Castelia City: Good Thing There's A Writing Equivalent to this Universal Language!

Their proposal accepted, the demons grinned and nodded with gusto, and promised to "fly back with King-Queen Gwyndolin words."

About twenty minutes passed before the skyline of Castelia City once again featured two pairs of large bat-like wings. Just like before, finding the demons would be a cakewalk for the Lugia gijinka, but at least this time they flew towards her instead. In the hands of the diplomat (not that it'd be easy to distinguish between the two without speaking) was an envelope sealed with red, emblazoned by a sigil of a glorious sun. Upon opening the envelope, Lugia would find a letter written by a clearly elegant hand:

To the One the Children of Izalith regard as "Crossbreed,"

Thine presence is requested at the palace of Anor Londo. If fate hath dealt thy city the same ill hand as ours, then we must discuss strategy. If thou wishest, select two lieutenants to accompany thee. Thou and thine party shall be welcomed as honored guests.

Thine means of flight I know not, however they may be most beneficial to a swift arrival. Meet me on the highest balcony of the palace, but fly low and in sight of the city's bastions. The Silver Knights are accustomed to combating winged foes, and though mine sister's decree hath been relayed to the archers not to fire on a figure of thine description, fear and panic have led mortals to many acts of folly.

I await thine arrival with great anticipation.

Sincerely,

Gwyndolin, the Dark Sun

Last Child of Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight and Great Sustainer of the Age of Fire

Adviser to Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight

...

However long it took Lugia to contact her entourage and fly to the city in the North, it was much faster than if almost any other gijinka had been summoned. Flying over the city's walls, the legendary bird would indeed see figures in silver plate armor standing with shockingly large bows and arrows◊ at the ready. However, whoever this Gwynevere woman was, it was clear that Her word overruled any sense of panic the troops had. The gijinkas were permitted to fly to the palace in peace.

Upon arriving at the highest balcony, the visitors would be greeted by two figures: the first was an elegant figure who carried themselves with the straight and proper demeanor of royalty, the second was a woman in full plate armor standing at parade rest behind their liege's right shoulder.

"Greetings, honored guests." the figure in white smiled. While the clothing suggested the figure was a woman, they had a masculine tenor voice. "I am Gwyndolin, the Dark Sun. To whom hath I the pleasure of addressing?"

Towards Domino City: This Ain't No Place for A Hero

"Wait, seriously?" Krillin blinked in surprise at the mention of professional heroes. "Like...colorful costume, fighting crime, rescuing kittens in trees. Those kinds of people?"

Then came a follow-up Spinner might not see coming:

"And nobody thinks all of that's a little...I dunno, immature? Helping people is great and all, but you don't have to run around in a cape making poses wherever you go. I have a friend back home who just eats that kiddish stuff up, and he's a father now for crying out loud. I just don't get how being a superhero could be taken seriously enough to be called a job."

The policeman shook his head, as if he were trying to shake the thought (or more accurately, the image, yeesh) from his mind. "That said, you called this Stain guy 'The Hero Killer,' right? Judging by the weapons I can see on you, I'm guessing he isn't a figurative killer, and neither are you. I might not be able to cuff you here, but I also can't let you walk around freely knowing that you're looking for trouble. So consider me your chaperone."

The policeman paused, probably to wait for the villain's response. Once Spinner said his piece (so long as it didn't amount to trying to attack Krillin), the pint-sized cop would raise a new question:

"Let's assume that you're right: that this whole industry is full of bad apples with a few exceptions to the rule. How is killing these 'fakes' going to solve the problem? If they're in it for the fame and fortune, isn't what you and Stain are doing just going to escalate that behavior? I imagine that 'the Hero who stopped the Hero Killer' is going to get tons of ad deals. Not to mention that you're painting a giant target on your back."

Edited by TheodoreHastings on Sep 6th 2022 at 7:43:33 AM

Hill

Atop the hill, beneath the eaves of the centenarian oak tree, a new woman appeared. With fiery hair and a massive sword that was practically taller than she was, she struck an imposing figure. Just like all the rest who had found themselves there in the past while, she was at first asleep, then suddenly awoke to behold her new, unfamiliar surroundings. The landscapes she could initially see from the hill's crest were the same as her predecessors had witnessed, with the addition of the recently-arrived modern city in the Southeast. However, there were no other people present on the hill, and she was alone.

That said, depending on her speed and eyesight, she might be able to see a group of four at the Southwestern base of the hill heading for the nearby city, a group of three quickly disappearing into the forest in the North, six figures just past the gates of the ruined settlement to the East, and a single individual walking downstream along the bank of the Eastern river. If she checked, she would also be able to see a paper note stuck to the tree that announced an "Igno"'s intent to come back up the hill before nightfall, complete with a doodle of a sun setting and two moons rising over the hill.

It was a nice day in the village. Children passing the run-down houses, towards the square to play their games. The fence could use some mending.

The beach was wonderful. The sun in the sky, the heat in the air, the energy in every step, and best of all the wide variety of ice cream that the truck had to offer.

Hell had arrived. The air thick and hot with blood and flame, the mages unyielding in their punishment of the refugees, the refugees breaking from the strain. How many days had it been? Five? Ten? And still no hope in sight.

The hill was peaceful, the oak tree inviting, and her nap invigorating. Out of all the conflicting memories, this was most certainly one of hers, rather than something-

Something.

Surtr frowns, feeling the ground beneath her as she rises. This... was real. And it was not her home. Or wherever she had been residing. Or anywhere she had been. Perhaps not somewhere she belongs, but also not somewhere unpleasant. The sheer absurdity of it all might have made her think this a dream, were she not experiencing it so vividly in the here and now. But why she had come here, she could not say. Who she had come with - likewise, she could not say. And her memory had been so well lately.... Now it was just herself. Herself, the tree, people in the distance, and a note stuck to-

"Igno...."

She reads the note over twice, noticing the second moon - someone with an imagination, then. Beyond the note was the matter of the people.

Four people heading to what seemed like a city - going somewhere with strong civil protection before knowing what documentation was needed had never boded well for her.

Six by the gate - cleverly integrating into larger groups was never her strong suit.

One by their lonesome - too easy to sow distrust when singling someone out, too difficult to crack the shells others erected when fearful.

Three by the trees and heading towards a village using some manner of teleportation arts - not ideal, especially considering their distance and pace, but with luck, approachable. Better than the city, at least.

That, and not looking like a group of drunk or rowdy soldiers.

Decision made, and her sword hoisted sideways behind her, she nods to herself. Always close enough to use, but at least positioned in a way she hoped would convey a lack of intent to strike first. There were sayings about idle hands, but being unoccupied would be best in this case.

And thus began her jog, just a lone woman working her way out in the woods and making her way to a quaint hamlet. Nothing odd about that.

Anor Lando

The Lugia and her two compatriots each give a bow to Gwyn.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Gwyndolin. It is most appreciated during this difficult time we find ourselves in now. My name is Lucia - among the Pokemon, I am known as the Guardian of the Seas. And I serve as an ambassador for our Prime Minister, Ray.”

Next, a woman with brilliantly colorful red, green and white wings. She has a glow to her - in a very literal sense, because she radiates a bit of sunlight from her body.

“I am Helia, the bringer of rainbows. Thank you for trusting us enough to bring into your home, Sir Gwyndolin.”

Lastly, a young lady with brilliant golden hair and pointy wings◊ speaks. A small amount of electricity runs through her hair every so often.

“And I am Zariah, Lucia’s humble retainer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lucia then addressed Gwyn once again.

“So, you wish to discuss the next step for Castelia and Anor Lando? Certainly, I am more than willing to oblige.”

Ruins, Street

At Ellie's question, one little plant-person in particular stepped forward from the crowd. This one was wrinkled like some kind of raisin or prune, and began speaking in a squeaky, totally unintelligible voice. He talked about his people, where they came from, how they arrived in this place, the long history of these ruins, the menaces that awaited within, the other peoples who used to live here, a war or two, where to find food and water nearby, and on and on. Sadly, nobody present could possibly understand what he was saying, even if they had been gifted with the ability to comprehend all languages, because his speech was too fast, meandering, and slurred to make any sense of.

Meanwhile, while the raisin talked, but before Amako could properly respond to Conan's query...

Vicinity of Domino City/Amusement Park/Eastern Ruins/Hill

Before anyone could do or say much of anything else, there was again an enormous, earthquake-like rumbling, though the ground beneath their feet didn't more, and a great, scintillating light of shifting colors quickly stretched around the shoreline to the South of Domino City, like some kind of aurora, although this one stretched much higher and thus was much more visible for a greater distance. Then the tremendous sound and beautiful light faded, and in their place sat a large series of floating islands that stretched up into the heavens. From the ground it could be vaguely intuited that they contained buildings, though nothing distinct could be seen from such distance or vantage point with the naked eye.

Eastern Domino City

A similar light show appeared to the East of the city at the same time as the one to the South did, but when it faded, a very different sight was visible compared to the floating islands, and this one at ground level. Namely, another modern-looking city had arrived, stretching from somewhere North of Domino's borders along the edge of the overgrown ruins and extending South for quite a ways. It seemed to be a near-contemporary of Domino in terms of technology, if rather over-saturated with neon billboards in both Japanese and English.

Ruins, Building

As the pair of orangutans explored the building they had chosen, they would quickly get that tingle up their spines that said they were being stalked by a dangerous predator, if the existence of the bones and half-eaten carcasses of huge birds littering the floor weren't enough to tell them what sort of place they were in. Sure enough, a series of harsh barks preceded a quartet of wolves rushing around the corner, their coats matted and grey, their teeth bared in snarls and growls. They wasted no time in beginning to circle around the apes, probably preparing to attack the intruders from multiple angles.

Jirga Para Lhao

Suddenly, you wake up. It's still mostly dark out, but there's a little bit of dawn light peeking in from your small window. The first thing you see when you open your eyes is Raven, your other half, sleeping peacefully in the bed beside you. Seeing as it's so early and before you usually get up, maybe you have half a mind to go back to sleep, but you feel as well-rested as if you'd gotten a full night of sleep, and even if you do attempt to go back to sleep, you somehow feel fully alert and awake now and will find that any efforts to go back to sleep are doomed to fail.

So, you might as well get an early start on your morning! Grab a pre-breakfast snack, go for an early morning stroll, take in the rarely-seen sights of JPL only barely roused from its slumber, perhaps?

Somewhere in the back of your mind, though, you have an odd feeling that your life is about to get even weirder and more complicated than it already is.

Desert

"Oh, of course I won't do it again, Your Greatness!" the floating Machine assured fervently. "I would never!"

"Bah!" groused another elderly-sounding, nearby Machine who hadn't said or done much of anything up to this point. "You're not comfortable?! I'll tell you what's not comfortable, Young Lady! A rule-breaker getting to live! In my day we killed 'em lickety-split as soon as they'd offended, and let the Network sort them out! None of this 'fines' or 'prison' nonsense!"

"But has any Visitor ever decided to show mercy to the one who attacked them, Gramps?" asked the taller bipedal one, tapping his foot in thought.

"Well... er... not that I can recall..." the seemingly older one admitted.

"I know!" exclaimed the short one with the knife in a Eureka moment. "If it's happened before, there's got to be a rule, right? So we can just refer to the list and see!"

They all paused for several long seconds.

"There's... no rule for it," the taller one said at last.

"No rule?!" shouted the old-timer, "Over 70,000 rules, and none about this situation?! It can't be!"

"I've checked and double-checked, and there's nothing there, Gramps!"

"W-W-What do we do if there's no rule?!" the child Machine chattered, terrified at the prospect.

"Well, that's easy, m'boy!" the elder said, proud to have an answer. "We consult the King!"

"...There's no King anymore, remember?" the short two-legged one noted.

"Darn!" the old man shook his metal fist. "I was sure that was it!"

"Well, even if there's no rule, we obviously can't keep a rule-breaker among us..." the taller one pondered. "So maybe... we exile him?"

"Aha! Exile! A capital idea!" the old one said, clanging his hands together in a clap.

"Yes, yes! Let's do that!" agreed the floating Machine.

"All in favor?!"

"AYE!" they all chorused.

"All opposed?!"

"....."

"The Ayes have it! You are hereby exiled! Now leave, and never come back, or we really will kill you! Got it?"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" the floater saluted, then turned to Ray. "Say, Your Greatness, would it be okay if I settled down in Castelia City?"

Edited by darksidevoid on Sep 13th 2022 at 3:01:53 PM

Wulfrik, Ruins

-Wulfrik blinks as he looks at the tiny man-shaped creature gibbering away. Then he moves towards it, grabs it in his hand, and holds it in front of his face.-

[Say that again.]

Ruins

Yoriichi blinked, twice. First at the strange, high-pitched babbling of the tiny creature, then at the appearance of yet another city. "What manner of being could move such massive villages so easily?" He mused aloud.

Strangely, the skull-marked warrior seemed to want to communicate with the little ones. Perhaps his gruff exterior belied some warmth in his heart.

Makura hardly even registered another city appearing - because that was just normal here, apparently, so why not roll with it? - instead focusing on her two friends. Who had just been cornered by wolves.

"Can't leave you guys alone for a minute, huh?" She rolled her eyes, but she wasn't angry, just amused.

One running leap launched her up two stories, to a broken window that she casually rolled through. Kongara and Seitaka had already moved closer to it at her unspoken command, and she landed next to them.

Baring her fangs at the pack of wild wolves, she howled. A primal, bestial sound, of an apex predator.

Hopefully the wolves would recognize a stronger animal and flee. While she had no doubt that she'd tear them apart if it came to a fight, she didn't want to kill any animals if she didn't have to.

Elaine, Ruins, up in a nearby abandoned building.

The appearance of yet another displaced slice of land going largely ignored, Elaine listens intently to the tiny wrinkled Nuzleaf, evidently the elder of the group... but then furrows her brow in confusion, not understanding a word of its rambling. "Uh-huh. Cool story."

Before she can attempt to parse what was said, though, does her keen hearing pick up on a racket of barks and snarls from one of the abandoned buildings nearby. She tilts her head and angles an earfin to pinpoint the precise location of the sound as she notices something else amiss. Okay, where did the stupid monkeys wander off to?

Her question is then seemingly answered by their trainer(?) leaping up toward the source of the noise and into a broken window, displaying athletic ability clearly beyond the human she initially appeared to be on arrival. With a "wait up!", the vaporeon follows closely behind, a series of hops and leaps taking her up along ledges and broken masonry and into that same window, landing gracefully right beside Makura and her companions, crouched low and ready for a fight.

In agreement with the ape-lady's howl, she chitters again in pokéspeak at the... Mightyena? Lycanroc? In any case, they seem itching for a confrontation and Elaine is more than ready to give it to them. "Yeah, what she said. You want a piece of this?"

Edited by Chortleous on Sep 14th 2022 at 10:01:36 AM

Kayne & Moko—The Last Outpost

"And then you confronted them in your dressing gown!?"

"I would consider those demon idjits to have been appropriately run off, yes."

"Demons—what, what! Weren't you afraid at all? Kayne!"

"Who, me? 'Fraid? A daughter of the wasteland knows no fear!"

"Never mind that—we need to return those birds right this moment!"

"Ah, right! Before they upset the delicate balance of the ecosystem, causing a total collapse of the topsoil quality due to a lack of foliage?"

"No, I meant before their owners come to call! Hmph, if you already know, what are we waiting for then?"

"Hee hee~ Rangers of the Last Outpost, roll out!"

"Or ride out, rather, but I'm not one to quibble—"

"Ah, just come along with me! It's adventure time~"

Pulling her rough, homespun dress over her white shift, she buttoned up the front and saw to putting her socks on properly before retying the laces of her boots. Before heading out the door, she lifted her armored apron off of its hook and donned it. Feeling satisfied, she made sure Moko was sitting securely on her newly combed and braided hair before buckling on her holster and guns, then took up her billhook, or what she liked to call her "pokey walking stick" before she was out the door. Then she walked outside to the white Chocobo and bowed to it, as birds sometimes did so to indicate friendliness.

"I would like to thank y'all for your help earlier," she said to it and the rest of its flock. "However, I would like to see your home, if you would let me ride you back to where you came from."

There was not much to be found in and around the outskirts of the Last Outpost, except for normal foliage and beasts one would normally find in a forest. But the closer one got to its invisible border, the thicker the undergrowth would grow, until it was all but impassable. But just as travelers would begin scratching their heads in confusion, a path revealed itself to be the only way into the deep woods, cutting straight through the brush and trees.

A small boulder had been rolled to the side of the path, with a sign carved onto it. It read "The Last Outpost," with "Population: Kayne & Moko (Best Friends Forever!)" directly under it. A rather childish drawing had somehow been transliterated onto the stone, of a girl holding two guns akimbo and a hat with a one-eyed, sharp-toothed face. Helpful arrows indicated who was who, and another caption said "We protect the forest, rawr!"

A helpful, if crude, map was provided of the territory, with a star indicating "You are here!" and more captions pointing out that "Water here is good to drink!" and "Path is the only safe way through if you aren't a friend of the forest!"

Edited by JumpingFruit on Sep 16th 2022 at 6:40:13 AM

Conan - Ruins

After hearing the unintelligible chatter coming from the plantlike person, Conan could only sigh in annoyance. "I did not know what I expected to hear from an imp with the figure of a radish." The other northern man trieed to interogate the small figure once more, but Conan's attention was caught by something else. That is, the island that just appeared before their eyes once more. Mitra's Mother, did this land just kept growing with each passing hour?

But once more his mind caught something else, through the screams of the woman's ape companions. Following the strange marine creature's example, the barbarian took hold of whatever imperfections he could find in the wall to climb to the second story's window. And once he entered it, he snarled angrily at the wild wolves as he took out his sword. At last, some kind of worthy scuffle!

Eastern Domino City

To say that there is a sense of panic in the city of Domino is an understatement. Strange things have happened before, but nothing on the scale of several floating islands suddenly appearing in the sky. Sure, weird dragons and stuff have appeared overhead before, but those were clearly holograms set up by Kaiba Corporation. At least, that's what they claimed. This, however...this was way too big scale to be a hologram. At least, that's what the average citizen must have been thinking. And what they're yelling out loud to each other as they all start marching themselves to Kaiba Corporation headquarters to demand an explanation.

...It is around this time that the general panic in the streets wakes up a certain young man named Yugi Muto from his slumber. One could forgive him for uncharacteristically staying up late, considering he was struck by inspiration in designing a brand new board game to show to Kaiba. The tall, scary one mind. Not the half-pint one. Thoughts of the look on Kaiba's face were pretty much chased out of his mind by a very loud "```EY YUG! WAKE UP, DERE'S SOMETHIN' GOIN' ON OUT 'ERE!```" coming from out his window. Through the bright explosions of light going off in his head as he realizes he'd just dropped from his chair due to the sound of his friend Jounouchi shouting through the window, Yugi had one thought as he struggled to pick himself up.

"Man, this is going to be one of those days, isn't it?"

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away...

Amusement Park

Kaiba frowned as the great aurora filled the area for a brief moment before revealing several floating islands in the skies. In addition to the strange, almost toy-like amusement park down below, this light show proved that wherever they were, this was not the same old Japan that she was used to. As the hesitant helicopter pilot turns and asks a tentative "Ma'am?" to her, Kaiba dispassionately responds "Land us in that clearing. Whatever those holographic displays are, they're far too high up to investigate with our clearance. We need to be focused on the here and now". Kaiba can see how easily the pilot bought that excuse. "Holographic displays" indeed...as if she could cover the sky that easily with her tech so far. But he at least bought it. She ignores the buzzing of the cell phone going off in her pocket as the helicopter lands and she steps out to approach one of the locals. Even if these locals here seem more...ugh...festive than she would like, the fact their military might is seemingly limited solely for the purpose of entertainment says they're actually civilized. So she might get something useful out of them.

Nia and Pyra, Northern Forest —> The Last Outpost: First Steps into the Last Outpost

As soon as they set foot into the forest, the two (and presumably Qilby) heard a loud noise from behind and turned to see a new land had emerged. Though, to call it land is a bit of a misnomer, considering it's actually a bunch of floating islands; yet to their surprise, there's no Titans underneath them. If there are not any, then what's making them float in the first place? In fact, do any of these lands have a Titan on them? A question for later. Right now, there's a village waiting for them and hopefully, another landmass won't just appear right on top of them.

The forest proved to be much thicker than they thought. At first, it seemed almost like the forests just outside of Gormott's territory, but the further in they went, the more claustrophobic the area is with its foliage taking up more space. Even with a man that can sense life forms from who knows how far away, they still felt like they were going around in circles. That is, until the path revealed itself to the three (soon to be four) travelers.

Pyra couldn't help but give a warm smile at the drawings yet had a twinge of concern that there's a kid out and about on their own, while her partner is less than impressed. Are we seriously dealing with another child? she thought as she reads the map. When she reads the words "friend of the forest" she wonders what the hell she meant by that. She gets that places needs plants to live, that's a no-brainer, but those words got her curious. A sound from her side tells her that she's not the only one, "Does that mean that the forest is alive?"

"Uh, every forest is alive."

"I meant to say that "is it sentient?""

"If it is, then at least we found that path before we had to burn one. Last thing we need are pissed-off trees."

The two then made their way into the opening to see that someone already staked their claim here. Whoever she is, she had plenty of time to set up a self-sufficient place, but there was no one home that they could see. With all that in mind, Pyra cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted at the general area, "Hello? Is anyone here? We're just passing through!"

Meanwhile, Nia looked around for anyone stalking around. For all they know, they could be trespassing, and she knew some people did not take too kindly to trespassers. Maybe they could be walking into an ambush. Even if the child knew how to build things, that did not mean she wouldn't see them as people and more monsters to be hunted. She did not let her guard down in case of either of the above.

Kat opened her eyes, taking in the morning atmosphere, and then closed them once more. In the first time in what felt like ages she felt truly rested. The military had it out for her. She still had no way home to Hekseville. Plus she was no closer to finding out who she was then when she first awoke with amnesia. But the people she cared about were safe and that was enough. For the time, she merely wanted to enjoy the moment, the sound of Raven sleeping beside her and a bed not shared with ducks. A smile of perfect contentedness crossed her lips, a smile which quickly disappeared when the morning silence was interrupted by her growling stomach.

"...I guess I'll get up."

The decks of the Banga Settlement were alive with people running back and forth. The order came down they were taking off. That meant preparations needed to be made. Live stock and supplies needed to be secured. Bridges connecting the various islands of the village needed to be untethered and stored. Aging gravity engines needed to coerced into making yet another trip despite the wear and tear. There was so much to do, and the people of the village was intent on getting it all done as fast as possible.

Among the hustle and bustle, only three figures had the luxury of remaining still. Lisa, the village leader, Vogo, her business partner, and Syd, who simply opted to look busy by fiddling with some contraption. The three situated themselves at the edge of Banga's mining ship, the lands below in full view before them. Lisa stood with rigid posture, a steely gaze under her wide brim hat the only tell of all the thoughts running through her mind at that moment. In sharp contrast, Vogo paced and fidgeted with clear inpatients.

"This isn't something we can sit on! Our competition is already moving as we speak! We need to act now if we want to beat them to the punch!"

Lisa heard the Sun trader, but didn't react. There was just too many factors to consider, too many unknowns about their situation. An island bigger then anything any of them had seen had suddenly appeared beneath the city. It completely obscured any view of the abyss below it. It was awe inducing to say the least. To the people below, it could perhaps best be compared to if the their sky was suddenly blotted out from view. To the people Jirga Para Lhao, whose above as well as below had always been endless blue, the appearance of the land below was unnerving enough.

The ex-cop seemed unperplexed by the development, his head always in the clouds. Yet even so, he gave voice to the concerns that had to be plaguing all of them.

"Its strange don't you think? Where did it come from? Its not on any maps I know of. I guess it's possible a gravity storm brought it over, but that just raises the question how no one could of noticed a storm of that caliber."

His tone made it sound as if he was just thinking aloud. Still, it was enough for Vogo to turn and rebuke such notions.

"Who cares!? Does how it got there change the fact that it is there now!? All that matters now is how we react to this development. Come on Lisa, you have to see what this new land is? What it could mean for us? Opportunity.''

One could practically see the money signs in the greedy traders eyes. He wasn't wrong though. Even from here she could see all the untapped resources below. Enough trees to make a second city out of wood. The derelict buildings nearby alone held enough stone to work as a quarry of sorts. Plus, coming from a world where real estate was an incredibly limited commodity, all the unused space below held endless possibilities. It was all there for the taking.

"It looked like there was already people settled below. You sure we wouldn't be intruding on their territory?"

Again the laid back cop voiced some reasonable concerns, just to again earn the ire of the Sun trader.

"No one is talking to you! If they wanted it they should have taken it first! Don't worry about them, Lisa. I'll talk to them, you just leave that to me. You just worry about getting the raw resources so we have something to trade."

Lisa's gaze remained ever fixed at the land below. Trying to make sense of its geography, as if there was some missing detail she has yet to notice that would make sense of the whole thing. The lives of her people were in her hands. If any one of them were to get hurt because of a rash decision she made...on the other hand, if they were to miss out on a great opportunity due to her lack of leadership...such was the burden of leadership, and thus the indecision.

Vogo still sensing reluctance on the village leader's part, scooted up close and started to whisper. No need to include that nosy cop, or any of workers for that matter, into their discussion. This was one leader to another.

"You and I both know things are about to go into a massive state of flux. The power dynamic has just been majorly upset. All the big fish are going to trip over themselves to determine new social order. But it is in that period of uncertainty before the new status quo sets in where people like us can change our station in life. The opportunity is there, we merely need to seize it."

Lisa closed her eyes and let out a reluctant sigh. She had to agree.

"Fortune favors the bold."

She said it almost more to reassure her self of her decision then anything else. On the other hand, its fools who rush to their death.

"There are areas below where the buildings seem abandon and reclaimed by nature. We'll start harvesting what we can there and then send survey crews more inland."

A smirk crossed the Sun trader's face. Now he was getting somewhere. To make matters better, it seemed their one woman survey crew had just arrived.

"Whoa! Its so big!"

Even in the early morning Kat was so excitable. She crept up beside them to see what had their attention so transfixed. She didn't quite expect to see that though. While she oohed and aahed at the sight of new land, Lisa turned to her.

"Kat. I need you to scout ahead for me."

"O-kay!"

The girl seemed happy to do it. I mean, she was planning to go explore anyway, curious thing she was. But if Lisa needed the help, she was ready to provide it. Though, she seemed to have some reservations.

"Umm, is it alright if I get something to eat first?"

Vogo took the liberty of answering the question.

"No! Don't you know everyone has been waiting for you to get your lazy butt up!? Time is money! So get going!"

With a swift boot, he sent the girl over the edge. As Kat plummeted toward the ground below, the three peaked over the edge with an expression of curiosity more then worry. She was the Gravity Shifter, she would be fine. That was until they noticed the fourth observer watching beside them. A featureless cat in the color of the cosmos. Small beads of sweat began to form on their brow as they heard falling girl call out to her Guardian.

"DUSTY!"

Kayne & Moko—The Last Outpost

"What is that?"

"Are they shaped like friends, Moko?"

"I think so. Ah, they've declared their intentions, unlike the last lot that passed through."

"I do declare, we might start seeing more visitors around soon. That'll be troublesome. Still, welcome! It's alright if you're just passing through. Polite of you to say so, though!"

With that, Kayne revealed herself, stepping into the fore from behind the shack, where she was conversing with the Chocobos, waving shyly to the two girls who had approached her home. She looked as if she were prepared for a long journey, though her eyes sparkled with curiosity and drive. Moko watched quietly from atop his perch on Kayne's head.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Sep 17th 2022 at 10:22:38 AM

South of the Hill

Igno's investigation of the forest to the South proves fruitful, as he first comes across merely small animals like songbirds and squirrels and little insects like you might find anywhere with his magical scanning, but soon detects larger creatures nearby. If he is stealthy enough to avoid startling them, these larger pings will soon reveal themselves to be huge, horse-sized yellow birds congregated to drink at the river's edge, close to a spot where the flow branches between a Southeast course, flowing to a delta at the edge of the new city to the East, and Southwest course, flowing deeper into the forest.

However, something seems... off about the area to the Southwest, where the trees are much larger. There are some larger life signs that likely correspond to larger animals there, but besides that, only plants. No smaller animals in the woods, no fish in the river, not even insects. And yet, there would at first glance appear to be some fish in the Southwestern branch of the river if he were to check, and particularly shiny ones, at that. Could they be zombie-fish of some kind?

Ruins, Intersection

The little prune begins babbling again after Wulfrik demands he repeat himself. He's still mostly unintelligible, but some words get through: "Blahblahblah, put me down, blahblahblah, People of the Land, blahblahblah, War, blahblahblah, Hungry Spirits, blahblahblah, put me down, blahblahblah, Reaper, blahblah, Apocalypse, blahblah, The-Unborn-One, blah, Great Usurper, blahblahblah, Eternal Circle, blahblahblaaaahblahblah, put me down, blah...."

Meanwhile, Amako sets the little people in her hand back on the ground as the rest of them also have their leafs bloom into white flowers, including the wrinkled one Wulfrik is holding. All the ground-bound ones then form up in neat little rows in front of her and salute. "Yoriichi-kun, please ask these little ones to show us where we can find fruits and vegetables and such around here," the apparent miko says, beaming.

Ruins, Building

Now outnumbered five to four, the wolves look considerably more uncertain of themselves, especially since that weird bigger monkey had such a fearsome howl and that weird hairless ape looks ripped. The strange little fish-looking thing talking about vapes gets some suspicious but confused snarls. All in all, however, they still look about ready to pounce on the intruders to what is probably their den, unnaturally formed though it is.

That is, until another loud and powerful howl rings out from somewhere on the higher floors of the building across the street, this one quite clearly also of a wolf. The canines confronting the group of newcomers quickly react by whining, rushing back to and rounding the corner they had just emerged from, though one of the quartet stands at the edge of the bend and glares at the four primates and one pokemon with a rumbling warning growl.

Last Outpost

With a cheerful "Kweh~!", the white-and-green Chocobo with the saddle turned the corner a little after Kayne, curious to investigate these newcomers. For several moments, it paused, lowered it's neck and rubbed its head all over Kayne's, or rather, all over Moko, since he was between her scalp and the bird. That important bit of business complete, it trotted fearlessly over to the new visitors and did a little 360 degree pivot in front of them, as if it was showing off, then extended its wings and bowed its neck toward them with another "Kweh!", as it had done for Kayne a minute or so earlier when she had asked about riding it.

Amusement Park

As she crossed past the empty ticket counter and broken, rusted turnstiles with the arms removed, Kaiba would be greeted by a small being◊ about half her height, or possibly less, which stepped in front of her and held its hand over its chest as it bowed to her. As it came up from it's bow, it pulled a white flower◊ from somewhere and offered it to the gamer maiden.

"Here, this is for you, Miss!" it said in a youthfully masculine but clearly synthesized voice, "Welcome to the Land of Dreams! We hope you enjoy your stay!"

Edited by darksidevoid on Sep 17th 2022 at 8:31:17 AM

The Last Outpost: Qilby Watches Surtr Approach Like...

While the Blade and Driver duo paid full attention to the path ahead, their Eliatrope guide didn't fail to take a few glances behind them—a policy that ultimately paid off as another woman with red hair jogged to join them.

"Greetings!" the druid-looking figure smiled, evidently assuming that this stranger wasn't here to cause trouble. "A fellow new-arrival, I take it? My name is Qilby, and these young ladies are Nia and Pyra. We only woke up on that hill recently, and have elected to explore these forests to find a small civilization I sensed within it. There are others who arrived on the hill when we did, but they've ventured into other corners of this enigma of a province, kingdom, continent, planet, or dimension...we're not certain of the scope just yet.

"And there!" Qilby chuckled, "I suppose you're all caught-up, more or less. May I ask your name, young lady?"

Assuming the stranger didn't remain silent, the twig-like man would smile and welcome her to their little expedition.

The Eliatrope walked a few steps behind Nia and Pyra until they all reached the boulder marking some convenient (if not exactly cartographer-grade) directions.

"The forest itself does not need to be sentient." Qilby answered the Blade. "Just those who can control it. I've seen more than a few civilizations that share a symbiotic relationship with their local fauna; as a matter of fact, I believe the last planet my people visited had one just like it. The Cicada...the Sidada...bah, the name escapes me."

Qilby squinted through his pince-nez as he stared at the (thankfully legible) message. "Though what puzzles me more than the forest is this area's name. 'The Last Outpost.'" he stroked his beard in thought. "Question is: the last outpost for what?"

Following the Blade and Driver down the path, Qilby took a few moments to...well maybe not smell the flowers, but certainly to observe them and the rest of the surrounding wildlife from a safe distance. As safe a distance that a narrow path might allow, in any case. When they emerged into the opening where the supposed "Last Outpost" stood, the Eliatrope elected to let Pyra and Nia well mostly Pyra handle the introductions for now.

Instead, he focused on the approaching Chocobo with a mix of amusement and curiosity—though he gave the apparent steed a wide berth, just in case.

From Kayne's perspective, the lanky figure in the back might seem like the black sheep of this group of strangers. Not only was he the sole male of the party, he also seemed the most...perhaps "earthy" was an appropriate term. His clothing seemed more primitive, or at the very least shared the browns and off-white coloring of many mushrooms. More evident than his preferred color pallet was the fact that the left sleeve of his shirt was completely empty. That, and also like Kayne: he had a weakness for extravagant headwear!

Anor Londo, Balcony: What's in A Name?

"Lord Gwyndolin." the woman in plate armor corrected Lucia and Helios, which earned her a slow but firm gesture from the Dark Sun that she should hold her tongue.

"I appreciate thine intentions, most loyal Firekeeper. However, tis now clear that I speak with fellow deities. Among our ranks, noise such as 'Sir' and 'Lord' matters little."

The armored woman knelt to a knee, her helmet turned to the stone bricks in front of her. "Forgive me, Lord Gwyndolin."

For the first time since the three legendary gijinkas arrived, Gwyndolin turned their back to their guests. A hand was offered to the Firekeeper, along with a warm reply that showed the concealed smile in their voice:

"Forgiven and forgotten, my dear."

With the Firekeeper back on her feet, Gwyndolin turned back to face the ambassador and her party.

"A most peculiar name: Castelia. My knowledge of the World of Mortals has limits, yet I have certainly not heard this name before. Have it borders with the Lands of Men as I knowest them? Astora, Balder, Catarina, Carim, Thorolund, Vinheim, or Zena? Further still, does the name 'Izalith' hold any meaning to thee? Or Lordran? Or Gwyn?"

Should any of the guests be sharp-eyed enough to notice, they might spot the Firekeeper's body language betray the intent behind these questions. While she kept some of her discipline, it seemed like the Dark Sun was effectively asking if these strangers knew what to call that bright ball in the sky.

Ashe & Grey

Having followed after Krillin for the time being, the duo (trio if you counted Model A) saw the argument that the policeman was having with...someone or other. And while normally they might have something to say about it, neither was quite up to making their voices heard just yet. Mostly because the person who Krillin was arguing with looked like a lunatic that probably wouldn't listen to them anyway.

Nia and Pyra, The Last Outpost: Curiosity Abounds

When the girl greets them, Pyra smiles sincerely while Nia wears a rather aloof frown, though with a bit of a raised eye at the headwear. Pyra starts off the introductions, "My name is Pyra. My Driver, or rather, my partner is Nia." She motions to the girl in the yellow suit and the gray cat-ears, and then to the older-looking of the two, "This is Qilby and he's from a world different from ours." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another red-haired girl next to the Eliatrope, but unlike her, she had horns and a blade much longer than she is tall, "Oh dear. I don't think I've seen you before. We were so determined to find this place that we forgot you were following us. I'm sorry."

Nia looked at the horned girl with a curious tilt of her head before she asks her, "Well, since you heard her introduce us, you feel like doing the same?"

After the other redheaded swordswoman responds, Pyra follows up, "You must be the owners of this place, if I'm not mistaken."

When the giant white-and-green bird shows itself and does its dance, Pyra applauds the performance and asks Kayne, "Is this your pet?"

Lucia, Anor Lando

Lucia bowed her head and looked fully ready to apologize, until Gwyndolin’s response made it clear he didn’t care much for formalities in their company. Relaxing a bit, she regains her neutral posture. After the Dark Sun lists off various locations, the Lugia shakes her head.

“I cannot say that I’ve ever heard of any of those lands or people before. I’m familiar with Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar… but I would assume those names are just as foreign to you as yours are to us.”

Helia seemed to pick up on what Gywndolin was trying to ask.

“Are you gesturing towards the sun? Different as the pokemon world may be to your own, we do also rely on its life-giving light as much as anyone else. And just as Miss Lucia is the guardian of the sea, I too serve as the sun’s emissary.”

Rayquaza, Desert

Ray sighed, seemingly conflicted about this idea. That she was met with aggression upon their first meeting was one thing, but the fact that all of these machines come from a culture in which every transgression was punishable by death was potentially going to be a real stumbling block in terms of assimilating any of the machines into Castelia. Hopefully being on the receiving end of their justice system has caused them to pause and reflect on

“I am not without reservations. Castelia’s ways of doing things are very different from what you are used to, and I feel the need to emphasize that you will need to abide by my rules if you are to live in my city. But I believe today has likely been a bit of a… learning experience for you, and that you will likely be willing to cooperate. With that in mind… because I’d rather not have someone left without a place to call their own, I’m willing to allow you to stay in Castelia.”

She glances briefly at the others before returning her gaze to the floating machine.

“I think it would be best that we make haste. Come, let us leave this place.”

The Last Outpost, or is it the First?

Well, the one calling himself Qilby was talkative enough. Surtr slowed her roll - or her jog - when close enough, staying a few paces away but remaining close enough as they progressed, listening to him talk. Unfortunately, it seemed that he didn't know much more about the specifics of the situation. Fortunately, he seemed sufficiently peaceable for now, which was all one could ask for given the circumstances. The same could be said for the others, too, given their lack of hostility or malice.

The man was some kind of Caprinae, and the shorter woman was likely a Feline, but strangest of all was the red-haired one with no horns or other such features. It was a complete mystery.

But, you didn't choose who was in the foxhole with you, she supposed.

They were... alright?

"Surtr"

She nods slowly.

"My thanks, and well met. Similar situations all around, then."

Surtr bites on her lip, casting her gaze around. Well, putting aside the obvious differences, the simple concept of a few people investigating a stretch of the woods wasn't too outlandish an idea.

Of course, the giant green chickens were another matter entirely.

She makes sure to glance at the bird in question for a long moment. Something about it... well, maybe it was perfectly normal and native to this realm, but who knew.

Igno - Going Downstream

Igno takes note of the various creatures he encounters before his attention is taken by the sudden appearance of a series of floating islands, forming a city in the sky. "Oh, neat, and now we've got Umbriel joining the party...!" He thinks to himself, wondering when this world will stop acquiring seemingly random landmasses; and whether it ever will stop.

Continuing his walk down the river, his spells detect larger animals further ahead; he decides to play it safe, changing the colors of his clothes to something less vivid, swapping the red and purple hues of his coat for more subdued greens and browns, blending in with the scenery. Now more confident in his ability to approach unnoticed, he proceeds onwards and gets himself to a position where he can actually see the massive yellow birds having a drink by the shore.

"Whoa, look at the size of those lads!" he says in a hushed tone, marvelling at the sight of the gigantic, feathery flock. He pauses for a moment, contemplating the idea of approaching the group and trying to make friends with them... And decides to go for it, against his better judgment; He leaves his hiding spot and approaches the flock in plain sight at a leisurely pace, not too slow to not look like a predator about to pounce, but not too fast to not appear like he's charging at them, overall trying to look as non-threatening as possible. He makes his way towards them and speaks up, just loud enough to be noticed without startling them.

"Hey, you lot, mind if I join you?"

Elaine, up in a nearby abandoned building > Ruins, intersection

"Yeah, you heard me! Beat it. These guys weren't doing anything to you." Elaine barks back at the retreating wolves and their lone straggler, neckfrill that normally lay flat against her shoulders raised to make herself look (marginally) bigger until she's confident enough that the situation has been defused.

Making a glance aside at Makura and her ape friends, "Yeah, this, uh, this building kinda-sorta might be their den..." she remarks somewhat sheepishly before turning back and hopping up onto the windowsill, nose held high in her best approximation of a snooty expression. "Anyway, you three better be able to handle yourselves, 'cus me and meathead here won't always be there to bail you out."

A few more careful hops along the same path she'd taken on the way up take her back down to the ground and, more specifically, to the meal she'd left flopping pathetically on the ground... stilled at last by a final nauseating -chomp- as the vaporeon sees fit to commence eating right then and there.

Glancing over in time to see the tail end of Wulfrik's interrogation of the odd little flowering Nuzleaf, as well as the ones on the ground lining up in apparent salute, Elaine at first mumbles something indistinct through a mouthful but then gathers the presence of mind to swallow and reiterate. "What'd I miss?"

Edited by Chortleous on Sep 19th 2022 at 3:21:27 AM

Ruins, Building

Makura prepared herself mentally for a fight, only for another howl to ring out across the street, causing the wolves to back down. A rival wolfpack, maybe? Either way, she wasn't interested in finding out why these guys were so terrified of that other wolf.

She scooped up Kongara and Seitaka, one clinging to each arm, and gave Conan a nod in thanks before jumping back out the window to rejoin the group.

"Of course, Amako-sama." Yoriichi cast a brief look towards the building where the howls of animals could be heard, but dismissed his urge to go and assist. He assured himself that the ape-woman and the swordsman of the west were more than capable of defending themselves. They both boasted the toned muscles of longtime warriors.

He knelt, so that the tiny creatures could hear him better. "Can you show us if there is any food nearby, little ones?"

There was a soft 'whump' as Makura landed back on the ground, having leapt down from the building she'd gone to investigate.

"There's wolves in these buildings." She announced, for the sake of those who hadn't joined her. "Territorial, but nothing dangerous. Not like any of us is planning to move in to this place, anyway"

Wulfrik, Ruins

-Wulfrik's head snaps around at the sound of a great howl, looking for the beast making it. Unfortunately, it is only one of his fellow prisoners. He turns back towards his captive. A Great Usurper sounds promising, perhaps the Raven God has champions here.-

[What is this Great Usurper?]

Anor Londo, Balcony: If There's Timey-Wimey Shenanigans, Why Not Spacey-Wacey Ones?

"Thou art correct, Lucia." answered Gwyndolin. "I know naught of these lands. Yet I suspect that reveals more to us than what first appears."

The Dark Sun gestured to the sunbathed city below them. "My father's kingdom, Lordran—of which Anor Londo is the capital—exists in a state where time itself is in flux. Heroes long dead and warriors yet to be born may be summoned to fight beside those who venture here; or these phantoms may invade the land of the present to commit sinister atrocities."

The more observant gijinkas might notice the Firekeeper clench a fist at the second instance.

"Thus must I conjecture: if one such fundamental force of nature can prove flexible, why not another? If not time, why not space? A preposterous theory without evidence, and yet I am faced with few other explanations."

The Dark Sun turned to the Ho-Oh gijinka. "Helia: the light of the rainbow falls to the duties of my dearest sister, Gwenevere—Princess of Sunlight and ruler of Anor Londo. Either thine claim of celestial emissary is among the greatest blasphemies to ever befall my ears, or more plausibly: thou speakest the truth for thine world, and Princess Gwenevere for ours."

Gwyndolin gestured towards the doorway into the palace. "We have much to discuss, it seems. Yet we need not converse in the breeze. I welcome thee, honored guests. Please follow me."

The Dark Sun would turn to walk through the doorway and down the spiral staircase beyond, with the Firekeeper a few steps behind them.

Inside the palace, the three visitors would find what must have been a magnum opus of woodwork, stonework, metalwork, and (evidently medieval) architecture. The stairs were cleanly even, cut and waxed to precision. The walls boasted elaborate engravings, complete with finely-detailed columns carved out of the walls. The floors were lined with smooth tile without even a hair out of place. Paintings, chandeliers, and the perseverance of off-white stone and brown tiles accented with the ever-present glow of flame gave the daedalic structure a feeling of warmth. If not the awe-striking rays of the sun, at least the gentler comfort of a campfire.

As they began their walk, the Dark Sun would speak to the visitors following behind.

"Thou gavest thine world a name, though I know not if it be its title. Tell me: what is this 'Pokemon World' of which thou spoke?"