Writer – James
Artist – Jonk
Special thanks – JamesPicard_007
* * * *
Ye Combat Thus Far
Dalaam > Picky
Twoson > Starmen
Ness < Paula
Jeff < Starmen
Twoson = Starmen
Dalaam > Pokeyus
Tracy = Paula
* * * *
Part V of VI
Written in a Cave
Dalaam
A quiet king in a quiet room pressed one of several buttons next to his chair. A moment later, his voice was heard over an intercom in another quiet room: “Princess Paula?”
Her eyes opened and she lifted her head from the pillow. “Yes?”
“How are your wounds? Feeling any better?”
“A little. Thanks.”
“Did you get my message yet?”
“What message?” replied the girl who’d been brought to Dalaam for safety.
“I sent a guard a little while ago. I wanted to talk to you about your situation with Onett.”
“No, no one’s been over here.”
Poo’s gaze slowly moved around the throne room. “Okay. Let me get back to you.” He stood, soon picking up a nearby phone and dialing.
There was no response from the guard he’d sent.
Poo kept letting it ring.
Suddenly a rookie guard answered. “This is D-365! Hello?!”
“Whoa, calm down,” replied Poo.
“Highness?!”
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
“Picky’s free! I repeat: the captured intruder has escaped!”
“How’d that happen?!” replied Poo, searching around for a sword.
“When I was about to transfer him, he jumped me and tied me up in his cell. I just freed myself and got to the phone.”
Poo pressed another button and the palace alarm sounded.
Guards everywhere stopped in shock, then turned and ran for the building.
The king continued, while running, “What were you even doing in there?”
“Highness?”
“I asked what you were seeing the prisoner for.”
“You told me to escort our new guest to the throne room.”
“No, no. I was referring to the princess who got here yesterday.”
“What princess?” asked the nervous rookie. “I didn’t work yester--”
Poo hung up and dropped the phone, continuing to rush through the palace.
The alarm continued blaring repeatedly as Paula stepped out into a hallway. “What’s going on? What’s going on?” she asked as several armed soldiers ran by.
At this point, Picky had taken a guess that had brought him upstairs…all the way to the king’s room. Sweat ran down his nervous face as he frantically tore through everything in his search.
Poo had run into a few of the newly returned guards.
Picky panted and panted until… “…”
Poo and the guards were running up the ramp—weapons drawn and oh-so ready.
Picky ran, skillfully leaping across the bed then opening the room’s only window.
The group was nearly at the top.
‘THIP’
That was the sound Picky made as he landed on the branch of a tree. It continued as he hopped his way down.
Poo’s group arrived in the room. The king looked over and saw what he was afraid of: a certain box of his had been broken into.
“Out there!” yelled one of the guards.
Everyone rushed the window.
Picky was on the ground and on the run, using a stolen sword to scare off civilians.
That was when Poo actually saw it: “He’s got the Sound Stone.”
The guards turned and began running back downstairs.
Poo freed his hand of the sword—not quite having the same kind of balance as his foe—and hopped into the tree himself. Clinging to it, he prepared to launch Starstorm…then realized there were too many civilians in the way.
Picky kept running.
Suddenly a bolt of PSI Thunder struck the ground behind him. He didn’t stop.
With so much of his concentration elsewhere, Poo found he wasn’t paying enough attention when he tried to adjust his position…and slipped. He fell with widened eyes, hitting another branch that broke the fall.
Picky leapt downward, running past a few houses now.
Poo was a bit hazy for a moment.
Picky saw the landing area getting closer.
Poo began concentrating.
Picky ran harder.
Poo teleported, not quite covering the same ground his target had.
Picky threw the sword down with his eyes on the hovercraft ahead.
Poo launched PSI Thunder again.
…It didn’t hit anyone.
Picky was almost there.
Another bolt came.
“HARRG!!!” Picky screamed.
In the next moment, something very strange happened. The pain was bad, but besides that, the world around a wide-eyed Picky seemed to go black-and-white as sound faded and everything slowed down. It felt for a moment like this wasn’t the first time it had happened, and as it did, a little golden sparkle—not the Sound Stone—flew from his body and landed on the grass.
Things quickly went back to normal, and Picky slouched, remembering what he was doing but suddenly unaware of why he was doing it. All he did know for sure was that he didn’t want to endure another attack from the king—who looked to be readying one. Barely able to stand, Picky stumbled into the hovercraft and tried a series of buttons.
“No, no, no!” shouted an angry Poo, calming himself so he could teleport again.
The craft started up.
Poo stood and ran, realizing it wasn’t a good idea to risk teleporting too close to the edge.
The craft started moving.
Poo huffed, sweat appearing on his nervous face.
…And the craft was gone, picking up speed as it left Dalaam with Picky and the Sound Stone onboard.
Poo stopped near the edge, panting and looking on in anger. He could launch Starstorm at any moment, and if things were different, he probably would. But the ensuing blast when the vehicle crashed would likely damage the Sound Stone, or worse.
Several of the palace’s guards began arriving. They watched with Poo as the craft flew farther away.
* * * *
“It’s screwed up.”
“…”
“It’s just so, screwed, up,” said Poo again.
Hours had passed. The king was outside once more, sitting on the roof of his temple while occasionally glancing down at the kingdom. Sitting right across from him was Ness, prince of Onett, who’d come, among other things, to check on the princess he’d gotten up here for safety. But as Poo had been getting at, this didn’t seem to be the ideal place for that sort of thing anymore.
Ness was wearing his long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers again, nothing on his head but hair. Poo was now wearing dark shoes, white jeans, and a black leather jacket over a T-shirt.
“Heh, look at me,” said the king without meaning it.
Ness glanced up from the pictures and the folder.
“My first memorable act as king is to lose the greatest treasure in the world.”
Ness’s eyes lowered again. “…I’m sure you’re doing everything you can to get it back. You’ve got a hovercraft out looking for it, right?”
“My only available one. There were two others before Picky came. He wrecked one and took the other. The last was out on assignment when he escaped, so it took a while to start chasing him with it.”
“Didn’t you try teleporting back to the Deep Dark Lands?”
Poo nodded, “I even waited around a while but…they probably aren’t going to show up there again.”
“…Or that’s what they want us to think.”
“…Heh…” shaking his head, Poo spread his arms and fell on his back, looking up at the sky. “I should’ve killed that punk the moment I got the information I wanted. Then there wouldn’t be an issue right now.”
“Did you find out why they want the Sound Stone yet?” asked Ness.
Poo kept looking up, “…Should’ve thrown him over the edge with a note attached: ‘Screw with Dalaam and this is what happens.’ Then I should’ve--”
“Did you find out why-- Poo.”
“Hm?”
“Did you find out why they want the Sound Stone yet?”
“Haven’t you looked over those documents?” Poo had had some research done.
“I’ve been…looking at the pictures of these monsters.” Ness squinted, “Whatever they used for photography back then must have been one of the earliest advancements that company created.”
Poo was still staring at the sky. “…Go to the first page.”
Ness shuffled the paper.
“Recognize anyone?” asked the king.
“…Can’t believe I missed this. Hold up…this monster down here--”
“ ‘Looks like that mole-thing the Count transformed into.’ ” Poo lifted his arms and clapped his hands once, sitting up again. “See, in the days of the war, Giegue had eight powerful guardians—those ones you call monsters.”
Ness was flipping through more of the other pieces, eyeing the black-and-white photos.
“Three of them look sort of like those forms I saw Pokeyus take while you were fighting him. That shield you used was the wrong choice, by the way.”
“Yeah, I’ve learned the next one. And…and all eight guardians were taken out by the Four Heroes, right?”
“Because they were on a quest to collect the eight melodies that are recorded in the Sound Stone, which they were given by the wizard Buzz-Buzz—flip to one of those pages in the middle—who died early on in the effort.”
“Buzz-Buzz…” Ness paused, looking at the info. “He was from Onett, right?”
“No one knows where he came from; he was apparently a very mysterious guy. But there’s someone else who’s just as mysterious in this legend.”
“Who?”
“See that page near the end?” asked Poo. “…Who does that look like?”
Ness saw a magician. “What’ve you got a picture of Pokeyus for? And why is it as raggedy-looking as these old ones?”
“No, no, no…Ness, that picture’s from the time of the war.”
“It…it can’t be.”
“Except it is.”
“This guy…this guy looks just like Pokeyus,” said a confused Ness.
“That ‘guy’ was Giegue’s chief servant. A powerful magician. No one ever learned his name…no one alive, anyway.”
Ness stared at the figure in the robe. “An ancestor?”
“Maybe.”
“What do you mean, ‘maybe’?”
The king continued, “That explanation doesn’t account for how Pokeyus was able to so closely mimic monsters that haven’t been around for so long.”
“Well, what do you think does? You’re not suggesting that this is…the same person?”
“Why didn’t anyone in your kingdom who knows legend ever recognize the similarity?”
“Because he…” Ness had to pause again, and began speaking lower, “…because he didn’t appear like this at first. Everything was a little different: hair, outfits, demeanor…he just seemed like a normal Count.”
“So why was he banished?”
“…My father caught him practicing Black Magic. Pokeyus was warned that if it happened again, he’d have to leave. Eventually it did, so…”
“Black Magic—just like this magician in the legend.”
“Poo, there’s no way it can--”
“How did he conjure up some of the legendary Starmen, then, Ness? The ones your sister’s been copying. How does someone from this time just know how to summon something like that?”
“I don’t know! All I know is I’m going to make my sister pay for allying with this guy.”
A voice came from across the roof, “The same goes for me.”
Both young men turned their heads.
Princess Paula had joined them.
Poo turned back to Ness…then looked at no one. “Well, there may be something you’ll want to consider first.” He had reached into one of his jacket’s pockets and produced a little gold statuette.
“What’s this?” asked Ness.
Paula’s hair rose with a breeze as she approached.
“It’s called a Mani-Mani. This is what I noticed on Picky a moment before he escaped. Legend paints it as a brainwashing device—inserted about halfway in just above the back of the neck—that causes people to act far differently than they normally would, allowing them to be used by the first person they see after it’s embedded.”
Ness stared a moment. “So now what are you suggesting?”
“I think you know what,” said Poo. “I think you of all people can take a guess.”
Paula spoke up, “I never saw one of those on Tracy.”
Poo continued, “I never saw one of them on Picky. That’s because, as I said, it’s embedded near the back of the neck—where they both have hair.”
“When I was fighting her,” said the princess, “she took quite a fall.”
Ness felt a bit unnerved by that but tried to ignore it.
Paula continued, “Wouldn’t that have knocked it off, Highness? Even though we landed in water?”
“Dalaamese tales say the easiest way to get rid of it is through PSI Thunder. That attack negates its presence. I used that on Picky once when he got here, and again when he left,” he held up the statuette.
“I hit Tracy with Thunder,” said Paula, “and there was no change.”
“How many times? The body needs a significant enough dose, so to speak.”
“I don’t know. One? Two…”
“One, or two?”
“One, okay?” she confirmed. “And nothing happened. I don’t think she’s got one of those.”
“I don’t think you want to believe it, Highness,” said Poo.
Paula looked away.
“…It’s rather hard to forgive when you’re angry.”
Ness started looking off as well, thinking about the girl he’d grown up with over the years, and how all of this was starting to make more sense than he cared to admit right now.
A voice called from below. “Highness?”
Poo turned, “Yes?”
The guard stepped aside, “Mr. Jeff Andonuts.”
A young man wearing only a protective vest over his jeans, while carrying a plasma rifle and a small backpack, came forward.
All three on the roof paused a moment.
“How’s it going?” Jeff let the backpack drop, placing the weapon beside it.
Ness turned to Poo, “I asked him to meet me here. He heard about the campaign and wants to help.”
“No, it’s fine, Highness,” replied the king. “I’ve met Mr. Andonuts before on business,” he smiled.
“Just call me Jeff,” he called up.
Moments later, they had all gathered downstairs and reviewed what had been gone over with Jeff, who explained that he’d rode up on the craft Picky had taken, which had been abandoned near the Dark Lands. Poo’s search team had asked Jeff for an inspection upon finding him waiting below when they’d returned with it.
Ness’s mind was elsewhere. “So the legend says that the war ended with the Four Heroes using the Stone to play that tune—those melodies—that worked against Giegue. And then…”
Poo continued, “There’s no definitive conclusion after that point.”
“I know,” said Paula. “Some say Giegue died; others say that’s just a tale that’s been used to keep everyone comfortable.”
“In any case,” said Jeff, “he was too weakened to continue at that stage.” He turned to Paula, “By the way, I’d heard you’d had quite the battle with Tracy, but seeing it makes that an understatement.”
She frowned, “What?”
He continued, “Some techie kid in Onett got into the castle’s security feed and made a recording. Part of the fight’s already online.”
“…” Paula rolled her eyes.
“Well,” said Ness, “I’ll have to see about getting our wires changed when I retake the castle. It’s about time I did that, which brings us to the reason I invited Jeff.”
Poo glanced down, “As soon as we get word that Twoson’s troops are here…”
“Highness!” came another call. “The princess’s people have just contacted us. They’re down below.”
“…Then it’s time to join them and get this final stand against Onett in motion. All of us, so it doesn’t come haunt us later,” said Poo. “Summon every last adult we have, tell them it’s time, and have them take turns going down in the hovercrafts. Leave the children to be cared for in the village below.”
The man nodded and ran off. “IT’S TIME! TIME! RALLY!”
Poo turned to Ness and Paula, “As promised yesterday, you both still have my assistance.” He looked at her, “Are you sure your troops are up to this?”
“…These are the ones who fought with me in the first battle, along with a few others who’ve come. They all want to save their captured friends,” she paused. “At least I’m sensing that they’re captured.”
“Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“I owe it to everyone. Those soldiers wouldn’t be captured if it wasn’t for me…and if it wasn’t for Tracy.”
Ness was looking away.
“Princess,” said Poo. “You have telepathy. You can tell things about people.”
Ness slowly turned back to Paula.
“That girl could be as much a victim in this as anyone else,” Poo continued. “I don’t know why, exactly, but I believe it’s true. Whether you do…” he turned to Ness a moment as well, “…or whether you don’t, it can’t hurt to be sure. Find out. Free her…or let your anger blind you from the truth, and do as your heart commands.”
Princess Paula stared at the ground, her blonde locks falling into place.
“It’s up to you.” Poo turned, seeing his people scurrying in the distance, beginning to pull off his jacket.
“Hey…” said Jeff, producing something from his backpack. “Take this.” He handed Poo a small cell phone, then gave Ness one. “If anything comes up during all this and one of you suddenly needs help, just press those two buttons to call me, or those other two to call each other. Sorry, Princess, I forgot you’d be here.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Paula grinned a little. “I’m going to be fine.”
Ness glanced at Jeff, “You sound like you’re going somewhere or something.”
“Well I…sort of do have plans of my own,” he replied. “Put it this way: every now and then I’m a slow learner.”
* * * *
Castle Onett
At this point, the reproduction machines had produced more than 1000 Starmen—far more soldiers than the ones coming to oppose them—all of whom began arriving on the grass.
When they were finished, a Starmen formation composed of two long rectangles stretched from the castle’s entrance and passed beyond the middle of the Great Field.
Behind them, a drawbridge slowly opened, making the same sound as always as the chains moved. After the thud came and the water below quietly rippled, a girl in a black gown and a gold crown stepped forward.
Tracy’s expression was cold as ever while she walked between the lines and came to the front, awaiting the challenge she’d found out was coming. Awaiting the challenge she knew she’d crush. Awaiting the challenge that she knew would serve as the final confirmation to the rest of the world, that there was no choice but to serve and accept Onett as its ruler.
“…” There seemed to be a tear trying to get out of Tracy’s right eye.
* * * *
The Deep Dark Lands
--A small, concealed building
“At last…I’ve figured it out,” the magician stood, holding something in the only hand he had. “At last!”
“At-at last what?” asked the currently timid young man who’d returned and delivered the relic to him.
Pokeyus looked over his shoulder, “Are you still here?”
“I need your help,” said Picky.
“I’m afraid I have no further use for you, my poor apprentice.”
“…No. Sir Pokeyus, you wouldn’t have that if not for me. It’s true I only came here because I needed protection from Dalamm, but I’ve managed to accomplish this mission you forced me onto—the one I wanted no part of until you…” he held his head. “It’s coming back now. You snuck up on me and you…put something on my neck.”
“True.” He looked off, “An end often reflects on the beginning.”
“And then I went to Dalaam. I…I didn’t want to do it; part of me tried fighting along the way, but it overcame me and--”
“You are dismissed, dear Picky. Take your leave.”
“Sir Pokeyus, you’ve made me a fugitive. You’ve got to help me!”
He put the Sound Stone down.
“Sir Pokeyus!” Picky rushed towards him.
A large yellow blast flew from Pokeyus’s hand, blowing a screaming Picky into the wall.
* * * *
Onett
The large, united force of human soldiers had marched from the cover of the forest and taken positions across from the Starmen. Just like their opponents, this newly arrived group was separated into two rectangles.
At the head of one side stood a well-armored King Poo of Dalaam, again carrying two swords. Among the people in the front line behind him was Jeff Andonuts, the famous inventor.
At the head of the rectangle beside theirs stood Paula, the ruler of Twoson who refused to be called any title other than “Princess” after her parents had passed on. In the front line behind her was Ness, prince of this very land, who looked peculiarly over at the girl standing not far across the field.
The girl Ness stared at was Tracy, his sister, the princess who’d appointed herself queen. With Tracy stood multiple classes of several Starmen, legendary creatures who’d made a big return via a team-up of magic and technology.
With Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo stood a number of well-armed and well-armored soldiers—even civilians—from Dalamm and Twoson.
And in the middle of everyone stood a magician named Pokeyus, who suddenly materialized into view.
Those on Poo and Paula’s side looked on in surprise—Ness getting angry.
Tracy’s expression didn’t seem to change…but if one looked a little lower, they’d notice her hands now shaking a bit.
The smirk on Pokeyus’s face widened, and he lifted a legendary relic called the Sound Stone to the air. “My master…hear now the tune of your freedom!”
The Sound Stone glowed, and eight dots on it began to glow brighter. Its tune started—a tune that sounded not like the beautiful one that had played at the end of the war so long ago, but like a horrible version of it that was somehow playing in reverse. As it grew much louder and several soldiers on the field had to slouch and cover their ears, one of them began to realize a grim truth: the power of such an act was not to be underestimated.
Princess Paula opened her eyes, hands still clamped to her head. She began to sense something, something nearby.
In a strange white cave near the outskirts of Onett—one that had been sealed up before anyone on the field was even born…almost anyone, at least…a terrible awakening began.
“…Crap,” Paula dropped to her knees.
The sound ended.
Pokeyus’s arm lowered. His smirk was still there, for he could sense something too. “Heh…heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, ha, ha, haaaa! You all have about three minutes to live.”
The cave—the whole cave—began to tremble.
“What did you do?!” Ness shouted.
“What I should’ve tried doing long before you were born, boy,” replied the magician.
Ness stopped and exchanged glances with Poo, who looked quite nervous himself.
Suddenly a beam struck Pokeyus in the shoulder.
The cave exploded.
“AHH!” he shouted, dropping the Sound Stone.
Jeff Andonuts lowered his rifle, then ran forward, going for the relic.
This action suddenly brought Paula’s attention back to something else. She stood and produced a dagger, staring at Tracy.
Ness and Poo began running towards Pokeyus and the Stone as well.
A pink flash spread across Paula, shielding her body. She saw her opening and rushed ahead.
Tracy turned in surprise, noticing the weapon. One Starman at the front moved to protect her, another did as well. The first was stopped by a blast of PSI Freeze. The other…by the thrown dagger that left Paula’s hand.
Tracy’s eyes widened a little.
Paula grabbed Tracy with both arms, pinning the other girl’s to her side. Loudly, a bolt of PSI Thunder arrived from above and enveloped both young women in a brilliant flash.
The soldiers and Starmen pulled away for a moment. The three boys dealing with Pokeyus paused and looked over.
The thin smoke cleared…and the crown had been knocked off.
Tracy’s eyes were very weary, but things slowly began to clear up.
Paula’s gaze fell from the girl in her arms to the ground, where she saw a little golden statuette just like the one Poo had shown her.
Ness saw it as well.
…Paula’s hard stare slowly moved back up. She stayed quiet for a moment. “…Was that blast too strong?”
A young princess with a distant gaze spoke. “No, I’m…I’m going to be okay,” she said softly.
Paula frowned in confusion again. “How do you do that? How is it that when you’re hurt…”
She wasn’t the only one who’d suddenly paused. Right now, everyone on the field, and a lot of people in the not-so-distant villages of Onett, had their attention on the sky. For in the sky, doom hovered, staring down at them.
Pokeyus, on the ground, began smiling again.
No speech came from Ness’s mouth but his lips said a few things as he stared in awe.
Poo had the same expression, and so did Jeff, and so did all the others. Paula had forgotten to stop clinging to Tracy.
Weapons that would be of no use were subconsciously dropped.
Pokeyus stood, hurrying away from the boys. “They are here, my master,” he managed to point at the legion of Starmen. “This day would be fruitless without them. Strengthen yourself! Feed!”
King Poo stared at the floating apparition and whispered a name: “…Giegue.”
And Giegue turned towards the Starmen’s side of the field.
Poo felt a sudden breeze.
Giegue concentrated.
Poo realized what was happening and shouted at everyone. “BACK! GET BACK NOW!” Poo launched a blast of Starstorm at the ground. “BAAACK!!!”
Everyone jerked in horror and ran.
Paula tugged on Tracy’s arm while moving.
Ness ran in their direction while following Poo’s order.
Jeff held the Sound Stone in one hand and his weapon in the other as he moved.
Poo followed.
“Ha, ha, ha, ha…” Pokeyus stood where he was, glancing at them before turning away.
Suddenly, a few of the Starmen began to rise from the ground. More followed, like petals being swept up by a breeze across the field. As it happened, they were sucked into Giegue—and Giegue began growing stronger.
Pokeyus somehow remained in place, the smirk never leaving as the Starmen rose around him.
The process continued, and Giegue gradually left the weakened state brought about by the end of the legendary war, absorbing more and more power.
Everyone who had been running slowed to a stop either in or on the other side of the forest. As they looked back, they saw that Giegue’s body had begun to change; a strange red aura had arrived.
The skies began to crackle. Crimson sparks surrounded the monster. And as the last of the Starmen were absorbed, what looked like teeth appeared, gritted, and parted. The floating figure turned in the forest’s direction.
Beneath it, Pokeyus spoke. “Giegue has returned! Giegue has become…Giygas!” it echoed.
There were a lot of tears in the eyes watching from the villages…even some in the forest.
…Standing near the center of that forest was a young man with short black hair, and a very, very tense look underneath. He wore a long-sleeved striped shirt over his blue pants and black shoes.
For a moment, it looked like Giygas was staring directly at him—as though he looked familiar.
The Prince of Onett felt a hand on his shoulder for a moment.
“Ness?” said his sister.
“T…” he sighed, “Tracy…”
She nodded. “Okay, listen to me. I wanted you to know that I didn’t execute Mom and Dad. I just locked them away.” She looked up ahead. “…I had to tell you that now because I don’t think there’ll be a later.”