Listen to your soul - Never forget your personality - Battle for Freedom - Nightmares and Failures lay ahead - Rejoice! Myths is still in the air - The fighting is not over - Gain your confidence - Challenge your rival - A better day lays ahead - Survive for your time is yet to come - A war would erupt - All for a rear item - Destruction... Corruption... Chaos... Betrayal... Death all lay in your path - Excel in your abilities - No one stops you - Stars of Twinkle
The Age of Meric
Episode 6: "Defense of Twinkle"
THREE DAYS AGO...
'I'm O.K. Kar, as is TA 1. Laguna's party, Rebel Night, is with us. We're just going to finish the mission and come back in a couple of days. Wait for me.'
Karen woke up in alarm. A small smile crept onto her face, with tears of joy slowly and silently rolling down her cheeks.
'Śohoob... I'll wait for you.'
A second movie started with Galbadia Garden landing in the ocean and floating towards Twinkle Harbor. Twinkle City was to the north on Twinkle Island. After a few hours, they reached it. Motor bikes with Galbadian troops roared off out of the garden and into the harbor. Other flew off into the harbor. Trackers sensed the stop as did Rebel Night. Mora unofficially joined Trackers.
Trackers all had unified dark green leather coats that ended in owl feathers. The insignia of an owl was on the back of the leather coats. Rebel Night all had unified black leather coats that ended in wolf fur. The insignia of a wolf was on the back of the leather coats. Śohoob had his backpack on his back. While in the shaft, Śohoob gave Mora the party's leather coat.
"Ready Laguna?"
"I'm right with you."
"Let's do this."
Trackers took a deep a breath and Śohoob opened the hatch, the four immediately poured out into the ocean, holding their breaths. Śohoob closed the hatch behind him. Rebel Night was close by and it was Laguna closing the hatch. The two parties dived through the ocean to the beach of Twinkle City. The second movie ended with Śohoob standing on the sand, slowly and steadily panting.
Nasran; Mora and Roy all stood up. Śohoob was the first in swimming and diving lessons back in Twinkle Garden, after him was Nasran. Roy still had his rifle with him and it was still in working condition. Laguna; Kiros and Ward were the last to get onto their feet. Laguna's machine gun was still workable; the old friend was still reliable and loyal to him. They were a few yards away from the harbor. They were all soaking wet.
"Laguna, you take back your command as captain of Rebel Night. We'll run back to the harbor and help in the battle as much as we can."
"You didn't need to mention that."
"Are you with us Mora?"
Mora nodded.
"For sure."
"On our side?"
"Don't worry, there's no doubt in it. I'm starting to like being with Trackers anyways."
"Alright."
"Anytime today would be fine!"
Rebel Night strayed on ahead. Trackers quickly rushed towards the harbor, gaining on Rebel Night and passing them. Their leather coats and hair were flying in the wind. A metallic noise skidded Trackers to a full halt. Rebel Night stopped next to them. Their bodies and clothes were barely dry from the running.
"Did you hear that?"
"If my ears didn't fail me..."
"That was a BGH251F2."
"Care to go and hold it at bay for some time?"
"I don't know if we'll survive but we'll do our best."
Laguna; Kiros and Ward rushed towards the metallic noise.
"What about us?"
"If I'm correct, Twinkle Garden would have sent the new and old Twinkler Elite to deal with the threat and that means..."
"That we'll have to help the others! Let's go!"
'That Kar's with them.'
Śohoob rushed towards Trackers, trying to gain on them.
The harbor was in utter chaos, squadrons from both Galbadia and Emeton were fighting overhead and Twinkler Elite units were being overwhelmed. The three Trackers considered themselves a team that didn't need orders but rather knew what the other was thinking. They were also battle hardened from the forest and plains back in around Deling. Trackers went straight into battle, helping out a defeated Twinkler Elite unit. Mora took on some soldiers by herself.
Being part of Firecross 2, she was skilled and battle hardened in battle. The defeated Twinkler Elite unit gasped in surprise when the missing, assumed dead, TA 1 appeared to take their place. Their faces were marked with skill; experience; cooperation and determination.
"Now's your chance! Take it!"
The defeated Twinkler Elite unit nodded and helped themselves in withdrawing. A sound-piercing yell, but gentle and soft at the same time, called to withdraw to the city's center for the last stand.
"We'll join them in a moment. I hope Rebel Night is holding out. We're to help them after this."
FF8 Battle music wasn't playing anymore. With the new skills; experience; cooperation and determination, the music was Stars of Twinkle Victory music. A more glorified and gentle music. The first turn went to one of the Galbadian soldiers. He attacked normally at Nasran.
"What the hell is the matter with opponents and me?"
It was a miss. Nasran sweat-dropped.
"Forget I said anything."
The second Galbadian soldier attacked Śohoob but it was also a miss. Trackers grinned, realizing what they were good at. Through their battles, they gained enough experience to avoid the attacks, even if it wasn't their turn and in doing so, having them miss. The same happened with the third as he attacked Roy. Roy's turn.
"Take them down quickly. We need to help Rebel Night and our fellow comrades."
"Right on it captain!"
Roy summoned Soul-Warrior 4, Galaxy. Trackers vanished and the battleground changed. It changed into rolling plains, with the breeze constantly moving the grass gently. On Trackers' side, a mythical horse, with wings like a Pegasus and a mono-horn like a unicorn, appeared staring at the soldiers. It galloped in position, making the earth tremble.
Cluster Tremble
750 left each and every soldier. They fell to the ground and vanished. From experience in the battle in the forest and plains around Deling, Śohoob; Nasran and Roy all raised three levels, bringing Śohoob to the sixth and the other three to the third. The guardian forces were also raised three, all except Galaxy and Mamigrol. The battleground returned to normal and Trackers appeared. They did their victory dance. Stars of Twinkle Victory music ended.
"Time to head for Rebel Night's rescue."
"I hope we get there in time."
"I never lose hope! Let's rush there!"
Mora finished some of her battles and followed Trackers to Laguna's rescue. When they got there, Rebel Night was in a pathetic shape. BGH251F2 was there victorious. Rebel Night was all on the ground, dazed and defeated. Mora helped Rebel Night to a safe distance and watched the battle, about to unfold, on the sidelines. With Rebel Night and Mora out of danger, Trackers entered the battle, with experience against BGH251F2.
From now on when a battle scene happens, Star of Twinkle Victory music plays. When the battle is over the music ends. It was Śohoob's turn. He used Soul-Warrior 5, Mamigrol. Trackers vanished and the battleground changed. A forest with vines, forming a matching ring, was around BGH251F2. A large white flying dragon flew in the sky above him. A huge cape covered his back. In a blurry instant, Mamigrol launched a cloak of the cape towards BGH251F2.
Lightning Cape
The cloaked cape completely covered BGH251F2. Green electric shocks appeared around the cape, inside it and the cape shrunk; similar to Piedmon's 'Clown Trick'. The battleground returned to normal and Trackers appeared.
"Alright!"
Śohoob and his party cheered.
"Finish him off L. Otomy!"
"You got it!"
With Soul-Warrior 5, the enemy or opponent is shrunk, completely defenseless and easily taken down in one weak blow. Nasran attacked normally and BGH251F2 was easily defeated. That was twice Trackers had defeated BGH251F2, the first being harder and in Deling. It was getting easier by the battle and Trackers didn't even use any of their divine attacks. It was no need. The three did their victory dance, as the three called it.
"That was easier and quicker than I thought."
"Well first off is that we didn't give it a chance to attack back and we know short, easy ways to defeat them now. They'll be trouble to us no more!"
Śohoob remembered Rebel Night. He turned to face them along with Nasran and Roy but Laguna; Kiros and Ward were on their feet, applauding to Trackers. Trackers bowed in respect.
"We're fine. We just need to cure ourselves back to full HP."
"Where to now?"
"To the city's center."
"Uh... Isn't it going to take long to get there, considering the battles we'll have to face on the way?"
"No need for that. No battles would be on the roof, here's my plan."
COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER...
The huddle dissembled, they all nodded understanding Śohoob's plan. Roy shot a rope up to the left building and Laguna shot a rope up to the right building. Roy screwed a screw into the ground, holding the rifle down to the ground firmly. Laguna did the same. On Roy's side, Śohoob went up, climbing with his gloved hands on the rope. On Laguna's side, Laguna was climbing with his gloved hands on the rope.
Once getting onto the rooftops, both Śohoob and Laguna held onto the ropes, with help from Śohoob's own dark green aura. Others climbed up the rope. Mora; Nasran and Roy all climbed up on the left side. Kiros sliced the rope around Laguna's machine gun once Wards reached the top. With both Laguna and Ward, Kiros grabbed hold onto the rope and they pulled him up. With everybody on the roofs, Śohoob threw his Setis towards the rope and sliced it.
Roy pulled his rifle back up. The plan was for Laguna and Roy to be the gunmen on the roofs to shot down Galbadian soldiers and quickly hide, before they were spotted. After some time when a small amount is protecting the area, Mora would join into Trackers as Śohoob; she and Nasran jumped down to block one way. Kiros and Ward would take the other, behind the soldiers. Trackers and Rebel Night rushed through the rooftops silently without a sound between any of them.
When they came between spaces, they all simply jumped over them, landed harmless and continued on without halting.
It took them several minutes but through the rooftops, there were no battles just as Śohoob mentioned. Everyone knelt down, carefully poking their heads out while in their positions. Śohoob noticed everyone he knew was surrounded.
'Soon... Soon you'll be free friends.'
He also saw Firecross 1 and Firecross 2. The third member in Firecross 2 was small and younger than Mora.
"Ran..."
He had white hair that was spiky and short. His eyes were blue. In Seifer's arms Karen was held hostage, underneath Seifer's gunblade. Raijin and Fujin took defensive positions on front of him. Śohoob growled in his throat.
'Kar...'
He self-consciously held onto the necklace Karen gave to him. Śohoob gave the signal and Laguna let go, shooting down a Galbadian soldier dead. He quickly ducked behind the short wall. Kiros and Ward were kneeling, out of sight, leaning onto the short wall. The Galbadian soldiers panicked as they looked into the direction the shot came from but saw nobody. Roy took his turn and shot another soldier dead and quickly ducked.
"What is this?"
Firecross 1 and Firecross 2 along with the Galbadian soldiers all started to panic and freak out. Some soldiers even withdrew back to the floating garden in the harbor. Seifer cursed them as they ran out of sight. Trackers and Rebel Night saw it and lowly laughed.
"This is going to be easier than we thought."
Laguna and Roy continued on taking turns in shooting a soldier dead; ducking; letting the other shot and returning to his turn. In no time, the soldiers were thinned drastically. Firecross 1 and Firecross 2 were getting more and more encircled, closer to each other, confused and terrified. They were all sitting ducks and easy target from the rooftops. Seifer couldn't risk any of his men's lives in going into buildings because they'd be instantly shot.
They were growing thinner and thinner by the moment.
"Galbadia! Withdraw!"
He yelled out the command and the surviving men rushed away toward their floating base. Firecross 1 and Firecross 2 cautiously backed away into the same direction. Trackers instantly went into action along with Rebel Night, jumping down from their hideouts. Śohoob drew his sword out. Roy and Laguna kept their positions as told. As far as they considered, Śohoob's plan were excellently, even more affectively and successful than they thought.
"Going anywhere punk?"
Firecross 1 and 2 quickly turned around to face Trackers, minus Roy and with Mora.
"You!"
Seifer snarled. Firecross 2 stepped forward.
"We'll take care of him father."
"Take another step and you and your dad are to be shot down."
Firecross 2 held onto their position. Śohoob raised an eyebrow.
"Wise choice. Seifer! Let the girl go!"
"Oh yeah! Or what?"
Śohoob shrugged.
"You asked for it."
Laguna shot Seifer into the left lower leg. Seifer yelled out in agony, letting go of Karen. Karen rushed back to her parents. Excited but at the same time careful in this time, to see Śohoob.
"Or that. Now do you want another broken leg?"
Seifer closed his eyes and bit his lip, tolerating the pain.
'Dammit! The teen got the best of me this time!'
"Just who the hell are you and your team?"
"Name's Śohoob Actonal and my party are called Trackers. Don't you forget that."
'Trackers? I'll need to have a talk with Śohoob.'
'He's back! He's actually back! Like he promised indirectly. He still has the necklace I gave him...'
"Raijin, Fujin, a hand here."
Seifer sheathed his gunblade and Raijin and Fujin held onto Seifer.
"Let's withdraw guys, for the moment."
Firecross 1 and 2 withdrew back to the harbor. Śohoob gave his signal and sheathed his kestis. Roy jumped down next to him. Mora stayed back, making sure that nobody left. Laguna; Kiros and Ward stayed in their positions. Laguna lowered his machined gun next to him, leaning it onto the wall.
Trackers rushed towards the harbor. They got there and skidded to a halt, near the edge of the dock.
They watched Galbadia Garden disappear into the horizon, making sure that they won't turn back.
"Spread out. Let's see if everyone from Galbadia is gone. Make sure the dead from Galbadia are dead, if not, we'll take prisoners."
Śohoob; Nasran and Roy looked around the harbor and over every corpse and wrecked building. It was confirmed as the three met up on the dock. Everybody from Galbadia was either gone or dead. Roy put his rifle over his right shoulder and sighed.
"We're going back to the center. Let's move out."
"Are we going to keep our friends in captivity?"
"No. Once we get back we'll all leave peacefully."
"What about Mora?"
"Whatever happens to her, we'll protect her and she stays one of us."
"What if they make her Twinkler Elite material?"
"Then it would be her decision to join us or stay solo or join some other unit, if there is one missing."
They arrived back at the city center and when Trackers took a closer look, they saw Twinklians with Twinkler Elite units. Śohoob gave the signal to stand down. Mora; Kiros and Ward stood down, moving out of the way. Laguna took his machine gun and put it over his shoulder, he jumped down to the ground unharmed and with no hostile intentions at all. Śohoob knew that Squall was going to talk with him when they got back and he was ready for it.