Eggman's Base
"AAAAAAHHH!" The Gormotti man fell bleeding after his failed attempt to resonate with a Core Crystal.
"Hmmm…no good." Dr. Omelette, the daughter of Eggman, shook her head. "NEXT!"
A couple robots swept the Gormotti away as a Tantalese stepped up next. The woman hesitantly picked up the crystal… and it glowed a brilliant light as a Beast Blade formed into being, a pair of rings in its teeth. The woman was in awe… she never pictured herself as a Driver, but as the beast sat obediently before her, she was filled with pride.
Until Eggman's symbol flashed in its eyes. "LOCK HER IN THE DUNGEON!" The woman was seized by the robots and dragged away.
Although Eggman had control over the Blades, they were still bound to their Drivers' life force. He ordered every Blade to capture their Driver and bring them to his dungeon, where they would be kept alive and fed so their Blades could continuously serve him. Unfortunately, non-Drivers were in even more danger: his forces captured any civilians they could, lining them up for forced Blade resonance. Whether they would live or die was up to fate.
Outside Colony 7
Sector Q awoke early and took turns taking a quick shower in the bus. It was only 4:30 in the morning, but no reason not to step outside for a some morning air. It seemed they weren't the only ones up: Shulk, Reyn, and Juju were early birds as well. "'Guess we all had the same idea." Shulk smiled. "If you guys are well awake, we can get going to the Arbrick Alpine."
"Heck yeah!" Jenny cheered. "Early bird crushes the egg, amirite?"
"Hehe, I'm fine if you guys are!" Carmine cheered.
"Then let's hit the alpine!" Miko declared.
"Great!" Juju said. "The alpine's amazing at night. We'll be able to catch it before the sun comes up."
"We'll grab us some breakfast to go when we pass through Colony 7." Reyn knuckle-touched.
The colony in question was a party town with bright lights and attractions, including a Ferris wheel, an arcade with games imported from other planets, a casino, and a couple restaurants. A quick stop at one of the restaurants, and the kids were walking to the ski lifts with to-go trays of pancakes and bacon in hand. The ski lift station was at the edge of the colony, lining up with the Bionis' left hand. The friends savored the rest of their food as they admired the view of the vast ocean and the lower parts of the Bionis. Heck, they could even see Colony 8's lights from here!
The ski lift let off right on the Bionis' thumb. They felt a light chill as they gazed up the arm… and fell in love. The pine trees were coated with light layers of snow, glinting in the colors of lights that drifted about the air. "They're like… Christmas trees…" Carmine said.
"What are those lights?" Quill asked.
"They're chi lights." Shulk answered. "When night falls over some areas, the Bionis' chi emits in beautiful ways. Satorl Marsh and Valak Mountain are big examples, but I'd say this is my favorite."
"Yeah, it's pretty awesome…" Kazuma smiled.
"Affirmative…" Boly agreed. It actually reminded her of one of the areas in Aincrad. A Christmas-themed area… Did her previous master and Kayaba have the same idea? Was Christmas even a thing when this world was created.
"It's gonna go away when morning comes." Juju said. "But that's okay. This mountain's pretty in the day, too. Anyhow, Colony 5 is set up along the fingers here. I'll stay and help them in case any Eggman forces show up. By the way, Eddy, Sharla made you something last night."
"Oh?" The scrawny nerd cocked a brow as Juju withdrew a slingshot with five strings.
"You did say you prefer slingshots over guns."
"Well, of course. Guns make me look like a Halo fan, but this makes me look like a Zelda fan."
"Er…okay?"
"Dude, you play Star Fox." Quill argued. "THAT has guns. And don't the slingshots get shafted after the first dungeon?!"
"A-Anyway, these are high-power strings. Gun or not, these can really knock an eye out if you're not careful… and paired with your ammunition-"
"I am thankful for the badass upgrade." Eddy gladly took it.
"Now, let's start climbing." Shulk faced the mountain. "Alvis is somewhere up here."
"Who is Alvis?"
"He's my Aegis… but this'll be our first time meeting him in 4 years." (Play "Shiver Snowfield" from Paper Mario!)
Act 3: Arbrick Alpine
Mission: Find Alvis.
Miko and Shulk took the lead as they hiked up the first steep incline. There were flat steps naturally sticking out of the hill, the two jumping and climbing them up the snow-covered slope. Once they were up, they were charged by a band of Chilkin. According to Shulk, Tirkin were a flightless bird race who lived in both Bionis and Alrest, and Chilkin were a sub-race native to cold regions. The Chilkin wielded bows and primitive melee weapons, but quick strikes of the Monado and K.O. Hammer had them KO'ed. Afterwards, they traversed along a slanted slope between a cliff on their left and a ledge on their right, in which higher Chilkin threw snowballs down from above. "This looks a bit tricky." Shulk said. "Let me give us all a boost. Monado Enchant!" He cast a wave of blue mist over the party. "This will enhance your evasion for a short time." True to Shulk's word, they were able to evade the snowballs with relative ease and stay stable on the hill.
"WHOOOAA!" Except for Jenny, who nearly slipped off had Reyn not caught her.
"Bad time to bring it up, but wearing roller-skates on a snowy mountain was a bad idea." Kazuma said, casually punching a large snowball into dust.
"No kidding! Reyn, carry me!" Jenny climbed on the brute's shoulders.
"Great. Now it's like I'm a Titan."
"It isn't nearly as snowy as the other arm." Shulk said. "Valak Mountain is much more treacherous."
"Shulk, I just remembered something." Reyn began. "Back when we first went to Valak, Alvis said it only snowed 'this' high up on Bionis. But Makna Forest and Eryth Sea are higher than the arms, and they're much hotter!"
"I think the true reason is the Ice Crystals embedded inside the Bionis' arms. Otherwise, I agree his logic was a bit off."
The end of this sloped path had a rugged cliff, enabling them to climb higher. Eddy noticed a side path to the right and chose to explore it. Along with a nice view of the sea, there was Riddler Puzzle embedded in the cliff. There were five metal balls scattered around a simple maze, and Eddy had to use his magnetic pellets to attract them onto switches. Once all switches were hit, a trophy! Atop the climbable cliff, they traversed a more open and stable hill area. Ories—bulls with stone spines—roamed the alpine and charged at the intruders. Reyn blocked one with his shield while Jenny lashed kicks at its side, and Eddy dizzied the charging bulls with shots to the head from his new slingshot, leaving Quill to burn them with his Elementors.
The dawn began to grace the horizon and the Christmas lights began to fade, but the soft light cast its own warm glow on the snow. A breeze began to blow the snow into a soft blizzard, accompanied by giant pinecones. Eddy loaded scattershots into his slingshot, its force stronger than the pushing breeze as he shattered the cones. The friends reached a cave safe from the breeze, minding the slippery inclines and fighting the Grebels that burrowed from the ground (mouse-like creatures with insect features). The cave curved up and left, and they saw another band of Chilkin at the exit. Among the white birds, there was a green one carrying a hammer and had a more humanoid face with flushed cheeks.
"Awe, that Chilkin looks kind of cute!" Carmine said.
"Wait, that's not a Chilkin." Reyn realized. "It's Finch! She's a Blade!"
"A Blade?" Miko asked. "Does that mean she's…"
"YOKAY, troopers!" Finch flapped her taloned hands. "The Yolkman says there's a nasty bunch hangin' with that Molado boy, so let's get crackin' and get smackin'!"
"What foreign Tirkin mean?" a Chilkin asked. "We not your troopers! You jus' walk up to us!"
"D'oh, come ON, you guys. I've been your leader for…uh… how long was it again?"
"Kaw! There people koming!" The Chilkin were alerted to the band of approaching operatives.
"Oh, hey there!" Finch greeted. "Maybe you can help us. We're looking for a team of alien Candy operatives. You seen anything like that around?"
"Uh…no?" Miko answered.
"Drat. Well, Dr. Eggshell says I should capture anyone I see for our Core Crystal farm, so I guess I gotta get you, anyway."
"Core Crystal farm?" Shulk glared.
"Okay, troopers: attack!"
"Who even is this bird?!" a Chilkin asked.
"Wait! You think maybe she Chilkin Kountess?"
"Kraw? We have kountess?"
"Me think so. Maybe we are troopers!"
"Then let's get them!"
Eddy blasted an archer Chilkin with his slingshot, Carmine threw repelling grenades at another, Miko flattened one with her hammer, and Reyn knocked one senseless with his shield. Finch came running with her hammer, but Kazuma blocked it with his right fist and socked her in the face with his left. She went rolling back comically before standing upright. "WOOHOO, didja see that? I should be an acrobatic! Or maybe I am? Hey, do you guys know?"
"What is with her?" Kazuma asked.
"Finch is a bit of an airhead." Reyn answered. "She forgets just about everything, so I heard. Rumor has it she turned up that way because one of her past Drivers was a Tirkin. Her current Driver is the real Tirkin countess, in fact."
"Where did you guys hear that?" Finch asked. "Waaait… are there people gossiping about me? It's hard bein' so popular, ya know? …Oh, I just remembered. Dr. Eggson wanted me to capture anyone I c-"
Kazuma slammed his fists over her head. "Kazma, you don't need to hurt her that bad!" Carmine shouted.
"She's an enemy, ain't she? Besides, she really pisses me off… that dopey little expression, not caring about anything…"
"Kazma…" Carmine feared he was thinking about Jataro. Finch did kind of remind her of Jataro.
"Sounds like you have some issues." Reyn said reprovingly. "I guess we oughta tie her up at least."
"I packed some rope." Eddy replied. "I'll stick her to that rock."
From the cave's exit, the group had to bounce some flexible roots protruding from the cliff. Another open hill splaying above them, they were awed at the sight of Ellooks, gold and black elks with patterned and swirly designs on their skin. Beautiful as the elk looked, Shulk advised staying clear of the antlered animals. Miko climbed one of the pine trees when she noticed a Riddler Trophy on top. After traveling up another steep hill with falling snowballs, the group discovered an abandoned village, mostly consisting of ruined houses. "This used to be part of Colony 4 before the Mechon attacked it." Shulk said. "The rest of the colony is higher up. The Homs of this colony have silver hair and are close to the High Entia. They're also Alvis' people… at least, that's what he claimed."
"But you said Alvis was an Aegis. Like, a Blade?" Quill questioned.
"I know. It's complicated. Although… I wonder if he would be…"
There was a fountain along the central ledge of the village, where water poured out of the statues of an Ories, Ellook, and Chilkin, all of which were missing its horns and ponytail respectively. An ancient stone sign was at the top of the fountain, in which Shulk translated its writing: Return the crowns of the Alpine Guardians to meet the village spirit. When Shulk touched the sign, a vision flashed: he saw Reyn picking a pair of antlers off a totem pole, Jenny collecting Ories horns from under a rock, and Carmine taking a Chilkin ponytail out of one of their straw tents.
"Oh, I get it!" Reyn grinned. "We have to rip the horns off these animals and bring them here!"
"Actually, I just had a vision. We're looking for specific ones. We need to look for…"
The teammates divided after Shulk described the locations. Reyn climbed a tree leading to the ledge of an upper area, where Ellooks guarded the way to a totem pole. His strong shield defended him from the charging elks, trying to avoid fighting as much as possible. He reached and climbed the pole, struggling to tear the antlers off the top.
As Kazuma and Carmine traveled downhill, they were stunned to see Finch ditzily skipping up. "Oh, hey! More adventurers! Check it out! Isn't that view great? And look at all this snow! Haha, it's so cool and fluffy!" She happily wiggled her talons in the fluff.
"How did you escape?!" Kazuma shouted.
"She could've picked free with her talons." Carmine realized.
"Escape whuh? I dunno what you're talking about. Oh, that's right, I gotta ask you something." Finch flapped her hands. "Have you seen any Cando operatives with-"
Kazuma socked her in the jaw. Finch pushed herself up, so Kazuma ran to finish the job. Finch raised her hammer like a shield and blocked his assault, each punch only resulting in recoil. Once he was dizzy, Finch sprung into the air and shot down hammer first. Carmine threw a Pulse Bomb to knock Kazuma away. The boy came to and began to pounce around like a rabbit, the bouncy soles of his shoes assisting him. As he circled the bird-girl, Finch grew dizzy and wobbly, allowing him to pounce for a double kick.
Jenny saw a long, secluded platform down the hill and realized she could slide down and up a natural ramp, flying and landing on the secluded area. It led to an open ground with a patch of dark flowers. The image of a dark, spirit Ellook briefly appeared before vanishing. Good thing Jenny didn't come here while it was night. Jenny rolled to the "right" side of the Bionis' arm and crossed a long stone bridge. Ories charged her from the other side, but she ducked and breakdanced to knock them down and keep rolling. The bridge ended at a dead-end platform with several rocks. Jenny searched under them all until she found some Ories horns.
After Kazuma's attack seemed to take Finch down, he and Carmine traveled back down the mountain to the Chilkin's territory. They crossed past the area where the Chilkin were first rolling down snowballs, finding a village of them. The watchtower blew a horn, signaling all the locals to attack. Carmine threw grenades at the archers while Kazuma beatdown the axemen. Three Chilkin came at him from behind, but Finch came bouncing and spinning with her hammer outstretched, KOing the birds. "WOOHOO! We really showed them, didn't we, partner!"
"Can't you just leave us alone?!"
"Why? Wait, why am I following you again?"
"Because we're your teammates!" Carmine answered, Finch facing her. "We're Dr. Eggman's henchmen, so we're helping you hunt for the KND operatives! We're Kazuma and Carmine, remember?"
"Ohhhh…okay. Also, who's Dr. Eggen again?"
"Just help us find a Chilkin ponytail thingy and let's get outta here." Kazuma sighed.
"Okay, Katsma."
The three crept into what seemed like the chief's tent. The larger Chilkin was asleep on his throne, and a more elegant Chilkin's ponytail was set atop the throne. Kazuma persuaded Finch to climb up one of the wood poles in the tent and balance across the support beams. The birdbrained Blade had trouble staying balanced, wobbling and waving her arms with a, "Whooooaaa."
"Hehehe!" Carmine giggled.
"Ugh, don't laugh! Man, she's totally gonna botch this up."
"Come on, she's adorable. Besides, why'd you even put her up to this?"
"'Cause when the chief wakes up, we'll let her take the beating while we grab the thing ourselves."
Despite Kazuma's doubts, Finch managed to make it above the… "Uh, hey! What'm I after again?"
"The ponytail thing!" Kazuma whisper-shouted. "The ponytail, you doofus!"
"Ohhhh…" Finch bent down and picked it up. "But is it really called a ponytail? I feel like there's another name for-"
"I don't know what else to call it, just get it down!"
"Okie-dokie!" Finch flipped, bounced on the chief's head, and rejoined her friends.
"!" The two panicked. "You Will Know Our Names" started playing as the Chiefkin—Chairman Cleveland—began to chase them through the village. The trio bolted up the snowball path as the chief chucked spears, scratching Kazuma's hip and puncturing Finch's head. "FINCH!" Carmine fell back in horror. "NO!!"
"Hurry, let's go!" Kazuma grabbed Carmine's arm and ran.
"Fiii-i-i-i-i-inch!" Carmine could only cry for the little bird.
The Cleveland took his spear back as he kept chasing. Finch's head healed as the Blade pushed up. "…I wonder what's for lunch today? Ooo, I'll go ask Kazam and Carm!" She eagerly chased them.
Eventually, Cleveland got tired of chasing the ops, and they would reunite with their team at the village. The horns and tail were placed in the proper statues. The fountain's water flow halted as the central part opened upward. The team followed a stairwell down into an ancient… living room. (Play "Ancient Mysteries" from Xenoblade.)
The table, cabinets, and stove seemed somewhat modern, but Shulk and even Boly could feel the history in the surrounding temple. They could hear water running and see steam from around one of the corridors. …In a moment, a tan-skinned, silver-haired boy walked out, wearing only a white bath towel and a necklace of a red cross. "There's a hot spring in the next room if you're in need of a rinse."
These weren't the first words Reyn and Shulk expected to hear from him after all this time. "Alvis…"
"It's good to see you again… my Driver."
"This guy's the Aegis?" Miko asked. "He… doesn't look as epic as I thought."
"Were you expecting shiny armor with sharp shoulders?"
"I knew it…" Shulk said reflectively. "When Rex first met his Aegis… he was dead. But she brought him back to life in exchange for Driver-ship. And you…you did the same thing."
"Shulk was… dead?" Jenny repeated.
"It's a long story." Reyn replied.
"That is correct. I was first awakened eons ago, by one of Zanza's disciples… the man who founded Colony 4."
"Just 4? Since he sounds important, I figured he'd have founded 1."
"As clever as ever, Reyn. But while my first Driver passed, as an Aegis, I do not return to my Core Crystal. I lived here, assuming the role of the 'village spirit.' The Homs that aspired to be Seers for the High Entia Royal Family came to me to be tested. They would touch my necklace, and fate would determine if they had the potential to use my future-seeing power. In actuality, this necklace is my Core Crystal, and those Seers would become my Drivers."
"So, all that stuff about you having a family was just hokum."
"Well, I couldn't just divulge my true identity before our 'plan' could be carried out. Of course, when I felt the appointed time coming, I left this shrine and acted as a normal civilian. Or rather, acted as the family's new Seer. Then… I met you, Shulk. Despite the circumstances you were forced into, I saw potential in you. I made you my newest Driver, wondering if you had the power to change this planet's fate… and you did."
"Then this new Monado…" Shulk raised the red sword, "it came from you?"
"Yes… though it disguises itself as the first one, only you and your friends had the potential to draw out its true power."
"I'm really confused." Quill scratched his head.
"Come on, Quill, this sounds like cool lore!" Miko exclaimed.
"And here we have our new guests." Alvis turned. "I sensed the lot of you coming for a while. Especially…" He approached Miko and Boly, "you two."
"Miko… I feel a strong chi inside his hard-drive. Not just chi… it's data."
"I've already told Shulk this truth, and I'm sure you all know as well… but this world, Mira, is an artificial one, created by human scientists 10,000 years ago. The space station you saw hovering over the planet was their base. It used to be a space colony with artificial environments, to give people a place to live away from overpopulation and war. But when its leading scientist discovered the power of Bolypius, he sought to make a greater home for the people. That's what half of him wanted, at least… but there was another half that desired the power of godhood. Thus, Mira was created, and all that dwelled on the station was destroyed… their souls and matter reborn on this world."
"Man…" Jenny and co. were used to these sorts of cosmic tales, yet they were still too incredible to believe.
"And as I explained, I was a Program of the Trinity Processor computer. I, and my fellow would-be Aegises. Because we directly harnessed and absorbed Bolypius' data, we were reborn with powerful chi and positions. We were born from this one's power. Perhaps we are the key to making her whole again."
"Making her… whole?"
"I can tell she isn't as powerful as she once was. Much of it was lost."
"I discarded the Pure Hearts that once completed me, along with Aincrad. The power was too much… and I was hurting too many people."
"I understand. But what awaits us now… is something we can only face with your full power. Bolypius…" Alvis knelt, "touch my crystal. As the Aegis of Fate, I carry data on this world's history. Perhaps my data will be of some use to you."
Boly slowly raised her pointed arm and touched the necklace. Her eyes flashed a bright blue: all of Mira's history splayed before her, from the moment of its digital creation to the explosion of its physical creation. The gods arrived to stabilize this world with the rules of this universe, granting elements to the Blades and people, but the Bionis arose to fight them. Deeming it too dangerous, the gods locked both it and the Mechonis in a sub-dimension, where they would duel for supremacy. Millenia passed, until the day Shulk would seize the Bionis' power and break the seal on their Titans.
Likewise, she saw the history of Alrest and the many continental Titans that once roamed it: those Titans began to fight each other for space, so some resorted to jumping off the planet itself. They were lost in space, yet Boly wouldn't know if they landed on other planets. Other Titans were destroyed by Malos and Mythra in the Aegis War. Ships from outer space tried to land on Mira, but were banished by the Sirens that were left behind by the ancient Coruscanti. Only after Rex mastered the Aegis' powers could they shut the Sirens down. They and the people of Mira would use the spaceships found in the station to venture to other worlds, and in return welcome traffic to their world… thus was the Elysium they had sought.
However, there was one person the Sirens never shot down. One ship that was allowed to land on the station, many years ago. It was Kayaba… the descendant of the lead scientist, Dr. Klaus. The Sirens analyzed his DNA as their creator's. Finding the ancient data drive that his ancestor used, Bolypius, Kayaba sought to make his own world.
"I…I remember everything. About this world… and its creation. And yet… my memory banks are still filled with blanks."
"Then perhaps we must find the other Aegises. I shall accompany you." A bluish coat with a white-furred collar, similar pants, and white boots appeared over him.
"You coulda done that any time?!" Jenny exclaimed.
"I needed to air out. But we Blades are beings of condensed matter and data. Our main bodies are our Core Crystals, and it's from those crystals we can materialize organic components, weapons, and clothing."
"Reminds me of that Gem race." Quill commented. "But, you Blades are like semi-organic computers. That explains how Eggman was able to 'hack' and reprogram the others… right?"
"Using the Aegis data, supposedly." Shulk said. "Yet, I wouldn't begin to comprehend how."
"We may understand in time." Alvis nodded, walking to the exit. "Since we're nearby, how about we visit Colony 4 for a spell? I do need to 'procure' some new food. Also, is that one with you?"
"Heeeeeey, you guuuuuys." Finch cheered. "Did you up and ditch old Finch? Yo, check out this cool house. It's so authentic and retro! Ooo, were you waiting to surprise me with it? Is this our secret club?!"
Alrest
When morning dawned, Sector V excitedly set sail… under a stormy sky. "Maaaaaaan!" Sheila moaned. "This is the WORST time to have an adventure! I wanna see the sun, I want the bright white clouds to fill me eyes!"
"You would think since we're sailing on clouds," Haylee replied, "there shouldn't be many clouds above us."
"I guess we aren't quite as high as Sky Island level." Mason reasoned.
"Besides, we not gonna be outside much longer, anyway." Tora informed. "Tora's sources say Rex-Rex in Drewey, Uraya. And Uraya come up any moment now."
"What do you mean come up?" Harry asked.
"Whoa, hang on to something, guys!" Haylee yelled. "We're pulling away! Something's pushing up the sea! WHOA, AND IT'S HUGE!!"
A gargantuan "lump" grew from a vast portion of the clouds, and that lump rose like a mountain, soon to take the form of a titanic earthen whale. "Mehmeh! Uraya closer than Tora thought!"
"That thing is a Titan?!" Haruka exclaimed.
"UH-OH!" Haylee screamed. "We're still on its—TAIIIIILLL!" The fin of the enormous tail raised their ship to the sky, and after it slowly flapped up, the vessel went flinging and flipping through the air. "AAAAAAHH—THIS IS SERIOUSLY GONNA LEAVE A MARK—AAAAAHH!"
The ship violently landed and scraped down the side of the tail, the riders bumping and tumbling about the deck wildly. "POPPI SAVE EVERYONE!" The robot transformed into pigtails and a maid's outfit—QT Mode. She used jetshoes to fly underneath and catch the ship on its side. The teens held each other and the rigging to keep from falling. Poppi descended and set the ship upright along the ocean.
"Mehmeh! Alien ship nowhere near safer than Titan ship! But at least we on proper side. Look! There tunnel we can sail into."
"I wish!" Haylee shouted. "That crash damaged our rudder!"
"Poppi! Assume Backup Engine Mode!"
"Yes, Masterpon!" She flew to the stern and used her rockets to push the ship with great speed!
"Hey, Tora, you mind if we take Poppi's legs to use as a permanent engine?!" Artie asked.
"Not on friend's life!!"
Thanks to Poppi's haphazard steering, the Raccoon Pirates made it into the opening on Uraya's left. They were free from the pounding rains and storm and blessed with trees with beautiful leaves of a pinkish-orange hue. The interior of the Titan possessed a deep bluish hue. This is beautiful! Kirie signed in delight as they set foot on a pier. Are these sakura trees?
Haruka translated for her. "Not sakura. Saffronia!" Tora answered. "And yes. One of Alrest's most beautiful wonders. We go through Saffronia Forest and find Drewey. Hopefully Rex-Rex there."
"Whoa, look at the glitters…" Aurora's big blue eyes reflected the glittering particles in the air, catching some on her hands.
"That crystal sleet. Happens when rains outside."
"Wow…"
Let's go, let's go! Kirie jumped spritely. I wanna see more of this world!
"Now you're signin' like a real adventurer!" Sheila put an arm around her. "You saw her, team! Onwards!" (Play "Uraya Night" from XC2!)
Act 4: Saffronia Forest
Mission: Find Rex!
Sheila and Kirie twirled as their irises absorbed the glow of the Saffronias. They unwarily danced to a garden of large, purple flowers, which grew bulky bodies with piranha plant arms. They barely dodged the Blants' swipes by the time they were aware, Kirie throwing flower shurikens to slice their arms. She feared Sheila's lightbending would only empower the plants, but it seemed to hurt them as painfully as any other beast. The duo climbed a tree and crossed long branches to jump to other trees, discovering a Riddle Trophy hanging on one. They led to a swing hanging from a higher branch. The girls swung it together to fling to a high pathway. The road cut through a trench where Gyannas lurked; scorpion-like monsters with a flowery tail bulb. The flowers shot like guns, but Aurora would have the honor of freezing them with her bending. "I know we're slow, but don't run too far ahead."
When trying to catch up, another Blant swat its vine at Haruka. During the scuffle, she realized she could grab the plant in her bending. "These are poisonous plants!" That's how she knew she would be vital in the upcoming puzzle: Sheila and Kirie passed a left-curve road, which had a pit on its right with a Blant and a flower switch connected to a Riddler Cage. Haruka forced the Blant to walk onto the switch, unlocking the trophy. The crew reached a river from where the Saffronias grew, their glowing petals gracing the surface. Kirie quickly switched to her swimsuit, while Sheila needed no such thing. The river was deep enough to swim, but the view underneath wasn't as lovely with Piranhax swimming around. Sheila knocked the monstrous fish floating on the surface… for the Gilligans to round up to cook later.
Sheila and Kirie swam to the base of a giant tree. There was an opening to go in and swim up inside. Upon resurfacing, the girls climbed a vine wall spiraling up the trunk. Gyannas were set on ledges trying to shoot them, but Sheila hit harder as they would soon learn. From the top of the tree, they could kick and unravel a ladder for their friends to climb up… but that wasn't the most incredible thing. Water bubbles were afloat in the air, big enough for them to swim in. They weren't visible very well from beneath the Saffronias, so the improved view was welcome. "Crikey! Who 'as the lungs to blow bubbles this big?"
"It Uraya's waterbending." Tora explained mid-climb. "Each Titan born with certain Element Chi much like Blades themselves. Its environment built around that chi. Mor Ardain Fire-type and Temperantia Lightning, for example."
"He is a giant whale like Kyogre." Mason noticed. "Mmm…" The mention of the Sea God saddened him.
Sheila swam up the bubbles, launching out of them to gain enough momentum to reach others. They had to quickly swim around a ring of bubbles that a Lexos was rotating, reaching the deviating route before the Lexos could catch up. The crew landed on a hanging boarded path leading to a stable ledge. From here, they had view of a huge, entrenched area: it was Uraya's Stomach, and to their left was a great stairwell leading to the capital, Fonsa Myma. There was a swing set up on the ops' ledge, designed to swing them over the stomach to a forest on the other side. The premise of this swing filled Sheila with glee.
She and Kirie rode together, "GERONIMOOOOOO!" whooshing over the entrenched river like a roller-coaster and flying off the other side! Two by two, the other ops would ride the swing. Unfortunately, the forest on this side wasn't so glamorous: many Saffronias were chopped down, and the place was swarming with both Common Blades and soldiers in white armor with helmets and goggles.
"OI! We have intruders!" one yelled. The soldiers all had Scottish accents.
"These must be the ones Lady Azami told us about!"
"Who the 'eck are you lot?" Sheila asked.
Did you cut all these trees?! Kirie signed. Not that it mattered because Sheila would ask the question herself.
"We are the Brionac, the anti-imperial army of Mor Ardain! Dr. Eggman has 'coerced' us into working for him."
"I think I've seen reports of that one. They say she's the Pirate King!"
"That damp little Gormotti? She looks more like the Homeless King, haha!"
"Oh, are you blokes ready to learn a hard lesson?" Sheila smirked.
"Nah, Sheila, these guys aren't worth your time." Mason replied. "Let the rest of us clean them up."
"The only ones getting cleaned up will be you! Men, like we practiced! DON'T FORGET!" (Play the "XC2 Battle Theme You Won't Forget" on YouTube!)
"THINK you CAN… take me?! THINK you CAN… take me?!" The troops and Blades began to dance in a choreographed fashion. These lyrics were joined by a chorus of, "Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't."
"DON'T forget me, DON'T forget me!" The troops began to shoot guns. The kids were so mesmerized by the song, they were wounded by the first shots. Once their intent was made clear, the crew divided the work. Artie shot laser rifles at some, the soldiers side-jumping in evasion. He needed only predict their jumps to land successful shots.
Mason guzzled Flurp and used Gas Rocket to throw strong punches at the troops, who would catch his fists in their palms, push the arm down, land jaw kicks, then back stomps with the lyrics. They linked arms and danced a circle around Mason, kicking him from every direction. Mason combusted a Gasplosion to blow the Brionacs apart.
"Think you can take me… BEHAVE!" Four soldiers seized Haruka's limbs in whips, flapping her about like a parade ribbon. Haruka stretched a Poison Whip from her sleeve and pulled one off his feet. Once that arm was fully free, she bent out some poison she "borrowed" from one of the Blants, bending it like a Water Slice to cut the other whips. Gas attacks wouldn't be effective against the helmeted soldiers, so she relied on the liquid poison to whip them into submission.
"Don't-Don't-Don't-Don't," several Brionacs lined up before Haylee, jumping left and right and in and out of the line, with some taking shots at her. "Don't-Don't-Don't-Don't, Don't-Don't-Don't-Don't!" Haylee grabbed materials from her Infi-Cube and quickly whipped up a giant tire. She waited 'til the troops were lined up before bowling them down!
Dillon was surrounded by synchronized Xenoblades, who used darkbending to blacken his surroundings. From the darkness, they struck at Dillon with their weapons, following the rhythm. He relied on Mario to sense the presence of their shadows and would use the song to predict their movements. From there, he would dodge, flip them to the ground, and punch their heads with his dad's stealth tactics. Enough damage would cause the darkness to lighten, and afterwards his shadowbending could knock out the last of their stamina.
Harry adapted to the rhythm and expertly dodged the soldiers' fists. He joined hands with Kirie as they danced a duet, the rapstar throwing the silent fighter in the air as she threw sakura kunai at them! Harry caught her as a squad of Beast Blades surrounded them, pouncing with the music and tossing their ringed weapons. The dancers twirled evasively as they drew bladed CDs and flower shurikens respectively, chucking them to dice the Blades.
"Don't forget me…" were the words of the last soldier upon passing out. (End song.)
"Amazing!" Tora exclaimed. "Tora and Poppi not have to help at all! New friends better than Tora thought."
"Hah, even me and Kir didn't get hit!" Harry laughed. "You guys need to shape up!"
"Yeah, yeah." Mason eye-rolled. "Sure was a weird song though."
"Mehmeh. All Ardainian soldiers sing it. Makes fighting them annoying."
They heard a blast a short distance away, followed by an eruption of light from behind some rock walls. "Masterpon! That look like…"
"Mythra light! Hurry, friends, come!" They rushed to follow Tora around the rocks.
"Pyra!" Rex called. On his cue, the blonde-haired Blade transformed into her red-haired self, her sword of light becoming one of fire.
"MEHMEH! Is Aegis Driver running out of steam?!" a voice yelled from a huge, but chibi-style robot. It had purple hair, a pudgy face, and maid's uniform, with a large "E" on its headwear. The pilot was a cyan Nopon with swirly glasses and a labcoat. "Time has come! You pay for killing Chairman Bana!"
"For the last time!" Rex dodged the mech's bullets, swinging flaming slashes. "Bana blew himself up!"
"Because you drove him to it! You ruin his hard work! At least Muimui find new work with Eggman! Egg Rosa destroy you for good!"
"REX-REX!" The high voice of his Nopon comrade sparked Rex with delight, spinning to find Tora and the Raccoon Pirates.
"Tora!"
"REX, LOOK OUT!" Pyra screamed, using her bending to split the breath of fire Rosa blew at them. The split fire threatened to burn the crew, had Aurora not blocked it with her chi. She grabbed some fire and formed her own sword. Alongside Rex, they sprung forth and singed Rosa's limbs with the Burning Swords!
"MEHMEH! These odds not even at all! But newest upgrade of Rosa give her friends! ULTRA BANG-BANG!" Several Minirosas dropped from their master's skirt.
"Poppi! It time for Triple Deluxe Combo!" In her base form, Poppi tossed Tora her Drill Shield, the Nopon spinning to slice each of the Rosas! Tora tossed the drill back to her, and it would become Mech Arms as Poppi entered QT Mode. She punched and knocked the Minirosas into a pile before picking them up and chucking them at Egg Rosa's face. "Poppi QTπ, it's time to shine!"
Poppi then morphed into a more adult form with longer hair, a black top and stockings with red high-heeled boots, and a mechanical saber. Tora took the Variable Saber and stabbed all the Minirosas onto it like a meat skewer. He handed the weapon to Poppi, who swung with such speed that the Rosas flew off and exploded against Egg Rosa.
"MEHMEEEEEH!" Muimui took his mech to the sky and dropped a nuke.
"MYTHRA!" Rex's Blade changed back into a blonde as their sword of light stretched to push the nuke back. Its force threatened to persevere against the spire of light, so Sheila applied some of her own: she spun a Light Fist together, colored the same as the Saffronia leaves she absorbed the light from. She punched it up Mythra's sword and struck the nuke with enough power to send it back to Rosa. "MEEEEEEH…" The explosion of the giant Artificial Blade sent Muimui flying out of one of Uraya's holes, into the stormy heaven. "Muimui blast off agaaaaaiiiin…meh!" Then lightning struck him.
"Cor, that was incredible!" Rex praised. "Are you another rare Light Blade?"
"Eh?" Sheila cocked a brow.
"Come on, Rex." Mythra scoffed. "They're obviously outsiders. I'm pretty sure we saw this girl at the Cooking Festival."
"Haha, I'm only joking…"
"Rex-Rex, meet Tora new friends from Earth KND! They here to help with Eggman situation."
From there, they endured another round of introducing their selves. "Sheila… the Pirate King?" Rex repeated. "I think I have heard of you."
"Yeah." Mythra reached into her emerald Core Crystal and withdrew a Flurp. "So, is it true you like this stuff?"
"DO I EVER?!" Thinking she's found another Flurp buddy, Sheila grabbed her own drink. She took a swig and, "BUUUURP!" the two cringed. "It's flippin' great, eh?!"
"Hmm…yeah, I guess." Mythra drank her Flurp. "…Burp!"
"Oh, brother." Haruka sighed.
"Anyway, you probably know by now, but I'm Rex! This is Mythra," she transformed, "and Pyra. And that's Dunban over there."
Dunban stood on a ledge, looking down at them in a pink nurse's gown.
"So… you're two Aegises?"
"More like split personalities." Pyra smiled. "And we're two elements."
"So am I!" Aurora lit up her fire and ice hands.
"Haha! I guess we have a lot in common!"
Rex led them up a flight of wood stairs that led to a town of feudal Japanese buildings, shimmering among the Saffronias. The stress of the journey was lifting off the operatives' hearts upon taking in the gorgeous scenery. "And NOW I feel at home!" Vanellope jumped out of Dillon's H.E.A.D.S.E.T.. "I was made in Japan, you know."
"Who this one?!" Tora exclaimed.
"About time you woke up, Vanellope!" Dillon laughed.
"Hey, it was too watery out there, anyway!"
"You know, Vanellope is kind of like Dillon's Blade." Haylee said.
"She… is?" Rex asked.
"In a way, yeah." Dillon smiled.
Vanellope excitedly glitched around the rural setting, Sheila doing the same as she climbed the trees and jumped rooftops. "Nearly everyone in the capital, Fonsa Myma was abducted." Rex explained. "But we're barely managing to keep Drewey safe. Luckily, Cole managed to stay safe, too. We needed him to treat Nia."
The non-exploring teammates followed Rex into a doctor's office. An old, dark-skinned man with an orange beard and hood was sorting bottles in a cabinet. "Hm?" He turned. "Ah, Rex… I see we brought some new friends."
"Don't make us introduce ourselves again." Haylee sighed.
"Is Nia doing well, Cole?"
"Yeah. Come and see her."
The ops would peek into one of the rooms, seeing a catgirl with silvery brownish hair and a white outfit. Hearing the door open, she sat up from her bed, smiling. "Rex…"
"Hey, Nia. Feeling all better?"
"There's still a bit of pain in my crystal… but I think I'll manage." She spoke in a Welsh accent.
Haruka, this being her natural environment, walked in to see the red and blue kite-shaped crystal on her chest. "You have a Core Crystal. Does that mean you're a Blade?"
"Er, I… Rex, who are these people?"
"They're new friends from another world. I doubt Tora's had time to tell them everything."
"Then allow me." Cole stepped in. "Nia and I are Flesh Eaters." He opened his hood to reveal a similar red and blue crystal, flesh veins around it.
"F-Flesh Eaters?" Haruka gasped.
"It's as you suspect. We are Blades who consumed human flesh, thus extending our longevity. But I won't divulge much more than that."
"Um…okay." They wouldn't discover an ability like that without a tragic past to accompany it. But these two were good people, that much was certain.
"When Dr. Eggman began to spread this widespread 'curse,' Nia and I grew sick. I surmise it's because of what we were that we avoided falling under his control. Of course, it was similar to something that happened in the past, so because of that, I had medicine ready. Managed to help this time, too… then, Rex brought Nia to me."
"Could it help with normal Blades, too?"
"I don't know, but I haven't had the chance."
"Either way, I'm sure we can save them all once we stop Eggman. Other teams have gone to find the other Aegis Drivers. We should try to contact them."
"And we should make sure Sheila's not destroying town right now." Haylee remembered.
Sheila was bringing great destruction to a Saffronia tree: she applied just enough force to kick it without cracking it, its petals falling down. Kirie began to craft new shurikens with its petals. "Um…excuse me?" They were cautiously approached by a cyan-haired girl with a pink flower and green and white dress. Behind her was a man with similar hair. "Why are you knocking those leaves down?"
Oh, I just wanted to make weapons out of it. Kirie smiled. Hehe, sorry.
"Well… just as long as you don't hurt it too much."
"'ey, you understand sign language!" Dillon beamed, thankful they didn't need to translate.
"Hehe! Grandpa taught me."
The man approached them. "By any chance… are you all outsiders?"
"Was it the clothes or the accents?"
Vanellope zipped by. "Probably the smell~" she chortled. "Did you and Sheila bathe this morning 'cause P.U.!"
"Ah, don't mind us!" Sheila grinned. "We're just the local intergalactic adventurers!"
"Really?" the girl smiled. "Wow! Dad's an adventurer, too!"
"Are ya?"
"Well, it's nothing to brag about…" the dad answered sheepishly.
"Yes it is! You've been exploring other worlds, Dad!"
"But I haven't made much progress in my research, Iona."
"But maybe these people can help you."
"What're you researching?" Dillon wondered.
"There's an old legend my dad always told me. In ages past, several Titans of Alrest leapt so high that they vanished beyond the sky. I used to sail the Cloud Sea in search of truth to these legends. And when we became able to travel the universe… I wondered if I could find these Titans on other worlds? But the universe is vast. I still can't find the right place to search for leads."
"So, these sorts of Titans are on other worlds? Uh…nothing really comes up. Sheila?"
"Uhhhhhh…" She twisted a finger in her ear.
"So, even to alien explorers, it's a mystery."
"Heh, sorry." Dillon shrugged.
"Well, since all these petals are down," Iona bent over to grab some, "maybe I'll make a flower crown."
Me, too! Kirie knelt beside her and wove her own.
The Cole walked out of the office with the operatives. "Hey!" Haruka pointed gleefully. "Kirie made a new friend!"
"Oh! That's my son and granddaughter." Cole replied.
"Really?" Haylee asked. "What's with the blue hair?"
"My wife had it. She was Urayan."
"So, that would mean they're Blade hybrids, right?" Haruka followed.
"Yes… but functionally, they are human. They never displayed any unique powers… but they still seem to retain the unique chi of average Blades."
"There really is a lot to learn about this world." Haruka rubbed her forehead. "Just the Blades alone have so many rules about them."
"Learning about your outside world was pretty hard for us." Rex replied. "But hey! We'll help you along every step."
Seeing Kirie and Iona put Saffronia crowns on each other warmed their hearts. "At least friendship doesn't always have to be complex." Haruka said.
New Los Angeles
High tech military facilities with large mechs, human neighborhoods with ordinary cars, homes, and yards, NLA was probably the most surreal sight on this alien continent. It was all surrounded by a round, mechanical barrier, spiked crystal formations outside, secluding them from the grassy plains and tall rock formations, along with any hostile wildlife and aliens outside. That said, NLA was home to all kinds of friendly xenos as well as humans, such as the amphibian Ma-non, the Zaruboggan who wear metal suits to contain their poisonous bodies, and as always, Nopon.
Team Nebula approached Governor Chausson near the town gate. "Did you have a nice rest, Supreme Leader Nebula?"
"Totally!" Vweeb chirped. "Ari's hair is cozy no matter where we're at." Arianna rolled her eyes.
"It was great!" Nebula affirmed. "We're really grateful, Mr. Chausson. Is there any word on the Aegis?"
"Jak and Daxter were spotted on the outskirts as we speak. But it seems they haven't brought Malos with them."
"Let's go see." Cheren suggested.
Crossing outside the city gate, they could see a greenish-blonde, broad-shouldered man with long ears riding on a hoverbike. A small, orange- and yellow-furred animal rode his shoulder. His bike would come to a stop as he stepped off and marched firmly on his combat boots. Cheren could tell from that stern expression he was a hardened man, one who wouldn't show mercy to anyone on his bad side.
The same couldn't be said of the little Ottsel that bounced off his shoulder and fast-walked to them. "That's right, boys and gals, it IS me!" He thumbed at himself. "The one and only Daxter! Petting will cost ya 500G, but if ya chip in a grooming, then it's free."
"Are you some sorta mascot on this planet?" Vweeb asked.
"You're darn right I am, Shortman!"
"At least he looks cuddly." Arianna smiled.
"Hey, I'm 10 times cuddlier!" Vweeb argued.
"You?" Daxter smirked. "Ya might be able to cuddle a cockroach."
"The smaller things are, the cuter! Kateenians make cute accessories." Vweeb bounced down to Arianna's nose. "See? Tell me this ain't cute."
"Will you both just focus?" Makava sighed.
"So, who the hell are you all?" Jak asked.
"If he's Daxter, then I guess you're Jak?" Cheren asked.
"What's it to you?"
"We're here to liberate this planet from Eggman." Nebula explained. "Poppi asked us to find the Aegis Drivers. One of them is you, right?"
"Afraid you're out of luck. Malos… sort of went off on his own. He decided it would be easier to revert the Blades back into their crystal states."
"Wouldn't that mean… killing their Drivers?" Chausson asked.
"No. Aegises have the power to revert them without doing that. But doing so would wipe their memories. When Malos started attacking Ursula and Floren, Celica jumped in the way, tried to protect them. But those Blades wound up capturing her and Rock. That's when we were called back here. I let Malos go on ahead and chase them."
"Ursula…" Cheren thought to himself. "That's the Blade MaKayla and Sector IC know. So… Malos is gonna wipe their memories?"
"We wanted to check if that was okay with Rex first." Daxter reasoned. "But then we got in a fight about it and that's how we went separate ways. Sigh, it was a classic 'buddy duo' trope and it was heartbreaking."
"We can't let their memories be erased." Nebula stated. "Where are they? We need to go after them."
"We can handle it ourselves." Jak plopped a gun with blue Nature Crystals in his hand. "Malos isn't the only reason I'm dangerous. Let's go, Dax." He began to return to his bike.
"Hold on there, cowboy." Jak cocked a brow at Nebula. "You ain't the only gunner around here." She reached in her Infi-Cube and withdrew her T.O.P.M.A.N. launcher. "And 'long as the KND's under attack, it's my rodeo!"
"Hey, she brought the Nexus Quest collection!" Vweeb cheered.
"Look, lady, the KND may be friendly, but I don't let outsiders boss me around." Jak resumed walking.
"Then consider it a request." Nebula politely followed the Long-Ear and asserted her way on the back of his bike. "Take a lovely lady on a ride through the countryside and let her shoot up some Badniks."
"What a pain. Just stay outta my way, kiddo."
"You ain't reliving the spotlight without me!" Vweeb bounced on Nebula's shoulder.
"What's wrong, shorty?" Daxter smirked. "Afraid she'll pick me as a new mascot?"
"Well, we could always use more variety up on base." Nebula said.
"NO!" Vweeb screamed. "I'm the only adorable sidekick GKND needs!"
"Eh, it's all the same." Daxter shrugged. "GKND don't look like it pays very well."
"I'll have you know my operatives receive high compensation for their efforts!" Nebula's argument echoed as the bike rode off, leaving the befuddled operatives behind.
"Heh…didn't think she would hit it off with them of all people." Cheren laughed.