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Post by ZaCloud on Mar 28, 2005 13:15:39 GMT -5
“Eight more, please.”<br> The old lady checking Zack into the changing room raised an eyebrow. “Another set? I’ve never seen a male so interested in clothing.” She counted the armful of clothes to make sure there were eight there, the limit per set.
“Well this is my first wardrobe,” he explained, blushing slightly. “Plus it’s just fun to try on so much stuff!”<br> Once he got in, he tried out each outfit, posing anywhere from jaunty and cool, to serious, to sexy, to silly. If he couldn’t model before a crowd, he could at least model before a mirror. It was amazing all the types of clothing there were. And he liked so many of them. But he was not sure what would be considered fashionable to others. So making decisions on what to keep and what to put back was a difficult process.
After many more trips, he decided to just take six shirts, four pants, and other necessary articles. After all, there was a trip forecasted ahead, so he couldn’t have too much to take along. He also got a new jacket as an afterthought, and a pair of hip Neki shoes.
Feeling so proud of himself and eager to wear something new for the day, he jogged back to the hotel, swinging the shopping bags back and forth like dual pendulums. “Boom, shakka-boom, shakka-heya-heya hey!”<br> After arriving back in the room, he saw Lynx was absent and the window was open. He thought for a bit, then decided to try out the shower so he’d be clean for his new clothes. Plus it was something new, thus something he had to try! So he trotted over to the window and stuck his head out, craning his neck so he more or less looked upward. “Hey, Lynx?” he called.
The feline’s ears twitched, and he looked in Zack’s direction. “Yes, what is it?”<br> “I’m back! But I’m gonna take a shower now!”<br> Lynx twitched all his whiskers. “Good for you,” he growled, “Am I supposed to see you off?”<br> “….No?”<br> “Then just take your damned shower.”<br> “…Okie!”<br> It was quiet for a while. Lynx began to relax again and return to his thoughts. But then…<br> “Lynx?”<br> He sighed. “What is it?”<br> “What’s the little bottle for? The one that says… S. H. A. M. P—“
“It is to clean your hair,” he answered impatiently. He only knew that through common knowledge of course.
“Oooooh, okie, thanks!”<br> Silence again. This time for a long time. Finally, Lynx’s thoughts ran their deep course once more. An hour passed. Zack had probably finished quite a bit ago by now, though he was surprised the kid had not announced it to the entire world. He headed back to where the window was and started to climb down…<br> “Lynx!!!”<br> He jumped a bit, nearly losing his grip for an instant. Zack was right below him, looking up, blinking rapidly as a massive mound of suds ran all over his face and down to the street several floors down. “Oh! Sorry, didn’t know you were comin’ down.”<br> He backed away from the window as Lynx finished his descent. The feline’s ears were flattened against his skull and his eyes narrowed as he stepped into the room. But he said nothing for the moment, when he saw the extent of Zack’s scars; he was standing there in just a hotel towel, so the damage was obvious. But his head was just covered in bubbles too! Such a strange combination of a worn warrior, and a naive child.
“Somethin’s wrong,” he said with frustration, “I put it in my hair, and I washed with it… but I’m rinsing an’ rinsing an’ it’s not coming out!”<br> Lynx sighed deeply. “………You used the entire bottle, didn’t you?”<br> Zack nodded, globs of bubbles falling all over the floor. “Well yeah… Wasn’t I supposed to?”<br> Lynx’s paw went to his face and an odd growl exhaled from his throat. But somehow, he couldn't be as angry as he wanted to be. “No… Just keep rinsing, and get off of this floor. You’re soaking and bubbling everything.”<br> “Oooh, sorry!” Zack scampered back into the bathroom and closed the door.
***
It took many, many more rinses before Zack finally got the last of the shampoo out of his hair. His arms were exhausted by then. But he still managed to put on his new black quarter-sleeve v-neck and baggy, multi-pocketed cargo pants. Then he emerged and went straight to his bed and flopped down, tired out.
“Bein’ civilized can be so haaaard,” he complained in a sigh.
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Post by ForeverZeroUltima on Mar 28, 2005 13:16:47 GMT -5
Lynx sat down on the custom sofa in the room, and he sank down in it and sighed deeply. What a kid! If he didn't know better, he'd say he was instructing a baby how to wash himself... He blinked. There were scars all over Zack's body...he had definitely fought a tremendous battle before and survived. Zack...was not the kid he thought he was. He was definitely more powerful than he gave him credit for. His positive aura proved that. He glanced at Zack sleeping on the bed. Even while inactive, his aura was radiating powerfully. Of course, it was invisible to the ordinary person, but he, as well as Bax and PH, were not. They were much more powerful than anyone gave them credit for, and ended up paying for it. PH. the very image of him came back into his mind, and his fists clenched tighter. He would not forget him, and he was sure PH would not forget him either. As for Bax...there was something strange about the way PH let Bax off easily. Watching Zack sleep made him a bit more easy. Knowing the little nuisance wouldn't bother him now put him at ease. He closed his eyes and focused his powers...an energy focus training exercise he had invented himself a couple of years back.
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Shadow Phoenix
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Post by Shadow Phoenix on Mar 28, 2005 13:18:14 GMT -5
“Hello, Bax. It’s good to see you again.”<br>Bax smiled at this warm greeting. Keldira landed majestically and shook a bit, sending a shower of tiny flames down around her. He strode forwards and rubbed her regal head. “Likewise, Keldira. Likewise.”<br>“How have you been?” the Phoenix cooed lightly. Bax thought about that for a moment. “I’m not quite sure, really. A lot has happened since the last time I saw you.”<br>“Really? I thought it hadn’t been that long.”<br>Bax shook his head, “It wasn’t. But a lot has still happened.”<br>“Do tell. I don’t get to talk too many of you mortals often anymore and I always find your tales fascinating.” Keldira screeched and ruffled her feathers again. Bax found a rock to lean against and sat down so that he would not wear himself out. The summoning had sapped quite a bit of his strength as it was.
“Well,” Bax began with a small hand motion, “After you set us down so we could sleep for the night, Zack and I were attacked by our friend. The one we told you about: Sephiroth X. The Senate came out of the sky and attacked us, revealing that they had brainwashed him and turned him against us. He…” Bax stopped for a moment, remembering the entire situation. He frowned, “He seemed like he was holding back. I don’t think he’s completely gone yet. I hope not, anyway.”<br>“It seems like you’re more frightened for him than of him. Am I right?”<br>Bax nodded, “You’re right. He was definitely stronger when we last met, but now that he’s under the control of the Senate…I don’t know what will happen to him. If he becomes a shade of his former self, I won’t be able to live with myself knowing that I let them take him without even putting up a fight when they tried to kick us out.”<br>“Bax,” Keldira began, “you are being much too hard on yourself. You had no control over the situation. Trust me, the Senate has mastered the art of puppetry and manipulation over the years and there was nothing you could have done. I know. I’ve been around since long before their incarnation.”<br>Bax shrugged and sighed, clasping his hands together and twiddling his thumbs.
“Keldira…what is the Element of Prosperity? I’ve tried to ask everyone else I know, but their explanations have been too confusing for me to understand.”<br>“The Element…I haven’t heard about that in quite a while, much less talked about it. You must understand that I try to keep out of the business of most of you mortals when I can help it. Far too much trickery and deceit for the likes of me.”<br>“Understandable.”<br>“Well, the Element of Prosperity is something that is extremely difficult to describe physically. I myself have never seen it, only the effects of it. When a person receives the powers of the Element, they are blessed with numerous things. Superior longevity – immortality, you might call it. A person I could relate to that respect, I suppose, where we can still be killed, but we will live forever otherwise. There are also various other powers that are bestowed upon the Warrior of Prosperity, as the barer of the Element is called, ranging from superior speed, strength, and a vast array of magical abilities. The Warrior of Prosperity is practically invincible.”<br> Bax was amazed to be hearing all of this. He knew the basic outline of it all, but the details were absolutely fascinating to him. He looked at Keldira, eager for her to continue. “Well, if any person can kill the Warrior, the Element will pass on to them and they will become the Warrior of Prosperity. That is what the legend says, in any case. I’m sure you’re well-familiar with the war about two centuries ago, yes?”<br>Bax nodded. If there was anything he understood for the most part, it was the war. He was still sketchy on a few minor details, but he didn’t feel like being too nitpicky. “Yeah, I understand it.”<br>“Good, then. Well, in the war’s final battle, the Warrior of Prosperity was defeated by a man called the Apprentice, now named the Senator. Upon this defeat, the Element was supposed to be granted to the Apprentice, but only part of the power flowed into him and the Element itself was scattered to an unknown location once again in the Valley of the Promised. The power of the Element was also bestowed upon some other warriors in the extreme close vicinity. I saw it with my own eyes, actually, though I couldn’t tell you who it was. My guess is that whoever was affected by the Element is still alive today and they’re probably searching for it like the Senate is.”
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Shadow Phoenix
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Post by Shadow Phoenix on Mar 28, 2005 13:18:37 GMT -5
There was another moment of silence and Bax sat there thinking about that. So that was how the Senator had survived all this time. It hadn’t made much sense to him before, but it all became clear now. Bax was slowly but surely climbing out of the hole of shadows and darkness that had been surrounding him and it felt pretty damned good now that he thought about it. “The Senator really wants this Element, doesn’t he? And he’ll use everyone who he can possibly find to help him achieve his goal. I imagine he has agents all over this planet, right under our very noses. And they’re all working to find this Element. They’ll turn the world upside-down, won’t they?”<br>“They will. The Senator is not immortal and he will stop at nothing to secure himself as the Warrior of Prosperity.”<br>Bax frowned again, furrowing his brow and sighing as he leaned back and stared up at the sun. “Quick question, Keldira: how do you know all of this?”<br>“Oh, right. I suppose I forgot to mention that. I was the Senator’s personal steed, as it were.”<br> Bax’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he gaped at Keldira. “You’re kidding?! He rode you?”<br>“Remember when I said that I hadn’t been ridden since the days of the war? He was the last man who had ridden me before you and Zack. I didn’t have very fond memories of being ridden, but you seemed to be pretty nice and I could sense the fire in you.”<br>“That’s so unbelievable…why did you do it? Couldn’t you have just burned him or something?”<br>“I could have. I definitely could have. I most certainly didn’t enjoy the job. But, the problem was…I had seen what his troops could do and I wasn’t willing to chance befalling the same fate as my twin.”<br>Bax almost didn’t catch the last part of what Keldira squawked, bit after the moment it took him to register it, he was shocked again. “Twin? There are two of you?”<br>“No, there were two of us. One of the Senator’s factions captured my twin and did something…I don’t know for sure, but I’ve been this world’s only Phoenix for quite some time. It’s probably for the best, as it is.”<br>Bax shuddered. For some strange reason, this tale sounded familiar. He could sense in Keldira’s elegant coo that her twin had not been the easiest of beings to get along with. The way she had spoken and the things she had said…Bax didn’t know what she was talking about exactly, but he felt like if she elaborated that he would already know what she was talking about. It was a strange sentiment that was coming over him, but he quickly shrugged it off. It probably wasn’t too important, anyway.
“Bax, are you all right? You’re being awful quite.”<br>Bax smiled and shrugged, laughing a little bit. “Sorry, I’m just thinking again.”<br>“Well, you were telling me about what happened after I last saw you. I’m still intrigued if you’re willing to tell me.”<br>“Oh, right,” Bax said. “Well, after we regained consciousness and checked ourselves for wounds, we set out again and met up with another being named Lynx. He, like me, is not from this world, but his appearance is distinctly feline. He is…I don’t know. He’s an enigma to be certain, drowned in the darkness that he has lived in his entire life. I never know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do. He’s so unpredictable…it seems like he’d just as easily look at me as kill me. I haven’t met many people like that in my life…” “Sounds like a dear.”<br>Bax laughed. Keldira had a way of putting a positive spin on things with her sarcasm, lightening the atmosphere like Zack did, but in a much different way. Bax enjoyed her company. “Oh, he is. Well, after meeting up with him, the three of us took off for Midgar. Once we got there, we found a young man with a tail bloodied and beaten outside the entrance to the city. We immediately took him to the hospital and I learned that his name was Prodigi. He’s…another interesting character. Enigmatic in a different way from Lynx. More of a tortured soul with an obvious good side who is torn in half by his own demons…oh well. Meanwhile, Zack and Lynx had run off to find some work. Prodigi and I met up with Zack after he finished a mercenary job, and we decided to get a hotel room for the night. I woke up unable to stop thinking about what might have happened to Lynx, so I left a note to Prodigi and Zack and took off towards the hospital to see if Lynx had gone there. I went into the hospital and there was…an evil emanating from it. Unexplainably evil…everything was decayed and dead inside. Sure enough, Lynx was there and he was speaking with a creature with a pyramid-shaped head that apparently had a grudge against the Senate. This creature seemed to want to kill the both of us, but he let us go, and…I decided to come here.”<br> Keldira flapped her wings and floated up in the air for a moment, cawing all the while. As she landed again, she apologized. “Sorry, being stuck in the same position for a while makes my wings ache.”<br>She seemed to laugh and Bax joined her. He completely understood how that was. His back, likewise, had begun to ache with cramps developing from leaning against the rock. He leaned forward and twisted around, his back cracking audibly with loud resounding snaps. After a few moments, the two just began spouting idle banter, the hours passing by quickly. Bax lost track of time as he kept on rambling in the casual talk, eager to continue speaking in Phoeniyan. He didn’t seem to care very much, though, and neither did Keldira. They were both enjoying each other’s company so much more than they could have imagined. For Bax, it was just such a blessing to be able to speak without inhibitions. For Keldira, it was pleasant to simply have desired company after so many years.
“Keldira, thank you for coming here to speak with me. It means a lot to me when I’m able to converse in my own language with the being that my race worships.”<br>“An entire planet that worships the Phoenix. That sounds like heaven.”<br>Bax laughed, “It is…it’s my heaven, anyway. There with my wife and son…” “You miss them, don’t you?”<br>“More than I can say…” “I suppose I can vaguely relate…I miss my twin, even though we weren’t very close. The bond between twins is just such that…well, no matter how much you might not be one bit like the other and completely hate them…you don’t realize how blessed you are to have them in your life until they’re gone. Love-hate relationships, I tell you, Bax.”<br>Bax cocked his head to the side slightly and looked up at Keldira. “It definitely helped to get all of this off of my chest…thank you, Keldira.”<br>“I’m much obliged, Bax. It was my pleasure. You know that if you ever need my aid that you can just call me. Going through that lengthy ritual probably isn’t necessary anymore, though I definitely enjoyed the text you recited. It just takes me a long time to fly halfway across the world. I’ll try to stay more in this area from now on.”<br>Bax smiled. That was a comfort, to know that Keldira was willing to help him out.
“Well, I’m sure that my friends are probably wondering where I am…I should head back to Midgar.”<br>“All right, Bax. I’ll be in the area. Bax rose and rubbed Keldira’s beak again, patting her lightly in approval. Her wings began to flap and she pulled upwards. “Oh, by the way, Bax. It almost slipped my mind during our talk! I believe I’ve seen your friend, Sephiroth, or at least someone who looks strangely like him. I don’t remember exactly where he was, but he was definitely looking for something. I’ll let you know if I see anything else.”<br>Bax stood there speechless for a moment as Keldira’s shadow came over him. He was dumbfounded. That meant that Sephiroth was still alive! And somewhere in the area. It would not be impossible to find him after all! “Thank you, Keldira! Thank you very much!”<br> With that, Keldira pulled up above and took off in flight towards the horizon. Bax turned around and looked at Midgar looming a short distance away. Bax smiled almost devilishly with anticipation and ran full tilt towards Midgar. Wait until Zack heard about this!
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Post by CursedDragoon on Mar 28, 2005 13:19:59 GMT -5
After leaving Zack, Dragoon had walked toward the strange power he had sensed, only to find that it was not there anymore. Whoever it was, they had moved, and Dragoon could not sense their current location. He looked up at the church he was standing in front of. He muttered to himself "Too late..." He then turned around and headed the other way.
********** Dragoon stopped walking. He was at the city limits. He had overheard some peasants talking about a man with flaming hair walking in this direction. Knowing that it was pretty much impossible for there to be 2 men with flaming hair, he walked that way as well. Bax must have walked into the desert. Dragoon walked into the desert. But after about a minute of walking, he stopped again. Dragoon looked into the desert and saw a figure running toward him. Squinting to see in the bright sun, he saw it was a tall man, wearing red clothing, with a flame atop its head. Dragoon smirked and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes, Bax was only about 30 feet from him, he had stopped running. "So, at last we meet, Bax"
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Shadow Phoenix
Message Board Ninja
Who the hell do you think I am?
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Post by Shadow Phoenix on Mar 28, 2005 13:22:15 GMT -5
After running for longer than he expected to have to, Bax realized that perhaps he had gone out further into the desert that he had intended to. That was all right, though, because the news he now carried gave him enough energy to continue running. That was, until he saw the figure dressed all in black looming before him, directly in his path. Bax began to slow down as he saw the man looking directly towards him, almost as if he had been expecting him. The image looked so familiar, just like he had seen his uncle on the day he found out about his brother's death...though Bax could not see this man's eyes. Still, the resemblance of the events was uncanny and Bax slowed down all the more for that reason.
"So, at last we meet, Bax," the figure said as Bax reached him. Bax came to a complete stop and looked at the man from a distance. Had he been on Auralis or accompanied by a royal guard on a diplomacy meeting, this comment would have come as no surprise. But here on Earth, where he hardly knew a soul and perhaps 5 people knew he was an alien king, it was unnerving. Bax stood there for a moment as the wind blew by them, ruffling their clothes. "And who are you?" Bax said simply, careful not to show any signs of aggression and careful not to let his guard down. He didn't let his face betray him at all as he stood there practically emotionless. Still energized, but highly focused. He clenched his fists lightly and half-smiled. He hoped this was quick.
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Post by CursedDragoon on Mar 28, 2005 13:23:23 GMT -5
Dragoon though to himself, Let's take a different approach to this one. He smirked. A faint aura begins to accumulate around Dragoon. His hood falls back, reveiling his face and hair. His smirk diminishes. "You can call me Dragoon." He took a small step forward. "Why aren't you with your friends Bax?(another step)I was hoping to find the lot of you in one place,(another step) but your scattered around the city." Dragoon pulled his hand out from his cloak, his sword in hand. (step)"I've already payed a visit to your buddy Zack.(step) It was a, well, interesting encounter to say the least.(step) I hope ours goes a little better." Dragoon angled the blade so that the suns light reflected and flashed in Bax's face.
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Shadow Phoenix
Message Board Ninja
Who the hell do you think I am?
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Post by Shadow Phoenix on Mar 28, 2005 13:24:01 GMT -5
Upon hearing Zack's name, Bax froze up completely. The sword in the hand, the twisted words beating around the bush in relation to his friend, the ominous slow steps towards Bax: they were all twisted scare tactics. They way that this Dragoon was speaking gave off the idea that he had run into Zack and done something to him...and perhaps Lynx and Prodigi as well, for that matter. Perhaps that was where Prodigi had gone! "If you have touch Zack," Bax threatened, his clenched fists loosening up as columns of fire formed in them, "I can show no mercy." Bax's stare narrowed, completely unaffected by the flashing light, glaring at Dragoon. He wouldn't forgive anyone who harmed his friends (such as the Senate). Perhaps this man was allied with the Senate and was an assassin sent to take their enemies out. But why would they care about them any more? They had no reason to care about them any longer, did they? Not after turning Sephiroth X to their side. Bax bit his lip nervously and put his right foot behind his left, turning slightly while lowering his left and heightening his right hands like a scale, the flames burning brightly in them. The entire time, his gaze was concentrated on this Dragoon.
If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one.
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Post by ZaCloud on Mar 28, 2005 13:25:34 GMT -5
Zack yawned and stretched. He then smiled; he had managed to take a nice little nap. At least, he hoped it was little. He sat up and looked out the window. It was afternoon, not way too late, and he could tell it wasn’t a new day or anything. He felt hungry, so he reached down into the McDougal’s bag next to his bed and fished out a burger. He just ate it cold, accepting it as food; he couldn’t be picky with the way he had grown up. Meanwhile, he looked around the room. Only Lynx was there. He appeared to be meditating. Bax had not returned, nor had Prodigi. Zack frowned around his meal. But, at least Lynx seemed trustworthy; he had helped him out by explaining things, after all. But he still had the instinct to be careful with his trust. Finishing up his meal and sipping the flat soda from the sweating wax-paper cup, Zack decided to go explore the town some more, then possibly find Bax if he didn’t return before long. He could find no end to his fascination and curiosity by sitting around in here, after all, no matter how pleasant shelter was to have. Besides, maybe he could catch the eye of a girl. He gulped hard on his drink at the thought. Sure, it had always been natural for him to want a girlfriend… but he had never really thought it possible so he hadn’t taken such a concept seriously. But now he had access to money, and decent clothing, so he truly had a chance now that he wasn’t among people who automatically hated him. Well, he decided, One step at a time… I’m just now gettin' used to havin’ friends, for cryin’ out loud. No need to stretch myself ‘till I rip. I’d rather wait for The One, than go through chicks like a deck o’ cards like most people seem to nowadays. He stood quietly, then scratched his head. He didn’t want to disturb Lynx, but he had to let him know he was going somewhere. He decided that an attempt at writing would turn out poorly, so he took the only other option. He picked up the little pad of paper that lay on the main dresser, and used the hotel pen to start scribbling. Satisfied with his work many minutes later, he lay it on his nightstand. He then put on his new shoes and quietly left. *** Zack visited place after place, gawking and enjoying. Except in a few cases where he was escorted out. (“Sir, business conferences aren’t something you can just walk into!” “Sorry!”) After a while, he found a nice looking park. It was surprising, to find such a thing in this kind of city, but a pleasant surprise indeed. There were a few beds of flowers being kept, half-decent grass and trees, and even a small pond with a few ducks swimming around. Smiling at this discovery, he found an empty bench and went to sit down. There was a paper-wasp on one side, nibbling on the wood to gather material for her pending nest, so Zack sat on the other side. “Hiya,” he said to the insect, smiling. “Nice place here, eh?”<br> She kept collecting wood in her pincers. “I’ve just had the most interesting times here in Midgar,” Zack continued, watching her work. “Met different people, got to do a lotta firsts… I never thought I’d get to be where I am today.”<br> She flitted her wings a few times, turning slightly in his direction and pausing. “Oh, don’t mind me,” Zack said with a smile, “You can keep workin’ if ya want. It’s kinda late in the year to be buildin’ a nest, isn’t it? Did…” His expression became a bit cautious. “…Did you lose your original one?”<br> The wasp could not understand English, of course, but she at least sensed that this big moving thing was no threat. Unlike most who always swatted at her whenever she came near. Unlike the ones who had broken the home she had worked hard to build earlier in the year, killing off her whole brood. Her mouth full of wood particles, she began to climb up to a higher point on the bench to have an easier time taking off. “Can I watch you build?” Zack asked. She flew off, not going too quickly. Zack took this as a yes and followed at a jog. He had only seen a few paper wasps long ago, when he was younger and had migrated north where the desert was mostly eroded landscape, not hot sand. Blurry memories of course, but at least he remembered how those insects worked. He stopped when she did, the brown and black wasp landing under a rarely-used, half-broken table. She had noticeable progress on her multi-celled, gray nest, though it still had much to go before it could hold and shelter babies. Zack watched her mix her saliva in with the wood particles, turning it into paste and carefully adding it to the nest. When it would dry, it would become a rough textured paper. “That’s a beautiful nest,” he commented, counting sixteen cells hanging precariously from the strong thread at the top. “I hope you have better luck this time. I’m sorry you didn’t get to raise your family before… It must’ve made you sad.”<br> The wasp looked at the strange human, wondering why it was sitting there yet causing no harm. She took wing and hovered in front of his face, examining him. Zack didn’t even flinch; he knew this kind of wasp was patient, and never stung without being provoked. The only time he’d ever been stung, was from accidentally stepping on one in his bare feet when he was younger. “You’re really strong, to be trying again,” he complimented to her. “I guess as long as you have something in your life that keeps you going, you can get through anything.” He felt he could relate. So very much…<br> She landed on his nose, examining his nostrils. Would it be better to put her nest in here somewhere? Maybe it would be more sheltered…<br> Giggling cautiously, Zack slowly brought his hands up to surround his nose. “Aww, hehehe, thanks for the hug, girl! That tickles! But I don’t wanna sneeze you off by accident.” He carefully guided her with his finger until she stepped onto his other hand, and he brought her out in front of him so he could see her better. “Everyone does need a hug sometimes though, even buggy-folks. Hard to do when yer so small, but I guess this is close enough, eh?”<br> She liked how his hands smelled; traces of bread and grease and sugar. She basked in it for a while, searching for any edible particles. Then there was movement, much like when she would sit on a tree branch during a breeze. Soon, her own scent markers met her senses. How strange; she was back at the place with good gathering-wood. Zack sat back down on the bench, holding her over where he had found her. “Here ya go, saved you a trip. You were nice to trust me with so much about your life, so I wanted to pay you back. I’ll let ya get back to work. Looks like some o’ those ducks could use a friendly conversation too.”<br> The wasp decided there was nothing to eat on this big thing’s hands, so she walked off and back onto the bench. An odd transit, but convenient. She began to nibble off more wood, determined to get her nest done before the window of opportunity closed for the year. “Take care, girl,” Zack said with respect in his voice, “Best of luck to you. You’re a tough one, an’ I know you’ll do fine.” He stood up, and went to the pond. “Hey, duckies!” ^_^
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Post by The Waffle King on Mar 28, 2005 13:27:21 GMT -5
Pyramid Head sat in the doctor's lounge of the hospital, tapping his foot. His knife lay on the table in the center. Two more strong powers in this city, he could never carry out his plan with people like that running about. His vengance on the Senate would have to wait for the time being. But what else could he do? Then he though, maybe he isn't ready yet. He needed something else first, the Element of Prosparity. That would make his vengance that much more sweet, stealing away what they want so badly. But he was growing impatient, all this waiting and its still only in the afternoon. He can't just walk through the city during the day, it would draw too much attention. He though for a minute, maybe he wouldn't have to walk through the city itself. He jolted off of the couch, grabbed his knife and a scalpal and headed for the elevator.
The elevator door closed as he stared at the button panel on the wall. There were buttons for the basement, floors one through six, and the roof. Pyramid Head looked at the scalpal in his free hand, the proceded to carve the letter S, then a circle around it about the same size as the buttons. The inside of the circle glowed a dim red, he dropped the scalpal and pressed on the new button. The elevator hummed to life as it decended. The basement floor was reached.....but it didn't stop. Moments later the elevator halted and gave of the usual "ding" noise. The doors opened to a brick wall, but that was no obstical for his gigantic cleaver. The wall was easily broken through, a dank and musty smell came through the doors. he stepped out into the street runoff level of the sewer system. It was dry because there had been no rain for a while. Further up the tunnel he could see rays of light coming down from either side and a few from the center of the ceiling, the gutters and access covers in the streets. He was happy with how he could manipulate his claimed areas as he started towads the edge of town...and the desert beyond it. It would surely be night by the time he reached the end.
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Post by CursedDragoon on Mar 28, 2005 13:28:06 GMT -5
Dragoon watched Bax's reactions to his words. He was getting to Bax. Dragoon could read people feelings extremely well, almost as if he could get into their heads. Dragoon stopped taking steps, and stuck his sword in the ground. Then he dashed sideways. Moving at supersonic speed, he went in a circle right around Bax, coming within 5 feet of him. Dragoon then came right around and stopped right back at his original position. The entire manuver took less than a second. "Thats a interesting set of swords on your back. Mind if I borrow them?" Dragoon then grabbed his sword from the ground with both hands. His aura grew, turning into black flames. It spread onto the sword. The sword then seemed to melt, and then Dragoon pulled it apart, into 2 pieces. Slowly, the masses turned into replicas of Bax's swords. They were exact copies, but much darker looking, like the swords had evil twins. Dragoon then swung the swords in the air, testing them out. He then gave an evil smile at Bax, while the black flames around him lashed and danced around him.
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Post by prodigi on Mar 28, 2005 13:29:04 GMT -5
I stand alone atop the highest building in Midgar. I send my weary eyes on a trip over the vast city. In the distance I can see the sun set. I stand waiting for a reply to my call. How long I stand I do not know, but finally, as I begin to lose hope, I hear a mighty roar echo through the night. The corners of my mouth pull upwards as I can’t help but grin in satisfaction. “Yes it has been too long,” I reply to the call, “Too long indeed, my good friend.”<br> Far off in the distance, silhouetted against the sunset I can see the source of the sound. Its shape steadily grows as it nears my position, until suddenly it rears backwards, and comes with it’s claws forth and slams itself into the building. It’s claws puncture the sides of the building as the creature fights for a grip. Eventually it finds a foothold on the building and turns it’s dragon-like head towards me, and stares deeply into my eyes… Into my soul…<br> I teeter on the edge of the building, before going over and falling downwards, the floors rushing by me. Suddenly I land with a resounding whump atop the creature. I stand slowly and turn to face it’s head. “Hello Bahamut,” I say, “It has been awhile indeed…”
The creature, Bahamut, lowers it’s head in a form of crude nod. I smile and walk across Bahamut’s bare chest and come alongside his head. I hold out my hand and stroke the sides of his face affectionately. “Cyrus” a voice in my head says, the source coming from Bahamut’s telepathic abilities, “Why did you leave me? Why did you not come for me when I needed help? Because of you I was tortured!”<br> I step back slowly and frown ever so slightly. “Tortured?” I ask simply, “By who?”<br> “The Senate” the monotonous voice in my head replies.
“The Senate…?” I take another step back, the words echoing through my mind. Suddenly a feel a sharp pain in my head. “ARGH!” I cry out. The pain is too much for me to bare. I collapse to my knees and fall forwards. I clap my hands to my temple and try to block the pain with my mental abilities, but to no avail.
“Cyrus?” I hear Bahamut cry out in my mind, the word echoing in my very brain until I lose the fight for consciousness.
Memory 3
I reappear in the middle of a clearing in a forest area. I look down at my wounded stomach. There is blood everywhere. Despite my pain I feel… powerful… I feel more energy surging through my body than I can ever remember. I do not remember how I did what I did. One second I was there, stuck on the end of the blade of the one they call Archangel Zero and the next, I was here… I don’t even know where here is. I decide to tend to my wound before pondering my whereabouts.
After bandaging my wound with the material from my cloak I stand and give my surroundings a thorough inspection. I am standing in a clearing of what appears to be a forest like area. There is a small stream running to my left and a clump of wildflowers to my right. Ok then, I think, how the hell did I get here… and where the hell is here?
A close my eyes pondering these things and then suddenly images run through my mind. I see Zion and then I see the image zoom away from the massive super city until it settles upon a forest known as the Milan Forest. I open my eyes shocked. How did I do that? I wonder, maybe I didn’t… well if this really the Milan Forest then surely I should be able to see the Meier Mountains from here.
A stand on the tips of my toes, trying to see over the trees. Argh, I think, If only I could get higher. Suddenly a feel something moving through my body, something strangely cold, it then reaches my feet and I feel my body jolt as it leaves the ground. I look down at the ground below me. I… I’m flying…? I think, how is this possible?
Then suddenly I realise. It was the Warrior of Prosperity’s doing. He sent some of his power to his brother, the one they call Archangel Zero, which then continued into me, through the sword that impaled me. That explains all this extra energy I’m feeling. I concentrate hard, and then slowly begin to rise higher. After a few minutes I have totally gained control of my flying abilities and can pull off almost any aeronautic stunt. Suddenly I remember why I wanted to get higher in the first place and I turn myself around in the air, looking into the distance. Sure enough in the distance are the Meier Mountains.
I slowly float back into the clearing, and after examining my surroundings once again, decide to rest for the night. I sleep well, and am not disturbed until early the next day.
I awake at sunrise and open my bleary eyes, stretching my arms as well. Slowly I stand up, and then frown. My stomach does not hurt anymore. I peer down at the bloody bandages and then slowly, ever so slowly, unwrap them until I expose my wound. Except there is no wound. It seems to have healed up on it’s own, without any medical help. It must be my new powers.
Suddenly I think back to the battle. I think of that Archangel Zero running into the private battle. I feel the anger building inside me. How dare he! I think in anger, he has no right to disrupt The Apprentice’s battle! as the anger grows more and more, so too does my feeling of power until suddenly, in a flash of red, I feel my body changing. I look down and see my cloak shrinking into my body, and red feathers growing back in its place. While looking down my hair falls in front of my eyes and I see that it too has now turned red. I see that my DEagles are missing. I instinctively reach for my swords, but they too are gone.
I walk over to the small stream and stare at my reflection. I see the same me staring back, except I am now partially covered with red feathers. My eyes… My eyes are now an intense shade of red. I feel like testing my new powers. I raise my hand and send a fireball out of it, blowing a tree apart. I laugh maniacally. I raise both my hands, aiming in different directions and start blowing the forest apart. I leave the forest to burn itself into nothing and take off, making for Zion.
I awake from the dream/memory exactly where I had fallen unconscious. “So that’s what happened to Milan Forest,” Bahamut says my mind. I turn to him, “You saw that too?”. “Of course,” he answers, “I have a telepathic connection with you after all.”<br> There is a short pause and then he asks, “So… what did you want from me?”<br> “I want you to take me far into the Desert of the Dead. I need to find this Sephiroth X and see if he is worthy to help me on the quest of finding the Element of Prosperity,” I tell him.
“Why are you helping the Senator?” Bahamut asks, “especially after what they did to me?”<br> “You fool,” I answer, “I want this element for myself. After all, only with this element will I become truly immortal.”<br> Bahamut nods then rolls over in mid air and I climb across his back and onto the back of his neck and we fly off into the night, heading for the Desert of the Dead.
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Post by ForeverZeroUltima on Mar 28, 2005 13:29:58 GMT -5
Lynx finished his energy focus, and opened his eyes. He felt much more stronger than ever now. He glanced around and saw that Zack had left already. He stood up with his eyes narrowing closely. Not only had that training focused his powers, it also sharpened his senses. He suddenly noticed a piece of paper. He picked it up, stared at it for a moment, then threw it down in disgust.
***
He sat on the roof again. He noticed that it was now afternoon, so he sat in the direction facing away from the sun. His scythe was still slung across his back. He began to think. About Bax and Zack. About PH. About the man they had picked up in the desert. About the Senate. The Senate. They had said something about the Element of Prosperity. He STILL didn't know what it was, but he began to have a good notion. He didn't know what it was, the Senate didn't know where it was...and he wasn't sure if Zack or Bax knew, either. He closed his eyes. How was he to find the Element? He was certain that it would prove useful in his struggle against the Senate. After all, the bug was still on his shoulder, and he was sure that at least one person in the city would know about the Element... His eyes suddenly opened widely. That was it! He had a plan. It might not work, but if he could find that one person... Grinning evilly, he stood up and began to ponder. The plan was tricky, but if he pulled it off correctly...
He would find the Element of Prosperity.
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Shadow Phoenix
Message Board Ninja
Who the hell do you think I am?
Posts: 545
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Post by Shadow Phoenix on Mar 28, 2005 13:30:51 GMT -5
Bax saw Dragoon start to move, but only caught very brief glimpses of him as he made his full circle around him. His muscles tensed as he felt the light breeze whipping his clothes and he expected at any moment for his life’s blood to begin pouring out all over the desert sands. He had had no time to defend himself when he saw Dragoon back where he had been before. Bax stared at Dragoon in puzzlement, unsure what exactly had just happened, but trying not to allow Dragoon’s speed to deter him. Bax kept his face straight even as Dragoon seemed to melt his sword into a black blob from which he pulled two dark replicas of Bax’s own swords. Bax looked at them and noted that they were practically perfect replicas. Black flames began to dance around this Dragoon and Bax narrowed his eyes even further.
“Mind if I borrow them?” Dragoon said as he pulled them apart and tested them out. Bax didn’t even reach for his swords, but instead continued standing there in his semi-defensive position having hardly moved. The flames in his hands grew gigantic, sprouting into columns blown about by a suddenly increasing wind. The sand began to whip about, stinging Bax’s cheek lightly, though he took no notice of the sudden change in the environment. His glaring gaze was directly at the cocky and confident Dragoon as the flames in Bax’s hands and the one on his head raged with very little measure of control. Sparks came off of all three gigantic flames, swirling around Bax. “Be my guest, bastard,” Bax spat out.
Bax’s eyes widened suddenly and he whirled around, clasping his hands together in a fluid motion, the two massive flame columns combining together and practically exploding before Bax. In rapid succession, Bax screamed and launched his hands forward directly at Dragoon. The gigantic column of flames erupted from his hands, traveling at an intense velocity towards his aggressor, crackling and spitting flames all around. At the same time, two gigantic walls of sand ripped up alongside the flames, carried by the great sudden change in momentum and in the air. Bax continued screaming as his body was ravaged by the havoc of the winds, intent on trying to mow his opponent down with this first shot. Unlike his encounter with Sephiroth, he was definitely putting plenty of power behind this shot.
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Post by CursedDragoon on Mar 28, 2005 13:31:37 GMT -5
Dragoon reacted quickly to the burst of fire and anger. He bent his knees and stuck the swords in the ground. The flames around him began to spin. Dragoon pointed both hands toward the oncoming attack, the flames around him began to spin around his arms. Their intensity increased 10 fold, making it look like a black drill pointed at the oncoming blast. The blast hit square on. The point of the "drill" was right in the center of the fire. The black flames spun very rapidly, diverting alot of the blast off to the sides. However, the sheer force of the column of flames pushed Dragoon back quite a bit. His feet made ruts in the desert sand 6 inches deep. The ground cracked beneath him. Dragoon thought to himself, This guy really wants to kill me. he is using alot of power in this attack. I guess I have to show him real power. With that, the swords dissintagrating. The particles rose up and collected in a ball in front of Dragoon. Once the ball was complete, it started to shine a black light. Dragoon quickly dropped his hands and grabbed the orb. A short burst of massive power emminated from where Dragoon was, it cratered the ground underneath, and sent a strong shockwave in all directions.
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