The Way Back

Derek: <Everyone, just stay calm!>

Kentaro:<The hell does chosen by Luna mean?!>

*He puts an arm around Kari's waist, holding her close as well as the Jade Rabbit.*

Fahren: <I guess the ones Luna's been taking to the magic wo-->

*He looks around and sighs. All nine of them are now completely gone, the airship goes back to normal.*

Razz: <Will they be all right?>

Fahren: <I don't know, but I don't think he would've waited if he just planned on attacking them on their way there.>

Aera: <Yeah, we'll just have to believe in the-->

*A group of spheres of orange energy hit the ship having been shot from the fortress. Several explosions occur and the ship starts falling.*

---

~Kentaro~

*Kentaro wakes up lying on top of a tall dark blue cylindrical pillar. Looking down, it seems to go very deep, and all he sees is pitch black. Looking around, everything is also pitch dark, except for the many many similar pillars of different heights, each with several others at a leap's distance. The Jade Rabbit is sitting next to him, staring around at the neverending mass of pillars in the darkness.*

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~Kari~

*Kari wakes up lying in some dark place as well. She's surrounded by hundreds of rectangular mirrors hovering a few inches above the black floor, forming something like a maze.*

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~Lucien~

*Lucien wakes up in a similar situation, amidst a maze of hovering mirrors.*

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~Alto & Crowley~

*They wake up next to each other, lying on a large brown rock mesa, under a starry night sky. Looking around, many similar mesas can be seen somewhat far from the one they are on, and, looking down, all they see is white mist hididng the ground and mesas' bases. Each of the rock platforms is connected to four others by a very fragile looking rock arc.*

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~Creed & Kelphy~

*When Creed regains consciousness, he feels his back wet. He's lying down floating on water under an orange sunset sky. Looking around the ocean doesn't seem to end in any direction. Kelphy is standing on the water next to him, also looking around.*

[I'm... walking on water...?]

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~Derek~

*Derek wakes up lying in the middle of a vast desert of dark gray sand, under a gray sky covered in black clouds that emanate a purple glow. Around he can spot several giant black rock structures here and there.*

*Crowley gets up and looks around.*

Crowley: <Where... where are we? Did we make it?>

"This is very similar to somewhere I've been to in Mysteria" Alto observes. "It may be a Memory of Origin's or something he created using his power. Stay sharp Crowley" as he says this Alto tries to connect to Luna to see if she's still there.

---

Lucien wakes slowly and one of the first things he does is, "Allina... Allina where are you!?"

---

"Well this is... relaxing?" Creed blinks and sits up.

*Kentaro sits up groaning and rubbing his eyes.*

"Hey, Little Buddy. How're you feeling?"

=====================================================

"K-Kentaro?"

[Seperated again.]

*She stands up and looks at the maze.*

[Do you think you can help, get through the maze?]

Derek: <Ugh... where am I?>

*He sits up, dazed and confused.*

Derek: <Hello!? Anyone here?>

~Kentaro~

*The Jade Rabbit hops closer to Kentaro and widens his eyes, looking at him.*

Jade Rabbit: <Finally! You were sleeping for like ages. I swear, it's been at least 10minutes since I woke up. And I'm okay, I guess. This place's really creepy. What are we gonna do?>

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~Kari~

[Bahamut ZERO: <I can't sense anything besides this strange magic... probably Origin's... Wait. There's someone familiar nearby, probably one of your friends.]

*She feels a slight pull forward.*

[Bahamut ZERO: <That way. And... Kentaro's safe. The fur ball's with him.>

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~Alto & Crowley~

[Luna: <I'm here, Alto. I think we're in Mysteria but... It feels different. I can't sense all of the magic. I can't sense anything besides you and Crowley.]

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~Creed & Kelphy~

*Kelphy turns to look at him, smiling nervously.*

Kelphy: <O-Oh, you're awake. Do you think the others are safe...?>

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~Derek~

*Two Alas Negras arrive high up in the sky, flying in circles above him. One of them lets out a loud cry, making Derek feel dizzy.*

I see. Thank you.

---

"No" is what Creed says dryly.

*Crowley nods and pulls off his trench coat that he was still wearing, as it wouldn't do much good for movement.*

Derek: <Crap... not again...>

*He stumbles forward, then shoots some fireballs towards the things.*

"We're going to follow the path. With any luck it'll take us to Kari."

*He picks the Jade Rabbit and stands up. He prepares to take a running starts to the next platform then stops.*

"Actually..."

[Dragon, you want to give me wings?]

=====================================================

*She sighs in reflief.*

"That's good."

*She heads in the direction the pull is coming from.*

~Kentaro~

[Bahamut ZERO: <You know you can draw my power without having to ask me everytime right? And, I don't know if Kari's near or far, but where she's at looks nothing like this place.>]

*Kentaro grows a pair of wings like those of Bahamut ZERO once more.*

Jade Rabbit: <Okay then, let's find my Guardian and then maybe she can make you another drawing.>

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~Kari & Lucien~

*After a few minutes she finds Lucien just standing there doing nothing.*

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~Alto & Crowley~

*Not much changes except Crowley spots Allina walking over a stone arc onto the mesa they're on.*

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~Creed & Kelphy~

*Kelphy turns away from him and starts walking across the ocean.*

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~Derek~

*They rocket down, dodging the fireballs, and one of them shoots a large dark purplish sphere of energy down at him from its mouth.*

"Oh its Allina. Hey!" Alto waves.

---

"Oh... hi Kari" Lucien halfheartedly waves.

---

Creed follows Kelphy and gets in front of her before waving his arms up and down like a clown to cheer her up. "Sorry. Its probably too late but Derek's an awesome dude. You should marry him yeah."

*Crowley also waves to her.*

"Yes. Another drawing."

*He takes flight flying over and up the platforms.*

=====================================================

"Umm...Hello?"

*Derek sneezes, then holds out his sheathe and deflects the ball of purple fire stuff back at the beasts.*

Derek: <Stay away from me!>

~Kentaro~

[Bahamut ZERO: <Someone familiar's nearby.>]

*And he was right, as a ways ahead they spot Allina lying on one of the lowest platforms, unconscious.*

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~Kari & Lucien~

*They hear loud chittering from all around as dozens and hundreds of Ice Trodents run towards them from all sides.*

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~Alto & Crowley~

[Luna: <Alto!>]

[Maxwell: <Kid!>]

*Allina leaps through the air screeching, her right fist's enveloped in a sphere of pressurized water, and she punches at Crowley's face. At the same time, a giant Infernal Wyvern flies up from the mist below and swings its opened mouth at Alto, aiming to eat him whole.*

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~Creed & Kelphy~

*She smiles in a somewhat awkward manner and circles around him to continue walking.*

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~Derek~

*The sphere explodes on contact with the sheathe. One of the dragons darts down into the resulting cloud of smoke, aiming to bite Derek's head off.*

Chains of light burst from Alto's finger tips and ensnare the mouth of the wyvern for the time being. "Not Allina... she's more of a volcano punch type of girl."

---

"Well... that's new" Lucien creates several dozen shadow hands and begins to bat the trodents away and up into the shots that Kari fired that they may dodge making sure none escaped.

---

Creed sighs, "You can talk you know?"

*Kentaro lands by Allina, the wings disappearing. He puts the Jade Rabbit down and give Allina a nudge.*

"You alive?"

=====================================================

*Kari draws her gun and begins firing at the trodents.*

Crowley: <I think that much is obvious at this point...>

*Crowley quickly draws his sword and dodges out of the way, jumping behind Allina. A purple aura glows around the sword and he brings it down to slash at her.*

*Derek draws his sword quickly towards the dragon's neck in a counteraction to its bite attempt, trying to CUT its head off.*

~Kentaro & Allina~

*She slowly opens her eyes and sits up, yawning.*

Allina: <...Kentaro?>

*She looks at him in surprise before looking around, even more surprised.*

Allina: <Where are we?>

Jade Rabbit: <Great question.>

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~Kari & Lucien~

*And for a few minutes, they just keep coming and dying. Once they're all gone, they hear a loud roar and a giant version Ice Trodent lands in front of them, shattering a portion of the mirror labyrinth. It is the size of a small building, it's really light eyes looking amazingly creepy when this big. It angrily swings a paw at them.*

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~Alto & Crowley~

*Crowley's blade goes through her like she's made of water. The dragon is royally pissed off so he shoots two jets of flames at Alto from his nostrils.*

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~Creed & Kelphy~

Kelphy: <I... I'm sorry.>

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~Derek~

*The dragon manages to bring its tail in between its head and the sword just in time to save itself, losing its entire tail in the process. It furiously screeches, making Derek's head hurt like hell, and shoots a barrage of purple energy needles at Derek from its mouth.*

Lucien retaliates with his own claw of shadows aiming it at the Alpha Trodent's own swipe to veer it off course before launching himself at it with blades drawn. His goal was to sink his swords into the thing's neck and it quick.

---

"Ewww burning snot, not cool man" Alto swings the chains and ducks under the fire stream. He then uses the chains to knock the streams of flame back at the wyvern.

---

"We'll make it out of this Kelphy. I Promise."

*Crowley dashes backwards, away from the fake Allina, and sheathes his sword, the aura on it disappearing. He pulls out two swords made out of the purple energy, one in each hand, and runs up to the fake again, slashing at her with both of them.*