"WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!"
SG2's screams echoed through the skies as she and the rest of Orange Team ran for their lives through a gauntlet of firebreathing snowmen – but no matter how far ahead they got, more would just pop out of the snow to defy the laws of physics with their horrifying, unmelting mouths.
They had finally managed to KO the Santaur after a lengthy off-screen struggle – it wasn't dead, but they should at least have bought themselves ample time to get far, far away, and hopefully find an exit. But of course, luck was never on the IGNOites' side on Christmas Eve, and now they had this new mess to contend with.
As they ran through row after row of diabolical snowmen, the once-barren snowfield quickly became a labyrinth of deadly traps – looming snow walls sprung up on all sides, forming a maze that seemed specifically designed to separate the group's already meager numbers. First, Bradios fell victim to a pitfall, dropping him deep within the snowy depths…then LG mistook a snowman hiding inside the wall for one of his Wall comrades and ran up to it eagerly, only to receive a fiery blast in the face instead. It was just SG2 and Hamel left…
"Wait, why am I even running? I'm made of fire!! Well, fire and shadows, but let's focus on the fire!!", Hamel cried, unleashing an unearthly blaze within the network of snowy tunnels.
"Hahaha…huh?!"
"Well what did you think would happen? These snowmen are already spitting embers all over the dang place, I don't think a little extra fire is going to be enough to melt this snow!!" SG2 yelled back, narrowly avoiding becoming the only thing in the maze to turn into a gooey puddle. "Let's just keep going, we'll definitely find the way out even–Hamel?"
"Heeeeeeelp!!!!!"
When the tiger looked over her shoulder, Hamel was being held by the arms by two very evil-looking snowmen, who then quickly melted back into the powder below…somehow dragging her shadowy companion along with them. SG2 was all alone…
"Hahahaha…and now that you're all to your lonesome, we can have a little fun, just you and me…"
A voice so thick it felt like she could drown in it suddenly seeped through the frosty walls from all sides…it was at once everywhere and nowhere to be found. The tiger grit her teeth and braced herself…
"Alright, who is it now? Another sad excuse for a Christmas monster? Come out already, you freak of nature, and face me like a…whatever you're supposed to be!!"
"Heeheehee…oh, but I'm nothing like those simpletons…merely footsoldiers, they were. No, little tiger…if you want to beat me, you're going to have to conquer your deepest, darkest fears!!"
"My fears? Hah!!" she grinned eagerly. "Sorry to break it to you, pal…but I'm SG2!! And in case you hadn't heard, I fear nothing!!"
The laughter continued…and multiplied. Dozens, no, hundreds…maybe even more voices echoed from every possible angle. Every side, above, below, even within her own mind……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LG was lucky he'd managed to conjure his light shield at the last second to block most of the flames. His magically-reinforced martial arts uniform also came in handy in times like these, offering its wearer a slight boost in elemental protection. Still, when he opened his eyes, he found himself trapped in a much smaller, enclosed room…the walls appeared to be heavily reinforced. Was this seriously still snow? But there was no time to think too hard about the unusual construction – small as the room was, he could sense that he was not alone.
When he spun around, he saw…a beautiful woman. She was sitting in a snow chair, legs crossed, elbow leaned on the armrest while she held her face between her slender fingers.
"Who the Hell are you?"
"My my, cut right to the chase, don't we? I like that in a man…" she said, licking her lips sensually.
"Bitch, please. Your 'sex appeal' or whatever you're trying to do won't work on me, I'm–"
"Gay? Oh yes, I'm well aware…LG, AKA Litl'Gatan, proud warrior of the planet Gaylia."
LG's eyes went wide – how did she know his real name?
"Oh, I know many things about you…", she said as though responding to his thoughts, rising from the chair and approaching the confused man. "Every…little…thing…"
She ran a finger down LG's forehead and touched his lips…LG's heart was beating fast. Whoever this woman was, she was extremely dangerous.
"But look at you now, trapped in this tiny little room, alone with little ol' me…while your friends are out there struggling against their deeeeepest, darkest fears." Her voice was dripping with a stereotypical sensuality, emphasizing key words as though everything out of her mouth was an innuendo.
"They're going to be killed, you know…some hero you turned out to be."
LG didn't want to let it show on his face, but he didn't need to…she knew full well that she was touching a nerve, trying to pick away at his guilt for not living up to the lofty expectations set before him. He had received the coveted Light element by his Great Gayfather, and was always told that he had been destined to walk the path of the legendary Gaylian Hero…there were even rumors that he may have been a reincarnation of that hero, though LG didn't really believe in them. Still, his entire life was shaped around being trained in the image of a proud and noble champion. And while he did his best to protect the friends he cared about, when it came down to it…the life he lead in IGNO City was not exactly the one his elders had envisioned for him.
"I know your greatest fears, LG…" the woman said in a soft voice, now stroking the Gaylian's cheek slowly. "But you don't have to be afraid anymore…just let it all go, and give in…"
He didn't understand how she was doing it…but it was as though she had reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart with a fist full of rusty needles. LG already got homesick during this time of year, he did not need this drama…he didn't need some stranger telling him that he couldn't be a hero!! Not when his friends were out there right now struggling on their own, he couldn't afford to just sit in this room and wallow in self-pity!!
"No…No!!!!", he cried, his body beginning to glow…the mysterious woman stepped back in surprise as he drew his blade of shining light. "You can't tempt me, and you can't make me feel guilty!! You want me to be a hero? I'll show you just how much of a hero I can be!!"
"Well well…no one has ever resisted my heart-racing techniques before…" she said, licking her lips again. "Very well, then. If I can't manipulate you, I'll just have to use my assets against you instead…"
"W-whoa, what the Hell are you doing?! It's like 10 degrees out here!!"
LG shielded his eyes as the woman began to strip off her already revealing clothing until she was standing before him completely naked.
"Whether you're charmed or disgusted, the result is the same…if you can't bring yourself to look upon my nude body, then you're full of openings!!!"
She lunged at LG, delivering a flurry of kicks and flips to his upper body. LG did his best to block and parry her blows, but he couldn't bring himself to look directly at…that. It was too icky…!! He tried to use his highly-trained senses to focus on her movements, instead…but it was no use.
"Foolish boy, I can mask my presence…if you want to defeat me, you'll have to open your eyes…and take a loooong, hard…look!!"
LG knew his friends were waiting for him…he couldn't let them down!! But for every glimpse he got of that thing, his stomach turned over…he could feel the bile rising into his throat. If this kept up, he would be fighting a losing battle…and his friends……
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're joking…right…?"
Bradios had fallen a good distance through the snowy pitfall…and somehow, landed himself in what seemed to be a small room with reinforced steel walls. An underground bunker of some kind? It felt more like a prison cell. However, he was not in solitary confinement – there was another…though perhaps 'another' was not the best way to describe this particular person.
"You can't be…"
"You? But I am. I'm you…before you got that fancy new body of yours."
On the other side of the room, in what felt like the projection of a twisted mirror…Bradios stood face to face with himself. More accurately, he stood face to face with Cadet Bradley - the 19-year old he was when he first joined the Outbackian military during the war all those years ago. The person he was before he was inducted into the top-secret Overman Project program which, after weeks of grueling experiments and training, turned him into the Bradios of today.
Cadet Bradley was one of several eager young soldiers who was taken into the program…and one of the very few to survive until the end. But before the intensive training and robotic implants, Bradley was just a scrawny teenager eager to prove himself by serving his country…a far cry from the muscular leader of the Neutral Nation standing on the opposite end of the room.
"Look how strong I've gotten…hard to believe I once looked like this, huh?"
"Cut the shit. You and I both know that 'you' are not really 'me'. You can't possibly think I'm that stupid."
"No, no…of course you're not." Bradley folded his lanky arms across his chest. "So, Leader of the Neutral Colonies now, are you? Pretty impressive…though I hear your friends don't think quite as highly of that position."
"Th-that has nothing to do with it…they trust me by now, they know that I have no intentions of attacking Bones' Empire!! I just want to provide a place where people who don't agree with his government to be able to defect…to not have to go through what I went through for the sake of fighting someone else's battles…"
"Oh come now, Bradios…surely you can't regret the treatments they gave you. They made you strong…made you…well, valuable."
Bradios twitched…it was slight, but he sensed that 'he' noticed it all the same. Was he trying to get under Bradios' skin…?
"Yes…I know what you fear, Bradios. You may talk big about how much you hate what the government did to you back then, but you're secretly glad they did…they made you useful. Reliable. They gave you the body that allowed you to make those precious…friends, of yours."
"What are you implying…?", Bradios asked…immediately regretting that he'd let those words slip out. He knew that 'he' was just trying to egg him on, but at the same time he couldn't help wondering what this 'other him' would have to say.
"I think you know exactly what I'm implying." A snow chair suddenly rose up from the metallic floor, and Cadet Bradley took a seat, crossing his legs and reclining. "C'mon, take a look at me – at you. This scrawny weakling wouldn't last an hour in the kinds of battles your friends see on a regular basis…why, they're out there fighting for their lives right now. And you? You're just standing around in here, talking to a ghost from a time long past."
Bradios was fuming with anger…rationally, he knew he was just giving this…thing exactly what it wanted, but he was never the best at controlling his emotions. Of course he knew that his friends must be struggling without him there…they needed his strength, they counted on it!! On…his…
"Your weapons…your superhuman fortitude, that oh-so-useful facial scanner wired into that computer in your brain…oh, I can remember the screams you let out when they installed that one. Didn't even put you under when they opened up your skull and–"
"YOU'RE NOT ME!!!!"
A silence washed over the room as Bradios cried out with all his might…Bradley adjusted himself in the chair, dusting off his military issued uniform. But his face said it all – this was exactly what he wanted from Bradios.
"No…no, I'm not you, we've established that already…I don't have any of those fancy gadgets your friends find so useful. Say, did you ever wonder that maybe they wouldn't care about you if you were still the same as me? As you were, back then…a spineless, scared little boy who wanted so badly to help his country that he allowed himself to become a walking science experiment. How would they feel about the real you? Underneath the microchips and all those shiny metal parts…"
He didn't want it to get to him…but he couldn't help it. Maybe 'Bradley' was right. Bradios…underneath it all, he was still just a frightened teenager. It had been decades since he'd been turned into a cyborg, but it wasn't only his appearance that stayed the same - he never really matured at all. Did his friends really only keep him around for all the amazing things his body could do…? The very parts that weren't really him…was that all that mattered? He stood there and hung his head…his fists trembling. These buried memories and mind games…it was all so stupid.
"…pid…"
"Huh? What was that?", Bradley asked, cupping his hand to his ear facetiously.
"So…stupid…this is all…SO STUPID!!!!"
Bradios' anger exploded – he couldn't let this creature's lies get to him. Of course his friends would still care about him even without his roboparts – what kind of a stupid question was that?! When they'd first met, he was already a cyborg…and they hated him. He had been so childish and annoying…it didn't matter if he could launch rockets from cannons hidden under his shoulderpad, they still hated him!! But over time, he'd grown and matured, fighting alongside them and learning so many life lessons…the person they came to appreciate, the person they truly came to consider their friend…it was all him. The fact that most of them called him 'Brad' affectionately told him all he needed to know – the -ios wasn't what mattered.
"You're not me…not from then, and not from now!! What could you possibly know about my friends?! They are what gives me strength – not these machine parts!! If you want to see where my real power comes from…", he grinned, holding up a balled fist. "Then I'll show you who I fight for – without any of my weapons!!"
Bradios charged like lightning – but it wasn't thanks to his hyperspeed turbo boosters, but rather his good ol' fashioned human adrenaline. Before 'Bradley' could react, Bradios was already behind him, hoisting the cheap imitation up by his collar…and hurling him across the room. The sound of the impact he made against the wall…was definitely not that of snow. Bradley coughed a few times, struggling to regain his footing but ultimately failing. Fresh blood trickled from his lip…his face was bruised. There was a dent in the wall where Bradios had thrown him, and he had hit it hard.
"You'll break more than a few bones before I'm through with you…", Bradios said in a cold, calculating voice as he walked closer…but Bradley only laughed.
"You think it will be that easy, do you?"
"I do. Because if you're supposed to be the 'me' I was, then you're weak. Physically, mentally, and emotionally."
"You're right…I am weak.", Bradley agreed, before sputtering more blood out across the floor. He wiped his cut lip and grinned cheaply. "That's exactly why I know…there's no way you can hurt me…"
Bradios' fist was raised and ready to rain down a devastating blow…but he froze in mid-air. When he looked at the person on the floor below him, even though he knew it was an imposter…it still looked like him. The scrapes and bruises, the tattered uniform…it all brought back those painful memories of his time during training. Even if he wasn't going to let this creep demean his friendships…he still couldn't bring himself to be the one beating the shit out of himself.
That hesitation was all Bradley needed – suddenly, Bradios' body was captured by the same vicious snowmen from earlier and restrained tightly. Not even his cybernetic strength could break free – but maybe his weapons–
"Tut-tut, dear Bradios…" Bradley said, wagging a finger as he finally managed to stand. "I thought you were going to defeat me without those fancy weapons of yours, to prove to me what 'real strength' was? Go ahead and show me, then!! Show me the power of a 'human'!!"
Bradios was cornered…he couldn't go back on his oath to win this fight fair and square, no weapons – but as he stood there being roasted by snowman flamethrowers, he wondered how he would ever get out of this situation without them…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After being dragged down what felt like thousands of feet into Snowman Hell, Hamel was suddenly hit with blinding white lights. She shielded her vision the best she could…it felt like he was being examined by the police, but she knew he hadn't done anything wrong – this time. It was so bright…bright to the point of being painful to their shadow-infused body.
"Where the Hell…is this…?" she managed weakly.
"No…not Hell."
Despite the brightness of the room, there was one corner that was conveniently, if inexplicably, still shrouded in darkness…the voice came from that corner. Hamel was prepared – they'd already faced down countless nightmare beasts, and managed to overturn the devastating Santaur in an epic offscreen showdown. No matter what they tried to throw at him, she knew she could handle it.
"…wh…what?!"
At least…she thought she could, until out from the darkness stepped…a small, rainbow-colored donkey.
"You're not in Hell, friend!! You're on the set of 'Boku no Chiisana Donkey-chan: Happiness is Waku-Waku Marvelous'!!"
"Isn't that…the horrible baby show about adorable donkeys who try to teach kids the importance of values like friendship, love, and happiness…?"
"""""Yes!!"""""
Suddenly, she was surrounded by bright-colored donkeys with manes of fluffy, sparkly hair…confetti began to rain down from the ceiling and balloons were flying up from the ground.
"BUT I HATE THAT SHOW!!! IT'S OVERRATED GARBAGE AND THE FANBASE IS INSUFFERABLE!!"
"No, no!! 'Hate' is not a word we use here, Hamel-san!!", chirped one of the donkeys in a sickeningly sweet voice. "We're here to teach you the marvelousness of happiness!!"
"Your outlook on life is too gloomy!!", pouted another little donkey. "We want to brighten up your spirits and wash away all that yucky-ucky shadowyness!!"
"B-but I'm a demon…and the shadows are my body!! You can't just–"
"Minna-san, gather up, roba!! It sounds like our friend here needs a great big hug, roba!!"
Hamel's eyes widened in abject terror…the donkeys…were getting closer. He looked in every direction…she was certain the snowmen had dragged her down beneath the snow, but all that was surrounding him were tough-looking steel walls. Could he melt them?! She had to try…she needed to get out of here before it was too late!! They made a dash for the furthest wall and pressed their palms against it.
"Haaaaahhh!!!!!"
Concentrated magma began to seep from her hands…sure enough, the wall began to melt!! Slowly, slowly…but it was working, this was it!! He'd be free in no ti–
"What?! No!!!!"
Of course it couldn't be that easy…in half the time it took for her to melt a sizable dent in the wall, it 'healed' itself back as good as new…if it could repair the damage twice as fast as he could dish it out, they'd never escape!! And now she was backed against the edge of the room, with donkeys closing in from every side…their enormous eyes sparkled with glee as they began to match upright, as though zombies, their front legs which Hamel could only describe as hoofless 'stumps' outstretched before them…
"Hug…hug…hug…hug…", they chanted ominously.
There weren't even any shadows for him to hide in or travel through in this brightly-lit room…was there truly no escape?! He couldn't let herself be hugged…she had to fight!!
"You guys are far more demonic than I could ever be…I suppose I should congratulate you for that, at least…", they said, warming up a fireball in their palm. "But there's not a chance in whatever Hell you crawled out of that I'll let you lay one malformed stump on my shadowy body of shadowy fieryness!! You want me to play with you? Then bring it on!!"
Hamel leapt forward like an animal, fists coated in flames, right into the oncoming donkeys…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things were not faring much better for the Green Team. Like Orange before them, they had managed to finally overthrow the ferocious Deerberus and make their escape…only to be sucked into a snowy labyrinth where they were shut up in their own solitary rooms, faced with the thing they'd feared the most.
And for xL, that fear was…
"Aahh…that was…well, it was good, I suppose."
"I've had better."
While the others were locked in intense battles, xL had just finished some physical activity of a different kind with an attractive young man, and the two were currently recuperating in a snow bed with real blankets. The young man puffed a cigarette and billows of smoke filled the small, metal room. xL turned to him with a sly grin, running a finger up and down his bare chest.
"Hmmm, wanna go again? I'm always ready for another helping of…Christmas stuffing…"
"I'm good to go…", he said, taking another drag off his cigarette. "…if you don't mind fucking while your friends are out there getting killed."
xL froze and a look of panic rose to his face. Killed?! There was no way. His team was being led by the mighty Konungur Bones, and they'd all just ripped through that Deerberus like it was made of paper!! …after a lengthy off-screen struggle, but still. What could possibly be so difficult that they'd honestly be killed over it?
"Oh, you didn't know?", replied the man to xL's unspoken thoughts. "They're all being made to face their greatest, most crippling fears…"
"If they're doing that, then why am I in here with you getting my turkey basted?"
The man puts out his cigarette and steps out of bed, pacing back and forth.
"I see you haven't realized it yet. Oh poor, sweet xL…", he pauses and turns to face the other man still under the sheets. "I am your greatest fear."
"That doesn't make any sense, I just met you 5 minutes ago. I don't even know your name."
"Yes, and as…magical, as those 5 minutes of passion were, it precisely proves my point. You use meaningless sex with strangers as a way to cope with your insecurities."
xL was getting angry, now – he, too, stepped out of bed on the opposite side of his ex-partner, adopting a defensive stance.
"You…don't act like you know anything about me!!"
"Oh, but I do!! That's why I'm here, friend.", he said, walking slowly closer to the tense xL. "I know all about how you put on this phony persona as the wise-cracking, sex-crazed maniac…of course, it makes sense what with your job as a spy for the Toastopolis Resistance. It's very easy for you to get lost in your guise, 'becoming the mask' as it were."
"What are you talking about?!", xL growled…he couldn't let on that this stranger was more or less correct about his position in the Jizztopian 717, working with the resistance in the war-torn country.
"You can play dumb as you wish, I'm not here to get involved in your complicated political affairs", said the man with a shrug. "My point is, it was your job to infiltrate IGNOLand under an assumed personality…but you've been here so long, and got close to these 'friends' of yours with that false personality. And now, you fear that showing them your true self would make them stop liking you."
xL grit his teeth…it was true that he feared telling them the truth, even though they were his closest friends and he wanted more than anything in the world to be honest with them. But the xL they knew was the smooth-talking owner of the Gas Station Next Door who indulged in all manner of sexual deviancy, and other shifty business practices between his frequent trips to space. He couldn't compromise his work for the 717 by letting his real identity become known…but the guilt of having to lie about who he really was to those he cared so much about had driven him to embrace this originally-false persona. To live this lie as his real life.
"I wonder what they would say if they knew that everything you've ever told them is a lie…"
"That's not true!!", xL cried. "I'm…I'm me, and they like me for me…i-in spite of being me!!"
"But it's not really you and you know it."
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!!"
The young man laughed as xL gripped his head in both hands, his mind swimming with doubts and regrets. He had been 'xL' for so long that he'd forgotten what he used to be like…back when he first met his friends, when he was still nervous about how to behave around them without compromising his mission. He stumbled along without a particular identity of his own until the day LG abandoned his career as a professional whore...and xL seized the opportunity to fill that role in his stead.The persona was just so outlandish that no one would have taken it seriously as a disguise, and he could observe and report on the conditions of IGNOLand to his home country undisturbed. But the more time he spent with these people, who stuck with him despite how infuriating he could be - going as far as throwing him into outer space just to be rid of him for 5 minutes - the more his original goals faded into the background, and he felt his place was here in IGNO City…with them.
Even so, the guilt of not being able to tell them the truth was secretly eating away at him from the inside…he tried to cover these emotions by indulging in the very meaningless sex that was originally a part of the lie. He hadn't even realized it…but hadn't he already abandoned his mission long ago, just so he could continue to stay with his friends? Didn't that mean...
"That's…right…it's not a lie." xL muttered, releasing his head. And then…in the rarest of moves…he opened them. Narrow eyes with pupils as yellow as the butter he consumed daily glowed in the darkness, burning with buttery rage. "xL may not be who I was originally…but he's who I am now. I became xL, embraced xL, without even realizing it. All so I could prolong my stay in IGNOLand…so I could stay by their side."
He flipped up his left arm at the elbow, revealing his most valued weapon beneath the prosthetic…The Toaster, his high-powered ballistic food-launching cannon. How it worked was a mystery to all but him, but he need only supply it with the natural butter secretions of his right hand and it was fueled for dealing his personal brand of 'hot-buttered justice'.
"So I won't let you insult 'xL'. No matter how much of a disgusting, depraved deviant he is…", he continued, loading two slices into the slots on the barrel. "…I'll continue being him for as long as it takes, not for Toastopolis, but for my friends!!"
And then…he fired. Slick slices of toast penetrated either side of his one-time lover's skull…but f course, a victory like that would have been too easy. The man quickly regenerated his wounds, his laughter piercing the walls of the cold, dark room…and then, like the villagers before, he mutated into a shadowbeast. Huge phallic tentacles jutted from the sides of his head, shoulderblades and fingertips, and the orifice in the center of his forehead was equally unsightly. His red eyes glowed bright as he opened his hideously fanged, vertical mouth, venomous drool seeping out unceasingly.
"You're disgusting…", xL said, grinning eagerly. "But that's okay. So am I."
The fact that he didn't even make a single wisecrack about the creature's incredibly sexual appearance proved for all the world that xL was serious – he would show his true self, here and now, and defeat this creature so he could return and help his friends. He knew he'd tell them the truth one day…but until that day came, he knew he couldn't beat himself up with guilt for keeping up this charade. He had to admit being xL was even kind of fun. So, for the sake of those continuing fun days, his toast cannon burst with buttery-slick vengeance…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MTS was deeply confused…hadn't she just been in a snowy field with a blizzard raging all around? So why was she suddenly in a quiet forest grove, surrounded by butterflies and beautiful flowers? Something about this place felt oddly nostalgic…and as she glanced around to get her bearings, she realized the reason why.
In the center of the grove, right behind where she had been sitting…was a gigantic, ancient tree. Not the kind of pine tree she had seen repeatedly in the village's town square – this was some truly majestic flora from a time long since past. And unlike the town Christmas tree…this one was still very much alive.
"Is this…the Tree of Wisdom…?"
"Yes, child…welcome to my garden."
The booming yet gentle voice came from the tree itself…but that didn't surprise MTS. For she had met this tree before – in a time so far in the past that she had nearly forgotten it existed. Back before she left her kingdom behind to live a new life...
“Why have you appeared in a place like this, O Wisdom Tree? We're very far from the forest...actually, I'm not even sure we're still in IGNOLand.”
“That is true, dear child of the forest. However, I have sensed that you are in a great crisis right now, and have reached out to offer you my wisdom in your time of need.”
“Thank you, O Wisdom Tree, but I'm doing fine on my own, really...”, MTS says somewhat meekly. Truthfully, she was in a bit of a bind right now...as they all were. But she had always hated the notion that she couldn't do anything for herself ever since she was a young child, growing up as a pampered princess in the elven castle. Since then, she has done her best to live life by her own will, and her own power.
“Dear child, have you not felt it for yourself by now? That which places you and your friends in the greatest peril of all...is none other than your own power.”
“My...power...?”
MTS was dumbstruck. Surely, it wasn't a surprise that the Wisdom Tree had seemingly read her mind, but...how could her power be dangerous? It was good to be so strong!! She could protect herself and live her own way, and help her friends when they--
“Princess Mar'grethe, daughter of elves. A great and terrifying power beats within those bodacious breasts of yours. And speaking of which, may I say, congratulations."
"T-thank you, O Wisdom Tree…but…what do you mean about my power?"
“Were you not warned of your power as a young girl?!”, the tree cried in a booming, echoing voice - a great contrast to the somber and tranquil environment that had filled this garden moments ago. “Royal elven women store great elemental energies within their magnanimous mammaries. But you!! You were born of the Light element, one of the most powerful elements of all!! The power within your bosom is too much for you to control without the proper training...training which you shunned when you abandoned your kingdom and your people before you could be properly taught the Way of the Bosom!!”
“I...I had to run!! They would have kept me locked away forever because they were afraid of my power!!”
“YOU WERE LOCKED AWAY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!!”, the tree was now all but screaming into her head. The sky above the garden began to grow dark, and a great sense of unease filled MTS as the Wisdom Tree continued. “You were to be restricted until you came of age and could have properly learned to control the overflowing energies of your horrible hooters, but you did not do as you were told!! You lent your ear to the dark whisperings of the wood, enticing you to freedom...to the path of imminent destruction!! And now, for hundreds of years without training, your energy stores have reached their peak and could explode at any time!! You are capable of great destruction, perhaps enough to even - hypothetically - wipe away the entire face of the world...all because you cannot calm your tits!!"
And with those words came the most unusual sensation…MTS' breasts began to bounce uncontrollably.
"W-what's happening?!"
"Princess Mar'grethe, Child of Elves!! You are not worthy of the title Magical Tit Sorceress!! Behold the powers that lie beyond your control!!"
MTS panicked…what was happening?! Her knockers seemed to have minds of their own, rebounding upon her chest like two basketballs being dribbled down the court.
"I'm not doing this…I'm not doing this!!"
"Precisely!! You cannot be held responsible for such immense energy – your portly pillows, supple and formidable though they be, are not enough to contain it!!"
She didn't want to believe it was true…and yet, right before her eyes, her tremendous tits were spiraling out of control and there was nothing she could do to stop them.
"Your capacity for destruction is inevitable, and your beloved friends will die as a result of your carelessness!!"
The once-peaceful garden had since transfigured into a dark and unholy wood. The ground had begun to split apart and crack under the uncontrollable shockwaves emminating from MTS' bounding breasts...the white-hot glow of magma peaking out from beneath the crust as the world shook around her. The entire garden was crumbling as her jiggling jubblies swayed to and fro...and there was nothing she could do to stop them.
As MTS struggled to deal with her shapely situation, she noticed it…the so-called 'Wisdom Tree' had sprouted a sinister face at the base of its trunk. Its red eyes pierced the depths of her soul as a darkness began to enshroud the grove…two sturdy branches jutted out like arms and its great roots were pulled from the ground. With these 'legs', the massive tree-like beast approached her…
"You're not…the Wisdom Tree…", she finally realized, hopping about like she had a particularly bad case of the hiccups.
"Perhaps not – but I do know that losing control of your powers and putting your friends in danger is your deepest fear!!"
MTS loathed to admit it, but Wisdom Tree or not - it was right. She had often felt that the energy inside her breasts was vast and untapped, with great reserves she could yet bring under her control. However, as long as those powers lay dormant, she thought there was no harm...she just needed to train better in mastering her light element, that was all!! As luck had it, her closest friend LG was also the Light element, and he had a dojo on his island where he trained students to hone their powers. MTS...always said she was going to train with him, but she never got around to it. She was always more concerned with living her day-to-day, doing things like managing her restaurant BooBies! and going to The Straight Experience concerts.
Or...maybe that was just her excuse. Truthfully, while LG had offered to train her many times - most likely sensing her great rotund reserves himself - she always came up with reasons to wait until 'some other time'. Because the thing she had always tried to run away from was being helped by others. She thought that she needed to learn to control her powers on her own, without relying on anyone else to hold her hand. She had grown up coddled in that kind of environment...and while she understood that LG's offers weren't entirely the same thing as being raised in royal captivity, she had a bad habit of not turning to her friends for help when she needed it most. She was so confident she could always handle things on her own...and by the time she realized she couldn't, and was actually in over her head, it was often too late. In this particular case...refusing the help of a friend until it was 'too late' may well be enough to cause rampant destruction, if what the tree claimed was true.
Having to rely on others may have been MTS' greatest fear, as far as the evil ent could gleam...however, the bizarre spectacle taking place on her chest right now made her realize what her true fear was. The world around her was literally falling apart because she hadn't learned to control her powers - because she was so overconfident in her own ability to control them, without anyone else's help!! But she couldn't just keep turning aside the help of friends and waiting for things to get out of hand before trying to fix them. She needed to take action in the here and now, or those very friends could be gravely hurt by her tumultuous teats...or worse. She couldn't let that happen…she couldn't bear to lose her friends like that!!
"Hnnnghh…hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngh!!!!!"
MTS exercised all her willpower to grab her malicious melons and aim an attack at the tree monster just before it swung down its giant, vicious branches. Sure enough…the shockwave obeyed, and shattered several twigs from the heavy wooden boughs.
"Ah…ahahaha…I did it!! Eeeasy, girls…sshh, shh, calm…mama's here."
"Nnnh…how dare you…don't think it will be that easy!!"
The tree monster flung forward dozens of branches like thrusting blades, but MTS was nimble enough to jump back before they struck. With another slam of her corpulent cantaloupes, they, too, fell limp to the ground. Apples and acorns were hurled forth from the bushy overgrowth to rain down upon her like a vengeful hail, but none could stand before her judicious jugs!!
Still…this would not be an easy battle. MTS had, for the most part, managed to wrangle her unruly udders, but the tree had dealt a heavy blow to her self-confidence all the same. She could feel the powers within her hefty howitzers overflowing, and wasn't entirely sure how long her grasp over the situation would remain sturdy. The overgrown talking shrub before her wasn't giving an inch, either. But MTS knew that her friends were counting on her – and she wasn't going to let some devious dryad's prophecies keep her from saving them!!
"I understand now...I need them as much as they need me. And as long as I have them by my side, I'd never let myself lose control!!! So bring it on - I'll rip the branches from your ugly trunk without breaking a sweat!!!!"
Devastating earthquakes continued to shake the grove as the battle raged on…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Azaran figured that the others were struggling to cope with the harsh weather, but he didn't particularly care…he still wasn't certain why he was even brought to this strange world with those people in the first place. While it was true that he had gotten closer to them in the past few months than he would have liked, he still had a strong dislike for them and their ways of life - especially Konungur Bones, SG2, and LG. Truth be told, he had been given an invitation to Bones' Christmas Party, but he had no intention of going. It was another extravagant waste of money and resources, when that food could have been given to the many hungry citizens living on the streets of IGNO City. If he were to go, it would only be to lecture them on their wastefulness and steal as much food as he could carry to bring back to his friends at the Sanctuary…
Azaran actually ran a small shelter in an abandoned building not far from the Gas Station Next Door in IGNO City. The homeless, the hungry, the disenfranchised…anyone who needed a place to keep warm and safe was welcome. Azaran himself had a small home not far from the shelter, where he spent his days alone in secret…until recently. He had taken to training a young boy named Ten, in his early teens…it was easy for Azaran to forget that he was only a year older than the kid, his harsh experiences and sour outlook on life making him feel a few years ahead of his real age. He had taken Ten under his wing and begun to tutor him mentally as well as train him physically to strengthen his elemental abilities…and though Azaran wouldn't admit it, he had started to care a lot about the boy through the time they'd spent together.
As he was flying across the snowy wasteland thinking of his young charge…Azaran heard a scream in a familiar voice. It couldn't be…why would he be here?! But Azaran didn't have time to stop and think about it – he swooped down to where he heard the cry coming from to see none other than Ten being beaten up by a gang of local hoodlums.
"Hehe, pony up the cash, kid!! 'Tis the season for giving!!"
"I-I told you, I don't have any money, I don't even know how I got he–aack!!"
He was curled up in the cold snow, being kicked repeatedly by the three older boys…Azaran could see from his position that the kid was already bruised, fresh blood on his face as the kids continued to smack him around violently. He wasn't going to let this stand – even if it wasn't someone he knew personally, Azaran could never stand by and watch other people be hurt just because they were seen as 'weak'. It was one thing he prided himself for, that he felt separated him from the other IGNOites who held great power.
"You leave him alone, or else!!", Azaran cried, his wings folding back as he landed in front of the thugs.
"Yeah, or else what? You gonnAAAAAAHH!!"
Azaran wasn't the type to give bullies a second chance – he was genre-savvy enough to know they'd never willingly back down through words alone. An ice arrow to the legs, however, was a much more persuasive method.
"I-I can't move, I can't move!! What's the big idea?!"
"Why yoooou!!!", cried another goon, charging at Azaran with a raised fist…of course, that fist was also easily frozen. "Aaaaah!!!!" The sudden weight caused him to plummet to the icy ground.
"I-I'm getting out of here!!" screamed the third hoodlum before running off, abandoning his 'friends' as their bodies quickly became encased in even more ice. Azaran scoffed.
"Hmph, typical. Only out for themselves…" He approached the still-cowering Ten, holding out a hand to help the boy up. Ten's face lit up in excitement as he took it.
"T-thank you for saving me, Azaran!!"
Azaran cocked his head…didn't this kid usually call him 'senpai' in the most obnoxious way possible? Too bad he only realized it a second too late…before his hand was stuck, gooey black gunk seeping creepily up his sleeve…'Ten' grinned devilishly.
"Y-you're not–!!"
"No shit, Sherlock…for someone who thinks himself so clever, you fell for the bait hook, line and sinker!!"
It was undoubtedly another nightmare creature like the villagers from before…though compared to their dull, zombie-level intelligence, this one was obviously much smarter. Azaran stumbled backward, flailing his arm around vigorously trying to remove the sap, but of course it was no use.
"Bastard…I only need one hand to kill you!!", he growled, charging up an ice bolt in his free hand. He may not have been able to draw his bow in his current condition, but this would be enough!!
"Kill me? Hahahaha!! Not a chance…not while I look like your precious little boyfriend!!", the monster teased, sticking out his tongue tauntingly.
Azaran was fuming…he wanted to scream back 'Ten is not my boyfriend!!', but arguing about the nature of their relationship wasn't going to get him out of this mess. It was true…even if it wasn't really Ten, he looked so much like him. Even his voice was the same…how could Azaran possibly…?
"Azaran the zedkiel, AKA Penguinman, hero of justice in IGNO City…", the imposter said in a sing-song voice. "Always a loner, you finally left your quiet mountain village a little over a year ago to see the big city…but you quickly became jaded by the harsh realities of the world, and now you fight to protect the innocent while never letting anyone get close to you."
"H-how do you…"
"Or at least, that was the plan!! But then you met little Ten here, and he started to melt your icy heart bit by bit…though you spend a lot of time training him to get stronger, you're terrified of the idea of him actually getting in a fight. He's still so weak, after all…what would happen if he were to–"
"Stop it!!!! I'll kill you!!"
"BUT YOU WON'T, WILL YOU? NOT AS LONG AS I LOOK LIKE THIIII~S!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
Azaran was truly helpless before this monster who looked so much like Ten. His mind was filled with images of the boy being captured…from simple visions of him abused by bullies like the ones before, to more horrific ones, like the boy being dunked in a vat of acid for some reason…Azaran knew this wasn't Ten, but if he turned his fist against him, he'd never be able to forgive himself. All the while, the shadowy goop continued to travel up his arm, encasing his shoulder, and crawling up the side of his neck…it hurt. It burned. It was all he could do not to scream.
"Struggle all you want, but that slime is a part of my body…as long as I'm here, it won't go away!!"
There was nothing he could do…his thoughts turned to Ten, and all the others back at the Sanctuary who needed his help…if he didn't make it out of here…what would happen to them? He could almost hear them calling out for him…
"…zaran…Azaran!!!"
Wait…that wasn't in his head, that was…coming from right behind him? Suddenly there was a pink blur…Ten was knocked aside by a…giant spatula? Okay, what was going on here? Azaran sat up and saw…
"Iris?"
"Azaran, open your eyes!! He's not really Ten!!"
"I know, but he looks…he sounds…"
"LiIiIiIiTtLe GiIiIiIrLlLl…", the monster called in the same sing-song voice as it climbed back to its feet, shadowy vapor seeping out from its pores. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not butt into other peoples' conversations?!"
"Iris!!"
Shadowy tentacles struck out from under 'Ten's' shoulders – and that was all Azaran needed to see. The monster may have looked and sounded like Ten, but Ten didn't ooze shadowy slime or have viscous purple tentacles!! The sludge was still wiggling its way up his body, but he was able to get back on his feet and tackle Iris aside just before she was hit – the two rolled a short ways to the side of their opponent. 'Ten' writhed unnaturally before throwing his torso behind an unnerving, shuddering laugh. Azaran clenched his fists and prepared to strike…but Iris held out an arm, instructing him to stay back as she stepped forward.
"Ooooh? What's this? You letting little girls fight your battles for you, now?", the monster laughed.
The more Azaran looked at him, the more obvious it became that it wasn't his Ten at all. But Iris held firm that he stay back and leave this to her – the more he moved his body, the faster the shadowy sludge would spread through it. It had already overtaken his chest and claimed his other shoulder, traveling down his arm…as much as he hated to do it, he had to let Iris handle this one.
"I'm no little girl…" she said softly, her spatula surging with electricity.
It took only an instant…Iris charged. There was a burst of crackling lightning…when the smoke cleared, 'Ten' fell to the ground, charred. His body writhed like a twisted insect before it finally burst – his guise was shattered, and what was left evaporated into the air in a thick cloud of purple dust.
"…I'm a Feisty Fabulous Fairy."
As promised, the slime spreading through Azaran's body finally ceased, huge droplets breaking apart and scattering like oil in water. What he had been unable to do alone…with the help of a partner, it almost seemed easy.
"Uh…t-thanks…", he managed, not wanting to appear ungrateful…though his pride was a bit bruised.
"Don't worry about it…I may not be the strongest around, but I can't just sit by and not help…"
Azaran realized Iris was a lot like him in that way…she was one of the few IGNOites that he didn't mind being around, since she was new and hadn't really gotten absorbed in their selfish lifestyles.
"Weren't you one of the ones who stayed behind to stop the avalanche? What happened to the others?"
"They should be out there helping the rest…come on, we should get going to–"
"NoOoOoT sOoOo FaAaAsT…"
The voice no longer sounded like Ten…but they could tell that their fight with the shadowbeast hadn't yet finished. Azaran and Iris stood back to back, taking defensive stances as the shadows spoke.
"Iris the Fairy…lived in Faeland all your life, and finally left less than a year ago to see the big city…"
"H-how do you–"
"Don't listen to it!!", Azaran cut her off. "It wants to get inside your head and pick at your fears!!"
"Your parents had such high hopes for you to take over the family business, didn't they…but against their wishes, they let you go. They told you that your happiness was more important, but you must know that deep down, they were very disappointed in you…"
"Iris, don't listen, cover your ears Dammit!!"
But Iris was compelled to listen as the shadows swirled around her, reforming into a soothing mist that whispered in her ear.
"And what would they say to you now, if they knew how your life was going? Living with strangers…spending your time hanging around all manner of sexual deviants…staying up waaaay past your bedtime…city life can change a girl, all the glitz and glamor…do you think they'd even recognize you as their precious little girl anymore? You've already changed so much, Iris…"
Iris was starting to tremble…she knew that her parents really wanted her to take over at The Shoe once they retired, to keep the business in the family as it had been for so many years. They had even arranged a marriage suitor for her, set up her entire life in Faeland...it wasn't out of intent to control her, of course. Faeland was just very old-fashioned...and they thought that they knew better than anyone how to put her best interests at heart. The choices they made for her, they thought, would bring her happiness. But what Iris really wanted was to move to the city and get a career in fashion - a field that wasn't particularly large in Faeland. It wasn't the life they envisioned for her, to be sure...but they still sent her off with their blessing. And they sounded so genuine when they told her to go and pursue her dreams…was it really just a lie? Would they really be...disappointed in how she had been living lately...?
"IiIiIiIiIrIiIiSsSsSsS…", it hissed, shadows coiling around her and making it harder and harder to breathe. "Surely you must know it to be true…look deep, deep down in your heart…you know it's–"
All of a sudden, the mist…froze. And shattered. Iris turned to see Azaran, hands steady on his magical ice bow…he had fired the shot and returned the favor.
"I-I…", Iris muttered…the shadow was gone, but its words remained stabbed deep in her chest.
"Look, girl, I don't know your parents…but I remember when I left my village to come to the city…", said Azaran, rubbing the back of his head. "Mum cried a lot…she didn't want me to go. Dad hit me and said, 'stop making your mother cry'…the bastard. But I know that they were both proud of me…they wanted me to live my own life. Sure, they didn't want to see me move so far away, but they saw me off with their blessing. What I mean is–"
"Thank you, Azaran…" Iris said with a smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No, you're right…I know Ma and Pa would be really proud of me. It was silly to let that stupid monster's words get to me so much."
Azaran smiled back, for a moment…then he quickly caught himself and threw on his trademark scowl, blushing with embarrassment. Iris laughed to herself at the sight.
"Well, it looks like we're done here…should we get going back to the others? They may need our help."
"Hmph. It's not like I care about those losers…but I don't have anything better to do, so I may as well."
Iris and Azaran both took to the sky, searching the area for the rest of their group…