Lugubrious

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

The Avenger - Wednesday Morning Rollout

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (114/150) Lvl 8 Sandalphon (45/80) Level 11 Big Band (17/110) Level 5 Heismay (9/50)
Junior, Rika, Edward, & Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia, & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt & Zenkichi's @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double, Celica’s @Sadu Harry’s @Eviledd1984 Chosen Undead’s @Simple Unicycle
Word Count: 2100

At six o’clock in the morning, on the dot, three beeps began to issue from the terminal built into the wall halfway between both bunks in each dormitory room that housed a Seeker or two. At first the sounds were relatively mild and infrequent, but for every ten seconds that passed without the alarm being deactivated, the tones would get louder, faster, and more insistent. By the time any room reached the minute mark the beeping would be so constant and strident that neighboring rooms could hear it as well, and add to the racket with imperative, well-intentioned pounding on the walls that divided them. Hopefully all the Seekers of Light had retired no later than ten o’clock the previous evening in order to get the recommended eight hours; there would be no sleeping in, not today.

The next hour encompassed an uncoordinated, frantic rush of hygienization and preparation. There weren’t a lot of showers to go around, so everyone -or at least, those interested in sanitary and/or communal living- had to either seize an opportunity or queue up, and no cleansing deluge, whether soothingly warm or bracingly cold, could last for over ten minutes. With so many Seekers to get through, the Avenger’s on-board water purification system would no doubt be working overtime. Anyone who taxed the systems too much could look forward to an emphatic dressing-down from crew members tasked with maintenance, especially young Tora, for whom such utilitarian work was a profound waste of time.

Compared to last night’s extravagant banquet, breakfast in the mess hall this morning was a terribly lackluster affair. Diners could rummage through a modest buffet of oatmeal, toast, dried fruit, yogurt, and sandworm sausage, accompanied by preservative-rich orange juice and coffee from somewhat stale beans, without a morsel of bacon or smidgen of egg to be found. With the time pressure on top of the meager fare, there would be precious little enjoyment to be found in the cafeteria today, leading Seekers to satisfy their nutritional needs and move on to the next step in their morning checklists.

Seven o’ clock, just as the morning rays turned the sea of clouds outside the Avenger’s portholes snowy-white, was the deadline everyone had to reach the Vehicle Bay, suited up and ready for action. Though she suffered from a rather slow start, Nadia had picked up the pace after sneaking in a quick shower and managed to reach her destination with a minute or two to spare. Today the feral looked especially fresh with her freshly-combed calico hair, tailor-made outfit, gleaming fishbone baubles, and anticipatory grin. Her belt was fully laden, its pouches filled with her Bait Launcher, boxcutter hilts, magic wallet, and Ripened Heart, while simple scabbards for her Athame daggers were fastened between the pouch pairs on each hip. Her nails, sharp as knives, were ready to scratch, and today she wore her battle case on her back, filled with folding mechanisms and spare blades for whatever situation might come her way.

Still, though she was more punctual than usual, Nadia was hardly the first one here. In fact, a familiar face beat her to the punch by two whole minutes: Big Band. The cyborg detective, clad in his distinctive tan trench coat, towered over everyone except the resident royals Ganondorf and Sectonia. Unlike Nadia, he didn’t need to deck himself out in equipment; everything he needed could be deployed from inside his mechanical body. From what the catgirl understood he’d been gone a long time, left behind in the mad dash through the Nyakuza Metro and forced to flee out into Edinburgh MagicaPolis itself alongside Ace. She didn’t know him personally, and in fact harbored an instinctive dislike for any man of the law, but Big Band still held an important piece of significance to her: the two of them happened to be from the same world. How funny that a former cop and former fugitive from New Meridian happened to find themselves here now, united by a grand quest to save the world.

“Hey there, little miss Fortune,” Band greeted her with a congenial nod, his tone casual.

“Hey yourself!” Nadia gave a cheeky little wave. “I see you haven’t fur-gotten me.”

Band smirked. When it wasn’t hidden by his brass respirator, he had a kind smile. “I never fur-get a face.”

Alongside the old Seekers making their return came a handful of brand-new faces Nadia had never seen before. At some point her sharp ears flicked toward a small flutter, almost imperceptible, and she turned her ears to see that a batlike fellow, cream of fur and only a couple feet tall, had arrived. He sported a knapsack and a finely-crafted sword that hung on his back. Her slitted sea-blue eyes met his enormous, ruby-red peepers, and her default-by-default smile offered quite a contrast to his look of wary politeness. “Hi! Welcome to the paw-ty, little guy. The name’s Ms Fortune. What sword-a blade you got there?”

Though surprised by the feral’s manner for a moment, Heismay relaxed somewhat and drew his weapon for Nadia to admire. “This is a sandglass katana, forged from finest sandworm shell. It has no special attributes, but it is lightweight, easy to handle, and can make quick work of monsters.”

Nadia flashed a toothy smile to her reflection in the swordblade. “Neat. Can’t wait to see you take it into bat-tle!”

Heismay raised an eyebrow. “Quite fond of wordplay, aren’t you, miss? If you must know, I am not a bat, but a eugief.”

He talks like a middle-aged dad, Nadia thought, nodding. “Ahh, I see! I’ll stop givin’ ya eu-grief then, sorry!”

Of course, any Seeker would be hard-pressed to arrive at the rendezvous sooner than Sandalphon. Today she’d opted for her simplified work outfit, the two-piece cerulean collared shirt, black tie, black pants, and white boots to match her enormous tassel-lined coat. Her pale skin and silvery white hair made her gray lips and eye bags stand out quite starkly, not to mention her unusual eyes, which portrayed the bulk of the emotions seldom seen on her porcelain features. She stood beneath the light of her extravagant three-ring halo with her gunstaff in hand, more out of habit than need at the moment, and her new Hexagun could be seen slung across her back. The presence of that more magical replacement meant that the Eye of Sol must be sitting somewhere in the armory, that solar sniper rifle ready to resonate with someone of a more futuristic persuasion.

“Hiya, bwoss!” Nadia greeted her. The archangel offered a deadpan ‘hello’ in response.

At seven o’clock, with plenty of heroes and Lost Numbers around, the Seekers’ leader began to speak. “Good morning, everyone. We are currently approaching the departure point for the Forbidden Kingdom. I have taken the liberty of pre-selecting landing sites in both regions. Naturally, the safety and secrecy of both the Avenger and all our operatives are paramount, and we cannot risk activity near large population centers.” As she spoke, she created a light screen with a small section of the World of Light map to mark so everyone could see. “The Forbidden Kingdom team, hereafter referred to as ‘Gold Team’, is heading to Esaka, the Tiered City. A westward landing would risk interaction with the Shinjuku-Sotenbori metropolitan area, and to the east the alluvial plane of Dihua Marsh creates a drowning/burial hazard for hellpods. As such, Gold Team will land in the Fields of Gold to the north and set off southward immediately.”

Sandalphon changed the map to feature a piece of the Frozen Highlands. “The other team, ‘White Team’, is tasked with hunting down the Frozen Highlands guardian, Baldr. We do not currently have any leads on his whereabouts. I have selected Snowdin as our destination, since it stands at a crossroads in the region and Baldr has been sighted there before. Once we descend via Pelican-1, we will establish a temporary base of operations in Snowdin. We have a number of tasks to attend to, including the procurement of adequate cold-weather apparel for the team. I will accomplish this since I can eyeball everybody’s measurements, but help would be appreciated. The rest of the tasks I will outline upon arrival. Afterward, we can set off in search of Baldr.”

The archangel changed topics, her gaze settling on the Seekers’ most recent additions. “Before I go any further, I would like to mention our new recruits. Harry Du Bois, detective. Heismay Noctule, rogue. Celica, gunslinger. Kit, swordsman. Snowball, huntress.” While clearly intelligent, the divine wolf couldn’t communicate any better than her mortal counterparts, so Sandalphon had taken it upon herself to come up with a usable designation, and according to the Inter-Knot ‘Snowball’ was a common name. “Please introduce yourselves and make them welcome. Each one is one of us now.”

After a few moments, Sandalphon spoke again. “I have two more matters, both pertaining to the Lost Numbers. If you all are not aware, maintaining even a small army is a costly task. As of this morning, all supplies aboard the Avenger are running low, especially food. As we embark on new missions in the World of Light, we must keep all our needs in mind. Therefore, keep your eyes out for anything we can use. Daily essentials, materials, reagents, clothes and equipment, weapons, fuel, food, medical supplies–if anything can be acquired in sufficient bulk, please consider dispatching such packages via fulton pickup. By way of motivation, you are also approved to collect whatever items you like for your rooms. Of course, I do not condone morally questionable acts of acquisition. Please keep your roommates, space limitations, and weight limitations in mind as well. You will be issued additional fulton devices for this purpose.” She paused to clear her throat, shifting her weight slightly. “That brings me to the final topic. Miss Partridge?”

At the prompt, one of the Lost Number stepped forward with the aid of crutches, one on each arm. She was a young woman, twenty-four years old, with very long lavender and dark brown hair, and a simple but fashionable outfit exemplified by the postboy cap perched on her head. Despite her condition, she wore a proud, brave smile, which made her all the more beautiful. Behind her followed Professor Koa, holding a duffel bag. “Yes, ah, hello, everyone.” Not used to having so many eyes on her, she tried not to avert her gaze. “Some of us thought that, since you’re all out there risking your lives for us, we wanted to do whatever we can do whatever we can to help out. We’re not all fighters, but we did our best to figure out another way to make things a little easier for you.”

With the smile of a showman, the casually-dressed Koa set down the bag and unzipped it, revealing a number of warmly colored armbands. “Ta-da!” He framed the trove with jazz hands.

“These are Focus Sashes! I was up all night sewing them. Mr. Koa and Mr. Shirogane helped with the technical part. If you wear it, you’ll never have to worry about being taken out in one hit. Instead, you’ll tough it out on your last legs!” Her smile turned a bit more sheepish. “Uh, of course, hopefully you’ll never need to use their special effect. If nothing else, though, it’s a way to tie you all together. Show that you’re all part of the same team!” She bowed her head. “I hope you like them.”

At that point, Eleison pushed a trolly forward, piled high with little red packs. “Gronk and I have been hard at work, too. Medkits for everybody, one each. They’ll take a minute to apply, but you’ll be right as rain afterward.” The young man adjusted his glasses, offering no smiles. The work of a healer was never glamorous.

With that said, everyone could collect their care packages of three fultons, a Focus Sash, a medkit, and a water canteen. Then, with its departure to the Forbidden Kingdom imminent, Gold Team needed to hustle down to Deployment. Ms Fortune, Big Band, Bowser Jr, Rika, Roland, Juri, Captain Falcon, Pit, Zenkichi, Sakura, Primrose, Therion, Harry, and Amaterasu would need to cram themselves into hellpods and be fired down at the Forbidden Kingdom’s farmland like meteors from beyond. The others had some more time, but once the Avenger was plowing through snowy skies, Sandalphon, the Ace Cadet, Edward, Geralt, Sectonia, Blazermate, Roxas, Ganondorf, Celica, Kit, and Heismay would need to board Pelican-1.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone Hinterlands - Epilogue: A Chapter Concluded

Harry’s @Eviledd1984 Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Chosen Undead’s @Simple Unicycle Level 11 Big Band (14/110)
Word Count: 1118

Together, the team stepped out into the evening light, then set off back down the mountain. They had a lot of ground to cover, but the downhill trek was a mercy compared to the demanding slog it took to reach Witch’s Nose in the first place, and this time there wouldn’t be a spine-chilling detour in the derelict, horror-infested Curien Mansion. As he made his way downward, Band allowed himself to feel cautiously optimistic about the situation as a whole. Nothing had been solved just yet, but after all that standoffish deliberation back in Molly’s cave the conclusion of this layered story had been postponed, hopefully long enough that he and the others could bring the truth to light. All signs pointed to him making the right choice, but at the end of the day he was still just holding out hope–hope that he’d been wrong about neither Molly nor Bardon.

He, Harry, Amaterasu, Kit, and Heismay followed the platoon of guards back to Martira at a respectable distance, the wide berth they kept indicative of how much they trusted Bardon’s men. They did not trail so far behind, though, that when shouting broke out amongst the guard corps about five minutes to Martira, neither Amaterasu nor Heismay couldn’t catch up. Apparently, the men had stumbled into a wandering troop of goblins. Small, unintelligent, and poorly-equipped, the goblins didn’t pose much of a challenge, but during the scramble Morris and two other guards took advantage of the commotion to make a break for it, fleeing in different directions. Without a word, Heismay and Amaterasu gave chase, quickly passing the other pursuers and catching up to the runners. One of them tried to fight back, and got a lucky hit on both thanks to his magic igniter, but he quickly found out just how grave a mistake he’d made. Once the others saw what happened to him, they gave up without a fight and stayed down once tackled. Band took the chance to free both Amaterasu and Heismay with a friend heart while waiting for Bardon to catch up. The moment he arrived on the scene, Morris and the other man began begging for their lives.

Morris admitted to kidnapping children, but pleaded that he’d been coerced into doing so by Lady Joanna, the sanctoress he ruled the town. He explained that after he racked up so much gambling debt, Joanna had given him a choice: find sacrifices to feed the monster beneath the castle, or he would be fed to it himself. His co-conspirator backed up his story without question. Bardon listened with an expression of terrifying severity on his face the whole time, astounded by the accusations against the sanctoress he’d served and respected for so many years. After that, he ordered that the perpetrators be hauled away and locked up until he could come up with a plan for what to do next; it seemed like he meant to take the accusations seriously and approach Joanna herself about the matter, backed by the loyal members of the guard corps. At the same time, he did not at all intend to let Morris or the others off the hook. As Heismay said earlier, the innocent blood on the hands of these monsters would be repaid.

Once the guilty had been dragged off, Bardon thanked Band and the others for their help with the investigation, and offered his apologies. The coming days of confrontation, against monsters of very different kinds, would not be easy, but he would endure whatever trials and tribulations lay ahead for the sake of truth, justice, and the wee ones of Martira. Big Band expressed his approval, and mentioned that if Bardon needed more firepower to deal with the monster beneath the keep, Stein might be able to lend a hand.

Band’s time was up, however. He’d originally been part of a small team dispatched to Martira to gather supplies while the Seekers of Light were involved in the Dead Zone, but learning about the missing children had obliged him to stick around. Now, with the kids safe in Molly’s care and Bardon around to deal with the real problem, he had other places to be. After all, even though they’d more or less closed the book here, the fight against Galeem was far from over. Band offered Harry, Heismay, Kit, and Amaterasu the chance to join the real fight to change things for the better, and one day save all worlds from the Lord of Light.

Despite his typical indecision, it did not take long for Heismay to make his choice. There was nothing in or around Martira anchoring the eugief here, and after seeing Band and the others in action, he had been inspired to come out of hiding and once again take up arms for the sake of a brighter tomorrow. “My skills are yours,” he declared. “Rest assured, I was once a member of the Shadowguard, and the years have not dulled their edge!”

Once everyone gave their answers, Band called up the Avenger to request an appropriate amount of fulton devices. Sandalphon herself teleported to Band to drop them off, offering the flabbergasted new recruits her greetings in the process. She offered an especially gracious hello to Amaterasu, whose divine significance the archangel seemed to identify. After that, all that remained was to activate each fulton, shoot up into the sky, and be collected by the airship that would become the heroes’ home in the day to come.

Their time of arrival aboard the Avenger was just before sunset, after the conclusion of the memorial service in Stolen Moments, though they would still be able to get some leftovers from the cafeteria if so inclined. Sandalphon expressed her apologies that she could not show the newcomers around herself, since she had an urgent appointment to attend to, but encouraged the others to explore and better acquaint themselves with their new surroundings. It would be quite the drastic transition, but they would find no shortage of friendly faces to welcome them to the campaign against Galeem.

Once she left, Band apologized too. He was exhausted from all his physical exertion today and needed a break. Heismay, after getting over his amazement at waking up inside such an incredible airborne Gauntlet Runner, offered to grab them both a meal from the mess hall and chat as they ate together. Band gratefully accepted the offer, and just like that the newcomers had their run of the place, free to see all the sights and meet all the people they wanted until the time came to find a room and bunk up for the evening. After all, a new adventure would begin tomorrow.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

The Avenger - Tuesday Evening Skies

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (111/150) Lvl 8 Sandalphon (38/80) Lvl 5 Grimm (8/50)
Junior, Rika, & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia, & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double, Celica’s @Sadu
Word Count: 653

To Sandalphon’s relief, almost every Seeker of Light in attendance offered a few words for the sake of the departed, however long they happened to have known them. The veteran’s size got mentioned more than Sandalphon would have expected, but for the most part everyone echoed the same sentiments about courage, capability, and sacrifice. Even in the strange and unpredictable circumstances afforded to them by the ebb and flow of the heroes’ grand campaign, both Goldlewis and Midna had made quite an impact on those around them, be it in times of war like the battle against Skyworld’s corruption, or in times of peace like the Carnival Town roulette. They hadn’t just been soldiers; they had been natural leaders. In the coming days, with official leadership a hotly-contested subject, their loss would be keenly felt.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, with each person sharing something new so that neither fallen comrade went unremembered, both Goldlewis and Midna were thoroughly eulogized. There was no weeping or anguish -nobody knew the two personally enough for that- but there were a few teary eyes, especially among the service’s youngest attendees. Luckily, the prevailing mood in Stolen Moments wasn’t one of dejection and misery, but respect and honor, with many vowing to not let such selfless sacrifices be in vain. Though this was Sandalphon’s first time heading such a ceremony, she was well aware of just how important they were. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, none of them could afford to forget that death could come for any of them at any moment. That vital knowledge made survival all the more precious, both for themselves and their allies. Furthermore, this bonding activity would help solidify them not just as assets, but as allies.

If only everyone was here. Even if she was capable of doing so, Sandalphon would not forget those who had spurned this event. It was well beyond both her abilities and her purview to attempt to divine their reasoning, but to an extent, their reasoning did not matter. Unity and trust were important. Of course, participation hadn’t been required, but one's actions still reflected on one's character. Whatever their reasons, the absentees should still have come. To not even as a formality was to make a conspicuous statement. She could only hope that this was not the beginning of a trend, and that no problems would arise from th

Once all the speeches concluded, Sandalphon raised her glass. She’d filled it with a snifter of the mead Sectonia chose, finding its honeyed flavor very compelling. The gentle, warm light of her halo swirled in the golden liquid. “To the fallen.”

Her toast marked the end of the service. With their drinks covered by Sandalphon herself, the Seekers could filter out from Stolen Moments and disperse into the Avenger with what the fallen would have wanted in mind. Among everything the attendees had said, it was some of what Ms Fortune’s said that weighed on the archangel most keenly. We better all become friends. Nobody wanted a silent funeral, intercut by rote condolences and vague sympathies. Hopefully, everyone would be spending more time together and getting to know one another better, in whatever time they were allotted.

If only.

After a minute or so of uncharacteristic hesitation, Sandalphon sent Zenkichi a message. A light screen would pop up in front of him displaying a letter, and at that point tapping the screen would display the succinct contents of her missive. It read, Mr. Hasegawa. I would like to request a brief, private audience with you in the Bridge. If this is acceptable, please rendezvous with me there at twenty hundred hours. Thank you. Sandalphon. That was about five minutes from now.

Since it was only about eight o’ clock in the evening, and quiet hours were not yet in effect, the Avenger was still full of activity. In the Vehicle Bay, Celica’s massive Skell was undergoing examination from the two foremost authorities on otherworldly tech amongst the Lost Numbers: the nopon Lulubi and Tora, much to the latter’s delight and the former’s chagrin. This machine would take time and effort to repair, and no doubt some specialized parts, but with these two on the case one could probably just expect some miracles.

An unusual duo, the knowledgeable Professor Koa and the lovely seamstress Anais, could be found working on a project in the airship’s main workshop they were keen to keep secret from any Seekers, at least for now.

A certain someone, stranger to some but old friend to many, had just arrived aboard the Avenger via Fulton recovery, and would soon find herself in the Training Center to put it -and herself- through their paces.

In the Mysticenter, Gronk Moldbreak happened to be testing rotfly cocoons in various kinds of medicinal potions in order to improve their flavor for the sake of the Lost Numbers’ children.

Bracket Brace could be found in the kitchen, finishing off the standard cleanup routine. When she wrapped up and began to take stock of the Lost Numbers dwindling food stores, the realities of feeding a much larger -and hungrier- fighting force than usual would quickly begin to set in.

Lakota, Dawn, and their daughters had just spun up the movie projector in the Common Room in order to watch Blood Puncher, a cheesy old-fashioned action flick. Anyone could join them if so inclined, and out of everyone, it was Grimm of all people who’d shown up. His Grimmchild seemed to like playing with the little girls, after all, and after missing dinner in favor of Celica’s nightmare flame, Grimm himself seemed interested in the complimentary microwave popcorn.

Though normally happy to serve as the Avenger’s janitor, the slime girl Gillian happened to be walking Caesar tonight. Clad in her heavily armored Haimatsu diving suit, Gillian followed the Great Pyrenees wherever he wanted to go, and would prove to be just as friendly as Caesar to anyone who happened to meet her for the first time.

Once Celica saw herself out of the infirmary, Eleison busied himself with fabricating new medkits. Making these consumables wasn’t exactly easy, but each one could be the difference between life and death, so the cleric worked tirelessly to prepare the supplies for tomorrow’s deployments. Though the act was somewhat meditative for him, he wouldn’t say no to a little help, either.

Finally, a couple youngsters seemed to take a particular interest in the Seekers themselves. The identical twins Bartholomew and Marguerite, universally known as Bart and Marg, were debating among themselves about which Seeker was the strongest, their wild speculation and ill-informed judgements conspicuously within earshot, as if to tempt the heroes to set them straight on the matter.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone Hinterlands - Beneath Witch’s Nose

Harry’s @Eviledd1984 Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Chosen Undead’s @Simple Unicycle Level 11 Big Band (28/110)
Word Count: 1963

The tension in the air was palpable. With emotions high but neither side in a hurry to attack one another, the Martira Guard Corps and Huggin’ Molly were in a standoff, with Big Band and his fellow investigators caught in the middle. It was a tricky situation, made all the more treacherous by the lack of concrete evidence on either side. The elaborate puppet show that Molly put on to try and communicate the events that justified her actions seemed to indicate that Molly herself couldn’t speak, so nobody had anything to go on but the testimony of the missing children themselves. Unfortunately, the newcomers hadn’t seen that puppet show, and Band didn’t think they’d waltz up here for an encore. Even if those kids were telling the truth, there was no guarantee that Bardon’s crew would take their word for it, especially when some of them stood accused. Before anyone did anything rash, Band, Harry, and the others had a chance to try and intercede, to defuse the situation and bring the truth to light.

Harry began with a volley of questions aimed at Morris, but the clemar wasn’t playing ball. “The bloody hell are ye on about?” he exclaimed, somewhere between fearful and furious. “Monsters? In Martira? Y-yer off your damn rocker! There’s only two monsters here, and I’m lookin’ right at ‘em!” He pointed a shaking, irate finger at Molly and Heismay.

Around him, the guards' expressions tightened alongside their grips on their weapons. Band had to admit, the demihumans were in a bad spot right now. It didn’t matter what condition the children were in; the fact that a monster had taken them and brought them here was proof of Molly’s guilt. If not for the spider’s huge size and intimidation factor, he suspected that the guard corps would have already taken action. The main problem was that there was no telling how many of the guards were in on it. If the corruption went all the way up to Bardon, trying to negotiate was a foregone conclusion to begin with, and if he was the innocent captain of a crooked unit, things wouldn’t be much better.

Of course, if the guards dealt with Molly and took the kids back, time would tell. If the kidnapping stopped, the blame would rest on Molly, but if they continued, she’d be proven innocent. It would take a follow-up investigation to bring the real truth to light in such a case, but Band was loath to do things that way. Children weren’t pawns on a chessboard, after all. This had to be solved today. Now that the guards knew where the children were, the cat was out of the bag, after all. There was no going back now.

When Amaterasu approached Morris and his compatriots, the man recoiled. “Hey! Back off!” He glared at Band and Harry. “Get your mangy mutt away from me!” His indignation became confusion for a moment as the wolf recoiled in her own way, but when her inquisitive sniffing turned into growling, he responded by lowering his spear. “Back! I’m warnin’ you!”

The situation seemed liable to escalate. Band glanced at Kit to see if he planned to say anything, but the knight held his tongue. The detective couldn’t blame him; this was a tricky situation even for someone like him, let alone a simple swordsman. Harry had tried, but Morris wasn’t about to implicate himself in anything. He had to act, and trust in his intuition.

Band inhaled, stepping forward, and deployed a trombone with which he let out a harsh, brassy note. It got everyone’s attention, and after stowing his trombone he spoke out in a loud voice.

“Bardon, sir. Now you’ve laid eyes on the kids, you know they’re safe an’ sound. If they’re safer here, in the company of a giant spider, than with their kinfolk in Martira, that don’t exactly reflect well on the town guard. If there is a monster beneath the castle chowin’ down on children, that’s bad enough, but if it’s your own boys feedin’ it? Hoo boy.” Morris raised his voice to interrupt, but Band cut him off. “I ain’t done yet! I know it’s a serious accusation, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. You let us do all the hard work of findin’ your ‘wee ones’--I say, how about y’all get off your asses and check under the keep for yourselves.”

Bardon’s expression was grave. “And leave the children here?”

“It’s your castle, ain’t it?” Band countered. “How long can it take?”

Morris let out some incredulous laughter. “This is ridiculous. There’s nothin’ under there, just old cisterns and sewers.”

“If you’re so sure, perhaps you should show Bardon as much yourself,” Heismay interjected.

The guard captain stared at Morris, who averted his gaze, then regarded Band’s crew. “You’re right about one thing, at least. We have failed in our duty as Martira’s protectors. In light of these accusations, I intend to launch an investigation of the keep. But…we cannae leave the children here. It’s unconscionable. They need their parents. Not a cold, dark cave.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you intend to stop us?”

Around him, the guards exchanged looks, both amongst themselves and with Molly. Clearly, none relished the idea of fighting her. Heismay watched them, tense. Though his claws rested on the hilt of his blade, he didn’t want to fight, either. He knew as well as anyone that once you lifted a hand against lawmen, there was no going back.

Band breathed in through his teeth, then out the air out as a bilabial trill. After that latest claim from Morris, he strongly suspected the man, and after everything Molly had done -and not done- he found it hard to ascribe malicious intent to her. But what should he do? Amaterasu’s choice was clear, at least. It seemed like she smelled something on Morris and his buddies that set her off, maybe even the alleged monster. But did she know what she was getting into?

“Allow me, Mr. Band, Miss Molly,” Heismay piped up. The little, white-furred eugief stepped forward onto the precipice of the upper section of the cave, looking down at the lower section with the guards. “I am but a disgraceful hermit, with no reputation to lose. Tis why I stand here now. I ran from my past, seeking to bury my pain. Believing that I deserved the world’s scorn, I allowed myself to be their scapegoat. Yet…I cannot stomach it any longer. Low and loathsome though I am, I shall allow no harm to befall these children.” He unsheathed his blade, which glittered in the fickle light as he flourished it. “Any scoundrel who preys on innocent lives will see his sin repaid!”

He leaped into the air, and became engulfed by a vortex of red and black. From the singularity dashed a fantastical mechanical warrior, clad in spiky steel and voluminous white cloth atop a framework of orange-streaked black. With a baglike hood and a katana in hand as tall as a human, the Archetype landed beside Amaterasu, ready for battle. “Even the lowliest being can choose to do the right thing. By these hands, stained or sinless, I will fight!”

The guards pulled back, readying their weapons but less confident than ever. Even Bardon took a retreating half-step, his hand on his sword’s hilt. Though surprised at first, Band couldn’t help himself smiling. “When the word of law falls, pick it up and hold it higher,” he murmured. Then he jumped and slammed down heavily enough to shake the floor. Steam hissed from the valves on his sides. “Molly ain’t the problem here, Bardon. Either you’re incompetent, or complicit. Which is it gonna be?”

Bardon hesitated, frustrated. He knew that his side couldn’t win this fight, but he was also struggling with some sort of internal conflict. After a moment, he looked up at Molly, and swallowed his pride. “So. Ye say there’s another monster? One in Martira itself?”

The spider nodded, then turned and grabbed a puppet from her show earlier. She let it dangle in full view of the guards, showing them what it looked like. Bardon pursed his lips. “And if we deal with it…you’ll let the children go?”

Molly nodded again.

After a moment, the guard captain took a deep breath. He released his hold on his sword. “Fine. Since the children seem to trust you…I have no choice but to trust you too. Logically, you could have harmed them at any time, or smashed us to pulp the moment we appeared, but you did not. Only two things matter: the safety of our wee ones, and the truth.”

“What!?” Morris seemed flabbergasted. “Captain. You’re leavin’ ‘em to die!”

“And what would ye have me do?” Bardon rounded on Morris and grabbed him by the shirt with surprising anger. “We’re marchin’ down to those cisterns and sewers of yers right. Now. If these people were tellin’ the truth, there’ll be hell to pay, mark my words.”

The clemar swallowed. “Y-yes, captain!”

Bardon got his squad moving back through the tunnel through which they came. He was the last one to leave, and the look in his eyes told Band’s side that if they were lying, there would be hell to pay for them, too. Stein and Tesset stayed behind, glad to be rid of the unwanted company.

A few seconds after the torchlight disappeared, Band let out his breath. “That coulda gone worse.” He turned to Heismay, who now stood even taller than he did. “Now, what the hell’s this all about?”

“Forgive me.” In a crimson flash, Heismay turned back. “I’m not so sure myself. My heart stirred within me, and I let it cry out. To take action after so long…tis liberating.”

Stein walked up, Tesset seated in the crook of his arm. Tesset seemed upset from all the chaos, but her dad was doing her best to calm her down. “So what now? You gonna post up outside to make sure they don’t come back? Or head down into Martira?”

“I think Bardon’s heart’s in the right place, but we can’t trust him or his men to get to the bottom of things,” Band declared. The kidnapping had simply been going on too long. “I got half a mind to take a peek beneath the castle for myself.”

Stein shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind stakin’ out here for a bit. I figure we need a break from Martira, and it’s been too long since Tesset’s been with kids her own age, anyhow.”

Band assumed that he’d complied with the guards outside when they arrived, but now that lines had been drawn, he wouldn’t be coaxed out from inside the Atom so easily. “That works.” He deployed a small mechanical arm from inside his coat to pop open a pocketwatch. “Hmm. I don’t got that much time left. Gotta get this sorted out before sundown.” He waved to Kit, Harry, and Amaterasu. “C’mon, y’all. Got another long walk ahead, but at least it’s downhill this time.”

He was surprised to see Heismay fall in alongside them once they got moving. “I would accompany you, if I may,” the eugief requested. “Now that I have chosen, I cannot rest until this matter is settled. The perpetrators must be dealt with, be they monster or man.”

“Fine by me,” Band nodded. One more for the merry band. Right now, he and Heismay were thinking the same thing. Together, the five of them bid farewell to Molly, Stein, and the kids. With any luck the truth would come to light before nightfall, and the kids could all go home.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

The Avenger - Tuesday Evening Service

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (111/150) Lvl 8 Sandalphon (37/80) Lvl 5 Grimm (8/50)
Junior, Rika, & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia, & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double, Celica’s @Sadu
Word Count: 2146

When Edward deposited himself at the table to engage Sandalphon in conversation, Nadia left the two eggheads to talk turkey and turned her attention elsewhere. She figured that the Seekers’ resident smarty-pants would wind up discussing much more technical (AKA, boring) matters than what desserts people might be, and it didn’t take long for the pair to prove her right.

Luckily there were plenty of other people around who weren’t confabulating about equipment, affinity, and spellcraft, among them Zenkichi, who joined her at the table not long after Edward did. Nadia was ready with a smile, but he threw her off when he used her real name. As far as she knew, everyone only knew her as Ms Fortune. Did someone she trusted with her real name let it slip? Having been in the Underground while the detective hailed from Midgar, and not having teamed up with him during the minigame roulette in Carnival Town, she’d never really talked to Zenkichi. Then again, maybe the one who slipped up had been her; it would be pretty in-character for her to randomly forget about the bit at some point. Either way, it wasn’t worth making a fuss over.

“Hey Keechy,” she greeted the man, testing the waters with a brand-new nickname. “You come from a place with good seafood, then? Well, make sure you leave some for the rest of us. Can’t afford to be shellfish!” With a snicker she stuffed a heaping spoonful of crab fried rice into her mouth.

The tables in the mess hall filled up quickly, some faster than others, and a pleasant, communal hubbub filled the air. Nadia happily rattled off food-based puns to anyone in earshot, making light of anything and everything she could in an effort to raise everyone’s spirits. More trials and tribulations awaited them come the dawn, but for now at least the motley crew of heroes and villains could enjoy this moment of peace and plenty. If tomorrow was uncertain, and fraught with danger, then today was a gift–that was why it was called the ‘present.’

When Bracket made her rounds, asking if her food was to everyone’s liking, Nadia made sure to lavish the little chef’s work with praise. She also noticed Juri leaving in a huff soon afterward. Despite her best efforts, hot pink was hard to miss. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Hatred didn’t come easily to Nadia, and she certainly didn’t want to hold anyone in contempt, but that woman sure made things difficult. While she’d be loath to admit it, she remembered their fight in the Qliphoth with frustrating clarity. Sure, Moebius D had mind-controlled her, but that hadn’t interfered with her fighting ability. Despite all her extra spirits and time as a Seeker, she’d been molly whopped. Part of her wanted to demand a rematch to set the record straight…but what if she lost again? How humiliating that would be. Normally Nadia didn’t care about such things, but Juri was a master at making Nadia act unlike herself. Rising to Juri’s provocations would be the real mistake. The only winning move was not to play.

“Bah,” Nadia muttered. The sooner she got that creep out of her head, the better.

The sight of a fresh face, it turned out, was just the ticket to get her train of thought chugging again. She spotted Primrose first, then Celica behind her as the dancer led the blonde toward a less-occupied table for an introductory chat. Of course, the feral couldn’t tell if Celica was a new recruit or a Lost Number, but either way she was new to Nadia, and worth a greeting. “Hey there!” She waved to Celica with her friendliest smile, her voice slightly raised over the ambient chatter. “Welcome to the party. Love your hair!” With blue eyes and a shared love of the bob cut, the two had a lot in common right off the bat. Once upon a time Nadia had been a blonde as well -platinum blonde, but still- and even with her relatively recent calico coloration, she was still primarily fair-haired. With any luck, the two of them could be friends.

“That is Celica,” Sandalphon pointed out after the newcomer passed by, before Zenkichi could. “One of our teams rescued her this afternoon. She may be interested in joining us.”

Nadia’s eyebrows went up. “Oh yeah?” She gave the new girl another glance. If Primrose had decided to help Celica out, she’d be in good hands. Given the importance of the Seekers’ campaign, it was always good to see new faces, especially after incurring some losses. Nadia managed to stop an offhand joke about finding a quick replacement, which would have been in poor taste even by her standards.

As dinner began to wind down, though, that very subject came next. As seven o’clock drew near, Sandalphon eventually rose from her table, then went to deposit her dishes in silence. Nadia breathed in deep, then exhaled and got to her feet with a heavy heart. She’d entertained the thought of not attending the next event on tonight’s schedule, since she knew it wouldn’t do her mental state much good, but even a doofus like her knew that she’d have to come to terms with stuff like this eventually. Plus, it was just the right thing to do. The man and woman of the hour deserved better than what they got, but in lieu of that, they deserved respect. From everyone they’d laid down their lives to save.

Following Sandalphon, Nadia made her way out of the cafeteria with Chucho right behind her, and down to Stolen Moments.

Ultimately, the barroom wasn’t very big. Its stools could only seat seven people at a time, and about twice as many people could crowd around the bar. If this place had been chosen to house a proper funeral service, with dozens of friends and family members dressed in mournful black, it would have struggled to fit. Tonight, though, there were only a handful of people, united in common purpose but thrown together by random chance. No next of kin were present, if indeed they had any, since they never mentioned any whilst alive. As more people filed in, the mood of the place remained somber and commiserative, but gradually less bleak. As the minutes slid by, certain absences like Grimm and Juri became more notable, but attendance wasn’t required to begin with.

Half of the room, furnished with rustic decor and bathed in warm yellow, housed the bar tended in taciturn professionalism by Cirrus, and the far wall featured an array of white plaques engraved with black names that gleamed under the pale blue light. There were dozens of them, maybe even hundreds. How many generations of Lost Numbers had already lived and died? How many Seekers had already given their lives and returned to the cycle? The hairs on the back of Nadia’s neck rose and she forced herself to look away. She did not want to see any names she recognized on there. None except the two most recent additions: Goldlewis Dickinson, and Twilight Princess Midna.

On the computer screen nearby was a photograph of Goldlewis himself. Portraying Goldlewis and Tora in the hangar, with no preparation or planning, it had been taken just this morning by Poppi to test the camera the young nopon had been working on. Unfortunately, no such image had been captured of Midna. That same camera now lay on the shelf beneath the plaques, a silent and poignant impetus for the Seekers of Light to start taking more photos from now on, lest any more names become nothing but a memory.

It wasn’t long before Nadia asked Cirrus for a beer.

Sandalphon did not sit at the bar or order a drink, but stood between the memorial wall and the computer screen, staring off into space until it was seven o’ clock. Then she began to speak.

“Ahem. Your attention, please.” Her pupils were their default power symbols, but the archangel looked more sad than usual. “This is the first memorial service I have performed. I must admit that eulogizing was not among the core competencies bestowed upon me. If I underperform in this important task, I beg you all to address your complaints to the goddess Ilia.”

Taken off guard, Nadia let out a breathless, quiet laugh. She had not at all been expecting a joke from Sandalphon, but somehow the humorless archangel had managed to break the ice.

After a moment, Sandalphon continued. “However, as a result of today’s events, I somehow caught a faint glimpse of the Remembrance. Just a glimpse, small, but scintillating. Therefore, my first act as leader of the Seekers of Light will be to eulogize the fallen. Goldlewis Dickinson, and Midna, Princess of Twilight.”

“Today, they gave their lives in the struggle against Moebius and Galeem’s guardians. Erased by Moebius A. Eyewitness testimony indicates that A trapped the entire team in a rapidly closing pocket dimension, and only the sacrifice of a volunteer sufficed to free the others. In other words, both gave their lives to save everyone else. It is no exaggeration to say that it is thanks to their courage and selflessness that the Gravemind was able to be defeated–that many of us are able to stand here now, and that the fight for the future of all worlds can continue. We owe them our gratitude.”

Sandalphon paused for a moment. “I regret that I do not have any experiences with Midna that I can share. I can assert, however, that she had the heart of a true warrior. She not only led the charge into every battle, but facilitated speedy travel throughout Midgar via her portals. Our victory in Midgar would not have been possible without her as well. Today, we lost an invaluable comrade. The World of Light is a little darker without her.”

Her gaze shifted upward. “In Carnival Town, Goldlewis and I happened to be tied together during one of the challenges, and together we attempted to climb a mountain. Unfortunately, we did not get far. My lack of strength and our combined lack of agility led to a long fall, and after that, we chose to simply sit and talk for a while amidst the falling snow.” She could remember that brief but unforgettable conversation, every word spoken, every frosty puff of breath, every contoured snowflake, clear as day. “I wanted to continue and put forward my best effort, regardless of the consequences, but he wanted to stay put, joking about his age and physique. He reminded me that it was just a game, and that the point was to have a good time. That rationing our strength wasn’t weakness, but wisdom. We talked about aging. Its realities. Its gravity.”

She paused to take a breath through her nose. “Goldlewis had lived a great many years. He spent a lifetime fighting for what he believed in, on battlegrounds real and metaphorical. As a soldier, he stared death in the face many times, and he was not afraid to die. As tired as he was, though, he did not want to die. He believed that even in a world like this, life is worth living, and that we should all cherish the time we have. The people we have.”

After a moment, she swept her gaze across the room. “Some of you may have wondered. Why mourn the fallen, or care for ourselves or one another, when death seems impermanent, and anyone could return again, with but a turn of the clock? It is a reasonable question. And it is true that, someday soon, we may see Midna or Goldlewis again. They may even join the Seekers again, and fight for the future of our worlds. I expect that they would want to. However…” She shook her head. Nadia just listened, petting Chucho all the while. “Remember this. Our memories make us who we are. Each moment, each experience, woven indelibly into the fabric of the universe. Goldlewis might come back, but not all of him will return. It would be…a different Goldlewis. The Goldlewis we knew…is gone.”

Sandalphon breathed in, her pupils became exclamation points. “Every life -every one of us, here and now- is precious. None of you are replaceable, nor disposable. To me.”

Another couple seconds passed before she continued. “Let us honor Goldlewis and Midna, by caring for ourselves, and one another, while we can. For we cannot know what tomorrow will bring.” For the first time in a while, Sandalphon closed her eyes. When she opened them, her pupils were back to normal. “If anyone would like to say a few words, please do.”

Silence reigned until Nadia let out a tired laugh. “Well, we better all become friends. Don’t wanna hear ‘I didn’t really know her’ at any more funerals.” She shook her hair and cleared her throat, then held up her beer. “To Midna. A role model for royals everywhere. And the old man too. Gold by name, gold by nature.”

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone Hinterlands - Beneath Witch’s Nose

Harry’s @Eviledd1984 Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Chosen Undead’s @Simple Unicycle Level 11 Big Band (25/110)
Word Count: 1788

Harry’s question got about half a dozen kids talking at once, all trying to explain in their own ways, give their opinions, correct one another, or interject something unrelated. Harry had questioned much less reasonable kids before, though, and he had managed to make sense out of much bigger messes, so he picked up a good few details from the clamor. The kids told him that Molly -who they also called ‘Huggin Molly’- was the one who brought them here. In some cases, it sounded like they’d already been abducted by some other party by the time Molly interceded, but details on this other party were scarce. The children all agreed that while Molly looked scary, and made them afraid at first, she was actually really nice. It seemed like she built these houses, brought the furniture, and fetched the supplies the kids needed. They could stay up as late as they wanted, eat junk food, and not have to do chores or labor. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. If a child happened to catch a cold, Molly couldn’t do much about that; it seemed like she was too big to enter the house herself.

Surrounded by several conversations at a time, Big Band tried to absorb every detail, then shut out the noise to piece together what he knew. It genuinely sounded like Huggin’ Molly cared about the children and didn’t mean any harm, but at the same time he could tell that this wasn’t sustainable. This makeshift haven was ultimately just a cold damp cave, and neither it nor the kids’ indulgences would be good for them in the long run. They needed rules, instruction, and above all, their parents. Them potentially being hungry or neglected in Martira was another can of worms, and one he couldn’t crack open right now. Whatever prompted Molly to bring the children here needed to be dealt with so they could go home, and right now their best bet was asking Molly herself. Assuming she could talk.

After another few moments, Band became aware of slight, repetitious tremors. They were too brief and regular to be caused by a quake, but seemed perfect for the footfalls of a being so much bigger than he was that it couldn’t enter a house. Bingo.

Some of the children seemed to pick up on the oddly frequent reverberations too. “Oh oh oh! Molly’s coming! Molly’s coming!” she announced.

The kids surged toward the door, sweeping up Heismay, Harry, and Amaterasu in the tide, and Band followed along behind. He lost sight of Heismay right after they got outside, and assumed that the eugief had darted away to find a shadow to hide in. No doubt those big ears of his made him acutely aware of whatever was coming their way as well. After crossing the bridge, the kids spread out around the upper section of the cavern between the standalone house and the two tall houses built into the cave walls, in the center of which lay a burnt-out fire pit. They eagerly scanned their surroundings, seemingly unaware of Molly’s position, and Band couldn’t tell either. The tremors had stopped, and he found himself holding his breath. The air was unexpectedly tense.

Then his practiced eyes spotted movement, just a moment before the kids did. A large lantern, fueled by colorful glowing mushrooms inside, floated through the air, suspended by a rope of red yarn from above like a marionette. Band naturally followed the yarn upward to where it disappeared into the darkness overhead. He couldn’t see anything up there, but the hairs on the back of his neck rose. It wasn’t some machine moving that lantern, or he could hear it. Something was up there, something huge, staring down at everyone invisibly from above. “Oh boy,” he muttered under his breath.

Whatever it was set the lantern down in front of red curtains, previously hidden in shadow. The kids went over as if excited to watch a play, and after a moment the curtains parted to reveal a diorama made of painted wood. It portrayed a mountainous landscape at night, with a facsimile of Witch’s Nose in the distant background, and a number of crude buildings in the foreground. On the left side lay a number of houses that Band guessed represented Martira, and on the right towered a recreation of the stone keep.

He watched as wooden puppets rose up in front of the diorama on the right side, suspended by threads of yarn. There were three, dressed in green with gray armor and armed with spears, and the one in front had distinctive horns. With surprising fluidity the puppets crossed the scene to the town. After reaching it, they rummaged a bit, and then more puppets arose, much smaller and clothed in random scraps of cloth. Then the three retraced their steps with the smaller ones in tow, and when they reached the keep, a fearsome puppet arrived onto the scene. It looked like a baby’s head, with big round eyes and curly hair, but with legs instead of ears and a gaping, fanged mouth from which a snakelike tongue dangled. As the larger puppets approached it, another puppet descended, this one like an old woman with arms and legs splayed out like a spider. Just before the big puppets could toss the little ones into the monster’s mouth, the spider-lady caught them, then carried them with her towards Witch’s Nose and out of the scene.

Band inhaled deeply, his eyes not on the monster puppet, but on the three who’d been trying to feed it. It wasn’t difficult to parse what Molly seemed to be saying, but before he could say anything, Heismay interjected.

“So…people in the town kidnapped the children first. To sacrifice them to…something dreadful.” The eugief’s lip curled in anger, and his brow furrowed, but he kept his composure. His red eyes stared up into the darkness, as if he could see what dwelled within. “And you brought them to safety instead?”

At that moment, a commotion broke out somewhere behind everyone, echoing through the cave. Band trudged over and looked down at the cave’s lower section, toward the entrance, and saw men spilling out of the tunnel. It was the Martira guard corp, armed with spears and torches, led by Bardon with Morris at his side. They had a Stein with them, who looked none too pleased and was holding Tesset in his arms, with Tesset herself holding Mr. Mug. Band grimaced. “That ain’t good.”

Shouting broke out immediately, yelling for everyone to stay right where they were. Some of the kids ran back into the houses, while others froze on the spot. As the guards prepared to charge up the path toward the upper part of the cave, however, a huge shape descended from the darkness to stop everyone in their tracks. It was the spider-lady from the puppet show made flesh, so huge that she could easily grab a grown man in one clawed hand: Huggin’ Molly.

The sight of her froze everyone but the remaining kids, who rushed underneath her for protection. “Molly!” they cried. “Don’t let them take us away again!” The giant did not take action, but stood her ground, staring down at the intruders with four milky white eyes. Band, Harry, and the others were caught in the middle.

It was a moment before Bardon found his voice, swallowing to moisten a mouth as dry as sandpaper from hanging open. “So…this is the creature who’s been stealin’ our wee ones.”

“Not so fast, captain.” Heismay had reappeared, perching on the edge of the wooden bridge. “She may seem monstrous, but things are not as simple as they may appear?”

Morris grit his teeth. “The hell are you on about?” he shouted up. “Who’re you s’posed to be, anyway?”

Band raised an eyebrow, then took a step forward. His eyes lay on Morris’ horns. “Why officer, did you forget Heismay already? Thought you could recognize him even in the dark of night.”

“I..” Morris narrowed his eyes. “Right! Heismay! And he’s in league with this…” He seemed to struggle to find a word to capture Molly in her entirety. “This thing! Two monsters, in cahoots to steal our children!”

Heismay scowled. “I had nothing to do with it. And Molly hasn’t hasn’t harmed a hair on the head of any child here, nor even imprisoned them. She’s merely been taking care of them, and keeping them safe.”

Bardon seemed unsure. He could see that Molly wasn’t hostile, and that the kids not only seemed okay, but inclined to trust her despite her monstrous appearance. Band studied the expression on his face, wondering how much he knew. From his dealings with the guard captain so far, he seemed like a stern but upstanding man. Appearances could be deceiving, though. At least the guards around him, faced with a giant spider, didn’t seem too eager to skip negotiations. “Safe from what?” he asked after a moment.

“From the monster beneath the castle,” Heismay replied steadily. “A monster your subordinates intended to placate with human sacrifice.” As he spoke, Molly lifted one hand and pointed a gigantic claw, bigger than heismay himself, at Morris.

The man went white–then red with anger. “WHAT!? What is this…this preposterous slander? Captain!” He rounded on Bardon. “You don’t believe a word they’re sayin’, do ya Captain? You en’t gonna trust some giant spider and some bloody eyed-eugief over your own man?”

Though the old roussainte held fast, Band could see that Bardon was reeling mentally. To be honest, he was too. He didn’t know who to trust. Who was telling the truth, and who had been spinning an elaborate yarn, now on the verge of coming undone? He did have his suspicions, though. Morris had already lied to him, maybe even tried to get him and Harry killed. If he wasn’t malicious, he was at least grossly incompetent, and willing to make scapegoats of inhuman outsiders like Heismay and Molly. On the other hand, he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that either or both Heismay and Molly were actually nefarious. The tipping point for him was the children, who trusted Molly and exhibited no signs of mistreatment or coercion as far as he could see. Instead, they seemed wary of the guards. But could the testimony of kids be trusted, either?

The air was thick with tension. Neither side would back down, and it seemed like Heismay had already chosen his. It was up to Band and the other interlopers to defuse and hopefully resolve the situation with choices of their own.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Long time no see!

I'm sorry for my previous leave, unfortunately, with university, I just lost time to dedicate to the roleplay. I am set to graduate in a few months and will begin working this summer, but with that, I would like to return to the fray! I'd like to rejoin the discord to discuss my re-entry, but if you'd rather me submit a character sheet first, that'd be perfectly fine.

I'd also like to add that my literacy has improved since the last time I interacted with this group, and I'd like to put my writing to the test, since a writer is what I aspire to be.

Sorry for the formal message! I just didn't know how else to come back lol

@XoXKieroBombXoX

Hey there Kiero. It's good to see you again. If you think you have the time to commit to one post a week for the foreseeable future, then I'm down for you to try again with this new version of the RP. I'll send you an invite to the discord in DMs.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

The Avenger - Tuesday Evening Supper

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (108/150) Lvl 8 Sandalphon (34/80) Lvl 5 Grimm (8/50)
Junior, Rika, & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia, & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double, Celica’s @Sadu
Word Count: 1442

With the meeting concluded, Sandalphon could finally cross the main event off her calendar to the evening. There was much more to attend to, as always, but now the team had the benefit of a plan for what to do next, and a couple central figures to rally around going forward. Of course, Sandalphon was well aware that some members of the team disagreed with the final result, seeing another leadership role as a feather in their caps that they rightfully deserved, and/or had no plans of obeying her. Perhaps they didn’t see the need to heed another’s advice, or didn’t think she was qualified, or simply didn’t respect her. The results when she tried to reorganize the teams during the final battle in the Qliphoth were proof of that.

Still, she did not intend to be an exacting taskmaster, or to flex her authority for the sake of it, and knew that she could trust her subordinates in the majority of moment-to-moment situations. It would be up to her to demonstrate her abilities in the days and weeks to come in order to earn everyone’s trust. At the very least, she had plenty of experience with managing strong personalities, and not just with her old team in Grams. DespoRHado had been full of such personalities, from idealists to nihilists to sadists, all of them lethal and fearless, but her skills had earned a modicum of respect from even the likes of them. To Sandalphon, it would have honestly been such a relief if another Seeker had truly been better suited for this role. That would have allowed her to focus on her miracles or marksmanship for instance, or maybe even find a hobby. Ultimately, though, the archangel was a born leader, and if she was needed, she would rise to the occasion, even if she might have wished otherwise.

She’d been a little worried that the end of the meeting would cause a stampede to the cafeteria, but her worries quickly proved to be unfounded. A handful of Seekers went in different directions, such as downstairs toward the Spirit Chamber. Nobody had been planning to fuse or respec as far as she knew, but plenty had obtained spirits with which to barter for information from the local rumormonger. Sandalphon did not like Vulgrim one bit -angels and demons seldom mixed- but she couldn’t deny the usefulness of the service he provided. They had two very different methods of amassing information, after all.

It didn’t take an analyst to tell how tired everyone was, though. After the incredibly tense and nerve-wracking trudge through the timefall that morning, all the Seekers exerted themselves non-stop within the Qliphoth, and the Gravemind fight had been the heroes’ most demanding battle so far. Sandalphon couldn’t imagine what might have happened had the planners not fielded literally every Seeker they had. And after all that, most of them had gone off and gotten themselves into even more fights in the Paved Wilderness, with only a short break in between for lunch. How were those people still standing? It truly boggled the mind, but at least Sandalphon had a better grasp of their maximum output. Hopefully there would be more to their lives in this world than fighting all the time, though.

Naturally all of Sandalphon’s overthinking meant that she left the Bridge toward the end of the procession, and naturally Nadia could be found at the front. Even she was much slower than usual, though. After returning to the Avenger she’d plopped down in her room for a nice catnap -she hadn’t changed afterward either, so she was still in an oversized white t-shirt and black spats- but she was still pretty pooped. Nevertheless, the aroma emanating from the mess hall had Nadia psyched up, and for good reason. It had been a challenge, but Bracket Brace had conquered the gigantic truck hermit crab legs delivered by the Koopa Kids last night. Bracket had stir-fried a bunch of it with chopped iron and calcium-rich seaweed, slightly bitter kajime algae, and black vinegar to make a chewy and savory seafood dish, enough to make twenty plates. She had way more crab meat than vegetables, though, so the rest of it got sliced up into wedges and served like flower petals around cups of sweet and tangy cocktail sauce, placed in the center of each table and routinely replenished so that half a dozen people could enjoy each at once. The richness of the meal was further enhanced by about three dozen dinner rolls, and the smell of freshly-baked bread was wafting down the halls. In no time at all, the cafeteria was packed with both Seekers and Lost Numbers for a buttery feast.

Nadia had one contribution of her own, though. She crushed the two Bunger spirits and added the two cheesy barbeque bacon burgers to the buffet. Too tired to bother trying to think of a way to get one to Juri in particular, she settled for them being a general-purpose prank instead and just hoping Juri snatched one up on account of its rarity. Unfortunately for the treacherous feral, the itemized burgers had none of their original forms’ transformative power, so anyone who took one would receive nothing more than a delicious and decadent burger.

After obtaining a plate full of rolls, crab, and vegetables, as well as a tall glass of cola with ice, Nadia seated herself at the same table as Sandalphon, who had not joined the buffet line, but grabbed a coffee and sat down to pick at the central crab platter. Nadia plopped down right next to the archangel with a smile. “Hey boss! You don’t mind if I call you boss now, right? Seein’ as you’re officially the boss and all!”

Sandalphon shook her head. ‘Boss’ would be quicker and more efficient to say than ‘Sandalphon’ or even ‘Halo’ during battlefield communication, after all. “By all means.”

“You got it, bwoss!” Nadia teased, using the exaggerated inflection of a typical Medici mafioso. She grabbed a roll and chowed down, its insides warm, moist with butter, and pillowy soft. Tears practically welled up in her eyes. Where have you been all my life!? She sniffed, wiped at her eyes as she chewed, then raised an eyebrow at Sandalphon. “So. Gotta question. Very important for the upcoming operation, I think.”

The archangel nodded, her brows lowered as her expression turned serious. “Of course, what is it?”

“If you were a dessert, what would you be?”

Sandalphon’s pupils blinked off, her face as blank as a mask. Then her pupils returned as question marks. “...I’m not sure. I do like honey, but honey is a meal, not a dessert.”

Nadia’s eyebrows went up as she munched on a mouthful of crab. Huh???

Still thinking, Sandalphon ran a hand through her hair. She seemed to be giving the matter an awful lot of thought. “Abstract questions like these are not exactly my forte, but it is important to challenge myself.” She crossed her arms and looked at Nadia. “What do you think?”

“Hmm…” Nadia rested her head in her hand as she chewed. After a moment, she swallowed and pointed a finger at Sandalphon. “I think…vanilla ice cream, yeah!”

Sandalphon tilted her head, her pupils inverted triangles. “Why?”

Having not thought that far ahead, Nadia froze. “Because…uh…you’re really…white?”

Tora, who was just now passing by with his own plateful of feed and Poppi on tow, overheard and shot Nadia a questioning look. “Meh meh! Friend cannot just call person white!”

“Aw, go stuff your face, furball!” Nadia called back good-naturedly. Poppi rolled her eyes and kept Tora moving, so the feral turned her attention back to Sandalphon. “I mean, vanilla isn’t bad. It’s the classic, right? Goes with anything. Everyone loves vanilla!”

Although confused for a moment, Sandalphon seemed genuinely touched by that last statement. “They do?” If that was a dessert that everyone could be expected to appreciate, maybe she could try some with Zenkichi. Her pupils became loading rings. “...Vanilla ice cream, you said?”

“Yeah!” Nadia was gaining momentum now. “Vanilla with, like…bacon bits!”

That took the archangel aback. “Bacon? Do humans actually put that on ice cream?”

“They do!” Nadia insisted, grabbing another roll before turning a knowing smile on Sandalphon. “You do.”

She said it with such conviction that Sandalphon found herself unable to argue, so after cycling through a few symbols she quietly reached for a crab wedge to nibble as she pondered the implications.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Dead Zone Hinterlands - Witch’s Nose

Harry’s @Eviledd1984 Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Chosen Undead’s @Simple Unicycle Level 11 Big Band (22/110)
Word Count: 1760

All things considered, Kit handled the revelations he received from Band pretty well. Maybe he was no stranger to crazy situations like this, or maybe he was simply made of sterner stuff than the average man, but he managed to take the news in stride and adjust his view of the big picture without losing sight of the present. He wasn’t even freaking out about all the futuristic technology around him. Band gave a nod of respect to the knight for his character and composure after he stated his intent to carry on with the mission. “Right on.”

The detective did not expect Harry, meanwhile, to be on the verge of tears. Though given his hyper-emotional behavior during the short time he’d known Harry so far, maybe Band should have anticipated such a reaction. That said, the fate of his friend seemed to impact him a lot more than the nature of the World of Light itself, since Harry began to rattle off practical questions about the mission right away. Unfortunately Band didn’t have the answers, and even if he did, he didn’t want to put Heismay and Amaterasu any more on edge. There was no telling how much Galeem’s influence impacted their cognition, and what reaction they might have if unintelligible information hit their mental blockers again and again.

For now, his ragtag team needed to focus on reaching Witch’s Nose, and while Kit and Harry grappled with their new reality, the others had already forged ahead. The lake ahead of them had a decent current thanks to the waterfall that fed it from the southeast and the rivers flowing down the mountain, and it carried enough debris that an agile adventurer could get cut across the water rather than go around. This mostly took the form of logs washed downstream, maybe from a lumber mill, but there were also wooden pallets, broad-backed turtles and, despite the altitude and climate, lily pads. Amaterasu had found herself a big one that made crossing the lake a breeze, and hopping around seemed like the easiest thing in the world for Heismay, but the going would be tougher for Harry and Kit. And impossible for Band. He doubted any of the debris could even remotely hold his weight, and that was if he didn’t just tumble right off to begin with. Luckily, he had an alternative he could make use of now that he was out in the open.

“I must go. My planet needs me.” Band jumped up into the air and reconfigured his lower half into an array of rocket thrusters fueled by sound energy. “Just kiddin’. See y’all on the other side.”

Band rocketed over the lake, taking the chance to appreciate the mountainous scenery. Though still rather close to the Dead Zone, this area was remarkably beautiful, with a natural majesty that could just about take his breath away. Unfortunately, he couldn’t admire it for long. His thrusters weren’t designed for sustained flight, so Band steered himself toward the top of the cliffs by the waterfall on the lake’s far side. Heismay was almost there already, hopping up the rock wall like a flea. He climbed up just a few moments after Band touched down, and the sight of the big man seemed to surprise him. “Well. You certainly made good time.”

“Thanks.” Band settled down in order to give his mechanical body a break. “You ain’t the flyin’ type?”

Heismay pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. “I suppose I cannot blame you for not knowing in this country, where Elda are curiously common, since Eugief being able to fly is a misconception even in Euchronia. Although we are excellent jumpers, we can only glide in the air.”

“Gotcha, sorry. Didn’t mean to offend or nothin’,” Band offered an apologetic smile.

His new acquaintance shook his head, unbothered. “Think nothing of it. Where I’m from, discrimination by tribe is woefully commonplace. Even if not as many bat an eye at a Eugief in this land, it is hard to see things in a different light.”

Band nodded, his expression solemn. “It ain’t exactly rare where I’m from, either. As if havin’ humans, ferals, dagonians, elves, and gigans wasn’t enough, plenty o’ humans are happy makin’ divisions amongst ‘emselves, too.” He shrugged. “Folks have it hard everywhere, I guess. Me though, I think it’s what’s inside that counts.”

Heismay sat beside him, watching as the others made their way toward them. “I was surprised, but grateful, that you heard me out. For many my word carries little weight, to say nothing of what I actually claimed.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m well aware how preposterous my claims must seem. I am but a disgraceful hermit, after all, and unworthy of warmth or trust. I only ask that you and your friends approach the situation with an open mind and draw your own conclusions. Sometimes, a monstrous face may hide a heart of gold, and sometimes monsters hide their true faces behind masks that everyone trusts.”

“Uh huh.” That was the second time Heismay alluded to monsters hiding their faces. Band wondered if this was merely cynicism borne from the Eugief’s experiences, or in reference to specific people. If there really was some hidden darkness in Martira, it warranted investigation, and based on the misinformation provided by Morris, Band knew where he’d want to start.

Once the others caught up, they proceeded toward the mountain. Thanks to Heismay, they found the cave entrance nestled within the surrounding landscape and pushed inside, leaving the daylight behind one step at a time. The already-cool air chilled down considerably within the rough and uneven tunnel, and the sounds of birdsong atop the waterfall’s rumble gave way to an eerie silence interrupted by the occasional echoed drip. If not for glowing mushrooms and the little lantern on Kit’s belt, it would be pretty much impossible for anybody but Heismay to see, but for Eugief at least echolocation would suffice even in total darkness. Fortunately, it wasn’t too long before the warm light of a lamp could be seen up ahead, marking the point at which the tunnel gave way to a huge and unusual cavern beneath the mountain.

Built in the middle of the cavern, and into the surrounding walls, were rickety wooden houses of wooden planks and nails, connected by similarly slipshod bridges, held together with the help of an abundance of huge, thick ropes. If not for the drawings sprawled across the sides of these dwellings, it would have looked like an elaborate bandit hideout to Big Band, but those images of shapes, plants, animals, and foods were more reminiscent of classroom walls in kindergarten. It was an odd and unnerving juxtaposition against the rows of stalactites and stalagmites that surrounded those houses like fangs.

So, this was where the culprit behind the Martira kidnappings kept her prizes? Band narrowed his eyes, scanning every inch of the cavern he could. The warm light shining from inside the towering structures suggested that they were occupied, but he couldn’t see any security. Slowly, he began to approach the central tower, working his way up along the spiral pathway to the right. Right away he passed beneath a length of rope, at which point he noticed that it wasn’t rope but huge, thick strands of red yarn, strung out and woven together in such a way that brought to mind impossibly large spiderwebs. “Hm…” Unlike Harry in the mansion, he elected to not announce his presence. Heismay had referred to the abductor as a ‘she’ but had neglected to mention anything else about her, and Band had a bad feeling about this.

Heismay was less wary, but even he kept his voice down. “The children should be inside. Let’s go and check on them.”

Moments later, the team reached the wooden bridge that led to the door of the main house. Band tested it carefully, but it seemed able to hold his weight, just barely. Just to be safe he stayed behind while the others creaked across, looking and listening. He could hear faint whispers from inside the building, but it was too far away to see much through the cracked-open windows. For the first time, he wondered if this could all be some kind of trap.

After crossing the bridge, Heismay reached up and rapped on the door with his knuckles. He seemed somewhat nervous. “Hello? Anyone home?”

A number of muffled, indistinguishable voices could be heard inside the building, as well as excited footsteps. Seconds later, a small voice replied from within. “W-who is it?”

Heismay cleared his throat. “Ahem. It’s…Heismay. I’m a friend of Molly. And…I have guests. Who want to make sure you’re alright.”

Molly? Band thought.

The door swung outward, revealing over a dozen children. Though a little dirty, and dressed in patched-together clothing, none seemed to be hurt or starving at a glance. Instead, they seemed excited to have visitors. They all started talking at once, instantly overwhelming Heismay, and a moment later he found himself pulled inside. Kit, Harry, and Amaterasu were invited in as well, the kids oohing and aahing over the knight’s armor and Harry’s appearance, while a dozen grubby mitts went to stroke Amaterasu at once. Seeing all this, Band let out his breath and made his way over the bridge to follow the others with his gentlest face and voice in use.

“You’re so big!” A little boy admired Band as he tugged him inside by the hem of his trench coat. “Not as big as Molly, though!”

Band’s eyebrows went up. “O-oh yeah? Sounds like a real big lady…” Once inside, Band saw that the first floor of the house was essentially a big living room. There were pillows, blankets, and toys strewn everywhere, with shelves full of thin, highly illustrated books and jars of cookies or fruit. All the walls were covered by colorful blotches of paint or crayon. Against all odds, it seemed to Band like kids were being taken care of here. Of course, that only raised more questions, and he suspected that the others had their fair share too. He could only be sure of one thing: that Molly, someone evidently even bigger than he was, wasn’t here yet, and that his team should do their best to figure things out before she arrived.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Paved Wilderness - Scorched Gorge

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (105/150) and Chucho the Polterpup
Roland’s @Archmage MC Therion’s @Yankee
Word Count: 1141

Finally back in the somewhat soggy seat of her purloined dune buggy, Nadia followed her new biker buddies back from the hydroelectric facility to Scorched Gorge. The trio found Piper and Chucho exactly where they left them, although the trucker’s hiccups suggested that she’d helped herself to some booze in the others’ absence. Though seemingly concerned for her, Chucho happily floated right on over when his owner pulled up in her formerly lost vehicle, then inserted his ghostly head beneath her arm to be stroked . “Aww, who’s a good boy?” Scratching behind a ghost’s ears still felt a little weird, but if her polterpup enjoyed it, Nadia wasn’t one to object. “We were only left, like twenty minutes aghost. Heehee~” Chuco rolled over onto her lap, so she started scratching his tummy, which made him kick his leg.

Behind her, Caesar single-handedly pulled the salvage cube out of the buggy’s trunk and threw it toward the Steeltusk. It slid to a stop next to the much larger salvage sphere retrieved from the gorge by Nadia. “We’ll be takin’ this! Thanks for bringin’ it over. One for you and one for me, eh?”

“Hey, boss.” Lighter tapped her on the shoulder, then nodded toward the refinery. “Check it out.”

Caesar glanced over, and Nadia stuck her head out her car’s window to catch a glimpse as well. Smoke wasn’t just pouring out of the building’s chimneys, but its windows and doors as well. Her eyes were drawn to movement inside the garage through which her fellow Seekers entered. Though the refinery was too far away for even a sharp-eyed feral like her to make out the individuals, there was no mistaking the trophy truck that Roland and Therion rode in on. While she didn’t recognize the bike that preceded it, both Caesar and Lighter did. “Burnice!” Caesar sounded surprised. “What was she…” Her eyes widened as she witnessed the flames spreading throughout the refinery. “Uh oh…”

Piper sighed, sounding much less surprised. “Oh no. Burnice started another fire? Must be a Tuesday.”

As Nadia and Chucho climbed out onto the buggy for a better look, Caesar jumped on her bike and took off to meet Burnice halfway. Seemingly perturbed, Lighter just stood by for now, keeping an eye out. “No sign of Lucy, though.” He watched as the two girls rendezvoused, then returned to the Steeltusk together, with Roland’s truck figuratively in tow. Only once they grew close did Nadia realize that three strangers -two wild western folks and a fuzzy blue fellow- were hitching a ride as well.

Another minute later, the two teams reunited. While the Sons of Calydon caught up, Nadia got the scoop from her fellow Seekers, which promptly shattered the laid-back afternoon mood. Nadia listened to their sordid tale of snackrifice with her brows scrunched up and her lips furrowed, and when their story concluded, she gave a shrug. “Yeesh. Well…even if you couldn’t save everyone, at least you ex-snack-ted revenge.” The others might not appreciate her attempts to lighten the mood, but they had to be used to it by now. Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and Ms. Fortune laughs through the pain. It would be nice if the team could go one solitary afternoon without finding something horrible, though. At least her arm had already turned back to normal, and she wasn’t planning to tell either Roland or Therion about it. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

The two teams quickly made arrangements. Caesar called off the treasure hunt, loading up the Steeltusk not just with her salvage, but with the civilians as well. “We’ll getcha to Blazewood, safe and sound,” she told the three with a winning smile, trying to make them feel comfortable. As the resident bartender, Burnice quickly mixed the captives up some free drinks, as well as Roland and Therion if they wanted one. Once they were ready to go she, Caesar, and Lighter mounted up. “Alright, let’s go. And keep an eye out for Lucy, everyone!” With that, all that remained for the Seekers and the Sons of Calydon was the long drive back.

All things considered, the trip back was mercifully uneventful. As much as she wanted to snooze, Nadia did intend to return the buggy she stole, and Chucho helped keep her focused with occasional sharp-toothed nips. About two-thirds of the way back the Seekers bid the Sons of Calydon farewell and parted ways, the former headed to Hammerhead while the latter were bound for Blazewood. After what felt like hours, the gas station’s iconic sign loomed in the distance, and the tired team rolled to a stop in the parking lot. Much to her frustration, the engineer Nadia stole from was already gone, apparently in another vehicle he’d somehow made on the spot. Groaning, Nadia enlisted the others to help bring her salvage sphere to the Ficsit depot. After a brief inspection from the pioneer on duty, it was accepted and the reward paid out. Whether here or at other depots around the Paved Wilderness, the compensation offered to scavengers’ for their hard work would be the same. Of course, the scavengers didn’t need to turn in everything they found, but Nadia hadn’t come across any firearms herself with which to replace her lost handguns.

Scavenger Hunt Rewards

Reward is per item. Moderately damaged items accepted at 80% value

• Salvage Sphere (Small): 6,500Ƶ
• Salvage Cube (Small): 7,500Ƶ
• Salvage Sphere (Large): 13,000Ƶ
• Salvage Cube (Large): 15,000Ƶ
• Unopened “Power Tool” Cache: 10,000Ƶ
• Individual ”Power Tool” (Gun): 2,000Ƶ
• Participation: EXP needed for next level * .25 (rounded up)

One at a time, the groups of Seekers spread around the Paved Wilderness returned. Tora, Poppi, and Lulubi hung around Hammerhead for a while, bussing their allies to and from the Avenger as needed in the Armadillos. The Ace Cadet and the youngsters (plus Geralt) had wrapped up their business ahead of schedule, so they could return at their leisure. Nero and Nico brought Pit back aboard the Minotaurus, then left him with a message for the Lost Numbers: that Nero wouldn’t be returning for the time being, but instead heading out west with his old friend toward a medieval city called Brightvale to investigate the Theater of War. Sandalphon relayed the news, then coordinated the remaining pickups as needed. When Edward returned, he found a portable fission station set up outside the Avenger by Deadman, able to return him to normal by removing his unwanted spirits. Celica’s Skell would be transported into the Avenger’s cargo bay for repairs, a prospect which excited both Tora and Lulubi, despite the pink nopon’s attempt to hide it.

Accounting for everyone and getting them aboard the Avenger was a slow process, so by the time everyone was back and the ship could finally take off, over four hours had passed in the Paved Wilderness, and it was only about thirty minutes until the meeting.

The Avenger - Tuesday Evening Skies

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (105/150) Lvl 8 Sandalphon (31/80) Lvl 5 Grimm (7/50)
Junior, Rika, & Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate, Sectonia, & Roland’s @Archmage MC Geralt, Zenkichi & Edelgard’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet, Pit, Primrose & Therion’s @Yankee Juri’s @Zoey Boey Roxas, Ganondorf, & Captain Falcon’s @Double
Word Count:

As always, Sandalphon arrived ahead of time. Although privy to a great deal of information, and not always to her benefit, she was still completely in the dark about the identity of the Lost Numbers’ enigmatic commander. Both Commander Nelson of the Centinels and Vandham of the Alcamoth Mercenaries were recent additions, after all, and while Hope served a pivotal role as the Avenger’s AI, it couldn’t be called a leader. Especially since the Lost Numbers were more like townsfolk than a military force, she couldn’t help but be curious about who was really in charge of this motley crew.

The archangel considered herself fortunate that Zenkichi was early to the meeting as well, though now the sight of him left her with strong mixed feelings. Having already mostly drafted what to say, she needed to talk with him, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Given the proposed schedule of meeting followed by dinner followed by the memorial, it would be an eventful night, but she could probably catch him alone once in a few hours. For now, Sandalphon stuck to basic pleasantries. “Hello again,” she greeted him. “I must say, I am impressed that after this morning, you managed to spend your afternoon off in an active warzone. According to my statistics, most humans of your age would prefer an afternoon nap instead. Your stamina is remarkable. Perhaps worthy of further study.” She managed a thin smile. “I understand that several Seekers discovered caches of guns out in the field today. I don’t suppose anyone requisitioned an ammo-dependent precision magical firearm?”

"Hey Sandalphon." Zenkichi replied, taking a moment to process what Sandalphon said. If he didn't know her better, he might have thought that was an innuendo. Hell, with her more human side, it could be. A soft blush betrayed his thoughts, but he continued.

"As for the guns, I'm not quite sure how magical most of them were, but I did wind up with a few things. Among those a rocket launcher..." he half-grumbled, completely unsure as to what the heck he was going to do with that. "I know Edward and Juri got a pretty big stash, you could certainly check in with them to see if they'd be willing to trade or donate it. We also got a big chunk of weapons from when we rescued Celica."

“I see, thank you.” Sandalphon felt rather hesitant to ask Juri anything, so she made a mental note to inquire with Edward later. Much to do tonight.

Others were filtering into the Bridge quickly by then. Both Seekers and Lost Numbers were in attendance, and as much as Nadia wanted to continue snoozing after getting back from her arid excursion, even she had dragged herself up here with Chucho and Blazermate’s help. Of course, nobody was forced to be here so anyone who felt like it could abstain, but enough people either cared about meeting the Lost Numbers’ commander or cared about the team’s next destination to attend. At six o’ clock on the dot, it was time to begin.

The door to the commander’s quarters, both electronically and mechanically locked until now, slid open, and silence quickly filled the room. A moment later, a robot in black stepped through and down the stairs. With a peaked cap, long coat, and a three-pronged eye that shone a bright yellow-orange, he definitely looked the part of a captain, but Sandalphon had not expected another machine. After all the time she spent in Midgar, having a machine in charge of real peoples’ lives -especially ones as precious as the Lost Numbers- intrigued her.

After a moment the robot came to a stop, the light of the hologlobe reflecting off his metal body. “Good evening, Seekers of Light” he greeted everyone, his voice a scratchy monotone. “I’m sure you’re all quite puzzled as to why the ‘commander’ would only appear now, over a week into our partnership. Please allow me to to disillusion you: I am the de facto commander in name only. I have no military experience, nor combat ability. But I think that you’ll agree that my story is an interesting one, and by its end you should understand how it pertains to our mission.”

He clasped his hands behind him, adjusting his gaze upward. “It begins with my introduction. An easy feat for most. Not so much for me. It would be a lie, for instance, to say I am Simon Jarrett, an easygoing bookstore employee from Toronto, Canada. But Simon Jarrett did live, once. After being injured in a car crash, he volunteered for a comprehensive brain scan in the hopes that it would aid in its recovery. It did not, and he died less than two months later. But that scan, housed in a machine body, appeared in the World of Light over one hundred years ago. Spawned, just as you all were, with a finite ten-year lifespan. Simon Two. Simon Two would eventually, in a misguided attempt to preserve himself, subject himself to a scan much like the original did. Of course, he failed, and Simon Three was born. Spirits are, after all, just data, and data can be copied. Moreover, Simon Three would not be crushed by the inexorable wheel of time. A creation of this world, a bonafide Lost Number, he would continue to copy himself from vessel to vessel as they lost power, aged, or were destroyed.”

He nodded. “And so I stand here today. A ghost. An echo. I…am not Simon Jarrett. I am merely an iteration. I have no name, and I cannot die, for I was never alive. But I can bear witness, and keep accounts. An observer, watching and recording across countless years and lives. I have seen that while spirits are just copied data, every copy must ultimately come from somewhere. Somewhere in this world is a storehouse where the ‘master copy’ of every storied individual is kept. The fabled Source. Every individual, of course, but the Lost Numbers, whose existences are products of this world, never recorded in the Source.”

“And that,” he continued, “Is where I come in. I manage the Avenger’s Data Bank, meticulously maintained and backed up. In it, I chronicle every facet of every Lost Number. Every characteristic, every action, every memory. So that even though generations of Lost Numbers have come and gone, their lives -their stories- are etched into the fabric of existence. So that one day, when the Source is ultimately found, their data -their ‘spirits’- may be seeded into the restored worlds. So that one day those seeds will grow and bear fruit, and that they will have true lives of their own.

After a moment, he adjusted his gaze downward. “At least, that is my hope. Our hope. Right now, though, the mission of all Lost Numbers is to aid you, Seekers of Light, in your quest for Galeem and its guardians. I hope you will do so without fear for the Lost Numbers, for this world won’t be the end of their stories. Nor yours.”

He stepped down the stairs and leaned onto the hologlobe table with both hands. “So, while I am pleased to meet you and amenable to questioning, the primary goal of this meeting is twofold: to determine a true leader for this campaign, and to determine its next destination. I believe that Miss Sandalphon is up to date on the latest intelligence.”

The archangel nodded, summoning helpful light screens as she spoke. “Right now, we have six general regions left to explore on this continent. The Twilight Forest, the Theater of War, the Frozen Highlands, the Forbidden Kingdom, Empty Space, and the City That Never Was. As I understand it, this campaign has seen great success previously by dividing in half to handle two regions at once. Right now, my personal recommendation is for the Frozen Highlands and the Forbidden Kingdom. Thanks to the efforts of the Ace Cadet, Big Band, Wonder Red, Albedo, Mewtwo, and Linkle, we know the fatal weakness of the Frozen Highlands guardian, Baldur. They obtained this information from Moebius L, who traded it for her life, but her associate Moebius N is still at large. Destroying this guardian means tracking him down across the entire region, so our best expeditioners would be needed.”

She directed everyone’s attention east of the Frozen Highlands. “Additionally, the Meridi-at-han contingent led by Goldlewis Dickinson determined that one city in the Forbidden Kingdom is the most likely candidate for housing the Guardian. Esaka, the Tiered City. My intel indicates that it is a hotspot for martial artists of all kinds. For this locale, I would recommend dispatching expert duelists.”

Sandalphon dismissed her screens and crossed her arms. “These are only my humble recommendations, however, and I urge everyone to reach their own conclusions. All team members present are entitled to their votes both for destination and whomever they believe would be worthy of a leadership role. The floor is now open for discussion, as well.”