Rage of the Rathalos (Saga)

[Omni]

(In-Character posts for Rage of the Rathalos go here. Out-Of-Character posts go here.)

[Ganondorf]

That same familiar feeling came over Ganondorf as he passed through the gateway into Camelot; it was a feeling almost like falling. As his eyes adjusted to his new surroundings, the Gerudo once again marveled at this strange world. In Hyrule there was but one gate which would transfer one between worlds: the Temple of Time. In this Omniverse, it nearly seemed that there was a separate world for each person. Camelot was a stark contrast to what he had learned was called The Endless Dunes; much the same as how Hyrule and the Gerudo Desert had been. Rivers, trees, and grass were all around him, and a lightly beaten dirt path wound away from the gate itself. This was a land in which life flourished.

Shaking his head, Ganondorf heeled Mirage onward towards the nearest settlement. From behind him, a soft growl accompanied a hard fist in his side, the sudden movement startling the blonde woman seated behind him. Risking further ire from her, Ganondorf still could not help but chuckle softly in response to her irritation. It had taken quite a talk to get her to ride with him. However, the Gerudo was quite good at convincing people to do what he wished. In this case, he merely had to illustrate the importance of hurrying to their destination. The King stressed that he was to ride immediately and he would neither slow to allow her to walk or run beside him, nor would he wait for her to summon a conveyance of her own. After all, there were lives at stake. In the end, he had helped her up behind him and she had been in a sour mood the entire time. Still, it had been nice to have her seated behind him, when she seemed to momentarily forget to hate him and hold on gently.

As the two riders approached the small hamlet, Eighteen suddenly spoke up; the first she had since they had begun their ride.

“Ganondorf, listen. You notice anything?”

Without slowing or stopping, the Gerudo attempted to pick up on what Eighteen had heard, “The stream… the horse… But I assume that is not what you are referring to, Lady. Besides those two things, nothing. ”

“That must have hurt,” Eighteen replied, her voice betraying a slight level of amusement at him.

With a wordless, quizzical grunt, the Gerudo prompted Eighteen to elaborate, which she did, “Knowing that I’m better than you at something.”

Ganondorf growled softly, glancing back at Eighteen over his shoulder, “Lady, I am sure there are many things at which you are better than I. Cooking, for example. If that was all it too-“

“You misogy-!” Eighteen broke in, though couldn’t finish due to Ganondorf’s own raised voice cutting her off.

“Regardless, what are you referring to, Lady Eighteen?”

With a tone that said that they would continue this conversation later, Eighteen replied, “Nothing is right, ‘Lord’.”

She pointed past his shoulder to the town, the streets of which, Ganondorf saw, were empty.

“No children laughing, no people talking, not even any birds singing. You don’t see anything wrong with that?”

To that, Ganondorf didn’t reply. He simply pushed Mirage to a faster trot towards the village. While he was here to impress that hick Sheriff and his lackeys, he sure as hell wasn’t going to die for them. Though, the Gerudo thought in bemusement, if Omni is to be believed… that wouldn’t actually be the end of me. Of course, it probably wouldn’t feel too good either.

[Eighteen]

A dragon. Eighteen had never thought to ever slay a dragon. The world where she came from had dragons, as did the other planets within that world, but never were they the sort to be slayed. Those were the dragons that would grant a wish – any wish. It spurred old memories and cast doubts in her already troubled mind. It could very possibly mean that, with some slim chance, this dragon could be one of the very same ilk.

No, it was unlikely. There were no Dragon Balls here, that she knew of. If there were to be a dragon of the wishing variety, they would need be summoned by some act of strength. The collection of the Dragon Balls wasn't simply some ritual or rite of passage, it was a sign of strength and commitment to achieve that unbelievable reward.

For a fleeting moment she had had some inkling of hope. It was gone by the time they reached the gate to Camelot. Her mind was aflutter with dragons, monsters, lore and magic. Perhaps this was the stuff of fantasy. This was the world that stories were bred from. She hadn't been an idiot back home, hardly, she had spent many hours pouring over various literature. The fantasy novels had been her favourite.

“I have a feeling this might be related to the dragon business we're here for,” she said, and without another moment, she all but jumped off of the horse. Any further and she would be strangling the mighty king with his own cape.

Eighteen stretched her arms above her head for a moment, before resting her hands against her hips. They stood at the threshold of the village. It was as if the place had been abandoned. “I wonder how, though,” she said, her eyes scanning the huts and dirt paths.

“How, what?” replied Ganondorf.

“How it's related. If a dragon had been here I have a feeling we would be seeing a lot more damage. I wonder if this is all Omni's doing. Honestly, this whole place – the dunes, Camelot, the white...place – it's all unsettling and I don't really feel like we're playing with the same rules.”

The android sighed a moment, weaved a hand through her gold hair, and then glanced toward her sole company. There were worse people she could be with, she was sure. Better to lay with the enemy, as it were, than to constantly look over her shoulder. “Shall we?” she motioned toward the village. There was no use just standing there, after all.

[Ganondorf]

With a single nod of his head, Ganondorf agreed with Eighteen’s sentiment. Yes, it was obvious this emptied town was related to the dragon in some way. His emerald eyes scanned the thatch-roofed cottages, and like his blonde companion, he could not see any signs of a struggle or fight here. The one dragon he’d had experience with, Volvagia, was a true force of catastrophe. It had laid waste to everything in its path and fed upon beings made of the very stuff of the mountain it called home. Though with the power of the Triforce, he had resurrected the beast, the Gerudo knew it did not call him master. Dragons knew no masters, and after it had finished with the Gorons who had slain it before, it would have made a move to conquer his kingdom as well. In the end, that boy had done him somewhat of a service in destroying the foul beast.

But Link was not here this time. There was no hero moving in to rescue the masses, to free them from their terror. The only ones who could help were Ganondorf and his liege-lady. That Ganondorf, the scourge of Hyrule would now be rescuing peasants from their plight. The thought made him chuckle as he climbed down from his mount to join Eighteen afoot. It really was laughable how things had changed over a relatively short time. Yet it wasn’t unexpected. The desert man knew he’d have to adapt to survive here, with his powers all but stripped away from him. He knew he’d have to return to his ways prior to his ascension. The clever diplomat, loyal and true; the fierce warrior, proud and righteous; a man seen as good by all who laid eyes on him. It was as easy as slipping on a new pair of boots, and somehow it felt more natural than when he had seized a world with strength alone.

The Gerudo King led his horse as they moved into the town, the quiet of their surroundings amplifying the clip-clop of Mirage’s hooves to a deafening level. Eighteen walked beside him, neither speaking of the silence, nor the state of the village, nor even of his decision to join her off of his mount. Of the former two, there was no need for words. If anything came of them, then action would be needed. Of the latter, Ganondorf preferred not to speak of it anyway. His decision had come spontaneously, most likely from some vestige of chivalry which had stubbornly held on after his descent into darkness. The thought turned his stomach a bit. Honor and chivalry had once been as much a part of the Gerudo as his own skin, but they had made him weak. They had allowed what he treasured to be taken from him, and they were useless to a true King.

The buildings stood silent as the duo made their way down the main street of town, shutters closed tight barring views within. The occasional cobblestone poked up from the road, signs that this town had once, long ago, been a center of trade. Ganondorf considered that the town may have been abandoned long before the trouble with the dragon, but he discarded that possibility almost instantaneously. The thatching of the roofs was in good repair, the buildings themselves even giving the feeling of being lived in, despite the empty streets. No… the likeliest explanation was…

Suddenly, Ganondorf turned from their path, moving directly to what appeared to be a small home. Like the others, the shutters and door were closed tight and as Ganondorf approached the building he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Indeed, before he could raise his hand to the doorknob it opened a fraction. The contrast between the sun outside and the darkness within gave no indication as to who had opened it, but a voice spoke to him, quavering in nervousness.

“W-who are you?” it said, sounding definitively feminine, or possibly just the voice of a youth.

Ganondorf bowed his head slightly at the words, speaking softly and attempting to temper his words towards comfort.

“I am Ganondorf. My Leige-Lady here is named Eighteen. We have received word that a dragon most foul is besieging these lands. We have come to rid you of this menace.”

“The King has already sent out the call to slay this dragon… many have died already trying. What makes you any different?” the voice replied, its voice tinged with pain, but steadier than before.

Ganondorf considered the words spoken, and what he would say, for a moment. He knew the situation was delicate and didn’t want a wrong word to foul anything.

“Nothing.”

The voice, spoken from his side, caught Ganondorf off guard. Sometime in his pondering, Eighteen had made her way to his side and she was the one who replied to the voice. Ganondorf looked to her and despite being the larger of the two, he felt small in comparison as she continued.

“But if we stand idly by while people suffer, we’re no better than the dragon. We’ll do what we can to help you, or we’ll die trying.”

Ganondorf suppressed a scowl by sheer force of will at her words. Dying was not something he could imagine doing for someone else. He had too much yet to do before his end. But that was not why his mood had turned sour, or why he had felt so tiny when she spoke them. One other had spoken words like that. The boy. The Hero. While Ganondorf struggled to maintain his composure, the door opened further, revealing the voice to have been a woman after all, well into her middle years. A young lad clung to her skirts as she beckoned them in.

“Best come in then. I’ll fix you some tea and explain what’s been going on to you.”

[Eighteen]

It was as beautiful as a day could be. The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, and the air smelt of freshly sprung leaves on the verge of summer. If not for the blatant lack of chirping, skittering, and crackling of woodland creatures this settlement would have been idealistic. However, there was nary a soul in sight.

Ghosts lived here, she was sure of it. The path was trodden but there were no people. There were homes, but she felt no presence within. It was an unusual circumstance, but Omniverse was an unusual place. Eighteen’s guard was up further than just out of caution around Ganondorf. There was no telling what sort of trap this could be.

Then, as if out of some tale in a book, they met the lone habitant of this village. At least, Eighteen was pretty sure she was the only habitant. Her senses weren’t entirely off, she had some of her old ability still, and she felt that this place was as empty as a spent tuna can.

“Nothing,” Eighteen interjected. ““But if we stand idly by while people suffer, we’re no better than the dragon. We’ll do what we can to help you, or we’ll die trying.”

She could have sworn she saw the King stiffen at her words. The woman, however, opened her door to allow them entry into her humble home. It was all wood and straw, but cozy, and warm. Although the android wasn’t fond of tea, as she’d never really had it before, she didn’t decline. Being part human meant she had to eat and drink just like anyone else.

“So how did this all happen?” the girl asked, all but pushing past Ganondorf and claiming a seat at the wooden table. Her eyes roamed every corner and nook of the home. “All of the dragon’s I’ve seen have been, if anything, grumpy. They weren’t the human eating variety. The more we know, the more prepared we’ll be at facing this thing...so don’t leave out any details.”

[Samus Aran]

With her ship behind her, Samus approached Coruscant’s gate to the Nexus. Stormtroopers regarded her closely – no doubt her exeunt would be reported. She did not meet their gaze, but simply continued on. The whiteness enveloped her.

How long had it been since she’d arrived here at the Nexus? According to official time, it had been months, but it felt like far less. It was one part of the Omniverse she had yet to get used to. One part of many. She envisioned a heavy three-wheeler and began the summoning process. Five minutes later she was rumbling towards the fountain. Today it looked calm, peaceful compared to how she’d last seen it – twisted and chaotic. The military man and the green-skinned being were gone – for how long, she wondered? She slowed down as she came to it, looking into the twinkling waters.

“Are you there, Omni?”

No response. She drove on. The time would come when they would meet again. But she wasn’t ready to make that trip yet. Not when there were things to be done.

This would be the first time she’d been to any verse other than Coruscant. In truth, a large part of her had wanted to join Aragorn and the others who’d left for Camelot. Had she been right to join Dredd? No way of knowing, not much point thinking about it now. She’d certainly learned a lot about the city-verse. If it was true that the Empire was the most powerful faction in the Omniverse, then her small contributions might one day be worth something. But for her, that knowledge was the path to a method. The power that might one day bring the Empire down, or change it. Time would tell. She only hoped that her choices so far wouldn’t impede her in the adventure to come.

She caught a glimpse of something at the gate of Camelot, a figure who swiftly disappeared into the portal. A scout, perhaps. It was likely that the Kingdom did things a little differently than the Empire. Chances are they wouldn’t have a battalion stationed on the other side. But they would at least have eyes on the Fountain to watch for any new arrivals. She knew there must have been some in the time since her arrival, but how many? These things weren’t made public.

As she finally reached the gate, Samus stepped off her bike and placed a hand on it. The small amount of omnilium that had gone into its creation began to seep back up through her fingers, the bike itself slowly losing features as it shrank within a bubble of coloured light before vanishing entirely. She regarded the gate. It seemed as though these gates were like the Fountain – they, too, changed to their surroundings. This one appeared to be hewn from stone, and tiny, plain flowers poked out from the bottom. On the other side she could see grass and the bottom of a tall stone.

She took a deep breath and stepped into another world.

The smell enveloped her. She felt an urge to take off her helmet, to breathe in deep, and almost gave in to it. Instead she stepped forward and looked around her. It was far more beautiful than Coruscant, though perhaps she was biased. Samus had a soft spot for untouched worlds, places that embraced nature in their design, and the entrance to this verse had obviously been designed to give visitors a warm impression. It reminded her of Zebes, back when the Chozo had lived there. Happier times.

Samus formed a flying bike in her mind and in the very moment she tried to summon, she somehow knew it wouldn’t work. She tried, just to confirm, and felt a kind of jarring feedback, a tremble through her mind the more she tried to focus on it. She shook her head. That was that, then. She’d heard things to this degree about the limitations of summoning in different verses, but it was hard to take it seriously. It was one more thing about the Omniverse she had to get used to. She wondered if she could still summon upgrades to her suit here. Given that she’d used most of her omnilium upgrading it back in Coruscant, that thought would have to wait.

On the other hand, a mount should work. They’d summoned horses back at the Scramble …

Without warning, a powerful memory interrupted her train of thought. The planet of Z’nraksis, the home of her friend Mauk. She’d visited only once, and been subject to the questionable hospitality of his people. They were a raucous bunch – some would say primitive – but she’d enjoyed her time there. At Mauk’s insistence, she had ridden a creature known as a geshilin, or ‘bouncer’. They were hyperactive lizards the size of a small elephant, though shorter in height than a horse. If she’d seen it anywhere else, her first reaction would have been to shoot. But Mauk, despite his rough appearance, was not someone who would ever put her in danger. And so she had nervously taken the reins.

Its first movement was a jolt that had caused her to cling on for dear life. She remembered debating whether to jump off its back. It moved in leaps, hitting the ground with a slap of its tail and then pushing up, propelling itself forward headfirst. It was almost as though it rolled its body, jumping up with its forelegs in the same moment as its hind hit the ground. She’d gotten off after about ten minutes, but she’d always wanted to give it another shot. Perhaps it was because, despite her protests, she’d found it kind of fun. There was no doubt that the creature could hold the weight of her power suit.

She debated it for a few moments, then decided there was no time to spare. She pictured the creature in her mind. Tawny green scales, curious black eyes, the tail that constantly wriggled when it wasn’t otherwise in motion. As the summoning finished, she felt a surge of nervousness, but despite her better judgement finished her work.

The creature sprang into life. It was a carbon copy of the geshilin she’d ridden back then. The same curious face and padding feet. It turned to regard her and cocked its head. A long, pink tongue snaked out of its mouth and up Samus’s visor.

“Gah-get off!” exclaimed the bounty hunter, pushing it away. “Ahh … I might just regret this. Hold still, geshilin.” She patted its head as a distraction, then wheeled her leg around onto its back. It stood up straight the moment she did so, letting loose a garbled cry that could have meant anything. “Now-” she began. In response, the lizard leapt forward and out of the clearing.

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf stifled a chuckle as Eighteen moved past him and took control of the situation. It seemed that her trust issues with him extended to conversing with the locals. As the older woman left to attend to the tea, Ganondorf momentarily considered reprimanding Eighteen for usurping his role as the spokesperson of their little group. A second consideration, no longer, and he decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The Gerudo would still obtain the information he desired, and perhaps by allowing this minor act of rebellion on her part the seed of trust would finally begin to grow.

Entering the cottage behind the two women, Ganondorf scanned his surroundings nearly as fervently as Eighteen had. The furnishings were plain and old, though obviously well cared after. No fire adorned the hearth, the woman obviously trying to keep a low profile. The child that he had seen with her was also nowhere to be seen. Ganondorf hadn’t seen the child exit the room either. The discrepancy irked the King, but perhaps he’d merely assumed the presence of a child with the motherly woman. Yes, that had to be it. Just a play of the dim lighting and his own assumptions.

Since Eighteen had taken a seat at the table, with only two worn chairs for company, Ganondorf resigned himself to standing by the door, which he closed behind him. Perhaps the villager would assume him to be some sort of bodyguard for his blonde companion; he certainly had the build for one. And even if she did not, his position would allow him to watch over their conversation as well as keeping an ear open for any sounds in the town. Both himself and Eighteen seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement not to speak in the interim between the woman leaving and her return with a steaming kettle and three small mugs. She set the items onto the table, motioned for Ganondorf to take a cup for himself (which he declined with a small shake of his head), and, taking the other seat for herself, began relating what she knew. As she spoke, it seemed that the impromptu ruse had worked, as she mostly spoke to Eighteen.

It seemed as though the beast was known as a Rathalos. Where it had come from, no one knew, but where it flew death followed. The King had called all able-bodied men to battle the beast, and it seemed as though their efforts had failed. The woman’s own husband had been called to the King’s Regiment, and she did not know of his fate. After the failure to slay the beast, the King had sent out two new missives. The first was for any able-bodied Primes to come to Camelot’s aid, citing a reward for the beast’s death. The second was for any in the outlying villages to seek shelter within the city proper. The woman had be alone in staying behind, citing that her and her husband’s family had been among the first to settle in the village and that she would not be chased out by any man or beast. She also alluded that she would not leave until her husband was either declared dead, or came home.

When Eighteen prompted her for more information on this Rathalos, the woman claimed that she did not know anything other than what the King had told his people. It was large, winged, and could breath fire. It seemed to have a voracious appetite for destruction and flesh. It seemed that most that had been able to see anything further had been subjected to its wrath.

Ganondorf sighed as the woman went on. She obviously knew nothing that would help them. Eighteen seemed more patient with the woman, on occasion comforting the older woman and seeming to be able to withstand the extraordinary long-windedness of her speech. Eventually, Ganondorf could stand no more and he quietly took his leave of the domicile. Eighteen merely watched him go, blue eyes boring holes into him. The woman didn’t seem to notice or car.

Back outside, the Gerudo walked back to his mount, which had waited patiently in the middle of the road for him to finish. Patting the stallion on the neck, Ganondorf allowed himself a small smile before letting it fall as he surveyed the town again. Empty. A ghost town… and considering the child he had seen, perhaps it really was. That boy bothered Ganondorf, and the man didn’t quite know why. Perhaps it had been how the lad had looked at him. It was as though the boy could read his mind.

But that boy hadn’t even been real. Merely a trick of the light. The Gerudo King calmed himself with that, before a sound broke through his train of thought. A scraping noise, as though something metal was dragging through the dirt. The rough clank of armor came with it, and somewhere further out a hoarse cry of some beast sounded. Ganondorf cursed himself for his lack of attention and turned to the sound. The former sounds had seemingly come from a man making his way down the main street. The warrior, for he assuredly was with his attire, seemed much the worse for wear. Perhaps he had just come from a battle, and considering the other sound which had broken the King’s inattentiveness, it seemed likely that the man had been fighting the beast he’d come here to dispose of.

Before this newcomer could get close enough for Ganondorf to converse with, the cry returned, this time just outside of the town, apparently also coming from the main entryway to the village. Whatever it was, it soon became obvious that it wasn’t the Rathalos. No… it was.

Ganondorf chuckled softly and waited patiently. It had been awhile since he’d seen the woman riding that… creature, and he expected that their reunion would be quite amusing.

[Harry Dresden]

Harry walked forward through the portal and felt as though the world had dropped out from beneath his feet. The lack of gravity and direction threatened to make the wizard vomit, but he managed to keep his figurative lunch down. The world resolved back into focus as his feet struck the soft soil of the forest floor, gravity reasserting itself and knocking the towering wizard to the ground. The man's leather duster painted a stark contrast to his bright pink motorcycle helmet as he stood back up to his towering 6'4" height, eschewing the slouch he normally used for a straight back, wizard's rune-carved staff planted in the soil at his left side, the better to observe his surroundings.

Harry's right hand went instinctively into the pocket of his duster to grasp his blasting rod as he looked around. The portal was surrounded by medieval standing stones, towering high into the air. Harry walked wide of those just out of caution. Outside the small clearing was a vast forest, other breaks in the trees visible from the location of the portal back to that white area with the fountain. Harry took note of a particularly well-worn path through the trees, the brown dirt in contrast with the mossy green, fallen leaves, and grass that painted the rest of the forest floor. For lack of anything better to do, Harry set out on the path. After all, a path meant people, and people meant explanations. A motorcycle would be downright hazardous here, so the wizard elected to take the Heel-Toe Express.

After a nice, calm walk along the path for a short time he didn't particularly care to keep track of, Harry heard the clank of metal behind him and instinctively moved to the side of the path. It was good that he did; an armored being of some humanoid shape ran past him at a rather impressive speed. Granted, the silence in the woods was slightly unnerving, but it wasn't quite the unnatural silence that forests in the Nevernever had. Harry didn't quite know why the man was in such a hurry, and the rushed nature of it all made Harry forget to call out. Just to be safe, he touched his pentacle necklace with a ruby in the middle, but if this was part of Faerie, Margaret LeFay had never seen it. Shortly after, Harry was bewildered even further by a person in armor straight out of an old video game riding some massive sort of lizard that leapt forward in quick bursts. Again, the person vanished along the forest path before Harry could think to call out. "Stars and stones, Harry. Get your wits together. You're usually so mouthy, talk to someone. Anyone!"

More time passed in the woods before the view of a town broke through the trees. Harry broke into a run when he saw someone tall standing in the middle of the old-timey village, dark skin a stark contrast to the scenery around him. Quite honestly, it was someone to talk to who wasn't tearing through the woods at ridiculous speeds. As he approached the town he slowed to a jog and called out, loud baritone carrying over the sounds of the forest. "Hey! Can anyone tell me where in the hell I am?" Being plucked from nice, calm, peaceful Chicago shortly after the events at Chichen Itza was disconcerting enough, but this almost-fae forest, unknown to his mother, the wizard who had seen more of Faerie than any other recorded member of the Council, was downright weird. He was allowed a minor swear.

[Proto Man]

Despite the fact that he expected to be subjected to a mountain of bureaucracy on his way out of Coruscant, Proto Man faced little more than a polite conversation with the stormtroopers stationed at the Gate. Rather than ask him why he was leaving or where he was going, they simply wanted to know what he had been up to since his victorious ‘war’ against the Copper Eye. It seemed as if Dredd had been dead set upon placing the unjust, wholesale slaughter of those ‘terrorists’ onto Proto Man.

After awkwardly shrugging off discussion of the incident, the preteen android made his way through the Gate. On the other side, he found himself staring across the white wasteland of the Nexus. Taking about a hundred paces forward, Proto Man relaxed and summoned a hover bike. Once the bike was fully fashioned, he boarded it and made his way toward the other end of the Nexus as fast as it would carry him. En route, he passed the gateway verse’s only landmark--the ever-shifting fountain at its epicenter. A dreadful green glow emanated from the fountain’s waters, and the usually stone surface was black and resembled naturally formed stone more than any manufactured variety.

Although he swore he saw a figure in the water, Proto Man kept moving forward, deciding that he’d best get to Camelot as fast as he could. He knew that the rules of time were different in the Nexus, and he didn’t want to stall too long and wind up wasting precious days trying to traverse the white landscape. When he made it to the other side, he found himself confronted by gate bordered by large blocks of hewn stone. Compared to the steel frame around Coruscant, this looked like something a bunch of people in the dark ages had constructed.

Leaving his bike behind, Proto Man strode through the Gate. On the other side, he found himself atop a small hill that overlooked a sprawling field. To his left and right, he spotted guard stations populated by men in chain or plate mail. As the android started to walk ahead, one of the soldiers jogged over. A quick glance revealed that the man’s armor had insignias that the others lacked.

An officer? Proto Man furrowed his brow as he stopped and waved a hand at the approaching knight. “Hello, Sir.”

The soldier, a man in his early thirties with a beard that could have used a shave, nodded politely at the boy and gestured off toward the horizon. “If you’re one of the mercenaries here to deal with the dragon, we’re rather confident it nests near the mountains by the Tangled Green Gate.”

“Why do you think I’m a mercenary?” Proto Man asked after taking a moment to make a note of the direction that the man had pointed.

“Not many kids in armor like that, and you’re the second fully-plated person to come here. She didn’t talk to anyone, but she sure left in a hurry in that direction.”

Samus? Proto Man wondered as he gave the man a polite nod and headed off. He had managed to make it a few yards before he got a dashboard notification about an email from Roll. Opening the file, he skimmed it and wore a smile on his face before he reached the end. ‘Dear Brother: You’re going to want transportation when you get there...something fast, agile, yet versatile enough to deal with changes in terrain. Might I recommend the mounts from the game we were trying to beat last week?’ The android chuckled as he pictured the large, flightless bird in his head.

A few minutes of focusing later, the image in his head was alive and standing in front of him. The only alteration he had made to the creature was to scale it down and give it some extra muscle so it could serve as a mount to his awkward physique.

“Are you ready to go?” Proto Man asked as he fed the bird a handful of greens and gave the saddle on its back a tug to ensure it was stable.

“Kweh!” The bird chirped in response as it dipped down to give the preteen android an easier hand climbing into the saddle. A smile spread across the youth's face as his mount rose back to its normal height. Despite the fact that he'd traveled here to follow a lead, that fact was already lost amidst the surprising amount of glee he suddenly felt about being in a bizarre, new world. Anyone his age in a medieval kingdom and riding an animal from a video game would have felt that same strange mix of joy and wonder.

“Then let’s go find us a dragon!”

[Proto Man]

Listen to this for maximum effect: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oLykyWuiB4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oLykyWuiB4</a><!-- m -->

While he had grown to call the crowded, dirty streets of Tier Six ‘home’ as of late, the boy in Proto Man couldn’t help but unabashedly love the countryside of Camelot. Coruscant was gritty and real, but here in Camelot, the robot was certain that anything was possible. Hadn’t King Aragorn’s representative talked of magic and wizards? It felt as if the preteen had literally walked through a doorway into a fantasy world.

Only instead of snow and pine trees, this Narnia was somewhat monotonous rolling fields dotted with the occasional copse or jagged set of hills. On the horizon to the south, Proto Man could spot something that looked closer to a highway, albeit probably one of brick or cobblestone rather than tarmacadam or asphalt. Rather than travel the established road, the robot and his chocobo, who he had decided to dub ‘Salsa,’ had opted to blaze their own path.

At the first crossroads they hit, Proto Man dismounted long enough to summon a layer of red plate armor over his body suit. While his ceramic titanium endoskeleton was certainly durable enough to absorb countless injuries, the preteen figured it best that he try and blend into this verse. Discarding his usual helmet, he replaced it with a sallet, although he kept his sunglasses and scarf. There were some things he wasn’t willing to part with for any reason.

Once he’d also summoned some matching barding for Salsa, the two had been off again in the direction of the most recent dragon sightings. Compared to the congested streets of Tier 6 or even the hyper-illuminated sky highways of Tier 1, the fields were something entirely different. Never since his trip across the Badlands Wilderness had Proto Man encountered such vast openness in every direction. Yet South Dakota was a sea of gorgeous rock formations that splintered the terrain. In this part of Camelot, the plains just rolled up and down, with only intermittent interruptions in the green monotony.

Even still, Proto Man held up hope that his companion and he would find something of note. With that cheery thought in his head, the two pranced onward--Salsa’s lithe form allowing the bird to casually leap up and down hills and across tiny rivulets or seasonal ponds. Every now and again, the robot spotted some sort of bird flying overhead, but he hadn’t noticed any terrestrial critters.

After another hour or two of leisurely strolling across the plains, they came across a river that wove through the field. A glance in both directions revealed that the river cut sharp to the north and vanished amidst a forest. Beyond those tall, surprisingly exotic trees, Proto Man could spot the beginnings of mountains peeking up on the horizon.

“You think our dragon’s hiding there?” A further look revealed what seemed to be tiny pillars of smoke, like those that would rise from a chimney.

“Kweh!”

“Then it’s settled.” Without waiting for a command, Salsa let out another squawk and dashed forward, and with a startlingly impressive leap, it managed to clear the river. Up ahead, the plains quickly met their end as they turned first into a full-fledged prairie before the trees took over the entire biome.

[Samus Aran]

“Heel, you damn geshilin!”

Samus yanked at the reins on the beast, prompting it to come to a complete stop. She let out a breath, sinking down against the lizard, then quickly jerking back up again before it could take the opportunity to jump off somewhere else. She leapt off its back, grabbing the reins. Was it even worth the trouble? Where was she, anyway?

The hunter glanced around and suddenly realised she was being observed. Not just that, but by a figure she recognised.

“You were at the Scramble,” she called over. She crossed the distance, leading the geshilin behind her in awkward, rebellious hops.

“How wonderful to see you again, my lady.” The Gerudo’s broad smile jolted. “Oops. I forgot. Not your preferred term of address.”

Samus shook her head and threw her palms up, the geshilin chattering behind her. “Here for the dragon?”

“Yes. I take it that’s not a problem?”

The hunter was not pleased. It couldn’t be helped, though. It was only natural that there would be other Primes seeking that dragon. Such monsters were omnilium-rich, and taking it down would earn some serious accolade – not just in Camelot. Word travelled. A little healthy competition wasn’t what annoyed Samus, though. “As long as you don’t get in my way.”

Ganon chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “You wound me.”

Samus turned away, lip curled. There was something about that man, she couldn’t put her finger on it. But she couldn’t stand him. Unfortunately, it seemed that he wasn’t going to be the only competition. Her eyes saw two other figures approaching. One of them called out.

“Hey! Can anyone tell me where in the hell I am?”

Oh? thought Samus. Must be a new arrival. She knew Ganondorf would speak up, so there was no need for her to.

“A new arrival, is it?” Ganondorf strode over to the man, offering a hand. “You’re in Camelot. Welcome, my good man.”

Harry took it, looking up at the Gerudo. “Are they all this tall in Camelot?”

Another warm chuckle that made the hair stand up on Samus’s neck. “Not all. I’m not from here, though I suppose none of us are.”

[Illidan Stormrage]

Possessor of the Triforce of Courage he may have been once, but Link was too scared to read beyond his chapter. There was something ... final about knowing his future. Seeing his past written down in ink was eerie enough. Whatever surprises awaited him would be left exactly that. But he chose to read backwards and see his ancestors, starting at the first Hero, the first Zelda, and the first Ganon. Apparently, the essences of these three triumvirates transcended their time and were responsible for the continuation of the eternal battle. Link still remembered with great clarity the other 'Links' he saw, past and future, and reading about the Hero of Legend helped to join the dots.

I am of the spirit of the Hero, the Link to past, present and future.

He closed the book with a thick clap. It was enough to know for now. He needed to process what he read before he took in anything else. Link stood from the table, leaving the gilded pages behind. He touched his belt on either hip, feeling for the new Clawshots he spun from Omnilium earlier. After reading about the Hero of Legend's arsenal, he thought the dual Clawshots were more versatile than his old Hookshot. Surprisingly enough, they came to life rather easily; he wasn't sure he could get a good mental image of them, but there they were. It was like he knew what they were all along and just needed a prompt.

Magus, Link remembered. Where had he gone? Hopefully he found some information about contacting Omni, but he was nowhere to be seen. Not alarming; the endless room was filled with soldiers of bookcases. To have a hope of finding someone in here without some magical device, he'd have to climb on top of the bookcases and look from there. Since Link got caught up in his own history, he'd completely forgotten about looking for Omni information.

As Link started in a random direction, unaware of his path, a faint roar played on the edge of his hearing.

He stopped and strained his pointed ears. Again, almost imperceptible, a feral rumble echoed from outside. What was that sound? He walked towards what he thought was the entrance of the library, and the roar strengthened. Faster he moved, bookcase after bookcase blurring past him until he broke into a sprint. Voices 'shhh'ed the clanking of his weapons, but he paid them no mind. That sound sent molten rivulets through his body, tingling from head to toe. It was so familiar.

Without realising it, Link was standing outside in the secret alleyway that lead to the library. He turned back and saw the stone camouflage of the door. A stray thought dwelled on Magus, but it was squashed the moment the roar returned. Louder and fiercer than before, the source of the sound was moving. Not too far away, but possibly ... airborne? Perhaps multiple creatures? It was hard to discern without further investigation.

Link spilled into Dalaran's streets, weaving between the townsfolk. Most people ignored him, yet some stopped and looked around uncertainly when the beast, or beasts, bellowed. Despite the thick swell of the crowd, Link made it back to his pegasus in short time. He swallowed and mounted the winged horse, hitting the reins with more force than he intended. The pegasus reared, almost throwing the Hylian from his saddle, but he hung on. Its powerful legs stampeded over the ground, and mighty wings unfurled straight as arrows. The pegasus leaped from the edge of Dalaran, and for a moment Link was suspended above a terminal drop. Then a gust of wind washed over the winged horse and they glided seamlessly into the blue.

Wheeling through the air, Link focused through the rushing wind over his ears for the sound. He didn't wait long. Another chilling roar reached his ears, much clearer this time. Link knew where the creature was. Yet more terrifying, birthing a squelching growth in his stomach, was that he knew what the creature was.

A dragon. There could be no mistaking it. Link never forgot the sound of Volvagia, and the progenitor of that monstrous bellow was of it's kin. Then a chilling possibility hit him. Was it Volvagia? He'd seen living creatures summoned by Omnilium; had Ganondorf sculpted the serpentine horror in his absence? Maybe. He had to be ready for anything. This world was not a predictable one.

Another roared pealed through the sky. Bracing himself for the worst, Link steered his flying steed towards the source of the sound.

The Hylian warrior touched down a short distance from where he approximated the dragon was. Leaving his steed near a clump of trees, Link headed forward. A small village was up ahead. He couldn't see any fire or smoke, but the heavy beating of leathery wings signaled that the dragon was definitely nearby. He jumped over a rock and hurried across a rickety bridge over a stream. A scream sounded from the village, and Link ran harder. Soon more startled and scared voices followed. An ink black shadow washed over the village. The primal roar boomed overhead. Link unsheathed the Master Sword and slipped his Hylian Shield over his right forearm. A quick glance upwards confirmed that the beast was here.

The dragon swooped over the village, low enough to see plainly. A stream of fire lanced from its open maw, striking one of the modest houses and setting it alight. People were shrieking and running in a confusing array of directions; some ran back to their homes, others sought to flee the besieged village, while the brave and stupid stockpiled meager farming equipment to repel the monster. Link saw a young boy running with his mother, who held a newborn child in rigid arms. The boy tripped, hit the ground and cried. The mother stopped, hopping from one foot to another as if deciding whether to save her baby or risk both of them for her son. Link saw the stomach churning, wide eyed fear in her eyes as she ran back to her son and forced him to his feet. Still crying, the boy bounded and struggled to keep up with the long strides of his mother, knees bleeding.

The dragon's taloned feet slammed atop a roof, splintering the wood like it was glass. It was a different species altogether from Volvagia; at least in that Link found some comfort. Ganondorf unlikely brought this abomination into the world. The closest approximation Link could make was that of a Lizalfos with grey scales and massive leathery flaps of skin, joined from the wrists to its back, that made wings. An assortment of brown and grey circles imprinted into the wings like a moth, but Link could hardly imagine a situation where this scaled fiend required camouflage.

It's slitted eyes found the mother fleeing with her children. Another window shaking shriek consumed the village. It opened its mouth and yellowy red light swirled against its cheeks. Link's legs were pumping fervently. He finally made it into the village, but the jet of flame gurgling in the dragon's throat would char another victim before he could get there in time. The dragon drew its head back, heat waves warping the horizon in the distance, and a plethora of red and orange fingers launched forward. The mother screamed with such terror that goosebumps lined Link's spine.

There's no time! Link couldn't get there in time; he was just too far away. One reckless idea sprung into his mind, and instantly he knew it was the mother's only chance. He resheathed his blade and plucked one of his Clawshots from his belt. The clawed grappling point clicked open, three metal talons ready to grasp. Link aimed with as much stability as a sprinting man could muster and hit the trigger. The grapple shot through the air, chain rattling behind it.

The claws missed the dragon. They found a sturdy weather vane of the roof just beyond the monster and clenched tightly. Before Link knew what was happening, the Clawshot chain retracted and stole Link from his feet. He was rushing toward the grapple point. Fire spewed from the dragon's mouth, and he was heading straight into it's path.

"No!" Link shouted. As the precious seconds disappeared and the dragon grew closer, another idea sprouted. Link crossed his right arm over his chest and held it steady. There was no time to feel fear; it was act or burn. As Link met the dragon, he bashed his shield into it's face and bounced over it's snout, missing the river of flame but feeling the heat rush over his legs. He kept going until he slammed into the weather vane and dislodged it. Link's trajectory changed, and the ground rushed up to meet him.

The wind raced from his lungs, but Link had no time to recover. He jumped back to his feet and rounded the hut. The mother and young boy scuttled past, sobbing in heaving breaths. Except for some slight singing of the mother's clothes, no one was injured. Even without breath, Link exhaled. His shield bash must've diverted the dragon's flame. Another house opposite the dragon was burning.

Link's blood thundered through his veins. Without realising it, his Master Sword was in his hand again. Sweat and dirt mingled on his face. The pungent, sulphuric scent of the dragon's breath clung inside his nose. The memory of the fire's warmth against his thighs remained. The dragon lurched into the ground, demolishing the hut that was its perch into rubble. A small tremor shook Link's footing as the dragon hit the ground, but he stood his ground. A hazy snort blasted from the creature's nostrils, its reptilian eyes locked onto him. A roar erupted from its dagger lined jaws, and a buffet of rippling, heated wind saturated Link, snapping his limp cap in the gale.

"I'd tell you to pick on someone your own size," Link said, "but I don't think there's anything around here the size of you." He narrowed his eyes. "So you'll have to make do with me."

[Ganondorf]

After the rather curt tone Samus addressed him in, Ganondorf was all too happy to take the lead with greeting the newcomer. A little more of that would have certainly thrown the Gerudo into an ill mood. After having been supplanted with the villager by Eighteen, and her rather direct actions at marginalizing him in most of their activities, Ganondorf’s patience for women in general was wearing rather thin.

“What brings you to Camelot, if you don’t mind me inquiring, Sir?” Ganondorf asked of the shorter man.

“I’m not really sure,” Harry replied, running a hand through his mop of brown hair. “After that Omni character left me in that white place, I just kind… how do I explain it?”

The man seemed at a loss for words, so the Gerudo interjected warmly into the pause, “Well, if you have no other plans, my Lord, perhaps you’d like to assist us in our current objective? There’s a rather nasty dragon going about and causing havoc. Myself, my companion Eighteen, and the armored woman you see behind me are here to deal with it. We could use the help.”

Ganondorf was offered a shrug in response, Mr. Dresden calmly stating that he “might as well” as he didn’t have anything else to do at the moment. Clapping the man on the shoulder, the Dark King was suddenly interrupted from behind.

“If you two are done getting to know each other, we still have a dragon to deal with.”

Samus’ businesslike tone, curt and to the point with no extraneous words used, reminded Ganondorf of his first encounter with her. She’d been similarly emotionless with her wordage. Of course, it was unlikely that she was actually without emotion, no woman was. However, it was strange to him that she would hide her true feelings behind that cold façade. Eighteen was similar in a way, and it made the Gerudo wonder if perhaps it was his demeanor that was causing this. Normal nobility, and even the standard populace would normally react positively to his polite tone, but it seemed that the women that he had found himself attached to might do better with a more direct manner than he had previously shown them. So be it. Ganondorf wasn’t ready to make enemies of anyone yet; at least not until he had the power to dispose of them. Still, it wouldn’t do to leave all the trappings of the high-class behind, but he’d refrain from most of the pomp and glam if it would calm these women.

“Of course,” the dark-skinned man replied, turning to face Samus as he addressed her. “How do you suggest we go about finding it? The lone village woman left to this town was less than helpful, I’m afraid. Shall we wander about hoping to stumble across it, or do you have some means in which to track the beast down?”

“I do.”

The words came not from Ms. Aran, but from Eighteen, who was currently closing the door to the cottage behind her. As she made her way to the group it was obvious that though she was answering his question, that she was addressing the others in their group. Another jab at Ganondorf, it seemed. Well, the Gerudo could take it for now. It would be unwise to call her down in front of the others, so the words he would have for her would need to wait until they took their leave. While she made her way over, the armored man had joined them as well, though he kept silent. Eighteen sighed before speaking, a visible sign that having conversed with the women inside had taken more patience than she was usually willing to afford someone.

“The woman wasn’t any help,” the blonde fighter said, glaring at Ganondorf past her bangs. Obviously she was upset that he had left her alone with the villager. “But, while she was talking, I had time to feel out for anything of significant power in this Verse. Most of the powerful ones are grouped together, but one large power was on the move. The first group is probably Aragorn and whoever has allied themselves with him, but I figure the roaming power is the dragon we’re looking for.”

The assumptions Eighteen had made in regards to her sensing irked Ganondorf, as well as the fact that she had hidden this ability from him until now. However, it was the closest thing to a lead that they had. The powerful man strode forward, placing a hand on Eighteen’s shoulder and slightly inclining his head to her in respect.

“Well done.”

Looking to the others, Ganondorf took them all in with his emerald gaze and spoke, “Well, I suppose that’s that then. Shall we?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take long for the group to get to where Eighteen had detected that power. The armored man simply ran with the group, being much quicker than one would assume at a glance. Samus had opted to ride her strange lizard again and had offered the other man a ride, which he had warmly accepted. Eighteen was mounted in front of Ganondorf, leading the way towards their objective, though seeming no more pleased with her current riding situation than she had been before.

As the five of them exited from the small grove outside of the town, they were greeted by the sight of battle and mayhem. Villagers ran from town in all directions, many holding onto small children and carrying nothing of value which would slow them down. In the center of town, the beast reared back and roared, a fount of flame issuing forth from its jaws as it fell back forward. And battling the dragon was… the boy. It was almost comical looking at the size difference between the two, as Link raised his shield to defend himself from the fire coursing towards him.
Following the blast of flame, the beast spun about in an arc, its tail tearing through thatch buildings like tissue paper as it swung towards the green-suited boy. Some quick thinking, and his Clawshots, saved Link from direct damage, though it was obvious that the boy was doing little more than occupying the Rathalos’ attention at the moment. The others with him rushed forward, but Ganondorf kept Mirage at a canter as he approached the town.

“Shouldn’t we be hurrying with the others to help him?” Eighteen asked, glaring over her shoulder at him.

“In due time. For now, I’m enjoying watching him squirm.”

With a snort of derision, Eighteen dismounted with a small jump and ran to battle, blasts of energy already flying from his open palm at the dragon. With a sigh, Ganondorf dismounted as well, though he moved no more quickly to join the fray. Better that the others wear the beast down than for the Gerudo to risk his death battling the thing while it is fresh. Still, it wasn’t long before he found himself at the scene of the battle, and Ganondorf mentally prepared himself for what he was about to get himself into.

[Harry Dresden]

Harry was a little irritated. Not two hours in this Omniverse place and he was already having to look up to someone. 6'2" was a respectable height, and he towered over most of the people he talked to in Chicago. The wizard was too used to being tall to be at all comfortable in a conversation with someone over seven feet high. It didn't help that he was met with, of all things, Camelot, as a location. "They all this tall in Camelot?" The Chicago native's voice was laced with sarcasm as he removed the bike helmet, remembering the pink color and sighing inwardly.

The tall stranger asked what brought him to Camelot, and Harry gave the best answer he could, which, honestly, wasn't much. He'd been tempted to say "doughnuts" and leave it at that, but he felt that would be a bad first impression. He wanted to know what the tall man, and the woman wearing what looked to be a real-life version of the armor from the old Metroid game, could and would do before he pissed them off. He might mouth off to the Queen of Air and Darkness, but he knew what she was likely to do. Contrary to popular belief, the wizard was not devoid of self-preservation. While he thought about that, he heard the tall one say they were after... a dragon. Memories of his encounter with Ferrovax sprang to his mind, and Harry briefly considered turning and leaving, but these people didn't know what they were getting into. After a brief pause of consideration, Harry said, "Might as well." He added under his breath, "Not much else to lose here."

Harry accepted the armored woman's ride on a lizard with only a little hesitation, putting the pink helmet back on despite his irritation with the thing. One bone-jarring ride later, Harry stumbled gracelessly off the reptile looking only slightly green around the gills, discarding the helmet as he took in the sight of the dragon. Nowhere near as much power as he expected was flying around. A dragon of Ferrovax's caliber would have obliterated the surrounding area in the time he'd taken to look at it. This one was being occupied by one young adult, not much older than William and a great deal less built. The wizard rushed forward, coming to a halt about thirty feet from the dragon, staff held in his charred left hand and blasting rod in his whole right one. Rather than any fire magic, Harry reached inward for soulfire, drawing in his confusion and hardening his will before thrusting all three through the staff towards the dragon with a faux-Latin shout; Forzare!

The spell took effect, a huge spectral hand coming into being and seizing the dragon's mouth and throat, pushing it upward and away from the town and the other combatants. "I can't do this for long, take advantage while you can!" Confusion was an emotion like any other, but using it in magic was tricky; Harry had to focus to maintain the spell, though the evocation had enough contact with the beast that Harry could walk slowly out of the monster's direct line of sight, behind a small shed. He could do fourty-five seconds under these conditions. What happened then was up to the kid with the sword. Swords had a good track record against dragons, mainly because of the power of things like faith. The green-hatted kid had Harry's vote of confidence. A stray thought almost made the spell waver; maybe this was the kind of thing the original Merlin thought about Arthur. The comparison to the current Merlin this entailed made Harry shiver.

[Samus Aran]

It was chaos. Villagers spilled out in every direction, blocking the hunter’s path as she struggled to get through. She’d already abandoned her geshilin, not wanting to trample anyone. The green-outfitted kid from the Scramble was there too. Had everyone come to fight this dragon? The wizard – apparently the newcomer was a wizard – had used some kind of magic to hold the creature still, enough time for the villagers to get clear. But the others had barely closed in on the beast before it ripped itself free, unleashing a bellow that stunned the nearby fighters, hands clamped over their ears.

It was time. Back in the Dataverse’s library, Samus had used her omnilium to craft a new upgrade she’d been itching to try out. For the criminal rabble of Coruscant, it was overkill. But for a dragon, it was perfect. She pointed her arm cannon upwards. As she did so, three ‘wings’ slid out from the barrel, folding at right angles until they pointed away, revealing tiny cannons of their own. The wings lit up and began to spin. Samus clenched the trigger and unleashed a volley of energy bolts towards the dragon.

Even with her skill, half of the shots missed. But the other half rained into the dragon, bouncing off in tiny sparks. The great lizard flapped its wings and stamped its feet, turning to see the source of the irritation. Samus let her gun arm spin down as the reptile’s eyes landed on her.

It charged. Samus knew that she wouldn’t outrun it – even before the effects of the Omniverse had weakened her armor, it hadn’t been built for sprinting. She had to stand her ground. So she planted her feet, spun up the Gatling Beam, and powered it up to full strength. As the dragon closed in, her accuracy went up. The creature’s eyes filled with rage as bullets exploded against its dark red carapace. Now it was scarcely its own length away from Samus, and she tensed her body, ready to move out of the way.

And then suddenly, the beast tripped, crying out in pain as it crashed to the ground. Samus rolled out of the way, pivoting to face the downed creature. Perhaps defeating the beast wouldn’t be so difficult after all. She switched her gun arm back to default mode and began charging a shot.

“Careful!” yelled a voice from somewhere. “It’s gonna rage!”

Samus’s soldier instincts kicked in, recognising the truth of those words a moment too late. The lizard’s eyes snapped open, wisps of flame now licking at its lips. It reared its head up violently, then threw it back down towards Samus, belching a ball of fire as big as the hunter herself. It exploded and Samus felt herself lifted from the ground.

The landing did not feel good. Samus was dazed, ears ringing. There had been scarcely any warning. She’d underestimated it. Perhaps it wasn’t as smart as Ridley, but it made up for it in brute force and animal emotion.

“Idiot!” came the same voice as before. “Haven’t you ever fought a dragon before?”

If she could have, Samus would have retorted. But she felt the ground rumble as the beast stamped over to her, its shadow over her head. Shit! was all she could think as she grasped her bearings and managed to lift her gun arm.

Then the world went white. All the deafening noise – the screams, the yells, the sound of the dragon’s breath like the billowing of some giant forge … they vanished. Did I die? questioned the hunter. Am I back at the Nexus?

And then the sounds rushed back, slowly as though coming through water. Samus felt herself being pulled up, and she staggered to her feet, landing against the weight of someone shorter than herself. As her vision cleared, she saw that it was a woman. Her spiked armor was reminiscent of the very type of monster they were fighting, and her voice had a fiery tone to match.

“What was that?” asked Samus.

“Flash bomb,” replied the other hunter, brandishing a plain looking sac of some white plant material. “You really are a noob.”

Samus felt an urge to protest, but the roar of the dragon cut her off. Now it was really mad.

[Proto Man]

After the river, the terrain became a lot more enjoyable, with Salsa able to display an effortless grace as she leapt over the uneven ground. Soon, however, the prairie-like stretch of land gave way to a forest. Although she had a rigid beak, her eyes told him she was scowling at the lack of open ground. The robot found it amusing that he and his mount relied on opposing sides of their faces to relay emotion to one another.

Another half an hour later, the forest thinned out and opened up wide a few miles from the mountains. In the enormous clearing lay a village, but far more important than the collection of thatched structure was the group of mercenaries frantically scrambling to contend with the irate dragon. Proto Man let out a gasp as the creature reared up on its trunk-like hind legs and released a fireball the size of a person at a familiar-looking woman in a suit of armor.

The android watched as his acquaintance slammed hard into the earth more than a few yards from where she’d absorbed the impact of the fireball. Samus lay very still for a few moments as the creature lumbered toward her, fire still licking the corner’s of its maw. Proto Man thought the woman was lying in wait, and then he realized that she’d had the wind knocked out of her. Her body twitched once, twice, and then she managed to bring her weapon to bear on the dragon. Before either could react, a silent bomb of some sort went off, drowning the village scene in a white light.

Even though he was still a few hundred yards removed from the village, Proto Man had to turn away from the blast. When he looked back a few seconds later, Samus had been dragged back to her feet by a woman in an absurd outfit that looked like little more than a hodgepodge of belts, chains, and spiked pieces of plate armor. Under casual situations, he imagined she would have seemed very fashionable to a person, but neither the boy or the computer could deduce why she wouldn’t opt for more protective clothes while fighting a dragon.

“Get me closer and go take cover, Salsa,” Proto Man whispered as the bird, obviously unnerved by the dragon and the burning village, gathered its wits and started forward at a slower than usual pace. The woman in the strange armor drew a large hammer and steeled herself as the dragon reared back before swinging its tail around at the pair. Both ladies scattered, neither wanting to try and defended against the tail and the giant spikes that jutted out from its sides.

As he neared, Proto Man spotted more figures around the dragon. A few he recognized from the Scramble, like the older kid in green and the blonde woman. Ganondorf, the towering, dark-skinned man who’d wandered off rather than deal with either the Kingdom or the Empire, stood a few yards away, seemingly observing the confrontation. Proto Man wondered if he was waiting for the opportune moment to strike or just trying to avoid getting his hands dirty. Either way, it made the preteen scowl. One last figure, a grizzled and seemingly nondescript man, stood nearby, his hands clenched around what seemed to be a long staff.

A wizard? Proto Man pondered as his right hand flashed and converted into his namesake weapon. Pulling his feet up, he stood on Salsa’s back as the chocobo drew closer to the scuffle. A warm light spilled out from the barrel of the Proto Buster as the weapon started to build a charge.

Up ahead, the dragon lashed out, sprawling out Samus, Link, and the blonde woman. The other blonde, the one with the goofy armor and the hammer, managed to avoid the creature’s tail once again, her agility unimpaired despite her heavy weapon or clothes. Gritting his teeth, the man raised his staff and seemed ready to do something with it when he saw Proto Man, decked out as he was in red knight’s armor, galloping toward them on an armored yellow bird.

The man mouthed something that Proto Man didn’t hear as he released the reins and jumped from Salsa’s back. His small frame twisted in midair as he cleared one of the dragon’s enormous wings. With a grin, the android released the charged blast, which sailed down and slammed into the dragon’s head. The force of the attack was enough to alter his trajectory, but a quick midair flip allowed him to land on his feet a few yards from the beast.

Despite a plume of smoke rising from the top of its skull, the Rathalos didn’t seem the least worse for wear. Instead, its toothy maw was a veritable inferno and its beady eyes were glaring right at the preteen android.

[Harry Dresden]

The level of sanity in Harry's immediate vicinity was dropping fast. The newest arrivals were a woman in armor that barely deserved the title, looking like it was made from the creature they were fighting, and a red-armored preteen on some sort of massive bird. Harry growled at the kid; "What are you doing here? It's dangerous, kid!" The bird-rider paid the wizard no mind, so Harry hefted his staff and blasting rod and strode forward. The new red-armored arrival was doing something that Harry really couldn't make heads or tails of. There was no power gathered from the world, no spell constructs formed, no burst of magic. The fact remained that the kid leapt off his bird, high into the air, and fired a blast of energy straight at the dragon's head. The energy didn't seem to do anything but piss the dragon off more.

The beast's maw flickered with fire as it glared at the kid, and Harry kicked himself into gear. He forced his will into his shield bracelet, blue sparks falling and forming into a disk of force as Harry planted his six feet and two inches in front of the kid, raising the spell between himself and the fireball. The force behind the attack was enough to force the wizard back a few inches, almost touching the armored preteen, and flames licked around the disk, singing his coat and skin. His left hand twitched with phantom pain as much smaller flickers of real pain touched wherever his spellworked duster covered. "Stars and stones, kid! What are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?" Harry lowered the shield and raised his blasting rod, flames of his own flickering around the tip as he launched his own bar of fire back at the dragon, aimed at its throat. "Fuego!"

[Illidan Stormrage]

The dragon's swathe of destruction through the village attracted a plethora of mismatched adventurers to their battle. Some were familiar, others were complete strangers, but none of them mattered to him. His focus blocked out their importance. If they helped defeat the beast, then all the better, but coordinating them in any meaningful way was not something he had experience with. In any case, they attacked of their own volition. Nothing the visitors served affected the dragon, its hardy scales absorbing all attacks. Link shifted as a clawed foot raked at him. He thrust with his shield, sending sparks off the steel. Another swipe from the dragon came at him, and he swung his Master Sword in time. The sharp implements ricocheted off one another, and the monstrous lizard bellowed.

The headstrong approach wasn't working. The dragon lashed out at the woman in red and orange, but she deftly spun away. A shroud of fire repelled a man with a staff, and a swing of the tail collected a kid in red armour and bowled him into a nearby cottage. He emerged unscathed. The dragon reacquired Link and tried to encase him in its toothy jail. Link stumbled back as the jaws slammed shut, saliva dripping from its gums. How he wished he had his Megaton Hammer.

This was pointless. They were a cloud of flies buzzing around a Goron; well intentioned flies, but just as effective. There must be a weakness to exploit, but what? The scales weaved together so tightly there was no space between them. Slashing its wings would ground it, but that wouldn't accomplish anything, assuming that his blade could carve through the skin. Its eyes were prime targets, but it thrashed around violently. Just perching on its head would be tough enough, but to stab its eyes was an impossible task. Armed with his Master Sword, shield and Clawshots, there was nothing obvious he could attack.

A jet of flame speared past him. The intense heat washed over his skin, and for a moment he thought he was burning. Thankfully that wasn't the case. The dragon roared defiance at him, the orange light from his throat spilled over its pink gums, casting a spine shivering sunset inside its mouth, and that's when he got an idea. It was crazy and reckless, but what else was there? Left unchecked, the dragon would eventually wear everyone down and either swallow or char them.

"Dragon!" Link shouted. "Come at me!"

The dragon bellowed a twirling inferno at the Hylian. He sidestepped, whispers of flame skirting his shield, but he plunged forward. His throat dried as the bared, glistening teeth of the beast grew closer.

This is stupid, this is stupid, he kept telling himself, even as the dragon's jaws parted. This isn't going to work, as he found a gap between two fangs and slipped through. It'll be dark inside, as he landed on the thin, forked tongue. At least until the next fireball comes.

Shafts of sunlight peeked through the slivers of space between the beast's teeth, enough for Link to see dully. He had to act fast. Moving in a dervish of slashes, Link painted the fleshy inside of the dragon's maw with cuts. The resulting screech encased Link and intensified in the small space, tunneling into his pointed ears. An invisible coffin of mind shattering noise afflicted the Hylian, and he almost dropped his weaponry. Then the nascent fire crackled in the back of the dragon's throat, but the sulphuric odour preceded both the light and heat. Link shouldered into the clenched jaws, but they wouldn't budge. The light crept over the roof of the mouth, and sweat broke out all over his skin.

Another brunt charge into the sealed teeth went without results. The cloying heat was almost too much to bear. Link wedged the Master Sword into two piercing fangs and threw his body weight into it. Even with all his strength, nothing moved. The blade slipped from its spot and slashed the pink gum beneath his feet. Another cacophonous blast assaulted him, and this time the pain parted the bony bars. Link spilled out, Master Sword clanging after him, as a boiling geyser of fire trailed past.

Link snatched up his sword and turned around. A wild hatred imbued the dragon's gaze. It stared at him, mouth parted, smoke seeping from its maw. Trickles of blood gingerly leaked from between its teeth.

A roar consumed the village so savage that Link's blood chilled.

[Samus Aran]

The dragon recoiled in pain as the smoking teenager tumbled from his mouth. Meanwhile, all around him, he was being pelted; blasts of both magical and technological origin assaulted the poor beast. Fear and anger battled; and in the end, the latter instinct won out. With a great swoop of its draconic wings, the Rathalos hoisted its great frame up into the sky.

A cheer went up from the crowd. “It’s retreating!” bellowed one of the soldiers. “We won!”

“No, it’s just getting away!” interrupted Cindy. “Everyone, mount up and after it!”

[Samus Aran]

Samus cursed. Where the hell was that geshilin? Summoning a ship was no use, she knew that already.

“You there!” she barked at one of the soldiers.

“Me?” The man’s helmet was winged; he was obviously higher rank than the standard infantry. He’d arrived with four other Pegasi shortly before the dragon had taken off. They hadn’t done much other than pelt the dragon with arrows, which was to be expected. But now they made to take off after the beast.

“I need your Pegasus.”

“Uh.” The soldier looked conflicted. “I can’t-”

“Yes you can. I’ve no time to argue. We’re Primes, and you’re Secondaries. You want to die?”

There was more than a hint of bitterness in the man’s facial expression. He leapt from the Pegasi’s back and cast away the reins, shouting over his shoulder; “You better kill that dragon! And bring my Pegasus back in one piece!”

Samus made no promises. “Thank you.” She vaulted onto the Pegasi’s back and grabbed the reins. Then looked up at the dragon. “How do I …?”

“Tch …” The soldier turned back. “Move aside. Come on, move back.” He motioned for Samus to scooch back. “I guess being a Prime doesn’t teach you how to ride a Pegasus, huh?” Even under the winged helmet, his grin was visible. Taking the reins, he cracked them and pulled down. “Rise, Yukunemi!”