"Regardless, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and eagerly await the next one, and I promise, you WON'T be waiting an eternity for a new upload."

- BassDS, January 8th, 2017

...

And then saying it won't be an eternity until the next upload ends up turning into a good year and a half.

Hey everyone, BassDS here; LONG time no update, right?

So for those that still have some interest in Shooting Star Lovers, you more than likely want to strangle me, put my feet in cement and then toss me into the nearest body of water to sleep with the fishes. I can understand that entitlement, but hear me out first.

The plan for updating Shooting Star Lover with smaller updates WAS going to happen; however something did end up coming up after I made the last update; and that ended up being the starting of my Let's Play channel; which believe me, the beginning of 2017 until around October, I was honestly enjoying myself. I had started Kingdom Hearts Unchained X as it was called back then; since renamed Union Cross; and I'm still nowhere CLOSE to being caught up story-wise for the Let's Play, but that should be changing soon; I covered ALL of the 2D Sega Genesis Sonic titles in a summer marathon, also including Sonic CD, Knuckles Chaotix; though there WAS bit of an issue that happened during the recordings for that game, and both episodes of Sonic 4. The rest of 2017 I had planned on being fully caught up with Unchained X, and that was in progress...until I got sick, and by the time I was better, it was time for the holiday rush at my job...in which we got SO SLAMMED, I had to work 20 days straight. 2017 may have started good, but it didn't end the way I wanted.

During the issues I had with Knuckles Chaotix, I did write; it just wasn't for Shooting Star Lovers, it was for RWBY, because I had an idea simmering for my main pairing from that series, and I just needed to blow some steam and stress off from the issues I had recording at that point.

Wish I could say 2018 has been better, but I'd be lying. Start one game up; then find out it's getting an update, new mode and 2 additional characters...and then taking down everything I had uploaded for the game at that point, uploads were vary spaced out...and I ended up getting sick coming back from attending the Pokemon VGC regionals. That'll happen when you attend the event all day, then make the 5 hour drive back home until 2 in the morning, and trying to get some sleep at a rest stop without having the heater in the car on in 20 degree weather.

Needless to say; I was a dumbass.

There were a few times when I would think to myself when I was bored with nothing to do...the thought to write would cross my mind; Shooting Star Lovers would be the first thing. But then I'd think; 'I've treated this story so poorly; the restart, inconsistent updates, and more importantly; I treated you all poorly by not updating, or giving any reason as to why I was not updating. Was I really entitled to continue the story; did I even have the right after everything?' Then I thought would anyone even care if i just straight up canned it.

That stayed with me for a good while. And I've pondered over it. I've had some more ideas for arcs come into mind that will happen after this one; granted I still don't know HOW I want to proceed with the story after this arc; but I have a few ideas in mind. So I will say, while this 'VERY SMALL' interlude may not be much; I want to show you all that Shooting Star Lovers is still in my mind; and hey, things are looking up for the Mega Man series in general with Mega Man 11 on the horizon, so maybe if the Blue Bomber can rise up from the ashes after being dormant for so long...then maybe I can too.

So without further ado, and to get those of you that still love this story with a passion a shot of adrenaline for the TRUE next chapter, I hope you all enjoy this small interlude...because it's time to start shedding some light on a few things...

...

Sheesh, this monologue explanation is LONGER than the interlude itself...


Shooting Star Lovers

Ch.8.5 Dark Impetus, -INTERLUDE-


The young woman ran through the crowds as people screamed, her dark-pink hair getting in the way of her eyes as she ran, darting around corners and avoiding the maddening mobs as flames began to engulf the buildings, a black water-like mass flooding the streets and walkways as dark figures sprouted up from them and began to attack the fleeing people.

She kept running and running as fast as her legs would let her before tripping and falling to the ground, only to feel someone grab a hold of her hand as her eyes looked up and fell upon the brown haired man as he spoke to her.

"Aria, are you alright!?" he asked as he helped back on her feet.

"Terra, it's horrible out here...it's awful..." Aria's voice trembled.

Soon, the black figures rose up around them as she held the man's hand tightly as she could while looking at the dark figures that vastly outnumbered them, Without warning, one of the figures lunged for them as Terra placed himself in front of Aria to protect her from the assault.

"You...WILL NOT HARM HER!" he cried out as a bright light surrounded his body and he released it all around the two of them; the light advancing out away from them, destroying the black figures and drying up the black mass that had surrounded them and the figures.

"Terra!" Aria cried out as her hand remained clasped with his, Terra kneeling down to the ground, exhausted from the expenditure of energy. "You know we haven't mastered this yet! That was too risky for you to do." she exclaimed with a worried look on her face, Terra's brown eyes looking up at hers.

"I'll do anything to protect you..I promised, didn't I?" he smiled weakly as he rose to his feet. "But I'll admit; things aren't going too well...ngh...if only we had more time before the seal broke..."

"Let us retreat and find Lady Ena for now..." Aria spoke before she could see the black mass flooding more of the pathways and back alleys surrounding the buildings; hearing the cries of many people as they were swallowed beneath it; the cries completely freezing Aria to her core."No...no..."

"Aria...there's nothing we can do for them now...let's go..." Terra replied as he tried walking away from the approaching mass; but Aria stood there frozen in fear as she held onto his hand. "Aria! Come on!"

She said nothing for a moment as she looked on at the destruction that played out before her; it all could have been avoided; she had thought ever since the ordeal began...but now…

"Have we…have we failed; or just destined to fail from the start…?" she asked; a fearful tone in her voice.


Harp Note gasped out as her eyes opened up in fear; the nightmare having waken her from her involuntary slumber; her eyes wandering the vast emptiness of the black space and purple mist filling the area; she attempted to move, before finding her wrists and ankles bound by glowing bands as she was suspended in the air; not sure if a floor existed beneath her or not.

Her eyes wandered more until she saw another figure in the mist; almost hard to make out at first until her visibility improved, and in the same position as her on the other side was Mega Man.

"Geo!"