Enter the Cosmos

[PolikShadowbliss]

Ruby Rose
(Bowser's Star Reactor)

Soon after Ruby had channeled her plan to Eric, she witnessed Midgardsormr providing electricity for his big electric ball of lightning. At this point, there was no more going back; she had to stick to the plan, or face severe severe consequences. Everything was now at stake, and she had to pull it off, so as to have a chance to see her friends and teammates after such a rather...eventful visit to the Mario galaxy. And now Odessa was asking her if she could act as a distraction for Bowser as Eric unleashes this big attack of his own. Despite all she had done back in Loopdeeloop Galaxy, Ruby turned towards her and readily accepted her suggestion.

"Go ahead! I'm gonna do something real soon, anyway!

After Ruby answered, suddenly, she was met by Eric coming up with a grander plan of his own. She, the Huntress-in-Scheming, listened earnestly, though it still felt a little weird for the message to be delivered straight to her mind instead of through words. She would zerg rush Bowser, with Eric topping that off with a weaker lightning bolt. Makoto would then unleash whatever he was brewing up to that point, making his move after all the staring-down. Finally, Eric unleashes that big orb of lighting of his own.

Good plan.

Now with that in mind, Ruby quickly turned towards Odessa before she could depart, and quickly said,

"Heey, actually—"

She then went towards her and whispered into her ear, "Wait until Makoto does his thing!"

Patting her shoulder as she moved away from her, nodding, she finally got into position, ready to strike with Crescent Rose, anything.

"Now let's get dangerous."

​

And sure enough, Ruby took off sprinting towards Bowser, who was possessed by the twilight orb. She had no sign of fear slowing her down; instead she was aiming to take him down, no matter what, and then jumped, scattering once again into rose petals. The petals then did a zerg rush towards the corrupted King, who would soon be swarmed by rose petals galore, before the cluster diverted into two, going their seeming different, but mirrored ways. Then, as they got behind Bowser, if he were to turn, he would see two clusters of petals seemingly missing him, passing by. Behind, the clusters formed back into one, and then charged straight into him, reforming into Ruby, who had Crescent Rose straight at him. Finally, as soon as her weapon slammed straight into him, she fired, sending her flying as she gave a thumbs up towards Eric as a bullet would later dig into Bowser, if he wasn’t quick enough.

As Ruby was still mid-air, that was when Eric immediately followed her attack up by shooting a weaker lightning attack from his other hand. At the same time was when Tanya fired two explosive magical bullets, the sounds to which Ruby would respond by holding her arm up to shield her closed eyes, HCSS down.

thatguyinthestore (GM, Bowser), CocoaMarshmallow (Eric), PolikShadowbliss (Odessa), DerpyCarp (Midgardsormr), Haz. (Makoto), 2Bornot2B (Tanya)

Odessa stared at Ruby's advancing form for a second then painstakingly nods. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn she was quietly and pilotely being dismissed. As she watched them do their jointed attacks, effectively being a team, her gaze went downward to her armoured glove. Back on her world, she was considered the best of the best, she can jump higher, run faster, and can even fly. Something that even the best in ARMAS was not capable of doing. She even harnessed the Omega Force to anniliate an entire army, giving the ability to shoot blasts out of her hands without the need for a blaster, the only one capable of doing it. And the only one who suffered for it. She was in a coma for months while the Omega Force depleted from her system. If she had the Omega Force, she could try it on this Shadow Turtle Dragon. The force was capable of destroying an entire army after all. But she didn't. Suddenly her body shook and she fell to one knee, suddenly nauseus. Her HUD was relying readouts to her as she fell.

And then Batman was there. No sign or anything. He was just .... there.

"You should rest," he said in his stoic tones, "they seem like they know what they are doing."

"I can't sit around and do NOTHING!"

"They have a plan, you interfering mighy interrupt it."

"I DON'T CARE!"

"Like you didn't care when you lifted the fat man in an attempt to throw onto the hatch? As if that would work."

Odessa was silent. Batman was also silent. The silence seemed to stretch a long time.

"Wait," Batman finally said. "Wait for your opputunity."

He then walked off to aid the others in some way.

 

[ElenaIsCool]

Sans

To his surprise, Sans couldn’t sense Bowser’s soul. Looks like he had to get physical. Soon the fight was over, and Bowser collapsed but something told Sans it wasn’t over yet. Perhaps it was the effect of killing a child that came back from the dead seconds after he killed them, or because of Julia’s warning. She was right.

The blast would’ve been his end, if he hadn’t teleported some feet away from it. That didn’t mean it didn’t affect him. He still got thrown away.

HP 0.1

He felt so tired and weak. He wondered if Asgore was alright. He didn’t really want to die just yet. What about Papyrus? The kid promised they wouldn’t reset again. He felt so tired. Hopefully everyone wouldn’t mind if he took a nap right?

HP 2

Sans felt his energy replenish, and his weakness faded. He looked up. Huh, Julia used the thing she used on Alexis. Nice. Sans stood back up, closing his eyes as he walked towards the battle field.

“It’s a beautiful day outside, birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like these, kids like you..”

Sans opened his left eye, to show it’s blue-yellow glow

“S H O U L D B E B U R N I N G I N H E LL”

In an instant, Sans summoned a Gaster Blaster and jumped on it, making it hover and fire their lightbeam towards Bowser, and gently blue souled Karako out of there at the same time

“Careful with the beams, they’re deadly”

Sans shouted to everyone, before throwing a barrage of both blue and normal bones towards Bowser

Birb T The Man With No Name LilacMonarch
@everyoneelse

 

[Necessity4Fun]

...Perhaps, making a 'suicidal' move.
QizPizza , ManyFaces ,
@BowserFight_CosmicFoxisbeingStubbornandPetty​

Ah, the thrill of battle~ With each strike of The Claw, Thae'il let it wash over him with the same refresh-ness as a glass of cold water in a summer day. He had missed this, he had really fucking missed it. The joy of taking down your target, the way his blade invaded the space under their flesh, the resistance of the material, but also the smoothness of the cuts... Everything about it was intoxicating, putting the fox-male in more and more of a frenzy as stroke by stroke the message in an alien language was put together, each 'letter' being pronounced under his breath as he went on.

Once he was done, he took distance from the lizard-creature, both to see his masterpiece in a panoramic shot, but also to avoid any sort of extra damage in case Bowser, just as the Koopa shot down by the fox-lady, blew up and spun all over the place like a pinball pellet as well. It was glorious! For the spilt seconds before the Turtle King had fallen, the cuts made, which to the others would only seem like random odd squiggly marks and overlapping lines, spelt Thae's promised 'lecture' on the dragon's big fat belly, carved loud and clear, in the star animal's native language:

'YOU FUCKED UP BIG TIME'​

And with a ground-shaking 'thud' the creature was down, the group's victory, and for some revenge, had been swift and painful...

If only!

He should have known it. The moment a new voice echoed through the battlefield, the fox-male cursed under his breath. Of course! Of course, this dumb reptile hybrid could not have been smart to get where he was without a helper, an advisor. Someone that truly knew how to strategize, what steps to take what counters to save, what to have plans B for... Though instead of the ultimate revival that had occurred, Thae'il had expected the other to show themselves, perhaps degrade their partner before casting them aside. Typical when it came to these kinds of scenarios...

But no, a sphere that reeked of dark leaked energy, an acidic, dangerous smell, had descended upon the defeated target. The toxic, un-natural scent tainted the entirety of the battlefield, its aura giving birth to a shockwave that managed to pull him away for half a feet before the star animal had pierced his weapon on the ground, an extra point of stability and a latch into the current position, allowing the draft of air roll over him without the same drag it once carried.

"It's showtime, chumps."​

With the fight about to restart, Thae'il pulled The Claw off of the ground, rotating it back into the usual orientation around his right hand, bringing it forth with a single swift motion ready to deliver the next blow:

"Coward!", he spat, an animalistic growl held inside his throat, "Do you always drag outsiders to assist you with your own battles?!"

Focused, the trained world-destroyer waited for his next cue to attack, witnessing with disdain as the reborn beast tossed the warrior, Lu Bu, aside, treating her like a broken toy. His grip around the war-scythe intensified, gritting his teeth especially at the way the creature crushed the can of soda on Karako of all people, with who he had some kind of camaraderie going on. But he mustn't let it distract him from the battle at hand. He'd check on him and CN-Tan at a later occasion.

"Wait... Wait...", the word repeated itself internally, Thae bringing a leg behind as preparation for the next dash, Bowser was whacking the Zim-projectile out his sight, "Now!"

The power was there, the string of starlight just about to begin granting him the desired impulse, but it never came to completion.

"How about an A+!?", the familiar voice echoed for behind, taking him by surprise.​

Had he just-?
His pale amber gaze met his attacker's with a single note of shock as he turned around and received the full blow of the assault against his face, only able to dematerialize his weapon before being launched towards a pillar at the end of the platform, a single blur of white and black flying through the arena in high speeds.

"THAE!"​

The lady-fox' voice echoed in the background as his body impacted against the surface, the tower-like structure breaking in half and collapsing backwards leaving a dent in the form as if chalk that had been snapped in a weird angle. The light purple aura blinked as a faulty lightbulb while his vision was blurred after the collision, ouch, that... That had been a little too rough than what he used to...

Judging by the smell of spices and the sensation of something comfy and fluffy embracing him it was an easy guess that she had come to his aid... What an odd lady.

"Thae, are you okay? It looked like you took a pretty big hit.
Come on, you have to get back up. You aren’t going to stay defeated are you?"​

"W-what?", he let out in confusion, vision slowly clearing up together with the stabilization of the blinking light-absorption aura, "I'm...", a short grunt of pain left his lips, "I'm- I'm fine.", considering the things he's been through before, not really a lie, "No one is staying down, Lady, This is not my first tough fight..."

Even with the protest, Thae'il was understandably concerned. Despite the many conflicts and enemies his squad might have faced in the past, few of them could truly compare to him when it came to speed. And an oversized turtle thing had just accomplished it!! A couple more grunts left him as he leaned back up, taking support on the half-pillar behind him to sit. Two droplets of a midnight blue-colored substance fell down staining the pure white outfit. Ah, he was bleeding, a streak of what could be compared to a liquified galaxy, or the reflection of the universe itself on a pool of water travelling down his face.

He clicked his tongue in frustration. This was it, he was going to show that motherfucker a true beating...

It didn't matter rather the fox-lady would protest about it, slowly but surely, overcoming the screams of pain his body sent him, Thae'il had stood back up, an eerie grin adorning his face as he could only think of raising a rivalry capable of shaking time and space at the Koopa King. He felt threatened, not for his life, but for his purpose, the few things he was truly proud of, the skills he had put through all kinds of situation...

"He wants to see speed...?", his tone was dark, emotionless, and at the same time carrier of a fury so strong it could not be relayed properly, "I'll show him the full speed."

He'd wage a war against Bowser right here or die trying.

To amp up the output of energy like this, at his current power levels was risky. If he used too much of it too fast he could trigger a self-preservation mechanism and be stuck in the animal shell for the rest of the day. But if he didn't... Thae gritted his teeth biting down on the thought. Their enemy had dared step into his territory, in a clear challenge to his capabilities... He could not let it stand. Would not let it stand.

As he prepared the next dash, the air itself would begin to rush around the star animal, the same air current that had taken others by surprise with each of his arrivals. The Claw was called into existence again, his beloved weapon materializing out of stardust from where he held nothing to both of the tips simultaneously. This was it, for victory and honor, or to crash and burn. He took a deep breath and dashed off, the subsequent shockwave leaving a crater in the ground where he had once stood.

This time, the normally harmless, almost imperceptible trail of stardust raged behind him like a comet's tail, splitting the very skies with a burst of blue, purple and plasma white. His namesake. There was no thought about possible friendly fire, or interrupting someone else's move, the strategist and planner within him had died the moment he had been equalled in speed. All that was left was this petty desire to be even better, to prove himself even more useful. It would be accurate to use the human expression of 'seeing red' for Thae's current headspace.

Weapon ready, the Dark Comet would come initially from the right, aiming straight for bowser's arm, each new subtle break at the encounter of weapon and enemy releasing a sonic boom that echoed like thunder through the battlefield:

"I'm nowhere near the position of a king!!"

He'd keep going, despite any success or failure or the attack, the next blow coming from behind in a diagonal, bottom to top angle, aiming for the big lizard's jaw:

"I'm a soldier!", another turn, the subsequent slash would come from high up coming down, aiming for a leg, "A war tool!"

The last one would come from the left, bottom to top, aiming for Bowser's other arm:

"AND THAT'S ALL I'M EVER GOING TO BE!!!"

 

[FactionGuerrilla]

• Claptrap
• Frank Woods

• 
  
  

  
  Status: High Fives, Guys!
  Direct Mentions: Bowser thatguyinthestore , Makoto Haz.
  Indirect Mentions: Everyone else in the fight!
  Current Subroutine: Cryo
  Acquired Equipment: 200 Points​
  
  Even a barrage of Laser Disker rounds weren't enough! How this was even possible was beyond Claptrap- He initially thought that the giant spiky turtle was anything but badass, but now the giant was taking blast after blast from everyone like it was nothing. The Hyperion robot would have said something, but was interrupted when Bowser "died" from smoke inhalation. He promptly cheered, waving his thin arms around in arbitrary celebration.
  
  
  "Yeah! That's why you never smoke, kids, or else you'll be a sorry pile of shell just like this clown!"​
  
  Unfortunately, his celebration was promptly cut short when some creepy orb came down from above, absorbing the turtle and turning him into a scary-colored version of himself. It was only at this sight that the Fragtrap realized what he was dealing with...
  
  "Oh no! Scary badass turtle over there! Who knew that 'badass' and 'turtle' could even mix together in the first place?!?!" The machine asked, quickly staying out of Bowser's area-of-effect attacks as he promptly demolished a good chunk of the team. The chaos finally stopped when Blue-Bowser stopped to stare some equally-blue kid who had been charging up an attack the entire time with the help of a crazy-looking doctor. At this point, Claptrap obviously thought of the sensible option:
  
  
  A high five.​
  
  The robot wheeled his way over to Makoto's side at the same time that a few others began to cheer Makoto on, and ignoring the fact that the boy was holding up a sword, promptly raised his metal arm up off to the side.
  
  "Secret handshake!" Claptrap declared, obviously waiting for the Persona-user to do something about it. What Claptrap didn't say was the potential a handshake could do- the magical properties of Claptrap's handshake that nobody ever knew because they never wanted to be friends with him. His world-defying logic meant that a high five would grant Makoto more stopping power and faster charging of whatever he had, alongside a health regeneration. Of course, if Makoto ignored Claptrap, it would end up making the robot sad again and only give Claptrap the bonuses. Then again, it seemed like everyone hated Claptrap, so perhaps making him sad was a benefit.
  
• 
  
  
  

  
  
  Status: Focused
  Direct Mentions: Shilo Nightwisher , Bowser thatguyinthestore
  Indirect Mentions: None
  Acquired Equipment: 700 Points
  ​
  Woods had slung his M16A1 back over his shoulders, pretty much having let everyone else duke the fight out against Bowser. The big fatass seemed to eat more and more of the group's attacks without stopping at all- a huge difference in comparison to the fight back on Millennium. The poor coordination probably didn't help, either- instead of barraging him all at once, the team was just arbitrarily taking pop shots. Without a major coordinating figure, they couldn't muster enough firepower at once to simply defeat Big Greenie all in one go. Hell, not even Shilo's hailstorm could take the oversized turtle down, allowing him a chance to approach her...
  
  Wait. Approach her? His instincts promptly kicked in the moment he realized what was going on, and despite being a few yards away broke off into a sprint as Bowser destroyed the M16A3 in one fell swoop. As the giant punched forward to try and blast the assassin, Frank once again dove forward in an attempt to take the blow for his companion. If she got hit, she'd be toast. Frank would be able to shrug it off... Well, hopefully.
  
  
  "Look out!"​
  
  
  

 

[ManyFaces]

Oh yeah the brutish king was getting his metaphorical ass handed to him. The clap of metaphorical cheek clappage was hard, it looked like they were going to win!
His blood pusher was pumping something fierce.
Well up until he landed his hit, his sword went in smooth as butter. He even got a scream out of the so called king. But the hit didn't come without drawbacks.
His beloved sword was broken like it was a mere stick. It was a damn fine sword that kept the occasional fan that snuck though his guards from trying to pail with him. But there it was, he'd live but Bowser seemed to be a lot more angry than he was.
The kick definitely broke a couple ribs when it impacted but Marvus managed to land on his feet, though to do so he really had to push himself, spraining his ankle.

"shieeet..." Was all he could muster to say. But it looked like the others had taken him down

"fuk yeah buddyzz!" He said using his cane to aid him in standing.
But no, it wasn't over, not yet. Nothing was ever easy when it came to injustice. The Koopa was powered by the shadowy orb, and like that he was up and running again.

"mothafucka.." Was all Marvus could say as the Koopa went ham on everyone. It was a massacre to be honest.
But he saw two things stand out, Karako and Dib being attacked, with the latter taking far more damage. It made his blood boil, he grabbed his broken sword halves and stared at Bowser fuming. He wanted nothing more than to force feed the turtle his own spikes. He'd enjoy nothing more than cracking his shell down the middle and tearing out his organs. Each violent thought turned his eyes further blood shot but... No... He needed to protect not attack. He'd only slow the others attacks down or get further injured.
He hobbled over to Dib and pulled out one of the red mushrooms he'd purchased earlier.

"heeyy buddy ur not lookin so gud, here try 2 eat dis." He said carefully sitting the boy up and breaking mushroom into his mouth in hopes it would do the trick. But he had to be sure.

"AYY YO MEDIC!" He called out in distress looking out at the battle for the healer. His miracles were needed.

Sayo-Nara Sir Skrubbins thatguyinthestore Birb @Bowsette_Gang

 

[Nightwisher]

• Shilo Saga
• Character Interactions
• Shilo's Lists

• [div style="background:url(http://www.sunlandrvresorts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bigstock-Road-trough-a-dark-forest-with-43808242.jpg);max-width:1000px;max-height:500px;border:4px solid #000000;margin:auto;padding:10px;line-height:1;text-align:center;"][div style="opacity:1;background:black;line-height:1.5;width:76%;border:3px solid #c71585;margin:auto;padding:10px;text-align:justify;max-height:405px;overflow:auto;"]
  

  Info

  
  

  ~Shilo Saga~
  Location: Airship
  Inventory: 9 throwing knives (hidden), two katar, a Bowie knife, a Glock .45, and a Super Star.
  Power: Light Manipulation
  Stand: Death Valley Queen
  Mood: On edge and battle ready.
  Condition: Healthy ​

  The assassin didn’t flinch, continuing to fire as she ducked her head underneath the strap of the gun. Most likely, Bowser go for the gun first and then her. Not the brightest move, as it gave her time to respond, but he wasn’t the brightest fellow. Get rid of the annoying thing and then get rid of the source. Shilo ran out of round, the hammer clicking against air, just as Bowser reached forward and snatched the weapon from her. So, he really was that easy to read. He snapped the gun like it was nothing -- which Shilo did not appreciate, after all it had been a gift from Woods -- before cocking his fist back and throwing a punch at her. Despite the speed that the Koopa had for his size, he was still predictable, and the assassin wasn’t exactly slow herself. She heard Frank’s call but didn’t let it distract her as she stepped forward toward Bowser’s fist and jumped into the air. Her right foot caught the large turtle creature’s fist. Instead of trying to cause damage, the woman instead used the momentum from the punch to give her a more powerful jump as she launched herself backwards into the air. This, of course, meant the Marine was now in the pathway of the the Koopa King's punch. However, Shilo was headed that way as well, and moving just a bit faster now as she used her enemy’s attack to her advantage.
  
  As the woman flipped through the air, her head was mere inches above Frank’s as she lowered her hands onto his shoulders, gripping his shirt tightly. Her weight dropped to the ground a heart beat before Bowser’s fist was about to hit and she used the inertia of the fall to pulled her partner down to the ground as she ducked. “Have you ever tried dodging instead of just taking a hit full on?” The woman asked, looking down at the man, her face only a few inches from his. Bowser had lost interest in them already, turning on the many others that were hitting him with attack after attack. So, Shilo’s teal gaze searched Woods’ expression for a second or two before she pulled away.
  
  Shilo turned her attention back on the battle in front of her, eyes flicking back and forth, head turning to keep her left side in her vision as she tried to think up a new plan, pushing herself back onto her feet. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need one as Lu Bu advanced forward. Shilo was, in fact, impressed by the hero’s attack. To the assassin’s surprise, it seemed to have actually gone well, everything was okay. Well, until it wasn’t anymore. The hair on the back of Shilo’s neck rose at the sound of the laugh. She drew her Glock from the holster on her thigh and took aim with the pistol, her finger resting against the trigger guard. “Fuck,” the assassin muttered under her breath, as she squeezed the trigger once more -- sending bullet after bullet at Bowser’s body as the dark magic washed over it. But to no avail. Despite the barrage of bullets the woman sent at the newly formed Twilight Monster, he managed to take out Lu Bu and get several other dangerous attacks out on various other members of the group.
  
  Thought after thought of the others ran through her head, interrupting her own as she tried to think of a working plan of action. A few of them seemed pretty good, and maybe if they could work them all together, it might actually work. But, were enough people willing to actually work together instead of trying to take the fucking spotlight. “Alright, heavy hitters, time to pull out the strongest attacks you got.” The woman ceded, trying to place her trust in those around her. “Those willing, time to play a game of tag while everyone else charges their attacks. Bowser touches you, you lose.” Shilo shot a glance to Makoto, giving the blue haired teen a nod before her attention turned to Eric. Once again, she gave a nod, silently agreeing to their plans of attack. “I still want to see that napalm, Marine.” The woman spoke up, giving a side long look to her companion. “Just try not to hit me, alright?” She flashed him a smile before she hurried into the fray to join the the close quarters fight. “You hit me, you’re going to have a lot more than Bowser to worry about,” the woman warned everyone over the mental comm, though unlike before, there was a sense of humor to her mental voice. The stakes may have been greater now, but if she’d learned anything from Vincent, that was the best time to lighten the mood.
  [/div][/div]
• 
  [div style="background:url(http://www.sunlandrvresorts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bigstock-Road-trough-a-dark-forest-with-43808242.jpg);max-width:1000px;max-height:500px;border:4px solid #000000;margin:auto;padding:10px;line-height:1;text-align:center;"][div style="opacity:1;background:black;line-height:1.5;width:76%;border:3px solid #c71585;margin:auto;padding:10px;text-align:justify;max-height:405px;overflow:auto;"]
  
  Interactions: Frank Woods ( FactionGuerrilla ), Bowser ( thatguyinthestore ), Praetorian, Martellus ( GearBlade654 ), Eric ( CocoaMarshmallow ), Medic ( Sir Skrubbins ), Lu Bu ( DapperDogman ), Agent 3 ( BoltBeam ), Laffey, ( Crow ), Odessa ( PolikShadowbliss ), Tanya ( 2Bornot2B ), Mami ( L3n ), Midgardsormr ( DerpyCarp ), Ruby Rose ( marc122 ), Excalibur ( SpaceRavens03 ), Alexis Kuroki ( QizPizza ), Marvus ( ManyFaces ), CN-Tan ( Chungchangching ), Vilgax ( Laix_Lake ), and Julia ( LilacMonarch ).
  Mentions: Jason Todd (Thatguyinthestore), Sir Benedict Cucumberpatch ( Benedict Cucumberpatch ), Zim (ManyFaces), Ben Tennyson (Crow), and Dib ( Sayo-Nara ).[/div][/div]
• [div style="background:url(http://www.sunlandrvresorts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bigstock-Road-trough-a-dark-forest-with-43808242.jpg);max-width:1000px;max-height:500px;border:4px solid #000000;margin:auto;padding:10px;line-height:1;text-align:center;"][div style="opacity:1;background:black;line-height:1.5;width:76%;border:3px solid #c71585;margin:auto;padding:10px;text-align:justify;max-height:405px;overflow:auto;"]Allies: Frank Woods, Jason Todd, and Praetorian.
  
  Possible Allies: Lu Bu, Eric, Ruby Rose, Spectre, Marcus Wright, Asgore Dreemurr, Medic, Martellus, Mami Tomoe, Makoto Yuki, Helrica, and Marie.
  
  Useless or Protect: Karako Pierot, Dib Membrane, Agent 3, CN-Tan, Marvus, Molly, King Dedede, Male_07, and Inazuma
  
  Kill or Don’t Save: Tiny Tina, Benedict Cucumberpatch, Vilgax, Pink Guy, Laffey, Odessa, Alexis Kuroki, Sev, and Tanya.
  
  To Be Determined: Julia, Midgardsormr, Atraxa, Mordecai, Gaige, Claptrap, Batman, Thae, Luka, Sans, Kage, Ben Tennyson, Tenno, Ravio, and Manelion.[/div][/div]

 

[darkred]

Maya “Echo” Visari

​

((Agent Shilo, I'm Maya "Echo" Visari, you know me from earlier. Listen, It's not much but here's my Sta-19 Reigner. Hopefully this should hold you for a while until I can provide you with more ammo.

She turned to Frank as he noticed him about to take the blow for Shilo.

She cursed under her breath "DAMNIT!"

"How long can you hold him off? I'll distract Bowser as long as I can."


As soon as Maya made her way over to the other assissian named Shilo, she instantly lifted the gun off of her side and handed it loaded over to the woman.

Maya stared over at the two of them once she disappeared once more.

The Helghast spy would play a disappearing game and keep Dark Bowser busy, occasionally cloaking and then using that distraction against the dark turtle himself. He can't hit what he can't see, right?"

FactionGuerrilla Nightwisher thatguyinthestore @whomever else

 

[darkred]

Marcus Wright

The half terminator looked at his ice flower, he had 2 more shots before the ice balls would run out but he’d go for another attempt at Freezing the twilight monster Bowser. The way Dark bowser was throwing literally everything back was getting annoying real fast.


Marcus frowned and held up the ice flower again at bowser’s feet. Hopefully the ice would provide a temporary break for the group.

thatguyinthestore FactionParadox

 

[Sir Skrubbins]

Medic
Interactions: Open
Mentions: Haz. (Makoto) DapperDogman (Lu Bu) Sayo-Nara (Dib) Necessity4Fun (Thae) GearBlade654 (Praetorian) L3n (Mami) FactionGuerrilla (Frank Woods) Nightwisher (Shilo) 2Bornot2B (Tanya) @MEEEEDIIIC
​

The Medic stood agape, rendered completely speechless by the sight of his genius coming to fruition. He couldn't believe that this was working! Not only was Makoto by far the youngest ever recipient of an Übercharge, but also the only person to ever receive one without the Über Heart Transplant. By all the questionable experiments the Medic had performed and the gruesome accounts he complied, taking such absurd risks was very likely to result in near-irreversible organ damage and even more likely to result in the patient's heart spontaneously exploding within their body.

If you were an amateur.

And yet, here Makoto stood, championing not just the full force of the Übercharge itself, but the Übercharge at twenty-one times its usual strength. Medic was hurriedly adjusting the bells and whistles on the Medigun's back to make sure that this didn't suddenly change and go horribly wrong; indeed, Medic felt that he would feel more initial distress seeing Makoto explode from the inside out than some of the others. Though Medic did attribute some of Makoto's endurance of the Übercharge to his own skill with his device, he definitely knew that this wasn't the whole picture.

This boy was something else.

Preparing himself to make full use of the unfathomable power now at his fingertips, the Medic could only watch in wonder as he beckoned forth two new Personas. Simply looking at them made Medic glad that Makoto was on their side instead of the enemy. They held uncanny Biblical appearances, and though the noble, angel-like air of one seemed to juxtapose the other freakish, multi-limbed, snake-like Persona, the Medic felt like such a chaotic mixture was just what they needed at the moment. As a man whose job it was to routinely tear apart the very fabric of possibility - to bend the limits of what mere mortals are and are not capable of, the work of Makoto astounded even someone like him. Though the Medic took pride in being very good at playing God, he had scarcely met one who could literally play God(s), and to such a remarkable degree.

As Makoto's overwhelming surge of energy caused the ground to rumble and the Medic's skeleton to quiver within his body, threatening to leap out through his mouth, the Medic knew that it wasn't just his work that had kept him alive, and it wasn't just his Übercharge that caused him to demonstrate such raw power. This teenage boy was far more resilient - far stronger than he looked. Even if an amateur had given him this Übercharge, there was no doubt in the Medic's mind that he would be tough enough to handle the unseen danger of the Medibeams.

Few were able to earn Medic's genuine respect. Even fewer earned his admiration.

"God damn it, watch your fire everyone! We already have those flames to worry about, let alone blue-on-blue incidents going on!"

Medic hissed on reaction and tightly shut his eyes for a moment, having realised what he had done when he swerved his head around and saw the gruff soldier stood in the path of where he had fired his syringes mere moments ago. This was very embarrassing. Even though he wasn't as weapon-proficient as the rest of the RED team, it was still practically his job to shoot syringes at people, and the first time he takes his syringe gun out, he accidentally catches his comrades in the crossfire. Hopefully, his healing mastery would save his credibility, but this was not a feeling that the Medic would stand for. He'd prove his syringe-shooting prowess another time and give that big Schweinhund some really debilitating condition, like Hepatitis C.

"Gah! My sincere apologies! Zhat was not my intention! Serves me right for shooting vhen I can't see, heh heh!" Medic shrieked, trying to have his voice heard over the incessant drumming of battle in response to the soldier and the assassin lady's warnings. "You have my word, it won't happen again! But, ah... if you start to see strange colours or zhings zhat aren't zhere, tell me, bitte! Zhat needle may not have been completely empty!"

After he went back to his plan with Makoto and Tanya, he heard the voice of Shilo echoing around in his head. He did realise that she was using telepathy - oddly enough, it was a form of supernatural ability that he was familiar with back home - yet he just wished that people could talk the old-fashioned way without making Medic think he was going mad early. She formulated a plan based on the roles of everybody who could be of use; instructing healers, like him, to pay extra attention to close-range attackers. Medic smiled to himself, knowing that he had already done so, yet looked back in her direction and gave her a nod and a "Jawohl, verstanden."

With Bowser succumbing to the storm they let loose on him - with the attacks from Lu Bu and the scythe-wielding warrior sealing the deal - Medic began to groan in disappointment, upset at the apparent fact that their big plan, their big build-up didn't even need to be unleashed.

All up until the moment a new voice presented itself.

A sphere - one that defied all substance, and one that a man even such as Medic hadn't seen before - descended upon the fallen Koopa King. Though he had no precise idea what he was witnessing, Medic had dabbled enough in God's domain to know that the energy this emanated was not something that mere mortals should ever come into contact with. It reeked of darkness, of chaos - of what can be described as little else than evil in its purest form.

Medic really wanted a sample.

Right up until...

"EVERYONE GET THE FUCK BACK!"

Thanks to the early warning of Todd, Medic was able to prepare himself in what little way he could for the ensuing revival of the fight, briefly taking cover behind Makoto so as to not completely absorb the full force of the shockwave, and to not get blown to the other side of the platform and cut off Makoto's Übercharge supply and ruin their entire plan. His field medic instincts kicking into overdrive, he sensed the overwhelming danger and the terrific world of hurt that the newly revitalised Bowser was now letting loose on his comrades.



"Mein GOTT!" Medic exclaimed, powerless to do anything as the beast tossed Lu Bu - such a mighty and skilled warrior - away from him, like he had crushed a can and tossed it away. In the space of just a few crucial seconds, the tables had so tragically turned against them. They were moments from claiming victory - they had claimed victory - but now, the Koopa King seemed completely unstoppable, as he continued his rampage through his allies with no end in sight. Lu Bu was on the floor, sprawled out and not moving - dead or unconscious, the Medic could help them, but the warrior certainly bore the brunt of Bowser's new assault. The child with the grotesque head had just suffered one of the worst skull fractures the Medic had ever seen in his career - the fox-human hybrid was sent flying, and he had struck Marvus!

This... was unacceptable!

“Verdammt! Of course zhis Schweinhund wouldn’t work alone!“ Medic growled. His field medic instincts ate away at him, as Bowser, whether on purpose or not, had made an incredible tactical move; he attacked while the Medic couldn’t use his Medigun! He had to keep the Übercharge flowing on Makoto - if he was to switch targets for even just a second, then nothing would be stopping Bowser from simply knocking Makoto down and tearing them all apart one by one.

“I hear you! Everyone, I hear you! I’m trying to heal you, but my hands are a little tied here!“ Medic exclaimed, glancing in the direction of the wounded. The Medic was able to briefly revel in his own genius once more, as just because he couldn’t use his Medigun didn’t mean that he couldn’t heal at all.

Reaching into his lab coat with one hand, he pulled out his Crusader’s Crossbow.

​

“Hold still, Kameraden! I’m going to shoot you! Zhis should only sting for a moment!“ Without so much as a pause to reconsider his poor bedside manner, the Medic aimed one-handed, still keeping his Kritzkrieg on Makoto, and fired at Lu Bu. Anyone around her would have had very little time to react to the Medic’s unprecedented stunt before the projectile found its way to her.

What they may have found surprising, however, is that the Medic was not Old Yellering Lu Bu - in fact, if they were to observe the projectile, Lu Bu had actually been struck with a syringe of sorts - now empty, as it had been completely used up on her. They would see, upon impact, visible wounds on Lu Bu begin to erase themselves, as if they had been simply wiped off of a whiteboard. Lu Bu, though unconscious, should begin to quickly recover from her injuries, especially upon the syringe’s first impact.

The astronomical damage that Lu Bu had taken caused Medic to make the judgement that such an injury wouldn’t be completely healed with just one shot. The tricky part was reloading the Crossbow with just one hand. Cursing under his breath, he ejected the empty bolt and searched inside his lab coat for another one, clumsily reaching for them and narrowly managing to reload the Crossbow without dropping its ammunition. Aiming at Lu Bu, he fired again - this time, hoping to help her mostly recover.

But Medic realised that, with so many wounded and to such varying degrees, he would struggle to do this by himself. There was only so much he could do when he only had one hand free - he worried that, due to having to reload between each person he tried to heal, he wouldn’t be able to get to all of them in time.

And if he doesn’t get to all of them in time, then he’s not doing his job!

“I’m going as fast as I can! If anyone else has healing abilities, now is zhe time to use zhem!“ Medic shrieked, attempting to switch from target to target. Heeding Julia’s request, the Medic shot Thae next - indeed, he had screamed in agony in response to the healing from the others. No matter how much he would swear he didn’t need it, he was taking his medicine. Doctor’s orders. In a similar fashion, Thae would feel himself rejuvenated after the initial sting, and would feel his horrific injuries begin to recover at pace.

And then Medic saw that some had taken damage that he just couldn’t heal. Robots. Cyborgs. He growled to himself - this was a lot more challenging than he had anticipated.

Swerving his head around frantically to find him, the Medic laid eyes on the heavily-armoured man who had taken an interest in his Medigun earlier - he said he was a “tech”- something earlier, and, having learned from some of the Engineer’s devices, that crane on his back was probably not for show.

“You zhere! Vhat was your name? I require assistance!“ Medic exclaimed, motioning towards the notably-damaged Praetorian. “I can only heal organic material! I can’t heal mechanical beings like him! I need you to give zhem repairs! Schnell!“ Medic ordered, hoping that a little extra help would give him some more breathing room to work with.

Medic took a brief moment to look back at his patient, and realised that the situation had only just snowballed into even more dire straits. Bowser was staring them down. In spite of the heat of this battle, the atmosphere could not have gone chillier. Medic couldn’t pause for a second, continuing to fire his Crossbow, but the nerves of even the Medic, who found sick enjoyment in these situations, and Makoto, the walking definition of being unfazed, were being tested. Realising they needed a morale boost now more than ever, Medic heard Makoto give his team a rallying cry.

"I know you're all afraid. Believe me, I am too. But I want you guys to know that, for what it's worth, working with you's been a pleasure. And, no matter what's about to happen, live strong to the end. Even if it's pointless, live on with some naive optimism, just so you don't lay down your lives cowering in fear of your deaths." He sighed, giving a nod in the direction of the Medic and his bandmates.

“Makoto, from zhe very heart of my seven souls, zhis will not be zhe end! So help me Gott, I will re-apply for my medical license if our struggle ends here. Does zhis look bleak? Ja, very much so. Are we all about to die? Aheh... vell, it certainly looks zhat way. But even if we do, we have not lost! Who are we, us mere mortals, to dare defy zhis Titan? Who are we to dare stand in his way?“ Medic began, continuing to fire his Crossbow towards the many wounded. “Makoto, vhere I come from, danger like zhis, for me, is a common sight - and yet, from you, and from everyone else here, I have seen such a degree of uncommon bravery zhat my own team sometimes lacks. Not many people hear zhis from me, Makoto, but you are an inspiring character. You are somebody zhat many of us here should look up to.“

The Medic then turned his head in Makoto’s direction, his face stony with determination. As he spoke, he reached behind his back and took hold of his Power Up Canteen.
​

“And as someone to look up to, it is a doctor’s order zhat you do not give up! You vill not resign yourself to zhis fate, or so help me, I vill extract your skeleton and parade it around town!“ Medic exclaimed, before loosening up and giving Makoto one of his iconic mad, vaguely creepy ear-to-ear grins. “We can do zhis, Makoto. You may not trust me, but at least believe me when I say I have your back, and so do us all!“ He cried, before plucking off the Canteen lid and pouring some of the red, translucent mixture directly into the Kritzkrieg nozzle.

Immediately after he did so, Makoto would feel a new rush - a familiar feeling of power, yet a completely different effect. He would feel utterly revitalised and another harsh jolt of electricity, similar to the one he felt while being Übercharged the first time, yet to a significantly lesser degree - after all, it was merely a Canteen boost. If he was to observe himself for just a moment, he would notice that his entire body had taken on a deep, blood-red sheen, and all sources of pain would cease. For as long as the Canteen would last - which, by Medic’s calculations, was less than 5 seconds, Makoto would feel even stronger - like nothing could harm him. He had received an Über Canteen - for as long as it lasted, Makoto would not even feel any attacks that hit him. He was, once again, on top of the world. Medic then took a sip himself, providing him with the same effects for the same brief period of time.

Hopefully, whatever Bowser had planned to retaliate with, this boost - both of encouragement and of Canteen - would give them more of a fighting chance.

“AYY YO MEDIC!”

“Ngah!“ Medic exclaimed, turning back in the direction of his duties. Not only was Marvus badly wounded, but the cranium kid‘s skull fracture condition was rapidly deteriorating, with him clearly being in unfathomable pain. “Hold still, I’ll help! If you find any bits of your brain on zhe floor, hand it to me later! Such a big head... such a large brain to use! Ho ho!“ Medic chuckled, before firing his Crossbow at Dib. He would feel his horribly fractured skull begin to miraculously reset itself, though sadly not reducing the size of his monstrous noggin. As soon as Medic was able to reload, he aimed to hit Marvus, too, in an attempt to heal his many broken bones and clearly sprained appendages.

This was what he was here for. Getting back into the swing of things, he made sure he was able to try to heal as many people as was possible when you’re stood at a distance with a crossbow, only being able to use one hand.

 

[ManyFaces]

Yes, glory to the Irken Empire. His shot had hit true, the fat man was dealt with... Not quite yet, the next shot would eviscerate him. Zim stood back up ready to fire again when he was scooped like some kind of creamy dessert by the military girl. "UNHAND ZIM, FOOLISH GIRL YOU SHOULD BE PRAISING ME FOR DEALING WITH THAT TRAITOROUS PIIIIG!" He said twisting in her grasp, alas poor Zim was not squirmy enough. "YOU DARE?!" He shrieked in her ear as he ascended to new heights and was treated like a ball. But after being tossed like an alien salad Zim was sent off on a new mission.
Makeshift missile!
He was lauched with enough force to shatter the sound barrier. He was a living torpedo, and he swore reveeeenge! But revenge was a dish best served cold and right now it was just him being a flaming ball of alien. All he could really do is be flaming AND SCREAM "AAAGHHHHHEEE!!" Was what his scream sounded like. But maybe he could take Bowser out-
Nope he was swatted much like someone would swat a bee. And sent skidding into the platform face down leaving skidmarks. He had to peel his face up from the ground because it was kind of gross and melty "NO NEED FOR ALARM! ZIM IS OKAY!" he shouted and dusted himself off. He had to pat the fires out too. The girl would pay for sullying his uniform. Buuut, currently she was doing a laser thing probably to turn the turtle into a crisp, which he approved of. Has cannon was out of comission for now though, but Zim had plenty of weapons! What kind of invader would he be if he was ever unarmed, a bad invader, AND HE WAS A GREAT INVADER.
So the best course of action would be to be to get out another weapon, this one was even bigger, the weight forced Zim to squat and wince as it emerged from his PAK. Zim steadied himself and the gun shuddered, charging up with power! Then came his fury, upon the powered up Bowser rained unsalted despair. FLAMING PEANUTS ASSAULTED THE TURTLE IN A NEVER ENDING TORRENT. Zim..... Zim didn't know how to react. How did GIR even manage to load one of his guns with peanuts, shelled, unsalted, peanuts. And he nevere noticed this? Why... Well at least the peanuts were flaming so they might do something.

thatguyinthestore 2Bornot2B @PEANUTS_EVERYWHERE

 

[LilacMonarch]

Julia

Thanks, The Espeon says to the Medic and smiles as Eric uses Sunny Day, powering up her Morning Sun and greatly increasing its healing capacity. This time it would be comparable to the Medic's crossbow shots albeit working on the whole team at once - other than Thae, who she still made sure to avoid. "That's more like it!"

True to her word, the orb of electricity fired by Eric and Midgardsomr curves in midair, gaining speed and power as it avoided hitting Makato and flew straight toward its mark on Bowser's underside. Don't overdo it, Eric. You won't be much use if you pass out.

Seeing as her offensive abilites didn't seem to be working on Bowser, she decided to take a defensive role, watching for anyone else in trouble that needed protection from her barriers.

Interactions: DapperDogman (Lu) Sayo-Nara (Dib) CocoaMarshmallow (Eric) Sir Skrubbins (Medic) DerpyCarp (Midgardsomr) @everyoneelse Mentions: thatguyinthestore (Jason, enemies) ​

 

[PolikShadowbliss]

Odessa

Wait for the right oppuninty? The Batman's words echoed in her head without stopping, and still she felt stupid. Until the raven-haired girl gave very specific orders in her own mind for crying out loud. When was that a thing? But still she wasn't certian! She couldn't go all out because if she did, the attack might knock or kill everyone but it was either that or have this thing kill everyone. Without thinking further, Odessa activated her boost and flung herself so hard the resulting shockwave would be strong to upseat anyone on the ground, flew at least twenty feet into the air, no fifty feet into the air, turned her blaster from medium to high. Aimed it at Shadow Bowser.

Forgive me!

She pulls the trigger.

The blaster shoots a single laser thin beam and ....

thatguyinthestore Nightwisher
@prettymucheveryone​

 

[Sayo-Nara]

Dib Membrane

Dib continued to lay on the floor in complete agony. He would have screamed more, but he can only scream for so long. He didn’t want to damage his beautiful voice. Dib was a little surprised to see that Marvus had came to his rescue by feeding him one of those red mushrooms. Not only that, but the doctor guy shot some kind of syringe into him basically fixing his destroyed head back to perfect condition. Dib stood back up feeling good as new.
“Thanks for the mushroom Marvus, and thanks for the checkup doc!”
Dib was clearly trying way too hard to sound cool... Dib still get a little nauseas after being sent flying from being hit by a metal bat, so fighting was out of the question. Dib saw that some people were cheering for some guy with blue hair who seemed to be charging up an attack. Dib decided that he may as well join in.
“You can do it blue haired guy! I mean like no pressure, but if you fail then we will all probably die hahaha. NO PRESSURE!”

Haz. ManyFaces Birb Sir Skrubbins ​

 

[DapperDogman]

"One of these days, that honor of your's is gonna be the death of you"
She heard the voice of that stubborn man in her head. That disgraced man with his alcoholism, and his bad attitude. He was a noble warrior beneath the layers of filth that had accumulated on his name, reputation, and even soul. She weakly opened her eyes, blinking awake as she watched the battle before her.
"Sooner or later, your sense of duty is gonna put you in the ground"
She'd known it before he'd said it, she's always known it. Ever since she fled her family's crime empire back in China, she knew exactly what would happen to her. It was something she'd accepted the day she chose not to kill for money, but to fight to protect the innocent. But now the threat of death loomed over her, she couldn't help but see what he truly meant.
"You're going to die a grisly death, and some folks won't call you a hero until you do"
She grits her teeth, attempting to stand, but her hands and feet find no purchase. She slips back onto the ground, every ounce of her strength doing nothing to move her form even an inch. She closes her eyes, wincing slightly in renewed pain that radiated from her chest. She hadn't noticed until now, but her ribs must have been shattered by the impact of Bowser's fists.
"Fuck those people. They can rot for all I care"
She couldn't help but crack a slight smile at the memory of that defiant man. Who knew so well he'd never be seen as a hero again, not unless he died protecting the innocent, at least. His defiant spirit was what she needed right now. In this dark time, she needed to keep her spirit burning brightly.
"Don't die for people who don't appreciate you while you're alive"
She cursed mentally. She couldn't do it out loud, she couldn't get enough air into her lungs for that. Her vision began to fade, the world spinning out of control as she focused on those final words. She never wanted to attain fame or fortune. Part of hiding her identity from her family meant she'd known all along she could never be allowed those things in life anyway.
In her mind, she focused on those she'd met on his journey. How she'd treated some of them with fear at first. How she'd assumed their intentions, and plotted to kill them if they threatened her life.

She felt regret. Wasted moments of potential comradery. She wished only to go back and to change those moments. She'd left a bad impression on some people. she'd let her sense of honor, her code, get in the way of some people's actions, and she'd managed to make enemies with two or three of the people here.
The hero's final thoughts were not of a longing to have saved herself. But instead of how she could have spared these people the suffering of her ire. How she'd upset Shilo, by touching her, and threatening her life, Woods, when she'd resisted allowing him to see her true intentions, and Alexis, when she'd taunted her after the show.

She let out her last breath, closed her eyes, and accepted her grisly end. She wondered if Whiplash would ever hear of what happened here today. If he'd know exactly how right he turned out to be.
By the time anyone in the group had managed to establish a foothold against Bowser's renewed onslaught enough to even consider healing her, she had perished.

The hero's body had gone cold.​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Mid-Chapter Update
"A Song of Ice and Fire"

Collab with Haz.



Dark Bowser turned his head to face Makoto, who had been eagerly waiting for him to attack throughout this ordeal. He smirked and slowly approached him, particles of Twilight raining off him like dew adorning grass in the early morning.


“Okay, chump! Hope you’re ready to get pummeled!” He shouted with a toothy smirk as he slowly approached the blue haired teen. Bowser then confidently rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, before bringing his fists up. With the total concussive force of a collapsing skyscraper, his first fist shot forward towards the Persona. And yet, unexpectedly, when Helel rushed to parry the punch, his effort held merit. The Morning Star crossed his arms, nimbly locking the koopa’s fist between his elbows. Then, reeling forward in a sharp jolt, the Persona headbutt Bowser, causing the King Koopa’s neck to coil back.


“What!?” Dark Bowser shouted after taking the hit head on, his eyes widening in shock as the Persona caught his attack. Bowser struggled to break free of his attack for a moment, his fist moving around the inner workings of the elbows for a moment. “How the heck’re you doin’ that!? You’re not supposed to keep up with me!” He shouted in response, clear shock at the situation made evident by his expression. Makoto gave a moment to shoot back an easy glare at Medic, before responding simply,

“I don’t know. Ask them.” The boy said, alluding to his comrades, whose cheers did not fall on deaf ears. Swooping by Claptrap to fulfill his eager high-five, Yuki rushed forward with rapier drawn, before being snapped up in one hand by Helel and flung towards the reptile’s head. As he twirled in mid-air, the Persona-user ensnared the metallic shimmer of his blade with radiant light, causing it to multiply in girth and sparkle a bright red as a result of Ludwig’s Kritzkrieg charge.


“Huh!?” Bowser asked dumbfoundedly, before snapping his head back to those who cheered him on. Blue flame spilled out of his mouth slightly, the embers lightly falling against the ground before disappearing in the wind. “Stop doin’ whatever you’re doin’! It’s making this wimp stronger!” He exclaimed, although they of course didn’t listen. Makoto’s sword clashed against his blackened hide, causing the monster to reel back in agony, before Ravio and Marcus both unleashed their attacks. Amidst his allies’ assault, the Persona took the opportunity to fire off a volley of icicles, each shard embedding itself into his arms, legs and abdomen, beginning to spread from their area of impact and amassing a thick overcoat of ice around his body that merged with the sub-zero colds of Ravio’s Ice Rod and Marcus’ Ice Flower.


“Get off me!” Dark Bowser shouted as he shook the icicles off quickly, the Twilight making short work of it and managing to keep his body from freezing. He grit his teeth and focused the dark energy into his arm, where he quickly took this opportunity to unleash a flurry of Twilight powered punches across the Persona’s own body. “You’re gonna be made into a devil themed pancake when I’m done!” He shouted, each strike even more powerful than the last as he fired off hits at about ten per second. Makoto, caught off-guard by the numbing wrenches to his and his Persona’s gut, was sent hurling back, directly into Helel, causing the summon to disperse.

Before he could finish off Makoto, however, it was then that several others unleashed their attacks on Bowser. Laffey's bullets didn't even effect the Koopa King at all, for starters, and he didn't even seem to notice (or care) what she was doing. Ben's slashes managed to catch Bowser off guard for a moment, at least, though not necessarily for long. He held up one of his hulking arms to block it, the Twilight absorbing most of the damage as he stepped back with every slash. Eventually he managed to grab one of the legs on the chair he sat on and toss it to the side. Then, CN-Tan threw.... an anvil in his direction, which was met with Bowser growling as he slashed through it with his claw, only narrowly slicing it clean in half before it came into contact with his face. "WHO THROWS A FREAKIN' ANVIL!?" He shouted through short breaths, though before he could accurately get a good hit on her, Karako unleashed an attack as well. Bowser reacted here by merely grabbing him by the leg as he was mid-air and tossing him out of the way. Amidst all of this, he didn't even notice Agent 3's constant ink attacks, instead focusing on Tanya's barrage of explosions. Said attack left him disoriented for a moment due to them all surrounding him rather than outright attacking him. The flaming peanuts Zim shot ended up aiding Bowser, ironically enough, as he caught each one and chewed it with a satisfied grin. All of these attacks allowed Makoto the opportunity to stand once more.

As Makoto staggered back to his feet, he called forth the light-bearer yet again, who despite his now hazy and visibly shaky form, stood proud with his fists laid bare. Though the duel was turning sour for the teenager, the tables were quickly turned as Medic cranked up his Ubercharge with a dose of his canteen, causing his healing target, as well as Helel, to be encased in a leathery, skin-tight barrier of reflective, red sheen. The Persona yanked back his fist in a sheepish maneuver, before letting it fly forward with a distinct lack of momentum compared to before, though compensating by instead launching it towards Bowser’s jaw. To this mediocre attempt, Bowser smirked as he easily moved his head to the side and avoided the punch, letting out a laugh soon after. “GAR HAR HAR HAR!!! Looks like you’re gettin’ tired, ain’t ya!?” He shouted, grabbing the Persona by its neck and plunging his head forwards, headbutting it directly in the nose. Except, it wasn’t Makoto who was injured. Even Bowser’s thick skull made no dent against the Ubercharge, causing him to shriek in agony and step back with hands cupped around his bridge.

Yuki shot glares at Eric, Ruby and Thae, and as the Typhlosion yelled out his signal, Helel thrust forward his hand. When Rose and the Dark Comet clashed blades with the reptile’s hide, the Koopa King found himself quickly being overwhelmed, and the follow-up shots by Midgardsormr, Sans and Odessa, coupled with a bolt of lightning fired from the Persona’s palm, called a cataclysm upon him as a legendary coup de grâce.


“NO!! This can’t be happening!!!” Bowser shouted as the surrounding explosion rocked him to the core. Even with the Twilight enhanced abilities, Dark Bowser seemed to struggle to even move, laying helplessly on the ground. However, just as he was about to accept defeat, he noticed something: the Ubercharge; the crystalline shell that had formed around Makoto; had powered down. With everyone tired from unleashing their final attacks, and with rejuvenated confidence, Bowser quickly shot back up and swung a fist through the unsuspecting Persona’s chest. Now that the invulnerability effect was gone, the poor Helel stood no chance against Dark Bowser’s Twilight-fueled punch, the sonic boom that resulted flinging its target, and his summoner, back a great distance, dispelling the demon and effectively rendering Makoto powerless. The reptile grinned and walked over to the teenager next, lifting him up by his neck with his gigantic palm.


“You lost, twerp.” He said with a growl as he brought Makoto forward, the boy able to smell his putrid breath, before he nonchalantly tossed him aside and watched him roll to the end of the arena.

A beaten and humiliated Yuki, clinging onto consciousness for dear life, only muttered one more word before passing out completely, laying on the brink of death with the essence of his soul slipping away rapidly:

“L-Live....”

Just as he said this, Bowser looked to the rest of the group and smirked, gesturing to the unconscious Persona wielder and the deceased heroine. “This is what happens when you try and be a hero!” He shouted, before letting out yet another laugh.


However, before he could gloat further, a familiar figure appeared in the sky. She was adorned in a blue dress, and her left eye was covered by a streak of blonde hair.

“Bowser!” She shouted, her voice booming with authority as cracks began to form beneath her and she held up her wand. From behind her and before your very eyes, a giant star emerged from behind her like a rising sun.


“Oh, would ya look at that!” Bowser shouted as he smirked, gesturing to Rosalina. “The space princess returns!” He shouted, though Rosalina’s piercing gaze did not falter in the slightest. “If you haven’t notice, I’ve gotten a bit of an awesome upgrade! So why don’t you make yourself useful and sc--” Before he could finish, the star that had emerged from behind Rosalina had fired a beam of pure light and encompassed the Koopa King, causing him to let out an ear piercing shriek as he fell to his knees. White static surrounded him as he struggled to even move, or breathe. “W-what the heck did you do to me!?”


“You don’t have a lot of time before he recovers!” Rosalina exclaimed, and she was right. Bowser was slowly struggling to his feet, already having regained some of the motor functions in his arms.

“Okay, lady, but where the fuck do we go!?” Jason asked. Soon after doing so, Rosalina closed her eyes and waved her wand around. Suddenly, a blue portal opened up, and on the other end appeared to be the Observatory. Rosalina was shaking as she held it open, trying to do so as long as she possibly could. With that, Jason ran over and hoisted Lu Bu and Makoto over his shoulders, before running through the portal. One glance backwards would reveal that Bowser was already back on one foot, and as such the remainder of you ran through without much hesitation. Rosalina entered behind all of you, and the portal closed soon after.





“That was foolish and reckless!” Rosalina exclaimed in anger as the bodies of Lu Bu and Makoto were dropped in front of her. “I told you earlier that Bowser was too powerful to take on his own, did I not?” She asked, though no response was given. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her head lowering while she rubbed it with her index finger and thumb. “What were you thinking? Two of your own have been gravely injured, perhaps even killed, due to your recklessness.” She said, her voice much calmer now and full of somber as she observed Lu Bu and Makoto.

“...are they gonna be alright?” Jason, who had taken off his helmet, asked simply while looking the unconscious bodies over. Rosalina knelt down beside the two for a moment, and eventually lowered her head in clear sadness.


“...the blue haired one is. But I'm afraid this one's soul has been lost...” She said as she knelt down next to Lu Bu and closed her eyes with her fingers. She left her body on the ground, before turning to face all of you. "You may bury her if you wish..." She said somberly, before turning and walking off. As she did so, she stopped in her tracks for a moment, before glancing back. “I managed to recover Bowser Junior after you left him on that ship to die, not that you care. He is in the Kitchen if you wish to speak with him.” With that, Rosalina headed to the library, leaving you all on your lonesome for now.

Cast List
FactionParadox as Spectre (Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS) and Romana (Doctor Who)
Sir Skrubbins Medic (Team Fortress 2)
DerpyCarp as Midgardsormr (Final Fantasy XIV)
Crow as Ben Tennyson (Ben 10) and USS Laffey (Azur Lane)
T The Man With No Name as Asgore (Undertale)
SheepKing as Ravio (The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds)
Necessity4Fun as Aufh-Mokwu Qwa Thae'il (OC)
Sayo-Nara as Dib Membrane (Invader Zim)
darkred as Maya “Echo” Visari (Killzone: Shadowfall) and Marcus Wright (Terminator: Salvation)
Nightwisher as Shilo Saga (OC) and Tiny Tina (Borderlands)
CocoaMarshmallow as Eric Fiamatta (Pokemon OC)
GearBlade654 as Martellus (Warhammer 40k) and Praetorian (XCOM 2)
SpaceRavens03 as Excalibur (Warframe OC) and Inazuma (Kentai Collection)
BoltBeam as Agent 3 (Splatoon)
QizPizza as Alexis Kuroki (OC)
Zerulu as Gaige (Borderlands) and Sev (Star Wars: Republic Cammandos)
Gundam Watcher 27 as Chronodran and Noa Hoshizaki (Cardfight Vanguard)
RedLight as Manelion (OC)
Benedict Cucumberpatch as Sir Benedict Cucumberpatch (Classified)
Hahli Nuva as Hera (Smite)
Laix_Lake as Vilgax (Ben 10)
MainEventMan as Ash Williams (Evil Dead)
archur as Atraxa (Magic: The Gathering)
Dylan.thomas7 as Male_07 (Half Life 2)
FoolsErin as King DeDeDe (Kirby: Right Back at Ya!)
Centurion_ as Male_05 (Half Life 2)
FactionGuerrilla as Frank Woods (Call of Duty: Black Ops) and Claptrap (Borderlands)
NovaAres as Helrica Ramsblood (Glorantha OC)
GinkyGotBack as Yakako Yamagishi (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
PolikShadowbliss as Lilliane Odessa del'Ortollio (OC) and Bruce Wayne (DC Comics)
Chungchangching as CN-Tan (Channel-Tan)
Caffeine Freak as Pink Guy (Filthy Frank)
L3n as Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi)
ElenaIsCool as Sans (Undertale)
Birb as Karako Pierot (Hiveswap)
Javax as Roxii Dae Sicarius (OC)
LilacMonarch as Julia Thani (Pokemon OC)
marc122 as Ruby Rose (RWBY)
Ferociousfeind as Marie (Splatoon)
Hawkmoth as Pyro (Team Fortress 2)
Haz. as Makoto Yuki (Persona 3)
2Bornot2B as Tanya Von Degurachaff (Youjo Senki)
DapperDogman as Lu Bu (OC)
Veradana as Ahim de Famille and Luka Milffy (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger)
jigglesworth as Mordecai (Borderlands)
ManyFaces as Marvus Xoloto (Hiveswap) and Zim (Invader Zim)
Andrita as Molly Wonderston (Power Rangers OC) and Kage (Street Fighter) ​

 

[Andrita]

Spoiler: Molly's Reaction to Tragedy

Molly to say the least was at a look of shock and what honestly occurred. Between everything going on she knew that she felt like she could faint, but couldn't. " N...No ! If I faint.... It will take over " . She told herslef not to do that, at least not until she got better control over her Mystic Champion Self. She was likely one of the most concerned about the others who were beaten up. She gasped softly, and without any word or warning ran up to them and attempted to make sure they were okay. No, she wasn't a clinic to be honest but she definitely was empathetic. she looked over at Rosalina [ thatguyinthestore ] , softly stating, hugging herself and shaking hesitantly... some part of her knowing she wouldn't like the answer . "Uhmm... Are they going to be okay ? C... Can you help them ? " . She got her answer near immediately before Rosalina could answer them.

Tears flowed past her face. Droplets of pained fear tears stained the floor in utmost frequency. A flood of emotions occurred to her that she honestly couldn't ever fathom. Despair, sadness, guilt, fear of the unknown, and likely countless more. She was worthless and maybe could've done something about this, and maybe could've been in Lu Bu's place, but alas that wasn't the case. Her eyes turn fiery red and a dragon's roar erupted from her vocal chorts in pure anguish, as the roar permeated for at least 5-10 minutes , which was plenty loud enough to cause an echo across the entire place they were currently at [whether planet or otherwise] they were currently on , as well as causing the ground to tremble somewhat . Most people around would likely be shocked by the power in that voice, as otherwise she looked like a defenseless girl who practically didn't belong in the area with the other superheroes, as likely no one drew the connection between her and the Red Paladin that was in their midst not too long ago. The Red Crystal knew then... It truly chose the right wielder.

The roar turned into a series of soft, muffled sobs as she hugged herself for comfort "I... I'm so sorry" . She repeated the phrase in a tender fashion, the emotions of pain filling her mind and soul. She honestly had no idea what to do. Sure, it was their decision, but she watched. She generally watched them waste their lives and they got hurt and she maybe could've done something about it. The possibility was what was eating her up inside. Maybe she would get over it eventually, but for now she was broken and would be hard to mend.

(If you want to know what the roar sounds like... It's the Ultra Instinct Goku's Roar... or in other words this one... as the roar also had a echo ... It's the closest thing to it, except a lot deeper. Also I'd rather have a few more people before Kage shows his reaction, hence why I don't have both of them reacting immediately. )

 

[Laix_Lake]

Vilgax, conqueror of ten worlds
Status: defense, and then a retreat.
Condition: normal
​

From the nearly endless barrage of attacks, To the dark force that revived bowser. Vilgax simply stayed put with his shield of Ziegel deployed to defend those behind him. Was this odd of someone like Vilagx, maybe. But if anyone else was in his place, they would see how null their actions will be. He may have wanted to kill Bowser as much as anyone, but the constant bombardment of attacks combined with Bowser's amplified strength and speed was not something that he would be able to defend against...and live. He simply lay witness to the confliction that blue haired human started. Admirable, but sadly not enough to truly put him to place. It was only when a familiar figure deiced to show up and restrain Bowser in an attempt to retreat. Seeing that there was no point in staying, Vilagx proceeds to run towards Tennyson and grabs him.
"You heard her, fall back!"
Vilagx proceeds to follow everyone else, with Tennyson of all people in hand.

Later

After the news of the untimely death of Lu Bu, Vilgax simply gave a look of suspicion towards Jason. Vilgax will wait for now before speaking his mind. If Tennyson has not changed back at this point, Vilgax would have done it for him via slamming the Omnitrix on the current transformation's forehead.

thatguyinthestore Crow T The Man With No Name QizPizza Necessity4Fun

 

[Crow]

Laffey (Retrofit)
Location: Bowser Fight -> Kitchen
Interactions: Sayo-Nara ManyFaces SpaceRavens03 SheepKing FoolsErin @etcetcetc
Surroundings: N/A
GM Interactions: thatguyinthestore


Laffey (Retrofit) vanished nigh-immediately at her greatest speeds, gathering as many people as she can - namely Zim, Dib, King Dedede, the Half-Life NPCs and various slow-walkers, placing some at the gap between her bulky riggings and some held by her arms. Going at breakneck speeds, she rushed through the wormhole, creating a trail of fire as she screeched to a halt, panting.

She drops those in her arms.

Her riggings then vanished into nothingness, causing those held by it to fall to the ground as well.

Afterwards, her entire body would be coated in plated metal that cast off nigh-immediately, reverting to her regular state. Laffey (Retrofit) was Laffey once more.

"That used a lot of Laffey's energy," she adds as she up and leaves for the kitchen to raid the fridge.​

 

[SpaceRavens03]

• Inazuma
• Excalibur (Moments before the escape)
• Interaction

• 
  She could not believe it. One of them had died during Bowser's onslaught. Inazuma quietly watched as Rosalina gently closed Lu Bu's eyes,having took the loss as bad as anyone else. It was no different than seeing one of her kind sink under and down into the depths of the ocean,where a never ending darkness awaits them as they rust alone. Stopping in front of Lu Bu's corpse,the shipgirl kneeled before the deceased hero,raising her palms and pressing them onto each other as she prayed.
  
  Thank you for helping everyone else here against Bowser. I hope that you'll find yourself in a world free from cruelty when you reborn. Rest in peace.
  
  

  “I managed to recover Bowser Junior after you left him on that ship to die, not that you care. He is in the Kitchen if you wish to speak with him.”

  
  “I-I guess I'll go keep him company then. Well,if he actually will talk to me that is....”
  
  Inazuma spoke,standing up as she left for the Kitchen. Strange, weren't majority of the areas locked? Who unlocked them while they were out? Sighing and shrugging the question off,she looked back at everyone else....."everyone"?
  
  
  
  Something was amiss,she did not see any sign of him anywhere. Turning her head as she frantically looked around,she finally yelled:
  
  “Where is Excalibur!?”
  
• 
  Go Go GO!
  
  I frantically yelled (mentally) as i helped lead everyone else get to the portal. I was hardly tired because it turns out I ended up not doing crap despite charging towards Bowser unlike everyone else,as such I could have easily rushed out of the arena faster than everyone else. With the last of us (apart from me) having gotten up on their legs and fled,I also ran towards the portal.....only for it to immediately close mere inches from me. Screeching to a halt by the edge of the arena,I stood there in horror as I've heard Bowser chuckle sinisterly behind me.
  
  I knew far too well what he was going to do to me next,and it does not take a mad scientist to easily figure out how much trouble anyone in my position would be now.
  
  I guess now's a very appropriate time to think:
  
  ...."Shitfuck".....
  
  
  
  (He's meant to be seperated from everyone else)
  
• 
  
  As Inazuma:
  Lu Bu ( DapperDogman )
  Rosalina ( thatguyinthestore )
  Eric ( CocoaMarshmallow )
  Laffey and Ben ( Crow )
  Ruby Rose ( marc122 )
  Marcus Wright and Maya Visari ( darkred )
  Agent 3 ( BoltBeam )
  Julia ( LilacMonarch )
  Actually,EVERYONE. The girl's nearly yelling at the top of her lungs right now
  
  
  As Excalibur:
  Boisterous Bowser ( thatguyinthestore )
  

 

[L3n]

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[div class="textbox"]

Mami didn’t think twice before making her way over to the blue portal in a hurry. This was probably the first time she didn’t appear like she had her shit together. Fighting Bowser was way harder than she thought it would be. If she was here on her own how fast would she of been killed? The thought of being unable to protect herself made her stomach reel. Luckily she had Praetorian to save her from the fire blast or else she would’ve ended up like Lu Bu. The stranger being dead made her feel a mix of shock and faint sadness. Mami never once had a conversation with the girl, but that didn’t blind her from how terrible this was. Imagine going to a festival in another galaxy only to wind up dead. Her family would never even know what happened to her. . .

Once they walked through the portal the young lady’s face drained when she saw Makoto lying on the ground. Mami had been a little preoccupied in her own head to pay attention to the end of the fight, but she could guess the main reason they got even close to beating Bowser was because of Medics and Makoto’s tag team. Her heart twisted into a knot as she knelt to the floor with Rosalina, but unlike the princess she didn’t get back up. The blonde sat on the floor next to her new blue haired friend not daring to touch him till he was confirmed to still be alive. As gently as she could she held up the top of his body before placing his head down on her thighs. Mami found herself running her hand through his hair to keep herself level headed. "Spero… che lui stia bene,”she found herself whispering in Italian. A rough translation to english would be, “I hope that he is well.”

The teenagers heart sped up again as her head jerked up to the crowd trying to locate the other people she cared about. “Ben are you okay? Ravio? Medic?”she asked out loud hoping they'd hear her because she wasn’t planning on getting up anytime soon. Her voice cracked out of worry. Of course there were other people she wanted to check up on like the kind robot (Praetorian), Ruby, or Julia but they weren’t the first to come to mind. When Molly would let out her roar Mami opted to flinch before covering the blue males ears only to repeat when another person (Inazuma) shouted about Excalibur. Why was everyone so intent on screaming?

☆mood☆ shocked, sad, worried

☆mentions☆ Dap (Lu Bu), thatguyinthestore (Bowser, Rosalina), GearBlade654 (Praetorian), marc122 (Ruby), LilacMonarch (Julia), Andrita (Molly), SpaceRavens03 (Inazuma)

☆interactions☆ Haz. (Makoto), Crow (Ben), SheepKing (Ravio), Sir Skrubbins (Medic)

☆outfit☆ xoxo

[/div][/div][/div][/div][/div] [/div][/div] [div class="footer"][div class="footertext"]magical girl Mami Tomoe[/div][/div] [div class="codetag"]coded by ukiiyo[/div]

 

[marc122]

Ruby Rose
(Bowser's Star Reactor Observatory)

It was gonna be a triumph. And it was heading that way.

With Bowser being overwhelmed by the barrage of attacks at the disposal of the group, it was staring to look like the victory was sealed, and nobody could blame Ruby any further. She was a firm believer in making everything better, and the defeat of Bowser was a major milestone for her and the gang to achieve, so it made sense it gave her immense amounts of catharsis. Between Makoto unleashing Helel unto the possessed Koopa King to numerous others launching their own preemptive interceptions, albeit with little effect on him, to her and Thae performing a joint scythe-strike on him, she was sure. It had been smooth-sailing for the group, despite its rag-tag nature, and now that the Twilight-infused Bowser was about to give up, victory was certain.

Yet, something happened.

When Bowser suddenly regained the confidence, she was puzzled. How could he, a monstrous creature who was having his shell handed to him, feel so good after such a brutal beatdown? Then, she noticed something was different about Makoto; notably, a red crystalline shell that had previously encompassed his body had disappeared.

Uh oh.

Then, the worst happened. Bowser, out of seemingly nowhere, punched Makoto in the stomach and sent him flying across as a result. Then he took the time to taunt him, gloating his victory, as he then threw him aside to presumably keep the fight going, with the poor Persona user passing out before her. Now, Ruby did not have anything to do, but to keep fighting...or rather, give up. Worse yet, there was another casualty that she had witnessed, and it was that of Lu Bu, who had met with a similar, but much worse fate that she could not have hoped to escape. Now she, a beacon of hope and optimism, had been brought to her knees, again, as the Huntress-in-Training tears cried.

Soon, memories flashed into her mind, going back to when things were simply...for the better.

- - - - -​

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better."

"Oh, uh... You may call me Ruby Rose, or just...Ruby! He-heh...nice to meet you!"

...N—Not anymore... I want to go home, now. I la—...liked this whole place when it was all peaceful, when it was all nice and sunshine, even in the with—in the night with the stars and everything, just..! I missed the Mushroom Kingdom when it was just hosting the Star Festival, and not the ugly, itsy drama that came with it and Bowser! Jus...J—Just..!

- - - - -​

"Please, no more..."

As Ruby pleaded for the suffering all around her to stop, suddenly, silver light started to peek through the holes where her eyelids met. She could feel it, and could have manifested it to some effect, yet the emotional stress was too much, burying her own notice of her silver eyes. Then, whatever was left of her little attention towards her Silver Eyes lightening up was gone when she heard a familiar voice shouting out the monster's name. With the surprise and shock on the side of the beast himself, her energy was beginning to shoot up again, yet the strong emotions remained. She looked up to the figure who had shouted out his name and recognized her immediately.

"Rosalina?!"

Her jaw dropped a bit, before she wiped her tears and got a clearer look at her, right as she fired a binding beam towards King Twilight Koopa. Then, with a portal back to the Observatory generated, Rosalina urged everyone, including her, to hurry to the portal with such little time left. She began making a mad dash towards the escape route, but before she could completely make her way, she thought of Eric potentially being left in a compromised position. As a result, she stopped in her tracks and turned towards the Typhlosion. Then, as she started walking towards her, she shouted,

"Hold on tight; I'm gonna get you outta here!"

Then, she sprinted again, before transforming into the scattered rose petals that would then swarm over to Eric. Then, another person popped up in her mind, but for a much pettier reason: Thae, because of his war scythe, which Crescent Rose could also be. So then, the rose petals flew towards him and picked him up, eventually bunching him with Eric, who was within the transformed Rose.

Finally, she went through the portal.

- - - - -​

"We didn't even realize how strong that Bowser guy really was until he showed us how capable he really was!"

Ruby snapped towards Rosalina. Like before, she was in an emotionally dismal state, in which the outcome in both scenarios left her devastated, with numerous questions. However, this time, it seemed to have a longer-lingering effect on her. She seemed less the lovable Huntress-wannabe she was prior to everything that had happened since coming to the Star Festival. Now, she was starting to look more like a hardened veteran, who was bitter due to certain events in her life. Gone was part of the bubbly nature that had come with her when she first arrived by spaceship. She continued,

"And besides, if we can't even fight back, how are we supposed to keep up?"

Yet, it seemed like Rosalina ignored her on the way back to the library, where she would blow off steam.

​

With little else to do, Ruby turned back to Lu Bu's lifeless body, her mood turning to that of unspeakable sadness as she walked towards her. Already was she starting to struggle over what she wanted to say, especially as she had never really gotten to meet her until it was too late. Holding her hands down, she looked down to her as she then sat near her. Looking over her body, she was still a beautiful-looking woman, even in death—and it was a shame she would've been nice to talk with in person. With a tear dropping down her right cheek, Ruby held her hand out to one of her life-void hands, then placed it upon.

Then, she took a deep breath.

"Even if I had never really met you in the first place. I know how hard it is, losing someone you could have saved at the right place, at the right time. And... I know it's not something you can easily get used to. Well, unless you were a policeman, or what-not. But, if I had stepped in, just in time, you might still be here now..."

The Silver-Eyed Warrior sobbed for a bit, then continued,

"But I can't blame you for what happened. You fought hard, but that Bowser, he...he was too strong. And now that he...he's had a victory of his own over us, this is where we are now..!"

Ruby broke down crying over Lu Bu's body as she picked her up and hugged tightly.

"Please, come back! I can't bear even the thought of you laying down, dead...j—just as with my own mother..."

thatguyinthestore (GM, Bowser, Rosalina), Haz. (Makoto), Necessity4Fun (Thae), Sir Skrubbins (Medic), CocoaMarshmallow (Eric), DapperDogman (Lu Bu)

 

[LilacMonarch]

Julia

The Espeon wasted no time getting out of there, using her power to support the injured as they made their way to the portal. Once they were all safely back at the Observatory...with one exception, Julia nodded in agreement with Rosalina's words. She had known it was foolish to go straight to Bowser, but arguing had accomplished nothing. She should have just taken control of the ship in the first place.

She shoots a cold glare at Jason, saying nothing, not even telepathically. But the meaning was still obvious: This is your fault.

The Espeon silently walks to Makoto and the late Lu Bu, sitting down and using her Morning Sun once again to heal the Persona user. It was focused on him, but the others would still be healed by it, other than the purposeful exclusion of Thae. She wished she could use it on the girl, too. Well, she could, technically - but it would do no good. No amount of healing her body's wounds would bring her back.

"First, tend to the living..." She murmured, as much to herself as anyone else.



Despite herself, Julia starts to tear up a bit. She wasn't close to her exactly, but her habit of watching the memories of those around her made her feel a sort of connection. The Espeon could learn as much about a person with a single glance as someone without her abilities could in a month. She had often been criticized for doing so, though she saw no harm in it - other than that at times it caused her to care...too much. "I tried to save her..."

To her regret, Julia realized that she had not even once spoken to the girl - not individually, at least. She bowed her head, her ears and tail drooping. It seemed silly that she could be so affected by the death of one she only knew for...what, a few hours? Yet, the tears came. All she could think of was what she could have done differently to stop this...useless thoughts that only made the pain worse.

A yell finally brought her back to reality: "Where is Excalibur?!"

Choking back a sob, she noticed her healing light on Makoto had started to flicker during her mourning and shook her head, trying to focus on keeping it stable. She couldn't let her emotion keep her from doing her job. If the boy died, she would never forgive herself...

Once she had her healing back under control, the Espeon scans the whole Observatory, her power allowing her to detect others, even through walls. But she couldn't find him. Everyone else was there. With a sinking feeling, she double and tripled checked. Nothing.

"He's...not here..."



Interactions: Haz. (Makoto) thatguyinthestore (Jason, Rosalina) Mentions: DapperDogman (Lu) SpaceRavens03 (Inazuma ,Excalibur)​

 

[Chungchangching]

Interactions:
Crow DapperDogman
CN-TAN THE TOON

"My anvil, my freaking anvil!" CN-tan whined.

The Toon paced around the observatory while she tugged on her hair, she looks like she's gonna have a mental breakdown any second from now, that anvil was a gift from Fleischer-tan before she disappeared from the face of the earth and that big meanie just cut it in half like it was nothing, maybe using it as a weapon was a bad idea. She wasn't even concerned about Lu Bu, who the fuck is she even?! She never even had a small conversation with her so she doesn't matter to The Toon, she cared more about the fucking anvil she lost but the boy who made a huge contribution to the fight was alive at least, that's something to be happy about, right? Gah! She can't stop thinking about Fleischer-tan's last gift to her!! Throwing it was a stupid decision but she can't blame herself for it, somebody else has to pay-- Okay, maybe she's being way too dramatic here.

Maybe some food will calm her down, they might have some ice cream in the kitchen. . . Hopefully. She stopped tugging her hair and walked towards kitchen to see what's in the fridge, there better be something good if there's no ice cream in the fridge because she's really peeved right now! She might start stabbing bitches if there's nothing good or worse; no food. She spotted Laffey make her way into the kitchen, causing CN-tan to walk even faster to make sure she at least get's a little snack, there's no way she's gonna let Laffey eat all of the food. The Toon is probably more hungry than her!​

 

[BoltBeam]

Agent 3|Punishment

The battle raged on for quite some time - as though it had never even finished. Well, at the end, it did, but this is nowhere near the end. Agent 3's shots fell on deaf ears, but the main bulk of the action was from this kid of some kind - Agent 3 didn't quite know his name, but - Bowser had challenged him for some kind of super attack; and this is that which followed.

“Okay, chump! Hope you’re ready to get pummeled!” He shouted with a toothy smirk as he slowly approached the blue haired teen. Bowser then confidently rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, before bringing his fists up. With the total concussive force of a collapsing skyscraper, his first fist shot forward towards the Persona. And yet, unexpectedly, when Helel rushed to parry the punch, his effort held merit. The Morning Star crossed his arms, nimbly locking the koopa’s fist between his elbows. Then, reeling forward in a sharp jolt, the Persona headbutt Bowser, causing the King Koopa’s neck to coil back.


“What!?” Dark Bowser shouted after taking the hit head on, his eyes widening in shock as the Persona caught his attack. Bowser struggled to break free of his attack for a moment, his fist moving around the inner workings of the elbows for a moment. “How the heck’re you doin’ that!? You’re not supposed to keep up with me!” He shouted in response, clear shock at the situation made evident by his expression. Makoto gave a moment to shoot back an easy glare at Medic, before responding simply,

“I don’t know. Ask them.” The boy said, alluding to his comrades, whose cheers did not fall on deaf ears.

Agent 3 chuckled as something that elaborate was answered that simply. It seems there's plenty of means to power up, be it you know them or not. That medicinal magician seems to have made a powerful ally - one that grows even stronger with his help, at that (through means that nobody but he could explain - long term - but that's a 'lot' of explaining). However, even with all of this powering-up and all of this help, the boy would find himself getting thoroughly beaten by the powered up koopa king as the boy in question slowly got worn out due to prolonged damage.

“GAR HAR HAR HAR!!! Looks like you’re gettin’ tired, ain’t ya!?” He shouted, grabbing the Persona by its neck and plunging his head forwards, headbutting it directly in the nose. Except, it wasn’t Makoto who was injured. Even Bowser’s thick skull made no dent against the Ubercharge, causing him to shriek in agony and step back with hands cupped around his bridge.

Yuki shot glares at Eric, Ruby and Thae, and as the Typhlosion yelled out his signal, Helel thrust forward his hand. When Rose and the Dark Comet clashed blades with the reptile’s hide, the Koopa King found himself quickly being overwhelmed, and the follow-up shots by Midgardsormr, Sans and Odessa, coupled with a bolt of lightning fired from the Persona’s palm, called a cataclysm upon him as a legendary coup de grâce.

“NO!! This can’t be happening!!!” Bowser shouted as the surrounding explosion rocked him to the core. Even with the Twilight enhanced abilities, Dark Bowser seemed to struggle to even move, laying helplessly on the ground. However, just as he was about to accept defeat, he noticed something: the Ubercharge; the crystalline shell that had formed around Makoto; had powered down. With everyone tired from unleashing their final attacks, and with rejuvenated confidence, Bowser quickly shot back up and swung a fist through the unsuspecting Persona’s chest. Now that the invulnerability effect was gone, the poor Helel stood no chance against Dark Bowser’s Twilight-fueled punch, the sonic boom that resulted flinging its target, and his summoner, back a great distance, dispelling the demon and effectively rendering Makoto powerless. The reptile grinned and walked over to the teenager next, lifting him up by his neck with his gigantic palm.

“You lost, twerp.” He said with a growl as he brought Makoto forward, the boy able to smell his putrid breath, before he nonchalantly tossed him aside and watched him roll to the end of the arena.

A beaten and humiliated Yuki, clinging onto consciousness for dear life, only muttered one more word before passing out completely, laying on the brink of death with the essence of his soul slipping away rapidly:

“L-Live....”

Just as he said this, Bowser looked to the rest of the group and smirked, gesturing to the unconscious Persona wielder and the deceased heroine. “This is what happens when you try and be a hero!” He shouted, before letting out yet another laugh.

However, before he could gloat further, a familiar figure appeared in the sky. She was adorned in a blue dress, and her left eye was covered by a streak of blonde hair.

“Bowser!” She shouted, her voice booming with authority as cracks began to form beneath her and she held up her wand. From behind her and before your very eyes, a giant star emerged from behind her like a rising sun.

“Oh, would ya look at that!” Bowser shouted as he smirked, gesturing to Rosalina. “The space princess returns!” He shouted, though Rosalina’s piercing gaze did not falter in the slightest. “If you haven’t notice, I’ve gotten a bit of an awesome upgrade! So why don’t you make yourself useful and sc--” Before he could finish, the star that had emerged from behind Rosalina had fired a beam of pure light and encompassed the Koopa King, causing him to let out an ear piercing shriek as he fell to his knees. White static surrounded him as he struggled to even move, or breathe. “W-what the heck did you do to me!?”

“You don’t have a lot of time before he recovers!” Rosalina exclaimed, and she was right. Bowser was slowly struggling to his feet, already having regained some of the motor functions in his arms.

“Okay, lady, but where the fuck do we go!?” Jason asked. Soon after doing so, Rosalina closed her eyes and waved her wand around. Suddenly, a blue portal opened up, and on the other end appeared to be the Observatory. Rosalina was shaking as she held it open, trying to do so as long as she possibly could. With that, Jason ran over and hoisted Lu Bu and Makoto over his shoulders, before running through the portal. One glance backwards would reveal that Bowser was already back on one foot, and as such the remainder of you ran through without much hesitation. Rosalina entered behind all of you, and the portal closed soon after.

Agent 3 tried to process every last part of that - that barrier that formed around the boy seemed to make him invincible, but as soon as it ran out, Bowser straight-up came on over and whacked him so hard he got knocked out? That's one way to end a fight, but that's not the important part; Rosalina seemed to show up just in time to get everyone the heck out of here, paralysing Bowser with a laser of some form - scary and powerful to boot. Shortly after, Rosalina warned everyone Bowser was already recovering, and a short exclamation from the man in red later, a portal to the Comet Observatory was formed. Perfect! Time to get the heck out of here! Agent 3 would leap out of where she was hiding in the ink and follow along, running in as fast as she could as to get away from exponential death. What followed next didn't make it any better.

“That was foolish and reckless!” Rosalina exclaimed in anger as the bodies of Lu Bu and Makoto were dropped in front of her. “I told you earlier that Bowser was too powerful to take on his own, did I not?” She asked, though no response was given. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her head lowering while she rubbed it with her index finger and thumb. “What were you thinking? Two of your own have been gravely injured, perhaps even killed, due to your recklessness.” She said, her voice much calmer now and full of somber as she observed Lu Bu and Makoto.

“...are they gonna be alright?” Jason, who had taken off his helmet, asked simply while looking the unconscious bodies over. Rosalina knelt down beside the two for a moment, and eventually lowered her head in clear sadness.


“...the blue haired one is. But I'm afraid this one's soul has been lost...” She said as she knelt down next to Lu Bu and closed her eyes with her fingers. She left her body on the ground, before turning to face all of you. "You may bury her if you wish..." She said somberly, before turning and walking off. As she did so, she stopped in her tracks for a moment, before glancing back. “I managed to recover Bowser Junior after you left him on that ship to die, not that you care. He is in the Kitchen if you wish to speak with him.”

Agent 3 shook her head and looked down in visible guilt. Yes, they all seemed to forget the warning. Arguing with her would be pointless - but in retrospect, they did kind of dig themselves into this hole. Seems the news of actually full-on losing someone hit pretty darn hard so far as well. They knew now Bowser was strong, but to let it happen again would be even worse. Agent 3's curiosity piqued at the mention of the Junior who had been situated in the kitchen. After Rosalina left however she instead shook her head. "No." She said in a downed tone. "I'll stay here. With the bodies. One of them died so we may live. And the other is the sole reason we were able to manage an escape." She continued in the same tone, lowering herself to the ground and seating herself to the side of both cumulative bodies, her weapon put down as well. She looked to them, notably the deceased one, and shook herself. 'I don't know who you were. But I wish I could just thank you for sacrificing so much, and giving us what you were prepared to give up. It was a brave move; one that couldn't go without consequence, but. On behalf of the others. I want to thank you for what you did, whatever else you did, and that you see better things upon the next instance.' She thought to herself, slapping herself a little and she, too, like red riding hood over there, seemed to be in tears as well - though not 'as' extreme. Permanent death was so foreign to an Inkling, never before. How can you not? She may have never known this fallen individual, but the least she could do was stay with them, to sympathise and contemplate.
Details

Link to CS: Here!
Hex Code: #61BD6D
Status (physically): Fine
Status (mentally/emotionally): Saddened, contemplating
Location: Comet Observatory
Powers: Inkling (species abilities and traits)
Items: Hero Shot, Splat Bombs
Active buffs/power-ups: Super Mushroom (Energy boost, 1 post)
Course of action: Watch the bodies of the one dead and the one unconscious

Interactions: thatguyinthestore (GM), Haz.
Mentions: Sir Skrubbins , DapperDogman , marc122
Nearby:

In group: Everyone​

Actually nearby: Everyone​

 

[CocoaMarshmallow]

Eric

The sounds of battle erupt into a collective roar.

Thump, thump.

Bowser briskly steps toward Makoto, certain of his victory against the boy. But his pride, thick as steel one second, is stripped away the next; the odd apparition by Makoto’s side catches Bowser’s claw and strikes him with a swift headbutt, which for a precious moment, sends the Twilight-empowered Koopa reeling: one single, fleeting second that, in the midst of such a disaster, is an awe-inspiring sight for all to behold. And I… I can’t help but stare in wonder as Makoto stands his ground confidently against the shocked and stunned reptile, the latter, dare I say, understanding the terror of the potential behind his opponent’s small, less intimidating form.

“How the heck’re you doin’ that!? You’re not supposed to keep up with me!” he cries out, clearly searching for an answer as he struggles against the might of the Morning Star’s hold.

And Makoto, no fear in his own eyes, I see him glance back at the Medic for a moment- the same Medic who was working so hard to keep us all alive, and the same who had given his utmost support to the boy in the face of certain death. A distant memory sparks to life in the back of my mind, a memory of that strange man I met back at my guild a few months ago, the one named Adachi. He had said something about this before… while I can’t recall exactly what it was, somehow, in some way, the confidence we have in Makoto- Medic, Claptrap, and all the rest of us- it’s pushing his power to new heights, letting him compete in the previously-thought invincible Bowser’s league. He then looks back at Bowser, and without a single tremble in his voice or a single twitch, speaks.

Thump, thump.

“I don’t know. Ask them.”

That moment is when the tables turn. Yuki, Ravio, and Marcus join the fray, standing alongside Makoto, steadfast, ready. Their efforts combined with the Persona user’s newfound power brings Bowser more desperation than ever, causing him to, rather humorously, ask us to stop cheering him on. Many would think that this is the climax, the second before Bowser’s imminent defeat, and they would not be in the wrong for expecting so. Alas… not all stories have happy endings.

The Koopa’s frustration begins to boil. It’s as clear as day. Volatile as he is, he channels his rage into an all-out flurry of punches against Makoto’s Persona. Makoto, caught off guard, is helpless to being launched back, unfortunately directly into Helel, destroying the apparition in the process. I grit my teeth as I watch the devastating blows rip into the human. It’s not the time yet… as much as my heart screams at me to help, I force it back down my throat, firmly repeating those same words: it’s not the time yet. It’s not the time yet. Too soon, and my all-out attack would go to waste. It’s only due to Julia removing my fear that I can resist jumping in to help him; unable to feel scared for Makoto’s possible death, I find the wishes of my soul easy to deny, for with strength like Makoto had shown, I reason he’ll soon get back up and defend himself. Unbeknownst to my now different mind, that reasoning will be something I will soon regret.

Thump, thump.

All the others suddenly close in on Bowser, stopping him from advancing. Laffey, Ben, Karako, Tanya, even CN-Tan and Zim with anvils and flaming peanuts, all assault him at once, and while their strength can hardly compare to the Koopa’s or even Makoto’s, it buys the blue-haired human the time he needs to get back up, and he does, his Persona now visibly weakened, the boy stumbling around from his injuries. Yet, mentally, this teen is not shaken, and Lucario doesn’t need to be here to tell me that- his stance looks tall and determined as ever, despite how grim the situation is looking for him. Please, I beg to myself. I know someone has to help him here. No one’s going to die. Not him, not anyone. I’m sure of it.

Surely enough, the Medic had prepared a backup plan. Using the canteen on his hip, he gives our frontline fighter a second taste of an Ubercharge, encasing him and his Persona in a red glow that would make him invincible. His apparition launches a punch towards Bowser, and I let out a grunt of displeasure as the Koopa simply moves his head and dodges it casually. Clearly, Makoto’s power and speed- or rather, that of his Persona’s- had dropped to its previous levels once again. With that Ubercharge being the only support he has left, it’s up to the invulnerability it provides to give us a sufficient window of opportunity to launch my cackling ball of lightning, which still glows brightly in my paw, growing larger by the second. Seeing his foe weakened, Bowser laughs and taunts him; “GAR HAR HAR HAR!!! Looks like you’re gettin’ tired, ain’t ya!?” he laughs in uproar before attempting to headbutt the Persona, just as it had done to him. However, his confidence once again leads to another downfall: failing to account for the Ubercharge, Bowser’s skull hits the equivalent of titanium, which sends him reeling again, stumbling back and clutching his sore bridge.

Thump, thump.

This…

This is it.

This…

...is exactly what we need!

My fingers close, just barely touching the surface of the lightning ball, letting its sparks fly from its glow and course through my fur. Complete confidence fills me. One single word leaves my mind, broadcasted for everyone to hear.

NOW!

Ruby runs in like a blur, and true to my promise, I stretch my other paw out and release a weaker bolt of electricity towards her, following up her strike on Bowser with a surprising shock. And as soon as she disappears again, running far away from the line of fire… I throw the lightning sphere out. Changing from a bright yellow to an astounding blue as it leaves my paw, it soars towards Bowser, screaming out in a chorus of thunderclaps and shrieks, accompanied by other attacks from Midgardsormr, Odessa, and Sans, and hits the Koopa at full force, the electricity breaking apart and dispersing itself all over his hide and hopefully, even deep down into his body. One final, spectacular explosion engulfs him. The dust and smoke slowly clears, and when it grows thin enough for us to see through, his downed form is revealed: battered, defeated, utterly helpless.

Thump… thump…

We have won.

The world grows darker still. My body feels like air. Not light, no, but it’s as if it’s ceased to exist entirely. I can feel nothing- not any pain, nor any sensation like the air brushing against my brittle fur. I try to move, but my numb muscles refuse. They lay statue still. My already black surroundings begin to spin. Sweat drips down my forehead, though I can’t feel it. But none of it matters. Bowser is defeated, and not a single casualty has been dealt to us. It’s over. We’re victorious.

A single color disappears from my sight. My curious, tired mind strains itself to see what happened. It was Makoto’s Ubercharge wearing off, his invincibility gone. I notice Bowser shift around on the ground, a delusion caused by my weakness, most likely. He won’t be able to stand up, the uncertain, remaining logic in my mind figures. Not after that. This is the truth. Definite, unshakable truth. If only I knew… if only I knew I was the only delirious one…

The horrifying sound of a devastating impact rocks the arena. My eyes struggle to stay open, but they catch the glimpse of Makoto… being flung away from Bowser like a ragdoll, and his Persona not even shimmering by his side anymore, the only thing left being him, alone, tossed aside as easily as everyone else. My mind struggles to comprehend it- how?! How could Bowser possibly have mustered up the strength for that?! It doesn’t reflect on these questions for long, for it and I notice Bowser picking up the boy. A growl escapes his lips. His cockiness is gone; what remains is nothing but pure anger. This is his moment of victory. Not ours. And he’ll cherish his triumph over Makoto for as long as he can.

“You lost, twerp.”

Thump… thump…

Bowser throws him away with a claw, caring for him no more than he would dirty laundry. The Persona user slides to a stop at the edge of the arena, next to another motionless member of our group. Someone I haven’t talked to, nor have even eavesdropped on. Her name is the only thing that’s known to me.

Lu Bu.

I use all of my energy just to take a step towards her and Makoto. Somehow, my body obeys this time, breaking free of its paralysis by overcoming it with desperation. But as I set my foot down on solid ground again, I feel myself lean forward before I collapse on the ground, my remaining sight forsaking me and leaving me in total darkness. I force myself to crawl, but I find everything is limp, not locked in place, instead refusing to respond to me entirely.

Thump...

If I could still feel, I would feel my body growing cold. The flame that burns brightly in my soul, dying. My guildmaster had warned me about pushing myself too far, though it was already too late. What remains of my conscious mind searches desperately for answers, attempting to command flesh that’s far, far gone. Phrases only describable as insanity plague my head. Makoto… Persona… one more… Morning Sun… Lu Bu… they… can’t be…

Save…

Must save…

...Live…

Reality fades away, and what happens next... I know not.

--

“Try it, ya’ dunce.”

Riolu playfully bonks me on the head with his paw as he hands me a pink berry in his other. It has an elongated shape, like a banana, but it has a soft, juicy skin, like that of a grape. I stare at it flatly before exchanging a confused glance with him. “What is it…?”

“It’s a Nanab Berry! It’s one of my favorites. My dad used to use it in his berry salads all the time!” My partner practically shoves it into my face. “Tryyyyyy iiiiiiiiiiit.”

Unwilling to give it a go, I purse my lips and lean away from him. There’s no way I’m going to try something that looks like eggplant and looks even less appetizing. However, knowing how easily hurt my partner is, I decide to do away with adamancy and instead ask him another question. “Okay, okay, first- what’s it taste like?”

...Thump...

Riolu grins widely. “It’s got this, mmm… bittery taste… but, like, you can feel this sweetness in it too! It tastes like a candy! Come on, you need to try it!”

He stops, noticing my face of pure ‘um’ and unwillingness. A frown crosses his lips, a pout I can’t even bare to look at anymore. He knows that, and I know he knows, and he knows I know he knows! And he still does it! So, like any good friend would, he leans in, giving me those puppy dog eyes, light shimmering off of his tears. They’re fake as heck, but darn if I can’t ignore it. I look away, but he sees me cracking. He can tell I’m softening up. He goes for the killing blow.

“Come onnn, Eric… pleaaaase?”

My heart splits in two. Stupid cute blue dog. “Okay, okay, fine…” I grumble as I take the Nanab Berry from him, the smile on his face returning, now out of his sly victory. If a Cyndaquil like me didn’t have these weird… not-really closed eyes, I’d be rolling them in defeat right now. Anyway, considering I’ve already fell hook, line, and sinker into his trap, I might as well follow up on my promise. I stare down at the berry, turning it over in my tiny, sorry excuse for my paws, imagining all the bad things it could taste like. Like eggplant. Bitter and sweet eggplant. Excuse me while I vomit.

...Thump...

Okay, Eric, you can do this. You and Riolu are the talk of the whole world right now. You saved it, for goodness’ sake. You’re going to try this fruit and you’re going to take it like a MAN. So, we’re gonna do this on three. One… two…

A blue paw snatches the Nanab Berry from my paw and stuffs it into my mouth before I can get to three. Its vivid taste assaults my tastebuds, like Riolu said, in mixtures of bitterness and sweetness, bouncing back and forth between each other and creating perfect harmony. It’s unbelievably soft, too- each bite doesn’t chew it up, but rather melts it in my mouth, like it’s even softer than angel cake. After a few moments of savoring the taste, I swallow both my pride and the last of the Nanab.

“Was it good?” Riolu asks with a smirk that stretches ear to ear, certainly one that could rival a Zoroark’s.

“...Yeah,” I smile back.

Riolu almost jumps out of his skin from the excitement. He leaps ten feet into the air and pumps his fist, and I mean that in the most literal way. “WOOHOO!” He then promptly begins dancing around me in a circle, jumping all over this place in celebration of his victory. “I told you, I told you, I told you, I told you, Mr. Mcgrumpypants!”

I sigh. Sometimes I forget that having Riolu as my partner is the equivalent of babysitting him. He just turned ten a week ago, and it really shows. Huh… but y’know what? It… brings a smile to my face. It’s endearing. Honest to goodness, it’s endearing. If it wasn’t for him… I’d have lost my confidence in our mission long, long ago.

When his bottomless pit of energy finally decides to stop fueling him, he sits down next to me. I can practically feel his hyperactivity radiating off him even after all that. Contrary to his neverending liveliness inside his heart, however, is this worrying frown on his face that only appears when he wants to ask me one of his more serious questions. “Eric?” he starts.

“Yeah?”

Please don’t let it be the question.

“Why are you and other grown-ups so grumpy all the time?”

Another sigh, but this time in relief. Thank Arceus.

“What, was I too grumpy with not wanting to try the berry?” A chuckle escapes me. “Sorry.”

“No, Eric. I mean… why are grown-ups always grumpy?”

It takes me a moment, but what he means finally clicks.

...Th...ump…

I lean back and make myself relaxed as I overlook the village me and my partner used to live in. Small, sparse buildings and a tiny town square is what made up the modest community. The stillness of the place combined with the very few amounts of Pokemon you could see walking about had since brought it the fitting name of ‘Serene Village.’ In the distance, the cascading, perfect blue waterfall that I’ve fallen in love with continues to flow as it does every day. Beside us is the big tree Riolu’s visited every day since he was born, and ever since we met, he’s dragged me along on his daily excursions to relax under its shade for a while. It was what made his home… home. Though for some reason, we never really gave it a name. We just call it ‘The Big Tree.’ Original names, I know.

The calming nature of this spot does its magic. It frees my mind, quietness dragging away all other thought, allowing me to reflect on the Riolu’s question. My heart already knows the answer; it just needs to put it in terms he can understand.

“...Well…” I start, my brow furrowing as I search for the words. “...when you’re an adult, life becomes hard. You get more responsibilities than just school. You have to cook and clean and do all the things your dad does for you for yourself. And… sometimes…”

...Th...ump…

“...life kinda kicks you down.” My voice cracks at that. I turn to him, my gaze showing hints of sadness as my words grow a bit more personal. “You know how when you get hurt, you cry?” Riolu nods solemnly. I lift my eyes back to the sky to stare at the puffy clouds above. It gives me strength. “Adults get hurt, too, but as you grow older, you realize more things begin to hurt. Sometimes you know why they hurt, sometimes you don’t. Adults really want to run away from being hurt, especially by the things they don’t understand how to fix. It’s not like how you can fix a boo-boo by putting a bandage over it. So we run away. But after a while, we realize we can’t run away.” Again, I turn to him. “You can’t just forget about the mean things those school bullies used to say to you, right?”

And again, Riolu nods. “Yeah…” He seems to be following along well enough.

“Well, it’s the same with us. A lot of us get our feelings hurt. But we’re smart, you know? And we’re smart enough to know we can’t run from being hurt. So we just… accept it. We know we’re always going to get hurt, and we get tired, and frustrated, and grumpy, and sometimes we cry, just like you.”

“But…” Riolu’s voice is nothing more than a whisper. His lips tremble, and his eyes tear up- this time for real. “...grown-ups still have fun, right, Eric?”

“We try,” I agree. “But sometimes the things that hurt us hurt too much for us to have fun, and we can’t have fun anymore until it stops hurting.”

My partner falls silent for a while. He stays there in silence, looking at the grass, processing what I just said, running through my explanation over and over and over again. After what seems like hours, he suddenly wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest tight, holding me there, his tears falling onto my fur.

“Is that why you were so scared about being the leader of our team, Eric?”

Slowly, I embrace him. My own tears begin to fall down my cheeks. Only now do I notice the air has become colder.

...Th...ump...

“It’s a little more complicated than that… but yeah.”

Riolu squeezes me tighter. “But I believe in you, Eric… you’re strong, and you’re smart, and you’re brave, and you always do the right thing…”

“...You really think so?”

“Yeah…” He pulls away a little bit so that we can look at each other face-to-face. His face is already growing red from his crying, and he is barely able to continue talking through his sobbing. “I-I know you’ll be a c-cool leader… b-because you always do the right thing… y-you’d protect me… and you’d protect everyone…”

My feet grow weak. I pull Riolu close again, and he does the same to me. Sobbing degrades into silence, the cold air rushing through our fur as we stand there, embracing each other, crying to ourselves. I close my eyes… and let the tears come for the last time.

...

Riolu…

Lu Bu…

Makoto…

Everyone…

I’m sorry.

...

--

(Mentions and interactions to be added later.)​