[center][h3]Everdream Valley - Port Meridian[/h3]
Level 7 Goldlewis (119/70) Level 6 Sandalphon (67/60)
Blazermate, Susie, and Roland’s [@Archmage MC], Midna’s [@DracoLunaris], Geralt and Zenkichi’s [@Multi_Media_Man], Pit’s [@Yankee], Roxas’ [@Double]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1309[/center]

Thunder resounded across Everdream Valley, spurring citizens, farm animals, and heroes alike to make a beeline for safety. With Roland at his side, Goldlewis hustled back toward the Virgin Victory, double-time. While the fixer took and held pole position without much difficulty, his companion managed to keep up. By now it came as no surprise that the veteran was spry for his age, and once he managed to work up some momentum he could barrel along at a decent clip. Still, the fatigue he’d accumulated by now was no joke, and having to switch back into action mode just when he’d started to rest sure took the wind out of his sails. These two minutes would probably take every last ounce of stamina that Goldlewis had left, thanks in part to the heavy burden of his coffin. He could only pray that the others all made it, and that they’d be able to give this new Consul the slip. If nothing else, Y had made it clear that this world’s custodians could offer Guardian-level challenges.

At least the pair’s route didn’t press them too hard. Ever wary of entanglements, Goldlewis had internalized the path he and Bravo traveled from Port Meridian to the nearby sheep farm, and it offered little in the way of hazards. The only thing that troubled him as he chugged along was the thought of running into the Consul himself. Still, the cloud-to-cloud lightning in the dark skies overhead seemed to be getting worse by the minute, so even as his heart pounded the veteran didn’t ease up on his pace. In no time he and Roland left the pastures of wind-whipped grass in their rear-view mirror, charging through cobblestone-laden streets as they zeroed in on the sound of breaking waves.

When the Virgin Victory finally came into view, bobbing on the storm-tossed sea at the end of the port’s longest wharf, Goldlewis spared a half-second to check his stopwatch. [i]Thirty seconds left[/i]. He could see others jumping, climbing, or flying aboard, and the golden glow of Sandalphon’s halo brought his attention to her and Midna perched atop the ship’s cabin on lookout duty. The roar of the Virgin Victory’s engines filled the air, not unlike the scream of an airplane’s turbines just prior to takeoff. It was time to go. Though his muscles ached and his lungs burned, and scattered droplets lashed him, Goldlewis grit his teeth and pushed his weary body into overdrive.

“RaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

This space-age airship had never been made to dock at an old-fashioned port, so it lacked any sort of convenient gangway. He’d have to reach the upper deck himself, only his double-jump wouldn’t be enough to get him up there, and there wasn’t enough time to climb. In the heat of the moment, he could think of only one way to get that height. “Roland!” he barked, his voice ragged as he slid to a stop on the docks. “There ain’t time to explain. Hold still!” Before the fixer could question him, Goldlewis set down his coffin and fully charged his Dust. The next second the UMA’s arm burst from the coffin in a [url=https://i.imgur.com/BB7yOOc.png]mighty uppercut[/url] that struck Roland in the chest and launched him high into the air, somehow inflicting much less damage than such a blow probably should. Doing this allowed Goldlewis to leap up after Roland, flying much further and higher than he would’ve been able to otherwise. A moment later, both tumbled down onto the Virgin Victory’s upper deck.

“Sorry, partner,” Goldlewis wheezed, completely spent. “That was all I could think of. Sure did the job though, huh?”

“That’s everyone. Let’s go.” Sandalphon called from her vantage point. With Goldlewis and Roland, everyone was accounted for, even the surly Savra, Asbestos, thanks to Roxas. Her telecommunication miracle seemed to be fully online, establishing an open line that allowed everyone to hear her despite the howling winds and near-constant thunder–including the Virgin Victory’s crew in the bridge. Immediately the vessel’s anti-gravity hover drive came online, and as the Virgin Victory began to lift from the water. Sandalphon rose from her sniper nest, jogged across the ship’s roof, then dropped down onto the deck with the others. A moment later, the positron main engine and dual nuclear pulse sub-engines fired, though the low altitude and realities of in-atmosphere flight strictly limited their output. Still, the resulting thrust was more than enough to slide the ship through the water, then propel it through the air once its dripping hull rose from the sea completely. Port Meridian slowly fell away as the Virgin Victory, aimed northward toward the open ocean beyond the bay, began to pick up speed.

“Full speed ahead!” Shirogane announced over Sandalphon’s group call. “Fold up yer tray tables and fasten yer seatbelts, folks, ‘cause this li’l ship o’ mine can reach a top speed of one thousand knots. That’s over a thousand miles per hour to you an’ any other Americans aboard, Mr. Dickinson!”

Goldlewis could only blink in astonishment at the news, his mouth ajar. “Huh? Speeds like that from black tech? You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

Shirogane cackled. “We-he-heeell, we still ain’t fully repaired or nothin’, so I kinda am kiddin’ ya. In truth, we can’t even break the sound barrier right now, but this baby’s still fast enough to leave that crummy Consul in the dirt.”

The second the engineer finished, the stern voice of Commander Nelson cut in after him. “Let’s not get too comfortable. We’re not out of the woods just yet.”

As if on cue the voice of Alice MacGregor reached the Seekers next, calm but urgent. “Commander. One bogey in pursuit, closing fast.”

“Already!?” Shirogane yelped in disbelief.

With the Virgin Victory still below the angry storm clouds, lightning flashed overhead, and thunder roared. After a few more moments, however, one bolt streaked across the sky visible from the ship’s upper deck, slower but a lot longer than the rest. The anomaly caught Sandalphon’s eye, and as the wary archangel watched, the bundle of lightning oriented itself directly to the left of the vessel. “There,” she alerted the others, forced to face the reality that the Consul had somehow caught up to them after all. Sandalphon could make out some sort of wheeled vehicle, essentially a chariot, drawn by two big, burly [url=https://i.imgur.com/s9G5IiE.png]unicorns[/url] who galloped through the open air with a trail of arcing electricity in their wake. In the chariot stood the man of the hour, a Consul of prodigious bulk who wore a round, golden shield on the arm with which he gripped the reins.

The next moment, his booming voice echoed across the Virgin Victory, amplified by magical means. “BRAVE MORTALS, I BID YOU WELCOME, FOR THOUGH THIS WORLD IS OURS, THE SKY WILL ALWAYS BE MINE.” He paused as he raced overhead, a streak of lightning crossing from the left side of the ship to the right. “I AM MOEBIUS Z. LORD OF LIGHTNING. MY SPECIAL POWER IS ‘LEGACY’, GRANTING ME ALL THAT WAS MADE IN MY IMAGE.”

So saying, Z lifted up his free hand. There came a bright flash, and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/JO4Lz21.png]brilliant lightning bolt[/url] appeared in his hand like a javelin, as if plucked from the sky, buzzing angrily as it blazed in his grasp. With a grunt he hurled it downward, and it struck the Virgin Victory with a tremendous crash, rocking the entire ship as its systems flickered. Even after the blast concluded, particles left over from the electric explosion coalesced into a handful of [url=https://i.imgur.com/FjIIn6B.png]Zeustrike[/url] minions. The living clouds, purple in color but armored in gold, dispersed to keep the Seekers occupied while Z alternated between taking potshots and attacking the Virgin Victory itself.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKsOyTB98As[/youtube][/center]

“THANKS TO YOU, MANY GUARDIANS HAVE FALLEN. THAT IS NO MEAN FEAT. CONSIDER ME IMPRESSED! BUT YOUR LITTLE SIDESHOW HAS REACHED ITS END. I, MOEBIUS Z, WILL OBLITERATE EVERY ONE OF YOU, HERE AND NOW!”

At this point, Goldlewis couldn't muster up the strength for heroism. "Good Lord," he grumbled as he lifted his coffin onto his shoulder. With a hefty grunt he slammed it down, unleashing a Shield Burst that reinforced the team with minor defensive barriers. "I'm plumb tuckered out, but I can still lend a hand protectin' y'all," he shouted at the others amidst the wind and thunder. "If ya need a big shield, ya better holler loud!"

Having retreated to the rear of the group, Sandalphon took up a support position. It went without saying that the archangel had everyone's back. "No need to yell. My lightline connects us, after all. Just call me for emergency healing," she told the Seekers calmly. "Or to prepare a follow-up shot."

[center][h3]Sandswept Sky - Gerudo Town[/h3]
Level 13 Ms Fortune (116/130)
The Koopa Troop’s [@DracoLunaris], Primrose and Therion’s [@Yankee], Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC], Ganondorf’s [@Double], Osvald’s [@Dark Cloud]
[b]Word Count:[/b] [/center]

Now that Ganondorf’s audience with Gerudo Town’s chief was over and done with, their negotiations having seemingly resulted in the best possible scenario, a weight had been lifted off of Nadia’s shoulders. Despite the warlord’s rather audacious claims earlier, no drastic action would be taken today, and the status quo here would remain a while longer. From how Ganondorf spoke earlier, even a violent uprising hadn’t struck her as too much of a stretch, given his personality in conjunction with the allegations laid at his feet by Asgore. In the end, though, Ganondorf showed admirable restraint. Cooler heads prevailed, much to her relief, and now she -not to mention the ‘voe’ among the Seekers- had the run of this place. From here the team could probably split up and spend some time here in Gerudo Town however they pleased, and even if the petitioners’ presence earned them some extra scrutiny from the locals, Nadia’s discretion meant that nobody ought to bat an eye at her while she went about her business–not that she planned to do any more heists today. For now, after a tiresome battle and even more tiresome journey through the Under, the cat burglar just wanted to take it easy.

Since she’d volunteered and everything, Nadia figured she ought to step away from the group so she could let the others know. Before doing so, however, she made sure to check in with Primrose so the dancer wouldn’t leave her behind. “You mentioned a tailor or something on the train, right? I’ve been making do, but I could sure use a purr-fect fit. I mean, just look how this thing ended up.” She gestured toward her garb. With the desert heat beating down on her, she’d shed her black, militaristic trench coat once more, then wrapped it around her waist so she wasn’t just galavanting around in a leotard. Still, the way all that black soaked up the blazing rays only further illustrated the inefficiency of her wardrobe malfunction’s stopgap solution. Her brow already glistened with sweat. “Heck, I’d settle for an actual skirt at this point, even if the price made it income pleated. Not skinny jeans though, I could never get into them.” She giggled, then sighed. “Sorry, sorry. Guess I’m just clothes-minded. Maybe you could show me where the tailor is? Otherwise I’ll have to hit up the fabric shop for new material…”

With the threat of even more clothes puns hanging in the air, Nadia stepped away and activated her linkpearl. “Hey everyone~” she sang. “Ganondorf’s made nice with the locals. Looks like you guys are off the hook. Come on in and join us if you want. Just, uh, y’know. Don’t be weird. Steer clear of the public baths maybe. See ya round!”

After that Nadia headed back over toward Primrose. Though the guys were now allowed into Gerudo Town, she wondered if they’d even get a chance to relax here. After entering they might very well be scrutinized every step of the way, not even out of wariness necessarily, but just curiosity. That wouldn’t be much fun, but at least Nadia could make the most of her time here. Smiling at Primrose, she gave an affirmative nod. “Thready when you are.”