Jack had studied before over a dozen masters of some form of combat, and learned multiple styles of the martial arts. His training was deep as well as broad, but there was only so much instinct that could be hammered into a man. What came to him as Shinuq'tan's stiff-hand strike flashed out, seeking to crush his heart, was a common lesson amongst them. When the end had come, there was a way to hurt the enemy before you died. Normally, the samurai would have tried to dodge, deflect, or otherwise avoid the attack. This time, as the chieftain's hand twitched, Jack stepped forward, towards his left hand, where he was confident the attack would come from, denying the necessary momentum for a lethal blow. The strike would pulverize muscle and break ribs, but it would not be enough to kill, or so he believed from the hits he had already taken. And it meant Shinuq'tan's dominant hand was now immobilized.
Jack's remaining functional hand flickered up and over as he made a desperate grab for that hand. If he could get hold of it, Shinuq'tan's age might at last be used against him. If he could do that, a solid knee strike might inflict the same injury that Jack himself had suffered. And even if he could not, he could direct a kick or a punch at the chieftain's right hand, the one he was certain was a weakness of some kind. It could be a trap, but it was all he had left to do.
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. -Lao TzuLune - Tag
'Burn, burn, take, burn, take, burn... huh?'
After sneakily hiding a couple of martial arts scrolls inside her bag (new ways to grind opponents to a bloody pulp were always welcome), Lune noticed something once she moved a rather big atlas to one side. Reaching into the shelf, she pried at it until she finally got something out of it: a small amulet with a photograph inside. She recognized the lizardman as the younger version of the one the old bearded god had showed them, but she couldn't really tell who the other man was... until she noticed that the one standing right behind him was none other than the one they were fighting at that very moment.
'Just how much of a lapdog is this guy?'
Right as she was putting the triptych in a separate pocket of her bag, she heard a loud cry behind her. Upon turning around, she saw a rather small feathery dinosaur that almost looked like it had been born in a volcano. A creature that, with a loud shriek, darted out of the room extremely fast.
The devil didn't really care about what happened to Sabrina or Junko, but someone had to deliver all the evidence to the chiefs. Sure, Sabrina's pet could probably fend off that overgrown feathered lizard for a while, but if it got any close to either human, they'd be completely screwed.
Uncloaking herself, she quickly took off the ground and flew towards the door, though not without taking a couple of seconds to retrieve the still squirming blade from the floor, which instantly stabbed her hand in repeated attempts to burrow into it... until it stopped moving completely. With that out of the way, the horned girl darted after the Deinonychus, looking forward to seeing just how much blood it could lose before it died.
As for 'Death'... she'd come back to play with him later.
Zero wasn't expecting Death to actually send the Burst Shot flying back. Hopefully there was nothing important in that desk.
Zero wanted to chase after the Lizard that had gone after Junko and the others, but he had doubts Link and Mustang could handle Death alone. Especially after Mustang was wounded by Lune's boxcutter.
However, Mustang still managed to pull off another fire attack. And Zero wanted to pitch in. Using another burst shot had too much risk of collateral damage, but he had an alternative option. The second there was a break in Mustang's fire, Zero dashed in and used his Z-Saber and fire chip to unleash a fiery Split Heavens attack on Death.
edited 29th Jun '15 11:52:40 AM by Cybersbe
What is this "signature" of which people speak?Chun-Li, Riverrock—Military District, City Watch Headquarters
Chun-Li rolled her eyes as she continued taking advantage of torturing Envy, though she wasn't going to stop Edward from doing it.
"Didn't we determine you and Envy were from alternate versions of the same world like how you met your friends on that Toon World a while back?" Chun-Li asked Edward in a whisper only Edward, Envy, and herself could hear. "This Envy isn't the Envy you know... He could have done things differently back home than the Envy from your home, and vice-versa."
Sabrina, Scaled Nations—Moot Hall, The Corridor
Noticing the attack that was just about to happen, Sabrina clutched the black binder and ran as fast as her legs could, only just avoiding getting hit in the back with the hellfire. Panting, she continued running eventually catching up to Junko, who was going slow to let Sabrina catch up.
"Thanks," Sabrina eventually replied to Junko's question. "...Actually, yes, it is as weird to me."
While the saving the day for people they didn't even know was not exactly common on her world, it does happen like when Team Rocket's plans in Saffron City were foiled by the then aspiring Pokemon Trainer Red. There were other events where some aspiring Pokemon Trainer would save the day, though those were in other places besides Kanto. However, Asian Lizard People and undead sorcerors were definitely new and weird. However, Sabrina did think that Death wasn't really expecting them and no lizard person noticed their arrival unlike the green swordsman with the pointed ears. Junko then complimented her outfit.
"Yeah, our outfits are weird like they are meant to blend into this world," Sabrina noted to Junko. "Your outfit looks gre—"
Sabrina's praise of the outfit chosen for the Ultimate Fashionista was interrupted by a loud shriek, and Sabrina glanced backwards, seeing the Fiendish Deinonychus catching up to them fast... Too fast to outrun! They'd have to fight, but they would lose since this thing would likely have a type advantage against Psychic-types and neither Junko or her would stand a chance on their own. The only option was to sacrifice one of their lives, but just as Sabrina was about to hand the Black Binder and Alakazam's Cystal Orb to Junko so she could run while Sabrina faced the creature on her own, Lune darted into the corridor behind the Fiendish Deinonychus, looking poised to attack it.
"RUN! RUN!" Sabrina told Junko and began running for her life. "Something's coming behind us fast!"
She just hoped Lune was skilled enough to fight it.
edited 29th Jun '15 10:52:48 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food BadlyJunko; Moot Hall, Corridor
It seemed that their short, enjoyable conversation was interrupted by the sound of rapidly pattering feet. Wondering what the source of it was, the girl looked back.
There appeared to be a bird-like raptor chasing after them.
"Huh. A dinosaur."
For a moment, Junko was curious. She obviously didn't see a dinosaur every day. In fact, this was pretty exciting. Of course, it would be better if the thing didn't seem intent on eating them. Though...maybe that added to a bit of the excitement. She briefly fantasized how the creature would attack, possibly grabbing one of them in it it's powerful jaws and then messily gnawing it's prey in half...
She also wondered if Sabrina would hand over her parts of the evidence. After all, if anyone was going to fend off that thing, it definitely wouldn't be the defenseless fashion model. If she held all the keys to this puzzle...then, ultimately, this entire matter would have been put into her hands. That would have been a truly desperate situation...
However, then Lune showed up, mitigating whatever power fantasies she had in play. She went back to focusing on running.
"Umm...you said you train monsters right? Can't you catch that thing or something?" She asked aloud, as they continued their pathway towards the main chamber.
She supposed soon it wouldn't matter. The room must be coming up soon...
edited 30th Jun '15 5:26:52 AM by lightdarkhero250
I'm a ghost, you didn't see me.The Doctor looks down at the ground, sadness clearly in his eyes. "Kyoko...none of that is your fault. Sazh said it is the duty of a father to love their kids and do anything for them. As a father...a grandfather even, I know he's right. You did far more than any daughter should have to do especially at your age. A wish, the ability to have anything you wanted...and you used it to help your father. Fathers are supposed to sacrifice for their daughters, not the other way around. You made one of the most selfless sacrifices anyone could make, now here you are having been called a witch by your father and seeing yourself as a doomed soldier in a hopeless war."
The Doctor sighs, clearly reliving his own memories. "This world doesn't play fair Kyoko. I won't lie to you and tell you it does. Your duty...our duty is to bring happiness. There are glorious things out there that need protecting. Daughters we need to make sure don't also lose their fathers. Souls to be saved. I know the cold and how it feels to die inside. I've seen my whole family, my whole planet burn. My second home has burned. It'll never get easier, Kyoko. You can't stop though. Fight for those days everyone lives. Fight for those days you stop a tale like yours from happening. As for Ms. Mami, just because she fell, doesn't make her wrong... lots of good people have fought and died with me, and I will never forget so much as one of them for what they did and what they were. Kyoko, I bet she would fight for your memory and your legacy. You’re clearly very strong but remember that her spirit, her memory still lies inside you. In times where it seems impossible, when it seems to never be enough…fight with their memory and spirit guiding you."
edited 2nd Jul '15 3:31:20 PM by Fusionman
Sabrina, Scaled Nations—Moot Hall, The Corridor
"First, it's probably not a Pokemon. Second, I would have to have Alakazam fight it down and then use one of my empty Pokeballs to catch it. And third, Death is mostly likely its trainer so an empty Pokeball won't even work on it because of the built-in anti-thief safeties," Sabrina explained a bit to Junko how her world worked as she pulled out the Crystal Orb and summoned Alakazam from it.
"Alakazam, run with me, but keep an eye on the creature behind us," Sabrina told the Pokemon as he ran beside her. "It is important that it not attack us, understand?"
Alakazam nodded as he kept an eye on the fiendish deinonychus as he ran behind Junko and Sabrina.
Wizard Needs Food BadlyIt seemed as if there couldn't be even a minute that passed within the Ziggeraut where something eventful did not happen. If it wasn't an ambush, it was an explosion. If there wasn't an explosion, there was an encounter with a warrior spirit. If there wasn't a warrior spirit, there was a dragon, followed by an extended butchering period of its corpse* . Finally, if there wasn't a dragon, there was the group's most troublesome member bitterly revealing crucial details about herself.
Still, while the huntress wasn't in a mood for delays, she hadn't missed the value in this opportunity. Sazh, fluttershy, and the good doctor expressed concern. Sayaka was angered, then shocked into silence, as it seemed was the rest.
Samus's reaction expressed different sentiments altogether. At first she had raised an ambiguous eyebrow at her outburst — not that anyone could see — but as Kyoko deemed to finally reveal the origin of her beliefs, Samus's expression retracted and became carefully guarded.
She dissipated her helmet and glanced at the good doctor and Sazh as they attempted to comfort the girl. When the good doctor was partway through his own passionate preaching of peace, she looked back at the girl with a particularly piercing gaze.
Samus did not look at her with compassion in that moment, nor with understanding or hope, not like the others had. She was analyzing her stoically, taking in Kyoko's every little reaction while revealing little of her own. It was hard to tell exactly what the huntress was thinking, but Kyoko would be able to see that the armored warrior was going to wait for her to say something first, before she revealed any of the details of her piece of mind.
When the good doctor finished speaking, Samus raised an expectant eyebrow.
—Well then, Kyoko, show me how you will react to such displays of kindness. Perhaps you shall even prove me wrong.—
edited 7th Jul '15 6:29:59 PM by tvtropesnoob
After the Doctor's piece, Fluttershy could not hold it in anymore and suddenly wrapped Kyoko in a warm hug. "What you did was selfless, and your father does soemthing so awful!" the pony said. "The act of helping others is never a bad thing, it is circumstances beyond our control and the act of terrible people like your father that are the problem! Don't forget that," the pegasus said, seemingly hugging the magical even tighter.
DAMMIT MARK, STOP HITTING HELPY!!So the cheeky brat finally tells her story, huh? The Freeshooter thought with a small grin, imperceptible to the group as he watches the crimson-haired lass pour her heart out to the group as well as explain her hatred for something that she had once believed in to be naught but lies. He knew too well of false promises not only given to him, but to the rest of the Organization as each of them succumbed to either their own ambitions, destroying each other or by Sora/Roxas.
And here he was, caught up in what remained of dead gods' games for survival. He, along with everyone in this challenge, would need to fight their way to the end and reunite before confronting their true enemy. Not only that, he had also realised that anyone among the ever expansive Multiverse could be plucked from their realms at any time to feed the monstrous Omega should they die in that place.
While never having personally met or seen the thing, he'd swore to avoid doing so unless he was prepared to die and stay dead, never to return home. But it would be a nice surprise if Master Xehanort lost a body simply because it wasn't strong enough to survive... He mused, as he began to observe the group's reactions and attempts to console the girl. Though he doubted the effectiveness as he recognizes the fact that the girl hates what she perceives as pity. It doesn't matter, anyway. It's not like I have a heart or anything to even care about her suffering...right?
Right?
Unbeknownst to him, or the mental manifestations that resided in his body, something began to shift for a moment then stopped. It would be some time before this action ever occurred again...or would it?
[DATA LOST]Scaled Nations—Moot Hall, Chieftain’s Office
Preoccupied as he was with casting his spell, this latest blast of fire caught ‘Death’ completely by surprise. The flames engulfed him, scorching his bones and blackening his armour even further, heating the metal plates so much that parts near their edges began to run like candlewax and drip onto the floor. Then Zero caught him while he was still reeling, the Z-Saber’s now-flaming blade carving a glowing vertical gash across the skeleton’s breastplate and nicking the base of his jaw as the Reploid launched himself upward.
His only response to these attacks was a glower, and the words, “Scutum Ignis.”
With this utterance he burst into flames once more; but this time, the effect was radically different. The flames which suddenly engulfed his booted feet and swept up across his body like wildfire were not the orange and red of traditional fire; nor were they black and screaming, like the hellish fires ‘Death’ had conjured moments ago. They were green, a sickly and unnatural hue that cast lurid shadows through the smoke and across the floor.
And they gave off no heat, as Zero would discover as he came down from his Split Heavens attack.
Instead, these toxic emerald flames radiated extreme cold, so much so that hoarfrost immediately began to spread across the ground at Death’s feet, and hissing steam began to rise from his shoulders as they swept over and consumed the orange flames engulfing him; and if Zero struck at the undead swordsman again, he would find that cold spreading through his limbs into his body, coating him with frost and ice.
[Arawn casts fire shield
on himself! He now takes half damage from fire-based attacks. Anyone who attacks him in melee with bare fists or handheld weapons will now take 1d6+14 cold damage, unless their weapons have reach.]
Repositioning himself so that he had both Zero and Mustang in his sights, ‘Death’ brought his greatsword into a low two-handed guard. “Your fire has been nullified,” he rumbled. “What will you do now?”
The answer came from over his shoulder. “Th-this.”
And Tethrasur, whose leather armour was hanging from him in charred and blackened strips, whose back was a canvas of weeping sores and burn scars, whose tiger skull helmet had been shattered when the force of the earlier explosion had flung him against the wall and now littered the floor in a trail of pieces from where he had crept up on the towering death knight, rammed his quarterstaff into ‘Death’s’ spine.
“GRAAAAAARGH!”
Death threw back his head, his jaw flying open in a very real bellow of pain—the first he had let out since the battle began. White light flared from the heads of Tethrasur’s staff, driving back the shadows and smoke for just a second; and for just an instant, so quickly that Mustang, Zero or Link might miss it if they blinked, ‘Death’s’ form seemed to shimmer and split like a camera losing focus. Then he was whole, and even though his face had been burned away completely, his rage was plain for all to see.
“Flank him!” Tethrasur wheezed, desperately swinging his frost-covered quarterstaff around to strike Death across the shoulders; again the light burst forth, again the skeleton snarled, again his form wavered like a bad video recording as he spun around to face the shaman. “We can bring him down—!”
He thrust with the quarterstaff, but Death nimbly stepped aside, focusing all his attention on the shaman now. His sword lashed out furiously, its sharp edge shrieking as it split the air, a savage rain of blows that forced Tethrasur to back away on the defensive.
“You haven’t even come close to bringing me down, First Shaman,” the swordsman snarled. “All you’ve succeeded in doing is making me ANGRY!”
He brought his sword down in a vicious overhand slash, splitting the quarterstaff in two and forcing Tethrasur to his knees from the force of trying to block. Then he reversed his swing, and the first shaman cried out as he left the floor, flying almost ten feet into the air and leaving a trail of blood in his wake as he came crashing down in a heap.
[Power Attack: Arawn subtracts 15 from his attack roll, attacks Tethrasur with his adamantine greatsword of unholy power and scores a critical hit! Tethrasur takes 96 points of slashing damage, reducing him to -4 hp. Tethrasur is now dying; he must be stabilized within 6 rounds or he will die.]
The First Shaman shuddered and twitched, lying in a rapidly-expanding pool of his own blood. Arawn’s blade had carved a deep gash across his torso from his right hip to his left shoulder, through which hints of muscle, bone and even internal organs could just barely be seen. He coughed weakly, gasping for air, spitting up blood and phlegm.
Then Arawn brought a boot down on his ribcage, and Tethrasur’s coughing intensified.
“You’ve accomplished nothing,” the death knight sneered, clearly relishing the shaman’s pain. “By now my pet should be butchering those girls, and you will make a fine martyr for Shinuaq’tan to rally his people: ‘First Shaman dies heroically, stopping warmblood saboteurs from planting false evidence to discredit the chieftain.’” He gripped his sword in both hands, holding it straight down so that the point hovered over Tethrasur’s bobbing Adam’s apple. “The war will begin, just as He demands. Now die!”
He lifted the blade, preparing to administer the coup de grâce…
Corridor
Spotting its prey, the fiendish deinonychus let out a piercing screech and put on a burst of speed. It tore after Junko and Sabrina like some feathery bipedal cheetah, eating up the distance between them with every lightning-fast step it took. Soon it was within pouncing distance, and it shrieked once more as it leapt into the air, hurtling toward the two girls with its jaws agape, paws grasping, murderous sickle-clawed toes outstretched…
They were close to the main chamber’s door, so very close; they could hear the murmuring of the assembled chieftains, could hear the sounds of Jack’s scuffle with Shinuaq’tan. Another few feet, and they would be through.
But if Lune or Alakazam didn’t intercept the deinonychus, it wouldn’t matter.
Whatever Shinuaq’tan might have expected Jack to do, it wasn’t that.
The Grand Master’s eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise as Jack stepped into the attack, not only robbing it of its full force (though what remained was still considerable), but also trapping his left wrist. And before he could react, Jack had driven his knee into the chieftain’s gut with all the force he could muster, forcing a pained grunt from his scaly lips.
It was a hit, a palpable hit. But it wasn’t enough.
Snarling, Shinuaq’tan hooked his right arm under Jack’s knee, trapping the samurai just as surely as Jack had trapped him. Then he took advantage of the fact that he possessed one limb his opponent did not: a tail. Leaning himself back so that he formed a tripod with his legs and stiffened tail, Shinuaq’tan drove a sudden, vicious stomping kick at Jack’s unbound knee.
Riverrock—Vagabond District, Catacombs
Stalgrim grunted as Johnny began to support him, as if he wanted to step away and stand on his own two feet but lacked the strength to do so. At length he relented, however, and slung his longsword over his shoulder.
“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “Let’s.”
And, draping one arm over Johnny’s shoulders while using the other to cover his bloody abdomen, the captain of the City Watch allowed Johnny to lead him out of the tunnels and back up to the surface.
Riverrock—Military District, City Watch HQ
At Leo’s words, Lieutenant Farron crossed her arms and blew out a breath. Her expression was pensive. “Let’s hope so…”
The clerk whose desk Edward had chosen, a short-haired and androgynous half-elf, started as the glass came down. He stared incredulously at the little glass jar with the little green monster inside it, pencil-thin eyebrows rising to the top of his head as he took in Edward’s demands, explanation, and antics. Nor was he the only one staring; that mousy little man with the glasses was watching the whole spectacle of Edward, Envy and Chun-Li hissing at each other with clear bemusement, and several other clerks were looking up from their reports and duties to watch, obviously puzzled.
Then their eyes all turned to Lieutenant Farron, who could only cover her face with one hand.
“They don’t pay me enough for this,” she mumbled under her breath. “Why do I always get the loonies…?”
Then the doors of City Watch Headquarters flew open, and complete silence fell over the room. Now everyone was looking towards the entrance, and as Lieutenant Farron turned to see what had caught everyone’s attention, her eyes went wide and she let out a gasp.
There, in the doorway, stood Johnny and Captain Stalgrim.
Leaning on the young man’s shoulders, still bleeding from his gut, the half-orc paladin somehow managed a smile. “The damned beast is dead.”
And then he collapsed.
“Captain!” Lieutenant Farron immediately rushed to his side, catching him just before he could hit the floor. “Someone get a healer, now!” she barked.
And just like that, the station burst into a frantic hive of activity as everyone stopped what they were doing and started rushing around, grabbing first aid kits and dressings and medical implements before rushing toward the captain.
But he only waved them off, snarling. “Don’t mother me, damn you. It’s just a scratch.” His eyes found Chun-Li, Edward and Leo, and recognition registered on his face after a moment. “You’re back? Then…” He frowned. “Which group did you… Agh, nevermind! Is it done?”
Path to Threshold
The first section of the text Pride turned to after his musings showed not one map, but several. The first of these was a highly-detailed, possibly painted map of what seemed to be either a nation or a large kingdom, albeit with many blank edges left unfilled.
◊ Immediately after this came a more conventional map, devoid of colour and written in a language that Pride could not understand; it seemed to be the same kingdom as before, but it had grown far larger now, and the castle that seemed to be the nation’s capital was now located at the center of the map rather than towards the northern edge.
◊ Expansion over time could have explained any possible discrepancies between those two maps, but the same could not be said for the next one; a brightly coloured and stylized illustration, this map depicted what seemed to be the same kingdom as before, but now the layout of its geography was completely and radically different. The desert had moved from the west to the southwest, and the vast lake which had been located at the southern part of the first map now sat atop a mountain to the east of the castle. Most baffling of all, though, was the inexplicable presence of a snowy plain right next to the scorching sandy desert; someone had even scrawled a small note in the margins below that part of the map, stating “How is that even possible?”
◊
Maps were not the only thing this section detailed, however. Hand-drawn illustrations were present as well, one of which depicted a strange golden triangle made up of three smaller triangles, levitating above a dais.
◊ Another, which took up a full page, depicted a terrific struggle between a towering man with red hair and green skin, and a young swordsman dressed in green… a swordsman who looked distinctly familiar, yet slightly different as well.
◊
The notes on this world read thusly:
Much as the demographics of this realm seem to be in a constant state of flux, so too does its very geography change drastically in ways that are unaccountable with the simple passage of time. The maps shown on the preceding pages are only a few examples of how starkly the layout of the land can change in mere centuries in this world, often doing so in ways that make no sense; the adjoining desert and tundra regions in Map 3 are a prime example of this strange geographical phenomenon.
Numerous planes connect to this one, though as of this writing their nature and denizens are not fully explored. Other lands and nation also exist within this world, but like the races and landscape their prominence is fleeting at best.
The history of this realm is a long and complex one, such that it could likely fill an entire wing of the Great Library in Iskandria; for the sake of brevity, it shall not be discussed at length here. Suffice it to say that time seems cyclical here; for centuries if not millennia, the history of this realm has been shaped by the eternal recurrence of a conflict between three individuals, who are seemingly reincarnated at various points throughout the ages. Each of them is destined to possess one fragment of a sacred golden triangle, left behind by the goddesses who made this world; each fragment confers a blessing of some sort on the one who possesses it, be that blessing boundless courage, great wisdom or godlike arcane power. But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; when all three pieces have been brought together, this divine artefact has the power to grant its assembler a single wish, without any discernable drawbacks or limitations. Such a thing is unheard of in our own world; even the greatest sorcerers and wizards, who possess the knowledge to cast the wish spell, have clear limitations on what they can do with it.
As the possible uses of this relic are nigh-unlimited, it should come as no surprise that the denizens of this world have waged many bloody wars against one another in order to attain it. The relic was eventually sealed away in another plane, curbing the violence, but that has not stopped the ambitious from trying to seek it out. Most notably, a desert thief was able to breach this other plane and claim one fragment of the triangle for himself, using its vast powers to make himself into a peerless sorcerer-king and later a demonic beast; this man is one of the three individuals destined to come into conflict throughout the ages, the other two being a fair elven princess blessed with wisdom beyond her years, and a young hero dressed in green, destined to wield a sword of evil’s bane.
Such a saccharine fairy tale…
Final Assessment: Viable target. This sacred triangle does not distinguish between wishes of good or evil intent, thereby making it a potentially useful tool. Likewise, the demon thief could make for a useful ally, if his ambitions can be properly yoked. And there are other mystical artefacts of great power in this world as well, artefacts whose properties make them highly desirable…
At this point Pride might hear the sounds of a commotion in the distance. If he were to look up from his book, he would see a plume of smoke rising into the night sky from one of the buildings in the village of Threshold, and hear dozens of panicked voices crying out.
The moot hall was on fire.
edited 6th Jul '15 12:13:11 PM by SullenFrog
The Danse Macabre CodexWhen Zero landed, the flames Death gave off made him think he'd better back off. Somehow it seemed risky to attack. (Aside from how in general it was a bad idea to attack him without help.) So he dashed away to put some distance between them. He then pulled out his Shield Boomerang and began charging it as Death prepared to face him and Mustang. However, the Shaman charged in himself. The fight ended with the Shaman on the ground bleeding, and Death about to deliver the final blow.
Whatever Zero was planning to do with the Shield Boomerang, he changed it right then and there. He then threw the Shield Boomerang at an angle so that it would fly between Death and the Shaman. His intention being for the boomerang to block Death's attack or throw it off. While the boomerang was in flight, he also used his buster to fire a barrage of shots.
edited 6th Jul '15 1:05:01 PM by Cybersbe
What is this "signature" of which people speak?Link; Chieftain's Office
"Tethrasur!"
A cry, running hoarse like an icy swell. Link slammed straight into the skull-knight, foisting his crossguard on his enemy's sword. Purple wings soared into miasmic steel, twisting and locking in the biting frost.
"Get away from him!"
The Master Sword shone, singing. Like meteors the Iron Boots crashed deep into the floor. The Hero bore down, writhing, clambering. Using all his added weight and all his wrestler's knowledge and all his swordsman's skill and every ounce of strength left in his wiry body in a desperate attempt to keep Death down.
The cold prickled across his skin like claws. But he'd suffered worse today, and his blood burnt in him like fire.
Sakura Kyouko; Chamber of Happytimes
It's all words. Nothing but empty airy words, like Father's sermons.
I don't say anything. I look straight ahead, straight past Sazh with his puffy afro and his hands tighter than claws on my shoulders. Straight through the stupid pink mane tickling my nose. If my face gets any tighter I think it'll tear. If I say anything I think I'll break.
My brain bulges bursting with the words I can't say.
You. Can you hear me?
No, I'm not your little girl. I've grown. Use your eyes.
Are you really here? I don't know. There hasn't been anyone to hear me, not for a long time. But that's my fault. I left everyone behind. I think you call it giving up.
No, don't look at me like that. Turn away.
Stop staring at me. You want Scripture? I can quote it all day. 'Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.' Proverbs, something-something. Look it up.
The streetwalker said that, didn't she? She was lying, of course, but that's nothing new. I'll tell you how it happens. You've missed a lot.
You sleep on the streets in between Witch-killing. You scrounge what you can until there's nothing left and then torn by the pangs you take one apple from a produce bin. Just one, you tell yourself. A sad bruised thing, more yellow than red. They won't miss it. You need it. And then you bite in and you're hooked. You'll never have to feel hungry again.
No, I can't starve to death. Does it even matter?
Of course I felt terrible. The first few times, maybe. Now, I don't think twice. I earned these powers. They're mine. So if I use them to grab a bite or two, who'll blame me? That's the way it goes, mostly. Yeah, I'm a horrible person now. Whatever. Never had any illusions about that.
Thief? Stop it. Don't you preach at me.
You drank knowing it'd kill you. Me, I suck lies in and out like breathing. You know what holds up my skull? A big old crust of excuses. On good days I find something to eat or stab so I ignore it. On bad days I bump it wrong and my brain gets skewered.
Do you even need to ask about today? Just lay off already, geez.
Blaspheming? What do you mean I haven't changed?
Witch? No! Shut up! You killed them, not me! Take that back! You take that back or I'll ———
Daddy? Come back. I didn't mean it. I...
That's right. You're dead. I'm better off alone.
I am.
"C'mon. Lighten up a little. I'll be fine."
I peel the pony off and squirm away from Sazh. His arms were heavier than I thought. I wince and rub my shoulder, muttering something for the sake of it.
"Go on. Get going. Let me hold you up and I'll kick all your asses."
My leg melts. I hit the ground harder than I expected. Stone slams a kiss into my left cheek. Grit rakes my lips like a nail. I cough, spit red, chuckle. It's like the life's gone out of me. I can hardly move my fingers.
"As soon as I get up. I swear."
I try to smirk, but it bounces sour off my teeth and rings hollow in my chest. Only tattered remnants come.
edited 7th Jul '15 5:14:46 AM by troydenite
Riverrock—Military District, City Watch HQ
Chun-Li was about to argue with Edward when Captain Stalgrim and Johnny came in and interrupted everything. Chun-Li looked over Captain Stalgrim when he asked a question and then simply nodded to him.
"Tzitzimitl is dead," Chun-Li said to the good Captain. "The undead shall plague your land at night no more."
Sabrina, Corridor
"Alakazam, Psychic!" Sabrina yelled out as she turned around. Alakazam then blasted the Fiendish Deinonychus away from herself and Junko in mid-pounce.
Sabrina quickly handed the black binder to Junko, and sent the knowledge of the information that she discovered from it to Junko, telepathically. The black binder had reports detailing the dates, times and casualty figures of several attacks on outlying villages by “mammal” raiders as well as copies of handwritten notes, signed in Shinuaq’tan’s own name, that ordered patrols away from these villages. Every single one of these notes was marked as “expedited,” and every single one was dated the very same day that its particular village had been attacked.
"Leave me to fight and catch this creature," Sabrina told Junko, Alakazam and herself staring the creature down, standing between it and Junko. "I shall hopefully join you momentarily... now go!"
edited 7th Jul '15 6:39:20 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food BadlyChieftain's Office
While Death was reeling, Minako took the opportunity to transform. "Moon Power, Makeup!" she cried, and she was enveloped in glittering opaque light a few inches above the ground.
[[youtube:tDKY_jX4KCE]]
Minako, now Sailor V again, ran to Zero's beside and opened her makeup compact. Aiming the mirror at one of Death's eye sockets, she called out "Cresent... Beam!" and a laser shot out at the skeleton.
edited 8th Jul '15 9:54:28 AM by salithewitch
CAPERS! JAPERS! BEING CAPTURED! AND OTHER SORTS OF FUN ACTIVITIES.Chamber of Draconic Spoils
Kyoko would feel a three-fingered hand covered in cold metal close around her upper arm. It tightened into a fist, the sections of plate pinching her clothes and skin, and then lifted all of her off the ground. Were she to look up, the magical girl would see Saren's metal-skinned face staring down at her. There was something strangely uneasy about the eyes, as though the turian did not quite know how to respond to what came before. One side of his mandibles flared in what looked like irritation. The eyes chilled to their normal state...almost.
" You're right, you're not going to hold us up. Wounded don't downplay their wounds on my watch, lest I choose..."
She would see the blade hiss out of his gauntlet, feel the air flow change and his grip adjust to retract it.
"..to expedite their return to the Common Room. As it is, you're coming with me until you can walk."
He hoisted Kyoko onto his pauldrons, shaking his head with a scoff.
" The rest of you...never in all my years of service have I seen a sappier and more insipid bunch of time-wasting apes (and the candy-colored HORSE is the worst of you). You're speaking the wrong language to the guttersnipe anyway. So let's pipe down on the heart-to-heart spam until later. Time we moved out."
Before any of them could say a word, Saren Charged to the other side of the room, then walked through the doorway to a corridor leading upward.
" As for you...You're a colossal pain in everyone's ass. Especially mine. I have to listen to your secondary school-level posturing whenever you open your mouth. It's amateurish and trying way too hard to avoid pity. You're not anywhere near being a soldier yet, so either stop pretending you are one, or figure out how it really works. Either way, this 'every-man-for-himself' selfish garbage needs to go. Because I will not have that selfish garbage if it means injuries or death on our team. The others might not have the stomach to end your shit... but I do."
His helmet floated up from his hip, then slammed down in place with a thunk and a hiss.
"Because if we're Also playing misery poker...I had to kill my elder brother and everyone in his command with an orbital barrage, because he'd gone insane and was threatening to zombify everyone on the planet. But no, that's Not why I am a bastard and misanthrope..."
Even as he mentioned that incident, something was off in Saren's tone. Something which said that he had handled whatever emotions came from it long ago, and that it was not equal with the childhood trauma Kyoko had endured. Further, that he knew it.
" I am this way because I Chose to be this way. Because you apes really are an insufferable trial to watch. Because once you've served the Galaxy for decades, you see enough shit for all the people you've grown up with to have the same value, and the same capacity for shit and stupidity. And yet I served. And then I nearly destroyed everything I fought to serve."
His tone got an increment more...thoughtful?
" That's what happens when you get wrapped up in spite and ideology. You believe your own lies and excuses, and the comfortable malice seems like the truth. That's how you slaughter thousands for a petty grudge and not feel a thing. That's how you murder a whole colony that had done nothing to aggress for an ancient trinket, hear their screams, and feel nothing. That's how you reason that you kill your best friend, when he was only doing his job."
Saren angled his helmet towards the ceiling.
" And that is how you find hatred and loathing more comfortable than camaraderie. You are not me yet. Don't cross that line."
edited 7th Jul '15 9:54:01 PM by Colonial1.1
"He could not know it. For it was not all a joke."An unexpected turn of events. Pleasantly so.
—Hmm...perhaps not the optimal outcome, but...—
She was still playing the loner card, of course, but her heart hadn't seemed into it. Perhaps she had merely been tired and it signified nothing of importance.
Still...As she watched Saren drag her up and begin to leave, Samus couldn't help but feel a faint glimmer of contentment stir within her chest.
—Perhaps her exterior isn't as strong as it had appeared. Maybe there's hope for our efforts after all.—
At any rate, however, it wouldn't be now.
Samus let them gain a bit of a head start on the group then tuned in with her enhanced hearing to make sure the Turian was not doing anything unexcusable towards her; when he got into the personal backstory however she tuned out, figuring that that deserved some privacy and noting that he hadn't done anything horrible yet. She glanced at the others, turning her helmet's visor solid. "Come, the enemy shall not wait for long." She turned and walked out of the chamber.
" Seeing as how you've elected to take point, do keep an eye out for danger. It would be most unfortunate if you were distracted and ambushed, with Kyoko being harmed as a result", came across Saren's comm. It was a bit hard to tell if she was being completely serious or a little coy, in that usual mostly stoic voice of hers.
edited 9th Jul '15 12:28:54 AM by tvtropesnoob
Lune - Hangman
Lune had to admit that the deinonychus was one nimble little fucker. Even though she was flying, it was quite hard to catch up to it, specially after it started picking up its pace. Luckily for her, she didn't really need to get within arms reach to catch it. But before she got the chance to send her celestial robe to wrap itself around that overgrown chicken, Sabrina's pet blasted it away from them.
Which, in return, gave her an even better chance to send her cutter to wrap itself around that overgrown chicken.
The second she stopped flying forward, the segmented blade in her right hand started extending from one end, shooting straight towards the deinonychus, twisting and swirling around it repeatedly only inches away, before returning to Lune's left hand. With both ends of the cutter in her possession, the devil pulled hard, trying to ensnare the dinosaur before it tried to escape.
Johnny - Castle Black (...because it's the Watch's Headquarter oh forget it)
Johnny shot a glare at Stalgrim for his response to the medics, before turning to look at the medics who had arrived.
"Don't believe him, he was impaled through the fuckin' chest at least half a dozen times."
Johnny glanced down at his new rapier, remembering it's magical effects.
"He was probably electrocuted too."
He had noticed the re-arrival of the group sent out to kill the undead, but didn't pay them much attention. He was more focused on getting Stalgrim the help he needed.
Junko; Corridor
Junko mentally digested Sabrina's remark on the nature of monster ownership as the large chicken-dinosaur continued to pursue them. Just as it seemed to have caught up, Sabrina was finally forced into action, releasing her creature from it's (now crystal) ball, and handing over her part of the evidence to Junko, as well as knowledge of it's contents, to Junko.
Concealing her obvious joy at this turn of events, she gave a determined nod to the psychic before continuing her run. With her back turned to both Sabrina, Lune, and the fight now barring the raptor from coming after her, the teenage girl put on as wide of a grin as her face would allow.
She distanced herself further and further, away from the raptor fight and closer to that of the main chamber she seemed to be just close to entering it now.
For a very brief moment, she stopped. And began to think.
It was hers. All hers. Only option or no, she was just entrusted with the keys to their group's success. She wondered how many lives went into this? Apparently a whole entire group before hers had went into this side of the challenge, and only a negligible amount have seemingly made it to this end. All for the sake of saving a world that, just like the rest of her group, was probably completely alien to them. The emotionally-charged green-dressed boy, who attacked their undead opponent with rage while screaming the name of someone who apparently had fallen. The samurai who, just ahead, was risking his life simply to prolong the battle to a point for others to come to his aid.
Everything they had worked so hard for, was now in the hands of someone who could barely even attempt to care for their well-being. If she wanted to, all she would have to do is tear away all of the document's contents and it would be completely and utterly unusable. The mission would become utterly hopeless.
...But of course, she ultimately realized that it would be stupid to do that, no matter how much despair it might invoke.
No, she had so much more to gain, simply by making sure this mission was a complete success. She had just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. If she took this seriously and played hero, she'd make her usefulness known. She'd easily establish her worth as something more than a weak, defenseless civilian in the need of protection. She'd be considered a trustworthy individual, someone who can be delegated to handle such tasks in the future, giving her much more weight in any new endeavors. The more trust she holds, the more she could be entrusted with. The more she could be entrusted with, the more influence she would have. And the more influence she had, the more she could use in the possible future to fully bring despair to everyone involved.
...At the least, she'd make Archer look like even more of an idiot for distrusting her.
And so, she finally busted in, ready to enact Operation: Be The Most Trustworthy Person Ever And Milk It For All It's Worth!
edited 8th Jul '15 6:37:10 AM by lightdarkhero250
I'm a ghost, you didn't see me.Riverrock
"Are we... the first ones to get here?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow. "No sign of the others whatsoever? I don't know if that's good or bad. Especially the guys who headed for the swamps..."
"Hahahaha!" Envy shrieked from his place in the jar, rubbing his tiny hands together. "If we're the first ones... then all the stupid humans probably got themselves killed! That's hilarious!"
Edward grasped the top of the jar, which was enough to make Envy let out a shrill yelp and cover himself up in preparation for a thorough shaking. "Yeah. Know your place."
Path to Treshold
Pride's finger rested over the edge of the page, eyes devouring every word written about this unusual world. The figure of the young swordsman tugged at the edge of his mind, but the mention of green garbs sealed the deal. Yes, many people wore green, but only he wore it so distinctly. Link.
Just the mere thought of the young man made Pride lick his lips, hunger drooling from his lips. He needed to eat more souls, yes, but he needed something else... he needed to change. This form of his, the young boy Selim, so innocent, worked for a place like Amestris, a place where he could spend most of his years entertraining a human woman with the idea that he is her child. But here, in this frightful new world? No, here, Selim was nothing but a weight. A fat big weight on the back of others.
Link, however... Link was young, strapping, strong, beloved, respected. All he needed to do was get him somewhere private, and he could do his job without being interrupted. He'd squeeze the life out of Link, until there was not an inkling of his soul left, before sliding right into his empty shell and taking over his body. Oh, it was all making Pride's legs quiver with excitement...
But now it was time to act. Seeing destruction on the horizon, Pride quickly leafed the book over to the latest entry. One last read, and then he would use his book to make poor widdle Selim look like the victim.
The Doctor chuckles quietly and sighs as he sees Kyoko's fall and Saren picking her up. oh she's a stubborn one alright. I expect Kyoko to start clawing Saren yelling how she can walk by herself, stop treating her like a child. Man I forgot how tiring teenagers her age are. Even Rose was 19, that's far from Kyoko's young rebellious self. Susan...she was always mature for her age. Been hundreds of years I've dealt with a child such as this...If you told me I'd be parenting two children as part of Yee or Omega or whoever's grand design with Arterius I would have laughed.
He soon starts walking directly behind Saren as soon as he finishes his own small speech for Kyoko. He speaks quietly with a clear indicator in his tone this is a discussion between only Saren, the Doctor and Kyoko. "Saren, don't compare me and Sazh's work to Fluttershy's. Fluttershy is sweet but she's innocent and naive. She's never fought like we have, never experienced loss like we have. If we go by age and battle fought, Arterius I am actually your superior. I've seen things that would make the toughest warriors on Palaven cower."
The Doctor's tone almost seems to darken as he continues speaking. "As your superior, let me make this perfectly clear. Call it an order, if you will. I understand you want an army to fight Omega and whatever other monsters are lurking in the mists of the multiverse. However Kyoko is still a child. She should be in school right now worrying about her hair or whatever girls her age do. I understand her past and I am well aware she is far away from that standard life. Despite all of that, Saren, her war against Witches does not give you permission to treat her like another soldier. Like some brat in the Palavanian armed forces. Stand down, be disciplined if you feel that is right but treat her like an ally, not an officer under your command."
The Doctor glares into Saren's eyes, the ancient fire of untold decades of combat burning with the Doctor's own eyes and the part of him the Daleks call the Oncoming Storm brewing even deeper inside. "Have I made myself clear, Mr. Arterius?"
Leo, Riverrock—Military District, City Watch HQ
Farron's facepalm earned her Leo's sympathy.
"Like I said, odd bunch."
But then the doors flew open. Leo looked ahead to see them. Stalgrim, wounded and being helped up by Johnny.
Stalgrim's wounds caught Leo's eye.
"Shit..."
He approached the two, kneeling in front of Stalgrim while the City Watch's members got to medic duty.
"Rest assured, the undead menace is done for. More importantly, you'd better rest up and let the medics get to work."
"Shake the dust." - Anis Mojgani

Mustang
Mustang's eyes narrowed as he stared into the boiling smoke; but unlike the First Shaman, he did not question if Death was still alive. It was too simple, for a sword wielding demon to be taken down by just one blast. A year ago he would have dusted his clothes and walked away confident. The Homunculus had changed that.
Suddenly, something came hurtling out of the gloom. Before he had even time to react, Lune's box cutter tore through his glove- cleaving the alchemic circle in twain- gouging a gash through his hand. Though Roy wrenched back his hand with a yelp of mixed pain and surprise, the damage was done- his glove was useless and his hand was now bleeding profusely.
Death came striding out of the smoke, red eyes burning. The colonel gritted his teeth as he braced himself for the retaliation, blood trickling down his hand. He saw the monstrosity raise a hand and snap its fingers in a deliberate parody of what he had done earlier. He saw the spark travel across his field of vision.
Then the spark exploded outwards with an ear rending shriek.
Though Roy had thrown himself aside with all his strength, the way his back was screaming in pain he could only guess that the flames had somehow seared right through the cloth and thus, his surprise was evident when he realized that his back wasn't on fire. Surely it was no ordinary flame that he'd been hit with.
His head swam and his hand felt as if it was being dipped in acid concentrate. His back still burned, the skin cracked and bleeding. Every movement was one filled with almost unbearable pain.
Almost.
Slowly, Roy Mustang dragged himself up and propped himself against the wall. Mercifully, Death was busy trying to deal with the two girls that had somehow escaped the room during the chaos. Though the summoning of the reptilian beast was no heart warmer, Roy took a shred of comfort in the fact that Death hadn't decided to finish him off with a good swing of the sword.
A shiver of pain ran through and and made him wince. His hand was still bleeding.
"Damn..."
Embers from the chief's shattered and burning desk glowed red around him. Slowly, grim determination overpowered the confusion and the discomfort. Lifting his right hand, he let the blood trickle down his middle finger. Haphazardly, he traced a double circle of blood over the ground, then within that circle he drew diamond framed by an hourglass. The symbol of a lizard smeared on the bottom finished the drawing.
Fire was all around him. He no longer needed a spark.
"Let's see you shrug me off again,"
Roy mustang slammed his hand down into the center of the alchemist circle.
"You bastard."
Lightning danced over the circle for the briefest of moments and the result was instant no less spectacular than before; but this time there was no flying spark. Instead, an ember that was glowing not millimeters away from the circle exploded into flames once more. The flames then transformed from a mere tongue into a rushing torrent of fire faster than the blink of an eye. It engulfed Death and swirled around him like a deadly blanket before vanishing as fast as it came.
edited 28th Jun '15 6:29:25 AM by biomechtraveler