Here is a nice little bridge to the last chapters. Enjoy.
Dear Diary.
This is day five of Phineas and I being here in this strange ware house. I have searched the entire place from top to bottom. There is nothing here. Another boring place to be stuck in, I'm starting to think we attract them. He refuses to go outside. Says that there are a number of, and I quote, "things" out there. He keeps saying they are dangerous and that we don't need to deal with them just yet. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew he was right because of our link I would think he was hiding something.
Well, he half is. I know he has been trying to find Ferb and the others. He had them for a second before a massive energy surge scrambled the code again. Been debugging it ever since. He thinks that his brother may in fact be heading here. Oh, that would be wonderful. Together, they would have this problem licked in no time flat.
That...and I know he is really missing Ferb. He would never admit it, but he is torn up about all the time they have been separated. Feels like he can only do and plan so much before he hits a snag. A snag that irritates him so much because he knows Ferb could get him past it in seconds. I don't think he realizes just yet that he has been letting these thoughts be heard by me. Usually he has his mind under control. But after we found that console at the gate, he has been too focused on that to notice the little tid bits he lets slip.
I'm worried about him. I have only managed to pull him away from it for a total of eight hours. He request that I bring him food, saying that he is so close to figuring out what is wrong. The few walks I get him to do are a nightmare. Because I can hear his thoughts about some equation or algorithm he could run to do something. OooooooooooH IT'S SO ANNOYING.
Oh no, I can tell he heard that. Guilt and shame are coming from him. Another three minutes and he will be at my side. I guess that is one plus to this, he knows when he has pushed me too far. And he has. If I didn't love him, I would have just left him here. But I do and I understand what he is doing, so I can't blame him too much. I just hope these files do transfer like Phineas said they would. I am going to be really mad if we get home and they are not there. But I know they will be. He worked a whole day just to make sure of it. Again, something I don't think he knows I heard.
Yep, I see him now. We'll talk soon.
Isabella
To my little book of secrets.
I must say that I am really getting the hang of this whole cooking thing. Ferb has been teaching me some when he is not working with that gate thing in the hold. I love all the time we are getting to spend together. No dads with evil schemes, no platypuses knocking down doors, no grand project, just me and him doing something simple. Well, simple to him. Alright, something everyday couples do. Cooking is a good thing to know if you plan to make a family.
Guess I got a little ahead of myself on that comment. Ferb made me a dedicated necklace. He said that promise rings just weren't his thing and they took away the glory of a true engagement ring. I can't say he is wrong, plus I don't like wearing too many rings. But a nice diamond ring and a necklace...I can manage that. I know he made the entire thing. Every little detail had his mark somewhere. That was just his way.
O snap. I need to ask him if this thing will come out when we leave. Dang it, Vanessa! How could you not think of that before. GAAAAAH. Fine, that is something for later.
I guess I should talk about the rest of the group too, as a lot of things have been happening on our little boat ride.
Buford has been spending a lot of time with Lili. If the two are not sharing tales of adventures, they are laughing at something. I'm sure Buford is telling her some bullying thing that he has done to get her to laugh. Now that I think about it, she might be telling him things she has had to do as a queen that resemble bullying. Huh, didn't think of that till just now.
Anyway, Lili steers the ship for part of the day. During that time, Buford will be somewhere on deck. If he is not right beside her, he's off checking the cannons, checking lines, or just leaning on a rail. I can tell he really likes her. I just don't think he can get past the thought of her just being part of the game world. Now that I have Ferb all to myself, I feel ...kinda sad for her. There is a guy up there that really likes her, is willing to bring her food, carry her to bed, and do almost anything she request without delay. But she knows that she can't go where we are going. Knows that she is not real. That can't feel good. For her or him. Poor Buford.
But that brings me to our little nerd, Baljeet. He is so head over heels for Vina that it's not even funny anymore. Her little hiding place in the crow's nest might prevent most of us from talking to her, but not him. I think he uses wind power to lift himself up to her. She is always happy to see him and will talk his ear off for hours. I honestly think she has snapped now that she is a Great Fairy. At times, she doesn't seem to remember that she is a game person. Ferb explained that it might be because she has gained so much knowledge that she has a hard time telling herself that most of it is a lie. He really does think that she acquired a massive amount of stuff when she ascended to a Great Fairy. I think she's just nuts.
But the way she and Baljeet will go on and on about things makes my head spin. How she can keep straight his rambling is a mystery to me. But then again, I think she does the same thing to him.
Ferb has learned a lot from his time with the gate. In fact, he is effecting the world in ways I still don't understand. He made me this digital diary that will send the files to my computer at home, not my laptop. I still don't know about that dang thing. He wrote something that made Baljeets PDA and scanner reappear. The nerd almost peed himself. Bet Vina would still find that interesting.
But the really interesting thing is the fact that he has discovered more about what has happened and been happening around us. The land we left, the one that vanished, the entire continent was converted to energy. Somewhere, there is a massive amount of energy being stored. It seems to be near the core program that runs this world, or 'The Code' as everyone likes to call it. Someone wants to get it badly. So badly that they are willing to destroy half the world to get it. Lets face it, every land mass except the island that we are sailing too is gone. Just ...gone. There is a lot more techno babble that he tried to tell me, but I really didn't listen. I know he knows and that is good enough for me.
Now we just have to beat this person and end this game. If we can just find a way there.
Vanessa, sighing off.
Forgive me, dear reader. For I have no idea how to address you. I do not even know if this will ever been seen again in a few short days. So I think I'll just say Welcome to my Life. The life of a fallen queen.
I was raised as royalty. Taught manners, how to run a nation and keep the peace. Spent some times learning to sail and the art of the sword. Mother would not have liked those lessons. But I digress, that is not what I need to say. What I need to say is that I am lost. Lost in a way no one should have to feel.
First off, the kingdom that I served is gone. Every last person killed by a mindless shadow hound. I failed them when they needed me the most. For that, I can not be forgiven. Nanog conquered me, the only time in history my kingdom had fallen. Then, that dang beast wondered in and killed everyone, invader and prisoner alike. So I am a disgrace to the crown.
Second, I find a man like no other. Nearly silent in all manners. Nothing stood in his way. He saved me from my failure. Took me away from defeat and set in motion plans to take back my kingdom, to restore my honor and glory. A true champion. I will not deny that I was growing fond of him. His presence was enough to take anyone's breath away. But then came the day SHE came. That day, I found out my whole life was just a game. A game created by the very champion I was growing to love.
Third. After accepting what I was, I continued to pursue him. But was met with competition. SHE had a history with him. SHE wanted him too. SHE was not going to let him go, not without a fight. And a fight was what she was going to get. Life had left me with little to hold on to. So I wasn't about to give up the one thing that even remotely matter to me. I am willing to bet that he know about it and dislike it. He is a man of particular caliber and I do not see girls fighting being something he enjoys. But I wanted him!
But, it is clear to me now that he is committed to ...that women... I can't say I blame him. She is from his world, the world of reality. I am just a person in a game. It's so weird to learn that everything you have ever known is a lie. That the world I live in is just the product of someone else's design. They talk like this world is only weeks old, yet I have lived in it for years. Is all that real? Could they really create something that would make me know so much, but never really experienced it. Could my life have never happened? Could all this just be a story, like the pages of a book?
Listen to me, behaving like a child. Getting worked up over things I have no control over. Like I can do anything about it. All I can do is continue to live while I still can. It's either that or choose to let this eat away at me and drive me crazy. I just have to remember that I am as alive as I believe. That brings me to my next topic.
Buford Van Stomp. A huge man worthy of the title of berserker. He has snapped at THAT women several times when she has attempted to poke fun at me. I never asked for his protection, but then again, he never offered it either. We have talked for hours while I am at the helm, but he always gives me my space when I am relieved of duty. That doesn't stop me from seeking him out and finding him. He brings me food, supports my views, and seems genuinely interested in me. His nicknames are slightly annoying, but I find that the only reason he is doing is to express his affection. I can't say that I am not thinking about him more and more each day, but I keep coming back to fact that he is from Ferb's world, not mine. I am just a character in a game, not a real person. What do I have to offer him?
I know not the answers to all this. The heavens may not be kind to me later for this, but I don't want to stop him. And until someone can prove to me that these feelings are not worth investing in, I see no reason not to. This is the only life I have, and I will enjoy it.
LIli
[Recording]
aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. OH! it is on. eeeeeeeeeeeee, I got it to work without him telling me how. I am so excited! Wait, it is recording everything I say. So it just recorded all that. IIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE, I am so stupid for just rumpling on and on like an egomaniac with a sugar rush. No, you need to stop. Think about what you are going to say, Baljeet...and stop thinking out load!
Alright, I am sending this to myself so that I have a record of the adventure I had while it is still fresh on my mind. Note to self, make notes on this and transfer it to journal of crazy thing I have done with Phineas and Ferb. Second note to self, offer copy to Irving for photos he has of me at last Christmas' Party. I swear that I didn't mean to kiss that girl.
So, we are in some kind of a game world that has been merged with all kinds of other medias. I can see the effects of some books, some movies, and several games that were around the work shop when the accident happened. We still have no idea what or how it all happened to cause us to become trapped in here, but it has certainly been an experience.
I became a master of the elements and have been overjoyed at learning how to use this power. My knowledge of how each works in conjunction with other things has proven to be a little lacking, but half the fun of science is experimentation.
Buford and I have became an almost unstoppable team. I would not have guess such a collaboration could be achieved, but we have done it somehow. We have defeated many very powerful opponents with little to no difficulty. A true testament of just how well we know and understand each other.
Oh, need to talk about the system. I managed to gain some form of access to the background systems when I rewired a gate. The programming should not be working, yet it is. There was so many recurring loops in the code that the program should have collapsed in on itself several times over, yet I was watching it run. It is almost like the human body. There are several things that say it shouldn't work, but somehow, they do. The system is keeping itself alive. But that is not the best part. I, just like Ferb has now, discovered that there is a firewall still in place that is protecting the core system. It looked stronger then it normally would, which is good. But if one looks over the entire code of this firewall, you will start to notice there is a recurring error. It's rather small and the program itself can just overlook this code error, but it can be seen on several lines as well. If you stack the coded lines on top of each other, like they would be on a programmers screen, they make up an almost perfect hole. Ferb says that is the place where 'whoever' must be trying to get in. Then Ferb pointed out that if you aliened the binary sequence with the world map, it lines up with the island we are heading for. He didn't find that odd at all.
Anything else. ... I would like to talk about her, but she is a game sprite. But she is so pretty. And fun. And smart. And a great listener. And I am starting my sentences with AND! iiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee. I must be getting out of this game and back to my studies. I feel that I am starting to lose my wealth of knowledge. Although, Vina does like me talking about things. She doesn't even care what the topic is. I will sometimes see her taking notes after we talk.
...
...
I feel guilty saying this. But I wish there was a way we could take her out with us.
...
...
[Recording Ended] [File sent to iamthesmartestmanever ]
I told Ferb and I'll tell you the same thing. I ain't talken to some floating box. No I don't care about keeping an audio whatever. Get the the bloodly thing away from me.
muffled voice
Do I want to talk about Lili? Not to this dang thing.
muffled voice
Hey, what are you getting at?
high pitched voice
Are you saying that I'm fallen for her?
rumble, rumble
Listen here, sparky. I don't care what you think. You don't say anything to anyone about me being around her. What I think and who I think it around is my business.
high pitched mumbling
DON'T YOU CALL HER THAT! I don't care if she is some NPC, she as real as anyone else. Plus she has a fire in her that is just so...
muffled voice
What? Put you down? Why, you got somewhere better to be?
muffled voice
Fine, go. And if you see her in the hall, show her respect. She's still a queen in my book.
So, it is some kind of magical box?
muffled voice
It will keep my voice in there? But I like my voice out here. I don't want it in there.
muffled voice
So it makes a copy of my voice? Oh that is much better. What should I talk about?
muffled voice
But I bet you have already heard several other accounts of our adventures. Why bore the listeners with more of the same thing?
muffled voice
How I feel? ...Well, I'm scared. No no, for this there is no comfort. I've tried to cover up this fact by being very cheerful, but it's just for show. I hate knowing that when all this is over, I'll lose everything.
laughing
It's funny when you step back and think about it all. You spend your whole life trying to prove to the world that you matter, that you can somehow impact the entire world with what you think. Then you discover that it's all a lie. The product of someone else's imagination. It seems to cheapen the life we live.
muffled voice
No no, I said it seems. But then, I had this idea. Something that brings a smile to face every time I get gloomy. My life hasn't been meaningless. My life hasn't be wasted. I've lived, traveled, learned, and explored. Someone gave that to me. There was no reason for them to do that, but they did. A free gift of life. So if my life does end with you completing your quest. So be it. I have lived and regret nothing.
muffled voice
Well...maybe just one little thing...But I can correct that right now.
rumbling
crash
Mmmmmmmmmm
C: Search for Program Files.
Unable to access internal files with selected pathway.
C: Use user Key Code\UserPhin0015945Izzy\Program Files
File in currently in use by another user0775412358
C:Ping user0775412358
110 w 45 s
C:Open IM for user0775412358
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
Who are you and how can you access the Program Files?
I'm Ferb and I just do.
Ferb? Ferb Fletcher!?
Yes. Phineas?
BRO! It's so good to hear from you.
Same here. Are you safe.
For the moment. We are on island in some big warehouse. Looks to have once housed what I think was energy containers.
Past tense?
It's empty now. We stumbled on some files that suggested that a Lord was gathering energy for some reason. Baljeet discover a project called Jenova that was an attempt to gain access to the "Life Stream". I can only assume that is the internal code of the system.
Baljeet brought me up to speed on that. I think Jenova is responsible for another continent vanishing. Thankfully, we were not on it.
He's with you? That's great to hear. And Buford too?
Yep
That's two worries down. Isabella is here with me.
Cozy.
Hey!
Can't help it. I haven't picked on you in over a week.
I know, I thought I was loosing my edge.
We'll sharpen it again.
Thanks bro. So, do you have an active gate near you? I think I have located your signal, but it keeps moving.
I have the pieces of a gate wired together. We are on a boat.
Lucky dog. I would love to sail right now. Bet Isabella would too. So you don't have a complete gate?
No.
That complicates things. I was thinking of just gating you all here. Three people wouldn't take that much time and energy from this gate. I think it's battery is starting to feel the pressure of me using it so much.
There is six of us.
SIX?! Who else?
Two NPC's that have been helping me. Plus Vanessa.
How did she get here?
Her laptop sucked her in when she tried to connect to a router nearby. It seems that this world is broadcasting a signal.
That would explain some of the readings I'm getting. I've noticed a section of code that is out of place. From what I can tell, it looks like a pocket between this world and the firewall. What I'm thinking is that we might be granted full access to the system if we go there. She wasn't hurt in the transfer, was she?
No, but got dropped into an interesting scenario. I'll go into detail about that later. What's the plan?
Seeing as we are losing whole landmasses, that pocket section is where I'm placing my bets. I'm thinking that is where the big puppet master is that has been doing everything. Get here as fast as you can, I should have a lock on it and be able to open a gateway to it soon.
Got it. And Phineas
Yes.
Where's Perry?
Line thief.
Yep. See you soon.
See you soon, bro.
[Connection terminated]
A message to the Master.
I am happy to report the final amount of energy needed to complete your goal is in my possession and is in route to you.
Kuja
Next Chapter: The mysterious figure will be revealed, brothers reunited, and we'll entering the final level. Review and be prepared.