[center][h3]Ms Fortune[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Eryth Sea
Level 9 Nadia (61/90) 
Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Blazermate and Susie’s [@Archmage MC], Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN], Ace Cadet and Pit’s [@Yankee], Sakura and Karin’s [@Zoey Boey], Rubick’s [@Scarifar], Omori’s [@Majoras End], Nadia Fortune
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2481[/center]

No amount of torrential rainfall or murky, overcast skies could dampen Nadia’s mood as she sailed forth across the Eryth Sea. The thrill of setting off on a brand new journey, literally surrounded by her friends, left her beaming almost as brightly as the morning sun before the storm clouds rolled in to swallow it up. In some ways it made her feel like a kid again, bravely sallying forth into the unknown in search of the day’s adventures, and in others she felt like a badass, rolling out with a crew of awesome professionals to get the job done. It was a thrill that quickened her heart two days ago as the Azur Navy sailed north to Blackwater Bay, even though she knew that a brutal naval war awaited her there. It was a feeling she’d sorely missed ever since her last crew departed on their final voyage to parts unknown, convincing her for a time that she could never hurt so badly again so long as she worked alone.

Luckily, such thoughts were very far away, and for the moment Nadia lived wholly in the present. Once she cleverly used her Feral ability to harden her hair, her bob cut kept the water from stinging her eyes, allowing her to keep her head up and track her fellow Seekers of Light as they went along. Much to Nadia’s surprise in particular, owing to her loose familiarity with seafaring, her oddly-shaped rowboat handled like a dream. It less pushed through the water than slid across it, or so it seemed, demanded only low effort to build up speed, and weirdest of all, kept itself remarkably upright despite the choppy surface of the sea. That blocky man really knew his stuff! that, or he and his creations simply worked with a set of physics very different to the one Nadia knew and loved.

After emerging from inside the Alcamoth vehicle bay in a big clump so tightly packed that the wooden boats might have just as well been bumper cars, the group spread out across the water. Without any real formation in mind, they stuck together in twos and threes as they made their way eastward. Bowser, atop his white whale-monster, took up a central position in the heroes’ flotilla with his loyal Troop as escort. Peach skated across the waves beneath the shelter of her parasol. With his souped-up stamina Geralt rowed almost as well as he ran, which was to say, a lot better than Nadia expected. The street fighters bent all their strongest muscles to the task, including their hearts, and cruised right along. Finally, Omori, Pit, and Rubick brought up the rear, the magus being carried by his own versions of Kamek’s Toadies.

The fliers got the chance to stretch their proverbial wings as well, although Nadia worried a little about Susie with that wimpy-looking Transporter. If the pouring rain or buffeting wind got to be too much, the pink-haired robot might find herself in the drink and wishing she took a boat to begin with. At least if Nadia capsized, she could trust in Ace to bail her out. She’d taken him up on his offer earlier, but truth be told she did not relish a piggy-back ride even on [i]his[/i] brawny shoulders. While she might not be the most mature person around, Nadia wanted to think she had a little dignity. Never mind that she was soaking wet from the rain. The feral zipped up her jumpsuit and rowed on.

After just a couple blissfully uneventful minutes, the journey across the inland ocean began to get a little interesting. Sakura and Karin stumbled upon a big green patch of kelp, buoyed upward from their anchorage points on the sea floor by gas-filled sacs to gather in a massive carpet on the surface. The pair got bogged down there for a moment or two, but it didn’t look like anything serious, so Nadia continued. At least the rain wouldn’t feel cold to Sakura now that she’d been underwater. Things like the kelp forests or the [url=https://i.imgur.com/VlOR5Em.png]lilypad islands[/url] were easy to avoid without ever realizing the beauty that lay below. By now everyone had spread out enough that they’d begun to have their own little encounters, be they with the creatures of Eryth Sea or the environment itself.

Despite the mild level of wind overall, a handful of [url=https://i.imgur.com/KOVtHgS.png]cyclones[/url] descended across the water, traveling erratically along the surface. Each whirlwind harbored a minor suction effect, and if it happened to pull one of the travelers in, it would spin the hapless hero around before launching him or her hundreds of feet up into the rainy sky. Even then, however, Steve’s uncanny rowboats would not be destroyed, but would splash bottom-down into the seawater before bobbing to the surface. Thanks to her improvised helmet, though, Nadia could see her coming, and despite one close call she managed to steer clear.

In a similar vein were the [url=https://i.imgur.com/i7oicDh.png]water spouts[/url], perhaps the products of underwater geysers. In areas with golden coins afloat on the surface and flush with bright red Cheep Cheeps, spumes of water suddenly burst up from below, carrying anyone in the area on top of them. Though harmless for the most part, anyone who got lifted up while going too fast could be sent flying through the air, and hitting one of the protruding [url=https://i.imgur.com/pARtY01.png]mushroom trees[/url] nearby at that speed didn’t sound fun. Sometimes a spout brought up a [url=https://i.imgur.com/xPembL8.png]giant purple pufferfish[/url] with it, whose immense bulk and vivid spikes looked more than capable of reducing a boat to a pile of sticks. “Yeah, fluff that,” Nadia muttered, and she went out of her way to give the whole affair a wide berth.

While looking overboard for puffers, Nadia did spot something else that looked interesting. A rather [url=https://i.imgur.com/9adFP3Y.png]alluring specimen[/url] sat on a raised pillar of rock not too far below the surface, with five glowing lights around the formation. Four of them would render the valuable, highly-pressurized fleshy orbs known as [url=https://i.imgur.com/U1DP59F.png]Hadal Cores[/url], but if a looter chose wrong, an [url=https://i.imgur.com/O6fXAcX.png]abyssal horror[/url] would lunge from its hiding place to snap up its prey. Farther off still, Nadia could see more lights in the depths of the Eryth Sea, but of these she couldn’t make out the most fragmentary detail. Though that submerged luminescence did ignite her curiosity, she couldn’t see underwater and she didn’t want to risk losing her boat if she went under, so she pressed on, never knowing the horror just beneath her, or the [url=https://i.imgur.com/Ap9AqHe.png]wonder[/url] further down.

As she tried to make out underwater shapes through the ripples of rainfall on the surface, thoroughly distracted, disaster struck. From beneath the other side of her boat emerged a gargantuan [url=https://i.imgur.com/E6v5ypq.png]Serprond[/url], so vast that its three-section maw only failed to devour Nadia’s boat because the water it displaced washed her away. Taken completely by surprise and mere inches away from being eaten, the feral collapsed in her boat, paralyzed by primal, gut-wrenching terror. She cowered, her heart just about stopped, as the colossal sea monster passed by, flying into the air to hang over the ocean like a six-eyed zeppelin. It took a moment for her to start breathing again, at which point she clutched at her chest, trying to dull the agony. “...Fuck,” she gasped, fighting to calm her pounding heart. The Serprond soared away at a leisurely pace, unbothered by the insignificant creature it left behind. Had it even been going for her? In Nadia’s mind, absolutely. “It almost got me…it almost ate me…”

Though frightened within an inch of her life, and her lifespan potentially shortened as a result, she thanked whoever came to check on her. “I’m fine. I think?” Nadia wiped a mixture of rain and tears from her eyes. “Go-lly. I didn’t know I could [i]be[/i] that scared. For a second…it was like I was back there. On the Maw.” Despite her new phobia, she was still one tough customer, and she composed herself soon enough. “Better get a move on before it’s friends shop up. God…”

Nadia started rowing again, this time with a vengeance. In no time she approached the river that led through the mountains, the water growing shallower on the way. She spotted a few [url=https://i.imgur.com/26xsbW1.png]little turtle guys[/url] playing with bubbles by some [url=https://i.imgur.com/igKLPFi.png]coral shacks[/url] among the shoals, but her attempt to find joy in their antics had mixed results because the little ones’ [url=https://i.imgur.com/oZ8xqsQ.png]lifeguard[/url] watched over them with a sniper rifle in hand. After that her attention lay mostly on the [url=https://i.imgur.com/GdMRhhX.png]cove[/url] that sat at the border of ocean and river, mostly due to the giant stone skull that sat among a forest of spiky crags, complete with glowing red eyes. The whole place was a ship graveyard, piled high with the guttered husks of different vessels. “Whoa,” she marveled, admittedly a little intimidated. “This is some crazy ship.”

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/36NSpLe.png[/img][/center]

Getting through there in one piece demanded that the Seekers slow down and mind their corners. In addition to a head-on collision with one of the rock spires, they needed to worry about running afoul of the wreckage. Looking at it from a different angle, however, the Kove might as well be a wooden playground of masts, sails, decks, overturned hulls, and makeshift rafts of floating debris. Some booty could still be found in the barrels and chests scattered throughout, from provisions like salted pork and bananas that could be eaten underwater, to handy gear like ropes, candles, shovels, and buckets, which would be useful when it came to getting water out of boats. Only one ship seemed to be relatively intact: the [url=https://i.imgur.com/FKRrJKX.png]Adrian[/url], a midnight-black pirate vessel of fearsome aspect. Its main cabin was well-furnished, with a treasure map and quality spyglass resting on the desk, and in its hold dwelled the piratical monstrosity [url=https://i.imgur.com/d4xHzdT.png]Cortez[/url], standing watch over a heap of glittering treasure.

Reasoning that anything big enough to eat her couldn’t be hiding in such shallow, cluttered waters, Nadia stopped her boat by one half-wreck to see what sort of loot she could expect from the place. Nothing really struck her fancy that she could carry in her pockets, though she did take a bucket to put in her boat for bail, and after finding a small keg labeled ‘fresh water’ she took that too. No telling how long the team might be out on the ocean, after all. Except, this was empty. [i]Figures.[/i] For  a moment she stood there, wondering if the Eryth Sea was fresh or saltwater, since it apparently sat upstream of the real ocean. Well, she knew better than to test! If she took this keg, she could gather some rain water, at least. As Nadia turned to go, she spotted one other thing. A humble [url=https://i.imgur.com/zS7QgWl.png]hurdy-gurdy[/url] of wood and metal. Her idle thoughts about instruments from the other day flashed in her mind, and her mouth curled into a 3 shape. “Well now…can’t just leave you to rust there forever, can I?” She retrieved the instrument, and returned to the boat.

A little farther and she passed the skull rock, putting her at the mouth of the river. When she became aware of an increasingly strong flow she pulled over to the pebbly beach, ran aground, and jogged a short way to the start of the riverbank. Sure enough, there were rapids. The whole thing looked like a sequence of small, foamy cataracts, two or three at a time, interspersed by winding sections of river with a fast-moving current. “Honestly, it looks really fun,” she said aloud, and not just because of the excitement in store.

A [url=https://i.imgur.com/7hN4TFh.png]salmon[/url] migration was in progress before her eyes. The colorful fish were making their way upstream to the Eryth Sea in droves, leaping up the rapids in a living barrage of salmon. Nadia pictured her friends trying to sail downstream in them and getting smacked by fish after ten-pound fish, which sounded very funny. That it’d happen to her too she didn’t doubt, but she could think of worse things to be slapped in the face with than lunch. Of course, nothing complimented a fish frenzy better than hungry bears, and from where Nadia was standing the bears had come out in force. She saw normal -albeit fearsome- [url=https://i.imgur.com/Gx2JNNe.png]grizzlies[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/BFqb474.png]yellow-ringed bears[/url] with their [url=https://i.imgur.com/vVSRCkd.png]cubs[/url], one in a [url=https://i.imgur.com/xTyVuiN.png]flannel shirt[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/PaMhMpW.png]white ones[/url] with big heads, a number of more timid [url=https://i.imgur.com/pmI7OZF.png]black bears[/url], and one very big [url=https://i.imgur.com/9sgxDMC.png]Runebear[/url] sleeping up on a ledge after filling his belly, and who else but Banjo and Kazooie arguing beneath a tree.

Nadia did a double take. “Oh, hey!” She waved to Banjo, who waved back, both of them irrespective of Kazooie. “How’s it going?”

“Good!” the bear declared. “We were just grabbing some fish when it started to rain, and now we’re talking about where to go next. I was thinking of Spiral Mountain.”

“All these new places to go, and this knucklehead wants to go back home,” Kazooie said, rolling her eyes. “What about you all?”

“Down to the ocean,” Peach called, having drawn her boat to the top of the river as well. “We’re going to meet our friends in Twilight Town.”

Kazooie snickered. “Hah, good luck with that! This river’s like a theme park ride!”

“Ooh, really!?” Nadia’s eyes shone. “Now I’m excited!”

The bird rolled her eyes again in resignation. “Oh, I should’ve known.”

Once everyone got through the Kove, all the Seekers could do was to row their boats to the top of the first cataract, say any pertinent prayers, and take the plunge.

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/PE3tYgi1_FA?t=3[/youtube][/center]

[center][h3]Nyakuza Metro[/h3]
Level 10 Tora (56/110) Level 10 Poppi (56/110) Level 7 Big Band (73/70)
Bede’s [@Crimson Flame], Tora, Poppi, Vandham, Big Band, Peacock
[b]Word Count:[/b] 445 / 2144[/center]

With no further business in this place now that their plan had proceeded to stage two, Band’s party waited inside the visitor center until finally a cat dragged in another train. They boarded it to head back to the Metro hub, leaving the dense jungle, steaming marshland, and bizarre creatures of the Aviary Biodome behind. Of course, before cycling back to where it all started, the Black Line subway would pass through two more stops, which according to the electronic thickers in his car were Gutsford and Rapture. Though the detective stayed put both times he did peer out the window for a sneak peek at the location in quest, in case he or the others returned later on.

Judging from the station at least, the place called Gutsford looked rather ordinary. Band saw brick walls, a cement floor, metal benches, trash cans and litter, and vendor booths where they sold drinks, snacks, and cigarettes. Nothing special could be said about the people who milled about, other than most of those not working for the station itself seemed to be about college-age. Since it lacked the size or grandeur of a New Meridian train station, Band’s intuition told him that this establishment might belong to a medium-sized town or small city, nothing too fancy. By all appearances it seemed to be a slice of relative normalcy in this absurd, topsy-turvy world.

At the final stop, however, things got weird again. When the train pulled up to the platform at Rapture, it took Band a moment to become aware of what was wrong. At first the [url=https://i.imgur.com/bRM7XfO.png]Atlantic Express Depot[/url] seemed relatively normal, a little dark, a little confined, perhaps. The other trains seemed more like monorails, with large, [url=https://i.imgur.com/qrKgIqI.png]yellow-windowed cars[/url] that hung beneath their metal rails. Only after he noticed that the windows featured a lot more reinforcement girders than normal did he realize that on the other side of the glass lay a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ltsRRpT.png]glowing city[/url] in the depths of the sea, where whales wandered around the towering pinnacles like blimps and schools of fish replaced the pigeons who flocked around the windows and great neon signs. Even from inside the safety of the subway, two layers of glass and a dingy train station away from the ocean, Band was shaken to the core, and not just by the sheer impossibility of such a place. More than that, he found himself struck by the seafloor city’s unmistakable Art Deco aesthetic, with its glitzy skyscrapers, luxurious materials, its vaguely abstract and geometric forms, the divided facades, the hierarchical floor plans, the lavish mix of styles. It wasn’t just fascinating–it was [i]familiar[/i]. His eyes landed upon a [url=https://i.imgur.com/CdqVMvW.png]casino[/url] with a vibrant pink crown, ornamented by the image of a crowned fish beneath a name that Band knew all too well. [i]The River King.[/i] For a moment his breath caught in his throat, but then, as the train began to pull away, he deployed a mechanical arm to give Peacock an urgent nudge. “Pea, Pea, look! Just [i]look[/i]!” Just before the view receded from sight, replaced by the black void of the Metro’s magic tunnels, the girl got a glimpse, and her eyes went wide. “Sure it’s underwater, and it ain’t exactly the same, but…it’s New Meridian.” Band sank down into his seat, trying to process the information. “It’s home.”

Not long after the two stepped out of the Black Line station into the open air of Nyakuza Metro. Band took a second to look around at the buildings of mortar and brick, and up to the dizzying heights where the black cats made their homes. He breathed in deeply. No more did the millions of tons of water hang over him, but he still felt the weight of what had become of that city. Of [i]his[/i] city. That one sight tore open a hole in his focus on the mission and allowed a million questions to flood through him, like sea water through a rupture in a structurally unsound submarine. Was Lab 8 down there, at the bottom of an unknown ocean, with all the young ASG agents for whom he’d endeavored to be a father figure? Was the Medici Mafia ruling that underwater underworld? Did the Skullgirl lurk in those depths, amassing the bones of sea monsters and sailors? He needed to know. But he couldn’t go, not just yet. Benjamin Birdland had a job to do, and as always he would fulfill his duty.

When he and Peacock returned to the information kiosk that Yellow Team ended up using as a rendezvous point, they found a handful of allies already there, getting directions. Tora, Poppi, Vandham, and Bede had arrived on the Blue Line a little while ago, regaled the whole way over by the Pokemon Trainer’s fascinating tales about Pokemon–and of course, himself. The minute Tora spotted some friends -or more accurately, Poppi spotted them and then pointed them out to her Masterpon- he started bouncing up and down, waving his wings to get their attention. “Over here, meh!” he said, beckoning the cyborgs over. Vandham exchanged a brotherly nod with Band as the two groups met up, none of them seemingly any worse for wear, although Tora couldn’t help but notice one difference. “Why friend Band coat so icky-dirty?”

The detective stooped to get a look at his trench, noticed for the first time the mud that coated its hem and gave a grunt of annoyance. “We had to hoof it through a big-ass nature preserve, and there sure weren’t any hikin’ trails. Saw some real freaky critters, too.” He shrugged and raised an eyebrow at the others. “Where’d you folks end up?”

“We visit two spots on World of Light western coast,” Poppi replied. “One seaside town…”

“Hurt Tora poor eyes! Very strange overall!” Tora supplied.

“...And one port city,” the artificial blade finished. “Not get very good look at that one, but seem nice. Very pretty area, but city itself offend Poppi olfactory sensors.”

Vandham nodded. “Aha, I thought I caught a bad whiff of somethin’-or-other on the breeze. Little bit o’ low tide, little bit o’ industry, an’ a little bit o’ rot for good measure. You see those apartments up by the station, mates? Looked bloody infested. Flies the size o’ birds!” The big man shuddered. “If it were up to me, I’d burn the whole buildin’ to the ground, just to be sure.”

The Nopon made a face. “Meeeeh. Tora could not agree more. Hate fighting Skeeters back home most of all. Buggypons impossible to hit!”

Poppi tilted her head. “Well, since we team defender, it not matter if we hit them as long as we keep attention. Still, buzzing hurt Poppi processors, so Poppi exterminate whenever possible.”

“By the by, Bede here’s gonna be stickin’ with us for a bit.” Vandham patted the Pokemon Trainer on the shoulder. “‘E knows a thing or three about ‘is Pokemon, to be sure! Think he’ll be a fine addition to the team. Anyway, we just got done collectin’ some more o’ them crystal things. Pons, they’re called, yeah?” Vandham held up a handful to show the new arrivals. “Fixin’ to head over to the Mint Line station and roll on outta here.”

Peacock groaned, her hat comically deflating as her arms extended to drag the knuckles along the ground. “Ugh, I forgot about that.”

“We go on ahead then. See friends later!” Tora told them. He promptly began to waddle away in the direction that the helpful kiosk cats indicated, and after exchanging farewells, the others followed.

“Guess there’s nothin’ for it,” Band said after Tora’s group made tracks. Around him hustled and bustled the Nyakuza Metro, a scene of ever-present motion both down below and up above. Commuters and cats alike ran to catch their trains or busted their brains trying to figure out their connections, while those waiting for one to show -or already left behind by one they commiserated in small groups all around. On their first run through the place the Seekers cleaned out the nearby areas of all their loose pons, meaning Band and Peacock would have to be a bit more inventive. Hopefully the residential heights remained unplundered. “Ten apiece, by my count. You ain’t gonna make me do all the work this time, right Pea?”

After winding herself up again, his little friend cracked her knuckles. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lest ya forget, I’m the gen-u-wine article .” She pulled out a magnifying glass, held it up to her face, and joined the detective in scanning the scenery, despite both of them knowing that her real eyes were on her arms . “Now, where’s a gal gotta go to score a little dough around here…?”

Her eyes landed on a jeweler at the end of the street–Le Félin. “Howsabout that one, chief?” she asked Band. “Place like that’s gotta have a buncha those macguffins. Shake ‘em down and we’ll be outta this joint in a minute flat.”

Band shook his head as he prepared to discourage her, but before he could say anything he paused. All of a sudden something felt…off. A strange sensation tickled him, making the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and a surge of paranoia flooded through him. Like he was being watched. To anyone else it might have been nothing more than a passing chill, but Band trusted his detective instincts. “Hmm…” he murmured, stalling for time. Covertly he looked around, and the more his eyes darted back and forth, the more he realized that he might be onto something. All around him, whether standing around talking, eating on a bench, or just passing by, the Metro cats were looking his way. They’d turned toward him and Peacock on instinct, and though most now made an effort to act casual, the direction they pointed their ears made one thing clear: that they were listening in. Most worrisome of all, it wasn’t just one or two, or a particular group, but almost [i]all[/i] of them. It was as if he’d tripped some hidden alarm, and the whole feline populace was all ears.

“Hah,” he said after a moment. “You shouldn’ joke around like that, Pea. Someone might get the wrong idea. Let’s just check up top again, hm?” Before Peacock could protest he reached out and took hold of her, then blasted off into the Metro’s enclosed sky.

A few moments later they touched down on a rooftop, and Peacock squirmed free of his grasp. “Ey, what’s the big idea, ya goomba?” 

“Ssh,” Band hushed her. “Mind what ya say around here, Pea. Just listen a moment. Earlier, I heard some cats talkin’ about the police ‘round here. Mentioned they have a deal with some ‘boss’ of theirs, scratchin’ her back long as she scratches theirs. Just now, when ya mentioned robbin’ that jewelry store, every cat in the vicinity suddenly got real interested in our conversation. I ain’t sayin’ anythin’ for sure just yet, but there might be a lot more to this place than meets the eye.”

Peacock gasped, her six arm-eyes sparkling. “You sayin’ there might be some kinda mob, old-timer? And they even got a fix in? Now we’ses talkin’!” She put on a nasty grin. “If it’s the Medicis…”

“Calm down, kid!” Band interrupted. “Look, there’s no way to know for sure, so don’t run off paintin’ the town red or whatever just yet. Besides, we got a job to do. Much as I hate to say it, this whole Guardians business is more important.”

“Says you.” Peacock told him. “Look, if there’s garbage business afoot, I gotta find out. Whether it’s the Medicis or just some kinda kitty-cat nyafia. We stuck together so far ‘cause it made sense, but we can work seperate too, right? I can check out this place, and that underwater joint too. Maybe even finger this region’s big bad for ya’s. Now that I know, I’ll be more careful, see? Ya know I can handle myself, and I ain’t exactly alone, either.” She raised her hat to reveal Avery, who cocked his shotgun before Peacock covered him again. “Whaddya say, partner?”

The detective took a deep breath, then put his hand on his little friend’s shoulder. “Well…I hate to admit it, but ya ain’t wrong, and I couldn’t stop ya even if I wanted to. If this is really what ya wanna do, then…good luck, Pea. Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself, will ya?”

“Soitenly!” Peacock smiled, her balled fists proudly on her hips. “I ain’t a gumshoe like you, but I’ll have this case cracked wide open before ya knows it, just wait and see!” A cane reached out from nowhere and abruptly snatched her out of existence, which by now was par for the course. “...Toodles!”

Her sudden departure left Band alone on the roof. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. “Just ten pons then, huh.” He spotted a line of them along the top of a big electronic billboard, and stomped off.

[center][h3]Twilight Town[/h3]
Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Wonder Red’s [@TruthHurts22], the Scout[/center]

Despite the Scout’s claims, Sectonia immediately took a less-than-friendly attitude regarding the black-coated boy who’d come to investigate their arrival. Without so much as consulting the other members of the ‘we’ she employed in her pronouncement, she stated her intent to take Roxas in, as if she, the Scout, and Red constituted some authoritative force. At least she didn’t threaten him outright, but her chosen course sure shifted the tone of things, and any self-respecting dwarf wasn’t going to let himself get dragged into trouble.

“You wot?” he sputtered. “Hold on a tick, that ain’t what we’re s’posed to be doin’! This might not be obvious to a bug ‘oo doesn’t wear clothes, but people who where the same stuff ain’t necessarily affiliated!” Trying to understand her line of reasoning, however, led the Scout to the realization that Roxas’ coat did look rather familiar. “That jacket is rather similar to that blonde lass’s, I give you that, but…”

At that moment, Roxas made his move. He’d been talking to his own friend while the Scout chided Sectonia, and now he’d teleported up to the clock tower to get in the insect queen’s face, where he proceed to try to turn the interrogation around on her. Now the Scout, still on the ground, couldn’t quite hear what he was saying, but he doubted it’d be anything good. And with Red current out of his line of sight, it fell to the dwarf to try and mediate things. “Oh, bugger me,” he groaned, pulling out his grappling hook. “Why’s everythin’ always gotta be complicated. I like it better in the mines.”

A sheer surface with no foothold wouldn’t be feasible for him to climb, so he started looking for windows, or other buildings to use as stepping-stones. Where there was a will, there was a way, especially for an opportunistic Scout, but it would be a minute before he could get up there. And that might be too long.

[center][h3]Riverside Ridge[/h3][/center]

What started as a sprinkle beneath moody clouds soon became a terrific downpour from the heavenly heights, strong enough to leave any poor soul caught wandering haplessly in the wilderness totally soaked through, but it wasn’t a problem to those who came prepared. For now the rainfall just pattered against the pavilion awning set up earlier by the attendants, then washed down around its edges as curtains of water. It created a rather pleasant and relaxing ambiance, and though a little chilly up here on the bluffs that overlooked the winding canyon river between the enclosed Eryth Sea and the vast Sea of Serendipity, the two men who lounged beneath the awning found the conditions wholly acceptable. They sat in a semicircle upon velvet-lined armchairs, hauled out for just the occasion, silently sipping on freshly-brewed Moroccan Mint Tea as they waited for the empty third seat to be filled.

The taller of the two took a deep sip of the beverage he’d selected, and exhaled deeply. In addition to the classic spearmint, tempered with just a pinch of sugar, the pungence pennyroyal made for an exquisite flavor and aroma, deepened further by the mingling of wormwood, lemon verbena, and -in a twist of irony not lost on him- sage. Its warmth, comfort, and richness perfectly complemented the chill, seclusion, and starkness of this place, high above the white foam of the rapids and far from civilization, yet important nonetheless. A better set of circumstances to relax in he could not ask for, and though they did not blunt the anxiety or anger inside him, they certainly helped.

“Now isn’t this a rare delight,” he said aloud. These words were the first to be spoken since he exchanged greetings with his first guest upon his arrival, and like all his words he spoke them through a slight Indian accent. “Though one would typically smile upon cloudless blue skies, often do I find far greater satisfaction in murky, overcast days, with the low roar of such heavensent deluges as this so soothing in my ear.”

His guest merely grunted, then in his own British accent replied. “Hmph. If you like rain so much, you should pay the island east of the City a visit.”

“That so?” The gentleman stroked his chin. “Known for its rainstorms, is it? Perhaps I should.”

“Oh, aye. I happened to be near when two factions landed there, and stopped to watch them fight. It was a bloody stalemate, until the rains came. Pummeled both armies straight to death, eheheh!” the old man cackled.

Annoyed by the implication that he should off himself, the gentleman returned a strained smile as he adjusted his glasses. “...I see. That sounds a little strong, for my tastes.”

“Good morning, gentlemen,” a new voice came from behind them, accentuated by an odd, almost ghostly echo. They turned to see a third man as he removed his helmet, revealing a well-kept, dusty-brown beard and eyes masked in shadow. Taking a cup of tea in hand he seated himself in the empty chair. “I must render my thanks for your invitation,” he told his bespectacled host, looking down across the canyon. “You’ve selected a picturesque precipice, to be certain. Sequestered between mountains of archaic eminence, above a river that winds along with serpent-like suggestion. So stark a contrast it is with the tenebrous places where I while away my time. Though I have long tired of conventional extravagance, there is still solace to be found in the warmth of fine tea, and capable company. Like a campfire in the dead of night–a brief respite for primitive minds from the hellish abysses of our own making.”

“A fine morning to you as well, esteemed sir,” replied the organizer, his head bowed slightly in respect.

The elder grumbled and nudged the host with his foot in reproach. “And I thought [i]your[/i] prose was purple, feh!”

“Now, now,” his target chided him, snickering at the grouch’s annoyance. “A little theatricality suits men in our position, does it not?”

“Suit yourself!” his guest told him curtly, before taking another swig of his tea. “Ugh. What I wouldn’t give for a cup of real English tea.”

For a moment the three sat in silence, staring out at the rain. Then the whiskered gentleman spoke again. “Though this does harken back, in a way not altogether unpleasant, to my vain days of luxuriant decadence, I am a busy man. Many matters of dire importance demand my attention, so despite your present circumstances, S, I do hope my entreaties do not fall upon deaf ears when I say, let us get to the point.”

The tall man he called S tugged at his soul patch in muted discomfort. “Ah, so you are aware, then? I hadn’t dared imagine that any of our cohort might bother keeping up with affairs so far beyond their purview. Then again, forbidden knowledge is and always has been your domain–as well as the reason I called upon you, half a world away.” His guest nodded to accept the praise, and S continued. “In that case, I shall cut short the preamble. Victory, however well-earned, has made our brotherhood interminably lax. I have ample reason to believe that a credible threat has arisen, and that it would be in our best interest to address the issue forthwith.”

“Poppycock,” the elder spat. “Credible threat, my foot. Do you even realize what you’re asking?”

The dark-eyed man, however, stroked his beard as he considered the suggestion. “How many?”

At that, the elder nearly choked on his tea. “What? Don’t tell me you’re taking this seriously, A.”

“Four,” the bespectacled man answered, his expression grave.

“Hmm.” A looked off into the rainy distance, putting his hands into his pockets. “...It has been some time since any upstarts amassed such a figure, I must confess, inconsequential as it may be.” His burning, soulless gaze turned back to S. “Graciously you’ve omitted another of your reasons for summoning me hence, for you doubtless know as well as I that one of said losses occurred within my territory. Some semblance of responsibility do I bear, and in that sense perhaps, we are already united.”

His host nodded, a well-practiced gesture that to him came as easily as breathing. “Truly, your reputation sells you short. If you’re amenable to my plan, then you must already know the request I would make of you. Though some -fools- regard you as a maddened eccentric, you hold sway over the others that I could never dream of. If you were to vouch for me, surely at least a handful would attend a meeting in the Theater.”

“So you can waste our time, again?” the elder derided him, extending a wrinkled, accusatory finger. “You’re always barking up some tree or another, S, and you know it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you wanted there to be heroes. What makes this time any different?”

S furrowed his brows and crossed his legs. “This group is doing everything right. They’re going about their objective in a clear and focused manner, stockpiling power, resources, and allies as they go. Even split into multiple teams, they overcome every obstacle in their paths, recruiting additional members while sustaining a disturbing lack of casualties. They’re exploiting every flaw we’ve left in the system, and since we all seem content to sit back and enjoy ourselves, they’ve yet to even realize the existence of serious opposition, let alone face it.”

“Maybe if you two did a better job with your forces, these ‘heroes’ wouldn’t’ve toppled a couple Guardians on your watch,” his detractor sniffed, dismissing him with a flick of his hand.

“That is precisely what I’m advocating, O. Besides, you speak as if your own domain isn’t presently a smoking crater,” S told him coldly, trying to keep a level head. “All those monsters in your sandbox to toy around with, and you still couldn’t be bothered to actually stop our friends carving a warpath through the Dead Zone. Like it or not, our circumstances are one and the same. It’s why I called you. And why you came.”

The bearded gentleman turned his baleful stare toward the complainer. “It is undeniable that your damnable reclusivity leaves a great deal to be desired from someone in our position.”

O gained time by coughing. “A-at least my area's Guardian still stands, you imbeciles! And what about the others your heroes took down? Why are those our responsibility? Surely the blame lies with those closer to the action!”

“Their carelessness is what led to this mess. If not us, then who?” Gloved hands tented in front of his mouth, S stared down at the river. “Mayhaps this is another false alarm. But if it isn’t…with how things are, by the time we realize, it will be too late. Ever since the Ender Dragon fell, I’ve had someone on the inside. Alcamoth is no longer a solved problem. From there our friends’ campaign continues. They sail for Twilight Town to unite their disparate forces, whereupon they will make ample use of the Metro to spread all over the World of Light. Nowhere is safe so long as our own associates stand idle.”

The shadowy-faced man stood and strode over to the edge of the awning. He watched the convoy of waterbound dots in the distance, making its way across the Eryth Sea to the canyon river. Then A crossed his arms. “You’ve piqued my curiosity, S,” he intoned. “Before I spread the word, however, I would solicit one further thing from you. A demonstration is in order, I believe, to establish these miscreants as the credible threat you suppose them to be. Mariners and misfortune go hand in hand, as they say.”

“I grasp your meaning, and I agree,” the tall man replied. “The situation is ideal, with our friends grouped up out of their element, and vulnerable. It’s a win-win as well, for if I should triumph, the problem is moot, but if I should flounder, you will have all the proof you need. The only wrinkle is whether or not a sufficient force can be mustered from the Sea of Serendipity on such short notice, but rest assured that I shall pull out all the stops.”

“Sounds like you’d better hop to it, then,” O snapped.

Eyebrow raised, S turned his head the old man’s way, sarcasm in his voice. “Pardon me, but is that encouragement I hear? For a minute there I could have sworn you didn’t believe me?”

“I do not,” the old man huffed. “But if you’re doing this, you had better not hold back just to prove your point. Whatever paltry reputation you have is on the line, understand?”

“Reawaken within them the odious memories of acrid gunsmoke and the concussive report of cannonades,” A implored. “With the weapons of war measure in blood the price of hope in this world. In our world, from which no woebegotten sufferer, tossing and turning in the throes of eternal nightmare, might ever awaken.”

S nodded once more. When he lifted his head, he wore a helmet, the same pinkish-red, white, and gray as the rest of his suit. “I’m on my way.” Then, in a purple flash, he disappeared, and a moment later only the rains drowned out the silence once more.