Escape from El Microondas's Keep
Dashe: Dang it! Stupid plot twist...figures I'd end up in a place like this sooner or later...
Creepy Guy: I was foretold that danger would be eminent in your noble quest, Dashe. Your recklessness has once again landed you in a mess of trouble.
Lady: You two know each other, I take it?
Dashe: Whaaa? This guy keeps popping up all over the place!!! I think he's stalking me! He won't even tell me his name!!! I don't know HIM!!!
Creepy Guy: I have no intention of doing so either. What brings you here, ma'am?
Lady: Well I was minding my own business dancing at the party when all of a sudden this El Microondas guy knocks me into a refreshment table. I accidentally knocked a bowl of punch onto his head, and he executed a sleeping spell on me! When I woke up, I was here.
Dashe: Accidentally?
You are taken to the Name Selection screen and name the lady "Nailo" (the default).
Nailo: I'm Nailo. Nice to meet you both...I guess.
Creepy Guy: Same here.
Dashe: Great, so we know each other's names, big whoop! Now HOW THE HECK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF HERE???
Creepy Guy: *Points to the door to the room, which El Microondas inexplicably left wide open*
Dashe & Nailo: O_O
They proceed through the building which they were taken to, randomly encountering guards and gaining EXP to their hearts' content. Before long, they enter the entry hall, the obvious path to the exit. Of course, exiting is NEVER that easy in an RPG, even this early in the game.
El Microondas: And where are WE going so soon?
Dashe: Geez I hate it when people say "we" when they're talking to other people and not including themselves! Can't you just say "And where are YOU going so soon" instead?
Creepy Guy: U_U THAT'S the best thing you can come up with after being caught by the most evil guy ever to walk the face of this Continent?
El Microondas: Now now, we don't want to make El Microondas mad, now do we, children?
Nailo: This guy's starting to get on my nerves! *Charges up some advanced spell*
Dashe: We have to beat him here and now in the name of Supreme Magister Cid, Tikea, and whatnot!
Nailo: Supreme Magister Cid??? You mean that loser who sits around in his mansion all day and beheads anyone who tries to talk to him?
Dashe: Forget it. You weren't there...
Creepy Guy: Oh geez...
Just then, the ATE icon appears at the bottom of the screen again! After pressing SELECT, you are presented with two ATE prompts: "A Date with Joe" and "Big Swords are Fun!" You pick "A Date with Joe."
~ATE: A Date With Joe~
In the Executive District, Elbie and Travis are standing on a street corner, watching Joe walk around in his programmed pattern like a Townsperson should. Travis is beet red and giggling like a dolphin, and Elbie is reassuring her that everything will be fine.
Travis: But what if he says no? What if he doesn't like me?
Elbie: Don't worry! He won't say anything like that! The worst he can say is, "I'm Joe! I'm an ordinary townsperson with only one line of dialogue in the entire game!" Acutally, that's the best he can say too...
Travis: But...
Elbie: We've been standing on this street corner watching him since yesterday night! Go and talk to him already!
Travis: *Takes a deep breath* Okay, I'll do it!
Travis CASUALLY walks across the street to where Joe is walking in his fixed, programmed little pattern.
Travis: Uh...hi Joe, remember me?
Joe: I'm Joe! I'm an ordinary townsperson with only one line of dialogue in the entire game!
Travis: I already know who you are! You told me that before! I really like you, Joe, and I wanted to know if you'd come to the Tavern with me...you know...like a date?
Joe: I'm Joe! I'm an ordinary townsperson with only one line of dialogue in the entire game!
Travis: Can you hear me? Helloooo... *Pokes Joe*
Joe: I'm Joe! I'm an ordinary townsperson with only one line of dialogue in the entire game!
Travis: *Sighs*
~End ATE~
You are taken back to the screen where you can opt to view the other ATE. You decide to do so.
~ATE: Big Swords are Fun!~
It's early morning outside, and you are taken to a view of the streets of the Sector 3 slums. They are deserted, as no one has lived in there for years (except for the occasional bum). Zephyr turns the corner onto the street shown, giant sword in hand.
Zephyr: Hmmm...now where did that idiot get dragged off to?
Zephyr walks up to El Microondas's hideout.
Zephyr: Seeing as this place has a nifty lock thingy attached to the wall by the door, this is probably the place. *Tries to open the door, but naturally it won't open* I can't get it open! Dang! *Starts whacking the door repeatedly with her sword* LET ME IN!!! OPEN UP YOU IDIOT!!!
~End ATE~
Back inside, Dashe and Nailo look like they're about ready to explode, while the Creepy Guy keeps warning them not to make El Microondas TOO mad.
Creepy Guy: You guys, stop it right now! You have no idea how powerful El Microondas is!
Dashe: *Makes a goofy face* I'm El Microondas, and I wear Harvey the Dung Beetle underwear!
Nailo: PFFFFFFPHHHTT!!! (In case you were wondering what the heck that was...you're stupid. Everyone knows that's the sound you make when you blow a raspberry at someone you don't like or fart, and you can safely assume Nailo was doing the former and not the latter.)
El Microondas: Okay, now I'm REALLY mad! You'll pay for this!
The music gets all battle-y and the screen gets all swirly just like it did with Puff-N-Stuff's battle. El Microondas starts the fight with a standard-issue attack, depleting the Creepy Guy of a measly 4 HP. You have no idea what level Creepy Guy's on, but he didn't gain much EXP going through the building so it must be pretty high, and magic users don't usually do much damage when they attack anyway.
Dashe: Is that the best you can do? *Attacks and does 34 damage*
Nailo: *Casts Prominence for 43 damage; 32 MP is lost*
Creepy Guy: *Casts Haste on Dashe*
Dashe: *Uses a Potion on Creepy Guy*
El Microondas: *Casts Solar Flare and does 21 damage to the party*
Nailo: *Casts Prominence again for 44 damage*
Dashe: *Steals a Hi-Potion from El Microondas*
Creepy Guy: *Casts Stopara, but it misses*
El Microondas: *Uses Solar Flare again and does 20 damage to the party*
Dashe: *Uses a Potion*
Nailo: *Uses the last of her MP casting Prominence*
Creepy Guy: *Casts Slow on EL Micorondas*
Dashe: *Haste wears off; attacks for 32 damage*
All of a sudden, everything stops. The door falls inward and Zephyr comes charging in, sword in hand.
Zephyr: AHA! THERE YOU ARE!!! *Charges at the group and starts whacking Dashe with her sword*
Dashe: Hey, what are you doing attacking ME??? I'm the good guy! THAT idiot's the one you SHOULD be hitting!!!
El Microondas: *Overhears the conversation and decides to quietly slip into the shadows*
Nailo: Look, you made him get away!
Creepy Guy: All the better for us. Let's get out of here while we have the chance.
Everyone exits the building and returns to Sector 1. All the decorations from the previous day's festivities have been taken down, and everyone is back inside their office buildings doing work.
Dashe: Well, I guess I'd better head back to Tikea now before Travis and Elbie kill each other or do anything else regrettable...
Zephyr: GOOD! You're stupid, and you almost got me into trouble with that El Microscope guy!
Dashe: Gee, what kind of sendoff is THAT?
Zephyr: An honest one.
Dashe: I had to ask...
Nailo: Hey, did you say you were going to Tikea?
Dashe: Yeah, why?
Nailo: I've always wanted to go there! Can I come with you?
Dashe: Sure, why not? ^_^ An Illusionist like yourself would be a GREAT addition to the party!
Creepy Guy: I'm sure we'll meet again, so there is no need for a goodbye here. Hurry back to Tikea; I have a premonition that trouble is brewing somewhere within the city!
Dashe: u_u Oh great, more trouble...come on Nailo, let's go.
Nailo joined your party!
You spend the next 15 minutes of realtime walking back to Tikea, but since you've leveled up the battles are now much easier than they once were. The screen blacks out when you reach the city, signaling the end to another productive day.
