Re-SSFW IV - Round 3 "Two Realms for the Price of One" [Archive]

Zai

08-11-2009, 02:29 AM

The demons, the tree spirits, and the fairies, those were some of the things Itachi had escaped from. As well as endless mazes and labryinths. Itachi had entered the portal, and it was very dark as he was transported to the Harpy City. Itachi slowly opened his eyes, as he looked around and saw he was in a magnificent city. The magnificent city looked like heaven. Maybe I died when I entered that portal, but why, why was I sent here, Itachi thought to himself. It was pure beauty, wild animals roaming free as they flied through the skies, women with wings flying as their hearts desired. Wait, women with wings?

There was a gust of wind, and there were tall and amazing buildings around him, as well as many clouds. It seemed everywhere around the magnificent city was the color white. The buildings, the clouds, and some birds that Itachi could see flying around the city.

Itachi looked around and saw the place he thought was heaven turned out to be much different. Sure, there was a blue sky and beautiful city, but there was more to it than first met his eyes. The animals that were flying through the skies were griffins, and the women with wings were harpies. Itachi knew if he was ever going to get out of this, he needed to find a way out. Wait, how could I ever get out of here, Itachi thought. He looked around, and saw this was a city floating in the air. The endless maze Itachi was in before was probably easier to get out of. "Perhaps I could get used to staying here, besides the harpies and the griffins, this place is heaven on Earth, or wherever this city is," Itachi said, still lying on the ground. "No, I need to get out of here, this place is hell in disguise," Itachi said, as he slowly stood up.

A griffin began flying down toward him, as Itachi knew he had to act fast. What a majestic creature, Itachi said, seeming to be in a trance for a moment. He suddenly snapped out of it, as the griffin opened its mouth. Itachi quickly pulled out three kunai and threw it at the griffin. The griffin flied right into the three kunai, the kunai stabbed into the griffin's forehead. The griffin screamed in pain as it started to fly down even faster at Itachi. "To this griffin, my kunai are like sticks," Itachi said, as he was about to try and use hypnosis on the griffin. Itachi activated his Sharingan, his pupils turning red and three tomoe surrounding the center of each of pupil, and the three tomoe in each pupil began spinning around in the circle, while Itachi and the griffin's eyes met.

The griffin made a noise that forced Itachi to cover his ears and look away from the griffin, the hypnosis not having enough time to work. Itachi looked up at the griffin again, as it was only 10 feet from him. Itachi quickly pulled out a kunai, and jumped up at the griffin, thrusting the kunai in his right hand at the griffin's forehead. The griffin made the same noise, as Itachi felt himself thrusted to the ground, when Itachi just noticed something. I can hear again, I have all my senses back, Itachi thought, I guess that won't matter anymore.

Itachi felt himself slam into the ground, with his eyes closed. He slowly opened his eyes, as he saw the griffin on the ground right beside him. He had his hand near the griffin's forehead, with the kunai in his hand, and the kunai had stabbed right into the griffin's forehead, killing it. Itachi realized what had happened. While he jumped up at the griffin and stabbed it, it's body put weight onto his right arm and forced him down to the ground. Itachi looked around his body. No injuries, no internal bleeding, just a bit of back pain. Itachi began chuckling. He had gotten out of a battle with the mighty griffin, with back pain.

Itachi slowly stood up and removed his kunai from the griffin's head. He dropped his kunai, and checked his pouch with kunais. He only had two kunai left. "Oh well," Itachi said, as he just left those four bloody kunai there, and he continued walking around the magnificent city, looking around. He felt like there were more people here, as he decided to deactivate his Sharingan for now. Itachi's eyes changed back to normal, the three tomoe disappearing, as Itachi decided to sit down and rest, and give a little thought into this before he fought more.

Itachi's thoughts went back to the man he had fought. I'll have to be weary of him the next time we meet, Itachi thought, It may have to come to me using one of my three forbidden techniques. Itachi continued thinking of an easier way to defeat the griffin next time they were to meet. Itachi couldn't afford to waste more kunai, so he had to rely on his speed and one kunai next time.

Itachi stood up, and began walking around through the magnificent city, wondering how he was ever going to get out and escape back home. But then again, it may just be better to stay here, considering a lot of the people back "home" want him dead.

RXS

08-11-2009, 05:00 AM

The voices were gone...

Yuna awoke once more. This time, however, she did not wake up to the eerie silence of the labyrinth. This place much resembled the place where she fought the Hellhounds, but it wasn't nearly as arrogant. Volcanoes burst to her right, lava flowed all around her and she could hear monstrous roars in the distance.

"Wha--" She was cut off by another voice inside of her head.

You've made it, Yunie.

"No," Yuna screamed at the top of her lungs, "Leave me alone!" Why was this dangerously childish voice still talking to her? It sounded so familiar inside of Yuna's head, but she couldn't place where the voice was from. An old friend? An enemy? Yuna couldn't think straight.

You must find me, Yuna. I am here, in this wasteland. Find me, I have something for you.

"What," Yuna exclaimed out loud. She consciously felt embarrassed about being seen talking to someone who was not there and looked around, though she knew perfectly well she was alone. For now.

Xuan

08-11-2009, 06:43 AM

Ueki Kosuke floated through the warm soothing light as pure white enveloped him in a cocoon of motherly protection. Slick strings of silvery substances maneuvered expertly as if alive to cover every inch of his battered body, with each touch and movement injecting delightful strength and wonderful dreams. Ueki didn't know where he is or what is going on - He didn't care. This is the first time he felt more alive than waking up from a good night's sleep. So beautiful, Ueki whispered among the flying dreams of joy. The excruciating pain that hounded his body relentlessly like a demon before faded under the divine power whose kindness he felt deeply and muttered of countless thanks. The corrupting taints of pure black were stripped layer by layer until the windows of his soul opened and stared finally at true reality, not the comforting white conjured to save his tortured mind. And out there... was no different than the joyful image he saw before. He cannot believe, but this is reality - Magnificent, truly magnificent!

The gaping holes in his soul healed, he waited yet for those in his memories to heal as well. But he waited and waited, the savior strings never healed. Why? Ueki asked, slightly desperate, unable to believe that such miracle cannot heal his memories, Why? Out of nowhere the musical harpoons began to play, their magical flow strangely sad but strong, strangely similar to his never ending responsibility to protect. There, another piece of my memory connected... Ueki thought to himself and nodded. Once more, blue fire burned within his resurrected eyes. He looked gently at the lines that heal as they fell to the ground - unwilling, protective, sad at the child's fate to defy impossible. And yet...

"I do not know you, but you have saved my life." Ueki clenched his fist and stared at above as if to declare, the swift winds of life brushing past the skin of his face. They would be scarred, he knew; they would be broken, he knew; they would bleed, he knew that too.

"I promise to you, that no matter what, with all my strength I will protect everyone from danger... even a hundred years will not stop me. I will defeat him, for you." And that you is to all.

All bowed towards his determination and belief. All watched him go and vanished to face danger.

Be safe, Ueki.

To a world that almost never was.

Yellow Flash

08-11-2009, 10:59 AM

His eyes were shut closed against the brilliant sunlight that attempted to break through the shield that was his eyelids. He kept them shut closed however, leaning back into the comfortable softness that was behind his head. He felt as though he were floating through clouds of comfort, and that all the pain from the last area that had been afflicted upon him was gone. He was also amazed that his sense had come back again, he could feel softness upon his hands, and he could the wind moving his hair back and forth. He opened his mouth slightly and tasted slight water in the air. It was then he opened his eyes and rotated himself, so that he was now standing upright. In actual fact he was floating on a beautiful sea of clouds in the sky. He slowly stretched his arms up in front of his face and took a look around. It seemed he was standing on a cloud, or flying in a sea of the small, fluffy white things. Where am I?... He wondered to himself, as he marveled at the peace and quietness of the place.

His first thought, was that he had died and went to heaven, he wondered if something went wrong with the portal, and it somehow killed him. This place was certainly peacefull enough for heaven, and it looked like it too. Peter then shook his head, if he was in heaven there would be angles flying around and he was pretty sure he would have wings as well. Well if not the after life....then what? Peter wondered as he lay back upon the fluffy whitness of the clouds behind him. Despite his situation, and the fact that he didn't know where the hell he was, he felt strangely content. He now knew what his brother felt, when he flew in the air, the peacefullness and the softness of the clouds behind him.

He then spun around in the air, looking for some form of life, his sharp eyes alighted on the city in the distance. It was a magnificence structure, even from so far away, and it seemed to be floating on the clouds as easily as Peter was now. As he looked closer, he could see what looked like birds fluttering around the city, like there was no tomorrow. Although he was sure no birds could survive at this high an altitude. He started to float closer to the city so he could see better, and after a few meters of moving through this fluffy white sea, he could see the so-called-birds for what they actually were. Harpies! He thought in surprise as he watched them spin and glide around the beautiful structure. It was obviously their home, and Peter was afraid to intrude. However he didn’t know what he had to do yet, so it seemed a good idea as any; as he started to glide forward as easily as an eagle on the air currents. He smiled once as he felt the soft cloud on his face, and then he continued on his way, towards the great, white city ahead.

He floated through the clouds, parting them easily with his right hand, he enjoyed the wetness that he felt among the clouds, as it refreshed him and helped to stay awake. He yawned as he moved forward through the white sea among him, he realized that if he was going to get anywhere he had to move a bit faster. He sighed as he wanted to spend more time among the clouds; yet he knew that he had to get home and back to the people that loved him. With another sigh, he started to speed toward the city in the distance.

Firesnake

08-11-2009, 11:00 PM

Cold air gently caressed his face. He had a smile on his face as he awoke. Dear god, it was all just a nightmare. He thought as his eyes slowly adjusted to sunlight. He sat in a circle of straw, on a crystal clear plateau. A sigh escaped from deep within his throat as he slumped down again. "So it wasn't a dream" He mumbled to himself as he gazed at the sky. A feather floated across the sky, away from the platform underneath him. Away? That means! Up he snapped, full to attention as again he took in the circle of straw. Feathers and bones littered it but the most important thing lay just next to him. A small, speckled egg lay there, covered in a bed of straw. He reached out for it, but a shriek behind him froze him were he sat.

The gryphons had monitored the stranger ever since he had appeared. No action had been taken, not even when he had sat up. But now this stranger was reaching for one of their eggs and that's where they drew the line. Alex slowly stood up and turned around until he came eye to eye with two of the most bizarre creatures he had ever seen. Head, front claws and wings of an eagle, but backside of a lion. These are mythological creatures. He thought, but his ponderings got interrupted when one of the creatures lashed out with his sharp talons. A pain pierced through his chest as blood splattered the nest. Ow dear, this is not good. He thought as his pupils dilated and he fell backwards from the high platform. The gryphon's spread their wings and followed with an amazing speed.

It burned when the wounds on his chest closed, but it gave him back the clarity he needed so dearly as the gryphon's dove next to him. They awaited his imminent death, so they could feed his remains to their younglings. Alex was not about to let this happen, for his first reaction was to firmly wrap his arms around one of the gryphon's neck. The creature stopped his dive in panic and talons once again scraped across his chest and legs, but the adrenalin in his veins made him oblivious to this fact. With a big tug he snapped the creature’s neck and once more he plummeted from the sky. Tendrils escaped his body as they consumed the nearly dead creature. Harpies, gryphons, flying, living. Memories flashed through his head as he spread out his arms and made his arms flat and hollow. He slowed down as he saw the crystalline ground below him get closer and closer. Why do I have the feeling I forgot something?

Animal instincts filled the gryphon as he saw his made die and being consumed right before his eyes. He knew no rage or hatred, but he still had his children to feed. He rushed down, talons outstretched, and as he struck he felt something struggling between his claws. He flew back up, towards his nest, but to his surprise something fell onto of his neck. Alex had seen the gryphon rush towards him and had quickly changed his arm to the whip fist. When the gryphon had attacked he made sure it got the arm and swiftly he had used it to swing on top of its back. Just like a helicopter. He smiled as he slowly reached down beside the creatures head and stroke its cheeks. The creature calmed down and released his other arm, which quickly returned back to a normal.

Faster, slower, left, right, up, down. He thought as the memories of the other gryphon told him how to manipulate the gryphon. Soothed by the gentle touch, the creature hovered in one place as it let out an approving screech. Alex laughed as he gently stroked the head of this fierce creature. "My friend, I shall call you Medivh and together we shall found a place out of this blasted place." He said as he finally got the time to look around. A giant city lay beneath him, clear as crystal, and yet polluted with power. He saw creatures stirring beneath him, and he heard the sounds of voices, even if they were distant. He guided his new companion to a tower, high above street level and cautiously looked down. Gryphons and harpies fluttered and walked around, screeching and talking in birdlike voices. Alex remembered the harpies from the memories the other gryphon had possessed, and he concluded he should better not mess with them. Gently he pushed his feet behind Medivh's wings and the beast flew up into the sky. Upwards Medivh, go to the safest spot you can find! He yelled against the rushing wind. The gryphon only screeched, and yet, Alex couldn't suppress a smile.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-12-2009, 01:02 AM

[Diver~Diver2 – F/SN: Realta Nua OST – Haga Keita] ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbgL_QyYI_E )

The endless black, winding tunnel that signaled the rip in dimension had this time been lit by neon strings of all imaginable color spectrums, resembling a particularly bizarre aurora borealis. No, rather than calling it a ‘tunnel’, perhaps this was more akin to zooming down a pipe – the mere thought of which left an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth of the King of Heroes. Thankfully, unlike last time he took the same mode of transportation, the infernal high-pitched howling that accompanied a foreign object shredding reality was not there. Neither was there a light electric sensation of charges running throughout his body; a feeling which he had only felt when traversing the folds of the universe when Summoned by Alaya or a Master, as there long has not been any thaumaturgy powerful enough to inflict some sort of lightning effect on him and get past his magic resistance.

In a way, it was a good thing for the golden warrior to have lost all his senses except sight, then; of course, getting him to admit something like that would have been impossible. Like a dragon that would grow enraged at the theft of a single coin from his massive hoard, there were few things that could anger Gilgamesh more then someone burglarizing his Treasury, or committing the foul act of wielding its powers. It was precisely for the former reason that the face of the King bore such a dissatisfied grimace; when he’d entered the portal, he had been more or less content with the amount of devastation he caused in that infernal labyrinthine thicket. Now, however, he was reminded of the things stolen from him, and his bad mood was returning: Woe to whoever it was that he saw first when he had emerged from this limbo. Should they have placed even a toe out of line, had the wrong tone in their speech, or merely said the wrong word, they would taste the fury of the last King of Uruk.

That last world he’d been in was nothing short of disgusting; the pleasant greenery nothing more than deceitful trash that only hid the mongrels that deserved a thousand deaths – yet to soil his hands a thousand times with the bile that they pretended was their blood was beyond even his mercy. A King’s Word, however, was not meant to be broken, though it could have been retracted, as one as majestic as he, after all, was the master of his Word. This time, however, he was certain he would keep his promise to level the entire forest and reprimand Pan most cruelly. He had seen the familiar clouds of will’o-the-wisp-like sparks, one silver, the other crimson, pulling up with the mass of golden sparks that represented himself when he moved through the barriers of space and time: Arthuria and Iskander. Just as an unseen ghostly smile appeared on the nonexistent face of the King of Heroes, an event occurred which would have made him snarl had he had his vocal cords.

The tunnel, so steady, so deprived of chaos, had suddenly given a twist, and, in a flash of blinding light, split in two, the cloud of silver headed the other way while the red stubbornly followed him: an order he would immeasurably prefer to be reversed. This was not the work of the Third, he knew that much. The Keeper would not have separated her Counter Guardians without making them suffer more instructions, orders, and warnings. As much as he’d hated the Spirit, it always operated according to certain rule-sets which it never broke or went past; that emotionless and machine-like quality made Gilgamesh hate it all the more, for, while he’d never admit it, it was always above his hatred, just like it was about anything else. A conceptual being, only ‘existing’ in an obscure way, purely for the purpose of fulfilling its mission; nothing more, nothing less.

Anger beating itself against the golden bars of its rather flimsy cage, the King of Heroes neared the end of the dimensional breach, as prophesied by the pulsing crimson glow directly in front of him. As his dissolved form was pulled into the exit, even the Golden King could not help but wonder what world awaited him next – yet for all that, that woman concerned him more. Where would she end up? Simply a different location in the same world he and the King of Conquerors were to land in, or was the split a signal that she was sent somewhere else altogether? Recalling the past experience when they had entered the cursed portal in that hellish first world, he irritatedly concluded it was the latter, the fact adding to the growing frustration within him. Such was the nature of the King of Heroes that he’d long forgotten the maggot he’d ‘fought’ just before Alaya coerced him into leaving: after all, it was dead and gone, amply punished for its insolence. Why would one as magnificent as he give a second thought to a piece of trash like that brat?

[Uragiri no Majo – F/SN OST – Kawai Kenji] ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8GzrYCuVPc )

The landing had not been particularly harsh to Gilgamesh; this time, the portal had opened rather conveniently, directly at ground level, so he could simply walk out of it. The first from the shimmering ripple, twin to the Gate of Babylon, had been a golden-plated left foot, then the majestic profile of the King’s face, next his shoulders and chest, arms hanging at his sides. Truly, a much more graceful and elegant exit then the one that had tossed him out over the forest, though through his superior skill, allowed him to land on both feet. At least this portal seemed to know how it was a King should be received, he noted, taking a good look at his surroundings and deeming them as the minimum standard for ‘satisfactory’, though still better then the filthy hell or the rotting, maggot-ridden forest, reminding him of an old corpse, with the maggots, of course, being those that pathetically stood in his way.

Anyone but Gilgamesh might have marveled at the sheer beauty and grandeur of the hall he had ended up in: but to the King of Heroes, such ‘wonders’ were merely the minimum requirements for him to grace them with his regal presence. The place that he now stood in had been a massive cavern, though calling it that would be akin to calling a palace a hovel. The ceiling could not be seen by any human’s eyes, cloaked in darkness, as the seemingly endless forest of white marble columns had supported it, placed a good ten meters apart from one another. The hall itself had stretched for hundreds of meters, ending in what seemed to be a pair of silver-bracketed, ornate double doors, carved with the images of winged prehistoric wyrms which came to be titled ‘dragons’. The floor seemed to be composed of a complex mash of gems and actual gold clinking melodically as the King of Heroes moved his boots.

There was a wide pathway, some thirty meters in length, which led to the object near which he had ended up walking out near: a throne. The structure itself resembled a lesser version of his own back in his Empire, while it still stood, the grey marble fit with platinum creating three platforms with steps arranged in circles, as if ripples moving out from the center. At the center, closest to the wall, stood the throne that drew Gilgamesh’s attention: golden, ornamented with ruby, emerald, onyx, diamond, and sapphire gemstones of incredible size and clearer then water, even to his expert appraiser’s eye. The high back of the throne extended somewhere into the darkness along with the columns, while its handles, consisting of two beautifully-sculpted dragon heads, had remained silent contrarily to their life like appearance. Though the Archer’s eyes could pierce the darkness, straining them for such a laughable task as perceiving the shadow upon the throne seemed ridiculous.

The hall had been very dimly lit by some aura of red which emanated behind the closed doors, but it had not been much of a restraint to the King of Heroes. A sudden smell has destroyed his good mood, as he wrinkled it in disgust: all this splendor and the realm assigned him a room which smelled infinitely worse than a peasant’s shack, the odor of ash and brimstone heavy in the atmosphere, polluting it with their presence. At the same time, a blond eyebrow rose at the realization his senses had returned; his nostrils full of the reek of brimstone, his skin feeling the slight heat of the nearby lava, and his ears full of the furious song of flame, if dulled by the shut doors. Taste had remained unconfirmed, but masochistically biting his lip to confirm such a thing was below his self-respect: masochism was best left to the fake Priest.

[All the World’s Evil – F/SN OST – Geneon Entertainment] ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xGFwM4GJ4s )

Suddenly, the entire landscape of the hall had begun to change, as an ancient voice had spoken, in the manner of one used to having his commands obeyed, and followed to a letter: a powerful, deep voice filled with echoes of a faraway anger yet despite that being calm; such was the tone a flame was heard at when it had been content and sure of its dominance over its food. A voice used to ruling and being of absolute authority, that was the impression the voice gave as it echoed throughout the hall: “How dare you enter my kingdom in such a rude manner. I will have my dragons feast upon your rotting corpse.” As if on cue, the two dragon heads’ jaws had dropped open, a stream of hissing magma cascading down the premade tracks made in the steps of the throne, running to two twin trenches running the length of the hall, which simultaneously ignited, creating two walls of roaring flames twice as high as an average-sized human, the two major trenches webbing out throughout the gigantic chamber, displaying it in all its true size and majesty.

The flames ran up some of the columns in spirals, as if living snakes, slithering their way across them, yet still not enough to reach the ceiling itself. The roaring flames gleamed off the armor of both figures: the gold of the King of Heroes, and the purpleish blue tint of the cold steel embracing the silhouette upon the throne. Two pairs of crimson eyes locked, the unknown man’s being consumed by flame entirely, and Gilgamesh’s scarlet orbs, staring at the stranger with a great deal of boredom and indifference. Both men bore blonde hair, yet the one upon the throne had a long, untamed mane which made the King of Heroes’ lip curl in a slight sneer. The unknown figure upon the throne was powerfully built, and likely well-muscled under the armor glowing with electric blue at the seams. The shoulderpads resembled horned dragon heads and the helm with what seemed to be fins, or wing fragments, was most certainly crafted of a dragon’s skull. The face below it was of pale complexion, but was akin to a statue’s regal look; while Gilgamesh’s face, too, appeared this way, the other man’s was deprived of…something. That something had made the King of Kings appear ‘human’.

His armor was, in places, chainmail that looked all too natural, while other parts, such as his breastplate, were made of a solid piece of whatever the material was. Throughout the armor, sapphire gems could be seen: One on the back of either palm, one acting as a belt buckle, one as a brooch holding his cape up, and a pair on the shoulders, with the tiniest upon his forehead. Still, such attire was deemed to be ‘tasteless’ in the ruby eyes of the King of Heroes, given his distaste for the color purple, even if ignorant mortals called it ‘royal’. The gems were mediocre despite their clarity and were a dime a dozen in any world, this or the next. The only thing that remotely interested Gilgamesh was the sword the figure clutched in its hands, shaped as if a blue flame, wreathed in an azure aura, the blazing sapphiric runes in a language he could not recognize – a heresy! – running along its blade. Perhaps, only perhaps, this sword was worth adding to his collection.

Yet, the King of Heroes’ only answer to the opponent’s speech came in the way of a tiny ripple forming over his right shoulder.

Enkidu’s silvery surface burst outward from the Gate at its master’s behest, the binding forged by Anu to constrict gods flying through the air at an impossible speed, yet entirely silently. It was not the golden warrior’s aim to bind his azure opponent, nor get him to obey, or even punish him for his petty rudeness. It was disgusting even getting upset at such a mongrel with tastes like these, who enjoyed dwelling in a cavern filled with noxious gasses – what was he, a druggy? Given the way how he hadn’t even presented him with his name before beginning to spot ridiculous notions and orders, it certainly suggested that the maggot before him was the scum of scums, the bottom-feeding swine that fed off its own filth. No: Gilgamesh’s wish was much more simplistic, and the sheer certainty and grace it had been executed with suggested that he hadn’t so much as a shadow of doubt that he had been in the right.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-12-2009, 01:02 AM

[Haunting – Shingetsutan Tsukihime – TYPE Moon] ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naW8rDOqSeA )

He simply wanted to sit down.

Even as the stranger’s blazing eyes widened in surprise, an unvoiced question about to fly from his lips, as Enkidu wrapped around his waist. For a second time, the two men’s gazes met, one of utter boredom, then other of light surprise; just as a golden armored hand grasped hold of the endless chain and pulled hard on it, the yank sharp and cruel. Pulling anything without armor with the force the Golden King applied to the tug would have likely snapped even a bull’s back in two. This being, however, remained unaffected, even as it flew at Gilgamesh, who’d simply held out his hand, catching the opponent’s head, the helmet conveniently possessing an abundant amount of edges to be used for grasping – and, lifting his foot, first pushed forward, and then directly down, letting go of the random swine’s face at the same time. The result had been a half-kick, half-stomp that caused the King’s boot to crash into the other man’s solar plexus, and pushing him into the ground, face upward, at the same time robbing him of breath and causing coins to shower the area as he impacted into them.

As if having nothing to say, Gilgamesh strolled forwards, Enkidu dissolving, ascending the marble steps slowly, certain nothing would dare block his way. The crimson tunic billowed ever so slightly in the wind breeze that had been created by the flames and the air from the huge doors at the end of the hall. Turning to face the gigantic hall, he placed both hands on the arm rests, and slowly sat down, supporting himself using them, ignoring the figure at the bottom. Only now had he taken the time to look over his newfound throne room – pathetic as it was, this was the only one that came even remotely close to how a King’s chambers should have been furnished. It lacked a good smell, expensive paintings, statues, carpets, slaves and entertainers, as well as the society that revolved around him for his own amusement, yet for now… It would have to do. Gilgamesh sighed heavily, shaking his head, left hand rubbing his forehead: just how low would his standards have to be?

A gleam of crimson and gold attracting his sight from the corner of his eyes, he turned, finding a tiny table seemingly made of the same material as the steps, heavily adorned in gold carvings and runes: upon it stood, or rather floated, the object which caught his eye. It had been the largest ruby he’d ever seen, sized about the size of his own head, a web of golden threads spun throughout the thing’s surface, extending all the way to its core. Even through his gauntlets, he could feel its pleasant warmth, balancing it in one hand, while curiously observing it. What was more, the strange object pulsed with a beat that had to have been life. Given its shape, there was only one thing that this thing could have been: an egg. Of what, proved simple enough to guess, given the carvings upon the doors of the sanctum, the smell of lava, and the throne’s decoration. Gilgamesh had been deposited in the domain of a dragon.

“What impudence is this? I order you to remove yourself from my throne at once, or face the wrath of the dragon's commander. I will summon a thousand beasts to feast upon your rotting infernal corpse.”

The voice drew Gilgamesh’s attention, as he distractedly glanced at the figure now standing upon the spot where he’d left it, apparently having gotten up. He bothered the King of Heroes very little; the egg fascinated him much more, in comparison. Filth could only spout filth, after all, and that sullied his ears. The tone of the figure had no more been ‘calm’, an echo of rage awakening in the ancient voice, but after all, rage or no rage, wasn’t a mongrel simply a mongrel in the end? Even Hercules… Still, picking out the useful information amongst the excrements, he seemed to be the ‘leader’ of this place, and dragons were his servants. Grimacing, Gilgamesh shrugged, opening the Gate of Babylon and tossing the ruby egg through, knowing it would be kept safe inside the Treasury. As the ripple consumed the egg, the King of Heroes placed his chin upon his fingers, netted together to form a slight bridge, the elbows supported by the arm rests, his stare going above the figure, to the faraway doors, pondering what he’d had to do now, when a much less amusing voice filled his head:

”You have fulfilled the first task, King of Heroes: the egg you held is the key to leaving this realm. The one you see before you is the self-styled King of Dragons. Do with him as you wish, but do not tarry in performing your direct duties, Beast.” the voice mercilessly intoned, underling the importance of his mission here, and to not mistake his priorities for ‘freedom’. Perhaps to Alaya, he had been no more than a slave – those of whom he, in life, had owned millions of, uncaring of their lives or well-being. The tone the Spirit employed had always enraged him, but he’d found it rather difficult to become angry this time, as he had already a growing frustration, which had been only tacked onto when this… thing in purple began to bleat its orders at him, clearly unaware of its position.

[The Berserker – Fate/Zero: Return to Zero – TYPE Moon] ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcrWWi53Gc )

“So you call yourself the King of Dragons?” The Golden King had, at last, the time to reply to the self-styled ‘King’. His question had been merely rhetorical, and when the other man opened his mouth to answer, Gilgamesh, one leg placed over the other, right eye shut, gazed upon the figure below, arms resting on the throne handles: “Fool. You should know that the only true three Kings in the world are the myself – the King of Heroes, the King of Knights, and the King of Conquerors. I also go by ‘King of Kings’, if ‘Heroes’ is too long a word for your tiny mind.” The regal, arrogant tone of Gilgamesh had also been used to having authority over everything and everyone, no less powerful then when the King of Dragons spoke first, though possessing a note the azure-armored man did not: a sense of pride and certainty, the presence so heavy it was physically overpowering.

“I thought to ignore you and your weak insults, mongrel… But I grow impatient and annoyed, and here you are, having the audacity to title yourself a ‘King’ of anything except this filthy molehill.” The Golden King’s hand swept throughout the hall, as he placed both feet firmly down on the ground. “So…” the crimson eyes shone, a slight smile playing upon Gilgamesh’s face: “I will see how much entertainment you will provide, for now, as my warm-up, before I go out those doors and lay waste to anything and anyone I see. I hope you’ll not disgrace my mercy by dying too quickly, maggot.” The golden fingers snapped, the sound carrying far, propelled by echoes, as a black-gemmed hilt exited the ripple forming over the golden warrior’s left shoulder, another forming directly above his palm as a tiny ring had dropped onto it: the same ring he’d used in the first world; the Ring of Nibelung, granting it’s user immunity to fire.

As the sword ( http://cafefiles.naver.net/data38/2009/5/28/240/088_dkswnsdud93_yun8675.jpg) was pulled free, it was revealed to be a black-blue blade, chains wrapped around it’s guard. The blood-trench in the middle used to relieve the blade of excessive crimson liquid had been turned the color of rust mixed with dried blood. At the tip and the base of the blade, twisted runes aligned themselves, forming some sort of curse-or blessing. This had been Arondight, blade of the First Knight of Camelot, Lancelot of the Lake. The same blade known for its origin, identical to that of Excalibur, and being known as the Unbreakable Light of the Lake. Such had been the force of the curse that was placed upon it that even the version that Gilgamesh possessed now bore the same enchantment. As far as blades went, Arondight had been perfect in every way for the ensuing fight, as, upon being wielded, it raised every attribute an Eirei that held it had by one, in the eyes of a Master. As if that significant powerup had not been enough, it had also dealt more damage to dragons – it had tasted their blood in ages past.

The list of those the King wanted dead had been gaining candidates quicker than ever, now that he thought about it. That queen bitch that dared call him a pawn, the old goat Pan, who stole his senses…What was one more mongrel, really? Besides, this one had been asking for it: Calling himself ‘King’, and him landing alone yet again, with no entertainment… Why, it was the duty of such lower life-forms to provide him with a good bit of sport, after all. It should have been honored to receive such a boon: it would be written into history that it died by the hands of the King of Heroes. With the game now set up, he would finally start.

“Now then…Prepare yourself, insect.”

Once more, a snap of fingers had resounded throughout the ancient chamber, as the flames begun to flicker at the intrusion of another reality, the wall rippling behind the King of Heroes, the continuum being shredded as the Treasury of the King opened the Gate of Babylon in this dimension. C-Rank should have been enough, for now, he decided. It had a relatively large radius, and shouldn’t have killed this maggot too quickly. The only infuriating thing is that he’d been allowed to do this by Alaya. As if he could not decided to do so himself! Teeth grinding, Gilgamesh’s eyes flashed dangerously, the flames reflecting in them, as hundreds of weapons began to emerge from the temporal anomaly that twisted behind him. His good mood was fading extremely quickly. It was too bad, really; he wanted to take his time executing any fool that dared call himself ‘King’ and attempted to order the King of Kings.

The wall of blades whistled, flying through the air towards the unfortunate man, but even as the weapons left the gate more emerged, following their predecessors at the frightening speed of 17,000km/h.

[[TL;DR: Gilgamesh walks out of the portal directly in the Dragon King's Throne Room. He proceeds to pull him off his throne, stomp on his midsection, then assume his seat, locating an Egg Gem, which he stores inside the Gate of Babylon. When asked to vacate the throne, and threatened, he ignores it and receives a notice from Alaya that he can 'do as he wishes', which angers him a bit - that assumes he couldn't before. Pulling out Arondight and Ring of Nibelung, he challenged the authority of the Dragon King, refusing to acknowledge him as one, and taunting him, then opening a C-Rank Gate upon him.]]

Zai

08-12-2009, 08:16 AM

Itachi continued walking, as there was suddenly a huge crash in front of him. Itachi jumped back, as there were severeal griffins in front of him, walking toward him with fierce eyes. Itachi closed his eyes, as the eagle-like creatures ran at him, pointing their sharp beaks at Itachi's chest, ready to rip him apart. Itachi opened his eyes, activating his Sharingan, as the three tomoe began spinning around in a circle, Itachi looked from all of the griffins' eyes in order to achieve full hypnosis. As the griffins got closer, it became easier for Itachi to use this attack. "Obey me," Itachi said, as the griffins suddenly stopped in front of him, having been caught in his technique.

"One of you, walk over there and lie down alone, the rest of you, kill each other," Itachi said, as one of the griffins walked away and laid down, while the others began clawing at each other with their talons. One of the four griffins that were fighting each other suddenly stabbed their beaks into another griffin's eye, and then pulled their break out, pulling out the eye, as the griffin with a missing eye roared and tackled the griffin, knocking it over. The other two griffins were clawing at each other, as suddenly the griffin that was fighting the griffin missing the eye removed ANOTHER eye, pulling it out with its claws this time, as the griffin screached, and the griffin stabbed its beak into the eyeless griffin's forehead, and stabbed its talents into the belly of the eyeless griffin, lifting it up and throwing it away, the griffin slamming into one of the buildings and dying. The griffin finished the eyeless griffin off with several slashes of its talons, as the victorious griffin went to go kill the other two. The other two griffins saw the griffin coming, and they both raced forward at the griffin, as the griffin flew at the two, raising its talins.

"Amazing," Itachi said, watching as it suddenly happened. The griffin was standing on its hind feet, and had stabbed each of its front talins into the other two griffin's front foreheads, killing them, while the other two had all of their talons stabbed at the other griffin's belly, killing it as well. The three stood in this position for what seemed like a long period of time, but was really a few seconds, as they all fell over, dead. Itachi walked over to the griffin he had commanded to stay alive, as he hypnotized the griffin again, achieving eye contact and the three tomoe in his Sharingan spinning in a circle.

Itachi had commanded the griffin to fly in search of any valuable or precious objects the griffin knew of, that may also help Itachi escape. Itachi got on the griffin as it spread out its wings, and began running. Then the griffin jumped up, and flapped its wings, going high into the sky, even getting to the top of the towering buildings in the magnificient city. Around these high areas, Itachi spotted several harpies which rushed at him and the griffin. Itachi pulled out his kunai and jumped up, as he flipped through the air, slicing and slashing at the harpies. They all fell down to the ground far below, as Itachi safely landed on the griffin, and the griffin continued flying even higher into the sky. There, Itachi saw an army of harpies, and behind all of those harpies, was one carrying a white gem.

HappyHeartless

08-12-2009, 04:47 PM

Mere moments after Alexstrasza emerged out from the one way portal leaving Pan’s labyrinth, a little creature native to the fiery world she now found herself in had noticed her. Having only been a few feet away from where she had appeared, the little creature’s natural reaction was to attack. As a young fire elemental, only having existed a few centuries, the wave of fire it sent forwards wasn’t great… It was enough to consume the creature who so carelessly had appeared directly in front him, but not great. The shock of the fire elemental was great, however, as the creature simply turned around and stared at him, the fire having done no visible damage.

“I’ve seen the likes of you in my own world young elemental; could you tell me where this is?”
The elemental hesitated for a moment, then looked up into the face of the humanoid standing before him and spoke. ”I do not know anywhere is… We elementals travel from plane to plane and care little for what creatures like you do. All I know is that this is a world of fire - which is why I am here - and of demons and dragons.”
At the mentioning of dragons a jolt went through Alexstrasza, and she felt excited again, for the first time since she had been taken from her home. She kneeled down to be equal with the fire elemental and stared into the empty place where its face would be, if it had needed things such as eyes and a mouth. “And where might I find these dragons, little one?”
The fire elemental spun around once, an involuntary action made by most elementals for some reason, then replied casually. Alexstrasza could tell he was young from his speech. ”Well, they all dwell under the rule of the Dragon King, in a city deep within the earth and beneath the lava. My kind does not go there, the king does not like trespassers, you see…”
A king of dragons? I certainly can’t hope to meet familiarity then, I’ve never heard of something like this Alexstrasza thought, then wondered if it would be a good idea to seek them out.
”I’ll tell you this though” the elemental said, ”if you seek more information, travel to the cave under the mountain that looks like a jagged tooth” – he pointed to a colossal mountain formation behind Alexstrasza – ”there you will find a dragon called Validragosa, a blue dragon who dwells away from the dragons of the city… she is a kind one”
Alexstrasza turned and looked towards the mountain, recognizing the form of a jagged tooth right away. Turning back she looked at the elemental with a kind smile, and then she got back up on her feet.
“You have my thanks.”
Without another word she turned on her heels and started running towards the mountain, hopeful that this Validragosa could answer some of her questions.

A large amount of stone bridges and vast lava rivers later, about an hour for those who count the time, Alexstrasza could see the cave that the little fire elemental had mentioned. Outside the entrance the ground was charred and black from being heavily burned, and even from distance she could make out massive tracks in the ground. A dragon alright, she thought, as she drew even nearer. Before she could make it to the cave, however, a voice boomed out to greet her.
”I sensed your power from far away, and it is a power that has a certain familiarity around it… Who are you?”
As the voice died out a shape begun materializing by the entrance of the cave, and out crawled a large blue dragon, and even though her face was scarred and disfigured, you could tell from her brilliant scales that she had once been beautiful. Heh, I wonder what brother Malygos would think of you? Alexstrasza thought as she stepped in front of the dragon and looked up in her eyes.
“My name is Alexstrasza, and I come from a world called Azeroth. I am a red dragon, and back in my home world all dragons call me their queen.” She smiled as she saw the surprise deep within Validragosa’s eyes. “I am trying to find my way home, and I was told you were a kind one, Validragosa.”
The blue dragon shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her name, then replied in her same, proud tone of voice.
”I think… No, I know I can help you, at least to some extent… But first you must answer me this; if you are a dragon - and you do feel like one - how come you look nothing like one?”
At first Alexstrasza thought it was an ignorant question, but then she remembered that only the dragons of Azeroth was used to taking on humanoid shapes and appearances. Instead of explaining this to Validragosa, she decided she could show her. A familiar sense of power spread through Alexstrasza’s body as her true form, her dragon form, started to reveal itself. First her skin turned scaly and red, then her entire being started to grow, and finally – as she was growing – her hands, teeth, and feet turned to claws, fangs, and paws. Her face was now one of ferocity and beauty, and even without the large opal hanging from her neck in a golden chain or the pair of majestic horns protruding from her head anyone could see just how royal she was. She was larger than Validragosa by far, but this came as no surprise to Alexstrasza, as even the mature male dragons in Azeroth often ended up small in comparison.

”Oh…” Validragosa looked bewildered for a moment, but then she closed her eyes and gathered herself. When she spoke again her tone had changed to become friendlier, and it was obvious that she was happy to be in the company of a non hostile dragon. ”Well you can’t blame me for not figuring THAT out right away! So you’re actually a queen? Well I can tell, really, you’re huge! You look as if you can even rival the Dragon King in siz-“[/i]
At the mention of the Dragon King she recoiled and froze, and Alexstrasza could tell there was a story to hear. She spoke, her voice now booming and powerful, hoping to find out more.
”I sense there is a story here, Validragosa, will you tell me before you tell me how you can help?” Alexstrasza was smiling, trying to soothe Validragosa, and it seemed to be working as her response was more than pleasing.
”Even better, I can tell you both in one, for in truth and in the end, it is the same story.”
She stretched her neck and released a terrifying roar, then her story begun.

”It all started over five centuries ago. I was young and beautiful – it was long before these scars – and the Dragon King himself had sought me out to be one of his many consorts. As it was considered an honor, and still is, I happily obliged his every demand. I did what he told me to do… I stayed where he wanted me to stay, went where he wanted me to go, I even let him punish me when he was in a foul mood, and the results are visible across my entire body… especially on my face… I did everything for him, until that one day. You see, before the Dragon King came to be we dragons were just like any else, but after he formed this world to his liking with his powerful magic, 7 gems were created, affixed to a dragon egg each. Seven eggs, seven gems. These were and still are the cornerstone of the Dragon Kings treasures, and they are created through normal birth. I was one of the consorts who were chosen to birth one, and I had to experience that my only child was born in an egg that will never hatch, one that would be taken by the Dragon King as a trophy. The thought of it made me go mad, I just lost it, and I tried to kill the Dragon King. The following conflict nearly ended in my death, and it was only luck that helped me escape his long and fearsome grasp. I started living up here on the surface, waiting for my power to grow strong enough so that I can reclaim my egg, but I fear that day may never come. His abuse has left permanent scars, and I don’t have much time left in this world. But… These dragon egg gems… They hold a great power. If something can help you, it’s one of them. So I guess what I’m saying is this… Bring him pain, Alexstrasza. Steal one of his eggs, and use it.

As Validragosa finished the last part of her tale, Alexstrasza could sense the sadness and pain she had endured… It made her pity the blue dragon before her, and made her hate the one ruling over his city beneath the earth’s crust. She wanted to hurt him for what he had done. It took a while before she spoke, but when she did Alexstrasza’s voice was filled with determination.
”I will bring him pain, Validragosa, on your behalf I will take an egg and I will do what I can to hurt him… You have my undying promise.”
Such a promise was not something Alexstrasza gave lightly, but she knew she meant it. She would do whatever she could, and she could see Validragosa understood it too. She was truly smiling for the first time since they had met, and as she slowly crept back into her cave she whispered warm words of thanks to Alexstrasza. When she was gone, the dragonqueen resisted the urge to camouflage herself as a high elf once again. No, she would stay in her real form until the dragon egg gem was hers. With a great heave she lifted herself off the ground and took to the sky, setting her course for a large lake filled to the brim with lava, the place where she would find her way into the Dragon King’s domain.

Before long, Alexstrasza found herself in front of the “entrance” (or at least one of them) – a wide hole in the ground the led straight down to the dragon city. She didn’t hesitate and she didn’t hatch out a clever plan, instead, she pushed all her energy into her wings and shot downwards through the hole. The sight of the full grown dragonqueen emerging from the entrance and into the city was one to behold. She spread her wings as wide as possible, stopping her decent instantly. A shockwave of air shot out in every direction and dust, even small rocks, loosened themselves from the walls and created a wispy cloud. Alexstrasza had expected a battle to ensue immediately thereafter, but was surprised to see a shockingly small number of dragons present. The city was huge, and she could tell that she found herself in only a small part of it. Most of the dragons within eyesight were just staring at her with surprise, but one burly one with black scales and a sinister look approached her. He was smaller than Alexstrasza, and so he went forward with care.
[b]"WHO ARE YOU?!" he called out, but he had already come too close.
With an advanced maneuver the dragonqueen flew forwards then spun around in midair, striking the black dragon across his head with her long and dense tail. The blow reverberated off the nearby walls and sent a bone cracking sound echoing throughout the city. The black dragon lost consciousness and fell downwards, crashing into a pool of lava, splashing the surrounding area with the hot substance. Alexstrasza could feel a magnificent power nearby, and deduced that it had to be one or more of the dragon egg gems. As the few dragons that had been watching were fleeing, they were obviously not used to battle, she set course for a large gate stationed at the lowest tier of the city, and as she closed in on it she breathed out several powerful balls of fire, meant to explode on impact instead of burn. The projectiles hit their target, and as the third ball exploded with brute force the gate flew off its hinges and landed on the ground with an empty thud. Behind it a round object with a blazing red gem mounted on it was placed on a pedestal, and Alexstrasza didn’t waste any time, as she could feel several powerful beings approach from farther away in the city. She grabbed the dragon egg gem in her mouth, clenching it with her powerful jaws, then turned around and started flying towards the tunnel she had used to enter. As she made it to the exit, a horde of bloodthirsty and angered black dragons cut a corner and saw her disappear into the tunnel. They released their frenzied roars and started chasing her, horrified of what their master would do to them if Alexstrasza escaped with the dragon egg gem. The heat of a dragon’s fiery breath is something else entirely from normal fire, and as the black dragons sent streams of it towards Alexstrasza, missing her by mere inches, it didn’t go unnoticed. The lower part of her body was burning with pain, and she acted quickly; banging her tail into the sides of the tunnel as she flew upwards, large rocks started to dislodge themselves from the sides and the tunnel begun collapsing. At one particularly well-placed hit, a crack appeared which started climbing upwards, past Alexstrasza. When it reached the top of the tunnel the earth around it just gave away and started falling downwards, threatening to crush everyone in the tunnel. Pushing herself against the opposite side of the tunnel, Alexstrasza managed just barely to avoid the worst of the avalanche as she emerged out from the tunnel and found herself out on the surface again. Moments later the earth and rocks around the tunnel gave away entirely, and like a drain beneath water the tunnel started pulling down the surrounding landscape, crushing the black dragons and rendering the entrance useless. Exhausted the dragonqueen landed and transformed into her humanoid form. Breathing heavily she collapsed on the ground and gripping the dragon egg gem tightly. Her feet were covered in slowly fading burns, but she was happy.

It could have been much worse.

Hiren

08-12-2009, 08:30 PM

It was almost as if the wide portal had opened up into the stars themselves for they surrounded the towering man on all sides. Even beneath his feet which stood planted on solid ground that was not even really there, substantial and yet insubstantial all at the same time. Not a step had been taken since the moment he had entered the portal and in truth not a step was required for whatever translucent ground that supported his weight slid along like a modernized conveyer belt, drawing him ever nearer to the distant destination that was currently beyond sight. What would he find there? What challenges awaited on the other side of this fathomless tunnel? With the labyrinthine forest far in the distance Iskander’s anger was quickly evaporating, replaced instead by a taught sense of anticipation.

The tunnel split up ahead, a dull light glowing from the end of each pathway in so different a shade it was obvious that the worlds they lead to were starkly opposite of one another. The white- blue of the first spoke of air and sky and, as he neared, the King of Conquerors fancied that he could hear the sharp, distinct cry of a large bird of prey. However his attention was turned more toward the other pathway when the infinitesimal passageway steered him in that direction instead. From here a deep red glow seemed to emanate and as the entrance rolled into view there came with it a sudden waft of heated air. So it was to another kind of hell that he was being transported… back into the inferno to do battle with the fiends of fire and flame. A grin suddenly split those broad, masculine features. This would prove a good deal more exciting than Pan’s cowardly minions.

The portal opened up near to the ground and so emerging out of it was a great deal less intense. It was much easier to maintain his balance even as he lifted a foot to step outside the end of the portal that could have reminded him so much of the Gate of Babylon for its wide expanse had he been paying much attention. A sandaled foot came first, the shin above it covered by a steel plated piece of armor that served to ensure no one took a cheap chop at his legs in an attempt to immobilize the warrior. The ends of hat crimson mantle came next, billowing from the heated wind as it filled the passageway and wrapped itself insubstantially around him. The King himself emerged next, smiling still as a deep inhalation through his nose brought forth the scent of ash and brimstone.

The landscape those crimson eyes surveyed was not nearly as barren as Hell itself. Where the ground had been blackened and burned it was instead rocky and uneven. There was still no sign of plant life existing in this world but with the heat of the air and the overcast of thick, gray, ash like smoke that robbed the landscape of any chance of being touched by the sun that was no surprise. A single glance down found the source of that which had set the star passageway a glow at its end for a river of liquid fire ran lazily through a shallow chasm between where he stood and more arid land that stretched beyond. There were mountains here and there, each of them billowing with smoke like enormous chimneys as lava frothed from within their cores. There had been two separate destinations… had the other two Kings perhaps been transported to the other world? Somehow he doubted they would be lucky enough to go to the exact same place. One Eirei was bad enough without letting all three team up.

There was a simple wooden bridge not too far off that spanned the chasm, its design primitive but effective. How the wood and thick rope which suspended it could survive with the constant blistering heat of the fiery river flowing beneath it was a mystery entirely and one that the servant once known as Rider had little care for. So long as it supported his weight he wouldn’t dwell upon the how. As to whether or not it would, though, proved to be a large question as the first plank creaked threateningly beneath the giant man’s bulk. He was in no way a small figure and considering the thick cords of rippling muscle not to mention the armored breast plate and thick mantle to add to his natural weight he was not exactly light as a feather. Maybe it would be better to ride the Gordius Wheel across…

Something stirred behind him, scraping upon the stone that he had emerged upon and drawing those crimson eyes away from the bridge they had been considering. The King of Conquerors expected it to be the first appearance of the enemies that would be lined against him in this realm. Perhaps they would be skeletal swordsman or fire elementals themselves. When his gaze instead landed on the scaled front foot of an immense lizard with great, wide wings that were even then unfurling simply to stretch, his expression flashed into one of utter surprise for something of such size had not been among the foremost of his expectations. The claw tipped front foot clenched slightly, the long nails topping each digit sinking apparently with ease into the solid stone and gouging deep scratches into the surface. Iskander, for all his near seven foot height, came up only to perhaps a little above the beast’s wrist.

The great red dragon shook itself, dislodging what might have been years of dust and rock from its large, hardened scales that were easily more protective then the greatest of manmade armors. It must have been sleeping there for years, decades even perhaps with nothing in this world to bother it. Looking again at the position of the claw and where on the rock it had began to rise Iskander realized that the portal had taken him out right atop its foot that was even then so near as it clutched the rock. It had no doubt felt the tear in reality created by that portal and the man that had emerged from it who did not belong in this realm. He had awakened it and as it lifted its great, horned head to the sky and let forth a deafening roar that sent forth a pillar of intensely heated flame he realized it was none too happy for it.

“Well you’re a big one, aren’t you?” The King of Conquerors said with a wide smile on his face and large hands planted at his hips. The crimson mantle was pulled back behind them, leaving the round handle of Spatha easily within reach should this turn into a brawl. Not that the fabulous weapon was of much use against the thick armor of the dragon’s hide. The sound of his voice brought a pair of large red eyes round to center on him. They narrowed as the scrutinized the human who had dared to wake the magnificent beasts slumber.

The large head of the beast lowered nearer to him and as it did Iskander became aware of the many scars that lined its long, thick neck as well as its powerful flanks. Even one of those immense wings which were still held widespread seemed slightly crippled from damage done long ago. This dragon knew war, surely, and as it opened its immense maw to flick a serpentine tongue out into the air in an apparent attempt to test his courage he saw a glimpse of teeth nearly as large as himself. The forked tip of the tongue stopped a scant inch from the King’s face but he did not flinch away, did not even twitch in any way as crimson stare met crimson stare.

“You know I always wondered how useful a dragon would be to have in my army.” He said once more when it became apparent that the dragon was not about to speak to him. “It’s a pity I never found one while I was alive… Oh how those war elephants would have crumbled in the face of a creature so great as you!”

“…I do not appreciate being awakened by the likes of a puny ant like you.” The dragon said after several moments pause as if it were having difficulty understanding what the great king had said. Its voice was a deep rumble, resembling the sound of an earthquake deep beneath ground. As it took in a deep, lazy breath it sounded as if a blacksmith was working his bellows into the fire he would use to forge his weapons and armor. “You are trespassing on the territory of the Dragon King, human, and you should know that the only penalty that shall be leveled against you is death.”

“What if I’m not much of a fan of dying?” Iskander asked, the smile still in place while his hand settled over the handle of his sword as lightly as a feather. “I’ve done the whole dying thing before and I have to say living is quite a lot more exciting. Can’t conquer the world when your soul is within the Hall of Heroes you know.”

The dragons head reared back a little as its wide maw split into what could have been a smile. The jaws parted then to release a deep bellied laugh that released a whole windstorm of air that could have threatened to knock Iskander of balance had it been aimed at him. Smoke erupted from its nostrils, a reminder of the awesome, devastating power it held in its breath. “You are a peculiar boy, I’ll give you that.” It replied as soon as it could speak coherently, turning its attention back to the crimson mantled king. “But orders are orders and a trespasser is still a trespasser. Stand still and I’ll at least make it painless.”

The corners of Alexander the Great’s mouth twitch slightly as he peered up into his gargantuan enemies eyes. “How thoughtful…” Powerful fingers closed over the handle of Spatha, drawing it in a blur of shining steel that glinted red off the glow of the lava river not too far away at the man’s back. In the same motion he leapt forward, heart thudding like a war drum in his chest as the battle with the awesome beast commenced. It saw the motion immediately and reacted with a snarl, lifting a clawed foot to send it down into the stone as a balled fist. It was not fast enough to strike the King down though and as it crushed down with all the power of Thor’s hammer it made the entire rock tremble beneath his feet. Spatha lashed out at its wrist as soon as the fist attached to it struck ground. He was in no way a weak man and he swung the weapon with all his might. As expected though it struck the armor of those scales with a metallic clang and rebounded back off without causing the creature the least bit of pain.

“Not strong enough, boy!” Shouted the dragon, uncurling its foot and launching it his way to grab hold of him as surely as if it were a hand and in truth it could accurately be described as one. Iskander barely rolled out of the way, coming to his feet near the limb opposite the one he had just voided and hacked into impenetrable armor yet again. Though Spatha clanged off the scales without even leaving a scratch he swung again anyway, repeatedly hacking at that wrist in the hopes that he could perhaps bludgeon his way through the thick hide. The dragon simply laughed though and flicked out with one of its large digits, striking the great king in the chest and sending him rolling backwards onto the ground. He was back on his feet immediately though and it was lucky he was for another hammer blow came crashing down into the stone so powerfully it cracked.

Between both its massive limbs, Iskander had several avenues before him, all of which leading to still more danger while facing this immense beast. Hacking at its limbs proved useless as the armor covering them was far too thick for even his strength to penetrate. He doubted even Arthuria, the strongest of the three kings, could even do so. That only left one action to be taken. He had to get beneath it, to the soft underbelly of the monster where its armor was thin and much easier to penetrate. Dragons knew of that weakness in their hide though and they protected it jealously so how was he supposed to weasel his way there when it could easily take a step back and make it impossible?

The answer was quickly made available as again that serpentine neck folded back on itself and the massive head of the dragon reared a moment. Even before Iskander spotted the telltale glow of fire building within its throat Iskander knew what was coming. The devastating stream of fire it was about to unleash would blast the already damaged rock partway into the fiery river they fought beside. More importantly though it would leave the creature momentarily blinded of its opponent for the flames would steal away any view of its target. The head came down, its maw opened and in the last moment the King of Conquerors dove forward just as that jet of searing flame erupted from its great mouth. It caught the ends of his mantle, setting it ablaze in an instant right before the roll he had dived into put it out to leave the fine fabric charred and singed.

The creature was crouched slightly, its body braced against the force of the blast it had leveled its enemies way and because of that its belly was not beyond reach of Spatha. The mighty blade was slashed upward mercilessly and this time it pierced the hide easily in a deep, long cut that set hot blood splattering down onto the mountain of a man. The dragon flinched in pain, the flames erupting from its maw sputtering a moment and then going out as another slash crossed the first and sent more of its lifeblood cascading down to cover the battling king with its thick essence. There was little control in those mighty swings and elegance or skill was practically nonexistent for Iskander was merely hacking like a berserker gone out of control. His intentions were not to impress for this was not the kind of battle for such antics. Instead he sought merely to cause as much damage as possible in the limited amount of time he had before the dragon leapt back and beyond his reach. Sure enough it did so a moment later, bounding back and further away from the stream of lava.

“Impudent human!” It hissed, clutching at its ton underside in an attempt to staunch the bleeding that deadly blade had caused. Spatha was crimson now, stained in blood just as surely as the man who held it gripped tight within a single hand was lathered in the thick liquid. There was not an inch of skin left to the powerful man that was not bloody and as he smiled his teeth shone starkly white against the dark color that coated his flesh.

“Well if you’d stand still I could make your death a little less painful.” Iskander shot back, reciprocating that which the dragon had said to him at the start of this fight. Now that the two combatants had separated a moment he placed a free hand on his hip. Though he stood against a beast far larger and more powerful than himself he seemed relaxed, perfectly at ease. It wouldn’t last though for the comment had the desired effects and the creature lunged his way, its maw opening to snap him up between its jaws and devour him before he could cause any more trouble. The King of Conquerors saw it coming and leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding them as the jaws closed with crushing force.

Hiren

08-12-2009, 08:31 PM

A curled fist lashed out from the king, striking the beast within the side of its mouth with all the strength of that thick, muscled arm. It flinched back under the power of that blow, surprised that it had been enough to actually make it feel the sting of pain. It would not retreat though and this time it was Iskander’s turn to be surprised as the head tilted sideways and that serpentine tongue lashed out like a whip to tangle around his waist. Before he could react to slice it away it yanked him forward off his feet and straight into the wide maw of the beast a moment later. Again a large foot slammed down into the damaged stone, its rumbling laughter vibrating through that closed maw which served as the temporary prison for its enemy before he was swallowed and consumed. The fact that the Conqueror had a sword seemed to have been lost on the arrogant creature. That was quickly remedied though when it felt that cruel steel bite clean through its tongue to fill its mouth quickly with its own, coppery tasting blood.

It was all the dragon could do not to spit for fear of losing its prey. Instead it held its jaws tightly shut, determined not to let its enemy free and yet unwilling to swallow with all of the disgusting blood that was filing its mouth. If he could hold on long enough the bastard would drowned in that thick liquid and the fight would be over anyway. It need only keep its jaws tightly shut and he would wind from sheer patience alone. But suddenly that was becoming difficult as resistance met the strength of the powerful muscles of its mouth. It held tight with all its strength but still it could not best the strength with which Iskander was pushing them open from within. As the rows of pointed teeth parted he stood there with a determined grimace on his face, blood filling the wide mouth up to his waist before it began to pour out through the opening. The powerful muscles of his arms and legs were clenched tight, hard as rock as he used both to force the great beasts mouth open once more.

“Sorry…” The King of Conquerors said with a strained laugh as he continued to force the beasts mouth open. “…But your breath is rancid. Have you ever heard of a breath mint?”

He leapt from the creature’s mouth, falling the distance to the ground with a roll that had him landing on his feet easily. Much to his surprise the dragon did not pursue and try to snatch him between its teeth while he fell. He had been ready for it but the massive creature looked unsure now against the smaller but clearly formidable warrior it stood against. With the damage done both to its belly and mouth it was losing blood fast. Spatha had cut deep into its stomach and the wounds would not heal any time soon. If the fight wasn’t over soon they wouldn’t heal at all for the beast would be dead. Even more disturbing was the fact that others were appearing in this volcanic wasteland as well, intruders to its master’s domain and with this single warrior standing before it there was no way for it to face them all itself. He needed back up…

The large body shifted on the rock suddenly, turning itself into the mighty swing of its thick, armored tail. The King of Conquerors had nearly forgotten about that club like weapon until it was coming at him in a blur of red scales. The beast was turning its immense body completely, focusing instead on the distant mountain where it could send out the call for aid and bring all of the mighty beasts from the underground city up to fight. It did not watch as Iskander dove overtop that swinging tail that would serve as the distraction to allow those great wings to spread and the beast to take flight. Such was the armor on the beasts tail that it did not feel the King of Conquerors grab hold and swing himself onto it as it launched into the sky, flapping those immense wings. It could not even feel the man scaling the thick tail so that he could climb astride its back while it gained altitude and soared toward the location of the Dragon King’s throne room. It was on that mountain that the Dragon Horn was set. It was there that it would call for reinforcements.

Iskander was careful to move lightly over the armored scales of the beasts back. It was an effort just to stay balanced as the creatures entire body moved in time with those wings but after a time he grew accustomed to it and moved with it well enough to let go with his hands and stand straight up into the wind. That crimson mantle was thrown back behind him by the rush of the wind, billowing out in their wake with the audibly flapping of cloth normally associated with a flag held aloft on a windy day. A wicked thought flashed through the man’s mind as he strode easily forward between the flapping wings unnoticed by the beast he currently rode without permission. The assault he had planned for the beast was about as devilish as anything Gilgamesh would come up with. Perhaps Goldie was rubbing off on him after all.

“Miss me!?” He shouted over the howl of the wind right before Spatha was plunged down between the ridge of two scales and into the soft flesh they would normally cover. The effects were instantaneous for the creature flinched from the blow, writhing a moment as the steady beat of its wings faltered and it lost altitude. Spatha was sunk in up to the hilt, the position of the strike well chosen to damage its spine. The creature tried a roll through the air, hoping to dislodge its unwanted passenger but Iskander was ready for it, gripping the sword to keep himself steady upon its back. Its struggles were futile and as it righted itself into the air the King of Conquerors reached up toward where he knew his father Zeus was waiting.

Just as he had done in the forest of Pan, Iskander called upon the awesome power of his father. The lightning granted him by the Gordius Wheel shot down with all the fury of the gods. Instead of using his sword to harness it though the great king caught it between his hands. Again the awesome might of Zeus lit up the sky, much to the dragon’s confusion. As he caught it between his large hands the power sparked through the gap separating them. He felt it coursing through him, the power of the gods making his hair stand on end and strange tingling pass all throughout his body. It built as that tension was all held deep within, sparking between his fingers ominously. Red dragons were believed to be the largest and most fierce of their kind but even they were no match for the awesome might of Zeus.

Iskander aimed his arms downward and out came the deadly barrage of white hot lightning it a terrible assault that sprang from every fingertip and arched out through the unfortunate dragon’s body. They split on their way, branching off until there were quite literally hundreds of the deadly tendrils of electric power covering the massive creature. Its head was engulfed in the devastating torrent of electric tendrils. Hey pierced the armor easily, frying its brain even as still more made its back and wings spasm in pain. It dropped altitude quickly, unable to control its muscles any longer as the overwhelming might of Zeus and Iskander washed over it. It destination, that great mountain where it sought to call for reinforcements, was nearing fast. Only now it was not the great Dragon Horn it moved toward but downward instead toward the massive double doors that served as the entrance into the Dragon King’s grand hall.

Those thick doors, grand though they were, shattered upon the impact of that fallen dragon, sending a shower of splinters and broken pieces of wood into the throne room. The massive beast came down with a heavy crash, striking the ground so hard the impact was nearly ear splitting form the collision of armored scales with solid ground. It shook the earth, made all of the floor tremble a moment and threaten to throw the two men within from their feet before the corpse of the once great dragon slid to a grinding halt, its life stolen from its immense body.

“Gilgamesh!” Iskander called with a wide smile, his body still lathered completely in blood as he hauled the mighty Spatha from the corpse of the beast and leapt down off its back. The Golden armored man was standing confidently before the large throne that he had apparently thrown the other armored man from. They stood facing one another, weapons already drawn and apparently preparing to engage. The thought of fighting some more after the thrilling battle against the dragon brought another bright smile to the King of Conquerors as he strode toward them, completing the triangle of mighty warriors. “Did I interrupt something?”

Wzrdto25

08-12-2009, 09:24 PM

The Dragon Lord laid there, disgraced from his kingdom. This so-called 'King of Kings' had thrown him from his throne and challenged him for it. His rage was seeping from his eyes, burning through the air like a heater. He pulled himself together getting to his feet, shrugging off the hits and standing straight. Using his powers he avoided near destruction and phased through the attacks. Summoning his dragons breath he sent a barrage of fire circling through the air and aimed at engulfing his opponent. Once he saw Gilgamesh within it he summoned his Master Dragons who converged on the man within the flames. They snap their heads into the fire, taking shots at the man within them. Their speed and power sent shivers through his spine, for he was connected to each one of them, he was their Elder Dragon.

"I told you, try not to infuriate me" he started towards his throne again, thinking the fight was over, but somehow, when he had the urge to turn around, he knew it would not be. Deep within his mind he called to his dragons. They took flight and came soaring through the air to his rescue. He swung around, holding his sword upright ready to duel this high-tempered man. "So it is a duel for Kingship you want? I can oblige." He ran forward, blade shining like the fires of his soul. Once he had gathered enough momentum he sent a fiery sword swiping after Gilgamesh, the result would be an explosive fire wall, which would consume any normal opponent, but just to be sure once he had passed his opponent he pulled the glowing sword upwards and sent the fire shooting into the sky and into a spiral motion.

"Burn alive, for you will not have this kingdom." Sensing the interruption that was made apparent, he sent his three guardians after him. The dragons combined their magnificent firepower on him. A single man, covered in the blood of one of their own. The dragons sorrow fused with their anger as their fires soared towards the man. The Dragon King only lay in wait for what they would do. "Who are you and what are you doing in my kingdom? I only ask for an answer if you live long enough to mutter one."

Xuan

08-13-2009, 02:52 AM

Ueki Kosuke looked around his surroundings in awe but wary. Clouds of numerous forms joined together to create a walkable land that is strong enough to hold an entire kingdom. The one just by the edge of this strange terrain and directly in front of him. What should I do? Where exactly should I go? Ueki thought to himself, troubled deeply as he looked again at the kingdom. More precisely, the upper part of a giant gate that seemed to be the kingdom's entrance.

Guards.

But not exactly guards either. From this distance Ueki cannot confirm, but it seemed that they were no human. They have wings definitely, for they were hovering around it for quite some time. Their feet were no feet, but instead huge, gargantuan bird claws that seemed strong enough to tear an average adult into pieces. However, as Ueki closed the distance between them cautiously he noticed the most peculiar feature about them: A human face.

"A birdman? Wow." Impressed but careful, the green haired boy slowly crawled from his hiding spot (A small wall of cloud) inch by inch, seeking to find a hole in the defence and slip in. He really wasn't the sneaky type, but this time the situation was different. Before he reached this place of blue light and glassy castle he recalled that he was to enter the city and find something. Being the dense person he is he couldn't remember what he was supposed to retrieve, except that it was so important that he must get it no matter at what cost. Therefore, with question marks popping above his head like mushrooms turned around a corner and... came face to face with the mythological creature called Harpy.

It screamed like a banshee as Ueki scrambled a few paces away with a yelp stuck on his throat. Then, he brought his broom down "Broom!" and smack the shrieking creature senseless. It was too late though, the others were already alerted and rushing towards him, red murder glinting of their eyes as bloodlust filled their painful screams of warcry.

Fear? Maybe. Ueki gawked at the mass of Harpies that gathered together into from one to ten to hundreds. He knew that outsiders are sometimes unwelcomed but this is just crazy! "Maybe I should run first, come back later..." Every second wasted is one step closer to death as he debated against himself, uncertain of the choices at hand.

Then, he remembered his promise.

I will defeat him, for you.

If he cannot take down these harpies, that there's no way he could be strong enough to defeat the mastermind behind all these nonsense. He stared defiantly at the killer wave rushing towards him. Green, enigmatic power began to fill his body. Then, he charged.

"Come on!"

Xuan

08-13-2009, 04:22 AM

Twisted spinning air cloaked the castle's fortified front from prying view. All manners of flying creatures floated closer at the sight of the wondrous, unnatural phenomenon as the cloudy white tornado swung in and out, left and right, up and down like brand new springs. Sometimes there would be a delighted scream and a finger (Or wing) pointing at a certain tiny spot, and there the crowd could see emerging colors of yellow, brown, purple, and sometimes red. For the sharper eyes, given more attention, they would have noticed that an unusual azure swinging wildly within the confines of the tornado. Coupled with the skies' natural blue though, most missed it.

Kids whose natural curosity is strong noticed it immediately. A female baby dragon with bright blue scales squealed excitedly, "Look! Blue! Blue!" She could see the mysterious flying blue color blasting around with actual purpose, and through her miraculous eyes she could sense power emmiting from it. It was hard for her to differentiate between the tornado's and the blue's strength, but when she did her cute eyes widened.

It was huge!

Eventually, as the crowds' completely filled the iron gates and stone walls with their sheer weight; some would later claim that sheer weight nearly caused that entire secion to fall; the strange tornado slowly dissipated. The number of people began to decrease too as they walked back, gossiping and boasting the tornado to be tenfold bigger than it's true size and sort.

Till the end, only that small dragon remained. She continued to stare intently at the base of the tornado, ignoring her friends as they left her with strange looks on their faces. As the final wisp of wind and cloud faded into nothingness, her heart thumped so hard she nearly faint of shock.

A single boy, admist a mountain of Harpy bodies. Scratched, bruised, completely exhausted, but they boy stood firmly and is looking her way! His green hair swiveled slightly to the air current as he finally noticed her and tensed.

Huh? Huh??

"Seiku!" Bright flames of blue exploded from his back to form a wing as he launched from the spot and sped straight at her direction. Due to the wall he hadn't seen his opponent clearly but he cannot let it escape! Else he would be battling another battalion with definitely no chance of winning! He braked right in front of the enemy with his broom already striking for its head -

It didn't connect. "Eh?" Ueki almost cannot believe his eyes when he saw that his opponent was a shivering, almost weeping little dragon which had hid its head under her protective paws. He fumbled with his broom a moment, "Er, ah, sorry! I didn't, see, er, you see, those flying two-legged thing before, they..." A sob escaped her throat, and Ueki immediately went into panic mode. Noo! What should I do? Ah, right! I got it!

He reached into his pocket and grabbed hold a used tissue paper. Without wasting any time he channeled his tree power immediately and filled the palce with green light. An eye peeked out and froze at the beautiful sight. From his palm a small plant shot out as he showed the baby dragon and smiled. "Don't cry, okay? See, it's beautiful! Right?"

The female harrumphed as loudly as she could and hid head right back to where it was before. Ueki became even more confused and began pacing around endlessly, his grass head popping in and out of the scene trying to think of a way to cheer up the baby dragon. An idea popped into his head then.

He spoke gently to the dragon, "Look at me." A few seconds later the eye peeked out once more. Ueki took in a deep breath, mentally and physically preparing himself he he crouched slightly and jumped.

A perfect backflip as he sailed through the air and landed perfectly on both his feet. This time, the bright scaled eyes' widened with delighted surprise, and Ueki caught her look at smiled widely. "You like it? I can do it again if you want!" Without waiting for a reply, he did the backflip again, this time landing on one hand before pushing himself back to a standing position. Once again he smiled brightly at the creature, trying his best to make her happy.

The female had completely forgotten about her fear before. In truth, the first light show he demonstrated was amazing enough to catch her attention. Her childish attitude then caught up to her and she pretended to be unhappy. And now, this human was doing backflips just to make her happy!

"Haha!" A delighted laughter escaped her throat. She slowly pulled herself to full height and suprisingly the same height as Ueki was. She was still a child by dragon terms but Ueki was mildly surprised at how big she was. He raised a hand cautiously. Seeing no harm intended, he slowly patted her head and rubbed it with pure affection, "Sorry if I've scared you before. I have to go now before someone else sees them." He turned his head and winced slightly at the carnage of battle. It was one fight he hoped never to go through again, his body is still bleeding out from several places and with adrenaline wearing off, a slight faint rattled his feet. He needed to find a hiding place soon, and he cannot burden this little creature anymore longer.

Suddenly, he felt a tug at his shirt. He faced the dragon but before he could speak a bright light shone from on top the dragon's forehead. A few seconds later the light vanished, but where there was nothing before appeared a translucent gem that seemed to draw the very essence of air. She then grabbed it with a snap of her jaw and motioned Ueki to take it. He was stunned.

"I - you want me to have this? But..." At the vigorous shake of her head of defiance Ueki sighed and smiled inwardly in his heart. It seemed that this is one gift he cannot turn down. He took the gem and placed it in his pocket before hugging the dragon by it's neck suddenly.

"Thank you."

With that, he said bye-bye to the friendly baby dragon and leaped down from the wall and into the city. She never get to say her own goodbye, but when she looked downwards and saw the small plant he left behind, she smiled. She can't stop smiling at all.

Such a kind-hearted human. Now to think of it, the female dragon frowned, I've forgotten to ask his name!

RXS

08-13-2009, 04:35 AM

Zai

08-13-2009, 05:56 AM

Itachi started making several hand seals, positioning his hand and fingers in certain positions as the griffin soared upward toward the harpies. Itachi built up chakra in his chest, as he prepared to use nature manipulation. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu," Itachi said as the chakra rose up from his chest. He used nature manipulation and changed the chakra into fire right as it left its mouth, and he spewed out a huge fireball soaring right at the harpies. The harpies were flying down at him, ready to kill him, as the fireball hit them. It began pushing the harpies back, making them fly off and giving them and extreme burn. Itachi felt a gust of wind, as he thought to himself this is my kind of terrain, and the wind made the flames even stronger and bigger, as the fireball caught several more harpies in its way, and within a moment the fireball was gone, and at least twenty harpies fell down to the ground far below.

The gust of wind went through Itachi's hair, his hair moving in the breeze. The griffin was flapping its wings to keep them up in the air, as the griffin stopped moving. There were still a lot of harpies, as they began flying down at Itachi. Itachi pulled out a kunai as the harpies came down. One pointed her talins at Itachi, as Itachi grabbed her foot and then cut her wings off, letting her go as she fell down to the ground below, to join her harpy friends in a fiery hell. Two had gotten on the griffin. They swiped their claws at Itachi, and Itachi ducked and stabbed one of them with his kunai, pushing that one off as he kicked at the other one. Itachi then slammed his foot into that harpy, as she was sent flying off of the griffin, unconscious, as she fell down to the ground below, and her face slammed right into the ground.

More harpies were coming, and it seemed Itachi needed help for this. Itachi walked over as he stood on the head of the griffin, and he lyed down, making sure eye contact was established. The three tomoe in his Sharingan spun around in a circle, hypnotizing the beast, as Itachi made it start fighting for him. The griffin obeyed, as Itachi stood back up on the griffin, and the griffin flew at the harpies, raising its talons. A few of the harpies were impaled by the talons, as the griffin threw the harpies at other harpies, making them collide and sending them falling to the ground. The harpies flew down at the griffin's head, ready to kill it, when the griffin slammed its beak into the harpies, impaling them and throwing them away.

Itachi made several hand signs, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Itachi said as he spewed out multiple fireballs at the harpies. The fireballs slammed into the harpies, severely burning them and taking down even more, but there were still a lot of them there. "No choice then," Itachi said as he closed his eyes. "Mangekyo Sharingan!" Itachi exclaimed as he opened his eyes, and his three tomoe were now more detailed, with a black circle around each very center of his pupils. "Amaterasu," Itachi said, as suddenly a huge black flame launched from his right eye at the harpies. "Ahhh!" they all screamed, and there scream was silenced by the black flame, which swallowed them all up. The black flames were as hot as the sun, and Itachi, a human being, had the power to launch them. The harpies were burned and they were obliterated, as Itachi closed his eyes, and the flames stopped. He opened his eyes and his pupils were back to normal, as he looked around. He had killed all of the harpies, except one who was clutching a wind gem.

The griffin flew at the harpy, as Itachi jumped up at the harpy and got his kunai knife as he threw it at the harpy. She screamed in pain, as she put her hand on the kunai knife, trying to remove it, but as she removed it she uttered even more screams of pain. She began falling, and she soon lifted her wings, and flied up at Itachi, but she was silenced, because she had flown right into the kunai that was falling with her, and it stabbed right through her heart, as she fell down through the air, and landed hard on the ground below. Itachi noticed something else was falling, the wind gem she was carrying. "Oh no!" Itachi said as he landed on the griffin and he took hold of its head and forced it to go down. They were diving down toward the ground, as the griffin began gaining back its own free will. Itachi pulled out a shuriken and stabbed the griffin in the head, making the kunai go right into its brain, as Itachi jumped off of the griffin and grabbed the wind gem, but was now free falling with a griffin right next to him that wanted him dead.

HappyHeartless

08-13-2009, 01:20 PM

A dark, ashy substance was falling from the sky and was accumulating on the ground, most likely residue from the volcanic eruptions. Yuna knew what this meant, more eruptions were coming. Yuna jumped down from the platform she had been dumped on and tried to get as close to the lava as she possibly could.

"Why am I doing this," she asked herself out loud, "I'm so stupid, Tidus would kill me."

The heat from the lava poured off of the flowing river and hit her with a monstrous intensity, her vision even being momentarily impaired due to the heat waves. In a split second, her cool exterior melted as she realized she had a very good chance of meeting her end here, in a wasteland of lava and heat. Her bottom lip trembled and she cursed the voice in her head.

"Where are you when I need you?! You've been bothering me for days now, and the one time that I need your help, your guidance, you're nowhere to be found! God damn it," she shouted to the sky, retreating from the heat.

All you had to do was call me.

Words could not express the feelings Yuna felt the moment she heard that mysterious voice. Anger flushed through her, for the voice could have come earlier without her having to yell like an idiot. Joy sizzled into her body because she knew she had a chance now, a chance to get out of this place. Yuna had realized and accepted at that moment that this voice in her head was, indeed, on her side. And, most of all, waves of relief washed over her every particle as the realization that she wasn't in this alone hit her. In addition to the multitude of emotions, another feeling creeped its way into Yuna's being, a feeling she couldn't quite place or even explain.

While she contemplated this mystery feeling, she felt a presence around her and she felt yet another feeling. She did, however, know exactly what this feeling was; fear. There was someone around her, someone dangerous.

Alexstrasza got to her feet and swiftly brushed off her armor, exposing the royal gold that had been covered in ashes. Once that was taken care of, she placed her hands on her feet and summoned the power of the light to heal the burns. They weren’t severe, and they didn’t hurt that much anymore, but she couldn’t go around looking all beat up now, could she? Grabbing the dragon egg gem she had just recovered, she wondered what to do with it. She could feel the immense power within it, and she was surprised that such a small item could hold so much hidden strength. It reminded her of some of the gnomes back in Azeroth…
”Small and frail, but they can do just as much damage as a frenzied tauren if they want to…” The thought made her laugh ever so slightly, and she was glad to see she hadn’t started despairing yet. Contemplating why, she figured that the combination of the dragons, the dragon egg gem and the environment that seemed like it was made for her had a soothing effect. It was pleasant.

She decided she had to act though, she didn’t know if the Dragon King would come after her, but she had a feeling he might send dragons after her to reclaim the relic in her hands. She started her journey towards a nearby ridge, when she felt someone on the other side. She had encountered many creatures since her ‘abduction’ from Azeroth… Demons, spirits, elementals… and most of them had an evil aura surrounding them. This was different though, and if she wasn’t mistaken, it was a human. Sprinting up the remainder of the hill she called forth one of her dragon skin bags, given to her by her beloved consort. She carefully placed the dragon egg gem within it, and then hung it over her shoulder as she reached the top of the ridge.

Staring down, she saw a creature just as out of place as Alexstrasza was. It was a human, no doubt, a woman. Alexstrasza suspected that the woman was here for the same reasons that she was here, and that made her curious.
Raising her voice she called out to the woman as she walked towards her down the short hill. A feeling of excitement rose up in her chest, like a raging fire. Things were about to change, and hopefully some light would be shed on what was happening.

“Hello there, human. You seem like you’re far away from home.”

VenFan

08-13-2009, 02:42 PM

The distressing, bitter howl swept through the obscure breastplate which rested on Fran’s bosom. The icy impression whisked within her in an upset until, finally, it seemed to weaken. The shattering gust deliberately absconded in admonition. With its forewarning, it fled into the abyss. The arctic sensation that haunted her began to fade into itself, into the interminable wind.

With the ominous departure of the menacing breeze, another sensation almost immediately tainted her being as it vigilantly pursued at its rear. The feeling felt threatening, yet surprisingly familiar. A warm, thickened air pierced through her. Her soul itself felt endangered in its presence in its fiery, ceaselessly-intensifying embrace.

Had she been taken back to the searing hell in which she started, she pondered.

The sweltering humidity struck Fran’s cool, ivory mane. Her lovely, adaptable locks were becoming wiry and chaotic in the sultry warmth. Her long, sharpened fingernails ascended to her cranium, leisurely caressing her hair. It grew more difficult to manage as the air grew only more clammy. Her fingers became entrapped in the dense vines that were her tangled locks. In an attempt to gradually retract back to the viera’s side, two oyster-hued strands reposed on her fingertips. She delivered a glare in frustration as she observed the gauzy filaments being carried away by the burning current of air.

Fran’s will forced itself into her legs, tempting them to progress onward, further into the fiery environment. Her left palm rose once more to her irritated face. Softly placed on her forehead, her forearm tugged back as it wiped the few droplets of sweat that had been resting on it. They squealed in terror as they fell to their doom.

The droplets seemed to vanish before they even touched the ground.

Number13Roxas

08-13-2009, 05:31 PM

Pikachu stopped in his tracks, surprised. Only a second ago he had been in Pan's Labyrinth, however he now found himself in a rocky, volcanic terrain. He could do nothing but stand in shock, last time he had been unconscious when he transported. The intensely hot climate of the area didn't help either. "What's going on?!" he thought. In a second his surprise turned to anger. This was the third dangerous region he had been taken to. He was tired of these challenges and he was completely alone. Other than the vile ninja's, scheming fairies, and murderous trees, he had met absolutely no one. "Why do you keep doing this to me?!" He asked to no one in particular. Immediately after asking this, another vision entered his head:

Enter the dragons city and find one of the 7 dragon eggs gems, these will allow you to escape.

Pikachu gave a loud grumble as the vision faded. He was NOT in the mood to enter a dragon city and steal one of their eggs. He sighed as he knew he had no other choice. According to the vision, the only way to escape was to take one of the eggs. Pikachu let out a mocking laugh. "Escape, yeah right" he scoffed. With that he began his journey.

"Now, if I were a colony of dragons, where would I build my city?" Pikachu asked himself. He had been wandering for at least half on hour, doing nothing but dodging lava spurts and rockslides. He was tired, hot, and covered in ashes. "Ashes....". Pikachu's lonliness ached for his best friend and companion. He had never been away from his pal this long. In fact, he couldn't recall any time when he had been away from Ash for more than a hour or so. His sorrow was interrupted however as a loud roar rang out from the sky. He gazed into the sky and saw the most terrifyingly beautiful thing he had ever seen. Soaring through the sky was a large, red, winged reptile, a dragon. It was flying towards somthing. "The city!" Pikachu exclaimed. He began to follow the beast in hot pursuit running along rocky terrain and old creaky bridges. He knew the creature would take him to his goal.

Zai

08-13-2009, 08:01 PM

Itachi was spinning around in the air, falling down to the ground with a griffin snapping its beak at him. Itachi was barely able to dodge the griffin, as he grabbed the wind gem, and pulled it up to him. He put his right arm around it as he grabbed the griffin's beak and pushed himself on it, getting on top of the griffin. He held on to the griffin's head with his left hand, as the wind rippled through his hair, and they were diving down fast. The griffin was dying with the shuriken in its head, and it wouldn't stop them from falling, in fact, it couldn't, even if it tried. Itachi jumped off at the last moment, as the griffin's head slammed first into the ground, and its body fell to the side, the griffin now being dead.

Itachi easily landed on the ground, as he looked around. He began walking around the city with towering buildings, and he saw many bodies of many harpies around him. Weaklings, Itachi thought to himself, as he continued walking through the city, and he saw a boy nearby. Itachi walked right by the boy, as he put the wind gem in his pocket. Itachi saw the boy had green hair, a white shirt and black pants, and he saw his eyes. He sensed pure determination in those eyes, much like how he saw determination in his brother, Sasuke's, eyes. "Interesting," Itachi said, as he stopped and didn't turn around to look at the boy again. "It's interesting how pathetic some people can be," Itachi said with a smirk on his face.

KH2_FinalSora

08-14-2009, 03:13 AM

The smell of burning...the smell of sulfur. It was that familiar smell that brought him back to his senses. The air was filled with what felt like smog, making it difficult to breathe. The location? Unknown. Searing pain once again encompassed his right arm. That was good. Pain meant he was alive.

But...where was he?

Yuri Lowell sat up. Let it be noted for all that he made no sound of pain. As agonizing as it was, the swordsman could not make a sound. To that effect, he jumped up. Ignoring the strange feeling of both vertigo and wooziness, he drew his blade. Several things were wrong, but the first and foremost...

Demons had him surrounded. They were grotesque beings, shrouded in a strange shroud of flame and shadow. They were scavengers, and Yuri was in a half dead state. That mean easy pickings.

So they thought.

Abyssion glowed with its unnatural flame, wanting more and more to taste the flesh and blood of the strange enemies that opposed its master. It edged Yuri on, feeding its unholy strength into the man. It would have a feast, even if it meant killing the one who wielded it. His body began to glow, and the strength he needed to keep himself alive filled him.

Four...four of the demons in total. They all attacked at once, leaping onto him. Only, Yuri was no longer there. A mere afterimage was in his place, and one of the demons had been felled. It staggered to its side, a slash mark on the evil creature appearing horizontally. And the raven haired swordsman...only a few feet away.

"Next." No more games. The man turned around, raising his blade. The second demon charged him. "Mistake." Yuri sidestepped and swung harshly, ending the demons bleak and pitiful existence. The last two took one look at what they though was to be an easy prey.

"Wise choice." He let the blade fall to his side. Now that he had time, his surrounding were close to a wooden bridge over a flaming waterfall of molten magma. Of course...magma. But, something was obviously wrong.

No...the surrounding was fine. What's wrong is what just happened. Abyssion...it gave me power, but...I was ruthless...cold....uncaring. Why did I...? He was going to ask why he had accepted the help of such a deadly weapon. The answer was obvious...he had needed it to live. ...I must not allow it to consume me as it did. It feeds upon me as much as it does my enemies.

The blade found its way back to its sheath. "I must be careful..."

But...how did he get here? Yuri sighed, and closed his eyes. Now...remember.

I was running through the dark. No....I was blind. It was probably bright as day....alright, so I was running. I felt that powerful source, but...I couldn't see. I kept running into walls, trees, whatever. So...how did I find my way back here? Abyssion...the blade glowed with an eerie presence.

The blade...It makes sense. It doesn't want to die. That meant...

That meant Abyssion was dangerous. And he had to watch out.

"But now...now it's time to find out what's really happening!" Yuri started towards the bridge.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-14-2009, 04:04 AM

[Matou Kariya – Fate/Zero: Return to Zero – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2imhmFDLJcI )

His opponent seemed angered – a natural reaction perhaps, yet how dare he show such a thing towards a King? Mongrels were only allowed to feel things that pleased him or amused him; in a way, the distasteful ‘King’s’ anger fell into the latter category, so perhaps it should have been allowed to slide. Besides, why become angered with the dead? Gilgamesh allowed himself a gleeful smirk, his white teeth bared, the stark contrast between his and the Dragon King’s faces shocking; just as one’s features were convulsed with rage, the other’s twisted in a cackle. This changed as the King of Heroes noted that every weapon he’d unleashed from the Gate had passed directly though the heathen’s body, resulting in the smirk changing into a grimace that showed a mix of surprise and light, royal, displeasure. The gaze he’d regarded his opponent with was akin to one a wealthy man gives a very large dead insect stuck to the bottom of his shoe, which suddenly twitched.

So the mongrel possessed some sort of ability to dematerialize partially while leaving his image up to soil his eyes…? Disgusting. The least he could do was vanish altogether, at least then he would cease being an eyesore. The fact that he could possibly be harder to hit now was naturally processed and thought out by Gilgamesh instinctively, and helpfully fed to him, yet as far as he was concerned, he hadn’t troubled himself actually strategizing: after all, using effort on things like these had been too much of an honor for them. Besides, Enkidu had pulled him from the throne before, therefore, he could easily harm him again – the following, again, was more of a subconscious knowledge, rather than conscious realization – Gilgamesh had been a prodigy, not a genius. The main difference between the two were not the outputs, but the source; a genius worked hard to secure his knowledge and become truly impressive. A prodigy did nothing of the sort, being born with it, and yet achieved the same end. Military and combat tactics… Such things were natural to the son of Lugalbanda and Ninsun.

No matter what strength a foes possessed, no matter what weapon used, everything had an upside and downside, without any exception. Impenetrable walls – except the ones he’d built to surround Uruk, of course – would always have a needle-point large weak point which would prove the end of them. Weapons of immense power that could destroy any armor or sunder any defense often had a heavy curse lain upon them. Undefeatable techniques that guaranteed instant death – provided a condition was met; which it usually wasn’t. Supposedly immortal armies that could only live while shrouded in the wings of Night. It was those kinds of things, which the King of Heroes had seen hundreds of thousands, if not millions of during his lifetime. No matter their parameters, likenesses, or differences, they all shared one trait: utter arrogance of their owner, blind to the faults of such majestic items, only focusing on the upsides.

Himself? Gilgamesh grinned, stroking his chin: He was a different story.

There was no comparing someone like Cú Chulainn or Ajax, their pride and joys: Gae Bulg and Rho Aias, respectively, and his own Noble Phantasm. Cú Chulainn’s so-called Spear of Instant Death had failed to slay the Faker twice, falling to Rho Aias, whereas Rho Aias itself could not stand up to the Gate of Babylon. Swine could not fly. Rocks could not talk. Grass could not walk. It was the same concept here: Some things were simply impossible, not meant to be. Such thoughts darkened his mind, reminding him of the last words he spoke prior to being slain in the Fifth War, yet still, he stood by them, even now. Except… yes, except. Gilgamesh’s smile, waning before, brightened once more; except that nothing remained static, circumstances had always changed, as the universe revolved. Yes… everything changed, except himself, for the universe revolved around him.

Thus, it didn’t matter how much the mongrel before him struggled, futilely attempting to escape the iron grasp of the King of Heroes. He would soon make a mistake, slip, as he did with Enkidu, and that one mistake would end him. Normally, one would feel a bit disappointed they let a powerful foe live when they could have killed them back when they still did not know of their power. Gilgamesh’s bizarre perceptions, however, were as far removed from the concept of ‘normality’ as they could possibly have been. In his crimson eyes, all he had seen was a toy that would not break – excitement, nothing more. Though the fact that the one he had been trying to kill kept on surviving despite his direct order to die, and having such a mutt calling himself a ‘king’ on top of that, it was ridiculous. That unstable, wild mix of excitement and anger had been the core of his being as an Eirei.

[WARS – Fate/Another Score – Meteor Blaze Remix] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9reK5aInst0)

Meanwhile, his foe did not stand still, uncultured and unrefined as usual; mouth opening to reveal two rows of teeth sharper than usual, the azure-armored man threw his head back, bending is arms a bit, that odd blade still tightly clutched in his right, and…belched fourth an innumerable amount of what resembled multiple rings conjured of the purest of blazes. Steel met steel as Gilgamesh clapped, somewhat ironically, at the tricks this clown had been using; although he’d been trying to amuse him, which was commendable, such cliché tricks were far too weak for the King of Heroes to truly approve them; then again, the mongrel was trying hard. He had to give him his due. Even as he pondered what he should have said to the ‘king’ breathing fire like a carnival charlatan, the rings of flame descended upon Gilgamesh, wrapping him in their embrace, and threatening to burn him to cinders.

Yet to the golden haired man, who eyed the flames with a hint of arrogant pity, they were barely felt as warm air; one possessing the Ring of Nibelung could take a swim in the lava at no harm for himself. Such was the power of the ancient circlet the hero Siegfried once used to defeat a god’s spell. The ring’s chrome surface, seemed unreflective of the blazes that surrounded it, the jade gem grasped in a claw-like socket shining calmly, as in response to its master’s mood. As such, the only response that shook the halls of the Dragon King’s throne chamber had been the sarcastic laughter of the blond warrior, hands left hand fixed upon his side while the right held up Arondight, the tip of the blade dancing madly as its master shook with merriment at the obscurity of the situation. An dirt under his shoed had just attempted to harm him after all. In a round-about way, this one had actually managed to amuse him. That much was praise-worthy.

The follow-up, however, had forced his laughter to cease immediately, as his opponent waved his hand after touching his head, presumably casting yet another useless spell, in no doubt a hope to make the King of Heroes so occupied with laughing that he would forget all about slaying him. Still, the shape that his spell had taken was not particularly funny, instead appearing as ‘interesting’: Never had he beheld such large statues of dragons crafted out of crystal, much less seen them move. From that point of view, it had been an irregular, thus entertaining, sight. The manners of these slabs of glorified granite had required severe reprimanding, however, as the second the mist which follow their summoning cleared, they had been upon Gilgamesh, speeding past their summoner and quickly reaching the throne, fearlessly snapping their gigantic jaws directly at the golden figure that stood there.

The King of Heroes’ flared with anger; how dared these… oversized lawn ornaments dare to threaten him, even in such an insignificant manner? Nonetheless, they seemed to understand just what Arondight was, edging away when he had swung it their way. Still, there were three of them and he’d only been using one arm, not wishing to use his full potential, or even move. Thus, he would simply have to shoo them away as one would annoying flies. Dazzling as they may have been, the flames dancing in the many faces of the crystal composing their bodies; now that they dared to assault him, they appeared as no more than filthy, oozing maggots to him. There was not even a need to click his fingers as the Gate of Babylon opened directly over his head, a mere E-Rank he’d used to swat away the annoying flies. This time, however the Treasury’s wall had seemed a widely-stretched half-sphere, launching weapons in a wide area upwards and to the sides, causing the dragons to retreat a bit, snarling, as a cloud of dust collapsing from the ceiling concealed the throne.

"I told you, try not to infuriate me." The metallic voice of Dragon King rang out throughout the hall, more or less regaining its regal composure, sure that the intruder had been eliminated by his flames and summoned guardians. The coins clinked under the footsteps of the azure armor, as the throne’s true owner moved forward to reclaim his seat, his rival eliminated. It was a majestic sight, to see the lone figure walking between two walls of flame, the blue cape sweeping the expensive pavements of the chamber. The sheer destruction wrecked by such a small figure lay as a testament to what would happen to those should they cross the Lord of Dragonkind. Surely, this would have been more than enough for the cocky man which dragged him from his throne and insulted him as much as he did.

[Shikkoku no Juujika – F/SN OST – Kawai Kenji] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuNz-L7jruk )

“Is it your aim to make me die of laughter, worm?”

A mocking voice questioned, its open delight defiling and utterly ruining the image of splendor and awe that had constructed itself when the Dragon King assaulted him. With the figurative crystal palace shattered into a million pieces, the Golden King emerged from the smoke, still standing there, before the throne, nonchalantly gazing upon the face of his adversary. The figure of the King appeared as an unshakable, immovable cliff, upon which the rising waves of the Dragon Lord’s rage had crashed upon in vain, the tide unable to do much in such a short amount of time; though the waves could indeed slowly erode the granite, they were not able to do so in the short amount of time their master wished them to. Besides, waves like these… would they ever have an effect on the sneering man that stood atop the steps, upon the platform that held the throne of the Dragon King?

Gilgamesh spoke little more beyond that simplistic sentence, a mere declaration that the attack had failed utterly; yet his simple-minded opponent chose to interpret this as a challenge. As if he would ever issue one to a mongrel such as this! Such an inelegant action would be putting himself and that filth with a big mouth on the same level. Still, it seemed that his words did have some merit, as the crystallic maggots that surrounded him withdrew as quickly as they swept in, surrounding their master and shielding him from non-existent harm. So he’d been paranoid, too… Pathetic, really, though he could not fault him for quaking in fear in the presence of a King. Even scum had their filthy instincts to shy away from certain death; survival instincts were a powerful thing, after all. Regardless, he observed with a kind of detached interest as his ‘foe’ raised his blade upright, standing sideways, pointing the tip towards Gilgamesh – such a distasteful, impolite gesture, really.

"So it is a duel for Kingship you want? I can oblige." The voice of the rightful occupant of the throne sounded now like a grinding of steel on steel, clearly not amused at the golden haired man’s words or actions. Bending his knees slightly, blade thrust to his side, he ran at the steps, thinking of closing the distance; to Gilgamesh, the speed had been awfully slow, akin to a snail-crawl: he had been used to deflecting the Faker’s shots and that woman’s sword strikes, after all. Though somewhere inside, he knew that this was far from the man’s maximum velocity, he chose to ignore the currently nonexistent threat. Meanwhile, the blade’s radiance grew, as the fire around it raged; as he swung it, deprived of any battlecry, which momentarily made his opinion of him rise, the true purpose of the attack had been discovered, as a wall of crimson erupted from the blade’s very core, rushing towards the King of Heroes.

Flames. Always fire. Had this mongrel no imagination to speak of? A rising irritation made Gilgamesh grimace in distaste, even as he’d been engulfed by the roaring inferno. The effect afflicted upon both him, and his clothing, had yet again been effectively null; not even the crimson tunic he bore had burst into flames, much less the armor that covered every inch of his body. He could feel a tiny bit of heat touching his face, no more than one felt from a summer wind; if anything, it felt refreshing. The only problem was that the impudent man who dared to call himself a ‘king’ had been attempting to use such a pathetic excuse for an attack in a futile endeavor of harming his own perfect self. Gilgamesh watched dully as the mongrel raced up the stairs, running past him on his left, and the large platform upon which the throne stood, once the fire had dissolved, and thrusting his sword skyward.

“Burn alive, for you will not have this kingdom.” Uttered the dragon lord in his usual tones; what came as if in response to his one-liner had been… More flames, of course. Clearly, he’d had the imagination of an ape and the memory of a goldfish, Gilgamesh thoughtfully concluded; a most curious hybrid. As he’d reasoned with himself what to do about such a thoughtless jester of an opponent, the pillar of fire he’d spotted overhead descended upon him, bathing him in their radiance and instantly drying and burning away the traces of Fae blood which he’d collected quite a bit of during his journey. Everything not native to the figure of gold burned away, as if bathing him – he would have to praise the mongrel for doing something right. A sneer playing across his lips, the King of Heroes turned to his foe, deciding that to do otherwise would be abnormal; though etiquette did not apply when speaking to maggots, he should have at least granted the filth the chance to gaze at something so impossibly superior they would never hope to come close.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-14-2009, 04:05 AM

[Outbreak – F/HA OST – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hma5RTRQyEM )

“A duel? For Kingship?” Gilgamesh’s voice had been carried far, the echoes playing hide and seek amongst the columns, as a short bout of laughter escaped him: “Fool. You seem to think I consider you an equal. I came here not to conquer, but to slay. Why would I conquer or duel for that which already belongs to me?”

A ridiculous question and equally ridiculous concept deserved an answer to put the mutt in its place, after all. Just whom did this worm think he was? Iskander? That one could have certainly accepted such a duel, always keenly interested in new lands; but to Gilgamesh, who was a collector of wealth and artifacts, and ruled everything that existed, such things were of no concern: after all, everything that were, was, or would be belonged to him, the eternal King. Even as he’d thought about the obnoxious King of Conquerors, the latter appeared as if summoned by his call, at which Gilgamesh could only sigh. No doubt, now would come a few speeches on the wonders and thrill of conquest, coupled with crude jokes that defined the King of Conquerors. Although, the manner in which Iskander had chosen to make an entrance had clearly been dramatic, at which the Golden King felt a short stab of anger, which smoothed itself over, just as his eyebrows.

The ornate double doors littered with the masterfully crafted images of dragons and decorated with gold and silver had been mercilessly torn to shreds as a large object barreled its way into the hall, skidding across the floor, shattering a few columns, and making fountains of coins fly to either side before it finally stopped, the momentum too little to break the final column it had crashed into. A large, muscular figure clad in crimson had hopped off the dead dragon that was the thing which broke the doorway. A bloody blade emerged from the dragon’s neck, as Alexander the Great pulled Spatha free of the gigantic corpse. He could pick out from here that the dragon’s eyes rolled far into its head, a pool of blood leaking from its mouth; Iskander proved to have cut it down efficiently and quickly, albeit doubtfully painlessly. His figure was marred with blood head to toe, begging the question just what he’d been doing with the dragon. Ignoring Gilgamesh’s disgusted, yet somewhat humorous half-grimace, half-smile, the obnoxious conqueror yelled in apparent merriment, waving his bloody blade in the air:

“Gilgamesh! Did I interrupt something?” Ascending the steps and ending up on the same platform as the throne, the usual grin on his face the King of Conquerors stopped in front of Gilgamesh, eyeing the mongrel curiously, no doubt hoping for another fight. Before he could reply to the man Alaya had placed as his ally in this mission, however, the trio of maggots which he’d passed earlier while riding that dead beast had sprang upon him, flames erupting from their crystal maws, shrieks of rage evident that their primitive minds comprehended just whose blood the large man had just been taking a bath in. Their claws, wings, tails, teeth, everything they possessed that could shred, beat, crush, or rip, had all converged upon the figure of the lone conqueror, red armor painted an even deeper crimson with the blood of the kin. Gilgamesh knew that Iskander needed no aid of his own, and it would have been disgraceful to even aid him…

"Who are you and what are you doing in my kingdom? I only ask for an answer if you live long enough to mutter one." The metal plates moved once more, a clear indication that the voice’s possessor had been deprived of all sense of etiquette, a mongrel interrupting an exchange between two Kings with its barking.

…But the sheer audacity of this worm, who’d turned his back to him and ignored him, needed a severe punishment which could take form of the Gate of Babylon. The gall one had to possess to insult the King of Heroes himself, assault him, interrupt him, dare to stay on even ground as him, disobey his orders, and finally turn his back on him? The punishment for all of the above could only have been one thing: Death. Life, after all, had been that which all mongrels he’d ever seen, treasured above all else. It did not matter how much wealth they accumulated – or thought they accumulated, as all of it belonged to him in the end, after all; it did not matter what they possessed, or if they were noble or peasants. All of these, in the end, only wanted to keep their life, for in their view, should they have lived, they could have done everything they wanted.

How incredibly moronic.

[Hundred Chain Remix – True Aho Mix – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXK9mgCbf9g )

Even as worm spoke to the King of Conquerors, the doors of Babylon’s Treasury slid open silently, the size going up to something around D Rank. At least, that was how it normally would have been gauged, except this time, what emerged from the ebbing limbo was not a wall of blades, nor any artifact, but a tempest of silver chains. Just how many there had been had been impossible to tell, for they flowed as if a river, yet shot quicker then sound itself, headed towards the three lizard-like figures whose fire was about to consume Iskander. The pillar of steel took upon itself the punishment of the three maggots, and immediately reacted by splitting, without so much as slowing, hundreds of chains wrapping around each of the limbs of the dragons, ignoring their protesting roars and their attempts to tear them. True, some chains did snap under the strain but where one ended, ten took its place, cruelly wrestling control of their bodies from them.

What’s more, normally, binding something means you must either leave it there, free to roll around and cause all manner of destruction, or secure the restraints to something that the victim won’t break somehow. The chains, fueled perhaps by the strategy of a genius general to strike at a third target when the enemy expect you to hit the first or second, did neither. Instead, the points of binding had been the Gate of Babylon itself opening small ripples all over the hall, at every angle possible. No matter how much the dragons had struggled, the chains had only tightened their hold, constricting their prisoners’ freedom even further. Wings had been forced open, and pulled in opposite sides, legs and feet suspended in such a way the ground could not have been used to help free themselves by using it as support, necks twisted to the point of breaking them, mouths forced shut, the powerful jaws unable to do anything against the innumerable links of the Chain the bound the Bull of Heaven.

Yes: the silver storm of chains that Gilgamesh had unleashed upon the dragons had indeed been the infamous Enkidu, the namesake of his greatest friend. The very chain, or rather chains, which were dubbed ‘infinite’ and had bound the Beast sent to slay him and destroy Uruk at the request of the jealous goddess Ishtar whom he’d refused to marry. Without the aid of his friend, he never would have slain the bull sent to kill him, but because of interfering with divine will, Enkidu perished by a disease, instead of a glorious death in battle. To this day, he hated Ishtar and Anu for this. To this day, he cursed the gods of his dead nation, his hatred making the chains tighten and the dragons shriek in pain. It had taken all of the chain’s power and length to fully bind the Bull, which was, for all intents and purposes, a rabid god in the shape of a bull. To lowly maggots like these, Enkidu was much weaker, thus had to be used a lot more than normal; whereas a true god could never break the chains, a demigod would have quite a lot of problems destroying them.

Just as the three crystal shapes hung, suspended, above the floor, another object fell out of the gate onto the outstretched hand of the King of Heroes. This one did not bear any threat in the least, compared to the truly monstrous array of items Gilgamesh had ever pulled from the Gate to smite his foes. Looks, however, could have been deceiving, especially when it came to the Treasures of the Vault. The object hanging over the hand of the King of Heroes had been a long-rimmed coat colored the purest, radiant shade of gold, the threads it had been constructed from not simply painted gold: they were gold. The jacket had been terribly old-fashioned, and more resembled a toga then a true coat, yet the craftsmanship on it had been truly unmatched. The golden material of which the entire thing had been made of seemed to be wool.

[Majutsushi – F/SN OST – Kawai Kenji] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hmunvo4ZWM )

But before anyone could marvel at the King of Heroes’ odd choice and doubt his sanity, which would have undoubtedly made him furious, he’d tossed the jacket to the floor of the platform in a sweeping gesture, akin to a peasant sowing seeds to be harvested. As the event that followed had suggested, the comparison had been certainly not terribly far off from the truth. As soon as it hit the floor, the jacket had begun to dismember itself, undoing the weaves into golden threads, as they had thrust themselves into the floor, more and more of the coat disappearing, the surface almost melting like snow on a hot summer day. But the more it disappeared, the wider the smirk on Gilgamesh’s face had gotten. The King of Heroes had obviously had a plan, which would soon begin to unfold itself.

Meanwhile, yet another Gate had begun to unveil itself behind the King – A simple E Rank, but at this range, it was impossible to miss, and the angle ensured that the weapons, if should they have missed by some miracle, would not hit his ally, though that in itself was ridiculous to worry of. The ‘King’s’ back was turned, thus he should not have been able to see nor comprehend the sinisterly-shining stingers of a good seventy blades flying directly at him, emerging from a large ripple behind the King of Heroes. Attacking an enemy’s back was dishonorable; but considering that this filth was more akin to the dirt under his boots, it could not possibly be counted as a ‘foe’. Moreover, the idea that such an attack would remove his honor was a farce in the first place – there was nothing which could ‘dishonor’ him, for he had been the of the highest blood and authority amongst the inhabitants of any realm. Was Anu ‘dishonored’ when he chose to drown the world in the great flood known as the Great Deluge, only Utnapishtim, a former King of Shuruppak, surviving the catastrophe.

Of course not. Destruction or preservation, or any matter of treatment, for that matter, of your property, was the business of the owner and nobody else. Property had no say in where it went and why, and what happened to it, after all. Though Utnaphishtim had been granted immortality in ‘apology’ for destroying humanity, Gilgamesh knew the dubious humor of the chief deity of the Sumerian religion when he saw it. Though immortal, the ex-King of Shuruppak had been forever locked inside the End of the World; Dilmun. There he would spend an eternity until the world truly ended, alone. The fact that he was allowed to visit him during his personal quest for immortality was more akin to a warning to the King of Heroes and sadistical mocking to Utnaphishtim. It was precisely the immortal which made Gilgamesh lose all his desire to live forever; the grief, the horror in the eyes of the King of Shuruppak were truly the doors to eternity… and what he saw beyond it was disgusting.

Not out of fear that he would become like this sniveling being forced to carry out its pathetic existence in eternal solitude, but out of disgust that should people one day speak of immortals, they would mention their names in the same sentence, and say that the King of Heroes had been second to obtain immortality, and likened to this… filth. Besides, the prospect of immortality ultimately looked completely boring, and to an impatient soul like Gilgamesh, that was unbearable. True, he could have easily made entertainment for himself, once more become the tyrant he had been before Enkidu emerged… But that would be spitting on a dead friend’s memory, who’d spent his life trying to get him to change for the better. It was something Gilgamesh, arrogant, selfish, and cruel as he was, would never do.

With the weapons now hurtling towards the unfortunate victim, about to be speared by the barrage of legends, the Golden King turned his attention to Iskander, finally having a free second to reply to the question the King of Conquerors presented upon his overdramatic entry: “Not particularly. I had been in the progress of punishing this here rabid mutt, which has the audacity to call himself ‘Dragon King’, because his solution to everything is ‘more fire’, ascend the steps I pulled it from, and disobey orders to die immediately for insulting me.” The blond man shook his head in scorn, running his free hand through his hair, pushing it backwards: “He’d even had the gall to challenge me – me, Iskander – to a duel for ‘kingship’ of this godforsaken mole hole. As if I do not possess it already!” Remaining silent for a fraction of a second, the King of Heroes continued, in a calmer tone:

“Have you seen Arthuria on your way here, Iskander? I felt the prana forming her being separate from the cluster which we were in the tunnel and go in another direction – have you seen anything to suggest otherwise?” The sheer thought that the woman was sent to another world was infuriating to Gilgamesh. Why did Alaya not intervene and fix things to be as they should have been? The Third possessed more than enough power to do such a thing… Another of its annoying ‘trials’? Or perhaps, could it have been that its presence and power waned the further they had moved away from Gaia, the place at which it had been anchored to? A slight sneer tugged at the corners of his mouth, the King of Heroes genuinely happy that the cold and emotionless Keeper of the Throne of Heroes had not been as all-powerful as it would have liked for its Counter Guardians to think. Then again, it would not require their services if it had been all-powerful either way, and it was doubtful that it had the concept of ‘like’ and ‘dislike’, thus such thoughts, which it undoubtedly heard, were pointless.

Swatting them away like annoying flies, Gilgamesh returned to reality, where a deadly harvest had begun to rise.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-14-2009, 04:05 AM

[Dragon Encounter – Throne of Bhaal – Inon Zur] (http://www.avalancheonline.com/Music/00-dragon-encounter.mp3 )

The coins upon the floor had begun to raise itself, shaking and bubbling as if an earthquake had been occurring. The coins leapt, dancing a mad dance, as stone dust began to fall from the ceiling. What’s more, there was an odd, unnatural rhythm to the tremors, as if the beating of a monstrous heart. Slow. Steady. Thump. Thump. Thump. As the ground shook, throbbing as if a giant heart, Gilgamesh’s smile widened, now clearly displaying two rows of perfect teeth. The shocks continued, as if the tectonic plates had now decided to converge upon this hall and cause a second Pompeii in the heart of the Dragon City. In reality… who knew what it had been? Thump. Thump. Thump. With the arsenal of the King of Heroes being as large as it was, who was to say he could not have an object that created earthquakes, some sort of hammer of Hephaestus – an object which undoubtedly was inside the gate in some shape or form?

A golden hand rose, small and ring fingers folded onto the palm, the index finger half-curled, pointing upwards, as the pillows of the thumb and the middle finger met, the latter bending oddly. Thump. Thump. Thump. In the rumble and noise that it had unleashed upon the cavern with the echoes, a simple snap of the golden-clad fingers had gone unnoticed, unheard, by all ears except those for which it was intended – if they could have been called such. A sudden silence fell upon the room, the sheer quiet deafening. And then, Gilgamesh began to laugh. Before the echo could even spread once, as if on signal, a grand roar shook the chamber, and the floor erupted in a blinding shower of golden coins and rock – boulders as large as Gilgamesh himself tossed around like mere pebbled. It had happened in several places, all over the room, shattering columns where it did, causing the age-old pillars to collapse with a grievous groan.

The first to emerge had been a gigantic paw, talons as long as an adult male’s body, the skin upon the tri-fingered claw being a scaly black, polished to the point of reflecting the flames, which had gone out in places because of its advent. A gigantic, onyx-black body had been next, barely enough to fit in the walkway between the firewalls – the flames licking its body seemed to bother it little. The grotesque head had been last, ending up suspended somewhere near the very top of the chamber, two bright blue burning eyes with multiple pupils visible clearly, the maw illuminated every five seconds or so by the thing’s breath, bringing enough light to distinguish it’s teeth, yet nothing more. Undoubtedly, however – the coat, the monster… It all fit. The Argon Coin, created of the fleece of the ram, Chrysomallos. The Golden Fleece, guarded by the abomination known as the Cholchian Dragon, which Jason could not slay, Medea herself only able to put it to sleep. It possessed no wings, so perhaps ‘serpent’ would have been a better term – yet who knew, in this darkness? Regardless, the monstrosity was too large for the hall – it was an obvious disadvantage.

“Kill him and his worms.” Only commanded Gilgamesh, pointing at the man in blue.

[[TL;DR: Gilgamesh uses a minor Gate of Babylon to get the dragon off himself, utterly ignored the fire attacks, mocks the King of Dragons. Restrains dragons going after Iskander using Enkidu, and launches a sneak attack at the Dragon Lord. Finally, he pulls out the Argon Coin, which summons the Colchian Dragon from out of the ground, and orders it to kill the Dragon King and his minions.]]

Xuan

08-14-2009, 10:02 AM

The blue sky stretched endlessly towards the far horizon, its huge arms enveloping as far as the light can reach. It was all but an optical illusion though, for in truth the sun beam outstripped the arrogant palm by millions.

Such was the day Ueki met a fated - or rather, doomed - person like himself, thrown into a war scale unknown to either. Today he met this strange clothed player, coincidentally, although none would've guessed it was an eventual setup. The moment his feet touched the ground and raised his head the player's eyes was all he could see. Strong, yes. Arrogant, definitely. More powerful than himself, why not?

But whose eyes looked dead?

Ueki Kosuke finally averted his eyes and proceeded to pat himself dust free. The stains of blood will not leave his yellowed uniform that easily, but all the same. It was time to get comfortable, and his mind was wandering between food and sleep. This madness required a full tank of energy to endure, and his needed refill.

"Interesting." Ueki's head bobbed up to look at the weird looking person. He wore dark robes of fire sketchings and a headband which was cut in the middle. Most noticeable was still his eyes - Wariness settled into his mind like a nest.

"It's interesting how pathetic some people can be."

Ueki merely cocked his head on one side with a question mark exiting his right ear. What was he talking about? Deciding that no harm was done he simply waved off the insult and said with an edge of fatigue, "Yo. Kosuke Ueki. Do you know any good place around here to sleep? I'm tired."

Oh yeah, oblivious as usual.

Zai

08-14-2009, 09:02 PM

"In order to progress through this battle, some players need to be eliminated," Itachi said as he pulled out a kunai and turned around, looking at the boy. His eyes began changing, as he activated his Sharingan. His pupils were now red, with three tomoe in each pupil surrounding the center of each pupil. "While others, need to be killed," Itachi said. "There's no hiding the obvious fact that we're playing a game right now, and there are rounds. For now it's just things like escaping to the next round. But what will happen, when the final round comes?" Itachi said.

"It's simple really," Itachi stated as he began answering his own question, "In the last round, we all kill each other. I personally would like to do it now, when there aren't so many challenges and when this round is more predictable. In the last round I will most likely be very tired, and so will you. The challenges will be harsher, and we will be able to be killed off easily. So I suggest that now, we fight each other when we aren't pushed to our limits. It seems you have also acquired a wind gem, and that means you are a worthy opponent. If we fight now it would be better than fighting later," Itachi said. This fight is unavoidable, Itachi thought to himself, I have to make sure an opponent of this power does not meet me in the final round.

Itachi put the kunai back into its case, as he began making several hand seals. He gathered up chakra in his chest, as he said "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," and he changed the chakra into fire using nature manipulation as soon as it left its mouth. He spewed out multiple big fireballs going right at the boy.

Number13Roxas

08-14-2009, 10:53 PM

"Slow down!" yelled Pikachu. The dragon was flying much too fast for him. At this rate he would soon lose it. Suddenly, the dragon took a dive behind a large hill and vanished. "What? Where did it go?" Pikachu pondered, coming to the top of the hill. He looked around from the top of the bluff but saw nothing. He began to run down the incline in panic. The dragon had disappeared and with it his hopes of finding the city. "Can dragons teleport?" He wondered. Then, he saw it. Further down and to his left, carved into the side of the hill, was the entrance to a cave. It was cleverly hidden, as Pikachu had witnessed a moment before. Pikachu hurried down the hill with his heart racing. When he reached the bottom he went to investigate the opening. The tunnel was extraordinarily huge. "Big enough for a dragon". Thought Pikachu. This had to be the entrance to the city, he could just feel the heat as he approached. The temperature was bearable however, thus Pikachu resolved to continue his search and entered the cavern.

The tunnel was considerably dark. Pikachu lightly lit up his cheeks to emit a faint light to help guide his way. He nervously continued to search for any signs of an egg. He could hear faint growls and roars from farther into the cave. As he went deeper and deeper, the noises grew louder, until he could he could see a faint glow from the end of the tunnel. He increased his pace, and caution, as he approached the light. When he arrived he saw he was at the entrance to a large chamber. In the center was the source of the light, through a hole in the ceiling, the sunlight shone onto glorious crystalized objects. "The eggs.....". Pikachu realized. He would have gone up and taken one, however, guarding the eggs were at least five enormous dragons. There were only a few eggs left, it was obvious some people had already come and taken theirs. If Pikachu wanted to snag one, he had to hurry.

"Okay, I need to think of a plan, but what?" The dragons were circling the pile of eggs protectively, sniffing the air. Pikachu was surprised he wasn't detected already. Pikachu decided his best bet was to sprint to the eggs, take one, and hope his small body could evade the bulky dragons. "But then what? I still have to wait for who knows how long until I can use the egg". Pikachu groaned and angrily kicked a tiny rock. "The others already did it, how?!. But then, Pikachu froze. The rock he had kicked had gone farther than he thought it would, out into the egg chamber. "Maybe they won't notice". He hoped. But his hopes were let down, all five of the dragons noticed the noise and stared into the tunnel. Pikachu swiftly hid behind a rock, heart pumping. He could hear one of the dragons coming closer. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst.

RXS

08-15-2009, 02:20 AM

HappyHeartless

08-15-2009, 02:49 AM

Like a dog, Yuna perked up at the sound of an intruder.
Her first instinct was to be completely shocked, she had not heard another human voice ever since all of this started. Outside of her head, anyways.

"Yes," she said, speaking timidly. She had learned this strategy from Rikku. Speak softly, act vulnerable and your opponent will always underestimate you, quick victory. "I am quite far away from home."

In a brief second, all her memories of her friends and family back at Spira and Besaid came flashing back to her in the form of a painful memory. Several months ago, the entire island of Besaid had, unknown to Yuna of course, prepared a celebration in her honor. She had, after all, saved Spira not once, but twice. She had been so embarrassed that night but it had felt so amazing to be with everyone she knew in one place, not caring about anything except having the best time of her life.

The memory did not last long.

Yuna had not yet turned to see this intruder, but she knew exactly where she was and was ready to pounce at the slightest indication of attack. While her intruder decided on the next witty thing to say, Yuna tampered with her Garment Grid, preparing it for the plan she had in mind.

The other woman had opened her mouth to speak when Yuna sprang into action in a fraction of a second. "Spherechange," Yuna screamed and jumped high into the air. Her normal clothes were ripped away from her and her Warrior dressphere replaced them. She touched back down on the ground, the Brotherhood sword in hand. She finally saw her attacker and was not impressed.

Destroy her, Yuna.

The initial response from the woman before her was better than Alexstrasza had expected, after all, nice surprises seemed to be a rare thing indeed lately. Her back was turned, and she didn’t turn around to speak, but Alexstrasza was so happy to see a life-force that wasn’t intent on trying to kill her that she didn’t dwell much on it.

I wonder where she’s from… she thought, and contemplated the proper etiquette for the situation. For dragons, revealing true names was almost never done on the first meet, but over the many centuries of her time with them she had learned that for humans the exchanging of names was often the first thing to happen. Not hesitating she stepped forward and opened her mouth, ready to offer her name and greet the strange woman.
“My n-“
Her words were cut short.

Before she could even take a third step, the woman screamed something that Alexstrasza couldn’t quite make out, while jumping up into the air and turning around. The biggest surprise, however, was how her clothes changed mid-air.
After registering her fair face and hostile attitude, despite her innocent looks (’Never judge a book by its cover’ was a lesson the dragonqueen had learned too many times ), Alexstrasza reacted.
”Even a sword out of thin air, huh… formidable.”she thought.
Taking a quick, short leap backwards she lifted her right hand and reached straight outwards.

“…as I was saying, my name is Alexstrasza…” she said casually, then motioned towards the blue heaven-like blade in Yuna’s hands before speaking again; “And two can play that game.”
At the sound of her voice a tiny flame started burning in her outstretched hand, before growing outwards in a flash of light and the roar of fire. A fireblade had appeared in her hand and she swung it around once, as if testing its balance.

Looking at Yuna with her crimson red eyes she silently challenged her. “Come.

Yellow Flash

08-15-2009, 11:39 AM

Peter yawned as he flew through the clouds, the water from each of them splashing into his face like a cold shower. He liked this atmosphere, the clear, cool air in his face, the beautiful scenery below him, and just the fact that he was outside flying. After a while, he started to wonder what he was here for, it was surely not for a good time and a laugh. They wouldn’t leave me….would they? He asked himself, not really knowing who “they” were anyway. However for now he was content to fly towards the city in the distance with hardly a care in the world; although deep inside himself stirring within his heart, was an urgent longing for his home and to see his family again, although next to this stirring was another, darker urge; one to fight and kill and destroy, and this urge was soon about to be met, as he flew through the seemingly peaceful sky.

Peter speed up so that he was flying through the air at a magnificent speed, hardly seeing the beautiful landscape that scrolled beneath him. After a few minutes at this speed of flying and the wind pushing his hair back against his neck, he came to the city. It was even more beautiful close up and the sheer glare of the sun off the stone almost blinded him. He knew that he would not just be aloud entry, so he flew up high until he could descend from the battlements. He landed on stone, in the courtyard of the city and was just taking a look around when he was suddenly paralyzed with unnerving fear; fear that he had never felt before, not even when he was facing Sylar for the first time.

For there in front of Peter was the biggest, most terrifying thing that he had ever seen, for rising out of the shadows in front of him was a massive griffin, at least ten feet tall and angry as hell. Apparently Peter had stumbled head-long into its nest, and it seemed to be very protective. Oh damn…just my luck Peter thought to himself, as he stared into the massive, green, eyeballs of the beast; and just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, five harpies moved from the allies around the courtyard to stand next to the griffin. They looked like normal humans, well their faces did anyway. For out of their backs grew a set of magnificent wings, their hair grew down to their waists on both the male and female harpies, their faces were also horrifying expressions of anger at the human who had invaded there domain. But what Peter was really worried about was their massive claws that seemed to extend from where their fingernails were supposed to be.

The first thought that occurred to the unfortunate hero was to high-tail it out of there like a scared little girl. This rational thought was soon overridden, as he was spoken to by an outside fource in his mind. Capture the Wind gem that the griffin is protecting, if you want to escape later… Was the message from those who controlled where Peter went and when he was to get home. It was then that Peter decided to fight, even though the odds were matched against him. He stared the griffin and the harpies in the eyes, and then let out a massive sound blast. “ARRR!!!” He yelled at the top of his lungs as the invisible waves of power that he yelled out sent his enemies hurling backwards, back into the shadows. But Peter knew that this wouldn’t stop them for long, and his best bet was one-on-one conflict. With this thought in mind he speed headlong at the first harpy who was back on its feet and waiting for him with a scowl on her face…

Peter tackled her to the ground punching her in the face and hearing a sickening crack as her nose broke and blood splattered onto his chest. However he soon found himself hurtling backwards as the harpy bounded to her feet while at the same time kicking him backwards. She wiped the blood off her nose, and jumped onto Peter, who had fallen to the ground, her claws seeking his flesh. “OW!” Peter yelled out as she tore into his stomach, drawing blood yet he grinned at the same time, as he reached up a hand and blasted her close range with a fire blast. He stood up slowly as he watched her smash into a building and fall burning to the ground. He had taken to long however in incapacitating the female harpy, as her brothers were advancing for revenge. Peter swore again as he was outnumbered, thinking fast he used his telepathy to rip half a wall out of well a wall next to him and smash it into one of the males, leaving a bloody pulp on the ground. two down… Peter thought, as the last three harpies leapt towards him snarling.

Two of them tackled Peter and held him to the ground, as the third smashed a fist into his sternum breaking it. Peter swore as loud as he could as the pain was almost unbearable. He knew he needed to attack them suddenly, so he quickly phased into the ground and appeared behind the harpies. “You broke my body!” He coughed out, as he snapped one of the harpies necks with his super strength, not having to move his legs at all. The other two advanced on Peter, who was practically defenseless as his sternum healed; he didn’t want to do it but he had to; as the two males grabbed him and their horrible faces leered at him, Peter went radioactive. He started glowing red hot and his skin started to burn; the harpies started to scream out-loud, horrible screams of pain as they burned where they stood. Peter barely managed to stop himself from exploding as he watched the harpies’ burn next to him, as he faded back to normal. He then turned around to look for the griffin he knew he had to confront. But it seemed it had disappeared in the confusion. Peter slowly walked over into the shadows and picked up a glowing white gem, and then limped away from the scene of destruction, all the while muttering. “That damn griffin better not come back….I’m exhausted” Little did he know he was being followed, by four of the harpies he thought he had killed, it seemed that they could regenerate as well as Peterl; well except for the one that got smashed into pulp.

Xuan

08-15-2009, 12:17 PM

KingofheartsX

08-15-2009, 05:01 PM

The smell of nature, leaves and lakes had disappeared along with the feeling of any affiliations he had occured in the forest.
He could see, his injuries were gone and it seemed that he was in a new place now. Ichigo looked around to see the scarred and broken terrain from the volcano's nearby, the lava from the explosions had broken up the land and formed new piecies of land in its place.
"There is a very storng reiatsu here, and it is not a very welcoming one."
Ichigo said to himself as he looked around some more, a nearby volcano erupted spilling molten lava from it's tip and eruption never looked so beautful.
"Ichigo, you must be careful here, the enemy is a strong one, he will not show any mercy on you! Old-Man Zangetsu said as he hovered around Ichigo.
"I know what I need to do and it's not like I will show any mercy either."
Ichigo walked forward to a suspended bridge that seemed to be broken but had some support from both sides.
As Ichigo crossed the bridge a feeling of unrest overcame him. He was being watched and not by a ninja or by some mystical being that would destroy him the mminute he let his gaurd down, no this reiatsu was something majestic, he could feel it's pure power and the being was very honorable to. But why was it watching Ichigo?

It seemed no matter where Ichigo went trouble wasn't too far behind him, either that or he was being seen as a potential threat to a certian way of life. A few gusts of wind from above made Ichigo look up as he tried to see something, his mind and heart was telling him it was in the sky.
Suddenly a dark figure of some sort, flying, it had a very long body, no human shape to it. And wings it definetly had wings.

A break in the clouds helped Ichigo figure out what it was. A dragon.
Legendary mystical creatures also very very dangerous because of they're pure power. Ichigo looked forward in the direction of the Dragon's flight path and it led to a city, the gates seemed closed but that wouldn't be much of a difficulty for a shinigami.

Ichigo began making his way towards the city, but an ominous feeling made him cautious of every step he took.
Ichigo could tell the lord of this place, knew he was here.

RXS

08-15-2009, 05:35 PM

HappyHeartless

08-15-2009, 06:02 PM

A flash of light and the woman in front of her wielded a blade as well. Ironically, a blade of fire, the polar opposite of her Brotherhood, was the blade that the woman, Alexstrasza she said her name was, wielded. It seemed like a perfect match to Yuna and somewhere inside of her mind, the part that was apparently independent of her voice, she knew this battle would a very intense one.

Yuna was the first to move.
Up into the air she jumped, her movements actually illustrated in the wind. In the air, her sword charged power and Alexstrasza looked on with a deadly look of amusement on her face. When Yuna felt the power of the sword flowing through her very being, she released it, tumbling down at an amazing speed towards the ground and, much more importantly, towards her attacker. When the blade struck the molten earth beneath her, a massive explosion enveloped her, debris flying all over. When Yuna looked up, however, Alexstrasza was nowhere to be seen. She twisted her head and craned to look around, but the air was dusty due to her attack, she was blind.

A cry of attack came from somewhere to Yuna's left and Alexstrasza returned, her Fireblade swingly madly at her sides. Adrenaline pumped through Yuna's blood as the Warrior dressphere took on a life of it's own and violently dodged the Fireblade, then unleashing its own power upon Alexstrasza. The Sorceress professionally evaded Yuna's uncontrolled attack and retaliated. This time, however, the evasion of the Fireblade was more skillfully done, though Yuna's armor got singed near her shoulder. Yuna evaluated her pain, cast it off, and returned her attention to the battle.

Once more, Alexstrasza came at her with her Fireblade swinging wildly at her sides. This time, however, Alexstrasza had a look in her eyes that struck fear into Yuna's very core. Her body froze up and Yuna was unable to move of the way in time. The only thing Yuna could do at this point was toss her sword up in a desperate attempt to shield herself. The Fireblade struck with the Brotherhood and a spark erupted in midair.

Nice moves. Alexstrasza thought as Yuna leaped into the air. When the blue blade came flying down and towards the ground Alexstrasza could see that she wasn’t in danger of being hit directly, but the power emanating from the blade meant even a close impact could be dangerous. Quickly she squatted down and lifted her left hand and fireblade in guard position, reading herself. As the Brotherhood hit the ground, a cloud of dust and debris shot outwards, and Alexstrasza could feel rocks and earth bouncing off the back of her arms. When she looked up she couldn’t see anything because of the dust, but as long as her draconic hearing and sense of smell was intact, she was far from blind. Locating the soft sound of her opponents feet, her slow breath and her distinctive smell she ran towards her left side, then attacked. Heated by the battle a cry left her lips, and as she swung her fireblade around a flurry of blows ensued.

Close! was all the dragonqueen had time to think as one of her blows nearly struck her opponents shoulder. The near-miss mildly enraged her, and devoted to her cause, she launched another attack.
This time…
An opening appeared, and Alexstrasza took it. She swung her blade with all the force she could muster, and as the two blades made contact a chattering sound erupted from the impact. She pressed her sword forwards, bent on overpowering Yuna, when it happened.
For a moment her fireblade seemed to freeze, and then it gave in and turned to hot steam in the blink of an eye. Alexstrasza fell forwards and narrowly avoided Yuna’s sword, hearing a dull clank sound as the Brotherhood made contact with her breastplate. She hit the ground and nimbly rolled over, avoiding any second attack, and then stopped on her knees only a few feet away from Yuna. Not hesitating she lifted her right hand up in the air and slapped at the ground. For a few moments both of them stood still, then as her hand started glowing bright crimson she looked up into Yuna’s face and smiled. Cracks appeared in the earth all around the summoner, and from the cracks pillars of fire shot upwards, threatening to consume her.

As the earth itself started to crumble to reveal one big hole filled with roaring flames Alexstrasza drew back and kept on smiling.

Zai

08-15-2009, 09:51 PM

Ueki Kosuke can feel a burning sensation driving in and out of his stomach. Information he has never heard before stabbed into his ears with piercing needle-like blows straight to the brain for maximum impact. The hurtful, cruel, ultimatum words were meant to demoralize, and sure enough the green haired boy was just that. He stared at the ground, expression more serious than ever, with his eyes hidden under the comforting shadow of his hair.

Groan.

"I'm hungry... What was it you're talking again? Is it that you challenge me to a food contest and whoever wins doesn't need to pay? Well... As long as I get to eat..." Ueki hugged both hands over his stomach with a most pitiful face ever in the universe. He continued to whine, again unaware as a hidden memory suddenly connected by the might of hunger, "Even Ai's squid meal would be nice, although it looked pretty weird." More whines.

... He didn't understand a thing at all.

All the sudden, a bright flare illuminated the open area. The strong sunlight during mid-afternoon cannot even start to compare the blinding effect it had on all onlookers, although Ueki was the only one around. Still.

His eyes were not on the flare before.

Instinctively, life power surged through his veins like mystery magic, instantly resurrecting the fierce warrior whose mind as sharp as cold steel to battle. Without even thinking he called upon the green tendrils to his battle worn palm, already the shape of something mighty and powerful emerged as he completed the sacred ritual with one word.

He yelled, "Pick!" Yellow and black easily punched through the fiery balls of heat and gas and dispelling them at the same time. The solid and train-fast train-sized ram though, sped straight towards the rude offender, ready to crack some bones with its steely charge.

Itachi easily tracked the blast with his eyes, or more specifically, his Sharingan eyes, and he jumped out of the way, the blast colliding into a building and making a big crash. Itachi began walking toward Ueki, as his eyes began changing, the three tomoe moving around as they became longer, and suddenly, Itachi's Sharingan was different, because right now, he as using his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Itachi suddenly ran at a fast speed, it seeming like he suddenly appeared in front of Ueki, as he had established eye contact with Ueki. Suddenly the world around them began changing, as everyone and everything looked very different now.The ground was black, as it seemed the ground was covered in water. Ueki was on some sort of pole. His hands and feet were held down by braces to the pole, and he was unable to move or escape the technique.

"Your powers cannot be used here," Itachi said. He and all of the other figures in the word, such as his sword, the pole, and Ueki, seemed to be a grayscale, inverted color, while a red moon was up in the sky casting a red light through the world.

Itachi was standing in front of Ueki, holding a sword. "Welcome to my Tsukuyomi, I control all in this world, I control the very fabric of time and space, I control everything," Itachi said, as he suddenly thrusted his sword at Ueki, the sword going right through him, and although he couldn't die in this world, he felt a lot of pain. "This technique will continue for the next seventy-two hours," Itachi said, as suddenly more Itachi's appeared around Ueki, and they thrusted their swords at Ueki all at once, and then pulled them out.

After what seemed to be like 10 minutes of slashing and stabbing, Itachi announced "71 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds left," as the Itachi's continued slashing their swords at Ueki and stabbing him.

Silk

08-16-2009, 12:58 AM

Arthuria fell across the sky. She was facing downwards, arms spread wide open, embracing the endless blue wonder below; her blue dress, too, fanned out in a similar fashion as entire body plummet downwards. Her blond bangs clung weakly against the air resistance. It was an amazing feat that her bun of hair did not went loose, instead stubbornly retained its dome form against the merciless wind. The layers of clouds she passed remained stationary, drifting across as they were supposed to, ignoring the knight woman that had sped past them vertically like a race car through the street.

This was not Arthuria's image of the ideal entrance into a new world. As a matter fact, she never had any clue of what the ideal entrance would be like. For three times in a row, something unwanted would flung themselves right in her face moments after she arrived; on the first world for an instance, the demon horde, and then running into her(now former) nemesis, Gilgamesh himself – though he proved to be more helpful than a nuisance later on; the second world had been pleasant on the first glance, but later proved to contain its fair share of troubles, like the illusion of Lancelot, loosing all her senses except for hearing ,and that annoying fairy, Acrasia. However, out of all these, if Arthuria were allowed to rate the worst, she would picked this one without question.

Within moments of regaining her feelings of touch, smell, taste and sight, and finally left the dreaded forest realm for good via the crimson portal, she found herself falling through the sky for without any reason. It could not have been a long time since her arrival, but the sheer adrenaline, begging every aspect of her attention to even the tiniest speck of cloud that her emerald eyes could catch, and the monotonous view of only blue and white, and the only constant sound was the rushing noise of wind, made it feel as if hours had passed. It was getting to the point that Arthuria wished something would happen, even if it was a monster of any size and form rushing up or down attacking her.

Her wish had been granted through a piercing cry, which Arthuria immediately identified belonged to a bird of prey. The bird of prey in question flew over her, casting a shadow with its magnificent broad wings onto the white cloud canvas directly below. Its wingspan was by far larger than any real bird Arthuria had seen, approximately the width of twenty to twenty five men with their arms stretched out like her. A shape resembling a loin's hindquarters extended from where the tail should have been. Four legs showed themselves briefly after one and another, swaying on the shadow: the two on the forefront were large bird of prey talons, the ones on the back look more like lions'. After meeting ninjas, fairies and demons, Arthuria had lost any sense of surprise to encounter yet another mythological creature.

She could feel one of the large talons clipped onto the back of her armour. At last, her long fall had halted, and with it, presented an entirely different problem. The griffin brought its prey forward, neck curled, it hurled its beak at Arthuria, wanting to snap her head off. Of course, while she was grateful to be saved from the endless, the King of Knights was not prepared to be bird food. She felt she was too small and stringy to satisfy a full grown griffin anyway. Excalibur which had been dematerialized, while invisible, she griped the sword firmly by the hilt. It seemed like awhile since she felt the weight of a sword in her hand. Her eyes glazed with confidence as she began to retaliate.

With both hands, she thrust Excalibur upwards, and it went through the griffin's thigh. The great beast let out a sharp cry of pain, its wings lost the smooth rhythm it had as they started to flap frantically. It had stopped its journey, hovering mid-air, trying to dislodge the sharp object that had been causing it pain. However, Arthuria was far from finished. With the sword firmly attached, she used it as a support to spring herself onto the griffin's back, not before causing further pain on the creature.

The griffin was further enraged, and bucked in order to get the obnoxious two-legged creature it once thought was an easy prey off its back, while Arthuria herself held on to the scruff of its neck tightly, determined to create the opposite effect. The struggle between the two was going nowhere as she gritted her teeth, dismayed by the fact she lacked the ability to tame the beast, otherwise this whole affair would have ended without anymore unnecessary trouble. While Arthuria's class, Saber, had a default Riding ability for her to ride anything, A rank was the minimum requirement for it to successfully use any mythological creature such as the one she was wrestling with. Her skill in the area was ranked B, one short of the needed to pacify the griffin underneath her, making her attempts to ride it completely redundant. The griffin, on the other hand, while stronger than any existing beast on the planet, was not able to overcome the warrior, whose strength was equal to that of Hercules, the famed son of Zeus.

The noise of the struggle attracted the other inhabitants of the sky. Two screeching cries that were quite alike to the demons from previous realm came zooming towards them at extraordinary speed. Arthuria raised her head to see two winged humanoids. Far from the appearance of angels, these being were half covered in feathers. Not restricted to their wings, it covered the bottom half of their bodies and patches on the upper. Their legs were thicker than ordinary humans, and ended with the formation of their feet looking no different from the griffin's forelegs. Both of the incoming resembled women, whether or not if it was the same for the rest of the race remained to be seen.

Arthuria had heard of these creatures as well. Harpies, they were called, more monster than human, in both mind and body. And they were definitely not on the King of Knight's side. Using their large talon-feet, the harpies grabbed her arms each, dragging her off the griffin's back and higher into the sky. The griffin they had left a few seconds before was not done with her, as she could see a speck of brown tailing them. It all seemed to be part of their strategy: Harpies locks both her arms, and the griffin rips her apart while vulnerable.

As if that could happen.

Using the fullest of her strength, something seemingly impossible for her delicate arms, she threw the harpy holding her sword arm forward. As if by command, the creature dislodged itself from her arm, and flew headfirst into the incoming griffin with accuracy. As the two collided, Arthuria's keen ears caught the sound of something snapped among the blowing noise the wind. Did it belong to the harpy or the griffin, or both? This question did not matter to the silver knight. The throw had done its job to free her use of Excalibur, anything else were not of her concern. By this time, the other harpy started to panic, and let out a long cry that seemed like a bird's version of a wolf's howl, before an invisible blade ran through its heart. Arthuria tossed herself upwards, took chance on the brief moment before the lifeless harpy succumbed to gravity, and used its back as a launch pad, with Invisible Air enhancing her jump, she fired herself up towards a griffin that had come on the harpy's dying summon.

Her jump went passed the griffin by a meter. Without wasting a second, she let Excalibur fell like a hammer onto the creatures' neck. Within the same movement, she landed on the griffins back on her two feet. Once the blow had hit, she leaped into the air again, sure that the beast would not survive, and repeated the same process on another griffin that belonged to the same flight. The formation they flew arched downwards, one flying behind another, inadvertently giving the perfect 'staircase' for the silver king to move upwards. The large gap between the griffins were not an issue. As Arthuria had demonstrated, she was capable of jumping across large distances. Whatever the reason for this empty world, Arthuria considered it to be a hindrance to her task. The faster she could get out of here, the better. And she had a haunch that up would be the solution.

Eventually, it had proven to be right. For once, the lack of landscape changed into something far more substantial. She had come across a castle of pure white. It was floating in the air, blended thoroughly with the clouds around it. It was easy to assume that it was a large cloud that looked like a castle, but on closer examinations, there were harpies standing on it, griffins roosting on their nests, proving to the onlooker that the mass of floating structure was indeed solid. Upon certain that it was the place she meant to be, her method to dispatch of the harpies and griffins that came in floods, the same way the demons before, became relentless as she darted towards the pearly white gates of the castle, mocking her foes while they were used like mere stepping stones. At that moment, the King of Knights only had her destination in her sights, not the pitiful screeching monsters. Their supposedly fearful weapons in the forms of claws and talons became irrelevant and dissolved from her view accordingly.

She took a final leap and landed on the platform before the tall white gates, and expelled a breath of relief as both feet planted themselves securely on solid ground. There were harpy guards on either side, different from the ones she met before, these wear plated armour, almost pure white like their home with gold casted on the edges, and they held a spear in one hand, a shield in the other, just like generic guards. The two saw her and dealt her in the same procedure as any other kind of guard would.

“Intruder!”

It was the first time Arthuria heard the harpies speak. It was hoarse and dry voice, as if it belonged to someone who was used to screaming frequently, and judging the species of the owner, it wasn't not guess far from reality. These harpies acted efficiently instead of throwing their weapons like savages. It seemed as though they had been trained properly their weapon of choice. They herded silver armoured girl backwards to the edge of the platform, knowing that their intruder did not posses the gift of flight as they do, a push off the ledge would be the end of it. However admirable, their skill were adequate for a guard on post duty, they lacked sorely to deal with a highly skilled warrior such as the woman before them. Arthuria slipped past one of the spears, Excalibur's blade screeched across it. The harpy who was half-stunned by the presence of an invisible sword, tried to block it with her shield. The image of the unseen sword briefly refracted in the light, then cut through shield as easily as cardboard. After the following, a harpy head rolled on the floor, eyes still wide open in fear. A splatter of red blood stained the pure white surface.

The remaining harpy immediately realized that this was not a foe it could deal with on its own. It turned, wings spread out, was about flee the scene before it felt something going through its back. It fell forward, lifeless, spreading more crimson liquid on the once spotless platform. It made a path towards the gate, leading a silver hand to push open. A brilliant light filled Arthuria's vision, followed by a gust of wind. She adverted her gaze for moment, before turning back and allowed her eyes to feast on the magnificent interior of the castle.

[TL;DR: Arthuria finds herself falling without any reason. Griffins and harpies attacked her while so. She fought back and used their bodies as launch pads to get to the castle. She went by the main entrance and kills the guards.]

IndieJocky

08-16-2009, 02:52 AM

Light. No more darkness. This world was more inviting as Neku passed through the last of the portal. Soft clouds danced around him in a foreign ritualistic dance that puzzled him. It was another new world and another new experience. As he took another step forward the great blue sky greeted him with an embracing warmth that gave him all the love in the world.

This was heaven.

Neku took another step over light clouds toward the horizon. He looked down and noticed he was walking on what he could only think of as glass. A highway hundreds of feet off the ground. The clouds all around him covered any crack to see down but Neku shrugged it off and continued walking. As he walked ahead he could see a large tower peaking from behind some clouds. As they continued to slide ever so lazily more of the looming figure was revealed soon it turned out to be a enormous crystalline castle. As he got closer and closer Neku began to feel a strange. Like something was scratching at the back of his head. He stopped suddenly and looked behind him but saw nothing. As he was turning back a huge pain struck him. He dropped to his knees and winced in the immense pain.

"Dammit..."

A voice sang through his head once more.

"Hello there Neku Sakuraba. You have come a long way. Your next challenge. Journey into the Harpy City and find a Wind Gem. It is being guarded by Griffins. But be warned they will not allow them to be taken to easily, mortal. That is all."

The voice cut off suddenly and then there was only the sound of the wind blowing. Neku let out a loud exaggerated gasp and was shocked when he heard it.

"My hearing.... My voice... It's all back..."

Neku slowly began to get up from floor and regained his composure. As he got up he looked toward the gleaming castle. It shined in the bright sun producing a large aurora of sorts around it made of all the colors in the spectrum. The city was magical yet inside it held on death and destruction. He didn't want to go inside but he knew he had to. The only way to get back to Shibuya was to keep going forward and play this game.

"It's just another week..."

He took a step forward and his confidence began to soar. He took of running towards the city. As he did so he couldn't help but think of his childhood days. In his head he suddenly thought of a song.

"We're off to see the wizard,
The wonderful wizard of Oz."

He couldn't help but laugh at the thought. He was no longer in Kansas and there was no Tin Man, Scarecrow, or Cowardly Lion to help him in any way. He just had to keep on running. Running away from the wicked witch.

Xuan

08-16-2009, 02:16 PM

KH2_FinalSora

08-16-2009, 08:59 PM

A leap to the left. Then to the right. Now, one more straight ahead. Crack. That sound... The fiery world was suddenly lifted from view as Yuri fell back. Damn! His hands scaped the side of the rocky walls, attempting to grab a hold of something, anything.

Excruciating pain flared through his crisply burnt right arm, and once healed scabs broke open one more, letting blood coat his arm and the rest of his body. Yet through this, he managed to catch a single rocky edge. Close. With great effort, he pulled himself up, rolling to, what thankfully, was a clear ledge.

Ignoring his instinct of 'get away', he peered over the edge into the chasm. Great bouts of flame surged up from the flowing lava, ready to roast anyone who fell near. It was way too close of a call. I have to be careful.

The young swordsman gazed upward, wiping his brow. His clothes were soaked with both blood and sweat, but he had long sinced stop caring. His goal was to find a gem...an egg of a dragon. A dangerous task, yet he had to do it.

Was it divine intervention? Or maybe a force that willed him to win. Maybe it was a cruel God watching for entertainment. Regardless, what he had heard, what he had felt, had been true enough. Get the gems, and live.

Brushing back his hair, Yuri sighed. "It's a long climb up." Stretching, carefully mind you, he sauntered to the wall, where he slowly grasped the rocky surface. It would take valuable time to climb, but he didn't want to tire himself. The dragon would need the most of his energy.

Just hand over hand...foot over foot. He was climbing now, higher and higher. No looking down, either. That would be a great mistake. No...just keep climbing...higher and higher.

A powerful gust of wind nearly knocked poor Yuri back down into the chasm. It was followed by an quaking roar. Oh...goody. The dragon. The last few feet seemed to dissapear, and Yuri found himself face to face with a large beast, covered in nigh impenetrable scales. It turned to face him, bellowing a feirce roar and a jet of flames.

Yuri stood tall and proud, unafraid. The flames streaked past him, the red streaks licking at his skin, but not burning him. Yuri raised Abyssion (when did he draw it?) and pointed it at the fierce dragon.

"FACE ME!" Yuri charge forward.

Zai

08-16-2009, 11:00 PM

Pain.

Absolutely excruciating pain.

Trapped in a twisted world of nether where unlife lurked the dirty corners of one's mind. Hope was but a fading dream, the colors that portrayed worlds did not exist any longer. All was gray and dying...

Why are you so sad?

Chink. The knife slid slowly between his ribs and began to saw. The pain was real enough, all too true and too devastating for the slightest gasp. He suspected that there was no need, but he tried anyway. Flesh gave way to the methodical movement of steel, constantly going in and out, in and out.

Bones were hacked.

Spine was crushed.

Spleen was sliced.

Kidney?... What kidney?

But after all that not one wound could be seen. Not the slightest scratch. His skin was so perfect that he wanted to cry. No evidence. As if it didn't exist, as if it never was.

"If I cannot return their memories, the world would be in chaos."

"It would be as if our bonds never existed."

"I... don't want to miss the reunion."

"I..."

Want...

To remember. To forget hurts me more...

than just this... fake.

"You control everything you say?" A wicked blade punctured his throat, but still he spoke.

Because it doesn't exist.

"You don't control me."

Then everything returned to just the way it is, a normal sky with a normal environment and the normal fresh air he breathed in thankfully. A sharp numbness began to spread through his mind like a warning sign, signaling a clear statement that he's running out of time, quick. He stared at the person directly in front of him, and into his eyes he stared. A pair of strange roller blades enveloped his feet as he raised his fist.

"I will take you down!" And with a poof, he disappeared from sight, traveling exceeding sound and slamming down a punch right at the devil's gut with everything he got.

Itachi's eyes began changing again. The black part began moving around again, as the three tomoe were there again, and Itachi was using his regular Sharingan again. Suddenly Ueki's punched stopped right in front of Itachi, as Itachi had his left hand on Ueki's wrist, and began crushing it. "You are powerful," Itachi said, "I could even say you're better than me, for still being conscious after the psychological trauma that comes from my Tsukuyomi," Itachi stated, as he crushed Ueki's wrist even more. "Then again, maybe not," Itachi said as he threw Ueki forward.

"Tell me, how do you want to die?" Itachi asked, as he suddenly began making fast hand seals, that were so fast it didn't even look like Itachi's hands moved. Itachi focused the chakra in his chest, as he suddenly spewed out a huge fast moving fireball going right at Ueki who was on the ground, Itachi having used nature manipulation to change his chakra into fire as soon as it left his mouth.

The huge fireball moved at Ueki at an incredible speed, as Itachi did not even make one sign of emotion, he just watched as the fireball went at Ueki.

RXS

08-16-2009, 11:20 PM

HappyHeartless

08-16-2009, 11:54 PM

For the briefest of seconds, Yuna felt triumph as Alexstrasza's Fireblade hissed into a stream of smoke and dissipated into the humid air. Her triumph faded, however, when Alexstrasza's look of hatred returned into her crimson eyes. She thrust her hand into the ground below her and the weirdest of things happened.

Powerful tremors shook the plateau they were on, knocking Yuna to the ground as she withstood the power of the tremors. Then the circle of light appeared around her. When the circle burst into flames, however, Yuna realized she needed to get out of there, quick.

A circle of fire? Explosions? Danger?
Yuna couldn't have that.

As the sorceress' spell built up its power all around her, Yuna concentrated her Warrior speed into changing her Garment Grid, her idea was being put into motion as she worked. "Sphere change!" Yuna back flipped out of the sorceress' circle just as humongous plumes of lava shot out of the center, closing in on where Yuna was just seconds before. As she flew through the air backwards, her clothes were already being replaced. When she landed, her summoner's clothes had returned to her as well as the Nirvana staff.

"Is that the best you've got, Alex? You don't mind if I call you Alex, do you," Yuna said, taunting her opponent. It seemed to have worked because Alexstrasza tried to re-cast her spell.

"Oh no, sweetie, this isn't gonna work," Yuna taunted further, but play time was over. She had to go find the voice inside of her head and she was not going to let this wench stand in her way. While Alexstrasza's ring of fire returned around Yuna and the spell gained strength, Yuna mustered all of the energy she had to perform one, final summon. Not her strongest, by far, but she knew that this one would do the job.

"Leviathan," Yuna screamed as she twirled her staff in the air, "I need you, lend me the Sea God's strength!" Time slowed down as Yuna's Water-Summon came into existence. The river of lava, flowing relentless behind Yuna just seconds before had now turned into a billowing stream of crystal-clear water. Instantly, the temperature in its immediate area dropped by several degrees and the air became noticeably less humid. "Now, come forth, Leviathan!" Out of the large river erupted an enormous sea serpent, taller than the elevated platforms all around them.

Yuna hastily exited the ring of fire and climbed atop of Leviathan. "Sea Gods, lend me your strength," she murmured once more and sent her monster forward. "Leviathan, the gods have approved. Please, Tsunami!" The sea monster reared back its serpentine head and dived under the water, Alexstrasza's spell finally finishing and erupting inside the ring of fire. After several, agonizing moments of ignorance, the serpent exploded out of the water again, this time bringing with it an enormous torrent of water. The colossal wave of water rose out of the water and rose even higher than the sea monster itself, going as high as the mountains surround the valley.

After spending several ominous seconds suspended in midair, the Tsunami rose one more time and came crashing back down on the platform on which Alexstrasza was still standing. When the water drained from the rock and retreated back into the river, Alexstrasza was nowhere to found. Yuna did not know what to make of this, but she declared the battle officially over.

"Come on, Leviathan," she said softly into the Sea Serpent's ear, "We have a voice to find."

The massive amounts of water brought forth by Yuna and Leviathan was a near unseen sight in this little part of the universe, and when it collided with the flames and heated rock the result was a series of hissing sounds, clouds of steam and the sharp crackling noise of splitting stones. A sound Alexstrasza had heard many times before when battling the blue dragonflight. Cold and heat… A clash of two eternal rivals.
Alexstrasza watched and experienced it all from above.

The surprise when the massive sea serpent appeared out of nowhere, bringing with it enough water to fill a lake.
The feeling of weightlessness as she was slowly floating mid-air, having leaped higher than possible for normal elves before casting an arcane weight-reducing spell on herself. Light as a feather!
The pleasure of seeing she hadn’t been noticed.

It was all there, and now Alexstrasza found herself right above her target. Looking down at them, Yuna and Leviathan, she cancelled her spell and felt weight return to her body and gear. Quickly accelerating she fell downwards and landed square on the back of the sea serpent, only few feet behind Yuna.
A few observations were skillfully made before attacking; Her clothes changed again, and her weapon… a staff. Does this have anything to do with the serpent?
Alexstrasza didn’t have much time to ponder the situation though, her landing had made both an impact and loud noise, and it had gone far from unnoticed. Seeing the woman turn around to face her, and feeling the serpent moving, she acted.
BURN!
Power shot to her hands as she focused some of her mana into magical energy, causing her fists to catch fire in a beautiful blaze.

Running forward she twisted her entire body in a powerful right-hand punch towards Yuna, aiming for her chest. Her fists were burning with draconic fire, ready to set fire to anything they come in contact with.

RXS

08-17-2009, 12:22 AM

"Bubble," murmured Yuna as Leviathan submerged into the river and took Yuna down with him. Both of them swam effortlessly through the water and Yuna smiled inside of her head, thinking of the beauty she had brought to this lifeless realm. As they submerged, however, Yuna heard a faint hiss and saw Alexstrasza reappear above the water. Yuna had anticipated the sorceress' use of a weight spell and had submerged on purpose.

Alexstrasza's fiery punch had made contact with the water and instantly hardened, an effect similar to what had just happened in large scale above the surface. Leviathan turned its serpentine head towards and its nostrils flared. He wanted to return to the fight.

"Leviathan, we have a mission," she crooned. She musn't let her aeon get out of her control, she had to find what she came to find. "Please, take me deeper." The giant serpent seemingly nodded in the water and continued its descent into the deep river.

Wow, Yuna thought, If I hadn't summoned Leviathan, this river would have been extremely difficult to swim across!
She giggled lightly at the thought and noticed her Voice's absence.

Hello? She thought, waiting for a response.
Almost there, Yunie.

VenFan

08-17-2009, 02:46 AM

The powerful aroma of cinder and ash indulgently cavorted amongst the terrain, amid the auburn stream of pumice and igneous rock. Interpretively unmoved by the conflicting scents, it swaggered about in serenity and seclusion. The irksome odor it left around its volcanic abode could be picked up nearly everywhere. Its foul taste repulsed the viera’s vulnerable taste buds as the smell slinked down her nasal cavity, and down her repelled esophagus.

A family of distinct, dying flames resided within the confines of the bitter environment. The glistening of various embers pierced themselves within the woman‘s spirit. The remains whisked about in a similar strut. They frisked in place in their final dance - their dance of death. Their once-lively, fiery essence began to die in a sad descent of gold. Their agonized squeals and screams filled Fran’s ears in their unceasing tango. When they could no longer be heard, the flame faded away, into the capering aroma.

The intensive existence of the blistering landscape touched the viera; so much so that her bronzed skin had ceased in its shriek of the heat. Never had Fran realized the true, hidden beauty of something as seemingly threatening as a volcano. Her scarlet eyes rested on the view of their sparkling lifestyle, relaxed and fixated on the affairs of their commonplace existence.

The still moment soon absconded from reality with the advent of a strident, grisly roar. The entire area seemed to halt from the terrifying sound. The flames froze in their dance step. The river of magma that surged from the summit of the volcano slithered down easily; it seemed as if it hadn’t moved at all. Everything stopped in terror.

And as the viera rotated her head to the direction of the deafening noise, she noticed a pair of great, luminous lime-green eyes gaping into her soul from the hazy, vermillion skies above.

Xuan

08-17-2009, 03:35 AM

Zai

08-17-2009, 03:41 AM

His powerful fist stopped that easily even with Raika, and at that moment Ueki Kosuke experienced a huge shock as he reanalyzed the battle against Itachi. Why had he anticipated his movements so easily? He had tried a smokescreen, he employed his speed, and yet he caught on to every action as easily as an adult holding a child's hand.

Then, he remembered the strange eyes and understood. Whatever it was, his eyes was the sole reason to everything. Something needed to be done, but he couldn't figure out what quite just yet. Not to mention that his head - SHINK - fading fast by the second.

"Qwargh!!!" As the crushing grip began to tighten Ueki tensed and tried to fight the abnormal strength to no avail. All the sudden he was thrown backwards as he stumbled and rolled a few times on ground, dust and soot thrown up slightly from the ground. His head went back and forwards, then, heat.

Another fireball. This time, too close and too quick to be dodged by for someone who has lost his footing. However, battle experiences overflowing, Ueki was no small fry to be taken down that easily. "Fudo!" A giant hand rose to push Ueki upwards, dodging the flames and regaining his balance at once. He held the magical broom in his right and crumpled paper in his left.

I need to end this quick... Or at least break down the final mysteries of his 'prediction' abilities. If I'm right then.

He tightened his fist and yelled loudly in the air, this time without making eye contact, "Broom - Capture!" At once the strong wood split shot towards Itachi like torrents of homing missiles, a sure catch as long as he could see his opponent. Moreover he wouldn't know that the broom cannot be damaged by fire. On his other palm green light exploded as brilliant shafts of wooden spikes that rained all around the fireball man.

Itachi pulled out his kunai, as he suddenly seemed to be moving at an inhuman speed. His eyes tracked the movement of the wooden spikes, as he jumped and flipped through the air, dodging some of them, while the others he deflected with his kunai. As he landed on the ground his speed was amazing as every wooden spikes that was headed toward him was deflected. Within a moment all of the wooden spikes were on the ground, as Itachi looked at Ueki.

This boy is nothing to mess with, Itachi thought to himself. The wooden spikes most likely wasn't the only thing in this boy's arsenal. It seemed he had a green energy, similar to chakra, except more flexible, visible, and maneuverable, like the nine-tailed demon fox's red chakra.

This boy reminded Itachi much of Naruto. He was a boy who doesn't let words hurt his determination, with powerful energy, and fierce determination. In fact, even the boy's hair reminded Itachi of Naruto's. Although the boy could use some improvement on his skills.

Itachi had to end it soon, he knew that all too well. He decided to stop using his fire jutsu for now, and to use a very...special, technique.

"You amaze me," Itachi said, as suddenly a clone of Itachi appeared next to himself as Ueki landed on the ground. The shadow clone moved at an amazing speed and was right next to Ueki. "Goodbye," Itachi said as suddenly the shadow clone exploded, the explosion making a considerable blast.

Xuan

08-18-2009, 06:24 AM

IndieJocky

08-18-2009, 07:32 AM

The pearly gates. This was heaven to Neku. He was sure of it now. Joshua had finally taken him. He had come to the conclusion that he didn't make it out of the maze. At the portal he had been attacked by the birds and they have done him in. In reality he was still back there on the floor covered in a puddle of his own blood, his eyes glossy and wide, staring off into the distance. The thought gave him shivers but in this game he knew anything was possible. Neku looked back up towards the gate. It was made of pure crystal and stood tall and proud.

To Neku there didn't seem to be an entrance. It was just a tall slab of crystal standing between him and his escape. He didn't dare touch it, too scared that he would be electrocuted or some other crazy form of torture. Neku reached into his pockets and pulled out a pin. He remembered exactly what it was.

"Izanagi... This will have to do."

Neku ran back a couple of yards. He turned back towards the door and let out a long breath. He closed his fist and concentrated on it. The same feeling of power flowing through him filled his senses as the all joined at his hand. He slowly stepped into a battle stance and closed his eyes. The power continued to grow and soon it was at it's max. He opened his eyes and took a step forward. This one step sent him flying towards the door. He stuck his fists out as he got closer. When he was close he brought one of his fists back. He other fist made contact with the wall. In perfect succession he brought the other hand in and brought the first one back. He kept doing this one after another. In his mind he counted along.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8."

As the power faded away and he eased he was back to the ground he looked at the wall. It was completely unscratched. There was no sign of damage.

"Come on..."

Suddenly, a large crack began to develop in the center of impact. He traveled up the wall quickly until it reached the top. In the center of impact cracks began to spread out at all sides. Pieces began to fall off and soon large chunks until suddenly a large piece gave up and fell in. It was just large enough for him to squeeze through. Neku took a step forward shuffling through the small pieces of debris as he did. He shimmied in through the hole and found himself in the Crystal City. As soon as he stepped inside a piercing shriek filled the air. Neku covered his ears and began to run down a street of sorts. All around him the same crystal structures towered above him. The screeching seemed to following him constantly where ever he went. As he looked around rapidly he fell to the ground hard. As he scrambled to get up he grabbed the the nearest object. He felt his hand crush a weak dry material. As he pushed himself up the material crunched beneath his weight. He looked up and saw it was what seemed to be a large nest.

"What the hell..."

Another loud shriek filled the air and Neku instinctively ducked his head expecting something to swoop down and attack him. When the feeling passed Neku looked back at the nest. As he looked inside he noticed something in the middle of the nest. He slowly jumped over the side of the nest and walked to the center. In the middle there was a simple stone. It was shiny and looked slightly green. He picked it up slowly and examined it slowly. He finally understood what it was.

"Could this be that gem thing..."

Deep inside he knew that this was it. He placed the stone inside one his pockets and stepped outside of the nest. As he looked around he heard the shriek again, more distant this time.

"Guess I should try and find an exit now or something..."

Neku continued to walk in the direction he was running earlier looking around cautiously for anything dangerous. From the corner of his eye Neku could have sworn he saw something shuffle in the darkness of an alleyway. But he just shrugged it off and continued to walk. On the floor ahead of him hundreds of feathers littered the ground. And in the distance he could hear the screeching getting louder and closer.

Yellow Flash

08-18-2009, 11:45 AM

The walls shined with a bright light as Peter stumbled through the ally way, looking up at the sun that seemed to shine forever; his gaze slowly roamed the ally in front of him wondering if this was a dead end. His eyes wandered over the beautiful stone in front of him that paved the ground of the harpies’ city. It seemed to be made out of a strange substance that defiantly wasn’t found on earth; it was very hard and like everything else in the city was white and reflected the light of the ever present sun. However at this moment all Peter could think of was to sit down on the cool, cold stone as he was feeling tired. He supposed it was from all the fighting; although his regeneration had healed his sternum by now he lifted up what was left of his torn, favorite, blue shirt to have a look at the spot that pained him. There on his chest, where the female harpy had stabbed him was a small, green mark about the size of a hand outstretched. What the heck?... Peter wondered as he knew that it couldn’t be a bruise as his regeneration would have gotten rid of it; he looked at the spot weirdly reached out his middle finger and poked it. Immediately he felt a burst of pain from his chest as the spot of green pulsed before expanding about a centimeter in either direction; as Peter watched it, it contracted as if something was fighting it, and then expanded back to its original size. From this strange behavior of his body he knew immediately what the strange foreign object was. “Poison” He whispered out loud, as he watched the green spot move back and forth on his skin. It was obvious that his healing powers were fighting the disease in his system, but it seemed it was too advanced for his evolutionary powers, and he knew that he eventually would die if it spread too far, the only way he could save himself would be to escape this place.

He slummed against the wall behind him feeling exhausted from all the fighting, and the evil, poisonous disease in his system that was slowly killing him. He took a look at the shiny white gem he had put by his side when he collapsed. It shined with the brilliance of a sun, and it hurt his eyes as it sparkled, cheerfully oblivious to Peter’s plight. He closed his eyes, letting his mind wander back to the beautiful fields and pastures of his world, how the green grass felt against his back when he was a child and went to the country on holidays, how he used to play with his brother in the city, and how happy he felt when he found out him and his brother were special. He thought about giving up, about letting the poison take him to a place where there would be no pain, no suffering. But that small bit of his powers that seemed to have a mind of its own, didn’t want to die yet, and wouldn’t let Peter die. Letting out a heavy sigh Peter reached to his side to pick up the white gem and continue his journey to escape. However when he put his hand there he didn’t feel anything, except air. He whirled around his eyes searching for his prize that would get him out of this place.

Instead of the white gem that he prized so greatly, he only saw more terror; the eyes of the great griffin started him down as he got slowly to his feet, holding onto the wall for support. He wasn’t surprised to see four of the five harpies he had supposedly “killed” next to the beast either. It seems the only way to kill them….is…well…smashing them to a pulp… He muttered to himself, as he realized that one of the harpies was holding the gem in its hands and he would have to fight again for the precious object. He looked down at his ripped shirt and tore it off, exposing the poison below on his body. “One on one!” He yelled out to the harpies as they moved forward to destroy the one that had killed their brethren. The leader of the harpies, the female, nodded to one of her brothers to move forward to face Peter. The harpy cracked his fingers, stretched his wings and walked slowly forward to face the human before him; he had a nasty grimace on his face and it was obvious he was going to enjoy this. Peter watched him carefully, knowing he was weaker then before and he needed to finish them all off quickly before fighting the griffin behind them. He waited until the harpy was within range before grabbing him quickly around the stomach and zooming off into the atmosphere. It was then he let go of the scowling harpy.

They immediately rushed towards each other and started exchanging blows faster then could be seen by eye. It seemed as though they were in one of those cartoons that Peter watched when he was younger, where the main characters fought for most of the show, which had to be slowed down so that the viewers could actually watch it. After about a minute of heavy fighting, Peter and the male harpy pulled away from each other, panting heavily. The poison in Peter’s body had spread further and he was getting tired easily. I need a surprise…I wonder… He looked over at his opponent who was also breathing heavily, and yelled at him. “Hey fatty!...Tired already…yo—“ Peter was cut off as the harpy zoomed towards him in anger, which was exactly what he wanted; because as soon as the harpy was close enough he grabbed him around the waist and spun towards the ground, counting the meters in his head. 500….400…300….200….100…50…25…15…10…5… five meters from the ground he threw the harpy down, watching as he smashed into the earth. Peter then ripped off a part of a building with his telepathy and threw it down onto the male harpy, turning him into pulp; he then flew down and landed on the ruble. “Next” He smiled mentioning with a finger.

He had barely got the word out of his mouth, when he was tackled into a wall by one of the remaining harpies. He couldn’t even swear as he felt punches rained down on him from above, he quickly faded into the ground and appeared behind the harpy, greeting him with a fire fist to the face, which sent the enemy spiraling backwards into the ground. “Damn you!” Peter sword, as his face which had been punched out of proportion, started to heal. However the harpy was soon up again and the crazy punching at the speed of gods started again. Peter was slowly being pushed further and further backwards out into the street while the harpy was still beneath the once beautiful building. Peter quickly leapt back a few places and fired a fireball into the roof. “Bye, Bye” He said as the building collapsed on the male harpy, squishing him like a bug. “Now who’s ne—“he was cut of again as the last two remaining harpies jumped at him, grabbed him and flew him up into the air.

“I must have made you angry…” Peter gasped, as the poison once again spread through his body, as the harpies flew him up higher. Once they were six hundred feet in the air, they let go of Peter, who tired to fly away as fast as he could; but before he could, he was kicked hard in the gut by the male harpy. “Ow!” Peter yelled out as the female harpy came from behind and elbowed him in the head, sending him falling to the ground. Before he could regain himself, the male zoomed down after him and kicked him back up to the female, who then round-housed kicked him, sending him zooming away to the left. I’m starting to feel like a ping-pong… Peter thought as he managed to stop himself and turn to face his enemies, breathing heavily. I need a plan…. He thought to himself as the two harpies slowly flew in to confront him. “Take this!” He yelled out in desperation as he sent a lightning bolt from his hand, however instead of letting it go he held onto it, using it as a hand to grab the male around his waist. “Yes!” he yelled out as he used his new electric hand to smash the male harpy into his leader, causing their wings to fizz and unable to fly anymore. Peter zoomed after them as they fell, keeping the lightning on them so they couldn’t recover. As soon as they hit the ground, he ripped of another part of the city with his telepathy and squished them to pulp. “Thank goodness for that…” He breathed as he landed, until he looked up and saw the green eyes of the griffin in front of him, the griffin that was standing over the white gem.

“Do I ever get a break?” Peter wondered as he felt the poison spread to his abdomen, and fell to the ground writhing in pain as the griffin walked over ready to end the pitiful human’s life in front of him, ready to smash down with one giant foot, and end another life. To exert its great power of life and death; it moved closer to the writhing human. However just in the nick of time, Peter rolled over and shot both fire and lighting at the weak spot of the griffin, which in fact was its eyes. It roared in pain, and reared backwards on its hind legs, before bringing its full weight back down on its front legs. In the confusion Peter had managed to roll and grab the white gem, although it was his mistake as one of his legs got crushed by the rampaging beast. He cried out in pain, as he continued rolling, to a safe distance, and watched the griffin fly into the air to find a safe place away from the buildings. Peter sighed in relief, before moaning in pain. He looked down at his leg and winced, as he saw that it was almost crushed beyond belief; It was however healing, although Peter knew it would take at least ten minutes, so he settled down to wait, clutching the prized white, gem in his right hand.

Number13Roxas

08-18-2009, 06:56 PM

The dragon inched closer to the entrance to it's chamber. Someone had kicked a rock into the precious room. "What fool dares enter into our city?" He pondered. This was impossible, that particular entrance was hidden, and was supposed to be guarded. It was the emergency escape, in case there was need of a swift flight for the eggs. There was no way an intruder could have gotten through. Then he remembered, this was not the first outsider to enter the chamber. Others had come and taken their sacred eggs. Steam surged out of the beast's nostrils. "Thieves! How dare they come and swipe our treasure!" The monster gazed into the tunnel. There was nothing visible. "Where are you?" He inquired. Then, he saw there were multiple rocks streamed throughout the cave. "So we have a coward then." The only thing he hated more than a thief was a coward. "If one cannot stand to fight one does not deserve to live." Was his policy. Angrier than ever, he sniffed the air using his nose to find the intruder with his incredible sense of smell. Then, he picked it up. There was an animal hiding. The scent was foreign to him however. He had never encountered this animal before. He began to peek around the rocks in search of his prey.

Pikachu did his best not to breathe. He could hear it coming. The dragon was approaching him, coming closer ever second. "This is it, i've failed, it's going to eat me alive." He could do nothing but stand and wait. He could hear it breathe, it was getting louder and louder by the minute. Before long his animal senses told him the beast was right behind him. He turned his head to witness the creature that would surely kill him. Then he saw it, peeking out from the rock was the terrible face of the dragon. It's scales were colored red as blood, with peircing orange eyes bright as fire. It was taken aback by the small creature it was faced with, it was certainly expecting something much more intimidating. Pikachu, with no other option, seized the oppurtunity and fired an electric blast like he never had before precisely into the monster's face. The direct hit knocked the beast out, causing it to collapse onto the cave floor. The mouse simply stood there in shock. He had just taken out a colossal dragon with one perfectly aimed hit. But he had no time to celebrate, for the other dragons had seen the flash, and their comrade collapse. Pikachu had no time to think, he could not outrun them, and if he stayed where he was they would surely find him. he looked around desperately searching for a place to hide. But no place he saw would hide him from the dragon's nose, which he knew would locate him in minutes. Unless, he covered up his scent. He looked at the unconscious dragon that lay before him. There were two massive wings spread across the floor. Without another thought he dashed to the wing opposite from the chamber entrance and hid under it.

From under the wing he could hear the dragons approaching. One went over to the side of the dragon where the wing Pikachu was under was located. Pikachu crawled to the edge of the wing to see what it was doing. The beast sniffed the air, trying to pick up a scent, though it seemed to find nothing. Suddenly, it ran out of the tunnel into the outside. Pikachu could hear the other three dragons making incoherent noises at each other, presumably talking. They were on the side opposite of him however, and and he coulld not see what they were doing. Since the dragons had seemingly concluded their search of him, Pikachu decided to crawl out from the dragon's wing and peek a look around around it's body. He scrambled out and moved up to the dragon's head. The dragons seemed to be arguing amongst themselves, until finally two of them ran back into the egg chamber, while the other stayed. The remaining dragon began to shake the dragon with it's large claws. Pikachu realized he was left to attempt to arose the unconscious dragon while the others continued to protect the egg. "Quick Attack." Pikachu whispered to himself as he jolted past the dragon that blocked his path. He ran out into the chamber, and quickly hid behind a pile of rocks in the room.

He was surprised to find that not two, but only one dragon was circling the pile of eggs protectively. He looked out to the other side of the chamber, where he saw the entrance to another tunnel, where the other dragon had presumably gone. "Okay, four dragons busy, one to go. What now?" The last dragon was sniffing the air, and scanning the room enthusiastically. Any minute now Pikachu would be detected. "if I can't beat it, or outrun it, i'll trick it." He decided. He scanned the room, and could see various boulders littered round the room, perfect for hiding behind. Pikachu fired a light shot at the dragon, then, using Quick Attack, jolted to another boulder. The dragon whipped it's head around, staring at the place Pikachu had been a moment before. He fired another shot at the dragon, then dashed, and another, shock, dash, shock, dash. Before long the dragon had it's head everywhere at once in deep confusion. Everywhere except the egg pile that was. Pikachu dashed to the side of the room opposite of the dragon, then dashed to the the middle. He had split seconds before he was detected. He used his tail to scoop up a crystal egg, then placed it on his back, using his tail again to balance it. "Volt Tackle." He whispered. Then he jolted out from the chamber, into the tunnel, and past the two dragons. He went cautiously, he knew there was one more dragon, and he couldn't go as fast as he would have wanted to with the egg on his back. Before long he could see the light of the outside. He approached the end of the tunnel and scanned the terrain for the dragon. He looked up and spotted it soaring in the sky, searching for anything suspicious. He dashed out of the tunnel, hid behind a rather large rock, and breathed a sigh of relief, he was safe for now. Though he knew the dragons would notice their missing egg at any minute.

Zai

08-18-2009, 07:26 PM

An unbelievable explosion took place on air, shattering what left of serenity and calm in the beautiful city. The green hair no more, hidden by the magnificent brilliance of destruction, Ueki was thrown several metres away as he hit the ground several times before finally a stop. He cannot be seen; and onlooker would have mistaken him for burning offerings. The deafening blast was so powerful that the air flow began to shift.

For good... or for worse.

I'm not giving up yet.

A charred hand with falling skin and smoking black flesh thrust out of the soot and dust, trembling. It flailed a bit for balance, he must have been completely disorientated and definitely deaf from the powerful explosion. There were even signs of which fire was still burning his body.

Still, his eyes stayed true. Never wavered. The odd looking figure climbed out as if from the depths of hell with invincible, godly resolve. Neither demon, nor angel will ever be, as him.

I was careless.

Ueki took one step at a time, agonizingly slow, pitifully determined, and yet helplessly powerless. When was the last time he had felt so desperate? Putting his only life on the line so many times just for the simple sake of promise, friendship, and belief.

He was desperate before because everything he treasured was once placed in mortal peril.

He is desperate now, because remembering everything reminds him just how much he missed them, and the inevitable danger to them posed by this man alone. One out of so many others.

He can't lose.

Ueki Kosuke stood directly in front of Itachi Uchiha, carefully avoiding eyes contact but maintained the same fearful presence he had over his opponents, a crazy strength and unbreakable stubborness to uphold justice no matter what. The opponent made no attempt to escape, perhaps seeing that he was no longer a threat. And he was, strength all but depleted but that single minded purpose that was losing willpower by the second. The pyschological war before was not without deadly consequences.

"Ten Star Sacred Treasure," the shivering hand was placed directly in front of Itachi's chest. He knew very well that this body he faced can be all but a fake, even another of those strange clone that have dealt these dreadful injuries.

But this is his iron resolve that no one can deny.

"Maoh."

He fell.

Itachi was a man, who had the ability to hide all emotion. He was the kind of person that could take on a completely different personality and trick people into believing the fake personality was his real one, which, he did. Itachi was the person who could witness a whole village of people dying, and his face would express no emotion.

But no level of his abilities, of his abilities to hide his emotions, would have ever been enough to hide his emotion after seeing the boy's powerful attack. The boy had been through so much, and yet, he was so powerful. Itachi saw the powerful attack come at him in slow motion by using the powers of his Sharingan, but there was something different about this blast.

It was going fast, even with Itachi's Sharingan.

The expression on Itachi's face would definitely be considered fear, as he was horrorified at the abilities of the boy.

But wait, Itachi forgot to move out of the way.

Dammit, he thought to himself as he quickly jumped out of the way, but the blast crippled his left arm.

He sat there on the ground, his left arm crippled and heavily wounded. All Itachi could say as he looked up at Ueki, was this, "You, are a powerful boy," Itachi said, and there was, even the slightest hint, of a smile on his face.

Itachi stood up, and tore off his left sleeve. He tied it around his left arm to prevent any more bleeding, and he knew the boy's attack had taken its toll on him. His jutsu performance was going to be slower, because now he'll need to use his right hand to make hand seals. His abilities would be weakened with a crippled arm, but Itachi didn't care, because he had fought, a worthy opponent.

Itachi walked over to the boy, and looked down at him, on the ground, unconscious. Itachi picked the boy up by his collar, and looked at his face. Although the boy did not know it, they were face to face now, and all it would take to kill him, all it would take, was just one stab in the head with the kunai. One stab would silence him, and his revenge would be fulfilled.

But revenge, is such a cold path...

Itachi put the boy on the ground gently, and whispered these words:

"You, are strong"

And with that, Itachi walked away, with his Sharingan still in his eyes, leaving the boy and not killing him. "We'll meet again," Itachi whispered, as he continued walking away.

Wzrdto25

08-20-2009, 11:39 PM

EVENT 1 - ROUND III

A dark mysterious storm arises on the horizon and begins making it's way through the two realms, absorbing everything in it's path and spewing them into the fabric of time and space. The dimensional riff splits open and begins capturing everything in it's path. The Dragon King and the Harpy Queen use their powers to flee, and abandon their realms as they are absorbed. The Magic Realms begin to wither and fall apart. The heroes homes are flashed into their minds, dying and fading into the source of the storm. Deep within the universe the portal opens and sends the shattered worlds into a black abyss. The heroes must escape into the portal but they must do so carefully or face the same fate as their worlds.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h21/Wzrdto25/Portal_Storm_by_TheDarkFalcon.jpg

MOVE: DARK PORTAL ABSORBS THE WORLDS AND THE CONTESTANTS.

VenFan

08-21-2009, 12:49 AM

The brilliant lime-green eyes rested upon the viera, scrutinizing her womanly frame. The creature’s form was of colossal size, it remained a mystery to the female warrior as to how the seemingly flimsy, emaciated wings could support something so great. What astonished her even further was the absolute speed in which the winged beast traveled. Soaring through the endless sky, its wings dithered rapidly as the creature bore down upon Fran’s feeble existence. Converging nearer, the woman’s mind raced.

Her slender left arm fluctuated to her backside. Her long, thin fingers cuddled the texture of the steel bow which rested on her vertebral column. In haste, her fingers clasped onto the base of the cambered weapon. Her shoulder tugged down on her forearm, pulling it back to her side, with her bow in-hand. Her free arm ascended above her shoulders, hovering over to her left scapula. Her stretched fingernails dug into the surface of the long, wooden structure. Her right hand held the secondary weapon in its warm embrace as it brought it to its arched, iron affiliate.

The womanly maiden slapped the arrow onto the bank of the bow, the string tickling its substructure. Quickly, the bow twisted into its vertical position, and the bow followed. Fran’s right index finger tugged onto the center of the unyielding filament, toward her breastplate. The steel head of the arrow glimmered in the luminosity of its surroundings as it prepared itself for its victim.

The wooden projectile whistled through the air, breaking the wind which attempted to smother it. It grew closer to the horrific beast. Its speed interminable, it continued its path toward the viera. In determination, its muscles tautened in preparation for the attack. Its rough exterior greeted the arrow in a crushing confrontational blow. In its rear path, the remains of the arrow drifted away, into the harsh, unforgiving wind.

The creature’s scaly lips unfastened, revealing its glistening, golden fangs. The closer it approached to Fran, the farther its teeth retracted. She emitted a terrified gasp as her right arm hastily ascended to her fore.

“Protect!” the viera cried.

In a forceful thrust forward, a transparent jade aura began to materialize. In vigorousness, the beast plunged its body headlong, into the resilient, translucent green barrier which surrounded her. Fran’s body fluttered rearward attributable to the incredible ram the avian fiend executed. Physically unscathed from the crushing assault, her entire being soared through the air, and toward a stream of smelted magma that flowed at her rear.

Safeguarded from harm by the shielding spell performed, her body rested within its safe encirclement. The crimson, molten material spattered, plopping onto the rocky earth. Further into the magma, Fran descended. Nervousness and worry haunted her. The spell would not permanently last, and when it wore off, surely she’d be crushed in its scalding clutch. She gulped in fear, a single beat of sweat skidding down her silky cheek.

The viera noted her surroundings. No longer did the coupling of orange and red enclose her vision. Large stone structures now encompassed her, along with similar creatures as the one she’d previously encountered. Above the beasts which circled the skies, an immense, incandescent sapphire fissure lingered from the heavens, composed of phenomenal power. A strong Mist leaked from the grand aperture. As she plummeted to the ground below, she could deduct one obvious fact:

She was in unfathomable peril.

Xuan

08-21-2009, 07:32 AM

A dream, I think, he floated across time and space, oblivious, yet aware; despair welling inside of him even though he cannot understand. A dream I... I... What was that I saw? Hideyoshi... Why is Sun House burning? Put it off, c'mon, why no one... why everyone's running?

Drifting blissfully with the blessings of sleep, only to see the worst nightmare of his life. Ueki, unconscious, his heart unshielded, has no defense against the onslaught of horrors. On the streets of Tokyo he saw crumbling buildings with terrified men and women screaming, trampling over themselves, kids being crushed to death by the boots of terror. He saw Seiichiro Sano, the scarred but passionate friend, power user with the ability to turn towels into steel desperately trying to maintain order admist impossible chaos as raging volcanos erupted all around his hot spring bath house. Rinko Jerrad, risking her very existence, firing beads of bombs with her Bead Cannon, opening a path through the rock clogged road so that people could escape, her power counts counting downwards by the second with the slightest brush of the flying dust against bystanders.

Even Heaven and Hell did not escape destruction. Anon, once sworn enemy and now friends somewhat, leaping to push away a terrified child Helion as hellfire burst from nowhere to engulf them both in flames. Kobayashi! Inumaru! And then they were gone, ghosts that passed by him like wisps of shadow.

He cried and screamed with hysterical might. Names, repeated over and over. The dream drifted on to other worlds as the death toll continued, but he never knew the fate of his friends, his beloved Earth. Take me back! Take me back! I wanna go help them! Take me back NOW! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

All the while he screamed, still confined, still suffocating, but the horrors only grew.

It was year unknown, place unknown, around twelve afternoon when the unconscious body of a green haired boy slowly floated, sucked into the Storm of Never Seen, the Wind Gem glimmering slightly in the safety of his pockets.

Zai

08-21-2009, 10:22 AM

Itachi walked through the quiet city, or at least, for now, it was mostly quiet. Of course, there was the sound of wins flapping in the air above, and screeches of the harpies nearby. And the sound of the cool breeze, going through the city. Itachi's left arm was still as crippled as ever, as Itachi stopped walking, and began thinking back to what happened back then, in the fight against the boy with the power.

*Flashback*
Itachi was so ignorant, and so impressed of the boy's powers he forgot to dodge. When he jumped out of the way, his arm was fading away in the blast, being annhilated by it. Itachi gritted his teeth in pain, as he got out of the way of the blast. His arm was crippled and wounded, and he landed on the ground, having to rip his sleeve off and tie it around his left arm to prevent losing too much blood and dying.
*End of Flashback*

"The next time we will meet, Tsukuyomi will be out of the question. No...I'll have to use...my other technique," Itachi said, as suddenly he fell to his knees, his right hand on the ground while his other arm just hung there. Itachi grimaced as he coughed out blood. He had overused his eyes, as several tears of blood ran down from his eyes. Not only did he use Amaterasu in Round 1, but he also used Susanoo, and now Tsukuyomi. He was using the forbidden jutsu to much, and along with the strain from using his other jutsu, and to top it all off, his crippled arm. His body was suffering, and he had to rest.

Itachi laid down on his back as he looked up at the sky. Nothing but the clear blue sky and clouds, although there were the occasional harpies and griffins in the sky. But they couldn't be said to be occasional, because they were actually quite frequent. Itachi began thinking, thinking back to the past.

*Flashback*
“Big brother,” Sasuke said, as Itachi turned around and looked at Sasuke who was standing in the doorway. “Do you…think you can help me out with my shuriken jutsu after school today?” Sasuke asked. “No I can’t I’m busy,” Itachi said, looking at his younger brother, “Why don’t you go ask father to help you?” Itachi suggested. “Aww c’mon, you’re way better at the shuriken jutsu than father is,” Sasuke said, “I mean even I can see that,” Sasuke said. “Big brother, why do you always treat me like such a pest?” Sasuke asked. Itachi turned more of his body around as he made a hand motion with his left hand for Sasuke to come over. Sasuke had a surprised look on his face, as he began running over while Itachi began raising two fingers of his left hand and thrusting them at Sasuke’s forehead. Sasuke quickly stopped and backed his head away, as Itachi jabbed Sasuke on the forehead with the two fingers, pushing his head back a bit, and holding the two fingers right in front of Sasuke’s forehead. “I’m sorry Sasuke, some other time ok?” Itachi said. “Hmm…” Sasuke said, upset. Sasuke looked at Itachi, and noticed he seemed to be thinking about something. Itachi stood up and said “I don’t have time for this today,” as Sasuke held his forehead with his left hand. “You’re always doing this to me you jab me in the forehead and then say I’m sorry Sasuke and you never have time, it’s always the same story,” Sasuke said, still holding his forehead which had a slight reddish mark from Itachi jabbing him. Itachi began walking away, opening the door and walking outside, as Sasuke smiled watching Itachi leave.
*End of Flashback*

“I…miss you, Sasuke,” Itachi said, wiping the tears of blood from his eyes, as suddenly there were new tears coming down from his eyes. These weren’t tears of blood, however, they were tears of sadness. “And I never even got to help you out with that shuriken jutsu…” Itachi said. “To think, in a battle like this, it’d end up me having flashbacks like these…” Itachi said, as he chuckled a bit.

“I miss you…father…mother…aunty and uncle…” Itachi said. “I miss you all…I’m sorry…for everything,” Itachi said, just lying there, looking up in the sky and remembering all those people from the past. “I miss you most of all, Sasuke…I miss you most of all…” Itachi whispered. He was looking up at the sky, as more tears streamed down from his eyes. Itachi slowly began standing up, as suddenly everything became dark. “What?” Itachi questioned, as he looked up at the sky. Something was opening in the sky, something huge. It looked like a tornado was coming down from the clouds in the sky, but the tornado suddenly stopped forming, as the part of it was still in the sky.

A huge light shined down on everything as it a hole opened in the center of the tornado. The winds became fiercer as suddenly some blue blasts became coming out of the portal. It seemed as if…as if everything was being sucked into the portal. Itachi saw a harpy queen with her minions flying away, as several griffins and harpies got caught in the portal, being sucked in. Itachi began remembering his home, as suddenly he saw it going up into the portal. “No!” Itachi yelled as suddenly his home, his world, disappeared into the vortex. Itachi began rising up into the air, but he wasn’t going to give up yet. Itachi grabbed on to the top of one of the buildings, as suddenly cracks in the ground began appearing, as the whole city, even the ground, began rising into the sky. What should I use, perhaps Susanoo, Itachi thought to himself, as suddenly the building he was clutching to rose out of the ground and was being sucked up to the portal. Tears streamed from his eyes, Itachi remembering seeing his house destroyed in that vortex just a little while ago, as he was sucked into the dark portal in the sky, the wind gem in his pocket giving off a bright glow as he vanished into the portal.

Yellow Flash

08-21-2009, 12:28 PM

Peter was utterly exhausted from everything he had just gone through, the fighting, the poison and the longing for his own home. It was the first time that he had ever felt home sick, yet it was true, he was longing for to see his family again to see his brother, and his niece and nephews, and most of all he just wanted to see his mother. But I have to fight….don’t I? [/I[ He wondered to himself as he clutched the gem in his hand and contemplated his life and what would happen to him. As he lay against the pure, white, stone wall, he suddenly felt a rumbling coming from out in the courtyard. Stumbling to his feet he managed to slowly drag himself out into the sunlight to see what was happening to this world or realm that he had found himself in. As soon as he saw it, he gasped and almost fainted as a vision reached his mind.

In front of Peter, about one hundred meters away, a giant, dark, mysterious, storm had awoken seemingly from nowhere, and was tearing its away between two realms, the one Peter had found himself in and another that was parallel to his. “What in the world?” he gasped out, as the tornado that had been formed continued to bulldoze its way throughout the harpy paradise. As Peter watched, a dimensional rift in the middle of the great storm opened up and started capturing everything it came in contact with. As Peter watched, the world he was in, suddenly tipped to the left, sending our hero sprawling to the ground, before the world righted itself again. [I] The magic must be waning… Peter thought to himself as he looked in awe at this great and magnificent power in front of him.

Peter’s first thought was for survival and self-preservation; that was until his home was flashed before his eyes inside his mind. He could see it clearly, his brother’s house in New York, his mother working at home, his niece Claire wandering the city with her school friends; and then the horror that his world was being sucked into this evil storm and that he might never see it again. With little thought for his own being, he grabbed the white gem from the ground and flew up into the air to see what he could do. However it was obvious that if he wanted to do anything to save his world, he needed to save himself first. “What do I do?” He yelled out into the sky as he was buffeted back and forth. The gem in his hand suddenly answered shinning out a light into the middle of the universal storm. “What?” Peter asked, as he strained his eyes searching for what the light was shining at, until he finally saw it, a small portal had opened up in the middle of the storm that was destroying everything in its path.

Peter shrugged, if he died he died, he was no longer afraid. In your hands now! he prayed a silent prayer before shouting out at the top of his lungs. “DEATH OR GLORY!” and with that he zoomed forward in the air, heading towards the fateful portal that lay in the universe ahead of him. He flew as fast as he could, knowing he had to get to the escape before the poison in his body disabled his powers. I will not give up…not say die…. He continued to say to himself as he flew doggedly forward, dogging the debris that was flying out at him, every-which-way. After a few minutes of intense flying, he hovered on the edge of the storm as it flew towards him, the white gem in his hand showing the way forward. “Good luck to me…” He muttered, before holding out the gem and flying forward as fast as he dared into the eye of the storm.

It was much worse then he thought it would be, different worlds all around him being absorbed and destroyed, if he wasn’t careful he would end up like one of the many realms around him. But his white, shinning gem in his hand lighted the way, showing him the way through the many black holes and other dangerous objects that were in this strange realm. Peter started to feel heavy and knew that the poison was taking hold, and that soon he would fall down, down to his death and destruction in this place. It was only his family that kept him going; suddenly the light in his palm got brighter and he looked forward, seeing the portal shinning clearly in front of him. With one final push, he landed inside it, safe once again from the horrors of the realm that he was leaving behind.

Firesnake

08-21-2009, 03:25 PM

The cold air felt as sharp knives cutting open his face. Higher and higher he climbed on the back of his new friend until he was back where he had first came into this strange place. There it was, the platform, towering high above the city. The gryphon landed in the only safe place he had ever known and laid down in the warm nest of straw. Alex slowly climbed from the Gryphon's back and petted its head with a smile. Finally I'm no longer alone. He mused as he gently scratched the animal behind its ear. Medivh gave a silent shriek of improvement and tiredly closed its eyes.

A sparkle caught his attention as he turned his head. He slowly walked away from his companion towards the center of the nest. He had not noticed this before, but a small pile of shining objects was placed here. "Must be their half-bird nature." Alex mumbled as he slowly looked through the pile of trinkets. A chill rushed through his entire body as his hand wrapped around a tiny gem. The gem was blue as the sky and yet it seemed like white clouds swirled within it. Alex rolled the object around in his hand and after studying it for a moment he put it deep inside the pocket of his jacket. Something that special might come in handy somewhat later on. He thought as again he rummaged through the shiny objects. Pens, feathers, rings, pipes and swords were piled up, but nothing of further use to him. He got up slowly and saw that the gryphon had moved. It now kneeled down by the remains of an egg and it seemed as if sadness had befallen it. Alex walked to its side and slowly brushed its back. "I'm sorry my friend, I wish it had been different and that you and your mate were still together." He softly said to the gryphon. Medivh raised his head with a look that did not need words, he understood.

An explosion shook the earth and the shockwave threw Alex off balance. He fell to the ground as the startled gryphon let out a shriek. Quickly he jumped back to his feet and gazed at the horizon. Clouds spun around a massive portal as thunder jumped from the clouds to the ground and back. Alex stood there mesmerized and frozen in his place. What the hell is going on here? He thought as he saw the landscape being sucked into this massive portal. Medivh felt his new friend's fear and softly pecked him in his back. Pain shot through his body as the beak ripped through his flesh, but it brought him back from his thoughts. He smiled at the huge gryphon and slowly climbed upon its back. "I think it is time we went on adventure, my friend." He said as he carefully pushed his heels against the sides of the creature.

Up, into the cold sky they flew once more, towards the swirling mass of energy in the distance. Thunder danced around them as they swiftly flew. Rain and sharp winds pounded into them from every direction as the cascade towards the end of the world began. Shockwaves pulsed from the portal in a more rapid tempo as they neared it, each time nearly causing them to fall. The gryphon had a really tough time staying airborne, but bravely fought his way through wind and weather in the name of friendship. A thunder strike lashed out to them from deep within the portal and filled their body with electricity. Alex felt as if every cell in his body was on fire as they got pulled into the swirling mass of energy. Is this the end? Did I make a mistake? Did …. Did I doom us both? He thought as the portal engulfed them and his mind went blank. The only thing he felt, were the soft feathers of his loyal companion.

VenFan

08-21-2009, 05:40 PM

Her existence felt meager in the presence of the monstrous creatures. Helplessly, she fell from the vast, crowded heavens. Her ivory locks fluttered in the breeze of her descent, as if they wished to become clouds themselves. A slight envy overcame her as she plunged to her doom. Her entire vision became crowded with the winged beasts, so unbound, free in the embrace of the skies.

A thought barged into the viera’s head with the utmost of ease as her insignificant body flimsily plummeted to the land below. The rough, rigid earth grew greater as her body grew closer to it. Her eyelids became substantial as her mind, cluttered with irrelevant thoughts, slowly began to fade. With an intense concentration about her, her arms ascended to her side, at the length of her shoulders. Her lips withdrew from one another as she prepared to speak.

Float.

With a soft thud of air, Fran’s body halted midcourse. Drifting above the ground, she levitated, free from the harsh, unrepentant ground. In respite, she ascended to the aerated surface which shielded her from the terrain’s motionless assault. As the viera’s arms finally lowered back to her side, the spell diminished in power, resting her down to the stone surface underneath her.

Her crimson eyes began to observe the area around her. Rough, gritty structures rested around her trivial being. Collaborations of pewter and taupe blinded her. Excluding the radiant break in the heavens, nothing seemed excessively prominent. In a judgmental breath of censure, she faced the distortion in reality which emerged from the sky.

It was almost seductive. Never had Fran gazed at something of such great beauty. It almost made her overlook the devastation being caused overhead in its wake. The resplendent shimmer it generated beamed onto her, creating a slight glimmer to the left of her peripheral view.

In interest, the maiden head turned in its direction to locate a nest. A luminous twinkle burst forth from the chaff coating. Taking a single step toward it, she could finally catch sight of the item that rested in its warm hold - a jewel of unknown origin. Its gleaming son et lumière left her in a daze. In bewilderment, she crouched down to the item. It was a spectacle to behold. Her right palm ascended, hovering over the extraordinary stone.

A thunderous crackle erupted from the heavens. In a gasp of terror, the viera hastily pulled the precious stone toward her. As she turned, she gazed up upon the destructive marvel in the sky. She only wondered if this item held some kind of connection to it somehow. She squinted in its grand illumination, inching her way closer toward it.

Roxas 1994

08-21-2009, 07:59 PM

A dim, customary tunnel of nothingness appeared before the new volcanic land, signifying a split between two dimensions. The murky, mesmerizing swirls of darkness followed a directed pattern, twirling in a clockwise motion. Diminutive circles of white stained the almost perfect complexion of the rift in the continuum of space and time, almost imitating the tracks of a maze; all of the narrowing circles lead towards the center of the split. Specks of gold and silver were scattered all around the dark, and disappearing whenever the white waves washed over them. If one had to compare this amazing sight to something else, than the rift between realms would closely resemble an ideal shimmering night without light pollution clogging the bountiful heavens.

This ‘portal’, so to speak, had an effortless purpose for its natural course. It was not there so indiscriminate natives could gawk and be astonished by the rhythmic churn of dusk and light, but played a more imperative role. This gateway between kingdoms provided a method of transportation, and its sole passenger was destined to find his route throughout the distorted realm of combustion and ash.

“Where am I?”

The empty void spat out its traveler, letting him bypass between the dominion of woodland and plantation to the scenery of coal and amber. A young male, around the age of fifteen, perhaps slightly younger, emerged from the core of the vague tube of shadows. Neon aquamarine strips ran down the side of his trousers, and the same material secreted his neck. He wore a snug loose black shirt, the sacred golden symbol of Mu on it, with elongated orange cuffs suppressing the excess of brown coloring. His name, Solo, equally matched his viewpoint and malice towards others, and his revulsion towards any indication of ’friendship’ and the likes of that.

“It seems I have been taken to somewhere else,” the rogue of humanity stated in his same unsympathetic tone as he inspected the new property. “It’s almost identical the first place I woke up in.”

Scarlet eyes analyzed every aspect his mentality could confirm. Sweltering, ghastly magma surged beneath the durable rock, which that served as a platform, like a solemn river, except the accumulating cloud of vapor and steam rose from its exterior. Dense soil, or simply just ash and stone, provided some sort of land away from the vicious lava. The remarkable sky above was gray and discolored, perchance from the rising suitable smoke that throttled every portion of earth. In the distance was a fitting volcano, discharging both smolder and a surplus of volcanic emission.

“Maybe this place is slightly worse.”

The Murain’s concentration slowly lifted from the battlefield as he took his primary step upon the newfound territory. He had let his supreme observation down, and that was an enormous miscalculation. Unlike the preceding two realms he was compelled to clash within, the organisms that titled this atrocity home had the dexterity to slaughter the unsuspecting boy.

A dragon, the same mystical creature told from folktales alike, tolerantly appointed the arrival of its prey, investigating the boy’s maturing frame. Purple streaks illuminated its smooth scales, as an emerald fashion of skin swathed from its head and at the incline of its wings. A gorgeous, captivating stone was placed in the middle of its chest, resting inside its resilient structure. Fierce sapphire eyes keenly surveyed as the human unintentionally treaded inside its province, marking him as both a hazard and as a victim. The fool would burn for his blunder.

The animal of legends hurriedly leaped from the peak of its rock, its wings spread afar in a hostile manner. Its long, muscular legs pounced forward, allowing the almighty reality of gravity to take command of its marvelous wings. The dreadful flight made no echo at all, leaving the engrossed youth to not discern the disturbance in the air stream. He would die, purely because he paid no consideration to his surroundings.

The beast hastily elevated its tail, nearing its potential nibble of flesh. The back of the Murain child was
back positioned toward the monster of instinct, making the beast almost imperceptible without perceiving its ferocious bulk. The strapping tail shifted from side to side, calculating the accurate moment to strike its human prey. It took the foul beast a mere moment to decipher the exact time to pummel the forlorn teenager, and the horizontal line lashed out at the boy. An inconceivable ache smothered Solo’s spine, launching him forward. He was in an utmost status of comatose before his even collided the soil…

Memories, fragmented and worn, flooded his fatigued mind. Solo had lost everything dear to his abandoned heart, only to achieve intensity he did not even seek in the first place. Mu… His linage destroyed themselves with their absolute knowledge. His ancient people left him to fend for his own precious arrangement in this vindictive world he lived in. So many lives had vanished, even his former personality that yearned to rupture through the hard facade he wore like permanent mask.

Mu... It used to be an oasis, away from the frantic life that somehow inhabited the morons beneath the advance civilization. There were no differences that sharply separated the ancient people like a serrated knife. Friends, family, they were all one world. There was no harassment, nor discrimination among them. Peace and tranquilly. That was all there was, and that’s was what they sought. The outsiders, the ones that were not selected with the divine Murian blood that coursed through them, would never be allowed within their society. They were contaminated with advocates of loathing and angst. Such primitive barbarians would never empathize their regulations. It was as basic as that.

Oh how Le Mu, the vast ‘God” of all EM Wave Beings, forsaken them in the phase of peril and necessity. The sacred nation was obliterated in one enormous, perplexing swoop, deleted from the visage of the planet. Not even Solo identified how exactly his community was exterminated. His friends had vanished, evaporating into the billows of vapor that encircled the suspended fraction of earth and soil. His relatives were eradicated from existence. His parents… They never came back home to witness his once polished grin.

Mother… Father…

A virtually insufferable pain of distress and anguish tormented Solo’s emotions whenever he contemplated of the couple that sheltered him so. Nobody could ever mimic the passion they shared with him. The vivid memories of them were unique, no matter how much he desired to overlook them. They only conveyed back the affectionate, relaxing impression he could by no means obtain again. Perhaps he would visit them soon in the boundaries of the eternal afterlife. He craved to experience that equivalent sensation one final time.

Did I… Did I make you proud of me? I tried… I tried my best.

His own words resonated throughout his mind, considering as how he was psychically incapable to produce the world in reality. Throughout his life he had sincerely attempt to the best of his capabilities to succeeded, doing what he thought we noble. He only anticipated that they approved with the daunting verdicts he had to make during his lifespan. Had he ever made an immoral evaluation that would result in his parent’s frustration? Had he done precisely what they would have done in his position?

I did my best?

During his moment of recollection, his previous words spoke to him the most. Had he truthfully done his unqualified finest effort to flourish, to achieve? An aggravating cerulean tint crammed into the dimming corridors of his mind, bringing back memoirs of his life he had not even long to glare in to. He knew that azure glimmer of heroic luminosity without faultier. How could he ever vision of disregarding the influence that trounced him so many times in the past? How could he forget the forceful might of a person who gave up utterly naught to become stronger!? That exasperating assortment of light… He despised it with such a furious fervor.

Bring my friends back!!!

That was what his unparalleled counterpart first declared when his precious links were in immense jeopardy. Those were his exact words when Solo took his friends away from him, striving to educate him the capability of solitude and seclusion. The son of the ancients’ nearly prevailed in his foremost battle with this pristine Hero of Earth, striking down their so-called ‘Hero” until he collapsed of frustration and exhaustion. He had triumphed with enormous ease, until the horrific sentiment of friendship blemished his sight. They protected the warrior they sincerely believed in, even though they would be completely feeble against Rogue’s brute. To see such an emotion he could never attain put an appalling taste within his mouth, replenishing his loathing against the moronic buffoons that banished him.

I hated them. All of them. Especially him!

“How pathetic,” Solo’s aged words rang throughout his cranium as he noticeably imagined the memories that haunted him. “It makes my blood boil. I was told to rid myself of friendships.”

The Murian could almost envision the displeased smile he once bore as he smoothly snapped his index finger and thumb together to fashion a subtle, monotonous thud. Abruptly, to his ultimate command, he made the fanatics of the Blue Bomber recede from existence. A fracture in space transpired with the gentle clatter, materializing a threshold of inclusive darkness to surface beneath their trendy, modern footwear, threatening to devour the company in a menacing chasm of anguish and sorrow. It was Rogue’s doing, purging the companions that hounded their idol. They could do nothing to prevent their annihilation, and not even their savior could liberate all of them.

He would demonstrate to this ‘MegaMan’ character to decline his relations, no matter how much he resisted. The child of Mu would just have to execute the procedures for him, even if the navy defender revolted against it. This was the curse he was forever arranged with, and the blue combatant would live with it just as he did! He would show this insignificant pest the isolation he clasped before he finished his rival’s deplorable life.

“You don’t need friendships,” Solo spat his philosophy once more, scolding the vanquished child that played hero one too many time. “Heh… Since you can’t do it, I get rid of your friends for you!”

The cleave between the cosmos shuttered and wavered for a transitory instant, proceeding with its wielder’s instructions. An intangible pressure of might heaved the four young teenagers downward, mingling with the ominous cavity that engulfed their essence. Their underdeveloped structures leisurely dispersed beneath the murky lake of puzzlement, hidden below the deviant waves of obscurity and dusk. The Electromagnetic Wave Being would lose his friendships, deserting the affairs he cherished so near to his zealous heart. For a split minute in time that Solo allowed him to live upon the Earth, the indigo hero would gain familiarity with precisely the same senses he felt now: hollow and alone.

“Bring them back!”

His brilliant, unyielding words cut through the rogue’s solid stature like an extensive, concentrated division of plasma punctured his symbolist black armor he displayed like a sanctified safeguard. Even battered to the rim of fatality he still spoke of his tedious bonds! A puzzling, mystifying power pulsated within his developing cobalt body, emitting an aura of utter crimson. Somehow, the advocate in relations was proficient enough to rise up and struggle one concluding time for the individuals who justly believed in him.

Then… I lost… To him.

He could not even fathom the proposal to abide by others, even now in his moment of his astonishing demise. It was nauseating to even attempt to comprehend! The people the subsisted within this globe were spoiled by discrimination and prejudice. Before he discovered his inherited abilities, merciless gangs would thrash him about the asphalt streets, striking him until he was incapable of mobility. He could almost still stroke the departed bruises and the continuous irritation of pain that surged through him. Without his aptitude to merge with the concealed electromagnetic waves that delimited him, perhaps one of the squad of delinquents would have taken it a tad too extreme. Maybe he was exceptionally propitious enough to make it even this distant in life.

Darkness… That was all that consumed his vision in the wake of his reminiscences. An eccentric, memorable numbing sensation immobilized his senses, yet paralyzing every fiber in his muscles. His mind felt blank, like a vacant void swept through the exposed hole within his lonesome core. His evolving body was listlessly migrating inside the anonymous domain, having no scene to turn towards. He was drifting inside his own self-disappointment, disheartened by his own constant failure to ensue his own ambition. Had he deposited the bar of triumph too high? But how high was it to overthrow a single character in a brawl?

“Solo!”

An immature, male voice astonishingly ruined the alarming serenity of his psyche, and the juvenile pitch in the tone did not equal his own. It was far too young for that word to be his. It belong to somebody else, but who exactly? This was his mind and the essential recollection upon his problematic life. During this classic occasion of bliss, misery, and remorse, he was merely competent to regard his own tenor. Now that he was reflecting upon his complete downfall and lack of victories, other influences became audible.

Roxas 1994

08-21-2009, 08:01 PM

Someone else? How is that possible?

Solo hastily unfasten his heavy eyelids, breaching his secured ruby gaze, only to be meet by a comparable indigo hue he reviled so much. He observed the newfound silhouette, revising every segment the darkness permitted him to distinguish. Brown, bristly hair erupted from the undersized opened end of the baffling person’s helmet, which confined most of his facial features. A scarlet, substantial visor was firmly placed over his equally auburn eyes, revealing a fair bit of pastel skin. His mouth was insecure by the provisional blue shield, giving him room to speak any word that would be necessary. Slender, azure armor overlapped his structure, protecting every vital organ in his body. White lines ran down his side, halting at his slim boots. But most of all, his MegaBuster, the glossy, illustrious portion of technology that substitute his left hand, was activated, organized for any rapid paced combat.

This was the Champion of Light. This was MegaMan!

“You!” Rogue terminology was quick, maintaining an intimation of alarm and bewilderment within his stern statement. “Why are you here!?”

The sapphire warrior did not converse a sole word, nor did he illustrate any passion behind his obscured view. The device on his left forearm swiftly regulated, indicating its functions were indeed operational. Then, in a sheer blink of an eye, the blue bomber dissipated in the atmosphere, departing within the malicious shadows that shrouded them. The son of Mu did not have a probability to respond to the impulsive torrent of speed. He did not even have an opportunity to EM Wave Change into the form he was exclusively known as Rogue. A giant thump collided with his back, bashing his unaided being forward. An immense variety of tenderness jolted through his spine, diffusion to multiple parts of his insensitive skeleton.

The assault was sudden, and he was positively not anticipating the pacifist to deal the first blow. The barrage was unprovoked and avertable. Was the timbre of his stance hostile in any way? Why would Geo Stelar lash out first, even if he did feel vulnerable? These events did not make any sense. Then again, nothing else did anymore. He had never dreamed that he himself would ever qualm his own recollections. Apparently, his chief reason he was elated to the vile landscape was to fight, but he found something much more fascinating and infuriating. He interrogated himself. He questioned his own place within the world, and why could not elect another.

Solo smash into the momentary floor, knocking an oversize gust of expensive air out of his lungs. A searing jar of pain caressed his back, ensnaring him within a veil of ache and tenderness. His stare felt imprecise and fragile as fatigue eroded his courageous spirit into the nothingness that surrounded them. He was beginning to surrender into his agony, even before the trivial scrap even started. If he had lost to the Champion so many times in the past, then what likelihood did he have at success now?

His conscious was leisurely drifting away into the impression of darkness, permitting the alluring notion of death to seize his soul. If he allowed his exhaustion to get the better of him and hibernate, his heart, the vital organ that pump the imperative crimson liquid throughout his body, would cease to behave properly. He would die in the actuality he was cursed with.

Why?

This fool knew nothing of sacrificing and misery. This azure rebel had only lost a father within his lifespan, and he had come back to MegaMan’s life ever so recently. Had he lost both his parents in the same instant?

No!

Had he lost all of his relatives, leaving him the last person of their lineage?

No!!!

Then why? Why did he lose to the brat every single brawl?! It did not make any sense! The only question he could ask himself was why? Why could he not get stronger in valor? Why could he not salvage Mu, the only link to his inexplicable past? Why? Why?

“Why?!”

A translucent fluid unhurriedly rolled down his pastel face, curving with the features of his face. The moist solution dampened his attractive eyes, deepening the infamous red hue he always wore. It was a… tear? The lonesome human was impulsively crying, swallowing himself in the grief and depression that composed within his deteriorating heart. Allowing the clear liquid to breach his eyes was completely out of his unsentimental exterior. He had never whimpered since he conceded the imprudent oath of isolation and seclusion. Weeping would only verify limitation, which was the one thing he made sure not to display to others.

I gave up everything to become powerful! My life up until now has been nothing but one unfortunate event after another! I deserve to have the strength to beat him. He has not even undergone nearly as many hardships as me! He’s not alone!

A multitude of thoughts clouded the young youth’s cranium as his own memories tortured his disillusioned soul. Mu. Le Mu. Laplace. Geo Stelar… MegaMan. None of it was just! After experiencing nothing but loneliness, brutality, and retribution, Solo deserved at least one delight in his life. No, that would make his days excessively simple, and whatever blasted authority restricted this vile kingdom could never have that!

No… ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxt_Nj1GR9w) I will beat him. I will beat him!!!

The bare case of the blue warrior suddenly materialized, the apparent symbols of an exceptional category of teleportation surrounding his vigorous frame. A small quantity of droning gray streaks impeded his form, imitating the psychical outline of some sort of ‘static’. The red visor that he bore cosseted his eyes, not presenting any zeal within the dazzling tone of russet. His face, which typically held obvious facial expressions, was utterly blank with no sentiment of rage, mourning, or even contentment. It was as if he did not undergo concern for his procedures at all. This was not like the audacious Champion at all. He was diverse somehow. He was more… vicious, if anything.

The warrior decorated in blue gradually strolled towards his conquered adversary, just like the other moments in time that were equivalent to this. It was entirely humorous, actually. The last correlation of Mu would expire in the same skirmish he finally evolved in. He had developed and altered, only to be demolished from life. What a pity to lay waste to such a potent being. He had potential he was beginning to disengage, but the apathetic mirage of the blue bomber could not just leave the shattered tool. He was near the verge of his demise anyway. It would merely conserve desirable time.

A low, annoying pitch vibrated throughout the air, pursuing the green aura that pulsated and gleamed inside the inner tube of the MegaBuster. A dominant beam of extraordinary light radiated from the electromagnetic core that resided in the Hunter-VG, designed to puncture the obstinate skull of Solo, concluding his troubled life for the last time. It would take but a sheer second within his phase of development to end all the pain, affliction, and memories. The jade plasma could be his wandering salvation.

“No… Not yet.”

An impulsive resolved of might and conquest flared within Rogue’s mind, permitting him with an individual class of strength. Something in his heart gave him a fresh motivation to live and thrive. He was settled with a motive to survive, and it was partially MegaMan’s liability, as well. He would prosper among the world of the senseless morons, and trounce the pitiful vigor of his unique rival. This was his new resolution, and he would execute it without fault!

The odious adolescent promptly shoved forward, getting off his knees in a measly instant. An aggressive reflex took custody of his potential actions, making him capture a fit of utter wrath. He hastily wrapped his right hand around the divergent warrior’s neck, strangling him with a grip of his latest resolve. The Murain raised his hand, leaving the hero stunned. The blue bomber ferociously thrash about, struggling to the best of his abilities to elude the trap he was ensnared within, but Solo would never release his unwavering clasp.

“I will defeat you,” the adapting youth declared as his crimson gaze examined his proud reflection on the ruby visor, having the same red gawk stare back at him. “Until then, I will not die by anyone’s hand. I have promised myself that.”

The violet beast casually inspected the tattered, exhausted frame of the decrepit child, saliva falling from the crevasses in its tarnished diluted teeth. It had finished playing with its credulous prey. This habitual male hardly endeavored to fight back, but he was only denied success. As soon as the dragon of purple flames ostensibly sniveled the alluring aroma of the youngster, there was no victory for the opposing side. There was only a bite for the brute to feast upon.

That was the ultimate factor of the behemoth’s life, and it was content with it.

Something peculiar had happened, though. A bizarre, unexpected twinge of insufferable sting twisted throughout the dragon’s exposed torso, traveling up its attractive lavender scales. Nothing from nature could ever expel this callous pain. It was as if a blade of some kind was thrust into its hefty heart. However, not even that could generate that much ordeal.

Its mauve, bloodshot eyes peered below its expanded wings, investigating its lifeless target. Conversely, his forthcoming indulge was no longer insensible to the sweltering domain, as its intellect had calculated. A pallid, outstretched palm was surrounding the striking pattern of the gem that wedged outside its chest, hindering its everlasting magnificence. This human was snatching the oval jewel, pulling it into his bearing with an amazing force.

“I won’t be your snack!”

With one ultimate heave of his muscular arms, the lodged gem that sustained the majestic beast’s system unhinged its embrace, departing into Solo’s grasp. Without its gemstone- its precious gemstone- the willpower to sustain its physical form dispersed from his incongruously shaped cranium. Everything began to escalate dimmer in tinge, and the lack of oxygen began to impinge on the mythological creature. The last sight it would forever memorize would be the intimidating red gaze that was plastered in the archives of its comprehension.

The whitewashed fiend unleashed one last bawl of grief, letting the shriek of tenderness roll through its spoiled lungs. Its body ceased to maneuver properly, and the colossal monstrosity fell with both remorse and resentment searing in its pure essence. The dissolving realm would be it eternal resting location.

“Hmph… Pathetic creature,” Solo proclaimed as he casually scrutinized the purple jewel that was now in his clutches. “At least it left me with this gem.”

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-21-2009, 08:33 PM

[Caster’s Battle – Fate/Zero: Return to Zero – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCEnOFdP75o)

“You overestimate yourself, Intruder.” The cold, expressionless voice returned, bearing with it deep menace that had not been present before. Though his words carried no curse, no insult, the sheer lifelessness in it as if the being uttering the words was speaking to an inanimate object that had been in his way; boredly and a bit tiredly. The anger had been ever-present, but it had been woven into the Dragon King’s speech so deeply that it could not have possibly been detected by the King of Kings who tended to ignore undertones in voices of mongrels, if such had even been present in them. All he’d cared for right now was how quickly he could gut the mutt and remove his filthy presence from his sight; after that, he would have simply walked out of here to do as he’d wished, for nothing in this world had the right to disobey him.

There had not been so much as a hint of a doubt in his mind about the final outcome of such a ‘battle’ if this could have been even called that; the most this had counted for was kicking a disobedient dog that dared to yap at its supreme authority in this world. Perhaps, however, ‘mutt’ did not fit the situation at hand particularly well, as dogs, while having relatively limited intellect, had at least possessed the baser instincts such as self preservation. Many of those he’d killed over the course of the short journey that lead him here had exhibited such instincts, but this one had been unique in lacking even a dog’s intellect and instinct. The tips of Gilgamesh’s mouth lifted upwards in a smile as he’d made the connection between his train of thought and an appropriate avatar for this ‘King’ that stood before him and Iskander, utterly defiant and unafraid.

“Ahh… So you’re a flea.” His smile widened.

It was so simple, really. Why did he not think of it before? The traits exhibited by the blue-armored being had not been unnatural at all, only not those seen in the breed of animal he saw him to be. Indeed, for a dog to have this little intelligence and instinct, it had been entirely odd. But to a flea, whom had bit anything with blood, self-preservation and fear were only empty buzzing. It knew hunger – and nothing more; just as this being before him knew nothing beyond anger. Even a flea, however, knew whom it could and could not obtain nourishment from, and clearly would not have attempted to bite fire. Comparing the case to himself, it was akin to a flea taking a bite out of the sun; after all, everything in the known universe had revolved around the King of Kings, for he had always remained at its center, no matter where he had went.

[AVENGER – Fate/Another Score – Primal Lust remix] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co4tV-hMAYk)

A series of all-too familiar explosions had distracted Gilgamesh form further contemplating his own personal glory and greatness compared to the insects in whose presence he had often been forced to live in. Te sound had come from the sound of close to a hundred Noble Phantasms slamming themselves roughly into the highly decorated floor of the throne chamber. The type of noise they had made upon impact had been enough for the Eirei to realize without so much as turning to the flea, just what had occurred. There were three real tones possible for the ferocious song of the ‘arrows’ the King of Heroes had sent at his opponents. The song of victory, a merry, gruesome tone, accompanied by morbid series of wet squelches as blood sprayed and the body of the foe had been mutilated beyond all recognition. The song of defeat, a sorrowful, almost pitiable tone that the Phantasms had emitted when their noble steel had been defiled by the touch of a mongrel’s weapon as they were deflected. And finally…

The song of disappointment, a tone that was not quite sorrowful or angry, but rather distasteful of what had occurred as a result of negligence, be it of their master or themselves. This song played whenever the Noble Phantasms had not been allowed any sort of contact with the foe, simply flying by him and crashing into the ground behind him. Except in this case, the foe had possessed an annoying ability to turn himself into this ethereal state in which his image had remained suspended where his body had stood – the true nature of this was unknown to Gilgamesh, but it was not as if he’d particularly cared. Had it been Arthuria, she would have likely began to formulate some sort of plans or form a hypothesis about the ability her opponent possessed, likely using some terminology he had not bothered to learn; of all the Servants, he had been one hardest to force to act.

The Golden King had always acted purely out of his sense of entertainment, pride, and honor.

It was annoyance he had felt, not anger, at the pompous words of the maggot that called himself a King and had just turned back into his real self, the Gate of Babylon’s treasures having dematerialized somewhere behind him, dissolving into a cloud of glowing dust which lingered for mere seconds. At least the trash could sense an attack directed at his back without any sort of killing intent coming off the assailant. This promised some amusement later, after he would have been broken and reduced to a sobbing wreck capable only of begging for mercy; not that it would have been granted after all this delay and impudence. But that would come later. The golden haired man realized, surveying the hall thoughtfully, that first he would have to somehow anchor his target’s existence within this realm – or assault him on both grounds as Enuma Elish could have theoretically done… But that was too extreme for a situation like that.

Just like before, this would have been akin to that the ‘fly and the cannon’ comparison, only now, one would have used the cannon because he was getting annoyed with shooing the buzzing menace away. No… Why ruin the only place where he had been given a proper seat compared to those other filthy worlds? Even Kotomine had only had normal chairs, not one fit to hold Gilgamesh, but this had mostly been forgiven because of the fact that the Priest had excellent wine. Destroying your own home just to get rid of an annoyance… It most certainly was reminiscent of a great many things that darkened the King’s forehead as he recalled them, muscles moving across his face as he had considered them again; Yes, it was just the same as the situation before his death, when he’d utterly decimated Uruk and all its people for being in his way, having no more home to return to as he erased it with his own two hands as he activated Ea, just as he thought of now. Not a meager wind release that had been the bane of Pan’s Fae in the previous world, but the Sundering release, Enuma Elish itself.

[The Dogfight – Fate/Zero: Return to Zero – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQTbUZU8TZ4)

His foe wasted no time while the King of Heroes had contemplated his past actions and future plan, choosing to silently seize the initiative for reasons unknown; judging by the cold look upon his face, it was doubtful that he had felt threatened, but rather had been getting slightly impatient with the events proceeding as they did. A wave of azure gauntlet, and the battlefield had changed drastically, the three dragons, bodies twisted in agony as Enkidu had kept them suspended over the floor, had begun to dissolve in a way similar to their master, fading out; though unlike him, they did not leave their images, instead a billowing mist which swirled, escaping the chains with an almost audible triumphant roar, before zooming at the azure gauntlet at top speeds, the dragons back with their master, Enkidu collapsing to the ground where the maw of the Colchis Wyrm had slammed into the piles of gold coins where they had just been; the beast clearly intended to take a bite out of the guardian dragons.

Roaring in disappointment, the gigantic body moved, molten gold of the coins dripping off its maw causing it no particular discomfort. Meanwhile, a gold arm reached out, the palm opened, the gauntlet’s fingers arched as if claws, in the direction of the place Enkidu had fallen. With a slithering, whispering noise somewhere between falling leaves and a snake’s movements, the mass of silver chains rose impressively, darting from all of the numerous ripples it had previously extended from towards the azure figure in the blue cape, still clutching the blade. Gate of Babylon was one thing, but Enkidu was another entirely; objects infused with prana to the point it was should have been impossible to dematerialize to miss. Even Hercules could not break the chains, nor dematerialize to throw them off; Gilgamesh’s eyes could not quite see what had occurred back there, as the flea fearlessly charged the chains. It could have been speed or phasing, but the chains had obscured the view and not even his all-seeing crimson orbs could detect it.

Meanwhile, the Colchis dragon had been making attempts on the only target it had left, quite pointedly ignoring that Enkidu had been in its. The Dragon kind did not seem to mind his throne room getting destroyed left and right, however, as pieces of the columns flew all over the place, the giant claws sweeping throughout the chamber in an attempt to ensnare the elusive prey. The beast had been surprisingly quick for its size, perhaps to its classification as a ‘wyrm’ or a ‘serpent’, and the speed at which snakes had sunk their fangs into their prey if provoked. But for all its size and power, it had been largely useless against such swift foes, and Gilgamesh knew that, summoning it for the purpose of exterminating the dragons; now that they had been gone, so too, did the need for the Colchis wyrm to remain in the world.

Yet before he could recall it or simply tell it to get out of his way and cease the pointless destruction of the one room he liked within this world, the flea decided to rid him of his problem. As if he’d been a real flea, the Dragon King had ran up the scaled flesh of the serpent, getting from the ground to its head in less than a few seconds, he half-knelt, thrusting the blue blade into the skull where the brain should have been. Normally, this would have done absolutely nothing, even if he’d sunk the blade fully, the injury would have not been particularly severe. But as the eyes of the King lit red and the sword shone a bright, furious blue, Gilgamesh understood that it had been far from a simple weapon; this excited him, making his smile return after a half-frown present upon his face ever since the three dragons had escaped his grasp so easily.

[Burst up – F/SN: Realta Nua OST – Haga Keita] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEnkHxoXv3s)

That flame… it was extremely familiar, he decided, eyes narrowing; it had been too much like the one that had begun to burn in his own the second he had absorbed any prana from consuming something or someone. The wyrm’s actions had certainly suggested that it had been largely dead – its great body had begun to twitch and twist, maw opening and closing in soundless roars, perhaps its vocal cords failing it. The gigantic glowing orbs that represented its eyes had begun to grow dimmer as the serpent lost its prana at an amazing rate. It had been a creature of pure magic, and unlike Eirei had been too weak to resist an attack of this magnitude. Perhaps that blade had been worth placing in his collection after all, Gilgamesh decided, watching absent-mindedly as the Colchian serpent had went up in a gigantic cloud of glowing specks, remaining in the air for only a short while before disappearing entirely.

The blue-caped King, meanwhile, had now landed on the floor, his appearance and general demeanor not suggesting he had just fallen from a great height nor experienced any sort of discomfort. The azure gauntlet rose once again, the gem upon shining with power, as the mist billowed from it, three shapes swimming inside, forming once more as the three guardian dragons that Enkidu had once held imprisoned within its merciless coils, and whom had been freed by their master from captivity. How disgusting a tactic it was, the King of Heroes decided, rubbing his lip; these pathetic worms could do naught but annoy, yet their master chose to make them into an eternal annoyance, cowardly pulling them back whenever his pets had been a disadvantageous position. It was a worthwhile thought to crush these diamond skinned maggots before their pompous flea of a lord, to deliver the maximum amount of humiliation.

As expected, the maggots had not been sent for him but for the King of Conquerors; Gilgamesh had been far too well-suited to fight and even murder these beasts using the Gate of Babylon, not to mention having utter immunity to their flames. Even as the crystal shapes descended upon Iskander, the attention of Gilgamesh had been turned to their master, who would have no doubt have now begun an assault upon him, with his ally blocked. He had no particular worry about Iskander; the man was more than able to handle himself in combat situations and was far from being as dumb as he sometimes liked to appear. Though he somewhat doubted his claims to being the son of a god, the King of Conquerors would be most difficult to defeat for anyone short of himself or Arthuria, whom had the means to counter the aces the great man possessed.

The silent figure bearing azure armor had already been in front of him, the blade poised to strike, two pairs of crimson eyes locking yet again as their bearers had begun the duel this whole farce had been leading up to. Gilgamesh entertained the thought of actually going into a melee fight with this uncultured barbarian, and the more he appraised it, the more interesting it seemed; the last swordsman he’d faced was the King of Knights herself, and it might have been amusing to see how fleas fight. The prana draining blade only provided a measure of excitement, introducing an interesting agent into the mix; after all, if he’d been utterly invincible to his opponent, then the appalling sense of boredom would return and then there really would be no mercy as he would once more become the Tyrant King, Gilgamesh.

Kaivin|Shadowhart

08-21-2009, 08:33 PM

[Justice – Shingetsutan Tsukihime – TYPE Moon] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxnRhRLIudk)

“Come, then, insect. I am curious to see as to how fleas fight.” The amused tones of Gilgamesh carried clearly in the air despite the sounds of thunder, roars of pain, and the general cacophony of the battle that Iskander and the three dragons had engaged in. Even as the blue blade swept downwards, roaring with the anger its master could not express, it had been met by the black blade, rising upwards, bearing in it the hatred that its owner would not allow to surface. Black and blue met in an shower of sparks, Arondight competing with the prana-eating sword equally; it would require for a good hit, or even a graze, for Arondight to demonstrate its power to his opponent. Neither opponent gave any ground, both battling silently, yet the Dragon King attempting to maneuver around his foe, while Gilgamesh had held his position solidly, only turning when needed to allow for another block or parry.

Yet for all that, this duel was becoming rather tiresome; Arondight wished for the blood of the draconic human that stood before it, sensing a natural foe it could slay, for it had an acquired taste for dragon blood, and had been much more effective against them than any other sword. Gilgamesh could feel its disappointment over not seeing much interesting things, and he could not blame it. The situation had not been as amusing as he first thought it would be; the styles of this mongrel and the woman were incomparable after all. Whereas Arthuria had wielded her blade with grace, this man used more a brute strength approach with very little elegance or finesse; it was not as if he was clumsy, but rather that the swordsmanship had been ugly and unsightly. Moreover, there was an odd nagging feeling that pullet at his hands every time the blades made contact.

The Dragon King’s eyes had flashed at every hit, but at first, he hadn’t given it much thought, deciding it was another feature of his. Listening to the feeling in his fingers, as well as comparing it to the pulses of the blue sword, he’d realized, with a good deal of displeasure, that the man had been chipping away at his prana supply with his worthless offenses and meager attacks. Of course… Such ‘meager’ attacks would have likely ended up cutting a titanium wall in half had the Dragon King been so inclined, but Gilgamesh, whose stats have now been raised beyond his usual level, could keep up without any particular trouble. Naturally, it was foolish to assume this was the extent of the King’s abilities, but for now, there really was no point of any worry nor planning.

Suddenly, his opponent had leapt away from him, nostrils widening, as if sniffing at something in the air; the picture had been so hilariously close to a mongrel the Golden King had almost made a comment, but had remained silent when the blue-armored man raised his hand, recalling the dragons, and nervously glancing at the doorway of the room. Nervously...? In all the time here, never had this worm so much as showed an emotion that had not been anger or indifference, stood in the face of the Gate of Babylon, and now had been nervous about something happening outside? Gilgamesh felt a pang of annoyance at failing to make the man feel true fear, instead that being taken by something entirely unknown. Even as the dragons had dissolved, the mist retracting into the gauntlet, the King of Heroes lowered his blade, eyeing his opponent.

[Mighty Wind – F/SN: Realta Nua OST – Haga Keita] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji03z81ebyg)

“The storm…Is coming.” Merely pronounced the azure-armored man, his words devoid of threat or warning; it had been merely a statement, said to nobody in particular. No sooner than the words had emerged from his mouth, then he had begun to fade into obscurity, this time, completely, along with the image that usually stayed behind. A scowl disgraced the sculpted features of the King of Heroes as he walked, balancing Arondight, to the place where his opponent had chosen to disappear at. Just as his figure had begun to turn transparent, words poured out of the mouth of the Golden King, a statement that had been typical for one such as him to say; after attempting to slice the image and failing, he’d stopped, dismissed the black blade, and uttered:

“I acknowledge you as a fellow King. You shall be the King of Maggots, whom you shall rule over eternally.”

Finishing his message to the figure which made no indication as to whether it heard him or not, Gilgamesh had walked past it and Iskander to the doors, treading on the debris that had been left behind by the King of Heroes’ crash landing, the trash painted crimson with dragon blood. The picture unfolding before him had been breathtaking and irregular, satisfying to one such as him, where a normal person would have screeched in terror. He stood on a balcony of what resembled a mountainside, the landscape seeming to be littered with volcanic peaks, and rivers of lava running throughout the land. The smell of ash and brimstone permeated the air, carried upon the harsh winds; there was no plant grown anywhere, and it was unsurprising, at such temperatures. The sky had been a rusted crimson, the clouds blocking the sun out entirely; in short, this was a burned out hellhole that resembled the first Realm they’d visited. Why anyone would have wanted to live here was anyone’s guess. Gilgamesh’s interest, however, was drawn to another thing:

A gigantic tornado rapidly approaching, tearing the sky and earth asunder, reality itself being undone. Along its way, it had sucked dry whole rivers of magma which by now had dried into rock, yet strangely, the tornado remained a pure white, unlike natural ones which change color upon absorbing some foreign elements. Had they… dissolved? The powerful magical aura around the tornado seemed to answer the question for him; Portal. It had been a portal. The thunderstorms that swept the land before it had destroyed much of the landscape, making even rocks crumble, then to be sucked into the tornado and disappear in a flash of light, only affirming Gilgamesh’s guess; his eyes had conveniently been powerful enough to note this. It was a pity his opponent had been cowardly enough to flee from just this, but then again, he had only been the Maggot King.

To Gilgamesh, the storm had been majestic and most interesting, the picture of a world embracing annihilation just as beautiful as, say, a view of mountains, or the sunset over Uruk. Destruction had its own tune, its own melody and beauty, and while most cowered before it, he could only gaze at it, pleased to be there to behold it. Then again, perhaps it was purely his pleasure-seeking nature which had changed any normal reactions from a mortal to more of a genuine interest. The storm looked somehow... Primal. Untouchable. Things that couldnt be touched, possessed, or owned were ones that excited and pleased him most, after all.

“It seems we’re done here, Iskander.”

And, calmly saying that, the King of Heroes stepped off the stone balcony just as the storm had crept close to it, the winds tearing at his body but powerless to do anything harmful. The trunk of the monstrous typhoon had sucked him into itself; looking up, he had seen that everything inside the vortex had been slowly lifted upwards, as if propelled towards a blinding light even his eyes could not pierce. Even as outside, the elements raged, shredding apart the very landscape, inside had been a deathly calm field inside which he had levitated, drifting up. Behind himself, he could hear the laughter of the King of Conquerors, who undoubtedly took delight in such a ride. As for Gilgamesh… He’d only hoped that in the next realm, he would be able to meet that woman again; Otherwise, the Tyrant really would awaken. As his fingers snapped, finally remembering the words of Alaya, the ripple formed directly upon his palm, pointed at the furiously shining eye of the cyclone above him, the Third Portal. Without so much as a usual sneering remark, he let the Dragon Egg he'd taken from their King fly at the impossible speed on an Archer could give his projectiles, directly into the portal; then everything began to drown in blinding darkness as the silent song deafened him.

[[TL;DR: Dragon King dematerializes dragons, escapes Gate of Babylon, resummons them to kill Iskander, kills the Colchian Serpent, and fights Gilgamesh. Tornado approaches, he disappears, and Gilgamesh jumps into the storm, followed by Iskander.]]

Silk

08-21-2009, 11:22 PM

{Fate/Stay Night OST | Kodoku na Junrei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wOr5MjJhdo&feature=related)}

A wave of nostalgia overcame Arthuria as she traveled through the white hallways of the sky castle. For some reason, it reminded her of the stronghold where she once resided, Camelot. However, on an aesthetic, the place looked nothing like Camelot. Camelot stood on green hills, this one was floating in the middle of the sky; the walls of Camelot were grey rough stone, and she was staring at snow white one; in comparison of size, even though she was reluctant to admit, Camelot would be tiny dwarf, contrasting the grandeur surrounding her. Yet, the building's strict adherence to medieval architectural laws-- such as the correct layout and order, towers in the right places, have succeeded in anchoring the King of Knight's memories.

One by one images formed in front of her. Men in tunics, women in long flowing dresses, and then there were knights standing in their posts, still as statues. She could hear music, though played in primitive instruments, radiated with vibrant emotion that most modern musicians of Shiro's era failed to capture. Then, there was laughter and dancing, in ways that have become extinct. Faces flashed before her, all were long gone. She was a relic of the past, and yet, here she was, still standing and breathing. During the Grail Wars, she was not struck by such a feeling. She did know that Shiro's era was not her era, but blinded by her desire to obtain the grail, and the hope of returning to her time, making it a better place, that such thoughts did not occur to her. Now, she had given up reversing the flow of time, she would no longer return to her own era, and live as before. She thought she had accepted it, but given the rise of the nostalgia, maybe she has yet to let it go as perceived. No, she felt more like an old lady, seeing things from the old days, watched them drifting in her vision. Arthuria chuckled. Given her real age, she does qualify as an old woman.

Still, despite her feelings, she remained on her guard. As the previous garden of Eden realm had shown, appearances were deceiving. Arthuria contemplatively discarded her thoughts and moved on with great caution. Leaving the great hall behind, and entered the main corridor adjacent to it. Even though she had not met a single adversary since the two armoured harpies at the entrance, she could feel someone or some thing's eyes creeping on her, watching her every single motion, unwelcoming. Unlike Gilgamesh or Iskander, she was not the type to stroll into a place and proceed to declare it was her own. Arthuria had a strong sense of boundary and limits. She knew that even as king, one's power only stretches so far. This place does not belong to her, and she would not bother to contest it.

In thinking of the other two Eirei, she recalled during her journey through the journey between the two realms, she had seen the two of them within the crimson vortex, and did tail behind them. It was by some twisted fate, an invisible force singled her out and pushed her onto another path. Arthuria had willed formless self to go through the barrier, unfortunately, as she was tossed into a dimension without not a single sign of those two, it did not work. She was surprised by the fact that she was unable to overcome that spell, and was certain it was not the work Alaya, as she recognized the energy belonging to the same culprit who had opened the portal in the previous realm. As such, she came to conclusion that she was not meant to be in this place at all, it was a diversion to delay her. The welcoming party being falling in the middle of the sky had done a great contribution to foul her mood.

Her spirits had returned to normal since she found solid land to set foot on. But it was still a pressing issue on how to leave this place and reunite with her comrades. The colourless walls remained silent on the matter, not a speck of shadow moved in the corner of her eye. The feeling of someone watching remained constant and unchanged, that Arthuria began to wonder if they were real or not. She turned from the main hallway into an arch doorway on the left, not so different from those she was familiar with at Camelot, into a smaller, narrower hallway with stone statues of armoured harpies lined on either side all the way through, and a large wooden door at the end. The silver knight paused for a moment , examining one of the large statues. They looked frightfully alike the harpies she fought at the gate, with several minor differences: the statues were about several heads taller than their real life counterparts; their armour was more ornate, you can see metallic feathers on the shoulders; and they were helmets, shaped of bird of prey heads, with the beak stretching to the front, and the mouth and chin exposed.

Arthuria's gaze lingered on the helmeted face, as if she was expecting something, almost certain that an event would take place. When nothing happened, she finally moved onwards to the other side of the hallway. After she made several dozens of paces, a crack came from behind, followed by another one and another. She could see stones flying from several the standing statues in front of her. Then, there was a hideous orchestra of yawns, switching between low rumbling, to high-pitch screeching. Several of the statues risen from their slumber, stretching their arms and wings. Arthuria wasted no time, while they were still not completely aware of her presence, sprinted to one nearest to her. The creature was crouching, with its glowing white eyes seen through the helmet, flickered and dazed it looked up towards a flash of silver and knew no more.

The sudden whiff of blood alerted the rest of the brood. Soon, she found four charging towards her, pent on vengeance for their fallen friend. Arthuria swung her great blade around her, Invisible Air once again flaring, forming a circular blue blur. She learned from the first that these harpies have tougher skin than their living brethren, and with their numbers greater, she must not have any reservations to cut them down faster.

Even though they had come from stone, these harpies moved in a fluid fashion, just as well as, if not better than, than their living counterparts. Arthuria sped up her blows, determined not to let these scum avoid her blade in any way. And her strike was always true, it aimed for the vital organs. The sounds of dropping metal clattered the floor, as though it was raining tin scraps. Voices of agony joined the raining metal as thunder, as the silver and blue twirled across the hallway, with feathers in her trail.

A prickling sensation tingled at the back of her head. Arthuria had been moving forwards and backwards throughout the hallway, searching for its source. One by one, she scanned her opponents as their blades meet, when she concluded they weren't the one she was looking her, she took of their heads and turned her searched to another. It was a matter of time before she found the harpy she was looking for. The harpy in question, did not look any different from the ones around her, but the real difference was soon discovered, as Arthuria faced a strong gust of wind blowing into her face, blinding her from what was in front.

A spear came through the strands of white. Its target was the King of Knights head. However, compared to avoiding Gae Bolg's attack, this by far had been child's play. Arthuria swayed to aside, and moved forward in to the blinding wind. Invisible Air's blue wind clashed with the white, both forces seeking domination over the air, with eager and ferocity that can be compared to Gilgamesh and Iskander's squabbles over land. The latter's advances faltered as its master's head fell onto the ground. With no one maintaining its existence left, it disappeared into thin air.

Arthuria bent down over the body, searching for the very thing that had attracted her to this particular harpy, and also the cause for its power over the the wind. She removed the bird head helmet, revealing an alluring human face, with eyes wide open from sudden death. From her visual perspective, the eye on the left would look no different from the one on the right, but her intuition had told her an entirely different story, for the left eye was brimming full of prana. With that realization, she hurriedly pried it out of the skull.

The object was no larger than an acorn. Arthuria held it out into the light to see that it was in the form of diamond, but with the feeling of prana flooding in her fingertips, there was no reason to doubt in her hands, she was holding a unique white gem.

“You have found the key to leave this realm, King of Knights.” the familiar yet unemotional voice of Alaya crept into her consciousness, bringing along the information she desperately needed. “Do not tarry any longer. A catastrophe is imminent, use the gem as your instincts guide you.”

And the voice left as quickly as it came. Although she now knew her task, Alaya had left several details out, such as the whereabouts of the King of Heroes and King of Conquerors, and 'letting her instincts guide her' was a very vague instruction. Arthuria wasn't sure whether Alaya had deliberately not mention it, or the Planet simply did not have the knowledge. But the latter would be impossible.

{Fate/Stay Night OST | Roar of the Universe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Fo5vefiPw&feature=related)}

The sudden migration of harpies and griffins outside the castle brought her attention her attention to the sky outside. They were fleeing in great terror, not so different as animals flee from danger in the woods, of something yet unseen outside the fortress. The bright blue sky had been taken over by a blanket of darkness, swirling clouds at the distance spun together, and formed into a giant twister. Its territory in the sky extended over the castle. The white splendor that had stood proudly before was ripped into pieces, as easily as child destroying a sand castle. Having lived in the British Isles and briefly in modern Japan, such spectacle was alien to Arthuria. She stood with her mouth slightly opened, in awe of the cyclone before her, and she shivered, as its energy signatures seeped into her veins. It was no natural disaster. It was a conducted magical force, swirling in the form of a vortex, absorbing the very realm itself.

The fleeing harpies and griffins were caught in it. Their tried to escape with their mighty wings, their arms and legs clawing the air, but it was futile to fight against the sweeping current. Bounded by a feeling of uncertainty, she tightly clutched the white gem in her hand. Suddenly, in a moment of inspiration, she held out her blade. Her focus was not on the blade itself, but rather the mysterious wind surrounding it. With nothing but a hunch, she unleashed the wind from the white gem as the harpy had done before. Invisible Air awoke to its rival, instantly spreading the space with its blue. Arthuria closed her eyes and focused, under her control, she carefully coaxed the white wind into merging with the blue. Formerly rivals, they must now work together. The scheme was uncannily familiar.

The giant cyclone pulled the castle, and along with it, the minute figure of the King of Knights. Objects, no matter what kind, were dissolved into dusts before they reached the portal in the eye. The walls around were torn and met the same fate as the rest of castle, leaving a island of flooring for the only living being. Arthuria gritted her teeth. This was only the way, the only path to leave this place. Somewhere inside her, an uncertain voice kept ringing. Will this work at all? If she does make it, where would she arrive? Will Gilgamesh and Iskander be there? Alaya had not said anything. Realizing the string of useless questions had been running through her head, she swatted them off vehemently. Such doubts would only be an obstacle. She needed to focus.

She closed her jade eyes again, pushing away the chaos surrounding and the distracting questions of no answers. She directed her attention to the invisible wind that enveloped her sword. Invisible Air, Barrier of the Wind King. The wind extended from the sword, reached over her entire body, enveloping her with it. It flared, roaring a challenge to the typhoon, but that was not its purpose. She calmed the wind down, letting itself settle around her as it usually did around Excalibur. It fortified, providing a layer of protection to exterior forces.

As she drew to the center of the cyclone, light coming through the portal shone brightly over her, casting white into her eyes. She drifted into it, and it willingly drew her in. For a moment, a flash appeared across her mind, a cold feeling roused inside her as she heard a voice calling:

'Saber.'

[[TL;DR: Arthuria finds gem in the eye of a harpy. Storm comes. She fuses wind gem into Invisible Air and uses its properties to protect herself as she leaves through portal.]]

VenFan

08-21-2009, 11:36 PM

A great, strident rumbling enclosed her trivial existence. The sound of fracturing stone and earth collided with the piercing screeches of the petrified beasts which populated the rigid domain. The viera took heed of their rapidly-flustering wings as they attempted to escape the brilliant fissure’s firm, intensifying grip, but, from what she witnessed, it was of no avail. Some were taken whole by its grand might. Others fought for their liberation until it cleaved their unwavering wings off of their encrusted backs.

Ultimately, all succumbed to its mystical strength, and their ends were met.

The gruesome scene repelled the maiden. Her stomach spiraled in repugnance. She felt as if her innards had ricocheted against one another and were preparing to escape from her mouth. With the excessive quantity of blood the numinous opening absorbed, it left her flabbergasted as to how the aperture itself did not turn red. The sight was just as crimson as the eyes that perceived it.

The transcendent breach ceaselessly expanded, its force coinciding with it. Fran’s smooth, downy ears jerked in obstinacy upon picking up a nearby sound - a shrill, gravelly crack. In concern, her eyes hesitantly descended to her feet. Beneath her lengthy feet, a thin, stretched fracture of the ground rested. Another rumbling hastily followed, louder and close at hand.

A bizarre, untried sensation overcame the viera’s body. She took one last look underneath her to detect a crack in the earth that had grown in range, the opposing sides pushing away at one another. It felt as if she and her surroundings were being dragged in by an unknown force - the warp in reality that had been hovering overhead. The gem which rested in her right palm glimmered in the luminosity of the mysterious entity, as if it were responding to it somehow.

Abruptly, the woman could feel her body being elevated without warning. She, as well as everything else that surrounded her, was being devoured by the merciless fissure. The ground beneath her arose with great force, thrusting her body upward, closer to the ravenous fracture. The closer the paranormal gap reached toward her, the more vivid the jewel seemed to become.

With the warm embrace of the fissure engulfing the maiden completely, she gaped intently into the glow of the stone, with only one question in her mind.

Why?

kyo

08-22-2009, 12:10 AM

The scenery around the duo dissolved and they were greeted with a pleasant view of a vast field of headless stuffed unicorns. Interestingly enough, a select few unicorns could still boast about the heads they so proudly wore upon their shoulders, or, to be more specific, their stitching; none of the other unicorns were able to discover the controversy surrounding the way that the heads did not quite match the rest of the unicorns’ bodies. Perhaps it was the way that the beige cranium clashed with the stark white knees; perhaps that particular shade of pink disagreed with the pure silver mane that flowed majestically from the solid gold coat that shone brighter than the sun that was setting in the not-so-far-off distance. There was one pairing, a forest green head coupled with a black rear, that did not cause as much alarm as the others did, but since the mismatched few were not the cause of alarm, the worry, or lack of, did not cross either of the two functioning brains present. The rather large pair of rats making their way towards them at an uncomfortably rapid pace, however, did cause some discomfort.

“Relax,” the rat on Zaphod’s left advised, once they had arrived.
“I beg your pardon?” Zaphod said, stunned not to the point where speech failed him, but was still reasonably shocked.
“It is no business of ours who you beg to, the rat on the right chimed in. “I just hope Your Pardon is more generous than we.”
“And what makes you think,” Zaphod said, “that we should be afraid of you?”
The rats, about to reply in unison, shrunk in an instant and became a pair of scorpions that floundered about like a fish that has discovered that the pond where he had been born, played in, mated in, had been rudely replaced with a rather large chopping block where a strange man in white held, out of sight, a very sharp knife.

“Odd,” Zaphod commented.
“Trillian, how long-“ Zaphod was, for the third time in his life, speechless.
Trillian is gone, he though.
Yeah, I can dig it. But who is this frood next to me?

Zaphod’s right head turned towards the stranger and said, “Whoever you are, follow me.”
His left head rolled its eyes and the rest of his body turned left in a rather undignified manner and marched forward over the unicorn graveyard.

The backdrop changed again to a rather boring terrain filled with nothing but clouds, a light blue sky, and a pure white castle in the distance. Below there was a dark cloud that emanated a vibe that suggested the end of their travels; and escape.

What exactly am I standing on? Zaphod asked himself.
The man Zaphod had ordered to follow had not obeyed the order and was standing, or, to be more specific, floating on nothing. His past experiences in flying and telekinetic hovering had dulled his sense of height and had killed his fear of falling. The thought that usually accompanies a sudden removal of solid ground did not occur to the man so gravity simply forgot about him and left him hanging.

“Aha!” Zaphod’s left head exclaimed in joy. “You’ve done it!”
“Done what?” the man finally spoke.
“Missed!”
“Missed what?”
“Nevermind. Look, what are we doing here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Splendid!”

Zaphod stomped around for a bit on the cloud he stood on; the man finally realized he was hovering and simply walked onto the cloud that Zaphod was romping around on.

“Who are you?” Zaphod’s right head asked, trying to distract itself from its brother’s tomfoolery.
“You can call me Sylar,” the man identified himself.
“Jolly good. You can call me Phil.”
“Phil?”
“No.”
“But you sa-“
“I’m not gate crashing so I’ll tell you my real name. I am Zaphod Beeblebrox, Former President of the Galaxy.”
“Former?”
“See, I stole a ship.”
“I saw. Where did it go?”
“I’m hoping it will come back.”
“We have normality,” a feminine voice, escaping from a small white hole that opened up right above where Zaphod and Sylar stood, announced.
“Bugger,” Zaphod swore.

Several minutes of shouting later, producing no good report other than a hoarse left throat that pleased the right throat quite a lot, Zaphod collapsed and hit his left head on something that was entirely not soft.
“Ouch!”
“What is it?” Sylar asked.
“Something that is entirely not soft,” Zaphod reported as he picked it up, disturbing a rather unhappy wisp of cloud.
It was a semi-transparent gem that was about the size of an Earth soccer ball, but slightly longer. Inside of the gem was a milky white substance that swirled around in its confinement at varying speeds that changed within a few seconds of one another.

“Do you know what it is?” Sylar asked.
“No. I was hoping you would, though,” Zaphod said. “Since neither of us know what it is, then it’s probably worthless.”
Having said that, he urslopped it over the edge of the cloud in the fashion of the great urslppers from Betelgeuse 5.
“Wait!” Sylar exclaimed, halting the gem in it path and bringing it back. “That could be important.”
“Is it?” Zaphod asked.
“I don’t know yet. But maybe we can sell it if it’s valuable.”
“Hey, now you’re talking!”

When the gem was safely back with them on the cloud once again, Zaphod jumped off.
Sylar quickly debated what to do, fret or join, and chose to join. Since this man had so rudely yanked him from where he lived to this world, he decided to act and question later.
He jumped.

They both landed rather close to a swirling, dark vortex. Sylar put his hand on Zaphod’s shoulder and was grasped by Zaphod’s third arm.
“I think I’m standing in-“ Zaphod shouted but was cut off by a stray bolt from the nexus.
The gem in Sylar’s arms began to glow a violent red and the twosome disappeared.

Number13Roxas

08-22-2009, 02:56 AM

The ground began to shake and the sky grew dark. Suddenly, a dark mass began to form out of the sky, sending a beam down into the earth. The wind picked up and the beam grew larger, engulfing everything it came across. Pikachu could see the dragon that had been busy patrolling the skies get sucked up into the mass as it desperately attempted to fly away. The mass grew larger and larger as it continued to eat everything in it's path. At this rate the entire world would be consumed. As the mass grew greater, Pikachu could view inside it. He was shocked at seeing his world, all the cities he had ever visited in rapid succession. Eventually he saw the town dearest to him, Pallet Town. It was where his owner and best friend lived, and by extension, him. He was at first happy, the sight gave him a joyful feeling. But in a second his feelings changed, the vision of his special town changed from a happy sunny day, to a setting similar to that which he was currently in. A dark portal engulfed the small town, destroying the houses and yards. Pikachu could do nothing but sit and watch as Oak's Labratory, the place he had met Ash, was ripped apart and sucked into the vortex.

The next sight nearly destroyed Pikachu from the inside. the only thing remaining in the town was Ash's own home. Out in the yard, was none other than Ash himself, staring into the vortex with horror. Then, all sound was blocked from Pikachu's ears save for one voice.

"Pikachu, why weren't you here?"

And with that, Ash was brought into the vortex, dissappearing from view. Pikachu was brought back into reality, seeing the portal that was now engulfing the volcanic world. "Was that real, or an illusion?" Pikachu wondered in despair. When the mass had almost reached him, he felt himself being pulled off the ground towards it. ""At least this way, I might see Ash." He said. So he clutched his egg, closed his eyes, and prepared himself as he was sent flying off the ground into the portal.

IndieJocky

08-22-2009, 04:54 AM

Only the echos of his footsteps resonated through the crystalline world as Neku walked through the world. He had not heard a single screech in quite some time. Yet as he continued walking he could feeling something approaching. As he continued to walk he began to hear rumbles. Small at first but as he continued walking the noise became louder and louder. This is when Neku noticed it started getting darker. The crystal skyscrapers were no longer shinning but silent and ghastly.

"What the hell..."

Neku looked up and that is when he saw it. The edge of a monstrous cloud had began to creep up on the floating world. Blue lightning began to crack around the edges and traced the boundaries of it's own world. As Neku looked on the wind began to pick up and the clouds that had been covering the floating city began to move through the streets madly covering the floor in a dense fog. Neku covered his face from any loose debris that could hurt him. A large crack of lightning escaped from the cloud and began to travel towards the earth. It made contact with the tip of one of the crystal buildings.

At first nothing happened. Besides a small vibration through the cities ground. Suddenly, a loud boom filled Neku's ears. He looked up to see the building that had been hit begin to crack and fall apart. But the pieces didn't fall down. The began to fly away towards the center of the cloud. Then dozens of more lightning strike began to fall on the buildings in-front of Neku. These too began to crack and splinter once a few seconds past. The buildings Neku was looking at began to fall apart and suddenly they all collapsed and revealed the storm.

At first it looked like nothing out of the normal. Dark clouds producing large amounts of lightning. Then Neku looked towards the center of the storm. That is where he saw two large blue twisters twisting down towards the city and then joining into one halfway. It grabbing parts of the city as it moved along. Neku could only stare in awe as it moved slowly. As he examined it Neku looked straight up at the source of it. It was a brilliant blue color. The color began to shiver slightly and then gave away to a new scene. In it he saw Shibuya. Neku stood only wide-eyed as it crept closer.

In it he saw a girl. Standing by a statue of a proud dog. The dog was Hachiko. He saw the girl was holding a small cat doll close to her as if to comfort herself.

"Shiki..."

A hand creeped up behind Shiki and landed on her shoulder. On the hand Neku could see a large black wristband. That immediately gave the identity away. It was Beat. The girl turned slightly and Neku could see the bottom half of her face. A single tear was falling down towards her chin. The other person moved in and gave her a hug. The scene began to ripple and soon it turned back into a simple blue center. Neku felt as though they were in trouble. He had to save them. He reached back into his pocket and grabbed the gem. It was glowing brightly. Neku held onto it tightly and placed it back into his pocket as he looked back up towards the twister. He took a step forward and began to run towards it. They crept closer and closer towards eachother. The wind began to whip around more violently as the distance became shorter. Neku didn't know what came over him. He took one giant leap and let the wind pick him up. He whipped around the air until he hit the wall of the twister. Neku closed his eyes and let out a big breath as he flew up higher and higher.

"Time to die."

He hit the portal and disappeared onto the other side. He felt at ease.