Disclaimer: I do not own Fossil Fighters, any of the vivosaurs or characters (Except for Creed), and am simply writing this for my own amusement.
A/N: As the sequel to my previous fic, Dark Horse Gambit, this story will continue building up on the foundation I have already laid down. It shall detail the adventures of novice Fossil Fighter Vestello Leoncor as he competes in the infamous Caliosteo Cup. What sort of troubles will he face? You are welcome to read and find out.
Acknowledgments: Firstly, I would like to thank Devaro Ayanami for his wonderful help as both my Beta and my sounding-board. Secondly, I would like to thank Tempest Bound for encouraging me to post this story now, rather than later. Thirdly, I would like to thank Vathara for all the wonderful stories -which I highly recommend you read- she has posted. Reading them has helped me find ways of expanding my own writing style.
Chapter 3
The BareBones Brigade III
Subject: Re: The Caper of Mt Krakanak!
From: Leveche
A giant boulder.
On an island filled with multi-ton, ridiculously strong vivosaurs…
Yeah… at first glance it seems as if you're dealing with incompetency the level of the former BB Bandits. At least you don't have to suffer with ridiculous purple spandex. The uniforms you described do sound interesting. I'll confess I wouldn't mind seeing a picture if you could get one. I know you don't really use that smart phone I gave you, but it does have a decent camera built in.
Boneysaurs? Wonder where they got those from… While on one hand that sounds impossible on the other hand there's still so much about vivosaurs we don't know. The scientists in charge just don't experiment much with their possible appearances for fear of harming the vivosaur or creating a monster of some kind.
I'm not too surprised about there being three 'commanders' to the Brigade. The BB Bandits had a trio of commanders as well. However, take the declaration that they're almost as strong as Don Boneyard with a grain of salt. There is a very large gap between the power levels of a commander and that of a leader. All the same, when you meet them—and I guarantee that you will – do not underestimate them.
Good luck with your next match.
/\/\/\/\
"Bwa ha ha ha!"
O…kay… Amber eyed the frilly, pale turquoise parasol. Not a sound one would associate with such a sight…
A giggle sounded as big blue eyes gazed up at him.
"Did I sound evil right there?" Was the innocent question. "After seeing Don Boneyard, I decided to start laughing like him."
I…really hope she isn't going to go all fangirl for him…
The speakers blipped to life.
"The next match is Nell vs. Vestello. Combatants should enter the stadium immediately."
Clearing her throat, the girl in a yellow sundress with pigtails put on a 'fierce' face. "Now I shall crush you in battle! Bwa ha ha!"
It was…actually quite tempting to snicker as they made their way out into the stadium.
Once in place the two Fighters launched their respective teams. On Vestello's side appeared Vicious at point with Regal and Spirit flanking him. On Nell's side a trio of warm-colored vivosaurs Vestello hadn't fought before.
At point with lavender-grey coloring a pair of horns reminiscent of Regal's own horns above its brow stood a fierce-looking theropod. Over eight meters from nose-to-tail it was a descendent of the albertosaurus, or 'Alberta Lizard', known as a vivosaur as berto.
To one side of the berto flew a pterosaur, marginally smaller than Spirit but with a thicker bill. Derived from the dsungaripterus or 'Junggar Basin Wing' it was called a Sungari. On the other side of the berto stood a stegosaurian vivosaur, roughly four and a half meters long, descended from the huayangosaurus or 'Lizard of Sichuan'.
The funny thing was that all three of Nell's vivosaurs were of the fire affinity.
Seems simple enough…but let's see if she has any surprises in store.
::Spirit? Can I trust you to handle the other flyer without supervision?::
A starburst of eager oranges splashed across a sea of laughing yellows and greens.
::Play-fly-fun. Dart-and-dodge-then-catch.'
Satisfied the most maneuverable of his team was set, Vestello settled back on his heels. Waiting...
"Sungari: Sungari beam on Thalasso!"
::Careful.:: Vestello warned.
A lightshow of red-yellow-pink rings coalesced, streaked, and missed completely as the wave runner cheerfully looped away, little explosions of laughing yellows in his mental wake.
"Berto: Thick Jaws on Tricera! Sungari: Sungari Beam again!"
A blink. For real?
::Regal, brace then retaliate.'
Thick blue-and-gold legs braced against loose sand as Regal flattened his head. Pearly white set in a maw of lavender flashed and clamped down—
-Yelped as a triad of piercing horns dug deep into its belly and its powerful legs were picked right off the ground as the herbivore reared.
Up and over.
The resulting dust cloud obscured both from view.
::Vicious: Wind Blast.::
Gray and white surged on a wave of lashing turquoise, cutting through the thick dust cloud. A howl split the air then cut off. A dino medal pinged across the dunes.
::Good—:: A sudden explosion muddy reds and browns nearly sent him face-first into the sand. ::Spirit!::
Battered and singed, the wave runner wobbled high overhead. The Sungari pursued the lagging pterosaur, mercilessly launching a barrage of blows, driving it further earthward.
It's awfully close to the—
"Yango: Spike Tail on the Aeros!"
::Spirit: Tornado Wing on them both!::
Water surged in a sudden typhoon of piercing beaks and knife-like wingtips, stirring up sand and startled vivosaurs.
A second dino medal skipped across the sand, leaving only a staggering yango on the field.
Speaking of staggering…
::Vicious, catch him.::
With surprising gentleness, Vicious caught the lagging wave runner in his jaws.
Amber took note of the wide awe-filled blue eyes opposite him. And her gaze is drawn—
::Regal: Running Smash.::
And that was that. Already weakened by Spirit's previous attack and at an elemental disadvantage, the yango was forced back into its medal.
Sand crunching underfoot, Vicious knelt and held Spirit in front of Vestello. The bluenette reached out, stroking the blue-toned bill.
The wave runner stirred, chirring weakly.
Foamy wisps of apologetic gray-blue trickled across a sea of pained, washed out colors.
::Sorry…::
::Don::t apologize.:: A gentle caress of the worn beak. ::I should have been a better Fighter. Had I been, you wouldn't have gotten hurt.::
Another soft chirr.
::Return to your medal. Rest.::
/\/\/\
"You did it again, Vestello! I knew you could!"
I did win…but… A near silent sigh. It wasn't a clean win…
But Todd didn't seem to notice his friend's dreary expression.
"That was a smoking-hot battle! And the way your thalasso almost got two vivosaurs at once was epic!"
Any further commentary was cut off as Terry walked up.
"Congratulations for clearing Round 3!" He held out his hand. "Here's a prize for making it this far."
Yikes, that's big! Vestello gaped at the giant fossil rock. Will it even fit…? A flash of light and it went into his fossil case just as easily as any other fossil.
Terry grinned. "That's a giant fossil rock. It actually contains all four fossil parts! But since it's so big, the thing is a nightmare to clean on your own."
Vestello grinned, though it was strained. Heh, heh, greeaaat…
Terry noticed his expression. "You might have better luck if you take it to Clean Z. Fossil's Cleaning-Party Emporium."
Clean Z. Fossil? Honestly, what's with these names?
A friendly wave. "Good luck in the next round!" And he walked away.
Todd opened his mouth to speak when their paleopagers blipped.
"Incoming FMS message. All Round 3 matches of the Caliosteo Cup are now complete. Ordinarily we would open a new dig site as a result, but due to technical difficulties the opening of Rainbow Canyon will be delayed until the day after tomorrow. Rainbow Canyon sparkles with color and is home to a variety of elemental types. Fighters are urged to travel there and prepare for Round 4 as soon as it opens."
Todd drooped. "That's a bummer. I want to go now!" He spent a moment sulking, then brightened. "Oh, that's right!"
Vestello yelped.
"I almost forgot!" Dragging his friend by the arm, Todd made for the front desk. "We need to update our Fossil Ids! I'm a level 2 now, thanks to some odd jobs I did the other day and helping deal with the Jungle Labyrinth Monster—"
Adark brow quirked up. 'Deal with the Jungle Labyrinth Monster?' What did you do—Oh, wait, that's right, you got Stella.
It was simple enough to get updated Todd's ID so it didn't take long for Vestello to update his. Unfortunately, there was one key difference between his and Todd's—
"Hey! How're you a level 5 already?"
It was the receptionist who answered.
"Vestello Leoncor has received honors for not only aiding in clearing the path of Mt. Krakanak, but dealing with the monster of the Jungle Labyrinth, making it passed the third round, and for performing several odd jobs around Ribular Island." She read off the computer screen.
Todd just gaped.
Vestello shrugged and, not wishing to stick around for Todd's recovering exclamations, beat a hasty escape towards the cleaning center.
/\/\/\
Dismayed, Vestello watched as Felic confiscate the oversize still mostly-covered fossil rock. Even with all the Time Plus patches Stella had given him he still hadn't managed to clean it in time. He hadn't even gotten close.
Well…at least I didn't break it. He reasoned, trying to suppress his disappointment.
It didn't help much. And the fact that the fossil had been a gift made the loss sting all the more. Coupled with the loss was the sense of shame that he had failed to live up to Terry's unvoiced expectations.
"If I may, Master Vestello." Depressing job done, Felic had returned. "Mayhaps you should purchase either more Time Plus patches or the Hyper Hammer and Super Drill before trying something of that magnitude." A pause. "And…I would not be adverse to helping remove the outermost layer of rock if you so wish."
[Thank-you.]
Feeling a bit better, Vestello bowed to the robot before leaving for the Fighter's Quarters.
It had been a long day and his hammock was calling his name.
/\/\/\
Alright, I've seen Wondrous Fossils so…what's this supposed to be? Amber eyed the elongated hexagon-shaped fossil rock.
He shrugged, slipping into the last slot in the back of his fossil case and continued on. Maybe I'll ask Felic later—Is that Rupert?
Curiosity a-callin', the bluenette approached the silver-haired teenager.
Pale gold flickered up. Blinked.
"…Oh. Hello." A polite dip of the head.
Vestello returned the gesture then glanced at Di66-R, eyes curious.
"I'm testing Di66-R's effectiveness as a helper robot. Don't bother me." Rupert glanced away again.
Oh, okay. A friendly wave, then Vestello turned away—
"There, on your wrist, what is that?" Rupert demanded suddenly, head snapping around.
Amber blinked, then Vestello held up his gauntlet. Rupert's eyes widened.
"That's just like the gauntlet Creed Peregrine uses!"
That name again…
[C-R-E-E-D, who?] He signed without thinking.
"You don't know who Creed Peregrine is?"
[Sign-Language, you-know?]
It was hard to tell who was the more surprised of the two.
Rupert shrugged. "Mother wanted me to learn French, but Father said any low-class person could learn French, so I learned sign language instead." He frowned. "How do you not know who Creed Peregrine is?"
[*Affirmation* Hear-name.
*Negation* Know-more…]
Maybe this time he'd get some information. Everyone else just found a way to change the subject or ignored his questions all together.
[You-tell-me?]
The company heir straightened. "Creed Peregrine is a Synchro Fighter who began her career almost five years ago. She has the record for being the first Fighter to ever achieve the Master Rank in less than a month. During the Tourney on Vivosaur Island she beat the BB Bandits, defeated a pair of ancient vivosaurs so strong they could alter weather patterns, and saved the world from utter oblivion!" Gold grew almost starry. "She's the strongest Fighter in the world and has never lost."
Vestello canted his head.
[C-R-E-E-D *negation* compete, why?]
"Tournaments bore her." Was the matter-of-fact declaration. Which actually lead Vestello to believe that it was more an assumption of Rupert's than a solid fact. "Even the other Synchro Fighters have trouble keeping up with her. She spends most of her time searching for, and cataloging, new Fossil Rocks." A pause. "I met her once, she's amazing."
He sounds just like Todd when he's talking about Joe Wildwest. The bluenette would have smiled if he hadn't of known Rupert wouldn't take it nicely.
"Do you…" Now Rupert grew shy, hiding behind his bangs. "Do you want to know what she told me?"
Intrigued, Vestello nodded.
"She said—" His voice dropped to a low, excited whisper. "—she said that I was a Synchro Fighter, just like her."
That…explains a lot actually…
"And that I have a duel affinity."
A blink. Just like me.
[Which two?]
"Water and Fire. But she said my Water affinity was my primary, though." A pause, silver brows furrowing. "She seemed a little sad when she said it, but I don't know why…"
Maybe I'll ask Leveche in my next email…
Vestello raised his hands again.
[Me-meet-someone.
They-tell-me double-natured,
Same-as-you.]
Now Rupert looked intrigued. "What's your affinity?"
[1st-Earth, 2nd-Wind]
There was a long pause before Rupert began studying Vestello intently, expression thoughtful. "That…explains a lot about you, actually."
Amber blinked. Eh?
"You're calm and patient—unlike your excitable friend—but you have an air of mischief about you." He then fixed him with such a knowing look that Vestello was momentarily taken aback.
He knows… And suddenly he felt incredibly sheepish.
"You don't have good balance, though…"
Come again?
"Between your affinities." Rupert elaborated. "You use both automatically, but when you try to transition from one to the other you…stutter." A frown. "You mis-time your actions and the results…vary from instance to instance."
Ah… A shrug. [Come-here fix, practice.]
Rupert nodded, gaze approving. A pause, then he glanced back at the immobile Di66-R. "Now, if you will excuse me, I really must get back to work." He turned away.
And I need to start practicing.
And Vestello started for the wide-open base of Mt. Krakanak.
/\/\/\
Subject: Onward and Upward
From: Harmattan
I made it passed the third round! It was quite an eye-opener and showed me just how much I still have to learn. Spirit, my wave-runner, got hurt while I was focusing on Regal and Vicious. I thought he'd be alright without my commands but I was wrong and because I was so quick to focus on other things he got battered almost to the point of being forced back into his medal. It really hurt, seeing him in that state, and what hurt more is that he apologized for not being able to handle the Sungari on his own.
This isn't the first time my own negligence has hurt one of my vivosaurs. The other day I was riding on Halcyon, my new half-bird, and we both would have been eaten by a tophis had Savage not stepped in (literally) and then later against the BareBone Brigade Halcyon (and myself) would have gotten trampled by one of the boneysaurs if Stark, my saber-tooth vivosaur, hadn't saved us. (Both said flat out that there would be no more riding. You know you've screwed up when your own vivosaurs have to lay down the law.)
The opening of the new dig site, Rainbow Canyon, was delayed for some reason, so all the Fighters had a free day. Todd went who-knows-where. I haven't seen him since last evening. Anyway, I went to Mt. Krakanak to try and work out the problems in my style when I ran into Rupert again. We had an interesting conversation which brought to mind several questions:
Rupert told me about Creed Peregrine (Don't think I haven't noticed how you've been avoiding the topic) and said that she had told him he was a Water and Fire affinity Synchro Fighter but that she looked sad when she mentioned it. Do you have any idea why she'd be sad about his affinity? He also said how she had never lost a Battle, is that really true? Is she really as strong as he said? Did she really 'save the world from oblivion'?
Also, do you have any suggestions on how I can get over the flaws in my fighting style? It's really bugging me. Today's training session has helped a bit, but I'm nowhere near where I should be.
/\
Subject: Conflict of Interests?
From: Harmattan
I was just going over our old emails and realized I had completely overlooked a question of yours. You asked how I could be both a Christian and a Fossil Fighter and wasn't it a conflict of interests, what did you mean by that? I can't figure it out…
/\/\/\/\
Reviews are always appreciated. They let me know my story is not simply collecting virtual dust. And by reviews I mean something a bit more than 'awesome story' or the like. Tell me what you enjoyed, and even what you did not (though please refrain from going on a tangent).
/\/\/\
To DunaN2 (Guest): It's up to you either way, though I'll admit I'd cringe a bit less if she were older than the age you listed. And, just to be straight, your character's name is Dunal? First few times I read it I thought it was a misspelling of Dynal. Out of curiosity, what made you chose that name?
As curious as I am about your characters I think it would be better to wait until you have your account online.
Ah, the pleasures of being a cat owner. Are they still rubbing for the scent or has it worn off by now?
/\/\/\
Sneak Peak:
No wonder they call it 'Rainbow Canyon'. Amber eyed distant, colorful bands of cliff face. 'The rocks here put skittles to shame.
A faint clatter of claw-against-pebbles and a high-tenor bark-bark made Vestello look up, and pause.
Huh, didn't know they let dogs on the island… He watched an attractive young blonde, presumably the dog's owner, kneel down before the small canine.