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Pahrak Model ZX

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  1. Tahu: The Bohrok Kal have stolen our powers bro Lewa: But they can't take the power of our brohood bro Tahu: Bro
  2. Chapter 19 “…and I look forward to serving as your Class President for another year!” The others clapped, and Luna smiled a bit. Looking back down at her Hunter screen, she said, “I don’t know, maybe it still needs a few adjustments…” Sonia reached out and pushed Luna’s arm aside. “There’s such a thing as over preparing, you know. Take a few minutes to relax—that’s going to be way more useful.” Luna sighed as she sat down at a desk. “Probably. I just want to be sure I do well.” “What do you have to worry about?” Geo asked. “There are only two other candidates, and it’s obvious they’re nowhere near as organized as you are. You’ve got this!” “Just because it looks easy doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give it my all! Zack, have you finished analyzing the data from the early polls?” Zack tapped his Hunter a few times. “Mike has achieved very little support, and that’s been the case more or less since the race began—virtually identical results across all polls. Trisha has been steadily gaining some favor, but the most recent poll still puts you at a significant advantage. Barring some massive unforeseen shift in opinion, neither has a viable chance of victory.” Luna hummed. Before she could say anything, Sonia leaned against her shoulder, saying, “Relaaaaaax…” On the other side of the classroom, Pat and Bud were putting the finishing touches on a banner; Pat glanced over as Luna started laughing, and then turned back to look at Bud. The other boy was working sluggishly, his eyes unfocused. “Hey, Bud?” he asked. Bud snapped to attention. “H-Huh?” “You looked like you were dozing off there.” “Oh, no, sorry.” He turned back to his work, resuming it with a bit more enthusiasm. “I was just, uh…” Pat resumed working as well. “Amy?” Bud sighed. “Well, yeah. I’m sure she’s doing fine, and Whazzap is a nice place too.” “But you wish you could’ve gone with her?” “Kind of. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t dream of missing the election! But, if WAZA’s trip had been pushed back just a little, then Amy and I coulda both gone on an important mission together, and, y’know…” Pat chuckled. “You’ll get your chance, Bud. I bet you and her will go down in history as WAZA’s best agent duo!” Bud gave a short laugh at the idea, and then paused. “So, how are you doing with…?” Looking up, Pat nodded. “It’s going alright. Not perfect, maybe, but I’m managing. I’d like to think I’ve improved a lot in a short time.” “Well of course you’d like to think that,” Gemini said. “Whether or not that’s the case is another matter entirely.” Pat just smiled. “I gotta say, I really envy how well you and Taurus get along.” “Mrrg, if you ever need help putting that snob in his place, just give us a call,” Taurus said. “Were I in a better mood I’d be in hysterics over your delusions of grandeur,” Gemini said. “Earth seems to have the most curious effect on FM-ians…well, those base enough to be susceptible to its thrall, at least.” “Hush,” Pat said, reaching for his Hunter. “I’m trying not to keep you locked in sleep mode all the time, but you really need to be more polite if you want it to stay that way.” Gemini grumbled something to himself. Pat moved to put his Hunter away and noticed Geo staring at him, a slightly concerned look on his face. It was an exasperated smile Pat gave him in response, but a genuine one, so Geo nodded and they both returned to their respective tasks. “They should call for the candidates in about five minutes,” Geo said. “Anything you need us to do before then?” Luna looked over her notes again. “Mmm…I can’t think of anything. Why don’t you all get a head start and join the rest of the class?” “Are you sure?” Zack asked. “Positive. You’ve already done more than enough—I think you all deserve a break of sorts.” “Well, okay. We’ll see you out there!” Zack and Geo helped Pat and Bud gather up the banner, and then they carefully moved it out of the classroom and shut the door behind them. Luna sighed. “Doing alright?” Sonia asked. “I needed a bit of quiet,” Luna said. “Grateful as I am for everyone’s hard work, if I didn’t get a little room to breathe I was going to start feeling smothered.” Sonia giggled. She waited as Luna glanced out the window, her face softening a bit. “…I’m more nervous than I expected,” she mumbled. “I mean, I’m still confident I’ll be victorious. But I just have this anxious energy—and I used to feel that way before elections, but not in…well, a few years, at least.” Sonia came behind Luna, standing there and gently rubbing her shoulders. “Can I help?” Luna closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Listening is enough…thank you. I’ll be okay—it’ll take more than this to stop me.” “Hehe. Your determination is always inspiring, Prez. How do you do it?” “Hmph! It’s a natural talent honed through years of discipline!” Pausing, she reached up and grabbed one of Sonia’s hands. “And…I’ve got all the support I could ever dream of.” Sonia leaned forward, giving Luna a kiss on the cheek and then wrapping her arms around her. They remained that way for a moment, before Sonia eventually stepped back, allowing Luna to stand. Luna checked the time. “Just about. How do I look?” “Wonderful!” “You’re not just saying that, are you?” Sonia tapped her guitar, calling up a small holographic screen in front of her; when she touched that screen’s surface, it emitted a small flash, and then a photograph of Luna appeared on it. “Nope,” Sonia said as she held out the image. “You really look great!” “H-Hey, no pictures!” Luna said, blushing as she pointed. Sonia cocked her head. “Huh? But it’s important proof! Besides, today’s a special day—why not have something to remember it with?” “Well, maybe…but, you should at least warn me!” “It turned out great! Here, take a look!” Hesitantly, Luna stepped forward and took the image. “…It’s…alright. But don’t share this with anyone! And no more!” “Fine, fine,” Sonia said, taking the picture back. She waved it lightly, and it evaporated into a cloud of pixels. Giving Luna a grin, she added, “See? All good!” Luna sighed, but couldn’t hide that she was also smiling. “You can be such a troublemaker. Be glad I’m so lenient with you.” Sonia bowed. “Of course, Madame Prez. Thank you for being so gracious.” They laughed together, and then Luna’s Hunter chimed as she received her summons. “I’m off,” she said. “Wish me luck!” Sonia kissed her, saying, “You’re unstoppable. I’ll be watching from the Wave Road, cheering you on the whole time! Show ‘em who’s boss!” Luna nodded, now brimming with a more vibrant energy, and strode out of the classroom. Sonia reached for her guitar again, but that was when Lyra materialized next to her. “Pardon me, dear,” Lyra said, “but there’s something I need to bring to your attention.” “Huh? What do you mean?” “I didn’t want to interrupt, but I’ve been picking up some curious Noise readings nearby that I think we should take a look at. Hard to say if it’s anything dangerous, but I’d feel much better if we checked.” Sonia looked at the clock. “Well, we have a few minutes before the speeches actually start…and that isn’t something we should just leave be.” She pumped her fist. “Okay, Lyra, let’s roll!” They Wave Changed, and Sonia stayed out of the visible spectrum as she navigated the halls, allowing her to make her way in the direction of the disturbance without being noticed. As they went, Lyra said, “I must admit, it’s nice to see you looking so bright again.” Sonia smiled. “Though I also have to ask…how are you handling the matters still weighing upon you?” Her expression turning a bit melancholy, she said, “I’m mostly focusing on the positives. Maybe I’m avoiding a few things, and maybe that’ll bite me, but for now I’ve got other priorities. I’ll figure out the rest when I have the chance. Besides…” Her smile returned. “Getting to spend time with Luna helps everything.” “Hmhm, alright. Just be careful, dear. Ah, it’s just ahead.” Sonia came to a stop and took a look around. She was right next to the school’s main entryway, and while she hadn’t spent much time in this particular hallway there wasn’t anything that looked obviously out of the ordinary. She took a few more steps, and suddenly she became aware of an odd, nagging feeling, almost like she was being watched or that someone was standing right next to her. A few more steps, and the feeling dimmed. “…Huh. I’m feeling it now, too.” Backing up a few steps, Sonia moved to where the feeling was the strongest, and ended up approaching one of the electronic display boards lining the hall. Squinting at it, a flicker caught her attention: one of the corners of the display was wavering intermittently, and after watching it for a few seconds she saw a brief flash of static around the affected area. “This must be the source,” Lyra said. “Yet, for as much Noise as I’m detecting, I would think it would be having a greater effect on this device.” “Lyra, if we use the Joker Program...” Sonia said, taking a short pause. “Is it possible for us to tune into the Noise you’re detecting? Maybe access it in some way?” “We should be able to. It’s optimized for the Meteor Server, but since we can still gather up ambient Noise, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to rig a new connection. Let me see…” The flickering on the board intensified. The image flashed more and more rapidly until it suddenly froze, wreathed in a thin halo of static, and then all at once returned to normal. A second later, a feeling like a static shock hit Sonia head-on; she stumbled backwards, grunting at the surprise jolt, and then turned back to the board. Directly in front of it was a patch of green static roughly the size of her hand, a distortion that immediately reminded her of what she had seen when fighting Noised Wizards. “Sorry about that, dear,” Lyra said. “It broke open a bit more violently than I was expecting. However, it appears that we’ve uncovered some sort of access point.” “Does it lead to the display board’s Cyber Core?” “Uncertain…but unlikely, I’d say. The Noise seems far more intense in there, enough to shred this poor thing’s systems to bits under normal circumstances.” Sonia tapped her fingers as she considered her options. “What do you think, Lyra?” Lyra hummed a bit, ultimately saying, “We won’t be at risk with the Joker Program, and I’d feel rather unsafe just leaving such an odd thing be without knowing more. I think we should take a look.” Nodding, Sonia reached forward and touched the distortion. The world warped around her, and when it settled again she took in her new surroundings. It was a Wave Road of some kind, that much was clear, but the platforms beneath her was oddly shaped, and glowed with an eerie light that contrasted with how dark the surface was. The space around them was pitch-black, though numerous sporadic bursts of white and green and red rolled through it like silent storm clouds. That same nagging feeling was all around. “Bizarre…” She managed to find a path and walked until she came to a wider platform, but still couldn’t find anything of interest. Turning back, she looked towards where she thought the access point should be—rather than where she had entered, however, the point was off on the other side of the space, hovering just above the edge of an absurdly narrow platform. She scratched her head. “It appears,” Lyra said, “that this is an EM space made entirely out of Noise. Fascinating—I never would’ve thought jumbled up waves like Noise could create something even this cohesive.” “So what do we do about this…Noise Wave?” Sonia asked. “Now that I’ve analyzed it more closely, I believe I can reseal the entrance once we’re outside. I find it doubtful someone without a Noise Control Program could access this place, and you saw what minimal effects it’s having on the outside world. I don’t think there’s anything else to be done, really…though we should probably send our findings to Mr. Boreal just in case.” “Sounds good. Okay, let’s just—“ She stopped short as she heard a strange hissing sound. Turning around, she spotted something that hadn’t been there a moment ago: a ball of red energy that looked suspiciously like a piece of Crimson. Tentatively, Sonia took a few steps towards it, confirming that it was the source of the hissing, and reached out. Two empty white eyes appeared on the orb. Jumping back, Sonia readied her guitar as the creature revealed a mouth, snapping at the empty space she had just occupied. “What the heck is that thing?” she asked. “I’m just reading Noise. Be careful, Sonia: we’ve no idea what this creature is capable of.” The Noise creature continued to hiss angrily at her. Glancing back at the access point, she said, “Probably shouldn’t let it out, then.” Suddenly it lunged. Sonia swung her guitar, smacking it across the platform, and then took aim and started playing. The first few notes hit their mark, but then the creature zipped up and out of the way, gnashing its teeth before lifting higher, radiating more Noise. The energy shot forward all at once, knocking the wind out of Sonia. Seeing its opportunity, the creature shot out and rammed into her helmet, sending her staggering back; she nearly fell, but she managed to stay on her feet, enduring a few more pushes from the creature, and then knocked it away again, this time following-up with a sound pulse that left it stunned. She fired her strings straight into the creature. After playing a few more notes, it shook violently, and then it burst apart into a shower of red sparks that vanished near-instantly. Sonia relaxed her guard slowly. “Yikes,” she muttered. “Remind me to keep a close eye on those if we run into any more.” “I’ll add it to the report. We should get going—I don’t think I’ll be able to send the message while we’re in here, and also…” Nodding, Sonia quickly headed for the access point. “We’ve got to get to the roof! I don’t want to be late for Luna’s speech!” *** “Aren’t you hot?” Solo turned. “What?” “It’s just, you’re wearing all black, and the sun here is so intense,” Amy said. “Aren’t you hot at all?” Turning back, Solo said, “It doesn’t bother me.” Amy wiped the sweat from her brow. While she had known she was much too used to the cold and had done her best to think ahead, packing a simple yellow sundress rather than her usual skiwear, she was surprised at just how hot Whazzap felt to her. Even more puzzling, she seemed to be the only one suffering, despite Solo wearing black, Copper wearing a trench coat, and Hyde wearing a black trench coat. Somehow, she thought, it just didn’t seem fair. “Why don’t we Wave Change real fast?” Yeti offered. “I can whip up a little snow to keep us cool.” Amy shook her head. “No, that’d be excessive. Ace should be back any minute, I bet, so I’ll just tough it out.” Copper held a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun, surveying the nearby desert. He eventually turned to Hyde, who leaned against a large rock swinging his cane around, and said, “Will you stop that?” “Oh, does this distract you, Detective?” Hyde said, not even slowing down. “My apologies. Pre-stage jitters must be getting the better of me.” Copper grunted. “That makes sense. I sure wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, trying to ask for help from someone I tricked and manipulated not too long ago.” Hyde’s cane came to a stop. “Quite. Perhaps I should go wait in the car.” “Afraid to face your mistakes, Hyde?” Phantom asked. “I would think you’d be used to it by now.” “No moreso than you, dear friend. Shouldn’t you understand?” Solo ground his teeth, trying as best he could to tune them out. Luckily for him, it wasn’t much longer before Ace reappeared, waving to them eagerly as the Shaman and Condor followed a few steps behind. The PM-ian seemed calm as ever, but the Shaman eyed them all cautiously, his steps slowing considerably when he spotted Hyde. Once he saw, Solo, however, he paused for a moment, his eyes widening slightly before he resumed his approach. Solo wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Okay team!” Ace announced. “I’d like you all to meet the Shaman of Whazzap, and his friend Condor. Shaman, Condor, here we have Detective Bob Copper of the Satella Police…” Copper bowed, greeting, “Whazzap.” “Amy Gelande, a friend of our mutual acquaintance Harp Note, and her Wizard Yeti…” Amy smiled and waved. Yeti materialized next to her, saying, “How’ve you been, Condor?” “Good to see you again, Yeti,” Condor said. “I am well—and it seems you are also?” “Can’t complain.” The Shaman turned to Condor, asking, “You know him?” Condor nodded once. “Yeti is of Mu. He was one of our finest soldiers.” “Oh! So he is one of the other survivors you mentioned.” Ace said, “And you’ve already met Mr. Hyde and his Wizard Phantom…” The Shaman glared at Hyde, saying, “Indeed, I have.” Hyde sighed quietly. Taking a few steps forward, he removed his hat, bowed, and said, “I offer apologies for my previous actions, esteemed Shaman. It was wrong of me to trick you the way I did. You have my word that I will not behave in such a way again.” The Shaman grunted. Floating forward a bit, Condor said, “Come, my friend, let us not hold grudges. Were it not for him, we would not have met each other. I think we should allow him a second chance.” The Shaman didn’t answer, so Ace went on, “And finally, Solo.” Solo met the curious gaze of the Shaman, but didn’t say a word. After a moment, the Shaman asked, “I remember seeing you here before as well. Condor tells me that you are a descendant of Mu, and were working to see it restored?” “I am, and I was,” Solo said. “Remarkable…never did I think I would see a Murian with my own eyes.” He paused to bow. “It is a great honor to meet you, Solo.” Solo watched him silently. Condor said, “If I may, Solo, I find it curious that you are a part of this group. Could I ask why?” “I believe Dealer stole something belonging to Mu,” Solo said. “I want it back…and my last attempt at fighting them went poorly.” Condor waited a moment, and then asked, “Is Laplace…?” Solo looked away, grabbing his shoulder. “I see. I am sorry.” “Well, that’s all the introductions out of the way,” Ace said. “What do you say, Shaman? We could really use your help, plus you’ll be able to lend Solo a hand retrieving a precious artifact from Mu! Want to join the team?” The Shaman stared at the ground, wringing his hands around his staff. Ultimately, he turned to Ace and said, “I am sorry, young man, but I must refuse.” Ace frowned. “…Oh.” “Please understand: my duty is to the people of Whazzap. I cannot simply abandon them to fight in what could be a drawn-out confrontation. Besides…it’s not as though Condor and I have practiced our combat abilities, and I am not as young as any of you. I doubt I would be much help in the first place.” “I’m sure you’ll be more useful than you give yourself credit for. Amy and Yeti were a big help in the first fight they jumped into—and we’re going to set up a training program to get all our new recruits up to speed, so there’s no need to worry about that.” “Ace,” Acid said, “I believe you are missing the point.” The Shaman shook his head. “I’m sorry. I cannot leave Whazzap without good reason.” Ace stood there for a moment, and then turned and scratched his head. “Hm, what would Sonia say…?” “We’ll respect your wishes, sir,” Copper said. “We won’t bother you any further.” “Thank you,” the Shaman said. “If you would like, why don’t you all come back to the village with me? We’d be happy to have you.” “Thank you. We would be honored.” The group fell into line behind the Shaman, Ace looking a bit dejected as he joined. Copper quietly said, “Get it together. You should’ve been prepared for the possibility of them saying no.” “I thought it’d be better to stay optimistic. After Kidd and Claud agreed, it seemed like I was on a roll…” “Just don’t bring it up again, alright? If you get pushy all you’ll do is offend them.” When they reached the village, the group instantly drew the attention of the people, though it was Solo who all of them ended up fixated on. He glanced around, feeling just a little nervous to be the center of a crowd’s attention. No one come closer, however, and soon the Shaman stopped and raised his staff, drawing them away for the moment. “Whazzap!” he said, receiving a few dozen replies. “I trust you will all treat our guests with hospitality while they are here. And, though I know you all must be curious, it is important that we also not overwhelm them. Let us carry on with our respective duties.” The crowd slowly began to disperse. Solo let out his breath, just now realizing that he had been holding it. However, a young boy ran right up to him, staring up with wide, shining eyes. Solo froze. “Whazzap!” the boy greeted, hopping in place. “…W…Whazzap?” Solo said. “Hey, that’s the symbol of Mu, isn’t it? Are you actually from Mu, mister?” “…Not exactly. But I am descended from the Murian people.” “That’s so cool! I bet you know even more about Mu than Mr. Condor does, don’t you?” “I wouldn’t say that.” “Do you have any neat powers like him? Can I see?” Before Solo could answer, a man and a woman came up to the group, taking the boy by the shoulder. The man said, “There you are! Sorry, sir—we turned our backs for one second and he was off!” “…It’s fine,” Solo said. “Come on,” the woman told the boy, “let’s give our guests some space for now.” The boy waved as his parents led him off. Hesitantly, Solo waved back. “I never knew you were so great with kids,” Amy chuckled. “Shut up,” Solo grumbled. The Shaman turned to face the group. “If any of you need anything, please let me know. I hope you enjoy your time in Whazzap.” “Oh, I have a question,” Amy said. “Bud told me he had some really good barbeque when he was here—could you show me where I can find some of that?” “Of course! This way.” The Shaman began to lead Amy off, but suddenly Solo stepped forward and said, “Wait. Don’t move, anyone.” Amy looked at him. “Huh? What is it?” Solo stared past her, saying nothing. He stepped around her and the Shaman, walking out across the street, and Hyde said, “Is it possible our companion has suffered a small heat stroke after all?” “He seems to have noticed something,” Ace said. “Not sure what, but then again…” Ace trailed off. Reaching for the Visualizer clipped to his shirt, he slipped the device over his eyes and took another look at where Solo was headed. Floating on the other side of the street, hiding outside the visible spectrum, were a trio of Mal Wizards. “Shoot, looks like we do have company.” The Wizards were just now becoming aware of the fact that Solo could see them. One of them raised a Noise Card, but a second pulled their arm back down, and then dragged them back a few steps saying, “What do we do, Ten?” The third Wizard grinned at Solo. “I’ll handle this. You two focus on your job.” Becoming visible a second later, Ten summoned a whip made of electricity and flicked it at Solo, stunning him and alerting the surrounding crowd to his presence. As the crowd broke into a panic, the other two Wizards slipped away, and Ten just stood there laughing. “I’ll help Solo,” Ace said, grabbing his Hunter as he began running. “The rest of you, there are two Wizards headed that way—make sure they don’t hurt anyone!” “Where?” Amy said, looking around. Having already Wave Changed, Hyde pointed with his cane and said, “I believe I’ve spotted them, miss. Detective, I think it’d be best if you stand back, wouldn’t you agree?” Copper grumbled to himself as Hyde took off. Amy Wave Changed and went in pursuit, while the Shaman looked about in confusion. “What…what is happening?” “It seems our enemy had their eyes on Whazzap as well,” Copper said. “Don’t worry about a thing, sir: we can handle this.” “I can help as well,” Condor said. “Even without my full power, I am certain I can assist in keeping these invaders at bay.” “Hold on! It’s likely they’re in possession of an item that can corrupt EM beings and make them go berserk—our people are protected against it, but you’d be an easy target for them!” Condor came closer to Copper, asking, “Then, is there a way I can be protected as well?” Copper hesitated. “Please, sir. This land is precious to me, and I want to fight for it! Please give me that choice!” Meanwhile, Ace reached Solo just as he was recovering, and they both Wave Changed and stared Ten down. Smirking back at them, Ten said, “Oh, now this is a treat! The meddler and the traitor—if I take you both out, King will give me quite the promotion!” “This is your only warning!” Ace declared. “Surrender now, or we will not hesitate to delete you.” Ten slowly raised his arms. “Well, maybe you got a point…” Solo dashed at him, but he was still too slow. In a fraction of a second, Ten materialized and dropped a small energy bomb, and the explosion knocked his foes away and gave him the opportunity to charge off at the nearest civilians. By the time they had recovered, he already had a man by the neck. “Now listen real close,” Ten said. “I got a present for a certain bird nesting here, and I could use a hand in delivering it. What do you say, Officer? Want to lend me a hand?” Ace gritted his teeth. Solo, still crouched on the ground, looked back and forth between Ten and the hostage. Turning to the side, he realized Ace was glancing at him, and after taking a moment to think, he nodded. “Alright,” Ace said, putting away his weapon. “I’m coming.” He slowly walked towards Ten, who laughed at him and squeezed the man’s neck tighter. “Just a reminder, don’t try anything funny. I wouldn’t want to have to make a mess, y’know?” Ace walked until he was only a few paces away. Ten held out something: a Noise Card with a Sword symbol. Taking one more step, Ace started to reach for it. It was at that point Ten realized Solo was drawing something in the dirt. Suddenly there was a flash, and Solo was right behind Ten, reaching forward to wrench him away from his hostage and kick him into the dirt. The man scurried away quickly, and Ace drew his weapon again. He paused when he saw that Ten had stuck the Noise Card to Solo’s chest. “Heheheh,” Ten chuckled as he got up. “Not the brightest move, buddy.” Solo looked down at the card. Then, he delivered an uppercut straight to Ten’s jaw, before reaching down to peel the item away. The flames encasing his hand grew more intense when they came into contact with it. “What you call ‘Noise’ isn’t as new as your pathetic scientists believe,” Solo said, gesturing to the bracelet on his flaming hand. “The Rogue Wave, and the Darklight Harvester it grants me, were designed specifically to refine chaotic EM energy into a devastating power source. To me, your Noise is nothing but a whisper.” The purple flames engulfed the Noise Card, burning it to cinders. Ten backed away. “I’d been meaning to ask you about that,” Ace said as he came closer. “Say, do you think—“ He pointed his Acid Blaster at Ten, firing a series of electric bullets to stun him just as he materialized another bomb. Solo reared back and punched Ten one last time. The Wizard shattered into raw data, quickly dissipating into nothing. “As I was saying, do you think our people could have a look at that Harvester when we get back? If it’s capable of refining Noise, it sounds like a technology we could really use right now.” Solo just glared at him. “…We can talk about it later. First, I guess we should go see how the others are dealing with Ten’s cohorts.” As they turned to leave, Solo caught sight of the boy from earlier. He ran to his father the one Ten had been holding, and cried as he clung to him, his mother in the same state when she joined them. Solo stared for a few seconds, and then went to follow Ace. (Review)
  3. SECTION X Krika, under the guise of a Toa of Sonics, strolled merrily down the busy streets of Civitas Magna’s 1389th District. Many of the passers-by smiled and nodded to him, and he waved in return. It was nice to feel appreciated again, he thought, even if it was just a part of the act. Though it would still be a while before the sun would set, the city was already taking on the appearance of night, the towering buildings and the large transport chutes woven between them blocking out so much natural light that lightstones mounted on posts were now flicking on to compensate. The crowd in the streets was thickening, though Krika expected this wouldn’t last long. I’m sure our weary workers will be making a few stops on their way home. Let’s see if I can’t find someone willing to strike up a friendly conversation. Slipping out of the crowd, Krika stepped into a busy-looking establishment and took a quick look around, spotting an empty seat at the bar. As he hopped up on the stool, a worker came to greet him, but he smiled and politely waved them off; gratefully, Toa coming in simply to socialize seemed to be the norm, for the worker moved on without any incident. A second later, a stray elbow knocked into Krika’s side. “Oh, sorry about that!” the Agori next to him said, spinning around just slow enough he didn’t spill the contents of his mug. “I didn’t see you there, Toa.” “No harm done,” Krika said. “Feels like I should apologize still—can I buy you a drink?” “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll pass. I’ve still got an appointment to get to after this.” On the other side of the Agori, a Matoran leaned back to examine Krika, saying, “Don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Did you transfer in from another District?” “From Mahri-Nui, actually,” Krika said. “Woah, that far?” the Agori asked. “What brings you here?” “Some of the officials in this District wanted a consultant for a project they’re hoping to get off the ground, some sort of aquarium attraction. Between you and me, I jumped at the chance—that salty sea breeze isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be.” “Tell me about it,” the Matoran laughed. “I used to live in District 8533. Couldn’t get inland fast enough.” Krika laughed. “Yes, it’s really quite nice here. Mahri-Nui’s so out of the way I rarely catch wind of current events, but here in the big city I imagine I’ll stay quite informed.” “Ah, good timing on that,” the Agori said. “Did you hear about Nynrah?” “Hm? That artsy city along the coast? Did something happen?” Exchanging a glance with his Matoran friend, the Agori went on, “Yeah, something big. I hear the Makuta there went nuts, and his people just barely escaped to Ga-Koro.” “My word! How could something like that happen?” “I heard it was because of some criminal he captured,” the Matoran said. “A Glatorian who wants to take power away from the Great Beings; she must’ve promised him some of it if he’d help her.” “Worse than that, they say she even swayed Makuta Antroz,” the Agori said. Tapping his arm, the Matoran said, “Now, I don’t believe that part. No way would Makuta Antroz want to overthrow the Great Beings—she’s not flaky like Krika.” “This sounds like a serious development,” Krika said. “Have the Great Beings said anything on the matter?” “Yeah, they released a statement earlier today,” the Agori said. “Said we shouldn’t worry, and that they were gonna have the situation dealt with soon enough. Still, some folks are a bit nervous about the whole thing.” Krika nodded, thinking, Hm…does that mean they’re enacting a new plan already, or are they just talking big? “Kinda makes you wonder, though.” Looking up, Krika said, “Wonder what?” The Agori shrugged. “Well, it’s just weird that a Makuta would suddenly go rogue like that.” “Not if it’s Krika,” the Matoran muttered. “Hey, sure he’s a lame Makuta, but if he wanted to turn against the Great Beings, why would one Glatorian make him think they could do that? And why would he send everyone in Nynrah running, or let them get away?” “I don’t know.” “I’m just saying it’s confusing. We need some more information, if you ask me.” Oh, a little healthy skepticism. I do hope that’s the norm. The Agori checked the clock on the wall, and then said, “Anyway, I’ve gotta get going. I need to swing by District 1402 on my way home: a friend’s up for a promotion and I promised him I’d offer up a prayer of Prosperity for him.” As the Agori downed the rest of his drink, Krika asked, “Wasn’t there a Suva in this District?” “There is, but the keepers are super Lerist.” “You can still offer other prayers,” the Matoran said, sounding like he’d said it many times before. “Yeah, but good luck trying to get out without one of them making you feel like dirt if you don’t buy a Purity Charm. I’ve got seven lying in a drawer at home. Whatever, I’ve got a chute to catch, I’ll see you later.” “Mind if I come with you?” Krika asked. “I wasn’t entirely sure where the chute station was.” “Sure thing! It’s not far from here.” Krika bade the Matoran farewell and followed the Agori outside and down the street. Turning to his guide, he said, “A criminal capable of swaying the Makuta…it’s unthinkable, really.” “I sure never expected it. Especially not Antroz.” “Indeed. She always strives to do what is right, so the only way she would…” After the pause dragged a bit, the Agori asked, “Wait, what?” “Well, supposing she’s the moral character we always thought she was…the only reason I can think of that she would turn against the Great Beings would be if she thought that was the right thing to do.” The Agori slowed down as he considered this. “…But…that wouldn’t make any sense either…” Krika shrugged. “Just thinking out loud. Until we know the whole story, all we can do is speculate.” The Agori nodded, though still looked puzzled by the suggestion. It wasn’t much longer before they reached the station, so the two exchanged goodbyes, and then the Agori was off to catch his transport while Krika hung around pretending to examine the schedule. So the Great Beings are keeping the populace in the dark as much as possible. I believe that’s just the advantage I need. I’ll whisper the truth about Zaekura into a few ears here and there, make Antroz’s brilliant image serve my point, and it shouldn’t be too long before the Great Beings feel the need to say more in response. It’s so much easier when you have the first move. A small commotion broke him out of his plotting. Walking down the platform, he saw a group of Toa with silver finish on the edges of their masks surrounding someone, a few of them waving the crowd along while their comrades tried to detain whoever was shouting obscenities at them. A flash of green and white armor was all he saw through the crowd. As he came closer, however, Krika got a better look at the Glatorian, yelling at a Toa as they tried to grab one of the many paintings she had piled at her feet, and he immediately pushed his way through to her side. “Excuse me, pardon me, fellows!” he said, holding his arms out to keep them away from the Glatorian. “What seems to be the problem here?” The Glatorian gave him a confused look. Luckily, the Toa paused in what they were doing, one of them saying, “And who’re you supposed to be?” “My name is Arik—I’m a Toa from Mahri-Nui, just arrived today. I’d like to know why you appear to be harassing this vendor.” “Arik?” the Glatorian repeated. “Are you kiddi…ugh…” “It’s not really your place, newbie,” the Toa replied, “but if you must know we have orders to apprehend her.” “And for what reason?” Krika asked. The Toa shook his head. “Orders are orders—now step aside.” “Hold on, hold on! Perhaps I’m not entirely familiar with the way you do things here, but what self-respecting Toa gang up on a single, defenseless artist trying to turn a small profit on her craft? I think such a thing requires a better justification than mere ‘orders’, don’t you?” The Toa sighed, “Look, pal—“ “Captain!” cried a voice. “What is taking so long?” Each of the Toa backed away, straightening their spines to salute the newcomer. Slowly making his way across the platform was a Toa of Earth, his mask a purple Pakari trimmed in gold, and everything from the bored yet content look in his eye to the casual sureness of his step told Krika that he was going to be a nightmare to deal with. “Sir!” the Toa Krika had been talking to said. “I was just—“ “Who’s this?” the Toa of Earth asked, lazily gesturing to Krika. “Have you really let some interloper get in your way, captain? I should think you’re more than capable of dealing with that.” “Toa Arik of Mahri-Nui, sir,” Krika said. “And who might I have the pleasure of speaking to?” The Toa scoffed. Coming to a stop a few paces away, he closed his eyes, grinned, and placed one hand on his chest, saying, “Aha, Mahri-Nui, I suppose that’s a decent excuse for not knowing. I am none other than the Turaga of Civitas Magna’s 1389th District, Upholder of Order in this little piece of our wondrous city, appointed by the wisdom of the Great Makuta Yarion themself!” He opened his eyes and slowly swung his hand out to one side. “I am Toa Onepu, newcomer. And I suggest you remember that.” Why, I’m completely positive that I’d be sick to my stomach if I had one, Krika thought. Electing to choose his spoken words more carefully, he said, “Apologies, Great Onepu. I shall indeed commit your name to memory.” Onepu nodded, an infuriating look of satisfaction on his face. “Well done. Now, back to the matter at hand…” “Yes, about that. I came across your underlings harassing this poor Glatorian—“ “These brakas ambushed me!” the Glatorian broke in. “Started confiscating my work, telling me I had to come with them, and I can’t get a straight answer to a single question from them!” “And it was upon that I stumbled,” Krika resumed, stepping in front of the Glatorian, “and I could not help but think that was a bit…unfair. I’m sure you have a perfectly good reason, Great Onepu, I would simply like to know what that reason is.” Onepu rolled his eyes, and Krika found himself thinking of plucking them out. The Toa said, “Well if you must know, we have standing orders to detain anyone from Nynrah, and this Glatorian is a…mildly well-known painter from that city.” “Oh, I see. But why would you detain an artist from Nynrah, if I may be so bold as to ask?” “Surely even you have heard that the Makuta of Nynrah has gone rogue, yes? We’ve reason to believe some of his citizens may be sympathetic to the cause he has declared allegiance to. People such as those would serve only to subvert order in our city, and so they are being deprived of the opportunity to do so. Quite simple, you see?” “Believe me,” the Glatorian grumbled, “I’ve got nothing to do with Krika.” “Yes, I’m quite sure,” Onepu chuckled. “All the same, we have our orders. Now, Toa…Eric, was it? I trust your curiosity is satisfied?” “Yes,” Krika said, “I would say so.” “Then you have no further objections if we carry on here?” “Ah…that’s not exactly the case, actually.” Onepu frowned. “Oh?” “Well, you see, I did read up a bit on what duties I may be expected to perform once I arrived here in Civitas Magna.” “And yet you were still unable to recognize the Turaga of the District you arrived in?” “Perhaps ‘skim’ is a more accurate term. Regardless, I do recall one particular bit of text…something about how anyone detained by the authorities has the option to appeal their case, and is entitled to representation by a Toa in that event. Or, is my recollection inaccurate?” After a long pause, Onepu said, “It is correct.” “I see. Well, I believe it’s safe to say that Miss…” The Glatorian glared at him for a moment, then grumbled, “Carna.” “I believe it safe to say Miss Carna objects to her detainment, so I believe the proper procedure would be to place her in custody of the Toa representing her interests until an audience with Makuta Yarion can be arranged to settle the dispute. Again, my memory could be a bit foggy, have I gotten something wrong, Great Onepu?” Onepu crossed his arms. “No, you have not. Miss Carna, do you wish for an appeal on the matter of your incarceration?” “Well I sure don’t want to go to jail, kikanalo-skull,” she replied. “Hmph. And, are you satisfied with this Toa being the one to represent your interests in this process?” Krika could feel Carna’s eyes boring into the back of his head. It took her quite a while, but eventually, she quietly said, “Somehow, I get the feeling he’s my best option, so I guess so.” Onepu let out a heavy sigh. “Very well. Toa, you are hereby charged with custody of the criminal Carna. You are expected to keep her out of trouble, and you are ordered to report to the District Office tomorrow at midday. I shall contact Makuta Yarion, and when we meet next, I will inform of you of the time they have chosen for the hearing.” Krika nodded. “Excellent. I shall see you tomorrow, Great Onepu.” Onepu signaled to his men, and they reluctantly withdrew. As he turned to leave himself, he said, “And I would recommend against trying to sell any of your work, miss. If more officers come across you we’ll simply have to repeat this entire process.” Krika shook his head, silently cutting Carna off before she could say anything. Once Onepu was gone, he sighed, turned to face Carna, and grinned. “Well then, Miss—“ “Drop the act, Krika,” Carna said, slumping against a pillar. “Honestly, ‘Arik’? Here you’re supposed to be some patron of creativity and you think that’s clever?” Krika sighed. He discreetly waved his hand, creating an invisible dome of sound around them so they could talk in private, and said, “Yes, yes, I’ll devote more brainpower to devising a better pseudonym the next chance I get. I hardly think that’s the issue here. Why did you come to Civitas Magna? You must’ve known that something like this could happen.” Carna looked up at him, daggers in her eyes. “I had to know what happened to Zaekura. This seemed like a good place to find out.” “She’s safe.” “Where?” “For now I think it’s best I keep that information to—“ Carna was on her feet in a flash, looming over the Toa-sized Makuta with a palpable aura of malice. “Tell me where you took my daughter.” Despite himself, Krika shrunk just the tiniest bit under that gaze. “…Strictly speaking, I didn’t take her anywhere. She escaped with Antroz.” Carna’s eyes widened. “Antroz…?” “She is safe. I know what you’re thinking, but let me say again: Zaekura. Is. Safe. Antroz, Bitil, and I just fought off an army of Velika’s making to keep her that way, per chance you’ve heard of such a skirmish?” Carna leaned back against the pillar, running her hands over her face. “Makuta…she’s surrounded by Makuta and Bitil’s freak Rahkshi…how in Karzahni is that safe?” “They’re not so bad once you get to know them,” Krika offered. “In fact Zaekura’s getting along with them quite famously—Bitil’s so thrilled with her fascination that I daresay she’s got a lifelong friend.” Carna slid her hands down to cover only her mouth and nose, staring blankly at Krika. He met her gaze at first, but it wasn’t long before he found himself looking at the ground, and a very complicated emotion began to well up within him unbidden. “…I apologize,” he said at last. Lowering her arms, Carna asked, “For what, exactly?” “Everything. For not having better news for you, for not having the tact to deliver it properly, for detaining Zaekura and taking her away from you without letting you know…for what happened to Phindel…” Carna looked off into the distance. “And where is he?” “I buried him. It’s not an elaborate grave, but I did the best I could. I had to go after Antroz, help her keep Zaekura safe.” Carna breathed deeply. “…At least he got a choice in all this. First one in my family to get that.” “And I apologize for what happened…for what I did to your father. I reported to the Great Beings without thinking, and they asked for him to be brought in, and I…” Carna looked straight at him. “…I…was too much of a coward to say no. What happened to him was entirely my fault. I apologize…that all I can do is apologize. I know that it will never be enough.” “Darn right,” Carna murmured. “And even after all that, you still told them about Zaekura too?” Krika shook his head. “That wasn’t me.” “Oh, it wasn’t?” “Carna, I swear to you: I did not breathe a single word about Zaekura to the Great Beings. I don’t know who told them about her, but it was not me this time. I’d hardly have any reason to lie to you about that now.” Carna ground her teeth. “…Fine. Supposing that’s true, then who did it? It must’ve been someone in Nynrah, and you being our mighty Guardian and all, you’ve got to have an idea of who would want to give valuable information like that to the Great Beings.” “I doubt it was someone from Nynrah. My people are not so—“ “My people too, sand stalker.” “Our people, then…are not the type to sell each other out. The strength of our community has always been one of our virtues, wouldn’t you agree?” “Pff. Okay, then who else could it have been?” Krika shrugged. “Many people pass through searching for inspiration or treasure. It could be any number of people…” “You sound real concerned.” “We can discuss that later. I’d say we have more pressing issues, don’t you agree?” Carna sighed. “Fine. Now that you’re here, you can take me to see Zaekura.” Krika glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not sure that’s the best course of action at the moment.” “What?!” “Listen! We’ve gotten into something serious here, Carna. Fleeing Civitas Magna without settling your case is a drastic decision that we can’t go back on!” “Like I care about that—I want to see my daughter!” “This is about your daughter! Please, hear me out.” Reluctantly, Carna sat down. “Thank you. Now…Zaekura has decided that, rather than living the rest of her life simply hounded by the Great Beings, she wishes to fight back against them. We’re going to be fighting a war for control of this planet.” Carna started to say something, but Krika went on, “I assure you, it was her decision. I was against it, in fact, but if that’s what she wants then I’ll do whatever I can to help her. And that is why I’m here. War is more than swords and soldiers, Carna—especially when you’re playing the part of the conqueror. If Zaekura is to have any chance of successfully taking leadership of Spherus Magna, then she needs to begin garnering support amongst those she will be leading. I came to assess public opinion, devise a way to inform the masses of Zaekura’s intentions, and frame her sympathetically to begin the push towards them accepting her. I think we have an opportunity, but…and please, listen very closely.” He leaned in and added, “If we run now, you, her mother, will be branded a petty criminal. And then that is all Zaekura will be known as, simply by association, and that will immensely hamper any attempt to win hearts and minds to her cause. I cannot take you to your daughter yet, Carna. If I do, then scant few will ever believe in her.” Carna stared at him as she absorbed what he was saying. Then, she hung her head, spreading one palm over her face to hide her expression. “I apologize, Carna. But we must do what is best for Zaekura now.” He received no response. “I will find a way to free you. I will learn all there is to know about the law here, all there is to know about Makuta Yarion, and find a way to convince them to drop all charges against you. You need only wait a short time longer, Carna, and then you can see your daughter again.” Still, he received no response. He stepped back then, turning and letting Carna react in peace, and pushed back with all his might against that well of wretched emotion. *** Antroz stepped onto the bottom floor of the watchtower, sensing Zaekura sitting next to a window on the far side. As she crossed the room, she asked, “Is something on your mind, Zaekura?” The Glatorian continued to stare out the window, quietly answering, “Charla told me that Bitil went to Ga-Koro. She thinks Kojol can help him cope with Virban’s death.” “Yes, she informed me as well.” Zaekura tapped her fingers. “…I guess, for a minute there, I forgot that we’re probably going to see a lot more of that. Death, I mean. Whether we do well or not. Even if we do all we can to avoid it, it seems kina unrealistic to think nobody else is going to die before this is over.” “Are you having doubts?” After a pause, Zaekura shook her head. “Not doubts, no. I want to do this. But, maybe I need to be more mindful of what all it means. I’ll see what Bitil wants to do about Virban when he gets back, but…” Antroz knew what was coming next. Though she dreaded it, she knew she could avoid it no longer. Zaekura faced her and said, “Two people died escaping Nynrah. Who were they? What exactly happened?” The Makuta took a deep breath. “Very well. The drones reached Nynrah while the citizens were in the process of fleeing. Krika and his Rahkshi drew their attention, and it seemed to be an effective diversion. However, a small group of villagers came to join in the battle, against Krika’s warnings.” Zaekura hung her head. “Krika did his best to get them away from the fight. He managed to save most of them, and afterwards continued to occupy the drones so that they could not attack the rest of the citizens. However, one was seriously injured before Krika could get to them, and two were killed by the drones.” Antroz paused. Zaekura looked up and said, “I need to know who.” “One was a Toa named Jaller. He fought bravely, but a drone took him by surprise. All Krika could do was ease his passing.” Zaekura nodded. Antroz let the silence drag on. Eventually, Zaekura said, “And? The other one?” “…A Glatorian. He misjudged his swing, and a drone took advantage of the opening.” “Do you know what his name was?” Antroz hesitated. “It might be someone I knew. I gotta be sure.” Another few seconds passed before Antroz finally relented. “Phindel.” Zaekura was slow to absorb this. When she did, her eyes widened in horror, and she clamped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, Zaekura. He did his best, thinking he could help keep you safe, but—“ “Why didn’t you tell me?!” Zaekura shouted, leaping to her feet. “Those things killed my father and you didn’t think I ought to know that? Why would you keep that from me?!” “You were already in distress—I thought it might not have been wise to add to your pain.” “Seriously?! What, did you think waiting a while would make me care less? He was my father, you…” She grunted. “Right. Makuta don’t have families, so of course you don’t understand. The Great Beings just fished you out of a soup and slopped you in a tin can! Let me educate you, Fangs: if someone’s family dies, you tell them about it! They have a right to know that it happened! You’re not helping anything by keeping that from me!” “I apologize,” Antroz said. “I did not know how best to tell you.” “Well this sure as karz ain’t it!” Zaekura put a hand to her head, pacing across the room in frustration. Without saying another word, she stormed out of the watchtower, slamming the door behind her, and Antroz stood there, all alone. “You’re a monster.” She spun, hand immediately going to the hilt of her sword. Scanning the room closely, she asked, “Who’s there?” Try as she might, she sensed nothing in the room but furniture. But the voice continued, “All you do is make things worse. You only add to her suffering. You’ll destroy her before the Great Beings have a chance to.” Antroz gritted her teeth. “…There’s no one here. This is only my imagination.” “You’re a failure, Antroz. You abandoned your city. You brought ruin to Nynrah. You’ve dragged this outpost into your conflict. You destroy every life you come into contact with. Is this the justice you sought?” Antroz climbed the stairs, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. “It’s not real.” “Where are you going? Do you think you can escape the truth?” She stopped and turned. “It is not the…” Sighing, she resumed climbing. “What have you accomplished since leaving Xia? What have you caused other than suffering? Are you sure that you made the right choice?” Antroz said nothing, grinding her claws into her palms. “You gave up everything because you thought you’d be saving one life. All you’ve done is ruin that life. That one, and others. People are dying because of the choice you made. You chose wrong, and now people are dead. More will die. All because of you.” Antroz shook her head. “No…” “You’re a monster.” “No.” “A complete monster.” With a shout, Antroz drew her sword and swung it, getting it stuck in the wall of the stairwell. She stood there stunned for a moment. “You’re a monster.” “I’m not…” Refusing to finish the thought, she tried to wrench her sword free. “Monster.” Antroz sighed, letting go of the weapon and slumping against the opposite wall. “What’s happening…?” “Monster.” “No, I’m not…I…I…” “Monster.” Antroz held her head in her hands. No matter what she did, she realized, it was futile. There was no way to stop the voice from tormenting her. ADDENDUM: -Since Civitas Magna covers such a huge portion of the planet it’s got a loooot of Districts. Makuta Yarion oversees the entire city, but each District has a Toa appointed to govern it specifically, given the title of Turaga since the Turaga species from the main universe doesn’t exist in this timeline. (The Great Beings didn’t see a need at the time, and now they have the Makuta to lead so another species with the some role still doesn’t seem necessary.) Since I’ve already found homes for all the canon Makuta it’s time to start bringing in new ones, though I’ll try not to do too many and I probably won’t focus on them as much—more on Yarion shortly. -Mahri-Nui here is a research island out in Aqua Magna, possibly the only major island unless you count Odina…I haven’t 100% decided the layout of the ocean, I might think of something interesting later. We may see Mahri-Nui, we may not. It’s up in the air at this point. -For reasons that will be apparent soon, I’ve been thinking a bit more about the details of spirituality in this world, and since Toa probably have less need for Kanohi-switching I figured there was no harm in focusing on the shrine aspect of Suvas a bit more. People can visit them to offer prayers, and the keepers also sell charms like the ones seen in MNOGII, giving them some money to help with the shrine’s upkeep and helping the buyer feel a little more at ease. Though, some keepers will tend more towards one particular Principle than the rest: Purity is one you see pretty frequently, and since Lerahk here is the Rahkshi of Purity, keepers who insist Purity as the most important Principle have come to known as “Lerists”. -The silvery designs from the 04 Matoran’s Kanohi seemed like a good substitute for a uniform or badge for the authorities here, and gold was the next logical step for a command position. Onepu was the very first Bionicle set I ever got my hands on, so once it occurred to me that I could make him fit here, I became dead-set on it. Not sure exactly how much he’ll appear…but he’s here! -“Carna” comes from “carnation”, which symbolizes pride, beauty, and love, specifically including the love of a mother. “Phindel” comes from “delphinium”, symbolizing one with a large heart and intense attachment. And since I didn’t say earlier, “Zaekura” is mainly derived from “sakura”, which symbolizes a ton of stuff including the transiency of life, death, and rebirth—and Zaekura is someone capable of killing the current order and giving birth to a new one. The “zae” was chosen to sound like “azalea”, which honestly was just a random choice, but now that I’ve looked up what azalea symbolizes it turns out it can represent temperance, home sickness, passion, and a death threat. So, it actually jives pretty well. Anyway, since thinking about family isn’t usually relevant in Bionicle, I didn’t think to include Zaekura’s parents until just before I posted Section III—at which point I decided to slip in a subtle hint to the Glatorian’s connection to Zaekura, and leave it for later. There was also a scene where Antroz and Krika talk about being unsure if they should tell Zaekura who died at Nynrah, but that’s all the hints that were given. -I opted to not have a scene with Bitil here to give him some travel time. We’ll catch up with him in Section XI, and see what consolation Kojol can offer him. -Reviews to be submitted here
  4. Pahrak Model ZX

    22 years

    Happy Existence Day!
  5. Nuju: *bored clicking* Matoro: Nuju says the wall says to ask again later.
  6. Man, fourteen whole years on BZPower. As is now tradition, a look back at what I did in the most recent of these years: -I almost forgot about Slizer Mafia: The Final Refrain. Uh, I think it was alright? Maybe? Not sure it was my best run as a Mafia host, but at least it finally gave real closure to Slizer Mafia’s story. -While it, ah, hasn’t actually gotten off the ground yet, I did do a bit of work on the concept of the world of Olkir. The Principles of Flame and The Twins of Justice are, eh…okay. Olkir Tournament was fun. Kinda wish I had gone on to actually do a full story set in this world, but unfortunately it’s warming a shelf right now as I focus on other projects. Hopefully someday I’ll get back to it. -I also wrote Out of Bounds, posting all five parts back during last October. I’d been wanting to do another Vhisola-centric story for quite some time, and I’m actually quite pleased with the results! It could definitely use improvements of course, but I’m kind of proud of how deep I was able to dig into Vhisola, a one-off character we haven’t seen since around when I joined this site. I never expected her to become one of my favorite characters, but here we are. -Finally truly got started on Shooting Star Sonia 3: Red Joker, which is already longer than the first story in the series and still has quite a ways to go. Honestly it feels a bit daunting to think of how much work remains, but y’know, it also feels like I’m really getting a good handle on this story, how to pace it, how to handle the characters, and that it’s coming together better than the first two did. Like it’s a more complete story somehow? I dunno, it’s a good feeling, I’m going to keep at it. -I participated in the Fanfic Exchange and wrote The Gargoyle Knight, which led to me starting Right of Law, my biggest Bionicle undertaking thus far and the first time since the FFFC that one of my stories has been featured on the home page! I had way more fun than I expected just thinking about what could happen in the Melding Universe, and it’s been great fleshing many of those ideas out! It’s taken a while to really get into the thick of things, but hopefully the wait has been worth it—big things are on the way, and I’ll continue to strive to make this story as entertaining as I possibly can! So I guess it’s mostly been a select few rather large projects. I’m okay with that. Rounding out 2018 and heading into 2019, I will of course be continuing Red Joker and Right of Law, but other than that I don’t really have any plans. I’m already putting a lot of work into those stories, as well one or two off-site projects (if I can motivate myself I could actually maybe write something original), and with the way Right of Law is, I’m kind of focusing any and all Bionicle-related thoughts I have into it in the hopes of working out all the details and polish I need to really make it shine. But who knows, I always have liked indulging in random ideas that pop up with little warning. Those such stories from this past year have mostly been absent from BZP since many haven’t been Bionicle-related, but…who knows, if I come up with something I really like I might see how it fares in OTC. Stay tuned!
  7. Mata Nui: "Weeeee are the chaaampions, my friiieeeends..." Mata Nui, Skrall, Ackar, Gresh: "And weeeee'll keep on fiiiightiiing, til the eeeend..." Everyone: "DAH NAH NAAAAAAH"
  8. Right of Law, Section IX, is live in the Epics Forum! This Section introduces several things, some of them big, some of them subtle, some of them things that were alluded to previously but are now begin somewhat expanded on. I want to shift focus for the next few Sections: the characters have won a moment to really sit down and process everything, though even now they're still working to prepare for what comes next, and I want to take advantage of that. The site of the next major conflict is picked out, but that's off in the distance still--more pressing is a much smaller antagonistic force currently on its way. What you won't see in this Section is Krika, whose exploits in Civitas Magna demanded a bit of extra time to contemplate. I think that time is already paying off. So for now, enjoy Section IX! And then, look forward to Section X!
  9. SECTION IX Zaekura glanced about, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. She could feel at least a hundred pairs of eyes on her, and she could swear there were more with every step. She stumbled; righting herself very quickly, she mumbled an apology to their escorts, but none of the nine Vorox circled around them said a word. Antroz faced forward as they were led deeper into the cavern. She could sense that it extended quite a bit farther, but to her surprise the lead Vorox ordered a halt. Zaekura peered over Antroz’s shoulder. The tunnel ahead looked no different from what lay behind them: rock walls lined with lightstones and many curious Vorox, an unobstructed sandy path laid out ahead. She was about to speak when the sand began to shift. Slowly, the sediment twisted together into a solid form, rising gradually until it towered above them. The mountain of grains formed into a lean, muscular-looking body, its head a smoothed out helmet outlined in tiny spikes and broken only by two glowing yellow eyes that regarded the visitors with unclear intent. Antroz and the Vorox bowed immediately, Zaekura catching on a second later. They received no response. “It has been some time, Sand Lord,” Antroz greeted. “I hope you are doing well.” The Sand Lord spoke, her voice sounding like a harsh desert wind: “I fail to see why you maintain such hollow niceties, Makuta. You shall find no loving audience here.” Straightening herself, Antroz replied, “My respect is genuine. I apologize if I’ve given you reason to doubt that.” The Sand Lord’s gaze focused on Zaekura. “I find it most curious you came here. Most curious that you brought this girl with you. Is she not the one the Great Beings are searching for? They may reward even those lowly as us were we to turn her over.” “Uh, hello, Sand Lord,” Zaekura said. “Honor to meet you.” “We wish to negotiate with you, Sand Lord,” Antroz said. “We wish to offer you a chance to join in our battle against the rule of the Great Beings.” The hushed chatter of a hundred Vorox filled the chamber, swiftly becoming deafening. The Sand Lord turned to look at Antroz for a few moments, eventually raising a hand to silence her followers, and then took a few slow steps forward, her feet melding into the sand beneath them at each footfall. “Then the tales are true,” she said. “The noble Antroz has truly turned against the Great Beings. I wonder, what could bring about such a complete change in one as…committed as you?” “I have learned that the Great Beings are not as benevolent as I once believed,” Antroz replied. A chuckle like shifting sand interrupted her. “Oh. Now you’ve learned that?” Unsure how to respond, Antroz went on, “This girl is innocent, yet they wish to see her dead. Such rulers are unfit to rule, and I would see them removed, if it is possible. I thought that perhaps we could convince you to join our cause.” The Sand Lord stared at her in silence at first. Leaning down until she was mere inches from Antroz’s mask, she said, “And why did you think that?” “You and the Vorox must tire of your servitude to the Great Beings. We are offering you an opportunity to be free of that.” An angry growl came from the Sand Lord. “Is that so? Then tell me this, Makuta: why should we believe you?” Antroz’s response was delayed. “We have long worked together, you and I. I have done what I could to assist the Vorox in meeting their work quotas, and arranging additional freedoms for them. Have I not proven myself your ally?” At her words, sand began to whip violently all through the cavern. The Sand Lord stood tall, roaring, “Loathsome creature! Done all you could, have you? Then why is it we are still in chains?” A puzzled look came across Antroz’s face. “…Sand Lord, I—“ “You think inconsequential gestures are enough for us to sing your praises?” the Sand Lord said, jabbing a finger at Antroz. “What difference should it make that you tried to make our slavery more comfortable for us? You still chose to condone it! Never once did you think twice about it! You accepted that we were beneath you, that this way was natural, and only now that you see us as convenient to your own ends do you say you will change it? I ask you once more, Makuta: why should we believe your words? Why should we believe that one who never truly cared for us will grant us freedom, rather than simply chaining us to a new master?” As Antroz fumbled with her words, Zaekura slowly stepped forward. “Um, excuse me, Sand Lord?” “What?!” the elemental replied, turning her fierce glare upon the Glatorian. Swallowing hard, Zaekura stepped in front of Antroz. “I-I just…I wanted to…” The Sand Lord leaned towards her. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that you are different. That you have always loved the Vorox, and are far more deserving of our trust.” Zaekura met her gaze for a few moments, but ultimately looked down. “…No. Honestly, I never really gave much thought to the Vorox’s situation. I get why you don’t feel you can trust us.” The Sand Lord tilted her head at this. Soon, Zaekura looked up again. “It was wrong—I won’t ask you to forgive me or anything. But, I do want to ask you to give us a chance to earn your trust. This is an opportunity for things to change for the better: we’ll learn to respect the Vorox, and if we actually manage to overthrow the Great Beings, we’ll reshape the world so you can all be free, so that future generations won’t think twice about respecting you. Please, give us an opportunity to prove our commitment to making that change.” Slowly, the winds died down, leaving only silence in their wake. The Vorox all stared intently at the Sand Lord, who in turn gazed at Zaekura. Eventually, she quietly asked, “What is your name?” “Zaekura.” Standing tall, the Sand Lord said, “Zaekura…your offer is intriguing. But there are two issues that need resolved before I can entertain it: the matter of trust, of course, but also the matter of success. The two of you seem quite unconvinced of your chances of victory, thus you stand no chance of convincing me.” Antroz started to speak, but Zaekura put a hand on her arm to stop her. With a sigh, the Glatorian said, “That’s fair. It is still kind of hard to wrap our heads around the idea of actually winning a fight with the Great Beings—maybe it was too soon to approach you like this. Sorry, I’m figuring this out as I go.” The Sand Lord hummed to herself, a sound like a gentle breeze. When she turned back to Zaekura, she said, “You ask for a chance. Such a future for my people is too tempting to simply ignore, thus I will give you what you seek.” Zaekura grinned. “Great! I mean, thank you, Sand Lord, for, um…” Before she could figure out what an eloquent response might sound like, the Sand Lord continued, “I require proof that you stand a chance in this war you seek to start, as well as proof that you will learn to value the lives of the Vorox as equal to that of your own peoples. I will ask one thing of you, and if you succeed, then we can negotiate.” She paused, glancing to Antroz. “I ask that you conquer Xia.” The Makuta inclined her head, her wings twitching. “What…? You are asking us to attack them unprovoked?” “If you are here, then I imagine your base of operations is not far away, correct?” the Sand Lord said. “Close as we are to Xia, you must be within its grasp as well—if you do not attack them, they will most certainly attack you. Be the defender, and they will only attack again, and again if necessary. But if you can claim the city for your cause, then it would provide the perfect foothold to begin your climb.” Antroz bristled. “…There is truth in what you speak…but what of the citizens? Surely—“ “I do not expect you to harm them? No, Makuta, I do not. I am sure you have already elected to favor non-lethal means of combat in any encounter with your precious Matoran and Agori and whatnot. And that is precisely why this task will provide all the proof I need.” She leaned forward again. “Conquer Xia…without killing a single Vorox.” “The Vorox will be fighting for Xia?” Zaekura asked. The Sand Lord nodded. “We have no choice. Though I am forbidden from using my power within express permission from the Great Beings, the Vorox are required to fight and die should any city they inhabit come under attack. And, being the main source of industry and demand for disposable labor in the Great Desert…quite a few Vorox inhabit Xia.” Zaekura turned to Antroz. The Makuta hesitated, so Zaekura lightly elbowed her and jerked her head in the direction of the Sand Lord. Taking a deep breath, Antroz said, “It will be done, Sand Lord. Xia shall soon be ours, and we swear to you, not a single Vorox shall be lost in the process.” The Sand Lord’s body began to shrink away, vanishing back into the blanket of grains she came from. “I await it eagerly. And though I still harbor doubts…it is my dearest wish that your promises shall not be empty ones.” She was gone, then, the sand mere sand once more. The Vorox parted. Zaekura and Antroz made their way out of the cave, the former blinking as she emerged into the desert sun, and then they started their walk back towards the outpost. “You knew we were gonna have to deal with Xia sooner or later, Fangs,” Zaekura said after they had walked some distance. “Forgive me for preferring it to be later,” Antroz muttered. “This is quite an adjustment—I was hoping to settle into our situation more before launching an attack upon my home.” “She’s right, though, about everything. If we control Xia, we’ll be able to mass produce weapons and armor for our troops, not to mention stop our enemy from making more of their own.” “I’m certain Atero would convert its factories to fill the vacuum…though, they would be far less suited to the task.” Zaekura’s pace quickened unconsciously as she thought this over, leaving Antroz behind. The Makuta found her feet felt heavy, weighed down by the thought of having to storm the gates she once defended, of how she would inevitably have to meet friends she’d known for millennia on the field of battle. To herself, she said, “Difficult as it may be, this is the right thing to do.” “Are you really so sure about that?” Shock instantly filled her. Whirling, Antroz focused her thoughts upon her immediate surroundings, trying to determine the source of the voice she had heard, but she sensed nothing there. Up ahead, Zaekura turned back and raised an eyebrow. “…What are you doing?” she called. Antroz did her best to recompose herself. “Ah, nothing. I thought that I heard a voice.” Zaekura glanced left and right. “I don’t see anyone. Must’ve imagined it.” “…Perhaps I did.” She focused one more time, trying to pick up any entity or object that was close enough she could hear it. But again, she found nothing. She did her best to shrug it off, moving to catch up to Zaekura, but the unsettling feeling left from the experience followed her without missing a step. *** Charla slowed down as she approached the watchtower. Gazing up, she thought she could see the glint of Bitil’s armor, but he remained largely hidden from view. She looked to her side as several other Rahkshi walked past. A shudder ran through her. Charla stopped at the tower door and took a deep breath, rubbing her neck as she prepared to enter. Once she made her way to the top floor, she found Bitil standing near the railing with his arms crossed. With a bow, she said, “Pardon the intrusion, Lord Bitil, but I have the updates you requested.” Bitil didn’t respond. “Surja tells me that all the Rahkshi’s wounds have been fully healed—she will however require some time to rest and regain the energy she expended accomplishing this, therefore I have been recommending additional caution to those still engaged in heavy work.” Still, Bitil said nothing. Charla fidgeted. “Cleanup squads have finished removing the debris between here and the newly-discovered lab, and are very nearly done sorting and disposing of the drones’ waste. We’ve yet to see to the minor damage the walls sustained, but I have received assurances that once the remaining scrap is dealt with, the patchwork will take mere hours to complete.” Charla dragged the pause out, but to no avail. “…And, I have compiled several reports from our reconnaissance teams. No other drone squadrons have been sighted within considerable distance of here. One team also spotted Lady Zaekura and Makuta Antroz returning, saying that they should be arriving shortly. We’ve yet to receive word from Makuta Krika, however, though I doubt we will until he is on his way back as well.” The silence held for about a minute. Finally, Charla decided it was enough. “Lord Bitil…please, say something.” Bitil turned slowly. “What would you have me say? Things are going smoothly, that’s excellent. Maybe we’ll have just enough borrowed time to get back in fighting shape before the next skirmish. Wonderful. We don’t have any new information to work with, not until Zaekura and Antroz return at least. Come get me then.” Charla was about to leave, but she hesitated. “Lord Bitil, you know that I can sense your pain. Why do you seek to hide it from me?” “Because there’s nothing to be done with it, Charla,” Bitil hissed. “There’s no way to change what’s happened, and we don’t have the time to dwell on it. All we can do is push forward.” Charla shook her head. “Forgive me…but it was recklessly charging forward that brought about this tragedy.” Bitil’s eyes widened. “What did you say?” “Lord Bitil—“ “How dare you! Perhaps I haven’t had opportunity to teach it to you, but you should still know better than to speak ill of the dead! Aren’t you at all upset about what happened to Virban?” “Of course I am!” Charla said. “We all are, my lord! But when you insist on carrying on without acknowledging it, the rest of us follow that example, and now this entire outpost is filled to the brim with nothing but pent-up grief!” She wrapped her arms around herself. “No matter where I go, it’s all I can feel. It’s enough to make me sick. If this wound isn’t treated, then the infection will cripple everyone here, and rob us of any chance of a second victory! Can’t you see that?” Bitil turned away, clenching his fists. “…I’m sorry, my lord, but I can bear this no longer. Something must be done. We may not have as much time as we’d like, but we need to make use of the time we do have.” After a very, very long wait, Bitil quietly asked, “What would you suggest?” Charla walked up next to him. “You may not agree, but…I think you should visit Ga-Koro.” Bitil squinted. “Ga-Koro? Why would I go there?” “Makuta Kojol may be the only one with the answers to the questions plaguing you. At the very least, I think her expertise in these matters means she has the best chance of soothing you. I wish I could be of greater help, my lord, but…” She sighed. “…I…don’t know the answers either…” Bitil glanced over the outpost. “I can’t just leave you all. What if there’s some kind of surprise attack—who will be here to defend you?” “As I said, Lady Zaekura and Makuta Antroz will be returning shortly. And even that aside, we are somewhat capable of defending ourselves, miserable though we may be at present. We will remain safe until you return.” A grunt was all she got at first. However, as Bitil mulled it over, she could sense him slowly coming about, albeit only due to the loss of having any alternative to propose. “Fine,” Bitil said. “I shall see what Kojol has to say, and then I will return immediately.” He waited a moment before asking, “Would it be a burden if I put you in command during my absence?” “One that I will gladly bear, Lord Bitil.” Bitil turned towards her. Gently setting a hand on her shoulder, he silently nodded. Charla nodded in return. “I hope you find peace,” she said. “…Enough for all of us.” *** “This has already gone much too far, Heremus,” Velika said. “We must kill the girl the next time we see her.” Angonce crossed the chamber, arguing, “Velika, that’s absurdly rash. You know we always learn more from these cases when they’re brought in alive—would you really want to sacrifice that knowledge?” “The choice is not ours any longer! Her mind has begun to develop, and if she is not stopped then she will become exactly what we have always feared these recurrences could be! Preserving our rule must take priority over some superfluous data!” “What do you mean ‘superfluous’?” “We’ve examined dozens of these cases over the years, Angonce, surely you don’t think we’ll stumble across some grand new secret with this one in particular!” They both turned as another Great Being, one wearing a golden cloak, slowly stepped towards them. In a subdued tone, he said, “I believe we will, Velika. Assuming your assertion that she has begun to develop is true, that is. We have never had opportunity to study someone at this stage before. Thus, studying Zaekura will without a doubt provide us with information we currently lack.” Velika huffed. “Heremus…all due respect, but I think you are underestimating the danger she poses.” “She has foiled us once. Twice, if we count Nynrah. I believe you to be overestimating her.” “Besides, isn’t it kind of fun in a way?” Angonce said. “There’s an element of risk involved that we haven’t had in so long—why not indulge a little? I heard you saying you were glad to be curious again, Velika.” “Yes, but not…” Velika turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Your emotions cloud your judgment, friend,” Heremus said. “So attached are you to these drones you have created, that you have leapt at the chance to smite those few who have bested them. It would behoove you to take a more rational approach.” “As I said, my true concern lies in the threat posed to our rule,” Velika said. “How can we be complacent in the face of our first true danger?” “You worry too much, Velika,” Angonce said. “We’ve spent plenty of time preparing for cases like this. It may take a while, but all it requires is a bit of patience, and things will inevitably return to normal.” “Yes, patience,” Velika said, “you’re simply a beacon of that particular virtue, Angonce.” Angonce rolled his eyes and took a few steps away. Heremus faced Velika and said, “He is right. While Zaekura does have the potential to threaten us, this is a threat we are ready to deal with. In fact, its resolution may already be in motion.” Velika eyed him warily. “…What do you mean by that?” “I have sent word to the Odinans. Two of them are currently en route to the mainland to find and apprehend Zaekura.” Velika’s eyes widened. Angonce looked over his shoulder. Before either could say anything, a new voice called, “Is that truly the best we can do, Heremus? I’m positive there’s a quicker way to get results.” The three turned to see another Great Being enter the room. Her cloak was a dark shade of gray and trailed across the floor behind her, and lacked sleeves for the simple reason that its wearer did not have arms. Angonce grimaced as she came up to them. “Your ‘quick solutions’ always make me nervous, Seldoa,” he muttered. “I’m afraid to ask, but if you prove me right it’ll be worth it, so go on, tell us.” “She is at the outpost, is she not?” Seldoa said. “Simply annihilate the outpost.” “What do you think it is I was trying to accomplish?” Velika asked. “She fought back, and through some fluke managed to—“ “Not attack it with drones, Velika. I mean annihilate it. Wipe it off the face of the planet. A weapon capable of that should be a simple task to create.” Angonce laughed. “And there it is! I always love talking to you Seldoa, really a treat. ‘Let’s make something capable of atomizing cities, the masses are sure to celebrate us for it and not cower in fear.’ Such wondrous humor.” Seldoa scoffed. “What of it? Those mites could always use a reminder of just where it is they stand.” “I must say I agree,” Velika said. “Unrefined as it may be, I offer my support for Seldoa’s proposal.” Heremus shook his head. “No.” “And why not?” Seldoa asked. “It would seem Zaekura has already found some support. If we eradicate her so hastily, then the public would indeed come to fear us, and the next time someone with the gift appears, they will likely find much more support, and far more easily. We would solve our current problem only to make the next impossible.” “Then just wipe them all out. Or at least the Glatorian, then we won’t have to worry about recurrences ever again.” “…Perhaps that is a bit much,” Velika said. “It is most certainly too much,” Angonce said. “Honestly Seldoa, after so many failed petitions for extinction a logical being would’ve learned by now.” Seldoa closed her eyes and thought a moment. Looking then to Heremus, she said, “Very well. But I still lack confidence in the Odinans’ ability to handle this crisis. Allow me to make some preparations, arrange some fallbacks for if they should fail.” Heremus rubbed his chin. Leaning towards him, Angonce said, “Would it be wise to leave her in charge of a war effort? I mean, that’s basically what we’re talking about here.” Seldoa glared at him, but Heremus nodded. “Quite right. Therefore, should the Odinans fail, I will entrust the bulk of these affairs to both Seldoa and Velika.” Angonce scratched the side of his face. “…That’s, er, not what I had in mind, Heremus…” Raising an eyebrow, Velika said, “She and I? Truly?” “Yes. You care for the citizens enough that you should be able to keep Seldoa’s zealousness in check, whilst still ensuring that our goals will be achieved.” Velika glanced at Seldoa. Both of them smirked. “I will of course remain informed,” Heremus said, “and have the ability to reject your plans or even remove you from this position should I feel your personal feelings are obstructing your performance.” “I can abide by that,” Seldoa said. “Thank you, Heremus. We shall not disappoint you.” “Indeed, Heremus,” Velika said. “You will not regret this decision. Come with me, Seldoa: let us begin work immediately.” Seldoa nodded, and the two of them exited the chamber. Angonce sighed. “You doubt my choice, Angonce?” Heremus said. “Frankly, Heremus, yes. But for now it’s sort of a moot point, I suppose. I’ll wait quietly and see how the Odinans perform for now.” Heremus nodded and headed back across the chamber. “It’s sort of interesting, though,” Angonce mumbled. Heremus turned. “Beg pardon?” “Oh, nothing, just…the Odinans. Already. You were telling Velika he’s overestimating her, but the Odinans are usually sort of a last resort, so to go straight to them just seems…” Angonce gestured vaguely. “The Odinans are to be called upon when the Makuta fail,” Heremus said. “Three Makuta have failed to deal with Zaekura. I feel turning now to the Odinans is entirely logical.” “…Alright, I suppose that makes sense. Pretend I never said anything.” Heremus resumed walking. Angonce crossed his arms and stared at the floor, humming to himself as he thought. A new set of footsteps soon reached his ears, and when he looked up, he saw a white and gold-clad Makuta wearing a Mask of Sensory Aptitude walk into the room. “Is the meeting over, Lord Angonce?” he asked. “Oh, yes, come on in, Chirox. What have you got for me?” The Makuta held out a tablet as he came closer. “Results on that experiment you asked me to run. I’m afraid there’s not much to report, but I also included some proposals to how the parameters could be altered to achieve more desirable results. We may need to request some more materials from Xia, however.” “Right, Xia, I’ll send you that way…” Angonce glanced over the tablet, and then settled his gaze on Chirox. “Say, Chirox…these experiments should be compatible with other life forms aside from the Rahi we’ve been using, shouldn’t they?” Humming thoughtfully, Chirox said, “I don’t see why not. Did you have something in mind?” “If you’re going to be visiting Xia, then I can’t help but wonder: how do you suppose this process might affect a Vorox?” ADDENDUM: -I think the scene in the Vorox den would’ve been more effective if I’d shown more of how the Vorox live/are treated over the course of the past eight chapters—I don’t think that one scene in Section I is really enough. Unfortunately, the plot pushed things along without giving me the chance, since most of our time has been spent at Bitil’s outpost which is specifically only inhabited by Rahkshi…maybe I could have made time when Krika was in Ga-Koro? Regardless, I’m hoping to better utilize the Vorox going forward. -After mentioning Heremus a few times now, I figured it was time he actually made an appearance. In order to keep the personalities of the other Great Beings in check, Heremus needed to be an extremely logical individual, someone who exemplifies the scientific nature of his kind by approaching everything with absolute objectivity. -The thing is, I’ve now exhausted all the Great Beings we know the names of (all three of them), so this means I have to start bringing in original ones to fill out the roster. Hence, Seldoa. I figured whoever would step forward to lead the war effort would be someone rather nasty, and giving her a disdain for the people allows me to play her off of Angonce easily and I think a crutch like that is useful for the first of this type of character to be built wholly from scratch. Her arms were lost in an experiment a very long time ago, and so she has a device that grants her very precise telekinetic abilities to compensate. I haven’t settled on how many Great Beings we’ll see (Greg says fewer than 20 exist, and tbh even making 20 sounds daunting), or when more will be introduced—it’s something that’ll just come up as needed. I don’t want to plan them all out at once, I might get a really good idea later on that I can work in at the last minute! -I also wanted to return to the passing mention of the Odinans from a few chapters ago. I figured “Dark Hunters” wouldn’t really suit an organization called upon by the Great Beings, plus this group also takes inspiration from elsewhere, and approaching things the way their leader would I figured something simple and straight-forward would work. After that long arc of coming into direct conflict with the Great Beings and facing down hordes of drones, I thought it might be nice to shift focus to just two minor antagonists as a sort of breather. Well, I say breather, but… -In Brothers in Arms, Melding Chirox did make a brief appearance inside the Valley of the Maze, so I figured it was best to have him officially stationed there. But, since it’s Chirox, he’s a lab assistant rather than a guard. The Mask of Sensory Aptitude is one of those fanmade Kanohi that are canon but weren’t seen in action: it greatly increases the user’s five senses, so I thought it would make a good antithesis to the Shelek (which robs the target of a sense), plus I kind of dig its simplistic design aesthetic. -This chapter is a bit on the short side, and for that I apologize, but I wanted to give myself a bit of extra time to prepare Krika’s next scene so I decided to bump it to Section X. I can tell you that I’ve found some extra potential in it already, so hopefully it’ll be worth the wait! -Reviews to be submitted here
  10. Thank you! Chapter 18 is now up--it's mostly wrapup and setup, but digs into several of the major characters along the way.
  11. Chapter 18 Sonia sat outside the infirmary fidgeting constantly. Lyra floated nearby, keeping an eye on her but not really having anything to offer. Both checked the clock again and again, taking a look at the door each time, unable to stop themselves even though they knew it wasn’t going to help anything. When a doctor finally did step out of the room, Sonia leapt straight to her feet. Before she could say anything, the doctor said, “We’ve finished the tests, and she’s fine physically. But, she is still a little shaken.” She clenched and unclenched her fist. “…Can I…?” The doctor nodded. Sonia gently pushed the door open and peered inside: there were a number of beds lining the wall, but they were all empty save for the closest, where Luna sat wearing a hospital gown and with her hair hanging loose behind her. Ophiuca hovered near her, and glanced up when the door opened. Luna smiled when she saw Sonia, but she still radiated unease. “Hey,” Sonia said as she came closer. “The doctor said your tests went well.” Luna nodded once, and then averted her eyes. She stared at the wall for a few seconds, then bit her lip, turned back to Sonia, and said, “I, um…well, thanks…for saving me…” With a grin, Sonia replied, “Don’t mention it! I’d do anything for you, Luna.” Tentatively, Luna extended her hand; Sonia stepped forward to take it. Luna stared, confused, at their fingers for a moment, and then opened her mouth to say something. She stopped. Sonia lightly rubbed the back of her hand, waiting patiently until she tried again. “Sonia,” Luna mumbled. “Is this…real…? A-Am I really…” Sonia touched her shoulder, locking eyes with her. “Yes. It’s real, Luna. You’re really here with me.” Luna just stared into her eyes for a time. She breathed deeply, and then started to look around the room. “It’s just…it’s weird to think about…I mean, I was…I was in pieces? And I don’t remember anything…Joker attacked me, and then…” Her eyes slowly widened. Sonia could feel her pulse starting to quicken. She calmly said, “Luna, I’m here for you. You’re safe, okay? I’m right here.” Luna shut her eyes tight, pulling one hand over her face. Eventually, she looked at Sonia, and then reached both arms out—Sonia hugged her, feeling Luna cling to her more tightly than she ever had before. Sonia was sure her grip was just as tight. She was so happy to see Luna whole again, but at the same time, it broke her heart to see her hurting. When at last they let go, Sonia sat down on the bed next to her, still holding fast to Luna’s hand. “I’m not sure how to make sense of it,” Luna said, her voice so quiet Sonia could only just hear her. “I just feel…disturbed, I guess…and really unsure in general…” She looked up, but hesitated. “It was a bit jarring for me as well, when I was reconstructed,” Ophiuca said. “Perhaps not as much, given that EM beings are at least aware of the idea of being broken up, but it was bizarre to realize I had actually been put back together.” Luna turned to her. “How did you…?” “I realized that, truthfully, I was just glad to be alive. And that that was all I needed to focus on. The minute details of what had already transpired seemed not to matter quite so much, and that unsettling feeling just slowly and naturally found its way out of my mind.” “I see,” Luna mumbled. Sonia waited. “…Well, it doesn’t help matters that these doctors kept me up all night,” Luna added as she rubbed her eye, her tone sounding a bit more familiar. “Of course I’m grateful for their dedication, but I have a policy against all-nighters for a reason.” “Do you want to rest?” Sonia said. Luna squeezed her hand. “…I…don’t want to be alone…” “I won’t leave you alone.” “Neither will I, of course,” Ophiuca said. “Go ahead and rest a bit, dear,” Lyra said. “We’ll all still be here when you wake up.” After a few seconds, Luna shifted a little. Instantly catching her meaning, Sonia moved back a bit, and then Luna laid down so that her head came to rest on Sonia’s lap. “…Thank you,” Luna said. “I’m really…really glad you’re all here…” Sonia reached down to stroke her hair. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than by your side, Luna.” It wasn’t long before Luna was asleep. It wasn’t long after that Sonia could feel her trembling. Biting her lip, Sonia just kept stroking Luna’s hair, and after calming herself down a bit, she started to sing quietly. Gradually, Luna’s shaking stopped. Even when she finally seemed to be resting easy, Sonia kept singing. *** “…and that’s when you showed up.” Geo closed his eyes, taking a moment to process what Ace had told him. “We were in serious trouble,” Ace added, “and Pat said that he wanted to help if he could. It was his decision.” “Sounds like you sort of led him into it,” Geo mumbled. “Ace…I can kind of get your reasoning, and if this is what Pat wants then I’m not going to stop him. But…” “You don’t think it was a good idea to take him to see Gemini?” Geo sighed. “I don’t know. And I guess that’s my problem: I don’t know what to expect from Gemini in this situation, or how this could affect Pat and Rey long term. I’m worried about them, and I’m not entirely convinced it was necessary to put them up to it.” “We’ll be keeping a close eye on them, Geo. At the first sign of trouble, we’ll call the whole thing off—you don’t have anything to worry about.” After a very, very long pause, Geo said, “I’m sorry, Ace, but…it’s a little difficult for me to trust you right now.” Ace slowly nodded. “Alright. That’s fair.” Geo turned and headed down the hall, saying, “I’m going to go check on them. I’m sure I’ll see you later.” Ace turned in the opposite direction, and took a moment to prepare himself before he started walking. He came upon a door with three locks and two guards—nodding to his colleagues, he punched in the access codes, waited for a flash of green light, and opened the door just enough that he could slip inside. The room beyond had dark gray walls, and was divided in two by a series of bars that ran from ceiling to floor. A bed was on the other side, and sitting at its foot, facing away and gazing out the window, was Tia. Ace pulled up a chair. “I was glad to hear you weren’t injured,” he said. “Things got a little crazy there, but I guess Virgo’s defenses really are insanely tough.” Tia didn’t react. Ace reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a candy bar. “Want a Mega Snack?” Receiving no response, he shrugged and undid the wrapper. “Well, in that case, hope you don’t mind.” As he took the first bite, Tia turned her head ever so slightly. “…Congratulating yourself on a mission well done?” Ace chuckled as he looked over the treat. “Nah, I’m eating these all the time now. Wanted to stop thinking of them as a reward.” “Is it working?” “Can’t tell. They still taste good, though.” They remained in silence until Ace had finished the bar. Before he could reach for another, Tia asked, “Where is my pendant?” “It’s safe. No need to worry about it.” “I’m supposed to believe you?” “I know how much it means to you, Tia: I won’t let anything happen to it.” Tia’s eyes narrowed just a bit. “You’ve already destroyed everything else I cared about. Why should this be different?” Ace stared at her for a moment. “You still have Jack.” She faced the window again. “C’mon, Tia. Tell us where King’s hiding now—the sooner we can get to Jack, the better.” “You’re so eager to capture him too?” “I’m eager to reunite the two of you. He’s not going to do well once he finds out you’re in custody, Tia, you know that. We have to get to him before he has a chance to do anything reckless. I’m only pushing the issue because I care about him.” Tia flinched. “…So…now you care…” “Of course I care about him. And you too. I promised you, I’m going to save the both of you, but you’ve got to help me out.” “Just get your new team to track him down. You always do your best work when you have someone else to use.” “I always thought we did our best work together. You and I were always the leaders of our little family.” In a flash, Tia was on her feet and whirled to face Ace. “You and I?!” she said, an intense fury quickly seeping into her voice. “No, Ace, you were the ‘leader’—you led all the other kids off to die, led them in droves to be slaughtered so that King would congratulate you on completing whatever he’d told you to do! I was doing whatever I could to keep them safe from your recklessness!” Ace closed his eyes. “I didn’t…I never wanted them to die.” “But you never did anything to keep them alive, did you?” Tia said, stalking forward and gripping the bars. “You just kept charging ahead no matter who was mowed down—you never even looked back, not once! Do you…” She gritted her teeth. “Do you know…how many I had to watch die? How many times I felt the life drain out of someone right in my grasp? I tried to save them, but there wouldn’t be anything I could do…some of them actually told me to leave them behind, but most of them just cried, scared and confused. And every time…every time…King would give you that stupid candy and pat you on the head, and then punish me for not staying focused on the mission.” Ace opened his eyes, but he didn’t look at her. “…You never stopped, though.” Tia leaned her head against the bars. “No, I did. I had to…to keep Jack safe…” Ace looked up. “Eventually there were so few of us. If one of the others went down, it usually meant Jack was in the line of fire next. And, I…if I stopped to try to save the other, then I wouldn’t have been able to keep Jack safe…so I stopped.” Tears started to drip from her face. “I let them die…I had to, to keep Jack safe…I couldn’t lose him…even if it meant losing everyone else, I couldn’t lose Jack…” She glared at Ace. “So I had to let the others die. Or else you would’ve gotten him killed too.” “I was a kid too,” Ace said. “I didn’t understand what was going on, not really. All I knew was that if I didn’t do what King asked, I was going to get punished just the same.” He looked down at the candy bar in his hand. “Is that what you tell yourself?” Tia asked. “You didn’t know, so that makes it okay? But now things are different: now you can lead a whole new group of kids off to be slaughtered, because the first time you didn’t know any better. You’re doing the same thing you’ve always done, Ace. Stop lying and just resign yourself to it, like I have.” “But you haven’t given up.” “…What?” “When you infiltrated Echo Ridge, you decided to pose as a student teacher, right? You saw another opportunity to take care of a bunch of kids, and you felt like you wanted to try again, to try to do a better job this time. Right?” Tia said nothing. “…And I guess that’s why you’re so mad at me now. Because some of those same kids are on my team, and you’re afraid I’m going to get them killed.” Ace stood and took one step forward. “I won’t let anything happen to them, Tia. I promise you. I might not have it all figured out yet, but this time, I know that what I’m doing affects others too, and I’m not going to get anyone else killed by being reckless. Not anymore.” He took a deep breath. “So please…tell me where King is hiding. Tell me where to find Jack.” Tia glared at him for what felt like hours. Ultimately, her eyes returned to their usual dull, uninterested stare, and she stepped away from the bars. “No, Ace,” she said. “No matter what you say, I’ll never be able to trust you. Not with Jack.” She sat down, looking out the window once again. Ace remained standing there for a minute, then slowly walked out. *** Sonia turned at the sound of the door opening, seeing Luna emerge in her regular clothes. “Hey. Oh...hang on a second.” She reached up and adjusted the other girl’s bow. “Guess I hurried too much,” Luna said. “Thanks for catching that.” “No problem!” Taking Luna by the hand, Sonia led her down the hall in the direction of the lobby. She glanced at her quickly: she seemed like her usual self for the most part, but despite her rest she still looked a bit worn out. Suddenly, Luna started. “Ah, I almost forgot!” she said. “The election’s just a little over a week from now—I still need to co-ordinate my final campaign effort with everyone.” After a short delay, Sonia smiled. “I’m sure they’d understand if you took a few days to recuperate.” Luna shook her head. “I can’t afford to let up this late in the game. We need to hold onto our momentum if we want a decisive victory! Besides…” She fidgeted. “It might be nice to get back to my usual routine…keep busy, you know?” “Alright. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!” They rounded a corner. “…Hey, Sonia?” Luna said. “About Dealer—“ “Don’t worry about it,” Sonia interrupted. “Just leave that to me.” “Well, I…I mean, I think I need a break for now, but I’ll want to come back eventually.” “It’ll be okay, Luna. You don’t have to.” Luna tugged on Sonia’s arm. “Well of course not. What I’m saying is that I want to stay informed so that I can help you out again when I’m ready.” Sonia hesitated. “…And it might be a while. We can discuss that later, I guess. But don’t think I’m going to stand for being kept in the dark in the meantime! I expect to remain in the loop!” “Luna…” Sonia stopped to choose her words. “I don’t want to put you in danger again. I don’t want to make it any more difficult for you to heal. Going forward…it could get really hard on you, and you shouldn’t have to be put through that.” Their pace slowed to a halt. Luna’s eyes scanned the floor as she began, “Today…or, yesterday, I guess…it was really scary. I know I need some time to cope with it, and I’m going to take it. But…” She looked Sonia in the eye. “I don’t want to just stop fighting forever. No, I refuse to let this stop me forever! I still want to help you, Sonia—I’m still determined to do everything I can to keep you safe! I’m going to get my strength back so that I can lend it to you, and to the others as well, so that we can stop Dealer before they have the chance to hurt more people!” Sonia was the one to break eye contact. “Luna…” Luna stepped in closer, pressing her forehead against Sonia’s. “I know you’re going to worry, and I’m sorry. But I’m going to worry about you too. If I stay away longer than I need to, then I’ll just be wondering what’s happening, wondering if maybe you’re in danger and that maybe if I was there you’d have better chances. I’d hate to just…sit around doing nothing when I’m perfectly capable of helping.” Closing her eyes, Sonia sighed softly. “Like I said, it might be a while. Let’s just let that be enough for now.” “…Alright,” Sonia said. She looked at Luna for a moment, and then kissed her. “Now then,” Luna said as they resumed walking. “What’s the plan going forward? I heard that we managed to take Ms. Tia into custody, but has she said anything?” “As far as I’m aware, no,” Sonia said. “And I doubt Jack will just show up at school. We still don’t have much to go on, but…” “But?” “I don’t know. I wasn’t taking Dealer seriously before, and it…well, now I know I need to. So I wish there was more I could do than just wait and react to them. I want to find a way to go on the offensive.” When Luna didn’t respond, Sonia turned towards her. She recognized the uneasy look in her eye. “…I must seem pretty on-edge, huh? I’m sorry. I’ll settle down before I have the chance to get carried away.” “No, I just…when you’re upset, I…” She turned away, blushing. “Well, you know.” Sonia chuckled. “You have every right to be frustrated. I heard about how badly you wanted to save me, and…well, with the Tuner…” “Hm? What do you mean?” “The Noise Control Programs were derived from the Tuner your mom made, so I figured knowing Joker had one…” Sonia stumbled a bit. …I…hadn’t thought of that… Seeing this, Luna said, “Oh, no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—I figured that was part of why you…I shouldn’t have said anything.” Sonia shook her head. “No, don’t worry. I guess I was just so focused on…other things that I hadn’t gotten that far yet.” She watched herself walk for a moment. “But, now that I think about it, it does bother me that Mama’s program is being misused. One more reason to stop Joker, I guess.” Luna felt like there was something she should say, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Before she could, they finally reached the lobby, and Sonia helped her down the stairs to where the rest of their friends waited. They rushed over the moment they saw her. “Prez!” Bud exclaimed. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay! I mean, we knew you were okay, but now you’re up and about and stuff!” “It was really a relief when Mr. Boreal told us there wasn’t a problem with any of your tests,” Zack said. “How do you feel?” “More tired than anything, really,” Luna replied. “Anyway, sorry for worrying you all.” “Don’t apologize!” Bud said. “It’s not like you did anything!” “That’s right!” Zack said. “We know you’d worry for us if we were in danger!” “We’re just happy to see you safe, Prez,” Geo said. “Aren’t you always saying it’s part of a Brother’s job to worry?” Luna paused for a moment. Slowly, a smile came to her face, and she giggled to herself. “Thank you all. That…really means a lot to me.” “Okay,” Mega said, “now that the sappy stuff’s out of the way, can we get going? I’m getting tired of this boring ol’ place.” “Right,” Luna said. “We’ve got business to attend to! As soon as we get back home, we’re holding a campaign meeting to determine how we’re going to handle the rest of our time leading up to the election!” “Straight to work, huh?” Pat said. “Now we know she’s fine.” “That’s right! And I better not hear a single complaint from any of you!” “Understood, ma’am,” Geo said. Just as they turned to face the door, someone called out from the upper level. Ace made his way down the stairs, saying, “Sorry to butt in, but there are a couple things we should settle while you’re all here. If you don’t mind?” Sonia ground her teeth, but she didn’t object. Geo said, “I assumed it was back to waiting for the next incident, unless you’ve got some new information for us.” “No new information, no,” Ace said. “But after yesterday, we’re a lot less prepared for a new incident than we were. Our troops here will bounce back fine enough, but all of our regional branches are down, meaning we have no back-up and no one else keeping an eye out for us. I thought we should address the sudden lack of manpower.” “Well, how do we do that?” Bud asked. “We can’t just replace so many people at once, can we?” Ace glanced at Sonia. She thought a moment, absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers against Luna’s. Ultimately, she looked up at him and said, “Go on, tell them.” She got a sick feeling seeing the glint that entered Ace’s eye. He turned to the group and said, “We may not be able to get our analysts and Satella Officers back, but we have another option—one that’s worth a lot more. We can get more fighters who can use Wave Change.” “Hang on a second,” Mega said, materializing. “You’re not still thinking about bringing Wolf onboard here, are you?” “Him, and all the other FM-ians and PM-ians still on Earth, if they’re willing.” “Oh of course,” Gemini muttered, “because I’m a willing participant in all of this…” Everyone exchanged glances, not knowing what to make of the idea. Mega, fangs curled into a snarl, said, “No way are we dragging Wolf into this mess! The guy’s been through enough, and he can’t know that Corvus and Virgo are on-planet! You don’t know how bad an idea that would be!” Giving him a puzzled look, Geo asked, “Wolf knows them? How?” Mega didn’t look at him. “It’s a long story, kid, and I ain’t in the mood to tell it.” “Wolf seemed interested in what’s been going on,” Ace said. “From what I’ve heard, he’d be a real asset to the team.” “Wolf’s out of the question!” Mega said. “That’s the bottom line, pal!” “Your assertions remain unconvincing without additional explanation,” Acid replied. “We have yet to be given any information that would logically preclude an idea as useful as recruiting Wolf Woods.” Before Mega could say anything, Ace said, “Alright, alright, I get it: if you don’t want to talk about Wolf, we won’t talk about Wolf. I won’t approach him.” Mega nodded. “Good!” Ace pulled out his Hunter, calling up a few files on his screen. “Aside from him, and barring the possibility of finding a partner for our friend Plesio, that still leaves quite a few candidates worth exploring. How about it? A few extra pairs of hands would’ve been a big help in Tia’s siege.” Bud scratched his head, saying, “Well…why not? I mean, we’re just gonna ask them if they want to help, right? What’s the harm in that?” Sonia turned to face him. “But what if they don’t understand what they’re getting into, Bud? This is way more dangerous than we first thought, and we won’t be able to really guarantee anyone’s safety.” “Wouldn’t it be safer for all of us if we had more help?” Pat asked. “And even if some of us don’t completely get the hang of things, we can still take care of smaller jobs so that our best fighters can focus on the real problems. I think it makes sense.” Geo glanced at him nervously. “I don’t know, Pat. I mean, we need to think about who we’re talking about. Claud and Kidd might not be ready to deal with opponents like this, and I’m not sure Condor really wants to get involved in a fight this big. And…who else is there?” “Aren’t Claud and Kidd about the same age now as when you and Sonia fought the FM-ians?” Zack asked. “Plus, they’ve got the experience of Cancer and Goat on their side, and like Pat said, we can distribute our fighters however we need.” Geo rubbed his neck. “Mmmm…” “Like Bud said, we’d only be asking,” Ace said. “And if they change their minds later it’s not as if we’ll object. We’ll also do everything we can to prepare our recruits and keep them safe on the field.” “I say we do it,” Amy said. “It’d be nice to have more people my level to practice with. And I mean, it does sort of seem like we could use all the help we can get.” Bud and Zack nodded. Pat turned to Geo, giving an encouraging smile. With a small sigh, Geo said, “I’m still not sure…but, as long as we’re up front about the danger, I guess it might be worth asking.” Sonia stared hard at the floor as she contemplated the issue. She was broken out of it when Luna tugged on her arm, and she looked the other girl in the eye. “I know you’d rather do this with as few people as possible, so that there’s less risk of anyone else getting hurt,” Luna said. “But having more allies lessens that risk too, and it also increases your chances of winning—and if you don’t win then a lot of people will get hurt either way. I may be on leave, but if I still get a vote, I think it’s worth pursuing.” Sonia took a look around the room. Very reluctantly, she turned back to Ace and, after a long pause, said, “Okay. Who do you have in mind?” Ace grinned, and then jabbed a finger over his shoulder. “Well, first we should get Solo to officially sign off on this.” Leaning to see where he was pointing, Sonia could just barely make out Solo standing behind a staircase, facing the opposite direction. He glanced their way but didn’t make a move. “How long have you been there?” Sonia asked. “You could’ve just come over and joined us.” Solo looked away, faintly groaning, but then slowly approached. “…So. You’re going to get even more people to fight Dealer?” “It seems that way,” Sonia said with a sigh. She thought for a moment. “Hey, Solo…thank you for helping us yesterday. I was too preoccupied to say it, but I want you to know that I really appreciate it.” “…Sure,” Solo muttered. “Whatever.” “Anyway, Solo,” Ace said. “You were saying you think Dealer has something they shouldn’t, right? Can you tell us what it is?” Solo didn’t answer. “It must be something from Mu, and that’s enough to know we probably don’t want it in Dealer’s hands,” Sonia said. “All we really need to know, Solo, is if you’re willing to continue helping us fight Dealer.” After a short delay, Solo crossed his arms and said, “It’s important I retrieve what they have, so for the time being…I will. Just know that I’m not much of a team player.” Electing not to say the first thing she thought, Sonia instead said, “Thank you.” “Glad to have you on the team, Solo!” Ace said, clasping his shoulder. “As soon as I heard how much trouble you gave Sonia before, I hoped we’d get a chance to win you over to our side. Taking Dealer down just got a lot easier!” Solo flinched and waved Ace off. “Sh-shut up! Just…get on with your stupid plan already.” Ace hummed as he turned to his Hunter. “Well, the easiest thing to do will be to pop over to Alohaha and talk to Kidd and Claud—I should be able to knock that out tomorrow. As more officers come back on duty I’ll ask them to do some digging regarding others we think are still hanging around, but in the meantime…” He turned back to Solo. “How do you feel about going to Whazzap?” Solo looked at the ceiling. “Whazzap? Wait, I remember that place…” “Since they’re crazy about Mu, I figure you’ll fit right in, and that should make it easier to talk to the Shaman and his friend Condor. No need to answer now: it’ll take at least a few days for us to organize a trip like that given our current state, but it’s something to think about. And of course the rest of you are invited as well!” “Sorry, but no thanks,” Sonia said. Ace frowned. “Huh? Why not?” “Luna needs us right now. We’ve still got a lot of work to do for the election, after all.” “Uh, Sonia,” Luna said, “I appreciate it, but maybe—“ Sonia shook her head. “You’re my priority, Luna. I can’t be there for you if I’m in Whazzap.” “Th-that’s…” Luna stammered, blushing as the remainder of her sentence disappeared. “Hm, I guess that makes sense,” Ace said. “Plus we do still need to keep Echo Ridge safe, and with the Satella Police slowly recovering we don’t really have alternatives. We’ll check in with you when we get back, then.” “Alright,” Sonia said. “If that’s all for now, we’re out of here.” She turned, paused, and then turned back to Solo. “You’re welcome to come with us, if you’d like. I’m sure we can find somewhere in Echo Ridge to set you up.” “…I’ll stay here,” Solo replied. “I get the feeling it’ll be quieter.” “Okay. See you later, then.” With everything settled, Sonia and her friends made their way out the door, leaving Ace to type a few notes into his Hunter screen before grinning at Solo. “Okay then! If you’re going to be our guest, let me show you around a bit, help you find everything you need. This way!” Ace emphatically gestured towards the stairs. Solo blinked, wondering if his assessment may have been off. *** Jack burst through the door and ran down the hall, Joker already in pursuit. Glaring ahead at the back of King’s chair, he shouted, “King! What the heck are you thinking?! Why do they still have Tia?!” He jumped up the stairs towards King’s chair. Suddenly, Heartless stepped into view and swung her hand, smacking Jack across the face and sending him tumbling back down. Joker grabbed him by the collar before he could get up. The gaze Heartless turned upon the both looked just the slightest bit annoyed, and she adjusted a loose hair as she said, “Mr. King’s orders, I remind you, were that he not be disturbed.” “My apologies,” Joker said. “I turned him away, but he managed to slip past me.” “King!” Jack shouted. “They captured Tia—what are you gonna do about it? You better be working on a way to rescue my sister, you jerk!” He fell immediately silent as Heartless took a single step. “I believe that is quite enough out of you, Jack.” Jack glared at her for a moment. Ultimately, he closed his eyes and hung his head, weakly saying, “They…they’ve got Tia. We have to get her back!” “Mr. King was quite clear when giving Queen Tia’s orders. Even with all the advantages provided to her, your sister failed. We are under no obligation to assist her now.” “Like heck we aren’t!” Jack yelled, tears now streaming from his eyes. “We’ve done everything we could for this stupid plan you’ve got—the least you could do is try to show us a little respect in return! You talk like we’re some kind of family, but you’re willing to throw that away the second one of us actually needs something from you, King? Answer me, you—“ King slammed his fist into his desk. The surface fractured under the blow, producing a small flourish of sparks that was totally drowned out by King bellowing, “ENOUGH!” Jack was stunned into silence. Heartless rolled her eyes, and walked back towards the chair. “Joker,” King said, speaking very quietly. “Escort Jack to his room, and see that he remains there.” “Yes, Mr. King,” Joker said. “Come along, Jack.” The boy didn’t recover by the time he was pulled from the room. Heartless took a moment to examine the hand she had struck him with, and then gave a sideways glance to King. The man was hunched over his now-damaged desk, one hand planted firmly over his eyes as he continued to sob silently. “Mr. King,” she said, “you truly are pathetic.” A ragged sigh escaped King’s lips. Sitting up, he said, “Still no compassion in your hand?” “Why is it that you think I accepted a name like ‘Heartless’?” King wiped the tears off his face. “Ah, that’s right. This is precisely why I value you: always keeping me on-track with your callous indifference. Many thanks, Heartless.” King turned to the damage he had caused, noticing that his glove was now stained red. He peeled it away, spotting a new cut amidst the scar tissue that covered his hand, and tossed the glove aside. Heartless procured a roll of bandages from a compartment on the back of his chair. “Losing children,” he mused. “No matter how many such wounds I receive, they continue to cut deep. Oh, how much have I lost, after all these years? Nearly all I’ve ever cared for have been smote by simple luck of the draw. When I fell for Ace’s bluff, I thought I had felt the worst sting of all, but the pain only continues to grow. And now, my favorite daughter—“ He winced as Heartless pulled the bandage tight around his hand. “…But, I must remain strong. My poker face must be unreadable. This pain shall be fused with the rest, creating only a stronger vessel for the ambition that has carried me through my despair.” King looked to his desk, seeing an image of Meteor G displayed on the screen. “Soon…so very, very soon now…I will at last be able to bring this game to an end…” (Review)
  12. So Smash looks good

  13. Skirmix: *a single loud, extremely long raspberry*
  14. Paarakku ga koko da! Supotto 8 onegaishimasu! I'm rusty but I'm too lazy to proofread that.
  15. I’ve logged roughly 72 hours on this game, beaten the eight main stories, found all twelve jobs, explored every dungeon, and cleared all sidequests with the exception of two that have unusually tough bosses and one that is the Absolutely Final Test of True Power and Strategy. So I can say with confidence: Octopath Traveler isn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but I’d still say it’s a very good game. (Vague spoilers ahead.) Leading into this game, what I was expecting was that as the game went on, the eight characters would gradually come together over the course of the story, joining forces as their goals naturally aligned and eventually it would all culminate in one final battle. This sounded like a very interesting narrative, so I got pretty set on wanting to see it. But, that’s not the kind of game that Octopath is. While you can (and are encouraged to) gather together all eight travelers to form your battle party, each chapter of a given character’s story plays out as if the other seven are absent, with the exception of a few optional banter scenes depending on who is in your active party of four. At first, I was a bit disappointed—while some of the banter scenes do reveal bits of information or show enjoyable interactions between the characters, it still didn’t feel like enough, and the gameplay story segregation really puzzled me. Why have everyone traveling and fighting together if the cutscenes portray these events all happening in parallel? But, having read many comments from the creators of the game, and now having much more experience with the full product, those feelings have shifted. The creators wanted to give the player complete and total freedom to watch these stories play out in any order they chose. So, you can go and do all eight Chapter 1s in any order you feel like, then do a couple of the Chapter 2s, maybe try out a Chapter 3, or heck, just try to clear one character’s story using only that character. Prioritizing player freedom is a design choice that I can respect, and I can easily see why that precluded letting the characters’ affect each other’s stories. What if I do Cyrus’s Chapter 2 with Primrose there, how does she affect that story? What if I replaced her with Olberic, what would be different? What if they’re both there? How would those changes affect Cyrus’s Chapter 3, and if I decide to go off and have everyone help Tressa do her Chapter 2 in between, what changes will that bring to each of these different Cyrus Chapter 3s? The many, many different possible ways you could go through these stories would necessitate writing hundreds of potential scenarios for every possible sequence of events the player selected, only getting more and more complicated as things progress. Thinking about it that way, it’s an easy decision to tell eight specific stories broken into a few acts that can be strung together in any order. And honestly, once I really got into the game, I cared less and less about the divide between the gameplay and the story. The point is, Octopath Traveler is less about telling one grand story, and more about telling several individual stories within the same connected world. There could perhaps be more obvious points of connection between the tales, but there are quite a few subtle ones that make the continent of Orsterra feel rather alive. This is illustrated especially well with how NPCs and sidequests are handled: though there are a few faces you can’t interact with at all (mostly in large cities), any NPC you can talk to can also be interacted with through the characters’ various Path Actions. Every one of them has a bit of backstory you can learn using Cyrus or Alphyn, most have a couple items that Tressa can buy or Therion can steal, and many have battle data so that you can challenge them to a duel with Olberic or H’aanit, or bring them along to aid you if you have Ophilia or Primrose. The backstories especially help flesh out these otherwise generic entities, since some of them refer to other characters’ and their backstories, allowing you to slowly piece together a general idea of how a certain family or town functions as a whole if you want to invest the time. NPCs have more personality and leave more of an impression than we’ve typically come to expect from them in a game like this. And when one of them gives you a sidequest, it always feels somehow meaningful, especially if you’ve taken a look at their backstory or sparred with them and have developed some history with this person. More than that, they’re not always very specific on how to solve them—you’re usually just presented a problem, and then you need to figure out how you might go about fixing it. Virtually every sidequest involves some sort of Path Action, but since two characters can achieve the same end using their similar Actions, you have some freedom in how to accomplish the solution when you discover it, and even better, some sidequests have multiple possible resolutions depending on what Path Action you use! For example: in Sunshade, you speak to a dancer who is ready to quit, but wants to put on one last show. The most straight-forward way to go about it is to find another, more accomplished dancer in town, buy/steal her favorite dress, and deliver it to the quest-giver so she can give one last memorable performance and call it quits. But! In the same town is a sickly girl who mentions how much she loved seeing the quest-giver perform. If you use Primrose or Ophilia’s Path Action to lead the quest-giver to her, a touching scene plays out where the quest-giver realizes her performances do still have an impact on people, and she uses this chance to inspire the girl to follow her dreams and not give up just because she’s having a difficult time right now, before going on to continue her career. I only discovered the first solution after reading about it online, but I adamantly believe it an unacceptable method because the second one is such a better resolution, and dang it, this game has made me legitimately care about NPCs who don’t even have actual names and wanting to see their stories play out in the best possible way. How often does that happen? Speaking of Path Actions, they’re…good. The thing is, you can use them on NPCs whenever you want, and this is great, but there are also some instances in every character’s story where you need to use their Path Action to progress. Unfortunately, the story-relevant uses almost always just feel like busy-work. Oh, you need to get this person to stop bothering that other person? Use Provoke on them, then we’ll continue the scene. Oh, you need to access this chapter’s dungeon? This NPC will get you in, but you need to do three fetch quests, one at a time, Stealing items with a 100% success rate and running back and forth all over town. Oh, that merchant will only trade this treasure map for a legendary shield rumored to be in town? Run over and Purchase it from this other merchant just to run back and make the swap. Starting to see what I mean? And yet, when there are chapters that don’t require you to use your Path Action at all, it still manages to seem like a missed opportunity. Mostly because there are a few shining instances where your Path Actions do carry actual weight, and I love how they’re done. Cyrus’s investigations come close (falling short because they’re more about reading comprehension than actual deduction), but I can think of only three really great examples off the top of my head: one instance where Therion can steal any of four items to advance his story, but the one closest to where you are has an abysmal success rate while the ones a bit of a walk away are decent and the one way back in town has 100%; when Olberic finally finds the person from his past he’s looking for, you’re sent straight into a Challenge sequence rather than a standard boss battle; and in Ophilia’s ending, you are tasked with Guiding someone to a specific place. (Therion’s final chapter tries to replicate the first instance in his final chapter, but both options had 100% success so I’m not counting it. And you could probably argue that the one in Ophilia’s ending is quite easy, but I still loved that the game let me take that character where they needed to go rather than doing it in a cutscene—Ophilia, and by extension the player, was asked to take an active part in the very last action of this particular story.) Should any sort of sequel or successor come about, I really hope the developers are able to find a way to make the Path Actions a more engaging element of the stories. The endings, similarly, are a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t think I’d call any of them bad, some are just more satisfying than others. Tressa’s in particular has both really good elements and really bad elements, and I think it might be my least favorite of the bunch. Ophilia’s is probably my favorite simply because it has the best presentation of all eight: in addition to having one of the best uses of Path Actions mentioned earlier, there are several instances throughout her final boss where she steps forward and the two of them have fully-voiced dialogue, arguing their points of view and what they hope to accomplish from their victory as we’re all fighting for our lives, and it really pulls you into the moment and underscores the weight this confrontation has. Therion’s final boss also has dialogue like this, but it isn’t voiced for some reason, plus I was hoping it would let me actually Steal the treasure I went in search of and was disappointed when it didn’t. Primrose’s is…interesting. It left me feeling a bit uncertain, but I think this was done intentionally to put us closer to what Prim herself is feeling. Anyway, I’m not going to go through ‘em all, this is already way too long. Now, there is technically a point where the stories come together in the post-game. Remember that absolutely final test thing I mentioned earlier? (Bigger spoilers in this paragraph.) After clearing all eight stories and a few specific sidequests, you unlock a true final dungeon, and though I’m definitely not ready to take a stab at it myself I did go ahead and watch someone else conquer it to see what information it held. I won’t go in-depth here, but basically you fight a series of boss rematches Mega Man style, and after each one you get a little snippet of thoughts from an important character in this world. Through these, you find out that the conflicts or inciting incidents of all eight stories were the results of a certain person’s previous attempt to achieve their own evil goal, and after this you face off with them as they make a new attempt. This is…interesting. (The one relating to H’aanit’s story is horrifying, even though I kind of saw it coming.) I mean, it definitely helps the world feel connected, and the scenes finally show all eight travelers at once (which is really satisfying to see), even asking you to split them into two parties for the final encounter so that they can all contribute, and I definitely like that. But, I dunno, maybe it just hasn’t fully sunk in yet. None of the travelers speak in this dungeon so there’s still no truly “canon” interactions between them, just the banter scenes and what you get in gameplay. I think I need more time to piece together the overall narrative of Orsterra and judge how it works. The creators set out to make Octopath Traveler a unique and personal experience for each player, giving them vast amounts of freedom to explore and interact and learn however they please. I think this is illustrated best by the credits, which only play after you beat the final chapter of whichever character you chose to start the game as and who will be in your party permanently (until beating their final chapter). As the names go by, you see in the background a sort of highlight reel of your adventures, showing brief snippets of every single chapter of story you’ve completed in the exact order that you completed them. It even shows very short clips of each and every boss, showing exactly what you did to finish them off. (Two funny instances in mine: one where I defeated the boss but his summon unit was still on the field, so the clip showed me killing the summon; and one where the boss died to poison damage, so the clip shows us all just standing there when the boss suddenly pops into smoke.) I had no idea the game was gathering these clips as I went along, until it surprised me with this scrapbook of memories at the conclusion of my chosen character’s journey, and it was enough to make me wish I had saved that particular boss for last so that I could’ve relived the memories of finishing off the other six bosses I’d yet to face. It was like the game telling me it cherished the time we spent together, that my experience was a unique one that deserved to be documented and remembered. I forged my own path and the game was validating the decisions I’d made. Such a simple, easy little trick, but boy did it leave a heck of an impression. Octopath Traveler is not a perfect game, not that such a thing exists. But I think the creators achieved their goal of creating a fun, free, and very personal experience for whoever chooses to pick it up. If you’ve got a Nintendo Switch and are looking to lose yourself in your travels for a few dozen hours, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Octopath.
  16. POHATU PHANTOKA'S EXTREME BABYSITTING SERVICE
  17. Right of Law, Section VIII, is now live in the Epics Forum! Sorry this one took so long. (Octopath Traveler is good.) Velika’s assault on Bitil’s outpost continues, and his new method of attack proves quite devastating. Zaekura is hard at work on her plan, but even if she can pull it off, there’s still the question of if the others can hold out until it’s ready. Hopefully Section IX won’t take as long…
  18. SECTION VIII Bitil walked into the guardhouse with a bundle of parts in his arms, depositing them on the table and then taking a step back. Zaekura sat hunched over the disarmament device, busily working on it while Charla and a Guurahk stood to either side of her. She only looked up for a moment at his arrival. “She really did a number on this,” Zaekura murmured as she picked out a component that had melted. “Then again, I guess it’s hard to aim a tidal wave of plasma.” “Will your plan still work?” Charla asked. Zaekura gave a thumbs-up. “You bet! It’s intact enough I can see how it works, and it looks like Bitil found all the parts I need. The modifications should work just fine.” Bitil walked over to the edge of the wall, glancing quickly over the battlefield. The drones’ forces continued to dwindle, and were now looking quite sparse indeed, meanwhile the runners were nowhere to be seen. He turned and spotted the archer Rahkshi. “Viq,” he called, “were all the drones that broke formation destroyed?” Viq gave him an uneasy glance, hissing quietly. Bitil started forward. “What do you mean you lost sight of one? Where did it go?” Viq pointed: nearly half a mile out was a large rock formation, and apparently the drone had managed to make its way inside before anyone could stop it. “…I suppose it would be unwise to pursue it in there,” Bitil admitted. “Velika could attack us from any angle.” Viq hissed his apologies, but Bitil shook his head. “I’ll take care of it. You just focus on what’s left down there.” He teleported near the base of the formation, checking quickly for any signs of the drone. Bright light shone from his palms, and after building for a few seconds, it was released in a wide burst that pulverized the foundation of the rock, causing the entire formation to come tumbling down in a heap. Bitil turned back towards the battle and reached out with his mind. Antroz, are you there? The other Makuta cut down a drone and leapt into the sky, saying, “Bitil? What is it?” A few of the drones were retreating, but we’ve managed to stop all of them. I thought perhaps I should warn you to be prepared for Velika’s next tactic. “Retreat? Why would he do that?” It was certainly curious. All were headed in different directions, but there isn’t anything out here for miles around. One of them did manage to make it to an outcropping—maybe he intended to lure some fighters over there so he’d have an advantage. Antroz floated there for a moment, and then slowly turned in Bitil’s direction. “Bitil…what do you know of this outcropping?” Hm? It’s a simple pile of rocks. Well, rubble now. The drone is most certainly buried beneath it. “You don’t have proof?” Bitil sighed. What is it you’re getting at, Antroz? “Think, Bitil! Velika sent one of his drones directly to that pile of rocks—don’t you think there might be a reason for that?” As the other Makuta turned to consider this, he noticed that the mound of debris was starting to shake. He backed away slowly, saying, “Curses, I’m certainly going to hear about this one later…” The rocks shifted one by one, and then in unison, they all rose several feet into the air. A large hole in the ground could be seen beneath it all, containing a staircase down into the earth that something was currently climbing. Bitil lobbed a ball of plasma at the opening. One of the levitating rocks suddenly darted forth to intercept the attack, while another made for Bitil; he turned intangible to avoid damage, kicking off the ground as he did, and hung in the air as he got a good look at what was emerging from the hidden stairs. It appeared to be the missing drone, but it was a good bit larger now: its body was encased in a massive shell of black stone, with clawed hands that the machine’s cannons just barely peeked out from above, and great spiked shoulder plates that dwarfed the tiny eyes blazing between them. Bitil shuddered. He had never paid a great deal of attention to history, but something about this form struck him as eerily similar to an entity predating all Makuta. “It can’t be…an Element Lord?” he muttered. Velika’s laugh echoed from within the stone carapace. Raising his claws, the Great Being said, “Quite a crude form, but with the power it contains, it is a worthwhile trade! The Rock Lord squandered this wondrous gift we gave him…but I shall make no such mistake.” With a flick of his wrist, several tons of rocks went flying at Bitil. The Makuta remained intangible and passed through them, but emerged from one to see an energy blast mere inches away. There was no time to activate his Dodge powers, so he swerved as best he could, and suffered only a grazing blow that shocked him back into a solid state. “How is this possible?!” Bitil asked as he dropped to the ground. “You can imbue a body with the power of an Element so easily?” “Not quite, no,” Velika said. “But you see, there is a reason we stationed you here, Bitil, and it was not to keep Antroz and Krika company. It was here, at the edge of the Sea of Liquid Sand, that we created the first Element Lords so very long ago; the laboratory still exists beneath our feet, with all the data necessary to repeat the process, and we thought it prudent to have someone guard it. Modifying the process to work on a purely mechanical being was quite difficult…but then, it was a simple challenge for me.” A massive shadow was suddenly cast over Bitil. He teleported to the side quickly, and only then looked up to process what was going on: a chunk of rock roughly five times his size had abruptly materialized over his head, and if he had not evaded, he would most certainly have been crushed beneath it. The tremors produced by the impact reached all the way back to where the main battle was going on, and several of his forces were turning to take note. “Yes, a crude solution to a problem orchestrated by crude minds,” Velika mused, taking a few slow steps forward. “I think this is quite a fitting end for you and your hideous offspring.” Bitil twitched. “Excuse me? Are you saying you have a problem with my Rahkshi?” Velika continued walking towards him. “Of course I do. You’ve perverted our glorious design, turning the simple servants you needed into chaotic little monsters who serve no purpose whatsoever. Heremus decreed we hold our tongues, let you entertain yourself off in isolation, and so we simply sat in disgust from a distance. Yes, while much good will come of this, particular notice is still due the erasure of this particular stain on—“ Bitil slashed his arm out. A blade of light extended from it as he did, cutting a deep gash in Velika’s rock armor. “You offend me, Lord Velika. As I’m sure you can understand, I have no inclination to tolerate insults aimed at my creations!” Velika had already recovered from the surprise attack, the gap in his hide mending on its own. Bitil leapt forward, lightning crackling around his palms, but Velika darted forward with surprising speed, bashing one of his massive shoulders into Bitil and sending him flying backwards. Another blast was aimed at the fallen Makuta, but he quickly sprang to his feet and activated his Invulnerability, blocking it on his forearm. Velika beat both hands against the ground, and a line of stone crags suddenly reached from him all the way to the edge of the battlefield. Bitil was nowhere to be seen after that. He advanced, but by the time he was halfway to the outpost, Bitil emerged from behind one of the spikes, shooting a powerful laser squarely at the drones’ eyes. Unfortunately, it had little effect. “It seems you don’t comprehend, simple Makuta,” Velika said, swatting Bitil against the crags. “I have become an embodiment of the Element of Rock, and Rock endures all. It is an unyielding, immovable object that now stands in your path, and you have not a single hope of defeating it.” Bitil squirmed, trying to pry himself free from the monster’s hold, but to no avail. Velika raised his other hand and pointed its cannon in Bitil’s face. The Makuta looked frightened for a moment, but then smiled. Six arms suddenly wrapped around Velika’s, and with a mighty heave, Ramier flipped the Rock elemental over their head and into the ground. Bitil quickly leapt to the Rahkshi Kaita’s side as they raised their barrier. “What was that you were saying, Velika?” he taunted. “Something about being immovable, if I recall?” Velika got to his feet, feeling light blasts from Bitil peppering his back. He whirled and swung his claw through the air, willing a long rock spike to erupt from the crags in an attempt to spear them, but it shattered against Ramier’s shield. With a scoff, Velika pulled his hand in front of himself and created a shield of his own made out of rock. The reprieve from damage lasted only a moment: a surprise blow came from his side, and when he turned to see who it was, he saw no one. That changed soon, as Artil was now rolling in from behind him, and Velika had to pull his shield around to defend against one of the massive Rahkshi’s blasts. Bitil and the invisible assailant took advantage of the opening this created. “Excellent work, all of you!” Bitil shouted. “Come, and let us show our foe that a simple suit of armor is not enough to make us cower!” Velika turned to face him, shuddering slightly as his shield endured another of Artil’s blasts. “You truly are a fool, Bitil. How one of our most ingenious designs for a species could spawn such fools is beyond even my intellect.” He pointed one claw towards Bitil and Ramier. Just as Bitil was about to ask what he was doing, a small stone sphere appeared in the space between the two of them. His eyes shot wide. Ramier saw it as well and deactivated his shield, allowing them both to teleport away—and not a second later, the stone expanded, instantly growing to a size beyond what the shield could have contained. Velika reached out and grabbed the stone, lifting it with ease, and then hurled it in Artil’s direction. The projectile was blasted apart just before it made impact. “Lord Velika!” Velika looked up, seeing Antroz diving towards him. He flexed his shoulders, and a few dozen fist-sized rocks shot out at Antroz, forcing her to weave through them and bringing her almost directly into a blast from the drone’s cannon. With a scowl, Antroz teleported directly in front of Velika’s face and thrust her sword at it. Velika ducked, narrowly avoiding the blade, and then willed more stone shrapnel to erupt from his shoulders, knocking Antroz away. He prepared to knock her from the sky, but he felt a strong blow at his ankle that disrupted his balance. A quick survey showed no one there, though Bitil was on his way back with light, plasma, and electrical energy all swirling around him. Artil blasted his shield again. Velika gave a loud groan. “What’s the matter, Velika?” Bitil called, unleashing the violent torrent he had been building up. “Perhaps our might is so great you’ve already been overwhelmed?” Velika caught the attack on his shoulder—chunks of stone were blown away, but the damage was undone in seconds. Antroz and Ramier were poised on opposite sides of him, and he felt another attack from his unseen opponent. “You overestimate yourselves,” Velika said as Antroz and Ramier moved in. “This is merely an annoyance.” He threw his arms wide. A thousand stone spikes erupted from his body, pushing away all those within his range and leaving deep puncture wounds in each of them. Artil managed to just narrowly avoid them, for once glad that he was so slow. Antroz, Ramier, and Bitil all soon materialized at his side. “Are you alright?” Bitil asked Ramier, simultaneously trying to patch the holes in his armor. “If you need to separate, then fall back! We’ll hold him here until we can muster reinforcements!” Ramier began to reply, but then they stopped, staring back at where Velika had stood. Bitil followed his gaze, spotting a Chameleon Rahkshi holding a long chain flying in their direction. “Chloae? Wasn’t she partnered with…” A laugh came from the erratic crags that now lay before them. The stone slowly peeled away, and Velika’s rocky form walked out of it, clutching something in one hand. It was Virban. “Rahkshi with sapience,” Velika said as he examined his captive, “if not intelligence, per se. Your offense is unjustified when the ambitions of your design remain unattained, Bitil.” Velika tightened his grip. Virban screeched horribly, and Bitil took a few running steps before freezing under Velika’s gaze. He locked eyes with the Great Being, staring at him for what felt like minutes, before turning back to Virban. The Rahkshi of Courage’s breathing was ragged now, but he continued to struggle against his captor’s hold. Bitil lowered his arms. “…Let him go,” Bitil said. “I’ll take him back to receive medical attention—he won’t be a threat to you any longer.” “Hah! This thing was no threat to begin with!” “Then you’ve no reason to object?” Velika stared at him a moment longer, and then chuckled to himself. “Oh, so be it. If this thing truly sparks such sentiment within you, I suppose I shall be gracious and postpone its death until after yours.” He released his grip. Virban fell to the ground, his sword clattering beside him, and groaned as he pushed himself up. Bitil beckoned to him. Virban’s eyes narrowed into a glare. What happened next felt strange, Bitil thought, as if time had slowed down around him, yet he also felt it happened all too quickly. Virban’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his weapon. Bitil prepared to teleport to his side, but he wasn’t fast enough. The Rahkshi sprang upwards and swung his sword at Velika’s chest, managing to cut a shallow gash into the rock armor protecting him. A bright flash of light came from one of Velika’s cannons. Bitil watched as Virban’s body was ripped apart by the energy blast, and in that moment it felt like his essence had also been vaporized, leaving him totally numb. Velika just laughed. “Thus my point is proved! What stupidity, its only chance thrown away—and for what? It seems foolishness is written into your every gene, Bitil, for it pervades every one of your abominable offspring.” Bitil began to shake. He was beginning to regain feeling, but all he felt was a terrible anger. “But enough of that diversion. Time to eradicate the rest of you, I think.” Velika waved his hand, and the miniature mountain range he had previously created suddenly burst in a violent explosion. Ramier shielded whoever they could, but several of the Rahkshi just coming to join the fight were blown away by the sudden blast. Velika advanced into the cloud of dust with his cannons armed. Bitil soon came into view, stopping after a few steps and appearing to turn intangible; paying him little mind, Velika shot a blast straight through him and continued walking. Surprisingly, however, Bitil did not react when the blast pierced him. Velika paused mid-step. “Curious…” At that moment, something latched onto his back. He spun, trying to grab it, but his shoulders were too large, preventing him from reaching. An immense source of heat soon made itself known, and Velika saw a large ball of magma taking shape above his head. He extended a spike from where he detected contact, but it apparently didn’t connect with the attacker, who just smashed the molten sphere down on top of him. The intense heat seeped through the shell of rock, and the systems of the drone within began to suffer. “Clever,” Velika said, “but insufficient.” He created new rock between the magma and his mechanical core, slowly pushing out the damaging substance and keeping the drone safe. It began to cool quickly. Far, far too quickly, in fact. Velika was now registering an intense cold swing, and gradually worked out what the source of it was. “I recognize these abilities…ah, so it is you, Bitil.” The Makuta leaned forward far enough that Velika could see him, his Faxon glowing brightly. “You’re a monster. You yourself said he was no threat, said that you were going to let him go. You didn’t have any reason to kill him!” A loud crack was all he heard in reply. The rock surrounding the drone’s arm split open, allowing it to reach up and aim its cannon directly at Bitil. Too stunned to properly evade, Bitil took a bolt in the side and was sent flying away. “Death is a kindness,” Velika said, “to those who did not have reason to be born.” Antroz came flying out of the dust then, coating her sword in plasma as she swung it at the exposed arm. She managed to sever its cannon, but before she could escape, the stone shell reached up, pulling her in as the rock closed and reformed around her, trapping her in a vice-like grip. Velika nodded and a tall pillar of stone appeared in front of him. Rearing back, he smashed Antroz into it with enough force that both the pillar and his construct’s arm were obliterated, leaving the Makuta stunned as she rolled out across the sand. Velika’s arm regenerated instantly. “Indeed, death is all that awaits for those arrogant enough to subvert our design, whether in ways great or small. This pitiful struggle is only delaying the inevitable.” Something pierced him. Whatever it was, it managed to cut straight through the rock all the way to the drone. Not wasting any time reacting, Velika swiped his claw, knocking Krika aside and deactivating his Chameleon powers in the process. The Makuta tried to keep his spikes in his foe, but Velika snapped them with a blast from his remaining cannon. “Rats!” Krika shouted, reeling in what was left of his hand. “Do forgive me if this is a bit out of line, milord, but I find myself growing exceptionally frustrated with entertaining you!” Velika laughed, but said nothing more. He took a step forward and prepared his next attack. Back on the wall, Zaekura snatched up a screwdriver and fastened one last bolt into place, using every finger on her other hand to keep the parts aligned well enough that it would fit. When she could tighten it no more, she released her hold and watched it for a moment: every piece remained where she wanted it to be. “Yes!” she exclaimed. She dropped her tools, grabbed the modified device, and leapt to her feet, rushing over to the edge before Charla could say a single word. “Okay, where is he? I’m ready to let him have it now!” She scanned the battlefield and frowned. As best she could tell, there were only a few drones left, and the Rahkshi were quickly cleaning them up. “Excuse me, Lady Zaekura,” Charla said, “over that way.” Zaekura turned, stopping as soon as she caught glimpse of Velika’s elemental form emerging from the dust. After staring at it for a few seconds, Zaekura rubbed her temple and grumbled, “…Huh…” Charla asked, “Will the device still work despite his new protection?” Zaekura glanced at the device and thought for a moment. “Yeah, it should. The problem is, it has a limited range, so either I need to get over there, or—“ “I’ll tell the Makuta to lead him this way at once, milady,” Charla interrupted. She closed her eyes, and Zaekura stood and waited for her to relay the message. However, almost immediately, Charla opened her eyes, clamped a hand over her mouth, and took a step back. “W-What is it?!” Zaekura asked. “Oh no…” Charla said. “Oh no…” A strange sound came from the Rahkshi, one Zaekura hadn’t heard before. It sounded like a continuous series of soft, very short hisses, interrupted only by Charla taking fast, deep breaths. Zaekura gawked until she finally realized what was going on. Charla was sobbing. “…Charla?” she said, tentatively reaching out. “What is it?” Doing her best to think of a composed voice, Charla said, “Virban…is dead. Velika was going to let him go, but he turned and tried to continue fighting. So, he…Velika…” Zaekura’s eyes widened. She turned back towards Velika: more and more Rahkshi were headed towards him, each launching their own attacks but none seeming to do much damage against his rock armor. Krika and Antroz could be seen holding their distance, trying to find an opening. Bitil, on the other hand, was in constant movement, his body crackling with so much lightning he almost looked made out of it, darting about erratically and ramming into Velika over and over and over. He seemed able to keep Velika off-balance, but that was all he could do. The Rahkshi Kaita Za was closing in as well, forming themselves into a living tornado as they did, but Velika had just enough time to launch a boulder at them, temporarily stunning the fusion. Zaekura swallowed hard. Gently grabbing Charla’s shoulder, she said, “I’m sorry, Charla. I know this is hard, but…we still need to finish this fight. Velika’s still here, and if we don’t get him in range fast…” She bit her lip, unable to finish her sentence. “…I’m sorry…” Charla gave one short nod. Breathing deeply, she said, “You’re right…I apologize, it was just such a shock—“ “Don’t apologize! You don’t have anything to apologize for.” After taking a few moments more to collect herself, Charla closed her eyes again. A few seconds later, Krika and Antroz could be seen pulling back and gesturing to the Rahkshi to do the same—Bitil was even changing his attack pattern, if only slightly, trying to goad Velika into approaching the outpost. “Thank you,” Zaekura said. “I’ll win this in a flash, just wait! Nobody else is going to get hurt!” Charla just stared forward, nervously watching the battle unfold. To both her and Zaekura’s dismay, Velika did not appear to be taking the bait, opting instead to unleash wide ranged attacks on the retreating forces. It didn’t seem anyone was taking serious harm, but Zaekura could feel Charla’s anxiety radiating off of her unconsciously. “…I’m heading out there,” Zaekura said, making towards the nearest staircase. She only got one step before Charla grabbed her arm. “You can’t!” she said. “There’s no way you’ll be able to get close enough the way things are! We…we need to find some other way of luring Velika in.” “Unless we can think of something fast, I’m going to have to give it a try. At this point I’m thinking that I’m really the only thing that can get his attention.” Before Charla could think of an alternative, the sound of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. They both turned to see five Rahkshi of Sonics headed their way, Natan in the lead with his guitar resting on his shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself too much, Lady Zaekura,” he said as he stepped onto the top level. “I think we’ve got quite a stage presence too.” He lowered his guitar as the others joined him, each quickly preparing their own instruments without waiting for any reply. Zaekura couldn’t help but smirk as she said, “Not entirely sure Velika’s a music-lover, guys. Plus, you’re probably going to need some powerful speakers to blast through that rock covering his ears.” Natan turned to a Rahkshi holding a standing microphone, saying, “Speakers, eh? What do you think, Rentzen?” She laughed. “Speakers? Nah, we just gotta hit him with something harder than rock. That’s why we stopped to get Desi.” Zaekura then realized another Rahkshi was coming to join them, this one having purple armor and a fairly humanoid form, with her unusually small spines sitting atop her head rather than along her back. She nodded at Zaekura as she approached the microphone, an excited glint in her eye. “I can’t remember all the color-coding,” Zaekura whispered to Charla, “what kind of Rahkshi is she?” Charla didn’t even try to answer as the band began to play. An explosion of sound washed over the wall and across the battlefield as they beat an intense onslaught of notes from their instruments, while Desi leaned straight into the microphone and unleashed a vicious Power Scream. Zaekura’s first reaction was to stumble back in shock. Once it sank in, however, she grinned broadly. Every head down below was turning as the music reached out over the combatants. The Makuta and Rahkshi quickly resumed their slow retreat, but Velika only stood there looking annoyed at first. However, after pausing to take a breath, Desi began to scream lyrics at him, with Rentzen echoing her words. “THEY TOLD ME THAT A GREAT BEING WAS KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR, BUT YOU’RE A JOKE—YOU’RE NOT AT ALL WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR! YOU SAY YOU CAME HERE CUZ YOU WANNA PUT US IN OUR PLACE? WELL WHY DON’T YOU COME OVER HERE AND SAY IT TO MY FACE?” Velika stared for a moment as Desi paused. Then, he finally began to march forward, apparently taking offense at her unkind words. The others continued to pepper him with shots to keep up the act, and he seemed none the wiser. “He’s coming!” Charla said. “Lady Zaekura, when will he be in range?” Readying the device, Zaekura said, “Er, hard to say exactly, but I’ll work out a guess…” Velika raised his cannon and prepared to fire, but the Kaita Za swept in and tackled him, whirling him around in place before they retreated. Desi smiled and leaned forward again. “COME AND TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT YOU SHODDY HUNK OF ROCK! COME AND PROVE TO ME THAT YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING MORE THAN TALK! I BET THAT EVEN POINT BLANK YOU’LL MISS ME BY A MILE, AND I’LL JUST STAND HERE ROLLING BACK AND LAUGHING ALL THE WHILE!” Velika sent out a storm of stones, forcing his opponents back even further. Bitil hovered above him long enough to spit a glob of acid, and then quickly used his Dodge powers to avoid a claw swipe, backing away to regroup with the others. “THE MORE I HEAR ABOUT YOU AND YOUR PLANS IT MAKES ME SICK! SO NOW I’M HERE TO SUM IT UP AND GIVE IT TO YOU QUICK: WE’RE GONNA STOMP YOU HERE AND THEN IT’S GONNA BE THE TREND, CUZ WE’RE NOT GONNA STOP UNTIL YOUR REGIME MEETS ITS END!” Desi let out a long, wordless scream as Velika broke into a run, the other forces scattering out of necessity more than planning. The Great Being hurled a boulder at the outpost—Ramier appeared at the edge of the wall just in time to intercept it. Zaekura adjusted her grip on the device. Turning to Desi and Rentzen, she extended her free hand, and they gladly pushed the mic into it. As Velika raised his hands to unleash another assault, Zaekura stepped out from behind Ramier, glared straight at the Great Being, and shouted, “Enjoy being outsmarted by some lowly Glatorian, you glorified stalagmite!” She squeezed the device, and it instantly hummed to life. Velika was half-way through swinging his arms when its effects reached his body, and the monster of stone suddenly jolted to a halt. “Take it out!” Two of Krika’s spikes shot through the monster’s skull, crackling with enough electricity to short-circuit the drone within. The rock body collapsed on the sand with a tremendous thud, and after a moment, it crumbled into a loose pile of pebbles, the remaining components of the drone strewn about. As the forces below regrouped to finish off the last few drones, Zaekura tossed the device up and down and admired her work. “Serves you right, idiot,” she said. “Letting go of a jamming device when you’re relying on a remote link? How dumb can you be?” She returned Rentzen’s microphone, and then put a hand to her head. “Though, I guess he’ll be prepared for that next time…I’ll have to keep working on it. Hey, Charla, do we…” Charla was still standing at the edge of the wall, staring silently at the remains of Velika’s vessel. Zaekura paused a moment, and then slowly approached her. “…Sorry,” she said. “If I’d have finished it sooner, then—“ “No,” Charla interrupted, shaking her head. “No, it isn’t your fault, Lady Zaekura. Please don’t think any of us blame you.” Zaekura fidgeted with the device. “Virban always wanted to see battle. I suppose I should be glad he got his wish…” Charla tapped her finger. “…But…it’s a curious feeling. I can’t help but think…he must have known it would happen this way…he should have known that we were working on alternatives, he should have trusted us to win some other way.” “Charla…” Turning to face Zaekura, she went on, “Was…was his death…pointless? Did he just throw his life away on some stupid mistake—or am I terrible for even considering that? What is…how do I…” Charla covered her face with her hands. Hesitantly, Zaekura reached out and touched her shoulder. “…I’m sorry, Charla,” was all she could think to say. With Velika’s remote link severed, it did not take long at all for the remaining drones to be defeated. Once that was dealt with, several Rahkshi immediately set about cleaning up the battlefield, seeing what they could salvage, meanwhile Zaekura, Charla, and the Makuta all converged on the hidden entrance Velika had made use of. Descending the staircase, they found an immense underground cavern that housed six chambers, each glowing with vibrant light of different colors. One was filled with fire, another with ice, a third with plant life—the keys to six Elements were stored here, and at the center of it all was a tall terminal currently streaming data across its screen. “So this is where the Element Lords were made,” Krika said. “You were sitting on a real treasure, Bitil.” The other Makuta didn’t respond, glancing sullenly around the cave. “I think this has the potential to be quite useful to our cause. What do you think, Zaekura?” The Glatorian held her head as she watched the flying information. “Er…I dunno, this is all beyond me. Maybe after taking some time to analyze it…” “We can address that later,” Antroz said. “The battle may be won, but we have no time to waste. We need to decide what we’re going to do next.” Zaekura sighed. “Right.” She turned to face the others. “So. Either we fight a doomed battle against the Great Beings and see how far we can get before meeting a gruesome end, or we spend the rest of our sorry lives on the run and hope they don’t manage to catch us. Discuss.” Before anyone else could say a single word, Bitil stated, “I’m fighting. I don’t care what the rest of you decide: I won’t rest until I make Velika pay for what he did to Virban.” Charla went to Bitil’s side. She seemed about to say something, but no words came. “Well,” Krika said, “in spite of Desi’s moving speech, I still think it’s a better idea to go on the run. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll simply abandon you all if you agree with Bitil.” Zaekura nodded, and then turned to Antroz. The blind Makuta stood perfectly still for a very long time. “My priority is keeping Zaekura safe, and so I will go along with whatever decision we arrive at,” she began. “However…I would rather we fight. The actions of the Great Beings are reprehensible, and they stubbornly refuse to believe that there could be fault in anything that they do. They treat the people of this world as possessions, mere trinkets they can use as they please, without giving thought to their own needs and wants.” She faced Zaekura. “The people deserve to be led by someone who respects them. I want to fight for that.” Zaekura scratched her head. “…Hm. Thing is, I don’t really have much justification for what I want to do. It’s just that today…coming up with the battle plan, working on that device, being able to actually do something for the first time in forever…it felt pretty good. Like I finally didn’t need to hide, and I could actually stretch my legs and…be myself. I want more of that.” She shrugged. “Anyway, yeah. I guess I’m gonna fight.” Krika sighed, and then said, “Seems I’ve been outvoted. Very well, to war it is. We’d best get to work.” Zaekura turned back to the terminal, but Antroz stepped in front of her. “After the events of today, I believe you require rest, Zaekura. We shall get to work on potential plans and then consult you in the morning.” Pausing to think about it, Zaekura suddenly realized just how tired she felt. “Alright. I’ll sleep on a couple possibilities too, hopefully we’ll be able to put together something good. Night.” “With your permission, milady,” Krika said, “I was hoping to get a jump on the game and travel to Civitas Magna. As I said before, if we get the truth of the matter into the conversation before the Great Beings have time to drag your name through too much mud, it could be an indispensable boon.” “Yeah, sure,” Zaekura said, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. “That should give us plenty of time to work on a plan of action.” Krika gave a half-hearted bow and took his leave. Bitil and Charla departed without a word, and Zaekura mumbled an extra farewell to Antroz before she too left the cavern. Antroz chose to remain. This must be the right thing to do, she thought. We cannot continue to follow the Great Beings, that much has been made abundantly clear. And if they will not negotiate peacefully, then we must fight to settle this. This must be the right thing to do…even if it may lead our makers to set even more terrifying plans in motion to counter us. Antroz faced one of the elemental chambers, the one filled to the brim with jagged rocks. …Though, upon reflection…today’s events do give me an idea… ADDENDUM: -Sorry for the long wait on this one, I’ll try not to drop the ball like that again. -Also, since the posting of the last chapter, I’ve started using Twitter for updates on my writing (and what’s distracting me from it)! It’s ExoPahrak if you’re interested. -On to the story now, I only just remembered that Guurahk would actually be the Rahkshi of Creation, not Panrahk. Only half of the Principle/Rahkshi pairings are properly color-coordinated so sometimes I forget. I think the only scene I messed up on this with is when Gorast uses her Creation powers in The Gargoyle Knight—the energy should be blue, not brown—but I think I’m just going to leave the error in this time since it’s probably not a huge deal. -“Viq” is spelled with a “q” so I can say it’s derived from “quiver.” “Chloae” is spelled that way so that it resembles “cloak”, and she can extend her Chameleon powers to anyone holding onto her chain, which is what Virban has been doing throughout this battle. -Since I just introduced the Rahkshi of Sonics band (they haven’t agreed on a name yet), I felt compelled to involve them in this fight, even if they unfortunately don’t all get named here. The names of all five are derived from various people involved in the music of Bionicle: “Natan” from Nathan Furst (composer of the first three movies), “Rentzen” from Christine Lorentzen (Cryoshell), “Tyri” from Tyson Ritter (All-American Rejects), “Briels” from Niels Brinck (Face Me and Gravity Hurts), and “Basaik” from Christian Bastian of AIK (Hero and Caught in a Dream). Very soon after conceptualizing this group, I got the idea of a Power Scream Rahkshi guest starring with them for some more intense songs, and that’s how we ended up with Desi, whose name is derived from “decibel”—she possesses and internal focal point for her power and can speak, though only through screaming. However, any of the Rahkshi of Sonics can use their power to turn down her volume (so to speak) if she wants to converse normally. Also her spines are meant to resemble a mohawk. Mohawks are still cool, right? -Putting Bitil’s outpost between Xia and Nynrah would put it right around where Tajun was in the Prime Reality, and upon realizing that I thought I should make use of the Cavern of the Elements in some way. Velika’s form is mainly based on what the original Rock Lord looked like, but in making it a bit more monstrous, I think the image ended up taking some inspiration from Yu Yu Hakusho’s Toguro. As Zaekura says, the process is too complicated for her to make use of right now, so don’t get worried thinking this will heavily tilt the balance in her favor. -Bitil using a Faxon is turning out to be a bit more troublesome than I was expecting. I’m so glad BS01 has a handy list of Rahi I can peruse, though picking just the right one still takes a while. Still, I’d rather use established Rahi powers, just inventing one for the given situation could feel like cheating. Rahi copied in this Section include the Fader Bull, Catapult Scorpion, Frost Leech, Avohkah, and Air Serpent. -At some point I need to sit down and determine just what species have tear ducts. -Civitas Magna is an immense, densely-populated area comprising much of Spherus Magna’s southern hemisphere. Most of the planet’s citizens live here since it offers a much more agreeable climate than the harshness of Bara Magna, which features only a few cities that almost all serve a very specific purpose in the grand scheme of things. I’m envisioning something like Metru-Nui on a far larger scale, and with the divisions of districts not being tied to Elements. -That’s more or less the opening act of this story, and soon the war will be in full swing. And it only took, what, four months to get here? -Reviews to be submitted here
  19. *muffled "Creeping in my Soul" in the background* Hahli: *long sigh* WELL...time to deal with 2007...
  20. Spider-Axonn: "Spider-Axonn does whatever a spider can!" Zaktan: "SPIDERS DON'T HAVE TURRETS!"
  21. Nearly four years ago I joined Twitter so I could enter a giveaway for the 2015 Toa sets. (I didn’t win.) Now I’m thinking maybe I should actually use that account and see if I can better promote my writing or something. So if you’d like, you can find me @ExoPahrak. I’ll be posting about what I’m writing, when you might be able to expect to read it, and whatever’s distracting me from doing it in a speedy manner. And on that topic, probably don’t expect much in the near near future because Octopath Traveler releases Friday and I don’t see myself escaping that for a while.
  22. Well, there goes any excitement I had for the DBS movie

  23. Whenua: "I like that broken door. That is a nice broken door."
  24. Thanks! Chapter 17 is out, and we've finally hit the climax of this scenario! All that's left next time is to wrap up loose ends and we'll start on the second act of this story!
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