Most people stop being interesting the moment you understand them.
An interesting man once told me that.
It was a quiet night in Fourside�quiet because the people who were being chased had finally been caught.
Twoson was being invaded. A group of about 40 people had escaped on buses and passed through the barren town of Threed�where many residents had made themselves hidden upon learning of what was happening in the neighboring city. However, the escapees had been pursued by groups of Starmen who'd bunched into a couple of buses themselves�now that they had control of the city�and followed the humans all the way here.
I think he was mistaken to some extent. Thing is, I do indeed understand these heroes who are called the Chosen Ones; I also understand the group called the Destined Ones... and yet... I still find them interesting�especially one of them in particular.
The sound produced by the chase had stopped. The humans' bus had�with a little help from the Starmen's vehicle�crashed into a building, leaving everyone inside in a dazed and scared state. There was now a bit of space between the two buses. All five Starmen�two Supers, two normals, and one being a dreaded DX�exited the pursuit vehicle and advanced on the unfortunate prey.
No one seemed to notice that not too far above, on the top of a building actually, someone had been watching�a blonde teenage girl wearing black sneakers, blue jeans, a T-shirt, a short-sleeved denim jacket... and a mask.
She knelt in a quiet state, her feet up on the ledge and her hands clinging to it between them. The wind played with her hair.
One thing I don't understand is why none of them ever seem to be around during all this. I know their quest is important, but they can't be busy all the time, now can they?
Anyway, looks like I get to play watchdog again... and it's time once more to show that my bite is worse than my bark.
Just as the Starmen had nearly reached the now-immobile target... the frightened people inside the bus heard a sudden thump on the roof�the sound made by the person who'd just landed.
The Starmen outside stopped, staring... and then felt a sense of panic as they began to recognize the girl now standing above them.
One of the normals lifted an arm and fired a beam that was quick, but not quick enough. The masked girl leapt from the bus and began to tilt forward, gliding towards the attacker. While still airborne, her hands clutched the Starman's shoulders, and as she flipped over his head, she hoisted him off the ground and hurled him into the Starman DX, sending both of her targets flying several yards away with the amazing force of her attack.
A Starman Super on her right pointed and fired. Like a figure skater, the girl launched off the ground into several spins, except that she twirled horizontally, not vertically, and passed right over the beam. As she came out of her last rotation, her right leg extended and came down hard on the hesitant Starman, immediately breaking his upper torso into pieces and dropping what remained of him to the ground. The girl landed gracefully, her leg still arched as she paused in a bent pose for a moment.
The two enemies still standing were a little more nervous now, as a moment or two passed before the normal to her far left began firing. The girl turned and extended one of her own arms. Her strong palm deflected the beam. The Starman fired again. In response, her left palm produced the same result as before. The girl now balled her right hand into a fist, and suddenly moved with an incredible speed. Just as the Starman was in the process of lifting an arm again, his entire torso shattered as a blur passed him by.
Now more nervous than ever, the last remaining Starman Super raised both hands and began firing as quickly as he could. While charging him, the girl, however, zigzagged each shot. As she got in close, the attacker closed his eyes... and felt a hard impact just below his head, followed by the feeling of his back being slammed against the nearby wall. When he opened his eyes again he saw the masked girl right in front of him, her high kick pressed to his neck while holding him a few inches off the ground. Still dazed, the Starman could barely attempt to free himself. She released him, lowering her leg... then slamming it into the enemy again while he was recovering, quickly leaving him in several parts like the others.
She jogged over to the bus and ripped the door off its hinges. "Everybody out," she called.
The citizens from Twoson followed her instructions, gathering right outside.
At this point, the Starman DX had recovered and taken out his anger on the poor natural-class soldier that had landed on him, leaving just the DX and the girl as the last two combatants.
As all of the citizens formed a small crowd, they watched as their protector, standing in the center, began to spread her arms and concentrate. Then, a large white ball of light flowed from the girl's body and enveloped the group around her.
"Yes," called the bitter Starman DX, in a rare show of emotion, "run. Run, coward!" he said to the girl.
The light disappeared in a burst, the sound of thunder accompanying it, and the girl had dematerialized along with all of the other people. Moments later, they reappeared... in the Lost Underworld. To say the least, the crowd was stunned by the sudden change of scenery.
"Stay still," said the young woman, suddenly fading away again via a quicker form�since it was just her this time�of the teleportation technique.
They all waited, looking confused.
She appeared before them again, flashing onto the scene with something in her hand�the head of the Starman DX from Fourside.
The group moved away in awe and unease.
She dropped the trophy, then instructed all of the people she'd saved to follow her towards a group of nearby huts...
About 10 minutes later, when everyone had started to calm down a little, she managed to get an answer as to just why the people she'd saved had been attacked.
"What?" she said. "You're from Twoson?"
One of the men among the bunch continued his explanation. "They've attacked, but..."
"But what? Come on, time is an important thing right now, especially since I can't teleport to Twoson; I've never been there before."
"It seemed like they were just looking to take us hostage."
"Take you hostage."
"They've got some sort of mother ship in Twoson. I don't know why, but it seemed like they were after the whole town. That was why they chased us. Us, and... the others."
Her hidden eyebrows lowered. "What others?"
"Well, there was... there was one other bus that managed to escape from Twoson."
"Where is it now?"
"It should've followed us into Fourside. The aliens probably got it somewhere along the bridge or nearby."
She turned, walking off. "Stay with the Tendas."
He spoke again. "Where are you going?"
"...I'm off to do some rescuing."
Rescuing. It seems that's something I'm good at. Then again, there was a time when I needed to be rescued too... from myself.
* * * *
-Several Years Ago
A little blonde girl stood on the edge of a cliff, looking out at the encouraging gray sky... and down at the hard, distant ground. This was it�the end. She'd decided she had to go through with it, because there was too much of a difference between the beginning and the end.
In the beginning, she'd had parents. To the best of her memory, they were very different people, from slightly different age groups even. Her mother was a wild, light-hearted, free-spirited individual who'd come home late almost every night�long after her daughter had gone to sleep. Her father was a serious, hard-working man who seemed to be going places�meaning he was growing less and less fond of being tied down, which was always evident by the way he didn't smile.
The two of them weren't married, and they were hardly even what you'd call "parents." They were simply living together, raising the daughter they'd ended up with... until the father finally left. He'd planned on doing the honorable thing, going to the courts to arrange due payments, but he'd soon found that shortly after his departure, the mother, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, had given the little girl up for adoption in order to pursue her independence again.
So here that little girl was, quite a distance apart from the building she'd snuck away from. The far ground she was staring at became distorted as tears blurred her vision. Her face was red and her mouth occasionally let out a series of sobs. She felt a breeze pick up around her. She closed her eyes... and let herself fall forward.
Something interfered. A hand reached out and held her left wrist. She turned around, and saw the source of the breeze from a moment ago�a man she would come to know as Starmaster.
He shook his head with a sympathetic look. "You are one of those who must one day stand. If you will not live for yourself... you must at least live for the world that needs you."
The girl looked at him with confusion, awe, and fear, but before she could say anything, the two of them began to spin, and were soon teleported to Dalaam.
* * * *
-The Present
The second bus from Twoson hadn't gotten any farther than the end of the bridge that leads to Fourside. After it was stopped, most of the people onboard had gotten off and begun running, and most of the Starmen in the pursuit vehicle had been hunting them down.
Just as all of the humans had been recaptured and everyone was headed back for Twoson...
"I see another!" called one Starman. "Come out of there!" he demanded.
From the shadowy interior of the tunnel, someone moved quietly. The bridge's lights soon revealed the face of a blonde girl, looking quite timid as she stood before them. "Please, please don't hurt me."
Within moments, the girl was thrown in with the other captives, and the buses began making their way back to Twoson.
Captivity. It's a feeling I once knew all too well.
* * * *
-Several Years Ago
She screamed.
"...rrrrrAAAAHHHHH!"
Not out of fear. Pain. Pure pain.
A moment later she was catching her breath.
"Huh... huh... huh..."
They kept telling her there was a way to control it. The masters said that in this place�a place of nothingness�a certain level of the discipline she'd been taught ever since coming here would be key.
It didn't seem to be working. Every time she'd entered the training called Mu, she'd given up halfway into it, seeking relief. She didn't want to keep trying, but they'd pleaded with her, telling her that the world would depend on it someday... would depend on her and several others. They told her she had to reach her potential.
Problem was, she didn't feel she had any. Failing at something again and again does terrible things to one's morale. Failing at Mu, in particular, made her feel incredibly small, weak, and useless�considering the high expectations she'd kept hearing.
She gave up. Again. The surrounding black of the realm around her ripped away, like hands tearing down through a curtain, then faded entirely, once again leaving her with the familiar sight of Dalaam... once again leaving her with the familiar feeling of failure.
The girl fell on her side, lying still up on the peak of Mu. When her eyes opened, they spotted the distant form of Starmaster, standing down on the grass below. Even from where she was, she could tell he was trying to mask the disappointment he felt, wearing a look that said, Maybe I was wrong about this one.
He gripped his cane and turned, leaving the child alone.
She sniffed, her cheeks going red as her eyes overflowed. The cold wind blowing around up there didn't help matters.
Night fell over Dalaam. The girl was lying alone in her room, with only the moonlight that always managed to creep in providing some illumination. It was bright enough in there, however, that if someone else was present, they could see a look on her face that reflected exactly what was going on within. She felt sad. She felt disappointed. She felt lost. Above all, she felt like she was tired of feeling all of those things.
She reached a conclusion: it was time for all of that to end, and she knew just how to bring that about. The girl got out of bed, and moments later, left the building for what she knew would be the last time. It was late enough that no one would be around to stop her.
She didn't have the courage to throw herself off the island, and she figured she didn't have the strength to take a sword and run herself through. However, she remembered something, something she'd heard during her most recent attempt at completing the training of Mu. After taking so many other things, she'd heard the voice say that it would take her mind.
That was the part that had initially scared her enough to make her back down once more, and that was the part that scared her still. But it seemed to be the only solution to her problem now. She would lose her mind to Mu, and then she would feel no more of the trauma that haunted her everyday.
Tears flowed down her cheeks and dropped to her white gi. She looked off to the side, staring at all the stars that filled the sky and saying a quiet farewell to them, to the world... and to her parents, wherever they were.
Within moments, she had scaled the ladders, and after some concentration, she'd entered the dark realm once more.
The answers were yes, yes, and yes, again and time again. As always, those answers had consequences. She endured the pain, endured the fear... she took everything Mu could throw at her, until she reached the question she'd been waiting for.
Once again she knew that this was it�the end. For real this time. If little girls could cry in the Place of Nothingness, this one certainly would have.
She almost�almost�gave in again. She almost decided to snap out of it, climb down the ladders, and run back to her comforting bed. She almost decided she didn't have the guts to "die." She almost said no... but she didn't. She said yes.
Then it happened. Not an end... but the start of a new beginning.
It feels at first like a warm wind, passing on the inside of your skin rather than the outside. Then it feels like a surge of energy, running wild for a moment before settling down. As it fades, it leaves one with the feeling that something's changed�for the better. It's called leveling up, but she just called it weird.
Still, she could feel that it wasn't an uninviting kind of weird. Right now, it actually felt comforting. It was the relief that ended what all of the pressure she'd been under had begun. It was the light that began where the realm of darkness she was in ended. It was her grand discovery, her great accomplishment, her best and only friend. She questioned it. She examined it. She embraced it. And then, as the dark realm faded away and the familiar night sky returned, she re-closed her eyes and said, "Again."
She only uttered the word once, but she'd be acting on it more than that. For what remained of nightfall, she'd set out to conquer a challenge: completing Mu once for every time she'd previously failed. That was more than any human being was supposed to, and the reasons why became abundantly clear throughout, as Mu's wrath took its toll on her with every engagement. It became not just emotional, not just spiritual, but eventually entered the physical plane as well, with slow moments of bleeding coming about as a result of it all. It was gruesome, disturbing, terrible... and yet, with each round, her new level of power managed to remain a step ahead of what the training would dish out next. She learned that everything she'd been told was true: she was indeed no ordinary girl. An ordinary girl, or guy for that matter, couldn't have endured this particular test�powers or not. It seemed that being strong wasn't so much a result of the training as it was something the training augmented... something that had been her unique gift all along.
But still, even she could only keep it up for so long. As the final engagement was completed, she pulled herself away from the peak, crawling down the ladders until she reached the grass below. After a few steps, that was where she collapsed.
She awoke to the sound of screaming. She barely stood, barely opened her eyes. Her white gi was stained with blood all over, her steps were shaky and her face looked incredibly tired. It was clear she needed help. She tried to remain up, seeing people scurrying away as she headed towards the upper levels of Dalaam once again. Tired as they were, her eyes produced a look of shock when she saw just what the problem was. She could see a figure she had come to know as one of the fabled Starmen, pointing and firing beams around Dalaam. Pretty soon, she was locked into a brief stare-down with it, and then a beam came flying right at her.
Instinctively, the quiet girl put up a hand and looked away, dodging a bit with what little energy she had. The beam hit her palm and deflected, fading away. The girl was surprised, glancing at her hand and then back at her opponent. Another beam was already on its way by then. She held her other hand up, and the same thing as before happened. Shot after shot came, and shot after shot went, as the girl's powerful hands provided the best shield she could muster. Suddenly, she began walking forward, knocking aside every additional shot as she advanced with a bold, angry look.
As a final beam was smacked away with a swing of her right hand, the girl used her momentum and spun, coming out of the quick turn with a powerful kick to the lower torso. Her opponent was now literally flying backwards, staying in motion until hitting the palace, then lying down with a shocked feeling.
All of the onlookers became quite nervous.
With a battle cry, the girl herself was over there in barely any time. Everyone watching suddenly began running over to the two combatants, shouting something the girl didn't make out. She kicked her opponent onto his back, then knelt and lifted her fist, ready to end it. That was when she noticed a shadow crawling over her�the shade created by the group of frantic people. She began to understand them now. "Don't..." said one. "Wait," said another. She had no idea at first why they'd be defending her victim, but pretty soon, the reason sunk in quite clearly. The figure lying before her changed form; the Starman was gone, and in its place was Starmaster, looking nearly as hurt as the blood-soaked girl who'd put him in this state. It also sunk in for her just what was going on: she'd been spotted asleep by Mu, and Starmaster could tell she'd been successful. With cooperation from a few other people, he'd enacted a new level of training for her�one where his mirror ability would be central.
However, he didn't expect her to be this strong; he didn't know what she'd gone through the night before. Based on her appearance, though, he began to figure it out.
With a nervous, jittery stare, she opened her hand and walked off, quickly wanting to put some distance between herself and Starmaster before her passion got out of control and she really hurt him. She figured that would also be for the best in regards to all the onlookers as well... and that was when one more thing sunk in. That was when, thinking about Starmaster lying down back there, the realization really hit: she was now a very dangerous person, and she wasn't sure she was too proud of that after all.
* * * *
-The Present
It seemed Twoson had never seen a darker day. Its people saw no help, no hope, and no escape. The mother ship that captives had been bunched into had temporarily left, departing to drop off the citizens it had collected before coming back for the rest. Those who remained in Twoson were lined up, waiting... except for the several children�and two adults�who were hiding in Polestar Preschool. The kids were bunched together in the living room, under the arms of the grown-ups who'd always looked after them. Staying in the closest room to the exit was a strategy, in order to avoid being boxed in if they were all discovered. The light was off and everyone remained quiet. It seemed that the earlier disturbance with a bunch of people fleeing on buses had momentarily distracted the invaders from inspecting the preschool. However, now the building's inhabitants could hear what sounded like buses arriving again, and assumed correctly that some of the escapees had been brought back.
Then the moment they'd all been worried about arrived: there was a sound at the door. Tears rolled down little faces as they saw an alien figure through the small pieces of looking glass, a figure with what appeared to be spikes on its shoulders.
Over at the retrieved bus, several Starmen waited as the citizens began coming out. When one human appeared, however, she stopped, blocking the ones behind her and staring down the invaders.
"Out," said a cold-voiced alien.
She was the same young woman who they'd found on the bridge, just before leaving. "Sure. Fine. Okay," she replied. "There's just one thing though..." Her right hand rose, revealing something she strapped to her head after lifting her hair, something that was very much familiar to the ones she was talking to.
The Starmen all stepped back in shock.
It wasn't visible, but a brief smile came over her face. "Recognize me now?"
Just as the Starman at the preschool was on the verge of entering, he heard a scream from elsewhere, and turned his head just as a fellow Starman's arm came and landed beside him.
* * * *
-One Year Ago
The War Against Giygas was in full session, but she was told that that wasn't what she'd come here to train for. Her strength had grown over time, and she was now living, temporarily, in lower-Scaraba, where she and a small band of companions from Dalaam had set up a camp outside the pyramid, while sleeping in it for shelter from the heat at night. The days came and went, and she found she liked this life, not just because of the change of pace after being in Dalaam for so many years, but also because of the company she kept.
Among those charged with seeing her through the training were several palace elders, and Starmaster's son, Shen, who was about her age.
She walked before the pyramid, dressed again in a white gi, standing in the center of the stone ground and staring up at the Sphinx. The wind lifted her long blonde hair. Her eyes closed.
Listening very closely, she heard something flying through the air, then opened her eyes and quickly turned, catching the knife just before it could reach her.
"Very good," said an elder. "You determined exactly where it was coming from."
On another day, Shen was standing alone, staring ahead with his usual serious gaze under his flapping long black hair. There was a large boulder behind him, which someone suddenly jumped out from in a tackling position. Shen, however, easily grabbed the person from the air and threw his attacker to the ground.
She looked up at him, laughing as she pulled some of the blonde hair from her face.
He smiled, helping her up. "I may not be stronger than you, but that doesn't mean I can't introduce your butt to the sand with a little skill."
Every week, they'd teleport to Winters, where, out at sea, a balancing exercise would be among the several they'd engage in. All of the combatants were armed with staffs, and all were standing on glaciers. She'd hop from one to another, swinging her weapon against experts with far more experience, which was something that proved very effective against her strength�which was partially restrained. The older men would hop to avoid her swipes at their shins, use horizontal blocks to stop her vertical ones. She'd duck, then spin and use a backward thrust of the staff to hit her opponent's torso, sending him off the platform. Things like this would go on and on, with her being knocked into the water a few times herself, until she'd manage to beat each of them for the day.
Back in Scaraba, long before the Chosen Ones would arrive, she'd help hunt the strange beasts that had begun appearing during the war, tearing the heads off of Bookas and snatching the small UFOs out of the air, her hands reducing their size even more. She became something of a local hero as her training played out.
Inside the pyramid one night, she was kneeling on a mat beside an elder. Flames lit the room, and they stared at a very special wall with certain hieroglyphs written on it.
"Child, can you tell me what those words say?" asked the man, who could read them very clearly himself.
She looked steadily at what was before them. " 'To fight against the invaders, we built this pyramid fortress. However, our efforts were futile, and we lost. Nonetheless, our pyramid was protected by the gods of Scaraba.' " She closed her eyes. " 'The invaders will be reborn every millennium and will attack again. Even now, the invaders hide beyond space and time and build their evil stronghold. A place out of time is beyond the Dark, and is even farther beyond the Lost Underworld. The Deep Darkness is shrouded, it is without light. Only one with the Hawkeye can pierce the dark. . . .' " She stopped before reaching the next sentence, which she always wondered about.
A new day had arrived. She and Shen were exercising again, scaling a large, sandy hill side by side, seeing who could reach the top first. While taunting each other, they suddenly both slipped, rolling all the way down with surprised yells. They landed together, letting out annoyed moans... and then starting to laugh. He was lying above her, and he brushed some of the hair from her lips. They stared into each other's eyes, smiles on their faces between breaths. Slowly, he lowered his head to hers, and she didn't budge at all at first... but then stopped him, holding back his shoulder.
"What?" asked Shen with a confused smile.
She sat up. "We can't."
"Why not?" He stared at her while she stared forward. "We both know it's there. I like you so much... and you're so beautiful." He touched a strand of her hair.
"...You know why not. That's just it. I'm not a creature of beauty, Shen... I'm a creature of destruction. A living weapon. I have to be," she stared down. "I'm a blade, and if I head down this path with you, I'm going to dull. We both know it."
He stood. "Actually I don't know that," he sounded rather irritated. "I don't think you do either." Shen turned away. "...This is also about something else, isn't it?"
She looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"
"A certain other guy."
"...If you're talking about the prince, you're wrong. I'm not one of those girls who's hot for him. I barely even know--"
"Not the prince. I've heard you at night, while you're dreaming. You utter a name."
Her head turned away, feeling embarrassed as she remembered the dreams that seemed almost prophetic.
Shen stood still for a moment, his gaze remaining away from her. "...I care about you." He walked off.
She had the dream again. In it, she saw a young man with red hair standing by her side. A smile came over her face as she slept. She even knew this boy's name somehow, and she was about to utter it again... when a scream of pain woke her up.
Instinctively, her eyes quickly glanced around the room which no one but her slept in. Then she got up and reached the next one, seeing that it too was empty. Something was wrong. She ran, tightening her gi and passing the wall of hieroglyphs, calling out as she went. There was no response from any of her companions, and when she finally made it outside, she learned the reason why.
On the stone ground around the camp, several of the people who'd been like family to her for so long were lying�battered, bloody, and beaten. All of the palace elders... and Shen, whose eyes slowly closed upon seeing hers. She wore an incredible look of stunned shock, her expression of panic not budging as her hands came and trembled before her quiet mouth. Tears quickly appeared.
None of the Dalaam natives present would ever rise again. Standing above them were a squad of Fierce Shattered Men and one type of Starman she'd never seen before; it looked like a DX, but eerily stronger.
"Kill her," said the Starman, soon teleporting off to deal with other business, now that he was sure the disturbances in Scaraba had been dealt with.
She walked forward, still holding the astonished stare on her friends.
"The Sphinx now watches over everything, waiting for the coming of a truly brave hero."
Her feet made soft slaps onto the stone ground, eyes still on the people lying around them.
A huge stone fist came from her right, advancing on the stoic girl's head. Less than a second later, that fist was stopped, held in place by a smaller hand that reached out and opened. With her arm to the side, the girl kept looking down. The Shattered Man pushed. His arm didn't gain an inch. He grew frustrated and confused, trying and trying while the ones around him began feeling similarly.
Suddenly, the Shattered Man felt a change, a growingly painful change. The girl's hand began to squeeze, her eyes still on the ground. The Shattered Man tried pulling away, but couldn't. He dropped to one knee, feeling an incredible pressure on his hand, pressure that was only relieved when the hand burst into pieces, and the girl created a fist of her own. The Shattered Man tended to his wound in utter agony, looking up just as a sidekick made contact. The next thing the Shattered Man saw was the stars, then distant trees, then the sand, then the site of the gathering around the Sphinx, and then the stars again, and so forth, over and over as his head spun through the air while a fading amount of life still clung to it.
The others hesitated, then rushed the girl. Her clenched fist flew and made a direct hit with one's chest, immediately helping him live up to his name as the impact smashed him to bits. Now she'd gotten over the shock. Now she'd gotten angry, and the violence inflicted upon her friends would be nothing compared to what was about to happen to the Shattered Men.
When it ended, the girl was on her knees, remaining still in the middle of her fallen companions. She was quietly looking at the ground, hair hiding her face.
Eventually, she made herself a promise: she would never allow this sort of thing to happen to another innocent person again while she was around.
However, the sad part was, she knew in the same moment she made that vow that it would probably be impossible to keep.
With a slight movement, she concentrated... and a white ball of light enveloped the natives of Dalaam, teleporting them and her back home to the sky island.
* * * *
-The Present
In the preschool, the couch and other items had done a fair job of blocking the front door. But now, all of that became irrelevant as the Starman finally just ripped the door away and teleported in through the opening, easily surpassing the blockage.
Paula's parents and the children remained bunched together against a wall, terrified by the sight of the advanced enemy. The father stepped forward against the pleas of his wife, with even the children knowing he couldn't protect them against a foe such as this. The mother ran forth and stood by his side.
The Starman Super DX approached with a menacing confidence and lifted a hand, aiming right at the couple before him.
Just then, the window on the house's side shattered, and a girl in a short-sleeved denim jacket and a mask flew through, arms crossed over her eyes. She immediately ran to the surprised Starman and swung her leg up, delivering a powerful kick to his chin that took the alien off the floor and sent his head crashing through the ceiling, leaving him suspended there for a moment.
"Get out!" she yelled at all the others.
Paula's father pushed the blockage by the doorway aside, and led his wife and all of the children away from the building. They were surprised to find several other citizens running down the roads as well, with no more invaders anywhere to be found.
Inside the home, she walked over to the doorway, blocking the exit. The Starman Super DX finally pulled his head from the ceiling and dropped to one knee on the floor, still dazed.
She spoke. "There's a reason you're alive," she said, referring to her kick not being intended to finish him off on the spot. "You're going to suffer for what you did to my friends."
This was indeed the same Starman from Scaraba, who'd otherwise stayed out of combat during the War Against Giygas. Without a word, the Starman looked up, and launched an attack known as Starstorm. The girl had prepared for this in her training, but still hadn't mastered the proper physical defense; very few people throughout history ever could. She leaned forward a bit and started swinging both hands, rapidly swiping away many of the stars as they came, presenting a remarkable display of hand-and-eye coordination, but eventually, the attack overwhelmed her, and the frustrated girl was blown out of the house, flying through the doorway and landing across the street.
Pain. Pure pain. Once again. She crawled to a stop sign, trying to pull herself up as she clung to it. Starstorm hurt like a female dog... having puppies. She heard steps behind her, realizing that the enemy was already approaching, and sensing a slight energy fluctuation�similar to what it feels like when someone's approaching via teleportation�as the Starman began building up another attack.
Quickly, she pulled the sign out of the ground and spun with both hands on it, slamming the once again surprised Starman with an amazing impact that sent him flying to the roof of the preschool. He landed up there on his back with arms spread, not budging.
She dropped the sign, stumbling a bit... then looking up before making quite a leap, leaving the street and landing on the roof herself. She thought she'd sensed another energy fluctuation, but ignored it, running forward as the Starman pulled himself up. "Game over!" she yelled, leaping through the air and extending her leg.
Then a funny thing happened. Instead of smashing the Starman to pieces, she bounced off of him, flying back. Landing with a thud and a few rolls, she paused in shock, then looked over at the enemy again�just as he said two words.
"Power Shield."
A cold wind blew through the girl's hair as she held herself up from the roof, staring onward. Her physical attacks could tear through most Power Shields, but it was obvious that this one wasn't "most."
The Starman Super DX launched Starstorm again, and just as the girl was standing, she felt its wrath, as it made a direct hit that knocked her off the building and sent her colliding with the street again�only harder this time. Her bones held, as her enhanced body had taken greater falls, but never combined with an attack like the one she'd just felt.
A moment passed, and she stumbled up again, clutching her left arm... and soon dropping to one knee.
The Starman arrived on the ground with a quiet warp, hands on his waist.
The girl was catching her breath, wobbling a little in her position.
Without saying another word, the Starman launched Starstorm again, and his violent attack furiously tore through the air a final time, screaming toward the girl like it had a view of its own, as she was at first distant and then became ever closer as the lethal force neared. About a second before it could reach her, though, the downed girl disappeared in a burst of light, avoiding the attack entirely, and reappeared beside the Starman, now standing again.
Bending like she was going to do a forward flip, her hands touched the ground, and she twisted, swinging her legs over so that her ankles were hooked around the Starman's head. She then twisted back the way she'd come, hurling him down the street. The attack had not been a strike, so the shield wasn't able to provide protection.
The Starman bounced off the road a few times. It was unclear whether or not he'd been hurt by the impact, but he was a bit disoriented as he attempted to stand.
The girl pulled herself up, clearly hurt, clearly tired...
He heard a loud battle cry as he turned.
...And clearly angry. She rushed him, arms moving up and down at her sides wildly as she tore down the street.
The Starman Super DX concentrated. Starstorm was building up again.
The girl continued, not hesitating one bit as she sensed the attack coming.
He clenched his fists, knowing his shield was still up as she neared.
She was within striking range.
He felt the attack prepare to launch.
She quickly grabbed just above his neck... and snapped it, concentrating her strength into a forceful twist that the shield again couldn't protect her enemy from.
The Starman fidgeted in a stunned state... then dropped as life faded from his body.
Catching her breath, the girl fell as well, sitting down on the road and letting out a soft sigh moments later.
Seems I'm going to have to adapt accordingly. These things may not be as strong as me... but with a little skill they can... still...
...
How odd. Shen and the opponent who took him away have both taught me the same thing.
Having watched the battle from above, the pilot of the returning mother ship flew the craft away, wanting no part of the enemy below.
Before being teleported by her to the Lost Underworld, the citizens of Twoson began quietly converging on the one who'd saved them, all eyes on a hard-working young woman whose name they didn't even know... and a hard-working young woman they'd never forget.
* * * *
-Six Months Ago
It was a calm day in Dalaam. A man with one hand on a cane and the other hidden stood near the edge, looking out at the clouds. Without turning, he addressed someone. "Are you leaving?"
She approached not too far behind his left shoulder. "Yes," she spoke with a somber tone. "I know I was supposed to wait longer, but I feel I must go out and begin now. For the moment, the Lost Underworld will be my place of residence while I'm active. But I... I will be back, if I'm still welcome."
"You know that you are. I have told you--"
"You don't hold me responsible for what happened to Shen. I know. I believe that."
He paused. "Where will you start?"
"Several targets are on my list," she looked to the side. "I'm going to find the Starman who led the attack that night." A slight chill passed through her before she spoke again, but quickly went away as her eyebrows lowered. "I've also heard Juliana Alester might still be alive somehow... so if that's true, then wherever she's hiding, she'd better stay there."
He finally lowered his other hand, revealing what he'd been holding before his chest. "This is yours," he said, turning and extending a box.
She approached. "What's that?"
"The work you asked the craftsman for."
"You knew about that?"
"I approached him this morning, asking if I could present it to you myself."
She opened the box, seeing it for the first time. Staring back at her was a mask, one side of its face depicting drama, the other depicting humor. Serious and light-hearted, just like her parents�two people she still had some love for, and still wanted to see again someday.
She looked up at Starmaster, holding the mask by her side. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go and thank him personally. And, um..." she looked down a moment, then faced him again. "Thank you... for everything."
He nodded, looking at her with pride.
Moments later Starmaster turned, once more staring out at a cloudy, cloudy sky.
* * * *
-The Day After the War Against Giygas
A girl wearing black sneakers, blue jeans, a pink shirt, a short-sleeved denim jacket, and a mask appeared in a burst of light, standing again before the Sphinx in Scaraba.
She entered the pyramid, and walked through the lonely halls until she reached the wall with the hieroglyphs. After staring for a while, she picked up a pointy stone, and walked farther down, where a new hieroglyphic message would be added. She began carving.
"I write this to you, the heroes of another generation."
* * * *
-The Present
"Actually, I'm hoping that it will be mere adventurers, not heroes, who discover this."
Several monkeys were running through Deep Darkness, which was an extremely difficult thing to do.
"If you are heroes, then that likely means the Earth needs saving."
Several people were running behind them, trying to escape the same thing.
"If that is the case, then take heart in knowing, as you surely must by now, that this is not the first time the Earth has been defended."
And several Starmen and Mooks were chasing after them, trying to figure out just where they'd gone.
"Our success proves that you can and will prevail. The success of the Chosen Ones, the Destined Ones, the others, and me."
A small thunderclap sounded off in the skies.
"As I write this, I begin a journey -- one I've initiated for you, me, and everyone else."
Two black sneakers gracefully touched down on top of a tall tree.
"I am light where darkness resides, I am hope where hope fades."
The people and the monkeys kept running, seeing a patch of land up ahead, knowing that if they could just reach that...
"I will watch, I will learn. I will help and endure and fight and win."
The Starmen finally made a successful warp and spotted the ones they were chasing in the distance, calling for the Mooks to follow.
"And when I'm through, there will be a change in the world."
The humans and monkeys made it up on the patch of land, where it would be far easier for the monkeys to try teleporting�which they began doing at once. The Starmen and Mooks panicked, the former making their warps and the latter speeding up. The monkeys gathered everyone together, ran... and disappeared, taking their human friends with them.
Moments later, the aliens arrived on the land, taking a moment to pause in anger.
"Because by then, all of its enemies will have learned one important lesson..."
They heard what sounded like a rustling, and as one of them looked up he suddenly yelled at the others�who all matched the terrified look on his face as they noticed a familiar sight diving out of the sky toward them.
"Fear the mask."
WRITTEN BY
James
BASED ON A FANFIC BY
Heartslaught
EARTHBOUND: THE HORSEMEN SAGA
INTERLUDE
EBHS, Copyright Heartslaught
Thanks for reading
The events in this story take place outside continuity