[center][h3]Tora & Poppi[/h3]
[b]Level 8[/b] Tora (50/80) and [b]Level 8[/b] Poppi (23/80)
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky – Crown of Sand
Primrose's [@Yankee], Fox's [@Dawnrider], Sectonia's [@Archmage MC] Midna's [@DracoLunaris], Heavy's [@ONL], Medic's [@Dr Lovecraft], Yoshitsune's [@Rockin Strings]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1250+[/center]

As the Phantom Thieves forged onward, their accompanying swordsman proved that he wasn't the strong-but-silent type. After a string of comments that lasted their whole journey, culminating in their arrival a the wall of buildings that marked the end of the Crown of Sand, he decided to introduce himself after entering the temple they decided on. Joker bowed his head slightly, just enough to indicate respect if not deference or formality. “Yoshitsune, hm? That's a refreshing name. You must be a countryman of ours.”

Panther eyed his attire and weaponry. “From the past, maybe.” She laughed brightly. “Nice to meet you, Yoshitsune-san! I almost want to use my real name, but you can call me Panther.”

Putting his paws on his hips, Mona grinned. “I'm Mona, and this is Skull! We are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!”

“Hey, don't I get to introduce myself?” The yellow-haired teenager didn't seem too bothered, though. “It's awesome to meet someone else from Japan! The only other one was girl from Street Fighter.”

“I'm Joker,” the young man in charge told Yoshitsune. His curiosity didn't end with the Thieves' names, though. He asked what Necronomicon was, which prompted the Thieves to look among themselves. “Think of her...as a...hm. A flying boat with a voice that can reach across great distances.”

That wasn't all, though—he wanted to know about the World of Light itself. Joker wished he knew a little more himself, but saw no reason to keep the truth from the swordsman. A truth tempered by the knowledge that he remained under Galeem's influence, that is. “This world is not real,” he explained. “It's an accumulation of odds and ends from countless worlds, all housed in the collective consciousness. It's a part of the Metaverse, known as the World of Light, and its ruler is called Galeem. Until Galeem is defeated, we're trapped here; until his guardians are destroyed, he is protected from harm. And we can't leave.”

Mona nodded, paws crossed, the very picture of wisdom. “So we find the guardians, one in each of the thirteen regions in the World of Light. We beat them, we can fight Galeem. We beat him, we go home. And two of the Guardians are down. Got it?”

With no danger outside and their collective breath caught, the Thieves moved into the temple, with Necronomicon parting to. Panther called upon Carmen to light brazier after brazier, casting a flickering ominous light across symbol-painted stones and carved idols. A little farther on they reached the [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/262/913/large/william-kowach-gauze.jpg?1459456565]sanctum[/url], an ominous room littered with urns, instruments, icons, and more. An intricate carving, like a multi-tiered sundial, dominated one wall.

But the new arrivals did not get much of a chance to inspect their surroundings. Their presence provoked from the darkness a number of lurking enemies, of all shapes and sizes. At the first sign of trouble the Thieves scattered, hiding to watch as their would-be ambushers approached. They spotted a [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/bof/images/d/dd/Armor_Sprite.gif]floating armor[/url] with sword and shield, a [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/020/257/997/4k/bryan-eppihimer-bryaneppihimer-gunfiregames-remnants-theharrow-2019.jpg?1567035423]tormented horror[/url] of flayed skin, a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/1b/46/751b4656953f98eaca8f62bad6e23d43.jpg]flame-wielding sorceress[/url], a white-robed [url=https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19799305/I5KRYW9KIM3X1582849824760.gif]bat monster[/url], and a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/49/31/c54931d5210e0b14c4862cf1130c1db0.jpg]malformed brute[/url]. They searched expectantly; it was only a matter of time until they found the intruders.

Not that the Phantom Thieves planned to wait. “Five of them, hm?” Joker whispered from where he his alongside Yoshitsune. “Take your pick, Yoshitsune-san. It'll be all yours. We'll take care of the rest.”

A fearsome struggle ensued. In the course of events much of the sanctum got trashed, including a bookshelf on one wall whose destruction revealed a hidden staircase. In the end, the Thieves and their new compatriot took no casualties, laying claim to the five spirits. Mona patched up the team's injuries with his healing, but before Yoshitsune received any, Joker went ahead and gave him a Friend Heart that freed him from Galeem's influence.

[hr]

Sectonia wasn't too happy about being asked to grab more of the people up to this cliff, being asked by the others as the combat was over. She was a queen, not a taxi! But before she could make a retort, Poppi offered to help her and her innocent friendliness wore the queen down a bit. [color=92278f]"I'll do it, but the next spirit I want appears, I get it no questions asked."[/color] Sectonia relented, taking off with Poppi to find the others who were down below. Sectonia heard that the others were interested in the dragons they had seen before, so when she saw that their ride was vacant, she figured they went over to where those dragons were last seen. 

As they approached the area, all Sectonia could see was carnage and a hard fought battle, burn marks, bullet holes, blood, and a ton of spirits littering the area with Heavy, Medic, and Midna in the center, all quite worse for wear. [color=92278f]"Hmm. They are strong."[/color] Sectonia said, looking over the battlefield trying to get an idea of what happened, but as the battle was over, she could only guess at all the carnage that happened. Still, the amount of burn marks and blood dotting the area gave a good picture. Looking at the trio in the center, they were definitely not doing so hot, but this gave Sectonia an idea. [color=92278f]"Poppi, I see an opportunity here. Before they heal up, we should make them less of a liability in the future."[/color] Sectonia said, impressed at the carnage the trio had caused here and summoning a friend heart from her chest as she had seen others do.

The artificial blade nodded. While she had yet to pull out a friend heart herself, she recognized both the need and the opportunity, and followed her ally's lead.

Descending from the sky, Sectonia with a friend heart in hand said. [color=92278f]"You all have had some fun here it seems."[/color] She then casually tossed the friend heart at the Heavy, freeing him from Galeem's control and reducing the problems that said control could cause in the future. He was quite the loyal person, and apparently he could take quite a bit of punishment. 

Poppi floated down toward the Medic, placing a hand against her own chest. "Hold on Mr. Medic," she greeted him. "Poppi doing to heal you up, with power of Poppi's heart!" When she pulled her hand away, she found to her delight a bright pink heart, just like those manifested by Tora, Linkle, and others. The sight brought an irrepressible smile to her face. Surely, this proved that she was every bit as real a hero as the others! With her own heart full she bestowed the glowing thing on the Medic, which burst on him like a soap bubble washing away both the stain of Galeem's light in his heart and the wear of battle on his flesh.

With that the situation, and their allies 'liability' as Sectonia put it, were handled. All that remained was to reunite the intrepid trio with their allies upstairs. As she looked around, though, Poppi the sheer amount of loot available for collection. "Friends got busy," she observed, agreeing with her insectoid ally. "How carry all this...?" She tried to imagine what Tora would do. Though bumbling at times, the Nopon inventor always made cunning use of everything at hand. In that spirit, Poppi's optics landed on the tent that the departed dragons once used as a nest. "Oh, we can use tent-cloth. Make bags to carry stuff in." She kneeled down and swished her hands among the bug spirits, swirling them up. "Careful about carrying spirits. Spirit in pocket might get fused with if jostled wrong," she advised. After lending a hand to get all the loot squared away, she stood ready to help Sectonia carry the mercenaries to the top. If Midna needed a lift too, Poppi could lend a hand, given her greater strength. 

[color=92278f]"I'll carry the doctor and our residential shadow princess here should she need it. You get Heavy."[/color] Sectonia said, making sure that she wasn't overburdened with the giant Russian man. She wasn't sure if she could carry him, but the thin doctor and small Midna wouldn't be a problem for her. Poppi pointed out a tent that hadn't been too badly damaged in the fight, recommending they use it to make bags to carry the spirits back with them. [color=92278f]"Good idea, I'm surprised it survived as well as it did."[/color] Summoning one of her swords, she assisted Poppi in turning the tent into a bunch of bags, not too worried about Poppi's warning as her hands floated freely around her body. That and the bee queen's lack of pockets. In short order the group was off, headed for a rendezvous at the Crown of Sand.

[hr]

Having watched the precipice in solemn silence from his shady spot, Tora jumped to his nubby feet when Sectonia and -more importantly- Poppi crested the edge with Medic, Heavy, and Midna. Their arrival meant the full strength of Yellow Team once more, not counting the scouting contingent of Thieves gone ahead. Tora realized after a look around that the new guy, Yoshi-something, went with them as well, before anyone really got a chance to explain things to boot. Hopefully that wouldn't come around to bite Joker's crew—Tora thought they were cool, and though glad of course to have Poppi, couldn't help but thinking that having one of those Personas would be awesome, too.

Spurred on by the lingering heat, Yellow team prepared to get underway. Fox's correspondence with Necronomicon told them where they needed to go, although the designation of a 'sphinx' as a waypoint left Tora and Poppi confused. “Um, hello?” Tora spoke into Fox's communicator, marveling that Necronomicon really could reach them despite having zero reason it should. “What is sphinx?”

“Oh!” Came Necronomicon's voice, more surprised that she didn't realize her mistake than anything. “Sorry, um. A sphinx is a creature that looks like a lion with the head of a woman. Ours has a headdress on. But I can go out and float above it so you can find us easier.” With that settled, nothing remained in the way of getting there except the way itself, so the heroes rolled out.

They quickly found the Crown of Sand to be a troublesome place. Overhead, the desert winds quickened, carrying the area's magic-draining sand along with it. When Poppi went up to get directions she was quickly forced to land; any altitude higher than a few stories promised to suck would-be fliers dry. Yet the Leak-inducing sand turned out to be one of the lesser concerns, since scarcely did the heroes get a street in through the thorn-pierced ruins than Tora -taking the lead- stopped on the edge of a pit stretching from building to building. At the bottom, a good few meters down, he saw a whirling sinkhole of sand and shuddered to think of what would happen should one tumble in. At this point the  magically-attuned heroes present could begin to feel enchantment in the air, and for good reason. Floating chucks of road and rubble provided a rough way across the hazard, but after Tora took his first jump he found the foothold crumbling beneath his feet. “Meh, meh!?” He leaped for the next one just in time, fear of falling giving him wings, but he reached the other side easily enough.

A few moments after each platform crumbled, it magically reformed. The more agile heroes could, of course, skip the wait by swinging across hanging streetsigns and such, or climbing on the walls. Their alacrity would serve them well as Yellow Team progressed, passing across pits and entire broken-down sections of the sand-swept city. At some point Tora took a road not traveled by the Phantom Thieves before him, though the unmistakable [url=https://picfiles.alphacoders.com/188/188371.png]wall of buildings[/url] farther on assured the heroes that they still traveled in the right direction. Their surroundings quickly became a mishmash of modern and ancient ruins, complete with moving pillars, turning floors, and even living obstacles. [url=https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/4/4c/Super_Mario_Party_-_Walleye.png/250px-Super_Mario_Party_-_Walleye.png]Walking walls[/url] moved in set patterns to try and block the heroes at opportune moments, especially during their jumps, and took remarkably little damage. Tora quickly decided to not bother with them, and patiently time his jumps, though in places that meant timing their movements with that of floating platforms. In addition to the Thwomps, [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/hades_gamepedia_en/images/8/89/Skull-Crusher.png]Skullcrushers[/url] lurked throughout the ruins, far more destructible than their rectangular counterparts but also far more mobile. A few irritatingly invincible [url=https://www.ssbwiki.com/images/6/68/CymulReflectingPosition.jpg]metallic things[/url] floated in place here and there, never moving but always positioned in a spot where their spinning blades could do some damage, and as Poppi quickly found out, they reflected all projectiles. Tora found he couldn't afford to ignore the sand traps as he passed over them, either. From the less hazardous ones would rise [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda_gamepedia_en/images/7/74/ST_Ergtorok_Model.png]ergotroks[/url] to spit stone projectiles at the heroes, only to duck back down underneath when attacked.

By the time Yellow Team crossed the Crown of Sand, Tora was tired, hot, and caked in sand, and Poppi wasn't much better. Yet all the same they stood before the [url=https://guidesmedia.ign.com/guides/15972/images/Egyptian_Wonder.JPG]sphinx-topped temple[/url], over which Necronomicon helpfully floated. The living ship flew down to greet the battered heroes on arrival. “You made it! All in once piece too, that's great!”

“Water...” Tora croaked. “Water?”

Necronomicon patted the Nopon on the head with a tentacle, which made him more annoyed than reassured. “Oh, go ahead and go inside. We found some while you were on your way. A lot of stuff, actually. Take a look!”

Within the temple the weary heroes found its [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/262/913/large/william-kowach-gauze.jpg?1459456565]sanctum[/url], as well as the telltale traces of a battle fought by the Thieves. A previously hidden staircase on one wall provided access to still deeper reaches of the temple, but what lay below they could scarcely have imagined.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZPr6acg.jpg[/img][/center]

Beneath the temple lay a beautiful indoor oasis. The orange eminence of the desert evening shone down through strategically-placed windows on lush planters, and the crystal-clear water of its pools shone with the soft illumination of glowing stones. Peacocks nonchalantly strutted about. Inside, in the shade of the great central platform, the heroes found the Phantom Thieves, looking quite happy with their place to refresh. They also looked different from normal, bereft of their thieving outfits. [url=https://pm1.narvii.com/7089/3a09b3f564fe025ae19d360851de631af4cd87a2r1-296-520v2_hq.jpg]Joker[/url] looked like an average schoolkid with his glasses on. [url=https://personacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Ryuji-Summer-Clothes.jpg]Skull[/url] looked relaxed in a yellow tank, and [url=https://personacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Ann-Summer-Clothes.jpg]Panther[/url] had similar thoughts. Only Mona looked normal. Along with them the heroes found Yoshitsune. Seeing the new arrivals, Panther and Skull waved, with Joker cracking a smile. “Reunited at last.”

The two groups became one on the central platform, centered around a camp that evidently predated the Thieves' arrival. There were a few makeshift chairs, including a couple beanbags, circling a campfire with cookpot and pan. Skull was more than pleased to show the others a small stockpile of food they'd managed to gather, consisting mostly of harvested greens, fowl, and a strange meat. There was also a small pile of other assorted loot, mostly consisting of peacock feathers, feather garments, striped robes, and fezzes. “Feel free to cook however much you want! The meat's fresh, pulled straight from animal spirits. Little weird, but pretty good!” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the sunlit pool. “If ya wanna jump in, the water's great! Just make sure you use that one, cuz we're drinkin' from the shady pool, since there's nothin' growin' in it.”

His words fell on deaf ears, however, as Tora was already sprinting for the water. He wriggled out of his shirt and overalls and leaped full speed into the pool. Poppi watched, amused, as her masterpon bobbed to the surface and started splashing around. “Meeeeeeh! It's wonderful, so so wonderful!” After rolling her eyes, Poppi lay down the sack of loot she helped to carry and jumped in after him.

[center][h3]Edge of the Blue – Pirate's Cove[/h3]
Sakura's [@Zoey Boey], Junior's [@DracoLunaris][/center]

Bella sat in contemplative quiet as the other seafarers complained, having been both aware of what staying under cover meant and gracefully committed to enacting it. Of course, she couldn't say she fully comprehended Ranger's position, since not only was the teacher used to the company of her Navy companions, but it was also the potential threat of those very allies that now forced her into a miserable isolation. While Bella did not share the others unease, she did consider Sakura's words when she talked about finding her and Rika a home away from Limsa. That stung a little, since she very much did want to see the maritime city she now sat on the very precipice on, but the idea was one she would need to tackle sooner or later.

“I don't know if I can remain among ze Abyssals,” Bella told her new friend as she exercized. “Zey would expect me to uphold my duty, and punish me if I failed. I would find no warmth among zem...even surrounded by zeir legions, I would be more alone than ever, I think.” Although that conclusion came easy enough, what came next proved far harder to articulate. What Bella wanted more than anything, even to find a life as part of the precious community she so ignorantly sought to destroy, was to follow Sakura. If she couldn't repay the world for the damage she wrought in her years of warfare, she could repay this girl's kindness. 

She took a deep breath, opened wide her eyes, and faced her savior. “I want to come with you, s'il vous plait. I don't care about ze danger. My strength is yours, if you will have it. So ze world might know what you have shown me: zat zere is more to life than fighting.”

After a few moments, Ranger sighed. “You're really turned things around, huh?” She laughed ruefully. “Thinking about the bigger picture and all, while I'm sitting here worrying about my face. You're right.” She leaned forward, her face serious. “Knowing about Galeem means I know there's a real chance to make things better for a lot of people. And it's not fighting the Abyssal Fleet.” She thought about what Sakura said. “Although, if there is a way we can stop it for good, like you said, that would be best. We'd be free to do good in the world, instead of slowly dying out in an endless war of attrition. So I want to help you guys, too.” She nodded with firm resolution.

Bella began wondering what 'stopping the war for good' really meant. Did it entail wiping out the Abyssal Fleet? That left Bella with a world of mixed feelings. Even not counting the mindless fodder and barely-intelligent grunts, there were many Abyssals who could very well be 'awakened' like her. Yet as the same time she knew her own awakening came from an act of undeserved mercy, and many of her former allies in the Fleet were far worse monsters than her. And she certainly had never known kindness or companionship from them. Considering their atrocities, there was no question that they -that [i]she[/i]- deserved destruction. But since she was free, and her life belonged to the free, she could instead mete out justice. Maybe in that way she could atone.

While Bella ruminated on this, pointedly distracting herself from the extremely harrowing-looking exercises that Sakura was doing, the street fighter in question rounded on Ranger. She gave voice to the misgivings within, prompting Ranger to try and consider how she felt about it herself. “Oh, um...I...well, I don't know. We've been dying for a long time, so as awful as it is, I can't say it's a new feeling.” She frowned deeply, staring at the floor. “In order to keep moving forward, we...we have to put the losses aside. If we don't, we either die too, or lose the power to keep living.” In her heart lurked a hollowness, a numbness of feeling. In earlier days tears might have welled forth, but now no tears would come.

“Her name was Arashio. I didn't know her very well, since we're from different divisions. She didn't talk very much, but she was a sweet kid. If...this,” she said, indicating Sakura's appearance, “Means you have her spirit with you, then maybe it's like she gets a chance to live on. To keep helping us. But uh, regardless, her spirit isn't mind to take back. Unless you know a way to revive the dead, something like this might be the next best thing.” That said, she knew that Sakura didn't intend to keep Arashio's spirit. “If you don't want her...then I guess you should give her spirit to the surviving Asashio Destroyers. I think...um, her sister Ooshio was killed out there today, so there's only two...well, left. Asashio and Michishio.” She fell quiet, keeping her breathing as steady as she could.

[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Level 1[/b] Nadia (8/10)
[b]Location:[/b] Limsa Lominscuttle Town – Bismarck
Blazermate's [@Archmage MC], Bowser & Kamek's [@DracoLunaris], Geralt's [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 694[/center]

The unnaturally sudden passage of the Intoxication meant a fairly quick recovery for everyone, although for those untouched by the sensation of inebriation prior, their uneasiness lingered a bit longer. After helping her allies as best she could, Nadia turned back to the glowing conundrum before her, her hands on her hips. Within, she could see the fight still raging on, which left her a bit guilty for forgetting her cares and having a good time moments ago—not that she had a choice in the matter! When she saw a great fiery explosion go off, she knew she couldn't stand by. “Aaalrighty,” Nadia joined Geralt trying to figure out a way in. “Nyow, how are we gonna get in there?”

She looked up, noticing that the barrier only seemed to cover the open space surrounding the restaurant. The walls and even the tentlike awning that covered the dining area in places bore no immediate sight of magical reinforcement. That cloth would be easy enough to tear, but if she ripped open a gap with her claws, would the obfuscating sorcery fill the hole? [i]Only one way to find out.[/i] Bunching her muscles, Nadia hopped up and onto a section of the awning. She clambered atop it, dug in her nails to prevent herself sliding off, and found no resistance. With little effort she punched her claws deeper in and sliced right through. She pawsed a moment, waiting expectantly, but nothing happened except the next few beats in the battle below. Nadia laughed, waving her tail back and forth to get the attention of the others below her. “Well whaddya know, there's a little hole in their security. This purr-ty is about to get wild!” With no further ado she dove straight in.

Nadia landed -on her feet, naturally- in the middle of an active warzone. “Whoa!” she yowled, dodging out of the line of fire of a few shadowy orbs, and beneath a table to use as cover. At a glance she spotted a couple faces familiar to her from her brief stint in Lumbridge, as well as that snooty Sephiroth. On the other hand she glimpsed a few tenebrous warriors that couldn't look more evil and a colorful quartet of otherwise identical ladies whose extravagant outfits and malevolent magics screamed 'dark sorceress.' [i]Must be the one who bewitched that Link guy![/i] she figured, assuming since there appeared to be no other females in the fight other than the little girl in a top hat. Speaking of, Nadia spotted the child being menaced by the clone in blue, despite honestly horrifying injuries. Wildly she wondered if these copies were real people like the Four Swords in Lumbridge, or just disposable summons. Even if this woman kidnapped someone, flat-out killing someone wasn't in Nadia's wheelhouse. 

Before she could figure out exactly what she was going to do about that, however, Sephiroth seized her attention. He ruthlessly dispatched a Dark Link, releasing a cloud of smoke. From her position, Nadia could luckily still see the sorceresses, and watched as Sephiroth burst from the haze to strike at the one in purple, ignoring the others as if they didn't count. [i]Could she be the real one?[/i] Nadia wondered. Jumping into the fight late meant she lacked crucial context. She sighed, scooting out from beneath the table. “Okay, enough sittin' around! I gotta do something.”

Trusting that Hat Kid could handle the wounded Blue, she raced after Sephiroth. Going after Purple left him open to the others, and if he'd indeed identified the linchpin, they would certainly have something to say about that. Despite Red and Purple spreading out a little bit, the clones were still rather close together given the arena. If Nadia wasn't introducing herself into the fight, she might have wondered what drove them into proximity. Instead, she leaped into the air in the hopes of catching them by surprise, airdashed using blood-spurts, and aimed to land right in the middle of the mess upside-down. In a handstand she extended her legs and tail, creating a propeller, and with a cry of “Wheel of Fortune!” span her entire lower half as a whirlwind of pain.

[center][h3]Frozen Highlands – Snowdin - Grillby's[/h3]
[@Gentlemanvaultboy][@darkred][/center]

When the Skullgirl cracked open the door, she saw a single man standing in the snow. The instant he became visible his gaze locked with hers, and all other details were eclipsed by a singular, striking abnormality.

It was his eyes. They were not the sunset red that dominated the people of this world, that reddish-orange hue of obliviousness and retribution. They were blue, icy blue, more cool and piercing than the most cruel icicle, as if the entire unfathomable reaches of the crisp midwinter sky, and all the winter's suffering, had been condensed into two coins that now contested with the girl's maleficent crimson.

After the initial shock, other details came quickly. This man stood at no particularly impressive height, nor did his bare torso speak of an impressive build. Rather, beneath the murky tattoos colored like the frigid ocean the Skullgirl witnessed earlier, he bore the lithe, hardened physique of a brawler of many years and bouts uncountable. Tiny metal caps like thimbles punctuated the little braids in his full beard, and he wore simple garb of wraps, wool cloth, and furs about his waist and legs. Perhaps the Skullgirl wasn't the only one who didn't feel the cold.

[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/15/d7/de/15d7def4515e972db7e5e6db2f3a1eed.jpg[/img][/center]

All this she could see through the barely-ajar door, though of course the stranger could make out little more than her crimson eye and her silhouette against the warm, orange interior of Grillby's. This did not please him, and annoyance cropped up across his already-surly features. “You can start by not hiding behind that door like a coward, and open up. It won't do you any good. So come on out!”

Linkle narrowed her eyes at the well muscled man standing outside, paying particular attention to his own eyes. She set the lootbox down by the door, tried not to look worried, and turned back to the bar. "Sorry, this was for me." She said, waving to the barman before standing up as straight as she could and throwing open the door. She stepped out quickly, shutting the door behind her, and immediately felt the air start to sap the warmth she had absorbed within from her bones.

She stared the man right down. This had come earlier than she had expected. She had expected to have to wait a little while. This, it was weird. Where was his coat? You would think that, with the weather like this, they would make doubly sure to wear them. She scratched her head, confused. "I'm not sure what I would know that you guys wouldn't, but go ahead. Ask away." 

The stranger furrowed his brows, scowling. “Not sure what I'd know,” he repeated, scornful, then raised his arms. “Think you can play dumb with me? And here I thought you Seekers were so much better than us.” He wiggled his fingers, his voice derisively singsong. “So much smarter! Don't think I don't know why you're here!”

He suddenly reached out and pushed Linkle. She hit the door behind her hard enough to rattle the hinges. “So yes, I'll 'ask away',” the stranger growled. “And no more playing games. Tell me the names, and powers, of all the little friends you're making way for.”

Linkle slammed into the door and then bounced off, catching herself. What was this guys problem? If he wanted to fight, fight. If he wanted to talk, talk. Mixing them like this was just as confusing as the nonsense he was talking. Confusing and irritating. "What kind of game are you playing?" She snapped back, pushing herself up off the door indignantly. "The only reason I'm even here is because your knifey friend from the Dead Zone dumped me here. Go ask him or King Dice, they both know what we can do. How do you not?"

Her words elicited an exasperated sigh and rolled eyes. “I don't know who or what you're babbling about, but it doesn't sound like what I want to hear, now does it? What, you think taking down two of us makes you a big deal, all of a sudden?” He moved closer, glaring down at the pallid girl before him. “Well!?” Once again he raised a hand, this time to slap the Skullgirl across the face.

"What are you talking about, we haven't taken out any of...oh." Cold realization hit Linkle like a slap in the face. Her earlier though had been correct, this [i]had[/i] come a lot earlier than she had expected, she had just gotten the context wrong.

Of course, it also stripped away all that unhelpful ambiguity. The Black Cloaks could be a help or a hindrance, seemingly at their whim. Linkle didn't know where the Seekers stood with them. They were like a third army on the battlefield that could swing either direction depending on how the battle played out. Galeem's Guardian's, though, were the enemy. This man was her enemy! As he raised his hand she moved back and launched a kick directly up at his chin. 

The kick struck with enough force to snap the stranger's head upward and sending him tumbling backward. He came to a stop in a splash of snow and made no effort to rise. “Ahhhh no, nonono, nonononono...” Bemoaning something or other as his head hung, he remained on his knees.

As he bemoaned Linkle walked out into the middle of the street, eyeing him wearily as she drew her bows. Despite a successful blow she was tense, completely unsure of what was about to happen. There had to be some trick, right? After two enormous dragons Galeem wouldn't pick a normal man as a guardian. It wouldn't even pick a man like Agoston or Ryu. There must be something about this one that made him dangerous. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to attack a man who was on his knees. Inside she could feel the Skull Heart screaming, urging her to take decisive action, but as far as she was concerned that was even more reason not to. "I'm not going to tell you anything." She shouted. "Nothing you do could make me betray my friends."

With a final groan the man looked up, meeting her eyes once again. “Ugh...fine. My turn.”

He shot forward. Under the cover of piled snow, he'd found his footing again, readying himself while his foe stood by. His fist connected with the Skullgirl's stomach in a brutally strong uppercut, and she smashed bodily through the area above Grillby's door, then through the roof, over the building, and into the snow on the other side. As she rose from the powder she spotted the stranger on the roof of the building. He leaped, aiming for her head with a cruel knee drop. Linkle shook the snow off her as she emerged from the pile she had landed in. The world ceased to spin just in time for her to see the man dropping on her and she dived out of the way and back to her feet as his attack scattered the snow everywhere. Linkle scowled at the stranger as she leveled her bows at him, tips flashing a bright green as she held down the triggers and launched innumerable bolts his way. 

The man turned into a blur, zipping to the right, then left, then straight for Linkle in a zigzag pattern, shrugging off the bolts that did hit him. His left leg surged forward in a low kick to sweep his opponent's knees.

Linkle had never seen anyone move that fast, covering the distance between them like it was nothing. As he went in for his kick she leaped into the air, flipping over upside down to face him as she pulled the triggers. The rain of bolts being fired seemingly kept her suspended in midair before she spun, leg extended, and dropped one flaming leg onto him.

This time the Skullgirl got a good look at her bolts piling straight into the man, sprouting like a porcupine's quills across his bare skin. He didn't so much as move to shield his face until his foe dropped down to kick him. Her burning leg slammed into his open hand as he went for a grab rather than a guard, and with little ceremony he threw another punch her way.

As she felt the iron grip of the strangers hand wrap around her ankle Linkle couldn't help the awe that swelled up in her breast. She had seen things shrug off bolts before, but that was because they were armored. She had never seen something, at least nothing humanoid, take the hits and just not care. What was this guy made of? She didn't have a lot of time to ponder as his fist was coming for her again. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her hair flashing a pale blue as ice sprang up to form a shield to take the blow. Even as it did so she lashed out with her free leg, a blade of ice forming along the toe as she aimed for his head. That was he only part of his body he had bothered to try defending.

As once the shield shattered under the force of the stranger's blow and the Skullgirl's ice skate sliced into his cheek. She flew backward, righting herself in time to see the man raise both hands above his head. All across his body his tattoos glowed a brilliant blue. "EeYAH!" When he slammed his fists on the ground, a great wave of ice burst forth that swept across the snow. As he stood, the bolts squeezed out of his body, and the ugly gash on his cheek shimmered. In another second it was gone, and the stranger looked untouched. "Care to try again?”