DracoLunaris

World of Light

The Koopa Troop

wordcount: 1,800 (+3)
Bowser: Level 9 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (42/90)
Bowser Jr: Level 7 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (34/70)
Kamek: Level 7 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (32/70)
Location: Edge of the Blue – Seaward Bay

kamek level up

Magi-Koopa Artillery Kamek and his 4 clones land and perform a ritual to charge up a mighty spell together, creating a large energy-ball above themselves. The giant blue energy orb is about 4 Kamek’s in diameter and sparkles with the same shape outlines that the mage’s basic magic blasts do. It takes about 6 seconds to charge up from the initiation of the ritual, after which it will sail forth towards the target and, upon impact, detonate with an explosion twice the size of the shot itself. A slight problem with this, other than the charge time, the somewhat slow speed of the shot itself, and the fact that it needs to hit something to explode (all of which make it rather dodge-able for a small and/or fast targets) is that a sufficiently large and skilled opponent could deflect the projectile with a weapon strike or a shield parry.

”RAAAAH!”

“Go away go away go away!”

“Mi! mi! mi! mi! mi! mi!”

There was a great deal of yelling and firing going on on the back of the Atomos as parts of the remains of the bomber swarm moved in to strike at the larger, closer target. Their attack run triggered routines in other parts of the abyssal air force, automatically bringing fighters in to escort them. This, of course, brought in the navy’s own planes that looked to help, and soon enough there was a chaotic air brawl over and around the ship as it raced back from it's overextended position towards Shippy.

”STUPID GNATS! DIE ALREADY” the king demanded, twin jets of water blasting out and buffering a tight formation of bombers, causing them to scatter and then tear themselves apart on the lingering razor shoals as they tried to rush the rest of the distance.

While the bombers were shot, escort made it, and the swarm of hand sized fighters dived down, pelting the king with a hail of bullets, forcing him to duck and bring his shield up to guard rather than handle them, but as they swooped around they ran into a hail of gunfire steaming out of of Rika’s gauntlets. One was fired slow triple fire bursts of shells that were a poor shot against the nimble fighters, while the rapid fire lighter cannon mounted in the other fared a bit better. Floating to either side of her like addons where her own aircraft, a pair of Reconnaissance Planes decked out in purple scales and sporting little slime horns of their own like under-slung battering rams, which added a stream of machine gun fire to her own. Individually all these weren't that effective, but the sheer volume of firepower the girl was putting out somewhat made up for it.

“I am not an AA ship so” she yelled, hauling her gauntlets to the side and unloading on another wave of fire at a flight of bombers “shove off!”

“kyukyukyukyukyu” Mimikyu seemed to agree, having had to forgo her favored electro balls (which were better against things slower than she, and these aircraft where anything but) and was instead holding her tail stick like a rifle and making the closest she could to gunshot sounds with her voice, which would have been very silly if she wasn't managing to shoot down the odd plane as she copycatted Rika’s big guns.

Around them went the shink, click, thunk of harpoon turrets as the toadies sat still and silently fired and reloaded with mindless rigor, sending bolt after bolt sailing at planes, ships and everything in between. If they had been able to think and talk they would likely have complained about the all yelling.

Unfortunately for them, the Toadies’ stationary nature made them perfect bombing targets. As the fighter escorted properly tied up the ships defenders, the last of the princess’s bombers targeting them came in low, the bat-like creatures spitting explosive charges at the stunted creatures, vaporizing half of them in an instant and leaving their turrets unmanned. They swept up and onwards, trying to get clear, only to be scorched by a wave of fire breath.

”GAHAHA-ARGH!” Bowser laughed and then cried out as a squad of fighters strafed him again. ”WHERE DO THESE THINGS KEEP COMING FROM”

“Carriers. Or fortresses” Rika helpful shouted at him over her own gunfire, before letting up with the slow firing cannon to point out “like those over there, those are Light Carrier Nu-Class”

The ships she pointed at where a group of squat looking things, that despite looking like they were bristling with massive guns were actually dedicated aircraft carriers (the various pipes likely exhausts or launch tubes), floated huddled together and surrounded by destroyers and cruisers. The Abysall’s control of positioning on the battlefield meant that even though they were slowly losing, they could still push the ship girls away from their unarmed air-support platforms without too much trouble.

The carrier herd was falling behind them however, and so did the fighter swarm (both because they were getting further from their carriers and because the azure navy’s fighter cover was intensifying as they moved closer to the back-lines) as the airship rapidly re-approached Shippy, though not, as Bowser had expected, head on.

”I’m going to bank around Shippy, loop round the side till we’re facing the right way!” Jr called out as they moved to pass the ship, and then started a wide turn which would bring them round behind the living ship and eventually wind up with them flying facing forwards beside her.

”Come on, we can hit them from behind!” Bowser commended, stomping over to the edge of the ship facing towards their allied vessla, before spitting a fireball down at a clump of hips too on the navel battle to notice they were benign flanked.

“I. I don’t” Rika said after she stepped up to the plate and hesitated unleashing her firepower. With the plains and little ones, it had been different. Some of the ships down there were much closer to being people than the destroyers and planes where. “I used to be like them”

”I’ve been there. But sometimes you need to crack a few mind controlled minon’s heads to save the rest.” Bowser said, letting his shoulder canons do work while he talked, before actually taking the specifics of her situation into proper consideration and saying ”Look you can't risk the lives of people who are people right now for the lives of things that might be people later. So fight to make sure we all live and then maybe they can be free tomorrow”

“I-”

”Look, just keep shooting the little ones or something!”

“Mmm” she nodded. She could do that. It was easier when it was an order to too. She cocked her guns and then unleashed proper firepower down upon the destroyers, turning the troop’s ghetto gunship into something that had actual military grade rapid fire firepower all on her own.

---

Down below, things were going better after the close call that had been Shippy’s near death and the subsequent confusion brought by her transformation, but they were still a chaotic mess. The endless sound of war pounded on Kamek’s senses as he sailed too and fro above Shippy, wand firing spell after spell as he tried to avoid being shot and simultaneously trying to direct his many minions. Onboard the Shippy his green minion continued to aid her, casting his final type of enchantment upon the living vessel. Spectral blades formed around her propeller, enlarging them and letting them push her through the water faster with no extra effort, boosting the speed at which she could race towards their destination, while purple runes formed on her rudder, letting her maneuver better at that higher speed.

Above the waves shadow Jr’s and Kamek clones added heavy air-support to those on or beneath the waves. The Jr’s where particularly powerful Kamek thought proudly, as one of the Jr’s swooped down, dodging fire and driving a mecha arm mounted drill into a ho-class, tarring the tower of guns apart, only for the mage to to be horrified when a school of destroyers closed in on the clown car riding shadow child. The charge had caused the clone to over extend, leaving it exposed and without support.

”Young master, look out!” he cried out, but it was too late. One of the destroyers had the bright idea to leap up and bite the small propeller holding the craft while its rider was distracted, causing it to drop down into the water, bringing its rider with it. The destroyers were on jr in a second, and rapidly tearing him to pieces before Kamek’s eyes.

Taring the shadow clone to pieces, the mage had to correct himself. It was just a clone. There were even three more still swooping about, hammering ships or flicking paint at them with magic brushes. He knew it was just a copy, a facsimile, and yet seeing a clone of a loved one being killed hit in a way that losing other minions, even copies of himself, really didn't. A dark power indeed. It hurt just as much when the second caught a shell and was reduced to ashes.

The mage’s spirit was lifted short after however when the real Jr returned to them, piloting the Atomos, and though he was briefly confused when it flew to the side and past them the boy’s intent became quickly obvious as it began to bank around, bringing the firepower of Rika, Bowser, Mimi and the two remaining harpoon guns to bear as it circled them, the maneuver letting it support them while also preventing it from being a sitting duck.

Then, just as soon as things had started to look up, she appeared. The second princess, titanic in scale. Worse than her own monstrous size, which would make her a terror to even get near, was the mighty cannon mounted upon her back. Fortunately it wasn't pointing at their ships. Unfortunately it was turning to aim at the admiral’s . Some were stunned by this latest princess’s power or stumped as to what to do about her, and right they should. Even though they’d faced otherworldly horrors and a mighty dragon, the harbor princess was a different kind of imposing. War incarnate. And she wasn't even a guardian. What horror waited within the oceans depths when this sat atop it.

Still. Kamek worked for a (sometimes) giant, and knew all too well that they could fall. He had just the spell for this situation too, he only had to hope that this one wasn't skilled with a hammer like dream-Luigi had been when his subordinates had tried to use it against him.

”Tell the ladies to get clear of the princess! I have a spell for this!” Kamek shouted at Ranger, hoping she could radio in a warning that could prevent another friendly-fire incident. While calling he landed on shippy’s bow and called his clones to him. Together they belt on the deck, the four surrounding the original, and then raised their wands. A small orb of light formed at the tip of Kamek’s which rapidly rose, pulsing and sparkling as power was fed into it as it climbed above them. Then it halted in the air and steadily enlarged into a massive glowing ball of blue light, geometric shapes sparkling off of it. If uninterrupted over the 6 second charge time, an eternity on the battlefield, then with a final exertion the mage and his clones would hurl the artillery spell forwards, sending it to sail above the waves, and the heads of the lady sized ships, friend and foe alike, towards the harbor princess.

World of Light

wordcount: 2,049 (+3)
Midna: level 3 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////// (26/40)
Level 8 Poppi (52/80)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Sweet Canyon - Parnasse

Dawn broke upon the land, and the princess was not pleased, attempting to bury her face in her furry pillow’s fur in-order to avoid the harsh rays to no avail. Light trickled in through the not particularly effective curtains made up of flattened strips of rainbow colored candy and demanded that Midna rise and seize the day whether she liked it or not.

”Fine fine Galeem. Have it your way. It is going to be incredibly cathartic to destroy you,” she grumbled at their luminous oppressor, before floating up into the air, yawning, stretching, dismissing her wolfos from its pillowy duties and then setting about preparing for another day trekking towards the mountain.

First came cleanliness which ended up consisting of a luxurious chocolate milk bath. Decadence of the highest order, in the princess’s opinion, but then that was entirely fitting for this land of milk and honey.

The princess lingered in the tub for as long as she thought reasonable, floating and letting her mind actually rest in solitude and process everything that had happened over the past day. Only a day, or even just an afternoon really, and yet so much had happened.

There was also so much left to do.

Like breakfast, her stomach helpful informed her by rumbling. Unlike some of the others Midna had unintentionally insulated herself from the temptation of eating her resting place in her sleep, and so she was hungry while simultaneously being surrounded by food. Or desserts to be more accurate, which might be an issue.

Showing some restraint she didn't simply start eating her host’s furniture, who knew who had been sitting on it, and instead inquired what they ate. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be more sweets. She didn't know what she expected. She had to wonder what it was like, being made of and eating the same stuff you were made of. A brief and highly unpleasant unprompted vision of living in a kingdom made of flesh and bone put an end to that, but fortunately not to her appetite.

The fare offered by her host was a delicious buffet of treats, chocolates, gumdrops and myriades of other little sweets, but it wasn't exactly substantial. The princess could feel her body abuzz with more sugar than she’d ever eaten in her entire life but she could also feel that she’d be crashing down from that rush of energy sooner rather than later, and so, after bidding her rabbity host farewell, went to see if she could scavenge something more substantial from the unoccupied and/or ruined parts of the village.

It was while doing this that she happened to run into Poppi, pausing in the middle of floating down the street while de-candying a candy apple with a dragon claw to say hello to the metal woman.

”Good morning, did you sleep-” she paused, remembered what Poppie was, and then corrected herself, ”was the night-watch uneventful?”

Poppi looked happy to see the Twilight Princess. In QT mode her dress and frills represented the middle ground between her now heavily armored Alpha form and decidedly unarmored QT Pi form, and she didn’t look too out of place against the backdrop of Parnasse. “Good morning, Midna! Nothing much happened last night. Kept optics on candybeasts but nothing came close. Once or twice Poppi thought saw dark figure in distance, but nothing come of it.” She gave Midna a polite curtsy. “Anything Poppi can do for you today? Poppi can’t help if friend wants breakfast, but Phantom Thieves have yesterday food in town center.” Sure enough, the breeze contained faint traces of a smoky meat smell, fairly noticeable against the prevalent confectionery aroma.

The princess sniffed and then caught the scent ”Oh that’s what that was. Who would have thought that you’d need to look for food when the whole palace was made of it? Not that that matters much to you I suppose?” she asked, before going back to Poppie’s nightshift. That they were being shadowed was concerning, though it could be anyone or anything really. Robot spies/scouts, that organization 13, a million and one things they hadn’t encountered yet or ”Do you know if the shadowy person could have been one of the people who were trapped? Or are they accounted for?”

Crossing her arms, Poppi thought about it. “Last night while on guard, Poppi learn little about trapped people. Catch rough shape. There raccoon that walk like human, young girl in top hat, and guy in purple helmet. Last one you know, of course. Shape I saw have long coat and cat ear like Gormotti, not match others. Raccoon turn up to talk to Fox, but others Poppi not see again.”

”Take it their long gone?” Midna asked rhetorically, tossing her half peeled apple up and down as she taught about the implications of their stalker ” Would have made things easier if it was just one of them. Haven't disappeared into the night either have they?”

“Have not seen again,” Poppi confirmed. “Only saw once, so maybe they left after checking on us. It probably nothing.” As she spoke, her tone remained flat and a little distant. Already she’d issued this report twice, once to Joker and once to Fox. With the start of a new day she wouldn’t have minded a quick chat with someone interesting like Midna before setting off, but already it was all business.

”Hmmm, well, here’s hoping I suppose. I’ll let people know about our caty stalker when I meet them” Midna replied, catching the disinterest and deciding to drop the subject. It wasn't like they could go on with that topic any further after all.

”Thanks for keeping watch by the way, I hope it wasn’t too boring. “ she said. She realized she didn't really know much about this miraculous and endlessly helpful machine woman. Even after Tora had talked a bit about her construction that didn’t really say much about the person he’d made ”So, tell me, what did you do before...“ she paused, and then decided that was to dry a topic of conversation and changed tune ”Actually no. Better question. What do you do for fun Poppie?“

The sudden change brought Poppi’s interest back around. She hadn’t expected such an odd question, but she didn’t dislike it, either. “Fun…?” Since arriving in the World of Light, and even before that, the new lifestyle of adventure that she and Tora found themselves with didn’t permit an abundance of free time. Still, in the occasional moments that came to them, she and her creator found lots to do. “Well, since Tora spend most life shut indoors and Poppi only built right before adventure, we always like seeing and trying new things. We both like dancing, especially together! Different modes better at certain dances, too. Like this” She smiled as she placed her fists on her hips. She brought her knees up one after another, intermittently performing kicks and twisting her lower legs sideways in a merry jig. She finished with a spin and a curtsy.

Midna had floated back a little to give her space, having not expected a demonstration but enjoying the energetic dance nonetheless, and then giving her a little round of applause. Not something she’d expected from a machine, and yet given her personality perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised.

”Dancing is fun, though I'm more used to a ballroom affair. I'm still getting more used to the more vigorous styles people seem to have and that the dragon in me wants. The slippyness this thing“ she flicked the spaulder of the bat”is causing some issues with that at the moment.“

”Or I should say four I suppose. Is Tora any good like you are? I’ll admit, with his dimensions I’m having difficulty picturing it, shall we say, seriously?“ she had a hard time imagining the round Nopon dancing, but then again she was learning a lot of new styles of dance, for some reason, so maybe there was something that suited him better than the noble court appropriate affair she still thought of when she thought of dance. ”then again, if he’s having fun he’s having fun.“

For a moment Midna’s question confused Poppi. How could her Masterpon’s dancing not be good, or worse than hers for that matter? “Of course Tora good! Dancing good no matter who do it.” To an extent her declaration implied that she had no measure of objectivity in the art. Maybe, Poppi mused, Midna simply preferred whatever ‘ballroom’ was. With that big hand of hers, she would no doubt be very good at throwing and catching them. So rather than linger on a subject the princess disliked, Poppi moved on. “Poppi also like food. Cannot eat it, since systems not designed to handle, but olfactory sensors provide wonderful experience each time. Plus, since Poppi smell what Tora eat, everything he order doubly useful!” Truth to be told, Sweet Canyon’s olfactory assault still left her a bit frazzled, but she figured she was doing a good job hiding it.

”Oh you can’t? Then how do you keep yourself energized?“ Poppie’s whole existence was still a strange one to the princess, but if she didn't need to sleep then her not having to eat should not be that surprising, she supposed. Having her be able to smell but not eat seemed cruel, in a way. Or perhaps it wasn't, because she clearly enjoyed it. Again, she didn't have the framework to understand what being Poppie might be like someone from a more modern time who could have read fiction about such beings would have. What she did know was that Poppie’s mention of smell had brought her attention back to the scent of meat wafting in from the center of town, and her stomach cried out for something more substantial than sweets. ”You don't mind if we head towards the Thieves’ cooking while talking do you? All the sweet things are lovely, but we can't survive off of them alone. I read of an old king who did that once. That did not end well.“ it ended in scurvy specifically, but that wasn't fun to talk about.

“Sure!” Poppi stepped aside to allow Midna to lead the way. As they made for the town center, she offered some explanation. “Well, Poppi not know exact details, but for fuel Poppi draw in ether from atmosphere. Ether keep Poppi running, power up weapons, orrun through elemental core to turn to fire, water, wind, and so on. Poppi’s ether furnace pride and joy of Tora family line. It what make me possible!” It was hard not to look proud of her creator and his forebears. After she replied, however, it occurred to her that she’d been practically hogging the spotlight so far. For the sake of politeness she turned the question on Midna. “But what about you? Poppi curious what fun stuff there is where Midna come from.”

The princess eagerly followed her nose towards where a proper breakfast hopefully awaited. ”It must be quite the engine to draw enough power to allow you to be, well you. The mages and scholars of my realm can only dream of making something like you,“ Tora might come of as silly a lot of the time, but Poppie was a reminder that a great intelligence rested between his fuzzy ears.

”For fun? Well, I do enjoy balls and galas and other such social events. I also enjoy studying magic, history and other subjects when I have time to myself. But to a certain extent those are work for a princess like me, even if they are enjoyable.“ She had to think for a moment to find an activity that didn't have some kind of dual purpose, be it social or intellectual ”Have you ever done any Picross? It’s a type of logic puzzle where you have a grid and each row or column has a number of squares that need to be filled in to make a picture. You know how many squares need to be filled in each row and column, but not which ones, so you need to use the intersection of the rows and columns to work out where they should go.“

”It’s fun“ she insisted, even if her explanation had been a bit dry and probably not very helpful without a visual aid.

Though picturing the game wasn’t too difficult, Poppi decided to take Midna’s word for how enjoyable it was. “Not done it. But sounds fun,” she agreed. “Board games more liked by Dromarch and Roc. Blade friends. Tora make video game that he enjoy, but Poppi never get hang of it.”

The two reached their destination. Rather than grand affair the Thieves had simply brought out the rations of hippo meat and greens gathered in the oasis yesterday. Panther had put her new sharp teeth to work digging in ravenously, having suppressed her hunger for sweets after seeing what happened to Tora. Poppi slowed down just a touch, not wanting to stop chatting with Midna just yet.

Midna’s stomach demanded she go and partake, but seeing as poppie was slowing down it would be rude to rush ahead of her. Also she did have one more question to ask ”I know what board games are, but what’s a video game?“

A fair question--perhaps once Poppi should have anticipated. Honestly, she was more surprised that stuff like this hadn’t happened more often already. “Well...hm. Think of board game, but instead of wood, board made of light, and mostly move itself around, except for piece you playing. And control with sticks and buttons.” She couldn’t come up with a better explanation than that. “Maybe next city friends reach have technology and Tora can show Midna.”

”That sounds strange, but could be fun to try. There’s a city on the far side of the desert right?“ Midna tried to remember the map, ”hopefully it isn't a wasteland like the deadzone’s one is supposed to be.“ she said, forgetting that the city she was thinking of was called the ruined metropolis ”Guess the only way to find out is to keep moving?“

And part of that was to be property fueled for the journey. Midna’s belly had had enough of conversation and after an insistent growl the princess politely ended the conversation in-order to eat a proper breakfast of meat and veggies to pile on top of the sweets and fruit she’d had earlier. Something of a poor order, but the princess wasn't complaining as she sated herself, and then got herself ready to get moving once again.

They all had a long hard day ahead of them, of that there was no doubt.

World of Light

wordcount: 2,223 (+3) (+5 result EXP) (-1)
Midna: level 3 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////// (23/40)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Sweet Canyon - Parnasse

Midna had the indecency to turn and look down at Laharl smug as a snake while behind her minion tore the robot’s many heads to pieces in a flurry of devastating crunches. A little too smug, considering she hadn’t actually finished the job.

”And that’s how it’s do-” she began to say, before Mona smashed down on the not quite dead robot behind her, causing the princess to flinch away while reflexively covering her head and dramatically bringing the robot to its end.

”Goddesses that was close.” she breathed as she tried to regain her composure, and then agreed the the cat ”Yes, please don’t pull that again”

Despite it ending in close shave with a falling vehicle for the princess, the battle had gone decently. Only one casualty among the trapped townspeople and all of their team members had gotten out without a scratch. She glared at the fairy for the risk her big mouth had put everyone in and the death she’d caused, but as her initial admonishment hadn't had much of an effect the look wasn’t going to have much of an impact either. So she sighed and put it aside for now.

Overall the whole escapade had turned out fruitfully and hadn’t just been a heroic waste of time of energy. The boy, who’s final contribution was to be disgusted at the concept of kindness before retreating into a house, looked like he’d be a childish pain if he stuck around at all, and the fairy didn’t seem to be a bit of a nuisance who didn’t know much about the area, but the actual townspeople were helpful enough, offering to allow them to stay as thanks for freeing them. Not that they could stop them from doing so, but this did make things easier and they seemed to have some local expertise, which would be useful later.

As much as Midna would have preferred to keep going through the night and sleep through the day, she was likely the only one who preferred the dark to the blinding day. Also she was tired too, it had to be said. So the princess did not raise any objections to the idea of getting some rest, or to Primrose’s suggestion they segregate the sleeping places by gender (putting the Medic away from her and the now more dapper Sectonia was probably for the best, even if she did respect him more than she had when they met).

Still, there were a few loose ends to handle first, namely those still trapped in crystal who hadn’t been killed by a flying street lamp.

”Guess I’ll keep being the rescuer princess then… actually. Poppie, mind if you help me get the last few people out of the crystals before you take watch?” she asked, and would direct the robot to a few if she accepted.

The chocolate kangaroo's rescue was rather uneventful, but when she came to the first of what she’d label the travelers she had an idea that was all too clever for her boots. Seeing as they were already helpless and at her mercy, what better time to lay a quick smack down and introduce them to a friend heart, she thought.

Her test subject for this idea was a human clad in purple armor with one oversized hand. Frozen in crystal, the man’s nefarious nature wasn't on display, and Midna only realized that the combination of the large lenses on his helmet and the grill on his chest combined to give the appearance of a skull in retrospect. As a result she presumed him to be some kind of knight. In the end it didn't really matter either way. As far as the princess was concerned, she had the element of surprise and nothing she’d met so far could stand up to a good shadow handing, so friend or foe, they were being dealt with smoothly.

She landed in front of the crystal, wound an elbow in a stretch while she brought out her shadow hand and then tapped on the crystal with a shadow claw, shattering it and freeing its captive.

“-this then,” the trapped man finished saying the sentence he’d been saying before being trapped, and before he could adjust to his current situation he was grabbed by Midna’s shadow hand “wow!”

”Hold still, this’ll only hurt for a second,” the princess told him, holding him slightly aloft with a shadow hand large as he was and starting to crush him in her grasp while summoning a friend her with her free hands.

“Getting kinda mixed messages here” the villain commented upon seeing the heart, his voice strained yet simultaneously sounding entirely nonplussed about being in the process of being squeezed half to death.

Then he exploded.

The blast forced Minda’s grip apart, but left the man standing entirely unharmed in its wake.

”What?! How?” Midna demanded to know as she stepped back defensively

“Explosion proof suit!” he announced triumphantly, before demonstrating where the explosion had come from by yelling “eat grenade!” and directing the palm of his oversized hand at her and firing a pill shaped explosive out of a hole at its center.

Minda brought her shadow hand in front of her to guard, the shot detonating on the orange energy, but while she was protecting herself the armored villain rushed in, winding up a big punch with that same oversized fist.

Midna hit the ground with her shadow hand and then used it to push her to the side, letting her slide out the way of the blow. She slid to a halt and then swung the hand around behind her as her opponent’s hit the candy wall of the house with a crunch. He pushed back off the wall as he turned, and moved then to charge again, only for Minda to spray twilight sand in his face.

“Gah pocket sand! That is so cheap!” he complained, wiping at his eyes with one hand while blindly firing a grenade with the other, forcing Midna to guard again rather than attack again.

Or that was his plan. Instead, while the grenade did force Midna to block she was still able to move in other ways, and so the two of them briefly ended up sharing the enclosed space with giant wolfos.

“What! Oh... good dog?” her foe said when he saw it though the sand grains before screaming “Ahhh!” as it bit him on the arm and tossed him across the room into a bookshelf before vanishing back to the twilight realm.

He started to pull himself up, only to be grabbed by a shadow hand and smashed head first into the opposite wall, before Midna pulled him back into much the same position they’d started in, him held in her grip before him and a friend heart in her hand.

“Really, squeeze again? really? We both know how this ends-” he mocked despite his bruised face and bleeding nose before the princess hefted the heart and prepped to throw, “Hey wait no what are you doing with that!”

He exploded again but rather than flinch away the princess hurled the heart at the wounded man., then she stepped back as the smoke cleared, leaving him standing there with a look of revelation on his face.

”You remember now? That this world is wrong? We don't need to fight any more” Midna asked/told him, stepping back but holding a defensive posture still just in case.

“Urgh. yeah.” he agreed, dropping the rest of his own combat ready stance that hadn't been wipe by the flash of memory.

”Good,” she nodded before calling out ”WE’RE OK IN HERE, JUST DEALING WITH A GALEEMING!” to levy any concerns of any people rushing to her aid. Over all the close range fight had taken moments, leaving little time for it to disrupt anyone else's evening, baring waking up any quick sleepers.

“Galeeming huh...” the man said, one arm crossed over his chest, supporting his elbow as he contemplatively rubbed his chin.

”Yes, its-.”

“No no, let me guess,” he told her, raising a hand to stop her. He thought for a moment, then took a look outside at those of their diverse team that were still visible. Then he stepped back into the room and after giving it a few more moments seemed to put everything together “So... Your a princess-”

”Yes but how-”

“No one else would wear something that garish crown on their head”

”It’s more of a helmet. Or a mask. And it wasn't always gold” Midna explained, but it didn't real matter, he'd guessed correctly

“But I’m still right right? Right. So you're a princess, and you and your little band of heroes are traipsing around the land hunting down some mcguffins or lieutenants or something to collect or deal with and then your going to take the fight to some big bad evil guy in-order to put everything back to normal right? and while your at it you’re freeing people who have been put under the influence or hypnosis or spell or mind control or whatever of this guy and recruiting everyone that seems useful, like me, to your cause?”

”I... Yes? Do you want to help” Midna asked, a bit take a back by this somewhat accurate deduction.

The man snorted and then burst out laughing with a nefarious canter “gahahahahahahahahahahahah- Me? No. No way. No” he shook his head “Look thanks for freeing me. Twice I guess. But I don’t owe you or the world putting my life on the line to fight… whatever did this just because you did me a favor, alright? I’ve got my own stuff to deal with now, people I need to find. You know how it is.”

”I get worrying about your own but-” Midna began, thinking she could relate to his attitude but he rudely cut her off again.

“Nah don’t give me some bigger picture crap. Look. I’m not a hero. I’m a bad guy. A damn good one too. Now I’m not going to stop you, and hey, maybe I’ll repay the favor some point down the line when I've got my shit together. But right now, I’ve got stuff to deal with and I’m not joining up on your little quest. I’m sure you can handle it, Hero’s always do,” He told her, before raising a hand to his ear and activating some kind of transmitter on his helmet.

“Hey. Becky. This is Crow. Come in Becky. Or anyone really. Random minions? Someone pick up the damn phone already!” he said into it, getting more and more frustrated as the silence or static coming from it carried on carrying on.

”That’s probably not going to work” Midna told him

“Like hell it is. I don't care what the worlds like now-”

”big messed up amalgamation of basically every world ever, and maybe every time too, all mushed together into a dangerous and violent patchwork quilt by a giant glowball with rainbow wings that's also the sun”

“Wow really? Ok that's pretty wack. Still not helping. Look, the Sovereign’s the greatest airship. An epic flying fortress of my own design. Doesn't matter if the world is a big patchwork or on fire or something, it'll be out there and Becky, my secretary, will have kept it and my minions together… I just need a better signal is all, hang on,” the man, who hadn’t introduced himself as such but was presumably called Crow, said before stepping outside and trying to climb onto the roof.

“Give me a leg up will you” he asked, before being roughly shoved up onto it by Minda’s shadow hand “you really like to manhandle people with that thing huh. Or woman handle, I guess. Anyway. Hey. Becky. Please do your damn job and pick up already!”

”You’re fooling yourself. Trust me. But you can yell at the sky all night if you want for all I care. Or don't actually, the rest of us are going to get some sleep” Midna called up at him, before throwing up her hands in frustration as he flipped her off and kept trying to contact his ship. Sighing exasperatedly she turned, washed her hands of the whole situation, and left him to it.

Having had wretched luck with the non animal people in town Minda decided to call it a day. It sounded like people were already dealing with the others anyway.

The princess was directed to the house where Primrose had set herself down to sleep by its owner, and then found herself a room/corner to herself. After piling up her slippers, knee-socks, earrings, singular Spaulder (it did not like being on it's own, threatening to destabilize if it was, but seemed happy enough to be off her if it was nestled among her things) and the fused shadow to one side she settled down to rest. Lacking an improvised bed sheet like Primrose had, she instead summoned one of her wolfos and used its curled up form and her own long waist wrap to make a somewhat cramped but very soft and warm stickiness free sleeping area.

It was a nostalgic night’s rest.

World of Light

The Koopa Troop

wordcount: 1,466 (+3)
Bowser: Level 9 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (39/90)
Bowser Jr: Level 7 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (31/80)
Kamek: Level 7 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (99/70)
Location: Edge of the Blue – Seaward Bay

Bowser clung to the shrieking flapping bird for as long as he could as it struggled, flapped and shrieked, claws biting into its flesh and toxic tendrils wrapped around it. Despite these minor wounds dealt by the wrestling match between them, any ideas that he could have dealt with it himself in this state were firmly put to bed as he had to focus most of his attention on not getting his eyes pecked out.

With a screech filled with anger and panic in equal amounts the bird rammed its beak it beak towards the king’s face, trying to stab the curved point at its end into the king’s massive eyeball. In response Bowser tossed his head to the side, causing the blow to merely graze his cheek. Unfortunately it was quite clear that while Bowser often played at being this size, the bird’s natural attunement to it’s epic scale gave it an edge in speed and agility over the inflated ego of the king, letting it come in for another beak blow quick as could be, and this one the king couldn't dodge in time.

So he blinked.

Boney bird mouth-part met scaly eyelid. The king’s armor prevented the soft tissue below from being punctured, but doing little for the blunt trauma the impact caused.

”Gah!” the king roared in pain, loosening his grip as tendrils came up to try and guard his face rather than hold onto the bird, giving it an edge in the fight but forcing it to contend with stabbing toxic tendrils instead even as it began to slip free. Fortunately for Bowser, by that point he’d held on long enough for Geralt to get in place and so when it did rip free from his grasp it was less that he’d let it slip and more because it was reeling in absolute agony from being stabbed in the back.

Down below Kamek and Jr heard the Witcher’s call to go help the others as he flew/was dragged away. At that moment, they certainly looked like they needed it and so the younger and elder Koopa’s sprung into action. The very first thing that happened was that, all at once, the power enlarging Bowser vanished, causing the king to shrink in an instant back to his usual size.

”HEY WHAT THE!” he barked, before realizing his shrinking had left him standing on air. He pinwheeled his arms, the process somehow keeping him in place for a few moments before he dropped down and hit the deck, the landing jarring his knees but otherwise being uneventful. It was nothing compared to the black eye he’d gotten from his tussle with the bird, which he raised a hand to rub and grumble about. He wasn’t opening it any time soon without medical assistance.

Beneath him, the ship began to turn, the less than agile craft banking in an arch to bring itself back towards Shippy. As it did, Hat Kid would get a nice sweeping view of the battlefield, before finding herself pointed back at the ship, able to snipe at the abyssals still targeting it, but also forcing her to have to contend with the risk of hitting their teammates while shooting.

On deck Bowser stomped towards the entrance to the bedroom and bridge area, only for Kamek to push his way out of the door first.

”What was the big idea with dropping me like that!” he complained, only for the mage to push past him.

”they’re in trouble” the mage pointed back at a much smaller but still incredibly beat up Shippy, before mounting up on his broom ”and I need to get over there. Quickly”

The mage was about to take off and leave the ship behind as it turned when Bowser grabbed hold of his broomstick. ”Sire?” the mage asked in confusion, worried that he’d made a mistake or seriously upset his king at a very poor moment, only for the king to pull the broom, with mage in tow, over his shoulder.

”Fast huh? Here” the king said, before taking a running start and then hurling the broomstick like a spear, with the power and skill of an Olympic level javelin thrower, sending it soaring through the sky while bringing the mage along for the ride. Kamek cried out in alarm at the speed, but adapted quickly enough, bending down to reduce air resistance and adding his own power to the flight, allowing him to arrive far quicker than he would under his own power.

The koopa banked in the air and came to a stop above the ship, his clones forming up with him in an instant when he did, just in time for things to take a turn for the better. Blazermate’s heart had already hit home by the time he arrived, refilling shippy’s (now unfortunately smaller) health reserves. And though those below deck had been unceremoniously dumped in the drink, the Azure Navy’s distancing themselves from the ship was fortuitously not the abandonment like some had feared, for Heinrich returned in full force, her fearsome semi independent sea monster ship plowing through foes near the ship, before taking on those far by ordering a bombardment of the bomber swarm, something her allies didn’t need to to be close to provide.

Not to be out done the mage thrust his wand towards those that remained, his trio of red clones doing the same. Together they used Kamek’s fire materia to launch a barrage of quick homing fireballs at their foes, the quadrant of swift shots sailing true and bursting amidst the remains of the swarm.

”The Atomos is on her way, hold fast and we can push through together!” Kamek called out in encouragement before doing his part to ensure they’d live long enough to regroup. He swept a hand filled with dark power over his three red clones, causing magic circles like the ones used by cia to form before them. The circles swept back over the mimics in sync with Kamek’s hand motion, turning their hues dark as the night by giving them ashen grey scales, dark robes the color of dried blood and causing their spectacles to glow a murderous red.

It wasn't a pretty look, but it came with power and that was what mattered right now. The trio took off the moment their transformation was done: faster, stronger, tougher and, most importantly, deadlier. As one they began to unleash a barrage of purple bolts on their more distant foes that hit harder and, most importantly, flew faster than their old basic magics.

Then the mage did the same for his green clone, turning its robes the dark green of the deepest black forest, causing the barrier surrounding the ship to darken and harden as well, resting the incoming fire just a bit better. It also wasn't done buffing, directing its wand at Shippy’s cannons, it caused green magic to glow around their barrels and purple magic circle to form before them, boosting the shots it fired as they raced up the barrel and then enchanting them with a dark aura of power when they exited, causing them to hit harder and be able to be fired at more distant foes, should the need arise.

”and for my next trick!” A quadrant of portals opened up, like the ones Cia had used to create her shadow links. Unlike her, or the similarity transformed Sepheroth, this evil villain didn't have unrequited targets of obsession as the most important people in his life, because had a family.

”let me introduce you to my young master!” he cackled as a gang of four shadow clones of Bowser Junior emerged from the portals, complete with their own shadowy clown cars. They raced forwards, laughing or yelling with childish glee as they deployed mechanical arms ending in boxing gloves, saws, drills and more from their mechanical flying machines and met the close range abyssal that where threatening the ship’s hull or trying to swarm the dunked heroes head on in a brawl above the waves.

Back on the ship, the real jr completed the wide turn necessary to bring them back towards Shippy, bringing their hat kid’ed main weapon to bare in the process, and then gunned the engines, sending the ship roaring back to the fight. They’d need to make another turn once they got there, but as far as jr’s in the moment planning was concerned, that was a problem they could deal with later. Onboard the toadies kept sniping away with their harpoon guns, while Bowser (with riding on Mimi on his head chucking elector balls) add what firepower he could at his smaller size, the slowness and limited range of his regular ranged fare meaning he was mostly bombing anything they passed over.

World of Light

wordcount: 925 (+2)
Midna: level 3 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////// (16/40)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Sweet Canyon

Midna’s assessment seemed to be correct. The towering armored robots weren't going to go down to a lone quick sword blow, she observed, as the samurai and huntress did some damage between them, but not enough to seriously threaten their target. Joker’s arrival and subsequent headshot further reaffirmed this, as the machines showed themselves to be like hydras with multiple heads that needed taking out, a fact that was helpful relayed by Necronomicon.

While they duked it out with the one over there, Midna still had her own to deal with, her attention getter having worked out as she’d planned. Well, almost. It came at her yes, but not before it plowed through a building and two of the crystals trapping people inside, which had very much not been part of the plan. Fortunately Midna’s worry that getting people out of the sweet crystals would be a tricky business turned out to have been needless worry as they seemed to cleanly divulge their captives completely unharmed if damaged, something that the blue haired shirtless boy would be all too happy to demonstrate when he joined the fight a few moments later, though not before Midna’s second shot sailed forth and hit home.

Her improvised projectile colliding squarely with the great titan, the chocolate chest of drawers smashing into its chest and causing it to stumble backwards and threatening to tip it over completely. Rather than allow this to happen however, it fired up some kind of fiery propulsion system on its back, that Midna didn't have a word for, using it to stabilize itself. Back on its feet, it proceeded to glare angrily at the princess, who squared up to face it.

She didn't have to do so alone. First the thieves arrived to rear charge the titan, pummeling its knees from behind and then wrapping up its legs in Panther’s whip. As they tried to pull it’s legs out from under it it fired its back engine up again, but rather in fire it instead unloaded a bullet hell of purple projectiles at them, causing Mona to appear and call for help.

Midna was already moving when they did, but it was the freed boy who struck first, driving an impressive punch to its chest, though he inadvertently knocked it out of the way of a shadowy shot from Primrose in the process. While the dancer simply readjusted and fired again the boy... Backed off in a huff? Minda had no idea what was going on with that but from what she overheard as he rushed past he sounded like a stuck up noble, which she did not have time for. She dealt with enough of those at home.

”Fight, run or die pipsqueak!” she yelled at him as she moved to engage the robot.

It wouldn't have to have him be smushed while standing there dejectedly, and more importantly, it would also not do for Skull and Panther to have to continue to weather the storm just because people weren’t impressed by the boy’s actions. That left it up to the ladies to handle things.

As much as she wanted to try and one up the boy’s punch with her own, it would be a waste to cause Primrose to miss again, and it would be even worse if it tipped over and rushed the three thieves, so instead she darted in closer, her Vibrava helping her maneuver and compensating for her slipping and sliding as it clung to her back (she’d forgotten to get it to detach in the first moment, but after it helped her off the starting block she’d let it stay there for the time being).

As she got close she got a better look at the multiple heads that had been mentioned by their flying saucer friend. This one still had its head, and it also had one on each arm, which looked to be modified small bots now that she saw them up close, and one... Between its legs. Midna had to laugh when she saw the upside down robot head peeking out down there.

Multiple targets that all needed to be taken out at once? Midna had the perfect tool for that. And with the bot tied up, and having been punched in the chest and being pounded in the back with magic she had a good opportunity to pull it off.

Waving at the crotch bot as she got in close she slid to dodge hammer hand attacks and summoned both super sized wolfos to try and bite/tackle/generally tie up its arms for a few moments. Once at its feet she jumped, her vibrava adding its wingbeats to her leap and floating to carry her up past the legs. Then with two Dragon claws she slashed at the base of its metal shell and used the blows to pull herself upwards, increasing her accent speed. While she rose up she brought out her shadow hand, not to punch, but instead to channel a shadow field. Vertically.

The princess stopped in front of her target's chest as the dark aura spread out around her. if everything went well it would quickly spread out to cover each and every one of the titan’s many heads. Then, with a snap, the power would lash out, stunning them and marking them for death for her vibrava, which would dart to and fro with lightning speed to crunch down on each and every one of the bot’s noggins, dispatching them like Link and Minda had dispatched so many a shadow beast.

World of Light

wordcount: 732 (+1)
Midna: level 3 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////// (14/40)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Sweet Canyon

With a final tug, Midna pulled the fairy free from her cage and then together they snuck away, the bots fortunately not noticing the chain rattling or the soft sound of their captive’s insect wings as they carried her to safety. Despite the minor unexpected issue of the butt stuck incident things had gone excellently, Midna congratulated herself as they disappeared from sight behind a building. Sadly, that's the exact moment when things went wrong, because the overjoyed fay grabbed the princess and pulled her into an impressively tight bearhug, the lady apparently packing a fair bit more muscle than her appearances suggested.

The hug was awkward and unwanted physical intimacy for Midna, the princess leaning her head back and making zero effort to return the gesture, but the real problem was that she wasn’t exactly quiet with her thank yous, nor her immediate turn to hunt for food. In this she didn't have to go far as she broke into and started eating the contents of a house. Midna could emphasize, sourcing her own food had not been part of princess training either and the first few days of her banishment had been rough till she was able to just get Link to do it for her. That didn't make her any less furious when the fairy gave the game away

”Goddesses. I could just, gahhhhh,” the princess said in a quiet rage, throwing hands up in frustration as the robots reacted the fairy’s shouts and started to move again. She snuck through a shadow to look back into the courtyard and confirmed that yes, they were on the march, though oddly not towards her, but instead to random buildings. Which they started demolishing. The fact that the bots didn't have directional hearing and thus weren't coming right at them wasn’t much of a comfort when she knew they were going to cause a great deal of collateral damage

”There are people trapped in some of those houses! If anyone dies, it’s your fault” she told the fairy in a harsh whisper, despite the fact that they’d have started doing that as a result of Midna’s oh so clever plan sooner or later regardless, before moving to do something about the situation.

---

A teapot smashed into the head of one of the robots as it smashed one of the buildings, thrown by a short winged woman wearing a long red hat.

”Hey you! Rusted nails for brains! Looking for someone?!” Midna yelled at the two titans from an alley leading out of town that was surrounded by buildings she knew were empty. While it would have been cathartic to use the fairy as bait after she foolishly gave the game away, instead she was doing something equally foolish.

Wearing a red tablecloth in a facsimile of the fairies had and with her Vibrava holding onto her back to make it look like she had wings wings, she was hoping the bots where dumb enough that they might not notice the blatant differences. Or they’d just come after her anyway for attacking them via fine china.

Then again, it wasn't like they had other things to worry about. While she’d been rapidly throwing her new plan together some of the others had arrived and brazenly charged in to take the towering machines head on. Considering two humans had gone after them using mundane blades and a handgun, either she’d overestimated the threat of the robots presented or they were grossly underestimating it, Midna thought (being unaware that Necronomicon had been able to detect the trapped people without even seeing them and that they as a result knew there was no other choice but to rush in to intervene before one got hurt or worse).

Either way, it wouldn't do to let them face the titans alone (either to save face or to stop them from being pulped) so she summoned her shadow hand (her mediocre impromptu hat based disguise being tossed off in the process, revealing the quarter of fused shadow that had been poorly hidden beneath it) and then shot it through the door of the building to her right where she’d gotten the teapot form. Instead of more crockery, it instead emerged hauling an entire chest of drawers, before hurling the piece of furniture at the same one she’d chucked the teapot at as a much larger blunt instrument/distraction/attention getter.

World of Light

The Koopa Troop

wordcount: 980 (+2)
Bowser: Level 9 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (36/90)
Bowser Jr: Level 7 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (29/80)
Kamek: Level 7 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (97/70)
Location: Edge of the Blue – Seaward Bay

”GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A KOOPA YOU BIRD BRAINED COWARD!” Bowser roared up at the bird that was doing its best to avoid one vs oneing him while dodging everything he could throw at it, while down below jr muttered ”come on come on come on!” to himself as he wrestled with the controls of the bulky overburdened ship as he tried and failed to aim his dad square at the incoming big bird. While both king and prince had thought their charge would allow them to cease the moment, it turned out that, in most cases, it was the army that stood fast that had the advantage rather than the one that charged in, the Koopa’s collective bravado breaking the not particularly solid defensive line they pair of ships had had.

They were bailed out of their foolishness by Bella and her mighty tail cannon, the shot blasting away and forcing the bird to dodge right into the path of the Atomos charge.

”GOTCA!” father and son cheered in sync, as the prince jerked the controls to bring the king into a collision course with the bird, while the king himself had his shoulder beaks scream in supersonic crescendo at the bird as claws and tentacles lashed out to snatch, strangle and capture the titanic avian in his grasp, ensnaring
it so that Geralt could do his thing.

Meanwhile, on the minion front, the mooks of the troop (with help from a certain hatted kid) had done fine work clearing out the biggest threats to the airship, but unfortunately their watership was still in trouble. While most of the remaining fire support had been dragged onward with the king’s reckless charge, and the Strikers having all been spent on clearing the ship itself, only a quadrant of fliers remained to be sent to its aid.

Kamek, having been told that the ship was being healed as part of a hurried bark of a response from Jr about what was going on, had realized he could put his own supportive magic to work to aid the living vessel in a way he could not affect their own.

As the people onboard scrambled for a way off of the seemingly doomed ship the green mage clone flew in and raised their wand. A pulse of green energy flared from their wand, causing a similarly hued wave of power to cover the ship, hardening her hull. If left alone it would cast another, giving her a boot to her speed and then a final buff which would increase the power of her attacks. The individual buffs were not particularly impressive, 25% increases at best, but they were something that might buy the ship a few more moments.

The three reds, unable to draw on the mage’s mana pool as Kamek focused his power on keeping his King big and strong so he could wrestle the meg bird, were limited to just fireballs and their iconic three shape magic blasts. No Fire Materia, rabbit spells or dark clones in sight. Instead of trying to take down the entire bomber swarm with their limited power, they were instead directed to swoop down along the path annihilated by Shippy’s super lazer, snatching a trio of spirits that had yet to sink beyond the surface as they went. Then they soared on to the beleaguered ship and pressed those spirits into what Kamek judged to be her ‘chest’

For Shippy

Spirits Tri-fused:
Ka-Class Submarine
Light Cruiser Köln
Heavy Cruiser Aoba
The ship has shrunken to approximately a third of its original size. Its mostly wooden construction has gained a glossy, stone-gray metal ‘skin’ around most of the ship, with the wood beneath becoming more organic. Shippy’s mouth has filled with enormous human teeth, and its eyes are a desaturated yellow that glow cyan when attacking. The sails are black, longer, and flowing. Shippy’s horn has become a full-on figurehead that’s a metal-wood shipgirl in a jacket, flared shoes, and skirt, with blue pigtails streaked by brown. The figurehead is alive but physically bound to the rest of the ship, and will revert to a statue if removed. The ship’s cabin and hold are airtight if the doors are sealed. The ship can speak from the figurehead, and iis slightly more aggressive, more inquisitive, and more dutiful, with an observant and logistical mind, but she can still succumb to rage.

These spirits confer the Powers Cannon Emplacements (three cannon batteries on both the port and starboard sides, with limited automatic functionality), Submersibility (the ability to dive beneath the water), and Fleet Communications (the radio equipment needed to confer with the rest of the fleet).

They also confer the Weaknesses Limited Capacity (Shippy can carry less cargo and fewer people, and suffers greater penalties if overburdened), Regulation Arsenal (The ship has lost her barrel; her beam and cannonballs are much weaker), and Cruiserweight (Overall defense is lower, increasing damage taken and severity of localized injury)

Things suddenly got a lot more cramped on and in the ship as she shrank rapidly, causing a brief moment of chaotic crossfire incidents among the Abyssals as shots aimed at parts of the ship no longer there flew through the empty space left behind and into the ranks attacking from the opposite side.

For those onboard, they were fortunately not dunked in the water, the shrinking hull carrying them with it as they did, but the close quarters fighting did suddenly get a lot closer as friend and foe was pulled together by the contraction of their environment. If anyone did take a tumble regardless, the red mages swooped in to aid, but for the most part they turned their attention to the ship’s attackers, swooping to and fro and pelting them with their basic spells, hoping to reduce the heat on the ship enough that she’d survive long enough that she would be able to figure out how to use her new powers to survive/destroy the incoming bomber swarm.

Slay the Spire

”Ah, you do speak it. Good. Good. Also do not take offense. To me, you all are young, or so I think. I do sound old don't I? I’d check, but that seems wrong somehow doesn't it?” Luna replied to the girl before adding ”Also what was that you said there, you’ll have to speak up”, as she had missed what other masked women had said under her breath and not realized that was likely her intention.

She probably wouldn't get an answer to that, but what she did get was an invasion of her personal space. The long mask she was wearing turned out to be a useful gear for this as even as she was too startled to actively ward her off the long beak placed a minimum distance between the two.

”Did no one teach you manners girl,” she said, rather offended at this intrusion but not quite twitchy enough to do anything more than try and step back and regain some distance.

”But you did ask, so I shall answer. I am Luna... Yes. Luna. I do not know any of you are, it seems that we are all in that situation. We are at the bottom of... something. A dangerous place,” the vision had been so vague, all she really knew was there was a top and a way up there, ”and I do not know what you are talking about smell but thank you? What do I smell like?”

She sniffed, but didn't smell anything unusual. Then again, she had had a nose for only a few moments, maybe she did smell of something strange, but how would she know if she’d never not smelled it? Luna did not know.

”As for what you can do, you can help me climb out of this place. The beaked ones might still be after us and I would not like to be here if they are able to climb out of the depths as we did.” She replied, when asked what she could do, glancing back at the place they had exited and edging away both from it and from the energetic woman.

World of Light

The Koopa Troop

wordcount: 1,062 (+3)
Bowser: Level 9 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (34/90)
Bowser Jr: Level 7 EXP: /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (27/80)
Kamek: Level 7 EXP: ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (95/70)
Location: Edge of the Blue – The Black Bay

Bowser unleashed devastation upon the Abyssals, sowing death, destruction and chaos wherever he pointed each of his three weaponized maws. Unfortunately, there was some friendly fire involved, Bowser’s shots went exactly precise in their nature and the wide area they covered was a double edged sword when there were allies in the area. Bowser wasn't exactly unfamiliar with this problem however, so while he had little twinges of guilt he was mostly unaffected by his mistakes emotionally as did his best to avoid more collateral damage. There were bigger problems to face, such as the fact that he was now a massive target for their foes.

Bowser himself laughed off most of what they threw at him, the titan’s great scales warding off much of their weaponry designed to harm primarily other ship girls. Any that did have enough firepower to chip at his defenses were rapidly singled out and burned, blasted or, if they were too close, tentacled til they weren't a problem any more.

The Abyssals weren't brainless however, and many focused on his much poorer armored firing platform instead of the king himself and the improvised armoring of the ship could only do so much to withstand their withering hail of blows. Inside Jr had to duck just to avoid having his head removed by shots punching through the cockpit’s glass, while further back Kamek and Mimi huddled down and tried to block everything out while they focused on maintaining the spell that was putting them in all that danger.

Many of the others were helping vessels but there was only so much they could do. Shippy was in dire straits too, though she had Blazermate doing her part. The healing beam apparently worked on ships too, if they were alive, which was a miracle and madness all in one. The Atomos had its own repairer, but there was only so much Rika smacking the ship with the Necro Smasher could do. The ship girl had been reduced to repair women as a result of it being an awful, awful idea for her to go out and try and fight because, unlike Bella, she’d need to get stuck in close, and there was too much risk of her being mistaken for a foe in the chaotic melee that would inevitably follow.

That didn’t mean the brawl wouldn't come to her, the lightest and fastest of the Abyssals leaping from the ocean made sure of that. The worst encounter with which was a destroyer smashing through the front window like a torpedo, before crashing to the ground and trying to flop closer to Kamek in-order to bite him.

”oh dear, could someone perhaps handle that?” the mage requested with force calm, unable to move lest he disrupt the spell empowering his master.

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it” Rika yelped, as she hurried over from the latest hole, hammer held in hand, before smashing one giant gauntlet down on the thing. The metal monster crumpled, and then was vaporized when the mouth mounted cannon in the gauntlet went off point blank.

“Oh... I just kill a-” Rika began to say, but there was no time for introspection about killing her own kind, no matter how simplistic a one it might have been, in the heat of battle as Jr cried ”The window! Before more get in!” at her

“Oh shoot. Going!” Rika replied, before getting back to grease-monkeying.

Despite the ship girls’s efforts, keeping the airship in one piece was a losing battle. In a bid to try and ease the pressure the troop resorted to their second play of the day, which was to unleash the minions. A swarm of Primids armed with super scopes swarmed out onto the deck, followed by Quiet and the End and all of them added a sudden burst of firepower to the defense of the ships. More permanently, Kamek’s Toadies flew out and grabbed the harpoon turrets, firing off large metal bolts at the ships. Weapons that, while primitive, did inflict a hell punch if they hit.

While the king himself was blind to the small-fry blasting his footing his strikers were not, and in short order Marie descended, drifting under the ship followed by Mallet, Sledge and Heel all crammed on the back of Carri the Trowlon. The trio of living hoverboard riding mooks hurled hammers and bombs at the ships who thought they had a safe spot to fire from, while the former Skullgirl, still wielding some of the power of death she had had in unlife, really made them regret their cleverness as the unflinching girl bombarded them with skulls or made skeletal sailors rise up from their sunken graves to drag the vessels down into the depths.

With them went Kamek’s clowns, the trio of reds and one green trying to keep them in one piece swooped down to hurl fireballs at the ships before sweeping back up again to try and avoid return fire from the Abyssals.

Other than the mage’s robed octet of minions all of this was temporary, a sudden burst of firepower to clear the worst offenders, but it might the troop collectively hoped, give them a moment of space. Something they desperately needed as the fleet revealed itself to not be as insular in its makeup as they had assumed. A grand avian, lacking any telltale signs of the monstrous fleet marring its features, took off from it’s home on the anchor decorated isle and soared right at the king.

The king was squaring up to blast it with a hail of fire to try and ward it off when he got a Geralt sized passenger whispering plans in his ear.

”GAHAHA, NOW YOUR TALKING! JR, PUNCH IT AND FLY US RIGHT AT THE BIG BIRD!” The King demanded, 100 and 10 percent onboard with the Witcher’s plan and adding his own bravado to the mix.

”Awwwww starbits,” Jr moaned, before becoming resolved and declaring ”Here goes nothing!” and slamming a jury rigged big red button on the console that directed as much power as the ship could handle to forward thrust, sending the ship surging forwards to meet their avien adversary while Bowser, claws and tentacles ready to give a big ol bear hug, braced himself himself to try and carry out his half Geralt’s daring plan.

”COME AND GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT, CHICKEN!”

World of Light

wordcount: 1,071 (+2)
Midna: level 3 EXP: //////////////////////////////////////// (13/40)
Location: Sandswept Sky - Sweet Canyon

Midna went from house to house, sticking to, or in, the shadows and floating with her feet off the ground to avoid making any noise. While her sneakiness turned out to be unnecessary, other than when she avoided being spotted by the giants again, the fact that she never touched the ground prevented her from stepping on any sugar spraying root before she’d realized they were the threat. It would have been very embarrassing to end up being frozen like the figures she found in the town and having to be saved along with them and the fairy. She was not that kind of princess!

Midna's causal analysis that the town’s delectable construction wasn't the best idea had turned out to actually be relevant, as it had stood no chance against the invading root system. Once she’d figured out that it was said roots were the cause she had to also assume that they’d come through rather quickly, catching several people all at once and causing the rest to flee instead of trying to save their neighbors. That or the town had been abandoned before they started growing and it had simply caught a series travelers looking for shelter.

Possibly a mix of both, she concluded eventually, splitting the chocolate animals from the scattered gang of strange individuals (who had something of a propensity for nice hats in common) into two separate sets of victims, namely former residents and unlucky travelers respectively. It was interesting that they were all still alive, at least if the rules of the world of light were still applying. Whether she would be able to get them out of their delicious prisons without reducing them to spirits would the clincher. Maybe Tora could put his appetite to use and lick them free Midna mused with a combination of amusement and feeling a bit sick at the thought of someone eating that much sugar.

Her scouting completed, she reviewed the situation. While she hadn't found any threats to her own well being, she had found a complication to the captive fairy situation, namely that there was a clear risk of collateral damage should she fight the giants in the town. A brief mental image of one of those massive metal arms smashing into a house and pulping an adorable chocolate rabbit was enough to make her reject the idea of simply performing an ambush on the titans here and now.

She could try to free them, but that was delicate work and there was no guarantee the people were safe (even the rabbits might be secret voracious murder machines, the roots having reinforced Midna's idea that you couldn't trust anything in this place) and/or that they wouldn’t make noise that would give away her, and their, position. She’d also seen the state she’d left the fairy in while stalking the streets (and also got a better look at her in general, seeing that she was indeed wearing some kind of Lizalfos hide for a hat. The princess had mixed feelings on that particular fashion statement it had to be said), and felt rather guilty about having crushed her hopes when she’d vanished without a word or gesture of acknowledgement. It hadn't been her intention, she mainly hadn’t wanted to give anything away to the robots in case they were smarter than they looked, and it was supposed to be only temporary, but still. She’d looked in an awful state, and the princess wasn't anything close to heartless.

So. Save the fairy and keep the frozen people safe. That was the goal. While Midna was mulling over her options of how to achieve this inside the shadow of a building looking out on the town square a convenient extra playing piece entered the board, and not one she’d been expecting. Rather than the rest of the foot sloggers catching up with her (she’d be in the middle of executing her rescue attempt by the time they did), it was Necronomicon who arrived at the town first, gradually closing in and causing the bot’s gazes to fix firmly up and at her.

It was a perfect opportunity. Quick as she could, the princess moved around behind the guards while quickly putting the thoughts she’d been having into an actionable plan. She’d use a combination of soundlessly floating and sneaking through the shadows (and under the pale moon there were plenty deep ones to be found) to approach the licorice lamppost from behind the way the bots were looking. Then she’d sneak up to the cage, pressing a finger to her lips if/when the fairy saw her approach to try and keep her from giving her away.

Then, once she got there, she’d try to remove the lock on the cage (if there was one) using purple dragon fire on a finger to cut through the weakest part (while princesses needed to know many things, lockpicking was not one of them. A gap in her education that was a clear detriment in this specific situation). Then, with the lock removed and the cage opened, she and the fairy could fly away to safety while the robots were still busy staring at their UFO sighting.

In the more likely event that she was detected, Midna would thrust both palms towards the bots head’s, blasting them with a sand attack while she used her shadow hand to grab either the fairy herself or the cage (if she couldn't/had not gotten it open). With the rescuee secured in her grasp she would summon her Vibrava, scaled as large as it could go and fire it past her away from both the titans and out of the center of town. Grabbing its tail she and the fairy would be pulled clear of the square in the few moments she could maintain the up scaled Vibrava in the world of light.

They’d drop down onto a roof of a building (one she knew was empty) when the bug returned to the twilight realm and then switch to riding a regular sized wolfos (the better rested one), which would then sprint out of town down the closest main road, outpacing the bots attempts to catch her while also luring them away from the frozen townspeople.

That was the plan anyway. Time for it to make contact with the enemy. After taking a careful breath, the princess moved out into the square and set it into motion.