"This is Our Story" Part 2
Posted: 2003-05-09 12:22pm
The return of the silly fic! When one cannot muster the creativity to write anything else, one simply bites the bullet. 
So, here it is..... The continued adventures of Marina aka Duchess of Zeon, Kate aka RocketGirl, Mike Wong, Mark aka Iceberg, Rob Dalton, Patrick aka Eagle One, Sakura, Misty aka Lt_Ryguy, John aka Deathbringer, Chris aka Goomba, Drake aka IDMR, and Isilron aka Isil'Zha on Spira!
And yes, it's a short short story, because there's nothing else I can do with the storyline right now as we're on a tight schedule. As for the plot.... YOU WILL ALL TREMBLE BEFORE THE MIGHT OF APOCALYPSE!
A bitterly cold wind was sweeping down through Macalania Forest, coming from the lake higher into the mountains. Standing in the lead, Isilron looked back at the assembled party of offworlders. "Come, it won't be much longer."
"Don't we have any winter clothing to wear?", Misty asked.
He continued onward, not looking at the jerkin-clad girl to the rear. "There is none."
"Well, we're not exactly dressed for winter travel," she complained.
Sighing, Isilron stopped and turned. He looked to John, standing in the middle, and then to a nearby tree. Without any sign of effort he tore a large tree limb off and tossed it to John, who dropped it as he tried to catch it. "Here. Use it as a torch."
John blinked at Isilron and then looked down at the limb. He knelt and lifted it with his left hand. He pointed his right finger toward it and a tongue of flame sparked from the tip of his fingernail. The stick caught fire. "This isn't going to take long to completely burn out, you know," John remarked as Isilron immediately continued on.
"The trees of Macalania are very sturdy. The fire will burn long enough for us to get to shelter."
Isilron said nothing more, and left the assembled to their thoughts. He did find sympathy for them, cast here. Undoubtedly, little time had passed since they had been torn from their world. It was likely too much for them to take in. And so they had to assimilate their surroundings bit by bit.
Much like he had been forced to do.
Standing near the end of the party formation, just ahead of Misty and Dalton, Mike and Kate were locked in step together. Kate, on the right, looked around the forest while rubbing her bare arms with her hands from the cold. "I don't think I'm used to this yet," she said in the familar "Drew Barrymore" voice she was known for.
"You're not the only one. This entire situation still seems too unreal."
"So..." A mischievous grin appeared on Kate's face. "Considering you're a Sith and I'm a Jedi, doesn't that mean we're supposed to fight?"
"At a later date, if you want." The reply was too serious for Kate's taste, and she wisely backed off on speaking with her irate comrade.
"I'm stuck on a quest with the likes of RocketGirl and Mike Wong," Misty murmured. "Why don't I just slice my own throat now and save myself a lot of pain and wasted effort?"
"Be my guest."
"Oh Mike, you wound me."
Mike rolled his eyes. "I am in no mood to joke around."
"I would agree," Drake said. "I don't think this is necessarily the right time for joking. We're strangers in a strange land, here."
"Doesn't help that I still can't help but feel I'm in a dream." Kate rubbed the back of her head. "Do those things have to hurt so? I hope we don't run into any more of them."
"Fiends prowl all the roads of Spira," Mark informed her. "So don't count on your wish coming true."
"I wonder, what approximate time it is in relation to Yuna's pilgrimage?" Chris looked up toward Isilron at the front. "Well?"
Without stopping, their guide replied, "I saw them go by as I waited for you. They should right now be at Macalania Temple."
"Which means they'll be fighting Seymour soon. Are we going to run into the Wendigo?"
"Possibly, but it's not the Wendigo I'm worried about." Isilron suddenly stopped. "We may run into Yevon priests or acolytes. Do any of you know the prayer?"
"Prayer?", Kate asked.
"I know it," Chris said. "Mark?"
"I do too."
"Then make sure your teammates know it." Isilron resumed walking. "To not know the prayer, or not to use it at the appropriate times, would be to cast suspicion on us. I do not desire to add Yevon to our list of enemies, considering how things are destined to go."
Mike crossed his arms and maintained the same frown he had worn since they had been ripped from their world. "What is this Yevon, and why should I care about their prayer?"
Isilron quickly explained everything about Yevon. About the forbidding of machina, the control over the majority of the world, and how they secretly violated their own teachings. This drew a harumph from Mike. "And so what if we make them enemies? As far as I'm concerned, their close-mindedness makes them my enemy already."
"Ah, how I missed that attitude," Isilron said with a slight chuckle. "I knew you would react in this way. But remember, we're here to preserve the natural order of the world. We cannot do anything to interfere with Yevon's fall. And trust me, they will fall."
"And none the sooner," Dalton remarked.
"If you had lived here as long as I have, you would understand that the fall of Yevon is not a good thing. It might be wrong, but it gives the people direction, it helps them live through the pain and suffering of their lives, the loss given to them by Sin and the fiends." Isilron adjusted the shades covering his eyes. "We're almost there. We should keep moving."
Silence came again and they began walking along again. This time Patrick broke the silence among the group, looking over at Chris. "You know much about this world?"
"Only what I remember from the game."
"So, how close are we to civilization?"
"Aside from one of Rin's Traveling Agencies, we'd have to go backwards to get to Bevelle."
"Bevelle?", Marina asked from farther back.
"The largest city on Spira. The home base for the Yevon clergy."
There was a nod, and without warning she stopped. "Did anyone hear that?"
The party stopped around her. "I don't hear anything," John said.
"No, wait." Isilron raised a hand. "I hear it too. It's up ahead." He pulled his sword up. "Sounds like a few fiends."
"More fiends?"
"Yes, more fiends. Not Chimeras, either."
A gurgling sound now became clear to everyone. They readied their weapons in time to see a group of slurping creatures of some kind approaching. "Flan." Isilron lifted the Gorgon Gaze over his shoulder. "John, this is your department. Use fire magic on them."
"Fire... magic. Okay."
John lifted his staff and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a red glow appeared in them that increased in intensity. He pointed his open left hand to the flans. Flames enveloped one without warning, and it made a strange kind of death screech before disintegrating.
Chris lifted a gloved hand, his long scythe in the other, and dark power eminated from his eyes. A massive burst of dark energies erupted and enveloped a pair of the creatures, which reacted with pain but did not die. An arrow from Marina speared one between the eyes, but did not kill it. Drake found that his sword did not work either. "They're gel creatures, you can't kill them very easily with physical attacks." Isilron put his eyes to John. "Again!"
A burst of ice appeared below Misty, and swiftly enveloped her. When it broke, she fell to her knees for a moment, shivering. Isilron did not have to command Sakura to heal her while a burst of flame from John's hand enveloped the last two Flan and destroyed them. "God damn that hurt," said Misty as she stood to her feet. A bright haze surrounded her and the appearance of frostbite on her visible skin disappeared. "Are we going to run into more of them?"
"Probably." Isilron stepped between the puddles of what was left of the Flan.
"Where is he, Q?!"
The demand echoed through the fabric of the cosmos and into the continuum of existance inhabited by the beings called the Q. And one particular being out of these responded with a resonating, and panicstricken, "I don't know!"
"You said your creation was being held in the Continuum, now I see that isn't the case. Why?!"
"He didn't want to show up?"
There was a grunt of frustration. "Q, I'm beginning to get the feeling that you and him arranged for my friends' quest with more in mind than just undoing your creation's damage."
"I can assure you I haven't. As for him, he's out of control."
"Find him then. I have other matters to attend to."
"Finally! Somewhere to rest!"
Misty's exhuberance allowed her to beat Sakura's planned outburst by about half a second when the sight of a building appeared over the hill.
"Rin always had a knack for leaving his Traveling Agencies in the most opportune places," Isilron said, walking on. "We will stop for a short while, if you desire it."
"Do we ever!"
There was a single person outside of the Agency, a young man tending to a large yellow-feathered bird. "And that is?", Kate asked.
"It's a chocobo, RG," Chris said. "Think of it like a horse. Just with feathers."
"And it stinks."
Responding to Marina's comment, Sakura sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."
"That's because Marina's senses have been enhanced by the enchanted weapon she carries," Isilron remarked as they came over the hill and closed on the door. "You do not merely gain the basic skills of your class, you also have improved physical capabilities, such as Marina's senses."
"And you?"
The older man smirked. "I get what I've managed to learn while on Spira. Lucky me."
The party came within ten feet of the door to the building when the chocobo began chattering loudly, as if it were afraid. "Uh oh...." Kate pulled her saber out and ignited it. "Feel that?"
"I do." Mike's saber ignited in his hand as well.
"Wha?!" The young man beside the chocobo looked toward their weapons. "What's going on?"
"I would recommend you get that thing inside. Now." Mike waved him off. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt."
He nodded in reply and began pulling the bird through the door. As he did so Isilron stepped toward glacier. "Just who are you, anyway?"
He turned back and faced Misty. "Huh?"
She stepped up toward him, checking the claw weapons attached to her hands to make sure they were firmly attached. "You said you were brought here like we were, fifteen years ago. And you seem to know us. Who are you?"
"That is unimportance, since I'm no longer what I once was anyway." Isilron pulled his weapon out. "I think company is...."
From beyond the glacier top opposite the travel agency, a large figure appeared. Encased in blue armor and possessing of a grayish skin texture, the massive being stomped down toward the lake. A prominent "A" was on his belt, with evil red eyes containing black pupils. "I think," Isilron remarked, "we've found our prey."
Mark pulled his weapon and stepped up. "Apocalypse."
The powerful mutant leapt up into the air and crashed down on the glacier lake, partially shattering the ice. He paid no heed to the party, stomping down the mountain path. "He's heading to the Macalania Temple." Isilron looked back to the others. "We can't let him get there. The damage he could do to the natural order is immense."
"Okay, so just how do you imagine we take down one of the most powerful mutants ever, hmmm?" Misty clicked her tongue. "I mean... get serious. We don't have the benefit of mutant powers either."
"No, we're just Level 99 Final Fantasy characters," Chris reminded her. "Well, someone's got to do it." Chris lifted his arms. Dark energies swirled about him and he began hovering in mid-air. With a loud and unnaturally booming voice, he called out, "Hey, Gray Bitch, over here!"
As he did so, a single energized arrow from Marina's bow pierced the back of Apocalypse's neck. He howled angrily and turned, pulling the arrow out and crushing it in his grasp. "What?! Who dares?!"
Chris looked back at Marina, who was already stringing another arrow. "You talk too much," she noted before letting another arrow fly. This one hit Apocalypse in the chest and plinked off his armor.
"Foolish insects! You dare to strike Apocalypse!" His right arm morphed into a gun. A bright bolt of yellow energy reached out of it and prompted the entire party to scatter as the beam went by. As he leapt, two glowing throwing stars materialized in Mark's hand. He tossed them out in a single swipe of his right arm. They struck Apocalypse in the forehead, exploding, and knocked him backward a step.
"Hey, try this on for size!" John picked himself up to his feet and raised his hands and staff, which began glowing. "Bolt 2, motha fugga!" A great lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck Apocalypse directly. It seemed to do little damage, as the lightning effect clearly wore off and left everyone with the explicit impression that it had done little more than piss off the mutant. Apocalypse leveled his weapon at John, who only had time to go "Oh shit" before a yellow bolt emerged and struck him, sending him about two meters into the ice behind him before he stopped, unconscious. Sakura looked over at him and groaned, "Oh great, one down already," going to his aid while the others began the fight.
Ahead of the others, Kate and Mike raced toward Apocalypse with sabers ready. His other arm morphed into a shield, which deflected their swipes while the right arm aimed low and fired, melting through the lake and forcing them to jump back. As they did so, his shield morphed into a large hammerheaded piston that struck them and knocked them both backward. Dalton and Misty came next, Misty jumping up on Apocalypse's left arm while Dalton ran over the hole created by Apocalypse's previous blast. His gun arm morphed into wide and flat surface, which he used to sweep them to the side. "You will all tremble before the might of Apocalypse!"
Patrick was now airborne and falling rapidly on Apocalypse. Patrick's spear drove into the back of Apocalypse's neck while he was using a newly-formed shield to block Marina's arrows, plunging deep into flesh and drawing blood. Apocalypse roared and grabbed Patrick by his neck, tossing him away and causing him to collide with the recovered Mike. "Hey, fearless leader," Chris looked over at Isilron while charging dark energies in his hands, "maybe you want to get a little involved?" He sent a blast Apocalypse's way, which the lumbering giant surprisingly dodged. Kate zoomed by at the fastest speed she could manage and was able to make a small gash in Apocalypse's armor. He batted her away, and while using a shield to deflect a blow from Dalton, pulled the spear out of his back with his right hand. He threw it at the approaching Isilron before a hit could be landed with the deadly Gorgon Gaze blade. It went straight through him, making him growl as he was flung backward by the force. An arrow impacted the side of Apocalypse's head, hurting him further. Patrick leap-frogged over him and went to Isilron, who was on the ice. He reached his hand out and the spear, obediently, pulled out of Isilron and into his grasp.
Misty slammed into Patrick with great force, having been thrown from Apocalypse as she had tried to clamber up his back to attack his wounded neck. They went flying over the wounded Isilron as he began to stand. He in turn was hit by Chris, who was thrown back after attempting to get a cut in with his scythe. Apocalypse morphed his right arm into a cannon again long enough to take a shot at Marina. The beam hit her before she could react, throwing her backward and into the wall of ice and rock behind her, taking the air out of her lungs from the force of the impact.
"You cannot compare to my power!" Apocalypse began growing before Drake, who with Dalton and Mark was in front of the now-massive mutant. Their swords and axe cut into his armor, but not fast enough that they could avoid being thrown aside. Dalton bounced off Kate, knocking her down, and recovered quickly. He pulled his axe up and moved forward with all the speed his bulk permitted.
As he did so, a bright burst of energy surrounded him. From behind, Sakura's arms were raised, her red hair flowing in the icy wind as energy eminated from her hands and staff and pulled Dalton into the air. In mid-air he dodged a punch from Apocalypse and landed a hammer swipe directly onto Apocalypse's forehead. Having finally landed a critical blow, Dalton bellowed "ROB SMASH!" as Sakura's levitation magic disappeared and he came down to his feet.
"You think you're so tough." Mike stepped forward, his saber turned off and back on his belt. "Let's see you compare with this!" His hands glowed with dark energies and bursts of Force lightning issued forth, enveloping Apocalypse. "We may be 'mere' humans, but our powers are more than enough to hurt you, monster!"
Apocalypse roared angrily and began forming a gun on his right arm, resisting the Force lightning. "Pitiful little...."
Dalton and Misty moved behind Apocalypse. Misty jumped up on his shoulders and leapt upward, getting onto the back of Apocalypse's neck. The claws attached to her hands raked deep into his already-wounded flesh and cut more out. Apocalypse howled from the further wounding before grabbing Misty and tossing her away. She slammed into Mike and the two of them flew backward, interrupting the torrent of Force lightning that Mike had been channeling into him.
From behind, Dalton and Drake took on a leg each. Their weapons cut into armor and finally reached some of the flesh underneath. As Apocalypse swiped at them, Chris created an explosion of dark energy beneath him that fractured some of the ice and caused Apocalypse to fall over.
"John! Now!" Isilron had gotten back to his feet and was pointing at Apocalypse for John, who was now on his feet again after being healed by Sakura. "The ice sheet! Melt it!"
There was a nod in reply. "Hey, biggie, let's see how you like some hot foot." Red energy eminated from John's eyes and, around Apocalypse, great flames appeared within the ice. The massive mutant got up to move away. An arrow from Marina's bow caught him in the forehead and stunned him long enough for Mark to fling explosive throwing stars to knock him backward. More Force lightning came from Mike to keep Apocalypse restrained as the ice began to give way, while a steady rain of arrows from Marina kept him from using one hand, as he needed it for a shield. Finally he formed a gun with the other and fired at Mike. The blast deflected off of a shield being generated by Sakura's magic. She stood beside him as Mike channeled more lightning into keeping Apocalypse where he was.
The ice gave away. Apocalypse screeched, "Noooo!" as he fell through. Dozens of meters of air met him, until finally he hit the ice at the bottom. He struggled to his feet and realized that he was not alone.
The thing before him was massive, the size of a small city, but very much alive. Many insectoid eyes turned to face him, with a tower-like structure on the things' head. It's mouth opened in a loud screech. "What....." Apocalypse stepped backward. "What is this monstrosity?"
From above, Isilron saw it through the hole and immediately shouted, "Onto solid ground! Now!"
"Why? What's wrong?", Kate asked.
"Holy shit!" Chris had been looking down as well. "It's Sin! Let's get the Hell out of here!"
Mark needed to hear no more, he simply took off, and the others followed as it seemed the reasonable thing to do. Underneath, Apocalypse formed a shield, as if it could protect him, and shouted, "No! Get back! Leave me!"
Sin screeched again. Energy gathered at it's mouth, and all Apocalypse could do was run, in vain, as Sin emitted a simply massive pulse of energy. It enveloped him, and a moment later, he was gone.
The party had re-entered Macalania Woods before they finally stopped running. "God, and I was looking forward.... to a rest....", Misty groaned.
"That thing down there. I could feel it's presence. It was simply huge." Kate looked to Isilron. "So what is it?"
"They call it Sin. It's supposed to represent all of the evils of Mankind, to be Mankind's punishment. The truth... is not quite what the Yevon clergy claim."
"Isil'Zha, why did you try to hide it?"
Isilron looked to John. "What did you call me?"
"That's who you are. I mean, it does fit with the whole sick theme of us SBers fighting for your bog-standard insane omnipotent. Besides, you did say you were a Fiver?"
There was a harumph from the older man, who looked down at where Patrick's spear had impaled him, now healed by Sakura's curative magic. "You're right. I once went by that. I adopted the name Isilron when I got here. Figured it would sound good, let me fit in."
"Ah. And did it?"
A frown crossed his face, and he looked away. "More than I bargained for."
There was a short silence. It was broken by Sakura, who said, "Looks like we finished our first target. Can we go back to the agency now and rest?"
"Sorry, but we cannot afford to now," Isilron said. "By this point the Guado have undoubtedly come to investigate further the battle, and to try and locate Yuna and the others."
"So where to next, oh fearless leader?", Kate muttered.
Isilron ignored her sarcasm. Before he could answer, another voice responded, "Bevelle."
All heads turned to see a familiar robed and hooded individual standing along the road back to the frozen lake. "One down," Stephen remarked. "And six to go."
"Yeah, but Apocalypse is probably going to be the easiest," Mark said. "Sure you shouldn't give us more help? I'm sure your powers would really help us out."
"I'm afraid that my presence with you would be more of a hindrance than you realize," Stephen replied. "I cannot stay long. I merely came... to give you a little direction. Saruman will be in Bevelle by the time you arrive."
"And how long will it take for us to get there?" Chris looked over to Isilron.
"A few days, depending on how often we stop to rest," Isilron answered. "By the time we get there, Yuna and her people should already be on their way to the Calm Lands."
"Which means the place will be a wreck."
"Of course. And that's probably why Saruman would go." Mark crossed his arms. "He's a bit more sly than the others. He'd probably try to get power through Maester Mika, after the old bastard is isolated from the others."
"You had better get going then. I will check up on you later." Stephen disappeared without a moment's loss.
Misty sighed and said, "I think he's starting to like this 'super cosmic sage' thing a bit too much."
Isilron stepped to the point again. "You should learn to respect your elders, Misty. You heard the man. Let's go."
There was a groan common among some of the members of the party, but they followed, as it seemed to be the only way to get home.
The distant sound of the Fayth of Macalania singing the soothing Song of Prayer registered in Stephen's corporeal ears, even as the supranatural energies of the Fayth resonated within him. Through dimensional ether he could feel the Aeon called Shiva, a being of Ice. Summoners had to interface with the Fayth, a grueling and exhausting experience, to be able to bring these powerful beings into corporeal existance from their current prison, halfway between life and death. The Aeons were worshipped by the people of Spira, yet Stephen was among the few who knew the tragic truth; they were not Yevon's followers and beings of light, they were his slaves.
Sin was gone, it's restful enjoyment of the Song of Prayer disturbed by Apocalypse. Which was good. Even now he could feel the monster's presence on this world. He masked himself from being seen, but it was not always possible, for Sin had been on Spira for so long that it could detect the most minute of alteration in the planet's energy fields. Stephen reached out into the fourth dimension, into the flow of time. He found Apocalypse, dead, or at least, a split second before Sin's blast would have reduced him to component atoms. With a yank he brought Apocalypse forward through time, encasing him in a strong energy field. The maniacal mutant looked at him. "What, who, are you?"
"Me? I'm the person tasked with cleaning up the mess you and the others leave, or will leave." Stephen brought a hand. "Time for you to go home, En Sabah Nur."
"Home? But this... this world is ripe for my rule."
"You would think so, but I think Sin, and others, would object to any attempts by you to take power. Particularly since it would permanently damage reality as we know it." A small smile crept on Stephen's face. "Give my regards to Xavier and his X-Men, Apocalypse."
"Do not send me...." Apocalypse's plea vanished with him. All was quiet again, save for the Song of Prayer.
Ah, but Sin knew he was here now. It felt the shift in space-time resulting from Apocalypse's return to his own home world. It was time to depart.
Stephen returned to their base of operations, a replica world of Hollow Bastion they had pulled from darkness. Q was waiting for him. "Any luck," the former asked, "in finding our wayward acquaitance?"
"None yet," Q replied. "But we're working on it."
"You'd better be. Because, I have the bad feeling that he's planning something else."
Space and time folded around the Gamemaster. The ether of the megaverse dissipated, revealing a 21st century abode. And a particular individual at a computer, steadily working at a website.
"Greetings."
The male turned around in his chair. "What?" He looked at the Gamemaster. "Who the hell are you?! How did you get in my house?!"
"Shh...." Gamemaster put a finger to his lips. "I am a friend. I was able to get in your home... because of what I am." Gamemaster raised a palm and created an orb with it. He displayed the face of Q. "This is my creator. You should know him. He is called Q."
The other figure stared at him wide-eyed. "But.... But.... Q is fictional!"
"Oh, you would think so. But I assure you, he's not. Nothing is fictional. This is infinity, my fine young friend! If it can exist, it does exist!" A wicked smile crosses the Gamemaster's face. "I have an eye for talent, my young friend. I am very choosy, very picky, on whom I give my aid to. You, alone out of trillions upon trillions upon untold trillions of your kind, have managed to grab my attention. Your devotion to your principles, your unwillingness to accept defeat, are very admirable qualities."
"What do you want with me?"
"What do I want with you? I merely wish to let you achieve your proper potential. There is a world out there with your name on it, waiting for it's ruler, waiting for someone to conquer it and make it his own. This is your destiny, I have forseen it, and I am here to put you on that track." The Gamemaster leaned over the young man's left shoulder. "So what do you say, my young friend?" His pudgy fingers wrapped on the other man's shoulders. "I can give you power. I can make you more powerful than you ever imagined possible. Those who have laughed at you, mocked you, they will soon fear you! They will drop to their knees and worship you as a God among Men." He could sense his subject's interest, his raging desire to prove himself superior. The Gamemaster desired to cackle. These humans could be so easy to manipulate. "You can prove your superiority over them once and for all, with nothing to stand in your way."
The Gamemaster moved to the other shoulder. "It is there for you to take. My gift to you, a superior human, a person deserving of powers beyond anything achievable by others."
Subtly, Gamemaster reached into his charge's mind. He began to direct him, to amplify the portion that desired power against all caution, all reason. One final manipulation. "So, Mister Anderson, what do you have to say to my proposal?"
Anderson took a hard long look at the Gamemaster. And then he grinned.
"I accept."
"Good. Now come, my strapping young friend." The Gamemaster smiled. "We have a world to conquer. But first... a pit stop."
This will be most entertaining, he assured himself.
With a final thrust of her lightsaber, Kate brought down the Chimera that had stumbled upon the party's path. She kicked it's large corpse out of the way and looked back to the others. "Next time," she said with a bit of a pant to her voice, "I expect a little more help."
Isilron chuckled, and without waiting, began to walk on. Chris came up behind him and asked, "Say, shouldn't we search the thing for items?"
"If you desire."
The Chimera's corpse had disintegrated by this point. A small red orb, a sphere, was left in it's place. Mark picked it up and examined it. "Use it, Mark," Isilron said. "That one is for power. I think you know what that means."
Mark pulled the orb close. "How do I..." As he thought of using it, the orb disappeared into his hand. A brief reddish haze appeared around him, which dissipated quickly. "I don't feel any stronger."
"You won't." Isilron permitted himself a small grin. "But your target will certainly feel it. Now let's move. Time is of the essence."
As the party continued, a question came from Dalton, near the rear with Marina. "Shouldn't we have rented a chocobo?"
"One chocobo for all of us?"
"Well, the other group seems to get along fine with seven people on one."
"And there are twelve of us," Isilron reminded him.
"Well, we could've rented two."
From beside him, Marina spoke up. "Rob, we most likely would have needed a third for you alone."
He looked over at her with a glare, answered by a rather characteristic smirk.
All of the sudden, Mike and Kate stopped. Sakura had to quickly stop in her tracks to avoiding hitting Mike. "Huh? What's wrong?"
"You felt it, didn't you?", Mike asked Kate.
"In the Force. Very powerful. Very nasty."
Isilron crossed his arms. "So Gamemaster really has gone bad, and he's brought us another playmate. This makes our mission even more urgent. We must continue onward."
But Mike was still busy. Feeling out through the supranatural medium called the Force by others, sensing this new presence... and realizing who it may be. "It can't be.... him?!"
"Apocalypse is defeated."
The news was delivered by the usually silent Darth Maul. Maleficent seemed unconcerned. "What do I care? He was a weakling anyway. And he gave them trouble."
"They will get more powerful," Sephiroth said. "Their kind always do."
"Saruman will ally with Mika," Maul continued. "He seeks his own power. He rebuffed my offer. So did the one called Exdeath."
"Then I say we let these 'heroes' take them down first, yes?" Maleficent rose to her full height, pulling her dark staff up. Yellow eyes looked down on her allies. "That would be the wisest course of action."
"Absolutely." The lightness to the voice of Kefka did no justice to the evil which festered within him, the pure sadistic mania. Adorned in green robe he appraised his fellows from the doorway. "We let the goody-two-shoes take out our competition..." He clenched a fist. "And then we destroy them!"
"How?", Sephiroth asked.
"A trap." Kefka reached from behind the door he was entering from and dragged something into view, his hand gripping a lock of blond hair. A female cry was heard as a young woman, in modest but, to the others, strange clothing consisting of a long-sleeved blouse and blue jeans was thrown forward. As she landed Kefka sent a jolt of lightning magic through her, prompting a short scream and then silence as she lapsed into unconsciousness. "A little gift from our unknown ally. The sweetie of one of our heroes. I believe her name," Kefka's grin was evil, "is Betsy. And that's not all."
Kefka moved to the left and allowed a dark-clad figure to enter, a cape flowing down his back and a peculiar arrowhead insignia on the clasp holding his cape to his black clothing and the belt buckle for his troushers. A curved hilt, with no visible sword, hung from his belt. "A little friend to help us. Maul, you can show the kid a few pointers."
"Who is he?", the Sith asked.
"You can call him..."
Before Kefka could finish, the newcomer did so for him.
"Call me DarkStar."
TO BE CONTINUED...
So, here it is..... The continued adventures of Marina aka Duchess of Zeon, Kate aka RocketGirl, Mike Wong, Mark aka Iceberg, Rob Dalton, Patrick aka Eagle One, Sakura, Misty aka Lt_Ryguy, John aka Deathbringer, Chris aka Goomba, Drake aka IDMR, and Isilron aka Isil'Zha on Spira!
And yes, it's a short short story, because there's nothing else I can do with the storyline right now as we're on a tight schedule. As for the plot.... YOU WILL ALL TREMBLE BEFORE THE MIGHT OF APOCALYPSE!
A bitterly cold wind was sweeping down through Macalania Forest, coming from the lake higher into the mountains. Standing in the lead, Isilron looked back at the assembled party of offworlders. "Come, it won't be much longer."
"Don't we have any winter clothing to wear?", Misty asked.
He continued onward, not looking at the jerkin-clad girl to the rear. "There is none."
"Well, we're not exactly dressed for winter travel," she complained.
Sighing, Isilron stopped and turned. He looked to John, standing in the middle, and then to a nearby tree. Without any sign of effort he tore a large tree limb off and tossed it to John, who dropped it as he tried to catch it. "Here. Use it as a torch."
John blinked at Isilron and then looked down at the limb. He knelt and lifted it with his left hand. He pointed his right finger toward it and a tongue of flame sparked from the tip of his fingernail. The stick caught fire. "This isn't going to take long to completely burn out, you know," John remarked as Isilron immediately continued on.
"The trees of Macalania are very sturdy. The fire will burn long enough for us to get to shelter."
Isilron said nothing more, and left the assembled to their thoughts. He did find sympathy for them, cast here. Undoubtedly, little time had passed since they had been torn from their world. It was likely too much for them to take in. And so they had to assimilate their surroundings bit by bit.
Much like he had been forced to do.
Standing near the end of the party formation, just ahead of Misty and Dalton, Mike and Kate were locked in step together. Kate, on the right, looked around the forest while rubbing her bare arms with her hands from the cold. "I don't think I'm used to this yet," she said in the familar "Drew Barrymore" voice she was known for.
"You're not the only one. This entire situation still seems too unreal."
"So..." A mischievous grin appeared on Kate's face. "Considering you're a Sith and I'm a Jedi, doesn't that mean we're supposed to fight?"
"At a later date, if you want." The reply was too serious for Kate's taste, and she wisely backed off on speaking with her irate comrade.
"I'm stuck on a quest with the likes of RocketGirl and Mike Wong," Misty murmured. "Why don't I just slice my own throat now and save myself a lot of pain and wasted effort?"
"Be my guest."
"Oh Mike, you wound me."
Mike rolled his eyes. "I am in no mood to joke around."
"I would agree," Drake said. "I don't think this is necessarily the right time for joking. We're strangers in a strange land, here."
"Doesn't help that I still can't help but feel I'm in a dream." Kate rubbed the back of her head. "Do those things have to hurt so? I hope we don't run into any more of them."
"Fiends prowl all the roads of Spira," Mark informed her. "So don't count on your wish coming true."
"I wonder, what approximate time it is in relation to Yuna's pilgrimage?" Chris looked up toward Isilron at the front. "Well?"
Without stopping, their guide replied, "I saw them go by as I waited for you. They should right now be at Macalania Temple."
"Which means they'll be fighting Seymour soon. Are we going to run into the Wendigo?"
"Possibly, but it's not the Wendigo I'm worried about." Isilron suddenly stopped. "We may run into Yevon priests or acolytes. Do any of you know the prayer?"
"Prayer?", Kate asked.
"I know it," Chris said. "Mark?"
"I do too."
"Then make sure your teammates know it." Isilron resumed walking. "To not know the prayer, or not to use it at the appropriate times, would be to cast suspicion on us. I do not desire to add Yevon to our list of enemies, considering how things are destined to go."
Mike crossed his arms and maintained the same frown he had worn since they had been ripped from their world. "What is this Yevon, and why should I care about their prayer?"
Isilron quickly explained everything about Yevon. About the forbidding of machina, the control over the majority of the world, and how they secretly violated their own teachings. This drew a harumph from Mike. "And so what if we make them enemies? As far as I'm concerned, their close-mindedness makes them my enemy already."
"Ah, how I missed that attitude," Isilron said with a slight chuckle. "I knew you would react in this way. But remember, we're here to preserve the natural order of the world. We cannot do anything to interfere with Yevon's fall. And trust me, they will fall."
"And none the sooner," Dalton remarked.
"If you had lived here as long as I have, you would understand that the fall of Yevon is not a good thing. It might be wrong, but it gives the people direction, it helps them live through the pain and suffering of their lives, the loss given to them by Sin and the fiends." Isilron adjusted the shades covering his eyes. "We're almost there. We should keep moving."
Silence came again and they began walking along again. This time Patrick broke the silence among the group, looking over at Chris. "You know much about this world?"
"Only what I remember from the game."
"So, how close are we to civilization?"
"Aside from one of Rin's Traveling Agencies, we'd have to go backwards to get to Bevelle."
"Bevelle?", Marina asked from farther back.
"The largest city on Spira. The home base for the Yevon clergy."
There was a nod, and without warning she stopped. "Did anyone hear that?"
The party stopped around her. "I don't hear anything," John said.
"No, wait." Isilron raised a hand. "I hear it too. It's up ahead." He pulled his sword up. "Sounds like a few fiends."
"More fiends?"
"Yes, more fiends. Not Chimeras, either."
A gurgling sound now became clear to everyone. They readied their weapons in time to see a group of slurping creatures of some kind approaching. "Flan." Isilron lifted the Gorgon Gaze over his shoulder. "John, this is your department. Use fire magic on them."
"Fire... magic. Okay."
John lifted his staff and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a red glow appeared in them that increased in intensity. He pointed his open left hand to the flans. Flames enveloped one without warning, and it made a strange kind of death screech before disintegrating.
Chris lifted a gloved hand, his long scythe in the other, and dark power eminated from his eyes. A massive burst of dark energies erupted and enveloped a pair of the creatures, which reacted with pain but did not die. An arrow from Marina speared one between the eyes, but did not kill it. Drake found that his sword did not work either. "They're gel creatures, you can't kill them very easily with physical attacks." Isilron put his eyes to John. "Again!"
A burst of ice appeared below Misty, and swiftly enveloped her. When it broke, she fell to her knees for a moment, shivering. Isilron did not have to command Sakura to heal her while a burst of flame from John's hand enveloped the last two Flan and destroyed them. "God damn that hurt," said Misty as she stood to her feet. A bright haze surrounded her and the appearance of frostbite on her visible skin disappeared. "Are we going to run into more of them?"
"Probably." Isilron stepped between the puddles of what was left of the Flan.
"Where is he, Q?!"
The demand echoed through the fabric of the cosmos and into the continuum of existance inhabited by the beings called the Q. And one particular being out of these responded with a resonating, and panicstricken, "I don't know!"
"You said your creation was being held in the Continuum, now I see that isn't the case. Why?!"
"He didn't want to show up?"
There was a grunt of frustration. "Q, I'm beginning to get the feeling that you and him arranged for my friends' quest with more in mind than just undoing your creation's damage."
"I can assure you I haven't. As for him, he's out of control."
"Find him then. I have other matters to attend to."
"Finally! Somewhere to rest!"
Misty's exhuberance allowed her to beat Sakura's planned outburst by about half a second when the sight of a building appeared over the hill.
"Rin always had a knack for leaving his Traveling Agencies in the most opportune places," Isilron said, walking on. "We will stop for a short while, if you desire it."
"Do we ever!"
There was a single person outside of the Agency, a young man tending to a large yellow-feathered bird. "And that is?", Kate asked.
"It's a chocobo, RG," Chris said. "Think of it like a horse. Just with feathers."
"And it stinks."
Responding to Marina's comment, Sakura sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything."
"That's because Marina's senses have been enhanced by the enchanted weapon she carries," Isilron remarked as they came over the hill and closed on the door. "You do not merely gain the basic skills of your class, you also have improved physical capabilities, such as Marina's senses."
"And you?"
The older man smirked. "I get what I've managed to learn while on Spira. Lucky me."
The party came within ten feet of the door to the building when the chocobo began chattering loudly, as if it were afraid. "Uh oh...." Kate pulled her saber out and ignited it. "Feel that?"
"I do." Mike's saber ignited in his hand as well.
"Wha?!" The young man beside the chocobo looked toward their weapons. "What's going on?"
"I would recommend you get that thing inside. Now." Mike waved him off. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt."
He nodded in reply and began pulling the bird through the door. As he did so Isilron stepped toward glacier. "Just who are you, anyway?"
He turned back and faced Misty. "Huh?"
She stepped up toward him, checking the claw weapons attached to her hands to make sure they were firmly attached. "You said you were brought here like we were, fifteen years ago. And you seem to know us. Who are you?"
"That is unimportance, since I'm no longer what I once was anyway." Isilron pulled his weapon out. "I think company is...."
From beyond the glacier top opposite the travel agency, a large figure appeared. Encased in blue armor and possessing of a grayish skin texture, the massive being stomped down toward the lake. A prominent "A" was on his belt, with evil red eyes containing black pupils. "I think," Isilron remarked, "we've found our prey."
Mark pulled his weapon and stepped up. "Apocalypse."
The powerful mutant leapt up into the air and crashed down on the glacier lake, partially shattering the ice. He paid no heed to the party, stomping down the mountain path. "He's heading to the Macalania Temple." Isilron looked back to the others. "We can't let him get there. The damage he could do to the natural order is immense."
"Okay, so just how do you imagine we take down one of the most powerful mutants ever, hmmm?" Misty clicked her tongue. "I mean... get serious. We don't have the benefit of mutant powers either."
"No, we're just Level 99 Final Fantasy characters," Chris reminded her. "Well, someone's got to do it." Chris lifted his arms. Dark energies swirled about him and he began hovering in mid-air. With a loud and unnaturally booming voice, he called out, "Hey, Gray Bitch, over here!"
As he did so, a single energized arrow from Marina's bow pierced the back of Apocalypse's neck. He howled angrily and turned, pulling the arrow out and crushing it in his grasp. "What?! Who dares?!"
Chris looked back at Marina, who was already stringing another arrow. "You talk too much," she noted before letting another arrow fly. This one hit Apocalypse in the chest and plinked off his armor.
"Foolish insects! You dare to strike Apocalypse!" His right arm morphed into a gun. A bright bolt of yellow energy reached out of it and prompted the entire party to scatter as the beam went by. As he leapt, two glowing throwing stars materialized in Mark's hand. He tossed them out in a single swipe of his right arm. They struck Apocalypse in the forehead, exploding, and knocked him backward a step.
"Hey, try this on for size!" John picked himself up to his feet and raised his hands and staff, which began glowing. "Bolt 2, motha fugga!" A great lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck Apocalypse directly. It seemed to do little damage, as the lightning effect clearly wore off and left everyone with the explicit impression that it had done little more than piss off the mutant. Apocalypse leveled his weapon at John, who only had time to go "Oh shit" before a yellow bolt emerged and struck him, sending him about two meters into the ice behind him before he stopped, unconscious. Sakura looked over at him and groaned, "Oh great, one down already," going to his aid while the others began the fight.
Ahead of the others, Kate and Mike raced toward Apocalypse with sabers ready. His other arm morphed into a shield, which deflected their swipes while the right arm aimed low and fired, melting through the lake and forcing them to jump back. As they did so, his shield morphed into a large hammerheaded piston that struck them and knocked them both backward. Dalton and Misty came next, Misty jumping up on Apocalypse's left arm while Dalton ran over the hole created by Apocalypse's previous blast. His gun arm morphed into wide and flat surface, which he used to sweep them to the side. "You will all tremble before the might of Apocalypse!"
Patrick was now airborne and falling rapidly on Apocalypse. Patrick's spear drove into the back of Apocalypse's neck while he was using a newly-formed shield to block Marina's arrows, plunging deep into flesh and drawing blood. Apocalypse roared and grabbed Patrick by his neck, tossing him away and causing him to collide with the recovered Mike. "Hey, fearless leader," Chris looked over at Isilron while charging dark energies in his hands, "maybe you want to get a little involved?" He sent a blast Apocalypse's way, which the lumbering giant surprisingly dodged. Kate zoomed by at the fastest speed she could manage and was able to make a small gash in Apocalypse's armor. He batted her away, and while using a shield to deflect a blow from Dalton, pulled the spear out of his back with his right hand. He threw it at the approaching Isilron before a hit could be landed with the deadly Gorgon Gaze blade. It went straight through him, making him growl as he was flung backward by the force. An arrow impacted the side of Apocalypse's head, hurting him further. Patrick leap-frogged over him and went to Isilron, who was on the ice. He reached his hand out and the spear, obediently, pulled out of Isilron and into his grasp.
Misty slammed into Patrick with great force, having been thrown from Apocalypse as she had tried to clamber up his back to attack his wounded neck. They went flying over the wounded Isilron as he began to stand. He in turn was hit by Chris, who was thrown back after attempting to get a cut in with his scythe. Apocalypse morphed his right arm into a cannon again long enough to take a shot at Marina. The beam hit her before she could react, throwing her backward and into the wall of ice and rock behind her, taking the air out of her lungs from the force of the impact.
"You cannot compare to my power!" Apocalypse began growing before Drake, who with Dalton and Mark was in front of the now-massive mutant. Their swords and axe cut into his armor, but not fast enough that they could avoid being thrown aside. Dalton bounced off Kate, knocking her down, and recovered quickly. He pulled his axe up and moved forward with all the speed his bulk permitted.
As he did so, a bright burst of energy surrounded him. From behind, Sakura's arms were raised, her red hair flowing in the icy wind as energy eminated from her hands and staff and pulled Dalton into the air. In mid-air he dodged a punch from Apocalypse and landed a hammer swipe directly onto Apocalypse's forehead. Having finally landed a critical blow, Dalton bellowed "ROB SMASH!" as Sakura's levitation magic disappeared and he came down to his feet.
"You think you're so tough." Mike stepped forward, his saber turned off and back on his belt. "Let's see you compare with this!" His hands glowed with dark energies and bursts of Force lightning issued forth, enveloping Apocalypse. "We may be 'mere' humans, but our powers are more than enough to hurt you, monster!"
Apocalypse roared angrily and began forming a gun on his right arm, resisting the Force lightning. "Pitiful little...."
Dalton and Misty moved behind Apocalypse. Misty jumped up on his shoulders and leapt upward, getting onto the back of Apocalypse's neck. The claws attached to her hands raked deep into his already-wounded flesh and cut more out. Apocalypse howled from the further wounding before grabbing Misty and tossing her away. She slammed into Mike and the two of them flew backward, interrupting the torrent of Force lightning that Mike had been channeling into him.
From behind, Dalton and Drake took on a leg each. Their weapons cut into armor and finally reached some of the flesh underneath. As Apocalypse swiped at them, Chris created an explosion of dark energy beneath him that fractured some of the ice and caused Apocalypse to fall over.
"John! Now!" Isilron had gotten back to his feet and was pointing at Apocalypse for John, who was now on his feet again after being healed by Sakura. "The ice sheet! Melt it!"
There was a nod in reply. "Hey, biggie, let's see how you like some hot foot." Red energy eminated from John's eyes and, around Apocalypse, great flames appeared within the ice. The massive mutant got up to move away. An arrow from Marina's bow caught him in the forehead and stunned him long enough for Mark to fling explosive throwing stars to knock him backward. More Force lightning came from Mike to keep Apocalypse restrained as the ice began to give way, while a steady rain of arrows from Marina kept him from using one hand, as he needed it for a shield. Finally he formed a gun with the other and fired at Mike. The blast deflected off of a shield being generated by Sakura's magic. She stood beside him as Mike channeled more lightning into keeping Apocalypse where he was.
The ice gave away. Apocalypse screeched, "Noooo!" as he fell through. Dozens of meters of air met him, until finally he hit the ice at the bottom. He struggled to his feet and realized that he was not alone.
The thing before him was massive, the size of a small city, but very much alive. Many insectoid eyes turned to face him, with a tower-like structure on the things' head. It's mouth opened in a loud screech. "What....." Apocalypse stepped backward. "What is this monstrosity?"
From above, Isilron saw it through the hole and immediately shouted, "Onto solid ground! Now!"
"Why? What's wrong?", Kate asked.
"Holy shit!" Chris had been looking down as well. "It's Sin! Let's get the Hell out of here!"
Mark needed to hear no more, he simply took off, and the others followed as it seemed the reasonable thing to do. Underneath, Apocalypse formed a shield, as if it could protect him, and shouted, "No! Get back! Leave me!"
Sin screeched again. Energy gathered at it's mouth, and all Apocalypse could do was run, in vain, as Sin emitted a simply massive pulse of energy. It enveloped him, and a moment later, he was gone.
The party had re-entered Macalania Woods before they finally stopped running. "God, and I was looking forward.... to a rest....", Misty groaned.
"That thing down there. I could feel it's presence. It was simply huge." Kate looked to Isilron. "So what is it?"
"They call it Sin. It's supposed to represent all of the evils of Mankind, to be Mankind's punishment. The truth... is not quite what the Yevon clergy claim."
"Isil'Zha, why did you try to hide it?"
Isilron looked to John. "What did you call me?"
"That's who you are. I mean, it does fit with the whole sick theme of us SBers fighting for your bog-standard insane omnipotent. Besides, you did say you were a Fiver?"
There was a harumph from the older man, who looked down at where Patrick's spear had impaled him, now healed by Sakura's curative magic. "You're right. I once went by that. I adopted the name Isilron when I got here. Figured it would sound good, let me fit in."
"Ah. And did it?"
A frown crossed his face, and he looked away. "More than I bargained for."
There was a short silence. It was broken by Sakura, who said, "Looks like we finished our first target. Can we go back to the agency now and rest?"
"Sorry, but we cannot afford to now," Isilron said. "By this point the Guado have undoubtedly come to investigate further the battle, and to try and locate Yuna and the others."
"So where to next, oh fearless leader?", Kate muttered.
Isilron ignored her sarcasm. Before he could answer, another voice responded, "Bevelle."
All heads turned to see a familiar robed and hooded individual standing along the road back to the frozen lake. "One down," Stephen remarked. "And six to go."
"Yeah, but Apocalypse is probably going to be the easiest," Mark said. "Sure you shouldn't give us more help? I'm sure your powers would really help us out."
"I'm afraid that my presence with you would be more of a hindrance than you realize," Stephen replied. "I cannot stay long. I merely came... to give you a little direction. Saruman will be in Bevelle by the time you arrive."
"And how long will it take for us to get there?" Chris looked over to Isilron.
"A few days, depending on how often we stop to rest," Isilron answered. "By the time we get there, Yuna and her people should already be on their way to the Calm Lands."
"Which means the place will be a wreck."
"Of course. And that's probably why Saruman would go." Mark crossed his arms. "He's a bit more sly than the others. He'd probably try to get power through Maester Mika, after the old bastard is isolated from the others."
"You had better get going then. I will check up on you later." Stephen disappeared without a moment's loss.
Misty sighed and said, "I think he's starting to like this 'super cosmic sage' thing a bit too much."
Isilron stepped to the point again. "You should learn to respect your elders, Misty. You heard the man. Let's go."
There was a groan common among some of the members of the party, but they followed, as it seemed to be the only way to get home.
The distant sound of the Fayth of Macalania singing the soothing Song of Prayer registered in Stephen's corporeal ears, even as the supranatural energies of the Fayth resonated within him. Through dimensional ether he could feel the Aeon called Shiva, a being of Ice. Summoners had to interface with the Fayth, a grueling and exhausting experience, to be able to bring these powerful beings into corporeal existance from their current prison, halfway between life and death. The Aeons were worshipped by the people of Spira, yet Stephen was among the few who knew the tragic truth; they were not Yevon's followers and beings of light, they were his slaves.
Sin was gone, it's restful enjoyment of the Song of Prayer disturbed by Apocalypse. Which was good. Even now he could feel the monster's presence on this world. He masked himself from being seen, but it was not always possible, for Sin had been on Spira for so long that it could detect the most minute of alteration in the planet's energy fields. Stephen reached out into the fourth dimension, into the flow of time. He found Apocalypse, dead, or at least, a split second before Sin's blast would have reduced him to component atoms. With a yank he brought Apocalypse forward through time, encasing him in a strong energy field. The maniacal mutant looked at him. "What, who, are you?"
"Me? I'm the person tasked with cleaning up the mess you and the others leave, or will leave." Stephen brought a hand. "Time for you to go home, En Sabah Nur."
"Home? But this... this world is ripe for my rule."
"You would think so, but I think Sin, and others, would object to any attempts by you to take power. Particularly since it would permanently damage reality as we know it." A small smile crept on Stephen's face. "Give my regards to Xavier and his X-Men, Apocalypse."
"Do not send me...." Apocalypse's plea vanished with him. All was quiet again, save for the Song of Prayer.
Ah, but Sin knew he was here now. It felt the shift in space-time resulting from Apocalypse's return to his own home world. It was time to depart.
Stephen returned to their base of operations, a replica world of Hollow Bastion they had pulled from darkness. Q was waiting for him. "Any luck," the former asked, "in finding our wayward acquaitance?"
"None yet," Q replied. "But we're working on it."
"You'd better be. Because, I have the bad feeling that he's planning something else."
Space and time folded around the Gamemaster. The ether of the megaverse dissipated, revealing a 21st century abode. And a particular individual at a computer, steadily working at a website.
"Greetings."
The male turned around in his chair. "What?" He looked at the Gamemaster. "Who the hell are you?! How did you get in my house?!"
"Shh...." Gamemaster put a finger to his lips. "I am a friend. I was able to get in your home... because of what I am." Gamemaster raised a palm and created an orb with it. He displayed the face of Q. "This is my creator. You should know him. He is called Q."
The other figure stared at him wide-eyed. "But.... But.... Q is fictional!"
"Oh, you would think so. But I assure you, he's not. Nothing is fictional. This is infinity, my fine young friend! If it can exist, it does exist!" A wicked smile crosses the Gamemaster's face. "I have an eye for talent, my young friend. I am very choosy, very picky, on whom I give my aid to. You, alone out of trillions upon trillions upon untold trillions of your kind, have managed to grab my attention. Your devotion to your principles, your unwillingness to accept defeat, are very admirable qualities."
"What do you want with me?"
"What do I want with you? I merely wish to let you achieve your proper potential. There is a world out there with your name on it, waiting for it's ruler, waiting for someone to conquer it and make it his own. This is your destiny, I have forseen it, and I am here to put you on that track." The Gamemaster leaned over the young man's left shoulder. "So what do you say, my young friend?" His pudgy fingers wrapped on the other man's shoulders. "I can give you power. I can make you more powerful than you ever imagined possible. Those who have laughed at you, mocked you, they will soon fear you! They will drop to their knees and worship you as a God among Men." He could sense his subject's interest, his raging desire to prove himself superior. The Gamemaster desired to cackle. These humans could be so easy to manipulate. "You can prove your superiority over them once and for all, with nothing to stand in your way."
The Gamemaster moved to the other shoulder. "It is there for you to take. My gift to you, a superior human, a person deserving of powers beyond anything achievable by others."
Subtly, Gamemaster reached into his charge's mind. He began to direct him, to amplify the portion that desired power against all caution, all reason. One final manipulation. "So, Mister Anderson, what do you have to say to my proposal?"
Anderson took a hard long look at the Gamemaster. And then he grinned.
"I accept."
"Good. Now come, my strapping young friend." The Gamemaster smiled. "We have a world to conquer. But first... a pit stop."
This will be most entertaining, he assured himself.
With a final thrust of her lightsaber, Kate brought down the Chimera that had stumbled upon the party's path. She kicked it's large corpse out of the way and looked back to the others. "Next time," she said with a bit of a pant to her voice, "I expect a little more help."
Isilron chuckled, and without waiting, began to walk on. Chris came up behind him and asked, "Say, shouldn't we search the thing for items?"
"If you desire."
The Chimera's corpse had disintegrated by this point. A small red orb, a sphere, was left in it's place. Mark picked it up and examined it. "Use it, Mark," Isilron said. "That one is for power. I think you know what that means."
Mark pulled the orb close. "How do I..." As he thought of using it, the orb disappeared into his hand. A brief reddish haze appeared around him, which dissipated quickly. "I don't feel any stronger."
"You won't." Isilron permitted himself a small grin. "But your target will certainly feel it. Now let's move. Time is of the essence."
As the party continued, a question came from Dalton, near the rear with Marina. "Shouldn't we have rented a chocobo?"
"One chocobo for all of us?"
"Well, the other group seems to get along fine with seven people on one."
"And there are twelve of us," Isilron reminded him.
"Well, we could've rented two."
From beside him, Marina spoke up. "Rob, we most likely would have needed a third for you alone."
He looked over at her with a glare, answered by a rather characteristic smirk.
All of the sudden, Mike and Kate stopped. Sakura had to quickly stop in her tracks to avoiding hitting Mike. "Huh? What's wrong?"
"You felt it, didn't you?", Mike asked Kate.
"In the Force. Very powerful. Very nasty."
Isilron crossed his arms. "So Gamemaster really has gone bad, and he's brought us another playmate. This makes our mission even more urgent. We must continue onward."
But Mike was still busy. Feeling out through the supranatural medium called the Force by others, sensing this new presence... and realizing who it may be. "It can't be.... him?!"
"Apocalypse is defeated."
The news was delivered by the usually silent Darth Maul. Maleficent seemed unconcerned. "What do I care? He was a weakling anyway. And he gave them trouble."
"They will get more powerful," Sephiroth said. "Their kind always do."
"Saruman will ally with Mika," Maul continued. "He seeks his own power. He rebuffed my offer. So did the one called Exdeath."
"Then I say we let these 'heroes' take them down first, yes?" Maleficent rose to her full height, pulling her dark staff up. Yellow eyes looked down on her allies. "That would be the wisest course of action."
"Absolutely." The lightness to the voice of Kefka did no justice to the evil which festered within him, the pure sadistic mania. Adorned in green robe he appraised his fellows from the doorway. "We let the goody-two-shoes take out our competition..." He clenched a fist. "And then we destroy them!"
"How?", Sephiroth asked.
"A trap." Kefka reached from behind the door he was entering from and dragged something into view, his hand gripping a lock of blond hair. A female cry was heard as a young woman, in modest but, to the others, strange clothing consisting of a long-sleeved blouse and blue jeans was thrown forward. As she landed Kefka sent a jolt of lightning magic through her, prompting a short scream and then silence as she lapsed into unconsciousness. "A little gift from our unknown ally. The sweetie of one of our heroes. I believe her name," Kefka's grin was evil, "is Betsy. And that's not all."
Kefka moved to the left and allowed a dark-clad figure to enter, a cape flowing down his back and a peculiar arrowhead insignia on the clasp holding his cape to his black clothing and the belt buckle for his troushers. A curved hilt, with no visible sword, hung from his belt. "A little friend to help us. Maul, you can show the kid a few pointers."
"Who is he?", the Sith asked.
"You can call him..."
Before Kefka could finish, the newcomer did so for him.
"Call me DarkStar."
TO BE CONTINUED...
:P
