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Author Topic: El-Hazard Round Robin, Part 2  (Read 24601 times)
d.t.
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« Reply #15 on: December 18, 2003, 05:33:50 pm »

Crayna-Crayna had been making remarkably good time when her glider broke down.  A quick inspection under the hood confirmed the existence of a thriving ecosystem.  Some of the molds looked like they would have achieved sentience soon, if she hadn't fried them by starting the engine.  And then there were the things that the engine hadn't killed...

"Ah bollix," she had muttered, "fokin' aul' thing's after given up the ghost."

Apparently machines required occasional maintenance.  Or at least use.  Who knew?

So she had started to walk again.  Her brogues <shoes> were a little on the thin side, so it wasn't long before her kebs <feet> were paining her.

She had been lucky though - eventually she found two men with a glider, willing to take her the rest of the way for a fee.

She was sitting in a meditative position, serenely drinking from a choko <sake cup> when the glider came to a complete stop, and the two men, grinning, turned around and looked at her.   One of them had pulled a large club from somewhere.  "Your money and your life," said the shorter of the two, "although if you're fast about it we'll settle for just taking one."

"Not that we're making any promises," grinned the other, "it's one of those 'let the customer beware' type offers."

"And you are a customer," grinned the first again, "because this is just a business transaction, and we're respectable businessmen."

Although nothing broke through her zen-like exterior, Crayna-Crayna groaned inwardly.  She was dealing with two common thugs who, against all odds, thought they were really a pair of witty roguish highwaymen.

"Now then," continued the first, begining to advance on her.  Whatever he had been intending to say was lost, on account of the choko flying through the air and hitting his adam's apple with eye-watering accuracy.  Crayna's knee was in the area of his groin a moment later.

The second thug was taking this remarkably well.  Deep down he knew they would be resuming their journey soon, with Crayna holding the club.  The part that really upset him though, was the high-quality beat down he knew he was going to recieve.  Off camera for maximum effect.

****

Ryoko watched dispassionately as Hishima was beaten like an egg.  Part of her had been rooting for Ifurita when she realized Hishima's strategy.  Another part of her, the sensible bit, knew that Hishima's defeat was trouble.  They were the only two Creterian demon gods that could really be considered advanced.  The others, identical war machines that looked much like men dressed in traditional Creterian armor, were of inferior stock.  Of course there were the two lesser Ifurita units that were currently being reprogrammed, but this was still a worrying turn of events.

She didn't interfere, though.  Ryoko had more sense than that.  Instead she watched, her sensors on high, trying to determine what was going on.

She had long since dealt with the "existential angst of whether or not her personality was derived from a wholly mythical figure".  In fact she was happy knowing that her neural algorwhatsits were based on a being that may or may not have ever existed.  She wasn't sure she would have liked knowing, for sure, that there was another Ryoko somewhere.  There was only room for one being as good looking as her.  

There was definitely vanity in her personality.

There was also self-preservation.  As she watched Makoto touching Hishima, she was writing a whole series of sub-routinues to make sure she never allowed the same fate to befall her.  

She was also doing some interesting things with her internal clock.  About the only way she could fight her personality's natural inclination to charge in was to convince herself that she really was moving fast.
Logged

"You're going to dump me, your childhood friend, for a little chippie with a precocious set of melons?!" -Nanami
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« Reply #16 on: December 18, 2003, 06:29:47 pm »

Nahato glared at his underling, and spoke in a bone-chilling cold flat voice, leaving no doubt that he would soon explode in anger.  "The.  Anti.  Nanami.  Defense.  Screen?  Heh.  Heh heh.  Heh.  Tell me something..."

The underling still smiled brightly, but she was just starting to sweat-drop.  "Erm... yes?"

"Do you actually believe that you could apply thick make-up so perfectly that it wouldn't arouse undue suspicion at close range?" Nahato asked, through clenched teeth.

The underling sweat-dropped.  "But... the Phantom Tribe girl Ikette got away with it in the current writer's own unfinished fan fiction."

Nahato swung up one hand.  The underling winced, but Nahato did not mean to slap her.  He held his hand up to her face, to reinforce the point he was trying to make.  "And I suppose you expect us male Tribers to wear dainty little gloves to hide our freakin' hands!!  Why, that wouldn't arouse undue suspicion, now, would it!?"

Another hapless underling cut in.  "No, it wouldn't, actually.  Lots of male anime characters wear little white gloves all the time, for no good reason.  Gendo from Evangelion, Tamiya from Oh Mh Goddess!--"

Nahato exploded in anger.  "GET OUT!!  GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!  OUT, OUT, OUT!!"

Nahato's remaining minions suddenly decided to give him some private time.  He was quickly left alone, behind the Path of Twilight, except for the totally unresponsive Jinnistacia.   He turned and shouted in her ear, paraphrasing what is arguably the most famous and beloved Monty Python sketch of all time.  "HELLO, JINNIE!!  TESTING!!  TESTING!!  TESTING!!  THIS IS YOUR NINE O'CLOCK ALARM CALL!!"

Nahato's anger gave him the strength of ten.  He seized Jinnistacia by her ankles and plucked her from the translucent column.  He whacked her cold stiff body against a counter a few times, then dropped her to the floor with a dull thud.

He sighed.  "This demon god wouldn't 'voom' if you put four million volts through her."



Shortly after beating the snot out of the two not-so-clever thugs, Crayna had them drop her off near the Muldoon temple.  She realized that no one might be home, given all the crises that El-Hazard had recently faced in rapid succession.  But she couldn't resist dropping in to see the dear old place again, just for a moment.

Hishima's attack on Ifurita-1, and Makoto's desperate attempts to save Pretty Magical God Nanami, had not yet reached the destructive levels that would attract Crayna's attention.  Either that, or that scene was completely over.  It didn't really matter; either way should be alright.

Anyway, Crayna had entered the Muldoon temple from a side entrance, and she soon happened to stroll past the baths.  And so it was that the retired high and mighty Great Priestess of Fire, Crayna Crayna, was reunited with her protege, the current high and mighty Great Priestess of Fire, Shayla Shayla.

The words they both spoke in greeting were oddly predictable.

"Flippin' 'ell," said Crayna.

"*mmmph*" said Shayla.

Crayna suddenly realized that she had dropped her pipe again-- into the not-yet-dry (and highly flammable-- or is it inflammable?) wide puddle of varnish surrounding Shayla's prone and helpless body.

"FLIPPIN' 'ELL!!" said Crayna.

"*MMMPH!!*" said Shayla.

Crayna stepped forwards, bent down and snatched up her pipe.  Fortunately, it had landed upright, and the varnish had not caught fire, and the helpless Shayla had not met her end in a horrific yet ironic explosive fiery death.

"That weren't 'alf a close one, now, were it?" Crayna noted, as she put out her pipe, and put it away.

"*mmmph*" Shayla agreed.

"Uh... do you mind if I drop the accent?" Crayna asked.  "The current writer isn't trying to be politically correct, or anything-- you should see him write Peorth with a French accent!-- but he doesn't know the Dublin accent very well, and he likes to give most characters a midwest-US accent, anyway.  You should've seen how he had Ryoko talking, just now.  It was too darn fun."

"*mmmph*" said Shayla, rolling her eyes up.

Crayna crossed her arms and grinned at Shayla.  "So, tell me, kid.  What kind of a flamin' idiot gets herself varnished to the floor?"

"*mmmph*" said Shayla, rolling her eyes down.

Crayna looked down at her own feet.  She had politely kicked off her shoes when she had entered the temple, and, when she had stepped forwards to pick up her pipe, she had stepped into the not-yet-dry wide puddle of varnish surrounding Shayla's prone and helpless body.

She pulled at her now-well-stuck feet, then sighed.  "Ah.  That kind of a flamin' idiot."

Crayna bent down and let herself fall backwards, to sit on the dry part of the floor outside the puddle.  She reached into a pocket, produced a small hammer and chisel, and started chipping at the two large bathroom tiles glued to her feet.  "Ah well.  We can have a nice chat while I work these two tiles free, and then I'll fetch some solvent for us both.  That alright by you, dear?"

"*mmmph*" said Shayla in agreement, not nodding because her head was varnished in place.

"So... been keeping yourself busy?  Uh... one for no, two for yes."

"*mmmph mmmph*"

"That's nice."



Kalia had not yet returned to the now-open grave in Yuba and Ifurita-2's little trans-dimensional oasis.  She was collecting a few last hideously evil bits of technology, and planning to do things with Ishiel's sweat-drenched shapely female figure that, when you stop and think about it, were going to have to be at least slightly ecchi, albeit in a really creepy kind of way.

Kalia had piled the junk that she had already collected near the springs where Fatora and Alielle had had their vaguely disturbing nekkid romp in the second OVA.  A cartoonishly old-fashioned blueprint for Kalia's Dimensional Phase-O-Matic was spread on the ground next to it, weighed down with small stones, so that it wouldn't roll up again by itself.

The water in the springs suddenly roiled with extra-dimensional energy.  A small-girl-sized dimensional portal opened, and Skuld thusly began her requisite cameo appearance.

She looked all around her, calling out as she looked.  "URD!!  Are you still somewhere in this dimension!?  Belldandy's almost got dinner ready!!"

Then Skuld sighed.  Oh, nut bunnies, she thought.  Urd's already gone back to Nekomi.  I must have just missed her.

She looked around her again, and Kalia's pile of junk caught her attention.  She drifted a little closer, and noticed Kalia's blueprints lying open below her.  Anyone who has seen the third episode of the Oh My Goddess! OVA would know what was about to happen.

The technologically proficient Skuld took up the blueprints, and read through them more closely.  A cute little frown came to her face.  "Oh, these are the worst blueprints I've ever seen!  Just look at this mess!  These numbers are all wrong!"

She reached into her impossibly deep pockets, whipped out a mechanical draftsman's pencil and a scientific calculator, and proceeded to rewrite Kalia's blueprints at superhuman speed, pausing every few seconds to enter figures into her calculator with cute little scientific beeping noises.

After a short time, Skuld put her pencil and calculator away, took up the revised blueprints and hugged them to herself, with a big happy smile and a cha-ching! sound effect.  "Now this is what a blueprint should look like.  Oh, I'm such a genius!  I really am!"

A split second later, she froze, went half-blue in the face, and sweat-dropped, dropping the plans with a GONG! sound effect, as she realized that she had just helped to design a device meant to destroy an entire dimension.

Whistling innocently, Skuld drifted away, re-opened her portal in the springs, and returned to Nekomi, cutting her cameo a bit short, and leaving two important questions unanswered.

The first question was, exactly what critical flaw had Skuld just unknowingly introduced to Kalia's Dimensional Phase-O-Matic, ensuring that it wouldn't work as Kalia intended?  Only a future writer would know for certain-- but whatever it was, it was sure to be wacky, in a cute little Yggdrasil goddess kind of way.

The second question was, exactly how was the current writer going to bring Peorth in next, when El-Hazard didn't seem to have any cameras?  Well, he's still thinking about it.
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« Reply #17 on: December 18, 2003, 07:41:32 pm »

"Dammit! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!" Jinnai glanced around the dark, foul-smelling tunnels before turning to his guide/minion/former guard.

"Shut up and lemme think fer a sec, will ya?" Millie took out a crumpled up map from her pocket, then started scanning it. "Um... lessee... we went left, then right, then left again, then right... CRAP, WE'RE LOST!"

"I know that, you idiot!" snarled Jinnai. "God, I can not BELIEVE I just gave you two cities to rule! You are the most incompetent minion I've ever had!"

"Shut up!" shouted the young guard. "I knew I shoulda just let you rot in that room, you stupid weirdo! No city is worth havin ta listen to your annoyin voice!"

"Oh yeah?" Jinnai growled, lifting his fists up.

"Yeah!" Millie growled, lifting her fists up.

The two were about to duke it out when the sound of something big and heavy moving through the sewage alerted them. The two turned and saw a massive shadow heading towards them from the opposite side of the tunnel.

"Gah! What is that?!" Jinnai gulped.

"Oh no!" Millie took a frightened step back, her face turning very pale. "It's one o' them big, giant sewer rats that eat people! I've heard that they hung around in the deepest parts of the sewers!"

"That's nonsense!" Jinnai smacked the girl on the back of the head. "There's no such thing as giant sewer rats!"

"Ow! You dope! There IS such a thing as giant sewer rats, cuz we're just about to be eaten by one, you stupid shit!"

"You dare call the Lord God a STUPID SHIT?! I'll kick you're ass!"

"Bring it on, string bean!"

The two were just about to rumble when the large shadow fell upon them.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" they both screamed.

"%$!$#@%!#$#@$@^#$@@?" said a familiar voice.

"G-Groucho! Is that you?" asked Jinnai as he peered through the darkness.

"!$#%@#$@#" Groucho replied.

"Idiot!" shouted Jinnai with a smack to his minion's head. "Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

"!#$#@$%#$@$#$#^*$" cried the Bugrom.

"What? Did you just say a fleet of alien ships has just arrived and is trying to conquer my El-Hazard?" Groucho nodded. "Those lousy stinking INGRATES! How dare they take what is rightfully mine! I'll show them!" Jinnai hopped up on the Bugrom's back, then pointed forwards. "Come, Groucho! To the Palace! My Empire needs me!"

"!@#$@!$#" said Groucho before he sped off down the tunnels.

"Um... when do I get my city?" called out Millie to the fleeing duo. "Hey! HEEEY! You ain't just gonna leave me here, are ya?" The red head gulped, as nothing was around her except for the darkness. "Are ya?" She shrieked when evil red eyes suddenly popped up all around her.

Before she knew it, the giant sewer rats were upon her.

************************************************

Some minutes later, a slightly "soiled" Jinnai and Groucho stormed into the Roshtarian throne room, eliciting gasps from the humans and Bugrom inside.

"Mr. Jinnai! You have returned to us!" greeted Empress Diva with joy. That joy was curbed somewhat when she got a whiff of him. "Oh, dear me, Mr. Jinnai... you reek."

"Bah, hygene can be taken care of later!" Jinnai strode up to the war table that Londs and his Bugrom had set up. "What's the scoop on those alien incursionists?"

Londs pointed to a map of Florestica. "The ships are still hovering above the city as we speak, but have not attacked directly. The cowards instead have sent down Demon Gods to attack the soldiery and citizens."

Jinnai snorted. "Fools, they underestimate us. Have you made ready Plan: Bug Goddess?"

Londs looked up from the map and smiled evilly; he had gotten very good at it as he had practiced every morning in front of his mirror. "Oh, yes. I have taken the liberty of summoning the first garrison of the new Bugrom Demon Gods to us in order to deal with the problem." Under Jinnai's orders, Londs had repeated the experiment Dr. Schtalabaugh and Makoto had done with the Demon God Factory, the one which had managed to create the Magical God Nanami. The experiment was a complete success... so to speak... "They await your review in the other room."

"Excellent!" Jinnai smirked and made his way towards the nearby doors. "Now we'll show those stupid aliens what the armies of the Lord God Jinnai are about! BWAH HAH HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Uh, sir, wait!" called out Londs. "You should know that the attempt to duplicate staffs from the Demon God Factory was not a complete success! As with the creation of the Nanami Demon God, our new soldiers are a bit.... untraditional."

"I don't care, just so long as they fight good," Jinnai opened the doors and stepped inside the room. "Physical appearances are nothing! Only sheer destructive power are......... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

************************************************

The Cretarian Demon Gods flew about the city, shooting their laser beams at will. So far, the human and Bugrom soldiers defending the city streets had proven ineffective at stopping the aliens' onslaught. The grey-armored men continued their wave of destruction, eliminating all who stood in their way.

Until the Bugrom Demon Gods came.

"What are these creatures?" asked one Cretarian Demon God to another. "My databanks do not have any records of beings such as these."

"Unknown, though my sensors are reading strangely," answered the other. "No matter. We will destroy them, as we will destroy any who stand in our way."

"With pleasure," The Cretarian rushed towards the line of strange beings before him, deadly arcs of electricity flaring from his outstretched arms. Suddenly, one of the creatures lifted its strange staff and fired a powerful beam of yellow light at the Cretarian, vaporizing the Demon God into ashes.

"W-what is this?!" stammered the other Cretarian. He stepped back in fright as the small, puffy yellow creatures began to advance on him.

"Puuuuchuuuu puchuuu..." said the Bugrom Demon Gods.
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« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2003, 09:02:59 pm »

OOC:

Quote
Now, please use your ability to finish what I started, before some unlikely twist of plot leads to his rescue.


Too late.  ;D

******

To Hishima, failure was not an option.

I am...a servant of Master Yume.

It wasn't even a possibility.

Even if my body...is reduced to atoms...

Indeed, it wouldn't be an understatement to say that his sole reason for existing was to serve Yume.

...and scattered across...the length of the universe...

Obedience wasn't a way of life for him.

...for Master Yume...I will make the impossible...

Obedience was his life.

...POSSIBLE!

Drawing on energy where none should exist, Hishima's mind was consumed by the burning fires of determination, and Makoto was violently evicted from the Demon God's body.  Simultaneously, Hishima's splintered palm shot a beam of energy at Ifurita which, while too weak to even scratch her, did cause her to back up defensively, supplying the battered Demon God with the one crucial second he needed.

"MAKOTO!" Ifurita screamed as she reached out, too late, for her soulmate who had fallen with Hishima through a now closed portal the next generation Demon God had opened with the last of his strength.

******

"You certainly got trashed," Yume commented critically as she examined her 'finest creation' within the relative safety of her laboratory.  "Well Hishima, judging by the severe damage done to your systems, you'll be sitting the rest of this adventure out in a regeneration tank until the inevitable ULTIMATE BATTLE."

The greatest super genius in the whole universe then turned her attention to Makoto who was being held captive by several Creterian guards.  "You are Mizuhara Makoto, a 17-year-old student from Shinonome High with the power to activate, synchronize, and understand the ancient technology of El-Hazard by simply touching it, correct?"

"Wow, how did you figure all that out?" Makoto asked, impressed despite himself.

Yume smirked.  "I looked it up on The Wanderers' Guide to El-Hazard: The Magnificent World, which can be found at this URL:  http://www.geocities.com/MakotosMWO/, of course.  Now then, guards, take him away!"

Makoto promptly found himself dragged to a prison and thrown in a cell with Fatora and Alielle.

Seeing his questioning look, Alielle merely shrugged.  "What?  How else did you expect us to get involved in one of the main plots again?"

******

Salli from the El-Hazard Radio Drama left her palace, noticed the battles and chaos currently happening around the world, and decided to let somebody else deal with it before resuming her guardian duties and returning to her home.




OOC:

OAV series, check.

TV series, check.

Manga, check.

Video game, check.

Radio drama, check.

*blinks*  Is it just me, or have we successfully combined practically every published El-Hazard continuity?
« Last Edit: December 18, 2003, 09:15:18 pm by rowan_a._seven » Logged
Lord God Jinnai
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« Reply #19 on: December 18, 2003, 11:22:51 pm »

OOC: Anybody wanna try to incorporate the hentai doujinshis?  XD
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« Reply #20 on: December 19, 2003, 02:36:33 am »

The palace was indescribably vast. It employed sub dimensions, spacial/temporal folds, junctions in reality, and some chancy fudging of the laws of physics.  It didn't just occupy more space inside than out.  Inside it redifined what "space" was.  As for what it looked like... there were pillars that had tops and bases at the same place.  There were things that shouldn't exist outside of optical illusions.  It was like a dream.

It would have made MC Escher break his pencils in artistic jealousy.

The demon goddess watched a ghost of the future calmly.  From time to time one could see visions from the past and future in the Palace.  Such was the nature of this place.

You couldn't twist time and space in strange ways without the odd side effect.

"I am the demon goddess Wa Salli Alayhim," the future Salli announced, a strange and impressive echo in her voice, "I was first.  I was the first demon god ever constructed, the prototype, the singular template from which all others of my kind were wrought.  I was last, taken offline as demon god technology progressed, only to be rebuilt and made anew by the dying Ancients.  I am the guardian of this palace.  I am one with this palace.  I know what you wish... but you have brought evil to this holy place.  You must leave, Mizuhara Makoto."

Salli could not see who her future self spoke to, but heard nonetheless.  "We can't," explained the unseen speaker, "not after going through so much.  Not after all we've been through.  Arjah, The Creterians, Kalia, the Phantom Tribe, the Ancient Bugroms... Kauru and her demon gods... You just have to let us through."  Salli watched her future self lift the War Key in warning.  

The vision vanished, as they always did.

Salli -first and last of the true demon gods- considered this vision carefully.  It had been strange eons since any had entered the Palace but herself.  She would have to prepare.

She was more machine-like in appearance than any of the other demon gods.  Instead of cloth she wore strange armor than sounded like glass tubular bells as she moved.  There was something very square-ish about her appearance, and her gait was mechanical, unnatural.  Still there was something entirely human in her eyes, much like what Makoto had seen in Ifurita's when Jinnai first awoke her.  Salli's eyes gleamed as she beheld the center of the palace.

It was a perfect sphere, as large as a house, surrounded by strange red disks similar to the blue discs in the Phantom Tribe cache.  The sphere's color slipped from one's conciousness like water between fingers...  Red?  Indigo?  Impossible to say.  It was the power source for this palace.  It was the last gift of the Ancients.  

The war of the Ancients had left the very fabric of reality ravaged.  As they were dying they ealized this, and built this facility to repair the damage they had done.  The palace did not merely repair the environment, it repaired the very injuries upon reality caused by weapons such as the Eye of God.  

Salli stared at the caged baby universe.  The universe of El Hazard was being repaired with the energy output of an entire universe of young suns.

And it needed it too.  The Ancients had managed to screw the place up that much.  Wankers.

*****

One of the Phantom Tribesmen ran back through the Path of Twillight, waving something disturbingly flesh-like in his hands. "Good news, your excellence!  We just found this!  One of the scientists here must have written out the formula as he was dying... It's called laytex!"

There was an awkward pause as the underling took in the sight on front of him.  "Erm... sir, are you all right?"

"Fime."

"Sir... are you biting the demon god?"

"Yemh."

"Is it... working?"

"No," spat Nahato, releasing Jinnistacia's fingers from his mouth.  "Always worked on Phantom Tribe Counsilmembers when they tried to ignore me.  Thought it was worth a shot." Nahato glared at the 'laytex'.  "What, are we meant to make surprisingly realistic Mission Impossible style masks using that stuff?  Sounds kind of farfetched."

"I'd agree sir, but realism can be ignored.  Judging from some scientific notes that were left behind, we can sidestep plausibility provided we pick some of our most beautiful and handsome tribe members to be spies, and provide an adequate amount of fanservice.  It's a whole new type of science they were working on here... 'writerstakelibertiesmatics'."

"Is it just me, or have we become comedic relief lately?"

"Well sir, you are the smartest and craftiest of us... but perhaps its hard to take us seriously when people realize we're led by Galus'..."

"Protege'.  I was his protege'."

"And we got yelled into submission by Rune Venus.  That was just a bit pathetic."

"We'll have to do something really evil to get back our respect."

"...An evil petting zoo, maybe?"
« Last Edit: December 19, 2003, 02:44:57 am by d.t. » Logged

"You're going to dump me, your childhood friend, for a little chippie with a precocious set of melons?!" -Nanami
MrWhat
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« Reply #21 on: December 19, 2003, 07:29:28 pm »

The Phantom Tribe underling had left Nahato alone with the totally unresponsive Jinnistacia again.  Nahato sat on the floor next to where Jinnistacia's cold stiff body had fallen, twirling the strange 'laytex' mask in his hands.  He happened to hold it out flat, to study its face.

Ye gods, Nahato thought.  It almost looks like... She Who Seeth Through Our Illusions.

He couldn't quite be sure, though, unless the mask were... used.  And there were only two head-shaped objects behind the Path of Twilight, and he sure as shootin' wasn't gonna put the thing over his own face.

With suddenly trembling hands, he stretched the 'laytex' mask over Jinnistacia's own sharp elfin features, and let it snap into face.

And suddenly, in a blatant egregious moment of writerstakelibertiesmatics, Nahato learned how close the Phantom Tribe scientists had been to finding the key to unlocking Jinnistacia's stasis.

The mask seemed to melt into Jinnistacia's skull.  In an instant, it was no longer a mask.  It had become Jinnistacia's face... even though it was identical to Nanami's face, after all.

In the next instant, Jinnistacia's eyes snapped open.

And, in the instant after that, Nahato wet himself.

Jinnistacia sat up, blinking.  She yawned, and stretched in the requisite fan-servicey way.  Then she caught a reflection of herself in the translucent column.

After staring at herself, she turned on Nahato, pointing at her own face, and snarled in demonic fury.  "DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"

Nahato, having already wet himself, moved on to Number Two.  But he nodded.

Jinnistacia suddenly smiled cheerfully.  "Oh.  'Kay.  Then you must be my new master.  Tee hee!"

This was so not going the way Nahato had expected.  "Guh... nuh... uh... you mean, you are mine to command, after all?"

"Sure!" Jinnistacia chirped.  "But I gotta do two things, first."

"Oh.  Uh, okay.  What are they?"

Jinnistacia turned to the translucent column again, and studied her full reflection.  "First, I need new clothes to suit my new face.  I"m thinking, a plasticky pink BADASS halter top, and scandalously short matching skirt.  'Kay?"

Nahato smiled shakily.  "Uh... 'kay.  What's the other thing?"

Jinnistacia held out an open hand, and her key-staff flew to her.  She smoothly swung it around, and aimed it at Nahato's face.  "Why, I have to punish you, silly!  You've been a naughty, naughty little Master, to be playing with sleeping demon gods!"

And so it was, that, to practically everyone's regret, Pretty Magical God Jinnie came to life.



Millie was sitting round a small camp fire, along with a circle of Giant Sewer Rats.  Of course, a fire is an incredibly dangerous thing to build in a deep sewer, for many explosive reasons.  But the Giant Sewer Rats were experienced professionals.  So, don't try this at home, kids.

The Giant Sewer Rat to Millie's immediate right turned to her, and offered her a fresh wedge of cheese with a heavy half-growled squeak!.

Millie took it from the rat, a bit nervously, but as if she perfectly understood the rat.  "Er, thanks.  A nice Wensleydale, you say?..."

She carefully nibbled at the cheese, and her eyes suddenly went all shiny.  "WOW!!  This stuff is the manna of the gods!"

Millie slapped the rat's back heartily.  "Yes sir!  We're gonna get along fine!  Ha!  Ha ha!  Ha ha!  Ha!..."



The Princess Rune Venus yelled as loudly as she could.  "Excuse me?  I'd like some food!  Please?"

She was still lying in a cot in the Roshtarian Underground Resistance's headquarters, after her humiliating fall from grace, all the way back in the previous Round Robin topic.  She was still trapped in her sister's straitjacket-- sadly, Rune had neither the female Phantom Tribers' fan-servicey contortionist training, nor her sister's natural hentai abilities-- and the cot was too soft and deep in the middle for her to even sit up, without the use of her arms.

Much to her chagrin, Rune had also found herself wearing blue latex pants.

She yelled again.  "I'm really sorry...  I must have had a psychotic episode, but I'm feeling better now.  And bits of masonry keep falling in the corridor.  I really don't think this place is safe."

Rune gulped.  Surely they hadn't just forgotten her... had they?

There was a drawn-out pause.  Then, improbably, a wolf could be heard howling in the distance.

Rune gulped again.  No, it was much closer than that.  The wolf was at her door!

A huge gray mostly-domesticated wolfhound padded into her room, came up to her cot, and sat at her side.  It panted loudly, hanging its tongue out goofily, as if it were grinning at her.

Rune smiled back at it.  "Hector!  Am I glad to see you!"

Hector was one of the many animals that Rune kept in the royal petting zoo that the Phantom Tribe had no reason to establish, since Rune had already established it.  The big friendly wolfhound was one of Rune's favorite animals.  She had known Hector since... well, since he was a pup.

Rune rolled away from Hector as much as she could, exposing her back to him.  "Now, be a good doggie, and undo Mama's straitjacket with your teeth!  C'mon, boy!  You can do it!..."

Hector tilted his head, and made a confused Scooby-Doo "rrrff?" kind of sound.  Rune could practically see the cartoon question mark over his head.

Rune flopped back down with a sigh.  "Oh, Hector...  A rescue dog be you not."

Hector hung his head, drooped his ears, made big sad puppy-dog eyes, and whimpered.

Rune smiled at him again.  "But that's okay.  I feel better now, with you to keep me company."

"Woof!" Hector said happily.  He stood up half-way, chased his tail a couple of times, plopped down on the floor with a sigh, and went to sleep at Rune's cot-side.

Rune also sighed again, more in relief now.  Well, this isn't so bad, she thought.  I am hungry, but I can wait awhile longer to eat.  And Fatora's straitjacket is actually rather nice and comfortable.  Now that my balcony is gone, and I have no place to go all angsty, perhaps I can relieve my stress with the occasional psychotic episode instead.

I could relax completely, Rune thought, if I could get an explanation for the blue latex pants.



A small Mouse Wearing A Hat scurried up to the foot of a miniature throne, and squeaked out a message to its mysterious occupant.

The camera angle changed, showing the smiling whiskered mouth of the mysterious occupant.  "Is that so?  Interesting..."

Just then, Millie followed another Mouse Wearing A Hat into the very small throne room.  She struggled through an open doorway that was majestic to a Mouse Wearing A Hat, but barely large enough for her shapely female figure.  "*oof* am I supposed *arg* to be impressed *oof*?"

The camera angled back to the foot of the miniature throne, then slowly panned up the body of its mysterious occupant.  It didn't have to pan far, since the mysterious occupant was a normal-sized (and pudgy) rat wearing an unusually goofy tall stripey hat.

The rat spoke.  "I am... Mitsuo Iwata!!  King and Omnipotent Ruler of the Mice Wearing Hats (and Giant Sewer Rats) Empire!  Uh, but my friends call me Gan-chan....  What!?  You were expecting Ratbert, maybe!?"

Millie rolled her eyes and sighed, but decided to play along with the Jinnai-meets-Deva parody.  "*ahem*  I am Millie Smith!  Former annoying brat, current traitorous Roshtarian Underground Resistance Guard, and future ruler of Two Cities To Be Named Later!"

Gan-chan sqeaked with delight!  "Incredible!  You somehow have an ability to speak the Mice Wearing Hats' language!  Could it be that you are the one described in our ancient prophecy?"

"Huh?" said Millie, suddenly doubting her newly-discovered ability.

"I'm asking if you are the one destined to lead the Mice Wearing Hats (and Giant Sewer Rats) to greater glory!"

"Uh, sure!" Millie said.  "That sounds like I could get more than two cities out of it, so why not?"

Gan-chan regarded her sternly.  "One final test, then.  You're not a cat person, are you?"

"Can't stand 'em," Millie said.  "Foul-tempered selfish little beasties, always eating all the tuna fish, and licking themselves in unmentionable places.  Yecch!!"

"Yecch!!" agreed Gan-chan.

"YECCH!!"

"YECCH!!"

And so it was that yet another challenge loomed for Makoto and his friends.  Even if they were able to deal with Kalia and her not-quite-fully-functional Dimensional Phase-O-Matic... even if they were able to defeat the weenie Dall Narciss III and the sort-of mysterious Yume...  even if they were somehow able to survive the future cross-over appearance of the Splendiloquent Peorth herself...

Would they be able to face the still-annoying-and-bratty Millie, as she unleashed the squeaky horror that is...
Mice Wearing Hats!!
« Last Edit: December 19, 2003, 07:36:40 pm by mrwhat » Logged
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« Reply #22 on: December 19, 2003, 08:43:29 pm »

"They've managed to catch Makoto," Alliele whispered, "I think that means we're screwed."

"We're far from screwed," Makoto said, in a strangely calm monotone, "This is exactly what I wanted.  When I was linked with Hishima I realized just what we were facing.  I could have neutralized Hishima right there, but it wouldn't have solved our problems.  I needed to get aboard one of their ships... but I didn't have time to tell Ifurita."  He rose to his feet and began looking around the cell.  "This 'Yume' working for the Creterians... who is she?"

Fatora snorted, finally joining in the conversation.  "It's lucky for you, hero boy, that we were here.  We paid very close attention to her.  She's some brainy scientist type.  Mad as a bag of mice with hats.  Looks like she experimented on herself, judging from those oh-so-cute feline traits... so exotic..."

The Princess paused for the requisite amount of drooling before continuing.  "But like I said, she's utterly mad.  Thinks she's a character from some sort of book."

"Actually," came a voice from a cleverly hidden speaker within the cell, "I know I'm a character making a cameo in a fan-made work of fiction, which in turn is based upon works of contemporary mythology told in the sequential and animated art mediums."  The door slid open and Yume was standing there, smirking, flanked by two of the less advanced Creterian Demon Gods.  "But if it helps you can just think of me as Master Yume, the greatest genius your rustic little universe has ever seen.  Hey.  How-are-ya."

Makoto took a step forward.  The demon gods raised their staffs in warning.  "Ah ah ah," scolded Yume, shaking a finger back and forth, "You think I'm just going to let you touch these demon gods?  Maybe use your power against them?  Not gonna happen."  She frowned, narrowing her eyes.  "Now normally I don't just throw people in cells then take them out a minute later.  But I've never met anyone stupid enough to announce 'everything's going to plan' moments after being put in a cell before."

"Everything's still going according to plan."

Yume's frown deepened.  "Oh really?"

"I was in Hishima's mind.  I saw everything."

"You're bluffing."

"I know why your plans will fail.  Why you must always fail."

Yume took a step forward, angrilly thrusting a finger almost in Makoto's face.  "My plans are perfect!  I am the great genius Master Yume!  The greatest genius of all!  There are no flaws!"

Makoto grabbed her finger.  A moment later he was within the machine's mind, twisting and turning through the virtual landscape of its programming.  This was not a demon god, nothing so advanced.  As such, it was surprisingly easy to do what he wanted.

The guards had raised their weapons, but were not firing.  Yume did not seem to be in real danger, and had not given orders to fire.  

"I demand to know... what the hell is going on?" whispered Fatora to Alliele.

"I 'unno," replied Alliele, not even daring to move her lips.

Makoto released his grip.  Yume blinked, slowly lowering her hand.  "Guards..." she began in an mechanical monotone, "turn around."  The demon gods complied, and in a moment Makoto was touching their backs.  These were demon gods, slightly more advanced - but they had no personalities, nothing for him to free.  He reprogrammed them instead.

"We're leaving," Makoto said over his shoulder to Alliele and Fatora.  Yume and the two Creterian guards led the way, followed by Makoto... and, eventually, a very confused princess and handmaiden.  

"I hope you've got a plan, hero-boy," piped up Fatora, confused as all get out, but far too arrogant to admit it.  "These losers have two really powerful demon gods."

"You're welcome to go back to the cell," pointed out Makoto, a little tersely.  Normally he wouldn't be so mean, but Ifurita was worried about him.  He hated leaving her in the dark like this.  Fatora glared at her look-alike's back.  "One of those two is in traction.  The other one is fighting Ifurita."

"How do you know that, Makoto?" asked Alliele.

"Because this ship isn't being ripped to pieces.  Ifurita wouldn't let anything but a powerful demon god stop her.  And the two Ifuritas they captured have been ordered to protect their leader at all costs.  No, what we have to worry about is Master Yume."

Fatora blinked.  "But didn't you just-"

"Robot double, controlled by remote.  I saw it in Hishima's mind.  Yume's grown so paranoid she keeps several of them."

"Ohhhhhh... this scene makes some sense now."

***

"Reports indicate that the Alliance's capital is under attack by an unknown army."

"A number of new demon gods have been seen."

"Two more Ifuritas have been seen, apparently bested by one of the new demon gods."

Nahato nodded as information trickled in.  He was walking along the corridors deep within Kingfisher, followed by Pretty Magical God Jinnie (still waiting for her costume change.  Nahato had put together a 'Phantom Eye for the Demon...God' task force, who were doing fabulous things adapting her traditional uniform.  She would be pleased to know that much pink was involved).  A communication device had been found, not too badly damaged to prevent repair.  The rock formation was already filling with the Phantom Tribe again.  

"Jinnistac... Pretty Magical God Jinnie," said Nahato, "what do your sensors tell you?"

"Hmmm?  Oh, yes, lots of demon gods.  I wouldn't worry about them though, Naughty Master.  None of them possess my ability to create new techniques.  And the first technique I was given was the ability to prevent others stealing my "technique creation" technique.  Nope, no threats there."

"Excellent!" cackled the Nahato, momentarily ignoring the 'Naughty Master' bit.  "We'll simply wait for them to wear themselves out fighting, then swoop in and finish them off!"

Pretty Magical God Jinnie nodded in firm agreement as she said "No".

Nahato blinked.  "No?  What do you mean no?  I am your master, and you will follow my commands!"

"It is true that you are my master," lied Pretty Magical God Jinnie, "But I have already analyzed your goals and have detected some flaws in your otherwise brilliant plan."

Nahato glared.  "Such as?"

Pretty Magical God Jinnie looked around.  "Well, I thought you might prefer the plan that would return you all to your home planet."

Nahato gaped.  Underlings gasped.  People dropped things.  "Bloody hell!" someone said.

It took Nahato a moment to regain his composure.  He tilted his head, a look of cautious optimism on his face.  He still didn't trust this strange demon god -could never trust anyone that had spanked him- but if she was serious... "You can do that?"

"Oh yes.  Easy as pie, Naughty Master!" She picked up a latex mask that a Phantom Tribe scientist was working on, and stretched it between her fingers.  "You just get your people in place.  We'd need a few odds and ends.  Part of the Eye of God.  Access to one of the Princesses.  A little bit of ancient technology."  She paused thoughtfully, put a finger to her lips in a disturbingly saccharine-cute way, and glanced back at Nahato.  "Oh, and we just might need to find someone with a very specific genetic profile.  Descended from one of the Ancients' tribes.  Probably not, but it would probably burn your waffles to lose over a little thing."  She absent-mindedly drew little hearts on a steam-fogged piece of glassware.  "Oh.  That is if you would prefer this plan, Naughty Master.  I wouldn't want to overstep myself.  Just give the word and I'll go right ahead with your original plan."

Nahato glared.  He was suspicious, and thought he smelled the possibility of betrayal.  But if there was even a chance that she was telling the truth, he had to act upon it.  "Very well Jinni... Pretty Magical God Jinnie.  The resources of the Phantom Tribe are at my disposal.  Where precisely do you advise your master to begin?"  He was being very careful to remind her exactly who was in charge here.

The demon goddess smiled in a disturbingly cute way.  Things were going just swimmingly.  In no time she should be able to find a descendent from the Lost Tribe, and ditch these blue-skinned freaks.  Then it would just be a matter of subjugating the planet.

Easy as pie.

***

Crayna Crayna sat back, waiting for the varnish to dissolve.  "This'll take a bit, no mistake.  Couldn't find any proper solvent, had to improvise."

"*mmmph*" said Shayla, rolling her in annoyance.

"None o' that!  You're lucky you know someone that knows chemicals enough to improvise."

"*mmmph!*"said Shayla, glaring at her former teacher.  Crayna sighed.

"You're still pissed about that. Look, the ancient teachins o' the Fire Priestesses... I have no problem teachin' you.  But fer fok's sake, I wasn' about to trust you with love potions!  Not with your sense o' humor."

Shayla continued to glare in response.

"Anyway," Crayna went on, "This gives us a chance to talk... without you runnin' off.  Again.  Now look, here's how it goes," she fought the urge to light her pipe as she began.  "I'll try to keep this short.  Nothing foks up a story like too much exposition."

"*mmmph*"

"Okay, maybe lousy plots."

"*mmmph*"

"Yeah, good characters are important too.  Would y' whisht an lemee speak y'gobshite?  Anyway.  Lots o' girls are trained to be priestesses.  But there are only three Great Priestesses at a time.  The rest, as you know, are given jobs tending temples or watching holy sites. T' make sure nothing goes wrong.  

"*mmmph*"

"Okay.  When a fire priestess retires, she's put in charge o' this volcano, see?  T' watch over it.  No fokin' clue why, just told it's a bad thing for people t' mess with it."  She would have paused to blow smoke, if she could smoke.  "Someone messed with it.  It's my job to tell you.  It's your job t' figure out what t' bloody hell t' do about it."

"*mmmph?*"

"Oh, I think I might stick around t' make sure ya don't do anything fully stupid."


"*mmmph!*"

"Don't be glarin' at me like that!"  There was an awkward pause as the varnish dissolved with painful slowness.  "Anyway, got a man in your life?  Ah, you're gettin' the sparkly google-eyed thing again.  Knew it."


***

The accolytes were gathered for their favorite activity - watching the delivery boy.  He came once a week, lifting large crates of supplies into the training facility, under the watchful eye of senior priestesses.  Which didn't stop the priestesses-in-training from sneaking a peek.

"He's getting sweaty... here it comes!"
"He's taken off his shirt!"
"Woo!"
"Keep it down, they'll hear you!"

It was the oddest thing. None of the accolytes realized that the senior priestesses had at one point been accolytes themselves, peeking at delivery boys.  Instead they assumed they were doing something terribly secret and forbidden.

"I don't know though... I kind of like the blond one that comes by sometimes."
"What about the red head?"
"Oh I just can't make up my mind!"
"There is one way to find out which one of them you're most interested in," someone said.

Afura Mann looked away from the peephole in the wall.  Ishiel immediately pushed her aside, looking through the hole.  "Really?" Afura asked, with an almost clinical tone of voice.  "How?"

"If you don't like the thought of kissing one of them, he's not for you."

Afura snorted, spun on a heel, and went off back toward her quarters.  "Ah, she's just miffed for giving up her turn so quickly," smirked Ishiel.  The future great priestess of Earth looked through the peephole.  Yes, she could definitely see herself kissing this one.  UMPH! Fiiiine!  Grinning, she stepped away and looked at the corridor Afura had gone through.  Unbidden, she found herself thinking of Afura's lips.
Her heart skipped a beat.  "I couldn't say that I... wouldn't like it..." she whispered to herself.

"Man," said Kalia, walking through the memory, "you are one complicated doppelganger.  But this memory doesn't help me either." She roughly grabbed Ishiel by the hair, slamming her head into the wall.  It was only in her mind, but it still hurt.  "If we can't find something helpful soon, I'm just going to have to start taking your body apart.  See how it works." She grinned "Although I'll probably take your body apart one way or another anyway."
[/quote]

OOC: (Well, I had to think of some reason she wasn't falling for Makoto's harem ability, and there's not many available characters left.  I'm sure I can figure a way to fit shounen-ai in later though.  Makoto-Jinnai oil fight perhaps.  *Cackles evilly.*)
« Last Edit: December 20, 2003, 12:33:42 am by d.t. » Logged

"You're going to dump me, your childhood friend, for a little chippie with a precocious set of melons?!" -Nanami
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« Reply #23 on: December 20, 2003, 12:08:09 am »

Quote
I'm sure I can figure a way to fit shounen-ai in later though.  Makoto-Jinnai oil fight perhaps.  *Cackles evilly.*)


OOC: OMG YES PLZ KTHX XO
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« Reply #24 on: December 20, 2003, 12:14:59 am »

Quote


OOC: OMG YES PLZ KTHX XO


You got it hon.  Now just have to think of a way to make it plausible... Hmmm...

Arjah comes back from the dead... made entirely out of hot oil!  ^_^

P.S.  Mice with hats?  You are a god, Mr. What.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2003, 12:19:55 am by d.t. » Logged

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« Reply #25 on: December 20, 2003, 03:23:43 am »

Quote
OOC: (Well, I had to think of some reason she wasn't falling for Makoto's harem ability, and there's not many available characters left.  I'm sure I can figure a way to fit shounen-ai in later though.  Makoto-Jinnai oil fight perhaps.  *Cackles evilly.*)


IC OOC: Grrrrrrrrr... don't even think about it, newbie! We have enough perversion in this forum without you adding to it! I mean, this is the El-Hazard forums not some perverty.... pervert palace! GET A GRIP!!!  XO

Anyway, back to the story:



Dall Narcis III was feeling pretty good. He was at the forefront of his mighty empire, ready to fulfill the destiny long fortold in the ancient scriptures. His ancestors, who were the rightful rulers of El-Hazard, would be avenged. The Cretarian civilization would conquer all of the world once more, as it was always meant to be. It would be a new age for the Empire, as the primitive world before him held the promise of near unlimited resources and slaves. All the native heathens would bow down to him, or suffer the consequences.

He was knocked out of his happy thoughts by a most frightening shake of his ship. "What is going on?" he asked the captain, irritation evident in his voice. "You know I don't like to be disturbed with turbulence."

"Sorry, Sire, but I'm afraid this is not turbulence." The captain looked up from his console in worry. "The natives have begun to counterattack, My Lord!" Another series of rumblings rocked the ship, and loud explosions could be heard from outside the thick hull.

"What? That's impossible! You said these primitives didn't have any technology capable of harming us!"

"I... I'm afraid we made an error, Sire. It seems that these people are more advanced than we thought. They have some sort of Demon God-type weapons, but very advanced and very deadly! Their design is monstrous, obviously the work of some mad man or supergenius!" The captain pointed to his monitor, which was currently showing the area outside the ship. All around, zipping through the air, were the Bugrom Demon Gods. Their small, puffy bodies were increadibly fast, much too fast for the Cretarian Demon Gods to hit with their clumsy blasters. The smaller weapons flew circles around their adversaries, blasting them to bits with impunity.

"Oh my, they're so increadibly cute!" stated the Emperor as he saw the enemy Demon Gods.

"Be that as it may, sir," said the captain, "fifty of our ships are currently under attack, and ten of those report suffering serious damage. Sire, we must withdraw!"

"What? NEVER!" Dall stood up to his full height and glared down at the shorter man. "I will not have the mighty Cretarian army beaten by these rediculous stuffed toys!"

Suddenly, a small portion of the hull burst inwards. From the hole popped one of the Bugrom Demon Gods, its cute yellow face smiling happily at the startled crew within. "PUUUCHUUU!"

"EEEK!" shrieked Dall the Third. He quickly scrambled behind some computers, all the while wetting his pants. "HELP ME SAVE ME HELP ME SAVE ME!"

"Puchu puuuchuuu!" said the Demon as it stepped onto the bridge and advanced towards the Emperor. Dall wept piteously, wishing to GOD that his mommy was with him.

"Oh no you don't," said a dangerous feminine voice. The Bugrom Demon God looked around, confusion masking its cute face. From out of nowhere, the Demon God Ryoko appeared and stomped the smaller weapon of mass destruction onto the floor. "Take that! Cute little bastard, DIE!"

Ryoko's superior strength proved too much for the poor Demon God. Its face quickly became uncute, and with its dying breath it said its last words. "OW! YOU MADE MY BONES BLEED!"

"Oh, Ryoko! You saved my life!" cried Emperor Dall as he launched himself at the Demon God with Intent To Hug (ITH). Fortunately for the cross-over character, the Bugrom forces had chosen this exact moment to fire off their second set of secret weapons; thus Ryoko managed to avoid Dall cooties.

"Wow, sorry, Your Highness, but looks like we're under attack. I'll take a raincheck on that hug though," with that the space piraaa... er, I mean, Demon God phased through the floor.

************************************************

"BWAH HAH HAHAHAHA!" laughed the Bugrom's great commander Jinnai as his new weapons took out two of the floating enemy ships. "That's it, let those stupid aliens see our power! Give 'em another one! FIRE! FIRE!"

The new weapons, which were composed of scavenged weaponry from LE TOILETTE DE DEVASTACION and mounted atop the scorpion-like tank Bugrom, fired off another barrage of deadly black energy towards the flying ships. Three more ships were hit directly, one of which began to explode from the damage sustained. The huge vessel began to sink slowly from the sky, then suddenly burst into a million pieces as its internal reactors blew. The countryside was littered with flaming debris, and some nearby buildings on the outskirts of Florestica were crushed by the falling hull of the Cretarian ship.

"Damn it!" Jinnai turned to Harpo, who he had put in charge of the new Bugrom Tank division. "You IDIOT! We own that city now, dope! I don't want any of it damaged, ya hear me? From now on, anything that gets wrecked comes out of your salary, GOT IT?"

"@!$$!%!@$#@$" Harpo sighed dejectedly.
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« Reply #26 on: December 20, 2003, 10:05:07 pm »

OOC:

Quote
P.S.  Mice with hats?  You are a god, Mr. What.


Thanks.  But, if I'm doing well, it's because I'm just trying to keep up with a whole bunch of fine writers.  This has got to be one of the most successful round robin projects ever... and it ain't over yet  8)



As the sun fell towards the horizon, and the shadows in the battle-weary palace-town grew long, Ryoko and Ifurita hung in the air, silently regarding each other, analyzing each other's strengths at a distance.  Their hair and clothing occasionally waved in a light evening breeze.

This imminent battle was different, and both Ryoko and Ifurita knew it.  There were no threats (empty or otherwise), no snarkiness, no idle chatter.  There wasn't even any innuendo-laden talk of punishment, slap-downs or spankings.

There was only silence, and sadness.

Ifurita had waited patiently when Ryoko had phased away for a moment, in order to save Dall-3's pretty-boy weenie butt from a cute and fuzzy death.  She remained in place until Ryoko returned.  It pained her to do nothing when her beloved Makoto had been taken from her... but there was no honor in attacking when her opponent had to save her man.

And so, as the sun neared the western horizon, Ryoko raised one hand, and materialized her energy saber.  And Ifurita raised her power-key-staff, and sparks of black energy sparked and flared at its tip.

And then, as the sun met the horizon, Ryoko and Ifurita nodded grimly, and their battle began.

It was as beautiful a battle as it was deadly.  Every attack, defense and counter-attack was executed with perfect poise, breath-taking beauty and lethal efficiency.

Do you remember the first time you watched the second El-Hazard OVA?  And the first time you watched the fight scene with the second Ifurita and Kalia?  And you watched Ifurita fly at Kalia, raise her key-staff like a baseball bat, and take that first whack at Kalia?  And even though you know violence is a terrible thing, you couldn't help but think to yourself, Oh, my God.

Well, Ryoko and Ifurita's battle was like that moment played over and over again.

The nearby combatants in the air, on Dall-3's cruisers, on airborne Bugrom vessels, on Roshtarian hovercraft, and even on the ground below, forgot their fights, and stared dumbly at the sky, enthralled by Ryoko and Ifurita's impossibly beautiful and deadly battle.

They were all too far away to see that, within moments of beginning their battle, both Ryoko and Ifurita had begun to cry.

Buth Ryoko and Ifurita knew that they were perfectly matched.  No two opponents had been so perfectly matched since the decommissioned Demon God Katsy-Watsy and Pretty Magical God Nanami had begun their staff-fight, in the empty lot with the really rude sign where the Shinonome Diner used to be.

And both Ryoko and Ifurita knew that, though they had no choice but to fight, they had doomed themselves by joining in battle.  Their respective battle systems both calculated that, unless they were somehow allowed to stand down soon, the probability of their mutual assured destruction was well over ninety percent, and approaching certainty with each passing second.

They did not weep for their fate, for today was a good day to die.

They both wept for their love-- the love they both had that would end when their lives ended.

Ifurita wept for the loss of her love for Makoto.

And Ryoko wept for the loss of her love for... Ryoko.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.  If one held an Eye of God to Ryoko's head, she would've had to admit that she had a soft spot for her not-really-her-master-- at least, in this cross-over incarnation.  Dall-3 might very well be a pretty-boy weenie... but he was her pretty-boy weenie.  It broke Ryoko's heart to think that she would never get to sneak up behind him, phase up from the floor, and scare the crap out of him again.



Poor little Kauru was still crying too.  But there's even more angst to work out, so let's leave her alone for awhile longer.



Nanami slowly sat up, to find herself weak, shivering, powerless, naked... and human.

After pulling her covering over her shoulders, she held out her frail mortal hands, hung her head, and stared at her open palms.

Nanami suddenly held her hands to her face, and began to sob pitifully.

The gain of her demon-god powers was not merely enough to drive her mad-- it was enough to drive her sane.  The loss of those powers was proving to be just as traumatic.

Nanami knew, in her heart of hearts, that it was wrong from the start.  She was born a mortal, and she was meant to live and die a mortal.  It was so selfish of her, to long for what she should never have had at all.

And it was selfish of her to think only of herself like this, when all her friends were still in danger.

But the shame of her selfishness only made her sob all the more pitifully.

Nanami staggered to her feet, still holding the covering over her shoulders, and still sobbing pitifully.  It's true, she thought.   I can feel it in my body.  I can feel it in the way... the way that gravity pulls at me.

She let the covering fall to the ground, and stood, naked and ashamed.  She had a cute little body that most fan-boys (and a few fan-girls) would have no complaints with, at all... but, she realized, with a pitiful sob, that she was no longer the drop-dead sexy goddess she had been, just a few hours ago.

I'll never fly unaided again, Nanami thought.  She hopped in place, and came firmly back to earth.

I have to eat and sleep again, she thought.  As if on cue, she felt her tummy growl.  The sun had just set, and she had eaten only a light breakfast that day.

And... I'll never create another Pretty Nanami Portal, she thought.  She looked down, and saw her plasticky pink battle-axe power-key-staff, broken in two by Hishima.

With a particularly pitiful sob, Nanami bent down and picked up the two pieces.  She held them together in one hand, and dully stared at them.

Well, there's always homicidal axe-wielding to fall back on, she thought, as she gave the broken axe a sad little token swing.

CHI!!--

In an instant, Nanami's tears, selfishness, and nudity were all forgotten.  What the blankety blank!?, she thought, as she gaped at the half-open dimensional portal in front of her.

She looked at her plasticky pink battle-axe again.  It was once again warm with gently glowing pinkish energy... almost as if it were happy to be with her.  She had been holding it over the broken place in its handle, but when she opened her hand, it was whole again.

Nanami slowly smiled, like the cat-girl that had eaten the canary.  Well, she thought, if I can still do that, then it's not that bad, now, is it?

She completed the portal with an --INK!! sound.  Then, with all the solemnity she could muster, she walked through her first post-demon-god portal, naked but proud, to meet her destiny.

She shouldn't oughta done that.



Belldandy, Keiichi, Urd and Skuld had just sat at their dining room table.

Belldandy began to serve miso soup to the others.  "So.  Urd, Skuld.  Did you have a nice day today?"

"Don't ask," Urd and Skuld said in perfect unison--

CHINK!!  WHAM!!

Keiichi looked down at the bowl that Belldandy had just set in front of him.  Then he looked back up at Belldandy, grinned sheepishly and rubbed his neck, and spoke.

"Uh, Belldandy?  There's a naked loveably spunky girl-next-door cross-over character, holding a plasticky pink battle-axe power-key-staff, in my soup."

"Oh, flippin' 'ell!" Nanami said.  "I seem to have completely overshot El-Hazard by about ten thousand years and one full dimension-- again.  Heh, I should've seen that one coming."

She wiped some spilled soup from some unmentionable part of her naked body, with one finger, and tasted it.  "Oh, that's delicious.  Um, Miss... Belldandy, was it?  I'm sorry I broke your dinner, and I've really got to get back to El-Hazard right away... but could I get your recipe?"



As a grinning Crayna looked on, Shayla slowly pulled herself up from her puddle of varnish, trailing long sticky strands of varnish behind her.

Shayla worked her jaw, and pulled her mouth open.  "Whew!!" she finally said.  "Thanks a lot, Crayna.  Man, that has got to be the weirdest damn fan-service I've ever done--"

"Now, now.  Don't go sayin' that," Crayna warned her.  "Y'know, sure as you say that, there'll be a fifty-gallon barrel of industrial adhesive waitin' for ya, with yer name on it."

Shayla gulped.  "I wouldn't put anything past the current writer now."

Crayna sighed.  "Aw, you kids have got it easy.  When *I* was your age, I had ta walk twenty miles in the snow, uphill in both directions, just ta have a little fan-servicey super glue accident--"

Shayla rubbed at her face.  "Ngh... uh, Crayna?  Two things.  You're seriously creeping me out, here.  And I just varnished my hands to my face.  Ow ow ow--"

"Pull away slow!" Crayna said.  "Or you'll tear yer freakin' face off.  Look, just hop back in the shower, and run some hot water ta rinse off whass' left o' the varnish, and you'll be good ta go...

"Speakin' of which-- it's time for me ta get goin'.  But I wanted ta leave this behind for yer little friends Makoto and Ifurita."  Crayna set a pair of small bottles, and a couple pages of hand-written notes, down on the floor, safely out of the way.  "It's a permanent cure fer Makoto, a sample bottle o' vaccine, and notes fer Ifurita on how to prepare 'em both."

"Ow ow when did you ow ow whip those up ow?" Shayla asked, as she peeled her hands free.

"Oh, I just threw 'em together while we were talkin'," Crayna said nonchalantly.  "You remember that five minutes after you blinked, when you were struggling ta pull your eyes open again?"

Shayla gulped again.  "Damn, Crayna!  You're good."

Crayna winked.  "You betcher sweet bippy, kid.  Now, one last thing.  You knew that the serum is like a love potion, right?  Well, kiddo, the permanent cure is about twice as potent.  The lucky lady that gives Makoto his injection of the cure is in for the night of her life-- assumin' her heart don't give out."

Shayla gulped yet again.

"Now, the proper thing ta do, would be ta give it to Ifurita, with both a warning and a blessin'.  But, and you didn't hear this from me, but if you gave our dear Makoto the cure yerself, then let him grab ya for naturally-enhanced hot sweet lovin' the whole night through, and claimed innocence the mornin' after?  Why, Ifurita would just be happy to have Makoto whole an' well again, and she'd find it in her heart ta forgive you both for somethin' neither of you could control."

Shayla thought about this.  A disturbing smile came to her face.

"Atta girl," Crayna said.  "And give the boy a pinch on the bottom fer me.  He's a sweet one, that Makoto is.  Well, see ya 'round, kiddo.  And fer crapssakes, don't forget ta do somethin' 'bout the damn volcano."
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d.t.
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« Reply #27 on: December 21, 2003, 12:16:10 am »

"BWAH HAH HAHAHAHA!" laughed the Bugrom's great commander.  "BWAH HAH HAHAHAHA!" he laughed.  

"HAHAHA...HA...ha.........ha...............wow."  Jinnai fell silent, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Ifurita and Ryoko.  The battle was raw and brutal, to the death as anyone could see, and yet there was a terrible sort of beauty to it, frightening and awe inspiring.  It was combat perfectly realized, fully and completely executed, raised to the level of art.  Of that there could be no question - this was art.  IT drew all eyes to it, like a gravitational force, tantalizing with a glimpse of something immortal.  The demon gods showed a profound disinterest in their surroundings, perfectly devoted to their work, never slowing, never relenting.  It was overwhelming, splendid but tragic, and it would have taken a supreme exertion of willpower to look away from it.

But say what you would about him, Jinnai had willpower in spades.  "This... this will not do," he whispered, tearing his eyes from the sight.  "They are too powerful.  I cannot - will not - risk Ifurita's losing!  And I'm not about to owe Mizuhara for saving the day again."  One by one he shook the necessary personel free from the battle's spell, practically dragging them after him.  "Come on!  Move it!  We have no time!  This is our time to move, and we have no time!  Move it you incompetents!"

****

Makoto paused, surrounded by five reprogrammed demon gods, his palm pressed against a computer terminal. His expression was blank as he interfaced, except for a thin crinkle on his forehead, and a bead of persperation.  Alliele and Fatora jumped as explosions went off within the ship.  

Fatora looked around wildly.  "We've got to get out of here!  He's going to blow up the ship!"  As Alliele protested in vain, she grabbed Makoto's shoulder and shook him wildly.  "Cut it out, you'll kill us all!"

Makoto blinked - the sudden loss of interface was like being woken with a bucket of cold water.  He looked perplexedly at Fatora, not understanding a word she said for a few moments.  "N... no.  I was only hurting their defences.  Nothing to destroy the ship, just enough to disable it."  He looked around.  "We have to get to Yume's lab.  I can do some damage from these terminals, but not enough.  Yume is still the key to this."

A monitor suddenly slid down from the ceiling, revealing Yume's smirking face.  "Guilty as charged, Mizuhara.  Have to admit you took me off guard, stealing my double like that.  2 brownie points for you." Her smile took on a more sinister aspect as she continued, "but you've only gotten this far because I've been busy finding a way to stop my Ryoko and your Ifurita from overloading and taking out half the Creterian fleet with them.  I think I've got an appropriate distraction for them... Whaddaya think?"  The camera rotated away from her, revealing extremely accurate doubles of Mizuhara and Dall.

Makoto gasped.  Fatora and Alliele gaped.  One of the demon gods dropped his staff.  "Bloody hell!" the normally mindless Yume double said.

"That's... certainly a distraction," managed Allile.

"EW," added Fatora, firmly.

Makoto turned extremely pale.  "Are they meant to be... making out like that?" he queried in a quivering voice.

"What?" came Yume's response, "oh darn.  I forgot they were programmed to do that whenever I pointed a camera at them.  Down!  Bad robot doubles!  Bad!"  There was a sound of someone turning a faucet, and suddenly a number of sprinklers doused the robots with cold water.  For a few moments the robot doubles continued their activities, oblivious to the water drenching their clothes.  Then their heads fell off. "Shoot, forgot to waterproof them in all the rush.  Okay, the next pair I won't program to canoodle like rabbits."  The camera rotated again, to close up on Master Yume's face.  "I'll get back to your impending doom in a moment.  In the meantime..." there was a movement on screen as she flipped a switch.  As the screen slid back up into the roof, the corridors of the lab-ship were filled with the sound of bagpipes being played by rank amateurs.

Fatora shook her head, but it was useless.  She knew full well that a new recurring nightmare had just been added to her psyche.  She grabbed Makoto by the shoulders and spun him around, practically pressing her nose to his.  "Do whatever it takes, but she must be punished, hero boy.  And I don't mean in happy fun me and Allie-"  And then the princess was forced to pause, because, gosh darn it, Yume was cute in an extremely exotic way.  She continued with a little more honesty.  "She must be punished, both in a happy fun me and Alliele way, and the other kind as well."

Makoto couldn't believe this was going on during such a suspenseful part of the story, and hoped the next writer showed more respect for dramatic impact.

****

In order to understand what happened next, one must first understand two things.  First, Millie's therapist had once told her that she had a great deal of internalized anger, and she should work towards externalizing it.  Second, she had given extremely vague orders to some mice with hats, along the lines of "and go see if that Jinnai freak is doing anything that looks important.  And if he is... mess it up!"

****
Meanwhile, in the Demon God Factory.


"Mr. Jinnai, no! You musn't!  The risk is too great!" wailed Empress Diva piteously.  "The Demon God Factory has been so unpredictable!  Who knows what might happen if you expose yourself to it a second time?"

"Bah," came Jinnai's reply, "the Ultimate Commander of the Bugrom Empire's Invincible Forces sneers at danger and calls its mother a hedgehog!  For the glory of the Bugrom empire I accept the risks... onward to destiny!"

As Diva, Londs, and a small number of trusted bugrom (one carrying Diva's tea set) watched, he grabbed the prototype staff that had been hastily constructed for him.

Two things were happening at that point.  First, Jinnai began to convulse in agony, just as he had the first time he had used the machine.  Again his hair grew in length, quickly falling down his back in a long shimmering cascade.  Again his face remolded, becoming super-model like in beauty.

The other thing that was happening, and this was very important, was the sabotage of the Demon God Factory at the hands (or rather paws) of mice with hats.

The machine made peculiar noises it probably shouldn't have.  Sparks flew from Jinnai's staff.  The air filled with smells that would have made any computer geek start unplugging things immediately.  Jinnai continued screaming as the metamorphosis went all F.U.B.A.R..

At last Jinnai slumped to the ground.  There was something plainly human about the way he did it.  Clearly the process had failed - he was definitely not a demon god.  His mortality was unquestionable.

The mice with hats beat a hasty retreat, unseen by all, mission accomplished beyond Millie's wildest hopes.  All eyes were now turning to the machine, which was smoking in a very distressing way.  A few small fires broke out.  There was a sound kind of like passing gas, and then a small explosion sent a gear flying through the air.  It imbedded in the wall, managing to slice a little off the top of Londs' hat on the way.  Then (because this was how it always went) a flaming spinwheel rolled by, taking long moments before it finally "whirred" in tightening circles and fell to the ground.

The air was silent, except for the sound of sparking circuitry.  The Demon God Factory had just been removed from the story.  All eyes now turned to Jinnai, as the supreme commander of the bugrom forces slowly, unsteadily, rose.

Diva gasped.  Londs gaped.  One of the bugrom fainted.  "#$%%^& #@77!" a bugrom said.

"What?" asked Jinnai, in a much more falsetto tone of voice than before.  "Wait... What?!"  Jinai's eyes rotated down, chestward.  There could be no doubt that, even if it had failed to make Jinnai a demon god, the Factory had done some significant remodelling. "Sweet merciful samsonite, I've got mellons!" shrieked Jinnai.

Londs blinked, repeatedly, fighting hard not to get a nosebleed.  The factory had done good work.  "A... A... And you're on fire," he pointed out, raising a shaking finger.

Which, Sure enough, Jinnai was.  A stray spark hat set the Bugrom Commander's sleeve aflame.  "Put it out, put it out!" shrieked Jinnai, patting at the flame frantically.  The bugrom carrying Diva's teaset took the cue, and promptly splashed Jinnai with the hot water.

There was a suspiciously large steam cloud, and then Jinnai was his old self, emphasis on the his.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  "Well," began Jinnai, "thank goodness that foolishness is over wi-"  The hitherto-unmentioned sprinkler system chose that moment to go off, dousing Jinnai with cold water.  Gasps followed.  Londs surreptitiously held a kleneix to his now-bleeding nose.  "Oh no..." whispered a once more-transformed Jinnai in a nervous falsetto, not at all liking what wet clothes revealed about her figure, "I think I see where this is going."

OOC:  Beats what they did to him in Alternate World though.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2003, 01:24:08 am by d.t. » Logged

"You're going to dump me, your childhood friend, for a little chippie with a precocious set of melons?!" -Nanami
Lord God Jinnai
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« Reply #28 on: December 21, 2003, 11:46:52 am »

Quote
OOC:  Beats what they did to him in Alternate World though.


IC OOC: Damn straight.

Back to the story!!!


Jinnai quickly shook her head, trying to get her mind off of the current annoyance. "This is merely a setback, not a defeat! I, the Lord God Jinnai, will not be swayed from focusing on the greater task at hand!" The new girl whirled to face her forces, pointing a finger at each one as she addressed them. "Harpo, try to get this place fixed ASAP! Groucho, get me some hot water, immediately! Gummo, get some freakin mousetraps in here, pronto! As for the rest of you... DO SOMETHING USEFUL!" She then turned and marched towards the door. "We need to beat back these stupid alien incursionists so that I may take my rightful place as Lord Ruler of... All... who..."

Jinnai had ceased her ramling when she came upon one of the Factory's shiny metal panels. The transformed despot stopped in front of it and admired her reflection. "Oh, wow. I'm gorgeous!" And indeed she was. Whatever problems the Demon God Factory may have at the current moment, it still seemed to have kept its fetish of turning everything drop-dead sexy. Jinnai was now the female equivalent of his Demon God form, except without the super powers. Her long, midnight black hair flowed down in silky waves to below her shoulders, matching the dark stare in her ebony colored eyes. Her pale, smooth skin shone like ivory against the blackness of her hair. The wet clothing also accentuated her devestating figure, one which seemed to have more curves than a California highway.

The Lord God stared in awe at herself for a few more minutes, before finally breaking away from the shiny panel and laughing dementedly. "BWAH HAH HAHAH HAHAHAHA! I beat you again, Makoto!" She laughed to the heavens. "You thought you were soooo cute dressed like a woman! Well I am now TEN TIMES the woman you are! BWAH HAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Everyone around her sweatdropped.

************************************************

Up at the palace above, Ifurina was not having a good time. It had been several hours since Londs had given the order to all non-military personel to evacuate the palace, but the poor servant girl had found herself trapped. Just as she had finished packing, some Creterian Demon Gods had managed to get by the Bugrom defenses and stormed the palace proper. Now the halls were a pitched battlefield, with human and Bugrom soldiers trying desperately to stop the Cretarian advance.

"Oh, I'm scared, Staff-chan!" cried Ifurina to Over-Run, who she was hugging like a teddy bear. The two were currently hiding behind a pillar while two Cretarians were blasting their way through a throng of Bugrom soldiers.

"I suggest that you use me as a weapon," said the Transformer. "It is the only way that we can survive this situation."

"Uh... okay," Ifurina took a deep breath in order to calm herself, then rushed into the hallway to join the battle. Unfortunately for the girl, a stray blast from the Cretarian's weapons hit the floor in front of her, the force of the blast sending the girl flying out the window.

"Ifurina!"cried the staff as the two of them sailed into the air. The hallway they were in was on the 30th floor of the palace, and the two fell steadily, the ground below fast approaching.

As she descended through the air, Ifurina's life flashed before her eyes. She saw her mother and father, their loving smiles warming her heart. She saw her friends at the palace, who kept telling her to hide in the broom closet whenever the Princess Fatora came by. Then she saw Katsuhiko, her sweet and valiant Demon God. She remembered his handsome face and proud smile, the warmth of his arms and the depths of his eyes... eyes that were strikingly similar to Fred's.

"I don't want to die!" she said to herself. "I've still got lots to live for! I don't want to die! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!" She screamed out the last few words, closing her eyes as the ground neared. Suddenly, she felt a tingling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling intensified and spread, until her entire body was awash in the sensation.

"What?" Over-Run asked as Ifurina's body began to glow. His sensors indicated that her internal structure was being rewritten, as the nanites that had lain dormant within her awakened. They transformed the ordinary girl into a full-fledged Demon God in record time, and with a final burst of energy her transformation was complete.

Her flight systems activated instictively, and Ifurina's body ceased its downwards descent. Instead it flew upwards, soaring through the air like a bird in flight. Ifurina slowly opened her eyes, not knowing what had happened. "Oh wow, am I dead?"

"No," spoke up the staff in her hands. "The nanomachines inside your body, the ones that Demon God friend of yours had used to repair your injuries, seems to have activated and transformed you. Congratulations, Ifurina. You are now a Demon God."

The girl looked down at herself in shock. Although physically the same, except for a metallic, screw-like headpiece, her clothing had transformed into a duplicate of the costume she had worn while she was at Jinnai's side. The new Demon God smiled sadly, a tear coming to her eye. "You saved me again, Katsuhiko... thank you."

"So, Ifurina?" asked the staff. "What do we do now?"

The former palace girl and sweeper extraordinaire stopped in the air and looked down at the palace under seige. She then struck a pose and let out a bellowing laugh, immitating her dearly departed Demon God. "HO HO HO! We kick alien butt, of course! My Katsy-Watsy worked hard conquering this country, and I'm not about to let some third-rate, would-be villains steal it away from him!"

"Great idea." If Over-Run still had a mouth, he would have smiled. "Let's do it."

And thus the new Demon God and her staff plunged headlong into battle. The Cretarians didn't stand a chance.
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« Reply #29 on: December 21, 2003, 02:50:07 pm »

Makoto, Fatora, and Alielle heroically marched into Yume's lab, flanked by the demon gods and robots they'd acquired along the way.  Sitting in a black leather chair and sipping a glass of wine as a Creterian guard played dramatic organ music in the background was Yume, a sly and calculating expression on her features as she noted their arrival.

"Yume!  I don't care how cute you are!  For the mental trauma your inventions have put me through, you will pay dearly!" Fatora declared, assuming a righteous stance as she pointed a theatric finger at her.  "Go get her Makoto!"

"Oh Fatora, I love how you order your subjects around," Alielle said appreciatively as she sidled up and gently caressed the second princess.  She then sent a pointed look at Makoto.  "Well, what are you waiting for?  Can't you see the two of us are busy?"

Makoto rolled his eyes but otherwise complied, continuing his heroic march towards Yume.  The organ music swelled appropriately.  "You're finished, Yume, and so is this invasion.  I won't let you destroy Roshtaria!"

"Destroy Roshtaria?  DESTROY ROSHTARIA?  Mizuhara, you don't understand a thing," Yume told him, almost pitiably, as she shook her head and tsked.  "You all of people should know that, for us Creterians, things are seldom what they seem."

She snapped her fingers, and the appropriated robots immediately went offline.  With a smug, nearly mad look on her face, Yume sprang to her feet, tossed the wine glass aside, and focused entirely on Makoto.  "It's time you saw past the masks we wear, Mizuhara."

The next moment the greatest super genius in the whole universe was standing in front of Makoto with a hand pressed against his left cheek, and he realized too late that she was merely another robot duplicate as she forcefully activated his tech touch.

FLASH!

A desert of sand and bones, going on and on seemingly forever.

FLASH!

A giant volcano far from civilization, with its lava core boiling and writhing as if in anticipation of something.

FLASH!

Below and sleeping, the Demon God Al Zahad, possessing power greater than any demon god before him and with the might to annihilate entire armies.

"Is this what you're after, Yume?  Another weapon to add to your arsenal?"

"Be patient, Makoto, and prepare to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes."

FLASH!

Even further underground, surrounded by ancient runes of warning and danger, a chamber.  Lying suspended in a clear, translucent liquid is a starkly beautiful woman, skin pale as Ishiel's and hair white as Kalia's.  There is something chilling and ancient about her.  

Suddenly, her eyes open, and-

"Aaaah!" Makoto yelled, horrified, as he broke the connection and recoiled in fear from Robot-Yume.  "What....what was that?!!"

"When the hearts from two worlds are rejoined,
the demon of dimensions is destroyed,
and the kingdoms of man fall,
then the betrayed and the remnant will become one,
and the Holy War of the Ancients come to a conclusion.
" Robot-Yume recited from memory, staring down at Makoto with a wild look in her eyes.  "Do you understand now, Makoto?  The woman you saw is Kalia's creator, Ishiel's genetic template, and the one responsible for the Holy War of the Ancients which is still being waged.  Everything that has happened and is happening is a result of the crusade she launched millennia ago, and once Kalia accesses Ishiel's genetic memories and the two learn their origins, they shall become a single fused being with the power to defeat the guardian Al Zahad and awaken their 'mother'.  Then she shall try to finish what she started in ancient times."

Makoto slowly got to his feet, recovering from the vision of destruction he had witnessed.  "How...do you know all this?"

The background music suddenly took a turn for the depressing.

Robot-Yume laughed painfully.  "Like I said, we Creterians hide our true motivations behind layers of masks.  Are you aware that Creteria is a dying world, and that the real reason Emperor Dall Narcis III is invading El-Hazard is to provide a new home for his people?  He refuses to permit his subjects to suffer the ignominy of being refugees, forced to survive on the pity and charity of others, so now he's trying his hardest to make them masters instead of beggars.  His foppish behavior and assertions of vengeance and justice is merely a facade Dall hides in to escape from the grief and regret that plague him because of this path he's chosen."

"As for me...or rather my organic counterpart, _destroying_
Roshtaria is the farthest thing from my true purpose," Robot-Yume explained, eyes radiating sadness.  "My teacher, the Gaian scientist Dornkirk, learned how to harness the power of Fate and created a prognostication machine.  Together, we saw the future of darkness that awaits if _she_ succeeds in her goals and vowed to do what we could to stop it.  It is inevitable that the sleeper shall awaken, but there is a slim, nearly nonexistent chance that the destiny of this world and the entire universe can be averted.  Everything I am doing is aimed at keeping that faint hope alive, and I will do and am doing whatever is necessary to succeed for the good of all."

She waved a hand, and a screen behind her came to life with an image of Ifurita being trounced by the combined efforts of Ryoko and her two recently arrived duplicates.  Perhaps in desperation, Ifurita reached out and linked with Ifurita-2, hoping to free her sister.  Surprisingly, she went completely limp a moment later and plummeted to the ground, and her adversaries fanned out to deal with the rest of Florestica's defenders.

"When your Ifurita linked with her duplicate, she was infected by a virus I implanted that will restore the _true_ Demon God Ifurita," Robot-Yume informed the anxious Makoto.

"What do you mean, Yume?  That _is_ the true Ifurita!  I've seen her heart!" Makoto replied worriedly, a tone of panic in his voice.

Robot-Yume scoffed.  "Have you?  Tell me, Mizuhara, have you ever considered the possibility that you _created_ the Ifurita you know and love?  That your subconscious dreams and desires transferred to and transformed her into an image of your own creation when you first linked with her?  That perhaps, just perhaps, the _real_ Demon God Ifurita truly is a soulless, remorseless force of death and destruction with no will of her own, and that the Ifurita of today is merely an illusion made by a lovesick teenage boy with extraordinary powers?"

Robot-Yume walked back to her chair and sat down.  "The door to your left will lead you back outside and to Ifurita, giving you and her the chance to find out once and for all what her true nature is.  The door to your right leads to the real me and this vessel's main hub.  There you'll be able to stop this invasion and save Florestica.  You only have time to choose one...as if I don't already know what you'll choice will be."

Without the slightest hesitation, Makoto ran through the left door.

"Such is the inexplicability of love," Robot-Yume commented emotionlessly as she turned to face Fatora and Alielle who had been remarkably quiet during all this exposition.  "Now then, Yume has big plans for you two, and for crying out loud, stop that blasted organ playing already!"

The music stopped, and the Creterian guard coughed in embarrassment.

******

Throughout Florestica, the Creterian Demon Gods suddenly stiffened as a new command was triggered by Yume and their eyes glowed red.  The Bugrom Demon Gods backed off, frightened, as their opponents spasmed and transformed before their eyes.

"Chuuuuuu?"

"Oh no, it's a boomer!" a random innocent bystander exclaimed.

Mass panic ensued.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2003, 03:08:07 pm by rowan_a._seven » Logged
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