Pahrak Model ZX

Now Samus is Metroid and the saxophone wants her dead.

A bit nervous since I've been struggling to write anything lately, but...this was really fun last year, and I'd hate to pass up the chance.

*Shooting Stars playing faintly in the background*

Sign me the heck up

I AM IRON MAN

(For best results position directly below "WELCOME TO THE DEEP") Mantax: "Can we take you order?"

The World Ends With You Final Remix released on Switch earlier this month, and the other day I just finished my trip through its brand-new scenario “A New Day”. Being the first real addition to TWEWY, it’s kind of a big deal, so I wanted to share my thoughts on it. Naturally this post is full of spoilers—you’ve been warned! For starters, the marketing was very misleading. Saying the new scenario “gets to the heart of the story” when it’s tangential at best is a flat-out lie, and focusing the teaser around a Hype-chan scene and Coco reviving Sho really give you the wrong idea about what to expect. Also, the latter is basically the last scene, and using that in the very first teaser is…odd. There was also that new art that showed basically every major character facing off, and it might’ve just been me, but that combined with the shot of Sho made me think all those characters were going to be in it—though to be honest, it might be for the best they didn’t go that way. A New Day isn’t quite what the marketing would have you believe it is. So what is it, then? Well, it’s sequel bait. And…pretty much only that. While the fact that it’s been added onto TWEWY as a bonus scenario makes it seem to be some kind of epilogue, playing through it, it feels more like a rather bloated prologue to a new story. Very little actually happens over the course of A New Day, and while I think that would have been alright if it had stayed a self-contained bonus chapter, the ending gives the impression that you did all that largely pointless stuff just to get to this exact point…which just so happens to be a cliffhanger. If you want to tease a new game, you make a secret movie! Don’t have us slog through a long bonus chapter where we don’t learn anything or see anyone change just to throw that at us! Now it feels like this whole event was meant to be an important plot development, and in that light it just doesn’t hold up. The only scene that made me genuinely feel glad to be watching it was at the end when Neku gets a call from Shiki (seeing him be so casual about the fact that he’s got friends now is beautiful) and then Beat immediately calls Rhyme to make sure she’s okay (he’s a good brother). Other than that…well, I enjoyed seeing Coco freak out when Hanekoma blew her cover, but I wouldn’t say that endeared her to me or anything. Even Another Day gives us more insight by revealing that the reason Neku is the way he is at the start of the game was because he previously had a friend who died and he blamed himself. I don’t think anything in A New Day is comparable to that. Anyway, if they’re hyping up a sequel then that’s good news, right? Well…yes and no. True, I’ve always wanted more from this IP and a sequel would certainly give me that. But there are two big causes of concern for me, the first being that this is not the first time a sequel has been teased. The whole reason we call Hype-chan that is because when she appeared for a split-second we were all sure it meant a sequel was coming. That was in 2012. Heck, in Another Day Hanekoma mentions a Noise visible from the RG which I’m fairly certain is whatever messed up Shinjuku, and that was as far back as the original DS version in 07/08! Following this trend, they’ll announce a sequel out of nowhere in five years if we’re lucky. Point being, it’s hard to get super excited about supposed new developments in this IP when previous such teases have gone nowhere fast. Secondly, on a more personal level…I’m officially sick of Kingdom Hearts’ garbage. As a result of this I’ve come to realize that Nomura was nowhere near as involved in TWEWY as I once thought, and can’t help but think that that’s why it’s actually a good game, but the thing is…we don’t know what the team for a sequel would look like. And A New Day is more or less an empty rehash, brings a character from a mobile game into official cannon, and revives fan-favorite Minamimoto for no apparent reason. All of which is Kingdom Hearts garbage. I’m worried that Nomura is going to take the reigns on a sequel and screw TWEWY up, and I really, really don’t want to see that happen. A lot of this is harsh, but I don’t actually hate A New Day. Even if it’s not stellar, it is new TWEWY content—for the very first time! A lot of the new pins are really sweet, and while the tweaks on the gameplay can get frustrating (screw the Raven Ball) they can also be fun in short bursts, and serve as innovation on the basic game that really does keep things fresh for even us longsuffering players. I’m glad Final Remix was made and I’m glad I bought it. Plus, maybe we’ll get news on a sequel soon, and maybe it’ll be good! Those outcomes are still possible. I’m definitely going to be cautious as we wait to hear more from Square, but I haven’t given up all hope entirely or anything like that. The chances of getting a good TWEWY sequel are stronger now than they’ve been in years at least, maybe the strongest ever. And I definitely appreciate that. (Side theory: Coco is either the Composer or Conductor of the Shinjuku UG, and her initial plan was to “feed” Neku and Beat to the Dissonance Tapir to drastically increase its power and fight whatever messed up her city. Now that the Tapir’s gone, she’s pulling Neku and Minamimoto into her Reaper’s Game to fight on her behalf. It would explain how she’s so powerful; plus, Hanekoma has some knowledge of this type of Noise and implies someone else may have taught Coco about it, which could mean that Shinjuku’s Producer is the one who taught her. Hype-chan isn’t a part of her plan (yet), she’s just someone like Neku with a unique Soul composition, and perhaps the visions Neku received were the result of some special Pact he and she made unconsciously—Pacts protect Players from Noise, and that might be why she’s the only one left in Shinjuku. Also, the CD for the track that plays when you fight the Dissonance Tapir implies time travel might be involved somehow? (More Kingdom Hearts garbage!) Hopefully not…)

I told my sister about my new mantra and she got such a kick out of it that she gave me this shirt as an early Christmas gift I love it a lot

I love you and I'm here for you

SECTION XII Bitil silently nodded to the Rahkshi who opened the gate for him, and then headed straight for his watchtower. He stopped as soon as he opened the door: Antroz was inside, but her sword was drawn for some reason, and she was moving about in an odd, abrupt fashion. “Antroz?” he asked. She jumped, turning to face him. “B-Bitil? Is that you?” He closed the door behind him. “Yes…what are you doing?” “Nothing,” Antroz said, quickly sheathing her sword. “It’s nothing.” Bitil nodded slowly. “Alright. I see you made it back from your visit to the Sand Lord. Was it a fruitful encounter?” Antroz shifted her weight. “…Somewhat. The Sand Lord wishes us to prove that we are worth allying with; specifically, she asked that we conquer Xia without killing any Vorox.” “Xia? That’s not going to be easy…well, when Krika gets back, I suppose we’ll have to start planning that assault.” Bitil walked towards the stairs. Antroz asked, “Where are you going?” “To make an announcement.” He continued without offering anything more, so Antroz ended up following him. When they came to the top of the tower, Bitil used his Sonic powers to generate a sound like loud bells, and hearing this, the Rahkshi all stopped what they were doing and gathered together at the tower’s base. Bitil took a deep breath. “My children…I wish to apologize to you all.” A ripple of soft, confused hissing moved through the crowd below. “We have suffered a great loss, and I have made incredibly poor decisions in dealing with it. There is no excuse for this. But, I am now ready to make amends.” The Rahkshi fell deathly quiet. “In two days’ time, at midday, we will hold a proper burial for your brother Virban, to honor his life so that he may rest in peace. It was a mistake not to do this sooner—I see that now. I ask that you all be there, and as details are decided I may ask some of you to help in the arrangements. I hope that this is acceptable.” The Rahkshi all hissed loudly. Hearing their agreement, Bitil smiled. “Thank you all. If you wish to speak with me about the ceremony, please feel free. That is all for now.” His eyes combed through the crowd as it began to break apart. Turning to Antroz, he said, “I don’t see Charla or Lady Zaekura anywhere. Do you know where they are?” “Ah…I believe they went to investigate the lab Lord Velika uncovered,” Antroz said. Bitil nodded and took a step towards the stairs. “…You are welcome to attend the ceremony if you wish, Antroz.” She inclined her head. “Thank you, Bitil. Perhaps I will.” As he descended the stairs, he thought he noticed Antroz turn sharply, but he paid it no mind. He made his way down and out of the tower, back out the gate, and over to where the lab entrance was, informing the guards there of his decision before heading down into the earth to the massive hidden cavern. Zaekura stood over at the central terminal, with Charla sitting on a chair not far away. “Pardon me,” Bitil said. Zaekura looked over her shoulder. Charla leapt to her feet, greeting, “Oh, Lord Bitil! Welcome back! Did…did you speak with Makuta Kojol? Was she of any help?” “She was,” Bitil said as he came closer. “Thank you for sending me, Charla. I am in your debt.” Zaekura turned fully, leaning back against the console and crossing her arms. “So, what’s up? You must have something to say if you came out to find us.” “Indeed. Two days from now, we will be giving Virban a proper burial. If it is not too much to ask, Charla, I would appreciate your assistance in organizing it.” Charla was stunned for a moment. Then, nodding a bit, she said, “Yes, Lord Bitil. It would be an honor. Thank you.” “I also wanted to say I’m sorry. I now realize I’ve been acting a fool, and that it…may have given off the wrong impression. If that was the case, then I am truly, truly sorry.” “I know. Thank you, Lord Bitil. I think this is exactly what we all need.” Charla turned to Zaekura, who smiled at her. When she looked back to Bitil, he said, “And, Lady Zaekura…well, I am not sure how well you knew Virban, but…the Rahkshi all think very highly of you, and it would mean a lot to them…and to me, as well, if you were to be there.” “…Sure,” Zaekura said. “I’ll be there.” “Thank you,” Bitil said, relief evident in his features. “So…what have you been doing down here?” Zaekura grimaced, lightly striking the console with her knuckles. “Just messing around with this thing. Felt like I could use a distraction, but it still makes no sense; at this rate I’m only getting more frustrated.” “More? Did something happen?” “Oh, right.” She shifted a bit, averting her eyes. “Turns out my dad died when Nynrah was attacked. Fangs knew the whole time, but she only just told me. I’m pretty annoyed by that.” Bitil’s eyes widened as he soaked in the information. “She…she what?!” Zaekura managed a smirk. “Gotta say, getting reasonable reactions is honestly helping.” “Why that…! I’m so terribly sorry, Lady Zaekura. Is there anything I can do to help?” “Thanks, but no. I’ll work it out on my own.” Bitil turned towards the stairs. “I can’t believe she would keep that from you! I should shove her essence in a vial for something like this!” “No, that’s okay. I already gave her a piece of my mind, and I’m sure I’ll have more for her later.” “Is that why she was acting so jumpy?” Bitil asked as he turned back. Zaekura raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Jumpy?” “I encountered her in the tower when I returned. She seemed flustered somehow, and even had her sword drawn when I found her.” “Her sword? What was she expecting to do with that? I haven’t seen her since she told me the news, so I don’t know what her problem is.” “If I may say so, having a ‘jumpy’ Makuta around sounds a bit…dangerous,” Charla said. “Should something be done?” Bitil thought for a moment. “Let’s just keep an eye out. Unless she loses her mind completely, I doubt we have much to fear from Antroz. Leave her to face whatever unsettles her.” “No complaints here,” Zaekura grumbled. “Oh, that’s right. She told me what the Sand Lord requested.” “You mean about Xia? Yeah, that’s on the agenda.” She paused a moment, then said, “But, don’t worry about it right now: you focus on Virban’s burial. After that, we’ll start on an attack strategy. I, uh, could use a little breather as well.” “I’m sure.” Bitil took a brief look around. “I think I’ll be heading back, then. There’s much for me to do.” He departed, and Zaekura turned to Charla once he was gone. “…You sure you’re up to organizing this thing?” Charla nodded. “Yes. I want to do what I can to honor my brother.” “I get that, but…weren’t you feeling sorta conflicted? Have you worked through that?” The Rahkshi looked down at her hands as she wrung them together. “…Not entirely, I suppose.” Zaekura stepped towards her. “But, I want to do this! I won’t get another chance—I can’t lose it to hesitation.” “It seemed worse than hesitation.” Charla paused. “Well...either way. I want Virban to be honored, but depending on how that is done…it could only inspire more Rahkshi to sacrifice themselves. I don’t want that to happen. So…if I am involved in organizing the ceremony, I can take precaution against it. Perhaps finding balance there will help me to settle my own conflict.” “…Alright,” Zaekura said. “Good luck. And, you know…I’m here if you need me.” Charla nodded. “Thank you, Lady Zaekura. It eases my mind knowing I have your support.” *** Toa Kodan rushed across the street, shouting, “Makuta Yarion!” The Makuta stopped on the sidewalk and waited for the Toa to catch up. “Apologies, Toa, but I don’t have anything for you today.” “But Makuta, what about the artist that was arrested yesterday?” Kodan said, pulling a blank tablet from his satchel. “I saw the record update: you dropped the charges! Does that have anything to do with the rumors circulating about the criminal assisting Makuta Krika?” “I do not know of any rumors. I simply judged the case to the best of my ability.” Kodan waved his hand over the tablet, willing those words to appear on its surface. “And is that your official statement?” Yarion sighed. “Good evening, Toa.” The Makuta walked away before Kodan could say anything else. The Toa grumbled to himself, shoved the tablet away, and headed in the opposite direction. It was a short walk to his workplace, the Civitas Chronicle, and he was barely inside before a group of his employees swarmed him. “Did you get a statement?” a Matoran asked. “You’ve gotta have something we can print, right?” “Not exactly,” Kodan said. “Makuta Yarion wasn’t in the mood to talk.” He could feel them all deflate. An Agori asked, “What if we all meet up at Yarion’s office tomorrow? They’ll have to talk to us then, right?” “It isn’t that simple, Tarduk. If Yarion doesn’t want to comment on a case, they don’t comment on a case. Pestering them isn’t going to change anything.” “But what are we going to do?” another Agori asked. “This whole Nynrah thing is blowing up bigger than any story I’ve ever seen, but no one has any clue what’s actually happening! We have to tell the people something!” Kodan shrugged. “Look, if we don’t have the information, there’s nothing we can say! We’re not just going to toss out a column of rumors like those idiots at Voriki Post—admitting we have nothing to say is still better than that trash.” “Boss,” said the Matoran, “the trash will outsell us if we don’t have any way of competing with it. People are expecting us to tackle the Nynrah issue! We need an article about it, even if it’s just an editorial.” Kodan rubbed his neck. “…Tomorrow’s edition is already finalized anyway. Let me sleep on it, alright? I’ll have a plan in the morning.” Dissatisfied murmurings came from all around as the crowd began to break. Kodan went to his office, shut the door behind him, and flicked on the lightstone perched on the corner of his desk. Setting down his satchel, he flopped into his chair and sighed loudly as he began to wrack his brain over what to do. “Quite the conundrum.” The Toa nearly fell out of his chair. He became aware of someone standing by the far wall, a Toa of Sonics by the looks of it, watching him with an amused smirk. “W-Who are you?” Kodan asked as he stood up. “How did you get in here?” “Not important,” the stranger said. “I beg to differ,” Kodan mumbled. The stranger slowly paced across the office. “No, Toa Kodan, what’s important is what I can do for you. I have a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, one that will bring the Civitas Chronicle notoriety the likes of which you could only dream of.” Kodan didn’t say a word. “What if I told you…that I could arrange an exclusive interview that would give insight into the truth about what happened in Nynrah?” Sitting back down, Kodan said, “Oh I don’t know. ‘You must’ve heard us talking,’ or ‘Have you been pitching this to every news outlet in the region,’ or ‘I’ll do whatever you want!’ You’re hoping for something like that, I’m guessing?” The stranger chuckled. He came to a stop, staring at the wall for a few seconds before going on, “You’ve heard the rumors, yes?” “I hear all the rumors. But I work in facts.” “I admire that. In the interest of full disclosure, I did investigate several other outlets before deciding on this one, but you are the first one I’ve actually approached. That dedication to printing only the verified is exactly why. You seek to keep the public informed, and take every step to avoid misinforming them. The Chronicle has been running for centuries, and not a single retraction! People trust you, Toa Kodan. They know that you would never invent a story to sell an issue, that even if the knowledge contained sounds farfetched, you would not be sharing it with them were it not true.” The stranger faced him. “I’m the one who’s been spreading rumors about Nynrah, about Krika, about Zaekura. And I’ve been doing that because they are true. The girl has been condemned for no crime, and Nynrah was razed because she would not turn herself in.” Kodan tapped a finger against his desk. “Am I to take your word for that?” “No, of course not. Hence the interview. It mayn’t be immediate, but if you are patient for, let us say, 1 to 2 weeks, I can arrange a meeting between you and Zaekura herself.” A long silence passed. Kodan’s chair creaked as he leaned forward, setting his elbows on his desk and folding his hands before his face as he eyed the stranger carefully. The stranger chuckled. “I wonder,” he said, “do you not trust me, or are you concerned about the backlash interviewing such a high-profile criminal could bring?” “Both,” Kodan said. “Even if you’re telling the truth, there would be a lot of questions about how I met Zaekura, and if I might be in league with her. If I’m not careful, that could ruin my entire business.” “It won’t be that difficult, Kodan. You were already considering visiting Ga-Koro, were you not?” “…What makes you say that?” “You did say you hear all the rumors—of course you know that the citizens of Nynrah fled there. So, if you wish to learn more about the situation, it would make sense to at least consider trekking out there and seeing who you could interview. And what if, by sheer coincidence, Zaekura herself happens to be there, ready to answer a few questions?” Kodan grunted. The stranger approached the desk and looked him in the eye, saying, “Ga-Koro is neutral ground—you will have every justification you need to avoid suspicion. Well, save a few raving lunatics, but surely you’re accustomed to dealing with those? This is your chance to shed light on the most dire issue of our millennium, perhaps our entire history. This is the only way the people will know the truth.” Kodan stared hard at him. With a sigh, he said, “I have to admit, you’re making an attractive offer…but you still haven’t proved that I can believe you. As far as we know, the only one working with Zaekura is Makuta Krika, maybe Makuta Antroz—I haven’t heard anything about a Toa on her side. Who are you?” The stranger grinned. Holding up one hand, he opened his palm, and the light from the lightstone suddenly shot over to it. This time, Kodan hit the floor. “I’ll contact you once Zaekura agrees to the interview,” Krika said, closing his fingers around the ball of light. “Thank you for your consideration, Toa Kodan.” He clenched his fist, and the room was pitch-black. Kodan scrambled up, hitting the lightstone again, but when it illuminated the room once more Krika was gone. The Toa took a moment to catch his breath before he sat back down. “Boss?” a Matoran said as she cracked the door. “You alright?” “Uh, yeah,” Kodan said. “Just, uh…lost my balance.” The Matoran snickered. “Hey, get your head on straight. We’ve got an important job to do!” She was gone then, leaving Kodan alone with his thoughts. For a time he just sat there. “Hey, Gaaki,” he called as he walked out into the hallway. “How much money do we have set aside for travel?” *** Antroz sat on the ground floor of Bitil’s watchtower, her body still and her mind reaching just outside the walls that surrounded her. She could sense the Rahkshi going by, some working, some wandering, but nearly all of them thinking of Virban so strongly that she could read bits of it without even trying. One Rahkshi was recalling the battle, and how it had shocked them to see their brother slain so easily. A handful were standing around practicing with their weapons, talking of how they hoped to avenge him in the next battle. Many passers-by were simply excited or anxious about the upcoming funeral. “And you, Antroz, are the reason he died,” said the voice. Antroz twitched, but then grew still once more. She reduced the range of her telepathy by only a little. “Over two hundred sheltered minds, never knowing grief before now. But when you showed up, one of them died. Surely they blame you for it.” Her leg began to bounce. She continued to reel in her mind slowly, focusing more and more on the details of her surroundings and attempting to notice anything out of the ordinary. “How many more are going to die? And not just Rahkshi. Toa, Glatorian, Agori, Matoran—so very, very many are going to die because you refused to follow your orders. All because you had to do ‘the right thing’. Will they feel that gives their death meaning?” Antroz’s wings spread for a moment, closing in a few short motions. She could only sense her immediate area now, and though the range grew more and more narrow, still there was nothing of note. “How wretched you are, Antroz. You’ve regressed to your most basic state of primal vanity. You don’t even care about all the blood that will be spilled as a result.” Her mind was withdrawn now. She knew not what was around her, but still she could hear the voice, a voice without a body, a voice that could be anywhere, could be everywhere around her. “I wonder what the visitor would say if he heard about what you were doing? This sounds an awful lot like what his Antroz would do.” Shooting to her feet, Antroz drew her sword and swung it in a circle around herself. She shuffled about, keeping her blade extended to try to ward off whoever was there, but knew she could do nothing more. “Yes, that’s all you are—that’s the truth at the core of who you are, Antroz. You are evil. Nothing but pure evil. And nothing can ever change that.” Antroz put a hand to her head. “No! No, I am not! I am not!” She swung her sword again. A moment later, she heard the door open, and she reached out with her mind as she whirled. “What the karzahni?!” Zaekura stopped where she stood. Antroz was on the other side of the room, but her sword was still pointed right at her, and the look on her face was unnerving. “…Zaekura…?” Antroz asked. Leaning back, Zaekura asked, “Who were you expecting?” Antroz lowered her sword at once, turning away to cover her face. “I-I’m sorry. I thought…no, never mind.” “So this is what Bitil meant,” Zaekura mumbled, tentatively moving inside. “Can’t you find something better to do than stand around waving your sword?” She walked towards the stairs. “I’m sorry,” Antroz said quietly. “Yeah, whatever.” Antroz turned and approached her. “Please, Zaekura! I’m sorry I hid the truth from you—it was a mistake! I didn’t know what to do, especially with so much happening at once! What can I do to show you that I’m sorry?” “I don’t know!” Zaekura said, throwing her arms out. “I don’t know what to do with this whole situation, and I don’t know if I’m even going to figure anything out! If I do, I’ll let you know, but for now just…” She sighed. “I don’t know, just stop whatever this is! You’re making everyone nervous!” As Antroz prepared her response, she heard a noise and spun to face it. “My gosh…” Zaekura moved to climb the stairs. Antroz turned back and said, “W-Wait, Zaekura! I think there’s someone here!” “What, like you can sense someone?” “…No, I can’t sense them, but I hear someone speaking.” “Right now?” “Not right now, no, only when I’m…” She hesitated, but nonetheless finished, “Alone.” Zaekura leaned against the handrail, staring at Antroz with a mix of frustration and disbelief. “So when you’re alone…you’re hearing voices? That’s what you’re telling me?” “I realize how it sounds.” “Do you?” “I am being serious, Zaekura! We must be vigilant until we understand what is going on!” “What’s going on is that you’re losing your darn mind when we’ve only just—“ Zaekura pulled back and cut herself off, grabbing her head as it throbbed. “…Look, if you’re getting cold feet then just get lost. You’ve done nothing but make things worse anyway. No one here will miss you.” And then Antroz was alone again. She turned nervously, alert and ready for the next time the voice would appear, because she was sure that it would. *** Over a kio away from the outpost, a lone figure ascended a dune and paused to admire the night sky. The Le-Matoran decided to sit down for a moment, unlimbering the scythe he carried as he did, and produced a cloth with which to clean the weapon. “Nidhiki.” The Matoran swung his blade. It only passed through air. “Calm down.” Nidhiki sighed, setting the scythe across his lap. He looked up to see his partner not far away, and said, “Will you stop sneaking up on me like that?” “I did not sneak up. I merely came to where you are.” “Oh, shut up. Would it kill you to give a little more warning?” Receiving no response, he went on, “So, what is it? Got something good for me?” “Antroz has been suitably affected. Her allies are beginning to grow wary of her, and she grows ever more erratic. The time approaches when we will be able to subdue her.” Nidhiki raised his scythe, letting the moonlight glint off its edge. “Yep, that sounds pretty good. Tell you what, why don’t I sneak in tonight, take her by surprise while you distract her?” “We would then be swarmed by Bitil’s entire army. We are ill-equipped for such a task.” “Eh, I dunno, I might not be as quick as you but I think I could get in and get out before they have a chance to gang up on me.” “Do not ruin our mission with your foolishness.” Nidhiki sighed, setting his scythe back down. “Come on. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go report back to the Keeper. Aren’t you eager to tell him about a successful mission?” “I am eager to tell him of a mission correctly executed. In order to do that, we must not rush things.” Grunting, Nidhiki got to his feet and started walking. “Close in and wait for my signal. I will find the most opportune time to extract Antroz, and hopefully Zaekura as well. We may tread slowly for now…but our destination grows closer just the same.” Nidhiki waved half-heartedly and kept walking. Shortly, he stopped and looked back, seeing that his partner had already vanished. He gave a sigh and continued on his way. ADDENDUM: -Hm, still a little short. Sorry about that. -I do my best to be serious about it but even I crack up whenever we get into a conversation with Rahkshi and I have to throw adverbs at “hissing” to simulate variety. I apologize for this design flaw. -While trying to find the best way to fill this chapter while maintaining the pace I have in mind, having a scene showing Krika work on Zaekura’s PR was the only sensible option, but I wasn’t sure how best to do that. As I thought more about it, I realized rumors will only get so far and that proper news outlets are something one would definitely want on their side. Hence, the Civitas Chronicle. It seemed only appropriate for a Chronicler to be our point of view here, but Takua, Hahli, and Kopeke all have other avenues open to them, whereas Kodan…well, this is really all he has, so he got first dibs. Really, the guy’s a blank slate. I’m not sure exactly how far he’ll go, but I think he’ll prove a worthwhile addition even if he ends up being a brief one. -Let me tell you, I’m proud of myself for coming up with Voriki Post. I was wondering how Voriki could fit into this world or if I should even try, and then this hit me, and, yeah, perfect fit. For those who don’t know: Voriki (Toa of Energy) was one of the very first prominent fake leaks that occurred throughout Bionicle’s run, nothing more than a rumor and a photoshopped image that was pretty obviously fake…unless you were 9. He’s sort of become the mascot of such lies, hence why he’s associated with unreliable news here. -Tarduk was more or less a random pick honestly. Gaaki has some experience with translation, which I felt was a skill that would be valued in this line of work. -For the first appearance of the Odinans, it only seemed right to have Nidhiki, though since I already killed off Krekka in Gargoyle Knight I had to get creative with his partner. I won’t reveal who the voice is just yet, but there’s a hint or two hidden in there to point you in the right direction. -I have a good idea of how the next few chapters are going to go, so hopefully they won’t take too long? Yeah, I am currently sidetracked by The World Ends With You: Final Remix, but I have made good progress—won’t be long before that distraction is done! Maybe. Here’s hoping. -Reviews to be submitted here

Mata Nui: *looks at shield* This isn't on the shopping list.

Need some more candy cane

A war can be two lackluster duels while nine dudes in cloaks stand around watching

Mata Nui: "Is a consistent depiction of Spherus Magna really too much to ask for?! You know what, screw this. Mata Nui out."

Chapter 21 Wolfe stared at the newly reopened distortion, Wolf pacing behind him. It flashed suddenly, and a moment later Sonia and Geo reappeared on the roof, neither looking very satisfied. “Empty,” Sonia said as she closed up the Noise Wave entrance. “Not even any Noise beasts—they must have used another exit before we got in.” “Can’t you find it with your program?” Wolfe asked. “We tried,” Geo said, “but the Noise is way too intense in there. We’ll never be able to find the access point from the inside.” “What a shame,” Lyra said. “At the very least, I’ve taken further readings for our friends at WAZA to comb over. Perhaps they’ll be able to improve our tools before such a thing occurs again.” Wolf came forward then. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Sonia said, “I, um…I’ll go check in with the Satella Officers. They’re probably ready to go by now.” She made her way to the Wave Road. Geo deactivated his Wave Change, and Mega materialized next to him, arms crossed and face pointing away. “You coward,” Wolf said. “If you knew Corvus was on Earth, you should’ve told me.” “Oh, was that Corvus?” Mega said. “I thought he looked familiar.” Wolf snapped his teeth. Mega brandished his claws and snarled back. “Hey, take it easy!” Geo said. “I don’t know why you’re so keen on keeping secrets these days, Mega, but this one crosses a line!” Wolf said. “After what that guy did, you know I want him dead!” “Yeah, of course,” Mega said. “I kind of agree, but I always thought it was a bit out of character for you. You always told me murder wasn’t your thing.” “Killing a killer ain’t a crime! Especially when he tried to kill me first!” “I think you know our resident heroine would disagree with you on that!” “What, you’re taking her no kill rule all of the sudden?” “I haven’t decided yet. But I knew that if you found out Corvus was here, you’d get swept up trying to kill him, and that’d put you and Sonia at odds. The last thing we need right now is infighting!” Wolf growled quietly. “So what was your brilliant plan then, Mega? Just hope I didn’t find out?” “I was going to keep fighting Dealer and hope it settled itself. If Corvus happened to die, then it wouldn’t matter and I could tell you then. If we caught him, then after things settled down we’d have a chance to debate the issue.” “Sounds spineless to me.” “Wolf,” Wolfe said. The FM-ian whirled. “What?!” Wolfe shifted nervously, saying, “…I…don’t want to kill anyone. I understand why you want revenge on Corvus, but…I can’t help you take it.” Wolf glared at him. Before he could say anything, however, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and everyone turned to see Shepar stepping out from the stairwell. “Oh,” Geo said, “M-Mr. Shepar! Sorry, I was just on my way back to class.” “It’s my fault, Mitch,” Wolfe offered. “I asked him to help me get started cleaning up. Thanks, kid, you’ve done plenty.” Shepar looked from one to the other. Eventually, he quietly asked, “You two know what’s behind all these strange things that’ve been happening, don’t you?” Geo rubbed his neck. “Please, tell me what’s going on. My students keep getting put in danger: if I know why, maybe I’ll have a better chance of protecting them from it. I need to know if there’s anything I can do.” After a tense pause, Wolf scoffed and said, “Tell him.” Mega eyed him. “Huh?” “He was the one Libra attacked, right? He’ll probably be of use to ya. Tell him.” “You know Libra?” Shepar asked. “Does he have something to do with this?” “Er, no, he doesn’t,” Geo said. Exchanging a look with Mega, he took a deep breath, and then turned back to Shepar. Meanwhile, back inside the school, the students had been gathered in the gymnasium so the faculty could make sure they were all accounted for. Luna finished a conversation and then stepped off to the side, drawing her Hunter to find a new mail from Sonia. “Are you okay?” it read She smiled. The reply she sent said, “Perfectly fine. What about you?” The response came almost instantly. “Nothing to worry about.” Hesitantly, Luna typed out, “What about Jack?” “He’s okay. But, the Satella Police are taking him into custody. They’re getting ready to leave as soon as they’re done talking with the faculty.” “Are you going with them?” “I was thinking about it. But, I could just as easily go report in later if you want me to stay nearby.” Luna considered it a moment. “No, you should go now. We’re all fine.” “You sure?” “Of course. Why else would I have said it?” “Okay, I’m going. I’ll call you once everything’s settled. Love you!” “Love you too.” After hitting ‘send’, she returned the device to her pocket and sighed, taking a seat on the bleachers. She glanced over the crowd. Many of the students looked nervous, but they seemed to have calmed considerably now that they knew the Satella Police had arrived. Zack pushed his way out of the mess of people and jogged over to where Luna sat. “They’re still looking for Geo,” he said. “I hope he’s got a good excuse lined up.” Luna nodded. “Well, in all likelihood the election will be rescheduled for some time next week. Should we use the opportunity to get in a little extra campaigning?” “Maybe…I don’t know.” Zack scratched his head. “Um, Prez…are you okay? You seem a bit…er, that is to say…” Luna gently rubbed her hands together. “…It just feels like I ran away.” “Luna,” Ophiuca chimed in, “that’s not at all what happened.” “I can’t help it. I know we could’ve joined in, but I decided to do nothing. It doesn’t seem right.” “You know that you aren’t ready for that yet. The way you reacted, it’s clear you still need more time to recover. That’s the most helpful thing you can do right now.” Luna hung her head. Zack said, “Prez, there’s no reason to feel guilty or anything. Everything turned out fine. And, didn’t the others all agree that they wanted to give you the time you need? There’s absolutely no pressure.” “It just…” Luna started, pausing to look up at the ceiling. Quietly, she went on, “It just…makes me feel…weak. Vulnerable, I guess. And I hate feeling like that. I’d rather fight back, even if I know that’s not the smartest thing to do right now.” Zack stepped forward emphatically. “Prez, no one here thinks you’re weak! The rate at which you’re already recovering is awe-inspiring! And as for vulnerable, well…as long as you have us, that’s nothing to worry about, right? Brothers protect each other! So let us take this chance to protect you, as thanks for all you’ve done for us!” Luna looked at Zack for a moment. Slowly, she grinned. “Heh…thanks, Zack. I really appreciate it.” She leaned back and breathed deeply. Zack sat down next to her, and together they silently watched the crowd. *** Ace called a display from his Hunter. Glancing around the Shaman’s hut, he said, “So, let’s be sure we get all the relevant information covered. Three Wizards working for Dealer attacked and were deleted.” Everyone sat in a circle, except for Solo, who leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. They took a moment to exchange glances before someone finally went first. “There was no sign of the Noise Cards they used,” Hyde said. “It would seem they were destroyed along with the poor follows.” “And we did try to avoid deleting them,” Ace added, typing away. “Feel like that’s gonna come up…also, no Crimson detected?” Copper shook his head. “If I had to guess, they crystallized all the Noise they had generated when they made that armor you mentioned, and it went with them too. We were able to scrape up that bit he threw at you—we’ll take that back and have the doctors analyze it, see if maybe we can learn something.” Ace nodded. Turning to the Shaman and Condor, he said, “And you’re now properly registered as Transcode 014! Contact info for WAZA is in the Hunter that Detective Copper gave you, so call us if there’s anything urgent…or, if you change your mind about taking the fight to them.” Copper grunted. The Shaman said, “Thank you, but it now seems more important than ever that I stay here. Dealer could very well return. I only hope that we will be enough to stop them if they do…” “We will because we must,” Condor said. “No matter what, we will find a way to keep Whazzap safe.” The Shaman nodded, but he still looked distraught. Ace thought for a moment before saying, “Well, that’s a good point. We’ll help you out.” Looking up, the Shaman asked, “What?” “WAZA can help you protect Whazzap from Dealer. Stopping them is our main goal right now, and preventing or managing an attack would certainly help with that.” The Shaman’s eyes widened. “Truly? You would offer us your aid?” “Of course. Although, the thing is…” Ace stopped for a moment, seeming to wonder if he should continue. “Well, I’m sorry for this, but we wouldn’t be able to get a full security detail out immediately.” Hyde raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. It was Amy who asked, “Wait, why’s that? Aren’t all the officers pretty much recovered?” “That isn’t the problem,” Solo said. “He’s not sure who he can trust.” “Huh? What’s that mean?” Ace put a hand over his mouth as he stared at the screen in front of him. “When Sonia, Geo, and Acid left WAZA to track down Luna’s data, Dealer attacked immediately. It was too well-timed to be a coincidence. And it was the same today: those Wizards were here just in time to welcome us. It’s possible they just monitored the Wave Roads or something…but…” Amy frowned. “Oh.” “We can’t totally rule out the possibility that there’s a Dealer spy somewhere in WAZA,” Copper said. “Right,” Ace said. “So, I’ll need time to assemble a force of people I trust to protect this place.” The Shaman looked down. “I see…” “Still, we should make some kind of arrangement for now. If one of us stays here while I get things sorted, that should keep things covered well enough, don’t you think?” “But who would that be?” Hyde asked. “You need to be back at WAZA to assemble this team. Our dear detective here cannot Wave Change, so he alone would make little difference.” Copper scowled at him. “And no one here trusts you.” Amy scratched her head. “…Well...exactly how long are we talking about? It’s just, I’m really not doing well in this heat, so I’m not sure how useful I’d be.” Ace glanced at Solo. The boy kept his eyes closed as the silence dragged on, but eventually, he said, “I’ll do it.” Everyone looked up. The Shaman stood up and said, “Oh, we would be honored to have you as our guest! Yes, I’m positive the people will feel much safer simply knowing a descendant of Mu is protecting them!” Ace turned towards Copper, who was staring hard at him. Reluctantly, Copper gave a short nod, and Ace typed into his screen. “Thanks, Solo! We’ll keep in…oh, wait, you don’t have a Hunter. Do you have another spare, detective?” “I don’t want your human technology,” Solo said. “If you must speak with me, then contact the Shaman. And make sure it’s something important.” “As long as you’re okay with that?” Ace asked. The Shaman nodded. “Yes, of course.” He inhaled sharply, looking around and smiling. “Thank you all so much. I don’t know that Whazzap has ever been treated so kindly…I cannot tell you how much this means to me.” “It is an honor to work with you,” Copper said with a bow. “We will return to Electopia tomorrow and immediately begin constructing your security team. The moment we have news for you, we will contact you.” “That should do it, then,” Ace said, closing the display. “Thanks, everyone. Now go enjoy yourselves while we’re here!” As the others got up, Ace realized there was a notification on his Hunter. Pulling it up, he discovered it was a new mission report, and as he began to read its contents a heavy frown came to his face. *** Sonia sat against the wall not far from the door to Jack’s cell, neither of the guards seeming all that willing to interact with her. She hopped to her feet when she saw Boreal approaching. “I got the gist from the officers,” he said. “Is he awake yet?” “Yeah, he is.” She followed him over to the door. Before he opened it, however, he stopped short. Turning back to face her, he said, “You’ve done enough. You don’t need to be involved in this part if you have something else to do.” Sonia gave him a confused look. “Huh? No, I’ll stay.” Boreal slowly undid the door. Inside, Jack was pressed up against the bars, holding them like he expected to rip them off and shooting a malicious glare at his visitors. Boreal sat down. Sonia remained standing. “Where’s my sister?” Jack asked. “She’s still being held here,” Boreal said. “No need to worry about her.” “I want to see her!” “We can’t allow that.” Sonia glanced at him sideways. “Aren’t you supposed to be in charge?” Jack asked. “It’s not like anyone can stop you, right? Make it happen!” Boreal opened the file he had brought and flipped a few pages. “Hey!” “So tell me, Jack,” Boreal said calmly. “Where is Dealer’s base of operations located?” “What?! I’m not telling you anything until you let me see my sister!” “That’s not how it works here. Please answer the question.” Stepping forward, Sonia said, “Mr. Boreal, we can at least let them see each other. I’m sure they’ll be more cooperative after—“ “Not if we just give in to their demands,” Boreal interrupted. “Jack, what can you tell me about what Dealer is planning?” Sonia furrowed her brow. Jack, meanwhile, gritted his teeth and said, “I’m not telling you anything! If you want answers so badly, let me see Tia—then maybe I’ll feel like talking!” “What can you tell me about the Noise Wave you used to attack the school?” “Listen to me, you idiot! What part of ‘I’m not talking’ do you not understand?” Boreal sighed and closed the file. “Well, if that’s the case…” He got up to leave. Jack’s eyes widened, and he said, “Hey, hang on a second!” Boreal grabbed the door, but Sonia put her hand against it. “Mr. Boreal!” “There’s nothing more to be done,” Boreal said. “If he’s not willing to give us any information, then there’s no point in talking to him.” “If we let him see Ms. Tia, we’ll probably get some answers! It can’t hurt to try!” “It can, Sonia. I can’t just let them meet on good faith. One of them needs to give me something before I can even consider an exchange.” He turned back to Jack. “Do you have anything for me?” Jack just glared at him. “Still,” Sonia said, “this doesn’t…even if we don’t get any additional information, isn’t it enough that we’ve captured them? Can’t we just—“ “No, Sonia,” Boreal said. “That’s my stance until they hand over something to negotiate with. Now, let’s go.” Sonia stared hard at him. Behind her, Jack mumbled, “Fine…I got something you’ll want to hear.” Boreal glanced over his shoulder. “Before I left, I heard King giving Joker his next orders.” Sonia bristled. “Let me meet with my sister, and I’ll tell you what they were.” Boreal just looked away. “I’m serious!” Jack shouted. “He’s gonna attack in a matter of days—if you guys don’t stop him, who knows how many innocent people he’ll kill! Don’t you want to stop that?” “Mr. Boreal,” Sonia said. “You can’t really—“ He silenced her with a look she’d never seen before. It was enough to get her to release her hold, so he opened the door and left the cell. A few moments later, Sonia’s surprise started to turn to anger, and she rushed after him. “Mr. Boreal!” He didn’t answer her, just continued down the hallway. “If Joker’s going to attack, then we need to know where! How is that not something we can work with?” “It is,” Boreal said. Sonia blinked. “What…?” “Assuming he’s not bluffing, that’s valuable intel. But we’re not going to discuss whether to grant his request or not in front of him.” It took her a few moments to process his response. Shaking her head, she asked, “Mr. Boreal…what are you doing?” Boreal stopped in front of the elevator and sighed. “Sonia…I’m just trying to get as much information as I can. Jack’s much more likely to give us something, but I’m positive he’ll clam up once we let him see Queen Tia. We have one chance. I need to make the most of it, and the best way to do that…is to make him think he needs to tell us as much as he can, or he’ll never see his sister again.” Sonia gaped at him. “I know. But this might be our only chance. Dealer is dangerous, and has to be stopped.” “I don’t need to be reminded of that,” Sonia said quietly. “But this isn’t the right way to do it. Jack’s scared, and lonely, and just wants to see his sister so he knows everything is okay. How can you take advantage of that?” Boreal looked her in the eye. “By approaching it as a scientist. It’s a simple matter of what’s likely to do the most good, and if Jack can tell us something that’ll help us stop Dealer soon, that’ll go a long way towards keeping plenty of people safe. When you look at it objectively, the choice is easy.” “So that’s it?! You’re willing to let the end justify any means?” “Of course not. I’m not going to take this too far, I’m only going to apply a small amount of pressure before I give him what he wants.” “This is already going too far! How can you be okay with what this is going to do to Jack?” “Look at it another way. Suppose he does know where Joker’s going to attack next, we let him see Queen Tia, and then he decides he doesn’t want to tell us anymore. Would you be alright knowing we missed an opportunity to prevent the damage Joker ends up doing?” Sonia clenched her fists as she tried to think of a counterargument. “I know you don’t like it. But if we have a chance to stop Joker—“ “Stop it! Of course I want Joker stopped, you don’t have to make this about him!” “It is about him, Sonia.” “No, it’s about Jack! We have a chance to help him, and you’re only making things worse! Wherever Joker shows up, I’ll be there to tear him down, but we don’t have to hurt Jack to get there!” “This will get us there ahead of time. We can help Jack when this is all over.” “But he’s here now!” “Sonia, you aren’t thinking ahead at all. This could be the difference that saves someone’s life! Is letting Joker kill someone really worth this?” Sonia jerked a half-step back, her face twisting into a dark scowl. She shouted, “He’s not going to kill anyone else! I can stop him—“ “You don’t know that!” Boreal said. “I know you’ll do everything you can, Sonia, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a perfect victory! There’s no way to guarantee Joker won’t kill someone before you even get there, no way to guarantee he’ll leave them in a state where we can piece them back together afterwards. It’s too risky a gamble! You can’t just expect you’ll find a way to resolve this in a completely ideal fashion. We can take steps to increase your chance of success, but sometimes the only way to do that is by doing something less than ideal.” “That’s terrible! You sound just like…” she started, but couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. She didn’t need to, however. Boreal knew who she meant. “I may not be able to do things ideally, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up all my ideals. It isn’t that black and white, Sonia—I wish so much that it could be, but it’s not. You’ve already had to do things you didn’t think were ideal, haven’t you?” “Only when I didn’t have a choice! We have a choice here, and you’re choosing what you know isn’t good for Jack.” Boreal sighed. “Sonia. Was Jack open to you helping him when you fought him at the school?” “…No.” “Did he seem all that open to it now?” “No.” “Do you think meeting with Tia, and having her tell him not to share any information at all, will make him more open to it.” “We don’t know that she’s going to say that!” “She’s hardly said a word since coming here. Her stances on giving up information is already clear, and Jack will do whatever she tells him to do.” “…Maybe…but…” “We can’t help them right now, Sonia. All we can do is get information that will help us end this, and see if that changes their mind. What other choice do we have?” A heavy silence spread over them both. Sonia tried desperately to think of something to say, but her mind was reeling, still trying to process exactly what was happening. And then her thoughts turned to Joker. Sonia looked down and mumbled, “At least keep me informed.” “I will,” Boreal said. She turned and started walking. She wasn’t sure which way she was headed, but she just kept moving. *** King looked at the card-sized display in his hand. An image from security footage outside Echo Ridge school was on it, showing Jack being taken away by the Satella Police. He sighed and dropped it in a pile. “Now perhaps he’ll learn his lesson,” King muttered, shuffling the remaining cards he had. “He’s always been a tough one to discipline, but perhaps WAZA will have better luck with him than I.” He spun his chair around and moved it forward, coming to a stop next to Heartless. Joker stood ahead, just down a handful of stairs, and he waited attentively to hear what King would say next. “Regardless, I have a feeling we’ll get much more work done now that we won’t have Jack blundering about. It is time for us to play our wild card.” Joker nodded. “I will not fail you again, Mr. King. Now that Jack has been captured, have my orders changed? He may leak our initial plans to WAZA.” King laughed. “That is precisely the point, Joker! How do you expect to collect multitudes of Crimson without our friends there to harvest it? I gave Jack this task knowing that he would fail it—of course I don’t want Harp Note dead! This was chosen as punishment for Jack’s disobedience specifically so that he could deliver a message to them, so that they could mark their calendars and come lend us a hand.” “I see. Forgive me, Mr. King, I did not realize.” “Oho, no harm done! Though, there is one thing I want to be sure you keep in mind.” King beckoned. Joker stepped forward. “While you are most certainly free to have a bit of fun…I will not tolerate any more unauthorized killing.” Joker nodded. “Yes, Mr. King. I understand.” “Excellent!” King said, clapping his hands together. Joker paused for a moment. “If I may, Mr. King…should Acid be there…what permissions do I have?” King stroked his chin. “Hm, not satisfied with the copies, it would seem.” “To be frank…no.” “You must have known we lack the required programs to fully recreate Acid,” Heartless said. “Do not act as though this comes as a surprise.” “But they are weak,” Joker said. “Weaker than I expected. And weakness does not befit Acid.” King chuckled. “Indeed, I do not think the Acid copies possess much potential either. So, all things considered…yes. I will permit you an opportunity, Joker.” Joker straightened up in surprise. A smile came to his face, and he said, “Thank you, Mr. King! I truly appreciate your generosity!” “And that is one opportunity, my boy. If they turn out to have the stronger hand, you are not to play another round. Do I make myself clear?” “Perfectly, sir. One opportunity is all I require.” “Hoho, it is nice to see you so enthusiastic! That will be all for now, Joker.” Joker made his way out of the meeting room. As King returned to shuffling his cards, Heartless brushed aside her hair and glanced at him. “It’s a fool’s wager,” she said. “Of course, my dear Heartless. I know how to read the odds.” “And you are certain Joker will stick to his orders when he fails to reach Acid?” “Ho ho…well, he is a wild card. It’s difficult to say for sure. But if it worries you, my dear, fret not: I have prepared for the possibility of Joker defying me.” Heartless simply looked away and hummed. “It’s too late for them to stop us now,” King said, drawing a card that depicted Meteor G. “Joker’s efforts are only to hasten the inevitable! Ho ho, I cannot wait to see the look on their faces when the deck runs out!” (Review)

Chapter 20 The Mal Wizards Eight and Nine dashed out of the village and towards the open desert beyond. However, Nine soon screeched to a halt, and grabbed Eight before he could get any farther. “Ow! What’re you doing?” “Take a look, idiot!” A silhouette was fading into view not far ahead. Unfurling his cape, Hyde said, “Greetings, gentlemen. Would it be presumptuous of me to assume you are under the employ of Dealer?” “Ain’t it obvious?” Eight said. Nine glanced back over his shoulder. Amy had caught up as well, and looked ready to attack as soon as she saw an opportunity. Nine turned and backed up against Eight, saying, “Seems it’s time, pal.” “Urgh, guess so,” Eight grumbled, putting a hand to his arm. “I’m turning off our Noise Blockers.” “You know,” Hyde said, “this doesn’t have to end in violence. I’d be more than happy to jump to the scene where you surrender to us.” “Dream on!” Eight shouted. “Do it, Nine!” Nine raised one hand high, revealing two Sword Cards. Before Hyde or Amy could do anything, a dense orb of Noise engulfed the two Wizards, growing steadily larger for a few seconds before collapsing away. Their bodies looked larger and sturdier, with geysers of red Noise shooting out from their shoulders, the tops of their heads, and their backs. Each had some sort of cannon weapon on one hand, while the other was a large claw made of electricity. They stared blankly at their foes, and then slowly advanced, growling and gnashing their teeth. “They Noised themselves?” Yeti said. “Why would they do that willingly?” Amy reared back and created a snowball in her hand. “I’m not sure the reason really matters right now!” She attacked Nine, but he pulverized the snowball with a blow from his claw. Roaring at Amy, a light could be seen inside his mouth, and soon a laser beam shot out of it and hit Amy square in the midsection. She stumbled back and tripped over her feet, and Nine pointed his weapon arm. Amy managed to call up a small shield of ice, but the grenade exploded on impact, flinging her further back despite the barrier. She got back up to see her foe advancing. Leaping high into the air, she angled herself towards Nine and began to spin, generating cold as she did: snow materialized and wrapped around Amy, encasing her in a giant ball, and when Nine coughed up another blast it barely affected the protective coating. The Mal Wizard was flattened by the impact. Amy burst out of the snowball and stomped on Nine again, and then rolled away to avoid a swipe of his claw. However, the tendrils of electricity lengthened suddenly, getting a clean hit on her just the same. Meanwhile, Hyde moved about the field erratically in an attempt to confuse Eight, and it seemed to be working. Unfortunately, as a result of this, Eight decided to simply open fire with his grenade launcher, slowly blasting away the landscape before him. Hyde appeared before him and swung his cane, but it had little effect. Eight grabbed him with his claw, letting the electricity course through Hyde’s entire body at once, and then smashed him into the ground a few times before hurling him away and launching another grenade at him. “Splendidly done,” Phantom grumbled. “My door is open if you have revisions, partner,” Hyde said as he got up. Yet another grenade was headed his way. Tapping his cane against the ground, Hyde called a shadowy hand up to block the attack and threw his hat at the same time. The maneuver caught Eight off-guard, so Hyde teleported forward, spun in a circle to kick up a whirlwind, and tossed his enemy into the air. Before Eight could recover, Hyde summoned another hand to swat him into the dirt. “Hyde,” Amy shouted, “get clear!” Jumping up and out the way, Hyde looked down to see an avalanche sweep over the field, taking both Wizards with it and breaking as it finally slammed them into a large rock. He landed beside Amy and said, “Excellent delivery, miss, but be sure not to strain yourself.” “Don’t worry about me,” Amy said, forming more snowballs in her hands. “More importantly, we should try to steer these guys in a different direction—the village being right behind us is making me nervous.” After she launched her attack, Hyde swung his cape out in front of her, and a second later they both stood at their enemies’ left flank. Hyde was quick to smack them with his cane before they realized what was happening, and Amy followed with a powerful kick to Nine’s face. However, her target recovered quickly and slashed her with his claw, and Eight followed up with a laser blast that sent her flying. Something cushioned her impact: one of Hyde’s shadow hands, she realized. Giving him a nod, she encased herself in another shell of snow, and with a grin, Hyde willed the hand to hurl her back at the Wizards, bowling them over and stunning them for a moment. They both advanced on their opponents and managed to get in another hit. However, before they could retreat, both Wizards lashed out with their claws, trapping them both in their electric grip, and pinned them to the ground. “Darn it!” Amy grunted as she struggled to break free. “Don’t suppose you can get us out of here?” Hyde’s body spasmed from the shock. “Erg…trying, but it’s a bit difficult…” Eight and Nine readied their launchers. Just as they were about to fire, a blast of purple flame rammed into both of them, knocking them aside and freeing their captives. Amy turned to see Solo standing not far away, a still-smoking glyph in front of his palm. “Thanks for the save,” she said. “Hmph,” Solo said. “I was just attacking my enemies.” “Right,” Amy said with a sigh. Ace dashed in next, whacking Nine with his blaster before turning and spawning a small tornado on top of Eight. They both tried to counterattack, but he was too quick for them, and regrouped with the others a moment later. “Hope you don’t mind us joining the fun,” Ace said. “Our guy didn’t stick around as long as we were expecting.” Solo was already on the move. Nine shot a blast at him, but he stepped aside and dashed, tackling the Wizard and carrying him away from his ally. “I’ll back up Solo…again,” Ace said. “Think you two can finish off the other guy?” “Leave it to us!” Amy said. As Ace rushed off, Eight turned and raised his weapon. Hyde’s hat knocked him out of the attack, and when he looked that way, all he saw was Amy sliding towards him. She flattened him with a kick and then bounded back a short distance. Eight lashed out with his claw, and Hyde summoned one of his own to catch it. One snowball to the face later, Eight found himself a bit disoriented, and that gave Hyde the chance he needed for his claw to flip Eight overhead and into the ground. Amy jumped on him once more, and he gave a weak shout. “And thus the curtain falls,” Hyde said as he came closer. “I do hope you’ll be a bit more cooperative once we dig you out of all this Noise.” Suddenly, Eight screeched; energy shot out from him in every direction, expanding in an instant to form a small dome around him and his opponents that greatly reduced the light in the area. Amy was taken aback by the change, but Hyde jabbed his cane into Eight without a second thought. The Wizard pushed him up into the dome, and an intense, burning pain shot through Hyde, leaving a sickening feeling in its wake that made it difficult for him to stand. Seeing this, Amy moved to attack Eight. He dodged, and she had to carefully stop herself from charging on into the barrier, making dodging the next attack more difficult. “Hyde,” Phantom groaned, “it seems touching the barrier briefly overloaded our Noise Filter.” “Ah, that would explain some things,” Hyde said as he shakily got to his feet. “I trust you’re not permanently damaged, my dear friend?” “Oh, shut up. I’m sure I’ll recover once we’re done here, but the Noise is too concentrated right now—if you screw up too much, I’ll be too damaged for us to continue fighting.” Hyde glanced at Amy. “Did you get that, miss?” Narrowly dodging another swipe, Amy said, “Uh, yeah, the gist of it! Think you can lend me a hand still?” Not too far away, Nine had opted to employ the same tactic, though he seemed to be having less success. Ace and Solo still flinched whenever they came into contact with the barrier, but it took them seconds to recover each time. If anything, it was the restriction to their movement that was causing problems. “Noise levels within manageable range,” Acid reported. “However, our time is starting to run low.” Ace ducked under a grenade. The shields on his back shifted to protect his head and neck from the blast, though it still pushed him forward a bit. “Copy. Solo, any objections if we speed things along?” Solo didn’t answer. Nine extended his claw, managing to pin Solo against the barrier and making his fist light up in response. Forming a glyph in the air, Solo then flicked his fingers up, and three sharp wooden stakes rose from the ground to strike Nine. Ace attacked with his blade while the Wizard was reeling. He loaded a Battle Card and prepared to finish it, but Solo charged in right as he aimed, and the two of them collided and fell in a heap. “Watch it!” Solo said, rolling back to avoid Nine’s claw. Before he could reply, Ace realized Nine’s grenade launcher was in his face. Thinking fast, he darted forward and punched the Wizard’s lower body, throwing him off-balance, and the grenade was shot at the ceiling of the dome, raining fire down on everyone inside it. Just as Nine was about to recover, Ace pressed his blaster into his chest and activated a Mad Vulcan card, firing a series of bullets that tore through their target with little resistance. Ace stepped back and let Nine fall to the ground. After a moment, the dome began to recede. “All’s well that ends well,” Ace said. Rather than dispersing, however, the energy all converged on Nine, messily forming a new layer of armor on the Wizard as he got back up. Ace slashed, but Nine barely reacted. He retreated, but it wasn’t enough: Nine shot a clump of Noise from his fist, the loose mass of particles clinging to Ace and weighing him down immensely. Solo lashed out with a flurry of punches, and appeared to succeed in pushing Nine back. Before long, however, Nine coughed up a blast right in Solo’s face, sending him tumbling backwards. “Shoot,” Ace muttered, trying and failing to get closer. “Acid, how much power to we have left?” “I estimate one significant attack being enough to drain what is left of your stamina,” Acid replied. “Sounds great. Let me know when it’s ready, and I’ll tell you when to fire.” Solo stood and glared at Nine. He shot a barrage of fist-shaped projectiles, some of which managed to break off small chips of Nine’s Noise armor. His foe still took aim, so Solo stopped his attack, crossed his arms, and braced himself. The grenade shot through the air, but exploded before it reached Solo. An oval-shaped shield of translucent white light had appeared to block it. Solo’s eyes widened. “…Laplace…?” Nine roared, spitting up a laser beam that similarly failed to hit Solo. As he moved to make a third attempt, Ace shouted, and the Wizard turned in surprise. Two powerful blasts launched from Ace’s shoulders, striking Nine dead on and blasting huge chunks of his armor away. Solo immediately grabbed his shoulder armor. “Come!” Purple flames spewed out of the adornment. Solo rushed forward as Nine staggered, and Ace hit the ground as his Wave Change dissipated. The flames compressed around Solo’s hand, and as he came upon Nine, he lunged and swung that hand out. A large, curved blade with jagged edges formed in it as he did. Nine gave a short yelp. A few seconds later, the two halves of his body slowly slid apart, and then the Wizard faded away. Solo turned to look at the sword. “…Took you long enough.” The blade floated up and out of his hand, and then transformed into a simplistic EM being with long arms and a nearly featureless face. A low buzzing sound came from the creature. “Hmph. I suppose that makes sense.” After a short pause, Solo mumbled, “I’m glad to have you back, Laplace.” Laplace nodded, and then glanced at Ace. Solo now noticed that the Satella Officer was still trying to crawl free of the Noise that had been thrown at him. He looked up and grinned. “Oh, is that Laplace? Great, glad they’re doing alright. Say, um, would you mind lending me a hand here?” Laplace buzzed something. Reluctantly, Solo walked over to Ace. As that was happening, Amy and Hyde were continuing their battle with Eight, and had very nearly managed to wear him down. Amy had been pushed into the barrier once or twice, but Yeti was doing his best to pretend it was nothing. They were feeling a bit sluggish, but regardless, Eight was moving far more slowly, so when he went to make a claw swipe it was easy for Amy to move in and grab his arms. “Got you!” she declared. Releasing as much cold as she could, she began to slowly freeze the Wizard, and he was too exhausted to do much in return. It wasn’t long before Eight was entirely encased in ice. Hyde raised his cane and electrified it, and then he stepped around Amy and thrust the weapon straight through their foe. Slowly, the dome began to recede. “Whew,” Amy muttered, sitting down on the ground. “That was a little rough. You okay, Yeti?” “No need to worry about me,” Yeti said. “You just rest for now—you’ve earned it.” Eight twitched. Scrambling to her feet, Amy tried to get battle-ready as the Noise from the dome coalesced around him. “Rats, an encore,” Hyde said. “I was thinking an illusion may be excessive, but this can’t go on much longer. Are you up to the task, Phantom?” “Don’t ask stupid questions,” Phantom replied. “Get the preparations in order, fool.” Hyde and Amy stood ready as Eight roared at them. The corrupted Wizard pulled back his claw, but then paused, looking curiously up at the sky. Against her better judgment, Amy turned slightly. All she saw was a rush of green as a missile shot just above them and hit Eight dead-on. The weapon detonated in a small but focused implosion, eradicating the Wizard altogether. “…Nevermind, Phantom,” Hyde said. “It seems our good friend Eight had to cut his performance short.” With the threat dealt with, Amy was able to turn fully and get a good look at what was flying through the air at them. It appeared to be a crimson jet with a bird-like face, its wings carved with notches that resembled feathers and angled inward slightly, with white lines that ran down its body to a tall fin at the rear just above an opening that housed a tongue of flame. Amy blinked a few times as she tried to process the image. “Are you unharmed?” came the voice of the Shaman. “I apologize for surprising you, but you seemed injured and I felt I had already wasted too much time.” “Oh, so this is what your Wave Change looks like,” Amy said. “Thanks for the save! Or, um, thank you very much, Shaman. We’re in your debt.” It was at that point that Ace made his way over to join the group, with Solo and Laplace trailing behind. Coming right up to the Shaman, Ace said, “I see you joined us after all!” “We could not merely sit by and let outsiders defend our land,” Condor said. “Your friend the detective provided us with one of your Hunters so that we could help—he said it would provide me with a program to defend against that strange energy these villains use.” “Good call. Without that, they probably would’ve made you berserk as well, and that would’ve only added to our problems.” He paused to stretch. “Well, we should probably go over the logistics…but if it’s all the same to you, mind if we go sit down somewhere? I’m kinda beat.” *** “…lighting up the sky for all to see, because I know, no matter what, you’re all here with me.” Sonia lowered her guitar and looked up at the sky. “Hm, maybe, but I’m still missing a bit…” She got to her feet and went to the other side of the Wave Road. Over on the roof of the school, it looked like one of the candidates was just finishing their speech, meaning it was almost time for Luna to give hers. Sonia could see her standing just behind the stage that had been set up, checking the notes on her Hunter one more time. “Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “You’ve got this.” Someone replied, “You think so?” Whirling in a small panic, Sonia raised her guitar and stumbled back a few steps. Floating just down the Road was none other than Virgo. “What crack did you crawl out of?” Lyra said. “I’m more than happy to humiliate you again, but now’s not the best time.” “Kyahaha!” Virgo laughed. “What’s that, you’re not in the mood to have some fun? You’d better change your tune real fast! The fun’s about to start whether you like it or not!” A chill crept up Sonia’s spine. She glanced back over her shoulder: the other candidate had finished their speech, and the class was applauding as Shepar made his way over to the microphone. “Thank you, Trisha, for that wonderful speech! It sounds like all of our candidates are very well-prepared for this race.” Sonia quickly turned back to Virgo. “Look, Virgo...I’d rather we settle this peacefully, but I’m not about to let you cause any trouble here.” “Bleh, settle things peacefully? How boring can you get?” Shepar continued, “With that, we only have one more candidate for you all to hear from!” “Fine!” Sonia said. “If you want to fight we can, but let’s at least take it somewhere else! There’s no reason for anyone here to get hurt!” Virgo cocked her head. “Huh? But if you go somewhere else, they’ll all get hurt a lot more.” As Sonia tried to figure out what she meant, she realized that Shepar’s pause was dragging on exceptionally long. More than that, a nervous murmur could be heard coming from the class. Sonia turned to take another look. A massive, flickering distortion had appeared in the air above the roof, surrounded by bursts of green static that she was certain was Noise. “Oh no,” she said. Virgo waved. “There you are, Corvus! I was beginning to wonder how long you’d keep me waiting!” The distortion burst open suddenly, and several red orbs flew out of it. The class screamed, but Shepar said, “E-Everyone, remain calm! Make your way to the elevator, or the stairs, and we can—“ One by one, faces appeared on the balls of Noise. The cloud swooped down on the students, and their panic was instantly renewed. Sonia played as fast as she could, sending out note after note to blast the creatures, but that plan was ruined when Virgo dealt a stunningly painful blow to her back. Sinking to one knee, Sonia said, “Why are you doing this?! Why did it have to be here?!” “It’s just orders,” Virgo said, raising her staff again. “Now hold still!” Sonia spun and swung her guitar, batting Virgo away and giving her a chance to get over to the roof. By the time she had gotten there, Geo, Bud, Pat, and Rey had already Wave Changed and were doing what they could to protect the students as they fled. “Virgo’s here,” she said as she continued blasting, “and it sounds like we’re about to see Jack and Corvus too.” “Are we gonna have to fight Jack?” Bud asked. “I’ll do what I can to talk him out of it, but…” “We know you’ll do your best, Sonia,” Geo said. “If things go wrong, I’ll back you up!” Sonia thanked him, and then used a sound pulse to clear a path over to the stage. Luna sat crouched behind it, hand on her Hunter; she started when she saw Sonia, and then looked down at the device. “I—“ “No,” Sonia interrupted, “you need to get out of here!” “But, I think I can—“ A Noise creature landed right next to Luna, and she practically flung herself in the opposite direction. Sonia kicked it away and destroyed it with a note. “Luna!” she said, gently but urgently taking her by the shoulders. “It isn’t time. We can handle this—you just focus on getting to safety, okay?” Hesitantly, Luna nodded. Before she could take a step, however, the distortion opened even more, and a new form flew out of it. It was a boy in Wave Change, wearing a black jumpsuit covered in zig-zagging orange lines, accented by grayish-black armor on his feet, shoulders, and clawed hands. A small blue crystal could be seen on his chest, and his head was covered in a helmet with four sharp points that held a raging purple flame between them. Four large feathery wings carried him through the air, and when he reached roughly the center of the roof, he flapped them and ascended quickly. “Is that…Jack?” Luna asked. Up above, Jack held his arms wide, purple flames appearing around his claws. He shouted, “Harp Note! I know you’re here—come out and fight me!” “Finally some good old-fashioned chaos!” Corvus said. “Let ‘em have it, Jack!” Jack swung one hand forward. A ball of fire shot out from it, striking the roof as the teachers were guiding the last of the kids into the building. Shepar took a look back, but suddenly a Noise creature swooped at him, knocking him back into the wall. He managed to stay on his feet and watched the odd entity carefully. “What’s going on?” he asked, mostly to himself. “It’s one crazy thing after another lately!” The Noise creature roared, but it was blasted apart before it could do anything more. Shepar turned to see Geo lowering his buster and shouting, “Get inside! Keep the students safe!” With a nod, Shepar left the roof. Jack took notice of Geo and moved towards him, saying, “Hey, you! Where is she? I know she’s hanging around here somewhere!” “I’m right here, Jack!” Sonia said, stepping out and readying her guitar. Jack whirled to face her, but as soon as he did he froze. He stared, wide-eyed, right past Sonia, spotting Luna hiding behind the stage. “…You’re…alive…?” Luna looked up at him, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. “But how? I saw Joker—“ “Snap out of it, Jack!” Corvus said. “Who cares about her? You’ve got more important stuff to see to!” With a quick shake of his head, Jack scowled down at Sonia. “R-Right! Harp Note! I hope you’re ready to die!” “We don’t need to fight, Jack!” Sonia said. “Shut up! It’s your fault they captured my sister!” “Listen to me! If you stand down, we can take you to see your sister. There’s no need for any of this!” “Shut up! Just shut up and die!” Jack hurled a fireball at Sonia. Not feeling it was a good idea to dodge with Luna so close, Sonia crossed her arms and took the attack head-on—she winced at the pain, but stayed focused, and said, “Lyra, can you connect us?” “With this much Noise, easily,” Lyra replied. Sonia transformed as she brought her arms apart, her armor taking the shape of Ophiuca Noise but most of it turning red, save for the blue breastplate and scarf and the blue highlights on her boots and sleeves, and her guitar sported a crab-shaped ornament at the head while its body was shaped something like a crab’s claw. She played one note to strike Jack in the face with a blast of water, and then leapt onto the Wave Road and tried to get as far away from the roof as she could. It wasn’t very long before Jack recovered and chased after her, and at that point, Luna slowly crept out and made her way towards the elevator. However, she paused. “Luna,” Ophiuca said, “the rest of your class likely needs help as well. It’s part of your responsibility to keep them all organized and safe, is it not?” “Well, yes…” “Then we’d best get back to them. Everyone up here will be fine.” Hesitantly, Luna stepped onto the elevator. As she did, Geo shot down another Noise beast and looked around, seeing Sonia leading Jack away. He got about two steps before a large wall of water sprang up in front of him. “I don’t think so!” Virgo said from the other side of it. “Corvus and his pet have a very important mission to fulfill, and I can’t have you mucking it up!” Clenching his teeth, Geo used the Mega Attack to teleport to the other side of the barrier and swing at Virgo, just barely missing her. He sprayed bullets as he headed in Sonia’s direction, but a loud sound from above caught his attention, and he looked up to see even more Noise beasts pouring out of the distortion. “Kyahaha, nice try! But if you go help out your friend, who’ll stop these lovelies?” The beasts dove at the school roof, blasting loose chunks of concrete at every impact. Realizing he couldn’t leave them unattended, Geo readied his Battle Cards and went at them. Not too far away, Sonia was dodging Jack’s fireballs, trying to retaliate with water blasts but missing every time. Jack twisted as she soared, darting about erratically; it was impossible to predict when he would attack, but luckily it took him a moment to launch his flames and they didn’t move too fast, allowing Sonia to maintain the stalemate if nothing else. “Stand still already!” Jack shouted. “Jack, calm down! This isn’t the only way to solve things! Let’s just talk!” “Don’t give me that! You beat my sister down and then I’m supposed to believe you just want to talk? No way!” Sonia twitched a bit, and one of the fireballs grazed her. Seeing this, Jack dove in, and when Sonia fired a blast he moved just past it and extended his wings. One of them sliced a gash in Sonia’s armor as he passed by. He ducked under the Wave Road then, and Sonia clutched her wound as she tried to steady herself. “…Fair enough,” Sonia said. “I wasn’t really trying to help your sister—I was just focused on stopping her. I should’ve tried harder to find out why she was doing what she was doing, to talk her out of it. I’m sorry.” She ducked under a fireball as Jack flew back up over the side of the Road. “But I’m asking you now, Jack! Why are the two of you working for King? Do you really think this is the only option?” Jack spread his wings wide, and numerous purple flames spawned in a circle around him. “Who cares? Killing you is exactly what I want to do, orders or not!” He swung both hands forward, and the flames all shot out, angling to home in directly on Sonia’s position. She dug in with her feet and brought her hand down on her guitar: a tall tidal wave sprang up in front of her, intercepting the projectiles, and then she played a few more notes that she set on delay. She jumped back just as Jack flew down at her, and released the notes so they would all charge him at once. He whirled around expertly to avoid them all, but when he came out of the maneuver he was met with Sonia’s flail, and the attack sent him careening backwards. “So King sent you here?” Sonia asked. “Why would he want to attack the school?” “It’s not about the school, idiot,” Jack said as he picked himself up. “It’s about you! He said if I kill you, he’ll go break my sister out of WAZA! Anything else is just collateral damage!” Sonia quickly set her guitar for more power as Jack’s claws lit up. Producing several large, slow-moving bubbles in front of her, she said, “You really feel that way? You don’t have a single problem if any of your classmates get hurt?” “Why would I?” Jack yelled as he began hurling fireballs. “This whole thing was just an act! It’s not like I actually care about any of these jerks!” The bubbles popped easily, but from each one emerged either a crab or a snake that rushed down the Road directly at Jack. Surprised for a moment, he switched his focus to dispatching them, and Sonia took the opportunity to aim the head of her guitar at him. A highly-focused jet of murky water shot out and struck Jack square in the chest, the force enough to send him sliding back several feet. “I’m not so sure about that,” Sonia said. “You had plenty of opportunity to attack the students when you first appeared, but you didn’t. And you looked pretty surprised to see Luna again. Would you be more willing to talk to them?” An aura of flame enveloped Jack, drying him instantly. “Shut up! Once I’ve killed you, I’ll burn the whole school to the ground if that’s what it to takes to prove I don’t care about any of you! And when Sis is free, then…” His final words were lost in a scream as he charged forward. Sonia fired shots as he charged and then prepared for another attack from his wings, but she soon discovered she made the wrong call. Jack tackled her, carrying her off the Wave Road and careening straight towards the ground, only letting go so he could veer away at the last second. The force was more than Sonia had been prepared to deal with, and the pain made her mind go blank for a few seconds. She looked up to see Jack readying another fireball. “Just die!” Her body ached, and she knew it wouldn’t move fast enough. All she could do was brace herself. As she did, however, something else leapt at Jack from his blind spot, colliding with him and sending him crashing to the ground a short distance away. With effort, Sonia was able to push herself up and take a good look at the newcomer. “Get up, girl,” Wolfe said. “You know how long it’s going to take me to landscape that crater you made?” Wolf Woods had lost the spikes on his armor, and he no longer had extra bits of armor attached to his cheeks. His hands also looked like normal hands, though his large armguards looked quite familiar, and he already had long claws extended from the fingers on one hand. As she got up, Sonia said, “S-Sorry about that, Mr. Wolfe. Won’t happen again, eheh.” Jack was getting up now too. He immediately glared at Wolfe and Sonia, but before he could move, Corvus said, “Hang on a sec, kid!” “What?! Why?” “This here’s an old friend of mine. Charge in if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You might just get sliced to ribbons!” Jack gritted his teeth. “So, how you been, Wolf? I see this planet’s just full of familiar faces!” “It won’t be once I rip off yours,” Wolf growled. “Hey, is that any way to treat your old partner?” “Look who’s talking! You’re the one who tried to stab me in the back, you overcooked fowl!” “Hey, hey, get the facts straight! I tried to stab you from the front. At least I was polite enough to let you see it coming!” Wolf roared at him. At that moment, Jack decided he had been waiting too long, and he threw two fireballs forward while he took to the air once again. Wolfe slashed his claw through one of them, and the fire bent around the blades and stuck to them. Sonia blocked the other and then took aim. “I tried poisoning him earlier, but I don’t think it’s affecting him,” Sonia said, firing quick water blasts in succession. “He’s definitely taken damage, though. It shouldn’t take much more.” “Then let’s slice him in two!” Wolf said. Wolfe extended claws from his other hand and swung upward, sending out a shockwave that scarred the school building when Jack dodged it. Sonia managed to hit him with a few blasts when he moved, but he retaliated immediately with a rain of fireballs, and she quickly summoned a wall of water to extinguish them. Jack used the opportunity to charge, but Wolfe then raised the claw that was still on fire: it extended tremendously when he swung it, allowing him to swat Jack out of the air and straight into the ground, and Sonia followed this up with another focused water beam. Wolfe charged as Jack was getting up. The boy managed to slash him with his wings as he leapt up, but Wolfe jumped and caught him before he got far, driving him back into the ground and doing his best to pin him there. “Give it up, kid,” Wolfe said. “I don’t want to hurt you.” “Yeah, just give us Corvus!” Wolf snarled. “I’m not gonna pass up my chance for revenge!” “Yikes, dial it back, buddy!” Corvus said. “What makes you think I’m going to be the one getting revenge-killed today?” Jack shoved a fireball straight into Wolfe’s face, making him stumble back. He then leapt forward, lighting his claws as he did, and started to swing furiously, gradually pushing his enemy back. “Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!” he shouted. “Drop dead! I’m not giving up until you’re all dead!” He was so focused that Sonia was easily able to entangle him in strings. Using a few notes to stun him, she said, “That’s not happening, Jack! You have to be able to see how this is going to end by now!” Jack screamed. Spreading his wings, he was able to snap the strings apart, and he flew straight at Sonia in a purple blaze. “It’s not over until I’ve got my sister back!” Sonia brought her guitar forward, using it to block Jack’s initial claw strike. The force still pushed her back, so she leaned with it and used the momentum to cartwheel back, avoiding his follow-up. He kept coming, however, and Sonia expected that. She swung her guitar around and smacked Jack right in the face with it. He spun around in the air, flapping his wings to get stable. Just as he did, Wolf Woods’ claws extended past either side of him, and before he could react they snapped shut. “Let me go!” he yelled. He struggled fiercely, but Wolfe’s grip was too tight. Sonia aimed the head of her guitar. “I’m sorry, Jack. I know you just want to help your sister…but I’ve got people I love too.” Another focused water blast rammed into Jack. His body went limp, and Wolfe retracted his claws and let him fall to the ground. Jack twitched a few times, trying to do his best to get up, but he could only move an inch before he passed out. “Get over there, Wolfe!” Wolf said. “Now!” In a burst of light, Corvus separated from Jack, and he immediately bolted back towards the school roof. “Virgo!” he shouted. “Pack it up! We’ve gotta jet: Wolf’s here!” Wolfe rushed forward and leapt onto the side of the school, extending his claws just enough to let him dig into the wall and propel himself further up it. About half-way up he pushed off of it and extended his claws to try to pluck Corvus from the air. The FM-ian managed to weave between the blades, continued upward, and turned back to smirk. Sonia launched strings at him, but he incinerated them before they caught up. He darted up and over the rooftop. Wolfe looked up after him, and then turned back to Sonia. “Dang!” Wolf said. “How long has that guy been on Earth?” Sonia’s guitar rang before she could answer. Putting a hand to the side of her helmet, she said, “Hello?” “It’s me,” came Geo’s voice. “Corvus came back this way, but he and Virgo disappeared into that weird opening and shut it behind them. There are a couple of Noise balls left, but other than that…I think it’s over?” Sonia glanced at Wolfe. He shrugged, deactivating his Wave Change. “Do you need any help down there?” Geo asked. “No,” Sonia said. “I’ll contact the Satella Police in just a second—the others should get back to class when they’re done, but could I ask you to stay put for a minute? I think we should be able to investigate that distortion they used.” “Sure thing.” Sonia hung up. Wolf didn’t seem to have anything to say for the time being, so she turned back to Jack and sighed heavily. “Well,” Lyra said, “I think first we need to decide what to do with our friend here.” Crouching next to him, Sonia called up a display and began dialing WAZA. “…It might not be how he wanted it…but he’ll get to see his sister.” (Review)

I think the problem is that “poorly-written” is such a nebulous thing. Mary Sue is used to succinctly point out a grab-bag of traits, but exactly what those traits are varies from person to person. Even if we say being a self-insert is required to be in that bag, a self-insert character could still be well-written, so there has to be something else that makes them a Sue and what that is doesn’t seem to be unanimously agreed upon. People need to put more effort into defining the rest of the bag, and somewhere along the way, a lot of them seem to latch onto one or more of those as the ultimate symbol of Sueness and bad writing, yet still only apply them to certain characters and not others. Regardless, I do think that keeping the term restricted to discussion of fanfiction would make it much less of a problem. Something like Ensign Mary Sue herself is very specific and easy to agree on. Even then, though, it's still more a way of shutting someone down than constructively critiquing them, so I don't know.

SECTION XI Bitil closed the door of Ga-Koro’s cathedral behind him. The first floor was a single room centered around a Suva; at two of the six indentations in the domed shrine, Matoran knelt on one knee, their heads bowed, each firmly keeping one hand on the Kanohi they had placed on it. One finished their prayer and returned the mask to their face. They stood, saw Bitil, and nodded once before leaving. Bitil didn’t respond at all. “Now this is a surprise,” said a quiet voice. Bitil looked over his shoulder to see Kojol coming across the room. Turning back to the shrine, he said, “According to Krika, you said we’d be welcome here. You didn’t change your mind, did you?” “Of course not. My dedication to the sanctity of Ga-Koro is unflinching. What I mean, Bitil, is that I never expected you to visit a Suva in your life. You are aware you can’t offer prayers to yourself, correct?” Bitil said nothing. Kojol raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent until the other Matoran left the cathedral. “I do wonder, have you come seeking asylum? Krika’s schemes becoming too much for you? I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear your war has gone wrong already.” “Velika attacked the outpost,” Bitil said. “We managed to win.” Kojol blinked. “Truly? My, perhaps I underestimated you.” “It came at a cost. If we don’t bolster our forces, I don’t know that we can win again.” “Well, you are uniquely qualified to accomplish that task. I’m sure you’re already crafting concepts for the most outlandish Rahkshi we’ve ever seen.” Bitil took a few slow steps forward. “…I have been considering some new ideas. Powerful, devastating ideas that I’m sure would throw our enemies off-balance.” Kojol sighed, her disinterest thinly veiled. “Something I discovered…with certain Rahkshi, if you create an ‘absence’ where their power should be, their abilities are inverted and a completely new power is born. A Rahkshi of Slow becomes a Rahkshi of Speed, a Rahkshi of Regeneration becomes a Rahkshi of Molecular Disruption.” He paused. “And now I have a hypothesis. One that I am all too eager to test.” Bitil looked around. Banners were hung above the chapel’s windows, lined with symbols represented Virtues and Principles and all manner of devout ideals. “Must I really ask?” Kojol said. “You’ve been hanging around Krika too long, judging by this dramatic lead-in.” Fixing his eyes on the banners, Bitil slowly, quietly, said, “A Rahkshi of Courage…to a Rahkshi of Fear…” His words didn’t register at first. “The Rahkshi representing the Six Principles…if I created one of each with an ‘absence’, that would surely invert their powers. Purity becomes Poison, Peace becomes Anger, Creation becomes Disintegration…” When it finally sank in, Kojol went stiff. But only for a moment. Striding forward, she shouted, “Wretch! You would blaspheme here of all places? I should cast you out for speaking so!” “We can’t defeat the Great Beings as we are,” Bitil said, finally turning to look at Kojol. “Inverted Principle Rahkshi—those are powers that could tear asunder anything they throw our way.” “And you would sacrifice your morals to obtain that power? You do not deserve to call yourself a Makuta. The path you speak of will do nothing but taint your soul!” A harsh laugh came in reply. “Do we even have souls?” “What?!” “I’ve never been spiritual, but I know that some of the Glatorian and Agori think that we don’t have souls. They think that since the Great Beings created us, since we’re not natural, we can’t have souls—that we just blink out when we die. If that’s the case, then what good do these ‘morals’ and ‘Principles’ do us? If it’s all futile, then why not do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals before my fleeting life is snuffed out of existence?” Kojol glared at him silently. Eventually, she said, “So that was the cost. Who died in Velika’s attack, Bitil?” Bitil held her gaze for a moment, but turned away before answering. “One of my Rahkshi. Virban. He was…one of the first specialized Rahkshi I ever created—nothing especially fancy, just larger, increased physical strength, something other than a staff to swing around.” Kojol sighed. “And that’s what this is about.” Bitil’s eyes wandered across the banners again, settling on the symbol for Courage. He began to shake. “...He was taken from me…and I know not where he’s gone…” “Bitil,” Kojol said, “you must face your grief.” “How? How do you face your grief when you don’t even know how to fathom it?” He turned back to her; his eyes were scared, and beyond them were a thousand other violent emotions just barely held together. “What becomes of a Rahkshi when they die? Have I merely been separated from Virban, or has he stopped to exist entirely? They’re considered artificial even by us artificial life. They’re pieces of us, and were never meant to be anything more than mindless servants. If even we blink out…then did I…what was the point of creating more life just to see it get snuffed out? Was what I did…was Virban’s existence…futile? I can’t…” Bitil sat down on the floor, putting his head in his hands and sobbing. Kojol stared at him for a moment. Then, she came forward, crouched next to him, and said, “It was most certainly not futile.” She received no response. “I will admit, I’ve never given any thought to this subject: there is no one else who thinks of Rahkshi the way you do. You loved Virban. You love all your Rahkshi, as if they were your children. Anyone can see how happy and proud you are when you speak of them—and, true, we may not react well to that, but those reactions are our own.” “Just get to the point,” Bitil grumbled. “That is the point!” Kojol said, grabbing his shoulder. “Your Rahkshi make you proud. They bring joy to your life. Don’t you see?” She stood, looking up at the banners. “Even I don’t know for sure what happens when we die. When any species dies. Some say our souls will wander this world forever, others say we pass into a new plane of existence…and yes, some think we cease to exist entirely. It is something that is impossible to know with objectivity. But I say that is irrelevant. We are subjective beings: our emotions guide us whether we want them to or not, driving our actions and shaping our very perception of reality. And so I say, in the absence of objectivity, one must trust what they feel to be true.” Bitil looked up at her. She locked eyes with him. “I refuse to believe that any life is futile. I do not believe that Virban has been snuffed out. Bringing joy to others is perhaps the most profound thing a life can accomplish—the universe, whatever forces govern it, would most certainly not let something so wondrous go to waste. That is what I feel is true. That is what I believe. So remember the joy, Bitil, and embrace it. You will prove that Virban’s existence was beautiful, that it had meaning.” She used her scepter to point to the symbol of Duty. “That is your Duty now. And once you accept that, I believe it is one you shall never fail to uphold.” For a time Bitil remained sitting there. Eventually, he got back on his feet, and gave Kojol a small nod. “You should return to your children, Bitil,” she said as she walked towards the Suva. “Should it help you to know, I will offer up a prayer of Peace for Virban’s soul, and for those who grieve him.” Bitil looked over his shoulder at the shrine. He came to join her, starting, “…Can I…?” “By all means. Ordinarily I’d tell you to place your mask on the altar, but as that would be a bit dangerous for us—“ She stopped abruptly as Bitil pulled off his Kanohi Faxon. As antidermis slowly poured out of the opening atop his armor, Bitil knelt and placed his mask in the nearest indentation; Kojol nearly objected, but she thought better of it. When Bitil had finished his prayer, he stood and reattached his Kanohi, leaving his hand open as he pulled in the antidermis now floating about the room. “…Thank you,” Bitil said. Kojol nodded. “You are most welcome.” His essence retrieved, Bitil headed for the door. It felt a bit easier to open than when he had come in. *** Zaekura trudged across the perimeter wall, using a murderous glare to scan ahead for where her next step would land. As she rounded a corner and glanced farther down, however, she spotted Charla sitting inside the guardhouse, and she froze immediately. She took a moment to turn aside and wipe her face. Her expression was a bit softer as she proceeded, but she was positive she still didn’t look anywhere near friendly. Charla looked up as she came closer. They nodded to each other awkwardly, and Zaekura went to move on. “Wait.” Reluctantly, she stopped. “You’re so angry…and sad…what happened?” Zaekura shrugged. “It’s not…you’ve got enough to think about, I don’t want to bother you.” Charla stood up, coming just a little closer. “It feels like…you’re grieving as well.” She took a very long pause. “May I ask what happened?” Zaekura looked down the wall again. “…I’m sorry.” Looking back, she said, “For what?” “For bothering you. For not being able to help. It’s part of my job to help everyone work through their emotions, but I have no experience with grief. I don’t know how to…” She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I won’t bother you any further.” Charla turned and sat down on the edge of the wall. After a moment, Zaekura sighed, walked over, and sat down next to her. “I guess,” Zaekura grumbled, “sometimes it can help just to have someone to commiserate with.” Quietly, Charla said, “Thank you. I’m so—“ “You need to stop apologizing, though.” “I’m…er, well…I just don’t want to make anything worse.” “Things are already terrible for everyone. Not much you can do to make it worse.” “…I suppose so. Um, should I—“ “Charla…take a break. I didn’t come here to get a professional opinion or anything, and it’s not like I’ll be able to help with your stuff. Treating this like your job isn’t going to do either of us any favors.” Charla stared at her a moment, and then looked forward and sighed. “Maybe you’re right.” Zaekura glanced at the watchtower, but quickly looked away. After taking a moment to prepare herself, she said, “I just found out that my dad died trying to escape Nynrah. Nobody told me until now.” Charla turned to her. “Oh. No wonder you’re angry.” “Hah, thanks. I’m glad someone gets it.” She scratched her head. “…I can almost understand why they waited. But, I just…I would have liked to know! Thinking that I’ve just been screwing around without even knowing and this whole time he’s been dead, I…” She threw her hands up. “You feel almost…guilty,” Charla said. “But it isn’t your fault. The Makuta should have told you.” Zaekura clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them. “…Yeah. But, the whole reason the drones attacked Nynrah…” She closed her eyes, running her hands up over her face. “Here I was thinking I should face the fact that people are dying for me. I must be terrible…because it was so much easier to think that before I knew one of them was my dad.” Charla placed a hand over her chest. “Then I must be terrible too. It’s upsetting to hear about death, but for some reason thinking about Virban’s hurts far more.” They were both silent for a moment. “What are you going to do?” Charla asked. Zaekura lifted her head. “I don’t know. I’m still processing it. But I don’t know how much time we have, and it took me forever to get over losing my grandpa…” “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you cope with it then?” She thought, and then shook her head. “Really, I don’t know if I ever did. Mom used her painting to deal with it. I just kind of stayed angry. Angry at the Makuta...so now that’s all being dug up again. Maybe I’ll stay angry this time too.” After a pause, she added, “Not that I would recommend that.” “Yes, it…doesn’t sound…” Charla fidgeted. “But then, I don’t know what else to suggest.” “Is that why you sent Bitil to Ga-Koro? Because Kojol has more experience helping people through grief?” “That’s part of it,” Charla said, her gaze dropping. “But more than grief…I could sense Lord Bitil dealing with far greater, darker issues that I knew even less about. Even if I could ease his mind, I could never ease his spirit. And…” She trailed off. “And what?” Charla looked out over the outpost. “Lord Bitil…was only making matters worse for all of us.” Zaekura shifted, but said nothing. “He was affected deeply by Virban’s death, yet refused to show it. He worried that the other Makuta would chide him for caring so much about one Rahkshi, and that their derision would only make him feel worse than he already did. So, he acted the way they would if they lost a Rahkshi…he acted like he didn’t care.” Charla shut her eyes tight. “…I understand why he’s acting that way. But he does not understand what that does to us. He is the only one who has ever cared for us. Perhaps he is ridiculed for bringing us into being, but we are ridiculed simply for being. And now, the first time one of our number is killed, he chooses to behave as if nothing is wrong…as if, in the end, our lives held no meaning even to him. I know that’s not true…but that’s the way it feels to all of us. Even to me. I know better, but I still…” She pulled her arms around herself. Zaekura inclined her head, feeling her grip on her emotions starting to loosen. “Lord Bitil needed to leave, just for a time. We all needed a moment without him, to process not just our grief, but that deeper fear his reaction has uncovered. I only hope that Makuta Kojol can truly aid him. If not, then…” She shuddered. “I honestly don’t know what I’ll do.” Zaekura stared at her for a moment, the emotion swelling enough that it began to spill over. She reached out and hugged Charla. “Huh?!” “I care,” Zaekura said. “Just, for whatever it’s worth, I care about all of you. Okay? And if Bitil’s still being a jerk when he gets back, I’ll snap him out of it myself. Just…don’t feel like nobody cares. Please. Don’t ever feel that way. It sucks, and you shouldn’t have to feel it, because it isn’t true. I care.” It took a few more seconds, but Charla returned the embrace. And when she did, Zaekura felt her last grip on her emotions give way, and she began to cry into Charla’s shoulder. Charla started to sob as well. The feeling that came next was a curious one: with her emotions running high, Charla was transmitting them unintentionally, allowing Zaekura to feel the mix of sadness and confusion and anger and relief she was experiencing. It was uncannily close to what she was already feeling. Their emotions resonated in a way, linking them together for that brief moment, and a new feeling arose in both at the same instant, something that felt all-important yet long-absent. They both felt understood. *** Krika, his disguise still holding, glanced casually at the display on the elevator as it counted up the floors passing by. To one side stood Onepu, somehow managing to look greatly annoyed and pleasantly smug at the same time, and behind them was Carna, who was finding it extremely difficult to stand still. Soon the lift came to a halt. Onepu strode through the doors the moment they slid open, the other passengers following a second later; the room beyond was a void of silver, the floor and walls bare save for the reflections of those who walked past them, all except for one large window behind a massive desk at the side opposite the elevator. There sat a tall Makuta wearing silver and white armor, their eyes focused on a stack of paper they were quickly flipping through while their other hand absent-mindedly twirled a quill. The trio of visitors stopped a few paces from the desk and waited quietly. Eventually, the Makuta looked up. They examined Carna for a moment, then glanced at Krika, before setting down their quill, standing, and folding their hands behind their back as they faced Onepu. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I apologize if this created any conflicts in your duties, Turaga Onepu.” “Think nothing of it, Great Makuta Yarion,” Onepu said, bowing low. “It is an honor to know you have taken such a strong, personal interest in my humble district.” Yarion slowly rounded their desk, spotting their reflection on the wall as they did. They paused to produce a small cloth, rubbing away a smudge from their silver Kanohi Kakama, and then returned their attention to their guests. “Well, this case relates to quite a serious matter. I thought it prudent to deal with immediately.” Krika bowed. “Thank you for hearing our appeal, Great Makuta.” Yarion grabbed a paper off their desk. “Your name is Arik, correct? I don’t have any official records of your transfer to this city.” Krika looked confused for a moment before sighing. “Oh, I see. Forgive me, Makuta Yarion: some of the higher-ups in Mahri-Nui are infamous for their trouble with simple paperwork. I should have known better than to leave it to those…” He cleared his throat. “Well, it was my mistake, and I do apologize. I shall contact my former superior as soon as I leave here today.” “Hm. I suppose there’s little to be done about that right this second.” Yarion put the paper down and faced them, folding their hands once again. “Why don’t we start from the beginning? Turaga?” “Yes, Great Makuta,” Onepu said. “Yesterday I received word that a known citizen of Nynrah was selling paintings at a chute station in my district. Recalling the order that Nynrah’s citizens were to be detained, I dispatched a unit to bring her in immediately, and left to oversee things myself. When I arrived, however, I came upon this unfamiliar Toa interfering with my officers.” Yarion turned to Krika, who said, “I merely saw an innocent vendor being harassed, and felt duty-bound to step in.” “Yes, so you say,” Onepu said. “I thus informed him of the situation, but he still refused to back down.” “Miss Carna clearly objected to her detainment,” Krika said. “As she does have the right to appeal her case, I thought it was only fair she pursue that avenue, especially since the officers did not appear ready to inform her of it.” Yarion inclined their head. “Interesting. You are claiming that the arresting officers did not properly inform Miss Carna of her rights? Is this true?” Carna nodded. “They hardly said a word.” “If I may, Great Makuta,” Onepu broke in, “the arrest was interrupted. I am positive my officers would have gone through the proper procedures if simply given enough time.” “I would think it vital they lead with that,” Krika said, “especially when dealing with an individual who they knew was not native to Civitas Magna and thus likely knew little about its legal system.” “A valid argument,” Yarion said. “Turaga, I would advise your officers to be a bit more mindful of such things in the future.” Onepu hung his head. “Y-Yes…Great Makuta…” “However. Seeing as the arrest was indeed interrupted, and considering other relevant events, I do not feel this is enough for the case to simply be thrown out.” Onepu brightened instantly. Carna gritted her teeth. “I understand completely,” Krika said. “I merely wished to be thorough, Makuta Yarion.” “And I appreciate it,” Yarion said. “Moving on, then. Toa Arik, are you aware of what has recently transpired in Nynrah?” “I have been informed that Makuta Krika has gone rogue, yes.” “As a result, the Great Beings themselves have asked us to detain any citizens of Nynrah, so that it can be determined how many of them are sympathetic to their Guardian’s cause.” “Oh, the Great Beings? I had no idea.” “Then it seems the issue was not communicated to you properly—I apologize.” Onepu shuffled his feet. “Well, regardless,” Krika said, “I believe that matter can be solved immediately. Miss Carna, do you—“ “I’m not spying for Krika or anything stupid like that,” Carna interrupted, her frustration starting to get the better of her. “I was just selling paintings!” Yarion fixed their eyes on her. “I ask that you please have patience, Miss Carna. Your anger is understandable, but given the circumstances we must be sure.” “I would say that we already are,” Krika said. “What more would you do, Makuta Yarion?” “Once the appeal is settled, I plan to contact the Great Beings,” Yarion answered. “I imagine they will want to take her to the Maze.” Carna tried to look more angry than nervous, something that thankfully came very easily to her. Krika said, “With respect, Makuta Yarion, I must say that seems a bit extreme. We’ve little if any reason to think this individual knows anything of use in the hunt for Krika—it would be a waste of the Great Beings’ time to bring this before them.” “I think it best to allow them to decide that.” Krika sighed. “I see. I’m sorry, Makuta, but this whole thing just feels…rather troubling.” Yarion cocked their head. “Hm? How so?” “An innocent artist, arrested solely for hailing from a certain town? Word will undoubtedly spread, and I must say, that would be a very frightful thing to hear. I daresay it would make people rather cautious of the law here…perhaps even distrustful.” Onepu’s jaw dropped. “Watch your tongue! How could you even imply such a thing—we are to uphold the orders of the Great Beings, no matter what they are! Any who would distrust us for adhering to that duty are nothing short of traitors!” Krika looked taken aback. “That’s quite an accusation.” Turning to Yarion, he added, “Do you see the potential for escalation this issue possesses?” Yarion rubbed their chin. “…I think, perhaps, you are making some assumptions.” “Great Makuta, put yourself in this woman’s shoes. You have been forced from your home, fearful that a raving Makuta may be at your heels, and when you finally reach safety you realize you must then rebuild your life. So you throw yourself into your craft, set out to make some money to begin your daunting task…and then you are imprisoned, accused, and interrogated for things beyond your control, which you have no knowledge of. Can you imagine that agony? Don’t you think other Glatorian who hear this story will also imagine it? And that they might then worry, ‘what if I am next’?” “Your arguments are based on fear,” Onepu said. “This incident will spark fear whether I point it out to you or not. And fear is almost impossible to stop, once it begins to spread. The people will fear for their safety and well-being, fear the law, fear the Makuta…with this, they could even come to fear the Great Beings. And should that happen, our whole planet could become frozen in fear.” Krika looked Yarion in the eye. “I beg of you, Great Makuta. Think very carefully before you set this precedent. So very much weighs upon it.” Yarion stared hard at him. They walked over to the side of the room, gazing thoughtfully at their reflection, and then ended up back at the window. Slowly, they said, “What is the alternative? To defy the Great Beings?” “You would not be defying them,” Krika said. “You detained Miss Carna. You questioned her, and were able to ascertain that she does not sympathize with Krika. The matter is thus settled.” Yarion turned around, saying, “I am unsure they would see it that way. And given Krika’s stunt, I doubt they have much patience for disobedient Makuta at the moment. I would rather not test the waters.” Krika backed up a half-step. “Wh…Makuta Yarion! Do you care more for how the Great Beings see you than about the people’s rights?!” Yarion scowled. “Beg pardon?” “You are so afraid that the Great Beings may punish you, that you would allow further misfortune to befall this poor woman? To ensure your own safety, you would let the people see you condemn someone doing everything she could to start anew? Let them see the law strike down an artist only for selling her art? Do you know how people remember those who silence artists, Makuta? Those who silence those whose only crime is speaking their mind?” Krika walked forward, setting his hands on Yarion’s desk. “They are remembered as cowards. As the most spineless of all villains. If the people see you silence this woman, then I promise, that is how they will start to look at you.” Onepu was too stunned to even speak. Yarion stepped forward, glaring down at Krika, but Krika did not flinch. “You are a Makuta,” Krika said. “You are meant to care for the people. Do not worry so much about how the Great Beings may view you—worry about how the people view you! They are terrified to hear that Makuta are going rogue, and any action you take will be put against that context. This is your chance to restore their faith. You can show that there are still Makuta who stand for the people, who defend the helpless against forces beyond their control. You have the chance to save Miss Carna from being a casualty of Krika’s mistakes. You are the only one who can do that now. Please, Makuta Yarion…help her.” Yarion looked at Carna. The Glatorian watched the floor at first, but eventually met their gaze, her eyes now beginning to show the desperation she truly felt. Yarion breathed deeply. “Great Makuta,” Onepu said, “you cannot seriously consider doing as this deranged Toa says! The Great Beings—“ “You are dismissed, Turaga,” Yarion interrupted. “Please return to your usual duties.” Onepu stared at them for a moment, but then bowed and made his way back to the elevator. Once he was gone, Yarion sat down at their desk, sifted through some paper, and picked up their quill. “You have an interesting perspective on things, Toa Arik,” they said. “I think you are right, at least in that I have underestimated the gravity of this situation. I do not wholly agree with you…however…” They looked down to sign the paper. “It is true that I have no reason to believe Miss Carna has anything further to add to the investigation of Makuta Krika. Therefore, her charges will be dropped, and she will be released from custody.” Krika smiled. “Thank you, Great Makuta. Thank you.” “I shall see to the rest,” Yarion said. “You are both free to go.” Krika turned and led Carna back to the elevator, neither of them saying anything until they were back on the street. As soon as they came to a bench, they stopped, and Carna let out an incredibly deep sigh. “My gosh,” she groaned. “What was all that fancy garbage about? Did we really need to stay here just for that?” “I assure you, Miss Carna, it was all very essential,” Krika said. “Makuta Yarion has been swayed, and I believe this gesture on their part will serve to embolden the people of Civitas Magna in, shall we say…taking a less strict approach to following the Great Beings’ orders. Knowing that the closest Makuta cares more about them than their overlords’ wrath will make them far more comfortable with openly discussing Zaekura’s cause.” Carna grumbled something, turning to look down the street. “Which reminds me, I still need to plant that idea around the city. Though, I suppose I could come back and do it another time, however.” After a small delay, Carna said, “Just get on it. It’d probably look bad if I fled first chance I got anyway.” Krika walked around to look Carna in the eye. “You will see Zaekura, and very soon. Thank you for being patient for her sake.” Carna immediately looked away. “Hurry up already.” ADDENDUM: -Though I chose to repurpose the Suva and focus on the shrine aspect, I still wanted to leave the association with Kanohi intact somehow. Removing one’s mask and placing it on the altar to pray seemed like a good way to do so, and I liked the idea of intentionally making oneself vulnerable to offer up prayer. -The idea of inverting Rahkshi powers initially came about from wondering if there was a way to turn the Principle Rahkshi back into their Prime Universe counterparts. While I don’t think I can properly justify having Bitil actually do so, I still wanted to bring up the subject, and thought this was a good opportunity to do so. I also thought Molecular Disruption might be one to avoid (since it was one I specifically changed in the first place), but upon further reflection a Rahkshi with that power could very easily disarm opponents, making them ideal for non-lethally dealing with foes. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in replacing the power in the first place… -When planning Virban’s death, I began to wonder what happened to Rahkshi when they die. In the end, rather than come up with an answer, I thought it would be more interesting to see Bitil grapple with that question himself. It ended up feeling a bit personal: I thought of times when my pets had died, and how some people say animals have no souls, and Kojol’s assertion that lives that bring joy are too wonderful to go to waste is something I arrived at to cope with those feelings. Not to say that Bitil considers his Rahkshi pets, of course, it’s just a similar question. -Originally I thought it best to hold off on the appeal scene until the next chapter for pacing’s sake, but I overestimated how long the other scenes would run and didn’t really like the other ideas I was considering. In case it isn’t clear: when Krika went to meet with Onepu the day after the arrest, they were told to immediately depart for Makuta Yarion’s office, as opposed to being scheduled weeks or months out as would usually be the case. Krika was expecting this, however. -I’m a bit unsure what exactly is going to happen in Section XII, so I wouldn’t expect a quick update. Sorry, I’ll do my best, but I want to be honest. -Reviews to be submitted here

Marvel Captain? What is the captain marveling at???

Wait! Don't run away! I'm only going to murder you a little!

Now that the English dub of Dragon Ball Super is getting into the Tournament of Power arc I can’t help but feel it’s only a matter of time before people renew their complaints about new characters Caulifla and Kale. These two are new Saiyans introduced to serve as opponents in said tournament, and are the first female Super Saiyans shown in the series main canon. (Prior there were a handful of games that offered female Saiyan player avatars who could achieve the form, but that’s it.) They quickly became somewhat divisive additions, and of course, many of those who despise them go around calling them Mary Sues. This is something that annoys me. Dragon Ball has never and will never be a literary masterpiece—there’s plenty of bad writing and I won’t try to tell you otherwise. And though I like these characters, I can see (and in some cases maybe even agree with) some of the issues people have with them. Criticism is healthy. But calling a character a Mary Sue isn’t criticism, it’s just dismissive, and always inconsistent. What one person considers a Mary Sue is different from what the next person considers a Mary Sue, and more than that, the same person can point out a “Mary Sue trait” in one character and totally ignore its presence in another. People rattling off reasons why Caulifla’s a Sue don’t seem to realize she actually has a lot in common with the main character, Goku, and saying that Kale is only ever written poorly when she has one of the most realistic character arcs in the franchise (unlike her predecessor Broly, who is now infamous for his stupidly petty motivations) just isn’t true. But okay, if we’re going to use reasons x, y, and z to define a character as a Mary Sue, do you know what Dragon Ball character fits the ever-changing mold surprisingly well? Future Trunks. Easily one of the most popular characters in the franchise, yes, but let’s review: -Showed up literally out of nowhere after the Frieza Saga -Immediately and effortlessly transforms into a Super Saiyan, mere chapters after the form had been introduced, and that was after immense build-up, thinking there could only be one (and that it was main character Goku), and seeing Goku go through a lot of anguish to achieve it -Kills Frieza, the biggest, baddest villain in the series at that point, who main character Goku took forever to beat, by either one-shotting him (in the manga) or toying with him in a curb-stomp battle (in the anime) -Then proceeds to effortlessly kill Frieza’s father, who was stated to be somewhere near Frieza’s level -Gets to spar with main character Goku for a bit -Reveals he is the son of Vegeta, another exceptionally popular character, and Bulma, a long-time staple who at this point has little interaction with and no visible interest in Vegeta -He came from the future, because only time travel makes that parentage work -In the future he was trained by the son of main character Goku -Said future is basically an apocalyptic wasteland -Later on he gets a unique transformation that makes him exceptionally more powerful (even if it does turn out to be functionally useless) -Gets temporarily killed in the final battle with Cell to spark very sudden character development in popular character Vegeta, and then is immediately revived -Gets an entire episode at the end of the Cell Saga dedicated to going back to the future and effortlessly defeating his timeline’s incarnation of the saga’s three major villains -Also he carries a sword he rarely uses in a series that typically doesn’t use weapons (swords are cool) Now if you were reading a fanfic and saw a character like that, what would you think? And that’s all just in Z: Trunks is made a main character in GT and Future Trunks is brought back in Super solely because of this character’s popularity, and that’s not even scratching the surface of how central he is to dedicated fanservice games like Xenoverse and Heroes. He’s so popular he can be shoehorned into anything and people rarely complain. He ticks so many boxes common on Mary Sue trait lists, and…nobody notices? How weird is that? And just to be a complete hypocrite: I also like Future Trunks. It’s almost like even a character with tons of “Mary Sue traits” can still be entertaining depending on how they’re handled, and that calling a character a Mary Sue means nothing other than “I don’t like this character and choose to blame the writer and insult anyone who thinks differently.” Imagine that. I still can’t really figure out why people are perfectly fine with Future Trunks but have such huge problems with Caulifla and Kale. Huh, though now that I think about, out of those three Trunks is the only one that’s a guy…nah, that couldn’t possibly be it, right?

Brutaka: "I must choose now. Do I follow the way of the sword...or the way of the glowing red thing...?"

Onewa: "I really hate that Matoran."