[center][h3]Tora, Poppi, and Big Band[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Sandswept Sky - Apex of the World
Level 9 Tora (150/90) Level 9 Poppi (150/90) Level 5 Big Band (88/50)
Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Fox’s [@Dawnrider], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Raz’s [@TruthHurts22], the Phantom Thieves, Braum, the Scout, Peacock, Mao, Robin, Tharja, Ciella
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2670[/center]

In the aftermath of the colossal fly-by, the Seekers picked themselves up with renewed resolve. Thanks chiefly to Braum’s heroic efforts they had been spared what would otherwise have been a deathblow to the team, though Tora and Sectonia’s efforts to rescue isolated team members -and passers by- played a small but crucial role as well. Having been one brawny Freljordian away from a harsh reality where even those blessed by the white-robed council’s afterglow would have been dashed upon the surrounding rocks, the party knew that even if Phalanx wasn’t the Guardian of the Sandswept Sky, they couldn’t get away with ignoring it any longer.

Naturally, nobody knew that better than Midna, who appeared eager to make up for the small part her arbitration played in the barely-averted disaster. Before Phalanx could completely pass Jondo and the Seekers by, the Twilight Princess delivered her ultimatum, then warped herself up to the immense creature. Once aboard she made her way toward the head, where she planned to take advantage of the phenomenon she and the others had forgotten to string the gleaming colossus along and get it away from her allies. After that she could deal with it for good, one way or another. Unwilling to give Midna the benefit of the doubt a second time with so much at stake, Sectonia followed along as a failsafe. This time, nothing would be left to either assumption or chance.

Their departure alongside Phalanx left the remainder of the team with mixed emotions, pumping adrenaline, no immediate threat, and only so many options. As it turned out, Braum’s life-saving ice wall wasn’t the only thing in pieces. Among the wreckage lay the fragmented remains of one of the four multi-man statues on Jondo’s perimeter, its bronze so green and rusty with age that just the solid impact from a windblown Therion had been enough to crumble it. Neglected amongst the chaos, the great chain had been dragged down into the abyss of the bell by its own weight, and the monumental clapper was one step closer to freedom from its restraints.

That wasn’t the only unintentional consequence of Phalanx attacking, however. Now that he’d been hurt by the colossus, Therion fell victim to Galeem’s influence as well, and with the target of his ire not only being dealt with but also actively departing the Apex of the World, that suddenly became a serious issue. Big Band recognized the problem at once, as well as the necessary solution. “I got this!” With a burst of sonic power he charged after the thief with a mechanical arm deployed. He moved fast for a big guy, but it wouldn’t have been enough without an assist from Peacock. Thinking quickly, the girl pulled her head into her hat. A black hole opened on the ground below Therion as he opened his glider, and from it Peacock’s head poked out. She shot out her metal dentures like a bear trap, grabbing onto his foot just in time to stop him mid-takeoff. That gave Band just enough time to get close, open wide his fist, then catch Therion in his anti-air grab, Take the A-Train. “Take five!” The instrumentation in the arm pumped twice like a pile bunker, slamming Therion both times, and on the third sent him tumbling along the ground. Band immediately launched into the same move again, and with the thief’s aggro now on the detective, Therion got up into a low stance ready to strike back. Before he could be counterhit Band canceled his charge with Emergency Break, then sent a friend heart flying with a [url=https://i.imgur.com/6qLdZzU.png]tip of his hat[/url]. The heart flew true, and just a brief moment later Therion was a free man.

With a sigh of relief that everything went to plan, Big Band extended the thief a hand. “Sorry ‘bout that brother, but this player don’t miss a beat. Welcome to the in crowd. We’ll fill ya in later, so try an’ focus on the fight for now.” He straightened up and looked over to see Phalanx receding into the distance, currently reconciling its differences with its boarding party.  “Although, if that thing’s peacin’ out, we don’t got much of a fight on our hands.”

“Maybe we do,” Tora suggested, rubbing his chin. “Now that Tora think about it, biggypon snake-beast have normal gleaming eyes, right, Poppi?”

The artificial blade pursed her lips thoughtfully as she consulted her memory banks. “Correct. Previous bosses have unique eyes. Megadragonbowser orange, and Enderdragon purple. Masterpon agree with Midna, after all?”

“Meh!?” The Nopon cut short his sagacious nodding to flash his companion an irritated look. “That beside point! Tora just think that because of baddypon Master Hand, boss must still be around. Friends should definitely ring bell and see what happen, meh!”

Joker seemed to agree. “Couldn’t hurt. Stuff like this is almost always here for a reason.”

“There’s no such thing as coincidence,” Fox mused.

“Agh,” Mona sighed, rubbing his big head with one paw. “I mean, it’s not like we’ve got any better options. But we really just always end up winging it with whatever we’ve got on hand, huh?”

“Hey, man, that’s just how the Phantom Thieves roll!” Skull grinned.

Panther rolled her eyes. “For better or worse,” she grumbled.

Tora gestured at what brazen wreckage remained of the first statue with one wing. “Plus, it looks like friend Therion already get started, meh! Good job Therion!”

“Finally, we’re doing something!” Mao gruffed. “I’ll go left.”

“Tora and Poppi fly to far side!” Tora volunteered without delay.

Tharja looked sideways at Robin. “Can’t you shoot them from here, or something?”

“Theoretically, yes,” the tactician admitted. “Thoron could most likely go the distance. It is an incredibly difficult shot, however, and I would rather not expend the mana if we can help it.” He trailed off as he became aware of Ciella charging another typhoon arrow. The rabbit lady built up her power, took careful aim, and let loose. After a moment in flight the arrow ripped into the right-side statue, shattering it into pieces, and like clockwork the second chain descended. Ciella glanced his way, her half-masked expression one of thinly veiled self-satisfaction. Robin ignored her.

But by this time the team had already scrambled. Together Tora and Poppi jetted off across the iron-sided pit known as Jondo, with Poppi loosely following the route of the spanning bridge in case something unexpected happened. Even with a greater distance to go and a very competitive Mao hurrying to get his job done, the dynamic duo managed to reach their statue first. After the artificial blade cruised in and dropped her Masterpon off, Tora started whaling on the conjoined human effigies. To his surprise, the statue gave up the ghost after only a couple hits, releasing their chain so suddenly that it whipped past and struck him. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing his cheek, but in a moment his out-of-battle healing kicked in and quickly left him with an annoying stinging sensation. He looked up at Poppi, half expecting her to be laughing, but even his sometimes-derisive companion wasn’t [i]that[/i] cruel. She gave him a sympathetic pat on the head, then hoisted him into her arms and took off.

At about that time Mao reached his statue, and after a few moments of applying his oversized surgical tools it broke apart, too. As Tora and Poppi flew over the yawning pit, they got a bird’s-eye view of the clapper as its last restraint came off. For a moment there was nothing, just the sound of the wind blowing and Poppi’s thrusters burning. Then something snapped, and the clapper began to fall. It took the bridges with it, caving in the entire span in a matter of moments. It would have been a brutal trap had anyone been on it, but nobody had, so instead it turned out just brutally inefficient. All the effort that it took to rig it in the first place, wasted. The pair watched the clapper plummet into the darkness, bracing themselves for a deafening clang. Several seconds passed in near-silence, until finally a loud [i]THOK[/i] echoed up from below, a single meaty note.

Tora shook his head in disbelief, absolutely let down. “What dummypon design this thing, meh!?”

“Don’t demand refund just yet, Masterpon,” Poppi warned, keeping her eyes peeled as she flew. “Poppi get feeling this not over.”

“Yeah, that sound about right,” Tora allowed. “Meh.”

Barely did another moment pass before a terrific, hideous moan erupted from below. Unfathomably deep and awfully loud thanks to the reverberation of the bell, it swept across the Apex of the World, an apocalyptic howl of primeval fury. Amidst the tumult, swathes of [url=https://i.imgur.com/53weItY.png]spade-shaped fliers[/url] swarmed up from below, filling the air with a symphony of shrieks and the beat of myriad fins. Tora and Poppi dodged between the creatures, mowing through them with the Variable Saber when the torrent grew too thick, as they fought to reach their allies. They touched down a few moments later, with Tora’s heart racing and Poppi’s ether furnace burning bright, then joined the others in a defensive formation. Nobody believed for an instant, however, that they were ready for what was to come. And they were right.

Deep within the shadows of Jondo, the creature began to thrash. It threw itself against the sides of its great iron prison, over and over again, each calamitous impact enough to topple a skyscraper. Dutifully Jondo replied, each shockingly loud peal resounding through the earth itself, audible across and well beyond the Sandswept Sky itself. The mountain trembled, its very stone cracking under the sheer, absurd force. As the party struggled to maintain consciousness, Tora squeezed his hands to his ears as hard as he could, only dimly aware of the colossal shape soaring toward the time. When he finally noticed his eyes nearly bugged out, knowing that if Phalanx came in for another pass right now, the team was done for. This time, however, Midna and Sectonia were at its helm. Above the absolute clamor nothing at all could be heard, so they waved with everything they had, beckoning the rest of the team to get aboard. Tora suddenly realized that Phalanx wouldn’t be the team’s doom, but their salvation. Gritting his teeth, he set the Variable Saber to full blast, and with it glowing as bright as he could pointed the way for the team. It was flying low, but they would have only one chance–one shot to use their afterglow or other means to get aboard, and escape this head-pounding hell.

Poppi nodded. She tucked Tora under one arm, grabbed the near-senseless Redento, and took off. The Phantom Thieves opened their gliders and ascended on the updraft, while Big Band blasted off with Peacock holding on for dear life with her teeth, the big, white fingers of her cartoon gloves plugged in her ears. Ciella transformed into her Agito form and took flight, pausing only to grab Braum in her talons, perhaps beholden to the man for saving her life before. Before she could flap off the Scout latched onto her, holding his grapple gun with the tightest death grip of his entire career, and with no other options Mao grabbed hold of his ankles. Tharja used her dark magic to warp onto Phalanx, then her Rescue staff to bring Robin up with her. It fell to Raz, Jesse, and Fox to find their own way, for in just a moment’s time the window was closed. Phalanx flew out from over Jondo and into the wild blue yonder.

Right on cue, Jondo split apart. It sounded its last hurrah across the land as the prisoner within finally broke free, crashing through the narrow layer of stone that encircled the great bell and plummeting downward. It was a catastrophic sight, but a mesmerizing one; like a train wreck, one couldn’t just look away. For the life of him Tora couldn’t quite tell what he was looking at, amidst all that debris, but it was huge. Oblong, greenish-beige, with no visible limbs. Like some sort of caterpillar. More than that he couldn’t tell, since the monstrosity plunged down through the clouds and into the Graveyard of the Peaks. A landslide of elephantine proportions was in progress, but even then the cacophony gradually faded, even if the ringing in the Nopon’s ears did not.

“...Whatever it is, if that thing survives its li’l tumble down the mountain, and you can bet yo’ behinds it will, it’s gonna run hog wild across the whole desert!” Big Band was shouting. Midna and Sectonia were already steering Phalanx downward toward the clouds. As it began its forced nosedive Tora turned around and took one final look at Split Mountain’s peak, so tantalizingly mysterious, so near and yet so far. Then it disappeared from view, and he gave a forlorn sigh as he held on tight to the colossus’ hair. He’d have to see some other time just what awaited at the journey’s end.

Band continued. “Wherever it ends up, that place is history. Tostarena, Al Mamoon, you name it. Guardian or not, we gotta take it out.”

“What do you mean, take it out?” Ciella snapped. The statuesque archer was back in her human form, and even with her mask on she looked incredulous. “I mean, I agree, but let’s not delude ourselves. How do we even fight something that size?”

Tora’s eyes went wide. “Meh, meh!” he cried. “What about Railway Gun? It cannon stupid huge, and Tora bet it fast enough to stay ahead of big evil even with it full attention!”

“I was just about to suggest the same thing,” Joker agreed. “This thing’s slow and can’t attack other than ramming the other creature, which I feel like wouldn’t do much. The train’s probably our best bet.” In a massive poof of vapor Phalanx plunged out from the clouds surrounding Split Mountain, and the Sandswept Sky unfolded below. Tostarena Town was little more than a colorful blotch at the bottom of the canyonland foothills, but the team’s drivers kept the colossus right on course for it. More importantly, the team caught sight of the monster once more, still plowing down the mountainside at the head of a tremendous avalanche. Driven more by its own gargantuan weight than any power of its own, the creature seemed to be floundering limply, but that wouldn’t last forever.. “Let’s just hope we can get moving before that thing gets itself together,” Joker added.

How long it took to swoop down Tora couldn’t rightly say, but with adrenaline surging through his veins it felt like ages. Acting on some defensive instinct, Phalanx was headed straight for the sand, so when the ground grew near everyone needed to either jump or take flight once more. The last of the mountain’s afterglow was fading away, but those final traces helped everyone get down more or less safely in close proximity to Tostarena Town. Tourists and Tostarenans alike had gathered at one side of the settlement to gawk at the spectacle, both of Phalanx descending to the desert with the heroes upon its back, and the other creature that came to a stop not that much farther away, surrounding by the cloud of dust and heap of debris it kicked up on its way down the mountain. For now it lay still, stunned by the ordeal but still very much alive. The heroes took off across the sand, going as fast as they could toward the Railway Gun that glinted like hope in the late afternoon sun. As the dust cleared behind them, those who looked over their shoulders could get their first good look at their true opponent, the towering abomination whose countless eyes burned not with the waxing sunset of Galeem, but a true and absolute red, the blood-fire scarlet of hell itself.

[center][h1][color=red]Warning. Boss discovered[/color][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/qmTjf53.png[/img]
[h1][color=red]Red Eye[/color][/h1]

[i]A boss fight has begun. For those involved in the fight, and for the entirety of the fight, tensions and stakes are high--but so are the rewards. With GM posts accelerated to the point of both Wednesday and Sunday updates, Prompt Failure may result if you endanger your character but don’t post. However, rewards are accelerated:

<500 words is 2 points, 500-1000 is 4 points, and 1000+ is 6 points.

Objective: Defeat the Behemoth of Crimson, Red Eye, and claim its spirit[/i][/center]

[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Deep Blue Seaside - Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Level 8 Nadia (59/80)
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate’s [@Archmage MC], Hat Kid’s [@Dawnrider], Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN], Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee], Sakura's [@Zoey Boey],  Link’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1136[/center]

Famished and impatient, Nadia rocked back and forth on her heels behind the big guy in line as the Koopa Troop queued up behind her in turn. In the light of day she could really appreciate just how different -and strange- both Bowser and Kamek looked. Even Link, when he appeared, looked very little like the boy he had been. Small changes to one’s face were all it took to make someone nigh unrecognizable, and now the young Hero of the Wild was basically a grown man. Nadia tried not to stare, but in her heart of hearts wondered if only fusing with girls like herself from now on would even be enough to stay…well, her. With a sigh she chased the thoughts from her mind. Weird philosophy could wait until after she’d had her fun in the sun. Besides, there was Ace! Leave it to that goober to show up to a beach party in full plate. And was that a [i]wink[/i]? It caught Nadia so off guard that she couldn’t think to do anything but smile back at him.

Glad to hear that someone else liked her eyepatch, Nadia gave Junior a big grin over her shoulder. “Meowdy there, folks,” she greeted everyone, putting on a southern accent for no real reason. “And thank ya kindly!” After looking forward again to see if Birdie was done yet, she continued to fidget until a lady’s voice cut through the line, sharp and commanding enough to startle the cat burglar even more than it did the freeloader ahead of her. Nadia’s head snapped around to face Karin as her ears and tail stood on end, frozen as if she’d been caught in a searchlight, but after a disarming smile from her hostess her surprise quickly turned to a slight embarrassment, both to be so tense still and to be referred to as an ‘honored guest’. The dude in front of her, evidently named Birdie and an associate of the lady in charge, twisted about to give Nadia a dubious glance. Any other day Nadia might have felt bad to be skipped ahead to the front of the line, but not today, so she looked up at him with a big, smug cat smile. [i]You heard the lady,[/i] it seemed to say.

Begrudgingly Birdie stepped aside, and as if a curtain had been thrown open before her, the lavish buffet stretched out in front of Nadia in all its mouth-watering splendor. She stepped forward gingerly, still unconvinced that she wasn’t dreaming. Seafood, baked goods, and the [i]meats[/i], dear lord! There was brisket, pulled pork, chicken breast, sausage, bologna, turkey, hot links, tri-tip! Spoiled for choice and paralyzed by indecision, Nadia hung over the feast for a moment, eyes shining and fingers wiggling with greed. Then she began to rack up her kebabs, skewering something of everything. If anyone made the mistake of offering Miss Nadia Fortune their undivided hospitality, they could bet top dollar that she’d make the most of it.

As she helped herself, her hostess approached. Miss Ringlets stood at least four inches shorter than Nadia herself, but she spoke and carried herself with such gravitas and social expertise that even in her swimwear she made the feral feel like a street urchin. Which, to be fair, she was. But after offering her apologies on Birdie’s behalf the noblewoman took pains to extend Nadia her warmest welcome, and her honored guest was only too happy to accept it. “No problem!” Nadia assured her, turning around with three barbecue-laden kebabs held tight between her fingers on each hand like big, meaty claws. “You must be miss Karen, right?” she asked, completely but accidentally butchering the pronunciation. “Man, thanks a million for the invite! I’d’a been dyin’ for some food if that letter hadn’t come ‘round. And a free pass to a sweet beach party, too!? You’re seriously the best!” Without another word Nadia excused herself. She didn’t want to be rude or anything, but friendly conversation could come [i]after[/i] chowing down.

Basically the moment the feral stepped away from the buffet with her ill-gotten gains, she began disposing of them in earnest. For a cat Nadia could really wolf down her food, and these kebabs didn’t stand a chance. She’d already annihilated one by the time she passed by Blazermate, and as the Medabot rose to inquire about her eye, Nadia took the chance to catch her breath. “Oh no, my eyes are fine, see?” Using her free thumb she lifted the clear eyepatch, giving Blazermate a good look at the black sclera and bright blue iris she’d gotten from her fusion with the Oceanid, Rhodeia. “Just thought I’d get something to sorta, hide it, y’know? I look freaky enough as is, don’t need heterochromia makin’ me look like some kinda anime princess to boot. Plus, it looks cool, right? Right!” With a nod of her head she slid the patch back down into place, and without further ado Nadia made her way to a vacant couple of beach chairs beneath a thatch shade. Once seated she could really start doing some damage to her lunch.

The battle was vicious but short-lived, and in the end Nadia emerged victorious. She planted the last of the skewers in the sand beside her chair like the spears of fallen warriors, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and breathed a long sigh of contentment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten quite so well, and she was very happy to find that her worries about the Maw ruining food for her forever turned out to be wholly incorrect. Of course, when it came to feasting she’d always been a lightweight, and that hardly changed even after going hungry for a full day, but right now she was satisfied. Now, all she needed was something wet to wash all that meat down. Normally Nadia wouldn’t drink so soon after waking up, but what the heck. It was the afternoon, anyway! Plus, she had an awesome idea. With a wave of her hand she brought out a copycat, who offered a salute before running off to find the Kanzuki Estate’s beachside bar. Nadia busied herself pulling her beach chair out into the sun to lay out her towel, then laid herself down on top of it. By the time she finally got herself comfortable, she looked up and found that her copycat had returned with a delicious mojito in each hand. “Purr-fection!” the feral laughed, taking both drinks before she pulled the double back in. She took a long, cool sip of sugary, minty, rummy, lime-tart goodness, looked out across the gorgeous sea, and let her eyes slide shut. “Man, maybe this hero stuff isn’t so bad, after all.”