[center][h3]Tora and Poppi[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon
Level 9 Tora (93/90) Level 9 Poppi (93/90) Level 5 Big Band (32/50)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Fox’s [@Dawnrider], Jesse’s [@Zoey Boey], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Primrose’s [@Yankee], Yoshitsune and Sora’’s [@Rockin Strings], Mao’s [@Potemking], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1365[/center]

With last-minute preparations underway for both the soon-to-depart heroes and the Railway Gun itself, Tora and Poppi broke free of the crowd to return. Too excited to see and feel the behemoth locomotive in action to sit around and chitchat, or even to watch the workmen loading fuel and shells, the Nopon made for the top of the machine to get a better look at the main cannon itself. A technological marvel that inspired as much awe as it did fear, the ridiculous armament boasted a barrel wide enough for Tora to park himself inside comfortably. Anti-material, anti-armor, anti-air, anti-everything, really; getting up close and personal made it all the more incredible that Al Mamoon’s regent would trust the Seekers with it. But even a flibbertigibbet like Tora knew that trust was a two-way street. Maybe Validar just knew what a hero looked like.

While Tora consorted with the Conductor and the [url=https://i.imgur.com/RBMoJCo.png]weapons expert[/url] provided by the crown to familiarize himself with both the train and the gun’s workings, the remaining members of his merry band arrived one by one. Under normal circumstances he would have been front and center for the return of an especially radiant-looking Primrose, but this time the dancer had to settle for just the admiration of everyone else. Mao appeared, keeping mostly to himself in a taciturn, contemplative silence even when greeted by Big Band. Out of the two prospective demons that might be with him for the long haul, the detective no doubt preferred this one. Fox, meanwhile, joined the group without reservation, ready for the trip ahead. Jesse came prepared, having stocked up on various essentials that would no doubt prove invaluable once the team reached the mountain. Fresh from a mock swordfight came Midna and Yoshitsune, the samurai repossessed of his familial katanas at last, making for a total of four to split evenly among his arms. Although he outdid the Phantom Thief Fox in quantity, Yoshitsune’s fellow katana-wielder did not feel any envy; just as in the world of art, only quality concerned him. Not long after Sora appeared, having run himself ragged through the city streets in an effort to find his destination. To his credit, however, he did arrive a little bit before Raz and Sectonia. Band eyed the late arrivals, keeping to himself his curiosity about whatever might have waylaid them on the communal route between palace and train station.

A tremendous noise more like a bestial bellow than a train whistle resounded through the station, followed shortly by a pronouncedly Scottish squawk. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall aboaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!” the Conductor called, summoning each and every rider to the train. With everyone ready and waiting for just such a call, the Seekers and their help climbed aboard en masse. This particular locomotive featured extremely limited interior space on account of its primarily industrial (or perhaps more accurately, military) design, but with Hollow Heights and its fearsome upswells nowhere near the planned route, there wasn’t much to fear but the heat of the sun. The plentiful sturdy railings made falling off just about idiot-proof, too. All in all, it promised to be a secure, if not too comfortable, ride.

While everyone got on, yet another familiar silhouette passed through the train station’s doorway, albeit not exactly a welcome one. Wearing a crisp new set of attire that suited her new aesthetic and wielding a [url=https://i.imgur.com/P2oCO89.png]enormous metal greatbow[/url], Ciella strutted her way toward the train. Big Band, who’d hung back to run a more up-to-date headcount, watched as she approached with raised eyebrows. Though all the badmouthing he’d heard about her painted her an unreliable ally at best and thinly-veiled enemy at worst, the detective couldn’t bring himself to dislike what he was seeing. “Good mornin’, heartache,” he breathed, before clearing his throat. “Hello, dolly. Fixin’ to join us on our maiden voyage, or just here to get your kicks on?”

Ciella glanced at him coolly. “Validar asked me to accompany you all,” she replied, her voice loud enough to be heard from the train. “As a demonstration of his goodwill and commitment to helping you achieve your...noble goal. He says he regrets that he could not spare more of us.”

[i]Why am I not surprised,[/i] Band thought, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, I’m sure we’ll take anyone we can get, so long as ya don’t pull any more o’ them friendly fire stunts.”

Clearly suppressing impulses of her own, the rabbit-eared archer gave a thin smile. “Rest assured that I do not intend to shame myself further.”

“Alrighty then, let’s boogie.” With the train already beginning to leave of the station, Band jumped before deploying his thrusters to rocket over. Ciella followed with a jump, landing a moment before he did as the Railway Gun pulled away from the platform. Together they headed higher up on the machine to get a better view of things. “We got desert heat an’ mountain cold ahead of us. You gonna be good in all that finery there, sophisticated lady?” Band asked idly as they climbed.

“I’m cold-resistant and can create water if it gets too hot,” Ciella replied. After another moment she and Band joined Tora and Poppi up by the main cannon, where they could watch the train station recede behind them as the Railway Gun brought them out of the shade and into the morning sun. Though Tora’s interest in technology left him more exhilarated than most, this rather unique train ride was a novel experience for pretty much everyone save the Conductor. The shake, rattle and roll of the colossal locomotive, together with the low roar of its mammoth engines, combined to leave quite the impression. Every vibration reached all the way into Tora’s bones, filling him with the same fiery vigor that burned within the train’s steely bowels. The tracks banked left, making a wide arc until they straightened out directly toward the split mountain that waited, ever patient, at the end of the desert.

A few minutes after getting underway, with the high walls, milk-jug towers, and cerulean domes of stately Al Mamoon getting father and farther away, most people were already getting settled in for the long train ride. Even the last third of the Sandswept Sky constituted quite the journey, and as cool as the Railway Gun was, Tora didn’t plan to spend the journey gushing over its every detail when he could be doing much more productive things with his time. Instead, with Poppi accompanying him, he trawled the train in search of allies who might consent to an odd request. “Hihi! Tora wonder if friend help out with something, meh. See, Tora very tough and great tank, but still not have much experience,” he explained. “It seem like every fight that enemy use attacks that Tora never see before in life, or know how defend against. Am sick of getting taken by surprise! So am hoping that everyone try hitting Tora with everything friends got! Maybe even give advice while doing it, meh. That make me better at dealing with all sorts different attacks!”

Of course, Poppi chimed in with a word of caution. “Just make sure to give Masterpon moment to heal between each go. Masterpon heal quickly outside of battle, but sometimes get impatient and charge right in again.”

“If friends even strong enough to actually hurt Tora, that is. Meheheh.” Tora put on a smug expression, adding an underlying challenge to the open invitation. 

With Tora’s offer made, anyone the large group without other plans for the trip could kill some time using the Nopon as a punching bag. Given how much time the team had on their hands Tora felt pretty confident he could get through everyone who volunteered to help him out, and though he didn’t relish the idea of getting beaten up, the prospect of mitigating much worse damage in the future made this a long-term investment. Plus, it might be fun, too. Drill Shield equipped and Poppi on hand to help, Tora parked himself atop the cannon’s counterweight, ready to take all comers.