ are we?”
“It’s not fair if one of us has to pay.” Whisper said. “So, let’s all pay.”
“Great idea!”
Lanolin smiled at the gesture. “Frankly, it’s a bad business practice.”
“YAHOOOOO!” Tangle was having a blast ramming other people on the hover-bumper-cars! “Man, it’s as good as I remember! C’mon! First one to the finish line gets more snacks!”
They zoomed along a racetrack with a holographic surrounding of glittering space. Whisper got neck-in-neck and tried to ram Tangle into the wall, sharing smirks as Tangle fought back. Lanolin considered passing them during their struggle… but she hesitated out of guilt. “OW!” Two other racers bumped her and passed. Tangle and Whisper shifted priorities to breaking their lead in the race. Lanolin chuckled in thanks.
The following day, the friends decided to go camping. They prepared a fireplace as Tangle got the marshmallows. “I went here with Sonia, Belle, and Jewel once. Back when Whisper was ignoring me.” Whisper shirked in guilt. “They wanted to help get my groove back… and boy, did it work! I helped stop a forest fire! Then a few days later, that’s when Lanolin called me and reunited me with Whisper! It was just the best week ever!”
Lanolin giggled. “I mean, you can’t credit me too much. I’m sure you two would’ve talked things out.”
“We would.” Whisper agreed. “But I…I guess what I was lacking was courage. It’s hard to say. Even so… being part of a team again felt great. Grabbing food with both of you, listening to everyone’s input… it was refreshing.”
Both her friends smiled tenderly. “Know what else’ll be refreshing?” Tangle asked. “S’MORES!” She took out chocolate bars and Graham crackers. The friends smooshed the marshmallows between them and munched.
“Mmmmmmmm!” Lanolin moaned. Webs were formed between their mouths and the food, but they were equipped with napkins and soda. Tangle and Whisper had a bit more problems, since fur was around their mouths. Still, the more she savored the sweet… Lanolin felt guilt. “I’m sorry I made us leave the Cooking Fest. That was probably even the last one, after what happened.”
“It’s okay.” Tangle said. “There’ll be plenty more festivals! And even MORE food to chow on! So, let’s stuff our mouths TOGETHER!” Her enthusiasm echoed the forest.
“Okay, just keep it down. Don’t wanna disturb other campers.”
“Haha, aye-aye, Boss!”
On May 4, the friends visited a dance club, playing songs from Off the Hook in honor of their heroic deed from the war. It was no surprise that Tangle owned the dancefloor; for some reason, lemurs really liked to move it, move it. Beyond that, they would watch a movie every night, go snowboarding down Icecap, go for a run up Windy Valley, and go swinging through Frog Forest.
On May 9, they paid a visit to Marcus’s office. “I’m just saying, given their past offenses, you could at least make them wear chi-blocks or limiters or something!” Lanolin argued. “Or even put them under strict lockdown if they commit any more!”
“At the very least,” Whisper followed, “they should’ve been assigned to community service or something as a way to pacify their wild nature.”
“…” Marcus was stun-locked. Even Jewel was agape at the situation. They’d never imagined Whisper complaining to him… on the same side as Lanolin, at that. “Er, ahem, well… You both raise very good points. But, brash as Surge tends to be, she and Kit have been through their own turmoil. And deep down, I think they really feel bad that-”
“MAKE WAY FOR THE HEROOOOOEEEEES!” Surge’s voice thundered across the base, becoming the center of the socializing bridge in a strike of lightning. “GUESS WHO JUST STOPPED A TRAINWRECK?! A thousand lives SAVED, thanks to me!”
“Everyone must give Surge a medal!” Kit yelled. “Or candy!”
“NO LICORICE!”
“…But, uh, some community service might relax them a tad.” Marcus adjourned outside.
“They’re not gonna like that, are they?” Tangle asked.
“Not a bit.” Jewel said.
“Well, we’ve made our words known.” Lanolin said. “Now…”
They went to Sector SOUTH’s treehouse next. Sonia was pleased to see Lanolin with her team again… but the sheep spared no expense with her anger. “How could you be that careless?! Freaking leaning onto my chair, I was a FRICKING INCH from being infected!”
“I-I was being careful, I-I was making sure I didn’t bump any-”
“And even on Angel Island, I thought for sure you’d step on the grass and ruin our last safe haven! I-I was…I…I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DIE!” Lanolin fell to her knees, sobbing. “I was so scared, Sonia!”
“I was, too!” Sonia joined her on the floor and cried. “I-I really didn’t think we’d…”
“WAAAAAAAHHH!”
Tangle looked to Whisper. The wolf was crying as well: the pain she suffered back then was resurfacing. “AaaaaaaAAAAAHHH!” Tangle roped the four of them into a tail hug. “THANK YOU, CHANCELLOR!”
“T-Tangle, we gotta cut down on the abrupt group hugs!” Lanolin sniffled.
After emptying herself of tears, Lanolin requested her friends to bring her back to Riverside. She grabbed her soldier’s uniform. “Okay… I think I’m ready to be your leader again.”
“Hah, alright!” Tangle fist-pumped.
Lanolin cracked a flattered smile. “I’ll try to do better this time. I’m very grateful for this second chance. And for this week. It was… never something I got from peers at school. …Thanks.”
Her friends smiled. Beneath her humility, there was honesty and determination. “Lanolin.” Whisper held up her mask. “I think it’s time to show you this.”
“Whisper…” Tangle murmured. Her expression was as if Lanolin were receiving a special honor.
The sheep remained curious as Whisper placed the mask over her. By her voice command, the videos began playing. “Oh…” The missions and banter of the Diamond Cutters were right before her. Their voices. Their dynamics. Their faith.
“That was a gutsy move you did, Mimic!” Smithy praised.
“I’ve taken on a few small armies in my time, but that was awesome!” Slinger praised.
“Fate was with you when you found this one, Whisper!” Claire Voyance said.
“I know, right?! Mimic’s the best!”
“Heh! Stop, guys!”
Lanolin cracked a smile at their bond. …But that smile receded, knowing what was to come. Whisper shared a glance with Tangle, smiling. Tangle knew exactly what this meant… that Lanolin was officially someone Whisper could trust. That she was a true friend.
They heard Lanolin gasp. Her hands began twitching. She watched until the end… and the mask would tremble as she slowly pulled it off. Exposing her tears. “Sniff…sniff… I even knew it was coming… but I…I can’t believe it… He didn’t seem… that bad… I…I can’t believe… I trusted that monster!” She cupped hands over her eyes.
She reopened them as Whisper embraced her in a soft hug. “Perhaps… I should’ve showed it to you before. Just as I should’ve talked to you sooner. But now you understand what this team means for me.” Whisper pulled away, looking her in the eye. “And what your position means. I’m proud to call you my leader, Lanolin.”
“…” Lanolin smiled, nodding affirmably. “I won’t let you down!”
After days of fun and emptying out negative feelings, replacing them with good feelings with her friends, Lanolin felt refreshed. On May 10, her first order of business was getting back on their training regimen. A hundred push-ups, 100 pull-ups, a dozen laps around Spiral Hill. They took turns sparring with each other, trying to evade each other’s hits for as long as possible or engaging in more direct combat. By night, however, they would rest, have dinner, and maybe watch another movie. It did Jewel’s heart well to see the Diamond Cutters back in action.
But a cloud loomed over them… over all the KND. Though the next week seemed peaceful at first… they heard of terrible things from the GKND. And finally, an announcement that shook the universe: the beginning of the Throne Wars.
May 19 – Diamonds Are Unbreakable
The confusion that haunted Lanolin before had returned. Personal secrets about the Earth KND were published. Lanolin detested several of them, certainly… but it was clear these secrets were illegally posted by someone against them. Still, even putting those things aside, there was the ever-growing concern of the Earth KND’s power over the Newborn, along with other concerning stories King Mickey shared about them.
However, the Mobians had problems of their own in the present. In the Headquarters Auditorium, Supreme Leader Marcus played Chancellor Yorkshire’s broadcast to her people. This was just after returning from another divided Galactic Council meeting.
“People of Mobius… you see it all happening with your own eyes. King Mickey and the Galaxian Government have given Schnee Dust their approval. The Galactic Army work under their thumb: all these containment camps that you see are their doing. Under the guise that these innocent towns and people are affiliated with the Kremlings. It is for these reasons, and many others, that I am throwing in my lot with the Kids Next Door. I don’t mean just ours, on this world… I mean the Earthlings and aliens that are the center of so much controversy. I don’t intend to represent all of you. Some of you may see these images and choose to side with Mickey. Side with his promises of peace. That’s fine. But, as the leader of this world… this is what I decide. Because I believe… Mickey’s virtues do not embody Mobian freedom.”
Tangle turned to Whisper. The admiration in her squinted eyes was clear. “My Kids Next Door.” Marcus announced. “I take the chancellor’s words and direct them at you. This war… This battle to decide who rules the universe… is one that disgusts me to my core. Even so… we must choose who we wish to follow. Will it be Mickey? Bowser? Or will you remain with the Kids Next Door and fight them?”
Naturally, no one here would vote for Bowser’s side. Still, everything began to make sense. Between Eggman, the Kremlings, even the recent Sweepstakes incident. It was all for this war.
Tangle and Whisper gasped as Lanolin marched toward the stage. With boldness in her eyes, she took the microphone from Marcus and drew everyone’s attention. “For these past few months… everything I believed in was trampled upon. A new teammate that I put my faith into was a criminal in disguise. A criminal who tried to kill my friend… whom I didn’t listen to, when she really needed me.” Whisper sank in her seat. Tangle held her hand. Other operatives looked to them, remembering the incident well. “The alien KNDs harbor criminals with the excuse of atonement; second chances. A philosophy we always pushed… no matter how much it punished us. Even now… we take that chance with two certain people in here.”
Surge, from the back of the audience, cast Lanolin the middle finger.
“And I believed… King Mickey could’ve helped our world. He could’ve helped stop the criminals who still terrorize us. Criminals that neither the KND or the governments work hard enough to punish. But now he’s letting a crook like Schnee imprison people. And deep down… there’s a teeny part of me… that believes he’s right to…”
Many operatives looked to her with scorn. Sectors SOL, SOUTH, and of course her own teammates were sympathetic.
“…I don’t know. I don’t know what to believe in. I don’t know who to follow. …So, I’m going to ask my teammates. They’re the ones… I choose to follow. Tangle. Whisper. What do you choose?”
Eyes were on them. Whisper never liked this kind of pressure. Even Tangle felt a little tense from it. But the lemur was resolved. She dashed up to the stage and took the microphone. “I wanna support the KND OF EARTH! THE ONES WHO HELPED BEAT THE KREMLINGS!” She was explosive with more enthusiasm than ever. “AND I WANNA SUPPORT THE CHANCELLOR! It’s thanks to all of them… I got to have more adventures with my friends. That I’m even alive. That I…sniff…” Tangle bowed her forehead against the mike, tears hitting her shoes. “…got to be with… the most amazing girl…”
Whisper’s gloves suddenly grasped her hands around the mike. Tangle met her eyes with a start. Whisper faced the audience. “I choose to support her also. I owe everything to the chancellor. I believe… we all do. I believe… this is the only way I can have a future to be proud of. To be happy. And I’m… glad I get to walk forward with my Diamond Cutters.”
Tangle let out a laugh. She wrapped her teammates up in her tail for the biggest group hug. “No matter what happens, I’m not scared! THE GOOD GUYS ALWAYS WIN IN THE END!”
Everyone remembered those words well. In such a dire time, Tangle was fearless and certain. Many operatives wanted to carry those words as well.
Lanolin couldn’t be more proud of her friends. She was glad… she chose them. “Then that… is the justice I choose.”
“I CAN’T TAKE IT, ANYMORE!” A tiger operative was sprinting for the exit. Following his example, dozens of other kids ran. “This ain’t what I signed up for!” “This is too much!”
“HEY, where you all going?!” Charlie Bee shouted.
“Don’t stop them!” Marcus ordered. “Everyone in this room has the choice to leave. All of our missions are voluntary. That is our law!”
“True words until the end.” Princess Cinder stood. “Regardless… I must live up to the courage you three have shown me.”
“Hahaha! We never got that Triforce!” Tangle joked.
“Ugh, I’m gettin’ tired of all this sappy bullcrap!” Surge shouted. “I don’t care who it is! Bowser, Mickey, the KND! I’m gonna DESTROY THEM ALL!” Lightning erupted from her fingers.
“Hey, keep the destroying AWAY from our side!” Rak yelled.
“Surge is gonna be the greatest hero in this war!” Kit vowed. “I’ll make sure of it!”
“There’s one more thing y’all shouldn’t forget!” Sonia took the microphone. “The one who’s apparently callin’ the shots in this war! KAEL!”
“Of course…” Cinder narrowed her eyes. “Even Mother recognized his name. He is the one who brought about this war.”
“He’s the reason the Kremlings enslaved us! The reason Eggman dumped the Metal Virus! Whatever Kael thinks he is…”
The Supreme Born had seen it all. Mobians crying and despairing beneath the Silver Rain. Bleating and cawing under the Kremlings’ enslavement. Through it all, only one thought crossed his mind: “This is fun!”
“I WANNA BREAK HIS TEETH IN! My papa used to bust up evil deities all the time! Sounds like this one’s just another on the list!”
“Yeah!” Manic supported. “And I bet ya the alien ops have a plan to do just that!”
“Perhaps they do…” If Marcus understood anything about Cheren and his friends, they knew how to bring miracles. “Kids Next Door: Schnee Dust isn’t gonna kick their own butts! Get some food and rest… and await further orders!”
“Hey, be right back!” Lanolin pushed free of her team and ran to the audience. “BELLE!”
“Hm?” The tinkerer rose to attention. “Y-Yes, Lanolin?”
“Um…do you still wanna do that… thing you showed me?”
Belle’s expression brightened. “A-A-Actually, I was thinkin’ of a new design from the original blueprint, and even had ideas for other transformations and upgrades! But, um…I wasn’t sure you’d like…”
“Let’s just try them out, Belle.” Lanolin presented the Wispon. “You’ve always been great with tech. I trust you.”
“Great seesaws above…” Belle shirked in embarrassment. “I’ll do the best I can.”
“Cool! And, um…I’m sorry. About before.”
“It’s alright. That was a great speech, by the way! And I…I really think you made the right choice.”
“It feels right. That’s all that matters. So… make me the strongest sheep on Mobius!” She raised both hands.
“Yes, ma’am!” Belle high-fived them.
The Diamond Cutters adjourned to the socializing deck, gazing at their beautiful planet at the space colony’s window. “Guys… after this is over… I wanna go on an adventure!” Tangle declared. “Not just on Mobius, but other worlds! I wanna see all the other awesome worlds around us! And I…I want the two of you along. We can invite other sectors, too!”
“So, like, a big vacation.” Lanolin smiled. “I think I’d like that.”
“I would, too.” Whisper held Tangle’s hand.
“But, you know…” Lanolin added, “when I was done with the KND, I thought about becoming a police officer. For Interpol. To keep protecting Mobius from evil. But… now I don’t know. Good, evil… Feelings, loyalty… it’s too confusing now. Plus, I’ve always admired Inspector Carmelita, but then I hear these rumors that she’s secretly a Cooper Gang member. Yeah, I know the Coopers aren’t really evil.”
“Hey, when we’re done with our adventure, we could join Interpol, too!” Tangle chirped.
“Huh?”
“I mean, we still get to patrol around the world in that job, right? We can still fight bad guys! What about you, Whisper?”
Whisper smiled. “I think I would, too. I can follow the chancellor and ensure a happy future. For us… and our children.” Tangle blushed at the notion.
“I thought Tangle would’ve become a pirate.” Lanolin joked.
“Hey, I like pirates, but I dunno if I wanna be one. I still wanna meet Sheila Frantic though!”
Lanolin shook in disbelief. “Well, I’d be happy if you two came with me to Interpol. Your observation, experience, your empathy… They’re what Mobius needs.”
Tangle smirked. “Then let’s make it a promise!” She held her hand forward, palm down, as though laying it over the planet. “For the future of Mobius!”
Whisper lay her hand over Tangle’s. “For happiness!”
Lanolin lay hers over Whisper’s. “For justice and freedom!”
“WE ARE THE DIAMOND CUTTERS!”
“AND WE’RE… UNBREAKABLE!” Tangle flipped their hands skyward.
“…” Her friends cringed. “Okay, we have to hold team meetings before you decide slogans on the spot.” Lanolin said.
“Honestly, Tangle.” Whisper sighed.
“But it’s SO COOL though!”
“I get how it’s symbolic and ironic, but it still makes us sound like a children’s hero team.” Lanolin reasoned.
“But we are! Technically…”
“We’ll experiment with it.” Whisper complied. “For now… let’s just head home.”
“Yeah! To the planet as cool and BLUE as SONIC!”
May 21
“May I have everyone’s attention please!” The Kids Next Door were just preparing for their second day of fighting when Marcus’ broadcast came up. “I’ve just received news from the GKND. Doctor Eggman is DEAD.”
It was sudden and straight to the point. But it stunned the operatives into silence. “That’s right. Recently, Eggman had invaded the world of Mira. With assistance from the Earth and Galactic KNDs, his plans were ruined. And… he was executed by the Miran forces. We’ve been told his daughter is still at large, and there’s still a wide supply of Badnik forces on Mechanos. Even so… the man who has terrorized us for decades. The man who blew up half the moon. Ripped apart the world to awaken a dark spirit. Ripped through time and space. Plagued us with the Metal Virus. Dr. Ivo Robotnik is gone. Allow this to sink in.”
The Diamond Cutters sat in silence. It was hard to process. Their lifetime nemesis… The reason why their KND was even founded… “How should I feel?”
Tangle looked to Whisper. The lids of her closed eyes were quivering. “This was… the goal of my friends. It’s what Mimic… believed we would never accomplish. How should… I feel?”
“…” Tangle shut her eyes and maintained a resolved composure. “It’s wrong to celebrate someone’s death. No matter who it is.”
Whisper looked to her. Always compassionate and wise… Sometimes, it would take Whisper off guard. “But I…” Tangle opened her eyes. “I don’t want to mourn him either. Is that…is that wrong?”
Whisper didn’t know the answer. “He faced judgment.” They turned to Lanolin. Their leader was strong in her stance. “He faced judgment on our terms and we let him get away. He chose to attack Mira… and faced their judgment. We lived with the weight of our choices… and now they’ll live with theirs. That’s all this is.”
“…” Tangle and Whisper glanced at each other. Inside, they were agreeing. In the end, they got to live with their virtues. They gave Eggman all the chances to redeem himself. Instead, Eggman faced justice on another world.
“Come.” Lanolin walked to the hangar. “Let’s check on Belle.”
Prower Workshop
“Sniff…huff, huff…huff…” The Diamonds calmly approached the puppet child at her desk. “Daddy…sniff…”
Her adoptive sister, Halinor was patting her arm. She stepped aside as Tangle and Whisper approached. They lay comforting hands on her shoulders. Belle met their empathetic gazes. She turned fully to see Lanolin behind them. The sheep was shy to step closer… but she was understanding. Belle smiled, thankful to her being here.
“…Ahem, here’s your Wispon, Lanolin.” Belle picked it up and walked around to hand it to her. “Managed to work in all the ideas. Got Dad to help a bit. I really hope it works out.”
“Thanks.” Lanolin smiled. “…Um, Belle, I’ve also been thinking…” She fidgeted sheepishly. “Would you, maybe, ever think about… joining our sector?”
“W-What?”
“’Cause, well… you don’t really belong to a sector, even though you help repair peoples’ gadgets. And neither of us are that tech savvy. Plus, I wouldn’t mind having you available to make sure this thing works out.”
“Hey, yeah!” Tangle beamed. “She’s already besties with us, right, Whisper? Remember how she fixed your Wispon?”
“Of course.” Whisper was still angry at Surge over that, but equally grateful to the tinkerer. Her Wispon was a valuable treasure to her, after all, so it nearly broke her heart when it was ruined.
“Golly…” Belle clutched her arm sheepishly. “If ya’d really have me… but I dunno if I can keep up with y’all.”
“You wouldn’t have to be a field-type exactly.” Lanolin said. “But even having you for extra support… I think…”
“Then… I reckon I’ll give it a go.”
“YEAH!” Tangle took Belle’s tail and wrapped it around her own. “The tail buddies are finally a team! Plus, she’ll be great at parties because-”
“TANGLE.” Belle’s eyes grew dark. “Remember what I told ya if you ever talked about that?”
The lemur grew pale. She didn’t want her bike disassembled. “N-Never mind! I didn’t say anything!” Whisper and Lanolin cocked curious brows.
Spiral Hill
Galactic soldiers were closing in on the peaceful village from every angle. But in quick succession, tanks were smashed, skulls were broken through the helmets, and lines fell into disarray. “Can’t anyone land one shot on those animals?!”
“Anyone got eyes on that sniper?! OW!”
“That lemur’s making knots of our cannons!”
“For the love of Skywalker, they’re just three Mobian brats!”
Tangle linked her tail between several soldiers’ guns and ripped them from their grasp. She yanked them off their feet afterward before extending her tail and smashing them unconscious. A platoon of swordsmen closed in, keeping eyes on her tail to slice it from whichever angle. However, Tangle would pull fake-out punches, redirect her flexible tail, and have them on the ground.
“Tangle, above you!” Whisper called.
A young, spiky red-haired soldier was flying toward Tangle, having leapt from a mile across the battlefield. “Time to see what this kid’s really made of!” Captain Grount declared as his left arm morphed into a red-furred, beast-like form. Tangle smirked: she planted her twisted tail into the ground at a diagonal angle and sprung toward the captain with great speed. She then twisted her tail into a larger size, with the end still shaping like a fist. Matching the size of Grount’s arm, both met in a thundering impact! But even after both were returning to the ground, Tangle swiftly stretched her tail sky-high and brought it down with rubber-banding force. “DIAMOND CUT!”
Grount nearly felt his skull break upon the tail’s impact. However, he quickly brought his mutant arm up to seize her tail. “AAAH!” Tangle was slammed into the earth. Whisper gasped—her instinct compelled her to shoot the soldier… but she returned focus to the platoon in the west. She knew Tangle had this. The lemur smirked through her broken teeth and reeled herself toward Grount, socking the young captain in the jaw with her regular fist. Grount threw up his human right arm to punch Tangle away, her tail free of his beast arm. As Tangle pushed herself up, she exchanged a smirk with the captain.
Whisper had attached her small diamonds to tiny propellers, which she could control through a device in her glove. She had them float around the soldiers from unsuspecting angles and sniped her Cyan Laser, refracting them between the diamonds.
Whisper grew alert when a mobile tower came into view. Its massive cannon was locked on the treehouse. “These pathetic soldiers don’t know how to get things done. I’ll end this battle swiftly and cleanly.” Commodore Bilić sneered. He was an orange-haired man with a two-sided uniform; yellow left and black right half. The right of his face was also black.
Whisper inserted an Orange Rocket Cell into her Wispon. She launched toward the cannon: the force of her rocket rammed the cannonball off course and out of the air. She kept flying until she punctured the cannon entirely. “Diamond Crash!”
“Don’t think I’m finished, YET!” Bilić took flight with his own cannon-equipped hovercraft. “I’M the master of long-ranged combat!”
Whisper leapt off the tower, inserting a Crimson Eagle Cell. She soared after Bilić, swiftly evading his shots, until she could shear the cannon with her wings. “And I am the Guardian Angel.” Whisper clutched the edge of the hovercraft, equipped an Ivory Lightning Cell, and zapped the commodore into submission.
Lanolin’s cowbell had taken a wand-like shape: she could cast musical spheres into groups of soldiers that combusted into soundwave explosions. A horde of warhounds charged toward her, knives in their mouths. Lanolin returned her Wispon’s bell shape and rang hypnotic soundwaves, compelling the hounds to dance. In their weakness, she was free to bash them unconscious.
The earth thundered beneath the footfalls of a gigantic soldier: John Giant was a stern-faced man with a white coat of red borders and golden accents. “WHOA!” Tangle gawked. “’Guess there WERE bigger giants than Mocha!”
“The Kids Next Door will face JUSTICE!” The giant drew a massive katana, aiming to slice D.C.’s treehouse. Lanolin grit her teeth. She converted her Wispon into gauntlets with jingle bells. By whirling her fists, the Music Chi was amassing in the ringing bells. “No matter how big or small of a threat you are, the law is ABSOLUTE!”
His boots would easily squash Lanolin like a grape… but she ran beneath his step. She threw up her fists: “DIAMOND IMPACT!” A tremendous shockwave erupted from the gauntlets, combined with her own trained muscles. John Giant went flying miles in the sky with incredible ease, flattening a platoon of tanks upon landing.
“WOOOOOOOOOOO!” Tangle cheered. “YOU’RE SO STRONG, LANOLIN!”
“…Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhh!” Lanolin reverted her Wispon and rubbed her arms. “That kinda… stung a bit. Maybe I shouldn’t charge so much next time. Maybe a bit more push-ups would round out the tolerance.”
Within the next hour, Interpol officers arrived to arrest the defeated soldiers. “Excellent work, Kids Next Door.” Inspector Carmelita Fox praised. “Can’t stay to chat. Just got a tip the Marzipan Pirates are back again. Until later.”
“TANGLE!” Grount shouted as he was loaded on the transport. “Let’s battle again!”
Tangle laughed and waved at him in promise. Soon, they were the only three on the spiral grounds. “Even making friends on the enemies’ side?” Whisper asked.
“The Marzipans again?” Lanolin huffed. “I still can’t believe the Minks are allying with those crooks.”
“But aren’t they allies of the KND?” Tangle asked. “They even saved everyone from that Cooking Fest incident.”
“True.” Whisper said. “Though, I heard they caused havoc down in Station Square some time ago.”
“Well, who knows?” Lanolin sighed. “Better get our report up to Marcus.”
On their way, they swung by the bakery for some rewarding pastries. “Um…by the way.” Whisper began. “After we resolve this Schnee Dust business… I’d like it if we could search for Mimic.” Her friends looked to her in sympathy. “I wanted to weeks ago… but, there was all the drama, and…”
Lanolin took her hand. Whisper met her resolved gaze. “We’ll find him. And we’ll make him face justice.”
Whisper nodded. The desire for revenge was shared between them. “Hahahahahaha!”
“Uh…something funny, Tangle?”
“Ah, s-sorry.” The lemur was holding her stomach. “It just got me thinking… If Mimic hadn’t tried to break us apart, I don’t know if we would’ve had that talk. And, like, when we learned about this Throne War stuff… we might’ve just gotten in another argument. And Lanolin might’ve run away to Mickey’s side.”
The notion made them tense up. Thinking about it… it was only because of the Sweepstakes incident, because of Mimic’s trickery, that they wound up talking things out. Otherwise, their team would’ve kept going on as normal. Lanolin would’ve kept thinking she was right, and thus sided with Mickey even if it meant leaving her teammates. “So, it’s just funny that Mimic ended up bringing us closer! Hahahahahahahaha!”
“…Heh…heh heh heh.” Lanolin let out weak chuckles. “Yeah, pretty… Kinda sad, when you think about it. But, like, I’m sure I would’ve felt bad… at some point, ohhhhh.” She covered her eyes, ashamed.
“Things could have gone different.” Whisper said. “Could have been worse. I never could’ve met Tangle. None of us could even be alive now.” The humorous mood fell melancholic. “The choices we made… the accidents that happened… the mistakes we made… they brought us here. Today. We should be thankful for that.”
They took a moment to process her words… and in the end, they were thankful. Thankful to feel such happiness and comfort with their friends. “Gods, you’re so poetic sometimes and I love it!” Tangle squealed.
Whisper giggled. “But, seriously, I do want to see him behind bars. Forever.”
“Yeah, we’ll stop him.” Her girlfriend smirked confidently. “But one thing at a time. We got more diamonds to cut!”
“Tangle, please stop making catchphrases.”
“I liked the first one better.” Lanolin said.
“Man, I’m just the worst at this…” Tangle’s confidence died.
May 26; Headquarters
These next scenes directly intersect with the main Throne Wars story. I’ll cut back on some details, but show some new bits from D.C.’s perspective.
Heeding a call from Supreme Leader Marcus, the Diamond Cutters and the other remaining sectors returned to base. “Everything still holding up, Lanolin?” Belle asked.
“Better than before.” Lanolin did some flexes. “Just being a bit sparing on how often I use the impact.”
“Is that Sheila Frantic?!” Tangle’s eyes flashed, spotting the raccoon Faunus; though she seemed rather battered up. The lemur raced over to Sheila directly, looking her up and down. “Wow! You’re the adventurer of all adventurers! Can me and my team go on a voyage with you someday?!”
“Well, apprentice pirates gotta swab the poopdeck!” Sheila ruffled the smaller Mobian’s hair.
“Aye-aye!”
“We don’t have time for that!” Lanolin shouted.
“And these are my friends!” Tangle tailed them over. “Whisper, Lanolin, and Belle!”
“H’lo.” Whisper greeted shyly.
“Howdy!” Belle chirped.
“Haha, you got quite the cabin girls in your future, Sheila.” Her first mate, Mason chuckled.
“We never agreed to anything!” Lanolin reminded. “Now, can we please adjourn to the auditorium?”
“Doesn’t seem the Gilligans are around.” Belle frowned. “Oh well.”
After enjoying a fun waterslide down to the auditorium, Marcus would announce their next objective: to take down Schnee Dust at long last and banish them from Mobius. However, Weiss Schnee herself, having come here with her own Earth sector, would walk onstage and deliver her own speech.
“Mobian Kids Next Door… I am Weiss Schnee.” Their cheers faded as they murmured curiously. “I…I’m sure you all know who I am, but… there’s something you need to know. …I am no longer the daughter of President Schnee.” Confusion swept the audience. “You see… I have been disowned. I was disowned… for not sharing Father’s ideals or his ambitions… and was thus severed as the company’s heiress.”
Lanolin bit her lip. Weiss’ words heavily affected her… and her teammates glanced at her in understanding. Belle quietly sobbed to herself. Lanolin rested a hand on her knee.
“And lately… I’ve wondered about my own ambitions. What was I supposed to do after I inherited the company? How do I make up for all Father has done? Do I apologize to every Mobian he’s come in contact with? Do I return to the lands he’s reaped from? Give back the money he’s swindled? Was I meant… to harbor my dad’s punishments?” The operatives exchanged looks, contemplating the heavy question. “In a way… when Dad said that, I…I felt free. Should I… feel this way? Be glad that I’m not following in his footsteps?”
They had no answer for her. “I am truly sorry for everything he’s done to you… but Father has hurt me, too. So, I wonder… am I saving this world for you… or am I saving it to spite him? To claim justice for myself? I guess… all I’m asking is… don’t think of me as a hero. That’s all.”
Her speech was unexpected… yet, it was strangely motivating. Very honest.
“Excuse me! M-Miss Schnee!”
Just as they were returning to the hangar, Weiss turned to Lanolin. “Hey… have I seen you somewhere?”
“N-Not important. But, I wanted you to know, I…I thought that was really cool… everything you said. And, I kinda get… where you’re coming from. Um…that’s all.” Lanolin shrank in embarrassment.
“Well… thank you.” Weiss smiled. “I’ll be sure to do my best for you.”
She proceeded to her ship. “Hang on… I remember you, too.” Lanolin turned to Weiss’ teammate, Pacifica. “I saw you arguing with Cheren. At the festival.”
“Ah. Y-y…yeah.”
“Just so you know… I was kinda on your side. For a bit.” Lanolin felt internally alleviated. “But don’t worry. We’ll make sure Jacques sees justice.”
Pacifica proceeded to her ship. Lanolin looked at her in admiration.
Green Hill
The battle was chaotic, but it was over within an hour. The operatives KO’ed every enemy soldier in sight, even got to watch the chancellor deliver a thrashing to General Ironwood. Then, everyone gathered to relish in President Schnee cornered and powerless, defeated by Sonia and Manic’s awakened Super Forms. However, the Earth operatives shed light on an unexpected and startling topic: King Mickey had used his powers to manipulate Jacques.
“Lightbending can fill people with good thoughts,” Ciel continued, “so, why should it not take good thoughts, too? I’m not saying Schnee was once a saint. He has always despised Mobians, but he once knew how to keep these feelings in check. But if my theory is correct… then Jacques’ negative feelings would have heightened without his restraint. Thus, King Mickey would have better been able to paint him as a criminal. A criminal that he would have slain and earned the respect of the Mobians.”
Jacques rose to his knees, pressing palms against his head. “NO! It… can’t… be! MICKEEEEEEEEEYYYYY! Are these accusations true?! ANSWER MEEEEEEE!”
…
The Diamond Cutters returned to their treehouse to recover from the battle. Yet the revelation continued to haunt them. Lanolin’s eyes quivered from the horrible notion… and Whisper seemed just as distraught. “So… Mickey was planning to betray Schnee… all for our favor.” It grossly reminded the wolf of someone else.
“…I can’t believe it…” Lanolin whispered. “I can’t believe it. If… That… But…”
“Unforgivable…” Belle said.
“…If that’s really true… then Mickey won’t be able to hide it.” Tangle said. “One way or another… it’ll come out.” Her friends looked to her. They felt the weight of her words… for they also couldn’t keep their own truths bottled. “Until then, we have our own truths to chase. Let’s wait until everything is fine here… then, we’ll start looking for Mimic.”
Her friends took a breath and nodded with resolve in their pupils.
“Hey, um…speaking of that.” Belle began nervously. “At some point… I wanna look for Eggman’s daughter. Omelette. I know she’s no different than he is… She prob’ly don’t much care for me either. But, she…she’s kinda… my sister… and I wanna see if… we can find some understanding.”
“Sure, Belle.” Tangle smiled. “We’ll help you find her. And I really hope you can. Right, guys?”
Sharing her smile, Whisper and Lanolin nodded in agreement. Belle leaked a tear, touched. “But Ah reckon y’all need a bath now. Don’t let me keep ya.”
“Agreed.” Whisper stood. “…Um, actually…” Her friends faced her. “Since we’re on the topic… I’d actually like to visit the chancellor tomorrow. There’s something I need to ask her…”
“What?” Lanolin cocked a brow.
“It’s… hard to explain. But if I don’t ask her, I may have trouble focusing.”
Zootopia Hospital
“Honestly, you’re too kind for your own good, Chancellor.” Leorio said as they applied medicine to the Night Howler victims. His mentor was bandaged like a mummy. “We could probably take it from here. ’specially if the KND’re sending that super doctor of theirs.”
“Whatever saves them faster makes me stronger, Leorio.”
“Chancellor.” A leopard guard stepped in. “There’s, um…KND operatives outside. One of them wants to speak to you.”
“What do they look like?”
“She’s a small brownish wolf in black clothes.”
Cheadle lit up. “She can come in.”
Sector D.C. would watch as Whisper was escorted into the hospital. Her friends were left to ponder what she intended to ask.
“I just can’t believe it…” The three turned back to find Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde approaching. Judy was sobbing while Nick stared off in melancholy. “Schnee wasn’t even aiming for him.”
“Feels like only yesterday he was assigning us parking duty.” Nick said.
They must’ve been here to pay respects to Chief Bogo, the Diamonds figured. He had lost his life in yesterday’s battle. Lanolin tensed up from seeing them. The bunny and fox stopped, noticing the trio. “Oh, hey.” Judy greeted with a light smile. “I…I saw you two yesterday. With the operatives.”
“Y-Yeah.” Lanolin nodded. “We were there.”
“…” Judy narrowed her gaze on the sheep. “Do I… know you from somewhere though?”
Tangle and Belle were prepared to support their leader. But Lanolin stepped forward. “You know… my mom.”
“…your mo…” Judy whispered in thought. Her eyes grew wide as it dawned on her. “Oh my god…you’re Lanolin, aren’t you?”
“Huh?” Nick cocked a brow. “Lanolin, who’s Lanolin?”
“I…” Judy approached her consolingly. “I’m really…”
“I-I just… wanna say… you did the right thing…” Even admitting this caused Lanolin to shudder and well tears. “And I…I never wanted to be like her… because I…I-I-I want to make the world a better place, too…”
“Lanolin…” Judy stepped closer and put a hand on Lanolin’s arm. The bunny was notably shorter by about a foot. “Dawn was one of my best friends when I moved to Zootopia. It really hurt me to have to do that.”
“It was pretty satisfying though.” Nick said honestly.
“Nick.” She cast a reproachful glance at him. She returned eyes to Lanolin. “Your mom showed me a selfie of you two back then.” Judy remembered Dawn’s beaming smile and her daughter’s forced and awkward one. “You were 13, I think. Said she wanted to invite me over someday. So, after the incident, I…I was a little worried. Not just about how you would handle it, but… how other people might react to you. But I never really found you.”
“I…I moved towns. And I…I’ve been afraid of that, too. I still am. But… do you think… Should I change my last name back to Bellwether? Would I be stronger if I didn’t hide myself… and show people that I can be better?”
“It’s up to you. But I’ll certainly be there to support you.”
“We will, too.” Tangle lay a hand on her leader’s shoulder.
“Yeah.” Belle lay one on her other shoulder. “You’re already a great leader and a great friend.”
“Heh…” Lanolin still didn’t feel she deserved those words… but she felt warmer.
“I have to say…” Judy sported a smile, “you look a lot more mature than you did in the picture. Love the uniform. And check out those muscles.”
“Hehe… I just got a good regimen is all.”
“Well, keep at it… and I’m sure you’ll inspire a lot of people.”
Chancellor Yorkshire sensed Whisper’s arrival and met her halfway down the corridor. “Hello, Whisper! I think I saw you and Tangle yesterday. I hope you weren’t hurt too badly.”
“No. We’re fine. But…I wanted to ask you something… a little private.”
“…” As if she knew the topic about to come up, she gestured the guards to give them space. “Chancellor… when Tangle and I met you back then… you smelled…” Whisper shirked nervously. There wasn’t an easy way to approach this. “…Are you… m-my mom?”
Cheadle only blinked. She barely seemed stunned by the question. “…” Her gaze narrowed in recollection. “Whisper… I believe I knew your parents.”
“?!” Whisper’s eyes opened a slit, enough to highlight her shock.
“They were colleagues of mine, back in medical school. And I helped deliver you.”
“…” That answer alone sent her emotions spiraling.
“But later… I heard they had died in a highway accident. In the midst of Scourge’s invasion. I always assumed their newborn died with them. Whisper… who was it who raised you?”
“…The Rough Diamonds foster home.”
“So, someone found you.” Cheadle smiled. “I don’t think I’ve heard that name.”
“It was in a slum. Not a pleasant place, but… I had a great family.”
“Hmm… When we first met, you looked a tiny bit familiar. I could even be wrong now. But I’m certain… you’re Derrick and Narissa’s daughter.”
Whisper smiled. It wasn’t the answer she expected… but she felt so happy.
“But all the same… you aren’t my daughter. I’ve never had kids. I don’t really plan to. I’m flattered to hear you say that… but I consider all the children of Mobius to be my own. And I want them to have happy futures.”
“…Yes.” Whisper was still uncertain about that other scent she whiffed on the chancellor. It wasn’t there now, but Cheadle had been on leave last month. She still felt she should question it… but for now, she trusted the chancellor’s words. Whisper stepped close and hugged her hip. “Thank you, Chancellor.”
“You’re quite welcome, Whisper.” Cheadle patted her hair. “Is Tangle doing well as well?”
“Very. I love every moment I spend with her.”
“Then don’t let me keep you. Live happily, Whisper.”
“I will.” Whisper released. She turned and walked out of the hospital with renewed confidence.
“…” Cheadle looked her direction with slight guilt.
“I mean, I wanna have kids as much as she does, but just… look at her, Cheadle! She can’t go a day without drinking! She just… She wouldn’t be able to…”
“I understand, Derrick. But I… think you should consult with her first.”
“Y-Yeah… you’re right.”
Cheadle sighed. There was a time when she might’ve loved to tell Whisper the real truth… but it also would’ve burdened her. Especially after recent circumstances. For now, this was the best answer.
Whisper passed by Judy and Nick on the way out to her friends. “Hey, Whisper!” Tangle greeted. “So… what did you ask her? What’d she say?”
“I’ll tell you later, Tangle. But I…I’m really happy now.” That’s all Tangle needed to hear to feel happy as well. “…Did something happen?” She noticed Lanolin slightly crying.
“Tell you later…” Lanolin smiled, wiping one last tear. “Alright then! Back to work, Diamond Cutters!”
“Hey, hey, HO!” Tangle crossed her hands above her in a diamond shape.
“Okay, what even is that, Tangle?”
“Instead of a catchphrase, it’s a chant! And this is a diamond!”
“I like it!” Belle mimicked it.
“You’re trying way too much to brand us.” Lanolin rolled her eyes.
“But it makes us more memorable! And that’ll inspire more hope in people!”
“Ya think they’ll make toys of us someday?” Belle asked.
“Don’t encourage her, Belle.”
“I can already imagine a Whisper action figure with a tiny customizable Wispon toy!” As Tangle rambled on their way into the ship, Whisper couldn’t help but giggle.
Chapter 30: Poké Saga 1: Adventure in the World of Pocket Monsters!
Summary:
The Kids Next Door decide on their next world to save.
Chapter Text
This chapter starts off with lots of group meetings and talks, but we’re gonna jump into our next world!
Chapter 26: Adventure in the World of Pocket Monsters!
Etheria
Bright Moon Castle fell to ruins beneath Vaati’s ships. Meta Knight overpowered the heroine She-Ra herself, his Aixalag sword surpassing the speed of her very own light sword. Katniss and Bow met in a long-ranged duel of archery, but the Mockingjay’s arrows struck more true. And any further castle guards, along with Princess Glimmer herself, were left grounded by Vaati’s hurricane.
The wind mage extended a hand toward Queen Angella. The pink-haired woman gagged as the breath flowed out of her lungs. Her pristine eyes swelled red and her soft light-purple skin grew pale. The best she could do was look to her daughter, who rose her head in helplessness. In her last ounce of breath, Angella uttered, “Take care… of each other…”
The queen fell dead before her thrown. “MOOOOOM!”
Vaati cast his narrow red eye at the injured princess. “If I see you on that throne, you will share her fate. Tell your fellow princesses to vacate theirs, or they will, too. And understand this: I serve neither the KND or any of your armies. Now more than ever… is when the leaders of the universe must perish. In time… I will kill the KND’s leaders as well.”
Vaati was gone in a gust of wind, Meta Knight and Katniss flying with him.
GKND
“This was the statement Red Eyed Vaati left, according to the princess. And following his ultimatum, the allied Princesses of Power fled their kingdoms in the hopes his pirates would not invade. Earlier last year, Etheria’s Boiling Isles had faced a similar situation when the Boogey Pirates claimed it as a territory and killed Emperor Belos. Now Etheria is all but a lawless world. But worry not! King Mickey has generously sent reinforcements to ensure the safety of the civilians!”
“Dad!” Wendy cupped hands over her mouth. “How could you?!”
“He never gives up, does he?” Maria shook her head. “He just better not go after Dogmom! Or Queen Peach… I guess.”
“The weird part is I can’t tell if he’s secretly trying to help or if he really means it.” Cheren said.
“I hope it’s the latter.” Nebula replied, chewing on her favorite semla. “I don’t want any of the council members to die. Now we’ll never convince Etheria’s KND to come back to us.”
“Well, it’s one less thing to worry about on our schedule, if anything. I’m more worried about the other worlds.” Cheren reviewed the Flora icon, and the Bowser flag flying over it. “I can’t believe Croacus suddenly croaked it. And his fricking sister sided with Bowser!”
“On top of Zathura’s leaders coming down with major sickness…” Nebula turned to the Bowser flag above said world. “With Count Bleck as the only active one. Eventually, any other allied worlds will be targeted.”
“At least Mobius is stable. We really need the numbers.” Earth was already suffering regular attacks from Bowser’s armies, having to send their operatives to fend them off. Cheren was thankful to have GUN and even the Towa Academy students’ support. Planet Hyrule was still standing strong under Mandy’s rule, which gave that world’s KND freedom to support other worlds. Cheren could only hope his aunt would take their side at the end of this war. “On the bright side, the Galactic Army’s in shambles after Mechanos and Mobius. And they’ll probably spread out to protect their allies from Vaati. Maybe we should focus on one of Bowser’s allies next.”
“The score is a little uneven, huh? Which should we pick?”
“Let’s see…” Cheren surveyed the worlds in question… then, his eyes fell to a certain one. A world that reminded him of simpler times… when he and Panini would compete in the most heated battles. “Ooo! I just got a great idea!”
Magical Meeting Room
“I suppose that wraps up news for today.” Big Bird said. “Quite another hefty feast! And just wait’ll they hear that two admirals were felled by the KND, on top of General Ironwood, his Ace Operatives, AND President Schnee! I’ll start off tomorrow morning with a BIG BANG!”
“You sound awfully excited that our side is sustaining heavy losses-hoho!” Mickey shouted.
“W-Well, I mean, it will incite fear in the KND’s power… and more people will turn to you for protection! Though I suppose Chancellor Yorkshire won’t be changing her mind… You know, King Mickey, they’ve actually spoken with my agencies on the planet and are making a ridiculous claim that you ordered Schnee’s assassination! Ha ha ha!”
“What a ridiculous notion! Clearly, Ironwood lost control of his rationality and killed Schnee of his own volition!”
“Erm…but, Your Majesty… the testimony states that Schnee was taken into Mobian custody… and I never even mentioned Ironwood having-”
“BAH! Their lies are even getting to ME as well! Just hold off on publishing anything about Schnee! There was too much controversy surrounding him, anyway!”
“Oh, dear Mickey.” Gruntilda sighed. “Isn’t war tricky? But we can’t deny our situation’s grown quite sticky.”
“Fortunately, Gruntilda, I’ve still quite a few tricks up my sleeve.” Mickey flicked his Keyblade into existence. “Sometimes, you just gotta learn to make your own heroes. In the meantime, we need to fill in the gaps of our Corporate Presidents as well. I have a few candidates in mind. And also… what’s the status of that special project you were telling me about?”
“With the new gems I have picked up, all will be unveiled soon. I tell you what! For now, I must go, not to be mean. I must adjourn to the next scene!”
Koopa Kore
The melody of a piano resounded throughout the Koopa King’s keep. Bowser himself was performing against a starlit backdrop, his eyes closed to contain his emotions. Photos of Peach were propped atop his giant instrument.
“Peach… you’re so cool… And when I win this war, we’re gonna rule… Peach… understand… I’m gonna LOVE YA ‘til the very end! No Kids Next Door… or mouse king fool… No amount of weaklings can keep me AWAY from YOOOOU! Queen Peach, at the end of the line… I WILL MAKE YOU MINE! Ohhhhhh, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peaches! Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peaches, hey… S’gonna be all riiiiight!
“Peaches, Peaches (“Bowser.”) Peaches Peaches Peaches! (“Bowser?”) Peaches, Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peach- (“BOWSER!”)”
“WHAT?” Bowser turned his head with a start. Lord Gnaa floated at his eye level.
“Uh…the gang’s here.” Giovanni, Shigaraki, and Gruntilda were behind him.
“Should we return later?” the Team Rocket boss asked.
“Rakakakakak.” Grunty giggled.
“Ahem! No, it’s fine.” Bowser pressed a switch as the piano wall flipped and returned the throne. “This is a reminder of what we’re really fighting for! After the sacrifices of Kroctus, Majora, and Eggman…sniff… it’ll all be worth it once Peach is my bride!”
“And when we’re not kneeling to our enemies.” Giovanni reminded. “Fortunately, things are going favorably for us. I’ve hit the surplus of Mega and Gigantamax Pokémon. And I think we’re owed some revenge on Mira and Mobius.”
“A pity I could not leave with the Chaos Emeralds.” Grunty said. “But the Sol are good enough for what I have to assemble. Dearest Wuya and my loyal mages will soon find the palace sealed across the ages!”
“The Spirit KND have also been compromised.” Gnaa smiled. “I’ve asked our Daemonis allies to begin planting Pleroma Seeds around Mickey’s kingdoms. That should give them a few more problems. Tomura, what’s the situation on Superbia?”
“We’ve shattered prisons all over the globe. Hundreds of heroes have thrown in the cape. We’ve yet to get our hands on Midoriya…”
“Well, you better soon!” Bowser cried. “That brat was involved in Kroctus’ death! He deserves justice! Gwar har har haaaaah!” A waterfall of steaming tears flowed.
“Hnn…” Shigaraki sighed through his teeth. “By the way, do you know about this Phantom Troupe that made the news? They sound rather fascinating. Though Dr. Clown isn’t very fond of them for what they did. I still wonder if they’d like to join us.”
“Be careful what you place your bets on.” Gnaa advised. “They could be another outlier player in this war like Vaati. For now, it’s better to stay focused on our current objectives. That said… I think I’ll like to visit the Avatar Realms soon.”
“Paying your other half a visit?” Giovanni asked.
“I had a spiritual vision yesterday. The Realms appear to be on a collision course with another planet. I’m not sure what’s causing this phenomenon, but it’s bound to cause immense panic. I may be able to use that to my advantage.”
GKND
With the promise of a warm, refreshing dinner after another day of combat, most of their top operatives had gathered, including Sugar. Most of Sector $ remained on Mobius to help with recovery, so only Carol and Raleigh were present. Diwata Uno, however, felt rather lonely without her team.
“Thank you for coming, everyone.” Cheren began with a serious tone. “You all fought hard today, and I know you’re pretty tired… but I have an important question that I need to ask now. …How many of you here…” and his expression brightened, “have always dreamed of being a Pokémon Trainer?!” He threw his hand up in an instant.
“… …” His operatives returned the question with dumbfounded stares. “ME ME ME, I HAVE, I HAVE!” except Panini.
“I dabble in it once in a while…” Nagisa replied.
“I love researching them from time to time!” Goombella chirped. “A lot of them look pretty cool!”
“I already am one.” Raleigh said. “Where’re you going with this, Cheren?”
“I’ve decided to take us on a journey to Planet Poké.” He directed their attention to the planet on the Galactic Map, splayed on the cafeteria’s ceiling. It had an “R” flag on it. “Shortly after the war picked up, it was taken over by Team Rocket, and the KND are scattered trying to fight back. Since this planet has no membership in either the Kid or regular Galactic Council, information is a little sparse and they haven’t officially called for help. Anyone is welcome to volunteer on this mission… but there are certain operatives I’d really like to accompany us: the Firstborn Guardians.”
The operatives in question perked up, glancing at each other. “I know you guys… are still upset about what happened.” Anthony, Dillon, Emily, Arianna, and Nebula bowed their heads. “But Planet Poké is one of the most important worlds to the Firstborn. The Pokémon were very close to the gods. And likewise, Pokémon Trainers viewed the gods with high reverence. We’re not even sure of their thoughts on the war, or on… our current predicaments. Regardless, we need to save them from Team Rocket and Bowser’s rule. And I think us Firstborn Guardians have to take part in that.”
“…Alright.” Anthony rose on his seat with resolve in his gaze. “Let’s go to Poké!”
“So, that’s why you called us up.” Sugar said, sharing a smile with Meloetta. “I think Poké could use some cheering up, huh?”
“You bet! Especially since I kind of faked my death! Seeing me alive and well should put some smiles on their faces! Er…” Meloetta glanced at the other Guardians with guilt.
“Y’know, what about that incident on Mira?” Dillon asked. “Where Sector Q saw JBBBDD? Maybe we can find some answers on Poké.”
“You have a point.” Nebula replied. “Yeah. This might be a good idea.”
“I know I’M up for going to Poké!” Vweeb announced. “I’ve seen pictures of it! They got some SUPER cute girls there! Uh, by which I mean, strong-willed and inspiring.” He smiled slyly.
Arianna’s head throbbed. “NEBULA! I would like to transfer to Earth Sector W! Effective immediately!”
“Approved.” Nebula replied with a disbelieved, yet understanding sigh.
“HA HA!” Anthony laughed. “In your face, Vweeb! Your strongest operative’s with us now!”
“Hey, if she’d rather hang out with a smelly freak like you, that’s her problem.”
“Hey, what about the Newborn Guardians?” Romeo changed the subject.
“Well… it might not be a good idea to bring all of you.” Cheren figured. “And we need some people to stay behind in case Earth gets attacked.”
“Given Team Rocket’s expertise in Firstborn-catching,” Index inferred, “the Newborn should probably stay back for now. But after this whole thing blows over, maybe then will be a good time to visit.”
“We’ll just settle with having seen Azoth for now.” Nagisa shrugged.
“Well, I think I wanna go to Poké, anyway.” Romeo smiled. “It’s a pretty competitive world, right? Victini would love it.”
“Totally!” Diwata agreed. “Besides, I wanna go, and I need friends to go with!”
“Haha, true that…” Wendy replied, sympathetic for her new teammate.
“Then it’s decided.” Nebula clapped. “Tomorrow, all volunteers will be heading to Poké! For now, we could all do with some Z’s.”
“Not with how much semla you ate.” Cheren chuckled.
“And who filled up on that golden cherry pie an hour ago?”
“Hey, I’ll be golden after a nice glass of milk. …Actually…” Cheren walked away, “there’s someone else I wanted to ask, too.”
Chariton House
The Supreme Leader felt a little hesitant going up to Sunni’s house. She was one of the operatives who left the KND after the Pirate War, and even then she was still forced into a couple crises afterward. Regardless, Cheren did his best to respect her wishes, but even so…
He knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, Sunni herself answered. The 18-year-old was wearing a short white top and gray shorts, befitting for a lazy evening. Her brown hair was done in a ponytail. She briefly looked confused at who was at the door before her eyes fell down. “Oh. Hey, Cheren.” It was hard to believe Cheren was still that short.
“Hey, Sun. I know it’s late, but…” He briefed her on the meeting.
“Hmmm…” Sunni could only respond with a thoughtful stare.
“I’m not gonna pressure you into going or anything. I…I guess I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“…I don’t know.” Sunni stepped outside and sat on her doorstep. “I feel like I don’t know what to do, anymore. I didn’t think I was meant for the KND, anymore… but then I kept being thrown back in. And I feel like I have to now. I mean, the whole universe is being threatened again, isn’t it?”
“You don’t need to.”
“…I’m sure I don’t… but I…I should.” Sunni rose her head. “What am I even doing with my life, anyway…”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to live in peace. That’s why I want my operatives to choose honestly.”
“Yeah, but…but the happiest I ever felt was four years ago… when I could just let my mind run free. I stopped worrying about pleasing Mom, about that Apocalypse business… and just be free. But then Darcy died… and then Mew… and I just couldn’t free my mind from all that.”
“I know the feeling. I know I’m not close with everyone, but… it hurts when any one of my operatives… my friends die. And I need to put on this confident and positive face for everyone else. But that’s… also why I wanted to take us to Poké. Deep down, it’s an important place to many of us… because in some way or another, we hear about the games or the Pokémon and think they look fun.” Sunni let out a faint giggle. “So, I wanna hope we’ll have a fun time there…”
“…Alright.” Sunni rose to full height. “I’ll go.”
“You sure?”
“I mean, Poké’s important to me, too. Darcy trained there. She brought me to visit it during the Voyage. Mom freakin’ loved the games. And, I…I think I’m tired of feeling sorry for myself. It’s like… I used to be too obsessed with proving myself… now I’m the exact opposite. I just wanna remember… that good feeling again.”
“Okay.” Cheren embraced her legs in a hug. “Thanks, Sunni.”
Sunni smiled and ruffled his hair. “When are you gonna hit that growth spurt?”
“When are you gonna stop growin’?”
“When your brain gets as big as mine, your body just has to adjust.”
Poké KND H.Q.; five days ago
Orbiting the skies of the world, Pokékid Stadium was the hub of young trainers everywhere.
“Tepig, use Head Smash!” Hilda ordered her favorite Pokémon.
“Diggersby, counter it with Wild Charge!” Clemont ordered.
Both Pokémon met head-on with an incredible impact. “Keep pushing, Tepig!” Hilda’s best friend, Bianca cheered.
“Go, Big Brother!” Bonnie cheered.
Both Pokémon wound up on their bellies, dazed by the effort. However, they struggled to push their selves back up, determined to secure the match. Within a minute, Tepig was fully on his feet… while Diggersby collapsed back on his belly. “Diggersby is unable to battle!” announced Max, a 7-year boy in a green shirt and glasses. “Tepig is the winner!”
“Yaaaaaaay!” Hilda picked her Tepig up and tossed him up and down. Clemont, though saddened by his loss, went to pat Diggersby in congratulations.
The trainers adjourned into a prep room with their fellow operatives. “Awesome job, Hilda!” Bianca praised. She wore a green hat over her short blonde hair, an orange coat over a white dress, and green shorts that matched her purse. Her shoes were orange with black ribbons, and she wore red glasses over her green eyes.
“It’s just not fair.” Clemont sighed. The Lumiose Gym Leader wore a blue mechanic’s jumpsuit, had blonde hair and blue eyes. “Ground-types are supposed to be strong against Fire.”
“Weaknesses don’t matter to a regional champion.” Bonnie inferred. Clemont’s 9-year-old sister had the same hair and eyes, wore a brown T-shirt with a white frilly skirt, dark shorts underneath, and pink shoes. She carried a Dedenne in her yellow purse. “Oh, Hilda, will you please marry my brother?”
“BONNIE!!”
“Hehehe...” Hilda White chuckled awkwardly. “I’ll hold off on that.” Hilda had brown hair in a puffy ponytail, under a white hat with a pink Pokéball design. She wore a black vest over a ripped white T-shirt, short blue jeans, and black boots with red laces.
“Our next match is beginning soon! Stow-on-Side Gym Leader, Allister, vs. Hulbury Gym Leader, Nessa!”
Nessa was a thin, dark-skinned girl with long, dark-blue hair, wearing only a short top, shorts, and sandals with small inner-tubes on the heels. Allister, by contrast, was a short, pale-skinned, but dark-clothed boy with white boots and a ghoulish mask. Allister called out his Cursola against Nessa’s Milotic. Though the Ghost-type coral was very small compared to the Water-type serpent, Cursola put up an excellent match.
“Look at how Milotic responds to Nessa’s movements!” Bonnie cheered. “So majestic! You think she’ll marry my brother?”
“Clemont wouldn’t have a shot with a model if he tried.” Max remarked. “I’m more impressed with Allister. Dude’s gotten good.”
“I just wish he’d take that mask off. So spooky…”
“C-Cursola… use Astonish…” Allister mumbled quietly.
“CUUUUUURRRRRR…!” Cursola bellowed a terrifying scream.
“WHOA!” Everyone screamed when the stadium suddenly shook.
“Yikes! I never thought Cursola could shout that loud!” Bianca exclaimed.
Alarms began blaring. “RED ALERT! The stadium is under attack! Team Rocket ships are surrounding us on all sides! They’re all using Mega and Gigantamax Pokémon!”
“Team Rocket?!” Clemont gasped.
“You don’t think this has anything to do with that war, do you?!” Hilda asked.
“I think it does…” Bianca said. “Hilda, we better get outside and help.”
“Right! HUH?!” The stadium’s dome shattered. (Play “Team Rocket Motto” from Pokémon!)
“Prepare for trouble, the tournament is over.”
“Make it double, for we hold the lucky clover.”
“An evil as old as two universes.”
“Sent here to deliver new curses.”
A Meowth balloon with attached rockets descended into the stadium. A certain red-haired woman and blue-haired man rode it. “To protect the world from devastation!”
“To unite the peoples of every nation.”
“To denounce the evils of mice and kids!”
“To extend our reach across all bids.”
“JESSIE!”
“James.”
“Team Rocket: blasting off to claim the Throne!”
“Surrender now or we’ll burn you to the bone.”
“Meeeeeowth! Our light has shone!” Meowth perched on the rim of the balloon basket.
“Woooooobbuffet!”
“Chiiiiiime…”
“How did you already get past the barrier?!” Hilda shouted.
“It was quite simple, actually.” Jessie smirked. “The power of our new Elite Agents was simply too much for your shields to withstand.”
“Yes, in fact, I believe they’re owed a proper introduction.” James followed.
Ropes hung from the edges of the shattered dome. Four agents slid down them, setting foot on the arena floor. They all wore dark helmets with the red “R” and covered eyes. One was a muscular man with ripped white pants; there was a dark-dressed woman with a red ponytail; an older lady in a purple dress and cane; and a man with a black cape.
“Elite… Agents?” Bianca felt intimidated by their presence.
“Bianca… don’t they look familiar?”
“It can’t be…”
“Bonnie, I’m gonna go find my sister!” Max ran off.
“O-Okay. Clemont,” Bonnie clung to his arm in fear, “should we get out of here?”
The Elite Agents each withdrew a single Dark Pokéball. They popped open as masses of darkness flew out and formed into Pokémon: a Mega Steelix, Mega Gyarados, Gigantamax Gengar, and a Mega Slowbro loomed over the operatives.
“WHAT?!” Clemont fell back in horror. “How did they fit a Gigantamax inside a Pokéball?! And…And how is it already Gigantamax?!”
“They could already make permanent Mega Pokémon…” Hilda remembered. “Don’t tell me they have a similar drug for that, too?!”
“Oh, look.” James teased. “The children seem to be a little overwhelmed.”
“Nothing wrong with a captivated audience.” Jessie said. “Let’s start the show.”
“ATTENTION ALL TRAINERS!” a male’s voice yelled through the intercoms. The operatives recognized it as Brock. “Evacuate the stadium immediately! Save yourselves at all costs!”
“Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!” the elderly agent ordered.
The colossal Ghost-type mustered a ball of darkness in its gaping mouth. Hilda could only stare stricken with horror… The other Mega Pokémon were completely overpowering the trainers and destroying the stadium… Hilda had never seen such overwhelming power- “GET DOWN!”
A boy grabbed Hilda and shoved her into the ground, their friends following the example. The enormous Shadow Ball blew directly over them, destroying a massive chunk of the base. “Ch…Cheren…” Hilda glanced at the boy with trembling eyes.
Cheren had black hair, a white shirt with two red ties, and blue skinny jeans. “You heard what he said! Let’s move!” They stood and bolted over the scrap and rubble.
“Bonnie, watch your step—let me carry you!” Clemont extended some mechanical arms from his pack to lift her. “Chespin, help us clear out some of this rubble!”
“You, too, Liepard!” Cheren summoned.
“Go, Escavalier!” Bianca called.
…
Giovanni watched the monitor with pleasure. The stadium plunged into the earth… and though he saw numerous ships escaping, it made little difference. “Heh heh heh!” laughed Butch the green-haired agent. “Destroyin’ this Kids Next Door was way too easy!”
“If our new Elites are this powerful, we’ll have the others conquered in no time.” Cassidy said.
“This is only the beginning.” Giovanni said. “We need to subjugate all the governments on this world… and increase our numbers. Not to mention we must also seize the Legendary Pokémon. Once we do…” His eyes glowed blue and a tail seemed to protrude from him, “we’ll be the most powerful unit in Bowser’s empire.”
Present; Poké’s atmosphere (May 27)
Cheren once again brought his Reign Supreme pirate ship, white with red royal banners and a figurehead of himself wearing a crown. He shared it with Nebula, Panini, Sunni, and Sugar. Cheren surveyed their small fleet of accompanying ships: Sectors V, W, L, and MG. Emily Garley was teamed up with her fellow Earth Children. Haruka was absent from her team as she was still helping on Mobius, but luckily, they had two other ops to fill her place.
“It feels nice being in Sector V again!” Carol sang, putting arms around Dillon and Mason. “Didn’t you boys miss me?”
“We literally work with you every other week.” Mason said. “And we just did on Mobius.”
“I’m just glad we have two extra geniuses.” Haylee said, patting Raleigh’s head. “And we finally have an excuse to swing by Raleigh’s kingdom!”
“Hehe!” The prince blushed. “I just hope they’re okay down there.”
“Ah’m sure they’re peachy!” Sheila said spritely. “So, Raleigh, what’re the coolest places to explore?! If Oi beat up every single Pokémon, do I become King of the Pokémon?!”
“That’s completely wrong!”
“I have assigned areas for each of us.” Nebula announced. “Sector V will head to Kalos.” Raleigh smiled; his kingdom was in that region! “Sector W will cover Sinnoh. Sector L, you’ll be in Alola since it’s an oceanic region. MG will visit Paldea. And my group will go to Galar. Minimize Team Rocket’s occupation, gather intel, and try to meet up with any local operatives.”
“Kids Next Door, gotta catch ’em all!” Cheren cheered.
“KIDS NEXT DOOR, GOTTA CATCH ’EM ALL!”
The ships flew to their assigned regions. “Say!” Vweeb chirped from atop Nebula’s captain’s hat. “Shouldn’t we try to catch our own Pokémon while we’re here? Get properly immersed in the culture?”
“Pokémon Training is an art in and of itself. Too late for us to try and master.” Nebula reasoned. And I doubt it’s the first thing on your mind, Vweeb.
“Ah, speak for yourself.” Panini said. “Ay know exactly who I’m catchin’ first!”
“The six of us should also divide in half to cover more ground.” Nebula suggested. “Sugar, I know a good place we can start. As for you three…”
Cheren, Panini, and Sunni landed in the outskirts of Hammerlocke. Built within ancient, medieval castle walls, it was defined by a tower with a silver crown-like top. Banners of Team Rocket’s logo were hanging from the walls and tower. Sunni narrowed her eyes at the familiar logo. She never did get to settle the score with them.
“Hah, smells like tea and biscuits.” Cheren sighed. “I never did embrace my British roots.”
“Then we’d better give these Team Rocket twats a roight socking, eh?” Panini joked.
“You two haven’t changed a bit.” Sunni giggled. (Play “Wild Pokémon Battle” from Sword & Shield!)
Invasion 6: Poké
Mission: Send Team Rocket blasting off for good!
Act 1: Hammerlocke
Three Rocket Agents were guarding the town gate. They released a Galarian Meowth, Rapidash, and a Mr. Rime. Sunni used Creative License to summon three of Foster’s Imaginary unicorns and had them charge at the Rapidash. Mr. Rime conjured ice panels to completely block them, and the Rapidash would leap overhead and slash the unicorns with Psycho Cuts. Sunni yanked the Rapidash away with her bending, but the cyan and pink horse turned its attacks on her. Sunni imagined her own hair flowing as majestically, creating a curtain of psychic hair and wrapping the Pokémon in it. She proceeded to extend the horns of her unicorns as they returned for revenge.
Panini burned through Mr. Rime’s walls, but the clown Pokémon cast a Freeze-Dry over the firebender to cool her temperature. Panini simply ate some of her favorite Spicy Soup to rejuvenate her chi. “’ey, magician, ever see a gal pull a rabbit out of her sleeve?!” She shot a round of flaming bunnies from her palms to K.O. the Rime and its trainer. As for the Meowth, its trainer Dynamaxed the fluffy feline. Despite being dozens of feet taller, Cheren scoffed and slashed Skyward Strikes, sawing off mounds of fur. His sword and shield countered its gigantic claws, his Haki withstanding their steel strength. With most of its fur sawed off, Cheren struck its body with swordwaves until the Pokémon was down.
The town’s gate was a dragon mouth, but it was sealed. All Panini had to do was shoot fire into its eyes, reddening them as the maw opened. The rustic town was paved with stone roads, but was under siege from Dragon Pokémon. A Mega Garchomp was tearing through a restaurant with its bladed arms, terrifying the people taking cover inside. Sunni summoned a Priest Mantis, the Imaginary insect equal to the Garchomp’s size. Using the power of prayer, clouds formed above the Garchomp and struck it with lightning. The ops could then climb its fallen body onto the restaurant’s roof, and from there climb a rope onto a castle rampart.
Two Rocket Agents sent a Kommo-o and a Dragapult, both Mega Evolved. The Dragapult used Phantom Force to vanish. Neither Cheren’s Observation nor Sunni’s Aura Sense could trace it, but at the very moment it reappeared to strike, the two quickly raised their shields in defense. The Kommo-o used Clanging Scales to make an ear-splitting noise, weakening the ops’ defense as its ally sent them falling off the rampart. The Dragapult pursued them. Cheren, seeing its twin Dreepy sticking out of its triangular horns, got an idea: he shot both hardened Hookshots at the Dreepy and played tug-o-war against the entire beast. When he felt their force was strong enough, Cheren let himself be slingshot into the Pokémon, landing a fierce blow with his blade.
They climbed back onto the wall to engage the Kommo-o. Sunni summoned Ghost Dude to skate around the scaled Dragon-type, performing aerial tricks and striking Kommo-o in the jaw. Cheren and Sunni used their swords to chip off its scales, so that Panini could burn the skin underneath, defeating the Pokémon.
A flock of Altaria were fleeing across town; since they were level with the wall, the operatives used their cloudy bodies as platforms. They jumped their way to a slightly larger cloud—it was a Mega Altaria, and it angrily shook them off onto the street. The Altaria spread a dense mist over its foes before flying down and pecking at them furiously. Cheren and Sunni could sense its position and “peck” the cloud bird back with their swords, doing so enough until Altaria was KO’ed.
They heard an explosion followed by a Pokémon’s cry, throwing their attention upward. There was conflict taking place inside the crown at the top. “Well, if I were a level boss, that’s where I’d be.” Cheren said.
The trio raced into the tower’s gate, bypassing a ruined lobby chamber and reaching a gymnasium-like room with a red and blue floor. Just about every major town on this world had a battle gym where trainers could earn badges for the Pokémon League. There was a dark-skinned man with red hair and a dark and yellow hoodie gasping for breath above two unconscious agents and their Mega Pokémon. He returned a Duraludon to his Pokéball. “Huh?” He saw the strangers enter. “Well, you don’t got R’s on your shirts. You guys trainers?”
“We’re, uh…KND operatives. From off-world.” Cheren answered.
“Really? Haha, they must’ve really got desperate. Well, I’m the Gym Leader of this town. Name’s Raihan.”
“Are there other operatives here?”
“Team Unova got here a short while ago. They’re battling on the roof. Team Rocket brought one of their hostages up there.”
“We’ll go support them!” The trio raced past the gym and traveled up a stairway.
“Be careful! Team Rocket hijacked our weather machines!”
“Ugh. I was wondering whether the weather would be a problem today.”
The following floor was extremely gusty. They would have to ride the wind to far-away platforms, or else they would plummet back into the stadium. Cheren’s Pirate Sail helped with the task: they rode a straightforward gust to the first platform, then had to be carried left, dodging around spiked barriers. They reached the second platform before riding an upward draft. Spike blockades threatened them, with a rotating gap on each of them. The trio timed the best moment to line up and fly through the gaps, reaching the third platform. Afterwards, they needed to cross a narrow bridge, in which hazardous debris blew from the left and right depending on the wind’s direction. The ops used their shields to block them from whichever direction.
The bridge led to the stairway to the third floor. The trio began freezing from the frigid weather… but it suddenly warmed up. And in a few seconds, it was freezing again. They would have to platform a stairway of small fountains that would freeze. “This isn’t the gimmick I expected from a medieval town.” Cheren commented. Following the fountain footholds, they would have to swim into a water pipe, which would freeze with the declining weather. There were exit hatches and safe footholds along the way up the pipe, in which the group could exit out whenever the water threatened to freeze. (Panini’s firebending kept them warm in the meantime.)
After making it up the pipe, the ops had to Wall Jump two waterfalls after they had frozen. However, the falls merely led into the ceiling, but there were other waterfalls lined up after them, situated at different heights as they poured into slides. For each pair of waterfalls, the ops had to Wall Jump their frozen states to get above the waterslides, so by the time the weather warmed up, they could go through one of the falls, and the weather would freeze in time for them to Wall Jump the next pair. This pattern repeated a few times before they finally reached the top of the room. (Play “Mustard Battle” from Sword & Shield!)
They were free to go to the top of the tower and rest their bodies from the chaotic weather. One last flight of stairs led them to the crown. “WHOA!” They were just in time to witness a colossal bear-like Pokémon, with white fur and red streaks, struck a Dynamax Tepig with a fierce strike of its claws. The impact quaked the entire town.
“TEPIG!” Hilda ran to her Pokémon’s aid as he shrunk down to normal size.
“Your third Pokémon has fallen.” said the Elite Agent, a dark-skinned man with a sleeveless white coat and puffy orange pants. “My Urshifu is the most powerful of ALL!”
“URSHIFUUUUUUUU!” The beast’s bellow echoed for miles.
“There’s no way to beat that thing!” Bianca exclaimed.
“Dammit!” her dark-haired male teammate shouted. “MARSHAL! JUST SNAP OUT OF IT!”
“Enough!” yelled the agent, Marshal. “Urshifu! CRUSH THEM!”
“UUUUUUURRRRRR!” The titan raised its foot and threw it down. The three trainers braced for a horrible end. Hilda’s life flashed before her eyes… an ordinary girl who set off on a Pokémon Journey, no different from her peers around her. She won eight badges and made the League, and with hard work and effort, she actually made the championship. A goal any trainer could only dream of achieving, and she actually made it. And now… this was where her journey ended.
“HAAAAH!” The foot was suddenly stopped by a small boy raising a sword and shield, coated with Haki. Sunni pressed against it with her psychicbending, their combined force toppling the 95-foot Pokémon on its back.
“What…” Team Unova stared dumbstruck at the Earthlings.
“Everyone okay?” Cheren asked.
“You!” The dark-haired trainer gasped in recognition. “It can’t be…”
“DAMMIT! GET UP, URSHIFU! SMASH THEM!”
The giant bellowed and rose to its feet. It threw its fist down with a Rock Smash attack, but Sunni intercepted it with a psychic bubble of equal size. The squishy mass slowed and nulled Urshifu’s force, during which time Panini sprung up with her bunny dexterity and landed on its arm. She hopped all the way up the arm and burned its eyes with fiery force. She was flung off as it flinched from the impact, but its pain would only worsen as Cheren struck it in the heel.
Urshifu swiftly recovered and threw a Wicked Blow, sending a blast of Dark Chi from its fist. Cheren fired a Light Arrow to pierce the darkness, but though it struck the Pokémon, its heart didn’t seem to pacify. Urshifu quickly followed with a Brick Break, a chop attack powerful enough to slice this tower and part of Hammerlocke. Thankfully, the ops didn’t sense anyone caught along the impact point, and they themselves dodged the attack as well. Sunni made psychic trampolines to spring Cheren up to its head and deal a Skyward Strike. Urshifu geared up for a Dynamic Punch, so the Hero of Time channeled massive Haki into his sword. The impacts generated a thunderous shockwave, but after 10 seconds, they cancelled out.
But Urshifu was quick to follow-up with an Iron Head, sending Cheren flying away from the tower. He used his sail to stabilize himself in the air and glide back. Sunni used Creative License to summon Chompjaws, a Chain Chomp-like Imaginary with spike ball tentacles. She created large Psy-Hands to grab it by the tentacles and swing its iron head into Urshifu’s. The giant began to furiously swipe its claws against Chompjaws, sending the Friend out of Sunni’s grasp, while she went on to counter it with her lightsaber. Panini, meanwhile, jumped her way to Cheren with Hop Rockets. She grabbed onto her leader and helped him return faster, diving sword-first toward the giant with rocket force. The Master Sword impaled Urshifu’s head.
The Legendary Fighter survived the blow, but the pain still caused it to faint. Sunni used her bending to guide its fall toward its trainer. “AAAAHH! Urshifu, RETURN!” The titan dramatically vanished into his Dark Pokéball. “This ain’t over, you punks!” He jumped off the tower. (End song.)
“Huff…huff…” Bianca caught her breath in relief. “That… was incredible!”
“Yeah…” Hilda gasped, holding her injured Tepig. “You saved our lives…”
“Professor Sonia!” The dark-haired boy hurried over to an orange-haired woman tied to a post. Her hair was in a ponytail, she had green eyes, wore cyan and black boots, light-blue pants, and a short trench coat. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Sonia rose to full height. She turned to their saviors. “You kids came here in the nick of time. But I… take it you’re not from around here?”
“Hehe, is it that obvious?” Cheren blushed.
“You’re the Firstborn Guardians!” the dark-haired exclaimed. “From Earth! Cheren Uno and Sunni Chariton!”
“Yeah… that’s us, alright.”
The trainers picked up sadness in their irises. “…Well, we oughta introduce ourselves before calling out other people!” Bianca clapped. “I’m Bianca!”
“Hilda.” The champion smiled. “This here’s Tepig.” (“Tepig!”)
“Professor Sonia.”
“Heya, Prof!” Panini chirped. …She couldn’t help but wonder if they might’ve been related. Sonia almost looked like her mum.
“And I’m Cheren.” the dark-haired boy said.
“. . . . .” Silence overtook the operatives. “…Wait. Get outta here. You serious?”
“AAAAAAYYYYY!” Panini screamed. “I can’t believe it! We actually met another CHEREN!”
“Lots of people in the universe share the same name!” Sunni tugged her hair. “But we’ve never known another Cheren! And just look at them! They’re SO similar!”
“Are you kidding, he looks nothing like me!” Cheren Uno shouted.
“Indeed.” Other Cheren straightened his ties. “Our physical characteristics are clearly different.”
“Nonono, I can totally see it!” Bianca exclaimed. “It’s almost, like, you’re half-brothers!”
“We’ve only ever seen images of you.” Hilda laughed. “But I… can kinda see it.”
“That’s why Cheren’s always been sort of jealous of you.” Bianca swayed on her heels in a teasing manner. “Another kid with his name became Azelf’s Guardian!”
“That is completely inaccurate!” Otheren argued. “I merely find it insulting that kids with no Pokémon Training experience were allowed to command beings as revered as the Firstborn.”
“Can you dolts argue about this later?” Sonia asked. “The city’s still in danger!”
“Not for long.” Cheren assured.
The operatives KO’ed any agents still active in Hammerlocke in no time flat! The local Nurse Joy began to treat Team Unova’s Pokémon. “So, is it true all Nurse Joys are from a cloning facility?” Cheren asked.
“Of course.” Cheren Two replied matter-of-factly. “This Nurse Joy is Serial Number 761.”
“So… are there more of your operatives here?” Hilda asked.
“Yeah. They’re covering other parts of the planet.” Sunni answered. “We still need an overview of the situation. Can you tell us?”
Hilda was silent for a moment. It hurt to recount the memory. “…They destroyed our headquarters five days ago. It was so sudden and overwhelming that…that we…” Her legs quivered.
“Before we knew it, Team Rocket was invading every region’s capital.” Bianca continued. “Every team spread out to fight them, but… it only felt like our numbers were shrinking. And Team Rocket’s were growing.”
“Even before all this,” New Cheren followed, “Team Rocket developed drugs that kept their Pokémon in permanent Mega Evolution.”
“Yeah, we know about that.” Cheren recalled having to deal with plenty of them back in New Galaxia.
“But now they have a means of using permanent Dynamax. And that’s not the worst of it. They…They’ve brainwashed the Elite Trainers from all regions.”
“What?!”
“That man in the helmet just now.” Hilda began. “That was Marshal… from our country. We think those are mind-control helmets. And we can barely get close enough to attack them.”
“So, Team Rocket’s pullin’ the same trick Eggman and K. Rool did?” Panini asked. “Don’t these clods have any original ideas?!”
“They’re even capturing Legendary Pokémon.” Otheren resumed. “Like the one we just fought.”
“Yeah… that’s a heck of a bad combination.” Cheren summarized simply.
“By the way… is it true?” Sonia asked. “The Firstborn. Are they… really gone?”
“…A few have survived.” The trainers lit with hope. “They’re even here on this planet. But… neither of ours.”
“Even… Mew?” Bianca spoke. Sunni bowed in remorse.
“That’s why we’re here now.” Cheren affirmed.
“Then we’ll support you however we can.” Sonia said. “In fact… how about I give you your first Pokémon?” She took out a Pokéball. “I caught this little guy the other day. You might like him.” She popped it open.
A chipper bipedal white rabbit with red-tipped ears and toes appeared. “Scorbunny!” It kicked its left foot spritely.
“EEEEEEK!” Panini squeezed the bunny in a hug and nuzzled its cheek. “THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! My own Scorbunny! Oh, you’re as cute as I hoped you’d be!”
“Scorbunnyyyyyy!” The rodent blushed.
“Our goal has been accomplished.” Cheren sighed.
“By the way, Cheren.” Sonia said. “Um, the Earth Cheren.”
“We’ll just call the other one Cheren Black.” Sunni said.
“Because of my hair?!”
“Just listen! Since Team Rocket is targeting Legendaries, I want you all to check on Zacian and Zamazenta.”
“Who are they?”
“They’re the Guardian Spirits who protect Galar. They’re the Crowned Sword and the Crowned Shield… and they were devout servants of Goddess Azelf.”
The operatives gasped. “…Yeah. Maybe I’d like to meet ’em.” Cheren said.
Mobius
“W…What’re those things?!” Weiss asked in terror.
Green Hill’s skies had grown dark again as titans loomed in the distance. A Gigantamax Cinderace (fully evolved Scorbunny), Rillaboom, Inteleon, Mega Greninja, Incineroar, and dozens more.
“Can’t we get a freakin’ break?!” Sonia Hedgehog shouted.
“Good thing I didn’t check out.” Maddy did some warmup stretches. “Let’s get to work.”
“No matter how many they send,” Tangle declared, “we’ll NEVER let them have our planet!”
“COME AND GET SOME, you overgrown turtles!” Rak roared.
Mira
On Temperantia, Electra was in an electrifying battle with a Mega Raichu and Magnezone. On Tantal, Zeke was dazed by a Dynamax Hypno, but Pandoria zapped him back to his senses. On Mor Ardain, Mòrag and Brighid battled a Mega Charizard and Dragonite.
At Alcamoth, Shulk, Rex, Jak, and their Aegises prepared for the approach of Yveltal the Destruction Pokémon and Zygarde the Order Pokémon. “Uh, Jak, I’ve been thinkin’.” Daxter began fearfully. “Do we really need Alcamoth anymore? It’s gettin’ way too expensive to keep maintaining. And the teleporter pads are startin’ to cause body-splicing problems. Maybe it’s time to evacuate and let it demolish.”
“The only one doing the demolishing is us, Daxter.”
Shulk gasped, seeing a vision: Yveltal was going to unleash a beam of red chi and sap the energy from them. “QUICK! DODGE!” He cast Monado Speed over his allies, after which they spread apart swiftly to avoid the Oblivion Wing. However, Zygarde cast its own beams of green energy at the Aegises, imprinting “Z” shapes where they stood. This was its Core Enforcer attack.
“What?! It dispelled the effect!” Shulk exclaimed. Yveltal followed by unleashing a Dark Pulse, injuring the Drivers with pure ill intent.
“That red one has similar chi to Malos.” Pyra said. “And that green one is able to negate our abilities! It also feels strongly in tune with the land.”
“Looks like we have some tough ones.” Rex said. “Doesn’t matter! We’ll show them a thing or three!”
The thing is, if I had started the Gameverse sometime after we got these new Legendaries, there would’ve been a few more gods up on Spear Pillar. But at least they still get to exist as powerful guardian spirits! At long last, we’re exploring Pokémon World, which involves lots of researching on my part and deciding, “Which Pokémon will make good stage hazards here and how can the Nextgenners counter them in unique ways?” Not to mention lots of neat characters I want my kids to meet, so here’s hoping it’ll be a fun time!
Chapter 31: Poké Saga 2: Hidden Treasure of Sinnoh
Summary:
Sheila and her crewmates climb a tree that grows from lightning! Nebula, Sugar, and Vweeb find a town of refugees. Sector W discover a beautiful gem mine.
Chapter Text
We’ll be covering at least two more levels this part!
Chapter 27: Hidden Treasure of Sinnoh
Pokémon Palace
“Shurorororo!” Caesar was giddy at the report. “I’m so happy my formula is serving you well. I only hope you send a few of those Gigantamax Pokémon MY way!”
“Your expertise in gigantism has served me well also. But how’s progress going on Project Megamax?”
“It’s, erm…seen better days.” Caesar shirked. “Pokémon just can’t handle Mega Evolving and gigantifying at the same time. All my test subjects died.”
“I suppose we’ll have to put that project on hold for now. I can’t afford to waste too many-”
“Hey, Boss!” Butch yelled. “We got an urgent report! The Earth KND are here!”
“What?! Which ones?”
“We got sent these images from our settlements!” They depicted Cheren’s group, Sector W, V, and MG.
“Hurgh…” There were too many threatening operatives for Giovanni’s comfort. He was slightly intrigued at Sunni’s presence here. “Securing those Legendaries is our top priority. If the Supreme Born’s promise holds true, the KND will be punished for using their Newborn.”
…
“Yep! You can count on that!” Kael smiled. “…I hope.” There were some unexpected concerns down in the Negaverse. Concerns that could compromise his game… and himself.
Somewhere in Kalos
“Oi, where’s the planet, Haylee?” Sheila asked. “I can’t see anything!”
“You’re the one who insisted we drive RIGHT THROUGH A STORM!”
The Sunny Day sailed recklessly through dark and flashing clouds. “Because when ya fly through clouds, ya never know what kinda surface waits on the other side! Will it be a volcano?! A snowy mountain?! A desert?!”
“None of those settings would have stormy weather!” Raleigh shouted. “I don’t even know anywhere in Kalos that would have-”
“ZAAAAAP!” A spike-feathered bird streaked the sky beside them, bolts of lightning in its wake.
“YIKES!” Haylee narrowly stabilized the ship as a rush of wind rocked it. Their topsail was struck and caught on fire. “Wait, was that a Zapdos?!”
“Wow!” Raleigh beamed.
“Zapdos…” Aurora repeated. “Wait! I heard that one of the Kremling officers ate a Zapdos Devil Fruit! Wouldn’t that mean the real Zapdos…”
“That one probably hatched from an egg.” Raleigh deduced. “…OH! I think I know where we are now!”
The ship finally made it beneath the clouds, the storm raging over a forested zone. Sector V anchored the ship close to a town; Mason spewed soda to put out the fire on the sails. The town had Chinese-inspired buildings with red walls and dark roofs, and was lit by lines of hanging lanterns. The most noteworthy landmark was the split tree in the center. “It’s Joule Town!” the prince recognized.
“Strewth! Is it full of jewels?!” Sheila beamed.
“Uh…I didn’t mean that kind.”
“I’m already seeing Rocket Agents and bad Pokémon.” Dillon said. “And a bunch of their airships in the sky.”
“Are they here to catch Zapdos?”
“Orright!” Sheila cracked her knuckles. “The rest of you blokes can take out the drongos in the sky! Mason, we’re goin’ down ta kick those agents in their JEWELS!” She and her first mate jumped off.
“I… didn’t mean that kind either.” Raleigh shirked.
I’ll go with them! Kirie gracefully flipped down to the ground. I sense monkey spirits nearby!
“I’m gonna go, too.” Raleigh smiled. “This town actually honors Electric Pokémon. They’ll appreciate the help!” (Play “Disco Tree” from Astro Bot!)
Act 2: Joule Town
The four operatives were ambushed by two Mega Pangoro guarding the town gate; the panda Pokémon were befitting the Chinese setting. Both struck Sheila with a Night Slash, the Dark-type move dealing a decent amount of pain to the lightbender. Nonetheless, Sheila repaid them with Day Slashes: she swung her hands up-right in a karate chop-like fashion. Shortly after they entered Joule, they found the streets littered with the remains of crumbled buildings. The four dreaded walking over the rubble in fear of splinters.
Guys! Kirie caught their attention. Over here! She summoned the spirit of an Ambipom, holding out its twin hand-tails. Kirie demonstrated as the ape catapulted her to a rooftop. The others excitedly followed. A Pyroar was setting flames to the roof, and its trainer would turn it against the operatives upon seeing them. Enthralled by the fiery-maned lion, Sheila jumped on its back. The lion flailed and burned in attempt to shake her off, but the captain would turn it to pounce against its trainer’s hoverpad. She flipped off before falling off the roof with them, shooting a Light Fist to K.O. the Pyroar.
The operatives balanced across a wire of lanterns and reached the opposite roof, and from here, they could grind down another wire to reach the town square where the split tree stood. “Crikey!” Sheila chirped. The tree was very clearly spiked at the point where it was ripped. “Who was mad enough to rip that thing in twain?”
“That tree was split by Zapdos itself.” Raleigh answered. “But, surprisingly, the severed halves grew taller than ever and boar lots of fruit. I’m not sure how long ago this was, but this town really respects Zapdos.”
“ZAAAAAP!” The very Thunder Bird was flashing wildly in the sky. Three Rocket ships were attacking it. “Yeah, but they sure don’t!” Mason yelled.
“HEY! STOP THAT!” Raleigh cried.
In its thundering rage, Zapdos struck a bolt down unto the tree, ripping it even further. The four kids were dumbstruck as the halves not only grew to great height, but formed platforms! “STREWTH!” Sheila sprung up with fists held high! “If THAT ain’t a tree worth climbin’!” And so, she got started! Sheila jumped platforms up the left half, but would somehow need to reach a platform on the right half. She could cross the gap by connecting a Light Chain to a hanging Shock Fruit, though she had to quickly release before its electricity zapped her. (Her teammates caught up by swinging Aipom spirits, linked into chains under Kirie’s guidance.)
Sheila then grappled a string of Shock Fruits in quick succession to reach a higher platform, but the tree stopped escalating from there. “Maybe we can do something, Pichu!” Raleigh ordered his Pokémon to Thunder Shock the top of this half, splitting it into two more halves that kept growing. A snaking log pathway would carry the operatives higher, but Gogoats would dash down in attempt to ram them off. Sheila swiped her palms to swat them off first. Said Pokémon were sent by Rocket Agents orbiting the tree on hoverpads.
As the ops proceeded to bounce a flight of giant fruits, the agents sent five Florges to attempt to blast them off. The flowers on each Florges’ head were a unique color: red, yellow, orange, blue, and white. While the KND had no problems fending off the Fairy-types, they noticed a door on the side of the tree. There were colored dots above it, representing the Florges. Kirie threw her flower shurikens at the Florges in the dots’ order: blue, orange, white, red, yellow. Doing so opened the door, allowing them a Riddler Trophy. “Okay, if this tree only just became like this, and these agents just got here, HOW DID RIDDLER MAKE THAT PUZZLE?!” Mason screamed.
The operatives reached the top of this set of tree halves, so Raleigh ordered Pichu to strike them again and divide them into more halves! Both sets of halves developed interlinking, horizontal vines, which could be used as slingshots to fling between each other. The ops used these slingshots to fling higher up the tree, but would have to fling between lines of Talonflames attempting to impede them. They reached a platform at the top of these trees, so Pichu struck them once more to make them divide and grow into a complex web of branches. “This tree is gonna topple over at this rate, it feels so unbalanced.” Mason remarked.
Kirie sensed more Aipom spirits around the branches, all holding hand-tails out. The Aipoms would swing the kids in circles, and they would have to release in the direction of any Aipom in range. In short, they had to navigate a “maze” of Aipoms in order to reach the platforms at the top.
“ZAAAAAP!” They were level with Zapdos and some Team Rocket aircrafts. They were sending a Mega Flygon and Skarmory to attack it.
“Look!” Mason pointed. Another aircraft was intercepting the Rocket ships. It was light-blue with yellow lightning-like streaks across its sides. They could make out two people inside it.
“IT’S CLEMONT AND SERENA!” Raleigh exclaimed.
“Pancham!” Serena summoned a small panda Pokémon. Serena had short, honey-colored hair under a dark-pink hat. “Use Stone Edge!” The ship flung the Pancham at the Skarmory. Pancham thrusted a sharp stone into it, greatly injuring Skarmory.
“Good shot!” Clemont cheered. “Now, maybe we can take down that Flygon with-”
“Slurpuff!” Raleigh summoned. “Use Fairy Wind!”
“Slurp!” The Fairy-type struck the Flygon with a wave of magical wind.
“What?!” Serena gasped. “Clemont, is that Raleigh?!”
“Really?!” Bonnie peered over the control deck excitedly.
I’ll help! Luckily, there’s a tough ghostie here! Kirie used her Ghost Whispering to call an Annihilape up the tree. Ironically, the Fighting/Ghost-type was still part of the mortal plane, but its ghostly side listened to Kirie without question. The Annihilape lunged at the Skarmory with a fearsome Cross Chop, while Mason threw frozen Sodasicles at the Flygon.
“Dang!” a Rocket Agent cursed. “We need more backup!”
“That pirate ship already took out the rest! HEY! DODGE!”
“ZAPDOOOOOOOO!” Zapdos destroyed their crafts with piercing bolts.
“TEAM ROCKET’S STORMING OFF AGAAAAAIN!” The agents flew beyond the sea of storms.
“YAHOOOO!” Sheila threw Light Spheres in celebration. “And now it’s time for me favorite part: GERONIMOOOOOO!” She grabbed Mason and JUMPED off the towering tree!
“SHEILAAAAAA!”
“Hahaha…” Raleigh blushed. He smiled up at his old acquaintances. The Sunny was approaching them.
“Everything’s clear up here!” Aurora called. “Uh, except the weather.”
“Thanks a lot for the help!” Clemont waved. “You guys are from Earth, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, that was totally the Pirate King just now!” Serena exclaimed. “Raleigh, are you actually part of her team?!”
“Haha, not really! Let’s all meet up at the bottom! And make sure Mason isn’t dead.”
All operatives regrouped down in Joule and confirmed Mason’s safety. “Raleeeiiiigh!” Bonnie joyfully jumped into the prince with a hug! (“Dede!”) Her Dedenne climbed out of her purse and onto Raleigh’s hair, snuggling with it.
“Bonnie, Dedenne! I missed you guys! Hm?” Raleigh noticed an even smaller Pokémon in Bonnie’s hair: a Flabébé. “Oh, you got a new friend, too.”
“We rescued this poor girl yesterday. Those mean Rocketheads captured all her big sisters.”
“I think she really likes you!”
“Well, don’t keep us out of the party!” Carol yelled. “Are these your old teammates or something?”
“No,” Clemont answered, “but he was one of my favorite challengers! I’m Clemont; this is my sister, Bonnie. I lead the Lumiose City Gym, so I specialize in both Electric-types and science. When we first met Raleigh, I thought he was a long-lost brother!”
“Yeah, I can see it!” Carol giggled. “The three of you look just alike!”
“Carol, you look like them, too.” Dillon commented on her eyes and hair. “And you’re kind of a scientist.”
“So does Aurora and Mary Goldenweek.” Mason followed. “They at least got the hair and eyes.”
“Okay, we’re giving them too many relatives.” Harry remarked.
Serena laughed. “It’s a small universe, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m Serena. I’m a Pokémon Performer.”
“Wot’s that mean?” Sheila asked.
“She trains Pokémon to perform in shows and beauty pageants.” Raleigh answered. “How’s that been going?”
“Really well! I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Yeah, fair enough.” Raleigh faced up at the sky. “Looks like Zapdos calmed down.” The Thunder Bird was flying more peacefully. “When I heard what the Kremlings did… I was really upset.”
“The people of Joule have been taking care of its fledgling.” Clemont said. “Zapdos grew up well… I can’t thank you enough for helping us save it.”
“I hope its cousin in Galar is okay.” Serena said.
Clemont’s team briefed Sector V on the current situation. “They even managed to capture two of our guardian deities. Yveltal the Destroyer and Zygarde the Order. We’d have no way to beat them if they turned them against us.”
“Well, you got us here now.” Aurora assured. “Where should we head next?”
“Yeah! What’s the most fun place to explore in this country?” Sheila asked.
“Actually, I’m more worried about my kingdom.” Raleigh said. “Is Azoth…”
“Azoth is fine at the moment.” Clemont smiled. “It’s got some new special defenses around it.” He showed them a picture.
Raleigh’s jaw dropped: it looked like a giant, light-green circus tent was covering Azoth, decorated with “?”. “…Yep, I was right to be worried.”
“Yeah, sorry, Rales, but visiting Azoth will have to wait.” Haylee sighed.
“Actually… one of our top priorities is saving Lumiose City.” Clemont explained. “It’s Kalos’ capital. Team Rocket is keeping a firm hold on it.”
“Good thing my hold is firmer!” Sheila cracked her knuckles.
“So, you’re really the Pirate King?” Bonnie looked the Faunus over. “You’re not as scary as I thought… but you look super tough and fun to be around! I bet you would take good care of my brother!”
“BONNIE!”
“Eh? Why would I take care of him?”
“DON’T ASK!” Clemont was blushing a storm.
East area of Galar
Nebula, Sugar, and Vweeb rode the former’s flying car, the Shooting Star. “That place seems a little shady.” Nebula indicated the large warehouse along the continent’s coast. There was no one in the area around it. “It might be a secret hideout for Team Rocket.”
“Then is it really safe to go?” Sugar asked.
“No. But that’s the beauty of adventure.”
“Haha, someone rubbed off on you.” Vweeb laughed, sitting on Sugar’s crystal note earring. “By the way, where’d you get these, Sugar? They’re gorgeous!”
“They were actually a fan gift from Mobius. …One of a hundred, actually.” The singer blushed.
“Sugar’s having a hard time making use of all these gifts!” Meloetta laughed.
“I’d give you a hundred gifts myself.” Vweeb sighed. “But anything I could give would only diminish your beauty. I’m prob’ly not worthy to even hang from your ear.”
“Don’t be silly.” Sugar bent the earring up to nuzzle the Kateenian with her cheek. “Having someone as cute as you is all the gift I need.”
“I should’ve organized my teams better.” Nebula cringed.
They parked the car a short distance from the warehouse and approached cautiously. They were seconds from entering the front door- “YOU AIN’T COMIN’ NO FURTHER!” A pair of guards suddenly blocked the path. They looked like punkish rockstars, wearing mostly dark-gray clothes with dark-magenta hair and face makeup.
“THIS HERE IS TEAM YELL’S STRONGHOLD! If you got a beef, you can take it up with…uh?! THAT HAIR!”
“Huh?” Nebula cocked a brow. She tensed up when the grunts got to her sides and tugged on the black and white halves of her hair.
“There’s no doubt about it! You’re a super fan of Boss Piers!”
“Boss who?! Quit touching me!” Nebula blasted them off.
“Hey! They just attacked the guards!” another grunt yelled from inside.
“Move! I’ll stop them!”
They heard the rushing of bare feet slapping toward the dark entrance. It was a thin girl with tan skin and short, gray-blonde hair, wearing a tight T-shirt and shorts with a mix of black, white, and orange, defined by the orange fist on the chest. The girl leapt and flew at Nebula with a kick.
“Hup!” Vweeb leapt from Sugar to Nebula, then leapt again to stop the swing of her foot with his own kick. Despite it being the size of two houses compared to Vweeb, his strength bent her foot downward. The girl hit the ground, rubbing it of the sprain. “Yow, not a bad swing! I can tell you NEVER miss Leg Day!”
The martial artist flipped away and drew a Pokéball. “Go, Grapploct!” The octo Pokémon tried to seize Vweeb with an Octo Lock.
The Kateenian nimbly dodged between its tentacles and landed a double-punch to its head. “Too bad for you, squids are a Glomourian’s favorite meal!” He raised the dazed Grapploct and threw it at its trainer.
Vweeb hit the ground with a victorious grin. “Hey.” But a shadow fell over him. “Don’t hurt Bea.”
Vweeb craned his head backward… at a ghoulish mask looming above him, worn by a dark-clothed boy. “IIIIIIIKE!” Vweeb scampered over behind Nebula’s shoe. “NEBULA! I think this is some sort of madhouse!”
“Can we just calm down for a minute?!” Sugar shouted. “They don’t even seem like Team Rocket!”
“More like Team Rockstar.” Nebula remarked.
“Bea, Allister, calm down.” A black-haired girl with a stoic expression stepped out of the warehouse. She wore a black jacket over a pink dress, her pointed-toed boots matching their color.
“Boss Marnie!” exclaimed the grunts. “You shouldn’t be out here!”
“It’s fine. These people aren’t with Team Rocket.”
“B-but… they’re pretty weird-looking.” Allister, the ghost-masked boy said.
“Then who are they?” Bea asked, kneeling to rub Grapploct’s head.
“We’re KND, sweetheart!” She gasped as Vweeb jumped on her hand. “Sorry for the, uh…self-defense.”
“Uh…” Bea blinked in surprise. Did this little thing really hurt her and her Pokémon? How was it so tough.
“You two…” Marnie approached Sugar and Meloetta in the back. “You’re Sugar… and are you Goddess Meloetta?!”
“IIIIIII aaaaaaaaam!” Meloetta performed a twirl as she adapted dark-gray clothes with the same hair color as Team Yell, styled in a row of spikes.
Marnie was awash in joy. “We heard the gods and the Firstborn were gone, but… was that a lie?!”
“No. Meloetta was a survivor.” Nebula answered. “This wouldn’t be a KND base, would it?”
“This is Spikemuth. My town.” Marnie answered. “Come inside.”
There was a town inside of the massive warehouse, almost completely dark except for the neon lights and the sun poking through holes in the roof. The streets were crammed with shops lined up cheek by jowl, but those same shops were crammed with terrified-looking families. Nebula kicked a discarded soda abandoned on the road. “This is one of the only towns Team Rocket didn’t turn their sights on. Probably too small to be of any worth. It became a refugee camp for people from across the country.”
“It does look rather crowded…” Nebula said.
“My cousin and I are the leaders of Stow-on-Side Gym.” Bea explained. “Our town was also taken over…”
“Is your cousin here?” Vweeb asked, riding her shoulder.
“It’s me.” Allister moved his face directly behind Vweeb.
“YIPE!” Vweeb sprung up to Sugar’s hair, the singer giggling. “I, uh…don’t see the resemblance.”
“We came from two different branches alright.” Bea chuckled. “Unfortunately, there was only one gym for us to inherit.”
“W-We take turns every week.” Allister shirked.
Marnie brought them to Spikemuth Gym… except it was actually a fenced-in court, like one would see in an Earth alleyway for basketball. There was a small music stage on the other side. Most notably, there was a dark-skinned girl with dark-blue hair practicing graceful waterbending moves against her Toxapex. Nessa spun amidst one of her attacks and stopped to see the guests. “Marnie! Did you find more trainers?”
“No, Nessa. These are-”
“NESSA?!” Vweeb popped out of Sugar’s hair. “THE Nessa?!” He hit the ground, scampered over, and stopped before Nessa’s sandals. “Ahhhhhh…” His eyes became pools of admiration. “The pictures don’t do you justice… You are a goddess of the sea.”
“…” Nessa blinked. She’d never met such a small, but intelligent creature. Let alone such a flattering one. “Thank you?”
“You know her, Vweeb?” Nebula asked.
“KNOW HER?! She’s one of the best models on the planet! She purifies all bodies of water with her presence! And, seeing her up close… you TOTALLY could pass for an Inkling!”
“I… could?” Nessa wanted to ask what an Inkling was.
“Like, seriously, you would look SO good next to Marina! Oh, you should model together sometime!”
Allister’s face poked between Nessa’s legs. “You should see her when she rides Milotic.”
“EEEK!” Both Vweeb and Nessa were startled back by the ghost boy.
Marnie briefed them on how Team Rocket invaded their H.Q. and their current agenda. “We only escaped… because my brother Piers gave himself up. But any moment now, they can… Their Dynamaxed Pokémon will trample right over this town!”
“She’s right!” Bea punched her palm, her gray eyes burning with resolve. “We can’t just keep holding up here. We need to fight!”
“We can’t…” Allister whimpered. “Almost every Gym Leader was captured… We’re too outnumbered.”
“But now we have an actual Firstborn here.” Marnie said. “Not to mention the GKND Supreme Leader. We have a chance!”
“Yeah, but Meloetta doesn’t have the same power that she used-”
“Sugar, what kind of attitude is that?!” Meloetta shouted. “No matter what I am, the song still lives inside my heart! I will empower people with it! Just like we did on Mobius!”
“Hey, you’re right! If Team Rocket is brainwashing trainers, then my song should be able to save them, too!”
“Well, yeah, that’s a good point… but what I really meant was these people need some pumping up!” The Song Spirit danced onto the stage. “Anyone’s welcome to join me!”
Sugar laughed and went up as well. Marnie, smiling at the notion of singing with two legends, grabbed an electric guitar.
“Another day, another fight. Another chance to make things right.” Townsfolk and refugees were already piling around the gym. The perimeter of the fence grew very clustered. “We will be strong, the way it should be… That’s right, you and me!”
Sugar and Marnie joined Meloetta in chorus. “We will be heroes! We can change the world if we tryyyy! I go where you go. Forever friends, you and I!”
Bea’s feet began to bop to the rhythm. She soon felt the urge in her legs… and with it came a need to train. She called out her Fighting-types to join her in an exercise-dance! Nessa felt her blood pumping, which in turn made her chi paths want to flow more. Her body moved as fluently as water.
“The moment’s right, the time has come. For us to stand, together as one. So, take my hand and follow me! It’s our destiny!”
Nebula tapped her foot to the beat. She turned—Allister’s mask was practically up against her face. “AAAH!”
“W-Would you dance with me…?”
“Uhhhh…sure.”
“We will be heroes! We can change the world if we try! I go where you go. Forever friends… you and I! We will be HEROES! We can do it if we try!”
“YOOOOOOO!” screamed a Team Yell grunt. “I wanna fight Team Rocket NOOOOOW!”
“Yeah!” yelled a blonde boy in the audience. “We can’t let them boss us around! Right, Tommy?!”
“John, don’t be crazy!” his brown-haired friend argued. “We can’t go out and risk our lives over a little song!”
“B-But… we were gonna be the greatest trainers toge-”
“That isn’t the same, John! Ugh…” Tommy stomped his way through the crowds in a huff.
“Er…he’s not wrong.” Another trainer agreed, shirking in fear.
“Oh…I guess I’m losing my touch.” Meloetta bowed in sadness.
“Nobody here has to fight with us.” Nebula told them. “But it won’t stop us from winning this battle.”
“You can count on us, too!” Bea stood firm beside her fellow Gym Leaders. “Galar is our home! We’ll protect it no matter what!”
“Then we’d better get started. We’ll drive Team Rocket out of each of your homes!”
“HEY! BOSS MARNIE!” A Yell grunt rushed over. “Motostoke just fell!”
“Motostoke?!”
“It’s completely frozen over! Here’s a picture someone posted when it happened!” He raised his phone. The operatives were horrified as an industrial city was swept up in blistering cold. They could faintly make out a small, but large-headed figure mounted on a horse, among hundreds of despairing citizens.
“I think that place needs our help first.” Nebula said.
Sinnoh; Oreburgh City
Anthony and Tom Taylor whiffed the refreshing scent of coal and plowed earth in the air. Smoke rose from chimneys across the mining town beyond the bridge. It stood at the foot of a great mountain, which itself was part of a range that spanned along the center of Sinnoh. “Yep. I’m lovin’ this country.” Anthony said. “The earth feels so strong here!”
“Yeah, but when’re we gonna visit Uxie’s lake?!” Emily whined. “She probably stored OODLES of knowledge there!”
“Our priority is aiding the good folk of this world.” Fybi reminded. “And likewise beating the ever-loving snot out of the bad.”
Sector W had first landed on Sandgem Town; a name like that was begging Shelly to come! Team Rocket had the peaceful seaside town surrounded by blockades, but the operatives would crush them as easily as sandcastles. They got an overview of the situation from a trainer sector, led by a girl named Dawn, and it was their suggestion that the earthbenders visit here next.
Anthony clasped the soil with his toes. He could feel the entire town: the Rocket Agents patrolling, the thundering of their Pokémon, and poor civilians forced to mine materials for them. But more strangely… Anthony felt more supernatural formations in the earth. (Play “Area Zero” from Scarlet & Violet!)
Act 3: Oreburgh
The metal bridge to Oreburgh was broken up into small segments. The Earth Children stood on each one as Emily used her bending to make them lean toward the next. Gem-laced, sparkling boulders were being thrown at them. Neither bender could grab it in their own chi, but Shelly could still deflect it with a Sand Fist. The boulders were being thrown and empowered by a Gigalith, shimmering with the same gem-like texture and wearing a large jewel on top, resembling a temple. Once the operatives were across the chasm, the Gigalith used a Sand Attack, blinding the ops with sparkling dust. Regardless, they felt its position with Seismic Sense, but even assaulting it with their combined attacks had a hard time damaging it. Fybi blew the storm away with airbending as Arianna attacked Gigalith with Razor Leaves, defeating the Rock-type.
“Good thing we have Arianna.” Emily said. “Both Rock and Ground-types are weak to Grass-types.”
“What’s the difference between Rock and Ground-types?” Arianna wondered.
“Literally nothing.” Anthony scoffed.
“Actually,” Emily began, “they have the opposite strengths and weaknesses against Ice and Steel, respectively.”
“Like, who cares? They’re both still earthbending types.”
“Art we not more fascinated wherefore the Pokémon glitters?” Fybi asked.
“It’s not Mega Evolution, is it?” Tom pondered. The Gigalith regained its regular hue upon being KO’ed, its head jewel detaching. “No, can’t be. Great, what else are they feeding these guys?”
The operatives reached the mining yard, where Pokémon were digging through earth while bulldozers loaded the gravel onto dump trucks. The earth was littered with spiky gems: the earthbenders couldn’t move them, and they sure as heck weren’t walking on them. They platformed up a stairway of wood planks to make it onto a dirt pile of a dump truck, just as it was driving past. The truck passed a row of rectangular platforms, in which Stonjourners were stomping across them in repetition; likely trying to mine the gems within. The ops quickly jumped the platforms before the Pokémon made pancakes of them.
Once they hit a safe foothold, they approached what seemed like a stack of stair-like blocks, shimmering with the gem texture. The blocks rose to reveal a head and body; it was a Garganacl. The Rock Salt Pokémon cast salt over the kids; they felt their selves growing very dry and thirsty. Shelly, having just as much affinity with salt as much as sand, bent it out of her friends. She dodged Garganacl’s follow-up attacks and enforced her bending directly over the Pokémon, bending the very salt in its veins. Her teammates supported her by attacking it with their bending, until it finally passed out.
The Garganacl was guarding a carved, downward passage leading underground. “Tom, Fybi, stay up here and take care of the baddies aboveground.” Anthony ordered. “I feel more of them down under.”
“I wouldst not fair well in caves.” Fybi said. “Thank thee, Anthony.”
Anthony led his other three teammates into the mine. They were in awe as they traversed a tunnel of gems. An Alolan Golem ambushed them from a wall and fired electricity at them. Emily evaded and shot explosive slingshot pellets, while Arianna lashed Vine Whips. They reached a chasm in which they could Rockapult between descending platforms. There were Cradily lurking on each, ready to spit Gastro Acid. Arianna bent out Putrid Piranha Plants to engulf the acid and spit it back.
After finishing their descent, the four found their selves before a vast cavern of gems. “Whoa. Are we on Emera or what?” Anthony remarked in awe.
“It’s so lovely…” Arianna said.
The sounds of combat echoed up the cave. There were small, five-pointed Rock Pokémon flying around; Miniors. Anthony kicked rocks to intercept their tackles, breaking their shells and exposing the Red Cores underneath. Afterwards, Shelly finished the job with Sand Whips. There was a group of large gems along the ground, lined up in a zigzaggy order. Anthony hit one out of curiosity; it caused a thin gem to jut from the wall on their left. There was a stairway of such gems currently inside the wall, and the one that had come out was quickly receding. Emily used her Super Hoop to quickly bounce between the switch gems, and once the full stairway was out, Arianna needed to swing up them with vines, carrying her friends up one at a time.
They reached an upper floor of the vast cavern, where they saw the source of the combat: a miner in a red helmet and gray uniform ordered his Rampardos to attack a mechanical-looking Tyranitar. It KO’ed Rampardos with a Giga Impact. “HOLY COW!” Emily gawked. “A cyborg Pokémon?!”
“Emily, that man’s in danger!” Arianna shouted. “Put your bending to use!”
“Huhu, I gotta catch me one!” Emily raced up and bent out a metal shield, defending the miner from the Iron Thorns’ tail swing. She tried to control it in her own bending, but its will persevered as it knocked Emily down with an Earthquake. Anthony dropped, rolled, and covered himself in Rock Armor to match Iron Thorns’ size, engaging it in heavy combat. Thorns stepped back and charged to ram the statue backward, severing it from its feet. However, Anthony was hidden in the left foot: he willed the right to fly up and kick the cyborg’s jaw up, then slid the left into its feet. After toppling the green machine, Emily withdrew a pair of spring-loaded Mecha Gloves and rapidly bombarded its head.
The Rocket Agent commanding the Iron Thorns tried to run—“Where do ya think you’re going?!” Shelly shifted the earth beneath him to trip the agent.
“Hoo…I owe you kids big.” The miner sighed. “Name’s Roark. Roark the Rock!”
“Khh, lame.” Shelly snickered.
Anthony introduced them. “Wait… don’t tell me you’re the Firstborn Guardians?”
“Uh…yeah. But that’s not important now.”
“No, it is! It’s great that you’re here! If we hurry, we can still save it!”
“Save what?”
“These gems you see everywhere… they only appeared in this mine recently. After a Legendary migrated here from Paldea.”
“A Legendary?” Arianna repeated. “Is that why some of these Pokémon are so sparkly?”
“You must mean the Terastallized Pokémon. Yes. Inside these gems are special minerals that allow Pokémon to attain those forms. That’s why Team Rocket really wanted their hands on our mine. But if they find Terapagos, things will be even worse. Let’s hurry!”
The group nodded and hastily followed him up the cavern. They would have to platform small gems floating above an abyss. Glimmoras flew between the platforms with Spike Shields raised, but Shelly kept them at bay with her own spiky sandballs. Arianna used vines to pull down some of the higher platforms, but they would ascend and carry them up after she released. “So, Roark, what was that cyborg Pokémon just now?” Emily asked. “And where can I get me one?!”
“I… don’t really know, actually. But I heard other trainers have been dealing with some. It’s probably another Team Rocket project.”
“Man, and I thought permanently gigantifying their Pokémon was cool enough.”
“’kay, whose side are you on, Em?” Anthony asked.
They landed on a straightforward, albeit zigzaggy path suspended above the chasm, full of gaps. “COALOSSAL!” But there were hulking, black Rock-types on footholds along the wall. Carrying molten coal on their heads, they shot it randomly around the path. The earthbenders raised shields of their own element, sharing them with Arianna and Roark as they duck-ran across the path. They watched their feet for both pitfalls and scalding rocks.
There was a rickety wooden bridge at the end of the path, and, as if they predicted it, the beginning of the bridge snapped from some stray coal just after they were on. “WHOOOA!” They clung onto the planks as the bridge hit the opposite cliff. As they climbed it, Anthony used his bending to deter more scalding coal that threatened their ladder. Finally, they were all safely into the next cavern. (End song.)
There was a much denser formation of gems. The operatives calmly approached, mesmerized by their glow. “?” Anthony stepped on small, cyan-colored gem. The gem wriggled beneath him; Anthony jumped back in shock. “Ter?” What seemed like an indigo-skinned turtle poked its limbs out of the gem.
“Awwwwe.” Arianna cooed. “Hello, little friend. Did Anthony step on you?”
“I like squishin’ sea turtles sometimes.” Shelly smirked.
“Ah! We’ve found it!” Roark beamed. “Terapagos!”
“Oh, this is the Legendary?” Anthony asked.
The turtle crawled up to Anthony and sniffed him. “Tera! Tera!” Its eyes sparkled up at him.
“Huh. You gonna keep him?” Shelly asked.
“I…I feel somethin’…” Anthony knelt and touched its shell. He felt a strong chi resonating from it. “…You know Michelle… don’t you?”
“You were the Guardian of the Diamond Princess.” Roark knew. “The Legendaries are loyal servants of the gods. I had a feeling it would like you.”
Its chi was very similar to Michelle’s… and yet different. “Did you…Did you come from Emera?”
A Darkball flew down and hit the Terapagos. “HUH?!” In an instant, it became dark energy and was sucked inside.
“Finally.” A boy in an Elite Rocket helmet jumped down from the gems. He wore a white sweater and shorts. “I found it.” He grabbed the Pokéball off the ground. “Now I’ll be the strongest trainer in Paldea!”
“GIVE IT BACK!” Anthony stomped a rock-jab, the boy dodging.
“Let’s go, Aerodactyl.” He tossed another Darkball, freeing a Mega Aerodactyl. (Play “Fire In Your Mind” from Astro Bot!)
“DACTYYYYYYYL!” The trainer jumped on the back of the stone-spiked dinosaur. “?!” It grew infuriated when the benders threw attacks. It shot down and knocked them down with a shockwave.
“HEY!” Anthony screamed as the dinosaur seized him in its talons. “LET ME GO! UGH!” The Aerodactyl ascended and smashed through the rocky ceiling, exposing the cave to the light of outside.
“We have to help him!” Roark yelled. “He’ll be eaten alive!”
Outside, Tom had robbed another Rocket Agent of his teeth while Fybi swept a bunch up into a dusty dump truck. They felt the earth rumbling, dumbstruck as a massive pterodactyl erupted from the earth in the distance. “PUT ME DOWN, YOU DUMB BIRD!” The Aerodactyl soared to a high point of Mt. Coronet.
“ANTHONY!” The air exploded from Fybi’s wings with how swift she took off.
Another Elite Agent was waiting up the peak, meeting the Aerodactyl and its trainer. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt. “You got the Legendary, Kieran?”
“Yeah. Take care of these outsiders, Flint.” Kieran tossed Aerodactyl’s Darkball to him. The younger trainer jumped into an aircraft.
“Sure.” Flint threw a Pokéball of his own.
A Gigantamax Coalossal exploded into being, situated on the cliff beneath Flint. “COOOOOAAAAAAAAAL!” It was a whopping 137 feet tall, oozing like a living volcano.
“AY!” Fybi was speechless that such a massive creature could just appear out of nowhere. The Coalossal surged and erupted magma meteors. “Prithee wait for me, Anthony!” Fybi dove straight downward like a jet. Just before hitting the earth, she shifted and soared in a horizontal angle, evading the storm of magma that splashed around her. “TOM!” She halted upon reaching the eldest teammate, who kept his hands raised to repel the lava around him. “I need thee with me!” She handed him a blue Skypian Apple.
“Yeah, things are heating up, huh?” Tom nipped a small portion of the apple. The 5’9” boy of 18 shrunk to the size of an action figure. He was light in Fybi’s hands as she placed him on her frizzy orange hair. Tom held firm against the rushing winds as Fybi returned skyward. Even at this size, his chi spread far enough to keep the raining lava away from Fybi. He even amassed some of it into a massive fist: with the speed Fybi flew toward Coalossal’s face, Tom RAMMED the Magma Fist into it with combustive force!
“Huuuuurrrk…ulk…” The Aerodactyl squeezed the breath out of Anthony. His pulsing eyes met Aerodactyl’s ravenous gaze. Now that its prey was nice and still, the carnivore bent its head down, maw wide open. “AAAAAH!”
“’Tis rude to put thine teeth on others!” Fybi shot a wind-laced energy arrow from her B.OW., zipping down Aerodactyl’s gullet. The Pokémon endured the sensation and flicked its tail at the Nimbi. Fybi dodged upward and conjured a storm cloud, striking the beast’s head with lightning.
“That was super effective!” Emily exclaimed. “As a Rock-type, Aerodactyl should be resistant to wind and lightning, but as a Flying-type, it’s actually weak to lightning!”
“Wait,” Shelly began, “so a Pokémon can have two types that contradict each other, but instead of giving it better resistance, it gets more weaknesses? That’s a raw deal.”
“You’re too early to understand the intricacies of the sport.”
Aerodactyl fled from Fybi, and while chasing it would be no problem, Coalossal was blasting more meteors at them. “At this rate, Anthony will wind up too overcooked for it to eat!” Tom said. “Fybi, give me a good tunnel!” She spun as Tom grabbed the meteors. Fybi formed a Wind Tunnel in Coalossal’s direction so Tom could throw them with the force of a cannon, striking Coalossal with enough power to dizzy it. Tom would defend Fybi against jagged rocks shot from Aerodactyl, and with the same strategy, he liquefied the rocks as Fybi helped shoot them back. Aerodactyl evaded most, but one burned it in the spine.
Fybi began to circle around the beast like a tornado, stirring one into existence and channeling lightning through it. The electricity closed in on Aerodactyl from multiple directions. It had the negative result of spreading to Anthony, but the earthbender held strong against it. The weakened Aerodactyl dropped its prey. Fybi dove down and grabbed her friend in a hug. “I pray that was tolerable.”
“Heh heh heh.” Anthony’s hair stood from the static. “Don’t worry. You’re still a softie.”
“COOOOAAAL!” The Coalossal was bellowing more meteors. The three operatives exchanged firm glances: Tom got onto Anthony’s head as Fybi dove them toward the titan; Anthony’s weight was helpful in her descent. She spun, channeled wind, and hurdled both boys at its molten face. “METEOR IMPACT!” Their combined, powerful chi smashed Coalossal’s face into itself. However, this had the unfortunate consequence of Coalossal tumbling off its cliff, just a short distance from Oreburgh City.
“UH-OH!” Arianna screamed. “That’s going to cause serious damage!”
“Not if I can help it!” Shelly stomped the earth and entered Beach Bully’s Fury. She converted a massive area around her into sand and surfed it like a wave to get beneath the titan’s impact point. Afterwards, she created a giant, sandy umbrella to support its massive weight. It was threatening to burn through, so Shelly shifted the umbrella into a slide to softly carry it away from town. It landed with a mostly gentle impact. (End song.)
Anthony and Tom climbed out of its body, having used a stone shield to protect from the lava. Fybi rejoined them on the earth, along with their friends. They all shared smiles of victory… and glancing at Tiny Tom on Anthony’s head, they chuckled. Fybi set a red apple on the ground, with Tom jumping down to eat it. “AEROOOOO!” They were startled as Aerodactyl was diving down to reclaim its meal.
A pair of gigantic tears crashed into it, the Rock-type injured by the water. Arianna threw a storm of Razor Leaves to add injury and finally ground the dinosaur. …And just as they wondered who shot those tears… they found a familiar boy in a black ushanka. “…Harvey?”
“…” The emotionbender couldn’t meet his old leader’s gaze. “Hey.”
“…What are you doing here?”
“…I felt it.” His voice was low. “The moment… Mesprit died.”
Anthony’s glare kept firm. “Where’s Aranea?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying! You were involved in her plan, weren’t you?!”
“I…I knew what she was gonna do, a-and…and she asked me to come with her. But then I changed my-”
“WHERE IS SHE?!”
“Chill, dude.” Shelly touched his shoulder. “He ain’t lying. I feel his heartbeat.” A trick that came with Seismic Sense.
“Shelly, the ground’s sandy!”
“And who’s the sand expert here?”
“Look, I’ve been here for a week.” Harvey turned. “I…I’ve been in Mesprit’s cave on Lake Verity. Not far from here. Her Emotion Trial was still active. …I can’t pass it.”
“…Huh.” Anthony merely scoffed.
“…I’ve also been fighting Team Rocket. They totaled my ship, so I couldn’t leave, anyway… Before I knew it, saw you guys here.”
“I almost got eaten just now. Would thatta made you happy?”
“N-No.”
“You were sure happy when Michelle-”
“I know what I said! I-I…I wasn’t thinking straight, I know…”
“Anthony… we both must calm our hearts.” Fybi said, folding both hands over his left. “Harvey doth bear his reasons for his anger… but now they art wrestling with guilt. Is it wise to reap from his sorrow?”
“…No.” Anthony looked to him again. “So, what are you gonna do now?”
“…I dunno.”
“Okay, well, we got places to be. So… you keep doin’ whatever.” Anthony marched off to secure the rest of the town. The others spared one more look to Harvey before following him.
Road to Motostoke
With the snow-ridden town just miles in sight, Nebula’s crew fought through another platoon of Rocket Agents. A Gigantamax Butterfree eclipsed them in its shadow, raining spores. Nebula warped above the 55-foot butterfly and rained her own Star Storm. Bea gasped—a Mega Beedrill zoomed at her from behind. She braced herself in defense, “HAH!” Vweeb jumped and kicked the Beedrill’s stinger upward, hurting it. Vweeb landed on its body and jumped to grab one of its wings, tugging and causing it to plummet. Vweeb finished the human-sized bee off with a stomp to its skull. “Boom!” And he landed gracefully on the ground.
“Your technique is outstanding.” Bea said. “How can you be so strong?”
“Because our willpower is the same size as you ‘normal size’ creatures. We just train to harness and develop it.”
“You have to teach me.” She bowed.
“With muscles like these,” Vweeb jumped on her foot and rubbed the edge of her leg, “you got the potential.”
“Whoa! Who’s that Pokémon?!” Nessa gasped. A pair of wings in the shape of a crescent moon graced the sky.
“Is it… Salamence?” Allister asked.
“SAAAAAL!” It was a Roaring Moon, spreading wings of blue and crimson feathers. Bea was about to command her Machamp to intercept as it dove in for the attack.
“STOP!” The beast was frozen in time. The phenomena came from a thin girl in a purple cape and blonde-pinkish hair, raising her signature Chrono Staff.
“MaKayla?!” Nebula exclaimed.
“I don’t sense corruption in you.” MaKayla planted her staff into the ground. “Return to when you came.” A portal opened behind the Roaring Moon, sucking it inside.
“Was that timebending?” Nessa gasped. And whoa… she’s so skinny. What’s her secret?
“What are you doing here, MaKayla? Did your sector decide to join the mission?”
“Well, yes… but it so happens that we had urgent business here. Remember when Dialga and Palkia were destroyed? And all those time-space rifts appeared?”
“And our bodies stretched all weirdly?” Sugar cringed. “Couldn’t forget that.”
“Because of that, time rifts have been popping up all over the universe. I’ve been working to fix them in-between this war… but just this morning, I learned about hundreds of loose paradoxes on this very planet!”
“Loose paradoxes?”
“Basically, creatures that have run too far from the rift zone. According to Sigmund’s data, they’re all Pokémon from the past and future!”
“Really?!” Bea gasped.
“We heard about other sectors encountering cybernetic Pokémon.” Marnie said. “And others that looked like ones from ancient fossils.”
“So now, I need to be here to manually send these paradoxes back. And, uh…coincidentally, we saw this big snowstorm from the atmosphere.” Kayla smiled sheepishly. “So, Suki wanted to go see it. The others are with her. Nice to run into you.”
“Hah, we can just leave this mission to them!” Vweeb said.
“No, we’re still going.” Nebula stated. “If Team Rocket learns Miyuki’s here, she could be in danger.”
Mobius
Tangle the Lemur kept back to evade Zoroark’s Night Slashes, stretching her tail to punch its face when the opening presented itself. “Haha! This guy’s cake! AAH!”
A White Zoroark extended its shadow beneath Tangle, rising as it nearly struck her. “I got ya!” Aisa ran to her side and used a Flash Dial to repel the shadow.
“Thanks, Aisa!”
“Anytime! Hey, give this a whirl!” Aisa lent Tangle her Conache Pumpkin.
“A pumpkin?” She held it in her tail. “Whoa, it’s heavy! Ohhhhh, I get it!” She spun and bashed both Zoroarks as if it were a wrecking ball.
Lanolin faced a stampede of Mega Dubwool, equipped with massive horns and extremely dense wool. Lanolin ran from and lured them away from a village using her musical cowbell. Meanwhile, Aeincha glid on her holo-dragonfly wings and sheered the wool off with her scissors. Once enough of their skin was exposed, Lanolin leapt and bashed the Pokémon with her cowbell.
“Huff…huff…finally…” She needed to catch her breath. “Thanks, Aeincha. …Aeincha?”
“Right here!” Aeincha was snuggling in Lanolin’s hair. “Mmmmmmm. Your wool is so cozy, I couldn’t help it. Can I pretty please cut it later?”
“Ha ha ha!” Lanolin had glimpsed at Aeincha’s secret, how she liked making beds out of peoples’ hair. It may have been odd, but the Lilliputian was precious and innocent. “Sure you can.”
Whisper the Wolf and April Goldenweek were battling two Mega Smeargles. The artist Pokémon replicated the Color Powers of Whisper’s Wispon and even April’s Paint Hypnotism. So, ultimately, both girls used Soothing Green (which causes opponents to want to have a picnic) and Green Hover. The Smeargles used the same techniques against them, so all four were hovering above a floating picnic blanket, sipping airborne tea. “This was a good idea…” Whisper said very softly.
“It was.” April replied with similar volume.
Maddy and Mocha were challenged by a Buzzwole, a muscular insectoid, and a Guzzlord, a giant, black beast with a vast maw of yellow teeth. “That thing looks like a jack-o-lantern mixed with a crab!” Mocha said.
“And Zach tries to tell me Pokémon aren’t genetic experiments.”
“Think you can teach me that Paper Haki trick?”
“It’s never too late to learn!”
Zootopia
With some persuasion between Winter, Cheadle, and the police, the former general led the Ace Operatives to a balcony of the prison. A stampede of Dynamax Pokémon were closing in on the already-rebuilding city. “The Galactic Army has abandoned this world, and the KND are still recovering from what they’ve done. I’m not asking you to change sides… but I know you don’t want this world to suffer either.”
“…We don’t.” Vine answered.
“But after what happened to Ironwood-” Harriet tried to argue.
“Forget about Ironwood!” Marrow shouted. “Forget about what his plan was or his mission… I’m done wearing this rank like a collar. I wanna fight for my planet.”
“Me, too.” Elm stomped proudly.
“…You’re right.” Harriet said.
“Well… I guess it’s unanimous.” Clover smiled. “Lead the way… General.”
When I was little, I always wanted an Aerodactyl toy. I loved the episode where Ash almost got eaten by one. X3 (I think I just love seeing cute cartoon characters in life-threatening situations, especially shows that don’t normally have them.) Also, Nebula meeting the Sword & Shield characters is a very slight nod to her son in Third Gen knowing the World’s End Club characters, because the artist “take” worked on designs for both games.
Chapter 32: Poké Saga 3: Eclipse over Kalos
Summary:
Sector V confront a powerful Legendary Pokémon in Lumiose City, dangerous even to Sheila. Sector L meet some new friends in Alola!
Chapter Text
A basic glossary to different Pokémon forms and variants:
Mega Evolution: A “Fury Form” that Pokémon can undertake by absorbing energy from special materials, unique for each Pokémon. Under normal conventions, not all Pokémon have had such materials discovered, yet, but Team Rocket’s drugs can force any Pokémon to go Mega.
Dynamax: The act of greatly enlarging a Pokémon using special bands affixed with certain materials.
Gigantamax: The same, in nature, to Dynamax, except certain Pokémon can become unique forms and can use powerful G-Max moves.
Terastallization: Pokémon gain a coating of gem armor through Tera Jewels found inside certain gems. It can change a Pokémon’s elemental attributes and otherwise improve their strength.
Paradox Pokémon: Due to recent time rifts, Pokémon from the ancient past and possible futures have wound up in the present. They don’t share conventional names with normal Pokémon, but rather a name of two normal words like “Scream Tail.”
Rift Beast: Pokémon that exist between dimensions and arrive on the planet during dimensional distortions. They seem to be more frequent now, too.
Study well and catch ’em all!
Chapter 28: Eclipse over Kalos
A hard day of conquering a world was rewarded with a relaxing rest at the day spa. Giovanni’s back lay along a Dragonair, arms and legs hung to either side as it swum around a pool of bubbles. Said bubbles were blown up by Dewpiders. Giovanni glanced at the shore. His Alolan Persian was asleep. A pity he lost his first one…
December last year
“Pokémon who take the Mega Formula die within a month.” Giovanni told his comrades during a pool party. He held a vial of the potion between his fingers. “We’ve been trying to improve it… but for now, we’re relying on mass breeding and cloning. Of course, the clones die much sooner. I want to develop a similar formula for Dynamax as well. I’m planning to ask Caesar’s help for that.”
“Evolution should be natural, after all.” Kroctus said, floating on an inflatable croc. “To hasten it is to die young. Still, if you need more Pokémon, I’m sure I can get some to bend to your will.”
“Ivo may be letting you have Mobius, but Pokémon are my expertise.”
“Hah hah hah har!” Kroctus’ hulking hand smacked Giovanni’s back. “Now, now, I’m just worried your army may surpass mine is all!”
“When do you think you’ll initiate this plan, anyway?” Eggman asked, wearing a red-striped swimsuit on an inflatable raft.
“Certainly by the time this alleged war begins.” Giovanni answered. “In fact, that may be the best time. Our enemies may be too divided to interfere. For now, there’s work to be done. I need to organize kidnappings of the Elite Fours and Champions. Hopefully, my new Devil Fruit combined with your two’s darkness will be able to control them.”
“Please take all the Dark Chi you need.” Lord Gnaa said, kicked back on the shore. “I’m not quite as stingy as Majora.”
The troll in question sighed. “I don’t MMind lending you some… but I have one strict request.” His dull eyes brimmed with malice. “You MMust never harm MMiyuki.”
“Duly noted…” Giovanni internally scoffed. What was it with Majora’s affection for that girl?
“Ideally, the KND shouldn’t be a problem by that time.” Eggman said. “If our plans actually went well half the time. I have good faith in Infinite, but there are too many unknown variables.”
“I’m rather looking forward to this.” Kroctus smiled. “Whether we succeed or fail… it’s bound to be a grand experience.”
“WE DON’T GOT ROOM FOR FAILURES HERE!” Bowser bellowed. The steaming pool was deep enough to fit his 30-foot frame to his head. “This is the year we TROUNCE the KND!”
“Yes, but after that latest scuffle,” Gruntilda said, her skull floating in a bubble, “I’m amazed I’m still in the Presidents, those truffles! I’d almost think Giovanni would work better. He used to be with them; he could get his placing back with a letter!”
“I have better things to do than spy on those fools. My place is right here.”
“Grah hah hah, THAT’S the spirit!” Bowser raised a giant drink of Nintendo Capri Sun. “HERE’S TO CONQUERING THE UNIVERSE!”
“HEAR, HEAR!” And they all chugged their capri sun!
Present
It could’ve been great. Kroctus sitting at the top of Mobius, Eggman and his army of Xenoblades… all of them ruling the universe together. But those two dreams were taken… It was up to the rest of them now. For their sake… Giovanni had to succeed.
Kalos
Lumiose City was a sprawling, beautiful metropolis according to Clemont’s team. The streets bustling with happy people and Pokémon, shops and cafés that were always full of activity, and the Prism Tower that stood as the symbol of the city, and maybe to all newcomers to Kalos. The layout was even shaped like a spoked wheel, the Gilligans noticed as the Sunny Day approached from the sky. Large portions of the city were demolished as Mega and Gigantamax Pokémon lurked. “Hey… what’s going on with the tower?” Serena asked.
There was a ball of blackness pulsating at the top of Prism Tower. “This is worse than I thought.” Clemont said.
“Crikey, look at that big black bubble!” Sheila pointed. “I bet ya that’ll make a RIPPER popping sound!”
“Is it… Dark Chi?” Aurora asked. “I can’t really tell.”
“HEY, DILLON!” Vanellope startled her brother. “I wanna join the adventure this time! This looks way cooler than fighting digital Pokémon!”
“Vanel, we were playing Digimon.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference is it’s way more fun in real life!” Sheila said, wrapping an arm around Dillon. “WAHOOOOO!” She jumped off, Vanellope zipping after them.
“WHAT ABOUT MASON?!” Dillon cried.
“Nah, you deserve to have fun with the captain, too.” Mason said. “Hey, Harry, why don’t you and me do something? We never do anything together.”
“Uh…sure.” (Play “Gym Leader Battle” from Pokémon X/Y!)
Act 4: Lumiose City
Sheila, Dillon, and Vanel were immediately ambushed by two Mega Sableyes and Weaviles. The Sableyes used their large ruby shields to protect against Sheila’s lightbending, while otherwise extending their shadows to hurt the operatives. Dillon merely used the same tactic, stretching two Shade Fists behind the Sableyes and reeling them back to punch them onto their fronts. Sheila hammered them with two Light Fists next. The Weaviles zipped about with great speed, leaving streaks of ice to injure the humans, but Vanellope matched their speed with her glitches and kicked them into unconsciousness.
A chunk of the road was completely demolished as the sewers beneath were electrified. “Hey.” Vanel pointed. “Check out those pixelly portals.” Said portals were lined up over the ruined road. She kicked off one as an experiment, “Whoa!” A Porygon2 zipped out of the portal. It retracted after a few seconds.
“Sheila, be careful!” Dillon panicked. “That’s the Seizure Pokémon! It’s, like, super banned!”
“No it’s not, that was the first Porygon’s fault!” Clemont responded through comms. “That’s why it was upgraded in the first place! Porygon2 and Z did nothing wrong!”
“Wot happened to all the letters and numbers in-between?” Sheila wondered.
“Well, it’s about to redeem itself now!” Vanellope glitch-kicked between the Pory-Portals, luring the Pokémon out. Sheila and Dillon quickly platformed across them and reached safe ground. A Rocket Agent summoned a Mega Manectric, a blue canine with yellow, spiked, electric armor. The dog zipped around with lightning speed; Sheila grabbed Dillon and used lightspeed to help him dodge it. Using this technique in repetition caused the Manectric’s armor to dissipate. Dillon quickly pulled it into his Veil to deliver a beatdown.
The trio was at the edge of a vast pool of electricity; a gaping crater that replaced a chunk of ruined town. A Gigantamax Pikachu loomed in the center of it, conjuring a dark cloud that struck lightning around it. “Wow. They finally caught Pikachu.” Dillon said. There was a Porygon-Z floating nearby, and Vanellope took note of the holographic platforms around the pool. Vanellope glitched over and mounted the Porygon: it began to fly past the platforms, using its power to spawn them into reality. Sheila and Dillon had to jump across them before they re-digitized, evading Pikachu’s bolts in-between them.
One of the holo-platforms was a long, vertical wall that was complexly shaped. Dillon had to carry Sheila across with Veil before it would disappear. This was followed by swinging hanging light targets with Sheila’s Light Chains. They made it behind the giant Pikachu and jumped a flight of platforms ascending around its tail, the Thunderbolts following them at every step. Sheila and Dillon were above the titan’s head, the captain enticed by its tremendous bolt-shaped tail. Sheila spun up a giant Light Hand to GRAB the tail! “SHEILA-CHUUUUUUU!” She hoisted the 68-foot giant overhead and SLAMMED it on its back. The Pikachu passed out, and the ops could safely cross its body to the next part of the city.
“Awe, its cheeks are so chubby though!” Vanellope couldn’t help but nuzzle its staticky cheeks.
The Pikachu’s ear served as a bridge to the pavilion of a large building. Lumiose Museum, it was labeled. “Oh, crud!” There was a lone lady Rocket Agent guarding the entrance. “It’s the Pirate King!”
“The taste of their fear never gets old.” Sheila sighed.
“You said it.” Vanel smirked. Dillon cocked a brow at them.
The agent frantically grabbed her Darkball, “Get ’em, Alcremie!” A small Pokémon made of Rainbow Swirl cream appeared, topped with Star Sweets in its “hair.”
“Sweet buttermilk, that looks tasty!” Vanellope and Sheila drooled.
“Guys, just so you know,” Raleigh called, “it’s taboo to eat any Pokémon, no matter how it looks.” (“Slurpuff!”)
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want animal rights activists invading this planet.” Dillon remarked.
“Don’t get us started on that.”
“Now, have a taste of her GIGANTAMAX!” The agent shone her band over Alcremie. The small pile of cream exploded into the form of a towering 98-feet high cake.
“Welp, I’m hungry now. Dillon, Gigantamax me!” Dillon pulled out the H.E.A.D.S.E.T. II and scanned her with it. Vanellope absorbed the gigantifying program Marina made for her, growing large enough to match the cake. Alcremie tried to confuse Vanellope with a Sweet Kiss; it did have the effect of making Vanel’s face morph and distort. Regardless, Vanellope glitched her boot against its side and toppled the cake. She knelt over and balled her fists: the fists glitched to random points around its body until the Alcremie was creamed.
After Dillon KO’ed the agent, and Vanellope shrunk to normal, the trio entered the museum. Most of the areas were sealed off with steel shutters. “This way’s open!” Sheila followed the way to the Augmented Museum. There was another Porygon-Z floating in an empty room with dark-blue lighting. Vanellope kicked the virtual Pokémon: it flashed an energy that spawned the virtual museum into being. They were surrounded by large orange mushrooms, magenta bushels, and large digital Venomoths that slowly flapped wings in and out.
The kids platformed up them while the wings were open and reached the next corridor of the attraction. It was a digital pond with lotuses and Politoeds mounted on lilipads. Vanellope glitch-jumped to the first Politoed and kicked it, making it shoot its tongue at a lotus. Sheila and Dillon could tightrope-walk across it and reach a mushroom platform. Afterwards, Sheila had to Light Chain a sequence of fireflies, which Politoeds were snatching away with their tongues. The flies would respawn, but Sheila would have to swing her friends across quickly. The river would turn left from their next mushroom checkpoint. A line of holographic Yanmegas were rapidly swooping toward them before U-turning back. Vanellope saw another Porygon-Z on the other side; she was able to glitch her way across and hit it. This triggered the Yanmegas to slow down, allowing her friends to safely platform across.
The door to the next room had a sign that read, CLOSED! Room in progress. Sheila, being ever curious, kicked it open, anyway. “AAAAH!” She and Dillon shut their eyes from a flashing array of red and blue.
“Poryyyyy!” The Porygon inside cried and turned away.
“It’s the original Porygon!” Dillon yelled. “The bad one!”
“Crikey, even I ain’t like this!” Sheila said.
“Hey, calm down!” Vanellope ran up to the Pokémon, unbothered by the strobing. “It’s okay! We’ll help you! Sheila, get over here!”
“Ah’ll try.” Sheila held hands forward to feel her way. She felt Porygon’s polygonal body as Vanellope pulled her onto its back. They held hands and performed a Chi Unison: Vanellope’s glitching and Sheila’s lightbending quelled the strobing lights of the virtual creature.
“Ah…” Dillon opened his eyes. Now that their view was clear, it was a star river with pink black holes. Dillon joined them as they rode Porygon like a swan. The black holes threatened to suck them in, but they took note of the comets flying overhead. Sheila hooked Light Chains to those comets as they helped pull them from the black holes. The ride ended along a narrow river in which polygonal trees grew to their sides: ruby, sapphire, gold, silver, black, and white. The friends took in the wondrous sight before climbing on shore.
“Thanks, Porygon.” Vanellope hugged its long face. “We know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone. See ya later.”
“Poryyyyy!”
The ride happened to end at an emergency exit, which led them off onto a stable town road. They reached the pavilion of Prism Tower; four Mega Manectrics ambushed them. They applied the same tactic as before, Sheila using lightspeed to help Dillon dodge the lightning-fast dogs. After their armor wore out, Dillon expanded a Shadow Shockwave, sending Mario out to gnash all four mutts at once.
“Hey, you guys made it!” Clemont and Raleigh caught up from a different street. “I’ve done a diagnostic on the tower; all the power is completely shut off! We gotta find out what that source of darkness is.”
“I can carry us up in a Veil.” Dillon said.
“NONSENSE!” Clemont declared. “The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, ON!” Four mechanical tentacles with octopus suction cups emerged from his backpack. “My new Grapploct Climbing Gear will get us up in a jiffy!”
“YEAH!” Raleigh hopped on Clemont’s back. “ONWARDS, Grapploct Gear!”
“Race you cobbers to the top!” Sheila had already built up a running start and dashed up the slanted base of the tower.
“Eat my pixels, Dillon!” Vanellope glitched up fast enough to catch up with Sheila. Dillon Veiled and chased after them.
“But…” Clemont frowned.
“Eh, it’s their loss!” Raleigh smiled.
Sheila spun a Light Fist to smash through the bubble of blackness at the top. “Eh?” Her bending barely seemed to effect it at all. Rather, the fist flew right past while lighting up a part of the bubble.
“So, is that not a Dark Chi cloud?” Dillon wondered.
The trio entered the blackness: quite the opposite they just felt with Porygon, they were completely blinded. “IT’S TOO DARK IN HERE!” Sheila grew massive Light Fists, making the top of the tower visible. “That’s better! …WOT’S THAT?!” (End song.)
There was a prismatic, pitch-black Pokémon sucking the light antenna at the top of the tower like a lollipop. “?!?!” It saw a tastier meal in Sheila’s fists, screeching a distorted, otherworldly sound. The captain panicked as it lunged at her, she and her mates dodging. “’ey, you want a taste of me?!” Sheila threw the fists, but they were merely absorbed into the prism. “Uh…’guess you do. WHOA!” The Pokémon lunged and tried to seize Sheila in its claw. Sheila ducked back and threw a foot up, kicking its arm upward. Sheila sprung up for a direct punch to its face, which itself was made of colorful prism shapes. The Pokémon reeled back from her strength, but would quickly get revenge with a Psycho Cut.
The impact sent Sheila flying off the tower and crashing into a rooftop. “Bluuuuh…” She landed upside-down with her legs askew. The family inside huddled up against the fireplace in fright.
Clemont and Raleigh were very slowly clambering up the building. “You should’ve modeled it after a faster Pokémon.” Raleigh said.
“Huh?!” The prism beast was flying after Sheila. “Necrozma?!”
Sheila climbed out of the roof hole; finding herself hot in Necrozma’s sights, she raised both hands to intercept its and wrestle the creature. Its face flashed in preparation of its Prismatic Laser, a storm of multi-colored beams that banished Sheila further across Lumiose, ripping chunks out of several roofs. She managed to stop herself and grab the lasers in her own bending. She knew it would be pointless to send them back, so Sheila threw the lasers to the sky.
A Gigantamax Cinderace threatened to envelope Serena and Aurora in its gigantic fireball frame. Serena summoned her own Cinderace and Gigantamaxed it to make an even match. But to ensure a victory, Aurora slashed her Galaxia Sword mixed with firebending and slashed the enemy’s fireball clean in half.
Of course, that wasn’t nearly as cool as what Harry and Mason were doing now: rocking the town with mad beats and mad burps! “Here I CUURP! Rougher than the rest of THURP. The best of THURP. They call me KNUUUURP. Unlike Sonic, I don’t CHUUURP!” They were steering some sort of jeep with large boomboxes. Harry rapped the record player as the stereos burst with shockwaves, combined with the explosive force of Mason’s burps. Even a platoon of Mega Explouds and Ampharos were no match. “Hahaha! This WAS a great idea, Harry!”
“Yeah, we can probably make Burp Beats popular again. ’Sure annoy the heck out of Sunni.”
The operatives regrouped near Prism Tower, watching Sheila leap rooftops in evasion of her opponent. “That’s Necrozma!” Clemont exclaimed.
“You mean from Alola?!” Serena asked. “I thought it was only supposed to appear from eclipses?!”
“That doesn’t matter! Sheila’s in danger!” Raleigh said. “Necrozma devours light! It probably sees her as a buffet or something!”
“Man, Sheila’s been having the worst luck with enemies lately!” Mason said.
Sheila ducked Necrozma’s claws and punched it in the face. To her excitement, its body broke into pieces. “That’ll learn ya! EH?!” The pieces flew around and latched onto her body. “AAAAAHH! MATES, GET THIS DRONGO OFF ME—UUURRRRGH!” Necrozma became a suit of armor around the captain, forcing her into her Sunny Fury. Her pitch-black armor nicely contrasted against the sunny flares.
“Get your skin off our captain!” Aurora rocketed toward them and slashed Galaxia, but Sheila, against her own will, blocked it with her palm and punched Aurora in the gut. Aurora was blown all the way past the center of town, smashing into an apartment. Her friends looked horrified as the armored Sheila took flight and rained Light Fists unto all of them.
“SHEILA!” Mason cried.
“I can’t believe this!” Carol yelled. “What kind of Pokémon is that?!”
“Necrozma is the Pillager of Light.” Clemont answered. He was using a mechanical arm holding a mirror from his pack, shielding himself from the lightbending. “It lays dormant in another dimension, only appearing once every 21 years during the eclipse. Except those recent dimensional infractions must’ve summoned it prematurely. And if it isn’t pacified or finds a good host, it would consume all the light from the world!”
“That is a SERIOUSLY messed up Pokémon!” Mason shouted. “But we can’t let it have Sheila! How do we get it off!”
“Well, um…I’ll have to refresh myself on Alolan lore. Uh, something about spirits, and prayer…”
Kirie immediately clapped hands together and prayed, O GREAT NECROZMA, PLEASE LET MY FRIEND SHEILA GO!
“RAAAAAAHHHH!” Sheila let out a distorted yell and unleashed a Prismatic Laser at a Gigantamax Meowth and Machamp.
“Gonna need more prayer than that.” Carol said. “But it seems to be against Team Rocket, too.”
“I get it.” Raleigh replied. “They must’ve been using Prism Tower as a lure. They never had a chance to catch it. …Oh, I just thought of something!”
“Yeah?!” Mason replied in hope.
“I thought of a cool name we can call her like this! It’s… Sheila the Eclipsed Fist.”
“…” Mason socked him in the noggin.
“RAAAAHHH!” Sheila struggled to restrain herself, punching the gut area of the armor. “You got another thing comin’ for attackin’ me mates! Quit squirmin’ and give back me body! AAAGH!” Sheila flailed and was forced to fly across town.
“At least she’s fighting back.” Harry said. “We gotta find a way to contain her or something!”
“You leave that part to us.”
The group turned to face an Elite Agent, accompanied by a small army of Megas and Dynamaxes. The agent wore a black coat and attire, contrasting with her flowing golden hair. “Clemont… that looks like Champion Cynthia.” Serena said.
“They brainwashed regional champs, too?!” Raleigh gasped.
“It was a serious inconvenience the Pirate King showed up… but I never expected Necrozma to bond to her like this. If I can capture them like this…” Cynthia threw her Darkball, “I’ll be INVINCIBLE!”
A large, dragon-like Pokémon emerged from the ball: black wings with red spikes, six legs, gray skin with black stripes, golden crown-like headwear, and gold half-circles down its neck. “Giratina?!” Dillon gasped.
“You’re my best shot at weakening her.” Cynthia climbed on Giratina’s back. “Hurry, before she gets away!” They tried to pursue Sheila, but before they could get past the Prism Tower’s pavilion, the dragon’s legs were seized in Dillon’s Shadow Hold.
“You!” The boy snarled. “You got some nerve enslaving Giratina!”
“Hm? Oh…you were the Twilight Princess’ Guardian. Well, this one no longer has a god to serve… so, why not serve me?”
“I’m not letting you take him OR Sheila! Guys, I may need to borrow your shadows. It’s a little cloudy here.”
“Take what you need, Dillon.” Aurora said. “We’ll hold back the grunts.”
“How annoying.” Cynthia turned Giratina around. “Fine. You may perish first, former Guardian.” (Play “Giratina Battle” from Legends: Arceus!)
Boss fight: Twilight Dragon, GIRATINA
Giratina Veiled as his ominous shadow slithered beneath Dillon. He dodged the thrusting of its tail as he enlarged his Shade Fist, stretched it for several yards, and reeled it back to bash Giratina’s skull. The dragon emerged just beside Dillon and swiped his tail, knocking him several yards. Giratina blew shadowy fireballs; Dillon couldn’t slip under them with Veil because the fireballs were half-submerged into shadow. Dillon evaded and slithered his way to Giratina to deal a Shade Uppercut. Dillon attempted to Shadow Strangle the dragon, but Giratina ripped free and took to the air. Cynthia planted a Shadow Crystal in his neck: Giratina’s legs retracted, his body becoming more fluent and versatile, and his wings became six tube-shaped appendages.
Dillon used Shadow Glide to fly after them. He still had to keep an eye on Giratina’s ground shadow: its tail was thrusting out to pierce him. He barely dodged each thrust by inches before enlarging his shadow hands and grabbing the tail. When Giratina retracted it, Dillon was reeled over to the dragon. He kept firm on the tail as he swung Giratina around and slammed his back (along with Cynthia) into Prism Tower. Giratina recovered and began to spin, lashing its wings with relentless force as Dillon was blown several dozen yards.
Giratina created Shadow Clones that each dive-bombed toward Dillon, and would consistently spawn more to keep the attack going. Dillon did as before and evaded up to the dragon, but Giratina dove and submerged into the ground. Dillon landed, cautious as the shadow loomed beneath him. That shadow stretched into eight heads, circling Dillon and emerging. Dillon quickly pulled off the Shadow Shockwave and gnashed all clones at once, striking the real one in the process. Giratina fully emerged and reverted to his legged form. The dragon jumped around the ground and sent out shadowy shockwaves, with some catching Dillon off-guard and knocking him over.
Giratina whipped him away with his tail, then lunged for the next attack. With the sun poking through clouds, Dillon was caught in the shadow of Prism Tower. He mustered his chi, yanked the shadow down, and SMASHED Giratina toward the ground! He stretched the shades of both arms and legs to entrap the dragon: Giratina’s eyes flashed a bright orange. “DILLON YORK!”
Dillon flinched. “What are you doing?!” Cynthia shouted. “Don’t let him hold you!”
“Forgive me, child… The Pokéball that binds me is laced with the Negatar’s evil chi. This trainer and I are bound to evil… but in my momentary freedom, allow me to grant you this!” The dragon spewed three stone pieces of headwear.
“What are these?” Dillon picked one up. “They feel… like Midna.”
“The princess left fractions of her power within these Fused Shadow. Please… use their power to your benefit in this war! Free me… from evil’s grasp… and destroy me!”
“Destroy you?!”
“Do not fear! I will be reborn… and I pray that I will see the princess again. Please… Dillon!”
“ENOUGH!” Cynthia yelled. “Take all the shadows from my minions and win this battle!”
Giratina flapped out of Dillon’s hold, roaring as it sucked in the shadows of Team Rocket and their Pokémon. Dillon ignited Twilight Fury as the Fused Shadows fixed onto himself. His Twili eyes shone as bright as sunset. He drew in all the shadows of the civilians, all of whom were wishing for Team Rocket to be gone. Both Dillon and Giratina were gigantic and took to the sky.
“Ohhhhhh, my big bro is so cool!” Vanellope squealed.
“Yeah, even Maseyfairy never went up against a dragon like this.” Carol teased.
“SO, WHAT?!”
Giratina bellowed Dragon Breath, to which Dillon bent himself in evasion before sending Shade Fists. The giant shadows of his arms divided into numerous as they pummeled Giratina with punches. Giratina stretched his neck and gnashed Dillon’s pudgy stomach, while his shadow’s head went for a bite in the leg. Dillon endured the pain, stretched both arms for miles, and reeled them to punch both heads. After Giratina released, Dillon stretched his arms to grab his neck. He slingshot himself at the dragon, inflating his shadowy belly to ram Giratina with cannonball force. Giratina stretched his tube-shaped wings to puncture Dillon from several angles. Dillon divided his hands to rip the wings out and clear distance from the dragon.
Dillon split into Shadow Clones and surrounded the dragon. Giratina applied a similar technique and increased his number of heads like a Hydra. Dillon’s clones swarmed them, but Giratina made short, but unsatisfying meals of them. Regardless, Dillon would increase his number of Shadow Hands and grab every one of Giratina’s necks, tearing them apart from each other. Giratina thrusted his tail to wound Dillon again, so the boy flew far backward to evade it. With his arms continuing to stretch from Giratina’s necks, Dillon allowed himself to be flung into the dragon with great force. The momentum pushed Giratina spine-first into the antenna of Prism Tower. The tower punctured straight through him. “…Thank… you…” Giratina dissolved into shadowy mist, which flew into the tower’s reflective windows.
“AAAAAHHH!” Cynthia plummeted down the tower. Dillon extended a shadow down the side and snatched her just before she hit the ground.
“Don’t thank us for our chivalry.” Carol came to knock the champion out with her computer. “You owe us quite the debt.” (End song.)
Dillon returned the shadows to everyone and rejoined his team. All the Rocket Agents were KO’ed. “AAAARRRRRHHHH!” Eclipse Sheila was still zipping around the air. The space around her was turning dark.
“Necrozma’s still hungry!” Clemont yelled. “If we don’t stop it, it’s going to eat the world’s light! We need to call the Alolan trainers and get their help!”
“Sector L was sent to Alola.” Aurora remembered. “We can call them!”
“In the meantime,” Dillon said, “I can use this new power to restrain Sheila.”
“Is it me, or are you looking a lot more… floaty?” Mason asked.
“Now that you mention it, I feel light as a shadow. I’m a Logia!”
“Hey, that’s awesome!” Aurora cheered. “About time, too; you already had the Twili skin since last year.”
“Dillon’s one-upping you again, Masey!” Carol teased. “Maybe you’ll achieve Logia by drowning yourself in soda.”
“Yeah, I’ll kill myself after Sheila’s safe.”
“Hey, I wanna help, too, Dillon!” Vanellope yelled.
“Uh…Vanellope, you’re kind of made of light. They’d make dessert out of you.”
The candy girl shirked. “Yeah, I wouldn’t wanna be in either of their tummies.”
“Just leave it to me.” Dillon flew after their captain.
The operatives felt rumbling. They raised guards as a Dynamax Dedenne was pouncing toward them. “Looks like we missed one!” Serena exclaimed.
“HEY, GUYS!” Bonnie called from the giant mouse’s head. “You look like ants from up here!”
“BONNIE?!” Clemont gawked.
“Hahaha! I stole a Dynamax Band from one of the baddies! I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be as tall as these buildings.” (“DEDENNE!”) “Come on, guys, let’s ride back to the ship!”
“Bonnie, that’s very dangerous!”
“I call shotgun!” Raleigh began climbing.
“Yeah, we got a jeep.” Harry said.
“Sheila’s gonna be jealous for missing this.” Mason remarked.
Spying Eye , somewhere in the sea
“Man, these currents are intense!” Eric said, manning the submarine’s helm. “I guess that means we’re in the right place.”
“Just keep following Manaphy!” Melody ordered, she and Yuta channeling their bending to stabilize the waves outside.
“I’m definitely feeling a spirit!” Manaphy yelled, the blue-haired merboy swimming ahead of them.
“Tapu Fini…” Lana folded her hands in sorrow. “She’s so upset.”
But first, perhaps a flashback is necessary: over an hour ago on the Alola Islands
The skies were glum and the vegetation withering on the four tropical islands. Sector L imagined these islands were once very lively and welcoming… but now they could only feel the islands’ sadness.
The operatives first docked on Melemele Island: after thrashing a platoon of Rocketheads and speaking to some of the locals, their first priority became to liberate the Trainers’ School. Not only were innocent students being contained there, but so was the islands’ KND sector.
The campus seemed like a lovely place if not for all the rogue Pokémon. The dorms had a straw roof, the classrooms were open to the horizons, there was a crescent-shaped lake, and a racetrack. Eric Horvitz sent out a remote helicopter to scan the campus, picking out the locations of caged kids that they deduced were operatives. “Okay, team: initiate Operation: Divide, Conquer, and Rescue.” Melody said.
“That’s way too long of an acronym.” Froppy said.
“Not if it’s just D.C.A.R..” Yuta Asahina reasoned.
“Save the letters for later. Here’s the plan…”
A portly boy with orange hair and a handheld game icon on his white shirt was trapped in a cage above the racetrack. He was hanging from a palm tree above a group of Paldean Tauros (black bulls). Eric quietly crawled his way beneath and behind the Tauros, reaching the tree and climbing it. He pulled himself toward the trainer’s cage and began to pick the lock. “Don’t worry, I have backup with me. I’m Eric!”
“I’m Sophocles! And I’m soooooo hungry. I couldn’t stand another minute up here.”
“I hope you have the strength to climb down. Got it—WHOA!” Eric slipped and hung from the door as it swayed open.
“AAAH!” Sophocles fell from the cage, grabbed Eric, and pulled him down. The boys hit the back of a Tauros and drew the herd’s anger.
“AAAAAAAHHH!” They ran circles around the track as Eric shot his S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. back at enclosing Tauros. “I’ve always stunk at gym!”
“Me, too!”
Froppy was aiming to save a green-haired girl with pigtails, trapped in a chi-blocked cage atop a palm tree around the lake. “Huh?!” Froppy tensed up in fear when those trees looked to her with faces on their coconuts. They were actually sentient, Alolan Exeggutors! The Pokémon began to toss the caged girl around each other while attacking Froppy with Seed Bombs or Wood Hammers. Froppy spat saliva to counter the attacks while hopping the trees in pursuit of the prisoner. She finally caught Mallow and leapt down to smash the cage open against the ground.
Eric’s Kremling bodyguard, Klubba found a shirtless, dark-skinned trainer named Kiawe caged in a soil area. “Diglett!” Digletts popped up around random spots; one of them had a key. Klubba played whack-a-mole, bashing nearly every Diglett senseless until he eventually hit the key-bearer. …But he proceeded to hit the others, anyway. “Uh, you know you can stop now.” Kiawe said.
“I be going for the high score, matey!”
Yuta swam out to sea in pursuit of a rogue Vaporeon. He ripped through the waves the Pokémon sent as his speed surpassed its. He stole the key from the Vaporeon and returned to unlock the cell of a girl named Lillie. “There! All free!”
“Thank you so much!” Lillie bowed politely. She wore a white shirt, skirt, and shoes, her bright blonde hair wrapped in a ponytail.
Melody broke into the school directly, drawing most of the agents’ attention so her teammates could initiate their rescues. She found the storage room where all the students’ Pokéballs were being held, opening them and enlisting the Pokémon’s help. Melody rescued the students held prisoner in the classrooms, some of whom were even kindergarten age, along with the last operative of the Alola sector, Lana. She had short blue hair, lighter-blue pants with a wave design and very wide for her legs, blue sandals, and a white top. As she also happened to be a waterbender, Melody quickly saw the resemblances between them.
Together, both sectors would have the agents under indefinite detention. “Now, Sector L,” Kiawe fist-palmed with flaming hands, “allow us to properly introduce ourselves. We are…” his friends formed a pose and chorused, “THE ULTRA GUARDIANS OF ALOLA!”
“SO COOL!” Yuta and Eric exclaimed. Melody and Froppy shared disbelieving, but humored smiles.
“Hehe, nice to meet you.” Melody said. “Actually, there’s one more you should meet.” She opened her Spirit Ball.
“Uwaaaaah!” A blue-haired merboy with antennae stretched awake. “Huh? Where are we, Melody?”
“Ultra Guardians, Manaphy. Manaphy, Ultra Guardians.”
“PRINCE MANAPHY?!” Lana screamed, sharing the reaction with her friends. “Oh, Great Prince… we are honored to be in your presence!”
“Uh…thanks! But you don’t have to do that!” Manaphy blushed.
The Ultras briefed the planet’s situation to the outsiders. “Of course, before we learned any of that,” Kiawe continued, “our deities were already captured.”
“Your deities?” Yuta gasped.
“Well, our island spirits.” Mallow clarified. “The Tapu siblings: Koko, Lele, Bulu, and Fini. Team Rocket took them away, and ever since, the islands have been dying.”
“Fini was the only one who managed to evade them.” Lana said. “But she fled the islands… and we don’t know if she’s safe.”
“Then we need to get your spirits back!” Yuta fist-palmed.
“You know, I actually recognize those names.” Manaphy said. “Mostly… Tapu Fini. Kyogre taught me about them when he was telling me about other ocean spirits!”
“The gods gifted the Tapu spirits to our ancestors.” Mallow smiled. “Of course you’d have heard of them!”
“In fact, if I got in the ocean, I might be able to sense where Fini is.”
“Then we could go find her?” Lana asked. “I’d like to before Team Rocket reaches her first.”
“Then let’s make it our next mission!” Lillie encouraged. “We’ll start with Fini and save the rest of our deities! Then Alola will be Alola again!”
“YAAAY!”
“PHYYYYYY!” In his excitement, Manaphy spread his Heart Swap and rearranged everyone’s bodies.
“AAAAAAHHH! I’M YOU!”
Present, after that mis-mashing mess wore off
Manaphy thoroughly skimmed left and right, feeling the presence growing close. “AH! HEY!”
The operatives could vaguely make out a purple swordfish-like shape, made from wooden carving. “There she is!” Lana yelled.
“Tapu Fini!” Manaphy yelled. “Is that you?!”
“GO AWAY!” Inside her wooden shell, Fini was a skinny, black-skinned Pokémon with pale-blue, fin-like hair. She cried bubbles from her eyes. “I’ll die before you monsters take me, too!”
“WHOOOAAA!” The kids screamed as a more violent current spun and rocked the submarine. “I CAN’T CONTROL US!” Eric shouted. “And I think we’re approaching a landma-”
The ship crashed into solid mass, throwing everyone asunder as the lights blacked out.
With churned stomachs and cramped limbs, the teams clambered off each other and out of the submarine’s hatch. “At least we have air…” Froppy said sickly. “…Where are we?”
It was a carved tunnel lined with bits of blue crystal. “Someplace beautiful.” Lillie smiled. “I wouldn’t mind some of these for jewelry.”
“In any case, our sub’s totaled.” Melody said. “Besides Eric, how many of you are tech savvy?”
“I am.” Sophocles raised a hand.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Meanwhile, I think I’ll press ahead and try to figure out where we are. Or where Manaphy is.”
“I’ll come-” Yuta said.
“NO!” Eric protested. “I mean… he can stay and use his bending to help get the sub out of here.”
Melody giggled, “Okay. Then I’ll have Tsu and… Klubba, I guess.”
“I shall keep yer maiden safe, matey!” the Kremling assured.
“I’d like to come, too!” Mallow offered.
“Me, too!” Kiawe followed.
Eric shot a cold glare at the muscular trainer. Klubba read his intentions and patted the club in his palm.
Act 5: ???
The tunnel was already rumbling as small fissures fell from the ceiling. Melody formed a watery umbrella above them and froze it. Fortunately, they didn’t have much to climb through before reaching an open cavern. Larger crystals grew from the walls, and there was a pristine spring with a waterfall. They would have to platform some footholds along the left wall to climb the fall’s cliff. “ROOOOAAAAR!” A large snake made of crystal boulders emerged from the spring. It dove at the intruders, but Klubba batted it away. “AN ONIX?!” Tiawe exclaimed. “Made of crystal?! IN WATER?!”
“It doesn’t look Terastallized.” Mallow said. “How cool!” Klubba kept defending them as they jumped the stairs, reaching the upper layer. However, their only way from there was to dive under the spring and swim through a tunnel. Melody pulled the currents behind her with bending so her allies could keep up. But she felt a stronger force stirring the currents: the Onix was chasing them. It rumbled the tunnel as fissures softly fell in their path. Kiawe used his firebending to boost ahead and shatter them while Klubba kept the beast at bay. The Onix burrowed with more fierce speed. Melody ushered them all to grab onto Froppy as the Superbian shot her tongue toward a further, lodged fissure. She yanked them to it, and would continue grappling them up more fissures to outrun Onix.
“WHOOOOAAA!” They went flying out of a waterfall in a cliff, landing amidst a forest. The Onix also flew out in a bellow, falling off the shore nearby and into the ocean. “Ugh…this is a bad day on my bones.” Melody picked twigs out of her neck.
“I know where we are now!” Mallow said. “The Orange Islands!” (Play “Canopy Chaos” from Tropical Freeze!)
“Really?” Tsuyu looked around. The small forest seemed fairly average and a mountain took up most of the island. “Is it known for its oranges?”
“Yep! I think this one, in particular, is Sunburst Island. But it’s also home to lots of off-colored Pokémon!”
“It even has its own gyms and tournaments.” Kiawe said. “But it’s not considered one of the main regions. Would be a lot nicer if…” If the island wasn’t surrounded by raging waves.
“Wait, look at this tunnel.” Melody noticed a tunnel of water cutting straight through the waves. “I feel like Manaphy made this.”
“Maybe to help catch up with him!” Tsu hopped. “Might as well go in.”
“WHEEEEEEEE!” The current whisked them across the sea like a playground slide! They tumbled along the clifftop shore of another forest. Pink fruits bloomed on the trees, and there was a pink mountain further beyond some research buildings. The group entered the forest, awestruck by the vibrant pink Pokémon chowing on fruits amongst the branches. Mankeys, Caterpies, Weedles, and many more!
“This is Pinkan Island!” Mallow gasped. “We’re not allowed to be here without permits!”
“You mean we’re lawbreakers?!” Froppy panicked.
“That’s what KND live for, girls.” Melody casually picked up a Pinkan and munched it. “Hmhm! Makes me feel… girly!”
“Melody, your face!”
“Hm?” She pulled out a mirror: she had gone pink! “Oh. I hope that’s not an allergic reaction.”
Mallow used her plantbending to pull a vine down, so they could climb to the branches and bounce across giant Pinkans. The Mankeys, scared of the intruders, jumped down to kick them off, which would force the ops to start again. “’ey, you don’t need to be scared o’ me!” Klubba said with open arms. “Monkeys are me mates! ARGH!” A Mankey jumped his face and clawed at him. “CHEEKY MONKEYS!” So, Klubba batted it away like a ball.
“DON’T DO THAT!” the trainers screamed.
They managed to cross the Pinkans and reach an elevated ground. They looked over a garden of pink Vileplooms, bursting spore clouds above them at random moments. Tsu had to tongue branches and swing them between platforms around the garden, in-between the spore bursts. From the last bridge, they swung down a short cliff and landed on the back of a pink Rhyhorn. The rhino stormed down a barren hill, ramming down boulders while the ops had to steer it around pitfalls. “ROOOOAR!” The Crystal Onix emerged behind and hurdled boulders as it pursued. They continued steering Rhyhorn in evasion until they were into the forest again, after which they dove off left while the Onix tackled the Rhyhorn.
They tumbled down to a shore near a water tunnel. The operatives rode it once more and were dropped onto an ice floe. They slid along it from the momentum, but Melody bent a wall up to stop them from sliding off. The waves in this region of sea were gentle as the floes swayed. They were off the coast of Ice Island, its peak stretching beyond the clouds. “Brrrrr. It’s so cold.” Froppy shuddered. “Cold weather… makes me sleepy.”
“Don’t pass out on us now.” Kiawe held a flame beside her.
“That’s better.” The frog smiled.
The operatives jumped small floes before reaching a longer one. There was a white Snorlax sleeping on the other end; a Snowlax! When the floe swayed down in their direction, the Snowlax slid and threatened to shove them off. The ops jumped onto its fluffy tummy as the floe swayed the other way: they would slide down and bounce a row of Snowlax on other floes. They reached an even longer floe with a snoozing Snowlax on their end. There was a fortified wall on the other side, marked with Team Rocket’s logo. The team rode the Snowlax as Kiawe shoved it with his Rocket Boost. Once it was pressed up against the metal wall, they bounced its belly to land atop the wall. “Whoa!”
Dozens of Rocket Agents were gathered around a Gigantamax Snowlax, a Christmas tree growing from its tummy with similar flora around its side. “See, I told you this was a great idea!” a male agent said.
“The boss is gonna love it!” a female exclaimed. “Finally, Team Rocket Christmas is taking off!”
“Talk about an early holiday.” Kiawe said.
“Too bad we’re about to ruin it.” Melody jumped down and melted the icy ground beneath some agents, dropping them into the sea. Mallow called her Tsareena to battle their Pokémon and Kiawe his Marowak. Froppy matched her froggy techniques against a Mega Politoed, but when a Poliwrath charged her from behind, Klubba bashed the swirly frog senseless.
“Thanks.” Froppy said. “…Klubba, I have to ask. Are you fine with helping us fight Team Rocket?”
“It be true that Giovanni were one o’ Kroctus’ maties, but me strength is pledged ter young Horvitz now. He won fair an’ square.”
“I guess so…”
“Argh…I know ye resent me for what me Krew did, lassie. But I intend ta stay until me debt to Eric and the Kongs be repaid.”
“I…I appreciate it.”
“Well, nowhere else to go.” Melody ushered her friends onto the Snowlax. They jumped in unison and repetition, building up force in its titanic trampoline belly. “SnoooooorrrrrLAAAAAAAX!” The giant sent them flying across the isles! They were headed for another forested island: people were gathered around a large, gold Meowth statue, praying for good fortune in this dire time. They wore white tunics and false cat features on their heads.
“WAAAAH!” The operatives rammed into the statue’s head and blew it right off.
“NOOOOOO!” a woman screamed. “They’ve slain the Great Meowth!”
“COIN THEM!” The people threw a storm of gold Meowth coins at them. The operatives raced their way to the beach, but it seemed a forest of small, golden trees stood to impede them. “SUDOWOODO! SUDO!” It was a platoon of golden Sudowoodos!
“Melody, swipe your water at them to make them move!” Mallow yelled. Melody did so, but the Pokémon were unfazed as they spun in place. “I guess these ones are immune to water! Just watch out!” They dodged between the spinning Sudos, though Klubba’s hulking frame wound up hit by one as he bounced between the others. “I’ve ’ad enough o’ this!” Klubba regained himself and whipped out Kremkoins, flicking them at the small gold trees and KOing them. The operatives reached shore and entered another water tunnel.
It dropped them on a Lapras amongst a group of them. They were swimming off the coast of an island with a towering mountain. “That’s Navel Island.” Kiawe said.
“Navel? Looks like one heck of an outie.” The group cast looks at Melody for her bad joke. “…That’s what Danny would’ve said.” The waters around the Laprases were freezing, so they’d have to platform across them. To do so, Melody would punch each one’s shell, compelling its head to sink so they could climb onto it. The Lapras would thrust its head up and fling them to the next one.
The plesiosaur Pokémon seemed to be following a moving island… which was actually a Gigantamax Lapras. It seemed like a song sheet of snowflakes was orbiting its massive shell. The operatives landed on its back fin, and Froppy hopped up onto its shell to pull her team up. They climbed around the Lapras’ central shell spike. There were two Rocket Agents kicking back and smoking. “Dude… why’d you give it the Gigantamax potion if ya weren’t gonna catch it?”
“I dunno, man… The Lapras was just flowin’… and I just wanted to flow with it.”
“You know… ice flows, man.”
“Ice… flows?”
“Yeah… and Lapras is an Ice-type. So, it’s like… a big ice floe… that flows.”
“Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh…”
Melody roped Water Whips around their necks and threw them out to sea. Melody mustered a large Water Fist to pound the Lapras’ shell, making its head sink. The friends gathered atop its head. “WHOOOOOOOAAAAA!” The giant threw them right to the top of Navel Island. “Uhhhh…this was a mistake.” Melody said. “Gonna take forever to get down.”
“No, we can use these!” Mallow called attention to the geysers around the peak. “Part of the Gym Challenge for this island is to freeze these geysers and make bobsleds out of them!”
“Really? I oughta look into these challenges.” Melody froze a geyser with ease and ripped out chunks to convert into sleds. The operatives slid down a carved racetrack: it was very thin with numerous wide turns. “Good thing Eric didn’t come. He would totally stink at-”
“ROOOOAAAAR!” The Crystal Onix burst out behind them and pursued.
“You just DON’T give up, do you?!”
The crystalline snake was hot on their tail while the base of the mountain was barely in reach. “Look!” Tsu pointed. The sea was split into two waves as something was flying over the shore.
“GO AWAY, YOU MONSTER!” Tapu Fini cried.
“I’M NOT A MONSTER!” Manaphy yelled.
The operatives tumbled off their sleds just as the Onix would slide into the island’s forest. “OOOORRRRRRG!” It rammed headfirst right into Fini. The flying force of the small spirit was enough to K.O. it. (End song.)
“Uuuuuuuhhhhh…” Fini lay dizzy on the back of her shell.
“Tapu Fini!” The operatives rushed up to the spirit.
“Uuuh…no…it’s over…” The poor thing resumed crying. “First Lord Kyogre died… and now I’m Team Rocket’s slave…sniff…”
“Tapu Fini!” Manaphy hung his head over her face. “We’re not Team Rocket!”
“Huh?” She looked Manaphy in his innocent yellow eyes. “…It can’t be… Prince Manaphy?”
“Of course! Didn’t you recognize my chi?”
“Sniff…I was so upset, I… couldn’t sense anything. Prince Manaphy… you were alive.”
“Yep! And I plan to stay! So, turn that frown upside-down! We need to make this planet happy again!”
“Hehe…” Fini pulled herself up and faced him. It was her first time really seeing him… The prince was a lot cuter than she imagined. His chi was so pure and his eyes full of life.
The seas finally calmed around the islands. “Cool. Anybody got a map of this place?” Melody asked. “We gotta find the others.”
The operatives reunited in the Spying Eye after a while of sea-searching. “I’m so happy you’re okay, Tapu Fini!” Lana said teary-eyed.
“Thank you. But we need to find my siblings.”
“We will.”
“And I just about gotta the communications ready,” Eric said, “YIKES!” He flinched from the sudden incoming call. “Holy frick! What do you want, Sector V?!”
“It’s about time someone picked up!” Mason shouted.
“Mason!” Aurora scolded. “Sector L, are you still in Alola? Have you found any operatives?”
“Uh…one of those things.” Melody answered.
Sector V briefed the situation. “Necrozma?!” Sophocles gasped. “It’s already back?!”
“Yes.” Clemont answered. “What are we supposed to do to stop it?”
“Well, um…” Mallow needed a moment to process an explanation. “We…We give thanks to the island spirits… and to the gods…”
“The people of Alola give us their gratitude for the light they have been blessed with.” Fini said. “And we give that gratitude to Necrozma in the hopes that it will warm it like light. Unfortunately… until my siblings and Alola are restored, it will be a while until we complete the ritual.”
“Well, that just BLOWS!” Mason shouted. “Of all the f***ing things to beat Sheila, it had to be some stupid-”
“Oh! I just had an idea!”
“Raleigh, I SWEAR if it’s another stupid nickname-”
“Nononono! If Necrozma wants gratitude, then…” Raleigh whispered in Mason’s ear.
“…That is… a super dumb idea and I really wanna try it.”
“What? What is it?” Aurora asked.
“First, we need to get Nebula.”
Yeah, Necrozma just made a perfect challenge for Sheila! Also, Giratina was supposed to be the same tier of god as Dialga & Palkia in Pokémon, but here, I just kept him a guardian spirit for the Shadow Realm. XD The Orange Islands were a filler arc setting from the anime.
…
…
A small, monochrome kitten head poked out of the gold Meowth’s neck.
Chapter 33: Poké Saga 4: Kings of Galar
Summary:
Cheren meets the Sword and Shield Spirits of the Slumbering Weald! High King Calyrex terrorizes Motostoke. Sector W find the Flower Paradise.
Notes:
Teams in this chapter:
Team Cheren: Cheren Uno, Panini, Sunni, Cheren Black, Hilda, and Bianca
Team Nebula: Vweeb, Bea, Nessa, Marnie, Nebula, Sugar, Meloetta
Sector W: Anthony, Fybi, Shelly Johnson, Tom Taylor, Arianna, Emily Garley
Sector IC: Just their standard members except Terry
Planet Mobius and Mira are also under attack from Team Rocket. Sector W7, Maddy Murphy, along with Weiss and Pacifica are assisting the Mobians against them.
Chapter Text
Yep, I went on an unexpected obsession hiatus… again.
Chapter 29: Kings of Galar
(Play “Slumbering Weald” from Pokémon!)
Team Cheren crossed the town of Postwick, fighting off the occupying Team Rocket forces and liberating the peaceful farming town. They traveled due west into a quiet, serene forest. A spiritual gate seemed to bar their passage… but to their awe, Cheren’s Triforce mark glowed, and the gate dispelled. The sunlight was faint, with only soft rays poking through the trees, giving the forest an ethereal blue shade. “’Guess Team Rocket wasn’t able to get in.” Cheren said.
“Zacian and Zamazenta only let the worthy through.” Black replied.
“But didn’t Sonia say they were sleeping?” Bianca asked.
“When you get to the Slumbering Weald,” the professor began, “look for the Rusted Sword and Shield. If you want to speak to the spirits, you’ll need those to wake them up.”
“It’ll be a great break from those monsters.” Panini sighed. “My Scorbunny needs to grow up in a nice environment.” (“Scorbunny!”)
“I wouldn’t count on you for that.” Cheren remarked. “Alright, let’s get started.”
Act 6: Slumbering Weald
“Oh, wait, I get it.” Cheren snorted. “Weald. Like, wield. A sword and sh-”
“Ya, ya, very clever.” Panini sighed.
Some Grubbin skittered out of the grass, but Panini commanded Scorbunny to kick them into submission. A chasm of purple fog loomed ahead of them. A Hoothoot flapped near them, offering its talon for Cheren to grab. The little owl would sink into the fog as it tried to carry him, but Cheren could kick off small rock reefs to give the Hoot more height. There seemed to be chimneys billowing poisonous smog; they were Galarian Weezings. Cheren steered the Hoothoot away from the smog clouds until they reached the opposite shore. There was a stone switch to make spirit platforms appear, allowing his friends to cross.
The trail would branch into three paths: “Well, I know a Lost Woods puzzle when I see one.” Cheren said. The six ops divided into pairs and took separate paths. However, those would each have three more paths, and before they knew it, they were bumping right back into each other. Sunni called attention to the misty Psychic Chi in the air: she sensed for its origin and picked up small, pink Munnas near the fake paths. “This must be their Dream Mist.” Black realized. Sunni led them down the correct paths, but at the end of this maze, they found three sleeping Musharnas. They awoke to the intruders’ presence, projecting Magic Coats. The barriers would deflect Sunni’s Psy-Spheres, but Cheren would send them back with Perfect Guards from his shield, doing so enough until the coats shattered. The Musharnas tried to ram them with Zen Headbutts, but the operatives knocked them out of the air.
“So, do those things really eat dreams?” Sunni asked.
“I hope not!” Hilda yelled. “I don’t wanna go to sleep and see my dreams half-eaten into!”
“Well, my dream is still broken from that one crisis. They wouldn’t find much to chew on.”
They would have to trudge across a vast swamp of mud. Cheren sensed movement beneath it with his Haki. He threw a M.A.R.B.L.E. to one presence: a Stunfisk popped out to fling it back, Cheren blocking the explosion with his shield. The flat, steel-gray, fish-like Pokémon swam over to cut them with its triangular spikes, but Cheren reacted to slash them away. In a farther corner of the swamp, he sensed several more Stunfisks around an object in their center.
Fi jumped out of his sword. “Master, I detect a spiritual chi emanating from that direction. There is an 89% chance it is one of the Rusted weapons aforementioned by-”
“Yeah, yeah, I figured that much.”
“Then I presume you have a plan to get through the swarm of Pokémon that surround it?”
“Yeah. I just need some lighter feet.” Cheren put on his Wolf Mask and transformed. He was able to run swiftly across the mud on his paws.
“WAIT, HE’S A WEREWOLF?!” Bianca screamed.
“Nah, just his magic masks.” Panini replied. “He doesn’t use ’em that often though.”
“Man, he’s just full of surprises…” Hilda said.
Cheren dodged his way around the Stunfisks and grabbed the hilt sticking out of the mud in the center: the Rusted Sword was dark and broken in half, with strange writing on the blade. He hurried back and tossed the sword to Panini before changing back. They made their way to the other side of the swamp, reaching the shore of a pristine river. Whiscashes were spitting Water Guns at them from the river, and there were lines of Orbeetles hovering above. Sunni used her psychic to lure the Bug/Psychic-types down lower. The Orbeetles would not only bounce them, but their own Psychic Chi would allow the ops to glide to the next ones, all while evading the Whiscash spit.
They landed on a small island in the middle of the river. “Hey, is that a UFO?!” Hilda panicked.
Indeed, a large, round structure with a blue central orb, and five yellow orbs around it, loomed above them. “It’s a Gigantamax Orbeetle!” Black screamed. “And I don’t think it likes us!”
“Nah, I think it just wants to play.” Cheren readied his sword. The Orbeetle dropped both blue and red Psy-Spheres, and he could only volley the blue ones. He struck each yellow orb three times until they shorted out. The Orbeetle was charging a Psybeam with its central orb, but Cheren was prepared to return it with a Perfect Guard of his shield. The impact caused the Orbeetle to sink into the river, so they jumped on it just as they did the smaller ones. “Aha!” Cheren found the Rusted Shield. Its design was similar to the sword, with the same archaic writing.
They felt the Orbeetle’s shell trembling: “WHOOOAAAA!” It sent them springing high into the air, but provided them the psychic glide they needed to reach an island further up the river. It seemed to be a long strip of land.
But as they were floating in range of the island, a mystical melody touched their ears. “Jiiiiiiiigglypuuuuuuuff, Jiggly….ulypuuuuuuff…”
“Oh, no…” Black said as their eyes grew heavy. “What’s… she doing here?”
“Who?” Sunni asked, having trouble staying on her feet. “It sounds like… a Jigglypuff…”
“Crud…” Cheren said. If they couldn’t stop this song, they would all fall asleep for who knows how long. “…Wait!” He remembered encountering one of them before. And he still had the tool for it! He shuffled around his pockets and found the All-Night Mask. After putting it on, he was wide awake. Cheren proceeded to the end of the strip, where two altars stood. Jigglypuff, a small, pink, round Pokémon with a curly tuft of hair was singing on one of them, holding a green microphone with a black handle.
“Jiiiiiiiiii-Jigglyyyyyyypuuuuuuuff, Jiggllllllllyyyyyyy…” When the song was over, Cheren offered applause. “Puff!” Jigglypuff beamed in recognition. She jumped down and shook Cheren’s hand in her little stubs.
“Wait, are you the same Jigglypuff from Termina?!”
“Jiggly! Jiggly!”
“Wow! I never thought I’d get to hear you perform again!”
“Jigglypuff! …puff?” But then she saw the people sleeping behind him. “PUUUUUUUUFF!” She puffed in aggravation. She stomped toward them and ripped the head off her microphone, exposing a black marker.
“Oh, boy.” Cheren sighed. He stood back and watched as Jigglypuff drew funny markings on his friends’ faces. With her work done, she puffed up like a balloon and flew away. “I swear she’s like Kirby’s sister or something.”
“Yaaaaaawn…” The five others sleepily awoke. “Ay, Cheren… what happened?” Panini asked.
“Nothing. Come on, I think we’re here.”
Beyond the two altars, in a wide, but shallow area of river, were two canine statues. The sun rays shone more brightly upon them against the dim atmosphere. Fi jumped out to report the obvious. “Master, the aura radiating from these statues is similar to that around the Rusted Sword and Shield. There is a 4% chance these are Zacian and Zamazenta?”
“…Really? Only four?”
“I ponder if the lower probability will deter you from figuring out the obvious.”
“…You gotten smarter, Fi. I like that.” Fi nodded affirmably and returned to the sword.
Cheren placed the weapons on the separate altars. They glowed and floated toward the statues; the sword into the mouth of the right and the shield over the head of the left. To their awe, the sword shone a divine azure and the shield crimson. The stone crumbled, as did the rust.
The guardians of Galar pounced onto the twin pedestals. Zacian was a blue-furred canine with white legs, a red tail along with a flowing red, ribbon-like braid, and sharp golden wings and a crest that matched the sword in its jaw. Zamazenta’s red fur had noteworthy scars, and was blue along the back, tail, and ponytail. What most defined the latter was his great, gold and red shield protecting his front.
“…Hero of Time, Cheren Uno.” Zacian spoke. “We are the Heroes of Many Battles. Tasked to guard this realm by Goddess Azelf.”
“…What up!” Cheren chirped.
“We have trained beneath the goddess.” Zamazenta said. “And she has shared with us fragments of her chi.”
“With it, we have protected this world from a great calamity. But, we sense, through the workings of evil, that calamity will arise once more.”
“No surprise there.”
“We sense great dangers ahead of you, Hero. By will of our goddess, we shall pass her chi along to you-”
“DITTO! Gimmeeeeeee powuuuuuuuhhhhhh.” Cheren’s friends rolled their eyes in disbelief.
“-if you defeat us in battle!” They leapt back into the shallow water.
“Yeah, that don’t surprise me either.” Cheren drew his own sword and shield and followed them. “Bring it on, Swordhound and Shieldhound!”
“Don’t disrespect them like that!” Black shouted.
“Dude, I’m never gonna remember which one is who!” (Play these two’s boss theme from Sword & Shield!)
Boss fight: Zacian and Zamazenta
Cheren relied on Observation to counter the blinding strikes of Zacian’s blade. After momentarily breaking his guard, Cheren rushed the Swordhound with a Soul Surge, but could only land two hits before he leapt away. Cheren’s pursuit was foiled by Zamazenta, blocking any passage with his Wide Guard barrier. Zamazenta Howled to increase Zacian’s strength as the latter rushed his own Soul Surge. Cheren blocked the first four swings, but suffered a slash across the torso on the 5th. Zamazenta mustered a Moon Blast; a large orb of Moon Chi, but Cheren sent it back with a Shield Bash. Shieldhound replicated the move, and Cheren would have to keep parrying it while countering Zacian’s airwaves. But Cheren pulled a deception and parried the Moon Blast in Zacian’s direction, injuring the Swordhound.
Zamazenta charged Cheren with its Iron Head attack. Cheren sheathed his blade, waited until he was close, and performed a Mortal Draw, cleanly slashing through his defense. “What?!” The Master Sword jumped out of his hand and started dancing.
“Zacian’s using his Sword Dance attack!” Black exclaimed.
“Forgive me, Master!” Fi said. “I feel the music in my soul!”
Cheren grabbed a firm hold of his dancing sword. He enforced his Haki over it and overruled its will to dance. However, Zamazenta ambushed him with his Metal Burst, paying back the damage Cheren just dealt. Zacian would follow up with Metal Claws, but Cheren dealt a Perfect Parry with the Hylian Shield, stunning the Swordhound as Cheren dealt a slashing combo. “Your technique is impressive… but can you contend with this?!” Cheren felt Zacian mustering a large amount of chi. With a swift spin of his sword, “Great Dragon Twister!” Cheren was enveloped in a massive tornado of slashes. Cheren remained in the center, trying to endure against the cuts. Cheren raised his blade to charge a Skyward Strike, spiraling it in the same motion as its wave of white chi nullified the Dragon Twister.
Zacian came launching at him with a compact downward strike: Cheren dodged as the 1080 Pound Cannon technique ripped through a mile of ground, creating a trench. The hero threw an upward slash, knocking Zacian back, but when Cheren tried a jump strike, Zamazenta intercepted him with a Perfect Guard. Cheren flew back several yards, and as he recovered, the Shieldhound would push him further back with an energy shield. With a groan of frustration, Cheren was alert to see the next Push Shield incoming. He raised his Hylian and focused Haki to dispel the Push Shield with a Perfect Guard. He advanced toward Zamazenta, parrying every Push Shield sent toward him, and would Perfect Guard when Zamazenta himself charged. The impact of both powerful shields generated a shockwave, but the Shieldhound would be left stunned as Cheren dealt a blow of his sword.
Cheren sensed Zacian moving to attack. Curiously, it seemed like a river was flowing from the motion of his sword, and his strike would generate a small tidal wave that would tear at Cheren’s sides. Cheren blocked the brunt of it with his shield. “Hey, this isn’t normal water.” he observed. “Is it Nature Style?”
“In a sense. Have you heard of Breathing Styles?” Cheren shrugged. “By focusing my chi and my breaths in certain manners, I can concentrate Nature Chi through my sword to some degree.” Zacian was now performing another Breath technique that projected illusory flames from his sword. Cheren would mimic the motion of the wave technique and successfully countered, dealing a blow to the spirit. Zacian would then zip all around Cheren, slashing his blade with the speed and angle of thunderbolts. Though they weren’t actually electrical, each blow was stunning and stinging. Zacian would do this again: Cheren used Observation to dodge each lightning motion before finding the opening to strike back.
“Hey, he looks pretty hurt.” Hilda said. “Should we, like, do something?”
“This trial is only meant for him.” Panini replied. “Besides, he’s been through worse. He can handle it.”
While Zacian was dealing his Thunder Breaths, Zamazenta was beginning to charge at Cheren, shining bright gold and redder with all his chi concentrated. “IT’S A GIGA IMPACT!” Hilda screamed. “WATCH OUT!”
“I got your Giga Impact right here!” Cheren readied his shield for a Perfect Parry, but concentrated a massive sum of Haki. He pulled off the parry, but the weald vibrated as they pushed against each other with extreme force. Cheren rooted himself to the earth and kept true. He could even feel the Haki of his Hylian Shield cracking… so he used the last of its hold to finally break the Giga Impact. Zamazenta bowed out afterward, needing to rest.
Cheren saw a bright light one mile away: Zacian was performing a Sun Breath, sending out wide rings of fire that incinerated all in their radius. “Well, ya know…” Cheren attached two Ice Arrows to his sword, combined with Skyward Strike to slice gaps through the row of rings. As Cheren raced toward Zacian, the Swordhound performed an array of strokes that would shape a sakura-colored flower in the air: the Flower Breath. Its petals would scatter into smaller petals: Cheren applied a Fire Arrow to his sword as he burned through as many bladed sakura as he could. Some would shear him, but he would repay Zacian with another combo.
Zamazenta recovered and utilized his own Breath technique: Mist Breathing that would shroud the area in a shield of fog. Zacian would use Stone Breathing to slice up the earth in attempt to break Cheren’s footing. The hero used Observation to sense the motions, proceeding to Wall Jump against the chunks in the air to get in view of where he sensed Zacian. Afterwards, he lashed at the Swordhound with a Soul Surge, and one final decisive blow disarmed him of his sword, knocking the hound on his side. Afterwards, Cheren rushed Zamazenta, but the spirit would erect a maze of tall, rectangular shields.
Between them and the mist, Cheren struggled to navigate the maze. Zamazenta would also ricochet Moonblasts all throughout the shields. Cheren could Perfect Guard the spheres back into each other, and track their trajectory to find Shieldhound’s hiding place. The spirit created a perfectly round shield around himself as he charged another Giga Impact. Smirking, Cheren moved his shield to his sword arm, channeling chi as if he were preparing a Hurricane Spin. He then threw the shield like a high-speed Frisbee, ricocheting between the barriers and Zamazenta’s shield with intense power. Eventually, the spirit’s shield shattered, and Cheren would unload a storm of Mortal Draws, taking the spirit down before he could finish charging. (End song.)
Cheren propped his sword into the ground to stabilize himself, gasping for breath. The two spirits tiredly rose to their paws. “Young Hero… in your eyes, we have seen grief, turmoil, hatred, loyalty, and conviction… and with those tools, you fight with great vigor.”
“Heh…great…”
“As promised, we grant you these pieces of Azelf.” Tiny lights emerged from the spirits’ mouths. One flew into the Master Sword and the other the Hylian Shield.
“Oooooo!” Cheren drawled. The Master Sword turned a shiny black with a tint of orange-gold light. “It’s like… auto Haki?” But when he added his own, the light tint extended and felt stronger! The shield had similar light designs on the Haki-black surface, and it seemed to expand to a wider radius. “It’s wider, but it doesn’t feel heavier at all!”
“May Azelf’s Haki serve you well…” The canines pounced back onto their pedestals and threw their weapons across the weald. They returned to slumber as statues.
“Hokay…” Cheren fell on his back. “Who wants the honor of carrying me?”
“NOW you’re conkin’ out?!” Panini exclaimed.
“It’s been a long day. And they were tougher than they looked.”
“I thought kids had more stamina than that.” Sunni used psychic to lift him onto her back.
As they traveled out of the weald, Hilda was left in awe and disbelief. That boy just took on two powerful guardian Legendaries… and despite his injuries, all he felt was tired. Hardly an ounce of fear in himself or his friends… as if they’d experienced much worse. …Just what did it mean to be a Champion, anyway?
Sinnoh; Seabreak Path
Sector W flew to the eastern edge of Sinnoh, riding Fybi’s Cloud Top; a dark-blue and fluffy white ship that flew with clouds. “Don’t see too many Rocket guys around here.” Tom observed.
“Hold on. I feel a spiritual presence.” Arianna said. “A… familiar one. Just down there.”
“Then let us anchor hither.” As Fybi instructed, Arianna dropped an anchor that was actually a beanstalk. The team climbed down to Victory Road and traveled to a northern cliff.
There a girl in a red dress and yellow sun hat gazing at the ocean waves. “Hello, Miss.” Arianna greeted. “We don’t mean to disturb you, but you haven’t seen any… rogues around, have you?”
The girl spun around with a teasing smile. “None more roguish than you.”
“AAAH!” Anthony jumped. “IT’S HER AGAIN!”
“Viridi?!” Arianna exclaimed.
“Sheesh, PTSD, much? I thought we buried the hatchet already. Whatever…” Viridi turned to the sea with a sigh. “You know, this planet always disgusted me. All these innocent creatures being captured and trained for sport. Nobody bats an eye or questions if it’s wrong. After I was done with Earth, I would’ve bombed this place next.”
“Though the irony tastes bitter, we could use that against Team Rocket.” Fybi said.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I was here to visit certain Guardian Spirits… unfortunately, they’ve fallen under Team Rocket’s control. I don’t have the power to face them, so I’m trying to visit someone that could. If only someone could get the door open for me…” Viridi stepped aside. “Go ahead, Arianna.”
Glancing suspiciously, Arianna stepped on that spot. “!” Before their eyes, a long trail of colorful flowers spanned across the sea. “Yep.” Viridi affirmed. “Only those with ‘special permission’ can find this place. So, Team Rocket won’t be getting their grubby mitts on it. But just in case… I want you three to stay out here and guard the way.” She pointed at Shelly, Tom, and Emily.
“Why us?!” Tom asked.
“I’m fine with Anthony and Fybi coming in here, but you three don’t have the right spirit. Especially YOU, Emily!”
“Are you still mad that I ruined your factory?”
“Whatever. Just stand guard, guys.” Anthony instructed. He, Arianna, Fybi, and Viridi began to cross the Seabreak Path; so named because it divided Sinnoh’s sea from the greater ocean. Directly to the west on a large island, there was a nice resort area and a group of mountains. This trail of flowers nearly spanned the length of that island. Fybi sprinted across at breakneck speed; she loved running across this kind of lengthy ground! “Huff…on second thought… those three could’ve used the exercise.” Anthony gasped for breath.
After miles of flower frolicking, the four finally made it to a rather small island, also blanketed in colorful flowers. The island was stacked in four layers, and they would climb to the smallest, central layer. “I don’t see nothin’-” Anthony said.
“EEEEP!” His foot pressed into a small, soft bushel of grass. He stepped off in shock: the bushel rose, revealing a white, hedgehog-like body beneath it, with pink flowers on its cheeks. It had to be about 8 inches in length. “Hey! You need to watch where you’re going, you big oaf!”
The operatives blinked; not so much taken aback by its appearance, but rather it could talk. No… it didn’t move its mouth and its voice was echoey. Must’ve been telepathy. “Thou art out of practice with thine Seismic Sense.” Fybi remarked.
“N-No I’m not! It just felt like a soil mound, not a… thing!”
“Hmph! I’ll show you a thing!” The creature blew Anthony off the island with a Seed Flare; its flowers brimmed with light before releasing an explosion of Plant Chi.
“Teeheeheehee!” Viridi giggled. “Oh, how I missed you, Shaymin!”
“EEEEK!” Shaymin shrank in cowardice. “G-G-Goddess Viridi! I thought you were…”
“Dead? Well, I came back to life.”
“Celebi told me you were bad! Celebi…Celebi…” Shaymin raised his head in sadness. “Is… Celebi… really gone?”
Arianna lit up slightly. Just like Terapagos, this plant spirit must’ve been one of Celebi’s friends. Arianna knelt and lifted him in her hands. “Celebi was dealt a fatal blow… but she transferred all her consciousness into a seed before her body decayed. I planted that seed in the Forest of Light on Earth. It’ll take some years… but she’ll be alright.”
“Ah…” Shaymin seemed relieved. “So, you’re… her Guardian.” She nodded. “I see… You’re…” Shaymin turned away with a pompous frown. “You’re just not my type.”
Arianna’s face fell. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, I like you much better than that gross oaf. But I’m just not vibing with your aura.”
“Okay,” Anthony clambered back on land, “I’m already done with this rat. Kick it in the sea and let’s go.”
“Now hold your horses.” Viridi said. “Like it or not, Shaymin—and believe me, I don’t like it either—but don’t you owe it to Celebi to help these kids? Isn’t it true that she asked you to defend this world, in case the worst should happen?”
“Y…Yes.”
“And this world doth suffer its end of days.” Fybi said. “Thine fellow spirits fall to servitude with the Agents of the Stars.”
“Well… okay. But on one condition: I want to ride on her!” Shaymin pointed at the Nimbi. “She’s more my type!”
Fybi giggled! “Thou flatter me so.” She swooped down, scooped the hedgehog up, and placed him on her fluffy orange hair as she rose. “Much safer up hither than the earth Anthony treads.”
“Don’t go supporting that thing, Fybi!”
“But listen, I can’t lend you guys my full power without Gracideas. See these flowers on my cheeks? I need more of them.”
“Well, some spirit you are!”
“Where can we find these flowers?” Arianna asked.
“In Gracidea! Duh! It’s in the name!”
“A hidden valley located in the Sinnoh mountains.” Viridi said. “We’ll just have to do a bit of sailing on your cloud ship.”
“Great.” Anthony eye-rolled. “As long as you help us save Terapagos.”
“Terapagos?”
“Thou must know him, verily?” Fybi asked. “He was acquainted with Celebi’s fellow Firstborn, DDDLY. Huh?!”
“What kind of gibberish was that?” Shaymin asked.
“I was speaking of the Diamond Princess! DEDED! ?!”
Anthony gasped. “MCHHH! WHAT?! I can’t even say CHHHMM’s name?!”
Arianna tensed up in horror. “So, even her name was scrubbed… but why now?” The question weighed above them with dread.
Motostoke (Play “Factory Ruins” from Zelda: Time Lost.)
The blizzard was quick to overwhelm Team Nebula and their Gym Leader allies as they neared the city’s border. “Motostoke’s supposed to be the hottest place in Galar.” Nessa shuddered.
“Good thing I trained for this.” Bea said, taking deep breaths and doing mini-jogs up the path. She glanced down at Vweeb, who was against the dense snow beside her. “I run laps up and down the road to Circhester. Gotta get your skin used to this kinda stuff, you know?”
“Heh, I can top that.” Vweeb smirked. “I lock myself in my own freezer! And I push it open myself when I’m done! Sometimes, the best endurance test is right at home!”
Bea giggled. “You’ll have to show me what that’s like!”
“Heads up!” Nebula alerted. Monstrous Pokémon were sent after them. “Split up and try to regroup with Sector IC! Find out what’s going on!”
…
Families frozen in the middle of the street, in the midst of crying and running. Steam and smoke no longer coursed through the machines or chimneys. Ice and snow coated the industrial city. Sector IC could only gaze over it in melancholy. “Why did Team Rocket do this…” Suki whimpered.
“Who knows…” Miyuki sighed. “But there’s something unusual about this ice. Something… ghostly.”
“Good thing we came along then.” Lola Stork shrugged. “We’ll be making ‘ghosts’ outta these Rocket goons soon enough!”
“Then let’s not keep them.” George said, surveying the Mega and Dynamax Pokémon roaming the town. “Suki, we’re on the rescue team. You two can be the Cut ’n’ Bite Team.”
“No objections here!” Lola smacked Miyuki’s back. “Let’s make a reputation!”
Act 7: Motostoke
Wielding her Memory Meister scythe, Miyuki slashed through a street of icicle fissures. Two of them were Alolan Sandslashes, ambushing the girls with frosted claws. Miyuki slowed them down with the swings of her scythe, allowing Lola to gnash into them like popsicles. The door to the fire department was hanging open: it would be ironic if they were still in business given the snowstorm, but they decided to check for any frozen civilians inside. Indeed, there were some firefighters, but something stepped from around them: an Iron Bundle (robotic Delibird). It sprayed a Hydro Pump from its snow-dotted cannister, and once the girls were soaked, it tried to Freeze-Dry them. Miyuki’s right half was frozen in her attempt to dodge, but Lola became a bat to evade more easily. The Iron Bundle tried to cower behind the frozen equipment, but Lola ambushed the robird with a flurry of Spank Hands.
Lola rejoined Miyuki as she broke the ice off herself. “That was one of the paradoxes.”
“So, Pokémon are robots in the future? That’s kinda sad. By the way, Miyuki… wouldn’t this be a lot easier if you used Verglora?”
“You heard what happened on Mira. We shouldn’t risk using the Newborn. Besides, Suki’s here.”
Miyuki Rewound a broken ladder back into its place, allowing them to climb to the roof. From there, they would jump platforms up a crane, all while three-foot tall snowflakes would try to shoot ice shards. These snowflakes were Cryogonals, and Miyuki would deflect their shards right back to send them falling. The duo reached the crane’s cockpit, finding a cowering frozen man. Miyuki curiously put her hand over him, seeing into his past: he was hiding from whatever was causing the storm around him… and would rip a horrific scream as it ambushed and froze him.
“It was… something riding an ice horse.” Miyuki said. “It was thin and white, but had a big green head.”
“Uhhh…I think I see some kind of horse.” Lola pointed toward the end of the crane. Miyuki fell agape: it was a ghostly black horse with a misty purple mane and tail, as well as hooves that were detached from its body. “NEEEIIIIIGGHHH!” The horse galloped into a swirling green portal. Miyuki shared a wondrous glance with her teammate as they raced along the crane top, leaping through the portal. “WHOOA!” The atmosphere around them turned blue and full of glowing white cranes.
“We’re in… some kind of Ghost Zone!” Miyuki exclaimed. “Overlapping with the town!” The ghost cranes were swinging platforms to and fro each other. The duo timed jumps with the momentum, but Lola could give Miyuki some extra air time with her wings. The final crane’s platform detached and went flying: they were worried it would crush the frozen people in a shipyard, but its ghostly nature phased right through. They were ambushed by two Froslasses and a Dusknoir. Lola was stunned by the Froslasses’ Astonish, but Miyuki would defend her from Dusknoir’s Shadow Punch. She struck the Ghost-type directly in its eye, while Lola would glare into the Froslasses’ eyes with her hypnotic vampiric gaze, dazing them in turn.
A portal led back to the physical world, where Mega Glalies’ immediately surprised them with Powder Snow. They would lung with Ice Fangs, but Miyuki would prop either of their mouths open with timebending, allowing Lola to stick her head in and bite their tongues. The Glalies cried in pain while Miyuki struck them unconscious. “Blech.” Lola spat from the grotesque taste. The way into the warehouse was clogged by a freight car, but Miyuki’s Rewind could have it roll backward inside. They would squeeze around the car afterward—“ROOOAAR!” A Beartic rushed them from the darkness. Lola met its claws in her hands, wrestling with the beast before slamming it on its back. She spanked it in the belly until it was down. “Not nearly as cuddly as Ursula’s bear.”
They found a room loaded with freight cars. Lola heard the sound of faint clopping from one of them, leading Miyuki to it. Miyuki sliced its door open, finding another portal. Nothing seemed different at first in the ghost zone, but they heard commotion in one of the other cars: a tea party of Polteageists and Sinisteas! Miyuki heard them speak: Find the Antiques, or be stuck here for weeks!
“Find the Antiques…?” Miyuki walked up and studied the ghostly teacups and kettles. They seemed completely identical… except one of the Polteageists had a stamp on the inside of its bottom rim. Same for a Sinitea. Miyuki used that pair to pour tea and sip it. The ghosts jingled with glee and flew to open the room’s exit. This exposed them to a corridor of parallel tracks, with freight cars rolling opposite directions at great speed. Miyuki slowed time to make riding and jumping the cars easier. There were ghostly spike bars over parts of the track, so they had to jump between freights to avoid them. The end of this passage allowed them to exit the warehouse.
A Flutter Mane swooped down from the sky and struck them with Dazzling Gleam. Miyuki retaliated by throwing her scythe like a boomerang, slashing the hair-winged ghost. Flutter Mane retreated higher, but Lola flew after the ghost, dodging its Mystical Fire and raining Spank Hands upon it. The prehistoric Ghost-Fairy fell to its defeat. Another portal opened, returning them to the physical world. They would have to advance up a very slippery road, on which a group of penguin Pokémon slid down. Judging by their ice cube-shaped heads, they were Eiscues.
However, they would shed their cubical Ice Faces into ovular, Noice Faces. The penguins threw Weather Balls of condensed cold, but the girls dodged as Lola struck and stunned them. Miyuki enforced Rewind over the Eiscues, reverting them to their Ice Faces, which would serve as good platforms for her and Lola to ride up the ice hill. “Sister-chan!” Suki skied over from further ahead. Behind her, George seemed to be tending to unfrozen, unconscious civilians.
“Suki! Are the people okay?”
“I dunno! I unfroze them, and we tried to wake ’em up, but they’re not budging at all!”
“Oh, no!” Lola hurried to George’s side. She put her ear to the chest of a white-coated woman. “I hear a heartbeat.”
“Are they just really passed out?” George asked, holding a gray-haired man with white and red clothes. “Or something worse…”
“GAAAAAH!” An ice lance flew and pierced Miyuki, sending her down the ice hill.
“MIYUKI-CHAN!” Suki screamed.
The operatives glared in the direction of the attacker. The same thin, white Pokémon with a large green crown that Miyuki saw in her vision. It was mounted atop a white horse with crystalline head and hooves. “Those frozen husks before you are simply that: husks.” A brainwashed Rocket Agent presented herself. She was a middle-aged woman with a pale lavender dress and pale blonde hair. “Their souls like elsewhere.”
“But don’t worry.” They looked down the ice hill and saw the ghost horse. There was a smaller trainer beside the horse: a girl with a ragged black dress, dark-blue sandals, and purple hair. “We’ll keep her safe and sound.” By her guidance, the horse kicked Miyuki’s soul out of her freezing body. The girl proceeded to catch it inside a bottle, placing it in a box of glowing bottles with other souls. However, inside Miyuki’s pocket, despite its frozen state, the Spirit Ball was quaking.
“GIVE BACK MIYUKI!” Suki tried to ski down, but the horseback Pokémon intercepted and rammed her aside. Suki slid along the snow as she pushed it into a large pile… and her eyes would peep open on the pile as it absorbed her Logia form. “Ouch…why did that hurt?”
“SUKI!” She twisted and saw MaKayla racing up. The Gym Leaders were behind her. “What’s happening?!”
“More Elite Agents!” Vweeb said, riding Bea’s shoulder. “You recognize them?”
“Y-Y-YOU!” Allister popped up behind the ragged-dressed girl.
“EEEK!” she screamed delightedly.
“You’re… Acerola! From the Alola Elite Four!”
“You must be mistaken. Spectrier, get me his soul!” Acerola commanded the ghost horse, but Allister would dodge its kick.
“And that’s Glacia!” Nessa recognized the lavender-dressed woman.
“Glacia?” Suki jumped out of the snow. “I love that planet!”
“This could be problematic.” Glacia said. “What do you think, Leon?”
The Gym Leaders gasped: a third Elite presented himself on the slope. A tan-skinned man with purple hair and a regal red cape with white trousers. “No worries. With Calyrex on our side, we’re unbeatable.”
“It’s… Leon.” Marnie gasped. “Our Champion!”
“You mean… former… Champion.” Leon smiled modestly.
“LEON!” Nessa screamed. “How could you let Team Rocket control you like this?! You were stronger than that!”
“Listen… I’m not sure whether I asked for this fate or not. Maybe I am brainwashed… but maybe this is an opportunity for growth. So…” The champion raised his Darkball. “Let’s have some amazing battles together.”
By his command, the horseback Pokémon charged at the Gym Leaders, but Suki was swift to make an Ice Road to redirect it skyward. “That’s Calyrex, the High King of the Crown Tundra!” Marnie pointed. “Those horses, Glastrier and Spectrier, are his steeds! Together, they’re really powerful!”
“Yeah, but so are we!” Vweeb grabbed his hovercraft from his pocket, resizing it as he took flight. “I’ll knock that king off his high horse!”
“Better let Suki have first dibs.” Lola replied, flying into position.
“We’ll take care of the other Pokémon!” Nessa said.
“NOBODY HURTS SISTER-CHAN!” Suki created an Ice Pony and galloped after Calyrex. (Play “Calyrex Final” from Sword & Shield!)
Boss fight: Calyrex
The Ice Rider galloped across the air, creating footholds of ice at its hooves. Suki’s Ice Pony used them to pursue, but Calyrex would rain large icicles from above, and its spiritual power would hurt Suki despite her Logia form. Suki grabbed some of the icicles and threw them to damage Glastrier. The horse sped around a building to lose Suki, and would ambush her as Calyrex thrusted a Glacian Lance. Suki screamed and conjured knight’s armor around herself, withstanding the blow. Calyrex teleported away and threw the lance from a farther distance. It seemed to penetrate the armor, not only impaling it into a building, but causing a cluster of huge ice shards to erupt around the impact point! However, Suki had actually dissolved herself out of the armor in the form of snow.
Suki formed her own lance at her feet and launched herself at the king. Glastrier dodged and fled, but Suki readied a Snow Lasso to catch Calyrex. She yanked him off his steed, but the High King impaled Suki with blades of grass, using Mega Drain to sap her energy. “Hey, that ain’t very kingly of you!” Vweeb came flying on his hovercraft, burning off Calyrex’s grass with his laser gun. He leapt and sent the king flying a short distance with a Kateeny Kick! However, Calyrex swiftly recovered, swinging his long leg to send Vweeb flying across Motostoke. “YOWCH! But ya sure didn’t miss Leg Day!”
“I’VE GOT YA!” Bea sprung to Vweeb’s level, cleanly snatching him in her fingers. They saw Calyrex levitate a fallen crane, throwing it longways toward them. “Can you make it?!”
“If your pitch is as good as my jump!”
“You bet!” Bea reeled back her arm and pitched Vweeb like a tiny baseball, with the Kateenian kicking off at the same time for extra momentum. Vweeb landed along the crane, using the momentum to dash across before leaping off the other end. He landed a solid kick to Calyrex’s gut, afterwards jumping and slamming both fists into his bulbous crown like a volley ball. “Serves up!” Lola Stork dashed along the snow to wham Calyrex with her Spank Hand. “AAAH!” Spectrier blew her away with a Shadow Ball. The ghostly steed would welcome Calyrex onto its back. Spectrier phased into the ground, taking its king with. Lola flew above ground to avoid a possible ambush, but the horse ambushed her out of the side of a building, dealing a double kick of its hind legs.
Lola hissed, returning the gesture with Spank Hands. Spectrier dodged around the air and cast a Confuse Ray, dazing the vampire. Things would grow worse as Calyrex lashed a relentless Hex attack, sending Lola falling and bleeding on the ground. Spectrier was diving to tackle her against the ground, but Lola would stop it with an impactful thrust of her palms. Lola flipped upright and dealt an uppercut spank, but Spectrier repaid her with a Tail Whip. Spectrier phased underground and lashed its tail aboveground to wrap Lola’s legs. “WHOOOAAA!” The ghost dragged her around, smashing her into walls and cars. “Oh, I am NOT being lassoed by a horse right now!” She firmly squeezed the ghostly tail with her Spank Hands, pulling herself free and flying as she pulled it out of the earth.
The Shadow Rider assaulted Lola with an Astral Barrage, a swarm of small ghosts. Lola would push against them with her own swarm of dark bats, but she was still overwhelmed by the Legendaries’ power. “I-I’ll help!”
“GYAH!” Lola yelped as Allister appeared behind her. “Sheesh, even Terry isn’t that stealthy!”
“Runerigus, use Night Shade!”
Calyrex turned right, too late to notice the Pokémon use its fearbending attack. Since fearbending was effective against psychics, Calyrex was stunned. Lola rushed in for a spank round, but could only land two hits before Spectrier cast Disable, cancelling her Spank Hands. “Y’know, let’s see how spook horse tastes!” Lola sank her teeth into Spectrier’s rear. The horse whinnied and kicked about trying to shake her off, while Calyrex held firm on its reins. Allister ordered Runerigus to knock Calyrex off with Shadow Claw.
Calyrex levitated and tried to latch the Reins of Unity onto Spectrier. “How ’bout I rein YOU in?!” Vweeb jumped to grab the reins, hauling the king into the side of a building. Calyrex teleported to the air and willed the snowy earth to grow grass, which would snare and strangle Vweeb. The Kateenian fished for his shrink ray and used it on himself, shrinking and slipping out of the grass’ binding. He resized and shot a harmful laser at Calyrex’s nose. Calyrex surrounded Vweeb completely with a psychic barrier, which would compress until he was crushed.
“I’ll save him!” Marnie yelled, using her Gigantamax Band on her Grimmsnarl. Her Dark-Fairy Pokémon shot to a whopping 105 feet! “Grimmsnarl, use Spirit Break!” The titan struck Calyrex with a powerful burst of chi, breaking its hold on Vweeb. Bea ran to grab the Kateenian, sharing an assuring smirk with each other. The Fighting Trainer spun and pitched Vweeb toward the High King again, the speed combined with Vweeb’s strength sending Calyrex blasting through several buildings.
The infuriated Calyrex focused his psychic to teleport both Glastrier and Spectrier to his side. He roped the Reins of Unity to both of them, and would take his seat inside a frosty, ghostly carriage. “I didn’t know he could do that!” Marnie exclaimed.
“We should be lucky to witness such a phenomena.” Glacia mounted Glastrier.
“A grand chariot to carry Team Rocket to the top!” Acerola mounted Spectrier. Her box of bottled souls were levitated on top by Calyrex’s psychic.
“Then there’s no need to hold back now.” Leon joined Calyrex inside the carriage.
“Lola-chan!” Suki skied to the vampire’s side. “We can play that, too!”
“You bet!” The two linked hands for a Chi Unison. Snow stirred around them with a purple hue, shaping into a jack-o-lantern carriage pulled by bat-winged horses. As both carriages met in the sky, Calyrex thrusted an Astral Lance, but Suki would catch it through a giant popsicle, leaving Lola to grab and bash it against the Legendaries. The High King made distance from the girls and cast a Confusion Avalanche. Suki kept their carriage elevated above the snowfall; Shadow Balls would launch at them from beneath, but Lola whacked them away with Spank Hands. Once close to Calyrex, Lola smacked the last Shadow Ball directly toward and damaged them.
Calyrex began to conjure a ball condensed with Plant, Psychic, Ice, and Ghost Chi. The girls flew at a tight angle to avoid it, but the sphere flew with homing precision, leaving a devastating impact. Suki and Lola crashed right into a chimney before falling to a roof. Calyrex descended as his steeds were mustering a combined blast. “AAAAHH!” The brainwashed trainers screamed as a dark force sent them flying.
“What was that?!” Lola gasped. “…” She and Suki shared a look of worry. “No… Verglora?!”
The Newborn of Masks was flying free from their confinement. Worse, they were in their dark form. “You…” Verglora spoke with growing madness. “You… BROKE… YOUR… PROMIIIIIIIIISSSSE!”
Verglora crazily whipped the trainers off the carriage. Calyrex spun two Glacial Lances to counter the whips, but Verglora would lunge and shatter the box above the carriage. The souls scattered about the air, trying to find their bodies… but Verglora, sensing Miyuki’s soul, watched it fly into her frozen frame. “MIYUKIIIIIII!” The Masked Demon flew down and used their bending to unfreeze her. “Miyuki! My Miyuki!”
“Vuh…V…Verglora?! Why are you out of your…”
“He promised! He promised he wouldn’t hurt you… Why did he lie to me…?”
“Verglora, get back in your ball.” Miyuki soothed the Newborn. Their purple slowly turned back to a chill blue. “It’s not safe for you out here.”
Calyrex directed his steeds to charge straight down at Miyuki. “Hey, your beef’s still with us!” Lola and Suki rammed them with a Dark Snow Bulldozer. Suki formed fangs around the shovel’s rim to crunch the horses, while Lola conjured giant Spank Hands to CLAP Calyrex along with the carriage! The horses and king broke free and divided. “Time to put you down a SECOND TIME!” Lola flew after Spectrier. The haunted horse empowered itself with Nasty Plot before lashing another Hex, but Lola survived the volley before unleashing a storm of Spank Hands.
Glastrier used Iron Defense before charging at Suki with an ice lance jutting from its forehead. Suki smirked, skiing headfirst toward the horse… and just as the lance would’ve punctured her skull, she made a gaping hole through it with her Logia power. She would then split her entire body to either side of Glastrier, forming icicles on the inside of herself and bringing them together to puncture the horse. “Some kids call me an airhead… but usually, air goes right through me. And now it’ll go through you! Hee hee hee!”
“Time to put you on ice, too.” Miyuki threw her scythe like a boomerang as Vweeb rode it. It slashed Calyrex stopped it with psychic, but Vweeb lunged off with the momentum to sock Calyrex in the crown. Miyuki’s Rewind would return him for another punch; Calyrex lost his hold on the scythe, so when Vweeb landed on it, he hoisted and impaled the blade into Calyrex’s hip. The High King fell to the snow-ridden earth and passed out. (End song.)
With Legendaries defeated, the hold of their chi vanished around Motostoke. The snow melted and the sky cleared, returning it to its natural warmth. The civilians were slowly regaining consciousness. “MELONY!” Bea and Allister raced up to the white-coated woman, sitting up as she groaned. “Snow Mom! Are you okay?!”
“Oh…Bea… Al?” Melony felt warm seeing their faces. (Or at least Bea’s face and Al’s mask.) “Goodness! Look at you, Bea, you’re all red! You must’ve been freezing! I really wish you’d wear a coat in this kind of weather!”
“THANK GOODNESS!” Bea delightfully embraced her in a hug.
“You had us worried there.” Allister joined.
“Snow Mom?” Vweeb chirped, returning to Bea’s shoulder.
“Haha, she’s like the ‘mother’ among the Gym Leaders! She’s so sweet to us!”
“Haha, she’s warm, too!” Vweeb jumped into Melony’s collar, nuzzling into its fluffiness. “Hoo, that’s what I needed after that fight!”
“Oh!” Melony perked up in surprise at the strange, tiny creature. Rather, surprised by how frigid he felt against her neck. “My, you are freezing. I’d love to make you something warm.”
“Huff…I don’t know what happened, but we owe you kids a debt.” said Kabu, the Motostoke Gym Leader. “Calyrex completely overwhelmed us.”
“Everything’s clear now.” Nebula assured. All the Rocket Agents had been rounded up and their injured Pokémon piled outside. “Sugar… do you think you can help those three?”
The Team Yell grunts had bound the Elite Agents up in rope. “You fools.” Acerola made a kitty smirk. “Trying to bind a ghost like this?”
“Well, we’d like to lift your spirits.” Sugar smiled. “Meloetta, Marnie, ready to do this?”
“Y-Yes!” Marnie was honored to join them in song.
They decided to recite a classic. “I wanna be… the very best. Like no one ever was!” DUN, DUN, DUN! Music Chi coursed through the air, surrounding the brainwashed trainers. “To catch them is my-”
“AAAAAHHH!” The Elites screamed as a horrid ringing resounded from their helmets.
“What?!” Sugar gasped.
“Whoa!” Vweeb jumped. “I think those helmets have some kind of musical failsafe!”
“They’re anti-MUSIC?!” Meloetta cried. “I give that a ZERO out of ten!”
“Can’t we just… rip them off or something?” Nessa asked.
Vweeb jumped onto Glacia’s helmet, the woman growling as he squeezed himself underneath. “Uh…this might be worse than we thought. These helmets are, like… rooted to their heads. I don’t know a good way to break them without severely injuring them.”
Nebula sighed. “Team Rocket made sure to cover all corners. We might have to just squeeze the answer out of their boss directly. Hm?” She received a call. “Hey, Aurora. What’s wrong? …Sheila’s been WHAT?!” Her operatives exchanged concerned glances. “You need me to… whoa, slow down! …Are you really sure that’ll work?”
“I mean, it’s Raleigh’s idea, so blame him if this goes south. Otherwise, we don’t have a whole lot of options on such short notice!”
“Sigh…I guess not. Okay, I’ll head right over.” She hung up. “Something urgent. I’ll trust you to look after things here.”
“You got it.” MaKayla nodded. Nebula called over her Shooting Star and took off.
Gracidea
The Cloud Top sailed over miles of forested mountains. Within the vast range that divided Sinnoh in half, they found a vast valley that was mostly shaded by the mountains. A river ran through a pine forest, leading to a pristine lake with a great iceberg cliff beyond it. The mountains were split so that the sun could shine on the lake from its current height. The left shore of the lake was lush with Gracideas, the sun highlighting their light-red luster. This was where they would disembark.
Shaymin dove into the flowers and rolled around in them in delight. Arianna crouched down and took a whiff. “Wonderful!”
“Flowers are only good for steppin’ on.” Shelly remarked. “What do you need these flowers for, any…way?”
Shaymin glowed as the flowers covered his mossy back. He grew slightly larger and canine-like, with large ears that seemed like a mix of wings and antlers. His green fur shaped like a mohawk on his head, and the Gracidea petals fluttered from his neck like a scarf. Shaymin graced the air with majesty, smirking down at the group with confidence. “Whaddya think of my Sky Forme? Pretty cool, huh?”
“Heck yeah!” Emily cheered.
“You see, while Celebi was my main creator, God Rayquaza offered some of his own chi to me. I’m the Sky Warrior!”
“Thou jest?” Fybi flew to his level. “I am the Sky Warrior of Earth! ’Tis an honor to fight by thine side!”
“Only if you have the breath to keep up with me!”
“Great, great, you’re comrades in arms.” Viridi brushed the air. “Now, how about you help me with a favor since I was generous to help you out?”
“You didn’t do anything for us!” the Earth Children chorused.
“What is thine favor?” Fybi eye-rolled.
“Rescue my Forces of Nature from Team Rocket.”
“What?” Anthony asked. “I thought they were all destroyed.”
“I don’t mean those ones. A long time ago, Rayquaza gifted me playmates to help me cope with… what happened between us and the first Negatar. They were my original Forces of Nature. But, there were ‘disagreements,’” the operatives could guess what those were, “and… we went our separate ways. But I’ve sensed they’ve been captured by Team Rocket. I need to save them.”
“Well, I’d do the same for my buds.” Shelly shrugged. “So, why not?”
“As long as it doesn’t take us too out of the way…” Anthony said.
Mobius; Northstar Islands
Maddy Murphy punched a Gigantamax Charizard square in the gut. The 91-foot dragon with flaming horns and wings was blown into the sea. Mocha countered a Gigantamax Machamp’s fists with her own two. Machamp moaned as its fists bruised, and the smaller giant would tackle it in the ankle. Machamp fell face-first into a short peak.
“They took out 35 of our giants!” a scrawny Rocket Agent exclaimed. “How’re we supposed to beat those monsters?!”
“At this rate, learn Golden Haki.” a bulky agent replied.
“You boys are being too wasteful!” a childish voice chimed.
“Commander Poppy!” A 9-year-old girl stepped between them. She had bluish-black hair beneath her mind-control helmet, wore a large steel key necklace over her same-colored dress, and yellow stockings. Her feet were remarkably tinier than her thick legs.
“Meltan’s about to destroy them from the inside out!”
“Nnnh…ugh…” Mocha grunted as her skin grew coated in silver. “Maddy! MADDY! Something’s wrong!”
“What is it, Mo…cha?” Maddy’s own skin grew silver, and her own body became stiff. “What the frick?!”
“This isn’t that virus they told us about, was it?!”
“I don’t know! I…I can’t even use Haki!” She struggled to move. “Is it clogging up my chi paths?!”
The silver coating them was actually billions of Meltans; microscopic amoeba-like Pokémon with malleable metal bodies and hex nut heads with tiny black balls inside (resembling pupils). “I’ve been feeding Meltan some old Eggman junk lying around!” Poppy said. “That gave him the strength to multiply! Now let’s give them a taste of THIS!”
She summoned a Gigantamax Copperajah, a dark-green, cuboid, elephantine Pokémon. With a swing of its tremendous trunk, Maddy and Mocha were blown up to the Sky Temple above the island. “NOOOO!” screamed Trip the Sungazer, the island’s guardian. “I…I need to get them back! No other choice…?!” Unfortunately, her own scaly skin started to turn steel.
“And I didn’t just stop with them!” Poppy snickered as all the Sungazer Mobians began to freeze up. “This whole island belongs to Team Rocket now!”
West Side Island
The Kingdom of Acorn was under attack by the Swords of Justice, a trio of Legendary horse Pokémon. Weiss engaged the Grassland Horse, Virizion, throwing leaves with grace to counter her icicles and vines to clash with her Myrtenaster. Fortunately, its Fire Dust garnered damage off it. Pacifica was locked in a fierce duel with Cobalion, the Horse of Iron Will. The horse slashed its steel horns with ferocious intent, the Northwest’s Chains of Judgment dancing wildly in defense. She took stabs to her gut and arm, but was able to graze the horse in the eye.
Lanolin the Sheep battled Terraklion; not so much a horse, but rather a gray and brown bull. Its charges were like an avalanche of boulders, but the power Lanolin could stir up in her Jingle Bell Wispon were able to shatter such boulders.
“You and your allies have excellent techniques.” said Bertha, the brainwashed Elite commanding the Swords. Were it not for her corruption, she would be a modest old lady in a brown scarf and white coat. “But I imparted my Observation Haki to the Swords of Justice.”
“Well, how’s this for an observation: if you’re going to be controlled by evil, you don’t get to brag about justice!” Lanolin’s next punch was hardened with her own experience and regrets.
Zootopia
“Guys!” Marrow pointed. “Something’s being dropped in the town square!”
A Dynamaxed, Hisuian Electrode fell in the city’s center. Harriet dashed to get a better visual on the round, yellow-tinted object. She saw it surging with energy and ran back to her team. “It’s some kind of bomb! It might wipe out the entire district! Or worse!”
“There are still people there!” Clover said.
“Harriet! Carry me there! Quickly!” Vine Zeki pled.
“O-Okay!” Harriet grabbed her teammate and sped off.
“Wait! Vine!” Marrow called.
Harriet dropped Vine close to the bomb. He used his energy arms to fling himself over and began to envelop the Electrode in his energy. Harriet’s pupils shrank, realizing his intent. “VINE! WHAT’RE YOU DOING?!”
“It doesn’t have long. It’s too heavy for you to carry, and Marrow can’t keep it frozen. This is the only way.”
“VINE!!” She ran to him, pounding on the barrier of gooey energy. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”
“I can… if it means I can save this world.”
The Electrode flashed. The barrier stretched and morphed as it struggled to contain the outburst, but eventually, it would give way as a smaller mass of flames escaped. Harriet zipped back to her friends. Tears streamed as she fell to her knees.
Mira
Zygarde used Land’s Wrath, willing the chi of Gaur Plains to rupture against Shulk and Rex. While Shulk’s Monado Shield struggled to protect them, Pyra had turned into Pneuma, using her energybending to negate Zygarde’s power. Afterwards, she diced the Legendary up with energy swords, its cellular components scattering everywhere. The small Zygarde Core wriggled about in evasion as Shulk landed two solid cuts on it, but the cells found their way back to it.
After fully reassembling, the serpent-like Pokémon evolved into a muscular, more humanoid form with mostly black hexagons and a crown-like head. “Its power has finished growing!” Alvis exclaimed.
Zygarde unleashed Thousand Arrows, a storm of green arrows that forced the airborne Rex and Pneuma to the ground. Each spot on the ground struck by the arrows left green hexagons. Zygarde unleashed Core Enforcer again and reverted Pyra to her base form. “It’s about to do something else!” Shulk sensed, casting Monado Speed over them. “RUN!” Alas, Zygarde’s Thousand Waves willed the hexagons around the field to rupture into shockwaves, knocking the Aegises off their feet. Furthermore, they were disallowed from running away from the Order Spirit.
Motostoke
The operatives settled down for a healthy lunch. The Rocket Agents were imprisoned in the town’s gym. “I say we head to Circhester next.” Bea said, sharing her chocolate fudge with Vweeb. “It’s not nearly as cold as this place was. And Melony’s house is super cozy! We could rest there tonight!”
“I’ll hold you to that!”
Meloetta looked toward the gym with sympathy. How could Team Rocket deny them the beauty of music. “…?!” She was the first to sense the tremendous surge of chi in the center of town.
To everyone’s sheer confusion and fear, a massive dark-purple bubble was swelling. They could feel the powerful energy pulsating within. The bubble popped into a shockwave, knocking everyone off their feet. The being inside was much smaller: a light-purple cat with blank white eyes and black clouds orbiting its head.
“HEY!” Nessa exclaimed. “IT’S MMMMMP! ?!” She covered her mouth in confusion. “MLLP?!”
MaKayla gasped. “IT’S ANOTHER ONE! EVERYONE, WE NEED TO EVACUATE-”
The Reborn, Wem rained gigantic bubbles all over Motostoke. They would bounce aimlessly, absorbing both citizens and people inside as they flung about with the bouncing. “AAAHH!” Vweeb, Sugar, and the Gym Leaders were caught inside one.
“VERGLORA!” Miyuki released her Newborn once more and channeled their chi onto her scythe. A giant frosted blade was formed to slice the bubbles.
“It must’ve appeared because Verglora helped us win that fight!” Lola said.
“But Miyuki-chan didn’t tell it to!” Suki argued. “She was frozen!”
“It doesn’t matter.” Miyuki ordered Verglora to conjure the Goron Mask, transforming herself. “I’m the only one who can hold him off!” She rolled, grabbed Wem in a hug, and curled up as she rolled out of town.
“I’ll stick behind and help!” MaKayla said. “The rest of you should go!”
Though they were hesitant and concerned, the operatives fled from the city.
Postwick
“HUU-?!” Sunni spun toward the north.
“What’s wrong?!” Cheren asked.
“I… feel an incredibly powerful Psychic Chi. It can’t be…”
“SUNNI!” The psychic took flight across the country. “…I can sense it, too. I bet I know what it is.” Cheren turned to his reflection in a house window. “Would be nice if we had an answer to this problem.”
Fun fact about Shaymin: he’s a hedgehog, but he’s voiced by Amy Palant, who voiced Tails, the best friend of Sonic the Hedgehog!
Chapter 34: Poké Saga 5: Winds of Paldea
Summary:
Sector MG visit and help the region of Paldea! Sector JP solves a mochi crisis in Kitakami. Nebula arrives to help save Sheila from Necrozma.
Chapter Text
We’re now going to rewind time back to when we first landed on Poké, and follow another sector’s adventure!
Chapter 30: Winds of Paldea
Paldea
Sector MG sailed Poké’s skies on their pirate ship, the Rogue Delivery. The sight of Paldea from the heavens was breathtaking: a snowy mountain to the north, a great lake in the northwest, a beach just below that, several grasslands and plateaus; but most notably, there was an enormous crater in the center of the continent , surrounded by mountainous walls and covered in a maelstrom of clouds. Directly south of that crater seemed to be the capital city. “Okay, I’m psyched!” Diwata Uno exclaimed, leaning over the railing. “Drop me off RIGHT NOW!”
“Where do we get our starters?!” Maria mimicked her posture. “And who do I trade it with for the strongest Legendary?!”
“Hey, guys!” Philip yelled, using a spyglass on the crow’s nest. “Blimp spotted at 12:00! And I think they need our help!”
An airship was being bombarded by a Mega Toucannon’s Beak Blast, a Kilowattrel’s lightning, and a Dynamax Vivillon’s Hurricane. “Pikachu, give it another Volt Tackle!” Commander Friede ordered, his Pikachu ramming the Kilowattrel as an electric ball. Friede was a tan-skinned young man with a brown and yellow jacket, and blue goggles over his sharp white hair. “Orla, how’s the engine looking?!”
“It’s not ready! It won’t be able to get us out of here!” Orla answered. She wore thick orange pants, a yellow sweater wrapped around her waist, black T-shirt, and mechanic’s gloves with cyan fingers.
Roy, the crew’s flagbearer, was tending to his own injured Kilowattrel. Roy had a tuft of dark-pink hair beneath his black and white cap, a red shirt with white sleeves, and brown shorts. “I don’t think we can handle much more of this!”
“Sky Dragon’s CLAW!” Wendy slashed the enemy Kilowattrel out of the sky with a piercing gust of wind.
“EVENSTAR!” Oliver KO’ed the Vivillon with a giant ball of darkness.
“LUNAR RAINBOW FLARE!” Even though it was probably overkill, Romeo and Diwata lit up Toucannon’s world.
The adventurers were beaming, both at the fact they’ve been saved and at the power of their saviors. “THAT WAS AWESOME!” Roy cheered. “Dot, tell me you were recording that!”
“Kind of just… scared for my life here.” Dot replied. Her curtain of dark-purple hair covered her eyes, her blue vest had pink chest pockets, green sleeves, and purple pants.
The ships parked next to each other as both groups crossed over to study each other’s vehicle in awe. “You came just in the nick of time. But from the looks of you, you aren’t from around here, are you?” Friede asked.
“No, sir.” Wendy said politely. “We’re Sector MG from Earth. I’m the leader, Wendy Marvell.” She introduced her other teammates.
“We’re the Rising Volt Tacklers. Call me Friede. This here is Captain Pikachu.” (“Pika!”) His Pikachu winked proudly, wearing a white captain’s hat. “This is Orla, our engineer. Chef Murdock, if you’re hungry.” A muscular, dark-skinned old man.
“What was that colorful fire you did?!” Roy asked eagerly. “What’s it do?!”
“It does whatever I want it!” Romeo conjured some green Healing Fire and threw it over his Kilowattrel.
“What are you doing?!” yelled Mollie, the nurse treating it. She had pink hair and a matching dress, with a red and gray jacket and black leggings. “Oh…its wounds are disappearing.”
“WOOOOOW!”
“Roy’s our little flagbearer!” Friede plopped a hand on his head. “Dot’s our technician and software specialist,” she sported a soft smile and waved, “and Liko’s our lookout.” A girl with dark-blue hair and a cyan hoodie-dress.
“How do you like the Brave Olivine?” Liko asked.
“I LOVE it!” Oliver exclaimed.
“It’s practically got your name on it!” Phil laughed.
“So does your Philmobile.”
“We sail the world on this bad boy, learning all about Pokémon and hunting treasure.” Friede explained. “But ever since Team Rocket took over… well, this is one of the only safe havens we have.”
“Just take a look.” Orla directed them over the railing. It was easy to notice the Dynamaxed Pokémon ravaging the country. “They’re making it impossible to travel anywhere safely.”
“Most of their forces are concentrated at Mesagoza.” Liko indicated the capital city. “Some of our friends are at the academy.” Dot bowed her head in worry. “We flew here to try and help them, but… we got a little overwhelmed.”
“Before you showed up, four other Pokémon attacked us.” Friede said. “We managed to take them down, but we were really scraping by with those last three.”
“And worse,” Murdock followed, “Team Rocket stole the Treasures of Ruin. They drowned Paldea with calamities.”
“Then we’d better get to work.” Wendy smiled. “I’ll just do a quick sweep of the region. Do you guys wanna try liberating the capital?”
“That’s a CAPITAL idea, good ma’am!” Maria saluted.
“A quick sweep?” Liko asked, worried as Wendy mounted herself on the railing. “Wait, where are you going?!”
“I’ll be back around.” The mage winked before diving off the ship. The Volt Tacklers looked on with slacked jaws. (Play “South Province Riding” from Scarlet/Violet!)
Act 8: Paldea
Wendy landed in the coastal town of Cabo Poco before sprinting up Poco Path. “What happened here?!” The grassland around her was dry and dead. She couldn’t even enjoy the pleasant breeze like this. Oinkolognes charged at her, but Wendy performed sidesteps to dodge around the pigs. Wendy drifted her way around the winding paths ascending up a plateau, and as she raced between two rows of dead trees, she wound up stuck inside a large spider-web. The web was woven by Tarountulas, the spiders crawling to snack on their prey. “Sorry!” She was forced to undo their hard work to free herself. Wendy reached a small lake with a waterfall pouring from a cliff. She spun whirlwinds around her feet and used magic to keep it constant: not only would she tread the water, but dash up the waterfall itself.
Wendy launched off the top and became level with a series of floating Skiplooms. Wendy Air Dashed to step off the first one, “Sorry!” and would repeat the maneuver to leap across the others, eventually landing atop a rocky plateau. Rockslides threatened to bury her as she raced through a trench, only to hit a dead end—but the ground caved beneath her and into a cave. Wendy dashed through, curving up the walls and ceiling when the floor became a chasm. The exit sent her falling out a hole in the cliff, and as she sprinted between another short trench, a Dynamax Klawf ambushed her! The giant crab snared her in its right claw, but Wendy mustered the strength to push free, running along its arm and onto its back. “Aguamenti Confringo!” An explosion of water would knock the Klawf out.
From the Olivine, Liko was in awe watching Wendy from her telescope. “She’s so fast… and she took out that Dynamax like nothing!”
“Isn’t she amazing?” Kiki winked. “Come on! We gotta do our part, too!”
“Okay!” Liko hopped on Kiki’s broom, hugging arms around her hip.
Wendy ran off the cliff into a river, treading its surface toward a city built on the sea. “Hey, that place looks pretty!” She approached the Pokéball-shaped central road of Levincia, using a diagonal support beam to reach it from the sea. She made a couple loops around the ring to take out all the Team Rocket trucks. Afterwards, she would follow a road leading to the Million Volt Skyline, an island of five glass skyscrapers that stood against the sea. “!” To her horror, a Dynamax Bombirdier was flapping above the central building, threatening to crush and shatter it. Wendy planted her feet to the building’s side and dashed up: before the giant bird could impact the roof, Wendy would repel it with a well-timed Protego. The beast threw a Wing Attack, but Wendy’s Sky Dragon Wing Attack was superior, shearing the stork’s feathers and sending it falling into the sea.
Smiling in satisfaction, Wendy returned to the surface and would race through the north of Levincia. She continued on to Paldea’s snowy north—an avalanche was flooding the whole region! “This can’t be normal! Is this the calamity they mentioned?!” She cast a spell to be able to run up the avalanche without sinking, only needing to dodge the Abomasnows that came flailing down the snow flow. Near the top of this hill, there was a Bronzong to her left, overlooking a valley. When she kicked the Bronzong, it generated a grind-rail of Psychic Chi. Magnetons impeded her way across, so she’d either jump or duck. The rail would end, but she leapt to kick another Bronzong to grind its psychic rail, repeating the pattern with tighter space between the Magnetons.
The rail swerved around some pine trees before dropping Wendy on another hill. The ground rumbled beneath her. “Another avalanche? …OR SOMETHING WORSE?!” What seemed like enormous snowballs were bowling right toward her. Wendy boosted downhill, using natural ramps to fly off with jumping momentum. She reached the base of Glaseado Mountain, free of the snows and into the Socarrat Trail; a valley of golden grass and trees.
She had plenty of room to dodge away from the snowballs… but they would bizarrely stop, uncurl, and shake the snow off themselves. In actuality, they were a Dynamax Great Tusk and Iron Treads! (Paradox forms of Donphan.) The massive proboscideans turned toward Wendy with anger and resumed rolling at her. She fled across Socarrat; along the way, Skuntanks would squirt poisonous Venoshock at her. One of them managed to hit Wendy, reducing her speed as she gagged on the poison, but she persevered.
“Whoa!” Wendy ran off the edge of a gaping, 50-meter fissure, and was lucky to have a row of Honchcrow to jump across and save herself, reaching the other side. Wendy drifted around the edges of other such fissures, while the giants followed her in similar fashions. “These don’t look natural either.” These fissures must’ve been another calamity. Wendy would Air Dash to fly over a U-shaped trench, which the giants could easily roll along, before closing in on Casseroya Lake. Wendy ran off the cliff and tread across the vast lake, leaving the Iron Treads and Great Tusk to splash beneath the surface. “That’ll stop them!”
Wendy hurried to rest on an island in the middle of the lake, drinking one of Oliver’s potions to relieve the poison. “So far, so good. OUCH!” A Water Gun shot her in the ear. She angrily looked toward the Pokémon responsible: a Curly Tatsugiri, a small orange fish riding a cloud. The Dragon/Water-type wriggled at her tauntingly before retreating across the lake. “That was rude!” Wendy sprinted after the dragon out of vengeance—I mean, because it might work for Team Rocket. The Tatsugiri flew between parallel rows of spiked conches—belonging to Slowbros—which would curve in snaky fashions, forcing Wendy to drift along the water. Some Slowbros tried to blockade her, but there were Dragonairs available to use as ramps.
Just when the Tatsugiri stopped and faced her—“AAAAHH!” a Dynamax Dondozo (a blue and white koi fish) emerged from the lake. It would’ve swallowed Wendy in its gaping mouth, had she not frantically back-walked and dodged the snap of its lips. Wendy ran circles to dodge the waves of its Aqua Tail. The beast charged at Wendy with Wave Crash, covering its whole body in water, but Wendy chose to meet it head-on, covering herself in a wind barrier. The forces collided with equal strength, but Wendy’s barrier stirred the lake into a maelstrom, as well as Dondozo’s water. The Pokémon bellowed in agony as it was blown straight onto shore. Dondozo gagged and spat out the Tatsugiri. It tried to fly away, but Wendy sucked its cloud down her gut like a vacuum. She would spit it right back with a force that KO’ed the Dragon-type.
However, the Dondozo was still gagging. “UUUUUGH!” A boy in his late teens forced his way out. He wore purple pants and a matching tie over his white shirt, with a yellow vest and brownish-blonde hair. “Talking about biting more than we can chew! You okay, Penny?”
He reached in to pull out his friend, a younger girl with red and blue hair. She wore a dark-gray hoodie with a Pokéball logo, lighter pants with red +’s and blue minus signs, as well as a fluffy Eevee backpack. She was also visibly distraught from being soaked in saliva. “I feel like… I was better off… staying at the academy.”
“Look, we gotta keep pulling through. First we gotta find an active Pokémon Center or something…?”
“I’m sorry!” They were startled by Wendy’s sudden apology. “I didn’t know anyone was inside that thing!”
“What?” The boy looked over the KO’ed Dondozo. “Wait, did you do this?”
“Uh-huh!” Wendy quickly explained herself and her mission here.
“So, the Volt Tacklers are here? Glad they’re alright. Name’s Arven, this is Penny.” The girl tried to polish off her round glasses. “We’re academy students. When Team Rocket invaded, we managed to slip out and we’ve been trying to find help.”
“Now most of our Pokémon are injured with nothing to show for it.” Penny said.
“If you bring them out, I can heal them.” Wendy smiled. “Then we’ll join our friends at the academy!”
“Sounds like a plan to me!” (End song.)
Naranja Uva
Paldea’s prestigious Pokémon academy had a traditional rivalry between grapes and oranges. For 805 years since its founding, students would choose a house of either fruit, and depending on who scored the most points at the end of that year, the school’s colors and symbols would be changed to the according fruit. With Team Rocket’s takeover, all the banners had been changed black with their red “R.”
Their primary objective was to seize the school’s supply of Tera Orbs, as evident by the amount of Terastallized Pokémon Sector MG faced opposition against. While the Terastallized could become any Type their trainers wished, the mages were much more flexible in their elemental spells, exploiting the Pokémon’s weaknesses as necessary. Because they were wearing gem crowns, Maria couldn’t possess any of them with her hat, so she relied on Mushroomian power-ups.
Using a Rock Mushroom, Maria became a boulder and rolled at a Sprigatito with a Water Jewel. The grass cat dodged and slashed the boulder with a Water Whip. “OUCH!” She reverted to normal form, tumbling several yards away before stopping on her face. “…?” But when Maria craned her neck up, she conveniently found another Rock Mushroom before her. Although this one had a brick of rock salt on top. “Hey, look, guys! Someone dropped their own power-up here!”
“Wait!” Liko called. “That’s not a power-up, that’s a Nacli!”
But it was too late: Maria sank her teeth in the Rock Salt Pokémon. “AAAAEEEEHHH!” Her teeth grew rugged and her mouth dry.
Liko had Terastallized her Meowscarada with a Grass Jewel, delivering a quick defeat to a Kleavor and Mudbray. “Gah!” yelled the Rocket Agent commanding them. “It’s no use, we’ve lost this school! Agents, grab what you can and retreat! We’ll have the Elites hold them back!”
A garage opened as several agents rolled out on lizard-like motorcycles, carrying sacks of Tera Orbs. “They got LIZARD BIKES?!” Diwata screamed.
“Those are Cyclizars!” Friede exclaimed. “The students’ main transportation!”
“We can’t let them get away!” Oliver leapt into the Philmobile. “After them, Phil!”
“On it!” Phil stomped the gas, driving bumpily down the academy stairs. As they crossed the Mesagoza square, Oliver prepared to cast a spell at the agents—“AAAAHH!” They were rammed by a red Pokémon, sending them spiraling out of control.
“This school belongs to the boss now.” The Pokémon’s rider, Hassel, was a brainwashed Elite with blonde hair, a red diamond-patterned tie over his black shirt, and a green coat. His Pokémon resembled Cyclizar, but with wild red and white feathers. “We intend to keep it that way.”
Another Elite, Rika, rolled beside him. She was skinny with a long green ponytail, and her “Cyclizar” was purple and robotic. “Like our rides? These Pokémon shouldn’t even exist in this period, but the late gods have gifted us. Koraidon was the Winged King of the past,” the red cycle Pokémon, “and Miraidon is the Iron Serpent of the future. The Cyclizars pale to these Legendary Paradoxes!”
“Those things are Legendaries?” Phil asked. “They’re just fancy motorcycles.”
“I DON’T CARE!” Hassel began bawling his eyes, leaning down and hugging Koraidon. “She’s the best prehistoric motorcycle I’ve ever had!”
“See for yourselves!” Rika ordered Miraidon to deal a Parabolic Charge, generating an electric shockwave. Oliver cast a spell to make the Philmobile spring into the air, and paragliders would extract to glide it away.
“Hm. It’s a race then.” Rika smirked. She and Hassel threw out their enhanced Pokémon. “Take care of the others. We’ll stop these brats!” The Pokémon stormed up the academy stairs to battle Sector MG and the Volt Tacklers.
“Phil! They’re after us!” Oliver exclaimed.
“Got any spells that’ll help us, Ollie?!”
“Well, under the circumstances… Mushroomian Kart Racing spells.”
“Then put ’em to work!” (Play “Koraidon/Miraidon Battle” from Pokémon!)
Boss fight: Koraidon and Miraidon
Miraidon spat lightning at the Philmobile, the driver steering evasively. Oliver cast two Green Shells directly at them, prompting the Elites to dodge, but a third shell was cast ahead of the Philmobile at a diagonal angle. It would bounce between the buildings as Phil turned a corner and passed it, the shell hitting Koraidon in surprise. Infuriated, Hassel had Koraidon speed up and breathe flames, Oliver throwing up a Protego in defense. However, Koraidon shattered the barrier with a Brick Break, sending the Philmobile tumbling upside-down. Oliver flipped them upright with a spell, but the Legendaries had sped ahead of them. Miraidon left a snaky trail of Electro Drift, so Philip had the car bounce over each strip.
Oliver cast three Red Shells, but Miraidon used Mirror Coat to deflect them back. “Plan B!” Oliver would shield them from damage by converting the car into a Bullet Bill, plowing through the shells, but the Legendaries would stay ahead by the time the spell wore off. Miraidon bellowed Metal Sound, an ear-grating screech that compelled Phil to slow down, but Oliver endured as he cast a Banana Peel, landing a lucky hit on Miraidon as it swerved. Phil rammed the Pokémon with a stomp of the gas and drove ahead.
Koraidon used Sunny Day to intensify the sun, enhancing its Fire Chi as it blew a massive Flamethrower at the car. Phil performed a tight swerve to the left as Ollie cast a Blizzard Spell to counter it. After the flames ceased, Koraidon immediately lunged with a Rock Smash, but Phil stomped into a complete brake just in time. Oliver seized his chance to strike it with a Thunder Spell. The boys proceeded ahead of the race, driving up a ramp and kicking on the car’s paraglider. However, the Legendaries sprouted their own wings and flew after. Miraidon spat Dragon Breath while Koraidon flew close with swipes of its Dragon Claw.
Oliver conjured a Tanuki Tail at the back of the car, whipping it to counter Koraidon’s claw swipes. He saw the opening to blast the Pokémon with a flame spell, but Miraidon’s breath would damage the car. Miraidon charged at them with an Overheat attack, but Oliver would enhance the car’s horn with, “Sonorus!” The amplified noise forced Miraidon to recede. Oliver struck it with a Red Shell, sending it crashing into the city. The Philmobile returned to the road, making its next loop around Mesagoza. Miraidon generated its own electric Koopa Shells; they would zip around the air before homing on their cat at random. “OW! I think they’re copying our strategy!” Oliver was able to nullify the second shell with a spell, but the third shell stunned them, allowing the Legendaries to speed ahead.
Koraidon about-faced and latched its hind to Miraidon’s. It spat a volley of fireballs that bounced aimlessly around town. The Philmobile suffered damage from some, so Oliver would cast and bounce iceballs in the same fashion. When there were no more flames, the Pokémon spun so Miraidon would face them, willing lightning to rain around the track. Oliver caught several of the bolts on his wand to amass a giant electro sphere; once ready, he threw it forward and fried the motorcycle lizards! “That’s enough playing around!” Rika shouted. “Koraidon, Miraidon, combine your power!”
Miraidon’s back wheel transformed into an electric tail as it rose in a dominant position. Koraidon leapt on its back as both performed a Chi Unison: Koraidon mustered Ancient Power and Miraidon Future Shock. “We’ll annihilate you with the combined power of past and future!” Hassel exclaimed. “What a beautiful painting that will make!”
“I’ll give you a painting!” Phil opened a secret compartment and pressed a switch. The front of the car opened, unveiling a cannon with three slots that resembled Oliver’s Mornstar. The three slots rotated as magic chi amassed. “I’ll show you why they call me the TECH WIZ!”
The energy unleashed, meeting the Legendaries’ Ancient Future Calamity directly. “Uh-oh!” The boys panicked as their Philstar Beam was overwhelmed, so Oliver provided some Light Magic to amplify it. “Come ooooon, baby, I put a lot of work into this Magitech!” Phil begged.
It took all the gas the Philmobile had to offer, but their magic managed to reach Koraidon and Miraidon’s heads with a stunning impact. The trainers flew off, and the Pokémon collapsed in defeat. “Sigh…” Oliver and Phil leaned into each other, tired. “I still think the magic cannon breaks the rustic appeal.” Oliver said.
“You’re just mad that you couldn’t win by yourself for once.”
“I am not.” (End song.)
The operatives and students secured all the enhanced Pokémon and Elite Agents. “Hey!” Wendy came racing up the stairway, carrying her two new guests. “Everything okay up here?!”
“I think I’m gonna be sick…” Arven groaned.
“We just finished wrapping up.” Oliver affirmed.
“Arven! Penny!” Liko exclaimed.
“Oh?” Penny lit up, seeing some familiar faces. “Dot! Hey, guys!”
“There you are!” Dot smiled at her online bestie. “Couldn’t find you anywhere on campus.”
“Team Rocket made off with all the Tera Orbs.” Friede said. “But for now, the school is safe.”
“I’ll say.” A voice called. The group turned to a tan-skinned girl with black ponytailed hair and a thick green bang, plus orange eyes. She was soot-ridden and wrapped up in bandages. “You guys… were AWESOOOOOOME!” Her injuries held no weight as she fumed with energy, balling her fists passionately. “Oh, when this is all over, I’m throwing ALL my Pokémon at you with EVERYTHING I got!” Her eyes were on fire.
“A Rivalry?!” Romeo exclaimed.
“Calm down, Nemona!” one of her assistants, a Team Star girl said. “Your wraps will rip again!”
“Did Team Rocket do this to you?” Wendy asked.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.”
“Nemona’s our council president.” Arven said. “She nearly fought off the invasion singlehandedly. Even bought us time to escape.”
“I was worried they’d have kidnapped you by now.” Penny followed.
“…” Romeo gazed at the two-haired girl suspiciously. A flame-like aura, along with a temp gauge, was around Penny.
“You forgot who I am, Pens.” Nemona said. “And after that performance, I’m all fired up! Let’s go liberate Blueberry Academy next!”
“We aren’t going anywhere without a little R&R.” Wendy reasoned. “Besides, when I was combing the country, I saw those calamities you mentioned.”
“The Treasures of Ruin?” Arven replied. “I think Team Rocket already took them away. The calamities won’t disappear until we return the treasures.”
“Ooooo, a treasure hunt.” Diwata rubbed hands. “I’m up for that. What’re we looking for?”
“They’re cursed objects that came from a far and ancient country.” Friede answered. “Wo-Chien, a set of wooden writing tablets containing the grudges of people who cursed their king. Chien-Pao, the sword cursed by the hatred of those it had slain. Ting-Lu, the vessel that contained the fears of all who held it. And Chi-Yu, a pair of beads so desirable that people waged wars over them. During Paldea’s medieval age, the king bought the treasures, and his greed gave life to their Pokémon forms. They nearly destroyed the country, but they were sealed inside of four shrines.”
“And now Team Rocket could be spreading their calamities anywhere.” Wendy said, worried for the country and people that could be suffering.
Planet Mira
The people of Tantal drowned in avalanches stirred by Chien-Pao, a white feline with jewels along its fur and saber tooth swords. With 100 tons of snow at its control, the Sword of Ruin rolled around happily. “!” A Tempest Kick struck it square in the teeth. “You havin’ fun in there, Kitty?” Nagisa Shiota asked. He was accompanied by the Blades, Perun and Theory. “This kingdom isn’t your litterbox!”
Chien-Pao brushed a wave of snow with its paw, but Nagisa cleanly kicked through it while Theory skied and slashed her katana. The feline clashed its sword teeth and staggered her, pouncing the Blade. “It strikes like an assassin of the snow! Yes… I believe Iceassin is a befitting name for it!”
“I… genuinely dig it!” Nagisa smiled, using Shave to confuse the kitten before stabbing it with Finger Pistol.
The lush fields and forests of Gormott decayed around the presence of Wo-Chien, a moss-made snail whose shell was made from the Tablets of Ruin. Floren kicked his Bitball dead between the snail’s eyes, but Wo-Chien would retaliate with its Payback attack. “Nngh!” Floren fell to one knee. “How could you… The grass was so happy. The fighting was finally over! What did they do to you?!”
“Quit whining!” a tiny, posh, but snappy voice yelled. “They’ll be fine!”
“Huh…?!” Before Floren’s eyes, a patch of flowers came back to life. Minish Princess Gonshiri uplifted and rode one to Floren’s eyes.
“You’re lucky the GKND sent for me. Now get your head in the game! We’ll end this fiend’s plague!” Gonshiri commanded her Wing Pikmin to carry Rocks above Wo-Chien’s eyes and drop them, momentarily blinding it, but the beast would still absorb their life force. Floren, determination on his effeminate features, threw his Bitball with a powerful spin into the Pokémon’s shell, drilling into the tablets.
The bowing of Ting-Lu’s head ruptured fissures of 160 feet in the region of Primordia. The people of New LA trembled from the steady, but powerful quakes, while the earthbending Blades struggled to hold the land together. Morgiana flew at the urn-headed moose with an upward kick, sending it skyward. “I’ll just have to keep you off the earth!” She Rocket Jumped to its level, but Ting-Lu would counter her with a Throat Chop.
Rivers of lava flowed throughout Mor Ardain, making it near impossible for anyone to walk anywhere. The Beads of Ruin were the eyes of Chi-Yu, a flaming fish of 5,400° Fahrenheit. It swam the Titan with bliss and freedom… until it found a delightful-looking iron hook with a piece of rock sirloin! It bit the hook to melt the sirloin into its being, and the fisherman would tug and fight it. “You’re mine now!” Gon Freecss declared. “Huuuurrrg!” Sadly, his hook returned empty. “Darn. Next piece.” He attacked another rock hunk and chased the fish. On his back was an insulated container of Snowpeak water.
Kitakami, Poké
“Merry! Merry, merry!”
“What’s wrong, Gourmerry?” Yuzu asked as her foodie Firstborn tugged on her hoodie. “You wanna go to Planet Poké?”
“Well, I’m up for that!” Jinta grinned. “They got enough operatives to hold back the invasions.”
“Merry! Me!”
“You feel a familiar chi there? Okay… I guess we’ll go.”
Though it wasn’t quite on their schedule, Sector JP were unsure what to do at all at this stage. Gourmerry’s instincts led them to a small region. There was a mountain with a gaping crater at the top and what seemed like broken oni horns on its sides; though one was snapped in half. The lower half of the mountain was covered in forest, along with the valleys around it, and there was a town near the foot of the mountain. Since it was nighttime, there was a sense of peace and beauty to the region… under normal circumstances. The real eyecatcher, however, was the magenta mist flowing out of the mountain. “It’s some kind of volcano?” Megumi asked.
“No…” Yuzu could see it with her Chef’s Haki. “It’s mochi!”
“Merry! Merry!” Gourmerry yelled affirmably.
“Huh?” A ghostly blue breath left Karin’s mouth. “And there’s a ghost here!”
“And from the smell of your breath, it’s a strong one.” Jinta joked.
The operatives parked their ship in the air before parachuting into the forest close to Mossui Town. The citizens were all doing a funny dance, or rather stepping in place and flapping their arms. “Mochi mochi MOCHI! MORE MOCHI! MO’ ’CHI!”
“What kind of nightmare have we stumbled into?” Kodama wondered.
“Hey! Visitors!” A thin woman with ripped skinny jeans, blue and green hair, and a camera approached, carrying a plate of mochi doughnuts. “Welcome to Kitakamochi! I’m Perrin, mochi! Please have some mochi!”
“Uh…I don’t think we should.” Ururu shirked.
“Gourmerry!” Yuzu exclaimed as her Newborn flew to devour the plate.
“?!” Gourmerry grew frantic. “Merry-merry-me!”
“Cursed mochi?! I had a feeling!”
“You did?” Jinta found this hard to believe.
“Guys, whatever you do, don’t eat the mochi! We need to find the source of this. Let’s get to the mountain!” (Play “Possessed Trainer Battle” from Scarlet/Violet!)
Act 9: Kitakami
The sector first traveled to the Apple Hills, where giant mochi apples came rolling. Kodama took the lead and splattered the apples with fireworks. The apples were being spat by a Gigantamax Appletun atop the highest hill. A large chasm would bar their path to the giant, with only far-apart, escalating platforms to lead across. “Kodama-chan, bring me close!” Ururu said, shrinking and riding her friend’s shoulder. Kodama wore her fireworks like jetpacks to Rocket Jump to each far platform, but with mochi apples falling between each platform, she would have to time between them. Kodama reached the Appletun’s platform: Ururu gigantified herself to pick up the 78-foot monster, bashing its Yoshi-like head until it passed out.
Ururu reached to bring her other teammates to the foothold before returning to normal size. They decided to travel up Appletun’s fallen tail, finding a floating giant doughnut near the base of it. “’Guess this thing doughsnut believe in gravity.” Jinta joked, earning an eye-roll from the girls. “Hehehe-” He casually climbed into the doughnut on a whim, “WHOOOA!” and it launched him like a cannon!
“Jinta!” Ururu gasped.
“Sweet, he found us a way to go.” Kodama said as the other five launched through the Doughnut Cannon. A string of other cannons carried them across the valley until they landed bumpily in the Paradise Barrens.
“At least cursed mochi has its upsides.” Karin remarked, standing to brush the dirt off. “…Hey! Someone’s in trouble!”
A teenage girl with black and red hair was running from three Pokémon, pulling what seemed like a child by the hand. The girl wore a blue bodysuit and yellow headband, and similar to Ururu, a thick bang divided her eyes. The “child” was a green creature with a yellow face, black legs, and black thorned crest around his face. They were being chased by Okidogi, a muscular canine Pokémon with black and green fur; Munkidori, a short blue and black monkey with a cylindrical body; and Fezandipiti, a bird with black and orange feathers. They each had magenta decorations made of mochi.
Fezandipiti was about to fly above them, releasing pheromones, but Kodama sent a firework at its head, stopping it. The three Pokémon glared at the interlopers. Munkidori’s mochi headband rose above it as it harnessed psychicbending. Its foresight showed the JP operatives ganging up on them, so the monkey advised a strategic retreat. “Heh! Cowards.” Jinta snorted.
“Are you alright, Miss?” Ururu asked as they approached the girl and child.
“Who…who’re you guys?” she asked suspiciously. The group looked Japanese, yet she’d never seen them around.
“Sector JP.” Karin answered. “From Earth.”
“Earth?! Alright then, what’s your deal?” Her eyes narrowed through her bangs.
“Uh…to help this place from… whatever’s going on here.”
“And in return, you want our eternal loyalty, don’t ya?”
“Th-That’s not true at all.” Ururu replied.
“Oger, oger, oger!” the child tried to reason with her.
“Whaddya mean they feel friendly? Just look at that one! She’s an actual devil!” Ururu shrank in embarrassment. “And that one looks like she blows up houses just for fun!”
“It’s true.” Kodama affirmed.
“Can you please just tell us what’s up with all this cursed mochi?” Yuzu asked. “We have a way to fix it. We just need to find the source.”
“Hmph…’guess we don’t have much else to lose. This mochi was created by Pecharunt. An evil Pokémon. I’m guessing Team Rocket must’ve gotten to it.”
“Oger…oger…” the child bowed in upset.
“Merry, merry?” Gourmerry flew up to the child, who looked up in surprise. “(They took your masks again?)”
“(Y…yeah. Pecharunt and its Loyal Three have been bullying me for 300 years. They stole my masks and hurt my father. Big Sis Carmine and her friends helped me get them back… but now they stole them again. And because of Team Rocket, no one else is around to help us.)”
“(We’ll help get your masks back. My friends are really nice! Don’t worry!)” She tapped the ogre’s nose(?) in assurance, sparking a smile. “(My name’s Gourmerry, by the way.)”
“(I’m Ogerpon! And… sorry about Carmine. She can be pretty chilly around outsiders.)”
“(It’s alright.)” Gourmerry returned to Yuzu and recounted her words. Yuzu conveyed them to her team.
“Ogerpon, how could you go and tell them all that?!”
“Sorry, Carmine, but it’s official now.” Karin smirked. “You two just find safety.”
Their journey across the wasteland would be impeded by Hisuian Typhlosions; mammalian Pokémon with ghostly dark flames on their necks. Their Infernal Parade would fill the field with fireballs. Karin assumed her ghost form and flew with phantom speed to kick all the balls to the sky. Her teammates were free to K.O. the Fire/Ghost-types. They found another Mochi Cannon, which fired them across the region once more.
They landed at the shore of Fellhorn Gorge, noteworthy for the giant stone horn sticking in the lake. Looking between it and the mountain’s broken horn, they saw the connection. “There’s one!” Jinta pointed: Okidogi was on a small island, showing off his Wellspring Mask with a sneer. The canine dove underwater. “Want me to take care of him?”
“Just don’t come back smelling like wet dog.” Karin remarked.
Jinta gave a thumbs-up of promise and dove in. The lake was full of Overqwil, pufferfish Pokémon with very long spikes. Jinta carefully maneuvered around them; he faintly saw Okidogi’s frame go into a tunnel. This would lead to an air bubble cavern—Okidogi immediately ambushed Jinta with a Force Palm. Jinta withstood the stunning impact and socked the canine in the gut with a Haki fist. “Oh, it’s on now, Doggy!”
“Well, he’s got his plan figured out.” Kodama said. “I see another Mochi Cannon on top of the horn. …And some convenient platforms.” There were thin, horn-shaped footholds jutting in and out, up and around the Fellhorn. The sectormates simply needed to swim across the lake, avoiding the Overqwils their selves before reaching a foothold at the horn’s base. Jumping up the stairway of thin platforms was tricky, and the girls would fumble several times, but once they eventually reached the cannon, their next destination would be Wistful Fields.
Munkidori was levitating in a meditative fashion, but would flee away from his enemies. The operatives sprinted after it—“AAH!” a Hisuian Sneasel jumped Megumi out of the grass, stealing her Ping-Pong paddle. Ururu shrank and zipped after the Sneasel, ramming it unconscious and stealing the paddle back. But burglary wouldn’t be the Sneasels’ only trick: they would attempt to throw mochi into the operatives’ mouths. “Tough luck breakin’ through MY defense!” Megumi moved swiftly to hit the mochi balls away with her paddle. The Sneasels evasively zipped through the grass; but that wouldn’t be a problem as Kodama rained fireworks around to burn all the grass!
“There! They can’t hide now!”
“Except now you made a SECOND Paradise Barrens!” Megumi argued. Regardless, the blue-haired cadet was able to better aim at the Sneasels and K.O. them with high-impact Ping-Pong balls. They saw Munkidori waiting at the shore of Wisteria Pond, but otherwise, there were floating mochi flowers leading up to another cannon.
“Leave this one to me.” Kodama offered.
“Just be careful not to blow up the mask.” Yuzu cautioned. The remaining four would run toward the lowest mochi flowers, which would go flying from their momentum. Once they were carried to the next set of flowers, they jumped and rode with the momentum, repeating the effort one more time before reaching the Mochi Cannon.
They landed in the Timeless Woods, which, perhaps ironically, was locked inside a Time Rift bubble. “What’s goin’ on here?!” Megumi asked as the peaceful indigo night developed an eerie red hue.
“Check out the moon!” Yuzu pointed. “It turned red!”
“I feel like time is wonky here.” Karin said. “This forest is acting like it’s a different date.”
“LUNAAAAAA. LUNAAAAAA.”
“W-What was that?!” Ururu panicked.
The four spun around to the source of the noise, thudding and tearing through the shrubs. “UUUURRRRRRRSSSSSS!” It was a massive bear, ghoulish with brown and stone-gray fur. Its right eye was a normal blue, while the left was dull and gray, but most prominent was the glimmering bloodmoon orb on its head.
“IT’S A BLOODMOON BEAST!” Megumi screamed.
“BOOK IT!” Karin ordered. The ops sprinted through the woods, jumping rocks, fallen logs, or worse, Mochi Cannons that would send them back at the Ursaluna.
“Megumi!” Ururu shrunk onto the cook’s shoulder. “Hit me back at it! I’ll try to knock it out!”
“You’re braver than me!” Megumi grabbed the Tiny Devil and did a quick spin to get a view of the beast. She would hit Ururu toward the beast, landing a firm blow on its orb. “UUUURRRR.” The beast reeled back in pain, but it kept pursuing. Ururu flew to catch up with Megumi as they reproduced the attack, but it still wasn’t enough. Ursaluna chased with stronger ravenousness, and Megumi was barely able to avoid it by going up a cliffed slope on her right, leaving Karin and Yuzu to keep running. Ururu returned to Megumi just as the cliff ended: she jumped off and hit Ururu at a downward angle. With a successful impact on the orb, the force was powerful enough to knock the bear clean out.
“Phew!” Yuzu breathed. “And you’re telling me that thing ISN’T a ghost?!”
“Nope, it’s organic.” Karin said. “Just draws on the bloodmoon’s chi. That just makes it even scarier.”
Another beast awaited them at the edge of the forest: Fezandipiti. “Megumi, let’s work together on this, too!”
“I’m game if you are!”
Trusting them to it, the Kurosaki twins jumped in the next Mochi Cannon, firing up to Oni Mountain. They landed on a path in view of the mountain’s maw and hollowed eyes. “Mochi, mochi, mochi-chi!” More mochified citizens were dancing along the trail. “Mochi love! Mochi life!”
“MOOOOCHIIIIIII!” The mountain’s face glowed magenta.
“UH-OH!” Yuzu screamed. “TAKE COVER!”
“Behind what?!”
“Behind them!” The sisters hid behind two of the citizens as the mountain bellowed a massive breath of mochi. They held their breaths for good measure, but once the air was clear, they hurried up the trail. Hisuian Braviaries threatened to carry them back to the start with psychic talons, so Karin kicked soccerballs at their heads to send them falling. Otherwise, the sisters had to keep taking cover behind citizens whenever the mountain bellowed mochi breath. In moments, they crossed the rim of the mountain’s mouth. Karin’s blue breath would grow just as dense as the mochi breath as they discovered the source. (End song.)
It was a floating, round peach with a dark circle in the center with white eyes. “So, that’s Pecharunt?” Yuzu asked. “It doesn’t look that impressive.”
“What’s this?” A brainwashed Elite stepped out of the cave behind Pecharunt. She was tan-skinned and dressed rather light, her bare feet visible beneath her blue sarong with white flower and Pokéball designs, with a short top over her chest. She had large red flowers on the side of her helmet. “Two locals that haven’t been mochified?!”
“Are you Pecharunt’s trainer?” Karin glared.
“Yup!” She twirled as the sarong briefly exposed her left leg. “I’m Phoebe! Because of my Ghost-type mastery, the boss asked me to recruit Pecharunt! That also put me in charge of its Loyal Three, too! And thanks to its Binding Mochi, we’ll be able to recruit everyone into Team Rocket’s empire!”
“Gourmerry, merry, merry!” the Firstborn was in fury.
“Yeah!” Yuzu agreed. “This isn’t how food is supposed to bring people together! This is an insult to mochi!”
“You can’t say that until you’ve tried it yourself. Pecharunt, let’s show them!”
The peach opened down the middle. “Ruuuuuuunt.” Pecharunt had a dark-purple inner body of a similar shape, with a ghostly ponytail.
Phoebe released her other Ghost-types from their balls. Karin became a ghost herself. “I’ll handle the riffraff. Will you two be okay?”
Yuzu drew on Gourmerry’s power. “You bet!” (Play “Pecharunt Battle” from Pokémon!)
Boss fight: Pecharunt and the Loyal Three
Pecharunt soared around the chef, releasing a cloud of gaseous mochi. Yuzu held Gourmerry like a vacuum to inhale the poison, afterwards releasing her own smog to choke the ghost. Pecharunt sealed itself in a Defense Curl, but would roll rapidly around the ground to trip Yuzu repeatedly. “(Yuzu! Remember those Candy Powers Augustus had on his ship?)”
“The ones you liked to sneak snacks of?”
“(I can use Gourmet Memory to recreate them! They’ll help us beat this thing!)”
“Sounds fair!” With that, Gourmerry conjured a Shrink Sweet and Rock Candy. The Rock Candy could encase Yuzu in a rolling sphere of her own, with the Shrink Sweet to bring her down to Pecharunt’s level. They would engage in a roly-poly battle, much to Phoebe’s amusement. Their balls slowly cracked from each unguarded impact from the other, but Pecharunt’s shattered first. “Now to call another friend for help.” Yuzu clicked a button on her wristwatch, jolting into her Yuzunite persona. “Time to KICK BUTT!” She gave Pecharunt a brutal thrashing, but the ghost blew her away with an Astonish screech.
Gourmerry resized Yuzu with a Growth Gum. Pecharunt flew outside the mountain, so Gourmerry created a Ringtrot. Yuzu would pick up speed and run along the mountainside in pursuit. Pecharunt released twin streams of gas from its divided shell, requiring Yuzu to maneuver between them as they shifted sideways. Yuzu caught up to the ghost and tackled it straight into the mountain’s right eye. She punched it three times before Pecharunt puffed her with a faceful of Mochi Gas. Before she could be corrupted by the Mochi Craze, Gourmerry sucked the pastry poison out of her. Pecharunt seized Yuzu in a Malignant Chain, poisoning her as its grip tightened. The only way Gourmerry could free her was to gobble the mochi chain up.
“Gourmerry, give it a taste of its own medicine!” Yuzu ordered as Gourmerry created her own Benevolent Chain. She wrapped Pecharunt with it, the ghost squirming to shake free of the sweetened poison.
Okidogi chased Jinta around the cavern as the boy hit several Haki-powered baseballs toward him. The canine spun the mochi chain tied to his neck, deflecting the balls. He then lashed and stretched the chain at Jinta, successfully seizing his bat. They engaged in tug-o-war for a moment before Okidogi managed to yank Jinta over to him. He thrusted a Poison Jab into Jinta’s gut, blasting him across the cavern and disarmed of his bat. Okidogi smirked, holding the bat ready as Jinta grabbed two of his dropped baseballs. But Jinta’s pitching was just as good: he focused his chi and—“Urk!” he hunched, feeling sick from the Poison Jab.
Okidogi took advantage of his weaknesses and rushed Jinta with a Brutal Swing, bending in his right hip as Jinta flew across the cavern and hit a wall. Okidogi wouldn’t let up, baring a Poison Fang at the human. Jinta pressed his left hand to the lower jaw and a baseball against the upper, using Haki to push back. Jinta once more focused chi on the ball, willing it to spin, causing it to practically drill against the dog’s fangs. The ball itself scraped away into pieces, but Okidogi reeled back from the sensation. Jinta kicked up and uppercut his lower jaw, afterwards grabbing the end of his chain. Jinta hauled the Legendary around with intense force against his neck, bashing him around the ground before Okidogi shook free. Jinta reclaimed his bat, and as the Pokémon performed another Brutal Swing, Jinta returned one of his own. Ultimately, Jinta’s swing hit harder.
Kodama, factoring in Munkidori’s psychicbending, attached chi-block stickers to each of her fireworks; of course those stickers would be gone from the explosions. Kodama used Jetworks to jump over the ape’s Sludge Waves. Munkidori conjured two illusions of himself, shuffling to confuse the human. Kodama had a trick of her own: Tripleworks! Fireworks that would break into three and explode separate targets! One of them struck Munkidori while the other two phased through the fakes, but there was the best part: in the event the other fireworks missed, they would redirect to hit the other one’s target! Munkidori decided to shroud himself in a large body of Clear Smog (which was actually a silvery mud). While still jumping his Sludge Waves, Kodama sent smaller, beeping fireworks to stick into different parts of the mud pile. Once six of them were stuck, they exploded simultaneously and dazed the ape. Kodama finished him off with one last firework combo and took the Hearthflame Mask.
Pheromones rained from Fezandipiti’s wings as he pursued Megumi. Ururu made herself small enough to avoid breathing them, clinging onto Megumi’s Ping-Pong (now as large as a planetoid to her). Megumi hit the ball up through the bird’s right wing, causing it to stagger in midair. The ball flew above it as Uuru grew to fly size, using her strength to carry the ball and keep its momentum in a wide curve. She targeted Fezandipiti’s right eye and shoved the ball into it, the bird screeching in agony. Ururu flew back to “sting” around his long white neck, but Fezandipiti’s Disarming Voice would leave Ururu in emotional distress. He cast a Moonblast orb down at Megumi; too large for her little paddle to hit, so she ran. Its impact blew her down with a shockwave.
Fezandipiti used a Tail Slap to swat Ururu off his back. She recovered midfall, and seeing the bird diving toward Megumi beak-first, she swooped to pull her friend away by the collar. They turned to see Fezandipiti stuck in the ground: Megumi smirked at her fly-sized friend and offered a Ping-Pong for her to grab on. Megumi hit the ball toward the bird’s left eye with full force, and Ururu would shove it in deeper. Fezandipiti cried, blinded as he flew about the air in panic. He flailed his neck aimlessly before inevitably slamming into a cliffside. The girls ran to collect the Cornerstone Mask from his unconscious talons.
Sickened by the Benevolent Chain, Pecharunt flew outside and summoned all the mochi it had spread across the country. “What’re you doing, Pecharunt?!” Phoebe asked. “We’ll lose all our minions that way!”
“I think it’s more fixed on saving itself!” Karin said.
A tremendous mochi dumpling sealed Pecharunt, the likeness of its circular face on the front. Yuzu shared a resolved glance with her Firstborn as Gourmerry produced some Fizzy Lift Soda, enabling Yuzu to fly. Small cannons emerged around the dumpling, shooting at her. Yuzu jolted back into Yuzudaay, using Observation to better dodge them. “Let’s see, where are you hiding?” Yuzu sensed Pecharunt moving around inside the mass. Gourmerry increased the cutting power of Yuzu’s kitchen knife. “SHYAH!” And with a clean swing, the mochi mass sliced down the middle. She sensed it swimming in the left half. “One more?!” She sliced that half into quarters. Pecharunt was just visible in the edge of the right quarter. “Wherever there’s irregularities in foods, I’ll sniff it out…” She drew an enhanced fork, “and PICK OUT THE PROBLEM!”
Yuzu firmly seized Pecharunt with the fork, throwing it to Gourmerry, who bound it in Benevolent Chains. (End song.)
Karin sealed the enhanced Ghost-types inside a T.H.E.R.M.O.S., later reverting to human form to kick Phoebe unconscious. Carmine, Ogerpon, and the other JP operatives climbed to the Oni’s Maw. “O!” The Grass-type child happily took her masks back. “Oger! Oger!”
“Alright, alright… I guess you guys ain’t all bad.” Carmine said. “Let’s take these up to the Crystal Pool.”
These teens climbed to the crater of Oni Mountain. They were mesmerized by the pool of mystical glowing, hexagonal crystals, a thin blanket of snow around it. Ogerpon dropped her four masks (she already had her Teal Mask) into the pool. They seemed to reattain a purified glow. “Ogerpon is the protector of this region.” Carmine said. “These masks are her power. Hopefully now, we can save Kieran.”
“We can help.” Karin replied. “Who’s that?”
“My brother… and the Champion of our academy. Team Rocket abducted him. I am gonna TEAR THEM A NEW ONE!” She balled her fists as if to rip the air.
“Do you know where we should look for-”
“POOL TIME!” Jinta, wearing only swim trunks, jumped into the Crystal Pool, away from the gem footholds.
“JINTA!” Yuzu shouted. “That’s probably a sacred spring!”
“And now it’s a sacred swimming pool!” Jinta stood on one of the gems, shuffling his foot. “Yo, these things are so smooth! Ururu, get in here!”
“Well… a small bath wouldn’t hurt.” Ururu changed into her swimsuit. “Hoof! C-Cold!” She hurriedly trudged across the snow and splashed in. “Hah…that’s… better.”
“Sorry, Carmine.” Karin shook. “I guess this is break time.”
“Peh. Outsiders. So weak-boned…”
“Well, perfect place for a grill-out.” Yuzu smiled. “Karin, let’s fly down to town and see what delicacies they got!”
“Sure!” Karin became a ghost and carried her. Carmine was left blindsided by the power… and their nonchalant demeanor.
Anistar City, Kalos
After Nebula met up with Sector V, they and their Kalos allies followed Dillon’s signal to a seaside city. “Anistar!” Serena exclaimed in realization. “Of course Necrozma would come here!”
“And it’s 8PM!” Clemont yelled.
“Meaning what?” Nebula asked.
“The Sundial!” There was a tall, pink crystalline structure standing against a great river and against the setting sun, a bridge linking it and the town. The sun gorgeously pierced the crystal, shimmering on a platform of rings in front of it. The rings ranged from big to small around a central orb, and one by one, the rings would spin from the concentrated light. Children enjoyed coming out at this hour to watch them; and if that weren’t splendid enough, sparkles would gently fall around the town, as if it were snowing.
Sadly, no one would get to enjoy such a sight today: Black Dawn Sheila had her mouth pressed against the hole, slurping the sunlight like a parasite as a field of darkness formed around the crystal. “Okay, it was one thing to possess Sheila, but I think you’re crossing a line now, buddy!” Dillon was able to enlarge his Logia Shadow body against the twilight, tearing Sheila off the Sundial and slamming her in the river. Necrozma shot out with a massive uppercut Light Fist to Dillon’s jaw, followed by a whirling kick to the gut. Dillon would bend his leg to wrap Sheila’s body and squeeze firmly, but the growing light around her burned the shadow off.
A pair of Starbursts hit Sheila’s head. “HEY! Pick on someone your own size!” The corrupt Legendary whipped down at Nebula. Necrozma thrusted rapid Light Fists, but Aurora raced to defend Nebula with the Galaxia Sword. “Dillon, can you knock her toward me?!”
Dillon stretched his Shade Fist miles across the river. It recoiled and struck Sheila with rubber-banding force. With the speed she flew at Nebula, she was unable to react as the spacebender opened a portal. Necrozma would be momentarily confused by the shift in scenery: a great castle surrounded by a town, fields, and mountains. “Remember this place, Sheila?!” They turned as Nebula entered the portal. “Right here, you dropped RIGHT in the middle of four furious Pirate Emperors! Right as they were about to collide like four freight trains!”
She dodged as Sheila lunged at her, followed by a Prismatic Laser lightshow. “Nebula, Oi don’t think this drongo cares!”
“Oh, he’s gonna! I just hope she notices this…”
Within the very castle in question, Creeper saw them through his telescope. “Um…Captain Mandy? You might wanna look at this.”
The Emperor stomped over and firmly took the telescope. “?!” As soon as the black-armored being hit her view, absorbing the very light around its space, the Queen of Hyrule soared up as a cloud of fear. “NEBULA?!”
“Queen Mandy!” Nebula beamed. “Fancy meeting you—HICK!” Sheila bent her gut in with a Light Flick.
“What the hell is Sheila wearing?!” Mandy swiftly morphed her Logia frame to dodge Necrozma’s rapid Light Fist storm. Her Scare Scream held no effect over the Pokémon.
“Something called a Light Pillager. From another dimension or something.”
“And you brought her here BECAUSE?!”
“We were cell besties?” Nebula grinned awkwardly.
Necrozma Light Kicked Mandy across the jaw. The enraged queen expanded her cloud as a swarm of smaller, shadowy heads of herself flew out, growing venomous fangs that would gnash around Sheila. The flaming Light Chi ignited around her to extinguish the Manheads. Mandy’s body became a massive set of scythe-like claws, violently slashing Sheila, while the possessed pirate conjured hundreds of Light Fists around the queen and had them collide in succession. “Mandy, you should use your Fury from when you fought Cheren!”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Mandy stretched her tongue out, dividing it into dozens of tendrils that tried to pry into Necrozma’s openings. Sheila let out an earsplitting scream and conjured a meteor-sized Light Fist that would blast Mandy straight into Castle Town. Citizens crowded around in gasps as Mandy’s foggy form emerged from a crater. “But then again… I’m streaming with Gaz in an hour and wanna wrap this up.”
“Queen Mandy, you alright?!” a Goron asked.
“Is that thing going to hurt us?!” a Zora panicked.
“SILENCE! I’ll make it suffer in time. Continue on with your lives.”
“Oh, thank you, Queen Mandy!” Gratitude flowed from their feelings, fueling the Emperor.
Mandy arose to the sky as her dress became an orange-gold and sharp crystalline wings adorned her. The Gracious Queen conjured a tidal wave of Gratitude to drown Necrozma… and already, the taste invigorated it.
The Pokémon disassembled off Sheila’s body and reassumed its normal form. Mandy was bewildered as her sea of Gratitude flushed directly into its being! “AAAAAHHH!” It slurped out her own Fury Form like a smoothie, reverting Mandy to her dark colors.
Nebula caught Sheila before she could fall, the raccoon weakly regaining consciousness. “…?!” They were in awe at the majesty above them: Ultra Necrozma was a bright yellow giant with four dragon-like wings, a tail, and red and blue eyes. At first, Nebula feared if they’d made things worse… but the beast only looked to them with gratitude. It ascended to the sky and vanished through a spatial rift. “Wow…it worked!” Nebula said.
“Wot did?” Sheila asked.
“Sector V told me how the Alola people quell Necrozma’s hunger with Gratitude. So, they asked me to bring it to Mandy.”
“You used me… as a GRATITUDE BUFFET?!” the queen fumed.
“The KND graciously appreciates your support! Hope we can keep counting on it during the war!” Nebula splorped herself and Sheila away.
“GET BACK HEEEEEERE!”
The two reappeared before the Anistar Sundial, falling on their backs and gasping for breath. “Strewth!” Sheila cheered. “You really came in apples there, Nebula!”
“Anything for my pirate pal…”
“Here.” Mason dropped cans of Psycho Soda on both of them. “Pirate pals need to share drinks.”
Nebula cracked a smile and her soda can, clacking it with Sheila’s as they drank. “So, you can warp all the way to other worlds, Miss Nebula?!” Bonnie asked.
“Yeah. Provided I’ve been to them first.” And thanks to the treatment from Rupert and Synthia, her chi paths felt fresh again.
“That’s so amazing! Would you please keep my brother?”
“Keep…huh?”
“BONNIE!” Clemont grabbed his sister with his backpack arm. “I’ll keep her around just to warp you away!”
“Anyway, it doesn’t look like Team Rocket touched this place, yet.” Serena observed. “We should go see Olympia.”
“Who’s she?” asked Mason.
“Oh, she’s the Gym Leader here!” Raleigh exclaimed. “Her gym is really cool! I’ll show you!”
Anistar Gym had a round, silver roof with three large, diagonal rings around the building; likely based on the rings near the Sundial. “Whoa!” The inside of the gym was some kind of bright purple planetoid, surrounded by multiple colored paths and a spherical ceiling of galaxies and constellations. The group began on the blue path, with the green and purple paths being lower and the Gym Leader herself waiting on the central planetoid. “Huh?” Nebula tried to walk off the path, but a barrier stopped her.
“Yeah!” Raleigh beamed. “This place has its own gravity! You have to navigate this maze and use the warp pads to reach her!”
“Crikey, they should make playgrounds like this!” Sheila cheered.
The operatives navigated the orbital maze and reached the center. Gym Leader Olympia was a tall, thin, dark-skinned woman with purple hair done in four points bending up or down. She had silver star earrings, matching rings that floated around her wrists and shoulder, and a cape that was silver on the outside, but the inside was indigo with stars. She wore a sleek black gown with silver shoes. “The heroes have come. Hi, Galactic Kids Next Door. How may I help you?”
“Hey, Olympia!” Raleigh greeted. “We’re just checking if everything’s alright here.”
“Things are well for now. Team Rocket’s forces have thinned. To other worlds.”
“Yeah, we know.” Nebula received the report from Jerome. “Hopefully, they’re all doing well. So, are you a spacebender?”
“Psychic, actually. Though our elements similar. I use clairvoyance.”
“I get it, she speaks haikus.” Mason noted.
“Bet she doesn’t beat Sokka’s.” Dillon remarked.
“Arrival foreseen. The Light Pillager at peace. Would have consumed all light.”
“As much as I love light,” Sheila rubbed her tummy, “it didn’t fill me belly any.”
“Danger besets us. Darkborn to serve the agents. There’s naught we can do.”
“You mean… like with JUBDUB?” Nebula asked. “There’s ‘naught’ we can do?”
“Fear not, the answer… Lies in the parallel verse. Perseverance, please.”
“I see…”
“But to this war though… My vision befuddles me. The future… must help.”
“Yeh, no worries then.” Sheila brushed off. “Me mates will win like always! Ain’t that right, you lot?!”
“Haha, good one, Sheila!” Mason clapped.
“Good what?”
“Because you…never mind. But hey, since this city is safe, we oughta rest here tonight.”
“Yeah, no need to try our luck.” Serena agreed. “You guys really worked hard for us today!”
Motostoke
“Where did he go?!” MaKayla shouted.
“This way!” Miyuki replied.
Wem had created an amusement park out of Psychic Chi. The timebenders raced down a roller-coaster corridor as one came speeding toward them. With a swing of their scythe and Chrono Staff, the coaster Rewound back up. They would follow it to an ovular room where giant balls rapidly rolled and bounced around. Miyuki donned the Goron Mask again and tried to build momentum, but the psychic balls would knock her around. Kayla slowed them down, allowing Miyuki to properly build the momentum to grow the Goron’s spikes. She looped and zoomed around the room, popping all the bubbles, until Wem was exposed inside one. Kayla leapt to bash his head—or should I say her Time Clone did, while the real Kayla grabbed his tail, slammed, and pinned him on the floor.
Wem merely teleported away and transformed into a Mega Golem, curling up to Spin Dash into Miyuki. Verglora applied ice to sharpen Miyuki’s Goron Spikes and penetrated the transformation. Wem reverted and opened the room’s floor. “WHAT?!” MaKayla screamed as they dropped out of the sky. “Since when were we in the air?!”
“The room must’ve floated without us knowing! I’ll catch us.” Miyuki and Verglora conjured the Rito Mask, allowing her to glide and catch Kayla in her talons.
“So, like, you can basically transform into anything with their power?”
“Well, I’m combining timebending with Verglora’s Mask Magic to grab Link’s old masks out of the past. They only last a few minutes.”
“That’s cool though! …BUT THAT’S NOT!” The trapdoor above them closed, revealing a spike ceiling that began to fall. There were trampolines that threatened to bounce them into it, so Miyuki had to maneuver past them as she glid downward. Wem then teleported in front of them and became a Sharpedo, waiting to devour them. MaKayla positioned her staff vertically to prop his mouth open, while Miyuki clawed the shark’s eyes with her talons. Wem returned to normal and repelled the girls.
They landed in a merry-go-round with unicorns. However, the girls were set on a non-moving invisible floor, forcing them to dodge the unicorns’ horns. MaKayla slowed time so they could easily dodge their way past the unicorns. But where was Wem hiding? Verglora conjured a pair of 3D glasses; in actuality a pair of Sheikah glasses with Lens of Truth. With them, Miyuki was able to spot Wem disguised as a unicorn, so she slashed him with her scythe. “I hoped that Memory Meister could spur a memory of Sunni or something, but it doesn’t seem to do anything.”
“MIMI! MEME! IS THAT YOU?!”
“Sunni?!” MaKayla exclaimed.
“Maybe it did work?”
On the contrary, Sunni herself landed outside the merry-go-round. The timebenders could see the struggle of horror and relief in her irises. Unsure of how to feel. “MOO… you… remember me… don’t you?”
Sunni approached the Reborn cautiously. Miyuki and Kayla were prepared to attack him if he seemed hostile… and yet he seemed calm. Sunni was able to get close enough to touch him. Their hearts nearly stopped when Sunni lay her fingers on Wem’s head… but still the Reborn didn’t react. She was able to scratch him gently. “…” She cracked the smallest smile. As if Wem felt some familiarity. She slowly moved her fingers beneath his jaw. His favorite scratching spot-
“MEOOOORRRRK—MEEEEEOORRRRRK!” Wem’s head suddenly began spinning as blood spurted out. The girls flew back in horror; Kayla especially from seeing the blood. Wem’s head popped off and rampantly zipped around the area, screaming distortedly at each girl. The psychic blood turned into bubbles that would trap the girls. They would rapidly orbit around Wem before the Reborn chucked them in opposite directions. Sunni crashed against the bar of a crane, her back nearly snapping; MaKayla crashed in a junkpile and scraped her arm; while Miyuki went flying across the fields beyond.
“Weeeeeeem…weeeeeeeeem…?” The Reborn caught a familiar whiff in the atmosphere. Something… similar. But not. Wem flew in its direction.
Cheren’s group reached Motostoke via Flying Taxi (a car carried by a Corviknight). They were just in time to see the psychic park disappear. “What was all that?!” Bianca exclaimed.
“That thing that flew away… looked like MMM. Huh?!” Black gasped.
“That was one of the Reborn.” Cheren replied. “…Hey, that’s MaKayla!” The leader jumped off to help her out of the junkpile. “MaKayla, are you okay? What happened?”
“Cheren? Hoo…hey…just feeling a little lightheaded…”
Panini and the others landed where Sunni fell, helping her stand. “…I thought… he’d recognize me… I thought he’d…”
“Easy, girl.” Panini said. “Is there a hospital around here?”
“Not in the state this town’s in.” Black replied. “We should go to Circhester. The Gym Leader there can help.”
As for Miyuki… she found herself bound in chi-blocks, while Verglora was caught in an airtight cage with ultraviolet lights inside. “Today must be our lucky day, Cassidy!” Butch, a cyan-haired agent sneered. “A freshly caught Firstborn prime for the boss!”
“Let’s move before her allies catch up.” His blonde partner suggested.
Kitakami
Jinta, Karin, and Ururu relaxed on the gem platforms of the Crystal Pool. Yuzu prepared bowls of fried noodles from local ingredients while Megumi crafted sakura-colored Flower Ice Cream cones for everyone. “So, your world also has its own Kitakami?” Carmine asked.
“Uh-huh!” Yuzu chirped. “This planet isn’t too different from Earth when you look closely.”
“I mean, our country invented Pokémon.” Jinta shrugged. “Makes sense.”
“What?” Carmine cocked a brow.
“He means that a game company explored this planet and made a franchise based off it.” Karin clarified. “’Course, the World Government was in charge back then, so they had to keep the ‘alien planets’ thing on the hush-hush.”
“(I just can’t believe there’s a whole planet made of food!)” Ogerpon beamed. “(Are there other creatures like you, Gourmerry?)”
“(Well… kind of, but not exactly. Actually, I’ve never been back there since I was born. Still… that Pecharunt had an aura similar to my Linlin genes. I wonder if it was somehow born from them?)”
“Its mochi curse did give me that vibe.” Yuzu said.
“Either way, better get back on the move soon.” Karin said as she finished her bowl. “We should probably let the other guys know we—!!”
A violent earthquake shook the continent. “Lordy!” Megumi gasped, dropping what was left of her ice cream. “Is this place prone to earthquakes?!”
“NO!” Carmine panicked. “Something’s wrong!”
A mass of rock outside the pool erupted into a spire of lava. A shade was visible within the spire: when it receded, the shade took the color of a short rock creature with a dark-purple crown of sharp crystals, red eyes, and a light-gray dress. “What’s THAT Pokémon?!” Carmine exclaimed.
“That’s DDLYSQUOOK!” Yuzu shouted. “Oh, no! Was it because I used Gourmerry?! But I didn’t have a choice!”
“Looks like you’ll have to put her to work now!” Jinta yelled, quickly swimming to shore to put his clothes back on.
“Gourmerry’s only effective on gourmet-type creatures!”
“Carmine!” Karin assumed her ghost form. “Run down to town and warn everyone! This could get really bad!”
The Diamond Reborn, Eicnaid raised her hands before piercing into the earth. “AAAAAAAHHHH!” The continent shook with such intensity that it rearranged. Mossui Town was elevated into a narrow mountain with the houses set on unstable layers, while Oni Mountain itself squished and ruffled into a canyon. The Timeless Woods stretched and twisted into a spiraled mountain, part of the country sank below the sea, while part of the seabed and its gorgeous coral formations saw the moonlight.
“(STOP IT!)” Ogerpon put on her Wellspring Mask: it shimmered a magnificent gem-like texture and gigantified. Ogerpon also grew gem-like in her Terastallized State. With a leap and twirl of her legs, she bent up water from the Crystal Pool and slammed it against Eicnaid with great pressure. “(I’m the protector of this region! God or oni, I won’t let you hurt it!)”
Pokémon Palace
In the midst of war and planetary domination, it was important to enjoy the finer things in life: like a tanning bed. “Ahhhhhhh…” Nothing completed Giovanni’s day at the spa like a good tan. “Chansey… bring me another… Omelet Crown…”
Giovanni cracked open his eyes. A pair of pale eyes gazed at him through the cover’s window. “Chansey? AAAH!” A psychic force ripped the cover off. Wem loomed above him. “Y…You… It can’t be… What are you doing here?! You weren’t supposed to attack us!”
“… … …” The Reborn let out a quiet, eerie purr. Giovanni cautiously bent up. He looked directly into Wem’s soulless eyes. “!” The cat lightly sniffed around him. “Did Kael send you? Why?”
…
“I dunno what it’s doing.” Kael said wistfully, twisting his finger around his grape bowl. “The Reborn only act on primal instinct. Most of the time, that’s just causing chaos wherever or whoever’s nearby. Maybe… it can sense his power?”
…
“…Is it because of my Devil Fruit?” Giovanni morphed: he grew a dark-pink tail as his skin turned white with two necks. He almost looked like an adult version of Mew. “…That’s it, isn’t it? You recognize me… as your brother.”
“Boss! Boss! You’ll never believe it!” Butch’s transmission rang.
“We caught Majora’s Newborn! And its Guardian!” Cassidy said.
“Hmm?” Giovanni lit up at the news. He returned attention to Wem. “…Would you like to play with me then?” the boss smirked.
Chapter 35: Poké Saga 6: Horizons of Unova
Summary:
Cheren heals Calyrex from his corruption. Fybi and Shaymin track the Forces of Nature across Unova. Wendy goes to save Iris, the Champion Dragon Master.
Notes:
Teams in this chapter:
Sector W: Anthony, Fybi, Shelly, Tom Taylor, Emily, and Arianna; currently have Shaymin and Viridi with them.
Team Cheren and Galar trainers: Cheren, Panini, Sugar & Meloetta, Hilda, Marnie, Bea Melony, Gordie.
Sector IC: Terry's absent, Miyuki's now in Team Rocket's captivity.
Sector MG: Has their standard members along with Diwata Uno; currently teamed up with the Rising Volt Tacklers and Paldea Academy students.
Chapter Text
This part’ll have some good rest periods and cute interactions between the action!
Chapter 31: Horizons of Unova
Circhester, northeastern Galar
The operatives of Cheren’s and Sugar’s groups had gathered in the Circhester Gym. Gym Leader Melony prepared warm cocoa, refreshing them from Calyrex’s frozen apocalypse. Still, at least Circhester’s snowy environment was more hospitable. The local Nurse Joy was wrapping MaKayla in bandages. “Unbelievable… Children shouldn’t be used to this sort of thing. Even Pokémon battles never grow this violent.”
“It’s just how we roll.”
“We have some bad news.” Cheren approached the IC operatives. Fi levitated beside him. “We couldn’t find Miyuki anywhere outside town.”
“My dowsing detected a lingering remnant of Miyuki’s aura. The source, unfortunately, carries away from Motostoke. There is a 55% chance she has been relocated against her will.”
“Don’t tell me Team Rocket got to her!” Lola exclaimed.
“Why do bad people keep taking Sister-chan away?!” Suki stomped in anger, erupting a sizeable icicle patch around her.
“We need to rest for the night.” Cheren said. “We’ll try to find her in the morning.”
“Hey, ma!” Melony’s son, Gordie rushed in. He was a portly young man with slanted blue shades, shorts and shirt with a gray rock texture, and cream-colored hair with yellow ends. “Vice-Leader Misty’s here!”
“Misty?!” Melony exclaimed in delight.
Sunni had taken a warm bath to refresh her sprained back, sharing it with Bea, who nearly had frostbite from the Calyrex battle. The bath did little to refresh her morale. “Hello!” a voice greeted from the doorway. It was a girl in her late teens, her orange hair done in a spiked bun. She had a thin, but firm build with a short yellow top and blue shorts. “It’s nice to see you again, Sunni!”
Sunni gasped. “Misty!” They had met when Darcy first brought her to this world.
“I didn’t expect to see you here!” Bea said.
“I just flew in. I heard we had a bunch of ‘alien’ visitors helping us out.”
“How do you know each other?”
“I taught Fishman Karate to her sister.” Misty answered. “So, is Darcy here as well? I’d love to see how far she’s come!”
Sunni bowed her head. “…She died a few months ago.”
Misty cupped hands over her mouth in horror. “I’m so sorry!”
“’t’s alright. …Darcy wasn’t great at psychicbending… but she was good at Dad’s Nature Arts. That’s why Lucario brought her here.”
“Yeah… she told me that way back.”
“Then she came back, and… well, things didn’t go well for either of us. She felt like she didn’t do enough to help and… sometimes, she wondered if this small journey even meant anything. …Now I…I just feel the same way…” Sunni buried her eyes in her hands, choking on her words.
Misty lowered and embraced her in a hug. “Nothing is meaningless, Sunni. I know you helped a lot of people… Both of you. That will always have meaning.”
“…I know. And that’s the thing though… a lot of people outside this world are trying to act like it didn’t have meaning.”
“Well… sounds like those people have their own meaning to find.”
Panini was borrowing the gym’s kitchen to cook food for everyone. Her little Scorbunny was eager to help her sort the ingredients. “Tepig! Tepig!”
“Huh?” They found the Fire Pig Pokémon trotting through the entrance. His trainer, Hilda walked in behind.
“Tepig wanted to know if he could help, too.” Hilda smiled.
“Well… Ay guess you can carry out the orders, if you’re good at keepin’ balance.”
“He won’t let you down! Right, Tepig?”
“Tep!” With that, Scorbunny handed Tepig a Snow Bunny Sundae. The pig would bend his head sideways to carry it in his mouth, bringing it to Suki.
“…So, is somethin’ on your mind, lass?” Panini asked perceptively. “Been noticin’ you were… a little glum?”
“It’s just… you guys were really amazing today. I never…” Hilda rubbed her arm, looking away in disgrace. “Becoming Champion was the greatest day of my life. It felt like a dream. It made me feel so… invincible…”
Panini saw her shudder. If she was a Champion, Team Rocket must’ve sent a lot of agents after her. She probably had to survive a lot of dicey situations. “Well, you’re a better girl than me, that’s for sure.” Panini sported a casual smile, sparking Hilda out of her worries. “Ay’ve been a damsel-in-distress more times than I’d like to admit.”
“R…Really?”
“And let me tell ya, Cheren’s no god either. You wouldn’t believe all the pain he’s carrying. So, don’t fret so much over this. As long as you’re still in the fight, you are a Champion.”
“Hm hm.” Hilda smiled. “Well, I only feel confident now because you guys are here. But I’ll do my part to help.”
Sugar and Meloetta called Cheren outside, where Calyrex and his steeds still lay unconscious. “We were thinking…” Sugar lay their Darkballs on the ground. “If we can’t save the trainers, we could at least save the Pokémon. You think you can break these?”
“Good chance at that.” Cheren positioned his sword above the Darkballs and harnessed enhanced Haki. A firm stab into each sword shattered the balls. !!!!!! Calyrex, Glastrier, and Spectrier stirred from their sleep, enveloped by dark auras.
“Uh-oh!” Sugar gasped. “Did their corruption have some kind of… security measure?!”
“Cheren!” Meloetta yelled. “Do you still have any of your Sacred Instruments?!”
“Uh…like this one??” Cheren pulled out the Ocarina of Time.
“Perfect! Now, play this song!” (Play “Oración” from Rise of Darkrai!)
Following Meloetta’s guidance, Cheren performed a soothing melody. The notes echoed throughout Circhester, drawing eyes from the citizens. Somehow, the song gave them hope. Hope that things would be alright. The darkness around Calyrex and his steeds began to fade. The notes tapped into their very souls. They closed their eyes ridden with malice, and as a soft light enveloped them, their warm irises opened.
Cheren pulled the ocarina away as it glittered. “Whoa…” His own lips felt tingly from the symphony.
“That was Oración!” Meloetta cheered. “The people of this world invented it to calm fighting! …Between Pokémon, at least. Wasn’t shown to work well on people. But even gods and spirits would stop and listen to its notes.”
“Yes… it’s been an age since I was treated to this melody.”
“Who said that?” Sugar asked.
Calyrex uplifted off the ground. He spoke telepathically. “Hero of Time… thank you for freeing me of my curse. 4,000 years ago, the gods tasked me as Galar’s guardian spirit. With my blessing, I ensure verdant blooms…” With a wave of his right hand, a garden of fragrant flowers bloomed around them, “and bountiful harvests…” With his left, a garden of ripe fruits grew. “While Celebi gifted me this power… Goddess Uxie granted me foresight, so that I may protect people from disaster. Polaris and Darkrai granted me my steeds. Alas… the poisoned agents of Team Rocket forced my surrender in exchange for human lives.”
“So, you wanna help us kick their butts?”
“Cheren…” Sugar narrowed her gaze reprovingly.
“I must recover my chi and help mend the damage to the land. However… I must warn you of something dreadful. 3,000 years ago, a fearsome being plagued this land, born from a meteor which fell 17,000 years prior. We called it… Eternatus. Though it was slain with the aid of Zacian and Zamazenta, its pieces scattered… and from those fragments, the humans invented the Dynamax Bands.” The group blinked in surprise. “And I fear… Team Rocket seeks to resurrect this being. Their ambitions know no end.”
“Where are they based, anyway?”
“Their castle floats in the skies of Kanto. But so long as the Legendaries serve them, ’twill be a difficult task. Fear not… for your allies are strong.”
“Hah, nothing new there!” Cheren chirped. “I wonder if Miyuki was taken to their castle? Hopefully, everyone finishes their jobs soon… ’cause we’re gonna need all our firepower.”
Unova
Sector W sailed the sea of clouds, a brisk, but warm dawn waking the horizon. However, the clouds ahead of them were restless. “Hmm.” Fybi studied her holographic globe. “This seems to be Unova’s air space. The seas doth rage quite a storm.” Using airbending, Fybi split the sea, providing them view of the country. Tornadoes, thunderstorms, and earthquakes plagued Unova.
“You know, Unova has particular weather patterns.” Viridi mentioned. “It goes through the four seasons about three times a year. They alternate every 30 days.”
“Bet ya that’s a pain.” Tom said. “Stores have to keep switchin’ around their seasonal sales, pools can’t stay open long…”
“That’s why my Forces of Nature are rather fond of this place.”
“Thou claim there art four of them?” Fybi asked, observing the chaotic weather. “Team Rocket’s will bears no mercy.”
“Yep. Tornadus and Thundurus were both solely created by Rayquaza. He had help from Regigigas in creating Landorus, and Mesprit made Enamorus because she thought they could do with some feminine input. Hmhmhm!”
“They’re going at it all over the country!” Shaymin exclaimed. “Let’s get to it, Fybi!”
“Aye! We shalt quell their storm in moments!” (Play “Forces of Nature Theme” from Pokémon!)
Act 10: Unova
A small fleet of Mega Pidgeots tried to intercept them on their way to the city on the southern-most shore. Fybi blasted them down with charged shots of her B.O.W. while Shaymin spat Bullet Seeds with the enhanced force of his strong breath. Thunderbolts were erupting all around Castelia City: Fybi and Shaymin shared knowing nods. Castelia and its surrounding harbor were built with a circular layout, with a suspension bridge linking to a forest to the east. Electric beams connected between buildings, the two dodging them as they navigated the dense city. “THITHER!” They found Thundurus above the Central Plaza. He resembled a muscular djinn, blue with purple spots and a cloud in place of his lower half. He had a cloud ponytail, mustache, and a purple “tail” with black, single-spiked balls along it.
“Ahhhhhh…” The thunder spirit was sighing in relief as heavy rain poured from his cloud over the whole central park.
“Is he… relieving himself?!” Shaymin cringed. “HEY! THAT’S JUST WRONG!”
“UN?!” The djinn gawked at the fliers. “THUNDUR!” He lashed his tail with thundering cracks, the two swiftly dodging as Fybi shot him in the eye. Shaymin charged with a propulsive gust and rammed him in the gut. Thundurus bellowed and flew through Castelia. As they chased, Thundurus struck lightning around the buildings; the two could just make out his reflection against the windows. Using that to her advantage, Fybi caught some of his lightning in her clouds to send it right back and damage the spirit.
Thundurus fled across the Skyarrow Bridge, growing into a larger, more dragon-like shape. He cast a torrential hurricane across the suspension bridge, bombarding it with lightning. “Let us show it a Sky Arrow of our own!” Fybi declared, mounting Shaymin as he sprinted full speed against the current. Meanwhile, Fybi would position her B.O.W. between his antler-wings and prepared a charged arrow, the two mustering a massive wind barrier around it. They dodged cars that were blown in the gust, and Shaymin would Wall Jump between a sequence of cars to get onto the bridge’s rail. Shaymin raced up the inclining rail and reached the top of the arch. He grinded down the opposite rail, but when Thundurus threatened to electrify it, Shaymin would kick across the wide gap to the opposite suspension. They reached the top of the next arch and got in range of Thundurus, just as their arrow was ready.
They dove off the arch and loosed the Sky Arrow with thunderous force! Thundurus reeled from the impact, reverting to his base form and passing out. “Haha! That was awesome, Fybi!”
“Verily! Now, with a read on our fair map… I believeth our next target hails yonder.” The two flew northwest, to the desert expanse north of Castelia. Still, they couldn’t quite discern its expanse given that a dense sandstorm was engulfing it. Fybi held up her comms. “Shelly. I perchance need thine abilities in a situation which befits thee.”
“Ugh, speak in English, Juliet! But fine, gimme a sec.”
Shelly swallowed a blue apple and shrunk. She would then rest on a rock risen by Anthony, who focused his chi and sent the rock flying the great distance. “YAHOOOOOOOO!” Fybi saw the small projectile incoming and caught it in an Airball. Afterwards, she welcomed Shelly onto her back. They flew into the sandstorm as Shelly helped provide a barrier against the dust. Maractus were dancing in the current, their arrival signaled by the sound of maracas, but the cacti Pokémon nonetheless aimed to puncture them. Shelly formed Sand Fists to swat them out of the air. A massive Gyarados fossil flew at them, but Fybi flew through its mouth and ran along the inside of the spine.
They found Landorus within the storm; an orange djinn with pinkish spots, a thick brown with pink protrusions, and hammer-shaped cloud hair. “Thine ilk art much terser than I first envisioned.” Fybi commented. Indeed, these djinn weren’t much taller than her own 4-foot range. Landorus growled and brought up a wave of sand to bulldoze them away. Landorus would splash massive tidal waves of sand to keep them at bay. Fybi and Shelly both spun a fist and punctured a massive gap in the wave. Landorus flew near the sand and sent more forceful waves with the thrusts of his palms, but Fybi and Shelly would counter with their own thrusts until they could banish Landorus the same way.
Landorus transformed into a feline… though, not helping to his intimidation, he was a few inches shorter. “Prithee, even Thundurus grew larger in his true form!” Fybi chortled. The furious djinn made some distance and stirred a Sandsear Storm, scorching them in searingly hot sand. Shaymin created an air barrier around them while Shelly created a sandy soccerball. Fybi contained the ball in an Airball: both would spin their foot and kick it with solid force. The Sand Cyclone Striker penetrated the Sandsear Storm and struck Landorus square in the face. With the storm halted, Fybi flew to chill the air around him, causing Landorus to pass out in exhaust as he reverted.
“I’ll stay and keep him pinned down!” Shelly offered.
“Thou hast my trust!” Fybi and Shaymin took off. They soared to the east, seeing tidal waves raging by the Undella Bay. A swarm of Wingulls intercepted them, spitting Water Guns, only to be taken down by arrows and Bullet Seeds. “AAAAH!” A Dynamax Pelipper descended from the clouds, opening its gaping beak to welcome them. Fybi spun a giant Hot-air Ball into being and shoved it down Pelipper’s gullet, sending him the way of Helmaroc King.
“Fybi! There’s a boat caught up in that tsunami!” Shaymin exclaimed.
The Nimbi narrowed her eyes. “’Tis a boat? Looks more liken to… a school.”
Indeed, it was an entire academy built to float on the sea. “Tornadus! Stop!” Ms. Briar yelled as the school rocked violently in a maelstrom. She was a slim, blonde teacher with large, cyan earrings with six spikes. “You’ll make us hit the rocks!”
“Toooooorn!” The wind djinn made a surfing pose, as if to say ‘Hang 10, dude!’ Tornadus was green with purple spots and a thicker tail with yellow whorled structures.
“The bay is not your pool!” Fybi yelled, she and Shaymin closing in on him. “Dost thou need us to mimic thine lifeguards?!”
“Toooor…” Tornadus whirled his arms, bending the waves with the wind and sending a spiraling tunnel at the Sky Warriors. “Verily! I shalt play to thine whim!” Fybi mounted herself on Shaymin like a surfboard.
“Using ME?!” The Legendary lay himself flat to surf the waves as Fybi willed. Fybi shot a charged arrow at Tornadus after exiting the wave, but the enraged djinn would spin a giant cyclone, trapping them inside. Wailmers and Cloisters were thrown from outside the cyclone; Shaymin rammed the Wailmers away while Fybi shot the Cloisters with arrows. “TOOOOR!” Tornadus penetrated the cyclone, lunging at them with a wind fist, but Shaymin would counter and hold it back, leaving Fybi to fly underneath and ram him up the jaw.
Tornadus took the form of a bird: waving his purple-ended feathers, Fybi and Shaymin were shuddering in his Bleakwind Storm. “Ay! Methinks I’m in need of Tom’s culinary refinement!” Fybi pulled out a Magma Burger (Kids Meal version) and munched it. She would then blow out a typhoon of hot breath, splitting the Bleakwind apart. Shaymin helped push her through the storm as Fybi gave Tornadus a heaping taste of hot breath. The Cyclone Pokémon gagged and plummeted into the sea.
Fybi and Shaymin combined their airbending to stabilize the waves, along with Blueberry Academy. “Thanks a lot!” Briar said. “You’re a tough trainer if I ever saw one.”
“Thou art mistaken… but thine praise is nonetheless welcome.” Fybi winked.
“Listen. That Pokémon was taking orders from one of my students, Lacey. She was brainwashed by Team Rocket!”
“I shalt ensure her safe detainment. Worry not.”
“Good. And thanks.”
“We haven’t seen her with the other Pokémon, so she must be with the fourth!” Shaymin deduced.
The airbenders followed the storm back across the continent. “Hmmm… A rather tasteful breeze.” Fybi said, following the current across the Desert Resort. “Oh!” They were awestruck seeing flocks of Cottonee drifting in the breeze, each holding hands with a partner.
Within minutes, a valley rose into view: it was gorgeous against the dawn’s light, a river running between mountains of glittering minerals and a rainbow arching over it. The Cotton Puff Pokémon were drifting through the mountains, so the airbenders followed the breeze. “I know! This is the Diamond Breeze!” Shaymin exclaimed. “It only happens after a full moon! The Cottonee ride it here after meeting their true love…”
“Hmhm! Even Pokémon know romance…?!”
But what awaited at the end of the valley was anything short of romantic: the breeze had picked up in strength, sucking all the Cottonee against a net filter. A feminine djinn was directing the breeze: Enamorus was slender and pink, the curls on her white hair shaping a heart. Her brown tail, decorated with red hearts, wrapped her body like a snake. “Hmhmhm! So many Cottonee! I just wanna make a super fluffy bed of them!” an Elite Agent hummed. She had dark-pink hair beneath her helmet, blue pants, and a long lavender coat. “Huh?” She turned up at the airbenders. “Is that a Shaymin?! And that girl looks like a fairy!”
“Evil has corrupted thine pure heart.” Fybi said, pulling her B.O.W.. “I shalt cleanse thee with sheer discipline!”
“Enamorus, Torment them!” The Legendary lashed her snake-tail to snare Fybi. As it strangled her, Fybi felt her rage growing. Shaymin exploded with Seed Flare, striking the djinn and saving Fybi. However, her anger compelled her to shoot arrows rapidly, which Enamorus easily dodged with Lacey’s guidance. The djinn blew Mystical Fire at the Nimbi, Shaymin defending her. “Fybi! Snap out of it!”
“Huff…” Fybi took a deep breath. This anger is superficial. And it pales to Harvey’s. On some of their training days, Harvey used to bend Fybi’s emotions to break her focus, so she trained to resist him. Fybi stirred the temperatures around the air to create mirages of herself and Shaymin, momentarily confusing the djinn as they both struck her with projectiles. Enamorus stirred Fairy Wind, slicing through the mirages and injuring the real airbenders. She then yanked Shaymin over with her tail and smooched him with a Draining Kiss, leaving him stunned blushed. Fybi blew Shaymin out of her grasp and struck Enamorus with lightning.
“My, she’s strong!” Lacey praised. “Don’t you think so, Enamorus?” The djinn chuckled in agreement.
“Well, I hath trained to great extent.” Fybi fidgeted in flattery—“Ah!” she realized too late that it was an emotionbending technique: Enamorus whipped her into the cliff with her tail. Shaymin, meanwhile, kicked around the air with puffs of speed before headbutting the djinn.
“Enamorus, show them your Therian Forme!” The Pokémon transformed into a turtle with a cloud shell and red webbed feet, her tail shaping like a coiled snake on her back. “Now use Springtide Storm!” A powerful hurricane swallowed the airbenders. Their own feelings became a storm of love and hate in its torrent.
“Thou thinkst thou canst befuddle my feelings?!” Fybi brimmed with Storm Fury, storm clouds forming around her wrists, ankles, and ponytail. “They art already a STORM!” Fybi repelled the Springtide Storm away and began to harness the very Diamond Breeze that glid through the valley. She wrapped the tortoise in condensed currents of glittering wind, uplifting her skyward and spinning the djinn rapidly. “WAAAAAAHHHH!” Lacey was also swept up in the storm. Fybi loaded another arrow between Shaymin’s wings, both focusing wind around it. The arrow burst into dozens of Wind Arrows that swirled around the Legendary, ultimately colliding and combusting in a dazzling typhoon. Enamorus and Lacey crashed into the earth, unconscious. The Cottonees were able to blow free of the net. (End song.)
Within the next half hour, the Cloud Cruiser parked outside Rainbow Valley with all the Forces of Nature wrapped up in Viridi’s vines. With sympathy, Viridi rested a hand on Landorus’ arm.
“BAAAH!” Tornadus grunted as Landorus smashed his and Thundurus’ head against the ground. “What’s the big idea?! She was havin’ fun!”
“Do you see how many storms you created across the planet?! There’s cats, dogs, and dads named Harold blowing everywhere!”
“I wanna go again!” young Viridi clapped.
“I think we need a break from atmosphere surfing.” Enamorus said. “I know another way we can have fun.”
“It better not be what I think it is!” Landorus shouted.
Millions of years could fly by in the blink of an eye. All Viridi wanted was to have fun and follow her passions. Even if they didn’t agree with her passions.
“What…what the hell is this?!” Thundurus exclaimed.
“The NATURE FACTORY!” Viridi exclaimed. “I made it myself! And thanks to materials I’ve traded with a certain benefactor, I’ll have my own army of minions! Soon, I’ll make humanity PAY for poisoning the universe! For what they did to Father!”
“Now… Viridi… the gods didn’t design us for this.” Enamorus said. She had felt Viridi’s hatred for humans increasing over the years, but to think it would go this far.
“They made you to be my friends! And now you guys will be the elite commanders of my army! The Forces of Nature will be feared by humanity across the universe!”
“…When you guys abandoned me, I hated you. For thousands of years.” The small goddess said. “I found new friends who shared my ambition, so I didn’t care. The other gods wanted to imprison me, so I hated them, too. …But now they’re all gone. My army. Arlon. My family. …And I was blessed enough to survive. So, when this is over… can we try to have fun again like the old days? You’re some of the only ones I have left.”
As much as they despised her, Anthony and Fybi had to imagine the pain she was going through. If they could make up with Viridi and forgive her crimes… no. They were thinking too far. “?” Anthony felt Fybi’s soft, warm hand around his. She smiled, turning his gaze up at the Cottonees frolicking in the breeze. Dancing with the one they loved.
“Soaring over this continent… felt lonely without thee on my head.” Anthony blushed at the memory. “’Tis what I yearn to do: see all yonder lovely worlds whisk beneath my vision. And I yearn to share this with thou.”
“…Yeah.” Anthony would love nothing more. “…!” Anthony felt a massive trembling beneath his feet. Massive… yet very distant.
“Something ails thee?”
“…I think we should go.”
“Go? Why?” Arianna asked.
“To find what that tremoring is!”
Brave Olivine ; northern Unova (one hour later)
The camera was on. The livestream was broadcasting. “GOOD MORNING, TRAINERS!” It was a figure wearing a costume of a light-blue creature with round ears, an opening smirking mouth, and a large zipper. “Or at least it’s morning up here in Unova!” It spoke with an excitable tomboyish voice. “Sorry if my last stream had you worried, but Nidothing is still putting up the good fight!”
“Quaxwell!” her ducklike Pokémon fist-pumped.
“I got some great news for you all! Team Rocket’s reign of tyranny is nearing its end!” The stream began flaring up with Likes and hopeful comments. “A bunch of KND operatives from outer space have arrived to put the villains in their place! Just yesterday, Naranja Uva Academy was liberated!” A tiny Maria bounced in view of the camera. Quaxwell glanced to its left in confusion, thinking it spotted something. “And here in Unova, we’re about to rescue Former Champion Iris from Team Rocket’s deadly clutches!”
“Tink! Tink!” Tinkatuff, an impish magenta Pokémon with a hammer, pointed at the small figure in panic.
“That’s right, Tinkatuff! By tonight, our world will be saved! That’s a Nidothing guarantee!”
“Hi, PokéTube!” Maria bounced directly in front of the Rotom Phone.
“And…uh, what was that?”
“TIIINK!” Tinkatuff smashed the tiny intruder with its hammer. Maria popped back to normal size.
“Huh?!” Comments began asking, Was that the Mushroom Kingdom princess?! and New visual effect? “Uh, technical difficulties, please stand by!” Nidothing paused the stream. “Hey!” She pulled the zipper and climbed out of her costume: it was actually Dot, her hair brushed back to expose her sharp purple eyes. She wore a pink long-sleeve coat over her black tank-top, green pajama pants, and green kitty slippers. “What’re you doing in here?!”
“Uh…curiosity killed the Goomba?” Maria smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t know you were a streamer! How many subscribers do you have? Can we do a comedy bit?!”
“No! Look, can you please keep this a secret? My crewmates know, but that’s it.”
“Don’t worry, I’m great at keeping secrets! My sister, on the other hand…ho boy. But can I at least share a livestream with you? Pretty pretty pleeeaaase?”
“I…hrmmm…” Dot couldn’t deny she might boost morale. And ratings. “I guess so. But don’t say my real name, or my friends’. Okay?”
“Mmmmmmm-hmm!” Maria zipped her mouth.
Dot smiled, putting her costume back on to resume recording. “We’re back, folks! And that’s right! We have a very special guest today. The one, the only, MARIA MARIO!”
“WHAT UP, TUBERS?!” Maria magically changed her hat into a backwards cap and her outfit into a shiny white jacket, pants, and shoes with blue stripes, black shirt, and gold necklace. “I’m pounding butts, taking names, and giving those names to other butts I pounded!”
“She’s one of the heroes who came to us in our hour of need!” Comments were saying, Isn’t she a criminal now?; Her sister ran a motorcycle through my shed; Nidothing knows royalty?!; I’m so jealous! “You should’ve seen the way she busted those Megas!”
“MOM, IF YOU’RE WATCHING THIS, YOU’RE DEAD TO ME!”
“UUUUuuuhhhh…” Nidothing and her Pokémon froze awkwardly.
On the deck, Riko and Penny were showing the stream to the MG ops… who likewise shirked at their friend’s brashness. “She really steals the show, doesn’t she?” Penny sighed.
“So, that mascot… is actually Dot?” Kiki asked.
“Yeah…” Liko shirked. “We weren’t gonna tell you… Don’t suppose you can keep it a secret?”
“Yeah, no worries.” Wendy smiled.
“Haha! This is so cool!” Roy was delightedly stretching Romeo’s purple fire in and out between his own two hands. “It feels like clay! Can I keep some for myself?!”
“You’re only bending it now because I’m here.” Romeo reminded. He was holding his own hand above the fire to keep his chi flowing. “Though… I guess Victini could make it so that it stays everlasting… but I don’t know if it’ll be flexible without me here.”
“Oh well. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts!” Roy whirled the fire around the air like a lasso.
“Liko!” Friede called. “What’s the situation on Unova?”
“Ah!” Liko raced up to the observatory and peered through her telescope. “Hey… good news! I think that storm cleared up! We’ve got a clear path to Opelucid City!”
Earlier that morning…
“How’re your injuries, Nemona?” Wendy asked.
“Hah, I barely feel ’em! I’m ready ta get back to action!”
“You never miss a beat, do you?” Arven asked.
“That kind of courage is what we need in this day and age.” Friede smiled. “Now that Paldea’s in a good position, it’s time to head to Unova. The Blueberry Academy floats in the sea near the continent.”
“Not only that, but we gotta check on Iris.” Nemona said. “She used to be a Champion, so I bet ya Team Rocket’s gunning for her. She’s probably holding the fort in Opelucid City.”
“Sounds like we’ll have to divide our numbers here.” Wendy said.
“Then I call the academy!” Diwata cheered. “Crest loves blueberries!”
“I think I’ll help in Opelucid.” Penny offered. “Team Rocket might be using Dragon-types there. My Sylveon can help.”
“Sylvie!” Sylveon was a white and pink quadruped with rabbit ears.
Romeo still didn’t take his eyes off Penny. Her karma aura wasn’t especially hot, yet still suspicious.
Present
“Uh…wait…” Liko said.
“Something wrong?” Friede asked.
“Th…The city. It looks strange.”
As the Olivine closed in on Opelucid, the bizarre dimensional distortion grew apparent. Some of the buildings looked traditional and normal, while others looked chrome and sci-fi. Team Rocket’s monsters were nonetheless roaming rampantly. “I don’t suppose you kids have an answer to this?” Friede asked.
“Um…not exactly.” Wendy blushed.
“Whatever the case, we can’t let this stop us.” The captain stated firmly. “Iris could be in even more danger now. So, prepare for battle!”
“AYE AYE!” Wendy leapt off the ship and sped toward the city. (Play “Opelucid City Mix” from Black & White! In the actual level, it alternates between either version of the track.)
Act 11: Opelucid City
Wendy raced up a street of retro-style cars, side-stepping around them. The road would curve at a wide left angle, enough room for her to drift, but a Haxorus was ready to ambush her. It bowed in attempt to pierce her with its axe jaw, but wound up getting lodged in the ground. Wendy stomped his head to reinforce his trap, Haxorus thrusting his tail upward from the impact, and it would serve as a vantage for Wendy to grind and launch up onto a telephone wire. She grinded the wire through the dimensional distortion; into the futuristic city.
The wire changed into a proper grind-rail, snaking into a twister of railroads as small trains sped alongside her. The rail let her off onto a roof: from here, a row of Dreepy would appear and vanish toward the next roof. Wendy had to wait for them to reappear in succession before jumping the Dragon/Ghosts. “Huh?!” A purple dragon with a thin gun tail aimed at Wendy from several dozen meters ahead. She would have to whip up a Protego to protect from Naganadel’s poison bullets, in-between jumping rooftops. When she reached the Ultra Beast, she cast Glacius to freeze its cannons, causing Naganadel to pop when trying to shoot again. Wendy leapt off the roof and onto a group of railroads, grinding across them while using airbending to push herself. She switched rails to avoid the incoming trains and would go through another rift.
“WHOA!” Wendy wound up flailing through midair, but a cloud was thankfully there to save her. “Draaaaam!” A Drampa was flying ahead; a Chinese dragon Pokémon with cloudy hair, wings, and tail. Most notably, it had wide, jellybean-like yellow and pink eyes. The dragon was farting clouds that Wendy would keep bouncing. She eventually landed on an elevated part of town, where three Archaludons were trampling cars. Upon spotting Wendy, the mecha Dragon-types shot Flash Cannons at Wendy. “Sorry about this.” Wendy grabbed Facilier’s Devil Wand and ran circles around the Pokémon as she drew a magic circle. It would contain a curse that rusts all metallic things that step in it, leaving the steel dragons petrified in rust.
Wendy proceeded up road, but it would be covered in slippery slime spread by Goodras. This made drifting the corners extremely tricky, especially with pitfalls threatening to drop her. Wendy slipped into one, but quickly blew a gust down to elevate herself and regain her footing. Wendy ran at a moderate pace to stay balanced until reaching the end of the gooey road. The town’s radio tower was in view, but a rift loomed on the way. “WAAAH!” The radio tower was replaced with a Gigantamax Duraludon, resembling a walking building with its own windows. Wendy dodged the titan’s feet until it decided to stabilize itself to aim its 4-pointed cannons.
Wendy ran toward one of its toes, serving as an inclining ramp for her to race up its leg. She kept momentum and dashed up the rest of its 141-foot body. Once at the peak, she used the Devil Wand to conjure another curse: an everlasting storm cloud that would continuously strike lightning atop the creature. “Huff…huff…” Wendy put the wand away. As strong as it was, it drained her chi quite rapidly. Wendy left the Duraludon to its fate and sped through the pitch-black city, jumping up a sequence of hovercars to reach a highway.
Turtonators were situated on platforms: they fired a storm of missiles that would either target Wendy or blow up chunks of the road. She remained wary and dodged as necessary, but noticed a hidden road beneath one of the chunks. She dropped down to it, only to find it was completely covered in spikes. Her only way across was to jump more Dreepies, which would only appear for split seconds. Wendy waited for the right time to begin jumping and narrowly made it across. A Riddle Trophy was there! Afterwards, Wendy would drift down a descending, curving road that led straight to Opelucid Gym. “Guys, I found the gym! And there’s a battle going on!”
The gym was built with gray stone bricks and roofs designed like octagonal pyramids with very sharp tips. Twin dragon heads—a white left and black right one—adorned the gate. “Oooooo—ooooooo—oooooo!—ooooooo!” To Wendy’s awe, what seemed like two jets were zipping around the gym, trying to hit a colorful avian Pokémon with a serpent head and tail.
“Keep dodging, Archeops!” its trainer yelled. She nearly dressed like a princess with a heavy pink and vanilla dress and posh white sandals, along with a gold crown with green jewels shaped like cat ears. She was dark-skinned with maroon eyes and wild dark-violet hair done in a large ponytail. “Now! Wing Attack on Latias!”
The reptilian-bird struck the red jet, knocking it off course and into one of the pyramid roofs. “ARCH!” The blue jet took Archeops down with a burst of psychic.
“Archeops!” the girl gasped. “Return!”
The twin “jets” levitated above the trainer. They were dragon Pokémon with jet-shaped wings; one was red, the other blue, while their torsos and long necks were white. Brainwashed Elites were riding them, fittingly wearing red and blue clothes to match. “Hah! You crashed, Red!” Blue taunted in a rapping tone. ♪ “One more misstep, you’re good as dead!” ♪
♪ “Shut it, Blue! Get off your ass! I got more hits than you! You don’t get a pass!” ♪
“Miss!” Wendy rushed to the girl’s side. “I’m here to help! My name’s Wendy. Are you Iris?”
“I am! You’re just in time. I was down to my last Pokémon.”
♪ “Yo, ain’t that girl from the boss’s list?” Blue rapped. “She’s got blue, too, but I do blue best!” ♪
♪ “No doubt about it, she’s the Sky Maid. Let’s cash in, Blue, we’re gettin’ paid!” ♪
“Those Pokémon are the Eon Dragons, Latios and Latias.” Iris said. “They’re extremely fast!”
♪ “Too slow for us!” Blue sang. “It weren’t no prob! We had the bait, we came in hot!” ♪
♪ “With fresh Lati@s treats, there was no second thought!” ♪ Red whipped out a cigarette, lit it, blew a puff, and pressed it against Latias’ eye. Each action was emphasized with, “Huh! Poof. Tssss. CAUGHT.”
“That’s no way to treat her!” Iris shouted.
“Leave them to me!” Wendy declared. “I bet I’m faster!”
“Just catch us if you can!” The dragons took off across the city. “Up here, we’re the man!”
The dragons left streaks of their color. “!” Wendy realized they were solid energy masses and was able to grind up them.
Boss fight: Lati@s
Wendy zoomed up Latios’ blue rail, gliding over the black city as Latias zipped over the rail from several angles. It left red streaks in its wake, so Wendy would duck or jump as necessary to dodge them. Latios was mustering an energy ball, and once ready, it spun to shoot the Luster Purge at Wendy. She quickly spun wind around her ankle and kicked it at Latias, who volleyed it back, but Wendy was prepared to kick it to Latios, its increased speed damaging the dragon. Its rail would dissipate, so Wendy leapt to Latias’ streak. It would soon disappear as the dragon flew through the balcony doors of a building. She chased it down some stairs, running down workers, and into a hallway.
“Can’t catch what ya can’t see! Just try ta get me!” Red taunted as Latias turned them invisible.
“Point Me Latias!” However, Wendy’s wand jittered in confusion. “What?! Even my magic can’t trace it like this?! Fine.” She raced around the halls for some trace of the dragon. “OW!” But Latias herself would run Wendy down.
“Caught ’em Red!” Red declared.
“Jerk! …Huh?” She felt the Devil Wand twitch in her pocket. She withdrew it. “Does it sense Dark Chi? …THAT’S IT! They’re controlling them with Dark Pokéballs! So, I wonder if I can… Point Me Darkball!” The wand aimed partly to her left and kept moving. Wendy navigated the halls to that direction. The wand grew “hotter” as Wendy fired a blast spell, striking Latias visible as they crashed through a door. Wendy followed—the dimension would change back to the traditional version. She wound up in a classroom at Opelucid Academy. “Uh…sorry.”
The students scrambled away in panic as Latias recovered. It spat a Mist Ball at Wendy, who dodged before casting a Devil Star at the dragon, blasting it through the windows. She leapt out and pursued across the campus, students and faculty offering undivided attention. They raced across the front grounds before Wendy drifted left and followed Latias between a red and yellow building. Latias conjured psychic walls she could sidestep around, but Latios would ram her from the yellow building’s corner. Wendy went tumbling for several yards, but after regaining her footing, she leapt onto Latios’ streak.
“You wanna ride my coattails?” Blue asked. “Get ready for epic fails!” Latios would fly toward several academy windows, abruptly cut his streak, and make a hard turn left or right. He was intending for Wendy to crash through the windows, but she would use gusts to stop herself and correct her course. Latios flew toward the school’s tallest building and flew straight up with no streak, but Wendy would plant her feet against the building to sprint skyward. As she flew past the rooftop, she inhaled a massive sum of wind with dragon-like lungs. “Sky Dragon ROOOAAAAR!” Latios was swallowed in her cyclone, and Wendy would set it ablaze with, “Hell’s Incendio!” Both Blue and the dragon would cry out as Dark Chi flowed from the Pokéball and Latios. Wendy beamed, knowing her plan was working.
Latias rammed Wendy and sent her flying from the academy. It gave pursuit, spitting a Mist Ball, which she destroyed with a spell. Wendy landed on the central town street, scraping along on her soles from the momentum. Latias turned down a right street and would try to evade Wendy around several corners. In doing so, she ran through several dimensional rifts, needing to think fast as she kicked off land cars in the normal city or hovercars in the black city. Latias took the chance to ambush her while she was airborne, but Wendy swung a Cyclone Kick down at its head to make Latias crash.
“Dang it, Red! She got you right in the head!” Blue rapped. “Flyin’ off cars and ’cademies, she’s got no end of enemies!”
“Well, Blue, I think it’s time we stop holding back. Fire up the Mega Juice, this girl ain’t got jack!”
The trainers raised wristbands laced with Latiosite and Latiasite. Both dragons turned a soft purple, and their wings became thicker arms. The dragons turned and shot off with startling speeds. Wendy gasped and leapt on Latios’ streak, but even then she struggled to keep up with them.
“Did they just Mega Evolve?!” Iris observed, feeling the rush of wind from their speed. “They can fly at Mach 4 speeds like that! How is she gonna keep up?!”
Wendy raised her wand skyward as magic brimmed around her being. Scales formed on her body, along with horns and a devil tail, complete with a red wind barrier: Sky Devil Fury. Her wind intensified as she caught up with the dragons, crossing seas and continents in seconds.
Latias spat a storm of Mist Balls, Wendy destroying most of them, until she caught one in a whirlwind and sent it to damage its caster. Latias flew away as Wendy leapt onto its rail. Latias performed dozens of tight turns, creating a complex sequence of streaks intended to make the Sky Devil trip and crash. What it didn’t expect was for Wendy to slash all those streaks into nothing with a severing gust, injuring the dragon in the process. Behind her, Latios spat a massive Luster Purge, impacting Wendy and blowing her miles away. Latios followed and rammed her around the air at several angles before Wendy slashed a Sky Devil Claw across his wing.
Both dragons soared rapid circles around Wendy, intending to trap and crush her in tornado of psychic. “In here, you won’t be callin’ on the wind!” Red taunted. “Now it’s our turn to take the win!”
“Barriers don’t mean a thing for me!” Wendy combined the Lamia Scale with her Devil Wand to shatter the tornado barrier. She landed on Latios’ streak as they took flight across the world once more; this time, Wendy cast a curse on her shoes that would spread against the rail while grinding. She caught up to Latios and kicked off him: her dark magic converted his own psychic streak into a dark serpent, scoring a single firm bite off the dragon before disappearing. She landed on Latias’ rail, dodging her attacks and catching up to land the same attack.
Latios dove at her with both fists stretched, but Wendy clutched the wand in her teeth and pressed against them with her palms. She flipped her legs up to clutch Latios with them, forcing them to spin with her airbending. She muttered a spell to keep herself glued to the dragon, bending her neck up to search for Latias. “Thuh y’are!” She used Latios’ speed along with her own to catch up to Latias. Red’s dragon tried to push them back with a solid streak, but Wendy and Latios pushed and shattered straight through it. She detached herself and rammed Latios straight into his partner. They would come for a high speed crash-landing on Opelucid Gym’s pavilion.
Iris’ jaw hung wide at their dramatic return. An exhausted Red and Blue climbed off the downed dragons, who reverted to their normal forms. “I think I’m feelin’… a little dizzy.” Red wobbled. “Think it’s time for… a little tizzy.” They were about to return the Pokémon to their Darkballs, but the items crumbled. “What?!”
“You witch! You jacked our Darkballs!” Blue shouted. “Now how’re we gonna control them?! The boss will have our-”
Iris leapt and KO’ed the agents with a spinning double-kick. “That’s a rap!” (End song.) “That was amazing!” she beamed at Wendy. “When you were flying through the air, you were almost like a dragon!”
“Hehe, it’s a gift! But I probably have you to thank for wearing them down.”
“It wasn’t easy! I just hope these two will be okay…” Iris approached Latios. She knelt and lay her hand over the fallen Pokémon.
Don’t want… to fight… Don’t want… to hurt…
A tear dripped from her eye. “Wendy… when they wake up… will they be better?”
“I did my best to sap the darkness out of them. Maybe with some extra healing, they’ll be free to roam the sky again.”
“In that case… I’d like to take them to my village.”
“We’ll help you! Just give us a moment to secure the rest of the city.”
“I think you kind of got us beat on that.” The girls turned at the arrival of Friede. Romeo and Roy were beside him. “The remaining agents decided to abandon the city.”
“We had them scared to crud, didn’t we, Roy?!” Romeo smacked the youth’s back.
“Nah, that was all you!”
“I wasn’t the one with a Mega Lucario in my pocket!”
“Alright, you boys can brag about it over lunch.” Friede said. “You wanna take them to the Dragon Village, right? We can carry them on the Olivine.”
“Then I’ll lead you to there!” Iris cheered. “Um…actually, Wendy… do you think you can carry me there while they follow us?”
“You want me to carry you? …Like on foot?”
“Would that be a problem?”
“Not really, if you think you can handle it.” Wendy smiled, lifting the Champion bridal style. “Just tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”
“WAHOOOOOOO!” The first few seconds alone were already the time of Iris’ life.
The rest of the group reunited aboard the Volt Tacklers’ ship and followed the two over the mountains beyond the city. They took a small break atop a snowy peak to let the ship catch up. “Brrrrr!” Iris shuddered. “Don’t like cold! Too cold!”
“Sorry, Iris! Just hang in there!” Wendy sprinted down the mountain and across the next one. The Dragon Village was nested in a valley beyond them.
“Haha! I’ve never moved so fast before! Wendy, you’re incredible!”
“Slow down, Wendy!” Romeo called. “Don’t get there without us!”
“Okay, we’ll wait for you down in the field!”
They were happy to welcome their feet to soft, warm grass in the valley. They waited for the Olivine to land beside them, the crew climbing off. “Iris, do you know what was happening with the city back there?” Liko asked.
“That was done by Reshiram and Zekrom.”
“Them?!”
“Really?! THEM?!” Maria gawked. “Who’s them?!”
“They’re the ‘deities’ of our country.” Iris answered. “Usually, they stay in their own parallel side of the universe. But something happened recently that caused them to cross over. As a result, the universes bled over.”
“The Negaverse!” Wendy gasped. “So, that sci-fi version of the city was from there!”
“Was it because of Team Rocket?” Friede asked.
“I don’t really know. Still, if they had control over those two, we’d be in a lot more danger by now.”
“I hope not then…”
“Hey, Wendy?” Romeo spoke. “You have some kind of… lumpy spots on your back.”
“Huh?!” Wendy reached back in a panic, feeling the two “lumps” in question. “Ah! W-W-What are they?! They…They feel attached to my bones!”
“Oh, my!” Liko shared her panic. “Hey, Mollie! Could you come take a look at this?!”
“What is it?” The ship’s nurse rushed over. “…That’s… bizarre… They look like tiny feathers.”
“Feathers?!”
“Almost like… the budding wings of a newborn bird. I’ve never seen this before…”
“Neither have we…” Romeo said.
“Wings…! But that can’t be…”
“You have some idea?” Mollie asked.
“I’m actually half-Nimbi, on my mom’s side. That’s the only thing I can think of. But… why now?”
“Maybe it’s a hybrid thing?” Romeo shrugged. “But if your wings started growing, you could fly around, right? That would be cool!”
“Yeah… but it feels kind of embarrassing.” Wendy fidgeted sheepishly.
“Just be careful not to let them get hurt.” Iris suggested, unsure how her biology worked.
Dragon Pokémon roamed peacefully about the valley, yet there were scars around the landscape. “Team Rocket sent emissaries on the first few days of war. I managed to hold them off before heading to Opelucid. Before becoming Champion, I used to lead the gym there!”
“Iris!” They saw a dark-blue dragon with a red spiked collar and six gray, feathery wings flying toward them. A girl with plum-colored hair was riding it.
“Shannon! How’ve things been?”
“We haven’t had any more attacks. I didn’t recognize this ship, so I was afraid it was an enemy.”
“No worries here.” Friede assured. “We were wondering if you could look after these two Legendaries.”
Shannon gasped at the two resting dragons on the deck. “Latios and Latias?!”
“Yeah.” Iris nodded. “They’ve had a hard time. We should go look for herbs in the field!”
Shannon’s Hydreigon carried the injured dragons past the village, looked on by the residents with wonder and sympathy. Lati@s were brought to a crisp pond surrounded by a small forest, a couple miles from the village. Removing her shoes, Iris stepped in the pond and cupped her hands to raise some water to their mouths. The dragons seemed content as they drank. “You know, I can hear the hearts of Dragon Pokémon.”
“Do you mean like… telepathy?” Wendy asked, resting her feet in the spring as well.
“A little bit. Whether it’s because the gods blessed me or it just came. I used to spend years of my life outside. Just running around these fields, swinging on vines, splashing in this spring… and I had all these Pokémon to play with. Eventually, I just started to understand them.”
“That’s really cool. You know, a couple years ago, I trained under a wind dragon from Avalar.”
“Really?!”
“Her name was Grandeeney. I was already studying Dragon Style airbending from a textbook, but I thought learning from a real one would sharpen my skills.”
“I knew I had a good feeling about you! I have to go to Avalar someday! Would you take me?”
“Gladly!”
Maria and the junior Volt Tacklers curiously approached the twin statues in the center. “Those are Reshiram and Zekrom.” Liko said. “Legend says they used to be one dragon and lived in another dimension. They were brought to this world by two brothers and used to create Unova… until their clashing ideals split them apart.”
“You sure did your homework.” Maria remarked.
“I mean, most kids need to do lots of studying before they head out and become trainers.”
“We’re still taking online classes.” Roy said. “’Course, they’ve been suspended because of the war.”
“You must’ve done a lot of studying for your world, right, Maria? Since you’re the princess-”
“FORMER princess! Besides, I lived most of my life on Earth. Uncle Luigi taught us some things about Mushroom World, but…huff…” Once this war was over, Maria would return and live on her homeworld. She had to be the hero they needed… The hero that could beat Bowser…
Romeo received a call on his crystal ball-phone and found Diwata’s azure face. “Hey, you won’t believe it! The Blueberry guys said some flying girl was here ahead of us! I think it was Fybi! She already saved the day!”
“But they don’t have ANY blueberries here!” Crest whined.
“No way! I wonder if they’re still on the continent somewhere? I’ll let Wendy know once she’s…?” Romeo glanced at Penny, who was walking discretely behind a small wooden house.
Penny’s Sylveon peaked around the corner, making sure no one was coming… but it looked to its trainer with sympathy. Penny pulled out her Rotom Phone and began to type a text to someone called ‘Black Tulip.’ Moon Firstborn at Blueberry Academy. Victory Firstborn at Dragon Village.
Unbeknownst to her, a pair of blue eyes on an invisible body was peering over her shoulder. The eyes shut as Victini flew back to his Guardian. “(Romeo! You were right! She IS a traitor! She’s telling someone where me and Crest are!)”
“What?!”
“(We gotta tell the others!)”
“No. Let me talk to her first.” Romeo walked toward the house.
“…” Penny’s finger hovered over the Send button… but her eyes sank in regret. “Sylvie! Sylvie!” her Sylveon chirped.
Penny gasped and put her phone away. Romeo appeared. “Hey.”
“W-What?” Penny stuttered. “I…I was about to tinkle! Go away!”
“You weren’t calling Team Rocket, were you?”
Penny flinched. “What’re you… Why would I…”
“Listen. I have the power to see karma. You’re kind of carrying a lot of it on your shoulders.”
“(It’s true!)” Victini appeared.
With one glance at the Victory Spirit, Penny feared there was no arguing. “So, just tell me the truth.”
“…It…it’s not what you think.” Penny shuddered. “Team Rocket… They abducted several students when they invaded. Including my best friend. I wasn’t sure what they were going to do to them… so, I hacked their database and found their boss’s email. And I… managed to make a deal with him using a pseudonym.”
“Hm?” Giovanni cocked a brow at the mysterious sender. “Cassiopeia?”
You took students from my school. What are you planning to do with them?
“Hmph. Whatever I please. Force them to submit to me. Or perhaps break their legs and enslave their Pokémon.”
You will do no such thing to them.
“Or what… dare I ask?”
I can help you.
“That’s a bizarre threat.”
Ensure no further harm comes to them… and I will make your conquest easier. But harm a single hair on their heads and I can destroy you just as easily.
“I’m already shaking in my swimsuit.” Indeed, Giovanni was afloat in his pool and sipping a juice glass.
Dare you take that risk?
“Well, color me invested. What sort of help can you give me?”
I know the locations of secret operative bases. And where to find quality Pokémon. I will only divulge one of each per day. In exchange, I want photographic proof of the students’ wellbeing.
“Oh, you’re gonna have to sweeten the deal more than that. Tell me the codes to Area Zero.”
“So, you put other operatives in danger just to save your own?!”
“I-I wasn’t sure what to do! They kept attacking the school! Nemona was running herself ragged! I thought feeding him this info might divide their forces a bit! I just…I didn’t want anyone to get hurt!”
“But you’re putting yourself in danger by telling them about Victini! And isn’t Nemona at the other school?!”
“I know! But you guys are super strong, so I thought it wouldn’t matter—and I didn’t have any other info for them, so…”
“Look, Penny… I won’t tell the others about this. But you should tell your other friends the truth. And don’t worry. We’ll rescue those guys.”
“…I…okay. I will.” Penny bowed. She pulled out her phone to erase the text—“AH!” Her face paled. “I clicked ‘Send’ when I put my phone down!”
“WHAT?!”
“Crud, crud, crud, crud, crud!” Penny clasped her head in a panic.
“Calm down! We gotta warn the others!”
“Ma, look!” a little boy pointed. “It’s a birdy!”
What looked like a reddish-orange and black ostrich with spiky feathers was barreling toward the village at incredible velocity. “A Galarian Zapdos?!” Roy exclaimed.
Romeo and Penny ran out from behind the house. “!” The Zapdos was quick to spot the target. “ZAAAA!”
“VICTINI!” Romeo’s Newborn was rammed with a Thunderous Kick of its firm black talon. The impact stunned Victini senseless, allowing the bird to seize him in his beak before making a wide U-turn. “WENDY!” Romeo quickly called her. “We got trouble! Victini was taken!”
Zapdos raced up the outer mountains with ease. It found its master, a muscular man wearing only white ragged pants and black wrist and ankle braces. “Excellent, Zapdos.” Bruno quickly shoved Victini into a frost cage. He mounted the bird. “We’ll Steelix distract them.” He set his Mega Steelix free before riding Zapdos across the mountains.
Just as Wendy nearly caught with them with her own speed, the massive steel serpent dove at her with High Horsepower. Wendy’s Protego nearly cracked defending against it. “No! I’m sorry, Victini!”
Blueberry Academy
“Hey, guys?” Kiki called. “Giant lizard and purple bird off the starboard-bow…”
Her allies gathered to view the incoming Pokémon. “A Galarian Articuno!” Nemona exclaimed at the violet bird with a black, mask-like face, the ends of its feathers made of Psychic Chi. “And… that one looks like a Suicune.”
The lizard with a head crest and great purple mane was Walking Wake, Suicune’s distant ancestor. Articuno’s eyes brimmed as they unleashed a great psychic beam. Diwata conjured a crescent shield to block it, but Kiki was frozen by the impact. Walking Wake followed up with Hydro Steam, a beam of boiling hot water that would splatter against Diwata’s shield and sear her teammates.
“Oh, NOW we’re talkin’!” Nemona declared. “Give me a REAL battle!”
Kitakami
Ogerpon Terastallized in her Cornerstone Mask, granting her the earthbending to counter Eicnaid’s attacks. She slammed her cudgel to send a shockwave of jagged rocks, impaling the Reborn, but Eicnaid erupted lava spires and focused them on the child. Ogerpon switched to her Wellspring Mask to quickly solidify the lava with a concentrated Water Beam, creating a cloud of steam. She returned to her Cornerstone as she leapt out of the steam and hammered Eicnaid deep into a ditch. She flooded the ditch with the Wellspring, followed by the Hearthflame Mask to set the pool boiling.
Even still, Eicnaid exploded the earth around it, sending Ogerpon and the humans flying away on boulders. Karin and Ururu flew to grab their friends and spare them a bumping landing. Ogerpon endured the impact, using her Hearthflame to perform a Rocket Jump and bat Eicnaid with her flaming cudgel. The Reborn flew several yards before hitting the rugged earth. Ogerpon kept her gaze focused as she recovered. “…?” Eicnaid’s gaze was drawn somewhere else. A distant mountain whose peak disappeared above the clouds. Eicnaid dove into the earth and swam toward it.
“What’s it doin’ now?” Jinta asked.
“Kumuri Mountain?!” Carmine gasped. “No! We have to stop it!”
“Hey!” another voice called. “Can you give me a lift, too?”
The ops turned to find a familiar white-haired girl, wearing a gray sweater with a white ribbon, orange skirt, and no shoes. “Miyuki?!” Jinta panicked, feeling slight PTSD.
“No, no! I’m Ikuyim!” The group blinked in surprise. Her voice was certainly cheerier than Miyuki’s. “I was just about to catch her!”
Chapter 36: Poké Saga 7: Laqua: Paradise in the Sky
Summary:
Nerehc Onu and Nega-Sector V go to meet the Yin-Yang Gods, Reshiram and Zekrom. Ikuyim Latsyrc joins Anthony to rescue his sister.
Notes:
Read Return to the Negaverse to learn more about the DNK! https://archiveofourown.org/works/20405032/chapters/48400603
Chapter Text
Guess what? The Negatives are finally relevant again! Also, read Return to the Negaverse if you haven’t, it has lots of great characters and ideas!
Chapter 32: Laqua: Paradise in the Sky
Negaverse; Avonu Region, Planet Ékop (two days earlier)
Black buildings towered against the dark sky; some of them had neon green corners. The operatives of Nega-Sector V were perplexed as they set foot on its streets. “Yeh, Oi can vibe with this city.” Aliehs Citnarf smirked, hands folded behind her head. Like her Positive, Aliehs was a Faunus raccoon with messy black hair and black shorts, but her ragged shirt and sandals were gray, and her skin was a darker, duller tan.
“It’s not where I expected spirits to live.” Arorua replied. The Nega-V leader wore a black top with a red skirt of black webbing, with matching boots and laces. “But if Nerehc’s dream is to be believed…” She sighed at the ludicrousness of it.
“Hey, when has a voice in my head ever steered me wrong?” the Supreme Leader shrugged nonchalantly.
Nerehc had awoken on a floating isle in the midst of space. “You’ve been quite busy… King’s Candidate.” an echoing voice spoke.
“Great. Another spirit stalking my dreams.”
“Do not fear. I am The Chronicler. He who guides those with destiny. Though, it’s been quite a while since I’ve had to do so. The new generation is quite proficient at finding their way.”
“Oh yeah…I’ve heard of you. Heh, we must’ve took a wrong turn somewhere, didn’t we?”
“No. The circumstances you’ve been thrown into are quite dire… but it is imperative that you win this game. Trust in your operatives and they will succeed… and you can trust the Positives to as well.”
“I mean… I know we can’t let the baddies win, but I don’t feel good about ruling the whole universe. Besides… I don’t trust that Kael.”
“I share your sentiments. Fortunately, it seems the Supreme Born’s plans did not go accordingly. His fellow Newborn have fallen in favor with the Positives. But… they will need your aid, too. Your operatives must capture the Firstborn, Nerehc.”
“The Firstborn? I thought… they were destroyed?”
“Their assassination was foreseen. But Goddess Medusa had planted seeds of darkness inside them. They will soon be Reborn in your universe. But in these states, I fear they will not be tranquil beings. Shadows of their former selves. And thus, their Guardianship must fall to the Negatives.”
“Wait… are you for real?!”
“There is a certain duo of spirits crafting the Spirit Balls you’ll need to catch them. In seven days’ time, you must visit the Black City on Planet Ékop. The spirits will entrust them to you there.”
“Are we… really gonna get to be Firstborn Guardians?” Sirhc asked hopefully.
“Whaddya mean ‘WE’?!” Eirik snorted. “Like you ever would, loser!”
“We’ll find out in time, won’t we, mates?” Aliehs fist-palmed. “And Ah reckon they won’t hand ’em to us for free.”
“That’s why I brought you along.” Nerehc acknowledged. (Play “Cosmic Wall” from SA2!)
Act -12: Black City
Aliehs was nearly run down by Revavrooms on the first street of the city. She jumped above one of the one-eyed engines and Ground Pounded the flat, black device on top, which shut it into submission. The second, she simply socked a Black Fist into its eye. There was a lone streetlight on, and when Aliehs absorbed that light with her bending, a flight of green holo-platforms appeared. Some shifted side-to-side while spinning and some were vertical, requiring Aliehs to Wall Jump between them, but they would lead her into a group of buildings. The interior was mostly hollow except for walkways and hanging lamps. Aliehs used Light Chains to swing the lamps, while Metangs would attack her on the walkways. They used psychic to give their selves larger claws, but Aliehs showed them her Black Fists were better.
The platforms and lamps threatened to snap off from her weight, but they led her to a pole that seemed to ascend through a portal. Climbing into it, Aliehs was bewildered to see the black sidings change into a smooth wood, and her pole into a vine. She stepped on a walkway leading outside. “Oi…” Her teammates caught up, awe-inspired by the peaceful, breezy forest of towering, twisty trees. The sky was vibrant with blue and fluffy white.
Act 12: White Forest
“I think we’re in the Posiverse.” Nerehc observed. “Did those spirits do this?”
“At least the Nomékop are nicer in this world.” Arorua said as Sunkern fluttered down in an escalating alignment.
“Nice of them to give us a step up!” Aliehs remarked as she jumped to bop off the Sunkern. She reached a spiral path up a tree, where Tangela rolled down, the tangly Pokémon threatening to entrap her legs and drag her down. Aliehs reached an open area at the top of the tree—a Mega Tangrowth dropped down and tried to smash her beneath its hands, but Aliehs jumped back before grabbing its hands. She swung it in circles before hurdling the Pokémon at a higher branch, causing vines to drop. She swung the vines and tail-hovered toward a wide path, cutting through a tree and leading to another.
A Mega Venusaur and Meganium charged toward the operatives. Akurah Atnalamid used her own bending to deter Venusaur’s Poison Powder, and would smother the plant beast with toxic gas. Meganium was absorbing sunlight into its flower collar, and would unleash a Solar Beam. Aliehs simply leapt, channeling light to her feet to grind the beam, before slamming a Dark Fist onto the Pokémon. After reaching the next tree, Aliehs jumped down a flight of leaf platforms, from each of which Victreebels tried to gobble her—and the very last one succeeded, spitting her through another portal.
Aliehs wound up on a slide in the Black City, having to shift herself to slide between Spiritombs lurking on it. Before reaching the bottom, Aliehs noticed the hole in the diagonal ceiling, so she used the momentum to jump through, landing on an elevated platform with a Riddler Trophy! She dropped to the main floor and was jumped by large, dark locusts; or should I say Lokix. Aliehs spun White Fists to swiftly K.O. the bugs. She seemed to be at the edge of a reservoir, so her journey would continue underwater. Greninjas ambushed her in the tunnel, the long-tongued lizards swift in their swimming. Aliehs flipped and sent Light Kicks to K.O. them.
Aliehs had to stop three turbines to open the gate forward. As it happened, these Greninjas had a purpose: she grabbed and swung them so their tongues would wrap around the turbines, forcing them to stop turning. Aliehs and her friends proceeded and resurfaced on an outdoor balcony. “WHOA!” An Iron Crown (robotic blue quadruped) swung particle blades from its horns. Aliehs narrowly evaded, but when it swung the Tachyon Cutter again, Arorua defended her with the Jargcutter sword. “This seems like a tough one! Let me take care of it!”
“Your funeral, not ours!” Eirik remarked. Aliehs would sidle a ledge beneath sewer pipes, which would spill green Alolan Grimers every few seconds. Timing around them was simple, but the last pipe had a constant flow of more colorful goop. “MUUUUUK!” The goop was actually a Muk, yanking Aliehs up through the pipe!
The Faunus dropped from a sap flow on the side of a tree. “GEROFF ME!” Aliehs smacked the Muk the f*** off her. Aliehs traveled down a narrow, zigzaggy boardwalk leading between the White Forest. Ferroseeds would bounce down the boardwalk after her, spiky steel egg-shaped Pokémon that threatened to explode. Once she reached an entrance to a tree, the seeds bounced off the edge… however, there was a segment of boardwalk above a Riddler Cage. She punched a Dark Fist to explode a Ferroseed, blowing up that segment so she could collect the trophy!
Inside the tree, Aliehs had to tear through a cluster of mushrooms with Pokéball caps. But some of them grew faces and arms; they were Amoonguss! Aliehs countered their spin attacks with her own. But there was an impostor amoong those Amoonguss: one with a spiky cap with moss hanging from the edge. A Brute Bonnet. KOing the ancient Paradox would unveil a hole beneath it. Aliehs jumped into a narrow corridor where a Chesnaught charged her with its large green shield. Aliehs quickly spun a White and Black Fist to repel it down the hall.
The passage led out onto an outside bridge, this time decorated with safe railing and vine arches… except for the parts that were completely blank and required Aliehs to jump and glide. A gentle breeze blew every few seconds, carrying small cotton bloom Pokémon called Eldegoss. Aliehs could only glide when the breeze stopped, but the Eldegoss would drift in place, and she’d have to avoid them lest they make her sneeze. The bridge led to a tunnel that curved left through another tree. This led to another portal to Black City. Aliehs overlooked a sequence of neon green rooftops, leading to the top of round tower.
The tower seemed like an ancient ruin and didn’t mesh with either the city or the forest. The rooftops were far to glide to, but Aliehs realized she could Light Chain their neon edges and pull herself over. A Stakataka patrolled the second roof, an 18-foot rectangular Pokémon made of gray bricks, each of which had blue eyes visible on its hollow inside. The beast threw several of its bricks, and Aliehs would hurt her own knuckles in countering them. Two bricks landed solid hits and blasted her off the roof.
“Eelyah got you!” A cement hand grabbed the Faunus, pulling her up to the previous roof.
Aliehs shared a grateful smirk with her cavegirl teammate, Eelyah Nagillig. “There’s a good mate! Why don’t ya teach ’im a lesson for me?”
“Uuh!” Eelyah nodded affirmably and bent cement platforms to cross to the Stakataka’s roof. She created her own fort of cement bricks to protect herself when the beast shot its segments again. Afterwards, Eelyah would bend her cement bricks to clog up Stakataka’s gaps, preventing it from fully reassembling.
Aliehs and her remaining teammates jumped the other roofs and reached the top of the ruins tower. “That must be them…” Nerehc took note of the two entities in the middle of the open rooftop. (End song.)
They were bipedal draconic beings with twisty tails. One with a feathered body of vast white, with flowing hair and claws on its wings. One with a solid, deep black body, albeit with blue glints, with smaller wings, gauntlet-arms, and horns. The white’s blue eyes contrasted the black’s red.
“I am Reshiram, God of Truth.” the white spoke.
“I am Zekrom, God of Ideals.” followed the black.
“Gods?” Nerehc cocked a brow. “We never heard about you.”
“In an age elapsed, we were a single being… designed by the gods to preside over the Yin-Yang Realm of the Spirit World. Our order was to document the morality of mortals across the cosmos.”
“But one day, Goddess Medusa served us a bowl of piping hot bean soup.” Zekrom continued. “We love a good spicy soup. Little did we know of the curse she had corrupted it with. It shattered our being, banishing us into the Posiverse and Negaverse. One of the beans we had excreted became the demon Hannibal Roy.”
“That bean demon?” Nerehc recalled from his mom’s old stories. “THAT’S where he came from?! Hahahahahaha!”
“This planet you walk is where we made land. We were found by young mortal men… each the opposite of the other. And through our power, they were able to cross worlds and meet.”
“Together, they sought to form an ideal country… and yet their views strongly differed. So, they borrowed our chi and engaged in battle.”
“But our power was equal… and so, there was no ‘right’ side. Thus, peace reigned… for a time.”
“Yeah, cool, cool… but we’re here about Spirit Balls.” Nerehc said. “Can we have your balls?” Aliehs smacked her forehead over his stupidity.
“This battle continues to this day! Good and evil, Positive and Negative, Yin and Yang… and in this time of war, peoples’ truth and ideals have been called into question!”
“And you, boy, were selected as the Supreme Born’s Candidate. Can we trust you with that sort of power? With the fate of the Firstborn?!”
“Well, Cheren trusts me! And one way or another, I’m not gonna let our enemies have their way!”
“If you like Yin-Yang so much,” Aliehs spun her Light and Dark Fists, “Oi’ll give ya a full taste of it!”
“Then let your morality burn its brightest!” (Play “Reshiram/Zekrom Battle” from Pokémon!)
Boss fight: Reshiram and Zekrom
The white dragon breathed a wave of majestic white flames. Nerehc slashed a clear path through the flames with a firm downward swing. Aliehs dashed up the path, building up a Black Fist that she would throw up at Reshiram’s jaw. The dragon landed and swiped burning claws that Nerehc countered with the Fierce Sword, but the dragon would surprise him with a gnash of his fiery teeth. While Nerehc struggled to hold him back with his sword, Zekrom was preparing to strike him with lightning. “Oi, watch your -3!” Aliehs leapt and deterred Reshiram with a kick. Nerehc quickly spun to catch Zekrom’s lightning on his fingertip, guiding it through his body before shooting it back at the black dragon.
Aliehs charged at Zekrom spinning Black Fists, while lightbending was focused on her feet, enhancing her speed to dodge the dragon’s thunderbolts. Her fists were blocked by his claws when she threw them, but she would perform a flip, stretching one Light Foot at a wide enough arch to stomp his head. She then spun and stretched the other foot out to kick his jaw. The infuriated Zekrom bellowed a Hyper Voice, hurting the Faunus raccoon’s ears. Zekrom dove at her with a Zen Headbutt, but though Aliehs dodged, the impact erupted an electrifying shockwave to stun her. Zekrom followed up with a thunderbolt, but Nerehc flew to push Aliehs out of its wake.
Nerehc leapt at Zekrom with a jump-strike, sending a towering slash wave at the dragon. Zekrom gnashed at him with rapid Thunder Fangs, Nerehc countering in quick succession, and would unexpectedly thrust his sword down Zekrom’s throat. Nerehc snickered as Zekrom gagged, but the enraged dragon would char him with an electrifying breath. A swing of the claw would send Nerehc flying across the field. Aliehs, meanwhile, was shooting Black Fists to counter Reshiram’s explosive fireballs. She closed in on the dragon and shot a Dark Chain at his neck, using it as a vantage to swing behind and onto Reshiram’s tail. She tugged back with great force, strangling the spirit, while Reshiram furiously thrashed about with his tail aflame. Aliehs endured the heat for five seconds before she was thrown off.
Reshiram faced Aliehs and conjured a massive fireball above him. Zekrom shot a huge lightning bolt to empower it. Aliehs spun a White and Black Fist and fused them into a Yin-Yang Fist (in which two of the knuckles served as the dots). Her fist met Reshiram’s Fusion Flare in an explosive collision. Reshiram flew back from the blast, but would suffer a stab to the back from Nerehc. Zekrom tried to strike him off, but Nerehc caught and redirected the bolt back into him. Reshiram spun to whack the DNK leader away. Aliehs dashed for the white dragon’s feet, performing a breakdance as her own foot extended a Silver Blade, slashing them. She slipped away before he could fall on top of her.
Aliehs joined Nerehc while Reshiram took Zekrom’s side. The white dragon’s tail turned molten within the spiral, while the black’s tail brimmed blue, coursing with energy. The two operatives shared a smirk as Aliehs grabbed Nerehc’s sword hand. She channeled her own Silver Sword around the Fierce Sword, slashing a flaming, silver streak at both dragons. Zekrom lunged at them with lightning speed—Aliehs kicked up a Light Rail, grinding up it and pulling Nerehc with to outrun the dragon. Reshiram spewed spiraling beams of white fire in their wake; Nerehc would chop them down as Aliehs cast Silver Streaks from her hands, landing successive blows on the dragon. Zekrom then rained a shower of lightning around the field, prompting the kids to stop grinding as Nerehc tried to redirect the lightning.
Reshiram dove at the duo with a burning body, but Aliehs conjured a massive Black Ball to push him back. Zekrom lunged at them in a streak of lightning, so Nerehc would do the same, impaling his sword straight through Zekrom’s stomach. Aliehs extended Black Whips from her hands and Silver Streaks from her feet, running circles around Reshiram to attack him with a flurry of both elements, all while enduring his fiery twister. Nerehc orbited Zekrom and slashed airwaves from various angles, but couldn’t remain in one spot for half a second as the dragon would shoot lightning in that frame. Zekrom surprised and banished Nerehc with a claw swipe, while Aliehs used a Light Rail to escape Reshiram’s explosion.
Aliehs entered Yin-Yang Fury: her shirt, sandals, and wrists were burning with Light and Dark, with her shirt displaying the symbol. Reshiram took to the air as Aliehs followed on Light Rails. Reshiram cast volleys of flames while Aliehs threw streaks of her mixed elements. “Ya know the best part, mate?” Aliehs asked. “Ah don’t know jip about Yin-Yang! Do I even look Asian? Oi just went with the look ’cause it matched me bending!”
Reshiram took a deep breath, mustering sapphire chi in his throat. Aliehs spun her whole body to meld a long shard, its white and black chis fusing to make a solid, silvery gray. Reshiram spat Blue Flare, a concentrated sapphire fire beam, but with the speed Aliehs threw her Silver Arrow, it penetrated the beam. The Blue Flare exploded into beautiful fireworks, and Reshiram’s skull was pierced.
Zekrom turned his lightning up the max, black bolts flashing around his body. Nerehc focused his chi and mustered a Soul Surge. When the dragon blasted forth with extreme speed, Nerehc struck back and repelled him, black sparks and white embers exploding. Zekrom returned again, a third time, fourth, fifth, until he was out of drive for his Bolt Strike. Nerehc unloaded a flurry of blows upon the dragon as his black armor cracked. (End song.)
The dragons stood panting as their majestic bodies seemed to wither. “Yes…” Zekrom began.
“We see it now.” Reshiram followed.
“Your Yin…”
“-and Yang…”
“You seek an ideal future beyond this war.”
“And a truth beyond that which the Supreme Born offers.”
“Uh…sure.” Nerehc shrugged. “Didn’t think my sword said all that.”
“May you restore truth and ideals to the Firstborn as well.” Seven Pokéballs materialized before them. They resembled the Spirit Balls, but the sides were switched and they had a darker hue. “As for us… we will go dormant until the next age.”
“But be forewarned… without Yin or Yang, there is Wuji. It will claim us and may challenge you again. You should leave this place quickly.”
The dragons crumbled away… and small, round stones fell where they stood. Reshiram’s was red with small embers… and Zekrom’s was azure with electricity. Nerehc shared a look with the Nega-V ops as they walked to collect the Pokéballs.
Shortly after they left, another dragon arrived. A stone-skinned dragon with frozen, chunky wings. It looked over its brothers’ dormant forms, then in the direction of the Negatives.
…
“Only seven?” Ynohtna questioned as he and the other Negatives were shown the balls.
“I guess the curse didn’t happen to all of them.” Nerehc figured. “But if we manage to do this, imagine the looks on the Positives’ faces!”
“I’m sure they’ll be very happy.” Ydolem smiled tenderly.
“The only issue now is finding them.” Sipa said. “But even if we do, there’s a chance they’ll get warped away from us. If they do, just call on me. I’ll use the sigils I gave you to warp to you guys, then I’ll whip up a spell to reopen their teleport channel.”
“Yeah.” Nerehc agreed. “But let’s not forget why else we’re here: that Nomékop sterilization project won’t stop itself. For now… here are your balls.”
A Spirit Ball was handed to Arorua, Ibyf, Ydolem, Ikuyim, Oemor, Atawid, and Ydnew.
Kumuri Mountain, present
“Ay, me!” Fybi grunted when her Cloud Cruiser suddenly lost altitude. “Anthony, we art faced with an unprecedented dilemma! The ship sinks against my will!”
“How?!” Anthony shouted. “Without Viridi onboard, you’d think we’d be a million times lighter!”
“This is Kumuri Mountain. A sacred place.” Shaymin explained. “Ships aren’t allowed to fly to its peak. You’ll have to continue on foot.”
“Well, we had to land to check for tremors, didn’t we?” Shelly wondered.
“Yeah…” Anthony agreed. They had been closing in on a vast mountain whose peak disappeared above the clouds, though the surrounding forested valley was level with its own clouds. As soon as they set foot on the mountain pass, the earthbenders felt the tremors. “I can’t pinpoint the source… but it’s somewhere up this mountain.”
“CLASSMATES! What’s up?!” a girl’s voice greeted cheerily.
The Earth Children were dumbstruck to find Miyuki’s energetic Negative behind them. “Ikuyim?!” Emily exclaimed.
“Let me guess! You’re here to try and catch Eicnaid, too.”
“Eicnaid?”
“Y’know… your sister?”
“Sis…?!” Anthony pieced the letters together and gasped. “MBBBTH?! She’s here?!”
“Yeah!” Ikuyim tossed the Spirit Ball up in her hand and held it forward. “It’s time to bring our classmate back!”
“…!” That was the happiest Anthony felt in weeks! (Play “Alpine Incline Ground” from Donkey Kong!)
Act 13: Kumuri Mountain
The mountain pass was adorned with rainbows, and the morning glimmer against the fluffy clouds brought tranquility. Ikuyim and Anthony used Rockapults to propel up a short cliff, but were then presented with a long gorge. Fluffy pink and purple Pokémon, Aromatisse, were floating over it, emitting noxious perfumes. There was a window when their perfumes dissipated, so the duo were able to bounce across them. They platformed up some natural steps and reached a plateau overlooking another chasm. A Comfey (flower ring Pokémon) floated left and right over the center: the kids needed to time a Rockapult that would send them through the ring; it gave them an air boost that would land them on the opposite ledge, which was decorated with a rainbow arch.
They traveled downhill and along a short, snaky path before reaching a towering cliff. Anthony bent out his own makeshift elevator, but as he willed it to ascend the cliff, Swirlixes would ambush them from clouds. The cotton Pokémon tried to blow them off with Fairy Wind, but Ikuyim banished them with gem shards. Upon reaching the top of the cliff, a small field of frolicking Pokémon splayed before them. A Granbull, Umbreon, Hisuian Growlithe, and a Paldean Combat Tauros. “Anthony, what’s that?!”
A pink mist was descending and sweeping over the mountain. Fearing it was a toxic gas, Anthony held his breath when it reached them… and yet Ikuyim didn’t seem fazed. Rather, her eyes were in wonder as she lightly breathed it. “Anthony… this mist is made of tiny crystals.”
“Oh yeah…” He could actually feel it with closer observation. “…And… it feels like her. …The Pokémon!”
The ones in the field began shaking from the mist. They Terastallized! Terapagos crowns formed on their heads while gems orbited them. “Whoa, they can do it, too?!” Ikuyim exclaimed.
“Yeah, they…wait, what do you mean ‘too’?”
“Let me show you the new Fury Mode I learned!” Ikuyim stomped her Chi Gates open and summoned all the gems from her Infi-Cube. Her aura took a gem-like texture around her while the gems orbited her: it was Stellar Fury! Anthony continued to look on in awe as she engaged the Tauros in swift, dazzling combat, swinging her gems against its thrashing legs. The Umbreon cast a Dark Pulse, sparkling with stellar aura that weakened Ikuyim’s resolve with dark thoughts. Anthony bent up an earth hand to bind the Umbreon in place. The Granbull charged at him, but a swift stomp would send the dog flying off the cliff with a Rockapult. The Growlithe cloaked itself in stellar flames and charged into Ikuyim in repetition, the gembender countering each time until the puppy passed out.
Ikuyim dispelled her Fury. “Huhu, that was awesome!” Anthony praised. Their journey would continue uphill as stampedes of Sawsbuck stormed down; deer Pokémon with either flowery antlers, green leaves, autumn leaves, or with snow-colored fur. Incidentally, the duo noticed four pens at the bottom of the hill, with symbols of the different seasons. Ikuyim bent stone arches over herself and Anthony to make the deer harmlessly cross over them, while also directing the four different seasonal Sawsbuck into the right pens. Doing so unlocked a cage with a Riddler Trophy!
They reached the top of the hill, only to be presented with another chasm. They felt a rumbling in the mountain: chunks of land rose from the chasm, shifting between two directions. They felt the Reborn’s chi was responsible for this. They used a Rockapult to launch to the first, and would rely on a Comfey to air boost them to the second. From there to the third platform, Drifblims rose from the chasm. The Ghost-type balloons threatened to explode if they were hit, so the duo timed their Rockapult between them. Afterwards, they launched through a trio of Comfey to land atop a high cliff.
“EUH!” Anthony freaked out when a wall of faced honeycombs flew past them. Another was coming as well, beginning to ascend the mountain. They were actually a bunch of Combee bunched together. “Let’s ride them, Anthony!” Ikuyim jumped, planting hands and feet to the Combees’ sticky faces.
“Aw…” Anthony Rockapulted and joined her. Vespiquens were lurking on the flight path: the kids bashed the Combee to make them sink low enough to avoid some, but would have to stop and allow the Combee to ascend to avoid the lower Vespiquens. The Pokémon dropped them on a plateau close to the clouded peak. They only needed to Rockapult their way up a sequence of ledges before they were holding their breath through the Sea Clouds above them.
Beyond the clouds, they were able to keep climbing up a narrow path. Finally at the peak of the mountain, they found paradise: a small field before a lush forest, filled with a variety of Pokémon. The pink mist seemed to originate from the forest, as noted by the spire of the substance. “This is Laqua!” Shaymin announced as he and Fybi arose from the clouds. The other Earth Children climbed up after Anthony and Ikuyim. “A sanctuary for Pokémon to live in peace. Even the Legendaries migrate here every so often.”
The mist spread over the Pokémon, forcing them into Terastallized states. “Ah!” Shaymin’s Gracidea flowers began to wither. The Sky Warrior reverted to his hedgehog form, screaming as he fell into Arianna’s hands. “Hurry! You have to stop the Laquium!”
“Laquium?” Emily repeated.
The Pokémon turned their vicious gazes on the intruders. “We’ll find out.” Anthony said. “Let’s go, Ikuyim! The rest of you hold back these things!”
The pair raced to the depths of the forest, to an area of dead trees leading into a crater. Eicnaid was levitating above a cluster of pink crystals, breathing their mist. “MMMPT…” Anthony whispered. It distraught him to see his sister like this.
“Beautiful…” They heard another voice. They felt another pair of footsteps step onto the left side of the crater. “Is that really… the Diamond Princess?”
“HEY!” Anthony shouted. “You’re that kid who took Terapagos!”
“Hm? Oh, you’re still alive.” Kieran sighed. “Don’t think I’ll let you take the Laquium from me!”
“What even is that junk?!”
“The Laquium crashed here from a meteor a long time ago. The legends say Terapagos sealed it away. I was gonna use him to unearth it,” Kieran freed the very Pokémon from his Darkball, “but it seems she beat me to it. No doubt… the Laquium must’ve come from the Earth Firstborn!”
“Ter…Ter?” Terapagos looked at the princess with familiarity. “TERA!” The mist took its effects on him as well. Even Kieran was taken aback as his shell increased in size: it became a multi-sided jewel with indigo plates, each with a different elemental symbol inside it. Three furry tails, colors blending blue to green, flowed from its back, while the same fur enveloped his front legs and head.
Eicnaid looked to the tortoise. She dropped and bounced over to it. “Hey, MIPLY!” Anthony rushed over. “Don’t go near that creep!”
She whipped in his direction and threw him back with a sand wave. Ikuyim caught the boy. “Hahahahahaha!” Kieran laughed. “With the power of these two, I’ll be the strongest in the world! I’ll never lose to her AGAIN!”
“Yeah? I feel the same way.” Anthony stepped forward determinedly. Ikuyim, her resolve heightened, followed behind. Eicnaid locked her soulless gaze onto him. “MDDLEPY… today’s the day I finally beat you!” He stomped open his Chi Gates and entered Stone Fury, in which his skin became a solid gray. Ikuyim reentered Stellar Fury, her sparkling colors a contrast to the boy. (Play “Terapagos Battle” from Pokémon!)
Boss fight: Eicnaid and Terapagos
Eicnaid conjured numerous diamonds around the ground and in the air. Terapagos curled in his shell and ricocheted around them, leaving a streak of stellar chi. Ikuyim reacted fast to counter Terapagos when he bounded into them, until the turtle managed to ram her in the back. Eicnaid burst in and out of random spots on the ground; Anthony tracked her with Seismic Sense, ready to counter when she blasted a magma ball at him. He stomped a rock jab into her, to which Eicnaid used her own to blast Anthony skyward. Anthony flipped and dove into the earth upon landing. Eicnaid formed a diamond drill at her bottom and pursued him. Anthony willed the surrounding earth to compress against the Firstborn, ultimately shattering her diamond just as the tip grazed him. As she lay in a momentary daze, Anthony threw an uppercut, blasting Eicnaid above the surface.
However, the earth combusted into lava due to Terapagos’ power. Were it not for his hardened skin, it would’ve charred him worse. Ikuyim bent sapphires to cool the earth, followed by a quick shockwave to flip the tortoise on its back. Though its underside was just as strong, she stabbed crystals into its belly for heavy damage. Terapagos spun, building more Terastal energy the more he did, and blasted toward Ikuyim with the speed of a comet. The force sent her scraping up the side of the crater and plowing through the forest. After she was able to stop and recover, she fixed topazes to her ankles, their Lightning Chi enabling her to run back to the crater in a flash.
She swung her foot right into Terapagos’ face, sending him spinning and flying. As he landed, he spun into a dazzling Gyro Ball. Eicnaid joined him and curled up into a ball of spiky diamonds. Anthony and Ikuyim shared a nod and curled up their selves: Anthony into a perfectly round gray boulder and Ikuyim into a colorful spiky boulder. Ikuyim plowed into Terapagos, locking into a five-second stalemate before she managed to scratch his shell and banish him away. Eicnaid, similarly, steadily cracked Anthony’s shell, forcing him to dive out the side before the Reborn flattened it completely. Eicnaid made a roundabout toward him, so Anthony burrowed in evasion, and would emerge with four clones of himself. Even Eicnaid couldn’t distinguish them; Anthony modeled them very well.
Don’t you remember, Michelle? This is Stone’s style! Anthony willed himself and the clones to shuffle about like chess pieces. Eicnaid exploded her boulder as her shards punctured the clones, whilst only scratching the real Anthony. But the boy smirked, willing the clones to turn so that the punctured diamonds faced Eicnaid: they closed in and pierced their master. Anthony felt movement beneath him as a volley of dazzling spheres were flying directly up from the ground. He avoided most of them until one—Terapagaos himself—homed on and sent him into the sky. From this vantage, Terapagos willed the other Stellar Spheres to collide into him. Ikuyim took revenge for her friend by throwing a string of rubies, exploding against Terapagos like fireworks.
Anthony plummeted in a daze, but Ikuyim bent a bed of soil to cushion his landing. The two combined chis and erected two jewel-encrusted hands, along with a three-eyed giant head with a crown. They mounted their selves atop the crown of the Wham Bam Jewel and swiped the right hand at Eicnaid, but she formed a diamond shield to block it. They swiftly swiped the left hand from the opposite side, shattering the diamond between both. Eicnaid burrowed underground and emerged with the jewel-encrusted body of a giant worm! The worm tried to gnash its teeth at the benders, but they rose Wham Bam’s head, opened its maw, and snapped the worm (along with Eicnaid) between its shiny teeth. Unfortunately, Terapagos came drilling through the back of the worm, his sparkly chi rupturing throughout the worm’s body before making impact with Wham Bam’s throat. “WHOOOAAAA!” The golem exploded, blowing the two apart.
“TERAAAAAAA!” The tortoise brightened a blinding surge of chi.
“Is it evolving?!” Kieran gasped. “Huh?!” His Darkball was shaking, beginning to crack. “NO! I won’t lose you! I…I need to be the strongest…AAAAHHH!” The ball exploded in his hand.
Terapagos had entered its Stellar Fury. A crown resembling his small form appeared on his back, with a hollow six-pointed star above it. A large, indigo dome of crystal served as his perch, and numerous gems with elemental icons orbited it. Afterwards, Eicnaid armed herself with the Laquium, giving herself a diamond-covered base: she had evolved into Mega Eicnaid. “…?!” Kieran paled as the princess shot him a look. “AAAAAHH!” The young Champion was banished down the mountain.
The morning sky sparkled with stars… and thousands of tiny comets rained on the mountaintop. Anthony and Ikuyim stomped thousands of stones up to counter the Tera Starstorm. But beneath Eicnaid’s power, the entire mountaintop rose to the heavens, touching the stratosphere.
“AAAAAAHHHH, WHAT’S HAPPENING?!” Tom Taylor screamed.
“’Tis too much sky… and little atmosphere!” Fybi exclaimed.
Eicnaid summoned meteors directly toward the earthbenders. Anthony and Ikuyim mustered their max chi and Rockapulted toward the meteors, shattering them with quick and compact force. However, they lodged their fists into the final two: Anthony converted his into a smooth gray Permanite fist, while Ikuyim willed the crystals in her meteor to grow around the outside, becoming its own sparkly fist. Eicnaid formed a string of diamonds up to the group while Terapagos unleashed a Tera Beam, refracting wildly between the diamonds. Ikuyim used her Gem Fist to deflect it away from them. Afterwards, Anthony descended and smashed through the diamonds with his Meteor Fist.
Eicnaid conjured a more reinforced diamond shield, its tip piercing the fist. Ikuyim attributed her own chi to Anthony’s fist, weakening the diamond, and swiped her Gem Fist from the side to injure the Reborn. Eicnaid banished them from the mountaintop with a Rockapult, shattering the meteors as well. Thankfully, they saw two more meteors flying by and drew them over like magnets. The kids surfed them toward the mountaintop, Anthony’s shining gray and Ikuyim’s glittering gems. Eicnaid conjured a diamond rose for Terapagos to spin up, becoming a dazzling comet of his own right. Ikuyim rammed him away, but Eicnaid created a path to curve him down and up, smashing part of Ikuyim’s meteor. However, she merely sent the fractured shards up to strike him, slowing his flight.
Anthony flew his meteor toward Terapagos. He leapt off and formed a chi chain with it, swinging the mass of rock around like a wrecking ball! The momentum of his Meteor Chain increased before colliding with Terapagos. The Pokémon plummeted toward Eicnaid, who unleashed a stream of small diamonds to push him back. However, Ikuyim spun what remained of her meteor like a wrecking ball, sending it down to give Terapagos an extra push and extra flare. They collided with Eicnaid in a sparkling explosion that could even be seen by the people on land.
“Whoa…” Karin drawled.
“Insane…” Carmine said.
“Cool…” Harvey couldn’t imagine what was happening up there.
The impact also caused the mountaintop to fall back to the planet. Anthony and Ikuyim dove after it. “We should probably slow it down!” They reached hands forth, using what was left of their chi to try and draw the island toward them.
“We better help!” Tom said as he, Shelly, and Emily tried to spread their combined chi around the land to uplift it. Once they were far enough in the atmosphere, Fybi was able to fly down, attempting to slow it down with an updraft. There was little she was able to do before Laqua reunited with Kumuri in a colossal, world-shaking climax. The falling earthbenders were knocked out of their Fury Forms upon leaving their own sandy craters in the earth.
“?!” Eicnaid emerged, blowing a depowered Terapagos off her. The diamond of her Mega form cracked, and she appeared to be gasping. Ikuyim narrowed her eyes. “Time for you to settle down!” And she threw her Spirit Ball with gusto. It struck Eicnaid, who turned into dark light and flew into it. They watched with suspense as the ball quivered, beeped… and sealed with a definitive boo… (End song.)
The ball rose to the air with a flare of pink and purple. Ikuyim smiled, walking to collect it. “Is she…?”
“Yep! Your sister will be fine, Anthony!”
Ikuyim captured a REBORN! Only six more to go!
“Holy cow!” Emily exclaimed as the Sector W operatives arrived. “That was… DINGLY, wasn’t it?! And you caught her?!”
“Should probably call her Eicnaid for now.” Ikuyim reasoned. “Wanna see her?” She opened the ball.
“HEY, DON’T-!” Tom screamed.
They were on the defensive as Eicnaid emerged. …The Reborn stared around at them with a new passive gaze. “…Earth… feet… bro… Stone…”
“She… talked.” Arianna gasped.
“You remember!” Anthony took her full gaze. “I don’t care how much you change your name, you’ll always be MICTLAN to me!”
“Pray, when wilt she regain her full self?” Fybi asked.
“Beats me.” Ikuyim shrugged. “Could be years, for all we know. But at least now she won’t be rampaging. I’ll take good care of her, Anthony.”
“Thanks, Iks…” He looked up at his classmate with warmth.
“Ter…” Terapagos crawled up to them, smiling.
“‘Princess… it’s been two million years.’” Arianna translated. “‘Children… I’m sorry for hurting you. I had no control. My brethren and I came from the distant world, Emera. Waiting for the princess on this world after our banishment. The rest of them perished from seismic shifts… and only I survived. Diamond Princess… Prince Stone… I will lend you my aid.”
Anthony smiled. “Welcome to the family, Pagos!”
“Pleasure to meet you!” Shaymin jumped down to his level. The two Pokémon touched noses.
…
With Eicnaid’s bending, the Earth Children made a fast return down the mountain. Their Seismic Sense tracked where Kieran landed. “Huff…huff…” Seeing Terapagos and Eicnaid with them made him absolutely livid. “You’re supposed to be MINE! You were gonna make me the strongest trainer ever, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MINE!”
“I canst not tell what is speaking.” Fybi said. “The helmet or him.”
“SHUT UP! I’m gonna tear you ALL to…sniff, sniff…” Kieran cried behind his helmet.
“Harvey!” Anthony exclaimed. He was enforcing his emotionbending over the trainer.
“I, uh…asked the Flying Taxi to follow you. …Is that MIMP?” He noticed the Earth Reborn.
Anthony briefly glanced at his sister, then glared at Harvey. He bowed in guilt. Kieran’s tears seemed to intensify.
“BROOOOOO!” Carmine exploded out of the bushes and grabbed Kieran by the shoulders. “THERE YOU ARE!” She shook him violently. “How could you let Team Rocket make a puppet out of you?!” Sector JP followed just behind her, glaring in disbelief. “I’m gonna reprogram your brain MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!”
Mobius
The Sungazer Tribe on Northstar Island were almost completely frozen by the Meltans in their veins. “They’re all so beautiful like this!” cheered Poppy, the 9-year-old Elite Agent. “I wonder if the boss will love them? They’ll be great for the palace!”
“You got a twisted sense in art, kiddo.”
“What?!” Poppy looked left and right frantically. “Who said that?!”
“Ahem.” She looked down. Poppy hadn’t expected to find a group of kids so much smaller than herself: Rupert Dickson, Sector GT, and their army of Pikmin. “What you’re doing to them is really cruel!” Sind Diego shouted.
“But if you think that’ll stop Mocha, you’re dead wrong!” Ally Mitchels declared.
“And I’m afraid your little art show is ruined.” Rupert smirked.
Poppy gasped horrifically: the steel coating was falling off her victims. The tiny Meltans were being beaten off by billions of Silver Pikmin, enhanced through Synthia’s chi. Trip the Sungazer was in awe and relief as the silver dissolved off her. “Mujika.” Synthia said to the Gupna, who relied on Wing Pikmin to float. “I think these creatures also developed from my chi. From one of the worlds I visited.”
“They do look a bit like you.” Mujika replied.
“Huh?” Trip looked around. “Is someone there?”
“Right here!” Mujika flew just in front of her eyes.
Trip gasped. “W…What are you? You’re so small!”
“I’m Mujika! We’re here to help!”
“Hehe! I’m Trip! Thank you! I need to help, too!” Trip faced up at the sun with determination. “I’m gonna get those two down!” Fire Chi flared up in her irises from the sun’s light: she transformed into a golden dragon, much to Mujika and Synthia’s sheer awe. The dragon took flight to the Sky Temple where Maddy and Mocha were flung.
“So, you had a way to beat Meltan, huh?!” Poppy stomped her tiny feet in anger. “Well, try THIS on for size! FUSE, MELTAN!”
The billions of Meltan absorbed into each other, growing into a single, muscular entity with a height of 8 feet: Melmetal was an absolute titan to the Pikmineers now, with dark-gray nuts around its shoulders, elbows, and hands. “Not big enough for ya?!” Poppy flashed her Dynamax Band at the Legendary. “GIGANTAMAX, MELMETAL!”
Melmetal exploded into an 82-foot colossus. Poppy and the Pikmineers were all between its legs. With footfalls that shook the island, Melmetal stepped backward and eclipsed them with its fist. “Well, guys, it’s time to bring out the heavy firepower.” Rupert said.
“Leave it to us!” Sind shared a knuckle-touch with his friend. Rupert’s Pikmin flew him away as Synthia resized the six giants; though they were roughly four times smaller than Melmetal.
“AAAAHHH!” Poppy screamed. “You’re just copying off him at this point!”
Sector GT scattered, hoping to confuse the titan. Melmetal reeled back its extendable, elephant-sized fist before launching it at Konbu. The chubbiest giant welcomed the punch into his squishy gut, minimizing the pain, and as he blew backward, he curled up into a Goron Roll to better control himself. “Over here, Konbu!” Sind called. Konbu rolled over to his leader while Sind pulled back his foot. With a firm swing, Sind’s red sneaker met the taller giant, blasting Konbu up into Melmetal’s red iris. “MOOOOOOO!” The titan bellowed and bent back in pain.
“I say they got this in the bag!” Rupert declared. “What do you think we should-”
A bright beam of dark-pink light suddenly struck the ground. Synthia felt a large surge of chi rise inside it. The beam cleared, revealing the Emotion Reborn, Tirpsem: she had a black-silver body with a dark-pink head. “Rupert… that’s MIPSY!”
“CRUD! Because I used your power! How’re we supposed to deal with that?!”
“…” Tirpsem’s attention wasn’t drawn to them. She felt powerful feelings on this world… feelings that were lost to her. And they felt delicious. Tirpsem flew, wondering if those feelings would fill the void in her heart. “Where’s it going?” Mujika wondered.
…
When the Diamond Cutters were called to support the sector in Rocky Jungle, Tangle the Lemur chased Zarude around the treetops, a black-furred simian Legendary with red eyes and vines around its arms. It swiftly swung about the jungle with its vines, but Tangle was just as nimble with her extendable tail. She would distract the ape while her tail maneuvered around the trees, ambushing her foe from behind with a punch. She would then retract the tail and grab a branch to pull herself out of harm’s way. The lemur narrowly avoided the swipes of its claws, though suffered a few scratches.
Unfortunately, Zarude managed to firmly entrap her in its vines, even binding the tail. “That’s it, Zarude!” yelled its trainer, Sidney, a brainwashed Elite with a black jacket, burgundy pants, and a bald head with a single red hair tuft. “That tail will make a nice fur rug for the boss!”
As the Pokémon choked the life out of her, Tangle looked up at the full moon through a gap in the trees. The moonlight absorbed into her irises… and she flashed a grin as her gray fur turned white. Flaring with aura, Tangle ripped free of the vines, and her tail zipped around the trees with extreme speed before socking the side of Zarude’s head. “WHAT?!” Sidney screamed. “SHE MEGA EVOLVED?!”
“Whatever you wanna call it!” Tangle extended her tail miles toward the sky and brought it down like a comet hammer, sending Zarude smashing to the ground. However, the Pokémon used Jungle Healing, absorbing the chi from the woods around it to recover its wounds. “If you want an endurance test, I’ll give you one!”
Blueberry Academy
“Pawmot, use Discharge!” Nemona commanded her yellow-furred rodent Pokémon. Nemona, Terastallized with an Electric Crown, lunged at Walking Wake with its fist ready. Walking Wake spewed Hydro Steam, but the Champion’s Pokémon tanked and plowed through the jet. The impact of its fist discharged lightning throughout the surrounding sea, overwhelming the Ancient Legendary.
Diwata flew sideways in evasion of Articuno’s psychic feathers. With swipes of her arms, she cast Crescent Waves at the lavender bird. “EEEK!” she panicked when Articuno fired its eye beams, whipping up a Lunar Shield to block it. Sadly, the beams managed to penetrate it, freezing Diwata as she fell into the sea.
“I got ya!” Crest popped out of his Spirit Ball and channeled his bending to purify Diwata’s frozen state. Diwata smiled in gratitude as they returned to surface. Kiki flew above Articuno and dropped Package Bombs on its head, but the bird retaliated by mentally trapping her in a Trick Room. Diwata flew out and conjured a small moon, “VOLLEYMOON!” serving it to the bird with a solid K.O..
“There’s something else coming!” Kiki pointed.
“What now?!” A portion of the sky grew dark as another bird soared for them.
“A Galarian Moltres?!” Nemona exclaimed.
The phoenix burned with black and dark-pink flames. Fuming with anger, its emotions became that ruptured at Diwata like a wave. “Ah!” Diwata beamed as a pair of crescent-edged, dark-purple wings protected her: Crest transformed into Lunala! “TAKE THIS!” He unleashed a Moongeist Beam, blasting the malevolent phoenix miles away.
“Booyeah!” Diwata mounted herself on Lunala’s back. “You Rocketheads don’t stand a chance with Firstborn power!”
However, as Moltres returned for a counterattack… it saw its very own shadow extending. The sky became a sharp twilight, and a strange, shadowy portal appeared in the sky. An impish creature descended from it. Its body was monochrome with a stone helmet covering its left eye, a tired blue eye, and a pale ponytail. “DEE-DEE!” Oliver screamed. “That’s MDDLE! She’s a Reborn!”
“HUH?!” Diwata panicked. “BECAUSE I’M USING CREST?!”
“I’m sorry!” Crest cried. “I didn’t think…!”
The Twilight Reborn, Andim stretched her hair hand and grabbed Moltres’ shadow. It pulled it out into a more tangible form. Shadow Moltres shared a “CAW!” with its owner before both focused on the moonbender. “This is why I’m not a morning girl!” Diwata shouted as they countered Moltres’ Fiery Wrath with a storm of Lunar Flames.
Pokémon Palace
Victini and Verglora’s capsules were attached to cords, sapping their chi as it flowed into a red and dark-blue, pulsating sphere. Giovanni oversaw the progress. “Two Firstborn…” a voice spoke behind him. “That seems like overkill.” He was a man in a gray business suit, smooth dark beard and mustache, and matching hair.
“Three Firstborn, President Rose.” Giovanni turned, presenting Wem nestled in his arms. He scratched the Reborn’s head.
“Yes… of course. We should require no less to challenge the KND.”
“And your contribution will not go unnoticed.” He faced the orb again. “Eternatus will wipe them off this planet… and it will bring the Darkest Day to Disney.”
Chapter 37: Poké Saga 8: Guardians of Johto
Summary:
The Raccoon Pirates explore Ultra Space to rescue the Aether Foundation. Sector W meets the Life Spirit, Xerneas. Sector L and the Ultra Guardians go to rescue the Tapu Guardians at Ecruteak City.
Notes:
RECAP ON TEAMS IN THIS CHAPTER:
Sector V/Raccoon Pirates - Haruka is absent; currently have Carol, Raleigh, and Nebula with them; also traveling with Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie of the Poké KND. Sheila is back to leading them.
Sector W - consists of Anthony, Fybi, Shelly, Tom Taylor, Emily Garley, and Arianna; last chapter, they picked up Ikuyim, Eicnaid, and Harvey Harper.
Sector L - consists of Melody, Eric, Yuta, Klubba, and Tsuyu; the Ultra Guardians are with them and consist of Lillie, Sophocles, Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe.
Chapter Text
After this chapter, we’ll get ready to close the curtain on this arc. I feel satisfied with what I’ve done at this point; we got to explore lots of fun levels of the Pokémon World and did things with most of the Legendaries. :)
Chapter 33: Guardians of Johto
Somewhere on the sea
“SO NICE TO BE ON THE SEA AGAIN!!” Sheila’s voice was heard wide across the sea as the captain sat on the Sunny Day’s keel. “Oi tell ya, nothin’ makes ya appreciate the finer things like a dimensional blighter sappin’ the light outta ya!”
“Yeah, no one likes being controlled by a parasite.” Nebula commented. “Do we even have a heading? …Or a destination?”
“Not with our crazy captain.” Haylee smiled.
“Hey…” Bonnie pointed. “What’s happening over there?”
The crew looked off the port-bow, falling agape. There was some kind of large, white floating structure lodged within an even larger spatial rift. Curiosity taking them, Haylee steered the ship into the open, interior dock. “This is Aether Paradise!” Clemont read the label on the wall.
“You mean… that company from Alola?” Serena asked.
“HELLOOOOO!” Sheila’s voice echoed. “ANYBODY THEEEERE?”
“I’m getting a bad feeling…” Mason said.
They disembarked the Sunny and calmly, though nervously followed the stairs to the artificial island’s pavilion. Pools and patches of grass lines the exterior of the building… but the entire back half of it was in the rift. As they approached it, a white jellyfish-like creature crept up on them from behind. It had six-pointed stars around its see-through cap, and gelatinous tentacles that vaguely gave it a humanoid shape. At first, it wanted to latch itself on Harry, but realized he already had a jellyfish on him. So, it moved to Serena.
The operatives stepped through the rift. “Whoooaaaa!” Sheila was immediately enthralled: an almost prehistoric valley splayed before them, with thick tropical trees shaped like flexing muscles and a volcano in the distance. “I got a strong feeling about this place!” Sheila stepped toward a tree in the distance and mimicked its posture; flexing one arm and stretching one out. “What beauties you think we’ll see here?”
“BUZZZZZZ!” A large, muscular red mosquito-like Pokémon with a long metal stinger posed beside her.
“Oh, ’ey there, cobber.”
“IT’S A BUZZWOLE!” Clemont panicked.
“OI!” Sheila dodged as it tried to pierce her, throwing a kick to send it flying. The seven-foot insect flapped its wings and rebounded. Sheila reached toward the sun and pulled down a ray of light to strike it into the ground.
“I heard the Aether Foundation deals with interdimensional Pokémon called Ultra Beasts.” Raleigh explained. “I think because of the distortions, they wound up in more trouble than they can handle.”
“Hey, Serena, I think you should take Bonnie back to the ship.” Clemont suggested.
“Yeah, big sis.” Bonnie took Serena’s hand. “This is a little too weird for me…?” She looked up at Serena’s head. “Where did you get that funny hat?”
“MUST PROTECT!” Serena wrapped Bonnie in her arms and bolted off.
“AAAAAAHHH!”
“Hey, what gives?!” Aurora rocketed after the trainer, but Serena spun and deterred Aurora with a kick to the jaw. Nebula splorped in Serena’s path and withdrew a G.U.M.T.R.A.P., puffing a large bubblegum from the gun’s barrel to pop and bind the girls in its stickiness.
“Sorry, Bonnie!” Nebula said as Sheila and Aurora ripped the jellyfish off Serena’s head, the latter slicing it with Galaxia.
“S’okay!”
“That was a Nihilego, the parasite!” Clemont said. “We better watch our noggins!”
“I’m seeing a bunch of rifts around the place.” Nebula observed. “We could sure use Vendra’s help about now… For now, we should try to look for any people.”
“A new adventure begins, Nebs!” Sheila declared. “Let’s mark our flags on this new frontier!”
“I think some of us should hang back and radio you in case you get lost.” Clemont suggested.
“’Guess we’ll see you later, Carol.” Mason said.
“Who do you think I am?!” Carol protested. “I’m gonna come, too! I even caught my own Pokémon back in Lumiose!”
“You did?”
“You were too focused on Sheila to notice.” She winked. “You’ll see.” (Play “Noctilum Day” from Xenoblade X!)
Act 14: Ultra Space
Sheila and Nebula sprinted downhill toward a lake near the foot of the volcano. Alien brachiosaurs were drinking from it, but Buzzwoles were sapping the juices from them, leaving the dinos eternally thirsty. Nebula fired a V.I.S.S.I.L.E. to destroy some of them, prompting the others to fly at them in vengeance. Sheila took the lead and fought them, countering their Dynamic Punches, Mega Punches, or Power-Up Punches with her own Light Fists. She was still a bit rusty from Necrozma’s draining, so the beefed up bugs put up a decent fight before she eventually won.
One of the shovel-headed brachiosaurs moaned in gratitude, gesturing the kids to gather on its head. They did so, and were CATAPULTED all the way to the distant towering trees. They landed in the dense, but soft leafy “chest hair” of a muscular tree. They climbed to the top of it and reached a bridge to the next tree; but to ensure they would stay fit, a thick vine jump-rope would swing over and around the bridge, requiring them to jump high. “AAAAHH!” It was no surprise Carol and the Gilligans were sent flying back to the lakes. They needed the brachiosaur to fling them back.
“You know what, time to bust out my Pokémon.” Carol downloaded the creature in question from her computer.
“The Porygon?!” Sheila exclaimed.
“Uh-huh!” Carol mounted the polygonal pocket pal and petted him. “He really is a good boy!”
Vanellope jumped out of her computer and hugged his head. “He sure is!” Porygon curved his eyes up in delight. They and the Gilligans rode Porygon peacefully past the bridge while the “stronger” operatives jumped the rope (Nebula and Dillon just flew-jump). Upon reaching a flexing tree, where the operatives fought back another Buzzwole swarm. Afterwards, Nebula could channel her bending along a Grav-Path twisting up the flexing trunk. There was a rift at the end of it.
Their feet landed softly in the sands of a desert, with fallen ruins and tall rock formations that had cyan crystals lodged in them. They entered a small “forest” of these formations, in which white humanoid cockroach-like Pokémon ambushed them from behind the rocks. “Pheromosas!” Carol gasped, ordering Porygon to ram one of them. “You’re lucky I installed the Pokédex ap on my computer.” The Pheromosa jumped in evasion and struck Porygon with a High Jump Kick, but Sheila would kick it in retaliation. The other Pheromosas dodged their attacks by performing a graceful Quiver Dance. Only Kirie was capable of matching their movements, finding openings to throw Flower Shurikens to injure them. Once impeded, Sheila and Nebula could K.O. them.
The ops traveled to a cliff overlooking a sandy, dimensional vortex. They platformed across rock formations, though some shifted from their weight and threatened to fall over. “AAAH!” Artie was ambushed by a Nihilego, and before Dillon could save him, two more Pheromosas flew up to strike Triple Kicks. Though their impact had no effect on the Logia, it gave the possessed Artie the chance to leap across the rock formations with superhuman athleticism. “Okay, since when can Artie do that?!” Haylee screamed.
“Those parasites can amplify their hosts’ capabilities!” Carol answered. “According to the Pokédex.”
Dillon KO’ed the Pheromosas with his own Shade Kick volley, and one of them dropped a Cyan Laser Wisp. “Huh?!” Nebula gasped. “What are you doing here?!”
“Nebula?! I don’t even know myself! One minute I’m running from Brotherhooders, then I’m like, ‘This portal looks like a nice place to hide,’ now I’m being chewed on by cockroach ladies!”
“Even your world isn’t safe. Hmm…” Nebula studied the next rock formations: there wasn’t a good way to jump through them, but the way those cyan crystals lined up… “Can I absorb you for a sec?”
“Sure, lady.” The Wisp flew into her.
“Everyone, link hands!” Nebula ordered the operatives. They did so. “LASER!” They converted into energy as they zipped and ricocheted between the crystals. They would send them into a tall pillar with more crystals, and would ricochet all around inside it until the entire structure collapsed. “Well, THAT was a mistake!” Nebula screamed as they began to fall with the rubble.
“GERONIMOOOOOO!” Sheila cheered.
“Crud! Alright, everybody stay together!” Nebula channeled gravitybending to each falling boulder and had her operatives “fall” between each of them, almost akin to Wall Jumping. “Aha!” There was a portal to fall through, hopefully to land them in the safety of… an endless thunderstorm beneath black clouds.
The entire landscape seemed covered in giant, trunk-like electric cords. Some of those cords linked to towering tree-like structures, with spiky heads of energy. “It’s one paradise after another.” Carol commented sarcastically. “Don’t see Artie anywhere though.”
“There’s someone!” Haylee called attention to a man being chased by smaller (12-foot) versions of the trees. He wore a heavy white uniform and boots, with gold accents, large lime-green glasses, and pale-blonde hair and goatee. Sheila raced up and latched Light Chains to the heads of the trees, hauling them overhead and slamming them to the ground. Aurora froze them afterwards.
“Huff…harumph.” The man caught his breath, but looked equally disgruntled. “I suppose you kids want a reward or something.”
“Uh, you’re welcome?” Sheila cocked a brow.
“Are you part of the Aether Foundation?” Nebula asked.
“Obviously. I am Branch Chief Faba.”
“Are there others out here? How did your ship get stuck inside that rift?”
“There was a… scuffle in our workplace. We have a device that allows us to detect weaknesses in the dimensional plane… and to open them in our search for Ultra Beasts. Of course, sometimes it leads to Ultra Beasts escaping their domain. But around the time Team Rocket began to invade, there has been an influx in rifts. Our esteemed President Lusamine was eager to broaden our searches, but her reckless son, Gladion was opposed. He destroyed the Wormhole Generator just as it was booting up. And here we are… Ultra Beasts from all manner of planes stormed our lab, and some of our employees got taken by Nihilegos, including Lusamine herself.”
“Should’ve just left spacey stuff to the Zathurians. We’ll try to find them. Dillon, can you escort him back to the lab?”
“Alrighty.” Dillon wrapped the man up in his Logia shadow form. “Keep all limbs inside the shade.”
“What in the… I’d almost think you were an Ultra Beast, too!”
“So, those tree things were Xurkitrees.” Carol studied. “Whoa… even those giant trees in the distance are, too! And these wires are a part of them!”
“Crikey!” Sheila flinched. “Just ’ow big are those blighters?!”
“Not as big as Miran Titans, but talk about freaky!” Haylee said.
“Well, it says the giant ones are harmless.” Carol clarified. “So long as you don’t harm them…”
The operatives traveled up a long extension cord, but there was a large amount of electrical gaps with spaced out safe spots, requiring some careful platforming. Afterwards, Sheila would have to swing some leaning medium Xurkitrees via Light Chains; but to carry her crewmates across, Nebula shrank them so they could ride in Sheila’s hair. Some of her swing arches would take her over electric currents that shifted up and down, so she timed accordingly. She landed on a wide, circular area where more Xurkitrees emerged, striking lightning at the captain.
Nebula used Space Lightning to intercept their energy. Carol sent Porygon at one while Haylee planted a Light Bomb: a large lightbulb attached to electric sockets. When the Xurkitree shoved its wires into it, the energy was forcibly drained from its body as the light grew brighter and exploded. “Hah, and you said that would never come in handy.” Haylee said to Harry. “! LOOK OUT!”
Harry whipped around in panic as a Nihilego flew at him… but it completely bypassed the eldest Gilligan and latched Haylee. “AAAH! GET OFF!”
Harry tried to shoot the jellyfish with his Disc Gun, but Haylee, against her will, batted them away with her wrench. “Sorry, Haylee!” Sheila tackled her shipwright in attempt to bash the Nihilego off her. “Then again, you betrayed me for Augustus!”
“You’ll never get over that, will you?!”
“EEEEK!” A Xurkitree shocked Sheila in ambush, allowing Haylee to escape. She sprinted across a snaking wire trunk with her Legoan speed.
“HAYLEE!” Harry tried to give chase, but a second of processing Haylee’s speed convinced him otherwise.
“Hope she’s goin’ to the same place as Artie.” Sheila pondered as she KO’ed the last Xurkitree. They raced along the wire-trunk until it would curve straight upward; it seemed Haylee whipped up a wooden ladder, before kicking it down into the electric abyss. Further to the left, a larger Xurkitree was shooting sparkling masses at them. Sheila (carrying her crewmates) Light Chained her way up them to reach a platform beneath the giant’s head, and from there could Light Chain toward another Xurkitree at the top of the wire. There was a rift, taking them from the violent darkness of this world to a serene, peaceful forest where faint sunrays shone from above.
Small origami figures glid about the breeze. They would take humanoid shapes called Kartanas, lashing the operatives with intense cutting strength. Even their Night Slashes managed to weaken Sheila’s bending a tad. Kirie’s precision and grace was again needed as she countered them with fans and shurikens. One of the Kartanas was glowing red, and would release a Crimson Eagle Wisp on defeat. As Nebula absorbed it, she figured it would be a great way to cross a long chasm. “EAGLE!” Her friends rode as she glid through the forest. More Kartanas homed in and struck their blades, but Aurora countered them with Galaxia. Nebula also had to curve herself at certain angles to go through gaps or between abstract rock formations.
Shortly after finding new land, a portal was already available to bring them to the next world. The operatives winced from the brightness of a yellow wasteland of craters, set atop small volcanoes with green substance inside them. There were large metal pipes winding throughout the volcanoes like roots. Metallic Pokémon of 30-foot heights erected from the earth before launching into the sky, exploding the ground around them upon takeoff. They had thick torsos, but very skinny necks with curtains of steel hair, as well as detached, thick minigun arms.
“Celesteela.” Carol studied. “It grows for over 200 years, absorbing nutrients from the soil before taking off into space. Oh, wow! It’s also the heaviest known Pokémon by default, weighing 2,204.4 pounds!”
“We better stay clear of them, or else they’ve give US a pounding!” Aurora cautioned. They walked along the rim of the first crater before needing to jump platforms balancing on red needle spires, timing around acidic geysers that erupted between them. If they stood on them too long, the platforms would steadily press down until the spires pierced their feet; however, Mason could simply use his bending to keep the geysers down.
They reached the rim of another crater as the ops took separate paths around it. Harry and Mason led the front of their path—a Nihilego ambushed from below the ledge. Harry flinched, thinking he’d be targeted, but the jellyfish instead moved to latch Mason. “OH, NO YOU DON’T!” Struggling to shake the parasite off, Mason wolfed down some Silver Flurp, hoping to energize his bending and willpower. “Hahahahahahaha, HOO-WOOOOOOO-WOOOOOOOW!” Feeling explosive with energy, Mason ran down into the lower valley with wild speed. “MAN THIS STUFF IS THE FRICKIN’ BEST!” His presence caused numerous acid geysers to erupt along his trail.
“Well, THAT didn’t work!” Carol shouted. “I thought he was adapted to Silver Flurp, he doesn’t get that crazy about it, anymore…” She did more research on the Nihilego. “AH! So, that’s what they do?!”
“What?!” Harry asked.
“They inject a neurotoxin into their host that greatly stimulates and excites them! And it’s most effective on people with high anxiety!”
“That’s Mason, orright.” Sheila agreed. “And looks like the Flurp’s only makin’ it worse.”
“How come they never go for me?” Harry wondered. “Because I’m good at playing it cool?”
I think it’s because of that funny hat! Kirie signed.
“My… hat? Because they think I’m already wearing one of them?!”
“Look, he’s coming back!” Mason was sprinting toward a crater just as a Celesteela was emerging. He rammed into it, knocking it on its back before resuming sprint. Angered, the Ultra Beast locked its beam miniguns on Mason, but Nebula warped in the way and conjured a Space Block to stop it. She dodged sideways as it tried to slam her with its arms, throwing B.O.O.M.E.R.s to damage it. Celesteela recoiled its long neck, curved its body as the needle tip of its head faced Nebula, and sprung it out. Nebula, however, opened a portal to warp the head to pierce its own underside. She then shot a round of V.I.S.S.I.L.E.s, and Harry would support her with his Boomboxer, using high frequency sounds to injure the mechanical beast.
“HI-YAAAAAAH!” Mason flew at the Celesteela in a Soda Cyclone, ramming its back with enough force to K.O. it. “HAH! HuuuuUUUUURRRRR!” With great effort, Mason grabbed and ripped the Nihilego off him, slamming it into the ground.
“Are you alright, Masey?!” Carol asked.
“HOO! Never better! Dude really freakin’ pumped me up! You could really squeeze a good soda outta him!”
“I’ll ’ave me some of that!” Sheila fist-pumped.
“You two have weird tastes!” Nebula shouted.
A large boulder platform was clogging a crater, and there was a rift several hundred feet above it. The operatives gathered on as Mason mustered his bending and willed the acid to erupt. The platform flew skyward and into the rift. (End song.)
A canyon of undersea reefs surrounded them, and Nihilegos swam about in peace. “Whoa…” Sheila brushed her hand in the “air.” There was resistance like being underwater, and yet…
“We can still breathe.” Nebula said. “And I feel gravity, but it’s low.”
“WOOHOO!” Sheila leapt high toward an upper ledge. “Sea or not, Ah kinda like this place!”
“I don’t like these guys!” Aurora struck down the encroaching Nihilegos. The others joined Sheila as they jumped nearly-weightlessly across and up the reefs. In moments, they reached the top of the canyon.
“OI! THERE THEY ARE!” Sheila saw Artie and Haylee leaping beyond the canyon, gathering around what seemed like a larger, black Nihilego with a human figure inside. There was also a blonde-haired boy brought down on one knee and gasping for breath. He wore a black hoodie and pants that were ripped in several places, red shoes with black laces, and bangs over his right eye.
A chimeric, canine Pokémon stood guard for the boy, snarling at the black Nihilego. He was surrounded by numerous other possessed Aether Foundation workers, along with the two Gilligans. “This is the only way to stop them, Gladion.” The woman inside the Nihilego said. “The only way to save the world!”
“I’m warning you, Mom! Silvally, Multi-Attack!” The chimera lashed the jellyfish with its steel head feathers, but the surrounding Nihilegos crept closer.
Sheila and Nebula banished them with Starbursts and Light Fists. “Gladion, we’re here to help!”
“What?!”
“That Faba bloke filled us in, ’e did!” Sheila grinned.
“You ran into Faba?!” Gladion asked in a fury.
“Yeah, he’s safe! We—AUGH!” Nebula was grabbed by the Nihilego Queen’s tentacle. A smaller one moved in to latch itself. “AH, CRUD!”
Aurora sliced the tentacle to free her, but the possessed Nebula began to zip around in evasion. “AAAAH!” She threw her hands out and forcibly opened portals. Several more Ultra Beasts, from Xurkitrees, Buzzwoles, Guzzlords, and others crept in.
“Faba’s a traitor!” Gladion shouted. “It’s his fault we’re in this mess!”
President Lusamine had ordered the Wormhole Generator not be activated during these dimensional influxes. However, when Gladion wandered by the room, he heard activity inside. He peeked in to find Faba activating the device. “Imagine how many Ultra Beasts will come out… even ones we’ve never seen, yet! If this doesn’t score me points with Giovanni, nothing will.”
“FABA!” Gladion burst open the door, startling the branch chief. “What’re you doing?!”
“AAAH! Th-The machine… just started on its own, and-”
“SILVALLY!” Gladion freed the chimera. “X-Scissor!”
“AAAH!” Faba dodged the X-shaped strike of its claws.
“He was… talking to Giovanni?” Aurora questioned. “Whoa!” She blocked a band of Kartanas. “Look, let’s get this sorted out first!”
“Maybe I can do something!” Mason said. “Now that I got a feel for their neurotoxins, I can try to bend them!” He focused his bending on Nebula’s parasite and felt his chi seize its veins. He managed to rip the Nihilego off, allowing Aurora to slice it away.
“Hoo!” Nebula shook her head. “Thanks, Mason!” She ran to his side. “Maybe if we take this queen out, we can pacify all of them!”
“You’re gonna need Silvally’s help.” Gladion said, ordering his Pokémon to Mason’s side. “He’s designed to fight Ultra Beasts. Besides, she’s my mom. I have to get her out of there.”
“Yeah.” Nebula nodded. “I feel you there.” (Play “Mother Beast Lusamine” from Sun & Moon!)
Boss fight: Mother Beast Lusamine
The Mother Beast had four spear-tipped tentacles and four spiked ones, and each had narrow eyes with colored diamond-shaped pupils. Nebula side-dodged its spears, but when she found up between two of them, she released a T.O.P.M.A.N. to bounce between them and hit their eyes. The tentacles reeled back in pain, giving Nebula the chance to throw N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s at Lusamine. The beast aimed its underside and shot Acid Spray, so Mason took the lead and caught it with bending. He shaped the acid into spiked bludgeons, matching the Mother Beast’s tentacles as she clashed them with his. Nebula and Silvally got behind the beast as the former dropped a water gush from her S.P.O.U.T.. Silvally used the gush to propel himself up to Mother Beast’s head and slice it.
Lusamine cried out in agony, spinning to send all her foes flying with her tentacles. She then thrusted her tentacles underground, causing Toxic Spikes to emerge around its area. She used the spear ones to shoot acid at the ops, but Nebula could mow the spikes down with the N.I.N.S.T.A.R. while Mason focused chi on his feet to stomp across them. Once close, Mason would focus his bending in attempt to rip Lusamine out of the parasite, but she squirmed out of his control before rising from the earth. She loomed above her opponents and poured twin falls of poison. Mason chilled his chi paths with some Sooper Chilly Flurp, enabling him to freeze the falls into parallel walls. Silvally was able to Wall Jump up them and land a solid hit on the queen.
Mother Beast slammed into the earth and forced several chunks of rock up into the air. She willed the rocks to hover above and would drop them sequentially. Nebula took Mason’s hand and Gravity Shifted them between each rock in succession, and when their flight took them toward the mother, Nebula preemptively threw a B.O.O.M.E.R. at her. This dazed her long enough for them to land on her head: Mason tried again to rip Lusamine out with his bending. Though he made more progress, the jellyfish shook them off again. She flew down and slashed spears, but Silvally jumped to defend its allies with his head blades.
Mother Beast turned its body and dove at the trio with a Head Smash, but Silvally leapt to headbutt her, managing to slow her descent enough for Mason and Nebula to get away. Mother Beast seized Silvally in a spiked tentacle and squeezed it, but Nebula shot the tentacles’s eye and freed it. “Let’s blind them all for good measure!” Mason grabbed 2-liter soda bottles from his Infi-Cube. He shook them up and had them gushing as they flew like missiles, using his bending to steer them into the tentacles’ eyes. The explosions blinded the tentacles, so the queen resorted to another impactful headbutt. Nebula used Space Block to hold it back while Mason chugged another Silver Flurp. Then, with a strong thrust of his palms, he bent the queen’s neurotoxins in a manner that would squish her head until it POPPED.
As black jelly gushed around the area, Lusamine fell on her front. Gladion rushed to turn her on her back and brush the jelly off her face. The other Nihilegos seemed to writhe in agony, allowing the possessed operatives and researchers to shake free. (End song.)
“Mom…” Gladion propped Lusamine’s head up. “…Her breathing’s weak. I think she absorbed too much of the toxin! Can you do something?!”
“I…I’m not really good at medical stuff.” Mason shirked. “Like, I don’t know if there’s a safe way to bend it out of her. We gotta call my sister and hope she can get here!”
“Then Ah think it’s time we hit the seas, mates!” Sheila said as she KO’ed a Buzzwole.
The group backtracked through the portals as quickly as they could, with Carol following the Wi-Fi signature of the others back home. They reached the jungle they first arrived in—the Jungle Gym—where Dillon and Raleigh were fending back a Celesteela, Stakataka, and Blacephalon. “DILLON!” Aurora shouted. “Where’s that Faba guy?!”
“I let him go ahead through the portal!”
“We think he was working with-”
Her concerns were answered when a platoon of Rocket Agents charged through the rift. “IT’S THE PIRATE KING! SEND ALL YOUR POKÉMON!”
“Well, how much do Pokémon Cards sell form anyway?” Sheila remarked as a storm of Mega and Dynamaxes were on them.
By this time, Faba was sailing toward one of the Rocket Navy ships, accompanied by a purple-haired agent named Matori. “I suppose your cover was blown.” Matori said.
“I took a gamble.” Faba admitted. “Wasn’t getting anywhere with Aether, anyway. At least I managed to catch some Ultra Beasts while I was in there.”
“Well, they better be enough. The boss is preparing for a final assault against them. Though he suspects they’ll strike at us first.”
The operatives fought their way to the Aether Paradise’s dock, where Rocket Agents were bombarding the Sunny Day with Fire Pokémon. “KEEP YOUR BREATHS OFF ME BABY!” Sheila showed no mercy as she kicked the Fire-types into the water.
“The Adam Wood’s really holding up!” Haylee smiled as they used 4x4 squirt cannons to put out the ship’s flames. The crew boarded and quickly raised the anchor. “The Rocketheads aren’t giving us much leeway!”
“I’ll make us a leeway!” Sheila whirled her fists. “Just get us out there and I’ll-”
“LUUUUUUUUUU!” A vortex of wind plowed through the sea and split the naval ships apart.
“Well, NOW we have a way!” Haylee exclaimed in confusion. “?!” A large, white plesiosaur-like dragon soared in the wake of the hurricane. “Is that LUGIA?!” She recognized the Pokémon from the Gourmet Hunt.
“Why is it helping us?!” Carol asked.
“Maybe it thinks it owes us a favor! Let’s just steer on its course!”
Skies of Johto
Sector W trusted Kieran to JP and made flight from Kurumi Mountain. “There’s another spirit I’d like to check up on.” Shaymin said. “Xerneas the Life Pokémon. She’s another friend of Celebi’s.”
“Really?” Arianna asked, intrigued. “Where does she live?”
“She usually likes to wander the world… but I heard she retreated to the Okoya Forest when Team Rocket invaded. I hope she’s still safe.”
The voyage aboard the Cloud Cruiser was awkward, to say the least. Harvey sat on the deck, hugging his own curved-up knees, as he stared into Eicnaid’s eyes. Ikuyim stood between and to the side of them, glancing at back-and-forth with a perplexed expression. Anthony merely glared at him from one of the cloudy lounge chairs. “…I’m, uh…I’m glad you’re okay.” Harvey murmured. “Really.”
“…” The Reborn’s gaze was blank.
“Haha, she almost killed us though!” Ikuyim laughed. “I’m glad WE’RE okay!”
“R…Right. I guess MITSU could be around, too. ?” Harvey perked up at his strange enunciation.
“So, you gonna be stickin’ around, Iks?” Shelly asked.
“Nah, I gotta get back to my team eventually. Unless you want me to stick around… so you can be with MITCH?”
“It’s okay.” Anthony assured. “I’m happy enough that’s she in good hands.” Terapagos nudged his arm in comfort.
They sailed over a vast jungle region and decided to land within a canyon. Arianna’s plantbending helped to navigate the dense flora. Soon, the Earth Children reached a circular enclosing of the canyon, where an enormous tree stood in the center. The trunk was twisted, and the branches spread to create a great, wide, round top of leaves. Peculiarly, the trunk was also surrounded by purple, soft rays of light. “Holy cow!” Emily gawked. “I’m sensing a lot of life in there!”
“I mean, it’s a tree.” Shelly replied. “No duh.”
“I sense a strong life force, too.” Arianna said. “…” She glanced at Emily suspiciously. The scientist wasn’t normally one to be invested in nature. And yet, she was the first one walking toward the tree.
The local Pokémon did nothing to impede the strangers, yet they were on the fence. Much of the ground seemed covered in the great tree’s weaving roots. It actually made the earthbenders think of the Foggy Swamp, when Master Toph brought them to her world on a field trip. Of course, they only saw the swamp from far away. “This place is amazing!” Ikuyim had a delight hopping and skipping across the roots. “I gotta bring my friends here!”
“There’s not even much ground to bend.” Anthony said.
With how complex the roots got, they could barely tell that they were entering the base of the Okoya Tree. “CUUUUUUNE.” They were on guard when a blue quadrupedal Pokémon with diamond markings, a purple furred cape, and a cerulean hexagonal head crest swiftly pounced in their path. It snarled, mustering a growing ball of condensed water. “Crud!” Tom yelled. “We’re Rock-types and we’re weak to water!”
“Not me!” Shelly shouted.
“WAIT, SUICUNE!” Shaymin hopped up to the Aurora Pokémon. “These people are good! Or at least, one of them is!”
“Tera! Tera!” Terapagos inputted.
“…” Suicune diminished the water ball. It looked suspiciously at Eicnaid. It felt its godly chi… but feared how corrupted it was. “?” An ethereal voice was heard atop the tree. Suicune reacted to it… and chose to lead them up the roots. (Play “The White Lady” from Hollow Knight.)
The soft, mystical lights grew brighter as Sector W traveled to the top of the tree. There was a deer measuring almost 10 feet, with an enormous crown of glimmering blue antlers. Her neck area was blue while the body was black. Suicune stood to the side, allowing the children to approach her.
“Children of the Earth… I see you have tamed the tainted Diamond Princess.” She spoke telepathically. “I hoped to meet her someday. Though the circumstances are less than favorable, it is an honor all the same.”
“Hello, Miss Xerneas.” Arianna bowed. “This forest is very lovely. Has Team Rocket given you any trouble?”
“Some agents did tread into this wood, but Suicune and I had them felled thoroughly.”
“Those antlers ain’t just for show, eh?” Tom joked.
“Alas, my brethren, Yveltal and Zygarde have already fell enslaved to their wickedness. It was mine and Yveltal’s chi which created the Mega Evolution Stones… but years ago, our chi was forcibly harvested by the Faceless One to create the poison that now empowers their Pokémon. I feared my brethren would be used against me, and force me to develop their drug further… yet it seems they were taken off this world. Perhaps the agents had higher priorities in mind.” The operatives exchanged worried glances. “Still, it enlightens me to see the Firstborn may yet have bright futures. I sense Celebi, too, still endures in the universe. She will return… and I must ensure the greenery Team Rocket besmirched will flourish again. To give Celebi new woods to gaze upon.”
“Then we’ll stop them.” Arianna affirmed.
“Your Plant Chi is strong, young Guardian. For you, I can impart just a trickle of my chi, in the hopes that it-”
“She doesn’t need that.” Emily brushed Arianna aside and stepped toward the spirit.
“Excuse me?” the Harnitan raised an offended brow.
“I can feel them.” Emily gazed at Xerneas with eyes wide with desire. “Trillions of cells… thriving on your very antlers… like an entire fantastical world… Celebi wasn’t the only Firstborn who influenced you, was she?”
“…Your Haki is peculiar, Spectacled One. ’Tis true… I was also gifted by the Life Spirit, Synthia. My affinity over microorganisms enables me to restore life across a great space.”
“Well, we learned recently that Synthia can repair peoples’ chi paths. So, couldn’t any one of us borrow your chi and… improve it?”
“…That is correct. I see why YUCKSY has chosen you as her Guardian… though I sadly cannot speak her name.”
“Well, then as her Guardian, I want some of those cells. Improve my Haki and my bending!”
“You’ve gotta be kidding.” Harvey face-palmed.
“Come on, Harvey, you should know how I feel. We never had a chance to use our Firstborn before Cheren hogged ’em. We deserve a gift more than Arianna! Or, I do, in this case.”
“My gift is only for those who value life.”
“Oh, I value life, believe me!”
“No… I see it in your soul, child. The experiments you conduct on animals… even fellow humans.”
“Only on bullies! And Mike.”
“You treat living things as playthings.”
“It’s because I value life that I enjoy playing with it! I enjoy teaching bullies to respect others by putting them in insect cages! I make small animals stronger by outfitting them with drugs and lasers!”
“Like what… Team Rocket is doing?” Harvey asked.
“YIXLY may have chosen you as her Guardian… but my gifts are not for you.”
“Then I’ll take them for myself.” Emily whipped out a fluid extractor. “Think I can harvest your chi through your blood?”
“Emily!” Arianna shouted.
“Cuuuuuune!” Suicune hissed.
“…So be it. If you seek my power, know that I will not relinquish it freely.” Her mystic blue antlers became vibrant and golden with colored segments. A barrier of roots blocked the other operatives outside. “You who treats life as a toy will be punished by life!” (Play “Xerneas/Yveltal Battle” from Pokémon!)
Boss fight: Xerneas
The Life Spirit fired rainbow-colored Aurora Beams, Emily dodging as she bent floating turrets out of her cube. They would auto-lock onto Xerneas while Emily withdrew her improved Stun Club: not only could it extend longer, but it packed a stronger impact. After dodging a few beams, Emily would slash the club down with a sudden extension, thwacking the deer on the head. The aggravated Xerneas bent vines up to wrap and bind the club in place, while she landed a successful blast on Emily. “Whooooaaaa…” Emily’s perception of the world had intensified: she could see all the microorganisms drifting about the air. She was already sensitive to them with her Haki, but now… “So beautiful…AAAAH!”
Xerneas bucked her into the roots, leaving Emily with a bloody nose. “With good mastery of Observation, do not let distractions overcome you.” Emily shut her eyes and tried only to focus on Xerneas’ aura… or at least that of the cells on her antlers. Xerneas was backing up to charge at her again: Emily dodged her, but Xerneas twisted around for a follow-up. Emily armed herself with the Super Hoop, outrunning the deer with great speed, but Xerneas quickly closed the gap. Before she could impact, Emily made a quick aerial getaway with the Sky Flyer. Xerneas ran beneath her, allowing Emily to mount her. “I don’t need a butt magnet to cheat this rodeo!” Emily metalbent a belt to tie herself to Xerneas’ back, keeping herself from being bucked off as she bonked the spirit’s head with the Stun Club.
Xerneas’ rampant shaking eventually strained Emily’s hip and forced her to detach. Xerneas spread mist around the entire ground and prepared to chase Emily again. Emily fled with the Super Hoop, but tripped on an unseen bent-up root. Xerneas caught up and PIERCED the scientist with her antlers, blood spurting dramatically over Xerneas’ eyes. “FRICK, THAT’S A LOT!” Shelly screamed.
“You okay, Em?!” Tom asked.
“Nnnhh!” Xerneas grunted as the “blood” seemed to sting her eyes. “This is ketchup!”
“Super acidic ketchup.” Emily smirked, bashing the deer with her extended Stun Club. “You think a girl with my fragile skin would go adventuring without armor? With patches of ketchup to punish any stabby baddies!” When Xerneas returned to her senses, Emily sprinted with the Super Hoop again. Since the ground was still misty, Emily focused her Haki to predict which roots Xerneas would bend up, jumping over them accordingly. When Xerneas caught up, Emily faked the deer out by performing a tight right dodge, keeping her speed going as she U-turned and rammed Xerneas in the rear. The Super Hoop’s stored kinetic energy blasted Xerneas into the barrier.
The spirit faced Emily and flared up with a bright aura, surrounded by eight light spires. Emily could sense her power increase. Xerneas fired rainbow Light Spheres in repetition. Emily dodged a few, then decided, “Time to bust out my makeshift Mirror Shield!” She took out a metal plate and unraveled a reflective shield from it. Xerneas would evade as the Light Spheres bounced back toward her, but one of them hit. Xerneas scraped a hoof on the ground before charging Emily with more sudden speed, tripping the scientist when she tried to dodge. Xerneas seized her weakness, stomping and kicking the nerd while she was down.
Emily fished for a pair of boxing gloves amid this struggle. “Have a taste of my Magic Punch!” The right glove shot out via a recoil spring, stretch by her bending, punching Xerneas’ snout and giving her a window of escape. Her glasses were broken askew and her face bloody from the kicks, but Emily faced Xerneas with determination. The deer stretched and retracted her antlers at sudden speed and repetition, and their complex angles made it hard for Emily to predict them. Regardless, she found angles to sock its face with the Magic Punches, and between two of those she bent the springs around the bases of the antlers. Pouring immense strength in her chi, Emily hauled Xerneas overhead and slammed her back-first into the ground.
Xerneas dealt a Night Slash to sever the gloves’ springs into pieces, but Emily still bent those pieces to stab into Xerneas’ sides. The deer rammed her down and pinned Emily’s arms with her hooves. “Your arrogance has become you. Perhaps you will be wiser on your next-”
Emily threw up her feet and shot her shoes up into her stomach: they also had springs inside! “Magic Kicks!” Xerneas was uplifted as Emily proceeded to bend and wrap the springs around her hip area. Xerneas grunted as Emily tightened their grip, merciless as she slammed Xerneas around the roots three more times. (End song.)
The barrier opened, allowing the others to enter. “Hah! ’Guess I won!” She released, allowing Xerneas onto her hooves.
“You have shown tactfulness and cleverness in battle… and yet I hesitate to bestow you my boons. The disrespect in the manner you battle is ap-”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re just being a sore loser.”
“Man, she really doesn’t hold back!” Ikuyim laughed.
“Yet, through the thick fog of conceit… there is a trickle of desire to protect those around you.”
“I mean, these powerhouses can’t do everything, can they? Even the great Maddy needed my help on Mechanos! I just wish these guys were a little bit smarter.”
“Brother…dumb…” Eicnaid moaned.
“HAH, even she agrees with me!” Emily got down and put an arm around the Reborn.
“Oh, of COURSE that would spark her memory!” Anthony huffed.
“…Then I shall bestow on you a special fragment of my chi.” A tiny light drifted from Xerneas into Emily’s brain. “With this, you will be able to gift temporary Observation Haki to your allies, should it be necessary.”
“Oh, so… I can improve others’ Haki, but not my own.”
“That is correct. After all, you are already so brilliant.”
“Hah, she knows how to throw shade back!” Tom laughed.
“Let it be known this may be the last time we meet. I will contribute my chi to restoring the destruction Team Rocket has razed with Yveltal… but in doing, I will become a tree for 1,000 years. For now… I trust this world’s fate to you. Suicune will escort you out of the forest. Please bring peace to this world soon.”
The Earth Children nodded committedly. Except for Fybi (who flew after them), the operatives mounted the Aurora Pokémon and rode him back to where the ship was parked.
Ecruteak City; elsewhere in Johto
Tapu Fini sensed the presence of her fellow Alola Deities deep in Johto, which was thankfully north of the Orange Islands. Sector L and the Ultra Guardians docked at the southern-most coast and decided to rest for the night at the nearest town. Azalea Town was the perfect place, a small and peaceful village nestled in the woods, next to a tranquil lake. Because of its size and relative isolation, Team Rocket hadn’t seemed to touch it.
Since their humble group was a bit too large for the local inn, they decided to camp near the lake with sleeping bags. About an hour and a half into slumber, Eric found himself awake. Whether he was disturbed by everyone else’s snores or he was itched awake by some critter, he couldn’t say. He only decided to put on his glasses and stare at the stars. The night was quite peaceful. Much more than the raging sea.
“I see I’m not the only late sleeper.” A voice startled him. Eric rolled over to face Lillie, cuddling her snowy Vulpix.
“Ah…heheh.” Eric blushed. “I was never a camper. I mean, look at me. I’m the nerd stereotype embodied.”
“You could’ve stayed at the inn. Your friends wouldn’t have minded, would they?”
“No, but… it’d be too lonely without them.” Eric rolled up at the sky. “Whenever we went on really dangerous missions, I used to just… wait on the ship while my friends did all the fighting. Then Melody would wind up in danger, and I’d put myself in danger trying to save her.”
Lillie giggled. “You’re like the princess’s valiant knight then~”
“No… I think I’m more of the ‘princess’ sometimes.”
“Hmhm! It sounds admirable though. …You know, I used to be afraid of Pokémon.”
“Really?” Eric found that a little bizarre. That would practically mean Lillie was scared of the whole world.
“Uh-huh. I got captured by this jellyfish parasite Pokémon when I was younger. Worst I ever felt in my life… and it didn’t help that my mother made a living researching Ultra Beasts like that.”
“Yikes… I can imagine.”
“I’m over it now though…” she pet her Vulpix, “but with the way Team Rocket is turning them all into monsters… it’s making me afraid all over again. I just don’t want it to reach our Pokémon.”
“Yeah… I can’t pretend I’m not scared either. But I…I want to be here. Not just to support Melody, or to feel like I matter… it’s just… I don’t know.” Eric frowned. “Maybe… I just don’t wanna be like those guys that walked out on us. Part of me should relate to them… but another part of me… just feels disgusted…” He glanced over at Lillie, who frowned. “…Didn’t mean to bum you out.”
“It’s alright.” Her smile returned. “I may not understand… but I think you’re a little stronger than you realize. That large crocodile seems to have quite the respect for you.” She glanced up at Klubba, back against a tree as he snored loudly, yet still patting his club in his hand.
“Haha, yeah…yeah…” Klubba only buddied up with them because Eric bested him in battle. With powder kegs, sure, but Eric still chose to stay and fight him. When he pondered that… Lillie’s words had more merit.
“…Sophocles over there?” Lillie indicated the chubby technician sleeping near his Togedemaru, which was glowing. “He used to be scared of the dark. He’s better about it now, but he still needs Toge as a nightlight once in a while.”
“Well, Team Rocket’s giving us new reasons to be afraid. That’s the problem here. And it won’t be just them… they still have several allies we need to deal with.”
“Perhaps we could help you then, too.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Alola is a country of sharing and gratitude. It would be awful if we didn’t repay you.”
“Heh heh…well, thanks in advance. Yawn…should probably get to sleep.”
“Yes… gonna be another long day tomorrow. See you then.”
With a smile of promise, the two turned over in sleep.
The sectors awoke early morning, fairly well rested as Sophocles set up kitchen equipment to whip up a good breakfast. They resumed their journey across Johto, fighting through hordes of enhanced Pokémon before finding their destination.
Ecruteak City had both Earthlings and Alolans awestruck! It was a feudal Japanese town surrounded by orange-gold forests, glistening wondrously in the sunrise. The colossal Mount Mortar stood to the east, and a great multi-layered tower overlooked the town opposite of the hills they arrived.
“Oooooo, pretty!” Yuta beamed. “Just smell that autumn air! The authenticity!”
“Yeah, this town is in a climate zone.” Lillie said. “I’ve only seen it in a book, but it’s even prettier in person!”
“And when you’re an islander, it’s pretty refreshing!” Mallow inputted.
“I hear ya there!” Yuta agreed.
“And that’s the Bell Tower.” Kiawe indicated. “Said to be a perch for the Rainbow Bird, Ho-Oh.”
“Saying its name makes me hungry for frosted cream snacks, for some reason.” Sophocles rubbed his tummy.
“I sense my brethren around the area.” Fini said. “They might be looking for ways to summon Ho-Oh.”
“Then let’s split up and cover all corners.” Melody suggested.
“I BEAR THE STRAWS!” Klubba whipped up his hand, clenching 10 straws. The kids looked up at him in confusion. “…They be five sets of two! To decide who pairs with who!”
They shrugged and each picked a straw. Eric paired with Lillie, Melody with Sophocles, Yuta with Kiawe, Tsu with Mallow, and Klubba with Lana. “Well, whaddya know! We got paired.” Eric said to Lillie.
“Yep!” Lillie chirped, tightening her backpack eagerly.
“Is there something I’m missing here?” Melody cocked a brow.
“No, it’s nothing.” Eric brushed off modestly. (Play “Autumn Mountain” from Origami King!)
Act 15: Ecruteak City
Autumn leaves danced about the air as Eric and Lillie crossed a pumpkin patch. “Whoa!” Many of the pumpkins were actually Pumpkaboos, popping up in ambush. Lillie summoned her Ribombee to attack the pumpkins with Bug Buzz, generating soundwaves from its wings, while Eric relied on Peanut Popguns to K.O. the Pumpkinmon. The Pumpkaboos came in four different sizes, and there was a ledge the two were unable to climb. They had to line up the KO’ed pumpkins like stairs to make a way up. Afterwards, they found a thick tree with large orange leaves breezing and orbiting around it. The leaves would constantly turn horizontal and vertical, but they were dense enough to platform them. They had to quickly jump the leaves in their flat positions—but they tumbled off the leaves quite a few times, with Lillie landing sitting atop Eric.
“Sorry!” Lillie blushed. “I’m not good at this athletic stuff.”
“Hey, how often you think I visit the gym?” Eric smiled modestly.
After an eventual successful attempt, they reached a wooden foothold partway up the tree. They followed a small flight of stairs that led to a rope bridge, leading to a village area. There was a sealed gate on the other end, and an obvious key on a pedestal in the center. But as soon as they approached the key, “Hey!” a Yanma swooped down and stole it, retreating eastward. The duo pursued the red dragonfly to a small area of forest where numerous others of its kind were buzzing in and out of the branches. “This game again, huh…” Eric readied a popgun and examined the dragonflies. He spotted one of them carrying the key and shot it down. “At least we didn’t have to ride a broomstick and have them all swarm us at once.”
“Hu-u-u-u-u.” Lillie’s skin crawled from the idea. “Just don’t share that with Misty.”
They returned to the village and unlocked the gate to a bamboo forest. They would have to ascend another tall ledge, using the bamboo as poles, but Mankeys were swinging around them. One bent a bamboo down and, “YOW!” flicked it right onto Eric’s noggin, Lillie gasping in sympathy.
“So, you like playing rough?!” Lillie threw another Pokéball. “Then Play Rough, Comfey!” The flower crown Pokémon popped out and flew to K.O. the monkeys. Only problem was there were organic spikeballs around the bamboo, so the two had to climb and hop between the safe segments on each one, until they found the route that would lead to the cliff. From here, they had view of a large portion of the town.
“I feel like we picked a safe route.” Eric said. “Things feel pretty peaceful.”
“I’m glad Team Rocket haven’t done too much to-”
“SKOOOOOORRRRRRRRCH!” Then a titanic, 246-foot centipede exploded into existence and snaked over the entire town. It had orange rectangular segments on its underside with yellow circle designs, and a distinct X-shaped flame across its face.
“A-a-a-a-a-a-ah-h-h-h-h…” Eric and Lillie hugged each other, shuddering.
The insect glanced down at the tiny duo. With a lick of its pincers, the Centiskorch dove at them. “AAAAAAHHH!”
The beast shattered the earth beneath them and propelled them upward before they tumbled along its ever-extending back. They eventually gripped one of the rims of its segments and stabilized their selves. “OUCH, OUCH, HOT!” Until its extreme heat burned their fingers.
“SNOWY!” Lillie summoned her Vulpix. “Cool this surface for us!” (“Vul!”) Her Pokémon chilled the back with her frosty breath. She would continue cooling Centiskorch’s back as they ran along it, but would have to jump over Iron Moths that swooped in attempt to slice them with their orange bladed wings. The air grew hotter as they closed in on its head. “You know, I heard this Pokémon’s flames can reach 1,800 °F!”
“That’s insane! It’s gonna dry the whole forest and then some! I don’t suppose you can gigantify your Vulpix?!”
“Not really!”
“Then I guess we’re gonna need a little teamwork!” Eric grabbed a F.R.A.P.P.E.. He and Snowy concentrated ice against the beast’s head, causing steam to erupt as its rampage quelled. “WHOOOAA!” But the Centiskorch shook them off into the town. The beast again tried to dive at them, but a giant Water Fist would stop it.
“Bug off, Buggo!” Melody shouted. “We’ll take care of this, Eric!”
“Togedemaru, Zing Zap!” Sophocles ordered. Melody wrapped the electric rodent in a water tentacle and threw her as Toge collided with Centiskorch in a shocking impact. Tapu Fini spewed her own Water Gun, compact enough to blast the giant out of the city.
“Haha…she’s the best, ain’t she?” Eric said awkwardly.
“At least we tried.” Lillie reasoned. “’Guess we’ll just keep going.”
Eric and Lillie turned down a left road, but a gate was being guarded by a hulking, 10-foot moth. It had white fur and six fiery, petal-like wings. They didn’t fancy fighting the Slither Wing just yet, so they traveled down the opposite road. What caught their eye was a traditional dance hall, specifically the embers flickering through its windows. They stepped in to find a flock of Venomoths fluttering around a Volcarona. The Sun Moth released a ring of flames with its Fiery Dance, causing the Venomoths to dance in a frenzy.
“Say, that fire moth looks like the big guy over there.” Eric said.
“Hmm…I happen to have some Pinap Berries.” Lillie pulled out some small, pineapple-like berries. “Let’s see if I can lure it.” She dropped the berries down one at a time, luring the Volcarona to each one. The Venomoths followed, still attracted by its flame. Eventually, they had them led to the Slither Wing, throwing a berry at its feet. The hulking ancient insect became overwhelmed by the Sun Moth and its followers. It turned and stormed down the gate, bolting as the smaller moths chased it. Eric exchanged a laugh with Lillie and proceeded.
“There it is!” Just one turn down a right road would lead them along Bellchime Trail, a paved brick road covered in autumn leaves, and more would cover it yet as they drifted in the gentle breeze. “WHOA!” Eric stepped on a weak spot as the bricks crumbled, exposing spikes underneath.
“Oh, dear…” Lillie frowned. She noticed the bell to their left. “I wonder…” She gave it a good punch, and its chimes caused certain parts of the road to tremble. Those must’ve been the unsafe spots. She and Eric simply followed the safe route, memorizing it before the bell stopped ringing. This would be followed by a garden of bell posts. Eric rang two of them sequentially: they made different tones, but part of the area crumbled.
“This looks like a match-em-up game.” Eric deduced. It was trial and error; they messed up four times as more of the area crumbled, but were eventually able to match up all the bells as the gate opened. Afterwards, they simply needed to jump a stairway of platform pillars toward the Bell Tower. However, jumping on the first one triggered a bell beneath it, which would make the pillars crumble in succession. The duo jumped up hurriedly, but while Eric reached the tower’s pavilion, Lillie stumbled. Eric whipped around and grabbed her arm, pulling the younger girl up to his level.
“Phew! Thanks!”
“No prob!” It felt nice being the one to save someone. “…I feel bad though. Only qualified people are allowed to enter this place.”
“Hey, we nearly died on the way up here. I say we’re qualified.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.” Lillie blushed. They proceeded inside. (End song.)
Melody made sure the Centiskorch stayed down for good, dowsing the flames on its head and tail. “AAAAHH!” Tapu Fini was rammed by a small body of electricity.
“FINI!” Manaphy screamed.
The water spirit was being restrained by an imp of similar design, except with orange feathers and a yellow wood shell. “It’s Tapu Koko!” Sophocles gasped.
“I didn’t expect you to come right toward us, Tapu Fini.” A husky, dark-skinned man marched up. His grey topknot stuck out from his mind-control helmet, he wore a yellow Hawaiian shirt, white shorts, and a white sash knotted at his stomach. “But this saves us a trip.”
“Kahuna Hala…” Sophocles whispered, distraught to see him in this state. “How could you?! Koko is your deity!”
“Alola is a people of sharing… and we will gladly share our deities with Team Rocket.”
“Ay don’t buy into that, matey!” The Elite Trainer turned, blocking Klubba’s club with his own palms. “When ye have a valuable treasure, ye don’t share it with anyone!”
Hala threw a kick to banish Klubba. Lana used her own waterbending to whip the kahuna. “Princess! Please stop Koko!”
“Sophocles, might need your help for this.” Melody said. “Thunder beats thunder, right?”
“A little inaccurate, but you can count on me!”
In the woods outside, a large mass of giant autumn leaves fluttered around another spirit: a black bull-like one with white markings and a light-red wooden shell. “Tapu Bulu…” Kiawe mumbled. “But… who’s controlling you…?!” The answer drew him to horrified silence.
“Hey, Kiawe! Didn’t expect you here.” She was a dark-skinned woman, thin with very light, pink clothing. She wore rings down her legs, ending at high-peeled pink sandals, and her dark hair was under a Team Rocket helmet.
“Kahuna Olivia! Tch…” When Kiawe heard his master was kidnapped like other Elites, he feared seeing her like this.
“Expect THIS!” Yuta swung a Water Kick at her, but Olivia stomped up a rock wall and blocked it. “Ah! Earthbender!”
Bulu cast the storm of leaves at them, but Kiawe cast flames to burn through most of them. “Sorry, Master. But you’re outmatched this time.”
“True… this could pose a problem. Bulu, attack them from the air!”
Eric and Lillie entered Bell Tower. “Tapu Lele!” Lillie was quick to recognize the spirit. She had curled, magenta hair with two long front bangs and a pink shell.
“DOOF!” A golfball suddenly rammed Eric in the left eye, through the glasses.
“Hole in one.” The woman responsible had alice-blue hair, done to look like wings at her back. She wore a blue and white shirt and skirt and long orange socks.
“Kahili! Eric, be careful! She’s the greatest golfer in the world!”
“I’d normally remark in disbelief, but I just went blind in one eye.”
“Perhaps a couple of purehearted children can lure Ho-Oh here.” Kahili twirled her golfclub coolly. “That’s a shot I’m willing to take. Lele… use Mini Dust!”
The island spirit cast a wave of pink dust over the two, shrinking them to golfball size. “AAAH!” They screamed in unison. “Not again! …Huh? This happened to you before?”
“Now…” Kahili planted her club down as Bele conjured balls from her pink Psychic Chi. Now that they realized it, this first floor of the tower had been converted to a mini-golf course. “Let’s play.” (Play “Guardian Deities Battle” from Sun & Moon!)
Boss fight: Tapu Guardians
Golfballs came flying, ricocheting between the bell decorations. “Lele’s not the only Fairy here! Clefable, defend us with Meteor Mash!” Lillie summoned the Pokémon as Clefable thrusted its fists at each incoming ball. Its punches shot stars out that would deflect them. The duo made it to a two-sided ramp which the balls were flying over: Eric noticed an Up Arrow button and shot his Peanut Popgun at it. Their side of the ramp angled higher, aiming right at Tapu Lele: Clefable was able to thrust the golfballs up with enough force to damage her. “Hey, that worked!” Lillie cheered. “I guess because the balls were made from her magic.”
“Hmph! This is only the first course.” Kahili retreated up the stairs. Thankfully, there were tiny leaf platforms to bounce them up after her. The second course was made up of windmills going up a steep slope, which had cannons on the ends of the blades. Those cannons would randomly shoot out golfballs, leaving Clefable unprepared to counter some as the trainers were flattened. Lillie summoned Snowy to freeze the openings sealed, until only one was left to shoot golfballs. Like before, Clefable Meteor Mashed them up the steep slopes and damaged Lele.
The infuriated trainer pulled back to the next course, across a river. “Luckily, I brought this.” Eric planted down an inflatable raft and pumped it up. “We mostly take aquatic missions, after all.” They rowed upriver, but Kahili would hit golfballs in a manner that would skip them along the surface. The two rowed the raft in evasion, and would let out a scream of adrenaline when they went down a short waterfall. Near the end of this river were some on-and-off water spouts. Clefable timed its Meteor Mash to hit the balls into the spouts, flinging them up to damage Lele.
Kahili fled to the last course: Eric and Lillie had to cross circular, balancing platforms that would shift from the balls’ weight, threatening to slide them off without Clefable to banish them. There was no way to reach the last platform from their current one, so they needed to stand on the opposite edge while Clefable punched the closest edge. Their side would fling up and send them catapulting, and after landing successfully, Lillie Returned her Clefable to its ball before releasing it again.
This last platform was protected by borders, so as Kahili hit balls onto it, they would continuously roll around without falling off. “Lillie, Clefable put these on!” Eric handed them some plunger shoes. “Tell it to hit all the balls toward that side!”
“Hehe, you’re really handy!” Lillie said. Their feet were able to stay attached to the platform as Clefable knocked all the balls to the side furthest from their enemy, leaving their side tilted at a tight angle. Afterwards, Clefable concentrated a more compact Meteor Mash: the golfballs flung up into Lele like meteors.
“Leeeeeee…” The dizzying impacts caused Lele to spill more magic dust, growing the two back to normal. Kahili quickly swung her club into Eric’s stomach, the nerd hunching forward in pain. But from his stance, he grabbed a S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R. and smacked it into Kahili’s knees, sending her into the wall with a K.O.. Meanwhile, Lillie had her Ribombee knock out Lele with Bug Buzz. “YES!” The friends shared a double high-five!
Sophocles equipped Togedemaru with a small belt designed to harness external electricity, while Melody held it in a floating water tentacle. Tapu Koko zipped around to punch her at multiple angles: Melody suffered heavy damage as a Water-type herself, so she needed to quickly move Toge to block it and absorb the electricity. Once it was full, Melody would link the stream to Koko as Toge returned the lightning for intense damage. Things would get trickier as Koko shot out electric jolts, forcing Melody to defend against them before Koko went in for the attack. When he did, “UUUOOOOH!” Sophocles jumped to suffer the blow for Melody.
“You idiot!” Melody shouted. “Don’t just take hits for me!”
“Hey, I’m an Electric-type trainer! I know how to take a few jolts! You might be more fit than me, but I have to help when I can!”
“Ghh…” Melody admired his courage… but it still triggered memories of her dad and brother; even when her mom was about to be fried by lightning. Koko zipped around to ram Melody with greater intensity, but she had Toge block and struggle to push back against the spirit. Toge absorbed enough energy, and Sophocles bravely ran around to grab and pin Koko beneath his girth. The trainer suffered the brunt of Koko’s Electric Surge, while Melody encased Toge in a large, flashing bubble of lightning. After Koko escaped from under Sophocles, she furiously bashed the bubble into Koko until he was Koko’ed.
Kiawe rode his Charizard in pursuit of Tapu Bulu. The Grass-type spirit sent giant pinecones to cut them, but the trainer and Pokémon reacted in reducing the cones to ash. “Retreat from them, Bulu!” Olivia ordered. The earthbender stomped rocks out of the ground and sent them at Yuta in succession, but he severed them with Water Slices as he closed the gap.
“Sorry, Master!” Kiawe smirked. “But you forgot Bulu’s one weakness!” He stood atop his Charizard, showing off his red shorts.
“BUUU!” Bulu’s eyes popped wide, letting out a huff through his ringed nostrils. The spirit charged horns-first, but Charizard would grab them in its claws. The dragon set fire and drove Bulu into the ground.
“Ah, because it’s a bull!” Yuta laughed.
“Yeah,” Olivia said in frustration, “it’s BULLSH-” but in her attempt to stomp another rock out, “AAH!” she tripped on her own feet.
“And that would be your weakness.” Kiawe remarked, embarrassed for her.
“An earthbender who can’t stay on their feet is like a waterbender who can’t swim!” Yuta retorted.
“Whoa!” Bulu burst out of the ground and retreated through the woods. As Kiawe and Charizard pursued, Bulu willed the trees to close in and crush them. Charizard spun and scorched the trees with its flaming tail. They faintly saw Bulu flee, and in their pursuit, the spirit dropped seeds and erected palm trees in attempt to spring them away. “Hey, those don’t belong in this ecosystem!” Charizard managed to evade the trees as Kiawe stood to provide a view of his shorts. Bulu couldn’t help himself from glancing over: the bull huffed and charged, allowing Charizard to score the scorch again.
Bulu spread his chi to the coconuts that grew from those palm trees: they flew into Charizard and exploded with milk! The dragon moaned sickly as its tail was being dowsed, so Kiawe reignited it with his bending (at the cost of smelling burnt milk). “Charizard, return!” He didn’t want to risk further harm to it. “Come out, Turtonator!” He summoned his red- and yellow-shelled Pokémon.
As Bulu was about to crush them with a hailstorm of coconuts, Turtonator prepared to blast them down. “Need a hand?!” The coconuts were suddenly stopped by Yuta’s bending. “Back on Adabat, I sort of played with coconut milkbending, too! They were great for dodgeball, too!” Yuta forced the coconuts back in Bulu’s direction, but the spirit pushed them back with slightly greater strength.
Turtonator curled up in its shell as Kiawe picked it up, spun, and threw it like a Frisbee. “Turtonator, Inferno Overdrive!” A crystal shown on Kiawe’s bracelet, connecting to the Pokémon.
“TUUUUUURRRR!” Turtonator burned like a miniature sun, bringing the spirit down to the earth, unconscious. Kiawe approached the deity and bowed humbly. “Forgive me.” (End song.)
The operatives had both Elite Agents and Guardians tied up, brought to the base of Bell Tower. Fini was sympathetic as she looked over her brethren… but Manaphy held her hand in assurance. He, Fini, and Melody began to spiral a stream of water around the Guardians. It glowed as they focused spiritbending. The Tapu trio’s bodies glowed… and the dark corruption was evaporating from their bodies. In the pockets of their trainers, their Darkballs were crumbling.
“Wait… couldn’t you do that with any of the evil Pokémon?” Mallow asked.
“It’s only designed to work on spirits.” Melody answered. “And since Fini is their sibling, I think that’s what’s helping this work.”
Koko, Bulu, and Lele softly awoke. Fini saw the glimmers in their eyes. She beamed, knowing they were back to normal.
“Hoooooooo…” A distant, majestic caw echoed in the horizon.
Lillie gasped. “Eric… that was…”
“Is it coming?!”
“Let’s go see!” She grabbed his hand and eagerly pulled him into the tower.
“Wait, I wanna see it, too!” Sophocles rushed after them, the others soon to join.
At the top of Bell Tower… they fell awestruck as the Rainbow Bird perched itself. Orange feathers with green tips, a crown of gold to match its beak and wide tail feathers. The sun shone vibrantly with the flap of its wings. “Hoooooo…” Then, the bird took flight, its wings leaving a rainbow.
“Ho-Oh only appears before the pure of heart…” Mallow said. “And only the pure of heart may walk upon its rainbow.” She set foot on it and slowly walked. “I never felt so honored!”
“Is it trying to lead us some-” Melody stepped on it, “WAAAAAHH!” but went through as she slipped off the roof, using a Water Whip to grab the lower roof. “THE FUCK?!”
“Sorry, Melody. You’re not pure-hearted enough.” Manaphy cringed.
“It’s working for me.” Sophocles smiled. Eric and Lillie were able to step on as well, sharing an enthusiastic smile.
“Not me, ay?” Klubba said. “Me heart be a rusty thing, fer shar.”
“Okay, whatever!” Melody shouted. “Why don’t some of you follow the rainbow and the rest of us will follow you on the ship? Gotta carry those prisoners, anyway.”
…
Ho-Oh would go on to soar the rest of the world. Sector W were awed as they saw it fly. Cheren, Sunni, Sector IC, and their group. Sector MG and the Volt Tacklers. The Raccoon Pirates as Lugia smiled up at it. And other Gym Leaders and trainers around the world. All were guided by Ho-Oh’s rainbow. As if it were a sign of hope.
And it led them all to a certain town in the Kanto region.
Chapter 38: Poké Saga 9: Skies of Kanto
Summary:
The KND and Pokémon Trainers socialize before gearing up for the final assault on Team Rocket!
Chapter Text
Here’s the penultimate chapter of this arc! I’ll use the cooldown time to set up some brief interactions with the KND and other new trainers! It’s like one of those “socializing” parts in an RPG, where you get to roam around and get all the unique dialogue from characters!
Chapter 34: Skies of Kanto
The rainbow ended over a peaceful farmland within the forested mountains of Kanto. There were few houses scattered about, mostly white with red roofs. “Welcome to Pallet Town.” Misty announced with a smile.
“Well, it has good tastes.” Cheren remarked.
“Oh, yeah.” Sunni recalled Misty mentioning this place during hers and Darcy’s visit. “You said a special friend lives here, yeah?”
“Not just a special friend!” Cheren Black stated. “The Sup-”
“Hey!” Bianca clamped his mouth. “Don’t spoil iiiiit!”
“Mm-hm! Follow me! …But only a few at a time though.” Indeed, between them, Vweeb’s group, the Galar trainers, and Sector IC, they had quite the party.
Misty led them to a house not much different from any other. She knocked the door. A lovely woman with brown hair, a pink buttoned shirt, and long blue skirt answered. “Why, hello, Misty! I see you’ve brought new friends!”
“Hi, Mrs. Ketchum! Is Ash home?”
“He is! Just pull the mailbox lever.”
“Okay!” Misty stepped past Cheren, Panini, and Sunni. She gently tipped the mailbox lever down.
And the entire front yard opened into a trapdoor. The operatives craned down, needing a second to process the fact they were standing on nothing. Then, as they felt their bodies weigh down and go down a slide, they broke into a, “WHOOOAAAAAHHHHHH!”
“Doesn’t the mailman find that weird?!” Cheren echoed.
The operatives landed on a soft pad, almost like one from an indoor playground. “I heard a scream!” a voice yelled as they heard footsteps running up the tunnel. A 7-year-old boy with a green polo shirt and shoes, glasses, and dark-cyan hair appeared. “Whoa! You… Are you Cheren Uno?!”
“Hey.” Cheren smiled. “You heard of me?”
“DUH! Any operative worth their smarts knows who YOU are!” The boy stepped up to him. He was about as tall as Cheren himself. “You’re the toughest kid with glasses ever!”
“Hahahahaha!” Was that why this boy knew of him?
“And you guys…” he surveyed Panini and Sunni, “must be his assistants!” The girls collapsed in dismay.
“Wheeeeee!” Bianca echoed as she, Black, and Hilda came down the slide.
“And you brought them, too!”
“Hi, Max!” Hilda greeted. “We have plenty more on the way, too. Let’s give them space.”
Max led the group through the tunnel. “Oooooo!” Cheren drawled. They were in a very wide room, on a walkway overlooking a large indoor playground. Other trainers, including lots of younger kids, were happily playing with Pokémon, bouncing trampolines, going down slides, swinging, among other games.
“Hello, children!” An elderly man in a white lab coat approached. “Welcome to the Underground Poké Park! I’m Professor Oak. We built this place as sort of a… special refuge, in case a crisis like this ever happened. We at least wanted it to be nice and welcoming, so if we didn’t use it as a refuge, it could be a nice playground.”
“I really like it!” Sunni said. “But it’s a little awkward having to go through that lady’s lawn to find it.”
“There’s another entrance up by my laboratory. Either way, we had to keep it secret. Throughout this crisis, we’ve been leading as many people and their Pokémon here as possible. Which really isn’t many, but we’ve done our best.”
“Cheren!”
They turned to find another group of guests. “Sector L! Where’d you come from?!”
“We followed a giant bird’s rainbow road!” Yuta cheered.
“That would be Ho-Oh.” Oak deduced. “If she led you here, then it’s likely she’s signaling our other allies. The time to face Team Rocket is upon us.”
“Here’s hopin’ this place doesn’t have a weight limit.” Panini remarked. (“Scorbunny!”)
One group at a time, Cheren would see all his operatives arrive. The Ultra Guardians, Sector IC, the Galar leaders, Sector W, JP along with Carmine, the Raccoon Pirates and Team Clemont, Sector MG and the Volt Tacklers (though it seemed half their members were absent).
“Sector JP?” Cheren questioned. “I don’t remember you volunteering for this mission.”
“It was sort of last minute.” Karin replied. “Gourmerry sensed a strong food spirit from this world… and, let’s just say it’s a good thing we came. Though you wouldn’t believe what happened next.”
“CHEREN!” Panini freaked out, pointing at Sector W. “That’s…That’s Anthony’s sister!”
“What?!” Cheren spotted the Reborn amongst the team, whom looked their way in turn when they were called out. “Anthony! Why is she… and Harvey?!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Anthony said. “I ain’t thrilled about Harvey bein’ here either. But, yeah… we found MTCH.” He smiled. “Ikuyim’s her Guardian now.”
“Oh, so you’re Ikuyim.” Cheren thought it was Miyuki. “Her Guardian?”
“Yeah! The other Negatives have their own Spirit Balls. It was pure luck we happened to be close to Eicnaid though. They’re gonna work on tracking the other Reborn between missions.”
“Well, MEE is on this world, too.” Sunni said. “And we aren’t sure where he fled.”
“WE FOUND IT, GUYS!” a girl’s voice screamed. “THE SKITTLE FACTORY!” Diwata raced in, followed by her group. “Wait… where are the Skittles?! Where’s the color?! We followed the rainbow! Is there even a pot of gold?!”
“I know!” Maria shouted. “This place is a rip!”
“Diwata! Guys!” Romeo called. “Are you okay? You look beat.”
“Yeah, we nearly did get beat.” Kiki said. “They had a ton of Legendaries ambush us out at sea!”
“Mmm…” Penny shirked ashamedly.
“And Dillon!” Dee-Dee stomped up to the Twili. “Your Firstborn sister didn’t make things any easier!”
“What do you mean?”
“We saw MIDTI!” Crest answered.
Half an hour ago
Diwata whaled on the Shadow Moltres with Moonlight Fists, nullifying the twilight-made bird as it returned to Moltres’ shadow properly. Nemona ordered her Dudunsparce to attack Galarian phoenix with Boomburst, KOing Moltres. However, its Elite Agent returned it to a Darkball. “MIDO!” Crest shouted at the moaning, monochrome imp. “Is that really you?! Say something!”
“Huff…huff…huff…” Feeling shy from the attention, Andim fled in the direction of the Rocket Agents.
“Should we go after her?” Oliver asked as the twilight sky returned to its normal morning colors.
“I dunno. …?” It was only then they saw the rainbow.
Now
“And it made me hungry for Skittles!” Diwata concluded.
“Ghh…” Dillon grit his teeth and looked at the ceiling. “She’s here, too…”
“At least you still have Crest.” Romeo said. “Victini was captured by Team Rocket.”
“We think Miyuki and Verglora got taken, too.” MaKayla said. “And two other Reborn are loose here… Odds aren’t really in our favor.”
“Yeah… but right now, I’m just happy seeing so many friends here.” Cheren smiled. “So, let’s rest, refuel, and get ready to invade the heck out of Team Rocket. …So, Professor Oak.” The professor turned to him. “Where’s the Supreme Leader?”
“I believe he’s down in the mess hall right now. In fact, I believe he’s looking forward to meeting you, too, Mr. Uno.”
They could only seem to make their way down following the playground itself. Cheren saw a boy in a blue shirt with black short sleeves, fingerless black gloves, and a red cap with a green, half-Pokéball design. His left leg was in a cast with a crutch leaning on the table, and his exposed arms were bandaged. As he was petting his Pikachu, a spike-haired young man in a brown coat and closed eyes brought him a plate. Seeing Cheren approach, the spike-haired man alerted the hatted boy, he and Pikachu turning.
“Cheren Uno! Hi! It’s great to finally meet you!” He extended a hand. “I’m Ash Ketchum!”
“Mmmmm!” Cheren accepted the handshake. “If you got any fries, I can go for some of that!”
“Hehehehehe…” Ash blushed.
“THAT’S the first thing ya say to him?!” Panini smacked his head.
“What? He’s got a food name like you. Or, me, for that matter.”
“Alright,” the spike-haired said, “how about I make something for the rest of you since you’re so hungry? The name’s Brock, by the way. Global Communications officer and Pokémon breeder.”
“Hey, Brock!” Cheren greeted. “You rock!” Panini face-palmed.
The other operatives had gone to socializing. Cheren helped himself to his favorite cherry pie as Ash recounted his tale. “When we evacuated headquarters, I stayed behind to fight Team Rocket. I knew they’d focus most of their attention on me. I got overwhelmed… and I couldn’t call any more Pokémon.”
“Pika-pi!” Pikachu struggled to pull his master away from the burning, crashed stadium. “Pika…!” Ash was too heavy and injured.
“How pathetic.” A blonde agent wielding a black tulip approached him. “The World Champion reduced to a bloody mess. All those steps you counted, the Pokémon you collected… The only trainer who covered nearly the entire world.
All for nothing.” She threw the pointed end of the black tulip.
“Back off!” A red shoe kicked it away and stomped in front of Ash’s vision. He glanced up at May, a brown-haired girl with a red shirt and bandanna. “A Champion is more than just his Pokémon.”
“It’s his friends!” Ash saw a pink boot, belonging to Dawn.
“But if you think you’re hot stuff,” he saw Iris’ pink dress next, “you can deal with us!”
Ash saw Clemont, Serena, and Cilan. Then, he felt himself being picked up by two others: Misty and Brock. “We’re here for you, Ash.” Brock said.
“G…guys…”
“Easy.” Misty smiled. “Just leave it to us.”
“How annoying.” Tulip hissed. “Fine. If you have a death wish, too.”
“They fought back the agents… and we managed to get to this hideout before they could notice. Then they struggled to find any Nurse Joy that could help me.”
“So, they trained a batch of Nurse Joys to work on people?” was Cheren’s primary curiosity.
“Yeah.” Ash took a drink of juice. “Cheren… how did you get to be Supreme Leader?”
“By beating the snot out of our old leader, who was a jerk. Everyone just loved me for it, and… boop. Now I’m just really popular… for better or worse.”
“Hmhm. When I started my journey four years ago… I thought I would be a Pokémon Master by now. That I would’ve caught them all. But that wasn’t what being a master meant. It’s about all the friends that I made. All the amazing people and places I got to see. And I’m still not done. They elected me as Supreme Leader, not because I became World Champion or because of my dad… but because they all trusted me the most.”
“Hmm…” Cheren knew that feeling too well. “…What about your dad?”
“Well… you know, right?”
“Know what?”
“He came from Earth. He used to be in your Kids Next Door.”
“SAY WHAT?!”
“I mean, not your KND, but your parents’, I guess. You really didn’t know? I saved this picture of him from back in the day.” Ash withdrew a photo of a boy with a blue and white jacket over a black shirt, wearing a red and white cap. He was taking a selfie with a boy in a white lab coat and spiky yellow hair with thick purple edges. “That’s his friend, Yugi.”
“Huh…I never knew.”
“He played the Pokémon games that were out on your world… and when he learned that Pokémon were real, he flew to this world to have his own journey. Eventually… he met my mom.”
“Where is he now?”
“Well, two months before I started my journey… he wanted to find even more exciting adventures. So, he left for another world… and I’ve never heard from him.”
“Hmm…well, sucks for him missing out on you becoming Champion.”
“Hahaha! I don’t feel like much a champion right now. I couldn’t even be out there to make sure my friends were alright. So, thanks, Cheren. Make sure your friends know that.”
“I will.”
“I have to admit, though… I expected you to be older.”
“Yeah, look who’s talkin’.” Cheren smirked. “You still look pretty young yourself.”
“I’m 14, I’ll have you know! Actually… you all came here following a rainbow, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. From that golden bird thingy.”
“On the first day of my journey… I was chased by a flock of angry Spearow and caught in a storm. Pikachu scared the Spearow away… but I was hurt pretty bad. The rain cleared… and I saw a beautiful golden bird flying under the rainbow. And before I knew it… I could stand again.”
“So, you think that bird healed you?”
“I think so… because ever since that day, I feel like I haven’t aged at all! I mean, my voice is dipper, but I feel like my friends mature a lot faster than me!”
“Heh heh heh! You and I are just great at staying young, Ash.”
…
“Yeah, that Ash blighter may be well-traveled,” Sheila began to a group of kids, including Roy, Liko, Max, and Iris, “but he hasn’t seen more than me! I’ve been all around the universe and seen everything there is to see! Even inside the belly of a genie!”
“The belly of a genie?!” Roy exclaimed.
“No way!” Liko gaped.
“And Ah tell ya, it was roight nicer than Big Mum’s tum. ’Course, wait’ll ya hear about the time I defeated a living planet!”
“Sounds like a bunch of tall tales to me.” Iris said to Wendy.
“I’m afraid it’s all true.” Wendy blushed. “Though, I wanna say I covered more ground than she did on my own two feet.”
“Now, THAT I wanna hear about!” Iris balled her fists eagerly.
“For starters, I once went through a portal to the multiverse.” The Dragon Master gazed upon the Sky Dragon with the highest admiration in her irises. “It was like an ocean… Every world was inside a bubble…”
“Heeeeey! Arianna!” Hearing Vweeb’s voice, Arianna saw Bea approach her, Vweeb on her shoulder. The martial artist was chewing a piece of fudge, with Vweeb provided his own piece. “This is Bea! My new training buddy! I tell ya, this girl can kick like a dream!”
“Is that so…” Arianna replied, her brow twitching.
“Yeah, but if Vweeb showed me anything, I still have much to learn. Still, I wonder if you’d hold a candle to our other Fighter-type trainers?” Bea smiled wryly.
“You should find out.” Arianna said. “Have them all kick him at once.”
“Hey, whatever kills me makes me stronger. Frankly, I don’t regret coming here. Just look at all the lovely ladies around this place!” Bea let out a giggle. “Whether it’s their outfits or their hobbies, they all got somethin’ about ’em that makes them so CUUUUTE!”
“Oh, I hear ya, little man.” Brock suddenly appeared behind them, as if he had a form of Haki that could sense this kind of talk. “First, just take a look at Jasmine over there.” He indicated a light-brown-haired girl with a pale light-blue dress and white sandals. Emily Garley had donned a pair of metal boxing gloves and was thrusting them at her, while Jasmine braced and maintained her stance. “She might seem gentle when you first talk to her, but believe me, she’s got a steel-clad defense that really hardens your nerves! And Whitney there…” He directed toward a red-haired, spiky pigtailed girl with black and blue-striped socks climbing up a playground slide. She seemed confused, as if trying to navigate the structure. “She can be a bit clueless and can’t really tell left from right, but it just makes ya wanna go on an adventure with her!”
“You’ve been around the world a few times yourself, haven’t you?” Vweeb cocked a brow.
“Sure have! If you want, I’ll help introduce ya to ’em!” Brock flushed.
“Then I’ll tell you about a few other cute ladies in return!”
“Excuse me!” Bonnie suddenly slipped over. “If we’re talking about cute girls, can I join in?! I’d love to find a good wife for my brother!”
“Well, sure, Bonnie! …uh…”
But it was then Brock felt three pairs of eyes on him. Misty to his right. Max to his left. And his own Croagunk underneath him. “Uh-oh! GHHHHH!”
“You’re teaching the young ones a bad lesson, Brock!” Misty yanked on his right ear.
“No lady would even sign up for a beauty pageant under your name.” Max yanked his right ear.
“CROOOOAAAA.” And Brock’s Croagunk socked him in the gut with Poison Jab, his body unable to fall back with the other two holding him.
“And you shouldn’t listen to this EITHER, Bonnie!” Clemont’s mech arm grabbed his sister and dragged her to the Time Out center.
“No, Clemont!! I need to make sure you’re happily married!”
“Well, no reason to stay out of this party.” Arianna swiftly swat Vweeb off Bea’s shoulder with a Vine Whip.
“WHOA, that was fast!” Bea gaped. “No wonder Vweeb said you were the best!”
“He said I was…mmph, whatever!” Arianna stomped away, flushing blue.
There was a small gym where two Fighter-type trainers engaged in sparring. Brawly, whose spiky blue hair matched his shorts, with black and orange shoes that had toe designs, and whose colors matched his shirt, shades, and fingerless gloves. His opponent, Maylene, had pink hair, a dark-blue top with matching gloves, white pants, and a bandage over her nasal bridge.
“BAM!” cheered a girl with red hair in four braids. Flannery wore a tied black top over a fire bra, highlighting her firm thin waist, and blue pants with red crossed stitches. “She needs a bandage in the jaw now! YO, right in his knee!”
“Their technique differences are quite fascinating when pitted against each other.” said Roxanne, who wore a dark-gray schoolgirl dress, long maroon stockings, and brown hair in twin buns and pigtails. “Brawly honed his stance surfing waves, so he’s excellent at maintaining a stance… while Maylene trained against solid rock, so she’s great at breaking stances.”
“Now here’s a room I can vibe with.” Jinta said as he, Tom Taylor, and Anthony stepped in. “Brings back memories, huh Anty?”
“It sure does…” Anthony recalled a bad experience happening after a trip to the gym.
“HAAH!” Maylene headbutted Brawly with such force that he flew into Jinta, who pushed him aside. “Oh! I’m sorry!”
“Ah, no prob.” Jinta said. “We were just looking for some worthy opponents.”
“Oh, yeah?” Brawly grinned, rising back up. “Well, always happy to square off with a fresh face.”
“You must be those Earth operatives I heard about.” Roxanne said.
“Check out the tan on this guy.” Flannery approached Tom. “I feel like I’ll melt just from touching you.”
“I could say the same about you.” Tom flirted.
“You seem to fit the dress code.” Maylene looked Anthony over. “But you don’t actually use Pokémon, do you?”
“Nah, I’m just an earthbender.” Anthony grabbed a stone from his Infi-Cube and raised it psychically.
“Oh!” Maylene perked up. “That’ll be perfect training! Throw that at me.”
“Heh, if you insist.” Enticed by her challenge, Anthony thrusted the stone: Maylene briefly bent her head back before slamming it into and shattering it. “Whoa! You’re an earthbender, too!”
“Not really. I practice Earth Sumo Style. I may noy be a bender, but I’m hewn from rock!”
“Then let’s see how long you hold up against me!”
“An actual earthbender from Earth!” Roxanne perked up. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”
“You don’t really strike me as the fighter type.” Tom said.
“Nah, she’s just a rock nerd.” Flannery remarked.
“No, I am a scholar.”
“What about you, hotstuff?”
“I’m a lavabender.” Tom answered.
“Oh, really? I live near a volcano myself. Mind if I match Mag against you?” She summoned her Magcargo, a snail Pokémon made of lava with a stone shell.
“You’re on!”
Penny had gathered her friends, Arven and Nemona in a private “cavern” within the playground. Dot was there as well. “So… the truth is… I’ve been feeding information to Team Rocket.”
“Huh/What?!” they gasped in unison.
“N-Not anymore though! But I…I convinced them to go easy on our captured classmates if I told them where our secret bases were. I never mentioned this one though. But I… it’s because of me you were attacked out at sea. Because I told them about the Firstborn. I-I was just trying to…” She shut her eyes and her lips quivered.
Penny felt Nemona’s strong arms embrace her. “Look, you were only thinking of our friends. What’s done is done.”
“I…I don’t know what to say right now.” Arven said. “After all Team Rocket has done to us, you were…”
“I’m sorry…”
“Sigh, we’ll have another talk about it later.” Nemona released. “All I know is I have another reason to punch Team Rocket’s jaws out!” She fist-palmed.
“Yeah, Penny.” Dot rested a hand on her shoulder. “They’ll be fine. …Wanna do a stream with me later?”
“Mmm.” Penny softly nodded.
A strange neighborhood
“Huh?” Kieran woke up in the living room of an unfamiliar house. “…?!” His first instinct was to grab his Pokéballs, but they were absent. He ran out into the dining room and found some uneaten cake… but when he tapped it, he realized it was plastic. The Blueberry Champion rushed out in a panic, finding more of his fellow Elite Agents. “Hey! Where are we?!”
“I have no idea.” Leon said. “I know those kids knocked me out, but after that…”
“A town specially built to contain us?” Acerola smiled. “How eerie~”
“LEON!” A booming voice suddenly rumbled the town. “IT’S YOU!”
“?!” Kieran whipped his gaze skyward. “AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Several gargantuan heads were looming above the town.
The shrunken agents were in a playset on a table. “Hop!” Marnie cupped a hand over a dark-skinned boy’s mouth. Hop wore a blue coat and had dark-bluish-purple hair. “Not so loud, you’ll make them pop.”
“S-Sorry. I’m just so glad to… Leon, you remember me, right?”
“Of course I do!” Leon shouted up. “You’re my little brother! …Er, technically speaking.”
“Yeah! And you fought off the agents so I could get away! I can’t believe they did this to you…”
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO US?!” Kieran shouted.
“SETTLE DOWN, LITTLE BRO!” Carmine’s voice shook the playset next. “You’ll stay like this until we can get those helmets off you!”
“And don’t worry.” Tapu Lele assured. “I can change you back just as easily afterward. Though, consider this divine punishment for enslaving us.”
“This is a pretty nice playset though.” Sunni said to Sabrina, a woman with dark-green hair and a red outfit. “You make it yourself?”
“I did. I once used it to trap failed gym challengers.”
“Uh…you did?”
“I learned how to transfer their consciousnesses into dolls. I don’t do it anymore. …I could teach you how, if you want.” Sabrina’s hands shone with psychic.
“Uhhhh…just make sure they don’t escape.” And Sunni scooted away.
The Ultra Guardians, along with Manaphy Tapu Fini, were approached by a short girl with black hair in thick pigtails. She wore a purple hood and a dirt-yellow archaeologist suit. Her gray eyes were rather wide-open and vertical. “You have my deepest gratitude for rescuing the deities. Especially you… Prince Manaphy.” She bowed.
“Come on,” Manaphy blushed, “you don’t need to do that, Miss…?”
“Hapu.” She rose. “Poni Island Kahuna.”
“Alola, Hapu!”
“If I may ask… under recent circumstances, you will become the new Sea King, correct?”
“Oh…well, pretty much.” Manaphy frowned.
“There is a legend told on my island.” This sparked a blush out of Fini. “A legend that, one day, the Sea King would wed to-”
“HEEEEY, HEEEEY!” Fini outburst. “No need to bore him with old stories, right, hahahahahaha!”
“But, Tapu Fini, this is a legend passed down from yourself-”
“Manaphy, let’s go play on the swings!” Fini dragged him off.
Karin Kurosaki found a small skate park where a roller-blader was gliding about as she dueled her own Lucario with swift kicks. She had a blonde ponytail and two bangs sticking from her helmet, wearing black shorts, but mostly white and light-red attire. “YO!” Karin caught her attention. “Hit me up with an extra pair and I’ll train with ya!”
“Mmm!” The girl perked up in intrigue. “Okay! There’s a rack over there!”
Karin went to put on a pair of skates her size, along with a helmet. She found her way onto the ramps and would soon be trading kicks with the blonde girl. “Name’s Karin.”
“Wow, I’m Korrina!”
“Hah, no foolin’!” Karin flew down a ramp and attempted a cartwheel attack, but stumbled slightly as Korrina kicked her in the hip.
“Have you ever done this before?”
“I only try it out once in a while. We actually have a girl on Earth ’does the same thing, so I spar with her sometimes. It’s a good way to master balance though!”
“I agree! You’re getting the hang of it, at least!”
Lillie and Gladion were looking over their mother in a medical room. A Nurse Joy was treating Lusamine to medicine the kids had collected from Aether Paradise. Since they had dealt with Nihilegos before, Aether had medicines designed for their neurotoxins. “Well, the good news is she’ll be fairly stable for now.” Joy said. “Unfortunately… a lot of her nerves have shut down. She might not be able to move her arms or legs.”
“Oh, my…” Lillie cupped her mouth.
“It’s all Faba’s fault…” Gladion’s hand trembled. “Next time I see him, I’m gonna…!”
Lillie took his hand in both of hers. “He’ll answer for his crimes. We’ll make sure of it… together.”
“Rocket fools keep blastin’ off! Chokin’ stardust, they hack and cough!”
“What goes up just comes down! Plow those fools into the ground!”
Harry Gilligan was rapping a duet with an elderly dark-skinned lady, wearing a black backwards cap and dress, along with a golden cape and shoes. Hanging from the strap of her cap was a thick braid of white hair, shaped like a hand at the end.
“The fumes in their ugly Meowth balloon, stink the wrong side of a baboon!”
“Nah, nah, I know baboons better than that. But it sure sells their motto flat! Why ain’t they called Team Balloon, I mean, drat!”
Sunni couldn’t help but cringe. “There’s something about old ladies trying to be ‘hip’ that just makes your skin crawl.” Especially when Harry tried to be hip with one.
“Yeah, Ryme’s songs can be a little silly.” Sunni found a photographer next to her, focusing a camera on the rappers. She had sandy-blonde hair, minty-green cargo shorts, and a white top. “But she brings us smiles!”
“Nothing wrong with that. …Cool camera.”
“Thanks! You like photography?”
“I dunno, I…I kinda thought about it lately. I’ve been in a mental rut.”
“Well, give it a try! It’s a good way to clear your head.”
“Yeah, I might. …I’m Sunni.”
“Viola!”
“Alright, Granny, that’s a rap!” A rock-and-roll girl’s voice shouted from a stage. She was Gym Leader Roxie, her white hair done up in a spiked ponytail, with a large purple- and blue-striped sweater and black boots. Roxie held a black guitar while Marnie was at the microphone. Sugar and Meloetta were there was backup dancers. “Marnie, let’s give ’em a REAL song!”
“No time to question my moves! I stick to the path that I choose! Me and my friends are gonna do it right, You’ll never see us run away from a fight! To be a Master is my dream… All I’ve got to do is believe-”
“And I believe!” Sugar and Meloetta sang.
“I’m on a Master Quest (Master Quest!) I want the whole world to see (And I believe!) I’m gonna be the very best, ’cause all I’ve got to do is believe in me!”
Ikuyim found a room with a rock-climbing wall; albeit it was only made of cardboard and plastic. A dark-skinned boy was climbing up and around it with swift motion. Some of the colored rock-handles retracted in and out. He wore a black shirt and gray pants, and his pointed dark-gray hair looked like a mass of rock with colored gems inside it. “All right!” Ikuyim exclaimed. “I love rock climbing!”
“Huh?” The boy turned down. “Well, feel free to-” The rock he was holding went in. “Wuh-oh! Ah!” He was struggling to balance on one foot against a rock. “YAAAAH!” But even that rock went in, causing him to drop.
“WHOOPS!” Ikuyim grabbed his hand, her feet planted on separate rocks. “Didn’t mean to distract you!”
“How did you get up here that fast?!”
“Oh, I had a lot of practice! Even without my earthbending! Plus, this is a pretty simple wall, anyway.”
“Hehe. I have a better one at my gym… but that’s kinda far away now. I’m Grant!”
“Ikuyim!”
Kirie made friends with Valerie, an Asian girl with wide, almost bug-like gray eyes and long black hair. Most prominently, she wore an elegant pink and yellow dress with very wide, oversized sleeves, and purple wing-like headpieces. One time, I was sort of a fairy myself! Kirie signed. I turned into a butterfly on Halloween!
“Fascinating!” Valerie said. “You would look lovely as a butterfly! Might we have time to weave an outfit for you?”
Sure!
Ash had joined Cheren in walking around the playground, delighted by the mini friendships that were developing. Yuzu was working with Cilan, a light-green-haired boy, in the kitchen. Brock would later join them, albeit whimpering as his ears were swelled. Aurora was talking fashion choices with Bianca; from far away, they almost looked like sisters. Melody and Nessa were complimenting each other’s thinness.
“Cheren?”
“Yeah?”
Ash raised a fist. “Let’s do our best for each other!”
“Mm!” Cheren knuckle-touched.
Mobius
The flames had quelled. Towns and forests were in ruins, but all Rocket Agents and rampaging Pokémon were detained. No civilian lives were lost… but two more of the Ace Operatives, Elm and Marrow, didn’t survive the battle. Clover supported Harriet, her left leg having been ripped off, as they returned to Winter and Chancellor Yorkshire.
The Mobian leader offered her condolences. “Thanks to you… thousands of innocent lives were saved. I can’t thank you enough… and I will bring you back to Coruscant.”
“…You’re very kind… Chancellor…” Clover panted. “But Coruscant wasn’t the world we died for today… and we’re in no condition to return to battle. We’ll just end up listening to them rag on about the ‘traitorous Mobians’ or some kind of crap… I think… we’ll stay here a while… so long as you give my men a proper funeral.”
“…I will.”
Spiral Hill
The Diamond Cutters returned to their village on a calm and peaceful night. “Guys!” Belle the Tinkerer and Jewel the Beetle raced out to meet them.
“Heya, besties!” Tangle wrapped them in a tail hug. “I see the hill is still standing strong!”
“Team Rocket didn’t seem to think it was worth attacking.” Belle said. “But the ARK needed some backup, so I moved up there.”
“Would you believe Team Rocket had their own insect robots?” Jewel asked.
“’Guess even Eggman’s friends are unoriginal.” Lanolin remarked. “But, any problems on you guys’ end?”
“Well, I realized I just don’t get along with other gray simians.” Tangle shrugged. “But it was great to meet those guys from Earth again!”
“Mmm.” Whisper nodded. “Shame they couldn’t stick around. But nice of them to clean up.”
Sector W7 had loaded several captured agents aboard the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. and carried them beyond the world’s atmosphere.
“Look on the bright side.” Tangle wrapped an arm and tail around the wolf. “That means we get some alone time.”
“Tangle…” Whisper blushed.
“Alright, you’re staying in your house tonight.” Lanolin said.
The five friends proceeded up the path to the village. “…?!” Whisper felt a chill. The dreadful feeling of a threat staring at her back. She whipped around, mask down and Wispon drawn. She skimmed around the outside field.
“…Whisper?” Tangle turned back in worry.
“…Thought I heard something.” Whisper returned forward—“HUU-!” A two-tailed imp with a dark-pink head appeared before her: the Reborn, Tirpsem.
“WHISPER!” Tangle grabbed the imp in her tail and pinned her down. “The heck are… you…” The passion and conviction left the lemur’s irises.
“Tangle!” Once Whisper caught on to this, she shot a Cyan Laser at the imp’s head. Tirpsem escaped Tangle’s grasp and flew into the village.
“That must be another Pokémon!” Lanolin rushed after it. Jewel and Belle turned to their friend in concern.
“Tangle, are you alright?!”
“…” Tangle met her girlfriend’s eyes with a droll stare. “I am fine, Whisper. Nothing ails me.”
“…What?”
“WHEEEEE. WHEEEEE.” Tirpsem was excitedly swinging around a lamp post by her tails. The townsfolk peeked out of their windows in fear. “Woooooooo.” She began running and hopping around rooftops.
“Is that thing mimicking Tangle?!” Lanolin threw small Music Balls from her Wispon, but the Reborn was quick to evade them.
“Whisper,” Jewel began, “that thing just now… looked like the Emotion Goddess, MRPSICK. …Goodness, that rolled off the tongue wrong.”
“Jeepers, are you serious?” Belle asked.
“Tangle, do you feel anything?”
“I feel fatigue from today’s battles. Nothing is imperatively wrong.”
“No, Tangle!” Whisper grabbed her hands. “Do you… What are your favorite things, Tangle? What do you love most?”
“…I am duty bound to defend this world from those that would do it harm.”
“What about US, Tangle?! What about me?!”
“…You are a very reliable partner, Whisper. As are our other associates.”
Whisper choked. She once used that same phrase about Tangle… concealing her budding emotions. “…” With anger in her pupils, Whisper turned toward the village.
Unfortunately, Tirpsem already fled.
Brave Olivine ; Kanto Skies
“HEY, POKÉTUBERS! Nidothing on the screen!” Another livestream began with the Internet’s favorite mascot. “And with me today is another special guest! Iiiiiit’s Cassiopeia!” The camera panned to a white-cloaked figure in a mask.
“Hello.” Cassiopeia waved dryly.
But on a different ship
“Augustus! Augustus!” Cassiopea tugged on her cousin’s pant leg. “Someone’s ripping off my look!”
“Hmm… Welp, looks like we’re paying a visit to Planet Poké later.”
Back to Poké
“And today is the day we take back our planet or die trying! We’ve got the best trainers from around the world and the best operatives from off-world! Nothing’s gonna stop us now!”
“Team Rocket… this message goes directly to you. For all the pain you’ve caused our world… you will pay for it all.”
The wind brushed their faces. It was a feeling they all felt when they first set off on their journeys… the anxiety and determination. As the trainers and operatives sailed beneath a twilight sky, Team Rocket’s floating palace rose into view. It seemed to be close to Viridian City. Fi jumped out of the Master Sword. “Master, there is a 55% probability that Miyuki is located within that compound. But be advised that I feel numerous presences of tremendous chi forces… some equivalent to Firstborn and one unknown. (By which I do not mean the Pokémon Unown.)”
“I expect Team Rocket to give us a ball of a time.”
After finishing the stream, Penny met with Carol as they crammed Vanellope and Porygon into an email to be sent to Giovanni. “So, that Cassiopeia in the video was actually you…” Carol deduced. “So, that mascot person is someone among us?”
“Not important. But Giovanni may be just pissed enough to open this email. You sure this Program will be able to break into his network from there?”
“There are reasons you shouldn’t open spam email. Vanellope will see to that.”
“Heads up, guys!” Friede alerted. “They’ve sent the BALLOONS!”
A fleet of balloons, resembling several kinds of Pokémon, came floating out of the castle. Rocket Agents were hollering out as they released actual Pokémon. “They really DO like balloons more than rockets!” Harry said.
“Good thing Jerome isn’t here.” Nebula remarked, knowing her brother wasn’t a fan of balloons.
“Trainers, get ready to battle!” Ash declared.
“Kids Next Door, BATTLE STATIONS!” Cheren kicked off his ship and flapped open his Pirate Sail. (Play “Poké Floats” from Smash Melee!)
Act 16: Poké Floats
Cheren landed on the head of a Squirtle balloon. The Rocket Agents below sent Feraligatrs up onto the balloon’s hands. The bipedal reptiles spat Water Guns, but Cheren ducked before throwing his Hylian Shield at the left one and a Skyward Strike at the right. Cheren jumped and slammed the Squirtle’s head, causing it to squirt out a balloon gush of water. Cheren hitched a ride on it as it was about to fly through some Comfey balloons. However, Spinaraks formed webs between the ring-shaped balloons, so Cheren shot Fire Arrows to get through. The balloon-water flew into the mouth of a Pelipper balloon, where a Mega Golduck ambushed him from its throat. The psychic blue duck enforced Amnesia, giving Cheren a headache.
Come on, don’t let a duck be the end of you, dude. Cheren heard Sunni’s voice through telepathy. Her own psychic nullified the headache, and he would deal Golduck a headache of its own with Shield Bashes. Golduck’s head swelled with aggravation as its psychic caused the Pelipper balloon to POP! Cheren flapped open his sail as the outburst of air blew him toward a Seel balloon. A stairway of Drifloon balloons descended diagonally and would pop against the Seel’s horn. (And when they did, the agents riding them were left to plummet. Oh well.) Cheren had to jump his way up before they would all pop, and from the highest one, he Hookshot to a Sudowoodo balloon (thankfully with a wooden exterior).
Up above, several Bonsly were being dropped on the branches, weighing Sudowoodo down. Cheren Hookshot his way up the bark until he was on Sudowoodo’s antenna. From there, a series of Unown balloons would pass by. Cheren jumped and alternated between them, until eventually, a C-shaped Unown flew from the opposite direction, heading closer to the castle. Cheren had to jump Porygon balloons along the way, until one of them rammed the Unown, forcing him to glide onto a Lickitung balloon. Three Tangelas appeared and stretched their wriggly vine-hair all around Cheren, but he would sever them with rapid, multi-directional slashes.
The Tangelas cried and jumped off Lickitung… but Cheren noticed a fourth one remaining. “Hey!” It flinched as he aimed his sword. “If you wanna keep your hair, tickle this Lickitung!” The Pokémon obeyed and tickled the balloon.
“Why are ya telling it to do that?!” Panini called.
“I learned about this in one of the games.” And as Cheren expected, the Lickitung began to stick its tongue out. He used it as a bridge to cross over to a Slowpoke balloon, but along the way, Chancey balloons hovered above and dropped eggs that would cause the tongue to bend and wave, throwing off his balance. Cheren used his shield to bash away those eggs until the tongue reached Slowpoke. In fact, it would insert itself into its mouth.
The contact was making Slowpoke aroused… so much that its horizontal tail was twitching. Cheren ran onto the tip of the tail, just in time for it to fling straight up, catapulting him onto a Weezing balloon. This balloon would glide toward the castle, and Cheren could shift it left and right by hopping to either of its heads. A Goldeen balloon suddenly popped up and poked the Weezing, causing a cloud of poison gas to leak out. Cheren held his breath as the balloon kept going, but as more Goldeens popped up, Cheren shifted Weezing in evasion of their points.
Eventually, the leaking gas caused Weezing to slow down and deflate… but a Wobbuffet balloon popped up, so Cheren quickly jumped to it. He saw another one rise about 30 feet away, too far for his glider to make it. “Master,” Fi spoke, “I can sense a unique chi around these balloons designed to repel attacks. I detect they are made with 35% Wobbuffet cells.”
“Really? That’s strange. But useful!” Cheren flipped and planted the Hylian Shield at his feet. He would bash the shield against the Wobbuffet as its Counter force repelled him to the air like a spring. At this height, he could glide to the next Wobbuffet. He saw a big Snowlax balloon appear even further away, so he relied on Wobbuffet’s Counter to send him flying with extra momentum! Landing on Snowlax’s bouncy belly, he was practically at the castle’s elevated pavilion.
Cheren turned back, delighted by the sight of dozens of popping balloons. “We’ll be back in time for an evening snack at this rate! Whuh?!” The castle was enveloped in a dense barrier of energy. It was accompanied by familiar fanfare. (Play “Team Rocket Motto” from Pokémon!)
“Prepare for trouble, my you’ve come so far!” Jessie’s voice echoed.
“Make it quadruple, you must feel like a star.” James followed.
“You twerps should’ve retired by now!” Cassidy added.
“It took you 10 years just to get to Third Gen? Wow!” Butch taunted.
Cheren groaned. The four agents rose atop a high balcony. “Listen. Is that a voice I hear?” Jessie asked.
“It’s speaking to me loud and clear.” James followed.
“A shrieking wine! A blast from the past!” Cassidy cheered.
“Spinning like a Gyro Ball and moving fast!” Butch proceeded.
“To the moon!”
“And beyond!”
“WHAT A BLAST!”
“An evil as old as the galaxy!” Jessie sang.
“Sent here to fulfill our destiny.” James followed.
“To denounce the evils of Kids Next Door!” Cassidy said.
“To keep your reign from becoming a bore!” Butch sneered.
“The beauty so radiant, the flowers and moon hide in shame. A single flower of evil in this fleeting world: JESSIE!”
“The nobly heroic man of our times! The master of darkness fighting back against a tragic world! JAMES!”
“Administering justice with lightning speed! Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future! CASSIDY!”
“Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe! And carving our names in the Rock of Eternity! B-”
“BILL CLINTON!” Cheren shouted.
“IT’S BUUUUUUUUUUUTCH!”
“Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!” Jessie.
“Surrender now or prepare to fight!” James.
“Whenever there’s peace in the universe…” Cassidy.
“Team Rocket will be there…” Butch.
“TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE!”
Finally, their Pokémon took the stage. “MEOWTH! Here’s our last verse!”
The other Pokémon chorused, “Wobbuffet!/Chiiiiiime~/Mime-Mime/Raticate!/Shuck-uckle!”
“HNNNHH!” Cheren was spending most of that motto trying to slash through the barrier.
“Let me try!” Wendy landed on the Snorlax and cast spells against the barrier. “It’s not working?!”
“You’ll have a hard time breaking this one, twerps!” Jessie said.
“We used the best dark magic and holo-technology had to offer.” James followed.
“And by the time you do, we’ll be ready for the REAL show!” Butch said.
“’ey! Cheren!” Panini called. “We got another situation!”
The shadows of Team Rocket’s Pokémon began to rise from the surface. “It’s just like before!” Diwata exclaimed. “Dillon, MIDUMB must be nearby!”
“I’m not sorry we brought all this firepower now!” Hilda said.
“Yeah, well two can play at this game!” Dillon stretched his Logia body around to grab the shadows of his allies. “Fybi, can you make a cloud around the sun? I mean, the Pokémon seem fine, but just in case…” Normally, people couldn’t survive in sunlight without their shadows.
“Dillon, methinks nature hast already got us covered.” Dark-red clouds began to form against the horizon.
“Those clouds aren’t natural.” Captain Friede said. “They… look like the clouds that Dynamax Pokémon have.”
Inside the castle
The sight of the invasion caused Giovanni’s temples to swell. He hoped the KND would be a little more scattered between the planets, but there were too many high-level threats at his doorstep. “We just need a few more minutes until Eternatus is ready. Huh?” He received an email from Cassiopeia. “You have quite the nerve messaging me after that video. What could you possibly-” He clicked it open—PORYGON BEGAN FLASHING ON HIS SCREEN! “AAAAAAHHH!”
“Heheheheheh!” Vanellope and Mr. Game-and-Watch slipped in unnoticed against the flashing. “Let’s breach us a way out of here!” She dealt a Lickety-Split Kick against the “wall” and broke open a rift. “There’s the security network! Let’s see if we find something useful!” (Play “Temple Core” from Frogun!)
Act 17: Pokémon Palace
Vanellope and Gamen were in a dark-bluish cyberspace full of giant red R’s and Persian balloons. They platformed three balloons to a large foothold, where shooting stars crashed and became digital Omastars. They curled up and rolled with their spiked shells, but Vanellope glitched around erratically, duplicating a dozen pairs of boots that would kick the Omastars off the platform. There were pairs of floating posts on the way up to the next platform: Game-and-Watch jumped ahead and linked 2D tightropes between the posts. Vanellope could bounce on them in repetition until she had enough force to spring higher, though Mirage Kabutops ambushed her on some. One of them seemed to behead her with its blade, but her body only glitched out of existence for a moment before it reappeared to kick Kabuto upside the head.
Vanellope reached the platform: it had a generator designed like the castle, with a barrier around it. “Well, this looks important. Time for some property damage!” Vanellope hacked herself into the device and glitchified it.
“Boss! I’m picking up a virus in the shield system!”
“Well, what do I pay you for, Mirage Master?! Have your Programs stop it! And make sure they’re downloaded in the castle, too!”
Vanellope would have to cross a bridge guarded by Mirage Aggrons. Chunks of her body would grow pixelly as she gigantified, large enough to kick the Aggrons off like oversized dolls. There was a Machamp at the end of the bridge, and the next platform was far away. Vanel shrank herself to normal size as Gamen restrained Machamp, allowing Vanel to glitch into it like a parasite and tweak its orders. The Machamp stationed itself with all four of its hands held down: Vanel jumped in its hands as Machamp catapulted her to the platform.
Vanellope was then faced with a half-octagonal sloped path made of multiple tiles. Sandy Shocks (ancient Magnetons) were rapidly stepping around the tiles and electrifying them, leaving Vanel split seconds to search for clear tiles. Thankfully, reacting in split seconds is something she did best, so she was able to glitch-platform up the safe tiles. Vanellope reached a platform with another generator, hacking into it.
Outside, the operatives were in awe as the barrier fizzled out of existence. “AAAAHH!” The Rocket Agents panicked.
“Hey, what’s goin’ on in dere?!” Meowth asked.
“All troops, get into position!” Butch ordered as they rushed inside.
“Trainers, get ready to storm the castle!” Ash ordered. “Our friends have us covered outside!”
Cheren glid to the castle’s pavilion, watching as several trainers flung their selves over to join him. “We’re finally gonna beat Team Rocket!” Roy cheered, joined by Liko and Dot. “You guys ready?!”
“Yeah.” Dot firmly brushed back her hair, exposing her resolved purple eyes. “Mental switch… ON. Quaxwell, Tinkatuff, let’s GIVE ’EM HECK!” She freed both her Pokémon and Terastalized them.
“We’re not holding anything back!” Roy freed his Pokémon, Terastalizing his Crocalor and Mega Evolving Lucario.
Sunni carried Panini and Hilda to Cheren. “Let’s go.” Hilda said. “I’m ready to finish this battle.”
“Yeah. For everyone.” Sunni affirmed. “Including Darcy.”
The first corridor of the palace was full of light plates that were spawning solid holographic Pokémon. This was on top of Team Rocket’s enhanced ones, along with their sentient shadows. “Hey, those are Mirage Pokémon!” Misty exclaimed. “Dr. Yung is here?!”
“OW!” Sunni was kicked by a Mirage Hitmontop. “They sure don’t FEEL like mirages!”
“You mean Team Rocket can just ‘download’ Pokémon, too?!” Panini asked.
“Yeah, but Programs are fragile.” Penny said. “They can be tampered with!”
“Let’s rip some of these plates open and make them work for us!” Dot suggested.
Cheren’s group found a stairwell that would overlook a room with dozens of waterfalls pouring from the ceiling into a large pool. Magikarps and Seakings were shooting up the lengths of the falls before descending. Cheren used Ice Arrows to freeze each fall and the fish inside them. The Magikarps made good platforms to glide between, but not the spike-topped Seakings. They reached a door leading to a corridor full of knight’s statues and crossed swords on the wall. The swords—Doublades—came to life and struck, but were no match to Cheren’s enhanced Haki.
An Aegislash—a golden sword and shield—was guarding the exit. Cheren struck it, but its King’s Shield skill was impenetrable. “Oh, yeah?” Cheren channeled Haki and applied Zacian’s Behemoth Blade skill, powerful enough to break the King’s Shield and K.O. Aegislash. “The Aegises on Mira slash better than you.”
The following room was a treasury. “Oooooo!” They were awed by the piles of gold in the room. The next door was sealed by a magic symbol, indicating they needed to beat one enemy. Cheren and Sunni didn’t sense anything, so it must’ve been concealing its chi.
“It has to be a Gholdengo.” Hilda suggested. “That’s the only Pokémon that could blend in here so well.”
“OI SMELL TREASAH!” Sheila Frantic suddenly burst into the room. “Drinks are on me tonight, mates!” She swiftly began to scoop all the gold into her Infi-Cube. As she dug into a pile, “WHOA!” a mass of coins came to life in a vaguely humanoid shape with a black belt with a chest. The Gholdengo fled from her in panic, but Sheila tackled the Coin Entity like a predator and wrestled until it passed out.
“Uh, thanks, Sheila.” Sunni said as they were free to proceed. They passed a corridor leading to a walkway, overlooking an outdoor stadium. There was a single Jigglypuff standing in the center of it. As dark-red storm clouds loomed in the sky, the Jigglypuff began to grow in size.
“Oh, crud! RUN, GUYS!” Cheren screamed. The walkway curved around to the other side, but they had to fight their way past a Perrserker, Miltank, and Bouffalant all attempting to push them further back. The swelling Jigglypuff threatened to press against the walkway. Luckily, they reached the end and kept running by the time it did… and Jigglypuff passed asleep. While it seemed unimpactful and anticlimactic, in reality, Jigglypuff releases a tremendous outburst of chi the millisecond it passes out. Anyone touching it would be sent flying. Now that it was asleep, Cheren and Sunni worked together to K.O. it for good measure.
A stairwell curved left onto a palace roof; a giant boxing arena lit with torches. An Incineroar was the only occupant… but the smirking feline would be touched by the red “snow” and Dynamax. “ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!”
“Ahhhhh…” Hilda stumbled back before the terrifying titan. She truly wanted to face this battle bravely… but she still felt powerless.
“T-T-T-Tepig…” Her little Pokémon shuddered. “Te…pig?” A red flurry touched its nose. “TEP!” Feeling power coursing through it, Tepig ran a safe distance from the humans.
“Tepig!” Hilda called. “AAAH!” The little piggy Dynamaxed close to Incineroar’s size.
“Huh?! Scorbunny?!” Panini’s own Pokémon was flaring red. “EEEEK!” And in a moment, the humans were standing between its enormous paws.
“SCORBUNNYYYYYYY!” The rabbit felt a rush of confidence and power!
“EEEEEEEE!” Scorbunny raised a foot and craned its head to look down at its tiny master. “My little Scorbunny! So big, tough, and fluffy! KICK ITS TEETH IN!”
“BUNNYYYY!” The giant leapt and kicked Incineroar in the teeth. The feline hissed and grabbed its ankle, spinning and aiming to smash Tepig.
“TEPIG, DODGE!” Hilda ordered. The colossal pig did. “Use Heat Crash!” Tepig tackled Incineroar with a flaming body.
“Scorbunny, get underneath it and use Bounce!” Panini ordered. Scorbunny swiftly slipped underneath the feline, thrusted its leg up for a kick as it flew into the air, then stamped down powerfully on Incineroar’s head. Tepig sealed the deal with a Head Smash.
“All right!” Hilda ran up to her Pokémon as it bowed his head, allowing her to hug its nose. “You were amazing, Tepig!” (“TEPIG!”)
“Man, I wish we could Dynamax, too, Cheren!” Panini said. “Me and Scorbunny STEPPIN’ on Team Rocket with our fiery feet!”
“If only I had a magic mask that could do that.” Cheren eye-rolled. “But… it doesn’t seem like they’re shrinking down.”
“We need to stop whatever’s making these clouds!” Hilda said.
“I’m sure we’ll find the answer up there…” Cheren led his friends up a stairway tower the highest tower.
In the castle’s cloning facility, the Ultra Guardians and Gladion confronted Professor Faba, Giovanni’s secretary Matori, and a muscular eyepatch agent called Gozu. “Faba!” Gladion shouted. “Our mother is a vegetable because of you now! Are you proud of yourself?!”
“It was her own fault for still being so fixated on Ultra Beasts! Besides, I can take her research to far greater heights than she ever could. Giovanni shared with me the wonders of the First Dimension. So, imagine what Pokémon we could find out there?! Too bad you won’t be around to see it!”
“The Aether Foundation will NEVER belong to you!” Lillie vowed.
Penny and her friends found the prison hold, where dozens of aspiring trainers sat helpless. They perked up in hope, seeing some familiar faces. “Juliana!” Penny planted her hands to the barrier wall. A girl with a blue hat and small ponytail rose and did the same, meeting each other’s relieved gazes.
“Yes, they’re all okay.” A man’s voice spoke. He was a gray-suited man with a smooth beard and mustache. “Can’t let such young talent go to waste.”
“Chairman Rose?!”
“The heck are you doing here?!” Nemona asked.
“Don’t tell me YOU were in league with Team Rocket, too?!” Arven asked.
“Our world was doomed to be taken over eventually. It’s better to adapt than to fall. Besides, with Team Rocket’s resources, Pokémon have grown stronger than ever. Our world will be strong enough to survive. So, my niece…” He extended a hand to Penny. “Won’t you join the winning team?”
“…” Penny but her lip and looked down. Arven and Juliana turned to her in empathy… while Nemona stomped forward fiercely. “Free these trainers! ’Cause believe me, I don’t need my Pokémon to battle YOU!”
A Klefki hovered beside him. “Then by all means, come get me.” Rose retreated into an elevator that moved up in a split second.
“HEY!” Nemona furiously mashed the Down button. The elevator returned, empty, as they piled in. It brought them to a stadium, “?!” face-to-face with a Gouging Fire (an ancient Entei with a tall, spiked gold crown) and Raging Bolt (ancient Raikou with a tall, giraffe-like neck and purple cloud mane).
“I’m sorry, Penny, but we’ve come too far to give up now.” Rose was standing behind a brainwashed Elite with sleek black clothes and a matching curtain of hair with blue highlights. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
“Hello, Nemona.” The Elite greeted. “I hope I can provide a good match for you.”
“Chairwoman Geeta?!”
“Hey, guys! Need some help?!” They looked up as Bea and the Galar Gym Leaders slid down the stadium slope.
“Glad to have it!” Arven said.
“Chairman Rose!” Nessa fixed her gaze. “I should’ve known you were the type to sell out to Team Rocket!”
“Well, Nessa, it’s not like your modeling has raked in many profits lately. You’re lucky I allowed your little group to take refuge in that shabby little town.”
“Hmph.” Marnie huffed. “On the bright side, Spikemuth became a community where we could all band together!”
Cassidy looked down upon May and Clemont from the head of her Dynamaxed Raticate, and Butch on the head of his Shuckle. “Look at you twerps cowering in your pants.” Butch sneered.
“At least I won’t be hiding with my Shuckle in its shell, Bill Cosby!” Clemont retorted.
“IT’S BUTCH!”
“Alright, Raticate, use-”
“DENNEEEEEE!”
“UWAAAAAH!” The agents panicked as a giant Dedenne pounced into the arena, tackling Raticate.
“YEAH!” Bonnie cheered, riding the titan mouse’s head with Max frightfully hugging her waist. “You got ’em, Dedenne!”
“Bonnie, don’t raise your arms!” Max yelled. “Hold onto its fur!”
“Haha, hold on yourself, Max!”
“MAX/BONNIE, I told you to stay at the playground!” May and Clemont yelled.
“It was Bonnie’s idea to stow away!”
“YOU thought of the strategy, Max!”
Jessie and James faced off against Ash, Misty, and Brock. “You know, we’ve messed with you twerps for so long, it’s almost romantic.” James said. “True, we had an affair with those KND for a while, but they were never quite the same.”
“’Course, in the old timeline, we was stuck with those Thirteen guys.” Meowth said. “Ah, but good friends come and go… Now it’s the same with you.” He wiped an imaginary tear.
“It’s funny, Team Rocket… you were there at practically the start of my journey.” Ash said. “Just like Misty and Brock… seeing you every other day felt so natural. I couldn’t even hate you, anymore. But even if you take over the whole universe… we’ll always send you blasting off.”
“Partings are bittersweet, twerp.” Jessie withdrew her Pokéballs. “But sometimes, the only way to grow is to cut ties. So, show us how far that Pikachu has COME!” They freed all their Pokémon at once.
“If that’s how you wanna play, then…” Misty did the same.
“It’s all-out war!” As did Brock and Ash. (End song.)
Cheren and Sunni reached the top of the tower. “THERE you are!” Cheren yelled. “Giovanni!”
“Heh heh.” The orange-suited president smirked. “Cheren Uno. Sunni Chariton. It’s a pity we never had a chance to meet before.”
“I’ll say. You’ve been on our Unfinished Business List since the Seven Lights Quest. What kind of clown show you got goin’ up here?” Cheren raised a brow at the giant red and dark-blue orb behind Giovanni. It had cords attached to fiery and icy capsules.
“Master. I am sensing the familiar presence of the Newborn within those containers. It appears their energy is being used to nurture the presence inside that egg.”
“Indeed.” Giovanni said. “Do you know of Galar’s Darkest Day? Three thousand years ago, a colossal being emerged on the continent and covered it with dark clouds. Clouds which forced Pokémon to grow gigantic, leading to mass devastation.”
“Eternatus…”
“Just what makes you think you can control that thing?!” Sunni shouted.
“Well, Eternatus will have the mentality of an infant. Guiding it will be easy… especially with another infant’s mind to assist me.”
A light-purple cat flew out from behind the egg. “MEWNICIPAL?!”
“Yes, Sunni…” Giovanni scratched beneath its chin. “Your Firstborn has taken a liking to me. What a pity to be made obsolete.”
The furious Filipino threw a giant Psy-Sphere, but Giovanni smacked it away himself. The operatives gawked. “Heheheheheheh…” A purple tail grew from him. Giovanni’s skin turned white, his hands morphed into three fingers, his feet longer with two toes, and two necks.
“Mew…two?!”
“A year ago, I hired CP0 to kill Mewtwo. (In fact, he was done in by the black hedgehog.) I had him converted into a Devil Fruit… and with his powerful psychicbending and Lord Gnaa’s Dark Chi, I developed the mind-control helmets!”
“You…you’re horrible…”
“And for some reason, we can say Mewtwo’s name, but not MINI’s.” Cheren remarked.
“After all these years… from the day Kaiba stole my place in the Corporate Presidents… from the Apocalypse to this war… this is the peak of my journey. I will win this battle… for the friends I have lost.”
Chapter 39: Poké Saga 10: Twilight Wings
Summary:
The final battle against Giovanni and the fate of the Pokémon World!
Chapter Text
Play “This is My World Now” from Pokémon: The First Movie!
Chapter 35: Twilight Wings
Boss fight: Giovanni
Giovanni sent Cheren and Sunni flying with a powerful pulse of psychic. He then conjured a powerful barrier around Eternatus’ egg. Sunni stopped both of them in the air, but Giovanni swiftly warped above and threw a Psy-Sphere onto the Filipino. She struggled to push against before sending the sphere off course, afterwards releasing Cheren to the roof for safety. “I’ll handle him!”
“Good!” Cheren smirked, running for Eternatus’ egg. “Then I’ll crack this yolk—whuh?!” A purple psychic barrier formed around it, as well as the Newborns’ containers. “YOU!” Wem was responsible. “Crud! Even if we cut through this thing, he’ll just push us back! Why…Why are you working for him?!”
Sunni conjured a hundred Psy-Spheres, but Giovanni formed a hundred more as they all made impact, shrouding the area with smoke. An army of Giovannis surrounded Sunni, diving at her in succession. Sunni used Aura Sense both to dodge the illusions and track the real one. She teleported behind him and sent him flying with the slap of a Psy-Hand.
“A trainer shouldn’t try to fight without Pokémon, how careless of me.” Giovanni summoned a Rhyhorn, which Dynamaxed under Eternatus’ cloud. Giovanni conjured psychic footholds for the giant rhino to charge at Sunni, who warped in evasion.
“I have Friends of my own, you know!” Sunni used the Creative License to summon Eduardo from Foster’s.
“Oh! Señorita Sunni! It has been so long since we—WAAAAAH!” The purple beast panicked at the incoming Rhyhorn, with Sunni helping him dodge.
“Focus, big man! I’ll give you the juice!” Sunni focused chi over Eduardo’s horns to extend them, complete with his own psychic floor. Eduardo charged and rammed the Rhyhorn with intense piercing force. Sunni then grabbed the massive creature with telekinesis and hauled it into Giovanni, who swiftly returned it to its Pokéball. Giovanni rapidly teleported around Sunni and thrusted Psy-Hands from multiple directions. Eduardo defended Sunni by ramming through each of them—until Giovanni fired a massive laser, burning through Eduardo’s horns. She quickly returned the Friend before throwing a sphere at Giovanni.
“Time to use one I collected from the Negaverse!” Giovanni released his next Pokémon—or should I say Nomékop—Yessilb. The Negative of Blissey was a light-purple, chubby creature with devil wings, carrying a rotten egg in her pouch. Yessilb fluttered to the sky as it Dynamaxed: the first egg it cracked open contained a nuclear missile. Sunni panicked, grabbed, and threw it at the monster, but Giovanni’s psychic had it U-turn back.
“COCO, I CHOOSE YOU!” Sunni summoned her next Friend, a palm tree-airplane-bird thing. Coco laid an egg, and Sunni contributed Psychic Chi to make it larger: it hatched into a bomb bunker, shielding them against the missile. Coco laid another egg that hatched a pan with boiling water. Since it was imaginary, Sunni could still expand it large enough to catch Yessilb’s next egg. Giovanni struggled to overturn the pan back onto his foes, but Sunni would use his momentum against him, turning the pan in his direction. The boiling water spilled out, while Yessilb’s egg hatched into a mashed potatoes. “AAAAAAGH!” The Team Rocket boss was smothered in an avalanche of potatoes and hot water.
Giovanni exploded the junk off him. “Useless devil!” He returned the Nomékop. “Can’t afford to hold back, anymore!” Giovanni whipped out a Mewtwonite Y stone. Absorbing its power, he Mega Evolved: a ring appeared over his head and his tail grew from the back of it, though his body shrank to 4’11”. Giovanni formed psychic rings around Sunni that would quickly close in attempt to slice her; though she reacted fast to dodge or warp out of them, they came in quick succession. One ring nearly managed to end her, just cutting the surface of her arms before she mustered the mental willpower to push it out.
Meanwhile, Ho-Oh was in battle with a Shadow Lugia that had ambushed the warzone. The rainbow bird burned the shadow in a spire of flames, but Dillon sensed a much smaller shadow escape from it. “THERE YOU ARE! MIDALIA!”
Andim searched around the warzone in fright; she needed to find another strong shadow to hide behind. She couldn’t just pick one of the KND; they were the ones she wanted to hide from. …But she saw a candidate in the form of Giovanni. Andim soared up to the Team Rocket leader and stretched his shadow into physical being. “What?!” Sunni gasped.
The shadow looked less like Giovanni and more like Mewtwo. However, as Andim took refuge inside it, the end of Shadow-Two’s tail turned a twilight-orange, and a shard of the same color appeared on its shoulder. “Sunni!” Dillon flew to her level. “That was her! And it looks like she just made a Twilight Shard!”
“Ha ha!” Giovanni laughed. “First MEE, and now MOOD? Seems your Firstborn have acknowledged me as the true Pokémon Master!” He and Shatwo combined chi to form a Psy-Twi Sphere. The explosion released a Shadow Shockwave—which compelled Shatwo to zip around and violently gnash Sunni and Dillon. The two fell a short distance before picking their selves back up. Dillon and Sunni combined chi to stretch Shade Arms toward them, and though Giovanni stopped it, he would be grabbed by dozens more Shade Arms originating from nowhere. They bent and cracked his limbs at several angles before Giovanni teleported from their grasp.
He used Shatwo to replicate the crushing rings technique, only this time with shade rings that only appeared around Sunni’s shadow. Dillon, better able to sense them, enveloped Sunni in his Logia body and swiftly slithered about the air to evade the crushing rings. “Being a Logia ain’t as fun when you’re dealing with God Chi!” Dillon said.
“No, but I know a Friend who’d go great with your bending!” Once they found a lull in the Shade Rings, Sunni was quick to summon Wilt, the red Imaginary with very long legs and one arm.
“Oh, hey, Sunni! You know, I was starting to think you forgot about us! I’m sorry for thinking that, of course you wouldn’t-”
“Yeah yeah, I’ll conjure basketballs,” Sunni made the first out of psychic, “you make the shots!” She formed a basket aimed for Shatwo.
“Got it!” Wilt threw the first shot through the basket, which seemed to give the ball a burst of speed that would blast it into the shadow. Giovanni scoffed at their childish ploy and warped directly behind them—he was banished by an unseen kicking force: Dillon stretched the shadow of Wilt’s leg at incredible length. He bent the other leg and arm, along with his own, to strangle Giovanni in place. Giovanni tried to teleport, but with Sunni’s help, Dillon managed to keep up the Shadow Strangling through teleportation, giving Giovanni’s neck a good crack.
Shatwo seized the necks of Sunni and Dillon’s shadows and choked them. Sunni teleported beside Shatwo and stunned him with Psyshock, leaving Wilt to throw another impactful basketball. Dillon bent Wilt’s limbs at numerous angles to smack and kick the shadow—a furious Shatwo expanded a shockwave and gnashed Wilt’s limbs, tearing them apart. “AAAAHH!”
“OH MY GODS, WILT!” Sunni screamed.
“I-It’s okay, Sunni! At least I still have my eye, heh!”
A recovered Giovanni warped close to them—Sunni quickly banished Wilt back to Foster’s before bracing against a massive Psybeam. At the same time, Shatwo conjured a thousand Shade Spheres, so Dillon split his body into dozens of hands in order to deflect a few incoming ones at a time.
“Hnnnnn…rrrrrrrggg!” The pressure was growing on Sunni. She was going to lose this battle… fail again… just like she failed them…
“Oh, Sunni, you’re out of practice.”
“?!” Her mother’s voice spoke clear in her mind.
“Every morning, you’re supposed to imagine six impossible things before breakfast. What good’s having a brain if you’re not gonna use it?”
“…Huff…sorry, Mom… I’m having a bit of mental block.” Sunni smirked. “The only thing I can think of… is that lasers would make good tea.”
She whipped up a giant teapot, facing the top toward the Psybeam and swallowing the laser inside. Giovanni looked on bewildered as the teapot began to “scream” from overheat. Unfortunately, he was too tired to teleport after that attack, so Sunni threw the teapot straight toward him as it exploded in all its boiling fury. As for Dillon, once the Shade Spheres were out of the way, his dozens of Shade Hands grabbed Shatwo from all sides. Dillon spun into a Twilight Vortex and spun Shatwo with him before successfully ripping the shadow to pieces and exposing Andim. (End song.)
The Twilight Reborn tried to escape, but she was grabbed in the crescent-shaped talons of Crest’s Lunala form. “Where do ya think you’re goin’?! It’s time for a time out!”
“Nice save, Diwata!” Dillon praised.
Giovanni was slowly sinking in the air, strained from physical and mental fatigue. Pathetic human. You’ve enslaved your own kind… poisoned thousands of Pokémon… all for this.
“Silence! This battle isn’t over, yet!”
My student’s daughter has come far. And this battle has only made her stronger. Just as it has the many trainers you’ve terrorized. This world will never again succumb to the likes of you.
“UUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRR!”
The egg at the top of the tower erupted into red and dark energy. “HEY, GUYS!” Cheren yelled. “WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE!” (Play “Eternatus Battle” from Sword & Shield!)
Dark clouds completely enveloped Kanto’s sky. Pokémon everywhere were Dynamaxing and rampaging over the country. “YES!” Chairman Rose exclaimed. “IT’S FINALLY HERE! Our world’s bright future is upon us! ETERNATUS!”
It was a draconic being measuring 65 feet. Made of bright red or dark-violet components, its body was both skeletal and polygonal. “Not a moment too soon!” Giovanni teleported atop the dragon’s central head spine. He knelt and planted his hand as he channeled psychic. “MOO! Get up here! Make yourself useful!”
Wem flew to his level and hugged his head tail, his own psychic coursing. “UUUUUUURRRRRR!” Eternatus flailed about in a rampage. Its newly reformed brain was overwhelmed by the mental control.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Giovanni, too, felt tremendous energy coursing from direct contact with the entity. His own Mega Evolved body was Dynamaxing. “AAAAAAA…” Giovanni’s right foot, left knee, and left hand swelled disproportionately. “ACK…ACK…ack…” One by one, they ruptured into blood. But as Giovanni struggled to enforce his mental power, his head began to swell… until his brain popped. His body fell off Eternatus and onto the castle roof.
Cheren and the witnessing operatives creased in utmost horror. “Dude just… offed himself…”
“UUUUUURR!” Eternatus formed an illusory shape of a more massive entity before unleashing eight lasers that swept around the palace.
“LIKO, LOOK OUT!” Roy grabbed his friend and barely dodged a laser.
“AAAAAHH!”
“NEMONA!” Penny screamed as the champion’s legs were burned in the blast.
A laser was heading for Ash’s team. “LOOK OUT, GUYS!” Misty rushed to push Ash and Brock away from its range.
“. . .” Ash twisted his neck back in horror. The only parts of Misty remaining were her arms. “M…Misty…”
“…” Sunni sensed her aura die out. Everything grew silent except for the ringing in her ears. No…no… It happened again… It happened again… “!!! She whipped up at Eternatus in a fury. “I’LL KILL YOU!!”
Sunni’s Chi Gate opened. Psychic Chi covered her body, taking the shape of a blue dress with a white front and blonde hair, akin to Alice. A top-hat appeared atop her and she held spade and heart spears.
Running from a laser, Cheren jumped off the tower and was grabbed in Scorbunny’s giant paw. It set Cheren on its head beside Panini. “Thinkin’ ya’ll be wantin’ the extra height.”
“No doubt!”
Although Giovanni was gone, his last command was engraved into Eternatus’ mind. Destroy them… Every last operative… Every last man, woman, or child who follows the Kids Next Door… DESTROY THEM ALL!
World Boss: Darkest Day, ETERNATUS
The dragon spun and lashed its tail with incredible speed and force. Cheren countered each swing, his sword imbued with enhanced Haki, before lashing a Skyward Strike at Eternatus’ head. The beast thrusted its right claws at Scorbunny, who hopped backward at Panini’s command. A deck of cards began to dance around Eternatus, conjured by Sunni’s Wonderland Fury. The beast swiped them out of the air, but this only caused the cards to shoot projectiles, depending on what they were: whether it was 8 of Clubs, 5 of Hearts, or 2 of Diamonds, that many projectiles would fly out and strike it, with different damage variables. However, Eternatus would escape the trap by flashing a Confuse Ray, stunning Sunni senseless.
Eternatus took a deep breath to blow a Hyper Beam at Sunni. Scorbunny threw Cheren in the wake of it: the hero performed a Perfect Parry to bounce the powerful beam straight back, Eternatus reeling from the impact. Scorbunny flipped in the air to land a flaming kick on its ribcage, slamming the dragon to the floor. Hilda encouraged her Tepig to blast it with Flamethrower—Eternatus sprung up in a rage and bellowed another laser at the two Pokémon. They shrank out of their Dynamax forms. “WAAAAH!” The girls riding them fell.
“I guess it has the right to take its power back!” Cheren figured, still flying from the throw. “Whoa!” He landed on a familiar broomstick.
“Hey, Cheren!” Kiki winked. “Been a while since we shared a flight together!”
“And boy, how I missed it! Just remember to keep your head down! …Actually, try to fly me under that core!” Cheren noticed the bright, glowing core inside its ribcage. When Kiki flew close, the beast swiped its claws while Cheren clashed back. Eternatus was building another Hyper Beam, but just when it was about to fire, Dillon’s giant Shade Fist shot up and uppercut its head. Eternatus spewed its Hyper Beam straight to the heavens—
-and destroyed the front of Cleveland Brown’s asteroid house. “ARE YOU F*** KIDDING ME?!” Cleveland and his bathtub drifted out into space… but thankfully, he had a protective bubble helmet from his bubble bath.
Cheren smirked as Kiki flew close. Cheren jumped off and dealt a Soul Surge combo on the core. Eternatus spun and flung him away. Sunni thrusted her heart and spade spears into its “eyes” and threw thousands of psychic-made teapots that contained the illusion of burning. However, the heat only seemed to empower the dragon as it bellowed a Flamethrower, Sunni warped evasively.
“AH, CRUD!” Diwata screamed as Andim escaped Lunala’s grasp. The Reborn gathered the dispersed form of Mewtwo’s shadow and ripped out a piece of Eternatus’ shadow to enhance it. The shadow Mega Evolved into Shatwo X: it had sharper shoulder and head horns made of Twilight Shards. The shadow stretched its fist at Lunala with great force and sent him flying a few miles. Dillon bombarded the shadow with rapid Shade Fists of his own.
“Well, this is just what we need, you making this worse!”
“Don’t worry, Dillon!” Vanellope’s voice said. “We’re here to help!”
A brighter blue Mewtwo flew up and punched the shadow away using Mega Punch. A confused Dillon looked down at Carol, inputting commands through her laptop. “I stole some of the code from the palace’s Mirage System and found my own Mirage Mewtwo!”
Vanellope’s face appeared in the back of the Mewtwo’s head, Dillon wincing at the sight. “And thanks to my special parasitizing, I gave him a few upgrades!”
An Entei’s head appeared in the mirage’s left hand, an Articuno in the righ,t, and a Zapdos in the stomach. The heads spewed their own solid holo elements and damaged Shatwo. “You two are the best!” Dillon grinned.
“Heeheeehee!” Carol blushed.
“Dillon!” Diwata and Lunala flew down. “See if this helps!” The Firstborn shone a focused flow of moonlight to highlight Dillon and extend his shadowy body. Eternatus spewed Hyper Beam, but Dillon shaped himself like a doughnut as it passed through. He extended his leg miles behind Eternatus and reeled it back to kick it in the core, then seized the “wings” in his hands in an effort to tug them apart. Eternatus slashed Dillon’s arms with poisonous claws, forcing a release. “Well, how do you like it?!” Lunala extended his own claws into crescent shapes and scratched it upward, with Diwata to then sock it with a Full Moon Fist.
Eternatus summoned chi down from the stars using Cosmic Power, strengthening its defense. Dillon blew Shadow Breath to blind the creature, following up with Shade Fists from multiple directions while Diwata threw Lunarangs. Eternatus hissed in aggravation and swept the area with a wave of darkness, reverting both Dillon and Crest to their regular forms. “He’s a darkbender, too?!” Diwata shouted.
“Dee, that felt like Verglora’s chi!” Crest said.
“So, that’s what they kidnapped them for!”
Sunni conjured a psychic knife and flew beside Cheren (and Kiki) as they traded blows against the dragon. Eternatus’ claws burned with gold flames as it swiped with greater ferocity. It locked in a stalemate with the two before spewing poison. Sunni conjured a psychic teapot to catch the poison. “Okay, where is…” Sunni skimmed around the distant ships until she spotted Gourmerry. “There she is!” She sent the teapot across the distance and forced the Foodborn to drink the poison. “Since she’s immune to poison, seems like a safe place to dispose of it!”
“At least you did your homework before rejoining.” Cheren commented.
“Hey! A bit of a warning next time!” Yuzu shouted.
“Cheren!” Sunni channeled psychic around his weapons: a club appeared around the Master Sword’s hilt while diamonds studded the blade, and the Hylian Shield shaped like a heart with a spade center.
“Now that’s being creative!” The slashes of Cheren’s blade cast small diamonds to damage the dragon. Eternatus glanced at Diwata to its left and gnashed at her: Cheren sensed its intention and threw his shield. Its enhanced Haki would extend the shield’s radius and protect her, while Sunni’s influence dazed the dragon into focusing back on Cheren. Cheren stuck his Light Arrow through the shield’s handles and stuck the Master Sword up between them. He channeled and slashed a blinding Skyward Strike, the card symbols orbiting it as it met Eternatus’ core directly. “UUUUUUUUUUURRRRRR!”
Sunni was forced to land, her Fury dissipating. “Huff… Madness sure gives you a headache.” (Play “Eternamax Eternatus Mashup” on YouTube!)
Eternatus ascended higher as thousands of red particle flows connected to him. They came from across Kanto, and the Dynamaxed Pokémon around the palace all shrank. “It’s taking back all its chi?!” Cheren exclaimed.
“Get off me, ya yellow rodent!” Pikachu had Meowth wrestled to the roof, biting into his tail while Meowth clawed Pikachu’s scalp. “If we were Earth animals, you’d be an evening supper by now! Wah?!” They shrank as well.
Eternatus brimmed, overflowing with the cells empowered by the hosts. The alien entity, once 65 feet long, grew to a size of 328 feet. It practically eclipsed the palace with its coiled, serpentine body. Its “head” seemed to be an enormous hand, closed as it lowered close to the flying operatives. The hand opened, with five diamonds in the palm and mouths on each finger. Energy surged in the palm, and Cheren gasped in horror. “IT’S GONNA SHOOT THE LASERS AGAIN!”
A dark cloud surrounded the coiled body. Not only did eight lasers fire from it, but a more massive one fired from the palm. Its light grew brighter in Hilda’s eyes as it descended upon her. This was the end… “NOT THIS TIME!” Sunni swept Hilda, Panini, and the Pokémon and flew them away. The laser burrowed through the center of the palace.
“PROTEGO ENGORGIO!” Wendy formed a barrier to defend the Brave Olivine from the first laser.
The second laser was blocked by another psychic force: High King Calyrex. The third was blocked by the Alola Guardians. The fourth was blocked by Latios and Latias. The fifth was blocked by Anthony and Terapagos. MaKayla and George were able to Stop one in time for their allies to move out of the way. Ogerpon used her Terastalized Cornerstone Mask to block another. And finally, Diwata and Crest, able to reform Lunala, intercepted the eighth with a Lunar Beam.
Romeo and Roy climbed onto the roof and peered down into the massive gap Eternatus blew open. “I can sense Victini better now! …There he is!”
“Let’s go help him!” Romeo held onto the youth and jumped down the gap, using Rocket Boost to land on a broken ledge where Victini lay groggily.
Verglora was exhausted on the opposite ledge. Miyuki stepped out of the shadows and picked them up. “Is it okay?” Arven asked behind her.
“They’ll be fine. We should go.”
“(R…Romeo…)” Victini raised his arm despairingly. “(Uwaaaaaaah, it was so CRAMPED in there!)” He gave all his limbs a good stretch.
“I mean, if that’s all that’s wrong… Do you have enough strength to fight?”
“(Just a little! Make it count!)” Victini transformed into Solgaleo.
“WHOA, COOL!!” Roy gawked before the sunny lion.
“Get on!” Romeo pulled him up onto Solgaleo’s back. With flames at its paws, the lion pounced up to the sky.
Solgaleo flew close to Lunala, and Cheren was between them. “Let’s finish it off for good!”
Phase 2: ETERNAMAX
A ball of darkness formed in the beast’s palm. Solgaleo bellowed a wave of golden fire to brush against the dark storm. “Lucario, use Metal Claw!” Roy commanded. The green Lucario leapt to one of Eternamax’s fingers and thrusted its spiked fist with enough force to bend the finger. Lunala unleashed a Lunar Beam directly into the palm, but the enraged beast spewed massive gushes of poison from its other fingers. The operatives made haste to evade them, but one of the streams threatened to hit Carol, who was still controlling Mirage Mewtwo against Shatwo.
Nebula opened a portal to catch the poison and return it right back to Eternamax. “Seems like a good time to help now!” She formed large Space Blocks around the dragon’s fingers and around segments of its body, though it managed to shake and shatter them. It reeled its hand up and tried to swat Solgaleo and Lunala at once, but Nebula enlarged her own dimensions to grab it in her own hands. Dillon supported her by wrapping two large Shade Arms and strangling the dragon, with Diwata’s Moonshade to enhance his shadow. Cheren charged a Skyward Strike and slashed Eternamax’s thumb, causing energy to bleed out.
Nebula had to release as the dragon’s noxious skin strained her, and it would set its body ablaze to force Dillon off. Solgaleo spun and rocketed toward Eternamax like a missile, and Lucario’s Aura Sphere would serve as the peak of it upon impact with the dragon. Eternamax seemed to reel far back, but only because it was preparing to throw its fist back at them. Fire and darkness coated it in unison: Romeo and Diwata conducted Chi Unison and conjured a Neon Moon, colliding with the fist in a world-shaking impact. What they didn’t expect was for Eternamax to immediately follow up with a Hyper Beam. “WAAAAAH!” The kids flew back as their Firstborn reverted to infant forms.
“’Guess it’s OUR turn to play now!” Ikuyim rammed Eternamax with a giant diamond conjured by Eicnaid. Anthony struck it with a giant stone turtle shell coated with Terapagos’ gem chi. Eternamax thrashed and shattered the shell, then spewed a stream of poison at Ikuyim. Though she protected herself in a diamond shield, she caught sight of something else: “Is that Wem?!”
The Psychic Reborn was joyfully sliding down Eternamax’s snaky body. “I was wondering where he’s been hiding.” Cheren said.
Wem used his power to branch the dragon into more heads so he could keep sliding. Furthermore, they began to channel their own energy blasts. “FINE, if THAT’S how you wanna play it!” Ikuyim threw diamonds into each head. Anthony gathered the broken chunks of the turtle and rebuilt them into a giant beaver. He sent it up to sink its buckteeth into Eternamax’s skin. The dragon roared out in pain, but poisons seeped out from the skin as the statue partially melted.
“WEEEEEEEEHHHHH!” Wem cried out in a tantrum as it coated the dragon’s whole main body in a barrier. “(That’s not fair!)” Ogerpon leapt forth with her Terastalized Hearthflame Mask and burned its head.
“I’ll say!” Melody surfed up on her own flying wave, powered by Manaphy. “Anthony, let’s make this snake salty!”
“Okay!” Anthony launched himself to Melody and shattered his stones, mixing them with Melody’s water to create saltwater. They struck the already-burning head, straining the dragon with steam and salt. Wem willed the fake heads to charge energy, but Ikuyim and Nebula performed their own Chi Unison next. Spacebending and gembending created Crystal Comets, crashing the psychic heads in repetition until they were destroyed. Afterwards, the four benders would send Wem flying with a swipe of saltwater and comets.
“Look at them, Clemont!” Bonnie said with admiring eyes. “The Firstborn Guardians…”
“Are so amazing!” Max beamed.
“They’re just like the legends said!” Dot followed.
“Alright, Earth Kids Next Door!” They looked up as Iris and her fellow trainers flew above on their ships. “I think you’ve weakened it enough! Leave the rest to us! HAXORUS, USE BREAKING SWIPE!”
“LUCARIO!” Roy yelled. “AURA STORM!”
“SNOWY!” Lillie shone her Z-Ring upon her Alolan Vulpix. “Use Subzero Slammer!”
“My brethren!” Tapu Fini brought her siblings together. “Let’s show it our combined power!” Their chi unified to conjure a golden golem, its head composed of their four wood shells. The beast slammed into Eternamax’s coiled core with an explosion of its essence.
Hilda was speechless. All these trainers… her fellow operatives… powered by faith and courage, they fought. If it weren’t for these Earth operatives, they wouldn’t have come this far. But thanks to them… they get to fight for more days to come. They get to keep training… and growing stronger. Champion or not, Hilda had much more to learn… so, she wouldn’t let this monster be the end of her. “Tepig, use Flare Blitz!”
“PIKACHU!” Ash declared. “VOLT TACKLE!”
“Piiiiiikaaaaaa…”
“Teeeeee…”
“CHUUUUUUU!/PIIIIIIIIIIIIG!”
The alien operatives would hang back and smile. Though war had torn their planet apart, their fighting spirits had been renewed. The dazzling hailstorm of attacks came to a stop… as Eternamax hung in defeat.
. . . . . . . guraguraguraguraguraguraguraguraguragura…
The beast was rumbling. Its body was pulsating. “A report, Master.” Fi spoke. “Though Eternatus has succumb to extreme fatigue, it appears to be channeling what remains of its vitality into its core. I surmise the output of power will devastate everything within a hundred mile radius.”
“ONE HUNDRED MILES?! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!”
The ships beelined away from the palace, operatives scrambling to carry the unconscious villains back to board them. “We’re not gonna make it!” Sunni exclaimed, kicking on her Wonderland Fury once more. “But I have an idea!”
“Allow us to assist.” Calyrex flew beside her, along with Tapu Lele. They channeled psychic all around the palace and made it rise. It pressed against Eternatus’s enormous body and struggled to push it up. Regardless, they persevered. They pushed and pushed until the structure was in the stratosphere, while their allies flew straight down.
The sky brightened with a great red star. It branched off into hundreds of thousands of smaller stars, raining around the world. And among those stars… “TEAM ROCKET IS BLASTING OFF AGAAAAIIIIN…” (“Woooooobbuffeeeeeeet!”) Twinkle. (End song.)
“Huff…huff…huff…” A warm hand rested on Sunni’s aching head. She smiled up at Cheren. …They turned to Ash and Brock. The two were crying… alongside their closest friends.
The following day; Mirage Kingdom, Hoenn Region
Sunni and Cheren joined Ash and Brock across a desert. They traveled up a circular mountain range and would overlook a forested kingdom in the center of the mountains. A golden palace was situated atop a plateau with two smaller towns on the lower forest. The palace was composed of many egg-shaped structures, most of which were small eggs surrounded a larger, central egg.
They approached the plateau from the forest, where royal guards stood near an egg-shaped elevator. “We need to see the queen. It’s urgent.” Ash said.
The guards permitted them access to the elevator. The four would soon be walking across the palace courtyard. “Really not the kind of place I expected to go afterwards…” Cheren mumbled. “This… isn’t Misty’s kingdom, is it?”
“No, nothing like that.” Ash replied with a small chuckle. “But a special friend of hers lives here.”
The queen stepped out to meet them at the palace gates. She was a girl around the same age as Brock, with a wide blue dress and turban-like hat. She was holding a Togepi; a small, white egg Pokémon whose head and tiny stubs stuck from its cracked shell, and with blue and red triangular designs on its egg. The queen saw their somber expressions and returned one of her own. “Hi, Sara.” Ash greeted. “We…We’d like to enter the paradise. Misty is gone. We want to tell Togetick.”
“So, that’s why…” Sara covered her heart in grieving. “When I entered the paradise last night… the Togepi were upset. I’m so sorry… Of course you can. I presume these two are…?”
“Friends of hers, too.”
The queen led them to a golden-topped arch with a red jewel in its center, built near a purplish-white temple. She set her Togepi down as it channeled its chi, causing the red jewel to glow. A portal appeared inside it. The group stepped through into a peaceful forest, frolicking with Togepi, though their expressions were somber. The trees bore their triangular designs on the bark.
They were approached by a Togetick, which had a long-necked, white head and fairy wings. “This is the Togepi Paradise.” Brock told the guests. “Their fairy magic hides it from the rest of the world. Only way to find it is through that portal. This Togetick was Misty’s.”
Sunni approached the fairy, raising a hand to its small cheek. The fairy returned a soft smile and touched its “nose” to hers.
One more day later; Wyndon Stadium
Following Giovanni’s death, all the brainwashed agents passed out, and there was no telling when they would wake up. The operatives on other worlds rounded up all the agents and Pokémon and brought them back home. The Pokémon were steadily freed from their Darkballs… but Haruka would fly to Poké to help develop a cure for the Perma-Mega Evolved. Many of them were clones and were doomed to die, but Haruka tried to save most of the normal ones that she could. Xerneas entrusted her own Life Chi to Minish Princess Gonshiri so she may take it to Mira and heal the wounds Yveltal had inflicted, including the petrified people. The Life Spirit would then become a tree for a thousand years. All the traitors aligned with Team Rocket, such as Faba or Chairman Rose, were imprisoned.
A funeral was held for the people lost in the war. Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty. Kumquat Gym Leader, Luana. Snowpoint Leader, Candice. Oreburgh Leader, Roark. Coumarine Leader, Ramos. Motostoke Leader, Kabu. Former Ballonlea Leader, Opal. Violet City Leader, Falkner. Melemele Island Captain, Ilima. Ula’ula Island Kahuna, Nanu.
The operatives gathered at Wyndon Stadium in Galar, the outside of which was designed like a magenta lotus bud. It was once the setting of the Masters Eight Tournament, a contest to decide the Top Champion, thus inviting trainers from around the world. Here they gathered again.
“Good morning. Thank you all for coming.” Ash Ketchum began. “Thanks to all your hard work… our world is saved. But… we lost some people along the way. I can only hope the brainwashed trainers make a healthy recovery… and that they don’t blame their selves for anything.”
Hop was looking over his brother, Leon. Carmine was patting her brother, Kieran, as were Juliana and his classmates. “Giovanni trampled over the ideals we stand for. He forced some of us to go against them. Pokémon were meant for war… and they don’t battle for the sake of battling. Trainers grow with their Pokémon. We grow with our rivals… and become friends. That’s what being a Pokémon Master is all about. We’ll never forget the friends we lost… who helped us become the best.” Ash turned to the images. He faced Misty’s in particular… and bowed. “Goodbye… my friends…”
…
Cheren, Nebula, and Harvey met with Jerome in private. “During the invasion on Mobius, another Reborn surfaced. One resembling the Emotion Goddess.”
“MEERPSPEER?!” Harvey exclaimed. “Is she…is she still there?!”
“We haven’t received further updates… only that several operatives have purportedly had their emotions stolen. It’s possible she’s still roaming around down there. But it seems she hasn’t caused any further destruction beyond that.”
“We need to ask Nerehc who her Guardian is supposed to be.” Cheren said.
“And I can help track her, too…” Harvey figured.
“Meanwhile, those other two fled after the palace exploded.” Nebula said. “If we could just catch them… we’ll have a chance.”
“At winning the war?”
“No!” Cheren shouted. “At beating Kael! It doesn’t really matter who wins the war, because we’re not gonna let that thing play around with us!”
“So, what’s our plan now?” Jerome asked. “Decide on our next world?”
“…Let the guys have a bit of fun with their new friends.” Cheren smiled. “Our spirits need a little uplifting.”
“I think we can allow that.” Nebula said.
“I also have another idea.” Harvey said. “About the comatose trainers. …Maybe Madotsuki can get into their dreamscapes and do something.”
“Oh, yeah.” Cheren agreed. “…And you’re fine with her doing that?”
“I mean, not like she’s fighting in the main war. And she’s a gifted Bubble Dreamer, so… she could help.”
“Wanna go ask her?”
“Sure.”
Across the world, the day after
“I wanna be… the very best! Like no one ever waaaas!” A concert was held at Virbank Gym. Marnie was the main singer, with two guitarists backing her up: Roxie, the Virbank Gym Leader, and Ibuki Mioda, one of the KND’s allies from Towa Academy. “To catch them is my real test! To train them is my caaauuuuse!”
“WOOHOOOOOOOO!” Iris, clothed in her vanilla shirt and white pants, raised her arms in excitement as Wendy carried her like a princess. Wendy raced across Hoenn with the speed of wind; Crossgate Town was nestled in a rocky valley and surrounded by tornadoes. Wendy ran along the current of some as they whisked the girls into the air. They raced through Lavaridge Town and saw Tom and Flannery relaxing in a hot spring.
“Hold your breath!” Wendy said as she dashed up the slope of Mt. Chimney. “We’re going straight through!” The volcano’s spire of smoke was in sight.
“There it is, Aisa!” Chimney pointed at the volcano from a beach. “My mountain!”
“Hehe, looks just like you, Chimney! All it’s missing is a big mouth.”
Right then, Wendy and Iris burst through the smoke in a wind shield, causing a gaping hole to rip it apart as Wendy then raced down the zigzaggy mountain path. “There it is!” Chimney said.
At Azalea Gym, Bugsy; a violet-haired Gym Leader with a green hiker’s uniform and bug net, summoned his Scyther. The massive Bug-type loomed threateningly over Rupert’s Pikmin army. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Bugsy asked with a competitive smile.
“You’re not trying to chicken out, are ya?” the tiny Pikmin Master asked.
“Well, you asked for it! Scyther, Fury Cutter!” The insect slashed its claw-blades against the ground, but Rupert whistled his Pikmin in evasion. Only the Silver ones attached to the blades and began to bash them, while Rupert sent Red Pikmin to attack its feet and Wings up to its head. The titanic beast fell on its front, so Rupert ordered Brown Pikmin to climb its side and toward its wings. When Scyther tried to fly and attack the Pikmin from the air, the Browns stuck to the wings and attacked, causing the Pokémon to fall again. “Unbelievable!” Bugsy exclaimed.
“I oughta try my hand at the championship!”
“Don’t be crazy, Rupert.” Mujika said.
Nagisa Shiota and Janine; a ninja girl with purple spiked hair, were engaged in a stealth battle around Fuchsia City. Nagisa scored hits off her with his Antikill weapons, while Janine’s weapons were laced with venom from her Poison-type Pokémon.
Haylee met up with a Flying-type trainer called Skyla, an auburn-haired girl with a light-blue top and shorts with dark-blue straps. Gliders extracted from her arms as she soared alongside the Gilligan. The two found their selves racing against Fybi and Wimona, another Flying trainer with a light-blue and white suit with wings on the cuffs and ankles.
Jennifer Strongarm met with Korrina at Shalour Gym. They raced laps around the indoor skate course and threw kicks whenever they passed the other by. At the same time, Kazuma and Bea were sparring on the gym floor surrounded by the course. Kazuma moved his fists to block Bea’s swift kicks before throwing his own foot up at her jaw. “Did you train with Vweeb, too?” Bea asked.
“That weirdo? Don’t be dumb. I’m just good at fighting games.”
Allister popped up behind Kazuma. “My favorite games are the Luigi’s Mansion ones. I played them 562 times.”
“GYAH!” In Kazuma’s fright, Bea landed a punch on her gut.
“Don’t get distracted!”
“I’m not, that little creep just…”
Jataro Kemuri appeared to Kazuma’s left. “I heard that if you play the same game too much, you start to pretend all the characters, and all the enemies from it, are following you around at school. And that would be really crowded classrooms.”
“Where did YOU come fro—AAH!” Bea kicked Kazuma in the knee.
Then Finch appeared on the right. “Oh! Oh! I went to this school one time; they were talking about Mor Ardain, and they were having treats from there! There was Sky-Jewel Tart, Steamed Ruby Buns, and-and…um…”
“They make their sweets out of jewels?” Jataro asked. “That sounds crunchy. Crunchy sweets prick the inside of my cheeks.”
“They hurt Bea’s, too.” Allister said. “That’s why she likes soft sweets.”
“Ohhhhh, I could go for something sweet and soft, too!” Finch flapped her arms. “Like tarts, or buns… You know any place that sells those?”
“I feel like I heard of a jewelry store that does.” Jataro asked.
“Really? I always thought jewels looked tasty.” Allister said. “You know, Luigi’s Mansion has a lot of jewels.”
“Who’s Luigi?” Finch asked. “Your friend?”
“MAKE THEM SHUT UP!” Kazuma took a karate chop to the shoulder.
“Oh, sorry, Ketchuma. Didn’t mean to interrupt your match.”
“His name’s Ketchuma?” Allister asked. “That’s like Ash’s last name!”
“Who’s that, Alice?” Jataro asked.
“Our Supreme Leader. And my name’s Allister, Jaflora.”
“No, Aldino, that’s not his name.” Finch said.
“Yeah, Finkch, my name’s Jataro.”
“AAAAAAAGGGGHH!” Kazuma’s mental pain outweighed his physical pain.
At the snowy Montenevera Gym, another concert took place on the outdoor battlefield. “Alright, Harry!” Ryme flicked her fingers counting down 10 to 1. “You ready for the Ultimate Pokérap?!”
“You just handle the singing.” Harry replied. “I’ll take care of the hard part. Let’s get it on!”
But you’d be crazy if you think I could even attempt the beginning of a full-sized Pokérap. Just know that even Harry was out of breath by the time it was over.
April Goldenweek visited Poni Island in Alola to paint the scenery. She met a fellow artist named Mina, and they would share each other’s lovely drawings.
Aeincha paid a visit to Uva-Naranja Academy. “Oh, Penny, your hair provides such a unique contrast~” The Lilliputian rolled atop Penny’s smooth, blue and red hair. “It’s like there are two sides of you, one cool, and one dedicated.”
“I just… styled it based on the two Champions, Red and Blue.”
“And Dot!” Aeincha jumped to the purple-haired girl next and brushed her hands along the front. “How you hide behind a veil. So shiny. So mysterious. Plus, when you stand next to Miko, you look like sisters!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Miko Kubota said, “but Penny, I’m looking at your Eevee backpack. Show us your Eevee!”
“I only have the Eeveelutions.” Penny released the six Pokémon.
“Oooooo!” Aeincha climbed down Dot’s body and onto the ground, walking around the colorful, long-eared quadrupeds. “You’re quite the collector! Though I always wanted to ride a normal Eevee… WAIT! There’s one there!” She spotted an actual Eevee wandering the school grounds. Aeincha ran up to it.
“That looks too large for an Eevee…” Penny said.
“Hello, Eevee! May I ride-”
The “Eevee” turned: it was actually a human girl wearing a costume. “Oh, it’s her.” Penny realized. “That kid gets around, huh?”
“Whoa! A talking doll!” The Poké Kid grabbed Aeincha. “You’ll look great in my Spinarak cage!” The child ran off.
“Wait, isn’t that the spider Pokémon?! Someone heeeeeeelp!”
“Ah, she’ll be fine.” Miko shrugged. “Now c’mon, let’s play some online matches!”
A short distance away, Eddy Flores and Raleigh were showing Bolypius (in the Magearna) to Lillie and Sophocles. “It’s wonderful to finally see the Magearna in person!” Lillie said. “To think it would house a digital Firstborn!”
“The same one that made that Aincrad game, huh?” Sophocles smiled awkwardly. “I might’ve played that…”
“Sorry.” Boly bowed.
“Wanna see something cool she can do?” Eddy asked. “Miko, get over here for a second!”
“Okay!” Miko rushed over. Together with Boly, they channeled power over Lillie and Sophocles and fused their matter together into a Quester.
“WHOOOOAA! This feels so weird! …Wait, are these our memories?!”
“Oh, hey, let’s do this to Dot and Penny next!”
“NO!” The shy girls panicked.
Doran from Sector GT met a farming Gym Leader called Milo, in the town of Turffield. Doran helped to fix up his garden following the war, and the giant would go home with some new crops.
Doran’s teammates, Konbu and Uzu, visited Cascarrafa City in Paldea; a multi-tiered city of whitish-blue architecture and clean waterfalls lining the walls. The giants visited the Kofu Lounge to be served a supersized meal by Chef Kofu, a hefty man whose beard and brows resembled white and blue sea waves.
Nemona, now bound to a wheelchair, tested her Pokémon against Earth’s toughest operative, Sheila Frantic. Though they did their best to persevere, the Pirate King had too much power in her reserves. Nemona made it her mission to get even stronger and have a rematch!
…
The “Galactic Map” zoomed in on Poké, which had the Team Rocket flag attached to it. The flag collapsed as the KND flag took its place. The victorious Donkey Kong music strummed, signaling another victory!
Chapter 40: Magi Saga 1: Adventure in the Land of Genies!
Summary:
An ancient story on Planet Avalar is told, between Solomon the Wise and his father, David. Sector SA fly to meet Sector SD and learn of a special connection Index has with them.
Chapter Text
Time to start the Magi Saga! This arc is heavily themed around the Magi manga series, but the story of it is not canon to this story, and most of the characters’ backgrounds are rewritten. This should already be obvious with Morgiana.
Chapter 36: Adventure in the Land of Genies!
Planet Avalar; 10,000 years ago
The earth lay ravaged by supernatural storms and tsunamis. Bodies of manticores, Gorgon, ogres, and dragons covered the landscape, along with those of humans. Even so, both sides had a cause they were dedicated to, and neither were willing to back down. Two wizards, father and son, stood at the apex of the conflict.
“Solomon… you claim to be ‘equal’ with these creatures, but you and they both know you’re above them.” Elder David spoke, smirking arrogantly. “This ‘revolution’ wouldn’t be possible without you or your cohorts. It proves that we mages were meant to rule this planet! And with that child’s power, we can extend that rule to the entire universe!”
“And what will the gods have to say about that, Father?”
“The gods blessed us with magic in the first place so we may rise above mortals. Rise above the singular benders… and rise above themselves!”
“The gods don’t need a man like you above them, and neither do we!” Solomon cast a spell that directed all the sun’s light directly onto David, burning through his artificial chest. “A doll?! Then where is… SHEBA!”
…
She would’ve liked to be out there with her husband, supporting him with her own powerful magic. What awful timing for the final hours of her pregnancy. Sheba was a beautiful mage with flowing magenta hair, a wide hooped braid in the back of it, along with a thin white top and skirt. Her eyes were red and she had an eye symbol painted on her forehead.
Sheba gasped for breath, relieved as the baby was finally born. “It’s a boy!” her best friend, Arba cheered, raising the infant above her.
“All right!” Hoopa clapped his little hands. “You did it, Scheherazade!”
“Hm hm hm!” Sheba giggled. In her many generations of rebirth, she never thought she would fall in love… let alone produce a child. She extended her arms to be handed the adorable crying youth. “There there… it’s okay, little guy. Don’t cry.”
“Blaaaaah.” Hoopa stretched his mouth by the cheeks. “Beeeeee!” He stuck his tongue out through his teeth. “Hahaha! It’s like a little brother!”
“When he’s all grown up, you’ll be the little brother, Hoopa.”
“Ohhhhh…” Hoopa drooped, downtrodden.
“LADY SHEBA, ARBA!” Ugo, a tall, spectacled man, burst into the room. “It’s David! He’s here! In the temple!”
“D-David?!”
The wizard struck down any mages and manticores in his path. Agares, leader of the manticores, was able to hold him back better using his Aquamarine Ring of Pleasure to trap David inside of tomes, but the wizard would fight his way out eventually. Astaroth, leader of the Gorgons, burned David with his Red Ring of Rage, but David’s powerful magic produced below zero temperatures that would cool Astaroth’s rage. “I smell… another fresh source of power.” David smirked. “Besides Hoopa… and his guardians. Heh heh heh…perhaps I’ve found a different heir.”
“He’ll be here any moment!” Ugo said. “What do we do?!”
“Why’re you asking us, you’re the one with the Knowledge Ring!” Arba shouted. “And what about the baby?! We need to hide him or something!”
“Yeah… I suppose we do.” Sheba said while in deep thought. She feared if she would survive this battle… but they still needed to reseal the Universe Book back into her. And besides, she was still determined to stand up and fight. She wanted to show her child a beautiful world… but even after they won, the world would still be in shambles. There may still be conflict and misunderstanding between the mages and other races. This world was too chaotic for her precious child… she wanted him to wake up someplace better.
“Arba… I’d like to make a wish.”
“A wish?” Arba gasped.
“Yeah. It shouldn’t result in any severe repercussions. I wish… for this baby to be banished to the annals of time.”
The wish struck her off guard… but as the holder of the White Ring of Wishes, she couldn’t refute. “Okay.” With a wave of her hand, the newborn vanished.
Finally, David burst into the room. Arba was forced to teleport away before she felt the urge to pick a target for her questions, leaving Ugo and Sheba to protect their selves with Borgs (barrier spells). “I sensed another force of chi in here! Where did it go?! Where is my grandchild?!”
“You’re too late, Elder David. I sent him someplace you will never find-”
“In the annals of time.” Ugo answered. “Agh!” He flinched. “I’m sorry, it just works on its own!”
“Annals of time? So, I need to learn how to breach time to have him back!”
Sheba unleashed a storm of giant golden spears to blast David out of the temple, the wizard crashing through dozens of buildings. He rose from the rubble, angered as Sheba levitated toward him, surrounded by golden butterflies. “You’ll never find him.” Her looped braid shaped a golden ring. “He and I will meet again… in an era long after your rule is finished. An era where we can have many friends!”
Solomon appeared above David. “And because of you, Father… I may never get to meet my son. Oh well. Maybe someday. Let’s finish this, Sheba.”
“Yes!”
David grinned in spite. “Let’s just see what destiny has planned for you.” So, he rose once more to battle the rebellious son and his former, rebellious slave.
Chronicler’s Domain; 9,989 years later
“They were the darkest days of Avalar.” Chronicler said as he reread the tale. “When bonds between the races were frail. But one great wizard united them all… and now, that history is forgotten by many. Some of those races no longer live there… and now interracial relations are a simple given.”
“Uhhh…yeah?” Jagar King, the Ghost of Time, repeated in confusion. “I was just wondering if you knew anything about this baby I found in the timestream.”
“Took you a while to find it, didn’t you?” the old dragon asked. “I guess now is the time Scheherazade hoped for.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just take it to an orphanage on Avalar or something. Unless you want to raise it yourself?”
“I’m… not sure about that. I already have two mouths to feed. But should I give the orphanage a name?”
“Scheherazade thought of one, actually. She told me his name would be…”
Present; Kou Imperial Palace
“Aladdin?”
“Huh?” The blue-haired youth looked up from his melon bowl.
“You’re just staring at your food.” Alibaba said. “Is something on your mind?”
“N…Not really. Just zoned out a little, that’s all.” Aladdin smiled.
“I thought you’d be more excited that she’s coming back.” Dende teased.
“Of course I’m excited! Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I dunno. Maybe she fell in love with that captain.”
“S-So what if she did?” Aladdin blushed.
“Ah, don’t worry, Aladdin.” Alibaba smiled. “I’m sure she really missed you, too.”
“Haha…yeah!”
Aladdin lived in an orphanage until the age of 7, when he was met by a visiting magic professor, Yamraiha. After seeing Aladdin’s great magic potential, she would admit him to Magnostadt Academy, and a couple years later, he would join the Kids Next Door. The adventures and battles he’d share with his best friend Alibaba, the Namekian Dende and Artemyran Pisti are ones he would never replace. But somehow, Aladdin always felt different from his friends… well, he was different from them in lots of ways, but some more particular than others.
“Do you know those shiny butterflies I sometimes see?”
“Yeah?” Alibaba replied.
“I’ve been seeing them a lot more lately… almost as many as I did during that incident where the planets scattered. But what does it all mean…?” Aladdin raised a finger, allowing one of said butterflies to land.
He stared longingly as its gentle flapping, the light of the balcony window beyond it. Alibaba and Dende, unable to see the spirit, could only question his gaze. “…?!” A shadow appeared beyond the balcony, quickly growing larger in a bird shape. “Caaaaaww!” A huge, red bird with bladed wings that had rainbow bases landed on the balcony, the teammates jumping from the table in shock. Alibaba was on the verge of drawing his sword before seeing who was riding the horse-sized bird.
“Hahahaha! Hey, guys!” She was about 11 years old, with blonde hair and a small braid on the right, along with a red feather in her ear and a matching headband. She wore a loose, pale-pink top with a slit down to her naval and matching puffy shorts. She had golden leg wraps above her bare feet, along with white-feathered wings protruding from the outer sides of her legs. “This is Dyana, a Dyna Blade from Planet Popstar!”
“PISTIIIII!” Aladdin skipped over the table and sprung toward his special friend.
“Aladdiiiiin!” The Artemyran princess leapt off Dyana, locked hands with Aladdin, and danced in circles with her lightweight legs uplifted off the floor.
“I missed you so much!” Aladdin said with a goofy smile.
“I missed you, too!”
“Tehehehe!” Aladdin’s sole brushed Pisti’s feather mid-dance, sparking a giggle in the mage. “I missed your tickly wings.”
“So, did you get bored of your Marzipan adventure or what?” Alibaba asked with a light chuckle.
“No, I had a lot of fun! I shared a room with Tama, Suika, and the other kids, we played every night, I got to kick a few heads,” she flipped a leg up, “and the food was so delicious! I brought home a few samples!” She took some bags down from Dyana and opened them.
“Woooooow!” Her three friends were already drooling! There was a small box of cosmic-looking cereal in some out-of-this-world milk, a piece of fish that glistened like a fairy’s wings, a marshmallow grenade with chocolate veins throughout it… “This is incredible!” Dende said.
“I hope you’re saving some for me!” Kougyoku Ren announced, showing herself into the guestroom. The empress of Kou wore a rather extravagant, traditional Chinese dress of pink and green segments with light-yellow sleeves and under-blouse. It covered her whole body save for the head. Her dark-pink hair had two bangs the length of her body, as well as a ribbon-shaped knot with a gold braid to tie it, with a matching gold needle to stick through it. Said needle had a hilt of a unique shape and purple gem.
“Even you don’t get food like this every day.” Alibaba said, watching as some tofu jiggled painfully in some hot sauce.
“If I did, I’d be as fat as Big Mom.” Kougyoku picked a piece of the tofu off with some chopsticks and ate. “Mmph!” She flushed. “Hototototot! Hototot!” She bent up some water to dowse her tongue.
Alibaba picked his own piece and chewed spritely. “Doesn’t bother me!” The empress shot him a glare.
“So… are you going back to them?” Aladdin asked, frowning.
“I hope to soon. But I’ll probably stick around a little while, maybe help with a mission or two. It was just a little refreshing, getting away from all this… Really getting to spread my wings.”
“Hmmmm…”
Pisti took his hands again, bringing his chin up to her vibrant smile. “But no matter how fun the Marzipans are, they’ll never replace the best friends on all of Avalar!”
Aladdin’s spirits were restored! “Well, second-best now.” Alibaba corrected. “LN passed us, remember?”
“Not the point!” Dende stated.
They weren’t as famous as legendary operatives Banjo-Kazooie, but Sector SD had painted their selves in the hearts of many Avalaran children, the four colorful kids gracing the sky against the sparkling stars on Aladdin’s magic carpet. Avalar was the origin of many classic fairytales and they were one in the making. Their career began when Alibaba and Aladdin saved a wine carriage from the pit of a monstrous plant, followed by a venture into a dangerous dungeon the boys undertook as a bonding adventure. Not only did they get rich out of the deal, they defeated a corrupt lord who ruled over the region.
During that time, Pisti and Dende undertook their first bonding mission of escorting a trade caravan across a desert. They wound up attacked and captured by slave traders, who hoped to make a profit off the rare Namekian and small, “helpless” Artemyran. They were able to escape, and Pisti used her magic flute to turn the slavers’ beasts against them. But their most remarkable endeavor was stopping the spreading rule of the corrupt Kou Empire. Princess Kougyoku, on the run from her own family, found sanctuary in the KND and befriended Sector SD. She confided the ambitions of her family and they vowed to help her stop them. They would never forget Aladdin’s fantastical battle with the royal dark mage, Judar, and how he blasted him straight out of the planet’s atmosphere. They put Kougyoku on the throne as the 5th empress, and marked her place as an honorary Sector SD member.
She would even help them in the Pirate War, where they went after a special officer in the Big Mom Pirates, Madaura, infamous for kidnapping orphaned children from several worlds. She brainwashed them with her Mom-Mom Fruit into convincing them she was their mother, compelling them to fight for her. Madaura was guarded by some of the crew’s toughest lieutenants: Alibaba’s firebending made him a good match for Oven’s Heat-Heat Fruit; Aladdin’s Genie Lamp wand helped him counter Daifuku’s genie from the Lamp-Lamp Fruit; Kougyoku’s waterbending watered down Cracker’s self-conjured Biscuit Soldiers; Pisti kicked the stuffing out of the rotting wizard Lord Moldybread; and Dende KO’ed most of the brainwashed orphans with his stretched punches. However, Sector LN had the honor of defeating the Big Mom Emperor herself, and along with their other recent feats, they had bypassed SD in the rankings.
“On the bright side, we’ve been making some great progress.” Alibaba assured.
“Yeah, I’ve been keeping up.” Pisti smiled. “But I won’t be happy until the job is finished completely.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Kougyoku said. “’Cause then you can move out of my house!”
“Haha, just because we beat Mickey doesn’t mean Sinbad will let us move back in.” Alibaba grinned, propping his boots up on the table. “You might have ta get used to me living here!”
“A-As if!” Kougyoku stamped his legs off with her high-heel. “Can’t your KND set up a treehouse somewhere else?!”
“I didn’t mean my whole team. It’s kinda nice crashing at this place.”
“W…What?!” Kougyoku flushed a deeper red than the outside of her palace.
“Oh, please…” Dende sighed. “…? Hey, what’s happening out there?!”
Clouds of dark magic began to poof around the city. “We better go take care of it.” Alibaba said.
Skies of Magia Continent
“I think we should focus our efforts on Avalar this time.” Cheren told his operatives.
“Avalar?” Wendy asked. “We’re already striking at Mickey’s homeworld?”
“We’re not targeting Mickey directly… but feel free to break his nose if you get the chance. But according to reports, nearly every sector on Avalar has been captured, and even Evermore is facing attacks. The only two still active are the Top 2 sectors: SD and LN.”
“Me rival’s hangin’ in there!” Sheila fist-pumped. “Let’s hop aboard and hop down there, cobbers!”
“Easy, Captain.” Cheren said. “Before I send too many guys at once, we need to collect information. For now, I just want two sectors to go down and rendezvous with those in question. …Naturally, I propose MG, considering… magic.”
“Yaaaaaaay, we get to see Akko again!” Kiki cheered. “I wonder how much her broom-riding’s improved?”
“Students are only as good as their teachers, y’know.” Phil remarked.
“And you’re only as good as your mouth, Phil.” Kiki narrowed her gaze at him snidely.
“I volunteer our sector!” Index raised a hand.
“You do?” Nagisa asked, cocking a brow. “How come?”
“Well, I…I’ve always wanted to meet Sector SD! Don’t you think there’s just… something about them that’s like us?”
“Like the letter ‘S’?” Shino asked.
“Let’s just go! C’mon, guys!”
“I… don’t see why not.” Nagisa shrugged, his teammates agreeing.
By the next hour, SA’s ship was descending through Avalar’s atmosphere. “EEEEEEEK, we’re going to an actual magic planet!” squealed Shino. “We’ll see dragons and fairies and unicorns and centaurs! Will I get turned into a frog?!”
“Sometimes, I forget how little the average cadet knows.” Goombella said.
“I mean, I grew up in a tiny apartment that nearly caved from Morgiana walking in it. How much do you think I know?”
“Umm…” The Fanalis blushed. She knew she was hefty, but she tried to be gentle…
“Where is SD based again?” Goombella asked.
“Normally, Sindria.” Index answered. “But complications happened, so now they relocated to Kou. According to my intel, at least.”
“Okay… You seem unusually privy on them, Index. Any actual reason?”
“Hmmmm…” Index closed her eyes. The thought of that precious baby warmed her heart. “I’ll tell you after we get there.”
Her teammates looked to her curiously.
Within minutes, they could see the Kou Imperial Palace and its capital city of Rakushou. “A lot more Chinese than I expected.” Shino took note of its traditional architecture. “What’s going on down there?” She noticed the puffs of dark smoke around the city.
“Maybe it’s a festival?” Goombella assumed.
“Doubt it…” Index brought up a digital display and zoomed in. The citizens were retreating into buildings as spirits were attacking them: they came in various colors, but had angry faces, skin designs with gold rims (including their lips and slanted eyes), and ghostly tails. “The Djinns?!”
“Djinns? Like, evil genies?”
“That isn’t culturally accurate here at all!” Shino said.
“Have you seen them before, Index?” Nagisa asked.
“Yes… and I’m actually very worried. For now, we have people to save! I’ll land the ship, you guys get started!”
“You know what’s best!” Nagisa opened the airlock as he and his teammates dove out! (Play “Sand Oasis” from Sonic Secret Rings!)
Invasion 7: Magia Continent
Mission: Stop the Djinn invasion!
Act 1: Rakushou
Nagisa was surrounded by five black and blue Djinns just after landing. Goombella, riding in his backpack, identified them as “Lakma Djinn,” which simply meant Punch Djinn; this would become obvious as they all conjured large boxing gloves to pummel Nagisa from every direction. His Iron Body was able to withstand them (as was Goombella’s noggin), and Nagisa would return the favor with a storm of Finger Pistols. Since the Djinn were spirits, he had no qualms about puncturing them into smoke.
Nagisa saw some red Nar Djinn setting flames to the roof of a three-story building. Using Moon Walk, he jumped his way up the front of the building. The Djinn noticed his ascent and created a vertical maze of flaming bars that Nagisa would need to navigate. It was rather tricky as he needed to consider the height of his Moon Walk bounces. “Ouch!” As a result, his pigtail briefly caught fire before he patted it out. Once Nagisa finally reached the roof, he extinguished the Nar Djinns with Tempest Kicks. Afterwards, Nagisa proceeded to leap across a series of next-door roofs. White Wind Djinn tried to blow him off into the debris below. Nagisa had to switch to Iron Body as soon as he was close to the roofs, falling onto them and remaining stable. Once the Wind Djinn were out of breath, he would destroy them. “Wait, if the other Djinn have Arabic-named elements, why don’t the Wind Djinn?”
“Because ‘wind’ rhymes with ‘Djinn’! Duh!” Goombella stated.
“The other names don’t—ugh, whatever.”
From here, Nagisa could Moon Walk to a sky garden… which was actually a rooftop magically designed to float around the city. The garden attendants were being strangled in the vines of Wara-Djinn, whom were large pink and angry flowers. The Waradas spat seeds with bullet speed. As Nagisa dodged them, he jabbed Finger Pistols at their stems… except he opened his conjoined fingers and snipped the stems like scissors. The beheaded Djinns shriveled up and vanished. “Hey, I just invented the Finger Scissor technique!”
“I’ll still take my haircuts from Aeincha, thanks.”
Nagisa found a thick stalk that spanned over part of the city and decided to grind down it. Nar Djinn appeared and spat fireballs that he would have to jump, afterwards reducing them to smoke. Nagisa landed on a crowded city street, where it seemed dragon snakes were flying between portals and terrorizing the people. There was a Munafa Djinn at the heart of it. Nagisa made his way up the street to stop it; whenever he crossed the dragon’s paths, he used Paper Art to safely evade them. He reached the Munafa Djinn and destroyed it, making the street safe at last!
Nagisa would then have to travel up a wide stairway to an elevated part of town. However, as soon as he was one-third of the way up, “WHOA!” the stairs became a slide, bringing him back down. An Alshariha Djinn snickered at him from the top. And worse, a pair of Ardi Djinn were keeping him grounded, so he couldn’t use Moon Walk. The Slide Djinn would only change the stairs in intervals, so Nagisa would run up a little at a time, then splay his body down and use Iron Body to keep from going down the slide. Eventually, he could end the Slide Djinn’s pranks and its life. As for the Ardi Djinn, Shino would snipe them using a Gilligan-brand plasma rifle.
Nagisa and Goombella had a clear path to the palace… or at least it would be if three Ma’ Djinn weren’t conjuring massive water spouts. Even his Iron Body wasn’t strong enough to force its way through. “Need some help?” The street quaked as Morgiana dropped in.
“Hey, Morg! Yeah, just give me a good throw!” Nagisa ironed himself as his girlfriend picked him up. She tremendously leapt above each waterspout and threw Nagisa down the center of them, his weight combined with her force strong enough to press through and crush the Djinn.
“You guys could do a better job at cleaning up.” Index said as she proceeded to cross the dense puddle left behind by the spirits.
“I’ve defeated 50 Djinn.” Morgiana said. “There don’t seem to be that many left.”
“Shino can shoot down any stragglers.” Nagisa said. “You guys ready to intrude on private property?”
“That’s what we do best!” Goombella chirped.
The palace grounds were unusually empty under the situation… however, it seemed a squad of guards were limping across. “Are they… okay?” Morgiana wondered.
Index gasped: auras of darkness were engulfing the soldiers. “They’re not! Get back!”
The guards burst into dark magic, morphing into massive, animalistic Djinn. A purple scorpion, a black lion with few strands of mane, a green King Cobra, and a red and sapphire boar. “So, Sector SA, decided to join in on the fun?” A mass of green flames spawned in the air, giving shape to a thin woman with malicious green eyes and a black robe. She had streaks of black eyeliner, pointed ears, and the sides of her dark-red hair were done up in curls. “I’ve never paid you back for your interference in Superbia.”
“Superbia?” Nagisa repeated. “I don’t remember you.”
“Wuya!” Index shouted. “Are you the one who awakened the Djinn?!”
“Gruntilda was the orchestrator of this project. And it’s about to turn the tides in this war!”
“Wait, that’s Wuya?!” Nagisa only pictured the purple, masked ghost. “She’s got her flesh back?!”
“Yes. We finally got around to conducting the ritual. But YOUR time in the flesh is just about over!” Wuya summoned an army of Golems with emerald eyes and mouths.
“Whatever, Wuya. It’s just another day in the life for us.”
The Boar Djinn threatened to puncture them with its tusks—until a slash of fire deterred it. “Hey. Our guests just wanted a nice trip to the empire.” A blonde teen propped his long black sword over his shoulder. He wore white Arab clothes and black boots. “Can’t we be more civil about this?” Alibaba smirked, a twinkle in his golden eyes.
Strokes of water slashed the scorpion’s tail as Kougyoku Ren surfed down from Aladdin’s magic carpet. “It’s too late for that. Fiends who trample on my empire will be punished!”
“Sector SD!” Wuya hissed.
“Who else were you expecting?” Pisti remarked, summoning an army of birds with the notes of her flute. They swarmed and distracted the lion while her Dyana pierced its eyes with her talons.
“Whoa, is that a Dyna Blade?!” Goombella jumped onto Nagisa’s head. “Where’d you get that?!”
“I’ll tell you later! Wanna ride?”
“Yeah!”
“Say, aren’t you Sector SA from Earth?” Alibaba approached Nagisa. “Don’t tell me you’re visiting ’cause we had similar names?”
“Uh, not really, but…”
“Well, it’s nice to be working with you, anyway!” Alibaba extended a hand. “I’m Numbuh 1,001! Call me Alibaba.”
“Haha! Nagisa!” The SA leader shook his hand.
“What’s up?” Goombella bounced up to Pisti’s bird. “Name’s Goombella! I see we have similar taste in color.”
“Hehe, we do!” Pisti noted Goombella’s pink skin and blonde hair. “I’m Pisti! Numbuh Sing!”
“And I’m Aladdin!” Aladdin jovially landed beside Index and offered a hand. “Numbuh 3 Wishes! Happy to work with you!”
Index merely stared at him. Her teammates once more looked in confusion. “…” Wondering why his hand was unaccepted, Aladdin opened his eyes. A tear leaked from Index’s green iris. “Uh…I’m sorry, did I… do something?”
“…You did.” Index smiled. “You’ve made us very proud.”
“… … …” Aladdin could only respond with an awkward smile. “Okay.”
“QUIT STARING, YOU FOOLS!” Wuya kicked the cobra’s jaw. “MAIM THEM!” (Play “Battlefield” from Smash Brawl!)
Nagisa shared a smirk with Alibaba. Morgiana with Empress Kougyoku. And Goombella shared a ride with Pisti! Each pair picked a monster and split!
The flaming strikes of Alibaba’s Amol Saiqa were in rhythm with Nagisa’s Tempest Kicks. Their dance pushed the Boar Djinn’s bladed tusks until they severed. However, the boar mustered strength in its legs and dashed with ferocious speed, making roundabouts in several attempts to stampede the boys. However, Nagisa’s Paper Art evaded with the wind, while Alibaba’s sharp Observation Haki knew exactly where to step. When the beast began to slow down, Nagisa leapt and Iron Bodied onto its forehead. He jumped off as Alibaba roasted the beast with a fiery vortex. “AMOL DHERRSAIQA!”
Morgiana gripped the cobra’s head between her powerful legs and hoisted her weight to slam it into the ground. This wasn’t the first time she’s had to fight a cobra during this war. “Vainel Al-Salos!” Kougyoku molded a storm of water spears and pierced the serpent. The cobra shook Morgiana off and gnashed the empress, but she cleanly dodged backward. The cobra reeled back and prepared to lung at her again, but by the time it did, she molded her own watery serpent to intercept it. Morgiana dashed underneath and bent the snake skyward with a solid kick to the jaw. “Vainel Arros!” With the snake in that position, Kougyoku stirred a giant spear-shaped cyclone and impaled the cobra’s skull. The aftermath was a rain shower that made their magenta hair droop.
Kougyoku smiled at Morgiana through the rain. “Look at those legs! You’ll have to teach me your training regimen!”
“Hmhm.” Morg smiled. “If you’d like.”
Carrying Goombella, Pisti tread the very air evading the lion’s ashen claws. “Are you sure it won’t hurt?”
“Just get on with it!”
“Okay!” Pisti tossed Goombella upward and flipped to catch her between her ankles. As her feet fell to aim at the lion, she spun like a drill and shot downward. Goombella’s sturdy noggin combined with Pisti’s speed bashed the lion’s skull into unconsciousness.
Index threw spears of light into the scorpion’s eyes; there was one in its center, four claws, and even the middle of its tail. “Aladdin!” She turned to him. “I can help you cure them of their dark magic.”
“Y-You can?”
Index put her hand over the one holding Aladdin’s wand. She closed her eyes and sung: “(Return the hearts to where they go… Ancient evil, begone…)”
Aladdin closed his eyes and uttered the incantation. Index’s lightbending mixed with his magic as holy light rose from his wand. The Djinn were warmed by the light as their cursed bodies dissolved. The soldiers trapped inside collapsed on the ground. “W-Wait!” Nagisa gasped. “They’re already dead!”
“Their lives were already taken by these Djinn.” Index said. “But now their souls are free… thanks to you.”
“Hmm…” Aladdin looked to the heavens with hope.
“Well, we’ve got some refunds to sort out with these useless genies.” Wuya sneered. “Golems, looks like it’s up to you!”
She channeled her powerful magic into the Golems. Their jaws gaped as they threatened to bellow blazing beams. “GUYS! TOGETHER!” Aladdin ushered them all to reunite as he conjured a Borg, where they remained perfectly safe. Once the beams dispelled, the team divided and mowed the Golems down with ease. Wuya struck Aladdin with a curse that forced thousands of fire ants to crawl through his skin. However, Aladdin spread his own magic over his body that would shrink all the ants to microscopic size, allowing his white blood cells to consume them. In turn, he cast a spell at Wuya, causing bubbles to rise out of every orifice on her head.
“What is this nonsense?!” The sudsy feeling was both nauseating and ticklish. “SNORT! COUGH! You little snot!”
“Look who’s calling who a snot.” Aladdin said with a teasing smile.
“UGH!” Wuya snapped her fingers and popped the spell. She glanced up at Aladdin’s flying carpet and cast a spell, turning it into a sheet of shiny glass. Aladdin quickly cast a spell to change it back before it hit the ground—his distraction allowed Wuya to shoot out shards of conjured glass, cutting the youth in his arms, waist, and feet. Aladdin growled up at the witch… and thought of a counter-move. He struck Wuya with a Gravity Spell, forcing her to fall. “Is that the best you can…ew, what is that taste?! WHAT?!” Aladdin had also turned her feet into tongues. “AH! DISGUSTING! EW, EW, EW!” She tried to fly, but was unable to, stepping around the pavement and forced to suffer its taste. “That’s it… you’ve asked for it.”
Wuya dug her nails into the earth and pulled open a gaping chunk of it. She had opened an endless pit crawling with nasty spiders. She then willed the cave to suck downward like a vacuum, drawing in all of her enemies. “HEY, PISTI, does your flute work on spiders?!” Kougyoku screamed.
“But these look like magic spiders!”
“Sorry, Star, I’ll have to steal one of your spells!” Aladdin mustered a large sum of magic and washed it over the entire chasm. “SPIDERS WITH TOP HATS!” All the creepy-crawlies transformed into tap-dancing spiders with canes and top-hats. A bunch of them strung webs together and saved the falling group. The web pressed far downward from their force before SPRINGING them back to the surface. “How would YOU like a taste, Wuya?!” Aladdin flicked his wand and used a Hair-Pulling Spell to yank Wuya over the chasm, causing her to fall in.
“Why, you…!” The witch was wrapped in the spiders’ webs. They all donned fighting gloves and closed in on her. “This isn’t the end! You hear me?!”
Aladdin sealed the sub-dimension. “Sigh…” He sat down in exhaust. (End song.)
“That magic was brilliant!” Index beamed. “You handled Wuya like a pro! I guess her old magic wasn’t able to keep up.”
“Yeah, I guess so. …” Aladdin looked up at her curiously. “So, do you… know me from somewhere?”
“Um…yeah…” Index knelt to his level. She embraced him in a hug. “You’re kind of… my son.”
“…Oh.” Aladdin drew a blank face. So did Nagisa. And Morg. Goombella. Sector SD.
“WHUUUUUUUUHHHH?!”
“How is she a mom?!” Pisti gawked. “She doesn’t look much older than you!”
“Wait! Wait-wait-wait, I get it, I get it.” Goombella shook her head to readjust her thoughts. “Your past life. Your past life was his mom. Because you remember all your past lives, don’t you?”
“Yeah… except I was actually his mom a few thousand past lives ago.”
They all fell blank again. “. . . . . . . HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!”
“Okay, okay,” Alibaba blinked, “before we get lost in this, we need to check up on Dende. He was still treating people in town.”
“Y-Yeah… we gotta check on Shino, too.” Nagisa said.
…
His antennas glowing, Dende had just finished healing a toddler’s legs. “She’s alright.” He told her mother. “You better get home.”
“B-Behind you!” She pointed.
A Munafa Djinn opened a portal, threatening to ram them with a dragon snake. Fortunately, a laser rifle shot the Djinn, immediately breaking its spell. They looked to the rooftop where the laser came from. “Everything okay down there?!” Shino called down.
“Y-Yeah! Thanks again!”
“I don’t see any more! I’m gonna go look for my team!”
“I will, too!”
Their destinations would be one in the same after returning to the palace grounds. The teams shared brief recaps and, “WHAAAT?!” Shino and Dende were equally dumbstruck.
“In fact, now that we’re safe…” Index pulled out Hoopa’s Spirit Ball, “there’s someone else who’d like to see you.” She popped it open as the genie-like Firstborn stretched awake.
“Yaaaaawn… Scheherazade, you should see how cozy it is in there! Hey, who’re these guys?”
“Hoopa…” Index put an arm around Aladdin, “do you recognize him?”
Hoopa lowered and gazed directly into Aladdin’s eyes. “…IT’S HIM!” Hoopa grabbed his cheeks, stretched, and pinched them. “It’s my little brother! ALADDIN!”
“Wh…whuh??”
“It’s that Firstborn!” Kougyoku recognized. “Even HE knows you?!”
“I’m so confused!” Aladdin shook free and rubbed his head. “I…I…I’m hungry!”
Both his and Index’s stomachs rumbled. “Boy, I am, too. Got any tasty food in that palace?”
“Now I believe they’re related.” Morgiana remarked.
Palace Dining Room
Since SD already had their fill on the food Pisti brought, Kougyoku had her cooks prepare a feast of fine Kou cooking! Or should she say, fine Kouking, ha ha ha! Morgiana stuffed herself with the sweetest sushi from their coast, Nagisa slurped up crimson ramen that briefly turned his hair red, Index and Aladdin dove into the fruits bowl, and Hoopa was eating his fill of raspberry-filled onigiri and chocolate-covered dough rolls.
“We’re barely here for an hour and we’re already eating at a princess’ table?!” Shino muttered as she pondered what to eat first.
“Empress.” Kougyoku corrected.
“KHORK!” Shino held in a cough. “God, my classmates would freak if they found out about this. I’M freaking about this! I never practiced etiquette.”
“Then quit making a fool of yourself and eat.” Goombella said.
“So, Aladdin… is really 10,000 years old?!” Alibaba was still trying to process the story.
“He always was more mature than you were.” Kougyoku snickered.
Nagisa swallowed his current mouthful. “But how come you never wanted to meet him before?”
“Because I didn’t have my full memories back until the World Rings incident.” Index answered. “When I get reborn, even though I preserve my identity as Scheherazade… each and every life that I live has to be unique. I’m born as a new person with new parents… so, I need to balance between being that person and being Scheherazade. But it was only after I remembered this time… after I remembered seeing Aladdin’s name in a Top Sectors list… then did additional research… I realized…” Index faced him with emotional eyes, “you really are King Solomon’s son.”
“Solomon…”
“Solomon the Wise…” Alibaba thought aloud. “The legendary king who saved the world… He’s actually real? And he’s Aladdin’s dad?!”
“All myths hold facts.” Goombella winked. “Index, I’m mad that you never taught me all this, yet.”
“I mean, we were kind of swamped with a bazillion crises. But Solomon…” Index folded hands over her heart. “He was a great man. I… I mean, Sheba would’ve done anything for him. So handsome and tender…” The group cringed slightly at the idea. “…Sigh, but what’m I saying? You’re Sheba’s son, not mine. I guess I just wanted you to know… it really broke her heart to have to send you away.”
“…” Aladdin stared at his reflection in the melon juice. “Sometimes, I have dreams about my mom… On nights after I scrape my knees or get pushed around by classmates, I dream about my mom holding me. Even happened when that Madaura lady…hu-u-u-u-u.” He shuddered from the thought of that creep. “…I don’t know what to think about any of this.”
“You know,” Shino began, “if I walked up to a stranger and told them I was their reborn mom, I’d probably get sent to an insane asylum.”
“Yeah.” Everyone else chorused.
“Ulp…” Index melted in her seat. “’Guess I just have… bad people skills.”
“Hahahahahaha!” But seeing Aladdin’s giggling face brightened her spirits. “I guess… all I can say is… Thank you. For conveying my mom’s feelings.”
Index smiled. “…And besides, it’s not the only time Scheherazade’s had kids. Mason and Haruka are also my great-great-grandchildren.”
“WHAAAAAT?!” her teammates screamed.
“But that was a forced courtship with Hannibal Bean… back when I was Meg Linlin.”
“You’re definitely not my mom…” Aladdin replied awkwardly.
“Anyway, there’s another reason I shared this story.” Index pushed herself up, adapting a serious demeanor. “Those Djinn. They were the creations of our enemy from back then. And I fear… that enemy has returned.”
Sealed Palace
“Ya ’abana, ’unqidhna ’iilaa almujda.” Hundreds of wizards surrounded the palace gates. As their magic flowed, they awaited the good word of their representative.
There it stood… untouched for millenniums. A black lamp of intricate design. The first to touch this relic were a pair of green, wart-covered hands with filthy long nails. Gruntilda cackled and rubbed the lamp excitedly. What happened next came as quickly as expected.
The lamp turned red and burst into magical smoke. “Hahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Thousands of Djinns lined the walls, surrounding Grunty like a tornado. Looming above the center of the room, the smoke gave shape to a man with thick, golden earrings and black hair in the shape of lightning bolts. For the first time in eons, he opened his narrow dark-magenta eyes and stretched his strong arms. “Ahhhh…10,000 years can give you such a crick in the neck.” He looked toward the small, round subject beneath him. “Who dares to wake me from my slumber?”
“It is I, David Jehoahaz Abraham. Your servants await you on foot and hand. I am Gruntilda, she chosen to lead them. Your magnificence surpasses the legend.”
“Heh heh heh… What has humankind devolved to after all these years?”
“What?! You should know I’m a sight! No mortal can look at me and not die of fright!”
“Heh heh…humor me, then.” David rested his head on his fist and propped the elbow on the ground. “You, who hold my lamp… What is it that you wish?”
“To devise the end of the KND who threaten us at every bend! Then, should you serve our needs, my acquaintances will see fit to set you free.”
“Humorous, indeed. But my freedom does not come without a price. After all, this prison… was of my own making.”
David’s wrists and ankles were impaled against the ground by Sheba’s spears of light. The once High Priest of the Orthodox Church could only laugh at this development. “Perhaps you will be reborn as well, Father.” Solomon said. “And you will share in the happiness of our descendants.
“No, my boy… my ideals will live on… along with my soul. Astidea’a, misbahi!”
The lamp magically appeared above his head. Solomon and Sheba were horrified as his soul began to flow from his flesh into the lamp. “You…You’ve cursed yourself with the seal of the genie?!”
“Yes… and try as you might, this lamp is unbreakable. My followers will find me… and use me to accomplish our mission. Or perhaps you will use me to spread your own ideals across the world… but how long can you keep me out of their hands?”
Solomon growled and drew a complex rune in the air with his staff. “Alqiama!”
The magic began to shatter his father’s body and the part of his soul that didn’t make it into the lamp. “Hahahahaha… The Resurrection Spell? Then perhaps… I may be at odds with myself someday. Is that what you hope? We’ll see… if your decision was wise…”
Lord David was gone. Solomon and Sheba calmly approached the lamp and raised it. “If we summon the soul in this lamp… perhaps we can wish it to be reborn as well?” Sheba said.
“No… I feel a powerful will around this lamp. His soul is firmly attached to it… as are his desires.” Solomon could feel the presence of the Djinn culminating around the lamp. “We need to seal this evil away from the world.”
“A severed soul? I think I know the feeling.” Grunty said. “But it must be ancient. It’s too late for healing.”
“No, my young witch. I can feel it… My other half is somewhere in this very world… and should you rejoin me with it… you will have all that you desire.”
“Then your wish is my command… Lord Abraham! Rakakakakakakakaka!”
Kou
“You really think… David is back?!” Hoopa said in shock.
“I do. I only wanted to visit this sector out of desire… but I guess it was destiny.”
“You did say the World Rings incident happened one other time.” Goombella recalled. “Maybe we shouldn’t have brought Hoopa here.”
“Hmmmm…” The Firstborn drooped in sadness.
“If David really has returned,” Alibaba propped his boot on the table, “we’ll just have to kick his butt in this era! We have experience with dark wizards, so it’ll be a cinch.”
“Then for this mission,” Nagisa joined him on the table, “Sectors SA and SD are as one!”
“Yeah! We are… Sector SAD!”
Their declaration was met with blank expressions. “That doesn’t set a good impression for us.” Dende said.
“No, I kind of like it.” Nagisa replied. “From an ironic standpoint. Plus, we’re making our enemies sad.”
“Sector SAD we are then.” Morg smiled.
“Hah hall right!” Alibaba plopped in the seat between Nagisa and Morg. “Oh, and hey… Morgiana, right? You look really familiar.”
“I…” she blinked, “I do?”
“Yeah…” Alibaba studied her magenta hair and strong build. “Almost like… we know each other… in a parallel universe…” Their friends exchanged befuddled glances. “That’s it! You’re Kougyoku’s Negative!” Then they all gawked at the wild assumption. “It makes sense! You both have similar hair, but you’re exact opposites of each other! Kougyoku’s almost completely covered, but you show a lot more skin! You got a lot more meat on your bones,” he rubbed Morg’s hamstrings, “and you’re definitely more of a wild girl type. It all makes sense!”
“. . . . . .” Dark gazes fell over Morg and Kougyoku.
The “Home-Run” music from Smash Bros. cued up as Alibaba flew across the capital with the dexterity of a sandbag. The magenta-haired girls in question had a leg outstretched. “That was a good technique.” Morg told the empress. “But you need to stretch your leg out with a quicker snap.”
“I’ll keep practicing!”
“Oh, brother…” Shino shared a disbelieved glare with Dende. It was clear that etiquette wasn’t necessary here.
“!!!” They were startled by a crackling sound, and they were quick to notice the space above the table rupturing. “AAAAHH!” A burst of green flames signaled Wuya’s return. “That didn’t take very long! Now, where were we?!”
Index folded hands in prayer as light shimmered around her. She hummed in an archaic tone, “God, restrain the heathen that hath followed evil through ages.” Light Chi took the shape of Arceus Crosses above her hands. She threw two of them to cuff Wuya’s hands and two more to cuff her ankles. She forced the witch onto the table and on her knees.
“You think your little Arceist tricks mean anything, anymore?!” The cuffs were slowly cracking from Wuya’s dark magic. “There are no more gods to answer your prayers!”
“The gods will always exist in my heart.”
“They will.” Aladdin agreed firmly, climbing onto the table and sitting cross-legged before the witch. “Wuya… let me into your heart. I want to understand how it all fell apart.” He raised his Genie Lamp to his face and shut his eyes. His red forehead gem linked a beam of light to his wand, then to Wuya’s heart.
“Hoopa.” Index spoke, sitting behind Aladdin. “Lend me your chi. I’d like to help, too.” Hoopa conjured the universe book and splayed it before his Guardian. She touched a hand to Aladdin’s back and one on a page focusing on Wuya’s battle with Dashi.
At first, darkness surrounded Aladdin. He stepped forward, with only a small light to follow. The light gave vision to a young man thrusting punches beneath a waterfall. He was thin with budding muscles and totally balled with yellow skin. A short distance away, a teenage Wuya was trying to mold clay monsters with magic. She was crafting five at once, but she lost focus and they collapsed into mush. “Darn it all!”
“Perhaps you should try for a smaller number? Do not overtask yourself.”
“Well, how’s your fight with the air going?”
“My chi paths still feel stiff in some places. But I feel them growing clearer by the day. Let me try…” He stepped out of the waterfall. With some arm motions, he generated some lightning. It didn’t conduct through the shallow water at his feet. He waved his arms, aimed at the sky, and struck a bolt.
“Hmm! Not bad.” Wuya praised.
“No. The direction was off. If my ally were standing just a centimeter off, it would hurt them.”
“Look, Dashi, if the gods can’t even make a straight bolt of lightning, what makes you think you can? It’s impossible.”
“Perhaps. But with every try, my aim grows sharper.”
Wuya rolled her eyes. …She heard footsteps and cast a magic illusion to hide herself. A trio of elderly monks walked by. They looked in Dashi’s direction, the young monk bowing in greeting. They bowed as well and proceeded. Wuya unhid herself. “You know, didn’t you say the old monks were still training?”
“Of course. Though they are above my level, even they are not masters of their craft.”
“But… why? If you’re not even a master by the time you’re that age, why even train at all?”
“I do not know. Perhaps that is the journey of life. Though, I’ve heard that if one trains enough, they can extend their lifespan or resist the aging process altogether. Perhaps I should be so lucky someday. Hmhm!”
“Hmmm…” Wuya tapped her chin in pondering.
Aladdin was unnoticed as he watched them. “That man is Master Dashi.”
“Ah!” He was startled by Index’s presence.
“Sorry! I’m using Hoopa’s power to see into history and combining it with your power. This way, we can fully see into Wuya’s heart.”
“I see…”
“Dashi was a legendary Xiaolin monk. Wuya was of the Heylin Clan of Witches. The two were supposed to be enemies… but it seems they were secret friends for a time. Let’s keep going.” The two walked through a tunnel of golden book pages.
They entered a darker scene, where a 3-year-older Wuya held a knife. “Dashi! Look at this!”
“WUYA!” His friend stabbed herself in the heart.
“COUGH! …Haha! I’m still alive! It worked!”
“Wuya… what have you…”
“I did some research, Dashi! I researched a way to live forever! I created a Horcrux!”
“Wuya… I sense… a dark aura about you… What have you done to achieve this?”
“I killed a mountain bandit.”
“WHAT?!”
“Sheesh, why the over-reaction? He was looting and burning villages! The spell wouldn’t work without a sacrifice, so I thought I’d go with someone no one would miss!”
“Wuya… why?”
“To fight the aging process, duh! To fight the mortal coil altogether! Think about it, Dashi! If we live forever, we don’t have to waste our lives training! We could become masters and have an eternity to do anything else! I know you’re not magical, but I’m sure there’s a way to make the spell work with-”
Dashi struck the witch with a bolt, not strong enough to do serious damage. “I will not allow this, Wuya. Not for me… or for yourself.”
“What is your problem, Dashi?! Why wouldn’t you want to live forever?!”
“Because if life were eternal… there would be no value in growth. Growth would simply cease to be. That is what my master has taught me.”
“That old fart would keel over by tripping on a nutshell! He’s only spewing that nonsense because he never found a way!”
“Wuya… I fear you are losing yourself.”
“You’re the one who’s lost it, Baldy! ‘No, I don’t want to live because I won’t grow,’ bullshit! With eternal life, I can become the most powerful witch in the world! And you could be the single strongest Xiaolin master! No one could challenge us!”
“The path you choose, Wuya… is one of darkness and turmoil. Even knowing your origins, I accepted you as my friend. I saw no evil in your heart. …I see now I was wrong.”
“HAAAAH!” Wuya, in her ghost form, wrapped Aladdin in her tendrils and tried to choke him. Her ghost was a light-purple with a white mask with yellow eyes. “YOU! How dare you invade my memories…”
Index pried the witch off, and Aladdin restrained her with Spirit Chi. “And that was when your battle began.” Index recounted as pages flew by. “Dashi crafted the Shen Gong Wu and pled the gods and spirits to embed their chi into them. All so he and his fellow monks could fight the dark magic you wrought.”
“I was the most powerful witch in the land and he knew it! He needed those fancy tools to match even a fraction of my power! And even though they wiped out my clan, he knew I was only going to keep growing stronger! So, he trapped me in that infernal puzzle box! And then, one of his own comrades, Chase Young took the easy way to immortality! Hahahahahaha!”
“Yeah… we saw for ourselves how strong he was.” Index said. “But for all his 1500 years of training, even we beat him in the end.”
“Only with your cheap Firstborn magic! In the end, Dashi was wrong! Thanks to our immortality, we could keep growing stronger! And I would find love! Comrades! Family!”
They were swept into a page where Wuya and Shadow Queen Malevolous were snickering at some gossip. They watched as Chancellor Cole Fulbright conducted a ritual, removing the soul from an unfortunate Irish woman so that Wuya could steal the body. She and Cole would share a joined wedding with Benedict Uno and Malevolous.
But that love wasn’t fated to last. Shortly after having their only son, Cole grew disgruntled with his wife. When the Xiaolin Warriors of that time tracked her down and imprisoned her all over again, Cole never bothered to find her Puzzle Box. She couldn’t even bother to search him out 30 years later, after she was freed by Jack Spicer. It would sting worse when the Fulbright Family attacked her at Final Brain. The last Wuya would hear about Cole, he was killed in battle by his great-grandson Francis, on the same day Benedict was killed by his own great-grandson.
“Love your work~” Wuya found a brief romance in the Brotherhood with Malchior, a black dragon of the dark arts. But while most of the Brotherhooders were frozen, Malchior was sealed in his book prison and subsequently burned with it.
“We’re gonna be the best the Brotherhood has to offer!” Mozenrath proclaimed, sharing a hug with Wuya and their comrades (though Wuya couldn’t actually touch them in her ghostly state).
A couple years back, a band of Brotherhood misfits found kinship with each other. They had high ambitions and high hopes. They were the best Wuya ever hung out with. They were a dream that never came to be. One day, they plotted to abduct the black frogs from Mobius’ Frog Forest and harness their plant-shrinking powers… but when Roman Torchwick fell into the swamp, he was snatched and violently chewed in the teeth of a giant alligator. Archibald Snatcher snuck into Queen Vanessa’s Manor to steal her rare wine, but the ghost queen seized and had him petrified to a husk.
“Wuya… I can’t take it, anymore…” Mozenrath’s body was corpselike, dry and grey. “Even removing the gauntlet… it’s too late… I… My body is ruined…”
“Then let’s find a body for you to inhabit! Just abduct a poor soul and force them to-”
“No. I…I don’t want to. I can’t, anymore…” Mozenrath pulled a shimmering green crystal out from his hat. Aladdin recognized it: the Crystal of Ix. When he inhabited Mozenrath’s body, he learned the crystal was Mozenrath’s Horcrux. “It’s just… not worth it… anymore…”
“NO, MOZENRATH!” The wizard’s remorse caused the crystal to crack in his hand. It shattered as the piece of soul returned to his body.
Later, Jack Spicer would approach an upset Wuya with a wry smile. “Sooooo… those new friends work out?”
Aladdin and Index turned to Wuya. Her feelings now reflected hers then. “…You children are cruel.” The witch hissed. “Forcing me… to relive these memories…”
“I’m sorry, Wuya.” Aladdin said. “I… can’t imagine… how you must feel…”
“…When I first separated my soul, it didn’t hurt that bad. But after all these centuries, the pain grew worse. I could never find true love… Everyone I actually cared about died… and here I am… doomed to lose again in a war. …I can just feel Dashi laughing at me. Laughing at how much he was right! I…I can’t go up there! I can’t face him!”
“Wuya…” Aladdin held the spirit gently. “If he is waiting for you up there… he would want you to stop suffering. He’d want your soul to heal.” Golden butterflies fluttered around the youth. “So, tell the truth… what do you want, Wuya?”
“…I want the pain to end. I want to see all my friends again. …I…I don’t…”
Wuya’s purple ethereal body turned a bright gold. Light enveloped them: Aladdin and Index woke up in their physical bodies. Wuya’s artificial flesh softly decayed as her spirit rose free. “Wuya… where are you going?” Aladdin asked.
“I’m going to retrieve my Horcrux… and repair my soul. If you see Jack Spicer… tell him to keep trying his best.” The ghost flew to the sky, never to be seen again.
Index closed her eyes peaceably. “She’s accepted her fate. The ancient enemy of the Xiaolin monks… the ancestor to the Fulbright Family… I hope she can finally find peace.”
Her fellow operatives bowed heads in respect. …Meanwhile, Alibaba was limping back to the palace with a walking cane.
Sindria Palace
Sindria Trading Company was the center of commerce in Magia and one of the biggest companies on Avalar. The revolutionary King Sinbad was practically the ruler of the continent with how his trade helped the kingdoms flourish. He was a true symbol of his people; broad, muscular, decorated with gold, silver, jewels, and pure regal clothes, complimented by his violet hair and golden eyes.
“Lord Sinbad.” The king looked up from his paperwork at his draconic general, Drakon. “King Mickey requests an audience with you.”
The king smiled and rose from his seat. “I barely have time to brush my teeth these days.”
I’ve always considered the Magi crew very equivalent with Avatar’s main Gaang. Alibaba is the Sokka, the “ladies’ man” and the butt of every joke while still acting as the group’s leader. Aladdin is Aang, being a powerful reincarnation in the form of a fun-loving boy. Morgiana would be Toph, being the tough barefoot girl. And Hakuryuu (though he isn’t in this story) is Zuko, a scarred prince from a Chinese-inspired nation. That’s why I played the “Battlefield” music, because I played the same music back in Firstborn when we first met the Gaang!
But before we go on, let’s take a look at another dimension… where my fifth grade reading class is reading this story!
“‘Lord David was gone.’” The teacher read. “‘Solomon and Sheba calmly approached the lamp and raised it. ‘If we-’”
“Um, excuse me? Mr. D?” My best friend from grade school, David raised his hand.
“Yes, David?”
“Every time you mention David, Leslie and Brianna look at me.” The girls in question stared at David with dimwitted expressions.
“Ah. Well, maybe this will teach them to follow along better. You two better submit a 500-page book report BY TOMORROW!”
“BUT MR. DEEEEEE!” the girls whined.
“YOU HEARD ME! And if you don’t, I’m dropping you all the way back to preschool! Didn’t you read the warning at the start of this book?! That the characters in this story are fictional?! They have no connection to anyone in real life?! REMEMBER THAT NEXT TIME!”
Chapter 41: Magi Saga 2: Knights of Seven Seas
Summary:
Sector SAD go to the entertainment city, Tharbad to protect it from Djinn, but they are ambushed by Sinbad's generals. Sector MG try to regroup with Sector LN at the Ogre Swamps.
Chapter Text
So, I’m about to troll you guys: most of the new characters introduced in this arc will either come from Magi or Trails, and I won’t say which is which! Take note that some of Sinbad’s Eight Generals were already repurposed in other roles (Hinahoho, Masrur, and Pisti), so Sinbad will have different generals from Trails. The reason is that both series have unique cultural inspirations with their characters.
Chapter 37: Knights of Seven Seas
Kings Mickey and Sinbad sat across from each other at a table, filled to the brim with fresh and shiny fruits and meat. “I appreciate your help in subjugating the KND on this world.”
“Well, when people started to question whether I was a KND supporter, profits started dropping. It wasn’t enough to disown Sector SD… I had to do my part in this war. We can’t let Kael’s Throne go to the likes of them. But it is a little funny though… My company and the KND were already competitors in resolving crime or international conflicts. Now things are a lot more… exciting.”
“Hoho, I’ll hold my excitement until we win. But listen, Sinbad… how would you feel about joining the Corporate Presidents?” The king cocked a brow as he took a sip of his wine. “You can broaden your trade to other worlds!”
“Things must really be desperate up there then!” Sinbad chortled.
“Sigh, you have no idea. Good help is hard to come by these days. But I know you and your generals won’t disappoint, hoho!”
“You’re to the point, Your Majesty.”
“My Lord.” A tan-skinned man walked in. His blue hair was done in a ponytail and wrapped in red bands, and he sported a white jacket over black torso armor and gray combat pants. “Strange creatures have begun appearing around the kingdom. They look like genies. I’ve declared a state of emergency.”
“It’s not just our kingdom!” General Drakon, the green-scaled draconic man, joined in. “I’ve gotten reports of our neighboring nations suffering similar attacks!”
“Well, you boys know your jobs, don’t you? Is Shizuna still filming over at Elsaim?”
“Yes. Prince Sherid is with her as well. I’ll contact them. I don’t suppose you want to check on your sister as well, Kasim?” Drakon asked the blue-haired man.
Kasim shut his eyes and turned down. “Let’s eliminate the threat posthaste.”
“Let me help out, too!” Mickey chirped, hopping to Sinbad’s side and extending a hand. “We gotta stand together to defend our people!”
“That’s a bargain we can both agree on!” Sinbad accepted his handshake.
Tharbad, Elsaim
Built around a desert’s oasis, Tharbad was the center of entertainment in Magia. There was endless action in Vegas Films studio, and people from around the continent would flock to the theaters to watch thrilling car chases, extravagant musicals, or elegant noir.
But the streets were just as lively with dancers and performers, whether they were trying to attract the studio’s attention or simply needed the pocket change. Saara was a popular street dancer, the sun glinting off her light-tan skin as she moved fluently in her traditional dancewear: white diaphanous fabrics around her arms and legs, a thin top around her check, and a green sarong around her waist with gold ornaments. The bright green polish on her fingers and toes reflected her eyes, and her reddish-brown hair was in a bun with long, braided bangs.
Saara danced to the cultural rhythm of a sitar, performed by her sister sat on the sidewalk. Shaheena’s outfit was identical, except with red instead of green, with much shorter, brown hair. Gems and paper money flew into their upturned magic top-hat (the sisters weren’t magic, but it was a convenient storage item).
Watching in secret from atop a palm tree, a blue-haired girl smiled at them, her sky-blue eyes peering behind red head wrapping. She wore a dusty yellow jacket-skirt, and her thin, firm, tanned legs wore open-toed boots, the right one strapped up to her thigh. She wore a flowing red scarf crossed above her chest area.
The sisters retired to an alleyway after the performance. Saara rested against the wall as she took a well-deserved drink of juice. “You really went all out on that one!” Shaheena said.
“Yeah, she did!” The two were startled by the new voice that chimed in: the blue-haired girl with the head wrapping.
“Oh! Feri!” Shaheena greeted. “When did you get back to town?”
“About a few minutes ago. Good thing, too! I’m surprised you aren’t in the recording studio by now.”
“I still don’t think I’m one for the big screens.” Saara blushed. “And besides, I heard they have a princess filming today.”
“Really? It’s not Princess Zita, is it?”
“I don’t think so. I just know she arrived pretty late at night. What about you, Feri? How’s, uh…the war going?”
Feri frowned, looking away shamefully.
The Kruga Clan ruled their self-named canyon of Magia’s Seven Deserts. Their tribe was small and lived off the field of battle, particularly from whoever hired their services. Still, it was a wound to some of their pride for an ugly, corporate hag like Gruntilda to tread onto their turf. “I journeyed far to have found, reliable arms to hire as my hounds!”
“President Gruntilda.” Chief Hasan spoke. “It’s unusual for someone of your stature to approach us directly.”
“I trust no one other face to carry the terror. Only with my presence is there true fervor! Now then, I’ll cut to the chase; the sooner I’ll get out of this arid place. The kingdom of Evermore I command you to strike. Crush all that you can, every swing set and bike! Oh, and if the KND oppose you, destroy them as well! They’re enemies, too!”
And so, with a substantial advance fee, the Warriors of Kruga engaged the Warriors 4 Evermore. There were plenty of kid fighters among them, but they did well to combat the desert clan. Feri, with her fairly small size and fleet feet, infiltrated deep into the town, using her firebending along with her Rifleblade to destroy as many properties as ordered. However, it was only after she broke into a children’s restaurant that she froze: a Mobian dog mother huddled with her two children, and a mouse man with his daughter. Those kids looked no older than her own little siblings, who were still safe at home. …Feri lowered her gun and left the building.
Chief Hasan found an equal match in Tyran, a dark-skinned man with an orange mohawk and beard. “So, Tyran…” Hasan said to the banished Kruga, “after all your bluster, you’ve abandoned your ambition and submitted to this kingdom.”
“Nah! In the end, THIS turned out to be my Lucky Country!”
While the Evermore Warriors left them with mild scars, they were peaceful by nature and allowed the Kruga to retreat. Likewise, the Kruga had their own sense of pride: they weren’t ones to take “dirty” jobs, so they only damaged what was necessary and wouldn’t deal any fatal blows to the townsfolk. Yet, Feri wouldn’t forget the faces of the injured and terrified citizens.
“We rested and recuperated for a day… then we attacked again.” Feri said. “This time, we broke several peoples’ legs. And soon… we’ll have to go back. Gruntilda really wants that kingdom to fall.”
Shaheena sighed. “I know Evermore are big KND supporters… but that sounds terrible. Feri… are you sure you wanna stay with them?”
“Hmmm…” Feri has considered it. Just like Tyran found peace with Evermore, or her own brother sought a new purpose under Sinbad’s employ… and yet, she felt bad abandoning her family. And yet, Feri feared Grunty wouldn’t want them to stop at Evermore.
“Hey, Feri?” Saara spoke, reading her eyes. “Do you wanna try a dance?”
“W-What?” Feri blushed.
“When you’re not sure about something, sometimes a good dance gets the brain juices flowing!”
“Yeah!” Shaheena agreed. “I bet the people would love it, too!”
“I-I don’t know.” Feri smiled behind her wrap. It’s true that she had danced for them on her last visit, though her style was more wild compared to their graceful one.
“Well, maybe just here then?” Saara complied.
“Mmm, okay! But, can I try to do it like you guys?”
“If you want to. But you should take that wrap off first. It’ll help you focus your breathing.”
“I guess you’re right.” Feri began to unwrap her head… but tensed up in horror as a white Djinn appeared at Saara’s back. “LOOK OUT!”
…
Whilst the commoners were dancing blissfully on the street, real art was being made inside the studio. A maiden of 23 sat beneath a tree atop a hill, the crescent moon glinting against her flowing silver hair. She sat in meditation, wearing a black uniform the length of her body, with exposed fingers, toes, thighs, and shoulders, with a white jacket over it. “Princess.” A ninja suddenly appeared several feet behind her, bowing. “The Kids Next Door have appeared at our gates. We moved our children to the safehouse. What are your orders?”
A single petal from the white Lino blossom tree drifted down. With a draw of her katana, the back of which was engraved with elegant designs, the thin petal seemed to duplicate: perfectly peeled in halves. “Leave it to me.”
“Aaaaaaaaand CUT!”
The mike and cameramen moved position as the director stepped up to the (short) cliff. “We couldn’t ask a more perfect delivery if we staged it!” Director Gotti was a large man with a red Hawaiian shirt with leaf and flower designs. He had scruffy blue hair, mustache, and beard, as well as distinct arm and leg hair of the same color. “It was tricky enough getting the petals to blow just right! Now we don’t gotta waste budget planting another Lino Tree! The twinkle of your sword against your hair! And that swing! OOF! You’re a living legend, Princess Shizuna!”
“Well, just so you know, I didn’t sign up for cheap stunts.” Shizuna said, a smile on her flawless face. “Whatever actors you hired to portray KND better be able to keep up.”
“We did the best with what our budget could offer.” A charming voice replied. Prince Sherid Asval stepped onto the set; he wore a white turban over his soft brown hair and royal white robes with golden banners. “But I’m glad you’ve settled into your ‘role’ just fine.”
“I’ll say!” Gotti exclaimed. “She’ll be rivaling Disney’s princesses in no time! Beautiful and badass, kids of all genders are gonna love her!”
The notion drew a frown from the prince. “For now, I believe I’ll retire to the dressing room.” Shizuna said. “I seem to have a strand of hair out of place.” She left.
Sherid was approached by his secretary, a dark-skinned woman with short, smooth vanilla-blonde hair and a business suit. “Something troubles you, Your Highness?”
“While Shizuna is brilliant for the big screen… having to conform to Disney’s agenda leaves a sour taste.”
“Outside of Sector SD, I can’t vouch for the rest of the KND… but the fact Mickey is planning so many films against them feels concerning.”
“In a lot of other film pitches I’ve heard, it seems Disney likes to portray Mushroomian Toads, Arceists, and even Mobian cats as villains. It’s true those peoples have a sordid history… but if we let that history taint too much of our films, it’ll send the wrong messages.”
“Perhaps… but seeing as Mickey is meeting with Sinbad now, it’s only a matter of time until he has full control of this studio.”
“You know, it makes me wonder… would the KND tried to brand their own propaganda against Mickey if they could? Would they go to the effort of making films to slander him? What do you think, Naje?”
“Hmm… I suppose I-?!”
The lights and monitors in the room began to flicker. Djinn began to poof into being. “H-Hey!” Gotti gasped. “Who’s playing with the special effects?!”
“Watch out!” Naje drew a shamshir and leapt to slash a djinn that was about to burn Gotti’s behind.
“Someone sound the alarm!” Sherid ordered. “And alert Shizuna!”
…
Sector SAD crossed the desert on Aladdin’s magic carpet, which had been expanded to fit all 10 operatives. “Now, here’s a relaxing way to travel!” Nagisa said, lain back as he brushed his socks against the carpet. “No uncomfy seats, just get to sit back and enjoy the breeze!”
“Yep.” Shino said sarcastically. “Nothing like arid desert air and miles of sand…”
“It’s basically like being back home.” Goombella said. “At least we don’t have to be down there with the monsters.” They had a nice, safe view of the sandstorms and giant beasts that roamed the sands.
“Most of this continent is made of the Seven Deserts.” Kougyoku explained. “And they’re each the territory of a kingdom or tribe. First one we’re heading to is Elsaim.”
“Prince Sherid is one of Sinbad’s Eight Generals.” Alibaba followed. “He might have some information on the captured operatives.”
“You think he’ll cooperate?” Morgiana asked.
“He’s always been approachable… and besides, I think he’ll be open to a truce in this crisis.”
“Speaking of which, I think it’s already starting.” Aladdin alerted. The city of Tharbad was being enveloped in exploding clouds of magic. “No time for an introduction!” The carpet landed as Aladdin shrank it back into his turban. “Split up and take out every Djinn in sight!” (Play “Snif City” from Origami King!)
Act 2: Tharbad
A Djinn had dropped filming trucks around the street, but Aladdin could make them levitate with his own magic. The trucks would serve as platforms for Aladdin to reach the Fawdaa Djinn and destroy it. The young mage landed on a palm tree, using his magic to bend it down as it catapulted him to the next tree. “Yahoooo!” But when the Djinn caught onto his plan, the evil spirits would make the following trees stretch up and down or swing side-to-side. Aladdin would have to time his catapults accordingly, destroying the Sha Djinn on each one so he could fling to the next.
Aladdin landed on a rooftop, from which a pair of feminine Buram Djinn danced over the edge. Aladdin could flick spells to flip them upside-down: he could jump on their flat undersides as their spinning sent him flying and twirling, allowing him to glide to the next roof. Aladdin would then have to twirl-glide across a longer gap using three, spread-apart Buram Djinn. He could flip them even from this distance and make the flight; Wind Djinn appeared and attempted to blow him off-course, but Aladdin managed to evade them until he landed on the next roof.
“?!” Aladdin saw two girls, Shaheena and Feri, running from a group of Buram. Feri’s upper half was twisted backward as she shot her rifle, managing to poof two of them. Feri gasped when Aladdin landed at their level. “Foraz Saiqa!” Aladdin cast a sword-like wave of wind to flip the Buram upside-down. Feri then ran and performed a break-dance, releasing a wave of fire to destroy the Djinn.
“Aladdin! It’s you!” Shaheena exclaimed.
“Hi, Shaheena! And…?” He didn’t recognize the blue-haired girl.
“I…I’m Ferida. A friend of hers from out of town.”
“Hmm…” Aladdin stared at her curiously. Based on her skin tone, she must be from the Kruga Clan. But more importantly… “Hey, we have the same hair color! ’Guess that means we’re friends, too!”
“Uh…it does?” Feri blushed.
“But, say, where’s Saara? She’s normally with you.”
“She was captured by one of those monsters!” Shaheena yelled. “It took control of her and dragged her into the studio!”
“Don’t worry! I’ll help her!” Aladdin raced toward Vegas Films; he used magic to replay the convo through his comms, letting his friends know.
Meanwhile, Shino and Dende had taken a rooftop vantage to snipe Djinn from a distance, though their friends took care of most of the fighting. “There’s a lot of injured people down there.”
“I have an idea.” Dende said. Shino cringed slightly as Dende’s arm muscles morphed, focusing a portion of his Healing Chi into a bullet-sized cell that popped out of his being. “Try shooting this at one of the injured.”
“Okay…” Shino inserted the glowing cell in her rifle and shot it at a man with a sprained knee. He was able to stand up and run to safety. “Huh! Well, that’s one way to do this! But are you sure that doesn’t hurt?”
“My cells regenerate. It’ll make me tired, but I think I can hold up for now.”
“Alright then.” Shino continued to survey for injured civilians, seeing Aladdin run into the studio.
The studio’s pavilion was covered in film trucks: there was a ramp for him to walk up on one and platform across the others, but there were giant clapperboards between each that would open and snap in repetition. Aladdin had to jump through while they were open, and before his toes would get chomped.
The trucks led toward an opening of the studio: “Whoa…” The Djinn seemed to take some creative liberties with this place. Aladdin had to jump across a giant film strip as if it were a floating treadmill. It threatened to crush him against a reel, so he would have to jump to a safe platform just at the end. He had to let the second strip carry him, dodging electric Sadma Djinn along the way, before jumping to a safe platform. Aladdin was then presented with a blank wall with no clear way to go. A giant projector was across from it.
“Hmm… Flash Ajola!” Aladdin cast a light spell at the projector, giving it life. It would shine against the blank wall, creating a scrolling sequence of hills with tight gaps between them. Aladdin was able to “jump” over the hills, watching his shadow against the screen to gauge where he was. He fell between the gaps a few times, so the sides pushed him back to the starting platform, but he eventually made it across. Afterwards, Aladdin had to jump the tops of vertical reels: there were masses of scribbles that rotated with their motion, so Aladdin timed his jumps between them. A Lakma Djinn ambushed him at the top and banished him back to the starting platform, forcing Aladdin to jump the reels again and get his “revenge” on the Djinn.
Three Barid Djinn emerged and tried to freeze him, but they were destroyed by flaming bullets. “Aladdin!” Feri and Shaheena jumped to his level.
“Huh? You two didn’t have to follow me.”
“I have to make sure my sister is safe! I trust you to save her, Aladdin, but I need to be there for her, too.”
“Well… okay. Just stay close to Feri there. Now then…” Aladdin would have to light up another projector against a blank wall. This time, it showed a scrolling ocean with tiny island platforms and sailboats between. Aladdin hop-skipped some islands, but he would learn the hard way that, “YOW!” the sailboats would prick his feet. Aladdin splashed in the “water” as the scrolling islands pushed him back to start. Meanwhile, Feri and Shaheena jumped ahead, feeling embarrassed for the young mage.
Aladdin eventually caught up, and they would have to platform another projector screen that was already lit up. This one displayed a fleet of tiny airplanes and helicopters lined up in more complex fashions, requiring more careful platforming. Naturally, the helicopters would saw them, and if they fell off-screen, there was nothing to save them. They were able to jump the planes well, and there was an actual solid platform to rest on halfway through. In fact, the projector suddenly went dark: a Dark Djinn had blotted it out. Aladdin cast a spell to destroy the spirit, allowing the scrolling planes to return as they platformed the rest of it.
The group would have to travel a wide path with rows of spotlights scrolling side-to-side. Touching the spotlights would electrify them, but one of the lights in each row was flicking. Feri shot those lights to shut them off, creating gaps for them to dodge between. Shortly after crossing Spotlight Road, they came to a multilayered, sort of cake-shaped stage. “SAARA!” Shaheena screamed. Her sister, wearing the “mask” of a Djinn, was performing a swift and complex dance as her body radiated with magic.
“She really is being possessed by that thing.” Aladdin said. “…I think I know a way to save her. And you might be able to help, Shaheena.”
“I can?”
“Yeah. Let’s get up to her.” The first layer of the stage had a shorter scrolling projector background, this time made of small cobras they would jump over. Once around the layer, Aladdin could flip a Buram Djinn to spring to the second layer. This one was lined with electrifying spotlights that shifted left and right in unison, leaving narrow gaps to jump between. Once they did, a Buram could spring them to the top layer. “STOP!” Aladdin cast a spell to freeze Saara in place. However, the Djinn’s influence forced her to struggle. “This won’t hold long. Shaheena, I’m going to take us into her subconscious.”
“You’re what?!”
“A neat little skill I learned.” He smiled sweetly. “Take my hand.” He held the older girl’s hand as they sat down, using his other hand to raise his Genie Lamp wand. Focusing magic with his Spirit Shift, Aladdin moved their souls into Saara’s being. (End song.)
At first, they were a little confused. All they saw was darkness. “Oh!” A spotlight shone upon a pole… around which Saara was performing an arousing dance. “Is that… a strip pole?! SAARA!”
The elder sister gasped. “Shaheena?! Y-You…YOU SHOULD BE IN BED!” She and the pole shrank away from them, and a series of other poles appeared leading to her.
“Saara—aah!” Shaheena tried to chase, but nearly fell into the darkness before Aladdin pulled her up.
“I know you’re a little new to this, but… you might have to swing us across.”
“Swing across? You mean…”
“Yeah.” Aladdin held Shaheena’s hand as she grabbed the first pole and whirled them around it. Their speed increased until they could launch to the second pole, and from there to a safe platform. From their next pole, they would launch between two consecutive poles that had illusory Saaras dancing up and down them. The duo had to time their pole-swings between their movements to reach the next platform.
A much taller pole stood above them, with illusory Saaras occupying parts of it, and there were shorter poles afloat to the sides and further up. Shaheena and Aladdin had to twirl their way up the tall pole, swing to the nearest side pole, then twirl up it before swinging back to the tall pole, above each respective Saara. At the top of the pole, they could swing to the real Saara’s stage.
“Heeeeeey, there she is!” The stage was surrounded by ghostly men (and a few women) cheering her on.
“The Night Butterfly takes flight!”
“Oi, show us some more leg!”
“Hmm…” Aladdin sighed. While he wasn’t one to look away from pretty girls himself, he never saw himself go into these kinds of places when he was older.
“Saara… is this that night job you were talking about before?” Shaheena asked.
“I’m sorry… it was the only way to repay our debt.”
The audience disappeared as another vision appeared beside the stage. One of a 15-year-old Saara and a woman with dark eyes, dark-plumb hair in long bangs, and a horned crest. “Who are you?!”
“I am Lady Madaura of the Big Mom Pirates. I am here to collect the debt your parents owe me.”
“Our parents are gone. Please, just leave us alone…”
“Death does not absolve the family of debts. If you do not pay us… you will work off your loan in hard labor.”
“Please, just… give us some time. And… just leave my sister out of it.”
“Well, out of condolences… I suppose I can collect my debt in intervals. But don’t even think of going to the KND or whomever…”
“That was… 5 years ago.” Shaheena recognized. “You were… We were in debt to the Big Mom Pirates?!” No wonder Saara was always so tired in the mornings.
“I didn’t… want to drag you into it. I’m sorry. No matter how long it took, this was the only way to protect us. I kept hoping… our debt would be repaid soon, but it just… never ended.”
“Lady Madaura is dead.” Aladdin’s words drew a gasp from them. “We went after her in the Pirate War. After we broke the spell of her Devil Fruit, her brainwashed orphans ganged up and killed her. And besides her, the rest of the crew is in shambles.”
“You mean… our debt was already clear?”
“Saara… you should’ve told me about this.” Shaheena took her sister’s hands. “I would’ve tried to earn my own money! I wanted to help!”
“It shouldn’t have been our burden to bear… and I didn’t want it to be-”
“I don’t care! We promised we would make it to movies someday! That we would follow our dreams together! So, from now on… if something like this ever comes up again, you have to tell me. So we can solve it together.”
“…I’m sorry.” Saara embraced her. “You were only 10 years old… It all happened so fast… I thought… I should have…”
“It’s okay… it’s okay…”
Aladdin felt warm for them. …?! He saw a set of puppet strings struggling to control Saara, and a Djinn shaking them angrily. The boy shot a Soul Beam and destroyed the spirit.
In an instant, they were gasping awake, and the movie studio seemed to take a more natural form. “Hey!” Feri gasped. “Everything’s back to normal!”
“Aladdin!” Index raced up to the group, startling them. “You defeated the Yarghab Djinn!”
“Is that what that was? Wait, were you watching me the whole time?”
“I couldn’t help it.” Index blushed. “You ran off on your own, so I wanted to make sure…”
“Hehe…” Was that supposed to be her motherly instinct? The notion made Aladdin blush.
“Anyway, Yarghab Djinns cling onto people with strong desires or ambitions. Though, they mostly target weak-willed people in that regard.” Saara shirked ashamedly. “Then they can cause abstract affects to an area, like just now. If we were any later… she would’ve died from all that power.”
“Then it better not go after us again.” Saara said. “…By the way…” she turned to Index, “you look a little familiar.”
“I’ll say she does.”
A storm of fireballs flew at Index. “BORG!” Aladdin conjured a barrier and defended her.
“Prince Sherid?!” Shaheena gasped.
The royal-garbed prince orbited a circle of colored gemstones around him. “Forgive me, Aladdin… but that nun beside you is high on the king’s list.”
“Don’t you have more important things to worry about…” Alibaba lunged in, his flaming sword drawn, “than attacking your allies?!”
Sherid’s bodyguard, Naje intercepted the blade with her Haki-coated shamshir. After deflecting Alibaba, she flicked on a Light Gem embedded in the crystal, shooting concentrated beams that he would try to deflect himself. “?!” The bodyguard braced herself as Morgiana flew in out of nowhere, helpless to the Fanalis’ kick as she was blown into a wall. “Tyrant Storm!” Sherid bent out some wind gems to surround Morgiana with whirlwinds, throwing her around.
Alibaba caught the Fanalis after the wind stopped. “Listen, Sherid, we’re on the same side right now. We want to help you stop these Djinn!”
“Believe me, Alibaba, there’s nothing I’d like more than for us to be comrades again. Watching films together, ranking the lovely ladies…” Morgiana and Naje glared at him in disbelief. “But how can we be sure you won’t use the chaos to your advantage? Especially since it seems the Earth KND are here.”
“We were here in the first place to help the captured KND on this world.” Index said. “It was only coincidence the Djinn showed up, and I know who’s responsible.”
“Rest assured, the captive operatives are safe in the dungeons of Heliohapt and Sasan.”
“Your Highness!” Naje yelled. “You weren’t supposed to tell anyone that!”
“Whoops. Must’ve slipped my tongue.” Sherid smiled smoothly. “Regardless, we’re treating them well. Consider it like a school detention.”
“Heh.” Alibaba smirked. “Then I’ll be sure to bring their hall pass! Morgiana! Give me a good throw!”
Morgiana kicked over and grabbed the SD leader. She spun as his body ignited, leapt into the air, and threw him into the floor like a meteor, blowing Sherid away in an explosion of flames. By the time he recovered, the two and Aladdin’s group were running. Sherid sported a smile.
“What were those gems of his?” Morg asked.
“His family are gembenders.” Alibaba answered. “They use magic gems designed to contain elemental chi. Naje’s gun-shamshir uses Light Gems.”
“Kind of similar to Schnee Dust weapons.”
“You could say that. WHOA, WATCH OUT!” Alibaba’s Haki sensed Naje, zipping toward them leaving streaks of light with her sword. Alibaba helped Morg duck, the Fanalis kicking her into the wall afterwards.
“Is she a Fanalis?!” Shaheena exclaimed.
“She is!” Feri was awestruck. “I heard their dancing was insane! And those legs!”
Just as the group exited the building, people were running and screaming as a mass of flames closed in on the town. But up close, they saw it was a massive, mechanical beast with a large head, walking on its hulking arms. “It’s an Ifrit Golem!” Goombella Tattled, riding with Pisti on her Loftwing. “A powerful Fire Djinn!”
“No problem!” Alibaba raised Amol Saiqa. “I’ll suck in all its flames and cut it to-” A silvery streak seemed to whoosh by him. “…scrap?”
A silver-haired girl with a shiny katana dashed toward the flaming mecha Djinn. It threw a massive fist at her, but she sliced its knuckles, making the beast fall on its head. She then performed a terrific and graceful leap, seeing the blaring core on its head. “Not even worth the hassle.” With a sheen of silver Haki focused on her blade, she punctured the core and sliced cleanly down its face.
The princess strolled back to Tharbad with a sun on earth at her back. “Who’s she?!” Feri asked. “She took out that monster like it was nothing!”
“The Silver Princess…” Kougyoku spoke, a sleeve over her mouth.
The princess approached Alibaba’s group. She eyed them left to right before closing her eyes with intrigue and satisfaction. “I’m not sure what these creatures are. Scientific creations from Gruntilda, demons from the Underworld… either way, I’ve no interest in such feeble things. Not when I’ve found much more dangerous game.” Her eyes opened, brimming with flames.
“A Rivalry?!” Morg gasped.
“Operatives of Sector SA… and SD. Lord Sinbad has decreed you his enemies. Finally, two strong sectors to test my blade on!” With fleet feet, Shizuna rushed and drew her blade at Morgiana. The Fanalis flipped and tried to clamp the blade between her strong ankles. “!! NNH!” She released and tumbled on the ground, her ankles bleeding. Alibaba raised his blade in defense against her next attack, but her superior force blew him back. Nagisa Shaved behind the princess and dealt a Finger Pistol in her back, then quickly changed to Paper Art to dodge her elbow thrust. “Bad mistake.” Shizuna slashed and cut Nagisa across the stomach.
“HUUUCK!” He clenched the wound. “You hit my Paper Art?!”
“Cutting paper in half is a standard practice for me. You did well to nullify the damage, I admit.”
“Guys!” Shino exclaimed from their rooftop vantage. “Dende, they need a treatm—HUUUH!”
A three-pronged arrow pierced Shino through the hip and Dende in the shoulder. The two were petrified.
Three silver-armored knights were riding toward the city on Pegasi. They were female, and the one wielding the silver bow with gold ascents had flowing blue hair. “A direct hit on the sniper.”
“Nice shot, Ennea!” praised their leader, her brown hair in a bun. “It seems the monsters are already gone. That just leaves the KND. Apprehend them swiftly!”
While her comrades flew to the ground, Ennea flew to the petrified Shino and Dende. “Forgive me for this.” She pulled out two nuts and scraped them against their teeth, as if forcing them to “bite.” The nuts released a magic steam that caused them to vanish.
“SHINO AND DENDE ARE GONE!” Alibaba screamed.
“The Stahlritter!” Kougyoku readied herself before the other two knights. “Hmph. For being so Swift, you sure arrived late to the crisis, Duvalie.”
“We had to take care of some monsters in our own kingdom first!” the brown-haired, Duvalie argued.
“Calm down, Duvie.” replied Ines, her pastel-red hair in a ponytail. “I’m sure our dear empress understands. Unfortunately, Lady Kougyoku, we may have to apprehend you, too.”
“Just try.” Kougyoku spun twin streams of water that became spears. She thrusted and pulled them back in succession. While Ines twirled her long axe to splash apart a spear, Kougyoku still managed to puncture her some. Duvalie defended from the other spear with her shield. When she rushed in for a direct blow at the empress, Pisti’s Loftwing dove down to dig into her with its talons. “AAAH!” Duvalie frantically swat the giant bird away with her sword. “GET OFF ME!”
“We need to retreat!” Index shouted. “We’ve done all we needed to here!”
“Okay!” Aladdin unraveled his magic carpet and let Index onto it.
Morgiana, fighting her pain, seized Shizuna between her legs and flipped to throw the princess. “I got ya!” Pisti commanded her Loftwing to grab Morgiana in its talons, then it flapped to grab Nagisa.
“And I got you.” Ennea aimed at the bird. “AH!” Feri jumped the knight from behind and scorched her through the armor. “Little-!” She threw Feri off and threatened to shoot her. “!” Aladdin cast a Freezing Spell on The Sharp.
“Aladdin!” Feri raised a nut. “I stole this off her.”
“It’s a Warp Nut! She probably used that to warp our friends! But they only work on the one who bites it.”
“This was the only other one she carried. …Maybe I can use it to find them.”
“You wanna help us?”
“As thanks for helping my friends. Besides, he told you where to find more captive operatives, right? So, leave this to me.” Feri bit the nut and vanished.
“Mmm.” Aladdin nodded affirmably.
Alibaba ran to help defend Kougyoku from the Stahlritter. “I’ll Rocket Boost us up there as soon as we have a chance.”
“No.” Kougyoku wrapped Alibaba in a Water Tentacle. “I have the lamp on me. You go!”
“WHOOOAA!” He was thrown up to Aladdin’s carpet.
“I want to have a word with King Sinbad.” Kougyoku stated. “Let them go for now and I’ll go with you peacefully.”
“How dare you!” Duvalie shouted.
“Relax, Duvie.” Ines said. “We’ll catch them in time. We accept your surrender, Empress.”
Shizuna watched the operatives leave with a sigh. “Those girls just had to ruin my fun. Oh well…perhaps they’ll fetch someone stronger for me.”
“She’s giving herself up?” Nagisa asked. “What should we do?”
“She said she had the lamp on her.” Alibaba replied. “She must mean the Vanishing Lamp!”
“Aha!” Aladdin grabbed a round, purple lamp from his pocket. “And I have the other half!”
“Oh, is this like the Vanishing Boxes?” Goombella asked.
“Yeah, basically. We can use it to regroup with her!”
“Who even were those people?” Morg asked.
“Those three knights are the strongest in Sasan. Beneath Spartos, anyway. But that princess was Shizuna Rem Misurugi of the Ikaruga Clan. They’re a mercenary clan from the Ishgal Mountains… and Old Man Sinbad worked out a good contract with them. I don’t exactly know the details.”
“Between them and these Djinn, we have our hands full.” Nagisa said. “We better phone the armada. In the meantime, maybe I can join Kougyoku. If she gets in trouble, I can bail her out. Or I can at least do a bit of spying.”
“I guess you could.” Aladdin agreed. “Plus, if we don’t do this now, they might confiscate her lamp or make it unusable. But let me give you these.” He handed Nagisa two Warp Nuts. “When you and Kougyoku bite these, they’ll warp you back to our bedroom in the palace.”
“Well, that’s just nuts.”
“If you think that’s nuts, I’m gonna give you a special power, too.” Aladdin rubbed his Genie’s Lamp. “I wish Nagisa could use these spells on himself as he needs to: Kunn Saghira and Eimlaqi!” The wand shone with golden magic that transferred into Nagisa’s body. “Now you’ll be able to change your size! Try it out!”
“Okay… Kunn Saghira? Whoa!” Nagisa shrank to an inch in height. “Haha… I’ve got Ururu’s power now!”
“Now you’ll be able to fit in the Vanishing Lamp and sneak around better! Just make sure to use the power wisely. Ready to go?”
“I am… but I need a ‘good luck’ kiss from Morg before I go!”
His girlfriend picked him up and pecked his tiny frame in her whole lips. She smiled as Nagisa gave her some quick pecks. “So lucky.” Aladdin and Alibaba drooped.
“Get over it.” Morg and Pisti stated. “Be careful, Nagisa.” Morg put him inside the Vanishing Lamp.
With Sector MG
The team of seven first visited Sector LN’s school, Luna Nova. Maria was already familiar with the grounds, and the teachers familiar with her. “Princess Maria!” A blue-haired witch with glasses approached. “I didn’t get a chance to meet you last time!”
“FORMER princess.” She stated in a huff. “Now I command you to tell me where Sector LN are!”
“Oh, they left on a mission earlier. Something to do with the Ogre Swamps.”
“Could you tell us where that is, Miss?” Wendy asked politely.
“Oh, YES!” Maria exclaimed. “I know EXACTLY what I’m gonna do when I get there!”
So, their ship landed in a clearing of the swamp. “SOME…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
-BODY ONCE TOLD ME,” Maria kicked open the hull door as she bounced out, “the WORLD was gonna roll me! I ain’t the sharpest tool in the sheeeeeed!”
“Very funny, kiddo.” Phil remarked. “…This place sure is foggy. Gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
“I hear the swamp has some nasty rats.” Kiki smirked. “I bet ogres like to eat ’em for lunch.”
“H-Hey, knock it off!” Phil shuddered.
Wendy tried to blow the fog away with her bending. “Hmm. This isn’t natural fog. And it’s really dense.”
Diwata stepped forward and shone moonlight from her hand. Part of the fog cleared away. “It’s some kind of illusion. Maria, let’s see if we can find the source.” (Play “Run It Bayou” from Crash 4!)
“Lead the way, Moony!”
Act 3: Ogre Swamps
Maria and Diwata performed some Long Jumps to boardwalk platforms separated in the marsh. Afterwards, they had to bounce off some Buzzbombs (dragonflies) floating left and right. Maria was shy of landing on the platform at the end, so she splashed in the swamp. “YOWCH, OUCH!” Piranhas munched her. Diwata quickly pulled her onto the foothold.
“OI! Keep yer smelly feet out!” a piranha stated gruffly.
Maria blew a raspberry. The girls reached an island patrolled by Gruntlings, Gruntilda’s gorilla-like monsters. They charged at the girls with hammering fists, but while Diwata kicked Moonballs to daze them, Maria saw a ? Block above some platforms. She jumped up to open it and grab a Boomerang Flower, with which she swiftly KO’ed the Gruntlings. Maria saw a giant barrel hanging by a vine. She jumped up some platforms to throw her boomerang and cut the vine. The two rode the barrel slowly down a flowing part of the swamp.
“OOOOORRRRRR.” A giant hand swung at them—the duo jumped it with a skip of their heart.
“Eeeeeeek!” Maria and Diwata clung each other in fright. Another hand swung at them from behind, but they jumped. “OOOOR!” The next hand grabbed the barrel directly.
“AAAAAAHHH!” The girls were raised before a massive monster with four eyes on its broad torso, with no head. It had four arms and a vertical mouth. “I’D RATHER GET EATEN BY PIRANHAS!” They bounced up the beast’s arm and over its top, landing on a safe platform. There was a pair of Wading Boots: they stretched Maria’s legs as she put them on, and Diwata rode her back as she trudged across the swamp. The beast about-faced and stomped after them, Maria shifting to either side to evade its reaching hands. Eventually, it reached four hands, but just as it seemed there was no escape, a large net wall fell and trapped the beast.
The girls reached safe land before the Wading Boots wore off (it was a power-up, too). They looked back curiously: a swarm of Corplet Bees were trying to drag the monster away. “Aaaaaahhhhh!” But they heard another eerie sound: one that sounded like the ghost of a nerdy schoolgirl. They about-faced and saw such a ghoul stumbling toward them. “Akkoooo! Sucyyyyy! Where are you?!”
“DIE, SPIRIT!” Diwata shoved her back.
“Wait! That’s Lotte!” Maria exclaimed.
“Huh?!” Lotte cleared her misty glasses. “Maria! Is that really you?!”
“Better hope we’re not wraiths trying to lure you into our maw. Where are the others?”
“We got separated in the fog. We came here following a distress call.”
“Any idea what that four-eyed monster was back there?” Diwata asked.
“I’ve never seen creatures like that. But it seems like Grunty’s minions are capturing them.”
“Let’s keep looking. Think your ghosty friends can help us?”
“Yeah.” The three would have to proceed across a series of lilipads with large, red Flibbits hopping them in sequence. Eventually, they landed on the back of a larger, yellow Flibbit that was sleeping. Lotte sensed a spirit: she hummed to the rhythm of the level music to summon a Ghost Feather. It tickled the Flibbit’s nose, prompting the frog to SPRING into the air and shoot them toward an elevated layer of the swamp. The fog was less dense up here, giving view of the sunny day.
They had no clear way to cross the swamp, but there was a sequence of uniquely-shapen trees. Lotte sung for the spirits to temporarily bend the trunks, providing convenient footholds to jump across. “OOOOORRR!” A four-eyed monster ambushed them past the trees. Lotte shot a spell and Dee a Moon Beam to topple the beast on its back. They used its body to cross part of the swamp, but would immediately fall between a “trench” overlooking the lower region. The girls grabbed hold of a vine before falling all the way, swinging a series of vines to cross the trench. There was a vine ladder at the end to lift them to a stable foothold.
From here, they saw another four-eyed beast crying and wriggling as four Easter Island head-like statues were shooting darts at it. “That poor thing…” Lotte said. “Should we… help it?”
“Only if it promises to be my minion.” Maria said. “Hey! A Hammer Suit!” Maria jumped some bobbing boards to grab her next Power-Up. She bounced more platforms to reach each Sput-Sput and throw hammers at their head crests, disabling them. The four-eyed monster stretched up to full height, its eyes glowing with gratitude. The beast trudged the swamp and ripped off boards of a tall fence, setting them afloat to serve as platforms for the trio. It led them to what seemed like a giant wooden toilet.
“Hold on… does it want us to…” Dee-Dee pondered.
“I need to find a Plumbing Suit.” Maria said.
But there was no such Power-Up. The girls jumped the stairs and into the toilet. The giant pulled the lever and flushed. “WAAAAAAH!” They slid down a watery tunnel, having to shift around all angles to dodge logs that were flowing down as well. The tunnel dumped them out onto a boardwalk, overlooking an area where more of the giants were relaxing. Large bubbles puffed out of the water behind them, spreading out. “Well, this is disgusting…” Maria said as they had no choice but to bounce across the bubbles. There were even a bunch of large insects called Globbles buzzing above the stenchy bubbles.
They reached a platform with a purple Bubble Flower, and Maria was thankful it smelled nicer. She blew out bubbles to trap the Globbles, turning them into more bouncy platforms. They had to bounce the smelly bubbles to reach the lower ones, and Maria would keep bubbling the insects as they ascended to an upper boardwalk. This led into some dense fog and a higher swamp layer. Diwata shone her moonbending again and revealed an invisible path. They could only see short parts of it, and it had several gaps with no clear way to jump. However, Lotte could see spirits subtly hinting where to jump. “Bleheheh!” Tee-hee ghosts emerged from the fog, but Lotte repelled them with a spell that resembled spirits swirling and shooting like a beam. (End song.)
They reached a safe shore and saw two figures looking over a lake. “Akko! Diana!” Lotte called.
“Lotte?” Akko turned. “Maria?!”
“I’m glad you’re alright.” Diana said. “Hopefully the others are safe…”
Three more of the monsters were netted up in the lake, the Gruntlings working to fasten them. “Diana, any idea what these monsters are?”
“Well… they resemble archaic depictions of the ogres.”
“They do?”
“And the fact we haven’t seen any ogres… we think…”
“They’ve been transformed somehow.” Akko finished.
“A side effect, I am told to believe.” A familiar, wicked voice spoke. “From both David’s return and Deoxys’ upheave!”
“Gruntilda!” Diana hissed. The witch descended from the fog. “Why did you do this to the ogres?! You’re responsible for the fog, too, aren’t you?!”
“The fog, my lackey, is to blame. These ogres will factor nicely in my game. How great it is to see you, Diana! Allow me to introduce my new friend, Abraha!”
“Brahahahahaham!” The massive genie emerged from the lamp, the fog growing dark above him. “These are your adversaries? What a pitiful bunch.”
“A GENIE?!” Akko screamed.
“Don’t worry, Akko.” Diana said. “Genies aren’t as powerful as movies make them seem, but stay on guard.”
“Doubt our power?!” Grunty twirled her Haglock wand as David channeled magic. “You’ll come to regret! I wish your boogers were replaced with ferrets!” A storm of magic rained upon them. The witches tried to cast Protego, but the evil magic shattered their shield. The girls cried as they felt tiny ferrets wriggling inside their nostrils, some going further up their skull.
Akko struggled to change them back to normal, and Diwata’s purifying chi bore no effect. “Diana, do something!!”
“Fineltina la Serana!” Diana cast magic swords at the witch, slicing parts of Grunty’s body as green blood leaked.
“I can live without this blood! Give it life and rip them good!” With David’s help, Grunty’s blood took the forms of triangle-toothed beasts, dropping to the ground and gnashing the girls. They frantically splattered the blood beasts with their powers. “This will distract you and end this tussle! Break them up into a puzzle!” Grunty cast magic beams that were segmented into jigsaw pieces. Maria pushed Diwata out of the way and Diana pushed Akko as it struck the remaining three. Their bodies shattered into puzzle pieces.
“GUYS!” Akko and Dee screamed. Thankfully, they could see their eye and mouth pieces moving.
“HAAAH!” David seized both girls in his fists. “So, Grunty, are these two of any use?”
“The blue-skinned’s power can be beneficial. As for the other, I think it’s time for dismissal.”
“Huh?” Akko turned into a worm to escape his grasp, then morphed into a large pink hippo with a big behind.
“Sexy hippo!” Akko performed a, um, rather questionable jig… and David was stunned blushed.
“BOOYEAH!” Diwata ignited with Lunar Flames and burned free. Akko reverted to human shape, except her mouth was that of a mongoose. She used a long tongue to slurp up the pieces of her friends on the ground before running with Diwata.
“YOU FOOL!” Grunty smacked David’s head. “To fall for such a trick! Why not oogle at me, you dick?!”
“Bah, let them run. We already have the rest of them.” David raised a hand as dozens more puzzle pieces appeared and orbited above his palm.
“Is that the rest of Sector LN?!” Diwata exclaimed.
“Good luck finding them! Say goodbye!” Grunty taunted. “They might get eaten! Then they’ll die! RAKAKAKAKAKA!” She willed the pieces to rise skyward before scattering them across the world.
“You MONSTER!” Akko screamed.
“I’m through toying. Time to vamoose. Turn this earth into the heads of giant goose!”
Dozens of giant goose heads rose from the ground, trying to bite into the duo as they were forced to flee. The Gruntlings, meanwhile, grew wings as they carried the captured ogres away. “And you mean ‘geese,’ your rhyming sucks!!” Dee-Dee shouted.
…
A pair of witches hovered above the swamp, watching as Gruntlings hoisted the captured ogres. One wore a long and elegant gown that was azure at the torso and fades to green and yellow at the bottom, her separated sleeves, as well as her sharp-winged scepter matching the colors. She had long sandstone hair, violet eyes, and a blossom bud ornament on the right of her head. She also rode the back of a massive, azure-feathered bird. “Who’d have thought fog could be such effective illusory magic? Those poor things didn’t know what hit them.”
Avalaran Brotherhood of Evil
The “Azure Abyss”
VITA CLOTILDE
The other witch possessed long cyan hair and wore a black, traditional Asian dancer’s outfit, with dark-red fans. Her stomach and chest area was heavily exposed and the outfit turned dark-pink at the bottom, covering her feet as she sat atop a broomstick. “It’s fascinating. Deoxys’ death caused latent genes to awaken. Races thought extinct can resurface. Still, that can create more chaos than harmony.”
“Bewitching Bell”
Dancer and illusionist
LUCIOLA
Gruntilda and David rose from the fog. “That will serve for a warning, now let us be off. We’ll have a busy morning! Ladies, aloft!”
“It was a good way to flex the magic muscles, at least.” David said with a crack of his fingers. “I can almost sense my other half…”
“So, Lord David… if the ogres have taken these forms, what other creatures can we expect to see?” Vita asked, opening an azure fan at her chin.
“There were all kinds of heathenistic beasts in my day. Gorgons, Manticores, Hermits… I don’t know what creatures exist now, but so long as they’re a good workforce, it makes no difference to me.”
“If those two were here, the Earthlings are close.” Grunty said. “Make ready the forces to give them the nastiest dose!”
Trivia: the Shrek storyline is canon to the Gameverse and happened on Avalar. Shrek’s family also has a KND sector in the swamps.
Chapter 42: Magi Saga 3: King of Seven Seas
Summary:
Kougyoku has a meeting with King Sinbad, but Sindria is invaded by a certain wind mage. Sector SAD visits the Egypt-like kingdom of Heliohapt, while Shino and Dende try to escape the medieval kingdom, Sasan's dungeons!
Chapter Text
Today, I learned there are two different Magi Wikis: one of them does a better job at describing the countries, the other is bad and has very little information about the later chapters in general. Which makes it hard to incorporate these settings in the story.
Chapter 38: King of Seven Seas
Kougyoku rode on the rear end of Duvalie’s Pegasus, her back against the knight while Ines and Ennea watched her from behind. Kougyoku’s sleeves were folded in a polite, elegant manner… but her right elbow was discretely rubbing the Vanishing Lamp hidden in her robe pouch. Eventually, she felt the lamp pop something out, followed by a small presence clambering inside her robe. Naturally, the empress grew red at the fact. She felt the presence just under her collar and glanced down. “?!” Nagisa was waving up at her.
They sent YOU?! I thought Aladdin would’ve sent Pisti through, or something!
Though she couldn’t say it aloud with the knights watching, Nagisa could feel her frustration clearly. “Hey, I don’t like this either! How else was I supposed to go about this?!”
“Hm? Did you just mumble something?” Duvalie asked.
“You’d do well to show some respect.” Kougyoku huffed. “Speaking to an empress so rudely…”
“Our captain was never known for manners.” Ennea said. “Do forgive her.”
“I’ll forgive you when you and that oaf of a king get your heads on straight.”
Sindria’s capital island grew into view. Nagisa peeked up from Kougyoku’s collar. “Whoa…” He was expecting to be gazing at another eastern-style city… not sci-fi skyscrapers that looked like they belonged on Coruscant! Some of the buildings had freakin’ UFOs on them! Or rather, they were extremely wide and round tops on thin shafts. Shortly after stepping off the Pegasi, Kougyoku followed the knights up a wide stairway to the palace, which itself was shorter than the towering UFO buildings. “Okay, what the heck even is this place?!” Nagisa asked.
The knights were walking in a triangle formation with Kougyoku in the center, so she was able to whisper without them looking. “Sindria underwent some drastic redecorating in recent months. Magitech was growing popular, so the king decided to follow the trend. …Huh?!” The entrance to the palace seemed to have a waterfall just past it.
“Apologies, Your Highness, but all guests must pass the Thief’s Downfall.” Ines said. “It would be dreadful if any unwanted intruders crept in.”
“Hmph.” While Duvalie walked through the water first, Kougyoku merely spread it out with her bending. “Apologies, but I don’t fancy getting wet-”
“NO!” Duvalie thrusted her shield at the empress and forced her back outside. “Go through the waterfall properly or we’ll treat you with less respect! You can bend it off afterward, can’t you?”
“Oh, there’s a special place in my servant’s quarters for you…” Kougyoku drenched herself stepping through the waterfall. Thankfully, Nagisa had slipped off her person and away from the water. Once Kougyoku was through, she angrily bent the water over Duvalie.
“Grrrrrr!”
Nagisa snickered, remaining quiet as he kept up with them. The palace’s vast entry chamber looked like the glorified lobby of an office building.
“Duvalie.” They were approached by a witch with light-blue hair. She wore a black hat, golden pointed ornaments on her ears, and her breasts were covered by clamshells. She wore a sandy-white robe with thick emerald edges, but Nagisa could see finny feet beneath it. “I’ll escort the empress from here. Sinbad’s orders. You are to return to Sasan immediately.”
“Gladly. Farewell, Empress.” With a huff, the knight captain stomped away, her subordinates quietly giggling behind her.
“I apologize for this.” The witch said. “How are Aladdin and the others?”
“Just fine, Yamraiha. Let’s get this over with.”
As the royal mage led Kougyoku into a shaft, Nagisa quickly Shaved his way to get back onto Kougyoku’s robe. Yamraiha conjured a bubble around them and had it rise like an elevator. Nagisa was in awe watching the central, multi-floored chamber of the palace sink downward, granting a fantastic overview. He sort of wished they could explore it on more casual terms.
Yamraiha let them off on a floor and brought Kougyoku to the dining room, open to the outside with a balcony view. The purple-haired king waited with a pearly grin. “Empress Kougyoku. Sorry to pull you away from your busy schedule.”
“Hiya!” She flinched from the chipper, cartoony voice. She hadn’t noticed King Mickey on Sinbad’s left, the mouse jovially approaching her. “Pleasure ta meet ya, Your Highness!” He extended a hand.
Kougyoku brought both sleeves to her mouth. “I have no interest in exchanging hands with you.”
“Aw, shucks, I only wanna make friends.”
Mickey?! Crud, this could be bad… Nagisa thought.
“One step at a time, Mickey.” Sinbad eased. “Are you hungry, Lady Ren? We have-”
“Cut the pleasantries. Your generals rudely attacked me and my friends when all we were doing was protecting civilians from a common enemy. I thought they’d have the decency to put this war aside for a bit!”
“You mean the genie-like spirits? It’s true they were an unexpected danger, but you can’t fault my generals for following orders.”
“It’s probably because of your careless imprisoning of innocent operatives that this was able to happen!”
“And where’s your proof of that, hoho?” Mickey asked. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where these spirits came from?”
“Hmm… While I won’t share my sources, these spirits came from an ancient and dangerous genie known as David. My friends are working out a plan to stop him, and we’d appreciate the kindly assistance.”
“An ancient genie, huh…” Sinbad stroked his jaw ponderingly. “Well, you know I get along quite well with the Majin people, don’t you? I wonder if I might negotiate terms with this David?”
“You really think you can?” Mickey asked.
“This isn’t a matter of business, Sinbad!” Kougyoku shouted. “Our kingdoms are in danger! David needs to be terminated!”
“Our kingdoms are drowning in enough war.” Sinbad said. “We’re gonna get nowhere if we don’t learn to talk things out.”
“Talk things out, huh?” Kougyoku’s brow twitched. “Then why don’t you f***ing do that with the KND?”
“I can’t describe why, Kougyoku… but I have a good feeling about this. I’d like to try and meet David.”
“Are you listening to this, Mickey? Do you hear how delusional this is?”
“Sinbad needs a little more than a gut feeling, to be sure. But I’ll take any help that benefits us in this war. You can help, too, Kougyoku.” Mickey approached her. “We both care for the safety of our-”
Kougyoku lashed a Water Whip at the mouse king, Mickey whipping up his Keyblade in defense. “For all I know, you’re already plotting a film covering the sins of my country.”
“Well, for the sake of argument, you would make a perfect protagonist! You restored the honor of your empire, and you’d look perfect among the princess line! Imagine the people you can inspire!”
“Just stick with your bargain bin princesses. Now, would your knights kindly escort me back to my palace? Clearly, we’re not going to come to an agreem-”
“STOPZA!” With a flick of his Keyblade, Kougyoku froze in time. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to leave until we reach some kind of understanding.” King Mickey extended his hand to her sleeve once more. “WHOA!”
A torrential wind blew in, throwing Mickey into the wall and sweeping off the food on the table, while Yamraiha formed a barrier to shield Kougyoku. Sinbad, his Haki kicking in, grabbed his sword and SLASHED the air above the table. A Haki-imbued leg made of wind countered the sword as a white-haired, red-eyed mage took shape. “Vaati the Revolutionary.” Sinbad smirked. “Been expecting you for a while.”
“We can make this easy, Sinbad. The sooner you accept your fate, the less your servants have to suffer.”
Outside, Sindria Magitech ships were mobilizing against Vaati’s fleet. Meta Knight was like lightning against Kasim, striking the head of security from every angle with unpredictable motion. …Yet through the onslaught, the muscular Kruga didn’t budge a muscle. He was rooted in place, merely holding his Buster Lancer. “It hardly seems I am laying a scratch on you! How can this be?!” Meta Knight asked with his signature Spanish accent.
The secret is to remain perfectly still. Do not move a single muscle.
“I see.” Meta Knight could almost sense Kasim’s response. “No wonder they call you the strongest man on Avalar!”
That is a rumor I spread myself, to make people think I am badass.
“My comrades fight for the good of the company and our world.” Sinbad said “And I don’t intend to betray them!” Sinbad rubbed the ring on his index finger. A spirit flew out of it and into Sinbad’s body. With another swift swing of his sword, Sinbad blasted Vaati out of the palace and flew after him, growing dark-edged butterfly wings with rainbowy designs. He magnetically bent hundreds of golden swords out of his magic satchel, orbiting him majestically.
Though Vaati was momentarily awestruck by this form, he reacted quickly in kicking the Haki-edged swords, along with using Sectumsempra to deflect them. The swords flew at Vaati from multiple angles, but as soon as he felt the cuts, he bent his Logia wind body to his favor. Vaati spun into a sawblade of wind and threw himself at Sinbad, who mimicked the technique with a wheel of swords. “Locomotor Wibbly!” Vaati cast the Jelly-Legs Curse and made Sinbad lose his balance. Vaati’s wind-made leg whipped around and stamped the side of Sinbad’s head.
“Vepar, return!” The spirit left his body. “Shroud me in darkness, Furfur!” He rubbed his silver necklace as a dark spirit overshadowed him. His body became black with a single bat wing as he nullified the Jelly-Legs Curse. Sinbad vanished through a void and reappeared above Vaati, grabbing his skull in his left hand and scratching Vaati’s face with his right. Vaati repelled him with a gust, dodging Darkballs that Sinbad threw with the force of cannons.
“So, you’ve submitted genies to your will!”
“Bargained, actually. These genies get a chance to flex their chi through me.”
“But mortals can’t harbor spirits in their bodies for long!”
“Yeah, but I trained a good long time with these spirits. Besides, even you once harbored a Firstborn, didn’t you? Imagine the lengths I can go with that kind of power!”
“I’ll bring the empress to the prison wing.” Yamraiha picked the time-frozen Kougyoku up. “She’s not safe with that man around. Will you assist him, Your Majesty?”
King Mickey’s brow twitched lightly. “Hoho, you can count on me!”
Yamraiha placed Kougyoku in a cell by the time her Stop wore off. “I’m sorry we have to treat you like this, Kougyoku. Honestly, Sinbad has been a little… unusual lately.”
“Look, we both know that his argument was garbage and Mickey’s no different. Why don’t we both just ditch this place, rejoin my friends, and start helping the KND?”
“As a member of the Eight Generals, Sinbad’s royal mage, on top of being headmaster of Magnostadt Academy… I can’t just leave my post very easily. And just so you know, this town has anti-teleportation charms in place for security. We can only use the password-protected Floo Networks that link to our allied kingdoms.”
“Is one of the passwords ‘Open Sesame’?”
“We changed that one.” Yamraiha crossed her eyes in disbelief. “Please just remain in here for now. We’ll… think of something.” The mage stepped out of the cell—“AH!” She tripped. Kougyoku saw the tiny Nagisa run by her fins, his Antikill knife drawn. Kougyoku thought fast and kicked the scepter away from her, stamping her hand down afterwards.
“Sorry about this, Yamraiha.”
“Eimlaqi!” Nagisa poofed back to normal size and “cut” the mage’s throat with his Antikill, knocking her out on the spot. “Hehe!” He passed the empress a thumbs up, to which she giggled. “You don’t know how much I wanted to say something to Sinbad. Talk about stupid logic.”
“Gods, I wanted to grab his stupid jaw and twist it around the other side!”
“I wanted to Finger Pistol up his nose, pull his brain out, and see if I could find the missing piece to it.”
“You can still do that, but I might have my own plans for it.”
“Alright, we have a battle plan now!”
“…Hehehehehehe!” The two shared a giggle. “But, hey, uh,” Nagisa blushed, “I’m sorry if things were awkward back there. …With me hiding under your-”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It was the only way. But thanks for being courteous. I won’t tell your girlfriend.” She winked.
“Hehe.” Now Nagisa felt indebted to her. “…So, this lady’s a mermaid. I’ve never seen a mermaid that had double fins like that.”
“They are rare, yes. More importantly, this woman is Aladdin’s magic teacher.”
“She is?!”
“Yeah. I don’t think she wants to hurt us…” Kougyoku picked her up by the shoulders and rested her back against the cell. “She’s just confused. Sigh, but it can’t be helped now. Anyway, did Aladdin at least send you with a plan?”
“He gave me these Warp Nuts back to your palace!”
“She said we couldn’t teleport, anyway. We should try to reach one of their airship docks and steal one. At least until we’re out of the city’s range.”
“I wonder if I can call them…” Nagisa raised his comms. “…Nope. Some kind of interference. How good are you at stealth?”
“I’ve had a bit of practice.”
“I’ll give you this extra knife.” He passed her one.
This room only had a single cell, likely to keep special prisoners away from common ones. Nagisa peeked into the lobby outside: there were two guards at the exit. Nagisa trained his Antikill pistol on the left one’s head, while Kougyoku slowly bent some water to snake along the floor and wrap the right’s leg. As soon as Nagisa pulled the trigger and KO’ed the left, Kougyoku pulled the other right over to them, the empress springing up to “stab” his face with the rubber knife and K.O. him.
“Oh! Let’s just steal these guys’ uniforms!”
“Good idea!” Kougyoku smiled.
With disguises equipped, the two slipped out into the palace’s main chamber. Soldiers and servants were scrambling about. “With this invasion happening, we can just blend in with all the commotion. Ready to go, Your Highness?”
“Just call me Kougyoku. I have your back, so you better have mine.”
“You got it!”
Blending in with the rushing guards went fairly well, though Kougyoku made sure not to directly face anyone in fear of being recognized. “!” Nagisa gestured her to stop and look elsewhere when the Stahlritter ran nearby.
“I will not turn tail and flee when a clear threat faces this kingdom! I believe Lady Scarlet would do the same!”
“That may be, but the Knight King is currently here, too, is he not?” Ines asked.
“All the more reason I should ensure his safety! In the meantime, you two may return to Sasan if you wish. Just take the Floo Network for now and I’ll escort your Pegasi back later.”
“As you wish.” Ennea said. “But what was the password to Sasan again?”
“The password is ‘Iron Maidens Rock.’ Now move!” Duvalie ran separate ways from her comrades.
“The Floo Places are in the same towers as the spaceports.” Kougyoku whispered. “Let’s try to follow.”
As Yamraiha lay unconscious, a Sea Fairy escaped from a bottle on her person. It circled around, coating her with magical dust before disappearing. The Mermage awakened. “Hmph. I should’ve known.” She looked to the fallen, naked guards. “Sigh…” Silently, she hoped they would get away… but when they were inevitably caught, she would have to help stop them.
Heliohapt
The rest of Sector SAD rode the magic carpet beneath the sunset. On the way, they contacted Sector MG through LN’s crystal ball. “You guys saw David?!” Index exclaimed.
“So, Gruntilda’s the one who awakened him.” Morgiana said.
“Yeah, and she broke our friends!” Akko shouted. “And scattered their pieces around the world!”
“Not to mention something happened to the ogres.” Wendy said. “They turned into these… big, four-eyed monsters.”
“Diana said that’s how the ogres looked in the old days. And Grunty said it had something to do with Deoxys, too.”
“Something similar happened on Mira.” Index replied. “Some of the people turned into Giants during Team Rocket’s invasion. Deoxys’ death must be causing latent genes to resurface inside of certain people.”
“Even I’m starting to grow Nimbi wings…” Wendy twisted her head back.
“Anyway, can we ask you to go to the Sasan Kingdom? We heard other operatives are trapped there, including two of our teammates. We’re on our way to Heliohapt to save other prisoners.”
“Okay, we will. We’ll pass this along to H.Q., too.”
The operatives were closing in on a city built in several layers, as if the whole thing were a giant pyramid. The palace grounds stood at the very top, itself a large pyramid along with two smaller ones, and they each bore a unique eye symbol. “I’m guessing this place was influenced by the Osirins, too?” Goombella inquired. “Just like Egypt from Earth.”
“Yeah, but Heliohapt still conducts trade with them.” Alibaba said. “They even learned to use their magic cards. Also, the king here is my swordsman mentor… but he’s also one of Sinbad’s generals.”
“Well, if Sherid went easy on us, I’m sure Sharrkan can be reasoned with, too.” Aladdin smiled. “Speaking of, you remember his aid, Miss Naje? She’s actually from this country. Everyone here has dark skin, green eyes, and white hair.”
“That’s not how they used to look though.” Index smirked. “Oh!” Dark puffs were popping around the pyramid city. “The Djinn are here! Let’s go, Aladdin!” (Play “Gobi’s Valley” from Smash Ultimate!)
Act 4: Heliohapt
Aladdin and Index sprinted straight for the city’s entry stairs; four Slappas (giant, purple mummy hands) popped out and tried to smash him sequentially. Aladdin dodged each one and magically conjured giant purple feet to smash the hands. The stairs would lead straight up to the palace. “Whuh?!” Unfortunately, a magic force caused the different layers of the town to rotate in separate directions. The stairs to the next layer would be on the very other side. The duo ran along the right side, which was the farmer and produce market.
“Ooo, what are those funny plants?” Index indicated thick, turnip-like plants with derpy faces waddling out of the stalls.
“Those are Mandrulu. They’re good for treating headaches.”
“Well, they certainly seem nicer than-” But it was then the Mandrulu were immediately possessed by Djinn. Their mouths stretched wide as they let out bloodcurdling screams. “MANDRAKES!!”
“KUN HADYAAN!” Aladdin cast a silencing spell over the cursed plants. With her hands free to uncover her ears, Index shot Light Beams to banish the Djinn from the Mandrulu. Aladdin then destroyed the spirits. Afterwards, they overlooked a garden of Cypress Plants, which looked like elongated necks with creepy faces. The Djinn had bewitched them to where the Cypresses wanted to stretch and drag them into their thrall, like ghouls from the Underworld. There was a group of hanging, U-shaped snakes above the Cypresses: the two climbed on the nearby stall roof to reach the first snake and begin swinging, moving quickly before the Cypresses could stretch up and take them.
Aladdin and Index reached the stairs to the next layer, guarded by a giant sphinx-like idol. When they attempted to climb the stairs, the sphinx slammed its paws on the sides and knocked them down, crouching like a predatorial cat. “Alright, HERE’S mah riddle! What’s blue, white, and tastes like an evening supper?!”
“I don’t think I’ll like the answer to that one!” Aladdin panicked.
“WRONG!” The sphinx swiped a claw at them, but Morgiana flew to impact it with her own foot, her superior strength deflecting it.
“Well, here’s another riddle: what happens when a Red Lion sets its eyes on a sphinx?”
Meanwhile, Pisti flew overhead and summoned Dyna Blade to tear into the sphinx’s stone eyes with its talons. “Aladdin, you go on ahead!”
“Thanks, Pisti!” He and Index were able to make it upstairs after Morg kicked the sphinx aside. They were presented with a quicksand road and a large hourglass at the start. By flipping the hourglass, platforms would magically appear around the spiked floor, and they’d have to jump across before the hourglass ran out. But to make it extra challenging, there were Toliri Helmet plants growing around the quicksand, bewitched by the Djinn into shooting nectar. When the nectar of these striped plants hit Index, her own vision zoomed in. “Hey! Something’s wrong with my eyes!”
“Toliri nectar is supposed to heal eyes, but it looks like they jinxed them. Follow my lead!” Aladdin held Index’s hand and guided her into jumping the platforms, relying on Borgs to shield himself from the nectar. They had to swing snakes between a couple platforms, but managed to reach the end. Index’s eyesight returned to normal, but they would have another hourglass challenge. This time, it would cause a group of very thin snakes to rise out of pots. As the hourglass counted down, the Histups receded. Aladdin and Index had to quickly climb-jump them before the last one sank below the targeted rooftop. They would jump to that roof from the last Histup’s head.
As soon as they were on the roof, two Mum-Mums tried to spin into them. “Asfal Isar!” Aladdin caught them in a tornado, and Index would pierce the Mums with Light Beams once they landed. They grinded a rope back down to the street before finding the stairs to the next layer. “Hey, it’s the Gate of Happiness!” Aladdin said as they had to pass under a tall, rectangular archway with an eye on either pillar. “They say it’s the symbol of Heliohapt’s prosperity!”
“Yeah, the Gorgons built it after the battle with David, as a symbol of peace between them and the humans.”
“R…Really?! You were there when they made it?!”
“I was! I gotta say, they’ve really kept it in shape for all these years.” Index approached the right side and rubbed it. “The material still feels so sturdy… though looking closer, you can see the wrinkles.”
“WRINKLES?!” The gate suddenly bellowed and blew them back, its eye designs curving in anger while the arch moved like a mouth. “Are you callin’ me old?! I AIN’T OLD! We’ll see how old you are after I grind you into sand!”
“EEEEK!” The two fled as the gate thundered after them. The Djinn erected pillars to try and bar their path, and even after they dodged around the pillars, the Gate of Hate would topple them and try to crush the kids. Aladdin noticed a Jiggy Trophy between two pillars, so he quickly Wall Jumped to grab it (they filled the place of Riddler Trophies in this world).
When they could eventually turn a corner of the pyramid layer, “AAAAH!” two more monsters ambushed them: a mechanical red T-rex and a blue, six-winged dragon. But rather than attack them, the monsters rammed the Gate of Hate and struggled to push it back. “ALADDIN!” a young man yelled at him, wielding a staff. Like the other Heliohaptian locals, he had dark-tan skin and white hair with green eyes. A cobra was wrapped around his neck, and he had triangular earrings. “Can you do something about that?!”
Aladdin and Index shared a glance and combined their magic and lightbending. They cast a powerful spell to banish the Djinn possessing the gate. “Haha! Sphintus, hi there!”
“About time you showed up, kiddo! Who’s this girl?”
“This is Index, my, uh…” Aladdin blushed. This probably wasn’t the best time to explain this. “My new friend. Index, this is Sphintus Carmen. He was my roommate from Magnostadt Academy.”
“And this here’s Kukulcan.” The snake around his neck. “Sorry if I scared ya with my monsters.” He recalled the Grenosaurus and Leviathan Dragon back to his cards.
“Those were Duel Monster cards, weren’t they?” Index asked.
“Of course! They originated from our type of magic, so we’ve made good trade with them. By the way, I just saw Alibaba running up to the palace grounds.”
“We’re heading that way, too. You take care of things out here.”
Aladdin and Index reached the palace pavilion, which was guarded by three possessed golden statues, resembling bears with purple pharaoh crowns and honeycomb hoops on their heads. The Hooptuses sneezed magic honey; one of them managed to glue Aladdin’s feet in place. A Hooptus would then kick a giant gold soccerball at the trapped mage. “Asfal!” Aladdin blocked it with an air wall. He used levitation to uplift the ball, followed by, “Dhoruf!” to strengthen his hand as he thrusted it against the ball. It flew through the first Hooptus’ hoop and caused the statue to shatter. He kept up this strategy with the latter two.
Free of the magic honey, Aladdin proceeded into the palace with Index. Much like before, the Djinn transformed the interior into a sub-dimension resembling a dazzling night sky with constellations. There seemed to be a floating eye resembling the designs outside the palace a short distance away. “Is that the exit?!” A servant was running across some sand platforms that crumbled beneath him. “Get me out of-!” The floating eye gazed and petrified him. The man fell into the abyss when the sand crumbled.
“How’re we gonna get past that?!” Aladdin asked.
“I can blind it with my lightbending.” Index said. “Just close your eyes when I do.” She was first to jump across the sand platforms (they respawned after a few seconds). When the Stoneye locked on her, Index FLASHED, causing it to wince up in pain. Aladdin followed her afterwards, and when they reached the safe foothold below the Stoneye, he destroyed it with a spell.
A series of small, floating pyramids lined the way to the next platform: some were upside-down, some were tip-up. There was another hourglass beside the duo: flipping it would flip the pyramids the opposite way. The hourglass only lasted two seconds, giving them time to jump some flat-topped pyramids and reach a tipped-up pyramid, which would flip back to a flat-top in time to welcome them. Aladdin could then shoot a spell to flip the hourglass again, but had to jump off his current pyramid before it flipped. The jumping puzzle proved tricky as Aladdin missed some jumps and pricked his feet on the pyramid tips, in which the sensation would spring him back to the start with a loud, “YOW!!” Eventually, they reached the other side.
Aladdin and Index were awestruck before a massive hourglass with a cobra snared around it. The cobra was gnashing at someone at the top: they could make out a lightning whip and firebending. There was an entrance into the bottom of the hourglass, but sand began to pour once they were in. There were swing snakes hanging from the branches of tall cacti: while swinging the snakes, Aladdin cast Water Magic at the buds atop the escalating cacti, making them bloom safe flower platforms. By keeping up with quick spellcasting and swinging, they outran the pouring quicksand and could climb a rope, going beyond the hourglass’s top half and to the top.
Alibaba and a Heliohaptian man were battling the cobra Djinn, Venomara. “It’s King Sharrkan!” Aladdin exclaimed.
Sharrkan was swift in dodging Venomara’s fangs, his sword like a snake itself as it crawled about the air and cut the larger entity like a winding coil. “This should finish you! Foraz Saiqa!” Sharrkan’s sword transformed into a lightning whip and swiftly lashed the serpent’s head off. The Djinn vanished in a puff of smoke. (End song.)
“Did you see that, Index?!” Aladdin exclaimed. “That was his Crawling Sword technique!”
“The one and only.” Sharrkan smiled boastfully. “Even Sinbad couldn’t compete. Nice to see you, Aladdin! And you’re…” His gaze focused on the nun. “The girl with that genie Firstborn, aren’t you?”
Index frowned. “We were told you were holding KND operatives hostage.”
“So, that’s the real reason you were here?” he said to Alibaba.
“Sorry, Master. But under these circumstances, don’t you think the KND would be a much better help out there?”
“But this is exactly what King Mickey and Sinbad want to protect them from! Protecting the Magia continent should be the job of the Eight Generals and our militaries.”
“It should be the job of anyone who can fight and who’s willing to fight.” Aladdin argued. “It should be the choice of those operatives.”
“We’ve already talked with them about this.” They were briefly stunned by the king’s response. “I didn’t feel good about keeping them ‘prisoner’ any more than you did; though I’ll have you know we’ve been treating them hospitably with meals and baths. But when we asked, most of them didn’t feel comfortable fighting in this war. They wanted to stay here and be protected. And even the ones who didn’t… well, I couldn’t very well let them go with the odds against them.”
“Fine. Then let us take the ones who do want to fight.” Alibaba stated.
“They’ll feel a lot more motivated knowing we’ve already taken out a good chunk of the enemies.” Index remarked.
“Master, weren’t you only 9 years old when you first took up a sword? When you went exploring with Sinbad? You would’ve made a top tier operative back in the day!”
“Sigh…I don’t really want to fight you about this, Alibaba… and it looks like we need the extra help around here. I…?”
The space was consumed in a wave of magic as it reshaped into the natural palace entry. “I guess that snake Djinn was the source of the influence.” Index said.
“Your Majesty.” A young woman of 20 years approached from one of the corridors, accompanied by two men. She had black hair, while the younger man had white-gold hair, and the larger man was bald except for a black ponytail, with tattoos on the left of his head. They all had violet eyes. “I’m afraid to report three casualties among the staff… however, the children remain safe.”
“Thank you, Ishizu.”
“The royal Seer.” Aladdin whispered to Index. “Those are her brothers, Marik and Odion.” (from Yu-Gi-Oh)
“They don’t look fully Heliohapt.”
“Their mom was actually Egyptian.”
“I see Lady Scheherazade has arrived.” Ishizu acknowledged. “And Aladdin… I always sensed there was something about you. That you were not of this time. There is a connection between you.”
“Yeah, she’s my mom.”
“WHAT?!” Sharrkan gawked. “When were you going to tell me this?!”
“Yesterday, I had a vision.” Ishizu touched the golden, horned eye over her forehead. “A vision of a mother holding two infants, as a darkness reached for them. The mother threw one of the cradles into a river, where it was lost. But the two children would one day hug their mother and confront the darkness.”
“That other child… is the Firstborn, isn’t it?” Marik asked. “Where is it now?”
“Hey, let’s not change subjects here.” Alibaba said. “The operatives.”
“Let me check on the citizens first.” Sharrkan replied. “Then we’ll talk terms.”
“Yes.” Ishizu agreed. “I fear the threat has not subsided.”
While the rest of the group proceeded outside, Marik fell back. He withdrew his own magic wand, the Millennium Rod, golden with an eye on its head and two points on its sides. He whispered into the eye, “Mistress Grunty. The Firstborn is here.”
“Hm?” His large brother, Odion turned back. “Is something wrong, Marik?”
“Mudhashi!” Marik struck him with a stunning spell.
Back on the lower level, Morg and Pisti (with Goombella still riding her) succeeded in knocking the Djinn out of the sphinx idol. The Artemyran destroyed the spirit with a Screw Kick before landing at Morg’s level. “Man, you kicked that thing around like it was made of Styrofoam!” Pisti flew back before throwing herself at Morg, stamping her foot straight against the Fanalis’ knee. Morg only budged a bit. “I heard you guys have extra hamstrings. But my peoples’ legs have lighter bones.”
“I like the way you run gracefully in the air. I can sort of fly, too, but it sounds like a rocket. Way too noisy.”
“Thanks… but I hope I can have big legs like you someday! And then some!”
“That’s the dream alright.” Goombella remarked.
“Oh, my, look at those two!” Morg glanced over at some gossiping ladies. She flushed at the sight of their bare chests.
“Who taught them to dress that way?!”
“Eep!” Pisti cupped hands over her bare navel. “I forgot!”
“Hey, what’s the big idea?!” Morg shouted at them. “You’re the ones dressed inappropriately!”
“Actually, Morgie,” Pisti blushed, “letting your chest hang out is just fine in this country. But it’s inappropriate to expose your navel.”
“WHAT KIND OF STUPID KING CAME UP WITH THAT RULE?!”
“Hey, I don’t like it either! Between them and your strong legs, I feel so tiny!”
“You’re complaining about having tiny legs?!” Goombella shouted. “Look at me! And I sure don’t have breasts worth a damn!”
“ALRIGHT, THAT’S IT!” The earth rumbled as Morgiana stomped toward the gossiping ladies, who tensed up in fear. “You all WISH you had a bigger belly like mine!”
“…Ah…aaaah…” The women clasped their heads in fatigue.
“Wow, her comeback was so bad, it’s giving them a headache.” Goombella said.
“I didn’t see any Djinn go inside them.” Pisti said.
“AAAAHHH!”
The ladies began flashing and pulsating. Morgiana almost recognized the sensation of when she turned into a Red Lion. She grabbed her friends and jumped before the ladies exploded. In an instant, they were massive, with snake hair and scaly skin. The ladies cried and revolted at their mutated bodies. There were more flashes as Morg’s group saw other citizens exploding into these forms.
“AAAAAAHHH!” Sharrkan’s body was pulsing.
“Master!” Alibaba gasped. “What’s wr—WHOOA!”
The king of Heliohapt blew the operatives back with his explosive transformation. “The Gorgons!” Index recognized them. “These were how the Heliohaptians looked 10,000 years ago!”
“RAKAKAKAKAK! An improvement, methinks! They’ll go great in my army! They’ll just need some bewitching so they don’t get smarmy.”
“UGH!” Aladdin winced as a horde of scarabs scampered over his feet.
When Morgiana, Pisti, and Goombella leapt up to the palace pavilion, they would also be dancing to avoid letting the creepy crawlies touch their feet. “On top of that, we have an infestation?!” Pisti exclaimed.
“Rakakakakaka/Brahahahahaham!” The scarabs converged into a cloud of black smoke. From the cloud, Gruntilda took shape, and David blotted the starlit night.
“Gruntilda?!” Aladdin gasped.
“D…David.” Index stuttered.
“DAVID!” In the real world, my classmate, David fell asleep during the reading, his desk covered in drool. He started awake from the teacher’s bellow as the kids burst into laughter.
“It’s been too long… Lady Scheherazade. And you…” His gaze fell to Aladdin. “Your aura feels similar to my own. I’m glad we finally get to meet. Do you have a name… my grandson?”
“…Aladdin.”
“Grandson?!” Grunty exclaimed. “How old are you again?! There should be far more eggs lain by your hen!”
“It’s really him.” Goombella Tattled. “David Jehoahaz Abraham.”
David glared down at the Goomba and flicked a spell at her with his finger, turning her into a footstool. “A small piece of filth has no place speaking my name.”
Her blood boiling, Morgiana crouched and entered Red Lion Fury: an aura shaped like claws around her hands and feet, and her red mane collar shone as well. She Rocket Jumped, clambering up David’s body and kicking gaps in it. Upon reaching the genie’s head, she blew it into smoke with a kick of both feet.
“AAAAAAKKKK!” Alibaba burned Gruntilda to ash with a slash of his flaming sword. He smirked at the easy victory… but the smoke stirred into a cyclone as a giant foot kicked Morgiana into the palace’s central eye. “Brahahahahaham!” David reformed, holding Gruntilda in his palm. “Is this what you feared, Gruntilda? What pitiful power.”
“I’ll show you pitiful!” Aladdin cast a cyclone of fire at Grunty.
“I must admit, your parlor tricks are amusing.” David brushed the flames into bubbles. “I bet you’ve got a bunny under your hat.” He conjured a giant, venomous bunny from under Aladdin’s turban. He quickly cast a spell to banish it. “Now here’s your chance to get the best of me, hope your hand is hot!” Alibaba ignited his own Fury Mode, slashing flaming waves at Grunty. “C’mon, clown!” David turned them into ribbons and Alibaba into a clown holding a deflated balloon. “Let’s see what you’ve goooooot!”
“You try to slam me with your hardest stuff,” Pisti ordered Dyna Blade to bite into his spine, “but your double whammy isn’t up to snuff.” David grabbed and condensed the bird into a ball before tossing it into a basket. “I’ll set the record straight, you’re simply out of date,” he turned Pisti into a frail old lady who could barely kick her legs to stay airborne, “you’re only second raaaaaate.”
Aladdin softened Pisti’s descent with Levitation Magic. Morgiana, still in Fury, rushed down the palace’s slope and pounced the genie.
“You think your cat’s a meanie,” David turned into a circus performer and lured the Red Lion through a hoop, “but your tiger’s tame,” converting her into a red kitten. “You’ve got a lot to learn about the genie games. So, for your education,” he presented a giant chalkboard that read ‘13x379=4925,’ “I’ll reiterate: you’re only second raaaaaate!” He grabbed the board and swept the bunch of operatives away.
Afterwards, he seized the gigantified Sharrkan in his hand. His palm grew to a size greater than the Gorgon as David’s menacing face appeared on his looming pinky. “Then cower… at the power… of my pinkyyyyy!”
Sharrkan stepped back in caution, but felt another presence looming behind him: David’s thumb was pale, bald, and wearing sunglasses. “My thumb is Numbuh One on EVERY list!”
The thumb spun and grew back into David’s full form. “But if you’re not convinced that I’m invincible, put me to the test!” David ripped open the ground, dropping the group into a grave. “I’d love to lay this rivalry to reeeeeest!”
Aladdin burst out of the grave and zapped David with lightning. “Go ahead and ZAP me with your big surprise,” Aladdin trapped him in a giant basket and formed light swords around to pierce it, “put me in a trap, cut me down to size! I’ll make a great escape,” the basket exploded into a giant cake, “it’s just a piece of cake,” the top candle formed into David, “you’re only SECOND RAAAAAATE!” The other candles burst into fireworks!
Index grabbed Aladdin’s arm and tried to run. “You know, your hocus pocus isn’t tough enough,” a giant chess piece of Grunty blocked them, “and your Mumbo Jumbo doesn’t measure up.” The piece about-faced and became Mumbo the yellow-skulled shaman, zapping the two with his magic rod.
“Let me pontificate upon your sorry state,” Mumbo trapped them in a giant washing machine and spun them around, “you’re only second raaaaaate.”
The washer spilled them out as Aladdin and Index tried to keep running.
“ZABA-CABA-DABRA!” A massive Pop-Tart with David’s face popped out of the ground. The two tried to retreat the other way, but found an old man in a rocking chair. “Cranky’s gonna GRAB YA!” The old man spun; it was Cranky Kong with David’s face! “Alakazam-da-mus…” The genie seemed to grow to a size greater than the continent. “And this thing’s BIGGER THAN THE BOTH OF US!”
The two were surrounded by Davids and Gruntys. “So, spare me your tremendous scare!” They zapped magic, removing most of their clothes. “You look horrendous in your underwear! And I can hardly wait to discombobulate!”
He scattered their body parts and rearranged them onto each other.
“I’ll send ya back and packing in a shipping crate.” Then stuffed them in a crate. The crate burst as they found their selves balancing on giant plates. “You’ll make a better living as a spinning plate! You’re only second raaaaaaaate!”
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Hoopa burst out of a flash of light, saving Index and Aladdin in portals to return them to the ground.
“Hoopa!” Index yelled.
“AAAAH! THERE he is! The god who tore up the worlds!”
Index bit her lip. They didn’t have any other way of escaping this situation. “Alright, Hoopa, power me—AAAAHH!”
Marik struck her with his Millennium Rod, inducing a spell that turned Index into a card. “Marik!” Ishizu yelled. “What are you doing?!”
“Ugh, not again…” Index had been trapped in a card before, but the sensation of being so flat still wasn’t appealing.
“Wait! His eyes!” Aladdin saw the paleness in his irises. “He’s bewitched!”
“I knew planting a spy in this land would pay off someday! I’ve played my hand.” Grunty smirked.
David seized Hoopa in his fist. “Now you’ve no Guardian to lend your power to. But we’ll make good use of it.”
Aladdin choked in fear. Seeing Hoopa’s dropped Spirit Ball, Aladdin rushed to grab it. “COME ON, HOOPA! DON’T LET HIM HOLD YOU!”
“HAAAAH!” Hoopa’s gigantic fists briefly burst into shape, blasting David off him.
“Raaak?!” Grunty gasped.
“Huh?!” Index was stunned as well.
“Mudhashi!” Marik tried to stun Aladdin, but Aladdin dodged and cast, “Tarda!” to knock the rod out of Marik’s hand. “Mudhashi!” He stunned Marik himself before grabbing Index’s card off the ground.
“Aladdin! See if Hoopa will lend you his power!”
“Okay? Hoopa, will you?!”
Hoopa faced his hands toward Aladdin and focused chi over his wand. David cast magic, but Aladdin intercepted it with his own spell. Gruntilda turned the ground into freezing water, but Aladdin swiftly whipped out his magic carpet to stay aboveground. “Qate Aleawalimi!” With a great surge of magic, reality itself ripped like the page of a book, separating his friends from Gruntilda with a dimensional rift.
“Aladdin! You must be a Guardian Candidate for Hoopa! Probably because you were my son!”
“I am?!”
“What does that mean?” Hoopa asked.
“It means you can lend Aladdin a little of your power!” Index remembered back when Arianna could command Celebi at one point, before she became her official Guardian.
“So, it seems you have a little potential!” David stretched one arm across the rift and pulled both sides back together. “But how much?!” He cast magic at the palace’s eye pillars and made them face Aladdin, firing Petrification Magic.
Sharrkan used his giant hands to block the beams, the hands becoming stone. “More than you!” He threw his stone fist at David’s jaw; the petrification broke off his skin.
“Thankfully, Gorgons were immune to that sort of spell.” Index said.
Aladdin looked to Sharrkan’s discarded sword. “Eimlaqi!” He enlarged it.
“Oh! Thanks, Aladdin!” Sharrkan grabbed the sword, its movement snakelike as he lashed David. The genie tried to convert both sword and master into a balloon, but Aladdin enchanted him with an enhanced Magic Resist Charm.
“Ugh…” Using the spell caused Aladdin great fatigue.
“He’s weakening! His day is bleakening!” Gruntilda cast a bone-removal curse, but Aladdin dodged.
“We have to escape, Aladdin!” Index yelled. “Since you’re not a Guardian, you’re only gonna pass out faster!”
“Yes! Just go!” Sharrkan used Foraz Saiqa, his sword becoming a lightning whip that entrapped David. “I’ll do what I can!”
Alibaba helped shuffle the footstool Goombella beside Aladdin, the elderly Pisti and kitten Morgiana touching him as well. “Be safe, Sharrkan!” Borrowing Hoopa’s power once more, Aladdin Disapparated the group.
“BAH! They can run, but never hide!” Gruntilda cocked her Haglock and fired Mortar Spells at Sharrkan, damaging his Magic Defense as much she could. “When I catch up, they’re going for a ride!”
“We must reunite with my other half!” David stated. “In fact… I feel a tremendous surge of chi in the distance. Yes… I can sense him!”
Among the stars in the heavens, a black Ztar fell to the planet.
Sasan Kingdom
Surrounded by vast, nearly impassable mountains, rich with gold, iron, and silver, the city of Babel was the unbreachable capital of Sasan. The castle of solid iron was like a mountain itself, towering above the town protected by walls.
“So thou canst bet thine spectacles thou won’t be escaping hither!” a knight stated, pricking Shino and Dende with a lance down the prison hall. His comrade was carrying her confiscated rifle. “We take great pride in our irons and thou shalt soon see why!”
“You know, knights are supposed to be chivalrous! I’m a defenseless young lady, you know!” Shino argued.
“How I’d wish that to be the case. But since Lord Mickey’s hand touched this country, we’ve been asked to treat all women as knights.”
“Now those blasted Stahlritter keep showing us up!”
“And thou Kids Next Door have the assortment of dangerous maidens! Just a week hence, a dangerous outlaw from the desert ambushed a dig site and tried to make off with our gold!”
“Never have we seen such a maiden most vulgar!”
“How sad for you.” Shino said. “How long are you gonna keep us here?”
“’Til we see fit to release thee.”
“Well, good news, boys! Their parole is here!”
“AAAAH!” Feri’s flaming foot kicked the side of the lance knight’s head, and before the other could turn to her, his peripheral vision obscured by the bang over his right here, Feri threw a punch at his jaw.
“Here!” She swiped the rifle in his possession and tossed it to Shino.
“Uh, thanks! Are you an operative, too?”
“I’m Feri of the Kruga Clan! I’m here to help!”
“Do you have a plan?!” Dende asked.
“Uh…not really.” When the two knights were recovering, Feri clashed the blade of her rifle against their swords, knocking out one while Shino shot the other with Antikill. “But other operatives are imprisoned here! We can get their help!”
“Then let’s move!” Shino cocked her rifle. (Play “Knight’s Passage” from Sonic and the Black Knight!)
Act 5: Sasan
Feri stormed up a stairwell, blasting fire at large barrels rolling down. They reached a wider passage with wooden barricades, having to take cover behind one as archers shot from across the room. Feri peeped out to shoot at incoming knights, while Shino shared her hiding spot to snipe the archers. When the coast was clear, the trio advanced into a vertical shaft. They ran up a spiraling wooden walkway, but a knight threw powder bombs onto parts of the walkway and destroyed them. “I can get us up!” Dende wrapped the girls in one of his extendable arms and used the other to grab vantages and swing to the walkway segments.
Once they reached the top, Feri KO’ed the bomb-throwing knight. They proceeded to a round, wider room where five knights ambushed them; two axemen and a spearman, plus two archers on ceiling platforms. They saw a pig girl in purple knight’s armor trapped in a hanging cage. “Lady Leapalot!” Dende exclaimed in recognition. The Namekian stretched his arms to grab the spear and trip its wielder, afterwards dealing a beatdown using his stretched arms to apply force. Feri combatted and KO’ed the axemen while Shino shot the archers. Both girls suffered wounds in the encounter, so Dende healed them. With that, Feri kicked Leapalot’s cage open, setting the pig knight free.
“Thank you, Sir Dende! I would have left hung to dry without you and your fair maidens!”
“Are you a KND operative?” Shino asked. “You look Mobian.”
“But of course! The Knights of Hamalot are the greatest Mobian knights on all of Avalar!”
“Are the others here?” Dende asked.
“They are! And I shall find them verily! But first, my noble steed.” She smashed open a nearby barrel and grabbed her rocking horse on a spring.
“Awwwwe!” Shino and Feri cooed.
“Yes! Be awed by my steed’s majesty!” The little pig bounced along to the next room, a long passage with a spiky floor. Leapalot’s horse was capable of bouncing between the spikes, and she would have to tug three rope switches hanging on the ceiling. Some segments of the floor were trapdoors that nearly tricked her; there was a row of trapdoors that opened and closed, leading toward one of the ropes. She’d have to bounce them when they closed to reach it. Three knights came by on stilts, trying to whack her down with lances. However, their different heights escalated well enough to where she could bounce up their lances and reach a higher rope switch.
Pulling all three caused several spike panels to flip over into safe platforms, allowing Leapalot’s allies to jump across. More knights were leaping from the other side, but Dende stretched his fists to punch them into the spikes midleap. Sadly, one knight sliced his hand off. “OW!” Feri would get back at him by kicking him into the spikes herself. “Dende, your arm!” Shino yelled.
“I can regenerate it! It’ll just take a bit of stamina.”
After passing the spike room, they found a chamber with a large boiling pot and a young girl of 10 suspended on chains above it. “HEY!” she yelled. “Can you chicas give me a hand?!” She looked like a gypsy with long brown hair and tan skin with azure eyes, wearing a light-blue shirt, red skirt, and long cyan headband with large gold earrings.
“Zafira!” Dende exclaimed. “We’ll get you down!”
“I have an idea!” Leapalot hopped over to two of the wooden beams holding up the cauldron and Ground Pounded them with her pogo-horse. Just as a band of knights were storming from another passage, the cauldron tipped over in that direction, spilling its contents and washing the knights down that passage.
Shino approached the bubbly liquid and scooped some up. “Is this just bathwater?”
“I hate hot baths!” Zafira yelled.
“You’re missing out!” Feri jumped up the fallen cauldron and cut her ropes.
“Gracias!” Zafira jumped down and climbed into a barrel in the room’s corner. She retrieved a tambourine, crystal ball, and soft pink cloth with star and moon designs. “You two look new!” she said to Feri and Shino. “I’m Zafira T. Lunazul from Sector SR!”
“San Ricardo.” Dende clarified.
“There’re too many ‘S’ sectors at this point.” Shino remarked.
“If they joined our alliance, we’d be even SADR. But Zafira, didn’t the rest of your team side over with Disney? I thought you did, too.”
“Well, I was going to… but I’ve still been following my idol through my crystal ball!” She waved her fingers above the ball: it depicted a faint image of a muscular, ponytailed girl dueling a tall woman with a large sword. “She’s still fighting for the KND, no matter the odds! And if she came to this planet, well… I didn’t wanna be against her.”
“That’s cool!”
“Zafira!” Leapalot yelled. “Will you join me in my quest to save my comrades?”
“Uh, verily! Let’s meet again, my friends!” Zafira and Leapalot headed up the stairs of another passage.
“Hey, why don’t we surf on these?!” Feri ripped three planks off the wood cauldron and set one down on the flow of soapy bathwater. As she surfed it down, Shino and Dende took the other planks and followed suit. Knights threw bombs at them from higher platforms, but with swift evasion, the trio would be surfing out onto a castle walkway. “WUH-OH!” Feri leapt off before surfing off the edge, but Shino and Dende would go flying off instead. Luckily, Shino grabbed Dende, who stretched his other arm at the railing to pull them back up. “Haha, good save!”
“Look out!” Dende yelled. “Here come the jousters!”
Knights were riding up the walkway on horseback, lances forward. Feri rushed to meet the first knight head on, and said knight would be too distracted by her to notice Shino aiming her rifle at the horse’s leg. Shooting Antikill at the leg would trip the horse, causing the knight to fly off and for Feri to kick him off the walkway. They repeated this tactic for the following two knights before crossing the walkway. As they did, Shino viewed the expansive mountain range. “Whoa!” What immediately caught her sight was the massive, practically crescent-shaped gap punctured in the side of a mountain. “Did someone pierce that mountain with a giant hole puncher or something?!”
“That hole was made in the battle between Sinbad and former King Darius.” Dende answered. “Mount Dharma was a place of worship. The people here began to believe Sinbad was a messenger of the gods, so they began worshipping it even more. Recently, King Darius died from the Vocal Parasite incident, so they took that as a sign from the gods, too.”
“I know this sounds weird, but I kinda wanna set up a campsite in there.” Feri said.
The end of the walkway was lined up with a rampart filled with flags. After Dende grew his other arm back, the girls hugged onto him while he stretched, grabbed the flagpoles, and pulled them between. Knights crawled along the wall to swat them off with blades, so Feri shot them off, holding Dende with her legs to remain stable. They reached a balcony at the top of the rampart, “WAAAH!” dumbstruck to find a giant knight raising his axe. They tried to veer left, but the giant slammed his axe in their path, then brought it to smash the other side. The floor collapsed, dropping the three into the chamber below.
They recovered with a mild dizziness, skimming the dark chamber. “Well, howdy!” A country-like voice startled them. A single, toxic-green eye glared at them from the dark corner of the room. They could make out the chains tightly wrapped around the prisoner. “You musta done somethin’ reeeeeaaaally naughty to get thrown in here.”
“Are you another operative?” Shino asked.
“Aw, no. Ah’m the worst varmint these medieval ninnies ever done dealt with. Had ta tie me down real tight like so Ah don’t unlock myself out. But Ah reckon you an’ I can make a deal… unless you’re set on servin’ your sentence.”
“You want us to set you free?” Feri asked.
“Somethin’ of that nature. But it ain’t just me: two of mah pards are bein’ held elsewhere in here. Help us out, and Ah think our interests can align.”
“Well, it looks like all those chains are being held together by three locks. ’Guess we’ll have to find three keys then.”
The girls exited the room and turned down a long corridor with a high ceiling with wooden rafters. “WHOA!” Feri jumped aside before an arrow struck her feet.
“I guess it’s a good thing we took the shortcut home.” Ennea the Sharp, the blue-haired Stahlritter, said from the rafters. “Those guards couldn’t even put a few simple amateurs away.”
“I’ll show you amateur!” Shino trained her rifle on the knight, but Ennea retreated down the rafters.
“I’ll just burn your cover down!” Feri yelled.
“No!” Shino whispered. “I’m gonna bait her out myself.” She moved forward cautiously, eyes focused upward. Ennea sniped, but Shino dodged. Once she had an idea of her position, she shot an Antikill bullet up at the rafters, ricocheting to land a successful shot at her head. Shino didn’t expect it would numb her right away, but she heard Ennea retreat through a secret door up there.
Shino and her team headed out the nearby exit, leading to an outdoor walkway enclosed by castle walls, and suspended over a lower courtyard. The walkway led straight to a prison key, but the walls on the sides were lined with archers. Feri bolted straight for the key, nimble on her feet as she dodged the arrows. However, Shino suspected that Ennea would be on the platform directly above the entrance, waiting to shoot as soon as Feri reached for the key. The arrow loosed, but Feri was wise enough to dodge it as well. As soon as Shino got an idea for Ennea’s exact position, she shot an Antikill at the left wall at an angle to where it would ricochet and hit Ennea’s head.
“UGH!” the Sharp grunted. “Unbelievable! She’s memorized my exact height and factoring that with the angle of my shots! Quite impressive for someone who looks like an Earthling schoolgirl.”
Feri sprinted back to her teammates as Dende stretched his arms into a window on the right. He hauled the girls in as they landed in a room where a chasm took up most of the “floor.” They were startled when giant javelins were launched at them from the other side; one stabbed into their ledge and the others into suspended barriers. The kids had to run up the handle of the spear in their ledge and jump to the others. As they did, Shino noticed the spherical devices on the ceiling with directional arrows. “!” One of Ennea’s arrows loosed from a window near the ceiling, hitting the spherical device as it redirected the arrow at the ops. The trio dodged off the spear handle, holding onto Dende as he wrapped arms around to pull them back up. “Now, that’s just cheating!” Shino retorted.
Judging by the positions of the Arrow Guides, Shino tried to anticipate which ones would ultimately direct the arrow at them, and which Guides would direct them toward that one. Otherwise, Ennea’s three windows were narrow enough to spy on them and loose her arrows without fear of Shino landing a clear shot. And yet, if Shino could lock on that narrow window’s ceiling, her bullet could pull off a ricochet and hit Ennea’s head. Shino just had to guess which window she’d be behind. As the trio continued their spear-jumping, Shino glanced at the next Arrow Guide that would be aimed at them, then quickly traced the trail of Guides aimed at it, and judging which window Ennea would shoot from. Once Shino deduced the one, she waited until just when Ennea would loose the arrow and shot an Antikill. It bounced off that window’s ceiling, into her hiding place, and hit her in the nose. Afterwards, the trio dodged the arrow.
“Man, you’re good with that thing!” Feri praised. “Where did you train?”
“Video games!”
The group made it across the room and claimed another key. They entered the door to a stairwell leading into darkness. With Feri’s fire to provide light, the stairs stopped at a rather narrow hole, wide enough for a human to fit straight down. “Where does this lead to?” Shino’s voice echoed.
“Hey! I heard voices! And they sounded further away than the ones in my head!”
“Someone’s down there!” Feri gasped. “Are you a KND operative?!”
“Uh, well, I’m dating one. And I’m related to a Firstborn Guardian! Just help a guy out, wouldja?! There are chi-blocks down here, so I can’t fly, and the walls are too dense for me to gigantify!”
“Gigantify?”
“I can’t stretch down that far.” Dende said. “Any ideas?”
“I do! Watch these for me.” Feri took off her shoes and jumped down the hole, pressing her arms against the sides to slow her descent. The boy at the bottom of the hole wore a dark-yellow hoodie and jeans with dirty white shoes, with matching eyes and brown hair. “Phew! It smells awful down here!”
“Oh, that’s just me. So, what’s the plan to get me out?”
“This.” Feri stuck her hands under his shoulders, threw him up, and as Kaleo fell down, she curled up to flip upside-down and threw her leg up to send him higher. Afterwards, she planted her hands and feet against the sides to quickly climb higher, with Kaleo trying to suspend himself in the same manner so Feri could flip, kick him up higher, then return right-side-up to keep climbing.
“AAH!” An arrow grazed Shino’s hip.
“Why bother with all the elaborate tricks?” Ennea asked, standing at the top of the stairwell. “I should be able to face my foe directly.”
Shino trained her rifle and fired ricocheting shots at the knight, but Ennea would anticipate their trajectory and dodge them. She landed two more arrows through Shino’s right leg and left shoulder, but Dende focused constant healing chi as Shino pulled the arrows out. Shino fired a quick string of three bullets that bounced in different directions: one baited Ennea into leaning left, while the other two bounced against each other. This allowed one to unsuspectingly hit Ennea in the chin, and the other into her cheek. These were the last shots needed to finally daze the Stahlritter into sleepiness.
“To think The Sharp… could be dulled by such a gentle weapon. Who… are you?”
“Huff…” Quivering from her injuries, Shino smirked proudly. “The Phantom Bullet.”
“Hmm…I will dread that name in my slumber.” Ennea passed out and came tumbling down the stairs.
“Aaaaand made it!” Feri gave the prisoner boy the last kick needed to send him out of the hole.
“Well, that’s a gym exercise I never wanna do again! Wassup, guys, name’s Kaleo!”
“Hey, Kaleo. …Oh, look!” Dende stopped Ennea’s body when it tumbled down to their level. “She’s carrying the last key!”
“Awesome!” Feri cheered. “Let’s go back and free that prisoner!” She kicked Ennea down into the hole.
“Hey, uh…someone’s gonna have to carry me.” Shino panted. “Feeling a little woozy.”
“Sorry.” Dende bowed. “Healing Chi makes the body tired.”
“Just hold onto me.” Feri lifted Shino on her back. “You’re pretty light!”
“Yeah, I kinda feel like a twig compared to Morg.”
The group made their way back through the javelin room, used Dende to stretch to the dead-end walkway, but when they reached the hallway where they first encountered Ennea, the giant knight with the axe was barring passage. He was positioned sideways to fit into the passage, but was still able to raise his axe above them.
Kaleo bolted toward the giant and declared, “I’M A BIG BOY NOW!” Before the trio’s eyes, he exploded to a size almost equal and grabbed the axe’s handle in his hands. He kicked the knight back and pried the axe away before stabbing it to the ground. “I gotcha!” Kaleo reached to envelop his allies in his hand, throwing his arm past the knight to toss them behind. “Keep goin’! I’ll handle this chump!”
“So, that’s what he meant!” Feri exclaimed. “What were you saying about feeling like a twig?”
The trio returned to the chained prisoner’s room and used the three keys to unlock them. “Boy, howdy.” The prisoner stretched herself free of the irons. The three stepped back in caution, still unsure if they could trust this girl. At the same time, she looked about 14, wearing a black cowboy hat, boots, and attire. Her hair was short and light-blonde and she was fairly skinny. “Them chains chaffed me somethin’ fierce.”
“STOP THEM!” A platoon of knights charged in. “THEY’RE FREEING THE GOLD ROBBER!”
“Oh, I c’n take more than just gold!” Kimaya Heartly spun her arms and conjured two Keyblades, holding them like guns as she blasted rapid Gas Bullets. “I can take this whole darn kingdom by the scruff of its iron neck!”
…
The mountains around Sasan were a great natural defense to any invaders on foot. However, the fog that covered the lower mountain scape did provide good cover for anyone that did. “Ho! Sir Markus! Dost thou see that?!” asked one of the watchmen on the outer wall.
The fog was stirring as if something were running beneath it at high speed, in Babel’s direction. “?!” The knights were aghast as someone sprinted toward the town gate, the clouds parting as though she were a Sky Dragon. “ASCENDIO!” Wendy Marvell sprung above the gate and over the wall, making a solid landing in the town’s entry street. Dressed for the environment, she had her own light-blue knight’s armor that left her arms and belly bare, with small armored shoes with wing designs. She opened a compartment on her armor and picked out a shrunken Oliver. “Engorgio!” She sized him back to normal.
“The welcome party’s already here!” Oliver alerted as knights were converging. “I wish we had a better idea on the prisoners’ situation.”
“That’s Akko’s job. For now, let’s give these knights a good—SHOOOW!” Wendy narrowly dodged a storm of flying swords.
“Wendy Marvell. The Sky Dragon.” A knight woman with flowing scarlet hair stepped forth. “Among the Earth Kids Next Door, you are one of the most formidable. She who leads a hurricane at her back. But I hear you also have a great standing with Fairy Princess Mavis.”
Wendy steadied herself. This woman looked strong. “Who are you?”
“I am Erza Scarlet. Betrothed of Knight King Spartos.” With telekinesis, Erza levitated swords around her being. “I swear to defend this kingdom in his absence.”
Erza… I know that name! When I stayed with Fairy Tail, I never got a chance to meet her, but they said she was their strongest mage! She and I… come from the same Original World.
“Your tongue seems stiffened. What ails you?”
Wendy shook out of her thoughts. “Well, I swear to rescue my friends no matter who stands in my way!”
“Then I, ‘Titania’ Erza, will challenge you, Sky Dragon!”
Sindria
The spaceports at the top of the saucer-shaped towers were crowded with Sindrian troops mobilizing to fighter ships, and evacuating tourists. With their stolen disguises to their advantage, Nagisa and Kougyoku blended in with the chaos. “Maybe we can squeeze in with the tourist evacs, just say we’re extra security.” The empress suggested.
“It’d be easier to steal one of the fighter ships, so we can get away on our own terms.”
“Do you even know how to pilot their ships?”
“Can’t be much different from our 4x4 ships… could it?”
“Hold your horses, Mickey, I’m gettin’ ready to go right now!” The two were alert when Goofy, Mickey’s knight captain, jogged in a silly manner toward a small, red fighter plane that looked like it was made from Gummi material. “Now to just fish out mah keys.” Goofy pulled out a key ring, which seemed to have dozens. “Let’s see… a car key, no, piano key, no; skeleton key, keyboard, key to the city, keyhole, key lime pie, Keelhaul Key, Keyblade, monkey, tricky, okey-dokey artichoke, Donquixote Doflamingo…”
“Nagisa, what’re you looking at?” Kougyoku whispered.
“His shield.” Nagisa eyed the reflective, blue-rimmed shield on Goofy’s back. “That’s Cheren’s Mirror Shield.”
“Nagisa, we gotta go now!”
“I think we can kill two dogs with one stone, Kougyoku.” Nagisa pulled his Sheikah Mask up over his mouth and approached Goofy.
“Malarkey, Nicki Minaj, Vicky Vale, Manky Kong, Lanky Kong, Cranky Kong…”
“Uh, excuse me, Sir Goofy.” Nagisa tried to speak in a Sindrian accent. “I couldn’t help notice you’re having trouble there. Perhaps the key you need is somewhere else on your person?”
“Hyuck, well I do have quite a lot of pockets!”
“If I may suggest, I find it easy to empty my pockets and splay my items around the floor to better reorganize and find what I need.”
“Well, I reckon that couldn’t hurt.” Goofy began quickly grabbing and throwing items from his black vest pockets and yellow baggy pants pockets, from shields to more keys. Kougyoku glanced at Nagisa with impatient eyes.
“Enlighten me, Crocell!” Sinbad rubbed the bracelet on his left arm. A Light Spirit overshadowed him as Sinbad attained a blinding golden form with a white sash arching over him, along with seven small suns around it. Applying only a minimal amount of Haki to each sun, necessary to damage his foe, they flew at Vaati with great speed. The wind mage, while also maneuvering his Logia body to evade them, cast a veil of dark magic around himself to negate some damage. However, Sinbad manipulated the light to produce mirages of himself. “AGH!” Vaati was stabbed in the back by the real Sinbad’s Haki saber. Sinbad evaded Vaati’s Wind Kick with lightspeed, the Minish proceeding to heal his wound.
“Well, I think it’s about time I used this!” Vaati withdrew a glass bottle, containing a black tornado with a vicious red mouth and eyes. He popped the bottle open as the Wind Titan rose from its prison. The colossal tornado towered over Sindria.
“AAH, here it is!” Goofy proclaimed. “My SPARE key! Gyoh?” He found his shoes and one hand frozen to the floor.
“Much thanks!” Kougyoku swiped the key and Nagisa took the Mirror Shield before kicking Goofy across the noggin. The duo jumped in the plane as Nagisa inserted the key. “DUOH!” It popped open a compartment that would shoot a punching glove into Nagisa’s face.
“A-hyuck-hyuck!” Goofy slipped his hand and feet out of his frozen shoes and glove. “I may be a goof, but I’m no doof! If there’s one thing Disney likes, it’s cute ethnic girls, and there was somethin’ off about your accent!”
“Well, it was worth a try.” Nagisa pulled his mask down.
“And by the way, that ain’t the Mirror Shield. Just a silly ol’ fake I cooked up.” Kougyoku saw the “mirror” peel off; it was a reflective sticker, revealing a design of Steamboat Pete underneath. “It’s just a… mere shield, hyuck-hyuck! I already lent the Mirror Shield to someone else.”
“You LENT the Mirror Shield that you already STOLE from Cheren?! To who, Mickey?!”
“Gawrsh no, silly! But I bet he’ll be happy to see—yeeeee—yeeeee-oooooouuuu!” A dense gust of wind swept the inside of the port. Nagisa and Kougyoku got to the floor and ducked while Goofy was uplifted. The dog air-swum to a nearby transport and gripped the roof of it, but to his horror, “MY SHIELDS!” his collection began to fly around in the current.
“Well, if I can’t get back Cheren’s shield, I’ll find him another one!” Nagisa jumped up to one of the shields, surfing the wind. “C’mon, Empress! Let’s ride the wave to another port!”
“You Earthlings are reckless, aren’t you?!” Kougyoku jumped on a shield and flew after him.
Vaati merged his Logia body with the black Titan, his smirking face taking shape at the top with his long-fingered arms arched to the sides. “You’re not the only one who commands the wind!” Sinbad rubbed his silver right bracelet. “FOCALOR!” A Wind Genie overshadowed him: Sinbad’s hair grew a reddish-brown, taking the form of long feathers as he adorned a red tunic. “And because I used Furfur and Crocell beforehand, I can add Light and Dark Chi to my wind!” Sinbad opened his palms, spinning a light tornado in his right hand and dark in his left. “FORAZ ZORA!” Sinbad condensed both cyclones above him and slashed them at Vaati with titanic force. Vaati gagged from the impact, but would aim his arms to suck up several of the kingdom’s buildings, aiming them at Sinbad.
Nagisa and Kougyoku swiftly hopped between shields as the former slashed a building with Tempest Kick and Kougyoku with Water Slice. “Let’s see, a good shield for Cheren… Dream Shield, no, Genji Shield, no, Herc’s Shield, Save the King, Defender—YAH!” The fanged, three-eyed shield gnashed him.
“How do you even know their names?!” Kougyoku asked.
“Goofy has them labeled on the back.” Nagisa hopped to a shield with a brown-gold rim and reflective surface depicting a gaping, ghoulish face. “Well, this one’s spooky. …Wait…” He checked the label. “Termina Mirror Shield? Wait, is this like a parallel version?!”
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
“AAAH!” Nagisa panicked as a flash of green lightning flashed from Vaati’s storm; he was using airbending and magic to generate the Killing Curse! He whipped up the Mirror Shield in defense, deflecting the Death Chi. “Whoa! It worked!”
The lightning flashed aimlessly, but Sinbad would summon his Lightning Genie, Baal, from his own sword. Sinbad attained light-blue armor and darker-blue hair. The Death Lightning was attracted to his sword, flashing with blinding intensity as he redirected it around Vaati’s storm. “Aaaaaaahhhhh!” Vaati struggled to maintain himself. “I can’t… let anyone win this war! The universe… must be FREE!”
“For the murder of Queen Angella of Etheria… the murder of River and Moon Butterfly of Mewni… and even this world’s KND leader… BEGONE, RED-EYED VAATI!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
“Huff…huff…” Nagisa and Kougyoku had landed on the roof of a spaceport. The wind had died, but their disguises had blown off. Nagisa was relieved to have the shield still in his arms… but Kougyoku’s face was pale as she looked upward.
King Sinbad held Vaati by the neck. The wind mage’s Minish Acre wand dropped. Not a trace of soul dwelled in his red eye. The revolutionary was gone.
“Vaati…” Meta Knight looked on in horror.
Kasim’s eyes twinkled open. “SHAHMAT STRIKE!” His Buster Lancer opened into a powerful beam, directed at the Revolutionaries’ fleet. Meta Knight’s Halberd II and Vaati’s Windy Marvel were utterly decimated.
“What is that power?!” Meta Knight exclaimed.
“The power of Arusha’s Flame.” Kasim answered. “You’ve lost.”
“…” Meta Knight glanced at one of the port roofs: he recognized Empress Kougyoku, as well as Nagisa the Pacifist. With a stretch of his bat wings, Meta Knight swiftly swooped toward them.
“Huh?! AAAH!” The knight grabbed both by the arms and made off from the kingdom. “Where are you taking us?!”
“It would seem we have a common enemy. Let us seek refuge.”
Sinbad returned to his ruined dining room. Mickey was disheveled my the hurricane. “Apologies, Your Highness.” Sinbad said. “I might’ve gone overboard.”
“Haha!” Mickey beamed at Vaati’s corpse. “Not at all! That was perfect!”
“Well, that’s nice! Because we still have business to take care of.”
Way back in NECSUS, I thought about using the “Only Second Rate” song for Dimentio, but at least it works here! And this was the perfect opportunity to include Erza Scarlet in the Gameverse, being a red-haired knight just like Sasan’s king in Magi!
Chapter 43: Diamond Cutters: Super Saga
Summary:
The Diamond Cutters, along with some slightly unwelcome guests, venture to Planet Superbia to find Mimic and Clutch.
Chapter Text
This chapter takes place during a later arc of Throne Wars, but I avoid crossing over with the main story too much. We’ll also be covering more recapped and rewritten events from the IDW comics.
Dark November; Starline Labs
Dr. Starline, a white platypus with a satin-purple shirt, studied the feed taken from Eggman’s Faceship and scout bots. The Nightmare Generals, the Zeti, they had created for the Metal Virus plan were dropping in succession. Bunnie and Antoine destroyed Zeena, but both were infected. Tangle and Whisper destroyed Zor and barely avoided infection. Sector SOL destroyed Zomom with nearly all of them infected, Anak destroyed Zazz, and those interfering Babylon Rogues crushed Zik.
“So long as Zavok survives, they’ll have no way to flee the planet.” Starline said. “But these aren’t apt results.” The doctor contacted his master, currently away at his Mechanos base.
“Starline! How goes my lovely silver shower?”
“Sir, the Zeti we had created have nearly fallen. The plague continues to spread at a phenomenal pace, but the virus has mutated beyond our control. The Zombots aren’t responding to either my commands or your voice imprints. And without the Zetis’ electromagnetism, these Zombots may soon become erratic. They’ll start tearing up your own factories just to find more prey!”
“So, let them. I moved planets for a reason, you know.”
“But, sir, we can’t rely on an army that’s uncontrollable! If we attempt to move the Zombots to other worlds, they’ll turn against us and even your Team Gnaa allies! Furthermore, what if it starts spreading across the air?! Why haven’t you developed an antidote?!”
“Starline, the short and simple answer is, I’m through with Mobius. I don’t need to develop a cure, because the problem will take care of itself. As the Metal Virus mutates, it becomes unsustainable. Any infected heterotrophic eukaryote cells will soon suffer a form of apoptosis. In short, any fully converted Zombot will disintegrate within a month.”
“DISINTEGRATE?!” The platypus’s eyes receded, his bill dropping. “Sir, the entire point of this endeavor was to amass subjects and defeat our enemies in the swiftest way possible!”
“Yes, well… I didn’t want to throw all my eggs in this basket. There was always a lingering feeling in my mind that the KND would work up SOME miracle. The real question is, will that miracle come before millions, or even billions of Zombots dissolve? Either way, this is sure to be a wound on their morality. You mentioned earlier that there were 3,201 known suicides or self-mutilations, correct? That’s already a win in my book. I guess K. Rool will be upset; he was rather looking forward to trying his hand at this planet. Oh well. I’d suggest you get off that world soon yourself.”
Transmission ended. “OOOOOOOGGG!” Starline banged the controls. “That BUFFOON! How could he let ALL this effort go to waste?! This was his greatest project! I was so thrilled to be a part of it! I thought that little ‘amnesia’ exercise would’ve cleared his mind at least, but… BLAST IT ALL! Alright, calm down, Doctor, calm down…” He pushed himself up and strolled to another room. “This is exactly why we have hobbies. Side projects. Countermeasures.”
Two children were in liquid tubes: a green tenrec and Argentine-blue fennec. The terminals read that their brains were fully converted by his modified virus. “Very well, Doctor. Will the virus destroy Mobius? Or will Mobius destroy it? Let your gamble play out. Because I’ll have a better plan ready to go.” He began to drain the liquid from the tubes. “Since mindless Zombots are incontrollable, this is the next best option. I can tweak these two’s characteristics as I please. Give them a grudge and ambitions and make them perfect soldiers. Then, Doctor… you will see that I have surpassed you!”
Mobius H.Q.; present time (June)
The four Diamond Cutters stood ready in Marcus McCloud’s office. Vice-Leader Jewel was at his side, gazing up with pride in her best friend’s team. “Sector D.C.… I know this has been a hard year on you. So, I want to say thanks for persevering.”
The four returned his thanks with smiles. Marcus would always open up a meeting this way, but it never got old. “But, the reason I called you guys specifically… We have reason to suspect Mimic is on Superbia.”
Their expressions dropped to grim resolve. “Along with Clutch the Opossum and a large number of other Mobian villains. In general, Superbia has become the Brotherhood of Evil’s stronghold. All of their remaining members are gathered there, securing complete hold over the planet. Our intel states that they’ve put thousands of superheroes into submission.”
“Right now,” Jewel followed, “the intergalactic operatives are planning to focus their efforts on Superbia. And…” her gaze fell, “we are considering colluding with them, to catch those runaway criminals. But, we don’t want you to decide recklessly!”
“She’s right.” Marcus said. “Even if we join forces with the galactic ops—and I have no doubts they’ll succeed—Superbia will be very dangerous. Too dangerous just to bring justice to a few enemies. Meanwhile, the situation on Mobius is stable now. It may be better to stay here and preserve the peace until this war fully ends. Frankly… so long as those two aren’t here, harming us, we’ve no reason to go after them.”
The group narrowed their eyes. They always followed that same principle with Dr. Eggman, primarily after he abandoned Mobius. “…You heard him, team.” Lanolin faced her friends. “Let’s make it a unanimous vote. Who wants to go to Superbia?”
“…I do.” Whisper raised a hand. “If Mimic has chosen the Brotherhood’s side… he’s helping them hurt innocent people as we speak. All because we let him slip under our noses.” Her friends bowed ashamedly. “I won’t let my mistake hurt others, anymore. But… I don’t want to be alone this time either.”
Inspired, Tangle raised her tail. “I wanna go, too! Because the Superbians helped us beat the Kremlings! It’s only fair we repay them! Besides, a world of superheroes sounds super AWESOME!” She sprung to the ceiling with her tail, earning a giggle from Whisper.
“Always on the brighter side.” Lanolin smiled, raising a hand. “But of course, I agree, too. I’ll never rest well until I see Mimic answer for his crimes.”
With that, the Diamonds turned to Belle. The tinkerer nervously rose her hand. “Belle. You aren’t just agreeing because of us, are you?” Lanolin asked.
“N-No. I-I’m just…I’m still scared.” Belle bowed, tapping her indexes together. “I know what Mimic did and all. And I know why we should stop him. But what if we don’t even find him? Or what if he runs away to another world? Just… how long or how far are we gonna chase him?”
Her friends exchanged looks at the notion. They wouldn’t put it past Mimic to do just that. “Well, we can still help the Superbians with their problem.” Tangle reasoned. “But Mimic still might try to hurt us again, anyway. We need to at least show him we’re not afraid. He tried to break us up, but now the Diamond Cutters are stronger than ever. He needs to realize that.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” Belle stretched her hand. “I may not be strong as y’all, but termites, if I’m gonna let that stop me!”
“In that case… we’ll head to GKND pronto.” Marcus smiled. “I’ve asked them to wait for us, so we better not keep them. Jewel, I’m leaving you in command until we get back.”
“You can count on me!”
“GET READY, UNIVERSE!” Tangle jumped on his desk with an epic pose. “’Cause the Diamond Cutters are going GALACTIC! Time to show the wider worlds our AWESOMENESS!” Her friends simply shook their heads in amusement. “Uh…hold on, Marcus, did you say ‘we’?”
“Of course!” The Supreme Leader marched around the desk, pistol ready. “I’m going with you!” The Diamonds’ jaws dropped. “The truth is… I’ve been wanting to face Mimic for a long time. Between him, and this incident over the Earth operatives’ secrets… I really can’t stand traitors. For once… I want to look him in the eye and see if he’s proud of himself.”
Whisper’s eyelids trembled. Deep down, Marcus was grieving as much as she was… no matter how much he concealed it as a strong leader. “That…” Marcus shirked a bit, “and I’m sure you don’t want to babysit them.”
“Who?” Lanolin asked.
“HEY, MCCLOUD!” Surge the Tenrec kicked the door open, Kit the Fennec at her back. “We’re gettin’ bored, when’re we leaving for…?” The Diamonds cast deathly glares at them. “Oh. You chumps. Quit wasting his time, we got a planet to get to!”
Marcus froze pale as D.C. turned their glares to him. “You can’t be serious.” Whisper hissed.
“W-Well… Surge and Kit are just as passionate about this mission as you-”
“They only want revenge on Clutch. Not out of justice, but selfishness. Have you forgotten that they KNEW Duo was Mimic and said nothing?!”
“We said we were sowwy.” Surge said in a babyish tone.
“No you’re not.” Whisper trained her Wispon on her. “He could’ve cut our throats at any given time and you would’ve let him.”
“She’s right.” Lanolin stated. “You may’ve done some good deeds since then, but I’ll never forgive that.”
“Well, so much for the KND’s promises of redemption.” Surge rolled her eyes.
“You just don’t understand how much you really hurt us.” Tangle said. “Maybe we’d like to be friends with you, but… you’re having a hard time showing us that you’re sorry.”
“Well, whaddya want me to do? Give you guys a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig friendly friendship hug?” Surge spread her arms and approached them.
“Stop.” Whisper repelled her. “Don’t even come near us. Zombot.”
Surge flinched. Even the others winced. Not out of surprise of the notion… but that Whisper would bluntly call them that. Her teammates, Jewel, and Marcus looked at her with sympathy. Tears seeped from Surge’s scowling eyes. “You apologize to Surge.” Kit demanded with pulsating eyes, water tendrils emerging from his Hydro Pack. “No one… insults… Surge…”
“Get movin’, Drippy.” Surge grabbed his ear and dragged him away from the office.
Marcus felt that he should say something… but feared it wouldn’t quell Whisper’s anger. Rather, make it worse. Tangle put her arms and tail around the wolf, soothing her trembling. Even Belle understood the depths of her anger with Surge.
As Surge stomped her way to Marcus’s ship, the painful memories came coursing back through her.
Last November
Dr. Starline had the tenrec and fennec strapped to chairs. He aimed a glove with a keypad at her. “Beginning calibrations with Subject Surge. You want to destroy the KND.”
“I want to destroy the KND.” She repeated like a drone.
“Sleep.” Surge passed out. “Needs more hatred.” He tapped his keypad. “Awaken. You want to destroy the KND.”
“I wanna destroy the KND!”
“Good. Sleep. Now to save the desire. Awaken. Surge, how do you feel about the KND?”
“I HATE the KND! I wanna DESTROY them!”
“Excellent! You’ll be ready for physical training soon. Sleep! Now, Subject Kitsunami, awaken.” The fennec woke. “You want to support Surge.”
“I want to support Surge.”
“Increasing passion. Again.”
“I wanna support Surge!”
“Sleep. Saving desire. Awaken. Kit, what is your passion in life?”
“To help Surge!” Kit beamed with an admiring expression. “Surge is my big sister! I love her so much! I’ll defend Surge with my life!”
“Excellent! The perfect sidekick to my ‘hero’! Sleep! Now, I’ll just wipe these tests from your memory and preserve the motivations. Let’s move on to training. Then, by the end of the Metal Virus, however it may end, we’ll proceed to field operations.”
Two of their field tests would involve Surge causing power surges downtown at the speed of lightning, so fast that none would catch sight of her. She would then go to start a forest fire, as an attempt to kill Sonia, Belle, Jewel, and Tangle who were camping, but the efforts of said operatives would stop the fire and save dozens of campers.
“I’m gettin’ tired of pulling cheap pranks, Doc!” Surge complained. “When can I start destroying the KND?!”
“Once your training is complete. You’re fast, Surge, but your lightningbending is falling below parameters. Fortunately, I have an upgrade in mind.” Starline equipped her with a capsule pack for her back. “This Dynamo Cage is designed to absorb and harness the energy of Wisps. The KND rely on them for power sources… and I happen to have discovered their hidden nest. Go there and suck up every Wisp you can.”
…
It was a little over a week after the Metal Virus ended. Whisper heard of a commotion in her hometown of Sunset Heights. Little did she know of the overwhelming power she would be up against. “Hahahahahahahaha!” Surge cackled, brimming with neon power from her Dynamo Cage. “I can’t believe all these Wisps were just SITTING down there, and NO ONE was using them!”
A Cyan Laser shot the side of her head. Surge turned to Whisper: the wolf was covered in burns and gasping for breath. “Give it up, already.” Surge charged a Spin Dash laced with Pink Spike and shot toward the wolf, Whisper narrowly dodging.
“Give them back.” Whisper hissed.
“WHUT? Speak up, you’re like a mouse in wolf’s clothes.”
“Give… them… BACK.”
Without warning, Surge zipped toward the wolf in a streak of lightning. The tips of her fingers touched the tip of the Wispon, and just as Whisper tried to take another shot, she was blown away. Her treasured weapon was a charred mess. Surge caught up with her, balling her fist. “Ssss…huuu…” Whisper seethed with pain and rage. Seeing a discarded piece of shrapnel among the rubble beside her, Whisper grabbed it. She took a swing at the tenrec’s neck, but Surge dodged, grabbed her arm, and slammed her into the ground, followed by a chop to the gut. “HUUUUUCK!”
Fortunately, a pink cyclone came to her rescue: Sonia the Hedgehog. Two of her teammates, Bunnie Rabbot and Antoine, rushed to help Whisper up. “You okay?” Bunnie asked.
“F…fine… Need to… stop her… Need to save them…!”
“We’ll save them! We promise! Just stay here and rest!”
“Oui!” Antoine agreed. “Belle! Can you take Whisper somewhere safe?”
“Yeah!” The tinkerer came to support the wolf, hauling her into the lobby of a hotel. Belle rested Whisper on a seat in the lobby. “It’ll be okay, Whisper.”
“Sniff…sniff…” She was barely getting a handle on her emotions after the virus. Now things were falling apart all over again. She…she needed her… She needed…
Belle’s eyes fell to the broken Wispon. “Would you like me to fix it for you? It’s pretty banged up, but I think I can work up a miracle.”
“…” Whisper said nothing, but entrusted the weapon to her.
Belle smiled tenderly. “…Would you like to call Tangle? I went camping with her the other day. Ya know she… really misses you.”
Whisper flinched. She had still been ignoring Tangle’s calls. Trying to figure out her feelings. But now, she needed her… but she still hasn’t figured them out… She couldn’t make up an excuse like this…
“…Just let me wait… ’til it’s fixed.”
Belle bowed. She was unsure what was going on between them, but she couldn’t make things more tense for Whisper.
Sector SOUTH succeeded in destroying the Dynamo Cage and saving the Wisps. They would huddle around Whisper, delighted to see her, but the sight of their pale frames drew her into more tears. To make things worse, Surge had gotten away with Kit’s help.
Present
Whisper opened her eyes to Tangle’s. Silently, they were exchanging their own regrets. It was only after that battle that Lanolin called them for her proposal. Whisper kept her feelings bottled; both her stress over that battle and her confusion over her feelings of love. And Tangle would only worsen Whisper’s anger by declaring their new team as the Diamond Cutters. Her Wispon was only finished repairing after that.
“Here ya are, Whisper!” Belle presented it joyfully. “Good as n-”
“Thank you.” Whisper quickly took it, as if wanting to move along hurriedly.
“Wait, your Wispon was broken?” Tangle asked. “What hap-”
“Just maintenance. Drop it.” Whisper marched back to the ship in a quick pace. Tangle tensed up in hurt.
Of course, the two would make up over the naming dispute. A couple days after, Whisper would convey the truth over her struggle with Surge.
“Those Wisps… that colony… this Wispon… they’re all that’s left of my family. Our home.” Whisper would tell her on the path to Spiral Hill. “And just like that… they were all gone.” Tangle held her close as Whisper cried. “I felt so helpless. And just imagine if…if Mimic were around the corner. I’d have nothing to defend myself. I’d be too weak to run. I’d…”
“You had other friends there. They would’ve protected you. Just like they saved the Wisps. And fixed your Wispon. I…I just wish I could’ve been there, too. I wish they’d told me…”
“…I’m sorry.” Whisper had also been told of the camping trip Tangle took with the girls. How they were caught in a forest fire. And, according to witnesses, a lightningbender was responsible for it. If Whisper had gone with Tangle, she could’ve helped. The very same culprit would go on to hurt Whisper.
“…I’m sorry, too. For not telling you I was infected.”
Whisper flinched as that horrible memory rekindled. “I…I hurt you, didn’t I? You probably wanted to be there for me, too. But I couldn’t…I couldn’t risk you like that. It felt awful, Whisper. I was so cold… and it hurt to stretch my tail and arms. I’m really glad you didn’t have to experience that.”
“…” She was right. Whisper was hurt. More than Tangle realized. She desperately wanted to be with her in that dire moment. Regardless of the consequences. Perhaps that was Whisper’s own excuse. Not calling her when Surge attacked. And now… Tangle felt just as hurt.
“From now on, I wanna be there for you. I want you there for me, too. Because you…you’re really important to me, Whisper.”
Whisper felt warm in her embrace. She still wasn’t sure how to admit her feelings… but now, that wasn’t important. Just being with Tangle was enough. That’s what Surge reminded her. “You are, too.”
It was a dire month. They both made mistakes and hoped forgiveness from the other. They had long made up and their love was set in stone. Even so… Surge was another cause to Whisper’s turmoil. And things wouldn’t get better with time.
Past
“Behold, Dr. Eggman… my improved version of the Metal Virus.” Dr. Starline spoke to the viewer as he directed at an encapsulated Surge and Kit. “As you can see by these X-rays, the parasites have perfectly integrated into their brains while leaving the rest of the body intact. That way, there is no concern for infection. Their personalities were developed from the source code I ‘borrowed’ off of that puppet girl; but certainly much less soft and pacifistic, trust me. And with this control panel, I can modify their memories and desires while deleting mishaps. By the time this world is doomed to the virus, your new ‘mascots’ will be rising to serve you. And once these two have cemented their selves in your empire, we can start developing support characters. I’ve already drafted some ideas! Such as Surge’s love interest, Arnold Magnolia. Or her shadowy rival, Void the Tenrec! Or the time-traveler, Gold the Tenrec! Or the treasure hunter, Rojo the Rat! Eventually, the universe will never remember Sonic the Hedgehog or his cavalcade!”
From there, they would watch his other videos. Videos molding Surge and Kit into his ideal characters. Putting them through arduous training, testing their endurance against spikes, flamethrowers, or crushing. “I am NOT running that AGAIN!”
“It hurts…it hurts…” Kit grunted.
“Sleep.” Starline made them pass out with a wave of his hand. “Rest assured, children. As part of the Metal Virus’ influence, you have exceptional recovery. Though you’ll still need food and nourishment for your mortal bodies… but you’ll appreciate the experience much better once I delete this trauma.”
The videos made Surge sick to her stomach. “Wuh…we… I… You…” She pointed at Kit. “Me… WHO ARE WE?! WHERE DID WE COME FROM?!” She clasped her skull. “He…He abducted us and… put those THINGS in our heads! Who are we supposed to be?! Do we have families?! Do we even KNOW each other?! I…I…AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
“I-It’s okay, Surge. I’m here for y-”
“SHUT UP!” Kit flinched. “You don’t care about me! You’re not supposed to! Starline just programmed you that way!”
“But…bu-bu-but I…” Kit began sobbing. “This is all I know…sniff…”
Surge looked upon her ‘brother’ with sympathy… but was she supposed to feel that way?! “It’s alright, children.” They flinched: Starline had returned. “In a moment, this will all feel like a nightmare.”
“YOU TOOK AWAY OUR HOMES! OUR NAMES! OUR IDENTITIES! GIVE THEM BACK!”
“I perfected you. Crafted you into the ultimate weapons.”
“We don’t WANNA BE YOUR WEAPONS!”
“Oh, Surge, we keep having this conversation… and it always ends the same way. SLEEP!” The doctor flashed his glove.
“Nyuh! Uuuuuuu…gggggggghhhhhhhh!” Surge forced herself to stay awake. Starline began aggressively tapping his keypad, Surge shaking as she felt an unbearable headache.
“Blast it, you’re stubborn. I’ll have to make some improvements to this thing before I wake you up ag—aaaaaccckkk!”
Kit’s watery tendrils pierced Starline’s heart from behind. The blood flowed along them. Surge was awestruck, and Kit in horror at his own actions, as Starline’s body hit the floor. They were silent, comprehending what they had just done. “…S…Surge… what do we do now?”
“…We burn it all down. The KND. Eggman. Every idiot that follows either of them! We end it all! No more heroes! Villains! NOTHING! If we don’t get a past, they don’t get a future!”
In the months that followed, Surge and Kit ran amok attacking whatever they felt like… but the police and KND would send them running. Even during the Kremling Krew’s takeover, they attacked and took over one of their bases.
“So, you crocs wanna be the new big bads around here?!” Surge yelled over the pile of charred Kremlings. “Then you’re gonna get burned down just the same as Eggman!”
“CAAAAAAAAAWWWW!” An enormous bird with spiked yellow and black feathers flew down in a streak of lightning.
“Ma’am!” Kit panicked. “I think that’s one of the Kommanders!”
“Finally, a REAL challenge! This’ll send K. Rool a message! COME GET SOME, ya big fat turkey—ZAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
Let’s just say Helmaroc King gave them a shocking reality check. The pair were imprisoned in the Alpine Skyline, given no food and left a charred mess for weeks. They only managed to fish their selves out following Helmaroc’s defeat by the KND.
By March 24, the pair returned to Starline Labs, exhausted and starved. They would have an unexpected encounter with the skunk brothers, Rough and Tumble, but it took no effort on Surge’s part to shock them into submission.
“I was wondering where I might find you two…” They rose in alert when a green opossum approached them. “Surge… and Kit, correct?”
“Who are you?!” Surge shouted. “How do you know us?!”
“Clutch. President of Clean Sweep Inc.. My company collects the waste and scrap left behind by Dr. Eggman’s invasions. We recycle, sometimes rebuild the material… and sell it back to him. Or whoever’s willing to buy. We’ve also done the same with Schnee and the Kremlings’ tech. Dr. Starline was one of my clients. We shared info with one another. Stories. I know what you are. Neo Zombots.”
Surge grit her teeth. “What of it?”
“Oh, nothing, really. I’m just in the market for new… business partners. I have a plan, you see. A plan to destroy the KND. And I could use your generous assistance.”
Surge and Kit exchanged suspicious glances. “And what’s your beef with ’em, huh?”
“They’ve intruded on my business operations in the past. But more than that, I’m aiming to score in big with the Brotherhood of Evil. If all goes swimmingly, me and my cohorts will be living very fruitful lives. That can mean you as well. Assist me in my plan… and I shall tell you whatever you want to know about your past.” Their expressions brightened. “You will have back your past… by taking the KND’s future.”
How could they resist? “I already have a plan.” Surge smirked. “We’ll infiltrate the KND… the old fashioned way.”
That plan would be set in motion on March 26. Vice-Leader Jewel called Marcus down to the KND’s Restoration Center, where aspiring cadets would sign up. “YOU TWO?!” Marcus exclaimed.
“Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinkin’.” Surge said, hands raised. “We’ve been on the run way too long. Run ourselves ragged. We nearly got killed by the Kremlings. So, now… we wanna turn our lives around.”
“Y-Yeah…” Kit said, shade over his eyes.
“Is that so?” Marcus wondered.
“What, don’t believe us?!”
“Surge!”
“Look, we’re starvin’! And we have no homes to go back to! I don’t even know my own name! I was just… some freak’s slave!”
Marcus and Jewel could see her trembling. Small tears welled in Surge. The azure fox rested a hand on her head. “The KND will be glad to welcome you.”
Surge blinked. Was this guy really that dense? “Marcus, are you quite sure?” Jewel asked.
“I may not know what… but I can tell these two had a hard time. I’ll let you in… but I’ll be supervising you.”
“Oh, I see. Gonna keep me on a leash, huh?”
“Of course not. Mobius is about freedom. That’s what Sonic believed in most.”
“So, what? We’re free to let loose and do whatever we want?”
“Heheh, no. We expect you to respect our customs and your fellow operatives. You can’t abuse the KND’s power against civilians.”
“And I guess we have to do missions or you’ll kick us out.” Kit assumed.
“No. Any missions I assign are voluntary. If you’re not comfortable, if you’d rather stay home and relax, that’s up to you. No one will force you to hurt yourself. So long as you consider the KND your home, you’re welcome here.”
Surge looked away. Not being forced to fight… to be a weapon… “Geez, the KND’s more sappy than I realized!”
“Well, you can leave if you don’t like it.”
“Oh, so you’re just trying to get rid of me?”
“Not at all. I kind of like you, Surge.” The tenrec winced at the compliment. “Now… would you like to visit the cafeteria?”
…
“HEY HEY! GUESS WHAT?” Surge announced to the operatives in the cafeteria. “WE’RE CANDIES, NOW!”
“You mean KNDs, Surge.” Kit said.
“That’s what I SAID, Drippy!”
Whisper, Tangle, even Lanolin never shared so much rage before.
“Surge? Kit?!” Sector SOUTH approached them.
“You’re pullin’ my leg!” Bunnie shouted.
“You’re actually joining us? For real?” Sonia asked quizzically.
“After I ask them some questions.” Marcus said. “Along with some test missions. Maybe you’d like to work with them.”
“Yeeeeaaaah.” Surge drawled. “We wanna be friends now. It ain’t our fault a mad scientist abducted us against our will.”
“Well… that’s great!” Sonia extended a hand. “Maybe we can go shopping later!”
“And you and me can make some gadgets, little dude!” Manic chirped at Kit.
“Hmph…” Kit cast him a glare.
“Your Hydro Pack is really cool!” Halinor Prower walked around and studied it. “I bet it’d be great for gardening! Would you like to later?”
“I…I dunno.” Kit blushed.
What’s with these guys… Surge was dumbfounded at how trusting they were. “…Ah, hello.” With a smirk, she approached the Diamond Cutters. “It’s the little Wisp defender. How’s your little power pals doing?”
“Grrrrr!” Whisper snarled.
“Apologize.” Tangle stated firmly.
“Heh?” Surge cocked a brow.
“You hurt Whisper. You also caused that forest fire my friends and I were in. Apologize.”
“Okay, I’m sooooooowwyyyyyyy.”
“You don’t sound like it.” Lanolin said.
“Marcus.” Whisper said to the approaching Supreme Leader. “Get them out of here.”
“Look, I understand… they’re guilty of some crimes, and I do intend to talk to them about those. However, considering their circumstances, I’m willing to give them a chance.”
“You’re making a mistake, Marcus. Trust me.”
The fox bit his lip. Whisper had every reason to feel that way, he wouldn’t deny. “At least someone has some common sense around here!” Surge retorted. “I bet you wanna take me out here and now! I might even join your freakin’ sector! You can aim this Wisp-flinger,” she grabbed the Wispon from the side of the table and held it to the wolf, “at the back of my head all day if you want. I don’t blame you. I encourage you!”
Whisper grabbed the heirloom and began loading a Burst Cell. “And YOUR table,” Marcus grabbed hers and Kit’s arms and dragged them, “is over here! Let’s please not try to prod anyone’s anger.”
…
The duo returned to Clutch one week later. Beside him was a purple octopus man. “Surge. Kit. Meet Mimic. An expert mercenary. He will be joining you on this mission.”
“What, don’t think we can handle it ourselves?”
“There are some things you can’t do.” Mimic morphed into his would-be disguise, Duo the Cat. “But I can!” he chirped in an aspiring boy’s voice.
“I had him enroll in CND training last month on the 13th, and he’s been volunteering in their Restoration Center in the meantime.” Clutch explained. “Once he fully graduates, he will ask to join the Diamond Cutters team. I didn’t want all of you to join at once; would’ve drawn suspicion. This will be vital to my plan… and his as well. Stay undercover, but support each other when the time is right.”
“Happy to work with ya, Mimic!” Surge and the octopus shared smirks.
…
“Director Jewel?”
“Hello!” Jewel smiled as the purplish cat approached her. “Duo, right? Can I help you?”
“Well, I…I saw how hard you’ve been working lately, and I wanted to give you something.” He presented her a pair of headphones. “Stress relief headphones.”
“Why, thank you, Duo!” She surveyed them for a second. They had a Mad Mods logo. “This might be just what I needed.”
“Haha, it’s my pleasure! I’ll see you later!”
“Good luck on your training!”
Duo smirked as he left her office.
Jewel tried the headphones on as she resumed her paperwork. A soft, almost hypnotic voice spoke. “It’s okay… to let your mind… shut down… once in a while. Just relax… and let the sounds of silence quell your being…”
…
“Director Jewel?”
“Oh!” One of her operatives grabbed her from her trance. It had been three days since Jewel started using the headphones. They certainly put her mind at ease, but at times, she found herself losing focus.
“Mr. Ratooey is here.”
“Ah!” She had nearly forgotten the meeting. “Send him in.”
Clutch stepped in. “Director Jewel… a pleasure to meet you. Gulliver Ratooey, CEO of Clean Sweep, at your service.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Ratooey! …” She gazed at him curiously. “Forgive me, but you seem a tad… familiar.”
“Well, my company does lots of work. Though I don’t really make public appearances, for the sake of hiding from Eggman, I’m sure tell of me has reached your ears at some point.”
“Hmm…yes, perhaps. Plus, in my line of work, everything starts to jumble together. So… what did you want to discuss?”
Thanks to the semi-hypnotic headphones and a simple alias, any recollection of Clutch’s past misdeeds with her operatives slipped from Jewel’s mind. Clutch would ask for the KND’s participation in his Clean Sweepstakes Race, under the premise that they would be raising for charity and showcasing the heroic operatives who protect the world.
Little did they know that the Brotherhood was working behind the scenes of the race. Each event would be “rigged” in a certain way that would injure operatives, and while they were in the medical bay, the villains would take them prisoner… or worse.
“Of course, I’m not planning to annihilate the KND as a whole.” Clutch said to his three spies. “We’re going to dismantle them cleanly. By taking out certain operatives that hold the organization together. That includes the Hedgehog twins, but also Vice-Leader Jewel; the head of the Restoration Center beloved by the poor and suffering yokels. And Mimic’s target is the infamous Guardian Angel, Whisper the-”
“No.” Mimic smirked. “It’s Tangle.”
“Huh?” Clutch cocked a brow.
“Whisper and Lanolin are already at odds. If I kill Tangle, they’ll shatter completely. Whisper will become a hopeless mess.”
“Ooo, I like the sound of that.” Surge sneered.
“Alright then.” Clutch smirked. “You’re the expert.”
The Sweepstakes Race would start on April 22. Under Clutch’s instructions, Surge and Kit sabotaged Sector SOUTH’s gear, causing them to drive out of control and ram several other competitors. Consequently, they were kicked out of the race.
Shortly afterward, a mysterious Phantom Rider appeared: it acted as though it were terrorizing the racers, but it was actually thwarting Clutch’s sabotaging efforts. Surge would be ordered to deal with it.
“YEAH! She chased out the Phantom Rider!” the audience cheered.
“That tenrec’s got skills!”
“Where’d that fennec get that backpack? You’d never go thirsty with that!”
“GO, SURGE!”
Hearing the fans cheer her name, Surge felt something she had never before. “Haha… Ya hear that, Drippy?! WE’RE HEROES!”
She and her sidekick would relax at a café in Misty Spire that night. “Surge… you look really happy.” Kit smiled.
“Heheheh. I dunno what it is.” Surge blushed. “I’m just… doin’ my job!”
“Hey, look! It’s Surj!”
She heard a small, childish voice. Looking down and behind her, she found a light-red canine girl wearing a green shirt with Ivy written on it. “I saw you fight the scary guy before, and you did it again today! I like your bike and your big hair, and your electric timity.”
Surge blinked. Her heart swelled from the flattery. She felt no deceit in the innocent child’s voice. “Ivy!” Her mother grabbed her. “I am so sorry! C’mon, sweetie, the nice tenrec is very busy!”
“I-It’s fine.” Surge blushed.
“Bye, Surj! I hope I can be cool and spiky like you someday!”
Surge waved her little fan away. “…” Her smile faded. “Kit… I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”
“What do you mean?”
“…We don’t deserve it.”
…
“Hey, Clutch.” Surge marched boldly into his office. “We quit.”
Clutch blinked. “Possososososososos!” The duo cringed. Who laughs like that? “Very funny, dear.”
“No. We mean it. We wanna be heroes for real.”
“And who do you think made you heroes in the first place?” The opossum pushed up from his desk, strolling around to meet them. “Who do you think lifted your criminal statuses? I can rebrand you as criminals just as easily!”
“Y… No you can’t!” Surge charged lightning.
“Go ahead. My acquaintances are already ordered to act in case something happens to me.” Surge hesitated. “You will follow the plan, or I will let all of Mobius know what you really are. That you carry the Metal Virus!” Her eyes receded in horror. “Then everyone will hunt you down until that plague is eradicated! I bet even the KND don’t know, yet. Now… return to your posts.”
The duo returned to their room with expressions of defeat. “AAAAHHHH!” Kit flew back with a start beneath Surge’s tirade of lightning. “Doesn’t matter who it f***ing is! Starline! Clutch! We’re just SLAVES!”
“It…it’s okay, Surge.” Kit offered his sister a comforting hug. “…I think I have an idea.”
“Yeah?”
“A way we can escape from Clutch… and be heroes.”
“…Then let’s hear it. We’re gonna do this right, Drippy.” She ruffled his fur. “We’re gonna EARN it!”
The rest was history. The other KND uncovered and exposed Clutch’s plans, but disaster still befell the event. The villains got away… and Surge and Kit’s secrets were exposed.
The two allowed the KND to arrest them as they were brought before a furious Marcus and Jewel. “Is it true?!” the fox yelled. “You were in on this mess?! Did you know about Mimic, too?!”
“Y…Yes.” Surge winced.
“THEN WHY?!”
“So it was like,” Surge was babbling quickly and heatedly, “Clutch said he’d make us heroes if we did what he said and try to destroy you! But then the kid was like,” she folded hands and stared dreamily, “‘Wow, Surge, you’re so cool, keep being cool, I wanna be like you.’ Then we were like, ‘Know what, Clutch, we quit,’ and he’s like, ‘You’re gonna do what I say or I’ll make you criminals!’ So we tried to stop his plan, but then it was like, then he, he…”
Marcus knelt and put an arm around Surge. She was frozen in her stance, but tears welled in her eyes. She felt Kit’s tiny arms around her legs. “I can comfort Surge better.”
“M-Marcus!” Jewel stuttered. “You…you forgive them?”
“I know when someone is hurting on the inside, Jewel. Even if… I’m not really sure what to say or do. Listen… you let my operatives arrest you on purpose, didn’t you? Why?”
“…To be…to be heroes…” Surge muttered.
“You’re just gonna… lock us away, aren’t you?” Kit asked.
“We’ll discuss this later. There are rooms up here you can stay in. Go rest for now.”
Lying on their beds, the tenrec and fennec would be staring at the ceiling. “…He’s seriously giving us another chance…” Surge was unsure whether to call him dumb or noble.
On April 28, Surge lay patiently on a medical bed as Manic sent a tiny drone into her ear. The feeling of it inside her was irritating, but she tried to keep still. Manic controlled the drone as he, Marcus, and Kit watched the feed. Within minutes, they had a live view of Surge’s brain: completely metallic.
“Yo…” Manic stepped back in shock. “It’s true. Her brain… and prob’ly Kit’s, too… It’s Metal Virus.”
“Yeah, we already know that, genius!” Surge stated. “So, can ya cure it or what? Can ya bring back our real memories?!”
Manic studied the brain for a few minutes. “I don’t know. From the looks of it… the parasites are really engrained deep. So, if we pumped the Cure Cloud inside ’em… it might shut their brains down completely.”
Surge tensed up in horror. “No!” Kit shouted. “I won’t let that happen! I…I’ll die before I let you do that to Surge!”
“No one’s dying.” Marcus stated. “We’re not doing that. But, Manic… there are no signs of the virus spreading beyond the brain, are there?”
“No. I don’t know how Starline modified it, but only the brain was affected.”
“Then we leave it as is. I’m sorry we can’t restore your true identities, but… we can’t risk your lives.”
Surge, wrestling with feelings of gratitude, fear, and anger, could only glance every which way. “Just get that creepy bug out of me.” Manic piloted the drone out of her ear. “Kit, let’s go find more hero things to do.” She kicked open the door to the medical wing and boasted, “Who cares if there’s a virus or metal in my brain?!” as she caught the attention of nearby operatives. “NOTHING’S gonna get ME down!”
“You’re so inspiring, Surge! ISN’T SHE INSPIRING?!” Kit shouted at the nearby ops with crazed eyes, frightening them.
But while the nicer operatives didn’t fear them, everyone else did. They helped the good people of Mobius in whatever reckless way possible… but they were surrounded by dread and scorn. A far cry from their statuses at the Sweepstakes. “It’s them.” Some would murmur. “It’s not really true, is it?” “The virus is inside them?” “I heard they were immune, but they’re still carrying it!” “I heard it mutated inside them!” “Why is the KND letting them run around?” “What are the KND doing?!”
The Diamond Cutters felt no different when they heard the news. Tangle held her quivering girlfriend. “That’s why…” Whisper said in a low, rasping tone. “Those monsters… They hurt my Wisps… worked with… Mimic… they…they’re Zombots… Why is Marcus… keeping those things around…”
Tangle wanted to reason that they seemed to be trying to be heroes… but that was also the excuse that had gotten them into KND in the first place. It was hard to find the right answer. But with time, they hoped a good answer would come.
Present
As D.C. returned to their ship, Marcus shared a distraught look with Jewel. “Perhaps this was a mistake.”
“They may not be friends…” Jewel said, “but when it comes down, I hope they’ll take care of each other.”
“I’m sure they will. Well… until later, Jewel. I’ll be sure to give Clutch his due as well.”
“Oh, Marcus, you don’t have to…” Jewel covered her heart in gratitude. “…But I’ll be very happy if you do.” She cracked a smirk.
“Heh. Good luck here.”
The beetle nodded as her boss left the office. “Hooo…” Jewel felt a tickle of embarrassment as she took Marcus’s seat. At times, she could hardly believe that she got this far.
“Pleasure to meet you, Supreme Leader Marcus!” She blushed, shaking his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Jewel! Just Marcus is fine. So, you’re interested in the Restoration Director position, correct?”
“Of course! Tangle’s stories have been inspiring, and, well, I feel the urge to do more for the community myself. I’m no hero like she is, but I would like to try out this position. I want to try helping people in my own way… not to mention I love organizing and cataloguing.”
“Yes, it has been rather messy up there. Well, I’ll hook you up with what you need and we’ll try you out, Jewel.”
After her museum, this had been the most wonderful job of her life. Jewel was the face and heart of the community… or so everyone else told her. Thanks to her top notch budget management, they had enough food for their soup kitchen, enough beds for their homeless, and an all-around clean and organized building. Marcus would even pull her away to help organize things around KND H.Q.… and before she knew it, he was promoting her as his own Vice-Leader.
“You make me feel like I’m not doing enough sometimes.” Marcus laughed.
“Oh, that’s not true at all! I heard how you gave Starline the old what-for a few months back. And how brave you were in fending back the Zombots.”
“Maybe… but as a leader, I feel too weak sometimes. There are some things I’m just not good with. But you seem a lot more built for this, Jewel.”
“Oh, you think so…” Jewel’s wings buzzed as she shifted sheepishly.
“Heck, you’d almost make chancellor with how much those people love you.”
“!” Jewel practically froze. “N-Now I know you’re joking!”
“I really bet you could.”
“Heh heh…well, what about you? You’d make a fine chancellor yourself.”
“I actually can’t. You have to be born on Mobius to be chancellor. I was born on Sauria. But even so… I don’t think I have the heart. Not the kind that could measure up to Yorkshire, anyway.”
Jewel frowned. There had always been something bothering Marcus. Hints of regret in his voice. “Well, rambling aside,” the fox said, “you keep doing what you do.”
Jewel spun to gaze out at the planet. The idea still bemused her.
“HA HA HA!” Tangle laughed. She and Jewel were hanging out at Station Square after their beach day. “My best friend, the chancellor?! Whisper’s gonna LOVE this!”
“Exactly how I felt, too.” Jewel cringed. “Pure ludicrousness.”
“No, it’d be super cool! Now I wish we brought you when we broke into her office the other day!”
“Yes, that… YOU DID WHAT?!”
“…Chancellor Jewel…” She had to verbally empty her mind of the joke. Just the thought of herself taking care of that whole planet… making everyone happy… only in her wildest dreams.
“Jewel.” Marcus approached her, four days after the Sweepstakes Disaster. He noticed her distraught expression. “Something the matter?”
“…Marcus, I…I feel like I betrayed your trust. I let that crook play me like a fiddle. Those poor kids were hurt because of me… and I nearly killed everyone in the Restoration. I…I don’t think I deserve this job, anymore…”
Marcus sighed. Jewel had made a tough call during the disaster. When the self-destructing shuttle threatened to destroy a chunk of the city, Jewel had it guided to the Restoration. It would’ve led to more minimal casualties, but it would’ve left a massive scar on her heart. Thankfully, her friends managed to evacuate everyone.
She gasped, feeling Marcus’s consoling hand on her head. “When it mattered most, you took control of the situation and stopped things from becoming worse. Those people still look to you for hope, Jewel. And so do I.”
Jewel’s tearing eyes met his honest gaze. “I feel like hard times are ahead of us.” Marcus continued. “Several sectors have quit after all that’s happened. That’s our law, of course. No one has to stay… and that includes you. But I…I really don’t want you to leave, Jewel. I…I don’t think I could do this job without you.”
“…” It was rare to hear Marcus like this. To feel so valued and admired that, despite his own morals, he was openly asking her to stay. “I won’t, Marcus.” Jewel smiled and bowed her head. “I love this job too much. Perhaps… even more than ever now.”
The KND… the people of the Restoration… Jewel loved looking after and taking care of them. She would never forgive herself for falling for Clutch’s scheme… but she still wanted to be there for them. “Alright!” Jewel smacked her cheeks to get back into focus. “Let’s see what needs done around here!”
Brotherhood H.Q. (The First Hand)
The legions of supervillains amassed in the palm of the enormous hand palace. The venue was lively; so many pairs and bands of villains sharing drinks and stories of their exploits.
“A WHOLE orphanage!” Bomb Voyage exclaimed in French. “BOOM! Up in smokes! The Party Poppers would be proud!”
“Zose Titans never saw it coming!” Andre Le Blanc followed.
“That traitor finally got hers!” See-More shouted. “NO SYMPATHY! YA HEAR ME?!”
“Dude, you’re crying.” Gizmo said.
“I AM NOT!”
Mimic let out a disgruntled sigh, taking a sip of Inky Rum. “Mimiiiiic!” The cheery voice mildly startled him. Himiko Toga took the seat beside him, the high schooler’s narrow-eyed expression beaming. “Thanks for going with me on that raid! I got so many cute heroes’ blood in my pockets!”
“Not a problem.” Mimic smirked. “You ain’t bad with those knives.”
“Yeah, but I wish I had tentacles like you! Then I could hold more! Hey, if I took a sip of your blood, I could turn into you!”
“Buzz off!”
“No, it would only be a little prick! Pretty pleeeaaaase?”
“Now, my dear.” Clutch the Opossum took the other seat beside Mimic, putting an arm around his partner in crime. “A lasting relationship takes time. It’s a tender process. We’ve been allies for over a month, yes, but it takes longer than that before one goes offering their blood. Isn’t that right, Mimic?”
“Um…yes?”
“BROTHERS and SISTERS!” Lord Tomura announced on the central stage. “As of today… we control 87% of the planet! We have 35 more retired capes to add to our collection… as well as five more heroes to join the ashes.”
The five battered heroes in question were displayed onstage. “From the old Teen Titans… Cyborg.” Tomura lay a hand over the robot. His metal rusted and decayed into ash, which poured through a tube into a jar. “One of the daughters of the late Powerpuff Girls: Bliss!” He decayed the blue-haired child into another jar. “The father of the Incredibles family: Mr. Incredible!” The muscular, blonde hero joined the ashes.
Mimic silently wondered what was going through their minds. What were their thoughts in their last moments? Revenge? Or concern for their loved ones? What would those loved ones become if they could see their fate?
“And now, two special guests from Earth who came all this way to try and stop us. The hero of Miracle City, White Pantera.” The elderly Mexican filled a jar. “His boots are up for grabs. And… the so-called hero of Retroville, Ultra Sheen.”
“You may destroy me,” the purple-masked hero declared, “but the will of Ultra Lord LIVES OOOO-”
“YAAAARRRRRHHHHH!”
“With every hero brought to ash, victory is within reach!” Tomura closed his hand. “This war… WILL BE OURS!”
“You know,” Clutch began, “Queen Blaze and Silver wrote their own book about gardening. It involved spreading ashes. …Mimic?” He glanced left to find the octopus gone. “Himiko, where did he go?”
“WHAT?!” Himiko gawked. “I was too busy cheering.”
Mimic wandered into an empty corridor, leaving the party at his back. Peh. Victory? Idiots. This war is going nowhere. Dr. Eggman is dead. Bowser’s allies are falling one after another. It’s only a matter of time before these guys are finished, too.
The octopus narrowed his gaze. I guess it’s about time to ditch this place. No way am I going to fall with them. No way am I…
This was his story for years. All he wanted was to be an actor. To be noticed on the stage. But his colleagues were superior. Mimic had no place beyond minor roles. Even with his metahuman power, Mimic couldn’t surpass them. Not even when he tried to mimic his own colleagues. But for misusing his power and disrespecting them, his acting career was finished. And as if fate were out to mock him, an Eggman attack would destroy his shabby home.
Out of a job, out of luck, Mimic jumped back and forth between crime groups. All I wanted was a place to belong. A place to be noticed. But no way in Hell was I going to fall with them. The ragtag gangs he fell in with were doomed to fail. And Mimic would leave them at his back.
Everyone has a little emptiness inside. We all utilize activities like the arts or playing hero as a way to cover the void within. As if it’s something to be ashamed of. Yearning for others, wanting to be seen… it’s childish. Childish… just like…
“MIMIC!”
“What?!” Mimic jumped around with a start. A certain, 13-year-old wolf barged into his bedroom.
“Wanna go get ice cream?!”
“Why?”
“Because ice cream is yummy!”
…
“Yay, vanilla!” Whisper hummed merrily, licking the sweet as she skipped along downtown. “What’d you get, Mimic?”
“Midnight Mint.” It was a dark-blue flavor.
“Cooooool! Can I try a bite?” She raised a small spoon.
“Fine…”
The image of her burned him. So happy. So carefree. So friendly. So stupid. What girl her age still acts like they’re eight, anyway? The rest of her friends were no different. Thinking they had a chance against Eggman…
“Dibs on the big guy!” Slinger yelled as the Diamond Cutters charged through the desert base.
“Ha! Good luck, Tiny!” Smithy retorted.
“NICE ONE, Mimic!” Whisper cheered as the octopus smashed an Egg Hammer’s head with his own Wispon Hammer.
“It’s child’s play, Whisper.”
…
“That was a gutsy move you did, Mimic!” Smithy praised.
“I’ve taken on a few small armies in my time, but that was awesome!” Slinger praised.
“Fate was with you when you found this one, Whisper!” Claire Voyance said.
“I know, right?! Mimic’s the best!”
“Heh! Stop, guys!”
Please… stop.
Mimic slammed his head into the wall. Stop REMEMBERING that! Friendship… Family… it’s all a lie. People throw you aside the minute they see your true face. Life is all a façade. We’re all actors on a stage.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WHISPER!”
“Ha ha ha ha!” The wolf was giggling as her family brought out the poundcake. “Guys, you shouldn’t have!”
“Mimic, didn’t you get her anything?” Claire asked, chuckling.
“I… Well, I wasn’t sure what she liked; I’ve only been here a month and a half.”
“It’s fine, Mimic.” Whisper smiled. “Just having you here is enough!”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah! You’ve been such a big help to us! Ever since you joined us, you’ve had our backs! You’re the best gift I could’ve asked for!”
“I agree.” Smithy said. “It’s almost like you were our long-lost older brother!”
STOP! Mimic smacked the side of his head. Silly words. Naïve fools. They…They don’t know a thing about me. I…I… WHY DID I STAY WITH THEM THAT LONG?!
“I…I kind of like him.” Claire told Whisper, in what she thought was private. “You know… like-like him.” She tapped fingers together and blushed.
“Whaaaaaaaat?!”
“Quiet, Whisper! I know… he’s way older than me, but…”
KNOCK IT OFF! The thoughts wouldn’t leave his head. True love… True friendship is supposed to feel good. So, why does it HURT so much?! No! It’s all a lie! They’ll throw me away! They’re lying to their selves! About who they are! That’s right! They’ll betray me. Betray me when they no longer need me. I…
“What?!” Dr. Eggman was offering a bounty. Tens of thousands of Rings for the Mystery Sector that keeps sabotaging his strongholds. “…This…” If the others learned about this… any one of them would easily seize the chance. Even other sectors could learn about them and turn them in. Mimic was doomed. …So, he had to doom them first.
I’ll betray them… before they can betray me. They…they…
A bullet whizzed through Claire’s skull, the rest of her body soon to be riddled with them. Smithy smashed into paste by a giant hammer. Slinger’s head hitting the floor.
“Mimic…” All of the love and joy evaporated from Whisper’s being. The pain in her crying eyes was unimaginable. “Why…”
Why…why… Why didn’t I finish the job?
“Was it worth it?”
Nearly two years later, Dr. Eggman called him to finish what he started. To end Whisper, the last Diamond Cutter. It should’ve been easy… if not for that irritating lemur. What business did she have playing that video?
“Here’s to our new brother, Mimic!” Whisper cheered.
“I foresee a great future with you!” Claire cheered.
“Eggman doesn’t stand a chance with you around!” Slinger said.
“To family! And to Mobius!” Smithy declared.
For a moment, Mimic gazed at his open hands. Tangle… could almost swear he was trembling. “…They weren’t my friends.” Mimic faced her with a cold, dark-eyed scowl. “They weren’t even my comrades. They were only a means to an end.”
She was about as dumb as Whisper. Heh. She even convinced Whisper to spare my life. They may have beaten me, but I bet their friendship will fall apart, too.
Mimic would see for himself when he infiltrated their sector as Duo the Cat. The Diamond Cutters? Active again? Tangle, Whisper, and that sheep girl? But no. That wasn’t the shocking part.
“You’re… girlfriends?” Duo asked.
“Yep!” Tangle chirped, holding Whisper’s hand as the wolf blushed. “Pretty long story. We’ll tell ya someday!”
Mimic wanted to barf at the memory. Whisper… finding love? Impossible. She was dead inside. He had unveiled her true self. How could a silly lemur spark love inside her? How…
Mimic had to remain in their sector as part of Clutch’s plan. He’d already succeeded in baiting Whisper to attack him. Getting her in trouble with Lanolin. Making her feel guilty for hurting an innocent cadet.
On the second night after that incident, “Duo” snuck over to Whisper’s room, where Tangle also was. He could hear Whisper. Crying. It drew a smirk. “Whisper?” The girls were cuddled in Tangle’s tail. “What happened?”
“N…Nightmare.” Whisper sniffled. “I…I was coming to your house, and… Mimic was there… with a knife… and you were on the floor…sniff…”
Mimic silently snickered. Oh, how he’d love to make that dream a reality.
“I’m still here, Whisper. I’m fine.” Tangle softly stroked her fur.
“…I’m scared, Tangle. He’s out there somewhere. You’re not safe with me.”
“No matter what happens, I’m staying with you. I’ll protect you. As long as we’re together… he can’t hurt us.”
That’s what you’d like to think, Mimic thought.
Whisper buried her face into Tangle’s chest fluff, her sobs calming. Tangle sighed, “I just wanna tell those nightmares to stop bothering you. Maybe if I… eat ’em outta ya!” Tangle began chewing Whisper’s ear. Mimic cringed in disgust.
“T-Tangle!” She coughed out a giggle.
“Nom, nom, I’m Kirby! Eating nightmares! Nom, yom!”
“You’re making me hungry again, Tangle.” Whisper began chewing part of her fluffy tail.
Mimic silently groaned. He really wanted to just kill them now! Screw waiting for Clutch’s plan! Just wait for them to go to sleep again… and…
How blissfully still they were. Warm in Tangle’s tail. Snoring up dreams. Safe with the one they loved. How helpless they looked. Mimic just wanted to slit Tangle’s throat and watch Whisper wake up to her corpse. Shatter her dreams. Shatter her illusion of love and…
He retreated to his room. “No. Wait until the plan. Then I can shatter them all.”
I…I know what I am. Mimic stated loud and clear in his head. I’m selfish, arrogant, and colder than a frozen lake. I enjoy the chase, watching others struggle, and I love that about me!
The time finally came. Though Clutch was exposed and his plans about to go up in flames, Mimic had his chance. Lanolin and Whisper were already at odds. All he had to do was sever Whisper’s only link to sanity. Tangle.
“Duo, stay close to me!” Tangle said. “It’s dangerous here!”
You bet it is. Duo pulled his knife. The target was Tangle’s throat. With one slit, Whisper’s future was ruined. Her true self would be exposed again. Her true darkness. He could already see it now.
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Whisper cried in a pool of Tangle’s blood. “WHY COULDN’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?! WHY COULDN’T I BE HAPPY?! AAAAAAAHHHHH! THIS IS YOUR FAULT, LANOLIN, HE WAS MIMIC ALL ALONG, THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”
Just one cut… would spell the end of these new Diamond Cutters. The end of Whisper’s trust and friendship with anyone. So, why…why was he hesitating? Why did that very fantasy… burn him? It’ll take less than a second. Just do it! Why…why…why…
Whisper sniped the cadet with a Cyan Laser. “WHISPER!” Lanolin screeched. “YOU IDIOT, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!”
“That knife!”
Tangle gasped, seeing the dropped knife by her shoe. She looked at Duo. His feline ear was sheared as it morphed into a tentacle. “W-whuh…?” Lanolin’s face grew pale. In that swift moment, a wave of guilt washed over her. And horror and anger were drowning Whisper’s masked visage.
I was so close… Why did I miss my chance?! Why couldn’t I enjoy that fantasy?! Why am I smashing my own head?! Whywhywhywhy WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?!
“Mimic?”
“What?!” He whipped around at Clutch.
“Why are you out here? You better come back. There’s an important guest here.”
Raising a brow of concern, Mimic followed the opossum back to the party. “Now, my brethren!” Tomura announced. “Presenting… the heir to the Eggman Empire, whom King Bowser has entrusted to us to protect!”
The name drew a gasp out of Mimic. A certain short girl with fiery brown hair and a gold crown was elevated on a platform. “Dr. Ovoid ‘Omelette’ Robotnik! This young genius has kindly offered her support in destroying the KND of this world and securing villainous rule! You should all treat her like royalty.”
“Tumble!” Rough exclaimed. “It’s that bratty Eggman daughter!”
“Ugh, I thought we were done with him. Now we gotta babysit his kid?!”
Omelette shot a nasty glare at the skunks. The two hastily bowed. “ALL HAIL THE EGGMAN REGIME!”
“Come, Mimic.” Clutch instructed.
“What?! I can’t go up to her! I wasn’t exactly… on good standing with Eggman after our last interaction.”
“Eggman is gone, Mimic. It’s time for a fresh start.”
Mimic bit his lip and followed him to the stage. That’s right… Eggman was gone. The goal that he never thought would happen. Well, it’s not like the Mobians killed him. And they never would’ve had the guts to.
Tomura directed Omelette’s attention as the duo approached them. “Dr. Omelette.” The opossum began smoothly. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of me, but I’m Clutch. CEO of Clean Sweep Incorporated.”
“Oh. I know you. You liked to collect Dad’s broken junk and sell it back to him.”
“Yes, that’s correct. A business I upheld even after he moved to Mechanos.” Fortunately, I had a secret bunker to protect myself from that virus. “I even made an arrangement with the Kremlings during their rule. So, I hope we can be very good friends.” He extended a hand.
Omelette crossed her brows. “If you were friends, you shoulda been there on Mira to help Dad!”
The duo shirked. “…Yes. We are sorry. But mark my words, the Eggman Empire will always live on in our hearts. Soon, we will return to Mobius… and prove it.”
“And I look forward to the day.” Tomura said. “For now, we would kindly appreciate your assistance, Doctor.”
“Yeah, yeah. The sooner we get revenge on Mira, the better!”
GKND H.Q.
“Wooooooowwwww!” Tangle planted her awestruck face against the window. It was their first time seeing Galactic H.Q.; a colossal treehouse of a bluish-white, metallic color with several domed facilities. As soon as they landed, Tangle couldn’t wait in racing into the base’s foyer. “This place is AMAZIIIIIIING!” She was immediately the center of attention to all the alien inhabitants. “Guys, look at all the cool people! Look at THAT girl!” She ran to a purple-skinned girl with grassy-green hair. “What’s your name?! Where are you from?!”
“I’m… from Harnita. I’m Arianna.”
“My name’s Tangle! I can do THIS!” She stretched and wrapped her tail around the area.
“Oh! That’s impressive!”
“I KNOW, RIGHT?! HEY!” She zipped over to Morgiana, a magenta-haired girl with a red lion headwear. “My name’s Tangle, I can do this! What’s your name? You got any powers?”
“Um…”
“Level 3,630.” Goombella scanned the lemur. Tangle only just noticed the Goomba beside Morg’s legs. “But you can pull off momentous punches with your tail.”
“WHOA! Can you read my mind or something?! Is that a number for how strong I am?! Man, that’s high!”
“More like… low-medium.”
“Hey, Sheila, look! It’s our lemur pal!”
“Oi, it’s ’er again!”
“AISA!” Tangle sprung over and embraced the Shandian in a hug. “And Sheila Frantic!” Her eyes brightened as they focused on the legendary pirate. “This is my first time here! And I love it!”
“Eh, we come here every day.” Sheila shrugged. “Ah’m bored of it. You should’ve seen Poké though, Tang, it was a BEAUT!”
“Yeah, well we got invaded by Pokémon! I kicked so much butt, Sheila!”
“Most of these operatives are our seniors.” Lanolin cringed. “And she’s being so casual with them.”
“We’re the Top 3rd sector of Mobius.” Whisper reminded. “We have as much rank as they do.”
“Besides, didn’t the chief mechanic tell ya not to stress about formalities?” Belle asked.
“Yes… but…mmmmmggghhh.” A gloomy shadow fell over the sheep as she begun shuddering. How she so callously yelled at Earth’s Supreme Leader… utterly embarrassing herself.
“L…Lanolin?” Belle reached for her friend in concern.
“…Don’t mind me… just gonna… eat a muffin…” She took out her favorite Cloud Top Muffin and munched it as she walked along.
Still concerned for her leader, Belle looked elsewhere. “AH!” She spotted a certain trio not far from Sheila. “THE GILLIGANS!” The triplets in question were alert as the puppet zipped over. “H-Hello! I’ve always… wanted to meet you!”
“Oh…my…GOSH.” Haylee was quick to begin studying every angle of the tinkerer. “Okay… WHO carved you and can I GET their autograph?! Frick, you’re so well-carved!” She rubbed Belle’s arm. “What’s your name? You aren’t from Mechanos, are you?!”
“I-I’m Belle. The Tinkerer. Just a budding mechanic bot from Mobius.”
“Well, Sheila sure never mentioned you! So, like, is your creator here visiting?”
“N-No. My dad was…um…he died.”
“Oh…I’m sorry. But, um…did you wanna do a project or something?”
“We’re on a little mission at the moment. I just wanted to meet you. But thanks for asking!”
Whisper smiled for her friend. …She perked up as a group of Wisps flocked overhead. There were tons of them fluttering about the base. She’d long known they were up here, but actually seeing them…
“Something caught your eye?” Tangle cocked a brow.
“Oh! Just… watching the Wisps.”
“Haha, I thought so! Ya know where I’m takin’ ya after this war is over?”
“…Mm-hm!” Whisper nodded gleefully.
“Yeah, we held off on that promise too long!”
“Ya know, I wonder if these guys have their own Dynamo Cages?” Surge smirked. “I should ask them.”
“!” Triggered, Whisper loaded a Spike Cell and- “LET’S PROCEED, shall we?” Marcus stepped between them and guided Surge along. “Don’t want to keep our friends waiting!”
“Come on, don’t let her get to you.” Tangle patted Whisper consolingly.
About 10 minutes later, Marcus met with Cheren Uno, accompanied by Melody Jackson. “The operatives I’m bringing are very talented and strong. I guarantee they’ll be of great help to yours. And regardless of our own mission, we’ll do what we can for the overall villain suppression.”
“Well, the more, the merrier!” Cheren chirped spiritedly. “This war affects everyone, after all. So, we’ll be happy to have your ops along.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Marcus smiled. “So, let’s get to the introductions. Sector D.C., Surge, Kit!”
The latter two arrogantly marched ahead of the others. However, Tangle remained a step ahead and tail-launched herself before the leaders. “Presenting the unbreakable DIAMOND CUTTERS!” She stretched her tail back over and yanked her other three teammates to her side.
“HEY! We were first!” Surge shouted.
“You know how to make an entrance, Tangle.” Whisper laughed.
Lanolin rolled her eyes… but tensed up at Cheren and Melody. “Y-You!” the Sector L leader recognized her repulsively.
The Diamonds turned to Lanolin sympathetically. The sheep creased up, shut her eyes, and twitched as she uttered, “I’m sorry I started that fight I was going through problems but I’m better now!”
“…What’re you talking about?” Cheren asked. Lanolin’s eyes shot open, her friends sharing her confusion. “This is our first meeting. Right, Melody?”
“What?!” Cheren narrowed a smirk at her. “Uh, I mean… sure, right. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Cheren!” He extended a hand. “Happy to work with you!”
Lanolin smiled awkwardly, her large hand enveloping his small one. “Lanolin Bellwether. This is Tangle, Whisper, and Belle. (“H’lo.” hummed the wolf.) And like she said, we’re the Diamond Cutters!”
“Wow! That’s a strong name if I ever heard one.”
“HeeheeHEE!” Tangle shot a beaming grin at Whisper, who was practically drowning in flattery. Having the Hero of Time praise her team name was probably the highest honor she could’ve asked for. “And ya know why? Our friendship is sharp enough to cut DIAMONDS!” Tangle wrapped the human operatives in a tail-hug.
Her teammates cringed intensely. “Tangle…please…” Whisper shrank in humility.
“That is not our catchphrase.” Lanolin shrank.
“Hahaha!” Cheren laughed, ruffling Tangle’s hair. “I like this one!”
“ALRIGHT, MY TURN!” Surge ripped Tangle away and forcefully shook Cheren’s hand. “The name’s Surge! The BEST one of this lot! Oooooo, look at this sword!” She grabbed the Master Sword. “Can I have it?”
Fi jumped out of the sword and bashed the tenrec with a frying pan of her making. “HEY! WHAT GIVES?!”
“Mind your boundaries.” Whisper glared.
“Shut your muzzle!”
“YOU HURT SURGE!” Kit was swift to strangle Cheren with his coils.
“HEY!” Melody quickly bent and forced the water back into Kit’s pack. Tangle helped pin the fennec down. “Are these two in your team, too?!” Melody asked Lanolin.
“NO! They’re criminals! Don’t compare my team to them!”
“We’re not criminals!” Surge shouted. “We were enslaved and used!”
“ALRIGHT!” Marcus shouted. “I think it’s time to discuss the battle plan!”
The Mobians sat with other operatives taking part in the mission. Tangle, being her usual self during such meetings, was kicking against the side of the table as her chair bobbed back and forth. “So, this dude is Tomura Shigaraki.” Cheren said as the hologram displayed the Brotherhood leader. “Our main target. He has the power to reduce entire cities and landscapes to ash. Hundreds of cities on Superbia have fallen. The heroes are scrambling to evacuate as many people as possible, but thousands were already lost.”
“Okay… that power is messed up.” Tangle said, dread in her eyes.
“Uh-huh. And once he’s done with Superbia, he’ll do the same to our worlds. His only actual ‘weakness’ is he won’t endanger his Brotherhooders with his power, even if they’ve been taken hostage.”
“I don’t plan for us to go anywhere near him.” Marcus said. “Our mission is to help with villain containment.”
“You want us to play cowards?” Surge hissed.
“It’s important for us to know our battles.” Whisper reasoned. “You know yours. We know ours.”
“Mrrrgh…”
“Aside from the villains,” Cheren continued, “the Brotherhood has tons of Metabeasts, ranging from mutant monsters or these Nomus.” He showed a hologram of black monsters with large brains. “Their power ranges from manageable to extreme. So, I won’t be holding back on my heavy hitters.”
“Good to know.” Lanolin replied. “But… what’s the plan for Tomura exactly? Arrest him?”
“That’s… something we gotta ask the superheroes. But if I got the chance to lop his head off, I’d take it. The dude’s a walking apocalypse.”
“Alright, I wanna transfer to his gang!” Surge declared. “HE knows how ta get things DONE!”
“I’m not passing my responsibility onto Cheren, Surge.” Marcus declined.
“Hmm…” Lanolin hummed, silently agreeing with the Earth leader. Tomura seemed far too dangerous of a threat. She’d sleep better knowing it could never threaten their world. …Belle looked away somberly.
The Diamond Cutters returned to their Diamond Blade ship and manned their stations. “All set to go? Let’s not keep them waiting.” Lanolin said.
“I’m ready when you are!” Tangle cheered.
“Starting engines.” Whisper said.
“W-Wait!” Belle spoke up. Her friends faced her. “…Sigh, I’m sorry, but… I really need to ask y’all something. Before we do this. …I want you to be honest. How did you feel… when you heard Eggman died?”
The three were stunned by the question. But they could feel how it was weighing on her mind. They were nervous to answer. “…I think…” Lanolin began, “…he deserved what he got. I think we should’ve chased him to Mechanos and finished the job. But we were afraid. Afraid of another virus… afraid of his cohorts retaliating; but K. Rool was going to invade us, anyway… And if we did, those messes with Aincrad and Mira never would’ve happened.”
“…I wanted to as well.” Whisper said. “For my family. For everyone else I could’ve lost. I was… so…so happy when we heard that news. Happy… that he would never hurt anyone again. …It’s wrong to be. I know. But if I ever meet the man who did it… I would give him a big, fat ‘Thank you.’”
She sobbed into her gloves. Tangle came to hug her. “We could’ve died… could’ve died… everyone… I hate him so much…”
Tangle met Belle’s eyes. The lemur couldn’t bring out any words… but her empathy for Whisper told her enough. Belle would never dismiss those feelings. “That’s the other reason we’re doin’ this, right?” Belle asked. “So, we don’t have those regrets.”
“…Yes.” Lanolin affirmed.
“…That’s all I needed to hear.” Belle smiled. “And you’re right. He wasn’t my real father, anyway. But I…I guess there was a part of me… that hoped he was still in there…”
She began crying. Whisper, amidst her own tears, walked over and embraced her. “Maybe he was in there, Belle. Maybe… but…”
“…But it ain’t worth… keepin’ a monster like him alive.” Belle sniffled. “And Mr. Tinker… wouldn’t wanna live with all that pain.”
Tangle and Lanolin joined the hug as well. “…That’s why I need to find Omelette. I know she’s real upset… and she’ll probably follow his footsteps… but if I can at least do somethin’ to stop her from turning out as bad…”
“We’ll be with you.” Lanolin assured. “To make sure she listens.”
Belle smiled, her tears starting to fade. “Okay.” Her face brimmed with confidence as they pulled away. “Now I’m ready for real!”
“Hah, there’s nothing like getting feelings off your chest!” Tangle expressed. “Now, let’s go SAVE SOME SUPERHEROES!”
“Is that why you’re always so expressive?” Lanolin remarked.
“Obviously.” Whisper chuckled. She resumed starting up the ship, beginning flight to Superbia.
“…Um, hey, Whisper?” the leader began with a guilty frown. “Back at the Sweepstakes… I’m really sorry I called you an idiot.”
“Hm?” Whisper had actually forgotten that after all that had happened. “Lanolin, I already forgave you for all that.”
“I know. But that just popped in my head and I had to get it out.”
Whisper chuckled. “You’re a great leader, Lanolin.” The sheep smiled, letting the stress out of her heart with a sigh. Even Tangle and Belle felt stronger from their bonds of friendship!
Superbia’s atmosphere
The Diamond Blade, Marcus’s Arwing, and their fleet of allied ships were entering the planet. “You gonna let those jerks keep talking to us like that?!” Surge shouted at Marcus.
“Yeah!” Kit supported. “This doesn’t seem very fair to us as Mobian beings!”
“I’m sorry.” Marcus began with a tone of strictness and patience. “What Whisper said was cruel and I’ll have a talk with her in private. But you two have to understand she’s been through a lot.”
“So have we! But I sure never see you tugging her ear!”
“Because, she…sigh…” Marcus felt it best not to justify why. “Listen… I know you two want to do good. But you did hurt those three. Regardless if you get along, I expect you to support them on this mission. I know they’ll support you, too.”
“Hmph…” Surge folded her arms and glanced out the window to her right. Her scowling visage was reflected in the glass. “!” Her eyes widened as a certain white platypus appeared.
“How long are you going to listen to that dog?” Dr. Starline asked.
Surge grit her teeth. “Go away.”
“You have a golden opportunity here. Finish him off. Take over this ship and blast those Diamonds. Return to Mobius and claim they died to the villains. Claim that you’ll carry on their legacy… and earn the respect we deserve.”
“Get the f*** out of my head!” Surge clasped her head, shaking.
“Surge?” Kit reached out in concern.
“Surge?” Marcus glanced back. “Surge, what’s wrong?!”
“It starts now, Surge!” Starline said. “The destruction and reconstruction of the KND under YOUR name! This is what you were born for… my daughter.”
“SHUT UP!” Surge combusted with electricity.
“SURGE! STOP!”
“Huh?!” Whisper gasped, seeing the Arwing spiraling out of control. “Marcus!”
“Whisper, after them! Belle, the tether!” Lanolin ordered.
“Copy/Yes ma’am!” both said in unison. The Diamond flew after the Arwing as Belle fired a tether, latching Marcus’ ship and fighting to keep it stable in the air.
“Thanks, D.C.!” Marcus called. “We’ll have to make an unscheduled landing! That big star seems to have plenty of space.”
“WHOOOAAA!” Tangle’s eyes became stars: they were heading toward a city with an enormous star shape in the center, clear of any buildings. It seemed to be a central park with trees, paved paths, playgrounds, and a small zoo.
The ships came for an awkward, but reasonably stable landing along a path. The operatives disembarked. “What happened?!” Lanolin asked.
“I saw the ship sparking.” Whisper trained her weapon on Surge. “You did it!”
“I DID NOT!”
“Whisper, stand down.” Marcus ordered. “Surge was having some kind of headache.”
“So, I’m right. Her instincts were activating.”
“Why don’t you lay off me?!”
“If I recall, you encouraged me to keep my Wispon aimed at you all day, when you first joined us.”
“Yeah, that’s ’cause I liked your balls, Wolf! Now I think it’s annoying!”
“You endangered Marcus. You’re a danger to us.”
“ENOUGH!” Marcus jumped between them, flashing on his Reflector Shield to bounce them apart. “Whisper, Surge didn’t mean to hurt anybody just now. Both of you need to quit fighting and focus. Listen.” They heard screaming and explosions in the city beyond the park. “Our mission starts now. I’ll contact Sector L.”
“He’s right.” Tangle said. “We gotta be fighting the villains. Not each other.”
Whisper sighed, knowing she was right. And Tangle, being her usual self, took Whisper’s hand with a confident smirk. “So, let’s get into the action! A new adventure BEGINS, Whisper! Let’s show Superbia your family’s-”
And Tangle was gone. In the blink of an eye. Her yellow sneakers rolled and stopped along the ground. Whisper’s eyes popped open in horror. Her friends were agape, pale and confused. “TANGLLLLLLLE!” Whisper screamed.
A teenage superhero with pink hair and a blue and yellow uniform zipped back. “Hey. Was this your lemur?” Tangle was stuck to her hip, arms and legs stretched. She fell and landed on her back, frozen in the expression she had seconds before. “Sorry about that. Stay safe!” She zipped back into town.
“Tangle!” Whisper ran and knelt over her. “Are you okay?!”
“…W…Whisper…” Her expression ecstatic, Tangle grabbed Whisper’s arms and shook her. “I LOVE THIS PLANET ALREADY! I was just in town! For a split second! There’re SO MANY HEROES! C’mon, c’mon!” She scrambled over to her shoes and hurriedly put them back on. “We gotta go see!” She took Whisper again and, “WOOHOOOOOO!” tailed a tree to fling them across the park.
“TANGLE, WAIT!” Lanolin shouted.
“Anyone’s making a name on this world, it’s ME!” Surge stormed after at the speed of lightning, with Kit using his water tentacles to fling himself between vantages.
“Eager beavers, aren’t they?” Belle remarked sheepishly.
The lemur and wolf crossed the edge of the park, gawking before the colorful city with star designs on almost every building. They saw the pink-haired high-speed hero battling the coffee villain, Cuppa Joe.
They heard an announcer’s microphone voice as they focused on the hero. “FLASH JINX! Her Quirk: Luckspeed! She can run at superspeed, but can only stay in the same direction for one second before being allowed to redirect! It may not seem like a huge drawback, but she covers plenty of ground with each burst. She tries her best with the hand she’s been dealt.”
There was a girl with brambly hair fighting a horde of escaping convicts. There was a trio of bug-themed heroes constantly shrinking and regrowing as they fought a giant villain. “HAVE NO FEAR!” They saw a muscular, bronze-skinned Solaran man soaring to blast fire at an ice titan. “PYRRHON IS HERE!”
Whisper met Tangle’s blinding grin… and the wolf couldn’t contain her excitement: her own face was shining. “This place is so cool, Tangle!”
“I think it’s time to bust out the Cyclone, Whisper.”
“Hm.” Whisper smirked.
“Belle.” A few weeks ago, Whisper presented their new teammate with blueprints. “While you’re guarding the treehouse… I was wondering if you could work on this.”
Belle’s eyes glimmered: they were blueprints to a hi-tech motorcycle. “Cyclone?”
“Yes. I dug this up from our old hideout. Smithy was going to make this for Slinger. I was sort of reminded of it when…” she blushed, “Tangle talked about getting me my own bike. And maybe Lanolin. So, we could be a biker gang.”
“Well, I’d love to make this for ya! Lemme just order up some materials from H.Q.!”
Whisper withdrew a tiny cycle from her pocket: as soon as it was set down, it puffed to full size: it was equipped with Cherry Shrink Cells to be portable. Whisper took the driver’s seat while Tangle took the spot at her back. As they turned a street corner, they were awestruck as a giant Brotherhood robot was burning lasers across some buildings. Whisper shared a smirk with her partner: the wolf drove between the mech’s legs as Tangle quickly wrapped her tail around them. Whisper stomped the gas of her Cyclone as Tangle tugged her tail with more force: the robot’s legs were bent together as it collapsed.
A gang of biker criminals were closing in on them, whirling nun-chucks. “Tangle. Wheel.” The couple swiftly switched positions as Whisper propped one foot on the seat. The wolf equipped an Indigo Asteroid Cell while Tangle expertly maneuvered around the gangsters. Whisper clicked her Wispon’s trigger, dropping a small, cosmic ball in the center of them: it exploded into a gravity field, raising the gangsters and their bikes as they orbited around a center like a galaxy!
“Let no Brotherhood crony…” Tangle began.
“Robot or otherwise…” Whisper smirked.
“Sleep well tonight!”
“Because Tangle and Whisper are on the case!” both chorused.
“HRAAAAAHHHHH!” The duo fell pale in horror as a massive, dark-purple beast stormed through the city. It had alien antennas and tusks. “I AM MEDICINE MAN! I am the wrath of mother nature incarnate! I will cure the world of you disgusting creatures!”
Lanolin and Belle were riding toward the creature on the latter’s life-size toy car. The sheep was spinning her arms and mustering Sound Chi in her jingle bells. “Belle, give me a boost!”
“You got it, ma’am!” Belle pressed a button, causing Lanolin’s backseat to spring her into the air!
“How’s THIS for a cure?!” Lanolin’s powerful fists combusted with shockwaves directly against the monster’s skull! Medicine Man flew backward and collapsed into the street.
“That’s a funny car ya got there, Dollface!” Lanolin gasped: Belle was grabbed out of her car by a clown villain; Tony Clownarelli, who was accompanied by his gang. “Let me show ya what we do to funny things!”
Belle smirked. “I’m no spring chicken.” She aimed palms as chickens shot out of them, attached to springs that would wrap around Tony. The clown hacked out breath as they contracted around him, allowing Belle to throw her arms up and slam him into the ground. “But I reckon y’all are!” She recoiled her chickens as she leapt away from the other clowns, drawing a Homing Popgun. It would shoot out a dodgeball at the first clown; Belle could use a control device to direct it at the next, then the next, and the ball would memorize and rapidly bounce between the targets in repetition. She turned and exchanged a thumbs-up with her leader, Lanolin sporting a proud smirk.
Cuppa Joe tripped Flash Jinx, sending the speedster tumbling for several yards. The villain was about to take a swig of his giant cup of coffee—Kit flung himself into Joe. His cup flew into the air upon impact and would cover the fennec’s head, soaking him in coffee. Slowly… Kit pressed his hands to the cup’s rim and pushed up: his eyes were crazed as he processed the caffeine. Coffee flowed along the tentacles of his Hydro Pack.
“Dirty little fox!” Cuppa Joe rushed Kit at high speed—the fennec swiftly whipped a tentacle to deter him to the side. Joe returned with a flurry of kicks, Kit evading and intercepting his ankles with matching speed. He wrapped a tentacle around Joe’s leg and hurdled him into a building. The coffee crook ran loops between the alleys, attempting to confuse Kit. The fennec resorted to thrusting tentacles in multiple aimless directions: Joe ducked through an opening and thrusted a Finger Pistol directly into Kit’s head. However, this gave Kit the edge to grab the villain and bash him into the ground, unconscious.
“Ouch…” Kit clasped the wound in his skull. A dense flow of blood threatened to spill, but he mustered the strength to stay conscious.
“Whoa!” Tangle yelped as red lasers shot at them from behind. “Whisper, what’s up?!”
“Super motorcyclist at our six.” Whisper inserted a Burst Cell to shoot flames at their pursuer.
He was Johnny Rancid, a muscular pale-skinned villain with bright red veins and hair. “You animals ain’t escaping MY headlights!”
“Tangle, put this in.” She tossed her a Speed Cell. Tangle inserted it into a slot, granting their motorcycle a burst of speed, while Johnny managed to keep up with them. Tangle was an expert in maneuvering around the city at this speed; perhaps the training she put in at those arcade games. Whisper thought she finally had a lock on the villain’s engine: one Cyan Laser would do it.
Until Surge ruined the plan by Spin Dashing into the villain’s side, causing him to crash into an Audio Visual store and shatter the expensive equipment inside. Tangle stomped the brakes and swerved the bike about-face. “THAT’S how ya get it done!” Surge told them.
“YOU!” An average young man stormed out. “WHAT’VE YOU DONE?!”
“Uh, I saved the day. Duh.”
“YOU TRASHED MY STORE! IT’S ALL RUINED!”
“The KND will cover it.”
“SURGE!” Lanolin and Belle caught up on the latter’s toy car. “You can’t just cause reckless property damage! It adds a bad name to the KND! You might be able to get away with it on Mobius, but we’re visitors to this world!”
“You’re tellin’ me Tangle never caused any accidental property damage?”
“Well, I-” Tangle was about to answer, “WAH!” when a gush of snot blasted her away.
“BOOGAGAGAGAGAGA!” The sickly green villain, Common Cold, descended on an aircraft, dropping mechanical Flu Bugs onto the street. “You’ve just been hit with my Super Flu! Your body will undergo the sensation of freezing, but never freeze! You’ll be helpless! Trembling in utmost agony! Eh?”
To his confusion, Tangle was standing on the top of his control deck, grinning arrogantly despite her pale face. “Yeah, I’ve dealt with a way worse sickness than this.” She wrapped her tail up into a large wrecking ball, smashing the villain right through his craft as it veered off into a crash. “And it helps that we take lots of immunity meds!” Tangle leapt down and struck the villain once more. “Approved by the Chance herself! Achoo!”
“Nothing gets you down, anyway.” Whisper smirked, burning flames at the Flu Bugs.
“Yeah, haha…hachoo! You should probably stay away from me for a bit though.”
But Tangle would swiftly find Whisper’s arms around her. “Not this time, Tangle.”
“…” Knowing what Whisper was thinking of, Tangle smiled tenderly and returned the hug. “Disgusting.” Surge sneered.
Their communicators rang. “Everyone!” Marcus called. “Meet up with us on Arrow Street. Kit’s been injured! We just regrouped with Sector L; they’re treating him!”
“WHAT?!” Surge gasped.
The operatives rushed to the street in question. Melody was channeling healing water over Kit’s head wound. “KIT!” Surge zipped directly beside them. “Dude, what happened to you?!”
“Just… a little poke.” Kit weakly smiled. “A poke that went right through my skull.”
“He’ll be okay.” Melody assured. “But he should probably rest for a while.”
“No! I need to keep helping Surge!”
“Drippy, worry about yourself for a change!” Surge shouted.
“Thank you for helping me stop him.” They turned to Flash Jinx, who was carrying Cuppa Joe’s unconscious frame. “Please get well soon!” She raced off.
“Heh! You’re already makin’ a name for yourself, Bro!” Kit blushed.
Whisper looked over Kit in thought. The wound in his head… made the image of Claire flicker in her mind. The second she died. She felt she should say something, but looked away in hesitation.
“Landing here wasn’t quite on our schedule.” Melody said. “But since we’re here, let’s finish up the villain containment!”
The Brotherhood’s agenda was to liberate the prisoners of every town to recruit in their growing empire. Lord Tomura wouldn’t destroy a city so long as villains were still inside it. If they could contain the villains here, this town would be safe.
The Flying Possum
The ashen remains of an unfortunate city would be swept into the massive broom beneath Clutch’s floating mansion. “You actually ate a Devil Fruit that makes you a janitor?” Omelette questioned in disbelief.
“My dear, the Sweep-Sweep Fruit is the ultimate recycling tool.” Clutch replied, his legs inside of vibrating tubes. “Even ash can be recycled to smother our enemies. And the fields where these dull cities once stood will serve as great grounds for your factories.”
“I can’t just build bases anywhere. Dad had style and tact in his locales!”
“I’m certain we’ll find some in time. Perhaps we should ask Shigaraki to be more sparing in his demolitions. Or you could even build a pyramid over his ash fields.”
“BOSS!” The skunk brothers, Rough and Tumble barged into the room. “You won’t believe what—oh—Princess Omelette!” They dropped on their knees and bowed.
“Hah! It’s like I have Conqueror’s Haki!”
“What’s got you two so riled up?” Clutch asked.
“W-W-We,” they stood, “just got these pictures from the villains in Star City! Look who’s here!”
The images drew a gasp from the opossum.
Mimic lounged on the pavilion of the floating mansion. With a sip of his cola, he contemplated how many thousands of people were lost among the ash of this city. He wondered if Tomura would see their souls in his sleep… “Nnnngh!” He scratched his head.
“MIMIC!” Clutch and his acquaintances stormed outside. “We have an unprecedented arrival on our hands.”
“What?” Didn’t we already have that with Omelette, Mimic wanted to ask? However, he would be reeling at the images: the Diamond Cutters, Surge, Kit, even the Supreme Leader himself. “…Heh…ha ha…HA HA HA HA HA! They SERIOUSLY came HERE?! They even fricking brought Marcus?! Hahaha! I knew Whisper would have a death wish like this, but all of them?!”
“They despise us so much, they’re jumping right into the Brotherhood’s frying pan. Well, that just saves us the trouble of hunting them later, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed…” Still, Mimic hoped their party would’ve at least been broken up. It was crazy enough that Surge and Kit were casually with them. Not only were they his allies in crime, but they’re carrying the Metal Virus! Why wouldn’t the KND throw them in prison?! As if their past or crimes didn’t matter!
“Even that ugly doll girl…” Omelette scowled. “Why’d they bring HER here?!”
“Y’know, this is perfect!” Tumble exclaimed. “That lemur has the stretchy tail, don’t she?! I can test my new Devil Fruit on her!”
“Hah, good idea, bro!” Rough said. “But tryin’ to fight all those guys is gonna be a pain.”
“Not to worry, gentlemen.” Clutch smiled suavely. “And, Doctor.” He glanced at Omelette. “We just need to employ the Brotherhood’s age-old strategy of separation.”
“You leave that part to me.” Omelette smirked. “I wanna be the one to send them the greetings. We’ll use them to set an example for all of Mobius!”
Jump City; a few hours later
“MAKE WAY, Jump City!” Tangle declared, sprinting into the seaside town. “You’re about to be saved by the Diamond Cutters! Say, why is it called ‘Jump’ City, any—WAAAAAY!” A spring sent her flying into the air.
“And suddenly, we’re back home again?” Lanolin questioned.
“No, this is just how the city is.” replied Froppy, one of Sector L’s members. “They decided to put springs and trampolines around the place to make it more entertaining. Since there were too many generic cities around the planet.”
“Haha!” Tangle landed on a nearby giant cushion, but kept bouncing along on her tail. “I LOVE IT!”
Naturally, Whisper wanted to share in her enjoyment, so she bounced on the spring as well.
While Sector L would make their way to Titans Tower beyond the coast, the Mobians managed the villain situation in town.
“That’s another 20 convicts!” Tangle declared, dragging the load of KO’ed crooks wrapped up in her tail to the middle of the street. “I think I’m cut out for the police officer biz, don’t you think, Lan?”
“Only after you become a world famous adventurer, right?”
“Darn right! And Whisper still needs to become an astronaut, don’t ya?!”
The wolf, standing armed several yards away, sported a thumbs-up. “!” Her friends gasped when someone tackled her from an alley: another Whisper! The two wrestled for a moment as the one holding the Wispon managed to kick the double off her, standing and aiming her weapon. “Wait!” yelled the unarmed Whisper. “That’s a fake! I’m the real Whisper!”
“What?!” Marcus looked over with a gasp, his fur standing in anger.
“It’s…it’s him!” Belle said in terror.
“Mimic…” Tangle unraveled her tail, preparing it for battle.
“No.” Whisper hissed. “Mimic wouldn’t pull such a blunt trick out in the open. Who are you really?”
“I’m Whisper! YOU are the mimic here—AH!” The fake narrowly dodged and scampered from Tangle’s tail.
“You’re a terrible actor though.” Tangle smirked.
“Pah!” The fake morphed into a lizard Mobian with a black jumpsuit with green energy veins. “Everyone is a critic! It is I, the Chameleon!”
“You’re just named after your species?” Surge remarked. “That’s dumb.”
“There was a chameleon bounty hunter named Leon once.” Whisper recalled.
“At least that’s less on the nose.”
“Yes. …!” Whisper and Surge shared an embarrassed glance with each other before turning away in a huff. Tangle snickered: they had actually agreed on something!
“I’m just dumbstruck there’s another shapeshifter Mobian besides Mimic.” Belle commented, scratching her head.
“And there’s probably more of them throughout the Brotherhood.” Marcus figured, approaching the villain. “But I wonder if you might know where Clutch is.”
“I shall never tell! Not that I know, anyway, since no one ever tells me anything. But you jerks will pay for dissing my style!” He drew a black staff with a green energy spear. Chameleon dashed toward Marcus with great speed, but Marcus’s reflexes were faster in dodging the rapid thrusts of the spear. Following one dodge, Marcus threw his foot up to deflect the spear upward, allowing for a swift punch to Chameleon’s mouth. Chameleon cleared distance from him and began to shoot lasers from his spear, to which Marcus would continue evading as he shot his own pistol at rapid speed. Both evaded the other’s shots as Marcus made his way closer; the fox flicked on his Reflector Shield and bounced one of Chameleon’s shots back into his cheek.
Chameleon began to zip around Marcus in attempt to stab from multiple angles, but the fox would still outmatch him in speed. Marcus used Chameleon’s technique against him, zipping past the villain in repetition and scratching his suit with his claws. However, Chameleon managed to snag his legs in his tongue, tripping Marcus. He threw his spear down, only grazing Marcus’s hip as the fox rolled aside. Marcus trained his gun on the tongue, forcing Chameleon to release. Marcus was back on his feet, nimbly leaping over the villain in a rainstorm of lasers, while Chameleon dodged back to where Marcus once lay. Little did he know Marcus planted a force grenade, which would burst and blow Chameleon forward. The fox pelted the dazed lizard with chi-blocking punches, rendering him immobile.
“No matter how far you run, even to other worlds, justice will find you.” Marcus vowed.
The Diamond Cutters looked to him in pride; while Surge and Kit only scowled in humility. Marcus wasn’t a powerhouse compared to some of his troops, but he was skilled in dealing quick and pacifistic submission to opponents. Surge and Kit knew this all too well. Even the Diamonds all faced him in one of their training sessions and had quite a difficult time.
“You kids must feel soooooo proud of yourselves.” A snide, childish voice echoed. “Crawling out of your little holes and flying all the way up here.”
A large robot with the body of a gold crown descended, equipped with a claw arm, drill arm, and topaz-colored energy tentacles on its bottom. There was a domed cockpit above the crown. “And exactly what did you hope to prove? That you aren’t cowards? What good’ll that do after we snuff you out?”
“That voice…” Belle whispered. Lanolin, hearing her, tensed up in understanding. “Omelette?!”
The mech tilted down, exposing the child genius inside the cockpit. “No way…” Tangle gasped.
“I didn’t think we would…” Marcus whispered.
“Darn right it’s me! And I recognize you brats, too! The lemur and wolf who wrecked a bunch of Dad’s things last year! And… that creepy doll thing Dad made by mistake.”
The tinkerer narrowed her eyes. “M…My name is Belle! Omelette! I wanna talk to you!”
“Funny you should say that: my new ‘friends’ wanted to talk to you all, too.” Omelette projected two holographic screens.
The operatives grew more tense before the octopus and opossum’s cursed grins. “Well, well… Whisper, Tangle, and Sheep Girl.” Mimic spoke. “And here I thought you were wallowing in your treehouse.”
Whisper seethed through her fangs. If only it wasn’t a hologram, she would shoot him right now. “SHEEP GIRL?!” Lanolin was outraged for a different reason.
“Sorry, what was your name again? You were never that remarkable.”
Lanolin’s head throbbed. She still hated herself for believing him… for relishing in his false flattery for her. “Her name is Lanolin.” Whisper said firmly. “She is our leader and you WILL respect her.”
Lanolin felt her rage quell. After the way she treated Whisper… she couldn’t be more thankful. “I don’t care who’s who!” Omelette shouted. “But since you’re here… I wanna know somethin’. Are you happy now?” The Mobians flinched. “Are you happy that Dad is gone?! I bet you dirty animals threw a PARTY, DIDN’T YOU?!”
They hesitated as the Diamond Cutters exchanged concerned, but knowing glances. “No we didn’t.” Tangle stated. “Omelette… we…we’re very sorry.”
“NO YOU’RE NOT! You brats NEVER respected Dad! You were ALWAYS ruining his hard work! If you’re so sorry, why don’t you hold a funeral for him?!”
Whisper seethed once more. “Did your father… hold a funeral for my family?”
“Huh? You got a sore throat or something?”
“Do you know how many people committed suicide or self-harm during the Metal Virus?” Tangle asked. “Did you or your father cry for them?”
“Who cares about those nameless nobodies?! My dad was the greatest revolutionary on Mobius! He deserves everything! He deserves WORSHIP!”
“How can you SAY that?!” Belle shouted. “O-Omelette… you and I have the same father. When I heard what happened, I… it tore me apart. Even after what he said; after all the awful things he did… I thought…I thought we…we still could’ve done some good together.”
“Don’t go confusing that weird alter ego for my dad! That was a mistake, just like you!”
Tears fell from the tinkerer’s eyes. Lanolin hugged her, scowling at the Eggman heiress. “And speaking of that Metal Virus, you all shouldn’t even BE here right now!” The operatives shot sharper glares at her. “It was supposed to kill you all in a month! But you just HAD to get cured and ruin all of Dad’s work AGAIN!”
The truth nearly froze them. Would things really have gotten that worse? Eggman was willing to sacrifice all those people? “…I hate you…”
Whisper faced Tangle with a gasp. Her orchid eyes had never seemed so pale. “How could you cry for your dad… and not care about all those people? How could you treat their lives like they’re nothing? How could you dismiss Belle’s feelings when all she wants to do is mourn with you? I…I HATE YOU!”
“Tangle…” It hurt Whisper to see her like this. To think someone could be this despicable.
“So, that’s your true self.” Mimic sneered. “How juicy…?!”
A laser bullet whizzed through his hologram: Marcus’s eyes were cold. “Mimic… I have some words to share with you. As your Supreme Leader… I order you to step out and face me.”
The octopus clenched his teeth. On his few interactions with Marcus, he always seemed too passive and soft. “My, what a backbone we have.” Clutch teased. “And are we not going to acknowledge the two Zombots in the room?”
“FUCK YOU!” Surge snapped.
“The entirety of Mobius knows who you are now. Are they going to feel comfortable with the KND letting you roam free? I bet even the comrades around you don’t-”
“AAAAGH!” Kit, feeling Surge’s rage, lunged at Omelette’s cockpit with all tentacles spread out.
Omelette smirked and had one of her robot’s tentacles grab him through a portal. Kit was slowly dragged inside. “DON’T!” Tangle grabbed the fennec with her tail, struggling to tug him back.
“You know what they say: the more the merrier!” Omelette had a second tentacle appear behind and flick Tangle off the ground, sending her into the void with Kit.
“TANGLE/KIT!” Whisper and Surge screamed.
Belle sprung Lanolin at the cockpit, the sheep slamming it with her cowbell. She kicked off before Omelette could grab her with a tentacle, and afterwards, Surge and Whisper rammed her crown with both an Orange Rocket and Thunder Home Attack. “Give her/him back!” they yelled in unison.
“Go find them yourselves!” Omelette quickly whipped open another portal, sucking the wolf and tenrec inside.
“NO!” Marcus screamed.
“What’ve you done to them?!” Lanolin demanded.
“I built this Egg Crown with the power of that Warp Topaz from Dad’s old protégé. Warping is such a handy power: I’ve sent those clods to predesignated coordinates.”
“Where are they?!” Marcus shouted.
“Somewhere they’ll be maimed by Metabeasts or Nomus! And ya know what makes this even easier?”
“AAAH!” Belle screamed as a tentacle snagged her.
“BELLE!” Lanolin dove after her, winding up through the same portal.
“The fact that you all insist on saving each other!”
Marcus bit his muzzle. His operatives, defeated so swiftly… no. He had to have faith in them. “So, Marcus…” Mimic spoke. “You wanted to have words with me?”
Another portal opened before him, a mansion on the other side. “Then please, be our guest.” Clutch sneered.
Star City
“ITSUKA!” Ibara, the bramble-haired hero, rushed up to her ginger-haired Sector Leader. “There’s something wrong with the villains in Cell D!”
“What?!”
They hurried to the barriered cell in question. “?!?!?” Cuppa Joe, Johnny Rancid, and their other three cellmates had turned into metallic zombies, moaning in a distorted manner as they clawed against the cell.
“GET ME OUTTA HERE!” Common Cold seemed to still be conscious, banging on the barrier as metal consumed his skin. “THEY GOT SOME KINDA DISEASE! IT’S HORRIBLE! I feel so cold…” But in one more second, he, too, was converted.
It was then… the girls heard another moaning from their left. Flash Jinx stepped around the corner… metallic and soulless. “AAAHHH!” They were helpless as the speedster lunged at them.
Ashen wasteland
Surge and Whisper tumbled onto what seemed like a sandhill, struggling to find footing as they flowed down. “TANGLE!” Whisper called out, looking around what remained of a crumbled city. The wolf pressed her earpiece communicator. “Tangle, can you hear me?!” There was static on the end.
“Hey, Kit! Pick up!” Surge did the same. “…No signal. Either there’s a jammer somewhere or this place is too dead to receive reception.”
Whisper glanced at the tenrec. …She was really her only comrade out here? “I can’t believe this.”
“Teh.” Surge merely spat in response.
“…Need to find someplace with better reception.” Whisper withdrew and resized her Cyclone, proceeding to swap its street tires for desert tires. “Huh?!” The dune they had just slid down began to shift. Giant pincers emerged, along with three needled tails: a giant mutant scorpion!
“That one of those Metabeast thingies?!” Surge readied herself. The girls evaded as the mutant stabbed tails at them individually. Whisper equipped a Spike Cell to hit the tails away from her, while Surge directly went for the head with Home Attacks. The beast seized Surge in its left claw, but she mustered the strength to push free. The scorpion had also knocked Whisper’s Wispon away, and in her attempt to run and grab it, the wolf slipped on the ash. She turned up, pupils shrinking as a tail dove directly at her. Her life flashed before her eyes—her joyful childhood, meeting Mimic, mourning for her family, meeting Tangle, and everything after.
Surge rammed the tail away at the last millisecond. She grabbed the stringer and snapped it off. As the beast wailed in agony, Surge charged a Spin Dash and pierced directly into its skull. The mutant would fall dead.
“Huff…huff…” Whisper tried to calm her heart. She looked up at the tenrec, her scowl unchanged.
“…You’re welcome.”
Whisper glared. Surge didn’t save her out of kindness, only glory. She owed her nothing. The wolf pushed up and resumed fixing her Cyclone. With that, she began to ride through the ruined city. Surge sighed and raced alongside her with her own speed.
“Ya know, I didn’t ask to be like this! I didn’t ask to have metal gunk put in my brain! To have my life taken away! Not knowing if I had any family!”
Whisper subconsciously tugged the brakes of her bike. Yes, those facts had crossed her mind. She acknowledged Surge didn’t become this way by choice. But did that really excuse her recent crimes? Her attitude? “Would you rather I just huff the Cure Cloud and just kill myself?!”
“…no.” Whisper mumbled.
“Hey, I can’t hear you over the engine. Speak up!”
Whisper tugged the brake to a full halt. “I said ‘no’!”
Surge blinked, concealing her surprise. …Whisper released a sigh of humility.
The sound of rushing wind reached their ears: the city ahead was becoming shrouded in a sandstorm. “You kidding?!” Surge shouted. “This place is so dusty that it makes sandstorms?!” She quickly looked around, spotting the remains of a warehouse storage area. She rushed up to the only intact shutter and pried it up with her hands. “HURRY!”
Whisper quickly moved her Cyclone under the shutter, with Surge getting in and forcing it shut before the dust swept over them. The inside was piled with rubble to the sides, but there seemed to be two bare mattresses. “…People camped here?” Whisper wondered.
“Well, they ain’t here no more. Might as well make ourselves comfy.”
“…Hmm.” Whisper hated to agree with her. Hated it even more to be trapped with her.
The wolf grabbed a mattress and dragged it to one side of the room. Hugging her Wispon tightly, Whisper lie on the mattress. Though her eyes remained closed as usual, Surge could tell she wasn’t trying to sleep. When the tenrec walked over and sat cross-legged by her right, Whisper rolled onto her left. “Yours is over there.” Whisper murmured.
“I ain’t sleepy.” Surge said snarkily. “You’d be more awake if you didn’t keep your eyes like that.”
“…Go sit on yours.”
Surge rolled her eyes, propping a head on her fist. “…You miss snugglin’ with your gurlfrind?” she pronounced with a twisted tongue. Whisper huffed through grit teeth. “Whaddya get up to in bed, anyway?”
“Be quiet.”
“Y’know, every time I hear about you being cuddly with each other, I think it’s pathetic. Relying on someone else to make you happy. You have no dignity in yourself.”
“You don’t understand what it’s like. Finding someone that you can trust with your life. That you can truly share your pain, despair, and happiness with. It’s the most wonderful feeling in the universe.”
“Spare me the sappy bullcrap.”
“I suppose you don’t even value Kit that way.”
“Y’know, that’s the freaking problem. Kit was programmed to love me. And I wasn’t even programmed to love him.”
“So, that’s the problem. You can’t comprehend true love. You weren’t ‘programmed’ for it… so, you feel nothing toward him.”
“Uh, wrong again! Kit’s in the same boat I am, so of course I care about him. But only as a brother, you know? But I don’t want him clinging to me forever just ’cause he was made to!”
“Hmm…” Whisper internally admired the notion.
“But, like, you ain’t any different. What if Tangle was dead right now?”
“She’s not.”
“Yeah?” Surge cocked a brow and smirked. “Where’s your proof? Or is it ’cause you’re a wolf and you still smell her tail or somethin’?”
Whisper huffed through her teeth. “Because she’s strong. That’s how I know. This isn’t the only time we wound up apart on a mission. We know how to take care of ourselves. But we’re also stronger… because we know we’re going to meet again.”
“But then if one of you kicked it, the other would be totally useless.”
“…I may never be happy again. I know I wouldn’t be alone. I have friends to hold and support me. I would uphold Tangle’s dream and go on a trip across the worlds. But I…I would never stop crying.” Even now, she shuddered on her mat. She already missed the warmth of Tangle’s tail. “Does that make you happy?”
“…Makes me disgusted.” Surge stood and stepped over Whisper, the wolf cracking her eye open in spite as the tenrec settled on the ground before her. “But what do I know? I’m just a Zombot. Just waitin’ for you to fall asleep so I can eat your brain, or something.”
“…” Whisper shut her eye. “Zombots don’t cry.”
“Pfft. Don’t rank me in with you. Crybaby.”
“…I want to feel bad for you. I nearly lost Tangle and everything I know to the virus. But I didn’t. You lost your identity. And now… you’re just trying to find your own purpose.”
“Don’t act like you know anything about me.”
“Then tell me. What is it that you want? Revenge? Glory?”
Surge scoffed. She couldn’t admit those were the top two things on her list now. “…You weren’t around for it, but me and Manic play mean tunes.”
“Hm?”
“He asked me to play guitar with him. We rocked the city! Sonia was there, too, but-” she blew a brief raspberry. “And lots-a people cheered for us! Maybe when we’re done beating all these bad guys, we’ll go on a tour! Maybe we’ll follow you and Tangle around on your adventure, earning love and praise from all the crowds and annoying the heck outta you.”
“…So, you want to make people happy with music.”
“I want ’em to cheer my name! ’Cause I sure ain’t getting that from you.”
“And since I have no plans to thank you… why not destroy me?”
“’Cause, like… Marcus and Tangle will praise me if I keep you alive.”
“Surge… a true hero cares about the happiness of others. And… I want to believe that you believe that, too. That’s why you want Kit to find true happiness. That isn’t ‘programmed.’”
Surge scoffed again. “Fine, then. You think you care about peoples’ happiness better than I do? Then let’s make a deal.” She extended a hand. “I’ll help ya find your lemur. And I’ll make sure you get that sappy future you want. But in return… you gotta help me with Kit. Help him find something or someone else to love.”
“…I won’t promise anything like that. Love is complicated. In his case, perhaps even more so. …But…” Whisper sighed. She halfheartedly pinched Surge’s fingers in hers. “I’ll make some effort… after this war is over. For now… I’ll believe what you say. Because, aside from Tangle… I just want to be with people I can trust. And…and I want to think… you just want to find your own happiness, too.”
“…Good enough.”
Whisper released. “Now, please go to your mat.”
“Nah, I think I’ll lay here.” Surge folded hands behind her head and propped a foot over the other.
“Suit yourself.” Whisper rolled over. “…And thank you. For saving me.” Surge shot her a disbelieving scowl. “I’m sorry for calling you a Zombot. I still haven’t forgiven everything else though.”
The tenrec rolled her eyes. “How about if I fry Mimic’s brain or something?”
“…No matter how much I hate him, I don’t wish a cruel fate on him. Or else I…I’ll be no different.”
“Man, you are pathetic. Y’know, that was always the problem about you KND. You can avoid a lot of problems if you just offed your enemies! If you killed Eggman a long time ago, he never would’ve made that virus, and WE wouldn’t have lost our lives!”
Whisper huffed. “…I lost my family… to him, too. Him and Mimic. And believe me… you don’t know how much I wanted to kill them. I think I would have. But… she was there.”
The mission was done. Mimic lay trapped under rubble, weakened. All Whisper had to do, her eye coursing with darkness, was take that final shot. “Wait!” Tangle ran in her way. “Whisper, he’s already trapped! I can even knock him out!”
“He needs to pay, Tangle…”
“And he will! When we hand him over to authorities and expose his crimes! But you can’t shoot him.”
“Why…”
“Because you’re a good person, Whisper. If you do this… it’ll haunt you even more. Just look at him.” The octopus was smirking. “It’s exactly what he wants.”
“You sure about that, Lemur? I’ll just break out of prison… and BOTH of you will be on my list!”
Whisper huffed, cocking her Wispon. “Please, Whisper!” Tangle looked her in the eye. “Please… don’t be like him.”
Whisper trembled. In Tangle’s compassionate eyes… she saw her family. Giving her the same looks. Releasing a tear, she lowered her weapon. Tangle smiled as her tail swiftly knocked the villain out.
“…Surge… I even felt the same about you… after what you did to the Wisp Colony.” The tenrec cocked a brow. “We only just survived the Metal Virus. I was in worse pain than ever and barely recovering. Then you appeared… and made it worse. I am… so sick of people taking my happiness away. Surge, when you hurt me back then… was it by your choice? Or because you were ordered to? By Starline.”
She was technically under Starline’s orders… but she couldn’t deny she loved that rush of power. “I got a better question: what do you plan to do about Omelette?”
Whisper let out a quiet sigh. She had no answer. “’Cause if you don’t get rid of her, the problems are never gonna end. You’re gonna lose more happiness. She’s gonna grow up just like Eggman.”
“…If we catch her here, we could bring her to Zordoom.”
“And how long’ll she stay in there? Same with Mimic and Clutch. They’re just gonna keep bothering you, but you can’t take action because your girlfriend will get mad at you.”
“…Tangle only cares about my wellbeing. That’s why she doesn’t want me to. That’s why I won’t betray her faith. I don’t know the answer. All I have is hope. All I want here is to show Mimic my courage. What Belle wants is to reach Omelette, however she can. We don’t know if we’ll succeed. But this feels like the right path for us.”
“…” Surge sighed, only frustrated by her naivety. “Whatever. Just go to sleep. Before I knock you out myself.”
“Hmm.” Whisper felt she got her point across. For now, she chose to trust her.
An hour passed as the sandstorm continued to howl and pound outside. Just how far did Tomura’s destruction span to cause this? How many people died in his wake? It sickened Whisper to think about. She had to wonder… did the Superbian or Earth operatives plan to kill him? She’d heard they had done the same to other dangerous enemies. But if one man could cause this much devastation… Whisper had to stop thinking about it.
Gotham Tunnels
“LANOLIN!” Belle screamed. “I’d rather be eaten by termites!”
“I’d rather not be eaten at all!”
This was only natural if you were being chased by hordes of giant mutant flowers. They saw a flight of mining stairs along the right wall and sprinted up them. Belle was faster with her lightweight frame, while the last step snapped beneath Lanolin’s weight. “!” Belle immediately shot her spring chickens down to wrap her leader’s arms and pull her up into the safe tunnel, the flowers going on to burrow beneath them.
“Huff…huff…” Lanolin leaned against the wall. “Thanks, Belle. Huff…where in the heck are we?!”
“I wanna say we’re still on Superbia. Wouldn’t know where though.”
“Communications don’t work. Gotta find a way outside. Let’s hope this way is it.”
Belle’s flashlight eyes served to help navigate the tunnels. However, Lanolin noticed her eyelids curved sadly against the light. “You okay, Belle?”
“…Not really. I didn’t think it’d be easy, but… she really is awful…”
“She’s the heir of Eggman, alright. ’Long as she’s around, our problems aren’t over.”
“…I guess so.”
“Do you still wanna keep trying?”
“…I don’t know.”
“…This probably isn’t the right thing to say, but… you don’t have to tie yourself down over your family. You’re an amazing person, Belle. You’ll do good things for a lot of people. But you…”
“I can fix anything… but I can’t fix hearts.”
Lanolin shirked, unsure of what to say next. Belle slowed to a halt, facing her leader with a bowed head. “You know why I love this team? Because you all know how to fix each other’s hearts. Tangle knew how to fix Whisper’s, and they knew how to fix yours… even if I wasn’t there to see it. But when you invited me in… I thought I could pick that up, too. ’Cause I… Even after all the friends I made, I can’t fix my own heart.”
Lanolin tipped Belle’s chin up to face her. “Whisper will always be burdened by all that’s happened to her. And I’m always going to feel bad for… how I treated them, and you. Our hearts might never heal. And, even where we are now, it’s not like it was instantaneous. After the Sweepstakes incident, they tried to talk to me for a week before I let them. And I needed at least another week before I was ready to lead again. And as for Omelette… her heart is damaged in a different way. She’s still a child, but she’s blinded by Eggman’s ideals. I don’t know if changing her heart is possible… but you can’t expect to in one try.”
“…Thank you, Lanolin.” Belle hugged her. “For being here with me.” Touched, Lanolin returned the hug. “…Ya know, I…I sort of have another idea… to help Omelette.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I’ll tell you later. We gotta stop her first.” Belle pulled away, her eyes shining with better resolve. “She’s a misguided child, after all. She needs time out. Maybe then she’ll listen.”
Lanolin chuckled. “That’s one way to look at it. Well, no matter what you decide to do, I’ll support you the best I can.”
“That’s all I really need. …Hey, Lanolin, since we’re alone down here, I’ll trust you with another secret.” Lanolin cocked a brow. “Squeeze my nose.”
“O…kay?” Lanolin pinched her clown nose in two fingers-
HOOONK! She was blown back by the noise. “Hehe…yep. Only Tangle knows. And if you tell anyone, um…” Belle tried to think of some blackmail. “I’ll show everyone how you snore at night.”
“W…What’re you talking about?”
Belle raised a tape-recorder and clicked it. “Snoooore…ba-a-a-a-a-a.” Lanolin flushed in humility. “Snoooore…ba-a-a-a-a-a.”
“Th-That’s not… Why would you have that?!”
“After I finished tuning your Wispon one night, I heard it and… it was just the darndest cutest thing ever! So, I thought I’d record this for you someday.”
“Mmmmmmm.” Lanolin pulled two of her wool-tails in front of her muzzle.
“So, just keep my secret under wraps!”
“…Promise.”
Opossum Manor
The front doors opened for Marcus’s convenience. The holographic arrows directed him to Clutch’s office. Mimic was at his boss’s side. “Supreme Leader Marcus.” The octopus sneered. “Long time, no see… as the old folks say.”
The fox whipped up his gun and shot, Mimic narrowly dodging. “Not beating around the bush, are we?”
“…You know something, Mimic… I’m a coward.” Mimic and Clutch cocked brows. “I don’t know how to scold Lanolin when she starts a fight at a festival. I don’t know how to scold Whisper for insulting Surge. Then there’s you.”
Marcus approached the octopus with slow, cold steps. “Do you know what it was like… seeing her suffer for two years… not knowing what to say? Taking her word at face value when she says she’s fine? And when we finally had you in prison, I couldn’t even bring myself to face you. I couldn’t believe a man so disgusting could be among my operatives.”
“Well, it wasn’t your fault, Marcus. You weren’t the naïve child who trusted strangers.” Mimic morphed into Whisper. “I was.”
With blinding speed, Marcus socked Mimic clear in the teeth, knocking him into the wall. “Now, Mr. McCloud.” Clutch cocked his gun at him. “This is a clean office.”
Marcus simply shot him a deathly glare, locking his gun on Mimic. “You had a chance to start over. You could’ve assumed a new face and lived a peaceful life. But no, you chose to hurt Whisper all over again. And sooner or later, you’d just come to hurt her again, wouldn’t you?!”
“Heheheh…” Still in Whisper’s form, Mimic pushed up into a sit. “So, that’s it. You came all this way, put those kids in more danger… just to vent your pent-up anger. Go ahead. Kill me. Whisper and those petty Diamonds will be joining me soon.”
“…No, Mimic. I won’t. Not because of our morals… but because I know it would just hurt Whisper more.” The octopus’s smirk receded into a scowl. “Maybe it would be the better choice. If there’s anything I learned from Eggman… some people in the universe are simply beyond redemption. We let him get away for so long that he nearly killed all of Mobius. So, how far will you go, Mimic? Following this delusion of yours?”
“…” Mimic morphed into Tangle. “As far as Whisper follows hers… and you yours. I mean, putting her aside, how long have Tangle and those amateurs even been operatives? They’ll never survive here.”
“The Diamond Cutters are hope, Mimic. Despite all you put Whisper through, she found love. Despite how you used Lanolin, her friends are loyal to her. And they’re stronger for it. That’s why I brought them here. They’re a sector that brings miracles. And that makes them just as strong as the Earth operatives!”
With swift redirection of his arm, he shot at Clutch—the opossum dodged the bullet by a hair’s breadth and returned fire at Marcus. Both were nimble at evading the other and shooting streaks of bullets. “No one’s ever bet against my aim!” Clutch said. “I could even hit Sonic between the eyes!”
“I guess I’m faster than Sonic.” Marcus zipped his way to the possum and dealt chi-blocks; however, Clutch’s skin felt unusually hard and was unaffected. The crime boss smirked as his mouth became a dust pan, spewing a pile of ash over the fox. “COUGH, COUGH, KUACK!” Through the dust, he sensed Mimic rushing him, the octopus’s knife grazing his fur. Mimic wore a head covering to see and avoid breathing in the ash. Marcus maneuvered his limbs to evade Mimic’s swings, a knife in each hand and tentacle. Clutch rushed around Marcus’s right with his gun cocked. The fox flicked on his Reflector and not only blew Mimic back, but bounced Clutch’s bullet to graze him in the shoulder.
Marcus jumped the opossum, twisting arms behind his back and bending his legs up to choke Clutch’s neck. “And you… You hurt Jewel. You used Surge and Kit.”
“And they happily agreed when I promised the KND’s destruct—hack!” Marcus tightened his grip. “Do you really… trust those Zombots?”
“They have more heart than you do, Clutch.”
“Oh, it’s there. Beneath piles of junk. Thankfully, there’s another dustpan in my rear.”
“AGH!” An avalanche of scrap and rubble burst out of him, burying the fox as Clutch kicked free.
“And I’ve got a surprise of my own, Marcus.” Mimic drew a dark-purple Wispon with a nightmarish, sharp-toothed mouth. With a click of the trigger, a void formed from the mouth, vacuuming the pile of junk along with Marcus.
“Possosososos…” Clutch chortled. “Barely a speck remaining. You do Clean Sweep proud, Mimic.”
“Yeah, but this thing isn’t gonna hold him, is it?”
“A Void Wispon’s subspace is weak. But we’ll dispose of him in time.”
“You two done in here, yet?!” Dr. Omelette’s shrill voice penetrated the office. “I just sent Doof and Bumble to where that lemur is. You gotta do your jobs, too.”
“But Whisper and Surge were sent to the same location, correct?” Mimic inquired. “I only have my eyes on Whisper. Surge wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Hey now, both of them are our enemies. So, get your tentacles down there and kill them!”
“They need to be separated from each other.”
“Don’t try to bullshit me, Mimic!” The child threw an accusing finger at the snarling octopus. “You owe my dad a favor! You promised you’d kill that wolf girl and you DIDN’T!” Mimic winced. “What, you think I wouldn’t remember that? I was keeping up-to-date on the EggNet 24/7! Get down there and prove your worth as a mercenary, or I’m having your hair for lunch!”
“Ghhhh…!” Mimic wanted to strangle her right now… if that wouldn’t put him on Tomura’s black list. Not to mention King Bowser. He thought he was finally free from Eggman… but his little brat just HAD to be here! So, the question was… would he rather take his chances with both Surge and Whisper, or Omelette?
“GHHK!” Mimic was startled by his ringing communicator. He turned away from his cohorts and answered it. “Who is this?!”
“Geeeeeeez, Mimiiiic, what’s with the ’tude?”
“Himiko?” Behind him, Clutch and Omelette exchanged raised brows.
“What’re you up to right now? Didja know the Earth KND were here?”
“Yes. But I’m actually in the middle of…” A thought crossed his mind. “Himiko… are you doing anything right now?”
“Just wondering who I should cut next!”
“Stay on hold for a bit.” The octopus turned to, “Clutch. I wanna borrow one of your uniforms. …And a sample of blood.”
“What?”
“I mean, it looks like you have some to spare.” He pointed at the wound from Clutch’s own reflected bullet. “Don’t worry. I’ll put it to good use.”
Within minutes, Mimic would be leaving the flying mansion on his small stealth craft. “Himiko, meet me at these coordinates.”
“Okay, Mimic!”
They hung up. As Mimic flew through the silent darkness, he scowled thinking of Omelette. “Hmph. Little shit. But mark my words, as soon as I’m through with Whisper, I’m leaving this planet in the dust. After all, you wouldn’t have the time or priority to come after me. You’ll have your hands full with the KND before long. And I ain’t about to fall with this crowd. …Teh. ‘Brothers and sisters.’”
Freezer somewhere
“Hnnnnk…hrrrrrrrkkkk!” Tangle shoved against the freezer door with all her might. Even pounding her tail against it bore little results. The chamber was cluttered with boxes of frozen foods. “Darn it! If only… I had more room to stretch, I could BLOW it right o…ope…ACHOO! Oh, great. Now it’s gonna make my flu worse.”
“Stupid bolts!” Kit was struggling to twist the door’s bolts with a wrench, but the frost reinforced them. His Hydro Pack was frozen. “Come on… I need… to get back… to Surge! How did I wind up… with this hairball?!”
“H-Hey, I was t-trying to save you.”
“S-Surge… could’ve saved me better.”
“W-Whatever… Can’t waste our breath arguing. …H-Hey, how does your pack thingy work, anyway? Isn’t it… k-kinda like waterbending?”
“S-S-S-Starline… built it with tech from Artificial C-Chaos. And it’s c-calibrated to my brain… my Zombot brain.” He scowled at the lemur. “I can o-only shape the water like tentacles… though, I-I can freeze them when I get mad… b-but I can’t unfreeze them like this!”
“I-If you can, could you… get this door open?”
“Ghhk…ghhhhnnnn!” Kit struggled to enforce his thoughts over the pack. “Gah, I can’t do it! It’s no use… I’m gonna die here… I-I just hope Surge is safe…”
“You can’t give up! Surge is… t-trying to find you right now! Just like Whisper. W-We need to escape… and survive… or they’ll be really hurt!”
“Fuh…that’s… all you care about. Getting back… to your girlfriend. You just… want me to help you with that.”
“No. Kit… you and Surge make each other happy. I think that’s wonderful. …Listen… about what Whisper said… sh-she…she didn’t mean it like that.”
“And what did she mean?”
“She just…sigh…” As much as she loved Whisper, it was hard to justify such an insult. “She’s lost a lot. She’s been hurt a lot. And you…” Tangle figured there was no need to point it out again. “…Kit, listen… I’ll get Whisper to apologize. Because… I really think you and Surge want to do good. And… if given the chance… would you hurt us again?”
“…Only what Surge wants.” Kit bowed his head. “That’s why I’m here. When the crowd cheered for her… she lit up. The world lit up. I want to see that smile again. I want more people to cheer for Surge. That’s… all that matters to me.” Tangle smiled tenderly. “…But that’s just how I was programmed. These aren’t really my feelings… a-and… she keeps telling me… to find something else to make me happy… b-b-but how’m I supposed to do that? This is all I know…it’s all I know! What if… Surge is glad that I’m…”
Tangle rested a hand on his head. “Kit… I may not understand your situation… but true feelings, especially love, can’t be replicated. And right now, Surge is just as worried about you as you are of her. You need to live. Both for her and for yourself. For whatever you want to do in your future.”
“…” Kit couldn’t describe why… but Tangle’s words made him feel warm inside. Hopeful.
“Hey! Your water!”
Kit gasped, realizing his frozen water was melting and shaping into tentacles. Could this warm feeling be the cause? Kit pressed his back to the door’s bolts. His water seeped inside… and with a mustering of will, they popped loose. He and Tangle were able to force the door open together!
“FREEDOM! FRESH AAAIIIIRRRR—ACHOO!” Tangle raced out into the supermarket with glee. “Man, I’m freezing! I could really use a hot shower right… supermarket?”
The customers all seemed to be supervillains with quirky costumes. “HEY!” yelled a villain with a smoothie blender head. “That lemur has righteousness in her eyes! And that fox looks like he’s struggling with moral epiphanies! GET ’EM!”
“He’s got good intuition.” Tangle remarked. “Well, while we’re doing this,” she began as they began thrashing all villains who came at them, “now’s our chance for a snack break! If this is a villain store, they probably encourage robbing!”
To relieve their frostbite, they chowed on some hot chicken from the deli. Tangle filled up on her favorite strawberries and Kit some vegetables that were the same color as Surge. “By the way, how’s your head injury holding up?” Tangle asked.
“It’s fine. I was modified with fast recovery. My head just feels a bit funny though.”
“Either way, don’t push yourself too—HARD!” The two were suddenly bowled over and tangled up in extremely thick tumbleweeds.
“Hahahahaha!” They were horrified as a smirking face formed within the weeds. A face belonging to a familiar skunk. “We’ve got you weeded!”
“In our trap, you bumbled!” yelled his white skunk brother, rushing them with a giant pin in hand. “Your tail now belongs to…”
“ROUGH AND TUMBLE!”
“AAAAHH!” Tangle cried as the pin penetrated the base of her tail. It was severed clean off as Tumble stabbed the pin into his own cut tail.
“Yowf!” he yelped. “Hahahaha! It worked!” He began flapping Tangle’s tail around. “Finally! MY NEW TAIL!”
“Rough?! Tumble?! Why are you a tumbleweed?! AND WHY AM I NOT BLEEDING?!”
“I ate the Tumble-Tumble Fruit!” Rough answered. “My body’s made of tumbleweeds now!”
“And thanks to my Pin-Pin Fruit, I can take whatever tail I want now!” Tumble declared. “I had my eyes on yours from the start!”
“So… Rough’s Devil Fruit is named like Tumble?” Kit asked. “That’s gonna get confusing. I could never tell you guys apart in the first place.”
“That doesn’t matter!” Tangle struggled to rip free of the weeds. “GIVE THAT BACK! THAT TAIL IS WHISPER’S!”
“Huh?” Tumble cocked a brow. “Y’mean… you borrowed this tail, too?”
“No, Tumble.” Rough said. “I think it’s an innuendo.”
Kit slashed his water tendrils around and freed himself and Tangle, but Rough’s Logia body was reforming. “Kit, throw me!” The fennec grabbed and threw Tangle at Tumble. The skunk tried to flip Tangle’s tail down to smash her, but it was too short as it bonked his own head. “OOF!” Tangle’s foot would meet his gut, and her fist his jaw. Tumble quickly maneuvered his palms to block Tangle’s fists, but she would drop, kick him off his feet, and stamp him in the face. “What’s wrong?” Tangle smirked. “Don’t know how to stretch it?”
“Shut it!” Tumble made some distance and grabbed Tangle’s tail, stretching it manually. Afterwards, he was able to focus his nerves through and flail it in attempt to hit the lemur; but this wouldn’t stop Tangle from grabbing her tail and yanking it in a manner that would flip Tumble into a stand of apples.
Rough, meanwhile, was using Spin Dash with his tumbleweed form, attempting to mow Kit over. Unfortunately, the fennec was nearly out of water… however, the produce wall was getting its regular sprinkling. He jumped in with an open mouth, rejuvenating his lungs and his Hydro Pack. However, Rough managed to ram his body into him, nearly dicing through Kit’s flesh, but Kit pushed back and banished him with his coils. Kit came cartwheeling at Rough like a Croctopus, shredding his tumbleweed body in half. “No fair!” The skunk reformed himself and shot normal tumbleweeds from his rear. “My tumbleweeds are supposed to be hard as barbwire!” They were laced with his Gas Bombs, and upon exploding, the weeds burst out and scratched Kit’s skin like shrapnel.
“Pfft. I was built to handle much worse than that.” Kit lunged forward with his coils and wrapped them around and between Rough’s weeds at multiple angles. He saw Tangle holding her stolen tail as she ran circles and wrapped it around Tumble, the skunk struggling to will it to free himself.
She and Kit would share a smirk: both hoisted their opponents and charged at each other. “Nonononono!” Tumble stuttered in panic, but his head would be snared between his brother’s sharp weeds.
“Feels a little rough, huh?!” Kit kept scratching Rough against Tumble.
“We’ll let you go if you give my tail back!” Tangle yelled.
“NEVER!” Tumble fished for his own portable Stink Bomb and dropped it, the force blasting them apart. Rough reshaped into his base skunk form, joining his brother. Tangle and Kit rapidly waved their arms to blow the gas away, exchanging vengeful glares with the skunks.
“HEY!” They turned as the supervillains, Knightbrace and Mumbo Jumbo, burst through the front entrance. “You guys need to get out of here!”
“Knightbrace,” the bag-headed cashier began, “you’re still banned from here after the Rainbow Munchies incident. There’s a limit to the kind of crimes we’ll accept.”
“First of all, that was like 26 years ago! And second, you’re all in serious danger!”
“Are the Kids Next Door here?!”
“No, worse!” Mumbo shouted. “We were about to rescue our friends from Star City, but we got attacked by these weird metallic zombies! They touched our Bunny Ninjas and Denta Drones and turned them against us! AND THEY’RE HEADED THIS WAY!”
“RAAAAAHHHH!” The windows and walls of the supermarket crumbled as zombified rabbits and braces-wearing children stormed in.
Tangle paled as their grotesque forms registered all too well. “Z-Z…Zombots?!”
“What…?” Kit gasped.
“Did you say Zombots?!” Tumble exclaimed.
“W-Wait, is that what we looked like?!” Rough asked. “But why’re they here?!”
The villains began scrambling to flee, but some unfortunate ones were grabbed by the monsters. “Welp, we did our job, Knightbrace!” Mumbo yelled. “Time to get back to Two-Brains?”
“You bet your highest top hat!” With that, Mumbo grabbed his partner and poofed.
“RUN, BRO!” The skunk brothers bolted for the back of the store. “GAH!” Tangle’s tail got snagged and pulled down a promo stand of cookies. “Stupid thing!” He frantically pulled the tail to bundle it up close to his chest.
“GIVE THAT BACK!” Tangle tried to chase them.
“Tangle, look out!” A group of Zombot bunnies pounced at her, but Kit was swift to hold them back with his coils. “AGH!” A smaller bunny managed to punch him, but he kicked it back before banishing the others.
“KIT!” Tangle cried.
“A-Am I infected?!” Kit turned to her in panic.
“…No.” Tangle didn’t see any silver on him. “You still look normal!”
“Huh…”
“Look, we gotta go!” She ushered him to run towards the back. “How did this happen?! They said they came from Star City!”
“That’s the town we arrived at! It… MY BRAIN! Tangle, it had to be when that coffee guy stabbed my head! With his fingers!”
“What?! You mean…”
“But they can’t infect me because it was programmed to not spread throughout my body!”
“But it can still infect others?! We gotta warn everyone!”
“We don’t know where everyone is! And our comms still don’t work!”
“I bet you THOSE chumps can help us!”
Rough and Tumble escaped through the fire door, setting off the alarm. “Told ya parking back here was a good idea!” Rough said as they hopped in their Stinkbug ship.
“You can brag about it later!” The wings flapped as they began to take flight. Little did they know Kit’s coils were clinging to its legs, the fennec holding Tangle. “We gotta call the boss! This ain’t gonna be good for the Brotherhood if we got a zombie apocalypse on our ha-”
Kit’s coils whipped up and yanked them off their seats by the neck. He quickly pulled himself and Tangle up into the Stinkbug, letting the skunks dangle over the edge. “GET LOST!” Tumble shouted. “I ain’t givin’ this tail back!”
“I don’t care about that now!” Tangle argued. “You’re gonna tell us where our friends are!”
“Or I’m dropping you where the Zombots are!” Kit threatened.
The skunks exchanged dreadful expressions. They really didn’t want to relive that nightmare again.
Ashen wasteland
As the hours drifted, slumber eventually took Whisper. Surge, however, was still half-awake, deciding to lie on her own mattress. “Snooooore…snoo…snooooore…snoo…”
Surge sneered. Even the way Whisper snored was annoying. They sounded like quiet little hums. “Just kill her.”
“?!” That voice again. Surge glanced above her left: he was there.
“She’s defenseless. There’s no one out here. Be done with her and leave her in the ash.”
“Piss off.”
“Her and the Diamond Cutters were a nuisance to the Eggman Empire. You must ensure that his legacy lives. For his daughter’s sake, you WILL destroy his enemies! It was your dream to!”
“No it WASN’T. It was YOURS!”
“KILL HER, SURGE! I COMMAND IT!”
“SHUT UP!” Surge bashed her head into the ground, leaving a crater. “JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!”
“Huh?!” Whisper started awake. “Surge!”
“AAAAHH!” The tenrec charged a Spin Dash and pierced through the shutter. It seemed the ash storm finally calmed down. Whisper used Pink Spike to saw the shutter open, allowing her to drive the Cyclone out. Against the fragments of dust still flowing in the breeze, Whisper followed the streak of lightning.
Surveying the dark, dusty wastes, Mimic wondered how he was meant to find his prey amongst it all. “Huh?” That ball of lightning streaking across the ash seemed like a good starting point. Along with the faint headlights attached to a motorcycle. “Heh. Perfect.”
“Is that them, Mimic?!” Himiko called from her ship.
“Yes. Let’s tail them before we execute the plan.”
“I’ll get the Nomus ready. Hehe, you know, Mimic, I really like doing missions with you!”
“You probably say that to everybody.”
“Yeah, but you have this charm about you, you know? And it’s so fun!”
“This is fun, huh, Mimic?” Whisper chirped.
Mimic twitched. “Y…Yeah. Just stay focused.”
Whisper rode to a halt in a suburban neighborhood. It was decrepit, as if the Decay had just barely touched it. Cars were left abandoned and there still stood piles of ash that wrought with death. Whisper gasped, seeing Surge plow down the barely-standing houses one at a time, running headfirst through them. “AGH! AGH!” She bashed her head with a rusted pipe. “SHUT! UP!”
“Surge!” The tenrec turned to Whisper.
“BACK OFF!” Whisper jumped back from her burst of lightning.
“Hah! She actually followed you!” Starline laughed. “Now’s your chance! Kill her!”
“Surge, what’s the matter with you?!”
“Get the fuck away from me!” Surge threw the electrified pipe at Whisper, who dodged. “BEFORE I KILL YOU!”
Whisper bit her lip, her eyes of fury and pity. Is this what happened on Marcus’s ship? What’s wrong with her? “Why do you keep hitting yourself?”
“BECAUSE HE WON’T LEAVE MY HEAD!”
Whisper gasped. Mimic’s image came to mind. The center of her nightmares. The monster that wouldn’t leave her head. The wolf equipped an Ivory Lightning Cell. She focused on Surge and fired at a small output. “Zzzzzzzzzzzzzztttttttt!” Surge jittered as her pupils stretched and fizzed. Whisper released the trigger as Surge collapsed, propping herself on her hands. “W-w-whuh…” Surge held her head. “He’s… gone.” She tried to flick out some lightning. “What’d you do?”
“That output allows me to short out electrical devices. Thought it might help you.”
“…” Surge looked down in humility. She pushed herself up. “Well, I guess your life debt is repaid.”
“Hmm.” Whisper was inclined to disagree. “…Who was in your head?”
“…Starline.”
Whisper curved her eyes in sympathy. “I know how it feels. Mimic is… in my head, too.”
“No you don’t, it’s completely different! He’s supposed to be dead! But he left his brainwashing in my head! He’s still trying to tell me what to do!”
“He’s… dead?” They had never actually learned what happened to Starline.
“Yeah. Kit killed him. He was tearing apart my head with his controller glove! But Kit saved me! And we threw his body and that damn glove in the incinerator! Oh, wait, was that the wrong thing to do?!”
“…I’m sorry. It must’ve been horrible.”
“Since when do you care?”
“Surge, I…ugh.” Talking to her was such a pain. “Don’t assume I don’t know what you’re going through. Mimic is… He might always be in my head. The Metal Virus will always be in my head. The Kremlings, enslaving me, will always be in my head. And you, hurting my Wisps, and working with Mimic…” Surge bowed as Whisper sobbed. “…I’m trying, now, to understand your problems. But you should understand mine, too.”
“…I do. Okay? But you…you’re still your own person. I don’t know if I am. Am I really myself, or just millions of parasites talking with a person’s mouth? These feelings, this aggression, my hate for the KND… it was all programmed inside me. My memories constantly deleted and updated.”
“…I’m sorry.” Whisper calmly approached, resting a hand on her shoulder. “…My memories are very precious to me, Surge. I can barely go a day without thinking about my family or everything I’ve done with Tangle. Having yours be toyed with… taken… it’s cruel. Disgusting even. I really don’t blame you, or Kit, for what you did to Starline.”
“…Hm.” Surge glanced away, shy to show her tender eyes.
Whisper released her. “But right now… I do see a person. I’d like to see a comrade I can share my pain with, too.”
“…’kay’msorryIhurtyou.” she murmured quickly.
Whisper cracked a small smile. …The wolf turned. They were close to a neighborhood park, the swings weakly swaying in the cold breeze. Bikes were left abandoned and half-broken. “…What do you think of this, Surge? All this ash. …Thousands of innocent people. Dreams that will never come true.”
Surge approached the swings. She held one to stop its swaying… and it snapped off. “…Disgusting.”
Whisper slowly joined her. “It’s horrible to think about. How much the other worlds have suffered. The heroes who live with the guilt, knowing what they couldn’t prevent. There are probably so many people who share burdens like ours. Still… we should count ourselves lucky. To find the happiness that we did.”
“…Always thought Mobius was full of weaklings.” Whisper sighed at her remark. “Probably spoiled by Sonic’s ideals. When creeps like Eggman, the Kremlings, or Schnee invade, they just return to their happy lives and act like the bad stuff never happened. But, maybe… they’re just like us inside.”
“Yes. That’s why we must protect them. After we repay our debt to this world.”
Surge returned a nod of agreement. “WHOA!” Laser bullets blasted them from the air, blowing the two off their feet.
“Don’t you kids have more important things to do than goof off at the playground?” Clutch the Opossum loomed above them in a small aircraft.
“CLUTCH!” Surge snapped her teeth.
“He’s here?!” Whisper gasped.
“Dr. Omelette ‘insisted’ that I clean up my own messes. Still, you know what they say: if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself!”
The girls divided as Clutch unloaded more shots, stirring dust around the playground. “WHISPER! Got any more of that lightning?! I can’t get my sparks out!”
“You sure you’ll be alright?!”
“Better than I am NOW!”
“Tch.” She was right. Whisper grabbed another Ivory Cell and turned up the input, inducing Surge with enough electricity to get her chi paths flowing again. The tenrec struck lightning, but they seemed to have little effect on the ship. Surge looked to a playground slide and ran to Spin Dash up it. It served as a ramp to launch Surge into the air, allowing her to ram Clutch’s craft with a Thunder Home Attack. The possum managed to stay airborne as he flew away from the playground, though his ship remained facing them as he kept firing shots.
“Get your motorcycle!” Surge yelled, racing after him. “Don’t keep me waiting!”
“Hm.” Whisper was unsure about recklessly chasing him… but they hadn’t any better leads right now. However, as Whisper ran back to her Cyclone, a grave thought crossed her mind: If he’s here… then Mimic must be-
If not for that thought, she might not’ve been ready for the knife flying at her from the darkness. She dodged it just by the tip of her nose. And Whisper knew, in her momentary shock, he would take advantage of her weakness: Mimic rushed out of the darkness with a flurry of knife swings. Whisper dodged back and equipped Pink Spike, shooting out its buzzsaw. Mimic vanished with the Shave technique: “Didja miss me?” The octopus was behind her, Whisper just feeling his knife scrape her cape. The wolf snarled and kept attempting to saw him, but Mimic evaded her at every angle. Mimic morphed into Tangle, sporting a flirty look. “Too bad your lemur’s not here to protect you.”
Whisper switched to Red Burst and burned flames. “Coward!”
Mimic retreated and equipped his Wispon, sucking the flames in with Violet Void. “Wanted to show you my new Wispon! Under my request, the Brotherhood hunted Wisps and converted them into Nega-types! Then we milked their chi to make THIS! Far better than anything in that little umbrella of yours!”
He threatened to vacuum Whisper into the Void, but the wolf equipped an Asteroid Cell and exploded it with its gravity force. “You just don’t LEARN, do you, Whisper?!” Mimic yelled in Lanolin’s form and voice. “You came all this way, following your grudge and need for vengeance, and got your team killed ALL OVER AGAIN!”
“They’re alive. I know they are.”
Mimic became Slinger. “Is that what you told yourself BEFORE?!”
“I’m not here out of hatred, Mimic. I’m here… to show you I’m not afraid, anymore. To show you the new friends… and the new courage I’ve found.”
“Yeah?” Mimic reverted. “Well, I sure don’t see them now. It’s just you and me, Whisper. Alone.”
“Yes… you are. You may have separated us… but our love and devotion to each other make us strong. I will defeat you… and Tangle and I will find each other. As will the rest of our friends.”
“Whisper…” The octopus stepped forward calmly. “What even is love, anyway?” The wolf kept her weapon trained. “Is it when two people vow to commit to each other? Why does Tangle deserve your affection above anyone else? Would you sacrifice Tangle to save Sonia, or somebody? Or would you choose her over anyone?”
Whisper twitched, thinking back to the Pirate War. “Even among your operatives, there are biases. I bet ya Sheep Girl had a lot of enemies. Actually, what about the Metal Virus? How many operatives fell apart trying to save the ones they loved? But abandoning people they weren’t close to. I wonder… did that happen with you and Tangle?”
The terrible memory clicked in her mind. Screaming and desperately calling Tangle’s name. She took breaths to suppress the nightmare. “You see, Whisper, that isn’t love. It’s prejudice. Plain and simple. That’s exactly what your family was, deep down. They weren’t my first gig, you know. If you all knew how many people I left behind, they would’ve kicked me aside at the start.”
Whisper made no move, her eye ever fixed on her target. “You know what real love is, Whisper? It’s exactly where they are now. They’re feeding the maggots and not protesting. They’re feeding Mobius’ soil and asking nothing in return. It’s exactly what Lord Tomura has done to these heroes. Look at the fields of ash he created. That ash will feed the planet and nurture new life. Those heroes feel no fear. No hatred. Only… blissful death. That’s what love is.”
He could see the resolve in her eye waning. “All I want to do is break your illusion of love. You acted like you ‘loved’ me, but when you saw my true face, you felt exactly as you do now. And as soon as Tangle makes the wrong move, that prejudice will go away, too. Your ideas of love are fragile and fleeting. And real love…” Mimic took his final steps toward the wolf, his knife at her neck. “…is exactly what I’ll give you.”
“…” Whisper’s eye changed shape. It turned from hatred… to pity. It compelled Mimic to frown. …Her voice was soft and understanding. “…You have the same nightmares I do…”
…Why…why…
His eyes began to quiver. She could see it plainly. Why… are you looking at me that way…
“Mimic! Look at me!”
The wolf was swaying in the air, hanging from her Hover Wispon over the ocean. “You’re a real balloon, Whisper.”
“I’m Mary Poppins! Superpippycaliabradoci—UUUUUS!” Her grip slipped free of the Wispon as she fell into the sea.
“FOR CHAOS’ SAKE!” Mimic dove off the base’s balcony. He would support Whisper in his arm as they floated in the gentle waters.
“You saved me agaaaaiiiin!”
“You’d be hopeless on your own, you know that. OOF!” The Wispon fell on his head.
“Ghhhh!” Mimic slashed his knife… and left a small cut on Whisper’s cheek.
The wolf passively rubbed it with her finger and stared at the blood. “…What’s wrong, Mimic?”
“What’s the matter, Mimic?”
The octopus was dowsing his eyes with eyewash. “Had trouble sleeping last night.”
“Hmm… When I have trouble sleeping, I imagine myself snuggling with my family. Like when I was little.”
“Hm. I’m too grown up for that.”
“I mean, I don’t do it, anymore! But it’s just nice knowing they’re there for me! And we’re here for you, too!”
“Is that what you wanted me to ask?” Whisper began to cry. “When I think back… I realize you always looked upset over something. I guess I was… too blinded by admiration to see it. So, I… Should I have tried talking to you?” She thought back to her talk with Lanolin, and moments ago with Surge. “Would you not have betrayed us if we just sat down and asked what was bothering you?!”
“Hnn…don’t give me that bullcrap.”
“Was it me? Was it because I dragged you into our team? Did you want to be somewhere else?”
“I…” He had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go.
“Why were you upset, Mimic? It won’t change anything now… so, just tell me.”
“SHUT UP!” Mimic thrusted his knife, but Whisper ducked. “KUAH!” Mimic suffered a Blue Hammer to the gut, with Whisper swiping his knife and stashing it. “Heh! You haven’t changed a BIT!” Mimic triggered the Frenzy function of his Wispon: a massive jaw emerged, chewing the ground as Mimic pursued Whisper. “Preaching about love and understanding! Giving me that look! It’s all a lie! The only thing motivating you is hatred! You’re just like Marcus… You can’t resist that urge!”
Whisper used Orange Rocket to fly skyward and curve down to ram Mimic, crashing into a ruined house as the Frenzy dispelled. “Yes… that was my motivation. Even now, it poisons me. I was glad that Eggman died. For a long time, I wished the same of you. I wished the same of Surge. But I’m tired. I’m done obsessing over things I hate.”
“Do I need to spell out what a HYPOCRITE YOU ARE?!” Mimic threw a black ball, Whisper dodging as it would explode behind her. She made distance as Mimic would throw more bombs. “YOU chased me here! No matter what poetic reasons you try to dress it up with!”
“It’s still our duty to bring you to justice. But now that I have my eyes open… I finally see it. That pain inside you.”
“Damn right, there’s pain! A PAIN IN THE NECK!” Mimic rushed the wolf with a knife in each tentacle. He thrusted them in quick succession, but Whisper was swift. “YOU! AND YOUR LIES ABOUT LOVE! THAT’S what upset me! Before I joined your stupid family, I was already a dropout and a crook! I left dozens of people in the dirt all for my sake! Because THAT’S who I am! And when you goody operatives figured that out, all that ‘love’ would’ve amounted to crap! You would’ve thrown me out, arrested me! Just like you’re trying to do now! ADMIT IT!”
Whisper ducked his next swing and would uppercut him right in the jaw, afterwards kicking him on his back. “Your thrusts are slow. You allow me just enough room for error. That’s what your pain has done.”
“Huff…huff…” Mimic pushed himself up, rage ever boiling in his black irises.
“Because, deep down… you loved them. That’s why you were afraid of being thrown out. Of us not accepting you. Because… you really wanted us to love you. No matter what you tried to tell yourself… they were your family.”
“Huff…” He couldn’t move. Why? Why couldn’t he rebuttal? Why couldn’t he just go for the kill? Why…why…why…
“Even during the Sweepstakes… when you were about to cut Tangle… It was on purpose, wasn’t it? You gave me time to notice what you were doing.”
Not true at all! I was going to! I wanted to take away everything you loved! Expose you for what you really are! W…why didn’t I…why…
“You were… happy for me, weren’t you?”
“… … …” How did this girl know… anything? How could she be so stupid? Her idiocy was so appalling that he was petrified. Frozen…pale…except for the faint tear forming in his left eye. A weakness he never wanted Whisper to see.
They heard lightning. They glanced off to the distance. That must’ve been Surge. Whisper noticed a horde of creatures around the lightning. Makes sense they would have backup. Yet, it made Whisper wonder… why didn’t Mimic have any with him?
Clutch sicked a horde of Nomu onto Surge; black zombie-like mutants with large exposed brains. The tenrec singed and sawed them in succession. “Should’ve brought some of the High-Ends.” Clutch said. “AGH!” Surge chucked a Nomu at his ship, and she would follow with a Home Attack, taking him out of the air. Surge grabbed the opossum and fried him. “AAAAHH! GET HER OFF! GET HER!” Three more Nomus grabbed Surge, allowing Clutch to get away as he morphed into Himiko.
“Huh?! YOU’RE NOT CLUTCH!” Surge furiously tore away from the Nomus and Spin Dashed after the teenage villain. Himiko evaded her with the Shave technique and split off an army of clones. Surge mowed through them all, determined to find her.
Himiko grabbed her communicator. “MIMIC! You done with that wolf girl?! I need help over here!”
Mimic flinched as his comm rang. He clenched his teeth and answered it. “Hello? Mimic? You there?!”
“Who is that…” Whisper gasped.
“Mimic?! She’s really angry! Almost all my Nomu are down! I NEED BACKUP!”
“…” Mimic returned his gaze to Whisper. Her eyes were quivering. As if judging him. Waiting anxiously for his answer. Even he himself wondered.
“DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!” In the Brotherhood Cafeteria, Himiko was furiously tearing apart her chicken. Other villains feared to go near her… except him.
“You… okay?” Mimic asked.
“TRAITOR!” The octopus nearly ejected all his ink when she faced him. “That damn… dirty… bird…” Her vengeful eyes were crying.
“…Right… Hawks…”
“Never should have fucking trusted him. Twice is dead… HE’S DEAD BECAUSE OF HIM! I’LL NEVER FORGIVE HIM! I’LL KILL HIM!”
Himiko sobbed, dropping on her knees and burying her face into his chest. Though Mimic wasn’t there to see it, he heard the story. Hawks, an undercover agent among the heroes, was in fact a double agent. He killed one of Tomura’s Elite Officers… whom Himiko held dearly. “Mimic… promise you’ll help me kill him. Promise.”
“…S-Sure. Totally.” He patted her shoulder. If anything, he just wanted to direct her rage away from himself.
…
“Heeheehee! Look at all this blood, Mimic!” Himiko had a new collection of vials from their last raid. “So much love! More love to hold inside me!”
“As long as you’re enjoying yourself.” Mimic cracked an awkward smile.
“This is why I love the Brotherhood! I get to be exactly who I am!”
“Heh…I guess so.”
Why…why…why…why…why…
As this question repeated in his head, Mimic found himself turning away from his adversary. He called over his hoverbike, the Omnitempus, and drove in Himiko’s direction. As Whisper watched him… confusion and anger began to stir inside her again. Regardless, she rushed to board her Cyclone and pursue him. She inserted a Speed Cell and caught up with him, ramming his Omnitempus off course. “Think you’re the only one with upgrades?!” Mimic sped after her and shot his bike’s drill, Whisper dodging right. The drill retracted on its chain as Mimic fired it underground, burrowing and ambushing Whisper as her motorcycle flew into the air and crashed on its side.
Surge put down all of Himiko’s clones, approaching the villain with a vicious grin. She heard a vehicle and turned right—“AAAH!” too late as a Black Bomb struck her, sending her flying several meters and charred.
“Mimic!”
The octopus parked his bike and helped the teenager stand. “You alright, Himiko?”
“I’m fine! Just a little staticky!”
“Heh…” Mimic turned, sneering at Whisper. Enthralled by the shock and anger in her eyes. “I know what I am, Whisper. I’m a Brother of Evil! And this… is my sister, Himiko.”
“C’mon, Mimic, let’s finish this little wolf off!” Both villains used Shave to zip around Whisper and throw knives. She suffered some cuts as she stomped the pedal of her Cyclone and grabbed Surge off the ground.
“The heck took you so long?!” Surge hissed.
“He did. I’m sorry.”
“At least hearin’ you apologize makes it worth it.”
“Need to hide you someplace safe.”
“Bullcrap, I still got fight in me!”
“SAD MAN’S ACCORDION!” Himiko stretched a stack of clones with enough speed and force to knock them off the bike.
“GAH!” Surge grunted. “That girl was transformed into Clutch earlier! Apparently, she’s got cloning powers, too?!”
“Join Marcus in the void!” Mimic aimed his Wispon and expanded a Violet Void. Surge nearly flew into it, but Whisper, clutching the ground with one hand, quickly held her Wispon back for Surge to grab it, the tenrec flailing in the vacuum.
“Look out below!” a voice cried.
“Or you’re gonna get pummeled!”
“You’re about to be flattened by…”
“ROUGH AND TUMBLE!” The skunk brothers rammed Mimic and Himiko with intense velocity, sending them tumbling for several yards. Whisper and Surge looked up with a gasp as the Stinkbug landed.
“WHISPER!”
“SURGE!”
“TANGLE!”
“KIT!”
With bursts of feelings in their ankles, the wolf and lemur reunited with a kiss. Surge happily embraced Kit like a little brother.
“Surge! You’re hurt!”
“Hey, if you can take a stab to the skull, I can take a bomb to the body!”
“Maybe these’ll make you feel better!” Kit presented a box of doughnuts. “Stole these from the Villain Mart!”
“MMMMM!” Surge eagerly stuffed her face with the greenish pastries. “ULP?! SPINACH?! BLECH!”
“I… thought they would be healthy.” Kit shirked.
“…Well, alright.” Surge ruffled his hair. “But you owe me real ones after this.”
Tangle and Whisper cracked open their eyes and glanced down. …They were horrified! “YOUR CHEEK/TAIL!” they exclaimed at once. “Whisper, you’re hurt! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t-”
“Tangle. It’s fine.” She spoke strongly. “Remember when I was hit in the head by a Shield Pawn? Took it like a champ.”
“Heh…” Tangle sported a relieved, but still guilty smile. “Oh, and don’t worry about my tail. It was just Devil Fruit magic. Tumble has it!”
“And I still ain’t gonna give it back!”
“BAH!” Mimic and Himiko shoved the skunks off. “How could you idiots just bring them here?!”
“We didn’t mean to!” Tumble refuted. “They threatened us with Zombots!”
“Zombots?!” Whisper gasped.
“Uh, yeah.” Tangle shirked. “Remember when Kit got stabbed in the head? Well, that villain touched his brain, and now the Zombots are back.”
“WHAT?!”
“You gotta be kidding…” Surge looked to her brother with sympathy.
“And for some reason, our comms don’t work!” Tangle shouted.
“That’s thanks to our satellite jammers.” Himiko smirked. “Only Brotherhood comms work in their zones!”
“Well, we gotta get outta here and warn everyone else! We need to contact Mobius so they can send the Cure Cloud!”
“I don’t think so.” Mimic narrowed his eyes. “We’re ending this now. One way or the other. Himiko… help me get rid of these pains in my neck.”
“Heh! I dunno what’s going on here, but what the heck! You can count on me, Mimic!”
“Hmm…” Who even was this girl, Whisper wondered. Was Mimic only using her to taunt them? And yet… that look in his eyes when he rushed to her aid. The determination that glimmered in them now. Why did he seem so… different? “Tangle… they refuse to back down. We shouldn’t either.”
“…Okay.” Tangle faced them courageously. (Play “Killer Instinct” from Zelda: Time Lost!)
“Screw that!” Rough and Tumble bolted. “We’re bolting before the Zombots get here!”
“Surge! Kit!” Whisper yelled. “Could you stop them? Get Tangle’s tail back!”
“That’ll be another one you owe me! Drippy, give me a lift!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Kit picked her up with two coils and used his others to propel after the skunks.
“Wait… did you just ask Surge to-”
“Yes. We’re good now.”
“R-Really?! That’s amazing!”
“Wipe that smile off your face!” Mimic triggered his Void Wispon, but Whisper used Yellow Drill to burrow underground, pulling Tangle down with her. They burst up from beneath Mimic and stopped the suction. Himiko split off clones in attempt to dogpile the Mobians, but Whisper readied a Burst Cell and incinerated the clones. The real Himiko Shaved up and thrusted her knife at Tangle, but she ducked, kicked Himiko off her feet, and landed another kick to her teeth. Himiko Shaved and caught Tangle in a choke hold, attempting to crack her neck, while Mimic fired Frenzy mouths at Whisper. The wolf used Pink Spike to strike Himiko and free Tangle, and the villain would use two knives to counter the Spike as Whisper tried to strike her from more angles.
Tangle bolted toward Mimic, dodging around the Frenzies as they tried to gnash at her. When Tangle got close, Mimic sheathed his Wispon and drew knives, but Tangle was quick to evade his swings and return punches. “Been training, Mimic! Am I formidable, yet?!” She jumped a swing at her legs and stamped him with both feet. Mimic fell on his back, but as Tangle rushed for the next kick, the octopus swiftly rolled away, leaving a Black Bomb behind. The explosion sent Tangle flying several yards, but the strong-willed lemur would be upright again.
“TANGLE!” Hearing Whisper’s cries, Tangle turned…?! There was an entire crowd of Whispers trying to beat each other up. Her Wispon had been thrown out of the crowd.
“Tangle, it’s me!”
“No, it’s me!”
“Grrrrr! Stop it!”
“No, you stop it!”
“Man, not this cliché again!” Tangle ran to grab the Wispon. There was still a Hammer Cell lodged inside it.
“I slipped Himiko the knife with Whisper’s blood on it.” Mimic smirked. “By the time you figure it out, she’ll be dead!”
“TANGLE!” one of the Whispers yelled. “STRAWBERRY MILK NUTS!”
Tangle gasped. She triggered the Blue Hammer and mercilessly smashed the heads of every fake Whisper, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand and leaping away from the crowd.
“Hey, Whisper!” Tangle began during their flight to the Diamond Cutters’ sea base. “Just had an idea! If Mimic tries to change into us again, we should have a secret codeword! I’m thinking… strawberry milk nuts!”
“Kch.” That was the first time Tangle sparked a snicker out of the wolf. “I know I wouldn’t guess that.”
Taking her Wispon back, Whisper equipped a Laser Cell and threw out her mini diamonds, refracting the laser between them and piercing the phonies of herself. The real Himiko Shaved out and tried to slash knives at them, while Mimic rushed them from the opposite direction with his own knives drawn. The girls separated, with Mimic focusing on Tangle as he tried to vacuum her into his Void Wispon. Tangle tried to run as fast and strongly as she could, while Himiko formed a wall of clones to prevent Whisper from interfering. Whisper shot herself with a Speed Cell to blitz straight through the wall and tackle Mimic, stopping the suction. As they wrestled against the ash, Whisper grabbed one of his Black Bombs and tossed it aside.
The Himiko clones piled and dragged Whisper off him. Mimic smirked as he switched his Wispon to Frenzy. “And there’s something else I never got to tell you!” Mimic said. “The chancellor gave birth to K. Rool’s child!” Whisper tensed up in disgust.
“WHUH?” Himiko gawked. “You mean that rumor is TRUE?”
“That’s right! Your beloved chancellor is a FRAUD!” A gaping Nega Wisp mouth emerged from the gun, looming to swallow Whisper whole.
“CHOKE ON THIS!” Tangle dashed in front and hurdled the Black Bomb into the Frenzy. Mimic panicked as the Wisp exploded, along with his Wispon. Whisper shook free of the confused Himiko clones and equipped Orange Rocket to blast them to smithereens.
Rising on his back, Mimic watched as Whisper stepped through the smoke, resolve in her gaze. “The chancellor helped deliver me.”
“…What?”
“That’s the only truth I need from her.” Whisper turned to the sky: the dusty clouds had cleared away for the gleaming full moon. As her pupils absorbed it… her blue eyes brightened. Her fur turned a pure white as her hair grew long and flowing. “AWOOOOOOOOOO!”
The Diamond Cutters had practiced Primal Fury whenever a full moon arose, but Tangle would never tire of seeing Whisper this way. Her majestic howls carried the love of her family. However, Mimic was Mobian, too: his dark eyes absorbed the moonlight and turned a malicious red. “AAAAAAHHHH!” His body glowed a brighter purple as his tentacles grew like tendrils of darkness. Mimic tried to bind her with his tentacles and deliver direct blows with his fists, but Whisper chewed and tore them off herself before swiping her claws across his cheek. Mimic Shaved behind and grabbed her cloudy white tail, slamming Whisper into the ash.
Mimic bit into her leg, but Whisper dug claws into his scalp and forced him off. The two former comrades exchanged swipes before butting heads with colossal impact. Seeing into each other’s eyes, their feelings shone clearly: the grief Whisper held for her family. The admiration she held for Mimic. The admiration which turned to hatred… turned to fear… and now, turned to pity. As she saw into his eyes: the regret he felt from that day. The excuses he told himself. The darkness he embraced to “heal” his pain. And the resolve he held now.
“Ah, ah, ACHOO! Kuoff!” Mimic jumped away from Whisper and looked over. Himiko was shivering in place while Tangle looked on worriedly.
“Hey… are you alright?” Tangle asked.
“Kuh…I feel… s-sick all of a sudden…sniff…”
“Huh…oh! You didn’t catch my cold, did you?” The lemur blushed.
“What?!”
Whisper gasped. She must’ve caught Tangle’s germs when she hugged her… and when Himiko swallowed Whisper’s blood, did it pass to her? Mimic seemed to focus on her: even in this Primal state, he still had that look. A look he once had for Whisper, whenever she was in danger.
The octopus stretched his tentacles and grabbed his partner. “GET OUT OF HERE!” He threw her to the sky where his stealth ship was hovering on autopilot.
“GAH!” Himiko clambered into the seat. She grabbed her communicator, “Mimic! I can’t leave you!”
“These kids are pushovers! I’ll be fine! JUST GO!”
“M…Mimic…cough.” Himiko couldn’t keep fighting in this condition. But by the time she got medicine… would he still be here? “…I’ll be back for you!”
Mimic looked into Whisper’s eyes again. Inside, there was still a glimmer of spite… and yet, there was pride. The two first gen Diamond Cutters charged each other for one final impact. (End song.)
“Yo, Ringtail.”
“Oh!” Tangle perked up as Tumble’s body was dropped before her.
“Got your tail back.” Surge said as Kit picked the pin off Tumble’s stubby tail.
“It was a rip-off, anyway…” Tumble wept.
Kit poked the pin into Tangle’s rump. She winced for a moment, but was elated as she freely stretched and wrapped her tail as she pleased. “Ohhhhh, my beautiful tail!” She squeezed it in a hug. “I’ll never take you for granted again!”
“Yeah, so how’s…?” Looking elsewhere, Surge would have the answer: Mimic lay unconscious before Whisper. Her eyes were free of fear. Free of hatred. Free of regrets.
She turned to her teammates. “Let’s go. Have to find the others.”
“Those skunks said Lanolin and Belle were somewhere beneath Gotham City.” Kit said. “And Marcus was in Clutch’s flying mansion. I know!” He picked Mimic’s Brotherhood communicator off his person. “If I tap into this, I bet I can pinpoint other Brotherhood comms. Then I can try to call Clutch to narrow him down!”
“That’s my boy!” Surge ruffled him. “Try to do that while we’re flying to Gotham!”
She and Kit took the Stinkbug while Tangle and Whisper rode the Cyclone, inserting a Crimson Eagle Cell into it to give it flight. Of course, Kit used his hydro coils to freeze the three villains to the bottom of the Stinkbug. “Um…Whisper?” Tangle spoke, knowing they were far enough from the two. “To be honest, I…I wanted to say… when you called Surge that name… that was a bit too much.”
“…It was. You’re right.”
“But, you said you’re good now! So… you two are friends?”
“Mmmmm…a start. But I appreciate the honesty, Tangle.”
“Hehe! Hey, ya know, next month is my anniversary of joining the KND. Then after that… it’ll be our anniversary.”
“That’s right.” Whisper chirped. “I can’t believe it’s only been a year. It’s been such an adventure.”
“Greatest adventure of my life.”
“Can’t wait to see how you top it next year.” Whisper smirked.
Gotham City
While it was still nighttime already, Gotham had a special atmosphere where it was always night. But what was also unusual were the enormous plants growing around the city. Supposedly, this was the leftover of a powerful plantbender who once lived in the city. However, those plants were steadily being coated in silver. “Guys… down there…” Tangle pointed dreadfully.
The Gotham Police set up blockades, struggling to push back an army of Zombots. “They really are back…” Whisper shuddered.
“Hnnnrr…” It was Surge’s first time seeing them. Cold metallic bodies, soulless glowing eyes, and a culmination of ravenous moans. Was that really what they looked like on the inside?
“Have to land. Running out of battery.” Whisper said. She steered the Cyclone to a rooftop, joined by Surge and Kit.
“This way, people! This way!” a megaphone voice was echoing down in the city.
“That sounded like Lanolin!” Tangle exclaimed.
“BIRDS!” Whisper panicked as a flock of Zombot Robins fluttered up to them (they looked like normal robins, but with feathers colored like the superhero). Kit flailed his coils to swat them out of the air. Whisper held her heart and gasped for breath. “W-We shouldn’t have come here.”
“Whisper, get ahold of yourself.” Tangle grabbed her hands. “Sooner or later, word of this is gonna reach other operatives, then it’ll reach Mobius. Then they’ll send the cure. It’s gonna be fine. We just need to make sure that happens.”
“…Right.” Whisper slipped on her mask and skimmed down at the crowd. “There!” She saw Lanolin gesturing citizens to pile into an evacuation truck.
“Hurry, hurry! Okay, that’s the last one, close it!” Lanolin slammed the truck shut as it drove off.
“That’s all the people on this block.” Belle said. “PENGUINS!”
Zombot penguins, with monocles and top-hats, slid toward the operatives on their bellies. Lanolin converted her Wispon from megaphone to bell form and blasted them back with a shockwave. “LANOLIN!”
“YAAAH!” She was about to swing her Wispon at- “TANGLE?! Guys! Where’ve you…never mind! Why is the Metal Virus back?!”
“We’ll go over that later!” Tangle said as Surge and Kit braced their selves before the oncoming swarm. “Have you been able to contact anyone else?!”
“No! I thought we’d be able to after escaping those mines!”
“We met someone who mentioned jammer satellites.” Whisper said. “The Brotherhood must have one above this area.”
“Ah wonder if I might be able to find it…” Belle tapped into her built-in communicator. She picked up interference as she looked around at the sky. “Oh! It’s comin’ from up there! On top of Wayne Tower!”
“You mean the tower with a ‘W’ that looks like a bat?”
“No. I meant the tower next to it. The one that looks like a dad wearing a bathrobe and singing in a microphone.”
Indeed, she was talking about the tower of Gamewizard’s father, Thomas Wayne. And if you ask me again, I’ll tell you the same.
“UUH! Get BACK, you Robot Devil spawns!” Surge Spin Dashed into and punched some Zombots back.
“Ma’am, no!” Kit yelled. “We don’t know if you’re safe from my infection!”
“After all the time spent with you?” Surge pulled down her standing hair to check for silver. “Doesn’t look infected to me.”
“Surge…Surge…Surge…”
“Huh?” The Zombots were reaching for and approaching her.
“Get with… Surge… support… Surge…”
“…UUUUUUHHHHH…you guys hearing this?!”
“They… want Surge?” Kit muttered.
“Oh! It’s because of the programming of your virus, right?” Tangle realized.
“They’re all focusing on her now!” Whisper gasped. “Surge! Try to lead them away from us! And away from the townspeople!”
“…” The tenrec twisted her neck toward the group with pale eyes. “You want a horde of lovesick Zombots to chase me?”
“…I’ll tell everyone what an epic hero you were when we get home.”
“…You better, Wolf. ALRIGHT, ZOMBOTS, COME AND SUPPORT ME!” She jumped and skipped along the heads of the crowd, catching their attention.
“Surge! Surge! Surge! Surge!” With lust in their eyes, they piled after her.
“…Is that… really how I am inside?” Kit pondered aloud.
“Kit!” Tangle planted a hand over his head to pull him out of his thoughts. “When this is over, you and Surge can have a talk about this whole… thing. But we need you to help protect us first. Okay?”
“Y-Yeah, okay.”
“Let’s go, Diamond Cutters!” Lanolin led the charge, cutting through some alleyways and swinging her Wispon to blast away smaller crowds of Zombots. They reached a street cluttered with wrecked cars, with Zombots wedged between them. Tangle wrapped up her teammates before stretching her tail toward a gargoyle on a building, pulling them toward it. She would send her tail to the rooftops of some buildings to keep swinging; it was almost like the city was built for this kind of traversal.
Their ascent up Thomas Wayne Tower would be threatened by Zombats. Kit used his coils and Belle her Homing Shot to keep them at bay. Tangle used her tail to pull them to vantages around the tower, while Whisper used Green Hover to keep her team stabilized at each vantage. “Now, the signal should be coming from…” Belle pointed upward, “the building’s microphone!”
They reached the building’s shoulder and got nearly level with the giant microphone. “Then let’s see if it can handle my megaphone!” Lanolin converted her Wispon into that shape. “AAAIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAA!”
Her vocal chords vibrating the air, the microphone seemed to short out before collapsing out of Tom’s hands, crashing into the pavement. “YAHOO!” Tangle cheered. “That mike was powerless to the strongest sheep on Mobius!”
“Save it, Tangle.” Lanolin pulled up her wrist comms. “This is Lanolin of Sector D.C. to Sector L! Do you read?!”
“Melody here! What happened to you guys?! These weird zombie things started showing up!”
“Have you called GKND?! Those are Zombots! We need to get in touch with Mobius so they can send over the cure!”
“Haruka already started working on curing the zombies. We still contacted GKND about an hour ago. We’ll tell them to call Mobius.”
“Great! Then just make sure the infected don’t scatter too far! We’ll call later; Lanolin out!” She hung up. “Phew. I think the situation’s under control.”
Her teammates beamed. “Now we need to locate Clutch…” Kit raised the Brotherhood communicator and hacked into it once more. “A bunch of signals around the city; probably Zombotified by now… And there’s something approaching from over the outskirts. That way.”
Belle zoomed in her eyes. “It vaguely looks like… a floating mansion. That looks like Clutch from the front!”
“Ha! Leave it to bad guys to make their lairs obvious!”
Whisper raised her comms, “Surge, meet us up at the ships. It’s time to leave.”
“You don’t know how HAPPY I AM to hear that!”
Whisper equipped another Crimson Cell while Tangle bundled them together, their combined weight causing them to sink as they glid toward the parked Stinkbug and Cyclone. “MIMIC!” Whisper gasped.
Zombot Robins were pecking at the three villains’ half-frozen, unconscious bodies. Kit swat the birds away once more before pulling the villains free. “Well, we can’t carry them with us now.” He said as the virus was slowly covering their bodies.
“Wait!” Lanolin gasped, her eyes wrought with heartbreak. “You guys defeated Mimic… without me?”
Tangle and Whisper’s expressions fell. “W-W-We didn’t mean to!” Tangle stuttered. “It was spur of the moment!”
“We’re sorry, Lanolin!” Whisper wept.
“It’s fine…” Lanolin bowed her head with a dry look. “You did what you had to. I’m proud.”
“Hehe…” Tangle blushed. “Kit, toss them to that roof. We’ll have to make sure they get cured with the others.”
“Hmm…” It made Whisper contemplate… if Mimic had been infected back then… She would have been horrified, certainly… but even she wouldn’t have wished such a fate for him.
“HAAAH!” Surge zipped up the building. Two Zombot kids were clinging onto her, but she tossed them off. “Yeah, we REALLY need to get them cured or I’ll have a whole planet of sidekicks clinging after me!”
“Mmm…” Kit bowed in guilt.
Whisper added another Crimson Cell to the Cyclone. She, Tangle, and Lanolin would ride it while the other three took the Stinkbug. Kit led them in the direction of the signal, toward the floating Opossum Manor. “You know, what’s to stop Omelette from separating us again?” Lanolin inquired.
“Oh, I have a plan for that.” Tangle assured.
“You do?”
“Can’t make promises, but I’m confident it can work.”
“Well, when has that ever failed before?” Lanolin sighed.
“Hey!” Kit pointed at the mansion’s patio. “It’s Marcus!”
The others gasped in hope: the Supreme Leader was evading what seemed like a large, robotic possum with giant sweepers in place of claws. “Annoying fox!” Clutch sneered, opening his mech’s mouth and spitting a cannonball of junk out.
Marcus flicked on his Reflector Shield to bounce it back to Clutch’s cockpit. “Marcus! Hey!”
Hearing Tangle’s voice, he was elated to see his six operatives. “Oh, for the LOVE of-!” Clutch yelled. “Can’t anyone do their jobs right?!”
“Hey hey, Clutch!” Surge landed, forming rockstar hands with electricity between her fingers. “Ready for Round 2?!”
“Where’s Omelette?” Belle asked.
“In Clutch’s office!” Marcus answered.
“Come on, Diamonds!” Lanolin led the charge.
Kicking back in her Egg Crown, Omelette studied the broadcast with intrigue. She never expected Dad’s Zombots to make a return here. Last year, he made sure Omelette was off the planet when he initiated the plan. “OMELETTE!” She was startled out of her viewing.
“What?! You four were supposed to be separated!”
“That’s the thing about Diamond Cutters: we’re unbreakable!” Tangle cheered. Her friends rolled their eyes.
“And you’re not running from us this time.” Lanolin declared.
“I don’t need to run. We’ll see how unbreakable you are when I warp you into a-”
“Just like your dad.” Tangle said. Omelette froze in her motion and narrowed her eyes on the lemur. “Coward.”
“…What did you say?”
“After dumping that virus on us, Eggman was too afraid to own up to his crimes. He knew we would never forgive him after that. So, he ran away! And you’re too scared to face us! You just teleport all your problems away, don’t you?!”
Lanolin sighed through her nose. Tangle’s words only reminded her of herself… but that’s how she knew she was right. “My dad was NEVER a coward! No matter how much he failed, he kept trying and TRYING AGAIN!”
“Then why don’t you try yourself for a change?! ’Cause the Eggman Empire isn’t getting any better, anyway!”
“DAMN YOU!” The Egg Crown slashed a tentacle across the room, the Diamonds ducking.
“You sure know your way around people, Tangle.” Lanolin whispered.
“It’s a gift.” Tangle grabbed her leader and threw her toward the ceiling. Lanolin raised her cowbell and SLAMMED it over Omelette’s domed cockpit, damaging it with powerful vibrations. Omelette seized her in the Crown’s claw and began to squeeze her, meanwhile shooting the drill arm at Whisper. The wolf dodged, but the drill went through a portal and tried to ambush Whisper from her top-left. She kept dodging as the drill warped from multiple directions, until Tangle wrapped her tail tightly around its base to hold it in place. Whisper equipped a Drill Cell and ran up the first chain, drilling it right into the arm’s socket.
“GET OFF THAT, YOU MUTT!” Omelette released her hold on Lanolin to swat Whisper off. When she tried to retract the drill, it would dangle askew due to the damage. Tangle wrapped her tail up like a wrecking ball, and Belle planted a spring down to propel the tail into Omelette’s cockpit with intense force. Omelette triggered the gems around the Crown to shoot out colorful lasers, moving and burning around the room.
“Diamonds, together!” Whisper equipped a Cloak Cell. Her teammates huddled up as Whisper sprayed its energy around all of them. The Diamonds became clear as crystal, causing Omelette’s lasers to refract, shearing more parts of the room and the Egg Crown. Some debris fell from the ceiling, so Omelette saw fit to bury these Diamonds completely. She burst through the ceiling and collapsed the roof onto them. But to her irritation, the debris began to float and orbit as Whisper equipped an Asteroid Cell, keeping it centered around her Wispon. Tangle tailed a debris piece, holding onto Whisper as she launched them up to Omelette. Whisper brought the debris field with her, smashing it into the Egg Crown.
The duo landed on what was left of the roof, Tangle pulling Lanolin and Belle up afterward. “Say! Looks like we got a full moon tonight.” Belle said.
“Well, Whisper? Got energy for one more howl?” Tangle asked.
“Only if you do.”
“You bet.” Lanolin smirked.
All three Mobians absorbed the moonlight into their irises. “AWOOOOOOOOO!” Whisper’s fur turned white and flowing once more.
“WOOHOOOOOOOO!” Tangle’s fur also turned white, her tail wrapping and twisting all around the air.
“BAAAAAAAAAAA!” Lanolin’s wool grew as wide and fluffy as a cloud. Belle was tucked cozily on top of it, Lanolin glancing up with a smile.
Meanwhile, Clutch’s possum mech spewed a wave of ash from its mouth, fogging and blinding his adversaries. The mech’s sweepers zoomed around the pavilion, ramming and knocking Marcus and Surge over. “And so long as my sweepers keep reabsorbing the dirt, I’ll have an endless arsenal to smother you with! In time, you’ll wind up as more ash for my stomach!”
“Talk about a bad diet!” Kit splashed his coils against the sweepers. “You need a DRINK!”
“Huh?!” Clutch panicked. With wet sweepers, the dirt was only sticking to them; they weren’t properly filtering up into his body!
Surge, meanwhile, was running around and building up a tornado with her speed, drawing the fog of ash into it. Clutch had his mech spew out balls of glass shards, but Marcus defended Surge with his Reflector Shield. “Yo, Marks, give me a boost!” Surge jumped over Marcus and Home Attacked him at an angle where his shield would bounce her into Clutch’s cockpit, cracking it.
“That’s more like it!” Marcus leapt up the mech’s leg and shattered the glass with a kick. Clutch pulled his Gun Cane to shoot him off, but Kit was prepared to rip Clutch off the mech with his hydro coils. The opossum swiftly shot the coils to splash them apart and free himself.
“Awoooooooo!”
“Huh!” Marcus perked up. “Sounds like Whisper has the right idea.” Marcus gazed at the moon himself. His azure fur attained a mystic glow, his tail flowed like a cloud, and the cloudy swirl on his head grew more pronounced.
“You’ve asked for it!” Clutch absorbed the moonlight himself: his green fur became hideously ruffled and his fangs and claws grew sharper. He and Marcus moved at wild speeds, exchanging bullets. Surge tried to rush the possum—her shoes got stuck on a trail of squished gum, expelled by Clutch’s rear dustpan. Clutch smirked and directed a bullet at her: it bounced off Surge’s forehead and bent her head back, but she would return upright with a vicious snarl. She electrified the gum off and charged a Spin Dash, but Clutch would jump it before spewing a broken jar and spilled sauce at the tenrec. “Y’know, the downside to my Sweep-Sweep Fruit is I get bad stomach cramps from the junk inside me. So, it feels good to expel it!”
“Then we’ll make sure to muzzle you after this!” Marcus tackled the possum, tanked the stream of glass shards Clutch would spew at him, and bite him in the shoulder. Kit seized Clutch’s arms and legs in his coils. Marcus would leap off as Surge leapt above the possum. “OVERCHAAAAARGE!” The tenrec unleashed a blinding ray of lightning over her foe.
On the roof, Tangle thrusted her tail directly at the Egg Crown; Omelette opened a portal to warp and redirect it at Tangle’s head. The lemur expected this and quickly bent her tail toward Omelette again. She opened another portal, but Tangle would bend her tail away from it, rapidly twisting it at multiple angles and with the speed of a bullet, before ultimately punching Omelette’s cockpit. It cracked from the impact as Tangle’s tail retracted. Omelette warped the Crown’s tentacles all directions around the operatives, but their enhanced speed and strength fended them off. Whisper would use a Pink Spike to swiftly saw the tentacles, dissipating their energy forms.
Lanolin converted her Wispon into jingle bell form, spinning her arms to build up their Sound Chi. “THIS should finish it!” With a colossal impact of her shockwave-inducing fists, the Egg Crown’s dome shattered, and parts of the mech burst off as it began sparking.
“GAAAAH!” Omelette quickly ejected her Egg Pod. “I used the best materials left in Dad’s storage to build that! How could you-”
“You know why?!” Belle was thrown up into her pod, snaring Omelette with her Spring Chickens. “’Cause the Diamond Cutters cut through ANYTHING!”
She threw Omelette to Lanolin. “Your dad ALWAYS ran away from the people he hurt! We’re not about to let you do the SAME!”
The sheep dealt a diamond-piercing headbutt, sending Omelette flying toward Whisper. Blue Hammer equipped, the wolf’s eyes burned with all the hatred she once bore for Eggman. “I hope he’s watching us from the Underworld right now!” She bashed Omelette around the air. “Because THIS IS HIS PUNISHMENT!”
Whisper sent her several dozen meters into the sky. Tangle shot her tail up to catch her. As she slammed Omelette back into her Egg Crown, the lemur propelled herself into the air. “So, if you ever try to hurt us again, you can expect the SAME THING!”
Her tail stretched miles to the sky, beyond Omelette’s horrified vision. The tail shot down like a comet, smashing the Egg Crown into the flying mansion’s foundation, and splitting the entire structure in half. Marcus’s group lost their footing, watching Clutch’s unconscious frame slide off through the center. “Whoops!” Tangle exclaimed. “’Guess I don’t know my own strength!”
“That thing’s flashing down there!” Belle screamed. “I think it’s gonna blow!”
“Hold on!” Tangle stretched her tail back down to retrieve Omelette’s sickened form. “Not letting you go out like this!”
“RUN FOR IT!” Lanolin bellowed. The operatives hightailed back to their ships, but by the time they made it, the entire Flying Possum combusted. The force blew and sent them plummeting down to Gotham City.
Dust and smoke surrounded them upon landing. Blotted from the moonlight, the Mobians reverted to their normal forms. “Ugghh…” Tangle groaned, rubbing her head. “Guys, where are you?!”
“Over here!” Her teammates hurried over.
“D.C.!” Marcus and Team Surge joined them. “Are you all right?”
“A-OK!” Tangle made the gesture with her tail. “…?! Crud! I dropped Omelette!”
“I think I saw her get blown further over!” Belle said. “What about Clutch?”
“We knocked him out before—UGH!” Surge was shot in the back of the head. The group whipped around in horror at Clutch, his Gun Cane trained as he gasped for breath.
“Ever heard of playing possum? Huff…next person who moves is getting the same!”
“Eeeuuuuhhh…” Surge drawled, wobbling as she recovered. “You’re gonna… pay for that one…”
The other operatives remained still in terror. Clutch sneered as he stepped back. …But it wasn’t him they were staring at. “Surge…Surge…”
“?!” The possum spun.
“MUST SUPPORT SURGE!” The Zombots of Mimic, Rough, and Tumble ambushed him from the smoke.
“AAAAAAHHH!” Clutch struggled to shake them off.
Zombots surrounded the operatives from every direction. “Nnnhh…huh?!” Omelette awoke elsewhere in the crowd, horrified as Zombots clung to her. “HEY! G-GET OFF ME! YOU WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO HURT ME! YOU WEREN’T—NO—AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
The operatives worked to blast Zombots away from one street and clear a path. “Surge! Surge!” Kit shook his dazed friend. “W-We need your help!”
“Kit, you’ll have to carry her!” Marcus shouted. “This’ll be the best chance we go-”
“AAAAHH!” Clutch dashed just between Tangle and Whisper, slashing them with his infected claws.
“If I’m going out, I’M TAKING YOU WITH ME!” Clutch rushed Marcus next, but the fox bounced him with his Reflector Shield before shooting him in the legs. “AAAAGH!” The fox spun and KO’ed Clutch with a solid kick.
Marcus glared over him for a moment. …His eyes flowed with concern as he turned to Tangle and Whisper. “Ahh…ah…!” The wolf was welling up with panic as her fur began to turn silver.
“No…no, no, no!” Tangle was equally horrified. Not over her own infection, but for Whisper’s. “I didn’t want this to happen to you! No!”
“L-Lanolin… what should we do?!” Belle asked.
Lanolin blasted back another group of Zombots. “I…I don’t know!”
“…” Tangle took a calm breath. “It…it’ll be alright. The Earth ops are already calling Mobius. We’re gonna be cured. We’ll be okay.”
“…” Whisper shut her eyes and breathed. “You’re right. Just… need to wait until it’s over. …Huff…” She shuddered. “It…it’ll be over in a second… right?”
“Yeah…” Tangle softly embraced her girlfriend. “We’ll feel cold and stiff… but then it’ll be over. Just gotta stay calm.”
“…Okay.” Whisper relaxed and returned the hug.
“…” Tears dripped down Lanolin’s pale face. “AAAAHH!” The sheep embraced her friends. “I’m not leaving you guys again!”
The others were dumbstruck by her choice. But her friends smiled, touched. “Belle! You make sure we get cured!”
“I…I will! I don’t wanna end up alone again!”
“You won’t! We promise!”
The horde continued to encroach on them. Tangle wrapped her tail around her friends like a safe, warm cocoon. “Diamond Cutters… together forever!”
…
…
…
Rainfall. A familiar, white rain… that smelled and tasted as bad as Tangle remembered. She looked around as the metal melted off of other people… Whisper and Lanolin among them. Their gazes drew to each other… and they brightened with smiles. The Diamond Cutters rushed to regroup. “Hehehehe! Over in the blink of an eye! Just like I thought!”
“TANGLE!” The lemur was suddenly tackled into a hug by-
“Jewel?! Haha! Gee, miss me much?”
“As soon as we got word about the virus, we rushed here as soon as we could! Thank goodness you’re all okay, I was worried sick!”
“Awe, you didn’t have to, Jewel. But now you get to join the celebrations with us!”
“To that end… what all happened while we were like that?” Lanolin asked.
“The mission is over.” Marcus stepped toward them. “The Brotherhood was defeated… all of their S-ranked Metabeasts were destroyed… and Shigaraki is no more. His Decay will never reach Mobius now. All we need to do now is round up our criminals.”
Sharing affirmative nods with each other, the group walked toward the edge of the rainfall. …There, they saw Surge and Kit. The tenrec gazed ponderingly at the rain. All the metal dissolving before her eyes, the parasites dying and never to harm another soul… If she stepped into this rain, would the same befall her? Would the Metal Virus… truly be gone?
Whisper stepped in front of her. Her eyes were slit open, meeting Surge’s. The glimmer in her eyes said ‘No.’ …Surge returned a heartfelt smile. Kit did as well.
“Ooooog…uuuuugh…” They noticed Clutch crawling out from the confused crowd. A pair of pink shoes landed before him: he looked up at a furious Jewel. “I… don’t suppose it’s too late to renew that partnership? D’WOW!”
Jewel thwacked her shoe straight up his nose, knocking the opossum clean out.
Belle found Omelette shuddering on the ground. “Dad…w-w-why would you… m-make those things… not listen to me…”
“…When the Metal Virus first spread, it scared the nails outta me. I couldn’t catch it, but… somehow, that felt worse. Watchin’ everyone I love become like that… tearin’ and clawin’ at each other… but that’s what your father did. That virus was built with nothin’ but his hatred for Mobius. His emptiness and his decision to give up. That’s the kind of man you aspire to be… is it?”
“I…I…I…” Eggman wasn’t supposed to be like that. His plans were always grandiose and… fun. Enforcing fear and dominion over others, fighting enemies with a cool giant mech… but that virus didn’t feel like his style. It felt… soulless and empty.
Belle pulled her tail and kicked Omelette into submission. “Think about that in time out.”
“Good thing the chancellor let me have some of that cure.” The Diamonds saw Haruka Dimalanta strolling by, studying her Metal Virus-coated arm. “But now that that’s taken care of, I wonder if I could make my own immunity to this?”
“ARE YOU CRAZY?!” Lanolin screamed. “GET OVER HERE AND GET CURED RIGHT NOW! Are all Earth operatives this RECKLESS?!” Her teammates sighed in agreement.
GKND H.Q.
The Mobian villains were given their own cell in the prison wing. Within hours, they would be transported back to their homeworld. Mimic stared passively through the barrier… Someone approached him. A teenage heroine with short brown hair and a space suit. She stopped before their cell and faced him. “Hey. Is your name Mimic?”
The octopus was calmly surprised. She came to meet him? “My name’s Ochaco. Himiko asked me to find you. …I’m sorry… but she died.”
Mimic kept his breath in. He’d never had to react to this type of news before. “She gave her life to save mine… I didn’t want her to, but…sigh. She wanted me to tell you…”
“Thanks for the fun time!”
“…” Mimic’s silence only made Ochaco feel tense. “I’m sorry.”
She slowly left. Mimic was still. In all his years, he never mourned for the gangs he used to work with. …So, what was this pain in his heart? What were these tears? Why did he really want to see her again… even knowing that he couldn’t.
Whisper loitered in the wing’s doorway. Mimic’s breaths were faint… but she heard them. She was proud.
Surge and Kit enjoyed a rewarding meal in the cafeteria. “Um…Surge?” The fennec spoke nervously. “I’ve… been thinking about… how you wanted me to find something else…” Surge glanced over with a raised brow. “I…I wanna try. I just…I don’t know if I can survive without you. I…I’m scared…”
“Sheesh, melodramatic, much?” Surge planted a hand on his head. “You got stabbed in the head and lived, you’ll survive just fine.”
“Um…”
“And besides, we ain’t gonna say goodbye forever. I’ll be there when ya really need me, Drippy. And we still got a war to finish. I want ya with me for that.”
“Hehe…yes, Ma’am!”
After the war…
Omelette was taken to a Zordoom Prison vessel. “?” Belle was waiting beside it. “Peh. You just can’t leave me alone, can ya?”
“…If that’s what you want, this’ll be the last time I’ll talk to you like this. I only wanted to remember our father for the good that he did… but if you only want to remember the bad, then we just won’t see eye to eye. But… I brought back someone who can.”
Omelette stepped into the vessel curiously. “HU-!” A certain robotic hedgehog was there, cuffed and bound as well. “Metal… Sonic?”
“I had a chance to study him when we broke into your Mechanos base.”
Omelette remembered. They were attacked by a Mechanos sector just before Belle and her friends arrived. The Mechanos ops shorted out Metal Sonic… but Belle repaired him. And he brought her to Eggman and Omelette. “So, I rebuilt him… so you can have someone to mourn with. And we convinced the prison staff to let him stay with you… so long as you behaved.” Even though you’ll probably break out together.
“…sniff…wwwwaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!” Omelette bowed her head against the robot’s chest. And Metal’s red eyes dimmed as he bowed as well.
The Diamond Cutters watched the transport take off. Lanolin patted Belle’s back in pride. “OH!” Her left pupil dropped to the bottom of her eye. “Belle, I’m so sorry!”
“Ah, no biggie. ’Guess I’m still a bit rusty from the war.”
“Y-Yeah…” Belle had taken quite a few beatings for someone who had almost never seen action before the Superbia mission. “Belle, you think it’s time to upgrade to a new body?”
“Yeah, robots can do that, right?” Tangle asked. “And you can just make it like this body.”
“I know I can… but… this is the body Mr. Tinker made for me. I wanna hold onto it ’long as I can. And besides… if I can just keep doin’ that, when do I stop?
Someday, y’all will be gone, and that wouldn’t be fair.”
“Belle.” Lanolin rested a hand on her head. “You deserve as long a life as you can get. I’m sure your father would’ve wanted that, too. I know the Mechanos kids say, ‘When does a robot’s life end’ and ‘What’s considered mortality for us’… but it just feels wrong not doing the best you can to take care of yourself!”
“I agree.” Whisper nodded. “You deserve a happy future as much as the rest of us. If upgrading your body is necessary for that, you should.”
“Y…Yeah.” Belle bowed. “You might be right. And, there’s so much I wanna do for people, anyway. Can’t do much of nothin’ if I don’t fix myself first.”
“That’s the spirit!” Lanolin cheered.
“But I hope I at least managed to fix Omelette… just a little.”
“I’m sure you did.” Tangle said. “Now…” she turned to Whisper, “to fulfill that promise.”
The wolf had the most eager smile on her features.
A certain planet…
Belle drove the entire way while Whisper was blindfolded. Wanting to preserve the surprise as much as possible. “Okay, Whisper.” Tangle said. “We’re here.”
She pulled off the blindfold. “!!!” Her eyes had never grown so wide. The trees…the flowers… the Wisps… everything was as fantastical as she had dreamed. It was dazzling. “…P…Puh…Pla…PLANET WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISP!”
“Golly.” Jewel said. “That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard her.”
“TANGLE!! LOOK AT ’EM!” She grabbed her girlfriend’s shoulders and shook frantically. “THERE’S SO MANY! AAAAAHHH!” She sprinted into the lush field, pulling the lemur. “The sky with stars so briiiight! The colors feel so riiiiight!”
“Hahahahahaha!” Tangle was beyond delighted. She was so glad Whisper could finally fulfill her dream… and even more that she, Tangle, could be part of it as well. This whole year, ever since meeting Whisper, had been a blessing. And things were only going to get better.
Towards the Future
After having their fun on Planet Wisp, and helping with more cleanup around Mobius, the Diamond Cutters would take some time each year to visit other worlds. They explored the worlds of Mira, Mushroom, Mechanos, Hyrule, Avalar, and Earth, and studied the many disasters that befell them, understanding the pain their people had gone through. They also took Haki lessons from Maddy and quickly adapted to the art; Tangle and Lanolin with Armament and Whisper in Observation. And let’s just say they needed it with Tangle picking fights with Mira’s strong creatures.
Whisper, having conquered her fears of Mimic and the Metal Virus, plus her friendship with Surge, began to have less and less nightmares. Occasionally, they would resurface, but as soon as she saw Tangle’s beaming face in the morning, the momentary fear would subside. She took time to hang out with Surge and other friends as well, growing more open and happy. She would also upload her videos of her family on the KND’s website, so everyone could learn the story of the Diamond Cutters.
Lanolin would find her own romance one day with Geoffrey St. John, a skunk Mobian. He had left the KND after his ex-girlfriend, Hershey, died in the Pirate War, and for that period, he also sided with King Mickey. After all was said and done, his morals were askew, and Lanolin could understand his pain.
Belle, in helping with Mobius’ restoration, began to build playgrounds and helped construct theme parks around the world, making the world a happier place for everyone! She even pitched in the same manner while joining her friends on their trips to other worlds, and training from Haylee Gilligan would improve her skills tenfold. Belle’s skills would reach the sound sensors of the Mechanos KND, who would recruit her for their World Playroom Project.
Surge would join Sonia and Manic’s band as the guitarist and spread happiness to Mobius with music. She gained fame and, coupled with her honest attempts at heroism, people slowly forgot about her containing the Metal Virus, even dismissing it as a rumor.
Kit would take Halinor Prower up on her original offer and join her in gardening. He would later join their family in restoring forestation to natural areas ruined by war. In their teenage years, Kit and Halinor’s adorable friendship would evolve into something more.
And Jewel, inspired by her friends’ words, went to law school and pursued a political career, determined to keep serving the people of Mobius in her own way. Decades later, she would become just as beloved as Former Chancellor Yorkshire.
Angel Island; 20 years later
The children sat around Whisper and Tangle with strong attention. A grayscale wolf. A biscotti lemur with brown spirals along her tail. A blue fox with rainbowy tints around his fur, along with his cloudy-white beetle sister. A light-green hedgehog with electrical quills. A cyan fennec with nine plant-like tails. A sheep with white horns. Most of the narrative was conveyed by Whisper, while Tangle took the liberty of describing the action scenes. Her expressions and animations really brought life to them.
“And… that’s pretty much the brunt of our story.” Whisper concluded simply. “Our story of love, tears, regrets, apologies, and healing. And as for Mimic… we never saw or heard from him again. But…but I want to hope… he found his own happiness… somewhere.”
She felt Tangle’s hand hold hers, passing a smile to her wife. “Wait, what about the Throne War?!” their lemur daughter asked. “How did that end?!”
“Oh, it was CRAZY!” Tangle exclaimed. “We-”
“Tangle, that’s not really our story to tell.” Whisper said.
“But we were there! And it was so awesome!”
“Mostly on crowd control. Anyway, Tangle and I would always come to Angel Island on this day: August 8. When we first met. When we first had each other’s backs in battle. This is the island where dreams begin… and where nightmares end. Five years after the war, we married on this date. And even later… we’d have Ribbon and Whistle.”
Their wolf daughter whistled a pleasant tune. “And you and my mom became police officers!” the sheep girl, Jane cheered. She had a mix of white and black wool.
“That we did. After our adventures, we did consider just settling down… but that wouldn’t rest well with Tangle.” Whisper chuckled. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Even when I’m old and gray, I’ll be kicking butt and protecting Mobius!” Tangle exclaimed.
“She’s already old and gray!” Gem the Beetle said.
“Hey, the World Playground!” Nine the Fennec beamed in remembrance. “Where we went last month!”
“Alright, alright,” Surge came to push the two mothers aside, “just end your sappy love story already. It’s MY turn! Here’s the story of how I banged a drummer!”
“Surge.” Whisper glared reproachfully. “That story’s inappropriate.”
“You think EVERYTHING I do is inappropriate!”
“It is.”
A short distance over, Lanolin, wearing a yellow Interpol inspector vest, was conversing with Belle, now in an adult-like body. “Thanks again for helping with that mess in the Night Carnival.” the sheep said.
“Not a problem!” Belle chirped. “Wherever things need fixing, I’m your gal!”
“Lanolin!” Jewel fluttered over, munching a slice of strawberry pie. She wore a whitish-pink outfit and dress with darker pink rim. “You have to try this! Honestly, it’s criminal that Tangle never submitted her cooking to contests or Gourmet Fest! I never imagined it getting this good!”
“Maybe you should ask her to cook for the council, Miss Chancellor.”
“Perhaps I should! And, please, Lanolin, you’ve known me for years. Just call me Jewel!”
The children had gone to frolic about the island in a game of tag. The green hedgehog quickly caught Ribbon with her lightning speed, making her ‘it.’ “Hey, no using lightning to cheat, Jade!” Ribbon stretched her tail in attempt to catch Nine.
Tangle and Whisper watched them with delight, the wolf leaning into her wife. “On some mornings… all those memories come rushing back to me. My feelings become a storm all over again. And I think to myself… am I dreaming? Is this… Have I… really become this happy?”
“…” Tangle’s response was a firm bite to the ear. “OW!”
“Welp, you aren’t snapping awake, right? So, this must be real.” Tangle turned Whisper’s gaze to the children. “This is the reality we made together.”
“…It is. And I love every single part of it.”
…
The island’s guardian, an orange Echidna woman named Tikal, saw an average human man in tourist’s clothes. “Hello.” Tikal approached him. “Are you here to see the emerald? There’s a private event going on today, so…”
The man observed the gathering from here. His gaze was drawn to Ribbon and Whistle, the wolf swift in evading her sister’s tail… and he saw their mothers wrapped in Tangle’s tail. “That’s okay. I’ve seen enough.” He returned the way he came. His eyes turned black… and his heart stung with a flicker of warmth.
The Cyclone was made by senshi05 as Whisper’s motorcycle.
Oprissmian3 on Chapter 1 Thu 23 Jun 2022 09:41PM UTC
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TrooperDroneFCU001 on Chapter 11 Tue 27 Aug 2024 10:34PM UTC
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TrooperDroneFCU001 on Chapter 40 Tue 15 Oct 2024 08:22PM UTC
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