((Warning: Chapter contains extreme cheesiness… More than usual. Skip to the next line/scene if you can't bear it like how the author herself is cringing right now.))
Chapter Twenty-Five
PaRappa felt his pulse start to race. It had been a long while since he had done something like this… And not to mention, his opponent was using a genre of music unfamiliar to the rapping dog.
"Try to follow my elegant steps, pup!" He stepped back, as PlayStation symbols began appearing above them. "In their deep slumber, we rise above! Dreaming of our own life… We became the four deadly lords!"
Gulping, he copied the deity's movement, but with his own usual beat. "I-i-in their deep slumber, you all rise above! D-d-dreaming of a new life, but it won't be achieved by this sort of whack!"
He flinched, not expecting that to be countered in such a way, much less sound decent. "Seasons of the mirror… That is who we are! In the spring and snow, wind and water! We seek the beauty of vengeance!"
"S-s-seasons of the mirror, that's who you are! In spring and snow, wind and water! But revenge ain't the right way to go!"
Due to how quick PaRappa was, the man began to grit his teeth. "I really have to take pages from my counterparts right now if this dog-boy continues…" He faked a smile. "The brightly colored spring always smiles, only hides his envy, green as the grass, for the affection of a gentle maiden!"
"Th-the brightly colored spring always smiles! Only hides his envy, green as the grass! All just for the attention of a girl?" PaRappa raised his brow, as if practically showing pity on how pathetic that was.
"Hound of the winter, vicious as a the blizzards he roars! Howling above the mountains, he desires freezing the tides that toppled him! Tear them like they did to his life!"
"Ho-hou-hound of the winter! Vicious as the b-b-blizzards he roars! H-ho-howling above the mountains! Desire to freeze the tides that toppled him! What good comes out of that?"
PJ then instantly began scratching the records on his turntable, to emphasize how well PaRappa was actually doing despite the unusual combination. The summer deity clenched his fist. "The gorgeous autumn breeze, winds so gentle… Akin to her meek heart! But then she turns from chances, a feeble mind!"
"G-g-gorgeous autumn breeze! Winds so gentle! Just like her meek heart! Yet it sounds more like she's the sensible part!"
After that verse, he began chuckling, almost in a creepy manner. "You continue to insult me like this… I stand atop! Above others, I shine! The summer light that beams, it's me they feel! Strongest of the four, you'll bow down in defeat!"
"You stand alone! Above others, you shine! That summer light that beams, it's you they feel! Claim to be the strongest, but I won't fall!"
"And so you're there… Unmoved by me! My frame before you doesn't strike fear… Your courage, and my sheer power… Who are you to defy?!"
"S-s-s-so I am here, unmoved by you! You don't even come close to striking fear! My courage and your sheer power? Not a fair match! I'm PaRappa the Rapper! And I always believe!"
Once he finished, Boxxy Boy stopped along with PJ. "Who's posin' now?" PaRappa taunted, before dropping his microphone, looking impressed with himself. The deity stood there, perplexed.
He began to smirk slowly. "Heh… Heheheh. Playing with mutts like yourself is always a good way to kill time. I must say, at first I was frustrated to know that someone as pathetically scrawny as you would topple me in vocals… But, I am the winner by the end of the day."
PaRappa stood there, not understand at all, until a wave swept him and PJ away. "Intersecting with my path of victory… What a fool you are! You've let your guard down, and now they have enough time… The P-Man will be reached with much more ease, as you drown into my tides!" He began coughing, drifting around in the waters.
Clinging onto a tree to save himself, PJ was actually woken up a bit more than usual. He had to save PaRappa, but was unsure how. "Admirable foe you are, but those are the ones I love seeing being tossed by me the most… Much like my counterpart!" The tides grew stronger, as the man kept smiling.
"I'll leave you here, in a soon-to-be-flooded jungle… Very nice to have met you, PaRappa!" Laughing, he took out a hibiscus while cloaking himself with a mantle. Within an instant, the man vanished, leaving petals behind.
Upon seeing the microphone, the bear reached for it and instantly tied part of the wire to the tree branch he was on. "PaRappa!" Struggling, the flattened dog grabbed onto Boxxy for support. "Try to catch!" Surprisingly, it extended far enough for PaRappa to try and paddle over towards.
Grabbing it, PJ tried his best to pull up PaRappa and Boxy. The former climbed up quickly so he could help. "That was some good thinking!… I'm sorry PJ, I shouldn't have gotten mixed up into challenging him, I should have just fought normally like the other All-Stars probably have by now…"
"Don't blame yourself, I should be taking hits too. I was the one who made the suggestion…" He went back to his partly-sleepy self. "But now I'm curious… What do you think is happening to the others right now?" PaRappa could only shrug, despite being worried.
Kat, Cole, Raven, and Zeke all tried their hardest to avoid Cage. "Come out, come out, wherever you punks are!" He taunted while continuing the chase. "There's no escaping me!… Once you're in my line of vision, I'll take every moment to enjoy your screams of peril!"
Panting in exhaustion, Zeke tried to keep his voice low. "We can't keep running from him! Can't you guys ward him off with powers of the sort?" They waited for the sound of his footsteps to fade a bit further.
"Not so easy! That guy could tear us up if we even get close or provoke him!" Raven pointed out, as she began surveying the area. "Who would be stupid enough to go against this guy anyway? All of us would be torn to shreds!" Cole's eyes then widened a bit, as if shocked but not surprised.
He let out a fake chuckle. "I know who would be…" Pointing towards the bushes. Fat Princess and her villagers were hiding there. The mages took aim, launching a fireball at Cage. The blast hit his metal-legs, causing him to turn around sharply.
"Look here… A stout filled with fresh, fat meat! Bet Grimm would like tearing you up!" Pointing his bladed hand at the princess, he charged towards her. Fat Princess saw the group, smiling at them, as if to cue them in a way.
Cole managed to understand what she was planning, even if risky. "Kat, Raven… I'm gonna need you to help me out here. My powers won't be enough for this." They nodded, agreeing to whatever he was suggesting.
Zeke was distracted, far too baffled at how the Fat Princess was warding off her opponent. The villagers tore up his metal legs, while she jumped in for more forward attacks. He wanted to find a way to help in some form, and began to cock a rifle while taking careful aim.
"Plump! Move outta the way!" Hearing that, she and her villagers took cover while Cage was startled. Opening fire, he was hit just a little below his jaw-lines. Yelling out in pain and holding onto his injuries, the psychopath glared at Zeke.
Before Cage could attempt anything more, a tree was thrown onto his body. Zeke and Fat Princess saw that the others were responsible for it. "You think we went too hard on him?" Kat wondered.
Narrowing her eyes, Raven checked to see if he was still moving. "No. He was intent on killing or horribly injuring people for his own sick blood-thirst. If anything, those like him should be ridded of."
"Also he was armed heavily… Should we, completely kill him off then? That way he won't bother anyone no more?" Zeke asked, while Cage's body seemed motionless. "Or at least remove those mechanical legs he has?" Cole was hesitant, and was about to agree to the latter idea, until a noise was heard.
Waters began sweeping them away. To their surprise it turned out Sir Daniel, Jak, Daxter, Keira, Sackboy, Sackgirl, and Lilith were caught in it. Kat used her gravity powers to try and lift most of them up, Raven did the same.
Just as anyone was about to question it, PaRappa called out to them. "Hey! Guys! Over here!"
It took a while, but the waters finally flowed out of the river. Canny Tim, being a ghost, was not swept by it, and Morrigan was still an ice statue being carried around. "It's not possible to thaw this out?" Cole asked, and Lilith nodded in disappointment.
"Sackboy and Sackgirl already tried… I would take something really hot, enough to burn someone by just being near in order to possible free her!" She whimpered. No one was exactly sure what they could do for now, as there was already a mission on hand so no more time could be wasted.
"Maybe Polygon Man can think of something when we get to him. Let's go! I don't want it to end up being that some of those freaks distracted us long enough to reach him first!" Jak exclaimed, making a run to where the the device was directing them.
After just a few minutes, a trail of violet and indigo glass shards were found. "So it really is true…" Daxter said to himself. However, it was clear that all of them were late due to being ambushed, as there were familiar sounds coming from a cavern…
"Stay away! Please! I do not wish to hurt you at all! How did you even find me?!" P-Man backed into a corner, trying to block himself off from the war veteran.
"We followed someone else, then took quick notice to the mess you left behind." Grimm murmured, holding onto a pair of sickles. "And it doesn't matter what you do, what really matters is that we came for your remaining power…" Cringing, P-Man began creating a barrier.
Marcus took out a sledgehammer in an attempt to smash it. "W-why do you want whatever I have?! Is it… Is it for evil purposes?! I shall not allow it!" Both the unusual versions of Grimm and Dollface stood silently.
The young woman held a club, attempting to help Marcus. "You seem like a nice man, unlike Mr. Kreel and the one we work for… But, this is how things have to be. So I can cut out the bad girl from this world." Bashing the glass together, they broke it into pieces.
P-Man winced, holding up his hands. "I… I won't hurt anyone!… No! Stop!" Suddenly, a barrage of glass orbs shot out, knocking the two doppelgängers back. Grimm gave a very faint, almost impossible to notice, smirk.
Upon noticing what he did, P-Man nearly sobbed. "W-what have I done?! I didn't mean to… I only wanted to—"
"There they are!" PaRappa shouted, grabbing their attention. "Polygon Man!"
Grimm took out a pistol, ready to shoot them down. But Fat Princess's villagers managed to disarm him swiftly, while PaRappa and Plump herself approached what used to be their former enemy. "W-who are you?… Are you… Those PlayStation All-Stars Raiden told me of?!"
"Yes! We're here to save you P-Man, and ask for your help!" Kat exclaimed, trying to hold down Dollface, while Raven helped with Marcus.
He was confused. "But… Why? I put all of you in danger!"
"But you were only confused! And lonely! Just like Lilith was at one point!" Cole pointed out, as the succubus stood behind him. "She did things she wasn't proud of either entirely… And even then, we forgave you! Don't you remember?"
"R-remember what?" P-Man stammered.
"You defended my series, along with Sir Dan's because Noire never gave us newer generation games!" PaRappa explained, while Fortesque nodded in agreement. "Me, Fat Princess, and Sackboy were all upset to see you go… We knew you weren't a bad guy! Even after all those things you did! Some of us were even mad at Noire, which is why Raiden left!"
Sackboy attempted to get closer, followed by Sophie. "Listen P-Man… We all know you're a good person deep down in there! And you should never have to worry about hurting anyone if you can control it! Cole helped someone with that too!" Spoke Fat Princess.
"But…" AP-tears began welling up in his yellow eyes. "What if I lose control? And become maniacal? Betray your trust? That's why I couldn't be around Blanc… I… I didn't want her hurt, or to hate me, since she along with others in Lowee saved me almost."
Cole stepped towards him. "Nonsense! Lowee's CPU was upset that you left, if anything, she valued you as a friend I'm sure!… And as long as all of us are here for you, we know you won't lose control, or be alone." He was about to object, but nothing was on mind for P-Man to say.
Even if he could, Sackboy and Sackgirl began hugging his leg, looking up at P-Man with saddened expressions. "See? If Sackboy and Sackgirl trust you… Then that means something! They trust Kratos, even though he's really violent upon first glances!" PaRappa pointed out once more.
"If you're afraid of hurting others… It doesn't count if it's self-defense like on those guys! They're complete nut-jobs!" Daxter gestured. "What should we do about 'em anyway?"
"Nothing you can do…" Grimm hissed, breaking free from the villagers. Keira took aim with a blaster, but the veteran dodged the fire, while kicking Kat and Raven to free his partners. "Was hoping you would all be held away long enough… But it seems it was foolish to try and separate our group. We'll retreat for now…"
"It isn't over though!" Marcus yelled. "All of you will see what I see… I promise it!" With that, the doppelgängers fled, despite Keira and Zeke both trying to stop them.
PJ Berri could only shrug, while Canny Tim pondered aloud. "They were all some sort of counterpart to those… 'Twisted Metal' characters, weren't they? My knowledge isn't too vast on it, but we were lucky to stop them on time!"
"Quite a pitiful lot. If they were just bloodthirsty and violent., if not more than Needles, then I would want to help them." Sir Daniel then glanced over to P-Man, who slowly reached his arm out towards PaRappa.
Both of them shook hands, and P-Man felt secure of everything, just like he did in Lowee…
((This was a pretty sweet chapter to write in all honesty…))