FanFic: "Amidst the Flowing Waves..." Final ch. "Promise"

[Shake]

Hi, I hope you enjoy. And remember, you as the reader get to decide where our hero goes during this adventure.

Beneath the waves. Above the sands. Among the fish. A faint voice can be heard...

"According to the data collected from the facility, that vertical hole is an 'Elevator Shaft'. And further down below...'Test Subject Disposal Site'. That's what they called it."

Here I am, telepiping to the upper levels of the facility. I don't know what to expect from this place. Nobody has been here yet. Yet, they chose me to discover what has happened. They want me to find out what happened. Last time this request was made, an unspeakable evil released all hell...

I almost feel as if the same thing is going to happen. Like it is waiting for me.

I begin to open my eyes. But before I do, I can feel water surrounding my feet. I open my eyes to examine the water that has flooded the first room. Looking down I notice the octogonal shapes in the floor and the pathway laid out towards the hallway in front of me. Down the hall, I can see four lights glimmering on a horizontal door. Between myself and the door seems to be windows...I can see light coming through them from outside. Light that is glazed with a sway of strange lines and bubbles. Stepping forward into the hallway, I gaze out through the windows.

Reefs, fish. Oh my...even some sort of aquatic creature. Oh wait, that's a dolphin.

I glance at my reflection in the mirror, first noticing my Rati mag's glorious winglight. Then, I turn myself toward the doorway. To my left, I can see another set of windows. It appears that the facility is much more complicated than it seems.

Simplicity is often considered beauty. This structure sure is beautiful, but is it that simple?

Running towards the door, I can feel the fence beneath my feet shake with each step. As I run closer to the door, it slowly slides into the floor and ceiling to reveal a room behind it with a door inside to the left.

Suddenly, three creatures appear out of nowhere.

"Squids?" I utter as I grasp my sword. I slowly advance toward them, awaiting their attack. They begin to whip their tentacles at me with precision and fury. I pull my sword back and hold my solid shield before me, guarding against their tentacles. They strike over and over. They screech and squeel as they try and claw their way through me. "Enough..." I whisper as I lower down to my knees and swing my sword in front of me in an arc pattern. The sword slices through the lower tentacles of the monsters that they are using to stand. They fall onto their backs, leaving a mass of fluid around them on the floor.

Squid blood. Yum.

I run through the next door and close to the next, noticing a red gate sliding back and forth. I wait for the right time, and dash around the corner. I run down the hallway, sensing more rooms like the last. Enemies. Squid. Sub-cellular types. I can feel them. The energy is so intense here. How couldn't I have noticed this before?

I run around the corner and press a foot against a switch as I do, only to step on another to open a door right in front of my path.

I enter a multi-level room with rock and plants. From the distance I can see some sort of Sinow-type machine fall from the ceiling. "The security system has gone crazy..." I say, grasping my sword and running about the ramp to my immediate right. I lunge towards the camouflaged Sinow as if I could see it clearly. I thrust my sword down into it fiercely, feeling it slice through armor and machinery inside. I withdraw my sword and jump backwards onto my feet, watching as the Sinow leaps towards me with its fists. I step back, easily avoiding the attack. Then, the Sinow pulls its fists back and hurls them towards me. I parry the attacks with the sharp side of my solid sword and push it back. Then, I spin and pull the sword in a spinning slash into the side of the machine, causing it to divide in two. It falls to its knees and explodes in a hail of arms and legs.

I rise from my kneeling position and lower my shield away from my face. I managed to protect myself from the explosion.

"In a place so threatening...I manage actually enjoy the beauty of this place..."

As I stand and look around...I notice a door to my right, and a door in front of me...

Which one do I take?

[Door 1]?

[Door 2]?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2003-12-11 08:40 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2003-12-15 15:30 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2003-12-16 13:39 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2003-12-19 15:11 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-05 08:45 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-07 14:08 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-11 13:58 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-14 12:14 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-20 10:00 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-21 10:35 ]</font>

[Garanz2]

Take the first door! The first one! You know you want to.

[Shake]

First one it is, I'll write about the next segment asap.

[MQuantum]

Heeey, I like this idea. Too bad Garanz beat me to the choice... Oh well, i'll get it sometime!

[Shake]

Okay, here's the next segment of the story. Hopefully this will get more people to follow along. Tell your friends!

Beneath the waves 2

I stand in front of the first door. It immediately slides open as I stand here, allowing me to look inside the hallway it reveals. Inside, the analysis intelligence drone called CAL awaits my transmission to the lab back on Pioneer 2. I walk into the hallway and stand next to it, pointing the tip of my sword into the ground to lean on it.

Incoming transmission from Gal Da Val Seabed area...

Serial code confirmed...

Access...
Hunter
Krowen...

..

"Yes, this is the Lab! Please select the information you would like to retrieve." The drone tells me.

"I want to get the analysis on the codes in the area, as well as the bioweapons." I ask. Immediately, Elly responds with the answers.

"Codes are assigned to each research project in the facility. The codes indicate time period in relation to the overall experiment," She explains. "Code Alpha indicates projects started in the early stages of research. The level Alpha projects range from technology development to biological research. There's also a project to develop machines called 'Recon' and 'Recobox'. These are miniature patrol and reconnaissance devices. Kind of cute..."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Oops!," She shouts. "Sorry...Let's see. There's also a seabed version of the Search and Capture unit on the surface. 'Zoa type' and 'Zele type'. The basic equipment is the same, but these have a freezing device. Brrrrr..."

I can't help but let out a laugh under my breath. This girl has some spunk. That strange sinow must have been one of the new versions, I think to myself.

"Code Beta indicates projects started about midway through the experiment. We found two projects in the facility with level Beta test codes. We call them Dolmolm and Dolmdarl. 'Mutant Lifeform, also known as Altered Beast'. These creatures have really long arms, giving them long attack range. So you must be careful to keep your distance."

"Those were those squid creatures..." I say.

"Yes. The data also mentions more evolved ones, with special abilities. There are many things stull unknown about this creature. So be careful! Now, Code Gamma indicates projects begun in the final stages of the experiment. There are three projects with level Gamma codes that we found in the records that can also be found in the facility now. Interestingly enough, they're all D-cellular sub lifeforms. That means the sub lifeforms were created by researchers..."

"What the hell were they doing..." I mumble.

"I will explain each of these types briefly. First, Deldepth. Its movement is very slow when in humanoid form. They change their body shape in order to move. They get dramatically faster when they transform. So be careful! Second, Morfos. Sub lifeform that resembles a floating wall. Beware of its long-range laser attack. We have lost many reconnaisance devices to that attack..."

"What hold on a minute. Laser attacks...lightning quick transforming monsters...Gibarta-capable machines...and you only sent ME down here?!" I yell. "What about the rest of the hunters?"

"Well..." She says. "We have sent others down before. But they ended up missing or being killed during the journey down..."

I definitely got myself into more trouble than I wanted. I can't believe I accepted this.

"I trust in your skills hunter Krowen, you've proven to be a very quick witted fighter, especially for a fighter with your small proportion." Elly says, trying to calm me down.

Yeah I'm short...in fact, I look like I'm just turning into a teenager. But honestly, I don't know how old I am.

"Just think on your toes and you'll get through this, okay? It is best to attack the Morfos by its back side, where its armor is lighter. And third, Delbiter. Four legged sub lifeform. They are huge and ferocious. It has a tendency to charge towards its target at full speed. Please be careful not to get stepped on!"

I let out a sigh, shifting around my weight on the sword. Beyond CAL is another window that looks out into the waters around this cold and desolate hell. Outside, fish swim about peacefully and casually. Not too far across from this window, is another corridor with windows looking back at me. I can see my reflection again as I focus away from the other corridor. My Rati shines and hums peacefully as well.

"According to the analyzed data..." Elly continues. "The experiment expanded into many different directions. One of those was the development of bioweapons. This research was directed by DR. Osto Hyle. It appears that only three subjects produced results. We found some of the research data in the records. Those experiment codes are...'Beta 630, Beta 772, Gamma 119'. The data from test code Beta 630 and the data from the giant beast you encountered on the cliffs of Gal Da Val are identical."

That was one hell of a night facing that giant horned owl...

"In other words...that giant creature was created by researchers. It was developed as an experiment in this facility." I say.

"That is correct. Let's look at the other two. Beta 772 escaped. It infiltrated ducts. Gamma 119 went out of control and was disposed of at the waste station. Those are the details found in the records."

"They were using the cells of 'IT' to create some sort of...some sort of army? This is getting insane. Pioneer 1 wanted to destroy the rest of us?"

Elly sighs. "I don't see any reason they would do that..."

"I'm going, I'll find out where Flowen is. Even if I have to do it alone." I say.

In the back of my mind I'm wishing they were here with me...

I look up into the next room, noticing a door with three green lights and a red one. There must be a switch around here somewhere, I say to myself quietly. "Elly, I'll access another drone when I find it to update my status."

"Good luck, hunter Krowen..." She says as the drone ends the transmission.

Thanks, I'm going to need it. I dash back into the previous room, looking at the second door. I'm glad I took the first one, or I would've jumped into this whole thing without knowing anything about my enemy. I would've been toast. I run through the second set of doors only to find another red gated passageway. Now, forward or right?

Right.

I turn around the corner, avoiding the red gate easily. I continue to follow the corridor down a slanting passageway, only to find another turn and another door. Inside, are two of the security drones Elly had told me about. Recoboxes and Recons. I can see more on the other side of the room...

I jump into the room and slash my sword at them both, crushing them under the power of my blade. From the corner of my eye, I notice one of the floating Recons bouncing through the air towards me. I let out a yell as I jump up and cut the Recon in two by slashing my sword down into the ground. I grasp the handle of my blade and pull it up out of the ground to trace back my steps. I need to find the door the other side!

Turning the corner, passing the gate again, and turning another corner leads me back to the room where the Sinow greeted me. But now, more of the squid await my entry...

I slash away at the tentacles lashing out towards me. I slice them apart and close in on two of them. I slide between them, spinning my sword above my head around in a circle. The sword rotates like a mixer's cutting blade, slicing the sides and tentacles of the Dolmolms and ending their existence. They should have never been created anyway. In the distance on a lower tier, I can hear the screech of another. I run off the higher tier and jump atop the last Dolmolm, bringing my sword down into the crest of its skull. It's screech ends abruptly as I twist my blade out of its head and leap back onto my feet by kicking off of its face.

A cruel way to kill a cruel beast.

I pass the switches, turn a corner and arrive back at the first red gate. I look to my left, noticing it is the door I've been looking for. Inside, I stab my blade into the Recobox to disable it. Then, I grab onto one of the broken columns and propel myself up onto the bridge running through the center of the room. I stand before the locked door now, hearing it click as the red light turns green. Security doors always require the most effort...

I step through the set of doors, walking into a room composed of nothing but beautiful sights. To the left is a giant window that looks out into the ocean. To the right are three grassy rocks with water heavily falling across their surfaces. Plants sprout from the rock and bounce gently in the air as the soft whisper of wind makes them jump and dance. The gate surrounding each of them is an impressive display screen that makes a design rotate around and around. Simply beautiful...

As I walk into the room, I notice a Recon jumping in the air towards me again. Then, I notice the two Recoboxes sitting by one of the grassy waterfall rocks. I turn towards them slowly, raising my left hand to them. I open my hand and point my palm towards them, launching a streak of Gizonde toward them. The bolt of lightning strikes them like a lightning bolt, causing them to explode. From behind the smoke of the explosion, two Dolmolms and a Dolmdarl crawl towards me. They appear wounded already...

I strike them all down with a series of slashes, only to be hurled off balance by a punch from a Sinow. I stand up and look around. Nobody is around. "Damn camouflage...come out you cowardly bastard!" I shout as I brush off my punched shoulder and hold my sword ready in a battle position. I wait and wait, but nothing comes to greet my blade...

Then, two Sinows drop from the ceiling. One is odd however, as it doesn't advance towards me like the other does. I thrust my blade into the oncoming Sinow, only to be once again knocked away by a punch. I slide across the ground, realizing my blade is still thrusted into the torso of the Sinow. As I jump back onto my feet, I rush towards the Sinow and leap up onto its shoulders, launching a series of Foie blasts into its air tight container on its back. The container bursts open and releases fuel into the air. Fuel that is ignited by the flame of my Foie blasts. The flame shoots off the Sinow's back like a towering geyser, pushing it onto its knees while I am thrown back by the blast.

I stumble onto my feet and watch as my sword is thrown through the air like a dart when the Sinow explodes in a hail of parts and fire. I roll to the side to dodge my sword as it comes toward me. After I roll, my mag begins to hum. It summons a ring of light around my body, casting a restorative technique on me automatically. This technique is called Resta, and it is one of the abilities mags are capable of. It refreshed my mind and spirit, making me anxious for the Sinow before me to make its move.

As I look up at it, it refuses to attack. Then, the frontal shell of the Sinow opens up like a mechanical suit, revealing a wounded HUcaseal inside. She's about as tall as I am actually...

She coughs, grasping her waist. "Please," She says. "Don't go any further..."

Confused as to how she managed to get inside one of the Sinows, and because I don't know who she is and what happened, I am frozen like a stone.

"This place is too dangerous...you must leave now..." She says suggestingly.

"I have a job to do...and someone to find." I tell her, stepping up onto the knees of the Sinow to examine her wounds.

"I did too...but I was ambushed by a horde of sub lifeforms...they almost destroyed me..." She says.

"Why didn't you heal yourself?" I ask.

"My internal restorative unit was damaged. My system cannot repair itself for this reason. I also ran out of tools that I brought with me for the trip..."

I let out a sigh, noticing her android body has been damaged pretty badly. Her outer shell is almost non-existant, showing her inner skeletal system. "Let me Ryuker you back to the Lab, they'll repair you..." I say as I begin to walk away to cast it. She grabs hold of my arm before I walk away and shakes her head.

"No! Please...just go back yourself. Leave me here...just go...forget this place." She advises me.

I look into her eyes and think. I took this job for a reason. Even if it is more responsibility than I wanted, I cannot just turn my back on it. I have to do this for the Lab. For Elly. For the people onboard Pioneer 2. For the sake of our future on this planet. I have to end this chaotic disaster, or die trying...

But now, the android asks me to leave her there after I explain why I cannot go back. She realizes who I am. She calls me the "Savior of the Red child".

Then I realize that I was chosen to do this quest alone for a reason. I found Red Ring Rico, and now, they want me to find Flowen as well. What about the other hunters that aided me in the search for Rico? They were all killed on this very same quest, the android tells me.

So much is revolving around this job. And I swear to myself that I will find out where Flowen is, and rescue my them. My old team members.

But first...I have to address the Android's plea.

"Leave me here...go...find your friends..." She says.

I'm so confused right now...I don't know what to do. My friends, are they dead? Were they killed? Or are they waiting for me right now? What...what should I do?

[1. Telepipe the HUcaseal]

[2. Rush off to find my pals]

[Garanz2]

Seeing as I'm first here, I'd pipe the Hucaseal, but ignore me if you want cuz i made the first decision too.

[Hikara]

Yeah, don't listen to Garanz! Rush off to find your friends! Or, better yet, drop a Telepipe for the Hucaseal, then rush off to find your friends! ^_^

[Skett]

Pipe the Hucaseal! Dont leave the girl hangin!
Dont lisen (ugh, cant remember how to spell "lisen") to the fool above this post!


The edit has been rated I for Innovative


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Skett on 2003-11-25 18:53 ]</font>

[MQuantum]

yeah pipe her! Be nice, help the little broken lady cross the street!

BTW, you write very well. Nice first-personage...

[Shake]

Thanks Quantam! I've wrote for a long time, and I'm trying to refine my skills. I figured this would be a good way to do it.

Pipe her it is. I'll write the next piece asap.

[good choice too, I have a good plan for this one]

[Shake]

Yeah sorry for the late update, Thanksgiving weekend was busy. Anyways, enjoy this next segment. And also, I never check for spelling errors or anything. This is fresh meat ladies and gents!

Beneath the waves 3

"I'm not going to leave you here..." I tell her, leaning toward her and reaching my hands around her waist. I wrap my arms around her waist to pull her up onto my shoulder. Leaning her over my shoulder, I hop down the Sinow's legs and step onto the firm metallic flooring of the facility. If my feet were bare, I would bet the floor would be as cold as ice. "I'm going to get you back to town, you're not dying in a desolate place like this..."

"You're lucky I cannot fight you right now. I want to die with glory..." The HUcaseal tells me.

"I've never met an android with an ego before..." I say, smiling as I bend my knees and hold my arm out before me. I close my eyes and focus my mind, attempting to summon a telepipe through my Ryuker technique. Before I know it, a telepipe rotates around me. The pipe blows my hair around like the wind would. I've felt this soft breeze many times. For some reason, this time seems to trigger a memory...

It reminds me of green fields as far as the eye can see. Tall grass leaning with the winds and puffy nimbus clouds drifting through the deep blue skies. A woman in white had stood beside me, but then I was even smaller than I am now. I was a child then...

Now I stand beside the HUcaseal as she is sprawled out over a bed in the medical center. The nurses have been running around for repair parts for her for a few minutes now. Her outer shell repair shouldn't take too long, but her internal frame has to be replaced. What this girl got into that made her frame damaged beyond repair, I do not know. Even this medical center gives me memories. But these memories are different, they aren't pleasing.

"What happened to everyone else that has taken this quest?" I ask her, looking into her motionless eyes.

"They have all been eliminated, or claimed missing in action. I to, have been claimed MIA." She replies. Her eyes jitter slightly each time she talks.

"Have you seen anyone else down there?" I ask her.

She nods slowly. "My radar detected several other hunters down there...but when I tried to contact them, I was ambushed..."

"Rest up and relax after they repair you. You've been through alot." I say, beginning to walk out the door.

Before I can, she asks, "Wait...where are you going?"

"I'm going back to the facility. I'm going to find my friends, and get rid of those sub lifeforms that tore you apart..." I reply, walking away from the doorway.

"My the spirit of Coral protect you..."

Darkness. Pure darkness. It is hard getting used to telepiping at first. Entering a luminous gate of energy that spirals you into an oxygen-scarce void to bring you to your destination can be scary too. I still have trouble holding my breath during the nauseas spin-cycle ride. As I spiral close to the end of the void, the darkness turns to light. The light bursts into the cold colors of the facility. The oxygen-lacking environment fades away as oxygen shoots into my lungs and I fall to my knees. A ring of energy slides over my body, materializing my body. The excess energy shatters off of my form like crystal.

I stand, grasping my sword and surveying the room. Waterfalls...window...I'm back in this beautiful but deadly hell under the sea. I dash towards the door in front of me, noticing the map of Gal Da Val island displayed beneath the floor's glass. It's a shame such a beautiful place is riddled with chaotic mysteries.

I run through a metallic colored tunnel and through the next door, stopping quickly as I notice another security gate. "Damn...how many of these blasted things are there in this place? What is being hid here? I wait for the right moment to jump through the door to the right. I run down the corridor, turning a corner to enter another room. Inside, a bridge is collapsed in front of me. In fact, I'm standing on the broken bridge. What could have done this? The ends are charred...

I look down over the edge, noticing the shallow water glistening below the bridge. I hop off of the edge, landing with a big splash of water rising above my feet. I keep running when I land, heading up the other side of the broken walkway into another multi-tier room. More Recoboxes. This place is armed like a fortress.

I easily destroy the boxes, thrusting my sword into one, and then the others. The device seems almost unnecessary considering the recon machines are extremely slow. Maybe the systems have malfunctioned?

"No sweat...this room was easy..." I say, letting out a sigh. "I don't know how that android got so messed up, this place just has some security drones and gates. Where the hell are the big fish in this ocean?"

Behind me, an invisible camouflage coat sheds itself off the armor of a Sinow. Hearing the sound of the machine appear, I quickly turn.

"HOLY HELL!" I shout, ducking to dodge the giant Sinow fist flying towards my face. I roll to the side and lift my swird, gasping it with two hands. The sinow turns towards me, throwing its arms to its sides to unleash the Gibarta technique. It's shell opens up, revealing a small icicle generator that fires off a spray of icy pain. I flip the broad side of my sword in front of me, holding it before me in a horizontal shaped combination with my Standstill Shield to block the attack. "Alright you tricky bastard, you are not going to hold me back any longer!" I shout, lowering my sword and shield and dashing towards the Sinow.

I leap into the air and vertically cut at the Sinow, only to realize it has teleported somewhere else. As I land on my shoulder my legs kick up into the air with the force of the fall.

..Ow..

The Sinow appears in front of me and walks towards me. I sit up against the wall on the lower tier, holding nothing in my hands. To my right, I notice, my sword lays warm and still. I lean over to reach for it, looking back at the Sinow as he throws another punch in my direction. I hold my left palm out towards it as I grasp the handle of my sword with my right. I shout as the intense clash of flames burst out from my palm, engulfing the machine in a blast of spherical explosions. This, luckily, gives me enough time to strike again as the machine is suffering the damage from Rafoie. Taking advantage of this time, I swing my sword around to my left, cutting the waist of the Sinow. Then, I stand and step forward, slashing my sword upward against the front of the Sinow's shell. A force blows me back against the wall again, making me assume my previous position. I uncover my eyes, watching the parts of the Sinow crumble to the ground and the cloud of smoke from the explosion rise into the air.

I lean forward, using the weight of my sword to help me jump to my feet. "Sigh...that was close..."

"Is anyone out there?" I hear from the distance. That voice. Its...

"Evelyn!" I shout, running into the next corridor. Laid on the ground is a HUnewearl around my height. Her arm is cut open and red... "What happened?" I ask, rushing to her side.

"Krow...we were ambushed and...he came and lured them away...but I...wounded..I don't..." She says in a confused voice.

I reach to my left shoulder, opening my shoulder armor and retrieving a small bottle from inside. As I lower the bottle towards Eve's arm, the shoulder cache closes automatically. I press my finger down against the tip of the bottle, releasing a spray against her wound. The spray clears away some of the blood and begins to heal the wound immediately. She must have fared well against the ambush to sustain this single wound. This, as odd as it may sound, is a comfort to me. Evelyn's rank is the same as mine. If she only sustained this much damage, I should also be able to fend for myself. But, then she continues to explain...

"Thank you," She says. "The ambush was a horde of sub lifeform creatures. They were all so powerful. But, they just ran by me after another Hunter ran down the tunnel by them. They managed to get my arm pretty good..."

"You should be fine now. Have you been here long?" I ask her.

"No, not for long." She answers.

"Another Hunter?" I ask.

"Yes," She says with a nod as she leans forward and stands up with me. "He was an android I think...I couldn't really tell. He was definitely in black armor though. He might need our help!" She says, running down the tunnel towards the door. I follow close behind her.

Evelyn...it shouldn't be thought about at times like this, but I've had the biggest crush on her since I met her...

We enter the next room. This room I have never seen before though. The room is huge. The room almost resembles a small beach. Sand rests at the edge of each side, and water fills up the center floor of the room. On each side of the water are bridges along the wall to get across without getting wet. On the opposite side is the black armored hunter. A HUcast friend of mine, actually.

I run towards him. Examining the situation. Three dolmolms surround him, as well as two of the disc-like sub lifeforms that keep attacking him. As I am examining, I don't even notice that I stumble against the edge of the bridge to cross over to the opposite side.

Suddenly, I hear a scream. Looking back, I realize Evelyn has also been surrounded by the disc-like sub lifeforms, the Deldepths. Several shroud her in their disc form, bashing against her energy shield over and over.

I stand in the middle of the room ready to fight. On the opposite ends of me, lay two friends. One one side, Evelyn. The other, ERS.

Who do I go to help first?

[Eve?]

[ERS?]

[MQuantum]

Ah, save the girl! The Hucast can be repaired, but a human life can never be replaced! Besides, if he likes her, he would do that anyway... http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

Do you really need to help a huge hunk of metal with unbelievable endurance and 3000 atp? http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Skett]

We must be suckers for woman. Save the girl. Be a hero.

[ERS]

Nahh.. Save me, the HUcast!

HUcast!
HUcast!
HUcast!

[KaFKa]

HUcast
HUcast
HUcast

...but i think the guy wants to get laid later...

[Garanz2]

Save teh biotch!

[Shake]

On 2003-12-02 04:07, Garanz2 wrote:
Save teh biotch!



Hey! That biotch is my girlfriend's character! Haha.

As much as I would love to help you out ERS, your HUcast would be just fine against puny creatures like that, right?

Hmm, I'm still not sure yet. I'll wait for another vote or two to decide.

[Robert_Wolf]

For the love of god, save the girl! It's what I'd do...

[dark_agenda]

telepipe and get the hell out of there! LOLzers, just kidding, save the girl! Be a man!

[Shake]

Okay, save the girl it is. Quantum made a good point, the HUcast is repairable. Haha, sorry ERS.

I'm kidding man, your HUcast would be fine. I'm sure of it.

I'll work on it asap.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2003-12-02 10:08 ]</font>

[Sunblast]

I agree with your decision. Save the girl. He would definately act on his emotions. Besides, the android was the one who saved the girl earlier, so he must be tough! Right?

[Shake]

Clashes. Collisions. Chaos.

Slashes. Swings. Steps.

The room is an echo of sounds made in battle. And I am in the middle of it all, with a choice. Which ally do I aid? I can't believe I keep thinking like this...but my feelings for Eve must be pushing me closer to her direction as I run to help her.

Her hair, those eyes. No, no I can't think about that. What is wrong with me? I'm in hell and surrounded by dangerous creatures, yet I'm enthralled by her looks. Maybe I need to get out more often. Oh wait, I am actually surrounded by dangerous creatures, bent on killing all of us...what am I doing? What am I thinking?

Get yourself together Krowen, come on...

As I get closer to her position, I roll to her. As I rise, I stand beside her, holding my shield before her and I. Deldepths strike it repeatedly in their disc forms, flying at me with tremendous force. I tighten my left fist as one of the deldepths collides with my shield and gets stuck on the front of it. Eve takes her Partisan and stabs the end of the energy blade into the Deldepth, making a del-shish-kabob. She pulls the Partisan away from the shield, yanking the Deldepth's spikes out of my Standstill's reinforcing plates. She swings her weapon to the side, hurling the creature into the wall.

More advance towards us. This time, they stop near us and transform into some humanoid Delsaber-like form. Eve jumps towards them, slashing away with her Partisan. I, on the other hand, wait for their attack. As Eve strikes two of them, I face two ready and in a fighting stance. I grasp the handle of my Last Survivor, pointing the blade behind me at my side while bending my knees. My torso is slightly turned toward the blade, rising and falling with each breath in my lungs.

I watch as one tosses some sort of grenade towards me. I quickly and easily catch this slow moving object, only to toss it back at them. The small ball bursts in a flurry of ice, covering their forms in a block of frosty ice. I froze the bastards...cool, I think to myself. I give one a horizontal slash, cutting through the ice and striking down the first Deldepth. The next, I thrust my sword into. The ice shatters off of their bodies as they fall to the ground. Then, I look over to Eve. She to, has slayed her enemies. Her and I glance at each other before turning our attention towards ERS.

He slashes his enemies down one at a time, keeping his attention focused in a similar manner. One at a time. He swings his Red Saber 'round and 'round, cutting and slicing his way to somewhat of a victory for us. As he fells his final opponent, a Dolmolm, he turns towards us.

"I didn't need your help." ERS says.

"We weren't going to let you do it alone!" Eve shouts across the room. I stand still, watching ERS as he turns around again to examine the bodies. His rear shoulder armor is damaged with attacks from the tentacles. His left leg armor is almost worn off too. It looks like the Deldepths got his legs bad.

Eve begins to walk towards ERS. ERS turns back around to look at us, but instead throws his arm out and points at me. "KROWEN! BEHIND YOU!" He shouts.

Damage. Armor has been penetrated. How, I don't know. I do know, that something was just driven into my lower back. I can't feel a thing. My body seems to be paralyzed. It is odd, I still seem to be moving. Then I realize something...I was just skewered and am now being shakened off...

"Krowen!" Eve shouts. I can hear her, but all I can utter are groans. I manage to look down though, catching a glimpse of the flesh colored spiking sticking out of my waist.

"Damn Delbiters...they always hang around to suprise us..." ERS mumbles, running towards the middle of the room to help. Eve follows him.

They both run to its sides, one on each. ERS slashes into the ribs of the Delbiter, while Eve spins her Partisan around like a windmill into its leg. The biter roars and throws its head up, pulling me with it. It releases a blast of psycho energy from its body, knocking ERS and Evelyn away. The psycho energy hits me too, shooting pain throughout my body as I am forced to succumb to the entire blast.

I shout in pain, tightening my senses as they return to me. I curl my body forward and focus my mind. If I am going down...so is he...

In a furious manner, I throw my arms out and release a circulating blast of fire around me. The fire swirls around my body, singing the Delbiter's horn and face. The flame swirls around the biter's body, causing it to shout in pain as well. As it shouts, it shakes it's head back and forth, throwing me into the air.

About time...but then again, hitting the floor isn't going to feel very goo-OW. OW. Yeah, that was hitting the floor.

Pain shoots throughout my body again. I lay on my side, looking down at my bloody waist. Dammit this hurts. I can't tighten my stomach muscles at all. This can't be it, can it? I can't die...I have to make sure they're safe...

Darkness. Again. I can't see a thing. I can't hear or feel either. Where the hell am I? I can see that woman in white again now...Dead? No...no way.

I can't be, wait, I can feel something. Something is touching me. I'm laying down. I can hear beeping noises. People are walking around in the distance.

I know, I'm at the medical center.

"Krow? Krowen Asgard? Are you awake yet?" Someone asks. I open my eyes, looking into a newman nurse's face. She smiles. "You've been asleep for a few days, It's good to know you are conscious again. You had this poor girl worried..."

"Girl?" I ask, noticing how tight my waist is. I can still feel some pain, but nothing as extreme as the pain before.

"A newman girl had visited alot during your stay here. She seems worried about you. You should tell her thank you, she was worried sick!" The nurse says. My eyebrows point up as she goes on. Eve, was worried about me? "Looks like you had one heck of a trip to Ragol mister! You had a big hole in you! But all in all, it was nothing too serious. Your friends managed to give you a few mates, but even a moon atomizer couldn't bring you back from your unconscious state."

What a relief...

"Those mates managed to save you." she tells me.

"Where are they now? Do you know?" I ask her, looking down at my wrapped up waist. I've got poofy pants on. They're comfortable, but not my style at all. I don't have a shirt on, but all that is showing is my collarbone, shoulders and arms. My entire torso is wrapped up.

Wait a minute, did someone undress me? They must have had to.

"The girl was coming back, but your android friend hasn't stopped by at all. I wish I could tell you where he was..." The nurse says.

"Krow!" Eve shouts, rushing to the side of my bed. tingles rise up my spine as I look into her face. She makes me so nervous sometimes. I don't know what to say. "You're awake!"

"Yeah...thanks for visiting me. The nurse said you were worried. I'm sorry." I say to her.

"Don't apologize, I'm just glad you are okay." She says, looking into my eyes.

Those eyes. No, wait. What about ERS? What happened?

"Oh...ERS and I managed to take down the creature...but we took you back here as soon as we could. ERS...he...he went back down alone. I told him not to, but he refused to listen to me. I hope he is okay. I would've went with him, but I had to get my arm fixed up..." She tells me.

Great, ERS went alone. I've got to get out of here as soon as possible. I have to help him.

"Oh no you are not!" The nurse shouts. "You are staying here another week at least our little HUmar friend. So you can stay put and heal up!"

Great, now I have to sneak out. A few hours later, Eve had left to get some sleep. The nurse just visited to check up on me. Sitting here doing absolutely nothing is boring. I'm getting ansy to get out of this place. I have to help him, he can't be down there all by himself. Eve will end up going down there, but if I can give myself some time...

I hear shifting to my left. I look over, seeing a shadow behind a curtain move around. The shadow gets bigger and bigger as its arm reached for the end of the curtain. Then, the person throws the curtain open and pushes his head forward at me. "Howdy!"

The guy is a RAmar. He isn't wearing poofy pants. He's in his military uniform. A purple military uniform.

"You sure did have one terrible accident there mister. What's your name?" He asks.

"I'm Krowen..." I tell him.

He nods his head. This nod isn't normal, instead, his head rises and falls much more than it should. "I'm Sunblast, the one and only PURPLE ranger!"

I don't know about that...but I have to cut the guy some slack for going outside in that thing...

"Nice to meet you Sunblast." I say. This is my chance, this is my time to break out. I don't want to tell this guy off and seem rude, but I have to get out of here. I lean forward and move my legs off of the bed. I stand up beside the bed as I drop my feet to the floor. I stretch, noticing Sunblast watching me.

"Where are you going?" He asks. Oh no...

"I'm leaving," I say. "I have to help a friend out on Ragol."

"Mind if I come?" He asks. Immediately I think how much ERS would make fun of this guy's outfit. That android sure does have a big sense of humor. Sunblast looks at me and waits for an answer. I look back at him. Oh man, what should I say?

[Yeah sure, let's bust out of this joint together!]

[No, I'd rather do it alone.]

[Sord]

do it with sunblast, he needs to get out more anyways right. so stick him with sunblast

[Skett]

Leaving with Sunblast. I want to read the insults the android gives him...if the androids still alive. Hey, sometime, might we get more than two choices to pick from?

[dark_agenda]

this is some good stuff, leave with sunblast! Let's see what he's made of.

[Sunblast]

OMG, I was kidding when I suggested adding me in! LOL, dangit! Now I can't stop laughing and yelling cuss words! Actually, I'm running a little low on oxygen, now... Anyway, I can't help make a decision on this one. I'm obviously biased. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

(Sorry if I seem ungrateful. All of that was supposed to be a joke, just in case the tone didn't get through. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif)

[MQuantum]

Go with him! You need someone to scare away all the little monsters! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif j/k

The more the merrier, right?

I would like to see more than 2 choices sometime. Maybe a real hard coice, or a BAD choice to pick. Like in the choose your own adventure books. (Which I really DO NOT like...)


How is this story from a Fic writers viewpoint? Is it fun and easy? What's it like having someone else choose the plot?

[Shake]

I was actually thinking about more than one choice in the next one. Now that the story has given itself a sort of foundation, I figure it could easily stretch out to new areas.

Sunblast, haha, I knew you'd like that.

My point of view eh...

I've always enjoyed writing. It has always been one of my hobbies, whether it is about personal stuff or fictional characters. I don't know how many storylines and characters I have developed in this way...I've even drawn them all out on paper, too.

I enjoy getting this 'feedback' from people. It is nice to see where you want these characters to go, and what you want them to discover. It also gives me a push to to really think this plan out, so that I don't disappoint any chance of a fan I might get.

It is always a good thing to pay attention to the people actually taking part in what you make. Whether they are reading it, playing it, or whatever. If it weren't for constructive criticizm, than I am sure I wouldn't have these skills I have now.

[Sunblast]

I may like it, but that doesn't mean I'm not planning revenge... ;P

[Shake]

Revenge? Nah.

I'll work on the next part today probably.

[Shake]

I talk about units in this one, and how they actually appear on the body. I liked my idea, what do you think? I like writing this, it is good in a number of ways. For one, I get time to hang out in the areas I am talking about on pso and raise my new Rati. Two, I get to practice my writing skills for my own writing series. Can anyone say Double Hitter?

"Yeah, let's get out of here." I tell him, looking at a wristband around my left wrist. This is a device used to transfer my clothing from whatever I have on, to my Hunter's armor. As nifty as it is, it will surely help me get out of this place easier. If I were in my hospital clothes walking out into the Pioneer 2 streets, I'd immediately be recognized as an escapee.

"Alright! Let's kick some Ragol monster behind!" He shouts. I watch as he jumps up into the air with an ascending punch.

"Shh shh shh, we don't want to attract any attention." I warn him, but then I realize something. He's in a purple suit...

This is definitely going to be harder than I thought.

"Oh, right. Sorry man," He says to apologize. "How are we getting out of here?" He asks.

I look back at my wrist again. "...We're going to walk out."

"That's your plan? What if we get caught, you're going to be suspended by the Guild if you do that. I was suspended once by Mrs. Milarose, that was one tough week...I had to carry supplies for the lab everywhere."

"That's the plan." I say. "Yeah, Natasha can be strict sometimes when it comes to orders." I said. I could tell he was hiding why he got suspended. He gave me a wierd look. Like he shouldn't have said he was suspended.

I look at my wrist again, tapping the bangle-like band around it. It lets out a silent hum before summoning a ring of energy around my body that rises up and down. This ring is similar to the one that materializes people's bodies when they telepipe. The energy encases my body, making the Guard Wave armor appear on my body. My armor is composed of my equipment as well. Hanging over my shoulders is a defense unit that strengthens the defensive capabilities of my armor. On the frontal area of my hips, are four nodes. These nodes are an armor unit that prohibits my body from freezing. They act as a temperature module. Around my ankles is a white colored ring, and around my knees are two white slahes on each side. These act as an evasive boosting unit. It gives me more mobility. And finally, my battle unit. Battle units are usually a single device that spreads energy throughout the frame or armor. This energy is then sent to the body using various sense plates built inside every form of Hunter, Ranger and Force armor. The energy boosts movement patterns and inspires quicker striking.

Useful, aren't they?

"Nice threads." Sunblast tells me, walking towards the door.

"Thanks." I tell him, following him out.

Thus, we begin to casually walk out of the center. We pass a nurse as we walk down a hallway. We haven't been spotted yet. The attention might all be on him. Purple seems to have its uses sometimes. The entire hospital is littered with control devices, navigational computers and food/material trays in their hallways. I haven't seen a single window yet. In the rooms, however, are several display screens which can show television, various natural environment screens, or even text.

The nurses all have the same white and pink outfits on. Their skin tones and hair types differ. Some have red hair and tan skin, while others have blue hair and white skin. They all seem to be Newmans, except for an odd few. The minority of Human nurses makes them stand out almost.

Sunblast and I turn a corner, we're almost to the door leading outside. As we turn, I notice a female android standing beside a patient, tending to their wounds. The android was modeled like a nurse too. I glanced forward before looking back at her, seeing that she is a RAcaseal. Whether she was a nurse or just a coincidence, I don't know. Most android creators model their androids in some sort of sexually desirable fashion. It is a trend that seems to be getting on the governments nerves. News about some Dr. Montague guy is everywhere. I guess he has manufactured a few androids with strange behavior patterns. Strange as in 'different' from other battle-type androids. More like, servants. In a matter of speaking.

"I think that was Montague's android..." Sunblast says, looking back as well.

"Really? I was just thinking about him." I reply.

We both look forward. "What do you think about these new personalities some androids have? I find it fascinating." Sunblast asks.

"I find it disturbing. The government will end up putting a halt to it anyhow, the media has been going crazy about it." I say.

"The media is the government, no matter how you look at it. They tell the news what to say. What's fascinating is why the government is telling the news to talk about this. I still don't have a clue why, and I've been discussing it with the guild for weeks." Sunblast explains.

We exit the door. Yes, I made it out.

"So where to?" Sun says while he stops walking.

I keep walking, causing him to jump forward a few steps and continue with me. "We're going to head for the Information Counter in the lobby, hopefully they can tell me where my friend is. Once we do that, we just have to find him."

"Why not mail him?" Sun asks as we walk out of the narrow alleyway in pioneer 2.

We walk into a large area. Behind us to the right are steps leading to shops, and a quick-heal medical station. If you were to keep heading right after going up the ramp, you'd be led right into the Guild Area. On the way are teleport stations to get to other shops, or to the lab. The floor of this big room is scattered with glowing blue floor plates. The plates are see through and have lighter blue lining in various designs. If you were to be standing at the base of the ramp, the entire room is symmetrical. Above the center of the room is a large rotating structure with image windows containing pictures of news stations, navigational data, and other various information. But the most elegant piece of this puzzle, is the wall across from the ramps. The entire wall is a window overlooking the planet Ragol and space. You can see the cloud's moving along the surface, as well as the stars twinkling in the depth of space.

We walk up the ramp and turn left, heading into the Hunter's Guild. "My friend doesn't have the mailing programs, he is an older type with a remodeled shell."

"That sucks..." Sunblast says.

We walk into the guild area, turning to the left again to enter the lobby transport wing. Inside, is a circular pad with a revolving energy ring around it. The ring rises up and down as if it were breathing. This is the gate to the Lobbies, where most Hunters meet for meetings, help, or information.

We walk into the teleport, and as we choose our destination through the navigation hub, beside the circle, Sunblast looks over at me. "Beam me up scotty!" He shouts as the ring of energy rises up our body and makes us disappear.

I personally try to stay away from the lobby areas. These days, parents let their kids wander around through teleports. The kids always end up at lobbies. I don't know if it is just from my experience or what, but every kid lost in a lobby is the most annoying kid you'll ever meet. Guards must be slacking off lately, I wonder if the government cut their paychecks?

I open my eyes, watching the excess shards of energy shatter away from my body as it fully materializes. Sunblast stands in front of me. The lobby is designed like any other lobby. It is a giant and open room with a variety of decorations in set areas. This lobby, has trees. Since it is spring time, the trees are pink and bloomed. Their leaves are shook off every now and then, so blossoms are spread across the floor around them. In the center of the lobby is the information desk, while at the far end is a deck to look out into space. Behind me is a teleport device to switch lobbies. There are hundreds on Pioneer 2...

I walk up to the information counter. The human girl behind the counter smiles at me. "Good evening sir, can I help you?" She says.

I nod. "Yes, I'm looking for the location of a fellow Hunter."

"Can you specify his card information please?" She requests.

I lift my left forearm before me, tapping several buttons on my holographic information screen. I ask it for guild card, and immediately access ERS's card information. "ERS, identification pre-code is 34-75, type Hucast."

"Thank you," She says. "Accessing central guild database now..." I slightly turn to the left, noticing Sunblast calmly waiting behind me. He's looking at the giant column behind me that supports all of the lobbies on this ship, Altair. "Information acquired, subject is said to be on a mission request. The position is...in the Seabed Facility on Gal Da Val island."

"Thank you ma'am." I say. She smiles and nods, directing her attention afterward to another Hunter.

Back at Pioneer 2, Sunblast and I materialize in the laboratory area. If I can get permission from Natasha to get down there and finish up, I'll be set. I hope she doesn't get me sent back to the hospital. Sun and I walk up the ramp in the Lab, noticing Natasha isn't there. Oh, her shift ended two hours ago, I remember. Score. However, Elly Person, my navigator during missions, stands behind the CAL hub. She must be doing research, because she doesn't even notice Sunblast's purple outfit when we walk up to her.

"El?" I ask.

"ACK!" She screams, jumping above the ground. Sunblast jumps away too.

"Eep!" He shouts.

"Don't scare me like that!" She yells.

"I'm sorry," I say with a slight laugh. "I wanted to ask you for permission to head down to the Seabed Facility. Seeing as nobody else is here, you'd be able to authorize it."

She raises an eyebrow, leaning against the counter. Her ponytail bounces against her back. "Didn't you just get impale-!?" She shouts.

I jump towards her, covering her mouth before she continues. "Oh no!" I say. "Heh heh...No I wasn't-psh. I'm as healthy as I ever will be." I say. She narrows her eyes, poking my stomach. "OW!" I say, taking my hand away from her mouth to hold my stomach. Damn, this is worse than I thought it was.

Sunblast watches us.

"With an injury like that?" She asks.

"Yes. Even with this injury." I reply.

She shakes her head, leaning away from the counter. "That was a rhetorical question, Krow. What do you need to go there for?"

"My friend went there...alone." I tell her.

She nods. "The HUcast ERS, right?" She asks. I nod. "Honestly, I would tell you no. But ERS was beaten up pretty bad, I don't think he lasted too far into the facility..."

All of us remain silent for a few moments.

"Fine...you can go. But I want you to keep this purple RAmar here by your side at all times. We have a transporter to the lower area of the facility, he entered that one." Elly tells us.

So far, the mission is a success. I'm on my way to finding my buddy. For one, Eve doesn't know yet. And two, I got inside the facility without having to go through Natasha. If it were up to her, I would be back in the Hospital bed right now.

Thank you Elly...

Sunblast and I materialize. Once again, I could sense the water around my feet before I even opened my eyes. This area is almost exactly like the other, only the lights are all golden and the walls are warmer. Blue to Gold. I immediately check my navigational system on my left wrist for any signals.

"Got him! He's right around the corner." I shout. Sunblast and I run into the corridor in front of us. We enter another red gate room. But we easily get passed it as we turn around the corner into a giant room. The room is just like the one from the last area that resembled a beach. Only in this area, the water has flooded the entire floor of the room, minus the bridge areas. Even then, the bridges are segmented. I can see sand beneath the shallow water, but it looks like it gets deeper in the center of the room.

As I look up at the center of the room, I notice ERS sitting on the opposite side. He is sitting with his back leaning against the wall. His legs are parted and bent at the knee, holding his arms up. His arms are crossed over his knees, holding Mechguns in his hands. As Sunblast and I walk towards him, his head looks up at us.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

He doesn't answer.

"I snuck out of the Hospital to help you out, I didn't want you to get into any dangerous territory alone." I say. Sunblast stands back, watching us talk. He seems to be admiring the environment.

ERS nods. "I didn't want to be in Pioneer 2 waiting for you to recover, so I came here. I was waiting for you here the entire time. You've had no need to worry about my territorial grounds being dangerous. All is well."

"Good to hear..." I say, sitting against the wall. My mag hovers above the water, looking at their own reflection on the surface. I set my Standstill Shield down, as well as my Last Survivor, down on the ground beside me. Sunblast sits on the opposite side of ERS in the same way. He lowers his Guilty Light off of his shoulder and sets it on the ground beside him, resting his arm atop it's casing.

"Krowen..." ERS says quietly.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"During the time that I have waited, I have thought about something. I've grown curious as to your appearance and overall past experience. You seem to be adept with the ways of the sword, yet your childish appearance causes a confliction with your skills. Your skills would take years to achieve, but your years are short. Or at least, they appear to be. Are you older than you appear?" He asks.

I shrug, watching my Rati shake and communicate in their own little language. I know ERS can understand them. He usually tells me what they are talking about. But this time, he is talking about something else. Not about my mag, but about me. "I don't really know how old I am...but I've been on Pioneer 2 since it reached Ragol's atmosphere, so I know I've been around at least that long."

ERS watches the mag as well. "This confliction and others have made me ponder such events in your recent past. Such as your presence here, when a normal man would've been bed-ridden for months with an injury like you sustained. I have brought about many questions...but some, I am afraid you cannot answer yet."

I nod. He's the first person to ask about me this way. But I've been adventuring with him since I first joined up with the Guild. And even with his dark appearance, I feel comfortable enough to answer anything he may ask truthfully, and to the fullest extent of my knowledge of it.

"Well, What do you want to ask me?" I ask him.

["Where were you born?"]

["Do you know who your parents are?"]

["Who is this Purple-clad guy?"]

["What is the earliest memory you have of your life?"]

[Sunblast]

LOL, I like Purple, that's all! I would suggest he ask Krowen what his earliest memory is, as that might cover the first two questions, as well. That, and I'm biased again. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Shake]

Alright, one down for the earliest memory.

Now what I am about to suggest is totally different from what I have been doing with this. But I find this is a very interesting idea.

This interactive fanfiction has only really been interactive with me. I get to see what you guys want to see. And then I write it.

But let's take this to another level. How, you ask?

Instead of just commenting a vote for which option to choose, I suggest mailing me your request from my list of options. In return, I will send you the follow up story to the option.

If you request one, for example, you may find out something you couldn't find out from another option.

My plan is, you, the readers, can share with other readers about these 'secrets' that the story holds. If this goes the way I'd like, it could bring the community of pso-world much closer. Friendships could be born, and interests could be renewed. That is, if people like this idea.

After so long, I could then post the next segment of the story here. Itinerary will follow.

This idea was originally thought of by my girlfriend and I, thanks hun. I really like the idea, it seems very challenging.

Now what do you, the community, think? Spread the word as well, considering this isn't a new topic.

Thanks in advance.

[ERS]

That makes me feel like t3h big b4d HUc457!!1111111!!


lol, I'm the one asking.. so..

Your earliest memory.

[Sunblast]

I think we might have to take you up on that offer, Shakey! But right now, my mind is toast. I'll think after I've slept.

[Shake]

ERS...earliest memory, got it.

Yeah, spread the word about the story and previously mentioned change of plans, I'd love to do it.

*I guarantee a 24 hour response when you mail me the request.*

[Shake]

Here's the next part...

ERS looks towards me. "What is the earliest memory you have of your life?" He says.

Memories. They can be so fragile at times. They are easily forgotton, and just as easily remembered.

"I remember being on my back on a table, with a bunch of doctor's looking at me. But the next thing I remember, is waking up in the medical center..." I tell him.

Sun looks up and over at me with an eyebrow raised. "Waking up in the medical center?"

I nod. "Yeah, I was in a coma for a few weeks. That was the cause of my memory loss."

Memories. Silent and peaceful memories...

"I would hate to lose my memory," Sun says. "I have so much I don't want to forget."

ERS looks away from me and turns his eyes toward the Mags again. "It is said that memories make you who you are...If you do not have memories...than who are you?"

I look to the side, staring into the waters. Really, what is going through my mind has nothing to do with what I am looking at. Where was I before I was at the medical center? Where am I from?

"All will be discovered in due time. You will always remain the person you are now, Krowen. Nothing will change that. Now, let's get on our way to..." ERS says, standing up. He stops as he turns toward Sunblast, noticing Sun's purple armor. "What the hell...?"

Sun looks into the HUcast's empty eyes. "What? Do I have a booger?" Sun asks.

He is right. No matter what happens or what I find out, It won't change who I am. I'll still be Krowen Asgard, and nobody else. I must concentrate on my mission now, and worry about my past later. I wouldn't want the two to get entwined. If I let it get to me, I might let my comrades down along the line. I wouldn't be able to focus, or be able to fight efficiently, so I have to stay in the moment for now.

The seabed facility was enormous. I can't believe a structure like this wasn't found until recently. Sun, ERS and I travelled throughout the facility, accessing terminals and opening doors. As we got deeper and deeper into the seabed, we noticed something odd...

"The CAL systems have all been wiped out. We don't have any means to communicate with the Lab, do we?" Sun says, surveying the busted up CAL drone all over the corridor floor. He kneels down, pressing his hand over it. "Ow!" He says, pulling his hand away quickly. "It's still hot!"

"Photon readings in the air are increasing." ERS says.

"I can almost feel the energy...he's got to be close." I say. We walk through the door in front of us, entering a long narrow room that stretches far to the left. It's flooded by shallow water, just like the other rooms.

ERS takes a few steps down the narrow hallway. "A transport is nearby..." ERS says as he begins to walk. I follow him, as does Sun. We push our legs against the water, navigating down the pathway. I can feel an energy circulating around the end of the hall. Is it Flowen? As we turn the corner, we set our sights on a teleporter. "It leads to the test disposal site..."

We all enter the transport. Immediately, there is no air to breathe. This is the usual for transports too, they work in the same way Telepipes do. I fall to my knees again, arching my back forward as I take in a deep breath. I stand, looking around. Sun, ERS and I stand on a circular elevator. The ground is see-through. Above and below us is the elevator shaft. The walls around us seem endless.

"Test disposal site?" I say.

From the distance, I can hear a voice. I can't make it out, but when I look at everyone else I realize it isn't one of them. A voice echoes down the shaft like a tremor.

"What the hell is that!?" Sun yells, pointing up at a descending object. The descending object falls beside the elevator, hovering next to us.

Monstrous...

The being is humanoid, but it appears to be mutated. It's right hand is transformed into the shape of a giant, but familiar looking, sword. It's left hand looks like a crossbow. The shape of its body is very familiar as well. It appears to be wearing a coat, and shoes that I've seen before.As I examine its body, I realize something.

"It" is Flowen himself.

Only mutated. Only transformed by something. The coattails, the weapons, the voice. This hideous monstrosity is nothing but Heathcliff Flowen. This realization triggers a memory...

I can feel myself held inside something. I can look around, but I can't move at all. The room is dark, but I can see some sort of liquid surrounding me. I can breathe just fine though...where am I?

Then, a light flickers on. Flowen walks into the room, limping. His leg looks beaten up. It looks like his entire leg is burnt black, but it isn't. It's like his leg was replaced with a Delsaber's. Upon further examination, I see this is a memory I have forgotten. This is Flowen while he was changing into what is beside the elevator right now.

I was in the mines. I was held by something, like a capsule. Flowen steps in front of me, saying "Go...Tell them...to leave...I did...all...I could..." I then fell to my knees. I was in the Mines area, in what seems to be a laboratory. Was I from Pioneer 1?

"Is that Flowen?" ERS asks.

"Yes..." I whisper, watching as Flowen creature gets ready to attack...

It is time to fight and get this over with. Right now, I want to be home. The high energy readings, the transformations, the secret government projects. It is making me sick. I lean forward, falling. I land on my side, grasping my waist.

"Krowen?" Sun says. They rush to my side. Sun aims his gun at the creature while ERS kneels down and sits me up.

"Krowen, are you getting sick?" ERS asks.

"I don't know...what is happening..." I say. My body feels quesy. My strength is gone. No, I must fight. But, I'm so weak. What is happening to me!?

I need to help them out in some way...what should I do...

[Support them with Resta]

[Go all out and attack head on]

[Do nothing]

[Spartan117]

Go all out and attack head on.

Woohoo, been only watching this great fic till now. Its good!!

[Shake]

Thanks Spartan!

Here's a coke for the compliment! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/coke.gif

[Sunblast]

Ewww, a booger?! LOL! Man, you've created a difficult decision here. If he's hurt, I would say he should pull a Mome and do nothing. ERS is tough (although still damaged), and Sunblast knows level 15 Resta. Krowen could always help after Olga Flow turns to his Humanoid form (although they don't know about it).

Edit: Whoops, I used the same pronoun too much. It looked awful before I fixed it. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sunblast on 2003-12-09 03:08 ]</font>

[Shake]

Cool, I like giving my readers tough decisions.

Either way, I warn you all...the next part will blow your minds away.

[Shake]

I need a couple more suggestions people.

And would anyone like to participate in the mailing idea? Or should I just do what I've been doing...?

[Sunblast]

Well, the status quo can't fail. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
Blow my mind away? Fine! You can blow my mind away. But first you've gotta find it!
*Sunblast calls a cab and throws his mind in.
The airport, and thwep on wit...
*Sunblast falls to the ground and becomes a vegtable.

[Shake]

On 2003-12-11 13:24, Sunblast wrote:
Well, the status quo can't fail. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
Blow my mind away? Fine! You can blow my mind away. But first you've gotta find it!
*Sunblast calls a cab and throws his mind in.
The airport, and thwep on wit...
*Sunblast falls to the ground and becomes a vegtable.



Sheesh you're a goofball, haha.

[Sunblast]

I know I am, but what are you? Oh, wait. Oh, crap! Come back, mind! Please! If you come back, I'll give you candy!

[Shake]

From the looks of it, I'll end up just posting the rest of the story.

I'm not getting the feedback I thought I would...http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

[Stormsworder]

New here, so give me the heads-up on these interactive stories. I'll be glad to help ya out.

[Sunblast]

I'm sure you'll get the feedback you deserve, Shakey! It's just that there are a ton of new fics starting up at the same time. Once people catch up on their reading, I'm sure they'll respond. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Shake]

Hopefully you're right...

Alright, I'm going to write the next part. And like I said previously, this next segment is going to be pretty stunning.

I hope anyway, heh. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_cowsleep.gif

[Sunblast]

Bah, I'm always right! There is no need to hope. Hope is for losers and hopeful people, and you don't need it. At least, I hope you don't.
Please, someone out there must be reading this. Respond! Tell Shakey how cool he is and how badly he could use a haircut! XP

[Stormsworder]

Support them with Resta. That's what I would do. Of course, I do like to play it safe when I'm weak.

[Shake]

Here's the next part. The climax of the story, I suppose...so enjoy. And regarding the choices and interactive element, I decided to cut that out. I stopped getting requests so, heh, sorry for those who enjoyed it. I hope you'll still follow the story of the characters as these chapters unfold...

My surroundings ascend around me as ERS cradles me in his cold and uncomfortable arms. He is sitting me up between his arm and torso, examining my face. I can see his motionless eyes glaring at me. Scanning.

With the dizzying surroundings, I try not to close my eyes to make my sickness worse. As I try to keep them open I notice Sunblast aiming his gun at the mutated Flowen. I feel so nervous. My body aches and quivers with a noticeable shake. My armor is becoming tighter and tigher, as if my body were growing.

ERS turns his upper body toward Sun. "His body seems to be convulsing, yet nothing is being thrown up. Upon further examination, I noticed strange photon readings inside of his armor. We need to get him to the Medical Center immediately, he needs to be properly scanned to determine the problem..."

Sun nods, turning around towards ERS. Sun looks down at his hip and taps his hip armor, making it open. A small parcel of items are inside. From inside, he retrieves a small bead. As he pulls his hand away from his hip armor and holds it in front of him, his armor slides back into place. He drops the bead to the ground, watching as it bursts into a rotating light. The light grows and grows around Sun's feet, creating a Telepipe. "There we go..."

Behind Sun, Flowen descends along the elevator shaft. He is upside down. Thinking of it makes my stomach hurt even more. I watch as ERS reaches out towards Sun as Flowen pulls it's sword back.

"Sun!" ERS yells...

Sun turns around and falls backwards. "Shit!" He says, watching as Flowen's giant blade arcs its way towards him.

I tighten my eyes, preparing for the worst. I can feel ERS's joint jump slightly as Flowen lets out a roar. I open my eyes, noticing Sunblast has disappeared. "Sun..." I whisper.

ERS looks back at me and stands, lifting me in his arms. "He fell into the telepipe, he should be fine...but that was one of the closest calls I have ever seen in my lifespan."

I nod, trying to keep my eyes open still. Quesy. Irritating. Annoying. Everything seems to be moving so fast around me. ERS begins to carry me towards the telepipe, trying to hurry. I can hear my mag behind me, trying to see if I am okay. Everything is trying. I can sense everything is about to be destroyed. Flowen is not Flowen anymore. He is gone. He wants to destroy, just as Falz had wished. But was Falz really destroyed? Or was he remained alive all of this time?

I can sense Flowen isn't going to let us leave. I can hear his joints shift and creak as they move. Then, I hear a bursting sound. ERS shouts, and I feel weightless. I can't open my eyes...I feel like I am falling, fading and waiting.

And then, I feel a lack of air surrounding me, and crystals of energy jumping off of my armor as I become materialized on the docking area of Pioneer 2. I am laying on cold and hard metal floors. I am back...but...

"Krowen, what the hell happened?" Sunblast says, lifting my into his arms. When he does, a thought goes through my mind. What about ERS? "Let's get you to the med center, you can tell me there!" He says, carrying me quickly across the shopping area. I slightly open my eyes, listening as he shouts for people to make a path for us, and watching as crowds of people split and move around us. My feet keeps brushing up against people.

Once again, I end up in this prison, not knowing a damn thing about how my friend is doing. For some reason, I figured I would end up back here. Me or ERS anyway...

So much is going on around me and with me as I lay in a bed in the medical center. Scanning. Testing. Watching. Footsteps. Shouting. Commanding. Gasping, touching and heavy breathing. I feel air against my open chest. I can feel my chest effortlessly expanding and contracting in a steady rythym. Breathe in, then out. Breathe in, then out. Breathe in, then out like an ordinary procedure. I still feel sick...

"New data discovered regarding the subject's body, his bodily composition ratings are different from the last time he came. His wounds seem to be reacting in a strange matter as well." A nurse says.

I open my eyes, watching a Numan look at her and nod. "Yeah, I seen the last tests. He was classified human type AF. There was nothing out of the ordinary there besides his wound..." Evelyn, it is Eve. She is here already, right at my side. If I knew better, I would say she liked me.

"Yes, the wound," The nurse begins. "This subject seems to be a miracle after a miracle. With his damage then, he wouldn't have been able to survive the trip here unless it weren't for those Mates you gave him. You saved his life!"

Everyone is still hustling around. Body composition is different?

Evelyn looks at the nurse. "We didn't have any mates..." She says. The nurse on the left side of the bed, typing into a display window stops what she is doing. She looks at Evelyn. She glances back at the display window and back at Evelyn once more with her jaw dropped.

"You mean, he wasn't given any mates at all when he was admitted here for the wound in his waist..." She asks.

Evelyn shakes her head. "We didn't have any, long before Krowen came to Ragol..."

They didn't heal me? Then how did I make it back here alive...?

The nurse watches data being opened on her screen. Three other nurses and a doctor watch, standing at the foot of the bed I lay on. I open my eyes as much as a can, only being able to see a slit of my surroundings. They all watch me, I can feel it. "His wounds," She says, glancing back and forth between the monitor and me. "They are regenerating at a rapid rate...what..."

Everyone steps back, even Evelyn. I know what is going throughout their minds. I feel their fright. I swallow the saliva in my mouth, feeling my pain wash away in a refreshing chill that rises up my spine. They watch me return to normal health. I regenerated, just as a rare group of Arks on Ragol do...

D-Cellular organisms.

"No armor units, no readings of internal mechanics...this subject is entirely human, but something else is in his composition...Oh my..."

"Krowen..." Evelyn whispers.


"Attention all Hunter personnel, attention all Hunter personnel. A large scale intrusion has been indured on the surface of Gal Da Val island, a request is being made for all Hunters to report to the laboratory immediately. I repeat, all healthy Hunters report to the Lab immediately." A voice says in the distance.

That was the Principal's intercom. The secretary just made the announcement, something is going on...

A nurse opens up a television window on the wall in front of her. I open my eyes finally, watching it with the rest of the room except for Evelyn, who seems to have left...

"Ladies and Gentlemen who are aligned under the guidance of the Hunter's Guild, I thank you for arriving at such short notice," The Principal says, being broadcast over the entire ship of Pioneer 2. "I ask for your assistance immediately without asking any questions. Come to the Lab and await further instructions. This is a time in which we need all the help we can get to ensure the survival of our new home planet."

Everyone remains quiet. Nobody knows about Falz. Nobody knows about the government's secret plans. Tyrell knows all of this, and is humbly asking us all to not ask any questions and just follow orders...nonsense...

"To the citizens, I ask to remain calm. This is not a security alert, only a call to arms. The security of our new planet will be returned in a short matter of time." Tyrell says.

ERS...does this have something to do with what happened down there friend?

- - - - - [A step back in third person] - - - - -

ERS shouts, carrying me towards the telepipe. He watches Flowen's bullets of energy fly towards him. He leaps forward, tossing me into the telepipe and falling onto his chest.

"Go, my friend...discover your memories and realize who you truly are!" He yells as I disappear amidst the energy of the pipe. The energy engulfs his legs...

As the smoke clears, ERS looks down at his legs to assess his damage. His right leg armor is busted and revealing the inside of his Frame. Wires and glowing rods of energy are visible from inside. He looks up as Flowen puts each hand down on the elevator to lean in and stare ERS in the face. ERS looks into the massive face of the mutation before his eyes. It reminds him of a D-cellular organism, such as a Delsaber or Delbiter, like the one that fatally wounded Krowen. The creature doesn't breathe. The creature is surrounded by photon energy. It stares at ERS for an unknown reason.

"Whatever your intent is for coming this close...I must warn you. You won't be able to look at me much longer in about three seconds." He says gruffly, with a voice different and scratchy from his own.

And then, a device appears in the air above ERS's body. A small red orb with mechanical spikes sticking out from it. The spikes seperate and stick out different angles, showing you the trap is initiated. The device explodes in Flowen's face, throwing it's body into the wall of the shaft. It roars and shouts with an agonizing sound, glorifying the move ERS has made. The creature struggles to remain aloft in the air, falling down and down below the elevator ERS is on.

ERS lowers his head, watching the shaft around him rise faster and faster. The lines of the ribbed elevator walls become blurs as he descends faster and faster. ERS braces his damaged body for impact, wishing he was given more time for his automatic regeneration ability to kick in and repair his damaged leg. "It is illogical to speak to myself at this point, but I must let it be heard if the mythilogical spirits Krowen has told me exist are listening. If I do not make it, ensure the survival of my friends..."

Falling...

Falling...

Impact.

Destruction.

Roar.

Quiet.

Survival.

[Sunblast]

*Sunblast's mind slowly sucks back in through his ear.
OMG, ERS! NOOO! He's so brave. Seriously, that stuff at the end. That was cool! C'mon ERS, you are way better than that fat, elven-shoe wearing neon idiot!

[Skett]

Sorry about the whole choice thing but this gives you the abibity to make the choices you want. But anyways, good chapter. Keep up or else.

[Shake]

After some of my schoolwork I'm going to work on the next part...

Questions will be answered, I guarantee you this.

[Shake]

Here's the next part, expect the next update possibly tomorrow.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, an enormous Ark is slowly rising from the depths of a facility. This facility, built beneath the waters surrounding the isle of Gal Da Val, was built by the government in cooperation with Central Dome engineers. To my knowledge, the reasons for this facility are unknown. But I warn you all, this Ark is a force reckoned to be dealt with. The size of the Ark is immense, and the overall output capacity of its form is higher than any other Ark's ratings." Principal Tyrell explains to hundreds of Hunters who have gathered in the Lab. The lab is crowded now and almost packed with Hunters, Rangers and Forces. All of them are unique, but they all have the same confused look on their faces.

"Now," Tyrell's secretary says. "You are all to be transported in teams to the beaches of Gal Da Val. Team leaders will be chosen by Rank. When you have all reached your designated points on the map, which each leader will be downloading, you will all be assigned commands. The main goal here Hunters is to eradicate all Ark lifeforms and rescue any unsuspecting Hunter who has not been informed as you all have."

"This take is not simple. It will take some time to carry it out, so before you head out with your team, I suggest you prepare yourselves accordingly..." The Principal says warningly.

"Team leaders R'aan, Ian Kun, Meira and Sunblast...Team leaders..." The secretary says, continuing on and on as she lists off the leaders of the teams.

From the crowd, a tall FOmar steps forward. Then, a HUmar and a HUnewearl. Then a familiar purple-clad RAmar takes a step forward with a smile. R'aan, Ian and Meira look at Sun with a questionable look on their faces. Sunblast looks back at them with a large smile on his face. Sun looks forward toward the Principal. They all stand in a row watching the principal.

Ian, however, continues to look at Sunblast questionably. Ian gets pushed forward from a slap to the back of his head by R'aan. "Don't stare." He says. With his eyes narrowed and a horrible look given toward R'aan, Ian stands up straight and watches the Principal continue to name leaders. Hunters, Rangers and Forces of all types begin to assemble into the line.

"Flea..." The principal says, signaling a small pink HUcaseal to line up.

The secretary holds her earpiece against her ear tighter, listening to something. She leans toward the principal, whispering into his ear. He stops listing off names, listening to her. "There are reports of a Hunter staying in the medical center with D cells active in his body. The medical employees are going crazy, they have no idea what to do..."

Tyrell shakes his head with a sigh. "Flowen...this monster, and now this...ask the Lab and government to get a scientist and some officers down there, I don't want any more upscale problems." He commands quietly.

She nods, walking over to a desk on a higher tier in the Lab. It is Natasha's desk. As the secretary carries out Tyrell's orders, Natasha walks over to the principal. Elly is seen from behind Natasha as she moves. She seems nervous.

"Oh Cal..." Elly says. "I want you here."

The principal assembles each team leader, setting up their teams and sending them off to their designated areas. After a short while, the Lab is empty once again except for Tyrell, the Secretary, Natasha, Elly and some scientists.

"Principal, I wish to speak with you..." Natasha asks Tyrell.





The medical center...aww man, I must have fallen asleep during the announcement. I stretch my arms and legs as I open my eyes, noticing several strange people in the room. When I see them, I remember what had been discovered. D cells inside of me.

Before my mind flashes visions of possible outcomes. I could be killed, put in jail, experimented on. Who are these people?

"We are members of the government and laboratory experimental group, we have been told you're body has signs of D cells. Am I correct?" The scientist asks. She's dressed in tight white clothing with thin black line designs.

How the hell should I know, I don't personally know what they look like. It's obvious I have them, everyone freaked out about it. And if I didn't, why would they all be here?

"Calm down," An officer tells me, giving me a fierce look. I must have thought out loud.

"Aggression is not necessary in this situation Krowen." The scientist says trying to advise me. I know what she means. It'll be easier if I calmly walk out of here with them, or calmly answer their questions. Screw being calm.

I stand up from the bed, tapping my wrist, only to realize my bangle has been taken away. My armor, they took my equipment, all of it. My sword is still back in the elevator shaft. ERS, oh no, I have to find my friends!

"Where are you going? You are not leaving until you answer some questions." An officer says, stepping in front of me.

I push him away from me. "I'm going to find my friends and figure out what the hell is going on down on Ragol!" I shout. I look at the officers as they walk towards me with an aggresive look on their face. Their eyes are all narrowed. It is then that I noticed one of them is holding my wrist bangle in his hands. "Give me my wristand."

"I don't think so," He says. "You're going to sit down and have a little talk with us. We shouldn't have to engage in a fight, you know."

"I know so, I know that I'll be walking out of here. Whether I have problems or not, it will happen. And I'm going to have my wristband. So hand it over and make it easier for all of us."

"Get him and strap him to the bed so we can get this over with." The scientist says. The officers advance towards me, stretching out their arms toward me.

Great, I think to myself. Weapons, techniques and everything else I am used to using is against the law here on Pioneer 2. Even resisting government officers is. I'm screwed either way. But my body isn't the only weapon I have...

"Wait, I do have something to tell you. I've known one thing about me that isn't normal." I confess.

They all stop walking towards me. The scientist raises an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Hunters have limitations when it comes to techniques, right. They rely on their armor to do it, and they can only learn certain levels and certain types..." I say. I slowly lift up my palm and point it towards them.

The scientist opens her hand in front of her waist for a moment, then returns it to hold her clipboard. "Go on..."

"But, I...well...I'll just show you!" I shout, pointing my palm towards the display screen. I focus quickly, igniting a burst of holy energy from within the display, causing it to shatter from behind them.

They all duck and cower down. "Grants!" They shout.

I jump onto the bed, leaning over and snatching my wrist bangle out from the officer's hand. I leap off the bed as he jumps toward me. I land, putting the band over my wrist and tapping it. I stop under the dooryway to the room as my armor materializes. The officers jump to their feet and run towards me.

As the officers get extremely close, my mag begins to materalize from out of my shoulder blades, taking shape like two glorious wings. The officers jump back as the Rati's wings slide out and release a haze of energy crystals into the air. The crystals fall and dissipate over my body and the surroundings.

"Get him!" The scientist shouts near my bed.

As the officers step forward, I spin around and bash my Standstill shield into one's face. Then, I poke my arm towards them from below the shield. I open my palm and release a crystaline fog of ice from my hand, Barta. The icy fog crawls through the air through and around my enemies, frosting the officers' clothing as it manages to strike every last officer. The scientist lady jumps up onto the bed to avoid the fog of Barta crawling across the ground towards her. I then dash forward, tackling the officer in front of me to the ground. As I tackle one, the others all fall under his weight.

I lift myself off of him with my shield and stand, turning quickly and running out of the medical center. This time it won't be an easy escape...




"What did you want to discuss?" Tyrell asks Natasha, sitting with her in a small room. In the middle of the room is a giant table. Also, a transporter is at the opposite end of the room from the principal.

"You know I was a government officer before I was part of the Lab team." She says. Tyrell nods. "This actually deals with the situation at hand, but I know what the story is behind the boy in the medical center..."

"What is it?" He asks.

She pauses for a moment. "He was involved in Pioneer 1 experiments conducted by Dr. Osto Hyle. As with the Altered Arks found all over Ragol, Osto wanted to fuse the D cells with a human..."

Tyrell covers his face with both hands, leaning on the table with his elbows. "You're telling me our own government was creating these monstrosities? And now it is more than just the animals of Ragol?"

Natasha nods. A slight hum is heard from the distance. It is then that Tyrell's daughter appears from beside the teleporter.

Red Ring Rico...

"Father, I heard about the gigantic Ark and this strange medical center ordeal..." She says, walking towards him and sitting at the table. "Evening Natasha." She says. Rico's overall appearance matches her nickname. Her hair, glasses and clothing are all red. She sits down at the table across from Natasha.

"Yes Rico, Natasha, please continue..." Tyrell says looking at both of them.

"Evening Rico," Natasha says with a nod to her. She looks at Tyrell again and continues. "The records date back to around the time Pioneer 1 lifted off. He was held captive during the flight to Ragol in some sort of capsule. When they reached Ragol, him and other experiments were assigned to be located in Dr. Osto's lab, which, as we also have recently discovered, is situated in the second mining area."

"What was done to him during this time?" Rico asks.

"Osto's reports say that D cells were infused with his body, only in a different pattern than the rest of the experiments." She explains.

"There are more as well, I see..." Tyrell says quietly.

Natasha nods and continues. "This boy was subjected to infusion treaments and painful recovery processes. But no major errors were logged for his experiment. From what I understand," She says, turning on an information window to appear above the center of the table. "D cells were attributed to his joints, and paired with some strange type of photon that Osto mentioned in other parts of the body." She says, pointing to a map of a body.

"Why wouldn't he transform, like the other creatures?" Rico asks her, watching the screen display the information.

"The photon he was infused with seemed to have counteracted against the metamorphing phase. He retained his normal form. But what Osto didn't expect, is that it acted as a fountain of youth for the subject. It was stated in the log, that the subject will mentally grow, and yet physically remain young and grow stronger and stronger. Meaning, this kid ages half as fast as humans normally do, and has the strength of a strong man. This kid has a 200 year lifespan, at least, as well. After Osto made this discovery, his next and last log was about attempting to use this discovery on other subjects..."

"Last log...that must've been when we came in close contact with the planet." Tyrell says.

"...Before I went down there to that cursed planet. Is this boy going to be dangerous? What was his name?" Rico adds.

Natasha looks at Rico, turning the info screen off. The light emitting from the screen fades, and the window slowly grows smaller until it disappears. "His name is Krowen, experiment number 59."

Rico grows quiet...

"I sent a scientist and a few government officers down there..." Tyrell says. He watches as the secretary appears in the room. She runs to him.

"Principal, Rico! Mrs. Natasha! The boy in the medical center has escaped!" She yells.

Tyrell jumps up onto his feet. "What!?"

"What happened?" Natasha says, standing as well. Rico remains seated.

"He beat up some of the guards on the way out of the medical center. Then, he busted the jaw of one gate guard, and knocked out the other guard. He made it to the transport, but nobody knows where he is on Ragol..."

Tyrell thinks to himself, realizing this may infringe on the operation at hand. "This may interfere with our plans to annihilate this creature. Damn..."

Rico stands up from her seat, walking to the transport. "Rico?" Tyrell asks.

"Don't you remember father...? Krowen was one of my rescuers. Him and his friends saved my life, and saved the life of every living thing on this ship. I'm going to find him..." Rico says, walking into the transport and disappearing from the room.

"Rico, No!" Tyrell shouts. He falls over the table as he reaches out for her. Natasha puts her hand on the principal's back. "Warn a team of her presence and get them to bring her back, I don't want her on that damn planet until it is safe..."





Air fills my lungs. Energy clears away from my body. My form materializes. I stand in water, once again feeling it around my feet before I even get the first breath in. I open my eyes, looking around. All around me is nothing but trees, fauna and jungle air. I stand beside the edge of a long narrow cliff, falling down into a pit of water. To my left is a glistening and beautiful waterfall that keeps the water inside the pit steadily leveled.

ERS...Evelyn...Sunblast...I can feel you are somewhere on this island...

I check my wrist display, noticing hundreds of Hunter signals are appearing all over the isle. "Something is definitely happening..." I say, beginning to walk through the shallow waters.

And whatever it is, I plan on finding it out. As well as finding out what these cells are doing in my body...

[Sunblast]

Whoo hoo! I'm a leader! of course, that means that if a Delsaber learns how to talk, he'll say everyone's favorite first contact phrase, and I'll be dead. Ah, well, I had a good run. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif This stuff is freaky, but Krowen will save everyone! Also, I love the army of hunters. That's gonna be cool. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Shake]

Next part is coming in the next two days. As well as previous chapter editing.

[Sunblast]

Good to hear. Keep up the pace, please!

[Shake]

This baby is long, like a few other segments. If you aren't keeping count, this is number 9!

"I never cleared a scientist from my Lab to check out Krowen. If my memory serves me correctly, I was never asked..." Natasha says, clutching her hips as she stares into principal Tyrell's eyes. They stand in the laboratory, viewing the spherical globe map display of Ragol. On the sphere, the isle of Gal Da Val is highlighted.

"Yes, I am well aware of that Chief." Tyrell says, staring into the display. The only thing going through his mind is the safety of his daughter, Rico.

"...well? That's against our guidelines, Sir." Natasha says sternly.

Tyrell nods, grasping at his chin with his right hand. "Indeed."

Natasha grits her teeth. She stomps her foot into the floor and clenches her fist tightly, holding it towards him. "You're not even worried about this boy, or even the assault, are you!? You just want your little princess back here in your arms. I can see it in your eyes!" She shouts. Members of the Lab look over at the situation.

Tyrell remains quiet.

"Listen," Natasha says under her breath. "You need to focus on this in a global manner, not local. Your daughter isn't the only Hunter down there! All of them have families and friends and people who care for them on this ship. They all have places to belong, journeys to conquer and lives to live. They are all fighting for their new home, for OUR new home, and you're just worried about your own daughter!?"

"I'm going down to Gal Da Val." Tyrell says.

Natasha's face becomes still. Shocked, she says, "You're what?"

"I leave the command of the assault to you. Make sure everyone carries out their duties, I trust you'll succeed." The principal says.

"But...Tyrell..." Natasha whispers as he walks away.

"If the unthinkable happens, I want you to rid this atmosphere of our ship and find somewhere else to go. I'm afraid our new home can't be our home, no matter how hard we try...but, we still try our best to make it home. Don't we? That shows the people of Pioneer 2 will survive, no matter what." Tyrell says, walking through a sliding door towards a teleporter....





In the depths of the Seabed facility, two teams enter the area of their designated rendevous point. The teams are led by R'aan, a FOmar, and Flea, a pink HUcaseal.

"This place gives me the creeps..." R'aan says, grabbing his elbows and hugging his arms tight to his waist. He shivers slightly, looking around at his team of Hunter Androids. "Hey lady, where are you going?"

Flea remains quiet, looking around the area. "I'm not a lady, I am in fact a male-type program within a feminine shell. I've got a signal...someone is nearby here. We should help him out..." He says, walking through a door into a corridor. His team, a RAmarl, HUnewearl and a RAcast follow her inside. R'aan watches them.

"A guy?" R'aan utters, looking at the pink HUcaseal walk away. "Hey! You aren't going to leave me behind, are you? Wait up!" R'aan says, chasing after Flea. His team looks around at each other. Shortly thereafter, they follow the rest of the Hunters....




Left...Right...Left...and what? Oh, it is "Right". How could I forget...Left...Right...Right? No, Left again. Left and Left? No, just another Right, Left and Right, I think to myself. I'm walking through the Jungle Area's japes, pulling my feet through the shallow waters pushing against me. I give the water a kick, splashing it into the air before me. The water jumps up and falls down ahead of me in an arc, disappearing back into the waters. Walking, hopping and more walking. I've been walking for an hour now...

I withdrew my Mag, figuring it would be easier to spot me with them equipped.

I look at my empty hands, remembering my lost Last Survivor back in the Facility. I let out a sigh, continuing a flow of memories. My first battle with it, and my last. Friends lost and friends found. But then, I remember the blade which struck down the fiercest of all my opponents until Flowen. My beloved sword, which first belonged to none other than Red Ring Rico herself. Finding it deep within the caverns of Ragol, I took it with me as I journeyed with Eve and ERS.

As I think, I notice something out of the corner of my eye. I stop and turn my head towards the object, a purple Android. He runs after me with his arms lifted, grasping a rod-like weapon of some kind. He lets out a fierce yell as he jumps into the water from the grassy brush of the Jungle. Water spalshes up onto is legs and toward me. I step back, clenching my fists at my side. He continues to advance, bringing his weapon down at me, a Scythe. I lift my shield towards it, blocking the white blade of his weapon.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shout over the loud clashing noise of his energy into my shield.

"Eradicating you!!" He growls.

"What? What is your mission?" I say, pushing back his energy blade. He stands up straight, still grasping his weapon with two hands. I stand ready for another evasive maneuver...

"Mission? You aren't here to train then..." He says, lowering his weapon. "I understand, you are not part of the battle area, are you? If so, then why are you in this area?"

I shake my head. "Didn't you hear all of the Hunters were called to the Lab? The principal had this meeting there..."

He shakes his head as well. "News to me..." He says, turning around and walking away. I remember the fact that I am wanted by the authorities. I realize, travelling alone would shine on Pioneer 2's sensors. They would hunt down every solo Hunter out there just to find me.

Travelling with this guy would help let me be more incognito...

"Hey!" I shout. He stops, turning his head to the left to show me he is listening. "Can I join you?"

"You'd have to ask my partner. I rarely travel with anyone else but her..." He says, walking back into the jungle. "I wouldn't walk into a battle without a weapon either..."

After a bit more walking, I ended up at a camp with this HUcast and his partner, a red haired HUnewearl in leather. The camp is composed of a few cut down trees surrounding a small firepit. Behind the log the HUnewearl is sitting on is a sheet as long as she is. It must be for sleeping on. I figure the android doesn't need one, since he would just have to put himself on sleep mode to recover strength.

When I reached the camp the sun was already setting. It seems my two new team members are focused on waiting until morning to return to the Lab. I sit on a log, staring into the fire. Next to me on the log sits the towering HUcast. He too, is gazing into the flames before us. I look up and around, noticing the area around us is nothing but black. Highlights of the trees surrounding us are seen, but after that, it is nothing but emptiness. As I look, I notice the HUnewearl sitting on the other log is fiddling around with her claw weapon. With it's photon blades off and outer shell open, she pokes around inside with a small screwdriver-like device.

"I can't manage to get the photon emission balanced...this thing looks like a reject like that..." She says.

"Just play with the photon ring inside, and re-adjust the power circuit so it'll reset the weapon." The HUcast explains to her.

These two seem pretty intellectual and powerful, I'm suprised I haven't heard of or seen them before...

The HUnewearl fiddles around more, rotating her tool around. A whisper of a chime is heard from within it. Then, three clicks. A faint hum rises and fades to nothing afterward. "Yes, thank you Kireek. I thought I'd be stuck with a deformed Claw for weeks."

Kireek, the HUcast I obviously, doesn't make the slightest bit of an emotional change. "No spoken appreciation is necessary." He says as monotone as an older version android.

The HUnewearl looks up at me, closing the shell of her claw as she does. She claspes it onto her arm and leans forward with her other hand extended. "May I ask of your name...?" She asks. I answer her politely, shaking her hand firmly. She sure does have a powerful grip, I think to myself. "Ah, I am Sue."

Kireek looks at me. I look back at him. I definitely don't have any rememberance of meeting them before. "So what do you know about this plan the Principal wants to tell us about?"

I shrug, looking at the fire. "I'm not entirely sure, but I may have an idea..." I say. I freeze for a moment, realizing I was thinking out loud again. Now they are going to ask about my idea. I shouldn't be open about the Flowen Monster, but for some reason I don't feel any harm will come of it. So instead, I'm going to "sugarcoat it".

"Idea?" Sue asks.

"There was this monster I seen awhile ago...a really fierce one. I guess it was some sort of experimental creature, like the other Arks on this planet." I say, trying to give away a few details, but not too many. When I say it, they look at one another and then back at me.

I look at the fire, then suddenly see nothing but black. I open my eyes quickly, realizing I am on my back behind the log I was sitting on. My legs are sprawled over the log. I flex my face muscles, feeling the after-effect of a punch to the face. Kireek stands over me, pressing his foot onto my chest. His foot covers up my Redria ID symbol...bastard better not get it dirty...

"What do you know about experiments...?" He asks, drawing his Scythe from behind him. He ignites the photon blade and lowers it to my neck.

I look up at him, listening to Sue's footsteps travel around the log. She steps forward, standing beside Kireek. "Hmm..." She says, appearing to be contemplating.

I don't say anything. "What do you know!?" Kireek shouts.

"Most of the vicious creatures on this planet, if not all, have either been transformed or infected with something. That's what I know. That's what most Hunters know these days, isn't it?" I say hastily. Man I want my sword right now, you can't even imagine...

Sue kneels down, looking at my face. "Kireek..." She says. He turns his attention from me to her. He watches her touch my face. Her fingers gently press against my cheek. I'd pull away, but the energy blade of the Scythe is close enough to cut me if I did. "I recognize him..."

Recognize? What the...?

"What?" Kireek says.

"I looked at profiles of this kid in some of the archives. You know what I am talking about...It's '59'.." She says, looking up at him. Kireek glances back and forth between us.

"He can't be one of us, '59' should have been much more aged than this child." He says.

Child? Go to hell you big pile of rusted bolts. Kid I can understand, but child?

"What do you mean, '59'? Who are you two?" I ask. They both look at me with a confused look.

"He doesn't even know..." Sue says as she stands up. Kireek withdraws his Scythe and takes his foot off of my chest.

Know what? They know who I am? Who the heck are these two? How do they know? Were they a part of it?

"Calm down." Kireek says. Damnit, thinking aloud again. I need to stop that.

"Just have a seat, I'll explain it to you." Sue says.

We all return to our positions around the firepit as if that punch and restraining order wasn't initiated. I stare into the fire once again and listen to her words...Kireek remains silent.

Sue sighs, brushing her fingers through her hair. "Does the name Hyle Osto ring a bell?"

I nod. "He was a Pioneer 1 scientist..."

"He was the top genetics engineer. Among other things. He was a brilliant thinker, but he was always getting carried away with his projects."

"What about him?" I ask.

Sue leans forward, her elbows on her knees and her hands clasped together. She looks at me, but I don't bother to look back. The fire seems too alluring at this point. I wish I wasn't here, I'm afraid this may be what I have been searching for all my life that is known to me... "Before the second Pioneer came, he discovered a strange type of genetic sample within the caverns of Ragol..."

Not caverns, inside the space ship. I can tell already she is disclosing certain information...

"He took that sample," She continues. "And began to experiment with it. One of those experiments involves you. Your body was given certain levels of this genetic code, as well as several types of Photon infusions. But Osto didn't do the photon processes, that was the work of Dr. Graves. The experiment was to see what kind of reaction the cells Osto claimed 'perfect' would have with the strange photon readings from Ragol, mixed with natural levels of Photon of course..."

I'm...an experiment...?

"The rest that I know, is that their were positive indications regarding tissue structure recovery and muscle efficiency..."

That explains my healing ability...and my adult-level power...

"But your size, I'm not too sure about. Reports said you were young, but over the seven years before Pioneer 2 came, you would be much taller. You don't remember any of this?"

I shake my head...this is so much information to deal with at once. "I...I remember being surrounded by doctor's, but then I woke up in the hospital in Pioneer 2. My friend, who I didn't know too well at the time, brought me there after she found me on Ragol.

Sue nods. "That's all I know..."

Kireek looks at her, then looks at me. "It was also stated in the entry that you were going to be released in a week's time. Released to the Black Hound program..."

"What is that?" I ask.

They look at each other. "Kid," Sue says. "You already know too much."

I stand up and throw my arms out to my sides. "Well it's the first time since I remember that I know ANYTHING about myself. So maybe you could cut me some slack here!?" I shout.

"Calm down, you don't even match the necessary credentials to be told...you're a low rank...I can tell by the look of your equipment. No mag, no weapon, just a nifty Shield." Sue says, grasping at her Claw.

I sit down, shaking my head. "You have no idea..." I whisper.

Kireek looks at Sue. She stands up. "I think I do."

"You think I know too much? I'm sure I know more than you about these giant creatures..." I mumble.

"Oh, really?" Sue says.

"I was one of the three who slayed the Dark Entity. I've seen this giant creature that the principal probably wants to hunt down with my own eyes. In fact, it took the life of one of the members who helped me slay the Entity." I say, looking at her with a straight face.

"Nonsense..." She utters.

"He is not lying." Kireek says.

Sue's face freezes as she looks at me. No longer does her expression express contempt, but now it shows understanding.

"Now please," I say. "Tell me about this Black Hound program..."






"Flea! I can't believe you made me climb all the way down this ladder...look up there!" R'aan shouts, gazing up into the shaft that seems to ascend forever.

"Quiet, the signal is nearby." Flea replies, walking through the shallow waters covering the bottom of the elevator shaft.

"Seabed..." R'aan says with a shiver.

"There..." Flea says, walking towards a black armored Hucast.

ERS...

[Sunblast]

YES! ERS is back! Please be OK!
By the way, nice explanation on Sue and Kireek. I could tell who they wer ebefore you said their names. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif I've only heard a little bit about Sue and Kireek's partnership since I can't play whichever quest it's in. Still, very good. I liked the cussing aimed at Kireek. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Shake]

Thank you, thank you. I'll work on the next part, of course asap.

[Sunblast]

ASAP! Whoo hoo! Thanks for the haste, Shakey. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Skett]

Good last chapter. I like how you made Kireek (usually evil) and Sue good characters. Cant wait for the next chapter.

[Shake]

Since X-mas is two days away, and my girlfriend is staying over...I'm not sure how fast I'll get the next one up. But believe me, I'm definitely having fun with this, so I'll be on the next segment as soon as I get a chance!

[Shake]

It's been awhile since an update, but you understand since it was Christmas break. So...enjoy.

"Who is that? He looks pretty damaged." R'aan says, walking up to the broken android with Flea. Flea rolls the body over, noticing the frame has lost its leg and back armor. He looks into the eyes of the HUcast, tapping the sides of it's head.

"Wake up." Flea says. Immediately ERS's body begins to emit energy again. A steady flow of photon flows throughout his body once again.

"Thank you for waking me," He begins. "Sleep mode was beginning to cause harm to my frame." Flea grabs ERS's leg and holds it back into place. ERS watches him and begins to initiate his healing process. Tiny tendons stretch out from each part of his leg and attach to one another. They slid and spin, reconstructing his leg back to normal. "I need more energy flow..." ERS says.

R'aan presses his palm against ERS's knee as he kneels down. A light green energy flows out from his palm and joins with the rest of the energy within ERS. Resta doesn't just act organically, it aids the reconstruction of mechanical type forms as well. "There, you should be as good as new..." R'aan says.

"Thank you." ERS says, standing up all alone. He stands above the two teams, being matched in height only by R'aan. Flea is miniscule compared to ERS. He looks around, noticing a Last Survivor laying beneath the waters.

R'aan looks down at his robe. "Aww, Damnit! My robe is wet!" He says, lifting his robe up around his knees.

"Why are you here? Is this a search party?" ERS asks, looking at each one of the Hunters.

Flea shakes his head. They all look back at ERS. Of course, Flea is the one to respond. "I noticed your signal on my monitor, so I checked it out. We aren't search parties, we were assigned to this location by the Principal."

"A direct order?" ERS asks.

Flea nods. "Many Hunters were assigned to positions all over Ragol. Check your radar, it's loaded with signals all over the island. It seems some sort of large scale Ark assault is going to happen. But that is just a rumor. Tyrell claims there is a giant monster heading toward the surface of the island."

Ers nods, walking towards the ladder. "That's no rumor...The monster originated here..."





I was experimented on to become a murderer. I was injected with this curse just to become a walking machine. I was going to be controlled. I was going to be transformed into an Android to follow the orders of the government. I was going to be the next Kireek...

After I told Sue about the death of the Entity, she told me almost everything. Who she was, who Kireek was, what she knew about me, what the government's intentions were...Sigh, it all rings true to me too. Now, the mystery is how I ended up in the hands of Dr. Osto. Did I offer my own body for experimentation?

I think I know enough already...

I'm tired of searching. I just want to be with my friends again.

"I'm suprised a Hunter of your stature defeated such a monster..." Sue says.

"I suprise myself sometimes...but now those reports you told me about seem to have shed light on it, didn't it?" I say, leaning back against a tree. The bark is rough and rubbing against my frame. I can feel pieces of the bark crumbling against me and rolling down my back. My strength, my curse. I cross my arms, letting out a sigh and staring into the fire. I suppose everyone wants to hear this sort of thing. That they have super powers. That they are superhuman. I just want to be normal. I want to age like everyone else. Now I find out the biggest mystery about my existence is my age. I look like a young man, yet I've been around all these years. Maybe I am like a Newman, only with the opposite effect. Instead of an unknown lifespan and shorter lifespan, I'll live for years.

Great...as I've said, it's a curse. Not super powers.

"Are you okay?" Sue asks, shifting her hair out of her face with her index finger.

The fire sits almost perfectly this night. The wind is gentle. The forest is quiet. What a beautiful night.

"I'll be fine." I say, leaning forward and shifting my weight to stand. I drop my arms to my sides and summon my Mag. The Rati once again appears from out of my shoulders like wings. The light of the Rati's wings fights the light of the fire for domination. White light surrounds the rear area of my body.

I just want to be with my friends...

"Leaving?" Kireek asks. He sits still and cold like a rock. His Scythe is resting against his shoulder, blade behind him. He looks like a part of the scenery.

"You told me a lot...so I'll return the favor. I'm being hunted by Pioneer 2. Those cells have caused massive concern among the city people."

Sue jumps. "Pioneer knows about your cells? How?"

"I was wounded...my cells had some sort of reaction when....when my friends and I were fighting a monster." I tell them, holding back the truth. They don't need to know about Flowen, I don't care if they could tell me whether or not Heaven exists..."I'd get you two in trouble, and I'm sure you don't want to have any problems with the Pioneer organizations. The government regiments wouldn't like that."

"I suppose you are right..." Sue says. Kireek doesn't reply or move in response. He remains in his seat like a stone. As if he was waiting.

I begin walking away from the campsite, stepping into the darkness of the forest surroundings. I stop before I exit the area and look back at Sue. "Thank you."

I slowly disappear into the darkness with my Mag acting as a guiding light. A guiding light to anywhere. Maybe to Evelyn...

"We should follow him. He may speak of Black Hound..." Kireek says. "You said too much, I think."

"Yeah...you're right. Let's keep track of him." Sue says, looking up into the sky. "Such a beautiful night..."






"Chief, several spots are being swarmed with Ark signals. We have areas full of incoming Arks, and barely any of the Hunter forces are positioned near them." Natasha's assistant shouts.

The Lab is bustling with scientists, officers and workers. The Lab has become the new Principal office. People shout at one another, carry equipment back and forth, and run around frantically.

"What spots are the most severe?" Natasha asks, standing behind her desk.

In the distance, her assistant examines the Global Sphere Map and issues commands on a keyboard interface before it. "We have breakouts in the Mountain, Central Control and Seabed areas. There are two teams positioned in the Seabed Facility, and one team in the Mountains. But there aren't any teams directly situated on the Central Control area...."

"That's odd. Why didn't Tyrell put anyone out there...?"

"Chief! The Ark readings in the Central Control are going insane! It looks like a horde of them are rising to the surface!"







"Evelyn, do you have any Fluid handy?" A FOnewearl asks, standing beside Evelyn. They stand below the Control Towers, resting up after the long trip down the hill.

"Yes, do you need any?" Evelyn asks.

"I might, but hold on to them for me. My Mag might want some later." She says.

"No problem Taki." Evelyn replies.

"You look sad, are you okay?" Taki asks, looking at Evelyn's sad face.

"I'm worried about a friend is all...He was hurt and put in the Medical Center, but I don't think he actually stayed there. He never does."

"Sounds like a real man's man kind of guy. Is he your boyfriend?" Taki asks, patting her black hat. The fuzzy balls at the ends of her hat bounce lightly as she does.

"Well...I don't know..." Evelyn says. She looks at her wrist, noticing something odd on her wrist display.

"Aww, he's a hard to get kind of guy too? That's not cool. In fact, that's rare. Guy's usually jump at the chance to be with Newman girls like us." She says. Taki looks down at Evelyn's wrist in response to Evelyn's suprised look on her face. "What's up?"

"There's a huge enemy over in the distance!"

Just then, the ground began to rumble. Both of the Newman girls stood, looking over at the Control Towers. From inside, a dark form crawls up the Tower. The tower shakes and rattles, rocking the earth even more.

"What is that!?" Taki screams.

With a furious push, the dark form shoots out from the top of the Tower. It rises into the air above it, shreeking into the air as it spins. Shortly afterwards, it begins to descend atop the tower, crushing the tower's circular structure underneath it's weight. The form is none other than the mutated Flowen...





My Mag is only lighting a small area around me. This is making me nervous. Anything could be around me. I'm surrounding by darkness and lacking a weapon to defend myself. As I walk, I notice a strange rumble below my feet. It couldn't have been an earthquake, the rumble was too subtle. As I look above the canopy all around me, I notice birds flying up from a specific area. It looks like they are flying away from the Control Tower. I change my path, heading for the area.

Walking, left and right my feet shall go. Left and right. I'm beginning to feel tired after at least a mile. As my fatigue consumes me, I drop to my knees and push my legs forward, falling back onto my rear end to sit. With my knees bent, heels digging into the grass and elbows locked onto my knees, I take a bit of a rest. Then, I hear footsteps.

"Don't be alarmed..." A soft voice says from the distance. The voice is calming. I seem to recognize it. "This is ironic. The first time we met, I followed a light that shined from within the darkness. It led me straight to you. And now, another time we meet in a circumstance just as dangerous, I find you within the light once again."

"Rico..." I say, watching as Rico walks toward me to share the light my Mag shines around me. Her face is a sight for sore eyes. Her face is smooth and slender. Each part leads to another just to lead to gorgeous eyes.

"This time I thought I would be saving you..." Rico says as she sits next to me.

"You could try, but it won't do you any good." A third voice says. As I look to see who spoke, I see weapons thrusted toward Rico and I. A Scythe pointed towards her throat, and someone reaching their Claw blades around my neck from behind.

Sue and Kireek...

"Both of you have a hefty price to be achieved. Rico, your daddy has a big payment plan for anyone who brings you back I am sure. And Krowen, you are wanted by authorities as a class A criminal." Sue says.

Rico looks over at me, obviously confused as to why I am a criminal. "What did she say?"

"I would think the Red Ring Heroine would have found Osto's reports. After all, you were one of the first down there to excavate. Were you not?" Sue says, grasping at my neck even tighter.

"I'll tell you later." I say.

Kireek lifts Rico up, still holding the Scythe to her neck. "You can tell her during our journey to the base."

"Base?" Rico asks, walking along with Kireek as he still holds her in his grasp.

"Damn you ask a lot of questions." Sue says.

"Control Tower..." I whisper, walking along with Sue as she holds the dagger to my neck.

[Shake]

So many things going on at once...but soon all will be revealed.

[navci]

Kireek is teh seksi. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

Keep going.

[Sunblast]

OK, that was cool. But someone obviously need sto smack Sue around a bit. She was so nice on that one quest...

[Shake]

Heh, at times people put masks on to hide who they truly are. She tends to be on both sides, which gives Sue so much of a mysterious personality...it's nuts. Shame you can't do Seat of the Heart, you'd see what I mean.

[Sunblast]

Yeah, I can't get online because the whole world's against me. That's why!
*Sunblast puts on his spiffy mask.

[Shake]

Here's the next segment. As always, I hope you enjoy. And feel free to ask any questions or discuss this too. By all means!

Years ago I was transported to Ragol with the likes of the Pioneer 1 staff. I, however, was not involved with the construction of the central dome, or the project to give the habitants of Pioneer 2 a home. I was subjected to many types of experiments. Experiments ranging from physical diagnostics and physical ability measures, to experiments involving injections. Such injections dealt me so much pain. I can remember some of it now, waking up under bright light and feeling nothing else but torture. Once, I awakened and it felt as if my rib cage had been torn open. It felt as if my arms and legs were dismembered from my body. It was as if I fell apart and broke open all at the same time. Injections, fusion, genetic sampling, emission tests, fluid control...it was hell...and all for the sake of creating a murderer. It was all for the sake of creating a superior soldier. Damn Hyle, damn him to hell for what he did to me! Damn Doctor Graves! Damn them all! They attempted to play god, and literally sacrificed their people's chances for finding a new home on Ragol! Nothing but contempt fills my heart...




"The door is a little heavier than I expected." ERS says. With one hand, he holds on to a ladder he stands on. With the other, he pushes his hand up into the ceiling hatch. The hatch is circular and embedded into the ceiling, seemingly frozen shut. R'aan, Flea and their teammates stand and watch as ERS pushes and punches the hatch.

"Step aside." R'aan says softly, walking under the hatch. As ERS steps down the ladder one step at a time, R'aan slightly moves aside to let ERS down. ERS and R'aan exchange glances as ERS walks away from the ladder. Then, with ease and power, R'aan hurls a burst of electricity from out his palm, shooting the hatch into the air above the room they are in. R'aan glances at everyone in the room and begins to climb up the ladder.

"I didn't expect him to do that..." A RAmarl says, looking at R'aan's team members.

One of them nods. "Our leader is an entirely different person in the Seabed Facility. It gives him the creeps. But whenever he adventures with us elsewhere, he's as cold and sterile as a rock."

"The Seabed Facility gives him a sense of humor and goofiness, how strange..." Flea says, following R'aan up the ladder after ERS goes up.

"I think this place makes him nervous..." The RAmarl says, following Flea.

The teams move up the ladder, assembling above the room. They all stand on the bridge of the dam, directly between the two Control Tower's in the central control area. They look around, examining the surroundings. Behind them is the water-filled reservoir of the dam, full of lightposts rotating light above the waters. In front of them is the ditch of the dam, covered with green and lush trees. The green of the forested area is absent however, as the weather is dark and rainy. The bridge beneath their feet is cold and wet and mistified with the fog from the waterfall falling down the ditch.

"What happened to one of the towers...?" The RAcast says, looking at the crumbled tower to their left.

"Obviously it isn't there anymore." R'aan utters.

"Something must have destroyed it. But what Ark is large enough to do that?" Flea asks rhetorically.

"The same creature that the Principal is attempting to destroy." ERS says, walking towards the wreck of a tower.

"The creature we are supposed to annihilate is big enough to destroy a tower like that!?" A HUcast shouts.

ERS continues to walk. "The organism was enormous. I am lucky to make it out alive. Actually, I didn't until you two teams came along and restored my frame." He says with a nod. The rest of the teams begin to follow him...





"You knew about the experiments that were done on me all this time!?" I shout, sitting on a floor with my back against a wall. My equipment was taken away from me. My wrists are wrapped in some sort of anti-technique device. The thing is too strong to break open with my strength...

Rico, sitting next to me shakes her head. We are both sitting the same way. Our legs tucked beneath our thighs, leaning back against the wall. Her wrists are tied up in the bulky device too. We're sitting on a small room. The room is colored in a greenish beige color. Small vents line the bottom of the walls, but they are too small to climb into. To the right of Rico and I is a door that takes up the entire wall. No way out from this closed in garage, it seems. "The chief, Natasha, told me all that you just told me before I came to look for you...SHE knew..."

I shake my head and let out a frustrated sigh. I could almost damn Natasha to hell too. How could she keep that from me?

"Listen," She says. "This doesn't change who you are, you have to remember that."

Something will change alright. If I let myself go under the guidance of the government officers, I'll be ripped apart. I might even end up being sold on the black market in tiny segments. Fresh half-dead D cells for everyone...

I can sense people moving around outside of the door. I raise my index finger up, signaling for Rico and I to be quiet. Outside we listen to the conversation taking place. "...thinking this was okay. I don't know about that though." A female voice is saying. It must be Sue.

"Don't let it interfere with our current plans. The BEE system should return a response to us soon through the mail circuit." Kireek says.

Sue lowers her voice, but I can still hear her. "I think we need to check this out, the entire tower looks like it was crushed." She says quietly.

"Crushed?" Rico whispers.

My stomach is starting to feel queesy again. It's starting to feel like it did on the elevator shaft, when ERS tossed me into the pipe. ERS, Sunblast...where are you two? Evelyn, please be safe...

"Look at it, the thing caved in! It crumbled Kireek!" Sue shouts.

Something makes a faint rustle sound, like Kireek stepped toward Sue in some rushed manner. "Quiet," He says. "I just recieved a transmission. Hold on." Afterwards, outside of our room is quiet. Rico and I look at one another. We have to get out of here. I have to find everyone and figure out what the hell is going on down here. What happened to ERS? I wonder if he slain that monster...

"Krowen..." Rico whispers as the door opens up vertically. As it opens, Kireek's boots appear from behind the metal door. Now is my chance. My enemy is blinded by the door. A quick sweep would work. But my legs are tied...

Suddenly, I feel a burst of energy grow inside of me. Like an adrenaline rush, my arms and legs are infused with a seemingly limitless source of stamina. I pull and resist against the devices holding me back from escaping, and at this moment, I break free of my restraints.

Goodbye prison, hello techniques.

Quickly, I cast Grants on Rico's devices as she leans against the wall to stand. Her devices shoot off of her wrists and ankles as Grants fires itself off. She smiles and mouths the words 'Thank you' at me. The door opens, revealing Rico and I standing and facing Kireek and Sue.

"Their locks!" Sue shouts, drawing her Photon Claw. Kireek jumps towards us, and then what ensues becomes a long blur. I can control my movements, but I make them almost with ease and grace, like it was a choreographed dance. I can feel myself slamming my fists into metal and feeling the winds of kicks and punches being dodged by me, but I cannot see the feet, the hands or even the form I am fighting. I can hear grunts and bashing. I can hear rustling and heavy breathing. But I don't know who is making the noise. I can taste blood seeping into my mouth from my lips, but I cannot taste the satisfaction of my sense of sight. That is, until the blur subsides and I see what has been done. I kneel down on the ground over Kireek, whose armor is shattered and busted in many various places. As I rise, I notice his leg armor is almost completely gone. As I rise over Kireek's motionless body, I look up to witness Sue and Rico's exploits.

Sue stands over Rico, who has fallen with a wound to her shoulder. She grasps it tightly, not letting out a single expression on her face to express her pain. Sue stands above her and looks at me, realizing I have defeated Kireek. She dashes towards me and slashes at me with her Photon Claw. I throw my arms to my sides, opening my palms and then clenching them tightly as I feel the Claw's energy blades slash through my armor. My armor tries to resist, but the blades sink deeper into my armor. My energy armor over my chest shatters like glass, letting Sue's blades thrust themselves into my chest. My chest becomes filled with heat. One part due to the blades, the other due to the tremendous amount of work my body is inducing on itself to begin the healing process immediately.

Sue withdraws her weapon, watching as the D cells present in my body work their magic. I kneel once again, holding my chest and screaming in terror as I feel the pain. I feel my sternum cracking now, until it begins to heal. When it starts to heal, my chest wound begins to fade and the cracking noises only get louder. Sue watches in amazement as my chest closes itself up. Even my energy armor is restored...but I still scream as my chest tightens...

"You...you're..." Sue utters in suprise.

"I'm pissed off!" I shout in combination with more screaming. I leap toward her, pouncing on her. She falls onto her back, hitting the ground hard. I hold her wrists down, yanking her Photon Claw off of her arm. The straps burn her wrist as I tear it off, I know so because of the scream she lets out.

With my eyes narrowed and fury held deep within them, I grit my teeth and pull my hand back. In a quick swipe with my arm, I punch Sue in the face. I make sure to do it hard enough to knock her out cold. Ladies like her don't deserve to be respected...they are nothing but two faced liars who stab you in the back...

I figured she was a friend.

My breath is heavy. Blood seeps out my lip. Kireek must have punched it and cut it with his metal knuckles. The lip slowly heals up. I lick my lips, standing up and feeling stress shaking throughout my body. I must have over-exerted myself. I look up at Rico, who begins to stand as well.

"You're power is amazing..." Rico says, walking towards me. I walk towards her, holding my palm against her shoulder, which she moves her hand away from.

Just another superhuman cliche, I guess.

I rub my palm into the wound, focusing as I close my eyes. Instantaneously, green light covers her shoulder and the restorative technique 'Resta' is cast. After the light fades, Rico's arm returns to normal. She rotates it around before wrapping her arms around me tightly. She does it tight enough to make my chest hurt again. It's still sore...

"Thank you, Krow..." Rico says. I begin to tell her I would help her any time I could, but a strange noise begins to pitter and patter outside. We look out the spiral window that spins up and down the tower. Outside, a blue haired girl begins to pull herself up onto the window sil.

Evelyn...

She runs to my left, escaping our view. Then, something follows her...

A massive form begins to creep and pull it's head in front of the window. In front of Rico Tyrell and I. The form's head is enormous. The form, is recognizable. The symbiotic creature before our eyes pulls it's head up closer to the window and turns it's neck to watch Evelyn. My stomach...my chest...it all begins to hurt again...

I try to hold back the light-headedness as I wish the creature wasn't who it really is. The creature that must have destroyed ERS, is now chasing after Evelyn. Rico looks over at the horizon, noticing and telling me how the other Control Tower is gone, and that a large group of Hunters seem to be heading towards us via the dam's bridge. I look forward into the creature's eyes, feeling a sense of sadness and sorrow...

Flowen...how could you do this to yourself...?

[navci]

I would post a useful comment. But then I already told you everything.

I still think D-cells are kinda like DG-cells (from G Gundam) http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif I wonder if they look like little silver hexigons also.

GET HI ON SOL! (go R'aan!)

[Robo47]

On 2004-01-07 14:06, Shake wrote:

"You...you're..." Sue utters in suprise.

"I'm pissed off!" I shout in combination with more screaming.


lol, I like that!

[Shake]

Shh, no sol talk. Wait until the stickman assault, mu hu ha ha. Or the next time I talk to you...

Robo, heh, thanks. I try to make little things like that stand out, I'm glad you liked it.

I'll work on the next part soon!

[Sunblast]

Dangit, Robo! I was gonna quote that, too! Oh well. At least Sue got her come-up-ins (Is that how it's spelled? CAN it be spelled?!). Can't wait for the next chapter, Shakey!

[Shake]

Thanks Sun, you've always been good support involving this story, I want to thank you personally.

But until then, thank you man, I appreciate it.

I've got a lot of personal stuff on my mind right now, and I'm trying to think up and imagine my new writing segments and chapters [this, and my other writing projects, namely an original episode collection I've been writing].

I'm trying to keep up with these other fanfic writers, but they seem to be getting so much feedback and so much emphasis on continuing. I've had this thing up for months and barely have half the amount of feedback and involvement than others. Which is fine, it's just intimidation that I see every single time I check the responses from you well-appreciated readers.

Lack of confidence maybe? I'm not sure, but you know how personal stuff goes. You can't let it interfere with other things in your life. So, I'll try to get going on this. I enjoy doing it, I just need to find the time and space to do so...

[Shake]

The sky is dark and shrouded with dark clouds. Night covers the island of Gal Da Val in a cape of darkness and the unknown. On the surface of the island, silhouttes of hunters stand above the rubble of a fallen building. The Control Tower which has crumbled around their legs has become rocks smothering the ground. Glass, Rods, plates and even the limbs and parts of creatures are crushed all around them. These silhouttes grasp weapons of destruction, all of which are different, and all of which lighten the dark enigma of their silhouttes with bright and fiery glory.

"The scan of the surrounding area has been complete. It appears that several Hunters had been killed during the collapse of the tower. Also, dozens of Arks had been destroyed as well. But the scan shows that the Hunters were killed before the place was destroyed. They must have been killed by the Arks..." Flea says, grasping his green bladed daggers. He walks across the rubble with his high-heel-like foot design.

"Upon further examination," A HUcast begins, "It appears that the other tower is fully supported, and contains the signals of five hunters."

"Five?" ERS says.

Flea turns around and looks at the assembled teams. "Tyrell issued teams of four all over Gal Da Val, this means something has happened. Either two teams were sent out and they lost three members, or a different situation has been enabled. It's possible that it may be government officials, as two of the signals are dim."

"I agree, we should check it out." ERS says.

As the team turns around and begins walking toward the bridge again, they look up and see something astonishing. Crawling up the side of the other tower, is something ERS is familar with. Quickly, ERS rushes ahead of the group and dashes down the bridge with the hilt of his weapon in hand.

"What's bunched up in HIS pannies?" R'aan says, examining the creature from afar.

"It's the creature he spoke of..." Flea utters, chasing after ERS. His team follows as well, but R'aan's stays behind. He looks at his team of androids and shakes his head.

"Let's take care of this quickly." R'aan commands, running towards the bridge.




The mutation's face is cut apart. It's like a bomb exploded in front of it's face. Come to think of it, if ERS fought this thing, he would've laid a trap and conveniently bought some time to attack it. ERS, I hope you survived. Just as you helped me do...

"What is happening..." Rico utters, watching the creature before our eyes gaze into my face.

I bend my knees slightly and grasp my fists tightly, ready to rush into the heat of battle. But without a weapon, all seems lost.

"Krowen," Rico says. As I look at her, she holds her hand at toward me, holding a large hilt in her hand. This is not any ordinary or random weapon. It is the weapon that slain the dark entity. It is the sword which I found beside me as the entity held me down. The sword which seemed to fall beside me as the end drew near...

The Red Sword...

"Right," Rico says. I thought out loud again, but this time I don't care. "The Red Sword used by the Savior of the Red captive child...the sword you used to rescue me from within the conscious of the entity which threatened to devour our new home...and our new lives."

It has been so long since I have seen it. I returned it to it's rightful owner, Rico Tyrell, after I used it to kill the last monstrosity which placed a threat against the citizens of Pioneer 2. I never thought I'd see it again. The hilt which ignites a tremendous high-frequency energy blade capable of cutting through almost any material imaginable. I retrieve it from her hands, holding it before my eyes.

We don't have time to waste!

I run towards the window, igniting the enormous red blade from the Red Sword. The red energy radiates with a hum around the metal rod which generates the energy. As I run, the energy slightly pulls behind me. I leap up onto the rail of the tower's spiraling staircase, then jump towards the window as I thrust the sword before me. I collide with the window, shattering it as my blade crushes a pathway through it. As I fly out of the window and begin to lose the air required to strike the mutation before me, my Mag bursts out of my back and boosts me towards Flowen's massive form like jets. My blade finds home inside the chest of the creature, and my feet find grip against the exerted foldout torso of it.

With the force of my blade crashing into it's collarbone, Flow loses it's grip on the sides of the tower and begins to fall. I hold onto my sword and descend along with it, watching as the land around my rises as if I was falling into the planet. My hair rises, my mag struggles to stay behind me, and my sword's light is pulled up around me. I feel as if the force of my attack drove down into the chest of this thing like a hammer striking a nail. As we fall and fall and fall, I remember the time I was with ERS and Sunblast on the elevator. The first time I saw this creature. The time I succeeded in finding where Flowen was. For now, he remains beneath my feet, in a form unlike his own in every way, and crushed with the energy of my weapon.

The savior of the red captive child will be the savior of the blue aged fusion...

Falling. Falling. Crash. Destruction.




From the distance, ERS rushes and ends up at the end of the bridge, witnessing a burst of glass and a Hunter diving out of the window, colliding with Flow's chest. "What the hell!?" The RAmarl shouts.

Flea, ERS, the HUcasts and the RAcast stare silently as they and the others watch Flow fall from the side of the Tower. As it falls, a loud shout echoes from the side of the building, facing the teams. They all look up, noticing Evelyn at her knees and holding on to the building as it shakes.

"Evelyn?" ERS says.

"You know everything." R'aan says suspentingly.

"Evelyn is a friend." ERS says.

"I want to know what is going on," R'aan says. "You know what that creature is, what were you doing when you discovered it!?" He shouts. The rest of the Hunters all await ERS's reply as he looks up at the tower.

"Records show Heathcliff Flowen dead. But a message was recieved by the Laboratory not too long ago by him from the seabed facility. When I searched the area with my team, we discovered an elevator shaft. It was then that this creature revealed itself."

"Heathcliff is alive?" They all ask, except for R'aan, who remains quiet.

"It was then that we found Flowen..." ERS says. Noticing another Hunter exiting the window and walking towards Evelyn.

"This creature killed him...didn't it..." Flea asks.

ERS remains silent for a moment. "You could say that." ERS says, looking toward the people behind him as he turns around. "That creature is Flowen."





Survival.

I lay on my back, I can feel that much going on around me. I realize it is the same position I was in when I discovered the Red Sword beside me, and when the entity had begun to slash it's blade down at me. It was then that I was able to recover and grab the sword, only to strike down the creature at the heart of it's core...

I open my eyes, looking up into rainfall which falls into my face and eyes. I blink, looking up again and noticing the walls rising to my left and right. I fell into a ravine. I tilt my chin toward my chest and look around me. At a distance in the direction of my feet lays Flow on it's back, unconscious. Around it's head is the end of the ravine, which is a wall covered with falling water that seeps into the shallows around Heathcliff's head. His blade lays motionless, as does his other weapon-designed hand. I lean forward, and my mag materializes out of my back. I made it, I survived once again. As I lean forward even more to stand, I realize that I was laying in a pool of water. Red water. The blood-red water begins to spread out around my feet.

It is my own blood...

I look around, noticing the crack in the ground that I stand in is covered in plants and flooded with shallow water. I examine the body of Flow, noticing a light coming out from behind it. The light drifts towards me, but I don't feel alarmed. The light...it...seems so...peaceful...

It surrounds me in it's warm light, caressing my body and granting it the ability to be weightless. I feel as if I am sleeping, but can think freely and respond correctly to my thoughts and feelings. I can hear a voice calling me from the distance. The woman in white...

"Krowen..."

"Krowen....."

I feel like I am in space...

"Let it give you power, Krowen. Let it give you strength. More strength. Let it consume you..." The voice whispers.

Power. I have enough power as it is.

"There is no such thing as enough..."

Greed is a terrible thing. My power is a curse to me.

"Your power is a gift to you. It is a gift that you should use to right the wrongs of this world. A power you should use to remove life from this planet..."

I will not use this curse to destroy my friends. They are the only family I have.

"Am I not your family? Am I not your last remaining memory of a past gone by...?"

No...no...whether you are in my memories or not, you are gone. You aren't involved in my life anymore...you disappeared. I was thrown away to the scientists of Pioneer 1.

"I've always been here with you...don't you understand that it may have been you yourself who chose to go with the first ship?"

That may have been possible...I accept that. Who are you?

"I am your true family. I am where you belong. I am your home from now on."

My stomach, it feels sick. My body feels like it is growing...my heart feels like it is going to explode...my mind...my head...it all hurts so much. I can remember Eve looking into my eyes and telling me she was glad that I was okay. I remember ERS throwing me into the telepipe to save me. I remember Rico handing me the Red Sword, and asking me to use it once again. My friends, no, they are my family. I will do anything to make them happy. I will do anything to give them a home!

"I am your home..."

My home is elsewhere!!

"Your life is here. Your body demands it. Your mind desires it."

My life is devoted to my true family! My body is none of your damn business! My mind desires the compassion of Evelyn Leigh!

My body, mind, the white, the dark, everything begins to return to normal. I open my eyes, kneeling in the water. The light...the entity...it spoke to me...my body...it responded...my cells...the cells...they reacted. My body isn't normal anymore. As I look up at the unconcscious creature whose consciousness attempted to use me, I feel like, for the first time, I have full control over my body. I feel as if the cells are not reacting, but they are controlled by another conscious. My own. Was I able to fight back the urge to destroy...? Was I able to fight back this feeling inside me, this murderous and destructive feeling?

More than that. I was able to convert a foreign part of my body into a native part. My cells, my energy, the photon within me, it reacted. It transformed me. My armor has fused with my mag. As the shrouds of darkness fill the crevice, and as the rain showers down against my body, I feel senses that were unknown to me. The rain is heavy and plenty, washing away the blood around my feet.

The entity offered me power...power that I did not want. And when I refused successfully, I managed to earn something more fulfilling. I managed to earn something I want.

Freedom.

I've drawn a sketch of this transformation...it'll be up before the next segment.

[navci]

I'd like to see that piccie some time. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif Oh. In next installment. *pouts*

[Fra_Namevah]

Very nice chapter. Very nice. Cant wait for the next chapter. ...When will it be posted?

[Sunblast]

On 2004-01-11 14:11, Shake wrote:
My body is none of your damn business!

Yeah, that fool got told! I liked that chapter, and I'm excited that you'll show us what the new armor looks like. It sounds so cool!
It's kind of you to thank us, but I feel quite good about being included in the story. That is WAY more than enough. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif I'm always wondering about what I'll do next. You'd think I'd know, cuz I did it, but I DON'T! O_O Super-amnesia, I guess. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif
We're your own personal fan club, Shakey. We'll probably follow you off a cliff, although I'm going to need a purple sack with arm, leg, and neck holes, and I'll also need a green wig. Then I'll be ready for the whole cliff thing. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
Awaiting next chapter. Aye captain! (Why I said that, I'll never know...)

[Shake]

I'll work on the next chapter today, and I'll try and get that sketch scanned asap. I don't know if I'll have a scanner available to me.

[Shake]

Once a scanner is available, a crapload of pictures will be up here on the forum, and posted here on this thread. Or maybe just on here, I don't want to shroud this forum with a bunch of images. This thread would be better. Anyways, the end is near for this story. Yes, I said it.

We should have never came here. This planet is nothing but problems. No, that isn't right. It isn't this planet that is the problem. It is ourselves. We have destroyed our new home. The government's plans, the scientist's experiments, the ship which crash landed here, the dark entity and Heathcliff's mutation...it all isn't helping our chances of actually landing and living on this planet in peace.

Peace...

If there is even such an existance of that word...

As I thrusted my blade into the entity when I thought it was this world's final hour, I caught a glimpse of the creature's eyes up close. I felt like it was examining me. I felt like it was recognizing me. Familiarity. I don't think I have seen anything like that in any other living thing's eyes. The intentions which were almost obvious in them. The lack of feeling. The lack of anything that could fill it's massive form. Actually, all of it's forms. As all of this seeped into my mind, it arched away from me and shattered like glass into the air. As I awakened, I returned to the ship with Eve, Rico and...and ERS...but he wasn't ERS then...

When the entity's final form had appeared, it had assimilated ERS, just as it did Rico. He was trapped inside the monster with her. As Eve and I fought it from outside, ERS and Rico struggled from within. But what we didn't know, is that every strike made towards the entity, was a strike against them. ERS had later told me, that he did everything he could to take all of the damage directed towards them. He saved Rico's life, and allowed her to return to the ship with us. But ERS, however, returned to the ship in a different way...

I carried his body to the medical center, but it was too late to recover him. It was then that an artificial intelligence programmer had stepped in. He had long gray hair and stood taller than I could ever stand. It was then that this dark-skinned man transformed the HUmar Eve and I knew as Evan, into the android ERS. When the change was made, Evan had lost some of his memory in the process. He cannot recollect the time he spent with Eve and I before the change, except for the first time him and I had met.

I had joined a team that was training in a virtual reality simulator. The area of training was a section of Pioneer 2. It was filled with walls and barriers. We all had to survive with the weapons that we found. If a person was dealt so much damage, the system would automatically hand points to the person who "killed" them, and then the "dead" person would have their position restored somewhere else. The rules were to first team up and eliminte the opposite team, then take on your team member. Before I knew it, Evan and I were clashing Brand Sabers between the walls in the middle of the room. He was much older than I was and definitely knew his weapons. He was impressed, I suppose. The battle ended in a tie, and he offered to buy me some food. He said, that for a person my age, I sure do know how to kick ass when ass needs to be kicked...

I met my first friend in that battle...

"Krowen Asgard...I presume?"

I hope Evan truly exists within ERS...but ever since he was transformed, I have begun to believe I lost a friend. He just isn't the same.

"Krowen Asgard!?"

One time, I had been injured during request I had accepted at the Guild. It was then that I had met Evelyn. At that time, she was a nurse who was working her way through the Hunter exams. When I was injured, I went in and out of a dreamy state. But every time I awoke she stood there beside me. I wonder if she had watched me...?

"You are hereby placed under my custody as a class A criminal." A man says from the distance.

I shake my head, awakening from the spell of thoughts that had been running throughout my mind. I turn around, noticing someone I never expected to see on the surface of this planet. The Principal himself stands before me with his sword drawn and ignited. His eyes are piercing and serious. His body is covered in armor, which overlaps his normal clothing. The armor is a thin purple plate, covered in a layer of white hexagonal patterns. He is ready to defend himself if the situation makes it necessary. As in, if I attempt to defend myself.

Here I am, stuck between the good and the bad. Both are highly experienced Hunters. Flowen had even taught Rico what she knew. As did her father. Trapped. That is all I ever am anymore. At any point, Heathcliff could awaken. He could rise right now and destroy us both as we are focused on eachother. Yes, Krowen, you are going to fight the Principal.

And it won't be fun.

"I'm not going anywhere..." I say, grasping my latent sword, which has transformed as well, I realize. It is much lighter, yet as I glance down at it, it has grown even larger.

"You are infected with a contagion. You must be quarantined. I cannot allow you to be taken over by that entity. I cannot allow you to take my daughter!" Tyrell yells, tightening his grip around the handle of his sword.

"You think that entity was solely out to get your daughter?" I ask.

"My daughter is a very special girl...she is the best Hunter that there ever was. She would be the prime target of an entity capable of having an unlimited amount of knowledge. As everyone claimed Falz had."

So that's what that thing was called. 'Falz'.

"Don't you realize we have much more important things to handle right now!? Look behind me!" I yell.

"Don't try and play jokes on me, boy." He says. As he does, I glance behind me, realizing the massive creature that once laid at the end of the ravine has moved out of sight. I look forward again and return Tyrell's stare.

"I'm not going to go." I declare.

"Then I will have to cut your confidence down with force, foolish child!" He roars, running towards me. As he runs, each foot rushingly slams down into the shallow water. With each splash getting louder and louder as Tyrell advances towards me, my nervousness subsides. My heart begins to beat heavily. His blade strikes down towards me. I ignite my sword and pull it before my face, blocking Tyrell's vertical strike. He then lifts his foot and kicks my torso, knocking me off balance and making me struggle to remain on my feet. I kick my feet forward to gain some balance as I do so. Tyrell once again rushes his strike upon me, slashing vertically once again in a top to bottom direction. Using two hands to pull his sword downwards atop of me causes the power of his attack to be considerably more powerful. This time, to dodge the attack, I step to my right. I hit the trigger button on the handle of my sword, turning the white energy blade off. I hold it in front of me and use it to push him back away from me.

I don't want to hurt him. I could never attempt to destroy such an honorable man.

In the ravine we move back and forth. Strike after strike I avoid or parry and Tyrell still persists. I turn my energy blade on and off in accordance with whether or not I use my weapon to block his energy strikes, or to try and push him away. The attacks continue more and more. Each time, he comes closer and closer to striking me.

"Krowen!" Eve shouts from afar.

"Krowen Asgard!" ERS shouts as well.

Struck. Stabbed. My body tightens itself all over. The foreign object, sliced through the middle of my torso, is trying to be forced out by my body.

"FATHER!" Rico screams.

Coming down the ravine is a large group of Hunters. Evelyn, ERS, Rico and others. They turned my attention away from Tyrell for too long. Now I have a sword stuck in my chest. Tyrell releases his grip and quickly runs towards his daughter. How...cruel...

I lower to my knee, looking down at my chest. I can see some of the energy resist my armor's shield. The handle of it sticks out from my chest. I can feel the weight of it behind me as well. Blood runs out from the hole on my chest and back, rushing down my armor like a stream of water. I can hear water splashing around. I can see the world spinning around me, and stopping at a strange angle. I fell to my side.

As half of my head is in the water, I hear the waving echoes underneath the water, and also the shouts and splashes above it.

"I am your home."

"I am your family."

"I am your desire."

"I am your power."







"Look out!" Taki, the FOnewearl shouts as she runs out of the brush in the ravine. She struggles to maintain a steady running pace, but her entire body is cut and bruised. As she loses her balance and falls to her knees in the water, everyone watches as the creature appears in the same place it landed at. "The creature..." Taki begins, explaining what had happened to everyone who is listening. "It absorbed me somehow. I was imprisoned inside of it. I could feel it moving. I could feel it using my energy to make itself invisible! I saw it chasing Evelyn...I saw it destroy the tower...I saw that poor boy being killed by the Principal!"

"Gaaaaaaaaah!"

"Cover me!"

"He told me," Tyrell says. "Asgard knew this creature was here."

"Here!"

"This is useless! I'm not doing shit to this thing!"





As Flowen appears. I can hear people rushing toward it to fight it. I can hear bursts of flame. The sound of weapons being struck against it. I can hear the sounds of agony. I can hear someone crying. Mayhem is happening all around me. And when everyone needs me the most, I lay here unable to aid them. This is not coming as a suprise to me anymore. I always manage to become incapacitated before events like this. I guess you can't always be the hero...

"Eve, look after him. I'm going to aid the others!" ERS shouts.

Evelyn...she is at my side. She is holding my side and shouting my name. I want to see her. I want to awaken and look into her eyes. I want to feel at home again. I want to be with her. Yet I cannot see. Am I asleep? Am I blind?

"I am yours."

That voice. It is calling me again. The lady in white. I want to hear Eve's voice. I don't want to be here again. Who are you!?

"I am the spirit which you slain. I am the spirit which now lives within you. I am the embodiment of your desire. I am power. I am companionship."

You...you are Falz?

"I am the embodiment of your desire. I am the will to end all. You do not remember. Inside of the capsule outside of my crypt. Outside of the ship which had sealed me away. You do not remember the times you had called out in your mind for someone to end your agony. You wished for an end to the suffering. You knew your own kind had turned against itself. You wanted to end it all. This is the same reason for my existence."

Inside the capsule...when Flowen released me...that dream...was real...

"I answered your call. I erased the memories which caused you pain. My child...let us eliminate it all together!"

...Child...

I am not like you! I will never senselessly murder anyone! I am done destroying! Get out of my head! Take your cells and shove them up your ass! I don't want to destroy them all anymore!

"...You allowed me to survive. You were the one to aid this cause. You had assimilated my conscious and hid it within you. Now, you have released it."

...No...

"You have given me the proper body. A body that is limitless and ageless. A body with power that can grow and grow. Now, I just need to become the dominant conscious of it..."

[navci]

Whoa. I am so confused. So many things happening. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif
Can't wait for the next installment!

[ERS]

Wow.. I feel special!


Great job.

[Sunblast]

Whoa, dude! Am I hearing this straight? Krowen must have been very depressed...

[Shake]

Krowen underwent some serious experimental situations. Injections, cuts, tests, scans. This kid went through so much. His mind was pumped with drugs to try and help him resist the pain. Several spots on his body were opened up all at once and injected with fluid, his spine was altered as well when Hyle encountered a problem. Hyle ended up placing reinforcing plates into Krow's back. Then, Krow ended up in an experimental stage for longer than he should have been...but that'll come.

But yes, Krow once wished for the destruction of existence.

Thanks navi, ERS.

[Skett]

OH, great chapter. When do we get to read the next chapter?

[Shake]

Beginning of next week, I am sure. I've got a lot going on this weekend. Plus, today, I'd do it, but I'm going to reconstruct my website...so...

[Shake]

Here it is...


"Child...I have awakened your inner desires and empowered you with the strength of limitless potential!"

Don't call me a child...

"Ahh...yes. The appearance of your physical form degrates the powerful prosperity and knowledge that your intellect holds."

How do you know all of this...

"I am here. Yet I do not exist. I am death, yet I am life at the same time. I am the giver, and I am the taker."

Stop it with the riddles!

"I know the past which you held within you as a mystery. You are an orphan."

An orphan...?

"During a great war on your home world, your parents were killed. Just as many other children's parents were. It was then that the impudent scientist discovered your potential. It was then that he stole you away from a future, and tortured you with the experiments and mind altering drugs. It was then, that you had called out to me. As I began to awaken when your ship appeared above this planet, I could feel your strain and despair. The death of your parents, the pain that ran throughout your body for what seemed like an eternity...all of it was the bullet to your trigger. You wanted it all to end. My existence is to end all! You wanted the pain to stop! I am the being which has given you endless life!"

I don't want endless life! I don't want to be all-powerful and superhuman!

"I gave you all that you have. Human, heh heh heh. How naive of you. After the experiments, half of your original body composition was removed. Yes, your organs were useless. This wasn't even halfway through the experiment. It was at that time that the doctor decided to test out a new experiment on your already helpless body. He wanted to create a fusion of his and Dr.Montague's creation, the Mag, with the natural intelligence of a living person. Cells were implanted into your body, and to restore and revive your systems, Dr. Graves used various levels of photon energy to do so. I found the scientist's aboard Pioneer 1 to be rather interesting...they carried out the death of their own kind. They were self destructive. Your form, however, has yet to evolve."

...Yet to evolve?

"Let me continue. After this process was done, your mind was set into a spiraling VR program. Flowen had changed the program secretly, however, changing the mind alteration program and destroying Hyle's plans for your experiment. Hahaha, ironic how existence fights itself. Hyle carried you to the Seabed Facility. It was there that his karma returned. Hyle was slain by his own creations. You, however, ended up washing ashore on the isle of Gal Da Val. And then you awakened to become the Savior of the Red Captive Child. You awakened to eventually destroy the dark entity...and then become the host of my parasite consciousness..."

I understand now. The Pioneer plan was a cover up. They all wanted to find out what was down here on this planet. They didn't want to live here at all...

Flowen...he was surrounded by the enemy..

"Yes, my host. As if you weren't in enough pain, Hyle stole you and tortured you for years. He was greedy for knowledge. This greed has dealt the people of your home planet tremendous damages! Your kind is only willing it's own end! Lend me your strength! Let me give you the power to return everything to the way it should be! Nothingness!"

You have been hiding within me...waiting for the chance to assume full control of a physical form. Evil spirit, I will not bow down to your wishes! I will not be tricked into your scheme! This is my body, and I am going to make it do what I want!

"Foolish child."

"I am not a child!!!" I roar, clenching my fists and struggling under the weight of my own body. The conscious within me, the foreign conscious is trying to assume control. My body is trying to move against my will. I stand, surrounded by a glorious light show of photon energy. Tyrell's sword still sticks out of my back. Evelyn is to my right, sprawled out in the water with a wound gashing by her side. The hunters around me all fight off the fusion of Flowen and the AI Olga, but the battle begins to slow down. The photon around me disappears and appears around everyone else.

Falz is going to take control of everyone...I can feel it...

"I will do anything to obtain this body. You will feel immense pain for not accepting my leading role. Prepare to meet the worst foe of all. Your own friends."

I regain full control of my body again, noticing all of the hunters running towards me. Olga remains still, lowering his weapons to it's sides. They are all being controlled. Swords slash at me, daggers slice, I duck, dodge, step and jump. Everyone begins to assault me, striking me in various places. A dagger slices my shoulder open and a sword grazes my hand. A kick thrusts the sword already in my torso deeper in than before.

I lower my palm to the ground and release a surrounding burst of icy frost across the ground. Everyone leaps away to avoid the frost, and as they do, I grasp onto the handle sticking out of my chest. I pull it away from me, dragging the blade of the sword out of my chest cavity. Pulling it as far out as I can, I bring my hands closer to me and grasp onto the bloody blade of the sword. I pull it out far enough, making it drop out of me onto the ground like a coin falling from a hand. I hold my chest, feeling the intense stress of the healing process begin.

As everyone begins to rush towards me again, I lift Tyrell's sword up. As I kneel to pick it up, I spin around and slash the sword around me. A FOmar's leg was cut, one down. A RAcast's knees were taken out, two down. I managed to catch another's hip as I stood, still spinning. Three opponents immobile. As the rest rush towards me, I take out two of the HUcasts by thrusting the blade into it's chest, and the other I take out by igniting a Grants blast against it's chest.

As the HUcast hit by Grants crumbles into the shallow waters, I look around. Wishing my eyes deceived me, I witness ERS running at me from the distance. At this point, I drop my weapon and kneel to the ground. I could never attempt to hurt him. I look up, also noticing Tyrell and Rico running beside him. The principal, the captive red child, and my very own best friend. I feel helpless, yet I could easily stand strong and hold a solid ground in this battle...

I give up...take my body...

And then, as I look up to witness Falz's ascension, Evelyn's back is before my eyes. I look up at her back, noticing ERS's saber blade being driven out of it.

As Eve falls to her left, I slide forward and catch her, cradling her in my arms. Her face turns toward me, but her eyes refuse to open. "Krowen..."

I shake my head as I push her bangs out of her face. She saved my life, as if fate is refusing to accept my forfeit. "My name isn't Krowen..." I say.

Her eyes clench. "...What?"

"My name is Shake. I know who I am now. I know what I am. Thanks to you..you saved my life..." I say, watching as a blade is driven towards me. I throw my palm forward, shouting "Stop!". As I do, a whirling blur surrounds Evelyn and I. But her and I are not alone...

"Foolish child."

The voice is calling to me again. As Evelyn breathes her last few breaths in my arms, Falz returns to his reign of inducing confusion in my mind. Evelyn, please...please don't die.

"Shake...eh...it suits you. Nothing has ever been able to hold you down to keep you still. You always go on. You have always persisted. You've always lived on..."

"I don't want to live on without you.." I whisper.

"Pitiful feelings for selfish reasons."

"Shake.." Evelyn says. "Promise me something..."

"Of course, anything. " I say.

"Meaningless efforts and incalculable risks."

"This world is so beautiful...do anything you can to make it our new home..." Evelyn utters with her last breath.

"Worthless man-made nuisances."

"Stop it!" I shout. The whirlwind begins to dissipate around me as I lay Eve's head down on the ground.

"The end is irrefutable! It is undeniable! Give yourselves to me!"

"Krow...listen to me..." Another voice says.

"...Evan." I say. The real ERS.

"Destroy my body..."

"No..I can't..."

"Falz's influence on Flowen rubbed off on me. I led all of these poor and helpless people back to him to be slaughtered. I don't have any control over my fake body anymore. But this time, I want to die for real. No android body...okay..?" Evan explains.

Evelyn...

Evan...

Flowen...

Everyone...



As the whirlwind disappears, I thrust Tyrell's blade into ERS's chest. The blade impales him and paralyzes him, but only for a brief moment until his form explodes. A burst of fire exhumes the water around us and throws smoke around the area in a flashy show of fireworks. Rico and Tyrell fall to their knees, regaining control of their own bodies.

Flowen...

"Defeated."

Rico...

"Helpless."

Evan...

"Weak."

Evelyn...

"Worthless."

Falz!

"You defeated Falz..."

...?

"I am the new entity which devours existence. I am the perfect fusion of skill, experience and intelligence. I am the perfect soldier, and yet Hyle favored you more than any other experiment. He fled the MOTHER experiment, he fled the experiments on me and cast me down into the disposal site. Yet he carried you with him until the end."

You're not Falz...you're nothing but a vengeful disaster. I was wrong. I did in fact defeat the dark entity, but it is Hyle who I am really fighting. It is the after-effects that he had planned. It is the wake of the waves that I am faced with...

"I am perfection!"

You're helpless. You are weak. You had to use everyone else to try and defeat me, yet even as I stand here defeated with the death of my friends, you are the one who is defeated. You are the one who is worthless. Your existence is the one that doesn't matter! Your existence is the one that must be eliminated!

By the powers I hold within me...

Utilizing the very own power which I call a curse...

By assuming my evolution and fulfilling that mad scientist's dream...

And becoming empowered with the will and desires of the friends which have fallen in or by my hand...

I swear to the spirits...

I will defeat you.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-20 10:06 ]</font>

[navci]

Evil spirits are so annoying.
They never wanna leave you alone for a moment of thoughts. NOooo.. they like to keep talking, and talkimg, and talking.

*kicks evil entity and put some masking tape over it* Shuddup!

[Shake]

Hahaha...

I'd like to announce something. Tomorrow morning I am going to post the last chapter of the "Amidst the Flowing Waves..." fanfic.

[Skett]

Last chapter. Thats kinda sad. I remember when it was just a simple "choose your own adventure" fic. Now it grew up into a mature, responsible story. Boy, they grow up so fast.

[Sunblast]

Holy *BEEEEEEP*! That's really Shake?! Well, that's pretty cool, but isn't Krowen a HUmar? And Shake's a RAmar, right? If that's true, you'll have to address class changes. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif Still, this is a truely awesome fanfic. Too bad it has to end, but with the appearance of Shake, perhaps another story is called for?

[Shake]

Prepare yourself...

I awoke slowly as I was laying on the medical center bed. As I opened my eyes, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen was standing before me. More beautiful than the oceans of Ragol. More beautiful than the setting skies. She stood there, gazing back into my eyes. At that time she was a nurse. It wasn't long before I leapt out of the hospital bed as good as new. Then, I didn't know of my power to regenerate. Her and I would end up defeating the Darkness that is Falz...

And now...she lays on the ground motionless. Now, her beautiful eyes are shielded by her lifeless eyelids. She is gone. Eve's beauty is gone. No, no it isn't. Her beauty has moved. As she slipped away in my arms, the world of Ragol became the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Eve all along had made this planet my home. She made me cherish life. Evelyn...Evan...you have endured so much despair. You two have given me so much. I am ashamed to think I may not have given as much back...

It was not Falz which had survived. It was a creature birthed by the greed of the human race. A creature born of desperation. A creature born of curiosity. A creature born due to mankind's nature to create things they cannot control. Humanity thought they could. They really did. Yet, their curiosity got the best of them. It ended my life, and revived me into what I am now.

My body is a network of natural systems that were developed with the aid of the Dark factor cells that Hyle discovered. My heart now, isn't my heart then. My outer shell remains the same, however. Possibly, even, for lifetimes. I became the focus of the scientist's. No wonder Olga Flow is out to destroy everything. He felt ignored. He felt thrown away. Literally, he was.

As I kneel in the ravine absolutely still, I can only sense myself and Olga Flow. However, Rico, Tyrell, and the surviving Hunters awaken and begin to watch as the monstrosity that is Flowen stands frozen. This is due to a simple fact...

The battle that awaits me is not physical. It is mental.

"I am the hero. You are not worthy of the affection you had recieved."

"Flowen...you once served the people of the Pioneer project proudly. You taught the person everyone looks up to on these ships how to fight. Back home, you fought in the war with my parents. I know you watched them die by your side. I know you know who I truly am. Olga's information wouldn't be able to tell me something as descriptive as that..." I say.

"Flowen is dead."

"Flowen remains within you." I say. "Flowen, I remember the first time I ever saw you. I was in the orphanage, and you came in to visit your adopted daughter...Alicia. Her parents had died too, and you had adopted her. I was so jealous of her. I wished every single night that a grand hero like you would adopt me as well..."

"...Flowen...doesn't..."

"When I was adopted by Hyle...who is a man I cannot even remember...I heard you left Alicia in the care of Donoph Baz, your best friend. He passed away two months ago, Flowen. He reached his goal."

"Don...Baz..."

"It wasn't until years later, in that capsule, when we met again. I wanted to have a heroic father. So, I agreed to be adopted by Hyle, knowing what would happen. But when I saw you look into the capsule, I realized something. My true parents are both heroes. They both died at your side all those years ago. Even after all the pain and torture and all the self destructive thoughts...looking into your eyes turned everything around. You reminded me of my own father." I tell him.

"Shake...I am too old for this..."

"Old doesn't exist in your book, old man." I say.

"Shake...you have gone through so many hardships...but I must be the third to die here tonight. You must defeat...me..."

"I understand." I say.

"Avenge...your...meaningless...avenge...your friends...undeniable..."




"We must return to Pioneer 2. Let's salvage the hunters here, and call of the assigned hunters back to the ship. I have made a terrible mistake in dueling with this young man..." Tyrell says.

"Krowen...may the winds of Ragol deliver your sword into it's target."




As I open my eyes I am surrounded by a field of green. Flowers spread all over the meadow. Stone graves are placed respectably into the ground. This is the nearest place to heaven. This is where it all happened. I stand in the grass in casual clothing.

"This is a suitable arena...is it not?" Olga says, standing in the distance. He faces me. Olga has shrunk down to a normal height, but still towers over me. It readies it's weapons for battle.

"I agree..." I say. I tap my wrist band, the White Ring, and summon my armor to encase my clothed body. As my armor appears, I can feel my body beginning to change. My mag fuses with my back once again, but this time, the white energy sprouting out of my Rati mag grows into extravagant energy blades, resembling wings even more. My White Ring seals itself against my armor and spreads lines of energy across my Frame, empowering it with increased protection. In my right hand, the Red Sword appears, but begins to burn with a white light.

"I understand now...your evolution process is the assimilation of objects. This was the power of Falz. As he assimilated Red Ring Rico, he assumed a form that was immense compared to the original."

"I'm going to save Flowen, just like I did Rico." I say, grasping my sword and preparing for the initiation of battle.

"Flowen is dead!" Olga shouts, dashing towards me with the quickness of a high level Zonde strike. He pulls his sword back and slashes it at me in a punching motion. I twist and turn my back to the left, dodging the sword. I press my palm against Olga's rubbery skin, swinging my sword upward as I begin to cast Grants. Olga pulls his sword back again as I do, thrusting it forward at me again. This time, I turn my back to the right and twist to dodge it. As Olga thrusts the sword toward me once again, I raise my sword's energy before my face and parry the strike. Then, Grants' burst of energy knocks him back.

Maintaining a standing stance, he rushes right back into close range and lifts his left hand up towards my torso. His left hand, being a built-in shot-like weapon, fires off a burst of green energy shots that scatter and strike my chest, sending me into the air with a tremendous force. I leap back and accept the force's push. When I land, Olga once again assumes a close combat role.

"Back off!" I shout, pushing him away by stabbing the tip of my sword into his collar. With the end of my sword horizontally stabbed into his chest, I begin to run forward, pushing him backward. As we run, he intentionally loses his footing and falls backward, sending me leaning on the handle of my sword without a single foot on the ground.

As he lays on the ground, I notice Olga's head has changed. Instead of the Delsaber-like face, Flowen's face has replaced it. I grab onto the handle of the sword and stand on the bottom of the hilt like a pogo stick, towering over Olga as my blade is driven through it's chest. It aims it's left hand up at me, firing off another scatter shot of green bullets. I attempt to remain atop the blade as I lean away from the shots, but I lean too far and lose my balance, falling onto the grass beside him.

The energy blade of my sword fades. His left forearm's end transforms into a normal hand as he stands and pulls my blade out of his chest. Grasping my blade in his left hand and his own arm sword on the other, I stand and face him without a weapon. He thrusts my blade towards me, but I easily dodge it and advance towards him. As he thrusts his other sword out in a vertical slash, I dodge it as well, moving between the blades to get close range. As I stand between his arms, he attempts to bring my sword around and slash me, but I crush my right fist into his newly formed wrist and make him drop my sword. Then, I stomp my foot forward and slam my left fist into his chest while releasing a burst of Foie from out of my hand. The impact halts Olga's plan on striking me with his right hand sword and causes him to tumble backwards.

I lift my sword up and leap into the air above Olga, attempting to drive my blade down into it. It rolls to the side, however, and stands. As it turns toward me during my way to turn towards it, Olga lets out a shriek of fright. As he does, I see an image before my eyes.

The head of Falz, opening it's mouth ravenously. The mouth of it is nothing but deep red gums and incredibly sharp teeth. As I see it, and remember something Rico had said...Olga thrusts his sword into my right pectoral muscle...

"The entity revives itself every one thousand years..." I remember Rico saying. "It isn't a body...it cannot die. It's merely a consciousness that'll return and repeat the history that took place today."

"Falz will return..." I utter as Olga pulls it's sword out of my chest. I fall forward and grasp my chest, leaning on my head.

"What a waste. Your chest seems to be your weak spot. And it's the biggest part of your entire body. You are lucky that you can regenerate, it got you this far. But now, the world is mine to devour." Olga says, drawing his sword against the back of my neck. "I know the only way to kill you..." He continues, pressing the blade into my neck. The blade begins to cut my neck...all I can think of is the searing pain shooting throughout my body...all I can hear is the scream of terror I unveil...

Until...

"Shake, nobody can ever make you sit still. Why start now...?"

"Krowen, don't you ever let anyone attack you from behind if I'm not there to cover you..."

"Evelyn, Evan...I wish one day I could meet you both in Heaven!" I roar, standing up against the force of the blade. Olga pushes down, but I resist the sword's energy from slicing through my neck and beheading me. I lift my left arm and crush my knuckles and Olga's inside elbow, then I pull my Red Sword up to gash Olga in the side. As Olga aims his left hand at my face, I grab his weapon with my left hand and point it upward, making it shoot into the skies. The shot, however, is different. The weapon releases a giant beam of green energy that splits the clouds above us. I pull my sword out of the gash in his side and twist the handle around so the sword sticks out of the bottom of my hand. I raise my arm and pull it back, looking into Olga Flow's face before I begin to slay it.

"Shake...It's...Heath...Cli...liff..."

My eyes widen as I hear Flowen's voice. I still hold the weapon away, but it is pointed toward the ground now. It crushes the ground around it fiercely. "Sir?"

"Shake...your father...I can't wait to see his face in Heaven...he'll be so proud..."

Flowen...Father...Mother...Evelyn...Evan, and all of my friends. As humankind's own disease stares into my eyes and returns to Olga, I weep for those who have fallen. Tears slip down my cheeks and make my strength grow. Olga cannot resist my dominance now.

"You don't deserve to be the dominant conscious of a hero's body. Flowen was a great man, and you took advantage of that." I say, looking into it's eyes. It isn't Flowen anymore. He has already been lost. "I'll wait for your mother to return. But you, this is your true end!" I shout, thrusting my blade into Olga's chest.

As I do, the white flame which surrounds my blade grows and grows. The area is covered in white light. I can hear the weapon of Olga ceasing...and I can see nothing but emptiness...





"You should always rest up when you are hurt, you know." Evelyn said as she handed me my plate of food.

"I don't have time for rest..." I told her.

"Then why have you been in that bed for an entire month, and just tried to escape now?" She asked.

I looked at her. I looked into her eyes. I looked into her soul. I felt warm inside. I felt at home. I took a spoonful of mashed potatoes into my mouth, looked up at her and with a blank face...I said...

"Because you're my only friend."




"Welcome to the medical center. May I help you?" A nurse asks. A purple ranger stand before the desk. The nurse glares at the outfit he wears.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Krowen Asgard's room..?" He asks with a nod.

"Asgard? Nobody here is registered as that name...oh, wait!" She shouts, clicking the keyboard before her waist. "His file's name was changed, it's Shake Shinji now. Room 32A, right this way."




"Krowen! I've become a Hunter! I passed the test! Now we can be together anywhere!"




"Thank you, ma'am." Sun says, motioning a polite thank you nod to the nurse as she walks away. Sun steps into the white room. The first bed is empty, so he continues to walk. "Krowen...what's with the--"




ERS looked towards me. "What is the earliest memory you have of your life?" He said. Memories. They can be so fragile at times. They are easily forgotton, and just as easily remembered.




"Krowen?" Sunblast says, turning around the corner of the curtain. He stares at a properly made bed that is completely empty. Sun looks back to the door. "Uh, nurse?" He says. As he glances back at the bed, he notices something resting atop it. He steps forward to the bed, noticing a White Ring laying there peacefully.




Beneath the waves. Above the sands. Among the fish. A faint voice can be heard...

"Ragol will be our new home. I promise you..."




This is the final chapter. I want to thank everyone for their support. I really enjoyed writing this. A sequel...?

I'll let the feedback from the ending and you readers decide.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shake on 2004-01-21 10:37 ]</font>

[navci]

Whoa.

At some point, I did wonder. Did Olga speak in a normal audible voice, or did he speak like the mumble jumble voice in the game. ("You killed my goddess..." hehe its so creepy) If so, that'd be a fun time to have a conversation.

Olga: Mumble Jumble
Krowen: What? I can't understand you!
Olga: Mumble Jumble
Krowen: Sorry, come again?
Olga: *frustrated* Makes a sign that says "DIE YOU"
Krowen: Ooh~

Hehe. Sorry. Hm. Nice closing chapter. Poor Sunblast he be so confused. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Shake]

Olga Flow indeed talked in a voice in which Krow could understand. He had a lot to tell him.

Heh, you like?

[Robo47]

Awesome.

[Sunblast]

On 2004-01-21 11:04, ivan wrote:
Hehe. Sorry. Hm. Nice closing chapter. Poor Sunblast he be so confused. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

Yeah, same old, same old. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif
Nice ending, Shakey! But due to the lack of an extensive explanation, I will have to assume the White Ring was abandoned. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif
*Sunblast yoinks it.
You already know my thoughts on a sequel. Go for it! http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif I'd love to help with it, by the way.

[Skett]

Wow. Its over. Well, there is nothing left to do but... write a review. Still great story.

[Robo47]

If you do make a sequel, I'd like to participate! ^_^

[Shake]

Thanks everyone!

Robo, drop me a PM and tell me what your ideas are.