Hi everyone! I'm really excited to have adopted Starsign Exploration! Just FYI, I will be sticking mainly to the main MS timeline as I'm not too familiar with MV, but there will be SOME things.
The way I will format the fanfic is by "Arc name chapter number: title"
Some things to expect out of my creative liberty:
Pairings consist of Pretzel x Marshmallow, Pico x Sorbet, Lassi x Chai, and yes, Mokka will have a love interest! Challenge to think about: What SPECIES do you think this love interest is?
Tarte is a BUNNY, not a FELINE
Because this is right after the events of defeating Shadra (no expedition into Glissini caves, don't worry, we'll get to that :), assume everyone levels up equally (regardless of fainting or being alive at the end of battles) and everyone is at level 61ish. For us seasoned players that know about the level 99 cap, that does not exist here. For reference, Tarte would be a level 75 while Sake and Udon are around 72. Macadameus is indeed 99, but there will be characters much greater.
The actual gameplay consisting of front and back rows will still be applied, although not as restrictive for the purposes of a good write!
From Starsign Exploration Chapters 1 through 4, the format would have been: Couscous Valley Chapter 1: Commander Nighthawk
Chapters 5 through 8 would have been: Couscous Valley Chapter 2: The Lucky 7
Time: Day
Location: Kovomaka, Central Spaceport
Planets Aligned: None
Front Row: Pretzel, Sorbet, Pico, Mokka
Back Row: Marshmallow, Chai, Lassi
Sugar let out a huge sigh as she slumped in her chair at the navigation panel of the small, yet luxurious rocket that the 7 heroes have now found themselves in.
"So it looks like Puffoon will be a 6 hour trip. Where did you kids say you saw Choco?" Sugar said, whose demeanor has lightened up even more compared to when the team was in the infirmary, let alone during the previous quarrel.
"By the outskirts of Honeymint…" Lassi spoke softly, appearing to be deep in thought.
As Sugar kicked up her feet and stretched her arms, she pressed a few buttons on the navigator and soon the rocket began lifting off.
"WOAHHH, this rocket is smooth! I mean, Neumann is the best, but, it feels like we're not moving at all!" Pico blurted as the rocket was now 20 feet off the ground.
Sorbet smiled at her friend's tiny expression of gratitude, yet turned her attention to Lassi who appeared to now be even more pensive.
"Lassi, are you ok?" Sorbet spoke softly as she walked towards the now exasperated bunny who was clutching her head with both hands (or forefeet :/)
"I just don't get it, Sorbet. What was that magic? Poison magic? We, or at least, I, have never seen a purple magic circle…"
"I'm in the same boat. Clearly we are dealing with things much greater than us now."
Sorbet looked away and paused. "But we're heroes now. And like Sugar, we gotta do our part to figure this out. Like, we have no idea what the three gems are. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to ask about what's on your mind" Sorbet said as she quickly took Lassi by the hand, startling her bunny compatriot, and towards Sugar who was quietly sipping a cup of Kovo water with what appeared to be a blue tea bag.
"Sugar, we have questions" Sorbet said. "I might have answers" Sugar said with a sweet smile, looking back to see the others chilling and talking on the hovering cushion couch. "What can I do for you young water and wind mage?"
Sorbet gently edged lassi forward, with Lassi appearing to break a sweat.
"Well, I…" Lassi stuttered. After a stumbling some of her words, Lassi let out a deep sigh and said "My most powerful spell did NOTHING to Mach, and now, I'm only finding out about poison magic! Where was this when we were learning about the starsigns? When we meditated with Ms Madeleine everyday? Why didn't Ms Madeleine teach us this? Why did she leave us? Why am I so weak?" Lassi said now in tears, which now caught the attention of everyone in the rocket. A few seconds of silence followed as Lassi continued with "And now our principal could very well be gone" through her tears.
Pico looked ready to blurt out something as usual, yet stopped himself as reality came down upon all 7 heroes that the reason they went into space was to save their beloved teacher, which they all had failed.
Sugar's face sweetly dropped as she hugged the now sobbing Sorbet and Lassi. Even Pico and Pretzel let out a few tears.
"You kids have honed such incredible mana, and I'm sure that your teacher is very proud of each and everyone of you." Sugar said as she gently led Lassi and Sorbet to where the rest were and sat criss-crossed on the floor, more or less equidistant to the young mages. "Magic, is quite old. And as such, there are many things we do not understand, just as this life is. I'm sure you all have heard of the names Craaken, and of course, Madeleine, but you all have the power within to even exceed them." This appeared to cheer up everyone, with Chai's arm and leg webbings rehydrating and Mokka's ambient vibrations to vibrate less.
"But, you, Mach, Commander Nighthawk, Craaken, and Ms Madeleine all had a lot of time to practice and we're just kids! I mean, I know we literally just saved the world, but we clearly see we are wayyyyyy out of your guys' league by a long shot." Marshmallow said with a steady voice. The seven heroes could only look to Sugar to await what she could say next.
"Although you kids are, well, kids… I think I can teach you guys some of the fundamentals that all of the elite mages must practice in their initations. Let's start with that."
"Alright!" Shouted Pico as he high-fived Chai to his left and Pretzel to his right, which all three reciprocated simultaneously.
"That's the spirit guys!" Sorbet said with a now cheery disposition, which caused Pico, Lassi, Chai, and even Mokka to look perplexed at Sorbet, given her typical cool headed demeanor.
Sugar pulled out a gold coin with what appeared to be a trident on one side and a mirror on the other which bore a striking resemblance to the shield she summoned when she battled the kids. I'll teach you guys a little bit about the extinct magics, and, I'll teach you guys about why the starsign is the way it is. I just need to pick an order" Sugar laughed.
The mage hurled the coin in the air and caught the coin on her backhand, now covered with her other. "What should be heads or tails?" Sugar asked. "How about Heads for the origins?" Marshmallow said, looking to Pretzel, who smiled and nodded firmly, who then looked to Sugar, saying "Yeah! Heads for the origins."
Sugar lifted her hand to reveal a heads. Sugar began, "Many strong mages actually abide by this knowledge, which actually came from the Book of the Darned." Everyone's face dropped and turned to Sorbet, who quickly exclaimed "That book is huge! I couldn't read all of it…."
"It's fine kids, you won't die. This is knowledge that I, Mach, Madeleine, and many great mages know early on and clearly we were fine. In fact, I don't know if I believe the whole jumbo gumbo about you dying from reading it. Now, I'll ask you all a question I was first asked when I first became an elite mage. Why is Fire magic effective against Wood magic?"
"OOH OOH I KNOW!" Pico blurted out, with Chai appearing to roll his eyes. "It's because fire burns wood!" Pico said beaming with pride.
Sugar giggled at the young mage's enthusiasm, before softly stating "no", which ruptured laughter among the other 6 heroes. "Here is what all elite mages are taught:
Fire magic is characterized by the power to change everything
Wood magic is characterized by eternal prosperity
Wind magic is characterized by the slow carving of time
Earth magic is characterized by unwavering truth
Water magic is characterized by the ability to change at will
Light magic is characterized by the flash in the Big Bang
Dark magic is characterized by the end stage of the Big Crunch.
The reason why fire magic is effective against wood is because the power to change anything and everything beats what is eternal. Wood is strong against wind because time cannot overcome, or even make a dent into what is eternal. Wind is strong against Earth because although the truth is the truth, all truths take on new meaning with time, and thus no longer stays true. Earth is strong against water because the truth sets one free, and no more change from oneself is needed, allowing one to be sturdy in themselves. Water is strong against fire because willpower and drive to change oneself overcomes any obstacle, which those obstacles are simply nothing more than powers of change itself. Light and Dark are in fact two sides of the same phenomenon, both simultaneously the same and opposite."
The seven heroes appeared puzzled, with Chai blurting "But Fire quite literally burns wood, and water literally extinguishes fire?"
Sugar smiled softly, and simply said "And with training, you will come to realize that your statement was no different than mine. Now, to explain what is so far known about the extinct magics…"