Pahrak Model ZX

I also vote Smoke

10/10, one of the best things I've ever read, KUTGW x20

Well I certainly don't want to see the game end. Since the Turaga plays such a pivotal role in this setup maybe passing the power on to another surviving player would be best?

tfw your mask gets knocked off so hard you astral project all the way back to G1

Valendale

I’ve been rewatching Cowboy Bebop, and man, I forgot a lot of the details about this show. Also I think a lot of it went over Pahrak Va’s head. Not to say none of it goes over my head now, but…point is, I think I’m developing a deeper appreciation for this series. One thing that hit me way harder than I expected was Faye’s tape. I mean, I remembered that that happened, but my recollection was fuzzy, and it kind of stunned me this time around. Maybe because it’s been ten years since I first saw this series, so I couldn’t help but think about how much I may have changed over that decade. Maybe because this time I wondered if young Faye’s cheer of “don’t lose me” is supposed to double as a desperate, futile cry to not be forgotten. Maybe just because I only now realize how well it punctuates just what Faye has lost, and now I’m empathizing way more with a character I haven’t really paid much mind before now. I should rewatch things more.

JAG18

You may remember The Gargoyle Knight, a Fanfic Exchange story I wrote starring the Makuta Antroz of the Melding Universe? Well, I came to really like it and brainstormed way too many ideas to cram into one short story, so I’ve decided to attempt a full epic set in the Melding Universe. Right of Law will see Makuta Antroz face a severe moral dilemma, where she must either repeat her past mistakes or risk the safety of all of Spherus Magna. Section I is merely an introduction to this tale, but by the end I think you’ll see how the stakes can be just so high. I can’t guarantee any sort of schedule for this story, but I do have a lot of passion for it, and I’m going to do my best to harness that and stay committed to it. I also plan to keep some handy information in the first post of the review topic—since there are so many differences between this timeline and the main one, not to mention this is my own personal take on this AU, I want to compile as much relevant data as I can in one convenient place to hopefully make it more approachable for readers. I’ll also be elaborating on certain things at the end of each chapter, to better flesh out minor points without sidetracking the story proper. I know many fans didn’t care for the alternate universes that found their way into the story, but I do hope you’ll give this story a shot. I still think there are things from the later days of the story that have a lot of potential worth exploring, and while this story certainly won’t get into all of them, there are a few key points that I’m very eager to try my hand at. Aren’t you curious?

This is where you can post reviews for my epic Right of Law. I’ll also be using it as a database of sorts, to help keep track of all the key points of this universe to (hopefully) prevent any confusion. I’ll do my best to keep it updated as we go—and if you have any questions or things you think should be added to this database, please let me know! An important thing to note: this story is a follow-up to a short story entitled The Gargoyle Knight, which is essentially a prologue and might be worth reading. I’m trying to explain its events as I refer to them, but I don’t want to derail a whole chapter to repeat things I’ve already written out. This story takes place in the Melding Universe. Rather than creating the Great Spirit Robot, the Great Beings instead created Matoran and Toa to fix Spherus Magna before it had the chance to shatter. Here, Toa are the small ones while Matoran are larger and physically stronger, and we’ve seen counterparts to existing characters such as Toa Macku and Helryx the Ga-Matoran. The Great Beings thus continued to rule over Spherus Magna as they used to long ago. At some point they created the Makuta, who purged themselves of all darkness and have gone on to become loyal and noble servants of the Great Beings’ will. It was visited in the official story when Mazeka and Vultraz ended up in it by accident, and in the end, Vultraz was taken captive by the Great Beings, meanwhile Mazeka was sent back to the prime reality along with the Melding Universe’s Teridax. Beyond this point, we get into my personal take on the universe. Miscellaneous Differences Between Realities -Matoran do not become Toa, and Turaga do not exist. This is because the Great Beings see no need for other leaders, and if they require more Matoran or Toa, they can simply create more. -All Toa Elements from the prime reality exist, with the exceptions of Shadow and Light and the inclusion of Sand. -Most known Kanohi exist in this reality as well, though several of the “immoral” ones likely do not. -Several MU locations have been recreated on Spherus Magna in new forms, such as Xia, Nynrah, Ga-Koro, and Karzahni. -There is no Red Star, though it is theoretically possible that the Great Beings could revive their creations in a similar manner. -The Skrall have been wiped out, and all Element-Lords save for the Sand-Lord are dead. -“Glatorian” is used here as a species name, mainly for sake of convenience. The Makuta: The Makuta possess power over Light, and many are assigned as leaders in important areas. They are far more involved with their respective domains than in the prime reality. Makuta do not produce Kraata, as the Great Beings saw no need for Infected Kanohi, and so spawn Rahkshi directly rather than requiring two Kraata and a pool of energized protodermis. There are 42 different Rahkshi powers a Makuta has access to. Some Makuta have also been able to develop unique abilities, thought to be a result of their Adaptation powers. Rahkshi Powers -Courage -Creation -Purity -Faith -Prosperity -Peace -Weather Control -Elasticity -Heat Vision -Telekinesis -Teleportation -Quick Healing -Laser Vision -Gravity -Electricity -Sonics -Vacuum -Plasma -Magnetism -Fire Resistance -Ice Resistance -Mind Reading -Shapeshifting -Darkness* -Plant Control -Regeneration -Chain Lightning -Cyclone -Density Control -Chameleon -Accuracy -Rahi Control -Insect Control -Stasis Field -Limited Invulnerability -Power Scream -Dodge -Silence -Adaptation -Slow -Understanding -Sleep *While BS01 states that Melding Makuta do not have the power to create darkness, Melding Teridax demonstrates an identical ability upon arriving in the prime reality, therefore I see no need not to keep the power intact. Known Makuta -Teridax: (Kanohi Kraahkan) Formerly Chief Guard of the Valley of the Maze, Teridax has left for the prime reality and may never return to this one. -Gorast: (Mask of Conjuring) A Guard of the Valley of the Maze known for her brutality. -Vamprah: A Guard of the Valley of the Maze. -Chirox: (Mask of Sensory Aptitude) A Makuta serving at the Valley of the Maze as an assistant to the Great Beings’ projects. -Mutran: A Makuta serving at the Valley of the Maze as an assistant to the Great Beings’ projects. -Antroz: (Kanohi Kiril) The Guardian of Xia, Antroz is known for her loyalty to the Great Beings and her obsession with honor and righteousness. Though she has lost her sight, she has adapted to sense where people and objects are via telepathy, and thus the loss impairs her very little. She has also developed the ability to create a physical manifestation of a person’s inner darkness, which she uses as a trial to determine the fate of condemned criminals. -Krika: (Kanohi Mahiki) The Guardian of Nynrah, not especially proactive in his duties and not held in especially high regard by most. Typically fights by rapidly extending sharp spines from his body, a mixture of Elasticity, Magnetism, and Density Control powers. -Bitil: (Kanohi Faxon) Keeper of an outpost between Xia and Nynrah. Extremely self-important and near-universally despised, Bitil has little company and has instead taken to tending an army of Rahkshi, which has led to him discovering many varied ways to alter the spawning process and create unique Rahkshi with greater sapience. Unfortunately, his creations unnerve most who see them. -Kojol: (Kanohi Rode) Guardian of Ga-Koro, a very self-important figure but truly dedicated to the preservation of her city's sanctity. Her relationship with the Great Beings has long been strained, but to the people of Spherus Magna, she is a symbol of safety and spirituality, which has allowed her to keep her position. She has felt it best to take a neutral role in this conflict over Zaekura. -Yarion: (Kanohi Kakama) Guardian of Civitas Magna, a neat freak who deals personally with as many of the region's issues as they can, wanting to be sure that proper order is kept. -Miserix: Guardian of Atero. The Great Beings: The unquestioned and beloved rulers of Spherus Magna. Though appearing as Glatorian, they are gifted with an extraordinary intelligence that has allowed them to craft many wonderful technologies that seem like magic to others. Their numbers include:-Heremus, who has the highest authority -Angonce, considered a man of the people -Velika, vainly passionate about his creations -Seldoa, who loathes the people she is asked to lead

SECTION I The sun had set over the Great Desert, but one corner of it was still bathed in light. Wedged between a large oasis and the border of Iron Canyon, the imposing city of Xia gleamed like a vast array of lightstones, visible from miles away and audible from almost as far. The entire population buzzed—Glatorian, Agori, Matoran, Toa, Vortixx, even a few Vorox and Zesk, all clamored excitedly in the streets, most of them trying to squeeze into the main square to get a good view of the stage that had been built just for this occasion. And then, as a Toa of Fire stepped onto that stage, the noise all suddenly ceased. “Gathered friends,” said the Toa, his voice weathered yet clear. “Listen again to the tale of the Bionicle.” At the rear of the stage there was a flash of light. A large three-dimensional image appeared, a depiction of the planet of Spherus Magna that turned slowly in place. “In the time before time, Spherus Magna was without leaders. All were lost, drowning in strife and confusion, fixated on selfishness and separateness.” The Toa snapped his fingers. A small pillar of flame appeared behind him for a moment, and when it vanished, a Glatorian wearing a purple cloak stood there. “Yet out of this chaos rose those who would bring order: the Great Beings. They took control of the lawless word, taught us the Virtues of Unity, Duty, and Destiny, and led the way to a new age of enlightenment. Under their rule, Spherus Magna prospered, and the land was at peace.” Six more Glatorian walked in from the sides of the stage, each wearing a cloak of a different color. The one in purple raised their hands. “To better organize the masses, the Great Beings selected a warrior from each Tribe to serve as their appointed leaders. Upon these six, the Great Beings bestowed the fantastic power of the Elements.” A ring of light pulsed outward from the projection. The six Glatorian raised their swords, and the light vanished as it brushed against them. “For a time, the Tribes were ruled over by these Element-Lords. But this was not to last.” The image of Spherus Magna took on a silvery hue. “It was discovered that a precious, mysterious resource known as protodermis lay beneath our feet. The Element-Lords wished to control this substance, and entered into competition with one another. Their greed overtook them. Their lust for power drove the entire planet into war.” The six Glatorian plunged their swords into the stage. The one in purple crossed their arms. “Displeased by the Element-Lords’ shameful display, the Great Beings ordered them to relinquish their commands. The arrogant Lords saw fit to challenge the beings who made them…and were struck down.” Four of the Glatorian crumpled, ending up sprawled on the floor. “The brutal Skrall even sided with the Rock-Lord, thinking they could overthrow the Great Beings and seize power. They shared in his punishment.” One of the remaining Glatorian fell like the others. He opened his cloak as he did, letting several replica skulls spill out. The last Glatorian, however, simply knelt. “Only the Sand-Lord had the wisdom to surrender to her betters. She was allowed to live, and would rededicate her life to the serving the Great Beings.” The five “fallen” Glatorian exited the stage. The one in purple drew their arms wide, and at this signal, several Matoran and Toa came to join them. “The Great Beings knew they could not trust just anyone to solve this crisis. And so, they created the perfect servants to accomplish it. Matoran were born to loyally bear the burdens that lay ahead, while Toa were made to enter the depths of the planet and wield its own Elements to repair the damage done to it. It took several years, but in the end, the Great Beings’ plan was successful. The Melding was complete.” The image of Spherus Magna returned to its original shade. The one in purple nodded, and everyone else on the stage (save the Toa of Fire) left them. “With the safety of all assured, the Great Beings wished to turn again to their work. To better guide us, they taught us the Principles of Courage, Purity, Faith, Creation, Prosperity, and Peace. However, they knew that this would not be enough, and had learned that not just any being could be trusted to lead in their stead. They decided that it was time for new leaders to be forged.” Six new Matoran approached the swords left earlier, each wearing a white cloak and a mask of gold. “And so the Great Beings crafted the perfect servants: the noble Makuta, second only to their makers in power and wisdom. With these valiant champions carrying out their will, the Great Beings led the world to peace once more…and this time, peace has remained.” The Toa drew the swords and raised them high. The one in purple nodded, looking satisfied, and then walked off-stage. “For a thousand centuries, we have been at peace, watched over by the Great Beings and the Makuta. All of Spherus Magna has prospered from their guidance, and perhaps none so much as our own great city. Not only is Xia home to the finest smiths, and the hardest workers, but it is also home to the noblest Makuta of all.” The Toa in cloaks backed away, and the image of Spherus Magna vanished. From behind the stage, a new figure stepped onto it. Much of her armor was white, but at least as much was a dull, stony shade of gray. Her hands and feet were clawed, two large, streamlined wings were attached to her shoulders, and while she wore a white and gray Kanohi Kiril, its shape had been altered just enough to give the appearance that its wearer had vicious fangs. Attached to her waist was a sheath decorated by an ‘M’-shaped insignia, holding a blade within. The crowd cheered at her appearance. “With the leadership of Makuta Antroz, Xia has had yet another successful business year! We thank you for all you have done for us, great Makuta, and will continue to work under your guidance for as long as you will have us.” Antroz nodded and smiled. “The pleasure is all mine, Toa Vakama. And the success belongs to all of you! So let us end this ceremony, and let the annual Festival of Bounty begin at last!” The crowd cheered again. Fireworks exploded overhead, and music began to play from somewhere. Antroz said a final farewell to the Toa, and then turned, stepped off the stage, and began to wade through the masses. “Spectacular as always, Makuta!” cheered a Matoran. Antroz smiled at them. “Thank you, my friend.” “Makuta!” shouted an Agori. “Good, I wanted to see you directly! Thank you so much for all your hard work!” “You are very welcome. It is an honor to serve such fine people.” “Join us, Makuta!” a Glatorian said. “Why not take part in this glorious festival?” Antroz shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t. But please, enjoy yourselves, all of you. You’ve earned this.” Eventually she reached the edge of the square, and the crowd gradually began to thin. She continued to converse with the citizens as she wove through the street she found herself on, slowly but surely making her way towards the tall tower at its end, and eventually passed a fruit stall on the side of the road attended by a Vorox and a Zesk. “Oh, Makuta,” said the Vorox, quickly pulling out of his slouch. “At ease,” Antroz said. “Not many customers?” The Vorox chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, uh, not really. I guess most people want something tastier than a madu to celebrate the occasion.” “I suppose. Be sure to enjoy the festival yourself before it is over.” The Zesk turned to the Vorox, looking a bit excited. The Vorox’s eyes focused on the ground. “That’s very generous of you. But, we’re still a fair bit behind our quota for the week. Maybe next year.” Antroz hummed. Her hand began to glow faintly with black energy, and she flexed it lightly. “There is still time for you to prosper.” The Vorox’s eyes widened. Antroz stepped away, and an Agori came in behind her. “Hey, how much for one madu?” As the Vorox made his sale, Antroz continued on until a familiar Toa of Ice bounded up to her. “Makuta Antroz!” Ehrye greeted. “I guess I missed the opening ceremony, huh?” “Oh? Where were you?” “I was double checking that all the cauldrons at my factory were properly cooled. You know, just to be on the safe side.” “You are very dedicated to your work, Ehrye. Toa like you are the reason why we are able to celebrate like this.” Ehrye puffed out his chest and grinned. “Haha, thank you, Makuta! I hope the Great Beings find my work as satisfactory. It’s like you always say: there’s no greater reward than making the Great Beings proud, and I think I made a good impression on Lord Angonce when he visited last! I’m going to keep working until they all see how dedicated I am!” Antroz smiled a bit. “…A noble goal, Toa.” “Well, if you’ll excuse me, Makuta—I’ve got a festival to catch up on! Catch you later!” Ehrye took off the way Antroz had just come, quickly gravitating towards the now-surrounded fruit stand. Antroz stood there for a moment before resuming her walk. “Wouldn’t you like to join the celebration as well, Emsar?” she asked. A Vortixx slid out from the crowd, falling into step directly behind Antroz. “Won’t you ever let me have fun? Honestly, I never dreamed sneaking up on someone without sight would be so difficult.” “Perhaps your efforts would be put to better use on something other than sneaking.” Emsar shrugged with one shoulder. “First you say I work too much, now you’re saying I should be working, which is it dear Makuta?” Antroz sighed. “Come now, be a good sport. I just want to cheer you up. You’ve seemed a bit out of sorts lately, not really carrying yourself with the same sureness you usually do. If something’s troubling you, why don’t you tell me?” Antroz stopped at the foot of the tower, seeming to ponder this for a moment. Turning around, she asked, “Is there something you were coming to report?” Emsar rolled her eyes. “Yes, actually. As a Vortixx I’m still offended we aren’t included in the grand tale of the Bionicle.” “And I must again reply that listing off all of the Great Beings’ creations would have the opening ceremony last for at least a full day. But you aren’t actually angry about that.” Emsar let out a small gasp. “Makuta, did you just read my mind? I can’t believe you’d violate my privacy so! I demand you shut off that telepathy this second.” “You know very well that all I can sense is where you stand, Emsar. The reason I know you aren’t irate is because I know you very well.” “Oh, yes. Pity that.” “You’d rather I walk around bumping into walls?” “Well, only for a few minutes. Then it’d get old.” “I’m touched,” Antroz said. She undid the door. “Will that be all?” Emsar shook her head. “No, I’m afraid there is something serious I should be mentioning. Lord Angonce is here.” Antroz paused for a moment. “Perhaps you should have led with that?” “Oh, lighten up. You do have power over Light, it shouldn’t be this difficult for you.” “Where is he? Why did he come here—why didn’t he inform me?” “He said he’d be in the weapons district. That’s all I’ve got for you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I will go enjoy myself after all.” She vanished into the crowd before Antroz could say anything else. Grunting, Antroz closed the tower door and reached out with her mind, broadening the range of her telepathy to cover all of Xia. To her dismay, she was still unable to sense the presence of Angonce. Then I can assume he will be in disguise. I suppose I should’ve expected as much. Antroz walked down the street, smiling for the sake of her many citizens as she passed them. Truthfully, she felt slightly anxious about this meeting: it was very unusual for a Great Being to show up unannounced, and there was a good chance Angonce had come with another Makuta as a bodyguard. Many of her brothers and sisters did not approve of the Festival, and she had long since grown tired of explaining her reasoning to them. More than that, though, she could not help but think of the last time Angonce had visited, of the criminal who had insulted the Great Beings, of Angonce vetoing her usual trial in favor of a brutal beating and execution…of how she had known it was cruel and wrong, yet done nothing to stop it. Then again, she had already been spending a great deal of time thinking about that. Antroz shook her head as she set foot in the weapons district. She focused her mind on the area directly around her, getting an idea of how many people there were and which way they were moving. After she had greeted a dozen or so citizens, a Matoran sitting on a nearby bench waved to her. “Are you enjoying the festival?” she asked as she approached. “Oh, most definitely!” the Matoran said, nodding excitedly. “I just love the sheer frivolity of the whole thing—and they’re enjoying themselves so much! Look at that one! Well, not ‘look’, but…” Antroz sat down. “Is something amiss, Lord Angonce?” The false Matoran sighed. “…Yeah, I guess you could say that. I really am sorry for interrupting, I wanted to wait until the festival was over but this is pretty urgent.” “No apology is needed, my lord.” Angonce looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a moment. “So what we need is for you to go to Nynrah.” Antroz tilted her head. “…I see. May I ask why?” Angonce looked around, and then leaned in closer. “The Makuta there has taken someone awfully dangerous into custody, and we want you to go get them, since, well…” As he hesitated, Antroz finished, “The Great Beings lack confidence in Krika.” “You said it, not me,” Angonce muttered. “Thing is, we need to be very careful bringing this person to the Valley of the Maze. And hey, the way you handled that last prisoner was great, so I thought of you immediately as the most qualified applicant.” An uneasy feeling began to overtake Antroz. “If I may, my lord, I believe it was more you and Gorast who handled that prisoner.” With a shrug, Angonce said, “Well, you held him until we arrived. That’s basically all we’re asking you to do here.” “I see. May I ask what makes this individual so dangerous?” Angonce shook his head. “Sorry, Antroz. We’ve gotta be real tight-lipped on this one.” Antroz shifted. “…Forgive me, my lord, but I feel it is important for me to know. Not only do I need to be prepared to deal with this person, I would feel uncomfortable delivering them to punishment when I do not know their crime.” Angonce stared forward for a moment. He turned slightly to look at Antroz, not saying anything, his mouth slightly open. A long moment passed before he said, “That’s…really all I’m allowed to tell you, Antroz. Sorry, but it’s just gonna have to be enough.” Antroz faced forward. “Believe me: this is absolutely necessary, and you need to be ready for anything. This person…” He stopped, looked around, and then quietly resumed, “This person could tear down Spherus Magna: all the cities we’ve built, all the people we’ve created, this whole society we’ve nurtured…it’s all at risk. If you don’t do this, then all of this…” He paused to gesture to their surroundings. “…could easily go up in smoke.” The Makuta turned. “There exists an enemy that could do that? That could challenge even the Great Beings?” Angonce looked up and grimaced. “Not quite yet. Technically speaking. But that’s exactly why we need to get them to the Maze ASAP, before they have the chance to become a real threat.” After giving it a bit more thought, Antroz said, “I shall leave at once. I should be able to reach Nynrah before sundown tomorrow.” Angonce grinned and nodded. “Good. Be careful, okay? I’ll be waiting for you at the Maze.” Antroz stood, bowed, and headed off. After a minute of walking, she said, “Emsar.” The Vortixx sighed loudly. “Really? Again? You just can’t let me have the satisfaction, can you?” “I trust you weren’t eavesdropping?” “Give me some credit, Makuta. I kept my distance. But if you’re offering, I am dying to know.” “Unfortunately, there is little I can share. I must depart at once, and it may be some time until I return—you will be responsible for Xia in my absence.” Emsar raised her eyebrows. “I see. Well I suppose I can manage for a while by my lonesome—it’s not as if anything special is scheduled in the immediate future.” “Have you forgotten about the conference with the Sand-Lord?” “Oh, that’s not that special. I suppose I can handle that.” Antroz stopped at the edge of the city. “I have the utmost confidence in you, Emsar. Please take good care of our city.” “Aw, how can I refuse now?” Emsar said, her teeth showing through her smirk. “Good luck on your mysterious journey, Makuta. We’ll be eagerly awaiting your return.” The Vortixx disappeared once more, leaving Antroz alone with her thoughts. She still wasn’t entirely satisfied—the sheer lack of information she had been given was far too unsettling to her. It was not long ago that the Great Beings had seen fit to torture someone for a petty crime. How could she know for sure that this was different? But as she thought about it, her mind wandered outward, reaching into the city and brushing past several of its citizens as they celebrated. Their joy flooded out from them, filling the crowded streets and reaching back to try to pull her into its flow. Despite her misgivings, Antroz could only smile. This peace is something I must do my best to preserve. I still believe I can trust Lord Angonce…so I will do what I must. Antroz spent the night gliding silently over the Great Desert, doing her best to keep her mind empty. She kept close to the southern border of the wastes, noticing only the occasional creature below—though she did take care to slow down as she passed an outpost around dawn, sending a telepathic message to the Makuta who ran it so he wouldn’t shoot her out of the sky. She felt the warmth of the sun as it rose behind her, letting it seep into her armor. Her ability to feel had dulled when she evolved beyond her physical body, but there were still some sensations to be felt, and she was sure to appreciate each one. The sun was high when she reached the shore of the Great Sea. She landed a few miles away from Nynrah, her wings kicking up a small cloud of sand, and prepared to walk the rest of the way. It wasn’t long after she landed that a Toa of Plasma ran out to meet her. “Greetings, Makuta Antroz!” the Toa shouted. “What brings you all the way to our humble settlement?” “Greetings, Toa,” Antroz replied, nodding once. “I am afraid I come on urgent business from the Great Beings. May I return to Nynrah with you, so that I may speak with Makuta Krika?” The Toa jumped. “Urgent business?! My word, that sounds dreadful! Yes, of course—follow me!” Nynrah didn’t cover as much area as Xia, and its buildings were a fraction of the size. It had no factories, its inhabitants lived in huts, and the people all seemed to move at their own individual paces without any cohesive structure to the community. As Antroz and her escort came through the gates, a few citizens looked up, most of them smiling, but many were too engrossed in their own projects to notice. There were so many sounds: clinking, scraping, sloshing, clanging, none of them loud enough on their own to be a nuisance, but all of them together formed a wretched cacophony that made Antroz glad she hadn’t taken Vamprah’s suggestion of mastering echolocation. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Toa said. “That’s a symphony of creation! Oh, making another attempt, Onewa?” A nearby Toa of Stone waved dismissively in their direction, grumbling as he squinted at the statue before him. He slowly raised his chisel as they walked past. “It is…certainly a unique sound,” Antroz offered. The Toa of Plasma chuckled. “You don’t think much of Nynrah, do you Makuta?” Antroz took a moment to construct her reply. “It is quite different from Xia, and given that both cities share similar purposes, it is a bit jarring to see things run in such a way.” “We aren’t that similar, really. True, the Great Beings sought to foster twin cities of builders, but Xians are more focused on…the matter of fact. You make weapons, and armor, and all sorts of things that are made a specific way for a practical purpose.” He leaned over a railing. Down next to the ocean was a Toa of Water standing before a canvas, furiously assaulting it with two brushes. Antroz couldn’t help but notice that the sea itself was calm. “In Nynrah, we use emotion to create. Our works might not have any particular purpose, but for us, creating without needing a purpose is the noblest pursuit of all.” Turning back to Antroz, he asked, “Who’s to say which approach is correct?” Antroz said nothing for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she said, “Those are the words of a lazy Guardian.” The Toa laughed. His body began to change suddenly, reshaping into a tall, lean figure clad in sleek black and gold armor, a Kanohi Mahiki sitting on his face. “You are meant to enforce order, Krika. Not let them simply float about in pursuit of their own selfish goals.” “Thank you for the words of wisdom, great Makuta,” Krika said, giving an exaggerated bow. “But as long as the Great Beings are not beating down my door, I’d say I haven’t exactly failed in my duties. Wouldn’t you agree?” Antroz turned and resumed walking. “I have been sent to transport your prisoner.” Krika sighed, and then teleported ahead of Antroz. “Always business. This is exactly what I’m talking about. Isn’t your Festival of Bounty going on right now? That was one idea you had that I always liked.” “This matter is too urgent, it would seem.” Krika frowned. “Hm. Indeed. Indulge me, Antroz: what did the Great Beings tell you about this prisoner?” “We should not discuss this out in the open.” “You just saw how focused they are. No one will hear a word we say.” Giving an unsatisfied grunt, Antroz called upon her Sonic powers. She created a wall of random sound on either side of her and Krika, cutting them off from the din that permeated Nynrah and, more importantly, keeping their words firmly within these invisible boundaries. “Lord Angonce said this was a person who could destroy everything the Great Beings had created,” Antroz said. “I am to escort them to the Maze before they are given that chance.” Krika nodded thoughtfully. After a few more steps, he stopped, turned, and looked Antroz in the eye. “I hear Gorast murdered the last criminal you got your hands on.” Antroz stopped abruptly. Lowering her eyebrows, she replied, “I did what Lord Angonce asked of me, nothing more, nothing less.” “Yes, I know. And you would never even think to question the Great Beings, no matter the order they gave you.” “We were created to serve them, Krika. We are required to be absolutely loyal.” Krika shook his head and kept walking. Before Antroz could say anything more, he called back, “I wonder if you recall one of our earlier assignments. A number of the Great Beings’ experiments got loose, and we were tasked with hunting them down—do you remember?” “Of course I do!” Antroz said, rushing to catch up. “We had to scour all of Aqua Magna to find them all. Not an exhaustion one forgets, especially considering we were still flesh back then.” The streets soon gave way to sand. A cliff face could be seen up ahead, but Krika stopped and looked out at the ocean. “We had to kill each and every one,” he mused. “Dozens of creatures, all one of a kind, all gone forever. All because the Great Beings told us to.” “Those creatures posed a danger to the citizens.” “That’s what they said.” “One of them had a thousand teeth, and Gorast’s temper to boot.” Krika shrugged. “Okay, fair enough, they were dangerous. But being a Makuta of such upstanding moral character, do you really think killing them was the right thing to do?” “Our first duty is to the citizens of Spherus Magna. We had to keep them safe. What alternative was there?” With a flick of his wrist, Krika exerted his own Sonic power, shattering Antroz’s walls. It was now that Antroz realized they were not completely alone: not far away, a lone Toa of Earth sat on a rock watching the tide go out. They looked over their shoulder at them. Krika smirked for a moment, and then kept walking. “Oh, who knows?” The Toa of Earth faced the sea again. Growing frustrated, Antroz walked until she overtook Krika, and continued leading them to the cliff face. “Enough. If you don’t take me to the prisoner, then I’ll be forced to search your compound myself.” Krika rolled his eyes, but didn’t stop walking. “There’s no need for that. I’ll take you to her.” “Thank you.” At the foot of the cliff was a large metal door, beyond which was the entryway to a small network of tunnels running through the rock, its interior coated in metal and lit by lightstones. Krika led Antroz through a tunnel that sloped upward sharply. As they went, Antroz noticed several doors hanging wide open. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?” Krika asked eventually. “About what?” “You know what.” “…I do find it hard to believe that anyone could pose a true threat to the Great Beings.” Krika nodded. “Right? And how we Makuta could have the means to detain and transport someone supposedly on par with our creators? You’re smart, Antroz—you must see that it doesn’t add up.” “It doesn’t seem that you have been able to detain her,” Antroz said, pointing to the doors. “Ah, yes. She has proved quite troublesome. I’ve been using the most advanced electronic locks you Xians have produced, but every time I leave her alone I come back to find her hacking her way through them like it’s nothing.” Antroz turned. “What? That shouldn’t be possible.” Krika glanced over his shoulder. “…More importantly, if she’s capable of escaping electronic locks, perhaps you should instead use physical locks.” “I tried. As best I can tell, what she did was pull off a wall tile, rip out some of the piping, and pound the metal into crude lockpicking tools. Just a guess, of course—I didn’t realize she was out until she was trying to sneak out one of the maintenance tunnels.” Antroz’s footsteps slowed. “She sounds quite resourceful.” “That’s an understatement.” “You left her with guards, I assume?” Krika rubbed his neck. “I was going to, but—“ He was cut off by the sound of another door sliding open just ahead. Someone stumbled out into the hallway: a Glatorian, a relatively young-looking one, with armor that was a shade of teal rare amongst the Jungle Tribe. The Glatorian immediately spotted the two Makuta, and her body froze. A long moment passed before Krika sighed in exasperation. “Zaekura,” he said, “I thought I already demonstrated good faith. If you keep breaking out the situation is only going to get more difficult.” The Glatorian eyed Antroz. Resting a hand on her sword’s pommel, the Makuta asked, “Krika, I take it she is the one? I must admit, I hardly expected a mere Glatorian.” Glaring at her, Zaekura muttered, “Yeah, well you’re not much to look at either, fangs.” Krika stepped between the two of them. “Why don’t I just introduce you, and we can all sit down and discuss matters? Zaekura, this is Makuta Antroz, Guardian of Xia.” Antroz nodded. Zaekura grimaced. “Antroz, this is Zaekura, a citizen of Nynrah. Her crime is that she possesses a talent not seen fully in hundreds of thousands of years. This girl is a Great Being.” ADDENDUM: -This story takes place in the Melding Alternate Universe first seen in the Brothers in Arms serial, albeit with a few creative liberties taken. Also important to note, this continues off from my story The Gargoyle Knight, which is essentially the prologue. Reading that will give you a much better understanding of where Antroz stands right now. -Kicking off with the legend of the Bionicle seemed like a good way to pile on the backstory without it sticking out like a sore thumb. Granted, it isn’t done with rocks, but I think the theatrical telling better fits an industrialized place like Xia. It’s also more fun to write this way. -The one representing the Great Beings wears purple because the Great Beings have purple armor. I wanted to give them one unifying color that stood out from the existing Glatorian tribes, and since purple is associated with royalty it was my first choice. Also I like purple. Don’t we all? -Eliminating the Element-Lords and the Skrall was done mainly to cut down on the potential number of factions present on Spherus Magna, as well as to show just how strongly the Great Beings react when challenged. I have some plans for the Vorox, though. Also, while not explicitly mentioned, the Iron and Earth Tribes are more or less in the same state as they were in the prime reality (or possibly even worse off)—the Dreaming Plague happened pre-Core War, and the Earth Tribe was ostracized for the hand they had in its start, so that all happened before the divergence occurred. -I should try not to go on too long about Antroz, but I should probably clarify a few things. I wanted the Makuta to be more active leaders of their domains, and this presented a problem if I kept Antroz in Xia: a place known for being run by women isn’t really run by women if the appointed governor is male. Making this Antroz female seemed the easiest fix. She is similar to her prime counterpart in appearance because she wants to show that she has “defeated her demons”, and took their appearance to serve as a warning to anyone who might challenge her. She also lost her sight, though this was back when the Makuta purged themselves of darkness; she opted not to have her sight restored because she thought that if her eyes were cast out alongside her darkness, it meant she didn’t need them, and instead has adapted to telepathically sense were other people and objects are. Her sword has a sheathe to show she values restraint, because she is a beacon of righteousness, justice, and honor to the people of Spherus Magna. This is going on too long, basically Antroz was designed to seem really pretentious! -BS01 says the Great Beings used the Thornax as a base for madu. I didn’t know that. But then it makes sense that in this world they would introduce madu as a more edible, equally-resilient alternative for their subjects to cultivate. The energy Antroz uses at the fruit stall is one of her Makuta powers: it’s been established that the Melding Makuta use powers tied to the Principles from MNOGII rather than the original Rahkshi powers that counter them, so in place of Hunger she has Prosperity. Some of these Principles are really vague when you think about how to use them as powers, so here I’m presenting Prosperity as a general luck buff—the target becomes much more likely to succeed in their endeavors, at least until the effect wears off. Think of it like a less physical variation on the Calix. -Now, in the prime reality, Krika was not the Makuta of Nynrah—he was in charge of the northern part of the North Continent, which…sounds beyond vague in my opinion, so I freed him up to be put anywhere in this world. Krika was an obvious choice to include in this story, and I thought it would make sense for Nynrah and Xia to be rivals of sorts, so the two just ended up together. It was actually Tridax who watched Nynrah in the main universe, but don’t you worry, Melding Tridax is otherwise occupied. And with Teridax gone, there’s no one for him to get his name confused with! -A few of the Kanohi the Makuta will be wearing are going to be redundant with some of their powers, unfortunately—it would just be too difficult to pick really good Kanohi without having any overlap. Let’s say that using the Kanohi doesn’t actually drain the Makuta’s energy, while their equivalent Rahkshi powers do. -I think those are all my notes for now. Time to get to work on Section II! -Reviews to be submitted here

Maybe it's because I just watched a show where a single fight took four whole episodes, but ending with a simple "They fight" is utterly freaking hilarious.

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

Spot 7 Don't Stop Me Now

I took the 9 as saying it was meant to be the ninth Mega Man series, if you count Xover. Granted no one really does that, but at the time of the Kickstarter it seemed to make sense. This makes me wonder: what are your thoughts on the snippets from Mega Man 11 we've got so far?

Pohatu, I always knew you were the best

The love story of red 4x4 brick and green 5x5 baseplate stole my heart. I was so upset when they were pulled apart. RIP Love. (Also @Nokama: #NoticeVhisola2k18)

Wow am I late. I'm sorry this one took so long, I don't even have a great excuse. The Alohaha scenario finally kicks off, setting the scene and showing off Taurus Noise as a bonus. I would try to give an idea of when the next chapter will be, but after this I'm quite hesitant, ahah...

Chapter 10 Sonia surveyed the beach from the Wave Road with a smile on her face, letting the warmth of the sun seep into her. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before!” she said. “Next tour I definitely need an Alohaha concert—this place is too gorgeous to skip!” “I suppose it’s nice enough,” Lyra said. “What, is that all?” “This human fascination with beaches still eludes me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a species so fascinated by a bed of sand and a large pool of salt water.” “I’m sure you’ll come around eventually.” “You really think? Now that the novelty of oceans has worn off I’m inclined to think my ways are quite set.” Sonia giggled, and then turned to look up the Road. She could see Claud eagerly running in her direction, and a short ways behind him, Kidd came at a more leisurely pace. The alterations to their Wave Changes were barely noticeable: the hair-like protrusions on Claud’s helmet stuck out less and had blue tips, and the blue areas on his pincers were a good deal more narrow, meanwhile the belt and trim of Kidd’s uniform were now the same shade of green as the swirl designs on its legs and sleeves, which now extended to intersect with the trim, and the bell he once carried at his waist was gone. “Sonia!” Claud shouted, skidding to a halt. “It’s so great to see you!” “Great to see you too!” When Kidd arrived, he paused to bow slightly. “Hello, Miss Sonia, Miss Lyra. Apologies if we’re a bit late, we encountered a few viruses that proved rather tenacious.” Sonia returned the bow. “No, I haven’t been here long. Nice to see you again!” Cancer materialized in front of Claud, asking, “Hey, so, you’re not here because anything b-bad is going on are you?” Appearing next to him, Goat said, “Cancer, do not be rude.” “It’s a fair question! If she’s asking to meet with Strong out of the blue like this, what am I supposed to think?” “Even if something is about to happen, we must face it with courage when it comes. Be patient, and steel yourself.” Cancer scoffed. “Easy for you to say…” Sonia’s gaze drifted. “Well…it’s nothing too extreme. Mr. Boreal just thought it’d be worth asking Strong to keep an eye out for us.” “Huh?” Claud said, jumping. “Sonia, if something’s going down you shoulda called us! We’d be happy to swoop in and bust some chops!” Taking a few steps back, Cancer said, “Now now, Claud, no need to be overeager.” “We haven’t exactly had notice,” Lyra answered. “Rest assured that should the time come to marshal our forces, you’re all at the top of the list.” Claud and Kidd nodded and turned to each other, while Sonia hummed quietly. “Then let us not waste any more time,” Kidd said. “Please follow us, and we will show you to where Lord Strong resides.” Smiling quickly, Sonia said, “Ah, thank you!” It was a short walk to where the beach gave way to a paved plaza, and rising up from behind the dozens of small shopping stands was a long building made of ancient gray stone, with a gabled roof made of rounded, bright red shingles. As they came closer Sonia noticed several lion-like statues in front of the building and on its roof, but she only examined them for a moment before noticing her friends had stopped. “We shall go greet Lord Strong in the material world,” Kidd said. “Please join us on the castle’s Wave Road, and I am sure he will be willing to speak with you.” Sonia nodded and they temporarily parted ways. While Kidd and Claud went to find a point where they could get down from the Wave Road, Sonia continued through the arched doorway of the castle to find a hall with a high ceiling that housed several small displays, though her eyes were drawn to the massive computer console that took up most of the far wall. In front of it floated a Wizard who looked as if he were made of the same stone as the castle, with his body, shoulder armor, and head all having a distinct rectangular shape to them. He sported a few blue lines and green squares on his armor, and wore a red belt with gold designs along its length. A red staff with a gold tip that held three floating rings was in his hand, and as he watched over the hall, his expression never changed from the neutral, not quite stern one he had when she entered. Kidd and Claud soon entered the hall below Sonia, and quickly made their way to where the Wizard floated. After bowing, Kidd said, “Good day, Lord Strong. Pardon the intrusion, but may we ask for a moment of your time?” Strong’s expression remained the same as he faced the children. When he spoke, his voice was deep and clear, with a very even tone that gave his words a soothing quality. “Good day to you all. I trust you are doing well?” “Never better!” Claud said. “Hey, a friend of ours is in town, and she wanted to talk to you if you had the chance.” “Oh? A friend, you say? I would be delighted to meet her. Of course, I do have to execute a manual maintenance cycle in roughly an hour…where is your friend now?” “She should be here now, on the Wave Road,” Kidd said. Strong looked up, spotting Sonia. She waved and took a slow step forward. “Ah, that sort of friend,” Strong said. “I should have suspected. In that case, I believe we should meet in the environmental system’s Cyber Core. This way.” Kidd and Claud thanked Strong, and then they both raced back out of the castle to find a place to discreetly Wave Change. Strong disappeared inside the environmental system, and when she reached the end of the Wave Road, Sonia followed him to find a wide expanse of Road, empty save for more lion statues that lined the edges. “Pleasure to meet you,” Strong said. “My name is Strong, and I am the Administrator of the Alohaha Environmental System.” Sonia bowed. “The pleasure is all mine. Thank you very much for letting me speak with you.” Strong turned his head for a moment—a screen appeared next to him, and after he scrolled through a few lines of data, he turned back, and the screen vanished. “Forgive me, I may receive updates on the system from time to time. Now, if I had to guess, are you perhaps another Wave Change user like those boys?” “Yes, that’s right. My name is Sonia.” Lyra appeared next to her. “And I’m Lyra, from Planet FM.” Strong nodded once. “I see. And would I be correct in guessing that you are the famous Harp Note I’ve been hearing about?” “Yeah, that’s us,” Sonia said. “Remarkable. It is an honor to meet with someone who has been able to defend the Earth from such extravagant dangers as you have. What is it that brings you to my humble island?” Before Sonia could respond, Claud and Kidd entered the Cyber Core. “Let us hear too!” Claud said, bounding her way. “I’m dying to know what’s going on!” “Sure,” Sonia said. Turning back to Strong, she said, “I’m actually here representing WAZA. They were hoping you could assist them in monitoring the activity of a criminal organization that’s been causing some trouble recently.” “Oh dear,” Strong said. “That’s worrisome news, but I will help in whatever way I can.” Sonia nodded, and took a moment to prepare. “Have you ever heard of Dealer?” Strong stroked his chin. “Hmm…not that I can recall.” “Have there been any incidents of Wizards going out of control, like they were losing their minds?” “There have been crime reports involving Wizards, but I would not say any were behaving in that fashion.” “I see…and would you be aware if there were abnormally high levels of Noise anywhere on Alohaha?” Strong checked a screen. “Yes, the environmental system would detect such a thing. The levels have been somewhat high, but still within the levels projected as a result of the Hunter and such devices—there have not been any unusual spikes.” Sonia breathed deep. “Okay. So it sounds like they haven’t been here. That’s good.” “Wait, hang on,” Claud said. “What’s this about Noise and Wizards going out of control and stuff?” “This group, Dealer, has been using these special cards to infuse Wizards with Noise, overwriting their programming and making them run wild. When they do, they create a lot more Noise, and then Dealer harvests it and retreats. We’ve been able to stop them, but…if we hadn’t, plenty of people would’ve gotten hurt. They don’t seem to care much about the results of their actions so long as they can make Noise.” “Understood,” Kidd said. “So we should be on the lookout for any Wizards acting suspiciously, and any sudden rise in Noise.” Strong took a moment to look at another screen, and then returned his attention to Sonia. “Thank you for the warning, Harp Note. I shall pay special attention to the Noise levels going forward, and should I notice anything unusual I will contact WAZA at once.” “Don’t you worry, Sonia!” Claud said. “If those creeps show their face around here, we’ll shut ‘em down faster than they can blink!” Strong chuckled softly. “We are in good hands. These boys told me of their Wave Change abilities several months ago, and offered to assist me in maintaining order on the island. Their help has been indispensable.” “We are privileged to assist you, Lord Strong,” Kidd said, bowing again. “It is an honor to work alongside the guardian deity of Alohaha.” “Yeah, and it’s been a ton of fun!” Claud said. “So that’s what you’ve been up to?” Sonia asked. “Well, I feel better already! Just be careful, alright?” “Of course,” Claud said, “we’re always careful.” “You could afford to be a bit more careful,” Cancer mumbled. “Thank you again, Strong,” Sonia said. “Hopefully nothing will happen, but I’ll be around to help for the next few days.” “Your help is much appreciated,” Strong said. “Though, I too hope we will have no need for it.” “One last thing,” Sonia said, calling up a screen of her own. “WAZA wants to provide you all with Noise Filters, to keep you safe in case Dealer does make a move, or if the Noise levels become a problem on their own.” “Be sure to hibernate while it installs,” Lyra said as Sonia distributed the programs. “Once it’s in place, you’ll be perfectly safe from the effects of Noise.” Strong nodded. “I see. Thank you very much—we have been attempting to combat Noise using the environmental system, but our results thus far have not been encouraging. If I may ask, will this tool be made readily available at any point?” “Definitely,” Sonia said. “Once WAZA feels they’ve got all the bugs worked out they’re planning to put Filters in a Hunter update.” “I am glad to hear it. It sounds like Noise shall soon be of no concern for the people of Alohaha.” Sonia smiled. “We’ll do what we can to speed that up.” They exchanged goodbyes, and then Sonia, Kidd, and Claud left the Cyber Core and followed the Wave Road until they were outside the temple. Claud snapped his pincers and said, “Man, I can’t wait to get a shot at these Dealer creeps! It’s been way too long since I got a real fight!” Kidd chuckled. “Do you mean a fight you can win?” “Hey!” Claud said, pointing. “Our matches don’t count ‘cuz we’re friends! I’m talking about a serious, tough battle, with real stakes!” “Well we don’t know if they’ll target Alohaha for sure,” Sonia said. “Then I’ll just tag along with you, Sonia! Trouble always seems to follow you, after all!” Sonia made herself laugh, but couldn’t manage much. She turned, looked at the ocean, and let her expression droop for a few seconds. “Sonia?” Lyra asked. She turned abruptly. “Hm?” “I think that Wave Liner coming down the tracks is the one we’re waiting for.” Spotting the transport, she said, “Oh, thanks Lyra.” “Those are your friends?” Kidd asked. Sonia nodded. “Yeah, should be.” The Liner slowed to a halt, waited a moment, and then opened its doors, releasing a flood of passengers mostly made up of the Echo Ridge students. Shepar acted quickly to keep them from scattering, and once the class was all rounded up he led them to a less busy section of the plaza. “Alright,” the teacher called, “I know you’re excited but just hang on for a second! Let’s see, is everyone here? No one’s still on the Liner?” He did a quick roll call—all the students were accounted for. “Okay. Ms. Tia, why don’t you remind everyone what our schedule is?” Tia turned towards him, actually looking a little surprised. “Me?” “Sure! You’re going to need some lecture experience at some point!” Tia looked at the students for a few seconds, her face blank as ever once again. She closed her eyes, called up a screen from her terminal, and scanned over it quickly. “Shortly…” she began, too quiet for many of the students to hear. She stopped and cleared her throat, and then started over in a more audible voice. “Shortly, we will visit the hotel and ensure that everyone knows where their rooms are, but beyond that the majority of today is free for you to do as you please. You are encouraged to be on your best behavior, and remember to be safe—try not to wander too far by yourself. All students are expected to report back to the hotel by 7 PM this evening; the school has provided for a barbecue event to be held at that time. As for tomorrow…” She gestured to the castle. “We will be taking a tour of Alohaha Castle to learn about the history of this region, as well as the famous environmental system that maintains the climate and prevents natural disasters. Following that, we will return to Echo Ridge in the afternoon.” Tia looked at her screen again, then to Shepar. He nodded. “You heard her!” Shepar said to the class. “If there’s anything you want to do while we’re here, make sure you do it today! Now let’s find our hotel! Everybody, this way!” The class began to move. Sonia watched, picking her friends out of the crowd: Luna appeared to be lecturing them, with Bud and Zack nodding along. Geo and Pat were off to the side having their own conversation, and Jack was fiddling with his Hunter, though he did stop every now and then to respond to Luna or glance at the stalls they were passing. I haven’t talked to Luna much since I told her I was coming here. She shook her head. Well, this is the perfect time to change that! She turned in the direction the class was headed, but then stopped. …But then, I guess I need to wait until they get away from the rest of the class. Before long they were out of sight. Claud asked, “Are they coming back?” “I’m sure they’ll get in touch once they’re checked in,” Sonia said. “So Strong says you’ve been helping around here? What exactly have you been doing?” “Fighting viruses mostly,” Kidd said. “Though on rare occasions we will have a run-in with human or Wizard criminals.” “Yeah, like those Mal Wizards that are going around!” Claud said. “I still don’t get why people would even use that model. Even if the Wizard is going to do something illegal, why make them look so suspicious?” “They are predictable through and through,” Goat said. “You are right that there is no one challenging out here. I am not happy to hear trouble is brewing, but I cannot deny I hope to get a good fight out of it.” Sonia hummed. “You’ll probably get one. The first time I saw a Noise Card it was used on a normal utility Wizard, but it made him a lot tougher than I expected.” “Really?” Kidd said, his eyes gleaming. “Then I may get to push my limits a bit more after all!” “In that case, the actual Dealers must be super tough!” Claud said. “Have you fought any of them yet?” “No,” Sonia said, “I still haven’t met any. Seems they’re the type to control things from behind the scenes.” “Aw, that’s lame. A battle like this doesn’t really start until the top brass get out and fight!” “I’d definitely like to settle things as soon as possible. But there’s no telling when they’ll attack next, so for now all we can do is wait.” A loud grunt from below caught her attention. Turning, Sonia saw a Wizard down at one of the stands who was doubled over in pain, stumbling out into the street as he moaned. It wasn’t long before more Wizards started acting the same. “Perhaps they’re more punctual than we give them credit for,” Lyra said. Sure enough, Noise began to erupt from the Wizards, startling the crowd as they began to mutate. Sonia held her arm in front of herself and said, “Claud, Kidd, we need to do something! I’ll be there in just a second!” Claud bounced to the edge of the Wave Road, snapping his pincers in glee. “Awesome! First day on lookout and I’m already getting to kick these goons around with Sonia! You coming, Kidd?” Kidd simply chuckled and leapt onto the street below, entering the visible spectrum as he did. Claud soon followed, leaving Sonia to execute her transformation. “Hey!” Claud shouted, pointing at the nearest Wizard. “You lot better not be planning to make any trouble! Surely you know that you’ll never get away with it as long as Cancer Bubble is around!” Ignoring him, the Wizard turned and brandished their new sword, smashing it into the stand they had just been operating. The rest of the bunch did the same, some of them swinging in the direction of the humans nearby, causing the surprise in the area to swell into a full panic. Kidd dashed out in the blink of an eye, knocking a Wizard flat. “Seems it’ll be a bit more difficult to get their attention.” Claud spotted a Wizard about to attack a human, hurling a pincer through the air; it clamped onto the target’s arm, pinning it to the stall right behind them. While they tried to pull free, Claud charged, opening his other pincer and shooting a jet of water at his foe. He was almost on top of them when a stream of bullets from another Wizard hit him. Kidd leapt at this Wizard, kicking them in the head, but had to react quickly to block the swing of yet another Wizard. Claud was recovering slowly, and had only just realized that his initial target was free. The Wizard loomed over him, but before they could swing, something came down from above and smacked them into the pavement. Looking up, Claud saw that it was Sonia, her new form complete. She had rather simple-looking armor over her torso, and her hands were encased in gauntlets that thickened around her wrists. Her shoulders sported large, flat, hexagonal plates; her scarf was pulled up over the bottom half of her face, and the nodes on her helmet had grown into horns. The guitar, currently pressed against the corrupt Wizard’s back, had a more metallic sheen and a number of circular openings down the length of its neck, while the now-red body constantly spouted two tongues of flame near where the neck joined, and the head was in the shape of a bull’s head. “We need a way to lure them away from the plaza,” Sonia said as she surveyed the area. “There are too many people here to keep track of!” Getting to his feet, Claud said, “Got it! Kidd, you hear that?” Between punches, Kidd replied, “I did! I believe I can manage that, but I will require a moment!” Sonia and Claud went to his aid, the latter shooting many of the Wizards nearby to encase them in bubbles. As Sonia flung them away with a sound pulse, Kidd took a few quick steps backward and put his hands together. Around him, several duplicates of the fighter flickered into existence, jumping in different directions almost as soon as they appeared, and then another set appeared in their place. After producing over a dozen doppelgangers Kidd stopped to catch his breath, and then he turned, found a target, and jabbed. Similarly, his clones each sought out a different Wizard to attack, managing to snag the attention of all who weren’t already focused on Sonia and Claud. Once that was done, they all withdrew just slowly enough to keep their foes’ attention. “Great job!” Sonia said. “Lead the way!” The mob converged on Kidd’s location just as his doppelgangers began to vanish. Sonia battered the rows of enemies with musical notes, and Claud jumped from one to the next bashing them with his pincers. A pair of Wizards went straight for Kidd, but he flipped back into the air to avoid their strikes, retaliating with a bolt of energy that stunned them both. Claud and Sonia regrouped with Kidd as he headed onto a now deserted road—the horde followed them, shouting and shooting wildly. Once they were far enough away from the plaza, Claud jumped forward and raised his hand, and his pincer suddenly grew until it was three times his size. He scattered the Wizards with a single swing. Kidd rushed some of the survivors, meanwhile Sonia paused to enhance her transformation: her armor turned red, and her scarf became gray with black circles that resembled the openings on her guitar’s neck. Aiming the head, she played a note, and an orb of fire shot into the pile of Wizards trying to pick themselves up, exploding on impact. The Wizards that managed to avoid getting hit raised their guns. Sonia ran to avoid their shots, letting Claud trap them in bubbles so that Kidd could more easily kick them into each other. One stray Wizard moved forward and raised its sword, but Sonia just ran faster and tackled it to the ground. Before she could follow-up, however, the Wizard coughed up a ball of energy, paralyzing her. She was unable to do anything as the Wizard knocked her back and unloaded a series of bullets into her. Once the effects wore off she slammed her guitar into the ground, causing a line of fire spouts to shoot up in front of her and send her foe reeling. Another Wizard was coming in fast, and she prepared as best she could, but before either got a chance to attack, the Wizard was sent flying by a blast of energy. Sonia turned to see Geo standing there, buster aimed. Smiling, she said, “Thanks for the help.” “We heard Wizards were going berserk, and we figured you could use an extra pair of hands,” Geo said, keeping an eye on the Wizards as he ran closer. “It’s just me, though—we thought it’d be too conspicuous for us all to try to sneak away.” Sonia turned and shot a fireball at an incoming Wizard. “Makes sense. We’re pretty covered here, though. It’s just that these guys came out of nowhere; I’m not sure when they could’ve gotten corrupted.” A massive axe appeared in Geo’s hands, and he teleported a few feet forward to swing it at a group of enemies. “Guess Mr. Boreal was right that Dealer would take this opportunity. We’re going to need to be careful while we’re here.” “Don’t worry too much—between all of us I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She checked Claud and Kidd: both were still steadily whittling down their opponents’ endurance, looking like they were having the time of their life. When Claud prepared to hurl a pincer, however, he froze up suddenly, and he lost his footing. About the same time, Kidd put a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. Sonia scrambled to aim her guitar at the Wizards closing in on them. “Shoot, that’s right, they haven’t had a chance to install the Filters!” Sonia said. She blasted away a few of the attackers, but the explosion didn’t catch all of them. “We’ve got to hurry!” Geo activated a Whistle Battle Card, emitting a shrill sound that stunned the Wizards and caused them to be dragged through the air away from Claud and Kidd and towards Geo. Sonia began to smack them with her guitar, but she couldn’t get them all, and Geo wasn’t able to load another card fast enough to take proper advantage of the situation. “Rain of Fists!” called a deep, clear voice. In an instant, a storm of projectiles rained down on the mob of corrupted Wizards, pummeling them all into the ground. Sonia looked up: just past where Claud and Kidd stood, making his way onto the road, was Strong. Sonia sighed. “That’s impressive. Thank you, Strong!” “I became concerned by the ruckus I was hearing,” the Wizard said, stopping next to Claud. “I would’ve been here sooner, but I needed to ensure the environmental system was properly secured. Tell me, what exactly is going on?” One by one, the Wizards were starting to revert to normal. Sonia gestured to them and said, “This is what I was telling you about: these Wizards were corrupted by Dealer. They’ll be fine now. Oh, but we should try to pick up their Noise Cards, and…” She looked around. “Is there any Crimson?” Strong helped Claud and Kidd to their feet. “I see. This is every bit as horrific as you described it. Is everyone unharmed?” “I’m not really sure,” Claud said. “I felt totally numb for a minute there…” “I felt the same,” Kidd said. “Miss Sonia, is this some technique these Wizards employ?” “It’s the effects of Noise,” Sonia answered, stooping to pick up a few cards. “That’s the reason why we gave you Filters: once you install those, you won’t have to worry about that again.” Kidd nodded. “I see. What an awful feeling…” “Hm,” Strong said. “To think it would take effect so quickly...I must be sure to install this Filter as soon as possible. But for now, I think it best to return these Wizards to their homes. I hope you do not mind if I leave the disposal of these Noise items to you, Harp Note?” “Oh, not at all! That’s what we’re here for,” Sonia said. Turning to Geo, she added, “We can handle this, if you need to get back.” Geo looked over his shoulder for a second. “Well, it can’t do much harm to take another minute to help you with this. Prez would probably scold me for leaving you so quickly anyway.” Sonia smiled a little, and then returned to what she was doing. Claud and Kidd were helping Strong revive the other Wizards and lead them back to the plaza, so she didn’t say anything to interrupt them. “Hey, Sonia,” Geo said. She turned. “Hm?” “I know you’re going to be on lookout, but you should come to the beach for the barbecue later. It’ll be a lot of fun!” “Heh. I don’t know—I definitely want to spend time with you all, but I can’t exactly join in the party with everyone else around.” “I think you’ll really enjoy it. Trust me.” He handed Sonia the cards he had picked up. She let out a breath as she counted up how many they had collected, and mumbled, “Maybe.” She looked around to make sure they hadn’t missed any Noise Cards, and to verify that Crimson didn’t seem to be turning up. I’m glad this wasn’t a huge problem…but then again, I doubt Dealer would make the trip if this was all they had planned. (Review)

Onua: "Hang on, I dropped a contact lense."

I’ve been spending my time watching miscellaneous YouTube videos instead of actually doing work (Red Joker? What’s that?), and after seeing someone talk about how they’d construct a Pokémon gym I ended up thinking about it myself and sort of like what I came up with, plus this blog needs some kind of content, so what the heck. What I ended up going with was a Steel type gym. The leader would be studying legends tied to the Pokémon Aegislash, which is associated with kings and is said to be the result of a spirit inhabiting a sword. The gym would be divided by three gates, each with a different shield on the lock, three different bladed weapons on a rack against the wall, and two trainers to fight. Beat the trainers and they each tell you a different piece of a story about an ancient king, talking about feats they accomplished to clue you in on exactly what type of sword they were known for using. (Examining the different weapons on the rack tells you the type of weapon and what it’s specialized for.) So they could talk about a king who won a battle by breaking the enemy’s shield, and you know to pick up a heavier weapon, or hear about a lot of duels and pick up a sword meant for that. Then you place the sword in the shield, revealing them to be parts of an Aegislash variation if you’re correct, and the door opens to let you through! The leader’s team then consists of Bastiodon (since it’s got a shield for a face), Alolan Sandslash (it’s got a lot of sharp edges, plus it’s a Pokémon with a special variation like these Aegislash), and Aegislash (duh). Didn’t think of any details for a badge or TM, though I guess Swords Dance would be fitting? I just really like the idea of regional variants and thought it’d be neat to apply something similar to Aegislash, since it’s one of my favorite Pokémon. This setup also provides incentive to fight the trainers but allows you to bypass doing so if you already know what to do or figure it out more quickly, though I guess there should be a penalty for making a failed attempt? Maybe that forces you to fight one of the trainers? I was also thinking maybe this could be part of a whole league where each gym focuses on the lore/variations of a specific Pokémon, but maybe that’s a bit much…

Sounds like a fun idea, interested to see where it goes. Love how The Makuta seems to speak in theatrical soliloquies. KUTGW!