[center][h3]Tora and Poppi[/h3] [b]Level 6 Tora[/b] - (33/60) EXP and [b]Level 5 Poppi[/b] - (35/50) EXP [b]Location:[/b] Guild Hall, Lumbridge, Land of Adventure [b]Word Count:[/b] 1486[/center] A second glance at the situation made it apparent that the construction of a lift would have to wait. People wanted to get up [i]now.[/i] After a brief exchange Poppi left Tora to start helping people up. With her prodigious mechanical strength she could pull up ropes with multiple adventurers holding on at once, and when she saw that Michael and Franklin seemed less-than-confident in the ropes, she flew down to help them herself. She needed to dodge Bowser on the way, whose own extraction looked to be encountering a few difficulties on account of his size. Provided neither of the men felt inclined to try out the Ace Cadet's slinger instead, or let their pride get in the way of being carried by a short machine girl they'd be back in the guild hall in no time. A pink-haired girl with an axe requested that she be carried up as well, and Poppi saw no reason to refuse. Meanwhile, Tora just watched, peering over the edge. Croagunk crouched down beside him. He waved to Nero after the devil hunter hauled himself up, evidently haven taken their brief meeting amid the chaos down in the casino as the beginning of a lasting friendship. When Louis pulled himself up, looking haggard and panting, Tora waddled over with a concerned look on his face. “Edgypon not look so good. Is friend okay?” “Fine.” Louis said before he instantly collapsed on the Nopon, who grabbed hold of him and pulled him away from the hole. It took a little doing but he managed to prop Louis up in one of the chairs. Croagunk followed, hopping up onto the nearby table to sit. Tora stepped back and fixed the young man with a stern expression. “That not fine, meh. Spill beans.” After a moment of raspy breathing Louis relented. “Fine. Truth is...I need blood. Human blood. It's been too long since I drank...much longer, and things could get...very bad.” Tora looked alarmed, but after a moment of thinking he realized that in the greater scheme of things it wasn't that weird. “Meh meh! Edgypon some kind of vampire?” Louis shook his head. “No, I'm a revenant. When...a BOR parasite reanimates a corpse, it regains...” he trailed off after noticing Tora's blank expression. “Er, actually, yes. Pretty much.” Nodding knowingly, Tora told him, “Well, Tora would love to help, but am actually not human.” The revenant stared at him. “No kidding?” A few footsteps, nearer that the rest, made Louis look up. From behind Tora approached Nero, who'd heard the whole thing. “I thought you looked a little pale. Well, more pale.” He snickered. “So, you need some blood, huh? Why didn't you ask?” Louis looked at the floor. “I...didn't want anyone to think of me as a monster.” Nero gave a dry chuckle. “You know, that angsty teen stuff won't do you any good. You fought like crazy to make sure a bunch of strangers made it. You're pretty much a hero.” He grabbed an empty flagon, reached up, and cut his palm on the blade of the Red Queen. Some blood dripped in, but the wound healed itself almost instantly. It took another few passes to get enough, after which his presented it to Louis. “There. You don't have to suck it, right? 'Cause I'm not doing that.” Shaking his head, Louis took the flagon. “No, this is fine. Thank you, Nero. I'm beyond grateful.” He drained the cup, and blinked twice. “Hmm. A little...spicy. It should be fine, but are you sure you're human?” “Mostly,” Nero said. “You're welcome, kid.” With that, the devil hunter was off in search of the Mysterious One. Not long afterward, the fairly entertaining elevation of Bowser came to an end. It took the combined effort of Kamek, Blazermate, and the newly-arrived Sectonia to do it, but at last he stood on Lumbridge ground once more. He wasted no time stomping over to the Guildmarm to join the Ace Cadet, who'd made the climb on his own a little before. His shout made the poor woman jump, and she landed on her feet. “It-it-it-it's around here somewhere, I'm sure!” Clearly she didn't remember the rewards offered by the quest, but she more than made up for it with the renewed vigor she used to sort through all the quest cards piled up on her desk. After a few moments she seized one, holding it up in triumph. “Got it! Right here! Your rewards were...” She brought it closer, peering through her glasses. “One thousand rupees, the spirit of the monster, a free visit to all the facilities in the town, and celebratory status.” She looked between Bowser and the Cadet. “I...don't have the monster's spirit. Did you...collect it when you hunted it?” A lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh! By the way, since you completed an H-rank hunt, you're officially qualified for G-rank. There's only the one, which the Guildmaster kept in that box,” she pointed to a very small, locked safe sitting on the desk. “But if he went crazy, no reason to keep it secret. Quest's yours. If...if you can open it, of course.” She gave a nervous laugh, looking at Bowser's claws and teeth. She had no doubt they could open many things. Too far away to hear Bowser's 'conversation', Tora and Poppi instead paid attention to a red-haired individual heading out the guild door. “Wait, meh!” Tora took off after her, and Poppi followed behind. They caught Din with her Gogoat outside the guild hall, headed toward the inn. She looked embarrassed. “Hello, friend!” Din did not meet either of their gazes, her red eyes lingering on the door instead. “...Hi.” Tora beamed at her, too bright for her to miss. “Din-Din came to save us! Tora saw it! You drop from sky with keyblade, ready to fight and protect us! Din-Din really is hero! Can come back with friends, join quest to save world!” “No!” Din said, firmly. “I can't. I'm not fit to be a hero.” Just like that, Tora's fire went out. Crestfallen, he asked, “Then...why did...?” Din's voice wavered. “I don't know. I heard everyone was in danger. You two, Bowser, Linkle...” She looked sad. “Then all the adventurers rushed to help. I got...swept up in it all.” Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. “But I can't rejoin you. I'd just keep getting in the way. I can't fight, I can't protect anyone...” Downcast, she stroked her Gogoat. The memory of fallen allies plagued her. “Din-Din too hard on self.” The Nopon insisted. “Tora not real fighter, either. Just inventor who want to help, meh. It Tora job in party to protect, but also couldn't stop others getting hurt. But still we keep going.” He beat his wings emphatically. “As long as Din-Din want to help, that enough! Everyone like Din-Din, think very useful, want to stay with us!” The dancer shook her head again. “You're just being nice, but it's useless. [i]I'm[/i] useless. There's no point in trying. So I'm leaving, okay?” Tora frowned. “Din-Din need to snap out of it!” He reached up and, without any warning, slapped her. “Ow!” Din's eyes burned. “What was that for?!” She found Poppi glaring at her pointedly. “You not act like Din I know at all.” Croagunk hopped up to slap her too. Though small, he dealt a meaty smack, one that made Din stagger and Gogoat snort dangerously. “Ouch! That's...that's the last straw. You guys just won't listen. I can't be a hero. I'm just a dancer!” Poppi stepped forward, raising her arm. Her actuators shook and her pistons steamed; she balled her metal fingers into a fist. “Now is not time for excuses!” Tora's eyebrows shot up in alarm. “Poppi!?” Din flinched, but Poppi's fist came in slowly, touching her head in a barely-perceptible tap. She opened her eyes to find Poppi looking mournful. Her tense nerves went slack. “Poppi is hurt to see Din like this. It okay to have doubts, and to feel like giving up, but it not okay that Galeem stop you changing mind again. That why drastic action must be taken.” The tension came right back. “What?” A pink heart blossomed to life above Poppi's hand. For a moment the artificial blade looked elated, but then her face became determined. She grabbed the heart, closed her hand into a fist, and slugged Din square in the jaw. “Guh!” Din sputtered, flying back as she blacked out. As she fell, the redness blinked out in her eyes, and the light around her seemed to shatter. Croagunk caught her before she hit the ground, and Tora hurried to ease its burden. A few moments later Din started to stir, slowly opening her eyes. “Oooh...what...happened? Tora...Poppi?” Tora smiled. “Friend Din-Din take wrong turn. C'mon, meh, let's get to Blaze-Blaze.” Working together, the three carried her back toward the guild hall.