The Schwa Saga-- Chapter 3:
The Diary of Baltopuff
And the story continues. As usual, bring some popcorn and a Sobe Lizard Fuel (soda pop is too ordinary), but don't spill it on your computer! w00t! This is, to date, my longest chapter, so here goes nothin'...
After the West Side Island fiasco, I, along with Diago and his crew, were dropped off in a small, outpost village, some kind of Safari town called "Lion's End". I asked the innkeeper, "Why Lion's End?" Her interesting reply consisted of "Ever hear the tale of the Lion and the Mouse? Over here it's a true story, but it happened differently. The proud lion was angry at the mouse for helping him, and scared him away, so when he was trapped a second time nobody could help him, and he died. That was right at the gate of our town, hence the name." ...Now, as soon as I heard this, what was I like, you wonder? "That's pretty tight!" And it WAS, when you think of it. Stories like that, and towns like this for that matter, have never ceased to fascinate me. Hoo!
Anyway, Team Diago headed south to a town with a bigger port, and PirateMan and his ally Scizzors sailed off back to their homeland or something like that, leaving me with... what? Not much, though I had plenty of Gil by now, and with some pretty high-class shops in Lion's End I got a great idea. Check a look at the banner at the top of the page, will ya? The guy in teal armor is ME after I had used over half my Gil to upgrade my armor, buy a lightweight shield (with symmetrical gold thunderbolts on the front), and stock up on plenty of healing items, offensive attack items (one of them was a flute that could summon an Ice Moth swarm at the enemy with 4 uses-- couldn't bypass THAT offer, no sir-ree), and an up-to-date Map of the land's layout (remember, I was just dropped off here and I'd never been here before). Now I had to decide where to go, starting tomorrow... Better not follow Diago, since we already agreed we were parting ways, so what does that leave, option-wise? ...Up north, there was supposed to be a great, peril-filled wasteland called Clay Skull Desert, and to the east we had Toga Jungle which was even more hazardous... I was exhausted, so I decided I'd think about it tomorrow morning.
I checked in at the 4-room Inn, a very small Inn really, and as I was walking to my room I heard a familiar, hearty voice behind me, talking to the Innkeeper who was telling him they were no vacancies. I turned, and Baloo from Diago's Crew was right there. I came to his rescue. "He can bunk in with me, actually," I told the Innkeeper. Baloo closed his eyes and chuckled, and the Innkeeper accepted this offer and we headed to share the room.
"Wahahaha! I'm certainly glad the timing was so perfect on your behalf," Baloo told me once inside, "I had a brawl with a Spined Lotus Flower and ended up poisoned on the way back here. I would've died if a trader hadn't sold me an exorbitantly expensive Antidote! Ha ha... God bless those randomly appearing merchants, I say!" It was good that he was in high spirits, but I was still curious of something. "It's good that you feel well, but why aren't you with Diago?" Baloo sighed. "Ahhhh... Diago... He released me from the crew. Or... rather, I quit. Diago's changed over the years I've been with him... He's a lot more bitter and harsh now, and he wanted to keep going when all of us needed a rest from our voyage. When Zi finally fainted of exhaustion, I had enough of this, but he wouldn't listen to my demands. So I decided to seek you out and travel with you for at least a while. ...That's alright, isn't it? I didn't think you'd mind my help, but still..." As I set up my Sleeping Bag (Baloo could have the bed, for all I cared), without looking at him I replied to his question, "...Yeah, I don't mind a bit. Tomorrow I gotta decide whether I travel over the desert or the jungle. It'll be hard and there's less of us, but I think the two of us are probably more skilled than most of Diago's crew put together." We both laughed at that, and put out the lantern for the night as we drifted off to sleep.
We woke up at the same time, early the next morning because of a soft, gentle, beautiful song that reminded me of an echoey ocarina. "Crikey, what IS that?" was Baloo's first response. I decided I'd check it out first. The noise was coming from right outside the hut, so I got dressed, got my teal tunic/armor thing back on, equipped my awesome shield and headed outside. I saw nothing at first, but as I looked to my left, then finally behind me, down on the ground was an impossible Pokemon of some kind-- a Miximon, like the ones I fought back at Marble Garden during our search for Rool, only this little guy/girl/thing/whatever wasn't about to attack or act at all hostile, that was for sure. Interestingly, the little creature looked half Jigglypuff, half Baltoy. I wondered how a mix like that could even be possible... What was it, Normal/Ground type? I didn't know a lot about Pokemon at the time, so I decided to play it by ear.
"Hi little fella," I said to it, and it stopped it's song, looking up with it's pure, shining eyes. "Are you lost, or what? Need some help?" The next thing was incredible; it sang again as before, but the song was fast and rolling as if it was an Ocarina solo, still just as echoey. And as I heard the song, a voice formed in my head. "Thank you for your respect. You will do just fine. What is your name, brave one?" The blasted Miximon could utilize telepathy through its singing! "Wha-hey now! You can speak!?" I stepped back in alarm. "Please do not be afraid of me. What is your name, brave one?" It repeated its question, but I didn't know what to say.
By now Baloo had come out running, his smoky diamond broadsword 'Blitzkreig Finale' readied. He took one look at the Jigglypuff-Baltoy creature and he, too, hopped backward in alarm. "I say, Schwa! This little creature, is it giving you trouble? I could slash it down in one stroke if you--" I put my arm out in a stopping motion. Sure, the creature was mysterious and unnerving, but it certainly didn't mean harm. I approached it slowly and kneeled down, eye-level with it at last. "My name is Schwa. My friend is Baloo. Now you tell ME... Who are you?" I had spoken slowly and calmly for my own well-being, and I hope the creature didn't take it patranizingly. "Schwa. Thank you. I am Akane, a Baltopuff. I am glad I approached you-- at this time, your skills are needed by me, as are yours, Baloo. Will you listen to my story?" Whoa! At this, Baloo and I glanced at each-other for a few seconds. "My will is yours, Schwa," Baloo quickly said. I faced the Baltopuff, Akane, once again, and told her (it was probably a 'her' with a name like Akane), "Okay... Yes, please, tell us your story. But I'll likely have a lot of questions, as will Baloo, and to help us as best as possible you need to answer them." There was a pause... then, "Done," replied Akane, along with what I swore had to have been a telepathic giggle.
"Across the Clay Skull Desert is another country called Lashrock. It is mostly uninhabited, and those who do inhabit it consist of tribes of Native hunters and warriors. Because Lashrock is home to some of the most spiritual rainforests and temples in the world, a Council of earth-spirits exists in the Astral Plane there to watch over our land-- they were invited by the Tribe's ancestors to protect the sacred wilderness. The Council consists of only 5 high-ranked spirits... or it did..." I noticed a pang of sadness in Akane's voice, or song or whatever it was, as she continued. "There are only two left. The others... They've mysteriously vanished, and..." The cross-Pokemon just broke down right there. Almost instantly my arms were around it as I tried to be consoling. "Hey, it's fine... I make it a necessity to help those in need. Ssh, ssh... Calm down and finish the story... It'll be alright, I promise." I squeezed her, and she seemed to feel comforted. "One of the vanished Council members... is my grandfather. I've been having nightmares about him, locked in a sphere of darkness and calling my name... and I can't do anything to help him... At the same time, as the intensity of the nightmares rise each night, each day... I sense some kind of force building up over time at our main headquarters, Temple of the Tiger. I go there, and nobody's there, but I can sense vague images of my grandfather when I close my eyes there..." It sobbed some more. Baloo was getting a little sedimental, but as to this day I've still never seen him cry.
"So, er... Akane, you've come to ask us for help or something? How did you think to come right to us?" I asked her. "I set off south, across the Clay Skull Desert, destined for each closest town until I found someone who would be willing to help me. There were two towns in the Desert, Domino Outpost and Shady Oaisis. In both towns, I was avoided as if I were a monster, because I look like this... This body, see... My two best friends were Pokemon when I was still a spirit like my grandfather, and they were a Jigglypuff and a Baltoy. We became closer every day, and one day as I hugged them close with my etheral arms, there was some reaction to my Spirit energy and all 3 of us merged together, trapping me in the Material world. That's why I look like this... They thought I was an abomination; some mages even called me a "Witch in another form"... But I continued on, ignored by most of the desert beasts and therefore unharmed, and reached my 3rd town-- Lion's End. As I approached this hut, I sensed an emotional warmth that could only come from the heart of a virtuous warrior. And then..." I smiled as she looked up at me from where I was holding her. Her story was absolutely fascinating, and it REEKED of adventure and battle-- there was no way on Earth I could pass this up! Looking at Baloo, I could tell he felt the same. "Akane, we're coming with you. In fact, I vow, as the sun stands in the sky, to never leave your side until you once again know the meaning of peace. Let us traverse the Desert back to your homeland and smite whatever darkness that dares to interfere with the Council-- and your grandfather!" I stood up, and Akane, overjoyed beyond description, let out a vibrant song that FILLED me with vigor, bliss and determination-- it was her only means of communication with so much emotion inside her.
We stopped at the Shop real quick before leaving, so Baloo (and even Akane!) could stock up as I had the previous day. Baloo came out with a brand-new heavy suit of armor, that only someone of his stalwart caliber could bear in the Desert, and I also purchased a Sapphire Crystal Scarf for Akane that would protect her a little bit and make the heat more bearable. We set out right after... Clay Skull Desert may have been no problem for Akane to traverse, and Baloo could withstand, like, ANYthing... but me? I constantly had to cast Cryosphere on myself to keep cool and function in this heat! Yeah, 'cause of that, my Mana levels were in need of replenishment more often that I thought they'd be. And the wild monsters were just awful! Skully Cannons were scorpions that could fire bones AND acid at will, the Sand Squishies were like tan-colored jellyfish that floated in the air in swarms of anywhere from 6 to 30, equipped with barbed tentacles... The antlike-crablike Skuttlecracker was vast in number and Attack Power, and the occasional Skuttlecracker Queen was a REAL pain to take out while it spawned Skuttlecrackers in almost a constant stream! My *very limited* healing magic and our HP Potions were just barely enough for us to reach the first town in our desert trek-- Shady Oaisis.
The town was simply awesome-- hot water lined the streets and made both a scenery compliment and a relaxation refuge. There were 2 floors of the city, because it was similar to a desert-palace garden... Clouds of butterflies danced among the exotic plants, and Hippos, talking of course, resided in the doorless, half-submerged houses on the 1st floor. It gleamed with activity. As the three of us walked down the roads, many of the passersby stayed far away from Akane and scowled at us. I turned to her. "You doing alright, Akane? Sorry about all the negative attention... Really I am, it can't feel good, ya know..." Akane's reply suprised me. "It is actually I who feel bad for you, Schwa. Merely my presence have caused others to scowl at us, and you too have been scowled at just for aiding me... You do not deserve such treatment, I think, yet I curse you..." I paused, feeling the emotion in her song-voice. "Now hey... Remember that scowls don't upset me at all, but you... Akane, it isn't right to think low of yourself like that. You are very, very special, and you always will be. Uniqueness is an amazing gift." She was silent for a long while after that. As we walked though the town, I barely noticed the people had stopped scowling. "Schwa," Baloo suggested, "Our healing supplies have dwindled during our desert trek. It would likely be wise to re-stock. We have plenty of Gil, still, so hey, what do you say?" I turned to ask Akane, and she was NOWHERE. Sudden panic took over as I looked every which way, and the unmistakable Baltoy-Jigglypuff was completely out of sight and range. Dammit.
"Baloo, we have a problem. Akane's gone," I said quietly to Baloo. "Don't panic, though. I know both Psi and Magic, so give me a moment and I'll locate her." I focused and cast Bio Clairvoyance, detecting all living matter in a wide radius. By focusing on a specific target, I could see the target's features as well, and like I said, Akane was unmistakable... After a minute of this detection, I sensed two suspiciously located characters away from most of the other pings I was getting. I zeroed in, and my mind picked up Akane and, what was this? It was a small, ninja-dressed creature as tall as Akane... A Bio Spark! "Grrr! Baloo, Akane was kidnapped. And you'll never believe it, but I think it was a Bio Spark that did it-- you know, the ones that live in Dreamland that you read about in books. C'mon."
We found the building they were inside together, and it was locked. Sure, I could blast it down easily, as could Baloo, but the door was made of a stone tablet with artwork on it, and it would be blasphamy to destroy such valuable art, even to save a friend, so long as there was another way. And I had a good feeling the rooftops had that way in store. Thanks to some convenient timing, I stopped a passerby with the appearance of a Merchant and bought the Portable Springboard from him that he shipped from Dinosaur Land (play SMW). With that, Baloo and I could easily make it from Floor 2 of the town to the rooftops. My detection spell still in play, we re-found the building and it's chimney, which had a cover over it so we couldn't get through. Of course, the cover had no artwork on it whatsoever, so... "Honors are for you, Baloo," I told my ally. "Wahahaha! Blitzkrieg Finale: Gaia's Might!!" He lept up and delivered a crushing slam from above on the cover, spreading 4 cracks over most of the roof and sending the cover itself flying in all directions in the form of a hundred rock shards. He chuckled. "After you, of course!" I nodded, held my arms up as I jumped down the chimney. God, I better not get stuck...
Yeah, there was a Bio Spark in the room all right, and thankfully Akane, who was nearby as predicted, looked completely unharmed. "You all right, Akane?" I asked, making sure. "That I am. He was actually pretty nice to me, but it's rather strange..." I turned to the Bio Spark. "What the hell did you kidnap my friend for? Who are you?" I asked him. He backed up a few steps. "S-Salutaions! I am Avatar, a ninja! This girl is... She's your friend? I, well, didn't think of that... Still, a ninja must never give up, for that is dishonorable. We fight to the death, else you'll never take her from me! Hut!" I cocked my head, staring strangely at the 3-foot tall ninja. "You'll fight me? To the death? I, well... It's touching, really, but you kinda don't deserve that kind of treatment... Akane, what should I do?" I turned to her. "Like I said, it was strange... I don't think he deserves to die, though, at the very least..." I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my torso. I looked down, and a ninja dagger had been thrown there, pierced armor and all. I removed it and glared at the Bio Spark that called himself Avatar. "Alright, so you ain't messin' around... Fine. To battle it is. To the death!"
On that cue came three more daggers, but they stuck fast to my cool shield, though they had to have been specially made or something for my shield was metal and they actually hit hard enough to stick. I charged up a spell and he threw three more daggers, each hitting the shield. "Is that ALL you can do in a fight, Avatar? Some ninja you are," Akane commented. He turned real quick in alarm, adding his own comment. "H-hey! Hut! That was uncalled for! Don't you li--" My spell, Thousand Volt Grid, hit before he could finish. Avatar was caught in a tiny forcefield of compressed electricity, frying him inside-out. The 8-second spell ended and he was sizzling and coughing. "Shall we actually finish this? You're not looking too good," I offered. but before I knew it, my arms were pinned against the back wall, and suddenly my legs too. I looked... "Boomerangs!" I couldn't believe it. Neither could Akane. "Boomerangs!? You really aren't much of a ninja, Avatar." He stammered again. "OkayOKAY! Stop the flaming! I can take a hint... You don't like me at all, do you? Even though I'm fighting to have you, you refuse to like me... *whimper*" I stared wide-eyed at both Akane and Avatar. "What!? Alright, Avatar, what aren't you bloody telling me?" He was about to answer when Baloo came half-tumbling out of the chimney, rolled to his feet and crushed down on Avatar with the flat end of his broadsword in one fluid movement. He tried to dodge, and this resulted in his indigo cloak becoming pinned to the ground, with no escape. Now we were BOTH pinned. "Nice rescue," I said to my ally.
"Okay... *sigh* ...I did. I kidnapped your friend Akane because she was cute... It's a Bio Spark thing. All my life I've had a problem with cute girls... I see one and I lose control. I became a ninja for the discipline so I could control it better, but for 2 years it's made no difference... I am a disgrace to my kind. Please kill me." Well, this was shocking! I motioned to Baloo to withdraw the sword, for I had already gotten the boomerangs off by brute force, and I approached the deflated ninja. "I... can't do that, I'm afraid. I don't have it in me. You're not so much a disgrace as you think... You're very skilled at combat. Every cloud's got a silver lining, you know. Want to come with us?" Baloo raised his eyebrows at this and Akane gave a slight ping of surprise. Avatar quickly turned in my direction and made eye contact. "And you're serious? R-really?" I nodded. Avatar, in return, hid his whole face in his cloak and laughed blissfully. He revealed himself and stepped closer to me. "And... that's... alright? Even though I did something horrible to you guys?" I motioned to Akane, and what she said was in exact agreement with my own thoughts. "Schwa's a very forgiving man, Avatar... And you never meant any harm. You were very kind to me in here, and nobody else in Shady Oaisis would come near me. I owe you for your kindness, so please, travel with us and you may be near me as often as you'd like." She sent a smile in the song at the end of her last comment. "And we could use your ninja skills to help in combat as well," I added. "That desert is harsh." Avatar leaped up and high-fived me in approval. "T-thanks, Schwa! HUT! And you too, Akane! I'll never forget this! You're all so awesome!"
We re-stocked on potions and continued north-- and THIS time the beasts in the sands were no match whatsoever, for Avatar was an amazing marksman with his daggers and the Queens that gave us so much trouble before were taken down with a SINGLE shot right in their core that they exposed right before spawning more beasts. But as we approached the second town, all Hell broke loose... First, out of the blue, the sand all around us became a whirlpool of death and began sucking us under. Quickly I cast Phase to teleport myself out of harm's way, grabbed Baloo and helped him back, while Avatar swam out with his agility and Akane, who hovered as she moved, wasn't affected. We were all out of the whirlpool not one moment too soon as a beast of ungodly size and intimidation sprang out of the whirlpool and pierced the air with a demonic roar!
The picture on the left should describe it pretty well. It was a Guardian Antlion, the Black Plague for any desert traveller-- a battle against this fell fiend was a death wish! "Orders, Schwa?" Baloo managed to get out. Whatever I decided, it had to be immediate. But I got an inspiration. "We fight it. Akane, find a song that'll stun it while I charge a spell! Baloo, Avatar, once the whirlpool dies down, engage it in melee combat, but NOT UNTIL THEN. Go!!" I began my spell charge. "I'll do my best for you, Schwa. Hypno Ping!" The Miximon closed her eyes for a moment, then snapped them open as she emitted an eerie song aimed at the Antlion, eyes flickering magenta. The antlion roared, aggravated, but it's body locked in place at the sound of the ping. The whirlpool died, and Baloo leaped at it and brought the Blitzkrieg down in a high arc, spilling fluids. Avatar took out two long, wavy daggers and leaped forward for an X-slash on it's belly, then climbed up the stunned monster and cross-slashed it with every jump. I continued my charge. But Akane tired from keeping the Hypno Ping in effect, and the Antlion's body came back to life, sweeping a claw like a scythe to send Baloo airborne and thudding behind us. Dammit... But Avatar was out of it's slash-range, and continued attacking... until the Antlion used a special ability of some kind and summoned a sand tornado around him, dealing 10 high-damage hits and flinging him even farther than Baloo. But I finished my charge by now, and it was time to end this... with the almighty Astrodimensional Convextion! I released this spell, and hundreds of energy spheres appeared out of nowhere and spiraled around the Antlion, forming a miniture energy hurricane-tornado right around it. Since it was such a huge target, this combo attack was absolutely devastating to it. It screamed in agony, and sank back into the sands in retreat. We saw it kick sand up as it burrowed eastward, away from us for good.
I approached Baloo. "You okay, man?" I asked him, helping him up. He shook the sand off his armor. "Hah hah hah... Yes, I am alright. The attack would've killed me without armor... Hoo, I do believe he saved me a trip to the Chiropractor!" I embraced him for a brief second, glad for his safety, then ran over to the twitching body of Avatar. "Hey, are you alright? Avatar!" I helped him up, for he was face-down, and Akane came over as well. "Avatar, it's me... Are you well?" He was silent for a moment, as he groaned and sat up, glancing at both of us. "Is the beast gone?" I nodded. He spit sand out of his concealed mouth and stood up. "Well, I'm glad you're alright as well," he said. "Schwa, your tactics amazed even me. And Akane, I was... captivated... by your power... you know, when you were singing to it..." He hid his face again, and Akane leaned closer. There was a pause, then Avatar peeked out-- and right as he did, Akane kissed him on the cheek, giggled in song, and sped back over to Baloo. "Well, you captivate me too!" she said. I held my head in a slight "wtf state", smiling at both the unlikeliness and the concept itself. "Alright, we're almost to Domino Outpost," I announced finally. "We shouldn't get any more trouble until then, so whatsay we roll on?"
We soon reached Domino Outpost, which wasn't nearly as magestic as Shady Oaisis, but the people didn't ostracize us as much, at least. Avatar stayed close to Akane as we walked through town, and she even seemed to like it. By now I had figured they had a thing for each-other or something. It was getting late and we were all pretty exhausted, so it was about time we found an Inn for the night... There was a nice one with a good cliffside view on the edge of town so we could see the dunes to the east. We booked a special room that would accomadate all four of us, and set up the beds and whatnot to sleep for the night. Avatar continued to stay close to Akane. It was time to say something. "Hey Avatar, you already mentioned you had an attraction to girls like Akane, but... Akane, you seem to really like him back. Are you two infatuated?" The question caught Avatar off guard. "Erm, heheh, well, yeah, kinda... She's so mystical and... just downright pretty! The eyes, her special hair, her siren song... I can't help it, really. Hut!" He glanced at her, but she closed her eyes solemnly. "I, too, feel attracted to you, Avatar... You're kind and honorable, and you accept me for who I am... But a relationship would never work out. You and I, we're too different from each-other. You're a Dreamlander and I'm... an abomination to this Plane." I sighed. She still was going to need to learn Self Esteem. "Akane," I said next, "Didn't I tell you not to say those kinds of things? You are special. You were chosen. Your physical form comes from the blessing of friendship. You should really be proud of yourself for who and what you are." She was silent. "Listen to Schwa!" Avatar added. "If it weren't for your unique physical form, I'd probably have never met you. I was attracted to you because I think you look beautiful as you are. Please, for my sake, take Schwa's advice. You ARE beautiful." Akane opened her eyes and stared at Avatar sincerely. "Avatar..." Instantly he embraced her in a comforting hug, and she returned it with her thin arms. "Okay... I understand, both of you. I will try to remember these things. Thank you."
I woke up a little before everyone else and headed to the shop ahead of time to stock up on our lost items and purchase some Offensive Attack items (a Sleepy Sheep, a Dizzy Dial, a Scroll of Zap Cannon and 2 Explosive Vials), burning the last of our Gil. By the time I got back, the others were awake, and we could finish our trek across the desert and into Lashrock. The last 2 hours were not even difficult-- we knew how to fight the various desert fiend by now. Before we knew it, we were out of the desert and in a grassy plain that became jungle in the distance. We were now in the homeland of Akane-- Lashrock, the wild jungle country.
"The Temple of the Tiger is near the center of the country, but along the way we should stop at the Temple of the Crane first. I warned the last two Council spirits that the Tiger Temple was no longer safe, and they may or may not have taken my advice," Akane explained. I nodded, as did our other allies, as we entered the jungle. It wasn't long before we started having monster encounters-- there were many beast species we encountered overall, but the worst ones were the Plague Toads and the Indigo Mosquitoes. But even with the occasional battle, it wasn't long before we encountered a small temple made of green marble and stone. "Is that the Crane Temple?" I asked Akane. "No... That is the Snake Temple. It has nothing to do with the Council, but it is a tribute to a great hero of our past. ...Wanna look inside?" I thought for a moment. "Hmmm... Baloo, Avatar, what do you guys think?" I asked the others. Baloo chucked heartily, as usual. "Hahah! Since we're here, I would be honored if our little Akane could introduce us to her home country." As for Avatar... "Yes, please Akane, show us inside. I would love to see as much of this place as possible. Hut!" That made 3 outta 3 votes, and we entered the magestic building.
But as soon as we entered, Akane winced, feeling a presence in the temple. "Who's there?" she called out with her song. On that cue, two soft, emerald lights lit up brightly in the dim light. I tensed. "Uh-oh, do we have an unwanted visitor?" A figure who the lights, which were apparently it's eyes, belonged to, stepped forward and, lit up by rays of sunlight shining through the carved windows on the walls, became fully visible to us. It was some kind of robot-- see the picture. Its flat horn was white, its hands and a stripe on its torso were sky blue, and the rest of his body, save the green eyes, was dark-purple. It spoke to us in a voice that sounded not monotonous, but surprisingly human, though you could faintly tell it was robotic. "I greet you. If I frightened you, let me apologize. I am merely a wandering robot known by many people as "the Gizoid" for some reason. I was meditating a moment ago, but if I am not supposed to be here, I will be off." It started to walk past us, but I half-blocked him. "Wait a sec', my friend Akane was just showing me around her homeland. You don't have to go. But I need to ask you... You, a robot, actually practice meditation?" Something about this character seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure what or why. "I do," it replied. "I feel at home in ancient temples. I wander all my days, looking for the answers to my own past... Someday I'll find it. But temples are very sacred to me for some reason. Who are you guys?" I motioned to my group, and they all introduced themselves. After they did, Akane spoke. "We're on our way to the Temple of the Tiger, where a mysterious force is gaining power. Schwa promised me he'd help me, so I brought him from his home in Lion's End south of the desert." Sadly, she had her facts a little crooked, 'cause I was a wanderer. I was just about to tell her when the robot, Gizoid, raised his voice. "Mysterious force? Like an energy buildup of some kind?" Akane nodded once. Suddenly, the Gizoid's eyes flickered hot white a single time, as a third eye opened right in the center of its horn, scaring everybody. "Show me your power, or I shall not obey..." it said in a truly monotone, robotic voice. HA! I recognized where I've seen this character before-- in a library book; the book told all about the Gizoid and how it would establish a "link" of obedience with those who exhibited great power. It supposedly could learn ANYthing through observation. Strange, though, 'cause the Gizoid's picture displayed him orange, yellow and brown, not these colors...
"Power it is, then," I said. I charged a spell for a few seconds and cast Lightshow, causing the whole room to flicker with powerful lights for 10 seconds, dazzling all my allies. "Schwa! That's simply beautiful!" Akane mentioned. After it cleared, the Gizoid's third eye lit up white and emitted another flash, and snapped close as he was suddenly racked with currents of electricity. "Agh... Tired... But why?" it said. Something seemed amiss... The link should've worked instantly, but it was almost as if his systems were damaged. "You okay?" I offered. But he stood up and his eyes locked with mine, as he spoke again. "I will join you. I will obey only you, Schwa. I will help you recover Akane's temple. Command me, friend and master." Whoa, it worked! My allies were truly amazed. "What did you do, Schwa?" Baloo asked. I shrugged. "Gizoid, please tell me your name," I said to it. (Hey, it wanted an order...) "I do not know my name, but I am called Gizoid by those I meet. You may give me any name you desire." Instantly all eyes were on me. Uh-oh, I hated times like this... I thought about it a moment, and got a flash of inspiration. "Couatl, then? I found you in the Snake Temple, and the Couatl were supposed to be winged, guardian serpents... Since you wish to guard me, I figured it was fitting. Do you like it?" The others nodded, and Avatar even whistled in amazement. "I agree with whatever you agree with," the Gizoid, now officially 'Couatl', said. "I like whatever you like, and I go wherever you go. It is my destiny from this day out. Yes, call me Couatl." I extended my hand, and Couatl studied it for a moment before he remembered to shake it. Our hands gripped. "Welcome aboard, Couatl," I said with vigor... but I hoped it wouldn't just agree with me no matter what, just because of the Link... Couatl needed his own personality.
We left the Snake Temple and, after almost an hour, found another temple. "Is THIS the Crane Temple?" I asked Akane. She shook her head. "No, this is the Monkey Temple. The one after this is the Crane Temple." Great. "Hey, how many temples do you guys got?" I half-sarcastically asked. "Let's see... Six. The only two we shouldn't be ending up at are the Bear Temple and the Dragon Temple. Should I show you inside this one, too? It'll be no hassle, and if you want to see more of my true homeland, here's the time." It dawned on me-- By 'homeland', Akane was referring to the Temples, not Lashrock itself! I should've figured it out sooner. "Guys, should we?" I asked them. In reply: "We have plenty of time!" from Baloo, "I would do anything for you, Akane," from Avatar, and not surprisingly, "If you wish it, Schwa, I too will wish it," from Couatl. Okay, this had to stop. "Coutal, I command you to have your own opinions from now on, and to never let someone besides YOU make your descisions." There was a flash of light, and Couatl was racked by another wave of electricity before replying, "Another temple? Well, Schwa, I certainly would love to see it, but you're the boss..." Much, much better. "Come on, everyone, let's check out the Monkey Temple."
I really didn't expect a battle to start inside the temple. Waiting for us were three interesting-looking Gyroids-- they were fitted with many strange gadgets and painted with weird runes. "Target variable 'Akane' identified!" they all said at the same time as soon as we entered the Monkey Temple. "Execute! Knockout Spore, execute!" Before we even had time to prepare ourselves, magenta spores formed in a cloud over the Gyroids and wafted towards us. Avatar went berserk before they reached us. "Akane, stay away from them! Hut! Ninjutsu: Wind Seal!" He held his melee dagger in a pose, and from out of nowhere a gale blasted from behind us, blowing the powder away. "Couatl," I commanded, "Strike those Gyroids down!" Immediately the robot dashed forward and began some amazing combat gymnastics. He destroyed the first Gyroid by chucking a gold ring over it's head, then transporting himself to it at the speed of light in the form of a thunderbolt, plowing through it. He beat the second one by vanishing from existance and appearing in his place coated in a huge sphere of chaotic energy. The third one blew a cloud of fire into Couatl before he could attack, but he endured the blast and countered by firing some kind of psychic globe into it, which made it crumble on the spot upon contact. He returned to me after the triple KO, and I motioned for all of us to get the hell outta there.
"Akane," I said after we were back outside, "Someone's targeting you." She sighed, her song-voice still shaky just as if it were a real voice. "Gyroids... The Council uses them to spy on those in the Temples, but never to attack. Someone's been manipulating them or tapping their inner knowledge or something. My poor grandfather..." She broke down, and Avatar was amazed. He approached her. "Your granddad is an Earth Spirit, Akane? That means... That means YOU'D have to be an Earth Spirit, right?" She gasped a little, making eye-contact with him. "I, uh, forgot to tell you... Schwa and Baloo knew the whole time, though. I'm sorry I didn't tell you at Shady Oaisis... You probably think I'm a freak too now, right? Really, I'm sorry..." Avatar came closer and put his arm around her. "Actually... It makes my feelings for you even stronger. Your aura... I think I knew the whole time in some way. You're not like all the other cute girls I've met... My feelings for you actually last. It had to have been that spiritual, kindness aura you give off. Don't feel bad... But if your granddad's in trouble, I'm not resting until we liberate him from whatever evil grasps him. Schwa, let's roll out! Hut!" I gave him a thumbs-up and motioned to the group as we headed north through the jungle once more.
Later... "And THIS is the Crane Temple?" I asked, slightly impatient. She nodded. "This is where the last two Earth Spirits are currently staying. I hope they're still there." We approached and entered. Inside was like the other Temples, except for the glowing spectre at the far side of the room. At first instinct I tensed, but soon realized it was one of the Council's spirits. Akane led the way, approached the spectre (that looked like a samuri with a big beard and a long straw Chinese hat) with us right behind her, and she bowed to it in respect before speaking. "Benjo the Red Mountain, is is I, Akane, granddaughter of Rauhl the Balancer. I did as my grandfather told me and followed my heart. I have brought a troupe of virtuous warriors to help us. This is Schwa... I told him everything I know." The spectre-samuri looked up at me with a tired expression on his face, and when he spoke I could feel the pain of a hundred years travelling in the wilderness. "Schwa... I am Benjo the Red Mountain. Thank you... Thank you from the bottom of my worn-out heart for listening to the plea of Rauhl's grandchild. You are our only hope left for the safekeeping of the sacred land... I am the last Council spirit remaining. The others vanished upon entering the Temple of the Tiger. A great shadow holds them in it's maw, and it will take all the courage, power and hope you can muster to liberate the Council-- and, as well, Akane's grandfather." Akane turned around to see me as I approached the spectre, offering my respect. "Her heart is pure. It was an offer I couldn't refuse-- and I intend to keep my promise to little Akane. Consider the Council liberated... even if it costs me my life in the process. You have my word."
"Then I give you this-- the Talisman of the Mountain. Take it as my gift of gratitude beyond words." He handed me a solid-ruby Cockatrice figurine that must've cost a massive fortune, and how he managed to hold the physical object I wasn't sure. I took it anyway. Benjo continued, "Now, go forth, and remember this: 'Let the tables turn once to turn them again, for a heart of Good is a strong, wise Dragon while a heart of darkness is merely an intimidating Tiger'." I pondered the meaning of that riddle for a moment, then, "Thank you, keeper of wisdom and ages. Now... I believe I have a Council to liberate." I bowed and we all left his presence.
"Schwa! You handled yourself so well!" Akane exclaimed as we exit the Crane Temple. "I... I can't tell you with words how grateful and blissful your promise to me makes me. But I'm curious about something, Schwa... I looked at her as we walked through jungle. "I'll hide nothing from you. Ask me anything you'd like." She asked me her question. "Schwa, will you come see me often after everything is normal again? You live in Lion's End, right?" Oh yeah... I had to tell her the truth about that, didn't I? "Well, actually Akane, no. I am a wanderer... Not once in my life have I ever had a permenant home. I've never even met my parents before. I travel around the world, fighting monsters to appease myself, recycling the Gil I win from them, and occasionally going on major adventures like this either with or without allies. I'll likely never see you again once I leave Lashrock, lest you seek me out. ...Akane? Why are you crying?" She closed her eyes, then turned to Avatar as we walked. "What... What about you, Avatar? Don't worry about saying the right thing, tell me... tell me the truth." There was a long pause, and Avatar stared at the ground as we walked, lost in thought. Then, "To be honest... I haven't decided. I want to stay with you, but... I still don't know. I'm an outsider, and unlike you I'm not a spirit, so I'm mortal, and if I die of old age I wouldn't want to hurt your heart... I love you too much for that. So... I don't know what I'll do." There was silence for a long time after that, like 10 minutes, and not even any more battles to spice it up. Then I broke the silence. "Couatl, I order you to also obey Baloo, Akane and Avatar when they order you. If you recieve two orders at once, you must do what you feel is right in your heart." He beeped twice before replying. "Understood, Schwa. Thank you... I feel like you just made an incredibly insightful descision for some reason. I am not worthy," was his answer. I walked closer to him. "Couatl, you're gonna be alright, ya know that? ...You're always worthy in my eyes." I patted his opposite shoulder in friendship. He looked towards the ground. "Thank you... Thank you infinitely... my friend. My best friend." I stared at him. "Hey, what did I say about idolizing me? Make your own d--" He cut me off. "I was serious, Schwa. I meant it." There was quite a pause, then it was me who looked to the ground. "...Oh..."
Soon, we stood before the Tiger Temple. It was orange and gold, the biggest and most magestic one of them all. "Alright, guys... Be prepared for anything," I said to my friends. "Akane, you especially... Being the Council leader's granddaughter, you're a major target for anything evil in there. I would die before I let anything bad happen to you." The little glossy-eyed creature nodded slowly and silently, then we made our move, entering the Tiger Temple.
"Ho-HOH! Th-that definitely is a mana buildup!" I stammered once inside. Akane nodded, sadly. "I can see the visions again... He's here... Grandfather!!" Fishy. "Okay okay... Let's liberate him. First we have to find him, AND where the "shadow" is located, and to find THAT we need to know where the mana buildup is coming from. Let me do the honors." I cast a spell: Astral Clairvoyance, my best detection spell. Suddenly I was seeing double! It was WEIRD-- I was seeing two versions of the temple interior at the same time, in my mind's eye or something! The first view was the normal Temple interior, the other view was an indigo version of it where the walls and ceilings were destroyed and cracked. "Shit... A spliced Dimension? Like the Valley of Light and Dark I once lived in? That means there's gotta be some kind of portal in here linking the twin Planes..." Baloo spoke next. "Aye... Schwa, by any chance would THAT fall into the description you're going by?" He pointed straight ahead, and some kind of faint, blue rectangle of light was flickering off and on at the far end of the room. I nodded. "Yeeeeahhhh... That would do it. Our baddie is in there, I believe. Stay back, guys... I gotta do this solo." I started to walk to the portal, but right before I could go inside, I felt a tug at my leg. I looked... "Schwa, you've been so kind... Without me, you'll die in there, I know it. I'm going in as well." It was Akane... She was quickly joined by Avatar. "Schwa, you introduced me to a new life meaning with this adventure. I'll fight for you to the very end, man! Hut!" Couatl suddenly dropped from the air by my side after hovering with some kind of jet booster. "You commanded me to make my own descisions, Schwa... and I have. No matter what, I will fight for you. Nothing you say will sway me." Baloo, too, approached me. "How selfish for you to hog the glory! I was there when you promised Akane her granddad's liberty, and I share that promise with you. Let Blitzkrieg Finale bolster your fighting power in this dire hour!" I was touched... "Guys... Alright. ALRIGHT!! We're all in this together, then. All for one and one for all! All Evil will fear the power of our bond!" And with that, we all stepped into the portal, and the world around us faded...
Our surroundings now were the alternate vision I saw with my spell-- the Temple was now midnight-indigo, and the walls were cracked and destroyed. I could hear some kind of warping sound faintly in the distance, and the mana buildup was absolutely enormous here. Moving around was like my soul swimming in molasses while my body moved at normal speed. It was weird. But when we got to the center of the room, we all heard a voice. "Akane!" It was an old, strong voice, like a buff old man... "Grandfather!" Akane cried out, looking around frantically. "No! Grandfather!!" He was nowhere. I stood perfectly still. "Akane, leave! Leave before it is too late for you! Akane!" It was too much for her, and she broke down, her little body shaking with sobs. This had to end. "Master Rauhl, the Balancer... I am Schwa. Akane sought me out to help her, and help her I shall. Shield your eyes, my allies!" I charged for 6 seconds and cast Divine, used to flush out dark beings. There was a white flash that coated the room, and for an instant we ALL saw Rauhl actually appear in front of us, locked behind some kind of black energy sphere. It was for a split second, though, and following that there was a massive rumbling as all the walls faded to total blackness, and something almost as big as a planet began to materialize before us...
The picture should do the trick. All I could see was its face and two floating, absolutely massive, meteoric stone hands. It seemed to have no body. I tensed for battle, but although it was the most massive beast I had ever seen in my life, I knew no fear of it. Maybe I was stupid. I looked to my comrades, and their eyes were fixiated on the creature. Baloo still looked brave, Avatar stood closer to Akane, Couatl stood closer to me, and Akane had almost a look of hatred in her pure, glossy eyes as she stared at the nightmare. It finished materializing. "Foolish, foolish Schwa," it's awful, booming voice taunted me, "You are pathetic. And you, Akane, are dumb. It makes no sense to me why a hero would willingly BRING me the grandchild of Rahul, completing my collection of the Lashrock Council's wills... Now that I can control the entire Council with my own mind, I can finally finish the summoning ritual on myself-- and devour planet Earth's entire pool of life energy. I will be God-- all thanks to you, Schwa. GAAAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!!"
"You stole the consciousnesses of the Council? Fiend, who are you?" I demanded of it. I got my answer. "I am Ragna-Rock. I am the Devourer, the formerly exiled, half-completed soul that Akane's naive grandfather banished from our dimension "for his own good" 2,900 years ago. That is a long time, and in that time my body absorbed the fragments of darkness that drifted near me as I flitzed through Negative Space directionlessly... Look at me now, Schwa. Look at me NOW. GAAAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!! ...Curse that bastard Rauhl. His will is too strong for me to absorb, so I encased him in his own, private sub-Dimension for all eternity. Such is the fate of those who defy Ragna-Rock... As his mind withers in darkness, I will eventually make it my own. But all I need is Akane's will to have enough power to finish the ritual... I will take that from you now, Schwa. I will oblitherate the rest of you first. Only then will I achieve Godhood. GAAAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!!"
"NO!!" Akane's song screamed. She suddenly dashed (well, hovered) forward, and I tried to stop her. "Akane, get back here!" She wouldn't listen. She faced the enormous stone face with all the courage she could muster. "Please! Take me instead. But release my grandfather and please don't hurt Schwa and my friends! I'll go quietly, but you must promise not to hurt them!" I couldn't believe it. She would actually do this? No way was I to let that happen to her. I dashed forward to grab her, but too late-- a magenta sphere of chaotic energy had formed around her by Ragna-Rock's power and was lifting her into the air. She didn't even cry, not once. Wow. "Hmhmhm... I believe we have a deal. But your true mind is tainted with your two companions, the Pokemon that you absorbed from years ago... I will splice you from those companions right now. Hmhmhm... You are such a fool, Akane. Once your consciousness is mine, what will prevent me from breaking my word to you, you think? Emotions are truly amusing forces, and even more fun to manipulate, you agree? GAAAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!!" Dammit. All I could do was stare up at the awful sight, powerless to help. All was lost.
Avatar didn't take this lightly-- he didn't take it at all, actually. He ran forward, staring up at Akane's encased form with tears in his little eyes. "AKANE!!" She turned to him from inside the sphere. "I'm sorry, Avatar... Remember me..." Then there was a high-pitched vibrative sound as the sphere began to pulse. Ragna-Rock was trying to rip Akane's spirit-form out of the merged Pokemon form. I saw Akane squeeze her eyes shut... Was she in pain? What was happening? I couldn't take it. Rage filled every molecule of my body and I trembled uncontrollably from it. This monster will pay for his actions.
"Akane, you're..." I looked over to Avatar, then at Akane again. She hadn't changed yet. Ragna-Rock seemed to have tripled the power of the de-merging spell, and nothing was happening to her, but she was still squeezing her eyes, and trembling out of either fear or pain, I couldn't tell. I found out. "Avatar, it is the souls of my Pokemon companions from the past... They live still, and they're using all their willpower to keep my form intact. I'm in great pain." Avatar gasped. "Akane! Hang in there! Please!" At this time, Baloo bumped my shoulder. "Well, don't just stand there, Schwa, let's see some fireworks! Help our Akane outta there!" Oops, I had forgotten about that... "Right!" I stepped forward. "What are you going to do to ME, little man? Face it, Schwa. You can do nothing to stop fate from having it's way. I was meant to be a God. Realize that and give up," he taunted me. But Akane needed me. I cast Dispel, hoping it would work. I felt a collision of two powerful magics take place-- my spell was struggling against his. "GIVE UP!!" he screamed. "It ain't working! Let's see... Ah, maybe... this?" I pulled out the Ruby Cockatrice, and it gleamed even among the darkness. "This'd better work... Please, Benjo, grant me the power it takes..." Holding it in the air, I cast Dispel one more time, and I felt the figurine grow hot with mana... Could it be? The item was some kind of magic conductor! The amplified Dispel boosted the first Dispel and shattered the magenta sphere, releasing Akane, who dropped to the ground. Avatar ran up to her and embraced her in a powerful hug. "Akane, you're safe, you're safe... Akane..." She squeezed him back. "Thanks for believing in me, Avatar. Thank you, Schwa, for freeing me. I feel... Schwa, I feel amazingly powerful for some reason... I must release it..."
"Akane?" I half-stammered, a little unnerved... She continued, raising the intensity of her song, "I feel the warmth of all your positive emotions flowing into my soul. I feel the Council sending me the last of their power... And I feel vengance. Ragna-Rock will pay for what he has done to my grandfather. I share my power with you, my friends to the end!" Her song suddenly exploded into a captivating, powerful symphony of vibrance and wonder, and as I listened I felt an amazing force wrack my body, mind and soul all at once... I felt like I was glowing with power, even if I wasn't really glowing at all... I... was... INVINCIBLE! "Schwa, this is fantastic!" Baloo exclaimed to me. "I am awakening... I will use this energy to fight for Schwa," I heard Couatl say heartily. Avatar took a ninja stance and glared at Ragna-Rock's stone face. "YOU. You have dared to harm Akane, and now you will pay for it with your very existance. I have been given new life, new hope... and I now use this power to protect Akane, the one girl I love." On that cue, two massive, meteoric stone fists appeared at the face's sides. "Then you have a death wish. If I can't have Akane's will, I will oblitherate her, along with all of you. AAARRRRRRRRRGH!! You've destroyed my dream, and now I will destroy YOU! GAAAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!!"
The battle was on. Ragna-Rock's right fist came forward like a horizontal meteor, right at Avatar and the rest of us who were grouped together. Avatar did a single-handstand pose to barely evade the attack, and the rest of us scattered-- Couatl hovered in the air with jet-boosters he pulled out of nowhere to dodge. Then the left fist came in succession-- with the aid of Akane's power-boost, as the fist came in, he rammed a special ninja needle with the same god-speed into the massive opposing fist, and the single needle drove a fissure through the whole thing. The fist split around him, the two halves going around his either side, which crumbled and disintegrated as they landed on the ground. Ragna-Rock had only one fist left. He immediately used it to swoop down and snatch up Avatar from the ground and began crushing him with his clenched fist.
"Avatar!" Akane called. Had to think fast... "Couatl, destroy that stone fist!" I commanded my robotic ally. He flew through the air on his boosters, and a large mallet-like hammer seemed to appear in his hands from nowhere which he slammed the fist with. Each hit or two cracked the fist a little more until Ragna-Rock was forced to drop Avatar and pull his fist back. I ran up and applied a healing potion to Avatar, since he needed it from the attack... It helped a bit. Baloo jumped forward. "Wahahaha! The fist is weakened-- let me deliver the Checkmate!" he said, assuming an offensive stance. But Ragna-Rock wasn't stupid... He pounded the ground from a distance this time, and suddenly it began raining rocks from above in a torrent. "Dodge or block!" I cried, casting Defense All on the whole group to add even more sturdiness to Akane's power boost. Many of the rocks began to nail us, but it stopped when Baloo swung an arc-cleave to bat a rock straight into the cracked fist, destroying it. Now both of Ragna-Rock's fists were gone.
"I am the Devourer," it said next. "I shall assimilate you. There is no hope. You will all DIE." It opened it's stone mouth, exposing some kind of pulsing purple core, and suddenly a gravitational force was pulling us in. He was trying to eat us! No spell I could think of would counter it, either... We were all lifted off our feet. This was the end...
"Let the tables turn once to turn them again..." What? Was that my consciousness playing tricks on me... or was that a real reminder from Benjo? His riddle finally made sense... The heart of darkness? That was the gravity core in Ragna-Rock's mouth, and I had the perfect counter. I'd counter a heart of darkness with my Heart of Light-- my ruby figurine. I whipped it out and dived towards the mouth in midair, rushing towards it. "No! Schwaaaaa!!" I heard Akane cry as I was pulled almost inside entirely... At the last second, I hucked the Cockatrice figurine right in there. It slammed into the purple core, and immediately the mouth snapped closed as we all fell to the ground once again. We heard the screams of a thousand souls as shards of inky black matter were shot in all directions from Ragna-Rock's exploding form, then a white light coated us all... "Stay together, guys!" I managed to yell to the group. We huddled together as the exploding temple began to crumble...
I opened my eyes. What? That's impossible-- how did we get back to the normal Tiger Temple? We were all standing in the center of the room before we took the portal, and the portal was nowhere in sight. "So... Did we win?" I casually asked. Silence. Then, Baloo let out a chuckle, followed by Avatar, then Akane and even me. We all started laughing like crazy as if we couldn't believe what had just happened to us. Wow... What a trip. For real. But there was still one thing we hadn't thought of, that Akane remembered before I did. "Grandfather! Where are you?" That's when we heard the sound of another time-space warp, as a huge black sphere suddenly appeared above us. We tensed for battle again, but suddenly the sphere melted into nothing from the bottom up, and a being was revealed... He looked like a very, very old man with a long beard and very long hair, both of which were forest green. His skin was exactly like tree bark, and all of his clothing was made of rough, smokey brown leather. He floated down from the destroyed sphere and we all stepped back as he landed in the center of our group. There was silence for a moment, then after a few seconds he turned to face little Akane... "Grandfather, it's you! It's really you! I'm so glad you're safe! I'm... so glad... you're safe..." She was overcome with tears as the old man kneeled down to face her and they embraced. "Ha ha, why thank you, Akane... my granddaughter. Would you care to introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh, yes, of course!" Her song ended in a giggle that time. She introduced each of us, one by one, to Rauhl, saving Avatar for last. When she intoduced Avatar, she made sure to mention his heroic effort in battle, then proceeded to kiss Avatar's cheek. I couldn't help smiling. "I am honored to meet such heroes. ...Ragna-Rock... I was such a fool to banish that soul so carelessly all those years ago. It was an act of pure frustration and anger, and I had used my power so irrisponsibly. Look how it came back to haunt us." We all nodded solemnly. Then I had a question to ask. "Where's the rest of the Council, Master Rauhl?" The earthly man smiled and nodded. "They will arrive shortly."
A few seconds later, forms of glowing energy were seeping out of the ground around us-- they were in four places. I looked around warily, but Akane seemed happy to see them. In a few more seconds they had materialized into various beings-- I recognized Benjo, then there was one that looked like a 7-year-old girl in a beautiful, turquoise, wavy dress (I guessed she was a Naiad, a water spirit), one that looked like a silver albatross (I guessed he was a Valkyrie, a wind spirit), and one that looked like a much older girl (maybe about 20 years older than the Naiad) with purple, silky hair, a lavender gown of smooth silk and a circlet with a Moon-emblem around her head (a Lunar spirit, maybe? I noted that the Council was very diverse). See the picture, too. It looked like the whole Council was intact. "Oh, Schwa, Avatar, everybody! Let me introduce you to the Council," Akane immediately offered, hovering to each Spirit and introducing them to us. "This is Benjo the Red Mountain, who you've all met. He represents Power and Courage. ...This is Note the Rolling Sea. She guides the rain over our land." The 7-year-old blue-clad girl bowed silently and politely, smiling. "This is Shrike the Falling Star, who guides the clouds and thunder." The albatross covered itself with its left wing as if in a ninja prayer, and its whole body faded from silver to black and to silver again, like liquid. I assumed it was his way of greeting us. "Over here is Sahari the Messenger. She controls dreams and visions to ordinary beings." She bowed halfway to us, and the Moon crest on her circlet glowed as I was struck with a split-second feeling of respect and gratitude from her that I can still "see" clear as day to this day. Interesting ability, I say. "Everyone, this is Schwa, who destroyed Ragna-Rock and freed you all! I, tee hee, assumed you already knew that, but I HAD to tell you anyway, out of respect... Schwa is my dear friend!"
"So, Schwa... You have helped us all, and it is not only Akane, but I, too, and the whole of the Council that cannot find the words to express our gratitude. A gift from me, I have for you, and I will give it to you immediately, lest you choose to turn it down." From out of thin air he pulled a jade gem, that didn't look quite as expensive as the figurine from earlier and gave it to me. "This Spiritstone contains my blessing. No shop on Earth will allow you to sell it. You may carry it always, and know that the Council, and Akane as well, will always be with you in your heart." I slowly took the Spiritstone, smiling. "Th-thank you, Master Rauhl... As long as I live, you can bet that I'll have this with me. Golly, I... Gah, you're all so awesome and wonderful!" I gripped Rauhl's hand and we shook in respect before I stepped back after taking his gift. "Now, allow me to ask the lot of you a question. Since this land is not your homeland, and all of you except my Akane are travellers, where will you go now?" There was silence for a few seconds, then Avatar stepped forwards. Akane stared at him hopefully. "I... I need to answer that question first," he said.
"Master Rauhl, I desperately wish to stay with your granddaughter, Akane. I love her, and I can't bear the thought of leaving her... I am mortal, though, and she's a spirit. Will it work out, or am I unwelcome? I beg your understanding." Hm... Looks like he finally made up his mind. "Oh, Avatar..." Akane edged closer to him. "Grandfather, during the course of our journey back here, I have fallen in love with Avatar. I wish him to stay as well. But he has a point, so I am asking your permission..." I held my breath... but what Rauhl said next blew my mind. "Avatar, I can see that you are sincere. You have my permission to marry Akane." .........Hell, I didn't expect that! I could barely contain myself, but I did so... I looked at Baloo, and he was the same way-- Couatl was emitting a faint, repeating beep involuntarily, and both Akane and Avatar were amazed. Basically we were all like "wtf!". The little ninja spoke. "M-Master! Whoa, I... And that would be allowed? I mean, I'm not even a spirit! That's a big step! Y-You're serious, though?" Rauhl strode slowly over to the two of them and answered his questions. "If you are truly in love, there should be no reason why marriage is too much. Once the ceremony is finished, you will become an Earth Spirit like us, though trapped in the material world-- just like Akane. You can be even closer to each-other with that trait in common with one-another. But if you wish to do so, you must ask her, as is the tradition..." Both were speechless. They stared at each-other, eye-contact an easy thing since they were about the same height... "Avatar..." was all she could say, touching his shoulder with her thin arm... "Alright! Please, Akane, marry me. Marry me and we will live together forever, as spirits!" With a tear of joy, she gave her reply. "Avatar! I will! We'll get married tonight at the Bear Temple! Thank you, Grandfather!" The two sped out of the Tiger Temple, and even I couldn't help shed a tear or two, happy for my two friends. I looked at Baloo. "Hey, old man, don't you start weeping or you'll break the world record!" He laughed, not shedding a single tear, just as I've always known him.
"So, to answer your question, Master Rauhl..." I started, "Well... I oughta see what the others say first. Baloo? Couatl?" I turned to Baloo first. "Ha ha! Well... I've discovered that being in Schwa's group was almost like therapy for this sturdy sword-arm of mine, and I'm no longer the quiet, sensitive man that Diago knew... I believe I'll head northeast to Limetro, where a famous Gladiator Arena stands, and make my living as a fighter there... I won't stop until Blitzkrieg Finale and I are famous in the legends of Gladiator history!" I turned to Couatl. "I will keep... no... I cannot..." He was racked by electricity again. It had to have been some kind of system malfunction. "Couatl, I command you to sever your Link of Obedience with me from this point on. You are to follow your own road, just like me." His third eye suddenly snapped open again and burst, scattering glass shards, and the short-out ceased entirely. He looked at me. "Schwa?" I put my hand on his shoulder, like a father to a son. "Follow your road. Follow your heart. I cannot call you Couatl from now on, either. You're not me, Gizoid. Be YOU." There was silence for a moment, then he replied. "I will try. And someday I will find the answers to my past. Thank you, Schwa." He turned and left the room. That left me. "Well, as for me... I really want to see Akane and Avatar get married, and Avatar achieve his spirithood, but part of me wants to follow my wanderer instincts and start off north... Hey, the Bear Temple's on the way, right? And it's almost dark, too, so their wedding should start in a few hours... I guess what I'll do is..."
Epilouge:
"Wait, Schwa!" I turned, and behind me was Akane, with a platinum necklace around her neck with a special Crest of some kind. It fit perfectly on her; it wasn't too big or too small. She approached me, and I kneeled down to eye-level. "Hi, Akane. Nice necklace." She nodded happily. "Thank you, Schwa. It is a symbol of my bond to Avatar-- he has one just like it, and they can never come off." She looked thoughtful for a second. "Schwa... Did you see our wedding ceremony? Did you stay and watch? I couldn't find you, but I sensed you somehow..." I smiled, thinking of how to reply. "Well, you could say that I did... if you wanted to put it that way. Does that answer your question? I'm sorry I've gotta run so soon, but my future adventures beckon... You gotta promise to say farewell to Avatar for me. Tell him I said he'd make an awesome Earth Spirit." Yeah... I think I just about covered it. "I will, Schwa, I promise! I just approached you because... I felt I hadn't said thanks. I mean I know I said it countless times, but for a different reason... If it weren't for you, I would've never met my new spouse. Schwa, I promise I'll never forget you... You're the best person I've ever met. Thank you for everything." She started to sob again. "I... I'll remember..." I comforted her with a hug. "Com'ere, Akane... I'll never forget you, either, or all my friends on this journey. But I have to go." I stood up, and she looked better. "May you have a blessed new life with Avatar," I said, turning to go. "Farewell, friend Akane."
And I disappeared through the moonlit jungle underbrush. The edge of the jungle was just ahead. I would be out of Lashrock, and on to a brand-new adventure...
And that concludes Chapter 3! Have any questions, comments or complaints? Curious as to what happens to the characters? Anything at all related to this story that you want to share? Use the Magic Textbox, that's what it's there for! Remember, I like all e-mails, even complaints, to be more than one line if possible... C'mon, you're not a Net Junkie, shoot for 3 lines minimum! Otherwise I WILL ignore you, except on very rare occasions. Vroota Rhoota ZOOT, and here ya go.