"Nothing…. I got nothing!" Joshua growled, running a hand through his hair. "We've been all over the maze and have seen nothing."
Claire clenched her hands into fist. "Can't give up yet… There's gotta be something… They couldn't have just gotten powerful with the snap of fingers."
"Maybe you'd like some help?"
The two looked behind them to see Dreamster, and beside her another troll and immediately gave a bow.
"Master Knight." Joshua said. "Haven't seen you in awhile."
The troll in question gave a bow of his own. "It has been awhile… I've taken notice of what's been going on… I would like to assist if I may."
"You got keener eyes than I do. And I'm kind of desperate at this point." Joshua frowned a little. "I'm sure Dreamster has already told you."
"She has…" He frowned. "I'm sorry about your mother… I promise we'll find a way… Get this taken care of."
"Any idea where the majesties are? They're the only ones I know who can reverse the curse."
"No idea." Dreamster threw her hands up. "It's like they've gone off the radar since they went off to join the battle. Heck, last thing they were doing BEFORE this all broke out was battling trolls."
Knight's eyes widened a little as the gears in his head started to turn. He began pacing.
"Tell me… are Nightmare Trolls able to get energy from other things?"
"Other trolls I guess." Dreamster shrugged. "But even then energy from Dream and Daydream Trolls wouldn't supercharge them to be this powerful, and they'd have to be constantly battling for said energy to get sapped. They feed off all the negative stuff. Like Phantoms and Unsettleds do."
"So… They would need a stronger source of energy… Such as a stronger set of trolls…"
"Yeah like-" Dreamster couldn't finish her sentence as it hit her. "No…"
Knight's expression was grim as he looked at his student. "Yes. The royals…"
"It adds up." Joshua chimed in. "That day the royals went off to battle was just a few days before the crisis hit. They must still be battling since we've seen no tell tale sign of them. We've been assuming they've been helping us. No one really stated they had seen them."
"Which means that they've been tangled up with the Nightmare Trolls strongests likely. They don't have time to help from the shadows nor would they. We're trolls… We take great pleasure in being as you would say "In your face" up close and personal… Mocking the Nightmare Trolls is all part of it of course… So no sign of them… Then that means they're still going up against something they haven't beaten yet."
"And it's most likely a strong Nightmare Troll." Claire hummed in thought. "So the goal is to stop the fight and have them focus on Dream Runners, because boy are we dropping like flies, and we need them to get these kids woken up."
"Exactly… Which means we'll need all the help we can get…" Knight looked to Dreamster. "Knowing you, you've brought in some help…"
"Got a whole army of Dream and Daydream Trolls on standby." Dreamster saluted. "Just give orders and they'll do as you say."
Knight smirked. "Then my dear student… It's time for a trolling."
Lisa had passed out for a bit. She hadn't been this relaxed in awhile. It felt weird to say the least. She was just used to running all the time that sleep didn't seem like a concept. Yet, she found herself opening her eyes, feeling warm… and realizing she wasn't by herself. She glanced up seeing Gabe was right there with his arms around her, his own eyes shut.
She smiled a little, bringing a hand to one of his cheeks, stroking it a little.
Gabe nuzzled her hand a bit opening his eyes slowly. He yawned a bit. "Hey…" He whispered. "How do you feel?"
"Better…" She answered, stretching a little. "Best rest I've had in awhile."
Gabe sighed in relief. "Good… Glad you're not in any pain… Was worried…"
"Seems like your trick worked." She looked at herself again. "Still incredible… Makes me wonder what that world you saw was like."
Gabe smiled thinking of Esanii. It still felt like home even if he wasn't living there. "Well… When this is all over I could show you."
"Really?" she asked, an excited look coming to her eyes.
He chuckled grinning. "Yep. I can go there whenever I like… You remember Joseph?"
"How could I not? He was amazing at what he did."
"He's the King of Esanii. I'm not even saying it jokingly. That's HIS home."
Lisa was dumbstruck. "Guess that makes two of us. Dreamster is close friends with the King and Queen of this world, they kind of hold me high favor as a Dream Runner."
"Heh… Small world. I saved Esanii from an evil empress named Terra."
"So you're a hero…" Lisa smiled a little. "Heh… I did see you like that… You just didn't show it much."
He smiled sheepishly. "Heh… Guess I just needed the right kind of thing... But yeah… Dreamster can't say…" He scrunched up his face mimicking the troll's annoyed voice. "That bum you're with." Anymore."
Lisa giggled. "Definitely not… I don't have much to share. I'm just a well known Dream Runner. Lot of the Nightmare Trolls know me as the Magical Girl."
Gabe chuckled. "Knew there was a bit of magic in you. Not just that voice."
Lisa smiled sheepishly, blushing.
"I guess… my mother was a Dream Runner before me… So I get it from her… and my dad partially… Got magic on both sides."
"That's amazing Lisa…"
"I suppose." She smiled thinking of her parents. "One was a Dream Runner… the other was a violinist who knew magic tunes that could help the dead be at peace."
Gabe whistled. "That's… Seriously amazing…"
"Yeah… I've got a lot to tell you about since the secret's out…" Lisa closed her eyes. "No more hiding."
Gabe nodded leaning back with her. "Same here… There's a lot to catch up on…"
"Yeah…" Lisa leaned against him, sighing happily.
He stroked her hair sighing in content.
"She doing alright?"
They looked to see Tomoe walking up to them, concern in her eyes.
"Doing much better now." Gabe replied gesturing to Lisa with his head. "Structure look familiar?"
Tomoe smiled. "Very… Amazing… You already got some of your dream powers in control… you actually changed her."
Gabe grinned. "I just wanted to help her… The rest just came rushing back…" He held up a hand looking at it. "Guess tech isn't all that bad around here."
"Well, it's definitely working in her favor." Tomoe looked to Lisa. "I don't see any signs of the change happening. She looks… well relatively speaking, normal."
"And it doesn't hurt." Lisa added, opening her eyes. "It's like I'm not even sick…"
Gabe nodded. "The change helped… Even have the circuits in her eyes."
Tomoe brought a hand to her chin.
"I wonder if it's because you made her like a Data Child, the curse doesn't know what to do. It's meant for humans only after all."
Gabe smirked. "You got a point there… And plus…. Tech vs magic… Even the ones on our side cringed away when they realized what my armor was."
"Yeah trolls, Dream, Daydream or Nightmare can't stand technology… which is a little on the ironic side considering Maria and mine's respective jobs and we're close friends with our trolls."
"It is ironic but I can't recall seeing anyone like 'em ever going near our OR's so… Who knows maybe they just try to ignore the tech if it's not near them."
"Yeah Mirage doesn't hang around the OR much, and Illuis, Maria's troll, is usually off to the side cheering Maria on. Finds it best to not get in her way."
"Smart troll then. I'm sure she's nice-"
Tomoe busted up laughing.
"Ahaha! Oh no no no, Illuis is a boy."
"... Well hey! I've only met the girls of this species!"
"Well… we mentioned they had a King."
"... Yeah but…" Gabe shrugged. "Oh shush!"
Tomoe giggled. "Well Illuis does sound like a girl's name."
"Yep but I should know better than to make assumptions." He chuckled shaking his head.
Tomoe smiled. "Hey Lisa, since you're feeling better… Why don't you show him around? I think he might like it here."
Lisa grinned. "I like that idea." She got up, offering a hand to Gabe as she helped him get up as well. "Sanctuary has a lot to offer."
"Well then m'lady." He gave a bow. "Show me your world."
Lisa nodded, leading him off. There was a lot to see that Gabe hadn't noticed before. He had seen all the kids but what he didn't see was what there was to do. He could see kids playing with animals made of clouds, drawing things out of thin air… basically anything that one would imagine in a dream was present.
"It's not called the Sanctuary for nothing." Lisa smiled. "This place brings peace… and joy."
Gabe whistled. "It's… Amazing…" He smiled taking it in. "Beautiful…"
"And it's only the start…. You'd probably do well in the maze when there isn't madness going on. We solve puzzles on a regular basis."
He smirked. "My nickname in highschool wasn't Holmes for nothin'."
Lisa grinned. "Then it's a date…." She blushed a little. "Ehe.. I.. uh…"
Gabe blushed a bit before grinning. "Date it is then."
Lisa nodded. "Right…"
Rumbling was heard outside the walls of the Sanctuary. Other Dream Runners stood up readying their weapons. Lisa was about to join them but stopped herself, stepping back, sighing.
Gabe reached over his shoulder grabbing his disk off his back. "Check your back."
Lisa did as told, finding her own disk. "Huh..?"
"It's called an identity disk, it's also a great weapon."
Lisa looked at it carefully. "Like that movie…"
Gabe smirked. "Darn right. Works like it too. Get ready."
Lisa grinned. "Follow me."
Lisa lead him out one of the entrances. They found themselves out in the maze with the other Dream Runners, all in combat with Nightmare Trolls. Lisa didn't waste a second, she charged right in, leaping into the air, whistling at one of them.
"Hey ugly!" she called. "Over here!"
The troll looked at her, eyes wide at her attire.
"W-What the?!"
Lisa hit them hard in the chest with a kick before hitting them over the head with her disk. She hopped off them, landing on the ground with grace.
Gabe was stunned before he grinned. "Niiiice. My turn." He charged at a troll kicking them hard in the chest. "C'mon have some fun with me. Bet ya can't hit me!"
The troll growled, trying to land punches on him. "I will not lose to a tech freak!"
Gabe dodged with ease before slashing at them with his disk. "Tech is the future!"
The troll fell back, hissing at him.
THUD!
Gabe looked to see Lisa, locked in combat with another troll and she had just sent him flying into a wall with a disk and had him pinned with what looked like green musical notes made of magic.
Lisa grinned, keeping her stance.
"Still got the magic in me."
Gabe smirked. "Very nice."
The troll growled at her.
"You should be a troll by now, Magical Girl."
"Well I'm not, Cumulo." Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Looks like your little bite didn't work as well as you thought."
Gabe looked over narrowing his eyes as he went over disk drawn. "Oh so this is the jerk. Hey moron! Even your magic has a weakness just like anything else." He held up his disk. "And I happen to know it."
"Oh and who might YOU be?" Cumulo hissed.
"Her husband." He snapped.
Lisa's eyes went wide, and a lot of other Dream Runners along with trolls turned their eyes to the sight.
"Yeah… You heard me! I'm her husband! Which means…" He held the disk close to Cumulo's face. "You attacked my wife… Which means… I'M FREAKING TICKED OFF!"
Cumulo swallowed hard, his eyes trained on the disk. The other Nightmare Trolls were starting to tremble, seeing Cumulo being terrified.
"B-But he's just…. like any other human." one troll hissed.
"He's different, we've never seen a Dream Runner that's tech based." another hissed back.
Gabe smirked bringing the disk closer as it glowed, heat coming off of it. "And this can slice through someone… So I'll give you all a choice unless you wanna see me go crazy on every last one of you… Call this whole thing off… Or I slice your boss in two… And I might just do that anyway…" He narrowed his eyes the smirk falling off his face. "I've done it before.. I'll do it again."
The trolls all stood in silence, looking to Cumulo.
"... Call it off… It ain't worth dying!" Cumulo shouted.
The other Nightmare Trolls started to leave as Gabe kept unmoving. "And those kids will wake up… And that curse on my wife? Take it off. Or you can start trying to figure out how to talk without a head." Don't let him go until he's done what's asked… Don't trust him…
"I-I can't lift her curse… but I can take the spell off the kids… That was my doing."
Lisa narrowed her eyes. "That's right. Forgot that deep sleep was your thing…"
"Alright then… Take off the sleep spell… And given from what I know since this whole thing has been called off… The King and Queen will be here very soon…" Gabe replied. "Or given how trolls seem to pop up everywhere… They might just be here any second."
"Or they've arrived." Said a new voice as Knight came into view with two other trolls. "And trolls who know his work when they see it."
Lisa bowed her head in respect.
"Your majesties…"
King Night grinned. "Hello everyone, sorry for the delays, had our hands full with another troll by the name of Discord." He looked to Cumulo. "You know you picked him well, being the biggest nuisance the nightmares have spawned.'
He gulped. "Y-Yes well… Um…"
"Oh we were just having a niiice conversation here about how he'll fix the trouble he's caused." Gabe smiled innocently. "Right?"
"PLEASE JUST GET THIS TECH FREAK AWAY FROM ME!"
King Night threw his head back laughing.
"You've reduced a Nightmare Troll to tears! I think I have a new favorite my dear!"
Queen Day chuckled. "Indeed."
Gabe gave a bow. "Thank you your majesties."
"Now… Cumulo as you know, you've cursed quite a few Dream Runners, you get to have the honor of helping me change them back, or you get to deal with the Data Warrior. Your choice."
Cumulo swallowed hard. "I'll do it! Just get him away!"
King Night looked to Gabe.
"Anything you'd like us to do first?"
"Wake those kids up… They've been asleep long enough, their parents are all worried sick... That's what we were all fighting for anyway…." He looked to his wife. "And… After if it's not too much trouble… Can my wife go first?"
"Done." King Night snapped his fingers, bringing Cumulo over to him. "Now be a good troll and let them wake up."
Cumulo nodded quickly, snapping his fingers. "D-Done! They're awake!"
Gabe looked to where the children had been seeing they were gone now nodding to himself. "Alright… Awesome… Now… About those Dream Runners…"
"Day, take this scum and bring him to the ones who got turned into trolls, I'll take care of Magical Girl."
Day nodded, hauling Cumulo onto her shoulders.
"Time out for you mister."
"Have fun Cumulo! Don't forget to write." Gabe smirked.
"Evil warrior…."
King Night chuckled. "I like you.. Now…" He walked over to Lisa. He snapped his fingers, reverting Lisa back to her original attire and appearance she had earlier. She cringed a little, feeling the curse again.
"Hold still."
He brought his hand over the mark, a faint glow coming from his hand for a moment before moving it away.
Lisa sighed in relief, her hair fading back to brown, her skin returning to normal and her eyes going back to emerald green.
Gabe gave a relieved look bringing an arm around her shoulders. "Thank you." He said to King Night relief in his eyes. "Thank you…"
"Anytime…" He nodded, looking to Lisa. "Data Warrior… don't give this up." He put a hand on Lisa's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "She's something really special."
Gabe nodded. "Promise I won't... " He looked to her smiling. "I'm never letting her go again…"
Lisa smiled back,sighing happily.
"Mom! Dad!"
Joshua came running up.
"I think I'll leave you three alone, come Knight!" King Night was gone in a flash, along with Knight.
They looked to their son both bringing him into an embrace.
"It's all over now Joshua…" Gabe said. "Everything's okay…"
"I'm fine now…"
"Good." Joshua hugged them both tightly. "Thank Night…"
"Quite literally." Lisa smiled, kissing his head.
Joshua smiled…. taking note Gabe had his arm around Lisa.
"... So… What did I miss?"
Gabe chuckled. "Oh just… Me scaring the life out of a troll and claiming my place as her husband…"
Joshua got a stupefied grin of his face. "Dad… You saying…?"
"If she'll have me… Then yeah…"
Lisa hummed in thought for a moment before kissing his cheek.
Gabe turned bright red getting a large grin on his face. "I'll take that as a yes."
"She still needs to meet Elly." Joshua grinned. "Buuut yeah… I think that's a yes… but take it slow. I know you're so MADLY in love with each other but you just met!" There was heavy sarcasm in his voice.
Lisa giggled. "We will… but I can't help it… he's such a charmer."
Gabe chuckled shaking his head. "Classic Cunningham attitude… And what about you bringing a girl home to meet us eh?"
Joshua turned a little red. "DAD!"
"Now, now take it from your old man… When you find a girl you really like… Or in this case would threaten a Nightmare troll over… Don't let her go… I mean… We're not getting any younger… Would like some grandkids one day."
"... Mom… Please make him stop."
"Sorry but… I actually would like grandkids."
Gabe pointed to his son. "You summoned it. Now I know it can be awkward those first dates…. And please stop me if you heard it all before-"
"I HAVE!" Joshua was bright red now. "And I've had the don't make her cry or you'll be six feet under talks."
"... Oh… I get it now. Alyssa eh?"
Lisa giggled. "Childhood friends, sometimes can't stop talking about her."
"Mooooom!"
"Oh Joshua… Okay, I'll stop, but in seriousness." She held one of Gabe's hands. "I wouldn't mind giving this a second go…"
Gabe squeezed her hand. "I can agree with that…"
Lisa smiled, nuzzling him a little.
"For now… I think I just wanna go home."
He nuzzled her. "I agree there… Time to wake up…"
