Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 272: The Dark Ruler's Descent
Date: April 21st, 2006.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar and Digi are in the bandit city, with nothing to do. There's a path leading directly to the forest, where Locos and Aetos went.
Digifanatic: "Well, should we just start walking?"
Aribar: "Yeah. I think I saw the others going down that forested path over there."
Metal Man (GM): Their dexes beep.
Digifanatic: "Hmm... someone's telling us something..."
Aribar: "Eh?" *Gets out his Dex.*
Digifanatic opens his Dex...
Charles: (Dex) "Questers, Aetos and I are leaving Creepy Steeple for the Glass Fortress. Tridus, Aetos and I are going to investigate the infestation of the place and see how to shut off the 'eye of Kuja'."
Digifanatic: "Glass Fortress, huh? Hmm..."
Aribar: "... That was where we fought Kuja..... And did he say Tridus?"
Digifanatic: "Ari, I may be a glutton for punishment, but did you see any computers when you were fighting that Bandit? Yes..."
Aribar closes his eyes and searches his memory.* "Errm... No. I only got one room in, and that was a telemarketer's room."
Digifanatic: "Ah... okay. "I was hoping to shorten the trip over there a bit... And I know I'm not going to try and enter that building unless I'm certain I could find anything and fast. Guess we should just keep walking, then... seems like he's leaving us to check out the Steeple."
Aribar: "It would probably take more work climbing back up it and finding a computer than just walking towards the others."
Digifanatic: "Yeah... Besides, you enter the wrong room and they'll be all over my items like... who knows." *starts walking ahead.*
Metal Man (GM): The two Questers walk on up to the intersection, where Charles and Aetos and Tridus are. Off to the left is the path to the 'Glass Fortress.'
Aetos: "Hey people."
Digifanatic: "Hey guys... thought you'd be leaving us dry for a bit... But it's real nice to see that you've waited."
Tridus: "Long time no see, Aribar. You do recognize me, right?"
Aribar: "'allo, Tridus... I didn't even know you still lived."
Charles: "NNNEEEEDDLLEEESSS!!" *ZOOOOOMMMM to the left path, leaving Aetos to explain Charles's odd behavior.*
Digifanatic: "WHAT?!"
Aribar: "....." *Looks to Aetos.*
Digifanatic: "Needles?"
Tridus: "You cannot die when you are the protector of the one sword."
Aribar: "Do we even WANT to know?"
Aetos: "I did something I might regret... just try to keep up with him." *runs along after Charles.*
Aribar: "The one sword?"
Tridus: "We should follow him." *He chases Charles.*
Digifanatic: "Okay..." *follows.*
Aribar starts after the others.
Digifanatic: (muttering to Ari) "If Aetos says that he did something he may regret, I have a feeling it's a bit more than regret."
Metal Man (GM): Aribar and Digi walk; Charles runs, and Tridus follows. They reach the front door of the massive glass fortress, which appears... infected. The doors are collapsing as there is them; bent inwards, cracking, and weird stuff growing forth from them. A statue of Kuja is in front of the entrance.
Charles stops with a *SCCCREEECHHHH*.
Metal Man (GM): It, too, is cracked and corrupted. Its right hand has fallen off; its head is cracked in two, and it stands leaning forward, missing its left arm.
Digifanatic: "This is screwed up... the nice, modernized, tidy city... and now... this."
Metal Man (GM): The fortress is nothing more than a massive glass dome; an opaque white one, now.
Digifanatic: "And isn't it weird how Kuja's not even keeping touch on his own statue?"
Charles sniffs for Cactuar.
Digifanatic: "Something is not right."
Aribar: "Some force other than Kuja must have done this I would imagine."
Aetos: "Someone tried to make Kuja in Aribar's likeness."
Metal Man (GM): Charles smells... darkness.
Tridus: "The dark powers that have been summoned spewed forth from this place, tainting all in its path."
Charles: "...Darkness. Lashiec must be inside the fortress."
Aribar shudders.*
Charles returns to his self.
Aribar: "Mmm... Twilight Town. Nice place. Good tour. Well, let's be getting back to the Stadium now!"
Charles: "Not a sign of the desert fiend."
Aribar's shoulders sag a bit when he sees no one is paying the least bit of attention.
Aetos: "Aribar, suck it up."
Metal Man (GM): The darkness here is so immense, one can feel it. Tridus looks healthier here than normal.
Aetos shivers.
Aribar: "I... Do not like the dark."
Tridus: "Within here is the source of what made Kuja a tyrant. It is a power which, hence wielded in a vile fashion, is worse than that of the Solarian Machine."
Charles: "The Solarian seems to like it. Perhaps he can be our liaison to this lair of seemingly infinite lack of light."
Tridus: "I cannot fight darkness effectively; however I can lead you inside."
Metal Man (GM): He walks up to the doors, and touches them; they collapse into pieces.
Tridus: "These were once locked, but the darkness consumed their material bonds and made them brittle. The darkness needs no locks."
Aribar unsheathes Moonlight and studies the blade. It must be feeble indeed compared to the dark beasts within this glass tomb.*
Tridus: "The one you seek lives within; he revels from the great energy the temple now projects."
Aribar: "And... W-we're to unseat him? From what I k-know of Lashiec h-he's a great and p-powerful lich-like being."
Tridus: "His destruction would leave Nintendus undefended; and thus, Kuja's tower could be taken down."
Charles: "One objective at a time.....Lead the way, Tridus."
Metal Man (GM): Tridus nods and walks inside. He appears to vanish inside.
Aetos hops along behind him.
Charles heads inside the fortress..where the Questers were banished by Nintendus's god ten years ago.
Aribar takes a few deep breaths to compose himself and enters the Glass Fortress.*
Digifanatic follows with the others... .oO(This is insane... but this'll all pay off in the end)
Charles: "Aribar... Digi. Ivan told me of a second ally... one that resides in this very place. There was no name... but there is one here."
Digifanatic: "Oh?"
Aetos listens to Charles say this too..
Aribar: "C-could it have been Tridus?"
Digifanatic: "That could be possible. Where did you guys meet up with him? In the steeple?"
Charles: "Tridus joined our cause in Creepy Steeple... an unknown one is in this fortress of darkness. One not allied to Kuja."
Digifanatic: "Okay then."
Metal Man (GM): The group walks inside... the vaguely familiar place. They're in the middle-area of the fortress, which has a beam of light projecting from the very center. There's three rooms, one on each side. One North, one East, one West. The door to the East hangs open, unlocked.
Charles: "The seals of the Whallerians, Solarians, and Atleanteans..."
Metal Man (GM): The fortress is made up of glass, as before.
Aetos: "Seals?"
Aribar looks about. "Difficult challenges if I recall correctly."
Aetos walks up to the north door."
Charles: "Or... was it the seal of the Maricians... I forget who was who."
Aribar: "Seals. We had to... Break the seals I think to open up an elevator to a higher level."
Charles shrugs and walks to the East door.
Aribar: "Atlanteans are those, I think..."
Aetos tries to open the north door.
Aribar steps towards the light in the middle of the room, wondering if they'll be able to bypass the challenges.
Metal Man (GM): The East door; a bunch of machinery outlines it. All there is in the middle of the floor is a beam of light coming from an infinite pit in the center of the floor.
Charles: "Do not bother, Young Ward. The rooms are sealed unless the previous ones are unlocked."
Metal Man (GM): The other doors are locked.
Charles: "Not even Door Openers can break the locks of the North and West doors." *opens the East door. The door of the Maricians.*
Aetos: "Hmm. So you can go into the East door and break the seal to this door?"
Charles: "Just follow and things will be made clear." *he disappears inside the east puzzle room.*.
Aetos wonders if he should follow Charles.
Metal Man (GM): Inside the Marician room is a floor made of marble checkerboard tiles, walls of solid, white glass, and a domed ceiling.
Aetos sighs and runs on in the east room.
Metal Man (GM): There are two exits, both which continue to the East; the room's floor is cracked and moonlight comes in through the hole-filled ceiling. This room is fully of various machinery, though it's all decoration. The way appears clear.
Aetos examines the moonlight to see, if it is visible on the floor.
Metal Man (GM): Yes, somewhat.
Charles steps on a tile.
Aetos looks to see if cracks are visible inside the light from the moon.
Aribar rushes after the others, blaming his shoe becoming untied for his delay.*
Metal Man (GM): The cracks are visible, but the moonlight has no cracks in it. There's only cracks in the floor; holes in the ceiling. Charles takes one step inside the room when the room's reality bends.
Charles: "Aribar is the only one here that can remember---"
Aetos makes a jump to -- nevermind. "What did you do?"
Metal Man (GM): Charles sees... Pat... Digi... Aribar... and some mysterious person, Tetra. Then some machines, which they defeat in fast-motion.
Aribar: "Is this... Our past?"
Metal Man (GM): However, the two mecha's corpses fade into view here.
Aribar: "Be on your guard..."
Metal Man (GM): These two walkers have been long dead; corruption has taken over their frames.
Charles walks forward three steps.
Metal Man (GM): They suddenly flicker, and stand up, to block Charles's way. *Insert 'Darkling attack' from Metroid Prime 2 here.* BATTLE. The machines are generic walkers, with two missile launchers; one on each side. They're in place of hands on their arms.
Charles: "...Dark versions of metal walkers."
Metal Man (GM): Walker 1 turns to Aribar and opens fire with two missiles. *CRIT* Dark damage. Walker 2 opens fire on Charles. Dark damage, of course.
Aribar is blasted back by the missiles for a fair bit of damage.
Aetos: "Materials, imbued with elements. Do you think the darkness was built into them, or were they just soaking up the power over time, while in here?"
Charles is hit back by one missile, enough so the second misses him.
Aribar: "Who cares... That hurt!"
Charles charges up a spell.
Metal Man (GM): *BZZBzzbzbzbzbzzZAP.*
Charles: "Ow owowowowow!" *Is shocked by the electrical charge that goes into him. Damage.*
Aetos: "Sheesh..."
Aribar rushes up to the mecha that hit him with the missiles and does a quick, electrified sword combo on it.* (Bi-Bolt Slash.)
Metal Man (GM): It deflects the first but then gets shocked for double damage by the second.
Aribar: "Ah! It didn't like getting zapped by electricity! Looks like you and it have something in common, Aetos."
Charles: "Gotta love what is retained when something grows in power."
Aetos charges up to the first robot and gives it a powerful kick to its chest.
Metal Man (GM): It is knocked back a little, but is too heavy to really move far. Robot 1 opens fire on Aetos with dual machinegun madness. Robot 2 shoots missiles at Aetos as well.
Aetos brushes himself off. "Hmph."
Charles: "Better see what we can be up agains'." *dexes one.*
Dex: "...DING! Dark Walkers. health: 99/800 0/800. Level: 40. STR: 10. END: 30. AGI: 30. MNT: 00. EVD: 20. DEF: 10. Double Missile:-Slow, +Flurry, +Damage5x damage, d20+13. Machinegun: +Machinegun, +Fast, +Acc 3x. d20+16, Weaknesses: Electricity, Light. Description: An ancient Marician defense machine brought back to life, destroyed, then zombified by D-cell infection which happens to have taken over this fortress. It's a little tougher, but has more weaknesses than before. End of entry."
Charles proceeds with using another of the Star Rod's power. He thrusts his hand to Walker 1 and uses Lightning on it. Fail. Damage.
Aribar unleashes another electrified combo upon the walker.
Metal Man (GM): Miss, miss.
Aetos waves his hand out and several small orbs form in front of it. He blows on them and they collect the air, creating protective orbs around them. They fly out and crash into Robot 1.
Metal Man (GM): Walker 1 and 2 fire all their missiles at Aribar. Damage.
Aribar manages to somehow lean to the side and deflect one missile off course with Moonlight, but is nailed with the other three...
Charles: "Enhance thine own power, Young Ward. Aim and strike true!" *He holds his hand in Aetos's direction, a ray of energy goes into him. He gains a 25% boost in attacks for the next while.*
Aetos: "Hmm! Thanks!"
Aribar unleashes four hits of Bi-Bolt Slash...
Metal Man (GM): Miss miss miss miss.
Aetos jumps up into the air and pauses in it, a beam of wind jets out of his chest and blasts into Robot 1.
Charles: "Where in the world is Tridus?"
Metal Man (GM): Charles can't exactly tell where he went. Miss.
Aetos: "Probably using his chaos abilities to kill that new guy in this tower."
Charles: "No... he's just like Metal."
Metal Man (GM): The walkers all open fire on Charles with their machineguns.
Charles: "Going off who knows where and not helping."
Aetos: "But he's been possessed by The Void right? What if The Void is still in him, just like that sword is still with him?"
Aribar takes a step back and tries to aim this next spell so it hopefully won't hurt any others... The elf conjures up the storm above the mechas to rain lightning down upon them!*
Charles puts his hand up into the air, releasing energy from the Star Rod into him and his allies. Revival; damage healed. Charles then ends his turn.
Aetos waves his hand out and performs the Divine Wind attack again. The spheres appear and collect the wind energy, then zip through the sky and crash into Robot 1.
Charles: "Aetos... they're fast. Use something ELSE."
Aetos: "But they are vulnerable to this."
Metal Man (GM): Walker 1 fires missiles at Aribar, while Walker 2 fires machineguns at Aetos. Damage. damage, machinegun. Also, first hit on that crit deals double damage.
Charles: "Digi, I'm glad you could come help us."
Aribar manages to roll out of the way of the first missile, and while still crouched down deflect the second with his blade.*
Digifanatic: "Sure, no problem."
Charles goes forward in diagonal fashion, thrusting his elbow into Walker 1.
Metal Man (GM): Charles thrusts into a shiny glass wall.
Charles failed in that, so he goes for a jab. Charles then failed again. He ends his turn.
Aribar unleashes another Bi-Bolt slash upon the first mecha but also follows it up with a normal stab.*
Metal Man (GM): Hit, miss, miss. Health: 667/800 88/800.
Digifanatic sees the mechas and feels like he could have a lot of fun with these enemies element-wise, so why not? He launches a Light Punch followed by an Upward Slam at the first walker. He finishes with a Light Ray at the other walker.
Charles: "Digi, aim at the most damaged one. Not the other one."
Metal Man (GM): One hit.
Digifanatic: "I did... didn't you see me punch the first one?"
Charles: "You attacked the other one. End of discussion."
Metal Man (GM): The first mecha totters, nearly dead.
Digifanatic: "Okay then, no prob."
Aetos scratches his head and doesn't attack this time.
Metal Man (GM): Walker 1 opens fire on Digi with its machineguns. Damage, machinegun.
Digifanatic: "Oh boy..."
Metal Man (GM): Walker 2 fires two missiles at Aribar. damage.
Digifanatic is hit twice and then thrice...
Aribar is hammered... And may be down for the count. Aribar then flies back a few feet and lands on the floor... He's bleeding pretty heavily and probably can't take another missile.*
Metal Man (GM): Health: 755/800 88/800.
Charles finishes up with a leg sweep. He uses the motion for this to set up the next attack on the first walker.
Metal Man (GM): Hit.
Charles uses the leg sweep motion to push himself up, drop down, balance on one finger, splits his legs apart and attacks with legs swinging at walker.
Metal Man (GM): Hit miss crit. The first walker falls down, breaking into pieces. It's dead.
Aribar: "One down..."
Charles: "And the battle gets easier from here."
Aribar downs a MUCH-needed Blue Potion.
Digifanatic starts on the second one with another Light Ray, then trying to connect on a Celestial Fury...
Metal Man (GM): Celestial missing. Miss, Celestial hit.
Aetos claps his hands together and One-Winged Angel shimmers into his right hand. Aetos then holds the keyblade outright toward the robot. "Just one more time, Charles." an orb of light shines at the tip of the blade, and wind circulates around it, from his hands to the tip, and traps the light sphere within it. it then shoots off at would explode into the robot. This happens 6 times.
Metal Man (GM): Health: 808/800 309/800. The second walker opens fire on Aribar with machinegun power.
Aribar: "Gah!" *Is nailed by the machinegun fire...*
Charles thrusts onward. Twice. Charles then takes damage from his own attacks.
Aribar rushes at the Mecha and unleashes two bouts of Bi-Bolt Slashes, intending on taking a bit chunk of metal out of that scrapheap.
Metal Man (GM): Miss hit hit miss. Aribar does, indeed, take a big chunk out of it.
Digifanatic decides to continue his standard onslaught as normal... he decided to give the walker a bit of his own medicine with a Hyper Beam Matrix, following it with a hopeful Fire Lunge.
Metal Man (GM): Digi grabs it, barely.
Digifanatic attempts to smack his golf club into it (Throw Attack)
Metal Man (GM): *Instahit.* Digi drops it after grabbing it.
Aetos holds the blade up to defend himself.
Digifanatic is discouraged at trying to grab the walker... again.
Metal Man (GM): Walker 2 opens fire on Aribar again, wanting to shred him down. Damage, machinegun.
Aribar manages to only get hit by one bullet and deflects or dodges the rest.*
Charles equips Tempest's Sword. He then strikes with swinging it horizontally at the ...yeah.
Metal Man (GM): *SLASH.*
Charles ends his turn.
Aribar launches more electrifying spells at the mecha, cursing his waste of spells earlier.*
Metal Man (GM): Miss hit.
Digifanatic tries one more Light Punch and then defends...
Metal Man (GM): CRIT. The robot explodes, destroyed by the light.
Aetos: "Nice work, Digi!"
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Metal Man (GM): The way ahead is clear.
Digifanatic: "Weird how I always seem to get the final blows in things like this..." *walks on.* "But thanks as always."
Metal Man (GM): You walk ahead...
Aribar: "Whew... I guess we DO have to redo the challenges."
Metal Man (GM): Charles sees nothing odd.
Charles sheathes the sword.
Aribar: "Watch your feet... Looks like there's some broken glass on the floor." *starts forward.*
Aetos jumps onto the spots on the ground that the moonlight shines on.
Charles looks to the oddity...
Metal Man (GM): The group reaches the glass. Charles sees nothing, until Aribar points out bits of broken glass on the floor.
Aribar tries to step over the glass.
Metal Man (GM): The glass rises up! Ahhhhhhh! It's a wall of shattered glass, which rises up and stabs Aribar in the feet before trying to impale him into the ceiling. Damage; Aetos reaches the glass wall, which is now in the way, and trying to impale Aribar.
Aribar is impaled by the glass... Ow.
Metal Man (GM): Now the Questers have a wall of glass in the way, with Aribar impaled and stuck into the ceiling by it.
Aribar: "Gaah... Mind... Smashing this glass and getting me down? Oooooow."
Charles looks around for a switch on this side.
Metal Man (GM): No need; there are no buttons.
Charles exhales sighly-like. "What do we do now?"
Digifanatic: "Anybody have anything they can hurl at it? Just make sure to catch Ari on the way down?"
Aetos: "Yeah."
Digifanatic: "What do you have?"
Aetos: "An Air Blast."
Digifanatic: "That should work."
Aetos: "Yeah."
Aribar: .oO(This is going to hurt...)
Digifanatic: "Alright, you do that and I'll go get Ari when he comes down."
Aetos: "Oh, you want me to do it?"
Digifanatic: "Well, you fire the Blast and I'll catch Ari."
Aribar: "Glass is painful when you're impaled on it."
Aetos: "Hmm... that's might take a lot of energy."
Digifanatic: "Don't worry. I have a bunch of those Energy Drinks. I'll give you one after you're done."
Aetos: "Okee dokee."
Digifanatic: "And when I say bunch... I'm thinking six or seven... yeah, seven. Well?" *motions Charles to step off to the side while he waits behind Aetos to fire. After Aetos fires, he catches up to the wall and attempts to snag Ari on the fly.*
Charles steps back a few steps.
Aetos claps his hands together, then slowly pulls them apart. A ball of air circulating between them grows more and more as the hands part further... after a long time of charging, it's a humongous size and he tosses it into the wall of glass like a gigantic bomb.
Metal Man (GM): *BLAM* The sound, not the air's momentum itself, blasts the wall into a million pieces.
Digifanatic: *starts running.*
Metal Man (GM): Which fly in all directions, including at all of the Questers.
Aribar: "Gah! Glass shrapnel painful!"
Metal Man (GM): It's impossible to avoid all of it; everyone gets glass stabbing them. Especially Digi. Damage to everyone; more to Digi, who leaps right into the glass. He does grab Aribar, though.
Digifanatic: *stabby stabby OUCHIE* "Ow! Man..."
Aribar: "Thanks for getting me... Ow."
Digifanatic: "Yeah... you're better off right now than I am..."
Metal Man (GM): There are the two doors ahead, though... behind both is another room. The same room, apparently.
Aribar does so and hands Digi a Blue Potion.
Charles: "Some of us shouldn't all go into the same door."
Digifanatic lands and starts picking out spare shards out of himself..."Bit tattered, but I'm alright... thanks." Digifanatic then accepts the potion with ease, and then hands Aetos that Energy Drink he promised.
Aetos: "What if it's a test of unity?" *takes the energy drink and pockets it.*
Charles: "Then we shall be tested." *stands at the left door.*
Aetos: "I'll be following you,either way." *stands next to Charles.*
Digifanatic: "Aetos has a point."
Metal Man (GM): The Questers stand at the left door, which is pretty much a doorway now. The door that was once there is in tatters.
Aribar: "Hrm... So we should stay together?"
Metal Man (GM): Both doors are really doorways; both lead into the same room, which is a rectangular room with a large pit in the middle. That pit is full of electricity.
Charles enters the doorway to the next room a bit.
Aribar follows Charles and the others in.*
Digifanatic starts slowly... he checks how far it is before the pit.
Metal Man (GM): 10 feet before the pit. The pit is 50 feet below, and full of electrified spikes.
Digifanatic: "Okay... one at a time, I guess."
Aribar looks about, wishing he remembered what the challenge of this room was.
Digifanatic looks to see if there's some sort of cheesy hidden gimmick that can be found to make this room a lot easier...
Metal Man (GM): There's the pit, which is full of spikes, and then the bridge.
Digifanatic: "Oh, what the heck..."
Metal Man (GM): Digi walks onto the bridge, which suddenly explodes and causes him to fall to his doom.
Digifanatic starts to walk over to the bridge... "Uh oh..."
Metal Man (GM): Then he flies upwards... upwards? Huh? It's like an anti-gravity field.
Digifanatic: "What the... oh that better not be..."
Aetos looks up at the ceiling.
Metal Man (GM): Since the ceiling is bare, he does nothing but bounce off of it. And continues across, bouncing between an invisible barrier below and the ceiling.
Digifanatic tries to make as much forward progress as possible until he hits the ceiling... trying to control his speed at the same time...
Metal Man (GM): Until he is finally flung out the other side of the pit.
Aribar: "Y'know, last time we were here I thought there were Spikes in the ceiling..."
Digifanatic: "That's what I feared. When I said 'That better not be...' I though there were going to be more spikes."
Aribar takes a few steps back before rushing forth and trying to jump across.*
Metal Man (GM): It appears safe to cross.
Aribar: "Gah!" *Prays for anti-gravity to activate.*
Metal Man (GM): Aribar leaps a couple feet and then get pinballed across instead. It doesn't hurt, though. This trap was disabled a while ago.
Aetos makes the leap across next.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos leaps far... so far the antigravity propels him across without bumping him into the ceiling. He gains 2000 coins for absolutely no reason.
Aribar: "Whew... Maybe it IS safe..."
Digifanatic: "I dunno."
Aetos lands. "Hey I found some coins floating around there..."
Charles gets a running start and a jump.
Aribar: "Huh..."
Aetos quickly searches for a switch.
Digifanatic: "Aetos, what are you...?"
Metal Man (GM): Charles leaps into it, but gets pinballed across instead. Aetos sees no switch; only a door which goes ahead.
Digifanatic: "Something seems suspicious of those spikes, or the lack of, though... it sounds like by removing the traps, they're trying to screw with our minds and then Lashiec's probably gonna throw the gauntlet on us somewhere down the road."
Aetos jogs into the next room.
Digifanatic: "But, we'll see what happens." *moves on.*
Metal Man (GM): The Questers walk into the next room, where there is three buttons on a panel: Rock, paper, and scissors. On the other side are the corpses of three smashed robots. And a door which leads ahead, which lays open.
Aetos jumps over to the controls and pushes the paper button "Juicy..."
Charles: "As the puzzles were already finished, we need not worry about them."
Digifanatic: "Do you think the anonymous ally beat us and disabled the traps for us?"
Charles walks forward to the other side.
Digifanatic continues.
Charles: "No, Digi."
Aribar: "Hopefully. The mechas were activated at the beginning, weren't they?" *follows Charles and the others, hoping they aren't leaving enemies behind them.*
Digifanatic: "Yeah, but no spikes and no rock-paper-scissors. It's weird."
Metal Man (GM): Onto the other side the Questers walk; the door opens into what appears to be the ruins of the inside of an arcade machine. A giant dead hand clutching a battleship-sized gun lays dead off to the side.
Digifanatic: "Oh I remember this room... I think."
Aribar: "I sort of remember this. Did we come here for nothing?"
Metal Man (GM): The hand suddenly twitches.
Charles: "No. There's a reason why the other doors were locked."
Metal Man (GM): Weird arcade music starts up, and it floats from the ground, now encrusted with evil.
Aribar: "Oh no..."
Metal Man (GM): It makes weird gestures and laughs at the Questers. Then it picks up the gun. What do they do?
Digifanatic starts to run for the door.
Aribar: "We need to fight it to unseal the doors... I think."
Metal Man (GM): Digi barely fails; it laughs and shoots at Digi with deadly accuracy. *CRIT.*
Metal Man (GM): The hand, however, doesn't seem to be openly attacking; rather, it tracks people's motions closely.
Digifanatic is slammed largely by that... he seems like he can't get a great break but it still fine...
Metal Man (GM): Digi is warped back to the forefront of the room, with everyone else.
Aribar whispers, "I think... It may track us by movement... If we keep still we may be okay..."
Digifanatic: "Ah..."
Aribar tries to slowly move forward and test that theory.
Metal Man (GM): It slowly pivots to face Aribar. As he reaches the half-way point, its trigger finger slowly presses the trigger in sync with you moving forward.
Charles looks for something to hide behind.
Aribar tries to stop...*
Metal Man (GM): Aribar stops, and it stops as well, frozen in the last pose it was in.
Digifanatic tries to follow Ari's lead... very slowly...
Metal Man (GM): It doesn't track Digi.
Aribar: "Keep going till it tracks you... Then one of us can move again probably."
Aetos helps Charles search for an object to hide with.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos discovers a secret door. One which is usable without walking past the gun-packing hand.
Aetos points out the door to Charles.
Charles: "...!" *goes in that direction, wondering what Aetos is trying to point out.*
Metal Man (GM): Charles see... a secret door.
Charles enters it.
Aetos yells to Aribar "Bye!" Aetos then enters the door.
Aribar stands still but says, "What?!"
Metal Man (GM): Aetos and Charles enter it, and appear in the next room... a computery room. The door was hidden in this room, 'cause it has a fake mainframe for a door.
Digifanatic slowly follows Aetos then...
Metal Man (GM): Aribar watches Charles and Aetos open a door and vanish. Digi follows. The hand does not notice.
Aribar stands still... That hand must still be tracking the elf.
Metal Man (GM): The computer room smells of burnt computers; a massive console is in the middle. The console has been set to 'Power Save Mode'; despite being all damaged, it still functions.
Digifanatic checks out the middle console thing.
Charles checks it out as well.
Metal Man (GM): It says 'Made by Gerald Robotnik' on it, and a knob on it exists which points to 'Power Save' mode. It can be turned to 'Active' mode.
Aetos scratches his head.
Metal Man (GM): It has a keyboard, and appears to be running some sort of archive program.
Aetos shifty eyes.
Digifanatic: "Oh no... not another Gerald thing. I dunno if we want to find out what is on this."
Charles: "I will."
Aetos: "That knob reminds me of a strawberry for some reason."
Charles: "Do anything I'll make sure that the slightest touch will cause you pain." *goes up to the keyboard.*
Metal Man (GM): The keyboard is worn; it looks like it hasn't been used in years. Many... many... many... MANY years.
Aetos: "I don't respond well to threats. You'd think you'd realize that by now..."
Charles: "Just stay still why I decipher this, okay?" *blows on the keyboard. He then starts to using the computer.*
Metal Man (GM): Charles tries to use it, but the screen which comes up suddenly is overridden by an ancient program. The computer switches ITSELF to 'Active' mode, as the hand in the other room vanishes, allowing Aribar to catch up.
Charles: "...This may be what Kuja wanted us to do."
Aribar rushes to the other room as soon as it disappears. "Whatever you did, I thank you for it."
Gerald Robotnik: "All I wanted was revenge against those worthless humans... Now I am trapped on this planet,far away from even them! I must plan... yes... build a section to this pre-existing fortress..." *KZZZT.*
Aribar: "Standing in front of a loaded gun isn't my idea of fun... That thing's gone now... And that message sounds familiar."
Gerald Robotnik: "If you are seeing this, you have entered my last functioning laboratory. My final creation lays here... one cannot perfect life, but there was something better than life in the first place." *KZZZT.* "I shall never trust another organic being again." *KZZZT.* "The experiment is complete at last... this makes Shadow obsolete! All of my chaos energy theorems are true..." *KZZZT.* "All of my chaos energy theorems are true..." *KZZZT.* "...It can't be... the man who destroyed us al---" *KZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.* The hologram says 'Sha'Fol', but instead, 'Kuja' comes out. then it begins freaking out; alarms go off, and the hologram changes.
Charles: "..."
Gerald Robotnik: "...I have been forced to add to my original program, in case someone activated it again."
Aetos: "...SEE? It isn't just me, I just beat everyone to the cut."
Gerald Robotnik: "This previous display was activated 10 years ago, by the Questers. It was a prelude to an attack by an incomplete machine I had built, to supposedly replace The Void. However, I never created The Void and the machine failed miserably to kill the Questers."
Digifanatic: *rolling eyes.*
Gerald Robotnik: "I was freed by the Questers, but they had been tricked into giving Kuja the ultimate power. Now, as the last of the world is consumed by his power, I write this epitaph of a free world."
Metal Man (GM): The hologram sparks, and the machines are overheating saying this.
Gerald Robotnik: "For the last few moments of freedom, I have edited this machine in order to help the Questers defeat this inevitable takeover by Kuja."
Metal Man (GM): The voice begins to become digitized; it loses fidelity. The Questers' dexes all beep oddly, saying 'Data Download Complete.'
Digifanatic: "What the...?"
Charles opens his dex and views the data.
Aetos does the same.
Digifanatic: "I'll tell you this, guys... Gerald is one crazy double agent."
Gerald Robotnik: "This is a program designed to disable any inventions I make for Kuja. It must be taken to the heart of his communications and activated."
Aribar: "I'm not sure I like this... Could be a trick." *opens his dex and hopes that it still works.*
Metal Man (GM): The data is a complex cryptographic key which unlocks something hidden in Kuja's tower.
Digifanatic checks it out...
Gerald Robotnik: "As I lose my free will soon, I have no choice but to tell you that this great fortress, built when all three races were at peace at last, has been taken over. The new leader, Lashiec, has corrupted most of the remaining parts of it, and this program will also suffer."
Metal Man (GM): The picture begins to go out.
Gerald Robotnik: "You do not, nay, cannot use all three challenges. The others are fatally rigged in Lashiec's favor."
Aribar: "That isn't good..."
Gerald Robotnik: "Instead, you must use your willpower to summon him from the middle of the great fortress, and destroy him once and for all."
Metal Man (GM): The hologram dissipates, and most of the machines die down. A warp appears in the middle of the room.
Digifanatic: .oO(Yeah, so you can take over the world again, Gerald?)
Charles: "We're done on this path." *Takes the warp.*
Aribar follows the warp out, wondering what to think of that.*
Metal Man (GM): *WARP* The Questers reappear in the main room.
Digifanatic follows on.
Charles looks to the other doors.
Aetos nods. "This may be tricky." he hops in the warp after them.
Charles looks to the North and West doors to see if they're still locked
Aribar: "So we must summon Lashiec..."
Metal Man (GM): Both doors are open; though the warnings Gerald made sounded pretty bad.
Aribar: "Tridus! Where are you?" *The elf calls this out. Tridus would definitely be helpful for the upcoming event.*
Digifanatic: "Well... if everything else is rigged--somewhat like I mentioned before about Lashiec throwing the gauntlet down--I guess that's the next best thing..."
Metal Man (GM): Tridus appears out of thin air.
Tridus: "I was waiting for you."
Aetos mutters something.
Metal Man (GM): He takes his sword out.
Digifanatic: "Well, that was pretty handy."
Tridus: "This... will be needed. To summon Lashiec, of course."
Aribar looks at the sword... "Exactly what is that sword called and what's its nature?"
Aetos: "Chaos... would... the chaos emeralds bring more power into his summoning?"
Aribar: "The emeralds won't help us."
Aetos: "Why not?..."
Aribar: "The White Emerald is preventing at least me from doing anything with the Yellow one."
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Aetos: "Hmm..?" he takes out the white emerald. "Well, I don't see how."
Charles: "Are we really ready to face the fourth Commander yet?" *Looks to the doors.* "...There has to be someone one of those rooms that can help us against Lashiec."
Digifanatic: "Yeah, but we're going to get killed trying to do it."
Charles: "It is something that can either be considered or not."
Digifanatic: "Question is, is it possible to hack into Lashiec's systems... I doubt it, though."
Tridus: "The Chaos Maker. And it is chaotic. My plan... is to summon him using this and the Sword of Order."
Aribar: "I see..."
Charles has an idea.
Aribar: "Hrm... We should heal up and take out Lashiec first I think... Then try out the doors once whatever dark magics he worked are gone..."
Charles: "Tridus, before we do this, I'd like to ask: Are you able to sense that which is in the darkness?"
Tridus: "Yes... and it exists deep within that hole." *Points to the beam of light.*
Charles: "Is that where... Lashiec is?"
Tridus: "He rests there, indeed."
Aribar downs a Blue Potion so that he's fully ready for the upcoming battle...
Tridus: "It is the exact opposite of the point where Kuja became God. He wishes to live in the darkness."
Charles: "Can you sense anyone else?"
Aetos: "...So he's dowwwwn?"
Tridus: "None." *Looks upwards.* "Atlantis isn't even up there, where it used to be. This fortress is mostly falling apart. I'm amazed you survived the broken aspect of the Marician dungeon."
Charles: "Is it possible to convince... a ...Commander... to join our cause?"
Aetos just takes a peek inside the north door.
Charles: "Perhaps it's just a machine to be awakened, I don't know."
Tridus: "..." *He looks almost sad.* "Charles, this man betrayed Zio for Kuja and WON."
Metal Man (GM): Aetos checks on inside; it's completely dark inside.
Tridus: "He was summoned by Zio, too. In fact, he was Zio's predecessor, which makes his betrayal sort of a foolish thing."
Metal Man (GM): Aetos sees into the dark and see nothing but more darkness. That's what's in there. It doesn't look inviting.
Charles: "This place would collapse after Lashiec is killed, wouldn't it?"
Metal Man (GM): Like some infinite void.
Tridus: "I wouldn't be surprised if it collapsed during the final battle inside here." *Extends the Chaos Maker over the pit.* "Touch the Sword of Order to it, and the resonance shall draw him forth."
Digifanatic: "Good luck with this one guys..."
Charles: .oO(Perhaps searching for the probable ally was... a lost cause.)
Aetos looks into the West door to see if it's the same thing.
Aribar: "Wait... If this place collapses then we SHOULD search the ruins of the other challenges then."
Charles: "I want all the help we can get... it looks like we can't this time." *He unsheathes the Sword of Order, holding it with both hands.* *uses the pearl sword... and touches the Chaos Maker with the blade of his sword.*
Metal Man (GM): The West Door is filled with nothing but light; but the doors slam shut on all three rooms when the two swords touch.
Aetos: "Ack!" *stares at the door which shut before him..*
Metal Man (GM): A strange noise is made; Tridus steps back, as the beam in the center vanishes.
Digifanatic: "That is screwed up... I guess that means no turning back."
Aetos: "Great..."
Aribar frowns and stands back from the pit and the others... It looks like they've nothing to do now but face Lashiec.*
Charles steps back as well.
Metal Man (GM): From it, Lashiec appears, holding his staff. A dark platform appears; he stands atop it, an evil grin on his ancient face.
Aribar shudders as he feels the dark energy radiating from this vile figure.
Lashiec: "How dare you enter MY temple, fiends. What could you possibly demand from me?"
Metal Man (GM): He stares at the Questers, tapping his staff restlessly.
Aetos continues staring at the door.
Charles: "Commander Lashiec. We are here to put an end to the darkness that haunts this sector and proceed to Kuja's Tower without any probable interference from you."
Lashiec: "You are an imbecile for coming here. The last time you tried to stop anyone, you made Kuja God of the world. Have you come to make me, too, a God?"
Charles: "With as much darkness as you hold, I have no doubt you are already a God."
Metal Man (GM): He laughs at Charles.
Lashiec: "You are too wise to seriously challenge me. The last time I fought, I defeated all who opposed me."
Metal Man (GM): He looks at the rest of the Questers.
Lashiec: "Do you fight me, or have you come to bow to my power?"
Aetos turns around.
Charles holds the Sword of Order. He clenches it.
Aribar drops into his fighting stance. "We must fight you..."
Charles: "I speak for myself when I say, 'To fight you.' You may not see us wise in doing so, but we are committed to our decision."
Lashiec: "Then fall Questers."
Metal Man (GM): COMMANDER BATTLE. Questers vs. Lashiec.
Lashiec: "I last fought off the powers known as Julian, Garrick, Skyhigh, Mewtwo, Tetra, Wolfman, and Metal. What makes you better?"
Charles: "It makes us different."
Aetos lifts up his hand and reveals the chaos mark. Then hides it before any Questers see.
Lashiec: "Silence. Destroy him!"
Metal Man (GM): He points at Aetos. Charles is... compelled... to stab him with the sword of Order.
Aribar: "Eh?"
Charles: "..."
Aetos: "What? Why is Charles giving me that look... I'm not a cactuar, Charles!"
Charles eyes are empty and cold. He looks to Aetos with this stare... with sword to his left side. He attacks with two swipes from his sword.
Aetos: "AH?!"
Lashiec: "You are nothing but my puppets. I shall annihilate all of you."
Charles comes back from his controlled state.
Aetos reveals a pulsing wound on his arm.
Charles notices the gashes on Aetos and the blood on the sword of order. Charles then looks to the Commander. "Curse you, Lashiec!"
Lashiec: "Curse yourself, Lunarian."
Aribar: "Let's sap your strength away! Star Storm!" *A flurry of purple stars cut the undead menace's bones, hurting its health and sapping away some magical energy.*
Metal Man (GM): He blurs as he attempts to literally warp away from the stars.
Aribar: "Not even the great Lashiec can resist my magic!" *The elf gives a nervous chuckle... That was obviously meant to build up his low confidence against this dark foe.*
Digifanatic starts with attacking Lashiec with a standard Fire Punch and then attempting to land an Upward Slam, finishing off with a Light Ray.
Metal Man (GM): He beats Digi away with his staff. He blocks both attacks, laughing heartily. Then he beats that attack back as well.
Digifanatic is furious at his misses, but at least he tried to do what he could...
Lashiec: "You are only weaker than last time. There is no way you can hit me."
Charles looks around for Tridus.
Digifanatic: "Oh, would you please shut your mouth."
Metal Man (GM): Tridus stands off to the side, staring.
Aetos: "Grr. Why did you make Charles hit me!?" he leaps up and tries to punch Lashiec with a wind-imbued fist.
Charles: "Truly related to Metal he is."
Digifanatic: .oO(If there is a thing to hate it's an arrogant villain.)
Metal Man (GM): Aetos nearly punches him, but Lashiec grabs Aetos' fist mid-swing and sets him back down on the ground.
Lashiec: "Nothing."
Aetos: "Hrm..."
Digifanatic: .oO(Perhaps it's that we're not weaker--we're strong; he's just stronger.)
Lashiec: "You call that fighting? You're miserable, worthless fools. I'll make sure you die quickly! ANOTHER GATE!"
Metal Man (GM): He opens up two portals, one on either side of the group. They threaten to tear everybody apart sideways.
Aetos: "...Isn't that that attack... that opens up those two portals... and... crap."
Charles doesn't like this attack.
Metal Man (GM): Damage to Digi, to Aetos, to Charles, and to Aribar.
Aribar: "Gah..."
Lashiec: "...You should be dead by now, but I doubt you can survive my attacks for long."
Charles kneels. He wobbles as he begins to get up... wondering if he has one. He pulls out the dex and scans Lashiec.
Metal Man (GM): He points his hand at the dex and it explodes in Charles's face, dealing damage to him.
Lashiec: "Do that again and I'll destroy your head."
Aetos: "Woah!"
Metal Man (GM): Yes. Exploded.
Charles: "A counterattack. I should've known better..." *uses his remaining energy... and can't. He can only equip Gibby's shield. Charles then has been forgetting this entire mission about his natural defense.*
Aribar decides to fire another Star storm at the lich... The elf appears to be slowly saving up his energy for a big attack.
Metal Man (GM): He blocks the attack with his magical powers.
Digifanatic is a bit concerned as to what to do--he attempts to figure out a logical solution.
Metal Man (GM): Digi thinks of stealing his staff.
Aribar: "Blast..."
Digifanatic thinks it's just best it fight it off for now... an odd thought appears in his mind about trying to take something, but he refuses that--it's obviously too stupid to try and do it... Digifanatic then defends.
Lashiec: "I will use anything you hit me with effectively against you."
Aetos closes his eyes focuses on Lashiec's power. He begins trying to absorb it and gain an attack.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos attempts to mimic Lashiec's power. His head asplode. Or I should say, he learns how to cause an explosion to happen in front of his face.
Aetos growls, kneeling on the ground, exhausted. He tries once more to mimic him. "Your power will be mine..."
Digifanatic: "You should have known that there is a good chance that that is not going to work against him..."
Metal Man (GM): Aetos head asplode.
Charles: "It's ...Aetos. Logic escapes him."
Lashiec: "None can steal my power. Instead, they die."
Metal Man (GM): Lashiec takes his staff and shoots a concentrated beam of lightning into Aetos.
Aetos gasps.
Metal Man (GM): *Fail.* Damage.
Aetos: *BBBZZZTTT DEATH.*
Lashiec: "Who else likes to die violently?"
Digifanatic: *sigh.* .oO(This is what happens when he does not listen.)
Charles gets up... breathing heavily. He goes to stand, only to have his knees collapse. He gets up again, his upper body moving up and down from the breathing. He makes a leap towards the sorcerer, elbow going towards the wizard then it turning into a horizontal slash.
Metal Man (GM): The slash misses, clanging against the staff.
Charles could only make one slash. His energy exhausted, he can only take a sitting defense stance, leaning back. Charles then looks to Tridus again.
Aribar fires his last Star Storm at the evil Lashiec... Almost there.
Tridus: "I must wait until the time is right."
Digifanatic tries thinking what to do again... if only he could find some sort of decision that would help him further the progress of his side of the battle...
Charles sight begins to become blurry. Two of them said that? He goes back to looking into the direction of Lashiec and the others.
Metal Man (GM): Digi thinks of stealing the staff, then of light-energy attacks.
Digifanatic: "Hmm... well, what the heck." He tries to fire another Light-ized Punch at him...
Aetos lies in front of Lashiec, his corpse is buzzing with electricity.
Metal Man (GM): Digi barely hits, burning Lashiec for double damage.
Aetos appears healthy again after a swirl of wind twists around his body and lifts him above the ground. Aetos then stands there, kind of confused. "What hit me?..."
Metal Man (GM): Lashiec puts up a big ol' force field. Or, at least, it's a barrier.
Charles pulls the sword out of the ground. He leaps up and uses another slash of elbowic slash.
Metal Man (GM): Miss.
Aribar decides to test the barrier with a Thordain spell...
Digifanatic thinks that it's kind of hard to be able to do anything for now... he spritzes himself with a Healing Spray and saves his energy for next time.
Aetos leaps up to Lashiec now, and tries to land a powerful kick on him.
Metal Man (GM): ...Or a very inaccurate one. Lashiec laughs and then tries to mind control Aribar. Aribar is commanded to use whatever area effect spells he has against the group.
Aribar fires his last Thordain at the most concentrated area of the group... Including himself?
Aetos: *BAZOW.*
Digifanatic takes the hit but isn't too shaken yet...
Aetos takes damage. Ow.
Digifanatic: "Just try and think of something... different... to do. If we can somehow be able to work through the room and find something that is to our advantage, it's probably better off than to try to kill ourselves attacking this guy."
Aetos: "Well, there is MY idea!"
Charles can't keep attacking..and since he has no alternative... he looks down into the pit.
Digifanatic: "Your ideas kill people. Or communicate with beings we don't want to talk to."
Aetos: "Well, they ALSO kill the evil guys."
Digifanatic: "Sometimes, but..."
Aribar blinks, snapping out of the controlling trance... "Eh? What just happened?"
Metal Man (GM): The pit appears bottomless, and leads to the very center of the planet, almost.
Digifanatic: "You got sent to shock us all."
Aribar: "Err... Sorry!"
Aetos: "Yeah! *Pokes the buzzes on his stomach.* "That hurt me like hell."
Digifanatic: "You thinking Chaos Control?"
Charles walks around the pit, to be behind Lashiec.
Aetos: "That could work, but we'de -- nevermind."
Charles looks for anything outta the ordinary here. any.
Metal Man (GM): Nope; it all looks normal here. Though Charlescould grab the platform.
Charles figures what the hell. With his free fingers, he goes to grab the platform.
Digifanatic: "Ari... talk to me for a sec."
Metal Man (GM): Charles grabs it.
Digifanatic motions him a bit close while Charles inspects the situation. "Aetos, you too. I have a question for you guys."
Aribar: "Is now REALLY a good time when we're being blasted by dark magic?"
Aetos: "Yeah?"
Digifanatic: "Well... what do you folks have for high-knockback moves?"
Aribar: "... Lashiec, would you mind if we discussed team strategy without you killing us?"
Digifanatic: .oO(ARI!)
Aribar: "Nothing."
Digifanatic: (still somewhat quietly) "Aetos? Anything that can slam him back a bit?"
Aetos: "If it hits."
Digifanatic: "Well... with the pit... maybe we should concentrate on those and those alone. If it has Light or something attached, it--and certainly I--could help."
Lashiec: "Do as you wish, but nothing can stop me."
Digifanatic: .oO(Look at him... he doesn't even care what we do cause he's so arrogant...)
Aribar: "There! Now we can discuss strategy privately since this dark lord doesn't mind." .oO(You've gotta wonder if his confidence is correctly placed...)
Metal Man (GM): Charles has grabbed the platform.
Aetos growls. "That light wont do anything to him, you know. He CAME UP from it."
Metal Man (GM): The one Lashiec stands on, over the pit of light.
Charles attempts to pull it.
Metal Man (GM): It's too heavy for Charles to pull. That acti-- Charles pulls it off from top of the hole.
Lashiec: "What are you thinking?"
Metal Man (GM): It clatters to the ground, no longer over the beam.
Charles: "...?"
Lashiec: "That did a lot of nothing. What are you going to do now?"
Aribar: "Yeah. I'm curious."
Aetos: "The only hope is the chaos emeralds, I tell you..."
Aribar: "The emeralds won't work! "They're useless."
Aetos: "Why not?"
Digifanatic: "We have the white one."
Aetos blinks, then laughs uncontrollably at Aribar.
Lashiec: "Use them, and you will merely feed a far more powerful foe."
Digifanatic: "It'll negate anything--and that too..."
Charles: "Lashiec is right. The last thing we need is The Void returning."
Lashiec: "If you are that desperate to die, go ahead and use them."
Aribar begins putting his life essence and magical energy into a ball of electricity... It expands to twice the original size and the elf mutters an arcane word causing a massive beam of electricity to hit Lashiec (Hopefully).
Aetos continues to laugh at Aribar.
Lashiec: "It is just as before. My powers are so great, you can barely scratch me."
Aribar: "W-what? ... That was my most powerful spell..."
Metal Man (GM): He throws his cape outwards.
Lashiec: "You lack the power to defeat me."
Digifanatic hunches one small bit and then glares at Lashiec. Immediately after, he leaps and tries to use a Downward Slam on him--hopefully pressing him into the pit.....but not that time.
Metal Man (GM): He knocks Digi away with his staff.
Digifanatic hangs loose and defends for now.
Aetos: "Grr..." he defends.
Lashiec: "And now... to utterly destroy you."
Metal Man (GM): He raises his fist; a ring on it shines, and begins charging up energy.
Aetos: "Ooh..."
Digifanatic: "Charles... if you have something that can knock him far back, do it."
Charles: "...I have nothing. There is only one thing I can do... I will return."
Aribar: "Quick! Interrupt his concentration by ANY means necessary!"
Charles musters up his remaining energy and jumps for a straight forward slash at Lashiec. Hit or miss... he will fall into the pit of light.
Metal Man (GM): Charles misses; Lashiec stares at Charles oddly.
Digifanatic: .oO(What is he thinking? Is he trying to screw with his mind?)
Lashiec: "You dare enter the inner depths of Kuja's eye?"
Charles: "My sacrifice... is for naught." *He falls into the pit.*
Aribar: "Locos! What the bloody hell?!"
Metal Man (GM): Charles falls down the pit... falls... falls... and then lands on some sort of... inner sanctum.
Digifanatic: "I have no idea, Mr. Hunter."
Metal Man (GM): His fall is soft; the light apparently causes stuff to float.
Aetos: "Grr! You aren't leaving me here with THEM! You're the only one I like!"
Digifanatic: "You hate me?"
Metal Man (GM): There he would see a crystal, hooked up to a large variety of machines.
Charles: "...Why... haven't I died?"
Aetos stiffens. "I mean... er..."
Metal Man (GM): It appears to be the holy relic of the Fortress of Glass; what powers it... and what was corrupted originally.
Digifanatic: "I don't think you hate me... I'm just trying to make sure that you don't do anything outrageous, that's all."
Charles walks closer to the crystal... that which connects itself to the machines.
Digifanatic: .oO(Dex, send me a camera down the pit!)
Metal Man (GM): It is an artifact of immense power; apparently what made Kuja a God. Charles could take it for himself... or destroy it utterly.
Aribar: "Okay... Charles committed suicide, Aetos is becoming scary..."
Metal Man (GM): The dex cannot read Digi's mind.
Lashiec: "And I'm about to kill you once and for all."
Charles: "..."
Metal Man (GM): His ring continues glowing; the Questers can continue to attack him, though it seems pointless.
Charles walks up to the crystal. He touches it with both hands.
Aribar rushes over to the dark ruler and unleashes a Bi-Bolt Slash upon it.
Metal Man (GM): The crystal feels immensely warm to the touch. Like an object crafted by the Solarians, Maricians, and the Whalleranians. It also seems to be filled with knowledge... knowledge which Charles could learn. But it feels dark...
Aribar: "Yah!"
Metal Man (GM): The evil ruler deflects Aribar's attack.
Digifanatic decides that to put one last idea in mind could be absolutely crazy, but it's now or never. He hunches a slight bit and glares at Lashiec. Right after this, Ian's body glows an immense white as he attempts to crash into him with one hopeful Celestial Fury...
Lashiec: "Pathetic."
Aetos: "Grr! Blast it." He walks up to the light.
Metal Man (GM): He knocks Digi away again.
Digifanatic: ...but misses wildly.
Metal Man (GM): The light looks infinite, and deadly.
Aetos: "He wont escape..." *takes out the x-zone crystal, and looks back to the light.*
Charles feels the crystal... and he takes the crystal from the machine.
Metal Man (GM): Charles has the crystal.
Digifanatic: "I'm not concerned right now... for I trust Mr. Magellean."
Metal Man (GM): It doesn't appear to effect the fortress any, having long been used instead to reroute power like a primitive electrical circuit.
Charles will accept what comes to him from this crystal. He must help his comrades from facing death.
Aetos sighs. "I hate this part."
Charles tries to absorb its knowledge.
Aetos jumps off after Charles, tucking the X-zone Crystal under his right arm. .oO(I will see Charles through to the end.)
Metal Man (GM): The crystal energizes; searching through its infinite knowledge, Charles realizes Lashiec is tough because of the crystal. And that, as long as the crystal exists, Lashiec will live forever.
Aribar: "... Did Aetos just commit suicide?" *The elf asks this while stabbing Lashiec.*
Metal Man (GM): All the weapons it suggests (Most unimaginable to anyone of this era) are inadequate. Even the all-powered Solarian Machine.
Charles understands. As knowledge is power, he... THROWS IT TO THE GROUND!
Metal Man (GM): Lashiec blocks, while Charles fulfills the last use of the crystal.
Aribar: "Gaaah..."
Metal Man (GM): It hits the ground; Aetos is suddenly projected upwards, not downwards. The light projects Charles upwards, too, as Lashiec's staff suddenly turns to dust.
Aetos closes his eyes. .oO(Charles didn't take this route... damn...)
Metal Man (GM): He backs away, burns occurring on his skin.
Lashiec: "Impossible... he refused infinite power just to destroy me..."
Aribar: "... What?"
Charles arises from the pit.
Metal Man (GM): Charles would float out, and the light would go out.
Aribar jumps off the platform as the staff turns to dust...* Aribar then then looks to Charles... "What on Whaller did you do?!"
Metal Man (GM): The entire fortress shakes; bits of glass fall from the ceiling.
Charles: "Rather than have it used for evil again, I have made sure it never makes anyone madly powerful again."
Aribar: "Okay... Now for a new problem; This place is gonna collapse on us. And Lashiec is still here."
Digifanatic: "Right..."
Metal Man (GM): Lashiec looks to the Questers, and... continues to stand, though weakened.
Digifanatic: "And the doors are locked.":
Lashiec: "As my last act, I will take you with me... to your deaths."
Charles: "...Tridus... is this the time?"
Metal Man (GM): He holds out his green ring, and a green force field appears around the entire area;
Digifanatic: "Not yet... you will."
Aetos opens his eyes again.
Digifanatic: .oO(Great. I'm bring a hypocrite to arrogance again.)
Tridus: "I don't understand... he hasn't died from that great loss of power. If now isn't, it never will. Stab him before he completes the magic; I don't want to end up in limbo again."
Aribar: "He'll just block!"
Lashiec: "Even as you plot to kill me first, your place is sealed."
Tridus: "He has no staff; he has no source of infinite power." *Casually tries to stab Lashiec.*
Charles: "Lashiec, you've played at life for too long." *attempts to strike the Commander with the Sword of Order.*
Metal Man (GM): Charles misses; Lashiec laughs, and holds out a hand... but then a different sword stabs Lashiec all of a sudden. ...Ganondorf's sword.
Aribar: "... What?!"
Digifanatic: *sees GD* "Now if this wasn't strange enough of a fight..."
Charles merely lands..
Metal Man (GM): The ring explodes, and he steps backwards, disintegrating. It turns out he was sort of an apparition. The entire area collapses inward, but the Questers reappear in... the Dark World... unphazed.
Aribar: "... Uh oh."
Charles shape is unaffected by the magic of the Dark World.
Metal Man (GM): The Questers don't change into anything this time 'round.
Digifanatic: "Still human--thank goodness..."
Ganondorf: "...For long, I have waited for that crystal to be destroyed. The seal on it kept my power out. For, as it turns out, Lashiec was an unbeatable apparition. He was created by Zio originally to destroy the Questers, but failed when he and his portal were destroyed first. With this final blow, the dark world is safe from Kuja's meddlings. I shall send you back to the light plane, if it pleases you."
Aribar: "And now what will you do?"
Charles: "This is twice you've saved us..."
Digifanatic: "So Lashiec is gone and we'll be able to ambush Kuja's Tower when we feel like we can?"
Ganondorf: "Yes."
Charles: "It means that Kuja's omniscient vision is gone.....Now I understand... You were the one waiting in the Fortress, weren't you?"
Digifanatic lightly pumps a fist but knows that he can barely do so due to the crazy turns of events that have come about...
Ganondorf: "Waiting? I merely watched."
Charles: "Regardless, 4 of the 6 Commanders have been defeated."
Digifanatic: "Were you the unknown ally that we had heard and wondered about?"
Ganondorf: "How am I supposed to know?"
Charles: "It matters not. Though it pains me to say it... Ganondorf... we need your help."
Digifanatic: "Eh... it's okay; I wouldn't be too concerned since Lashiec is dead."
Charles: "The final battles for Nintendus are close at hand and we need every bit of help we can get."
Ganondorf: "You may need my help, but all I have gotten from the Stadium was beatings. I only saved you because it would give me my rightful power back..."
Charles: "Even so, Kuja threatens us all. And you also should know of the looming threat of The Void."
Aribar: "Perhaps you've only gotten beatings because that is all you deserve?"
Ganondorf: *Points at Aribar.* "There lies my reason to not help you. If I deserve nothing but beatings, then I have no reason to help you."
Charles: "Then... do it for yourself. Do it so you can no longer be bothered by the tyrant of Nintendus and the chaos that may also come to threaten here as well."
Ganondorf: "Both have been dealt with, here. I am willing to remain in this realm, seeing as the seven sages worked so hard just to banish me here over and over again."
Charles: "...What about the Triforce?"
Ganondorf: "That... is out of my hands for now."
Charles: "With your help to rid of Kuja, it is possible to reassemble its pieces sooner than without your help."
Ganondorf: "And for whom to own them faster?"
Charles: "It is better to have one piece of a relic than none so your enemies cannot have all of it."
Ganondorf: "I will join your cause if it means I may rest here and only leave when it is necessary. That, and that the Triforce of Power is always mine."
Aribar: "..."
Charles: "Then we have a truce... until Kuja is gone."
Aribar: "You're serious?"
Ganondorf: "According to that truce, I shall send you back to your headquarters. Is that what you wish?"
Digifanatic: "That would be very much appreciated."
Charles: "That is what we desire. We will have no quarrel today, Ganondorf."
Metal Man (GM): He moves his hand, and the Questers are all at HQ.
Charles: "We will meet again."
Metal Man (GM): And so... Julian misses the entire mission.
Digifanatic: "Well, guys... this is it."
Aribar: "Soon we'll be facing Kuja... This seems like an impossible task."
Digifanatic: "In a shorter timespan than one may imagine... we will be able to ultimately prove ourselves in something big... Just imagine the millions of beings snapping out of their brainwashing the moment we kill Kuja... if we can."
Digifanatic: "One second, 'All hail Lord Kuja.' The next, 'What happened the past 10 years?'"
Aribar: "... It would definitely be a shock."
Digifanatic: "Yeah. And then, everybody looking at all their newspapers and historical books, asking questions like 'What in the world is AQ about? Who is this weird Kuja guy. I don't remember him.'"
Aribar: "If we can destroy him... We have problems with Lashiec. Kuja is a god."
Digifanatic: "And even then after... will they recognize that it was us? After they snap out of it... they might remember our faces but I doubt that there's some telepathic link that tells them, 'Hey, these are the guys that killed the person who subdued your minds for the past decade...' Unless of course, he televises what he thinks is our demise. Which, sadly, isn't out of the equation. It's amazing how life works, Ari. It's always one moment. One moment changes this, one moment changes that--one decision, one message, one stab of a sword or shot of a gun."
Aribar: "Let us hope that the stabs and shots make us victors in the upcoming battle."
Digifanatic: "Yes. Let us hope. I need to return home for a few minutes... just to see what has happened... Even if I have to wait till after this is over, I want to see things. I want to know what I have missed and what has missed me. Wouldn't be surprised if there are a few Whalleranians or whatever your proper term is that are going through a similar cycle for you."
Aribar sighs. "It has been a long time since I've been home... I hope everything is okay there. With Mr. Monster and I in Nintendus that leaves my brother as the only Protector of Whaller actually on Whaller. So even if Kuja's reach never extended there he has his hands full with the world's typical problems."
Digifanatic: "Yikes. At least with people like who I was supposed to be if I weren't here however many years ago, you have thousands of people sorta dispersed throughout Earth... it's not just limited to one or two or five. The powers of fate work in interesting ways, as I have learned."
Aribar nods, and begins thinking... "Aye... And I think they may have delt us a cruel hand. I just realized something. Metal denied me permission to go to Turion due to the Void possibly coming back... "* "Do you think that heading to Whaller or Earth would help him as well?"
Digifanatic: "Help who? The Void?"
Aribar: "Yeah..."
Digifanatic: "I don't understand why such a thing would occur... and what reasons make you want to go to Turion? Nothing wrong, but it's a bit odd."
Aribar: "Before the Meier Link fiasco I wanted to use Garrick's forge to make a weapon out of the Deku Tree Branch somehow. I asked Metal for permission and he explained traveling to Turion might bring in a new Void."
Digifanatic: "Weird. I've told him about how I've wanted to return to Earth and he never said anything about The Void. Sure, I've never asked if it would."
Aribar: "Hrm... Hopefully it's just going to Turion that causes the problem."
Digifanatic: "Probably so. Well, I have to ask you this, and this is about ridding Kuja. What sort of divine move or insane trick he'd never predict to come do you think we may be able to pull off with success?"
Aribar takes a deep breath and sighs.* "Hrm..."
Digifanatic: "With The Void, it was Veeg's Armageddon... I forget what we tried with Kales. Do you remember?"
Aribar: "No... Not really."
Digifanatic: "Was that just brute force?"
Aribar: "Possibly."
Digifanatic: "Hang on... I'll ask Metal if he's available?" *walks over to Metal if he's there...*
Aribar: "It's pretty late... He may be sleepin'."
Digifanatic: "Yeah, but he may be there... Think Julian remembers?"
Aribar: "Maybe."
Digifanatic: "Alright, I'll go talk to him." He walks over to Julian's room and knocks on his door. "Hmm... seems like he's dozing off, too, or something..." *waits just in case it takes him a bit to get there but doesn't force any issues by shouting or anything.*
Julian' nappin' on R&R's couch, which he has claimed as his room while the stadium is being rebuilt. "Mmph... Come in..." *Julian goes back to burying his face in the couch cushion.*
Digifanatic: "Oh, you're over there. Thought you were in your room."
Julian: "This IS my room."
Digifanatic: "Listen, Ari and I have been discussing all sorts of stuff about the thing we have with Kuja approaching... oh."
Julian: "'S far as I'm concerned, I'm just lettin' you guys use it to hang out in. Now what're you talkin' bout?"
Digifanatic: "Anyways, we were thinking about if there was some sort of insane thing we could pull off on him that could greatly increase our chance of winning, and that brought back some things on how we defeated some old foes. Do you remember us doing anything that could be claimed as hardly the usual on Kales?"
Julian: "...I slashed 'em up, then finished him off with that Cat Cube. "
Digifanatic: "But aside from that, that was mostly brute force?"
Julian: "Pretty much, yeah. 'Side from Aetos fryin' himself with that staff, 'was a slugfest."
Digifanatic: "Alright. Thanks. It's just it helps to think about these things now before his killing on us spreads like wildfire."
Julian: "Wha?"
Digifanatic: "It helps to figure out a good strategy before he smacks us around like schoolchildren. See where I'm going?"
Julian: "Oh. Yeah yeah, you go ahead an' do that, I'm tryin' to sleep." *Julian's been speaking into the cushion this entire time.*
Digifanatic: "Sure, no problem..." He starts to walk away and then back to his normal room. "Ari, it was that Cat Cube he used on Kales that took him out. Abnormal but not divine. Nothing wrong though. It worked and we're back here doing our thing. I'm heading into my room... talk to you whenever." *has now approached his room and enters it.* "Well... no friends suddenly appearing out of nowhere, no letters addressed to me anywhere... nothing waiting. I really need to get another computer sometime after Kuja crushed the old one..." He says half to himself. "Oh well. These things happen."
Aribar says a belated goodbye to Digi before he disappears... The elf was distracted by a few various thoughts.
Digifanatic takes his shoes off and lays on his bed, staring at the ceiling again...
Aribar decides to head to the Holo room and see if anything there still works.*
Digifanatic: "Yeah, I wish someone was here... We can do this... I'm not saying we will... but we can." *figures that if nothing or nobody strange is going to confront him now, nothing will until he either wakes up or the alert for the next mission comes, hopefully the former. *