Argh! So much stuff has been in the way of my updating! Graduations (which, as a violinist, I have to play for), exams, more graduations, and staying with my grandmother who has no internet whatsoever! At least my new Etrian Odyssey 4 is here... I love it! *^*
Anyway, my vacation has started, so writing will be more abundant. Also, yay PMD starts now!
The man suddenly threw his arms back, startling the four girls. With his back towards them, he started speaking in a deep, ominous voice. "...Oh Almighty power that commands all trades... O' mysterious force that drives the winds of change all over the world... Come! Come to me n-"
Alice reached forward and continually tapped the man on the shoulder before he could continue on his weird rant. The way the pink, sparkly 'sky' twinkled with a feeling of foreboding did not make her wish to stay here a single moment longer than was absolutely necessary. "Excuse me...!"
"HM?!" The man turned around with such force that it sent Alice back a few steps. His hazy eyes darted around the area, unfocused; it was as if he could not truly see them. "Who DARES to interrupt this most holy ceremony?!"
"We do! Get your ass back to the damn Tower already!" Marine barked, standing at full attention. This guy is a freak; his beard clearly proves this!
The man's eyes seemed to clear up, though his aura darkened. "...So your true purpose is to disrupt fate? These fruitless efforts shall be in vain; you are too late! None shall interfere with the will of the heavens! NO ONE!"
The man swished back around, raising his arms to the pink, sparkly heavens, shouting in morbid joy, "The power is ALL MINE NOW! The power of SUPREME GUIDANCE! The wisdom to lead my flock along ONLY THE BRIGHTEST OF PATHS! ONLY THE BEST FOR MY SHEEP! I, Abbot Jack of Alltrades Abbey, hereby implore you, father Almighty, to grant me even MORE power, that I may guide ALL THE LOST SOULS! EVERY SOUL IN THE WORLD SHALL SEEK MY GUIDANCE! FLOW WITHIN ME! ANOINT ME! GRANT ME THE GIFT OF ULTIMATE GUIDANCE AND WISDOM!"
A bright white light flashed from the heavens, even though it was a dark, purple-ish veil that covered the Abbot, blocking him from the view of the bystanders, who were all beginning to think the same thing: Well, fuck. Lavender static sparked all over, managing to land small, insignificant shocks on the four. Nothing majorly harmful, but they left an almost unnoticeable cut that somewhat burned. Marine flapped her wrist, having gotten several small shocks on her palm that burned like it had been set on fire, although she was not bleeding at all. Sheila was unaffected, as Iris had taken the blows for her.
"Yes... YES! The ultimate power... I can feel it! LET IT CONSUME MY ENTIRE BEING!" Alice could swear that she was watching the Abbot morphing shape before her very eyes. There was nothing too terribly unusual about this, if the being in question had not been mortal like the Abbot.
Suddenly, there was a smaller, almost weak voice coming from the dome of darkness, "...Wh-What is happening to me...? What have I become?"
The transformed Abbot inside of the dome raised one of his hands(?) to his face, his voice cloaked in disbelief, "...This hideous form... Have I, perhaps... become a monster?
"This... this darkness- no, this... chaotic power- this is not at all what I had wished for..." The dome cleared up, as if winds had blown them away, leaving behind a monstrous-looking Abbot, who was slumped over in shock. Alice watched the ordeal from but a few inches behind him, despite the others warning her to stay farther back. She felt a certain... chord struck deeply within her very soul at the pitiful words of the Abbot.
However, this small moment of sympathy did not last but a second or two.
The Abbot suddenly sprung up, and nodded his head sagely. "...But... perhaps- Yes! Hm hm hm... This power has cleared my mind. I truly see the light now! It is through absolute tyranny and terror that I shall ensure that my charges follow the righteous, newly adopted path of despair! I am no longer to be known as the Jack of Alltrades. From here on out, I shall become Master of Nu'Un! All will learn that they are wise to obey me, or they shall suffer my divine wrath!"
He slowly turned back to the four, and grinned dangerously down at Alice, chuckling darkly. "Well, well, well. What perfect timing. I was just about to go looking for some lower subjects on whom to test the true extents of my newly-found powers of justice. Who better to punish than the ones who dared to try and interrupt the divine ceremony?"
Laughing evilly, the Master of Nu'Un drew back his long tail in preparation. "Will you please allow me to guide you onto the righteous path ordained by the Almighty himself, or... will you suffer the heavy consequences of disobedience?"
Not leaving any chance for the crew to get ready, the Master of Nu'Un clamped one claw down on Alice's head, and a thick stream of blue energy came flowing from Alice's forehead, going straight into the mouth of the monster. Then, quicker than Iris could jump ahead, he flicked his tail to crush into Alice's body, sending her flying to the left of the pentagonal field. Luckily, she did not disappear into the horizon; Alice only smashed into a pillar, effectively breaking it, and slumped to the ground. Sheila rushed over to pull her out, performing on-the-spot first aid. Alice blinked her one eye, and staggered to get up. Marine and Iris, on the other hand, were beyond enraged at the sudden ambush.
Marine stood on standby near the two younger girls, prepared to tank a hit if necessary, while Iris flexed her iron claws, and flung herself onto the Master of Nu'Un, scratching at his eyes in an anger-induced fury. Rather than attack the person who is trying to actively kill him, the Master of Nu'Un turned his attention towards the three background girls. He waved one arm in a circular motion, creating a purple mist that swirled into a tornado. The tornado went haywire and flew at the three, but Marine stood in the way of its path, taking the entire brunt of the attack. By the time the tornado died down, Marine was looking a little worse for wear, but Sheila managed to heal her instantly, being placed directly behind her.
"Stop hanging around, Marine! We can handle ourselves just fine! Get in there and beat him up!" Sheila scolded her older friend, who frowned at the reprimand, but readily complied. Marine jumped to her feet, and threw herself as hard as she could, embedding her lance into the body of her foe. Alice stood there, watching them go at it with a blank stare, before glancing down at her unsheathed sword. I want to help... but...no! I can do this too!
Alice shakily withdrew her sword from its sheath, and took a small step forward. The feeling of the sword felt foreign in her right hand, seeing as she had never wielded it like this before, but there was nothing she could do about the matter; it was lucky enough that Alice was ambidextrous. If she had been only left-handed, this would be much worse. My body can remember the movements on its own; it's only a matter of confidence! I... can do this!
Alice took another step forward, only to watch Iris to get blue energy get sucked out of her as well. The combined stolen energy of Alice and Iris was then put to use, with the Master of Nu'Un calling forth crackling lightning that struck all of them, sending Marine and Iris crashing backwards simultaneously. Sheila, only slightly wounded because of being the farthest back, tended to the two of them immediately. Iris was looking rather worse for wear, seeming to be exhausted from having the energy sucked right out of her. Alice had an almost infinite supply of energy, being a Celestrian, so she was still standing tall. Alice glared up at her foe, the two of them engaged in a small staring match. It was broken only when Alice managed to move one step forward, and jumped lithely at her foe, slashing at him with reckless abandon. The Master of Nu'Un flicked his wrist, casting a quick buff spell on himself, and cut at Alice with one of the thorns on his hands. Alice, however, would not be deterred so easily. She kept up her attacks, although there was a small stream of blood trickling down her face from the thorny assault. No need to fear, for Sheila still exists! Although she was farther from Alice than she was initially, Sheila had studied long-range healing back at the academy, so this was child's play to her.
Annoyed with how things were going, the Master of Nu'Un cast another tornado spell. However, this time the group knew what was coming, so they were able to prepare themselves for the brunt of the attack better; it barely caused a scratch. Severely irritated, he cast another round of lightning, which was more effective. Nobody can prepare for shocks of nature, obviously. Marine, Alice, and Iris, having metal weapons, got the brunt of the force. Marine jumped back up, and threw herself at the Master of Nu'Un one final time before anyone else could move, and managed to knock the fiend off balance, distracting him from the small figure rapidly coming from behind. Alice lunged for the base of his tail, and chopped it clean off of his body.
The Master of Nu'Un staggered, the equilibrium of his weight ruined from the anchor of his tail. Evil mist evaporated from his body, as more static crackled around his form. "NOOOOOOOOOO! MY POWER! MY GLORIOUS POWER!"
All the evil blasted out of his body, leaving behind the humble Abbot, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Alice dug her sword into the ground, thoroughly drained, both emotionally and physically.
I knew it! I can fight all by myself... although I was only able to do it because she taught me... but nonetheless, I did it!
Alice glanced down at the body of the Abbot, and blinked incredulously, even resorting to rubbing her semi-bloody fist into her only working eye, just to make sure that the exhaustion wasn't causing her to hallucinate.
Floating almost directly above the Abbot's body was a glowing yellow fruit, that Alice barely managed to recall the name of.
"A...fygg?"