Brandy's Bizarre Adventure

by Von Reivanon

Brandy the Bandit lives happily with her king Oticat, her best friend Dan the Knight, and the rest of her fellow troops. But when the dark machinations of an evil King and an evil Clan start to tumble into motion, her life is thrown into chaos. Rated T for intense action, peril, heavy themes, and slightly suggestive content. And yes, there are lots and lots of JoJokes.

20. Part 19

Insanely cackling and creaking with the tremendous might of the nothing between nothing, the Void WIzard rose above the ground, above the still steaming rocks above the piles of Elixir that had once been Trevor and Annabelle- only a few seconds ago they were alive, and now they were no more.

Song: Un'altra Persona

"Your friends are dead.", he said again, to accentuate the point, to truly drive home the deep despair. "And there is no longer any bringing them back."
As he slowly hovered in midair, seeming to mock the sheer unmatched terror, horror, and confusion that hung around the entire cavern like a thick blanket of sorrow, all Brandy could do was stare. All she could do was stare at the sudden carnage, the blue air slowly wafting off of the spilt Elixir- and a very powerful feeling began to work its way in to her fragile, pulsing heart.

It was unfair, she thought, just how suddenly they had both been killed. They had never even had a chance to fight back- this Void Wizard, whoever he was, had simply taken them out with a single shot. Two heroes, felled in an instant. It was almost too much to bear-

If not for, of course, the other thing. Brandy swept her vision from side to side, hoping beyond any mere hope that she would find Leon, despite his sudden disappearance. She held on to the known hope that he could turn invisible at will- that had to be what he had done. There was no other way. Otherwise…

She shook her head and sniffed, refusing to even ponder the possibility. She instead began to shout- "Leon? Leon, where'd you go?"

But there was no answer, only the dark howling of the Void Wizard's terrifying body and the rumbling evil of the cave. The Void WIzard looked forward just gently, for whatever reason choosing not to destroy them just yet. Brandy's breathing started to get more labored- this was beyond terrifying, putting her in not just any regular mortal danger. This was an emergency beyond all. She could hardly even believe her eyes, nor her ears- but she had to keep on trying. No matter what. "Leon, I need you to reappear. If you're invisible, turn back!"

As the Void WIzard once more began to walk forward, his exaggerated movements became clear. He stared at Brandy slowly whispering the words- "No."

Brandy felt her own heart beat deep inside of her head, the raw red panic inside of her bubbling over and becoming as of white sludge that dripped off the windowpane of her sanity, eroding at its stability and turning into just pure toxic slime, dragging down and dissolving anything that even got near it. She felt the hiccups in her tortured crying started to drip and run down her face, mixing with the overflowing death on the ground. She took a deep breath, tried not to shudder but was helpless in the face of the Hell that stood against her. Her face a broken remnant of the happiness she had been feeling just moments ago, now torn apart to die on the wind. She waited a few seconds more for Leon, hopefully, to appear, somewhere behind her. Anywhere near her. Anywhere apart from her, anywhere, anywhere at all-

Then as he failed to appear, Brandy's skin crawled like a roaring flame. Her breathing kicked into overdrive, and she almost hyperventilated- then she began to, taking in more air than she needed, just letting the feeling overtake her. She clutched her hands to her head so hard it hurt, and spun away from a standing position into leaning in a corner. She started to buckle down even more, feeling the absolute, infinite fear only a mother could feel wash over her in its entirety. She closed her eyes, swallowed, and screamed.

Bubble saw her mother scream, and tried to remain calm- but she could not. Annabelle had been her best friend, the one she looked up to, almost even perhaps her aunt, in a way. And she was gone now, broken apart in the most horrifying way that Bubble could possibly even imagine. It was far too much for her little mind to comprehend- and Bubble tried to avoid shutting down and falling apart. She knew she had to, for she was the last line of defense against the Void Wizard- wait, no. Where was Leon?

"Mommy!", shouted Bubble, her voice trembling. The Void Wizard merely watched, delighting in the sheer terror that his presence brought. "Where's Leon? He can help us!"

"Le-", Brandy gasped, not wanting to say it. She could not bring herself to- for even though she knew it to be true, she could not physically force the words off her tongue. "Leon… had… to go somewhere, Bubble. We're- on our… own now."

Yet even as those words left her parched and terrified lips, even as her eyes blinked wide with agony, she knew. Deep in her heart of hearts, even almost something beyond herself, shining bright with the brilliance of hope. She still had to hold on to that phantom hope that still remained- Dan was still on the mountain's top. And if anybody was capable of killing the Void Wizard, it had to be him.

"But…", she said, and tried to struggle to her feet. "That doesn't mean we're dead just yet, Bubble."

She could hardly believe the words were coming from her own mouth- and yet they were. A blazing courage born of sheer desperation wormed its way into her heart, and she made a fist, flashing a single iota of silver flame. "We still need to fight."

"Oh, what a truly precious sentiment.", said Taklavastoss, as he stepped forward. His was a truly otherworldly appearance, almost as if he hailed from a different plane of existence, one where suffering was ripe with frequency and death was the rule, rather than the end. He stood almost 18 feet tall, but was extremely thin and lanky- almost like a Skeleton, or even just a ribbon hanging from a rotting ceiling. His face was sharp and angled, a mouth full of glittering teeth hanging right below a hook like nose and two bright yellow eyes, a despicable halo of constantly shifting colors rotating around his head at high speeds. His dark purple hair floated in some evil wind, winding around his gaunt ears and bony cheeks.

Behind the cacactlysic void which he held in front of his body, both armor and his primary weapon, 4 arms crawled with sickly tones. They were all covered in oddly well-designed suit sleeves, buttoned up and crisp- but that did not take away from the horror that he inspired. No, it seemed only to add to it- that touch of civilization and order, to be utterly corrupted by the nightmare he was. Below the floating orb of absolutely nothing could just barely be seen a pair of suit shoes and a dark blue cloak, completing the terrifying look with a touch of cold death.

"It's almost like you think you can defeat me.", he said, and moved his void off to one side, revealing a burnished gold cloak ending in blue, and starting in black. "However, I do assure you that is not the case… for even though you have managed to defeat every opponent thus far, this one shall be far different. I will be far different. I'm 3 out of 6, and I'm about to be perfect."

"No, you won't.", scowled Brandy, starting to build up Dash in her left hand, held taught behind her body. She had no idea what effect it would have on the living demon before her, but she at least had to try. Just to try, that is what she needed- what they both needed to do. Both her and Bubble just needed to hold the monster off until Dan arrived. And arrive he would- that he absolutely had to. There was just no other option. "You… are gonna die. By the time this is over, it'll be your head split open on the rocks, and your elixir leaking into the mountain."

"Oh, is that so?", Taklavastoss breathed, and once again gripped his void. He jumped into the air, somehow hovering over the ground, and stared the two down- Brandy with her fist raised, and Bubble cowering, trying to hide out of pure terror. "Well then. Let us duel!"

The Void Wizard gave a bone-curdling screech and rushed forward, Brandy raising up an arm in defense.

Song: Decisive Battle

Brandy quickly threw up a Dash shield around herself- but as the destroying Voidsphere rushed her, she found herself reconsidering. Even though her Dash was invincible, she had seen it bypassed with a similar energy just minutes ago. And if that could happen, then perhaps the same could happen with the Void Wizard. She didn't know as he drew closer, drew ever-

Brandy winced and Dashed out of the way, grabbing Bubble from the ground below. She rolled over the ground as Taklavastoss roared by, destroying the rock he touched by, turning it from solid darkstone to mere air upon contact. Brandy quickly jumped to her feet and looked the direction he had gone- there was now nothing more than a giant tunnel through the stone, leading about a hundred feet down before disappearing.

"Mommy?", she heard from beside her, and she had no choice but to look down. There was Bubble, now able to stand, but still her cheeks dripped salty tears and her limbs shook from overwhelming panic. "Is… are we… are we gonna be okay?"

Brandy gripped Bubble's hand as tightly as she could, and tried to watch out for the Void Wizard's next angle of attack. She knew that he could potentially come from anywhere- from in front, in back- or even through the walls themselves. She looked down unknowing how to sense that last one before it happened, and hoping beyond hope that it didn't.

"I don't know, Bubble.", she said truthfully, and swallowed hard, trying to keep her fear from overwhelming her again. She could see herself almost from outside of the fight- a terrified Bandit trying to keep her daughter safe, despite the constant danger of death from all possible direictions, at all times. The worry and pain ran down her face like water after a waterfall, and she tried to keep her heavy, fast breathing under control. "I just don't know."

Bubble started to say something, when she heard a highly suspicious sound coming from directly to the right of them, in the wall. It didn't take long for her to scream, get yanked up by Brandy, and jump- as far away from the sudden attack as she could. By only a single second and just a few feet, the area of dirt and rock where they had been standing was utterly obliterated, the sound like an exploding couch cushion. The Void Wizard streaked out the wall, leaving yet another hole, and continued onwards- until he stopped, and saw what the group was then doing.

Bubble and Brandy seemed to be setting something up with the all the words in the book . There was no telling what could possibly happen next- but Taklavastoss did not care. He just put his head and hands together, and charged.

Brandy and Bubble, after a few inspiring words were mentally, silently chosen, decided to do the best thing in the situation. That is- run away. Run away from the endless terror of the Void WIzard, and hopefully not die. But of course, that failed to work.

Brandy turned and tried to run away. She grabbed Bubble, threw her up onto her shoulder and tried to flee- but she had, in her current state of fragile mind, failed to see where she was going. Her foot hit a rocky outcropping and she started to fall towards the ground- then in an instant, she had already Dashed, before she could even realize that she had. She now found herself a few dozen feet away at the speed of light, resting on a little rocky outcropping, protected from the Void WIzard's next assault. And Bubble was-

Brandy's face froze, and her heart dropped out of her stomach. She looked down- there was Bubble, just barely managing to tuck and roll out of the way, as the Void Wizard passed just by her, with not even a foot to spare, carving out yet another spoon within the rock.

Brandy gasped in relief, feeling her hand push against the wood which she had found herself.

It didn't seem normal- in fact, it seemed that it was hollow. They both stared at it for a second, until Brandy somewhere got a tiny worm of an idea, deep in her brain. But she had to grab Bubble first to do so, and so looked towards where she had last seen her. There she was, still running along the ground, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes- yep. That was her. Now she just needed to-

The ground rumbled as Taklavastoss once again prepared to strike, feeling the raw destructive power flowing though him. The ground right where Bubble hd been a half second earlier bust open with a flash of bright blykeetiics. There was a deathly roar and display or power as he concentrated his force, about to vanish them off the face of reality.

But Brandy, of course, was not about to let a thing like that happen. She growled and Dashed forward, bringing Bubble up to her hiding roost in half a second, letting the wind of the rushing Void Wizard flash by. Sher put fingers on Bubble's head, allowing her to rest for a few seconds before continuing. "Shh shh, it's okay. Just hold on. It'll be over soon. We'll beat him Bubble. It's fine."

Before even waiting for a response, Brandy drew back her fist, and stared at the wall.

She yelled, surrounded her fingers with pure Dash and struck, blowing a hole in the wall just large enough for both her and Bubble to squeeze through. She was pretty sure the Void WIzard could just bypass the walls entirely by running them through, but she didn't need him going through her own tunnels anyway. She would not allow that- that- that thing to use whatever was rightfully hers. No matter what.

As Brandy and Bubble swiftly squeezed through the rock wall, slipping into darkness and out of sight, Taklavastoss looked up. He grinned widely, and almost laughed to himself.

"Oh, they're making themselves look just soooo much harder to find.", he boomed, and once again folded his limbs into his ball of void, becoming one in it in his travel mode. "I guess I could use some practice, however.. ."

He laughed, closed his eyes, and charged. He blasted directly through the wall in front of him, knowing that he would not go back the way her came, until he found and removed his targets. That was his role, and his goal. He knew he had to trust his co-Forgotten to do their jobs, just as much as they trusted him to do his- except for Julia. But she was a mistake. And he was Rakastamos's chosen, his single finest warrior. No one could ever best him in single combat, not even his student Taklastos. As he blasted through dozens of meters of rock, only now cursing his decision to take the thicker bottom portion instead of the conveniently more airy top half of the tunnel, he focused on his targets. He smiled- killing them would the hardest thing he had ever enjoyed.

Song: Clash

"Come out, come out!", Taklavastoss sang, as his orb of void punched through the rock like blazing magma punches through paper. It left nothing behind- not dust, not bits, not even air- that too was destroyed, leaving the concentration of atmosphere in the world a little less. "You can't hide from me!"

He finally emerged from the stone into the cold cavern air, and laughed. Spiraling up into the air with a burst of sand, he looked every which way, trying to find his quarry. And yet, they were hidden quite well. Hidden behind rocks, or hidden behind the small lavafalls that adorned the dark area, or just hidden in a different room- that was the question, where? The Void Wizard did not know, but he knew he could just keep on looking.

"I'm going to count to three, and I want you out here!", he shouted, in some insane mockery of gentle parenting, his truly insane countenance a mockery of life itself. For as Brandy stared at him from the illusion that Bubble had cast, disguising them both as rocks, she could feel hatred deep inside of herself that she had only ever felt for one other individual.

How dare he kill them. How dare he end their lives so casually, and not even care about it. How DARE he just treat it like a game, a joke, when the pain rushing through the room was like that of a collapsing sea current, flooding everything within sight. It was unfair what he even was- to just be able to destroy absolutely anything with a single touch of his void orb, his victims unable to even put up a fight. Just his very existence made Brandy simultaneously want to scream, kill him- and- and- and- and cry.

Brandy could feel the tears start to well up in the back of her throat, and she fought to keep herself from making noise. She knew that she could not, or the Void Wizard would be alerted, and it would be the end for both of them. She tried to keep her tears from falling, to keep the sobs from coming out- but it was impossible. She watched as a single milky red tear, more blood now than anything else, slowly drip out of her eye, hanging precariously over the pool of water below. One drip, and it would be-

Bubble stared, and knew what she had to do. She closed her eyes and concentrated on a rock halfway across the room harder than she had ever concentrate on anything her entire life, willing it to make sound, willing whatever power she had to make illusions to now expand, to create sound, to-

Brandy's tear fell, and the first quiet sob escaped her mouth. Bubble's eyes shot open as Brandy's closed, the tear slowly falling into the pool of water below and starting to taint it with her blood, making a sound that was far out of place.

"Gotcha!", shouted Taklavastoss, and whipped around. He stared at the general area where he had heard the sound, still not seeing the two under illusions. "You're right…"

He gave a sadistic smile, and rushed forward. "There!"

Taklavastoss approached the rock, seeing the same crying sound come again, opened its void to its fullest width, and struck with all his might, the entire rocky shelf at first sustaining a massive hole, then opening up and collapsing, the entire thing falling into the void, exploding with a colossal train of crashes as they hit the nothing.

The sound was loud enough to mask the sound of Brandy Dashing away, grabbing Bubble in her hands, jumping out a small air shaft in the ceiling, the Void Wizard not even noticing them. They hit the ground, rolled along the black stone, and Brandy almost screamed.

"Mommy…", Bubble said, trying to keep from crying as well. She had just done something amazing, but it hardly even mattered in the face of the fight. Nothing else really did. "Did we do it? Did we escape him?"

Brandy pushed herself to her feet, forcing herself to stand. She looked up into a shard of broken glass stabbed into the wall by a single skeletal finger- and saw herself, saw what she looked like. It haunted her, and shook her to the bone.

Her hair was matted and stringy, clumps of dirt and dried blood filling the strands. Her mask was powdery and torn in places, almost even reaching the fragile underskin beneath. Her hood was torn and hung off her head, barely even on her shoulders. Her cheeks were torn and scraped, a line of blood working its way down from her right eye- and as she watched, the left as well. Her nose was bruised, and her mouth was cut in places, her entire body shuddering up and down. She could feel the terror rising in her still, rising up out of her stomach, rising into her throat-

Without warning, Brandy clutched at her stomach, leaned forward, and threw up all over the floor. She could not help it as everything she had eaten in the last day- which wasn't much, mostly acid covering the floor- escaped, the burning liquid splashing back into her face. It mixed with the tears of blood and the sweat of fear, and she felt her body start to shut down as her mind retreated into panic. She felt her old fear rising up- the fear of death, the fear of loss, the fear of-

"Mommy!", she heard, and Bubble grabbed her shoulder. She could feel her body being dragged through the cavern, Bubble trying her best to move her. It was as if Brandy's body was being dragged, but not Brandy herself- it was a bit hard to describe at that moment, but that is what it felt like. "We have to get out of here! Daddy's waiting for us!"

"Dad...dy…", Brandy said, those words working her way through her clouded mind. "Da… Dan?"

Then she perked up, having been reminded of that last shred of hope poking through those dark clouds. "Dan? Dan!"

"Yes, Mommy.", said Bubble, and pointed forward. "I think I see a light up ahead. Maybe if we follow it, we can get out of the mountain."

Brandy watched as Bubble so seamlessly took command- and saw her in a new light. The young girl, yes- but also a young woman underneath. Bubble…, she thought. Just who are you?

I'm Bubble, thought Bubble back, and gave Brandy a tap on the head. Silly Mommy.

They were just about to run, to embark on their last gambit for freedom, when they heard the rock and stone break behind them. They as one turned around to see the Void Wizard, steaming deathlust and dripping with blazing magma, staring down at them.

"For my Father Rakastamos, I shall put an end to you mortals!", he shouted, and scowled widely, hatred shining outwards from his darkened wound of a face.

"It's time to die!"

"Oh no it's not.", Brandy whispered underneath her breath, and gathered up some Dash in her legs. She motioned for Bubble to hold still, and wrapped her arms around her, clutching her tightly to her chest. If her plan was to work, everything had to go perfectly.

"Bubble, listen carefully.", she whispered again, right into Bubble's listening ear. "I think he can only erase things when he touches them with that sphere he holds… but he can go in it too. However, we might be able to catch him without it, maybe trap him into throwing it or something. You got that?"

Bubble nodded, and Brandy flexed her arm. "Good."

She took a deep breath, preparing for her move- then made it, jumping high over the spiked rocks they hid behind and becoming visible to their formidable foe. He turned to look at them, and saw Brandy performing a rude gesture, Bubble using a little illusion magic to make her pinky fingers twice the size they were normally. "Hey! Over here!"

"Oh, a distraction, eh?", the Void WIzard mused, and looked up at the cave ceiling. "Well, I won't go for it. No matter what. You're obviously just trying to get me to throw it at you, aren't you?"

But even as he spoke those words, he grabbed his void sphere, hoisted himself up into the air, sunk down into the destroying depths, and threw himself, right at Brandy's head.

Brandy shrieked and Dashed back down again, hitting the ground a second before Bubble did, right as Taklavastoss roared overhead, searing the tops off of the rocks and blowing a hole in the back wall, to the massive boom of the air being destroyed in his path.

Crap crap crap crap crap-, Brandy thought, as she flattened herself against the ground, frantically pushing Bubble into a hole in one of the rocks. "That didn't work. I didn't know that-"

"Mommy?", asked Bubble, slowly starting to stand up out of the rocks. "I think I have a plan."

"What is it, sweetie?", asked Brandy, trying to keep her legs from giving out under her. In the panic that surrounded her, it was not a simple task. "Tell me."

"That void of his is weird.", said Bubble, then suddenly seemed to grow a bit different. "It's creepy, and I don't like it- but it also seems to have a weakness. It's only external control. If we could somehow separate him from it, then he would be almost entirely defenseless."

Brandy thought about this for a moment- then shook her head. "No. We can't. Even if we somehow managed to do that, it's still his standard weapon. He could still recall it to himself in a matter of moments."
Bubble's face fell, and Brandy felt the wind on her back suddenly pick up, as Bubble stretched into the air. "Oh. Well then maybe we could-"

"Bubble get down!", Brandy screamed, and pushed her to the ground before there was an answer. Bubble did not know why until a half second later, when the Void WIzard once again came roaring overhead, destroying the tops of the rock and exposing their short lived hiding spot. Brandy grabbed Bubble around the waist, not giving the poor girl a chance to breathe, and Dashed away to the far side of the rocks, right before Taklavastoss slammed his entire body into the ground, eating away a single round chunk like an eraser placed on the page of reality.

Brandy landed softly on the side of the wall, sliding down and taking a deep breath. She placed down Bubble- and gave a shocked gasp of secondhand pain, as she saw the trickle of blood dripping down Bubble's face, all the way down her cheek.

"Bubble?", Brandy gasped, almost choking up. She brushed her hand against Bubble's cheek, trying to slow the flow of blood- but there it still was, going down her skin, pooling on the ground below in a drop the size of a quarter. Brandy knew she had to get it to stop. The Void Wizard could probably smell it, the Void Wizard could probably-

"I'm fine, Mom.", Bubble groaned, and shakily tried to rise, but fell from her hurt position. "We just need to- kill him, Mommy."

Brandy watched the strange changes come over Bubble in rapid succession- she had seemed older by a few years for just a second, then younger again, then brave beyond measure. Right now she seemed like her usual self- and yet different in some way that Brandy could not quite touch. She looked one more time- then she had it. It was her dress.

When they had first met Bubble, she had been wearing a very simple dress, yellow in color, with blue accents. It had not changed at all during the journey- until now. Now it was more grey than yellow, strange yet oddly familiar patterns weaving their way around the bottom.

"I see you!", the deep, ice cold tones of Taklavastoss boomed, and they both jumped. They turned around in shock to see the Void Wizard hovering there in the air, two arms outstretched and two arms holding his void, preparing for yet another rush. "But soon you won't see me… for you shall have no eyes to see!"

"Bubble, I know what his pattern his.", said Brandy, and nodded. She stared at the Void Wizard and seemed to take in his very being into her eyes, staring with matchless courage, despite her terrifyingly beating heart. "He can't move very often, and only in a straight line. If we manage to catch him right before or after a rush, and stab him in the back or head…"

She charged up a ferocious Dash Swipe, and grit her teeth. "We can beat this guy."

Song: Lotte Feroce

The Void Wizard bent down and began to charge, Brandy calculating in her head the precise timing and angles to catch him as he went by. A lifetime of combat training had its usages.

"For Trevor.", she whispered to herself, and saw the world slow down. The Void Wizard, the deaths of her friends, Bubble's jumping out of the way, the rocks collapsing around her- for a split second, none of it was happening. The only thing that was going on, to Brandy in that moment of white purity, was a strange feeling rising up deep inside of her, a peculiar calmness.

But then it was shattered, and she was once again flying towards the destroying nothing, hearing the raging roar of Taklavastoss in her mind and ears, and she-

Brandy Dashed off to the right, skidding along the rock, just out of the range of her opponent's deadly strike. He was too slow to turn, too slow to adjust- and Brandy's Dash Swipe lashed out, catching him right on the shoulders and digging in to his neck.

Brandy almost shouted, almost screamed in triumph, the killing blow having been landed- but then it died in her throat, as she felt the insane pain in her fingers start to build.

Brandy hit the wall abruptly, her Dash shield that should have been there having vanished. She cried out in pain as she slammed into the floor, her head hitting a rock, her vision for a split second going red. She shakily brought her hands up to see her fingers, and almost screamed. Some of them were eaten away at the tips, the product of Taklavastoss's acidic blood. Her Dash, thought to be invincible, had been no match for the Void Wizard's power of total annihilation. It had crumbled upon touch, leaving her open to attack- and now she was paying the price.

Brandy slowly pushed herself to her knees, feeling the blood dripping from her nose and onto the floor, draining away into a crack. She watched it as it fell, dripping down into a shining light barely visible- and that gave her an idea, a single iota of hope against a shattering universe of darkness.

Bubble watched her mother fall, and almost snapped. She struggled to contain her whirling emotions inside of her young mind, for she knew she could not let herself go. She knew she had to keep herself lucid, keep herself sane, keep herself-

Then she saw the Void Wizard take a single step towards Brandy, as she collapsed onto the floor, no longer able to even use her right hand. And Bubble snapped.

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU WORTHLESS, HEARTLESS, CALLOUS MOTHERF-!", screamed Bubble at the top of her lungs, giving even the Void Wizard surprise. He turned around to see a gigantic, multi-faceted colored light streaming from Bubble every which way, overtaking the cavern completely and blinding Taklavastoss. Brandy was completely hidden from the villain's sight, as was Bubble, the only things becoming visible in the masterwork illusion born from rage the things that the Void Wizard did most definitely not want to see.

Intensely bright white light surrounded him in a celestial void, shards of pink and blue flipping endlessly off the walls. Several beings were arrayed around him in a circle of anger- an immense muscular man, green spiky hair flaring off his raging head, several decorative pieces of futuristic armor barely hanging on to his gigantic body. Green fur was arrayed around his waist, a pair of black pants straining to contain his legendary size. He roared a titanic bellow that shook Taklavastos's head and brain, leaving him almost unable to think.

The second was a tall, although nowhere near the size of the first, man in several layers of clothes, with spiked blue hair and a stern countenance. Two brown shoulderpads adorned his arms, a blue shirt exposing his arms and midriff. A pair of light grey pants and a golden belt buckle completed the outfit, his entire body sparkling with what appeared to be Star.

The third man was the smallest of the three- and yet, he almost appeared to be the most powerful. He stood with hairy arms, hairy legs, and a bearded red face, his anger burning bright. He wore a brown wide hat upon his head, a wide collection of insects and arthropods all winding around his body, tan shorts completing what he wore.

And yet besides those three was the purest of the men- a single glittering figure of solid gold, with an aura of absolute victory and honor, wearing a look that meant only love for those he loved, and death for those that he despised.

"What?", Taklavastoss spat, and brought his void down in front of him. "What are-"

The largest man, blazing a brilliant green, did not wait for an answer. He just bellowed so loud it shook reality, and shot a tremendous beam of energy right towards Taklavastoss. The Void Wizard smiled, and brought up his void to deflect the blast- only for it to continue straight onwards and slam into his chest, filling him with a white hot pain.

"What?", he screamed, staggering back. He gasped in complete shock, utterly unable to process how a thing could even happen. Nothing had ever gotten through his void before- but to tell the truth, still nothing had. "What?"

For the things surround him were, of course, Bubble's illusions. But no typical illusions were they- no, they were accompanied by a specialized technique. It was one she had managed to figure out against the Jesterbot- and one she was proud to use.

She was now far beyond merely casting illusions on the air around her in forms of light- no, she was now able to fool the very nerve endings within an opponent's body, forcing them to feel things that were not there, to endure pain without a source. And as the second man crashed a fist right into the Void Wizard's face, bypassing his void as well, Taklavastoss spat in utter confusion, physically incapable of comprehending what was going on.
"Impossible!", he shouted, and jumped back. His mind reeled- and his head was impacted by another glowing punch from the man, sending immense pain rocketing throughout his entire physical, and mental being. "I'm not- this couldn't possibly be-"

The third man stepped forward, unleashing a tide of insects that ran up the Void Wizard's legs, each of them sinking their tiny teeth into his ashen grey skin. Each one inflicted barely any pain, but there were legion of them, seeming to multiply with every single second they lay upon Taklavastoss's body. He screamed and tried to swat them off, but it was impossible. For they were not really there. And as he jumped around, trying to attack his opponents and of course failing, both the large man and the gentleman sending a punch into his cheeks, the golden figure watched, preparing ever slowly to make his move. He drew back his fist, true power concentrating within his palm and fingers, sparkling with cosmic strength.

As the Void Wizard continued to stagger across the floor, taking constant nerve damage and crying out from opponents only he could see, Bubble floated above the rock, pouring all her heat and soul into the constant attack, the combined images and nerve attacks without a doubt the hardest illusion she had ever done. She wasn't even sure if she was going to be able to move after this- but if she defeated the Void Wizard, it would all have been worth it.

Brandy looked up, saw the intensifying fray, and figured out the best thing to do. With a mighty grunt of effort, Brandy leaned forward, raised her acid fingers, not eaten halfway away but not bleeding, and slammed her entire arm into the ground below.

"Doraararararararara!", she shrieked, throwing her attacks directly at the thick ground, hoping beyond hope that her plan would actually work. She hd to keep on going, no matter what, as Bubble kept the Void Wizard distracted, with whatever it was she was doing.

The first illusive man grabbed Taklavastos's arms and rammed his gigantic head into his forehead, driving the Void Wizard back with a spray of black blood all across the illusive battleground. The second one charged up his fist and shouted in an unknown language, putting his hand on the monster's side. With another shout, the Void Wizard's entire body filled up with sparking Star of a threat, straining to burn him from the outside.

The third man struck once again, winding a highly toxic indeed bunch of snakes around his fingers, then letting them fly forward, and wrapping tightly around the Void Wizard's throat,

They tucked and bit, slashing widely, Taklavstoss's pain in his throat accessible to only him, but pain nonetheless.

As the Void Wizard howled in pain, and took a few more steps backwards to Bradny's location, she gasped in relief. Was he going to do it?

The fourth man concentrated insane amongst of power in his veins, sparkling with ultimate raw devastation. He was ready to unleash it all against his foe the Void WIzard- as soon as Brandy's plan was ready. For he was controlled by Bubble who saw both battlefields in their entirety. And she saw the Void Wizard grow closer, still pointlessly fighting off the challengers, somehow not even once figured out that the spot he was approaching spelled death.

He gasped out loud as a fist from the giant man and the gentleman impacted his stomach as hit the same point, taking a few steps backwards- and right over the spot that Brandy had constructed. It was time, now or never, for now was time when-
When just then, the energy that had been powering Bubble shut off, and she fell. Her eyes closed automatically as she fell softly to the hard stone ground- and yet, Bubble could not afford to catch her. Her illusions flickered around her, the golden man streaking forward to strike, Taklavastoss bringing up his Void to block- but it did not matter in the slightest. For the man bypassed Taklavastoss's defenses, hit his chest- and at that very same moment, Brandy was able to break through the floor with a cataclysmic crash, sending the magma trapped underneath into the air and right onto the Void Wizard, covering his entire body in a now burning shell, burning away at his skin and suit.

He screamed as he burned, the fire of the magma licking higher, even as the hard lava piled.

"There.", said Brandy, and pointed at her opponent, burning bright. "You.. you..."

She reached out for Bubble, seeing her approach, then collapsed on the ground, hardly even able to move. "You suck…"

Just as Brandy collapsed, she felt Bubble's hand grab hers. She managed to look up, feeling the pain from her still dissolving fingers in Bubble's grasp, and tried to smile- but failed.

"Mommy?", Bubble asked, some of her courage failing. It had taken a lot out of her to summon up that master illusion, and it had clearly taken a toll on her mental wellbeing. "Mommy, are you okay?"

"No.", Brandy groaned, and somehow managed to push herself to a sitting positions. She grabbed Bubble with her working arm and pulled her close, scooting away from the conflagration that continued to envelop the Void Wizard. He was taking a long time to burn- but she supposed that was the result of his strange biology. "But we won. That's what matters."

"They were going to say they loved each other, Mommy.", said Bubble, and felt her face well up with tears. Despite her previous matchless courage, she was now beginning to break down, alongside Brandy. "They were-"

"I know.", said Brandy, and ran a caring hand over Bubble's eyes, beginning to cry. They both were in the inky blackness of Dark Mountain, feeling the sorrow wash over them, the black and blue feelings of sadness contrasting like a sky and sea with the bright orange and red of the Void Wizard still writhing around, having dropped his void onto his legs, screaming in endless agony, the flame from the lava still sticking onto his body, and covering his skin in its entirety. Normally Brandy would have felt at least some remorse for anything that was undergoing such suffering- except for the Void Wizard. This time she felt only dark joy, and bitter satisfaction at his suffering, her pain still unlessened.

And yet even as she watched the bright white fire spiral upwards into the obsidian sky, she noticed something that made her blood run colder than ice. The magma was starting to drip off of the Void Wizard's body, falling back down into the crack and away from causing any more damage. The fire was starting to die down, Taklavastoss's durability coming into play.

"That… was a good attempt.", he said, a cloud of smoke rising from his throat, the fire slowly draining back int the crack from whence it had came. He turned around to stare at Brandy and Bubble's expressions of increasing horror and panic, the outside of his body now an ashy grey and the inside glowing with orange fire. "But a mere attempt nonetheless… now why did you think it would kill me? I am Rakastamos's greatest warrior after all… I'm not going to die to any mere minions of Askari. No matter how powerful."

"And we…", Brandy found herself saying, as she slowly got up. Her eyes burned even more than her muscles, but she was determined to win- no matter what kind of crap Taklavastoss continued to pull off. "Are not going to die to any mere minion of Rakastamos."

"Oh, but you have.", said Taklavastoss, and once again picked up his Void, rolling it around in his hands, preparing to strike. "3 of you. Soon to be 5- then all 6."

Brandy felt a pang of loss strike her heart, joining the ones already there, and snarled. She grabbed Bubble from behind her, who had been laying on the ground, shivering in fear. "And we've killed over two dozen of you so far. You are nothing more than just another enemy to be brought down, mark my bloody words."

"They will be bloody.", Taklavastoss said, and rose into the air. "For they shall be spoken with a detached throat."

He charged forward, letting loose a deep, baritone battle cry, and Brandy dodged. She and Bubble were just barely whisked out of the way before Taklavastoss put a hole in the ground nearly 6 feet thick, vanishing down into the ground and to an unknown space.

"Bubble, we gotta move.", Brandy said, coughing from the scratches in her throat. She stumbled over the rocky ground, making sure to dodge the remaining bits of lava on the ground, making sure that Bubble did not fall off, and making sure to listen to where the Void Wizard would be coming from next. If she did not pay attention to all of those at once, she or Bubble would die.

"Come on Dan…", she breathed, refusing to lose the light of hope. She could still see him in her mind's eye- his strength and his nobility, beckoning to her from somewhere not too far away. She wanted him here. She needed him here. She needed everyone there, dang it. She needed-

Brandy found herself slowing down, and stopping right in front of a shard of glass on the wall. She looked into it- and was glad she did, for she saw the dim reflection of a great and terrible shape hurtling towards her at high speed, the world vanishing in his wake.

Brandy Dashed downwards, shattering through the rock, taking Bubble with her, wrapped securely in the tatters of her cloak. The very tail end of it had remained above the ground as Taklavastoss passed by- it was utterly destroyed, no words able to truly, accurately describe what happened to it. She fell through a short bit of black rock before landing in yet another cave, the strangeness of this one giving her a little bit of worry.

It was arrayed in a peculiar circular fashion, orderly slabs of stone making up the borders. There seemed to be a tall, richly detailed obelisk in the very center, although Brandy knew she could not look at it for long. She started to look for an exit, or a weapon, or anything she could use to help kill the seemingly invincible Void Wizard- but as Bubble's tired eyes saw the sight, she had other ideas.

"Mommy, look…", she said happily, and reached out. Some part of her brain and abilities was causing her to hallucinate, casting an illusion on her very own eyes. "It's… an amusement park! Please, can we go?"

"No, no honey.", Brandy breathed, trying to hold up Bubble's struggling and slipping form with just one arm, the other's hand now too weak to hold anything. "We have to beat the Void Wizard. Then we can go, okay?"

"But I wanna go now!", Bubble shouted, and almost wriggled out of Brandy's frayed grasp, nearly falling onto her head on the cracked stone below. "Please Mommy? Can we?"

"That's not an amusement park, sweetie.", Brandy said, and gave up on trying to search the room. The Void Wizard would be there any second, and by then they absolutely had to be gone. "It's just a bunch of rocks."

She hoped that would be enough to appeal to Bubble's sense of reason- she had always been very level headed. But this time didn't work- she had been too shattered by the Void Wizard's attacks. Her head was now spinning out of control, no longer any sense of reason within her. She saw not shattered stone and broken rock- she saw a happy carousel, spinning around like a dream, a smiling cotton candy vendor offering her a bright blue cloud.

"But Mommy, there's an amusement park!", Bubble almost screamed, sending the hair on the back of Brandy's neck on edge. "And we need to go-"

For a second, Brandy snapped. She bore her teeth and lashed out, striking against the ground with a powerful shockwave, sending a burst of energy that broke all the rocks in half, sending them tumbling to the ground. "No, Bubble! There is no amusement park! Now he's gonna be here any second, and we need to-"

As soon as Bubble saw Brandy dash her dream world away, she could not take it. She scrunched her face up once more and began to scream, Brandy's heart dropping clear out of her chest. She turned upwards to see it-

There was the Void Wizard, falling straight at them with an echoing roar, his body starting to change as he grew more serious. His arms had become almost proto-jaws wrapped around the void, his head growing more into a burst of black smoke. But the sound was still the same- the terrifying cacophony of agonizing nothing, and unimaginable defeat.

Brandy Dashed to the right, Bubble's tears blown away into the wind, and lashed out with a vicious kick to the wall, blowing away a few dozen feet of rock. That too revealed a secret path, one that they both slid down without a hesitation, disappearing into the dark. The Void Wizard had almost hit the floor- when he saw them go down a very specific tunnel, one that he himself had been down before. He was pretty sure that he knew just when they would reach a specific point, and at what angle and speed he needed to be to perfectly intercept them. He made some quick calculations in his head, charged up, and plowed onwards through the rock, the din he caused reaching even through to Bubble and Brandy.

They heard it as they fell dow the tunnel, the sound and the motion starting to restore some lucidity to Bubble. She looked up and huddled closer to Brandy, holding on to her body as they both slid down- then with a single flickering of blue lights that hovered over Brandy's head, she slammed her hands into the wall, locking them both there in a seal.

"Mommy, what's wrong?", Bubble asked, looking to be both confused and relived that the movement had stopped. "What's going on?"

"I had… a vision.", said Brandy, and shivered. "He just made some calculations, and now hes going to come through the tunnel and ambush us, right…. N-"

But she had forgotten something, something that she had not seen in her vision. Taklavastoss was not exactly great at math. He had miscalculated where they were going to be at that moment, estimating it far too early- and by some cruel chance, right where they had chosen to stop. So as Brandy felt the wall in her left hand grip start to vanish, she didn't hesitate- and Dashed all the way down as fast as she could carry Bubble, the area above turned into nothing but dust by the Void Wizard.

Brandy and Bubble fell a few feet further, and at last landed at the cursed end. They jumped out from the narrow pipeline into something that startled them in its complexity, a gargantuan and largely empty cavern.

"No…", Brandy breathed, and looked around. She needed to find an exit now- either that, or something to finally do Taklavastoss in with. They definitely did need it at his point- dang it, where was Dan? Brandy knew for a fact that he needed to come. That was not even up for debate- and yes, there he was somewhere, still not arriving.

Song: Imminence

"Mommy?", asked Bubble, her voice now extremely, very small. "Are we gonna die?"

"What?", asked Brandy, and gave the best smile she could, considering the circumstances. "No, we are not gonna die. We are going to get out of here, and we re going to find something to kill the Void Wizard with, and we-"

There was a great and stony crash on the far side of the cave, and Brandy looked up. "Are-"

Then there was the same sound, echoing outwards from the left side of the cave, most likely from the same source. Brandy looked up, and could only now, sort of see why ."Oh."

Two gargantuan pillars of light grey stone were falling out of the darkened above, becoming visible only a few seconds before they hit the ground, roaring tremendous throughout the dark.

Brandy did not have any time to issue Bubble a warning. She only had time to shout, grab Bubble right underneath her arms, and throw up a hastily constructed Dash Shield right above her, There was a tremendous sonic explosion from the pillars cracking against the ground, and a cloud of dust was thrown up that reached up to the ceiling.

After a few seconds, Brandy detached her tight grip on Bubble, letting her fall back down onto the ground. She looked up, still shivering from the emotions rocking her little, terrified body, and chose to hug her mother's leg for support. "Mommy?"

"Just hold still Bubble.", said Brandy, and slowly started to move her head. She was almost completely sure those pillars had collapsed on purpose- a strong purpose, to crush. "WE're gonna make it out of here, no matter what."

"But what if we don't?", asked Bubble, once again beginning to blear up, her eyes soaked with tears. "What if we get stuck, and then he finds us, and we die, and-"
"WEll, that's jut not going to happen.", said Brandy. "Because we are going to live, alright? We've come this far and survived so mach, so different-"
Then ,she stopped. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that an entire wide channel had been suddenly carved in the rocks, just a few inches away from Bubble had ducked her head, narrowly dodging the fatal blow.

"You two cannot hide forever!", she heard, as the rock started to crumble all around her. She grabbed Bubble and Dashed out in one swift moment, while the pillars fell to bits just a second after she left, collapsing into a pile of dust.

Brandy found herself running towards yet another dimly lit hall, filled with dark emptiness that seemed to pulse out of sheer fear. She bit her lip, drawing sticky blood from the parched system, hearing the Void Wizard turning the fallen pillars of the giant cavern into empty air just a few dozen feet behind them. For some reason, she did not trust that.

"Bubble, come on.", she heard herself say. She seemed hardly even able to stay within her own body- that worried her. Who else would she be? She had time to figure it out later.

She jumped over the rocks and cracks in the ground, hoping that the feats of lethal force outside would still continue, not coming inside of her cavern. But of course there was no such luck- the commands those held authority were giving were only those of cruelty, and of pain.

Brandy Dashed along the bottom of the path- when she saw it. The rock beginning to vanish just to the right of her, crumbling into blck nothing. She jolted herself back, skidding along the rocks and to the back of the tunnel- only to slam directly into a bunch of fallen rocks. She and Bubble both had no choice but to look forward as the Void Wizard crashed into the tiny, cramped space, his menacing Voidsphere taking up almost the entire size of the hall. It was almost exactly as wide, and just a little bit shorter, his head alone visible. His gaze dripped with anger, and his hands tingled with both frustration and anticipation, for he saw no way the two could possibly get out of this one.
"Finally…", he said, a little raspier than usual. He began to move forward, one step at a time, his terrifying pace only increasing with every step. "I… have you... right where… you can't escape."

Bubble saw him approach, the thing that had claimed her friends and brother now coming for her. She saw it coming every closer, with every step the destroying void growing wider in her vision, and she felt her control over her body start to shut down. She hardly ever felt the tears of raw panic sliding over her face, or the heaving sobs her body took.

"For my Father Rakastamos…", the Void Wizard breathed, as Brandy's hands scrambled across the rocky wall, trying to find something, anything that might help at all. "And for the honor of th-"

His words were mercifully cut off, as a small rock about the size of one's index finger suddenly sailed straight through the air, twisting and turning as it went, flying right over the height of Taklavastoss's void, and sank deep into his eye, meeting no protection.

The thunder of his voice now ripped and tore throughout the entire cavern, although still not as much as it ripped through his head. He grabbed for the source of the offending sound, although it was in fact him. But he did not know that. He also grabbed at the edges of his face, unable to take it all, the shock tearing him down into the event. Blood squirred out from in between his fingers, spraying from his grasp, and he once again screamed in pain. With one hand, he was holding his weapon, and the other was clamped with malevolent intent.

"You…", he rumbled, and shot upwards, through the hole in a ceiling he had just created a moment prior. He zoomed through the holes at insane speed, dissolving anything he came across, screaming at the top of his lungs. He was an unholy meteor of death, blaring through the stone, punching through the semi-hollow interior of Dark Mountain. like a divine fist of a dark god. "You will be the first that my master will enjoy killing! Or you would be, if I were not to kill you right here, and right now, by my Void!"

He screamed and vanished far above ino the ceiling, Brandy knowing that she could take a bit of a breather now. He would most likely destroy most of the mountain, but they had gotten him of their backs. That was strength, but now it was possible for her to-

But no sooner than she had even so much as thought those words then a great flash of light tore outwards from the rock beside her, and she ducked back out of instinct. The Void Wizard flashed by, his trail a beaming light of darkness, and vanished- having taken the current edge of Brandy's cloak with him.

Brandy hissed in a harsh breath, knowing that now there was no longer anywhere that was truly safe. She tried to not scream, knowing that the Void Wizard would hear her- but deep down, she wondered if it even truly mattered. He would know where she was regardless- he seemed to be drawn to his target's locations at all times. But it was more than that as well- her burgeoning despair was partially born from the fact that so far, they had failed to truly damage him. The only time she had landed a good hit was the rock in his eye, but even that was just a fluke. And he continued to be able to kill them with but a single blow, both Bubble and Brandy only one step way from death at all times. Her breathing was harsh and heavy, the torn skin of her throat expelling blood with every single breath she took. The fear wore heavy on her- almost as heavy as Bubble's quaking form, who now seemed a total lost cause, shivering with fear so much she almost slipped out of Brandy's aching arms. She ran in total desperation through the tunnel, a mother holding her child in the face of death, having absolutely no idea what to do.

"Dan…", she said, almost crying, then she was crying. He should have arrived by now. She had sent him desperate message after desperate message, but he had not done so much as even respond. The possibility began to creep into her mind that he was- no. She would not think that. She could not think that. She had to belive that he would come, had to belive that he would save her. Save them.

The wall in front of her burst open, and the screaming void that was Taklavastoss blasted by her in a solid wall of nothing, entering the other wall and leaving a clean hole. The sound was like that of a hole puncher applied to reality itself, the sharp, terrifying boom of annihilation- and then the utter silence of the nothing left behind.

Brandy jumped over the falling rocks left behind- and was glad she did, for the area even just three feet behind her was met with the same exact fate. It was a grim bit of hope in the dark destruction all around her, but it was all she had. And she had to hold on to something.

Song: Fight to Antagonize

"There is no escape!", shouted Taklavastoss, and burst out of the narrow tunnel, emerging into the darkened air of the gigantic chamber. He reared up and flourished, revealing his new, terrifying form. Such was his rage and power.

The Void Wizards' previous suit had been replaced with only inky black darkness, smokestacks of grey swirls bursting off and flying off into the air. His smile remained, a massive white curve with razor sharp teeth, two eyes of purple and yellow hovering somewhere above them. He appeared almost 2 dimensional- it was fitting. A body of two dimensions, hosting a weapon of 0.

His cloak was gone, replaced with a long, trailing line of pure darkness that billowed like fog. There were no longer any arms- they were merely trails and trains of smoke that ran around the edge of the Voidsphere like dark guardians of a hellish gate, the howling void beyond.

"It's over!", he shouted, and took a deep breath. It seemed almost mocking, rude, forcing sorrow to Brandy's core. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he could just come in there, and kill her friends and her son, and just be allowed to do it. It wasn't fair that he was so insanely strong, that he could just win against them. Not when they had struggled, not when they had achieved so much, not when… when…

She felt a flying flash of purple spark into the edges of her vision, and her teeth grit. She knew she had to concentrate on that power- and so she did, letting it fill her, letting it flow through her veins, letting it boost her strength to incredible levels, just like it had done all those times before.

She thought about Trevor, cut down before his last words had ever been spoken. She looked up at the Void Wizard, preparing his next round of attacks. Her arm swelled with incomparable strength.

The Void Wizard took another deep breath, looked down, and-

He exhaled, as he struck. He let out his breath, as he attacked. He emptied his lungs, as he flew around Brandy and Bubble in a nightmarish combination of speed and total destructive power, blurring the lines of the air and the ground, the thunder of the void following his path, rolling around them like a meteor orbits a planet right before its destruction.

Brandy dodged as best as she was able, twisting and turning with her Dash, making sure to keep Bubble safe as well, even though by now she had already lost consciousness. But it was hard- her legs were sore from constant battle. Her eyes were beginning to droop from exhaustion. Her cloak- she realized something. Her cloak had suddenly been torn off, lost to the jaws of the Void, her hood and cape disappearing forever. The punching out of existence continued all around her, her limbs starting to give out, her sanity starting to tear-

When suddenly, the Void Wizard stopped. He stopped in total shock, just as he had been about to slam into Brandy, halted at the miraculous apparition before him.

Brandy stared as well, hardly able to believe- no, scratch that, she couldn't believe it- just what stood before her. What she had previously thought to be the whites and greys of nothing were the whites and greys of an angel now, the death she had found so terrifying now her only savior.

"I'll hold him!", shouted Julia, her words garbled but still intelligible through the barrier of life and death. Her form was frayed, but workable, having stopped mid transition. "Go!"

"J- Julia?", shouted both Taklavastoss and Brandy at once, hardly even able to believe the sight. "How are you here? I saw you go!"
"I said go!", shouted Julia to Brandy, then turned to the Void Wizard. She had grabbed his void around the edges with both hands, keeping him back, although just barely. "And you will stay."

Taklavastoss snarled, trying to push himself forward, but Julia's intense strength, boosted by spiritual Dash, denied him movement. "Why you… I knew we never should have hired you. It's just like the Master says- never trust a converted."

"I don't care what Rakastamos says.", Julia snapped, and pushed against Taklavastoss with all her might. It also didn't work, but at least he did not go forward. She looked behind her- Bubble and Brandy were nowhere to be seen. That was good. "I will not let you pass."

"You will, you dirty little thief!", shouted Taklavatoss, and Julia's eyes suddenly teared up. He was using her sensitivity to insults against her. He had figured it out after their month long stay in Dark Mountain together, with only each other for company. "You filthy maskwearer! You worthless robber!"

Julia felt her grip weakening, the words having their effect on her, shaking her soul- which of course was also her body at this point. But still she continued to struggle, pushing against Taklavstoss's now superior might, as his Void opened up to destroy her. "You little-"

As the Void rushed forward to claim her, Julia knew she had to move. She Dashed out of the way and out of thin air, vanishing entirely, returning to the afterlife for real this time. She knew that she had bought Brandy and Bubble time- time to recover, and time that they sorely needed.

Taklavastoss rushed past her, and roared his triumph. He looked around for the two he still had to kill- and saw them standing by a tunnel entrance, staring up in shock.

Brandy stared, as did Bubble- for she was now awake. She stared at where Julia had apparently fallen, and felt her hands begin to shake. The echoes of a small bird played from somewhere deep inside her mind, and she could feel the drums play.

Song: Figlia

"You…", Brandy growled, her tone of voice suddenly much deeper than normal. She felt the Rage begin to build deep within her, and her hair start to float off of her head.

"You would dare?", she asked, and a shockwave of air blew from her like a mobile hurricane, blasting back the Void Wizard's sudden attempt at a strike. He stared at her in genuine surprise, unable to belive that such power could come from someone he had previously thought of just so weak. It worried him- yet he was also genuinely curious.

"You think you can just come in here, and kill- and kill my friends and family, and get away with it?", she shouted, the power in her voice surging with anger. A wind whipped up all around her, blowing her hair into spikes, the purple of the Rage leaking into them, her hair now a bright lavender. Her eyes shone and smoldered with pure, absolute anger, burning the air in front of her. "Well, you are dead wrong!"

The Void Wizard thought it would be a good time to attack- but another sudden burst of energy from Brandy changed his mind. It lashed outwards like a blast from a volcano, searing what little flesh he had left and blowing him backwards into the air. Brandy pointed a finger towards him, and hissed her next words with such virulent, pulsing hatred the air from her mouth almost dripped as she said them. "You're gonnadie."

"Am I now?", Taklavastoss said, and managed to get his bearings as he floated in midair. He gripped his void tighter, the black and dark blue clouds within swirling with hunger, pulsing with killing energies, and ready to destroy. He stared Brandy down, her energy swelling high, pushing against the cavern's walls, burning with unchecked flame.

"Bubble, wait here, please.", Brandy said, and took a step forward. She very gently set Bubble down on the floor, and she stared up at her mother with wonder. No longer was she soft- she was now stronger than steel, sharper than diamonds, and killer than both. "Mommy's got something she needs to kill."

"Get him, Mommy.", said Bubble through a cloud of tears. She held up a tiny fist, and sniffed. A tiny #1 finger appeared on her hand, and she waved it back and forth. "Kill him."

"Well then, let us begin!", shouted the Void Wizard, and dived down towards Brandy. She took a stance, and snarled. "May the best fighter win!"

Brandy took it to heart, raised her fist, surrounded her arm with Dash, struck forward at the zooming figure of the Void Wizard, and-

And she realized something. The Void Wizard was no longer there. She was falling, her forward momentum spent. There was something else that was hard to describe, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. She saw her arm falling as she fell, along with her foot. They seemed to not have partners like normal, which was strange. It took her a few more seconds to realize it.

Her entire left forearm was gone. It had been utterly erased by the Void Wizard's passing, making an utter mockery of her rage, leaving only a short stump behind, cauterized by the wound and the fires of her anger. She looked to her foot- that was gone as well. Her attack formation had allowed the Void Wizard to take an entire chunk off of her body as he went by, leaving her falling to the floor, now helpless and completely exhausted, part of her body gone forever.

Song: Shoot Towards the Decisive Battle

Brandy hit the ground, all the air knocked out of her lungs. She began to hyperventilate with nothing in them- nothing but blood, which began to drip from her throat, spurting onto the dark floor with every single breath she took. Her head swam with utter despair- there was truly nothing left for her now. Trevor was dead. Annabelle was dead. Leon was dead. Bubble was completely exhausted and out of commission, lying a hundred feet away. Dan, she knew she had to accept, was not coming. Whether he had gotten delayed somewhere or was still fighting, or lost, or- or-

Or dead, came the voice in her head, and she almost cried out against it. But she closed her eyes, dripping tears of only sweat and blood, knowing that possibility did have to be considered.

She herself was not in a good state either. There she lay on the floor, down a forearm and a foot, the rest of her body practically unable to move, her ace in the hole Rage boost having failed completely, and no more energy to speak of. She could do nothing but lay there and sob, no options left- besides just give up, roll over, and die.

She heard a faint sound to her left and rolled over- there was Bubble running towards her, no longer able to scream, just to gasp through damaged lungs. She tripped and fell on a rock, pitching forward and scraping her face on the stone- but she still kept on running on all fours, desperate to reach her mother, even if it killed her.

"Bubble…", Brandy groaned, barely even able to speak. She reached out for Bubble with her stump arm, hoping that the sight would be enough to drive Bubble off. "No...run…"

Bubble fell right on top of Brandy, her face scraped up, her dress torn and her skin bleeding. She closed her eyes and pushed herself right into Brandy's torso, unable to keep from sobbing tears of absolute, all consuming, unyielding fear. Brandy, at the sight, once again threw up- but there was nothing within her, only heaving into the cold, empty air, unable to do anything else.

From the distance, she saw the Void Wizard approaching, the final death coming right for her, both of them totally unable to do anything about. She set her jaw- no. Just one.

"Bubble… you have to get out of here.", she breathed, barely even able to be heard. "I'm gonna die but- you don't have to. You can survive, if you run. Find… find someone. Find anyone. Find Oticat- he's a good King. Back at home. You can… you can live with him…. You can do that, can't you?"

"No….", Bubble said, her voice crackly with despair. "I can't leave, Mommy. I… we… we can beat him, right? We can just need to-"

"Bubble, no.", Brandy said, trying and failing to get up from laying flat upon the ground. "You need to run. It's better that… one of us lives then… that both of us die."

"But I don't want you to die!", Bubble said, her words gurgled with pain. She started to heave her shoulders, not wanting to accept it, even as death approached on empty wings. "I- I need you to live, Mommy. I needed Trevor and Annabelle to live, and I needed Leon to live… and…"

She collapsed into Brandy's arms, or at least what was left of them, Brandy having finally used the last of her strength to push herself to a sitting position. She slowly wrapped her arm and a half around Bubble's heaving body, feeling her own start to shut down.

"I need Daddy…", Bubble gasped, no words able to accurately describe the pain and terror they were both going through at that moment. Describing the emotions surrounding their broken bodies would be like draining the sea with a seave, or breaking down a mountain with a blade of grass- simply impossible. "I- I need-"

"Shh, shh Bubble.", said Brandy, bringing her close to her chest. She closed her eyes, and in the depths of her utter despair, a slight smile cracked onto her face. "Don't… don't worry… about them… Trevor and Anny and Leon and Daddy…"

As the Void Wizard approached, Brandy pulled her daughter close for one last hug, the light beginning to fade in the invincible citadel of darkness.

"We'll be with them soon."

The Void Wizard stopped just before he reached them, in order to rub in his victory. He hoisted his eternal Void right in front him over their heads, savoring their defeat. A shape appeared in the darkness behind him, stepping up out of the fog with such intent to kill it could not be measured. Taklavastoss out of all the Forgotten had done it, he had been the one to do them in at last- for Dan had been isolated, the main group cut off from the tank. That is how they were able to do it, and that is what he would revel in. He lifted his Void high, about to kill, and-

Song: Jonathan Joestar theme

The gargantuan shape of Dan suddenly reared up behind the much smaller form of Taklavastoss, burning in his raw power, and the Void Wizard turned around. He panicked, raised his void, and prepared to battle against this new threat, but-

But it was too late. WIth a cry of absolute rage, Dan slammed his hands together right where the Void Wizard's head was, crushing it to bits and splattering it all across the cave.

Taklavtoss's body hung there for a second, the dread Void dropping to the ground and slowly rolling down. It sparked a few times, contracted in upon itself, and imploded with a silent shockwave, lifting up a layer of dirt off the entire cavern. His body slowly fell from darkness, turning back into tattered old robes, then finally ending as a puddle of Dark Elixir that flowed across the floor, and eventually vanished.

Brandy, sensing that death had not come when she thought it would have, opened her eyes. Her blood-crusted, torn eyes opened- and saw the most welcome possible sight, Dan standing there in absolute triumph, his entire body burning with ferocious Star, the Dark Elixir that had once been the Void Wizard covering his hands, and a smile upon his noble, golden face.

"D…", Brandy croaked, her torn throat hardly able to speak the words. "Dan?"

Tears- no longer tears of blood, but tears of hope- ran down her wet cheeks, as hope was finally restored to her being. "Dan!"

She lurched herself forward, no longer able to properly move. "Dan… you're… you're alive…"

Bubble's eyes opened, and she gasped with relief that could not be measured at the sight of her beloved father. "Daddy!"

Dan brought both of them together in a hug, squeezing them together tightly enough to feel good, but not enough to hurt. It was a few seconds before he noticed just what was wrong with the situation, opening up his grip to take a better look.

"Wait a minute.", he said, and arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Where's Trevor? Where's Annabelle? Where's Leon? Brandy, where's your arm?"

His voice took on a tone of immense alarm, as he saw the battle's scarring aftermath. "Brandy, what happened?"

At those words, Brandy once again began to cry. It was even worse than before- for she no longer needed to hold back. She could let the tears of sweat and blood flow freely, dripping out onto Dan's arm. Bubble tried to hold it in for a few seconds, before letting it all out.

"They're… dead…"

Song: Stardust Requiem

"What?", Dan asked, his face now suddenly deadly serious. A shock of white ran through his head, unable to believe the words that he had just heard. He grabbed Brandy a little tighter, her head falling backwards in his grip as she now longer saw any need to hold it up. "Brandy, what do you mean they're all dead? They couldn't have possibly just-"

"That- that thing…", Brandy choked out, raising a shaking finger and pointing at where the Void Wizard had fallen. "He- he just came out of nowhere. Completely nowhere and-"

She closed her eyes, trying and failing to hold in the still coming flow of tears. "He killed Trevor. Then he killed Annabelle, and he killed Leon, and he was about to kill us, but then you showed up, but now it's too late because all of them are dead and it's my fault and-"

"Brandy, no!", said Dan, and looked around. "No, they can't be dead. I bet it was just an illusion. That thing could probably make illusions, right? I mean-"
"They're dead, Dan.", Brandy sobbed, and slipped right out of his quickly moving grip. She hit the ground with a painful thud, but she hardly even felt the blow in her sorrow. "I saw them die. They were both just… Elixir. On the ground. They're dead."

"But-", Dan said, unable to belive it. He had not seen the spot where they had been killed- he had entered the mountain's interior a different way, via punching through the rock itself. After delivering all the Archer Queens to safety, of course- and delivering them the sword of the Mega Pekka, for Dan could not safely keep it on his person. Hopefully they would figure out what to do with it. "Okay, but-"

He tried to force himself to say the next few words, choking them out with effort. "Leon's not dead, right? I mean, he can turn invisible. We both- we all know what. That. He could have just-"

"No.", Brandy breathed, barely even able to do that. "I called out for him, and called, and called, and there were so many chances he had to uncloak and save us and… he didn't."

Brandy could no longer start to sob. She was just in a case of eternal sobbing, feeling her eyes drip, the liquid that came out no more blood than tears. She had not had anything to eat or drink for hours, and it was beginning to show. She was out of it- out of stamina, out of energy- out of everything. "He's… dead. Our son is dead."

Dan breathed in, trying to think of how he could possibly solve this situation. Perhaps a hug- those always made Brandy feel better. He turned, took a look at Brandy, and what he saw almost broke his heart.

She was now but a shell of the self she had been before they had entered the mountain, her spirit and body broken. She stared forward with sorrowful eyes, the blackness inside making a dark hurricane seem like a gentle summer storm. She lay there like a fallen bag of laundry on the rock, her stump arm hanging weakly on her side, the blood that dripped from dozens of different spots on her body thicker than it would have been normally- that worried him. Actually everything worried him at the moment, everything about the state that she was in. He knew that she was alive- but truthfully, he feared that she might have died already. Her body had just not yet caught up.

"No.", said Dan, and knelt down beside her. He gently put one hand around her body- and she flinched, trying to go in all directions but failing at each. "Brandy, he is not dead. You have to-"

But Brandy was no longer listening. It was almost as if her ears had simply given out, unable to cope with the intense amount of pressure and loss that hung over the area like a thick black fog.

She sobbed into her hands, no longer even able to cry tears, blood or otherwise- her chest just heaved up and down, her entire body randomly erupting in tingles, as if her skin was dissolving right off. She looked up at Dan, her entire face quivering, and gently pulled Bubble, now deep in unrestful sleep, her entire body quivering from fear and pain, in close.

"Please…", she whispered, hardly able to be heard, her lungs damaged and bloody. "I can't..."

She looked down towards the ground. If someone were to be listening very carefully at that moment, they would have heard her heart snap like a twig, falling into the void that was her soul. "I can't take this anymore… let's just… go home…"

She let her head fall, and became silent.

"Brandy…", said Dan, gathering his courage. He had never seen Brandy like this before. Never had he seen her so utterly broken, so completely beaten. She had always been able to get up before, and he would have thought that this time was no exception. But he supposed that losing an arm and a son would be too much for even her. If he was to bring her back from her current state, he needed to use his next words as well as he could.

"We can't.", he said, and gently stroked her back. She was entirely unresponsive- except for a slight tilt of the head upwards, to deliver her reply. "We have to go on. Because we still do have to kill Rakastamos."

"Why?", Brandy croaked, sounding like she was about to start crying again. "What's even the point anymore? He'll just kill us. That thing killed our entire group and now we're dead and he's gonna kill us all and-"

"Woah, woah.", said Dan, struggling to maintain his composure. The loss weighed heavily on him as well, but he forced himself to keep it down. His training was kicking in, and he knew from it that he could not just roll over and give up, no matter how badly the situation might be. "You're not dead. Bubble's not dead. I'm not dead."

Brandy looked up at him with her cold, slow eyes, and he startled. They were not the typical bright green, sparkling with life and love- no, they were now a dull grey, filled with absolutely nothing. "I'm dead."

"NO!", shouted Dan, and he flared up with Star in anger. He brought up one hand, charging up a pulsing golden light, and used the other to fish into his pockets, or what little of them he had left. He pulled out the Rune of Elixir, and forced it right into Brandy's face. As soon as she grabbed it with all the speed and enthusiasm of a broken down novelty statue, Dan grabbed Bubble from where she lay, put her on Brandy's lap, sat back, and folded his arms. "Brandy, drink. You don't look so good at all."

Brandy said nothing, only slowly reaching the Rune to her lips, bit by bit. She took a single slow sip, and the color in her skin and eyes was restored for a half second. Then it was back to the dark grey and blacks, and she almost let the Rune fall out of her hands.

She looked up with no emotions save for a hint of curiosity, and saw Dan's hand hanging over her, sparkling with bright golden energy. He stared down at her with desperation in his eyes- desperation that she was unable to fathom.

"There, that's a little better.", said Dan, and pushed a little bit more Elixir into her mouth. She was still and silent as she drank it, drained so much she could no longer even so much as move.

"But we need to get you back up again. And that needs-"

"It was me.", said Brandy, and Dan frowned. "What?"

"It was me, Dan.", said Brandy again. "I messed up, I made a wrong decision- and now here they are. Dead."

"Brandy?", asked Dan, true alarm creeping into his usually calm voice "Are you saying their deaths were your fault?"
"Yes.", said Brandy, and sniffed. She brought out her hands in front of her, presumably to do something with them, but was unable to, merely just gesturing at random things. "It was my fault that we split up, and my fault we were separated, and- and then I couldn't tell where we were going, and then we got ambushed and then… I got them killed, Dan. Don't try to defend me."

"No, it wasn't your fault.", he said, and Brandy shook her head. "That thing would have killed them even if we hadn't split up. In fact, if we hadn't split up-"

Brandy did not want to hear what came next. She tried to shut her ears, but one hand was gone and the other was half dissolved. So she could not stop herself from hearing those next words.

"Brandy, if we hadn't split up, I would have died.", Dan said. "That thing you fought looked strong enough to kill anything with just one shot. I barely arrived in time as it is."

The thought of that- Dan's death- crossed Brandy's mind, and she cried out. She fell back onto his legs, tried to curl up, failed from lack of energy and broken body, and just continued to weep.

"We can't go on, Dan.", she said quietly. "There's still so much more to go, and there's gonna be even stronger Forgotten, and they're just gonna kill us, and then Rakastamos is gonna kill us, and then he's gonna kill the entire world, and-"

"Brandy.", said Dan, the seriousness in his voice now intense enough to stop Brandy from speaking. "That's it. If we don't go on, Rakastamos is going to win."

He clenched her body a little tighter, and Brandy found it a little harder to breathe- but Dan's words still entered her brain, trying to inspire her to live.

"If we don't keep on going? If we don't do this?", asked Dan, putting as much power into his words as he possibly could. "Everyone dies. Oticat dies. Bowza dies. Brenda dies. Webert dies, Kars dies, Bubble dies, I die- and you die."

He gripped Brandy up to his face, staring right into her eyes. "Do you understand?"

"I-", Brandy said, and closed her eyes. Any previous ounce of courage she had found in Dan's grasp drained back away, and she sighed. "No. I'm gonna die anyway. Right here, I'm dead."

Dan tensed his muscles, and he knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath, focusing the Star within his body all into his hand, making sure to properly process it before it ever reached there. It would have to be perfectly clean before he was to use it.

"No.", said Dan, and snarled. "Dang it, Brandy, I love you!"

Brandy's eyes sprang open with a fresh batch of bloody tears, recoiling at what Dan had just said. "Dan…. how could you-"

Then the flood of Star hit her straight on, flowing across her entire body. It scoured away the dirt and blood, washing away the scrapes and burns, moving across her cauterized stumps and replacing them with fresh, living skin. It did not replace that arm which had been lost- for Dan's Star was not yet capable of such a feat, even among the many things that it did do. It blasted through her hair, blowing away the numerous streaks of blood- and fell onto Bubble's sleeping body, doing many of the same things. Dan gestured upwards after about a dozen or so more seconds of cleaning, and the Star flew up, vanishing into the ceiling.

Only then did Brandy realize just what Dan had said, and she blinked. Some of her tears were washed away, staring up at Dan, a little bit of blue restored to her eyes. "What?"

"I said I love you, Brandy.", said Dan, his voice welling up with intensity. "I always have, I always will, and I do right now. And that is why it pains me so much to see you like this- with such pain in you, such agony, such sorrow. I would do anything to get that out of you. Anything."

Brandy continued to stare, and her body shook with abject misery. "You can't…", she said, her face turning red. "I can't recover from this. I just need to go home… I can't take it."

She gripped him tighter, burying her face in his torso. "I'm not an adventurer. I just need to be with people, and to be with friends, and to be happy, and safe, and secure. Why did we come on this, anyway? Just to end up like this, destroyed in the middle of some forsaken mountain, and-"

"We're not destroyed.", said Dan firmly, not sure how else to get the message through to Brandy. "We are alive. Us three. And we're not alone, okay? We can-"

His words weren't working. Brandy was still in shock, completely inconsolable, and Bubble was still asleep on the ground, writhing slightly, unable to handle it as well. Dan put his forehead in his hands, and sighed. He had always solved every problem, but this one seemed beyond even him. It wasn't the kind of thing that he was used to solving at all.

"Maybe…", he heard Brandy say, and look down. A strange hopeful smile had come across her face, and she was reaching out, shakily, into the air. "Maybe, if we all die, we can just be reunited in heaven. That sounds nice, doesn't it? We can all just be together, and never have to worry about anything else… ever… a… again…"

Dan, for the first time he could remember, did truly not know what to say. He had always been sure on how to comfort people, especially his Brandy- but this time was just truly something else. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

"Do you need to cry, Brandy?", he asked, and held out his arm. She looked up at him, nodded, and buried her face in the crook of his elbow, smushing herself against his hard muscles, pushing hard enough to break something- perhaps him, perhaps her own nose. Whatever it was, she just kept on pushing, straining until she would snap, in order to free her from the-

She heard a voice from her left, cutting through the haze and fog and reaching her ears.

"Hi Mom."

Brandy's head snapped up, a sudden burst of energy reaching her. There she saw the second most beautiful thing she had ever seen-

Leon. There he was, his jacket torn in places, his face dusty black with coal, and his hair messed up, but he was alive. He walked with a limp, but he walked all the same.

"L-", Brandy said, and her voice broke. She blinked a few times, the grey of her eyes starting to return to blue. "Leon?"

Dan turned around, just as shocked as Brandy was. Leon seemed almost shining, or perhaps that was just the aura of healing around his body as the aftereffects of Invisiheal started to fade away. He stood there breathing hard, and offered out a hand. "Yes."

Brandy hobbled to her feet, her lower lip quavering, and Dashed haphazardly over to him. She wrapped Leon in the tightest hug she possibly could, squeezing all the air out of his body and causing his face to turn red. He croaked out- "Woah Mom stop you're crushing me-"

Brandy let go of him, and instead gave him a gentler hug. She buried her face in his chest, strange as that looked. "Leon… you're alive."

She looked up, and stared into his eyes. "How? I thought you died."

"Well, so did I.", said Leon, and shrugged a bit. "For a second, anyway. I just barely managed to dodge the attack, and I fell into a ditch. I turned invisible on instinct, and I tried to help you guys- but my ankle had been shattered to bits by the fall."

He tapped his head, revealing the slightly shining symbol and silhouette of his Star Power. "Fortunately, I can heal up pretty well while I'm invisible. So all it took was a few strategic supers, following him as best as I was able, taking the occasional shot to charge it, and-"
Then he noticed the thing that had been tickling the back of his mind for the last minute. He looked down, and saw the reason why Brandy's hug had felt so much different from normal.

"Mom!", he said, and gasped. "Wha- what happened to your arm?"

"I lost it…", she said, and sniffed. "But I didn't lose you. You're okay. We're still a family."

"So are Annabelle and Trevor-", he said, and Brandy slowly nodded, trying to stop her sorrow from overtaking her again. He looked down at the ground, and his face darkened. "Oh."

Leon felt a touch on his leg, and he looked down to see Bubble, having awoken from her sleep at some indeterminate time. She pressed her face silently into his leg, and he put his hand on the back of her head, giving her hair a quick scratch. He felt Brandy embrace him as well, albeit less tight this time, and the three family members hugged. They stood there for a bit, the loving embrace doing what it could to soften the horror that still lingered in all of their hearts- when Dan picked them up in a gargantuan hold, bringing them up towards the top of the cave. They all saw the black rock unmoving, silent before their wordless pleas- when they saw something magical happen.

The crust of the mountain slowly broke away in a massive chunk, the rock crumbling into nothing from some unknown force. They could see the raging Dragonstorm crashing and burning across the sky beyond- yet somehow it seemed less angry than it had before, more benign than normal. But that is not what their eyes were focused on- no, it was something else, something far more pleasant and celestial, moving directly outwards from where the rock had shattered.

Brandy alone could see Julia's face, giving her a smiling nod, held at the edge of a thin white cloud, slowly trailing upwards and outwards from the cavern's interior. Behind her were two more shapes- both of them highly familiar.

One was a shy yellow in color, rounded in shape, a bit wonky in some places but otherwise fine. The other was a straight and narrow blue, very even and orderly, with only a hint of chaos at the upper and lower edges. Even though they had no arms, and nothing to hold with, it seemed as though they were embraced in each other's loving grasp, together at last.

That which was Julia lead the two ethereal beings- spirits, for that is what they were- out of the top of the cavern, away from all the suffering, beams of light following their passageway, motes of dust drifting down and flickering on the light. The entire group watched them go, trying to hold back their emotions, but largely failing. It was hard to, each of them knowing full well just what, and who, those spirits were. But it was not sad- no, it was happiness that went through them. It was happiness alone that filled their senses, brought upon by the presence of just a hint of heaven, for that was the ultimate destination that Julia led them both through, a shining silver square floating in the sky. Pure whiteness flowed out, absolute brightness and glory that defied all description. Yet against all that, it was easy to see the spirits and their unlikely shepherd leave the mortal world behind, and gently enter the next one, now free of the pain their last moments alive had all been so horribly marred by.

"That's a good thing.", said Dan.

"Yes.", said Brandy, and the two hugged a little bit tighter. "It certainly is."

Then her face grew dark. Whatever measure of happiness had been offered unto her by the gentle mercy of the two's peaceful fate was now gone, replaced with a raging hatred she had not felt for a very long time, dark red in color, surging through her every vein, almost coming straight off of her skin. It boiled up into her eyes, and the light blue turned to a dark ocean.

"Now let's go.", she said, the sound coming out of her dark, and ominous. She looked up, and tried to sniff back a tear, clenching her fist with barely contained, toxic, hateful Rage.

"Brandy?", asked Dan, looking down in surprise. "What are you-"

"I guess that before this, I always saw Rakastamos as, well… just a far off obstacle.", Brandy said. "A faceless enemy, like a trainer, to be overcome. Just the source of the source of our troubles, not the actual villain himself- but now, this is different."

She let herself try and relax for a moment, before her skin turned purple, and her teeth grew a little bit sharp. "Rakastamos is a personal thing now. I'm going to enjoy it when we kill him."

She felt Dan's hand on her back, and almost whipped around- but stopped when she realized just who it was. "Well said, Brandy. I know I'm not the only one who thinks about ripping his throat out, tearing his heart to shreds, breaking his brain into bits, and mounting his elixir in a jar above the Castle fireplace when we get home."

"Even better said.", said Brandy, and snarled. Her next words could be taken in jest in some situations, but she was dead serious upon saying them. "I know I don't eat meat, but… just this once. I'd like to feast upon his brain."

She pictured herself tearing into it with bare, open hands, stuffing it into her face, the remains of her now most hated individual that was still alive. It gave her a little boost of energy, and she flexed her other fist- or she would have, had it not been removed. That sudden re-realization knocked some of the energy out of her, and she coughed, almost pitching forward onto the ground. She was fortunately caught by Dan, but that too caused her to cough again.

"We're exhausted, though.", she said, and gave a little, angry grin. "We're gonna have to stop at some village along… the… way… oh, I don't feel so good."

She felt Dan pick her up and place her ever so gently on his shoulder, lamenting the lack of cloth to secure her with. She instead just snuggled in tight to his neck, wrapping her grip around him as best she could. "I'm just gonna…"

Then she was out like a light- and for good reason. From the things she had just been through, anybody would be damaged. It was a miracle that she and Bubble were even alive at all- a miracle with a long mane of golden hair and two gigantic, Star-infused fists.

"Stay asleep, Brandy.", said Dan, and looked forwards. There was what they now knew to be the wall and border of the mountain. There just one more wall to get through before the final goal. It seemed so strange- they had only been walking a week, and yet-

His thoughts were interrupted by Leon suddenly shooting a hard volley at the wall, breaking it into flying bits of stone and a cloud of hard dust. Dan blinked at the suddenness of it, and looked down. Leon shrugged. "What? We have to go now. Mom said."

Dan nodded, and began to walk forward, Bubble and Brandy asleep on his shoulder and Leon at his side. The perils of Dark Mountain were over- and only one more obstacle waited ahead. It would be difficult, no doubt- but personally, Dan could not wait to finish.

"For Trevor and Annabelle.", he said, and clenched his fist. Leon snarled, and clenched his own.

"For them."

Song: Buu Approaches

The crushing darkness of Rakastamos's lair was not one that could be accurately described, or even truly seen. Not if one wished to remain sane. It was not the everyday typical darkness of the night, or a shut closet, or even the shocking darkness of a blindfold. It went far beyond the crushing darkness of the iron depths of the deep sea, or the terrifying darkness of a twisted cave. It was not merely like unto a night with no moon- it was a night that had never had a moon at all, nor where there was even any space for a moon to be. It was not the darkness of deep space- it was the darkness of finding yourself in deep space suddenly, with no inclination of how or why you got there, and absolutely no way to get back home.

For the darkness that covered the lair was in its utmost possible extremes, all light visible forced to rally together in order to avoid complete destruction. The only tones visible in the cavern were those of black and white, lending the entire scene one of utter surreality. The torches burned along the walls, but no heat escaped their ivory flames. It too was absorbed, into the incomprehensible titan of heat and death that sat at the center, the rock shifting from his weight and his temperature, the dead center of the mountain now solid diamond from the accelerated geological pressure. But hidden were those diamonds to all, for they sat right next to the lair of the Jester. No one would ever lay on eyes on them, or at least those with sanity enough to recognize such a treasure. Sanity was not a thing found there, in the center of the peak.

In the middle of his own lair sat Rakastamos, burning with uncontrollable anger and unspeakable hatred, fire spiraling from his entire body and flying up into the air above, exiting the mountain's peak and becoming a trail of smoke in the sky. It could be seen for hundreds of miles around in every direction before entering the storm above, only adding to its otherworldly fury. But it was nothing compared to the terror emanating from the Dragonlord himself, one that boiled the air around him and terrified space itself into warping, the gravity around his body increasing, some of the rocks flying off of the ground and sticking directly to his cataclysmic body. But his attention was on something very particular- one The Jester.

The communicator between them was very nearly broken, Rakastamos's heat and the Jester's chaos threatening to overwhelm the mechanism with incredible dark energy every second that passed. But somehow it held on, the specialized construction working just fine.

"Jester…", Rakastamos breathed, every word sending chills down the spines or wires of every single lesser being in the cavern. Blood ran down his mouth, both his from stress and the unfortunate Troops he had chosen to snack on to relive it. "I would like to have a word."

"Heyo, sure boss.", the Jester said, right in the middle of blowing bubbles over his Circus of Chaos, the screams within adding to their prodigious size. "What's up?"

"It appears that they have fallen.", said Rakastamos, and deeply sighed. A single dark draconic tear flowed from his left eye, at the loss of the only non-Dragon being that he had ever considered a son. "The brothers in Void. Taklastos and Taklavastoss."

The Jester continued to blow his bubbles, and Rakastamos's eye twitched. "Oh, that's a sad bit, isn't it? They were cool. I guess. Not as cool as me though. Ain't nobody as cool as-"

"I said, they are dead.", Rakastamos hissed, and the mountain itself felt his power, trembling from fear. His overwhelming presence of sheer primal dread lashed deep into the heart of every single being there- all except for the Jester, who just continued to laugh and blow his bubbles of skin, watching just how they-

"JESTER!", Rakastamos roared, slamming his fist into the ground. The entire mountain jumped a foot into the air and shivered violently, a spurt of lava flying out the top, landing on the side, and slowly sliding down. It would go on to destroy several trees before finally hardening, after flowing a few hours. "LISTEN TO ME! YOUR BROTHERS ARE DEAD! YOU ARE MY ONLY STRONG FORGOTTEN LEFT!"

The Jester startled, spilling the bloody bubble solution all over his floor, where it was dissolved back into toothpaste within a second. He stared at the screen, his ivory Jester mask cracking to reveal his true face below, but just a hint. It was an unhappy frown. "They- they are?"

"Yes, you fool.", said Rakastamos, and growled with intensity. Despite the Jester's powers of chaos and confusion, both of them knew the Dragonlord was capable of striking him down with but a single blow. "Now I need you to listen carefully. This is of the utmost importance."

"Yes, sir.", said the Jester, and turned to face his master. His mask automatically repaired itself, back to the mysterious, intensely creepy smile he usually wore. "I'm listening."

"You and your team are my last and final line of defense.", said Rakastamos, making sure that the Jester heard every word. "In less than an hour, the Tailbiters will arrive- and I want- no, I need you to be ready for them. Use all your power, use all your techniques- but most importantly, use all of your resources. When they arrive, I want all three of you to be on it."

"Yes, sir.", said The Jester, and nodded vigorously. "And I except that what to do with them has not been changed since last time?"

"Indeed.", said Rakastamos, and clenched his fist. "Kill the man, kill the boy, keep the girl, and-"

"Deliver the woman to me.", said the Jester in a perfect impersonation of Rakastamos's regal voice, and laughed. "Ayo, don't worry bout it boss. I'll just check the dudes in to my Circus of Chaos, and let the girlies stay for a little bit. That's the funny, you see? Maybe I'll even-"

"And will that kill them?", asked Rakastamos, ignoring the Jester's joke of him. He no longer had such time for anything like that. "Your so called… Circus of Chaos?"

"Uh… yeah.", said the Jester, and grinned. "It certainly will, sire. Deadarino. Dead as a doornail. Deader than a chungus. Deader than a-"

"Good.", said Rakastamos, and snarled with red hot intensity. "That is ALL you had to SAY!"

"Hey, hey!", the Jester said, and raised his arms in friendliness. "You don't have to get mad at me, boss. We're cool. We're cool."

"I'm glad we're cool.", said Rakastamos, and reached out to turn off his communicator. "But I would rather the Tailbiters be something else."

"And what's that-", said the Jester, right before Rakastamos leaned into the camera, letting the full force of his fury fill the machine. Such were his words that even though the communicator itself broke before they were spoken, finally having enough with Rakastamos's strength, the Jester could still hear his words, echoing both in the tunnels and into his mind.

"Dead."

The Jester sat back, and surveyed his realm. He let a smile cross his face- although under the grinning mask he always wore, he was a little bit nervous. He had every bit of faith in his abilities, but the Tailbiters seemed to be completely invincible. Even the almighty Void Wizard, one of his master's strongest, had failed to stop them, only nabbing the two weakest. And those hardly even mattered.

But painful as they were, the sacrifices of his fellow Forgotten had given him one thing- information. The constant conversations they had on the way helped with that as well. And now he knew them well- their strengths. Their weaknesses. What they liked to eat. Their most inner fears. And now that he had those, his Circus would be ready. The thought made him laugh- and laugh again, and laugh once more, for that is what he liked to do. He slammed his fist on the table leg he was sitting upon, breaking it down to mere blood-

He thought that he should call the other Forgotten he had been assigned to work with. So he did. That was a good idea. He had known them for a bit. Lovely couple. Good with the Baby Dragons, good with him, good with each other-

And most importantly for him, they just so happened to be absolutely perfect for his plans.

Song: Tapion- Pokemixr

"Guys, hurry up.", Bailey said, urgency flooding from her voice like the storm that still raged overhead. She hopped over a broken grassy knoll, landing on a higher step on the square mountain. Her SCP uniform had been replaced with a Bandit's standard that thesenate had had in the back room of his current house- he had several troops uniforms, actually. He had made it a hobby to collect them. But she, strangely nostalgiac, was the only one to switch out. "We don't have long. Like… long at all."

"We are hurrying.", grumbled Kurizas, pushing a few buttons on his hoverbike to make it go faster. It was hard going over the irregular grass and rock, but he managed to make it work through sheer piloting skills. "Give us a minute, Bailey. We aren't all as fast as you."

Nidavaleer grunted, and took another massive step. He looked up towards the top of the mountain- he was not quite sure just why they were going up there. He knew it was something that Bailey had felt that they needed to do, but was not sure beyond that. Whatever. He trusted her. So he kept on walking, even as his two compatriots continued to argue and something followed behind, unseen and undetected by anyone in the group.

"Well, excuuuuuuuse me for my natural talent.", said Bailey, and rolled her eyes. "It's not like I have a specialized motorbike designed specifically for speed that I can ride on."

"Natural talent?", scoffed Kurizs, completely missing the jab that Bailey had given him. "Hah. What natural talent? You were born with it."

Bailey gave him A Look, before bursting into laughter for about 2 seconds. "That's what natural talent means, dummy. I was born with it. Naturally."

It had not taken the group very long at all to travel from the Ghostlands to the Continent of the Clans where they now found themselves. It turned out that the Ghost Village had just so happened to have a Clan Boat that had died along with them, but was still very much usable. More so than usual, in fact- for now that it was indeed a Ghost Ship, it could travel the rough waters of the Ghostlands with startling speed, power, and accuracy. The calm waters of the Continent of the Clans were practically a tutorial in comparison, and they had traversed the entire continental distance in a matter of a mere hour. That left just a little under 6 hours to go for them- 6 hours to save the entire galaxy. But they had done things like that before, and this time would a cinch as well. Or at least, so they hoped…

"Oh, is that what that means?", asked Kurizas, his inflection increased on the last word. It caused Bailey to think he was going to follow it up, but he just continued to float up the hill, silent. She waited for him to say something, but he did not.

"Uh, yep.", she said, trying to stifle a nervous laugh. Despite the comedy of the situation, the direness of the day still wore heavy upon all the team's hearts. The storm did nothing to help matters, the echoes of draconic laughter still raging outwards upon the land like scraping metal on haunted chalkboard and dousing it in screaming steel. She braced her arms around herself to guard against a sudden onslaught of icy wind that blew from the north, blowing back the grass and scattering leaves off the shedding trees. It was a strange fall, all things considered, but one that would certainly be remembered for all time to come. "That is what it means."

Nidavaleer looked upwards, and pointed towards the top of the hill. He grunted, only one in the group picking up just what it meant. But he did not tell anybody.

"What are we doing up there?", asked Kurizas, just so happening to voice Nidavaleer's concerns exactly. But he did not know that. He just said it for himself.

"We…", said Bailey, and adjusted her bag, hanging off of her belt, only about the size of a small plate. But it was inside what mattered- and that was all sorts of things. For SCP-8006 was called a Bag of Holding among some certain circles, and could hold just about anything that could fit through the top- which did expand. It was far larger on the inside. This was useful.

"Are going to use this worldwide radio I picked up from base.", she said, and hopped over a small gap in the rocky pathway, several pillars between two mountains, leading unsteadily into the yawning, thousands foot drop below. "In order to-"

Then she noticed she had taken a bit of a large step, not putting her foot on the place where she had thought. One was still planted unfirmly on the rock, and the other was hanging over open air. She pondered this thought for a moment, then fell.

Nidavaleer lunged forward, but he was too far back. His arms, although long, came up just barely too short to reach her, and his grip was not strong enough to grasp across empty space. Kurizas's slow reaction time was of course insufficient, and he stood helpless as he watched his friend Bailey-

Stop in midair, her scream cut short. Her skirt fell around her waist, and her face went red. She tried to look up, and saw the ghostly arm of a familiar face materialize.

"Honestly, Bailey.", said thesenate, and sighed. "How in Clash did you ever manage without me?"

"Stop!", she screamed, and concentrated Dash. She instantly flipped around, out of the ghostly grip, and landed on the next pillar, still hugging her body tight. She smoothed out her skirt and huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "You better not be looking down there."

"Bailey, I am your King.", said thesenate, as he floated by, a wry smile on his face. "It's nothing I haven't seen before. And I did catch you. Would you rather be dead or embarrassed?"

Bailey sighed, and kept on walking, determined to be the head of the group. "Embarrassed."

"Indeed.", said thesenate, and flipped off her hood as he passed by with unnatural speed. He rubbed her hair quickly, leaving it mussed up, and her face scrunched up in anger.

"Nice underwear.", said Kurizas he zipped by on his hoverbike, and chuckled. Bailey whipped around, intending to knock him right off it with a well placed punch- only for her fist to clang harmlessly against Nidavaleer and his metal bones. He looked down at her, smiled warmly, and gently placed her on his shoulder. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to cleanse her brain of the last minute. "Thanks, Nid."

Nidavaleer nodded, and stopped walking. Bailey just sat there for a moment, wondering why everyone had stopped, when she realized she had not yet revealed just what she was going to do with her radio. Her eyes snapped open, and she jumped down. "Oh, right!"

WIth a perfect landing in a crouch, she grabbed the first bit of the radio from SCP-8006, holding it out in her hand. She looked around- they had reached the top of the mountain. That was good. "This…", she said, and proudly grinned. "Is a worldwide transistor."

She grabbed another bit of the radio out of the bag and snapped it onto the first, using patented Easy Assemble technology, assembled by a friend of hers known only as Byrazeea. "And this is a worldwide broadcaster."

She grabbed the third and final part from the bag, testing and popping it into place with a proud grin. She held it aloft, and showed the completed wondrous contraption to her assembled group. "And this… is the Worldwide Radio! Conceptualized by yours truly."

"Okay.", said Kurizas, and scratched his cheek. "So what does it-"

"Look, you idiot.", said Bailey, her pride gone and replaced with annoyance. "This allows us to successfully, instantly communicate with just about any radio or TV station on the entire planet. And you know there are a lot of those. So once we turn it on and say something into it, we tell everyone in the entire world. Kapish?"

Kurizas nodded. "Good."

Bailey looked at the radio, prepared to give her message. She knew they needed to do this- if they were to defeat Rakastamos, it would be through the combined efforts of the entire world united. And that, fortunately, is exactly what they planned to get. Bailey turned it on, took a deep breath, and prepared to speak.

Song: Determinazione

Rakastamos turned away from the shattered ruins of the communicator, only slightly mourning the loss. He would soon no longer have a use for it anyway. For once he had finally completed his ultimate plan, he would be practically a god. He would not use communicators- his ascended words would be able to be heard anywhere he wished for them to be heard. His justice would roll across the world unhindered, scouring the globe of the pests that sickened the great mother Clash, and restore all of life to its former glory under the Dragons' rule. That is what he told himself every day, for that is what he knew to be true. He had to keep it in his head no matter what, always keep his head focused on the goals, and never stop pushing. For as he took a look at the vat of pure, raging, almost boiling Blood Elixir at the corner of the room, he knew it, deep in his soul. The time for rebirth has almost arrived…

He brought his gigantic claws up to his face, and slowly scratched them down the blood red scales. THey were not red naturally on that part of his body- no, they had once been a brilliant, shining gold of justice and mercy. But they were now a dark and mottled red, soaked in the blood of countless victims- and, to a large degree, himself. He liked the feeling it brought him, to be able to to slash open his own skin on occasion. To remind himself of his power, knowing tha he was the only one capable of doing so. To let go of his intense stress, feeling as though something was lifted every time his own blood spurted out all across his body- it was the feeling of perfectly removing a splinter from one's foot, no shards left behind, every time he did so. It healed him, it invigorated him, it made his appearance even all the more terrifying- really, was there any downside to doing such a thing? He did not think so.

Just as he had finished his second slash down his face, staring into the mirror as the dark blood dripped, he heard sounds from behind. He hurriedly wiped his claw off on the rock, scraping away a large section of it onto the floor, and turned around. There he saw none other than The Messenger, his yellow body heaving with exertion, a donation cart crewed by a dozen Skeletons behind him. "Rakastamos!", he shouted, and moved his hands to designate the cart. "We have brought you prisoners! What shall you do with them?"

Rakastamos moved to better inspect the cart full of Troops, his sheer presence rendering all within completely mute. "Hmmm…"

Bailey felt the radio's signal crackle to life, and very swiftly spread out across the entire world. It took not even half a second for the electromagnetic waves to wrap around the whole globe, taking only a few seconds more in order to successfully tap into, hack into, or otherwise access every single communication device on the entire planet. Radios, no matter what they were playing, now played only the awkward silence, as Bailey prepared to give her speech. TVs, regardless of channel- even the mythically, unexplainedly strong signal of Real Gobbowives- showed only a blank black screen, and outputted only voice.

"Uhh…. hey.", she said, and felt the tremor all across the planet. Radios sparked to life in Royale Castles, Kings and Troops alike turning to hear the sudden transmission. Curiosity was felt with a mixture of fear, but the power of Bailey's voice kept anyone from even trying to turn the dial. It wouldn't matter if they had- she was now on every channel. The mystic lights from the radios poured outwards into the rooms of all the Castles, entrancing everyone within to hear the fateful decree. For deep in their collective souls, all of them knew. All of them knew what cataclysmic battle was on the horizon, even if none of them knew exactly what it was. For they were born of battle, raised in conflict, forged by fighting. What else could be the most important event of their lives but this? Bailey could feel the fear and wonder emanating outwards from the entire continent, her natural empathy from her long distant, hyper-folded and causality layered past going into overdrive, but she pressed on anyway.
"I guess you don't know me very well.", said Bailey, and nervously scratched the back of her neck with her hand. "Or, well, know me at all, I guess. But my name is Bailey. And I've come to make an announcement."

She cleared her throat, gathering the words she intended to speak within her head, and began to fulfill her mission.

Rakastamos swirled his head around the prisoners, noting the delightful expressions of primal fear upon their faces. "My, my…", he snarled, and a Villager burst out crying. "What have we here? A brand new shipment of Blood Elixir? Well, of course. That's all your mortals are good for, anyway."

"Hey, you better let us go!", shouted one of the Villagers, strange braveness overtaking her. She pointed a harsh finger into the air, and gave Rakastamos a mean look. Her heart beat at the speed of a jet engine at maximum velocity, but she was determined to pull the stunt off.

"Oh really?", Rakastamos laughed, his colossal, bell like tones filling the entirety of the chamber with pure fear. He stared down at the small Villager, no doubt less than a millionth of his weight and a billionth of his power- if even that. "And just who commands I, the great Dragonlo- no, Dragonemperor Rakastamos, to do such a thing?"

"I do.", said the Villager, and put on the bravest face she could. She stared up, not expecting anyone to join her- but to her total surprise, somebody did. A Wizard put his hands on her shoulder, trying to look Rakastamos dead in the eye.

"And I do too.", he said, bravery at their examples beginning to spread throughout the group. "I've seen plenty of tyrants rise and fall in my day- and you are just one of them."

"Oh, your days?", asked Rakastamos, somewhat curious as to what the Wizard could have meant. "And just what do you mean by that, mortal of flame?"

"I may not look like it, Dragon…", said the Wizard, and stroked his beard with one hand. He prepared a ball of flame in the other, aiming directly for Rakastamos's eye. "But I'm quite old. A few hundred years in fact… and I've seen a lot. Wars- not Clan Wars, real ones. A whoooole lot of death. Famine. And what you're doing to this world falls right under my jurisdiction."

"I see.", said Rakastamos, and stroked his own chin. "So what you are saying here is that despite being a mere mortal, you have lived a life full."

"Yes.", said the Wizard, and nodded. He subtly gestured for his fellow Wizards behind him to add to his fire, just where the Dragonlord could not see. "I suppose that you could say this."

Rakastmos stared for a moment, then slumped down onto his stomach. He propped his head up on his elbows, and lowered his gargantuan head to face the Donation Cart, every Troop within quaking in fear.

"Interesting…", he said, and smiled. "Tell me more."

Gathering each and every hint of her magical, Grrshknn granted voice, Bailey poured her heart and soul out into her message, knowing full well that it meant the difference between life and death. Not only her own, but those she knew, and potentially the entire galaxy if it got to that pont. But she would not, could not, let that happen.

"Everyone who is listening to me.", she said. She spread her arms open wide- for some reason. SHe knew that no one hearing her besides her own group was able to see it, but it gave her confidence to speak. "I need you all to listen closer. No, closer. Closer- yep. That's it. Gooood."

As she spoke, she could tell that both her words and her manner of speaking were having an effect on her invisible, worldwide audience. It made her wonder- would Meg be hearing it too?

Then she shook her head slightly, trying to clear her mind of such distractions, and continued to speak. "I have to tell you all something. There is a great evil approaching, and we all need to be ready."

Down below and far away, about a dozen miles away from the mountain in which they were on, an entire Village listened entranced. The entire Army had been preparing to fight, when their radio that the Barbarian King had been using for workout music had suddenly clicked on. The Archer Queen had almost shot it with her Queenbow out of suspicion- but once Bailey's words had played, she had changed her mind.

"His name…", said Bailey, and paused for effect. "Is Dragonlord Rakastamos. He is a gigantic Dragon that lives at the center of the Continent of the Clans- I'm sure you all know where that is, right? Good. Yeah, anyway, he's got this evil plan."

The signal carried far over the world, hitting just about every single place possible. There were of course a few, very tiny places where there were no radios or TVs, but such places were very few and extremely far between. If one was capable of seeing invisible transmissions, they would have seen a light blue shell expand over the entire globe, catching the world's attention in its light.

"He plans to kill every single last one of you all.", said Bailey, the dead seriousness in her voice not lost in the transmission. In fact, it only seemed to increase- whether through some magic or the size of the broadcast waves it was unknown. "And he's going to do it very, very soon. In just about a few hours. So we don't have long."

"Dragon, I know and understand that you have lived a long time.", said the Wizard, and clenched his other fist. "So surely you must also understand that to live long is the true measure of one's success- and several of us mortals have lived for hundreds, even thousands of years. Would that, by your standards, not make us successful?"

Rakastamos prepared to ponder this situation for a few seconds, then let out a laugh. "Oh, you ridiculous Wizard. I never said that my standards are that of a long life! You merely falsely attributed that trait to me, and tried to base your argument off of that."

Rakastamos slowly began to move forward to grab him, but the Wizard did not panic. He instead just held out his arm in a brave attempt to ward Rakastamos off, and stared him right in the eyes. "Ah, but that is true, is it not? For you despite mortals because they do not live long, and thus clutter up the world, like so many bugs and insects?"

Rakastamos stopped in his tracks- extremely momentarily, as he thought about that sentence. But a half second later he was done with puzzling it over, and continued to approach. "Unfortunately for you, no. I despise mortals because they unrightfully took over the world, and now I seek merely to restore the world before to its rightful glory. And for that to be done, well…"

Rakastamos gestured to the vast amounts of both blood and Elixir scattered around the cave, and grinned. "You get the idea."

"But would that truly solve anything?", asked the Wizard, and nodded his head, looking around to the rest of the group for support. The Skeletons that carried the Cart were unsure of what to do, but a single wordless command from Rakastamos sent them back to a resting standing position. "Would trying to eliminate the world's mortals solve anything in that regard? For you of all beings would surely know that Dragons are mortal as well. So if you were to eliminate mortals, would that not mean that you would destroy all Dragons as well?"

Rakastamos rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I, of all beings, know that Dragons are in fact immortal, with a most pronounced im. Which means that now, I belive I am fine."

He snarled and moved in to kill the Wizard, not wanting to waste any more time.

Farmer Brown of the Hay Day Farms kicked his feet up on his truck's dashboard, deeply yawned, and popped the cap off his beer. He expertly surveyed his farm- and it seemed all was well. His crops were taken care of, his animals were fed, and the storm that hung in the distance seemed no closer to the Farms. That was a relief, at the very least. He wouldn't want whatever was going on over there to hinder him. He took another crack of his beer, and-

And then his ears suddenly picked up a strange voice coming from his truck radio. He looked down in confusion, and was instantly transfixed by the words- but more so the voice.

"He lives at the center of the continent.", said Bailey, and gulped. "I'm sure that you've all seen his storm by now, right? Because he caused that. Whatever negative effects the storm has caused on your daily lives is solely the fault of Rakastamos."

Farmer Brown thought for a moment, recalling the time that a bolt of dark Lightning had flashed from the Continent of the Clans, hundreds of miles away, and killed one of his pigs out of completely nowhere. He had been just a few feet away at the time, and knew that it could have easily been him. A shiver ran up his spine, and he began to grow angry.

"So keep that in heart!", Bailey said, putting a bit more oomph into her words. "Keep that in your head- this is the fault of Rakastamos. He is the source of the world's evil."

Farmer Brown furrowed his eyebrows- this made sense. He grabbed the truck door, threw it open, threw on his jacket with an infuriated huff, and stomped on towards his house.

"Marge?", he shouted, and knocked on the door. "Where's my 12-gauge!"

It was not a question.

Bailey continued to speak, knowing that all across the world, people were beginning to respond to her call. "People of the world, unite! The time has at last come to stop raiding, to put a pause to the batling, to cease the brawling. There is now only one enemy, and he is all of ours."

A house of Brawlers heard this call- and they took it to heart perhaps stronger than some of the rest. For they had been the ones to raise Leon, and thus knew of the danger through some bizarre link. A Darryll locked eyes with a Penny, and a Carl gave a Dynamike a fist bump. They were ready for anything- even if they did not know precisely why. Was it the way that whoever was on the radio spoke, her entracing, melodical voice? Yes, it probably was.

"Wait!", the Wizard shouted, and Rakastamos was given a single second of pause. "I just have one more question. To ask you, oh great Dragonemporor Rakastamos."

Rakastamos, genuinely pleased that the Wizard used his new, correct title, stopped for a second. He held up his great burning hand, and tilted his head as he looked down at the diminutive Troops. Most of his body was still hidden in shadow, the thousands of feet he had crossed in just a second dim. "Well, since you quite obviously have some inkling of just who it is that you are speaking to, I will let you ask it."

"If we mortals are just so much weaker than you Dragons, then how could we have possibly taken over the world?", asked the Wizard, his breath shaking. He knew what had happened to those who had asked Rakastamos before this- but what did he have to lose? He was going to die soon anyways. "I mean, it just doesn't make sense."
Normally, Rakastamos would have utterly despised such a question. Normally, he would have torn the Wizard limb from limb right there and ate him, the discussion conclusively over. But this time, for whatever reason, he forced himself to actually answer the question. He dug through his brain, searched for an answer- and to his own immeasurable shock and horror, came up a blank. He looked around, and tried to speak. "Ummm…"

The Wizard stared up in complete shock- then triumph crept into his thoughts. Holy Se'th, Dr'ew, Dar'ia, Fr'ank, and Ill'kka.", he said, scarcely able to even believe it himself. Did I just- did I just do it?

He laughed under his breath, deeply savoring Rakastamos's stunned expression. Did I just convince Rakastamos to give this up for good?

For a moment, his dreams soared high. For a moment, he was scarcely even able to believe what had just happened, thinking himself the sudden, unlikely hero of the entire world. It would be a fitting end to his career- to be remembered not only then, not only now, but as a hero for all life, for all eternity, the One Who Had Stopped Rakastamos. But of course, they had to be dashed. A quiet scrabbling noise sounded on the rock just behind Rakastanos, and all turned to look.

"That's not true!", shouted Dablia, proudly sticking out his chest. "Father Rakastamos, you said that it was through a group effort they beat you! Which means that since it took all other Troops to win, then Dragons are better than any single one of them! We are still the best!"

Rakastamos blinked, taking these words to heart- and his previous composure ws, within a single horrifying instant, restored. He turned to stare at the WIzard with hatred, now suddenly a lot less hesitant.

"So now!", shouted Bailey, forcing herself to use the utmost strength of her magical voice. She had to, for now record numbers of stations, channels, and guys on boards were tuning in, all to hear her speak. "The time has at last come, to help save life as we know it, forever!"

On the legendary Fisherman's Wharf on the coast of Royale, Jonah the Fisherman was busy working on his boat. He sanded out a bumped plank, making sure to leave room for the custom pain job that would be installed later on. He gently rounded the elegant stairs on the main deck, knowing that just straight up replacing some of the parts after the Kraken attack would be a wise investment. Sandy sat on a tall barstool next to the boat, reading from some comics he had bought. He was having trouble staying awake, for obvious reasons.

Yet despite the intense love and care that Jonah had for the Undefined Variable, he could not help but stop to listen at the strange words coming out of the radio that he had brought along. He craned his ear toward the lovely, irresistible voice, gently setting down his tools.

"Grab whatever weapons you might have.", he heard, and his eyes perked up. "Grab your friends, family, and personal acquaintances."

Jonah listened for a few more seconds, then made up his mind. He turned to Sandy, about to fall from the chair, and gave a harsh bark. "Boy!", he shouted. "Get your things. We're leaving."

"Huh… what?", Sandy asked, and blinked. He rubbed his eyes, and slid down from the chair.

"We're going to the Continent of the Clans.", he said, and grinned a wild grin. "Special order."

Sandy nodded, and followed his father onto the boat.

"The time of courage is here, everyone!", Bailey all but shouted, her voice starting to hurt. And yet she pressed on, still able to be heard through her magical voice. "Go forth, and be heroes!"

Jake of the Gecko People stood glued to the radio one of the village's children had brought to the Daily Meeting, its purpose finally revealed. He looked at his elders, and they stared back.

"This seems quite important, very much.", he said, and nodded. "It is imperative we send a warband there immediately."

"Yes, yes it is.", said his second in command. "With the finest spears, and the finest armor, and the finest training. It is our only hope. That is what she says."

"Yes, yes, that is true.", said Jake, and his tail twitched. "Fetch the hunting spears, and the war spears. Today, we all fight. Every single one of us."

"Jake, are you sure?", asked his third in command. "Taking all into battle will mean disaster for us if we should all die. Should not some stay here, to ensure our safety if we all fail?"

Jake, to answer, merely let the radio play, clutched in the hands of the child who owned it.

"Rakastamos's end goal is the total extermination of all non-Dragon, non-plant life on the planet.", said Bailey. "Yes, that means you. You. All of you."

"You heard the voice.", said Jake, and picked up his tall warspear. "This enemy is the end of all life. If we fail, we die anyway."

"I see.", said the second in command, and picked up his own spear and shield. "Then let us fight."

"Get the hunting scents.", said Jake, and allowed himself the tiniest bit of sail rises. "We must bring all our might. The Dinosaurs shall ride."

"Yes, that is true.", said Rakastamos, and concentred an ultra thin beam of fire within his hand. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Wizard? Don't have any "clever" little questions to fill your head and to waste my time with?"

"No.", said the Wizard, and groaned under the weight of the fire he now held. For the last several minutes, each and every Wizard within the cart- 8 in total- had been feeding him their flames, combined with constant charging of his own, prepared to be unleashed in one gigantic firey missile. "Because… you no longer have time to waste."

"Hm?", asked Rakastamos, and began to move. "Whatever do you mean-"

"Haaa!", the Wizard screamed, and unleashed the gigantic blast. It shot forward like a solid spear of heat and light, aimed directly for Rakastamos's head. It made a sonic boom as it shot forward, blowing everyone in the donation cart onto their backs- then even the cart itself into wooden planks on the ground. It screamed through the cavern air, heading directly for Rakastamos's eye- then it hit, with a gargantuan, flaming explosion that did absolutely nothing.

Rakastamos waited for it to clear, before letting out a low laugh. The Wizard flinched in terror at the sound, unable to belive that his ultimate changed attack had done absolutely nothing, before suddenly realizing he no longer had a lower body. His entire upper half, he realized as he bled out in seconds, dripping blood all across the donation cart's ruins, was being tossed into the gigantic maw of Rakastamos, booming shut with a sound that shook the sky.

"Now…", said Rakastamos, and looked out over the terrified Troops that still remained. "Whatever should I do with you?"

One of the Villagers looked at another, and instantly ran off screaming into the dark, desperate for freedom. She only got a few dozen feet before a gigantic black Raptor lunged out of the shadows, screeching violent murder, and kicked her apart into Elixir with a single flick of its bladed toe. The rest looked up at Rakastamos in terror- death behind, death in front, and no doubt death in the other directions as well. They were trapped.

"Young and old, fit and unhealthy, experienced or new- it does not matter!", Bailey said through the TV of a particular Villager household, gaining the attention of two inhabitants. "It does not matter your level. All that does is that we win the day. For if we do not, all is surely, truly lost."

Cookie the Villager looked to her mother expedectly- who of course just stood there with a frown on her face and her hands on her hips. "Cookie, no."

"But-", said Cookie, her mouth full of cereal despite the afternoon hour, and gestured towards the TV. She could not see Bailey, but she could still hear her. "Did you hear what she just said?"

"I did, and I still say no.", said Cookie's mother, and frowned. "I don't trust her."

"Mom, come on.", said Cookie, and crossed her own arms. Her Stand appeared behind her in a flash of red tentacles- but of course, she was the only one in the house that could see it. "I'm not a kid anymore. You know that."

Indeed, she wasn't. Even though just three weeks ago she had been but a small Villager child, they grew up unequally and quickly. She was now a solid teen, about 16 biologically. "I can go. I'll be fine. I have my Stand, don't I?"

"Well I don't know.", said her mother, and threw her hands up in the air. "I don't even really know what that is. But I do know that-"

"EVERYONE!", shouted Bailey, with all the force she could possibly muster up. Both Cookie and her mother froze up, turning to face the TV. "I need EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYBODY, to go to the Continent of the Clans as swiftly as possible. Meet at the Third Grand Goblin Hotel. You can't miss it, right next to one of the major ports. From there, I will tell you all what to do."
Cookie turned to her mother, who sighed. "Alright. But be safe."

Cookie smiled, gave her mother a hug, and ran out the door, red tentacles following her as she went. "I will Mom love you kay thanks byeee!"

She watched Cookie go, then turned back to the TV. Perhaps she would go as well.

"We may meet others on the way.", said Bailey, feeling something building up from deep within her. "Join up with them. We need all the help we can get."

She prepared herself for one last, overwhelming, beautiful beyond words speech- and stopped. She tried to speak- and stopped. For some reason, totally beyond her control, Bailey no longer knew how to speak with the same hypnotic power that she had before. She could till speak with beauty and eloquence- but it no longer had its hypnotic effect. It was as if some power had left her. "Wh- what?"

Rakastamos raised up a gigantic hand, ready to smite every single one of the mortals off the face of the world, to splatter them into pure Blood Elixir with the force of his anger, to-

To…

To…

Rakastamos stopped, and let his hand slowly fall back down to the ground. His previously hard expression of sadistic anger and evil glee softened, becoming almost kind, fatherly. He cast a weary look among the tired, terrified, lost and bleeding mortals before him, and realized something.

What in all of Clash's name was he doing?

He had felt some darkness leave him, some evil presence suddenly leave his body. It was as if a curtain had finally been lifted, some anchor drawn up, a heavy weight broken from his bleeding, aching shoulders. He realized that it was the first time he had felt peace- true, actual peace- in years. Ever since those thousands of years ago when the Demon had first visited him, this was the first time. It made him want to be a better Dragonlord, to dance, even to sing.

He, very gently, stretched his finger down to a single Villager in the front of the group. Petrified with fear, she hesitated to respond- but when she saw the brilliance gleaming from Rakastamo's eyes, she was given hope. She reached out for his finger, in a haze of pure emotion based decision making- and to her surprise, she was lifted up. She could see the Troops below her getting smaller as she was whisked ever so gently hundreds of feet into the air, coming to rest right in front of Rakastamos's face. But no longer did it seem evil. No longer did it seem like the maw of death, stretched out high and far to claim the world. No, it seemed like the mouth of one that would try and make everything alright. One that would find all the problems in the world and

She was suddenly squeezed apart by Rakastamos's closed fist, breaking her to bits and sending the rest of the Troops running, terrified beyond belief once again, screaming at the top of their fragile lungs. Rakastamos, although his stress was gone and he would no doubt get terrific sleep from then on, still hd a job to do. And that job involved destroying all mortals.

But as he breathed a swash of flame across the bottom of his cavem turning a dozen of them into ash, he remembered he had one more thing to take care of. He took a deep breath and accessed his personal mental link with the Jester. It was an absolute pain to use, as he had not figured out how to send images and it hurt him to do so. But it was the only thing they had left now. "Jester, there's been a slight change of plans."

"What?", he head the Jester say from the other line. "What's the change?"

"About the woman…", said Rakastamos, and grinned as he killed a half dozen Giants with a single step. "Do with her what you wish when she arrives. I don't think we'll be needing to hold on to her anymore."

"You got it, boss.", said the Jester, and Rakastamos closed the mental link. He felt good- and what better way to celebrate that feeling then by doing some deep fall cleaning of the entire world? He, for one, did not know of a better way.

Bailey fell down backwards onto the grass, accidently reverse somersaulted, and shouted in frustration. "Excuse me, what?"

"Bailey, what happened?", asked thesenate, floating closer to her. He put out an arm- but Bailey shoved it away. She sat up, adjusted her skirt and bangs, and huffed her hair out of her face. But her annoyance soon gave way to shock- she stared down at herself in confusion and pain, struggling to think of what had just happened. "I- my- my voice- it-"
She closed her eyes, and struggled. SCP Agents didn't cry, everyone knew that. SCP agents didn't cry- they didn't cry- SCP Agents don't cry Bailey come on get it together girl-

And yet she still found herself leaking bits of tears from her squeezed shut eyes, knowing what had happened. Somehow, she had lost her powers. She had lost the powers she had had for months, ever since Grsshknn had given them to her. She did not know what had happened- had Grrshknn suddenly withdrawn his favor? Had he moved on to someone better, more deserving of his unspeakable dark gifts? "Grrshknn… he withdrew my voice?"

As he watched Bailey speak to herself in shock, Kurizas alone knew what to do. He gathered himself, sighed, and walked pst thesenate, murmuring in shock. He had known about Grrshknn quite well- but he had not ever expected to hear his name ever again. It had thrown even his patient, ghostly head for a loop. Kurizas grabbed Bailey's shoulder as she continued to murmer to herself, and tried to prepare himself for whatever would she would do to him. Probably nothing good. "Bailey?"

"Yeah?", asked Bailey, and turned around. She wiped a tear from her eye, and tried to give a friendly smile. "What is it, friendo?"

"About Grrshknn…", said Kurizas, and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Nidavaleer hesitated with his hands out, preparing to grab them should anything go wrong.
Bailey sensed the tone in his voice, and put her hands on her hips, staring at Kurizas with deeply sarcastic eyes. "What? Did you kill him or something?"

"No.", said Kurizas, and Bailey was about to say something- "Good", or "At least that's something", or something along those lines. But she stopped as Kurizas said "But I did drive him away by refusing to submit to him and that miiiight just be why you just lost your powers."

Bailey stared at him for a moment, unable to believe what Kurizas had just said. Her hand began to twitch, a tear dripped from her eye, and her mouth pulled downwards into a snarl. Kurizas knew full well what was about to happen- but he was too slow to dodge Bailey's supersonic slap to the jaw, even Nidavaleer failing to catch it.

Kurizas was blown backwards, his implanted nanotech preventing his face from blowing off completely. Millions of nanobots held on to his skin as it was torn away from muscle and bone, pulling it back on before it had a chance to go far. But it did not do the same to him, and he almost flew off the cliff before Nidavleer reached out and grabbed him round he waist, bringing him back in. He gasped from the shock and pain, before taking a deep breathe to further explain. But Bailey interjected before he got the chance.

"Kurizas, you idiot!", she screamed, and clenched her teeth together. "I was about to summon a big old army from all across the world, and you just had to go and ruin it by driving Grsshknn off! What did he even say to you? You know that the importance of a mission is more important than ny one individual agent! You just had to screw it up, didn't you-"

"Grrshknn was powering Rakastamos as well and it's highly likely that if he left you, that he left him as well.", said Kurizas, and winced, preparing for another hit. "Which means that Rakastamos will be weaker once we fight him!"
Bailey stopped en route to Kurizas, who Nidavaleer now decided that it was okay to let down. He slid down onto the grass, brushed himself off, and stared up at Bailey, who now seemed decidedly less fierce. "He… he will? He did? You did?"

"Yes.", said Kurizas, and stood up. He prepared himself for what he knew was going to come next, and it scared him even more than going up against Rakastamos. He stood right next to Bailey, getting as close as possible, and took a deep breath. "And I know that there is something that will make it all better."

"Kurizas, what do you-", Bailey said, then felt Kurizas trace his finger along her jaw, making sure to tap the spot where she had lost a tooth many months prior. It made her shiver a bit- she didn't know that anyone know it except for her. "Oh?"

Kurizas looked her deep in the eyes, and smiled. He spoke in a husky voice, trying to put as much meaning and effort into his words as he could. "Bailey, I've been meaning to do this for a long, long time. A very long time indeed."

"Kurizas, wait-", Bailey began, before Kurizas grabbed her arms, held them up, leaned in, and planted a kiss right on her lips.

Thesenate flickered in and out of visibility, the shock not lost on him, even if he was dead. Nidavaleer's brows almost shot clean off his face, and he gasped with a silent breath. Bailey's eyes were wide open in shock as Kurizas kissed her, the two circling, almost dancing on the high mountain grass while the rose petals fell around them, borne aloft on some mysterious wind- before they narrowed in anger, and she pushed him away with a fierce shout.

"Kurizas, what the frick was that for?", she hissed, and once again slapped him across the cheek, but lighter this time. A lot lighter- for although she was angry, she no longer wished to hurt him. "What- why- why did you do that?"

Kurizas rubbed his hurt cheek in shock, and looked up at her in betrayal. "I- I thought that-"

"What, you thought that we were romantic together?", asked Bailey, and turned around. She tried to conceal her reddened face of anger, and her burning tears of rage. "No. I don't like anyone like that. Not anymore."

"What… what happened?", asked Kurizas, standing up. "Did- did-"

Bailey just stood there ,staring off into the distance, thinking she could see their goal- the titanic form of Clashcrush Mountain. After what she had learned of her past self in the Chamber of Knowledge, she could no longer stomach relationships. "It's not you. It's…"

She sighed, and turned around. She didn't want to drag it out any longer than possible, and she most definitely did not want to hurt Kurizas. "You know what, never mind. Let's get going. We only have-"

She looked at her watch, and immediately wished she had not, for the shock of pure fear that it sent though her system. "Less than five hours until the end of home. We've worked on more for less though, right guys?"

She held up her hand for a high five, but Kurizas would not meet her eye. Nidavaleer almost raised his hand, but he did not, instead choosing to put it on Kurizass's back. Thesenate looked at the two, and floated over to Bailey gently. He poked a finger at them and whispered into her face. "I think you should apologize to him."

Bailey's nostrils flared, and her temper rose- but she sighed. She did have to do it, after all. Without her beloved friends and partners, she could not complete the mission. Plus she really, really liked them. So she walked over to Kurizas, and tapped his head.

"Look, dude.", she said, trying to be as sincere as she could. "I'm sorry. I really am. But… I guess I'm just not ready for any kind of relationship right now, other than friendly. Maybe in the future, okay? I mean, it's not like any of us are going anywhere, right?"

Kurizas looked up- and nodded. "You're right.", he said, and extended his hand. Bailey stared at it for a moment before giving it a hard shake, and they both clapped each other on the back. Bailey turned, pointed towards the horizon, and nodded. "Now let's go get him."

So they walked off towards ClashCrush Mountain, destiny on their heels.

Song: Desperate Plan

Dan walked silently along the blue grass- although truth be told, it was a lot less blue than it had been just a few miles ago. The intense, legendary heat radiating outwards from the mountain nearby had turned the grass almost burned ash white, the ground cracked and hollow.

The air was muggy with the vaporized moisture from what had once been fertile wetlands and swamps, now given way to the arid desert of the Dragon's Field. It was not hard to guess why it was named that.

It hurt him somewhat to walk silent like he was doing. He knew that his family was on his back- yet they did not speak, for the first time in the journey. For at this point, why would they? They hd just seen two dear friends erased from the world right in front of them and come closer to death then they should ever had had to. He did not want to push them any further than he hd to, especially not when there was the battle for the fate of the world in just one or two hours. But truth be told, he didn't know what they were going to do. He didn't know how they were going to win. It had taken all his physical might, tactical skill, and even beyond himself to bring down the Mega Pekka, and the rest of the group would have died to the Void Wizard had he not shown up. They had both said that Rakastmos was afraid to face them in open battle- and yet, Dan could sense it. He could sense the sheer, overwhelming terror and panic that flowed from the mountain like a waterfall of Hell, spilling out over the land and into his senses.

He looked back at his group, and sighed. It hurt him to see them all like that. Brandy with her stump arm and missing leg- that drove a stake through his heart that he had no idea how to heal. He didn't know what he was going to do to fix that. He had already tried everything he could. Heal spells and Healers only fixed cuts and burns and breaks- not limbs that had been erased from existence. There was no way she could fight in her condition- not well, at least. He didn't want to think about her pain, even if he wanted to think about her.

Leon seemed like he was in good condition, or at least better than the girls. He lay asleep under his hood, arms folded behind his neck, no doubt having restless dreams. Hunter Killer rapidly flickered out of his grip, in a phantasmal state, perhaps being used in the dream. Dan didn't know that part. He could not see Stands, but he could certainly tell that something was bothering him- his hand kept moving from relaxed to gripping something, and his muscles continued to tense up. Dan knew it was better to leave him be than wake him. Otherwise he might start shooting, and that would be bad.

Bubble looked bad- not as bad as Brandy, but still not doing well. Her dress, which had been bright yellow with white flowers when they had first found her at the village, was now a dark and burnished gold, the flowers showing up wilted, some of the missing petals. Dan supposed it must have been a magic dress, to illustrate her mental state like that. Or perhaps it was that something had happened in the mountain in order to- no, wait, that was just the whole mental state theory again. So that was… um… hold on. Dan tried to remember what he had been thinking about, but lost it. No, wait- there it was- ah yes, Bubble.

Bubble was an innocent child, or no, she wasn't. She could hardly be called innocent as this point with the amount of things she hd seen, and the number of things she hd been through. What had happened to her was far too much for any child her age, or any… um… whatever she was. Dan still did not know. She had always just described herself as Bubble, without any Troop type. Dan knew of the strange, almost alien "Regular People theory", but he had never believed it- until now. After all, it now seemed to be staring him right in the face…

As he stepped directly through a rock, crushing it to dust, he looked forward once more. He, for the first time, was truly out of ideas. He had no idea what to do before they got to the mountain, just an hour or so away. He hd no idea how to help his group, or how to fight Rakastamos, or how to-

A bright green and yellow bird suddenly flew in front of his startled vision, landed directly on his nose, shook itself off, and chirped. It stared right into Dan's eyes, as if beckoning.

"What the…", Dan murmured, and tried to stare at it. The bird seemed maddingly familiar, although he could not place why. "What are you?"
The bird chirped again and flew off, in between a pair of bushes. Dan knew he should have gone towards the mountain. He knew that they had to complete the mission, he knew they had to kill Rakastamos- and yet, he had a feeling to follow the bird instead. He did not know why, but he did it. He took a few gigantic steps forward, crashing through the brush in pursuit of the strange, cosmic-feeling bird- and gasped out loud once he saw what lay beyond.

"Honey, look at this.", said Dan, and tapped Brandy on the shoulder. She jerked awake, color flowing back in to her greying fingers, and cried out. "What? Huh?"

Then she turned to see what Dan was looking at, and gasped as well. Her eyes watered at the sight, and she realized just how much she missed one. It had not been more than two days, but it felt like months and months. She reached out her hand, and a bit of life was restored to her eyes. She leaned forward on Dan's shoulders, and cracked a small smile. "It's… it's a…"

"It is, Brandy.", said Dan, and hurried even faster down the hill, towards the blessed sight. "It's a fricking Village."

Song: Mysterious

A Trader, a gleam in his eyes and expert movement in his fingers, expertly flipped a Book of Heroes from one hand to the other, right in front of the eye of the watchful level 60 Barbarian King. He flipped it it and out of his halfly worn coat, and flashed his silver tooth.

"Behold!", he shouted, and the Barbarian King sighed. "I bring gifts, strange Magic Items, precious, priceless treasures from the far off lands. What will it be today, sir Barbarian King? Perhaps a legendary Book of Heroes? No, you're far too high level for that- and if you are such a level, then your lovely Queen must be even higher- I know how that works."

He tapped the side of his head and grinned once more, juggling a few Power Potions in between his hands at expert speeds, the bottles of powerful liquid becoming like a blur. "Well then, how about some Power Potions? A single bottle can power an entire army!"

He looked back and forth, as it to not let anyone that may have been watching in on the secret that he was about to share. He slowly, ever so slowly, began to bring a Book from his jacket-

"Frank, knock it off.", said the Barbarian King, and rolled his eyes. He folded his arms, and tapped his sword that he had laid down by his side. His was the skin of the Gladiator- although he had taken off the helmet, for it had gotten quite hot. "I've known you for years. Just tell me what you got."

"Oh, okay.", the Trader said, now in a much more reserved voice. HIs accent still remained ,but he was no longer quite playing the part he had when he had first come to the Village, years ago when they were but a humble Town Hall of 8. They were now a nearly maxed out 12- just a few more upgrades to go, and it would all be complete. They had moved several times ,through some bizarre, perhaps ancient or futuristic technology that Frank did not know, but he had kept himself with them through the whole thing. He dug in his bag for what he was actually allowed to sell. "Well, let's see here…."

He dug up a smallish green bottle with a pair of crossed weapons, and tossed it to the Barbarian King, who caught it in both hands. "There you go. It's a Training Potion of course- that's free."

"Well, good.", said the King, and coughed. "We were almost staring to run out of those."

"Yeah, well, that's what you have me for.", said Frank, and dug into his pack again. He withdrew a light blue bottle with a solid steel seal of a saw, and bumped his brows up and down. "And here's a nice Builder Potion- pretty solid, eh, no?"

"Yeaaah…", said the Barbarian King, and scratched his head. "They need buffs. Totally."

"Oh, yes they do.", said Frank, and sighed. "I've talked to some other Traders about it- they do all agree with you. But unless we take it up with the Primal, and he takes it up with the gods and the Builders, we cannot."

"Ayy, that sucks.", said the Barbarian King, and crossed his arms once more. Frank stood there with the Builder Potion still in his outstretched hand, and looked up hopefully. "So… you gonna buy it or-"

"No.", said the Barbarian King, and his eyes slightly lit up. "Now show me... what's your big one?"

"Big one?", asked Frank innocently, but he knew full well what the Barbarian King was getting at. He slowly began to draw the item in question out from under his robes, and smiled. "Oh, you mean the big one. The biggest one."

"Yes, the biggest one-", said the Barbarian King impatiently- but as Frank withdrew the item in question, he could do naught but gasp. He took a step backwards at the shining object, hardly even able to believe what he was seeing. He didn't even know it was legal for Traders to sell the anymore.

"Ah yes, the Book of Everything.", said Frank, and quite gently spun it around in his hands. "I'm sure you want it- what village would not? I had to go to great lengths to secure this for you, for sure."

"Aren't those illegal?', asked the Barbarian King, and pointed at the spinning book, magically floating in midair. "Like- how did you actually get one?"

"I'll never tell.", said Frank, and bowed down. He dangled the Book of Everything with two fingers, just daring the Barbarian King to come and take it. "But do you want it or not? It can all be yours, ,the magical, almost wish granting power of the Book of Everything… for just the low low price of 2100 Gems."

The Barbarian King's eyes almost bugged out- before he realized just what it was that Frank had said. He stood back up and turned around, now having lost interest entirely. "Oh. Well, I could just do upgrades manually for that much. I don't need to waste any time on getting the Book."

"What- you're turning down a Book of Everything?", asked Frank in total bewilderment, and tugged at his face. "What- how? Why? Why?"

"Because I don't need it.", said the Barbarian King, and scoffed. "2100 Gems is just too much, Frank. How about you lower it to… I don't know… say… 1000 Gems. Then we'll talk."

Frank almost fumed, unable to belive he had been led on like that- when he heard a sound to his immediate right.

SOng: Welcome to the Word

Frank turned to see what it was, hoping that it was not an attacker. He had just gotten set up for the day. The Barbarian King turned as well- but was completely unprepared for the sight that would face his tired eyes. Neither was his Archer Queen, who had come up behind him when she heard the noise. She had been on the other side of the VIllage, but size negated that factor by a large margin. Neither was his Grand Warden, perhaps most of all, for he landed from his Air mode without a second thought, unable to do anything but stare. THey all looked forward at the thing that approached them, in complete and wandering awe.

Dan stumbled out of the bushes, and took a deep breath. He stared forward and motioned to Brandy- they were in a Village now. They could, that blessed word at long last perform- relax.

Leon was still asleep, and would most likely be asleep for another couple of hours- unless something big happened. Everyone hoped that nothing bad would happen before then- but it was impossible to tell. Bubble was beginning to wake up, stretching her tiny arms and smacking her mouth. Brandy was on top of his shoulder, constantly trying to grab Dan's skin, trying not to fall off from her weakened state. But her eyes and mouth were happy- they had finally found some place to rest. It was a nice place too- even better. It was almost immensely lucky that the bird had shown up- otherwise, they most likely would have not found the village. And that, of course, would have been a disaster.

"Oh, hey!", shouted the Archer Queen, tring to test out a theory of hers. "Lay low."

She strode up to Dan who stood forward at her in confusion, and warmly extended her hand. "Why, hello! My hame is Kelly. And from the looks of it, you must been those Clan castle troops we ordered."

It took only a second for Brandy, laying so still on Dan's shoulders that Kelly did not even see her, to twist up her face in anger. She lashed out and screamed, shaking with frustration and hurt. Her eyes burned with flecks of purple fire, and her hair seemed to stand just a bit off of your body. She clenched her fists by her side and her nostrils flared, all of the Rage and anger built up inside her forming a streaming, broken mess.

"W are not your fricking Clan Castle Troops!", she screamed, red in the face for few seconds, until slowly the light cleared. Clearly they had been activated to watch her and Dan- but not that they it really mattered. What did matter was the anger she still felt. What did matter was the way she scowled at the Queen, crouched back hurt on Dan's shoulders, barely even able to keep herself contained. The Archer Queen nodded, and was about to apologize- when she realized something. The way the big man in front looked, the way the armor was placed, and the ones placed around and on him. A gasp of pure excitement and shock reached her voice, and she leaned forward in excitement.

"Wait, don't tell me.", said the Archer Queen, and shivered with delight. "That Mega Knight look, that Bandit, that Leon, and that little girl. You're…"

She looked back and forth between each of the, staring at the incredible amounts of battle damage each of them had taken. But this was specific damage, not the random cuts and scrapes one night get on a typical adventure. By now, Kelly the Archer Queen had heard of the group's exploits. She was almost shaking like a fangirl now, and pointed. "You guys are-"

She looked at them, tired and exhausted beyond reason, some of them broken with the others just barely holding on. "The Dragonkillers!"

Dan tried to smile, and forced a light grin. He tapped Brandy on the back, but all that happened was her frown went up a half notch. "Uh, yeah.", he said, quietly but still rock deep. "That's us. Now if you don't mind, we are all very tired and you know we've almost reached our destination, so why don't we just-"

"Hold on a minute.", said Kelly, and frowned. She silently counted off the members over and over again, ticking them off on her fingers, and frowned. "There are 6 of you. Where are the other two? The Barbarian and the Archer?"

This time, it was not Dan that made a response. This time it was Brandy in the form of a low, wavering, cry that scrunched up her face and forced tears out from in between her eyes, her entire body racked with hard, yet almost silent sobs. Dan looked up, and motioned for Kelly to quietly, respectfully, get out of the way.

"I'm sorry.", he said, stepping through the walls and into the Village proper. "But something happened in Dark Mountain. We just need rest, food, new clothes, and-"

The Grand Warden, Gyfial, looked over Dan and saw Brandy's state. "And a new arm?"
"Yes.", said Dan and Brandy at the same time, both done. "One of those."

Song: Approach

Kelly, still bouncing with reserved excitement, jumped next to Dan. She tired to fit everything that she wanted to say into just a few words, but settled on just giving them the basic rundown.

"Well, I just wanna say that I'm a huge fan.", she said, and almost giggled- but decided not to, based on their sorry state. She didn't know what had happened, but she guessed that it was nothing good at all. "Of. You know. The whole going to kill Rakastamos thing."

"Yep.", said Dan, his voice completely deadpan. "That's a thing that we are doing. Now-"

"And we moved this village all the way here just because we heard that you were coming.", said Kelly, with a truly excited spring in her step. "We would love to do whatever you need before you take him down. Please, tell us."

The Barbarian King jumped perfectly into place right next to them, and held up his finger. "We have food, Elixir, beds, baths, Healers, robotics experts and Builders- please, whatever you need. Tell us."

"Ro… botics… experts?", asked Bubble, just as Brandy had been about to say it. She looked up slowly, and rubbed the side of her head. "Like… they build robots?"

"Not just that.", said Kelly with a grin, and patted Bubble on the head. Dan let her, but was cautious about it. He still was not sure about the Village as a whole. "They'll be able to build your mother a new arm, and a new foot. Perfectly receptive to Dash, and even stronger and more durable than before."

Brandy looked up, and groaned. But this was less of a pained groan, and more one of happiness. "Oh, thank Se'th.", she muttered, and passed out, sleeping less than peacefully on Dan's shoulder, right next to Leon's feet.

"And we have food, tons of it.", said the Barbarian King happily, Leon's ears perking up and Dan walking a little bit straighter. "All the protein your two guys will ever want."
"Do..", Leon coughed, clearing some of the dark dust from the mountain that was still in his lungs. "You guys have… hot wings?"
"Why, of course we do!", said Kelly, and Leon smiled, his cracked lips sending twinges of pain through his face. She gave him a pat on the head as well, and he leaned into it happily.

"That is all well and good.", said Dan, thinking of the places for all of them to go. It took a few seconds, as he stood there, his mind whirling, but he got it soon. He pointed forwards, despite not really knowing what was in that direction. It was a strange maze of walls that they continued to walk through- this was obviously not laid out like a normal Village at all.

"We are all getting food and Elixir.", said Dan, and thought again. "Except Bubble gets water. Don't ask why, she just does. She's very particular about that."

"Excuse me what, wat-", asked Kelly, then heard what Dan said. She turned away and nodded, a bit weirded out but able to take it in stride. "Um, okay. Food. What else?"

"Me and Brandy are going to take a bath.", said Dan, and Brandy moved a little deeper into his embrace. The Barbarian King had thrown a blanket over his shoulders, and all four of the were enjoying it very, very much. "Bubble? Leon? What do you guys wanna do?"

"Well Dad, if it isn't too much trouble…", said Leon, and touched his fingers together. He was a bit shy around Kelly, as he was around all women larger than himself. He did not know why.

"Could we just like… hang around a bit?", he continued, randomly gesturing with his hands. "Get to, I don't know, know the Troops? This is the first time I've been in a village where someone wasn't trying to kill me, and I'd like to enjoy that fact."

Bubble perked up from beneath the blanket, poking her head out from Brandy's tight embrace. "That sounds fun.", she said, before Brandy pulled her under again like a teddy bear.

"Okay, two for baths and two for… just hanging around.", said Kelly, and nodded. "Alright, that should be good- except no. You guys need new equipment too, and poor Brandy needs a new arm and foot. How about after you guys take your bath and the kids get to do their things, Brandy heads off to the robotics station, and then you guys get some new equipment? Uniforms, potions, Gems- that sort of thing."

"Sounds good to me.", said Dan. He held his tongue for his next suggestion- sleep, and real rest. He so very much wanted it, but knew that time was running out. If they didn't get to Rakastamos soon…

"Okay then, in you go.", said Kelly, and stopped, finally, at a door. "Courtyard's inside. Go in, get some food, then go off to your next stations. Right? Right. Have fun…"

She shot some finger guns at the group, before sliding off into the maze. "Draaagonkillers!"

With that the door opened, swinging them inside, and they entered the food area of the strange Village they had suddenly found themselves in.

"Dan, I feel like this is a trap.", said Brandy, who had sat up. She still held Bubble tight, worrying.

"It just feels wayyyy too perfect- an entire village made just for , no."

"Well, there's been nothing to show that yet.", said Dan, and frowned. "So we should trust them for now, and get out if they're too suspicious."

"And you'll protect us if they are, right?", said Brandy, and hugged him as much as she was able. "No matter what?"

"Of course.", said Dan, and pushed his jaw against her, just hard enough to feel good. "I promise you Brandy, I am never going to leave you ever again."

Brandy smiled, not needing to use words around her love. "Now let's get food."

As they took the first few steps into the courtyard, the sweet and savory, salty and sugary, intense and enticing, but most of all blessed aromas of Food hit their starved noses and hungry senses all at once. Dan almost stumbled from the sheer hunger that hit him like a truck- the only food he had that day at all was a Deer and a Dinosaur, only meat and nothing else. Neat was his favorite, of course, but he enjoyed other foods too. And the smell of what awaited him very nearly drove him to bursting, overflowing Rage- the thick and heady scent of stew, the savory and dancing smell of freshly made pasta, the sizzling and skipping aroma of pizza, fresh out of the oven. It was so, so much, so much, in fact, that it made him stop. He could feel the hairs on his arms and legs rise up, the hair on his head beginning to do the same.

Brandy deeply inhaled the particles of food that hung around in the air as smell, and her stomach rumbled from the stimulation. She swore that she could taste it with her sensitive nose, drool leaking from the corner of her mouth automatically. She breathed in the chocolate sensations, the sweet and tarty Elixir lemonade in a giant vat at the center corner of the room, the playful reminders of bowls of fruit. She pushed herself upwards, gazing out over the room, only then beginning to notice Dan's transformation into his destructive, hard to control wrathful form happening right underneath her. She looked down and yelped, through sugar-hazed eyes.

"Dan wait-"

Leon sucked in a deep breath of air, his hyper-sensitive nose going into overdrive. He could smell the hot wings that Kelly had mentioned, hear the bubbling vat boiling over with hot oil, and almost feel the spices on his face from the sheer amount flying around in the air. His oddly sharp teeth became visible, and he gulped to keep his mouth from drooling. He too felt Dan buckle underneath him, but he was too hungry to even notice.

Bubble's eyes watered from the intense amount of food- but not anything from sadness, or too much. No, it was the happiness of finally getting to eat. She had not gotten to eat anything since the deer, and not anything that she actually enjoyed since… since… um…

She blinked a bit of surprise as she realized that she did not actually remember when the last time she had gotten to eat was. But she would not let that get to her- she was going to devour the delectable pastries cooling, the delicately fried fish, the bouncing trays of colored and flavored gelatin- all of it was for her. And she knew for a fact she could have all the drinking water she wanted. ALthough that Elixir stuff everyone else drank sure looked good. Maybe here she could give it a try-

But her moment of thought was shattered as Dan bulked up underneath her, almost throwing her off onto a nearby table, and he bellowed with intense rage.

Song: Broly's Sorry State

"FOOOD!", he roared, almost warping the air around him with his hunger and anger. He turned around at top speed, finally dislodging Bubble, who fell with a loud cry onto another table. She was immediately caught by a Witch and an Archer, then settled down to the ground by a trio of Skeletons. One looked up and gave her a salute, then was immediately beheaded by a thrown cup, a casualty of Dan's current rampage.

Dn threw his gaze back and forth, searching for something to sate himself- then he saw it. A truly gargantuan, perhaps mutant Turkey leg, sitting out on a table right in front of a Giant. He had just finished tying on his bib, and was about to tuck in, when he saw Dan charging right for him like an approaching meteor. Leon let go before he would be injured, flying through the air nd also landing right in the lap of both an Archer and a Valkyrie. He smacked his head against the Valkyrie's axe, gave a thumbs to no one in particular to show that he was okay, and promptly lost consciousness.

The Giant scrambled out of his seat, jumping against the wall and putting his hands above his head. He looked in terror as Dan skidded to a stop, the ground flying up around his shredding feet, and stared at the turkey leg in fathomless hunger. "Woah, dude, it's alright, just-"

Dan delivered a sharp stiff arm right into the Giant's jaw, knocking him out cold and sending him backwards. He snarled like a starving wolf, picked up the turkey leg in one gigantic hand, and bit down- crashing right through it in one bite, bones and all. It made a most satisfying cracking noise that sent tingles up both Dan and Brandy's spines, as he devoured it with a savage ferocity unknown to any others in the animal kingdom. Bits of shredded meat flew around his face, as he tore into it at unmatched speed, shredding the entire 300 pound turkey leg to bits in an instant, most of it ending up eaten. Some of it landed in his face or beard, but most of it was in his stomach. Once he had devoured the meat, the skin, and the bone itself, he beat his chest like a Great Ape, bellowing a terrifying roar into the air.

Only then, once he had eaten a sufficient amount of food to regain his lucidity, did he look around. He could see the entire army hanging back in fear on the edge of the benches, no one even daring to say a single word for fear of being next. Yet is was not just fear in their eyes- it was respect as well. By now they had all heard the legend of Dan. It was a truly awe inspiring experience to see such a legend up close. Even if his boundless rage had not been directed at them- no, especially if it had not been directed at them. It was better to live.

"Oh, um…", he said, and looked around for some more food. "Sorry about that. I was just hungry, is all."

His hair went back to staying around his shoulders, and stayed yellow- for this time, it had not yet turned green. He looked back, glad that Brandy had managed to hang on- but panic pulsed, as he realized he did not know where Bubble or Leon were. "Wait, where are-"

"We're here, Dad!", said Leon, and waved. Dan looked over and sighed in relief as he saw Leon sitting on a bench, sandwiched tight in between a Valkyrie and an Archer, both of whom looked just a little bit excited to be next to him. "I'm fine."

"I'm fine, Daddy!", Bubble yelled, and gave the Skeleton that had been happy to meet her after so many tales of her accomplishments and bravery yet another high five, this time making 6. "I landed here next to these little friends."
"Okay, good.", said Dan, and rubbed his hands together, bits of Star sparking out from between them and landing on the floor. "Now Brandy, let's get some food."

"Oh, yes.", Brandy said, not even trying to hide her unbridled desire for it at this point. "Now I was thinking about starting off with some of that nice Elixir Lemonade against the wall, and then some of that apple salad, and then move onto-"

"What?", asked Dan, as he piled another spoonful of pasta onto the giant plate he had grabbed. "Salad?"

"You're still hungry, aren't you.", Brandy said. It was not a question.

"Yep.", said Dan, and grabbed a gigantic steak that was almost as large as his head. "I am."

"You gonna get some for me, too-", Brandy asked, before feeling a slice of hot garlic bread suddenly enter her mouth. Some part of her screamed as it entered- and she yanked herself away, smacking the offending bread so hard it blew into bits and was scattered across the room, landing on several Goblins.

"Woah.", said Dan, his face shifting from one of playful mischievousness to intense care. He set the plate down on a Golemnite's head as it sat there like a table, spun around, and set her down on a table. He put his massive, muscular hands on her shoulders, and stared his eyes right into hers. "Brandy, you okay?"

"Uhh…", said Brandy, and gave a thumbs up. "Yeah. Just don't like things suddenly entering my mouth without warning, is all."

"Oh.", said Dan, and looked down. He growled at himself for a moment. "I'm sor-"

Then he felt Brandy lean forward and embrace his head in a hug, pushing herself against him. "No, no. You don't have to be. You're fine, you're okay."

Dan rolled his eyes, knowing that Brandy was clearly distracted. She was treating him with affection, of course, as she always did- but it was a different kind of affection. It was the kind that she showed Leon and Bubble- a parental, maternal sort. Now obviously Dan was not her child, nor did he ever pretend to be, so something must have been up. He needed to find out what. "You okay though?"

"Yeah.", said Brandy, looking around. "I mean, look at this place. We've got rest, food, actual fans- what more could we want before we march up there and save the world?"

Dan sighed, and looked her right in the eyes again. He knew Brandy well- well enough to know what she was actually thinking, past the code words she was using. "Brandy?"
"Yuh huh?", asked Brandy, and scratched her arm. She reached out at Zap speed and snagged a bit of pizza from a tray, eating the saucy, cheesy, doughy concoction with one bite. Then she almost swore under her breath- that was the first bite of real food she had had in days, and she hadn't even savored it. It was getting to her, a lot.

"I know that something's wrong, so you don't have to hide it.", said Dan, settling himself in for a monologue. "And just know that whatever it is, I dearly want and need to help you with it. But I think I know what it is. Just from looking, I can tell that the encounter with the Void Wizard clearly opened up some memories of trauma from back when, and now you're far more susceptible to flashbacks just from everyday happenings. Not only that, but that fight was traumatic enough on its own to cause some new wounds, not just open up old ones. Clearly, in addition to needing food, you need some emergency therapy. Probably some physical care as well- hugs are nice, maybe a little shocking if you're feeling it. I can help with that. Is that right?"

Brandy stared at him, in awe, unable to think of what to say for a few seconds. But after a bit, her lips quivered, and she launched forward again, wrapping Dan's arm in a hug. By now the table had cleared to give them some space- it had previously been full of Goblins.

"Dan…", she said, and looked up into his eyes. "How- how did you-"

"We're married, Brandy.", said Dan, and smiled widely. One hand wrapped around to grab her some food, while the other slowly, carefully, stroked her back. "That's how. Now let's food."

"Yes.", said Brandy, and took a bite of the yellow cupcake once it arrived, this time making sure to savor the soft, fluffy, sweet, melt in her mouth flavor. "Let's."

Song: Cheerful Journey

Leon looked around, taking extra care to keep his hood over his head, and especially his face. He looked around for something to eat his fried chicken sandwich with, needing no utensils for either that or his plate of hot wings- but he didn't know how he was supposed to eat either without sauce. He was looking for Barbeque, but would really take any of it.

But the real reason he was looking around for the sauce so hard was not because he wanted it- although he certainly did. But he needed to divert his eyes and attention from the throng of female Troops that surrounded him, all of whom looked very interested, for reasons that he might have not felt entirely comfortable with. He didn't know, and was trying to figure out if he did or not, but it was hard, as distracted as he was.

"Leooooooonnnn…", purred the Valkyrie that owned the axe he had hit his head on. She bumped her chest up against his arm, and he twitched, almost dropping a spinner blade out onto his lap. "So you're a legendary Brawler, huh? Sounds cool."

"Uh, yeah.", said Leon, his throat tight with intense beating of his heart. It was not that he disliked the attention, especially from a woman- but it wasn't what he needed right then. He needed to concentrate on killing Rakastamos and saving the world- unless. Unless he had recently been seeing a strong, fur-clad ginger girl in his sleep, and she was a Valkyrie? What if it was meant to be?

He took a look out from under his hood, and gulped. On second thought, she scared him.

"His eyes!", the Valkyrie shouted, and an Archer screamed as well. "I saw his eyes!"

Leon panicked, and grabbed his hood. He tried as hard as he could to pull it down over himself, but it was hard for some reason. The cloth remained steadfast, unmoving. He looked up, trying to figure out why- and saw that it was because the Valkyrie was pulling on it as well, trying to get it to come up. They were more or less tied, for although she had higher natural strength, the journey had pushed his level to somewhere around 45 or 50. He was winning out- until a Witch grabbed his hood as well, trying to pull it up. His face went red, and he pulled harder, determined not to let anyone see his face. He could not. Leons only showed their faces to those they trusted, and he didn't even know these people.

"Yo, stop.", he said, and tugged harder. "Let go."

But his voice was lost under the shouting of the Troops around him, and he felt a single spark of green flash between his fingers. He could feel the Valkyrie tugging harder, and the material beginning to rip. It was extraordinarily tough and strong, but even it had its limits, and it had been through a lot. He could feel the Witch press her legs into his, and the Valkyrie slap her hand onto his thighs, dropping her face down to look into his, and his pupils turned a little bit green. "Stop!"

With a sudden kick of savage strength he didn't even know he had, Leon lashed out and down, jumping off of the table's bench and flying through the air. The entire group watched as he went, twisting around to hide his face, and landing with a loud crash right into the bench of another table. It was one that was closer to Bubble's, but still not where she had landed. But to his immense relief, this one was populated with Hog Riders, Barbarians, and-

He blinked. It couldn't be. All the way out here? It didn't make sense, but what else could it be? Such a distinct look was not easily replicated. He had never really known his very well, so here was a chance to-

But then the Giant shifted, and Leon sighed. It was not an El Primo after all behind him. It was just… a cardboard cutout. That was strange. It made even less sense for one to be there.

Leon swallowed his strange, painful but still very much present nostalgia, and looked up into the friendly face of a Barbarian, mustache twitching with the eagerness to serve. "Hey, Leon.", he said. "What can I get ya?"

"Uh... ", said Leon, and looked at the menu up above. There was everything from the Pasta de la Fornia- which, to be honest, he thought didn't look very good- to the Pizza ala carte ala king, which seemed far too fancy of a title for just regular pizza with chicken on it. But after some thinking, he came to a conclusion, and slapped his hand down onto the counter. "I'll have some chicken parmesan dela dos muertos- why is it called that, by the way- With some hot wings and a spicy chicken sandwich on the side."

"Oh, a chicken lover, eh?", asked the Barbarian, and chuckled. He turned around and yelled into the back of the kitchen, accompanied by an explosion. "Well, good thing we have plenty. And it's called that to celebrate the occasion- it's October, after all!"

Leon gave him a Look, learned from instinct and from sight, which lasted for several seconds.

The Barbarian turned back to Leon, put his hands down, and suddenly appeared deadly serious. "Now, there is the matter of payment…"

"P-p-payment?", asked Leon in surprise, and his throat went dry. He thought he could hear the Valkyrie's cold laughter on his throat, and his face went dry. He didn't have any money. He-

"No, no, I'm just kidding.", said the Barbarian with a hearty laugh, and slapped the counter once again. "You guys are heroes! Now come, drink up, eat up! Be merry!"

Leon sighed in relief, and caught a cup of fizzy Elixir someone had slid to him from across the bar. He turned around, took in the sights, and took a big sip. "Heroes, eh?"

He looked around for Bubble, knowing that it was his responsibility to keep her safe. I sure could get used to the sound of that.

Bubble, a few tables down, thought she could perfectly manage keeping herself safe. She had launched herself right in the middle of a bunch of bony friends, after all, and she just found herself trusting Skeletons. SHe didn't know why, but she also didn't care. She had landed somewhere safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Hey, kiddo.", said one of the Witches with an oddly gravelly tone, and looked at her sideways. "You look strange. What are you? I can't say I've ever seen a… one of… well, you before."

Bubble's smile slowly fell off her face, and she folded her arms in a grumpy frown. She looked way from the Witch and into the leg of a Pekka, cheering up a bit upon the discovery that she could see herself in the reflective metal, albeit with a purple tinge. "I'm Bubble."

"Yes, but what Troop are you?", asked the Witch, with a knowing smile. "For example- my name is Agatha, but I'm a Witch. So what are you?"

She tapped her chin, and a Skeleton jumped up and down. "I mean, I've heard of you- we all have. Heard of your adventures, I mean. But your Troop type? Now that is a mystery indeed."

"I said, I'm Bubble!", said Bubble, a bit more forcefully this time. "Just Bubble. No one else."

She conjured up a bit of magical dust with her hand, a brief Clown's wig appearing around the Witch's head before disappearing. No one but Bubble noticed it, and she internally laughed at her own joke. Then the name of the Witch, which had been rattling around in her mind for a few seconds, finally clicked in, and she gasped. She pointed up at the surprised Witch and stammered, trying to get a few words in through her shock. "You're- you're-
The Witch just stared, slowly drawing her finger towards herself, not really understanding just what Bubble was trying to get at. "I'm…"

"You're Mommy and Daddy's friend Witch!", said Bubble, and sat back down, pleased at having gotten it right. "They told me her name was Agatha. And your name's Agatha. Seee? It all makes sense."

"Well, no.", said this Agatha, and Bubble's face fell. "You see, lots of Witches are named Agatha… I met one once. Actually, I met two! Maybe one I met is the one you're thinking about."

Her composure was calm on the outside, but inside, she was freaking out a bit- no, a lot. Being compared to one of The Dragonkiller's chief members' personal acquaintances was a borderline religious experience for her, as it would be for anybody in the Village. She put her hand on her cheek and swooned, two of her Skeletons appearing behind her to hold her up. Bubble frowned, and considered this possibly, then closed her eyes and beamed. "Okay!"

Song: Silver Twist

She turned to the bar, ignoring the fangirling Witch, and tapped the rough stone. She withdrew her hand and sucked on it to dull the sudden pain, and another, identical Barbarian came to the window. "Howdy, little miss. What can old Timer get ya?"

"Umm…", said Bubble, and looked up at the menu. For somer reason, her eyes flew past things that she would normally like- grilled cheese sandwiches, fried fish, lemonade, bubble pearl tea, ice cubes in a tray, sawdust with a glass of milk- to land on two very particular things. One was the Pasta con Bollo e Salsa Bianca, and the other was something only labeled as-

"B...eer?", asked Bubble, and tilted her head to one side, trying to make sense of the curious word. "What's that- what is that thing- beer?"

Timer laughed, and continued to wipe a plate with his cloth. "Oh ho ho no! You're far too young for that, young lady. See how I emphasized the young there? That's cause you're-"

"No!", shouted Bubble, and slammed her hand down on the stone countertop, this time not caring about how much it hurt. "I want it! Now!"

Timer twitched, his handlebar mustache hanging a little frazzled from Bubble's sudden outburst. The counter actually appeared cracked a bit where she had hit it, bits of stone still falling from the impact point. Timer gulped, nodded, and politely bowed. "Wait- wait right here, Bubble. I'll go get you some beer."

"Yay!", said Bubble, and turned around. "And I want some of that chicken pasta with the ice cream on it."
Timer stopped as he ran, slowly turning around just his head to take her order. "With ice cream? What? And with chicken too-"

He stopped, and unscrewed himself. "Oh, the Pasta con Bollo e Salsa Bianca! Why of course, young miss. Wait right here, and I shall go get them both for you."
Bubble smiled, closed her eyes again, and leaned back on the countertop, some of the Skeletons the Witch had summoned beginning to scratch her tired legs. She didn't know why, but it felt good. She stretched, gave a little yawn, and pondered taking a nap- but she also knew that her food was coming. And that, to her, was more than enough reason to wait.

Leon grinned in drooling, hungry anticipation, as he saw his food finally arrive. It had really only taken about half a minute to cook, merely seconds. But to his starved mind and starving body, it seemed to have taken hours. He had a fast metabolism as well- and he had not eaten a real meal since the last Village they had slept at. He was starving, his teeth growing sharper and longer by the millimeter with each and every second the food lay in front of him not eaten. He scrunched up his back and almost growled, hardly even able to contain his sheer, unwavering hunger for a second longer. The second the Barbarian touched his food down onto the counter he pounced like a striking lizard, tearing into the plate of hot wings without a single word, only a second long nod to ensure that Barbarian that his efforts had not been ignored.

The meat split open in his mouth, the taste of the intense spices flooding his vision. He gasped with sheer happiness as the heat of the hot wings hit his tounge, going against all odds for flavor. He ripped and tore into the tender flesh, scraping off the heavily spiced skin and going right for the meat underneath. Within seconds that was gone as well, then he crunched up even the bone. The Barbarian stared at him in abject wonder and a little bit of horror as he devoured the entire hot wing, crunching it to bits in a single second and starting on the other just as fast. That too was gone with a single flash of intense crunching and ecstatic gulping, the special sauce that the Barbarian had poured flying into the air as drops. It did taste simply wonderful- but to Leon, at that point, taste was a far secondhand to food. Not even a second really- it was more of a third or fourth hand. He didn't even consider it as he devoured, breaking the bones of the wings into pure spiced up mush, shoveling the protein down, gasping for air through his nose the best he was able. Finally, once the plate of wings had been utterly demolished, reduced to crumbs, he came up for air, gasping and swinging his face around.

He heard clapping behind him, and he turned around in confusion. There stood a single Archer, a beam in her eye and a look upon her face that made him curious. She looked familiar, in a way.

"Hey, Leon.", she said, and slid in next to him without warning, a Hog Rider granting her his seat after giving Leon a big wink. Leon looked up at him, begging him not to go, but the Hog Rider was already gone. He looked at the Archer sitting next to him, and twitched. "Uh… hey?"

"Nice job with those hot wings.", she said, and gave him a playful jab on the shoulder. "I know your name, obviously, but you don't know mine."

"Mmm.", said Leon, and tried to focus on eating. He had just barely lifted his chicken burger with no onions to his mouth, when he heard her say it. "I'm Annabelle."

For a second, Leon could no longer breathe.

"Mmmm…", Brandy moaned, from the sheer overwhelming sweetness that was in her mouth. The stickiness prevented her from opening her mouth well, but she didn't want to. "Oh my-"

She struggled to swallow, but was able to force herself to do so after a few hard seconds. She sat there once she had, feeling the tingles all over her body, and smiled up at Dan. "That-"

"Was good?", asked Dan, and picked up another piece of gourmet caramel. "Oh, I know. Would you like another piece?"

"Oh, I would for sure.", said Brandy, and slowly wiggled back and forth on Dan's gigantic thigh. "But only if you would be so kind as to take a piece of this from me?"

Dan looked down, and could see that Brandy held a bit of caramel popcorn in her hand. But for her sake, he was going to pretend to be surprised. He rolled his eyes just before he closed them, and nodded. "Alright. What is it?"

"It's a surprise, honey.", said Brandy, and pushed the food that she held in her other hand into his mouth, with a mischievous grin. "Just find out."

Dan bit down, fully expecting to find some caramel popcorn- but to his surprise, he bit down on something entirely different. His eyes flew open as he choked on- whatever it was, and his mouth closed inside. He leaned back a bit and flared up with Star, almost vaporizing whatever Brandy had given him- but fortunately, Brandy withdrew it just in time.

"Gaahhh, what was that?", asked Dan, and coughed again. He stared at Brandy with well meaning anger, almost false fury, and she playfully squirmed under his gaze. This was something that they did quite often. It was fun for both of them, and they were of course both overjoyed that they were finally in a place where they could do it again.

"Steak.", said Brandy, and held it out once again. Dan took a closer look, and realized that it was in fact, mostly raw, bleeding on the inside and pink on the outside, just the way he most liked it, steak. Dan frowned, and regretted what he had done. "Oh. Okay. Makes sense. May I-"

"Well of course!", said Brandy, and gave him the steak again. "Take it and eat it."

Dan popped the steak into his mouth, and gently chewed. He smiled at the flavor- it was delicate and somewhat sweet, the honey barbecue-I sauce working its tangy magic. He swallowed after a few seconds, then gave a thumbs up.
"Great steak, honey.", he said, and smiled. "But…"

"But?", asked Brandy, and coughed. She knew full well what was going to happen now, based off of Dan's posture and tone of voice. She just was not sure she was ready to handle it at that particular point in time.

"You've been naughty.", said Dan, and Brandy could feel her spirits lift. "We have to go punish you now. By forcing you to…"

He grabbed Brandy around the waist, and hoisted her up onto his shoulder. "Get some physical care, a good bath, and get that limb replaced! Haha!"

Brandy rolled her eyes, and flattened herself against Dan's shoulder. "Oh no! Whatever shall I do?"

Dan looked back, and put his hand on Brandy's back. "Stay safe, Leon and Bubble! Don't kill anyone! These guys are nice!"

Then without checking for any responses, Dan and Brandy both headed off towards the spa.

"An...Annabelle?", asked Leon, a single tear dripping from his left eye. Although he had not allowed himself to show it, he too had been deeply impacted by her sudden and painful demise. He reached out with shaking fingers towards the Archer, perhaps a Phantom- and pulled her close before she had a chance to respond. "Ann- Annabelle, is it you? How did you survive? Is Trevor with you too? How in Illka's name did you-"

"Umm…", said the Archer, and gave a nervous laugh. She very gently pushed Leon's hand off of her shoulder, and backed away. "I'm sorry but, I'm not that Annabelle. I was named after her, so I can see how there's confusion."

Leon felt his heart fall to his knees, and his face grew dark. He once again felt like he could not breathe, but for an entirely different reason. He looked away, and scowled, his voice growing deeper with the buildup of sorrow in his throat. "Oh."

"Woah, woah, don't feel bad about it.", said the Archer, and drew a little bit closer. She sat down on the bench next to him, drawing up close to his legs. "I can still talk to you. We can still be-"

But as she lay eyes on Leon's face, or at least the bit of it that was visible through his deeply drawn hood as he took a huge bite of his chicken sandwich, she gasped. For his face was darkened with anger and sadness, his teeth visible from his curled down lips.
"You said you were named after her…", said Leon, and snarled. "And we only really became famous, or at least she did, a few days ago. Which means that you can't possibly be more than a few days old, at least. That is correct, is it not?"

"Uh…", said the Archer, thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yep. I was only trained last night."

Then the full weight of what Leon had said to her earlier popped into her head, and she frowned, her face going white with worry. "Wait, did you ask me how I survived?"
She looked around in fear and a little bit of panic, almost sliding straight off the bench. "Wait, where is she? Where's Trevor? Where are-"

She caught a very brief glimpse of Leon's face from under the hood, his biting snarl and boiling eyes seeming to pierce directly into her heart. She backed up and fell onto the floor, hearing Leon's ferocious growl and venom-tipped words clear as day. "Leave. Get out of here."

She stared at him for a second, until he growled, and made a movement towards her general direction. "I said go!"

The Archer nodded in a panic and crawled back along the floor, vanishing amongst the crowd, and Leon breathed a sigh of achy, pain-induced relief. But no sooner than he had tucked once again into his meal than he felt a large tap on his thigh, and looked up to see the Valkryie from before staring right into his surprised eyes, lifting up his hood.
"Hey.", she said, and stared right into him. "You're cute."

"Here you are, Miss.", said Timer, and slid a piping hot metal tray into Bubble's section of the bar. She gasped in unfettered excitement and turned around, to see both her pasta and the tall glass of beer, foam coming off it and eating into the tabletop. It was quite a strong beer, which Timer either didn't care about, had absolutely no frame of reference for, or quite simply didn't care. "Your pasta- and yes, your beer."

Bubble smiled and grabbed a fork from a Skeleton that had been about to use it. She beamed up at Timer, who gave a polite tip of his cowboy hat back and a smile of his own. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, kiddo.", said Timer, and internally laughed at his incoming joke. "Just let old TImer know when he can ever help you again."

Bubble nodded, and spun the fork around in her fingers. She smiled to herself, shook a bit on the seat, and stabbed the fork into her delightful-looking pasta, deep until she hit the plate.

With a celebratory shiver up and down the skin on her body, she took a bite of the pasta- and very nearly collapsed from the sheer, unending flavor of it all.

The cream danced upon her tongue like a rolling cloud of deliciousness, jumping over her tastebuds and leapfrogging back and forth like toads in a cream swamp. The thick, Village-grown wheat of the pasta only added to the experience, the strong shouldered grain carrying all the combined flavors of the sauce and the chicken over the open mountain paths of the tongue, mixing together into an overwhelming taste that made Bubble squeal. She quickly stabbed another helping, then another, then another, shoveling it into her face as fast as she could go without choking- which, as she then found out, was not very long.

Bubble stopped in her mad rush to eat as much food as she could, and horked. Her fork fell out of her little hands and onto the table, then fell off and scattered on the floor below. She clutched her hand to her throat and tried to scream for help, but no sound came out save a quiet little whine, utterly lost in the overwhelming volume of the room. She looked around for something to drink- and her eyes lit up, as until now, she had suddenly forgotten about her Beer.

Bubble reached out just before she fell off the table, to hit her head on the hard stone floor below, and grabbed on to the rightmost finger of a Pekka. It looked down in pre-built, somewhat surprise as she saw Bubble aggressively snatch her beer, red faced, and chug it all down in just a few gulps. She swallowed hard, coughed even harder- into her elbow so hard it caused her to temporarily turn the same purple as the Pekka, a little illusionary effect to match the actual effect on her skin- and took a deep breath, sighing in relief. She had not choked- but now with her pasta gone, she found that she had very little to do. And she din't know where Leon was. She didn't know where her parents were. But as the influence of the too much beer she had just drunken crept into her mind, she knew that she could most certainly do something about those problems, even all of them at once.

Leon stammered and pulled back, yanking his hood over his face once again, trying to hide himself from the Valkyrie's view. He had always hated them, been afraid of them. He had no idea it was somewhat of a fear left over from Brandy mixed with his own earned, but it was.

"Please, do not.", he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I would rather not-"

The Valkyrie put her fingers on his thighs, and his throat went dry. "Oh, are you sure?", she purred into his ear, stretching around to gain the best vantage point. "Because-"

He was about to move back again, when he felt a Witch press into his back. He stopped right there in the middle of the bar, briefly retreating into his mind as he tried to decide what to do.

On one hand, female attention. But on the other hand, this was extremely strong attention that he was not at all used to. But on the other, other hand, this was also probably romantic attention- or at least he strongly thought. After all, why would not not be? He was pretty cute, after all. That's what he had been told by the people that he actually did care about, and that is what he chose to belive. So he sat there for a few more seconds, hearing more and more girls close in around him- then he opened his eyes, and flashed a wild grin.

"Girls, gills-", he said, then cleared his throat. A wild shot of confidence flew through him like a flaming arrow- he did not know where it came from, nor when would it go, but he was determined to use it. "Please, control yourselves. And one at a time."

No sooner had he said those words then an Archer grabbed for the zipper on his jacket, apparently determined to get it off. He almost considered turning invisible and leaving, no longer wishing to honor those words, but he knew he had to be brave. He had to be-

The Valkyrie struck out and whacked the Archer in the face, sending her flying backwards. She grabbed for Leon this time, only for a Healer to suddenly snatch him up by the waist and hold him tight to her chest, squealing like she would if she were holding a stuffed animal. He thought about saying he did nto like it, and asking for her to let him go- but the truth was, he did like it. He liked being held like he was being held, he liked being fought over by women that at least appeared to be stronger than him, even if they really weren't. For in reality if he was truly feeling threatened, he could just unleash Hunter Killer and kill almost everything that moved. He didn't feel threatened, either- he just felt a strange sort of contentment, pressed up against the Healer-

He felt two gigantic metal arms grab him around the waist, and he let out a yeep.

"Leon!", he heard Bubble shout from down below, and he looked over his adoring fans to see her tottering through the crowd, barely even on her feet, pointing up at him with a swerving finger. "Whatttt you doing?"

"Aww, she's so cute!", said the very absent-minded Healer that had previously been hugging Leon, and went down to pick her up. Bubble stared at her in wavering confusion for a few seconds until actual contact was made- at which time she suddenly appeared in great fear, cast an illusion of a spinning Pumpking around herself, and plopped down on the floor. This, however, did not deter the mostly blind Healer, who had just assumed that Bubble, already brightly colored, had just sat down. She picked her up anyway, despite Bubble's drunken efforts to fight her off, giving her a great big hug.

Leon felt himself being gently set down on the head of a Pekka, settling in quite snugly in between the two horns. He thought it was strange that a Pekka would be among so many girls- before remembering that he had once learned that Pekkas were girls. It didn't make much sense until he also remembered that many robotic Brawlers were males, despite the lack of organs. He shrugged, until he hit his arms against the purple horns, then he stopped.
"Wha…", asked Bubble, and rolled her head around in the Healer's grasp. "What's going on?"

"Aww, what happened to you, little one?", asked the Healer, feeling Bubble's addled state through her highly sensitive fingers. "Did you drink something you shouldn't have?"

"Shhh… no…", said Bubble, and giggled. Her Pumpking state returned to her normal appearance, then twisted into the form of a Crown Tower. Somehow, for she had not yet seen one to anybody's knowledge. "I diddnd't…"

"Oh no, you did.", said the Healer with a frown, and very gently positioned her hand above Bubble's forehead. "That isn't good at all for someone your age, no it is not. But we can just take that out of you, now can't we?"
"Wha… nooo…", said Bubble, and flopped down into the Healer's hands. She gave a frown of a smile, and her hand glowed gold as Bubble's drunkenness began to fade, replaced with warm, sober security. Within a few seconds of whining, Bubble quite suddenly found she did not know what she had been whining about. Or why she was where she was, or where she had been for the last several minutes, or even where Leon was- she looked up. She gasped. "Leon!"

Leon waved down, from atop the Pekka's head, seeing the metal arms move down for Bubble as well. He flashed a fanged grin. "Hey sis. Care to join me?"

"Okay!", said Bubble with a beam, suddenly feeling a gargantuan headache coming on. She fell forward into the Pekka's hands, only narrowly missing hitting her head on the metal via the Healer's sudden grasp. She was gently laid down and lifted up asleep onto Leon's lap, who grunted as he held her. He looked out across the room, cradling his sleeping sister in his lap, and tried to take his mind off what they were about to do. He had liked the journey so far, all those hectic days of it- but he knew that soon, it would be time to leave the village and go to the mountain. For after all, all things must come to an end.

Song: Peaceful Street Corner

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to the bathhouse.", said the Healer in charge of the Female Bathhouse that Brandy had gone to. Dan had gone to the male one- after a little bit of silent discussion, they had accepted that there were only two, and they were separated by gender. They both felt that it was stupid they could not take a bath together, but they knew for what reason they were separated by gender. Brandy all too well. "Now may I help you?"

"Yeah, you can.", Brandy sighed, eyeing the luxurious area. The walls were a rich cream white and a delectable lemon yellow- it was almost as if Brandy could just go right ahead and take a bite of the walls, and they would burst upon the touch into a creamy pudding like filling. It was enough to make her drool a bit, despite the fact that she had just eaten a delicious meal.

She stood there for a few more seconds, staring at the immaculate, almost opalescent decorations covering the walls- statues of Goblins in fancy togas sitting at bathrooms, statues of Golems in even fancier togas drinking from Elixir taps- that one threw her for a loop. It wasn't that it seemed strange- no, no. It did seem strange. Almost dreamlike. That thought alone sent a sudden, intense shock of fear through Brandy's heart. Were they dreaming? Was this where they had been sent to in a mass hallucination, fallen victim to some Forgotten? Or perhaps-perhaps- perhaps- they had died to the Void WIzard, all of them, and such peaceful hallucinations were the afterlife? Was it that they had all just been-

"Miss Bandit?", asked the Healer, and Brandy snapped back to reality. She blinked a few times, and everything settled back into place. "Uh, yeah. I'll have a bath please."
"Well, I could guess.", said the Healer, and tilted her head at Brandy's dirty, messed up hair. "But what kind of a bath would you like? What options, what upgrades?"

"Up… grades?", Brandy asked, and tilted her own head at the Healer. She had never had a bath with upgrades before, although she supposed it made sense. After all, everything in her life could be upgraded in some sense. Why not a bath? A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine as she realized that she could most likely take any kind of bath that she wanted- after all, in a place built specifically for their benefit, most likely everything was free. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of free stuff- almost always a good thing- then fell again back to their resting state as the Healer brought forth the board of options.

"Oh.", she said, with a dry voice. "Everything costs money, it seems."

She looked out over the board of options, and gulped. The cheapest upgrade option was 100 Gold- going all the way up to a colossal 1000 Gems, all the way on the other side of the board.

A lot of money, it seems…

"No, no, don't worry!", said the Healer with a smile, and waved her hands in the air. "For such brave saviors of the world, we'll do it for free. All the options are free for you, my dear."

Brandy's eyes lit back up, and she grinned a grin that went all the way up her face. She looked up and down the board, now fully aware that everything was, in fact, completely free. Everything. Even that 1000 Gem option, whatever the frick it was or could possibly be, in the back. She prepared some Dash in her feet, barely even hearing the Healer keep on talking about safety precautions. Or maybe she was talking about how grateful she was towards the group. Whatever. Brandy was not listening.

Instead, she was running- Dashing along the board, flipping the on switch for every single one. The 100 Gold one for hot water instead of cold, the 250 Gold one for Basic Bubbles, the 500 Gold one for Advanced Bubbles, the 1000 Gold one for the Common Package, which was the three before it. Brandy only noticed that after she flipped the switch, but it didn't really matter. It was all free after all- even the 1000 Gold Jasmine Tea Scent she flipped, the 2000 Gold Buttermilk scent she activated, and the far, far overpriced 150000 Gold Elixir scent she turned on. Although really she supposed it made sense- they did have to pipe their Elixir from somewhere, after all. And being a village, they had to get it manually from the ground- and pay quite a bit.

She reached out with a few fingers on turned on the Rare Package- the scents from before, all piped in at once. It would most likely be very thick, and perhaps also be conflicting, but Brandy didn't rightfully care. This was going to be fun, and it was going to be her bath, and it was going to be relaxing, before… before… before she-

She flipped on the first of the Gem-costed options, not allowing herself to think of what she had been about to go into. She shook her head and turned on the Assorted Flowers for 10 Gems, the Complex Flowers for 50, and the Stalks of Reeds for 100. It took her only bit to reach a blank space, which she assumed meant the next option was the Epic Package, including all of the above. She did not bother with flipping that one- but then she went back and turned it on anyway. Just for the sake of having them all selected.

Finally, she arrived at the expensive sets- the first one being a monstrous 500 Gems. She didn't know if anyone to use the bathhouses even had that kind of money. She knew that the most she had ever has was only 450 Gems, and that had been through insane amounts of hoarding, collecting, trading, and of course good old fashioned thievery. She had heard that Gems were far easier to get over here in the Continent of the Clans, but she didn't know. Perhaps a common Troop would have 500 Gems to spare. But she knew she didn't really have time to think of such thoughts, and looked down to see what she had just activated- Peaceful Desert Scenery. Oh, that was nice.

The next one was 750 Gems- a logical progression. It was for Bamboo Forest Scenery, and Brandy switched it on with a giggle. The next one was the coveted 1000 Gems- Clouds of Heaven Scenery. Brandy stopped, looked both ways- and flipped it on with a flair for drama, hearing the old machines start up at the edge of her hearing. She shivered with excitement at the thought of her maxed out bath- but then she saw something else that she had not seen before. It was one more sign at the very edge of the board, almost falling off of it.

".99…", said Brandy, and stopped. The currency sign was not Gems, or Gold. It didn't look like anything she had ever seen before- $.

"What the heck is…", Brandy said, then shrugged. She flipped the switch- but nothing happened. Not a light up like the others, nor even the rumble of ancient, distant, machines.

"Oh, that one is only activated via soul chips.", said the Healer, who had come up behind her, and Brandy's mouth went dry as cotton. She spun around, not waiting for the Healer to do whatever she was going to do, and wrapped her hand around her throat.

"Excuse me, what?", she hissed, ignoring the shocked and pained expressions in the Healer's glowing eyes. "You want my fricking soul? Is that what this village is about? Getting our-"

"No… no!", the Healer choked out, and coughed up a bit of blood. "That's just what… Chiefs use to… buy certain things! You're a Royal Troop, aren't you? Haven't you- cough- over wondered what your King buys… Pass Royale with?"

"Oticat never buys Pass Royale.", Brandy hissed, and only increased her grip. "He's not that type of King, going and buying stuff with.. With… uh…"

She let go of the Healer, who almost immediately rose to her full height once again. "Oh. I see your point."

"Yes, that one is usually only available for Village Chiefs, someday shall he return.", said the Healer, and bowed her head. "But for you…."

She clicked on the switch herself, and the entire room glowed blue. The letters above the switch finally appeared- to read Peaceful Music. She turned to Brandy, and winked. "I think I can make an exception."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful.", said Brandy, and yawned a bit, for she was indeed very tired. "Thank you for making the bath…?"

"Emma.", said the Healer, and curtsied. "My name is Emma. Now, go ahead. Take off your clothes."

"Well Emma, I can just say that-", said Brandy, then blinked. "What?"
"Go on, take off your clothes.", said Emma, and smiled. She gestured for Brandy to turn around, and pointed towards the entrance to the bathhouse, pure white steps leading up to a shuttered wooden door. "Can't have you taking a bath in that skirt of yours, now can we?"

Brandy stared, not knowing what to do. SHe knew that the Healer- Emma, she knew that Emma was right, but she did not know what to do. She hated anyone seeing her not wearing anything except for Dan, but this Healer was not him by a long shot. Even if they were both girls- especially if they were both girls. Girls always tended to stare at her more.

"Come on, what's the problem?", asked Emma, and continued to smile, staring at Brandy with her golden, solid color eyes. "We're both girls. And I'm blind. So no need to-"

Brandy, doubting the validity of that second statement extremely strongly, grabbed a towel from the rack and threw it at Emma, who threw up her arms to catch it. Brandy grabbed another one as the Dash-boosted towel hit and wrapped around Emma's face, then Dashed quickly into the bathhouse, her cheeks still a little red, and shut the door behind her with a well aimed kick. She took off her clothes as she entered, still a little mortified, and jumped out over the intensely misty water, making sure to land her towel on the mostly dry concrete siding.

Dan stood in front of the men's bathhouse, in front of a Bowler reading the newspaper. He looked up at Dan, nodded, and went back to reading his favorite comic- Dr. Jed. It was the tales of a Wizard who worked in a scientific laboratory, with his Valkyrie and Princess partners and his elderley WIzard overseer. "Bath's open, bro. Go on ahead."

"Alright.", said Dan, and walked forward. The echoes of a thought reached his head, and he leaned down. "Anything I can add to it- hey, is that Dr. Jed you're reading?"

"Oh, yeah.", said the Bowler, and gave Dan a friendly arm clash. "This is the best part- watch this-"

The Bowler put on his best Wizard voice, speaking in a stilted manner and highly, almost overly, "Proper" tone. "I do say, my good sir! Was that a volcanic eruption just now-"

His voice suddenly trailed off, and he looked down at the newspaper in shock. "That- that was only the third panel. What the-"
"What do you mean, that was only the third panel?", asked Dan, and leaned over. A slight twinge of alarm hit him, and he frowned. "Aren't there usually thirty six?"

"Yeah, but they're all blank." said the Bowler, and pointed. "See, look. All grey. Nothing in them at all."

Dan stared at the seemingly empty panels, trying to figure out a reason for it, when he saw something at the very close edge of the fourth panel- a bit of spilled liquid, right in front of a wall of light grey. It was impossible to tell just what it was by the black and white printing- but the printing quality was astounding, almost as much as the overly detailed art. It must have been an expensive newspaper- expensive enough, in fact, to accurately render the splatter patterns of-

"Elixir.", said Dan, at the very low bottom of his voice, and the Bowler noticeably shivered.

"Uh… bathroom- I mean, bathhouse is over there.", said the Bowler, clearly very shaken up. "There's stuff you can put in it. Soap and crap. Uh, I gotta just-"
"Yeah.", said Dan, and walked through the door. He saw the Bowler pull out a handkerchief from the shelf beside him and blow one into it, then was shut off as Dan shut the door.

Dan knew full well what had happened. He just so happened to be very familiar with that type of comic, and knew that the situations in it were magically transcripted at live speeds whenever the built in Humor Sensor detected that something wacky or uncharacteristic was happening. And he knew just what could have caused such a travesty- and it was not wacky. But it was very strange indeed. One might, Dan thought as he entered the vast, crystal clear waters of the tub, leaving his clothes by the side and relaxing as best as he could in the steam, call it bizarre.

Song: City of Peace- 2002

Brandy splashed down into the waters, submerging herself entirely in the multicolored liquid, feeling the intense, overlapping scents flood her nostrils, and mix and mingle in her mind. It all tasted rather delicious- the Elixir, making her mouth water with that most primal of thirsts. The jasmine, appealing to that special spot right behind her ears that felt so good when scratched. The Buttermilk scent was a bit strange, not all fruity or planty like the other two, but it was relaxing as well. It was certainly the thickest out of any of them, working its way into her nose with natural strength, and providing a nice underlay to them both.

The flowers and reeds and stalks were arrayed at perfect interlays around the bath- Brandy wondered just how they had been managed to be set up like they were. It could not have been more than a few seconds since she had left Emma behind, and she didn't know what could have possibly done it that quickly- except magic. Yes, that made sense. Magic always did the trick.

Brandy, feeling a bit happier now that she had something to eat and something to soak in, put her entire face underwater, allowing only her eyes to be above. She slowly moved along in the thick liquid, breathing a stream of bubbles up to the surface, sneaking up on a certain flower that spun around the water, borne aloft on a current from the floor. Brandy carefully put her foot on the stream of bubbles, stopping the flower in its tracks- then froze as she realized something. She had not even bothered to check the water for enemies, or traps, or anything. She had just assumed that there was nothing in it, she had just assumed that it would be okay. She had just assumed that there would be nothing in there that would drag her down and drown her in the highly vulnerable state she was in, or even worse-

You're overreacting, sis, she heard in her head. Nothing's gonna get you. It's fine.

"Yeah, you're right.", said Brandy, and nodded. She was probably overreacting. Nothing had hurt them in the Village so far, even when there were multiple prime opportunities to do so. And yes, they had run into Forgotten many, many times thus far, even so much that it seemed strange not to fight any for this long of a while, but she thought that even Rakastamos must have been running out. They had been getting steadily stronger ever since they had begun, and she really dinn't see how anything could possibly be stronger or more terrifying than what they had faced. She allowed herself to relax a bit, just to relax, to let her shoulders droop after hours of carrying them stiff, to fall backwards in the water, and just to float at the top. She let her eyes close most of the way, and just let herself be carried along by the current, drifting around in the water, staring at the decoration up above. Apparently only the most expensive background option had won out, leaving the rest mere wasted Gems- or they would have been. Brandy was once again glad she did not have to pay with her own money, not that she had any. That thought, being broke, made her suddenly and deeply uncomfortable- but she let it fall down into her once again, as she floated, peacefully, among the heavenly clouds and soft warm music of the ambience. She thought she could hear something at the edge of her hearing, but she was not sure what-

The wall suddenly burst with a flood of water and sound, and Brandy screamed. She Dashed up all the way into the air and jumped around, not knowing which way to go to escape from this new threat that crashed through the walls like a misaimed Rocket, bellowing a titanic roar. She didn't take a good look at it, only seeing that it was huge, about the same size that Dan was. Brandy looked down and Dashed down into the water again, hiding herself behind some flowers, closing her eyes and waiting. She listened as the thing, whatever it was, came closer, her closed eyes allowing herself to hear the titan better. She could hear its gigantic footsteps through the water, almost cracking the porcelain below. She could hear its familiar breathing-

Wait a second, familiar breathing? She opened her eyes again, and frowned. Why would its breathing be familiar? That didn't make any sense. Not unless-

She felt a pair of giant hands suddenly clamp around her waist, and she screamed as loud as she possibly could, blowing the glass from the few and fragile windows the bathhouse had at the top, sending ripples across the surface of the water as she was lifted up into the air.

"Brandy, honey, calm down.", said Dan, and Brandy suddenly stopped screaming. She felt her cheeks heat up- not only from the contact, but also from the realization that of course it was Dan. Who else was about his size and had breathing she recognized. No one, that's who. She really did need to relax- she was assuming that just about everything was an opponent. Getting too jumpy, even for her standards. "It's only me. Sorry for scaring you, but… I'm here now."
"Oh, Dan.", said Brandy, and rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to get her startled lungs working and her heart once again beating. She beat on her chest a few times, hardly able to see through the thick fog that still blanketed the bath. "You- you scared me, honey. I wasn't expecting you to come in-"
She blinked, and raised her voice. "Daaaan! You aren't supposed to be in here! This is the female Troop's bathhouse! You're supposed to be in the male one!"

"Why?", asked Dan, and looked around, Brandy automatically looking around as well. "It's not like there's anyone here. We are the only Troops in the bath house."

Brandy almost said something, but stopped, as she realized that Dan had an excellent point. "Yeah, but… you're still not supposed to-"

"And we can be naughty, can't we?", asked Dan, and Brandy's face flushed up. She could not help but let a grin creep up her face, and she purred ."That we can…."

"Because-", said Dan, and held Brandy up to his face. He administered three quick kisses- one on her left cheek, one on the top of her head, and one on her right cheek- then hugged her close to his gigantic, muscular chest. "Brandy my love, Brandy my darling, Brandy my sweet, I sense that you are not all well."

"I'm not.", said Brandy, and snuggled in closer to him, letting the relaxing scents further fill her nose and body. She pushed her entire body closer to his, and bit her lip.

"Then we should fix that, honey.", said Dan. "Tell me what's bothering you. Exactly. Tell me all of it. Don't hold back- for what better time and place is there, is this?"

Brandy sighed, not wishing to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, but knowing that she had to. She held up her stump arm and closed her eyes, trying not to cry, but not knowing how she could not. "This. This, Dan, is what's bothering me."

Dan was silent at first, for he knew not how to respond- but then his memory kicked in, and he very gently took the stump in his hand, holding her close. "It'll be replaced, honey. You know it will."

"My wedding ring was on this hand, Dan.", she said so quietly that Dan could hardly even hear- but hear he did, hear every single bit and wrought piece of sheer heartrending emotion put into her words, every last inkling of sorrow and song. "And- and now it's gone."

"Brandy, I-", he said, and Brandy pitched forward. "He took my wedding ring, Dan. He took my arm, and our friends, and my ring, and I hate this, and I just want it to be over, and I hate all of this, and- and- and-"

"Brandy.", said Dan, putting the full power of his mighty lungs into his voice. Such was the strength of his word that Brandy could not help but cease her own, the power of her name filling her head. "I need you to listen to me."

"I'm-", said Brandy, and nodded. "I'm listening."

"There is a light.", said Dan, and Brandy felt her ears perk up- then realized it was because of the minute shocks of Star that Dan shot through them, trying to improve her mood in any way possible. She settled in further, and listened to Dan's story. "That flows through each and every living being. You, me, everyone and everything. Well, there are multiple lights actually but- the one that I'm talking about is known as courage. And inside of you burns the brightest star of it I have ever, ever seen."

He poked her stomach, and she exhaled a bit- not quite giggling, but almost there. Dan continued. "And such is that courage that through all the things that have happened to you- no matter what they were, no matter how close to death you may have come, that star never quite fizzled out. Now, admittedly there were times you almost lost hold of it temporarily-"

"Like when I thought the Void Wizard was going to kill me.", Brandy mumbled. "Yeah, I know-"

"No.", said Dan, and Brandy perked up. "You did not lose it then."
"Then… when?", asked Brandy, and looked up. "That was the worst time of my life-"

"And I'm not talking about those bad times.", said Dan, and looked down at her in love. "I'm talking about those times your heart of unmatched courage has turned to unmatched Rage- but it always came back. And it always will, won't it? Because I can tell, I can see, that it's burning inside of you right now- that Antnamon Star, still blazing, and ready to erupt."

"Antnamon… Star?", asked Brandy, and raised a brow. "Why is it called that?"

"I don't know.", said Dan, and shrugged. "But that is what it is called- an internal, or sometimes even external light, born of unshakable ideals. And yours is courage, and compassion, and love, and perfection and dang Brandy you're perfect I just love you so so much-"
He wrapped her up in a tight hug, and Brandy exhaled. She looked up at Dan, and pointed a finger. "You have one then too. Justice."

"Justice?", asked Dan, and thought. "Oh yeah, I guess. But I'm trying to make you feel better honey-"
"Oh, you can.", said Brandy, and grinned, closing her eyes. "But I love you more than I love myself."

"Funny.", said Dan, and rubbed her head. "That's just what I was about to say."

Had she been in even a slightly better mood, Brandy would have continued the loving, heartfelt conversion. But she was not. She was not in a good mood at all, even with the calming atmosphere of the maxed out bath and the gently hug of Dan behind her- for what had happened was just too much to bear, even for her courageous heart, even for her strong mind- for her body had been unable to handle it, and the scars of what happened were still on her in the most graphic way she could imagine. She lifted up her hand, trying to put it in Dan's- then felt if fall, hitting the water with a splash, and began to quietly sob, her entire body growing limp in Dan's arms. "Then… okay."

"Brandy.", said Dan. It was not a question- he was beyond asking at this point. For he knew that questions had not worked, his embrace had not worked, his words had not worked- there was only one thing to do. Well, actually, there were two things to do here, but he was going to do one of them first. And it was going to take everything he had. "Honey."

"Yeah?", Brandy sniffed, and barely looked up, still limp in the scented water. "What is it, Dan?"
"Remember what I told you?", Dan asked, a bit of Star flashing around his body, borne from the sheer, dripping emotion present in the room, mostly love- but a little bit of anger as well. He was trying to keep it contained, but it was difficult for him, in the underlying stress of he situation. Despite the calming, relaxing bathhouse, he could not take his mind off the future. He knew he could not. "Back in the- back in Dark Mountain?"

Brandy was silent for a second, as she tried to remember through blurred eyes. "Which thing?"

"I told you that if you don't do this, everyone you know and love is going to die.", he said, deadly seriousness underlying his peaceful, strong, reassuring, caring voice. "And it's still true. I know it hurts. I'm hurt too. But you can't let it hurt you forever. We are going to get you a new arm, and-"
"I know, Dan.", said Brandy, her own voice almost on the verge of tears. She gestured outwards, then collapsed back into his arms. "But- it's not that I don't want to go on."

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears begin to stream down onto her body. "It's that… I can't. I cannot go on. I can't just walk out there and take on Rakastamos- I mean that I physically can't, Dan."

She turned around and looked into his eyes, pleading with him in silent, soul-wracking sobs. "We can't beat him now. We barely even beat his Forgotten, and he's a Pekka to a Skeleton to even his strongest. If we try and take him on, we'll be killed."

She looked back down into the water again, aimlessly tracing a flower with her fingers, and the pattern on the wall with her teary eyes. "We're just not strong enough. We can give up now, Dan. We had a good run, but now we just need to retire, and-"

"Woah.", said Dan, with all the force he could possibly muster. He put out an arm over Brandy, holding her close to him once again. "Brandy, get those words out of your perfect head, and listen to me."

He tilted her chin up with a bare amount of force, and stared as deep into her eyes as it was possible to go, piercing her dark green with his azure blues. They held themselves together for a moment, not wanting to let go, momentarily lost in the wonder of each other, and their love.

"It does not matter that you cannot do this.", said Dan, keeping his voice calm and his breathing steady. "Because you are going to do this. We are going to do this. We are going to march up there, and kill Rakastamos, and save the entire world, and there is nothing- you hear me- nothing, that can possibly even dare to try to put a stop to that. It doesn't matter how strong Rakastasmos is- because even if he's stronger than all of his Forgotten, guess what?"

He put a finger under her chin and very gently ran it across, right in the spot where he knew she liked it. "We've won those battles. Some of them were extremely close, but- we still did win. We four are alive, and we grow stronger with each and every battle we win."

He looked down at her stump arm twitch, knowing her well enough to know full well enough what she was going to say next. "And don't say that you grew weaker, just because you lost that arm. You did not. Once we get another arm- a replacement- on you, you are going to be stronger then ever. And once we get up there- all of us, together, as a family-"

Dan leaned in, and Brandy could feel the hot wind of his breath upon her bare, cold back, and she shivered from head to toe, feeling all the little hairs on her body stand straight up. "Rakastamos better watch the frick out. Because I guarantee you, without a single doubt, the very last thing that bastard sees will be one of our fists, plowed right through his huge fricking stupid head."

Brandy felt herself twitch, and something inside of her start to glow just a bit brighter at the sheer power and love behind Dan's words, ignited once more by his own fire, leading to a great resurgence in her own. But there was one more thing that she had to get out before that- and it was a big thing.

"But…", she said, feeling herself start to become wobbly again. "You said we were all fine once we win- and we're not. Annabelle and Trevor, they're not-"

But her words were smushed against her teeth and broken, going back into her mind, by Dan's sudden kiss on her lips, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her up into his warmness. They locked on to each other, spinning around in the warm, lovely water, as Brandy felt the fog over her start to fade away, burned to nothing by the eternal light that she and Dan both shared.

Sssh, shh, Brandy, thought Dan, deep inside her head. I know. But we can't worry about that right now. We have a job to do. You know that. And in the meantime…

He looked down, and stood up to his full height, having been on his knees the whole time. Brandy could now see what had been under the water, and she blushed hard.

"You know that I hate eating meat.", she said, and looked up at his eyes, a sly grin starting to come over her face. "But there is one certain cut I don't mind tasting at all."

Almost half an hour of ecstasy later, Brandy stumbled out of the door to the bathhouse, her towel wrapped haphazardly around herself, a haze in her eyes- but this one born from happiness, not depression, or any form of it. She looked around for her clothes- then froze as she did not see them. She almost panicked a bit, fearing what would happen next- before remembering that she had left he clothes inside the bathhouse, on the concrete ring. She slapped her forehead, mentally chuckled, went back inside, did not see them, and began promptly to freak the frick out.

"My clothes!", she screamed, and slapped her mask. "Where are my clo-"

Then she saw the little sign that had been left where she had left them, and bent down to read.

"Esteemed Miss Brandy.", she read, and slightly flinched at the usage of the word. "Your clothes have been sent away for cleaning and repair at our tailors. They will be ready in…"

She screamed, and her eyes almost bugged out of her head. "TWENTY HOURS? EXCUSE ME, WHAT THE FRI-"
Then she saw the little subscript, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, never mind. 20 minutes, hehe. That's… that's uh, a lot more…"

She looked around, and started to go back out the door. "Manageable…"

Emma looked up from her bright yellow and green nail polish, and gave a friendly wave. "Ah, Hero Brandy! It appears that you are done with your bath-"
Then she frowned, and tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

"What?", asked Brandy, and waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, everything's fine. I just-"

"Your legs are incredibly achy.", said Emma, and Brandy's words fell into the void. "In fact, your entire body seems to have recently been subjected to extreme amounts of force- from the inside, curiously enough. Would you like me to take a look at it-"

"NO!", screamed Brandy, then laughed. "I mean, uh, well, you see, the thing is, um I kinda gotta go now and get my limb replaced okay bye!"

She Dashed out of the room, her face turning redder by the second, leaving Emma completely clueless as to what had just happened. She shrugged, figuring that her sisters in the Robotics Room would take care of it, and resumed painting her nails. Then it hit her- some news had been heard just half an hour ago of someone else coming to their Village, someone of equal or even greater importance. But she could not quite remember just who it was, and so she instead concentrated on her keratin art. She did hope she could see the kids though- she had heard from her other sister that they were quite cute.

"Hey, enjoy your bath?", asked the Bowler, as Dan confidently strode out from his own bath house, whistling an aimless tune that was familiar to him, although he did not know why.

"Yep.", said Dan, and left the room. His muscles swelled with Star, flashing out into the room and randomly charging up the lights- for he had taken very careful control to not let it go during the bath. Such vast amounts of electricity would have been quite bad in a watery environment.

"Well… good.", said the Bowler, not knowing what else to say, and took another sip of his chilled and brewed Dark Elixir, set out to dry. He shuffled up his newspaper, trying to decide what bit to read- when a few things in the corner of the third and fourth pages all caught his eye.

One was of a strange shape that had apparently been seen in the far upper atmosphere earlier that morning, only just a few hours before. This newspaper was very quick, having been printed only half an hour ago. But he didn't know what it was, so he just looked at the next one.

It was of a strange person that had been suddenly roaring around Brawltopia, claiming to be a superhero and calling herself Max- but the Bowler didn't care about that one either. He had never quite been that interested in the happenings of the continent. That left only one, at the bottom of the fourth- a crazy old Wizard, warning of plagues.
"Plagues, plagues!", he screamed in the article, grabbing at the camera, shoving his unkept beard and hair in the picture. "The plagues are upon us, and the plagues are coming-"

Thoroughly unsatisfied with that day's news, the Bowler set down his paper, and took a tall, cool drink of his chilled, brewed, set to dry, Dark Elixir. He din't know just what the Wizard was talking about with the "Plagues"- but based on what he knew…

"It's him.", he said lowly, and sighed. "It's Rakastamos."

Song: Travelers who Rest

Brandy, having put on an Archer's uniform in the meantime, stopped in front of the door to the Robotics Room, pondering if she should just open it, or if she should check it out first. She did in fact now trust the strange village that had popped up just to help them, but she wasn't sure if she should check out something called the Robotics Room without caution. It could be trapped, just from free spirited jest. She knew that pranks were common- she had played many of them herself. But she did not know if-

The door swung open without a hitch, and Brandy jumped back- but she saw no threat, merely a smiling Healer. She stepped back to reveal the strange room, and Brandy gasped.
"Welcome, welcome!", said the Healer, as the giant form of Kelly stepped into view, holding a welding tool and wearing a pair of goggles. "Ah, Brandy. Come to get your arm fixed, now have you?"

"Uhh…", said Brandy, just trying to take in all the sites. "Yes. That I have."

All around her were boxes- stacked high with all sorts of machine parts, wires and gears, pistons and screws, circuit boxes and circuit breakers, lightbulbs and tiny little transistors, broken bits of dirt-cheap plastic and priceless bits of exceedingly rare ores. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of Gold was scattered around the room, and Brandy tried to resist the urge to steal one- until she questioned why, and her hand shot out and stole it before even half a second had passed. She used the rest of the time to admire the room some more, the dark brown color scheme chiefly dictated by the dark wooden walls, unlike any other building in the Village, but this was no ordinary Village she supposed. She had not seen it from the outside.

Dozens upon dozens of half finished projects were scattered in and around the room- a fully mechanical Queenbow, a portable sized X-bow more like. A vial filled with bubbling liquid and a vial filled with sawdust- then down below, one with both, doing strangely nothing. Dozens of calendars arrayed in both a circle and on the wall, also in a circle, none of them set to the same month through some temporal impossibility. Even more boxes were stacked high, almost as high as Brandy could crane her neck up to look, eventually culminating after thousands upon thousands of storage space, in a gigantic freaky mask that hung on the ceiling, once commissioned by an unknown individual as a set piece but now just hanging there.

"This is a cool room.", she said, and grinned. A Healer grabbed her arm, and also grabbed on to the back end of a chair that had been sent across the room, preparing to put her in. "Wait what-"

Then she was spun, flying across the room gripping tightly to the chair, letting out a loud "Whooo!"

She was almost instantly caught by Kelly the moment she had traveled 30 feet, stopping in a special circle that had been outlined specifically for the chair to stop in. She almost flew out and into the machine shop, but Kelly caught her in that way too.

"Alright, sis.", said Kelly, leaning down. Brandy could now see that her lower half was in the skin of the Gladiator Queen- that was interesting. Brandy had previously thought that heroes had to wear the entire costume at a time, but now here were two. Perhaps she was also the exception to the rule- but perhaps Brandy still had far more to learn. "We need to get you that new arm, right. But I think we need to clean you up a bit."

"What- clean me up?", asked Brandy, and raised an eyebrow. "But I just took a bath."

"Yeah, without any shampoo, or soap.", said Kelly, and left Brandy's side. Brandy continued to stare right forward into the mirror, and she could see what Kelly had been talking about. Her hair was wet, and of course cleaner that it had been, but it was still a bit dirty. Her skin was covered in cuts and scratches, and her eyes had bags under them that would probably never go away. She was full now, having eaten several plates of pasta, veggies and fruit in addition to the treats she had finished off with, but her body still ached from the overall exhaustion of a week long quest. She would have thought about it more, but she heard Kelly grab something from behind her. "Fortunately, my newest invention will take care of that problem."

"Newest… invention?", asked Brandy, suddenly nervous. "Why, what's your newest invention-"

She saw Kelly suddenly rear up behind her, a maniacal grin on her face, holding up a gigantic drill that rolled and sputtered, and Brandy almost shrieked. She knew it had been too good to be true. She would have to warn the others- but it was no time for that. Preparing herself both physically and mentally for the oncoming attack, it was time to-

Kelly saw the drill in her own hands, and laughed. "Oh, woops. Wrong thing."

She tossed the drill aside, and it landed among a bunch of pillows and scrap with a soft bang. She lifted up a large white towel, seeming to be inlaid with a bunch of wires and beeping diodes, and smiled a gentler grin. "See? This is the right one."

Brandy, slightly embarrassed at the speed in which she had jumped to assumptions, nodded her head, continued to stare straight forward. "Oh? What does it do?"

"Well, lean back and I'll show you.", said Kelly, and Brandy rolled her eyes. She was a little bit nervous still as she leaned back, despite everything that told her not to be, and she closed her eyes, concentrating a little bit of Dash in her fist, just in case. "See? There you go. Now just-"

She felt the towel slowly drape over her face, covering her entire head in its warm, steaming, fluffy pillow like softness, seeping into her deeply clogged pores and beginning to break it down. "Aaaaand there we go! Now just relax, and let my new, exciting, patented Hypertowel take it from here."

"Woah…", said Brandy, but it was muffled under the towel's pillowy thickness. She could feel tiny bits of electricity work into her skin, unclogging her pores, massaging her tired muscles, and lifting up the bags underneath her eyes, as well as pushing steam right onto her. The overall effect was both invigorating and refreshing, sending tingles up and down Brandy's entire body that felt like no other feeling she had ever experienced.

"Oh, you're feeling tingles!", said Kelly, and smiled excitedly. She checked her wristwatch for Brandy's vitals and extras, pleased with the results. "That means the Autonomous sensory meridian response system is working!"

"Autonomous…", Brandy asked, and tried to look up under the heavy towel "What?"

"Autonomous sensory meridian response.", said Kelly, and beamed. "It's a term I heard somewhere, but I don't remember where… maybe from our Grand Warden. It's the tingles that you should be feeling right now, both from the feeling of the towel and the sensation of all the attention that you're getting."

"Makes sense.", said Brandy, and tingled again, this time all the way down her arm and stump. She shivered a bit where she lay, and smiled, crinkling up the towel just a touch. "This is fun."

"Well, I'm glad you think so!", said Kelly, and clapped her hands together. "Now girls, let's get that arm on her. Brandy honey, what's your arm size?"

Those words- Brandy honey- sent something through Brandy that she didn't expect to. She heard those words often, coming from Dan- but she had only heard them coming from a woman once before, and that was Agatha. But Agatha had been a maternal relationship, and Kelly was not. And yet all the same, Brandy felt her heart jump just a tiny bit, enough to make her wonder what in Clash's name was going on. Then she realized that Kelly was waiting for her to respond, and she floundered a bit. "Umm… size… arm?"

"Patricia?", she asked kindly, and a Healer snapped a ruler to Brandy's arm. She moved it around a bit, eyeing the length and the width, then brought it back up again ."Size 8, my Queen."

"Okay, size 8 arm.", said Kelly, and snapped her fingers. "Somebody bring me a size 8 arm. Someone else, flip Brandy over. It's time for her massage."

"Wait, my what-", asked Brandy, then relaxed. "Oh. Yeah, my massaaawwoaaah!"

That last bit came from her being suddenly flipped over by a pair of Healers and a robotic arm that had come out of the ground, and placed face down on the chair, which had now been flattened out. It took a bit of effort for her to not panic, but she was able to make it.

Her breathing was heavy from her vulnerable position, being surrounded by so many Troops she still didn't really know- but then she felt the gentle hands of a Healer on her back, and the touch was so cleansing, so calming, so pure, she almost had no choice but to relax. She breathed out gently as the hands pushed deep into her muscles, and closed her eyes, even though the towel already crossed her vision. She could still fortunately breathe just fine through the towel- better, in fact, than she had been able to otherwise pressed into the chair. That was a good thing, she thought. And it was.

"My, you're very tight.", the Healer working on her said, struggling mightily to push her hands down into Brandy's back. "I assume greatly that you've been working out, and traveling and fighting, but…"

She concentrated a burst of Healing energy within her palms, fully determined in her job to make Brandy relax. "I'm supposed to make you feel better. I will unknot those muscles no matter what!"

She grit her teeth, her eyes pulsing with golden light, and pushed all of it into Brandy's back. Yet to her surprise, Brandy's muscles remained just as solid, and just as hard. She gasped in surprise, then came to the only realization that could have possibly made sense.

"Your- your muscles…", she said, and looked into Brandy's body with her special Healer vision, able to peer past skin and stare right into one's anatomy. "It's not that they're tight, although they certainly were. But your muscles themselves… it's almost as if they're made of diamond, or even tempered steel. I can't even budge them a bit."

Brandy felt her eyes squeeze, and she mischievously grinned. "Well, I have been using them quite a bit. Not my fault I'm awesome."

"And I know just what you've been using them for!", said a familiar voice, and she could feel her heart leap up like it had been shot from a Mortar. She jerked her head up, leaving the towel behind, and saw her single favorite person enter the room. She had only been apart from him for a few minutes, but that was plenty long enough for her. "Dan!"

But she didn't get up, as she still was required to lay there. She just waved her hand, as she saw Dan approach, his hair now combed and his skin shining with golden light, emboldened by the water still dripping off his body. "Come on honey, sit down! I'm getting a new arm!"

She felt Kelly suddenly put her hand on her stump, and she hissed involuntarily. The skin was still sensitive- it had been cauterized, not grafted. Most of it had been healed by now, but there was still a fair bit of it that was sensitive to direct touch. "Ah!"

"Hold on, it's okay.", said Kelly, and held up two things. One was a small needle, and the other was a package of wipes. "I'm just going to inject your arm with a bit of pain masker- just while we attach the arm. I don't want it to hurt, after all, and I'm assuming neither do you."

"Correct.", said Brandy, and nodded. "Would it hurt?"

Kelly shrugged. "A little. You've been through worse, but… we still only want as little pain as possible, right?"

Brandy nodded. Excruciating pain did not mean that annoying pain was any less painful. "Right."

Kelly very gently prodded the needle into Brandy's arm, and Brandy sucked in a breath- only for her to feel nothing. There was no longer any complex or negative sensation in her arm, merely soft tingles as Kelly withdrew the now empty needle, wiping down the spot where she had punctured with the wipes. "Normally, I don't think I would have been able to pierce that skin of yours. But with your recent injury, I guess it was actually possible."
"Wha?", asked Brandy, not quite sure what Kelly was getting at. "What do you mean-"

"Your skin is quite tough.", said Kelly, and picked up a sharp saw from the ground. Before either Dan or Brandy could react, she swung it downwards at Brandy's arm- and it bounced off, vibrating like an Ice Spirit on a sugar high, off the hard skin. "See? That was a solid steel bonesaw, and it didn't even do anything. Tough, huh sis?"

"Yeah…", said Brandy, and looked at herself. Her muscles were like diamond. Her skin was harder than steel. And yet, the Void Wizard had still managed to-

She shook her head, clearing away those toxic thoughts. She motioned for Dan to sit beside her, on a table that he had pulled up with his own towel pillow, and his own massager. She put her head back in the towel, pleased to see that she had found a position where it no longer interfered with her speech. "Come on Dan. Sit down."
Dan sat, and Brandy put her hand on his arm, all the way across the 2 foot gap. "There's… something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Song: The Secret Portrait

"Sure, honey.", said Dan, and gave a tiny little spark of Star- not enough to hurt, just enough to feel nice. Brandy shivered a little bit from the sensation, then gathered her thoughts. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well.", said Brandy, and thought back to multiple times. That fight against Ryus in the Arena. That time she went up against Bonoome, only for a few seconds though. The Hydra in the woods, and the Serpent. The Singer and the Dancer, of all things. The battle against the Cyborg, and the clash of the Void Wizard. There might have been others, but she could not quite remember them at that time if there were. But they did all had one thing in common- and that thing was a thing she was very curious about. "See, there's this… well, a thing that I do… I guess. I don't really know what it is, or where it came from, but-"

"Your Rage?", asked Dan, and Brandy startled. "Ye- yes. Yeah, exactly that."

"Yes, I was wondering about that as well.", said Dan, a bit of excitement creeping into his voice. "I mean, I know what it is- its Rage, pure and simple. It kind of flows through your whole body, and gives you a tremendous boost- at least for a little while."

"Yeah.", said Brandy, and felt tiny little bumps and tingles on her stump arm. She heard dull whirring sounds and the noises of flesh being rearranged, and assumed it was her arm getting a new mechanical upgrade- but she didn't want to look. The sight of her own body parts being rearranged would not a pretty one, and Brandy really didn't feel quite like throwing up right now.

"I just wish that I could get it under control. That'd be pretty nice… if I could just summon it up any time I wanted. It doesn't seem to last for very long either. It would be nice if I could work on mastering it maybe… yeah. That would be good."

"Well.", said Dan, and grunted a bit as the Healer massaging him and the Mini Pekka, oddly placed, assisting her both drove their hands into his stone-hard muscles, dislodging a few at last. It was hard work, as his muscles were even more defined than Brandy's. "What do you mean by mastering it?"

"I mean that it's incomplete, of course.", said Brandy, and frowned under her towel. She felt that Dan could see the action, or at least sense it somehow. "I can't control it and it doesn't last long-"

My muscles are not harder than yours, honey, said Dan, and Brandy's train of thought suddenly derailed.

Wh- what?, she asked, and stammered in her head. Did you just hear me think that? I only thought it subconsciously!

Yes, and I heard it, Dan thought, and gave a powerful grin. You thought that my muscles were even more defined than yours, even though you described mine as stone and yours as steel. Steel is harder than stone, honey. That's just facts.

I-, thought Brandy, and her face turned red slightly. I guess I was describing it like that, wasn't I? But it makes sense- I mean, I am planning on writing a book. Just in case you were wondering.

A book?, thought Dan, and slightly shifted in his spot, a bolt of Star blowing outwards and shooting up the massagers by his side, causing a lock of the Healer's hair to stick up straight into the air and the Mini Pekka to fall over, sparking. A book on what?

This, said Brandy, and gestured from under the towel, to around the room. This journey.

Oh, thought Dan, and nodded, bumping into the Mini Pekka and causing it to hit the floor once more. It fumed smoke from between its head, which jumped into the air, spun around, and turned red. Yes, that would be a fine thing to write about- but are you sure you would remember everything?

Well, no, said Brandy, and frowned. But I'd remember the important stuff, to be sure. I'm certainly going to remember this whole experience. And the final fight-

Suddenly nervous, she gripped the sides of the table she lay upon, and grit her teeth, feeling the blood bump through her body in a white flow. I'm gonna remember that in detail too. Because I'm gonna make it out alive, aren't I? I mean, of course I am. I mean-

She felt Dan's hand on her back, and she relaxed at his touch, moving up into his palm. Brandy, relax, he thought deeply, and she felt her rushing, pounding blood calm. We're safe here, we're getting repaired and restocked, rejuvenated, refreshed, and now we can go out and kill Rakastamos easily. Alright, understand honey?

Brandy shivered up and down her body, and she moved slightly. Right. Right, of course. He doesn't stand a chance against us, huh?

No, he does not, thought Dan. Especially not with your Rage- but let's get back to talking about that, huh?

Right, right, thought Brandy, and yawned, spitting to get some of the towel out of her mouth. Let's.

"Now how do you intend on mastering it?", asked Dan, and the Healer grumbled as he was moved through his words. She had thought he was done talking, as he had not spoken out loud for about a minute, but she guessed she was wrong. Oh well. It wasn't like it was her birthday or anything. "You've got to have some way to do that."

"I know, I know.", said Brandy, and rolled her eyes slightly. She didn't know why she had done so, but she had. "I have to find some training regiment, and put a lot of time into it, and-"

"No.", said Dan, his voice suddenly stern. Brandy almost sat up in shock, but she remembered her ongoing surgery. "No? What do you mean, no-"

"We don't have time for that.", said Dan his voice growing darkly intense. "We're going up against Rakastamos in just a couple of hours, Brandy. Either you master it now, or you go in incomplete."

"What?", Brandy asked, her voice getting a little bit strained. "How am I supposed to- I mean. Look. Why do we have to go up against him that soon? Can't we just stay here for a little while, train, rest some more, get a good night's sleep for the first time on this whole blasted trip, and just- I don't know, enjoy our second honeymoon before we save the world?"

A tiny bit of frustration snapped from Dan's skin to the ground, charring it blackened from soot and carving a tunnel in the hard concrete and carpet that left smoke rising into the air. But then it was gone, and he merely sighed. He would never be angry at Brandy, not ever again. He knew she would never be angry at him, and he loved her just as much as she did him.

"We can't.", said Dan, his voice a little more forceful than he would have liked it to be. "Look, use your Stand. What does it say?"

"I can't, honey.", said Brandy, and was about to feel her forehead heat up- was it not for a sudden burst of coolness across her face that soaked deep into her mask, washing out the dead skin cells and dust that had collected, the exhaustion powder now gone. "I- ummm… I still can't control it on its own."

"Oh.", said Dan, his voice deeper than the ocean. "Well. Let's work on that, and then we can go up the mountain, and-"

He felt a bit of anger coming from Brandy- but it was not malicious anger. It was just general frustrated anger, mostly at the world, but he could sense a little bit at his own words. He stopped talking, and let the steam rise off Brandy and hit the air. They both sat there for a few more seconds, listening to each other's hard breathing, before Dan broke the silence. "What?"

"What?", asked Brandy, clearly upset about something. She tried to fold her arms, but the towel and her position got in her way, and she just got tangled up. She tried to untangle her limbs, but that only worsened the situation, and she seethed at the general happenstance of it. Finally she yanked her arms from the long folds of the mechanical towel, and frowned even as the feeling of her face getting a deep clean ran through her body. "It's fine. It's nothing-"

She felt a tiny bit of Star spark on the very back of her ear, and recognized the secret code. It wa time to tell Dan what she really felt- similar to the way that whenever she rubbed the special spot at the back of his neck, he had to tell her whatever he felt. "Okay, fine."

She felt the spot at the back of her throat slightly tighten from emotion as she spread her arms wide, almost getting up, but barely managing not to. "Listen. I know that you always take care of you, and you're my gigantic uber-strong man, and you're the leader of our group but-"

Her eyes began to water, and she found it hard to talk. "I feel like lately, you've been treating me younger than I really am. Like I'm a kid, and- and- and- and you're my King or something. And you're not. You are my husband. We're supposed to be equals. That's what Bowza and Agatha taught us. Equals. No more, no less. Okay Dan?"

It took Dan a few seconds to respond, all the noise in the room having quieted down. Kelly stood with her jaw open, still in the process of attaching Brandy's new arm. The massagers just stood there silent, having no idea what to do with the awkwardness and intensity of the situation- except for the Mini Pekka, who with no sense of reading the room whatsoever, just continued to flip pancakes in the corner. He had given up on the whole massage thing.

Brandy started to sweat underneath the towel, thinking that perhaps she had gone too far. Had she made Dan upset? Had she been too honest? Was that even really a thing? Was she- had he- were they going to- the thought was almost too much for her to bear until-

"I'm sorry.", Dan said, the low richness of his voice like smooth chocolate boulders rumbling together. "I'm sorry, honey. I really am."

Brandy just sat there in shock, and slowly peeled off her towel. She saw Dan get up, and stare right at her, soft warm fire in his eyes. "I see now. All this time, this entire journey, I've- I've been treating you wrong. This whole quest, I've been treating you like a girl."

"I…", said Brandy, having only some idea of what Dan was getting at. "I am a girl."

"No.", said Dan, and took a huge step forward. "You're a woman."

Dan's eyes shone brighter, and he began to glow all over his entire body. "You are a shining, brilliant, wonderful woman, and I apologize for not treating you the way you should have been treated all this time. You know that sometimes when there's a job to be done, I just focus myself entirely on that goal, when all this time-"

He looked down, and Brandy's heart melted. "I should have been focusing on you."

"No, no.", said Brandy, and looked away. "You know this mission's more important than me. I'm just a Bandit, and this is the world we're talking about-"

"You are the world.", said Dan, and got down on his knees. Brandy felt her heart beat faster from his words and his presence, her body heating up just from the way he looked, "In fact, I have a little question to ask of you."

"Wh… what?", Brandy asked, any troubles she might have had burned away in the golden light that now streamed from every direction, absolutely overjoyed that Dan had understood. To be honest with herself, she had really only heard that couples were supposed to have fights. But that didn't make sense to her. She and Dan loved each other- why would they fight anymore? And this seemed to be the last loose end between them- they could finally be up to each other 100%. And that is what made her happy. "What is it, Dan-"

"Once we kill Rakastamos…", he said, and looked up into her eyes, grabbing her by the torso and lifting her up into the air in order to do so. "Will you marry me?"

"We're already married, Dan.", Brandy said, barely suppressing a laugh. "What-"

"I mean again, honey.", said Dan, and stood up. He spun her around to see the front of the room- where they could see Bubble and Leon entering, a trace of lipstick on Leon's cheek and bubbles still rising from Bubble's head. "So our kids can see."

Brandy, overcome with emotion, brought her arms up to wrap Dan's neck and head in a hug- then realized something with a startled blink. She had brought her arms up. As in, both of them- not just one. She brought up the arm she had lost, and gasped in surprise.

The arm was a beautiful one, outfitted with her own green and black color scheme, the steel muscles just as taut and smooth as her own. It shone with a row of illuminating lights, to light up dark tunnels with the soft blue shine. The palm was cool and rounded, the overall effect one of futuristic tech and an almost icy color scheme. She thought about closing her palm experimentally- and it closed, with a solid metal grip that could crush rock and bone like paper. Brandy grinned, her hidden dimples activating- and whispered to herself. "Awesome."

Song: Short Hair

"Very nice, y'all.", said Kelly, and clapped her hands. She brought up her goggles off of her face, and gestured for her handHealers to run off and collect the needed materials for the next phase of the plan. "Now, I suppose you'll be heading off now. Don't have much time to waste, I'm afraid."

"Right.", said Dan, and gently placed Brandy on his shoulders. She touched her mask- and grinned, as it was now clean and dry to the touch, her exhaustion mostly driven away by the Village's efforts. She just hoped that it had worked for everyone else as well. "We can't be late. If we are…"

Kelly nodded, and looked around. She snapped her fingers again, as she saw the first of the Healers arrive, with a standard Leon's uniform in her arms. It was actually Leon's uniform, as he had taken his off and replaced it with a white cotton shirt for now. Bubble had done the same with a dress. "Ah, yes. Your clothes are starting to arrive now- that's good. Wouldn't want to go off into the mountain without good clothes, now would we?"

Leon jumped forward, grabbing his uniform from the Healer and tugging it on as quickly as he could. It had been with him since birth, and he would hate to lose it. It also just felt weird to not be wearing a hood at all times, and he was happy to have it back, as evidenced by the satisfied sight on his face as soon as he pulled it on.

"And the supplies as well?", asked Dan, and Kelly nodded. "Yes, your supplies. I understand that you did lose those on the way, did you not? However, we have managed to get some replacements for you- even better ones than you had before."

"Good, good.", said Dan, and brought Leon up onto his shoulder the second he had finished struggling into his hoodie. Brandy snuggled up in close to him, and he stiffened- but let her sit close to him, albeit with rolled eyes. "Those will be useful."

Kelly began to say something, but was interrupted by another Healer bumping into her leg. She looked down and grabbed Bubble's washed and repaired dress, and held it out to be grabbed. Bubble gasped once she saw it, pulling it on in a second and spinning around. Then she too was swept up onto Dan's shoulder, the group assembled once again.

"Woah!", shouted Bubble, upon seeing Brandy's new arm. "That's an arm!"

"Yes.", said Brandy, and used it to gently pat Bubble on the head. She smiled as it whirred- they both did. "Yes, it most certainly is."

Another Healer came up with Brandy's uniform- and it was immediately snatched up before she had even had the chance to declare what it was. But she did it anyway- "Miss Brandy, your clothes."

"Why, thank you.", said Brandy, and pulled on the tunic, snapping on the boots with a single swift movement each. She pulled on the gloves one after another, flipping on the hood and cloak like a smooth wind. She pulled the belt tight and snapped a pose- she looked good. Her hood seemed to have been replaced- along with her gloves. And her boots. But it was still the same nostalgic uniform, still bearing the ever so slight sense and scents of home. And soon, it would bear them again. "This is important to me."

The Healer smiled, allowing the last three in the group to bring in Dan's new uniform- a titanic suit of solid armor, shining with polished metal. "And here, sir Dan. A grand new suit of armor, made specifically for your situation and-"

"Oh, I don't need it." said Dan, the faces of the Healers abruptly falling. "I have my own skin, and that's tougher than any armor!", he said, and beat on his chest.

"Yes, but this one had built in sensors that warn you of enemies. Also its heated. And slightly magnetic and it glows in the dark.", said Kelly, folding her arms in annoyance. "We made it to match you. It would mean a lot to us if you would just wear it."

"Well, I can do all of those things except for be magnetic.", said Dan, and grabbed the armor. He flexed his shoulders as hard as he could, tossing everyone into the air for about 5 seconds- then once they landed, he had the armor on once again. Everyone almost slid off the intensely shiny armor, but they managed to stay on. He grinned. "So armor it is."

"Good, good,", said Kelly, and motioned for the supplies. "Now here are your supplies-"
The first Healer walked up, bearing a large bottle of a dark orange substance- a spell. "This here is the Dragon Poison. Use it on Rakastamos once you see him for very good results."

"What do you mean by that?", asked Leon, tilting his head as he looked at the potion. It was a very large bottle- but still nowhere near what he imagined the sheer size of Rakastamos to be. "How can that help us against him?"

"Well, this is highly specialized Dragon Poison.", said the Healer with a huff. "Specially made to kill Dragons. Some of our intel reports that even just a spray of this was able to deal significant damage to him. So if one of you were to throw the entire bottle at him…"

"I see.", said Dan, interrupting before Leon could say anything. He folded his arms and turned away, flipping his lollipop around in his mouth. "We'll take that, thanks."

Dan nodded and tucked that into his pocket, allowing the second Healer to float up. "And here are your fireproof cloaks- very nice. You might want to wear those as soon as you arrive in his lair. Not a moment before though, in case you were to lose them."

Dan tucked those into his pocket as well, and clapped his hands together. "Alright, that should be everything. Are we ready to leave?"

"No, not quite.", said Kelly, and rolled her shoulders. "Yu see, I have one thing to give you."

She tucked into her back pocket, and pulled out a shimmering blue and orange potion, overlaid with a split seal of both a +5 sign and a lightning bolt. She appeared deadly serious as she slowly, carefully handed it over to Dan, intent not to let it spill a drop. It must have been strong. "This is a mix between a Power Potion and a Hero Potion.", she said, and her voice shook. "This is theoretically incredibly, insanely strong- but it's never been quite tested. However, if anyone were to take it and live-"

"It would be us.", said Dan, and clenched his fist, feeling the power of the potion move against his skin, even from inside of the actual toughglass bottle. "I understand."

"Yes, exactly.", said Kelly, and nodded. She raised her fist- and Brandy reached out, giving it a quick bump. They both grinned, and withdrew. "Now go. Kill Rakastamos. Save the fricking world."

"Oh yeah.", said Dan, and the door to the outside swung open with a dramatic flourish. It beat within all their hearts- the final leg of the journey was to at last begin. Just a few more obstacles, just a few more Forgotten. Then they would finally accomplish jus what they had set to do a week ago, what had taken them a year to accomplish. Dan took the step outside and breathed the air, as did everyone else. "Let's go kill Rakastamos."

Dan thought about the equipment they now held- it would certainly be a help. He did not really know how the Dragon Poison worked, but he assumed that he did. He was also very glad that the VIllage had not been a trap. They had been through too much bad stuff, and it was nice to have good stuff for a change. He patted everything on his body- yep. Everything was still there.

They walked off into the storm, now barely able to see the setting sun on the horizon- and Brandy jolted with a thought. While she had been in the bath, she had heard a voice talk to her. It had been familiar- yet she had never heard it before in her entire life, at least not to her knowledge. It had referred to her so casually, and she had accepted it just as easily. But the strangest part was that it had not referred to her as Brandy. It had referred to her… as sis.

But that thought was best left for later, when there was not a worldwide threat on the horizon. So she put a little straightness into her back, and looked off towards the darkly immense figure of Clashcrush Mountain, the titanic figure of their final destination beckoning like a castle of some ancient demon- which, of course, was not particularly far off.

Song: Propaganda- Simpsonill

Askari's steel boot, inlaid with rapidly flashing lights and warning sensors, touched down on the sand of the beach of the Continent of the Clans with a loud thump, smelling of oncoming war.

He looked up, putting his hand to his brow- which immediately transformed into a sun blocker to block out the last of the light, the storm overhead denying the majority of it. And yet still it continued to poke through, shedding light on the yellow sand, almost a metaphor for the incoming army. They were also beginning to make landfall- Pekkas stomping out of the great Boat, the landing bridges almost too fragile to hold their immense weights. Mega Knights jumping down from Balloons and landing on the beach in huge billows of sand that reached for almost 30 feet. Kragonbrock swung open the side hatch to the Boat of Destiny and flung himself face first into the water, hooting and hollering the whole way down, his entire tribe of Great Apes following him. There was a great set of gigantic splashes, reaching all the way up onto the beach and completely eroding the pushed up sand that had been set by the Boat's brow.

As the army of legends continued to unload, vast amounts of total commotion proceeding up the entire beach for miles upon miles, the size of the army almost beyond comprehension, two figures watched from the far side of the beach.

They were not menacing figures in any way, which might have at first been assumed. They were mere Villagers- children, even. A small Villager child and her younger Builder brother, both of them next to the sand castle they had been busy constructing. The Builder had been halfway through installing a working drawbridge out of driftwood and plank sand when the boat had reached the shore. The sight had driven them both into a state of absolute shock, their parents on the far side of the beach close to the treeline in roughly the same state. All four of them just stared in absolute wonder at the surreal sight, far more wonderful and majestic than anything any of them had ever imagined in their whole entire lives.

Askari was quick to see them- and even quicker to stride over, always eager to spread his word and his cause. He knew just from looking at them they would be in no way a combat-type assistance- but he could find a use for them. He always could.

"Good evening, Builder and Villager and Builder Jr. and Villager Jr!", he shouted, raising his hand high above his head in a form of informal salute. "You may want to get out of the way. There's going to be a gigantic army coming this way very soon, and I don't want for any of you to get hurt."

"But-", said the young Builder, apparently immune to the shock for more than a few seconds. He looked down at his work, and frowned. "My sand castle…"

"Oh, don't worry.", said Askari, and brought up his hand. "I can take care of that."

His hand transformed into a gigantic shovel- then upon further thinking, shrunk down into a more special one. He hoisted the Shovel of Obstacles, brought it below the sand castle, extended the rest of his arm, and very gently brought it down onto the sand a few dozen feet away, perfectly preserved so the child would not get upset.

The Builder gasped in excitement, looked up at Askari, and gave a single polite bow. Then he ran off to check out his sand castle, leaving a slight smile on Askari's face.

"Askari?", he heard Bowza ask, who had come up behind him. He turned and saw his serious face, one hand charged with a bit of Star and the other with a single spinning shape, glowing a perfect light blue. Only Agatha knew that such things meant he was extremely nervous- well, her and Oticat. But she was the only one of those two that was at the scene.

"Are you sure we have time for this?"

"Bowza.", said Askari, and gestured at the family, who had now recovered from the initial shock enough to move away from all the action, and move towards a calmer spot on the beach. "Look at them. Do you not see their innocence? Their young age, their purity?"

He put his hands on his hips, and his chest beeped with some random timer or warning. "That is why we are fighting this war in the first place. To save people like that."

"I suppose you're right.", said Bowza, and raised his hand. Askari met it in a flash of electricity, a fusion of Bowza's Star and Askari's mechanical components. A single Skeleton bounded off between their legs and made a direct beeline for the Builder family, Agatha letting out a quiet cry of alarm and the young Villager turning around.

She yelped as she saw Larry bearing down on her, arms wide open for what she thought was attack, but he intended as a hug. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself in self defense- causing Larry to stop and stare in wonder at the new idea. He looked at his own arms, looked at his chest, looked up- and wrapped them around his body in a self-made embrace, his bony cheeks turning red just from it. He spun around in a circle in the sand, making a little pit from the movement.

"Miss Agatha.", said Askari, his voice a little bit strained from the Skeleton. "Restrain your Skeleton, or I shall do it for you."

"Oh, sorry.", said Agatha, and patted her knee. "Larry! Come!"
Larry turned around, nodded excitedly, and ran off towards Agatha, still wrapping himself in his self hug. He hopped, skipped, jumped, and vanished into Agatha's skirt, who then stood up again and brushed herself off. "There we go."

"Good.", said Askari, and turned again towards the shoreline, looking up into the continent itself. Far off in the distance he could see it- the formidable Clashcrush Mountain, looming huge over the entire continent as a whole, the storm that enveloped the entire area clearly having an epicenter there. He had taken special care to park the army in a very special spot- the closest coastline to the mountain. He knew that Dan and Brandy had landed in a very far one, which he thought was strange- at first. But once he had slowly felt almost all of the Forgotten drop off the map of reality he held, he had seen their grand, ultimate, most likely accidental plan.

He heard something slowly come up behind him- from both the deceptively slow step pattern, the immense weight, and the smell of ancient forest, he could tell at once that it was Kragonbrock. He raised a hand, which he waved. "Hello, Kragonbrock."

He felt Kragonbrock sit down beside him, the sand getting physically repulsed into the air and spraying all over the entire group. He vaporized the sand that had touched him into flying flecks of glass, as Kragonbrock burped a bit and scratched his cheek. "Hello, Askari. Where banana?"

Askari fought the urge to say anything. He fought the urge to tell Kragonborck exactly where banana was, for he knew that it would not help matters at all. It was not the first time he had asked Askari where banana was, nor did it stand any chance of it being the last. He looked around, trying to decide what to do- when he saw something in the close distance that made his heart jump. He pointed out, and Kragonbrock followed his hand. "Look, Kragonbrock. There banana."

Kragonbrock stared at where Askari had pointed- and his toothy jaw dropped as he saw it was a banana tree. He hooted once and beat his chest, tearing off across the ground towards the banana tree like it was the very last one on Clash. "Banana!"

Askari sighed, and put his hand to his head and face. He knew that Kragonbrock and his Ape tribe were incredibly strong, but all that strength seemed to come at a price. He was not very smart, at least not when tactics were involved. But such strength was hard to come by- but then again, so was intelligence. Should he have just made a strength based army instead of a tactics based one? Should he have-

He sat down on a nearby rock and barrel, trying to think. It was a bit difficult with all that machinery in his head- But he would, eventually get used to it. He thought he had gotten used to it, years and years ago when he was born- but that was far behind him now. He shakily got to his feet and stared in anger at the incoming violence- when he felt a friendly, reassuring tap on his shoulder. He turned around in less than a second, on complete alert- only to see his father.

"Son.", said Askari the 14th, his special force posing overdramatically behind him, the effect almost comedic. A shadow passed overhead of an Electro Dragon, a few dozen Goblins all riding on top of it. "It's here."

"Yes, father, I am well aware.", said Askari, and began to look around for something to check on, to improve. "It's time for us all to-"

"The hour of invasion is upon us.", said the 14th, and Askari could feel himself shiver a bit as his father spoke those words, only once spoken before in the bloodline- by their oldest known ancestor, Askari the 1st. "Are you ready?"

"I am.", said Askari, and closed his eyes. He could see it now in his mechanical mind's eye- the power of their group, the might of Rakastamos, and whoever held that which lay in between.

He did not highly value their chances, to be perfectly honest, and that was a thought he had to work on. He knew full well their army was strong- but he could feel the strength of Rakastamos blazing like a blue hot flame. He could see it all across the continent, burning into unknown heights. He was not scared- that just wasn't the right word to do it with. But he was nervous, and that was something that he simply could not allow.

"The hours of invasion…", he muttered, and clenched his fist. He felt the presence of each and every single Troop, Brawler ,and other in his entire army, morale high and the will to fight undimmed. That was good- then a thought came into his head. He had forgotten to sweep the area for Forgotten. There could still be some around, waiting to ambush his army as they made their relatively short journey to the mountain, waiting for the right opportunity to-

There was a truly gargantuan crash from beside him, and he instinctively leaped out of the way. His arm stretched out on an extendable metal pole and slammed deep into a tree, piercing through and hitting the rough stone cliff, bringing him to a halt. He spun around his other arm and formed it into a glowing cannon, brimming over with ready to launch lava- but stopped once he saw what the source of the explosion actually was.

There was Chuqulita on the sand, all 3000 feet of her tremendous body laid out, most of it in the sea. She stared forward at the mountain, an expression of absolute revenge in her eyes, and unhappy hatred on her lips. Her entire mouth was stained with all types of Elixir- regular, dark, and oil, the remains of no doubt several remaining Forgotten that even Rakastmos had forgotten about struck down. Her body heaved up and down, sparking blue and orange power rolling around it with a true wild ferocity that surpassed even the storm overhead, turning the sand to glass where she stood. She looked down at Askari, her incredible power hidden behind a friendly face, and he gave a noble salute.

"I took care of some Forgotten I found.", she rumbled, making sure not to move her body, in order not to crush the army beside her. "I found about six of them- and killed them all, of course. Our way should now be clear."

"Ah, thank you, Lady Chuqulita.", said Askari, and gave a quick bow. He swung down from the tree he was in, and stood next to her colossal self. It gave him comfort to know that such a tremendous, powerful being was on his side. Rakastamos was incredibly powerful, to be sure, but if anyone was able to defeat him, it would be her. "Your assistance is truly legendary."

"I do what I must, young Askari.", said Chuqulita, a bit of pain panging her heart at the thought of battling her dear brother. He had always been her friend in youth- but she knew that for the sake of the world, she was going to have to kill him. It was either him or her, and she did not fancy dying, nor the world being destroyed. "For the good of all that is."

"How wise you are, my lady.", said Askari, and looked around for Bowza- but he had vanished amongst the chaos of Chuqulita's eruptive landing. He knew that he had not been crushed, for his vitals in Askari's senses were still holding as strong as ever. Stronger, in fact- he was most likely meditating, preparing for the coming battle in the way that all Magic Archers shared.

Chuqulita looked down at him, an important but tiny figure- and scoffed. "Hmph."

She stretched out her wings, casting a shadow for over a mile in either direction, and took off into the sky with a blast of wind that scoured the sand from the beach for hundreds of feet, revealing the black dirt and bits of water below. She was now to scout and destroy any other Forgotten she might have missed- but she was not to go ahead. The army all had to arrive at the same time for best results. The entire push, all at once. That is how things worked.

"Brownnoser."

Song: Limit Break X Survivor- Relaxed

Askari watched as she flew off, and saluted from his forehead. He also felt a vibration under his feet and looked outwards- a volcano suddenly erupted in the far distance, bursting against the Dragonlady's stomach, no doubt adding to her power. He winced from secondhand pain, although he knew in reality it was all his. Such a minor thing as an erupting volcano would not stop one of the planet's most Primal beings, after all.

He heard something beside him with his mechanical ears, and turned to look. There he saw a strange figure running up to beside him- a woman, at a secondary, more discerning glance. It was strange- she felt familiar to him in some far off way, but he knew that he had never seen her, nor anyone like her, before.

She stood about a decent height tall, and appeared to be in excellent shape. But it was hard to tell from her suit- a red and yellow jumpsuit that covered the majority of her body, and a solid, same-colored helmet that covered her head. Her eyes were covered with bright blue glass, the goggles unable to obscure the enthusiastic shine in her eyes. She wore gloves and boots to complete the look, a ring of brightly colored sodas tucked into her snappy belt. She skidded along on the sand next to Askari, stopped, spun around on her back foot like a breakdancer, then jumped back to a standing position and jabbed her thumb towards herself, finally completing the pose by falling backwards on the wet dirt, her helmet falling off to reveal a shoulder length shock of light blonde hair. She huffed it out of her face, her cheeks turning a little bit red from the fall, and jumped back up again, resuming her hastily made pose.

They stood there for a few seconds, Askari not quite sure what to think of the strange… strange… whatever she was. She might have been her own thing, Askari wasn't sure.

"Askari, sir!", she blurted out, her hand snapping to her forehead in a quick salute. Her movements were beyond jittery, and her voice sounded simultaneously strained and incredibly excited to be there. "You have someone who wishes to speak to you!"

"Oh, I'm sure I do.", said Askari, thinking of who it could possibly be. "But I'm far more curious about you, miss. Just what are you, or who, should I say?"

The young woman's eyes lit up brightly, and she grinned. Straightening her helmet on her head and spinning around, she landed with a pose even more dramatic than the last. "Why, I'm Max, of course- I'm a superhero! Full name Maxine, full title Maxine the Speedy Superhero of Speed Justice. I'm here to dish it out to Rakastamos, and help save the world."

"Ah.", said Askari, and took a mental note of that for later. "Now.. what are you? Are you a Troop?"
"Oh, no.", Max admitted, and gave a little laugh. "I'm a Brawler- or, at least, I'm going to be. Once this is over, the gods will totally let me be one. I'm gonna do great, you'll see!"

"I'm sure I will.", said Askari, and looked over her shoulder to see the army and a thoroughly devested beach. "But who was that that wanted to speak to me?"

"Oh, yes.", said Max, spun around on her heels, and whistled. "Yo, Gob king! Askari's ready for that question of yours!"

Max nodded, saluted, straightened her helmet again, and zipped off. "Zip zip!", she said, as a hurrying procession of Goblins slowly made themselves known, rolling up in front of Askari like a tide of green sludge. Atop them all was carried a large stone and wooden tablet- and atop that lounged the Goblin King, a rather portly specimen yet not without his almost comedically large muscles. He waved his scepter around, a gaudy, gigantic, and obviously fake Gem on the tip.

"Pay?", he asked, and stared Askari right in the eyes. "If we win, and Rakastamos dies, what is the pay of allll of us Goblinfolk, hmmm?"

Askari just stared back, and flipped his front finger in the air. "Living.", he said. "If Rakastamos dies, you are permitted to live. If we die, then I hardly think payment will any longer matter."

The Goblin King considered this point, then laced his long, green fingers together. After a few seconds of thought, he flipped forward his scepter, and furrowed his brow. "Okay. Askari, that is good point. But what if, we get payed anyway, just as a prize for winning?"

Askari's brow twitched, and he let out a highly forced laugh. "No. Your prize is getting to survive as a species, and that is it. I do think that is beyond any pleasure that any amount of material wealth can possibly grant you- besides, you get to help save the world."

At those words, the front row of servent Goblins perked up their ears. They had heard the words Material Wealth, but what they really liked was hearing about The World. They, of course, had not been listening particularly well, and thought that Askari had told them they could rule the world instead of just save it. They began to vibrate excitedly, the Goblin King hearing their misexcited thoughts. He slammed his scepter down onto his slab, and the chittering horde quieted down. He thought up his next words, and laughed internally.

"We don't work for free, Askari.", he said, patting himself on the back for his clever and mature word choice. "We Goblins need cash- in any way that you are welcome to give it."

Askari, now overly frustrated with the inherent greed of almost the entire Goblin society, felt a bit of steam erupt from his body. He threw his arms up in the air, and let out a burst of steam that covered the entire area behind him for almost 100 feet with the physical form of his annoyance.

"Fine!", he shouted, and the Goblin King startled. "You want cash? You want payment? You want that sweet, sweet Goblin-bait Gold! Then you can have whatever loot you get from killing Rakastamos! Happy?"

The Goblin King looked around, to see the smiling faces of his assistant thinkers, a loosely applied term. He looked to Askari and smiled, giving a thumbs up. "Askari, we Goblins will battle for the promise of such loot indeed. But no more, and no less. If there is no loot, we will just have to bring Rakastamos back to life once he is de-"

He felt Askari in his face, pushing him back onto the floating flotilla of Goblins, his hot mechanical breath vialing the Goblin's own. "Don't.", he said, quietly enough to be terrifyingly dangerous. "Even. Think. About doing that."

The Goblin King gulped, and looked around. "Alright, Askari.", he said, quiet from his sudden fear. Then he threw his scepter up into the air and yelled, beating his green chest. "Goblins fight! Goblins fight! Goblins fight!"

The rallying cry was momentarily answered by a dozen different screams of different types of Gobbish, lending their voices to the call, then went back to whatever it was they were doing.

"Good, Goblin King.", said Askari, and flipped his finger off of his hard mechanical head. "I'm glad you're doing the right thing."

The Goblin King nodded, and gave the motion to turn around. "Let's go, boys!"

Askari massaged his forehead as they went- those types of things wore hard on him. Not just the thoughtless haggling- but the stupidity set by those who would deliberately try and bend the law in any way, just so it could benefit them. And the Goblin King was, of course, probably also the King of that particular category. He looked around for anyone else that would annoy him- but it just kept bugging at him, the greed of the Goblin King, how he could possibly even think of money at a time like this, when the fate of the entire world was at stake, the life of every single non-Dragon creature on Clash on the line. He clenched his fist and stared upwards into the sky as the last of the rays of the sun began to leave the sky, feeling his father come up behind him.

"We're about to head out, son.", he said, and the 15th nodded. "I know, father."

They were most likely about to say something- when they both heard something alarming coming from right beside them. It was the voice of the Builder child from earlier- "Monkey!"

They both turned around in shock and alarm, knowing full well what he hd been referring to.

There lay Kragonbrock on his back, making colossal dirt Healers In the wave-wet sand, the Builder child running recklessly up to him, both his arms open for a hug. Askari startled, knowing that if he moved too quickly, Kragonbrock would move too, and the child would be crushed. But his far more experienced father knew just what to do in the situation.

"Ape Lord Kragonbrock, hold!", he shouted, holding out his arms. "Don't move a muscle! There is a small child running towards you, and I don't want him to get hurt! I'm sure that you don't want him to get hurt either!"

Kragonbrock startled, but held still- for the most part. He swung his enormous head around, looking for the child in alarm, still with half a banana tree sticking out his mouth. The other half was already eaten. "What? Where? Where child? Where child, Askari father?"

"He's-", said Askari the 15th, and pointed, right where the child was- snuggled up next to the Ape Lord's tremendous bulk, wrapping his arms around a Jesterbot's cap, not knowing at all what it had once been part of. "He's right under you! Don't move!"

Kragonbrock lay there, frozen in indecision- until one of his hand Apes very gently reached her hand under his fur, grabbed the child, and tossed him onto Kragonbrock's chest. Kragonbrock brought up his hand and put it over the child, very roughly giving him gentle pats. He looked up at the other Ape and smiled, showing off all his gigantic teeth. "Thank you, mother."

The two Great Apes tenderly embraced- and both Askaris decided that it was time to go do something else. There were, after all, an awful lot of things left to do, and now hardly any time left in which to do them.

But hardly had the 15th gone more than just a few meters when he noticed something strange begin to happen. The world was starting to slow down, the movements of even his own father becoming slow and stiff. The army was starting to halt, every single bit of action on the entire beach and far beyond slowing to a complete and total stop. The unloading that was still going on slowly froze, as if a worldwide Freeze was cast- only without the cold. Everything was simply going a strange mix of odd colors, almost as if it was a dream, or a nightmare. And yet Askari knew it was not. He knew that everything was indeed, very real, and had always been. But as reality slowed down to a sepia-toned crawl and he was the only one left moving, he came to a realization. Somebody must have stopped time. He had hard about the ability, but he did not know what on Clash could possibly have it- nor did he know why he, for some reason, was able to move in it. He considered the brief possibility that it was him that had frozen time- but that was impossible. He would have known that he had done it. Wouldn't he? Wouldn't he? He wou-

But his train of thought was suddenly stopped midtrack and derailed completely, as he suddenly saw something in front of him that made sense. He saw what had stopped time.

Song: Monody- Music Box

In front of Askari, hovering in the air, was a being truly unlike anything he had ever seen. He seemed to stand almost 15 feet tall at the head, his long waving hair making him appear even larger than that tremendous already height. The hair was not regular hair- no, it was like starlight given form, long flowing locks sparkling with cosmic dust and formed out of space and energy itself. In fact, it seemed that his entire body was formed from the energy of the cosmos- the constellations on his immaculate clothes only adding to the theory and the look. His body was outlayed in a pose that radiated strength of a level that hardly even made sense to Askari- there was no measure of strength he possessed that could even begin to read the man, or, rather, the force of nature hovering in the air in front of him. For that is what Askari could read from him. This was no mere being- this was a force of all of reality itself, some elder, outer god that could hardly even be described, much less comprehended. Everything from the burning, teal aura of godly light shining from his eyes and mouth to the crackling white flames surrounding his body in its entirety served only to further illustrate that fact. His body seemed as though it was the universe taken physical shape, no doubt to destroy anything that would so much as dare to threaten it. His face was one of utter nobility and true symmetry- Askari was in wonder at the overwhelming presence of the strange being. He hoped to Se'th, or even Ill'kka at this point it was friendly- but he knew that if it was not, there was nothing that his gods could do about it. This being was beyond mere gods, and could hardly be classified as anything but… but…
Askari could not finish his sentence, instead shaking his head to try and regain control of himself. The presence of the being was mesmerizing, as if Askari's mind already subconsciously knew who was in charge here. But his external mind knew as well.

Askari, said the being, his voice not spoken- but rather just there, imprinted on reality itself, deep within the same part of Askari's own head that was used to store primal knowledge.

Don't screw this up, he continued, putting a single finger on Askari's head. If you mess this up, and Rakastamos wins- if everybody here dies, everything is ruined.

"I… I know, oh great one.", said Askari, and hastily bowed. "I have to save the world, for-"

No, said the being, and Askari looked up. "No? What do you mean, no-"

I suppose I cannot explain why, the being said, and sighed. Regrettable. But… know this. If you and your group do not win here, it will damage all of existence in a way that cannot possible be recovered from. For all our sakes, it is absolutely imperative that you do so. There is, quite simply… no other option.

Askari stared froward in total shock and complete awe, barely even able to move his head- but move it he did, up and down. "Yes, my lord. I understand."

Good, said the being, and nodded. Yes, yes. Protect the girl, and victory shall be yours. And victory must be yours. All of reality depends on it.

Before Askari could articulate his thoughts, the being was already gone, leaving behind no trace that he had ever been there at all. Askari felt time rewind, and he fell to the ground.

"Son!", shouted the 14th, and he grabbed Askari by the shoulders. He shook him- but he would not respond for a bit. He was fne, but what he had just seen would shake him to the core forever.

Song: Coercion

Meg and Brenda stood on the sand, Meg held securely in Brenda's arms, both of them staring out at the crazy scene in front of them. They could hardly even take in the tremendous sight, the army spanning miles in width and breadth- of which they were only a small part.

"I've never seen this many Troops together in one place before.", said Meg quietly, thinking back. "Even at concerts and Clubs and in the Arenas. Those places are usually packed but… this is just on a whole other level."

"I know, right?", said Brenda with excitement, and shivered. The shiver spread up from her body onto Meg's, causing her to jump. "It's so exciting! It's like one giant party, all going to save the world. It's super cool."

"Yeah…", said Meg, and scratched the back of her neck. "I guess."

"Meg, what's wrong?", asked Brenda, and squeezed her a little bit tighter. "Anything?"
"I'm still an introvert, Brenda.", said Meg, and squeezed her eyes a little bit tighter shut. "Even though my aim is good, and I'm not afraid anymore, and I have really control over my Stand, I'd still rather just be at home with you instead of being out here in the middle of a giant crowd."

Brenda, unfortunately, was not entirely listening. She just took a deep whiff of the salty sea air, and smiled as she let out the breath. "Oh, but smell that air, Meg! That is wonderful, is it not? And don't worry, we'll get you brave and out soon enough."

"But I don't want to be.", said Meg, and frowned, gently scratching at Brenda's hands. "I love being an introvert. I don't want to be super social. I just like a few friends, you know that."

"Yes.", said Brenda, and leaned in to Meg's ear, her whispering full of love. "But we could change that, couldn't we? We could get you always super outgoing, and energetic, and-"

"But I don't want to, Brenda.", said Meg, and felt her face heat up. "I said that I want to be an introvert, and there is nothing wrong with that."

"Oh.", said Brenda, only now listening. "I'm- I'm sorry, Nutmeg, I should have-"

"No, it's okay.", said Meg, and looked forward. She sniffed, barely able to keep herself from spilling out from the stress of the situation. "I…"

I don't want to die, she thought ,but knew she should not open that Barrel of Goblins again. Stress was not good for either her or Brenda, so she she went for the next best thing.

"Was wondering what happened to the Phantom?", she asked, arching a brow in questioning. "Like when he got hit with the Arrow on accident, he… well, I guess he changed, in a way. Did something he used to not be able to- Brenda, you know what I'm saying?"

Brenda closed her eyes, rubbing her finger all down and along the length of Meg's arm. "I do. And I'm guessing that this is a better thing to talk about than-"

"Yes.", said Meg, a bit quietly. "Yes, it is."

Brenda thought for a moment, then brightened up. She stood on top of her toes, bringing the top of her head up to match Meg's. "Well then…"

"It is strange.", said the Phantom, who had appeared behind them. He stroked his chin, the edges of his mask, usually wrapped all the way around his face, almost melted in some areas. "I'm still not sure what about the arrow managed to cause it, but we can safely assume that it was that that changed me. Not much else changed to do so, and it happened directly after it pierced my skin. It is always good to keep our eyes out for better options, but this one seems to be the best for now."

"Oh, Phantom.", said Brenda, and closed one eye as she waved. "There's no need to be so formal. We should relax, wind down a bit… before… well…"

Her voice was once again low and quiet, and she hugged Meg a bit tighter for comfort like a child would hug a stuffed animal, only far more loving. "We fight the hardest battle any of us are ever going to fight in our entire lives."

They stood all three there for a second, watching the army go by, a Shelly and a Prince engaged in conversation, a Sparky rolling by still in repairs, Sophie and Herb running after a Goblin atop a Balloon that had somehow nabbed on to Herb's crown. They didn't know who they were, but they thought the scene was quite entertaining regardless.

"We do.", said Meg, feeling courage well up inside of her like a golden light, shining on through her skin. "But you said it, my thief. It's just a big old party, the match of matches, the ultimate battle. It's gonna be fun, right?"
Brenda fought to keep her eyes open- then she squeezed them shut in a smile, just as she squeezed her hands shut on Meg's sensitive shoulderblades. She gasped and Brenda laughed, Dashing around her girlfriend and landing in a strong pose, the Phantom hovering over her and Meg still stuttering in motion a bit by her side. "Right. Fun. Just… gotta…"

Then something, a memory, jumped into her head like an Ice Spirit jumps onto a target, and she jumped into the air as well. She landed with a soft shockwave and threw her hands around in front of her face, stammering the words. "Wait! I- I- I- I know what happened!"

She turned around, grabbed the Phantom by the face, and stared directly into his eyes. "Phantom, I know exactly what happened to you!"

"What?", asked the Phantom, feeling that he should know- he was Brenda's stand, after all. He was technically part of her soul- but he had always felt that they were different from that, more like partners than the same person. She had felt the same way- but then again, all Stands were different. So perhaps that was just a them thing. "What is it, Mistress?"

"Well.", said Brenda, her mind racing fast. "You remember that guy, right? Funny- oh, what did he call himself- Valentine? Funny Valentine? Tall, curly blonde hair, called himself the president-"

"Oh, yes I do.", said the Phantom, and shivered a bit. He remembered his encounter with D4C- the sheer physical and spatial might of that particular Stand had been beyond anything he had ever met. It was not an encounter he remembered with any particular fondness, even if the overall outcome had been good. "He was a strange and strong one."
"Yes, yes, that.", said Brenda hurriedly, and slapped her hands on to Meg's cheeks, locking her gaze in overflowing excitement. "But in his letter that he sent me- you remember that, don't you? Of course you do, I made you read it cause it was awesome- he said something about the arrow unlocking his own Stand's secret powers!"

Meg's eyes widened, and her feet scrambled for purchase on the rocky soil. She felt the Phantom pick her up, and Brenda give her a big kiss on the cheek. "So- that means that-"

"The Arrow unlocks your secret hidden powers, Phantom!", shouted Brenda in excitement, and wrapped them both in a gigantic hug. To any non-Stand users in the crowd, it would have looked very strange. "And knowing you, they're probably super, super OP! We're gonna win for sure!"

"Yes.", said the Phantom, and held out his arm. He unfolded his sleeve, a noble look in his eye. "Now where's the arrow? Stab me with it at once!"

To that, Brenda's cheeks turned a little red, and she looked away. She scratched the back of her neck, and closed her eyes. "See… I kinda… um…"
"Brenda?", asked Meg, and raised an eyebrow, Brenda's smile becoming less and less sincere. "What did you do with the arrow?"

"I kinda…", said Brenda, and gathered Dash in her feet as she prepared to Dash away. "Lost it…"

Meg stood there for a second in total and complete shock, trying to keep herself form fainting. The Phantom stood there in shock as well- that was not only bad news, but probably the second or third most disappointing thing he had ever heard in his entire life. Losing out only to-

"You- you lost the arrow?", Meg shouted, her voice turning a little wet from the tears. "What do you mean you lost our secret weapon that we were totally gonna defeat Rakastamos together with? You're usually just so organized- how could you possibly even-"

"No no no no no wait I left it with Bowza!", shouted Brenda, after several seconds of thinking, and madly flailed her hands. She put her hand on the side of her cheek, and thought. "I mean, I think. I know I dropped it on the deck while we were making out, and then I think I saw Bowza pick it up, but then I-"
"Does he have it or not?", asked Meg, squeezing the barrel of her own Stand out of pure stress. "Brenda, we need to know"!

"Hold on, Nutmeg, I'll call him.", said Brenda, holding up one finger, and yanked her communicator out of her pocket. She frantically speed dialed Spacekrakenx, for the number for Bowza's com had slipped out of her memory like the arrow had slipped out of her grasp. "Just a second-"

"Oh, don't you nut… meg… me…", said Meg, then sighed .She wrapped Brenda around in a hug, and put her head on her shoulder. "No. You can call me that whenever you want, okay?"
"Yes.", said Brenda, and rubbed her fingers through Meg's hair, underneath her loosely fitted helmet. "Just let me call him, and-"
"Hello?", she heard on the other side, and almost dropped her communicator out of surprise. "Brenda? Meg? What can I do you girls for?"

"Oh, uh, hey, sir.", said Brenda nervously. "We need to talk to Bowza real quick. You see, I think I dropped the Arrow, and it would really, really suck if we-"

"You what?", shouted Spacekrakenx so loud they could hear it both from across the beach and through the communicator. "Brenda, you fircking lose the arrow? I would be so incredibly mad at you if I didn't have it in my hands right here!"

Brenda winced repeatedly at her King's words- until she heard the last part, and she perked up immensely. "Wait, you do-"

"But I would only have it in my hands right here if I still hd it, which I don't, because after Bowza gave it to me I gave it to Askari!", he shouted, and took a breath. "Anyway, how you two been?"

"So Askari has the arrow?", asked Brenda, and sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

"Yes.", said Spacekrakenx, giving an affirmative nod that could in no way be heard through the com device. "He does."

"Good.", said Brenda, and stood straight up. "That's a rel-"

Then two thins happened. One was that she saw a Villager child- although not really a child, more like a middle teen- stop running up the beach, turn, and point directly at the Phantom in absolute shock and joy. Before she had time to address that, the other thing happened- a gargantuan teal light slammed down into the middle of the army's path, just ahead of the first front row of advance Hog Riders, creating a wave of confusion and shock that rolled all the way up the entire beach.

Song: Tapion- Pokemixir

Askari was, of course, the first one to get on it. He jumped over the row of Riders, drew a steel bladed sword, and shone with the light of the World's Protector that he was. "Who goes there? Identity yourself, or I shall identify you to Death!"

The light slowly cleared, and Askari charged up the beam on his blade, full prepared to shoot. But shoot he did not- for as the light eventually died down, revealing only the trio that had been within as the beam shot back into the stormy night sky, his expression was that of both sok- and relief. He smiled to himself. They had come.

His expression almost instantly turned to that of dry confusion as the first stumbled forward, falling onto the ground and groaning in severe intestinal agony, rolling around on his heavily armored body and trying his very hardest not to puke.

The second pitched forward and laughed, simultaneously making fun of and helping her friend to get up. "Oh, Kurizas.", she said. "I forgot you couldn't ever handle tractor travel."

"Yeah….", said Kurizas, barely able to keep himself upright as Bailey lifted him to his feet, leaning him up against the far larger figure of Nidavaleer. "So… why'd we do it?"
Bailey sighed, and patted Kurizas on the head. "Because this was the only way to intercept the group in time before they go too far along on their journey. Plus we had to avoid Chuqulita, or she would have thought we were enemies and eaten us. Now we have to get up and look presentable before Askari and his group see us-"

Her head ever so slowly ticked to three before she looked up, and saw Askari. Her eyes bugged out of her head and she Dashed backwards, glitching around in the air for a bit before she landed on Nidavaleer's neck, hiding behind him for just a second. Then she regained composure and Dashed back down to the ground again, folding herself for a formal bow.

"World's Protector Askari, sir!", she said, hoping that he would accept it. "We, three agents of the SCP Foundation, have come to you bearing assistance on your quest to slay Rakastamos!"

"Well, I should hope that-", said Askari, before Bailey continued.

"Although we three are far from your full assistance, consider us all honored to be part of this vast army.", she said, and slowly got up. She gave one last, smaller bow, only folding herself at the shoulders. "Truly. Accept us."

Askari stood there for a second, hovering over the ground on his built in rocket boots, then began to clap his hands. He clapped them for several more seconds, then grinned and threw his arms open wide. "But of course I shall accept you into this, my grand and ultimate army! All help is welcome. Even the Dragons that are wise enough to see through the foolish words of Rakastamos are welcome to join my assistance. So you three are prime candidates."

"Thank you, sir.", said Bailey, and looked up into the sky. "Our- your, other help should be arriving soon. I'm not sure exactly when, but in a few more minutes for sure. We should halt the army's movement until they get here… shouldn't we?"

Askari made a movement ,and Bailey flinched. She had heard legends of him, and knew just how insanely powerful he was in battle. She didn't want to incur his wrath for any reason at all.

"Oh?", he asked, and leaned forward. "And just who are you to consider us stopping?"

Bailey knew what he was getting at. Slowing the army's progress down was exactly what Rakastamos wanted to do. And to have three individuals, claiming to be help, asking him to slow down or even stop the army's march… well, that just seemed too good to be true.

"I- uh…", said Bailey, and teleported abruptly to behind Nidaveleer's head. "Never mind, sir. Do what you wish with the army. You are its leader, after all."

"Well, no.", said Askari, unusually modest. "You see, this army has multiple leaders- I am one of them. And now under Chuqulita are we. I may be the world's protector- but she is wise, old, and powerful to be the world itself."

"Yeah…", said Bailey, and looked out into the massive army, the very back of it still undocking. That was not even the full might of it- a great deal of the army had already landed, and was currently doing a sweep of the continent along with Chuqulita, in order to flush out any Forgotten that they might have missed. "Anyway, could you by any chance tell us our seats? We should probably take our places now and wait for the cavalry to arrive."

"Yes…", said Askari, then suddenly grew deadly serious. He leaned forward, his voice becoming softer and more menacing than any Bailey had ever heard. "You know, I ordered assistance from the SCP foundation to be heavy-tier. But so far, all I see is you. And you don't seem heavy tier to me. In fact…"

He looked directly into Bailey's eyes, and she audibly gulped as Askari advanced on her position. "You don't seem like SCP at all."

"Tef!", shouted Kurizas, and Askari took that word to heart. He looked back and backed up, allowing the familiar Grand Warden to slowly float over into view. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Indeed, my boy!", shouted Tef, and stretched out his arms. He grabbed Kurizas in a hug, and spun him around in the air. "It's been days since we last talked! I'm glad you three could make it!"

He extended his arms and grabbed all three of them in hug, wrapping his hands around even Nidavaleer. "I am simply overjoyed that all three of you could make it to the battle. We shall all be honored to have your help."

"Yes.", said Bailey, and took a moment to hold on to him before telling him her news. Tef had been like an uncle to them all for a while, ever since they had joined the foundation. This was the first time they were-

"This is the first time we're meeting in person, did you know that?", he asked, and laughed politely at his own words. "Now isn't that strange? We know each other so well, but-"

"I know when Rakastamos will drink the Blood Elixir!", shouted Bailey, knowing she had to tell him before it was too late. Tef's words stopped, and Askari looked down in curiosity. He knew, but did Tef? Did she? Did they have the same time, or were one of their sources simply wrong?

"Wh-", said Tef, and blinked. "Oh. Well, tell me, Bailey. How long?"

Bailey looked at her wristwatch, and gulped. "4 hours, 52 minutes."

Tef, for a brief second, stopped moving. He just kind of stood there, staring straight ahead, attempting to process this new, absolutely terrifying, information. But Askari thought about it consciously, long, and hard. He had thought that the time remaining from now was exactly 6 hours and 55 minutes. He had to ask Bailey where she had gotten her sources from.

"Oh?", he asked. "And just how do you know? My sources tell me we still have 2 hours and 3 minutes more than that now!"

"I got it from the Chamber of Truth in the Ghostlands!", said Bailey, shouting a bit angrily at Askari's baffling distrust of her. "I mean, Chamber of Knowledge! Whatever. Frick."

"And I got it from that same chamber!", said Askari, pounding his fist into his hands.
"Yeah?", asked Bailey, her mind reeling with that information. That didn't make any sense- she was right, and she knew it. She had heard and saw the Chamber, reading right off of Rakastamos's plan itself. And yet… "Well, when did you read that?"

"I had it told to me 2 days and 37 minutes ago.", said Askari, and slammed his fist against his chest. "And yes, Of Course I calculated for time and everything. You don't need to ask."

"Well, that same chamber told me we only had a few hours left!", said Bailey. "Two less than yours!"

"We cannot both be right!", said Askari, beginning to grow angry. "Not unless we-"

Then a thought came into his head. He growled at the simplicity of it, and slammed his hand against the air, resulting in a loud, mysterious thwack. "Not unless, of course- he's upgraded his Blood Elixir pump, or its source, or wherever he gets it from! That increase in amount, however small, was still enough to boost his completion time by a few hours! We are both right! Ha!"

"Oh.", said Bailey, and grinned. "So we are."

Then she remembered the other thing that the Chamber of Knowledge had told her- something that would no doubt gain Askari's trust in her completely. She held out her hand, closing her eyes as if to concentrate. "Askari, sir! Watch!"

"Watch?", asked Askari, and turned around from Tef, who now stood beside Kurizas and Nidavaleer. "What am I waiting for-"
"I know exactly when your coveted Dragon Cannon shall arrive in its precisity!", shouted Bailey, sweat dripping off her brow, hoping to Se'th that was a word. "In three…"

Askari looked around, seeing no sign of the Dragon Cannon whatsoever. He folded his arms and stared down at her, wondering what was going on. It would be highly unlikely that it could possibly arrive in such a time as short as a mere three seconds.
But Bailey was not about to spoil such a surprise. She knew it would actually be far less than three seconds, and skipped the second number. "One…"

Before anyone else had time to react or think, the ground shook underneath the front line's feet. Kurizas and Nidavaleer stumbled, the front row of Hog Riders beginning to mill aimlessly about. Askari stayed above the quaking ground with the force of the rockets in his fet, but he could see just what was happening. From the side of a gigantic cliff face, just a few hundred feet away, something was breaking out and emerging. It was not natural- that much was for sure. He knew that it was artificial- only artificial lifeforms had that special glow. He knew that it was absolutely huge, larger than every Troop in his entire army save Chuqulita's mountainous size.

A wide smile began to creep up his face, for he knew full well what it was. He spread open his arms and shouted to the sky as the full ivory behemoth made its introduction, shredding through the mountainside and falling back down onto the dirt, the brand new machine unlike anything that had ever come to life before. It was huge, probably about three or four hundred feet long. It was powerful- if the rumors were true, the gargantuan machine was the only thing capable of truly bringing down Rakastamos for good. Then finally as the Dragon Cannon began to turn to align to the group, Askari knew that was was happening at long last. At least, his army was together. At last, he could- no, not he. They. They could all fight together.

"Yes!", he shouted, throwing up his ams in wild support of the Dragon Cannon, arrived at last. "My Dragon Cannon is complete, and it is here!"
He looked up to the sky, and let out a round of crazy laughter. "Everyone, behold! The weapon that shall do the Dragon in!"

But his celebrations of the advent of the Dragon Cannon, as mighty as it may have been, were very quickly replaced. For something else was about to come in, something that would eclipse the achievement in its almost entirety.

Song: Blue Saiyan

There was a great and tremendous crack of thunder, one that almost split open they sky with its strength and strange beauty, a teal and blue tone that was totally unlike anything the planet had ever seen- which, of course, it was. Furthermore, the reason why it seemed to almost split open the sky was that it, in fact, did.

Askari looked up the sky in a single increment of shock, ,but mostly annoyance. "Oh, what is it now?", he grumbled, firing up his right hand into a gigantic Uber-Cannon- but as the skies truly broke, away from the storm and revealing themselves independent, he knew what it was.

A portal to another space was torn open in the air, the square air currents becoming visible through some strange technology. The turquoise and blue illumination streamed through and struck the ground, bathing Askari, the front line, and the Bailey trio in its light, inspiring awe in the Hog RIders, more annoyance but a grudging, overjoyed acceptance in Askari, and pure happiness in Bailey, Kurizas, and Nidavaleer. For those four all knew one thing- that their SCP Foundation assistance had finally arrived.

The first spaceship dropped down from the infinite void beyond the brilliant portal, a rounded black vessel with lights all around its sides, shining through in that now familiar hue. It spun as it descended near the ground, still hovering a few dozen feet above, no wasteful air currents needed to keep it above- it was only through some strange, futuristic technology that it was able to hovor. But that is not what everyone's focus was on- no, the thing that everyone paid attention to was the fact that the great ship was opening, depositing many things that were very clearly not of the world.

The first to drop were several dozen what appeared to be men in black armor- but not the solid plate that Clash was used to. No, this was solid composite armor, used to deflect small arms fire and grenades. Their faces were covered in masks, and complex laser rifles were slung on their backs. They floated down quickly from the spaceship below small, tactical sized parachutes, holding themselves straight, ready for anything at all. It took them only a few seconds to hit the ground- after which they assembled themselves back up in a single second, slung their high-tech guns into a resting positon, and turned to face the Mountain.

The second thing to emerge from the ship was not a conventional thing- it was a large wooden box, or at least patterned to look like wood. Judging from the constant growling and shaking from deep within it, it was mostly likely something else.

A pair of paratroopers, also armed, held on to the sides of the thick, enraged box. It floated on slowly down, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The paratroopers immediately rushed to the side, slapped the mechanisms hidden there, and a pair of wheels popped out from the bottom. One got on the front, one got on the back ,and both of them began to move the box forward, the hissing and spitting coming from inside not helping their already difficult going.

"Hey, hey.", said Bailey, who had suddenly appeared next to the box, bits of Dash still trailing off her body. She put one hand very carefully on the outside, apparently trying to communicate to whatever monstrous beast was locked up inside. "Hey, buddy. Hey, old 682."

The box almost threw itself toward her- but stopped at that voice. THe monstrous reptilian beast within looked out at the familiar face- the only one that had ever given it exactly what it had wanted, a lightly done pork steak with no fat around the edges and center. He hated all humans or even most humanoids- except for Bailey. But it wasn't as though it was going to lick her or anything, or show affection. It did not do that. But it was going to stop thrashing around for her. SCP 682, the so called "Hard to Kill Reptile", did have a few feelings. It took them out on occasion using its secret stash of emotion when times called.

"We're gonna go fight some guys soon.", said Bailey, and ever so slowly stroked the outside of the box, which she could now see was in fact Imperial Hardwood. That one made sense- 682 could only ever be imprisoned with very little else. "ANd we're gonna need you to really go all out, you understand? No holding back, buddy."

She felt the SCP bring its skin up to the small holes on the side of the box- and Bailey put her hand in closer, scratching the itch. She heard 682 shiver, and smiled. "Good. You're gonna kill so many."

She stood up and jumped backwards, letting the second group of the 682 Paratroopers land right where she had been. She supposed she should let them do their jobs- after all, they did always need more support. And 6 dozen highly trained elite SCP agents, each of them armed with a laster rifle, would be very nice to have inded.

So busy had she been with 682, that she did not realize the two other she had specifically ordered had already landed, each with their own squad of paratroopers, and one more likely on the way. Funny- she could not quite remember what the other two had been, although she had been the one to order them just a few hours ago. Oh well. She could check-

Funny. That word, or was it a name? She couldn't quite see how it could be a name, for she did not know fo any Troop that it could really match- but then again, what was she thinking? If she had been out in space for so long- and she had- she would have been able to realize that it was probably a common name throughout the cosmos. So why didn't she? Why had she forgotten? Why had Bailey just forgotten where she had been for the last three weeks-

Then the thought from the Chamber of Knowledge popped, ever so slightly, into her head about where she had actually come from, and she nodded. Oh. She guessed that made sense.

She heard something from far above, and craned her head up to look- seeing the spaceships retreat back and into the air. That was a little bit of a disappointment but it made sense- the ships, although cool, were no combatant types. If they were to join the fight, they would have all been within seconds of arrival. So she let the idea of the ships staying go.

Then she realized that they had been moving for two reasons. One was to leave, having dispatched their carried cargo safely- and the other was to get out of the way for something. Bailey had only a second to guess what before she saw the gigantic Mechaship appear somewhere beyond the portal, wider than the entrance by far.

Bailey yelped and Dashed back, soaring over the heads of her friends, and skidding right behind Askari. She pointed up at the sky, not noticing that the front line was already retreating.

"Something huge is gonna come through that portal!", she shouted, and Askari held up one hand. "We gotta get out of the way quick- oh?"

She took a moment to notice what had happened- and it was not what she had expected. Somehow, through some magic or technology that Askari possessed- or both, they were often the same in many situations- he had actually moved the ground back, out of the way of the first thing to soon erupt. He raised an eyebrow, and Bailey nodded. He was clearly most competent. She could let him work.

With a crack of thunder almost as strong as the one that had preceded the portal, the first Containment Mech arrived. It streaked from the carrier ship like a meteor come to ground, slamming into the now mercifully clear path with a gigantic explosion of dust. It reared its mighty head, burning its entire 400 foot bulk into view, and the entire army gasped, for they could all see it from there.

Its entire body was painted a brilliant black and blue, a sleek design with sleeker colors. The metal construction was made of the finest Ubersteel, bits of electricity sparkling off of it at every turn. The chest plates, the arm guards, the leg pieces- each and every bit of the tremendous robot was engineered to absolute perfection, the curves and angles the results of hundreds of years of constant perfection. It was not merely a giant robot- it was The giant robot.

Its head was a low-slung, circular shape with bits cut out the sides, two long eyes around the edges. There was no mouth to speak of- there was no point in having one, or a nose, or any ears. Its shoulders were thick and armored, looking like they could deflect a falling mountain and remain sharp enough to shave a tree free of its bark without removing the leaves. Its arms were as thick as buildings, each joint armored with a mysterious clear metal to avoid overlighting. Weapons bristled from every part of the gigantic Mecha- a pair of gargantuan twin shoulder cannons on each shoulder, constantly spinning around, already ready to fire at the first target they would see. Smaller miniguns jutted out from the joints in the arm, more springing out and going back in with each movement the gigantic construct made. The two weapons from its arms were even more impressive- a pair of truly gargantuan armblades, shining from the light and lightning overhead, looking fully capable of making Dragonlord steak.

The waist was fairly normal and bare- except for a single glittering orb at the very center, no doubt the firing point for some vast energy ray attack. It seemed to share that property with the even larger opening in its chest, almost extending all the way to the back, a vast cannon there that seemed that it could punch through anything at all. Slightly glowing yellow lines ran across every bit of the chest, finding ends at the beginning of the four limbs- the legs too flowing over with weapons. The knees were covered with a giant spike that could be slid in and out, the thighs and calves spring loaded for immensely powerful jumps. The feet, last of all, were not only armed with a vicious blade on the top- but rocket boots on the bottom that could enable the gigantic Mecha, as unlikely as it seemed, to fly. Also there were spikes. Because of course there were.

The second mecha slammed down almost as soon as the first one had finished calibrating itself, throwing up yet another cloud of dust. This one was similar, of course, for they had all been built for the same purpose- but it was different in many ways.

This one was shorter, and thicker. It was red and silver instead of black and blue, and the weapons it held in its hands were not armblades, but full on swords. One was in its hands, held by the handle with a honed edge- and the other just was its hand, shining brilliant off the many thousands of serrated teeth, each one able to be both spun in place and the entire line to be moved on a belt around the sword like a super-sized chainsaw. It looked up into the sky and awaited their third brother, to be slamming down shortly.

It was, in fact, very short. The third one was a lot smaller than the others, and a lot less heavily armored or well armed. It had no spikes or guns, no heavy shields or sniping scopes. The one thing it did have was a gigantic vial on its back, the spiked line attached to a huge translucent barrel full of only one thing- the Dragonpoison. It was an assassin model, as opposed to the others all being Titans. But it was still a formidable fighter, standing almost 100 feet tall, and no doubt weighing many hundreds of tons. It looked upwards with the others to witness the arrival of the fourth and final Mecha, the strangest and perhaps greatest of them all.

The final Mecha crashed down to the ground, its glowing eyes visible through the smoke. It stood on two powerful legs, even stronger than the rest of the others, this model made specially for physical movements, dodges, and attacks. It was tall and relatively thin, formed in the model of a champion boxer or professional athlete. It wore the colors of red, red, and more red- accented only via thin black and purple lines along the accents of its joints. It wore a strong expression on its face as it brought its arms up- and what arms they were.

They were incredibly long and stretchy, coiled up tightly alongside its body, presumably able to throw punches from even thousands of feet away. Its fists were concentrated in spiked ends, but the variety of weapons stored on its back allowed for many, many more. It hoisted its arms up into the air while the rest of the Mechas all gave it a high five- much to the cheering and applause of the army grand. The Mechas all turned towards the mountain, a truly inspiring sight, and began to slowly march, so the rest of the army could keep up.

"Slasher, Twoedge, Doctor, and Armsman.", said Bailey, and shook her head good naturedly. "I guess they really couldn't have chosen any better. What a group."

"Indeed.", said Askari, and concentread. With a single mental effort, his voice was broadcasted to every single commanding force in the army, making sure every single member could hear his next words. "Attention, everybody! We are moving out now! Make sure to not get lost, as we are about to travel 25 miles in- what was it?"

He leaned down to ask Bailey, and she told him. "Oh yes, 4 hours! I repeat, 25 miles in 4 hours! This is a life or worlds' death situation, so do not complain!"

Bailey grinned, happy to be of assistance with telling him the time, and Dashed back up to the shoulders of Nidavaleer. There was a great and glorious shout as the army began to move even faster, bolstered greatly in morale by their new arrivals, and Askari could feel Bowza's presence upon his side. He was not actually there, but his spirit could move.

"These are… strange... allies, are they not?", he asked, with slight trepidation at the Mechas and the SCPs the Foundation had brought. "I've never quite seen anything like them."

But Askari just laughed- for he had seen many things, and knew there was always more to expect. "Indeed. But think about it, Bowza."

He stared forward at the Mountain, the ultimate goal now finally in view, and made the motion of readjusting his cybernetic eye which had now become practically his trademark. "Our enemy is nothing else than the end of all life.", he said, and smiled. "We shall not want for allies."

Song: Vegeta- Saiyan Enigma

Lightning flashed on the surface of Clashcrush Mountain. Lightning flashed down from the stormy, destructive sky to the barren, rocky surface, blasting bits of rocks to dust, spreading out into the sky and burning on the hot, harsh wind. Thunder rolled off its twisted, tormented side, falling like a dark avalanche all the way to the belt of molten rock and twisted bits of dead metal that surrounded it as a fell moat, the ends of no doubt many forever entombed within the hellish depths. A single Dragon wheeled high above the tall depths of the peak, its steel skin glinting- but then it flew away into the cloud of rising smoke, and could no longer be seen.

The surface of the mountain itself was practically the dictionary example of the word "terrifying." Countless stone faces and carved blades stuck out like the remains of some ancient army buried within the stone, forever doomed to guard the mountain they had once sought to take- and knowing Rakastamos, perhaps that was the truth. Such a heinous act would not be below him, or above him- it would be directly on his tyrannical level.

The clouds circling above the mountain were that of fear given form, the lightning mixing with the lava flowing outwards from the cracks in the mountain, the magma bursting down in red-hot rivulets, rivers of heat the the group could, even from thousands upon thousands of feet down below, could feel pushing on their foreheads like an impatient Fire Spirit willing them to get out of the way. Speaking of Fire Spirits, Brandy could see some gallivanting about in the flames. She alone was capable fo seeing them, for some odd reason- and as soon as she even so much as stretched a finger out to greet them, they turned towards her as one, all three dozen of them. Brandy's slight bit of happiness in the crushing dark of the environment was forced to retreat back into her head, already swirling with emotions and thoughts, as the Fire Spirits all as one grew teeth, hissed, and jumped back into the flaming moat, entirely disappearing from view.

Dan looked up at the demonic display of fire and brimstone, lava and lightning, death and destruction on an atmospheric scale and density that had not been seen anywhere else in the entire world, even the highest and strongest peak of the Pekka's Playhouse region in Royale a mere science experiment by comparison. He put his hands on his hips, and sighed.

"So that's Clashcrush Mountain.", he said, and looked around for weaknesses. If it was at all possible, he would have just liked to collapse the mountain with a gigantic blast of Star and be done with it- even if Rakastamos survived the collapse, which he most likely would, he would at least be forced to fight on the group's own terms. But Dan knew that the mountain was no ordinary pile of metal and rock- it was constructed of something far, far stronger. It could not merely be destroyed. "I'm not feeling it."

"Dan, I know you always like to joke around, and find the humor in every situation, and stuff like that.", said Brandy, sitting nervously atop Dan's right shoulder, holding Bubble in one hand and Leon's hand in another, gripping as tightly as she could to Dan's shoulders with her legs. "But I think I just kind of have a little bit of a feeling that the time for that has long since passed."

Dan flexed a bit, and sent a shock of electricity through Brandy's skin. It was, of course, not enough to hurt her, just enough to give her a little burst of energy through her system. She shivered, looked down at Dan, and smiled, rubbing her hand on the little patch of bare skin she could locate through his restored armor. He rumbled his response, and raised his leg to take a single step towards the mountain. "I know. But that won't stop me from trying to lighten the mood, eh?"

"Well…", said Bubble, and shifted in her spot. She was about to say something ,but was interrupted by Brandy, far too frantic to avoid not doing so. "I just think that humor of any kind, no matter how morale boosting, might distract us from the goal here. Because… well…"

"This is it, isn't it?", asked Leon, one eye opening, lazily and slowly moving his lollipop around in his mouth. "This is our final destination. Once we come out of there, Rakastamos will be dead."

Well, either us or him, he thought, but for obvious reasons he did not say it out loud.

"Indeed, Leon.", said Dan, his voice growing larger and more powerful with the sheer amount of Star that he was building up in his body, preparing to do something drastic. "This is it. Every single obstacle we've bypassed, every single place we've been, every single Forgotten that we have struck down. Every single fight we've won, every single time we've all just sat down and talked…"

As he spoke, the group could see and feel the things he said in their mind's eyes. The places they had been now seemed nostalgic as a summer day, somewhat reminiscent of a simpler time- before the storm that now cracked and blazed overhead, a physical reminder of the direness of the situation. Its constant presence remind them of Rakastamos's might and his fury- and it was not something that any of them could possibly afford to forget.

Dan began to walk forward, seeing no point in not covering ground- but it was very slow, as to not lose the effect of his speech. "Every single person we've met, every friend we've made-"
His voice went deeper, and Bubble clenched her eyes shut to avoid crying any more than she had to, a single few tears dripping out onto Brandy's leg. "The friends that we've lost…"

He clenched his fist and aimed towards the sky, seeing that it was now night. "Every single step that we've taken on this entire journey has all been leading up to this. Clashcrush Mountain, and the final bout. The final battle with Rakastamos- in just about an hour."

He looked at his group, who all looked scared out of their minds- and yet, the quiet bravery within each and every one of them was enough to offset any possible fear. "You ready, guys?"

"No.", said Brandy, then shook her head. "I mean, yes. I mean- well- I mean- gah!"

She suddenly felt her hair stand up, and her teeth become bared in a savage expression of pure bloodlust and hatred, bits of purple Rage flashing around her in a blazing wind. She flexed her muscles, the nearby ground breaking from the force- then it was gone, and she was once again sitting. But the energy still remained in her, and she shook her hand at the mountain. "Yes."

Bubble looked at her mother, and clenched her own fist as well. She tried to grit her teeth, but the overuse of her jaws earlier just led that to hurt. So she adopted a stern, strong expression, barely whispering her pledge- but she meant it with every bit of herself. "Yes."

Leon looked up, trying to keep his eyes facing the same direction, and kept his fear hidden. He spun around Hunter Killer in his hand, looked up, and then shut his gaze from the world. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever nightmarish encounter Rakastamos would be, and opened his eyes. "Yes."

Dan looked back towards the mountain, and took a deep breath once more, concentrating the Star within his fist. He looked up, preparing to run all the way up the lava slides and burning spikes, to bust straight through Rakastamos's door and kill him. "Well then, it's settled."

He narrowed his eyes- it would be tough that way. There were all the falling rocks he would have to dodge, and the spraying magma, and the- what was going on? It seemed that even as he stared at the mountain, more and more obstacles started to appear- randomly jutting metal spikes that moved up and down the entire length of the peak, cutting through the rock like butter. He started to reconsider as he saw the random meteors begin to crash into the side of the mountain, throwing up huge sprays of molten rock and floes of regular stone. He just thought it was a little much when he saw what appeared to be actual lasers shooting out of the mountain at random intervals, slicing through clouds up above and leaving no sound at all in their wake. And he knew for sure that it had gotten too extreme when he saw what appeared to be actual glowing orange dorsal fins peeking up out of the lava- Rakastamos had apparently manged to get his hands on some rare Magma Sharks from Pekka's Playhouse. Or perhaps the mountain was where the species lived naturally- but Dan could not think about that right now.

He just squared his jaw, adjusted his armor, and ran off towards the mountaintop, intent on striding through the obstacles and emerging unscatched-

When he just barely saw a huge spurt of magma fly overhead, some volcanic blood flying off and towards him. He had barely even gotten his hands up to block it when it had already flown past, right in the waiting Dash shield of Brandy, thrown up at the last moment.

They stood there, Brandy huffing and puffing, her arms still tingling a bit from the near death experience, until Dan looked back up at the Mountain. He looked back down at the group, only now remembering that they were not anywhere as durable as him. He would normally know, but he was tired. He was out of it. They all were- for although the stop at the village had helped greatly, one could not fix true exhaustion, the type that persisted, with anything but an amount of days of rest equal to the amount spent cultivating the exhaustion. But of course, they did not have the time for that. They just needed to go.

"Yeah, no.", he said, and jumped backwards from that part of the mountain. He rolled his shoulders up and drew back his arm, aiming directly at the rock in front of himself. "We are totally not doing that."

He took a deeper breath than even before, and his entire fist started to glow with blazing golden light. It traveled all the way up his arm and into his shoulder, his breath ragged with sheer might and effort, concentrating all the power he possibly could at that moment into his fist.

"Super…", he let out, and the ground around him began to shake. "Piercing blows…"

Dan had updated his previous attack, even going so far as to give it a new name. He never did that. Brandy knew all that and more as she Dashed out of the way, turning around a corner and protecting themselves there. She looked out from between the cracks in the rock, as Dan unleashed his tremendous blow on Clashcrush Mountain. "Layered Punch Overdrive!"

Ah, there it was. That was what was going through Brandy's head as the entire side of the small bit of mountain they were next to was obliterated in its entirety, sending chunks of rock and stone through the air before they too dissolved into dust. She threw up her hand to protect the rest of the group, the Dash shield that suddenly appeared deflecting any rocks that they had come into contact with. A great wash of dust flew across the entire area that would have blinded them all had they not been protected by an orb of shimmering blue light, unlike Brandy. But she thought that one a bit strange- her Dash shields had always been in front of the group, rather than all around. But she smiled at the change - at least she knew she was progressing.

Then she felt herself get picked up from underneath it, along with the rest of the group. She whipped around a fist to shield herself from the pre attack, slamming against a giant iron fist. She struggled a bit before realizing it was just Dan, now intent on hurrying them into the mountain, as fast as possible. She let herself go limp, telling her children that they were to do the same.

"Alright guys, this is it.", Dan said, hurrying to the side of the mountain, over the parched and eaten grass, and set them down properly and securely upon his shoulders. "Let's finish this quest strong, alright? Go in, go hard, kill him, get out. See? Easy."

"Right.", said Brandy, as Dan climbed through. "Riiight."

And the group, at long, hard last, entered Clashcrush Mountain.

Song: Mold

The inside of the legendary, dark and terrifying Mountain was more or less exactly what one would think of such a mountain from the outside looked like. It was dark, overly creepy, roughly textured from almost criminal amounts of misuse- and above all, piercing through the entire area- was a strange feeling, one that the entire group was no doubt surrounded by. It was a feeling of pure surreal hatred and nonsensical fear, bubbling over with a disgusting vigor that assaulted the senses without input, tickled the brain without touch, teased the soul without contact. It made them all feel as though a sudden attack was imminent- but that was a given at that point. They were surely expecting it, all stanced up to block.

It was also incredibly, nightmarishly dark- the kind of darkness that scratched longingly at the back, lovingly at the head, and viciously at the feet, leaving traces of touch like something had been stolen wherever it went, the unease palpable in the air, so thick it hung off the top of the tunnels yet deeper like spiderwebs, swaying in the evil breeze.

And yet, the feature that everyone there noticed right way, the most disgusting feature, piled up all along the bottom of the tunnel as thick as a foot, the one that had Bubble squeezing her nose shut in disgust was-
"Mold..", said Dan, and took a stance, the tips of his fingers sparkling with Star in order to burn it away. "Be careful. Don't touch it."

"Dad?", asked Leon, and looked forward, bringing up a single shaking finger in order to point. His natural darkvision, extremely useful in the almost non existent light, was alone able to see the brungling, trilling mass for what it really was. "That's, uh… that's not mold."

"What is it?", asked Dan, straining to see- then Bubble flinched as the mold moved. "Is it-"

"Spiders!", shouted Brandy, as the entire growth suddenly flashed forward in a wave of speed. Dan shot a beam of thin Star right through the middle, and the cave of spiders top to bottom became visible, even as the center of their ranks became visible. They skittered forward along the cavern walls, the giant whisper and raging hush filling the ears of the group, the walls spinning into a brown and grey spiral around them, the spiders still advancing.

"Ora!", Dan shouted, and fired off a stream of Star in all directions, bringing his hands to his chest. It erupted from the sides of his body, the spiders all burning off and into bits and splashes of Elixir as the barrel of electric flame pushed against the sides of the tunnel, even eating into the rock. He shut it off with a harsh intake of breath and concentrated it between his hands, which were now held to his chest, facing forward into the tunnel.

"Those Spiders weren't attacking-", he said, "They were just being pursued by something. Something that will be coming our way in 3… 2… 1…"

Perfectly on cue with Dan's perfectly timed prediction, a gigantic slug rounded the corner- well, less slug and more serpent, almost a giant leech or hagfish with the face of a sea monster fish slithering around the corner. It hissed at the group, slotting perfectly into the tunnel- but as the raging blast of Star punched all the way through its body, disappearing around the corner to hit more, all discussion of what it looked like splashed into Elixir.

"They turned to Elixir.", Dan mused, staring down at the puddles that lined the ground. "That means they're not just animals- they're Troops. Clearly Forgotten, but…"

He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Rakastamos must have put then all here as a last line of defense because they were both far too weak and far too difficult to control to leave out in the wilderness!"

"Probably, yeah.", said Brandy, and tapped Dan on the shoulder. "Now can we keep on going? We don't have much time left."

Dan nodded, and kept on walking, stooping a bit to avoid a slightly hanging stalactite. "Woah, you're urgent today. You're not usually like this… are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"No.", said Brandy, and folded her arms. "Dan, I am not alright. None of us are, and you know that."

Dan looked up at her, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I wish you were alright, though."

"I do too, honey.", said Brandy, and looked back. "But let's be honest here. When have I ever been alright?"
"Brandy, my darling, don't say that!", said Dan, and sent a little spark through her skin. She jumped- and that thought worried her. For the spark he had sent was usually wonderful to feel, but this one seemed to have far more pain than good. "You have been alright multiple times."

Before she could ask when, for Dan knew that she would, he went on to provide multiple examples. "You were alright before you- we, set out on this trip, remember? And when we had just left the village that we left the Balloon in, you were alright. And that's just this trip. Most of your life you've been alright- but this hasn't been most of your life, has it?"

He smiled, taking care to step through the rocks very carefully- any one of the could most likely trigger a trap. "You're alright, Brandy. This is just a blip of storm in a long and perfect day."

Brandy tried to take his words to heart- she really did. But there was something lodged deep inside of her that was preventing her from doing so, and she did not know what it was. She found herself folding her arms and turning away, not saying anything. She found her eyes burning with slight hotheaded tears, but she could not cease them from flowing.

"Brandy?", asked Dan, knowing that if she had not responded for a few seconds, that meant something was wrong. "Everything alright?"

He continued to not hear anything, and a single note of worry ran its way through his heart. He turned around- and saw Brandy laying down on his back, bleeding profusely, a gigantic wooden spear ran through her heart.

"Brandy!", he yelled, and lunged out for her, a healing charge already in his hand- but somewhere between the second that he saw her and the microsecond it took for him to respond, the spear had vanished, Brandy was no longer bleeding, and she was sitting peacefully upon his shoulder. She gave him a strange look as his hand stopped just a few feet in front of her, titling her head curiously. "Yeah Dan?"

"Uh, it looked like-", said Dan, then thought better of it. He knew that Brandy was always so paranoid about her death- which of course would never, ever happen, he reassured himself, that it would probably cause her damage if he told her what he had seen. "It just looked like there was something behind you, is all."

"Oh.", said Brandy, and turned around. For obvious reasons, she saw only cavern wall and more deep tunnel. "Is there?"

"No, no.", said Dan, and waved his hand, sending a tiny bit of Star shooting out behind them just in case. It blew the side off a wall. "There was nothing. Just a trick of the light."

"Good.", said Brandy, feeling sweat drip off her brow. She looked around, trying to see if anything would be coming. There almost certainly was. There always was, especially down here in the darkness, where the evil that hung in the air was thickest. "Because-"
There was a flash of artificial light, the side of the cavern wall becoming suddenly transparent. Bubble was the first to look up and the first to scream at the horrific sight. She flew back on Dan's shoulder and clutched on to Leon's arms, waking him up from his torpor. He lunged outward with his Stand in hand, gesturing wildly- then could not help but yelp, as he saw it too.

There, behind the plate glass window, was a horrific scene, straight from a nightmare. A Barbarian and an Archer lay dismembered on a surgical table, the gore lying everywhere specifically created to damage the group's morale. Standing over them was a man with the head of a Hog, a gigantic meat cleaver in his hand, staring right at them, his mouth dripping blood. The bodies, somehow kept together instead of Elixirfying, were horribly labeled Trevor and Annabelle. The hand of the ManHog began to move, and Bubble screamed-

Only for a huge blast from Dan to shred through the glass like a volcanic eruption goes through paper, turning the entire scene to ashes within a single second. Dust and bits of blood blew outwards, scattering over the group, the head of the Barbarian rolling to rest at Dan's feet. He opened his eyes with a shock of sound, looking right up at Bubble.

"This is…", he whispered, bleeding out and turning to Elixir by the second. "Your… fault... "

Bubble shook from fear, as he finished his sentence. "And what happens next will be… your fault... As… well…"

The head rolled off to one side and dissolved, leaving Bubble visibly shaken up. She hiccuped and turned her head to one side, hiding in Dan's shoulder, knowing full well what he had meant.

"Bubble?", asked Brandy, seeing just how she shook. "You okay, honey?
"Yep.", said Bubble, and immediately turned away from Dan's shoulder, putting on the widest smile she possibly could. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"No.", said Brandy, and drew closer, Bubble shivering at her touch. "You're not alright. Come on, I'm your mother. Tell me what's wrong."

Bubble looked up, down, then back at Brandy, then burst into tears. She threw herself on Brandy's chest, and rubbed her nose against the worn cloth of her uniform.

"This is scary and I don't like it and I'm scared and I'm scarred and we're gonna run into something super super strong and that Barbarian said it was all my fault and and and-"
She felt Brandy's hands slide over her back, and the loving energy of her mother slide into her. "No, don't worry Bubble. I've got you. Daddy's got you. Nothing can beat us. Not even Dragonfrick Rakastamos."

"But-", said Bubble, and they all flew into the air as Dan dodged a sudden Cannon blast, a huge pillar of solid rock flying past them and colliding with the wall. They landed with a "Sorry", and Brandy put her hand from Bubble's hair stroking to her mouth. "No, no, no buts. You're safe, we're all okay. You got that, Bubble?"

She took her hand off her mouth and once again rubbed her hair, trying to get her to laugh. "You got that?"

Bubble, for half a split second, almost told Brandy why she was really freaking out. It was not the fear of the mountain, or even the Dragonlord. No, it was something else. But she kept her mouth shut and stared on ahead, not wanting to be even more of a traitor than she already was.

"You think she'll be okay?", Brandy asked, whispering into Dan's ear.

"Bubble?", asked Dan, and nodded. "Oh yeah. She's gonna be jus fine."

"Are you sure, honey?", asked Brandy, looked behind her again, and tapped the side of Dan's head. "Cause we do need to be careful."

"I'm sure.", he said, being as reassuring as possible- he didn't want to come off as rude in any way. They already had enough stress, and could not possibly benefit in any way from any more. "Don't you worry, my little, uh…"

He looked around for a bit, trying to think of something to call her. "Pumpkin spiced elixir cake."

Brandy's hair stood up on end for just a few inches, and she hid her nose behind both hands. She swayed back and forth a bit, the memories all flooding in at once from long ago.

"Daaaaan!", she said, and her cheeks rose to crimson. "You can't say that!"

"What?", asked Dan, and took a few faster steps forward. "Why not?"

"Well, uh…", said Brandy, and let out a nervous laugh. She tapped her fingers together, remembering the code. "Well, you see, a few years back, me and Brenda had this code. And we just assigned random words to random things, and well… uh…"

She laughed some more, and buried her head in the back of Dan's head. "Pumpkin spiced elixir cake means "someone that I want to marry and have babies with.""

"I don't see the problem.", said Dan, and shrugged. "You are that."

Brandy squealed, and hugged his head tighter. "I know. I was just messing with you, you big, sexy, perfect, wonderful man."

Song: Danger Draws Near

"You can do that, Brandy.", said Dan, and chuckled. He rubbed the back of Brandy's head, and she purred- for despite the situation, despite all the losses and pain, despite the sheer urgency of the upcoming ultimate battle, she always did seem to have a bottomless reserve of happiness and joy that could never be emptied, only locked off from access for brief periods of time. And this, fortunately, was not one of them. "You can always do that."

He stopped, for he felt Bubble pull on his hand. He sucked in a breath, for he felt Leon do the same. He looked to his right, for he saw the gigantic axe blade that had come swinging out of nowhere do the same, just barely missing Bubble by a foot, Leon by 6 inches, and Dan by the skin of his nose. Brandy had already dodged back, remaining well out of the way.

The sudden axe attack blade recoiled and rebounded as it hit the wall with a shower of sparks, flying back towards Dan- only for him to lash out with a well aimed strike, shattering it into flying bits of metal, which he blocked with an upraised arm. He looked around for a few seconds afterwards- there was no longer any trace of the sudden and short lived attack. "Woah."

"That was close, Daddy.", said Bubble, and whimpered a bit. She withdrew closer into Dan's grasp, burying her face in his thick steel armor. "There are going to be more traps like that, aren't there."
"Oh, almost certainly.", said Dan, and started moving forward again- but this time slower, more methodical, far more careful. He had no idea what could be lurking down here in the mountain at the center of the world, the great grand heart of darkness, the epicore of all evil. "There's going to be a lot more traps- so everybody just watch the heck out, tell me if anyone triggers any, and-"

There was a large grinding sound as he stepped on a sunken green tile, and the sound of turning gears and rushing pulleys. "Don't die, alright? That's the important thing after all-"

He stopped mid sentence, and his expression became one of disdain. "I just triggered a trap, didn't I?"

"Yes.", said Bubble, and pointed down. Dan lifted his foot to reveal an illustration of a boulder on the tile, inlaid with Gems. "Here comes a big rock."

"Correction, Bubble.", said Dan, and took a deep breath as the rumbling sound increased, clearly coming from the left of the tunnel. It had split into a threeway just up ahead, and he was able to hear which one it was coming from. "There came a big rock-"

He saw a flash of stone come into view, and he fired a blast of Star right at the sound that broke it all to bits, scattering across the entire interior of the cave. "And now it comes no more."

But the sound of the shattering rock was enough to mask the sound of a far quieter assassin entering the fray- so quiet, in fact, that only Brandy was able to pick up on it with her super advanced ears. She turned around, and saw two things- one was a figure standing in the corner, a huge knife in its hands, and the other was an ivory white boulder, jumping through the air and heading right for her, having fallen without a sound.

"Dorra!", Brandy screamed, not having time to think about it. She swung her fist forward and collided right with the boulder, blowing it to dust almost faster than even she could blink. She withdrew her hand, seeing the dust float slowly and gracefully through the air- but that is exactly what the other enemy wanted. As soon as the makeshift smoke cloud had been deployed, the knife wielder swung aggressively into action. He jumped forward form his hiding spot, brandished his 3 feet long kitchen knife, and ran around in a circle, trying to find his target. The only thing that he did find, however, was a fist through his throat and a punch to the knife that shattered it like glass. He struggled a few seconds, then burst into Elixir upon the ground.

"That was weird.", said Brandy, and wiped her face free of the burst purple liquid. "You'd think he would run out of these little things eventually. I mean what even was that? A Goblin? What am I gonna call it, the freakin Knifer-"

She turned around to see the group, and gasped in unimaginable horror, for there she saw something indescribably dreadful- Leon stabbed through the chest with the knife, his gaping chest would bleeding like a fountain of blood, attached directly to a stalactite overhead.

"Leon!", she screamed, and reached out for him- but then she blinked, and he was fine, still just in his resting position on Dan's shoulder. She stopped in midreach, then decided to go all the way in and envelop him in a full body hug. "Leon…"

"Mom?", asked Leon, who had been woken up abruptly. "What's going on?"

"Uhmm…", said Brandy, and just hugged him tighter. "Nothing. Nothing at all. I just wanted to hug you, is all."

She realized just now closely her words resembled Dan's, and wondered if he had seen a similar thing with her. She shivered in fear- she sure hoped not. It would not be good.

"There's another trap, honey.", she found herself saying, a single blue light flickering behind her head and dislodging a small yellow spiky ball, which fell onto the ground and turned to Elixir. "It's right up ahead. Watch out for it."

"Okay, Brandy.", said Dan, and took a careful step. He looked down and saw what Brandy had been talking about- a single orange tile, inlay with an illustration of some male Troop- most likely a Barbarian but it was hard to tell for sure- breathing fire. Dan rolled his eyes and took specific care to step over and past that one, glad to avoid it. "I see it. Thanks."

Brandy nodded, looking around for any more traps. She could feel- feel- she could feel something, that was for sure, lurking tremendous just beyond the edge of her vision, something that should not have existed by all rights and means. Something that was the exception to every rule, the harsh filter on a cursed photo, the dim flickering of lights in a spaceship hallway, the dark intimations of a forgotten farmstead, the raw panic and horror of a future meeting in which one party was guilty of a terrible crime. It was the raw, heaving feeling of a red rash on the inside of one's brain, the shock of melting words on a typed page, the fear of becoming less, the sheer existential dread of being alone with nothing but your thoughts and a blade. But it was more than that, even- it was the gaudy reds and purples of a full tent show, the endless wonder and cheapness of a bottomless popcorn bucket. It was the overdone obsolescence of a trained Elephant, the hurtful laughter of a gigantic crowd, the reason why one is drawn to the things that hurt them, the underarching evil desire within every living being to just let go and fall to chaos, the debauchery within the hearts of mortals, the- the-

Dan was the first to notice it. The hair on the back of his skin perked up, feeling the sense that something was not right with the world at large. He looked around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary- save that Bubble was on her feet on his shoulders, looking straight forward into the tunnels, which had now opened up into a larger cavern- much larger in fact, about the size of the one they had gone through in Ancient Mountain with all the flowers in it. How far away that seemed now. How innocent, before the absolute nightmare they could now all feel was approaching. Bubble blinked, and tried not to swallow from pure fear. For she, out of all the group alone, knew what it was. She tried to fight the senses off, to resist the command. But despite all her strength, she was just a little girl of 7, not even 8. And she could feel her arms begin to move on their own.

"Dad?", asked Leon, and took off his hood. His white stripes of hair stood up on their own, gently floating upon the static wind. "Do you feel that?"

"Oh, I do.", said Dan, and took a deep breath. He took a single step forward towards the dark cavern, almost daring whatever was in there to come and face him, a single glittering candle of light against the immense night of the cave. "I feel it loud and clear."

They all looked outwards into the cavern, not knowing what to do then. There was no clear way across it, and it was impossible to see just how deep it was. Dan thought about turning around- and then realized something. He never actually remembered walking into the cave in the fist place. It was as if they were talking, and then they were just… there. WIth no reason or warning at all. Dan thought back a bit- Brandy had broken the rock, then he had avoided the tile, and then… then they were here. But that could not have been it. There was no way that was all that had happened. Perhaps he had just zoned out from all the walking he had been doing? That one made sense. He looked out to ask the rest of the group- but to his shock, none of them were there.

"Guys?", he asked, and looked around. He couldn't see them anywhere- and at that thought, actually losing them, he lit up in a vast display of electrotechnics. The light of his Star illuminated the entire cavern below- but no longer was it below them. No, now each of them had their own rounded platform to stand on, suspended above the cavern by unknown means, each hundreds of feet away from each other. Dan gasped- and his thoughts flew back to a group of certain robots. A chill ran down his spine, as he remembered yet another legend.

He could not believe how he had not put them together before. It had seemed so obvious, yet he had been so caught up in the thrill of destruction that he had missed it each time. He had to warn the group before- no. Oh, no. There it was in the distance- the light, coming towards them. The laugher, echoing off the rock- and above all, the tingling of corrupted circus bells.

"Guys!", he yelled again, and he saw them turn towards him, in confusion of what was going on. "He's coming!"

Song: Super Buu

"What?", Brandy shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth to better be heard. "What's coming? Who's coming? Dan, what's going on-"
But she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Bubble collapse to her knees. She could no longer hold back the flood of tears, as she beat the rock helplessly with her fist, not even caring that her fragile skin tore. "I'm sorry!"

She sobbed out loud, feeling the guilt within her heart grow. "I'm sorry, I led you right to him! I shouldn't have done it but I had to and now you're all gonna die and it's all my fault!"

"WHAT?", screamed Brandy, too confused at this point. "Bubble, what in Clash are you saying?"

Then, she too saw it. The pink and purple light began to flash at the end of the tunnel, far ahead and off the ground. The entire room began to light up, the gigantic spotlights at the top suddenly flashing on at incredible intensities, the light almost blinding, Brandy clutching her eyes shut to avoid being damaged. She fell to the ground, trying to comprehend what was going on, but it was difficult. There was too much input, too many things going on, too much at once to-

"Now you're here, and now you're doneeee…", she heard a voice singing, and her rough panic stopped. She had heard that voice before- in each and every one of the Jesterbots, in better and better quality each time, with the only exception of the scrap-metal 6th. The 5th, she supposed ,they had never fought. Was this the 5th? No, this one was far too powerful. This one could only possibly be-

"And now that you're done, let's have some fun!", came the voice, and the floodlights spun around, flashing intense light across each member of the group, different colored filters being applied rapidly in random intensity and hue, the entire cavern becoming a rainbow of insane chaos. "I'll turn you down, one by one, till there's nothing left, and my master has won!"

Bubble fell down completely onto the ground, letting the sorrow overtake her in its entirety. "I didn't mean to! Mommy… Daddy… Leon… I'm-"

She squeezed herself together, barely able to be understood through the tears she now produced like a flood. There was no comical illusion this time- she was too in panic. "I'm sorry!"

Leon looked around- his sister sobbing something incomprehensible on the ground, his mother writhing in agony, and his father charging up something. He knew it was all up to him- so he drew out Hunter Killer, aimed it at the source of the light, and-

And he gasped, as the thing finally drug itself out from the emergence tunnel into full, nightmarish view. He almost dropped Hunter Killer in his immeasurable shock, but managed to keep himself contained before the beast- and what a beast it was.

The body was the only normal part, or rather just the very, very tip of the body, almost like a puppet atop a sickeningly long string. It was clad in a simple dark and purple suit, a massive flower still squirting water from side of the outfit, water that screamed and boiled. He could see the cuff links, appearing to be carved of solid Gold in the shape of screaming human heads, shouting and sobbing in absolute despair. But once the shirt and suit were torn by savage hands and savage claws, the resemblance to normalcy ended.

The body of the beast was a long, rubbery, pink stalk of a thing, almost like the world's most bizarre and unsettling tree trunk. It was not pleasant to look at- the longer Leon did, the longer he could feel the bile rising in in his throat. It wound endlessly through the tunnel, still unspooling- so Leon decided to look at the head instead. That was worse.

"You are no more, your game is through!", it shouted, its diamond shaped eyes shining with sadistic glee. The hat on top of its head moved and swayed in the wind that it created, its smile far beyond the confines of its face. The skin tone was a deep and metallic purple, disorientingly different from what it had been on the main body. "For now you have to answer to…"

There was a great crack as it spread its arms open wide, expanding only a few dozen feet, yet expanding past every member of the group. He smiled so wide it was impossible, and laughed a laugh that could break lesser beings in half- not just their minds, but their bodies as well. It reared up to its full height, the music playing from somewhere unknown reaching a fever pitch- and finally spoke the dread, cursed name that had been on everyone's minds.

" R!"

"Dan!", shouted Brandy, struggling to be heard over the titanic shouts of the chaos beast. "What do we do?"

"I don't know!", shouted Dan back, and just kept on charging up his blast. "Shoot it or something!"

Leon looked at his father, then up at the Jester, and nodded. He drew out Hunter Killer from one jacket sleeve, and a bunch of spinner blades from the other. Then he thought better of it and put both hands on Hunter Killer instead, to better increase its spiritual power. "Then die, Jester! Hunter Kill-"

Then he stopped, feeling something which could not be described, sensation with no definition, an emotion with no meaning. The Jester had extended a long thin tentacle from its nightmarish slug of a body, and grabbed Hunter Killer around the barrel. He looked deep into Leon's eyes, and Leon felt his control over his own body beginning to blur. "Ssshh…"

Leon felt completely confused. No one had ever done that- just managed to grab on to Hunter KIller like that. It made him feel woozy, almost as if he was going to fall asleep. But he steeled himself as he realized that he could not- he had to shoot the Jester, he had to finish it off before it dealt damage to anyone else, he had to protect his family, he had to-

His thoughts were very suddenly interrupted, as the Jester yanked on Hunter Killer's barrel, and Leon felt his soul get yanked out of his body, flying free to float in the air.

Bubble looked up from her own personal meltdown, and saw Leon's soul, still attached by a mere thread- and screamed at the top of her lungs, unable to even truly process what was happening. She beat her fist on the ground, not caring if it hurt- which it did, but less and less with each beat. She threw her gaze up to meet him, and put all of her power into her voice. "Jester! Let him go!"

The Jester looked downwards, and sneered- an uncharacteristic departure form his usual jest. But of course it was Bubble he was talking to- she knew full well what he was about. "Let him go? Why, sure. I'll let him go…"

He threw Leon's soul back into his body, and he staggered backwards, gasping for breath. He tried to run at the Jester- and fell flat on his back, his legs grasping for his neck and his arms flailing around wildly. The Jester laughed, and raised one hand to his face. "Oh, silly me!"
He looked directly at Bubble, smiled, giving her the largest grin yet, and cackled. "I appear to have put it back in backwards."

Leon gasped for air, unable to tell what was going on- it was as if everything was simultaneously up and down, flashing all the way around his disoriented senses, sense and reason nowhere to be found. He tried desperately to summon up Hunter Killer, to get even just a single shot at the monster- anything, other than just lay there and die.

"LEON!", screamed Brandy, and felt herself begin to heat up form the inside, purple anger flooding her system. One eye flashed with violet energy- and the other started to glow with something else, a mysterious silver, frightfully calm. "You put that back in the right way, or I'm gonna tear our your soul and shove it down my throat!"

The Jester, in all his massive body, slowly turned around to see the small screaming Bandit- full in her fury, yet he did not care. He only let out a loud belly laugh, and raised up his hands. "Oh, that's a funny one. Perhaps I'll spare you."

He pretended to let an idea creep into his mind- but in reality, he had had the idea for days. He spread out all his arms, a silver shining cage appearing in each of them. "In fact, why don't you all earn a sparing of your very own? If you tell me a joke that makes me laugh, I'm going to let you go-"

The first thing he felt was a great wave of heat, approaching from his right. The second thing he felt, just before he even had time to turn around, was a massive wave of Star that impacted his face, twisting the skin and muscle into a charred hunk of burned flesh, knocking his entire upper body for a spastic spin, turning off the ambient music, and knocking the laughter right from his throat.

The Jester's upper body slammed against the side of the wall, and he gasped in pain. Leon's body suddenly flipped in a spin of similar magnitude, his soul now rightside up, and drew Hunter Killer, ready to shoot. Dan began to charge up another blast, and Brandy diverted Dash to her legs- but Bubble just stood there in absolute, all encompassing fear, knowing full well what about to come next. She collapsed to the ground on her knees, wanting to cry- but her eyes were now empty. She had no more tears left to cry.

"Fine, then." ,said the Jester, all trace of merriment gone from his voice. He suddenly jerked his upper body back up into a straight up position, wiping away the burned skin with one giant hand, revealing the charred muscle and open blood underneath. "I guess none of you get to bypass this- except, of course-"

Bubble felt her crying halt, as one arm of the Jester suddenly closed around her body. She was yanked up at the speed of sound, almost rendered unconscious by her sudden collision with the Jester's thick body. She hung limp by his side, and he laughed once more. "My darling girl!"

"What?", Brandy screamed, and almost jumped- but the sheer terror of Bubble's positon and the Jester's spoken words did not allow her to do so. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing.", said the Jester, and began to move his other hands around in a quickened spiral, going faster and faster each turn, until a gust of magical purple wind, not unlike a circus Tornado, began to spiral into view. "Now you all-"

His voice once again resumed its melodic quality, and the music kicked back in. He grinned all the way to the sides of the cavern, and laughed. "It's time to die!"

Before Dan could even finish charging up his next blast, or Leon could fire, the Jester's hands had already clamped over each of them. He stared Leon right in the face, one hand opening up something that looked an awful lot like a portal. "You…"

He sent a shock of pain through Leon's body, just because he could, and Leon screamed in agony, writhing in the hard, inescapable grasp. "I have a special surprise for you, my little one! Your style is cool and you're really no fool…"

The portal lit up a dazzling myriad of colors, and the sounds of screaming blasted from the entrance like a solid wave of purest sound. Leon closed his eyes, and tried not to cry- but the terror and the sound were getting to him, and he could feel gentle tears start to creep out from under his eyelids. The Jester only continued to laugh and to sing, regardless of how hard Dan blew the breath of Star onto his hand- no matter how many layers were merciselly burned off, more and more yet remained. "So wake up Leon!"

The Jester shouted, and tossed Leon into the portal, his arms unable to respond and his legs numb. The Jester's eyes lit up, and he laughed a triumphant laugh. "It's time to go to school!"

The portal snapped shut with a booming sound, like a heavy ironwood door slamming shut on the first day of prison, or the last day of a life sentence. Brandy stared in horror, and she felt the purple continue to grow, her eyes glowing and her anger straining to be contained.

"You…", said the Jester, and turned an eye towards Dan. The eye turned, ran from its spot on little woolen legs and down the Jester's arm, staring at Dan with the intensity of a Guard on post. "You sure have killed my fellows well."

Dan, knowing exactly what rhymed with well, tried his hardest to get out. But try as he might, it was impossible. It was almost as if something about the Jester's body- or more specifically, the certain hand he was grabbed in, actually repelled physical force like a magnet and directed it back towards its user as harmless waves. Dan blinked, not sure where he had gotten the information from, but he knew he had to use it. So he took a massive breath as hard as he could, beginning to swell his lungs to their fullest.

"So there shall be no mercy for you, in the unrung bell!", shouted the Jester, and opened up another portal- one with flashing lights of deepest crimson and cries that could not be described. "For pissing off my master, Dan…"

The Jester laughed, and flung Dan towards the portal. "YOU'RE GOING TO HELL!"

Yet even as Dan was thrown, he unleashed his last ditch attack. A single, spooling thread of Rotation, shooting through the air and winding around the Jester's head, to be used at the last possible moment. No one noticed except for him, the Jester's insane laughter, Brandy's screams of absolute despair, and the sound of the Portal to Hell closing all drowned the string out, any trace of its being lost.

Finally, the Jester turned to Brandy, who by now could no longer contain her fury. Her skin burned with it, and her mind was a pulsing, burning entity of absolute rage. She could barely even put words together, as she shook with the ultimate fury of body and mind.

"And you, my dear…", said the Jester, and drew one hand closer to her. "You're going to be living in absolute fear. For my master has already won- come on cutie, let's have some f-"

Before he could finish his words, Brandy roared with a voice far deeper and louder than herself, lashing out with a force she had never before approached. To the Jester's surprise, the force travelled all the way up his body, cracking open his arm and blowing apart the right half of his face, the left melting off, leaving only a hollow nothing, screaming in pain.

The Jester, unable to form words with his mouth torn to nothing, merely lashed out blind. His arm smacked into Brandy, and she went spinning as she fell into a portal that the Jester had unexpectedly opened- a portal with no label, no movement, and no name. The only thing distinguishing it at all was the shape of the center- instead of a circle like all the others, it was an X, crossed into the incomprehensible dark.

As Brandy fell into the portal, she did not know what to expect. She would have normally been in despair, for she had just seen her family die in front of her- except, really, she hadn't. They were not dead, she knew- she didn't know how, just that they had survived the attack in some way. She thought she was to survive as well- or at least, she desperately hoped. As she fell further into the portal, seeing the last vestige of the sight of of Bubble clamped firmly in the Jester's arms, it strangely made sense that it was happening, for it was real.

The dark of the portal grew tired around her, tall and strong in his palin, without mercury or rest. The mercy of the dark nnight was not lost on her, veven as it fell into the ladder war, the pains and paint and butter splattering over the apron on the sides of the walls. It wasn't anyting that she had not hendled before, only but whe nit ws not that she as ablbe not to have it when her other both new and everything that happens at he end ties is coning it say couldnot sase ee ofspeak the dont afoten market , in the foreever the unkwn space didn't when the tip tip mtc space in the ulas. Perhaps that was the point, and papyrus was not a good idea for those two struck with the final font. But whatever he supposed, she knew that it wa still her friend's care, and that it was okay, just as long as she was successfully committing the crime- no. He meant fno for that one. Aemmaline wasn't exactly y a 20 10 bbem with strange pics and a whole thing full of shops. She falls into a homeless place, lies like rain in the bucket of fate, does not know what will happen - and only if she has no real choice, but the bad do wn fthe dhaesfkodhwne hte smoke seuiixk xikahsfdskfdsalfahisfhsa fsdkfhshswhjerh nmmfw mwf hsfnskf a ahsfhsbhelp hel;p me oh my ghelpp help hse lwaflds nitno notshfshhf lehlppppdshfisdhfd skhenenen buthosi9qr3iruefhdvjl8urwrfewsaw8eeruweihfaifheiasfhidfsshdhfsjdhsiffuisdhaweasudfskdsvnsfjksd

The Jester was then alone in the dark carven- only him, himself, and the unconscious body of Bubble tucked under his right arm. He stood there for a moment, letting himself heal from Brandy's explosive rage, his shattered and destroyed face slowly creeping back together from the atoms in the air. It took very nearly a full minute, his mask once again assembling into place and his hat weaving itself back from nothing, but eventually he had it back to the way it was before. His eyes flashed white from the triumph, and he saw nothing around him but dust, the now broken and drifting platforms, and the empty silence of a job well done.

The Jester felt himself let out a little laugh. It was nothing much, just a chuckle really, a single burst of nightmarish humor. But then it was followed by another, this one larger and stronger, the Jester's entire body beginning to convulse. He let his laughter grow with each and every second that he reveled in his victory, the joy of winning and accomplishment flowing over him like water, images of golden trophies flowing over his skin, a long gone memory of some ages past.

For it was him that had done what no other Forgotten had managed to do. It was him that had defeated the Tailbiters once and for all- well, him and his associate, Taklavastoss. He looked to the sky and crossed his fist across his chest- Taklavastoss's sacrifice would never be forgotten. But even as he thought that, the pride of the Jester's heart swelled it to bursting, the grisly stylized imprint of it becoming visible, beating through his dark chest, as he once again let out his terrifying laughter. He spun around in a vicious circle and a cruel, toxic whirlwind, letting his joy be heard all through the now mostly empty halls. Truth be told, he almost sort of regretted taking them on and out so early in their progress through the mountain- he would have loved to see them struggle more, to build up more and more hope as they went on, only to have it dashed from their hands entirely. He would have loved to do that, yes- but he knew full well that Rakastamos would not approve a bit. He just wanted them dead- and the Jester had complied.

He felt Bubble beginning slightly to stir, and looked down with a fatherly gaze. "Ah, coming awake, are we?", he asked, feeling Bubble's despair start to creep into the air. "Good, good. Wouldn't want to keep me waiting."

As Bubble continued to squirm, slowly waking up, he felt the dark presence of Rakastamos within the cave with him. It was a bit odd to the Jester. Just how strong he himself was- and yet how completely and utterly he was dwarfed by the mere presence of the DragonLord- no, DragonEmperor, he reminded himself. Rakastamos could read his thoughts just fine, and he had to keep them pure. That is what he was doing now, as it would be.

"Jester?", he asked, the dark echoes of his voice booming throughout the dread chamber. "Are they… dead? Are they truly well and no more?"

The Jester could do many things- but lying was not one of them. He folded himself in half at the waist, and took a lengthy bow, the shadow of Rakastamos's face moving in the dust. "I assure you, my lord.", he said, and felt Bubble start to breath harder in his grasp. "They have been vanquished."

Rakastamos smiled, true happiness finally reaching his face. "Good, good!", he shouted, and slammed his fist against the rock- the Jester could hear and feel the impact, even from thousands upon thousands of feet above. "I knew I could trust you, the true greatest of my warriors, to get it done."

"Thank you, my lord.", said the Jester and bowed once more, this time looking vertically down, tightening his grip on Bubble so that she did not fall into the infinite abyss. "Your kind words are… most. Appreciated."

"Yes, yes.", said Rakastamos, and The Jester could feel him wave his hand- a clear sign to move away from the current topic, and move on to the next. "Now get ready for the incoming invasion. It's going to be in just about two hours, and we need to get ready."

The Jester looked up, as a rain of metal sounded from somewhere else. From the echoes and hues and values of the sound, the Jester could tell it was all going to his laboratory, located high above his Circus of Chaos, in the dead geographical center of the mountain.

"Why odn't you build yourself some new Jesterbots as well?", asked Rakastamos, feeling a bit generous at the good news. "You've earned yourself a little something."

"Thank you, my lor-", said the Jester, right as Rakastamos disappeared. The Jester sighed- his master was always fickle, moving on to the next thing as soon as the first no longer held his full attention. But then again, he supposed, such was the way of Dragons.

"NO!", he heard Bubble scream, her tears leaking into her throat and garbling her frantic speech. "You can't- you couldn't have just-"

She held back her tears for a bit, before letting them all out in a flood that flew down into the abyss below. "You can't have just killed them! They're gonna come back! Mommy's gonna come back, and Leon's gonna come back, and Daddy's gonna come back, and-"
The Jester began walking, chuckling softly to himself at Bubble's words, his tremendous stalk like legs recently formed from his slithering body. His shape was fluid, almost as much as his deeply chaotic mind. He saw Bubble point up at him angrily- "And they're all gonna come back, and they're gonna kick your butt!"

The Jester let out a little laugh, and grabbed the side of the tunnel that he had used to come in. "Well, you are right about one thing, Bubble… I did not kill them. Any of them."

"Hah!", Bubble shouted, although her entire body shook from mind-aching fear. "I knew it! They're all gonna find you and rescue me and then they're all gonna-"

"No, I did not kill them.", said the Jester again, and his eyes danced with maniacal light. "But I sent them to my Circus of Chaos, Bubble. Do you know what that means?"

He did not even wait for an answer. He just turned around and spun in to face Bubble directly, pushing against her face with his dark ivory mask. Bubble, quaking from fear no longer contained ,could see directly into his eyeholes- almost catching a glimpse of a single pupil, contorted beyond belief with both madness and rage. He spat his next words, coating Bubble's entire body with choking knockout gas of air. "They're gonna wish I had."

Bubble, unaffected by the gas, could do nothing but scream. She screamed as the Jester folded her into a plastic storage container somewhere on his body, screamed as the Jester folded himself into the tunnel leading back into his lair, screamed in absolute desperation and panic as he closed the door- and then there was nothing. There was nothing to be seen or heard, leaving only empty silence in the darkened room.

Song: Crucial Situation

Chuqulita's mood as she flew over the dark Continent of the Clans was not a happy one- by any means. She could feel the war on the horizon- but do far more than feel it. She could taste it, sense it, hear it, smell it. The taste of blood and elixir, both freshly spilt. The sense of dread and foreboding, the sound of metal on metal, bone slashing on bone, death crashing against death. It was the acrid scent of the loss of life, and the loss of sense. She could almost see the entire horizon awash with the carnage that was to follow, as soon as her army arrived.

She knew that Rakastamos possessed his own army- she had seen it with her own eyes. She also desperately hoped that those small things she had already done- breaking his Blood Elixir Machine, slowing down the production for at least a little while, putting a hole in the Robot Factory's mold, spilling the Skeleton Spells in his personal laboratory- such things helped. But it was not his army she was most worried about .The thing that made her chest ache and her head pound with worry was her very own brother, and the power that he now held in his grasp.

She could barely even feel any upper limit to it, the apex of his strength still unachievable except if he were to drink the Blood Elixir. Then and only then would he become unstoppable- but as it remained for now, he could still be beaten. Would he, though…. That was a question that Chuqulita had to ask herself.

She knew he was incredibly strong. She had felt him, far stronger than even her at the height of her power at the dead center of her realm. But now they were going after him, at the center of his- so what would his strength be? How high? She looked at her own paws as she flew, having absorbed some of the power of her brother Auinraur, the strongest of them all- but would it be enough? Could even that possibly be enough to overcome Rakastamos?

She could not ask herself that question. She just had to fight- so fight she would. But as she felt something on the horizon in the mountain suddenly spark to life, she knew that time was, in fact, overwhelmingly close. She briefly thought abut just flying in there and attacking- but she knew she had to wait fro the rest of the army. She had been busy suppressing his thoughts on the upcoming attack- she knew he knew. But in the time as dangerous and dramatic as the one they were all in now, she had to take every advantage she could possibly get.

"Rakastamos….", she said to herself, as she flew over a copse of extremely tall trees, even larger than she was, moving aside rather than flying through them. She spread out her wings and glided to a stop on a much smaller forest, crashing through a few hundred trees as she made impact. She looked up at the mountain and grit her teeth, jets of flame arcing behind her.

"What have you become? What are you doing? And what about you shall be done?"

Rakastamos, at that very moment, was thinking the answers to those questions- but he only vaguely knew that his sister had been asking them. He strode down the hall of his chambers, coming towards the exit with pride and purpose- for the main obstacle in his path had been finally crushed, re-rendered into nothing just before reaching his own shores of battle. He was overjoyed he did not have to spend any time on them, for that would leave him with far less time to do what he needed. Mainly- watch the Blood Elixir, make sure that nobody else in his lair drunk it, and when the time came- finally, drink it all himself. But if he had to tell the truth, there was one thing he did enjoy besides those things- and he was on his way to do it right now.

He had become the eve of the ultimate being, the great and glorious final answer to the world's plague of mortals. He was about to complete his ascension- in just a few hours, it would all be realized. He was about to do what he should have done a long time ago- for in his endless research, he discovered that his own power was fueled by terror. He did not know why, but he was not about to complain. He just had to inspire terror in the world on the scale of which had never been before seen, and he was going to do it well.

As for what about him should be done- that was an easy one for him. The answer was nothing. In his own eyes he was perfectly justified in his course of action. He was going to save the world- and if he got rid of a few ungrateful elements, some annoying obstacles, or irritating relatives- what truly was the harm? He was a hero, after all. He could be cut some slack.

He pushed one hand against the massive Bridgestone gate that kept his lair secure, and slammed it shut onto the ground, pushing up a massive wave of rock and dust that reached thousands of feet into the air. The gate sounded with a boom that echoed out across the continent, gaining the attention of Chuqulita almost immediately. She looked up at the mountain and saw him- Rakastamos, full in his power and his darkened glory, staring right back down at her, in the cool forest of dark green pines. They met eyes- and in that second, in her wisdom, she became fully aware of his plan.

But she could do nothing to stop it- or at least not right then. She could not stop his actions, but she could put a damper on their impacts. She immediately flew backwards and spread out her wings, determined to protect whatsoever she could.

Song: Dark Energy

Rakastamos stretched out his arm into the sky, and felt the early night air. It blew cool and refreshing on his darkhardened scales- but he would change that. Yes, he was going to change everything. WIth his power, there was nothing he could not do- and soon, even that power was going to be elevated to even greater heights, all the way to godhood, and then even beyond.

His ancient mouth cracked open, the air for hundred of feet flooding into his lungs- and then he did something that nobody, not even Chuqulita in all her wisdom, would ever have expected. He opened his mouth, raised his hand a little more, and Dragonlord Rakastamos began to sing.

"The evening falls the night creeps in the darkness grows and I will win-"

A single crack opened in the evening air, the primordial magic he wielded beginning to take effect. The things Rakastamos was using had no names- they were made far before any such things had come to pass. They were magics beyond time, rumoured to be even before the world itself. It was hard to describe- and equally hard to fight.

"My will is strong my will is law my will is all and all is dust…", he sang again, and the effects of the spell began to take hold across the small valley before the mountain range, spreading like a thick blanket of dark and virulent Poison, beginning to bend the world to his will.

But as Chuqulita saw the dark shroud move over the land, she knew she could not, and would not just let it happen. She raised her own hand, citing the same magics- for they had both been taught the same sort of sorcery. It was the mighty Akulamaster that had taught Rakastamos, and Auinraur who had told Chuqulita about it. Slightly different styles, with only slightly different results. They would soon find out which one was the superior way.

"The world is safe the world's alive the world is guarded by my shrine-", she sang, and a rich golden light suddenly sprang out from her hands, spreading all the way across the entire valley. Rakastamos slightly recoiled at her interference, but he did not really care. He would finish the spell that he had started, and nobody- Dragonlady or not- was going to get in his way.

For Rakastamos knew that Chuqulita had made a mistake. Although the words were close, alive did not rhyme with shrine exactly. Her spell was weak, her song imperfect. And that was a weakness Rakastamos could easily exploit.

"The day is gone the day is done the world no longer has its light or hope or sun-", he sang, and viciously clenched his fist. A ray of black fury and inky flame shot out and stabbed the golden shield all across its width, making impact in multiple places. Chuqulita felt a sharp bit of pain on her left shoulder, and a single trickle of blood began to make its way down her back. But she did not give up- she would not let Rakastamos unleash the force upon the world he was trying to summon. She grit her teeth, and sang her desperate verse.

"The life is good the life is all the life is healed and life for all-", she sang, the rocky purity of her verse weakening the strength of the spell. It worked, restoring the shield and pushing Rakastamos's inky darkness out of the ground surrounding the mountain, but not quite as well as it could have. She was out of practice- but Rakastamos had been preparing for weeks. Preparing for this specific moment- and the terror it would cause to fuel him.

"The world is mine the world's in fear I am its lord that all revere!", Rakastamos shouted, finishing the opening verse of his song, and throwing his hand into the air with a burst of dark magic that spread into the clouds, crackling with evil lightning across the entire mountain range. He pointed his hand downwards, and laughed. "Now let it all be known to those who live, your time has come, and-"

He stopped, suddenly unable to come up with something that rhymed with live. He growled at his apparent lapse in thought- and Chuqulita knew it was time to make her move. She raised her voice and sung louder, trying to make sure that Rakastamos could hear her words.

"His actions fail, his cause does break!", she sang, knowing full well who she was speaking to and about. "The regrets of his failure, that soon he'll rake!"

Rakastamos felt a clear shock of pain run through his face- and that restarted his train of thought. He rolled his neck around in a circle, skipping his turn for the verse- and Chuqulita smiled in triumph. She could win the exchange, if only she were to keep on going strong.

"The brother's end is nigh!", she sang, feeling the rhythm of the song change as per the ancient rules. "His plan shall fail, and he will die!"

Rakastamos felt himself stagger, his push pushed back by Chuqulita's doubled verses- but he knew that he would come back, and become victorious. He knew, for the rhyme had popped into his head that would decide the match.

"Your song is over, Chuqulita!", he sang, swelling with pride at the difficult rhyme. "For you're just a singer, my actions are a precha!"

He was a little off beat, and normally that would have rendered the rhyme moot, as would have his slang pronunciation of preacher. But the insane creativity of the rhyme pleased the ancient magics greatly- it was enough for them simply ignore those rules. So they favored him.

He felt the power flock to him like a great swarm of iron filings to a magnet, and laughed as he felt Chuqulita's fear increase with a slight jolt. He looked down at her and flashed a mighty grin, once again resuming his song. For it was now his- although Chuqulita would be able to perform small protective tricks against him, he was now in charge of the entire situation. He looked outwards, breathed, and began the song again.

"It goes across the sky across the sea across the land across the plains-", he sang, and the mountains around him began to glow, their ancient power now added to his own. "The heat of worlds the light of right the sound of death-"

It did not rhyme. It no longer needed to. For now that he had gained control of it, it was no longer a song that he was singing. No ,it was an ornament of pure, raw, orchestral destruction.

The lights flew upwards- dark orange from Ancient Mountain, olive green from Iron Mountain, very light blue from Ice Mountain, although that one struggled a bit as it attempted to resist the process. But before Rakastamos, even her efforts were futile. The pure inky blackness of Dark Mountain, flying up to join the fray- then finally the burnished gold and infernal red of Clashcrush Mountain, meeting in the middle in a show of pyrotechnics that burned the eyes to see.

"My power now grows!", he sang, the song accelerating faster this time. "For the judgement of the world, let it all spread forth!"

There was a great and blinding flash of absolute darkness, one that drove all the light to nothing and removed all sight.

There was a great and deafening explosion of absolute silence, one that was not merely the absence of sound, but the overwhelming noise of nothing.

There was a great and unimaginable rush of void from both those effects combined- then an even louder and stronger rush as they both came back on, revealing the intense wave of shadows rushing outwards at speed that made sound look as though it was standing still, the darkness of Rakastamos soon to envelop all that was.

"No…", growled Chuqulita in disbelief, unwilling to accept what Rakastamos had just done.

She lurched forward and snarled, but it was too late. Rakastamos's spell was going to spread beyond containment- to envelop the entire world with the deadliness of his summoned disaster. At this point, there was nothing anyone could do to prevent it- and they both knew it. "No!"

"I turn the world into dark and turn the life back into death!", Rakastasmos continued to sing, and threw his hand up into the air, his gargantuan claws gleaming from the light of the mountains spreading across the entire globe like an apocalyptic superstorm, his vision almost achieved.

"My word is law my word is all my word is that of stolen breath!"

Rakastamos howled into the darkness above, while the lightning flashed below, around, and far above him. "This is my strength! This is my all and being!"

Chuqulita knew she could not wait any longer. She had to bring him down, right then and there, regardless of the progress of her army. She had the power to kill him. He was wide open, spreading his arms and wings in celebration, almost mocking ignorance of her presence. She just had to fire off one clean shot, right through the chest, and then he would be no more-

But then she realized with a falling heart a very good reason why she could not do that.

Rakastamos knew it as well, and saw Chuqulita lower her glowing claw, turning away form him. He laughed louder than he had been doing even thus far, making sure to keep it on beat with the ancestral music that played deep within his head. "And thus my triumph glows! For I will never let this power go!"

Let this power go…, Chuqulita thought inside of her head. That was a thing that she could use against him- if that power was not his, if it had been gained from some external source- that was good news indeed. But she could not do it now- she had to go off, to protect the world from whatever Rakastaos was going to do to it. So she flew off into the night, bustling the trees as she flew over, the raging stormfront of his spell passing over even her speed, a second night to cover all the land with its strength.

The ocean was covered in seconds, its dark blue waters turning black with the shadow of the eldercloud covering it, the strange dark beings that came up to feed every night confused at the lack of the regular purple moon. They soon began to dive in fear, of a beast so terrible that it could blot out even the light of space. One might think they were wrong- but in reality, they were right about the existence of such a monster.

The edges of the Builder Bases near the continent, already in a state of endless night, were disturbed as the thing approached, sending dread down the spines of every single Master Builder that lived and worked there. They looked up, they looked in fear- but none save a very old, wise few knew just what the thing was.

The continent of Royale had not yet reached the border of night- it was still the middle evening for them. But as the Fisherman who worked on the shores and the Knights that patrolled the roads looked up in shock, they could tell that their evening was about to be very, very different, in a way that none of them would ever soon forget.

The edge beaches of Brawltopia were very far away indeed- so far away, in fact, that it was still the middle of the afternoon for many. But even they were not exempt or protected from the great storm of fear- they too saw it coming, welding high over the land, none of them knowing what it was about to unleash. How could they.

The far lands of the Boom Beaches were even further away- it was about noon for that strange place. But they too became aware of the storm as it arrived, sweeping high over the high millions of small islands that made up the strange area, the ocean itself torn and shredding as it passed. Machinery began to squeak from the presence, and brave soldiers cowered beneath the otherworldly light.

The normally peaceful fields of the Hay Day Farms were not expecting something to happen that day. It had been normal in all respects- except for the great stormcloud rolling in, the animals on every farm beginning to panic, horses turning over and cows running away.

Finally, the strange realm of the Rushlands took notice. They knew full well what Chuqulita had been doing, or at least enough of them to know one thing. Their great Dragonlady had failed to best Rakastamos in remote combat. And that was enough to spread fear on a level they had never before felt.

Song: Super Perfect Cell

"I send the death upon your towns and the pain into your souls…", Rakastamos deeply sang, and the storm took note. It concentrated over Brawltopia, and began to work its magic.

A Colt had ducked into a nearby Old Town Cafe once the storm had started, intending to wait it out. He tucked and rolled behind a counter, seeing several other Brawlers hiding here as well- then as luck would have it, he saw a Shelly that he knew. Moving past a Frank and a Mortis, he very carefully and closely squeezed in next to her, giving her a shy yet confident smile.

"Uh… hey.", he said, and raised a single eyebrow. "This sucks, doesn't it?"

"Oh.", said Shelly, and gave a polite little wave. "Yeah, it does-"

Then she noticed something strange in her friend's eye. It was a little thing at first but seemed to be growing larger and larger by the second. It was… green? And kind of strange- wriggling.

"Hey COlt?", asked Shelly, her voice cracking from nervousness, Colt's silent expression asking what it was. She drew closer, about to try and pull whatever it was out. "There's something in your eye-"

Then she screamed, as the thing burst out. It turned within seconds into a gigantic green tentacle that lashed out and wrapped around the Colt's body, slicing it clean in half and sending a spray of red Death Elixir all across her face. She grabbed her shotgun out of instinct and scrambled back, every Brawler hiding doing so as well. She struggled to comprehend what she had just seen, her friend turned into some evil eldritch monster that was even now crawling towards her, moving itself forward on its one arm, leaving a trail of blood behind its broken, oozing body. Her eyes began to tear up. "Oh Fr'ank… Colt!"

"Your buildings crumble your fortress falls for my greatness shall rule all…", Rakastamos crooned, and his cloud set its eyes on his next target, doomed beyond words.

The Castle of was a regular Castle in all the ways that mattered, near Electro Valley, a good and large size of level 12, and patrolled by all manner of Troops. The King himself sat in his counting house, counting his latest Gold haul- from the recent Golden Chest that he had opened, 532 of it. He had already seen it, but he wasn't really that smart of a King.

He thought he heard something, and looked up. He looked around ,seeing his favorite assistant- his level 13 Mini Pekka, Starvstan. He thought that Starvstan was a good advisor, for the King was again kind of stupid. "Starvstan?", he asked, as the sound grew louder. "What was that sound?"

Starvstan tilted his head, listening for whatever it may have been- then he heard it, and knew exactly what it was. Raw ancestral panic surged through his mechanical system as he jumped up and down, grabbing on to the table and trying to warn his King what it was.

"Pancakes!", he shouted, cursing his almost non existent Common language skills. "Pancakes! Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes!"

"Oh, it's just pancakes then?", asked the King, and smiled. He resumed putting Gold pieces on top of the others, totally and completely unaware of what was about to hit. "Well then I guess I can just keep on-"
The entire scene abruptly vanished in a flash of blinding light, Starvstan's last scream of "Pancaaaaakes!", lost in the rushing wind and crash of the the destructive burst. The entire castle was blown utterly to bits within a single second, millions of bricks turning to pebbles, then to ash. The shockwave killed every single living being inside, from the mighty level 14 Golem to the smallest insect on the castle walls. The flash of light was brief, lasting for only a few seconds before the energy sent from Rakastamos's finger and through the cloud faded, only the barest sampling of his power sufficient to wipe the entire Castle off the face of the globe. He set his smoking finger down, and smiled.

"Your foundations fall!", he sang, the progress of the song once again speeding up. "All the pain and devastation, how it fills my hunger deep inside!"

A Builder whistled despite the storm, not wanting to let it get to him at all. He swung his hammer around and passed his Villager wife, cowering behind the tree she had previously been clapping at. He looked at her and sighed, his young Villager child cowering behind her dress.

"What are you doing over there?", he asked, and gestured to the Builder's Hut, small on the outside -but large enough on the inside for all of them to live at once. "Come on, dinner's on! Time's a wasting, and we don't want the soup to get cold!"

But his wife just cowered still, holding her daughter close. "Maurice, are you crazy?", she whispered, and looked up at the storm. "You can't be in the hut now! You'll die! It's gonna get targeted by… whatever that is!"

"No, no.", said Maurice, and scowled. He stomped on over to the hut and threw open the door, beating his boots on the mud flap. "Watch this. It'll be fine, Helga. You'll see."
"Maurice, wait-", said Helga, but it was too late. Maurice stomped in, closed the door, sat down on the couch, sighed, slightly regretted his choice of words and tone, wondered if he should-

The Builder's Hut was suddenly engulfed in a raging, roaring sheet of green hot flame, one that blasted away the grass and made the nearby trees burst into flame as well. Helga screamed, and the Villager child ran forward towards the blaze- but it was too late. Maurice was no doubt dead, the fire turning right to go towards the rest of the village, sure to burn it to the ground. Green fire could not be put out without the help of a Hero- and their village was a mere Town Hall 6. Helga had no choice but to scoop up her child, try to cease her crying, and run away, into the oncoming endless night.

Rakastamos opened his mouth to sing again- when he heard the voice of another suddenly enter his head. Chuqulita, despite losing the initial battle, appeared far from giving up.

"You who I called brother, how could have you turned to such as this?", she sang, her voice almost tearful, a last ditch effort to turn Rakastamos back around. "Is it now all but sand, the way we once played in wonder's bliss?"

"The sands of time are mine and mine alone!", Rakastamos sang, using her own words against her. "Though sands are strong and crushing, down to the heart and to the bone!"

He pointed his finger at one of two Villages right next to each other, both of them celebrating their annual friendship holiday. They were right in the middle of a celebration, with a bridge built across the river in between them. But not for long.

"Boy, it sure is nice to have friends, isn't it?", asked Bard, the Barbarian King of the village to the east. He slapped his hand over the Barbarian King of the village to the west, Darb. They had similar names- that is part of why they had grown to like each other so quickly.

"It is, Bard!", shouted Darb. He too slapped his friend on the back, and they both lifted their tall glasses of Dark Elixir. They had scarcely begun to drink, however, when they both saw their respective friends running up to them- a Grand Warden for Bard, and an Archer Queen for Darb.

"King, look!", they both shouted at once, and pointed up towards the sky. Both Kings looked up- and saw a nightmare approaching, a gigantic meteor headed for each of their villages. But these were not made of solid stone, or metal, or even Gems or Elixirrock- no, the one headed for Bard's Village was made of tightly packed sand. The one about to crash down on Darb's was made of even tighter packed snow.

"Holy Dar-", was all either of them got, before the twin meteors made impact, slamming down into the ground with a fury beyond any mere defense or spell. There was a huge sound of rushing material, as the sand burst out over the village of Bard, covering it completely within a second, flattening everything beneath. Bard could not see for a second, before the sand caught up to him as well and slammed him deep into the riverbank, hardening within moments and trapping him there, in a sudden sarcophagus.

The one made of snow slammed out across the village of Darb, with roughly the same effect. Buildings were still flattened, troops all still died- but the fate of Darb was different from that of his friend. He was stuck upside down in solid blue ice, unable to move- only to see the fish swim by in sheer, abject terror through the stream, inside of the narrow blue crack between the two Barbarian Kings, completely unable to move.

"This is your home!", Chuqulita insisted through song, trying absolutely everything. "That which you are watching- does it mean nothing that they all should die?"

"No, they are but mortals!", shouted Rakastamos, making sure to keep it on beat. "They die within a century, what is a moment but a lie?"

He looked down for his next target- and grinned. "Now let that truth be proven, as the weakest shall all die!"

The wife of Farmer Brown- the same one that had heard Bailey's message- strode out to see what was going on. She had heard the storm from inside the house, but had not thought much of it. They had storms all the time, bringing lots of rain. But then one look out her window told her that this one was different- all the animals were spooked. They ran around like they had seen a monster or a ghost, or dynamite had suddenly blown up in their faces. A Chicken tried to fly straight up, and then straight down. A Pig ran right through the fence, heading for the water- then suddenly vanished in a flash of pink and a spray of sea. Marge ran out, pulling on her coat, and tried to console her animals as soon as she ran into the pen.

"Bessie?", she asked one of her cows, who was frantically mooing, rolling back and forth on unsteady feet, on the verge of a stampede. Marge ran up to her and ran her hands all along Besie's back, attempting to console her. "Bessie, it's okay girl. Just a storm-"

But then Bessie suddenly fell, crashing down right by Marge's feet. Marge gasped as sheent down, trying to bring her back up again- but stopped when she saw her eyes. They had gone still and white, lolling back in the motionless head. The Cow had died, for no reason at all.

"Wha- no!", she said, trying in vain to bring her back to life. "Bessie-"

Then she heard another plop of a body hitting ground right next to her, and looked. A Pig had fallen, right onto the body of yet another cow. She looked around in panic and unresolved confusion- all around her, the animals were just dropping dead. There was no reason for it- not a sickness, or an attacker. The weather was not even that bad ,at least not lightning wise. But as she saw a Sheep and a Pig both suddenly cease up and fall dead to the ground, it came to her. Her animals wer all dying of that great and incurable malady- they were all dying of fear.

Finally, there was only one animal left. Conrad, the farmer's Rooster. He turned to Marge, somehow not afraid enough to die, clucked once, and flew right into her arms. Marge, with shaking arms, pet him on the head- and looked up, far off into the oncoming night, wondering of the fate of the gods.

"My world is here!", sang Rakastamos, having finally reached the midpoint of the song. "My past is old, and my future new! No more shall the world suffer, for mortals all are through!"

"You cannot replace that which is full!", Chuqulita sang back, several of Rakastamo's strikes foiled by the desperate shields she was putting up. But far more were getting through, much to her intense stress. "Your plan is folly! Know not what ye do?"

Rakastamod did not answer. But he knew. He knew as he spun around in his circle of destruction, his circle of insanity, his orchestra of annihilation and his masterwork of death, he knew as he fired shot after shot into the world, each bringing untold misery, suffering, and above all terror to every spot they landed. He knew what he was doing to the world- for he very much enjoyed it. He knew full well that the world had to burn in order for it to be cleansed, and he was very much willing to do so. He did not just want to cleanse the world to open it up for Dragons. He was cleansing the world just so he could see it burn.

Rakastamos spun around, laughing with the power of the near-godly being he was, reveling in the destruction that his barest action caused. He gestured, and an entire seaside Village on his own continent was swallowed up- first by the waves, and then by one of the many titanic sea monsters that dwelled in the dark down deeps of the sea. He flicked his tail just a smidgen- and an entire Showdown Arena crumbled, the Brawlers trapped within killed in seconds, no respawn to save them. He laughed and tilted his jaw, a King's forest road procession suddenly being set upon with grasping tendrils of infernal darkness that tore and ripped them apart, much to the horror of the local forest gang that had been about to rob them. He flexed his mighty wings- and a wind blew out over the Boom Beaches that blew down an entire island cliff, crushing an entire base and turning it to burning rubble, exploding entirely soon after. He opened his mouth and breathed, an entire village swarmed with gigantic insects that had never been seen before, and would never quite be seen again, save for somewhere in the deepest, darkest bowels of Ancient Mountain. He let himself grin- he was quite proud of that one.

He let out a gigantic boom and a roar, letting his magnificent, horrifying influence spread out over the world, castles and villages crumbling under his strength, the ocean boiling from his power, and the wind burning from his rage. But then he once again focused his might, and started to prepare the truly large spells. The ones that would not just annoy the world as a whole- but lay upon it damage that it would never truly recover from.

Song: The Ruler

"The world's fire is my strength, the flame within brought heat their life to break!", Rakastamos sang, and slowly brought his hands up. Chuqulita felt a great tremor begin to rumble from deep within the very core of the world itself, a power she had never yet felt. It was coming from Royale- a direction she looked with fear, knowing full well what was about to happen. "Oh no.."

The crowd at Pekka's Playhouse had seen the storm approaching overhead. They had seen the thunder, and tasted the lightning- but they did not very much care. The brisk October air mixed with the smell of volcanic activity in the area, as it always was, spurred them on to even further heights of longing for Arena combat. They cheered and screamed, seeing and enjoying the battle down below- two Kings as it almost always was, going at each other with life and limb, seemingly the most important thing in the world at that point, in that small worldview.

None of them noticed the rumbling in the area, seeming to come from the entire area's highest peak- a bubbling open area of pure lava, exposed to the air. That is save a single Builder Child, playing with a small action figure of a Bandit in the front row, who looked up and saw something strange.

"Mommy?", he asked, and pointed up. "Why is the lava coming out of the top?"

His mother looked away from the action just long enough to see what he was talking about, and all her breath dropped away. The lava from the mountain's heart was bursting out over the top, and heading right for the Arena grounds, spreading out all over the entire area like a flood of firey death- which, of course, is exactly what it was. Then as it hit the shield over the Arena, she found the strength to scream, and clutched her child close in some futile effort of protection.

The Troops in the Arena all looked up- and mass panic spread through them like wildfire through dried out tinder as they saw the pool of magma up above, beginning to crack through the silver and red shield. Everyone in the arena screamed and cowered in absolute, life-ending terror- until with a flash of glimmering light, it abruptly turned gold.

The golden light of Chuqulita's protective mercy covered the Arena itself, its overwhelming heat and power turning even the flowing magma into flying bits of sparkling dust. The Troops that had been trapped within let out a mighty cheer- but unfortunately, the rest of the grounds were not so lucky.

The flood of overwhelming lava shot down the peaks at incredible speed- far too quickly for anyone to get out of the way. The shops that had been set up all along the paths leading up to the hot tourist spot on the volcano's bowl were obliterated before anyone in them even had a chance to react, every Troop within dying in less than the time it took them to blink, turned to ash in the rushing death.

Those down below had a bit more time to react to the oncoming extinction- but even the fastest among them, Riders on their Hogs and Bats in the air, were swept up in the gigantic wave, killed in tremendous pain, the infinite terror of their last and final moments flying into the air and joining the sky. The lava screamed as it killed, the innocent soul of the Arena not wanting to participate in such destruction- but what choice did it have, when guided by Rakastamos's might?

The lava continued onwards in its rushing death, sweeping up the entire complex- shops, restaurants, betting booths, and entertainment complexes turned to ash and magma with no possible resistance. The only struggle put up was a few brave Wizards trying to stop the tide- but even they were but ants before a hurricane. In just under a minute, not a single form of life remained in Pekka's Playhouse, save the small group of spectating and battling Troops that Chuqulita had saved. But they were mere hundreds, compared to the thousands of losses. Chuqulita would have saved them- but she knew that if the Arena itself had gone down, then the sleeping Auinraur would have been lost. And that would be a greater tragedy than anything Rakastamos possibly could have pulled off.

The Builder Child looked up at the golden light as the lava sloughed off, pooling to join its peers at the bottom, the truly impenetrable Bridgestone walls at the area's borders. He put up his hand in silent thanks- and Chuqulita, far away, was glad again she had chosen to save that part. But she could not focus on that. For Rakastamos was still singing.

"Your magic turns and rolls, turns your reality all upside down!", he sang, with all the darkly felt emotion he could possible muster. "The purple hills and violet rivers, all the darkness in the world!"

He howled at the dark purple moon, feeling his power and his glory climb, the grass down below turning black instead of bleached white, beginning to turn to evil, grasping tentacles, corrupted just from the sound of Rakastamos's near-demonic being.

The calm, tranquil land of Spell Valley was far less calm and tranquil than it usually was, for obvious reasons. The storm had of course affected them as well, and the sound of the Pekka's Playhouse eruption had traveled across the entire continent in just about a minute. They had seen the sight even faster, the terror of the pillar of lava reaching thousands of feet into the sky etching scars on all their souls. It was a mercy in some aspects they would not keep them.

"Alright, everybody out!", shouted the Goblin in charge, holding out his arms to shepherd the spectators out of the arena. "We've all got orders coming in from the Kings in space- they have ordered us to go home and stay home! There's no tellin when this storm will-"

Then he stopped talking. His voice died away in his throat, and his face turned purple instead of green. He clutched at his throat, apparently unable to use it, and collapsed right next to his colleague, another Goblin.

"Macka!", shouted the Goblin, and ran over the collapsed one's side. "Macka gooblish gabla blit blit todo?"

They were of course speaking Gobbish- but it entirely failed to wake the first Goblin up. He just sat there, neither alive nor dead- until with a sudden burst of wrongfully energetic movement, he lashed out and closed his cold hand over the second Goblin's throat, pulling himself up with an evil hiss. The Goblin choked and squirmed in the crushing grip- until the first Goblin's hand closed some more, and popped the second's head clean off. He had hardly even waited to clean himself off of the blood and elixir that poured over him, the Goblin's headless body flopping down impossibly by his feet, before slamming the button that held the entrance and exit gate open, slamming down the thick stone and steel gateway and trapping everyone inside.

The crowd that had been watching drew back in horror at the monster that stood before them, not alive or dead, his hand and head dripping with gore. He smiled as he saw them, the edges of his mouth extending, cracked and bleeding, past the corners of his face. He slapped his hand onto his mouth- and pulled, the cracking of bones muted and distorted by the sounds of flapping, slashing tentacles emerging from the sharp wound of dagger-like teeth, the spikes on the tentacles cutting at the Goblin-beast's arm as he pulled, but he did not care. He was beyond pain at that point, swiftly turned into a monster by Rakastamos's Oldspell.

"Get back!", shouted a Barbarian and a Knight at the same time, holding their sword aloft at the abomination that even then slithered towards them. "Get back! Die! Perish!"

But the thing smiled, raised its hand- and shot out a trio of tentacles at the two, slapping on to their wrists. They barely had time to react before the effects of the Oldspell were felt among then too, their skin turning green and a forest of tentacles bursting from their faces, falling backwards among the crowd, their influence striking down many as well.

There was a great cry of absolute pain and panic as the tightly packed Troops were all twisted and turned into the strange tentacled monstrosities, flapping and flailing in agony and bliss, falling onto each other's bodies and each other's swords, blood oozing like a fountain out of every cut, falling onto each other and pooling in a great unclean pool of corrupted death, moans that would cause living ears to blacken coming out of the small room, soon to fill and burst with the now corrupted, Spell Valley itself recoiling at the blasphemous act that was occurring within its very own walls.

But it could do naught but sob, as the dread panic and sickness began to lift up into the air, grasping for anything it could catch- a Bat, a Minion, or even a Baby Dragon flying by. As it saw one approaching, the sickness smiled to itself, reached up, and-

A great golden blast suddenly lashed down and slammed right into the infected chamber, turning the monsters within into ash and burnt green Dark Elixir without even a scream of deadened fear, annihilating the sickness completely. Spell Valley breathed a silent sigh of thanks, slightly relaxing, and knew exactly who to thank. It looked up into the sky- Chuqulita's efforts were very much appreciated.

Rakastamos looked to the far lands of the evening, and smiled. He knew that those lands were unlike Royale- Chuqulita's protection seemed to be sufficient for those to ward him off. The damage had been somewhat contained- but if he targeted the other location, perhaps it would not be. So he took a deep breath, and began to sing once more.

"Your future hides your progress burns!", he sang, and once beat his wings. "Forevermore your heroes fall and will never once again be heard!"

The clouds, with terrible might and fury, concentrated over the land of Super City. This was of course a city in Brawltopia- no maps were in it, and it was not yet open to the foreign public- but it still existed, proud as could be. It was the living place of some of the last and strange Regular People- almost all of whom were either out in the streets in fear or hiding in their tall, spatial homes in fear. Their champion Max had left to battle Rakastamos, and now they feared that no one was left to protect them.

They looked up into the sky, pointing in fear at the dark clouds up above, some even swearing they could see faces in the great flying shadows, shapes of dark leviathans swimming within. They all cowered lower and lower as the darkness grew, the fear increasing by the second-

Then the first bolt struck. A bolt of pure flame struck out from the sky and hit the tallest building for miles, lighting it on fire with an unnatural speed, sending raw panic through the citizens.

Another bolt of fire hit, roaring down the streets, both tearing up the streets and killing anything it came across, turning cars to ash and the broken pavement to burning muck. The flame began to spread, climbing up the walls of buildings, climbing up the bark of trees- yet strangely, leaving all living things alone except for the humans. Those it burned without mercy.

Bolt after bolt of deeply cursed flame impacted the city's skyline, burning off the rooftops of houses, turning cars and people to ash, burning entire streets to broken pavement and rubble. The screams shouted high and loud over the crackling of the flames as Super City burned, even Chuqulita unable to stop it. The Dragonlady of the continent was unaware, in her strange and darkened dwellings deep below, her passive presence awake only able to slow the flame in some of the larger avenues. Yet even as some of the people and Brawlers on the streets died, even as their bodies burned to ash, they could have sworn they saw something- the face of Rakastamos in the sky, staring down at them in unhinged glee.

Chuqulita deeply regretted not reaching her brother's strike in time- but knew full well she could not dwell on that. She had to choose another place to defend- fortunately, she could now tell where he was going to attack. She moved all her influence available there to counter his move, and awaited his action.

"Your nightly wonders are my own, no more to farm no more to sow!", Rakastamos sang, no longer even caring if his rhymes were off. The ancient magic was his to command, and he was going to use it in any way he wanted.

A single Master Builder was currently hiding behind his Battle Machine, ready to jump into it if needs be. He knew full well what the Oldspell was, and knew what it was no doubt doing to many places across the entire globe. But he was not going to let it happen to his village, no matter what. He was going to stand his ground, and defeat whatever thing the event was about to throw at him, no matter what it was-

He blinked, as the Builder Hall in the center of the base suddenly grew legs. He blinked again, as one of the Double Cannons grew a pair of mechanical arms, beginning to drag itself around. Then he scowled as one of the the Air-set Mines rolled around on its chain, that too growing strange limbs and rolling down to the ground, going towards the Builder's Hall.

"Oh, what the Devil-", shouted the Master Builder, about to jump into his Machine- then he noticed something. They were not angry. They were not malicious. The forms of his now-animat defenses were friendly, defensive, almost noble, even. They were all starting to climb onto the Builder Hall, the defenses all joining and melting together into one gigantic SuperCannon, pointing upwards and growing bright- just as a bolt of dark red and green Lightning flashed out of the sky, clearly intending to destroy. The assembled Builder Base raised its hand, shooting out a bolt of thunder, matching the strike head on, and blowing it to bits in a blast of electric power. The Master Builder blinked once more, hanging off the sides of his Battle Machine, then the assembled base gestured to him, glowing with Chuqulita's protective golden light. It pointed towards Rakastamos's mountain, and nodded. The Master Builder nodded as well, moved the Battle Machine over to the assembled base, and began to run for a justorious victory.

Rakastamos scowled as that particular plan was foiled- but that had just been a small one. He still had one last push to pull off- but this one would require the strongest verse of the song, the one he had always had trouble remembering. But maybe this time, he would be able to…

"And know my heart uncaring!", he sang, knowing full well that Chuqulita was capable of both hearing him and responding. "I care not your sorrow grows!"

Chuqulita knew that it was no or never. She had to defeat his pushes, or the entire world would be in critical, grave danger. Not just the ones who lived there- but the actual, physical world itself. So she mustered her energy, and sang with all her might.

"You call yourself my brother!", she sang into the howling, intense wind as the final pieces of the spell all began to fall into place. "But what you do is not you- it is the other!"

"Say that which you will!", Rakastamos sang, and pushed up his hands into the air, letting the heat flow and rise. "But then do watch and perish, at the heat upon the hill!"

Chuqulita turned and startled- right at the direction of Frozen Peak, seeming to soon be the latest victim of Rakastamos. But not if she could help it…

The restaurants on Frozen Peak, though very busy and cozy, one by one, began to shift. The snow melted under their foundations, the holding ice starting to weaken as well. The skiing slopes started to bend, and the shouts of many Troops began to rise from the mountain in fear. Entire massive ice sheets fell from the peak, forming death traps down below for anything or anyone unlucky enough to be trapped there. Rakastamos feeling their terror, letting it all fuel him. He breathed in, feeling the snow melt from the tops of the peak. He breathed in, feeling the unimaginable existential despair of a single Ice Spirit that had begun the process of melting. He breathed in, savoring the terror and death that his Oldspell was causing. He breathed in even far deeper- then suddenly drew back in absolute fear, his previous confidence all but gone. His head whipped to the west- and the previously unknown location of a very certain continent now making itself clear. A shiver ran down Rakastamos's spine.

For the constant death caused was not only pleasing to Rakastamos. It was pleasing to another, a being far greater, one that slept beneath the rising, shifting sands, one that ruled over even death itself, one that now, with all the suffering plaguing the globe, had ever so slightly lightly, begun to stir.

Rakastamos bit back his next verse, cursing to himself out of actual fear. For although his power was great, he knew deep in his heart that even he was nothing compared to the One Who Dwells Below. Nothing was- and he could not risk that thing being unleashed.

He knew he had to finish the song quickly, so he withdrew his power from Frozen Peak. It was no longer melting, much to Chuqulita's surprise. But she was not able to parse what he was doing next until it was too late- for her, for her resistance, for anyone and anything to stop.

"This is which is so!", Rakastamos screamed in desperation, letting and feeling the last few notes of the grand ancestral song play deep within his head. "I will never let-"

He raised his right hand, gathering such concentrated darkness within his palm that it was truly impossible to even describe. "This power-"

He did the same for his left, took a deep breath- and as Chuqulita, the Gods in space, and Askari far down below watched, unleashed the fullest of his arcane might. "Go!"

A great Darkness was suddenly present, all across the entire world, seeping into every nook and every cranny, forcing itself into every space that had previously been lit with happiness or hope. There had not been any warning- for the inky blackness had spread out far faster than even the oft-coveted speed of even light itself. To many it was just- light, then darkness that pushed at their bodies and pulled at their souls, threatening to pull them into itself. The true night had been suddenly plunged across the entire globe, the Oldspell's ultimate goal having been finally achieved. It had taken all that Rakastamos had- but it was done.

No light was visible- or at least anything that was strong. The only light that anyone could get going were mere torches and hand lamps, the lights of Castles or lampposts suddenly unable to work. It was as if Rakastamos had sent a great physical Darkness across the land, not only the absence of light but something that actively worked to protect it. And they were right- the darkness of Rakastamos's soul was exactly like that.

He saw Chuqulita down below, as he sat there, huffing for breath in the face of his grand Oldspell, having at last bent the world to his wishes. He could feel the terror still flooding in like rain- that was good. He would be able to keep himself fed before the upcoming battle. He knew now what it was- they all did. The only question was whether they should arrive first- or the Blood Elixir vat should be filled and consumed. That was the question Rakastamos asked himself as he closed his eyes, huffed from the truly cosmic exertion- and headed back inside, his work in the world for that hour done. The Plagues of Old Cleansing had been unleashed, and the world was soon to have for his own- as soon as the vat was filled. That was all it would take- just a little bit more, Blood Elixir dripping down, tantalizing him, teasing him with the promise of all encompassing might.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip-

Dripped down onto Leon's forehead, a single drop of water, disturbing him from his sleep.

"Dude!"

That was the first word to go through Leon's hearing, as the blackness surrounding him slowly faded, replaced with the harsh fluorescent light of an uncovered bulb on the ceiling overhead. He just lay there for a second, wondering what in Brawl's name was going on- when he suddenly remembered. Clashcrush Mountain. The cave. The Jester- oh, the Jester! He had- taken them all through portals, he remembered- and then he didn't remember anything. Just the awful, indescribable sensation of being flung through a hole in all, unmade and then remade in- in-

Leon jerked up out of his prone position, drawing Hunter Killer form the air, lunging straight forward. He snarled as he leapt up, a single twinge of green shooting straight out from his oddly bare, uncovered hair. "Where the frick is he?"

Now that he had jumped up, Leon suddenly became aware of his actual surroundings. He appeared to be in a small room- only about the size of a large closet or a very big walk in fridge.

The walls were white and completely uninteresting, only small bumps protruding the single thing to mark their difference from purely blank slates. A lamp sat on one side of the room, sandwiched in between two mostly empty beds, turned off in the bright morning light. There was hardly anything to decorate the room, except for a single bag underneath both of the beds and a very small poster right above the bed opposite of Leon that was really of small use to anybody. It appeared to depict a small kitten on a tree brach, a clearly doctored frown upon its face, and the text "Don't Fall Down! Keep going U- p!"

Leon stared in utter confusion at the other boy in front of him, holding up his hands in confused shock, a smile of panic clear upon his face. He appeared to be somewhere around Leon's age, perhaps just a bit younger in some respects. His skin was an extremely light purple, tiny bits of horns sticking up out of his short, curly brown hair. His eyes were almost yellow, but really more green, and he wore a simple bright red jumper and some tooth white cargo shorts. His shoes were hung up on the wall, his bed messier than a turtle's nest.

Leon gestured again, his snarl growing more intense in confusion. "I'm not gonna ask again! Whee's the Jester? Where's Rakasamos? And most importantly-"

He leaned in and stared right into the boy's eyes, pushing him far back onto the bedspread. He made sure to put as much energy and power as he possibly could into his next words, determined to make the strange being talk. "Where… the frick… is my family?"

But the boy just continued to smile, sure to not let the grin drop off his face. "Woah, dude.", he said, and Leon could see the hint of a tail flick around underneath his shorts. "You took a fall pretty bad. But- Jester? Rakastamos? What are you talking about? And your family already left, dude. We're in this motel on our own. Now come on, we gotta go downstairs. Breakfast is ready, and we both know how much we both loooove those hotel breakfasts, huh?"

Song: All that she wants (Ace of Base)

"Wha…", Leon mumbled- then saw something that threw him for a total shock. Although his right hand was indeed poised to hold a familiar gun, the trusty shape of Hunter Killer was not actually clutched within. And as he saw his hand, he saw something else strange- his clothes were different as well. He just grew more and more confused, as he looked over himself.

"Ho… tel?" ,he muttered as he looked over his strange outfit, having absolutely no idea what was going on. "Like… Mr. P?"

The strange boy slapped his knee and rolled backwards, the very clear flecks of a tail flicking out. "Bruh, who the frick is Mr. P? I'm telling you bro, you keep on talking about all these things but I don't know who they are. Do you know who they are? Cause you gotta help me bro. I'm totaaaaly lost."

Leon stared at him, and very slowly slid his hand back down into his hoodie pockets. That was something he had been apparently allowed to keep- although his hoodie was now far smaller. No longer able to be pulled over his face. It was also off, hanging from the back of his neck. His shorts were still there, but they reached down almost to his calves rather than stopping just above the knee. He felt around in his mouth for the familiar sweetness- and felt something hollow inside himself, as he realized that his eternal lollipop was gone. He looked down in shock, and saw a very odd version of himself staring up at him from the small mirror on his shorts, laid there for some unknown reason. His face was the part he first noticed.

His face was free of any of its usual blemishes- and the dark spot around his eyes was gone as well. His hair was a bit longer, a bit scragglier, and a whole lot redder- almost more red than brown. He very slowly put his hands up to his face, touching the sides- there was still no stubble. The only thing he felt bubbling up from deep within his veins was anger- anger that he knew exactly what to direct towards, as he looked up at the boy.

"Tell me my name.", he said, knowing exactly what info to harvest. If he had changed his name, it would mean things very bad. If he hadn't, it would remind him of and strengthen his connection with home, the pathway back surely at least somehow visible. The boy looked in confusion, before Leon jumped forward and grabbed him by the neck. "Tell me!"

"Dude, dude, holy frick!", shouted the boy, and closed his eyes. "Yeesh, I didn't think you hit your head that hard. Anyway, your name's Leon. You know? Your own name? Cause if you don't, I think you really should."

"Okay.", said Leon, and slightly relaxed. "Well, that's good to know at least. But you-"

He once again grabbed the strange boy's neck, pushing him against the bed frame in a raw display of absolute fury. "Who the frick are you? Identify yourself!"

"Who the frick am I?", asked the boy, and scoffed. "Dude, I'm Dakren! You know? Best friend since birth? Brother from another mother? You know, the one person you could actually stomach being with for an entire school year, and still have the enthusiasm to hang out with me afterwards? You know, that Dakren."

"Uh…", asked Leon, and very slowly sat back. "So, why are we here, then? Dakren."

"Bruh, that one's easy.", said Dakren, and very casually flexed in a deep body stretch. He yawned and scratched his stomach, Leon watching in slight disgust. "We're here to go to college. Now come on downstairs, bro. I think you hit your head pretty hard, huh? Let's talk about it over breakfast. Pancakes…"

"Uh…", said Leon, and rubbed his head. It seemed a good idea to get at least something in his stomach- it was rumbling like a quaking Frank in the mornings. And even though he had absolutely no idea who this Dakren dude was, he did seem very friendly. But that, again, was just it- he didn't have any idea who he was. He shouldn't. He had never seen him before in his life. And yet, he seemed incredibly almost painfully familiar, in a way that Leon could not quite bring himself to place. He thought about thinking about it some more, but knew that he had to go get food. So he swung himself out of the bed, hit the floor, and stretched as well.

"Alright, bro.", Dakren said, and brought up his hand for a fistbump. "Fist? Or did you forget what those were too?"

Leon, of course, did in fact know what a fistbump was. He wasn't sure he trusted Dakren all the way- until he just found his fist striking out on its own and colliding with Dakren's, almost blowing him off of his feet with the sheer power of the strike. Dakren grabbed his hand and stumbled back, waving around the reddened skin in an attempt to ward off the pain.

"Bruh, what was that?", he hissed, squeezing his hand in between his legs. "Why did you hit me so hard? How did you hit me so hard? Seriously, you got a rocket launcher in that shoulder o' yours?"

"What?", asked Leon, smiling a bit as he allowed himself to take pride in his strength. But he still made sure to keep his guard up. He knew that this place was most likely just a creation of the Jester, and had to be careful at all times. "It was just a normal fistbump."

"Yeah, yeah, BS, dude.", said Dakren, and finished waving his hand around. He scowled and tucked it into his pocket, then looked and nodded towards the door. "You ready to go? We don't have to pack our bags or any of that junk. Just grab that food and go."

He looked back at Leon, who just stood there in a bit of a daze, trying to force his way through the cloud surrounding his mind and his body, seeping into his nose and eyes, forcing both to water. He sneezed a violent sneeze, almost falling over from the sheer pungent strength.

"Heyo bro, that's just my cologne.", said Dakren, and reached out. Leon barely even noticed as he was pulled out of the rough smelling cloud and slapped on the back, clearing it from his lungs. "Sorry about that. It's a bit strong- gotta collect all them ladies, huh?"

"Uh, yeah.", said Leon, and once again rubbed the back of his neck- it was hot in the rooms. Whether it was from the stuffy room or Dakren's bizarre actions, he could not tell. He squinted- was he really friends with this kid? He did seem nice, but… everything else…

"Heh.", he said, as he started to walk out the door with Dakren. "Colts wear cologne."

"Colts?", asked Dakren in confusion, and Leon felt a glimmer of hope- but it was very quickly dashed at Dakren's next words. "You mean like horses? No they don't."

Leon shook his head as they walked out the door, and bit back his hope, knowing that he should preserve it for whenever it was needed. "Never mind."

"Well, alright.", said Dakren, and pulled down the edges of his shirt, fumbling with the folds. "You'll have to tell me sometime about just what it is that you're talking about though. It sounds pretty darn interesting. What were you dreaming about?"

"Uh, yeah.", said Leon, and felt something strange in the back of his neck. "What exactly did I say?"

"Oh, you know.", said Dakren as the two entered the hallway, just as blank and stark white as the rooms they had left. It would have been rather depressing, had the two cared at all, and not been engrossed in their conversation. "Stuff about finding your family, a dragon or whatever, some jester dude. Pretty funky stuff- then you fell out of bed and hit your head and woke up for a second, but then I put you back in. Then you woke up for real."

"Huh.", said Leon, forcing himself to know that he had not just been dreaming. That had all been real, and true, and this was just an illusion by the Jester's evil magic, and he had to get out of there as soon as he could. He had to keep that in his head- and yet, strangely enough, something about the place where he was then just felt… right. Like that's where he was supposed to be, like that's where he was most at home. He scowled as he thought that- he couldn't allow himself to. He had to keep it in, had to keep the truth. His entire family was counting on him to pull through, to escape the illusion, to defeat the Jester- wait a second. This was an illusion- and Bubble made illusions! If anyone could figure out a way to get out, it would be her. But what had happened to her? He hadn't seen where she had gone. Was she in an illusion too? Was it worse? He scowled, and his lips curled up at the back of his mouth. Of course it was worse. She could never catch a break, could she? No. His darling sweet sister could just never catch a fricking break-

"Dude, woah!", he heard Dakren shout, and he could feel his oddly strong arms on his own. He looked to his right- and saw that his fist had been implanted directly into the wall, small bits of smoke rising from the hole, drywall crumbling around his arm and bits of water leaking down onto his skin from inside. He saw Dakren both struggling to contain his laugher and freaking out over what might happen if they were to be caught. "Leon, what the frick? What, did you change your name to fricking Kyle? Bro, calm the frick down!"

"Uh…", Leon said, and drew back his hand. He looked at for a second, and he swore that for just the splittest of split seconds, it appeared slightly green. But then it was gone, and he clenched his palm back together again. He was angry, yes. But he did have to stay together ,stay composed, and stay calm. Otherwise, it was likely he would never make it out of that strange place. He did not even bother to say anything to Dakren as he headed downstairs, taking 6 steps at a time, bounding from a lifetime of practice, arriving at the bottom of the stairs in just a few short moments.

It took Dakren a few more seconds longer to arrive, accustomed to only taking the stairs two at a tie instead of Leon's monstrous six. But arrive he did, and stretch he did as well. He looked over the fairly well outfitted breakfast room- it was filled with the expected assortment of tables and chairs, as well as several posters on the wall, multiple typical expressions written upon each of them. "Keep moving forward.", read one. "Collapse the prison of limitations.", read another. "Your weakness is only within yourself.", read one above the coffee grinding machine at the far end- and above them all was one stretching across practically the entire room, the massive logo of "Imagine, then Do", written upon it.

"Awright, breakfast food!", said Dakren, slapping Leon on the shoulder. He moved past him and took a deep sniff, practically bathing his senses in the warm pastrified air. "Oh bro, smell that. It's just like what Leslie Knope always says- breakfast food is the only food. Or something like that. I really need to rewatch that one. It's super good."

"Okay.", said Leon, not really knowing what he was talking about, and not wanting to. He didn't want to get involved any more than he absolutely had to, in this strange place. "Yeah, I'm just gonna… go over here… for a bit."

He ran over to the other side of the breakfast room, running through the thick, heady smells of butter and cereal, bacon and pancakes. He could not help but stop in front of a strange little fridge he saw- but it was not a fridge for food. From the oddly built logo on the front to the downfight fishy contents within, it appeared to be something known as a-

"Bait… fridge?", asked Leon, tapping it on the side. "What the heck's a bait fridge?"

He looked within, and saw the strange containers of fish food and worms writhing around within, apparently still alive. Leon thought it was best if he was not sick to his stomach, and turned away- but not before he caught sight of something absolutely horrifying in the reflection- or was it a window? No, it was a reflection, but a flawed one. That is what Leon would tell himself was showing a dead version of his own face, the entire right side of it torn off the and the left hand side covered in blood, staring back at him with flying eyes.

Leon jerked back and struck out at the bait fridge, sending it flying off the counter and behind, landing with a loud crash. He stood there for a second, not sure what to do, when an employee poked his minimum wage head up from behind the counter and frowned. "Hey, dude, try not to break things, okay? I know you're a college bro and kid or whatever screw all, but we do have to pay for those, alright?"

"Uh, yeah.", said Leon, and inwardly began to panic. He didn't have any money. Did he? Did he have some in the backpack he had left upstairs? But then he realized it didn't even matter. This place didn't actually matter- it was just an illusion created by the Jester in order to trap him. A single broken bait fridge was nothing when it was constructed of mere light and dream. "See, my money is-"
"Is right here, my good fellow!", came the voice of Dakren, intentionally emphazied to seem lower and stronger, as he slid in on a pair of black wheelies, having waited until he got downstairs to put his shoes on. He held up a wad of cash and whispered to Leon. "Hey, don't worry bro. I've got this."

"Uh, good.", said Leon, and turned- then he saw something. The coffee grinder on the other side of the room appeared to be… glowing. It was strange, that- he had never really been one for coffee. Most drinks were only sort of so so for him, only hot chocolate gaining nostalgica emotional value in the last few days, but his sudden urge to drink the coffee from the machine was for some reason so great that he could not help but be drawn to it, drool coming from his mouth and little pink hearts reflected in the pupils of his eyes.

He stepped closer and closer to the coffee maker, stretching out his hand automatically. He put one finger on the button and the other on a cup, swiftly meeting the two, oddly excited to drink the coffee for the first time. He did not know why- it was not as if he had ever had the urge to before. And yet now here he was, seeing himself bringing the steaming hot coffee to his lips-

"Heyo, bro.", he heard Dakren say behind him. "Why are you so excited for? It's just coffee."

"Oh, uh…", said Leon, somehow not questioning the situation. He gave the coffee cup a little move upwards, and nodded. "I guess my mom just never allowed me to have any before… and this is my first time drinking it. Heard it's good though, so… yeah."

Before Dakren could stick in one of his half-witty remarks, Leon tipped the cup into his mouth. He stood there for a second, savoring the entire rich flavor of the drink- before he spat it out into a nearby trash can, throwing the rest of the cup into it as well. He spat a few more times to rid his mouth of the flavor, then turned around, scraping the rest of his tongue.
"Gah!", he spat, his right finger just barely emitting a single spark of green from the confusion and perceived betrayal. "What the- what even was that stuff? Fricking gross."

"Wait, did you just drink it straight?", asked Dakren, then laughed. He threw back his head and guffawed, a single tear running off his face. "No cream or sugar or flavoring or anything? Bro, that stuff's gross. No wonder you didn't like it. YOu gotta get the gooood stuff in it, see?"

As Dakren reached into his pocket and towards the counter for several no doubt questionable substances, Leon just shook his head. "Uh, yeah, no. No thanks, I'm good, I don't like coffee."

Dakren just rolled his eyes, heading back towards the table. Leon blinked- he, for some reason, looked quite different. His skin was once again a pale tone, not purple in the slightest. THe horns on the back of his head had disappeared, and his tail seemed to have all but vanished entirely. Dakren noticed him staring as he sat down at the table, but seemed not to do anything about it as he pulled up another chair, pointing to the stack of steaming pancakes in front of both chairs. "Yeah, okay, whatever. Sit down, bro. Have some cakes."

Leon figured he might as well- even if he was going to be busting out of there soon, he still needed food, didn't he? He somehow didn't realize, however, just how worryingly circular his train of thought was running, as he pulled out a chair, sat down, took out a shining metal fork from the little napkin package wrapped on the side, and began to dig in, bringing the delectable looking pancake up to his mouth with a suppressed grin.

Song: Edge of Heaven- Ace of Base

Almost instantly his eyes lit up, surprised at just how good the pancake was. It tasted like heaven, and fall, and a good crispy morning, and the triumph of not having to worry about anything anymore. He didn't quite know just where that last bit had come from, but he felt it slightly worried him. He didn't know why, but it just did.

"Anyway.", said Dakren, and bit down on his own pancakes. His strangely sharp teeth, not unlike Leon's own, made short work of the dough, soon leaving him to speak. "What classes are you taking again?"

Leon stopped halfway through his next bite, and thought. He tried to remember what classes he was taking- then stopped again, as he remembered what he was doing. He wasn't there to take classes. He was there to break out, kill the Jester, and then kill Rakastamos. He looked down at his pancakes, and scowled, a low snarl escaping his lips. He wasn't there to eat- he was there to- no, he should eat. But then it was out of the place, and back to reality.

"Yo!", he heard Dakren shout ,and slam his hand against the table- not in a loud or threatening way, just to get Leon's attention. "Dude! What classes are you taking?"

"Uh.", said Leon, and tried to think to what to say to keep Dakren off his trail. He didn't seem to belive him- but that as fine. He did not need to. "Shooting… class…"

He shrugged, not really knowing what he was supposed to say. How could he? "Assassin class. That's my class."

Dakren just stared, absolutely dumbfounded, apparently not even noticing when the pancake on his fork fell off and onto his plate. He looked down his gaze at Leon, simultaneously trying to not laugh and not to freak out. "Do… do you not remember what your classes are? Dude!"

He spun around in his chair as Leon watched in silence, not knowing what to do, Dakren pulling at the edges of his semi-long, brown hair. "How could you-"

He spun around again, and slapped the edges of his chair. "How could you forget what your fricking classes are, bro? How hard did you hit your head in the first place?"

"I didn't-", said Leon, and almost considered crushing the entire table like a twig, flincing both sides in half, and killing everyone in the room- but that thought disappeared as soon as it had come, leaving him more confused that he had been before its rude entrance. "I mean-"

"Yeah, yeah, chill.", said Dakren, and waved around his hand. "We can just get you some amnesia medicine or something at the store once we arrive. It's all cool."

For a brief moment, Leon's anger was kindled ferocious, burning brilliant in his eyes. For just half a second, he gripped the table with breaking force, snapping down on the wood, almost pulling it down to the ground with everything on it to collide in a forceful heap. For just a bit of time, his already sharp teeth grew even sharper, and his normally brown hair was just a bit brighter, leaving towards the secondary part of the color spectrum. His muscles bulged under his thin shirt, and his brown eyes were lighter for a second as well. He stared at Dakren in uncontained fury- how dare he write him off so easily. How dare he suppose that his true life, not whatever this brief obstacle was, was just some dream or amnesia-induced fever to be forgotten. He made up his mind, that was it. He was going to just start shooting, and if the world around him broke, then that was a good thing. If that didn't work? He was just going to start shooting, and shooting again, and shooting again-

"Hey dude?", Dakren asked, and held out what Leon, even in his enraged state, instantly recognized as a phone. "Your girlfriend called earlier while you were asleep. She wants to talk to you."

At those words, something changed. They all pierced through Leon's hazy Rage like a Magic Archer's perfect arrow, pushing it back into his deep subconscious and out of control of his body. He fell back into his chair and put his hand on his forehead, unable to belive what he he just heard- but he knew that somehow, in some glorious blessed way, that it had to be true. The way that Dakren had spoken belayed absolutely no trace of deception or of trickery, only the offhand remark of absolute truth. Leon stared at the phone in wonder, desperation , and disbelief for a few brief seconds- before grabbing it away, staring at the screen with all the absolute intensity he could muster. "I have a girlfriend?"

Then he saw the best sight he could have possibly imagined- the lock screen was one of him lying next to a girl on a park bench, her head obscured where the phone screen ended- but that was enough for him to see the rest of her. There on the notifications were three messages-

got your classes picked out yet baby?

taking advanced thermodynamics love you

And the third which just made his heart jump right into space- yo orientation looks boring let's just skip and make out

Leon felt his eyes water with uncontained happiness, and he clutched the phone to his chest. He stared up at the ceiling, not even caring about the looks of true confusion Dakren seemed to now have on his face near constantly. "Holy Fr'ank.", he said, and sniffed, unable to belie it. "I have a girlfriend."

Dakren, for one, could not belive his eyes. He rubbed them to make sure he wasn't seeing things, realized how wrong that was, rubbed his ears to make sure he wasn't hearing things, and stared at Leon in not just confusion, but absolute befuddlement.

"Dude.", he said, then dropped the pretenses. "Leon. It's one thing to forget where you were. It's another thing to forgot what classes you had picked out."

He reached across the table and stared Leon right in the eyes, with an intensity that made him uncomfortable. "But to actually forget you have a girlfriend? Dude, what is wrong with you?"

He gestured wildly around, pulling out his own phone in the process. He showed it to Leon and pointed, the lockscreens and text messages similar- only far more intense in some manners.

"I have one! I'd never ever forget about her as long as I lived!"

"Yeah.", said Leon, and stood up. "Well… I'm not you, okay? Okay."

He looked towards the door, Dakren's gaze following him automatically- the latter actually gasping out loud, and starting to pick things up. "Holy frick!"

"WHat?', asked Leon, slightly affected by Dakren's sheer panic amounts ."What is it? What's going on? Why are you screaming?"

"The bus comes in 5 minutes and we aren't packed yet, that's the problem!", said Dakren, rushing up the stairs, no doubt to get their stuff. "We need it!"

Leon startled, and knew he had to grab his stuff, whatever meager amount of stuff that actually was. He didn't want to go into a mission without even his main weapon, the spinner blades- and if Hunter Killer was anywhere, it would almost certainly be there. That was going to be the best part of busting out- finally finding Hunter Killer again, and using it to destroy anything in sight.

Then he could finally strike back. And he would, as soon… as..

He looked at the state the diner was in, and felt bad that he would consider shooting the place up at all. Then it came to him-sometimes things were different because… this too was real. It was not a mere illusion- this felt like the world after waking up from a dream, a horrible lava terrible -

"Come on bro.", said Dakren ,and felt Leon go. "Let's go outside. Ride's here and we don't wanna be two completely fair none."
He hurried by, knowing exactly what Leon was going to say after that. "Don't worry dude. We're gonna get you all fixed and yourself again, alright?"

Leon stared for a second- he knew that Dakren was right. He had most likely been mistreated by so many in his life, that to hear someone talking like that actually made him… happy. Especially his relationship with an actual girlfriend- that was a thing that he was very much eager to find out more about. Then he saw palm trees around himself, beneath an open sky, and realized that he was actually… running? That was weird. When did he-

"Now come on!", he found himself being shouted at by Dakren, as they ran down the pavement towards the bus. "We can't miss it!"

Leon nodded, and let himself grin. He was eager to explore the strange new world that he was in- for that is probably what this all was. Not an illusion, not a dream- but some strange new place that the Jester had taken him. He jumped off the curb and onto the bus, then panicked as he remembered that-

"Hey.", said Dakren, and held up two bags, one for each of them. "DOn't worry bro. I got you covered."

Leon sighed in relief, and grabbed on to a hand rail. He casually turned to look, curious about the view. "Oh, thanks bro-"
It had been just a casual glance out the window. But what he saw took his breath away.

The lush green valley below was truly unlike anything he had ever before seen- even the hills and slopes of the Clans countryside were unlike it. This one was not just forest, or just plains- it had buildings scattered constantly throughout, a living mix of trees and concrete, a unique landscape to be sure. The far hazy mountains in the distance provided a good backdrop and geological buffer to the enormous lake that seemed to cover the entire back half of the area, strangely gigantic, far larger than any lake had any right to be. He would have thought it was an ocean, had he not been able to just barely see the other side, faraway on the mountains's shores, the edge only slightly visible with his still powerful vision. The steeply sloped street that the bus was roaring down at high speed was strange as well- it was truly unlike anything that Leon had ever before been able to imagine. The houses were small yet intricate, each one a unique expression of the one who lived inside. There were tall and thin houses, short and fat houses, the green and lush lawns and trees evidence of a rather upscale neighborhood. He looked around to see what type of strange beings would have lived in them-

And then he saw them. They were everywhere, just running around as casually as they could possibly be. One was walking her dog down the sidewalk at a brisk jogging pace. One was laying on the front of her grass, soaking up the rays of the hot sun overhead. Two of them ran back and forth in front of a house, catching a frisbee- and Leon just could not tear his eyes away. They were just so… so… normal.

It was bizarre how normal they were- because they wern't. They were strange to him, utterly alien. They were not any sort of Troops, nor any kind of Brawlers. Yet they were the blank slates- the Regular People that he had never heard about, the strange beings rumored to live at the very edges of the world. The sight gave him a strange feeling, one that he forced himself to fight away.

"Dude, what are you doing?", asked Dakren, and Leon realized he had had his face pressed to the side of the glass in an attempt to get to see the people better. "It's just Salt Lake City."

"Oh.", said Leon, and tugged his head back. He supposed that made sense- to call the place that. The lake must have been full of salt then- strange. No wonder he thought it was the ocean. Salted water always looked quite different. "So uh… so it is."

Song: The Ravine

He looked around the inside of the bus, and realized for the first time that there were these strange and irregular Regular People inside of the vehicle as well as outside. He thought that perhaps he should sit down, look around, and take in the sights- so he did.

He adjusted his backpack on his back- it was strange, the feeling of wearing one. He had never won one before, although perhaps he thought he had a memory of wearing one, some long time ago- but that didn't make any sense. He didn't have a "long time ago.", he had only been alive for 4 weeks now. The trip had been almost 25% of his entire life- but, no, it had not. He had been alive for longer than that, hadn't he? I really seemed like he had, but then again it didn't-

He pitched forward on the seat, clutching his head tightly in his hands, and groaned with absolute mental agony. He squeezed his skin so tightly he felt the bone underneath, and snarled like a wounded Bear. He thought he might break his teeth from clenching them so hard- but he did not let up on doing so. He felt the anger rushing through, the anger to-

"Hey.", he heard Dakren say from beside him, and Leon looked up, his face red from pain and fury. "Bro, you okay? Do you need something?"

"Uh…", Leon groaned, and tried to force himself to think. He felt like he did need something, but he was not quite sure what. He… he… he was just… on a bus, wasn't he? Yeah, that was right, that was it, that was certainly correct. He was just on a bus, with his friend Dakren, going to match orientation at the U, his dream college that he had been waiting years to get into-

He blinked, and felt the anger return, this time in even fuller force. What? No. No, no, no. He wasn't that at all- he was Leon, son of Brandy and Dan, legendary brawler, on his way to defeat Dragonlord Rakastamos and save the entire world! He had to keep that in his head, he had to-

But yet, as he looked around the bus, seeing all the men on newspapers, the women on their phones, several small children on either, or, or none, all that semed just a little… strange. It seemed strange that he was on a quest to kill a Dragon, when the lights on the bus terminal flickered. It seemed odd that he could summon up his soul in the form of a phantom blastergun when the baby in front of him reached for its binky, fallen to the floor. It seemed strange that he was on a quest to save the world as the flourescent lights of the bus roof reflected off the hard red metal of the textured floor, the gum under the seats gently jostling in place every time the bus hit a pothole. It seemed strange, yes- but that was good, wasn't it? He was strange. He was-

"Here bro, drink this.", said Dakren, and suddenly appeared right in front of Leon with a cup of rushing liquid and a few white pills. "It'll be good for your head."

Leon, without hardly even thinking about it, grabbed the cup, threw the pills in his mouth, and tipped back both. The strange and nothing taste of the water hit his mouth like a slap to the face, but he endured it long enough to swallow the pills.

As he gulped them down, he realized Dakren was right- his head did feel better. He kept the thoughts of his true life, not this strange place in his head, ready to be used, ready to be recalled, at a moment's notice. He looked out the window- perhaps while he was there, he could take a moment to soak in the area? It was interesting, after all…

Something out the corner of the window caught his eyes as they drove directly past it, the entrances to the strange place just a few hundred feet away. It struck him as odd- the decorations, almost tribal or primite, yet clearly very advanced. It was like a Jungle environment, but… not. More focused. Yet also more stylized, in a strange blend of fashion. There was a great throng of people all waiting to get in, milling around in an entirely aimless fashion.

"What the heck is that?", he asked, pointing at the strange place, even as the bus left the area in which it could be seen. Dakren was by his side almost immediately ,stroking his bare chin in semblance of a beard- which was now slightly more purple than it had been before.

"Oh, that's just the zoo, dude.", said Dakren. "I mean, it's not a zoo dude. That's the zoo, my dude. Is what I should have said."

"The…zoo?", asked Leon. He thought he might have heard this word somewhere before, but he didn't really know what it meant. "Okay, and what is that?"

"Bruh.", said Dakren, rolling his eyes once again- which could now be seen to have a distinct reddish yellow purple tint, all three sparkled within. "How do you not know what anything is? You forgot your classes, the past few days, what zoos are- I had to remind you that you have a girlfriend? What, did someone take the real Leon and replace him with a body double from another fricking planet?"

Dakren's smile was innocent, of mere jest. But Leon now knew that worked in a different light. He knew what Dakren was saying was to tease him- and it made him quake.

"You…", he whispered under his breath, his eyes almost red with rage. Jester…

"But yeah anyways the zoo's pretty cool.", Dakren said, and began to rattle off the reasons on his fingers and hands. "The animals are always super great, all the different environments are always pretty legit, my family has a season pass-"

Those words sent shocks of anger down Leon's spine, each of them teasing him with a home that he had no idea how to get back to. His eyes narrowed, and his breath shortened.

"And of course it's where we're supposed to all meet in order to go to the U-", Dakren said, and stopped. He stared off into space for a few brief seconds, before the corners of his mouth pulled down and he gulped. "Oh, frick."

He grabbed Leon by the shoulder and pulled him to his feet, running them both to the doors, even as they were on the freeway. "Dude, we missed our stop! We missed the zoo!"

He opened the doors and jumped out, Leon automatically following, despite not fully understanding just what was going on. "Dude, run!"

The two left the bus in a burst of speed, landing on the front roof of a taxicab at high speed, denting the metal with the blunt force impact. Dakren grunted and Leon growled, both of them rolling up and over the top of the cab- until Leon's hand shot out and grabbed on to the taxi's hold station, stopping them both in their tracks with a powerful yank. Dakren's shirt pulled up on his chin, and he began to choke from the pressure- until Leon, with a powerful pull and a mighty groan, pulled him on to the flat top of the roof. There they both lay, flattened on the roof from the wind, as the taxi roared on down the road, hugging the curves of the low mountain road, fortunately approaching the zoo instead of moving away from it.

"That-", said Leon, and spat out a bit of metal that had painfully become lodged in his lip. "That was stupid. This is stupid. What we're doing right now is kinda stupid."

"Hehe, I know.", said Dakren, and grinned. "Isn't it great?"

Leon looked at him. His hair was not unlike his own, blowing in the wind just the same. His attitude was pretty likeable too, if a bit strong. He could honestly get used to being friends with him- but he shook his head. No. He couldn't. He had to escape, and get out of the dream, or simulation, or alternate reality, or whatever the frick it was, and get back to what he was supposed to be doing. And that was… was…

His heart almost stopped for a second, as he realized he forgot what it was. But then he remembered again with a shock of relief, and he gripped the car tighter. "Kill Rakastamos…"

"You keep on saying that.", said Dakren, and Leon looked over. "Is that like a boss in a game or something? What game is it? What platforms?"

Leon just shook his head, and saw the zoo approaching up ahead. He gathered his strength, and prepared to jump. "I guess he's a boss. Not a game though."

Dakren considered this point, then stopped. He didn't know Leon had a job- or was apparently about to stop having one. "Well, alrighty then. Let's jump!"

Leon grabbed hold of Dakren's hand as the sidewalk right in front of the zoo came into access. He concentrated, closed his eyes, and jumped- right off the taxicab and into the air.

They flew through the air, gaining glory in the momentum, Dakren holding on to Leon a little bit tighter than he would have liked- until the second came when they crashed into the ground gloriously, tucking, rolling, and smashing right into a nearby tree, falling down into a double heap and groaning from the pain. They lay there together, staring upwards into the tree's branches, watching a single mina bird stare down at them in second hand confusion and embarrassment. It watched them for a few seconds as they lay there, with heavy breathing and feeling of ribs to make sure nothing was broken, then flew off to less awkward locales with hopefully a lot more bread. But almost the second the mina bird was gone, its piercing gaze was replaced with that of a woman's, staring down at the two in both confusion and shock.

"Dakren?", asked the woman, and bent down to pick him up. "Leon? I was wondering where you to got off to!"

Leon slowly pushed himself off the ground and went to adjust his hood- before realizing that in this strange bit of reality, he was not wearing one. So his hands went to his pockets instead, also a default position, as Dakren readjusted his bent out of shape body.

"Where were you two boys?', asked the woman, genuine concern in her voice. "We've been looking all over for you! I was beginning to think that you two had just skipped!"
"Skipped?", asked Dakren, and made a strange sound. "Yeah, no. Pshaw, not us. We just had missed the zoo rendezvous on accident and had to jump."

"Jump?", asked the woman in horror, and clutched her pearl necklace. "Whatever do you mean, jump?"

"We...,", said Leon, and coughed. "We had to jump from the bus onto a taxi, and then onto the zoo grounds. Just that. Nothing major."

"Oh my…", said the woman, and almost staggered back. "Dakren, please tell me that you didn't actually do that!"

"Oh!", said Dakren ,and lied. "No. No, no. We got off at a bus stop and walked back, don't worry."

He shot a silent glare at Leon, who just shrugged. What?, he thought, out of habit. I like telling the truth.

It took him a few seconds of the woman frantically going over them, checking for bumps, scrapes, and bruises, for him to realize that Dakren was not about to answer. So he turned away, towards the parking lot- and suddenly felt something in his pocket. It took him a moment to figure out just what it was, until he remembered that it was his phone. He was not even remotely close to internalizing such a possession of that fact as he looked to se what it was.

It was a message from someone known as GF- Leon's heart skipped a beat as he remembered that meant GF. The text read something that made him even more nervous, at the thought of actually meeting her- in parking lot. where are you guys?

"Hey, Darken-", Leon began, before looking up to see the woman scratching Dakren's head like a cat, him leaning into her hand, clearly enjoying it. Leon took a moment to regret having packed his eyes that morning, and shook his head. "Hey Dakren. My girlfriend is here."

Dakren startled and backed away from the scratching, and scratched the back of his neck himself. He too pulled out his phone, took a look at it, and put it back. "Yeah, mine too. Let's go."

They began walking towards the parking lot, now realizing what the throng in front of the zoo gates had been. They too were college students, milling around in the vaguest possible definition of a line, any sense of order clearly having been given up on long, long ago.

Leon thought it was best not to question Dakren on just what he had been doing with the woman. He did not know who this place worked- maybe it was normal. Perhaps Leon could have gotten scritches as well, had he known he could have asked for them- but that just would have been awkward for him, even if it was socially acceptable.

"So…", said Leon, looking around for anything that might identity his mystery girlfriend- whoever and wherever she was. He didn't know what she looked like except for her body in a specific outfit, but she was almost certainly wearing something else now. He didn't know how he knew that. He always wore the same thing every day. But knew it he did, and that worried him. He didn't want to fit in here. He needed not to- he needed to remember who he was. "Where is she?"

"Bruh, don't worry about it.", said Dakren, and gave a low whistle at a pair of people walking by.

They huddled together and walked off hurriedly, Dakren looking somewhere else. "You'll know her when you see, right? That's how it works. Just like in the cartoons."

"Right…", said Leon, calm on the surface but boiling beneath. It made him enraged- to know that no matter who his girlfriend was, he was unable to keep her. He knew that he had to bust out of the place as soon as he could- in order to finally join up with his family again and kill Rak-

"Hey, Leon!", he heard, and looked up on instinct. What he saw approaching him made him, for just a second, forget all about Rakastamos.

She approached with a sway on her hips, and a smile on her face. He was barely able to think in concrete thoughts as he took in her crop top and long jeans, her longer ginger hair flowing in the wind. Her face looked like a cross between Mongolian and French ethnicity- he didn't know how he knew those words, or even what those words meant, but he thought them anyway.

He saw her tan skin, very much like his own, and her strong, firm muscles, all along her long arms and longer legs. He was hardly able to keep his eyes off of her curves, boosted by her strong muscle definition. A long silver bracelet was worn on one arm, winding down towards her hand in the shape of an eastern Dragon. Her eyes shone bright as she saw Leon, speeding up her run to reach him. "You guys made it! It's about time."

"Uh…", said Leon, and felt his skin grow hot as she, the most beautiful thing he had eve laid eyes on, approached him, practically flying over the grassy islands and black asphalt, himself unable to respond as she came closer. He saw another girl get out fo the car that She had exited, and Dakren excitedly respond, but he did not care. All he could see was her, perfection in jeans and ginger hair.

She reached him in a matter of seconds and put her arm around his shoulder, as he felt all the breath in his body take a quick vacation. "What happened, huh? You guys get lost?"

She honked his nose before Leon could respond, and he felt his eyes roll back. "Did my silly boy get lost?"

She watched in confusion and worry as he fainted in her arms, then looked up. "Hey Merru, there's water in the car, right? Leon just fainted. I think he's been out in the sun too long."

The second girl- Darken's girlfriend, Merru, frowned. She was a lot smaller- a mere 4'8, compared to her friend's 6'9. She was a light shade of red, her long pointed ears, black hair, and stubby horns contrasting nicely with her matching crop top and shorts. "I think so Liritu. But lemme check, alright?"

Liritu nodded, and wrapped Leon tighter in her strong arms, hearing Merru squeal from behind her as Dakren lifted her up and spun her around, tossing her slight, 90 pound frame into the air. As Liritu cradled Leon in her arms, she figured that the water was not coming from the small demon girl- so she reached out with her furred, monkey like tail, opened the car door, grabbed the bottle of water from within, brought it back, and held it up to Leon's lips.

Leon sputtered at the taste, still alien to him, and opened his eyes. His cheeks grew flushed as he saw Liritu staring down at him, worry and care on her face.

"Hey…", he croaked out, not wanting to move. "Hey, Liritu."

"Hey, Leon.", said Liritu, and picked him up entirely, holding him over her shoulders. "You got your classes picked out and everything?"

"Uh, yeah.", said Leon, and swallowed hard. "I sure do. But tell me them again, so I don't forget."

Leon's mind burned with confusion. He felt like he was missing something- but he had no idea what it was. He didn't know why he was so worried. He was just about to get registered for classes, with his girlfriend, friend, and friend's girlfriend. There was nothing to worry about at all.

"Oh, you goof.", said Liritu, and started walking, her long strides eating up ground- like another person that Leon was thinking of, although he did not know who. He also supposed that it did not matter. He just had to hold Liritu close, to smell her ginger hair. It smelled like flowers and lip balm. "You're supposed to know your classes."

"Yeah, I know.", said Leon, and took a deep breath. "But I forgot."
"You forgot?", asked Liritu, and frowned. "What do you mean, you forgot?"

"Leon's got amnesia or some crap.", said Dakren, and Merru finished the sentence. "He can't really remember much of anything right now. He didn't even remember that he had to go to college when he woke up."

"Oh no!", said Liritu, and gave Leon a little jostle, waking him up from his hair-induced trance. "You didn't forget I was your girlfriend, did you?"

Leon's face flushed, and he looked up into the distance, silently willing Dakren not to say anything. "No, no, of course not. Uh… pumpkin."

"Oh, pumpkin?", asked Liritu, and Leon stiffened- until she smiled. "That's a new one. I like it. Why don't you call me pumpkin again?"
"I can do that, pumpkin.", said Leon, getting a little more used to the idea. "That is nice."

The two snuggled closer, as he heard Dakren saying something about an amnesia shot. He realized they were now up close to the zoo grounds, standing in line, several officials moving about. Dakren leaned in to one, pointed to Leon, and wiggled his brow. "Yeah, that one. He needs an amnesia shot real quick, could you give it to him?"

The official nodded, withdrew a needle from his backpack, and moved in.

Leon looked up, and saw a bubble drift by, blown from a child's playset. He smiled as he watched it go by- yeah. He could stay here for a while.

That thought sent a chill up his spine. The bubble- staying here? What? What was he-

Bubble. Leon's eyes opened in shock, and his skin ran cold. What was he doing? How could he forget? He had to get back, he had to escape, and above all, he absolutely had to not forget ag-

He felt something stab him in the neck, and he cried out in pain. His hand flew to his neck to stop it- then almost as soon as the pain had begun, it stopped. He looked outwards.

"I remember my classes.", he said, and smiled. "I- I remember everything!"

"Hey hey!", said Dakren, and gave Leon a fist bump, or at least tried to. He could not reach. "It worked!"

"Right.", said Leon, and felt the group move up. They were now standing in front of a booth, held by a single man wearing a white suit and a stamp in hand. He gave the all a brilliant smile, and held out a book. "Names, please?"

"Leon Reivanon.", said Liritu, and Leon nodded. "Liritu Grrshanka. Dakren Wilson. And Merru Midas."

"Right, right.", said the man, and looked down at his hand. "Those do match the names I have in my book- so."

He stamped each of their hands with a lightning fast motion, looked up again, and smiled.

"Welcome to the U."

Song: The Intro- XX

Only silence covered the sky.

Only silence filled the strange air that Brandy found herself in, not knowing where she was, or even if she was anywhere to be. Or even if she was in a state capable of being in a state of being anywhere, or even if she knew what any of that meant, or even how to find any of it out.

Those thoughts jumped and danced in her head like a pair of crazed Spirits, twisting and swirling, bumping and whirling, around her faster than she could even possibly hope to-

She sat up. She sat up, seeing the strange darkness that filled the small room she was in. It was impossible to tell completely where she was, given that there was no light, nothing on the walls. The windows were closed, revealing absolutely no hint of just where she had gotten herself. She rubbed her head- she could only somewhat remember what had happened just a few moments ago. There was the Jester, the battle- she had hit him with her Rage, she very clearly remembered, blowing his entire face clean off and-

She felt sick in her chest, and a little bit in her mouth as well. She clutched the edges of her mask, pulling it down, feeling the comforting sounds of the soft leather skin she always had. That was comforting at least, to feel something very consistent. Even if she had no idea what or where or even who was going on, she herself had not changed.

But her first order of business, after securing her own precious identity- not that it was going anywhere, nor would it ever- was finding out just where she was. The Jester's hastily opened portal could have catapulted her anywhere in all of known reality, she anticipated. So no matter what, she had to move slowly, move cautiously, and above all, move-

The light turned on with a soft flick, revealing a young boy of about 18 standing at the entrance to the room. He was not menacing at all, merely tired, dressed in oddly shaped feetie pajamies and a snug woolen blue hat. Brandy instantly Dashed to the other side of the room, hiding behind what she could now see to be a TV. It was turned off- until another boy, only his arm rising up out of the sheets, flicked a single button on the remote. The TV turned on with a sharp flash- and one of the boys groaned at the sight.

"Bruh, we are not playing Wii sports again!", he groaned, and slammed his fist down on the remote. The TV turned off again, and the boy that had turned it on grumbled. "We should be getting up, going to breakfast."

"Riht, right.", the boy said who had been standing up, beginning to unzip his pajamies, to Brandy's slight discomfort. "Up and at em, trumpets!"

She made a soft sound as she looked away- and the boy who had turned off the TV abruptly noticed her. He looked up and saw her, his face twisting into total shock. "Hey, who the fri-"

Then Brandy saw him. Another boy, much larger and older looking then the others, still sleeping in the bed in the middle. She looked at him as he opened his eyes- and saw something that unsettled her completely beyond words. For she saw a little bit of herself in his open eyes.

But the scene changed as suddenly as it had begun, the entire room turning in on itself and shifting to the sight of her in a hallway, running down as fast as possible, almost as if running to get away- then it shifted once more, far quicker and stronger this time, into a place, a world of absolute wonder. She could not help but gasp, despite the confusing situation.

For all around her, as far as the eye could see, in the wonderful smelling, cold night air, were lights. Lights that flew from the water below her- she could now see that she had been standing on a bridge- lights that danced in the air like flying fish, strange and wonderful animations displayed upon them, truly like nothing she had ever, ever seen. There were dozens- no, hundreds- no, maybe even thousands of people all surrounding her in a tightly packed throng, each of them cheering in awestruck wonder every time a new firework exploded in the deeply dazzled sky. But that was not all that Brandy could scarcely even take her eyes off of-

The world around her was filled with all sorts of contraptions, machines and wonders that flung people around, jostled people together, and smushed them into each other at hight speed, flying over rails- not entirely unlike what they had done at Ice Mountain. She looked behind her- and saw a gigantic tower, done up in spacial colors and punk like decor, a cargo load of people all screaming at the top, right before they fell into the abyss.

Brandy shivered and looked far beyond that- her gaze flew past all the people, which she had taken until now to identify as… nothing. They weren't Troops. They weren't Brawlers, or anything of the sort. They weren't anything, just regular people. That thought made her shiver, but not as much as she thought she should have. That would have started the cycle of shivering all over again, had she not seen what lay beyond the border of darkness, entering into another world of light, a greater and wiser heaven that she could not have previously hoped to even begin to imagine.

She could see the seven lands within her head, each burning and pulsing with their own flavor, and their own strength. The brightly lit desert to her left, the river and the mountains dry and parched. The street to her direct front, strange in its homogony and darkly familiar in its taste. The dark green jungles to her down left, exciting in their life force and rich in their potential. The cobblestoned village directly up ahead, immensely comforting in its innate familiarity and love-driven being. The strange blue area to her far upper right- odd in its futurity but dymanagic in its brilliance. The small two areas to her lower right- one was bumbling and friendly, a strange sort of familiarity within- but the other was darkly intense, almost haunted with the ghosts of a sickening past, unable to een be described in words. She almost backed up from the feeling of it- but the names. They soon become familiar to her, burning in her mind. She had never heard them before, but they were practically memorized now.

Pirates of the Caribbean. Haunted Mansion. Jungle Cruise. Space Mountain. Indiana Jones-

"Well, which one is it?", she heard next to her, and whipped around. There was the boy she had seen before- he seemed to assume that she was someone else. "Which one do you want to go on-"

Then he turned, saw her, and almost screamed.

But before he had ever gotten the chance, the scene once again broke, shattered asunder like so much breaking glass, and was abruptly turned into a dark room at night, returning to its previous state- but no, no it wasn't. It was a far different room at night this one, smaller, darker, and with only one bed. But the darkness was scared away almost in its entirety as something else became visible- a figure laying on his stomach in front of a laptop, laughing at something playing on the screen. Brandy could not quite see what it was, only that it was flashing lights very rapidly, going through several things at once. She looked closer- it was… a music video? Judging from the rapid yet rhythmic pace, that seemed to be the correct answer. She drew closer, and took a deep breath. She was not sure if she should do so, but- what the heck. She slowly put her hand downwards, and touched the boy- for she assumed that was his identity- gently on the back.

Almost immediately he lashed out, trying to catch her by the knee- but of course Brandy was far too quick. She jumped up and landed back again within a single second, pinning him to the ground by one knee, not wanting to hurt him at all, just wanting to keep him down.

"Hey, what's going on?", she asked as nicely as possible, wanting him to be calm. "Where am I? What is this place? And… who are you?"

"Stay…", the boy growled, and Brandy alone could see his eyes light up. "Stay away from me!"

Brandy raised her hands in defense- but the boy pushed outwards with unimaginable power.

The scene shifted once again, to… to… to…

Brandy took a look around, and thought. This one was hardly even recognizable. She had had at least some basic idea of what was going on in the previous few locations, but this? This one was just weird. Weirder than anything, in all her life, she had ever set eyes on.

Everything around her was made, strangely enough, of blocks. The ground, which was stone and rough to walk upon, was made of evenly sparced blocks, most of them a dark grey- but the occasional difference, strange patterns wrought upon its surface via some unknown magic.

She looked around, seeing the same in every direction. Several strange menus were open in her vision, measuring everything from the depth she was at to the number of blocks in her inventory. She didn't know what any of those meant at all, but she guessed it would be nice to have them around anyway. Truth be told, she had heard of things like this before- but she thought that only Miners had this type of dream. It didn't make sense for her to be dreaming about being underground, if that is what she as going through. Nothing else had this same pacing- the pacing of a bizarre dream. Nothing else had the scene seen from the outside looking out, or the inside looking in, as it turned and warped itself, turning inside out once more.

This time was similar, but still not the same. This time she found herself in the dead center of a huge sandy field, rocky and grassy cliffs looming upwards on all sides of her- but they were strange as well, rockier and bulkier than they had any real right to be, the same strange block-like quality as the place before. But hardly had Brandy had any time to study the strange area than a raging Fireball burst by, exploding with a wave of familiar heat on the rock behind her.

Hey, was that a-, she thought, and she leaped as she saw a bolt of Lightning flash from the sky behind her and almost strike her location, had her joints not moved out of the way in time.

She twisted behind her, to see a great missile of Ice explode where she had just barely been. They're Wizards!, she thought, and slightly perked up. Maybe they can help me to-

But then her vision returned in full force, as a gush of lava rushed by, pursued by those who rode lines of water. She felt disappointed, in the lack of Wizards that had been seen.

She moved around, dodging shot after shot- when the scene changed again, swiftly turning and rolling into another strange place, similar to the last two in some imperceptible way, but she could not quite place just how.

This one seemed to be a darkened forest, the trees pine and ceder. Yet they too were blocky- the ground square in most places, broken up only by the sharp triangles that occasionally formed the stone ground. It was a very strange sight, to say the very least- but not as strange as the massive crystals that grew all around, lining the entrance to what seemed to be a Gold Mine. Or at least, it looked like a railway with a mine cart- and that looked an awful lot like a Gold Mine to her. Judging from the way it hooked directly into a mountain, it was most likely something else. But she thought about going in- and found herself Dashing directly into it, all the way in before she could even stop herself. She didn't really know what she was expecting to be inside- but a strange man with a stranger body in a stranger still outfit was not it.

"You're not from around here, are you?", he asked, his voice shifty and growly. It was also somewhat blocky and digital, a fact that seemed odd. His eyes were dodgier than a Bat at night, looking around from fear of perhaps getting caught. "You're a strange girl, from a strange land."

He looked around again, and before Brandy had the chance to say anything, threw a purple box at her face. She caught it and stared at wonder, her Bandit instincts automatically wondering what could be inside. The crystals on the walls, glowing orange and green and red, also triggered the sense. "Anyway, here's your free box. Now go, go! You cannot let Him see you."

"Wait, wha-", Brandy asked, before the scene shifted once more, the world falling from her grasp.

This time she found herself in a large, red, immensely plush theater seat, a tray of popcorn on one armrest and a glass of bright purple Elixir Wine on the other. She was trapped between the back and the seat- until she Dashed a bit, popping out and back into the air. She found the box she had been given within her right hand, and she snuck it into her pocket at once. She knew not what she had been given, but somehow knew its immense potential value.

She looked out over the grand theater in which she now found herself, and her eyes raised in total shock. Past the rows upon rows of similar or identical seats, past the strange neon beings that sat in the chairs and cheered with delight, was the stage- and upon that stage was a sight that was both comedic and sickening. A sight familiar to her, in a very strange way.

"No more talk of darkness…", sang the actor on the stage, and Brandy's face flushed, both with immense embarrassment of the past and an intense urge to laugh- but she had to hold it. The song was not comedic in the slightest, even if her memories of it were. "No more-"

But she could not hold it, the past too hilarious for her to take. She burst out laughing in the seat, almost falling over and onto the ground. The popcorn spilled over onto her hair as her hood fell down off her head, sticking in the soft white locks. But she, laughing, did not care- not until the entirety of the theater all turned around and stared right at her, the neon eyes boring past her bangs and right into her whole self.

Brandy gulped, and backed up. She knew that look well enough from experience, even if it was on the faces of alien beings- the look of being cheated out of something they had all payed good money for. She jumped over the set and Dashed towards the exit- or at least, where she thought one would be. But there was none, only a solid black wall and a few concession stands.

She looked towards the stage- and grit her teeth. There was only one way out. She had been a part of enough stage productions with Sadie and Elizabeth to know that there was always a backstage no matter what. So she bent at the knee, aimed herself, forwarded immense amounts of Dash to her legs, and-

Brandy soared high and long over the crowd, their neon and blue tentacles reaching up to grab her- but they soared only with the heat of a dimly lit star, and she seared with the heat of a supernova. She blasted over the crowd at top speed, leaving a shockwave behind that blew the arms off of many, tucking and rolling behind the stage in a flash of green, white, and blue.

But she could not wait, nor look around to see where she was. She had to keep on moving- and keep on moving she did, rolling through the darkness, just trying to get away.

Before long she bumped into something, and she actively, instinctively, jumped back. She looked up to see what it was, and flinched. There was a gigantic Jester's Mask, leering down at her with all the wit and malice it could muster, which was a lot for an inanimate object- or was it? Was it truly just an inanimate, lifeless mask, or was it the Jester in fact, looking down upon her in this strange, unknown world? Brandy did not know, but regardless of the unknown, she was gong to find out. So she drew back her fist, charged it up with Dash, and punched the Jester's Mask as hard as she could, blowing right through the plaster and shredding a layer of curtains from the wave of air. She frowned- that was not nearly as strong as she thought it would be. Perhaps this strange place, whatever it might have been, was power limiting. She shivered, and gripped her fist tighter. That was a bad thing for it to be.

She Dashed past the wreckage of the mask, still floating down gently to the ground, and touched hers to make sure it was still there. It was. That was a relief.

She ran past a richly decorated table, filled with all sorts of deeply red jewelry- and her fingers tingled once more. Every inch and cell of her natural Bandit physiology screamed at her to take some- and she almost did. But then she saw the strange sign on the table, and it distracted her long enough to gain back some restraint. She took a deep breath, and read the sign again.

For crew members only, it read, with a small picture of a rainbow flag and a knife. Don't touch.

That would have at least persuaded any regular person to not touch. But Brandy was not any regular person- and her thoughts were only of messing with whoever had put it there. She highly enjoyed doing things she was not allowed to do, and this was no exception.

So she grabbed a string of pearls, and threw them into her pocket, alongside her purple box. She did not stop to consider why they were restricted- she had just figured they were going to be used for something. So she Dashed on, still trying to find some way out- when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. Was it bizarre? Yes. Was it unsettling? Certainly. Was it terrifying beyond reason and scarier than anything she had ever, ever seen? Well, no, for obvious reasons, - but it certainly came a little bit close.

The display was that of an entire wall mounted rack of puppets, none of them moving, unfittingly bright scenery along the back wall, of a sunlit farm and smiles. It would have been almost better if they had active, the puppets' disjointed limbs and empty eyes bringing only creepiness to the air. Yet despite their randomized gazes, Brandy could swear she felt every single one of the, all staring right at her. It was odd- she had never been afraid of puppets before, never interacted with them at all, but these ones perhaps were about to change all that.

That was especially true as one of them suddenly sat up, rubbed its eyes, and opened its mouth to speak.

Brandy did not wait around to find out what it was going to try and do. She instead just Dashed out through the next curtain, zooming through the dark blue and green cloth, lost for a second in the rich stacks and bolts of the cut and hanged material, the business of it all, the catalogued feeling of the rich sensation. But then it was gone as she bolted out again, into-

Into a place stranger, yet more oddly familiar than she had been before. It was a large backstage of a scene-rich play, the dozens of massive scenery chunks all rolled around in the cramped space. The pull racks for the curtains overhead were right next to Brandy, attended only by a mostly sleeping youth, tall and extremely thin, a big plastic jar of pretzels next to him on one side and his mostly dimmed down phone on the other. Brandy knew which one she wanted- and grabbed a handful, popping them into her mouth as she looked around.

This one seemed a lot more, well, normal than all of the others. It seemed more sane, more down to the ground, a place where she could take a nice break from all of the constant chaos. She sat down on a flight of steel stairs, chewed on her pretzels, and thought about opening her purple box- when she heard strange singing coming from just up ahead. It was strange how she had not noticed it before, but there it was now. There it was again, louder this time, and it went-

"Ha ha ha! Ho ho ho! And a couple of tra la las!"

She crept forward, noticing the extremely distinct green light now starting to emanate from the stage front where the people- she assumed- were singing. "That's how we laugh the day away-"

She jumped out halfway through the thick alabaster, violet, and seagreen curtain, and saw a group of people right in the middle of doing quite the elaborate dance. They, in turn, were in front of a very large crowd of people, all of them very strange, none of whom seemed to notice Brandy all that much, for they were very well focused on the performance. Brandy knew that she should not disturb them, as interesting as the strange performance was, keeping her eyes on it as she slithered back into the backstage. She took a deep breath, turned around, and-

There was the boy again. She had just come face to face with him, his a particular mask of shock, dropping his phone to the ground in surprise.

"Who the frick are you?", he asked, and jumped back. "Leave me alone!"

Brandy tried to say something, to convince the boy, whoever he was, that she was a friend and not an opponent. But the scene once again changed before she could say anything, lightness taking over from the dark of the stage.

This time, she threw up her guard automatically. She had no idea what she was about to face, but she had to be ready. Ready for anything, ready no matter what, ready for-

Ready for an extremely surprised looking teenage girl, holding he own hand out in semblance of defense, obvious fear upon her face at the powerful being that had suddenly been slammed down into her presence by the power of whatever ruled the chaos-born landscape.

"Oh!", shouted Brandy, and let her arm down. It would normally be a bit of an unwise move, but she could tell the girl was not a threat. There was no aura of menace around her at all. She held out her hand towards the girl, who flinched at the sight. "Sorry about that. Didn't meant at all to scare you."

But the girl continued to stare in caution for a few seconds- until finally, she let out a deep breath she had been holding. She slowly extended her own hand, and the two shook.

"Nice to meet you.", said Brandy, with the widest smile she could have. "My name is Brandy. What's yours?"
"Uh…", said the girl, and decided she had really nothing to lose. "Maddie. My name's Maddie."
"Well, glad I could meet you, Maddie.", said Brandy, and looked around. "Now, could you tell me where we are? I do think that I'm lost."
'Uh…", said Maddie, and looked around herself, even though she knew exactly where she was. Brandy's tone of voice was such that it itself created confusion where there previously had been none. "The commons area?"

"Okay...,", said Brandy, and looked up. "And where is that?"

"Um-", said Maddie, very clearly distracted by Brandy's otherworldly look, and she assumed that was fair, for she had probably never seen a Bandit before- but her words were cut off as the scene began to change once more, a loud scream of anger echoing from somewhere far beyond.

As Brandy fell through the infinite void between some reality, broken and shattered into bits by the strange power of perhaps the Jester, perhaps something else- even, perhaps, her own- but that didn't make any sense. She had no power to warp reality- she didn't think. But perhaps-

That thought was left aside at the corner of her swirling brain as she landed on white tile floor, strangely pacifist music playing all around her in the cool summer air, right behind a stark green potted plant. She did not even really want to know where she had gotten herself to this time.

But she knew that if she didn't check out her surroundings, attack would most likely be imminent. So she gathered he strength, took a deep breath, and jumped up from behind the potted plant, 17 feet in the air exactly, to see-

A mall. She could see a mall, not unlike the ones found just outside Electro Valley, Legendary Arena, and to some extent, the borders of Hog Mountain. It seemed familiar, as did everything she had seen thus far, but the color scheme was all different .It was not black, red and blue, nor dark blue and grey, nor even green, gold, and white. It was a strange silver and blue, bits of green and yellow peeking through on the accents, small golden flecks on the tiles. There were many potted plants all around- arrayed at seemingly random intervals and angles, almost as if they had been placed to intentionally block the path. This was in fact true- the makers of the mall had put them there to direct foot traffic all around to the each and every one of the varying shops, everything from a candle maker to a crystal shaman opening their doors, gates, and iron grates for business. But that is not what Brandy was focused on as she fell gracefully back to the ground- no, that honor fell on the display up at the front of the mall hallway, a rather peculiar soundstage, white and blue in color, corals, shells, and electronics in design. A pair of… somethings… danced atop it, their tentacle hair flowing in the motion and their shimmering clothes almost blinding. They sang a strange language into the microphone, Brandy completely unable to tell what they were saying. She stood there for a few seconds in confusion, trying in vain to understand, when they apparently stopped their song and stood away from the mike.

"Thank you, thank you!", said the taller squidlike woman, and held her hands up into the air. "I'm Maddie Cons!"

Her partner, who was about 3 feet shorter than her and somewhat similar looking- her younger sister, perhaps?- closed one eye and blew a kiss, her hair rising up above her and waving around. "And I'm Caddie Mons! It's been a real pleasure performing for you this afternoon, but we really have to-"

Then Caddie's eye caught Brandy, attempting to move away without being seen. But she was a bit rusty in the strange land, and seen she was. Caddie's mouth dropped open and she pointed, gathering the attention of Maddie. "Maddie, look!"

The two stared at Brandy, who was debating whether or not to attack. They looked innocent enough, but… Caddie had that look in her eye, as Maddie put her hands over her nose. "It's her!"

That was enough to make up Brandy's mind. She scowled, pushed up off of the floor, and flew through the air, the resulting shockwave blowing through chairs and knocking the two squid stars off their feet. She soared off into another region of the mall, noting with odd calm how swiftly the strange decor had changed. Within mere feet, it had gone from light and airy, calm by the sea outland to tan and stony, rich brown ultrawood lining the stairs she had thrown herself upwards. She hit the dark red floor and skidded along the rough surface, the friction enough to stop her in seconds. She looked up and saw the statues all along the walls, the heads of Birds and Oxen atop the otherwise humanoid figures. She thought it all rather odd- until she turned around, and saw an escalator carrying a very tall humanoid, blue and green surrounding him like his own personal cloud, his arms and hands outstretching to hold a couple hundred packages, no doubt gained from the mall's still yet upper floors, all balancing impossible within his grip. Brandy turned to where she had come from, in order to make sure that no one was following her- but that spot had been suddenly, irreverently replaced with a row of fishtanks, each and everyone of them strange and bizarre in their own unique ways. Some of them held fish that were clearly too large for the tanks, brown mottled Groupers squished up against the sides and sloshing the water out with every move they made. Some of them were too small for the tanks they had, miniscule fingernail sized fish within a hundred gallons of blue empty water, swimming around aimlessly in absolute existential despair. One of the tanks held a strange sort of Octopus, moving around its highly decorated home with a strange sort of pride. One of them held a bony white fish, swimming around in a perfectly straight line- until it turned around, and Brandy could see that it was not a live fish, but in fact a swimming Skeleton. That was, strange enough, yet somehow comforting to her. No matter the world, Skeletons weres still real.

There was a tank that was not a tank at all- it actually appeared to be a live feed to the actual ocean. Brandy watched as a gigantic Kraken, truly miles in both width and breadth, churned up the water around it, sucking in dozens of Whales and Sharks. They vanished into its titanic maw, and Brandy shivered as the screen contorted. She looked to the next- to another gigantic grouper, swimming back and forth in its tiny tank, performing seemingly back breaking movements with every lap. It stared back at her with movements that seemed almost human, and opened its mouth to speak.

"You've been here for a long time, amigo.", it said, in the single strangest voice that Brandy had ever heard. "You better get out of here before you forget how."

Brandy shrieked at that thought- and the world twisted once more, Brandy falling in and out of space, borne to her next otherworldly destination.

She landed within seconds on the cold hard ground, soaked with spilled water and the juice of something red. She looked up- and smiled, as she saw that it was not. It was merely the spilled juice of a child's cup, and the water just the flow from a nearby fountain. The sky was a bright and glorious blue overhead, the gigantic metal rails stretching forth huge in the air, the trees bright and happy all down the path. She stood up and stretched, relieved to at least have something stable. She smiled into the air- "Oh, it's this place again!"

But as she looked again, she realized it was not. There were no orange trees in the strange other park she now found herself in. There were no people along the paths- or at least not the same ones she had been seeing before. These were strange people, all sorts of sizes, shapes and models. There were even, she thought, the strange squid people she had seen before, but not pop stars this time. They were running around the paths, all trying to get places at top speed- whether it was the grand Primal River Rush to Brandy's north, or the the mysterious Dark Torrent to her also north, or the very small Kaiju Jump Jr to her immediate right, only a few feet away. She saw a small child rush in excitedly, grab the lever on the side, buckle himself in- and pull the lever with a loud sproing, ejecting himself from the cartoonish reptile of a seat and lying high into the air. Brandy watched as he narrowly missed being hit and swept along by a fast moving train, and fall back to the chair. He clapped his hands and laughed, his mother carrying him away despite his cries of "Again! Again!"

Brandy looked at the thing- if that was just the junior, then how large and dangerous must the senior be? She made a mental note to find it and ride it if she was ever to find herself here again- but the first order of business was still to be escaping. The Jester was hardly an enemy that would just go around defeating himself, after all.

Brandy looked around for any way to escape the strange park- and saw something that might help. A great white house on the hill overlooking the entire thing, a strange sort of familiarity coming from within. That in itself was an itch she could not possibly scratch, why all of it continued to seem familiar, despite the fact she had never seen any of it before today. But she took her mind off of such things, as she put her head down, concentrated, and Dashed, sprinting at absolute top speed down the greenly lit path and towards the house, noticing the strange plantation warping past her as the world blurred, and she slowed down. She looked around and saw that she was inside the mountain itself, having suddenly and inexplicably gone Extremely Fast. She looked to her right- and saw a wall covered with dirt and dinosaur bones, strange feelings of dread seeping off like water. She looked to the left, and saw a grand orchestra, all dressed in white, playing godly music like their lives depended on it. She was just about to walk among them, to hear the music a bit more, when she heard footsteps to her front over the colossal noise, something coming over the glass floor, what looked to be a dissection of a truly gargantuan Rex going on below. She looked up, not getting distracted, and saw a strange man in white running towards her at top speed. She flinched- but he seemed like a friend.

"Brandy!", he cried out, and shot something towards her. It stuck onto her hand, a beeping green and blue light. "You're getting off track. Go. Be safe."

"Wait, wha-", was all she managed to say, before the world once more spun into void.

The place she was dropped in to next was the exact opposite of the place that she had just been. In sharp contrast to the happy and triumphant atmosphere of the park, a grandiose feeling of having "made it at last", the feeling that she got, before she even opened her eyes, was one of absolute fear, and overwhelming terror. She yelped from the sound of the hum, not quite wanting to open her eyes- but she knew that she had to. She cracked her eyes open just a bit- and almost gasped. There was plenty enough reason to- but she did not wish to alert whatever it was creeping around the house to her presence. For she could see that that is what it was- a house. But this was not any normal house, not even close. This house carried the true agony and pain of something awful, terrible beyond anything that mere words could describe.

The entire house stunk of yellow fear, a great and awful feeling that rose up through the throat and choked off one's breath like a vise. It was not just the fear of something bad- it was the fear of something inescapable, something that came no matter what efforts were put forth to defeat it, something that was truly awful, inevitable- something that ended hope. The house was a house without hope- Brandy could see that now. Everything from the tilted angles of the house itself to the various stains on the wall- Brandy could see blood, beer, and… something else... - told her that. The hundreds of spilled and scattered objects around the floor, each of them reeking of intense mistreatment and endless pain, despair embodied in the uncleaned bits of torn off skin and spilled blood on the couch behind her, illuminated in the cold, unfeeling blue light of the outside moon. Brandy jumped to her feet and began to stalk through the room, wondering if she would perhaps be able to catch anything that was responsible.

She walked through the abandoned nightmare of a kitchen, seeing the dishes piled high and the empty cans piled even higher. Everywhere she looked, there were the cans- blank for the most part, only one word written upon their dented metal surfaces- Beer.

Brandy walked away from the depressing kitchen and entered the dining room- then recoiled in shock at what she saw. Beneath the blue light and the yellow aura of the hellish dwelling's carpeted ceiling was a table. On that table was a body of what looked to be a young man, perhaps about 14, leaned over on the table, his head face down on the surface. But that was not the part that freaked her out- it was that there was a hole in his head, blood dripping down onto the thrice-stained carpet, and a gun still in his lifeless hand, staring her with eyes that held no trace of sentience.

Brandy almost felt like crying. The sensation of this evil house was getting to her in a way that no other place had, seeping into her very soul and bones. But she knew she had to do something about whatever was causing it. She had to end the nightmare of this broken family- so she crept past the fallen brother, closed his eyes, and crept on further into the dark.

She soon came past a slightly ajar door in the dark blue hall, and heard the crying of a very young child within. Brandy's heart sank- she could not have been more than 1 or 2, 3 at the very, very most. Brandy grit her teeth and clenched her fist, ducking into the room with a single swift motion. No baby was going to cry on her watch, regardless of how abusive its parents were. She tucked and rolled into the room- and her eyes widened in shock, as she saw just what was happening.

The baby, she could see, was most likely about 4. She stood up in her crib and pointed in screaming at the thing on the far side of the room- a gigantic spider, a whole family of stuffed animals all wrapped up in its thick webbing, its almost 3 foot legspan far too large for any spider to comfortably be. Brandy thought she could see an actual smile on its face as it wrapped up the last of the child's playmates, a smiling stuffed Lion.

The child cried at the sight of the last of her comfort stolen by the gigantic Spider, chuckling evilly to itself as it put the Lion in a pile with the others- when she saw Brandy creep in through the door, and stopped crying just from the surprise. The Spider stopped its noise as well, neither of them expecting to see such a strange visitor- and in the silence that followed, Brandy could hear who she assumed to be the parents, arguing in a few rooms over.

"Darling, the baby stopped crying.", said the mother.

"Eh… what do I care?", droned one the most despicable voices Brandy had ever heard, and she had to fight to keep her rage contained. "Let her. The spider probably got her."

"Why, Milo!", said the mother, with anger in her tone. "I didn't-"

There was a painful sounding slap, and Brandy winced. She continued to hear the father talk, wanting so much to rip out his heart, but knowing that his words contained valuable info.

"Listen, Mary.", said the father, after a long sip of beer, the mother's crying barely audible. "That baby's gonna die either way. Either the spider, or I put a bullet through her head myself. You got that?"

"Yes…", said Mary, and sniffed. "I do."

"Goood, good.", said the man, and took another long, controlling drink. "I do what?"

"I do, ma-", said the mother, and Brandy felt her Rage surge. She could not handle it anymore to hear them talk like that- she had to get rid of the mother's pain. But first, the spider.

With a single Zap-fast motion, Brandy's fist went right through the bugger's body, blowing it into tiny bits and pieces. She didn't even hesitate as she Dashed her arms through the webbing, tearing it to bits and uncovering the lost stuffed animals, handing them to the baby, patting her on the head, giving her a kiss on the forehead, and Dashing off into the night, leaving the small child confused- but happy, in the end.

"And what's more, you should be happy I let you even live here!", shouted the man, and gave Mary another slap across the face, pushing he down into the floor. He put his heavy work boot on her ribs and pressed, prompting both a snap and a wet, pained gasp. "Do you really want to end up in the streets again like that worthless pile of crap you call a family?"

"No-", said Mary, and gasped. "No master. No dearest."

"And no crying!" shouted the man, and pressed down harder. "You're happy to be my-"

He heard the door open, and turned around. There stood Brandy, her hair floating off of her head, purple all around her, and absolute death in her eyes.

"Hey, are you the feds?", asked the man, and looked around nervously. "Case otherwise, I think i might just have to take that pretty little skirt of yours for my coll-"

"DORRRRRRA!", Brandy screamed, and suddenly Dashed forward. Her fist went all the way through the man's body like a hammer through tissue paper, blowing him apart into chunk.

Despite the woman's sudden gasp of relief, Brandy knew she had only seconds to example the job. She held the woman's face in her hands, and spoke as loud as she could. "I helped your baby gonna help the basement wow what a jerk bye!"

She Dashed down into the basement, phasing through the wall, feeling the sorrow beginning to seep out of the walls and into nothing- then it happened. She started to shift again, and blindly struck out- then her last sight of the latest place was of her Dash wave breaking through the chains of a young boy held to exercise equipment, the mother running over and holding him in her arms.

Brandy let herself smile at a job well done, half a moment before crashing down into a large plastic and metal bucket, turning it over on its side and spilling Brandy herself out onto the floor, a black tile job, complete with the shine of fluorescent lights overhead. She looked up and saw the sign- "Tae's Genuine Antiques."

Well, that answered it. This time ,she was in an antique store, whatever that meant for her. She knew what one was- she had been to many with Brenda often a time before- but she didn't know what she would find there. It was impossible to predict, with so many possible enemies, and… so much possible loot. She felt it upon her forehead once again- her instincts had been kicked into overdrive by falling through space and reality so many times in such a short while. That included her Bandit instincts as well, and the urge to steal grew ever stronger. Her fingers reached out automatically- as she heard someone come around the corner, and yell something in a language that she did not understand.

Brandy hissed and pulled back her hand, after having grabbed something shiny from a nearby cauldron that had become tipped over from her fall. She jumped forward, thinking she would hit the wall and bounce off to another part of the shop- but instead she just went straight through the heavy cloth, through the false wall and into a great and terrible nothing, only leading directly to the dread void.

Or at least, Brandy thought. She had not seen where the many stacks of things were arranged, and so thought the dark floor was nothing at all. But it was and she rolled upon it, coming up in a bit of a frazzled position once she hit a rack of clothes, spitting out a bit of loose cloth that had somehow become lodged inside her mouth. She looked and began to walk around, knowing not what she had gotten herself into this time. It just looked like a gigantic back storage now, in the manner of a shop or… ancient temple? Judging from the strange markings and pictures on the walls, that was equally likely. Thousands of unused stage props were arranged around the place at total random, laughing Jester faces and gigantic flowers in equal proportion, playtime dolls and ships of brass in bottles. This was the back room of the antique shop, after all- it was expected there would be a great many things. But unexpected was the thing that sat at the center of the room, a great and hideous statue of a strange looking octopus man, wings of a Dragon on his back, the head mirrored and taking up the entire back wall, its eyes suddenly coming open and moving towards her, its hand reaching out to grab at her throat. Brandy yelped and jumped back, the statue's hand extending to go after her- when the world fell out of her, and she backed out through a door, falling onto the grass and into bright morning sun. She looked up- and sighed in total confusion, completely unable to know what this new place even was.

Brandy lay underneath a truly gargantuan tree, stretching up miles and miles, far off into the cloud light sky. Its branches extended for tens of thousands of feet in all directions, spreading over the endless flat grassy plain she lay on. But it was not a regular tree, even though from a distance it appeared to be so- no, she could see from her close position that the leaves were lines with streetways, and the trunk had sprouted rows upon rows of buildings, sizes varied, each of them a different purpose. The tree was in reality a vast, aired city, bustling with tiny, faraway people she could barely see from laying on the ground. She wondered what to make of it, or if she should have been concentrating on it or not. She decided, after a few seconds of thinking, that it was time to get up and move on. As interesting as all of these alien places were, she could not remain flipping through the reality channels for very much longer. She had a job to do, a quest to finish, a Forgotten to kill, a family to rescue- her heart seized up. Oh, no.

She felt her heart beat faster, thinking of what might have happened to them. She had seen Bubble in the Jester's grasp- what had happened to her? Had he taken her off somewhere awful? Had- had Brandy caused him to lose his grip on her, and drop her into the black abyss, never to be seen again? She began to hyperventilate- what had happened to Leon? Or Dan? She didn't know why she hadn't been thinking of it really before, but the Jester had said he had sent Dan to- to- to Hell. Did that mean… she swallowed, and felt her eyes water. Was he d-

She felt the rushing wind of a spear go for her shoulder, and she instantly Dashed upwards. Spinning around in the air, she lashed out with her left leg, her foot going right through the chest of the odd looking soldier that had tried to poke her, a grunt of pain and a spurt of green liquid splashing out onto the ground.

Brandy withdrew her foot and the soldier collapsed, hitting the ground with a wet thud. She could see now that his weapons and armor- a simple spear, shield, and chestplate, similar indeed to that of a Royal Recruit, were made of wood. But then she looked up at the grand supertree again, put 1 and 2 together, and figured that it was bark. Then she looked at the warrior again- if that was green that came out of the wound, and the city was on a tree, and his weapons were made of bark, then-

"Halt, alien stranger!", shouted one, leading a small squadron of about 5 of the bizarre soldiers. "You have slaughtered a proud soldier of Goldenwood City without provoke! That, as most certainly know, was a crime!"

"Well, I don't.", said Brandy, and prepared herself to fight, seeing their spears beginning to tilt down. "And I just could not help but wonder- are you guys…", she said, and her head tilted. "Plants?"

That seemed to give the one in front pause. He looked among his soldiers, and they whispered-

"She's not from around here, is she… no. She seems to be animal as well. Could she perhaps be-"

A simultaneous realization was made, and a sudden decision was put forth. The entire platoon suddenly all jumped into perfect circle formation around Brandy, their spears upheld at a sharp angle and their shields in front of their planty forms. The commanding officer stood apart, in order to better bark orders. "Circle up! Form ranks!"
It pointed at Brandy, who was only calm at the paltry threat. "You! You are with the dinosaurs, are you not? The forces of Razor have a new recruit!"

"Uh…", said Brandy, and raised her right brow. "No. Who's Razor? I don't know him."

"She's lying!", shouted a soldier, and pushed his spear right at her chest. "Kill her!"

The soldiers all gave a cry of green bloodlust, and pushed their spears at Brandy- but she just jumped out of the way, makin sure to snap all the spears on her way up. The flatheaded plant people collided with each other in a rousing chorus of wet smacks, falling down onto the ground.

"I am requesting backup!", shouted the commanding officer into what Brandy could only assume to be some type of remote communicator. "I am requesting a mid power airstrike on my position!"

The he stopped- and his gaze slowly, inevitable moved to somewhere behind Brandy. His entire body began to quake with primal, material, physical fear, and he almost ran away. "Oh no."

Brandy turned for a second to see what he was looking at and freaking out about- then the ground shook, as the truly gargantuan form of a Tyrannosaur, brown and gnarled like a cut off branch, suddenly erupted from the far off ground. It looked towards the city and roared, Brandy silently pleading for whatever was popping her in and out of places to please step in. It somehow heard her and might have complied, as she vanished just as a bombard of rocks and javelins slammed deep into the dirt where she had been, annihilating the position completely.

This time, Brandy was not going to just wait until she was attacked. She was going to come in swinging, and hopefully destroy whatever was waiting to challenge her- but to her surprise, this time there was nothing. Nothing but a great empty bluegrey space, an empty wooden room in front of her. She looked around and shivered- despite this not being the most evil place she had visited thus far, it was debatedly the creepiest. Her instincts told her that it was also the place that held the most danger- and she was certainly one to belive that.

The wood flecked and flickered, almost living in its dark vigor, Brandy half expecting eyeballs to pop out of the walls. Truly ancient decorations scoured the wallboards like challenging hieroglyphics, burning on Brandy's soft eyes. It was impossible to tell just where one room began and another began, what with the dimness and the softness of the entire area. That softness was in direct contrast to the thing that stood right in a nearby doorway, its long arms and fingers bladed, its cardinal sin of a smile stretched to its breaking point.

Oh, so that's what we're doing!, thought Brandy, and lashed out. "Dorra!"

The thing smiled even wider, somehow, and spread out its arms, inviting Brandy to come in for a deadly hug. But its surprise was suddenly made known as Brandy stabbed her foot right through its head, first sinking in with a wet, disgusting squelch- then bursting open from the force, vanishing in a burst of black muck. Brandy landed on the other side, and looked around- the broken floorboards in own room and the dead aura in the other only adding to the ambience- and what an ambience that was, an ambience of total darkness, the strange remnants of sanity twisted into even less and then given physical, monstrous form. There was something in front of her. It was hanging down from the ceiling, its wide eyes staring at her in hunger and confusion- when that too went down, bursting into bits with a single strike. Brandy Dashed forwards, landing in the remnants of what had once been perhaps a bustling, busy kitchen. Reminders of long lost or long completed ocean vacation hung on one wall, the smiles all around it bloody and bruised, their wide open mouths gnashing teeth. Brandy kicked one door down and launched herself in, lashing out with a blast of Dash- and saw only the outside through a vast picture window, what looked to be infinite farmland extending outwards in all directions, grey and lifeless now, only dilapidated Scarecrows and threadbare crop lines etched in the long dead field.

Brandy launched herself back into the room and held out her fist, ready to crush the first thing that presented itself. Unfortunately, that thing was a great grey slime, the gooey material mostly absorbed the blow, beginning to draw her into itself. But Brandy did not care- she just poured Dash into her hand, heating it up intensely and wildly, burning the Slime to ashes.

Brandy knew she could not remain in the haunted place, the Dark House, much longer- and she saw a door at the edge of one wall. She gathered her Dash and jumped away, busting right through the door- and directly into endless darkness, the stairs right below her vanishing by the hundreds every second she plummeted. She yelped and tried to go up again- but it was impossible fo some reason, the great and crushing gravity of the mighty Downstairs pulling her beyond anything she could fight. She closed her eyes and waited for the worst- but to her immense relief, the worst never came. Instead she landed at the bottom with a loud thud, almost 45000 feet of stairs behind her, seeing several strange paths in many different directions.

One was a bright red hallway of a destroyed carnival, stuffed animals running around in sheer panic, although Brandy could tell that it was fake, and they just lived there. Crumbled rocks lay at the end of the hallway- most likely not an actual exit. She looked to the next- and saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not merely a lack of anything- Nothing, grasping, unimaginable, and true.

She shivered and looked to the third, and her heart jumped. She could see the barest bit of light shining from the end of a small hallway, and she Dashed to it without thinking. She soared through the air, intent on making it, out into the air again and out of the nightmare house- when she noticed something. Even though she ran as fast as she was able, the distance to the outside door remained exactly the same. She looked down, trying to find why-

She groaned, as she saw why. She was shrinking with every step she took, finding the exact opposite of progress. She looked around and snarled, seeing a vast horde of Zombies pouring from a pair of twin rooms at the edge of the great room, approaching her at top speed.

Brandy felt the anger beginning to burn deep inside of her, and focused on it. If she was just able to get it burning hotter, burning higher, burning faster, burning stronger-

As the zombies almost closed in on her, Brandy gave a tremendous yell, deafening even for her 2 inch size. She blasted outwards in a burst of rage, overcoming the trap, and flew right into the hallway, blowing all the zombies off their feet and directly into ash. She skidded to a stop in the hallway, her miniaturized lungs unable to hold enough air to keep her Raged-up state. But she was almost out- until she looked at the mirrors on either side, and felt dread like she had never felt before.

She could see herself endlessly in the mirrors, infinity's crimson requiem, reflecting without limit- but at the edge of her vision, she could see herself… crushed. Crushed by a raging horde of monsters, mummies and slimes, abominations without name that could not even really be described. There was the next one getting crushed, then the next, then the next- and Brandy knew. She knew without a doubt that the next crushing would before too long be coming for her. She had to get out of there before that happened- but she didn't know how. Her feet appeared stuck to the paper the hallway was floored with, no matter how much she pulled.

The mirrors continued to be broken and crushed within her panicked view, her own wave of monsters rounding the corner, breaking the room before them into bits. She could see them, she could see herself- and then, for a just a split second, she could see a silver white fire rise up inside of her self like nothing she had ever seen or felt before.

Then the monsters were gone. The mirror was gone as well, as was her tiny size that had so much plagued her before. She was back to normal in her entirety, the room now still and quiet.

She looked around and sighed in relief, before putting her hand on the door and swinging it open, jumping out into the true unknown with a magnificent yell.

She almost immediately regretted her decision, as she landed out in the ice cold snow. She yelped as she sunk deep into the white powder, feeling the intense cold spread up all the way through her body, bits of frost appearing on her bangs.

Brandy yelped and surged Dash, blazing through the snow in circles, trying to keep her body temperature from falling below 90 like it was trying to. She looked right and left, up and down trying to see anything on the ground or in the sky that could help her- when she saw a massive flickering light up ahead. Her heart surged- hope! A building! Food! Heat!

She activated her Dash to maximum, blitzing through the snow faster than the speed of sound, leaving a few dozen meters of melted snow behind in a wide trail, bursting through miles of icy ground in just a few seconds. She tried to keep up the same strength as the gigantic building grew closer, but it was getting more and more difficult- for she was getting truly exhausted. The recharging at the village now seemed like an eternal lifetime ago, and it had gone very little towards uring the true exhaustion that had set in to her aching bones. That same aching now coursed through her, threatening to bring her down- until with a burst and a flash of final effort, she skidded through to where the snow ended, landing straight in front of the door of the massive building, looking up at the structure, no doubt miles high.

It was hard to tell exactly what it was- with its overlapping tile roof, cream colored accents, and large frosted windows, its mostly square design and immense height, the chandeliers just barely visible through the frosted window of the door- until she saw something on the side that told her.

"The Grand Alpine Hotel…", she said, shrugged, and threw open the door. "Yeah okay, I need some of the warm."

She walked in, blowing on her hands, looked up, and gasped.

Song: Camera Obscura

Dan roared as he fell, screaming in infinite, fully uncontrollable anger as he plummeted down the strange, Hellish palace he now found himself- for that was exactly where he was now. THe Jester had sent him to Hell- and from the nightmarish walls of the pit he was flying down at the speed of speed itself, he was being fully serious. There was hardly a means with which to describe that which he saw- the murky black rock of the sides, steaming with unspeakable darkness and boiling over with bubbling, gushing rivers of unfair blood. The bits of blazing red that spurted from the sides like the injured flesh of a recently opened wound, the entire damaged area screaming in infinite pain and truly endless suffering. Dan roared back, masking the majority of the sound through sheer volume alone- but some got through, even that tiny amount wearing at his ears and skin. He refused to let up the bellow, for worry of what would happen if he did. He didn't know what, but he knew it would not be good.

Dan lashed out with a blazing whip of Star that slashed into the rock, carving a path of electric death through it and vaporizing the surprisingly fragile stone. He grinned in destructive triumph as he saw the effect his attack had, blood and pain pouring out of the wound- for the tunnel, the entrance into Hell, seemed to behave almost like a living animal. Perhaps it might have been- the constant tremors, easily cuttable rock, and blood pulsing from every pore on the sides seemed to suggest it. Dan thought that perhaps the phrase "into the maw of Hell" might have been literal, going from the evidence he now possessed.

But it was getting harder to think like that, think calmly, think scientifically. It was getting easier and easier, easier by the second, even, to think like a rampaging, berserker monster with no taste for anything but blood- the endless blood of death and hell that poured over everything with no end in sight, the ocean of sorrow and despair burying everything for miles deep within its own fearful, frightful, death-toxic essence. Dan felt his own blood boiling within himself, threatening to escape the confines of his wrathful body, ever intensifying in its anger and destruction as he still continued to fall, spurred on by the carnage around him, ends without limits. He felt his teeth grow sharp and his hair slowly turn a powerful shade of green- until he slapped himself in the face, the sudden attack knocking some sense back into his head.

"Come on.. Come on…", he snarled to himself as he fell, still not knowing when he would reach the bottom- or even if there was one, at the end of the strange, otherworley beyond measure tunnel. "Where's the bottom-"

But Dan only continued to fall, leaving the strange tunnel behind- and entering a new one, a far odder one, the angles of the sides constantly shifting in the million-facete tunnel. It was beyond what he had ever damaged three dimensional space to be like- but considering just where and who he was, that did seem likely at that point. A rainbow and a cornucopia of colors flashed across the entire cave as Dan flew by in all his aura, occasionally throwing out a fist to smash one glass shard to pieces. For what use was one when you had them all?

He took a deep breath, instantly scrunching up his nose a bit at the sulfery smell- but he held it anyway, knowing they would all smell like that and worrying there might not be another chance. He prepared the blast of Star in his palm- then saw the end of the fall down below.

The tunnel broke in a mat of yellow spongy material, substance completely unknown. He braced himself for impact, not knowing if he would fall onto it soft, fall hard, or even fall through. But fall onto it he did- and to his pleasant surprise, the material was extremely soft and robbery, foamy a bit to the touch. He bounced a few feet from the springiness, then stopped from his still extreme weight. His armor still held around his body- although his helmet, of course, was off.

Dan looked out into the vast chamber that comprised the so-called Hell- and grit his teeth in unspeakable rage. There what awaited hm was a seemingly endless gauntlet of lava, smoke, fire, brimstone, spikes, skulls, bubbling pools of acid, blazing hot cannonfire spreading through the chamber, and of coufre, the truly uncountable amount of demons that swarmed and flew around the chamber on Dragon's wings, coming for him in an endless wave, all the forces and legions of Hell rallied against him. Dan looked at the oncoming threat, clenched his fist, and smiled. The fire of anger flashed deep within him, the insides of his eyes glowing a ferocious purple and an out of control green- as well a sign flash of blue alongside the blazing gold of his mighty Star that had practically become his trademark, a bringer of righteous death.

One arm was covered with blazing Star, lightning flashing down, up, across, and forward from the skin to all across the smallish- 31 feet tall- subcave, some onto the enemy demons but most of them just onto the ground. His other hand, buzzing with Rotation, did things a little less flashier- but for the pain, the job had to be done. His finger spun around in anger, looking for something to kill- there would be a lot. And the rest of his body, bursting over with rage and boiling with unbelievable strength, was beginning to trick his mind into believing that this was what he wanted, to just be a member of an endless battle forever. But he kept his mind sharp through sheer endless willpower, and nodded.
This was going to be fun.

Dan knew, as the demons charged towards him, that his regular power was not going to be enough. He needed to raise it, somehow- for although he could destroy entire islands at his full strength, he detected there were many in the demon crowd that were just as strong as that. And given basic logic, he needed to be as… as… aaaaaaa-

He felt the power course through his body, mind, and soul, filling him with anger and burning thirst for destruction. He concentrated that power within his chest, feeling it fill him up- and his body physically responded, pumping up his torso to larger sizes, feeling his power exponentially increase along with it. He roared louder than he had ever roared before as he did so, his lungs expanding in both power and size, from the roar of a whale to the roar of a volcanic eruption to the roar of a collapsing tectonic plate, so loud and deep that it went under hearing itself and came out in the sense of touch, sending a rumbling through the demon army that broke all the skin on the entire front row, sending a shower of even more blood down onto the ground, where it mixed with the carnage and spilled guts that had been there already. Dan would have regularly been revolted at the sight of such blatant gore- but this time, it felt… good, to him. It felt natural to see that, it felt refreshing in the bloodshed, it felt-

Dan slapped himself as the demon army approached, knowing he had to get himself under control. He could just give in to the endless bloodshed and combat of battling demons in Hell- for this was their hell, their world, their friendly territory. They could just endlessly regenerate no matter how many times they died, while Dan would not be able to. Not unless he was a Demon- but that would bring more problems than it solved. Far, far more.

Dan beat his chest once, still wishing to use his ferocity- but knowing full well he had to keep it under control. If he did not, the consequences would be disastrous, both for himself and- oh, who was he kidding? Who was he even talking to about this? There was no one, just himself, the main in his thoughts, and the sinister demon horde, still coming ever closer.

Dan knew it was time, and brought up his glowing right hand, crackling and popping with the most Star he had ever unleashed. Not even the gargantuan blast against the Elecfirno Dragon had equaled it, nor the gigantic orb that had leveled Clashcrush Swamp. This was it, his ultimate attack, aiming to end the battle before it had even begun and allocate more time to finding a way out and rescuing everyone else. So as the demon horde finally came within 100 feet of him- the atttack's optional range, Dan threw his hand back, then front, then roared.

"Demon slayer overdrive!"

With a cacophony blast of sound and dust, the ultimate attack fired. It streaked off towards the demon hordes- and Dan changed his mind. He could stay here for a while- he bet that he could kill all the demons in Hell with enough time. And he had plenty of time- he had enough to go and let himself become the slayer of Hell itself. Rip and tear, until it was done.

To that, Dan agreed, as he leapt forward to slay.

Song: Super Buu- Saiyan Enigma

The lair of the Jester was quiet, and dark, in sharp contrast to his, or its, loud and boisterous, chaotic and boisterous Circus of Chaos. It was so sharp, in fact, that the Jester had oft time considered just grabbing it right off and using it as a blade on one of his Jesterbots. There was almost no sound, save the slightly moist slithering or and of the Jester's immense body as it moved around the pole axis of the command center, around the comparatively and absolutely tiny figure of Bubble as she sat in the middle of the gigantic grey cave, arms folded, legs crossed, nose up, eyes closed, refusing to cooperate.

"Come, child.", said the Jester as he flew around her, his gigantic body an affront to nature and spirituality, order and logic, waving around Bubble like the tails of a kite. A small bowl of porridge was clutched in a pair of his hands that hung down from his gigantic stalk of a body, a knife, fork, spoon, sprok, and pair of chopsticks all attached to the side with bright yellow electrical tape. "Eat, eat. You must, if you are to keep up your strength soon."
"No.", said Bubble ,and huffed. She blew her long blonde bangs out of her face, and scooted away from the Jester's culinary advances on the rock she was sitting upon. "I don't wanna."

"Yes, but you must.", the Jester growled, pushing the bowl into her face. "This is my special blend of oats and pain. I guarantee you it will give you enough energy for the upcoming battle, and then even the one after that- although I may have to inject a little bit of a child's cry…"

He looked at Bubble sideways, and glinted his entire head. "You wouldn't mind supplying a bit of that… now would you? My darling?"
Bubble huffed, and pushed herself away from the Jester's body, sliding down off of the rock- and immediately falling back on to it, the spacial rip denying her exit. "Stop saying that! I'm not your darling!"

She crossed her arms again and snarled, a slight wave of her left index finger making an illusion of a cardboard mask over her face that read "Go away". "I'm Bubble."

She turned towards the Jester, who withdrew a bit into the gargantuan emptiness with a terrifying cereal that personally knew itself to be well out of place. "Mommy and Daddy! I'm their darling. Not yours."

"Oh, really?", asked the Jester, and gripped the bowl just a little tighter. "THen how do you explain these simple, fun little facts that I'm about to share?"
The Jester was suddenly right up in front of Bubble, his serpent or worm like form hanging suspended and empty, his human apparition dressed in a smart, yet insane suit. He leaned in deep into her face, his mask of a head pushing her far against the rock, his empty eyes betraying just a bit of a pupil to Bubble's vision, his otherwise eternal smile bent down in a melted frown. "Fact number 1.."

He was still for a moment, still as quaking ice- then he erupted with all the force and fury of a volcanic supereruption, illuminating the sides of the cave and the list of tortured souls kept there, each and every crisp and precise paper flickering in its own fire. His mask changed from one of falsified sorrow to one of absolute rage, the eyes stern and narrowed and the mouth full of sharp teeth, dripping with toxic blood. " U!"

Bubble stared back, defying his anger with her own, the quiet annoyance of a child- but it was hard for her. She had been through just so much in the last few days, hadn't she? She had gained and lost family. She had been through fight after fight, many of whom had come dangerously close to claiming her life. She had seen friends die- wouldn't it just be easier to come back to the Jester and claim her rightful birthplace, as-

She shook her head in anger ,and lashed out, striking with a sudden smack across the Jester's right jawline, if he had one. It just landed on his mask. "NO!", she snarled, countering with a few choice flames of her own. "I am not owned by anyone! I am Bubble! And I am myself!"

"Oh, really?", the Jester sneered, and drew himself up to his full height, very well near 78 and three quarters feet tall, looming and illuminating huge in still rapidly rising, rising air of the cave. "Then how come fun fact number 2 is a thing?"

The Jester was suddenly gone from his height- and reappeared right next to Bubble, gripping her on the shoulder. Right in front of them, the only thing visible in the quaking darkness, shaking out of fear for the nightmarish happenings, was a 74 inch premium brand plasma flat screen TV. That was not scary- but what was on it, the way that Bubble had come to the planet of Clash in the first place was. The Jester knew this- and enjoyed it deeply, like a fine wine or death. "Fun fact number 2…"

He leaned in deeper, whispering directly into Bubble's shivering ear canal. His shrill and deep, piercing and husky voice was torment on her poor, young senses, sending shivers and spasms all down her body, tears beginning to show on her cheeks. "When you came to this planet, all those months and months ago, who raised you? Who directed you here to the mountain, and gave you a home? Who took you in to Dragonlord Rakastamos's army, and let you partake of some of my own power?"
He pushed Bubble down onto the floor, and loomed high over her, flicking a single finger. In an instant she was back sitting again- but this time in a wheelchair, her hair tied back in a dirty, stringy ponytail, thick bottle glasses upon her nose and braces locking her teeth in a shining metal cage. Her arms were but thin, brittle sticks, her legs below a blanket and non-functioning.

"I turned you from a specter of a girl, barely able to keep yourself functional, to a powerful young lady, filled with my own strength!"

Bubble tried to respond, but the Jester once again waved his hand. She could then see herself, almost looking inwards from far above her own tiny body- smaller now, only about 5 instead of 8. She was dressed in some ceremonial dress, but the culture was unplaceable. She saw herself in a courtyard, cowering down on the ground, rocks and sticks thrown at her from all around by a circle of faceless, formless attackers. One hit her on the jaw hard and she went down, sprawling across the ground and hitting the Jester's boot. He picked her head up with a single long finger and she looked up, staring at his gargantuan form.

"Fuuun faccccct numberrrr threeeee…" he said, very distinctly rolling his words. His eyes opened wide, and he began to laugh- but there was no humor in it. There was only cruelty, malice, antagonism- there was only the Jester. "When you came from your own wretched, doomed planet to ours, you had no hope. But I gave you hope. I gave you yourself!"

He brought up his hand and shouted, shaking the entire chamber with his might.

"You, Bubble, r!"

Bubble, despite the terror that surrounded the Jester like a solid cocoon of storming force, managed to stand. She closed one fist, stared right up int his eyes, and spat.

"You may be tough, Jester.", she snarled, taking a single step towards him. "But you are nothing… compared… to Daddy. He's gonna get out of here, and he's gonna-"

"Get out?", the Jester laughed, in genuine amusement. He beat his throne with a giant fist, his mask mouth moving up and down, the entire room joining in on the joke. He spread his arms wide, and spun around his entire body on his waist. "Oh, please! Do you really think your father can measure up to me? I defeated him with a single motion! What makes you think next time will be any different?"

"Because next time, I won't be working for you anymore.", said Bubble, and the Jester stopped laughing. "Next time, I am going to use my full power against you, and with my family on my side? You'll lose. And you will not be able to prevent it."

"Oh, no you won't.", the Jester said, and Bubble felt something grab her waist. She was pulled up in the air by his invisible hand, stopping right in front of his sneering ivory face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you- but I'm going to tell you what. You are going to forget all about trying to get away from me again. I thought I could trust you with the spying job. And well, just look how that turned out…"

He tossed her into the air in front of him, and began to spin her around, twisting his finger in a bored fashion. She spun so fast she became a blur, her colors starting to slowly change.

"Anyway, you do still have to work for me, you know that, right?", he asked, then gave a deep guffaw. "Of course you do! You're a smart girl! I raised you, after all!"

The tornado that was Bubble stopped spinning, and fell to the ground. She took a breath of relief, feeling something strange atop her head. She almost reached up to feel what it was- when she was yanked back up again, the Jester tossing her onto a table filled with all sorts of food, all the size of her entire body and more. He scoffed, and tapped his head on the back of his throne, scratching his neck on the front. It was almost time. "Now eat up, girlie. We don't have long. Askari and his army-"

He stopped, not wanting to instill Bubble with any hope at all. "Um. Askari and his army are soon to be defeated. And then Lord Rakastamos will conquer the world- with you and me at his side. We are some of the last remaining Forgotten…"

He stood right in her mind, scratching at her sanity. "Aren't we? Are we not both, Forgotten? You are not a troop, that much is sure- but you are the Illusionist, then?"
Bubble said nothing. She knew that every time she opened her mouth, the Jester just made it worse- so she put her head down, and looked around. The Jester smiled, and tapped her on the head. "That's me girl."

He looked up, sensing the fullness of the Blood Elixir container- there could not have been more than just a few hours left. 2, maybe 3. Then the end times would begin at last, and he-

"Jester.", said Bubble, and he looked down in genuine shock. She, despite everything, seemed like she was still going to fight. "You didn't give me this power. I had it when you found me."

The Jester frowned, and adjusted a bit in his massive throne, continuing to quietly, calmly observe his Circus of Chaos far down below. "Maybe. Maybe. But Bubble?"

He looked down, directly into her eyes- and let her know the truth. "You know what we both are."

Bubble nodded, and looked down. That was her worst fear then, come true. But she couldn't lose hope. She knew that her family was the same thing in theory, and that they would be able-

"Bubble…", said the Jester, and she felt her body move on its own. "I have an idea."

He steered her over to a vast steering wheel, multiple dials and arrays of multipurpose buttons arranged on a series of boards all around it. It was a Se3ies, in fact. "Why don't you go over here, and watch over your so called, defeated family? I'm sure they'll provide just hours of entertainment!"

Bubble stood there, helpless to move, seeing what happened to Leon. What was happening to Dan- but she could not see Brandy. Even then, she knew that something had happened to her that was now far, far out of the Jester's control. She moved her hand to the control wheel, and-

"Actually, why don't you work for me?" asked the Jester, and smiled. "You see, you're going to decide what torture, obstalce, or varied event befalls them all next!"

"How…", said Bubble, suddenly deeply suspicious. "How do you know I won't just let them out?"

She wasn't sure if she should have been asking that. She should have just used the opportunity to release them all- but then she saw the Jester smile, and knew it would not have mattered.

"Oh, my darling!", said the Jester, and pointed towards the ground. "Look down at your clothes."

Bubble of course glanced downwards- and screamed with absolute horror. Gone was her knee length blue dress, her bright yellow and white flowered top, and her dark brown belt. In their place was a nightmare- bright red and black pants, a striped purple jumpsuit, long and pointed boots, and white gloves upon her hands. She spun around, suddenly next to a mirror- and screamed again, seeing her blonde hair turned white and her face outline with the makeup of a mime. A Jester's Cap sat upon her head, the tiny faces within mocking her despair. She pulled in desperation at the cap, trying to yank it off- but it stayed on, stretching like rubber seal to her scalp, no matter how hard her efforts, no matter how hard she pulled, no matter how hard she screamed, and no matter how hard she cried. Finally she stopped- and collapsed to her knees, feeling only the rush of the tears running down her face.

"Get up, Bubble.", said the Jester, and she rose to her feet automatically. "You look ridiculous."

He could have left it at that, had the Jester not wanted to rub it into her face just a little bit more, at how total his victory really was. He tapped her on the shoulder as her hands began to move around the wheel, throwing more and more obstacles into the hands of her family. "And Bubble?"

"Yes?", she mumbled, barely even audible- but the Jester heard it, felt it, all the same.

"You are going to address me by my real name." ,said the Jester, and laughed as he felt Bubble's shame. "You are the only one besides me who knows it, after all."

"Yes…", said Bubble, and once more started to cry. "Jakkamo."

"Good girl.", said the Jester, and began to spiral upwards into the furthest reaches of the cave and then even beyond. "Now I must go for a bit. Don't kill or die until I get back…."

Song: Ancientry

Rakastamos sat alone in his lair, still heaving a bit from the raw godly exertion his Ancientsong of Plagues had taken out of him, having freshly drunken a hundred gallons of Dark Elixir and the blood of several hundred Hogs in order to rejuvenate himself. He rather liked Hogs- they were cheap, easy to care for, weak enough to keep in a single cavern, and above all, delicious.

But the benefits of Hog farming were not on his mind that much- what was was the oncoming battle. He could sense it, merely a few cuts and scrapes of time away. He could feel it upon his tongue, the wind continuously changing from the sheer forces that were arriving. He could measure it upon himself, testing the wind by occasionally moving this way and that, feeling his immense strength almost trying to break free from the sheer uncontained potential his body held. But strain would it no longer, once he at last, after all of it, drank the Blood Elixir.

He stared at it in hunger- both physical sensations, and a burning desire tor power, for glory- for absolute strength. Perhaps he could just have a bit- just one drop. One drop wouldn't hurt him right? No, it would not. It would fuel him, increase him, push him beyond his wildest dreams. It could-

Rakastamos felt a noise at the very edge of the chamber, and dew back, only now noticing just how close he had in fact come. His tongue had brushed up against the gigantic vessel in which it was continued, leaving traces of fire upon the lips. He whipped around to face whatever it was -threat, friend, or-

"Oh.", said Rakastamos, and relaxed abit upon seeing The Jester. "It's just you."

"Indeed it is, sire!" the Jester said, and sharply saluted, his hand harmlessly going all the way through his head. "And I am pleased to make my report."

He landed on the ground and produced a checklist that spanned for dozens, or even hundreds of feet, trailing down onto the floor and into the cave. Rakastamos noticed and flicked a bit of flame towards it that burned it all to ash. The Jester panicked and began to read his list,as it rapidly disappeared from his grip. "Umm… I trapped the souls of the Tailbiters in their own separate pocket realities and locked the door. You don't have to worry about anything, sire. Even the girl is now working for me…"

He leaned in, before remembering that he was not in the same spot. Bubble was not there to hear him. "We are the number one chaos producers ever born. "We are going to-"
"Yes, yes.", said Rakastamos, and waved him asie. "But do you have any good news for me? Any of it at all? Because believe it I was-"

As bad luck would have it, the Jester did. He told Rakastamos directly, careful as a ghost to not let anyone listen- and Rakastamos's smile reappeared. He had had no idea such a thing was true- this, then, was a true miracle. A divine intervention, to prove that he really did want- no, need, yes need to achieve it all. He laughed a bit as he heard it- it was only fair, from the news.

"Why, thank you, Jester!", he shouted- with the Jester saluting him, slowly slipping and sinking back into the ground to his lair, not about to let Bubble out of his sight. "This is very good news indeed."

He looked out towards the window, his Dragonlord's vision slowly seeing the stars he had been tracking- and sure enough, they were strange replies, moving around the grand universal center in just precise ways. The planets were aligned with the stars- that's what had everyone worked up. But it was not just that. The full moon with the Stars aligned only happened on specific occasions- but he guessed he knew that. Forever would the remainder of that day be burned in the minds of all the people- yet not if Rakastamos won. For if he won, there would be no more people to remember.

He looked at the blood elixir table-

Coming, coming, coming-

Soon. There was nothing to do then but wait- so wait he did, and waited for the end times to come.

Song: Perfect World

"Yeah, so, it's untap, upkeep, then draw.", said Dakren, staring down at Leon from all across the table. "It took me a bit to get it right too, but I'm sure that you can figure it out."

"Right…", said Leon, and moved his fingers across the small plastic card table, arranged out in the commons area of their dorm. The room was not very large, only about the size of a small house or a very large closet. It could not have measured more than 20 feet on the floor, and only 8 feet for the walls. Some students could barely fit in the room, tall as they were, Liritu included. But she was not there at the moment, leaving the two boys alone.

"So can I play this now?", he asked, holding up a card. He stared at it a little funny, tilting his head and cocking his eyebrow on instinct. "Cause it says instant, and I can play instants whenever.", he said, looking down the table at his friend, taking in the almost intoxicating scent of thousands of meals of ramen, largely unwashed bodies, and communal couches used until they were to suddenly collapse, arranged all around the room and in front of a large TV. It was off at the moment, but students would oftentimes turn it on to watch movies, play video games, or the like. "Right?"

"Uhh…", said Dakren, and looked down at the table, attempting to tell Leon exactly what he thought he needed to hear, what he thought would be able to help him, but would in actuality lead to his very own victory. He thought about it for a few seconds, trying to figure it out, trying to read the board state, but it was too much with the dozens upon dozens of cards all on the field at once, and he thought about just telling the truth. He looked up, shrugged, and kicked back on his hastily constructed lawn chair, cracking open another can of orange soda. "Sure."

The corner of Leon's mouth cracked upward in a smile, and he grabbed on to three cards, making sure to touch them very gently. Dakren had almost fainted after he had attempted to bridge them, a mistake he would make sure not to make ever, ever again. Apparently there were things in there worth quite a lot of money. Leon had had no idea- it was his first time ever playing this particular game. Dakren had hounded him for years, trying to get him to play- and eventually, Leon had said yes. And now here they were, enjoying themselves just like the lifelong friends they had always been. "I can do this then!"

Leon let his smile burst forth in full, and slammed down a card right onto the table. He pointed at one of Dakren's, and almost laughed. "Aha! I select and use Murder on your creature, Emrukual the Aeons Torn!"

Dakren very nearly jumped form his seat, almost beginning to panic, for he he had just barely played his win condition last turn. But then he remembered just what it was his prize big beater actually did, and he looked down. "Nope. Nope. Can't do that. Protection form colored spells, remember?"

Leon stared at the two cards, remembering that interaction, and cursed underneath his breath. He sat back down, not remembering quite when he had gotten up to standing, and ruffled through his hand of seven again. He found a card and grinned. "Okay then. How about…"

He turned a few more cards on his side of the field a nice 70 degree angle, and slammed another card down onto the table with great flourish. "This? My Ravenous Chupacabra to destroy it!"

Dakren took another sip, and sucked in a single laugh underneath his breath. "Uh, yeah, nah dude. You see, despite your 3 second wait, Emrukual still does have protection from colored spells."

Leon looked over, staring at the cad that he had just played- yep. It was still, indeed, Ravenous Chupacabra. It was still a creature- so what the frick was Dakren going on about? "What are you talking about though? That doesn't matter. This is a creature, not a spell."

"Yeah, though.", said Dakren, and pulled himself up close to the table, resting his elbows on the sides. "Creatures are, in fact spells. The only things that aren't spells are lands and tokens, my dude."

"But- but-", Leon said, clearly sputtering- both for logic and for breath. "But it's a creature! That's not a spell! Spells are instants and sorceries! Everyone knows that!"

"Look, the rules say that-", Dakren said, but Leon was not listening. "If I shoot a bolt of lightning at you, then yeah! That's a spell! If I steal a memory from your head before you even have the chance to realize it? Yeah. Also a spell."
He spun around and sat back in his chair, picking up his played card and tossing it right over Dakren's. "But a living, breathing animal? An actual Organism? I ask you, Darken, how the frick is that a spell? I would hardly call picking up a whale and hitting you with it a fricking incantation, now would I?"

"Well, that's cause you're not versed in the game.", said Dakren, folding himself right into the comeback. "You use magic to summon the creatures on the cards, dude. You channel them out of pure mana into being- and that is certainly a spell."

Leon looked at him, very nearly quaking with rage- but put his head down, sighed, and turned. "Oh, whatever.", he said, and grabbed another card. "I don't need a spell to take that thing down anyways."

He turned a few more lands around, and slapped down a card onto the loud tabletop with righteous fury. "I can just use Clandestine Replication to make a copy of whatever enchantment I want- and I, haha, am choosing Creature Bond. Now that has the ability to come in attached to aaaaaany creature on the board, huh?"

"Uh, yeah.", said Dakren, slightly nervous, not really knowing where Leon was getting with all of this. "Why-"

"So I am attaching it to your Emruakual.", said Leon, and turned a single creature of his own sideways- a Snake. "And attacking it with my snake!"

"What?", asked Dakren, and silently scoffed. "Dude, you can't attack creatures directly. You have to chose a target, then they all attack me. Then I choose what creatures to block with."

"Oh, normally.", said Leon, and grinned. He turned the very last of his lands sideways- and revealed a single card from his hand- named Overall Crystal Beacon. "But this little card makes it so that my creature has to be blocked if able. And when he is, he'll deal damage to your Emruakual, and kill it."

"No.", said Dakren, and let his panic subside, taking another quick sip of his drink."I've told you before and I've told you again, bro. A thing with protection can't be damaged by-"

"Colored spells.", said Leon, and grinned. "Yes. But this is not a spell, is it?"
Dakren looked, and frowned. Sure enough, the thing he was attacking with was not a card at all- but a snake token, bringing a whole new monster. It could sneak past Emurukuals' invulnerability, and kill him- but he had to resist it in any way he could. He could… would…

"Yeha, okay, but no.", , said Dakren, and looked over. "I have just the solution for that."

With a bust of speed, he flipped a card down onto the table, green in color. "Fog.", Darken smiled and beat his right chest in frustration. He was going to get it eventually, that he knew.

"No.", said Leon, knowing exactly what what Fog did. His stacks were upon his- and where practically mosser lunaguatre. He slammed down another card- a mere common, yet fulfilling to his ears. "With my Anger Concentrate, his must be blocked if able. Meaning that not only can damage not be prevented this turn, but Emruakual is dead- and he's dead. Nothing you can do to save yourself, puny little-", said Leon, almost letting his anger get ahead of himself- then he sat back down once more. "I mean. Emrukual's dead."

"No.", said Dakren, and Leon almost hissed. "For I shall counter that-"

Then he looked up, saw Leon, and almost screamed. He saw the aura of anger that surrounded him, both purple and green spiraling down across his body. He looked at his three untapped Islands, saw the Vintage Counterspell in his hand, and sighed. "I mean- looks like I don't have enough mana for that one, broh."

He sat back and spread open his arms, dropping his hand of cards onto the table. "You win. Ya beat me!"

"So… let me get this straight.", said Leon, for likely the 8th time that game. "Emrukual must block the token with deathtouch, they trade and both die, then you lose 15 life because of that, putting you at… -2?"
Dakren rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, bouncing abit of paper off his knee and taking another sip of his Zoda. "Yep. That is correct."

"Hehe, nice.", said Leon, feeling like he should say something to commemorate the victory- but he did not. He just nodded, and began to push the cards back into their appropriate decks. It was actually the first time that he had beaten Dakren thus far- they had played two games and this was the third. So technically Dakren had still, in fact, won. But to Leon, the thrill of winning just once was enough. He looked around, wanting to share the special moment- but he remembered that his darling girlfriend Liritu was not actually there.

"Hey.", he said, and looked up. "Where are the girls?"

Dakren puffed his cheeks a bit, and spread out his hands. "Bruh, I don't know. They said they were gonna go hang out- eating, doing work together, maybe tail care tips. I don't know."

That last one was strange to most, but normal for them- for both the giant Liritu and tiny Merru had tails. Leon didn't even think it was strange- why would he? He had known them his entire life…

"So…", said Leon, taking a big messy bite of the square pizza he had reheated in the communal microwave, just down the hall. He had not trusted it at fist, but he had warmed up to it after seeing someone cook a few meals and only sort of collapse. But then again, he was far stronger. "We gonna go find them? Cause class starts in half an hour, and I don't wanna be late. This is our first class, after all."

"Right, right.", said Dakren, and lazily checked his watch. "I mean, it starts at 9:30, right? And it's-"

"8:50 right now.", said Leon, and nodded. "So we got a little time. But we shouldn't be wasteful with what we have."

"Oh, of course not.", said Dakren, got up, and stretched. "We can probably get a little foood on the way, too. After we meet up with our GFs, and-"

He looked down, to see that Leon had already cleaned up the game. Oh, he thought. Sweet.

Then he looked up toward the stairs, and smiled. "See, look! There they are now!"

Leon looked up towards the stairs and felt his heart jump almost out of his chest at the deeply blessed sight. He had seen her so many times today- and yet, each time, it felt like the first sight, the angel descending the staircase to the surface of the world, her ginger hair a heaven's inferno and her rumpled sweatpants a bastion of light. Her tank top a beacon of wonder, and her slightly grumpy, pouty face seemingly specifically designed to send redness across his.

There was Merru too, coming down beside her, sliding down the rails, but he didn't care.

Liritu looked up and her face brightened upon seeing him, picking up her pace and running across the floor, her bare feet impacting the carpet with only the barest of sounds. Leon stood still, unable to move as she bore down on him- until she picked him up with a squeal and spun him around, squeezing the breath out of him in her strong arms. He let himself be taken along for the ride, basking in her presence, but feeling a little bit of the pizza start to rebel.

"Leoooooon…", she whined, and set him down in the chair. "I found someone in the breakfast bar that was being mean to me…"

Leon had started to say something, to perhaps console her or tell or that he was going to get whoever had done it, he heard Merru burp. He saw her scratching her stomach, which was a bit larger than normal. "I ate him."

"You did?", asked Dakren- but his voice was one of wonder and adoration, not horror as should be expected. "Ayy, that's me girl."

"No, she's just kidding.", said Liritu, and huffed. "I just punched him through a window and stole his food. Merru ate a bunch of fries and now she has no money."

Merru pouted, and looked at Dakren longingly. He nodded and dug through his pocket for his wallet- then handed her a crisp 5 dollar bill. She took a deep sniff, sighed happily, and tucked it into her back pocket.

Leon looked at her sideways- he still did not trust her. He did trust Liritu though- and so he turned around, fell against her gigantic torso, and folded his arms. He wished for a hoodie to pull over his face and eyes- he did not know why. It wasn't like he wore one.

They all lay there for a second in the commons, just enjoying each other's company. A rather large student walked into the room ,saw them all together, and tiptoed over to the TV, pulling out his phone and rapidly typing. "Pirated… movies...dot..com…"

Dakren looked at his watch, in between giving hugs and headpats to Merru- and his eyes shot open, as he realized something. "Uh, guys? I was wrong."
"Wrong about what, silly boy-", Merru started, but Dakren put his hand over her mouth and she shivered in delight. "Class doesn't start at 9:30. It starts at 9:00."

Leon sat up, Liritu almost beginning to play with his hair. "And so we only got about.. What? 6 minutes before class starts?"
"Right.", said Dakren, and hurriedly stood up. "WE have 5 minutes."

"And we all have the same class.", said Liritu, and stood up as well, grabbing her thick backpack and throwing it over her shoulder in a state of hurry. "It's on the other side of campus, and it takes about 15 minutes to get over there."

"By car…", Merru whimpered, and tucked herself deeper into her Canada hoodie. "How are we gonna get there in time?"

Liritu looked up at the door on the other side of the commons, nodded, and grabbed Leon. He was abruptly hoisted up onto her shoulders, and she lunged down to the ground, stretching before her run. "Courir!"

WIth that Liritu took off running, tearing out the door at incredible speeds, blowing Dakren and Merru down onto their backs, dazed upon the ground.

Leon could hardly believe the speeds at which Liritu was running. It was unbelievable how she booked it across the pavement, every slap of her bare feet on the sidewalk breaking the cement, leaving cracks and craters just from the sheer force given to it. Leon held on as tightly as he could to her shoulders and her hair, the wind bending his face and his cheeks, until he realized that just by burying his face in Liritu's back he would be safe from the practical gale. So he did, just feeling her shirt rub up against his face with each and every step she took.

Liritu continued to fly down the street, blasting down the path past regular walkers- compared to her top-level speed, they practically seemed to be standing still. She estimated that she must have been moving at at least 70-80 miles per hour, or maybe even more. That's what she saw on the speedometer of a car she passed- so yes, it was probably more.

Liritu looked this way and that, trying to find the correct pathway to the class- it was Beginning Math for all of them. She was only kind of good at it- she had actually signed up for a major in Aerospace Technology. But the rest of the math was still pretty hard, and that's why she was so glad to have Leon able to help her. He was good at math- anything but Aerospace Tech, that was. It was perfect for the two, the perfect little ying yang thing they had going on there.

Liritu saw a small student pushing an even smaller child in a stroller- and leapt clear off the ground, soaring over 20 feet in a straight line, landing on the other side of the two in a skid and continuing down the pathway, growling to herself.

"I'm going as fast as the cars, Leon, but we still aren't gonna make it in time.", said Liritu, Leon attempting to respond despite the biting wind. "What should I do?"

"Maybe…", said Leon, chattering his teeth in the cold. "Speed- maybe speed up?"

Liritu took a bit to slow down, and getsetred to her backpack. "There's a drink in there.", she said, as Leon fished it out and handed it to her. "Thanks. Now watch!"

She flipped back the top of the drink, put it to her mouth, and downed the entire thing in one swig. Her eyes lit up orange and she zipped off down the street, tearing the leaves off of trees and knocking paper airplanes out of the sky. "Woo hoo hoo!"

Only seconds later, Liritu skidded to a stop in front of the class building that they were supposed to be in. A great cloud of smoke rose from the distance she had traveled, her exact path marked by footmarks on the pavement almost half an inch thick. The overall effect was one of mildly sauced destruction, as Liritu slowly peeled Leon off of her back.

"Hey.", she said, noticing his blank and woozy stare. "Hey Leon. You okay in there?"

She tapped nervously on his forehead, and he took a slow breath. A bit of white rose from his mouth, and he tried to blink, but stopped halfway through. "Oohhh…"
He slowly got up in Liritu's arms, rubbing his head, which felt as though it had been hit with a truck, then become the truck and gotten hit with itself, then merely squashed by a supermassive hadron collider. He stared into Liritu's eyes, feeling his chest jump up and into space, then down into total oblivion. "Let's not do that again, okay?"

"Awww, but you love it when I do that!", Liritu said, and squeezed him a bit tighter. He burped a wet burp, and groaned. "Normally, yeah. But… I don't know. I've not been feeling normal lately."

"Oh no!", said Liritu, and hugged him tighter, his stomach suddenly churning. "Well, after class maybe we can-"

"Lilyi'mgonathrowup-", he said, and Liritu's eyes widened. She immediately jumped over to a nearby, helpful trash can and let him down, which he instantly bent over and puked. Liritu rubbed him on the back as he did so, the stress of and speed of the day all getting to him at once. She suspected there was more tha that as well- his strange amnesia. Oddly enough, she had apparently been suffering from something similar earlier, just a few days ago. But her rich father had given her the care she needed, and she was all back to normal now.

Leon stood back up, his face a little paler from its usual tan. He wiped his mouth off on a nearby oak tree, and smiled up at her. "Okay. Okay. Okay, I think I'm better now."

"Good!", Liritu said, and immediately picked him back up. She walked off towards the classroom with him in her arms, admiring the strange, yet oddly effective architecture of the place. It was a gigantic box, covered with ivy on both sides and growing against the top. Several smaller sized classrooms made up smaller boxes within it, variable stairs able to lead to each one. Each box was painted a different color- out of baby blue, yellow, green ,and orange, in order to tell where they started and ended from the outside. It was an unfamiliar sight to either of them, yet it tickled the back of Leon's mind in a way that he could not truly process.

But then Liritu swung open the door with both her foot and her tail, and proudly, excitedly, strode in. She looked around, taking in the sweet smell of a new school year, all theirs for the taking, and saw the clock on the wall. It was fortunate indeed for everyone there that it read only 8:59. It would have been an awful thing, embarrassing in the extreme, to be late for the fist class on the first day- and yet, somehow for Leon, he somewhat enjoyed the thought.

The students in the Math classroom had just been about to begin their day- or, rather, the class. It was still the first day of classes, about 4 in the afternoon. The inside of the classroom was not overly fancy- merely a soft white square, inlaid with a rich brown carpet, the various chalkboards, whiteboards, smartboards, and college boards adorning the walls. The desks were arranged in a brightly done semicircle, only about half the seats filled. But those half became half plus two as Leon and Liritu slid into the seats right next to each other, pushing out a smaller, bright bleu student who had tried to access that seating area. Liritu giggled, and put her hand on Leon's smaller shoulder. "Oh, isn't this exiting, Leon? We finally get to start our first class together! And with our combined math skills, we're gonna wreck!"

"Oh heck yeah!", Leon said, fully aware of the Aerospace Tech thing. He knew that Liritu was incredible good at that, but they were extremely unlikely to learn about it in math 101. He knew they would have to help each other, and that thought filled him. "Let's go."

They high fived again, as the professor finally came to the front of the room in order to start the class. She cleared her throat and clapped her hands, then slapped them both down on the table in front of her. "Alright, everyone. I am Mrs. Johnson. I am your math teacher, and you shall respect that."

Leon rolled his eyes, and gave Liritu a little nudge. Both of them particularly enjoy disrespecting authority. This authority was of course actually important- sometimes its really not- but this was just some math class. "Hey. This professor is boring."

Liritu covered her mouth with her head, letting out a single laugh. She pulled Leon a little closer, running her nails up and down his back. He decided that as far as jokes went, that one actually wasn't bad. He was going to tell a few more.

"And she is-", was as far as he got ,before he saw the teacher actually look over and stare at him. After some thought and introspection, he decided that he could perhaps stand to be a bit quieter from then only were his weapons louder tha they needed to be, but just the sound of his life was loud. He spoke loud, he moved loud, and coming back on lately, he even sat loudly. He knew that he she-

His mind stopped whirring, and he thought about what he had just barely thought. Why was he thinking about weapons? And what did he mean his weapons had a cooldown- and a volume louder than they needed to be? He thought for just a moment madly trying to think of any possible reason- even realizing some of his thoughts had a quality and quantity control. He- he- oh, what was he thinking? He pressed his fingers to his forehead- all of his thoughts just felt broken, out of place, completely bizarre in his own pocket universe of mind. But then-

Liritu put her hand on his shoulder, ,and he instantly shot up, trying to clean the uncertainty from his head, but it was still a monumental task. There was no guidebook, no instruction manual to help him solve the massive problem. He just had to sit there, sti there and-

He felt a kiss on his cheek, right from Liritu, and it brought him crashing back on down to the ground, settling back into his body. He looked up, feeling the feelings vanish from his self at the subtle PDa, and sighed. He saw none other than Dakren and Merru waiting for him there, waving their hands excitedly. Rolling his eyes, he leaned in and whispered.

"What do you guys want?", he actually asked, wondering why they had not just entered the room themselves. "Come in and-"
Then Liritu saw the cue that Merru had given her, and nodded. She stood up and grabbed Leon under her arms, jumping out into the hallway. Oddly enough, no one on the inside seeming to notice what was happening. But as the four faced each other, Leon felt strange.
"We're skipping class.", said Dakren, and Merru cackled. "We're just gonna drive around town."

"Wait, wha do you mean skipping class?", asked Leon, nervously. "What are we gonna-"

"Oh, don't worry about it bro.", said Dakren, and motioned to Merru, who just licked her lips. "Merru already bribed every professor on campus. We won't get any credit lost."

Leon knew he should not investigate that any further, and just slowly nodded instead. He turned around and stood behind Liritu, and nodded. "Well, alright then. Around town it is."

"So..", said Dakren, after no one there moved for about 30 seconds. "Truck's just out back. If we walk quickly, we could probably make it."

The group started to walk, making a strange sight as they went- Liritu with her size and her tail, Merru with her red skin and Dakren with his purple, and Leon with an overwhelming sense of not quite belonging. It was strange- he still did feel as through something was off, but he could not quite place what it was. It felt like an unscratchable inch at the back of his head, someplace underneath his skin that could not be reached. He rubbed the skin at the base of his neck- other than an involuntary, almost painful, shiver, nothing happened. The itch was not scratched, his thrist for an answer not yet quenched. He continued to try and puzzle out whatever it might have been- something about the entire experience, being on campus, just being in school finally made him vastly uncomfortable, for reasons he could not understand even as he tried. He took another step, closer to the door and to Dakren's promised truck- but he stood back, unbelieving.

"Guys?", he asked, and spread out his hands. It was an instinctive defense measure- but on what instinct, he could not hope to know. "I- I'm not so sure about this, to be honest. I feel-"

"Bro, it's just a truck." ,said Dakren, and sighed. "What are you now, afraid of getting into trucks?"

"No, no, it's not that.", said Leon, and felt his face grow hotter with nervousness.. "It's- I-"

He looked down at the floor, and spun a bit on his feet. "I don't even know. I feel weird. Like, really weird. Like, I belong somewhere else and I shouldn't be here weird."

"Aww, what do you mean by that, Leo?", aksed Liritu, as she had suddenly appeared behind him. She wrapped her arms around him- and it was good, but not good enough. He still felt completely and utterly alone, in a decisively strange world where nothing made any real sense.

"I don't even know, really.", he said. "I think I'm… not… supposed to…"

For a very brief second, something flickered at the back of his mind. Yes, he thought, that was indeed right, more right than he truly knew. There was… someplace else that he was supposed to be. There was, there was, there was- but he thought about it more, and he realized that he had no idea what it was supposed to be. Nothing else really came into his head, only that he was busy for something important, and also most likely extremely late. But what on earth was it- no. That phrase. It meant something… different… to him now. He knew for a fact that it was a normal phrase, run of the mill, cheap. Yet it was odd to him, almost displacing. He had used it before, hadn't he? It wouldn't really have made sense that he had not. But still, there was that flickering of meaning, that purple light of change, ,a bit of hope from somewhere fay beyond, teasing him with a memory that he could not contain. It was- it was- it was his pa-

"Hey.", said Dakren, and very gently slapped Leon across the face as he lay in Liritu's grasp. "Hey bro. You okay? You awake in there, buddy?"

"Uh…", Leon said, as he tried to hold on to the memory, but it was getting harder and harder as the microseconds went by. He shook his head and looked up- what had been bothering him? Certainly nothing at this point. What was there to worry about, after all? He had just been informed he was getting free passes from all classes, and now he was going out to drive around town with a couple of friends of his. What was wrong with him, worrying? What could possibly even go wrong? There was nothing to worry about- he just had to get in the car and go.

"Nothing.", he said, and walked away, towards the door with his friend group, leaving behind a sense of fragile floating horror, and nothingness destroyed upon the overly thick air.

It did not take them very long at all to reach the truck that Dakren had been talking about, a grey and red semi- for it was not that it was a tractor trailer truck, but it was that it was semi at meany things. It was semi good looking ,semi cheap, semi strong, semi powerful- semi a trucker that was in the zone, and the other half, terrible. It looked good on the paint coatings- but it also seemed like a burnt out husk of a truck anywhere else. Leon was not exactly well versed in vehicles- but this one seemed extremely run down. If he was a doctor of any kind, any sort of medic, he would say that it was sick beyond compare.

Something else crept into his head for just half a second when he made that comparison, something about a skeleton, but he gave it a rest. He was going to have fun with his friends, and not worry about anything at all. So as Dakren opened the door and got in, he started to follow- then changed his mind and jumped into the back, where Liritu and Merru already were.

"Where are we going, dude?", he asked, and Dakren looked up from fanagaling with the keys. "Wot? Oh, uh… yeah, I don't really know, bro. Probably just around town, I guess… nowhere in particular. Might want to hit up a shop or restaurant though."

"Sweet.", said Leon, and fished inside his pocket. " ithink I hAve a awoahaaaahahaa-"

The multiple bumps in language came from the overall smoke and ruckus as the truck started up, Dakren having finally found the keys. He turned the keys, yanked the wheel and stomped down onto the gas pedal, as the truck roared away, bouncing up and down on the road.

Leon sat back down into the back area of the truck, feeling the rough metal bounce up against him. He reached out for Liritu's hand, who took his with a smile. Or at least she tried to- it was hard with all the bouncing the truck was doing,, seeing as they were still on the dirt road in a more or less total piece of crap. But soon enough they had successfully pulled away, turning out into the smooth road, and the ride quality increasing like a rocket into space.

The top was down suddenly- that was odd. Just a few seconds ago, the truck had not even had a top- but, no, it did, but not the type that came down. It wasn't as though the metal roof had peeled off in the rough wind and gone flying on down to the street either- no, it had just retracted. Leon looked up to see what was going on- and his eyes very nearly bugged out of his head with surprise. To his utter and complete shock, the crappy old truck was gone. It had been replaced with a solidly built, well mannered minivan, solid greys and shifting whites replacing the red and rust steel. Instead of bumping and roaring down the dirt path, it had gone to humming quietly along the side-college residential streets, blending in so as not to disturb anyone.

Leon looked around- no longer was he sitting in the back of an old truck. No, now he was sitting tightly buckled in the seat of the van, a shoulder belt and a lap brace securing him. He just sort of sat there for a second, staring straight ahead in total confusion, having no idea what was going on at this point. hHe just knew he had to go with it.

"Hey, y'all like the new car, guys?", Dakren asked, looking back from the driver's seat, Merru riding shotgun, Leon and Liritu in the passenger bench. "It's a Shifter model X. Got it just last week, so that's why captain forgetsalot over here's looking surprised. Heh."
"It shifts its appearance based on environment…", Leon said, and thoughtfully scratched his chin. "Interesting, interesting…"

"Oh, you betcha.", said Dakren, and grinned manically as he raised his foot to step on the gas. "Just wait till you see what happens when we get into the city."

"Why, what happens oh mgsodm goooo-", Leon said, as he was thrown into the seat in front of him, the car boosting forward into the shape of an actual full van, tearing off down the highway and towards the nearby towering buildings of downtown Salt Lake City.

Song: Just n Image

As the towering buildings came into view, Leon could not help but stare. He had never seen anything like them before- of course he had seen tall buildings, but they were different .Those had been uniform, practically and sometimes literally backdrops to the environment of brawling.

"Wait, what the frick?", he whispered to himself, not knowing at all what that last sentence of his thoughts had even meant. The idea seemed familiar- almost as if he was communicating with himself through some past life- but that didn't make sense either. He was not- he wasn't-

"Gaaah!", he groaned, and fell forward, right into Liritu's outstretched arm. "THe friheeeee-"
"Leon?", Liritu asked, and wrapped her arms around him. She stared right into his eyes, looking right into his essence, not wanting to let him go. "I can tell that something is hurting you. Tell me what it is, or I'll Get the answer out of you."

Had Leon been feeling a bit better, he would have tried to figure out the second option- but he was not feeling good at all, and just wanted to tell somebody exactly how not good he felt.

His face turned red and he almost cried a few little tears- until he closed his eyes and let it all out, Liritu just listening as he bore his heart. "I don't know, okay? I don't know why I'm not feeling grounded or connected with reality or like I don't belong or that I'm not even me or maybe I am me but I don't really know just who that "me" even is! I just feel so lost, and confused, and ready to just curl up into a ball and… and…"

He didn't finish that thought, just looking down at the ground. "And…"
"And what, Leon?", asked Liritu, and Leon looked up. "And what?"

"And die.", Leon grumbled, squeezing his face up. "I just feel ready to curl up and die cause nothing makes sense and it's all just hurting and I can't get his fricking itch to go away underneath my skin and it's all too confusing and we're all just missing class and-"

He suddenly found his mouth unable to form words. He was confused, until he found the reason- Liritu had pressed her lips up against his, her tongue pressing into his mouth and her face pushing up against his, her entire body on top of his, pushing him down onto the passenger bench. The seatbelts had snapped from her passionate movement, and she wrapped her arms around Leon, trapping him in her grip- but he did not even attempt escape. He just let her lie on top of him, continuing to cut off his airflow with her kiss, feeling her sheer aura collide with his and force it into a little cave- but that felt good. He liked her strength. It made him feel things he did not know he was capable of feeling, the sensations flowing through his veins like thunder and lighting flow through a storm, building and building in his body until-

Liritu finally let off the kiss, and sat back up. She grabbed Leon and pulled his now limp body to a sitting position, and put one arm all across his shoulder.
"There..", she said, and traced his chin with a finger. "Isn't that all better? You feel more connected now?"

Leon looked at his hands, looked up- and beamed, a very rare sight. Liritu thought it was quite adorable. "Yep!"

"Good.", she said, and the top of the car rolled down once again- but this time, the car itself had changed. No longer was it a mere minivan- this time, it was a stylish convertible. Blue and yellow lightning patterns adorned the shimmering chrome, and the engine roared loud with a ridiculous speed. Dakren hollered and Merru hollered along with him, both of them slapping the sides of the car as they drove. "We're in the city now, my dude! How ya feeling?"

"Good, Dakren.", said Leon, and smiled as he drew just a little bit closer to Liritu. They snuggled, and both of them grinned wide. "I'm feeling good."

"Well alright!", shouted Dakren, and slapped Merru lightly on the shoulder. "Girl, what's our route?"

Merru perked up at the touch and scrolled on her phone, chewing on some gum she had found. Leon had no reaction to the action, even if he really should have. "Well, if we just keep on going this way, we'll return to our dorms in about an hour. Should give us plenty of time to see the sights first."

"Awepic!", shouted Dakren, and pumped his fist. "Leon my man, we have got to introduce you to the sights!"

"Yeah." said Leon, and nodded. "That's… that is what I said, yes. The sights."
"Yes, the sights.", Dakren said, and nodded again. "The sights are cool bro, the sights are cool, bro, the sights are cool bro, the sights are-"

Dakren shook his head, and looked right ahead. "I mean, um. What uh… what was I saying?"

Leon looked at Dakren, who apparently had just glitched. He stared at his movement patterns- now seeming incredibly predictable and formulaic. They were almost like that of a robot, or a- a-

He listened, for the fist time since the trip began, to the song playing on the radio, creeping in one the edge of his ears, trying to tell him something. It was strangely familiar, but he couldn't tell why- no. No, no, that was precisely it. The songs he had been hearing, playing out of the various radios since he had woken up that morning. In the hotel he had had breakfast in- it was talking about… a woman? With a baby, or something like that. The one he had been eating pancakes to- that one was about… heaven, or something along those lines. The one on the bus ride he and Dakren had taken throughout the city- that one had been about a ravine- a canyon, he thought. The one he had been hearing playing in the commons- the song was about a world perfect, no higher desires or intensity of thought. And now the one on the radio- he listened closely, he could hear the lyrics clear.

"You are just an image… you are not for reall….."

There were two things connecting the songs, Loen realized. One was that they had all been singing about things in the situation that he was now being increasingly paranoid about finding himself in. That these were not his friends- merely fakes to fool him- but no, there was something even higher than that, something stranger. Not his friends but- his family…

But the second thing that connected them all was something that was particularly interesting. They were all sung by the same person. One woman had been singing the entire time, torture and pain in her voice, seeming to reach out to Leon personally.

"G… guys?", asked Leon, finding his eyes shut for some reason. "I… I need to ask you all something."

His hand trembled and his neck felt hot. He didn't want to know the answer to his question- but he knew that he had to. And he knew somehow that what had to be always superceded what he wanted to be. That he had always known, regardless of whatever strange things were abeing.

"Sure, Leon?.", Liritu asked, but she sounded- different. In a further away spot than she had been before. "What is it-"

Leon's eyes snapped open, and he threw the bombshell. "Are you guys real?"

But once he saw just where they all where, what exactly they were doing- it shocked him to the very core. For no longer were they in the backseat of a luxury car- no, now they were all seated around a white composite material table, the sounds and sights of a high-tier bowling alley all around them, the taste of grapes upon his tongue and the smell of pizza wafting into his nose.

"Uh…", said Dakren ,and gave him a sideways look. He looked at his both arms and sniffed, then shrugged. "I don't know, dude. But I think I'm pretty darn real, that's for sure."

"Yeah, me too.", said Merru, and continued to eat her piece of pizza, her long tongue struggling to lap up all the cheese. "I feel real. This tastes real. You guys are real."

But Liritu looked at Leon with a slight look of understanding. Whether it was because of their romantic bond or something else, she was about to say. "I… I get what you mean, Leon. To tell the truth, I've been feeling kind of weird ever since I woke up this morning… like… I don't really belong here. So far I've been able to repress the sensation but… it does keep on popping back up."

"Liritu.", said Leon, and they looked into each other's eyes. Leon felt a glim spark of something deeper push up from inside him- some sense of heroism, some faint marker of grim duty.

He looked deeper into her eyes- and they kissed for a bit, before pulling away and leaning away from the table. "Do you think that there's something… going on here-"

Leon walked into the restaurant and bowling alley, and looked around. He had never been here before, not even when he had been to the city with his family before. It was odd- he couldn't quite remember what they were like. That should have scared him beyond any conventional measurements, but it did not. Besides, he knew he had more conventional things to worry about- like the wonderful evening gown that Liritu had changed in to when- when, um…
He stopped, holding back a bit. When had Liritu gone into that gown? They had just been in the car. There would have been no time nor the place, not unless they had stopped somewhere- but they had not, had they? Nut unless-

"Leon, come on.", said Liritu, and yanked on his hand impatiently. Leon hurried along the floor. He could figure it out later- they had decided to stick in some late evening bowling and dining before going back to campus for the night. "Right."

As they walked to their table, he could see that somehow, Dakren had already ordered a pizza. He must have been fast- because that wouldn't make sense otherwise. And he knew for a fact that this was real- why would he not think it was real- why would he not- not- not- not-

"Leon?", he heard Liritu ask, and hoped he snapped back to reality. He would have rather liked it to be. "Leon, are you okay? You don't look tooo good."

"Uh…" ,said Leon, and rubbed his head. He could see the colors of the table Merru and Dakren were sitting at bend and flex, dancing in and out of his vision like ballet-infused squid. "I think I just need to sit down."

"Oh, well then do it.", said Liritu, and grabbed Leon underneath the armpits. He was strongly swung over to the table Liritu, flashing over to take a seat underneath him right before he hit the chair. "Just sit down, and take a drink, and you'll feel better. Okay?"

"Okay.", said Leon, and took a drink of water. It tasted strange, but he could not place why. "Just need a drink of… hey, what's this place called?"

"Jester's Bowling and High-end Pizza, may I take your order?", asked a waiter who had suddenly appeared. Leon jumped back and looked up, seeing the almost robotic looking man in a jester's mask looming over their table, his body bending in an unnatural fashion. Leon looked at the man in the jester's mask- but no. It was not that. Not a jester's- but a Jester's.

"Yo, Jakamo!", shouted Dakren, and Leon whipped his head around. That name was familiar, and terrifying, and right on the tip of his tongue were the reasons for why. "Can we get a shoutout!"

Leon saw the figure on the other side of the room, his back to him, busy entertaining a galley of young children with a beverty of juggling multicolored balls. He appeared not to hear Dakren at first. Not until he called a few more times. "Hey, Jak! Jakthemost over here! Hey, Jakky!"

FInally, he turned around- and Leon's blood ran colder than starving ice. He saw the infinite maks unwind, the terror written within the monster's eyes, the hatred and malice that betrayed the smile carved on his bony, mask like face, almost cracking the material.

Leon jumped up, and pointeed. He could feel the memories beginning to return- for there at last he was. The man- or, thing, really, nothing of that sort could really even be called a man- was there and mocking him, starting to appear in the dark dream that he had created. "You!"

Leon jumped up from his chair and began to run towards him, reaching in his pocket for the weapons that were not there. "Jesterrrrrrrrr-"

But the Jester made a motion, and Liritu rubbed the back of Leon's head, staring right into him with caring eyes. "I feel like there is, but I'm not sure what it is."

"Wait, wh-", Leon said, and looked around. Nothing made sense. Nothing was making any sense at all. He had just entered the scene, but he had been there for yet still quite a long while. He had been there, seeing the- the- the Jester! Whoever he was. Leon knew he was bad, right? Wasn't he evil? Wasn't he.. Who? Who was he, though? Who was the jester? Who was who? He could not even really emember the name right then, ,but was there ever a name to remember? Leon started to breathe harder, seeing the pins crash, seeing the impact of the sound, hearing the pain they all wielded, tasting the blood on this tounge as he began to crash into the wall behind him, biting hins tounge as he fell. He could barely even think, the chaos overwhelming him and cutting off his vision, until-

"Strike!", he heard, and he jumped up from the couch he had been on. He looked around utter confusion, even more than he had been feeling, seeing a bunch of fellow students including Dakren all clustered around a table, seemingly extremely exited about… something.

Song: Que Cera

"Hey, dude.", said Dakren, and looked over, peering past the shoulders of a shorter student. "You were asleep for a bit. You fell under pretty much as soon as we left for the city… didn't want you just sleeping in the back back there, so we just took you home."

"Uh…", said Leon, and looked at his sleepy hands, pressed into the couch from inactivity. SO that's why the city had not made any sense- he had been asleep. Dreams very rarely made any sense at all. That, he guessed, was at least some form of comfort. "Yea okay."
"Anyway, wanna play Wii Bowling with us?", asked Dakren, and pointed towards the TV. "We're on the last level."

"Yeah, no thanks, I'm good-", said Leon, then took a deep sniff. He smelled something that made him suddenly a lot more awake- and a lot hungrier as well. It, somehow, made him really, really want to play Wii Bowling. "Actually, you know what? Never mind. Gimme that pizza."

Leon stood up, stretched, and walked towards the pizza display on the table in the middle of the small upper commons area, some bottles of soda and napkins serving as side accessories. There were multiple boxes of pizza- an open box of cheese, an open box of pepperoni, and several closes ones that most likely held more of the Leon didn't know- perhaps one of them held fish. He liked pizza with fish on it. It just appealed to him on some primal level he had never fully understood. He also liked orange and lime soda in one bottle- that too was on the table. Interesting, he didn't know the local stores even carried that kind.

"They don't.", said Dakren. "I just had those at home. You like?"

"Yep." ,said Leon, and happily poured himself a paper shot glass, not even aware that Dakren, seemingly, had just read his thoughts. He didn't care much either. He was just wanting to bowl.

The car that Liritu and Merru had gone on to shop in the city with slowly pulled into the driveway of the residence hall, both of them seeing the strange building in front of them. It tilted forward at an angle that suggested darkness and triggered a briny sensation in the throat, a chilling aura of fear creeping in at the very edges. Orange tinsel coated the sheer lines of the edge, the gutters all dressed up for the incoming Halloween season- it was early October, after all. The yellow light shone hard and fast up along the black tarmac and white sidings, the bumps along both shimmering in the fluorescent illumination. It was blocked a bit as Liritu slowly exited the car, letting out a loud yawn that flew off into the night. Merru was a little bit later to enter, but she did, sliding out and onto the ground, letting out a yawn that made her tail stiffen.

"BOY, where we out late or what?", she asked, not even noticing that her language had slipped up. "It must be at least 8! And when did we leave, 5?"

"Probably, yeah." ,said Liritu, and looked up at the dorm in nervousness. "But we better get inside. I don't like to wait… and I feel like something bad might happen if we do."

"Okay, okay.", said Merru, and tried to lift up the huge suitcase that she had left in the trunk of the car. But it was overfilled to past the brim with clothes, and she was unable to. "Ah! Just gott-"

Liritu sighed and picked them both up, putting Merru on her shoulder and the bag in her arms. "Whatever. Let's just go."

Liritu huffed at the astonishingly heavy suitcase- it must have weighed at least 500 pounds. "Why do you even have this many clothes, girl? It's not like you wear more than the same few things every single day."

But Merru, wishing to avoid confrontation, just looked away and whistled. Liritu rolled her eyes-

And hey both walked up the stairs to inside the dorm, feeling the chill of the orange and purple October winds upon their backs.

"Okay, now pull it back.", said Dakren, and Leon did so, gripping tightly the Wii Remote and pulling back his arm. "And now aim, yes, aim, towards the pins…"

Leon did that as well, making sure to take precise, careful aim directly towards the pins, feeling the urge to knock them all over deep within his warrior's blood. "Yes.."

Dakren tapped Leon on the shoulder, and slightly coughed. "Now throw it forward, and release!"

Leon did so, letting out a mighty yell- the the screen stopped as the ball flew backwards. He blinked and looked around, hearing the snickers of the entire group. The many Miis in the background of the game seemed to be covertly laughing as well. "What?"

"Don't release B, Leon.", said Dakren, and grabbed the remote. "See, here. Let me try-"

"Leon!", Leon heard Liritu shout, and he startled. He whipped his head around to see her, and he felt his heart lift up once again upon contact with her beauty. But then it turned to a little bit of fear, as he saw her angry expression and bunched up muscles, coming right for him.
"Hey what, what did I do?", he asked, looking around in confusion. "What did I-"

But his efforts of his half hearted defense were all for naught, as Liritu grabbed him by the ear. He did not resist as Liritu dragged him away down the hall, towards their room, the slight pain rolling through his shivering body as she tugged at his earlobe the whole time. He didn't know what was going on, or why it was happening- but secretly, he was glad that it was.

Finally, once they reached the room, Liritu tossed Leon inside, throwing him haphazardly onto his bed. He rolled around and bumped his chin up against the bedspread, still not really knowing why she had brought him here, or why she was so mad. "Hey, uh, Liritu? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing.", said Lirtiu, and shrugged, letting her eyes let out a little gleam. "I'm just a little confused as to what's going on right now, so…"

She grabbed both edges of her shirt, and began to move them. Leons' eyes bugged out, and he felt his face deeply flush as he grabbed the sides of the bed as tightly as he could. "Woah! Liritu! What… what are you doing?"

Liritu paused, looking at him in adoration and confusion- until her own eyes lit up. "Oh yes, that's right.", she said, and stopped fiddling with her shirt. She instead looked around on the floor. "Help me find a sock. We gotta put on on the outside of the door."
"Wh… why?", asked Leon, and shivered a bit. He thought he might have known the answer, but he wanted to make absolutely sure. "Why did you bring me in here in the first place, anyway?"

"Found one!", shouted Liritu, and opened the door just a crack. She slipped it on and went back inside, then stared at Leon with what could very easily be described as hunger. "Oh, don't be so silly. I think you already know."
Liritu did not wait for Leon to respond before grabbing the edges of her shirt, and running her hands along Leon's shoulder. "This is a bedroom. We're boyfriend and girlfriend. What do you think we're gonna be doing?"

Then Leon finally put 1 and 2 together, and fell over onto the bed.

Dakren sat alone with Merru at the far side of the room, knowing exactly what Leon and Liritu were up to. He could not actually see, of course- that behavior was one of Merru's. But he still kept a very careful eye on them, seeing as how they and they alone were the ones that he had been assigned to watch over and protect by his master. The time would come to finish them off, for sure- but it was not that day. It would be a day known by many as the most dreadful time of all, for more than just a simple death. It would be new rebirth.

"Hey Dakren.", said one of the students next to hin, and Dakren looked up. "You want a shot? Wii's free."

"Uh, yeah, no, I'm good.", said Dakren, and waved his hand in dismissal. "Thanks for asking thorough."

The student looked at him sideways- Dakrne would normally never refuse a chance on the Wii, especially not when it was his favorite game- bowling. But he did him, he guessed. No judging.

Dakren looked forward,and felt Merru put her hand on his shoulder. TO tell the truth, he was still a little confused on just why he was there in the first place. Obviously it had been because the Jester had recruited him- but why he had chosen him specifically he still not not know. He had been given a girlfriend as reason to stay, which was nice- he had always wanted one of those. But what he had been doing before was not interesting, which was strange considering he somehow still wanted to go back to it. That in itself was odd- he had not been able to remember quite what he had been doing before. He had just been… existing? He guessed. Whatever. It was hard to tell. Even with Merru's tongue running over his neck.

For Merru, this was actually a rather easy problem to solve. She in fact knew full well why the Jster had recruited her- but she also knew who had sent her to a time in which she could be recruited. He, the great one, kenw that all had a special role to play- and that included her. She knew she was both forbidden to either speak or even think his name- but she could think his initials. E. A- and that did not mean Electronic Arts.

They both just sat there, Merru sneaking a cookie from the table and Dakren thinking about when his next game with Leon was going to be- when the door was suddenly burst open, startling everyone inside. They both turned to confront his new, mysterious threat- but relaxed as they saw it was merely their student body officers, David and Larry. They sat down and no longer bothered. Whatever they were there for, it was of no real importance.

"Leon Reivanon and Liritu Grrshanka!", came the voice of David, as he looked aorund the room. "Where are they? We need to talk to them-"

Then Larry saw Dakren and Merru, and scowled. He pointed right at them, Merru's face going red. "You two as well! You are all guilty!"
"G- guilty?", asked Dakren, standing straight up. "What do you mean, guilty? What did we even do?"
"What did you even do?", asked David in disbelief, as he recklessly threw his weight around the room. "What did you even do? You skipped class to drive around the city in a truck, that's what!"

"Yeah?", asked Dakren, getting a little defensive."So?"
"So, monsieur Dakren…", said Larry, making sure to stress each and every syllable with a sarcastic anger that could only come from Europe. "We take education very seriously here at the U. And if you wish to stay here, you must take it seriously as well. Do you understand?"

Dakren looked at Merru, who just looked away and bit her lip. "You told me you bribed all of the teachers!", he whisper hissed so as not to be heard. "So what the frick?"

"Well excuuuuse me.", said Merru- but glad she was inside. All of it was coming together, according to His plan. "Some of us don't know every teacher on campus, as much as we would both like that to be true."

"Well-", said Dakren, but knew that Merru was right. So he just stood there and fumed, as Merru continued to hop back and forth in a little foot work dance.

"Where are Leon and Liritu?", asked David, and Dakren startled. "Uh…"

He looked off towards the bedrooms, and made a little motion with his mouth. "They're uh…"

Fortunately, David got the hint quite early on. It would have been extremely awkward to try and explain it to him for very much longer. As it were, David looked away and nodded. 'Ah. Well then. Tell them when they got out that they are to report to the Grand Station Library tomorrow to help clean and organize it as punishment for their crimes. And of course, that goes for you as well- but you'll be working on the fossil collection."

"Good luck, Americans.", Larry sneered, and spun around on his Gucci heels. They both walked away, leaving Merru and Dakren both alone in silence for more than several moments.

It was not long before the stairs shook with the weight of two people, one smaller and one large, Leon and Liritu making their entrance into the commons area once again. Leon was very nearly asleep, his eyes bugging out still and his skin still shivering all over, his cheeks seeming to be in a semi-permanent state of deep blush. Most of his clothes weren't on all the way straight, as if Liritu had to put them on herself. She was a little rustled up, but nothing too major.

"Oh, hey.", Dakren said, with an utterly deadpan voice. "Nice to see you guys? How'd it-"

"We all have to clean up the library first thing tomorrow morning." ,said Merru, butting in.

"Oh.", were the only dry words that escape Leon's cracked and drooling mouth. "Cool."

"What happened with him?", asked Merru, and Liritu laughed. "I happened."

Song: Morphing thru time

Brandy look around in the strange Hotel she now found herself in. It almost reminded her of the Great Goblin Hotel she and Dan had stayed in at the very beginning of the journey- oh, how long ago that seemed now. She knew it had been only about 8 days. But to her, it seemed more than 8 months had passed between setting out from Royale- and- and- and wherever she was now, stuck in some hotel in some other part of the universe, or at least on some far forgotten corner of the globe. But whatever the case, she needed to get through his new obstacle, and find her way back to reality. That was the only thing she was concerned with at this point- truthfully, nothing else even mattered. Not even the… strange feelings around her head.

She looked around in alarm, feeling the sensations in abundance. They felt lost, confused, angry- but most of all they felt that most horrifying feeling of all- helpless. It was the feeling of a certain doom, an unavoidable fate that was worse than even death's cold jaws. She didn't know what it was, or where from all around it was coming from- until she walked a few feet more away from the entrance and saw the welcome area. Then her heart collapsed.

In front of her was a massive, massive room, the sheer space easily equal to an entire Arena back home- but his was far stranger, different, darker, scarier. A gigantic Clashmas tree stood at the far edge of the room, smaller ones adorned about and sandwiched right next to her, their bright red tinsel casting uncomfortable lights about her eyes. Rich decorations of wood and ice were strewn about the room, giving the drippingly strong northern influence off in every which way. There were drums, moose heads, icy trimmings, fireplaces, walrus skins, snow shoes, ski goggles and hats- everything to do with snow or ice or the north was there up hanging, proudly displayed upon the walls. But that was not the part that was bad. No, the part that was bad was-

The children. All around her, running and bustling in every which way, were the children- all in the uniforms of workers. She almost lost a bit of her soul as she saw the hotel must have been staffed entirely by children- but then as she thought more about it, her blood grew hot.

She felt the Rage boil up inside of her once again, threatening to erupt at the way she saw actual children being forced into work like this. Backbreaking, agonizing work- pushing entire crates of laundry larger than they were up multiple flights of interior ringed stairs, circling up through the main room until the very top floor of the hotel, no doubt many thousands of feet. She looked around at the monstrosities of this strange hotel one more time to motivate herself into anger- then she saw something that made her blood boil beyond belief.

She could see an older woman leading a young male employee into a room, a wry smile on her face and naked terror upon his. She felt as though she had seen that boy somewhere before- but now, now that he was going into the door marked only "Brothel", Brandy could not handle it anymore. She threw back her head threw open her arms, and screamed.

She felt the Rage utterly surround her, filling her up with truly unlimited anger, her hair standing up and her voice alone producing sounds like that of a hurricane in full flight. She felt her muscles swell and her power rise, higher than she had ever, ever felt it rise before, screaming with the raw, untempered might of a supervolcanic eruption. Her eyes opened and-

And she saw herself falling from a ceiling, right towards a strange display of photography books, books full of taken pictures right below her. She twisted herself around, feeling the Rage flow out of her and dissipate once she was most suddenly taken away from its source. She fell with a deafening crash right int the pile of books, surrounding herself in ink and pages, instinctively covering herself with Dash as so not to be hurt. She held her breath, hoping that no one would notice- but strangely enough, there semed to be an even louder sound coming from somewhere to her front, on the other side of a strangely glowing purple door. SHe knew she had to check that out, but after she found out where she was. And how to do that, of course? Look out the window…

Brandy took a quick glance out the window, and gasped. If it was not for the still urgent situation, she would have loved to stay there more, to find out what it was- she still knew very little about giant cities. And the city in front of her seemed not the exception, but the true embodiment of the rule. It was- there was no such word for it. Massive failed. Gargantuan did not measure up. Infinite, eternal, neverending indeed- no. Even the very concept of size itself seemed effect for what she was seeing. It wrapped around on and over itself in a truly infinite recursing that stretched into the furthest heaven and the final shore, even the deep space in the distance still the similar city. It was beyond anything that Brandy could comprehend at the moment, so she looked closer. That was no less strange, just in different ways.

The buildings appeared made of… toys? But no. They couldn't have been, and indeed they were not. But they almost looked like it, the gigantic wooden power blocks that looked like gigantic wooden building blocks charging up with energy every second. Rolling railways tucked between the buildings, a magical sensation not unlike a deep night library overlooking it all.

Yes, it was beautiful, and intriguing beyond reason. But Brandy could not stay. She would come back someday, same as pretty much all the places she had visited. If she could find this place again, that is- and when she got out. Not if, she knew, but when.

She gathered herself, aimed, concentrated Dash in her arms and legs, and fired- right towards the door, busting through it with a powerful blast. There she skidded along the ground in shock, somehow unable to stop herself, heading headlong into the … cake? Yes, there it was- a huge cake, purple and grey, decorated to look like a vast cave.

"And this, gentlemen, is a cake from the-", said some kind of auctioneer or arthouse verterna, most likely both, right next to it- then he looked up. "Oh?"

Bandy was unable to stop herself, with the bizarre slipperiness of the floor. She kept on heading right for the cake, closing her eyes as she flew, slamming into the-

Right into the rock wall, hitting her head up against a solid slab of stone. Thankfully her Dash protected her, but it was still annoying. She had been expecting a thick and refreshing cake to slam into, not a hard rock wall. But whatever- wherever she was now, she had to be ready for it, no matter what. No matter… what.. There was a gecko on the wall. There was a very brightly colored rainbow colored gecko, almost appearing as if it had been made of felt. It stared at her sideways, Brandy backing up to not touch it. Animals that looked like that were almost always poisonous or venomous, and she didn't want to take her chances with the latter.

She continued to back up- but did so too far, as she suddenly felt nothing beneath her. She whipped around in surprise- and saw a gargantuan backdrop, continuing downwards forever, until the bottom was in a place that had not existed long enough for light to reach. For the second time, she saw exactly what true nothing felt like- and it terrified her beyond belief. She grunted and Dashed back up, getting as far away from the hole as possible, pushing herself back up against the rock wall, keeping a blanket of Dash on her back to protect from any spines or such she might run into otherwise. Judging from the snapping sound she was hearing, she had been correct in that call.

She felt her metal arm beep ,and a thought came into her head- attackers. She didn't know how. It must have been a feature of the arm that had not come into play until now, for it had not alerted her or anyone else to the Jester's presence. But obviously it read the Jester and the dozen of so short mud Golems with spears running around the corner quite differently.

Brandy yelled, and thrust out her hand. There was a great shockwave of Dash that blew outwards, cutting most of them in half and blowing the rest to bits, only one or two actually intact as they flew away and into the jungle behind them, crashing against the trees and ceasing all movement. Brandy huffed, and looked around- it was insanely hot in the strange jungle cave, so hot it made her want to go under ice water and blow bubbles for several minutes. But she couldn't- so she did the next best thing- she flipped back her hood. Then she ducked immediately. For the range of sight it had boosted her with had given her a glimpse of a strange reptilian creature about her size, divebombing her from above and missing, smashing right into the rocks beside her.

Brandy knew she had to get out of there. She knew she had to- so she jumped right at the rock, gathering up her Dash to smash it to pieces. Hopefully it would trigger a large enough reaction to switch her again. She slammed into the rock- and, to her surprise, went right through.

Brandy looked around at the little office space in which she now found herself. It was as if it was a different spot, but she could tell that it was not. The walls were amber and stone, clearly the same overarching theme as the cave's. The phone was a rock, as was the computer- but very well made rocks, somehow shining with a screen. A ring of rock was high above the rest of the room, oddly placed stuffed animals arranged within. There was also a door- so Brandy jumped up against it, pressing it outwards and no doubt falling into somewhere new- but not before a single dinosaur fact found its way into her brain. Amargosaurus had large spines on its back, neck, and tail.

Brandy shook off that strange feeling, and roll jumped to her feet. She looked around, ready for anything once more- and she was almost ready for what she saw now, right in front of her.

A huge grey floor of packages and boxes was arrayed outwards, stretching out hundreds of feet into a back area, a wall of marked paint and plane parts, deals and displays by the hundreds.

Brandy looked around, feeling the strange sense of.. Companionship? It was almost as if someone else was right there by her side, pressed up against her back. There was not, but she felt it anyway. She stood there for a moment, letting the feeling get louder, until she knew she had to respond. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

No words were spoken. But words were heard- no, not words, but feelings. Some sort of assurance was communicated in some way, and Brandy nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

They slowly, carefully, crept long the floor, looking up and around, like a child's playroom. It certainly had that feel to it- yet at the same time a vast department store, its only sold products luggage, suitcases, briefcases, and assorted size portfolios. She didn't know truly what it was, and she halfway suspected there was no real answer. Whatever it was, where ever this was, it was best to not truly ever be known. So she just kept moving herself along, seeing the photos at the top of the room move gently along, defying gravity as they crept, moving box to box and both to crate, stamping them with a motion and letting them fall. They landed right to Brandy and her mysterious companion not noticing one until it was too late-

She felt a box burst right overhead, revealing ithe many bricks and metal pipes it had been filled with. She looked up, around, and shivered, seeing mysterious blood dripping from the blankets on beds stacked high up on the walls, attached right at the edge of the ceiling right before the triangular prism that made up the darkly fabric dome. She knew it was best not to investigate it further- but what was worth thinking about was just who was with her at that moment. Was it- her heart froze? Was it Dan? Had he somehow figured out away to move his influence here-

"Mota…", she heard, faint as a summer snow. That was confusing for sure. Dan didn't even say mota, much less make it his catchphrase. So who was it then?

Brandy bumped up against the wall, and knew it was time to switch to a new spot. She gathered her courage, looked around, and fell backwards through the automatically opening door- but she felt with a choke of panic her guardian leave her. "Wait no don't leave me-"

But the mysterious being left, and she fell backwards into a strange fluorescently lit hallway, seeing and hearing sneakers all around her, vast amounts of green and black tinsel all around...

"Woah, who the frick is that?", shouted one surprised youth, retreating instantly at Brandy's sudden intrusion. "Where did she come from?"

Brandy, not wanting anyone to get the jump on her, immediately sprang to her feet. She looked at her surroundings- this time they were of the distinctly scholastic variety, papers hung on the walls, bulletin boards abound, and students shuffling down the halls.

"Woah, she's little.", said one student right behind her, looming high at almost 6 feet and 9 inches. "Is she from the high school over there?"
Brandy bristled, whipping around and pointing her finger at the tall student, who appeared to some sort of athlete, his thin sketch goatee and greasy hair disgusting in her eyes. "Excuse me, fricker? I am an adult, and you will not speak to me that way-"

"Aww, is she scared?", he asked again, and one of his cronies laughed. "Scared little girl?"

Brandy, at that moment, could not even control what happened next. Brandy, in the second that followed, let her inhibitions of bloodshed fall completely. For no one called her that. No one was ever allowed to call her a "scared little girl." She would have grinned at the justice- but there was no joy in the retribution. There was only rage as she attacked, only bitterness as the boy split.

His cronies gasped in absolute horror as the youth's entire front half split and fell away, slapping down onto the tiled ground with a wet thud, splashing blood all over Brandy's feet and calves. The entier inner workings of his body were exposed- Brandy could see his organs pulsing, his heart moving in and out, his brain short circuiting out as half of it flopped and falloped in the cut out shell that was the boy's other head half. His mouth still screamed silently, but his lungs and vocal cords expunged a sound that should never be described. His meat, his muscle was visible for all to see- until even more horrible than before, the organs started to fall out.

The student's back half slowly rocked back and forth, held right to the spot by the sheer force Brandy had put into her piercing attack, until it fell backwards onto the ground, with another wet splash of red carnage and blood. But nothing was in it- there sat all his organs in a pile, vibraign slightly from the continuing pain, two halves of a cut human sliding slowly across the floor in a trail of their own spilt blood. The reaction of all the other students was one of mind-numbing fear- they had all turned and run long before he had even finished collapsing.

Brandy stood alone in the halls- and suddenly realized that the thing she had killed had not turned to Elixir. He was still just a bleeding, extremely violent and graphic corpse, which she did not need. There was only one way to that- so she started to pull to where he had been with her Dash, pull back, and- most of the corpse was gone, erased by her Dash.

Brandy looked around, and saw a room that said "Marine Biology" on it. Brandy shrugged, opened the door, and walked inside. That could be useful….

The exact second that Brandy found out what was through the door, she regretted opening it. For as the vast spray of blackness enveloped her, its icy darkness suddenly covering her head as she was sucked into the infinite void in front of her, she could not even scream. She could not help but be dragged away into whatever nightmare was in the door, spinning around and around endlessly until she could no longer tell what way was up- or really even what that word meant, down here in the true dark, the unbowed umbra, the vantablack abyss of-

A fish swam by, and Brandy let out the single most relieved sound of her entire life, blowing bubbles into what she now knew to be mere, good old water. Of course, it was not mere water in any way- it was deep ocean water, black as space and cold as ice, crushing with the force of hundreds of thousands of tons. One of those things, however, just didn't seem to be able to bother Brandy. She felt lost and cold, but the weight upon her was that of air, the fish swimming around her in blind curiosity, her staring back in just as much. It almost appeared to be made out of grey drawing paper, flat on one side and bulging outwards on the other, its perfectly neutral tone almost an insult to creativity and vision. Its eyes were flat and probably useless, blindingly swimming by in the super down deep.

Brandy looked around- the water here was strange, the thing within even stranger. It was black, yes- yet she could see through it, almost as if it were blackness backdropping a clear ocean.

The temple ruins- she assumed that is what they were, similar to Goblins- were scattered all around her, bent out of the sand and cracking. They glowed with an invisible light, clearly visible even though the rock just behind them that held them up was barely there. At least, she hoped that was a rock…

She looked upwards, seeing a layer of green right above her, strange tentacles flailing out of the murk, and knew she would not go in there. She preferred to not get herself mixed up with tentacles, if she had the choice. But she knew that she probably had to get above the water some way in order to progress- so she looked around, trying to find another way. But to increasing frustration- there was nothing. The green tentacle barrier seemed to extend in all directions at once, making escape impossible, if she wanted to remain untouched.

So Brandy ever so slowly floated down to the bottom, put both hands on her knee and her foot on the rock, and began to think.

As she sat there, still attempting to figure out a way to get past the cloud, Brandy could feel a strange feeling come over herself. She felt relaxed in the deep, currrentationous water- deep and flowing walls of water gently pushing her one way and the next. She sat here for a few more seconds, and closed her eyes, in order to increase the thinking's strength. As the strange pulsing from some unknown source continued, Brandy could feel herself becoming more and more strange, as if watched upon by an ancient magical force. She felt absolutely exhausted,and began to relax the muscles in her body, the deep sea current washing away any way to tell her that it was a trap. She felt herself start to drift away, to be lost in the gentle green curent forever- then she snapped awake, jumping around in the deep dark sea to rid herself of that sort of feeling. She hated those kinds of feelings. To just be lost, to not know who yo were- that was exhausting in and indeed. She knew she had to recover, she knew she had to break free- but first, she had to move around, still find out where she was. But she could hardly move.

So she did the next best thing- she reminded herself of just who she was to a nearby fish, swimming by at apprixintely no miles an hour.

"My name is Brandy Oticat.", said Brandy, trying to calm her voice despite the intense bubbles flashing by. "I don't know what I'm doing here, but… I don't know quite when my birthday is anyway, and I don't know where and who my father is. My favorite food is chocolate, my least favorite food is onion wrapped mushrooms. There…"

She looked around, feeling the receding feelings of the ocean depth recede away. She sensed the feelings of- age, that was it. The feelings of age in the world, almost as if this ocean whatever it was, was absolutely, unimaginably even, old. She didn't know how old it was, buy anything at that age would not truly hold a candle to that knowledge either. But she looked upwards, still seeing the green cloud- in it a huge and vicious Giant Squid suddenly lunged outwards from the cloud, aimed right for her, the words "Giant Squid" arranged conveniently for her, resting on a top of a plate. Brandy yelped and Dashed straight up past the squid, ignoring it entirely and entering into the cloud itself.

Brandy could not see, even though she kicked and swam as hard as she possibly could. The thick, intense, pea green murk was far too intense for that- it was like swimming through a swimming pool of Goblins. But the Goblin piles only had sucking tentacle arms in them very rarely. And these appeared to be common, judging from the four that were coming at her.

Brandy jumped, tucked and rolled through the thick green tentacle golf, dodging the attacks like a cloud dodges a lightning strike, almost passing through her opponent's might ellows. Her gigantic opponent blocked the blow, and redirected into a smaller place. She grabbed a tentacle and tore if off as one wrapped around her waist with a wetsy squelch -but that one flew too, burst open with a blast of Dash. She yelled to keep herself going- even as she blasted through the layer of tentacles in one final blast, suddenly feeling the cold and hut rush of air upon her skin as she spun through the air, flinging herself across space. She landed again on her feet, and looked up, feeling the dry air upon her skin and gasping in relief.

All around her were tall palms and green grass ,artificially grown for the most part- a yard. No- a public park! She did not question these thoughts , coming into her head like a naturally burning oak fire. else. But still, she had gotten out of the ocean, and she somehow felt like the end of the gauntlet was near! Se almost felt like hugging somebody- but then she felt just who there with her. A similar aura, modestly recognizable. She hoped that it was someone she recognized, someone she knew down here in the… whatever this place was, and would likely continue to be.

Brandy ran across the yard, seeing abandoned playground equipment alongside abandoned playground tools- balls next to slides and jump ropes next to see saws. It was a playground then- that was nice. It was not likely that the demons could come from a place with a playground.

She looked forward, into the halls of the huge building up ahead, the halls of the school exposed to the outdoor air, the warm and wonderful weather shining down all around. She could sense it was late here as well- but yet, it was sunny. Ah well. It was strange.

She looked up and down the halls as she jogged- there had to be somebody out here. A building that huge- and that full, judging from the recentness of ethe abandonment of the playground's equipment and grounds- had to give someone up sooner or later. She jumped over a puddle and landed behind a tree- ah! There! There someone was, a young boy emerging from a large room at the end of the hall, looking quite sheepish of himself. He tapped his fingers together and smiled as he walked, the trouble of his situation not getting to him in the slightest.

Brandy hid behind a column, not wanting to disturb him. Whatever unknowable, alien place she was in, she knew that it would best be left to its own devices, its natural processes remained undisturbed. Obviously she would move if needs be, but this was a good place to hide out.

As the boy walked, Brandy could see where he had come from- a large door at the very end of the hall, most likely some important King's office. Or whatever they had here. Some sort of leader that he had been reporting to. He had messed up and gotten in trouble. Brandy could somehow just tell- both from the way he was acting, and some other way she could not have possibly known. Then how did she know it? That, too, was quite a mystery.

The boy continued to hop and skip down the path- then to Brandy's integument, a young blonde woman entered the hallway in front of him. She was not particularly tall, only about a little less than 6 feet. And yet there existed a certain hugeness to her, a great and immeasurable vastness that Brandy could not possibly qualify. She put one hand on her hip, and Brandy tensed- then relaxed a bit as she just leaned down at the child, who could not possibly have been any older than 6- and smiled her widest grin.

"Why, somebody's been good today, huh?", she asked. "But you just forgot to collect your principal's reward!"

The boy said something, so quiet that Brandy, even with her enhanced hearing could not pick up- or perhaps she just was not meant to hear. She leaned forward, making sure to keep herself hidden. This, she felt, was important.

"Well, don't worry about going back.", she said, and grinned, a bit of coldness, darkness, evilness- all creeping into her once and still cheery voice. "I've got a bit of a special reward for you myself anyway."

"Oh boy!", said the boy, his sing songy voice fluctuating up and down. "What do I get?"

"Oh, you'll see, precious.", the woman crooned, and slowly put her hand around his shoulder. She looked back to make sure that no one was watching- and in that moment, Brandy could see her eyes. And in that moment, Brandy was hit with the sensation of such a storm of unspeakable evil that words could not even attempt to hold it. She felt her body attempting to force sleep, to break herself out of contact with the dread demon beast. Her eyes shivered and her cheeks sweat, her entire body beginning to shiver. She felt dread on a scale she had never felt dread before- because she knew. She knew full well what was going ot happen to that little boy, sure as she knew that the woman had seen her. For she had experienced that exact same thing herself. The woman continued to croon- "You'll see soon enough."

The woman- no, the- the- the- the thing, for nothing that did such actions could ever deserve to be called more than an it, slowly walked towards a room in the hall, hurrying up her actions so as not to be caught. "Now come along. You want your special reward, don't you?"

"Yeah!", said the boy, and the thing smiled, her darkness suddenly showering the entire land in inky black, even darker than the vantablack ocean Brandy had been in just a few minutes prior.

"No…", Brandy whispered, and felt that curious Rage boil up once again. Her eyes twisted, and she gripped a nearby rock so hard it turned to absolutely nothing at all, gone entirely from the world. "No…"

"Good…", said the thing, and opened the door. "There's a good little boy for me."

"You-", shouted Brandy, stood up, and jumped right out from behind the rock. Secrecy be forgotten and natural processes be hanged. This was no time for that- that little boy had to be rescued, no matter the cost. Brandy felt her Rage flare up, feeling the purple surround her- but not only the purple. There was green, green that made her muscles bulge and her teeth grow sharp. Purple, that made her hair fly straight up and her clothes flow in the wind that she herself generated. But there was as well a curious silver- on that was absolute calmness and focus, even in the face of such infinite anger, Brandy rushing towards the door. "Stay away from him!"

The door closed with a peal of doom, and Brandy roared. She didn't care if she alerted everyone there- this had to stop. It had to be prevented. It had to be-

Stop, Brandy, she heard- no, she felt, no, she saw- she knew that someone had said it, from all of eternal everywhere at once. I know it looks bad, but trust me. This does have to happen.

"What?", shouted Brandy, but she knew that her voice and actions had been muted to all others by the once who now was there. "Are you crazy? That boy is about to be shattered! I need to help him!"

Yes, and help him you shall, intoned the being, and for a second Brandy could see him, just a flicker, something long and wonderful, green and blue and white and gold. In your own way that only you can do. You shall support his mind, but in the meantime…

Then for a brief microsecond in time, Brandy could see him in his fullest, and she gasped.

There he was, infinite in length and breadth, shattering all perceptions of a theoretical limit upon reality just from himself alone, fractals of eternal magnitude not serving to make up even the barest limit of his edges, yet his edges were not- for he was all, and all was part of him. He was heading right for the room, and Brandy felt peace knowing he was on the job.

I will handle this.

Then the entire area fell away, only the sounds of triumphant, child like shouts and a woman's pained agony echoing away, as Brandy fell into darkness, the stars falling to nothing all around.

She did not know how long she fell, but it could not have been for more than a few seconds. Anyway, time no longer mattered. Nor did space. All that did was the ground she fell to, the way she got up, the force she rubbed her head with, the Jester leering right in front her, THE JEST-

Song: Kyuunchetokka

"Soooooo Brrrrraaaanndy honey!", shouted the Jester, and Brandy clenched her fist at the insult. "You thought you could escape me?"
"You think you can call me that?", Brandy yelled, and bunched up Dash in her right arm, feeling the force swell through the very air. Her senses were heightened now by her journey ,and she could feel the weak points of the Jester calling out to her. Right in the center of his regenerated mask- that is where she would strike. "Well you're dead!"

"Dead wrong?", asked the Jester. "That's not a funny joke-"

"NO!", shouted Brandy, and Dashed forward, covering the distance to the Jester's face in less than a single second. The Jester did not even have time to respond before the front part of his mask was entirely crumpled in, letting out a shrill shriek on instinct, Brandy letting herself have a sadistic grin at the pain she had caused him. It was not as much as the pain he had caused her, but it was most certainly a start.

"You.. impudent little..", the Jester shouted, and Brandy felt a strange power grip her. She looked up- and for a second, she could not breathe or move. She saw Bubble crawl up on his head, covering her face in shame- but Brandy could tell it was her, all the same.

"B- Bubble?", Brandy asked, trying to calm her down. "Bubble? What are you wearing? What's going on? Why does he have you? Bubble honey?"

"She's mine, you know.", said the Jester, and opened a huge, raging portal with one of his many free hands. "She is my daughter…"
Before Brandy, in her shocked state, could respond, he tossed her into the portal. "And she always has been!"

The portal closed, and the Jester sighed. He looked stressed, for very obvious reasons. He turned to Bubble, who nodded in pain. "Now come, my very own little one. Leon is quite close to breaking out, and we cannot allow that to happen. Your m- I mean, Brandy, was close as well… but we took care of that, now didn't we?"

"Yes, Jes- Jakamo.", said Bubble, as they both departed into the evil darkness that made up the Jester's lair. "Yes Jakamo, I understand."

"That's a good girl.", said The Jester, and paused. He looked up at the portal that Brandy had fallen from, and shivered. "So, she ended up in there, hm?"

He looked away, glad that Brandy had acted on very little. "I wonder what she saw."

Song: Maximum the Hormone- F

Dan watched as his ultra destructive Demon Slayer Overdrive, the most power he had ever put into anything, fly towards the demon horde like a bolt of cosmic lightning, a supernova that shook the walls and ceiling of Hell, threatening to break it all down- and his vision was suddenly cut off, as the floor was suddenly opened up underneath him. He couldn't stop himself from falling, even as he tried, pushing Star out through his steel boots to keep himself aloft- but that did nothing, as the incredible suction power of the pit below raged into the air right above, taking him down into its pitch black depths. He roared as he fell, craning his head up to look- and he saw that the blast he had fired had, indeed, taken out all of the demons it had been sent to. He smiled a bit as he fell deeper into the cursed dark underworld, for that was something at least.

He lashed out with immense flashes of bright golden Star as he plummeted head over heels into the lair of the great pit, slashing against the walls and burning out entire chunks, falling too into the void. He slashed again and again, desperate to deal damage to the trapping environment, but of course Hell was far different than any other place he had ever been. THe land did not obey any laws that made sense- they acted and behaved differently in order to cause those within as much pain and suffering as possible. Dan wanted his attacks to work, so of course they did not. Even though they broke hundreds of tons of rock away from the vast space with each swipe, the slashes of Star taking out castle's worths of stone, it did essentially nothing. The rock did not change, and Dan roared in anger as he fell right onto another rock- but this was different. This one was horizontal, something he could stand upon. That was good.

Dan looked up, adjusted his neck, and looked around. He fully expected there to be amn, many demons- and he was right. There came the demons from all around him, closing in like a pack of bloodthirsty animals, ready to attack the second Dan let up his guard.

Dan swung his eye back and forth, his gaze shifting in every which way, somehow managing to keep an eye on each one of them, all at the same time. He slowly shifted his stance into one of pure defensive combat, ihs arms raised to deflect attacks and his leg in the right position to blow back enemy strikes. That was perfect- he just had to wait for one to attack, and-

The first demon struck. It was strange, his size and shape- he expected them to be all different. That's how he always thought it was with demons, the small and thin ones, the tall and thin ones, the huge and fat ones, the odd huge and muscular beater ones. The dps, the tanks, the distractors, the splashers- but to his surprise, these all seemed to be huge and muscular ones. Everyone of them seemed to be at least the size of a Barbarian King, if larger, and no doubt hundreds of times as strong. They held themselves like Pekkas, sheer grim power in each and every motion any one of them made. One of them was making a motion that involved its fist right towards Dan's face, one of those currently lighting up wit black demonic fire.

Dans' response was, of course, to grab the attacking hand from the underside, run his arm up along the demon's- then flip it over with a great heave of strength and into the pit that led down below. The demon had no wings, no real strong magic, no nothing- and so it fell down into the pit below, seeming to perish in a geat flash of flames.

But no sooner had Dan defeated it than the second and third ones attacked, each of them seeming to politely stand their turn in order to attack. Dan supposed they must just not have gotten visiting enemies anymore. They were rusty, out of shape. They did not look nearly as good as Dan, who had shattered off his metal armor by now. So it was with great ease that Dan picked them both up, crushed their heads to dust, and threw away the rest.

Dan heard evil hissing- and instantly threw his arm out backwards at a perfect 90 degree angle. Whatever had been trying to sneak up on him had clearly not thought about his hearing. He felt the thing burst to flames upon his touch, parts of the ill placed ambusher falling off and into the pit. It groaned in pain, only for a well placed uppercut from Dan to break it into bits and pieces of… shower tile? Oh well. Dan just curled his fist, and knocked the rest into oblivion. These were demons, after all. They were not his to judge. It did appear to be his duty, however, to take them to the judge.

Another demon lunged right at him, its wide open mouth and double sets of arms a menace towards perhaps any other being- except for the formidable Dan just lunged straight out with a hook of his own, breaking the demon's teeth in a wide arc. They flew out and quickly became coated in blood, from Dan's rapid fire punching of the demons' face. "Ora ora ora!"

As a fourth punch landed right on the thing's face, it was suddenly blown backwards, even more than a regular hit would be able to deal out. Blood flowed from the wound, and it looked up- and then, for a single, terrifying second, Dan could see something that was not himself in the mirror, although he knew full it was facing towards him. It looked like-

Dan pulled himself out of the way as a sneaky demon came from right the mirror on the left, pulling itself to outwards. They all catapulted outwards, and fell away- for Dan had pulled himself to the far left of the cavern dodging their haphazard attacks. The legion scutteled me, no doubt on the eat to advance model. But it was easy to advance, and easy to destroy.

Easy enough for Dan to take a deep breath, gather it up inside of himself, and breathe out- the destructive breath of absolutely nothing.

Dan startled. That didn't make any sense. Every other time he had always breathed out something- whether it was Star most of the time, icy breath to freeze, or even just hard and forceful air to blow something away. But this time it had not worked even at all, for some reason that Dan could not quite figure out. He saw another demon drew closer, and prepared himself. Even if he could not use Star, his presence of the battlefield was absolutely tremendous.

His fist collided directly with the front demon's torso, blowing a hole in it the size of a car. He could feel the hatred and power he put into the blow, the demon's entire body torn to ribbons just from the force of the attack. It fell backward into the pit below, and the other demons began to rush for second place- but there was no longer an point, now that they looked at it. Of course, judging from the force that Dan was currently punching, they just had to-

Dan put his hand through two of the demon's heads at once, finally finishing off the last one of them. Some of them had just finished them going towards the exit, when Dan had killed them. He was now the only one left on the leaf shaped rock, and looked up for a way out- until the entire thing suddenly collapsed, sending him further down into the grand dark, no doubt yet more still demons awaiting him.

He gathered up energy as he fell- or at least, he tried to. He sucked in breath after breath, trying to force the star into himself, even as he failed again and again. He had no idea why- but it had to do something with being Hell. That seemed a likely candidate. But as he kept on sucking in breaths, he thought of an alternative- he could just go berserk again. That always seemed to burst up his power to incredible levels, even if his battle against the Mega Pekka had been otherwise. But he was at the level right now he had been then, and if he were to go berserk on top of his newfound strength…

But as he crashed down onto another shelf of rock, it almost breaking just from the momentum, he knew that train of thought would have to wait. For here was a brand new enemy, gigantic and powerful. It did not look to be a Forgotten- rather, something that just lived in the area, one of Hell's natural denizens. But that didn't change the fact it was an absolute monster.

It must have stood at least at 45 feet tall, long and thin, bony and scaly, claws like spears and razors sticking out every which way at every possible angle. Its face was a collapsed, sunken hole of darkness and pain, like the knot in a very old tree given eye. Its mouth was a flimsy opening of frail skin that flapped in the breeze, its blood red muscles visible to the outside world.

It stared at Dan with immense hatred for something so alive, and began to slowly move forward.

Oh, crap, Dan thought, as the unholy beast drew even and ever closer. Those spikes don't seen very neat to fight. WIthout my range attacks I can't take it head on-

Then an idea popped into his head, and he grinned. "Oh, right."

He began to spin around his finger next to his head, preparing to shoot a shot of Rotation right into the thing, which he had now dubbed the Piercer, right into its head. "This thing'll never-"

Ut that thought stopped. For faster than he had even thought possible, the Piercer had fired one of its shoulder spikes right at him, going straight through his gut and stabbing right into the ground on the other side.

For a very brief moment, Dan could not breathe. He sucked in something at the sight and- and surprising lack of feeling. Was it just shock? Was he just that tough? Had he tanked it, and it had not pierced his skin after all- no. he touched it, and it was real. Somehow…

With a mighty grunt of effort, Dan grabbed the bit of horn that the Piercer had stabbed into him, groaned, and- pulled it out in a splash of bodily fluids. He snapped it clean off the head of the beast, the monster roaring in pain and shaking itself in agony. But Dan was not done- he looked down at the gaping torso wound, and somewhat smiled. The injury had left a hole in him, sure. But it had failed to hit anything important, and was now even just a bunch of bunched up skin in his torso. That was a better outcome than the Piercer, who had lost one of his best horns in the conflict so far, and was now doubt about to lose a whole lot more.

The last of rotation shot right at the Piercer's heart, Dan's shot gone out of control by the monster's attack. It hit it dead on, right ont the bright red and pink skin- and did… very little. There was a flicker of blue and a burst of strangely green, but other than a bit of skin turning inside out and falling off onto the hellburned rocks, Dan's attack had not been effective.

"Dang it dang it dang it dang it!", Dan growled, trying to figure out what to d next. The Piercer had mostly recovered from the loss of one horn, and was even now rearing up to attack Dan again. He needed to find something to do in the meantime. Where should he strike, where should he do the Piercer in-

The monster attacked right as soon as Dan dodged, his instinct taking over as he turned sideways and slid out of the way. The Piercer's long and spiked hand, which it had thrown forward to slice, instead slid on the rock harmlessly, not doing anything to the chunk of solid stone. The entire monster pitched forward and slid towards the gaping edge- and Dan saw his chance. His golden chance to kill the beast- and he took it without a second thought. He jumped off the ground, spun around in midair with the grace of a hurrinic thunderstorm, and delivered a rock solid kick right into the Piercer's back.

The monster bellowed in pain as it was thrown forward, right over the side of the rocks and over the cliff, flying out in the great black void of nothingness below. It hovered there for a second before falling, writhing its many limbs in agony and panic, not wanting to fall to the certain doom below. But it could do nothing but scream, as Dan turned around and folded his arms.

He felt it raging deep within him. The power of the berserker, begging and pleading to be let out. It did have a mind of its own- but it did have strength. A lot of it. Dan thought about it, but decided against it. He needed to keep his cool down here in Hell, or else he might not ever come back out again. He felt it screaming, felt it pleading, felt it- he felt a long tongue suddenly wrap around his left foot, tugging at him with an immense weight and trying to pull him down.

Dan threw his foot up, launching himself up off the rock as hard and high as he could go.

Down below, he could see the Piercer get launched up along with him, having apparently extended a very long tongue it had not seemed to have before. Dan cursed and yelled great, ancient ferocities into the air, raising his hand to gather up a a burst of Star- then then remembered. He didn't have any at the moment. He cursed again, trying to figure out what to do- then a very strange, yet somehow genius idea came into this head.

He grabbed the monster's tongue and pulled- pulled upwards as high as he could, the Piercer flying upwards at even greater speeds, flying even past Dan and into the air, its tongue going slack from the temporary height advantage. But Dan did have the advantage in everything else- for he brought one fist high over his head, grabbed the Piercer's tongue, and roared.

The Piercer knew what was going to happen to it, and tried to stop it- but it could not. All it could do was extend a few spikes on its shoulder in less than a single second that it took Dan to drag the Piercer to himself and punch- punch with both his own force and the force of the speed at which the thing returned. The result was a great bone sickening crunch and a shockwave of pain, the Piercer flying away and smashing into the far wall, its long and bleeding tongue still gripped in Dan's hand.

But the Piercer was not finished. Now it was mad at the pain Dan had caused it, and was determined to get revenge. So as it clenched its claws and dug itself into the wall, preparing its spikes- and shot out a huge storm, dozens of dozens of human-sized spikes that could peirce through 14 feet of solid steel all headed towards Dan.

Dan took a deep breath, and it was not to use Star. It was to expel it all as a gargantuan rush of wind that smashed into the raging spikestorm front, scattering most and blowing some back.

The Piercer raised its arm to block- and the ones that hit were absorbed harmlessly back int otis skin. Some had embedded int the wall it hung on, while others had simply been lost to the vast, unforgiving void far below. It could barely see Dan in the bright red light that covered the entirety of Hell- not until a huge stone slab suddenly slammed into the wall below it, Dan appearing on it as soon as it had been thrown, through some truly incredible feat of acrobatics- and smashing his fist through one of the Piercer's arms, in a feat of strength that defied reason.

The Piercer shrieked and raised its arms to strike, forming crude hands out of spikes with which to grab- but Dan was already on that. He grabbed the Piercer's hands in his own and spun the monster upwards, taking his direction along with it- and beginning to spin around in the air on the narrows tone shelf that he had created, faster and faster, borne by the incredible momentum of both their gigantic weights. The Piercer screamed and Dan laughed, letting himself enjoy a victory well earned. For here, he was about to clutch the win.

As they both spun around faster and faster, flashes of blue and yellow rotation appeared the incoming circle, mathematical symbols and rectangular visions clearly visible in Dan's eye. But it was not that he had been looking for- his goal in the move was to direct that energy towards his lungs, igniting the fire that had been put dormant for some reason- and there. There, he smiled, it was.

Dan finished his rotation arc, launching the Piercer into the air. He watched as it spun higher and higher, trying and failing to get ahold of itself, while Dan felt his own arms burn. One with pure rotation, sparking with blue and silver, and one with Star, glowing with blue and gold. He put them together as one blast as the Piercer reached the climax of its arc- "Super Cannon!"

He would have to name that something cooler, he thought. Something worthy of the effect- a gigantic silver, blue, and above all gold beam blasting outwards from his combined hands and striking the Piecer in the chest, blowing a hole right through its body and turning the remainders int ribbons, ribbons that blew away from the Rotation and were torn to tiny, tiny bits by the Star.

Dan landed on the rocky outcropping he had quickly made- then stopped and leaned down, as he felt the foundations crumble to dust. He knew he had to go deeper, to defeat the lord of this Hell and escape- so he surfed through the voidwall, and down into the dark.

He slid down the dark red wall, seeing nothing at first. There was nothing to block him, nothing to impede his course, just empty wall and empty everything else. It made him just a little nervous- but that very quickly gave way to anger. It was not going to make him afraid. He was afraid of nothing. And by that he didn't mean that he was afraid of the nothing that surrounded him, because he wasn't. He was just not afraid of anything at all. And that included the truly titanic stone fist rushing forward at the speed of sound or more to crush him as he surfed, the air bending around it and sound crashing to bits in its ultradestructive path. Dan growled and jumped out of the way, landing on the stone fist even as it crashed into the wall, turning his makeshift rider into dust and continuing onwards even through the wall, Dan running on top.

He ran out towards the source of the fist, determined to destroy whatever had dared to fire it at him. He felt his teeth grow sharper, and his yes a bit more bloodshot- but he recalled that anger back inside of himself, forcing his rage to be calm. He could not lose control of himself, he knew that. He just had to keep on running, running faster than even the endless stone fist as it crashed even further into the wall, the speed of sound going by his face and flailing helplessly as it was crushed beneath the stone. But Dan was not so slow as that- he jumped past the very end of the fist, landing on a gigantic stone outcropping so large it might as well have been an entire island, maybe even a continent. BUt one thing was for sure- the feeling of Dan putting his outstretched fist right through the face of the relatively small demon that had held the fist was satisfying indeed. Especially its Hog nose. That had always been a fun thing for him to smash.

Dan grinned as the stone fist stopped moving and fell forever into the void, no doubt meaning the end of many thousands of demons it was fortunate enough to fall on. Then he turned back to the task at hand- and grinned even more widely, as he saw hundreds upon hundreds of demons all charging towards him, misshapen arms raised to strike, looming jaws huge and broken, dead and empty eyes all staring with a lack of anything at all.

Dan took a deep breath, grateful that his Star had been reignited- and unleashed it all in a vast wash of electric flame, slamming into the oncoming demon horde like a wave against a sandcastle, turning the first dozen or so ranks into ash and blood within seconds. The flame subsided and the ash blew away- but the blood remained, seeping into the remaining demons and growing them larger, stronger, tougher. And somewhat faster too. But Dan did not care- he was ready. Ready for anything- and ready to finally cut truly loose. For down in Hell, the only one he had to worry about hurting was himself.

His first action as truly unleashed twas to shoot about himself with a sudden hailfire of bullet like Star pieces, millions upon millions of them all shooting out in a cloud that would have blocked the sun. There was no sun down here- so all it blocked were the hundreds upon hundreds of demons in the front ranks that were shredded down instantly to muck, goo- and a lot more blood. Dan did not even really that much notice as the blood was pooled into several distinct puddles- one larger than the other five, all of them arranged in the pattern of a star.

Dan raised his hand, and shot out one of his most powerful attacks yet- a supersonic omnidirectional jet of pure electric force that carved through the ranks of the approaching horde like a Pekka carves through a wet turkey, splashing up even more blood- both into the backs, across the demon front, and right up into Dan's face. He licked it off, and his eyes narrowed, green beginning to move up across them. He rather liked the taste of meat- but blood now in particular .There was something so utterly strong about it, the flavor helped by the fact that he himself had been the one to bring the demons down. He was responsible for rasing his hand, roaring so loud it shook the integrity of the island-sized cave, and firing a blast of energy into the demon horde that went on for miles and miles, only exploding about a full minute later once it was completely out of sight. Dan felt a burst of energy about his aura- it seemed that last string of countless kills had been enough to level him up one more time. He had finally reached it- that ever elusive level 100. Or was it higher? Truth be told, Dan had far since lost count.

Dan roared and thew his head back, a beam of Star blasting out that shredded the ranks of the flying up ahead, merely demons who had just been trying to escape. But Dan did not let even them through- in his eyes, all demons had to die. No matter what.

He saw a great and spacious horde of them group up into a gigantic hand- looming high over him, rushing down right at the space where he stood with the crushing, rushing force of an entire concentrated mountain range. Yet enve that was little before Dan- who with a mighty roar of unhinged strength, thew his own fist forward, the two immense powers colliding in a truly gigantic explosion that turned the entire chamber. By the time it cleared a few seconds later, the offending fist of demons was gone. The sheer power contained within Dan's Star had traveled up it in seconds, blowing them all to bits of dark red glitter and blood.

Dan did not even worry about what the blood was. He just was about adding more to it- shredding the ranks of the demons like cheese through a grater, a field from a plow, and brush to raging fire that could consume the entire world.

Dan drew back his fist, and smashed one of the demons right in the face. The ensuing shockwave was felt across the entire cave, the sight of the front lines being repeatedly turned to dust and blood by the truly tremendous monster that they now faced. Some of the back line demons tried to run, but nothing really came of it that much. They could not leave- they were demons, after all. Nothing could scare them- they were the ones who scared- But they did not think that Dan, who was now turning so much of the mighty front ranks into blood it was visible as it flew through the air and into the secret right next to the behind line, would listen.

Song: Only a Chilling Elegy

Dan could no longe feel any sort of restraint upon his actions. There was no longer any sort of need for the thing, not when he struck down a hundred, a thousand demons with a single stroke of his gigantic palm, the Star mountain-crushingly strong and his muscles even stronger. He was reveling in that, however that he could just kill, and kill and kill, and be fine with that. Besides, he wasn't actually killing anybody alive. He was just killing demons, and they didn't count. They were just there to be killed. Dan roared and bit down on the the nearest demon, slashing its blood across the entire front ranks- which had now been infused by Star. The blood burned and boiled them, causing them to let go of their weapons and move their hands to the air to try and guard against it- only for an opportunist Dan to suddenly lash in and destroy them all, lashing out with his leg and sweeping agway the threats, He looked up, not yet satisfied with the sheer, utter carnage that he had collected.

Almost all of the demons that had churned out en masse to attack him- and, of course, failed. Almost all of the enemies that he had strucken down to nothing but blood- then he looked toward the back of the chamber, and his eyes grew wide to take it all in.

There, growing out of all the blood that had been spilled, was something that he had not been expecting at all. It was huge- but not merely huge. It was huge and heavy, borne from both physical size and spiritual horror, great dark laughter echoing outward like bubbling stormfront, scraping against the sides of the walls, scraping against Dan's ears, and sending bits of stray floating blood through his beard, leading to bits dripping down from his chiseled face.

The first arm was put together with a clap of evil thunder, rolling outwards like the tentacle of a demonic octopus, as if pushed into place through great and unwitting pain. A fifth of the great face slapped into place alongside the mechanical arm, bolts and wires moving into place at the very last second.

The second arm was slammed into itself with sounds like a collapsing building, the bare skin and richly furred shoulders reminiscent of something- but Dan was not sure what. Another bit of the face was shone into the world, the smile strangely familiar.

The legs were brought together the same time, both with a waistcoat pattern that hd been completely unknown to Dan at that time- but the other members of the group could have told him exactly what it was that was spiraling and smacking into place, along with the third and fourth fifths of the horrifying scar of a giant face.

Finally the torso exploded into being, with a vast shuddering cry that sounded like pain itself given a mortal form- then killed in the single most violent way possible. It was covered with fur, medals, and the blood and elixir of no doubt countless foes. That was bad- but the face. Oh, the face was far worse.

For now as Dan saw the top half of the monster's body- he still had no idea what the legs were supposed to mean- it all suddenly made sense. The right arm was one of the Cyborg's. The left arm the Torso were Bonoome's. And the face, looming high and cruel, was none other than-

"You.", Dan said, and clenched his fist with wild and untamed ferocity it almost broke. "I really should have known."

"Oh, you.", said the thing, the scarred and broken face of Chad looking out from atop the wide shoulders of Bonoome. "You really are so precious."

"And you're dead.", said Dan, building up energy within his chest, ready to unleash it all right at the single most precise moment. "My boy Leon killed you. Well- Brandy killed you. Then Leon destroyed your soul… which means that you can no longer even exist."

"Do you really think I am that man?", asked the thing, and laughed. He sat back and put the back of his hand against his mouth, and laughed some more. "No. Oh no, no, no, no, no."

He got up and spread his arms wide, feeling the darkness surround himself from all directions, feeding into him like a hose of lava feeds into a violent volcanic death. "You see, Dan…"

Dan continued to build up his vast energy, knowing that the blast he was to unleash had to do it all at once. Death, or nothing. Annihilation, or nothing. All, or the thing would live. "I am your failures. Every time you have failed to protect that which you care about-"

The Thing stopped- and felt its right leg suddenly warp into that of the Jester. Its face became distinctly more mask like as well, and its voice shifted an entire octave up, to mach the Jester's insane, shrill laugh. "I just become stronger!"

Then his face went back to normal, and he began to shrink down, from about 170 feet tall to somewhere around Dan's height, but just a little taller. "For this is Hell, Dan! And that is your hell-"

The Beast hesitated for a bit, before suddenly launching itself forward, right at Dan's face. Dan dodged and surged to the right- but a single bit of the Beasts's arm clipped his cheek, sending his face to the right a bit and his dodge into an awkward stumble. The Beast caught itself on the rock and screeched, turning around to attack once more. "To endlessly fail to protect!"

Dan jumped over the Beast as it lashed by- but something clipped his foot, sending him downwards sooner than expected. Dan grimaced and twisted to land, just barely managing to make a clean one. He still held the charged uberblast right next to his heart, preparing to fire when the moment was exactly right. It was not right now, but it would be soon.

The Beast turned around and shot out its arm at a strangely slow rate, which Dan easily dodged. He jumped a few dozen meters from the strike point, clearing it easily- and yet, he still found that he had taken just the tiniest bit of damage, right on his right thigh. He thought it was impossible, until he gave it just a little bit more thought. Every single enemy every single opponent on this journey so far, had had some type of special ability. Whether it was silly or serious, useless or deadly every single one of them had something that no other being could do. And this one must have had the ability to-

"That's right, Dan!", shouted the Beast, and Dan grimaced. "I have the ability to always hit you, no matter how well you dodge! It may not be a lot but..."

The Beast flicked his finger towards Dan's head, and Dan brought up his hand, just in case blocking worked differently. But it did not- and Dan felt the strike upon his nose. He saw the Beast evilly grin, and felt his face grow hot and raging. "It always adds up…"

Dan said nothing, merely taking a stance. He stood in his classic pose, noting that the Beast had taken one to specifically counter it. An annoying matchup, but nothing skill couldn't overcome. He was still faster than the Beast. Still stronger, smarter- and considering what he had said, a whole lot more experienced. But even so, Dan steeled himself, as he prepared for what would most likely be the single hardest fight of his entire life, up to that point. But he was ready. He always had been, and he always would be. He took a rush at the Beast-

"PERISH!"

Song: Lucky Love

The truck bed bounced on the hard dirt road running next to the college campus, winding slowly and widely around a crystal blue lake, the university's famous library located directly in the center island. The trucks's bouncing and rolling wheels disturbed the nearby wildlife- namely the strange blue lizards that hung around in spades, jumping away from the tires as they moved.

"Well, this sucks, doesn't it?", Dakren asked, looking back at Leon while driving. "Having to clean the library or some crap. At least I think that's what they said, huh? Of course we wouldn't even be in this mess had someone actually bribed all the teachers like we had planned!"

He glared at Merru, who merely shrugged. "What? I thought I got all of them. Do you know how hard it was to bribe all the girl teachers? Most of them weren't even-"

But Leon was not listening to the two argue over whatever. He was just looking at Liritu, his angel in a heavenly vision, lie on her side in the deep seated truck bed, slowly but surely messing with the radio dial. He stared at her, getting deeper into it every second that passed- no matter how much he saw her, he could just not take his eyes off of her. Especially not after what had happened the previous night- every second of that had been burned happily into his brain forever, never to be forgotten. He shivered a little bit as he thought about it again, not even noticing the song that Liritu scrolled by on the radio channels. It was sung by the same artist that had been singing all the other songs- that was truly bizarre, But Leon did not think about it that much. He just thought about once more wrapping himself up in a blanket and-

"Leon?", asked Liritu, worry dripping off her voice and landing right on the truck bed's stainless steel finish. She stopped moving the dial, now listening with full attention to the words the caster was speaking, fear and worry coming off his voice as well. "Listen.. Listen to this."

Leon nodded, sitting down on the bed of the truck, while the man continued.

"Police are still investigating the surprising murderer of a student on campus- the university of utah has no comment explaining what had happened. The victim was found completely cut in half, his body now little more than a bunch of ribbons- and the list goes on. It is currently unknown at whatever time he was killed, but according to witnesses it was around 5:30 PM last night. It matches the excerpt that everyone else told us- but what did the perpetrator look like?"

The two went silent for a second- Leon figured they must have been watching the regular newscast on a TV instead of a radio. Perhaps the next ten minutes would have turned out differently if he had seen their description- a woman, on the smaller side, with a soft yet brutal face, a green cloak and black tunic, and a shock of snow white hair.

"Oh shoot.", said Leon, and felt his stomach turn at even just the thought of such extraordinary violence. "Was it-", he gulped. "Was it anyone we know?"

"No, no.", said Liritu, and hugged him tight. "I didn't' recognize the name, but-"

She rested her chin on the top of his head, and smiled with worry. "Don't go off anywhere by yourself, okay? We can't have you dying. I don't want you to."

"Don't worry Liritu.", said Leon, and leaned into her tender grasp. "I won't.'

As they snuggled together, Dakren bit his teeth on a grass of straw and looked up into the sun up head- the library soared high into view. "Eyes out everyone!... we're here."

Leon looked up, but Liritu was the one who got up. She stretched her long legs a little- then jumped clear of the truck bay, landing directly on the rocky ground outside, the blue skink she had been just about to land on scurrying out of the way just in time. She looked around and up at the library, the dappling sunlight from above hitting its sky blue roofs, almost as an act of camouflage. It truly was beautiful- with its bright white brick and bold red trim, bushes around the outside trimmed to almost a municipality of squares. Friendly blue ship-like windows dotted the high floors, a massive bridge in between the two main halves of the building. A single ceratopsian skull was visible through a yellow window at the very bottom, shining as though it was night, right in the middle of the bright early October morning. It was a very inviting place all in all, one that seemed about as friendly as a building could possibly be.

"So…", said Dakren as he walked round the front of the truck, papers in hand, strange glasses he had never had before up on the top of his head. "We have an assignment to clean up some spilled fossils… or something. Up on the top floor, I belive."

"And we get to talk to people along the way?", asked Merru, emerging from the side of the truck sucking on a bright red popsicle. "Because I hope we do."

"Uh, yeah.", said Dakren, giving her a strange look. "We do. Also did you bring enough for everyone to share?"

"No.", Merru said- and this time it was her turn to give him a strange look. "Why would I do that? This is mine. And since when did you ever say stuff like that?"

"SInce now.", he said, and fidgeted distinctly with the pen on the paper, the corners of his mouth pulling down in an oddly familiar pattern. "Since I'm stressed. And don't you ask me why I'm stressed . I think we both know why."

"Right…", Merru said, as she saw the other two members of the group come up behind them, slightly still nervous from the gut wrenching news. She smiled- for she knew that Dakren was nervous by threat of the Jester. But she was neither nervous nor under him- she worked under orders of a far stranger, stronger being. He was counting on her, and she could not let him down. "Nervous. Hehe."

"So guys, we gonna go in?", asked Liritu, raising her hand to shield her view from the sun, far overhead. "Cause we really are burning daylight out here. It's already 11:00 and we gotta be done by 3."

"Wait, 11 o clock?", Leon asked, and blinked. "That's- that's impossible. There is no 11:00."

Dakren was the first to lean over and give him his very own brand of The Look. Then came Liritu, then Merru, who was still mostly lost in her own world of thought. Darken spoke, sheer and utter confusion clouding his words. "The frick, dude?"

Leon stared back, before waving his hand and trying to conceal his embarrassment. "Uh…yeah, never mind. Let's just go on in."

The interior of the grand library was almost as lush, ornate, and friendly as the well exterior. A large and strangely gift-wrapped desk was all across the center, dozens of helpful staff on hand at all times. The windows were long and fast, letting so much light in across the entire book floor that the overhead lights did not even need to stay on. And what a book flor it was- hundreds upon hundreds of books were arranged in shelves all around, ranging subjects from everything to whale watching to furniture gardening. A vast array of fiction books were arranged around as well, everything from highest fantasy to middle grade formula novels making the rounds around the shelves. The floor- the floor was even grander than the shell patterned, snow engraved ceiling, every single step a patron might make in fact stepping over an entire city block patterned out onto the bright and colorful carpet. There were tall residential skyscrapers at the edge of the room, all along the back right corner, to smaller yellow lit bungalows amid tire swing-adored trees near the entrance- and the one to walk across them first was Liritu.

"Alright, top floor.", she said, and looked around for a map- but she could find none around her. She looked over to the information desk, and started hurrying towards it, still carrying Leon on her shoulders. He thought that perhaps he should not like it, to be presented almost as a child- but he did. He did enjoy it. And that was nothing wrong. He had figured that out during his conversation with… with… um. With…. Someone, he was sure- he just did not know who.

Leon looked around the library- and it felt familiar, in some primal way he did not know. He knew for a fact he had never been there before. His family had never visited the university library, he kn… no, he thought. He thought he remembered his family- did he not? No, he did. They were… um… he pressed the side of his head, and tried to remember. Umm…

"Excuse me, miss.", said Liritu, and the sound of her voice startled him out of his muddied thoughts. "Where is the fossil section? We've been sent here to clean it up."

The miss she was referring to, a tall woman known to her friends as Holly, looked up, looking around, nodded affirmingly, and pointed to a spiraling steel staircase near the edge of the room, right behind a few children's bookshelves. "Over there, hon. Can't miss it. Top floor, next to the bridge."

"Alright, thank you." ,said Lritu, and walked off, her long strides rendering Dakren and Merru struggling to keep up.

The stairs, unfortunately, wee far less cheery than the brilliant first floor. They were made of solid silver steel instead of happy patterned carpet, and hard and clangy instead of soft and warm. They were also located right behind a very small child, sitting down in front of hs favorite Picture book, utterly refusing to move.

"Hey, we kinda gotta get through, kid.", said Liritu, towering over the small child by almost 6 feet. "So could you please move out of the way?"

But the child did nothing, merely continuing to read. He glanced up at the towering woman overhead, and had no visible reaction whatsoever. He seemed to be rather well weathered.

"Hey.", said Leon, a bit of anger creeping into his voice for some reason. It was just a kid- but he wanted to hurt that kid. He was ignoring Liritu. He was supposed to help her, was he not? And if helping his girlfriend meant hitting some kid, then he was going to hit that ki-

"Ooh, is that-", said Merru, leaning down next to the kid and looking over his shoulder, his surprise not activating for some reason. "Frogs and how to buy things?"

The kid looked up at the title mention and closed his book, nodding as he showed it to the group. Apparently satisfied, he walked off, as much as Merru wanted to follow him.

Liritu shrugged and walked up the stairs, not even seeing the small being that lurked behind an earby desk, staring at them with a strange intent. It was about the size of a small bird or even tinier cat, a miniscule being of pure energy and speed that stayed at them with unblinking eyes, making sure to relay its information back to its master. That master was not, as one might think, the Jester. Or Rakastamos. Or even the strange being that Merru followed. No, it was something, or someone, besides those three- something far stranger indeed.

As they jumped and ran up the stairs, Leon moved his head to avoid getting hit. It was not an easy task- Liritu's speed combined with her height made the numerous beams hard coming, and almost impossible to avoid. But with superhuman speed he didn't know he had, he somehow managed to dodge each and every one of them, his skull thoroughly undented and his hair not even really that much out of place by the time they reached the top.

Liritu looked around, expecting another beautiful floor- but her smile faded, as she saw where they actually were. "And where are we now- oh. Oh."

If she was ever asked to make the single most boring library floor possible, what she now saw would be it to a T. The only wall color was white, a stark plastery white that seemed to stifle creativity and kill time. The shelves were almost chain link of a sort, a bunch of standing steel baskets that held volume after volume in a veritable prison of unfortunate literature. The only staff member seemed to be a small, portly individual, dressed in cleaning garb and pushing along a small cart full of janitorial supplies. He fit, in a way.

Liritu bent down, and felt Leon automatically slip off of her shoulder. "You guys look around.", she said, and she knew that Leon had nodded. "I'm gonna go find a way to get out of this place."

She walked off towards the janitor- or at least she hoped he was. They always knew their way around everything. Leon looked around noting how absolutely blank the floor as a whole really was. It was disorientingly boring- it was hard to tell where the floor and walls even bled in to one another, all being the same ultra reflective hue. The bookcases, if they could even be called that, seemed almost to float off the floor- Leon thought he could see them actually moving around, if he looked hard and long enough. But he knew that could not happen, ti was just a trick of the light. He blinked and shook his head, trying to stave off the confusion, and instead looked directly at what the shelves actually held. He picked up the fist book, looked at the cover, and he felt his heart leap with excitement. It was-

"Manga.", he breathed, and looked around. "Is- is this-"

He grabbed another book off the shelf and looked in- yep. It was the same. Another book off the shelves- that one was as well. The third and fourth examples, the fifth and sixth samples- yep. He could make a pretty conclusive guess. "Is this all manga?"

No one responded. He just guessed correctly that they were all just busy reading their own- so he set down what he currently had, and went off to grab more. Knowing Liritu as well as he did, he knew it was going to be a while before she got good directions. She had always ever wanted to keep her directions as full and thorough as possible. And that janitor did look like a hard nut to crack, a hard box to break. So he picked one volume off the shelf, opened it to page 1 and-

His face flushed, and he almost threw the book directly back onto the shelf. He had not been prepared to see something ike that on that day. So he just grabbed the second one, opened it up- and he felt himself suddenly vanish from the face of the world, drawn entirely in. For the second book he had opened had such illustrations almost as if done by some god of drawing themselves. They depicted a dark, deep blue sea- and a great, monstrous, thin and nodley thing rising up from the bottomless abyss to devour everything that was.

"Come on, let's go.", Liritu said, tapping on his shoulder. Leon almost jumped- but he put the books down and walked off with her towards the exit she had found. He would come back for them later, he thought. He did think they had been quite cool.

Liritu and Leon walked side by side through the thick purple doors that separated the Manga Storage, as the sign above the door read- the reason for its largely lifelessness- from the next one. As soon as they laid eyes on it, they could both understand where all the creativity budget had gone, poured into this one specific room.

The entire area was an audience standing realm- for a truly gigantic puppet theater that ran all along the back wall, draped in gigantic tresses and flying bolts of cloth, a mediaeval celebration of the art that was far too much to take in at one time, no matter how hard they both tried. The cracks of lava pouring down painted on the top corners of the tremendous stage, the bolts of moving lightning that hung down from the sides, the audience standing areas dug into the side of the room that were decorated to look like a castle, a sandy beach, and a deep rainforest. The way they were all put together in a vast orchestral sight, if music could be made physical and put into architecture, this would be it. It might just have been the single most beautiful thing Leon had ever laid eyes on- had the number one not been holding his hand, her gorgeous eyes crinkling at the sides in sheer, ecstatic wonder.

"You know…", she said, her voice cracking a little bit from the emotion in her words. "Ever since I was little I've always wanted to have something like this. A vast theater, with puppets and cake and balloons and all this. I don't know why- I'm an athlete, a boxer, a fighter. I'm tough. But-"

"No, I know what you mean.", siad Leon, and moved a little bit closer, his bottom ribs on her hips. "I'm tough too, but...I was always into fancy clothes. And I especially like it when you wear them."

Liritu smiled, and felt her heart swell from the cuteness of Leon by her side. "Do you like it when I don't wear them?"
"I like you in anything.", said Leon, and Liritu felt her heart skip a beat. "At all."

"What about nothing?", she asked, and she felt Leon's entire body stiffen against hers. "Did you like me in that?"

"Yes…", said Leon, and Liritu suppressed a squeal, feeling his much smaller body on hers.

They stood there together for a few more moments, still taking in all the little details the Puppet Theater contained. A small plaque on the wall depicting a happy blue furry monster in a safari hat that said "Ollie. Employee of the month and all time grand champion of the mayo eating contest."

"Hey, are you guys done daydreaming yet?", they heard Dakren ask, sounding out of breath from behind them. "Cause we gotta move on to the next room now. We're almost there."

The next room, properly named the Grand Stairs Transfer, was a true wonder of modern engineering- and perhaps even past that, for any mere wonder was not a sufficient means of description. Leon could hardly even belive his eyes as they first were laid upon it- it was like nothing he had ever seen. "Woah…"

The entire gigantic machine was painted red, its railways and stepstairs somewhat reminiscent of a grand avenue firehouse. It was difficult to make out every one, from the way they all moved around at constant high speed, the mechanical whirring making it difficult to even hear. But as the flights of stairs rotated in precise manners all around the central beam, rasing and lowering themselves automatically to match the precise sub floor that the top floor was made out of, one could not simply deny it was a truly amazing machine.

"How the heck does that work?", Dakren asked, staring at in confusion, pushing his hat up on top of his head. That in itself was strange- Leon could have sworn he had not been waring a hat before. But he didn't really much care nor could he do much about it- so he just mentally shrugged- filed it away as just one of the many strange happenings that had been that morning.

"It's simple, really.", said Merru and Liritu at the same time, then Merru stepped back as Liritu stepped in. "You just hop on- come on, guys!"

The group all hopped on at the same time, some of them stumbling but for the most part okay.

"And then we just press the correct botton, and….", Liritu said, and did so. The stair machine herked and jerked to life, moving the stairs they stood on to the top of the top floor- the so called Fossil Gallery. It was dark, strangely enough, as if nobody was there. "And voila! We're there."

She almost stepped out- but her elbow as she did so struck another button. The stairs stumbled on their path and swung abruptly downwards, forcing her to let out a small curse. The stairs landed right in front of another floor- an endless brown and steel hallway, stretching out seemingly beyond sight, filled with glass cases and strange rooms- and something approaching at immense speed, a silver metal dragon borne down on them.

"Woah!", Liritu shouted, and slammed her fist down on the correct button. The stairs jerked up just in time to avoid the dragon- but as son as it left the hall, it vanished into thin air. Leon stared at it in utter confusion, half expecting it to trigger some ancient memory- but it did not. He shrugged and left the stairs, going into the Fossil Room to fix it at last.

Song: Kronos Unveiled

The Fossil Room lay mostly in tatters, the dark carpet filled with shattered plaster and broken plywood. Clearly some form of vandalism had taken place recently, the fossils themselves fortunately removed for safe keeping. In their place were several hardplastic replicas, which the group were supposed to attach to the walls in order for the paleontology team to later replace with the originals, once the time was right. The lights had been broken as well, leaving the entire area in a truly unsettling pitch greyess that was only broken by the lights at the other end of the long bridge to the Scholarly Books Room, about a good hundred feet away.

"Yeesh.", said Leon, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. "It's cold in here… why is it so cold? It wasn't nearly this cold in the other parts of the library, was it?"

"Nope.", Liritu said, and shook her head. She wrapped both her arms around Leon, putting her large body over his. "But I have too much warmth. Here, have some."

Leon smiled, his skin shivering at the transfer of temperature, but he knew that they could not embrace for long. He knew he had to do his duty and escape- wait. Escape? Escape… what? The library? Where would he even go? The library was right where he was supposed to be. His duty was to clean up the fossil room, and that's just what he would do.

He slipped out from Liritu's warm embrace, and picked up a dustpan off the wall. He made sure that Liritu could see his reddened cheeks, and she smiled at the thoughts.

Merru nearly slipped on the plaster, wobbling out her arms to keep herself balanced- then as she caught herself on a nearby drinking fountain, a brilliant idea crept into her head. She first looked around to make sure that nobody was watching- Liritu was putting up the ceratopsian skull, Leon was helping her, and Dakren was messing with something near the light switch. She grinned- good. There was nobody to see her as she took off her shoe, took aim- and threw it as hard she could, chucking it all the way across the bridge, grinning as it rolled all the way into the Scholarly Books Section. She put a frown on her face immediately ,and put on her best acting.

"Oh, darn it, there goes my shoe again.", she said, and clasped both hands together, swinging around her entire body overdramatically. "Leon, won't you go get it for me?"

"Why me?" asked Leon, at the exact same moment that Dakren said "Why not me?"

"Well, Leon's the closest.", said Merru, and pointed at all three of them. "I want you by my side and Liritu's busy, so that leaves Leon. I know that I don't want to run all the way over there with just one shoe… you wouldn't make me do that, would you Dakren?"

Dakren rolled his eyes, and Leon knew what to do. He took off running towards the superlaunched shoe, into the darkness that surrounded the still aching bridge.

As he ran, he saw the bright grey streetlights all along the walls in the empty area light up. He figured they might have been automatic- but then why was it that a great and terrible chill ran all the way up his spine? Why was it that he felt so uncomfortable, so wired out, so even perhaps scared? Why was it that he saw a gigantic grey phantasm rise up out of the area right in front of him, and- and vanish. He blinked- there was nothing. Something about the area must have triggered something within him. He yawned a bit ,and continued running. He really did need a lot more sleep. Hopefully that evening he could get some…

He slowed down to a walk as he reached the other side of the bridge, the slow and calmed down pace of the area affecting him in tremendous ways. It was hard to even move in the comfortably oppressive atmosphere- the incredibly thicks books arranged all around him, almost like cinder blocks wrapped in cloth and set on the shelf to dry. The candles set at strategic intervals, burned down to the wick on multiple occasions and reborn through some strange process, overly ornate metal handles holding the bringers of timid, tepid light. The single old man that sat at a nearby table, ever so slowly turning a single page of a tremendous volume, with the endurance of an oak and the speed of the same.

Leon shivered- and found the shoe. It had just been laying there right underneath a bookcase, carved of what seemed to be solid stonewood. He picked it up, got up- and bumped his head on the elbow of another very old man, almost throwing him off his grip, and almost launching his phone from his grasp. The old man caught the phone- and just as he did, Leon caught a glimpse of what he had been doing on it. It was yellow- green- red- blue-

A flash of some memory surged through Leon's mind. It was odd, the things he felt in that specific moment- what he had just seen, the thing that was, the- the strangest-

"Are you alright?", asked the man. Leon shook himself, and nodded. "Uh yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good.", said the man, and adjusted himself. Upon further investigation, Leon could see that he was actually not as old as previously thought. "Anything I can help you find?"

Leon was about to say no- when he felt a strange prompting, and he opened his mouth. "As a matter of fact… yes."

"Excellent excellent!" ,said the man, and stood up a little taller. "Anything in particular I can help you find?"

Leon's mouth crept upwards into a sly grin. He was on the trail of something big- he knew not quite what it was. But he would find out- he would find out. "Something on medicine. But particularly … memories."

Dakren picked up a piece of plaster off the floor, and glared up at Merru. They had been cleaning for several minutes now, and Leon had still not come back- for whatever reason. She looked down at him innocently- until he grabbed her by the shoulder, and looked right into her face.

"Why did you throw your shoe over there?", Dakren asked, and Merru's face turned a little pinker. "Uhh…"
He sighed,and pushed her up against the wall, bunching her hoodie up around her face. "I hope, for both of your sakes, that you have not forgotten who we work for. Do you remember?"

Merru was about to nod- when they heard and felt Liritu right behind them, hands clearly on her hips, her furred prehensile tail twitching impatiently. "What?"

Both of them froze, completely unsure of what to say. They looked into each other's eyes, meeting the other with only blind panic. "Uh.. I mean. Um…"

All three of them stood together, not sure what to say at all.

Leon looked over the book that the old man had given him- "Memory Loss and your Own Selves." It looked incredibly old, strangely built, and- dare he even say it- magical. Leon nodded to the man, tried to still his beating heart, opened the first page, and began to read.

"So who are you working for?", Liritu asked, leaning in closer, now neck and neck with the two. "And why are you threatening Merru like that, huuuh?"

"Oh no, I like it.", said Merru, and iggled. "Being all helpless like this and-"

"Yeah yeah, we all know how you are.", said Liritu, with a wave of her hand. "But Dakren, dude. Answer me this…"

She suddenly whipped around her tail, and grabbed Dakren around the neck. She held him up off he ground and let Merru fall, speaking to him with a firey intensity he had never before seen. "Who…THE FRICK… do you work for?"

Leon flipped through the book repeatedly, tying to get something to come to him- but nothing came. It was all just on the tip his tongue, over and over, not quite released, not quite there, like the barrel on the edge of a waterfall- almost to fall, just a tiny little lip of rock preventing it. He had to find his own little lip of rock, break it, and continue onward- he knew it. He knew he had to. It would affect his life in some way that he could not even really imagine, he knew that. He felt it was destiny telling him to get the thought, to get the- the app. That was what had triggered it, had it not been? What he had seen on the phone? He had to-

"Hey, sir.", said Leon, and the old man looked up. "That app on your phone you were using just now- what is it called?"

"Uh… calculator?", the old man asked, holding up his calculating device.

"No, no, the other one.", said Leon, growing incredibly impatient. "The one you were doing before. The- the game. Yeah, that one."

"Oh, that one.", said the old man, and looked up. "Brawl Stars."

Upon those words, Leon felt his brain explode with such a fury of rapid fire thoughts it was all but impossible to even describe.

Song: Fight to Antagonize- FlexStatz

Leon clutched the side of his head as tightly as he could, feeling the memories all flood in at once. It was almost impossible to contain them all at once, the speed of their constant arrivals too much. He groaned out loud as it all came in- his birth in the Royale forest. His arrival on Brawltopia, and his first early few weeks of life. Raised by the house's Shelly, messing around with the Nita, going to Duo Showdowns with some random people he had never met- but they did not stop there. No, they kept on going- cheating at the Grand Tournament with his Stand, Hunter Killer- he knew that one by heart. Getting kicked off the continent, the Mortis after him, living in the jungles of Clans for days without rest or really any food, shooting- shooting the Mortis, he remembered, oh that was great- but then he found- oh, he had found his family!

He fell down to the ground on his knees, feeling the thoughts all pulse through his head, the old man giving him a very strange look. He looked at his phone, raised his eyebrows, then tucked it very carefully back into his pocket, not sure if he should get help.

"Hey uh…", he said, as Leon bit back a crippling existential scream. "You need some help, kid?"

Leon looked- and the old man could see a blue hot fire in his eyes that almost physically pushed his body back. It was strange- Leon had been almost in pain before- but now he was fine. Fine, with the memories of the last few days finally unlocked, the memories of meeting Dan and Brandy, going on the trip, destroying Chad's soul forever, meeting Bubble, going on the trip some more, through the mountains, encountering the Jester- and finally, where he was. He had overcome the Jester's trap, and was ready to enact his full revenge. He stood up and brushed off his sweater- then stare at the old man, his voice a hiss. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well good.", said the man, and cautiously gave a very loose sword of smile. "Good, er… what's your name? I guess I never did catch it…"

"I'm Leon.", said Leon, and looked over to the other side of the bridget, where he could see his "Friends" all arguing about something. He flipped his hand down to his jeans, concentrated- then with a spark of pure, absolute victory, brought out a lollipop. "Leon Oticat."

"Huh.", said the old man, and looked down at his phone. "Well. If your name was Littlefoot, you'd be just like-"

But by then Leon was already gone, sprinting off through the bridge towards the other side as fast as he possibly could. The old man looked over, shrugged, and went back to browsing. "Well, okay then."

Leon ran down the bridge as fast as his legs would pump, crossing it with superhuman speed. He felt his true speed return- the speed of his Leony self, the speed of a true Stealthy Assassin. He looked up and shouted to them- "Oh, you pieces of crap!"

Liritu looked up and felt her face go dark, as she saw Leon running towards them, almost as fast as her, her ultra quick senses the only one to even detect him as he slid onto the space in less than half a second, spreading up a cloud of plaster smoke that spread all the way up the ceiling.

"Bro, what is going on-", Dakren choked out, before Leon grabbed him by the collar, pushing him up onto the wall. He snarled as he looked up, feeling his hand begin to spark with an all too familiar sensation. There was something different about it now- he would have to figure it out once he was done with the situation at hand. And that involved a lot of most likely gratuitous violence. "Bo! Bro! Stop!"
"Stop?", asked Leon, and pushed him up against the wall even harder. "Why should I stop, Jester?"

A shock of absolute panic spread through Dakren's heart like a toxic virus, turning his senses black and his soul to rust. He had spent the last two days in-tent time trying to prevent Leon from finding out- yet somehow he had, in the time he had been grabbing Merru's shoe. It didn't make sense. How could Leon have found out so quickly. The Jester had put all the proper distractions in place, even bothering to grab Liritu for the occasion. He could not have- unless. Unless… Dakren looked at Merru, only a bit of a smug look on her face as she saw what Leon was doing. His heart went cold and crushed, his skin crawling with both pain and betrayal.

"I know what this place is now!", Leon shouted, and his hand sparked again, with pan and fury, vigor and vim that snapped off of his body and broke some of the white farmhouse railing that they had been up against. "It's a fake, that's what it is! It was just made up by the Jester to trap me!"

"Woah, the Jester?", asked Liritu, and looked down at Leon. "These two said that.. They were working for somebody called the Jester."

They both looked up at Dakren- and saw Merru out of the corner of their eyes, trying to sneak away. Liritu snaked out her tail and grabbed the demon girl by the neck, throwing her on to the ground in front of Dakren. She did not even bother to get up- for her work here was done.

"You guys aren't even here!", shouted Leon, and concentrated as hard as he could. "It's just me and the Jester here! Nobody else!"
"Woah, dude-", said Dakren ,then realized what he had to do. He looked up into Leon's eyes, and pleaded. "Leon. Listen… we are… just… like.. you…"

His message was cryptic- too cryptic. Leon merely smacked him back to the ground again with a well aimed kick, pushed through his own Jester-imposed mental wall- and grabbed his Stand out of the air in a glorious flash of gunmetal and sparks. It was different this time- far different. Leon could sense it in his very soul, which of course it was. Different ammo, differing ways- it was evolved. So Leon held it up and shouted to the air- "Hunter Killer! ACT TWO!"

Song: Instant KIll Battle- Styzmax

"Woah!", Dakren screamd, and immediately jumped away. He pressed a button labeled Security in the wall- one last ditched pleat to the Jester for help, to keep his charge contained. It might have worked- except for the fact that Leon, at his point, was beyond anything the area could do to him. The security would come, no doubt about it. But he didn't care. They would be gunned down like the rest. "Dude, don't do that in here-"

But Leon was already on a roll. He raised Hunter Killer Act 2 and fired for the fist time- a clean and direct hole right through Dakren's chest, shooting out all the way through the other side and drilling deep into the library walls, which were now beginning to seem far less there than they had been before. Dakren gasped and spat up a burst of blood, grabbing at his chest in absolute shock. He looked up at Leon- and his eyes began to water, as Leon drew a few steps nearer.
"Dude…", he coughed, blood spilling out of his bullet hole and seeping into the plaster coated floor. "What did… you do that… for…"

Leon stood over him, Stand in hand and death in his eyes. He seemed taller now, stronger, deadlier- in every way a stronger being than he had been before. He looked ready to take on anything now- and that is exactly what Leon now planned to do. "You're gonna die, Jester minion. Make no mistake. Pretending to be my friend?"
"We…", Dakren said, lifting up his hands, a pool of blood collecting between the palms as it ran down out of his mouth. "Are friends… re.. Remember, buddy? That Magic game I played with you yesterday? I let you copy off my work this morning. And I was gonna make you my special surprise pancakes this evening too-"

He did not get even another single word in. For Leon pulled the trigger, sending a a beautiful blue bolt through his head and out into the world, destroying his brain in but a single instant. Dakren slumped down onto the floor- and Merru screamed. She was just here on a mission- but she had in fact grown very attached to Dakren so far. And she had not expected him to just die.

"Dakren!", she screamed, her voice going high to match her panic- when she realized her likely fate. But she would not have it- with a yell of sheer determination, Merru threw herself off the bridge, to fall somewhere amid the tangled wires and moving metal arms of the library below.

Leon and Liritu both watched her go- then Leon took a very deep breath, as he knew exactly what he had to do. He raised his stand and aimed his gun barrel at Liritu, looking way so he would not have to see as he did it. He reached out to pull the trigger, and-

And nothing happened. He had not pulled it quite hard enough to fire, as he knew full well it would. For try as he might, despite the weight of the world resting on his shoulders, he would not bear to kill his girlfriend. Even if she was just a part of whenever he was, she was still the very first person he had ever felt romance towards. And that, to him, deserved something more.

"I…", he said, and bit back his tears. He felt his body trying to shoot, just as it had once before to fire up on his loved ones- but he knew he could not. He knew he wouldn't. Slowly, ever so slowly and painfully, he forced it down- and look up at Liritu with open eyes. "I need you to come with me. Please."

"I can't…", said Liritu ,and Leon felt his heart break, like the edge of glass smashing against stone plate. "I have no idea how… I'm only beginning my aeronautics degree. I have no idea how to-"

Leon felt his hand go up again, and this time he could not stop it. THe knowledge that she could not return was enough to break him, and he felt his anger rise up like the volcanic wrath of an ancient peak. He started to put his finger on the trigger, enraged that he could not stop it. "Then goodbye- "

Liritu stepped back, preparing to defend herself against whatever was going on. "No, no, listen. I'm just like you here. I don't really know where I am or what's going on or-"

Leon was given temporary pause- but even he could not stop the bullets as they were fired, speaking directly towards her, all across her entire body. He took her words to heart and stopped- right as the first bullet began to touch her chest. "Wait, what-"

"Come, daughter.", she suddenly heard in her head, and a hand reached through the ceiling. "You must leave their place bedding. For it is no time or place to die."

She was yanked upwards and into a strange location,as Leon's saved cloud of bullets all struck past and scraped into the all, destroying the basic future, leaving Leon alone.

But even as Leon was alone, he was most excited. For he had seen Liritu rescued, and knew full well that he no longer had anything at all to worry about. For he was surrounded by enemies, in single possible direction. And what does one do when surrounded entirely- shoot, that's what one did. Enemies in all directions and only one thing to do. He would not be missing any time soon.

Leon continued to shoot, gradually spinning around, his footwork making short work of all the length he needed to have involved. The bullets broke through walls, and the spray shattered glass all around the huge buildings. It looked like it was coming in rather quickly, and Leon was unable to stop it.

But he did not want to, for he had to breakout. He had to just fire off Hunter Killer as well as possible and break everything that he saw. Enjoy the sheer rush of the november season, for however many days it will last. So he pulled back his trigger as far as it could have possible gone- and felt it strain differently, about to unleash something he had never used before. Leon grinned, lowered the barrel at the wall- and unleashed a vast spray of flame, one that washed all over the walls and onto the ceiling.

"What are you doing?", he heard from behind him, and saw the old man that had helped him, standin there in utter shock, hands on his face, unable to belive that Leon would be lighting the library on fire. "Ay ay ay, did I finally drive y'all crazy?"

But Leon just frowned, and spun around hunter Killer in a crazy circle, unleashing huge amounts of bullets in a nigh cataclysmic storm that ripped and tore through the air, slicing through the walls, the ceiling, the floor- and,Leon notied with some dismay, even the old man. But it was okay, he told himself. For the man was not real. He was just something created by the Jester- or, at least, he hoped. He was right, wasn't he? This was all just an illusion, wasn't it? Wasn' it-

Then, up at the very top of his vision were he was firing, he saw something that made his heart beam. Something that looked like the great connecting point of a gigantic bolt of cloth, huge beyond imagination, keeping Leon in the strange pocket reality where he had been.

Seeing that gave Leon a burst of true hope- and he leaned in to Hunter Killer even harder. He held it between his hands, a round barrel of ammo appearing and a tommy gun of a weapon blasting a storm of pure bullets into the connector far, far overhead- but alas, it did little. Leon would be needing more… but he knew just how to get it.

Leon grabbed his Stand, held it up to his face, and whispered into it. Hunter Killer felt a little bit happier somehow- and it knew just what to do. Leon thew it upwards once again, the barrel shifting from a narrow, spray oriented tommy gun to a wide and powerful launcher. Leon grunted with absolute effort, the power of the blast throwing him onto his back- then he saw it overhead as he collapsed, his legs absolutely exhausted, almost beyond even any movement. The great connector snap and begin to fall, the power of his Hunter Killer Act 2 Rocket Blast having finally freed him from the Jester provoked prison.

The gigantic flaps of the Jester's Circus Tent began to fall around him, the illusion of College breaking way. Leon felt relief- he had not actually killed anyone. Most of them had just been flat illusions on the bolts of cloth- he could see that now, as he saw the old man lying still on the floor fold up and slide neatly into a shelf in the area, put away.

Leon gasped in joy as he saw it all fall to pieces- then rolled out of the way as part of it almost fell on him. Had it been allowed to, he was afraid he might have gotten sucked back in again, and that was something he could not possibly risk. But as it were, he dodged- and Leon was now free of the Jester's Trap, having finally beaten the challenge.

He stood up and raised his fist up over his head in triumph, choosing not to say anything and just let the moment speak for it self. He had done it. He had managed to reject anything in order to help his true family reach the goal, which now burned hot and fresh in his blazing, angry mind, looking back and forth to see where he was.

There seemed to be endless similar tents in all directions, mostly identical to the one he had just collapsed. There were minor differences, to be sure- color, shape, tentacles- but the idea was the same. There had to be a poor unfortunate soul within each one- but he sensed they would all be freed once the Jester was dead. And he could take care of that…

"Right now.", he breathed, and drew Hunter Killer Act 2 with a dramatic flourish once again. He looked round for the beast- Leon had just escaped. He could not possibly have been far away.

But as the Jester did not appear, Leon thought of freeing his family first. It would be a bit of a hard manner to find all of their tents, but it would be worth to to team up and take down, together, the-

The Jester was there, rising up out of the infinite deep, strange symbols and evil fractals looming up over even him, and certainly above Leon. His expression was one of rage, and disbelief that Leon had actually done it. But he was not about to let it go.

"You...,", he breathed in absolute anger, and looked down with such withering hatred it forced Leon to stumble, just a few feet. "You escaped…"

Song: Buu is Fighting- Saiyan Enigma

"Yeah.", said Leon, and leaned back on Hunter Killer, which now took the form of a 36 inch rifle, sparking with deadly energy, just waiting to attack. "Yeah, I did. What's it to you?"

"Impudent brat…", growled the Jester, and his eyes narrowed, the silver and ivory mask twisting downwards in a mocking impression of deadly anger- and the face within containing the real thing. "Do you even realize what it is that you have just done?"

"Yes.", said Leon, and looked around. He could see the ruined circus vibe- a roller coaster hung on its sided upside down, suspended and swinging only in empty space. A pair of empty clowns stood by a long, wide road, only spaces of white where their heads used to be, perhaps once used for photo ops a long item ago- but now merely a horrifying sight to behold. The gigantic metal cleaves stuck through their arms gave that a little boost as well. He looked up at the Jester himself, seeing the gigantic pink body, covered in spines and bumps, flow outwards behind him as far as the eye could see, into the seemingly infinite darkness that made up the area beyond the Circus, and really the true majority of the Jester's lair. "I know that I escaped your little mind prison, whatever kind of place it was, and now I'm here to kill you."

"Oh, you poor, poor child.", the Jester hissed, and drew himself up to his full height- while keeping himself hidden via a clever illusion. To Leon, he seemed almost as if he was standing still. "You truly betrayed, innocent young one- let me tell you a joke."

Leon stood back, snatching Hunter Killer's handle- but not picking it up just quite yet. His eyes scanned the Jester for any weak points- but his physiology was just so utterly alien a simple visual search was impossible. "Sure. I'd be down."

"What do you and a grocery list without bread have in common?', akse the JEster, and prepared his own devastating strike. Before Leon could even answer, the Jester threw the punchline- "They both have incomplete lists!"

The Jester's punchline streaked through the air, right for Leon, shredding the very air itself as it went- and Leon jumped over it, the punchline eating up dirt as went and finally exploding against the tent he had exited, the flames licking up halfway through a mile into the air, a very thin line of purest orange and blue.

"I gave you a life of wonder!", he heard the Jester shout, and felt the ratcheting of dozens of machine guns, borne aloft from the Jester's body. "And you refused it!"

Leon jumped over a rock and slid behind a tent- he knew that the Jester would not want to shoot his precious tents apart, freeing the souls trapped within. And yet perhaps if he wanted to kill Leon just that badly… he looked around. Maybe his families were somewhere nearby.

"I gave you a girlfriend!", he heard, along with a very distinct low whine. Leon yelped, and jumped right out of the way- precisely as a thin, white hot beam of pure destroying heat shot right through the space he had been- but shot from the sides. The Jester was fast. "Do you know just how long it took to find me her?"

Loen looked up, trying to aim for a clear shot- and he yelped at the terrifying sight he saw. There was the Jester, looming huge over the dark and twisted landscaped, which had already, in the 2 seconds since Leon had last blinked, begun to change. Leon saw the Jester walking- now on all 12 legs, sparkling white on the eyes and joints, fuzziness surrounding his vision and marking it almost like a dream. There was a great white jewel on his forehead for some reason, mounted directly into the bottom of his cap. Leon watched as it grew brighter, and brighter, and brighter, until-

A huge beam ripped and tore its way right from the Jester's forehead, scraping along the rocky ground and slashing up what measure trees there were, throwing rocks and dirt high int the air. Leon jumped out of what of that one, too- and this time he looked back, to see what it had been looking for. He yelped as he saw it- a great mirror, folded and bent, the shape of his own face within distorted to the point of being unrecognizable. It caused Leon to trip- but that might have been just the opening that he had needed. For he had a plan.

"There is no running now!", shouted the Jester, and shot his beam- right at, he slowly realized, his famous house of prize millionaires. Leon had ducked right behind it, and now it was going to-

The Jester cursed and drew back his attack, which slurped back int his belt. He sighed- that did nothing, even if it was really annoying. He just had to unleash his strongest attack.

"Hey, Jester!", shouted Leon, and the Jester's attention was automatic. He screamed and raised his hand to attack high above his head- but Leon did not care. He was searching right inside of himself, going deeper and deeper, preparing himself for a few he had never done before in his life. It would take a lot out of him- but it would be worth it indeed.

"End!", the Jester roared, and brought down a copy of his giant head, fildwitchh. It soared downwards through the air- until it smashed right into- nothing. That was beyond strange. He had seen Leon get there just a few seconds ago. He did not know how he possibly could have left- no, that was Leon. He had not left it. He looked around- but theres nothing. Only this giant splatter on the ground, shining blue and-

The Jester cursed, knowing what had just happened. Somehow, against all odds, Leon had awakened an ability unknown- the ability to clone himself. And he had switched out with the clone at the very last second, or no, before that- for the Jester's confusion's sake, that was for sure. But he would not escape easily- no, he would not be able to escape at all.

The real Leon ran in exhaustion down the red circus paths, not sure which way to go, not sure of what to even do. He knew he had managed to distract the Jester of a few seconds, but he was unsure of how long it would him. The clone projecting had taken a lot out of him, and he was unsure of whether or not he could even keep on running or not. It was hard to keep his eyes open, so great was his exhaustion from the last couple of days- creeping up on him, creeping up through his bones, threatening to overwhelm him. But he could not. Let them. He had to Keep on going. He just had. To keep moving. To keep rushing for the exist. To keep on-

Then the Jester was in front of him in but a single movement, appearing over him like a sudden stormcloud. He was huger than ever- his physical strength might have increased after that rage had poured into him. The corners of his mouth were pulled down beyond the confines of his face, scraping against and tearing up the floor like the edge of reality itself. He lunged for Leon, who stood there motionless, as if daring for the jester to just try to come and grab him. But once the second they touched- they were off. The Jester's hand passed right through Leon's head- and he realized suddenly that he had been tricked. His rage poured forth, and scraped up the goo behind his massive body. He bellowed a challenge, right in his own little okay world, about killing dictators. Which was ironic considering that he, himself was mostly acting as a-

There was a sharp pain and and an loud crack right in his side, and the ambush revealed itself as Leon became visible, his Stand withdrawn and pressed right against the Jester's skull, the bleeding hole still smoking, random nerves of the Jester's largely desert rain flinging itself off in any weakness.. . electromagnetic shills. There was another blast. It was the one that was shone for several seconds and had something- and that something was a good strategy.

The Jester still reeled from Leon's shots. He screamed a deadly scream, like the death rattle of a combined entire city- but it was not his own sound of demise. It was merely one of pain as his mouth and throat filled with blood- for although the Jester could be quite easily damaged, he had never found himself able to be destroyed. It was as if he just could not truly die.

"You…", he growled, and decided to momentarily switch to his favorite tactic while he charged up his final attack- the assault of the mind and soul. Particularly, Leon's morale- that would help in pulling off the attack anyway. "You… bastard…"

Leon's eye twitched, and Hunter Killer flickered momentarily, almost going back to Act 1 for a second. "Wh- what did you just call me?"

"You're a bastard…", whispered the Jester, but Leon could hear every harshly intoned syllable within the evil words. "You're not a legitimate child, are you? No… that's not what your sister told me…"

"What?", Leon shouted, now too distracted by the Jester's words to even notice the same's arm coming up behind him, poised to knock him off the Jester's bleeding head. "Bubble?"

"That's right!",the Jester shouted in evil triumph, his words garbled through the blood- but still very hearable, as his arm smacked into Leon's back, throwing him off and back skidding onto the ground, just barely able to avoid hitting his head on the cold cement that had just appeared out of nowhere. "Bubble is my willing servant! And you are the son of the one your mother hates most, not your precious Danny!"

The words cut deep into Leon's heart, screaming painfully against his soul. And yet, he very clearly knew something that the Jester did not- and he somehow managed to smirk. "Your information is outdated, Jeseter.", he said, and carefully spread his arms. He was only going to be able to do this once, so he had to make it count. "I don't care about that anymore."

"Oh, you don't?", asked the Jester, in a bit of genuine surprise, but mostly falsified curiosity, in mostly mock shock. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because.", said Leon, and concentrated. He looked right into the Jester's eyes, and scoffed. "I am my father's son."

Before the Jester could ask just what he meant by that, serous crossed Leon's face. He got into position, leaned down- and screamed. He screamed like Dan would scream, his legs apart and his hair flying upwards, his eyes turning green with absolute rage and his entire being, body, mind, and soul, all surrounded with a lime aura, the sheer force of it blowing the Jester back. He could not contain it for long, dropping out after a few seconds- but the Jester had seen it. Leon was Dan's son- in body and in spirit. It should not have been possible- but yet it was.

"Fine then.", said the Jester, and knew it was time to unleash his ultimate attack. "You'll get exactly what you deserve."

Leon did not know what the Jester meant by this- and just drew out Hunter Killer. He shot a few rounds at the Jester's head, not knowing what to do in his metnally exhausted state but just keep shooting- only for the long arm of the Jester's dark law to suddenly burst out for the ground beneath him, grab him around the waist, and toss him high into the air, a solid glass cage suddenly appearing around Leon's entire body. He fell onto the dark pale sand below, nothing stopping his fall- and hit his head directly on the glass, sending ricochets of physical agony all through his head. He lay there in a bleeding haze, as the Jester picked the glass case up, and hoisted it up and over his head. He prepared to throw it, off towards a distant portal that now was opening. "You didn't want my greatest, foolish boy! I gave you a girlfriend! I gave you a life! I gave you friends!"

"I don't need any of that!", shouted Leon, Hunter Killer preparing to fire once again, trying to break out of the case even without meaning. "I just need to get out of here, kill you, and then save the world!"

"It's far too late for that, Leon.", said the Jester suddenly much quieter. "So now…"

The Jester smiled, Jakkamos's laugh fully awakening. "So now…"

The portal opened wider- and its yellow hue became visible to Leon, even as he wiped his mouth and eyes both free of blood. The Jester, without warning threw the case, Leon once again hitting his head and being flattened against the side, as he flew off towards the bright yellow portal. He could hear the Jester laugh- "You're going to the dungeon!"

Leon did not really have time to wonder what that meant, before he found everything turn a bright, cartoony yellow, and his vision disappear.

It took a bit for him to come to- but once he did, he could really do nothing but scream. He slid along the floor of a department store in the middle of the busy day- but this was no ordinary store. Here the clothes were the size of buses and the chocolate bars they sold were the size of entire dogs. The people and dogs are the same size- and for whatever reason, they acted like terrible pancakes. Perhaps they were- what kind of spatula would be a good choice this-

Then he was out of the store, and crashing through a flight of stairs, into an old unfinished basement- and heading straight for a wide open heater vent to catch anything at high temperatures. He could not stop the case from sliding in- and now all he could see both is rapid shrinkage and the fact that he could only see the interior of the building, rather than the intake. He was beat up and down as he flew through the maze- then it at last opened into the single most horrifying place he had ever been in his life. The glass non-casket swung open, leaving and dropping Leon into the bottom of the vast room, covered with blue carpet. But that was not the bad part. No, the bad part about it was the sheer chaos of the room, with every sort of bitbat and kicknack and nodgepodge and hoarding targets, posters and digital readouts on the walls, pictures of muscular bipedal dogs, blenders arranged in piles, circuit boards, band memorabilia all stacked high on stools and footbacks- combined with the fact that looking in any direction just seemed to contain more of the chaos in any manner. Leon closed his eyes, raised his Stand, and fired downwards- breaking open the surprisingly fragile floor and landing right in a floor almost identical- but this one seemed even wider somehow, in some way he could not think of.

He got up to his panicked feet and looked around- there was just the same absolute, nonsensical, stupid chaos he hated, triyng to force its way into him, and-

"I'm sure you're enjoying yourself!", shouted the Jester, and gave a hearty laugh. "Nice thoughts trying to get yourself out of there that quickly. Too bad they'll never, ever work!"

Leon looked around, for some type of door or any exit at all- but he could not see one. He looked up, thinking to try and make the jump to freedom- but to his shocked surprise, there was not a single dent in the ceiling that had even just barely punched through. It was a good ceiling, that old one.

"Here's a hint- every single floor, you go far deeper! There is no end- and there's no way to get back, either!", the Jester shouted, and he slapped the side of his face with all 6 hands in mock despair, as he ascended on his throne. . "So have fun, kidddo-"

The he vanished in a pop of white hot light, leaving Leon alone in the infinite chaos, closing in around him, everything that he broke just being repaired within seconds, as panic and despair began to set in. "In the Doge Dungeon!"

As he flew away, the only sounds that could be heard were those of Leon screaming in both fear and hatred, no way to escape visible at all.

Song: Clash

Dan roared as he threw his first punch, the sheer power of his bright green rage and his blazing oden star almost tearing open the very air, filling the entire cavern with the heat and power of a pure volcanic eruption. His roar was even louder than such a thing would have been, an explosion of pure sound that burst open the rocks on the side of the cavern with absolute might, slamming right into the Beast's face and almost driving the monster back. But even as he did so, even as he put all his heart and soul into the attack, the Beast only withdrew a single meter, putting up its hands and fists to block the blow. They collided like a pair of clashing stars, power that could annihilate islands meeting in the center, a shockwave capable of leveling megacities shooting outwards and bashing against the sides of the cave, with yet another sound that sounded like the world's fated ending. There Was only redness of blood to be seen upon that first eruption- and it took entire seconds to clear. Seconds to go away, second to once again reveal the clash of gods- but they were not there. They had departed from the space in the amount of time between even the rushing nanoseconds, a hundred hits hidden in the time between. Each and every one of those hits was deveasting- every time Dan's punch connected with the Beasts's shoulder, it was with power that could turn a mountain into dust. Every time the Beast's feral swipe collided with Dan's outstretched arm, it was as if an asteroid had struck. Shockwaves that could annihilate forests spread out by the dozens and dozens with each successful blow, hundred more not landed, whether dodged or blocked. It was such even that Hell itself shook at its demonic roots, the legendary clash shaking it in its entirety. It was not a large Hell- but it was still as vast as a planet. And each shot fired spread throughout, burning demons by the millions and turning entire sections to naught but endless ash, to fall into the lava below that was which below, underneath Hell's foundations.

"You think you can fight me?", Dan roared, as he reached back, charging up a truly tremendous punch. It sparkled with Star unbowed, the energy of a world's core handled within. "You're nothing! I've taken down enemies like you before- the Mega Pekka was defeated by my very hands! What infinity do you wield that you can possibly hope to match?"

The Beast brought up its hands to block, its cursed, ugly face twisting in discomfort- but Dan's punch was far too much for it. It streaked right pats its defenses, blowing a hole in its hands, and impacting right on its face- with a gigantic explosion of purest light that blew the Beast backwards, falling further into Hell.

"Oh no you don't!", shouted Dan, shooting forward with all the speed and power the Star shooting from his feet could allow him to, the speed of sound itself lost far, far behind. He spread open his arms to catch the Beast as it flew, zooming up to appear right behind it- and catching it right around the head in a wide open hand. "You're not getting away that easily!"

He squeezed the Beast's head around its horned helmet, and Dan spat in disgust, just enough latent, glowing Star pouring out form his entire body to give it a sizzling edge. He squeezed and squeezed, but it would not break- but that was a good thing, in truth. For the Rage it gave Dan only added to his strength- and that most certainly came in handy, as he threw the Beast straight up, caught it on the downfall, and punched- his immense and colossal blow spreading Star right through the Beast's chest, blowing it backwards in the other direction, this time even further.

The Beast made no real sound as such damage was inflicted upon it- a fact that perhaps Dan should have seen. But he was far too angry for that. Far too angry to think about the greater strategy of the fight as a whole- and only angry to enough to attack, attack more, and keep on.

Dan brought out his right hand, more Star pouring into it than it would take to power an entire continent for weeks. He unleashed it all with a scream that sounded like a dying world- the green and yellow blast continuing onwards, turning and warping around itself, until it slammed right into the Beasts' face with such absolute power it destroyed the sound within the Hell chamber for just a few seconds, the Beast unable to detect Dan's attack until it was far too late.

Even as the remnants of the last Star attack clashed and coiled around the Beast's flying form, Dan attacked even harder, grabbing onto the Beast's shoulders and staring right into its eyes.

"I've wanted to tear that sutpid face off myself for weeks!", he shouted, and his incisors grew terrifyingly long and wide, ihs rage overtaking him in its fullest form. His voice grew low and growley- even more so than it already was. "And now I finally have been gifted the chance!"

The Beast was unable to respond, unable to block or dodge, unable to fight back- as Dan grabbed on harder, opened his mouth, and bit the Beast right on the nose, tearing the tip of it clean off. Blood sprayed like a fountain in every direction- dark black blood, everywhere it landed growing weak, laughing skulls emerging from the doomed zone like a Poison spell gone insane. Perhaps that is where Poison spells came from, this strange and unknown Hell- but Dan had no time to reflect on that. He only had to Kill The Beast.

He roared again and brought up his hand, grabbing the Beast around the bleeding neck. He swung around in midair, feeling the change of Star and Rotation building up inside of his body- then once they both were ready, he threw the Beast, right down at the hellfire floor.

It streaked through the air in far less than a second, smashing into the rough and rocky ground like a meteor sent from space. It had hardly even had time to gasp before Dan clenched and shut his fist- activating the Star and Rotation he had hidden within the Beasts' inner body.

The Beast roared in agony for the first time that fight as its interior was assaulted by wave after wave of Star attack and Rotation blasts, each one dealing damage that rocked at the Beast's very soul. It spasmed around like a doll caught in a turbine- as Dan, now high up above, prepared his ultimate finisher move, putting both hands together, from far apart spread.

"I don't even want to fight you!", he shouted, his pure, absolute hatred visible in the Hell-fired air. The Star between his mighty palms crackled with the force of an entire planet, yet more still being filed on with every second of the charge .The Beast looked up in fear and pain- the light was now blinding, such a powerful attack charged up it hardly even made sense. Dan growled.
"I just want you dead!"

Dan took careful aim right where the Beast would be thought- then fired, all the sight and sound around being sucked in, nothing remaining for anyone with only external senses to see. The world once again went white hot, then- nothing. There was nothing for several seconds, but then light and reason crept back into the light and chaos. Onced it did fully, Dan could see just what his destructive attack had worked, just as he had expected it to. There was no nothing but total annihilation, a mere smoking crater where the Beast had used to be.

Dan stood there for a second. He watched as the smoke spread- and revealed the lack of his opponent. Dan started to chuckle, the to laugh, then finally unleashed insane. He threw back his head and laugh, no matter how. Now the Beast had been defeated, and-

Then he saw what come out of the corner of the explosion, something that he could not believe.

Looked…. Bad. For there stood the Beast, slowly crawling up out of the hole, looking a little battered around the edges but still very much alive.

Song: Crisis

"That…" the Beast said, and gently, ever so casually just brushing the tips off his arms, looking back and forth as he did so, not wanting anyone to find out. "Was a good first effort. But…"

The Beast gave a low hardy laugh, and reached for its face. "That was a nice warmup. I'll give it that. Might come in handy too. But that's all it was- just a warmup."

Now his smile was beyond his face- what seemed to be common in the minions of the Jester. Dan knew that despite the Beast, he had to keep his eyes on the real prize, the real opponent. That cursed…. Thing… had caught him off guard last time, and Dan had been unable to use many of his attacks against it. But soon, one he defeated the Beast, he would be ready. He just had to-

There was the fist of the Beast in his cheek, knocking into it with incredible force and speed, blowing Dan's head back, prompting a loud, painful sound crack that richoted through the entire chamber, cutting rock with the waves it made.

Dan caught himself as he flew backwards, shooting jets of Star from his feet in order to stabilize his soaring form. He rolled his head around on his shoulders- how could he have not seen that? The Beast had not had that much speed. He knew that for a certain, for he had not been-

But then there that Beast was again, right in front of Dan's face, raising his fist up to strike- the speed of the movement defied all but the grandest descriptions, moving so fast that Dan was hardly even able to see. It was nearly impossible to block the attack, so fast and sto strong it made Lightning bolts look like a less than violent tap of a single elderly, solitary snail.

But Dan somehow managed to block the attack, bringing up his hands in front of the fist as it struck- but the strike's strength carried onwards, scraping away some of the chin on his skin. It was like a vegetable peeler of skin- he could see it flake away, the steaming knuckles of the demonic Beast's fist staring him down, directly into his face. It was hard for Dan to move- but then he had an idea. If it was hard for Dan to move, then it would be hard for the Beast to as w-

But then as Dan felt the Beast twist around in his grasp, obviously disjointing his limbs and kicking Dan right in the left ribcage, that theory was swiftly disproven.

Dan almost let go of the Beasts's hands, but knew he could not give up his leverage. So he swung the monster around, using the last bit of Rotation he had saved up from the previous attack- and suddenly bent right down, at angles that would have instantly broken the wrist of any lesser being, any slightly inferior foe. But the mysterious Beast had biology that confounded all, and thus the would be break was just a slight annoyance and obstruction of the hands.

The Beast smiled, and twisted around in Dan's grasp, suddenly landing on Dan's shoulders. It legs began to wind around Dan's neck, its long and gaunty fingers slamming shut all on his face at once.

Dan did not allow himself, for even one second, to be restrained in such a manner. He reached inside himself-, searching for the power he needed to defeat this new enemy, searching for all the might ,terror, and visceral strength he could grab- but he knew full weill that the power was secondary. For he needed the spirt of victory, the spirit of beating the Beast- but he knew not quite where to find that power. For he was using his own spirit in this fight, and the Beast still needed to be brought down- but first was the freedom of his face. So he roared with a roar like an ancient colosseum, forcing the Beast's hands off of himself and back out into the air.

Dan roared again and swung his own fist -but it seemed slow and unwieldy before the power of the Beast. Everything was too slow- Dan, right then, was far too slow. He needed to be faster, he needed to be quicker. But he was already going as fast as he could, gunning at tip top speed. He was not going to lose- obviously, he could not. So what was he to do?

That question was shoved to the middle ground of his mind, as the Beast once again attacked. This time, it was with- oh, how Dan's rage burned hot upon the sight. For the thing that the Beast attacked with was a familiar sight indeed- and that was the sword of an Elite Barbarian.

"Oh, this is a familiar sight, is it not?", asked the Beast, and laughed. "You've seen this right in your face far before, haven't you?"

For then it was that Beast tapped his face, letting that sadistic grin bring memories back into Dan's raging head. "This… this face… wasn't it? The one who stole your wife and made his son inside of her? Oh, how I wish you had been there to see that!"

The Beast knew full well that would make Dan angry. He had known that it would send Dan into such raging overflows of unchecked wrath it would be impossible to truly describe- and Dan knew it as well. But Dan did not care. He welcomed that rage, as it overflowed throughout his entier body, turning his skin tan and his hair green, his teeth long and sharp and his nails into claws. It made his veins burst upwards, pulsing with pure purple and green, his entire torso expanding outwards in an increase of one and a half times the size. He grabbed the side of his head and bent down, the ground forming underneath him from the gravity he was putting out. He looked at his unfathomable rage- then suddenly burst upwards straight up, letting out a yell that could no doubt be heard across the entirety of Hell- but even beyond that. It could be felt throughout all of reality on some ways, the scream of such absolute rage it could not be in any ways measured.

Song: Mushin no Sakebi

"Yes, yes, give me that anger!", shouted the Beast, and inhaled, feeling the sweet scent of Dans' raw emotion flooding through all of his senses but one- his sense of impending danger, which seemed to have been turned off at the moment. "Let your self control falter and fail befo-"

His words were suddenly halted, as Dan's fist suddenly crashed all the way into his face and even going behind, turning his head around like an apple on a corkscrew, in a blow that would have shattered all the bones in his neck- if he had had any. But he did not, and it only caused him pain beyond reality.

The Beast once again tried to block, but it was too late. In the space that the thought had entered his brian, Dan had already laid out a dozen cataclysmic punches on the Beast's face. Each one sent vibrations of agony through his very soul, damaging him in ways that could never, ever be recovered from. The Beast groaned- and Dan jammed his hand right in his mouth as it opened, pulling as hard as he possibly could.

The Beast experienced something for the first time in his long, long life- fear. Fear, and real pain. For as his jaw was ripped right off his face, torn to bits and thrown to Hell, he realized that he might have pushed Dan just a little bit too far.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!", he heard, echoing out from Dan's throat like the peals of a destructive heaven, right between a pair of punches that slammed into his left and right ears like a continental crush to both sides. He could not hear what came next, only a vast wall of sound that slammed him away, bashing into the sides of the cave- and going all the through, exiting outwards into the truly infinite void beyond.

Out here, the Best realized that Dan had made a crucial mistake. For out here, the Beast was at his very strongest. He could truly tap into his fullest potential as what he was- a demon of the truest underworld, that cosmic scope in origin, no mere Forgotten- but indeed a monster sent by the great Overmaster, for the sole and express purpose of killing Dan.

He breathed in the cold void air, feeling his power swell far beyond what it had been before. He had been nothing before Dan- but now he was equal with him- no. No, now he was even stronger, perhaps. He could not tell now- he had to test it out. And who better to test it out on that Dan- it was certain that he would come out soon. Enter the void, and-

He felt a strange tugging on his lower body, and looked down. His eyes widened in fear.

Normally, it would not be possible to see the currents of air flowing through space. For air was the norm, and thus would not be noticed- but out in that void, it was a rare element indeed. And that was why it was so strange to see the currents of air flowing downwards towards the gap he had been punched through- flowing towards Dan, sucking in air as hard as he possible could, preparing for one all powerful punch, to truly put an end to the Beast for good.

The Beast knew what he was doing- he could see through the gap and see him. So he gathered up the strength of his own, and grinned. His teeth grew sharp as well, and he let himself be sucked back into their very own Hellish battleground- to fulfill his mission once and for all.

Dan knew he could kill the Beast with this ultimate punch. His rage flowed so hard he could barely even see- but that was a good thing. For the love of battle within his veins now flowed even thicker than his blood, pumping him up to vast amounts. He felt the combined Star of perhaps even the sun pour into his fist, preparing for one overwhelming strike.

The Beast felt his true power activate as he flew towards Dan, upon sight lock with his target. There was a reason he had taken the form of Dan's combative failures- and it was not because of any decorative purposes. But he could not think any longer- now it was time to act. For then the Beast raised his colossal fist, glowing all the power of the void he owned.

Dan bellowed as his foe approached, rasing his fist with all the power of the sun- light and darkness, meeting each other on the battlefield in this strange yet fitting contest of champions. They drew closer, their outstretched fists almost meeting as one-

There was a great and crushing sound, a vast and terrible light. It exploded outwards like the creation of the universe itself, blowing away any remnants of Hell that might have been remaining. It was just them now, struggling against each other as hard as either of them could, their fists both refusing to give way. It was Dan vs the Beast, champion vs predator- and both of them knew it. Both of them also the battle could not continue with this stalemate of ace blows, and had to continue in truly vicious quarters.

They both lashed out backwards from each other- then once again met in the center, staring right into each other's eyes, so many blows flashing outwards each and every second it was impossible to count- Dan's rage vs the Beast's demonicy, a clash for all of time.

Out in the grim dark void, it was impossible to truly tell just how powerful either of them were. Their strength may have been exaggerated, the absolute scale lost to measure- but they certainly appeared that powerful to anyone that may have been watching. Such attraction was their gravity and awe inspiring was their battle, that even sense and reason were quickly made casualties, the only thing constant the fighting of the titans.

Dan drew back, his next strike clearly telegraphed. Yet as the Beast dove in, seeking the opportunity to make a strike on his unguarded face, Dan lashed out- his previous assault merely a feint. The Beast barked in surprise as Dan's fist impacted the side of his face, carving cracks of bright green and burning old within the blazing skin, throwing the Beast back for hundreds and hundreds of feet. The Beast concentrated, projecting a shield around himself- yet to his surprise, Dan did not follow up the blast as expected. He just stood there, roaring in uncontrollable anger, feeling his skin steam with wrath and his blood boil enraged.

The Beast smiled. There it was. There it was at last- Dan's weakness, finally laid out to bare. His anger controlled him- waring down his sanity, wearing down his skill- only his strength remained .But strength without proper usage was useless. Even all the power in the universe was of no meaning with out a way to use it. And Dan's own power was now without a real pilot.

"You fool!", shouted the Beast, and jumped forward into the air, preparing its strikes. He could see Dan's weak points now- laid out like a present for him, just begging to be pierced. "Do you noy see that your anger controls you, turns you a blind man?"

Dan responded- just not in words. He responded via opening his mouth wide and unleashing a torrential spray of energy blasts, pure Star and rage flashing outwards like a tidal wave of force-

Only for the Beast to easily sidestep the narrow beam, flying in a corkscrew right towards Dan's location. He brought up his arm, and laughed.

"Behold!", he shouted, and ducked underneath Dans' wild swipe, the power behind it enough to level a mountain range- but the speed now far too slow. "The arm of Bonoome- the one you failed to defeat at all!"

The Beast rammed his elbow right into Dan's face, prompting a shocked grunt and a spurt of blood, Dan flying backwards into the grey and red wall. He felt his muscles increase even more, until he felt the pain of size coursing through his system. He slowly pushed himself to a standing position once more- straining under the wight of his gigantic body, exhaustion starting to set in. Such wrath was tiring- but he could not stop. The anger still flowed, pulsing through his veins, staring to become more than his body could truly handle. He took a deep breath and that filled him all the way to his core, pushing him into further combat, despite parts of his body telling him, screaming at him to stop. His brows were turned down and his teeth so bared his lips were torn, his veins popping off of his muscles and flowing green with absolute anger and pain.

"What a monster you have become!", shouted the Beast, and raised his other arm, the arm of the Cyborg. "There truly is no trace of Dan the Knight any longer, is there?"

His insults would have cut to home- had Dan even really been able to understand the words. As it were, all he could hear was his own screaming, the blood pumping within his head, and the overpowering urge to kill and destroy. He could- he could almost even see himself from outside his body, rushing at the Beast with untempered rage, blood flowing from his arms with all of the force he had make them go through. He was, for a moment, sober- then back he was in his own raging body, only white hot fire clouding his senses.

"You could not defeat either of them, Dan!", shouted the Beast, and laughed once more- as he slapped Dan's strike away with an expertly thrown backhand, the wild punch deflected by smug calm. "Even though the ones you loved would die, your strength was nothing!"

Through Dan's mental haze, through the anger that tainted his mind and soul, through the using blood that had become all his hearing- he could somehow still feel those insults. The ones that insulted his strength, called him too weak- and that somehow, against all laws, made him even angrier. It should not have been possible to surpass absolute rage- but somehow, he was able to. He felt his body bulk up again, his hair flying straight up, his beard bursting into lime green and purple flames, as he lashed forward, slashing with his open mouth like a wild ape, trying and failing to hit the rapidly dodging Beast.

"And now just look at you.", said the Beast, and performed the ultimate insult known- he yawned. "What a monster. You're nothing but the rage now, are you? There is no-"

He suddenly attacked, connecting solidly with Dan's already damaged nose with a solid kick. Dan tried not to feel the blow- but somehow he could, piercing through the pain, directly affecting his very soul.

The Beast now knew. It was time to put his final plan into action- and unleash his true his was the strength of superiority. No matter how strong Dan was…

"I am still your greater!", he shouted, and slammed into Dan's chest, knocking back his roaring head with an uppercut that could shatter entire islands. It left a distinct bruise on Dan's chin, together with the one two punch that left visible dents on Dan's chest. His roars still echoed- but deep within those truly animalistic bellows was something else. Pain. Suffering .And a little bit of fear. For he knew that eery shot from the Beast was hurting him, even if he could not feel the pain. And he knew, somehow, that he needed to stop his berserking. It wasn't working, it was just hurting him. He had to get his rage under control, his skill to-

His train of thought was interrupted as the Beast suddenly grabbed ahold of his waist, slamming into the ground far below within a single second. It hurt like the devil- which he might as well have been facing. He slowly tried to stand up, but-

There was the Beast, jumping right at him, arms out and blazing, intending to finally finish the fight. But Dan was ready, ready as he could possibly be with his mostly lack of control- and he reached up, managing to catch the Beast's hands within his own.

They were even now, horizontal upon the war torn ground, staring down at each other- Dan with his raging snarl, and the Beast with its own laughing grin. He figured that now was the time…

"You cannot win here, Dan.", said the Beast, and laughed. "Do you know why?"

Dan roared ,and tried to push the Beast down- but he found that he could not. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard beyond the point of breaking he strained all of the muscles in his arm, the Beast's mighty guard would not budge.

"It's simple, fool!", the Beast bellowed, and pushed down Dan to the ground, despite all of Dan's straining effort to stay upright. "Because I am stronger than you! My strength will always be twice yours once I try- and trust me, I have! No matter how strong you are, my power shall always be superior! That is how I have been made, and that is how you lose!"

He pushed down harder and Dan's knees all but folded into the dark and burning, only his legs blazing power to hold on, keeping him just barely standing up. He saw the Beast laughing in his face, the face of Chad looming over his own- but it did not increase the anger already blazing in his soul. It, slowly, bit by bit, began to awaken something else.

"This is how I win, Dan!", the Beast shouted, and pushed harder, about to crash Dan through the floor and plunge him deep into the true abyss below even the bottom floor of Hell. "With your once proud nobility reduced to a gibbering wreck, and your family all tortured by the Jester's hand!"

Song: Parting

At that moment, something happened. Something clicked with Dan's mind- but instead of manifesting itself as an outward explosion of strength, it changed. Dan flew back inside of his mind, leaving his body struggling- and he found something there he had forgotten about.

Oticat and Dan walked side by side into the front room of the Castle, a truly glorious sunrise entering in. The light streamed red, green, gold, blue- all the colors of the benevolent rainbow, granting everything within a glowing hue of absolute wonder and magic. But there was one thing that Dan had never seen before- a stranger standing there, her back to him, her green cloak patched with blue and brown boots gleaming with polish standing out in his eyes.

"Dan, I'd like you to meet someone.", said Oticat, his heart and soul bursting with pride, and gestured outwards to the strange girl in the middle of the room, who was only now beginning to turn around. "This is our newest addition. Brandy the-"

"Bandit.", Dan breathed, hardly able to even belive his eyes. He had seen Bandits before, of course, for SpacekrakenX had his- Brenda. But he never expected that Oticat would have one of his very own. He was still only in arena 7- not high enough to unlock one.

By now, Brandy had turned around, and locked eyes with Dan. Hers were a wonderful sea green, matching nicely with his own eyes of deep azure blue. Neither of them moved for a second, just taking each other in- they felt somehow connected to each other. Neither of them, however, knew precisely why.

"Uh... " ,said Brandy, and moved up to Dan in an instant, her legendary Dash taking effect. "Hi."

Brandy extended her hand carefully, and Dan reached out to shake it. "I'm Brandy, by the way. Brandy the Bandit."

"Dan the Knight.", said Dan, and grasped on to her smooth, gloved hand. "Hey what the-"

Brandy laughed and withdrew her hand, letting the small bubble of Elixir she had hidden within drip all down Dan's hand. She whipped her hand around in a show-offy motion- then accidently ran it along a nearby axe that had been hanging up alongside the wall, sticking straight outwards in a blatant contempt of safety regulations. She immediately withdrew her hand and stuck the cut finger into her mouth- then instantly drew it out again at the taste of wettened cloth. She yelped and stuck it into a fold in her hood, applying pressure to try and stop the wound.

Dan just looked, and felt only warmth within his golden heart. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his kindness radiating out from his body and into the entire room. She looked up his much larger form, feeling only welcomeness from it.

"We're gonna be friends.", he said, and Brandy beamed. Right from that moment on, he knew he had to protect that smile. "Really? We will?"

"Yes, Brandy.", said Dan, and they both stood up straight. "We will."

Song: Yuuki Rendan

Dan felt that memory gained from the far distant past- and he felt it glowing. He felt it push up inside of him- and he felt the green anger inside of him turn to gold, bursting through his wounds like the light of the revealed sun. "You…"

The Beast, for just a moment, stopped laughing. He looked down at Dan in shock, unable to belive the transformation that he was going through. "What?"

Dan, in that moment, felt the weight of destiny on his shoulders. For he was the only one that had the opportunity to break out, to defeat his foe and take on the jester- but that was not what he was thinking about. For he saw what he had been, saw what he had become- and he felt himself hanging in space, to make a decision. He saw the power of the rager, its uncontrollable anger and strength- but next to it, he saw himself. He saw what he was, what he still had within him- and most important of all, he saw what he had the potential to be. He reached out, feeling something within him- the gentle power of Jonathan the Knight, urging him on towards his truest power- not the power of the Rager, but the power of Dan.

The Beast watched in what was now swiftly becoming fear, as he saw Dan's rage subside, replaced with only golden energy and glowing strength- that which could be called-

"Nobility!", said Dan, and opened his eyes. They were blue once again, the green forced back down. His voice was different was well- less the cautious rock tumbler it had been, and the gentle mountain it knew itself to be. For he was now what he should have been. "That is what I wield, monster-"

The Beast felt it, a great surging of strength beyond what Dan had been able to achieve before, even with the depths of his absolute rage. "And that is how you die!"

Song: Jonathan Joestar theme

With such strength it could not be described, Dan threw his arm forward, with all the concentrated might he possibly could. He felt every inch of his strength, controlling it all- and as he launched his strongest attack yet, there was only one arm to survive.

The Beasts's arm that had been inspired by the Cyborg was far too fragile to withstand Dans' newfounds strength. It shattered with three screams resounding- the scream of the tearing metal, the scream of the terrified Beast, and the scream of the triumphant Dan.

The Beast was thrown backwards- almost. But Dan's outstretched other hand caught him as he began to fly, throwing him around and slamming him into the nearby wall, keeping him well within Dan's reach. The Beast gasped in utter shock, unable to belive what had just happened.

"H- how?", he screeched, feeling his arm dissolve in the wind that blew it away. "How… did you do that? I'm- I am twice your strength! No matter what happens, no matter how powerful your arms become, you cannot overpower me-"

"I don't care!", shotued Dan, and thew his arm forward again. His fingers were folded in a straight line, every inch of his strike calculated to the perfect timing and placement. It was impossible for him to miss- and miss he did not, piercing right through the Beast's armored shoulder and into the wall itself, pinning him there like a sausage hung out to dry. "I don't care what your ability is, or who you are, or even who you follow! I just know that I'm going to win here- and I'm going to do it he way I should be doing!"

The Beast spat up a huge burst of blood, the loss of one arm and a shoulder too much for it to take. He looked forward in fear- and saw Dan hovering there in the air, great rolling waves of yellow star keeping him afloat- yet somehow, his body looked different. No longer was it wide, but his proportions felt more like a normal man's. He was still massive, but no longer built like a Golem. Now he was built like… a Knight.

"My heart burns….", he intoned and sucked in a great and mighty breath, a solid percentage of all the air within the entire cavern flooding into his lungs. His eyes and mouth shone with the power of his Star, but he did not let it get away from him. "Heat enough to burn…"

The Beast squirmed, trying to get away from the vulnerable point- and as he ripped part of his shoulder away from the wall, he found himself successful. He jumped upwards as powerfully as he could, desperate to return to his master before his death.

But try as he might, he could see no possible way out. There was no exit in the Hellscape- they had all been closed by Dan and his legendary battle. He looked down to Dan- even in his hardly controlled state, had he planned this? He looked at his eyes. Oh, yes he had.

"My heart's beat…", shouted Dan, and jumped up. His Star glowed differently- less like a great blast, and more like an electric flame- yet with the same power it had had before. Even more, in fact- for the Beast shook in terror at the realization. Dan had done it. He had truly mastered Star, mastered his anger, mastered even himself- all of the good, with none of the bad. "Is razor sharp!"

Finally, the Beast knew it was time to fight back. He could not escape. He could not just try to run, or else Dan would cut him down from behind. So he turned around, gathering up all of his void, all of his death ,and all of his darkness within both hands. He was a demon, after all, clearly not of this or many other worlds, and he was going to use that power to its fullest extent.

"Prepare to die, Dan!",,, shouted the Beast, and jumped down, its negative strength, its overpowering Yin streaming backwards from itself, unable to hold it all. "This is it!"

Dan looked up, and drew back his fist, starting to spin around. The Beast had no idea why- perhaps it was to gain momentum for the strike? But he had to keep going- they both did. For as they drew closer to meeting in the middle, the Beast aimed precise, and he knew that he would-

Dan stopped spinning, the force of his Rotation driving itself all the way into the Beast's arms. And it was that moment the Beast knew. He knew that he had messed up, as his arms were spread apart, his demonic energy, everything he had to fight with, firing off to the sides and completely missing Dan. Meanwhile Dan's energy, the normal hundred punch barrage compressed into a single all powerful blow, had nothing to be blocked by. He shouted and-

"SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!"

Dan's fist slammed right through the Beast's chest, piercing it easily and blowing out through the other side, Star flowing in every direction- back towards Dan, out towards the wall, and into the Beast's body, destroying any demonic cells it came into contact with- and that, of course, was all of them.

The Beast screamed and writhed, impaled on Dan's arm, feeling its body burned away by the force of the Mastered Star. Almost intelligent it moved, slashing into every bit and piece of its body, scraping it away and turning it to nothing more than cosmic ash, half the Beast's body utterly destroyed within seconds- until he pushed off of Dan's arm, throwing himself back and to relative safety. He still floated meaningless out of control, his body mostly destroyed- but he was still most certainly alive. He just had to-

Then he saw Dan reach behind him, close his eyes, concentrate mightily- and pull out a gigantic sword, made entirely of Star, glowing with such unending holy intensity it turned the Beast's eyes to mush.

"You tried to go for my love!", Dan shouted, bringing the sword up below himself, filling it full with such Star that the Beast began to steam just from being in its presence. "You have no honor, beast- and I can only strike you down!"

The Beast, now, had no response. Dan's tounge bristled with possible insults- but he knew he could not unleash them. He had to keep his nobility ,no matter what. "Now feel my love! Feel my honor- and feel my Star!"
Dan approached with the overwhelming sword, and the Beast gave himself up unto death.

"ULTIMATE ROYALE OVERDRIVE!", Dan shouted, fusing the glory of his heritage with the power of his modern strength. The sword slashed upwards, faster than any eye could see- and a great crack appeared all the way up the Beast's body, glowing with golden light. The Beast screamed in infinite pain and untold suffering- but Dan felt no sorrow, for his foe was a demon, and deserved every bit of it. In fact he secretly relished the sight- for he saw that it was Chad who suffered, Chad who screamed. He had never gotten to kill him. Brandy had destroyed his body, Leon had destroyed his soul- but now he supposed that he had destroyed his memory, the last remnants of that old enemy sliced apart by his nobility, and brought to end by his might.

The crack widened, the screams growing louder and higher until the Demon finally just exploded into endless tiny stars, spitting out across the cavern, and finally falling into nothing forever and evermore, the demon slain and Dan's weariness, weakness along with it. It was over. He had won.

Dan just stood there for second, huffing and puffing, then felt his eyelids droop. What he had just done ranked among the most exhausting experiences in his entire life- and he was ready to just lie down and take a nap. Preferably with Brandy on his chest-

Speaking of Brandy, he realized he had a promise to make. He closed his eyes, kneeled down, and placed his hand across his chest in the form of a fist. "Brandy…", he said. "I knew not what I was doing. I promise, I will never lose control of myself again."

He felt the very last bit of lime green sink back within him, replaced by the calm and glowing gold that now surrounded his entire body like a warm and comforting aura- wait a second.

His eyes snapped open once again. "Brandy… Leon- Bubble!"

He looked up, still not sure how to get out of Hell. He had very clearly decimated just about everything within it- people, landscape, and de facto ruler- but the space itself remained. "Where are you guys? How do I get out of here?"

He looked around, wondering if he should just start making holes in the walls- when he saw something far off in the distance, coming down the dark and empty hallway, approaching him at high speed.

Song: Space of a Lone God

The figure slowly came into better view, the still burning hallways of hell calmed and neutralized at her white and green presence. The robes upon her arms and legs floated a half dozen feet into the air, her long blonde hair trialing behind her even more. She carried an aura of warm satisfaction and sleepy peace, great and quiet bell tones following her every move.

"Welcome, Dragonkiller Daniel.", she said, her voice calm and grand, sounding like the smoothed sand on a well landed beach. "I'm sure you feel quite unrested after that battle of yours. I could hear the sounds of Hell from Heaven."

"Okay.", said Dan, and too ka step back. He had no idea who she was- but he still saw no good reason to attack. He was noble now- no, once again. He was noble once again, and he had to respect that. Part of that was not killing without need- so spare her he would. "And just who are you?"

The woman laughed a bit, kindly yet not without her own brand of coldness. "Why, Daniel! I thought you'd know."
She spread out her arms and nodded, as if beckoning Dan to guess. He thought for a few seconds, then stuck out one finger, still not sure of his answer. "Hai...zili? Is that you?"

The woman shook her head, and slowly floated down to the ground, stretching out her arms. "No, no, Danile. You see- I am Emmadara. Your guardian angel."

"Guardian… angel?", asked Dan, and felt himself relax a bit- then tightened back up again. He could not let himself let down his guard, not when she was still most likely an enemy. "Right…"

"Oh, but it is true.", said Emmadara, and slowly let her robes billow out around him, stroking around his arm, tickling his back, and moving ever so slowly right underneath his chin. But he did not move, his rock hard body not responding at all. "I have been assigned to protect you ever since your birth."

"Oh, really?" asked Dan, and took a deep breath. "Then how come I have never seen you before?"

"Well…", Emmadara said, and brought up her hands. She slowly moved them to Dan's bare back, touching the muscles with her sharp, long fingertips and wincing at the size. "You do not typically see them- one of us, I mean, until you need it. And right now, frankly, Dan, you need to be healed."

"Oh, I'm sure I do.", said Dan, and concentrated. His hair tingled all across his body and Emmadara revolted in shock. "Well then, go ahead. Heal me up."

"Gladly, sir Dan.", said Emmadara, and put her hands on Dan's back. "Now, you're very right, as should be expected. In fact, why don't I just take a little weight off of your shoulders… you have a lot of levels, right? I'd estimate about 500… all of their weight must just add up so, so much, boy. Maybe if I were to remove some of them you could-"

Dan suddenly stiffened, and Emmadara could feel the power in his body, far more power than she could reasonably contain. So she knew she had to move on to plan B. "Okay, not that. Why don't I just move down here, and…"

The thought came into her mind to suck out Dan's levels anyway- but she could feel his power coursing just underneath his skin. She realized that if she tried it might be too much for her own body- she might just very well explode from touching his sheer power. But she could do something else…

"So, Dan..", she said, and smiled. "I hear you have a wife now. Congratulations- and kids, too."

"Yeah.", said Dan, only grunting his words. He was waiting for just the right moment to strike- to gently knock her out, and leave her there while he left. He wasn't going to kill her, not unless she directly attacked him. But he wasn't sure if that was even going to happen. "I do."

"Good, good.", said Emmadara, trying to find someplace where Dan's body was not similar to coiled diamondsteel. "I'm sure you love them, don't you? But have you ever thought about…"

Dan could feel a strange sensation on his back. "Mixing it up?"

Emmadara slowly ran one finger up from his back to his massive neck, her strange and now apparently uncloaked form rivaling him in size, about half of his 23 feet. "I mean you're a big man, aren't you now? I'm sure you would love a big woman to go with that, not your tiny little-"

There was a sharp crack, so fast it could hardly even be seen, much less be heard. Dan's position suddenly went from standing at a slight, casual slump to twisted around, fist by his side outstretched. Emmadara- or, rather, the Enchantress, was her proper name as a Forgotten- hovered there in the air, pain unknown by any living being rocking through her.

For her entire face had been pulled clean off by the force of Dan's sudden punch, all of her teeth sucked out and flying through the air. Her skin peeled all the way off and flew, the eternal death mask of the traitorous woman portrayed in the worst way possible. Her teeth flew across the walls, and lay just watching next to a spray of blood and a rash of skin lying on the ground.

"Hmph.", said Dan, watching his fist drip blood that was not his own, and withdrew his strike. He looked down at the elixir dripping out onto the floor from the remnants of his defeated opponent,, and scoffed. "What a bugger."

Dan threw back his fists, and looked up at the ceiling- only to smile, and the thought of freedom. "Well then.", he said to himself. "I think I should be getting out of here now."

Song: Stardust Crusaders- Batmanhole

Dan took a deep breath, filling himself with Star but he made sure that it was not too strong. He did not want a repeat of his raging form, as marginally useful as it may have had been- he was that strong now, perhaps even stronger, without resorting to over blinding rage. He aimed out his target, breathed out- and took a careful hundred meter jump, reaching his target before even a full second had passed. "ORA!"

His fist streaked into the wall, the dark red stone shattering without struggle. It burst inward on itself a dozen times just from the single hit, collapsing into a broken tunnel as soon as Dan's mighty blow had impacted the shelf. He heard the spot collapse- and knew that he had struck Elixir. It was time to get rich.

"OraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraorA!", shotued Dan, and let loose a few dozen more punches lfy. There was a powerful blast of absolute nothing and Dan turned back to what he was doing still- freedom. .He saw large portions of the area collapse behind him, turned to the next and unleashed the first steps of what would then become a gigantic coordinated effort to break him out. Dan felt quiet determination within his heart, right alongside the worry and anger- but he let those two the ground. All he needed, he thought as he once again shattered off a layer of the vst wall that separated him and the world, was his nobility and strength, his purity and honor. All he needed to bring everyone together was his very own self.

"Ooooooora!", Dan yelled, and spun around into he rock. All of it was destroyed in his path, his entire body a shimmering specter of light. He continued to punch, each and every one blowing away dozens upon dozens of square feet of dark red Hellstone- "Ora! Ora! Oooooora!"

He shattered through the initial wall, seeing now one of the places he had come from. His heart surged with hope- and that very same surge gave him enough power to jump across the massive, 80 foot gap, alighting on the other side. He drew back his fist and collided with the first punch- "OORRRRRRA!"

Crashing through the rock, he could see it fly out in bits and pieces all around him, creaming out in pain as the sentient stone was obliterated. He cared not- for although he now felt some sadness at killing, he knew that everything in the area but him was evil, and killing it was not anything bad. That didn't mean he was going to lose control of himself, however. He still had his thoughts.

Dan could see the rock just a few hundred feet up above him now, as he entered the new area- it shone with the light of freedom, the light of the long lost sun. He shouted in triumph, grabbed the edge of a nearby ledge- and pushed off, the force of the glorious push shattering the Hellstone down into the infinite abyss. He kept on soaring upwards, seeing things that may have ben the corpse of some of his defeated enemies- but that was impossible. He had left no trace behind but Elixir and Blood. So he kept on flying upwards- then felt a slight twinge of alarm, as he slowly began to stop.

But in reality there was nothing to worry about. He just threw his fist back and slammed it into the wall, with a thunderous "Ora!" that seemed to shake all of Hell. He stopped falling with the momentum, his arm stuck in the Hellstone all the way up to the elbow. His eyes glowed. "OOo-"

"RA!", he bellowed, and slammed his other arm into the rock. It almost broke- but managed to hold, with the fore of the Rotation that was keeping it together. He jumped out from his fist hold, and let go with both, taking him further into the air- and a few dozen feet more towards freedom.

"Ora! Ora! Orrrra!", he shouted, using each word to further power his monumental strikes. Each one broke the stone and each one pulled him further towards the light- but something still yet darkened the Hell down far below.

"Orrrr-", said Dan, then looked down. He could see what had gained his attention- a great and mighty swarm of body parts, all gripping onto each other to form a gigantic super arm, reaching upwards to drag him below. But Dan, in his power and his strength, did not really care.

"RA!", he shouted, finishing the battle cry of ages, and slammed his fist into the giant undead arms as it came up. There was flash of Star and a crash of otherworldly pain- and the arm fell back as the Star rushed all the way through it, turning it to ash within seconds in all of its Mastered fury.

Now Dan could see himself properly in the great mirror that ringed the edge of Hell, only determination written on his scarred and noble face, shining brightly through the dripping demonic blood. But he was not done yet- so he hovered in the air for a bit, concentrating his strength- then slammed his hands into the wall, and began to climb like he had never climbed before.

"Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoooooooo-", Dan shouted, scrambling up the side like a shining spideoric meteoric angel, moving at speeds that no demon now there could hope to a match. Dan could feel them slowly reforming, bit by bit- but knew that they would not reform in time to even hope to catch him.

"Oraoraoraoraoraooraoraoraoraoroaoraoraora-", Dan yelled, scraping at the stone even faster, even harder, even stronger, until he could see the mirror up close against his face. He pulled back his hand and prepared his ultimate strike, pushing the last of his anger at the Beast though to power it- but most of it came form himself, from the limitless amounts of potential that resided deep within his very own magnificent, magnified self. "Oraoraoraoraora-"

Finally, he was there. He hung in the dark empty space like a Fisherman out over infinite water, gathering up his strength, aiming, and- "OOOOOOOOO-"

For a moment, in the small dark area in just one of the Jester's many Circus Tents, there was only silence. There was only stillness, but a small and simple sign marked "Hell" to betray the motions of what was happening within. Then it exploded.

For there was the almighty shining sight of Dan's powerful fist, blazing brilliant around its entirety- and Dan jumping up along with it, tearing the remnants of the circus tent hat had once housed Hell within its dark maroon and purple walls. He reached up to wipe the sweat off his brow- and by doing so, swatted away the entire area it had been inside of, leaving behind only a flat ring of dirt and Dan himself. The entrance to Hell had sealed up entirely- for that pocket dimension had in fact been completely destroyed. And now, the only thing that stood between Dan and the Jester, Dan's own truly well earned victory, was…

"Everybody else…", he said, and nodded '"I'm sure they're around here somewhere. I have to break them out."

So he raised his fists, targeted the first Jester Circus Tent- for his train of thought was that if a tent was destroyed, whatever was in it would be automatically destroyed. He leapt towards it, a mysterious circuit Tent with beeping lights and moving parts, truly knowing that there was Hell to pay. "ORRRRRRA!"

"Wh- what?", the Jester spat, and recoiled in hs tall and evil throne. "He- he escaped. Dan, he-"

He looked over at Bubble, who just appeared- what else- extremely pleased. "Bubble, Dan has escaped!"

"I know that.", said Bubble, and let herself grin. "What about it, Jeeeeester?"

Determination came over her small face, the white and black makeup beginning to wear off as she glowed. "I know that Daddy's escaped. And that, Jester, is a good thing."

"You little…", growled the Jester, and turned to stare at her, the edges of his mask beginning to glow with a white hot fury, and a deep purple rage. "You brat! Do I need to-"
Then he regained a bit of his composure, and his mask went back to normal .He went and laid down right next to Bubble, dragging an extra long finger all the way across her right cheek as he did so. "I mean… must I show you what examples I have made of those you consider your family? For that man, Dan, is not your father. You must remember that."

"But he is", said Bubble, and crossed her arms. She looked away from the Jester, turning up her nose at his repulsive sight. "He is my Daddy, and Mommy is my Mommy, and Leon is my brother."

"Oh, is that it?", asked the Jester, and smiled. He loomed immense over Bubble, his truly chaotic form huge in the dim limelights, only the cheers of the distant puppet crowd holding him up. "Then tell me this, Bubble…"

Then he was in front of her, shouting so loudly it blew her back and spun her off of her captain's chair, forcing her down into the floor so hard that the layered glass plates shuddered and broke, Bubble now meters below where she had been before, just from the force of the Jester's sheer volume. "What sort of daughter ever willingly traps their own family in multi layered hellscapes, never to withdraw or escape? Hmmm? I aks you, what sort of-"

"Not me, that's for sure.", Bubble said ,with such immense force of will that the Jester suddenly found that, somehow, he was all but unable to continue speaking. "Because it wasn't me that put them there, it was you. And even you were unable to keep them! Leon broke out, Mommy escaped- and now Daddy is free, and he's coming right for you!"

"No… no…", the Jester said, and drew back. "You see, Leon and Brandy are both in different tents at this point. Broke out of one to go into the other… and yes, Dan is free. But not for long."

He leaned forward and Bubble shrank back out of disgust. "ANd do you know why?"

Bubble refused to do anything, an invitation the Jester could not help but take. "Because you, Bubble my darling, are going to help me put him back in Hell, right where he belongs!"

"No.", said Bubble ,and turned around. She folded her arms again, gathering put in her look to slap at him. "You're going to try and do that, and you are going to fail. Capiche?"

"What-", The Jester said in surprise, But Bubble was alreay ready for him. "Do you know why?"

The Jester hung there in the air, his grey black eyes snarling and raving at Bubble, his mask beginning to bubble and turn at his anger, perhaps soon to unleash the nightmarish image of the true horror hidden deep within. But said anything, he did not.

"Because take an actual, good look at what I have done so far.", Bubble said, the teaseness in her voice very clearly visible. "And, Jakkamo, think."

The Jester thought out what Bubble had been doing- and that was keeping track of all her family's living states. Which of course involved moving things around, building and manipulating the environment, and adding new things in order to interact with the-

The Jester froze. "No….", he said, and looked down. "You- you didn't you did not!"

"Oh, I did.", said Bubble, and stuck out her tongue at the Jester, relishing the feeling of freedom and success. "And there's no longer a dang thing you can do about it."

"You…", the Jester said, and thought- Bubble had largely been in charge of the storylines of the group. So if she still harbored any sort of favoritism at all, then-

"That's right, Jester,", said Bubble- and for the first time, she saw herself truly angry. "I've just been altering the storylines of every single member since they arrived! They've never seen anything like this- because I am the one who set them free!"

The Jester, at first, was only quiet. He looked up at Bubble, who had thoroughly bruised all of his plans.

His fist curled upwards, and h e growled. "Sooo. That's how you want to play it, huh? You want to just win, and.."
He reared up, the full height and terror visible to Bubble- unknown to anybody else.

"You've gone far enough, Bubble." said the Jester, and brought out his hand to attack. "You are going to the back, and you are not coming out soon. "
"No.", said Bubble, and suddenly the Jester could feel it- four fears in his senses like the background of a rumbling volcano, just about ready to erupt. "I'm not." "

"And yes..", said Bubble, in light of the second question- "Yes, I am."

"Well then you are lost.", said the Jester, his eyes dark and mournful, and prepared to unleash. "Begone."

The Jester made but a single word, a single unknown gesture, Bubble attempting to block- but by that time, she was already out on the streets of the Jester's lair, some unknown magic having transported her there in an instant. She fell flat on her rear and looked up and around, only barely able to see the Jester's lair far, far overhead- and him within it, taunting down at her.

"Well, Bubble, I do hope you found yourself prepared!", should the Jester, and gave a harsh booming laugh, as he slapped the side of his private compound. "For now you shall face all of my minions, all those you thought were on your side once- you grew up with them didn't you?"

Bubble said nothing, choosing only to concentrate on the upcoming fight ahead.
He decided to sent out a message to go and battle- "Bubble!", said the Jester, and sent out a call to arms to all random monsters in the area. "Bubble… apprehend her. Knock her out if you must, but her life is mine."

Bubble ran on down into the dark, not quite knowing how she would face the things before her- but she knew exactly what.

Song: Nella Cerneria

Bubbles' first action was to jump- jump over a tall log in the way- not The Log, of course, for such a thing was not to be found anywhere near the area. Instead it was log of pure styrofoam and building blocks breaking apart out of sheer shame as Bubble cleared it. She landed, tucked, and rolled away on the other side, not caring about the crying sound that came from it as much as she felt herself trying to. She could not rest, could not slow down, could not fail even a little in her quest to defeat the Jester and save her family. For that is what was on her mind- the victory of the battle and not a whole lot else. Se was still only eight or so.

She saw the outline of her first opponent way up ahead as she surfed down a thin line of broken books- for although the Jester loved to read, he could never quite finish anything at all. The outline was tall and thin, lanky and evil- the outline of one monster she knew particularly well.

The thing stepped forward as Bubble slowed her running, its long and scarred sore of a face unfortunately visible in the lower dim limelight. Its entire body was wrapped in a dark cloak, excuding smoke as if from a cheap smoke machine hidden in the floor. Most of its skin was grey and scaly- the only exception its mouth- and that was covered with rows upon rows of teeth, its dark and blank eyes roaring a silent battlecry.

Bubble looked up and searched her memories on how to defeat this particular monster- and she found it. "Oh, Beklijivastas.", she said, and took a preparatory stance. "I remember you."

"Your soul….", said the monster, and its jaw unhinged even wider. "I cannot wait to taste it…"

"That's one thing you won't be tasting." said BUbble, and prepared her first decisive blow. "Another will be victory!"

She jumped forwards as Beklijivastas stumbled right at her, his mouth hanging open wide and his arms extended to catch her- but to his surprise, she was suddenly not there. His arms slammed hard shut on absolutely nothing, and he began to see himself from the front. He thought for a moment, then realized the reason for that was because his head had been separated from his shoulders. Bubble had, right after making an illusion of herself to draw his attention, grabbing onto his arms as he passed on by, then jumping high into the air, pulling back and aiming, had lashed out with a powerful kick that had defeated the strange demon with ease. He was silent of a bit in total and utter shock then howled in pain as he realized what had just happened, before turning into nothing but blak acrid smoke.

Bubble watched him die, feeling about as many regrets as a Wolf does upon the demise of a Sheep- then turned around and ran off to find her next foe.

Dan's fist smashed through a Circus Tent with all the fury and might he could possibly muster- and the entire thing dissolved into essentially nothing, only a few paper stripes flying away into the storm. He waited a bit for anything to come out, for he saw that the sign by the side had said Occupied. He waited a few seconds more, not knowing what could possibly take so long- but the nhe saw it. A slight river of thick Elixir, clearly the Elixir from a recently slaughtered troop, run out and seep through his boots, collecting on the sides and drying up.

Dan's face ran white and is felt himself panic -before he saw a small sign on the left that read "Prisoner Info." On it he could very clearly see that the prisoner that had been within was not one of his group, but a mere Barbarian. Dan sighed in half relief and look around. It was not good that a most likely innocent Barbarian had died but it was better than anyone he knew.

But either way. He now knew that simply breaking a Circus Tent would not actually let the one inside free. It would only kill them. He thought about it for a second, letting the ground burn around him with the fury of his all Mastered Star- then he had it. If he were to just look at the prisoner IDs, he would not have to look inside or go inside in order to check anything. He would know full well who was inside- group or not. So he jumped out to the next and-

And he only then realized he actually had no idea how to free any trapped prisoner. Short of perhaps going in and physically dragging them out through the hole? But that, all things considering would most likely take quite a while. TIme he did not have- so he vowed to keep on running, keep on trying to figure it out until he would come to either Bubble's, Brandy's, or Leon's. He hoped to Se'th that he could find all three.

As Bubble jogged through the misty moisty hallway, replete of a low budget school with no creativity to speak of, she half expected- um… something. SHe expected something she knew to jump out and try to scare her- but she didn't know where that memory came from. It did not seem to make any sense. But she did not care about that- she just cared about escaping. Escaping the place that the Jester had sent her to, finding the CIrcus Tents, gathering her family, and finally- finally!- killing the Jester.

She saw something start to emerge, and she jumped back- suddenly finding herself inside of a brightly lit department store, the decorations all around her decidedly Halloweeny.

"Oh great…", she said, and bit her lip in nervousness. "I hate this place."

Indeed, one would get that feeling. For although the facade was of cheeriness and happiness, the true area was anything but. The decorations were not that- they were real and alive, the dark mannequins brought to grisly life by the Jester's unexplainable abilities. The rubber masks and costume parts that hung on the walls in vacuum sealed bags, their desperate writhings feeling like the death of the innocent, and the bleeding of souls.

But as disturbing as those were, the things that closed in on Bubble were far, far worse.

Coming from her direct front was a horrible fusion of Hog and man, clutching a blood stained butcher knife in his mangled right hand, his tusks twitching with excitement of slaughter. He stumbled right next to a tall scarecrow with a head of a flaming pumpkin, a scythe clutched in his head that seemed sharper than anything at all. He towered over a hooded woman sitting in sorrow atop a shattered swing, hay floating all around her as she stare at Bubble with nonexistent eyes. Right next other was a young boy- or at least Bubble though so, from his schoolyard bullyish voice. He sneered and asked her- "What took you so long? I've been waiting for you to ome out and play."

Behind him was a tall zombie, his jaw hanging by a rattling chain off of his head, moaning and groaning coming out of his body that no thing, whether living or dead, should ever have the ability to make. They all stared Bubble down from the left- and she looked to the right, to see if there was anything better at all.

But there really wasn't. Instead, she saw what she hated- Adults. Not adults, no, she rather adored those, especially the two she things approaching her from the left side of the store were Adults with a capital A- the ones who payed taxes and went to too vague office jobs, drinking on the weekends and blaming it on their bosses, dressing up in "sexy" Halloween costumes, trying to inject some ounce of fun into their intentionally boring lives. They reached out towards her, their hands glowing with normalcy, looking to infect Bubble with the trappings of an utterly suburban, boring life. She turned to her back, seeing if here was an exit to the store- but there stood a tall clown, taller than she was by a very large margin, his arms holding a sign that read- "Free hugs?", he asked and laughed, his long fanged teeth dripping blood.

"Why, thank you." ,said Bubble, as she noticed the cord running from the Clowns' oversise feet to the walls. "I'd love a free hug, thanks."

The Clown stopped laughing, and looked down at her in utter surprise. "You- you will?", he asked, and a single tear sprag into his eyes. His hands shook, and his voice became significantly lighter. "I- thank you ,Bubble. No one has ever actually taken up my offer befoe."

"I did.", said Bubble, and closed her arms around the Clown, watching as his teeth shrank back to normal, the blood drying up and his entire body becoming rounder rather than dark. He bent down and dropped his sign by his feet, embracing Bubble in what was probably the happiest part of his unknown life. They stood there for several seconds, holding the hug for 8, as the horde drew closer- then Bubble broke it off. She looked into Clowny's eyes, who looked back with assault. "I need to borrow this."

"You do it, Bubble.", said Clowny, as he felt Bubble grab onto his cord. "Defeat that cruel Master. For we truly have nothing to lose. "

Bubble, in one swift motion, pulled the cord, grabbed the sign, and connected both together.

There was a great sparking flash of blue electricity, coursing through Bubble's body and flying up into her hair, the blonde locks shooting straight up. Her nervous system was briefly visible along with her skeleton- but harmed, she was not. Instead she lifted the sign as the monsters approached, filing it with vast amounts of electricity- then snarled. "This one's for you…"

She tossed the lightning sign right at the Adults, a well built nurse coming right at her. "Clowny."

The sign hit its target dead on, filling the plastic and rubber monster with all the electricity to power the entire store. Had it been just rubber the damage would have been lessened -but the rubber served to divert its own power to the plasti, melting the material in less than a second. The Lightning flashed along the rubber, sparking to each and every monster in turn. There was a great chorus of melting animatronics and bursting living systems, circuit boards flaming and beginning to explode. Bubble watched as her enemies screamed- until a single bolt of electric justice flashed up to the ceiling above, sending out a bust of broken glass and exploding plaster that covered the entire store, or what was even left of it, turning the entire structure into little more than loose ash and flaming bits of plastic debris.

Bubble looked down- and sighed in relief. Clowny had turned into his calling card, his true form whisked away to somewhere else. That was one less thing to worry about- so Bubble grinned at her well though victory, before moving away and into the darkness, one step closer to the Jester's demise.

Dan ran through the rows up on rows of Circus Tents, trying to keep his mind off the many sufferings he could hear happening within. He had a very large suspicion that if he were to defeat the Jester in combat, the Circus Tents would end. So regardless of what was going on in each of them, he knew he could not get distracted, he could not-

His heard just about stopped, as he saw a Bandt on a bench up ahead, very calmly licking her cotton candy, staring at a stage show just around a corner, depicting a very familiar Arena Battle. Dan saw it out of the corner of his eye- but it didn't make him slow down, as he skidded out in front of the semi-accurate portrayal and stared the Bandit right in the eyes, slamming his hands down right next to her. "Brandy!" he yelled, and the Bandit just stared. "What are you doing?"
The Bandit continued to stare for a bit, looking right into his gigantic blue eyes without emotion- then only after a few seconds appeared to process the information. She Dashed right out of her seat, dropping her cotton candy, Dashed back, grabbed it, then Dashed onto the top of the stage, knocking it over in a gigantic crash that flattened everything nearby, leaving only her and Dan untouched. She scrabbled for purchase upon the ground, before standing up and backing away, still licking her blue cotton candy.

"Brandy, what are you doing?", asked Dan, and approached her with swiftness. "You gotta-"

"Who the frick are you?", asked the Bandit, Dashing away and behind Dan, clutching herself close. "Identify yourself, Mega Knight!"

Dan's blood ran cold, and his heart began to shake. He lifted his arm in horror, pointing at the Bandit, and his eyes grew red with fury. "They- they… did they- he- take away your-"

Then he noticed something. He wasn't sure how he had not noticed it before, but now it seemed rather, painfully even, obvious. This Bandit, whoever, she was, quite simply not Brandy. Her eyes, rather than green, were blue. Her body was not quite as tall, about 2 inches shorter. Her muscles were not nearly as well defined, and Dan could not see the scars on her legs.

"Who's Brandy?", asked the Bandit, and hopped back. "I'm Jessie."

"Oh.", said Dan, and looked down. "Yeah, It's been so long since I've seen another Bandit that I just thought you were here. Anyway. Have you see her? She looks a lot like you."

"No…", Jessie said, and shook her head. "I've just been here since the Jester brought me here as a guest for this weird circus of his. I've actually been watching this super cool play about a Bandit named Brandy that-"

Then she looked at Dan once more, looked within her memories- and just about screamed.

"No! Way!", she screamed and put her hands on her face, tugging at her mask. "You're- you're- are you- there's no way, right? Are you-"

Dan sighed in, and held up his hand. A burst of Star flew upwards from his fingers, and Jessie squealed. "Oh my Se'th it IS you! I didn't know you guys were real but- but- but-"

She just stared at Dan in shock, before realizing what need to be done. SHe put her hands together, and quietly bowed at the waist, shivering from sheer excitement. "Right. I will be happy to help you in any way I can."

"Okay.", said Dan, and looked away from her looking out over the tall and long rows of Tents, stretching all the way to both sides of the gargantuan cave. He could see various theme rides in between them, but there was no time to worry about them right now. "I need you to tell me in what way there are all organized New ones in front? Legendaries in back? Tell me."

"Uhh…", said Jessie, and bit her lip. "Yeah uh.. I don't actually know…"

"Ah, great." ,said Dan- but he kept his anger in check. "Anyway, come with me. We can find her together. Leon and Bubble, too."

"Leon and Bubble?" ,asked Jessie, and hopped onto his back. "Who are those?"

Dan poundedhis feet along the road, keeping a careful eye out, his head moving faster than Jessie could even really see. "Our kids."

Jessie sucked in a breath, her hands going up to her mask once more. Dan held up a wall of Star and fingers to stop her from falling off, her grip released. "You guys have KIDS?"

"Yeah sorry about the spoilers." ,said Dan, and slid below a tall train track, suspended magnetically in the air. "But you're in this part of the story anway, so you can take that as a gift."

"In… the… story…" said Jessie and her smile grew from ear to ear. "You know, I really do like that. Now let me touch your muscles."

Dan didn't really respond to hat last part, even though he heard it loud and clear. He just kept on looking, searching for those three he most needed, looking at the names of the prisoners as he soared over the hard packed dirt of the Jester's dark lair. Dave. Joe. Phillip. Johannes. Darryl. Brown. Leon-

He stopped, and bent down to take a closer look, hope of a father waiting upon baited breath. He knew there were multiple Leons- but as soon as he saw the words Stand User on his card, he knew it was him. He drew a fist into the air, surrounding it with Star, and nodded to Jessie.

"Stay right here.", he said, and narrowed his glimmering eyes. "I'm going in."

Song: Kyuutenchokka

Brandy fell, falling like a dying star through infinite space. She knew she was not a star- but the area around her might as well have been infinite. Infinite space, infinite darkness- and most certainly infinite pain. It was dark, cold, grey, black, screaming, white, freezing, boiling-

She didn't let out a scream, even though she thought she might have. But the shock of the area was far too much, and her scream function seemed to be temporarily disabled. She just feel silent, turning head over heels, whipping around in and all over herself- she could see her own body as she fell, as if form an outside- but there were no mirrors in the area. She thought…

She saw herself tumble past a grand being at the very edge of her vision, taller than reality and larger than space. A single great eye sat on its infinite forehead, as it plunged a cosmic knife deep into the chest of its great grey fellow, its partner in being destroyed and split asunder, the countless grey particles all flying into Brandy's eyes, rendering her totally blind.

That time Brandy did shriek, while her hands flew to her face in pain. He eyes pulsed red and blue with the agony of the burning, but no amount of touch was able to console it. No amount of Dash pressed up against her eyes was able to draw out the grey matter. But she kept on trying, kept on pushing towards her eyes, trying to recover her vision before she wold hit something-

She felt it. She felt it suddenly, pushing up on her with a wet thud, as the solid stone ground suddenly slammed into her with the force of 70000 feet to fall. She had not been Dashing to protect herself. She had hit the ground in a belly flop- and that was the bad part.

The pain rushed through her, like a great red tidal wave of absolute Hell. For that was fitting- Brandy had, just like Dan, ended up in her own personal Hell. But it was not a place of fighting- it was only a place of pain. The sounds of her entire ribcage shattering into pieces was evidence of at least that much.

Brandy hurked forward, feeling the agony in every single muscle and fiber of her being. She didn't know how she had not been instantly killed the second she had hit the ground- perhaps it had to do with the fact that this was the Jester's Circus, where one was their soul rather than their body. She was somewhat glad of that fact- but the pain put doubt in her screaming mind.

She felt her stomach churn with pain for the second time that day- and she could not even try to resist as she threw up all over her legs, both of which now spasmed and shook with the shattering that they had been dealt. She watched as the blood she had thrown up mingled with the blood from her legs- for there was no food. Only blood.

"Okay.",said Brandy to herself, trying to calm herself down- but it was a difficult task. Her mouth splurted up more blood every time she spoke, covering her entire tunic in dark red sludge. "I can do this. I can… do this…"

The she fell forward, as her shattered legs gave way, splintering bits of bone all across the hard stone floor. She didn't even know how she had legs still- for although they had been just about split in two, the essence of her legs survived. They were still there, only shattered and unusable.

"I can't- no!", she said, and shouted with frustration,ming one hand into the floor. She looked up into the immeasurable upper abyss, not sure when to even begin her escape. "I can do this, and I will. I will, I will-"

She took a deep breath, and held up her fist, sparkling through with bright blue and silver sparks- her Dash flashing forth in full view. "I can do this! And there is nothing that can stop me!"

She charged up her Dash in one hand, spread it to the other- and slammed her hand into the ground. The force lifted her up, regardless of her shattered and broken legs, letting her soar high into the dark and unforgiving ocean of evil overhead, raging at whatever might come.

"JEEEEESTERRR!", Brandy screamed, shooting through the dark grey clouds, her eyes flashing purple and mixing with her Dash, propelling her onward to even greater heights. "Where are you? I'm gonna come and kill you- so come on out and die!"

She sung through the world of evil, looking out for anything that she might crash into again, the screaming, dying pain in her legs ignored by her drive to escape. She had been through far too much to just give up now- she felt as though the thins she had seen within her last venture had been… important, somehow. Far too important to forget, and far too important to let her die.

"Jester!", she screamed, feeling her legs now go painless. That would normally be a good thing- but she knew that in this case, it was not. She looked down- they now hung dead form her torso, two shattered stalks. Bits of bone dripped down on the seconds- but no blood. For that had now all left. She looked up in pain- and gapse,d seeing a vast building suddenly loom up out of the darkness that looked almost as shattered as she was.

"Oh crap-", she spat, and looked for something to kick off of- but there was nothing. Nothing to redirect her flow of direction, nothing to turn her way from the pole sticking right out-

Oh wait. That was right. Why didn't she just activate her Dash? It could save her from-

She felt her face mash right into the hardened steel beam, the rough round outcroppings bashing right into her nose.

Brandy felt tears drip from her eyes, as the metal continued to assault her face. A sharp spike stuck out from either side of the metal beam, piercing the lobes of both her ears. A rough fist of steel bashed out into her mouth, breaking several teeth and knocking back her head. She felt the tears start flow from the intense pain, as another great hunk of steel lashed out and slammed her down, her body crumpling against a stuck out piece of metal like a dropped hunk of fragile clay. She groaned out loud, her torn lungs whistling with every movement, her knocked out teeth whistling with every breath. She tried to get up, but found she could barely even move.

"Ohh...", she groaned, and furiously pushed herself up- but could only manage a few sparre feet, barely even able to get to a sitting position. But sit she did, and that was something. "That… hurt…"

She looked up and into the building up ahead, trying not to just cry. She didn't know how much more of it she could possibly even take. It just seemed endless now- all the fighting and the pain and the conflict and the blood and the darkness and the building that even now closed in around her with a shuddering boom, encasing Brandy in darkness that seemed to never end. But she didn't even really care that much- she could use it to take refuge from the Jester, hide a bit until her legs healed. She didn't know how she would achieve that feat- but perhaps looking around might help. Looking around with her damaged eyes, and bleeding nose, and crumbling mouth, and forcibly pierced ears that pulsed red with every second, filling her entire vision with a relentless, vicious crimson haze. She looked- and saw a mini fridge, glowing with lemon light.

"Oh…", said Brandy, and started forward, dragging herself along on her useless shattered legs, bone held in dark escrow behind her, scraping and stabbing the wooden floor below. "It's not much but…"

She opened up the minifridge, and scrunched up her eyes as she took out a bottle of… something. She was not quite able to tell what it was. "It's better than nothing I guess…" She almost tipped it back, before seeing the label ,and forcibly gagging. "Blood?"

She stared at it, almost puking but managing not to. She didn't want to drink blood. Blood was disgusting. It held no health benefits. It-

"Hey!", she heard from outside the door to the tall strange room, and startled. The bottle flew out of her hands and onto the floor, the cap leaking open and spilling out all over the floor. She turned to see the source of the sound- and saw, to her surprise, a girl. She stood in shock at seeing Brandy's face, dressed in all black- a hoodie, jeans, and a gently patterned baseball cap.

Her long black hair fell to halfway down her torso, and her face became queasy upon seeing Brandy's state. "Uh…. there's a fountain just out here… you're gonna have better luck there. Bye."

"What?", asked Brandy, and looked after the girl- but she had already gone. She put Dash into her arms, jumping out into the hall. "What do you mean there's a fountain?"
Then once she landed, she could see what the girl had meant- a fountain of blood streamed out from a stone object in the floor, echoes of fanincess surrounding its structure. Brandy knew what she had to do then. There was no blood left in her legs, and what was left in her torso was rapidly draining out of her. She would despise the taste- but she realized as she clenched her fist and her teeth, she had no choice. Brandy would have to drink the blood.

Edging closer on her stump legs to the fountain, Brandy wondered if she would have to get metal legs after this. She really hoped she would not have to. She had lost so much of herself on the journey as it was, and she hoped desperately not to lose anymore. Yet she worried- by drinking the blood, would she lose something else again? Her humanity? Her sense? She did not know, even as she cupped the blood in one hand, and slowly, shivering, brought it up to her lips. She tipped it back, opened her eyes, and-

The blood hit her mouth, and Brandy almost gagged- but strangely enough ,she did not taste anything at all, merely the faint sense of copper. She looked down and realized the reason for this- the blood was rapidly being absorbed into her body, forcing her arms to pop back up into shape, her nose to warp back to straightness and roundness, and her legs to slowly piece themselves back together, increasing each time she drank another handful of the blood. It was not pleasant in the least- but about a few minutes of suffering later, Brandy's body seemed to be mostly back to normal. She stood up and flexed, feeling the pain of resettling in rush through her inner veins. She grimaced- but could not help but think about that girl. She felt familiar in the oddest sort of way, some type of relation that Brandy could not possible place. Perhaps she could find her, and then together they could-

The entire front side of the building suddenly tore away, Brandy having come in through the back, revealing nothing beyond her save a dark and raging storm cloud, the familiar bells of Hell banging out a senseless tune.

"You wanted to see me, did you not?", the Jester bellowed, and threw his hands towards her, his smile going all the way into the upper realms of Hell. "Well here I am, Brandy- may you have wished well!"

Song: Lotte Feroce

Brandy, still rusty from the past few minutes, tried to dodge- but the Jester's arm was just too fast. It slammed into her with the force of a hurricane, pushing her up against the back of the wall with a burst of blood, smashing through the entire building and turning it to dust.

"I considered just what to do with you!", shouted the Jester, throwing the contents of his hand into the ground- Brandy going with them. "For weeks!"

Brandy hit the floor- but this time she was able to Dash, skidding backwards into a positon with which to strike back from. She saw the Jester loom up over her and smile, leaning his hand back down to snatch her up with. "And I figured it out."

Before Brandy could even respond, he grabbed her, tossing her up into the air- and all the world broke, shattered all to glass, reality falling to bits around them, leaving them in stark and empty air, a single unfinished lightbulb the only thing in this strange new space. He clutched her tight- then grinned once more. "Your own worst possible fear."

Brandy saw the moment, and she took it. She lashed out with a bright flash of Dash and a quick beam of fist- and caused the Jester to stumble, his gargantuan form slightly weakened by the innate fury of the shot. But despite her strength, her opponent did not really care. "At first I tried…"

He grabbed her harder, and threw her up ito the air. She felt a cold rush of wind hit her as her clothes all suddenly vanished, leaving her vulnerable as could be in the Jester's grasp. "A nice memory wipe like I did to Leon. But that was too simple, far too little irony."

Brany felt both horr and rage course through her as she heard that sentence, unaware of what had exactly been done to Leon. But she was unable to fight back, being only able to squirm.

"Then I thought you might just serve me, like Bubble, like many- you've done that before, haven't you?", asked the Jester- and rewound. He flung Brandy forward, right towards a gigantic mirror hanging suspended in the air- they smashed through it, emerging on the other side in a flash of sparkling silver and burning pain, Brandy landing hard on the cold glass floor and skidding for hundreds of feet, landing at the boot of- the Jester. For of course he was there too.

"Then I just thought about sending you through Hell like your husband. But then I thought, why not give you something truly special? Seeing as how you're just such a pain, after all… I thought I'd just tell you…"

He leaned down into Brandy's face, staring right at her undisguised terror. "The truth."

He waited a bit for it to soak in before striking, grabbing Brandy once again. He swung around and launched her right to his direct left, Brandy finally starting to scream as she soared without control through the glowing sky. But even then she was barely left alone for a second- she slammed right into a great burning mass in the sky, searing her all across the front of her unprotected body- then back down to the ground. She looked up and saw him, The Jester in all his glory, reginning to pull up the light.
"You're worthless.", said the Jester, and sneered. "You will never amount to anything!"

He drew close, Brandy trying to keep herself form collapsing. It was extremely, insanely difficult- but she somehow managed to do it. Even though her legs were broken, her muscles were shredded, her skin burned with the heat of a pocket sun, and the terror surrounding her entire being truly knew no bounds, she refused to yield. She looked up at him- only with a growl, her eyes flashing with pure determination. The armor of hope that surrounded her seemed almost to replace her torn off clothes, the Jester's attempt to shame her forgotten.

"You know you're the weakest, Barandy.", The Jester purred, intentionally pronouncing her name in a strange way. "The weakest mentally, of course…."

The Jester raised his hand, and struck. Brandy quickly brought up her arm to protect herself- but nothing happened. The entire Jester, all of his gargantuan, shapeshifting body was suddenly gone. It was as if he had suddenly just dropped out of the world, gone to some other place-

"Looking for me?", Brandy heard, and she spun around- but it was not coming from anywhere around her. She looked up, down, back, to the front- but her foe was not anywhere to be seen. She pondered it for a second- then, to her absolute and utmost horror, felt something in her throat. "I don't think you'll find me just by looking around."

Brandy felt her throat tighten involuntarily, as she felt the Jester squeeze. She fell forward onto the harsh ground of shredded broken glass, the skin on her legs and hands tearing and ripping with the wall, blood splashing up into her horrified face. She could feel the Jester's essence inside of her body, almost see his evil eyes peering up through her throat as it was forced wide open. She could feel him touch the inside of her body, a strange and indescribable feeling shooting up through every nerve. She screamed with the sensation- what else could she even do? This was not pain- this was beyond that. This was-

"Are you scared, girl?", asked the Jester, and Brandy could feel her stomach expand, almost ot the point of bursting- but the Jester, to let himself stay in, pulled it back to just the point of hurting. "Are you scared, knowing that I could end your life at any moment which I choose?"

As if to prove his point, he pressed down on a random spot, deep within Brandy's body, and she let out a scream of absolute agony.

"Your body is quite wonderful, however.", he said, and laughed, grabbing Brandy's face, a mask- a copy of his own- beginning to appear on it. "Perhaps I should take it for my own… and of course I would just love to paly with it as much as I want… lick…"

"N… no…", she found herself saying, even as the Jester's soul flooded into her lungs and heart. He seemed yet unable to enter her brain, fact for which she was very glad."I'm… not…"

The Jester, at those words, was given pause. He did not expect Brandy to somehow, even in the worst pain he could possibly imagine a soul could receive, to still be holding out. He did not expect her to somehow begin to rise to her feet, even as pain beyond 100 dels soared through. He could see the organs flail and the muscles collapse- but somehow, Brandy stood up.

"But you… on the… other hand…", she breathed, and somehow snarled once more. "Should be… very.. Afraid… of me."

The Jester felt what was coming- and he tried his best to avoid it. He spread all throughout Brandy's body, going to her arms to try and stop the impending blow- but it was too late. With a force of absolute will, Brandy raised her hand, infused it with a harsh charge of brutal Dash- and sliced a chunk right out of her own stomach, the Jester pouring out in a river of blood, the half formed mask dissipating into evil grey smoke.

Brandy collapsed to the floor in limitless agony, gasping for breath that refused to come. The Jester piled out along the floor in shock, unable to belive that she had actually done such a thing. It didn't make sense, why she would-

But then again, he smiled. It was clear that Brandy, determined as she was, would not be able to survive at this point. She had taken too much damage for anything to pull through, and would soon be elixir on his floor. Shame that, he had quite looked forward to-

He saw Brandy doing something quite curious. She appeared to be tugging at one of her teeth, even as her feet began to turn to purple sludge. "I… never thought I would have to use this. But…"

The Jester raised a brow in confusion, forming himself into a tall and standing name, as Brandy tore out one of her teeth, and placed it between the others. "My.. secret… Heal Spell-"

The Jester suddenly whipped forward, grabbed the tooth, and tore it away, scarring it far into the darkness that surround them both. He laughed- but stopped as Brandy suddenly took out a syringe from the place that the tooth had been, scoffed, and jabbed it into her arm as she began to dissolve into Elixir.

The Jester snarled in frustration as he was outwitted, a gentle golden light flooding throughout Brandy's entire body. He watched angrily as her feet snapped back into place, the purple turning back into flesh. Her stomach sealed up and her nose turned back to its normal shape, rounded and small instead of a crushed mass. The parts of her hair that had been flaming were put out, the strands glowing whie once more rather than a disturbing dirty grey. She closed her mouth, no longer pouring blood, locked the Jester in the eye- and snarled.

"So be it.", the Jester said, and knew it was no longer time to play around. He had to go for her mind break as soon as he could- the truth it would be. "You have chosen your own fate."

Song: Shoot Towards the Decisive Battle

Brandy looked up- to see the arm of the Jester once again snatch her up, throwing her a thousand feet into the dark empty air in a second. The force blew her hair back- which the Jester now grabbed her by, swinging her around in a crazy fashion, then slamming her right onto his massive body. She bit back a cry of pain- but couldn't help but scream it out as he threw her right towards another Mirror, smashing through it in a gigantic spray of shards, cutting her skin with a thousand tiny slashes of glass. She landed somewhere on the other side- only to be immediately slammed upon by the Jester's body, going upwards and directly into his chest.
She could not see. She could not breathe, or hear anything but the chaotic bells and screaming souls trapped within. Yet she knew she would not join them at that moment, for she felt herself reach the Jester's tongue- and be spit out, onto a rolling bed of water, splashing and falling into the dark and malevolent waves. The Jester instantly pulled her out- and delivered a savage kick, right to her gut. "You are the weak link!"

She pulled back her fist and tried to attack- only for the Jester to grab her by the cheeks, slamming her right into the ground. "You have not helped on this journey, this fool fated quest! You have no right to be here!"

His mask of a face twisted into an angry frown, and he slammed her body right over his dense, armored knee. "You have no right to exist!"

Brandy sucked in a breath- and sucked in the thought as well. It flew into her head, and she forced herself to expel it- but it stuck, a little more than was acceptable to her. That was bad.

"You are nothing more than a worthless little carry on!", shouted the Jester, and spun her around by one arm, the joints turning to powder with a horrifying cracking sound. "Your mind is weak!"

Brandy was thrown in the opposite direction of the Jester with a gigantic crash- going through yet another Mirror, and no doubt into yet another layer of Hell. She slid along the ground, her entire body heaving as she tried to catch her breath- yet as she felt a great heaving mass suddenly catch her from behind and spin her around, she knew there would be no such thing to happen. It was only a moment even then before the Jester appeared in front of her yet again- and gabbed her by the face, his other hand slapping her body like a machine.

"Your body is strong… but that's all you are, isn't it?", the Jester asked, and pulled her close to him, his harsh metallic breath right on her fac,e triggering an ancient fear deep inside of her. "Your body? That's all you're worth!"

The Jester would have taunted her more about that, but he knew he had a schedule to keep, and Brandy was just one target he had to finish off. So he began to pull his final maneuver.

Brandy pushed up against the Jester's might- but he gave hardly even a thought as he grabbed her from the forest of limbs, dragging her down through the thick floor and thicker dark and walls to slam into his arm. She bit down on his finger, unparalleled wildness surging through her, but he didn't notice. She tired to bite again- only for the Jester to cock his arm back, grab her like a football, and throw her- right towards a great waterfall of blood. She closed her eyes as she smashed through, her entire body now coated with a rapidly hardening coat of blood.

"Yes!", the Jester shouted, catching her on the other side mid flight- and slamming her down to the ground ,her body encased in a shield of blood. He grabbed her by the back of the neck- and dunked her right into the flow of the thick red liquid, soaking in through a hole in the top and filling up around her face. "It's over, girlie! Drink your own blood, and be finished! That…"

He screamed his victory ,and Brandy felt the back of the blood hull shatter, the Jester grabbing her sides with multiple alarms. "IS THE PUNCHLINE!"

Brandy felt the blood enter her throat, and felt her lungs scream for air. She felt the pressure on all sides, the pounding in her body only escalating. She felt the Hell scream deep within her-

Then the Jester shattered the blood hull with a great groan, tossing her body up onto the ground, and holding her face tight, forcing her to look in a shimmering black mirror. She could see her abused body on full display, covered in red blood and pain, every part of it assaulted by the Jester's actions. "Look at you, Brandy! You're not a Bandit! You're nothing but a-"

Then he stopped, and heard her innermost plea. "Oh? What's that? You want your precious Dan to come help you, is it?"

He slapped her face and spun her around, putting his foot in her head as he pushed her face into the ground. "Well I've got news for you, girl! Dan is never coming! You don't even know Dan! That thing out there?"

He yanked her up by the hair and grabbed her waist, slamming a hand into her back. "He is not Dan! The real Dan is long, long dead!"
He flung up his hand- and let Brandy fall, somehow managing to catch herself on her hands and knees, forced to look up the screen- a very tall Skeleton in Knight's armor, laying down on the grass in the middle of an unknown field. "That was your Dan, not him! Even now his corpse decays, and even now my agent laughs that you ever, ever could have trusted him!"

He brought his hands up into the air, his insane laughter forming physical presences in the dark world around his evil self. "So know that truth, Brandy-"

He reached the peak of his derangement and self indulgement, a willing vice beyond words. "AND DESPAIR!"

He fully expected Brandy to cry. He thought for her to anguish, to mourn, to despair- but the one thing he did not expect to hear was the thing she did. Despite it all, despite her suffering and Hellscape- she was… no, it couldn't have been. But she was… laughing?
"Out of all the things I expected you to be, Jeeeester…", she said, and slowly turned around, a slight grin on her blood coated face. "Stupid was not one of them."

Song: Figlia- Simpsonill

"You're a Troop, aren't you?", asked Brandy, and got up, slowly turning herself around. She pointed a single finger at the Jester, who just took a step back in shock. "Then surely you should know that when a troop dies, they turn to Elixir- not a Skeleton!"

The Jester just stared, in confusion of how he could even make such a mistake. It didn't seem possible- no. Not unless- he clenched his fist. Bubble….

"Answer me!", Brandy yelled, and the Jester startled. He saw her beginning to walk towards him, limitless determination in her gaze. "Did you not know that?"

The Jester grit his teeth. He had somehow forgotten it- but it didn't really matter. He just needed to regain control of her, to put some doubt into her self and grab her for his own-

Brandy's hand shot out, and grabbed the Jester's strike. He blinked- he had not even realized he had thrown it. But as Brandy squeezed his arm tighter, he realized he had messed up.

Brandy squeezed the Jester's arm with all the might she had in her own- and with a victorious snapping ring, it shattered into multicolored pieces, scattering all over the floor.

"Yyou thought yyou could breaak me, Jester?", asked Brandy, and snarled, her teeth lifting up and her hair glowing purple, her entire body shimmering with raging light. "Yyou're wrrong!"

The Jester took another step back, trying to figure out what to do. It was as if his momentum, his streak, his confidence- they had been broken by Brandy's sudden strength, and he no longer knew how to approach the situation.

"You had me down.", she said- but her control over the situation never wavered. "You had me scared and in pain- but you never had me hopeless. Because once i heard that Dan was still alive- for you told me he was, don't even try to deny it- my hope was pure!"

The Jester, not knowing what else to do, charged up a blast. "You're no better than a-"

Yet to his shock, his jaw was suddenly moved three feet to the right, along with the rest of his head. He stopped talking and the blast dissipated, leaving him only gargling his blood.

"I know that I'm not perfect.", she said, and aimed for the right spot on the Jester's body. She had to, in oder to make it count. "But that doesn't matter. All that matters right now, to me, is two things!"

The Jester reeled, having no clue how she had suddenly gained this much power. It didn't make any sense- until he saw the faint flicker of silver in her eyes, and everything fell into place.

"One- killing Rakatamos, and all of his minions!", shouted Brandy, and leapt forward. She hit the Jester's jaw with a a hard knee, knocking him backwards onto the marbled ebony floor. "And that includes you!"

She grabbed the Jester by the throat and yanked him up- as he stared in fear right into her vengeful eyes. "And two…"

She grabbed him now by two places- the jaw and the scalp, pulling angrily at both. "You will never take it from me, you hear? You… will never… take.."

The Jester screamed in pain- but at this point, there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could do as Brandy pulled his jaw from his body and squeezed his head, exploding his brain all over and into the air- "MY LOVE!"

Brandy watched as the Jester's body broke down, turning into mere purple mist upon the wind.

Brandy watched as the lights slowly came on, revealing Hell to be merely a large and empty basement like room, soft grey surfaces and a bench around the entire area, a stairway leading up to probably freedom, faded dance posters on the walls. There was an empty snacks table and a drinking fountain at one end, but Brandy had no use for water.
She covered herself with her arms as the blood dripped away into mere plastic foam, only now realizing just how cold she was without clothes. She looked around- and gasped in immeasurable relief, as she saw her clothes in a bundle on a nearby chair. She Dashed over to them at once, grateful for the power, and felt a little of her happiness return. She slipped on her below clothes and tunic in less than a second , reveling in the warmth they both brought- then tucked on her cape and hood, wrapping it all around herself. On went her boots and her gloves- both in good condition still. She just stook a moment to stand there and feel the warmth of victory, the warmth of her clothes- and above all, the warmth of hope- before looking up into the distance, and at the top of the stairs where the Jester no doubt waited. For she had defeated the form that he had battled her in,- but not the true version, where he was vulnerable. They were going to need them all to take that version on- so she Dashed up the stairs 12 at a time, onwards towards the final bout. There were hallways to her sides, but she ignored them.

Leon kept on falling, falling through the chaos of the Doge Dungeon, trying to fight off the panic that came in waves. It felt like a bunch of spiders that wouldn't stop jumping on him- the blenders that fell on his head, the stuffed toys that covered his legs, the dolls that surrounded him and danced a creepy laugh with every floor he crashed through- it was all too much for him to take. Leon liked things neat, and this was just about his worst nightmare. He could not escape- for every shot he fired, a floor broke. And every time a floor broke, he fell deeper in, which caused more stuff to fall, which made him shoot more- it was a vicious cycle with no visible means of escape. But he couldn't think about that. He just needed to keep on shooting until he reached the bottom, then tunnel his way out through the side. There had to be a bottom, didn't there? There had to be- no. He had to escape, now. He had to- had to-

"Hunter Killer,!" he yelled, and Hunter Killer glowed brightly in his hand. "Act 2! Shoot out a tunnel to the wall!"

It felt strange- Leon had never given orders to his Stand before. It didn't seem natural, for he had always just used it to aim and shoot. But now it looked as though it obeyed him, as it shot a path through all the kitchen junk and gift shop puzzles, piercing through posters of oversized yellow dogs and party favors, finally latching on to a semi-educational display about butterflies- wait, latching on? That didn't make any seeeee-

Leon was pulled through the endless torrent of junk via a grappling hook that had apparently suddenly appeared, right out of Hunter KIller's barrel. He blinked in surprise- he had no idea his own Stand could do that. But he was extremely glad it could, as he finally landed on solid ground flat on his face, after falling for almost 30 minutes.

"You-", he said, spitting out a puzzle cube, and looked right at Hunter Killer, straight in the would-be face. "You can do that?"

But there was no answer- save a lingering sensation that now it could. Leon smiled. "Sweet."

He stood up and looked around, the tide of junk now slowed down -but from a small piece of paper plaque on the all, he was 1780 rooms below the surface. Far too many to climb up. "So… any ideas on how to get out of here?"

Hunter Killer did nothing, and Leon scratched head. "OH yeah. I forgot. You're a gun."

He noticed a door next to him, and brightened up. Perhaps the door could- oh. No. He opened it, and saw a vast maze of stairways connecting to hundreds of thousands of other doors, leading presumably all the way up to the top- but to move between them would take hours, if not actually days. And they quite simply did not have that kind of time.

Leon stared in frustration at the endless Dungeon around him- then, suddenly, he got an idea.

"Wait a second.", he said, and thought back to his first encounter with the first Jesterbot- no doubt inspired by this strange trap place. It too had made a place where the more you destroyed, the more you created. But Dan had managed to break free, by-

"By destroying all of it at once.", said Leon breathlessly, and grinned. He clenched his fist, and held up Hunter Killer in the other. "Come on, Hunter Killer. We're breaking free-"

But the he stopped, and tilted his head. "Wait a second. Do you… hear something?"

"Oraoraoraoraoraoraooraoraooraoraooraoraoraora!", he heard, right at the edge of his hearing. He could not tell what it was, other than the fact that it was certainly a noise. He tilted his head more- perhaps he could hear it if he were to just hold perfectly still…

"Oraoraoraoraooraoraoraoraooraoraoaoraoroaora!", he heard again, louder this time, but still barely perceptible. He could feel a rumble throughout the entirety of the dungeon, and instantly grabbed onto something. He instinctively looked for a way out- but knew he should stay put.

"Oraoraoraoraooraoraooraoraoraoroaoraoraooraoraoraoraoraora!", he heard- oh, it was much louder this time. Leon could begin to hear what it really said- and he knew it meant something good.

"Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraooraoraoraora-", Leon heard, and knew he had to dodge out of the way before the storm hit. He jumped away from the loudest part of he sound, right before it was right on top of him. "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA-"
Then Dan in all his glory burst out from the wall, one fist slamming the door away and into infinity, the wall crumbling to dust at the force. He stood there in triumph, huffing with wonderful exertion, the light of his mastered Star flickering around him like the lantern of a warrior angel. He looked down at Leon, and gave a supersized thumbs up. "Ora."

"Dad?", asked Leon, and looked up in- not shock, as might have been expected, but instead overflowing emotion. He felt his cheeks begin to quiver, and his eyes water, as he threw his arms around Dan's gigantic legs. "Dad!"

"I love you, Leon.", said Dan, and they both hugged.

"I love you too.", said Leon, and squished his face into Dan's skin.

They stood there together for a moment, just feeling the bond between father and son, the first two members of the group to finally find each other. Even though it couldn't have possibly been more than an hour since they had been split up, it had felt like an eternity.

"Okay.", said Dan, and withdrew the hug. "We need to go find Bubble and your mother, alright?"

Leon let Dan's arms move away form his body, and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yeah. Okay."

"Woah, woah, are you okay?", asked Dan, and slowly knelt down next to Leon. his massive hand, easily about the size of Leon's entire body, draped over the boy's shoulder, and reached down just about to the floor, small bottles of Star making the full journey. "Are you... crying?"

"No.", Leon sniffed, and wiped away a few more tears. He let himself just sort of stand there for a moment, grateful for the iron hard support Dan's outstretched hand provided, and nodded. "Yes."

"Son.", said Dan, and once again wrapped Leon in a massive hug, surrounding his body entirely with his overwhelming mass- much in the same way he did to Brandy all the time. "I know."
"I'm sorry, it's just that-", said Leon, and let a few tears spill from his eyes, as he gasped for air. "I didn't know what was gonna happen and I thought you guys might have died and I was just sort of thrown in here with no way to escape and I lost my girlfriend and I-"

He took a moment to breathe, and Dan's brows arched in confusion- but he thought it was best to not pursue that matter of question. His son needed support ,and that was the most important thing. "It's okay, Leon. I'm here now. Everyone is okay. I checked. But right now, you know what we need to do?"

Leon felt a single tear drip down from his eyes again- then abruptly, they stopped coming. Leon looked up, realizing that the heat from Dan's entire form was drying both his tears and his heart, forming both into a radiant, glowing display of courage. "What?"

"We need to go get the girls.", said Dan, and stood up. He put his hand down to the ground, leaning over, and Leon hopped from the chaos strewn floor to his shoulder, running up his arm. Dan looked up to the tunnel, then back to the way from whence he had came. "Now let's get out of here… shall we?"

Leon, knowing full well what was coming, grabbed on to his father's shoulders as rightly as he could, noticing only now for some reason that his armor was once again gone, leaving only a thin cotton shirt behind. He did not have time to consider this, however, before-

There was a flash of pure speed that left burning marks behind on the foam rubber floor, beginning the flames that would eventually lead to the torching of the entire Doge Dungeon. The speed and the fire, of course, came from the force that Dan pushed off from the floor with, speeding down the self created hallway so fast it was almost as if he was flying, Leon pressed against his shoulder for the force, sound itself left far behind.

Brandy took a deep breath, and slowly unlatched the door to her own personal Hell. She quickly Dashed outside, throwing the door open and locking it shut with a single fluid motion, dancing through the air via a series of multiple kicks and high jumps, landing on the opposite far wall and sliding down the rocky red surface like supercharged Lightning, tucking and rolling behind a nearby large rock. She waited for something to happen. Something to come and see her, something to come and ambush her, something to attack that she had not seen before.

But as she waited, she noticed something strange. All around her, absolutely nothing was happening. There was no flashing of evil lights, no approach of monsters, not even a natural disaster or two to keep her on her toes. Nothing happened, save the drip drip drip of a nearby Elixir fall, merely an inch or two across, and the sound of her own harrowed, torn up breath.

A thought ran through Brandy's mind, as she slowly stood up, looked around the cave- and saw nothing once more. No monsters waiting to ambush her- still She had to keep reminding herself of that, for it now seemed strange at this point on the longest journey.

"Hello?", she asked, whispering around, but thought better of it, and Dashed in front of her sound waves to scatter them, knocking them around a bit and dampening their progress. She didn't want anything to hear her if it was around, and she figured she would know anyone she knew if she were to see them. So she just broke the sound waves again before they could cause any harm, slunk low and slow to the floor, and began to crawl deeper in. She thought she saw a Musketeer and a Bandit fall through the air in some distant part of the cave- but no. It had just been a trick of the light.

The cavern before long, as she gently approached the small Elixir fall, changed underfoot. She had not seen it from where she had been, but it now seemed obvious. The floor was no longer hard rock, solid and unyielding- for she as she stepped onto it, it bent and stretched like only a Balloon could. Not a tough, Arena-built, leather Balloon, either- no, this was more akin to the thim, cheap plastic used at birthday parties and victory celebrations. It was not safe.

Brandy tilted her head, and decided that the Elixir fall, tempting as it was, was simply not worth it. She jumped out from the Balloon area, aiming outwards to where she had originally entered the area- then noticed with utter, absolute horror that a sharp bit of her steel tipped boot ahd in fact pierced the Balloon, and the ground was now about to deflate.

"No no no no no-", she could not help but whisper, and Dashed to the origin of the sound, hoping ot block it before it spread- but the soundwave was just too big. It spread throughout the entirety of the tunnels in mere seconds before she could stop it- the long, painful screaming of a Balloon pierced and deflating rapidly. Brandy's cheeks turning red from the sheer ridiculousness of the entire situation, and she hoped that it would not awake anything else.

But then, as Brandy turned around, her hopes were Dashed.

There, right in front of her, was one of the single strangest monsters Brandy had ever seen. It was low to the floor in the extremes- so low, in fact, that it was almost impossible to tell where the floor ended and the beast began. It was the same color, as well as the same texture. It was as if it was an extension of the floor itself- only with a pair of strange, wrongfully protruding eyes and a mouth full of shining silver teeth that seemed thinner than needles but dozens of times as sharp, a long thin tail extending outwards and past the next curve.

Brandy stared at it, not sure how to attack it. It seemed bendy enough to resist most physical trauma- should she go for a Dash swipe to the neck? Just Dash overhead and bypass it altogether? Go for the eyes and-

The monster lunged forward and growled, and Brandy let out a shriek. She gave a furious swipe with her right hand, and a brief shockwave appeared all the way down the monster's body, Brandy skidding backwards a few feet. She waited as the beast just stood there- and cheered inside as it fell, sliding apart into two separate pieces, one of each falling to the other side. There was a dark and agonizing groan, until it moved no more, dead.

Brandy pumped her fist, and Dashed over the strange being's corpse. It must have not been a Troop then, for dissolve into Elixir it did not. She still thought that was quite strange- that there were not things that were not Troops, yet distinctly not regular animals like Cows and Pigs and Sheep. But she knew that there were a lot of things she had learned on the journey, and things that were yet to be known.

One of those things, she figured, was the source of that strange, otherworldly waltz music that appeared to be coming from right behind her. She turned around to see what it was- and screamed with horror beyond her own.

Song: Waltz of the Meatball Man

"What the frick is that?", Brandy shrieked, for she knew not. She didn't know who she was screaming to- but that didn't matter. Really, anyone would do.

The thing that prompted such confusion was even more bizarre and otherworldly than the thing she had just destroyed. It was… a giant floating marble head. Covered with multiple colored spots that randomly shifted all through itself. And it had a gigantic blonde and furry mustache. And glasses that reeked of top-notch comedy sketches, and the deeply ingrained name GEORGE plastered all along its bottom front side.

The thing stared at Brandy- the GEORGE, as it were. She had no idea if it was friendly or harmful- it ementated an aura of pure confusion that she had never before felt. She didn't know what to do- if she should run, if she should attack, if she should move on closer- then it began to move, just hanging perfectly still in the air, something clearly not affected by physics in the same ways as everything else. Then the instinct kicked in, and Brandy knew she would run.

She hit the ground so hard it threw up plumes off burning dust, streaking off down the tunnel faster than blazing bolts of Lightning. She Dashed again and again, pushing effort into every single one of her steps, trying to make sure that GEORGE, whatever in all of reality it could have been, would not possibly be able to follow.

She Dashed a few dozen times more, each one pushing her further to greater and faster heights, then looked around- and her eyes almost bugged right out of her head. The marble bust was still right behind her, in the exact same distance it had always been, some maddening magic making it equal to her in speed- no. Brandy looked down at the monster's constant movement, and noticed something, even as her rapidly Dashing form crashed right through a pillar and a wall. It was gaining on her, activating its movement at her exact speed- plus just a little extra.

Brandy grit her teeth, thinking there was no way it could possibly happen still. Not if she really tried. Not if she were to put on all the speed she had-

But then, she realized she could not do that. There would only be so much mountain, and if she were to say, pierce through the edge, she would be lost out the other side. It would take her ages to get to her current spot again, time which she did not have. So instead of speeding up, Brandy tried something- and just slowed down.

She skidded to a stop, rock crunching underneath her feet. The GEORGE right behind her almost immediately slowed to a step as well- but it took just a bit longer, a mere imperceptible microsecond, to do so. But even that small amount of time, partnered with the speeds they had been traveling, was enough to move him forward in relation to Brandy just a few feet, until he was now only 15 feet from her back. She could feel him there- just waiting. Watching.

"What are you?", she screamed, and took a step forward. "What do you want?"

The magnificent GEORGE did not answer- he just kept on moving forward, hovering high over her body, his tall empty eyes of carved white marble staring right onto the top of her head, and her weathered green hood. He moved forward every time she ran, advancing on her imperceptibly, bit by bit. He would catch her soon- jut a little bit more…

Brandy kept on walking, not sure what to do here. It seemed that he was going to catch up with her, no matter what she did- but what would he do then? What could that…. Thing… even do to her? She didn't know, but judging from her body and soul's natural response, she knew it could not be good. Her mask began to powder oh so slightly from stress, as she just walked forward, careful not to go too fast. It appeared as if it moved faster when she moved faster, allowing it to catch up ground in mere seconds- so walking slow it was. SHe just kept on-

"Oh for fricks's sake!",, she shouted, and turned around, spreading out her arms in fusion. "What is it that you want? FIght me if you're gonna fight me, but just stop being so fricking creepy about it!"

The GEORGE began to lean forward, and Brandy might have regretted her choice of words.

She saw its dark smile, beginning to crack in the shell within, something emerging from deep within the beast. She saw the monster finally move forward under its own power, the shadow touching Brandy's own, her teeth and bones suddenly locked in place. There was a cave behind her, tunnels and pillars closing off escape all around her, and-

There was suddenly a dent in the side of George, the marble cracking and breaking, falling off and dissolving into the strange wet sand. It turned around and looked at itself, or at least tried to- then another colossal blow smashed deep into the face's wide side, blowing off a chunk and sending George spinning for a loop- until the hand that had attacked it suddenly appeared all the way through it, a great and final explosion of Star leveling the head into pices, and destroying GEORGE, whatever it might have been, seemingly for good.

Brandy looked up- and gasped in pure relief, as she saw the glorious sight before her. There stood Dan, his entire body glowing with Star, Leon and-

Brandy's face scrunched up, having no idea what- another Bandit- was doing on Dan's shoulder. Her heart felt suddenly full of anger, despite the terror and then relief she had been feeling, and swiftly flew onto Dan's shoulder within a single second, her hand reaching out to grab Jessie by the throat.

"Woah, woah, woah!", shouted Leon, and reached out to grab Brandy, even as Jessie did not resist, her eyes closing in shock as Brandy cut off her airflow, pushing her angrily into Dan's back. "Mom, wait!"

"Who the frick is this?", Brandy shouted, not even noticing Dan's huge hand come up slowly behind her. "Who the frick are you? You come waltzing onto my Dan like this and expect to-"

"It's fine, Brandy.", said Dan, and picked her up, even as she kicked trying to get free and get at Jessie, holding her up in the air in front of his face. She could see now that his face was only happy to see her- and relaxed. "She's just a passenger that we picked up earlier. She's gonna tell us the way to the Jester."
"Right…", said Jessie, but could not keep her eyes off of Brandy. She took in every inch of her- the scars on her legs, the fury in her eyes, and the power she felt rising off of her, like steam from the blazing hot sun. She's so cool! And she's right in front of me…!

"Hpmh.", said Brandy, and turned away, folding her arms. It hardly even occurred to her that this was the first Bandit she had seen since getting away from Royale, and this is the way that she was treating her- yet she knew it was the only way, for she was the one that was supposed to be with Dan. Not the other- and if that was wrong, then mark her down for it. "Fine then…"

She looked over to Jessie, who was still staring at her in total admiration. "Tell us. Where is the Jester?"

Jessie started, and looked away from Brandy long enough to think. "Um…"

She looked far away from their current positon inside of the maze of tunnels, and pointed upwards and to the north, at a strange sort of thirty degree angle. "That way. His main lair should just be that way… follow that tunnel. The one with purple in it, and you can't miss it."

"Thanks.", said Brandy, and Jessie hopped off, Dashing to a bench. "Well, I'll see you guys once you get back and after you all kill him. I'm too weak…"

Brandy, rather than contest this, just looked to the tunnel. "Alright, let's go in-"

Dan took a step back, and sighed at the clearly non conventional geometrics of the area. "Ah, great."

But wait they could not, chaos or not- so they strode up through the tunnel, on to face the Jester at last.

Song: Lotte Feroce- Simpsonill

Bubble ran like mad through the dark and Hell-infested tunnels of the Jester, instinctively knowing her target was very close by. She could sense him- she had been, after all, taken in by him. She had lived in these caverns for well over a month, and knew just about every twist and turn by both heart and by hand- but these ones seemed to be new. Perhaps the Jester had them built after she went out on her mission- one that she was glad to have failed. For it had been to intercept and kill the group before they arrived. Once the Jester noticed she had not done that, he had sent his Jesterbots to kill the group and bring her back- all but the first, who had been sent before all that to deliver her in the first place, as well as cause some damage. He had not wanted the Void Wizard to kill her, however, so he was actually glad he had died- until Bubble had betrayed him for the final time. Now he just wanted her dead. And how did she know this?

Her hearing. She had not been literally descended from Brandy- but in some other way, some ethereal manner, she had. And her hearing- all of her senses, really- they had all been picked up from her mother, now being amplified by the strange shape of the tunnels. She could hear the Jester's innermost thoughts, of how he longed to kill her, how he was going to now rip her limb from limb, how he was about to come up right through the floor and ambush her-

It took Bubble but a brief second to process that last part, in which she jumped backwards, landing on a nearby stable rock, and held on. She was glad she did, for the floor suddenly burst into pieces, the hanging vines and the swinging grass turning into blue green stone and burning ash, the long fleshy snake like figure of the Jester bursting upwards, throwing rock out ot the sides and filling the entire chamber with an alien shriek that slashed at Bubble's eardrums.

"Y O U!", he screamed, twisting around into a terrifying spiral, pointing a long stretchy arm down at Bubble's smaller form. " E…"

Bubble grabbed something nearby, and concentrated .She could feel the energy pulse through her, something in the Jester's realm attracted to her in some odd way. She could feel it move through her, every cell in her body responding to what seemed like holy stimulus, something within her begging to…

The Jester pointed forward with both hands, his fingers stretching towards her at incredible speed, his mask screaming and twisting high into the air. " R?"

Bubble felt it rise up within her, and she took a single breath. "Evolve…"

The Jester, for just a brief moment, was given pause. He felt something strange in that word of hers- something menacing, something that would lead him to fear. But he knew not what it was, only that he had stopped his attack upon hearing it.

"Don't you see it, Jester?", asked Bubble, and put her hands together, something sparkling and humming in between them. "Do you see what I've turned your little ambush into?"

She spoke with the voice and authority of someone far older than her, her words a brilliant light. "Don't you see that even now, my family- the one I made, the one I saved- is coming to defeat you?"

The Jester brought up his hands again, and prepared to strike- but Bubble was not yet done. "You see, every single one of them had a trial, given to them by your hands. And every single one of them passed!"

Not being able to hold the form for much longer, she felt herself once again become more like herself. "Mommy passed, and she's much braver. Daddy passed, and now he's stronger. Leon passed and now he's more mature. I passed-"

She finally unclenched her hands, and relaxed just a bit. "And now look what I can do."

With a breath of pure hot effort, Bubble unveiled her efforts- to reveal a shimmering crossbow, held aloft in her hands, a fresh supply of everfeeding bolts by her side.

The Jester put his hands on his hips and laughed, a few random weapons extending form his face. "Oh, adorable, child. You can make illusions. Yes, yes, I'm fully awa-"

He was suddenly stopped, as he felt a crossbow bolt suddenly plunge deep into his eye.

One hand flew to his eye in shock, all the others flying towards Bubble in anger. "How- how-"

He stared at her in absolute shock, even as she loaded up a few more and let them fly, stabbing deep into a trio of hands, stopping them dead on the floor. He struggled for words- until he spat out a mighty "What?"

"You did this, Jester.", Bubble said, and took another deep breath. She summoned up a great spring and jumped onto it, springing over to the other side of the cave. "You gave me this power- and now you're paying the price!"

The Jester refused to see what he was seeing, even as Bubble took another deep breath and slammed her arms out to either side, extending them into long boxing gloves, tipped with what looked to be miniature missiles. He refused to acknowledge Bubble's transformative upgrade, as simultaneous fists slammed into the side of his head, detonating with giant blasts that almost filled up the entire cavern with choking, acrid smoke.

"So your illusions are objects now.", the Jester growled, now able to belive it. He thrust himself forward, aiming for the top of a massive sword that Bubble was creating, in order to gain more swinging power. "I didn't see that coming… but I guess now I can deal with it just fine!"

He grabbed on to the top of the sword, intenidng to lift Bubble up and slam her facefist into the wall- but to his surprise, his hand went right through the sword as thought it had not been there.
Bubble took her planned advantage- and stabbed her other hand, which had been swiftly outfitted with a long retractable blade, deep up into the Jester's stomach.

The Jester screamed as his midsection began to be rapidly cut open, spilling dark mist into the swamp down below. He pulled up mere moments before it got too large to be considered dangerous, pulling up and winding around a nearby dead tree. With a folding of wings and a screaming of anger, the Jester parked himself in the tree and stared Bubble down, far across the cave. "You…. breat…"

That was a new one. Bubble had never heard the term breat before- could it have been a misspelling of brat. She would have to find out as soon as she killed the-

"Ha!", the Jester shouted, and Bubble felt a hard hand suddenly clasp all the way around her waist, clamping her hands by her sides and rendering them helpless, the Jester's far higher physical strength now carrying her to his main body, the hand that had hit from below gurgling through the blue and golden swamp. "Did you really think you could beat me, Bubble?"

Bubble groaned, and tried to get free- but it was useless, before the Jester's overwhelming might. She saw that she had left her crossbow just a few dozen meters away- if she could somehow get to it, then-

"It's too late, girlie!", shouted the Jester ,and squeezed her slightly harder, something having been accidentally allowed in- and Bubble felt pain in her lungs like she had never known before. "This is where you die, along with the rest of your wretched little family-"

"ORA!", came the voice of Dan, as his glorious fist burst through the walls of the swamp, one particularly sharp piece suddenly flying in and sliding neatly into the Jester's head, cutting out a spray of blood.

The Jester looked up in immense pain- and saw the three standing there. Dan with his Star, mere moments away from lighting the entire area up with unbounded righteous fury. Brandy with her rage, getting ready to come in, cut the Jester's head off, and leave. And Leon, Hunter Killer Act 2 in his own hands, about to bring the death. Brandy shook her leg to get rid of any excess nonsense that may have stuck from the route there, and slammed her hands together like swords.

The Jester shook his head, scowled, and relaxed his grip on Bubble. Even if he were to successfully kill her before everyone else there killed him, he would still be dead, and of absolutely zero use to Rakastamos. So he dropped Bubble in the swamp with a rowdy splash, snarled, cursed underneath his foul breath,, and slithered away through the back door with a great and powerful whoosh of hyperfluorescent air, leaving the family alone in the maniac swamp.

"Bubble!", shouted Brandry, and Dashed forward right off of Dan's shoulders. She skidded along the dark murky grass and the surface of the swamp, not even touching the interior of the thick liquid that was not water, grabbing Bubble around the waist before she sank. Bubble didn't even have time to cry out in worry before she found herself on Dan's shoulders once again, Brandy's hands running through her hair and across her neck, finally culminating in a hug from both Brandy and Leon as they surrounded her, relieved to finally have her back.

"Mommy..", Bubble said, and hugged her mother tighter. "I- I did it. I rescued you guys."

Her tears began to flow as her eyes squeezed shut and her cheeks turned red, the actions of the last hour or so only now beginning to impact into her young mind. "After he… after he…"

She sank forward into Brnady's waiting arms, who whispered "it's okay" into her ears again and again, ans Bubble sobbed in regret. "It's okay."

"After he-"

"It's okay."

"He- he made me-"

"It's okay, Bubble. We're here right now. I've got you, Daddy's got you, you're safe. Nothing can…"

She too looked up, the events of the Jester's conflict starting to recollect inside of her exhausted head. "Hurt you… any… more."

She suddenly felt Dan move a hand right over the both of them, and tensed all her muscles for what would come next. She was right in her prediction- a flash of electric force that filled her and Bubble's entire bodies with powerful amounts of pure energy, adrenalizing them for the battle ahead. "We can't do that yet, you two. No rest for now…"

Dan looked towards where the Jester had escaped to, and narrowed his eyes. "The Jester… he's still alive…"

Before anyone there could give him an answer, Dan raised his fist, took a deep breath, and shot a massive hole in the floor, the entire group all falling through.

Song: Buu Approaches

The Jester floated in his darkest pit of his darkest lair, secretive in his position but open in his all flowing hatred, scratching at the sides of his mask with his long and sharp nails. He could see the remains of his workshop all around him- it had been destroyed both by the effort to create all his Jesterbots and the chaotic influence of Dan and Bubble, rampaging throughout his lair. It infuriated him to no end- but the responsibility on his shoulders infuriated him even more.

For he was the last powerful Forgotten, perhaps the only real obstacle standing between the Dragonkillers and the Dragon. He knew that Rakastamos was counting on him to destroy them, and he would not be happy if he failed. He would die if he failed- either the Dragonkillers or Rakstamos would be the ones to do him in. He felt his body begin to shake-

"No, no…", he said, and smiled to himself, wrapping his entire body around in a circle, bringing his name like combat form back to the human like normal form, the one he used to concentrate and with which to motivate himself. "Keep it together, Jester…"

He looked at his hands- the hands with which he had built the entire area, the one he had used to hollow out all of Clashcrush Mountain- or at least the huge majority. The hands with which he had felled hundreds, if not thousands of Rakastamos's enemies- the ones that even now lay trapped and all but forgotten in their own little Circus Tents, all manner and sort of different fates awaiting them. No manner the four that had escaped- they soon would be back in Hell soon enough. But not, he thought evilly to himself, the kind that he made…

He slowly rose up off of the floor and into the air, preparing his utmost strength, the peak of his power. He would need it now, more than ever- for the ones he would fight were strong. Far, far stronger han they had been when he first imprisoned them, and far stronger than he had ever hoped they would be. Well- no, he hoped they would be strong- but not now, more of when he would be able to make use of them. But whatever. They could die- it was not as though they would have been of any use to him. And although it pained him deeply to have to lose Bubble, he truly saw that there was no other choice. If she did not submit to his far reaching will and help him rule all that was, eventually to win by his side- then she did not deserve anything at all.

The Jester looked up, forward, and then down, tracking his opponent's positions- then smiled. He knew where they were ,and where they were going- then he knew it was time. With a great screech of evil intent, the Jester once again became his gigantic serpent stalk form, screaming towards the dark tunnel of one of the thousands that led to where the group was at that very moment, knowing that one way or another, it would be the last time he would ever see them.

The group dropped down from the swamp room, landing with a mighty crash up on the ground after falling for only a few seconds. The room was not large- far smaller than the one they had started in. Other than the size, it seemed to be identical in every way- with the broken bridge stretching across, the pitch blackness, and the eerie hum that was superseded over all.

But then as the group looked up and gasped, the differences in the room became quite clear.

The entire upper part of the room, the great grand ballroom ceiling and the area just below that, was filled with all manner of strange floating objects, white spider webby ethereal things that danced and moved with the wind, each of them easily the size of Dan or even more, at least 25 feet in every direction. And those were the fairly small ones- the large ones were about 50 feet in every direction, moving and bumping through the smaller ones with the greatest of ease. The objects were strange and incredibly diverse- ranging from a tall octopus man with red hair to a strange machine that seemed to be spewing diamonds and shapes to a large stone cutlass, respite with algae and crumbling by the second. A dresser smacked against a tall candelabra, a communicator tucked and rolled underneath a strange looking, almost alien helmet- it was bizarre and entrancing to see, the group looking upwards in total wonder.

But Dan, of course, always the responsible one, knew they could not be looking at the wonderful light display any longer. They had to get ready- for he felt in his bones. He felt the Jester begin to approach, the entire cavern rumbling with that strange music of a demented circus, and he took a strong stance. The air began to flow into his lungs, echoes of masted Star flashing all around his body, serving as a call to arms to the rest of the group. They all looked up in turn to the space where they all felt Him approaching, and steeled themselves, one by one.

Brandy took a deep breath, holding out both arms to her side. She filled herself with Dash- and felt a single blue light flicker somewhere behind her head, the area in front of her vision beginning to blur into the future and the past. She huffed a deep breath outwards, took a deep, agile stance, and was ready.

Leon concentrated his soul within himself, the fire of heart burning bright- and Hunter Killer Act 2 flipped out into conventional reality. He spun it around and cocked the gun- it wasn't needed to fire it, but Leon thought it looked cool. Not to mention the boost it gave. Leon also gathered up some spinner blades in either hand and foot- despite his Stand, he could never forget just who he was.

Bubble took a deep breath of her own, and prepared her ultimate routine ,the one she would use to bring the Jester down. For she knew. She knew, deep inside of herself, that she there was the only one capable of doing such a thing. It was impossible to explain, but her knowledge of their state of beings was the weapon here- not the Star, nor the Dash, nor the Stand. Just her, and her burning, blazing desire to get revenge.

Dan heard the first rock fall in the cavern that the great foe was traveling in- and turned to the group. He shouted those words that had gotten them into such trouble the first time they had been through this- "He's coming!"

Song: Super Buu- Freidrich Habetler

Faster than sound, reason, and even fear itself, the Jester began to coil out of the travel tunnel and into the larger cave. His sheer presence was unmatched, and his power carried through that presence, beating against the brows of all four members of the group. He spun as he traveled, in a tightly knit coil that seemed like it could squeeze into anything and squeeze down anything, clapping his maniacal hands with the raw enthusiasm of either a theater junkie or an escaped convict- and judging from the Jester's character, he could quite easily be both.

"This is it, the fifth fun time!", the Jester cried, and Dan's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Fifth?"

"I'd do it now, but I'm busy- just kill you first, to finish the rhyme!", the Jester shouted, more and more of his chaotic body sliding into the visible chamber. "I'm stronger now, to meet the clime!"

"Attack him!", shouted Dan, and thrust his hand forward in a fist- a great and powerful streaming Star, all explosions across multiple areas all occurring on the Jester's face. Leon slammed his Stand to his hip, unleashing such a stream of multiple colored, magic al damage bullets that it was practically a wall right before it hit the Jester, slamming him backwards a few dozen meters and even managing to stop his course. But the Jester did not care, in truth- he only cared for the most treasured target. He knew he should not have kept Bubble at that point- but he didn't care about Rakastamos's orders anymore. He just wanted to kill everyone.

"It's too late for you, your times are done!", the Jester shouted, paraphrasing his first speech. "For long are the hours that you have sent me- but in them, it shall feel like only 2!"

The Jester suddenly stopped right in the middle of the cave, looking up and pointing 5 fingers into the air. "This shall be their fifth time, and their last time too!"

"What?" Brandy asked, putting her arms up and above herself to protect. "What does he mean by that?"

"Easy!", shouted the Jeser- and began to laugh at what he apparently thought was just the world's funniest joke. "This is the fourth time I've put you all into prisons like this! Three times you've escaped, three times have I put you back in. What makes you think this time will be any different at all?"

Dan gasped- and his eyes narrowed in unspeakable rage. He had no idea what might have happened during all the other times- how much time had they already lost? Had it been too late? He didn't know- but he was not about to give up now. He would kill the Jester, regardless of what else happened. So he drew back his fist- and unleashed.

"Overclock Overdrive!", he screamed, and fired such a massive barrage of Star into the sky, streaming at the Jester like a diagonal waterfall, that it lit up the entire cavern bright as the noonday sun. The Jester yelped and dodged out of the way, twisting his snakelike body to the right and to the left, dodging and weaving in between the various obstacles, two of which had been turned to little more than cosmic dust by Dan's attack, pure flames of Star that seemed like they would destroy anything they touched.

The Jester just laughed, and scraped his hands all along the wall. They started to spark, the cavern itself starting to turn from the repeated motion, picking up gradual speed as the Jester's own movement increased. His laugher reached all the way down to where the group was, tantalising them with his high vantage point, almost unable to be touched.

Brandy in perticular was especially frustrated- she had no way of reaching him. She was a melee fighter primarily, and although she did have some ranged attacks, it was impossible for her to reach all the way up there. She could do nothing but watch, perhaps blocking some thrown shots if she could- unless. Unless, she thought as she looked at Dan, unless…

"Dan!", she shouted, and Dashed right over, stumbling a bit as the room turned. Dan looked down, right as he had been about to throw a huge net of Star upwards, hoping to trap the Jester.

"Throw me at him!"

"What?", asked Dan, and shook his head. "No! That's way too dangerous! Who knows what he could do to you at close range? Just stay there, and let us handle it!"

"Daaaan!", said Brandy, and jumped up onto his shoulder. "I know how to beat him! Just let me-"

Dan turned his head, and Brandy saw a fire in his eyes she had never seen the likes of before. It burned hotter than even the blazing noonday sun, igniting even her own energy, sending ripples through her soul. "I said no! I don't want you going up there! Stay down here, where it's safe!"

Brandy waited a bit- then nodded. She jumped down from Dan's shoulder, threw up a Dash shield around herself, and waited.

The Jester just laughed as Leon's bullet's and Dan's Star flew by harmlessly, his own unsurpassed speed making mockeries of the ranged attacks. He looked at the way the room was turning- yes, that was good. The vortex it was creating seemed sufficient enough to soon be able to suck up his opponents for good- to the abyss where he wanted them. But just a little more-

He suddenly felt a terrifying shock from far down below, and he stopped. His hands slipped off of the wall and he went tumbling through the air for a few seconds, only righting himself to see, down below, a sight which he had hardly ever imagined.

Song: Nella Cerneria- Kiraramagic

There hovered Bubble, pure rage surrounding her entire body. She floated a few feet off the ground, in a flying circle made of absolute aether, illusions popping in and out of reality all around her, such was the power she was constantly giving off in the mysterious state.

She looked up at the Jester- and he could feel her right in front of him, her true power being used against his- not as physical beings, but as pure unbounded souls. They said a few words to each other- the likes of which could not possibly be described.

Then the physical Bubble opened her eyes and hands, and spoke. "You tried to take my family!"

She moved her hands- and to the Jester's utter horror, he moved with them.

"You tried to take my life!", she yelled, and squeezed. Part of the Jester's body was crushed far behind him, blood spurting out and into the dark, swirling abyss below. He began to feel fear- but that fear moved to terror as Bubble stood up, her hair flying high above her form. "Now let's have you defeated…. Jesssstaaaaaa!"

Bubble clenched her hands, and the Jester screamed. He tried desperately to grab at the wall again- and to his surprise, he did it. His hands slid neatly for purchase, grasping at the soft wall with surprising strength. He tried to pull himself further in- but that was where his strength, apparently, ended. He could do nothing more than just stay there, trying to say on, as he felt Bubble's incredible strength beginning to tear him down to the abyss below.

"You can't-", he said, and gasped, as he felt his arm begin to tear, from Bubble's pure magical force. "You cannot do this to me, Bubble! Your own father! Your own-"

"You are not my father!", shouted Bubble, her own voice echoing with something far deeper and stronger than herself, her eyes glowing with white hot fury. "You are not my blood!"

The Jester, pulling with all of his might, managed to once again sling an arm up into the soft wall- then shoot it forwards, wrapping it around a single hard spot. He thought that would be good to anchor him- but Bubble was not yet done.

"You think you can escape?", she yelled, and held both hands up into the air. She concentrated as her golden blonde hair flew around in some circular wind generated by her own body- her hands spinning around as well, the air within them burning with holy light, shredding lightning echoing out. Brandy watched in shock, seeing Dash in the force, striking outwards and severing the Jester's microlimbs as they tried to hold on. Dan watched in pride, seeing Star scald the Jester's back and Rotation increase the movement of the room, the Jester's holding weakening as the speed increased. Leon saw nothing related to him- but that made sense. He was her brother, after all, not her parent.

"My name is Bubble!", she yelled, and clapped her hands together. The Jester felt his grip weakening beyond repair, as the last limb holding on to the wall snapped. "I am the daughter of Danial Oticat and Brandy Oticat, sister of Leon Oticat!"
TheJester shrieked ungainly- his mask turning from the last vestiges of a panicked smile to a full on frown, the very real fear of death beating in his concrete eyes. He looked at Bubble, now threating to pull him down to the rapidly spinning abyss- and he did not let anybody see his wry grin. For although the situation looked grim, he still did have a plan.

"You are not my owner!", she screamed- and a single bolt of lightning flashed up to the Jester, striking him all through his body and down his stalk, burning his mask clean off, revealing the dark near nothing that lay beyond, an echoing scream of newfound panic shredding through the air. "And you- will not-"

With a massive movement borne of absolute effort, Bubble screamed. She moved her hands downward, with a massive clap and a thunderous shockwave that tore the Jester way from his lofty position- and down to the abyss, that rolled with devastating thunder, his long and stringy body flailing in pathetic amounts of panic. "CONTROL ME!"
The group all watched, seeing the Jester move towards his own destruction. There was no way he could survive, with Bubble this fully in control of the situation- or at least, they thought. But with the Jester and his chaos, there seemed always to be a way.

The Jester plunged deep into the black abyss, not even a scream coming from his ethereal lips- but as they all watched, waiting for Elixir to come to the surface, they all suddenly discovered why.

"HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!", the Jester screamed, suddenly bursting out of the abyssal liquid, absolute evil triumph written on his ace, holding a darkly familiar object. Brandy flinched at the sight, and Leon cried out. The Jester just continued to laugh, his true master plan finally unveiled. "You fools! Did you not realize what would happen once you plunged me into the abyss of Past Agonies?"
"No!", Brandy screamed, and motioned to Dan, who began to take aim. "Dan, shoot him!"

"I'm sure you recognize this…", said the Jester, and shook his head wildly, ecstatic in his triumph. "For yes! This is the Void Wizard's Void, my departed colleague's weapon!"

"Overdrive!", Dan shouted, and let loose the blast- only for it to disappear harmlessly into the Void. "With the weapon he used to strike down your friends, now you shall perish as well!"

Leon jumped backwards, not knowing what to do. Brandy gasped, and Dan snarled- yet Bubble remained perfectly still. She felt something behind her, and felt peace at the feeling.

The Jester had not, in fact, put one over on Bubble. She knew full well about the Abyss of Past Agonies, and knew what was about to come out of the water right at the Jester, even as he flew toward them, laughing all the way. It seemed almost to happen in slow motion- the Jester at his most base, depraved state diving in on them for the ultimate decisive kill- then he looked up, and gasped in eldritch shock. He saw the exact same thing he was giving, in Bubble's Past Agony of the Void Wizard attack coming right at him. He was using Brandy's- and that left one more.

The Jester looked down at Bubble, knowing there was no way for him to escape. He had, this time, been well and truly outplayed. Yet he too felt time slow down as he took a look at the one he had raised, nurtured, developed- and at the end of it all, he could feel nothing but a strange sort of pride. He gave a thumbs up, and as the final second elapsed of his 4 thousand year life, he opened a brief communications channel with Bubble.

"You know….", he said, and she could hear it loud and clear. "I could have made you queen. Of everything, Bubble."

"I know.", said Bubble, and gave a bit of a smile. "But I don't want to be. I'm a kid."

"Understandable." , said the Jester, and looked forward into his demise. He thought it was ironic- humorous, even. And what better way for a Jester to end, he thought….

Than with the greatest joke, he thought. As the two voids collided, his last action was not of a shriek or a scream- it was of a gentle, fatherly, fully genuine smile.

Then with a great sound of utter compounded destruction, Jakkamo the Jester was no more.

Song: Break in the Battle

Brandy blinked as the wreckage of the fallen Jester slowly scattered in the gradually lightening air, all around her, what little remained of his body after being blown away by a full impact from the dead void drifting like so many tiny specks of dust and Elixir, dripping down like a fine mist onto the entire group. The last bit of his laughter still hung in the air, fading away with a gentle ringing sensation, the hope and happiness he had had felt in his very last second of life moving around with the wind and soaking into the ground and walls, beginning to turn them from a pitch black nightmare to burnished, yet entirely solid, gold.

"Everyone okay?", she said, and looked up. Tears began to flow form her exhausted eyes, dripping down onto what was now revealed to be simple cement, rather than the cosmic lightpath it had first appeared. Within her she could feel it- relief, plain and simple. "Is… is it over?"

Bubble looked up, beginning to limp to her mother- then fell with a weary cry, falling right into the quickly arrived arms of Leon. A smile crossed her face, and she let loose a single tear of her own. "It is, Mommy. The Jester…"

She felt Leon pick her up and hug her, and she hugged right back, hoping she could hug everyone at once- then she realized she could, as she thought up a gigantic hug belt arm that wrapped around the entire group at once, tugging at Dan's legs and bringing Brandy close. "It's… over… he's dead."

Bubble looked up, and then noticed something. She had not expected that to happen- in fact, the possibility had never even crossed her mind. But it was going on- the top roof of the chamber was growing plants. Green life grew and unfurled across what had previously been empty black chalkboard, all different types come to bore. Bubble smiled, and felt light within herself. "You know, I really like plants.", she said, and made a mental note. "I'm gonna study them someday."

"That sounds great, Bubble.", said Brandy, and hugged Dan tighter, real warmth flowing through her bones at last. The last few hours had been so- so- weird, so unbelievably bizarre and otherworldly, that she felt she had to fight to even control her sense of self. It seemed almost to be getting away from her, but-

"My name is Brandy the Bandit!", she shouted to the world, surprising Leon and Bubble. Dan just knew that she did stuff like that sometimes, and it was really nothing to worry about. "My King's name is Oticat, and he comes from a place near Builder's Workshop, and his clan name- my clan name- is LosDementosCT!"

"My name is Dan Oticat!", shouted Dan, and clenched his fists. "I'm still not sure what I am, but I know that I am married to the most wonderful person to ever exist, and I have the best kids ever!"

Dan and Brandy looked at each other, and both smiled in tiredness and love. With a burst of Dash energy, Brandy hopped on up to his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his neck, and met his lips with her own, rubbing her entire body against Dan's face. They embraced with a veritable explosion of pure love, mastered Star flowing out of Dan's body and into the air, lighting it up with golden passion. They pushed themselves against each other, each of them lost in the taste of each other's love, Brandy tasting the sweat and blood, Dan tasting the same. Normally Brandy would hate the taste of blood- but not this time. This time, it was good.

Finally after almost 30 seconds of spinning around in a lip lock borne of absolute love, Brandy pulled back. She looked at Dan- and noticed something for the first time. "Dan…"

She looked at the trail of his mastered Star, distinctly more flame like and beautiful than his previous angry bolts. "Your Star looks different. You look different! What in Clash happened?"

Dan chuckled and held Brandy tight to his chest, sitting down. "Well. I-"
"Also you lost your shirt again.", Brandy said, wholly unable to take her eyes off of Dan's abs. "Not that I mind- you could grind meat on those-"

"Oh, Brandy.", said Dan, and arched a brow. "Do you want to hear or not?"

Brandy purposefully blushed, and rolled her head around on her shoulders, pulling her hood up onto her head in full. She needed to embrace herself as a Bandit, repeating words to herself.

Bandit. King. Gold. Gems. Trophies. WIn percentage. Arenas. Cards. Legendary. Royale…

"I fought a demon.", said Dan, and Brandy's mouth fell open, in sort of surprise. She just wanted to appear shocked- to appear little, to appear cute .Because that's what she was. "It was tough, too- almost too tough for me. It had the legs of Bonoome, the face of… that guy…. And I killed him. No need to worry. I just thought of you- our first meeting-, in fact, and I killed him."

Brandy grinned, and moved her head onto Dan's torso, rubbing her face against his muscles, harder than diamond and a whole lot sexier. "That's my man… my big, strong…"
The last word- Man- was cut off by Dan suddenly grabbing her around the legs, tossing her up into the air with a sharp shriek of happy surprise. She landed wrapped around his shoulders, pushing her face forward into his sweet smelling hair. "And so I mastered Star. By the way…"

He took a moment to look at her, sensing her full aura. "You changed, too."

"I- I did?", asked Brandy, and looked away. "No. No I didn't-"

"Yes, you did.", said Dan, his voice suddenly far more serious. Brandy found herself looking into his eyes, and was entranced by his strength once again. "You are far more powerful now than you were when we went in the Jester's lair. I don't know what happened in there, but-"

He pushed her chin up, and smiled with the warmth of a gentle afternoon summer sun, his entire body glowing with the Mastered Star. "You are strong now. And you need to realize that. No more hiding. It's fighting time."

But Brandy's expression was now one of sadness- a single line of Dan's had triggered that. "About what happened in there..", she said, and tried not to cry.

Leon and Bubble stared at each other, each in aw of what the other had become. Bubble couldn't belive the marks on Leon's face and neck- the raised bits of light green skin, both from a harrowing battle and his own rage. The inherited rage had passed down, and now inhabited his body- perhaps it would move to him full time, now that Dan had moved beyond it.

"Leon?", Bubble gasped, and looked at Leon's hands. "Your gun is different. What happened?"
Leon waved his hand, and brought Hunter KIller out from his soul. "Oh, it's Act Two now. You see, I got really angry and then it evolved and-"

He stopped, and looked down a Bubble, his eyes bugging almost past his hood. "Wait- wait a second. You can see it? Then that means that-"

He gripped the sides of his head, as he felt his mind blow. Of course. Oh, of course. It all made so much sense. What had seemed different about her, the way she could now apparently make solid light illusions, how she could even make illusions in the first place- it all made perfect sense. It still boggled his mind- "Bubble? You're a… a…"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, and stared right into her eyes. "A Stand User?"

Bubble gasped excitedly, her eyes shining with wonder. "No."

Leon's own expression grew strong, before abruptly falling at Bubble's strange answer. "N- no? What do you mean, no?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Leon." ,said Bubble, and turned around with folded arms. "I'm not a Stand user. Mommy's a Stand user, you're a Stand user- but I am not one. For sure."

"Wha-", said Leon, sputtering. He looked down at Hunter Killer, blinked, then looked back up again. "Then how did you-"

But Bubble just smiled. "I got many powers from the Jester, brother.", she said, and danced around a bit, before hugging Leon onc more. "Detecting hidden things is one of them."

"Wait, what do you mean you got powers from the Jester?", asked Leon, and leaned closer. "Do you mean- you couldn't possibly-"

Bubble looked up at him, and her lower lip quivered. She pushed herself forward into Leon's arms, and sobbed. "I'm sorry…"

"Why, what happened?", asked Dan, and felt the hackles on his neck raise. "Did something-"

Brandy's voice broke, with the intensity of the thing she had to share. She could barely even bring herself to do so- but she knew she had to. She had to tell Dan what had happened, or else it would not be getting any better. "In the lair… I saw things… weird things. ALien things. They didn' really make any sense, and- there was this-"

She swallowed and paused, not wanting to go any further. "There was this… theme, I guess to them. They all seemed familiar, but I didn't know why."

"That sounds interesting.", said Dan, and slowly ran one hand down Brandy's shoulder, not knowing why she was hurting, but he would help. "So what's wrong-:

"And then the Jester found me and he took me to Hell and he flung me around and covered me in blood and broke all my bones and tore off… my clothes… and..."
She felt tears drip form her eyes, and she clenched Dan's hands tighter. "He…"

In an instant, Dan knew full well what she was talking about. And in an instant, he felt his true anger surface, far more than just the lime green rager- this was a pure black aura, slicing and piercing all the way through the mountain as dark bolts of destruction lighting, instantly killing several small beings that they came into contact with. The entire mountain shuddered at the thought of Dan's true anger, even the sky shimmering with the promise of prime untamed fury, the moon far overhead shuddering in caution at Dan's overwhelming strength. The local levels of reality had seen what he could do- and they were afraid.

"It's okay.", said Dan, and held Brandy's hand. She looked up through her curtain of tears, as Dan let out a single calming breath -and she felt her entire body cleansed. The dirt and blood washed off her skin, her hair slid neatly back into place, and her painfully rearranged organs moved themselves around to where they were supposed to go. She stopped crying within seconds, for she found her eyes were no longer producing tears. She looked confused- "It's okay, honey.", said Dan, and kissed the top of her forehead. "It's alright. We don't have to worry about the past right now, or whatever anyone did to you. Alright?"

"Da- Dan?", asked Brandy, rubbing her eyes as he stood up. "Are you-"

"Come on guys.", said Dan to Leon and Bubble, who had been sitting together, Leon comforting his crying little sister. "It's time to go."

But the two seemed not to hear, as Bubble recollected the story of her Jesterployment to Leon.

"Wait-", said Leon, and looked at Bubble sideways, slight panic coursing through his veins. "He said- he said that this was the- not the first time he had put us through these loops?"

"Yeah-", said Bubble, but Leon wasn't done. He grabbed Bubble by her shoulders and stared into her eyes, now in full before panic mode, his breath course and harsh. "How long has it been? How long did this battle take? Did Rakastamos- did he already-"

"He was lying, Leon.", said Bubble ,and rolled her eyes. "I saw the whole thing. He only put us through one CIrcus Tent each."

Leon blinked, and let out a sigh of relief so hard it pushed aside the dust below. "Oh. Thank Fr'ank."

He could then hear Brandy right on top of him, and he turned to look. She was tired- and from the gray streaks in her recently cleaned hair, absolutely exhausted beyond belief.

"Are we…", she said, and sighed. "Are we really gonna go off again? Find some more Forgotten, beat them up, and continue? I mean I like fighting, but-"

She moped and put her head in her hands, trying and trying not to cry. "It's just been so long and we still haven't gotten there yet… we thought it was gonna end soon right before we went into the mountains- and now look where we are. Still in the middle of Clashcrush, just-"

She sighed even harder, and collapsed onto Dan's chest. "I just don't know how much more of this I can take, Dan. I really don't."

"Not much more, at least.", said Dan, and rubbed his hand gently across her snow white hair and head. "Because there's hardly any till we're hardly there. Just a few more tunnels up the mountains and…"
He looked up into the first tunnel, presumably the way up. "We kill him."

Dan looked at Brandy, who looked at Leon, who looked at Bubble, who looked at Dan again.

This was it, they realized. This was the final stretch, the absolute last bout before the sled, before the onslaught of Rakastamos. The paper before the wind, the Skeleton before the Rocket- the final breath of calm, before the ultimate storm.

"DO you understand, Brandy.?", he asked, still making sure to be gentle despite his strong words. "There is no time for weakness anymore. No time for regrets, nor failure."

He looked up and towards the sky of the cave- and Brandy could, for just a second, see the light of the Eternal Star outfitted right upon his brow. "It does not matter what happens, just as long as we win- for if we lose..."

He didn't exactly mean to seed a chill of foreboding evil up the spines of everyone there, but some things just could not be helped. "So does the world."

He did not wait for any other drama to be raised- he just reached out and picked everyone up, putting them all on his shoulders. He looked up into the first tunnel leading up to the top of the mountain- and began to walk. "So here's your answer to what now, Brandy. What now? After battling through all that, rediscovering who we are, and a whole light of fights- it's time."

He clenched his fist together, in anticipation of the coming conflict. "After all that…"

The entire group spoke as one, as they headed into the ultimate destiny. "It's Time to Kill Rakastamos."

Song: SS3 (DBS)- Pokemixr

The ship of the gods continued its flight through space, the stardust parting as it soared. Tensions were high among the beings on the ship- understandably so. For it was not only that Rakastamos had fully awoken, and was mere hours away from becoming the greatest form of life to ever exist. It was not only that they were helpless to stop his soon ascension, able only to watch and wish in despair as he annihilated all non-Dragon forms of life on Clash. It was not only that the only hope of the world's survival was in the hands of a handful of mortals and the second weakest Dragonlady. It was that Rakastamos had tricked them. It was that Rakastamos had fully duped them into believing that there was no problem, that he was still asleep, that it was safe to go to the Tencent Systemwide meeting and leave the world alone- alone, and almost unprotected. It was that Rakastamos knew that as well- and he gloated it, all over their godly heads, completely unable to make any move back. All the gods, all the Primals- they had all disappeared. None of them were able to help the world, and it burned them to the core.

The front room was shrouded in darkness, from multiple sources. The first was the darkness of space, nothing around for hundreds of millions of miles but empty space and the occasional meteor, the dark ocean of the limitless void broken by the little bit of life that shone from the fated ship. The second was the darkness of the absence of lights- they had been turned off to conserve power. Rakastamos's hacking of the transmision mainframe the other day had taken a great deal out of the reserve energy banks, and thus the non essential lights had been turned off to deal with it. It was in fact Dr'ew's idea- although it did make it hard for him and Se'th to work together on their plans for the future of Royale. That is, they thought grimly together, if Rakastamos would even allow it to have one…

The third and perhaps most crushing darkness came from the darkness inside the hearts and souls of the ones onboard, the quiet and creeping despair looming over them all at all times.

Se'th and Dre'w, as before mentioned, sat in their room together, overlooking a large map of the Royale Continent -but it was impossible to concentrate, the worry of Dragonfire down the back of their necks at seemingly all times. Juno sat alone and upside down in the main room of the ship, hand to her chin, deep in thought. She knew that Askari and Chuqulita were currently leading their army to kill Rakastamos. That was their best best, as had been told to her by just about everyone- Jonathan, Fallon, Blue, Red, Dr'ew, Shelly, Colt- and yet, she had a different idea. She payed very close attention to the little group, the underdogs- the one that some were calling the Dragonkillers. They had gained power immense in the last few days, and had proven themselves capable of killing every single Forgotten they had come across. It was, of course, noting compared to the all consuming might that Rakaastamos was capable of wielding-and yet. Something about those two deeply intrigued Juno- Dan and Brandy. The Mega Knight, or at least something like it, and that Bandit. She had seen something deep within her, something that she had not glimpsed since she was herself a little girl. That quiet, mysterious power of tranquil silver- that could perhaps be the key to it all.

"Juno!", she heard sharply, and yelped. She fell out of her positon and Dashed to a perfect stand, one hand instinctively going to her forehead. There stood Fallon, a stern expression on his face and a strong grip on his glowing bow. "Come. We are watching."

"Watching?' asked Juno, and stood beside him, walking as he approached the center of the room, which seemed only now to be crowded mostly hidden by bodies far larger than she was.

"What are we-"
"Come, come, sit down!", shouted a truly legendary figure- Su, the Primal Barbarian. His was a massive form, far larger than even a Barbarian King- for in truth, he was both. The primal Barbarian and the pIrmal Barbarian King was Su and Su alone. Some often wondered how that would even work- but he knew exactly how. It just worked, and that was evidently enough. "Come, for we are watching now."

"Okay, but what are we watching- oof!", said Juno, as she was suddenly slammed down to a sitting positon by an increasingly stressed and cross looking Fallon, grabbed by her head and pointed towards a glowing crystal, round and shining. She looked- and gasped in awe.
"Reveorny!", boomed the almighty Ill'ka, the truest elder god of them all. He hovered high above the crystal, motioning with his hands for everybody to sit down. "Everyone! I know, and you all know, that there will be a great battle ahead. Most likely the greatest the world has ever seen."

He spun around and tapped the crystal, causing it to rise up into the air, displaying a massive 360 degree display screen that showed the same sights to everyone, regardless of location. It truly was a wonder of technology. "Alas, for we truly can do naught but watch. Rakastamos is free upon the world- but do not fear. For with this new surround crystal that I am very pleased to announce, we are able to watch his impending defeat in real time, from any viewpoint that we so wish, from any member of the vast army even now on their way to defeat him."

He looked up into the audience- and felt his look connect with every member there, regardless of location or space of sight. Juno shivered, locking eyes with the god- for although she was technically one herself, Ill'ka still far transcended all. He would have been able to stop Rakastamos with ease had he been there- but unfortunately, he was not.

"For yes, we are gods.", he said, and looked down at the crystal. Even now it was calibrating itself, forming itself into the shapes that they all wished to see. "And yet now that power now lies within these champions- these mortals. Let it be enough, for all of your sakes."

He looked to his cosmic audience and Ill'ka raised his mighty hand. "Now come. Now as gods-"
He bent to his knees, folded his arms and closed his eyes, projecting his thoughts and consciousness beyond. "Let us pray."

It was unknown what words were spoken, as the gods all as one got to their knees, folded their arms, closed their eyes- and worshipped. Was it possible there was some great overgod that they all knew, beyond all of mortal knowledge? Were they praying ot each other, just to help? Or was it possible that their prayers were not to appeal to some higher power, but to infuse the lowers with their very own strength? It was not possible to know, in truth. Only the gods knew. And only the gods were capable of understanding what was spoken- to anyone else, it would have sounded like mere birdsong and hums of peaceful cosmic light, transmitting through the endless voice at speeds that transcended even quickness itself.

After about a minute, they were done. Ill'ka slowly got up from the ground and once again began to speech- when he felt a now darkly familiar pair of evil, gigantic eyes looming down on him from behind, directly where the TV screen was.

"Oh, how sweet.", came the darkened voice of Dragonlord Rakastamos, ringing through the chambers like the peals of a great brass bell. "I see you, the gods are praying… even after I told you."

He spread his wings - casting a great shadow over the room that ate at the little light that remained, plunging the entire ship into almost pitch darkness. "I'm not listening."

"You…" said Il''ka, and calmly turned around. No fear was present upon his face, and he stared up at Rakastamos with the anger of a scorned father. "You- do you really think you can win?"

Rakastamos stared- as did everyone else in the entire ship. They all watched as Ill'ka seemed to verbally face off against Rakastamos, an important battle inded. He was trying to shake him up before the attack, get him confused and then that much weaker. It was a good strategy, but-

Rakastamos just laughed, throwing back his head, letting out a loud guffaw, and scorching the top of the roof with a great gust of Dragonflame. He spread his arms and snarled, letting all his teeth be visible, each greater than entire other beings. "I don't think I can win, fool-" he said, as he smoked light and spread himself out in lava. "I know I can! I am going to win and that is a fact!"

He looked toward the assembled gods, expecting some sort of rise- but to his surprise, he got very little. They all just sort of… stared at him. They no longer truly cared what he had to say- if he won, he won. If he lost, he lost, and that was a good thing. They no longer had a say in the battle, just to watch the infinite play play out, eternal in its consequences yet likely worryingly short in its runtime. There could not be more than an hour until Rakastamos drank the blood elixir, and the clock was rapidly running out.

"Hpmh.", said Rakastamos, folding his wings, turning around and raising his tail, slamming it against a great gong. "Well. I do expect that this will be the last time I'll see you all…"

He looked directly into them, and snarled with unspeakable evil and fury, putting the fullest part off his aura on the line. "You will be dead. Every last of one of you, and that's a fact."

He put his hands up in a crude mockery of Se'th, making a pair of flame glasses to complete the caricature. "Oh no, you left me alone on a planet full of mortals- what could possibly go wrong?"

Then, once he realized that no one was really paying attention at that point, decided there were better things to be done. Rakastamos pulled his body back and grunted. vanishing in a great clone of red colored light. The signal cut off abruptly, leaving even the room in a state of minor shock.

"And there you have it.", said Ill'ka, and stood up at his fullest, fullest height. "The battle for Clash shall begin in just a short while. Everyone, get comfy, get a partner, and prepare to spectate. Because we're going to be fine, don't worry. Our mortal champions are more than up to the task."

There was a little bit of widerpesed doubt at that sentence,as if they all knew it was, even the glow lie it was important. "And let us all be wary of what lies ahead. For we are gods, but…"

He gently touched the top of the crysal's glass, and shivered in anticipation. "Hope is not lost unto us. We are hope- and it shall be shared with those down below. I wholeheartedly thank you all."

Ill'ka nodded, and the gods watched, worry flicking through Juno's mind. Brandy…, she thought, and flicked aimlessly at The Royal Giant's hair in front of her, totally unable to keep still. You have it. Use it well.

Rakastamos sat alone in his great and terrible lair, looking at himself in the mirror. His jaw dripped with blood and hatred, almost all of it his own. His hunger for death and destruction was so much that it had begun to feed on his own gigantic body, tearing at his scales and breaking down his skin. He had shoveled hundreds and now thousands of hogs into his mouth to keep himself fed- but he wanted to destroy. He wanted to burn, and swoop down, and utterly annihilate all the lands of the world, seeing them broken before his godly might.

He could not do that- for now. But he knew, as he lunged forward, one hand crushing down on a boulder the size of a large house, crumbled to bits beneath his weight. Soon, he thought, as he destroyed an entire section of the vast wall with a single swipe of his tail. Soon, oh so very deliciously soon, he would be able to achieve his life long dream- for although the Jester had indeed been defeated, and the Dragonkillers were even now coming his way at very high speed, he was not limited in the slightest. No, he was at the apex of his apex, and even now soon to evolve. He just had to watch, and wait- wait as the Blood Elixir Timer counts down, the last few feet of the gargantuan container the only ones that no longer needed filing.

Wait, and watch, drooling in excitement.

Wait, and watch , ready to destroy.

Wait, and watch, Dragonlord Rakastmaos's full might colliding up around the floor, smashing the rock and stone, the single dripping of a single raindrop from the top of the roof where it had lain undiscovered. It highlighted his insane eyes, his only thoughts continuing to rage.

KIll them all, and the world shall be saved.

Kill them all, and you shall know true peace.

His goal was… was pure, and selfless. To help the world be restored to its natural state, what more would be more noble. He was merely intending to sweep all life off the surface of the world- and replace it with the true life of Dragons. Not bad. Even if his jaw glowed with evil white light and dripped with gallons upon gallons of boiling, gourmet mortal blood, he was the good one here.

So be it, then. He could sense the oncoming battle, even if the specifics were fuzzy- but he knew it was about to arrive. So be it then... and let the best one win. But until that time came, he was there. Watching the flames, noting that strength.

Rakastamos narrowed his eyes, lowered himself onto the rock, and waited for the end to arrive by his own two hands.

Song: The Roundabout- Enigma

The rocks crushed underfoot as Dan walked through them, keeping a constant, careful eye out for anything wrong. He looked to the right and left- then looked down, and saw a strange tile.

"Woah!", he shouted, and yanked his foot away, placing it firmly on a harmless rock. He glared at the tile that had seemed so strange- and saw exactly why he had instinctively avoided it. It appeared to depict a Dragon's face- one brimming al the way over with fire and brimstone, a menacing look in its stone carved eyes. "Yeesh…"

"Hey guys?", he asked, and jumped a little bit away, breaking some of the rocks he landed on with his tremendous, almost over muscled bulk. "Try not to step on those. They look dangerous."

"We can't step on them, honey.", said Brandy, and Dan blinked as they both looked down. "We're all on your shoulder, remember? So you had better look out for them."

"Oh. Right." ,said Dan, and rolled his eyes. He hopped over the bunch of rocks that was in front of him, swift despite his massive size, and looked around for anything else that might have posed a threat. "Sorry about that. I just assumed that you were talking…"

"Why?", aksed Brandy, as Dan moved over the tiles, making sure not to miss a single one, moving his feet along some cosmic rhythm, swinging and turning around as he deftly avoided the numerous tiles, which seemed only to get more numerous as he went on. Up, down, left, right, double left, two to the right, three in the upper right corner of his substantial hitbox…

"Cause you're so big and strong that you can't even feel us on you?"

"No, it's not that.", said Dan, and stepped over a belt of the tiles, crunching the rock underneath his feet. "I mean, I am big and strong, but- I still can feel you. It's just that…"

He folded his arms and looked up at the great strange ceiling, staring at the infinite stars that it portrayed. Despite the Jester's death, it was still a very odd place indeed. He thought he could hear the Jester's Circus of Chaos collapse in the far distant interior mountain caves, the hundreds or maybe even thousands of prisoners within freed. That was good- perhaps they could help them against Rakastamos. They would be little help, but help, all the same. "This place is weird, pumpkin. Like, really weird-"

"Pumpkin?", asked Brandy, and her cheeks turned just a little red. "DId you just call me pumpkin?"

"Yes.", said Dan, and nodded. He resumed his walk, a little bit unsettled- but Brandy didn't notice. She was too busy thinking about him. Even as he tripped just a little over the rocks on the road, all she could think about was the name. "You've never called me that before.."

"Well, it is October." ,said Dan, and Brandy swayed on her spot, disturbing Leon's stillness and causing Bubble to get slightly excited. "And you know how pumpkins are around this time of year, always appearing and stuff, so I just thought that I might- "

"I love it, honey-" ,said Brandy, then changed her mind. "I mean… mountain. I love it, my mountain."

"Well, I love you.", said Dan, and noticed that he had almost gotten to the end of the trap tiles. "So I guess it all works out- uh oh."

"Uh oh?", asked Brandy, suddenly on high alert. There were not a lot of things that could make Dan say that, and she needed to be careful about every single one of them. "What's uh oh-"

Then she saw it too- a great hallway of trap tiles, each one a different color. They all seemed to be leading to the same path- but that path was blocked off from Dan's potential jump by a very low ceiling, just enough for him to crawl through. It was unsure if he could even get through with everybody on…

"Bubble.", he said, his voice stern and tough. "Do you know anything about these tiles, honey? Such as which one does which… and which one would be the best to just have to tank?"

Bubble put her fingers to her face, thought for a moment- then boom, she had it. She pointed her fingers upwards, and her face lit up. "I know, Dad. I remember now- the orange ones blow up, the red ones are fire, the yellow ones are ice, the green ones are poison, and the blue ones are electricity. "

Dan gave her an odd look- that was not really the way that things usually worked. But he supposed that it was the Jester, after all, and he just had to deal with that. It was almost certainly him who had put these traps in place- wait minute. What if Bubble had been lied to? Whatif the yellow ones actually were electric, and the blue ones were ice? That was a thing he had to check -for he saw that the yellow ones formed the shortest path. He had to take advantage of that. "Alright then. Yellow ones it is. It's just electricity, right? I can tank it."
He gently set down everyone on the rocks and bent down, preparing to shoot himself across the tiles, aiming to scratch up them all up at once and form a save path for everyone else to cross. Bubble smiled, proud of her dad- until she realized what he had actually said, and her eyes widened with panic. "Wait, no! The yellow ones aren't electric! They're-"

But it was too late. Dan threw himself across the sea of yellow tiles, preparing himself to absorb and use the electricity that was about to assault his entire body. "They're iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!"

Unfortunately, Bubble had been right. The yellow ones actually were ice, due to the schemes of the Jester. And so it completely took Dan by surprise as wave after wave of freezing air flaked with pure ice crystals shot out from dozens of vents in the ceiling, moving across his entire bare skinned back and very quickly onto the rest of his body.

Dan grit his teeth, and groaned as he felt the ice move onto his skin. But he didn't care- he still had the Star automatically welling up deep within him. Burning the ice and turning it to steam upon contact, filling the air in the cave with a great cloud that shielded him from view- until he appeared on the other side a few seconds later, spitting a lone trap tile from his mouth. He gave a thumbs up and looked down at the now clear path. "Go on. Go."

"Dadddy!", shouted Bubble, and ran across the ice- but Brandy got there first, instantly Dashing to his side. She was on his shoulders and wrapped around before there was a second, burying her face in his neck. He chuckled, and took everyone up onto his shoulders again. "Sorry, Bubble. I should have listened to you, shouldn't I?"

"Yes…", said Bubble, and closed her eyes. She snuggled down tight to his neck, determined to get some rest before the end of the world. It weighed quite heavily upon her little head. "Now."

Dan got up and started walking once more, the small cave broken into a larger one as he walked. He looked up at Brandy, who looked forward- that was… odd. To say the least.

She saw what looked like a small clay miniature of a forest, but just the entrance to one. A large door blocked the way,, and several tools lay about- a diminutive axe, a very small rope and twine, and a 1/100 scale model of a crazed Lumberjack. It was all quite strange.

"Uhh…", said Dan, trying to figure out the puzzle, but Brandy was already on it. She put one finger to his mouth and jumped down to the floor, slowly approaching the bizarre display. She crept along the floor, not wanting to disturb anything- this entire area was most likely trapped beyond belief. But her goal was still the same- the end of the table, where the small tools and Lumberjack stood. She slowly moved up and grabbed the Lumberjack, moving him up and down. She smiled to herself- it reminded her of Kars, back at home. What was he doing right that moment, she wondered… but she could not get distracted, even a tiny bit. So she put down the figure, grabbed the rope, and held it up to her eyes. She looked at the axe, the door- the door and a number on it. Three. That gave her an idea…

She stood up, and grabbed the small axe. She held it to the fist tree, her fingers slightly shaking- no. That wouldn't do. She forced a breath out of her body and felt her fingers calm- ah yes, that was better. If she was to pull this off, her concentration had to be at maximum.

With a steady hand and glowing eyes, Brandy carefully used the light stone and wooden axe to cut down one of the many clay tees, slightly squishing as it fell against the hard rock. She picked it up, making sure it did not fall apart, and held it up to the key- but nothing happened.

"Okay…", she said, and felt Dan coming over- but she held up a hand. "I'm gonna do this, Dan. I realize what you told me. Independance. Strength. Me."

She slightly turned and grinned widely at him- and Dan felt his heart swell. He gave a thumbs up and retreated, letting Brandy do her work. If it got too bad he would step in- but he really doubted it would. This was Brandy's forte rather than his- things of the mind and the skill.

"Let's see…", she said, muttering back and forth as she looked at the all the tools. "I don't know which one to use. They all seem wrong, but I know I have to use one to cut down the tree and put it up against the keyhole-"

Then she stopped and looked at the scene again. She looked at it closer, running her fantastic eyes over each and every mark- then noticed things she had not seen before. The Lumberjack had a slight divot and a circle to his right hand- the perfect shape for holding an axe. One of the trees in the forest had a very slight ring around the center- exactly where a-

"Rope might go…", said Brandy, and grinned. She gently picked up the axe, held her breath, and slid it into the Lumberjack's grip- it fit. She grinned and wrapped the rope around the tree- that fit perfectly as well. It looked like her suspicions were paying off- but as soon as she cut the tree down, revealing a shining entire interior, it was all but proved.

Brandy beamed and used the Lumberjack to drag the tree over to the keyhole, holding it up high into the air- and the keyhole made a single sound like a latch. It swung open, revealing what could only be the next obstacle. Brandy whispered to herself- "Yessssss."

Then she sighed, as she saw what lay beyond- a pulsing tunnel, only darkness beyond, leaving into what could no doubt be dangerous space. "Oh, great."

"What is it now?", asked Leon, opening his eyes. He seemed strange- although he was still, in fact not a lizard, he seemed to sometimes have strange resemblances to one. He looked over at the tunnel, and rolled his eyes. "Oh."

This time it was his turn to hop down, jogging on over to the tunnel and slapping it on the side. "Give me a second. I've seen these things before… should be no trouble to get this working."

"What is it?", asked Brandy, watching in curiosity and awe as Leon dug open a patch of rock on the side. He immediately thrust his hands in, and began to rummage around. Leon looked over and grimaced, feeling as his fingers touched something electrical and sharp. "It's a-"

He slapped the side one more time, and stepped back as the lights pulsed much much stronger, purple energy rolling in and around it. "It's a Gravity Tunnel, that's what it is. I think if we just step inside here, then we'll be able to-"

He looked over at Dan, who frowned. "I don't think there's enough room."

"Yes, there is.", said Leon, and winked. He flicked a switch on the side, and the assumingly flexible center inflated, large enough to fit even Dan. "Now, once we step inside, we are going to go up, very very fast. We'll have to get off ourselves at the top. Y'all got that?"

"Right." said Dan, and stepped forward. Brandy held on to his head and Bubble harder, as he took one step into the gravity tunnel and-

Pressure

Hard

Uup

All the way up

It goes up and up and up and around and squeezing

Haaaard ear pop and paiaiaiinn

Brandy felt herself rushing up the gravity tunnel at insane speeds, unable to believe just how fast they were going. It felt as though she was sprinting- but this time from an outside source. It was the same speed she could usually go- about 3 or 5 times the speed of sound. But it made her ears pop, her joints ache, her body hurt from bumping up against Dan so many times- until she realized what to do, and she Dashed in a stationary positon. The shield surrounded her body- and she saw it leak onto Dan and Bubble, forming over Leon as he came up right below all of them. Her ear still hurt plenty, and she whimpered slightly, keeping the pain to herself. It was hard to do so- but she was harder by now. Hardened by hardship, and toughened by pain. She slightly laughed to herself despite the crucial situation- that just sounded so dumb.

She found herself no longer flying upwards just a few seconds later, the rough plastic like sides of the tunnel fading from view and replaced with good old dirt and open, empty air. Brandy Dashed sideways and onto the ground, grabbing Bubble's hand as she did so, knowing that Dan would grab Leon's. Her suspicions were reinforced as she saw the both of them crash to the ground together, rolling upwards and grinning. She almost stood up to take a few more steps- when she saw a very good reason why she shouldn't. For there, right in front of her, was-

"Bubble, look out!", shouted Brandy, as she saw Bubble stand up and take a step backwards. But she was too late, as Bubble fell backwards and into the abyss-

Brandy's hand shot out behind her, and grabbed the real Bubble from behind the invisible wall she had constructed. The illusion that had fallen vanished ,and Brandy Dashed over to the other side of the clifftop, away from the thousand foot drop. She looked right into Bubble's face, who had gone from laughter to slight fear. Brandy pushed her blonde hair out of the way, and let her mom genes shine right through. "Bubble, you know I love you, right?"

"Yes-", said Bubble, and Brandy didn't even awati a full second. "So stop pretending to die! It's getting to the point where I just can't take it anymore! My nerves are shot and we're in a mountain of death hand we're about to face a giant Dragon that could kill us all and there's still one more Forgotten left and he might be even more powerful than the Jester and we're running out of time as it is and… and…"
She left Bubble standing on the ground, and pulled her knees up to her face, beginning to quietly sob. "I just can't take it anymore… let's just kill Rakastamos quickly and then go home."

She felt Dan's hand on her shoulder, and looked up. There he was, his stern but smiling face- and a deeply ingrained aura of absolute anger behind him that seemed infinite. "We will, honey."

He heard something strange behind him and immediately lashed out- seperating a huge boulder that had fallen out of the ceiling far above. It went out on either side of the group, affecting no one, Brandy dodging out of the way just in case. "We will, we will, we as long as you can harness that power of yours- and I don't think that means crying."

He picked her up and held her close to his chest, Brandy letting herself feel small against him, which of course she was, just so very smol- "But not small enough to be helpless, honey. Because you're not. You are strong, and powerful, and a living deadly weapon. That Rage of yours… it surpassed even mine. If you can somehow harness that, and use it to its fullest, you will be able to kill Rakastamos with ease. Do you hear me, Brandy? Ease."

Brandy looked up, clenched her fist, and smiled. "You're right, Dan. I will."

She slide down from his grip, alighted on the ground, and breathed out. She breathed back in- and sent out a quick blast of air into every direction, pushing back the stone and flaring up her hair. Her eyes looked different then- more determined, less childish, far more powerful. "I will."

Dan almost picked her and the group up- then he realized something. For just half of half a second, while she was filling herself with inner power, one single lock of her hair had not been white. It had been black.

"Anyway…", she said, and beamed, concealing her deadly force behind motherly love. The two were not mutually exclusive in the least. "Let's get going. There are some rocks we have to cross."

Dan nodded, and everyone loaded up onto his shoulder. He looked forward at the strange course- a great and long obstacle course of fragile looking boulders, some attached and some not, perhaps magically or magnetically floating in space. They formed a very clear path upwards and…. Around a corner. It was unknown where they led- but there was no turning back now, and there was no other clear way out. So the mysterious obstacle course it was.

Dan took the first step onto the rock, noting how it bent under him- but fortunately, it was not enough to break. He bent forward just a little bit, hoping beyond hope it would hold what he approximated was near enough his max weight to count- once again, it did. Dan thought he could take his foot off the main ledge and go for it all- so with a quick breath, he did. Nothing happened.

Dan let out a sigh of relief, and he looked to the next rock. It looked hard enough to hold his weight, even if that one happened to be the one floating in midair, seemingly nothing holding it up. But he had to risk it, for the next one was almost 30 feet away- too large to be sure of a successful step. So he took another deep breath, just in case, and stepped out onto it- and once again, nothing happened. Dan let out a sigh of deep relief, for it seemed that each step was going to work. But still, he had to be careful, no matter what. He was away from the jumping off point now, and holding himself directly out over the abyssal nightmare below, only strange sounds coming from the bottom which he could not see. What he could see was the remains of the Circus of Chaos, visible from a geat big plateglass window that must have been miles across. There was nobody in it- no. There were lights, bunched up in the center. Survivors. That made him glad- they had managed to escape. And somehow, he had a feeling that Jessie was leading the.

Brandy watched him work, sweat dripping from his brow and drying up immediately from his body heat. She supposed that watching him was making her throat hurt- and then she realized that she was thirsty. It must have ben hours since she had drunken anything, and that seemed weeks ago. Had it really been just that morning they were at Iron Mountain? That seemed truly like a lifetime ago- no. It had only been not even a full week since they had even set out on the journey, way back at Fisherman's Wharf. Saying goodbye to Brenda and Meg, battling the Raptor and the Kraken- oh, those times had seemed to almost come from a different lifetime at this point. She was- she was- oh right, she was thirsty.

"Hey, who has the rune of Elixir?", she said, looking around. Leon looked up from his slight nap, and nodded. He grabbed inside of his hoodie pocket, and withdrew the slightly glowing rune, Brandy's mouth wettening at the sight. "Thanks."

She held it out, and Leon gave it to her. She grabbed it with the very tips of her fingers- the very same fingers that she had sobbed into. The very same fingers that she had lost the gloves for while battling the Jester, the very same fingers that she had inadvertently drooled onto- and thus the very same fingers that were wetted, unable of properly holding the Rune of Elixir- and the very same fingers that accidently let it fall, falling into the abyss below, twinkling as it disappeared. Brandy looked down as the only source of Elixir fell into total oblivion, took a deep breath as her face turned red, and said exactly what was on her mind. "Oh, s- f- d- m- g- s- y- d- it all to t-."

"Woah!", said Dan, and jumped forward a little, barely clearing the rocks. He didn't say anything about that-he thought it would be better if nobody knew that he had almost just fallen. He was a little in shock at Brandy saying those things- he knew she had gone off on tirades before, but even he didn't know what the words she had just said meant. She might have not known either.

"Mommy, what do those words mean?", asked Bubble, but Brandy just put her finger over her mouth, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. She had not meant to say those words, they had just sort of slipped out. "Nothing, BUbble. Now pay attention. We're almost there."

"Almost uh... where, Mom?" ,asked Leo, his head spinning. One one hand, he was definitely going to remember those words and use them all at a later date. Maybe even use them against Rakastamos. On the other hand, he could not believe that his mother had actually managed to drop the Rune of Elixir- she had always been so coordinated. Perhaps she was just as nervous as he was. "Where are we almost to-"

Then Dan gave one particular mighty grunt of effort and jumped with his powerful legs, putting them past a few long and wide layers of rocks. He pulled upwards with all his might, launching the group upwards- upwards and over the top of the cliff, as they came face to face with a door.

"There.", said Dan, and nodded. "We are almost there."

"Woah.", said Brandy, and felt the blue lights behind her head. She could see something- the entire group suddenly set upon by a great devouring nothing from beyond the deep, coming up from behind them and out of the void, the Rune of Elixir clutched in its jaws-

"Everyone run!", she shouted, and picked Bubble up around the waist. She Dashed to the door, looking back at Dan to come and open it. "I don't have time to explain it properly! If we don't run through the door, something's gonna get us!"

Dan knew better than to not trust Brandy. He grabbed Leon and ran, grabbing Brandy and Bubble on the way- then crashed right through the door in a spastic explosion.

He looked back as he rolled, the door sealing shut once again behind them- as the great horrifying blackvoid mass smashed up against the door, wanting to devour more the second it had gotten ahold of something, but blocked by the great sentinel gate. For at last the Group had exited the Jester's gigantic ex-territory- and arrived at something new.

Song: Space of a Lone God

"I feel something, Dan.", said Brandy, and looked across the space they now found themselves in. It was a very large and very dark cave, nothing but the odd wooden plank abandoned at the side to remind them they were still there. A huge moat crossed the middle- and beyond that lay a gigantic steel door. One word was written across it- a word that made all their hearts jump with both excitement, and fear. One word to do it all- RAKASTAMOS.

"Is that what you feel, honey?", asked Dan, and squeezed her hand- it was more of like squeezing her entire upper body, but she liked that anyway. She squealed, unable to keep her heart from beating like a fusion star. "YES!"

"It feels… so strange.", said Dan, and looked up at the sign. "To finally be going up against him… to know that we're actually going to be able to fight him soon-"

Then, out of the blue, Dan got an idea. He looked around- it was perfect. All he had to do was know what time it was… and hope that he had remembered the information right.

"Bubble.", said Dan, and thought. "What time is it?"

"Uhh…", said Bubble, and looked around. SHe looked for a clock- ah, there. A clock hung on the walls. She peered at it for a second, and briskly nodded. "It's… 7:00."

Dan's mind raced, and his grinned. That perfectly lined up with the time that Rico had told him- what was it? That Rakastamos-

"From. 6. To. 8. He. Goes. Out. And. Fetches. Blood. Elixir. For. Himself. From. 8. To. 6. He-"

Yes, that was it. Dan and his group then had an hour to complete his plan- perfffect.

"Guys, we have to get in there soon.", said Dan, and started to walk. "That way we can-"

Then he stopped, sensing something off about the great gap. It seemed… dangerous, somehow. Not the obvious kind of dangerous that a giant, probably bottomless hole in the ground was, but a different kind of dangerous. A strange kind of deadly that could not really be detected, but there it was all the same.

"Ah, I see you've detected it.", said a voice, and Dan looked up. There- he could see it. Now everyone could as it descended, it's cold dead hands outstretched, its long black robe slowly billowing in the invisible wind. It had no real face to speak of, merely two white eyes. "Very well done, Dragonkiller Dan…"

The strange being touched down on the ground, not affecting it in any way. "Indeed, I do welcome you all. For although you have gotten far, very far indeed, and killed many, many of my brethren, I am afraid to announce that this, right here, is as far as you go."

"Oh really?", asked Dan, and began to charge up some Star in his bent back left hand. "And just why is that?"

"Allow me to introduce myself.", said the strange being, seemingly not having even heard Dan. "My name is the see... "

He spread his arms wide and laughed, a deep hollow sound with no humor at all. "I am the very last remaining forgotten. And I am to be your truly Final Opponent."

Song: Crucial Situation

"Our final opponent before Rakastamos, you mean.", said Dan. It was not in any way a question- rather, a statement of what he saw as absolute fact. "For we are going to kill you."

"DId I say that?", asked the Spectre, putting a finger to his face- then slashing it back downwards, cutting open the air with a single razor sharp stroke. "No… no, I don't think that I did. In fact I believe that I said I was to be your final opponent…"

"In saying that, you assume that we will be unable to make it past you.", said Dan ,and took a deep breath out of the sides of his mouth as he began charging up. "When in fact, we are fully capable of killing you and moving onwards to Rakastamos… final forgotten Spectre."

"No.", said the Spectre, and spread his arms open wide. The uneasy feeling right over the cavern increased ten fold, and Dan began to worry subconsciously- it was just something that worried the very fibers of his being, a truly primal fear that made the hair on Dan's legs stand up. "I said, you will not pass this room. I stop you here. That is how your story ends."

Brandy's ears perked up, and she clenched her fist. She had never thought of it that way before- that their story could possibly end. She had been thinking of the journey in terms of a story for quite a while now, one she would tell to everyone if- she meant, when, when they got back. But first they had to get past this Spectre thing- and she knew just how.

"Hey, Spectre.", she said, and charged up a fearsome attack of her own, her arms sparkling with Dash and her legs vibrating with sheer kinetic and magical force. "How good are you at fighting?"

"I do beg your pardon?", the Spectre asked, and turned to face her. "I think you are mistaken, young girl. You see, I do not fight- I guard…"

As soon as those spoken words- "Young girl"- hit her ears, Brandy saw purple. She felt her body launch forward right off of Dan's shoulders regardless of control, streaking right at the Specter, her hand held out to Dash his dark ethereal head right from his ghostly, fragile shoulders. "What did you just say to me you little fri-"

"Brandy, stop!", shotued Dan, and grabbed Brandy right out of the air. She yelped and stopped Dashing, her new green cloak just barely avoiding tearing, hanging there in midair from Dan's just barely outstretched hand. She felt the unspent Dash energy flow back into her body with a painful crack, and she winced as the blood trickled out from between her aching skin. She looked back at Dna with her face indigent- "What did you do that for? I had him! I was just about to Dash in there and kill him-"

Dan shook his head, and brought her back onto his shoulder. He pointed down to the ground- and Brandy saw why he had been so careful. For there lay a small Squirrel, completely dead, its heart missing from its bleeding ribcage- and on the ground just a few feet away.

"I didn't just have a premonition. Did I?", asked Dan, and pointed at the Spectre, still charging up his maximum power blast. "That shield you put up… it will kill anybody that attempts to cross- by removing their heart, and throwing it to the ground beside them. Only a Skeleton could cross… but I think even a relatively weak Forgotten such as yourself could handle such threats with ease."

The Spectre spread his hands open wide- and clapped his silent hands. "Very well done, Dan. I would expect nothing less from the leader of the well famed Dragonkillers. Smart and strong."

"I would say thanks but…", said Dan, and prepared his attack, aiming right at the Spectre's head. "I didn't come here to be flattered. Die."

The Spectre slightly shifted in his floating spot, as Dan unleashed the brightly burning wave of Star. "Star Cannon Overdrive!"

The brilliant golden shot rushed forward at high speed and incredible power, scorching even the steel and stone walls of the fateful cave. The Spectre brought up one hand and covered his eyes, Dan snarling in anger- only for the entire attack to strike the side of the shield, rippling as it became visible through use, and entirely disappeared. Dan watched in shock, having only a faint idea of what had just happened, Bubble's eyes widening in fear.

The Spectre wiped one of his faceless, featureless white eyes, and smiled. "Oh, did I not tell you the other funny little thing about this shield of mine? You see, any energy attack that strikes it is teleported to the other side of the mountain- and sent up right into space. So unless you have something that can destroy the entire universe.."

He floated back down to the ground, pleased with his victory. "I told you. I am the perfect gatekeeper. There are none that can get past."

Fully anticipating what Dan was about to say, he waved his hand offlandeshly, and sat down on a barely appeared throne. He took a dark sip of some strange sort of wine, and motioned to the group. "And frankly don't even try getting in some other way. My shield now extends past this small little area of mine- this is just where I so happen to live. My shield surrounds Rakastmoa's entire cave…"

He leaned forward, putting his hands together- and Brandy could see a strange smile on his face. "So you cannot get it. There is no way. No physical nor ranged attack can harm me. No blow can stop my guarding!"

While he talked, Brandy and Dan both tried to think of a way to work around it. They tried- but there was nothing for now. They would have to take just a second and think about it- for they had to face Rakastamos. THey absolutely had to…

"No physical or ranged attacks, eh?" ,asked Dan, scratching his chin. "Well, darn. That doesn't leave us a whole lot of options then, does it?..."

Leon shouted, and fired off a huge bust of Hunter Killer's bullets, right at the Spectre. They were not physical blows, but they were not entirely magical either- would they work? Leon oh so hoped they would- until the spray hit the shield, falling off and into the crevice below. He scowled and turned around, now frustrated at his failure of something important.

Bubble concentread, and felt the hard light flow out and into other fingers- then flow toward the other side of the shield- until they were abruptly stopped. It did not work, it appeared. The shield was somehow too tough for her illusions to conquer, even her modern age hard light ones. She relaxed and too turned around, not warning to see what the Spectre was doing.

That current Spectre was, in fact, gloating and laughing over their attempts to get any more past the current obstacles. He resided on a leaned back lounge chair, calling out to the group from within the strange wall. "You think you can do this? You're wrong…"

Brandy stroked Dan's hand, and he gently stroked her ears, the feeling of love between them causing the ideas to- hopefully, at least- flow faster. Of course, it was hard to think when she could hear and see the Spectre having a comedic breakdown at the thought of leaving them trapped forever.

"We're going to have to think about this one, honey.", said Dan, and breathed out, letting everyone within the small area warm up a bit from the biting cold of the caves. "I would really like our last opponent to be one that we beat up, but this one is-"

"Not our last opponent." ,said Brandy, and looked up at Dan, feeling a blaze within her heart. "He's not the last guy we fight. Rakastamos is."

"Oh right.", said Dan, and laughed just a bit. " i forgot… somehow. I mean- I didn't forget. But he said it, and then I said it, and dang I wanna kill him so fricking bad."

Brandy let that sound sit in the air, thinking about what it meant to her. It flowed through her quickly moving consciousness- want to kill. Enemies. Past enemies. That King. The Arena, what Dan had done afterwards- she did not even notice that it was also going on the same channel inside of Dan's mind, their private communications line opened as they spoke.

"Brandy, holy Se'th.', said Dan, and gave a wide grin. He looked up at the Spectre- that he now knew exactly how to defeat. "That memory… what I did… what I can do?"

"What?", asked Brandy, and looked up, "What-"

Then he was already striding across the floor, leaving Brandy on the rock, death in his eyes- and a single fist beginning to twitch.

Song: Friends or Rivals

Askari stood alone at the front of the convoy, his most trusted partners by his side and top.

To the direct right of him was Bowza- they had formed a strange sort of relationship, formed by mutual trust of another professional. Askari had always felt he had more in common with a Magic Archer than his Wizard heritage- although really, he was neither. He was Askari the 15h, unique among beings- but he was not a Forgotten or anything. No, that just would have been weird. And although Bowza was not particularly strong in the grand scheme of things, he was wise beyond many, and a simply wonderful asset to have.

To Askari's whirring left was Askari the 14th, and his own team just right behind him. They could not put away their poses, and where even now holding themselves still in a pose that seemed oddly treating to say the least- it could perhaps have been more than just impressive.

Right behind the great leader was Kragonbrock, knuckle walking his way across the rough ground, breaking rocks and sticks as he went, scraping over the tops of the trees. He was eager of the upcoming fight- he felt like he had never truly had a proper challenge before. But now he was ready- ready to pound the Dragon into dust. He beat his chest once and looked up, seeing the future leader over them all- the mighty Dragonlady Chuqulita huge in her power and immense in her wisdom, stretching over practically half the army with her gargantuan wingspan.

She flew majestically overhead- and Asakri knew without a doubt that was the truly strongest member of the army. Askari was strong, both of them. The Containment mechs were strong, Kragonborck was strong- but none of them even compared to Chuqulita. She was on a whole other level, a great Dragon leading an army of insects Into glorious battle.

He looked from left to right- then he felt someone right behind him. Askari looked around to see Oticat, coming up from behind on his wagon, still quite terrified of the whole situation.

"Huh?", asked Askari, and Oticat said some unknown words. "What is it?"

"I-", said Oticat, and took ad ep breath. He looked up towards Askari, his fragile voice watering.

"I know that those all are important, but…", said Oticat, and bowed his head.

"Those two, Brandy and Dan- well, I guess they're almost like children to me. Please, tell me if they're gonna be alright...I always feel so helpless right now. I want them to be-"

Askari touched Oticat's forehead, and frowned. "I cannot do that.. Guarantee their safety,"

He watched as Oticat Disappeared just a bit- but decided to brighten him up.

"I know that they are both quite strong, however.", said Akskari ,and Oticat brightened up. "They are some of the strongest fighters I know, the two of them- and their help shall be instrumental to ending this battle. So do not worry about your children. Your children should be worrying about us. "
Oticat put his hand on his hips and looked sideways at Askari, confused at what he could have possibly meant. "And what is that supposed to mean-"

"It means that there is no more time for speaking.", said Askari ,and looked down at Oticat's face with such absolute intensity he had to bat at his skin to keep it from turning into flames. "We have the greatest battle of all time coming up right in front of us. And we have to keep our eyes on the target.."

He looked up and shivered in mechanic and emotional anticipation, at the truly colossal storm wracked cliff face of the magnificent, gargantuan Clashcrush Mountain, the very pinnacle and source of the gigantic worldstorm. "Whatever is inside of there- alongside Rakastamos."

"Wait, there are things besides Rakastmos in there?", asked Oticat, and shivered ."Wha- what?"

"Why, sure.", said Askari, and lit up the tip of his hair. "He's got thousands upon thousands of allies in there, all waiting to attack us all."

He laughed at Oticat's expression and swept his hand around, gesturing to the vast beyond vast army that marched up the world behind them. "What did you think that army was for?"

"Uhh…", said Oticat, and looked up with hope. "Taking down Rakastamos?"

"No.", said Askari, and thought about his next sentence. "This vast army of ours is for killing the minions… none of them, even all together, would stand a chance against Rakastamos."

"None?", asked Oticat in disbelief. "Then- then-o then who will fight him then?"
"I will.", said Askari, and grinned a bit."Chuqulita will. Kragonbrock will. The strong shall battle the Dragonlord- and we shall all triumph for it."

Oticat was just about to say something- when he was suddenly shoved out of the way by a nearby Heavy, as a Dragon landed, skidding along the ground towards Askari. Oticat's fist thought was that it was an attacker- but to his great surprise and even greater relief, it was not. It was a messenger in fact- one that stood in front of Askari as he listened, letting the rest of the much slower army convey catch up. "Well?", he asked, and the Dragon nodded. "What news do you bring?"

"It is news from the Boom Beaches, my lord.", said the Dragon, shuffling impatiently in its giant tracks. "Dr. T and the Blackguard intend to meet and to aid us. They are typically villains- but I suppose they are not Dragons, and thus united with us in this most unusual threat."

"Understandable.", said Askari, and nodded once more. "They do wish to rule the Beaches- and they do not want to see this world destroyed any more than we do. What else? Or, rather… tell me. What are they bringing?"

"Warships, my lord.", said the Dragon, and Askari's eyebrow raised. "Loaded with all sorts of new machines and Troops- and most importantly, things that could perhaps even take the fight to Rakastamos on his very own terms."

"And what things are those?", asked Askari, then held up a finger. "No, let me guess-"

They said it both at the same time, Askari's voice full of pride and the Dragon's full of trepidation. "Mega Crabs!..."

The Dragon nodded again, its news delivered and its other objectives to get to before the battle began. It flew into the air and took off, towards the other end of the battlefield, where a few more newly made Brawlers needed some direction.

"Very good." ,said Askari, and put his hand to his brow. He could see the great summit in close view- it would not be long at all before they arrived. Not long at all…. "Those will be nice to have."

Brenda held Meg tightly in her arms, as they rode atop a convenient Donation Cart that had been specifically outfitted in armor for the climactic occasion. At this point, neither of them truly knew what to expect from the upcoming battle. They had been trained all their lives for this, they supposed. For what had their lives of combat been, if not preparing for this, the true ultimate battle at perhaps the world's ending, the storms of nothing on the horizon clashing with the fires of the worlds life, not wanting to go out just quite yet. It all seemed rather quiet despite all that going on- the army was, in the most part, silent. They were all conserving their vast amounts of energy for Rakastamos, it seemed…

"Meg?", asked Brenda, and looked down at her precious girlfriend clutched tightly in her arms, blue cloth against light colored face. Meg looked up, still shivering a bit from the nervousness and the cold of the world- the darkness that covered the entire globe was one of harsh coldness, and unrelenting fear. It sank deep into the bones of the army, like cold dead rain sinks into a cardboard box. "Yeah?"

"You remember what I told you before, right?", asked Brenda, and swallowed hard. She didn't want to admit it, but the truth was that she was nervous too. No, not just nervous- afraid. SHe was scared. She was terrified out of her mind at the thought of facing what was most likely the single strongest being in the entire world at that vulnerable time, with nothing but her wits, her strength, her stand, her girlfriend, and… the most powerful and glorious army the world had ever, ever seen. That last one gave her a bit of comfort, and she allowed herself to shiver as well. The army… "About how no matter what happens, we're both gonna survive this, and that I love you, and that-"

"Yes.", said Meg, and moved herself upwards, planting her lips on Brenda's. Brenda's eyes almost immediately closed and she moved in further, keeping the kiss there for a few more seconds before breaking it off. "I do… and I want you to know what too. We are both surviving, and we are both getting out of this perfectly okay- or maybe even better than before."

She tapped her fingers together, feeling her forehead heat up with potential excitement. "I mean… there are rumors that out here in the true wilds, strong battles and glorious victories can push your level super really high… like… way past even 13. I know that happened to Dan and Brandy… do you think that'll happen to us?"

Brenda moved her head onto Meg's, and brought out a small pocket mirror from the wagon's floor that sheh ad brought with her. "Well. Why don't you take a look in here and see?"

Meg nodded and looked- seeing now that it was indeed a Level Mirror, a very special device used to measure one's level outside of the Arenas. Meg looked at herself- and gasped in limitless wonder.

"2- 27?", she asked, and held the mirror up to her face. "You mean, I'm really level 27-"

Then the cart jostled, and the mirror almost flew out of her hands, but she held it up to her chest to protect it. Brenda looked around for anyone who might have jumped into the cart- "Who the-"

Then she saw her. A young looking blonde woman in a bright red and yellow tracksuit, wiping her lips free of a strange green liquid, before placing her helmet down back onto her head. She looked at the two, smiled, and stuck out her hand. "Hiya. I'm Max. Pleasure to meet you both."

Both of them stared, not sure if they should take the woman's hand or not. On the one hand, she did seem very friendly. On the other, they had never ever seen something like her before, and they could not help wonder if she was a Forgotten- they knew there were things that did not properly exist as Troops. Could she perhaps be-

"Oh, or not.", said Max, and withdrew her hand. She blew her bangs back into her helmet with surprisingly strong lungs, and sat down stretched across the entire cart. "That's fine too. Anyway, I'm a Brawler- well, I mean I guess not yet, but I'm going to be, so…."

Meg and Brenda looked at each other, shrugged internally ,and decided aw, what the heck. They both opened their hands again to shake hers- and Max instantly was able to shake both of theirs, holding with both hands. "Well hey hey! Glad you could come around, huh? I'm Max. You two are Meg and Brenda- I heard about you from Askari after he told me to just shuddup and leave him alone. You two seem like fun, really good friends-"

Then she took a little bit of a closer look, and covered her nose with her hands. 'Wait noooo- you guys are in a relationship, aren't you? Oh, that is amazing! I've heard about you, and I just gotta say that you two are absolutely- perfect for each other!"

She squealed and spun around, moving at the rate of near sound, circling the entire cart in less than half a second. She came to rest and spun around one more time, closing her eyes with excitement. "Awesome! I can tell we're gonna be really good friends.'

"Yeah.", said Benda, and nodded "Yeah, I bet we are."

They were likely about to discuss more- when they all, as one, felt their communicators buzz. They took them out and turned on the screen, seeing Askari's face- and hearing his voice.

Song: Determinazione

"Everyone.", he said, and sighed. He looked up into the communicators, knowing that every single person of the entire army of most likely millions was capable of seeing him at that point.

"I know I've made a lot of speeches on the way here. But this one, you must hear. Give me this one. Give me… your ears."

An awestruck hush fell over the entire army like the falling of a soft night, and Askari closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, looked to his father, and began to speak.

"It is not every day that the common Troop gets a chance to be a hero.", he said, looking out across this gargantuan force he had summoned. "It is hardly ever that a Royale gets a chance to be a King, nor a Brawler truly gets to be a star. But today is that day."

He clenched his fist, as the low whicker winds glowed around him, rushing through the excited grass- for now even the land itself could feel his noble words. "Today is the day when our limitations are cast aside, and the true potential of each and every one of our shining, golden beings come into play. Today is the day when the world's true might shows itself, manifested in each and every one of you."

Several members of the army felt hte hair stand up on their arms, and the hair began to tingle on their necks. They were some inspiring words already- but Askari was not yet done.

"Those of you with families, what do your children think of you?", asked Askari, and extended a hand far away to the seas, somehow managing to point in all directions at once. "What do your spouses think of your strength- when you leave the house every day, they do not see a mortal. No. For what they see is a Hero- their very own strong, ultimate being, the invincible one that cannot fail. And today, all of you…"

He shot his fist into the air, gaining the approving shouts of about 30% of the army- the percentage he was speaking to. "You get to prove them correct."

He turned to his own part of the army that he had brought- the Ivory Tower Troops, the most elite of the elite, each one ten or fifteen times stronger than their non tower counterparts. But it was not mere strength alone that made them elite- their training had been for their entire lives, speed, agility, and battle knowledge all honed to the maximum edge. "You!"
Askari's hand trembled, as he stretched it out across the view. "You of the Ivory Tower- what are you? I tell you that you are the elite! But I am lying, in truth…"

He fell silent for a moment, in order to get the most confusion out of the force as possible- before shouting once more, with all the pride and vigor in the world. "For you are beyond even the world elite! You are the finest of the finest, the true super beings of this land!"

The Ivory Tower cheered- and Askari knew it was time to move on to the larger.

"You of the Boom Beaches!", shouted Askari, and the faraway Troops all cheered. "Your sworn enemies are going to be joining in this fight- the Blackguard has come to our aid! FOr in this fight, all previous allegiances are forgotten! Blue against Red, Allies vs Blackguard, VIllage against VIllage, heroes against villains- none of it any longer matters!"

He raised up both hands- and the entire army cheered, not just the ones he had been speaking to at that moment. "For our only enemy is death- the death of all that is! And we as emissaries of life are not just going to lay back and let him take it!"

The army cheered this time so loudly that Askari could not even hear himself talk, despite the fact that his voice came from within his own head. He looked to the mountain- what if Rakastamos heard it- but his fears seemed to be unfounded. The mountain remained still, and utterly silent. "Rakastamos is nothing before all the world as one!"

He pumped his fists into the air, and decided to wrap the speech up- it could have gone longer, but he knew that the army was now exactly as frenetic as he needed it to be. And talking longer would only make it calm. "For all his might means nothing! Our army is the world, and the world is our army! Dare he stand against the might of the planet? I don't think so!"
Askari shot a single shot of flame into the high air, much to the cheering of the army. "What is he but a single obstacle to be defeated, one single enemy to be broken? People of the world- your entire lives have been defined by combat, each and every waking moment dedicated to becoming better at it! If Rakastamos wanted to kill all the world's mortals-"
He shot his fist into the air, and delivered his final blow. "Then he chose the wrong world!"

There was, at first, silence- until the silence was utterly and completely shattered by a grand shouting of such caliber that words failed to even try. Askari was almost blown off his feet by the shattering of the air from the sound, almost in tears at his pride of the army he had gathered. He looked among his most trusted handguards- all of whom were shouting as well. He looked into the army- and grinned. "Good. This is it, Rakastamoooooos..."

His robotic eyes flashed, all the fire and fury of all 14 of his ancestors burning bright within him. He could feel, hear the first calling out to him- Finish it… finish it!

"This is where you die."

Song: Tense Moment

Dan sat on the rocks in front of the great gap, staring the Spectre down in the face. He had tried everything to get across and through the shield- a huge blast of Star, multiple hits after multiple hits, a super layered punch, even Rotation- but all to no avail. For all intents and purposes, it really did seem that the shield the Spectre had summoned up was in fact immune to all energy attacks. Yet he could not just jump across- not if he valued his heart…

So he just continued to sit there, lamenting the fact that his secret plan, a sudden attack from behind, had not worked. That too had not managed to clear the shield, seeming to extend in all directions around Rakastamos's lair. It was a circular dome, no weak points even possible.

"Hehehe…", the Spectre said, sloshing around some more wine in his cup. He took a deep gulp and sighed contentedly, lazily clipping where his fingernails would be if he was even able to have hands. "You know, with the strength with which you defeated my brethren, I would have expected something of that caliber to come out of you…"

He looked up, and saw something that he did not like- Leon, rather than staring at him in frustration or anger, just like all the others that had come up before him, was staring at the wall. The Spectre stood up, and pointed an accusing finger. "Hey! Hey, you!"

Dan opened one eye- the Spectre was incredibly close to the edge of his dome. Perhaps, if he were to get just a little bit closer...

Leon looked at the wall, something spiking his curiosity in huge amounts. It did not resemble anything he had ever seen before- of course, that was now practically a given with the strange things on his journey and especially within the deeply cursed mountain. But this was particularly strange, very near alien in its biological appearance. Or at least what was presented carved on the wall- a very strange ancient hieroglyphics, unable to be deciphered.

"What the heck is that?", asked Leon, and Brandy looked over from where she had been playing a bit of rock paper scissors with Bubble. "It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before…"

"Hey, kid!", shouted the Spectre, and drew closer to the edge of the shield, angry at being ignored ."Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Dan lunged outwards and drew back his fist, targeting the Spectre floating over the vast crack in the floor. He had not seen him have a very fast movement speed, so perhaps a powerful blow to the body could weaken him without any chance for escape. And once he died, the shield would most likely vanish…

He drew closer, closer, closer, until-

"Gotcha!", Dan shouted, and lunged right forward. He threw his fist forward right at the Spectre- for that is what he had said. Physical objects could go through, they just couldn't reach. He himself could not go through for fear of losing his heart, but his arm most certainly-

No. No, no it could not. That is what Dan suddenly saw, seeing the image of all the nerves in his arms suddenly torn away ,his blood vessels all busting apart. He drew back his arm just in time, feeling only the strange tingles in one of his fingers.

"That…", said the Spectre, who had now swiftly retreated back to the other end of the cavern, huddling himself almost up against the wall. "That was close…"

Dan took a step back, glad his arm had not been lost. He didn't quite know why he had seen the sudden vision of a disastrous future- until he felt Brandy's soft presence inside of his head.

Dan?, she asked, just at the moment that Dan himself asked the very same question. Do you know how to beat this guy?

Dan hesitated for a moment, before looking down at the ground. He was about to say his answer- when Brandy came up with one of her own. Yes.. yes, I think I do.

Dan looked up again, and saw Brandy's knowing smile- the one she always got whenever she had thought up one of her most Master Plans. Now listen carefully. We've got to do this fast.

Leon glared at the Spectre, as Bubble just sort of aimlessly wandered around nearby him, playing a little game where she danced on the rocks. There were no rules. But Leon didn't know that- and he certainly did not like the way the Spectre was staring at her- his little sister.

"Hey.", said Leon, and pointed right at the Spectre, who looked up with a face of false innocence. "You… you seriously can't plan to keep on going like this, now can you? You cannot keep us here forever, and you seem to have no way of hurting us at all."
"Oh really?", asked the Spectre, and raised his hands. "And just how are you so sure of that-"
"You'd have done it by now.", said Leon, and the Spectre's eyes narrowed. His hands stopped moving, and his aura suddenly diminished by a single point of light. "Oh."

Then he glowed up again, and he began to laugh. "Leon, you fool.. I don't plan to keep you all here forever… I just plan to keep you here until Lord Rakastamos drinks the Blood Elixir, comes here in invincible strength, and then he kills you all. That is what I plan to do."

Leon's face turned, and he grabbed a rock from the ground. He gave a mighty yell and threw it right at the Spectre, who suddenly shrank back. "Then what about this? This isn't an energy attack, and it has no nerves! This can go right through that stupid little shield of yours-"

But alas, it did not. As soon as it hit the shield it was carried upwards, joining all the other rocks on the ceiling. The Spectre laughed, and Leon fumed ,sensing Hunter Killer began to vibrate from somewhere deep within him. "Oh, you fool, again. Did you think I would have not adjusted for a such a clear and obvious weakness? Yes- any non biological objects fired just move to the top of the shell."

He once again began to gloat, the very edges of a tongue starting to creep forward from his vague dark hint of a face- when Dan took a strong, confident step right towards him.

"Sorry, Spectre…", he said, and Brandy made a face. "But… we've already figured out a way to defeat you!"

"Oh really?", the Spectre asked, and laughed. He spread his arms open wide, apparently not even noticing how Dan's fingers moved. "I don't think that it will work, whatever it is."

"You know, I kinda forgot I could even do this until Brandy reminded me.", said Dan, and grinned. He slowly folded his arms, moving one hand onto the top of the other arm. "So thanks, honey. I really owe you one."

"You're welcome, Dannnn…", said Brandy, rubbing his shoulders roughly and briskly to keep him loose. "Now go on. Kill this guy."

Dan nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly, ever so carefully, stuck out his two front fingers, aiming them directly for the Spectre's head. "Star…"

The Specter thought for a moment- yes, of course it was a Star attack. What else could it even be? It was named Star something, after all. The Specter allowed himself to relax- but not too much. Even if there was no way it could possibly penetrate his shield, he still needed to be careful. Dan and Brandy had both seemed very overly confident about it, after all-

"Finger!", shouted Dan ,and shot his fingers out at incredible speed, his first two launched.

Song: Stardust Crusaders

"What?", the Spectre screeched, as the twin fingers, hard in muscle and hard in bone, streaked forward at incredible speed. They hit the shield, passing through at instant speed- and in that moment, the Spectre understood. They were not energy- but pure flesh. They had no major arteries- not these extensions, anyway. They were just muscle, bone and skin, nothing to burst and nothing to twist. They were not truly thrown, and certainly not a non-biological object- all four requisites were hit, even the hidden one that he had not mentioned. The Spectre's eyes widened in fear as the fingers approached, but he was helpless, with his very low physical stats, to do anything about it. All he could do was scream- as the fingers stabbed him right through the head, taking him off of his feet and bringing him to a flying position. Dan flicked his fingers once- and the Spectre flew off into the air, soaring right towards the shield- and directly even through it, for the Spectre had no heart. But, Dan thought as he drew back his fist, seeing Brandy arm hers as well, he could still very easily be… punched into oblivion!

Those words were thought by both Dan and Brandy as the Spectre's flailing, bleeding body grew closer, as Dan snapped his extended fingers back into place, and as-

"Oooooora"!, Dan shouted, and drove his massive fist right into the Spectre's face.

"Dooooora!", Brandy screamed, and punched her own blow right through the Spectre's body, his entire upper body collapsing into Dark Elixir and dust as his lower body was blown to bits. But that didn't stop them- their collective and utter hatred for the Spectre and everything he stood for was enough for them to keep on going for several seconds, Dan's Oraoraoraoras and Brandy's Dorararararas blasting through the entire chamber, scraping at the rock as they pummeled the now empty air, even the memory and perhaps the soul of the Spectre now beaten into total submission.

Dan and Brandy now both stood there huffing and puffing, soaking in the kill of the final Forgotten- then turned to each other and both grinned.

"That was it, honey.", said Dan, and Brandy purred. "Yep. The last fricking Forgotten we ever have to deal with. Now…"

Leon leaned over, continuing to stare at the wall deep in thought, as he felt Dan pick him up. The things he had seen seemed vaguely humanoid- but then again, not really. They wore beaks and sharp feet, almost like birds- but with distinctly human arms and legs. But the coat of feathers…

He was pulled away by Dan finally, and turned around. He looked at Brandy- "Hey Mom?"

"Yeah?", asked Brandy, and moved on closer to both Bubble and Leon, holding them close as Dan put one hand on the door, having jumped over the crevice with absolute ease.

"I saw those weird carvings on the wall…", said Leon, and thought. "I'm not sure what they were."

"Well, we can talk about it on the way." ,said Brandy, and patted Leon's head. "Okay?"

Leon looked at her, and nodded. She was sweet, his mother- yet behind all that sweetness laid a rampaging dealer of absolute death, just ready to unleash herself in just a few minutes. He steeled himself- for here it came.

"It's time to Kill Rakastamos."

Song: In the Air Tonight

Dan walked down the silent and empty hall, feeling the nothing that lay beyond. He could tell that it was still a bit of a walk before he reached Rakastamos- but he could do it. The carvings on the walls beckoned out to him, begging him to take a rest, look at them and read them- but he knew he could not. He knew only one thing, one goal, one final destination to work toward- and that was the thing he had come here to do, even if he had not known it at that time. Back when he was just a little Mega Knight- he had once thought that was all he was. But now? He knew that he was far more. He didn't know exactly what- but he knew who he was, as he muscled his way past a large chunk of rock, breaking it to bits within a single second. He just had to keep on going- to Rakastamos, and to the final goal.

Askari looked up at the night sky- or what was left of it, as Randy the Ice Spirit sat in his lap shivering with rage, and vibrating with battle hunger. It was surrounded by clouds at this point, the immeasurable darkness that had been summoned by Rakastamos. It would have had terrified any lesser being- but not him. Not Askari the 15th, the world's protector, the one destined to lead the army to greatness. Not that anything scared him in fact- he had had his fear receptors removed long ago, and replaced with additional processing power. It was a good decision- it allowed him to calculate their chances of winning.

61%. Those were the odds that the world was saved, and not turned into a desolate wasteland by a mad Dragonlord. Those were, in theory, good odds- larger than a 50%, a somewhat favorable outcome. But still, Askari could not help but think about that 39%- would Rakastamos truly win? What if he did? Askari could not possibly live with that- of course, if Rakastamos managed to win, Askari would not be living at all.

Rakastamos paced along the dark, churned up floor of his near volcanic personal chambers, the whiteness of beyond rage clouding his eyes, rendering his eyesight- not blind, but perfect. Beyond perfect, even- he thought that he could see all that was within him, the limitless power of his self raging through his body, unable to be bested by anyone at all. He had heard from his last remaining Forgotten, the Messenger, just what kind of enemies he would be facing.

Kragonbrock, the mighty Ape Lord. Rakastamos scoffed at that- the beast was dull witted, slow, and weak. Not a threat at all.

Askari the 15th- yes, that was a bit of an iffy one there, he was afraid. His ancestor Askari the 1st had somehow managed to seal him away with that frightful Dragon Cannon of his- but according to the Messenger's info, Askari the 15th did not actually have it with him. That was good- perhaps he would be no threat after all. Rakastamos puffed a ring of smoke, and stared off into space through the hole he had himself created in the roof, all those years ago…

Dan jumped over a river of pure Poison, glad it did not affect him. No conversation came from the group upon his back- save the mental speaking that Brandy and Leon were up to. He was glad they could get along- all of them. For they were his family, no matter what.

Brandy talked with Leon about the strange things he had seen- she sure had no idea what they were. From the way Leon talked about them, he made them sound like they were… birds? Humans? Something that was a strange mix between the two of them, perhaps? Whatever. Brandy didn't know- no. No, she realized- she did.

She had seen something like that once before- a tall, gangly creature, with a a beak on its face and no ears to speak of, covered in what seemed to be fur. It had been carrying an entire net of fish behind it as it walked along the path- top high quality fish, caught right out of the top of Frozen Peak, at the ultra isolated fishing area. Brandy had at first tried talking to it, to see how to get some and sell them- but as soon as it had noticed her, the strange thing had given off such a devastating aura of Death that Brandy had Dashed away, covering a hundred meters of ground in an instant- no! Brandy smacked the side of her head- she could not think about her past, no matter what. She had to stay in the present, stay in the present….

Chuqulita soared in the air overhead, filled with all the power that her sleeping brother Auinraur had given her. It had not been all of it, not even nearly so, but it had been enough to boost her strength past even her wildest dreams of achievement. She felt invincible- but she knew without a doubt that Rakastamos was most likely even stronger. She had no idea where he had even gotten that kind of power from- he had not been that strong the last time, and it was not as if he had- wait, had he? Had he drunken some of the Blood Elixir when they had last met? He did seem markedly different from before., and the only thing she could logically think of to cause that was- no, no. Logic, all too often, was the enemy of wisdom. She was not Chuqulita the logical- she was the wise, and her wisdom told her that the source of his power did not matter. What did was defeating him and bringing safety to the world -but she also knew the cost of such an action. She was currently, desperately thinking of some way to circumvent it, but that would be difficult, even for her.

Rakastamos stared down into his reflecting pool, not sure what to make of the sight that sat before him. On one hand, it was tremendous, gorgeous, beautiful- what power he had now, with the Blood Elixir already drunk, the tyrant's release, and the upcoming battle spurred him all onwards towards even greater heights, levels of power that he had never truly before dreamed. And then even again- he could feel it. The immortal cause of the Blood Elixir- almost complete….

But not yet. Not quite yet- there was still the bit left, which the Skeletons under his command were busily extracting from the very last of the Troops that had been brought in. Perhaps, if it was needed, he might yet make some himself? If he were to just… cut off… part of himself, that would make it, would it not- no. It would not. It needed to be the death of a whole creature, and that would not work for him. But perhaps…

He turned his attention towards the vast door, which now still yet remained unopened. He knew opponents were about to enter it very soon- what if they became his Blood Elixir, right after he drank it? Would he have enough for another dosage? One full container would already make him a truly invincible superbeing… he could not help but wonder- what on Clash could two do?

Bubble hummed a little tune to herself, closing her eyes as she was rocked back and forth by Dan's comforting movement, knowing that in just a few minutes, the longest journey would be over. There would be no more Forgotten anymore- just her. her family, and Rakastamos. That was the tricky part, wasn't it to battle him. Bubble had seen him before, and the sight had left a scare in her that would never truly be forgotten. But that was just from seeing him- what would actually fighting him be like? Battling the absolute titan, it scared her just from the thought of it. But as she hugged Leon and Brandy and Dan tight, she knew that she did not have to worry- but she did, more than anything. But she was 8, what could she do- but she had to be strong, she had been strong against the Jester- but she had known the Jester, she had not known Rakastamos- but- but- but-

Then she felt the comforting heat of Dan's Star on her back, and she snuggled in, getting just a little bit of rest before what was sure to be the hardest battle of her entire life.

Oticat looked up towards the mountain, and shivered with fear. He was just an ordinary King up until the previous night- what did Askari expect him to do?

Bowza kept his nerves calm, tracing the edges of his bow. He knew that after the battle, some faces he had gotten used to knowing would never be seen again. He just hoped one of them was not-

Agatha laid her head against Bowza's shoulder, hoping to comfort her husband's scrangling nerves. But it was a difficult task- for he could see the future ahead, a true bloody Hellscape in its intensity, even the fires of death itself a secondary burn.

Kars sharpened his axe blade against Weber's boulder- the two were very fast friends. For the first time in his life, Kars was not shouting- he was far too impressed for that, by the aura the mountain gave.

Spacekrakenx had given all his Troops the best and most fancy equipment money could buy- but he had no idea if it was going to be enough. He hoped to Se'th that it was, and hoped even all the way to almighty Ill'ka that this was going to be a simple, easily won conflict. It would be a little anticlimactic- but that was far, far better than everyone he had ever known and loved winding up dead.

Rakastamos scratched at his face, reveling in the feelings of pain he created for himself. He knew that lesser, far inferior, non Dragon beings somehow did not enjoy pain- they saw it as a bad thing, a process to be avoided. Rakastamos just did not get that. To him, pain was the essence of life, the catalyst for growth and the means of knowing one lived at all. He hated the notion that he was doing something wrong at all- and so he continued to slash and tear at his own blood red skin, tasting the blood as it ran down to his mouth and chin, knowing that with every single bit he drank he only grew stronger. And soon enough, he would at last be strong enough, able to-
He heard a noise, and smiled to himself. So that was it then… it was time.

Leon tried to keep his feelings to himself- but he knew it was impossible. He squeezed Brandy's hand as tightly as he could, feeling the light sensation of Dash she was using to stop her hand from collapsing at his stressed out touch. He did not relish the feeling of the attack- he had only been alive for just a few weeks, and only been with his family for days. He almost wished he was back in college, back in the Circus Tent- but he cast that notion aside like a used bullet. He was Leon Oticat, not… whatever his name had been… and he was going to prove it. With his family, his Stand, and above all his courage, he was going to kill Rakastamos, and-

Dan stopped, right in front of what seemed to be a tunnel leading upwards. It was not particularly tall or wide- but the light streaming from the loosely fitted top certainly seemed to be indicative of something. And as if to confirm it, Dan spoke for the first time in 20 minutes, hatred leaking from his words, and anger staining his lips. The ground cracked as he spoke it, the small river of Elixir, blood, slime, and water around his feet abruptly brought to a raging boil.

"We're here…"

The ground rumbled- and burst open by Dan's punch, the somewhat manhole of stone flipping over and landing far away, steam slowly flying upwards from the hole created. There was absolutely zero time wasted- at this point, every single member of the group knew what they were doing to an absolute T. There was no room for weakness- not that there was any to begin with. For their accomplishments had been many, and their journey great-

But now it had ended. The journey across the great deep ocean, across the wonderful and safe Villages, the wide open plains and thick dark forests, the terrifying swamps and the dreamlike mountains- it had ended. For now they were here, in the legendary Lair of Rakastamos.

"This is….", said Brandy, without a breath. "It's… his lair… his cave…"

She looked around in utter shock, unable to even believe what she saw. "It's… huge…."

And indeed, it was. It had not seemed large to those who naturally inhabited it, but it was truly beyond massive to anyone else. For the ones who lived there were massive beyond reason themselves- how else could they truly grasp the size of the entire space? Even Dan was small before its massive width- it was, by Brandy's estimating gaze, no less than 100000 feet wide, stretching out miles upon miles from either side. It didn't look that large from the outside- but then again, neither did most Buildings. It must have had been larger on the inside, as was standard. It was most likely 4800 feet tall, stretching nearly a mile upwards, taller than most mountains- and that was just the very top of the lair.
But it's true size, farther even more than just its width was its depth. This was truly incalculable from just where Brandy was, for the network of caves and tunnels that went back had no way of seeing them all at once. For all she knew, they could have continued on forever…

"Okay.", said Dan, and looked around, trying to find his bearing- for the first time in his entire life, he felt small. It was disorienting to him- but he had to pull through. There was no way he could not. "Here's the plan."

Dan looked down, and spread open his arms. "So. He has a huge vat of Blood Elixir hidden around here somewhere, right? And that's what he's gonna drink in order to make himself all powerful. But I was thinking…"

"We drink it ourselves.", said Brandy, and immediately covered her mouth. She didn't even know what she had been thinking- of course that was a bad idea. Enough Blood Elixir for Him was far more than any of them could drink- and it was bad for most Troops anyway. Even more poisonous than Dark Elixir ,and likely twice as acidic. "Uh, I mean-"
"We break it.", said Dan, and pointed up one finger into the air. "If we just smash open the side and let it all leak out, Rakastamos won't be able to drink it, now would he?"

"RIght.", said Brandy, and smacked her fist into her palm. "I mean, uh, no. He would not be able to. Yes. That is good."

"Aw, I knew what you meant.", said Dan, and gave Brandy a pat on the head. "So. Leon, you're with Brandy. Bubble, you're with me. Once we find the Blood Elixir, we smash it- and only then can we possibly engage Rakastamos. If you see him and that vat's not down- do. Not. Engage. Do you hear me?"

Brandy nodded, and Leon nodded as well. Bubble looked up, thought for a moment, then nodded again. "But Daddy, I can't smash the vat if I see it-"

"That's why you're coming with Daddy, honey.", said Dan, and picked her up around the waist. He gently put her down on his shoulders, and looked towards one direction, shrouded by mist. "We're gonna check over here, okay? YOu guys take the other direction. We'll find that vat soon.."

"Dan?", asked Brandy, and Dan stopped. He looked back, to see her unease. "Yes?"

"This…", said Brandy, and scratched her right arm through her now thinned out tunic, the damage of the Jester's battle getting to both it and her. "This… doesn't seem right. That we're actually here, and we actually made it to the mountain, and now we're actually going to take on Rakastamos. It- it doesn't seem real-"

"Wait, are you saying that this might be a Jester trick?", asked Dan, and growled. "WELL it better not be, or I'll-"

"No, no.", said Brandy ,and looked down. "It just feels completely surreal that this journey… worked. That it's over now. That this is the last opponent, and once he's dead…"
Her eyes watered with the thought. "We get to go home, Dan. In just a few hours, we're gonna be going home."

"I know.", said Dan, and knelt down. He gently rubbed Brandy's hair, and she moved herself halfheartedly against it. "But now is no time for wishful thinking. RIght now, we have to kill the bugger. For everyone."

"For everyone…", said Brandy, and clenched her fist in determination . "We will, Dan. We are going to battle him, and we are going to win."

They both were thinking the same thing as they left- or, rather, all four. I hope…

Brandy began to quickly run down the large flat plain that was the ground, the distinct melts and footprints too large for her to even notice she was running right through them. All she noticed was the size of the place, seeming infinite as she ran, unable to even really get a hold of things. It all just looked the same, no matter how fast she went, like the vast rock structures and strange furniture on the walls were just always in the distance. It was like she wasn't even moving- she looked down to make sure. Yes, thankfully, she was in fact moving. The constant smaller rocks she jumped over and weaved between without even thinking were constant reminders of that fact.

"Leon!", shouted Brandy, and looked behind her- but she could see nothing. It was as if Leon had suddenly disappeared, gone to nothing and nowhere. "Le- Leon?"

A familiar feeling came over her, and she shouted with all her fear. "LEON!"

But then her heart once again resumed working, as Leon came sprinting around a corner, a particularly large rock having hidden him from view. He gave a short wave- and almost collapsed as Brandy Dashed into him with a solid hug, then back out again.

"Come on Leon, we have to keep on moving.", she said, and looked around. "No wasting time."

"I'm not even wasting time.", grumbled Leon, but he kept on moving. He was running now, as fast as he possibly could- but that was nothing before the intense speed that Brandy could put out like it was nothing. 216 miles per hour- she cut through air like it was nothing, almost dancing on the raindrops in the sky- if there had been any down in the evil lair.

Leon looked up- and saw something that made his heart stop. There walked Brandy, waiting for him to catch up. That she knew- but what she had not known was the gigantic rock that hovered right over her head, preparing bit by bit to fall- and oh, there it was. It had fallen.

"MOM!", shouted Leon as loud as he could, and sprinted with the maximum speed he possibly could- but in the end, it made no difference. For the rock suddenly, gently moved up, no display of preparations or anything of the source. Brandy continued to not even really notice, just looking around. She was about to yell back to Leon- but then she looked up, and she gasped.

"What the-", she said, then was suddenly tackled from behind by a now very familiar shape, her green and white dress moving around with the movement, her long hair caught in its own loops. It took Brandy half a second to throw her off, half a second to prepare to attack, and half a second to recognize it. Her eyes widened and a genuine smile hit her face, unprepared for the sudden reunion. "S… Sonjia?"

Song: Traitor's Requiem- Music Box

The Gravity Elf looked up- and took a step back, her arm going behind her neck. "Hehe… yeah. It's me. Don't be angry at me just cause I was following you on your journey this whole time, okay?"

"Don't worry, we won't-", said Brandy, then did a double take. "Wait. The whooole time?"

"Well, after you destroyed the Clan Castle that I had been hiding in, I kinda had no choice.", said Sonjia, and shrugged. "No one would take me in, so… I just followed you guys around, I guess. Taking food, walking in paths of devastation so no one would follow me- it was simple, really. I didn't go into Dark Mountain though…"
Sonjia bowed her head. "I did hear what happened."

"I see.", said Brandy, and looked down at the ground as well. "Well, what's done is done, and we can't really ever be expected to-"

She stopped- not wanting to go on, not wanting to deal with the painful memories such an action would cause. Leon put his hand gently on her shoulder, and she smiled just a touch.

"You hadn't happened to run into my brother, had you?", Sonjia asked, and Brandy looked up. "Brother? You have a brother?"

"Yeah.", said Sonjia, and Bandy felt a little touch of guilt for not knowing- for some reason. They had hardly even known Sonjia at all- but now, she felt more familiar than was expected.

"Seveljia. The Gravity Wizard? Has essentially the same powers as me, only slightly different?"
Seeing Brandy's blank stare, Sonjia continued to elebrotate. "You know, kinda looks like me? I'm pretty sure he was working with the Forgotten? You.. know.."

She sighed, and looked down at the ground, the corners of her eyes beginning to wet. "I guess… I guess not then."

She knew that the Spectre had been the last Forgotten- including her very own dear brother. She guessed that some other traveling band of attackers must have dealt him in if Brandy and her group had not. Such coherent thoughts were strange, out of place in her sorrow.

Brother…

Brandy saw the sadness on her face, and immediately wished to help from experience. She walked forward a bit, holding out her hand towards Sonjia's shoulder in order to-

She felt something. Brandy, all of a sudden, felt something erupt from deep within the mountain, some unavoidable, inexplicable aura of absolute dread that hit like a boulder falling from space. It shot through her entire system like a clean cut knife, forcing her to gasp, clutch her right shoulder, and gently fall over. Looking around, she could see that it had hit something different for everyone else- Leon was grabbing his head. Sonjia was grabbing her face, and moving back and forth.

"Uh… guys?", asked Brandy, not even noticing the dark and massive shadow that slowly loomed up from behind her. "Has anyone found the Blood Elixir yet?"

Dan walked carefully along the dark cavern, seeing everything like from the perspective of an insect- and it hurt him. He had always been huge, even when he was just a Knight. To see the world like this was not just disorienting- it was dehumanizing, almost de-being.

"Daddy?", asked Bubble, and looked up. She saw Dan grit his teeth and squeeze his fist with the strength of a cracking continent, and frowned. "Daddy, are you alright?"

"I'm-", said Dan, and closed his eyes. He had to be honest with his daughter. "I'm not fine. Everything feels so weird ,so huge, so ridiculously large that it-"

Then he suddenly saw everything within the cavern as though it was normal. It was not that it had shrunken, or that he had grown, or even his true perspective had changed. It just looked… normal to him now. He looked down at Bubble, who smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Bubble.", said Dan, and scooped her up onto his shoulders. He continued walking a bit faster, looking back and forth for the promised goal.

But even as he did, Dan began to notice very strange things. For one, the vat that should have been at least somewhere seemed to be nowhere at all. From every corner of the entire cavern came light, sight- but none of it contained the Blood Elixir. A single shock ran through his heart- had Rakastamos already drunken it? His heart beat faster- were they too late?

But then he saw something that turned those thoughts away, replaced by a sensation of calm. The door to the massive cave was sealed tight, no sense of any Dragon leaving from it for quite a good while. There was no way he had left, sure to still-

For just a brief second, Dan's heart stopped.

Then it once again beat with a fiery intensity, Bubble almost blown off her feet from the strength of his flowing blood. She saw the panic on his face- a completely new sensation to her.

"Daddy?", she asked, and shivered a bit. "What's wrong-"
"Get on my shoulders, Bubble.", he said, with a deadly seriousness like solid iron. "Do it now. Don't ask questions. Now."
"What-", said Bubble, but Dan just picked her up and put her on. He ran towards Brandy and Leon at high speed, not wanting what he had thought of to be true.

Brandy felt weak, feeling the power still rush through her body from whatever it had been- then she turned around. She almost shrieked when she saw it- but thankfully, she did not scream for long, as Dan was there, and calmed her down.

"What are you doing screaming for?", asked Dan, his voice full of alarm, more than Brandy had ever even seen before. We can't find the Blood Elixir, which is one thing, but-"

He looked around, pointing to another. "We can't find any way out of here!"
"Okay.", said Brandy, and looked down to the ground. "I mean that's bad but-"

"Don't you get what this means?", asked Dan, his voice beginning to panic. "If we can't find any way out of here, that means Rakastamos doesn't leave during this point in the day!"

He took a moment for that to sink in, and only then noticed that Sonjia was in the group. He gave her a strange look and a mental note, shrugging internally. It was strange a bit that she was here, he guessed- but hey. The more, the stronger.

He noticed that the group had still not sunken in the news with their tired brains, and so he spelled it out for them. "And that means he's still here!"

The shock suddenly spread through the now 5 person group like a waterfall, Sonjia hiding behind Leon's back and grabbing both his shoulders. Dan's eyes were insane, as much as Brandy tried to calm them down- until he looked up.

"He's- still here?", Brandy shouted, and felt a dark terror suddenly grow within her, crawling across her skin and laughing with absolute pain. She felt herself almost double over, clutching at her stomach in fear. Despite all the hyping up, the thought going up against him was still just a bit too much. "Which means he's going to… going… to…"

Song: Super Perfect Cell

For just a moment, the group felt time stop out of simultaneous panic and respect. There was a great wave of absolute horror that fell over the entire group, the crushing weight of a thousand dying stars all pressed into their shoulders with a vicious intent to kill. As each one of them turned around to face the thing that had appeared behind him, far more silent and stealthy than he had any right to be, their bodies began to shake. For there stood no Forgotten, no hint, no vague little inkling, no mockery of the real thing. No, in front of the group, the DragonKillers, all so small in their strength, compared to the being that was there- The Dragon- they were but insignificant.

"Oh ho, no, don't mind me.", said Rakastamos, towering over them like a tree towers over a crumb, or a spatial dimension that towers over but a single world. His skin was golden and red, dripping blood with the horror of the freshly coated kill, Elixir still bleeding from the teeth. His wings were outstretched like the cloud of an oncoming apocalypse, the remains of the recent natural disaster still deep within him. His heart pumped the blazing, boiling blood throughout his entire body in seconds, blood that would scald normal bodies within a second, burning them all the way to death. "By all means, do go on."

His face- his great and nightmarish face, the face which had been raised to end the world by the owner of it, a sight that tasted like the end of all that was- his face twisted, into a horrifying raging shape. His teeth turned downwards as he towered over the group in his full despair-inducing size, and his eyes crunched up into the very picture of cataclysmic wrath and rage themselves- and the group feared.

Dan stared, all his courage pushed to the front to prevent his fear from fronting.

Brandy stared, feeling herself stand perfectly still in the face of such a threat.

Leon stared- and vanished, totally unable to stand the pressure.

Bubble stared- and tried to cope, bjut felt the tears of horror begin to flow.

Sonjia stared- and did nothing, only starting to faint.

Rakastamos spoke one last time as he stood there, all 2900 feet of his otherworldly height, the true terror of his very being revealed at last. This was it- the final battle was about to begin, and there was no turning back. No more calmness, no more rest. No more casual conversation or interesting artifacts, no more sights to see, food to eat, or places to visit. The only thing that remained now was the ultimate bloody battle, and the conflict for the world's life and fate.

"I want to hear your ideas."