I had just woken up from a bad dream. Well, my dream self got killed by that monster that stopped us from winning the game. It had been a long 600-hour game session. We just lost all our planets and now we are hiding on a meteor. I finally had downtime, I could check on that chat group I was a part of. Well if it's true that there are not trolls like me they might still be alive. I took my husktop out of my Slyidex. It had been so long since I had last used it. Sollux took automated building a long time ago. Mostly to stop Vriska from making the only way for Tavros to get anywhere by climbing stairs. I found the program that had the Group Chat.
[ArsenicCatnip]{Has Signed in}
[100EXP/100 points] {Daily log-in bonus}
[Freak of Vault 3] {Offline}
[Hermit Pharaoh of the Net] {Online}
[Step on Me Dark Mommy] {Online}
[Little Rookie] {Online}
[Loli Explosion Goddess] {Online}
[Your Izuru Kamukura] {Offline}
[ArsenicCatnip]: :33< AC has returned after a long quest. I wonder what have I missed? Purrhaps someone might tell me.
[Step on Me Dark Mommy]: Wow AC you actually came back online. Well, Blue got into a three week funk She was on she didn't say anything. Alibaba is always on but over the last two weeks, she has been quiet. The last thing she mentioned was something about the Phantom Thieves taking the heart of a "Mob Boss" named Kaneshiro. Megumin has been traveling with a caravan to a Town called Axel. They got delayed for some reason.
[Loli Explosion Goddess]: I got stuck dealing with the Cult of Axis. I'm convinced they are worshipping you Dark Mommy.
[Step on Me Dark Mommy]: I'm not a Goddess. Even if I was I would be sure that my believers wouldn't act like a cult. Also, my hair is short, unlike that mini statue you gave me. Bell why don't you tell AC what you have been up to?
[Little Rookie]: Well I spent a festival with my Goddes, and a monster escaped. I used my knives to deal with it. I got my first party member. She is a Pallum supporter who helps me a lot in the dungeon. She tricked me and stole my knives. She was in trouble with her Familia, so she was trying to get enough money to be able to leave her Familia. She stole my knives and was going to try selling them. But she got caught by some pigface guy that I saved her from. She gave me the knives back. And now she is acting like she died so her Familia would stop bothering her. I got over my fears and fought a Minatar and that pushed me into level 2. More recently I met a blacksmith that I like. I love his armor. Found out he is needing to go down to the dungeon to Level up so he could get the Blacksmith skill. So that Blacksmith joined my party as a third member. Yesterday we went down to floor 11 of the dungeon. Today were hoping to get to floor 13.
[Step on Me Dark Mommy]: Hinata has lost seven of his sixteen classmates. Their names are: Teruteru Hanamura, Byakuya Togami???, Mahiru Koizumi, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari, Hiyoko Saionji, and Mikan Tsumiki. Most recently he told us that has been trapped in a set of connected funhouses called strawberry and grape house. The group has no food source and will starve. Hinata has been able to use the shop sparingly to keep his hunger sated. As for me, I ran into one of friends. It turns out I have been trapped here in the Realm of Darkness for over a decade. I lost my keyblade and now I'm trapped on a dark beach that has been rather peaceful. Just me, the sand, and the waves of water at my feet. So what about you AC? What's been happening to you?
[ArsenicCatnip]: :33< AC has been playing a game with a group of eleven other trolls. I got my own cute amazing world called the Land of Little Cubes and Tea. I had a lot to do. I beat up monsters and got to see all my friends in purrson for the first time. We were nonstop mowving for the last 600 hours. We beat the final boss! But when we were going to claim our reward. We were attacked by a mean guy with wings, tentacles, and a wolf head. AA was able to get us to safety. Now we are hiding on a meteor. I lost my Lusus Pounce de Leon. She was on my world when that monster destroyed it. I'm a little lost of what I should do. I'm being messaged by one of my friends. I'll be on and off today.
[ArsenicCatnip]{Has Logged off}
[Loli Explosion Goddess]: And just like that she is gone again.
[Little Rookie]: I find it weird that this chat group gave me the same title that the Gods did way before I leveled up.
[Step on Me Dark Mommy]: I think to the group chat isn't really confined by linear time. We have confirmed on some degree we are in lockstep as far as days go but we are from different points of time on different worlds. The chat group has a link to see things that will happen to us on some level, like your user name being your Gods given title. I hope our names aren't a different look at things to come. I haven't fallen into the darkness yet. Or have had a kid.
[Little Rookie]: Do you not want to have a kid?
[Step on Me Dark Mommy]: I'm not completely against the idea of kids… I just don't have any real prospects in that regard. My closest friends are too much like sibs for me to consider them. I was asked out by one guy but it's been a decade he most likely has moved on.
[Little Rookie]: Well as much as I would like to keep chatting I have some final prep work for the dungeon. So goodbye.
[Little Rookie]{Has Logged off}
I looked down at my hands. I saw the Wayfinder I had made all those years ago.
"An unbreakable connection, huh? All I have done is put Ven and Terra in more danger. Xehanort now knows where Ven is and has his old hands all over Terra's body. Look at me I lost the keyblade and now I am being changed by the darkness."
I looked into the water's reflection. Unlike the magic mirrors I fought, it only showed what was truly there. Darkness had clung to my hands and feet. My hair had started to take on silver strands. My left eye had started to gain golden flakes in the iris. My outfit once nice and whole, now had holes and tears in some places barely clinging to my body. I thought being changed by darkness would hurt. But it didn't. It felt like my body was floating in the water. If I didn't keep my eyes open I would sink and drown in the dark depths of this place.
"Are you really worthy of being a Keyblade Master? Your bonds of friendship only tie you down. You'll never see the realm of light again. Is there any point in continuing this fight? Only your heart is hollow enough to be a demon's. Just let go of everything and fade into the darkness. No one can save you. And no one wants to." The voices came from all directions
"Shut up!" It went quiet all that was left was the sound of breathing and the waves of the ocean lapping at my feet.
I am glad that this place is peaceful and that I have a connection to a world outside my own. The six of them have helped me stay a little more hopeful. Maybe that hope is what let the darkness in. Stop Aqua you are going in circles. Just take a moment and breathe. Just breathe.
-.-
"A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will. Begin!" Monokuma
A violent shiver coursed through my body. As I saw the mangled metal corpse of Nekomaru Nidai. I saw as my female classmates cried over the body. Monokuma handed us copies of Monokuma File 4 and food.
"Time to read the Monkuma File and learn that this was *not* the work of poison. Head caved in. The body took severe punishment. A couple of limbs have detached and no poisons. Oh, come on!"
I checked around the body and found that there was ruble under him. The hammer by his body was clean. The wire that was tied around his body looked like it was hung on something. I was still missing a lot of information. We managed to call the guys in Strawberry House to see if they could find anything on their end. Sense the elevator was broken. So we couldn't reach them to investigate.
"Say Hajime what got you thinking so hard?" Ibuki Mioda
"I feel like I'm just missing a lot of intel to solve this case."
"Sorry, I can't be of more help. All I'm really good for is my ears. And last night I didn't hear a thing. I guess that's what I get for taking the Delux Room. Those rooms have crazy soundproofing. The only reason I got up was that Chiaiki knocked on my door." Ibuki Mioda
"Wait can you remind me who had the Delux Rooms?"
"Nagito, Soda, Nevermind, and yours truly IBUKI MIODA!"
"Thanks for telling me. I'll keep that in mind."
"No probs. Maybe you are the Ultimate detective or something Hajime. You're so good at all this detective work." Ibuki Mioda
"I doubt it but thanks."
-.-
The Takemikazuchi Familia was on the run from hellhounds. Most of them were injured. There Captain Ouka had to carry Chigusa she was heavily injured.
Makoto quickly cleared a path for the rest of her Familia. "This is what Take meant by don't fuck up! Way to go Chigusa!" Makoto
"I think I'm dying." Chigusa
"Wow, way to make it all about you!" Makoto
"What the fuck you're getting your blood all over me! That's a real biohazard!" Ouka
" You weren't even fighting, Chigusa!" Makoto
"Yeah, What happened?" Ouka
"I wanted to pet the bun-bun *coughs up blood*. But then bun-bun pulled out a stone ax." Chigusa
In front of the Takemikazuchi Familia, Bell's party was surrounded by a monster party of Almiraj. The group was back to.
"We're not catching a break anytime soon. So, any ideas bright or dark come on." Welf
"Well, we could throw…" Bell
"No! Not happening!" Lili
"Welf do you volunteer as tribute?" Bell asked joking
"Why does anybody listen to you?" Welf
"Well, most of the time it's cuz they want my dick…" Bell
"And you can't even do that! The benefits for this job are really lacking." Welf
"Stick this out and I'll give you a tender kiss on the cheek." Bell
"Hmmm, Deal!" Welf
"I lowkey ship it." Lili
"Ouka, we have hellhounds on our trail! Why are you stalling?" Makoto
"We may have to do a pass parade. The most dishonorable thing a party could do." Ouka
"Damit! We're going to die if we don't do this. We have a man down, the rest of the party is in no condition to fight." Makoto
"Yeah sorry." Jeffrey
"Fuck you, Jeffie. Some of us may be stupid Jeffie, but we're not suicidal. All in favor of this pass parade say I" Makoto
"I…" The Takemikazuchi Familia minus Chigusa, Ouka, and Makoto.
"Looks like we have a clear decision made." Makoto
The Takemikazuchi Familia charged pass Bell's party. Leaving the Hellhounds for Bell's party to deal with while they made it to safety.
"NO!" Bell
"Mother Fuckers!" Lili
"They're leading the monsters to us!" Welf
"Welf, Lili run!" Bell
"Get to the corridor!" Lili
"Eat my Fire Bolt, manage mutts!" Bell uses his spell on the charging hellhounds. Three of them got through the flames. Bell was able to use his knives to take down two of the hellhounds while a third jumped over Bell. "Guys heads up!"
"That was stupid," Welf said as he cleaved the jumping hellhound out of the air.
"That was stupid?" Bell
"Yeah, cuz my opinion on your one-liner is really something we should be worried about, right?" Welf
"Guy priorities! We still have more incoming dogs that want to pound us!" Lili
"Yeah accurate ENOUGH." Bell
"And we're about to get it from behind." Welf
"Okay, you guys are just doing this on purpose now." Bell
"Maybe." Lili
Over the next 4 hours, the party was forced deeper and deeper into the dungeon. They decided the best possible move was to make it to a safe zone on floor 18. Welf had his left leg broken by a falling boulder and later got minddown from overusing his magic. Lili passed out from hunger on the 16th floor. Bell was able to drag his two party members with him to the 17th floor. The boss the Goliath just respond right in front of their downed party.
"Damit! We made it so far just to die because we were late getting here. I guess I really don't have any other choice." Bell drew out the summon card he had gotten from gotcha weeks ago. "Here goes nothing!" The card glowed and then shattered like glass. Bell felt something burn into the back of his right hand. In a bright flash of light, a dark-skinned girl with pinkish-gray long hair appeared. She looked to be around 16. She wears a red and black outfit that reminds Bell of what an Amazoness might wear. Well to be honest it was a little too conservative for an Amazoness. They wouldn't have their arms covered. The girl was duel welding black and white falchions.
"Archer Chloe Von Einzbern has appeared. Wow, my manna is low. Hey master oh no you look to almost be out of manna too. Hey, master looking at that big guy over there I'm guessing that this is an emergency. You might want to use a command seal to top me off so I can deal with that big guy over there." Chloe Von Einzbern
"How do I do that?" Bell
"Just raise your right hand and say "by my command seal defeat the big guy over there". And I'll deal with him lickety-split." Chloe Von Einzbern
"Okay got it. Chloe Von Einzbern by my command seal defeat the Goliath and get our party down to the 18th floor!" Bell felt as most of his remaining mana was drained.
"You got it master one Davy special coming right up!" Chole was dicing up the Goliath. She landed the final blow with what looked to be a slingshot. Chole then gathered up the party and carried them to the 18th floor. The last thing Bell saw before he passed out was his stalker Ainz Wallenstein.
-.-
"Yes! We're done!" Panther
"A child pulling on her mother's clothes?" Fox
"...Mom…" Young Futaba
"More voices…" Panther
"I'm… I'm tired of eating dinner alone all the time. It's always just convenience store bentos… I wanna go somewhere. Take me on a trip!" Young Futaba
"The one clinging to her mother would be Futaba-chan, right?" Panther
"Don't be so selfish! You know I'm working hard to support you, right!? Ugh!" Wakaba
The wall blocking the phantom thieves' path falls down.
"She seemed pretty angry… Is that the maternity neurosis the voice from earlier mentioned?" Queen
"I thought it was pretty normal for a child to want to spend time with their parents, though…" Panther
"Yeah. Looks like Futaba was a pretty lonely kid growin' up…" Skull
"So these incidents compounded, forcing her mother to suicide?" Fox
"...I must die." Shadow Futaba
"Huh?" Panther
"I killed her… That's why I'm here in this tomb…" Shadow Futaba
"Don't say that!" Panther
"I will die…" Shadow Futaba faded away.
"Futaba-chan!" Panther
"Why'd she get so quiet all of the sudden? What happened to all that snark?" Skull
"Could her heart perhaps be growing weaker?" Fox
"We have to hurry and save her!" Panther
The Phantom Thieves charged up the stairs to find an elevator was covered in caution tape.
"It's open… but what's this!?" Mona
"Hey, this ain't openin'... Think there's a way to open it somewhere else?" Skull
"Hm? This door…" Queen
"It looks familiar…" Mona
"Oh! Futaba's room!" Queen
"That's it!" Mona
"Why ain't it openin'?" Skull
"It must be her cognition that no one can enter it." Mona
"I'm surprised that you made it this far. Beyond lies the Pharaoh's Chamber." Shadow Futaba
"So the Treasurw's through here?" Skull
"Indeed. However, you need my permission to open this door." Shadow Futaba
"Then open it for us." Skull
"I cannot. You must have her invite you in." Shadow Futaba
"What the fuck. Ain't this your Palace?" Skull
"What's she mean, Mona?" Panther
"The Shadow is Futaba, but not Futaba herself. In other words, we need the real Futaba's permission." Mona
"So, we need to have Futaba-chan open her room and let us in?" Panther
"Considering that you made it all the way here, you may be able to do it…" Shadow Futaba flew off.
"I guess we gotta return to reality for now." Panther
"But I remember Boss saying that she won't let anyone in." Queen
"Right. She's a serious shut-in." Skull
"How will we convince her to allow us entry?" Fox
"Standing around here won't help. We'll just have to give it a try… That's what she wants, after all." Queen
"I think that we should do it too, even if it means we have to force ourselves in." Panther
"Someone sure is stoked about this…" Skull
"We have no choice but to sneak in again." Fox
"Joker, it's your call when we do this. Make sure you think of some excuses just in case Boss catches us." Panther
"He won't catch us." Joker
"Someone sure is confident for no reason." Skull
"On that note, is everyone clear on what needs doing?" Mona
"Oh, that reminds me. Gimme the calling card. The one Alibaba sent us." Skull
"What are you going to do with it?" Fox
"We're the Phantom Thieves, you know? We gotta announce this. If the Treasure's there we get the room open, givin' this to her will let us take it right away. Queen, help me think of what to write." Skull
"I suppose…" Queen
"We got this covered! You decided on a good time we barge into her room! That's all you!" Skull
Joker nodded. The Phantom Thieves left the palace. Something shakes the palace once the Phantom Thieves leave.
"Another one?" Shadow Futaba
-.-
":33< equius, dammit! Why do you always have to make this so cerebral!"
"D → Language." Equius
":33< sorry :(("
"D → What am I doing wrong?" Equius
":33< well you dont always have to announce who you are purrtending to be in every line! And you dont always have to point out that its just purrtend! :33< in fact, that is sort of an RPing no no."
"D → How would you recommend I approach the absurdist charade, then." Equius
":33< oh i dunno, just by having fun and having a sense of humor about it and such! And not sneaking in sneaky sneakret little barbs of disdain for the exercise, i am not dumb you know, i catch those like scared little scurrying rodents!"
"D → I was having fun. D → The line about the belly scratching was e%ceptionally playful, and I am to be commended. D → You will commend me, I command it!"Equius
":33 < yes yes, ok youre right. That was really great! :33 < do more of that. Ok ready? Go!"
"D → I think I'm out of material through. D → I don't actually know that much about cats" Equius
":33 < errrrrrrrrg! Fiiiine, we can stop. :33 < here, take your gross stinky glasses back, SWEATQUIUS"
"D → Very well, here is your hood." Equius took my hat it was drenched in sweat.
":33 < umm. :33 < yeah. :33 < why dont. :33 < you hang on to that. :33 < forever! :33 < it is my purrsent to you."
"D → I can't tell you how touching I find this gesture, Nepeta. D → Thank you, from the very bottom of my ludi%ly powerful cardiova%ular system." Equius
":33 < dont mention it ! <33"
"D → Nepeta, I think it would behoove us to address the e%treme danger in a serious manner." Equius
":33 < you mean about gamz33? H33h33! :33 < im still not sure if i can believe it!"
"D → That's because you still refuse to 100k upon b100dlines as the deciding behoovioral factors they are." Equius
":33 < behoovioral? :??"
" D → Behaviroral. D → Sorry, my heart is galloping and I canter nunciate properly. D → The horst case scenario is upon us" Equius
":33 < *snort* X33"
"D → His is the richest and most noble b100d possible among the land dwellers. D → As such, he is prone to being more violent and unpredictable than any of us. D → Not everyone has been as lucky as I in the domain of moirallegiance. D → I udder to think what I might be without you, Nepeta." Equius
":33 < udder?"
"D → Shuder." Equius
":33 < oh! Thats so sw33t equius, you know i will always be ready to tacklepounce you when you start getting especially furious."
"D → Yes, which is among the reasons why I must make your prote%ion a high priority. D → The highb100d has joined a stable of those who are becoming increasingly volatile and murderous as we remain stranded in this laboratory. D → I command you to steer clear of them, do you understand?" Equius
":33 < h33, did you mean st33r in livestock sense?"
"D → Yes" Equius
":33 < well, if youre referring to whiskers, i was already plenty scared of her! :33 < and if you are talking about mr ampurra, he has always given me the cr33ps anyway! So there is nothing to fret over!"
"D → E%cellent. D → I would still prefur you hide, I mean prefer." Equius
":33 < hide? Where? :oo"
"D → Behind that gait" Equius
":33 < gait? you mean gate? what gate?? :33 < what are you STALKING about!!!"
"D → I mean that door over there, you goshdarned sillyface." Equius
":33 < oh! :33 < Kay! :33 <33"
"D → I will now seek the highb100d, Nepeta. D → I command you to go hide, as we di%ussed." Equius
":33 < sure! :33 < but there are lots of nuts on the loose out there, so dont stick your neck out and take any big frisks!"
"D → I will e%act caution, even when safety 100% to be 100% assured. D → Even so. D → I would still like to take the opportunity to say." Equius
":33 < what?"
"D → Goodbye." Equius
":33 < well ok, goodbye! :33 < but you had better believe i will s33 you again soon, equius!"
"D → Yes, you will." Equius
I made my way through the air vents in the meteor. I passed both the cranage of the scale mates and the sign saying your next. The farther I went through the vents I started to hear a muffled conversation. I could make the figure of my Mowrail as well as another figure that looked like her friend Pyrope.
"KNEEL. >:o)" The voice was loud and harsh.
"D---> You are not Pyrope. D→ You are the highbl00d, I should have known. D→ Remove your counterfeit eyewear at once." Equius Zahhak faltered form his usually abrasive tone for a moment "Uh… D→ If you would please, sir."
"i'll show you what i motherfucking got. IF YOU SHOW ME WHAT'S MOTHERFUCKING YOURS." The figure removed Pyrope's shades.
"D → What."
"it was. A MOTHERFUCKING. Joke. HONK."
"D→ we really should talk"
"You really should kneel."
"D → What was that? D→ The volume of your voice keeps flu%uating." Zahhak said uneasiness slipped into his voice.
"I SAID. kneel motherfucker." The figure's eyes grew large, almost glowing yellow. "I TOLD YOU TO MOTHERFUCKING KNEEL, MOTHERFUCKER."
I saw the figure drawing a bow arrow notched on it's string. I could of sworn I heard a honk from one of Gamzee's horns ring out the next thing there was an arrow through the leg of my mowrail. Equius dropped to one knee. The figure jumped down from their vantage point with bow in hand.
"honk. HONK. honk. HONK."
"Uhhh." Zahhak was heavily sweating which was his normal state.
Then the figure stepped into light. It was Gamzee Makara holding a yellow bow. There was a creek and then the bow was snapped in half like so many others the Zahhak had tried to fire over the years. Gamzee managed to get the string of the broken bow around Equius Zahhak's neck.
"HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk. HONK. honk." Gamzee said in full murder mode as he garotted Zahhak with the broken bow.
Equius struggled to breath, his face went from despair to utter joy the color of his face went from the typical gray sink of a troll to an indigo blue. Gamzee let go of the bow and Equius fell dead on the floor with a smile on his face.
I was utterly shocked watching my best friend gets killed from behind the grate of the air vent. I went from shock to extreme rage and jumped out of the vent action claws at the ready for her ponceavnge!
"Hisssssssssssssssssss!" I hissed in the way my Lusus Pownce would do when she was angry.
Gamzee slowly turned his head to look at the oncoming angry cat girl troll and equipped his juggling clubs ready to meet Nepeta's on solt in kind. Gamzee caught Nepeta by her right wrist breaking it in his death like, clown grip. He then dragged Nepeta's action claws across his face, cutting deep purple bleeding goughs into his face Laughing all the while. Gamzee threw Nepeta across the room she only stopped when she hit the far wall with enough force to break her left femur bone. Gamzee slowly walked to wear Nepeta as she tried to crawl to safety. She was starting to black out from the pain.
"HONK. honk. HONK. honk." Gamzee's hand came down and everything went black for Nepeta.
Nepeta's last thoughts were about how she had failed to avenge her Moirail, how she never got the chance to tell Karkat about how she felt about him, and that she was going to die like so many others had by a purple blood clown. And how everything on the meteor was so cold.
[ArsenicCatnip]{Has been terminated} {Escape Plan wasn't bought} {Sending out new Invite} {New User will Join in 3 days}