Dark Chronicle: Unfinished Business
A Story by R. Miller
Prelude:
Max and Monica have just saved the world by Defeating Dark Element. Monica has decided to stay in the past with Max. We join our heroes 2 years after their adventures, Max is 15, hitting puberty hard, and he is now the Head Mechanic of Palm Brinks, as Cedric moved permanently to Mount Gundor recently, while Monica moved into Max's house, and an extension was built for her to live in.
Max walks to the Workshop, which now supports his name instead of Cedric's. He beams to himself, as it is a nice day, and he decided to wear shorts and a loud shirt, which Monica ribbed him gently about, but he got revenge when she walked out in a bikini and announced she was sunbathing today, where he ribbed her back that the sun would hide from her.
He coughs, as his throat has been playing him up recently, and walks in the Workshop, leaving the door open to let the fresh air in. He opens all the windows too, but despite his best attempts, he falls asleep, and dreams of his Mother. He awakens to hear the help receiver ringing. "Hello?" he yawns into it. "Max…" says a familiar feminine voice "You wouldn't be a dear, and come here and rub suntan lotion on my back?"
It was Monica, who had relaxed into Palm Brinks life like a duck to water, and the funny thing was, her being a princess, she ordered everyone around. "Why Monica?" croaked Max back, his voice going scratchy "I'm working, and it's…" "Don't lie" says Monica, interrupting him "It's so quiet in Palm Brinks, I could scream" she continues "and you certainly don't have work." Max chuckles, and his voice clears "OK, you got me, its so boring without adventure, I fell asleep."
The receiver suddenly goes quiet, then a scratching noise is heard, and Monica's distinctive battle cry follows "HYAAA!!!!" "MONICA!" shouts Max "DON'T WORRY, IM COMING!" Max instinctively grabs his Wrench, the Classic Gun hidden in a drawer, and the Ridepod Callbox, and runs for his house, shouting his Battle Cry. He gets to the Bridge near his house to find Monica in a losing Battle against some Monsters. Max runs over the Bridge, touches a Monster standing over Monica on the shoulder, and grins as it foolishly turns, then whacks it in the face with his Wrench, sending it sprawling and knocking over a Chair. The Monster then stands back up angrily and does a loud roaring noise, and Max, trying to shut it up by shoving the gun down the Monsters throat and shooting, which finishes it off. Max looks at the remaining Enemies, and Calls the Ridepod, Which Crackles to Life with a familiar hum.
Max climbs onto it, and then lifts Monica up onto it behind him, and smiles to her. "You OK?" he says "Yeah, I am now" she says back, smiling. Max gives her a piece of Bread, and looks back at the Enemies "You Ready Steve?" asks Max "Lets Rock and Roll" crackles back the Ridepod, which had been given new words. Max threw the pod forward quickly, and dodged an Enemies attack, dishing out an attack of his own, taking out the enemy. "It still works" he says, grinning to himself, almost getting caught from behind by a larger enemy. Max twists the Ridepods body to face the monster while moving away, but despite that the Ridepod gets hit, and loses some energy. Max growls at the Monster and attacks it, but it takes minimal damage. "Max!" says Monica "Behind You!" Max swings the Ridepod around quickly to see an enemy behind him as big as the one he just fought "We can't Win!" Max says, jumping down from the Ridepod with Monica and throwing a Lightspeed on the ground, the flash blinding the Monsters, giving them a chance to run. They run across the drawbridge, and make it go up, trapping the enemies on the other side for the moment, and the pair seek refuge in Cedric's Shop.
"Who or What were they?" asks Max, getting his breath back. "I don't know" says Monica "but they are powerful creatures" "Max nods, and looks out the door "We are safe, for the moment, I think" he says "I 'repaired' the Drawbridge so it doesn't go down, but that may be useless" Monica smiles at Max "That was smart." Max smiles back "Thanks, now what do we do?" "Best idea might be abandoning Palm Brinks till we find a way of taking them out" Monica says, souring her face a little.
"What is it?" Max says "I need some better clothes" she says, going a bit Red. Max chuckles, and throws her a paper parcel off the nearby table "Adel delivered this yesterday, I was going to surprise you with it" he says, going red himself. Monica opens the parcel to find a set of clothes Similar to her Princess garments, and she goes red again "You shouldn't have" she says, smiling to him "Now will you be a dear and turn around while I change?" Max turns to look away from Monica so she can change, and waits for her to say to him to turn back, and after a minute or so, she does.
He smiles as he looks at her in the clothes, then gulps "You look beautiful" he says, going red. Monica's face suddenly changes to a serious one "Oh No, their here!" she says. "Quick, in the sewers, NOW!!!!" Max orders, grabbing Monica's hand and taking her through the Bay doors, diving through the Manhole before the Monsters see them.
When they get in the Manhole, they fall down the ladder and land on each other. "GET OFF ME!" they shout in unison, then looking at each other and laughing, before standing up and dusting themselves off.
Max looks at the Receiver, which he still has, and tries to call out of town "Hello?" he says, then banging it against a wall and growling in frustration when he hears static. "Were alone then" he says, looking at the entrance to the underground channel "Only way out is that way" he nods, then looking at Monica. "You ready?" he says. "As I'll ever be" says Monica back, and the pair walk to the Waterway entrance…