X-DREAMERS [mission 02: the otherworldly bazaar]

[Mikasa361]

~Kouji- Attack again!~

 

Kouji grinned as he looked at his work. The strange liquid that he could only infer to be blood oozed from the wound in a very satisfying way. Was this how it felt to protect a friend’s companions? Well, the boy had to help more often, this was quite thrilling! ...Okay, he wasn’t a psychopath, or at least he assumed he wasn’t. He hoped he wasn’t, anyway. Still, this was an enemy he was trying to beat, of course this was going to give him some sort of rush. Tara still stood, the nervous wreck that she was, which drove him to further try and kick this monster’s ass. He certainly appreciated the fact that he had some help though, otherwise this would be a nightmare.

 

The thing tried to attack with… Was it a shroud of mist? A blanket of flame? How were the two able to exist at the same time, did water not snuff out flames with ease? Yet something blocked the attack before it could reach the warrior of light. Kouji snarled at the beast. This was a very strange beast indeed, it didn’t help that it looked like some sort of Digimon. But did Digimon bleed? He never quite knew. They always got hurt, but he had never seen an open wound on one. Did they perhaps bleed fractal code? That was always a possibility, one that was all too real. So then what was this thing? Was it perhaps something completely different that Kouji would never come to understand? Did TARA know? Who in this group knew what this thing was-- oh. Perhaps the person that had just been reduced to nothing but stone. He did see that, in all of the confusion, and wanted to enact some sort of retribution on the one who caused it to happen, which was of course this giant beast.

 

He prepared his saber again. Lobo kendo. Except this time the beast was ready for his attack and prepared to dodge. Kouji didn’t miss completely, though, but he only left a small scratch. More blood oozed from the wound, but not quite like the other one. No, not even close. He wondered how much longer it would take for reinforcements arrived. Kouji did notice a group forming nearby, after all. Were they going to help? Would Tara get her together and MAYBE join the fight? He really wanted to know soon, before the thing tried to attack at him again.

[Pyrowings]

Lightpon ~ Which of these are fresh?

 

She followed Qaksh as he walked over to the strange round cat-eared thing with the ribbon, past the Pascal-sque-haired lady with the orb containing swirling dragon spirits and past the simian thing wearing Empyrean garb and a paper mask. As her gaze settled on the fruit, her eyes widened and ears shot up, and then she blinked a few times to make sure this was actually a thing. Are fruit usually this big?! That apple is more than twice the size of my head! Light looked at the other fruit displayed on the dark cloth--all of them were absolutely HUGE! We're going to finish shopping in no time! Light grinned.

 

"Oh!" The shopkeeper gasped, then split into a face-spanning grin as Qaksh set the apple down. "Take a look at my cherries too!" She(?) urged, turning and using both hands to pick up two dark cherries from a bag behind her(?), still connected by their stems, and both of them big enough that Light doubted if she could carry both at once. She reached down and picked up a bright strawberry, turning it around to examine it. Is this good? These seeds look much paler than they're supposed to be. She set it down and eyed the fruit worriedly, face twisted into a frown. What did Arisia tell me about fruit again?  The darker the color, the safer they are to eat? Light looked at the giant bananas with narrowed eyes. Bananas are supposed to be black to be safe, then? But everyone kept telling me that black means it wasn't safe to eat, right? Light stepped back, tapping her foot and crossing her arms as she tried to sort through what she remembered about fruit. That light green circle thing with the weird T-shaped stem probably isn't ripe, then? But the skin looks all weird and tough too. Do most people eat that part? There was something about if it looks tough, don't eat it, right? But bananas and oranges aren't tough when they're ripe and I can't eat those peels. Light bit her lip and shuffled, looking down with her ears pressed against her head. Why are there so many things I'm not allowed to eat? I can't remember all this... 

 

Sacred ~ WKyu Fight

 

The dragon shrieked and fell back from her; she landed firm on the cobbles. It snarled at her, and she saw an icy mist start to gather around its jaws, but the dragon turtle took the opportunity to smash a claw into the side of its face, cracking the ice there and forcing the dragon off-balance. Sacred ran forward and quickly reformed her shield, giving another spinning strike with it as she got close--the energy from her repeated attacks was flowing through her more strongly now, surrounding her in a soft ripple of green light--and as she spun, she concentrated, summoning the same power as that of ancient oaks, of wizened willows, of venerable maples. The dragon breathed a barrage of icicles covered in cold fire--her green light flared, and as the dragon stepped back from the giant wolf's attack, she unleashed the power she had stored--the energy exploded outward from her sword as she spun and swung at the dragon, following it up with another strike from her shield as the aura around her brightened even more.

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Pyrowings

[ValidEmotions]

Sora | Heartless

 

A lot of that made sense to him. Mulling over what he knew when Pascal revealed she wasn't familiar with the Heartless, Sora lightly tapped the tip of a shoe against the ground. "Well, Cid's not wrong; Heartless attack just about anyone because of the Darkness in everyone's hearts. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors which are all based upon the world they're in. Typically, they look like monsters and there are two kinds: Pureblood and Emblem. Purebloods are just dark, shadow-like beasts with yellow eyes with nothing special like colorful designs. It's the Emblem Heartless that vary most in appearance but you can pick them out due to a symbol located on their bodies."

 

He had no way of drawing out the emblem for Pascal to see and he knew he wasn't going to be able to describe it accurately enough. Hopefully they wouldn't come across any Heartless but, if they did, he would make sure to point out the emblem to her. "They rarely travel alone, almost always attacking in swarms, and many can use magic." Folding his arms over his chest, he tapped his idly tapped his foot again. "They'll go after anyone's heart but what they're really attracted to are the Heart of each World. If they consume the World's Heart, it'll be consumed and destroyed by Darkness. So it's my job to lock the doorways leading to each Heart and prevent the Heartless from consuming them."

 

Sora didn't know much about what Organization XIII wanted, or how the Nobodies truly lined up with the Heartless. As far as he could tell, they were two separate entities but he knew there was still something more, something he was missing. Shaking his head, he gave Pascal a grin. "I could use some food. Man, I haven't eaten in... well, I don't know how long honestly. You tend to lose track of time when you're jumping around worlds," he laughed.

 

-----

 

They could feel it, almost smell it....

 

Antennae twitched, bodies jerked. Magic hummed with eagerness. From the Darkness, they tracked down the Light. It had disappeared but that couldn't be. Where there was Darkness, there was always Light. A ceaseless battle. A constant struggle. They wanted - no, needed - to consume it. They were anger. They were despair. They were rage. They were hunger. 

 

Finally, they found it, or it resurfaced. They followed it, traveling farther than they were aware of. Many of them became distracted, drawn by the temptation of other worlds, of the Hearts that glistened from within their cores. These ones had doorways, left wide open for anyone to walk through. As if these worlds knew not of their sacred treasure, knew not of the threat that had finally come. These worlds were strange, some even twisted by some... Other.

 

The Light drew closer, or they drew closer to it. They could feel it, could smell it. It called to the Darkness just as the Darkness called to it; always a balance, always a tug here and one there. Maybe there would never be an end to it. 

 

-----

 

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.

 

Sora barely took two steps before he heard it. It wasn't so much a sound as more of an instinct, a sensation that bordered on actually being audible. Reflexively, he jerked his head to the right, gaze trailing with the motion. The Black Market was dubbed thus for its dark shade of color, illuminated only by lamps and the patterned qualities of its inhabitants. But he could still make out the pool of Darkness that expanded and spun on the ground, the Corridor that allowed a too-familiar shape to pass through and manifest in this world.

 

Heartless.

 

"Pascal!" Sora called, crouching as he swung his hands up, Oathkeeper flashing into existence. Where there was one, there was always more. His eyes swept over the first small Shadow, the cat-like creature already beginning to dash forward in an attack, and quickly spotted the rest of the Corridors spreading across the ground in a noticeable ring around the boy and Pascal. Grunting faintly, Sora sprinted towards the first Shadow and slashed with his Keyblade, taking the Heartless out with a fast one-two strike. It vanished in a cloud of wispy tendrils, fading from existence. 

 

Looking for Pascal, he spoke quickly. "We have to get rid of them before they spread through the Market!"

 

Circuitraider | Observations

 

"So I've noticed," Circuitraider commented, briefly marveling at the orange beast's non-physical handling of a rather large apple. The fruit looked like the organic substance found on Earth, with only size being a major factor of difference. Humans had a way of evaluating such forms of nutrition, it was vital to ensure their good health. Only, as she watched the pointy-eared human slowly become further distressed, the bot realized she didn't know much about how to help the situation. 

 

Leave it to the organic to figure it out, anyways. This isn't truly your problem to be concerned with.

 

"I don't require organic sustenance," the Autobot stated after a few moments, glancing at the - wasn't he called a "dragon"? Human mythologies included several dragons, didn't they? And here was one in the flesh? Looking away from the "dragon" and back towards the fruit stand, she continued talking. "However, I can assist in carrying back whatever you procure today. You have no bags to carry with." 

 

Is this really better than standing at the Green Gate? 

 

You're interacting with organics, are you not? That's something to be proud of.

 

Organics are pesky and obnoxious things.

 

What did she know about Earth fruit? "... Try checking for scent. You don't want anything rancid. And... and getting riper fruit requires being consumed much sooner, if not immediately," Circuitraider explained slowly, thinking over what she was saying. Okay, so she might have studied a few things while on Earth. She had been a scientist first, after all. 

 

I still am a scientist.

 

Are you so sure?

 

... No.

[TehUltimateMage]

Pascal -- Black Market

 

"I get it!" Pascal snapped her fingers, then reiterated: "So you're also the one who fights them to stop them from spreading and taking over worlds. That's a real big task, with so many worlds to keep track of." Her stomach growled, interrupting her thought. "We can get you a savory pancake or something," she sheepishly added after the boy mentioned mentioned food. She was hungry again too, even though she didn't eat too long ago.

 

While they were walking towards a nice jeon stall Pascal was a big fan of, Sora's expression changed. He had suddenly froze, his eyes following something unseen. Pascal titled her head, trying to figure out what he saw or heard but quickly enough she too could see the pools of darkness from which the creatures would emerge. Carefully, she tucked away the fuse in her hand, and unlatched the staff from her back. Her companion already had his weapon out, effortlessly dispatching one of the yellow-eyed monsters. If what Sora said was true, then the presence of aggressive monsters here was far from a good sign.

 

"I'm on it!" she answered when he called her name. She leveled her shotstaff to her eye, watching for movement through her aligned scopes. Shadows crawled through from the dark portals and she pulled the trigger, sending two quick bolts of fire that pierced and ignited the catlike creature.

 

Pascal then hummed, twirling her staff back around while she cloaked herself with magical energy -- eleth, mana, whatever they called it here -- and using it to weave a spell. The blue energy rose from her feet and tousled her scarf and hair like a powerful wind as she focused, calling upon the power of the spirit of fire.

 

Regular magic users tended to attack from a distance. Pascal turned that idea backwards: like anything else she did, she was at her best when she was in the middle of the chaos.

 

"Get'em all close to me and I'll give'em a world of hurt," Pascal instructed. It was all about timing, right? But holding back a spell was as precarious as trying to hold back a sneeze.

[DuskOfTheStars]

[VS White Kyurem - Round 4]

 

The barrage of attacks sent White Kyurem reeling.

 

Bowser growled as he got up, a bit of blood trickling from one nostril. He ignored the bleeding, turning back to the marauding ice-fire dragon. Unfortunately for him, his lunge missed and he felt something both burning hot and freezing cold grab his tail, causing him to hiss a bit and grimace. Bowser tried to jerk forward, but he felt himself being... lifted?

 

And then he was being swung through the air. Bowser was almost reminded of Mario that one time. His brow furrowed, before relaxing, and his eyes widened as the painful hot-cold grasp disappeared - and he was flying. He didn't scream or roar, nor could he react beyond clamping his muzzle shut as the ground and a blue creature rushed towards him.

 

And then he hit the ground plastron-first, and something squishy. A shock of pain - a dull ache - he couldn't focus, his eyes blanking. The hit had stunned him, and he lay there.

Edited September 20, 2018 by DuskOfTheStars

[hikarinomemori]

[ Well isn't this just lovely. - Kyurem Fight - Illidan, Noraeash, Oblivionix, Noreillan, Saen'theas, Nora, and Agent 8 ]

Seeing the dragon-turtle being thrown like a ragdoll caused Nora to duck down and back up. He was not about to get squished! "Lord Illidan, I think we might be in over our heads on this one!"

"When have we not been in over our heads?! This is no different than with the Legion... Now pay attention, my Illidari - you are about to see how your Lord fights!" Illidan once again shoved his crush on Xander to the back of his mind - he had to remain focused - as he drew the Warglaives of Azzinoth and decided to get up close and personal with the strange dragon.

 

The paladin Noraeash decided to follow Illidan's lead, letting his Light flow into a melee strike, while his more magical son Saen'theas decided to test the limits of the dragon's fire with his own, casting a Pyroblast spell at it.

 

The others were not so lucky - some of the fuschia ink had gotten on Oblivionix's scope, making it impossible for her to aim. Noreillan had been planning to cast another Frostbolt spell, but it backfired on him, went off prematurely, and left a mess of frost in his hair that he knew was going to take a while to get out.

 

Wait... where is that octopus girl?? After wiping the ink off her scope, Oblivionix saw her jump down from the rooftop to the marketplace terrace below, shooting away with what appeared to be dual pistols. Unfortunately, the girl misjudged her trajectory and slid a little on her own ink, causing her aim to be off and her shots to miss.

 

Where love could blossom, spite congeals.

Faced with these thieves, I aim and heave

A cluster bomb right in the feels.

[Mikasa361]

~Tara- Put that foot down.~

 

Tara had officially had enough of this creature. It was clearly reeling, but she noticed Kouji struggling a bit. After the first good hit, he managed to get a lighter one in. She could feel the second hand disappointment as the strange blood began to run. But her legs were frozen, there was no way she was going to be able to help, right…?

 

No, no it was just anxiety. Thinking of that made her legs move a little bit. It was all in her head, she was able to move. The creature didn’t freeze her legs into position. No. No. Tara was going to do something useful today. She thought about the idea of her friend yelling at her about how she did nothing during the battle, how he had to go out there and risk his own life, as well as looking out for the others who were joining in. She took a step forward. Her leg seemed to freeze again, but she moved the other leg and it swung forward. Not today. She was not going to panic for the umpteenth time today. Her eyes steeled, although anyone close to her would know for a fact that she was terrified.

But she already did something outside of her shell and badass today. Why not do it again? It was much easier for her, knowing she had managed to scare someone out of scamming her companion. Now she was going to assist in beating the snot out of some gigantic bully that hurt another of her companions. She was unsure of names, but she was sure of faces. That person she knew was her teammate. This was her time, she was going to help her teammate whether they wanted it or not. She was unsure if they wanted help, but anyone who was forced into a stone wouldn’t like it, right? The girl made her way, slowly, one step at a time, towards the fight.

 

Tara took out her D-Tector when she was close. EXECUTE,” she shouted. Kouji had whipped his head behind him, but the next thing he saw was the form of Sakuyamon, armored in gold and holding her staff. Sakuyamon approached the being, preparing an attack. She had to think for a moment of what attack she wanted to use. The beast appeared to have some sort of ice crystals on its body, so maybe fire? Then there was what appeared to be a generator, a heat generator? What was this thing? How was it able to stay alive? She had absolutely no idea, it seemed to use attacks of fire. But the ice crystals. Great, now her anxiety was shining through. Okay, Thunder Kick it is.

 

It was a direct hit. The creature seemed to scream and writhe in pain. While there was no thunder, the speed of the kick was enough to do some damage. She managed to smack one of the stab wounds Kouji left, which made some good progress. She hoped she could save the person this creature hurt, she truly hoped so.

[hikarinomemori]

[ The cat's a man?! Hot damn. - Lost in the Black Market -> Kaden's Wares - Ray ]

 

"Thanks... Had to catch my own Litten plenty of times, so..." The blond cat was in clear distress but there was no way Ray was letting him go for fear of him spreading the box's magic throughout the rest of the Bazaar. Stranger still was when Ranulf swore he'd had only five cats. When she, Keaton, and Anders had arrived, she'd seen six, counting the distressed blond cat in her arms.

 

Oh well. Hopefully Ranulf's friend could help sort out this whole mess...

 

~~~

 

Well, this was depressing.

 

It turned out Ranulf's friend had features closer to a Fennekin than a Litten. This only made things harder - were her cat ears and tail going to be permanent, after all? The very thought scared her. Still, at least she had a way to relieve the stress. Petting did nothing to relieve the cat's stress, though...

 

And then a white light enveloped the blond cat. Ray shut her eyes tight, being so close to it... and when she opened them, the cat was gone, replaced with a... man?

 

It didn't take long for her to buckle under his weight. She was soon on the ground with his legs squishing her left arm. She glanced at him...

 

He was kind of hot, no doubt about that. His hair color - besides being the same blond the cat's fur had been - looked strikingly similar to Xander's. Come to think of it, his outfit - sans the headband - looked like it could be from the same universe Xander came from, too.

 

But his eyes...

 

~

 

"Oh, your eyes are so pretty!"

 

~

 

The man's eyes matched the cat's! They were the same shade of maroon and everything! It hit Ray not long after that: this man, like her, Keaton, and Anders, must have been affected by the box's magic. It was the only explanation for him becoming himself again in her arms... and it did explain how Ranulf had six cats when he only remembered five being present.

 

Well, at least now she knew the magic was temporary.

 

"...if you don't mind, your legs are making my arm fall asleep!"

[TehUltimateMage]

Raine -- Kyurem Fight

 

Raine surveyed the battlefield, squinting her eyes and following the movements of various heroes throwing themselves at -- and in one case being thrown by -- the dragon of ice and fire. Illidan himself seemed to be the commander of a small squadron and was quick to dispense commands. There were others, too, including two humanoids in armor (one a yellow fox and the other a blue wolf) who took their chance and struck the monster in a vital spot.

 

She was grateful that Xander had set himself in front of both she and Natsuki. He was aware enough to change formation and offer her a moment to recover from the drain of her barrier spell. An intelligent move... as expected from a commander. Since there were so many people engaging the fight, it was better for everyone to play to their strengths.

 

The healer stilled her breath and blocked out the shouts, falling into a familiar tranquility as she gathered magic and focused on Illidan's scythelike blades. Bright runes traced themselves in red at her feet and mana welled from the ground, lifting the tails of her cloak with a gentle upwards wind.

 

"Sharpness!" she shouted, calling out the spell. A few seconds after Illidan was finished with his current attack, mana condensed around the half-demon's weapons to sharpen their edges and enhance their properties.

[Pyrowings]

Unfortunately, the ice dragon had picked the dragon turtle up and threw him into what looked like a bystander. Sacred swore, letting herself have a momentary distraction as she flicked her eyes over. No, Ponbiscuit can see to that. This dragon cannot continue sapping the life of the other! The screaming in her head from the white dragon was stronger too, though--Sacred pushed the ramifications of that to the back of her head and swung her sword back, charging and invoking the essences of the tangles from the wildest edges of the world--the dragon is distracted, there are many others who had joined in quelling it--before grasping the hilt and slamming it into a crack in the cobbles. The energy gathered around her flared brightly, and as a red bolt of lightning struck it, gigantic ethereal vines erupted from the ground, wrapping tight around the dragon. They struggled against the restraint and some of the vines dispersed back into mana, but the majority of them held firm. 

 

 

[DuskOfTheStars]

[VS White Kyurem: Round 5]

White Kyurem readied themself to retaliate, before being tied up by vines. They struggled to not be dragged, but failed and suffered another attack. They did kerp writhing and struggling at the vines after that, though.

---

Slowly, Bowser's mind began to refocus and the pain from the impact nagged. He realised he was lying on his underside first, before feeling something squirm under him. There was also the feeling of something messing with his shell. Upon looking back, a bipedal fox thing that reminded him of Sonic when he'd been at rhe Smash tournament was messing with the Koopa's shell. Speaking of tge squirming thibg, Bowser should probably get off in case it's up to something. With a grunt, ge geaved himself off the ground... and realised it was Sonic he'd landed atop. Great. Bowser pulled himself back up to standing. Damnee ice dragon....

 

He roared snd let loose a burst of flames. Unfortunately, most of the damage he managed to do was to the vines holding the dragon. 

 

"...ugh."

---

Most bystanders were clearing out. Phew - it looked like he wasn't needed anymore for directing evac. Kuraihi was sure the weird green dinosaur, the mustachioed guy in a winged helmet, and the twin mustachioed plumbers could handle the evacuation alone.

 

Kuraihi caught sight of the elf who'd helped fight the axe, and he looked distracted. The dark Skydancer was curious. "So ... why do you seem distracted? Because there's a rampaging dragon right there...."

 

A sudden snarl. Speaking of said dragon, Kuraihi had better pitch in. He reared up, and summoned a blast of light. The light hit, all right, but it didn't do much. There was a snarl, and the grey dragon broke loose from the vines.

 

"In the name of the Eternal Beacon--" Kuraihi instantly regretted attacking.

 

That thing didn't look happy.

[hikarinomemori]

[ OH GODS THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING. - Kyurem Fight - Illidan, Agent 8, Noraeash, Oblivionix, Noreillan, Saen'theas, and Nora ]

 

Okay, focus, the octopus-girl thought to herself. A Bomb Rush obviously hadn't worked, so she was going to resort to her secret weapon: Her Sting Ray. Within minutes, she'd prepped the ink and fired. This weapon didn't spray ink to cover surfaces, oh no. Far from it. No, the Sting Ray was special in that it took the ink and fired it as a super-concentrated laser beam. If that didn't stop the beast, she didn't know what would.

 

It allowed the others some sorely-needed respite. Nora came to his Lord's side as Illidan answered the dark feathery dragon. "Distracted? Me...? Okay, so I happen to have a crush on a guy. It's not going to be enough to distract me, I assure you--"

 

"Your tone suggests otherwise, Lord Illidan." So it was a guy this time...? Eh, who was Nora to judge which gender his Lord preferred? "I thought you'd be over these childish crushes... Especially after how disastrous your advances on Tyrande were."

 

Just the mention of his previous crush was enough to irritate Illidan. "I thought I was over them, too, Nora."

 

Nora crossed his arms. "I'm dead serious, Lord Illidan. 'Fess up. Who is it this time?"

 

"T-That's private!"

 

"Lord Illidan, your distraction won't--"

 

Illidan interrupted Nora. "We need to focus on the fight!" By now the adrenaline was pumping, not only from the fight, but also from the stress of Nora's constant prodding...

 

"You're not any more focused than I am, Lord Illidan! That distraction of yours will ruin our chances!"

 

...and things went from bad to worse as Illidan practically exploded at that accusation, his voice gaining a demonic echo from both his anger and the adrenaline. "IT'S XANDER, OKAY?! MY CRUSH IS ON HIM!! NOW CAN WE FOCUS ON THE--"

 

By the time the adrenaline faded and he'd realized what he'd said, it was far too late. Embarrassment began to settle in as Illidan could feel nearly every set of eyes within a five-mile radius on him. Even the octopus-girl glanced over as soon as her Sting Ray was done firing. Illidan's face went entirely green - this was extremely embarrassing...

And then the embarrassment grew even worse when it hit him: Xander had been present to hear that! Illidan covered his face with both of his clawed hands. This is not happening, this is NOT happening...!

 

"...holy s***, Illidan..."

[DuskOfTheStars]

(!!! - Bowser)

A shout. Bowser and Kuraihi both turned in surprise. The elf... confessing to a crush? An "Xander." Everyone was staring.

 

This was a battle! There wasn't any time or place for a crush when you were fighting an eldritch horror, for the Stars' sakes.... Bowser snarled and opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a large ball of fire hit him and anyone close to him.

 

(Bye, suckers. - White Kyurem)

 

The laser certainly hurt. Some more ice cracked, ice magic bleeding through... but that when a shout rent the air.

 

Everyone was freezing. Staring. ...it was too perfect! Too starlight-damned perfect! Some of them were even turning away, and the creature who'd yelled was now turning green....

 

Never stop paying attention to your opponent. Fools, the lot of them.

 

Two Fusion Flares began to blaze to life in their claws, a third above their horn. A few moments, and the flames got bigger. But the distraction had their opponents' attention. Good.

 

All three Fusion Flares rose into the air. With a gesture of claws slashing towards the earth, the fireballs began to descend. Flame spurted from them as they hit the earth, and several cries could be heard.

 

It was then that Kyurem turned and ran. Their injuries objected - no. They ignored the gnawing pain. **** it. They couldn't stop. Not now. Not when they could taste success. They growled and kept going. It didn't matter right now how much it was going to hurt later.

 

That would be less than their everlasting hunger. And finally they could see an end to the everlasting pain woven into their existence as Boundaries. They could stop hurting, hurting. So they kept running.

 

They'd gone too far now to give in to their wounds. Too far....

Edited October 7, 2018 by DuskOfTheStars

[ValidEmotions]

Sora | Round 'em Up!

 

Two blasts of fire raced past and Sora watched as the elemental bolts destroyed a second Shadow. He grinned. The ring of Heartless finished emerging, now beginning to scatter and move in sporadic manners. Some flatted themselves into the ground, out of reach of any attack. "Got it," the boy answered Pascal's request. Wind tugged at his hair and clothes as the young woman pulled magic towards her.

 

Leaping, he caught a Shadow upside its head, the end of his Keyblade knocking the Heartless sideways. He sprinted, trying to lure in as many as he could before rushing past Pascal. "Now's your chance!" He kept moving, hoping to be out of her blast zone before the magic was released. Her fighting style almost reminded Sora of Yuffie; not exactly but he could see the similarities. 

 

~~~

 

#Others#

 

They were spreading, lured by the collection of Hearts and Darkness. The Door was left open and the World's Heart shown brightly. It sang. Where was the path to it? They needed to find it. Pools of Darkness began to form, sprinkled across the Black Market, and they took shape among the creations that inhabited the area. At first, no one noticed them. Why would they? They blended right in, among beings that knew not what they were. Shadows, Neoshadows, Soldiers, Blue Rhapsodies, Gargoyles, Heat Sabers.... 

 

Find the Door, the center of the World. Gather more Hearts....

 

They sprung into motion, hive-minded creatures with only two aims. The Hearts resting within these beings were ripe, the Darkness simply waiting for its release....

 

[Random encounters - If you have found yourself with nothing to do, here are some Heartless! You may engage at leisure and, if you need someone to battle you, I can be that opponent. Simply let me know in Discord with a Ping.]

[Pyrowings]

As soon as the ethereal vines grabbed onto the ice dragon, Sacred kneeled down before springing forward, sliding her sword out and drawing the green mana that clung onto it from the dissipating energy of her strike as she twisted, smashing the ice dragon again with her shield. As she did, she kept her ears strained for the screaming--there wasn't a change in its tone, but it did feel different in a way she couldn't describe. Sacred felt a flare of annoyance at herself, which she squashed down with a stern thought of I'll go ask Seria about it later. A swirling green energy surrounded her and she spun, gathering the mana around her again, and jumped up--

She hadn't accounted for the people fighting beside her to be unused to her grappling vines, though. As soon as she had jumped up, a gout of fire shrouded them and forced them to evaporate into green mana, and the dragon was freed. Without her guidance, whatever remaining vines acted as normal vines did, and the dragon stepped free of them--stepping away from her attack as Sacred landed and the green light exploded and dissipated into the ground.

 

There was a loud shout from beside her, shocking her out of her focus, and some people froze or turned to the shout. She flicked her eyes over to see a demonic looking thing being stared at, and she briefly wondered if it was also a threat before looking back to the ice dragon. To her horror, it was charging fireballs in its claws, taking the distraction of the others. She could feel the heat from where she was standing, and the heat was only intensifying--A white goblin chieftain, a flash and a boom, crackling flames eating their way down walls--she turned towards the others and screamed: "Focus!”

The fireballs landed, and she cringed, raising her shield. Did I fail again? 

Was the screams she just heard in her imagination? The dragon was running away.There was those screams that made her fight that were fading. What did I just say? Focus! Someone nudged her cheek. Sacred turned--Ponbiscuit was there, eyes full of concern. She vaulted up to her back, focusing her eyes on the retreating dragon, and in response Ponbiscuit opened wings made of starlight.

 

"Go!”

[TehUltimateMage]

Raine -- Kyurem Fight

 

"IT'S XANDER, OKAY?! "

 

Raine's expression could not nearly replicate how stunningly incredulous she felt. She let her arms drop to her side, wishing to berate the demon man, telling him to focus and make use of her enchantment before it faded, but no words came out. It wasn't worth the effort. Whatever respect she might have had for Illidan had evaporated for the moment, and she glanced over at Xander (the involved party) with one eyebrow raised. It seemed like very much had happened while she was gone, and she didn't think she wanted to pry. 

 

The ice dragon, however, didn't politely wait like everyone else. Seizing the opportunity, it charged up another attack -- this time one like a trio of flaming suns, each going a different direction. 

 

Without sparing time to think, Raine yelled and thrust her staff into the ground. A barrier projected outwards, enveloping both Xander and Natsuki just as fire crashed against the energy shield and exploded, obscuring their view with flames, dust, and debris. Raine's spell held firm -- she noted that the attack wasn't nearly as hard to defend against as the first one -- but she was certain that the enemy's parting shot wasn't aiming for destruction, but rather to cloak its departure. 

 

"We need to pursue them," she said to Xander with a hint of urgency. "It's using the explosions to hide its escape."

[hikarinomemori]

[ From bad to worse. - Kyurem Fight Aftermath - Illidan, Agent 8, Noraeash, Oblivionix, Noreillan, Saen'theas, & Nora ]

 

"Take cover!"

 

Gods damn it all, Oblivionix didn't need to be told twice. She was quick to grab Noreillan, Saen'theas grabbed the octopus girl, and Nora literally dragged Illidan as they all took cover behind the newly-created rock wall.

 

It didn't take long for Oblivionix to notice that a certain golden-haired paladin was missing. "...oh s***!! Saen, Nora, your dad!!"

 

Horror washed over both men as they realized their father was still out there, in the midst of the explosion. He emerged from the smoke moments later, however, a bright golden shield surrounding his body.

 

Nora was less than amused, naturally. "...gods dammit, Ann'da... we thought you were a goner!"

 

"Even when a Divine Shield is brought up? To be fair, though... I cut it a little too close." Indeed, the paladin had a bit of skin on his left arm burned, and he coughed from the smoke entering his lungs. "I can heal the burn on my own, though, don't worry."

 

"...okay, enough about your minor burn, Nor. Can someone care to explain why Stormrage has a crush on a BLUEBLOOD?!" Oblivionix didn't sound too impressed - her opinion on royals had been pretty sour for a long time.

 

Noreillan was quick to stop her. "Better he has a crush on someone of royal blood who can terraform the very ground into a shield, than a murderous monster that we should probably start to track down. It is almost certainly gone by now, and only Nora and Illidan can see through this much smoke."

 

Oblivionix just couldn't argue with that, especially after he'd brought up the point of both Illidan's and Nora's Spectral Sight. "...eh, fair enough." She walked over to Illidan...

 

...and slapped him square across his face, causing the rest of the group to jump back in surprise and causing Illidan to hiss in pain. "OW!! What the hell was that for, Shadowstrider?!"

 

"You looked dumb, gawkin' like that. Now would you be so kind as to find our not-so-friendly neighborhood eldritch dragon beast?"

 

Illidan shook his head, getting over the shock of being smacked in the face, and squinted as his Spectral Sight picked up their fleeing opponent (and someone else pursuing it). "...good news is that I spotted it. Bad news is that it's too far away to catch up with on foot." Well... that put a damper on things. "...where did this come from, anyway?" he asked, putting a hand on what remained of the rock wall.

 

"Your latest obsession can terraform, Stormrage. He made that to save all our hides."

 

...that did nothing to help Illidan's crush, and it could be plainly seen with his face blushing green.

 

Between accidentally admitting a crush, to accidentally letting an opponent escape?

This was NOT Illidan's day.

[Mikasa361]

~Evonna- Hm.~

 

Evonna sighed and put down her bags. She didn’t think this through at all, maybe she should’ve found a cart of some sort. That would’ve been much easier, but did she do that? ...Nope. She sighed again, looking for a place that would sell at LEAST a rolling laundry hamper. Maybe there was something the girl could use that would carry her things. Hell, a giant bag would serve a better purpose than these brown paper bags. Goodness knew that the case the pistols were in was too bloody small for everything to fit.

 

She had just spotted one of those rolling laundry hampers that she thought about. There it was, pretty and blue and SO going to be hers, she would barter Antoine's pearl necklace and hopefully get some pixels out of it. Who knew the black market could be so much fun?

 

Something collided against her back and Evonna soon found herself face down on the ground, the bags scattered everywhere and a warm, heavy thing on top of her. What- or who- was it? The weight left as quickly as it came, and Evonna rolled onto her back to see what it was. She blinked a few times and the oh-so-cliche butterflies in her stomach made their way into existence. Who could make her feel like that, anyway? Who had the right?

 

It was a girl about her age, with long, flowing raven hair that reached her hips. Her round face was framed with bangs, and bright emerald eyes poked out from beneath those bangs. There was a rosy tint to her cheeks, clearly born out of total mortification, but Evonna didn't give a flying damn. Her eyes glimmered with intrigue, however, as she held her hand out to Evonna to help her up. Evonna took note of the way the girl dressed, how she appeared to have a thing for netting. Her orchid top exposed her midriff whilst her black shorts showed off her thighs to the world. What interested her most, however, was the thing at her throat. It seemed to be a headband from an anime she had heard of from around the 2000's, what was it... It was about ninjas, she remembered that much-- NARUTO. That was where she came from, wasn't it? Evonna took her hand and lifted herself up from the ground. The girl bent down and started gathering the bags, whispering "I'm sorry" as she did so. 

 

She had to say, this girl was a cutie. No, she was pretty hot. Evonna liked the way her hips seemed to curve, how that was emphasized by her little waist and her relatively small bosom. Well, they seemed to be around the same bosom size, if Evonna was to estimate, so she wasn't that small. Er, anyway. The girl had a prominent Cupid's Bow, which was one of Evonna's absolute FAVORITE features on a girl. It was a very strange thing to love, but she never really cared about what others thought, well, not about that at least. Finally, she spoke, and when she did, pearly white teeth flashed behind those lips. 

 

"Sorry, I should've been more careful. You okay?" Evonna nodded, at first unable to speak. When she gathered her bearings, she finally responded. 

 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." The two exchanged smiles, the raven-haired girl a bit embarrassed. 

 

"Good. I was, uh... Trying to get out of something. There was a fight... Uh.... Don't go west, or you'll probably get caught by the police or something." She stood with a poise, but she seemed pretty relaxed. Ev always liked a girl who knew how to chill, perhaps they could vibe. "I'm Chikako Tanimoto, from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Nice place, really. It's very, er... green." She snorted. "As implied by the name, anyway." 

 

"Yeah, I figured." Evonna laughed for the first time in a while. "I'm from, er... Gatineau, in Quebec. You've probably never heard of it."

 

"Alas, I haven't. But You seem to have heard of my village. Not shocking, considering this multiverse is full of what would be surprises."

 

"Mm. Yes. Indeed." The two girls continued to chat as they started walking, Evonna forgetting about that hamper that she had originally wanted. It would not be missed. She thought about it, and she figured she didn't want to miss seeing this girl again. They had learned a lot about each other within about ten minutes of conversation. Chikako had a twin sister, Sumiko. Chikako was the older twin, and she had an older cousin Saburou. She had two male cellmates, all three of their families worked with each other a lot. She used twin blades to fight, among the many jutsus that she knew. Taijutsu was her specialty, and her chakra type was water. Her clan name meant "of the valley", and their family symbol was a literal valley with a sunrise or a sunset, she was unsure. The three chakra types in her family were water, for the river, earth, for the mountains, and fire, for the sun. It was interesting, really. Evonna liked learning these things about people. "Hey, you should join our extra dimensional squad," Evonna suggested, "Maybe if I talk to Pascal she'll let you in, it's really cool and there are some AWESOME people in it. You'd be a great asset to our cause, er..." Chikako burst out in laughter. 

 

"I'm not shocked at the squad part, but that was so sudden!" She took a second to think. "Hm... I'm sure it'd be fun to train with some people without my own skill set... Meet some new friends...” She thought about it some more. Yeah, it would be fun, but she was really curious. For sixteen years she was never aware of a multiverse even existing, not until the day she accidentally stumbled into this bazaar. She had so much to learn, so much to do. Chikako had an entire notebook dedicated to the bazaar alone and all of her observations. Just imagine, all the things she would get to see! All the things she would get to do that she couldn’t do at home! She had made her decision. “Yeah, I think so. I think I'll do it. I'll just send a letter to the family... Or if I can visit them once in a while?" Evonna nodded. 

 

"Of course! Visit them, invite them to visit, anything you want!!!" 

 

Chikako grinned. “Then it’s settled. Take me to your leader?”

 

Evonna burst out in laughter.

Edited October 12, 2018 by Mikasa361

[DuskOfTheStars]

(Where'd you go?! - Bowser)

 

When the smoke started to clear, Bowser heaved himself off the ground. He coughed a bit. Curse all this smoke. The Koopa growled before coughing again, red eyes scanning the area for his opponent - wait. Crud.

 

The eldritch ice dragon was... running off? He could not let it escape. With a low growl, Bowser ran after the other two.

 

Problem was, he was slow. It didn't take too long for Bowser to notice that the dragon was gaining distance from him. He scowled and kept going, but soon ran into a crowd of shoppers. They swarmed all around him, creatures of all shapes and sizes from a furry blue and pale silver wyvern with wind blowing around them occasionally, to a horse with square pupils and sharp - canine -  teeth, to a trio of kids - one black-haired boy with round glasses and a lightning scar, one bushy-haired girl with buck teeth, and one freckly redhead boy, all humans who were carrying wands. Bowser tried to push past, but it was no use. He was stuck for now.

 

----

 

(Here come the cops)

 

It was in that instant the Bazaar police arrived. They were a ragtag group of all different species, distinguished by dark uniforms. In front of them lay a mess. Damaged stalls, terraformed earth, burned ground, and a lot of people. There were crowds being directed by others and more autonomously wandering in the distance, but these weren't of concern. The fight was.

 

"Get them," the leader, a vaguely equine and draconic creature, spat. She narrowed her eyes. "Looks like this lot made a mess, and disturbed the peace. I'd like ta know what they have got to say for themselves."

Edited October 11, 2018 by DuskOfTheStars

[hikarinomemori]

[ OH HELL NO. - Kyurem Fight Aftermath -> Above the Marketplace - Illidan ]

 

S***. S*** S*** S***.

 

Things just kept getting even worse. If the speech and behavior of those creatures was any indication, then those were the local law enforcement.

 

Illidan was not about to be imprisoned again. And to hell with the idea of Xander being imprisoned either.

 

He was quick to spot the king, run up, grab him, and start flying once more. This time, he didn't even bother with the bridal-style carry or even speaking; he only had one thought in his mind: get himself and the king AWAY from the cops.

 

At least it gave him and his rather-unwilling companion a nice view of the marketplace.

 

~

[ The police are here. - Kyurem Fight Aftermath - Agent 8, Noraeash, Oblivionix, Noreillan, Saen'theas, and Nora ]

 

"Wait, Lord Illidan, what about--?! Damn it." Nora hated how Illidan never thought things through before acting. Now this left the rest of them to either deal with the cops or flee like he did.

 

And the octopus girl did just that. She ran before diving into the fuschia ink that hadn't been evaporated and all but disappearing in it.

 

Oblivionix had disappeared into the crowds just before the police had arrived.

 

Both Noreillan and Saen'theas had teleported away with their magic, with Saen'theas taking his father Noraeash with him.

 

This left Nora to deal with the cops alone. He sighed in anger.

 

"...I hate those guys sometimes."

Edited October 11, 2018 by hikarinomemori

[TehUltimateMage]

Qaksh -- Fruit Stand

 

"Yes, yes, those would be fine," Qaksh said telepathically for everyone to hear. The dragon grabbed the cherries from the rotund yellow creature using his telekinetic abilities, and tested their weight. What could the people back at base make with this? They were still in dire need of a proper cook, weren't they? Fruit didn't need to be cooked, but these things seemed like they'd take several humans to finish them in one sitting. Perhaps regular sized cherries would be a good idea? These would be... a novelty, at least. "We'll just take one, to try... You are usually here, right?"

 

The creature nodded, her whole body dipping forward since she was pretty much entirely head. "Always, sir! Mrs. Pacman's fruit stand is always open for business! That will be 320 pixels."

 

"I..." Qaksh trailed off. That was pretty cheap, for the volume. "We'll get a melon, an apple, a strawberry, and an orange too, then. One of each."

 

"Th-thank you for offering to carry all this," the dragon stammered to Circuit while fishing through the little pouch at his neck. Where did that blasted card go? Ah, there it was. He floated it over to the shopkeeper. "We're going to see if we can find some meats or grains, since not all of us... um... organics... can subside on fruit alone."

[TehUltimateMage]

Raine -- Kyurem Fight Aftermath

"Illidan! Stop this instant!" Her cries fell on deaf and quickly disappearing ears. She shielded her face with her sleeve, protecting it against the wind and dust whipped up by his takeoff. The two were already high in the sky, leaving her with Natsuki to deal with the aftermath. 

 

"Honestly..." she sighed to her fellow agent. "What kind of people has Xander been associating with? Don't tell me that someone as rash and uncon--"

 

~~~

 

"Seems like everyone is just running away at your presence," jeered a bipedal rhinoceros in uniform. He crossed his arms, tilting his massive head to get a look around. "Rookie!" he bellowed.

 

A green creature on four sturdy legs waddled over at the call, weaving through the guards. Three feet in height, it was wearing a dark uniform just like the others, tailored to fit her body and provide an opening for the giant flower bud on its back. Two little fangs poked out of her mouth and she had a red headband tied around her ears. Her expression was fierce and determined despite only being at the knee height of most of the other officers.  

 

"R-right!" she stammered. Arching her back, she released a cloud of spores that seemed to glint slightly green in the light as it spread through the area. She had given her fellow officers Worry Seeds to chew to counteract the effects of the Sleep Powder, and the strategy usually ended up being very effective in calming down situations -- until criminals began to catch on and eat worry seeds themselves. She was new to the force, but from how the veterans were talking about it, it was a constant battle of counter-evolving strategies. 

 

Right now, they just needed some calm from the chaos so they could sort through what happened.

 

~~~

 

Raine -- Marketplace Jail

 

Raine didn't remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was bewailing Illidan and his series of bad decisions, and she completed that thought: "--uncontrollable as Illidan is currently working with us in the XDRS. Twilight would have to at least provide some mandatory basic training to all new recruits, at this rate."

 

She paused, then sat up from the concrete floor. When did---? 

 

It appeared that she was in some sort of cell about eight paces across and five paces deep, imprisoned with a couple others: some awake, some still sleeping. The walls were of a dense stone polished nearly smooth, and the opening to the cell was barred by what appeared to be energy beams -- although without her staff she could not test if they were simply there to administer a shock or if they were much more lethal. The hallway right in front of the cell seemed to be a mirror wall and showed everyone's sorry state, but she had the feeling that it was two way glass that allowed officers to monitor the prisoners. She he could see from the reflections that there were other similar cells beside them in the hallway, holding other creatures.

 

Closing her eyes, she tried to sense the beings in the neighboring cells to determine who they were, but it was almost like... someone was preventing her from sensing mana. Her spells seemed to be blocked as well, as if she were under an anti-magic status. None of this surprised her -- it only seemed logical for a multiverse's jail to disable all the typical tricks any one being might have in their sleeve. 

Edited October 14, 2018 by TehUltimateMage

[catstreetCAT]

( He ditched us! But new friends, so...? | Sonic, Tails, Signless, Dualscar )

 

When Sonic and Tails came to, the hedgehog was immediately aware of where they were, not because he could actually see in the dimly lit cell, but rather because his entire body was having a reaction. A reaction of panic. "Oh..." He couldn't get out more than a sound at the moment, not trusting his vocal chords to actually speak for the time being. Sitting up, he looked around. First thing he saw was Tails, who - aside from the injuries sustained in the fight against that dragon-thing seemed fine - and thus he let a smile creep up onto his face. Then he noticed the distinct lack of a certain boy's presence. Joshua bailed on us! I mean, good that he was able to get away, but come on! Stick around for your friends why don't you?! Sonic sighed, pulled out of his thoughts by a new voice.

 

"Oh, thank the horrorterrors you're awake!" the owner of the voice said, voice full of relief. He sounded as if he'd genuinely been worried, which compared to some others he'd met lately was a breath of fresh air. And he had a friendly face to match the voice, too! "Your friend came to a little while ago; I was hoping you would too! I'm the Signless, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

 

"Vwantas, is the guppy avwake?" The other voice sounded deeper, more seasoned with life's hardships than the Signless's voice and was accented in a very strange way, and the violet mariner stood up from where he was sitting. "Good... Glad you came to, mate. Vwelcome back to the land a the livwin' lad. Vwhat's your name? You can call me Dualscar."

 

"Sonic. My friend is Tails."

 

"Vwell, here's vwhat I noticed vwith the Signless vwhen vwe first arrivwed here. Vwe can't use any semblance a magic, an our vweapons vwere all confiscated. Vwithout the Crosshairs I'm as good as marooned. An Signless vwon't be much use vwithout his sickles."

 

"That's implying I could fight in my current state. My wrists are still cuffed, Dualscar." Signless sighed, holding up the Cancer symbol shaped irons still clasped around his wrists while Sonic was thinking.

 

If I can get up the physical strength to do it, I can probably spin-dash the door open... I just need to get my energy back. "Leave the jailbreak to me, guys. I've busted my way out of jail before; I can do it again! I just don't have all the help I had last time. We'll bust out, get your weapons back, and get out. Sound like a plan?"

 

"Yeah!"

 

"I'll help however possible."

 

"Vwe'll leavwe it to you, then."

Edited October 14, 2018 by catstreetCAT
I FORGOT A W

[hikarinomemori]

[ Above the Marketplace - Illidan ]

 

Hearing Xander yell at him did nothing to improve Illidan's mood, though he did eventually just... stop. The only movement now was in Illidan's wings, keeping himself and Xander in the air.

 

He'd failed to think things through - AGAIN - and now Xander was mad at him because of it.

 

That feeling of regret faded a little when he felt Xander's forehead - and the cold metal of his circlet - on his chest. Illidan himself turned just enough to see the same scene Xander had: the strange plant-creature spreading what seemed to be some sort of sleeping powder among their allies and dragging them away to Elune knew where.

 

One of them was Nora. His Illidari.

 

That alone was enough to cause regret to turn into rage. The faintest hint of that demonic echo crept up in his voice - nowhere near as intense as when he'd yelled at the top of his lungs - as he became increasingly furious at the scene. "...not again... They are NOT doing that to him again..." He clutched Xander tightly as he got his bearings, his Spectral Sight keeping an eye on where they were taking Nora (and likely the others).

 

And then he finally spoke to Xander once more. "I don't suppose you would have preferred joining the lot of them in prison? I was not about to allow the two of us to share in their fate. I wasn't..." He paused, his face displaying clear worry and regret, as he searched for the words. "...I wasn't about to become a prisoner again."

 

He paused for a minute. "...let's face the music, Xander, the two of us are NOT going to be enough to fight that dragon-esque beast. The Fel may be powerful and volatile but even it can't perform miracles. We'll need a lot more support against that... THING."

 

He watched as Nora's Fel disappeared into a specific building. That was... odd... how it had completely disappeared from his Spectral Sight... but useful. "...I think I've found where our allies are being held." Illidan found a rooftop closeby to what he assumed was a jail, and landed there, setting Xander down. He had that look - the look of someone who was about to stage one hell of a jailbreak - but... he was unsure. He was almost certain that the King of Nohr would not want to aid in such a thing. What kind of royal would even join in on something so... criminal?

 

"...you can either join me down below, or stay up here where your reputation won't be soiled... I'm not about to force you into yet another unwanted situation - we can both agree that I've already done that one too many times..." Illidan tried to hide the bright green blush on his face, and then drew the Warglaives as he looked over the jail for a suitable break-in point. "...but regardless of your choice, I am going to rescue my Illidari and our allies... just as soon as I find a suitable place to begin."

~~~

[ A prisoner once more... - Marketplace Jail - Nora & ??? ]

 

When Nora came to, he briefly had a sense of panic. A prisoner, again?! No no no no no--

 

"Oh. Good. You're not dead. I was afraid I'd gotten stuck with a corpse for a cell-mate."

 

This voice was... different. Child-like. Nora tried to tap into his Spectral Sight, but to his shock, it wouldn't work! Nothing would show up, not even his own Fel! He was blind as a bat in here! "My Spectral Sight...! Why won't it work?!"

 

"If it's magic, it's not going to work. They took whatever weapons were on you, too. Then even took my Dur da Bla, and my alchemy won't work no matter how hard I try."

 

Nora tilted his head to the side, then looked in the direction of the voice. "...don't you have a name?"

 

"Carol Malus Deinheim. You?"

 

"Nora Lightvale."

 

Damn Illidan, dooming his own Illidari to this fate. The Lord of the Illidari was going to get an earful when next they met...

[HomeForFlowers]

Xander | Above the Marketplace —> Marketplace Jail

 

Illidan’s outrage was wholly unexpected. Xander felt himself stiffen as he heard the low growl emit from Illidan’s throat. He let out a startled gasp as Illidan’s grasp grew tighter and Xander was momentarily worried might do something, but that concern was washed away as he realized that Illidan’s anger was directed towards him. Xander raised his head from the demon hunter’s chest to look back the battle’s aftermath. He recognized the man who had referred to Illidan as “Lord Illidan” being dragged across the ground by one of the officers. Xander could not pinpoint exactly why Illidan was upset, but if the man calling Illidan “Lord” was any indication of their relationship, Xander could sympathize with the notion of watching one of his subjects get locked up for something that wasn’t their fault.

 

Any words of comfort Xander had thought to offer died on his tongue as Illidan pointed out how his second attempt at kidnapping actually worked out in Xander’s favor. Xander felt himself bristle at Illidan’s tone, but he left his frustration dissipate as he swallowed his pride. Based on the way Illidan trailed off, it seemed as though he had a less than favorable experience with police in the past. While Xander was fine with letting the kidnapped go (he never thought he’d ever be okay with his own kidnapped) he was less than pleased with the suggestion to let the dragon go.

 

“It is my duty to protect my fellow agents,” Xander snapped. “I can’t just let that thing steal Reshiram!” Even though his voice was full of righteous fury, Xander could not help but see the logic in Illidan’s words. There were multiple people fighting the dragon at a single time with no support whatsoever on the dragon’s side and yet the dragon managed to escape just in the nick of time. Even if Xander did try to take on the dragon himself, he would undoubtedly fail and someone would have to carry his body back to safety. “No, you’re right,” Xander said after a long pause, his tone gone soft. He sighed and rested his head on Illidan’s chest once more. “Forgive my outburst. It was unbecoming of me.”

 

The two remained in silence until Illidan landed, gently unwrapping his arms from around Xander. Muttering a soft thanks, Xander pried himself off of Illidan before gazing out towards the building Illidan motioned towards. Xander could vaguely remember Shepard describing the jail on one of his previous trips to the market and the oddly dull—and least when compared to the colorful market—building seemed to match the description Shepard provided. When Illidan asked if Xander would prefer to stand back while he broke into the jail, Xander’s snapped towards him, his gaze hardening. It was odd that Illidan was thinking of Xander’s reputation now of all times. Considering how many potential “Xanders” existed in the multiverse Xander wasn’t sure if he had left a huge impression on the people he had encountered during his prior visits to the market not to mention that the giant rock wall Xander made in the middle of the market probably didn’t leave a good impression on the authorities. Besides, while Xander tried to be as noble as possible but, he had learned the hard way that honor was useless if the ones he was supposed to be protecting aren't around anymore. After all, honor meant nothing to the dead.

 

While Xander was more than fine with helping to rescue his fellow agents there was another problem. He quickly fished out the communicator on his person and held it out in his open palm. Breaking the agents out of jail, while useful, would absolutely not sit well with those in charge of the market. Xander wasn’t sure what he would say if he had to come crawling back to the base with his tail between his legs and explain to Twilight that he was part of the reason why the entire organization had been banned from the market.

 

Xander glanced up at the jail. He could see the last of the fighters being dragged into the building by one of the police officers. If the rescue was going to happen it had to happen now. Every second wasted was another second the dragon had to run father out of Xander’s reach, yet Xander found himself hesitating. He wanted to helps his fellow agents, but what if breaking into the jail just made things worse? What if he and Illidan failed and ended up getting captured themselves? Not only would another agent have to bail the rest of them out, but Reshiram would no doubt be lost for good.

 

Xander sucked in a breath. No, he needed to look at this from another perspective. What if that was his family locked up? What if it was Corrin or Camilla, Leo, or Elise carried off to the jail? Would Xander hesitate for them? How was this scenario any different? The communicator weighed heavily in his hand. Xander looked back down at the cube, brushing his thumb against the smooth surface. He closed his eyes and, exhaling a heavy sigh, pocketed the cube and accepted his fate.

 

“I would make for a poor king if I cared more about my reputation than the well-being of those I care for,” Xander said as he walked to Illidan’s side. “It does not matter if my name is run through the muck so long as I make the right choices and this? This seems like our best option considering the circumstances.” Xander held his hands behind his back as he glanced over expectantly at Illidan. “I’m afraid my experience in jailbreaks is… limited. How exactly do two people infiltrate a prison undetected let alone free the prisoners and escape unharmed?”