Disclaimer: I still don't own it. Damn. It would be so cool if I did.
Oh, well. Maybe I'll try to buy it. Maybe not. A quarter and some pocket
lint doesn't buy very much.
A/N- Hey, thanks for all the great reviews, you people are so nice. Oh, yeah, like I said, I already know that Max isn't Bowie father, I usually go to Shining Force Central when I need writing help, like I can't remember how to spell something or which character I want to use. I read that and it /did/ make a lot of sense. Only thing is that Shining Force: Final Conflict is in Japanese! Damn, I wanted to play (and beat) the game before I got started on this story, so I'd have a little background from all three games, but I couldn't. The dialogue is such a big part of it; I wouldn't have a clue what was going on. Oh, well. I can always go back and change the first chapter, and just not go into very much detail. That might work.
Ch 3- Perhaps the End isn't so Near
The walk back to the castle was bittersweet. Bowie had finally fought, finally done what he had been dreaming about since he had discovered what a Shining Force was. On the other hand, it was over. That one battle he had always begged for was concluded. There was nothing to look forward to now but death.
Astral led the threesome back to the castle, debating with himself whether to punish them or not.
'They sneaked into the castle, lied to the guards, and disobeyed your orders.' One of his muses argued.
'They saved your life.' Another disputed.
Whirling around to face the kids, he asked, "Your positive you vanquished all of them?"
"Every last one." Bowie assured, still high from the thrill of the battle.
"Humph. I still have an uneasy feeling." Astral rallied.
"Look, they're /gone/!" Chester guaranteed.
Hiking back across the eerily silent grounds, Bowie could feel his stomach start to swim. He knew what Astral had meant, something was in the air, but he couldn't quite detect what it was. He positioned himself closer to the others, suddenly not feeling quite as bold.
The minister scampered toward them, the perturbation on his face comprehensible. Leaving the castle, which was now in an appalling state, the notified them, "T-t-t-the king's been p-possessed!" Trembling and stuttering, he briskly explained about the spirit invading the king's body.
Gazing at the juveniles, Astral cried, "I thought you killed them all!"
"We did!" Chester protested. "You didn't see any left, did you?"
"There's not time to argue right now. Minister, I demand to see the king."
"At once, Sir Astral," the two hurried off, leaving behind three rather perplexed young warriors.
They followed, their inquisitiveness facilely winning them over. As quietly as possible they advanced on the staircase in the direction of the king's quarters, only to find Sir Astral working to tranquil the lunatic sovereign. The king was indeed possessed. The blond swordsman backed up slightly, he wasn't too intensely cocksure what to do when the leader of you country becomes claimed.
Raising his arms in a spell position, a ball of crimson and sunset fire erupted from the body of Sir Astral. It struck the king, sending him flying down onto the carpet, and the Gizmo ejected from his limp frame.
Before they could ensnare the demon, it hastily rushed off. Debilitated from the confrontation, Astral sank down, still working to slow his pulse from the breath taking demonstration.
Helping the now conscious king into bed, he declared he would like to speak with Sir Astral alone.
Turning to leave, they silently stepped out and closed the door, breaking into frightened and agog twaddle.
"That was /so/ scary. Can we /please/ go back to school now?" Sarah pleaded, the fear in her voice genuine.
"No!" Bowie and Chester cried in unison.
"Why not? Sir Astral's right. This isn't a place for kids."
"Fine. If you want to be a cowardly little girl all your life, go ahead. I'm staying right here. Maybe one day you'll look back and regret how nerveless you were." Bowie told her, just the slightest bit annoyed that she would want to turn back after all they had been through.
Looking down at the dirty and cracked stone floor, she muttered, "You're right, I guess. I'll stay. I shouldn't be so scared. It's not like anything's gonna happen."
'That's what you think,' Bowie thought.
"Uh, can we get going? This hall's a little cramped." Chester asked, repositioning his equestrian body.
"Sure." Bowie answered, hurrying down the steps, not wanting to miss anything that might have been going on downstairs.
"So," the minister told the armies in the throne room. "I want that Gizmo dead, at any costs." They marched out in flawless lines, following the path in which was believed to be the Gizmo's.
Unexpectedly, the king and Astral rushed in, huffing and red from climbing the stairs in such alacrity.
"The armies," the king puffed, "they're not gone, are they?"
"Uh, yes, I just sent them in search of the Gizmo." The minister answered uneasily.
"Every last one?" Astral asked.
"Wasn't I supposed to?" The minister was looking more nervous with each passing second.
"No! You couldn't have sent /every/ army." Astral cried.
"I did." The minister confessed, looking /very/ guilty now.
"Sir Astral has been saying things about the Tower of the Ancients, and say that the demons must have something to do with it. He says that we must send soldiers to see Hawel, an old historian who lives up just past Yeel. But I'm beginning to see another solution."
"What do you think about sending Bowie and his two friends? I hear they did a admirable job in defeating the devils."
"Yes, I definitely think that would be a fine idea. Bowie, are you up to it?" Astral questioned hesitantly.
"It wouldn't be that hard. Please?" The king pleaded.
"Definitely!" Bowie and Chester cried.
A/N- Hey, thanks for all the great reviews, you people are so nice. Oh, yeah, like I said, I already know that Max isn't Bowie father, I usually go to Shining Force Central when I need writing help, like I can't remember how to spell something or which character I want to use. I read that and it /did/ make a lot of sense. Only thing is that Shining Force: Final Conflict is in Japanese! Damn, I wanted to play (and beat) the game before I got started on this story, so I'd have a little background from all three games, but I couldn't. The dialogue is such a big part of it; I wouldn't have a clue what was going on. Oh, well. I can always go back and change the first chapter, and just not go into very much detail. That might work.
Ch 3- Perhaps the End isn't so Near
The walk back to the castle was bittersweet. Bowie had finally fought, finally done what he had been dreaming about since he had discovered what a Shining Force was. On the other hand, it was over. That one battle he had always begged for was concluded. There was nothing to look forward to now but death.
Astral led the threesome back to the castle, debating with himself whether to punish them or not.
'They sneaked into the castle, lied to the guards, and disobeyed your orders.' One of his muses argued.
'They saved your life.' Another disputed.
Whirling around to face the kids, he asked, "Your positive you vanquished all of them?"
"Every last one." Bowie assured, still high from the thrill of the battle.
"Humph. I still have an uneasy feeling." Astral rallied.
"Look, they're /gone/!" Chester guaranteed.
Hiking back across the eerily silent grounds, Bowie could feel his stomach start to swim. He knew what Astral had meant, something was in the air, but he couldn't quite detect what it was. He positioned himself closer to the others, suddenly not feeling quite as bold.
The minister scampered toward them, the perturbation on his face comprehensible. Leaving the castle, which was now in an appalling state, the notified them, "T-t-t-the king's been p-possessed!" Trembling and stuttering, he briskly explained about the spirit invading the king's body.
Gazing at the juveniles, Astral cried, "I thought you killed them all!"
"We did!" Chester protested. "You didn't see any left, did you?"
"There's not time to argue right now. Minister, I demand to see the king."
"At once, Sir Astral," the two hurried off, leaving behind three rather perplexed young warriors.
They followed, their inquisitiveness facilely winning them over. As quietly as possible they advanced on the staircase in the direction of the king's quarters, only to find Sir Astral working to tranquil the lunatic sovereign. The king was indeed possessed. The blond swordsman backed up slightly, he wasn't too intensely cocksure what to do when the leader of you country becomes claimed.
Raising his arms in a spell position, a ball of crimson and sunset fire erupted from the body of Sir Astral. It struck the king, sending him flying down onto the carpet, and the Gizmo ejected from his limp frame.
Before they could ensnare the demon, it hastily rushed off. Debilitated from the confrontation, Astral sank down, still working to slow his pulse from the breath taking demonstration.
Helping the now conscious king into bed, he declared he would like to speak with Sir Astral alone.
Turning to leave, they silently stepped out and closed the door, breaking into frightened and agog twaddle.
"That was /so/ scary. Can we /please/ go back to school now?" Sarah pleaded, the fear in her voice genuine.
"No!" Bowie and Chester cried in unison.
"Why not? Sir Astral's right. This isn't a place for kids."
"Fine. If you want to be a cowardly little girl all your life, go ahead. I'm staying right here. Maybe one day you'll look back and regret how nerveless you were." Bowie told her, just the slightest bit annoyed that she would want to turn back after all they had been through.
Looking down at the dirty and cracked stone floor, she muttered, "You're right, I guess. I'll stay. I shouldn't be so scared. It's not like anything's gonna happen."
'That's what you think,' Bowie thought.
"Uh, can we get going? This hall's a little cramped." Chester asked, repositioning his equestrian body.
"Sure." Bowie answered, hurrying down the steps, not wanting to miss anything that might have been going on downstairs.
"So," the minister told the armies in the throne room. "I want that Gizmo dead, at any costs." They marched out in flawless lines, following the path in which was believed to be the Gizmo's.
Unexpectedly, the king and Astral rushed in, huffing and red from climbing the stairs in such alacrity.
"The armies," the king puffed, "they're not gone, are they?"
"Uh, yes, I just sent them in search of the Gizmo." The minister answered uneasily.
"Every last one?" Astral asked.
"Wasn't I supposed to?" The minister was looking more nervous with each passing second.
"No! You couldn't have sent /every/ army." Astral cried.
"I did." The minister confessed, looking /very/ guilty now.
"Sir Astral has been saying things about the Tower of the Ancients, and say that the demons must have something to do with it. He says that we must send soldiers to see Hawel, an old historian who lives up just past Yeel. But I'm beginning to see another solution."
"What do you think about sending Bowie and his two friends? I hear they did a admirable job in defeating the devils."
"Yes, I definitely think that would be a fine idea. Bowie, are you up to it?" Astral questioned hesitantly.
"It wouldn't be that hard. Please?" The king pleaded.
"Definitely!" Bowie and Chester cried.