Union, Chapter 7: "Downward Spiral"
Foreword from SimonBob
I like it. I really do. I'm not just saying that. It has a really nice fanfic-y feel to it. Unfortunately, it's 114 pages long. This is certainly a discouragement to would-be readers, especially busy ones. Also, it makes no sense unless you've played EB. This means we can't really take it to anyone. The good news is that with this whole "alternate-universe" mentality about Tryst, it's only gonna get more complex! Especially since the "new gang" is heading in, including Rusty, Amzan, and the mysterious Jakob.
It's a little disjointed, as though the story is told in a biblical fashion. That also makes sense when you consider seven of us wrote it. The worst problem as far as "disjointedness" goes is the inclusion of Virus. It kinda surprised me, since TitaniumSamurai or whatever his name is now made maybe two or three posts. I figured you'd cut him out, and you didn't, so it looks like I'm not on the same brain level as you. Since you're so darn intelligent, there must be some special reason you kept him in. ;-)
It occurs to me that Union is actually the first IF I actively posted on for a long-term basis. Considering I took the time to go over all the stuff on the first three pages and then jumped right in, it was kinda fun. I think we should encourage "late starts" so that new plot lines can be thrown in for the occasional twist. Think of it this way: If I hadn't hopped up and put stuff about SimonBob in, it would've been a boring tromp from temple to temple until the story ended. Of course, most of my plot twists got screwed up (ex. when I killed SimonBob the AC, Mike got dumped out of the car, and there went the whole 'separation' idea.) You probably have a different view on the subject, so send me some thoughts.
All in all, it was cool. It is cool. Send it in so Rune will shut up about not getting any fanfics.
Pokey hurried back to Earth, knowing the freak, as he referred to Picky, would be there... somewhere.
He was in extreme stress, and destroyed the asteroids Hygeia, David, Eunomia and Undina in his wrath, then jarred Mars out of its orbit, sending it into an orbit around Jupiter.
He was obsessed with power and Diu Ero.
Even the littlest bit of human compassion left within him could not hope to regain control.
The Apple of Enlightenment had been wandering around Twoson for some time, in his human form.
"Picky..." he cried. "Where are you?"
The mysterious link he shared with Picky, the Warriors of Ae Ahl, and the second child of Ae Ahl had become weak.
He wondered why this was so.
Is it because Picky isn't alive anymore? the AoE wondered.
But the fatigue of holding this form, with such a weak link, had almost overcome him.
His vision blurred.
His ability to move dulled.
He stumbled. One leg went numb.
His other foot numbed.
Both arms were frozen.
As he stumbled, his body slowly weakening, he stumbled towards a house. On it: POLESTAR.
"Picky!" future-Tracy cried.
"T, Tracy?" Picky said, amazed.
Tracy ran up and hugged Picky.
"I thought Pokey had killed you!" she sobbed. "Where have you been for these four years?"
"Four... years?" Picky said.
"Four years ago, Pokey kidnapped you, and then, not long after, Pokey kidnapped me. He held me in the old Stoic Club."
"Let me see your forehead," Picky said.
"Why?"
"Just let me."
"OK... whatever you say..."
Tracy sat down. Picky parted her bangs.
"Gar do Ae Ahl!" he cried. Then he thought, Gar do Ae Ahl?
"Gar do Ae Ahl?"
"That's what I was wondering." Then it came into his mind. Gar! Mark! Tracy... is the second child of Ae Ahl?
"Picky! You've got to get out of here... Pokey and Lardna are coming here for you."
"W, what?"
"They're going to kill you!"
"But I can't leave you..."
"You look as you did four years ago... you must have come here from then. You should be able to go there from now. You could change the future!"
"OK..."
Picky didn't feel he should do this, but he knew he had to.
"Goodbye, Picky!" Tracy cried.
"Goodbye, Tracy! Yunba nahr aph!"
"Heh, that was cool" Mike remarked. "Poor squirrel though. I could have given it some trail mix. Ooooooooh well." Mike started to sniff the air while munching on the last of the trail mix. "Smells like the city. Makes me want to cough. I guess I have no control over that, eh?" The bag of trail mix was empty.
"You could always NOT sniff the air..." Luna said.
"Oh, come now, that would be too EASY! Anyway, now that Paula has recovered, we should go get some food. Again. And maybe get more supplies, because I'm outta everything."
"Good idea, Mike. I'm hungry too... again." Jeff said. "Let's go to the food court in the department store. They have a wide variety of stuff to choose from. We can also do all our shopping in one easy to access place!"
"K. You guys lead the way. I'm just gonna follow. At a safe distance, of course. Ready Anth?"
"Yes, OK, let's go. It's only a... couple hours until we get there." Anthadd replied.
"Yay. More walking... just what we needed. I can't wait to get there. I just got PAID." Jeff said.
"You have to buy me something," Mike said. "Err... that is... if I have no money. I wonder if I even have my ATM card with me. Well, I'll wait until we get to a bank or an ATM machine or something. Let's go!" Mike ran ahead of the others. The others just blinked, and started walking slowly. "Oh right, I said I was going to FOLLOW. Heh, sorry." The sky began to turn a crimson color. "Neat."
"Err... Mike... although it looks 'neat', this could be very bad. Or very good, depending on how you look at it." Solitude said.
"Huh?" The AoE faded in and out of consciousness.
He would catch only peeks of what was unfolding.
"Mom!" Paul cried. "The man's hair is going grey!"
"Of course, Paul. That's natural."
"No, I mean it! It's literally going grey!"....
Fade out.
Black. Death. Silence.
Fade in.
..."This man needs medical assistance!"
Fade out.
(Yunba... never mind.)
Picky focused his mind on his present.
He focused on the good.
Onett. Tracy. The balance which abounded.
He focused on the balance.
(Back to my time! Null Gate, open! Yunba nahr aph!)
Pokey zoomed toward Earth, his ship drawing closer each second. As he blasted away at the moon, he felt a sharp pang in his chest. He threw his hand to it, and gasped. His hand had become a wispy red steam, and it began to form into a snakelike appendage. Pokey screamed, and ran through his ship, looking for information on the subject. He reached the back of the ship to find a single sentry robot, sipping some coffee slightly, cringing.
Pokey whirled on it, grasping its neck with his good hand. "What's happening to me?"
The robot's eyes widened. "I don't know sir..."
"Don't be a filthy liar. I know you know something." Just to demonstrate his volatile mood, he grabbed a fistful of wires from the robot's back. "Tell me or you won't be running tomorrow!"
The robot gulped, or came as close as a robot could. "It is said... it is said..."
"WHAT? What is said?"
"It is said that true evil cannot be stored inside any place, and will eventually emerge to wreak havoc and finish the war..."
"What does that mean?"
"You, sir! Giygas is reviving, and is going to leave your body! Same with the Ae Ahl! Soon, the Entity of Good will be able to leave them, and emerge at any given time! Giygas and the Light deity will be able to battle, and the great war will go on! This means... the end!"
"Will this kill me?"
"It will leave you as you were before you met Giygas; the Warriors of Ae Ahl will never be able to become the entity of light again. You will be forced to battle on your own terms, while Giygas and the Light will battle in the skies. as I said before, sir, the end is near!"
His eyes fluttered.
His vision returned.
His limbs regained their feeling.
The Apple of Enlightenment awoke!
He knew Picky was nearby.
He ripped off the sheets, and burst out of the Polestar's house!
The doctor was surprised to see such a hasty recovery. "Picky!"
"Apple! I know who the last Child is!"
"What? You do?"
"It's my friend! Tracy Lee!"
"Let's go find him!"
"Tracy's a girl."
An anime-style sweat drop appeared on the side of the AoE's head.
"At any rate, let's hurry! Pokey could be after her right now!" Pokey landed his spaceship.
He was worried Giygas could escape from his body at any time.
He walked to the edge of the hill. His prey lay in plain sight, having a picnic with Ness and King. Tracy thought back a few minutes...
"Woof!" King barked. (I don't want to go to a tea party!) King was embarrassingly dolled up in a bonnet and pink clothing.
"Tracy!" Ness cried. "King doesn't want to dress up in dolls' clothing and have a tea party! And I don't want to have a tea party too!"
"OK then! It'll be a picnic!"
She giggled, remembering.
The sun became obscured by clouds.
"Woof!" (I'm going inside!) And King did just that.
"Tracy... I think maybe we should go inside..."
"No! It's not going to rain! It's just overcast!"
A cold breeze wafted around the Lees. Ness gripped Tracy's hand tightly and pulled her inside.
Pokey began to step towards the two.
"W, what's that?" Tracy asked. She broke free, and turned around.
"Should have listened to your brother," Pokey said, his fanged teeth grinning.
"Eeeeek!" Tracy shrieked.
"P, Pokey?" Ness said, abashed.
He immediately drew the Legendary bat from his pack and swung it at Pokey.
It connected squarely, but... broke?
"Even the greatest intentions can not succeed in attacking me." Pokey smiled glibly.
"PSI Rockin' Omega!"
Pokey remained unfazed.
"You don't get it, do you? I'm pure evil now! There's nothing you can do, nothing! Nothing that can hurt me! You need to be pure good! And that's impossible! All people have Diu Ero in them! But it's squashed by the Ae Ahl within them! But not me! I'm 100% Diu Ero!"
"Hurry, Picky!" the AoE cried, his heartbeat increasing. "Each second spent means one second more that Pokey can capture Tracy!"
Tracy! Be strong! Use your Ae Ahl power to slow Pokey's advance! Picky thought.
"This freak will only get in the way," Pokey muttered. "I'll temporarily disable her."
He threw Tracy a short distance.
"TRACY!" Ness cried, enraged.
"Sagitta Halt!" Pokey pointed at Tracy. She was frozen.
"What did you just do?" Ness demanded angrily.
"Don't worry. That freak isn't hurt. She's just halted, thanks to the Arrow."
"The Arrow?"
"Man, you are a Pig's Butt. Sagitta, the constellation. Sagitta means Arrow."
"How can you manipulate the stars?"
"You needn't know that. Phoenix Consumption!"
The gar do Diu Ero appeared on Pokey's forehead.
A giant firebird emerged out of Pokey's body, and entirely engulfed Ness'!
By this time, Sagitta Halt had worn off.
"No.... brother!" Tracy shrieked. Her sorrowful cry echoed throughout Onett.
"That's Tracy!" Picky exclaimed, hearing the cry. "But what's happened?"
"I don't know," the AoE muttered, "but I'll bet you Pokey's somehow tied into it."
Solitude, Mike, Paula, Luna, Anthadd, and Jeff stared up at the sky in horrific unison. Instinctively, Paula grabbed Jeff's hand, and he looked at her sideways. She looked down, realized what she had done, and jerked it away.
Solitude put her hands to her temples. "I sense a great evil in this force."
She was right. A giant chunk of .. something crashed through the atmosphere, and landed next to Mike, sending him flying. Luna ran to him. "Mike! are you all right?"
The rock pulsed. "It doesn't matter." Luna whirled her head around, and growled. "Every life matters; a mere boulder like you wouldn't understand that."
"Mere boulder? I'm offended... or I should be. For you see, I am the nightmare rock!"
The boulder throbbed with a fluorescent light, and began to contort into a human shape. "However, you may know me as someone else!" The human stood there, and again began to reform. When it was done, a large pink creature stood before them.
"Final Starman?"
"Heh heh. I take on many forms, as does the Apple of Enlightenment."
"Then why are you here? Why must you haunt us with your premonitions?"
"To merely warn you."
"I don't think we need the help of evil, thanks."
"Well, listen. Since the beginning of time, both the forces of good and evil have been struggling to gain control of the universe." He waved his hand, and it created a large screen where he stood.
On the screen, an image of two people, battling with swords appeared. The two parried each thrust, and blocked each jab.
"These are the original forces of good and evil. They evolved into the Giygans, and the Morphians. These two races have been gathering allies for century upon century, preparing for the great war that the stars have predicted. However, the AoE and I know something they don't.
"If either side wins, they are doomed. 6 people were destined to provide a balance for the war; they are the ones who must stop it. If the Ae Ahl wins, humans will lose their instincts, and never be protected from new evil. If Diu Ero wins, the people will destroy themselves. Either way... chaos."
"What about Picky?" Anthadd asked suddenly, without knowing why.
"Ah.. Picky.. Picky and Tracy.."
"Huh?"
"Picky and Tracy are a bit like... well.. what you people call Adam and Eve. When the great war occurs, life WILL change forever, there is no doubt about that. These two children will have the job of leading a changed people, with you as their council."
"And how can we trust you? How do you play into this?"
"The AoE and I are destined to fight in the great war. For you see, everyone must choose a side. There will be one war, and the AoE and I will fight tooth and nail on the sides of our choice, as wil every being alive or dead.
"You.. must.. change.. destiny ... be... impartial..."
The resulting shockwave from the crashing rock had sent Mike hurtling through the air. He ran into a tree and blacked out. After the nightmare rock said what it had to, it disappeared. Soon thereafter, Mike recovered. "Ugh... What happened?"
"Well, you were flying through the air, and you hit a tree. It was amazing!" Luna said.
"Oh." Mike said as he lifted himself up to his feet. "Did anything important happen while I was just lying there? I bet something did. It always seems to happen that way."
"Well, yes. The Nightmare rock said that there is going to be a great war with significant consequences. I... err... we'll fill you in on the details when we arrive in the city and do what we're going to do." Anthadd said. "We should start moving. I want to get to the city before dark."
"Right. Let's go." Mike hobbled to the group.
"Looks like you sprained your ankle, Mike. Take it easy, and try not to do anything stupid." Jeff said.
"Oh yes, I will try not to do anything stupid. Don't worry. But I'm fine. I'll just get an ace bandage from the store, or something. Let's go." Thus, the group continued on, with Mike lagging in the back.
They failed to notice the bird flying behind them, as if it were following the people.
The flames subsided.
Ness wasn't there. All that was left was maybe half a cupful of ash.
"Ness!" Tracy cried, tears sopping down her face, staining her dress.
The wind picked up, blowing the ashes away.
Tracy tried to run after them, but...
"Sagitta Halt!" Pokey yelled. And Tracy was once more frozen.
Pokey sauntered around Tracy to look at her frozen body. The tears fell to the ground, further browning the dirt.
"Well, well, my little freak. If I kill you, I'll have nothing to fear."
"Not while I'm still alive!" the Apple of Enlightenment cried.
"What?" Pokey shrieked. Then he saw the figure just behind the Apple of Enlightenment. "You!"
"Yeah, it's me. And you're not getting any other Children of Ae Ahl!" Picky cried.
"Hollywood Pegasus!" Pokey cried.
The two of them dodged the attack easily.
"Scorpius Blade!" the AoE yelled, using a Stellar Attack.
"Sagitta Halt!"
"Quick, Picky! Get out of the--"
"What are you talking ab--" Picky and Tracy's paralysis wore off.
"Where are we?" Tracy asked, her tears still flowing.
"I'll tell you."
"Pokey!" Picky and Tracy both exclaimed.
"You're where you're about to... die."
"Die?!"
"Just like your brother."
"N, Ness..."
Picky looked around. Where's the Apple? he wondered.
"And by the way, I tried to kill the Apple of Enlightenment. He was too much of a nuisance. But somehow, he escaped. Curse him!"
Picky grinned mirthfully.
"He said something in an ancient language. 'Yeah, and be nalliph', I think."
Picky supressed his urge to laugh.
Pokey left, closing the door behind them, leaving the two entirely in the dark.
"Tracy..." Picky whispered.
"What?"
"We have to escape."
"But how?"
"Null."
"Null?"
"Repeat after me: Yunba."
"Yunba."
"Nahr."
"Nahr."
"Aph."
"Aph." Tracy waited a second. "Nothing happened."
"Say it all at once."
"Yunba... nahr... aph." Tracy said, then fizzled into Null!
"Yunba nahr aph!" Picky cried.
Pokey burst into the room.
"The freaks escaped! Again!"
The darkness around him became stronger... Luna scratched her chin thoughtfully. "If the Gulf Temple is underwater... then wouldn't just jumping in the water allow us to dodge traffic and swin to the temple?"
Solitude thoguht for a moment, and looked at her. "You know, that just might work. And it would shake off our enemies."
"But how do we breathe underwater?"
Mike looked at Jeff and arched his eyebrows. "Jeff, do you have an idea?"
"Well. I know what we could do to breathe for a long amount of time, but I don't have the equipment."
"What do you need?"
"I need a chip to install on Rockwell's wing."
<WHAT?>
Rockwell started soaring rapidly around the air, screeching as Paula stared. "What would you want to do that for?"
"Well...He's stuck as a bird, correct?"
"Correct...what are you getting at?" Solitude said, her eyes widening.
"Is there a way we could attach a PC chip to him, and allow him to transform into some sort of computer submarine?"
"It might work.."
"Now all I need is a core for the ship."
Solitude yanked the round pendant off her bow, and thrust it at Jeff. "Here. There's enough energy in this little thing to power all of Fourside. Just...er..take what you need."
(Working through the night, Jeff took the energy from Solitude's SoliCOM and created the MorphiChip) Jeff woke Rockwell up at dawn, and jabbed him in the wing.
<What was that for?>
Jeff grined widely. "There. Now you can become a submarine, a spaceship, or any animal you please. You can even take on a human form for an hour, at the most."
Rockwell stared at Jeff, and lunged. As he did, he grew and grew into a large tiger.
"AAAA!"
Solitude woke up from the screaming. She took her SoliCOM from Jeff, and looked at the tiger. "Rockwell, calm down. You'll find that chip extremely helpful, and you should be grateful to Jeff."
At 7 AM, everyone had woken up. Paula walked up to Rockwell. "Ok..now dive into the water, and think about a submarine."
Rockwell nodded, and he dove in. Seconds later, a large sunshine yellow submarine emerged.
Anthadd stared, amused. "I feel like we should sing something right about now..."
"In the navy?" Mike supplied.
"No, not that...oh well. Hop aboard!"
The 6 people gathered on the ship, and settled down for a long haul. With a jerk, it departed from the bay, and submerged into the sea.
After many hours of searching through the murky polluted water, Anthadd spotted something ahead. "Look!"
Rockwell dove down into a deep ridge. At the bottom, a large clear temple came into focus, With a pillar of water in the center.
(Tracy. Ignore what's happening. Just focus on me!) Picky cried.
As a note, Tracy had been taught how to speak in Null a while before.
(Why?)
(So we can find the Apple of Enlightenment.)
(What are you going to focus on?)
(The Apple, of course.)
"This.... this is the Gulf Temple!" Anthadd cried. "Look at all the life!"
Tons of water-based life abounded around the temple: tuna, sharks, octopi, squid, jellyfish, eels.
Mike stared out the window.
"I feel that... this is my temple," he said.
"Your temple?" Paula asked.
"Yes, I'm sure now."
"Rockwell!" Jeff exclaimed. "Try to find an entrance to the temple!"
Solitude stood in silence for a second.
She placed a hand to her head, and grimaced in pain.
"What's wrong, Solitude?" Paula said.
"I... don't know. Maybe it's the Apple of Enlightenment. He may be in trouble."
The group stood in silence.
"It's too small from here on in," Rockwell announced.
"Rockwell," Anthadd began, "can you grow a docking bay?"
<What?> Rockwell said.
Anthadd quickly suited up in the Dragon Armour, but took his helmet off.
"A docking bay. So I can find a way to get in."
Deep within the Temple of Bob, thousands of electrical devices were activating themselves. The deep slumber of the grand computer system was broken. There was a problem: Clarence's signal was growing weaker every second. Billions of programs were executed, each one designed to emulate a minor form of magic, PSI, stellar skills, all of the powers of the universe that SimonBob had learned to recreate through technology.
Healing skills were employed to reanimate Clarence's body. Soon, a message was dispatched across the dimentional void to the wolf's mind.
"System Notification Dispatch. Recipient Clarence. Current target has left area, traveled to Gulf Temple via Fourside. Orders are to locate keys to car, use automatic guidance system to give chase. System Notification Ends."
The computers began to shut down, until only a few remained online, monitoring Clarence's progress on his quest of reanimation. Clarence struggled to his paws. He wondered how long he had been unconscious before the program had revived him.
<Gotta find the keys,> he thought to himself. He wandered over to the bottom of the hill, where SimonBob had died. The body had been removed, teleported back to the Temple by the program, but no grass grew where he had fallen.
Clarence checked around the patch of dirt. Finally, he found the keys to the car. He went over to the car (which was still in the same place,) opened the door with only a little difficulty, and was about to climb inside when a small, furry object hit him in the head.
<Ow! What gives?>
"Squ... Squitter!"
The squirrel who had bounced off Clarence's skull hopped up happily and grinned at Clarence.
Clarence, in no mood for small talk, decided it would be nice to have a quick lunch break before going. He lunged at the squirrel, and was very surprised when he got up with a mouthful of grass.
<Get over here so I can eat you!>
"Squitter! Squit!" The squirrel gave a very good case as to why Clarence shouldn't eat it.
<So... what you're saying is that you can help me find them, as long as I don't eat you.>
"Squitter!"
Clarence turned this thought over in his mind. For one thing, it was easy enough to catch something in a forest; for another, it would be nice to have something for later. He decided to let the squirrel tag along.
<Okay, you can come with me. But, if you do anything funny, this is what'll happen to you.> With that, Clarence dove at a rodent of some sort, killing it with almost grim efficiency, and devouring it bloodily. The squirrel watched in horror.
Clarence walked over to the lake, lapped up some water, then went back to the car and got in. The squirrel, still taken aback, decided to ride in the backseat.
<Set Destination: Gulf Temple,> Clarence commanded. The car sped off into the distance, and was over the horizon before the dust had settled.
<I'm not sure, I'll check.> was a response from Rockwell.
The submarine rumbled and shook, freaking out the passengers.
"What was that!?" Luna screamed.
<Yea, I guess I can, Anthadd.> said Rockwell.
"Good, let's go." said Anthadd with a smile. With that, everyone got out of the yellow submarine and into the Gulf Temple. But they were left with one dilemma, Rockwell.
<Um... guys? How can I get inside without drowning us?> Rockwell asked.
Everyone looked at Jeff and Paula said, "Well?"
"Um... Rockwell, close the front door of the docking bay and then turn back to normal, starting at the far end of the submarine." Jeff said, not sure whether it will work or not.
Rockwell had some doubt, but tried it anyway. The sub started changing colours and figures. Soon, the docking bay disappeared and Rockwell appeared in his falcon form.
<That hurts.> Rockwell said to Jeff.
"I know, that's the drawback of the Morphichip. You'll feel pain as you change form." said Jeff.
<Oh, joy.> Rockwell said with a sarcastic voice.
Anthadd raised his hand, silencing the two of them.
"Guys, quiet. We need to find the pillar for Mike." said Anthadd.
Solitude clutched her stomach, moaning in pain. Then she felt a hand on her shoulders. It was Mike.
"Hey, you're okay?" Mike asked Solitude.
"Never felt better." she said with a smile.
"It's quiet... too quiet." Paula murmured.
Then a piercing screech was heard throughout the room. Everyone screamed in pain as they covered their ears, except Rockwell, who fell to the ground, trying to clutch his ears with his feathers.
"What is that?!" Anthadd screamed.
Then the noise stopped.
"Are we deaf now?" Mike chuckled to himself.
"No, I can still hear you." said Solitude, "But what was it?"
"What's that sound?" Anthadd asked.
A quieter sound, yet still a sound that could be heard...
"The ocean... it's usually silent," Paula said.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"What? Can't I wax poetic?"
"I don't consider that 'waxing poetic'," Solitude said.
"I don't even know what 'waxing poetic' means," Mike muttered.
<Wait!> Rockwell cried. <Over there!>
The group turned to look.
"Dolphins!" Luna cried.
"Don't try talking to them, Luna. You couldn't fit them on your head," Jeff commented.
Suddenly, a steel pipe dropped into Jeff's hands!
There was a note attached to it.
"'Now you have to hit yourself with it'," Jeff read.
While Jeff was staring at the steel pipe in total confusion, Luna was absorbed in the dolphins.
"They're beautiful..." mumbled Luna, looking out the airbubble at the dolphins. Suddenly, she raised her eyebrows. "They say trouble is coming. A... dog? In a car... underwater... with a squirrel!?"
Before anyone could say anything else, Solitude muttered, "Clarence. Do they say anything else?"
Luna put her hand to the air bubble wall, closing her eyes. "They say... they say they feel an extreme evil on the move... coming towards us, from above. It makes them uneasy."
"...Clarence isn't extreme evil..." said Mike thoughtfully.
"...But Pokey is. We'd better be prepared just in case he is coming." Anthadd said, finishing Mike's thought.
"Um, guys... The dolphins also say the pillar for the Gulf Temple is over there, through that hallway." Luna said, pointing to one of the many hallway entrances.
"That saves us a lot of time, this way we don't have to search through every hallway!" Paula said cheerfully.
"Um... I'm just going to stay here for a few more minutes, and watch the entrance. I want talk to the dolphins some more." Luna said, staring out the dome again.
"At least this way we won't have any dolphins following us, begging for anchovies... argh! Where does this stupid steel pipe keep coming from!?" Jeff yelled, his voice echoing down the halls.
Mike walked through the Temple's glass halls, stroking his hands againsts the intricate designs.
"This..it all seems..so familiar..." He gazed above, up into the wide seas. He saw pink coral wrapped around the temple, and seaweed hangning in the intricate balance of life. Shreds of Sunlight bounced off the sparkling walls, creating a flittering image of dancing designs. Reaching the end of the tunnel, he found his path blocked by a waterfall.
"Uhm..any ideas?" Solitude mused.
Mike nodded silently. Putting his hands to his chest, he became the temple's solid Blue light sphere. He dodged through the waterfall, and when he reached the other side. The water dissipated. He, still in light form, bounced around the room admiring the intricate details of the temple's core.
Paula sighed, overwhelmed by the great beauty surrounding her. She spotted a small plaque out of the corner of her eye, and went up to read it:
Weary traveler, enter the Gulf Temple. Unravel the great secrets it holds from birth, and console your mind in the surrounding beauty. The Pillar of water will one day be destroyed; admire it while the opportunity still stands....
Michael, Gulf Temple Guardian
The blue light of Mike Stopped upon hearing his name, and shuddered in his position.
As he did, Luna and Rockwell entered the room. Upon seeing Mike in his spirit form, they too transformed.
The others watched, and followed. Rockwell could only widen his hawk eyes as the six lights intertwined in a pattern of delicate frame. Rockwell shaded his eyes with his wing; the light spirit, Morphius, was once again born.
Morphius looked down at Rockwell, and his eyes sparkled. "Come, creature of the sky. Join the Union Force, and seal destiny."
Rockwell was shaking. What does he mean?
Morphius smiled. Rockwell nodded, and flew straight as an arrow. He landed in the center of the spirit, and in a burst of energy, the two merged.
Anthadd looked up. "Something's wrong..we aren't the light deity anymore!"
Solitude gasped. She looked in front of her, and widened her eyes. "Morphius and us..we've unmerged! He is FREE!"
It was true. Morphius swirled around the room, finally stopping to regain shape.
"Thank you, childeren. Now I must keep this pillar from destruction, and restore it for the forces of light."
Mike dropped his jaw. "You..you don't want balance! You just..want to win..don't you?"
The spirit nodded, and headed toward the center. A voice stopped him.
"I don't care what it takes, I'm not letting you take this pillar for evil OR good!"
Solitude stood, her arms across the pillar. Mike nodded, and ran to her.
"Paula, Jeff, Anthadd, Luna, Rockwell! gather with us!"
The 6 joined hands around the pillar, and Rockwell circled at top speed above. The seven screamed aloud: "UNITY CRISIS!"
The door to the temple burst open as the last fragments of the pillar disappeared. "You fools!"
It was Pokey AND Giygas!
Clarence waited patiently as the car-turned-submarine cruised into what seemed to be some kind of docking bay. He had seen Pokey flash by, with some kind of light-being following him.
<All I have to do,> he figured,
A muffled shout came from the glove compartment. Clarence ignored it; it was just lunch.
Lunch would come later, however: The car had docked with the Gulf Temple, and Clarence was prepared to disembark.
He ran through the hallways, to where the column should have been. He skidded around the last corner and came face-to-face with the seven he had originally met, as well as two new people, and Pokey. The remains of the pillar were scattered across the floor, and everyone was poised for battle, except for their shocked expressions on seeing him.
<Um... Obviously, you guys are busy. I'll come back later.> Clarence turned and headed back to the corridor.
"Sagitta Halt!" cried Pokey. Clarence was paralyzed, but he would have been grinning if he could have. If he just uses one of his own powers, not that stupid Stellar stuff, then I can get out of here, he thought.
Pokey laughed at Clarence's condition. "So... you are the messenger from SimonBob, hmmm? I'll deal with you in a second, but first..."
Without warning, Pokey spun around and fired a blast of power at Luna. Clarence realized that this was his chance. He began to try to move; luckily, the paralysis wore off quickly. Clarence lunged towards the blast, hoping he could be hit by it, but it missed him by a long distance.
Luna was confused. Even if that blast had been aimed properly, it would've hit Clarence. What's he doing? She had no time to wonder, however. The battle was starting in earnest.
The energy was being sucked out of Anthadd.
"What in the world is happening?" he cried.
Suddenly....
His Dragon Armour broke and disappeared!
Anthadd slumped to his knees.
"No..."
"Your powerful feelings of kindness allow me to become more powerful." Morphius laughed. "But I need your armour's power to totally defeat Giygas."
"Picky!" the Apple cried.
"Apple!" Picky cried.
"Picky! Tracy! The final battle begins! Only our power together can win, and restore balance!"
"Our power?" Tracy asked, abashed.
"Yours, mine, Picky's, and the Warriors' of Ae Ahl."
Picky and Tracy's eyes took on a luminosity they had never before.
"Now! To the Gulf Temple!"
The three disappeared in a brilliant flash of light!
"Now... for your transformation abilities," Morphius said, somehow grinning. "No!"
The Potion... dissolved?
"Yes! One strong arm of the fighters for Balance is amputated!"
"Squiyer!"
"Aaaaaa!" Luna cried. "It's the pig-squirrel! But how'd it get down here?"
Giygas fired a blast of evil energy at Morphius! But it was deflected somehow towards Luna!
"Squuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!!!!"
Scree!
"Sq...uii...y..."
The pig-squirrel squiyed its last squiy...
A flash of light!
Picky! The Apple! Tracy!
"It's the freaks! And the Apple!" Pokey cried.
Giygas ignored him, choosing to focus his intents on Morphius.
"Tracy!" the Apple pointed at Anthadd, and magicked a talisman into Tracy's hands. "Give this to that man! He knows how to use it! Then come back here and help Picky and me fight Pokey!"
"Sir!" Tracy cried.
"...what? It doesn't really matter now. I can't fight," Anthadd muttered.
"No, you can fight." Tracy handed him the talisman.
"What's this?"
"It's how you'll fight."
"How do I use it?"
"You know how." And with that, she sped off.
The fight raged on.
Morphius fought Giygas.
Picky, Tracy, the Apple, and the Warriors of Ae Ahl, save Anthadd, fought Pokey.
And on an island, far away, in a lab disused for only a short time, various items began to glow...
Anthadd surveyed the talisman.
The main body was essentially circular, but wicked-looking wings hooked out from each side.
At the bottom of the circle, what looked like claws gripped the edge. A dragon's head jutted out from the top. And in the middle, lay the ancient meaning for balance: Ke Bao.
Anthadd realised what Tracy meant.
"Ke Bao Dragon Armour Infuse!" he cried.
The battle stopped.
"Ke Bao?" Solitude and the Apple asked. "But why is Ke Bao only revealed now?"
"Ke Bao?" Pokey, Giygas and Morphius cried. "This will ruin the future I have in store!"
"Ke Bao?" everyone else, abashed, asked.
The Hope Items in the lab glowed, then disappeared!
Anthadd's old Dragon Armour, and the Hope Items, merged! Anthadd was infused with the power of the Dragon of Ke Bao!
"I will fight to balance the powers of good... and evil."
The Hope Sword became the... Ke Bao Swords?
The Swords were held in both hands. The light emanating from one, and the darkness from the other, glistened and neutralised each other, creating perfect balance.