Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, they're much appreciated :D. In this chapter our group suffer a most unusual setback...
----
Reiko's skin crawled, Arson's spine tingled, and Zone's fur stood on end slightly, the hamster quickly trying to brush it down before someone did something embarrassing like tell him how cute it was. Something out of place had happened when they walked through that last door. They had crossed some invisible threshold, though none could see it they all felt it, hence their various reactions. Surprisingly it was Arson who commented on it first. "Something's wrong" he said, glancing about cautiously.
He was right. They were inside a chamber of sorts, some wide, tall, dark room that stretched up and down into shadow both ways. A stone path reached across it to some stairs and a door on the other side, and another one split off to the right halfway, up some other stairs to another door, but this one was blocked by stone debris. In the middle of this suspended T-junction was some kind of strange stone construct that looked a little like a crane, facing the blocked door.
"Do either of you feel... Out of place?" Zone asked curiously, just then noticing the golden statue of a woman besides them and admiring it, wondering how much it would sell on eBay for. "This is wrong, this..." Reiko said, pausing as he tried to put his finger on it. "This is the wrong place, the door we went through, doesn't lead here, we're in a different part of the tower" he concluded, with absolute accuracy.
"How?" Zone and Arson asked together, their voices sounding a little strange in sync. "I think, we've walked through a continuity error" Reiko replied, Arson nodding sagely as Zone stared blankly. Finally the hybrid stopped nodding and tilted his head, "A what?" he asked, clueless. "A continuity error, when things happen out of sequence or places are mismatched. It must be Mary Sue, her coming here has damaged the stability of the fandom and caused fractures where things are reordered out of sequence, they can kill a good story outright" Reiko answered with a tone of ill omen.
"Turn back?" Zone suggested, not one to normally back down from something, but this seemed more like a detour and he didn't see any point in it. "We might not be able to get around it though" Reiko replied, pondering their options. Things were getting bad, this anomaly was a portent of such, "We should press on, the fracture should only be small this early on, if we get to the other side it should rejoin up to where we were and let us continue normally" he concluded. Arson nodded and Zone shrugged after a moment, "OK, I hope we got moved to a place with vending machines at least" he said, rubbing a paw through the fur on his stomach, currently standing on his hind legs. The hamster hadn't eaten in a while and wondered if the golden statue could be used to order pizza deliveries.
Reiko walked to the crane, and examining it, noticed three indents that looked just like something was meant to be placed in each of them. Turning next to look at the rock pile it faced, he walked up the small flight of stairs towards it. Resting his hands on a slab of debris, he gave an experimental pull. Reiko was inhumanly strong, but the rock didn't budge an inch, it was pinned by some chunks above it and the vampire knew even his and Arson's combined strength couldn't clear the path.
Reiko looked back at his allies, Arson hanging upside down from the stone crane and trying to remove the shiny device from the top, failing despite his valiant tugging. Zone was still sizing up the gold statue, Reiko glad he at least was looking at the whole thing, not just the chest area. Heading back down the steps he turned to the other door, which seemed to be their only choice. "We should check this way" he said, walking to the last option, the others soon following him.
----
One minute and one door later, the three of them were in the next room, and arguing. "For God's sake you glorified sock" Reiko yelled at Zone, "This isn't about proving anything, it's just about maximising our chances". "Shut up morgue mascot! I've proven I can handle myself, I want to do the fighting one, let Arson do skill, he's bouncing around constantly anyway" Zone retorted, the two staring each other down (well, down in Reiko's case), as Arson looked between them and sighed "This party needs more soda".
The room they were now in was like the one before, only the path reached the middle, then branched into three narrow stairways leading to doorways in the far wall. In front of the entrance was a pedestal explaining that each room contained a trial, which guarded some kind of key needed to advance, and in front of each line of stairs was another explaining the specific trial. The three challenges were wisdom, technique, which seemed to be something like skill and agility, and power, or fighting prowess.
They were going to do one each since time was of the essence, and Reiko had opted do to wisdom, which had met with no objections. However when he suggested Arson took care of the fighting one, Zone complained that he wanted that one. Reiko had explained that although Zone had surprised them and proven himself a capable combatant for his size, Arson was the strongest in raw power and he should handle it. Zone had explained that Reiko and his reasoning could jump off the suspended path they stood on, he was here risking his life just as much as them, and he wanted to face this challenge and conquer it.
Arson meanwhile had quietly suggested a number of things that he thought could have improved the mood, including strawberries, party streamers, strawberries, TV, strawberries and now soda. He was about to give strawberries another try, since he was sure they couldn't fail to lift moral if properly embraced, when Reiko gave in and decided if he was going to convince the rodent, he'd have to do it on his level.
"Fine! Rock paper scissors, winner decides" he said, putting his hand out and down to Zone in a fist of challenge. The hamster put out his own tiny paw, "You're on!" he replied, accepting this ancient, honoured method of settling disputes. Arson stood besides them and took the role of bout-caller as he said "Ready, 1, 2, 3, lay em out!", the other two shaking their hands four times, and on the fourth showing their choice.
"Stone smashes scissors, Reiko wins!" Arson yelled, doing a little dance and presenting Reiko to the empty room. Smirking, the vampire nudged Zone with his fist, making the humbled rodent stumble a little, and simply said "Technique, alright?". Zone gave a brief glare of defiance, mostly for the knock, since he couldn't complain because that was what you traditionally did when stone beat scissors, but Reiko knew he could push him around, but Zone didn't want to admit it. He relented though, he'd lost fair and square, and sighed "Yeah, fine, you beat me". Reiko was glad to see the hamster had some sportsmanship, or sportsrodentship as the case may be.
Standing up he nodded to Arson, "You take power then", and glancing at both the others, he turned and walked swiftly up the left-hand stairs into the wisdom trial. Arson whooped and despite the lack of banisters to keep him from falling from the narrow stairs into the seemingly bottomless expanse below, ran and cartwheeled through the right portal. Zone watched him go, shook his head and shrugged, muttering "Eh, technique isn't so bad". Glancing at the steps before him he sighed in exasperation, "Stupid stairs" he added with a daft, sarcastic smirk, walking forwards and hopping up them one at a time.
----
Arson, who had rushed into his trial, found himself in a room similar to the others and yet, different, enhanced in certain fashions, some characteristics emphasized while others were obscured. The chains, the sharper angles, especially the two spikes jutting out higher than he stood in the square space he was walking into. The room was designed with a clear atmosphere in mind, and that was deadly, lethal, vicious.
As he strode on, the sound of stone grinding on stone could be heard, and the hybrid turned to see a heavy barrier rise to block his entrance, sealing him in the medium-sized square arena. In front of him another one rose up to cover the shiny object lying on a ledge Arson had been heading towards. On each of these new stone constructs was a dial, and since Arson actually knew vastly more than he let on, he recognised them as switches, which would activate with enough energy directed at them, kinetic or otherwise.
Suddenly demons began breaking into the room, Hell Prides and other sins, Arson drawing Dragon and Phoenix quickly. He noticed as each one appeared it was enveloped in a purple aura, and suddenly it clicked. Activating both switches would disable the aura, at least temporarily, and while it was active the demons would be much tougher. Realising this the devil in Arson smirked, narrowing his eyes as he held up his burning swords, a wicked expression on his normally childish features framed by the licking flames of his weapon. Since his friends weren't around he could really let loose, and the unbound hybrid didn't intend to touch the switches. Oh he was going to enjoy this he thought, as with a cry of "Toys!", he leapt into the enchanted demons, and for lack of a better term, happened to them.
----
Meanwhile in the trial of wisdom, Reiko was shaking his head in disappointment. "This is the wisdom of the ancient ones?" he asked the empty room disbelievingly.
The clue inscribed on the pedestal before the stairs that led him here spoke of following the path of life, as an infant on all fours, then a man proud and upright, and finally an old man on his walking stick. The room he stood in had four ways out, including the one he entered from, one in each wall. His door had one red light over it, and then clockwise from him the others had two, three and four red lights over them respectfully. The answer was so painfully obvious the vampire half-suspected a trick, but he could see no other possibility. Walk the path of life, an infant on all fours, a man standing tall, then an old man with a walking stick. In other words, take the door with four lights, then one with two, then one with three, simple.
Still shaking his head, having been somewhat disillusioned with the so-called wisdom of the ancient ones, he walked to the four-light doorway, his mind all geared up to solve a challenging puzzle for nothing now.
As he followed the simple path, Reiko's thoughts, which were engaged and without a topic to focus, wandered to the situation in general, slipping into brooding as he so often did. The vampire realised this was the first real chance he'd had to think since everything had started, either fighting or hanging around the other two, who were distracting to say the least.
It was all so, vast and bizarre. This alien being, Mary Sue, had just invaded the fandom, defeated the sons of Sparda and taken them hostage. It shouldn't even be possible, she shouldn't be possible, but it was, and Reiko knew what a dire threat she was to the entire fandom. Yet here they were trying to stop her, just the three of them, a trio of original characters against a primal force of evil corruption. Reiko knew why he was here. He was trying to help however he could, since even if he couldn't it was only his life at risk and that was worth any chance he could help Dante, he believed. But then the others had come along, first Arson, who despite their friendly relationship Reiko suspected kept things from him. The angel-devil was a cleverly disguised enigma, and the vampire knew he wouldn't reveal his secrets unless he chose to. Then there was Zone; Reiko had known the rodent for a while and had over time realised there was more to him than mere cockiness, and that beneath his smart-mouthed demeanour lay a decent soul. But he still didn't truly understand why he had come along, he speculated it was something to do with proving himself, or rising to the challenge of it, but he suspected that was only half of the hamster's motives.
Stepping through the last door, the vampire entered a room like the others, only this one had a stone plinth in the centre. Atop this rested a shining object, which Reiko stepped up to, picking it up and looking it over. It was a smooth, light blue stone vaguely round in shape. Figuring it was what he came for, Reiko pocketed it and turned to leave, still deliberating the dangerous insanity of it all and wondering how it would all end.
----
Next door in the trial of technique, Zone was laughing deliriously and trying not to laugh harder still.
Once he got up the stairs, he had found himself entering a long corridor, about 8 metres wide, 10 metres tall with a curved ceiling, and so long the far end was shrouded in shadow. Seeing no immediate threats he had advanced, only to be startled almost out of his fur by a sharp rushing sound. The sudden noise sounded like sleek, sharp metal slicing through air, and Zone's shocked imagination pictured a storm of razor sharp blades zooming from the dark of the hall towards him.
A very rodent-like fear gripped him, the diminutive hamster scared of being helplessly exterminated by something he couldn't escape or protect himself from. Feeling the creeping terror in his gut, Zone gulped, swallowed and despite it knotting his stomach, stood firm, paws clenched tight at his sides. Though he didn't let it show, this wasn't the only time this kind of fear haunted him. The primal terror of being powerless and vulnerable was one the small rodent in fact faced surprisingly often, to some degree or other. But though it could shake him to his very core, each time he was faced with it he would grit his teeth and resolve not to be succumb to it, to fight it, holding himself together with will alone against the ever-present urge and choice to give in. This time was no different, and Zone quelled his worry and panic, and waited resolutely to find out what this trial of technique would offer him.
When it came, the rodent was at first impressed, letting out a whistle of appreciation, before suddenly realising something, which leads us to where we found him, laughing somewhat uncontrollably. The reason he was so amused was this.
The trial of technique was to run the gauntlet of the corridor, which the rodent noticed now his attention was drawn to them, had holes in the floor, walls and curved ceiling at even, grid-like intervals. From these openings would jut long, hard metal spikes with enough sharpness and force to punch a hole right through any person getting in their way. The spikes came down the corridor in waves, one after the other, reaching between walls or ceiling and floor slightly over halfway, so that there was no one safe path through them.
The gauntlet was an utterly genuine and authentic do or die, run for your life affair, a legitimate death trap. The reason Zone was laughing so much was for the second time that day he had inadvertently exposed a small oversight in the traps of Temen-Ni-Gru, which he demonstrated now.
Walking forwards without heed for the timing or pattern of the spike waves, the tiny, soft and cuddly rodent advanced into the teeth of the trial... And kept on walking unobstructed. This was because the spacing between one row of spikes and the next was several inches wide, nothing any human could fit through, but for the hamster, only six inches tall and a couple wide at best, there was room to spare. Also, the lowest wall spikes came out several inches above the floor, and if he walked on all fours they went safely over his head. "Oooh, irony" Zone giggled to himself daftly, having a wonderfully fun if immature laugh at the tower's expense as he walked casually down the corridor on all fours, heading for the shining object on a stone stand at the far end, its defences rendered useless by his small stature.
----
Arson whooped as he rode the demon around the room, having buried his twin swords through its back, he was using them for handles as he kicked and yelled like a cowboy. The Hell Lust galloped around the room madly in an attempt to shake him, but the hyper hybrid only gave a cowboy "Yeehaw!", enjoying the wild ride immensely. Finally the Hell Lust, weakened from the exertion and damage of being double impaled, slowed to a stop. Arson sat up as it did then planted his feet on its back, and channelling fire through Dragon and Phoenix, kicked off of the demon as it exploded from raw flaming power poured into its body.
Spinning around, the teenager landed with his legs split, one hand on the ground and the other behind him, holding Phoenix ready in an unashamedly stylish pose Dante would have given an ovation at, especially since nobody was there to witness it, which made it even more cocky. Arson wasn't a show off normally, but he'd had such a fun time cutting loose with the enchanted demons that he'd just been unable to resist.
Seeing the stone barriers drop, indicating he'd slain all the demons, he stood and dusted himself down quickly, putting his swords away and walking to the shiny stone that had been uncovered again. "Ooh, pretty" he said, grinning to himself as he picked up the smooth green stone, turning it over in his hand before turning himself to leave.
Outside the three met up again. Arson gave Reiko his stone, then Zone returned, making his awkward way down the stairs while carrying the red essence of technique in his paws, which like the other stones was nearly as big as he was. Reiko accepted it off of him, Zone unburdening himself of the awkward cargo thankfully, and the three returned to the previous room and the crane like device. As they left, none of them realised at the time the irony of how each of their trials had matched their personalities so fittingly after all, Arson's wildness, Zone's cockiness and Reiko's broodiness each accentuated in the challenge they'd faced.