Echo of Time: Awakening [PG14]~

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival


The towering security guard raised an eyebrow in confusion, as he heard Zuri's explanation for the "decorative pieces". He wasn't buying it but then again, they all seemed like a bunch of teenagers. Giving the boy with the guitar case a second look, it seemed they weren't just troubled; these kids were deeply troubled. The man in the black suit reached for his back pocket, ready to make an arrest, signaling to the rest of his team to do the same.

Right before the big "ape" could lay a hand on anyone, a female interrupted, "That will be enough."

A blonde, busty female, wearing square-frame glasses slightly below eye-level stood behind the group of security guards. Her smooth thighs, revealed by a high-cut skirt, drew quite the attention as she made her way to the group. Crossing her arms she stared the group down before fixing her gaze on Hunter, "Well, well, well ... Look what the cat dragged in..."

The lead security hesitated at her very sight; it was obvious she outranked him in whatever operation this was, "Yes, Lady Mildred, we'll stand back in case you need backup."

The one called Mildred glared at the man causing him to gulp, "That won't be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt."

Second later the group of brutes disappeared back into the crowds.

"As I was saying ... I'm the city mayor's personal assistant; these gentleman are here to make sure his daughter's speech goes as smoothly as possible."

It suddenly all made sense in Hunter's head. Just moments ago the two had met in a confrontation atop an old stairway.

"Mildred ..." Hunter murmured, recalling her name.

The tone in his voice annoyed Mildred who then shot back at him in a sarcastic way, "Yes, Mildred."

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ... " Fixing her gaze on Stella she continued, "It's the least I can do after this whole embarrassment."

Pulling out a set of passes, she extended her hand, "The dinner will take place inside the clock tower overseeing the center stage, floor number 13 ... Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance."

Hunter snatched a pass from Mildred's hand and was on is way.

Mildred grinned and yelled, "Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won't want to be late!"

Hunter simply threw a hand in the air, implying he understood but cared too little to turn around for a formal response.

...

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival
7:58 PM

Diego saw the guy move a bit before noticing the men were all in handcuffs before hearing Jonathon. He was tempting to provide him a sharp jab with the staff, but decided against it. Diego then turned to Zuri when she provided her explanation. Well, considering he went with her, he really didn't mind going anywhere as long as it was with her.

Diego saw the guys were going to try and arrest them. As Diego's mind began racing to try and figure out what to do, he heard a voice and he turned.

"That will be enough."

She looked pretty attractive, Diego will admit though something about the woman... unnerved him. Crossing her arms she stared the group down before fixing her gaze on Hunter, "Well, well, well ... Look what the cat dragged in..."

The lead security hesitated at her very sight; it was obvious she outranked him in whatever operation this was, "Yes, Lady Mildred, we'll stand back in case you need backup."

The one called Mildred glared at the man causing him to gulp, "That won't be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt."

Second later the group of brutes disappeared back into the crowds. Diego sighed in relief before looking at Mildred. The name was familiar...

"As I was saying ... I'm the city mayor's personal assistant; these gentleman are here to make sure his daughter's speech goes as smoothly as possible."

"Mildred ..." Hunter murmured, recalling her name. Diego turned to Hunter before facing Mildred.

The tone in his voice annoyed Mildred who then shot back at him in a sarcastic way, "Yes, Mildred."

"Isn't that the formal name for Milly?" Diego asked her before he paled. Something was not right about this. He clenched the staff as the name made the situation all the more... tense for him.

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ... " Fixing her gaze on Stella she continued, "It's the least I can do after this whole embarrassment."

Pulling out a set of passes, she extended her hand, "The dinner will take place inside the clock tower overseeing the center stage, floor number 13 ... Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance."

Hunter snatched a pass from Mildred's hand and was on is way.

Mildred grinned and yelled, "Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won't want to be late!"

Diego took the pass after some hesitation. He waited for Zuri to get hers before they began to get going. When he heard that expression of not wanting to be late, he shivered. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Diego commented to Zuri. He was feelign edgy.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara - Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival

Carly heard Michel scold her, but not before one of the guards confronted her and Hunter, threatening to arrest them. Michel defended her, claiming it was a fake scythe she brought. This gave Carly an idea.

"Heh, as if I'm sooo drunk. Aww... In all seriousness though, this is an authentic movie replica. We're going to a convention later." She lied, her voice mocking, then calm. Now was not the time to run away or panic. Only the guilty ran away after all.

"That will be enough." A voice interrupted as the guard was about to speak. It belonged to a blonde, bespectacled female, who was later addressed as "Mildred". She then allowed the guards to leave. Carly looked at her. Somehow, she recognized the face but at the same time, she did not. Mildred then introduced herself as the mayor's personal assistant.

"Mildred ..." Carly heard Hunter murmur, to which Mildred confirmed sarcastically. She then said the most random thing, at least according to Carly.

"Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I'd like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns ...the least I can do after this whole embarrassment." She said, taking out eight passes. Carly gave her a look, before taking one of them, looking at it and flipping it over. It seemed to look pretty legitimate.

Mildred then reminded them that the dinner started at eleven, to which Carly shrugged. Perhaps there was going to be good drinks anyway. She then faced the others.

"So...what do I do? Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me. To bring or not to bring?" She asked, still holding the scythe.

[Alliance]

Kess Andrews
Wielder of the Twin White Lion Gauntlets
New Arc Plaza – The Lantern Festival

The rest of the group quickly began defending their strange items, ranging from scythes to staffs. Kess felt a bit out of place, with her gloves still tucked away in her satchel whilst the others had gear in full view. Her hand, still in her satchel, twitched slightly. She quite wanted to wear her gloves, but they were dealing with silly policemen here.

Before anything else could be said or done from either side, a female voice said, “That will be enough.”

Kess glanced up in surprise when a woman walked up; arms crossed, and staring down the group. Kess felt a little scared under her gaze. And it seemed so familiar to, as if she’d been stared at by this woman before. But having not really been involved with any matters of this sort, she guessed not.

“Well, well, well… Look what the cat dragged in…” the woman said, in a tone that gave Kess a feeling of dread. Tonight was looking to be a little worse for her than she may have initially intended.

The guy who seemed be the head of the security hesitated, as if her very presence scared him. “Yes, Lady Mildred, we’ll stand back in case you need backup.”

Mildred glared at him and made the man gulp.

“That won’t be necessary, continue your surveillance and do not interrupt.”

Within mere seconds the men had already faded back into the crowd, no longer really easy to see. It relieved Kess slightly, to no longer have large men in black staring her down asking about sharp objects and drinks.

“As I was saying… I’m the city mayor’s personal assistant; these gentlemen are here to make sure his daughter’s speech goes as smoothly as possible.” Kess supposed that was fair enough. She seemed relatively reasonably, but still scared her.

“Mildred…” Hunter murmured, seeming a little out of a character. She supposed she couldn’t judge, she’d only met him a few moments ago.

“Yes, Mildred.” Mildred shot back, in a sarcastic tone.

“Anyway, on behalf of our fine mayor, I’d like to extend you all an invitation to have dinner with him later tonight during the launch of the lanterns…” she fixed her gaze of Stella – why, Kess didn’t know – before adding, “It’s the least I can do after this whole embarrassment.”

She pulled out a set of passes and extended her hand. “The dinner will take place in the clock tower overseeing the centre stage, floor number 13… Should you accept this cordial invitation take one of these and present it to the guard at the entrance.”

Hunter snatched one and went on his way, an act which nearly made Kess smile.

Mildred grinned and yelled, “Dinner starts at eleven, trust me, you won’t want to be late!”

With a little hesitation, Kess took a pass. “Thank you.” She said politely.

Carly and Diego both took a pass. Carly – still holding her scythe – turned to them.

“So… what do I do? Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me. To bring or not to bring?” she asked.

Kess considered it. She felt like their strange items were incredibly important for what was coming ahead, and it was a feeling she couldn’t shake. They couldn’t afford to not have one, right?

“Keep it.” Kess said softly. She smiled slightly, adding, “Though maybe don’t brandish it as if you’re about to hurt someone or something.”

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
New Arc City Plaza - The Lantern Festival

Armed with only the broken memories of what once was, Hunter proceeded away from the crowds, approaching the entrance to the city's ominous clock tower. He looked up, snowflakes gently touching his cold face as they dropped from the heavens. A drop of sweat ran smoothly down Hunter's cheek, the tower seemed to go on forever but that wasn't possible. Shaking his head in slight confusion and breaking from thought, Hunter gripped the leather strap of his guitar case as he noticed the guard up in front near the entrance. Hunter wasn't the type to trust strangers so easily. Even if there was any true to Milly's words, who was to guarantee him that the mayor wouldn't flip out upon seeing him walk in for "dinner", after all his appearance was anything but approachable. Hunter wasn't certain of what awaited him on the thirteenth floor. He had to get there but he wasn't about to just walk in even if he was invited.

"..."

The room on the thirteenth floor was well-lit and decorated for the festivities, golden drapes covered the window facing the center plaza. At the center of the room was a rectangular table made of wood of a gloss finish with empty seats abound on both sides. She sat directly across from him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, arms crossed and her back defiantly straight. The man looked her straight in the eyes, making her glare at him for a brief second before tilting her head in submission and averting her eyes away from his.

Leaning his elbows against the table top, the man menacingly crossed his fingers and finally spoke.

"If you want me to keep my end of the bargain, they better show Mildred."

The man sitting directly in front of her was the city Mayor. No one seemed to recall how he was even elected or when but people somehow didn't question it. Her name was Mildred, known to some as simply "Milly". She was once a terrifying foe with destructive powers but now only an empty vessel of her former dark-self. A girl who once made a deal with the devil himself, Raseo. Once upon a time, in a world of a different future, she had faced Seya and her Guardians of Light but was bested.

The busty twenty-four year old blonde closed her eyes in slight dismay as she got up from her seat and proudly walked toward the window. Pressing her right arm dearly across the generous cushion of her chest, she moved the drapes with her left hand and looked down the window, spotting a boy sitting on a bench near the entrance. Hunter, she thought.

"He ... no, they have no choice but to come. Their frail minds hunger for the truth. They are empty souls living a lie," a genuine look of regret and torment engulfed Mildred's expression, "a truth you think is real, that pounds away at your very existence but you cannot know it's all fake ... or that ..." Thinking of the those two she saw earlier, the boy who hid in the shadows and the girl with the attitude, or that you are dead.

Determined, Mildred turned to the mayor and reassured him.

"They will be here, Jago."

"..."

Hunter felt he was being watched. The young renegade felt that way 99% of the time. It was weird for him not to feel stalked. He had found a bench near the entrance, far enough to avoid attention but also close enough to notice anything unusual. His eyes shifted across the various parts of the building, looking for an alternate way in. He pulled the pass from his pocket and studied it for several seconds, the others shouldn't have a problem getting in with this, he thought. Crumbling the 3 x 5 card, he tossed it aside and got up. By law, these types of buildings had a set of stairs on the side. Similar to apartment walk-ups, he'd take the fire escape stairs up to the thirteenth floor.

Hunter flung his guitar case over to the first level of stairs. The walk-ups were inaccessible from the bottom without first dropping a steel ladder from the top. Kicking himself forward off the brick wall, Hunter caught onto a metal bar, this is military pull-ups all over again, he thought before pulling himself up onto the walk-ups. Hunter picked up his guitar case, strapped it back on and made his way to the top, 1, 2, 3 ... 9, 10, 11 ... , he counted in his mind before gasping in disbelief as he approached the top and final floor. His eyes widened in shock.

12! There's no 13th floor!

Hunter looked for the nearest window to break in. Making a fist Hunter threw a punch straight at the window but was repelled by a powerful force field that knocked him off the walk way entirely.

THUD!

Hunter crashed face first against the ground, his body sinking into the deep layer of snow. Normally, a man falling 12 stories would be no more than a gory splatter but Hunter had secrets. He wasn't entirely human. Lifting himself up, Hunter shook his head and then came to the realization that he did off with the only thing that could get him in. Now back on the bench near the entrance, Hunter waited. Hunter ran his hands down his freezing face in disbelief, tonight is gonna be a long night, he dreaded. His only hope was tagging along with one of the others.

"..."

Objectives:
* Make it to the 13th floor
- Only way in is through the entrance
- The first floor has a set of elevators containing numbers B1 - 13
- There is also a stairway connecting floors 1 - 13

* Meet with Milly and Mayor Gilford
- A servant right outside the door to the dinner room will escort you inside

Optional:
*Talk to Hunter

*Break into floor B1
- Only way in is through the elevator
- Elevator opens up to an eerie, completely white corridor leading up to a red metal door
- So much as stepping into the corridor will trigger an alarm

[Kiruria]

OOC: Because I am a bit pressed for time right now, I won't even bother recapping too much...
IC:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zuri Watkinson
Keeper of the Blue Flame Tiger Bow

Like the others in the group, the mayor's daughter also gave Zuri an odd feeling, as if she had somehow seen her before. But it was a bit different than all the others--a complex mix of feelings, and she had no idea why she was feeling them. Diego was mentioning how he had a bad feeling about her, and somehow she understood why that was. However, she had no idea why she understood why that was. Where has Zuri seen Mildred before? When Diego said "Milly", though, Zuri could faintly remember something... A feeling of something like hope... or even remorse. Perhaps it was a figment of whatever feeling Zuri had felt towards her when last they met in whatever dream or something Zuri could have last seen her (and possibly all these other weapon-wielders) in.

"Hmm, I do not get that feeling at all," Zuri replied to Diego with regards to "Milly". "I do feel as if I know her from somewhere else, but it doesn't seem like there is anything bad about her. Perhaps she is merely misunderstood. As for the dinner event though, that may very well be suspicious. Especially since most buildings don't have a thirteenth floor for superstitious reasons. Perhaps if we're lucky the building's thirteenth floor will be located in the magical realm. But so long as we don't end up in some secret jail cell for weapons possession, we should be fine."

It did seem a bit odd to her why Mildred would suddenly invite these people to dinner though. Zuri's only guess was that it had something to do with the fact that these other people seemed so familiar to her as well. In fact, they seemed very close, as if they all shared a secret magical bond. Perhaps a type of bond produced only by the hands of destiny, even... the same went for Mildred and the thuggish guy with the guitar case as well. And as for the dinner itself, she thought of something else:

"Everyone, just be careful," Zuri announced to all the others, just after Mildred and her accompanying authority figures had left. "These invitations say the dinner is located on the 13th floor. Most public buildings don't have a 13th floor, for supernatural reasons. Who knows, perhaps if we're lucky, we'll be dining in the magical realm."

She paused, as just then another thought came to her.

"By the way, do... I know we all must have met somewhere before, but I'm not sure where. What are all your names--maybe that will ring a bell? Mine is Zuri, by the way, if that rings a bell for any of you..."

She felt a little embarrassed saying the last part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11:00

Now, with a silent determination, Zuri entered the mayor's place and started heading for the elevator (as there was no way she could ascend all twelve flights of stairs without running out breath and/or cramping up her legs), inviting Diego to follow her. When she got there, she discovered to her mild surprise that there was in fact a thirteenth floor. In fact, that was the highest floor listed. Perhaps either the mayor didn't believe in superstition, or something even fishier than she initially expected was going on.

As Zuri headed to the elevator, the lingering thought on her mind was of the ongoing emptiness she had felt in her heart ever since her grandmother died. Ever since then, she felt as if she was just a jellyfish--a ghost of a jellyfish--floating about in the ocean, going wherever the tide carried it. She had no real direction in her life, no real purpose, just wandering about without any real connection to anything. That is, until now, now when she came to this lantern festival with her mysteriously-attained bow in hand, now when she met all these people who seemed all too familiar to her. And that was the true reason why she was not worried about what would happen tonight. If nothing else, she felt as if she was finally going somewhere now, that from now on her fate rested in that bow that appeared on her bed one morning. Somehow... and she would wait to figure out how.

And then she looked at Diego. Ever since about the time she graduated from high school, she had recognised an unusual sort of connection with him, something that suggested they had traveled along some other path together. This she noticed whenever she met with him, and she often wondered about the nature of this connection. Yet now, she was feeling this same connection with the other weapon-holders who had been invited here. Then, this special connection was probably not merely a hidden romance, but something possibly much deeper...

And thus...

"Shall we take the lift?"

...was the only thing she decided to ask him then, pointing upwards as she said it.

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival
11:00 PM

"Yeah, unless the magic is by someone evil," Diego said as he smiled to Zuri. Her presence reassured him and made him feel at ease. However, he looked around. For the first time, he felt something was off. He was paranoid. Ever since he woke up and realized DX was gone... Something like that doesn't go away...

Not by normal circumstances...

He remembered one of his TVTropes binges some time ago. He recalled looking up the Lotus Eater Machine. It was interesting, thinking things could be a dream.

Diego just followed around Zuri until they had to head for the dinner.

"Zuri... something is wrong. I can feel it. Something is not right..." Diego muttered to her. He had a firm grip on his staff.

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – The Lantern Festival; Strange Building
11:00 PM

Diego looked to Zuri and wondered what she was thinking. Knowing her, probably the strange going-ons. He didn't mind if they were eating in the domain of magic, but he felt that if it was the case, it would probably correlate with the bonds and the omens he felt.

He also knew he was thinking of her grandmother. Diego did meet her before she died. She was a nice lady. She did say for him to take care fo Zuri and winking at him. Diego was red for a while. She was one of the few to catch on to the secret feelings he held for Zuri.

Diego looked at the elevator and then the stairs. "Hmm... Why can't we go to the basement with stairs?" he muttered before he looked to her.

"Shall we take the lift?"

Diego just nodded though he stopped her from entering. "Zuri... something is not right here. I feel like... something bad is going to happen," Diego said as he looked at the elevator and around the building. He saw outside the window, it was...

"Hey its Hunter!" Diego said before he called out to his friend. Diego considered him a friend at least.

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
Clock Tower

"Diego," said Hunter as he approached the boy and his companion, Zuri, placing his hand on the window carefuly so as to avoid being knocked back by the invisible barrier. "The entire building is guarded by very powerful magic, it's virtually impossible getting in from the outside without going through the main entrance. Also, there is no thiteenth floor. I don't like it one bit."

"Hang on, I'm going in ..."

"..."

I walked right around the corner toward the main entrance, guarded by a big ape much like the ones we encountered earlier with suit and the whole thug security attire. The man looked down at me, expresionless with his arms crossed. I could knock this guy the **** out but not without tripping alarms. Zuri and Diego were inside so I wasn't going to take the risk, I'd have to try something else entirely.

"My ..." I hesitated, " ... my friends just walked in, they have my pass so if you can step aside, I'll be on my way. The mayor is expecting me..."

The man leveled his face just inches away from mine and glared at me. "You're friends, huh?" he said. I wiped my face, this guy sprayed more than he actually spoke. I smirked at the thought of driving my fist right through this man's chest, it scared me that I enjoyed such violence. I couldn't help but think I was a ticking bomb. I was an imminent danger to all fo them. Why did it matter though?

Prior to today, save for a few, I had never even seen a couple of them much less met them personally.

I was losing my patience and the result wouldn't be in peaceful terms but I calmed myself. "I don't have all night, will you let me in or not?"

"Heh, sure I'll let you in punk," he taunted.

I walked just a couple steps past him, stopped and turned my head to the side, catching him off the corner of my eye.. You will be the first to die tonight, I promised him.

"..."

Hunter reunited with Diego and Zuri who waited by the elevator. On their way up, Hunter stared at Zuri. She was talented in the Mystic Arts, this much was clear by the sheer mystisicm of her presence. Hunter suffered from horrible nightmares. Often times he'd wake drenched in sweat and panting heavily, thoughts of burning cities and wailing souls racing across his mind. He thought she perhaps could perform a cleansing. Little did Hunter know he was or rather had been cleansed from his sins by no other than the Goddess of Light herself, Seya.

What Hunter experienced were artificial machinations birthed by the twisted mind of a powerful being. The soldier of solitude shook his head at the thought of asking for help. He would never admit to needing from others. He leaned back with his eyes closed and crossed his arms, patiently waiting for whatever waited on that floor.

Ding!

The elevator door opened. Hunter, Zuri and Diego were greeted by what looked to be the most submissive butler ever, suggested by how he bowed his head, it was slightly disturbing. The servant walked them to the great dining hall where an impatiant mayor waited along with his busty assistant, deadly in both looks and combat. They walked in to a room with a large dining table. Radiant silverware and seven golden chalices lay spread on the table next to the plethora of food.

"Welcome! Please take a seat, I insist!" he said.

Hunter pulled a chair and paused for a second beofore taking a seat. He was unnerved by how much tension there was in the room. It was evident that the tension was there since before they arrived. Questions popped into Hunter's mind, she looks disturbed but why?, he thought.

Mayor Gilford was old and heavily worn out physically, grey hair and wrinkles abound. The dark bags underneath his eyes suggested a man who was poorly rested.

A wide smile formed on the mayor's face as he took note of the time on the clock, "Ah! It's almost that time! My daughter Ayes will be giving the ceremonial speech for the release of the lanterns."

And then, gradualy lowering his voice in a completely ominous manner he said, " ... She will be joinning us shortly," his eyes devoured Milly with desire, " ... my fine assistant here will go fetch her as soon as she's done, right Mildred?"

Milly didn't so much bother answering or even looking up at him, she was busy toying with a sharp knife, seamlessly passing it between her fingers. Hunter took note, making him grip the leather strap across his chest. None of this was right. Things would blow up. Quick. The tension was so heavy Hunter could swear he was having trouble breathing.

And then Milly spoke. It was difficult to take her seriosuly because of the way she said it, calm and poise.

"It's a trap, the drink in your chalices, enough poison to kill a thousand people, I put it in there myself."

The mayor's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what had just come out of his assistant's mouth. No, he refused to believe.

"Mildred! What the hell are you talking about!" he said as he quickly got up, slightly panicked.

"Cut the act, Jago."

Suddenly, the mayor took on a completely different attitude, pure evil. He gripped the table and began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! You really think it makes any difference?", he pointed at Hunter, Diego and Zuri, " ... these poor bastards have no idea what's going on!"

Milly calmly got up from her seat, brushed off her skirt and then visciously flung the knife straight into Jago's right eye. The knife plunged deep into his eye.
Everything happened within seconds, leaving a confused Hunter wondering what the hell had just happened. He stared at Milly in disbelief who then spoke directly at him.

"Hunter I suggest you block lest you want a horn jammed straight into your chest ..."

Huh?...

Without thinking much about what she had just said and acting solely on instinct, Hunter quickly pulled out his guitar case and held it in anticipation of a lethal blow. A fraction of a second later and a set of horns rammed straight into Hunter's guitar case, effectively shielding him from the blow. Hunter quickly clicked the case open and grabbed a giant lance, black like the night itself, before backflipping into a safe margin.

"I'll kill all of you!" shouted a monstrous figure resembling a minotaur.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

" ... "

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Clock Tower Top
11:00 PM

"Diego," said Hunter as he approached Diego and Zuri. "The entire building is guarded by very powerful magic, it's virtually impossible getting in from the outside without going through the main entrance. Also, there is no thiteenth floor. I don't like it one bit."

Diego paled. This confirmed his suspicions. Something was going down. The artifacts, the memory loss, the supernatural happenings, the deja vu and now this. "Something tells me this is all connected to that memory..." he said. And me losing DX. he thought to himself.

As they all went to the elevator, he wondered what was going on in Hunter's mind though probably the same. He couldn't help but grip Zuri's hand. He was nervous and the action calmed him. "...Sorry," Diego said as he let go, a blush on his face.

Her hands are really soft... he thought.

He then saw they were on the mysterious floor 13. He felt his heart pounding and the grip on the staff tighten.

He had a really, really bad feeling.

The elevator door opened. Hunter, Zuri and Diego were greeted by what looked to be the most submissive butler ever, suggested by how he bowed his head, it was slightly disturbing. The servant walked them to the great dining hall where an impatiant mayor waited along with his busty assistant, deadly in both looks and combat. They walked in to a room with a large dining table. Radiant silverware and seven golden chalices lay spread on the table next to the plethora of food.

"Welcome! Please take a seat, I insist!" he said.

Diego took a seat next to Zuri and felt something was up. His mind was racing, desperately trying to connect the pieces. It had to do with the missing memories... but what?!

Diego felt creeped out by the mayor and realized something down was about to happen.

"It's a trap, the drink in your chalices, enough poison to kill a thousand people, I put it in there myself," Milly said. Diego looked at the chalice and stood up, staff in hand. His instint was flaring up.

The mayor's eyes widened as if he couldn't believe what had just come out of his assistant's mouth. No, he refused to believe.

"Mildred! What the hell are you talking about!" he said as he quickly got up, slightly panicked.

"Cut the act, Jago."

Suddenly, the mayor took on a completely different attitude, pure evil. He gripped the table and began to laugh maniacally.

"Hahaha! You really think it makes any difference?", he pointed at Hunter, Diego and Zuri, " ... these poor bastards have no idea what's going on!"

Diego got into position, as the training toom over. "You're right. However, its all connected. The missing memories, the weapons, the connection, you guys, something is going on here! We were a part of something big and something happened to make us lose our memories," Diego said quietly.

"Hunter I suggest you block lest you want a horn jammed straight into your chest ..."

Huh?...

Diego saw a minotaur and attack Hunter. Deja vu swept over. Diego's eyes widened as he thought of water...

"I'll kill all of you!" shouted a monstrous figure resembling a minotaur.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

Diego nodded and faced Hunter. "Good luck," Diego told him before grabbing Zuri and headed to the elevator. "Okay, we head to the closest one..." Diego told her before realizing something. He clutched his head. "Ayes... an odd name. What does it mean...?" Diego said as he was furiously trying to think.

[Alliance]

Kess Andrews
Twin White Lion Gauntlets
Clock Tower
11:02 PM

It was dark and late at night, and Kess clutched her hands to her chest worriedly. In the darker hours of the night, the clock tower seemed so ominous. She’d seen it before, of course – it was a rather large building, seen sometimes when she made her way to school. But in the dark, it seemed more like the pale face of a demon rising from the ground.

A hand instinctively went to the gloves again, and this time she decided not to ignore it. She took the gauntlets out and slipped them onto her small hands, feeling her with a sense of comfort and safety. In such a strange situation, these were things she was glad for.

Ahead of her, she saw some of the others getting into the lift to head up to the thirteenth floor. As the lift door closed and they went up, she mentally followed their journey, looking up as she did.

She raised an eyebrow when her imagination had them continue through the roof to stop to the thirteenth floor.

She shook her head, dispelling the silliness. She wasn’t quite a child now. She didn’t have the time for such stupid thoughts.

Knowing the lift wasn’t going to go as fast as her imagination, she instead chose to take the stairs. She wasn’t going to wait for the lift. Though if any of the others arrive after her, they’d probably get it and beat her to the top. She didn’t mind. The exercise was good for her.

Twelfth Floor

She sighed as she counted reaching the twelfth floor. By what it looked like on the outside, this is where the tower should have ended. But maybe it was just a trick of the night light, or the light of the lanterns preparing to be launched. She’d probably miscalculated. She wouldn’t put it past her.

Continuing to climb, she thought she heard voices. They must have already started. She was such a silly girl for arriving late.

Then she heard a yell, something along the lines of people not having any idea what was going on. What was going on up there?

She took the stairs two at a time.

There was a splintering crash, then a call across whatever was happening.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

Kess reached the top of the stairs only to have Zuri and Diego burst out, passing her going for the elevator.

Glancing back into the room, she saw Hunter blocking a… a…
A minotaur.

Her mind had a moment of being completely blank. A minotaur. They didn’t exist! What was going on?

She ran after Diego and Zuri. “What the hell is going on?” she asked, panic evident in her voice.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara - Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
Clock Tower
11:00 PM

As the clock struck eleven, Carly started heading to the clock tower. By then, the crowd was already beginning to prepare their lanterns for launching, and she wanted to move quickly, without looking suspicious. Scythe still in hand and red hair flying in the night wind, she quickly followed the young blonde who called herself Kessandra to the clock tower, where the dinner was supposedly going to be held. Darkness did not scare her, especially not the night. Kessandra, with her golden hair, made her think twice. Had she seen the girl before? She couldn't remember much, but she knew that she did have this sort-of motherly feeling towards the girl that she couldn't explain herself.

Once she was inside the clock tower, she saw that the elevator doors had just closed, missing the ride by just a few seconds. Cursing under her breath, she noticed that Kessandra had already mounted the stairs before mentally facepalming herself. Why hadn't she thought of stairs? Nodding at the younger girl, she headed for the stairs and ran up behind her, going higher and higher as she did.

Man, whatever is up here...I don't have a good feeling about this...

Carly reached a floor with large windows, seeming like the top...at first. She allowed herself to look around. Where was the banquet? This place...had none of it. And then, she heard footsteps above her. Looking back at the staircase, she noticed another flight going up. Jogging back, she moved up the stairs, soon hearing voices.

"Zuri! Diego! Find the others! You must destroy the three beacons spread across the three districts! It's the only way to restore things to how they should be! I'm not making much sense but you must trust me! The real enemy will be revealed but you must find Ayes and destroy the beacons! Whatever you do, do not let her out of sight! Hunter and I will take care of Jago! Now GO!!!"

The voice sounded urgent, causing Carly to quicken her pace, soon catching up with Kessandra at the top.

"There you are, Kessandra! What's going-..." She exclaimed, before getting cut off by a dark-haired guy, who probably was Diego (Who the hell named a girl Diego in the first place?) and a white-haired girl who was probably Zuri bursting out of the doors and heading for the elevator. Kess followed in their direction.

“What the hell is going on?” She asked. Carly looked back through the open doors and saw a creature with a bull-head inside with Hunter and the blonde girl who gave out the passes earlier.

Damn, I swear I didn't drink this time!

Looking back, she saw Diego and Zuri already in the elevator. Not wanting to miss this for a second time, she ran as quickly as she could reaching the elevator and holding out her arms across the doors.

"Oi, oi! No you don't, no more damn strike two for the both of you! Kessandra, get in here quickly!" She called, grabbing the younger girl's hand and stepping into the elevator.

[Monster Guy]

Stella Gold
Golden Ox Shield
Plaza

Before the officers could make an arrest, they were interupted by a blonde female who seemed to be their superior, named Mildred sent the men away. She then gave them invitations to have dinner with the mayor at the clock tower at 11:00 tonight. The homeless boy snatched one then went on his way without another word.

Stella glared at the boy. "Oh please, show a little respect. The least you could do is thank Mildred for taking pity on a poor unfortunate soul like yourself." Then she turned around, and happily took an invitation. "Hmph, the nerve of some people! Anyway, I'll gladly attend. Thank you very much." Although, she was still a little upset that Caroline and her friend didn't get arrested, that didn't matter anymore. She had a dinner to attend. Even if she wasn't entirely pleased with present company.

"Everyone, just be careful." A little white haired girl announced After Mildred and company had left. "These invitations say dinner is located on the 13th floor. Most public buildings don't have a 13th floor for supernatural reasons. Who knows, perhaps if we're lucky, we'll be dining in a magical realm." She paused before speaking again. "By the way, do... I know we must have met somewhere before, but I'm not sure where. What are your names--Maybe that will ring a bell? Mine is Zuri by the way, if that rings a bell for any of you."

"Well of course your name rings a bell." Stella answered immediately after Zuri finished. "Your named after a district here. Of course it's going to seem familiar. My name's Stella Gold, I suggest you remember it. I haven't seen you anywhere before. Now listen honey, I like magic as much as the next girl, but don't tell me you honestly believe that ridiculous superstition is true. Unfortunately, things like that only exist in fiction... She took out a nail file from her purse, and filed her perfectly manicured nails while she continued. "Speaking of fiction, I don't know who told you otherwise, but dyeing your hair white and looking like a bloody witch is not going to give you supernatural powers. Sorry to burst your bubble. Fortunately, you're not a completely lost cause. You have some potential, and can be fixed if you put in a little effort. Anyway, that's a project for another day. I must be off. I've been standing here with those rats for far too long. Tata!" Then she put the nail file away, flipped her hair, and took off towards her limo.

---

Clock Tower
11:00 PM

Stella's limo pulled up in front of the tower a few hours later. Stella calmly stepped out, and closed the door behind her as James drove off. She left her Shield to a car. There was no way she'd be able to explain bringing that into a formal dinner, and she had no idea what insane thoughts were going through Caroline's head when she voiced consideration bringing her weapon in. Stella didn't bother saying anything at the time. She'd figured she'd just let the mayor's security throw her out when they see her coming in with a weapon. Then she'll learn.

Obviously, she wasn't going to walk up thirteen flights of stairs in heels, so naturally, she took the elevator.

As soon as the elevator arrived, she was immediately greeted by four of the other guests running into the elevator at once. "Um... what are you doing?" Stella asked, she looked ahead, and caught a glimpse of a Minotaur, as well as the homeless boy, and Mildred fighting off the creature in the other room before the elevator doors closed, and started going down. Stella crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Alright, would someone care to explain what's going on here?"

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Clock Tower Elevator
11:00 PM

As Diego and Zuri ran to the elevator, he saw Kess and Carly come at them.

"Oi, oi! No you don't, no more damn strike two for the both of you! Kessandra, get in here quickly!" Carly called, grabbing the younger girl's hand and stepping into the elevator. Diego saw Carly still had her scythe and Kess had her gauntlets on, striking some more deja-vu. “What the hell is going on?” she asked, panic evident in her voice.

Before Diego could elaborate, he saw some more individuals come in. He figured he should wait for them. Part of him did not want him to leave Michel behind. Milly... something about her rubbed him the wrong way.

Diego then saw Stella come in also, but she was weaponless or rather shieldless. Stella crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Alright, would someone care to explain what's going on here?"

Diego remembered what Stella said to Zuri about her beliefs...

"Now listen honey, I like magic as much as the next girl, but don't tell me you honestly believe that ridiculous superstition is true. Unfortunately, things like that only exist in fiction..."

As well about her personally...

"Speaking of fiction, I don't know who told you otherwise, but dyeing your hair white and looking like a bloody witch is not going to give you supernatural powers. Sorry to burst your bubble. Fortunately, you're not a completely lost cause. You have some potential, and can be fixed if you put in a little effort. Anyway, that's a project for another day. I must be off. I've been standing here with those rats for far too long. Tata!"

Diego had been seething at that, but managed to hide it.

"Well, the mayor is a Minotaur apparently. Not only that, all of us are connected. 3 years ago, we woke up with either memory problems, strange sensations or other things as well as these weapons that hold great personal importance that suddenly appeared.

Not only that, that Minotaur is giving me deja vu and so has everyone else here. Mildred also gave me a bad vibe. Apparently, the key to this is Ayes, the so-called daughter of the mayor. From what Milly said, we have to keep and eye out on here and protect her possibly though we also have to get rid of the three beacons in each of the districts,"

Diego elaborated as the elevator reached down and he exited with Zuri. "I don't know about the rest of you, but my instinct tells me I have to go and protect my nakama," he said before blushing slightly. Now was no time to be referencing One Piece or any other anime or manga.

Screw that, perfect time to do so.

"Tell the others and head for the closest district," Diego said as he looked around for where to go. "Zuri, I think we should we head to Zuri..." he said as he grabbed her hand and began heading there, Golden Monkey Staff at hand.

"...Ayes? That name... backwards it's... it's Seya... that name..." Diego says as he felt a shiver go through him.

[Chaos War Reborn]

Hunter
Wielder of the Red Lightning
Clock Tower

Suddenly an omnipotent voice was heard, echoing in the mind of all those present. "It does not matter to me that you regain your memories. The outcome will still be the same ... You cannot escape this world even if you manage to destroy my Beacons ... Along with Seya, you will all remain here for eternity ..."

Suddenly, a flood of memories were released. They remembered everything. The battle back on Earth, the battle in New Magostra and Seya's apparent destruction at The Bridge.

Hunter's entire past was reclaimed, memories he hoped to forget all rushing back to remind him that he wasn't a good person but a killer. He was a bringer of death. He owed his life to Raseo but was absolved of sin by she who took pity on him.

An entirely different person appeared before Jago. It was the real Hunter. The Hunter who was once tasked with carrying out Raseo's death list and he remembered everything.

How repulsive, he thought at the sight of the 7 foot minotaur standing on the opposite end of the room. During a battle on Earth, Seya's Guardians had denied Hunter the pleasure of destroying Jago but it seemed fate would give him the chance. Both were once on the same side. Jago was far outranked by Hunter in Raseo's Dark Army and it shamed him greatly. Every single day, Jago cursed the moment Hunter arrived. The boy was a constant reminder of his failure. For years he salivated at the idea of ripping Hunter to shreds piece by piece and the feeling was mutual. Hunter was annoyed at Jago and insulted by his mere existence. Jago was weak, he always thought.

"Minotaur, say your prayers ... for tonight ... the reaper comes for you." In just seconds, Hunter's left hand charged with his infamous Red Lightning. The sound of electricity crackled mid air. Holding his dark lance on his right hand, he raised it and pointed straight at his opponent.

Jago stood his ground and prepared. Then, at incredible speed, both devastating forces charged head-on but Hunter was faster and managed to plunge his lance straight into Jago's throat. The blow was so powerful that Hunter pinned Jago straight into the wall. The 7 foot minotaur desperately grabbed the lance, trying to force Hunter off but Hunter did not yield and instead stabbed deeper.

Before Hunter could kill Jago, a group of thugs ran into the room from the stairs. Hunter turned to them, that guard. Hunter went after the guard from earlier and impacted his Red Lightning right into the thugs face knocking him down. Hunter lifted his right arm to recall his dark lance from the Minotaur's throat and finished the guard without hesitation.

"Hunter! I'll finish the guards! Kill Jago before he transforms!" Yelled Milly as she joined ranks and began offing guards left and right with no more than silverware. She grinned as she made her way through the stairs clearing the way of guards.

The deadly Red Lightning wielder sprinted to finish the job but was intercepted half way by a cry so devastating that its force was powerful enough to send Hunter hurdling backward, breaking the magic barrier and causing him to crash into the next building. Then, the entire clock-tower began to crumble.

Hunter lifted himself from the rubble and retracted his lance. He watched as the minotaur emerged from the clock-tower, he expanded until he peaked at just above 50 feet. "Let's see how you fare against my Great Axe!" The giant minotaur roared. Hunter jumped off the building where he stood. He then calmly unzipped his jacket and pulled up his sleeves, exposing the markings of ancient scriptures on his forearms.

" ... "

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Outside of Clock Tower
11:00 PM

Diego stopped for a moment as the word Seya echoed in his head. His grip on Zuri's hand tightened. He felt a epiphany... he remembered... He remembered that name. Of the princess of light who he befriended...

Of climbing that tall building...

...Acquiring the Monkey Staff...

...Fighting the Minotaur...

...Losing Florina and Darwin...

...Going to New Magostra...

...Zuri saving him from his despair...

...Standing up to Psycho Milly...

He realized everything. They were trapped in some sort of dream. Not just him and Zuri, but his comrades and Seya... she was still here... as Ayes. He wasn't sure if she remembered, but he had to protect her.

"I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!" Diego shouted as he had new conviction in his eyes. He would do this for everyone. He then remembered his relationship with the others. He sighed a bit. Jess was gone... he was worried about her and Michel seemed to have vanished. So did Jonathon...

He better hurry. But first...

Diego looked to Zuri and let his impulse take control and hugged her tight. "I remember everything. How you saved me... you truly are the greatest friend I have met and will ever meet," he said with a goofy grin as he spun around, her still in his grip.

He then felt the ground rumbled and saw the Minotaur rise again.

"This idiot again? Wonder if this is how Luffy felt when he had to fight Foxy back in the anime..." Diego said before realizing the mission at hand. "Zuri, we need to find Ayes. She's Lady Seya. We then need to take out the beacons," he told her.

[Alliance]

Kess Andrews
Wielder of the Twin White Lion Gauntlets
New Arc City Plaza – Outside the Clock Tower

"It does not matter to me that you regain your memories. The outcome will still be the same ... You cannot escape this world even if you manage to destroy my Beacons ... Along with Seya, you will all remain here for eternity ..."

The word Seya echoed in Kess’ mind, travelling into the gap of memories, unlocking the door.

As the memories flooded in, reminding her of her secret past that never really happened, she staggered and leant against the elevator wall, not really sure what to think anymore.

How she’d met the little cat Seya in a shadowy corner of the school grounds, and how she’d snuck out in the night to see her. How she’d kicked a guard in the stomach at the AIM Tech building – She’d done that? Wow – and how she’d finally retrieved her weapon, the gauntlets she now wore. How they’d faced down Jago, a massive minotaur, finally expelling his spirit from their headmaster and then defeating him. How Darwin and Florina had fallen in battle. How they’d warped to New Magostra. The things they did.

And, of course, that final fight against Evil Milly, in which they banded together to unleash the full brunt of their powers upon her. And how they’d gone through the light at the end of the Bridge, and how time had turned back as if nothing had happened.

She couldn’t believe that had really happened. It was as if she was reading a fictional story, with main characters just based on her and her fellows.

As the elevator stopped, Diego cried out about remembering everything. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She’d done some crazy things in that – what, two days? – back then. She’d made friends. She’d lost family. She’d gained a second family, one she lost when they returned.

She remembered it all. Including the pain. The pain of realizing that she’d never see her family again. The pain of using so much magic. The pain of being thrown into a hole that went all the way to the core of New Magostra. The pain of realizing they were desperate, desperate to not have their reality shattered.
She felt the same now. She was desperate not to have their world lost once more to the same dark forces. The world could only be reversed so many times. They had to save Ayes – Seya – and destroy the beacons in the three districts. All without letting Seya out of their sight.

It was hard to trust Milly’s word, considering she’d been against them the last times they’d met, but they had to. For the sake of the reality they knew.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara
Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
New Arc City - Outside the Clock Tower

The elevator reached the ground floor as Carly felt something odd rush back into her head, like a flood. Moments after, she heard a voice ringing through her mind.

"It does not matter to me that you regain your memories. The outcome will still be the same ... You cannot escape this world even if you manage to destroy my Beacons ... Along with Seya, you will all remain here for eternity ..."

Suddenly, everything came back, the hole in her memory sealing itself as images flashed into her mind of a night on top of the tower, a minotaur and a different world. The wind seemed to rush through her ears as she remembered her first flight, Seya the cat...everything.

“Caroline McNamara! Guardian of Light, you have been gifted the Valiant Hawk Scythe, scythe with the power to obliterate evil souls! I command you of the Wind Element! I bestow you the ability to summon Kamehameha!”

Even New Magostra came back to her, and her battle alongside Hunter against the Three Black Lordes. Now that's why he looked so familiar... And then, the bridge somewhere out there, Seya's death, the light at the end of that bridge they all went to. As she stepped out of the elevator, all she wanted to do was fly again, wield her scythe once again. Her memories, they were back and unfortunately, that included the statement about Earth's destruction.

Is it true...? Or is it not? Where exactly am I, then?

Whether it was truth or not, Carly was determined to keep going on. Her comrades...Kess, Diego, Zuri, Michel, Hunter...all of them, she fought with them, went through the craziest things with them just in the span of two days. Real or not, Carly did not want to lose anyone once again because of her mistakes. If it took finding the three beacons in the city with the others, or rather, her friends, then find them she would. Ayes...now that she thought about it, it spelled Seya backwards...there was hope after all.

Once they were out of the elevator, she hurried towards the exit with the others, a plan in mind.

"Guys, if we need to find the beacons fast, then we just can't walk, fly...whatever. We're gonna have to use my car to get around. Roof's down for easy spotting and this lass drives wicked fast." She said, taking the lead as she led them out of the clock tower and through the maze that was the plaza. She tried to move quickly, while occasionally looking back to make sure they were there. She still didn't know how Stella fit into the equation or why she was present in the first place, but she shrugged it off. Think later, act now.

"Over here, dudes!" She called as she reached her red Maserati convertible, waving her scythe in the air at them, before getting into the driver's seat and starting up the car, waiting for them to pile in. She slipped the scythe's handle into the space between her seat and the door, its arc blade up, stupid as it looked, if in case she needed to pull it out anytime.

[Monster Guy]

Stella Gold
Wielder of the Golden Ox Shield
Clock Tower

Diego elaborated as the elevator reached down. Stella still wasn't buying his explanation. "Oh, how could I have been so stupid to not know that's what's happening. Because that's totally plausible." Stella answered sarcastically while rolling her eyes. The explanation reminded her of some cartoons she'd seen in the past. "This is not bloody Digimon, and we are not Digidestined. Don't give me some childish story."

Then, an omniscient voice rang out from nowhere. "I don't know about the rest of you, but my instinct tells me I have to go and protect my nakama," he said before blushing slightly. "Tell the others and head for the closest district."

"Oh that's cute, you know Japanese. But that doesn't give you any right to tell me what to do. You can't possibly be serious can you? This whole plot sounds like a ridiculous fanfiction I read on the internet."

Then, a voice rang out. "It does not matter to me that you regain your memories. The outcome will still be the same ... You cannot escape this world even if you manage to destroy my Beacons ... Along with Seya, you will all remain here for eternity ..." At this point, Stella was positive all this was some elaborate practical joke. After all, that Minotaur could very well be a guy in a costume, and that voice could be due to good sound effects. If this really were some sort of practical joke, no one else seemed to be acting that way. They all appeared to be taking this nonsense seriously.

"Guys, if we need to find the beacons fast, then we just can't walk, fly...whatever. We're gonna have to use my car to get around. Roof's down for easy spotting and this lass drives wicked fast." She lead them to a red Maserati convertible, waving her scythe in the air at them, before getting into the driver's seat.

"Caroline honey, just because you have a weapon doesn't mean you can steal someone's car to chase some dellusion..." Then she saw her pull some keys out, and start the car. Her jaw dropped. Someone that dressed like her couldn't possibly have enough money to afford something like this. "Alright, who's car did you steal?! There is no way someone like you could get enough money to afford something like this." She also saw everyone else getting into the car with her. "You people are really serious about this aren't you? Well, you can count me out! I am not falling for this ridiculous trick. And I especially am not associating with a potential car thief!" Stella said as she backed away from everyone else, and went towards her limo, which was parked nearby, went in, and slammed the door.

"Ah good, you're back. How was the dinner?" James, who was sitting in the drivers seat asked her.

"It 's a long story..." Stella looked at the golden shield sitting next to her, then back out the window, at the red convertible. As ridiculous as this whole situation was, a part of her was actually curious about this. She'd always loved magic and fantasy as a child, and it never really went away even as an adult. "James, do me a favor, and follow that convertible."

"As you wish Miss Gold."

Joke or not, she wanted to see how this played out. She could always get a laugh watching some of these people make fools of themselves. She could also use this opportunity to find out where Caroline got that car, and get the authorities involved. A criminal always returned to the scene of the crime.

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara
Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
New Arc City

"Alright, who's car did you steal?! There is no way someone like you could get enough money to afford something like this. You people are really serious about this aren't you? Well, you can count me out! I am not falling for this ridiculous trick. And I especially am not associating with a potential car thief!" Stella suddenly asked, making Carly give her a cool look as she arched an eyebrow.

"Tell me, bitch...how the hell would I have entered the same design school as you did if I'm...shall I say, 'less talented' than you are? Definitely not by scholarship if that were the case. Do you seriously think that I held up the principal on the street or kidnapped his boy or something? Negative. Girl, answer these simple questions...you heard of Patrick McNamara of McNamara Diamonds and Jewelry, Inc.? Tell me, what color is his hair?" She answered, smirking slightly as she looked back, as well as beside herself to make sure that everyone was inside the car, before speeding away, leaving Stella who was headed for what seemed to be a limo.

"Figures...girl can't even drive herself..." She muttered under her breath as she spun the wheel in her hands, before looking back at Diego and Zuri.

"You guys said we head to Zuri first, right? OK, can you tell me when you see any...weird-looking things that could be the beacons? Wouldn't want to crash at this speed, and we need to hurry." She asked, before concentrating on the road as she sped up, leaving the vicinity of the plaza shortly after. She turned a corner and then another one, heading in the direction of the Zuri district.

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Outside of Clock Tower
11:00 PM

Diego smiled and high-fived Carly as they were all in their car. Diego noticed that neither Michel nor Jess were there. He gave an inward cheer. Now, he had nothing against Michel though his chubby cracks bothered him, though they would now be inaccurate and the guy did prove himself in the end.

However, now there was Stella to contend with. Recalling the Minotaur battle, he knew they were only good when there were all together. He then sighed. This meant they would need her. He took a brief moment to examine the elements.

"Fire, Water, Wind, Ice and... not sure what that shield could be, but since Thunder and Earth belonged to those two..." Diego said as he tried to deduce what element she could be. His experience in video games and fiction were paying off. He wasn't sure to be honest. Michel and Jess were not dead, but did not understand how the magic of this realm work. He could guess by luck, but wasn't sure

"You guys said we head to Zuri first, right? OK, can you tell me when you see any...weird-looking things that could be the beacons? Wouldn't want to crash at this speed, and we need to hurry," Carly asked, before concentrating on the road as she sped up, leaving the vicinity of the plaza shortly after. She turned a corner and then another one, heading in the direction of the Zuri district.

"We shouldn't all go at once! We need to get Seya aka Ayes!" Diego pointed out to Carly. He then realized something.

"Can't we manipulate our Elements? Carly, that means you can fly!" Diego pointed out to her as he tried to remember how to create his cloud.

[Chaos War Reborn]

???
Two heavily armed figures, hidden in cloaks, made their way across a desert in the middle of night with nothing but the light of seven red celestial bodies resembling moons illuminating their path.

"They approach, Gabriel."

"How many, Ry?"

" ... Several thousand."

In a matter of minutes, the two strangers found themselves surrounded by literally thousands of knights, shielded in heavy armor. From the assault group, one emerged to confront them, shield and sword on hand. He was deeply unnerved by the size of the Giant Sword one of them wielded. It was at least three times its owner's entire size.

"In the name of Her Majesty, I demand you leave at once," said he who appeared to be in command.

The two men didn't so much as flinch at the request and simply mumbled to themselves.

"Ry, I'd rather we not kill anyone if we don't have to, especially here."

The one with the Giant Sword looked his companion with both amusement and sympathy. "That's fine Gabriel but if they fail to accommodate our request you know what will happen," he said before directing his attention toward the commanding knight.

"We're here for your queen. Bring her out immediately and we'll be on our way."

" ... No bloodshed," his companion added.

The commanding knight's eyes widened at the ludicrous request, "You can't be serious! Over our dead bodies will you ever lay a single finger on Her Majesty!"

The commanding knight knew exactly who they were up against. Half his mind was telling him to get the hell out of there and the other half begged for mercy. Still, it was his duty to lead Her army and lead tonight he would ... straight to their deaths.

"Attack!"

Thousands of knights charged as the Giant Sword wielder unsheathed his weapon and waited for his companion to ready for battle. Two black, ominous wings emerged from his back. Spreading his dark wings, the dark angel steadily took flight.

The commanding knight watched in horror as the two cloaked strangers tore apart his entire army in a matter of minutes until he was the only one alive. The lone knight dropped to his knees at the sight of thousands of his men piled as corpses. He looked up into the night sky and saw the dark-winged angel approach him. In just a split-second, the last survivor was swooped up and held from his throat midair, all in one effortless action.

"May you find peace ... " The dark angel whispered to his prey before impaling him with his dark wings just as he had done to hundreds at incredible speeds.

" ... "

Her sorrowful, green eyes looked off into the distance. She held tightly onto the balcony as if she knew what had just happened. She felt two evil energies fast approach. Her heart beat increased. Suddenly, her bedroom door flung wide open. Two cloaked figures stepped in.

"You're coming with us ... " One of them calmly said.

She didn't bother turning. She knew exactly why they were here and what they wanted.

" ... "

[Kiruria]

OOC: Hmm, there's some interesting stuff to reply to here.
IC:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zuri Watkinson
Wielder of the Blue Flame Tiger Bow
New Arc City Plaza, ~11:00

After Stella insulted Zuri, Zuri thought about replying to her, but hesitated. Before she could utter a word, Stella was driving off in her fancy-schmancy overly-long-and-hard-to-steer car and admiring her flashy yet impractical fake nails. Interestingly enough, Stella was one of two weapon-wielders here who she did not have that deja-vu feeling about, the other being a rather plain-looking yet modestly handsome boy wielding a clawed weapon of some sort. But the former was more of her concern now. Though she didn't say anything about it, Zuri did feel a little hurt at that comment.

But she was able to brush it off. After all, she had heard many similar comments when she was in school, especially back in high school, where she had frequently come across as the crazy witch lady who obsessed over anything occult and obscure, and who probably drank the blood of babies for nourishment. Of course, Stella's comment was rather unique, for she had never been accused of dying her hair white before. It wasn't her fault that she was an albino and looked rather ghostly in appearance. Heck, she could be dark-skinned and curly-haired and people would accuse her as being an overly fanatic Esmeralda cosplayer instead.

With these thoughts lingering in her mind, Zuri silently followed Diego into the mayor's house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Dinner

The minotaur had rung a bell. When it initially appeared, Zuri automatically mouthed the word "Raseo", though she had no idea what it meant at the time. And another thing that had rung a bell for her, though a very different sort of bell, was Hunter. There was something especially peculiar about him, and it irked her as she rode down the elevator with him. But what exactly was it?

And then, once everyone was outside, everything came flashing back. The first thing Zuri remembered was that first day, the day whn she was on a grocery shopping errand for her grandmother and all of a sudden reports of a minotaur attacking the city spread. Zuri had gone in to investigate the matter, only to see a young businesswoman being killed by the beast, her bow then for some reason falling into Zuri's hands. She remembered how she blinded the minotaur by firing flaming arrows into his eyes. She remembered how natural the bow felt in her grasp, and how much the blue flames within the arrows resonated with her beliefs.

She remembered the strange folk in New Magostra, and how she spent most of her time there trying to purify Jessica from the curse she apparently brought about by taking Hunter's pike. She remembered how Milly invaded the planet, and how during the battle DX had emerged from within Diego, and how she purged his soul with her very own arrows. She remembered how frightened she had been at that moment, how she fered for a split second that she had killed Diego by mistake.

And then she remembered the bridge. She remembered that epic finale where everyone used their weapons at once to clear the way to the gateway beyond. She remembered how the bridge crumbled, how Hunter struggled with the knights below, and how Seya and Milly clashed one last time while everyone escaped through the portal to the real world...

And she remembered how she woke up the following day with the bow on her bed, completely clueless as to what had happened. Why had the memories been occluded for so long? What purpose did it serve? Even as she thought about it though, she knew. The world was momentarily at peace. It was like an old adage she had read about: that while peace reigns over the land, the might and valor of those who protect it need not be preserved. If and when it is needed again, it shall be awakened in the right way, for such is the nature of one's most powerful skills, especially if they are divine in nature. And Zuri knew that they were. She--and Diego and Carly and Michel and Kess--and apparently also Stella and Jonathon now--were Seya's Guardians of Light. Those weapons they held had been bestowed upon them by the Princess of Light herself, and their elemental powers were the colours of the rainbow that emerged from that single white light.

Anyway, now the plan was apparently to find three beacons, but first to find Seya. Zuri had to agree with finding Seya first, as the minotaur's beacons sounded like they emanated such an evil presence that the Guardians alone would not be able to destroy. Zuri did have to smile to herself at the bickering over Carly's stolen car, for the fact was that she didn't mind it at all. Looking around, she wondered for a faint moment where Jess and Michel were, but apparently that did not matter now. But once she was in the car, after Diego suggested using their elemental powers, Zuri had an idea.

"Using our elemental powers... I like that," Zuri replied, before withdrawing an arrow from the quiver beside her. As she held it tip-upwards before her, a little blue flame came into light on the tip. Taking a deep breath and focusing on this flame, Zuri began to speak to it.

"The flame that remains while the storm rages on,
You are the beacon of the soul burning strong.
By the glorious Light from which the flame did come,
Show us now your kindred Sacred One.
May the fire of the soul follow the Light,
In wake of hidden forces that penetrate the night.
Firm be my will and valiant be thee.
Merry meet, and blessed be."

As she spoke this chant, the flame at the tip of her arrow began to grow in size and dance softly around the tip, as if reacting to her words. And then, when she finished, the flame burst into life once more, flaring up and briefly forming an image of a flying cat within it. Carefully, Zuri cupped her hand around this flame, guiding it upwards off the tip.

"Do not worry," Zuri said to everyone. "This flame is a will-o-wisp, the mere spirit of a flame. It shall not burn any part of this car, or any of us. Just don't reach out and touch it--it might give you a bad case of the chills."

Once again Zuri focused on the flame, glad that Stella wasn't there to condone her about it. It hovered about for a moment, but then suddenly it flashed scarlet, growing even brighter. Zuri's heart felt a tinge of fear.

"Seya's in trouble!" Zuri blurted all of a sudden. "Follow her!"

Thrusting her palm forward, Zuri pushed the bright red flame forward. It passed right through the car's windshield without leaving any marks, made a swirling motion before it, and then veered off to the left and headed down a street.

"There!" Zuri called. "Turn left at that light! Drat, the light's turning red!"

[*Jean Grey*]

Caroline McNamara
Wielder of the Valiant Hawk Scythe
New Arc City

"Can't we manipulate our Elements? Carly, that means you can fly!" Carly heard Diego say from behind her as she turned the steering wheel, allowing the car to turn another corner. She allowed herself to look back at Diego and arch a brow.

"And get us into more trouble? I can't just make my fucking car fly along with us, there's no cover-up for a flying car after all!" She protested. Zuri then started chanting in the back seat, ending with a message of reassurance.

"Do not worry. This flame is a will-o-wisp, the mere spirit of a flame. It shall not burn any part of this car, or any of us. Just don't reach out and touch it--it might give you a bad case of the chills." She said, her last statement making Carly chuckle softly. Bad case of chills? Well, at least it could be much worse.

The next thing Carly saw was a bright red flame suddenly shooting in front of her, narrowly missing her curtain of almost equally red hair, before passing through her car's windshield. True to Zuri's words, the windshield was intact and unscathed. The twenty-one-year-old watched as the flame headed to the left and zoomed away.

"There! Turn left at that light! Drat, the light's turning red!"

"Aye, aye Captain! Let me take care of that!" Carly replied before forcing the Maserati to take a sharp turn to the left as she increased her speed. Ever since they entered Zuri, the streets were seemingly less crowded and for Carly, that meant that she could drive faster uninterrupted. As the car moved down the street, she kept her eye on the scarlet ember, which seemed to have stopped not very far away. Continuing on, she allowed herself to look up, seeing a tall structure which gave her an odd feeling for some reason. She looked straight again and saw that the flame hadn't moved.

"Guys, I think we're just about here." She said as she slowed down, the car eventually halting near where the flame was. Turning off the engine, she grabbed her scythe and stepped out, waiting for the others to do so.

[DVB]

Diego Vendrix- Keeper of the Monkey Staff of Wisdom
New Arc City Plaza – Toward Zuri
11:00 PM

Diego remained silent. He would have stated that covering-up would be pointless considering the priorities they had. He saw Zuri summon the small Will-o-wisp to help lead them. "Uh Carly, we need to go back to the plaza to get Seyaaaa!!!!" Diego said before Carly performed her sharp turn.

Diego sat back up as his words fell on deaf ears once more.

Diego saw the tall strcuture and felt a rather disturbed sensation.

Considering their objective and the otherwordly sensations eminating from the monolith, Diego deduced this was one of the beacons they had to destroy.

"I assume this is one of the beacons we have to destroy," Diego said before he took out the staff.

"All right, let's try and summon our elemental powers for offensive purposes," Diego stated as he tooka deep breath and began gathering moisture to try and see if he could form a structure of pressurizes water.

[GoldenHouou]

OOC: Alright, guess who's back~ Hint: It starts with a G and ends in an H.

---

Michel Lefèbvre
Wielder of the Stallion Boots of Gaia
A street somewhere in New Arc City

When Michel had woken up earlier that morning to hear that his car was being painted and that he wasn’t allowed to use it for the next thirty hours or so, he had suspected this day wouldn’t exactly turn out to be one of his favorites. And when he had ended up showing up to a date wearing ridiculous boots straight out of some freaky Japanese cartoon convention, he had known this day would suck.

But when he had woken up late from the mysterious dinner he had been invited to by an equally mysterious – but busty – chick, and when he had desperately grabbed some local kid’s bike to try and get there as fast as he could and almost crashed about ten minutes later – seriously, how embarrassing was it to almost die riding a damn bike – as he had suddenly heard a strange, taunting voice in his head, he had realized this day was way beyond his worst expectations. In fact, it wasn’t until he had gotten up from his landing spot right next to the highway and pinched himself a few times before he had even accepted he wasn’t still safe asleep in his bed, ready to wake up to a much better day any minute now from this damn nightmare.

Hm, strange that line of thought felt somewhat familiar. Like somewhere, long ago, he had been denying misfortune, deeming it as nothing but a nightmare out of fear of not being able to deal otherwise. But when?

Actually, did it really matter? Michel decided it didn’t with little effort. He had no time to go crazy right now. He was still somewhere on the side of the road, his “borrowed” bicycle laying a little to his left. Great, the kid he took it from would never let him hear the end of it if it was broken. Thank god the car hadn’t actually managed to hit him.

“Guess I’m just really outta luck today,” he sighed with a shake of his head as he picked up his sunglasses from where they had fallen as he had dodged that oncoming car earlier. A quick look-over told him the lenses weren’t broken at least. Maybe he did still have some luck left. Actually, maybe that had been it for the suffering for the day? Maybe the rest of the day would be awesome. Maybe he’d meet a really hot chick who’d offer to take him home and-

He hadn’t quite managed to finish that line of thought yet when he was suddenly hit with a strange, nostalgic rush inside his mind.

His memories hit him the second he straightened his back, and he almost fell straight back down on his self-proclaimedly fabulous bum from the sheer impact it had to his brain, to his mind and, most of all, to his heart. An immense wave of emotions Michel hadn’t even realized he had ever felt rushed back into him in the form of memories, of images and words, sounds and smells retelling him the story of two years ago. His story.

Story that ended with a fall. A damn painful fall. He recalled holding tight onto a paper Pegasus, the kind he made to the kids he frequented at the local daycare nowadays. Kids like the one who had given the thing to him in the first place, just less… blue. … Was he going crazy? He had to be right? He had dodged the car he was almost hit with by in some fucked up angle and banged his head so hard against something all sense had shattered to pieces, right? Two years ago, he would have probably decided things were so and went on his way. Now? Now he couldn’t. Much as he would’ve loved to deny it and be on his merry way, Seya was out there somewhere, and she needed help. Plus, he didn’t quite appreciate the way the strange sound had mocked him earlier. So, first things first, there was some talk about beacons? And destroying them? What kind of a villain actually hinted at what they were supposed to do like that? For a cocky s.o.b, the guy wasn’t too bright.

Not that telling him about the beacons helped much, as Michel had no idea where the others were, or what beacons were being talked about. Michel figured his best bet’d probably be to check out the mayor’s place, even if he was a fashionable half an hour late from the dinner. It was the only place he could go to right now and the others were supposed to be there.

Michel had just decided that to be his next course of action, gotten up and started to be on his merry way, when a car had almost run over him again and Michel had been forced to jump back to the side of the road. This time, though, the guy couldn’t help but take a double take. He knew that car. And the car following it. His two darlings, here to pick him up! … And drive him past. Aw. Well, at least he’d know where to go now. Too bad he’d miss the date with Milly now. He was pretty interested to see if she had become a better kisser in these two years.

He grinned at the thought, even if part of him grimaced and feared she’d somehow be able to hear his thoughts. He didn’t fancy another beating. Either way, after the cars now, thinking about Milly later.

So, jumping up on his feet, Michel looked down at his boots and nodded.

“Alright guys, you aren’t much of a lookers, so you’d better show me what else you’re good for.”

And they did. And Michel almost hit the pavement again trying to regain his balance from the sudden burst of speed.

--

Michel had to admit that he had never stopped a car before. Well, he had stopped taxis and even used the traditional ‘hold up your thumb on the side of the road and pray’ method once, when young and desperate. It was incident he didn’t like talking about. But either way, never before had he actually had to do the stopping quite like this.

He was running next to the slower of the two cars – which was still moving at speeds nobody should run at, peering into the limo’s windows and trying to find his friend from one of them. Should he have gone after Carly’s car instead? At least hers didn’t have such horizontal issues. Eventually, Michel just gave up trying to find the right window and decided to use his voice instead. He did have a beautiful one, after all.

“Hey, Stelstel!” He shouted, hoping she’d understand the nickname he just came up for her now. He had a dozen of them, even if she didn’t seem to appreciate a single one of them. “It’s your best bud out here! Wanna open the door and let me in? S'il vous plait? I got a world to save and the wind’s messing up my hair!”