Chapter 2:Feelin' groovy.
"It's not much." Anthony said, walking into the house in Mobotropolis given to him.
"But it's home."
"It's cool." Jim said. "When are we gonna meet Link and Megaman?" Jim had already met
Sonic and Mario, but he was most eager to meet the stars of his favorite games:The blue bomber
and the hero of Hyrule themselves.
"Fan-boy." Azalea commented.
"I prefer the term gamer or Otaku." Jim replied
"Soon enough." Anthony replied. "Just unpack and go to bed if you want. Here's your
room."
Jim had traveled lightly. Bringing only his clothes, his books, and every single video
game he ever had. And feeling completely wired, he quickly unpacked and did something he had
never got to finish due to Anthony's visit; Play Phantasy Star Online.
"What's wrong with my game?" a voice asked behind him.
"GAAAH!" Jim yelled. He fell over clutching his chest. He looked to see a blue,
anthromorphic hedgehog looking at him. "Christ Sonic, don't do that!"
"Well, I drop in occasionally." Sonic said, prompting a groan from Jim.
"That was bad Sonic, even for you." Rouge said, entering Jim's new room.
"Hi, Rouge." Sonic said.
"Not that I'm not pleased," Jim said. "But why are is the cast of Sonic adventure 2
congregating in my room?"
Rouge sighed. "It's Shadow. He's been having these dreams....about Maria." Rouge looked
dissapointed then.
"Ah." Jim said. Then, noticing Rouge's sad look, asked "What's wrong?"
"It's just that I love Shadow." Rouge said. "And I think he loves me."
"Well, what's the problem?" Sonic asked.
"Well, I hoped I could fill in the pain that Maria's death caused for him..." Rouge
said slowly. "And I know I'll never replace her, but I just feel as though I'm second place. That
I'm just a distraction from Shadow to something he deems more important." She sighed again. "It
really hurts to be second place to a memory."
Jium nodded. He knew that Shadow felt a great commitment to Maria. So much that he tried
to destroy the earth for her. He repented when he realized Maria's true wish, but Jim knew that
if Maria had said 'Destroy earth and all it's inhabitants' Shadow would have done that just as
happily. Jim stood looking at the saddened Rouge, wishing he had words of comfort.
************
Shadow was pacing around the den of Anthony's house restlessly. "I can't take it Anthony!
I tried to destroy the earth!" He bowed his head. "What would Maria think of that?"
"But you saved the earth." Said Anthony.
"That doesn't change what I tried to do!" Shadow yelled. "I used Robotnik to send the
ARK onto a colision course. I tried to kill everyone."
"But you didn't." Anthony said. "You were misled by the hatred Proffesor Gerald infused
into you."
"That's no excuse." Shadow replied. "I tried to kill everyone, Maria probably hates me
now."
"Shadow..." Anthony said softly. "Maria loved you. She knew that no matter what, you
would do the right thing. To think any less is to demean her."
This had struck a nerve for Shadow. "How dare you..." His eyes contained a fierce
anger that was already apparent due to their color. "How dare you say I'm demeaning her!"
He jumped up and grabbed Anthtony's shirt pulling him down. "She was the first person I ever
cared about, and you have the nerve to say that!"
Anthony didn't strike or respond. He merely got back up. "That was only advice, not
medicine." Anthony said. "I'm a knight, not a healer. This is your burdon Shadow, you need to
deal with it your own way. If it's by getting angry and denying the truth, so be it."
Rogue, who had recently walked in, approached Shadow slowly. She wanted to tell Shadow
that Anthony was right, but couldn't bring herself to do so. "Shadow, let's go. We've done what
we came to do."
"Yeah." Shadow said, going for the door. "I think we should."
**********
Mr. Chestnut was a very reasonable man. He was a teacher and he was open-minded.
But an overlander in his classroom? The Freedom fighters were getting sloppier with their
desisions every day since the arrival of Anthony.
"Class, this is Jim Silver and Azalea Katsuya." Mr. Chestnut said, extending his hand
towards Jim and Azalea. There was murmur of whispers upon everyone looking at them. "SILENCE!"
Mr. Chestnut roared. "She is here permission of King Acorn. If he deems them worthy," Mr.
Chestnut's mouth twitched. "Then we must trust his judgement. Take seats in the back, sir and
ma'am."
Jim felt like a man on death row as the murmurs and whispers came.
"Is the king crazy, letting an overlander into the school?!"
"He'll try to kill us in a week!"
Jim was fuming with anger by the time he sat in his seat. If Azalea had the same
problems, she hid them well.
Throughout the entire class, Jim was silent. He simply wrote down notes as Chestnut
droned on about Weathering and erosion. He was getting into a stupor and simply scribbling down
what he heard by instinct.(A very useful skill he had learned in fourth grade) Until...
"SILVER!" Chestnut barked. Jim shook his face and saw the gorilla-like face of Chestnut.
"Thank you for joining us. Now, what is the difference between weathering and erosion?"
"Uh...Weathering is the breaking down of the mineral, erosion is the transportation of
it."
Chestnut looked as though he'd been punched in the stomach. "Now, why would a large
amount of stones the same mass as a boulder weather faster than the boulder?"
"Because the stones have more face-value." Jim replied. Being at the back of the
class, Jim couldn't hear what Chestnut was grumbling.
**********
Alarms went off. and a shadow slipped past a museum wall. He had just stolen krupnik
diamond. This person was Salazar Mago. "We have what we need." Salazar said to his companion,
Soontir Arrow.
Soontir was a manbalding, but very fit. He had two small swords strapped to his hips,
and a gun hidden up his sleeve. "Good." Soontir replied. "Now, get with the hocus pocus."
"Gladly." Salazar replied. "Evaporate!" and air replaced the very place they were
standing.
Salazar and Soontir were now in a small room lit by a fire and having scrolls of
parchment in shelves, and leather-bound books with yellow pages were on desks. "Another amazing
find!" Soontir cried.
"Yes." Salazar said, carefully placing the diamond on his desk. "I know a few collectors
who would pay most handsomely for a gem like this."
"If it weren't for those powers, Sal, we'd still be crap off the streets." Soontir said,
taking a beer out of the fridge.
"Yes." Salazar answered, a small smile showing. "Today's age is ill adept to magic. It's
almost sickening how easy these thefts are."
"Don't complain Sal." Soontir replied. "A few more robberies, and we won't even have to
do them ourselves. We'll be living the cushy pillow life."
"True." Salazar said, his smile not fading. "Yet I still wish there was someone with
enough ability to challenge my powers."
"What are you saying?" Soontir asked. "You wanna throw all our hard work off for a little
thrill?"
"No." Salazar replied. "Of course not. But still, it's a shame to not see the true
extent of the magicks in me."
"Whatever." Soontir said. "You creep me out most of the time, but you're a good thief,
so you're allright in my book."
*If only you knew.* Salazar thought. *If only you knew how my plans exceed that of profit
or luxury. You'll find out soon enough though. The gamemaster's new little projects are in, and
they'll make fine additions to my powers.* And Salazar retired, these evil thoughts comforting
his dreams.
*********
Jim snarled as several squirrels stared at him apprehensively. Judging from Azalea's
scowling, the prejudice had gotten to her too.
Jim stopped as her almost ran into a mobian that was, shockingly, almost his height.
Jim moved to the left. So did the badger-like mobian.
"You're the new Overlander." the mobian said.
"Human." Jim corrected immeadiately.
"Whatever." He said. "I'm fangs. And I don't like losers who come in here like they own
the place."
A surge of anger raised in Jim. He hadn't bothered anyone. "And I don't like short
people with stupid names like Fangs. There. We're even." Jim did the next thing to spite the
impudent mobian. "Now will you stop, if you'll excuse the expression, badgering me?"
Fangs' fist hit Jim's face, making it turn ninety degrees. The only difference now was
that Jim's face was contorted in anger.
"BIG MISTAKE!" Jim yelled, and he dived for Fangs.
"Oh my god!" Azalea exclaimed, watching Jim and Fangs sprawled on the floor defting
each other. Other kids were climbing on Jim, hitting, kicking, biting, and grabbing. However,
contrary to their intent of slowing his resolve, they merely fed it.
This went on for a long two minutes before Mr. Chestnut came pulled them apart.
"If you're stench didn't bother me so much, Silver, I'd give you detention for the
rest of your remainder at this facility."
"Listen old man, I didn't start nothing!" Jim yelled. But he knew it was futile. It was
an overlander's word against a mobians, but that didn't stop him. "He threw the first punch."
"As a guest of the gamemaster, more mature behavior is expected of you."
"That's beside the point." Jim replied, fuming.
"I will not tolerate your flippant remarks!" Mr. Chestnut replied. "Get out of here!
Now!"
"Gladly." Jim replied, walking out. "On my way out."
"I can't believe that the King would let ANYONE of your race roam Mobius!" Chestnut
said angrily.
"Don't talk, old man." Jim said. "Makes me wonder about the places teaching standards."
**********
"I can't believe it!" Anthony yelled. "Expellec in the first day!"
"It's not my fault!" Jim yelled back. "That teacher was just a racist bastard! I didn't
even throw the first punch!"
"Fine, whatever." Anthony said, obviously still annoyed. "The fact is that you've just
made it harder on yourself. I've just gotten off the phone Washu Habuki-"
"What?!" Jim asked. "No! C'mon!"
Azalea gave Jim a look that suggested she felt Jim got what he deserved.
"And she'll be teaching you privately starting tomorrow."
"Well, I don't what you expected but, you sure got it." Azalea said.
"You're going too, Azalea." Anthony said.
"What?! Why me?" Azalea asked.
"Because of the anti-human sentiment that wasn't helped by Jim," Anthony said as Jim
made no gestures of expressions that he felt remorse. "Sally has asked us to take you out too."
Azalea merely growled "Thanks a lot, Silver."
"Anyways, Merlin Prower thinks he knows what your powers are." Anthony informed. "He
says you're Neo-mages."
"Which are...?" Jim asked curiously.
"I know about as much as you do."
Merlin Prower was a friendly, aged, Anthro-fox who seemed to have the air of an absent
-minded conjurer in him. "Wizards come in different types of classes." he informed them.
"Spell-casters are the most common, using staffs as their magical outlets. Magicians are similar
to those in the Harry Potter books, waving wands. Wiccas are an underrated magi, using their
abilities only to help others. Neo-mages are perhaps the most robust." Merlin took a book off
the shelf of the library they sat in and flipped through it without actually paying attention to
what he was doing. "Unlike most styles of magic, which are rather black-and-white, they use
their personalities to provide their spells. The way no two spells are the same casted by two
neo-mages. Now, just as every person has good and dark in their hearts, every neo-mage uses both
good and dark magic. Understand?"
"I think." Jim said. "But, how come we haven't started turning people into toads? Because
I'd really like to-" Anthony and Azalea both gave Jim an evil glare.
"Let's step into the great forest." Merlin said. "I think it'll be safer there."
In the great forest, Anthony stepped behind them. "Who wants to try first?" he asked.
"I think I have an idea." Jim said. He closed his eyes and cupped his hand and
concentrated on the magical energy he was informed of. "KA...."
"He's not doing what I think he's doing, is he?" Merlin asked.
"ME..." Blue energy surged in Jim's cuppec hands.
"He is." Anthony said, not being able to keep from smiling.
"What's the big deal?" Azalea asked.
"HA..." Jim continued.
"You'll find out soon enough." Anthony said.
"ME..." Jim concentrated hard. "HA!!!" he yelled. A blue beam shot out of his hands
and knocked a tree over. "Heh. Not exactly Super sayan material, but it's pretty good for the
first try, huh?"
"May I try something now?" Azalea asked.
"Certainly." Merlin said. "I was suprised at how quickly young Jim did it. All you need
do is visualize it, and it will happen."
"So, we can do it automatically with no end?" Azalea asked.
"No." Merlin answered. "Every wizard has magical energy. When that is depleted, you'll
no longer be able to cast spells."
"Got it. Spells in moderation." Azalea said. She brushed her long hair behind her back
and raised her hands. "Wingardium leviosa!" she shouted, pointing her hands towards a rock. The
rock slowly uplifted into the air.
"Wonderful." Merlin said. "You are the first Neo-mage's since Sir Eric's time."
"That long, huh?" Jim asked.
"Indeed." Merlin replied. "In fact, Alastor Moor of Mason island was companion and good
friend of Sir Eric."
"So, he knew the original gamemaster?" Anthony asked.
"Yes." Merlin said with a soft smile. "In fact, it would not be a very risky gamble to
say that these two are descendants in some way to him."
"So, we're cousins?" Jim asked.
"I doubt it." Merlin said. "The overt difference in your family names show that if you
even are descendants, that any true relations is diminished."
"Kind of like Knuckles and Dimitri." Jim said thoughtfully.
"All that remains are your weapons." Merlin said.
"Weapons?" Jim asked.
"Each Neo-mage has a weapon forged from his will, personality, and imagination." Merlin
explained. "You must meditate into a clear mind. These weapons are tools of amplifications of
your power. They'll strengthen your spells, and your magical energy."
"Meditate, huh?" Anthony said vaguely. "I think I know just the person."
**********
The exact person Anthony had in mind became clear in an hour. After a friendly farewell
to Merlin, They took a trip to Ani-earth, and to of all the places, the Earth-god's tower.
"Hello?" Anthony asked. "Mr. Popo? Piccolo?"
"Anthony!" Mr. Popo exclaimed. "What an unsuspected pleasure."
"Thanks, but I wont be long." Anthony jerked his thumb to Jim and Azalea. Azalea was
skittering on the edge, hoping the balance wouldn't fall. Jim was walking around in wonder. He
had always wanted to come to this place. Where the fateful Kami-sama stood watch over his planet.
"Where's Piccolo?"
"Right here." Piccolo said. Everyone turned their heads to see Piccolo standing in a
meditative state, hovering in the air.
"He could at least open his eyes for us." Azalea commented.
"You'll be doing that in a few moments." Anthony replied.
"Really? Why?" Piccolo asked.
"They're training to be Neo-mages." Anthony explained. By the look on Piccolo's face,
Anthony might has well said that they were going to be on Next season's 'The bachelor'.
"Long story." Anthony said. "Listen, can you just get them to clear their minds."
"I can try." Piccolo said. "Most cant correctly meditate without at least a month of
practice."
"This kind is different." Anthony replied.
Piccolo nodded. "Very well." He looked at Jim and Azalea. "Sit down, cross-legged,
please."
They both did so. Azalea was freaked out. Piccolo was no normal sight. With his leathery
green skin and white cape and turban, he was definitely creepy. Jim was excited. Piccolo, the
Piccolo. He was guiding Jim.
"Close your eyes and clear your mind of all thought." He said softly. "You are a small
speck in the universe. You are almost nothing. Realize that, and true vision will come to you."
Jim tried. Jim tried to visualize the vastness of the universe. But that's not too easy.
Especially since Space is REALLY big. Humongously big. You wouldn't believe how vastly big space
is. You may think that the trip to Disney World is long, but that's just peanuts to space!
Jim managed it, after what seemed like two days of medidating. The trick to imagining the
vastness of space was finding that one could NOT imagine the vastness of space. Because, as said
before, it's really big. Jim felt a glowing warmth, and something inside him told him to open his
eyes. He did so, and stood up. Before him, stood a staff that stood almost as tall as him. The
edges at the end seemed sharp and it gave off a strange presence he could feel, as though it
were the hug of an old friend.
Amazed, Jim took the staff and lifted it. It was extremely light, though it looked like
it was made of steel. He held it tight, and the edges began to glow. After several seconds of
tension and holding the staff, staring at it, one word had came to Jim. "Whoah."
"Bout time too." Azalea commented. "You were like that for two hours." She was holding
a bow and several arrows, seeming to be made of the same material.
"Yeah?" Jim asked with an annoyed tone. "And how long did you take?"
"About 15 minutes." Azalea said, a smile on her face.
"Fourteen minutes and thirty seven seconds to be exact." Mr. Popo said, smiling.
"Yes, very quick for anyone, let alone a girl your age." Dende commented.
"What are these things made of?" Jim asked. "It's like Gundarium or something."
"Actually, it's Mythril." Piccolo corrected. "You both must have strong resolves. But
you, are impatient." Piccolo pointed at Jim. "Otherwise, you'd be done faster."
"Meh, what's wrong with getting things done faster?" Jim asked.
"It doesn't give you proper time to think." Piccolo said. "Rushing is the essence of
sloppy work. When we work here, we do it right."
"Fine, fine." Jim said. "Hey, I just thought up a spell. Can I try it?"
Piccolo and Dende looked at Mr. Popo. "As long as you aim away from the plants, I'm fine
with it."
"Alright then." Jim said, twirling his staff. "Blast of inferno!" He shouted. a fireball
shot out of his staff.
Azalea immeadeatley, took an an arrow into her bow, and shot it, yelling. "Aqua bow!"
The arrow flew out, and now seemed to be composed of water in a arrow-shaped container, it flew
so fast that it the fireball and doused it.
"Nice." Jim said. "Cool spell." Looking around, Jim noticed something. "Say, where's
Anthony?"
"He decided to take this room to train in the room of Spirit and Time." Piccolo
explained. "I think we should get him now."
As they walked in, they saw the Gamemaster in all his splendor. He swung his sword at
an amazing speed, yet with great elegance. Each swing was unwasted, and Jim could almost see the
wounds on the invisible imaginary foe. Anthony finished by extending his arm and throwing a
psionic blast. "HA!" he yelled, the purple blast of energy shooting from him.
Jim, Azalea, Dende, and Mr. Popo clapped. Piccolo made no acknowledgement of Anthony's
abilities.
"Ready?" Anthony asked. "Next stop Hyrule."
Before they left, Dende shouted out. "Wait, before you go, I have a favor to ask."
"Yeah?" Anthony asked.
"Could you talk to Mario about the Yoshis?" Dende asked. "They've eaten half the
daffodils and Morning glories, and Mr. Popo's having a fit."
Anthony couldn't help but smile. "Sure thing."
"So, where are we going next?" Azalea asked.
"The Hylas." Anthony said.
"The Hylas?" Jim asked, a tone of excitement in his voice. "We're gonna see the Hylians!"
**********
Link was nowhere near as fantastic as she had expected him to be. The way Jim carried on
about the heroics of this person she expected someone looking more...heroic.
He wore plain clothes and had a sword and bow and arrow strapped on his back. His green
hat did nothing to cover his pointy ears and his eyes were very sot. His hair wa not quite as
long as Jim's, but there was little difference. Azalea had to admit;He was kind of cute.
Anthony took out his sword, as did Link. "Link will be instructing you in the use of your
weapons." They both began fencing in slow-motion.
This worried Jim. He had never seen Link weild any close-range weapon other than a sword.
But when Link picked up Jim's staff to try it, he saw how wrong he was. He used it with
all the presision Anthony did with his sword.
"It's a good staff." Link said, handing Jim his staff back. "And this bow!
I've never seen arrows fly so smoothly." Azalea blushed when he handed it back.
Link turned out to be a knowledgable and strict trainer. After an hour, the staff felt
much less obstructive, and seemed to be more an exstenstion of his arms rather than a weapon.
Jim was also surprised at how good an archer Azalea already was.
"My grandfather owns a sporting goods store." She explained. "He has a soft spot in his
heart for archery."
"I'd like to meet him." Link said. "Few in the other worlds have the appreciation for a
subtle and exact art such as Archery."
"That's what he always says." Azalea said with a smile. Right then, Jim's stomach gave
a uproarious gurgle.
"I suppose we should eat now." Link said, unable to keep from smiling.
Link walked with them to his house and invited them to eat there. Right then, the
hoofbeats of a horse were heard.
"There you are, Link." a woman's voice said. This woman was, without a doubt, the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair fell down upon her shoulders smoothly, and every
movement seemed hypnotical.
Jim had no question as to who this was. This was Princess Zelda Wayfarer.
"The Princess!" he gasped, and fell into a kneel, seeing Link do it. After giving Jim a weird
look, Azalea knelt too.
"So cold with an old friend, Link?" Zelda asked, pretending to be offended.
"I am still but a commoner, Princess." Link said. "And I am in the public of strangers."
"Yes." Zelda said, understandingly. "This is the favor to the Gamemaster? Pupils?"
"He's teaching us how to use our weapons." Jim said, daring to look up and show his
staff.
Zelda smiled, and Jim blushed and ducked his head again. "I see. I see that you were
about to eat. Why don't you dine with us in Castle Hyrule."
Azalea tried to be polite about it, but it was clear she was going to prefer the kingly
feast in the castle to the medium-sized pot of porridge on Link's stove. "We wouldn't want to
impose..."
"Please." Zelda said. "The gamemaster has done much for us, and there is no imposition.
It is an honor to dine with those taken under his wing."
Azalea was right with her impression that there would be a feast in Castle Hyrule.
"I hope there's enough." Zelda said.
"Enough?" Jim said, gawking. "This place could feed Ethiopia for a year!"
"You have this much every day?" Azalea asked, her jaw down.
"Not everyday." Zelda said. "Just on fridays."
"Oh." Azalea said, wondering how Zelda stayed so thin with all this food in front of her.
Jim and Azalea must have eaten half their bodywight in food before Anthony came.
"Enjoying yourselves?" He asked.
"VMMY MNNCH." Jim said, trying to say 'Very much."
"Good." Anthony said. "Because next, I'm going to introduce you to your hand-to-hand
combat teacher."
*********
Their hand-to-hand combat teacher was clear:Son Goku. At last, someone Azalea knew.
"Thanks for doing this, Goku." Anthony said.
"No problem." Goku said happily. "It's been getting quiet around here lately so it's
going to be good to have a bit of exercise."
Jim and Azalea looked at each other nervously: They knew what Goku meant by 'exercise'.
"Now, let's start with the basics." Goku said, rubbing his hands together. "Using Ki..."
Anthony interuppted him. "No, no, Goku." Anthony said. "They have magic. They don't need
ki."
Goku's hands, which were glowing, went down. "Oh." He put up his hands. "Alright. Let's
start with the basic forms of the kamesenin style. Then we'll move on to Kaio-sama's style."
The kamesenin style seemed to be more of forging your body rather than any direct style
of combat. And after an extremely long and tiring session, Goku told them happily that they had
mastered the Kamesenin style basics.
"Basics, he calls it?" Jim asked, out of breath. "I really wish I knew the sayan
language."
"Tired?" Anthony asked, sipping a soda. Jim and Azalea both looked at him evily. "I
figured as much. I was just going to tell you that you're done for the day."
"So, what's stopping you?" Azalea asked.
"Well... I don't have to meet Jenna, Lars, Alec, or Amy for an hour..." Anthony said.
"And it's fun watching you squirm."
"Great." Jim said. "Arcadia's in the hands of a sadist."
"I'm just kidding." Anthony said, tossing them each a bottle of water. Azalea caught
hers and immeadeately began guzzling it down. Jim fumbled with his, then followed suit.
"Is it gonna be this hard every day?" Jim asked. He regretted the words the moment they
left his mouth.
"Of course not." Anthony replied. "They will be much harder."
Both Jim and Azalea sighed.
End Chapter 2
"It's not much." Anthony said, walking into the house in Mobotropolis given to him.
"But it's home."
"It's cool." Jim said. "When are we gonna meet Link and Megaman?" Jim had already met
Sonic and Mario, but he was most eager to meet the stars of his favorite games:The blue bomber
and the hero of Hyrule themselves.
"Fan-boy." Azalea commented.
"I prefer the term gamer or Otaku." Jim replied
"Soon enough." Anthony replied. "Just unpack and go to bed if you want. Here's your
room."
Jim had traveled lightly. Bringing only his clothes, his books, and every single video
game he ever had. And feeling completely wired, he quickly unpacked and did something he had
never got to finish due to Anthony's visit; Play Phantasy Star Online.
"What's wrong with my game?" a voice asked behind him.
"GAAAH!" Jim yelled. He fell over clutching his chest. He looked to see a blue,
anthromorphic hedgehog looking at him. "Christ Sonic, don't do that!"
"Well, I drop in occasionally." Sonic said, prompting a groan from Jim.
"That was bad Sonic, even for you." Rouge said, entering Jim's new room.
"Hi, Rouge." Sonic said.
"Not that I'm not pleased," Jim said. "But why are is the cast of Sonic adventure 2
congregating in my room?"
Rouge sighed. "It's Shadow. He's been having these dreams....about Maria." Rouge looked
dissapointed then.
"Ah." Jim said. Then, noticing Rouge's sad look, asked "What's wrong?"
"It's just that I love Shadow." Rouge said. "And I think he loves me."
"Well, what's the problem?" Sonic asked.
"Well, I hoped I could fill in the pain that Maria's death caused for him..." Rouge
said slowly. "And I know I'll never replace her, but I just feel as though I'm second place. That
I'm just a distraction from Shadow to something he deems more important." She sighed again. "It
really hurts to be second place to a memory."
Jium nodded. He knew that Shadow felt a great commitment to Maria. So much that he tried
to destroy the earth for her. He repented when he realized Maria's true wish, but Jim knew that
if Maria had said 'Destroy earth and all it's inhabitants' Shadow would have done that just as
happily. Jim stood looking at the saddened Rouge, wishing he had words of comfort.
************
Shadow was pacing around the den of Anthony's house restlessly. "I can't take it Anthony!
I tried to destroy the earth!" He bowed his head. "What would Maria think of that?"
"But you saved the earth." Said Anthony.
"That doesn't change what I tried to do!" Shadow yelled. "I used Robotnik to send the
ARK onto a colision course. I tried to kill everyone."
"But you didn't." Anthony said. "You were misled by the hatred Proffesor Gerald infused
into you."
"That's no excuse." Shadow replied. "I tried to kill everyone, Maria probably hates me
now."
"Shadow..." Anthony said softly. "Maria loved you. She knew that no matter what, you
would do the right thing. To think any less is to demean her."
This had struck a nerve for Shadow. "How dare you..." His eyes contained a fierce
anger that was already apparent due to their color. "How dare you say I'm demeaning her!"
He jumped up and grabbed Anthtony's shirt pulling him down. "She was the first person I ever
cared about, and you have the nerve to say that!"
Anthony didn't strike or respond. He merely got back up. "That was only advice, not
medicine." Anthony said. "I'm a knight, not a healer. This is your burdon Shadow, you need to
deal with it your own way. If it's by getting angry and denying the truth, so be it."
Rogue, who had recently walked in, approached Shadow slowly. She wanted to tell Shadow
that Anthony was right, but couldn't bring herself to do so. "Shadow, let's go. We've done what
we came to do."
"Yeah." Shadow said, going for the door. "I think we should."
**********
Mr. Chestnut was a very reasonable man. He was a teacher and he was open-minded.
But an overlander in his classroom? The Freedom fighters were getting sloppier with their
desisions every day since the arrival of Anthony.
"Class, this is Jim Silver and Azalea Katsuya." Mr. Chestnut said, extending his hand
towards Jim and Azalea. There was murmur of whispers upon everyone looking at them. "SILENCE!"
Mr. Chestnut roared. "She is here permission of King Acorn. If he deems them worthy," Mr.
Chestnut's mouth twitched. "Then we must trust his judgement. Take seats in the back, sir and
ma'am."
Jim felt like a man on death row as the murmurs and whispers came.
"Is the king crazy, letting an overlander into the school?!"
"He'll try to kill us in a week!"
Jim was fuming with anger by the time he sat in his seat. If Azalea had the same
problems, she hid them well.
Throughout the entire class, Jim was silent. He simply wrote down notes as Chestnut
droned on about Weathering and erosion. He was getting into a stupor and simply scribbling down
what he heard by instinct.(A very useful skill he had learned in fourth grade) Until...
"SILVER!" Chestnut barked. Jim shook his face and saw the gorilla-like face of Chestnut.
"Thank you for joining us. Now, what is the difference between weathering and erosion?"
"Uh...Weathering is the breaking down of the mineral, erosion is the transportation of
it."
Chestnut looked as though he'd been punched in the stomach. "Now, why would a large
amount of stones the same mass as a boulder weather faster than the boulder?"
"Because the stones have more face-value." Jim replied. Being at the back of the
class, Jim couldn't hear what Chestnut was grumbling.
**********
Alarms went off. and a shadow slipped past a museum wall. He had just stolen krupnik
diamond. This person was Salazar Mago. "We have what we need." Salazar said to his companion,
Soontir Arrow.
Soontir was a manbalding, but very fit. He had two small swords strapped to his hips,
and a gun hidden up his sleeve. "Good." Soontir replied. "Now, get with the hocus pocus."
"Gladly." Salazar replied. "Evaporate!" and air replaced the very place they were
standing.
Salazar and Soontir were now in a small room lit by a fire and having scrolls of
parchment in shelves, and leather-bound books with yellow pages were on desks. "Another amazing
find!" Soontir cried.
"Yes." Salazar said, carefully placing the diamond on his desk. "I know a few collectors
who would pay most handsomely for a gem like this."
"If it weren't for those powers, Sal, we'd still be crap off the streets." Soontir said,
taking a beer out of the fridge.
"Yes." Salazar answered, a small smile showing. "Today's age is ill adept to magic. It's
almost sickening how easy these thefts are."
"Don't complain Sal." Soontir replied. "A few more robberies, and we won't even have to
do them ourselves. We'll be living the cushy pillow life."
"True." Salazar said, his smile not fading. "Yet I still wish there was someone with
enough ability to challenge my powers."
"What are you saying?" Soontir asked. "You wanna throw all our hard work off for a little
thrill?"
"No." Salazar replied. "Of course not. But still, it's a shame to not see the true
extent of the magicks in me."
"Whatever." Soontir said. "You creep me out most of the time, but you're a good thief,
so you're allright in my book."
*If only you knew.* Salazar thought. *If only you knew how my plans exceed that of profit
or luxury. You'll find out soon enough though. The gamemaster's new little projects are in, and
they'll make fine additions to my powers.* And Salazar retired, these evil thoughts comforting
his dreams.
*********
Jim snarled as several squirrels stared at him apprehensively. Judging from Azalea's
scowling, the prejudice had gotten to her too.
Jim stopped as her almost ran into a mobian that was, shockingly, almost his height.
Jim moved to the left. So did the badger-like mobian.
"You're the new Overlander." the mobian said.
"Human." Jim corrected immeadiately.
"Whatever." He said. "I'm fangs. And I don't like losers who come in here like they own
the place."
A surge of anger raised in Jim. He hadn't bothered anyone. "And I don't like short
people with stupid names like Fangs. There. We're even." Jim did the next thing to spite the
impudent mobian. "Now will you stop, if you'll excuse the expression, badgering me?"
Fangs' fist hit Jim's face, making it turn ninety degrees. The only difference now was
that Jim's face was contorted in anger.
"BIG MISTAKE!" Jim yelled, and he dived for Fangs.
"Oh my god!" Azalea exclaimed, watching Jim and Fangs sprawled on the floor defting
each other. Other kids were climbing on Jim, hitting, kicking, biting, and grabbing. However,
contrary to their intent of slowing his resolve, they merely fed it.
This went on for a long two minutes before Mr. Chestnut came pulled them apart.
"If you're stench didn't bother me so much, Silver, I'd give you detention for the
rest of your remainder at this facility."
"Listen old man, I didn't start nothing!" Jim yelled. But he knew it was futile. It was
an overlander's word against a mobians, but that didn't stop him. "He threw the first punch."
"As a guest of the gamemaster, more mature behavior is expected of you."
"That's beside the point." Jim replied, fuming.
"I will not tolerate your flippant remarks!" Mr. Chestnut replied. "Get out of here!
Now!"
"Gladly." Jim replied, walking out. "On my way out."
"I can't believe that the King would let ANYONE of your race roam Mobius!" Chestnut
said angrily.
"Don't talk, old man." Jim said. "Makes me wonder about the places teaching standards."
**********
"I can't believe it!" Anthony yelled. "Expellec in the first day!"
"It's not my fault!" Jim yelled back. "That teacher was just a racist bastard! I didn't
even throw the first punch!"
"Fine, whatever." Anthony said, obviously still annoyed. "The fact is that you've just
made it harder on yourself. I've just gotten off the phone Washu Habuki-"
"What?!" Jim asked. "No! C'mon!"
Azalea gave Jim a look that suggested she felt Jim got what he deserved.
"And she'll be teaching you privately starting tomorrow."
"Well, I don't what you expected but, you sure got it." Azalea said.
"You're going too, Azalea." Anthony said.
"What?! Why me?" Azalea asked.
"Because of the anti-human sentiment that wasn't helped by Jim," Anthony said as Jim
made no gestures of expressions that he felt remorse. "Sally has asked us to take you out too."
Azalea merely growled "Thanks a lot, Silver."
"Anyways, Merlin Prower thinks he knows what your powers are." Anthony informed. "He
says you're Neo-mages."
"Which are...?" Jim asked curiously.
"I know about as much as you do."
Merlin Prower was a friendly, aged, Anthro-fox who seemed to have the air of an absent
-minded conjurer in him. "Wizards come in different types of classes." he informed them.
"Spell-casters are the most common, using staffs as their magical outlets. Magicians are similar
to those in the Harry Potter books, waving wands. Wiccas are an underrated magi, using their
abilities only to help others. Neo-mages are perhaps the most robust." Merlin took a book off
the shelf of the library they sat in and flipped through it without actually paying attention to
what he was doing. "Unlike most styles of magic, which are rather black-and-white, they use
their personalities to provide their spells. The way no two spells are the same casted by two
neo-mages. Now, just as every person has good and dark in their hearts, every neo-mage uses both
good and dark magic. Understand?"
"I think." Jim said. "But, how come we haven't started turning people into toads? Because
I'd really like to-" Anthony and Azalea both gave Jim an evil glare.
"Let's step into the great forest." Merlin said. "I think it'll be safer there."
In the great forest, Anthony stepped behind them. "Who wants to try first?" he asked.
"I think I have an idea." Jim said. He closed his eyes and cupped his hand and
concentrated on the magical energy he was informed of. "KA...."
"He's not doing what I think he's doing, is he?" Merlin asked.
"ME..." Blue energy surged in Jim's cuppec hands.
"He is." Anthony said, not being able to keep from smiling.
"What's the big deal?" Azalea asked.
"HA..." Jim continued.
"You'll find out soon enough." Anthony said.
"ME..." Jim concentrated hard. "HA!!!" he yelled. A blue beam shot out of his hands
and knocked a tree over. "Heh. Not exactly Super sayan material, but it's pretty good for the
first try, huh?"
"May I try something now?" Azalea asked.
"Certainly." Merlin said. "I was suprised at how quickly young Jim did it. All you need
do is visualize it, and it will happen."
"So, we can do it automatically with no end?" Azalea asked.
"No." Merlin answered. "Every wizard has magical energy. When that is depleted, you'll
no longer be able to cast spells."
"Got it. Spells in moderation." Azalea said. She brushed her long hair behind her back
and raised her hands. "Wingardium leviosa!" she shouted, pointing her hands towards a rock. The
rock slowly uplifted into the air.
"Wonderful." Merlin said. "You are the first Neo-mage's since Sir Eric's time."
"That long, huh?" Jim asked.
"Indeed." Merlin replied. "In fact, Alastor Moor of Mason island was companion and good
friend of Sir Eric."
"So, he knew the original gamemaster?" Anthony asked.
"Yes." Merlin said with a soft smile. "In fact, it would not be a very risky gamble to
say that these two are descendants in some way to him."
"So, we're cousins?" Jim asked.
"I doubt it." Merlin said. "The overt difference in your family names show that if you
even are descendants, that any true relations is diminished."
"Kind of like Knuckles and Dimitri." Jim said thoughtfully.
"All that remains are your weapons." Merlin said.
"Weapons?" Jim asked.
"Each Neo-mage has a weapon forged from his will, personality, and imagination." Merlin
explained. "You must meditate into a clear mind. These weapons are tools of amplifications of
your power. They'll strengthen your spells, and your magical energy."
"Meditate, huh?" Anthony said vaguely. "I think I know just the person."
**********
The exact person Anthony had in mind became clear in an hour. After a friendly farewell
to Merlin, They took a trip to Ani-earth, and to of all the places, the Earth-god's tower.
"Hello?" Anthony asked. "Mr. Popo? Piccolo?"
"Anthony!" Mr. Popo exclaimed. "What an unsuspected pleasure."
"Thanks, but I wont be long." Anthony jerked his thumb to Jim and Azalea. Azalea was
skittering on the edge, hoping the balance wouldn't fall. Jim was walking around in wonder. He
had always wanted to come to this place. Where the fateful Kami-sama stood watch over his planet.
"Where's Piccolo?"
"Right here." Piccolo said. Everyone turned their heads to see Piccolo standing in a
meditative state, hovering in the air.
"He could at least open his eyes for us." Azalea commented.
"You'll be doing that in a few moments." Anthony replied.
"Really? Why?" Piccolo asked.
"They're training to be Neo-mages." Anthony explained. By the look on Piccolo's face,
Anthony might has well said that they were going to be on Next season's 'The bachelor'.
"Long story." Anthony said. "Listen, can you just get them to clear their minds."
"I can try." Piccolo said. "Most cant correctly meditate without at least a month of
practice."
"This kind is different." Anthony replied.
Piccolo nodded. "Very well." He looked at Jim and Azalea. "Sit down, cross-legged,
please."
They both did so. Azalea was freaked out. Piccolo was no normal sight. With his leathery
green skin and white cape and turban, he was definitely creepy. Jim was excited. Piccolo, the
Piccolo. He was guiding Jim.
"Close your eyes and clear your mind of all thought." He said softly. "You are a small
speck in the universe. You are almost nothing. Realize that, and true vision will come to you."
Jim tried. Jim tried to visualize the vastness of the universe. But that's not too easy.
Especially since Space is REALLY big. Humongously big. You wouldn't believe how vastly big space
is. You may think that the trip to Disney World is long, but that's just peanuts to space!
Jim managed it, after what seemed like two days of medidating. The trick to imagining the
vastness of space was finding that one could NOT imagine the vastness of space. Because, as said
before, it's really big. Jim felt a glowing warmth, and something inside him told him to open his
eyes. He did so, and stood up. Before him, stood a staff that stood almost as tall as him. The
edges at the end seemed sharp and it gave off a strange presence he could feel, as though it
were the hug of an old friend.
Amazed, Jim took the staff and lifted it. It was extremely light, though it looked like
it was made of steel. He held it tight, and the edges began to glow. After several seconds of
tension and holding the staff, staring at it, one word had came to Jim. "Whoah."
"Bout time too." Azalea commented. "You were like that for two hours." She was holding
a bow and several arrows, seeming to be made of the same material.
"Yeah?" Jim asked with an annoyed tone. "And how long did you take?"
"About 15 minutes." Azalea said, a smile on her face.
"Fourteen minutes and thirty seven seconds to be exact." Mr. Popo said, smiling.
"Yes, very quick for anyone, let alone a girl your age." Dende commented.
"What are these things made of?" Jim asked. "It's like Gundarium or something."
"Actually, it's Mythril." Piccolo corrected. "You both must have strong resolves. But
you, are impatient." Piccolo pointed at Jim. "Otherwise, you'd be done faster."
"Meh, what's wrong with getting things done faster?" Jim asked.
"It doesn't give you proper time to think." Piccolo said. "Rushing is the essence of
sloppy work. When we work here, we do it right."
"Fine, fine." Jim said. "Hey, I just thought up a spell. Can I try it?"
Piccolo and Dende looked at Mr. Popo. "As long as you aim away from the plants, I'm fine
with it."
"Alright then." Jim said, twirling his staff. "Blast of inferno!" He shouted. a fireball
shot out of his staff.
Azalea immeadeatley, took an an arrow into her bow, and shot it, yelling. "Aqua bow!"
The arrow flew out, and now seemed to be composed of water in a arrow-shaped container, it flew
so fast that it the fireball and doused it.
"Nice." Jim said. "Cool spell." Looking around, Jim noticed something. "Say, where's
Anthony?"
"He decided to take this room to train in the room of Spirit and Time." Piccolo
explained. "I think we should get him now."
As they walked in, they saw the Gamemaster in all his splendor. He swung his sword at
an amazing speed, yet with great elegance. Each swing was unwasted, and Jim could almost see the
wounds on the invisible imaginary foe. Anthony finished by extending his arm and throwing a
psionic blast. "HA!" he yelled, the purple blast of energy shooting from him.
Jim, Azalea, Dende, and Mr. Popo clapped. Piccolo made no acknowledgement of Anthony's
abilities.
"Ready?" Anthony asked. "Next stop Hyrule."
Before they left, Dende shouted out. "Wait, before you go, I have a favor to ask."
"Yeah?" Anthony asked.
"Could you talk to Mario about the Yoshis?" Dende asked. "They've eaten half the
daffodils and Morning glories, and Mr. Popo's having a fit."
Anthony couldn't help but smile. "Sure thing."
"So, where are we going next?" Azalea asked.
"The Hylas." Anthony said.
"The Hylas?" Jim asked, a tone of excitement in his voice. "We're gonna see the Hylians!"
**********
Link was nowhere near as fantastic as she had expected him to be. The way Jim carried on
about the heroics of this person she expected someone looking more...heroic.
He wore plain clothes and had a sword and bow and arrow strapped on his back. His green
hat did nothing to cover his pointy ears and his eyes were very sot. His hair wa not quite as
long as Jim's, but there was little difference. Azalea had to admit;He was kind of cute.
Anthony took out his sword, as did Link. "Link will be instructing you in the use of your
weapons." They both began fencing in slow-motion.
This worried Jim. He had never seen Link weild any close-range weapon other than a sword.
But when Link picked up Jim's staff to try it, he saw how wrong he was. He used it with
all the presision Anthony did with his sword.
"It's a good staff." Link said, handing Jim his staff back. "And this bow!
I've never seen arrows fly so smoothly." Azalea blushed when he handed it back.
Link turned out to be a knowledgable and strict trainer. After an hour, the staff felt
much less obstructive, and seemed to be more an exstenstion of his arms rather than a weapon.
Jim was also surprised at how good an archer Azalea already was.
"My grandfather owns a sporting goods store." She explained. "He has a soft spot in his
heart for archery."
"I'd like to meet him." Link said. "Few in the other worlds have the appreciation for a
subtle and exact art such as Archery."
"That's what he always says." Azalea said with a smile. Right then, Jim's stomach gave
a uproarious gurgle.
"I suppose we should eat now." Link said, unable to keep from smiling.
Link walked with them to his house and invited them to eat there. Right then, the
hoofbeats of a horse were heard.
"There you are, Link." a woman's voice said. This woman was, without a doubt, the most
beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair fell down upon her shoulders smoothly, and every
movement seemed hypnotical.
Jim had no question as to who this was. This was Princess Zelda Wayfarer.
"The Princess!" he gasped, and fell into a kneel, seeing Link do it. After giving Jim a weird
look, Azalea knelt too.
"So cold with an old friend, Link?" Zelda asked, pretending to be offended.
"I am still but a commoner, Princess." Link said. "And I am in the public of strangers."
"Yes." Zelda said, understandingly. "This is the favor to the Gamemaster? Pupils?"
"He's teaching us how to use our weapons." Jim said, daring to look up and show his
staff.
Zelda smiled, and Jim blushed and ducked his head again. "I see. I see that you were
about to eat. Why don't you dine with us in Castle Hyrule."
Azalea tried to be polite about it, but it was clear she was going to prefer the kingly
feast in the castle to the medium-sized pot of porridge on Link's stove. "We wouldn't want to
impose..."
"Please." Zelda said. "The gamemaster has done much for us, and there is no imposition.
It is an honor to dine with those taken under his wing."
Azalea was right with her impression that there would be a feast in Castle Hyrule.
"I hope there's enough." Zelda said.
"Enough?" Jim said, gawking. "This place could feed Ethiopia for a year!"
"You have this much every day?" Azalea asked, her jaw down.
"Not everyday." Zelda said. "Just on fridays."
"Oh." Azalea said, wondering how Zelda stayed so thin with all this food in front of her.
Jim and Azalea must have eaten half their bodywight in food before Anthony came.
"Enjoying yourselves?" He asked.
"VMMY MNNCH." Jim said, trying to say 'Very much."
"Good." Anthony said. "Because next, I'm going to introduce you to your hand-to-hand
combat teacher."
*********
Their hand-to-hand combat teacher was clear:Son Goku. At last, someone Azalea knew.
"Thanks for doing this, Goku." Anthony said.
"No problem." Goku said happily. "It's been getting quiet around here lately so it's
going to be good to have a bit of exercise."
Jim and Azalea looked at each other nervously: They knew what Goku meant by 'exercise'.
"Now, let's start with the basics." Goku said, rubbing his hands together. "Using Ki..."
Anthony interuppted him. "No, no, Goku." Anthony said. "They have magic. They don't need
ki."
Goku's hands, which were glowing, went down. "Oh." He put up his hands. "Alright. Let's
start with the basic forms of the kamesenin style. Then we'll move on to Kaio-sama's style."
The kamesenin style seemed to be more of forging your body rather than any direct style
of combat. And after an extremely long and tiring session, Goku told them happily that they had
mastered the Kamesenin style basics.
"Basics, he calls it?" Jim asked, out of breath. "I really wish I knew the sayan
language."
"Tired?" Anthony asked, sipping a soda. Jim and Azalea both looked at him evily. "I
figured as much. I was just going to tell you that you're done for the day."
"So, what's stopping you?" Azalea asked.
"Well... I don't have to meet Jenna, Lars, Alec, or Amy for an hour..." Anthony said.
"And it's fun watching you squirm."
"Great." Jim said. "Arcadia's in the hands of a sadist."
"I'm just kidding." Anthony said, tossing them each a bottle of water. Azalea caught
hers and immeadeately began guzzling it down. Jim fumbled with his, then followed suit.
"Is it gonna be this hard every day?" Jim asked. He regretted the words the moment they
left his mouth.
"Of course not." Anthony replied. "They will be much harder."
Both Jim and Azalea sighed.
End Chapter 2