The sole fourteen survivors of the most recent Fourmoon Incident met each other once again at the mouth of Fourmoon. Bedraggled and stinking of the sewer, they convened an emergency meeting.
"Who is Raltise anyway?" Paula asked. "I've been -- involved elsewhere."
"Raltise," Ness murmured. "The Puppetmaster."
"Puppetmaster?" Jeff pressed.
"Raltise tried to conquer the world," Dan explained. "He pretended to ally with us against Mani Mani a year ago, but revealed he was actually manipulating Mani Mani itself."
"He turned Fourside into Fourmoon then, just as now," Harsemhin added.
"Even military strikes couldn't stop him," Matt continued. "It was up to us."
"Only our prayers, and the prayers of the world, could stop him," Siris said.
"He wasn't this strong then, was he?" Chione guessed.
"Thankfully, yes," Siris said. Talus glared stonily at him. "What?"
Rustopher stood up and looked at the Fourmoonian skyline. "Assuredly, we ought not return to Fourmoon right now. Prudence would dictate that we effect other things before we re-enter."
"Chartreuse, maybe we should get Jeff and Paula to that scientist woman who brought you back to life," Siris mused.
"That's a very good idea," Chartreuse confirmed. "But I don't know where her lab is now. It looks like she's moved out of Fourside."
The group, excepting Ness, stood up, ready to leave.
"Don't leave just yet," Ness said.
"What for?" Rustopher queried.
"When we defeated Raltise, we sealed him in the nightmare rock. And I remember hearing something about the nightmare rock from Buzz Buzz. It went like this: 'the passing of time shall shatter the nightmare rock and reveal the path of light'. Maybe we should find the Nightmare Rock. After all, if it shatters, Raltise is going to be released again."
"But, then again," Penetella observed, "what will this path of light be? And how would we do both things at once? They could take us in differing directions."
"We choose up sides, that's how," Chartreuse said.
After a few seconds of arguing over how they would choose sides, they decided to go with Rock Paper Scissors. Then after the sides were determined, they parted.
The first group consisted of Chartreuse, Chione, Dan, Christina, Vincent, and the friendly ghosts, Jeff and Paula. The second group consisted of Talus, Ness, Penetella, Matt, Harsemhin, Siris and Rustopher.
Of course, Harsemhin delighted at the fact he wouldn't be made fun of for liking Duran Duran, and Dan despaired at the fact he couldn't make fun of Harsemhin for liking Duran Duran.
Chartreuse sighed deeply after the other group walked away. "I have no idea where Narcy is."
Dan, previously busying himself with the undersized shoulder strap of his Super Scope, cocked an eyebrow up. "What?! All she did was resurrect you! That's like me not knowing...erm..." Dan struggled for a simile.
Christina interjected: "Where's the person who resurrected you is?"
"Sure. I mean, you live with her, don't you?"
"Yeah, but I guess my cell phone died when Fourside blew up. It's kind of hard to keep in touch when you're hiding from the ultimate evil. Anyway, we can reason this out. After all, there are only a few cities in the area she could go to."
"What about Area 51?" Dan offered.
"What Area 51?" a detached voice shouted as a helicopter flew overhead. Dan sighed dejectedly.
"Come on, we need serious thoughts here, not fairy tales. I'm sure Paula and Jeff would agree." Paula adjusted a horn.
"The desert doesn't do us a lot of good, in any case." Chartreuse said, "Threed isn't too far away. Let's see if we can find anything out."
"Yeah, it's not too far away, but far enough for me to die of freakin' SUNSTROKE." Dan began, but he knew it was a lost cause. The group started walking.
-----
"Oh, crap! They split up!" Thought Kapeka, from her hiding place in a narrow alley. This would definitely be difficult. She had been tailing the group for some time now, taking notes on anything that would help her when crunch time came.
Now, a dilemma had arisen. Would she go find the group that went to search for this Narcy person, or would she tail the group looking for the Nightmare Rock?
This Narcy could supposedly revive dead people, but she didn't know where the particular dead person she wanted to revive was, or, indeed, if he even had a ghost at all.
On the other hand, there was the group she was still tailing, which was looking for the nightmare rock. She had a hunch that this group was slightly more likely to run into Raltise, which was exactly what she wanted.
"Yes, then, I'll continue to follow these people." She thought with a smile. "And if they meet Raltise, I'll jump out of the shadows to help them."
-----
"So uh..." Siris began. "Where exactly do we look for the Nightmare Rock?"
This turned out to be an interesting quandary. Where was the Nightmare Rock?
"I doubt that any of us know the whereabouts of the Nightmare Rock," Harsemhin said softly. "And I don't have the slightest inkling as to how to find out."
Talus was about to say something, when Ness suddenly piped up. "I think I know who we can ask."
"Who would that be?" inquired Rustopher.
"The mystic, Talah Rama," Ness replied. Talus frowned, then nodded. "He knew of my destiny," Ness continued. "He's probably the man who would know best."
"This Talah Rama foo' lives in da desert, don't he?" Mr. Giovanni said.
"That's correct," said Talus, nodding.
"We ought to get going then, I think," Siris said. "Would it be best to go through the sewers again?"
"It is probably for the best," Harsemhin responded. "Our retreat will have a better chance of going unnoticed. Additionally, we will emerge in the desert and we shall not have to walk an unbearable distance through the desert heat."
The group proceeded to locate the nearest manhole, and climbed one by one into the sewer.
Kapeka, watching from a safe distance, waited until the seven of them had descended completely, then ran forward in silent pursuit. However, it was at this moment that the "vigilant" eyes of Virus decided to look in this direction. All he saw was Kapeka running for the manhole, and jumped hastily from his perch in order to intercept her. He landed directly in front of Kapeka as she was just reaching the circular sewer entrance.
"Where do you think you're going?" he hissed, smirking.
-----
The stench of the sewers was nauseating, but Ness paid no attention to it. He had been deep in thought ever since they had entered the sewers, and partly since he had regained consciousness. There had been something he had never gotten the chance to say.
Paula... I thought I'd never see you again, never hear your sweet voice... Thanks for saving me.
Next to Ness, Matt was also thinking, though of a different matter. "Did we ever kill that rat?" he asked aloud, struggling to remember. Slowly, the answer came to him. He remembered that the group ran away before they had dealt any significant damage to it.
"It looks like the sucka's still over there," Penetella responded, pointing to an area just visible behind the rubble. A large shadow could be seen resting there, breathing gently.
"That'd be no, then..." Siris muttered. "Let's try to avoid it right now. It might attract Raltise's attention, and I don't think he knows where we are right now. Hopefully, we won't have to deal with it until much later, if at all."
It took some effort, but the group creeped past the area making little sound. The sight of the room they had traveled through hours before relieved their tension, and before long, they had uneventfully completed their sewer detour and were traversing the dirt tunnels.
-----
Kageru and Bruiser were still walking in silence when Chartreuse's group approached them. Bruiser because he was still put off by the past battle, Kageru because he didn't have anything worth saying. When he noticed them, Kageru turned slightly to intercept them, Bruiser just followed.
"Looks like there's some people coming this way," said Vincent, pointing.
The others looked up and saw who he meant. They got ready to fight or flee, in case these were more of Raltise's cronies.
"Are we anywhere near Fourside yet?" called Kageru when the two groups were close.
Chartreuse and company relaxed slightly. These newcomers didn't seem to be zombies or flames.
"Yeah, you're getting close," said Dan. "I wouldn't keep going if I were you. Dangerous place now."
"Good for it." Kageru shrugged. "Any clue where I'd find some scientist named Narcy?"
Chartreuse raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking for Narcy?"
"Apple Kid told me to find Narcy or Anthadd in Fourside so I can try to get home." He stared at Chartreuse.
"You won't find her in Fourside, now. We're looking for her, too. We need her help to revive a couple friends." He gestured to Paula and Jeff.
"I haven't seen anything like that since Goggle-brain's pet started to vanish." muttered Kageru, seeing the ghosts.
"Yeah... Who are you, kid?" asked Dan.
"Hiyatake Kageru. Junior swordsman and Tamer extraordinaire."
"What about him? Does he speak?" asked Chione, pointing to Bruiser.
"I'm Bruiser," he said quietly.
"Something's just bothering him right now. Don't worry," suggested Kageru.
"We're going to Threed, now. Why don't you come with us?" invited Christine.
"Works for me," agreed Kageru, and the group continued on.
------
After having walked for almost an hour, the group walking through Dusty Dunes Desert made it to Threed. They were completely worn out, and the rising sun had sapped almost all of their energy.
"I...need...to...rest!" Dan gasped, hunching over on the sidewalk. Chartreuse nodded, taking a few breaths.
"There's a new fast food place up ahead...Let's ask around in there...I need to go to the bathroom anyway," He said slowly, his head drooping from exhaustion. Christina and Chione nodded emphatically in response, both trying to remember the last time they had seen a bathroom.
It only took a few moments to find the restaurant in question; large banners proclaiming the grand opening were strung from every possible space, leaving only the restaurant’s name uncovered.
Dan reached the front of the building and promptly collapsed on one knee. He held his hands into the air in reverence, shutting his eyes.
"Oasis, thy name be Mooby!" He shouted, lowering his head. Chione tapped Chartreuse on the shoulder lightly, her sheath shifting on her back as she moved.
"Chartreuse, what do I do with my sword?" She asked quickly, trying not to attract any attention.
"I'll hold it," Jeff interjected. "There's no way Paula and I can go into Moobys without attracting any attention anyway. We'll just wait outside where no one can see us."
"Hey, thanks a ton. Trust me, I know what it's like," Chartreuse said, giving Jeff an appreciative glance.
"I'll wait outside too," said Bruiser, with a nod from Kageru. "I don't really like fast food places that much."
"Hey, suit yourself!" Chartreuse said, walking away.
Once inside the restaurant, Chione, Christina, and Chartreuse immediately made a beeline for the restrooms, leaving Vincent and Dan to their own devices.
"I don't know about you, but I appreciate the fact that breakfast is the most important part of the day. I'm gonna grab something to eat while we're here," Dan said, reaching for his wallet. Vincent nodded silently.
"I'll find a booth and wait for you," He said softly, and then walked off. Rubbing his hands together with glee, Dan immediately approached the counter. A short teenage boy with several prominent pimples looked up from his register.
"May I take your order?" He asked, rapidly pushing buttons on the register. Dan nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll take an Eggamooby Muffin and a Mooby Shake. Make sure it's extra thick!" He exclaimed, leaning across the counter. The register worker nodded slowly, punching in the order. Dan tapped his foot impatiently as his order was processed, and by the time it came Chartreuse and the girls had emerged from their respective bathrooms.
"What? You're getting food? But we just ate!" Chartreuse said, raising his eyebrows. Dan shook his head.
"No one understands how important breakfast is anymore!" He said impatiently, grabbing his tray as he placed his money on the counter. Walking over to the booth with the three bathroom patrons hot on his heels, he sat down and grabbed his Eggamooby Muffin in his hands.
"What is that, anyway?" Chartreuse asked, eyeing the muffin product in Dan's hands.
"An Eggamooby Muffin! It's fantastic, trust me! It's got eggs-"
"And a muffin, right, I figured. How long has this place been around?"
"A while!" Dan said between mouthfuls. Chartreuse grimaced as a piece of food flew out of Dan's mouth and onto his tray, but the hungry boy paid it no heed. "I'm surprised it took them this long to put a Mooby's in the area. And look!" Dan placed his hand inside the container his meal had come in, and withdrew a tiny cow beanbag doll of the mascot. "They even give you free Mooby dolls! Aren't they great?"
Chione eyed the tiny cow critically, raising her eyebrows. "It's cute," She said finally, poking the doll. The beans moved beneath her fingers, making tiny scratching sounds.
"Anyway, I think we should start doing what we came for," Chartreuse started to say, but was cut off when the manager walked up to the table. He had dark blond hair, sunglasses, and a long goatee.
"Hello there, happy customers! I'd like to ask how you're enjoying your time at our brand new Mooby location!"
Dan put down his muffin and squinted at the manager for a moment before crying out in surprise. "Frank Fly! You're the guy from Onett! You used to lead the sharks!"
Frank fly lowered his sunglasses, giving him a better glance at the customer. "Oh, hi...don?"
"Dan," Dan supplied, sipping from his Mooby Shake absently. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, Down Home Burgers closed down, so I figured I would get another job in the fast food business. Look at me now! I'm manager of the finest chain known to man!" He said, waving around the restraint. Several dozen faceless cow posters stared back at him, but the other patrons paid him no heed.
Chartreuse stared at Dan for a moment, hoping he would get the message to stop asking questions. Luckily, Dan was able to read what Chartreuse meant, and he went back to playing with his Mooby doll.
"So Frank, you wouldn't have happened to see a woman about 3 inches shorter than me with periwinkle hair and magenta eyes come through here lately, would you?"
Frank scratched his chin thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, I did! She came in with this one redhead; they were both pretty hot, now that I think about it. There was another blond girl with her, but she seemed kind of shy. A guy too; light brown hair, kind of golden-hazel eyes."
"Yeah, that's them alright," Chartreuse mused to himself. "Narcy had Anna, Indigo, and Saffron with her apparently." Looking up at Frank again, he asked one last question.
"Would you happen to know where they were headed?"
"Well, the Redhead said they were going to be flying somewhere, but she didn't say where. I guess they weren't headed anywhere close like Twoson; though prolly not going to Fourside either. I've heard that place has gotten pretty nasty in the past few days."
"Yeah, I've heard it too," Chartreuse said idly, slightly deflated. "Well, thanks for your help."
"Anytime! And have a Mooby day!" Frank said, walking off.
-----
Jack Flash stepped off the boat and onto the dock at Toto. His suit was almost dry; good enough for the time being. He checked his hair in a store window, running his hands through it, slicking it back. Then he snapped out a small knife, cutting a circular hole in the glass and "borrowing" a pair of mirrored sunglasses. In Summers, alarms would be going off like there was no tomorrow; here in Toto, things weren't so sophisticated. Jack felt overclassed just standing there.
He turned and took in the surroundings. Someone had apparently run the roadblock just before he arrived. The hotel was pretty much done burning down. Nothing to see here. Perhaps it would be best to join the chase; at best, it could lead him to his quarry, and at worst he could drag in some law-evaders and make some cash.
Breaking into an easy jog, Jack made for an isolated police car. He rolled over the hood, dropping down in front of the door. As the officer within glanced out the window to see where Jack had gone, a fist flew upward and knocked him out. Rolling the unconscious enforcer out of the car, Jack stepped in and revved the engine.
Cruising down the highway, Jack soon heard a report called in over the radio. "All Officers, be on the lookout for a white Chevy pickup, license plate 601-SCI. Priority one!" Righto, that's the one I want, thought Jack. He worked his way through a map in his mind; from where the cops were claiming to have lost him, the most likely exit was to the I-95. Up to Fourside, of course. The criminal mind was predictable.
Swerving sharply, Jack cut across two lanes and blocked off a green Viper. Leaping out of the cop car, he ran over to the driver of the Viper.
"I need something fast to help catch up to a white Chevy on I-95. Take this turnoff and follow up Route 18, we can overtake them." Jack leapt over the roof of the car and rolled into the passenger seat through the window. "I'll just ride shotgun. Can you do a solid 100 mph?" The driver nodded nervously.
Jack uttered one word, undeniable and terrible. "Go."
For all his nervousness, this driver had no qualms about showing off some speed. Jack would have enjoyed the ride if he weren't on the job. Before long, Route 18 merged with the I-95. Jack pulled out a pair of binoculars and spotted the Chevy from the cloverleaf overpass. "Let's go!" he shouted to the driver, who obliged by weaving through the traffic.
As they approached the Chevy, the traffic began to clear. "Get behind them," Jack ordered, pulling out his white MP5. He leaned out the window and let off a few bursts of gunfire. The shots shattered the back window of the truck. Jack smiled; he hadn't lost his touch at all.
The truck lurched ahead as Skulryk realized he was being tailed again. The Viper matched the truck's speed easily. Jack told the driver to overtake the truck, then slow down to try to slow it down. The driver's knuckles were white from fright at the gunfire, but he complied. As Skulryk saw the car gaining on him, he realized what the plan was. He tried to swerve, but this only served to slow him down, and the Viper turned with him, keeping him from accelerating again.
Jack leapt from the car, pulling his black MP5 out now, running to the truck. Then he saw that Skulryk was driving the truck.
Then he smiled.
Just like the picture. Now I got the trail.
"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.
"Fourside," replied Skulryk.
"Great. I'm coming along." Tossing a hundred dollar bill to the Viper's driver and returning his guns to the depths of his suit, Jack stepped into the slightly cramped but still comfortable backseat of the truck.
"Just go on normally and pretend I'm not here," Jack advised Skulryk. Skulryk knew enough to listen to him. He'd seen enough of those guns. Accelerating and rejoining the stream of traffic which had now caught up to them, Skulryk and Lucky continued on to Fourside with Jack, totally unaware that it was now Fourmoon.
-----
The morning fog was beginning to lift over Threed as they neared the center of the city. The Circus was already rehearsing for their evening performance, and most other commuters were starting their cars. The seven headed for the nearby Café Zombé, a popular meeting place in Threed.
Chartreuse looked at Dan with skeptical eyes. “I trust your word, but for some reason I think you’re just sending us to the Café so you can eat some more.”
“Hah! You sell me short. I am, for YOUR information, trying to get us some clues as to Narcy’s whereabouts.” Dan’s voice dripped with false innocence.
Chione snorted. “I’m with Chartreuse.”
“Now watch as I blend in with the high-brow locals... Christina, follow me.”
Dan and a puzzled Christina sat down at a table outdoors. He flagged down a waiter. “Yes, monsieur?”
“Yes,” Dan began in a false English accent that would make Rustopher cringe, “we would like two of your soup of the day. Could you give me a rough estimate of the price?” Dan said, getting out his wallet.
“$50.00 each, monsieur.”
“We’ll both have waters. Refills are free here, right?” The Waiter rolled his eyes, but Dan continued. “What, by the way, would you happen to know about a blue haired woman who might have been in Threed a few days back, would you?”
The waiter turned up his nose and left. “Hey, I had two waters coming!”
Dan and Christina began to get up, but an obnoxious-sounding man in the table elbowed their table and winked. “Hey, what do you need to go about that blue-haired gal?”
“Hmm?”
“Well, I saw her leave the Threed Hotel yesterday. She looked in a hurry. By the way, she was pretty good lookin’. Who is she?”
“A travelling nun.” Dan and Christina walked away from the stunned young man, Dan confident in his success and Christina still wondering what the purpose of the past 10 minutes was.
-----
"Is it really any of your business?" snapped Kapeka.
Virus' eyes gleamed, giving him a psychotic look. "I can see you're with them, and therefore against us!" He unsheathed his katanas. "So, I hope you don't mind, but you'll just have to die now."
"Get real." The impact of the first katana was barely dodged, and the second actually took off some of Kapeka's hairs. She hadn't jumped quickly enough. This guy is fast! I guess I'll have to be serious about this. "You're in my way, freak!" she snarled. With an ace pitch, she tossed a fireball at Virus. But the puppet easily broke the fireball with a swing of a katana.
"What do you take me for, an idiot?" Kapeka took to the air, but Virus followed.
"Oh, I see. We'll just handle this up here then," the moogle answered. She shot forward and struck with her staff, but Virus countered and spun her around. While she was disoriented, he hovered away, then rushed forward with both katanas. Kapeka reacted a few moments early and air-dodged. Virus attempted to recover, which gave the moogle time to move in close and whack him with her staff, which she charged with fire power a second before contact. Her attacker fell back with a grunt, but instantly righted himself in the air. The staff and katanas clashed again, and the force repelled the fighters from one another.
Pincer attack! thought Virus, and lunged with his arms outstretched. He brought both katanas inward at Kapeka. She used her staff as a bar to keep the swords from reaching her, and eased backward, but pulled back on the staff too soon. The katanas struck glancing blows. Kapeka let out a cry.
Before she could recover, Virus did an incredible sword-slash combo on her, which left her with one very bad wound and a few smaller ones. Kapeka began to lose her concentration, and drooped in the air.
Virus swooped down for the kill. I'm not about to die before I meet this Ral person. Kapeka did a miracle dodge, backflipping out of the way. Virus glanced backward in shock, applying the brakes before he hit ground. The moogle used this time to fire a huge barrage of fireballs at him, ending with a substantial ghostly flame. Most of the fireballs missed, but some of them hit, including the final one.
Virus strangely became incensed when the last fireball hit and charged forward in the air. Kapeka easily avoided this lunge and headed for a group of trees to escape the crazed swordsman. Looks like I can't take to the air. But somehow, I've got to get to the desert. And find this mystic guy they mentioned. A rustling above her alerted her to the fact that, despite being out of his wits, Virus was still after her. Rrrgggh! But apparently I have to ditch this guy first! What a chore.
Kapeka floated above the ground - just enough to not make noise - and headed in the direction she figured was east. She'd have to reach the bridge eventually. Hopefully, by then, the swordsman would no longer be near her.
-----
The white Chevy cruised down I-95, headed towards Fourside. Skulryk was slightly unnerved by a man with an MP5 in the backseat, but didn't pay it much mind.
"Lucky, turn the camera to me." he said. Lucky complied, and Skulryk began to do a report while driving. "Skulryk, freelance reporter here. I'm currently driving from Summers to Fourside. After a daring escape from the blocked off road of Summers and an escape from the police, this truck has been hijacked!" Lucky moved the camera to get Jack into the picture.
Jack stared back at it. "Shut that camera off before I put a bullet through it. And erase that footage."
Skulryk sneered. "You're moody. What's your name, and what do you do?"
Jack didn't say anything. "It's not important. I'm a mercenary. What's yours?"
"I'm Skulryk, and this is Lucky Tonzura. You should recognize us; he was in the Runaway Five, and I'm a famous reporter."
Lucky simply waved his hand nervously, uncomfortable with a hijacker in the backseat. The entire magnitude of the entire situation seemed to have gone over Skulryk's head, though, as he started to change the subject.
"Say, I knew a mercenary once. He was pretty cool. Haven't talked with him for a long time though. Maybe I'll get in touch with him later." Skulryk made a mental note in his mind.
"Hey, let's get some music in here. You mind?" Both Jack and Lucky shook their heads. Skulryk turned the volume knob in order to power the radio, then moved the tuning dial back and forth until he had decided on a station. He caught the long guitar solo at the end of Lynard Skynard's Freebird. Skulryk smiled. "This is a good song."
The guitar solo faded out, as the announcer came on. "That's finishing up another ten in a row on WZLX classic rock! Now for some news clips! Officials are saying the recent fire in Summers was unintentional. There are reports of supernatural occurrences from several sea captains concerning the ocean south of Toto. Finally, there has been recent strange weather above Fourside, and a storm would appear to be raging on, but there is no word about the state of the city. Now, for a few words from our sponsors."
The radio went to commercial. Lucky frowned. "Hey, you told me that the fire was arson. What happened to that?"
Skulryk shrugged. "I don't know. I know it was arson, I overheard the cops saying it. Why are they covering it up? Is there some bigger story they're hiding?
"Also, I wonder what the big thing in Fourside is. They say they don't have many details... that's good. I'll be the first one to get the big story about it."
The truck passed a sign which read "Fourside - 80". Skulryk smiled as he figured he'd be there in an hour or so... if he drove fast enough. He increased the speed a little more.
The radio station finished it's commercial break, and Van Halen's "Panama" came on the radio. "Mmm, good radio station." Skulryk said.
-----
Risosha closed his eyes meditatively while the Four Puppets dangled before him. His thoughts were elsewhere -- patiently tracking the progress of the enemy chess pieces across the great playing board of Eagleland. The white king concerned him the most -- Ness. And he was going to seek enlightenment from the great guru. Yes, this seemed all too clear.
Risosha's red eyes flitted open, darting about. They momentarily fixed themselves upon a Gone Clawshrimpin' sign affixed above the Captain's quarters. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils as if considering something, something of utmost significance. Then he uncrossed his arms and leaned on the rail of the port bow, eyeing the neon city fondly. He spoke to the puppets behind him without turning to make eye contact.
"What I ask of you now is of utmost significance. Our Young Protector is on the run with his friends, and although we have his Prince, they may yet cause us trouble. Yes..." His tongue passed over his upper row of teeth. "They may be on to something big...yes, quite. Something monstrous that could ensure victory, or undo us. That is why you must not fail in what I ask you to do."
Risosha clasped his hands before him and leaned even more so on the rail, placing his chin on his hands, pausing in reflection. The turbulent ocean winds blew through his auburn hair, sending it in momentary disarray. He inhaled deeply once more through his nostrils and continued. "The Young Protector and several of his allies are currently located in the Dusty Dunes, near the cave of the great guru Talah Rama. The old man will no doubt give them some vital clue to undoing me." He paused momentarily, entertaining this notion, and an amused grin danced across his face. "Well, well...I want you to track them. Do not make contact, and do not alert them to your presence. Undoubtedly they will come across something big...and lo, at that point you will strike. Yes...we shall keep the Young Protector within our strings...and in doing so, satiate our hunger for vengeance."
The puppets nodded in the affirmative and quietly glided upward and outward, in the direction of the Dusty Dunes. Silence fell on the blackened ocean waters. The glow of neon hung in the stillness of the pitch black. Then, a sickening strain of laughter, reverberating from Risosha's throat, split the twilight and carried itself across the void.
---------------
"Well, this appears to be the location." Harsemhin murmured. He stared into the pitch-black hole in the ground, with the flimsy rope ladder leading into uncertainty. Penetella pushed the Stellar user out of the way.
"Enough jibba-jabba, foo! If we're going to talk to this old fogey then let's get it over wit! You foos is crazier than that darn fool Murdock." He muttered, then hopped into the tunnel unaided. Siris and Talus looked at each other, shrugged, and jumped in after. Harsemhin sighed and followed suit, while Ness needed no urging. Matt followed the young protector. Rustopher glanced about the midday sand dunes, sighing wearily, and with a grumble of frustration, descended the rope ladder downward.
However, he lost his footing on one of the ropes and toppled to the rock floor below, landing with a thud. He got up slowly, rubbing his bottom, and limped after the others who had already proceeded down the tunnel.
The monkeys were nowhere to be found. They had all abandoned their posts in light of the recent evil, and thus the party waltzed right through the series of tunnels. As they descended further into the rock, the pitch grew darker as the light from above faded.
"So, Talus, you seem to have a thing for Chione eh?" Siris grinned ruefully. Talus' face grew somewhat red.
"I...don't know what you're talking about." He lied, adjusting his blue-tinted spectacles and peering down the tunnel. Siris nudged him in the ribs playfully.
"Awww, come on! You can tell me. It's not like I'd care. I'm not into her at all."
Talus grinned slyly. "Oh, is that so, Mr. 'I'll hold you if you fall?'" Siris blinked.
"You heard that!" He smacked his forehead lightly. Then, "I thought you were unconscious...?"
Talus frowned, then leaned close and in a whisper, "Well I was sort of drained and all, but no I was well awake. I was just sort of hoping that Chione would try mouth-to-mouth, if you know what I mean." Talus grinned mischievously. Siris just rolled his eyes. Almost immediately Talus straightened, moving somewhat away from Siris, and his face grew serious again. He cleared his throat. "So...yeah. Talah Rama should be in the next cave over."
A light shone in the cave ahead. As Ness brushed past the others into the lead, he noticed the sound of monkey chitterings. The party passed into the final cave and entered a large amphitheater-like construction, with monkeys surrounding the perimeter. The chittering was incessant; and although Ness could understand animals, he had a hard time keeping up with the conversation.
The great guru Talah Rama was positioned in the center of the room. He hovered in a trance some two to three feet off the ground, and a heavenly aura of light seemed to surround him. Ness approached apprehensively, followed by Talus and Siris, Penetella, and the rest. They seated themselves about the wizened old man, cross-legged, and waited.
After a minute, Talah Rama opened his eyes and gazed downward at the waiting adventurers. He spoke slowly, his feeble voice coming and going like the wind. "You seek...enlightenment of the prophecy."
Ness nodded. "Yes, great guru, we do. We seek knowledge of the Nightmare Rock."
Talah Rama closed his eyes once again and inhaled deeply. "Ahhh...the Nightmare Rock. An object of great evil, it is. Do not succumb to such power, for it will consume you, just as it has consumed thousands of evil men seeking power in the past. It has sealed them away, locking them up for all eternity."
Talus frowned. "If that is so, then how can Raltise be free?"
Talah Rama spoke gravely. "That is a bit difficult to explain. You see, the power of the Nightmare Rock is immense. It is the culmination of all the world's evil, and the evil in the hearts of all men. Millions have sought this precious artifact, those tainted by thoughts of unlimited power. Little did they know that the rock was a trap designed to imprison their evil, thus keeping the world free of it. So, millions came, and millions were sucked in by this awesome power. Over the aeons this power accumulated, and that is why the Nightmare Rock is so powerful today."
Talah Rama took a breath. "You see, it is an accumulation of the most evil and twisted souls ever to walk this planet. Raltise was merely the most recent link in this chain. Yet he was one of unmatched malevolence, making him quite different from the others." Siris glanced over at Ness, noting the young boy staring intently, his teeth clenched, his fists white-knuckled.
He spoke. "Excuse me...but just what is Raltise?"
Talah Rama opened his eyes once again. "Raltise is everything, and he is nothing. He is a creature of malevolence born from all the hatred in men's hearts. Some cultures have referred to him as the "Nightmare Demon", a creature that inhabits the dreamscape, feeding off of the fears, false hopes and failed ambitions of human beings. Such a Nightmare Demon does not possess a physical form -- in fact, each time you have seen him was in the body of an individual he had possessed, and affected physically to suit his own tastes. This may be why he was able to escape, for while the other evildoers were entombed within their own mortal bodies, Raltise could jump bodies. Thus, the man imprisoned in the Nightmare Rock was a hapless victim of the Nightmare Demon's scheme, and Raltise merely jumped ship to a new host." The aged guru took a deep breath and paused while the group about him drank in this information.
Then he spoke a single sentence. "You will not find the Nightmare Rock."
Harsemhin gasped. "But why? Why can we not find it?"
Talah Rama's unseeing eyes centered themselves on Harsemhin's voice. "As you know, the Nightmare Rock existed only in Null. Yet now even this is not the case. Having escaped the confines of Null, Raltise took the Nightmare Rock with him. It is now an inherent part of him, imbued within his own black soul. As it shatters, his power becomes greater, for the souls of the other evil within join his own, increasing his malevolence exponentially." Ness jumped to his feet, wide-eyed.
"So there's nothing we can do!? Nothing at all, we just sit back and wait for him to kill us all?" He gasped incredulously. Talah Rama sighed.
"There is not much you can do, despite all your wisdom and courage, Young Protector. Keep in mind what Buzz Buzz said. There are three things of the utmost importance. You possess the two I have already mentioned. But friendship..." He trailed off. Ness sank to his seat again.
"Yet that is not all. Always remember the prophecy. The passing of time will shatter the Nightmare Rock and reveal the path of light. This is an unspoken truth. These events will come to pass, yet only if you let them. The shattering of the Nightmare Rock is inevitable, yet in the process it will reveal the location of an even greater power, one that could either secure Raltise's victory, or undo him for all time. The power I speak of is the path of light, a distant and obscure place that harnesses the very energy of the cosmos, and holds limitless potential."
"Where would we find it?" Ness inquired.
Talah Rama closed his eyes one last time, breathing deeply before speaking. "It is closer than you think. But listen closely; when the time comes for the rock to shatter, you will know the way. In the time of darkness, look to the place where heaven meets earth. That is all I can tell you. Good luck, Young Protector, and may the goddess of fortune smile upon you."