Villains Wiki:Battle Phase 2 (User Battles 5)

UPDATED RULES
FOR FIGHTS WITH NO STORYLINE:

1. No one-hit knockouts or instant kills

2. No profanity or degrading remarks aimed at the opponent User. It is okay if the characters use profanity against each other.

3. Blood and gore are permissible, but please avoid going "over-the-top", unless absolutely necessary.

4. Limit your move/turn to a reasonable number of actions- like one or two.

5. God-modding is not tolerable...EVER. (This includes bizzarely convenient powers that your character suddenly seems to aquire, god-like forms, or invincibility)

6. No unreasonable defying of the laws of physics. For example, you can't freeze something at -1000 Farenheight, because that temperature does not exist. (It is below 0 Kelvin). Keep magic powers reasonable for your character.

7. Please sound intelligent when writing, and not like a four-year old typing run-on sentences and bad grammer.

8. Vandalism will NOT be tolerated, and will make the vandal in question liable to be blocked from the wiki.

9. You can only perform actions with your own character(s).

FOR FIGHTS WITH A STORYLINE:

1. No one-hit knockouts or instant kills, unless the kill in question is both A) part of the story, and B) performed with the consent of the User who controls the character about to die.

2. No profanity or degrading remarks aimed at the opponent User. It is okay if the characters use profanity against each other.

3. Blood and gore are permissible, but please avoid going "over-the-top", unless absolutely necessary.

4. Limit your move/turn to a reasonable number of actions- like one or two.

5. God-modding is ONLY permissible when and where the creator of a particular story allows it (mainly the antagonistic forces). If you are joining in someone elses story, you may NOT God-mod. (This includes bizzarely convenient powers that your character suddenly seems to aquire, god-like forms, or invincibility).

6. No unreasonable defying of the laws of physics. For example, you can't freeze something at -1000 Farenheight, because that temperature does not exist. (It is below 0 Kelvin). Keep magic powers reasonable for your character.

7. Please sound intelligent when writing, and not like a four-year old typing run-on sentences and bad grammer. (Especially since you're writing a story)

8. Vandalism will NOT be tolerated, and will make the vandal in question liable to be blocked from the wiki.

9. If you start a story, be sure that you'll be able to finish it.

10. Supernaturally powerful characters can only be entered in a story if the creator of the story allows it, or doesn't mind. These characters are in what is called the "Highest Power Tier" (i.e. past antagonistic characters such as The Secrets, Arodnap, Eclipse, Misery, etc.).

11. Protagonist characters can never, if not rarely, enter the Highest Power Tier (see Rule 10).

12. You can only perform actions with your own character(s).

The Other Side
The sun shone upon the metropolis brightly like a beacon of hope, yet in the cold and shadowed places, glowed with bitter, remorseless light. There was no wind in the urban bustle, just a monotonous hum of cars and people and voices. In the distance of the cold and shadowed places, however, the eternal hum of the city dwindled to a whisper, as if murmuring terrible secrets not meant for the ears of the civilized society.

In the depths of the shadows was a girl with the appearance of a ravenous wolf. Her eyes- one colored the piercing blue of an eagle, the other colored the eerie green of a cat- seemed to illuminate the darkness around her. She moved silently with the cold mindset of a predator which craftily stalks its prey and strikes at the perfect moment. Or perhaps she herself was the prey, trained to fight and kill for survival. On her forehead was inscribed a black word- “PSI”. It was covered by a mass of long black hair streaked with lines of silver. Her lips were inhumanly thin; her skin unnaturally pale, giving her an otherworldly appearance. Around her neck was a dog tag and a silver locket. From a belt on her frayed jeans the girl extracted a wicked knife with a long, serrated blade. The rested the teeth of the blade gently against her arm, at the midpoint between her wrist and elbow. She began to draw the blade back slowly, watching her skin split open like a zipper, and the crimson line that followed the knife. She cringed slightly at the pain, but also smiled- a wild, savage, and insane smile. Her face contorted into one of madness.

After this bizarre ritual was complete, she licked the blade of the knife, not caring that it had also split her tongue, and placed it in her belt. It still was wet with fresh blood.

She walked along, through the shadows of the alleys, and out of the city, where she was confronted by two other figures, obscured with darkness.

"Ready?" asked the first.

"Always." responded the girl. They moved along, away from the city, toward the top of an old and weathered hill. In the center of the hill's summit was a blazing fire, circled by other figures, whose hellish faces were illuminated by the flame.

One figure, a man with narrow eyes and long, unkempt hair, stepped forward into the circle. "Followers of Apollyon, heed my words- your service to the dark god will not go unrewarded! For Apollyon has promised his disciples that he shall purge the world of the corruption and oppression of order!"

The other followers all murmured in approval.

"Disciples! Chosen brothers and sisters! Present your offerings to appease the great Apollyon!"

Each of the figures took from out of their belts or the folds of their cloaks a dagger, each stained with it's owner's blood.

A green light began to glow around the hilltop, as each of the daggers became illuminated with emerald light. The flames turned a pale green color.

"Great Apollyon!" cried the leader of the disciples. "Rise once more and purge the world of it's corruption! Destroy those who would oppress your most devoted followers! We implore you, mighty and terrible god of darkness! Hear our plea!"

The flames shot into the air, towering above the disciples and glowing even brighter. It blazed for moments, before shrinking back down and disappearing into nothing, casting the hill into darkness.

Chapter I
The next day...

(Anyone edit here, the setting is in the daytime within the city.)

(I'll find my character to use soon Deathwalker. No worries.)

Amnesty stands in a street, observing every human that comes passing.

A man with long, dark hair and a flowing cloak walks by. Seeing Amnesty, he walks over. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

Amnesty grins. "No. I'm not. What gave me away?"

"I can just tell." said the man. "I see many things... but where might you be from?"

"I'm from... somewhere else. That's all you need to know."

"Okay, then." said the man. "I'm curious, though, as to why you are here- we don't see many outsiders here... not anymore."

Amnesty looks away from the man before answering. "Let's say I'm just keeping an eye on things... what did you mean with 'not anymore?'"

"Stories go on about this city... they say that evil rests here, demons wander the streets at night, other nonsense like that. The strange thing is how such fantastic stories have spread across the State so quickly."

Amnesty looks at the stranger again. "Not just the state. The stories travel much further. And something tells me there's some truth to the stories."

"What makes you think so? I haven't found a single shred of proof for these... these fairy tales."

"I think I just have a gift to find these sort of things. But that's not something I'm willing to discus with a random stranger."

Meanwhile, some distance away, the strange, black-haired girl, noticing Amnesty, stopped to stare for a second, before muttering an incantation. The ground began to shake as a dark shape rose from the earth, spreading two angelic wings, colored blacker than pitch. People began to scream and run.

"Well, stranger, it seems you were right." said the man.

Amnesty sighs. "I usually am.. though it doesn't please me very often. Seems I've got work to do... It'd probably be wise to get out of here..." Amnesty walks towards the the dark shape, drawing her sword.

The man reaches into his cloak and draws a short, metal staff, tipped with a ruby sphere. "I'm not going anywhere." he says.

The dark figure looks at Amnesty and the man, then turns away. Several other people arrive, all pale-skinned and thin. They kneel before the dark figure.

Amnesty looks at the man. "Fine. But don't count on me for protection, as I might not be able to grant it." She turns towards the pale skinned people. "Do you know who, or what, they are?"

"Wait... I think I recognize them... yes, I know what they are. They are a cult that lives under the shadows of this city. What they want, I honestly don't know..."

The dark figure then disappears. The pale-skinned people draw their knives and head for Amnesty and the man.

Amnesty waves her hand slightly, causing one of the pale-skinned people to fall back as if he was hit in his face. "That was a warning."

The pale-skinned attackers continue to run forward at the duo- One leaps into the air to bring his knife down upon Amnesty, another attacks the mysterious man with the staff.

The man wards off his attacker by deflecting the blow with his staff.

Amnesty waves her hand, causing the attacker to be blown back.

The man swings his staff, catching one attacker across his face, throwing him to the ground.

Two other attackers brandish their knives at Amnesty, and rush at her.

Amnesty mutters a few words and sends a bolt of green energy at the two attackers.

{I don't know if I'm allowed to post here... Delete this if I'm not. Returned from a devastating computer crash.}

[A man runs forward, brandishing a black stone sword with gold weins and a golden hilt and runs next to Amnesty.] "Did I miss much?"

Amnesty grins. "No, not really, we just got started..."

"That's good. I'm Drasocon, by the way. Stopped by here for supplies, but I also heard there were some crazy cultists around. I never liked cultists much...." [Drasocon's skin turns blue and cracks in scales, and a set of leathery wings pop out.] "Let's bust some heads."

Amnesty grins slightly. "Well, nice to meet you, Drasocon. I'm Amnesty." Amnesty whistles a tune, and suddenly a giant eagle flies over, landing at the other side of the street.

"Nice trick. But I like mine better." [Drasocon shots a compressed fire rocket at a small group of cultists. However, the rocket seems to fizzle out, and the cultists laugh. A second later, the cultists explode in a blast of fire and go flying everywhere.]

"well, well, seems you don't even need my help anymore..." Amnesty dissapears, appearing on the other side of the street, catching a few cultist from behind. "But I'm not planning to let you have all the fun."

"The more the merrier, I always say." [Drasocon slashes through a cultist and ducks under a blow before slamming him into the wall.]

As all of the cultists seem to have disbanded, the mysterious girl steps forward. An ominous air hangs about her. Her eyes, one sapphire blue, the other emerald green, seem to pierce through the soul. She draws her weapon- a long, serrated knife. [DRASOCON!!! Glad you're back! Just don't make my characters laugh, okay? They're MY characters. Thanks!]

Amnesty appears in front of the girl, her swords drawn and ready to attack. "Who are you?"

"I... am nobody."

The man with the staff stands next to Amnesty. "Who are-" he begins, before he notices the word "PSI" inscribed on the forehead of the girl. "Oh... s---..." he mutters.

With a feral screech, the girl dove at the man like an eagle, who could barely lift his staff in time to defend himself. The impact of the two weapons caused the man to stagger backward. He barely had time to recover before the girl was upon him once more, swinging her knife with deadly accuracy.

Amnesty quickly turns, shooting a bolt of energy at the girl.

Faster than concieved to be possible, the girl turns and deflects the bolt of energy with her knife. She stares at Amnesty with venom in her unflinching cat-like gaze.

The man takes advantage of the girl's distraction and swings his staff at her midsection.

The girl, with out taking her eyes off of Amnesty, grabs the staff and jabs it into the man's gut with considerable force, stunning him. She kicks him across the face, sending him sprawling upon the ground.

Amnesty growls a little, before waving her hand, moving the old man away from the girl. "Perhaps I shouldn't have asked who you are, but what you are..."

The girl leaps at Amnesty like a tiger, brandishing her knife

{Oops. Sorry.}

[Drasocon throws a fire ball at the girl, and flys toward her.]

The fireball hits the girl, who is thrown to the ground in mid-jump, her clothes burning. She quickly rolls out of the way and dodges Drasocon's jump. She springs to her feet. Strangely, the tongues of flame still upon her seem to have no effect on her skin.

"How come everyone seems to be fire-retardant nowadays?" [Drasocon turns and raises his sword.]

As the girl turns to face Drasocon, the streets become filled with soldiers, all garbed in black gear and carrying guns. "Freeze!" One shouts. "That girl is property of the State!"

The girl suddenly twists, and jumps into the air, cat-like.

The troops open fire, but not a single bullet seems to hit the girl as she flies at one soldier, cutting him down with her knife. She proceeds to the next, likewise, ending him with a single slice.

Amnesty sends out a shockwave, sending the soldiers aroudn her flying. She turns towards the girl, keeping her sword ready to defend herself.

"Why do soldiers always appear at the worst possible moment?" [Drasocon flies towards the girl, and slices at her neck...]

The girl, in mid-flight, catches hold of Drasocon's arm, and flipping around it like a gymnast, kicks at Drasocon's face, springing off at the next soldier, all in a split second.

Amnesty suddenly appears in front of the girl, muttering an incantation, trying to turn the girl into stone.

[Drasocon flies into the air and watches, waiting to see where he needs to strike.]

The girl approaches the last two soldiers. The first has no time to shoot at her before he is cut down. Before she proceeds to the second soldier, the man with the staff, running toward her, yells "STOP!"

The girl is distracted momentarily- long enough for the second soldier to shoot her- the bullet tears through her stomach and she hits the ground, curled up in a growing pool of blood. She throws her knife into the soldier's face, killing him before she falls unconscious, unmoving.

Amnesty bows over the girl, using her magic to stop the bleeding for a while. "What should we do?"

"No idea. If we let her live, then she might wake up and kill us all. If we kill her... well... whenever I kill something at a time like this, there always seems to be side-effects..."

"No..." said the man with the staff. "She is a bioweapon, created by the State- a failed version, although a highly powerful one."

Amnesty starts muttering again. Green smoke envelops the girl. When the smoke lifts, the girl has dissapeared. (Sorry, Amnesty, but that ruins the story- the girl will actually become the main character) Know the power of a judge  21:03, February 8, 2011 (UTC)

"I guess we should wake her up... if she attacks, then I guess we'll kill her. But you never know when another ally will come in handy." [Drasocon sheaths his sword.]

"No... we can't kill her... I have to hide her, erase her memory- I can't let the State find her." The man pauses, before lifting the unconscious girl into his arms. "The State has been trying to create an ultimate bioweapon for years now- there is a sect in the State that is in power- they would breed bioweapons for conquest- I won't allow that..." The man says, talking rapidly.

Amnesty stands watching, waiting to see what happens, seeming doubtfull about the girl.

[Drasocon considers this for a moment, then nods.] "Alrighty then."

Prologue
The scene opens to a chaotic scene aboard a space-colony, which is under attack from what appears to be a small army of horrific machines that resemble metallic scorpions with human torsos and skull-like heads: a man runs across a corridor - which is littered with the corpses of fallen people of all ages.

"..run.. don't look back.. just run.." the man pants as he runs, clutching onto a small device.

"..oh god.. not going to make it.. but.. can't give up.." he continued as he slammed his free hand against a pad to open a door, the robotic monsters taking pursuit after him and firing red beams of energy haphazardly in his direction.

"Harold!" a young woman yells out, standing next to what appears to be an active portal - she is in tears but has clearly been waiting on the man.

"Sara! take it! while you still can!" the man yelled, giving the woman the device and motioning her towards the portal - to her shock he turns back as if to shield her passage.

"Harold! please!" Sara pleaded, afraid of the portal and even more afraid of leaving behind the man - who she had always seen as a father-figure and protector.

"..it's too late, Sara - you have to go.." Harold replied, bracing himself as the machines began to swarm into the area - they stopped firing but began to close in like wild-dogs to a kill.

"Harold.. I can't.. I.." Sara cried, beginning to freeze in fear - visibly trembling.

"damnit Sara! think about the children.. the future.." Harold snapped, losing his temper in the heat of the moment - putting his arms out defensively as the machines seemed to wait, almost mocking him with their presence.

"..I.." Sara replied, shivering as she clutched the mysterious device - tears beginning to stream down her face.

"..I know you're scared, it's alright.. we all get scared.. but I need you to go.. I need you to be brave.. please Sara.." Harold said, turning to her - his voice becoming calmer - only to be silenced as one of the machines suddenly harpooned the hapless man with a metallic stinger.

"..Harold!" Sara yelled out and instinctively tried to lunge after him but stopped herself as the machines began to race at her - she did the only thing she could.. she closed her eyes and prayed as she leapt into the portal..

A flash of light.. Then darkness..

Chapter I
The scene shifts to a suburban setting in the modern age - the exact date is hard to determine but it is certainly no more than a couple of years from the present at best and the sun is shining brightly as a few children play contently with a ball in an almost stereotypical "summer's day".

Then in a split second the tranquility of suburbia is shattered as a portal opens in the middle of the street and a dishevelled woman emerges, her clothes are torn and her brunette hair is wild and unkempt - her eyes dart from side to side as she clutches a small device to her chest and breathes hard.

(people can start editting below - as you may of guessed from the introduction this may be a lengthy storyarc so people should be aware of that before entering, thank you)

A young woman steps up to the woman that appeared out of the portal. "Strange... You don't seem te belong here... Something seems to be wrong. What is your name?"

The woman looks around, her eyes are filled with confusion and fear - as she's approached by the stranger she reacts suddenly and without warning "..can't stop.. can't think.. run.. run.. don't stop.. can't stop.." - with those cryptid words she scrambles to her feet and runs across the street, charging through the small crowd of curious by-standers.

The woman continues to run, heading to the road - in her panic she doesn't see a large truck driving forward, the driver putting on the brakes and swerving: causing the woman to stop and freeze in the middle of the road, still clutching that mysterious device as her eyes grow large.

Suddenly there's a flash of green light. The two women find themselves in front of a large castle, a small village a little further away. "You'll be save for now. Tell me, what's going on?" (Welcome to Amnesty's world, don't worry, she'll bring you back as soon as you ask her to Amnestyyy 19:52, January 24, 2011 (UTC))

Judgement Day
The scene opens in space with a portal bursting opening - momentarily shattering the normal flow of space/time as a mysterious figure suddenly emerges, the figure launches itself outward towards a nearby world with surprising speed and soon lands on the barren surface.

A large and powerful suit of advanced armor is the best way to describe the figure, vaguely humanoid but bulky and more machine than man - a familiar voice echoes across the area:

"ARBITER! THE DAY HAS COME! FACE ME COWARD! FACE YOUR JUDGEMENT!".

There is a moment's silence before a burst of hellish green flame appears, taking the form of Arbiter. Drawing his greatsword, he points it at the strange figure.

"Who are you, and why do you seek your early judgement?" Arbiter asks dangerously.

The armored figure looks to Arbiter and speaks out "..I am the one you tried to destroy, the one you humiliated.. you thought I was dead or forgotten, didn't you? yet I was alive.. I watched you and your allies, I learned a lot since we last met.. such as your name, Arbiter.. you who judged worlds and universes.. you who seek to judge me.. who are you to judge me, boy? I've already fought this war.. in my own reality.. a thousand worlds.. a thousand battles.. I won.."

The figure lifts one of his arms, which morphs into a large sword - glowing with energy.. "..when we first met I thought you weren't worth my attention, the second time we met I sought vengeance.. this time I am here to destroy you.. but I will not kill you.. oh no.. I will keep you alive.. barely.. so you can watch as I purge this universe of everything you ever loved.. that will be your sentence for defying the Voice of Man"

[A portal opens next to Arbiter.] "Need any help, buddy?" (Back. At last. -Drasocon 17:48, January 30, 2011 (UTC)) (And if I'm not allowed to post yet, delete this.)

"Drasocon?" Arbiter says, pausing for a moment. "It has been a long time...as surprised as I am to see you, this is a personal battle. Please... don't interfere." Arbiter turns back to the man. "All I ever loved has already been destroyed. I will have you know that I protect this universe more out of penance than love. But you... you have caused me much strife in the past, and to finally silence the Voice of Man will remove a great part of the burden I bear." Arbiter grasps his greatsword firmly in both hands, waiting for the Voice of Man to respond with either violence or words.

[Drasocon silently floats a safe distance away, just to watch, but not before sticking his tongue out at the Voice.]

"I expected such drivel from you but you try to hide behind a wall of lies, there is still things you fight for - those will be the first things I tear apart.. you think redemption is possible? you think the universe can forgive you? Here, Arbiter - this is what I think of "redemption".." the figure replies, a portal opens in the sky above and a beam of energy shoots across space - blasting into a small moon nearby, destroying a small colony on its surface: within moments the portal closes again.

"..your universe is nothing to me, I come from an entirely different universe - some would question the right to erase the lives of three thousand colonists.. you and I both know we had no right to let them live.. now, you've said your piece and we have the dramon court-jester awaiting his own execution so.." - the figure walks forward, sword glowing as the image in the sky above is of the moon, its surface visibly scarred even from this great distance.

"..let us begin the Day Of Judgement - you will be the first, then the pegacorn, the dramon will follow, the sorceress and then every other subnormal in this universe.. you will face me Arbiter, they will face something far worse.. they will face my children.. they are already on their way.. when they arrive the Judgement will begin.. their orders are to seek out their targets - they will not stop.." the figure says.

Arbiter's eyes begin to glow with a strange, black aura that seems to draw in all light. Energy begins to crackle around him, reaching out excitedly like great tounges of flame, burning with a plethora of emotion- rage, pain, sadness, guilt, and most of all, hatred.

"The only judgement that will be dealt is your own. Idle chatter is no longer necessary; We fight. Now." Arbiter waves his hand through the air, causing the ground to blow apart underneath the feet of his adversary, and charges at him, sword raised.

{I thought we were in space... -Drasocon 21:10, February 6, 2011 (UTC)}

The figure leaps up as the ground explodes and slashes at Arbiter with his sword, glowing with a strange energy that manifests as a dark green color - the figure's large and bulky form reacts with much more agility and speed than one would expect from such an awkward-looking thing.

"..I remember when I was younger I ordered a fleet of my men to carpet-bomb a civilian colony that refused to yield to the Golden Empire - an old man survived, a cleric I believe, he looked to me and told me it was not too late - that all I had to do was repent.. to this day I wonder what he meant.. no matter.. you're just another old man, trying to stop that which can not be stopped.." the figure replied.

(Amnesty appears next to Drasocon, watching the fighting with great interest (After all, I'm "The sorcerer", so it's quite an important battle for all of us))

Arbiter parries the figure's attack, rolling to the side- he jumps up to his feet and begins to summon the full energies of Chaos- lightning cracks the sky as a storm of meteors hurls itself into the ground, which blows apart in several places with blasts of rock and flame- the scene is remniscent of a kind of hell.

"Do you know what it is you are facing? You face the will of the Balance- that in itself cannot be stopped." Arbiter says.

The figure rises, his large form enveloping itself with green energy which sparks across the area like its own form of lightning - his sword glowing brightly as he hovers upwards, the scarred moon floating in the sky behind him as he simply looks to Arbiter.

"you don't get it do you? I am to my universe what you claim to be to this.. a "Judge".. it was I who judged worlds, I who was chosen to be the Voice of Man.. think on it, I am now the ultimate source of "balance" in my universe - all law, all order, all meaning.. it is mine to control.. in fact Arbiter, for all your bluffing you would be blind to not see we are very much the same.. except you have allowed your emotions to break you from the true purpose.. I have not.." the figure says.

"We may have been the same once, but no longer. You can only destroy. I am free to protect this universe." Arbiter says, before he blasts a wave of energy at the figure.

The figure forms a shield that absorbs a lot of the energy, although he is pushed back slightly - he then responds by flying forward at Arbiter, taking a swing with that glowing sword (which is empowered with the most advanced technology available to the Voice - looted from a thousand worlds).

"..oh but that is where you are mistaken, I can create - in fact I have created many things.. oh Arbiter.. I have such sights to show you.. however before you bare witness to such things you will feel the humiliation of defeat.." the figure taunts.

Arbiter counters the blow from The Voice's blade, and is pushed back several meters. Arbiter stabs his blade into the ground, creating a fissure that tears it's way toward The Voice.

The figure stands defiantly as the fissure approaches, the suit crackling with energy.

At Arbiter's will, the ground about the fissure explodes around the Voice, bursting with tons of rock and lava.

The figure's armor shatters, revealing a robotic being beneath - the Voice speaks out, tauntingly "..as usual you have failed, Arbiter.. you thought I would be stupid enough to face you by myself? oh no, it will not be that simple.. however.. I will leave you with this memory.. for old time's sake..".

With that the machine reveals a timer that begins to count down from 12.. 11.. 10.. 9..

Court Of The Red Queen
The scene begins in a vast forest that stretches as far as the eye can see, flying high above the wintery scene below is a single robin - fluttering over the forest and across a series of rolling hills and ragged cliffs.

The robin flutters across a busy town full of horses, carts and peasants toiling in the cold winter conditions - gathering what little they can from the frozen land.

The robin proceeds to fly towards a huge palace with large walls and a distinctive Gothic design - the bird flutters high above to one of the several towers and lands on the outreached hand of a youthful woman dressed in red, who looks out from the tower window at the lands below.

"..I hope you don't mind the snow, the winter lasts long in these parts - I'm glad you came, I was afraid of returning alone.." the figure says, turning to another figure in the room.

(ooc: this is Inferno's turn to edit if he wishes, others can do so later as the story progresses)

"I like the snow, though Equis could never abide the stuff.. though I must admit I never saw you as the type to confine herself in a castle - as grand as this place may be.." the figure replies, revealing himself as a dark winged figure dressed in attire that suggests royal heritage but also tainted with the subtle hint of tyranny.

Red releases the robin as she walks over to Inferno and motions him a little as she heads out of the room and into a large corridor "..Prince Pendragon, I assure you I'm far from confined - I just wanted to make sure everything is in order.. I've been absent for some time you know..".

Inferno follows, his wings folding over himself like a cape as he moves - snorting slightly as he shakes his mane, his ancient heritage hard to shake off even after centuries of evolution: "I'm not a prince anymore Red, I'm an outcast - an outlaw.. you can't slay your own people and retain a crown.."

Red nods slightly and continues along the corridor, heading towards a large feasting room that is buzzing with activity - "..well, you know Inferno.. you could always stay here.. that is to say.." she shakes her head a little "..I.. nevermind.. you'll find a way, I know that much.. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of arranging a feast in the castle - I figured my return would be more welcomed if I was to provide a show of goodwill.." she says, changing the subject rather quickly.

"..Red, I can't stay.. you know that.. I'm not part of your world, even if I were.. we are very different people.. you value order above all else while I.. well.. I'm an anarchist, a shameless opportunist.. I.. I wish it was different but.." Inferno begins, moving as if to reach out to Red but quickly corrects himself before he risks worsening things - Red may be an ally but she was still a monarch and Inferno knew fine well that royalty had an unhealthy habit of being exceptionally crazy (himself included).

"..a feast? that sounds good - I could use some food about now.." Inferno notes, mimicking Red in his sudden change of subject matter.

Red stops and narrows her eyes slightly, "..Inferno.. I decide who is a part of my world.. I decide what is and is not law.. and I say you belong.." - Red's eyes suddenly soften as she shakes her head slightly as if shaking away a stray thought "..but you're right - food is a good idea.. besides you may find a friend or two.. I took the liberty of inviting from as many worlds as possible - maybe it was a little excessive but I think you'll like it..".

With that short speech Red opens the doorway leading to the feasting room and instantly a spectacle of light and sound emerges..

Chapter I
Red opens the door, revealing a huge room packed full of figures ranging from the comical to the extreme - dwarves and pixies share a massive feast with lesser giants and strange animal-like beings, all talking in a hundred different tongues and feasting on a seemingly neverending supply of food.

(ooc: others can enter at this point as guests at the feast, either as their own characters (who Red would probably of invited) or as a new character if one wants.)

[Drasocon walks in with Blaze.]"This looks like our kinds of party..." [Drasocon and Blaze take a seat and start eating.]

Ruichi stands alone to one side of the room, obviously trying to avoid the crowd. Around him floats a translucent girl about his own short height, chattering excitedly.

"C'mon, Ruichi! Let's go talk to people!" exclaims the girl.

"...eh, no thanks, Nebula... I'm not really into talking to people..."

"Then why'd you come?" asked Nebula excitedly.

"...you made me come."

"Nonsense! Let's go find someone-" Nebula says, looking around quickly, noticing Red and Inferno enter the room. "Over there! Maybe they can talk!" She grabs Ruichi by the wrist and floats off, half-dragging him through the crowd, despite his protests.

Nebula pops up in front of Red and Inferno. "Hey, how's it going? Who're you two?" she says, in a voice a rapid as machine-gun fire.

Amnesty is sitting at a table, not eating, simply observing the scene.

Red frowns slightly and one of the guards (indicated by their red clothing and oddly unemotional stance) steps forward, as if ready to act on a moment's notice.

"I am the ruler of this realm, the Red Queen - this is Prince Inferno Pendragon of Avalon, my guest and who may you be?" Red replies, eyeing Nebula like a stern mother would at a misbehaving child - not hostile but not exactly inviting either.

Inferno observes the scene and coughs slightly, "..please, Red.. she's hardly a threat.." he says in a whispered tone - knowing it unwise to question royalty in their own court but also seeing that Nebula is (in his eyes) merely curious and a little eccentric. A moment later he speaks up, as if quickly trying to change the subject yet again "..I am hardly a prince, more of an ambassador if you will - I am here to learn about Red's world and she in turn is learning about mine.. but for now such things are trivial, now is the time for feasting and merriment!" he even goes as far as to make a dramatic gesture as if trying to guide the group to a nearby table.

"Oh joy!" exclaimed Nebula. "My name is Nebula, and my rather silent friend here is Ruichi. So you're a prince-ambassador...thingy, and she's the queen? That's so cool!"

Ruichi shifted slightly, looking uncomfortable.

Red frowns slightly as she lowers her voice in response to Inferno "..I decide what is and is not a threat in this world, prince.." - she then shakes slightly to regain her composure and gives a glance to the roaming guard, which is sufficient to make the guard return to inactivity as his services are unrequired.

"I assume you have not had much contact with royalty, Nebula? we tend not to be addressed as "thingies".. however perhaps Inferno is correct: let us head to the feast - I have a speech I'd like to give to the hall.. after which I'm sure we'll find many things to talk about.." Red says, heading towards a table - although she hides it as well as she can the sight of a rather large axe can be seen strapped to her form, glinting slightly in the surrounding light.

Nebula floats over to Ruichi. "See, that was EASY!"

"I dunno... but that Red Queen makes me feel... uneasy." Ruichi says quietly.

"Oh, come off it, you're just overly shy..."

Amnesyt follows Red with her eyes, apparantly waiting for the speech.

[Drasocon sees Inferno, who is looking uncomfortable, but he remains eating until he figures out what's going on.]

Red stops at a table and suddenly, without warning, unstraps her axe and slams it down on a nearby roast - leaving the axe in the meat as the room suddenly goes silent as everyone suddenly turns: the gesture sufficient to attract the attention of everyone at once.

"My people, too long have I left you - however those days are past, today the Red Queen returns and she brings with her the prospect of new alliances.. Prince Inferno of Avalon is but one of them, many more await us.. some are sitting here this very day and partaking in this feast -" Red begins, only to suddenly be interupted.

" 'Tis a pity this "feast" is all for show, usurper! come tommorow we'll be back to the days of old - long live the Resistance! down with the Red Queen!" a small voice speaks out as a rather unusual sight appears in the form of a small but clearly intelligent mouse that hops onto one of the tables and brandishes a fork in the air like a weapon.

The guests all start to buzz in a mixture of fear and excitement at this event and the mouse looks ready to continue when it is quickly subdued by another guest via a teapot as a well-dressed but extremely hideous woman fans herself as if in danger of fainting.

Amnesty rises and slowly makes her way to the mouse.

"That's interesting-" Nebula begins.

"Shh!" Ruichi whispers, watching the proceedings as intently as a wolf.

Inferno sighs slightly and watches the chaos unfold, he stands and lowers his voice - addressing Red quietly "..well, I can honestly say this is a first Red.. a rebellious rodent..".

Amnesty walks up to the teapot that contains the rodent, reaching out to remove the teapot.

[Blaze walks towards the teapot as Drasocon starts to walk towards the wall...]

[A figure previouly unnoticed watches the proceedings with interest.]

Red clenches her fists and narrows her eyes at once, her guards start to surround the entire room as if ready to strike and she breathes heavily - "..not another word, Prince.." she says quietly to Inferno, clearly angry.

Red then addresses the entire room "Everyone, kindly.. BE QUIET!" - the room suddenly turns deathly quiet as everyone turns, looking fearful.

As Amnesty removes the teapot the mouse suddenly breaks free and charges full scale across the table, moving with remarkable speed and determination for something so small.

Red twitches and grabs her axe as she finally snaps, yanking it out of the roast and causing the meat to fly across the room as she leaps onto the table "..you wish to test my patience, vermin!? so be it! guards! seize that rodent!" she yells and at once the room is once again in chaos.

Inferno blinks and leaps at Red in an effort to knock her off course, "Red! control yourself!" he says - normally trying to tackle a ruling monarch is foolish at best but Inferno reckons this scenario couldn't really get any worse regardless of what he did.

Ruichi unsheathes his scythe. Nebula gasps in surprise, then her eyes glow pink. The mouse becomes trapped in a pink ball of energy, which hovers in the air.

Red cries out slightly as she's tackled, causing her and Inferno to slide across the table and crash into a rather large cake that proceeds to fall on top of them - the guards proceed to run around, clearly not very competent at their jobs.

The other guests quickly start to flee the scene as the mouse wriggles and squirms in the ball of energy: "long live the Resistance! long live Rose Red!" it proclaims loudly.

Amnesty sighs and shakes her head slightly. "What a chaos... best to clean things up." and with those words, all the food that was displaced during the tackle floats back to it's original position, unharmed, as if nothing happened.

"Please..." Nebula said quietly. "No killing."

Red rises and swings her axe, smashing one of the tables out of pure spite and storms out of the room, "Inferno.. come with me.. the rest of you.. wait here.. I'll be back.. as for the vermin.. take it to the castle wall and toss it in the moat, see if it floats..".

[Drasocon presses himself against the wall and quietly follows Red.]

[Blaze sits down, utterly confused.]

"Interesting. Very interesting..." [The mysterious figure remains still.]

Inferno follows Red, spreading his wings out in an unusual gesture - keeping them spread rather than folding them like he normally would and snorting slightly as his eyes glow red.

"...well that went well." Ruichi muttered sarcastically.

"Huh." said Nebula, as if not hearing Ruichi. "I wonder what they'll be talking about..." She absent-mindedly follows Inferno, dropping the shpere of energy with the rodent still inside. The shpere disappears.

"Nebula... no, wait-!" Ruichi exclaims, dashing after her.

Red stops in the corridor outside the hall and turns to Inferno, putting her axe away as she clenches her fists and snarls: "what do you know of control? what do you know of power? you know nothing!".

Inferno stops as well, his eyes glowing as he reaches into a pocket and takes out a red rose, "I know that you are not the same woman who gave me this rose, the woman who freed me from the Watchers and drove the deathblow to my murderous sister.. as for power, I know more about power than you could ever imagine Red.. I am a god.. no.. more than that.. I am Inferno Pendragon, King Of The Twilight Dragons - Lord Of Avalon! I am power!"

Red shakes slightly as she eyes the rose and turns away from Inferno, "..Inferno.. what the rodent said.. you need to understand.. the Resistance.. Rose.. they are.." she begins, lowering her voice, only to be interupted by a violent explosion that rips through the room as one of the castle walls is shattered.

Red falls back as a gigantic and hideous monster resembling a vaguely humanoid egg reveals itself: large portions of its already deformed body replaced with nightmarish technology.

Moments later several other figures swarm in - a jester-like creature with pointed ears, a marksman dressed entirely in green, a deranged looking rabbit with an eyepatch and their leader: a girl dressed entirely in red and bearing a golden axe eerily similiar to the one Red bears.

"..don't mind us your majesty, we're here to paint the roses red - with your blood.." the girl says darkly.

Chapter II
The castle wall has been breached, causing those in the corridor to be either knocked back or injured depending on their position and natural (or otherwise) defences - standing at the broken wall is a band of nightmarish creatures led by the girl in red.

Nebula bursts into the room, followed closely by Ruichi. She gasps, floating back- Ruichi points his scythe at the intruders, his eyes flashing an ominous pitch black.

Amnesty comes running into the room. She draws her blade and her eyes start to glow green. " Majesty, I assume these aren't you friends?"

A plume of pale green flame erupts in the middle of the room. Arbiter appears in their midst, bearing his massive greatsword. "I apologize for my lateness, your majesty," he addresses Red, while watching the creatures that had broken into the castle.

Red blinks as she grabs her axe "..they have never attacked the castle before.. never.. Rose.." - she gets up and shakes a little as she yells "drive them back! we can't let them destroy the castle!".

As Red speaks the gigantic egg-like monster swings one of it's massive arms, causing massive damage as it tears through the floor - the monster starting to smash its way further into the badly damaged castle as the other figures swarm in like a plague.

The jester twirls forward, producing a foul staff that begins firing small but extremely painful darts made out of glowing energy - as he does so the marksman runs forward, showering the group with explosive arrows that emit clouds of smoke.

The deranged rabbit produces a large mallet and bounces forward like a berserker of old and the girl in red leaps down to combat Red, the two slashing at one another with their axes in a wild duel: the girl matching Red in fury as the two weapons glow unnaturally.

One of the darts of energy strikes Ruichi in the forehead; another through the chest. Ruichi's eyes begin to crackle with black energy as he suddenly sprouts his draconic wings; his face bearing a feral expression.

Arbiter jumps into the air, to bring his sword down upon the egg-monster.

The monster reacts via forming a powerful forcefield around itself as its nightmarish technology gets to work - within moments Arbiter can sense hundreds of little red dots appear over his body and it source is soon revealed to come from the monster's right eye: which makes a mechanical twirling sound before unleashing a tide of rapid gunfire.

The jester's darts are akin to being stung by large hornets, each one delivering great pain but not seeming to do actually physical harm - the jester grins as he stops twirling and makes a mocking motion at Ruichi: "the Queen Of Hearts, she made some tarts: all on a Summer's day.. the Knave Of Hearts, he stole those tarts and took quite away!"

Inferno folds his wings around himself like a shield as he heads towards the marksman, the arrows hitting his wings as he continues moving towards his target despite the smoke.

Arbiter twirls his blade impossibly fast in a circle before him, effectively blocking the gunfire. He lands on the floor before the monster.

"SHUT UP!" screams Ruichi, most unlike his more quiet, reserved self. He rushes the jester, scythe raised.

Nebula, backing away from the violence, finds herself confronted by the rabbit.

Amnesty appears in front of the rabbit, keeping him away from Nebula. With a few quick motions of her hands, she causes small shockwaves, powerful enough to push the rabbit back.

The marksman frowns as Inferno approaches and reaches into his quiver, "let's see how you deal with this!" he exclaims - firing three armor-piercing arrows at Inferno, each laced with powerful neurotoxin.

The monstrous "egg" resumes its intent to simply wade into the room like a bulldozer - seeming to be the type to simply utilize brute force rather than strategy: the battleground seeming to shrink every moment as more of the room is destroyed by the monster's attack, it's mechanical attachments making disturbing noises as gears and circuits work to power the beast.

The jester cackles at Ruichi as he leaps backwards multiple times to try and keep a distance from him, firing darts from the accursed staff as he does so and taunting: "you've had your wine and bread but soon you shall be dead!". Finally the rabbit homes in on Nebula and grins manically as it lifts its mallet and hops over to her "..Dormouse always said to kill them when they sleep - but I think Hatter made a point when he said it's much more fun to hear them scream.." - only to be stopped with Amnesty's arrival.

As the war rages on around them Red and the girl in red continue their duel, the two of them matched so evenly that it seems neither would be standing down for a long time.

"..the axe.. how are you doing this, Rose?" Red asked, still fighting.

"..let's just say I have found a power that rivals that of your own, dear "mother".." Rose snaps back.

"Impossible! the only power that could do that is the Vorpal Blade.. you.. you couldn't.." Red blinks.

"the Vorpal Blade is gone "mother", long live the Vorpal Axe!" Rose responds, striking Red down with a sudden unexpected blow.

Inferno is hit with the arrows but continues forward regardless, the arrows impale his wings and he flinches as the neurotoxin starts to pump through his bloodstream but he fights through the pain in order to reach the marksman and reaches over in an attempt to grab the bow and snap it with his bare hands: "..I've had worse.." he growls.

Fire begins to explode from Ruichi's body as he begins to give in to his rage. "You...b--... I'LL KILL YOU...!"

Arbiter notices as Rose strikes down Red. Thinking quickly, he unleashes a hellish blast of emerald green flame at the monster before rounding on Rose, attacking with the greatsword Laevateinn.

The marksman pulls out a dagger and stabs at Inferno, aiming for his shoulder - "..really? allow me to fix that!" he retorts.

The "egg" monster reacts to the blast of flame via emitting a deafening roar as it finally starts to relent, edging backwards and away from the castle wall - giving a short pause to its rampage.

The jester mocks Ruichi further as he leaps up onto the ceiling, defying gravity itself as he resumes running and firing energy at his opponent "up the tall white candlestick crept little mousey brown, right to the top but he couldn't get down.. so he cried to his grandma.. grandma! grandma! but grandma was in town.. so he rolled himself into a ball and rolled himself right down!"

Rose looks at the fallen Red and lifts her axe, "..off with her head!" she exclaims - driving the axe down only to be blocked by Arbiter: she wastes little time and flies into battle, the axe glowing with intense energy as each swing magnifies in power tenfold, each time the axe seems to become more and more powerful as it feeds on battle.

Amnesty takes her sword and slashes at the rabbit furiously, not giving him any time to recover.

With a flash of light, Arbiter's blade splits down the middle into two halves- the white half moves in his right hand with mechanical fluidity, the black half crackles and vibrates wildly with energy in his left. He and Rose duel with intense ferocity, weaving a web of metal around them in their speed.

Ruichi spreads his dragon wings and gives chase to the jester, snarling in rage.

[Drasocon appears next to the egg-like creature and draws his blade, and jabs towards it's right eye while he breathes intense flames at the same moment.]

[Blaze appears above the Jester and slaps him.]"Roses are red, violets are blue. You'll soon be dead, and I'll be the one to kill you!"

[The mysterious figure, simply a man in a black cloak, watches all of the proceedings with interest.]

The Jester makes a face at Blaze, "a curse upon you, foolish one - come the next moon's rise you'll be undone.." - then explodes in a cloud of toxic mist, as he does so the other figures soon follow suit as the entire area is carpetted in a toxic gas as the group vanish from sight, the battle ending abruptly as even the gigantic "egg" seems to vanish in an instant: a small parchment of paper is left on a damaged castle wall, stuck on by a tiny dagger.

Inferno staggers slightly as he is left feeling somewhat cheated as his attacker vanishes, the toxic cloud simply adding insult as he struggles against both the noxious cloud and the neurotoxin still pumping through his body. he limps towards the parchment of paper, muttering to himself "..typical.. - he reaches over to tear it off the wall and examines it.

The note is written in very small text but reads: "we are the Resistance.. Rose, the "leader" (or so she thinks!) - holder of the Vorpal Blade.. Jester, master of magic (a mere charlatan I assure you!).. Humpty Dumpty - (what's a revolution without a little bloodshed?) .. Robin Goodfellow, archer and rogue (a hero of our times).. March Hare, the best of friends and worst of enemies.. as for myself.. well, I'm many things.. please come along for some tea some day.. that is once you've stopped choking to death.."

Amnesty uses her magic to remove the toxic cloud out of the room, slowly walking towards Inferno to read the note.

Arbiter follows, placing his hand on Inferno's shoulder, using magic to heal him. "Watch yourself, old friend." he says. "We may be gods, but we're not entirely invulnerable."

[Drasocon stands still, before turning.]"Hey evryone! What's going on?"

Red stands up, still shaking slightly as she heads over and reads the note, dragging her axe along the ground after herself, exhaustion starting to kick in now she has stopped fighting - she steps back "..of course.. the mouse at the feast.. the attack on the castle.. the Vorpal Blade.. it's finally happened.. the Hatter has returned..".

Chapter III
The group stand amidst the ruins of the wartorn castle, Red having revealed the source of the note but not much else in way of explanation - a group of guards finally enter the room: perhaps more than ever showing how disorganized they are as they only now seem to realize the castle had been under attack.. thankfully for them Red seems preoccupied in thought.

"...the Hatter?" Arbiter asks

Inferno snorts slightly and shakes himself in a decidely equine manner - though he soon folds his wings around himself again as he stands upright, once again taking a more regal stance as he mutters: "..for now.." in response to Arbiter's previous comment, he has a funny way of showing gratitude but that's not exactly a new trait.

Red stays in place, sitting down as her legs finally refuse to support her weight following all the activity - her hood hiding her face as she replies to Arbiter "..a monster the likes of which you can not imagine - he was spoken of only in stories.. long ago, before the days of the Monarchy, there existed a twisted world ruled by utter madness.. the Hatter was the very essence of this madness.. a beast every bit as powerful as Misery and almost as cruel.. in time the people rebelled against his tyranny and drove him from the land.. or so the legend goes.."

"Eclipse...Misery...now the Hatter. It can't possibly be anything new." Arbiter says, perhaps a little too overconfidently.

Red keeps her head lowered "..for generations the Resistance has been an underground movement, staying in the forest and recruiting from nearby towns - they rose against me only in secret and rarely took to arms - now they strike with the ferocity of skilled raiders.. yet what disturbs me most is the Vorpal Blade - it has been reshaped into an Axe.. to reforge such a weapon would require the aid of Dark Fairies.. an alliance with such beings would drive the land even closer to full-scale war.."

Amnesty watches Red with a strange look on her face. "So, what are you planning to do now?"

[Drasocon's face twists in thought.]"This reminds me of a movie I saw on Earth... but I can't remember which one..."

Red rises up "..you shouldn't base your reality on what you see in movies, nor should you believe what you read in books -" she lowers her hood, her eyes having a crazed look in them as her dark hair falls over her face slightly as it blows in the wind.

"..as for what I am going to do, I'm going to do what a Queen has to do - protect my kingdom.. I haven't ventured into the forest for a long time now but it seems I have no choice now.." she replies to Amnesty.

Inferno looks to Red for a moment then steps forward, "there is always a choice, Red.. I have an idea.."

Red blinks slightly and her eyes lose their crazed look, looking to Inferno - "..what? what idea?".

Inferno replies with a disturbing lack of emotion in his voice, "instead of going blindly into the forest you should consider the fact that every one of your citizenry are now suspect - one or more of them must of been working with the Resistance in order to stage an attack of this magnitude.. I suggest a mass interrogation of men, woman and youths - that way we can have answers before we act purely on impulse.."

"That would be easy." Arbiter says. "Looking into the minds of living beings is within my realm of ability... However, I would rather venture into the forest for answers, and perhaps find and crush whatever is leading this rebellion. If this 'Hatter' being shows up, well, it sounds like the universe could do without him..."

Inferno shakes his head, "no Arbiter, that would not suffice - we would drag them from their homes and round them on the streets.. it is not just about answers.. it's about keeping power.. in times such as these people are tempted to rebel against their leaders: it is the leader's job to ensure they know where their loyalty stands.."

If you really plan to interrogate every citizen, I can help as well. If you plan to venture into the woods, I'd be willing to join you," Amnesty speaks, facing Red.

"Dragging people from their homes and rounding them up on the streets?" Arbiter responds. "Commiting an action like that against the people would make them more likely to revolt..."

If you drag them together, the citizens are gonna get pissed off. If you leave them alone, they probably won;t do anything."

"...Although, Inferno does bring up a good point- if we do nothing, then any Resistance that may be going on will likely become stronger... that's why I suggest taking out it's leaders in one brutal strike- use fear to keep those loyal to the Resistance from striking."

Red looks at Inferno and sighs slightly, walking up to him and placing her hand on his shoulder - "..Inferno.. I killed the entire adult population of this kingdom in order to take the throne and beheaded their king on the steps of this very castle.. but I can't be the "bloody" Red Queen forever, can I? it cost me more than you can imagine.. Rose.. the girl who tried to kill me today.. she is my daughter.. a daughter I abandoned in the forest the day I slaughtered this kingdom and left an entire generation orphaned.." her eyes grow more expressive as she continues "..I have never told anyone this, however you of all people should understand.. I can't go through that madness again.. this is a monster of my own creation and I must be the one to finally slay it.."

Inferno looks at Red and replies coldly "spare the youth of your enemy and you fuel the rebellion of tommorow.. no matter Red, we shall rectify your mistake and destroy this Resistance before it grows -" he shrugs Red's hand away as he turns away and looks out "-we shall head into the forest and we shall do what we must".

Red frowns at Inferno "..no matter how many times you try to hide I will always see the beauty within, Inferno.. so please.. spare me the guise.. you are not your sister..". She then walks out of the room, her guards following in an unsuccessful attempt to look like they are actually functional "..at any rate, let us go to the forest - we have much to do.."

"Let's go, then." [Drasocon draws his sword.]

Inferno simply frowns as he turns round, watching Red leave - "..stupid girl.." he mutters, once he's certain he's out of earshot - then looks to Arbiter and notes"..this is why gods walk alone..", with that he heads out the room as well.

Arbiter follows, keeping silent.

Nebula floats a distance after Arbiter, before turning to Ruichi. "What was that all about, I wonder?" she asks.

Ruichi merely shakes his head and follows the group, with Nebula floating around him, chatting incessantly: "...Didja see that egg-monster-thingy? And Arbiter, too- a familiar face, kind of reminds me of the time...."

Amnesty follows the group, staying slightly behind the others.

Chapter IV
Red and her guards take leave of the castle and head into the surrounding forest, the snow is still falling rather heavily and blanketting the earth in white - as Red and the guards begin to enter the forest groups of citizens watch from a distance, muttering and gossiping amongst themselves as a raven suddenly takes flight from the ruined castle and flies far off into the distance.

Amnesty floats after Red and her guards.

Inferno stops for a moment as he watches the raven fly past and he turns back to look at the ruined castle, "..the beauty within, she says.. the same beauty that brings destruction wherever it goes.. the same beauty that brings cities to their knees.. if only she knew.. if only she understood.. their is no beauty in what I have become..'" - he thinks to himself, dropping the rose Red had given him in the snow and turns back around to follow the group.

(If Arbiter is not supposed to pick up the rose, delete this post. I just thought a flashback here would be cool and symbolic.)

Arbiter, seeing the rose that Inferno had dropped, stoops down quickly to pick it up. A pale memory lingers at the fringes of his mind, a memory of a time in ages past...

''Some distance away from the Golden City stood a lush, grassy hill. At the top of this magnificent hill grew a thick tree, whose branches stretched protectively over two youths, who sit upon the grass, leaning against the trunk. One was unmistakably a younger Arbiter- with golden eyes, emerald-green hair, and a rugged quality in his demeanor; the other, a fresh young girl with silvery hair, grey eyes, and a face lit up with joy and wonder. At their feet, out of the ground grew a solitary rose, whose bud was closed, and it's petals quivering toward the soft beams of sunlight.''

''The girl looked at the young Arbiter. "This is a beautiful place, Ryou. You come here often?"''

''Arbiter, whose name was Ryou in the past, nodded. "It's my sanctuary."''

''The girl, whose name was Kagami, nodded, smiling. They embraced; their arms around each other, their lips meeting.''

''Before they parted later that day, Kagami knelt upon the ground before the rose, and cast a small piece of magic upon it. Immediately, the rose burst into full bloom, more brilliant than the luster of a ruby.''

''"What are you doing?" asked Ryou.''

"Roses are a symbol of love and deep bonds, and also memories. Treasure this one; it will now grow as strong as our love will, and never wither."

"It's beautiful... said Ryou.

Arbiter snaps suddenly out of the memory, tucks the rose safely into his vest, and hurries after the others.

Red and the guards continue to make their way further into the forest until they finally make their way to a clearing - along the way many strange plants and animals can be observed such as mushrooms that are as big as trees, winged frogs and lizards as well as tiny cat-like creatures that scurry along the leaves of multicolored bushes.

Upon entering the clearing Red and her guards freeze as a gigantic figure manifests itself, though in truth it's more akin to a terrifying spectre, the ghostly figure resembling a scarecrow with a hideous face and wearing a large tophat: "..it would appear you've made a wrong turn, your majesty - a very wrong turn indeed..".

Spiral of Memory
(I need enough people to eventually join this storyarc before it can really start.  The Arbiter  21:01, February 18, 2011 (UTC))

Terralius- the home planet of Arbiter- once a thriving world, now a dead wasteland, torn apart by the atrocities of war, and the worst of both magic and technology. Strangely, in the midst of the destruction stands a lush hilltop, and on the center of this hill grows a single tree, which hadn't yet withered with age. Under the branches of the tree grows a single, crimson rose, like a single drop of blood in a tiny paradise, surrounded by a hellish ruin.

Sitting and leaning against the trunk of the tree is Arbiter himself. His face is devoid of emotion, and his thoughts tumultuous. Occasionally, he looks down at the rose, before looking back up at the dying sunset.

(Now, edit below!)

[Drasocon walks around from behind the tree.]"Fancy seeing you here."

Amnesty appears out of thin air, suddenly sitting next to Arbiter.

Arbiter glances both at Drasocon and Amnesty. In his eyes is the gaze of a broken man. "Drasocon... Amnesty..." he says, greeting them quietly.

"Something wrong, Arbiter?"[Drasocon leans against the tree.]

"...wrong? Nothing is wrong... for the first time in countless years, I can finally see things clearly..." Arbiter says, distantly. He glances once more at the rose, before saying, "It's incredible to think of how mortal I once was, so young, foolish... and now, I carry the weight of the universe upon my shoulders... the Balance... a just punishment for what I once did... what I once had to do..."

"I don't know what you had to do, but it probably wasn't THAT bad."

Arbiter looks at Drasocon, glaring. "Do you see this dead world that you are on? Do you see the destruction surrounding you? Now spread it to thousands of different worlds, over thousands of years... I have damned countless lives to the void of death, left thousands of worlds in ruin..."

"..you care too much, old friend" a dark voice quips from out of nowhere as a dark and regal figure suddenly manifest from a shadowy portal, folding his wings around himself.

"I always thought that judges shouldn't care about who they condemn, as long as they do it morally."

A humorless chuckle escapes Arbiter's mouth. "Morally? What does one know about morality? What does anyone know about morality? Morality is just a empty word. One man's opinion within a decaying universe."

Inferno notes to Arbiter, "then why care about the past? some would question your right to slay a thousand worlds but you and I both know you had no right to let them live.."

"It's not necessarily the past I am concerned about..." says Arbiter, "although it has led me, unwillingly, to this moment. Over the years, I have lost my home, my family, my love, my friends, and finally, even my identity. I bear the burden of the Balance; a punishment for once having almost undone it. But now..." Arbiter pauses, quickly standing upon his feet and turning away. "I thought... that if I could redeem myself, then I could find my true purpose in this universe, and perhaps, find myself once more..." Arbiter, in anger, stabs his blade into the ground. "But what does it matter? It's hopeless. It's none of your concern. You needn't worry of me. You all at least have an identity to call your own; a freedom to live your lives. I am just a shadow of what I once was, now a slave to the Balance, and the universe itself."

Amnesty looks at Arbiter. "We needn't worry about you, you say, but how could we not?"

Before Arbiter could respond, the air grows dark as an all-too familiar cloaked figure appears. "Ah... the so-called Master of Balance finally sees the truth." he says, in a voice like flowing water combined with the hissing of a snake. The image of an eclipse appears on the sky, and strangely, it seems to cast it's shadow upon Arbiter.

"Eclipse...? What are you doing here...?"

Eclipse looks over at Drasocon. "I am here to fulfill my purpose, Dramon. What else would you expect?"

"Amnesty closes her eyes, recalling the last time she met Eclipse.

Arbiter points his blade at Eclipse. "Begone; we'll have no words with you." he says, not in his usual commanding tone, but in a world-weary voice.

Eclipse eyes Arbiter for a moment, before talking once more- "You want freedom, do you not? Freedom from the burden you bear, the responsibility you uphold?"

"...My penance." Arbiter simply says, quietly.

"Ah, yes. The punishment the very universe exacted upon the one who would undo it's existence. Keeper of Balance, allow me to show you your way out."

Before Arbiter could respond, The scene around them melted; the ruins surrounding the hill stood as tall and mighty structures; in the distance, a city, buzzing with commotion.

Amnesty looks around, seemingly confused. "Another one of his tricks?"

"If it's a trick, it certainly is a good one."[Drasocon draws his sword.]

"No..." says Eclipse, "Not a trick... a memory. Arbiter's memory."

(Sorry guys... some dialogue is needed before the actual fighting breaks out)

Arbiter simply stands there, unresponsive, with a blank expression glazed over his face.

Within the memory, the image of two youth walk up the hill, holding hands. One is a teenage boy, with emerald green hair and golded eyes- the exact same as Arbiter's. The other is a young girl, with silvery hair and grey eyes. The scene melts and changes location almost immediately after, in what appears to be an arena of sorts- chained to a whipping post is the same boy, while he is being lashed numerous times upon his bare back. In the memory, only a few words are discernible, such as his tormenter calling out "...filthy half-breed..." amidst the cheering of a crowd...

"You were never loved then... they called you a sinner and a heretic for what you were." said Eclipse to Arbiter silkily. "Do you think that is so much different than now?

Arbiter does not respond, but by the look on his face, it is clear he is considering every word Eclipse says.

The memory changes again; This time, a multitude of images seem to pass on by, all intermixed with each other; Arbiter standing before the smoking ruin of a city; Arbiter as a youth holding the lifeless body of the silver-haired girl, while tears stream down his face; Arbiter in a burning wood, confronted by a blue-cloaked figure; An entire planet tearing itself apart in a hellish and terrifying scene... They all flash by, while voices ring in the air- "you try to hide behind a wall of lies... you think redemption is possible? you think the universe can forgive you?" rings the words of The Voice, while the voice of Misery follows- "Your precious Balance is a lie, and only the flies will mourn you...", and other such voices, which all rise into a chorus of accusations and belittlements. And suddenly, everything is silent.

"And then," began Eclipse, "let us not forget your curse... the Balance..."

An image of Arbiter appears, standing alone in an empty expanse. Other images begin to appear- the warships of the voice, Misery, the Trickster, and all others who had threatened the universe. As these disasters occurred, the image of the memory-Arbiter collapsed upon his knees, obviously in excruciating pain- a kind of agony that tore at the very soul, and seemed powerful enough to radiate through the air.

"Don't you want to be rid of this? Why be bound to a universe that doesn't care for you, a universe that torments you? Why don't you strike back at this universe, and break your bond with it? I will help you..."

Arbiter closes his eyes for a moment- as he opens them, one begins to glow a radiant white, the other radiates a pitch black aura. The image of Eclipse fades away, and Arbiter begins to speak... in Eclipse's voice.

"The universe has struck at us, tormented us- now, we shall strike back, and all will drown in a wave of hate and destruction. We shall destroy the old and start anew..."

[Drasocon draws his sword and transforms into a Dramon.]

Amnesty draws her sword as her eyes start to glow with a faint green light.

Inferno simply stands motionless, then snorts - "..then do it: spare us the weight of your words.. you seek to destroy? do it.. set the stars ablaze.. what use are there in words anyway.." - he starts to grow, morphing into a large Twilight-Dragon "..save to prolong the inevitable".

"There are many uses for words, foundling - such as those you use to try and disguise your own self-loathing.. not that it has accomplished anything: here you are, still trying in vain to harness power you can not even comprehend.. you who spent most of his life cowering in the shadow of his father's wrath.." a voice speaks out, Misery appearing on the scene but not really doing much "..forgive the intrusion, Eclipse, I will not interfere with your games - I simply wish to observe the futility of these mortal beings.. I also congratulate you on breaking Arbiter's will, though I suppose I shall miss his constant guilt and suffering.. it was akin to fine wine.." (ooc: if you want to remove her from the story feel free to do so)

"Ah... Misery, is it not? I suppose I ought to thank you for your influence... misery in itself is quite a useful tool for breaking their mind and will. The Master of Balance will make an excellent host." says Arbiter, wtih Eclipse's voice and mind. As he speaks, the landscape begins to change bizzarely- it is as if many different worlds have begun to merge into one, some familiar, many more not; A distance off, the Castle of the Secrets appears, and nearby springs up a series of buildings, with the great warships of the Voice looming over them. Yet unlike their real counterparts, there is an almost faded quality about them, like a pale memory.

"Come for me, warriors! Come; let us plunge all reality through a destructive spiral of memory." says Eclipse. He draws Arbiter's greatsword and flies into the air.

Misery smiles somewhat and simply fades into the background herself, observing everything through glowing yellow eyes "..no need to thank me, this is reward enough..".

Amnesty flies up after Arbiter, ready to strike at him.

Before Amnesty can reach Arbiter, a figure with long, striaght hair and clad in a deep purple vest appears, floating in midair. Like the surroundings, he too is like a pale memory. He draws a blade- a shamshir- and attacks Amnesty.

On the ground, another figure rises- a giant cloaked figure who towers over Drasocon and Inferno. His hands are shadowy, and have blue strings of energy wrapped around them, which dangle from his fingers like puppet strings.

Inferno narrows his eyes, "you are but a base parasite, Misery - as for you Eclipse.. I struck you once, next time I won't hold back.." - he then watches as the massive illusion appears and notes to Drasocon without looking away "..Draso, if you can still breath fire, do so - one more thing, friend, show no restraint.. Control was a worthy adversary in person.. I see no reason why his memory would be any less potent.." with that he stops talking and emits a massive blast of black flame from his mouth, a cloud of energized hate and corruption, aiming towards the illusion.

Amnesty stops and stares at the new figure. Suddenly she slashes the air with her swords, unleashing a powerful blast of energy towards it.

The figure holds out his shamshir and absorbs the blast into the blade, before bursting into wild gales of laughter.

Inferno's attack causes Control to stagger a bit, but not before the blue strings begin to move self-consciously toward Inferno and Drasocon.

Amnesty flies at the figure and strikes her sword at the shamshir, while her other sword slashes at its head.

Misery simply observes everything and leans back, "..parasite? perhaps - but I am kept well-fed.. while your pathetic concepts of hope and redemption starve before your very eyes.." she taunts.

The Trickster grabs one of Amnesty's arms, keeping her sword from striking his head. While Amnesty's other sword strikes the shamshir, it sends a vibration up the blade that jars her other arm.

Amnesty breaks free from the Tricksters hold and creates some distance between them.

The Trickster smiles mischeviously, then holds out his palm- a tiny sphere of energy appears, no more than an inch wide, floating rapidly toward Amnesty.

The strings on Control's fingers begin to stretch closer to Inferno and Drasocon, writhing like glowing blue serpents.

The Leviathan
(Continued Story Arc from User Battles 2) (Don't edit yet)

[Drasocon broods in his room. The seal on is chest has been itching terribly, and he feels that Aztren will take over soon.]"What can I do to stop him? I could kill myself, but he'd find a new host... I could lock myself up, but he'd escape... Hmmm..."

[Blaze walks in with a tray with eggs and bacon on it.]"Here you go, dad." [Blaze leaves.]

[Drasocon eats the eggs and poners over the problem.]

MEANWHILE...

High above the planet Trident, in the Sestamor Galaxy, the 4 Lords are plotting inside a small spaceship.

"How can we even find the temple? There is miliions of miles of ocean down there, with only one uninhabited island in the eastern hemisphere. All the life is underwater, and as far as the scans can tell, there isn't anything resembling a temple." [Silax slams his fist on the table, frustrated.]

[Gragon sighs.]"We've been here 8 weeks and haven't seen or heard anything from Aztren. We've scouted the planet multiple times, and there doesn't seem to be any sentient life, only an advanced ecosystem filled with dumb organic beingd."

[Zanthord sits quietly, and speaks.]"I say we skip Oceanus and move straight to Pyron. We can come back for him later."

[Mayore looks out the window.]"We chose this to be the first Fallen God we awoke, and we shall stick with it. Aztren shall break the seal again soon, and we will have ancient guidance helping our cause. Until then, we wait."

Back In Drasocon's Room...

"I can feel the seal growing weaker. Aztren will soon escape my body in his true form, whatever that might be. I need to stop... it... A... A.... AUGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"[Drasocon screams like all hell has broken loose. The seal is glowing, and it slowly fades to nothing. Drasocon starts to split in half. One half is Drasocon in his entirety, the other is a midnight blue Dramon that is almost identical to Drasocon except for his color and his massive golden eyes.]

"Aztren... we meet... at last."[Drasocon gasps out.]

"But not for the last time, young king. I shall spare you this once, just so that I can destroy you on the altar of my masters. Feel free to try and stop the 4 Lords and I, even with your pathetic friends, and you shall all be destroyed. Good luck to you in your futile quest."[Aztren turns on his heel and disappears.]

"Nurse?"[Drasocon shouts nurse over and over until she finally comes.]

"Yes, King Drasocon?"

"Put me into the recovery tank."

"But's it's unteste-"

"Do it."

Chapter 1
(Feel free to edit now.)

Fully healed, Drasocon is on a spaceship headed towards Trident, and is busy prepping himself for the climate and the intense fighting that will most likely occur.

"Sir? We have reached our destination."

"Good. Land in the atmosphere. We need to scout the terrain first."[Drasocon looks out a large window and seas raging seas and a constant torrent besieging the waters.]

[Drasocon's ship is hit, and a massive hole is created in the side. The slick surface gives no traction to Draqsocon, and he is to surprised to become a Dramon, so he falls onto the massive island below.]

[Landing on the island, Drasocon sees a massive crowd of the Disciples searching. Some are digging, others are exploring, most are uselessly turning over rocks and logs.]

[Drasocon, not an idiot, blends in among them, searching. He sees Silax roaring in the distance, but makes no move to appraoch him.]

Suddenly, a familiar figure appears next to Drasocon. "Hello. Care to tell me what's going on?"

Wicked Things
(note: this story is a co-op between myself (Misery) and Red, for now it's for us to edit but we'll open it out later for more to join.. Red states this story is set in the past so as not to interfere with the events of her current story "The Court Of The Red Queen")

Prologue
The story begins in ancient times during the age of the Druids in a remote area of land, a gathering of robed figures atop a hillside signals the beginning of a ceremony as they form a circle around a young woman dressed in white.

"Dark Spirit of the earth, we call upon you.. hear our call and manifest!" the figures call out in harmony, raising their hands as the woman looks around in a panic, the skies beginning to darken as the clouds swirl unnaturally.

"..stop this.. please.. you can't.. the ancestors will punish you for this.." the woman pleaded, to no avail.

"Dark Spirit of the earth, we seek your aid! the ancestors have abandoned us, we are surrounded by those who would see us die - Dark Spirit, we pray, deliver us!" the figures call out again, looking towards the clouds.

The clouds continue to swirl until they form a large vortex in the sky and a pair of glowing yellow eyes appear above the group as a dark voice echoes: "the age of the Druids is coming to an end, there is nothing I can do for you now.."

The figures tremble slightly but speak out, "..no! there must be a way! please!"

The voice pauses, only to reply: "..very well, little ones - swear your loyalty to me and I shall grant you what you desire.."

The woman suddenly stands and looks at the figures, "stop! stop! can't you see!? it lies to you! it is a demon!"

One of the figures strikes the woman, knocking her down as she holds her cheek and stumbles back - "..monsters!" she cried as she finally broke free of the circle and fled.

The figures began to move as if to pursue when they stopped as the dark voice echoed, "..leave her, I have no time to waste on mortal affairs - swear your loyalty or begone from my sight.."

"..we swear loyalty to you, Dark Spirit - your will is our command.. for now and forever.." the figures replied, bowing down.

"..I shall hold you to that promise, for now I shall uphold my own.." the voice echoed and before the figures could react a thick fog descended upon the hillside.

The woman continued running down the hill and turned back for a moment to see the fog envelop the figures, the sky returning to normal as the manifestation vanished - the fog clearing to reveal an empty space where the group once stood.

"..may the ancestors have mercy on you all" she said quietly before turning away and once again racing down the hill, heading towards the nearest village..

The Awakening
Thousands of years later a new world had sprung forth as the once isolated hillside of old was now surrounded by a bustling city and recently an influx of tourists from across the world were arriving as the city celebrated one of its more unique festivals: with grand parades and music filling the streets.

Red sat at a table outside one of the many little coffee shops in the city and watched the crowds as they swarmed around her - keeping her red hood firmly covering most of her features: she looked somewhat disgusted at what she saw.

"..it has been little over a year since this world experienced a war the likes of which I can not fathom, even to this day.. one that cost them so much.. yet they celebrate.. as if nothing occured.." she thought to herself, her memories flashing back to the events of War Cry and the struggle she and the other had just to survive the Voice's assault - even amidst all the celebration she could see some visible signs of that war around the city in the form of half-ruined buildings, boarded up as if to try and hide the events of old.

"You here for the Festival, I take?" a voice noted, Red looking up to see a local member of staff standing by her table - placing a cup of coffee on her table: though it looked more like black sludge.

"..perhaps, truth is I still wonder what there is to celebrate in this world.." Red noted, not bothering to fake optimism as she took the cup of coffee and stared at it - hoping if she stared long enough it would look more appealing.

"We're alive aren't we? that's celebration enough! besides, the Festival brings us luck - or so they say.. Heaven knows we need some about now.." the local replied.

"..do tell.." Red replied, swirling the coffee around in the cup but still not daring to taste it.

"Well I'm not one for old fairy tales but they say the Festival brings luck to those that partake, they climb the hill and light a bonfire at the top - they dance and sing all through the night.. when it's all said and done it gives us something to pull in the crowds at least.." the local said.

"..indeed.." Red replied - not really seeming to care.. the local seemed to take the hint soon enough and ventured back into the coffee house to attend to other customers.

(note: edit below, this takes place a year after War Cry but before Dusk - I'm not sure on how others chronicle their stories so forgive me if I've screwed over someone's time-line but I figured this was the simplest way of trying to keep some sort of canon in the stories.. basically this is before Red and Inferno left on their voyage but after the Voice's attack on Earth (which I feel would have after-effects, which is why I mentioned it) )

Perched atop one of the buildings, invisible to mortal eyes, is a Twilight-Dragon: although small by her species standards she still takes up most of the rooftop - yet she is as light as a feather.. watching over the goings on below through unblinking eyes of glowing red: <<..''just my luck to be stuck guarding this sector amidst a.. ugh.. "festival".. there is nothing quite as offensive to the senses than the merriment of fools''..>> she thought to herself in silence (note: Inferno can't be involved, if this occurs after War Cry he's recovering from the Eclipse encounter - however the Twilight-Dragons will be active as I believe Earth was put under their "protection" at the end of that story)

With a pink flash of light, the image of a young, translucent girl floats in the air, next to the unseen dragon. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she says cheerily. "Yes, I'm talking to you. I can see you!"

Following the etheral girl, a crimson-haired youth climbs atop the roof. "Nebula, who exactly are you talking to?" he asks.

The dragon simply continues to watch the crowds below as she speaks to the girl without looking to her, "if you find the concept of a group of slightly evolved primates attempting to perform a ritualistic display of "worth" amidst a ruined world beautiful then yes, by all means, it is a masterpiece.."

"I know, right? It's so amazing!" she squealed with glee, apparently not catching the dragon's hint.

Amnesty appears on a different rooftop, right acros the street. "Hm... everything seems to be good here.... at least for now..." (I can't leave Amnesty out of this one, as she promised to keep an eye on Earth as well.)

The sun begins to set and with it a large crowd of revellers gather - waving flags as jugglers and street-entertainers of all shapes and forms paraded around: many dressed in elaborate costumes as they began the ritualistic ascent up the hill, music and dance accompanying the spectacle as a few torches are already lit in preparation for the bonfire.

Ruichi, unable to see the dragon that Nebula is speaking too, resigns himself to watching the festivities. Nebula soon rounds upon him.

"What's the matter? Why the long face?"

"I...just don't like people..." Ruichi mumbles.

"Nonsense! People are nice!" Nebula exclaims.

"Not all of them..." mutters Ruichi, instincively placing a hand up to the bandanna on his forehead, and running his fingers across the ugly scar hidden underneath it.

Red watches as the large crowd passes by, giving her an excuse to abandon the untouched cup of coffee as she follows the crowd - keeping a small distance from the main crowd, being sure to mind her movements as she conceals an ornate axe: she watched a few children playing amidst the crowd and frowned a little more, remembering the orphans she had rescued amidst the blaze of war - how she had dug them free from beneath the rubble of their former homes as the Voice's troops laid waste to the world around them.

At least now she knew those children were safe, she had arranged transport for them to her Court - their they would grow to become her guards in time and learn the art of defence and discipline.. concepts she barely saw in the celebrating crowd before her.

Meanwhile on the rooftops a dark voice suddenly speaks out "he's right you know, people aren't all nice.. in fact some are worse than you could ever imagine.." - with that Misery manifests behind Nebula, in her usual form as a robed female in red.

Ruichi stares at the figure, not uttering a word; until Nebula flutters in her face.

"HI, I'M NEBULA!" says Nebula loudly. She begins to float around in a fast circle around Misery, bombarding her with questions in a voice as rapid as machine gun fire- "What with the red cloak? Do I know you? Is red your favorite color? Mine's pink. How old are you...?"

"Nebula..." begins Ruichi.

The dragon suddenly turns and goes into action, lashing at Misery with her powerful tail as she hisses - spreading her wings, "stay away from her!" she snaps at Nebula in warning.

Amnesty appears on the rooftop as well. "Misery. Why are you here?"

Misery simply hovers in place, the dragon's tail phasing through her form as she speaks calmly "a great many years have passed, the time has now come for seven to rise and make good on their promise to serve me - as for you, do as you will.. it matters not.."

As Misery finishes the crowd gathers atop the hill and light the bonfire as they had done every Festival, dancing and celebrating - when suddenly the flames change color as seven figures emerge from the bonfire, like phantoms.. dressed in different colored robes and gazing at the crowd from behind glowing eyes.

"..show time!" one of the figures declares and before the crowd can react they are covered in a swarm of flies that buzzes around, driving them into a frenzy as the other figures begin to move around: treating the crowd like cattle being rounded for a slaughter..

The Outsiders
The seven mysterious figures continue to round the crowd up as the festivity turns to chaos - the cloud of flies spreading out to cover almost the entire hillside as the bonfire burns a crimson red.

Amnesty looks at the swarm of flies, a worried look on her face. "Misery, what are those figures?"

Misery simply continues to hover in place, observing the scene as if it were nothing "they are The Outsiders - they are humans.. at least a variation of them.. many years ago they swore loyalty to me.. in exchange they became empowered by the Dark Ones.. make no mistake though.. their loyalty is solely to me.. for better or worse.."

Meanwhile atop the hill Red takes out her axe and begins to charge at the robed figures, managing to bulldoze her way through the cloud of flies due to sheer willpower - the axe seeming to guide her movements as she snarls: "..good, it has been too long since I shed the blood of madmen and demons!".

Amnesty flies towards the hill, using her magic to keep the flies away.

Puzzle-Master
It began like any other day as the crowds of a busy metropolis went about their daily chores only to be interrupted by the sudden arrival of a gigantic alien vessel resembling in many ways an infinitely complex version of a puzzle-cube.

The sudden arrival of the vessel causes mass panic across the streets as it forms a large force-field around itself as a towering image appears over the sky of a decidely alien being, who looks over the panicking crowds with zero emotion and speaks out:

"I am the Puzzle-Master, wielder of the Corlaxian Power-Glove and supreme master of chance - I call upon the champions of this or any other world to appear before me and accept my challenge.."

Amnesty appears with a flash of green light, staring up at the strange vessel.

[Drasocon appears next to Amnesty.] "Nice ship."

A sudden wave of light washes over Drasocon and Amnesty as a thousand scanners work at once, picking up various information on the two and processing it - the vessel playing a strange light show in the process while the alien's image continues to stare out, barely even blinking:

"..two? is this the best this galaxy can do? so be it - the challenge has been accepted: first you must learn the nature of the game you are to contend in.. then you must learn the price of failure.."

Amnesty turns towards Drasocon. "What a positive attitude... We'll manage, right?"