I'm Sorry, But the King You're Looking For is....

[Miranda Frost]

*BANG* *BANG*

The point blank sound of gunfire demanded the attention of the two siblings, Miranda and November. It had been like this all afternoon. Father had forced them to fight each other, to "Train" for hours on end, until they couldn't move at all. Everyday was like this. After working in the fields or in town, they would return home to this madness. Training and sparring was once something the two actually enjoyed. It was something to fuel their childish sibling rivalry. Father had twisted it into something much more, and would not tell the two why.
"Again!", their Father commanded, the two sibling hesitant to do so.

Miranda scanned over her arms. Bruises of varying color covered them. Her muscles were swollen and hard to move. Cuts and scrapes dripped and trailed blood down her arm and spilled to the ground to be soaked up by the earth beneath her. Her breath was heavy and jagged, almost forced. Vision blurred and her balance was off a bit. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes but she held back. The rest of her body just in bad shape as her arms. Her grey eyes looked over her brother, who returned his gaze. He was tired as she was. He was hurting, but his injuries were not on her level.

Miranda was stronger and more durable than her younger, thinner brother. Her punches when they landed always made him cry out. However he was much quicker, able to dodge in and out of her moves with seemingly ease. As a result he was able to take less and give out more. Miranda thanked her pain tolerance for keeping herself up with him. It was something she had that her little brother lacked.

She stepped off and closed the distance in three strides, throwing an open palm at his face. She threw it too early. He was gone before it would have hit. Miranda wasn't able to avoid what came next. November had dropped to the ground and sent a powerful kick into her stomach.

Her breath was stolen from her, and her body slumped to the side. She curled up, cradling herself where she was hit. She coughed and struggled to catch her breath, all while under the watcheful gaze of her father and brother. She was done mentally and physically. Despite her father's urgent shouts and angry threats, she did not move a muscle. She lay there in the soft, golden colored grass. She drowned out all the pain, all the noise with her sobs, her coughs, her gags.

She stared off in the distance in time to see the sun finally dip beneath the surface of the horizon. Beautiful shades of red and orange illuminated the sky before her vision blacked out. There was nothing.. only her. Only her and the darkness

She awoke up to find herself bandaged from head to toe and tucked into her own bed. A fold-out table sat beside her, a wooden bowl full steamy stew. It smelled so good but it hurt to move. She failed to notice her brother sitting crosslegged beside the table, wolfing down his meal as if he hadn't eaten before.
"Mmmm com'onnn shish. Eat your supper or I will", he said, slamming down his bowl with a sound of satisfaction eminating from his lips. "Ahhhh that was good".

This was like him. He was always so childish, even though he just turned eighteen years of age. He just could not let it go. No matter what he always had that stupid grin plastered on his pale face. It was quite annoying, but she was used to it.

She sat up and took her bowl into her hands. Her muscles quivered uncontrollably, making her look extremely awkward when she drank it. The only thing good about it was its warmth. She couldn't quite pick out what made up this stew but she couldn't quite complain. She couldn't afford to. She finished her bowl and placed it beside her brother's. He would pick them up and stand. For a moment, his smile had faded. A more serious look took its place. Miranda blinked and it was gone, replaced by his stupid grin. He paused outside her room's door before exiting.

"You know.. i'm glad you are still kicking. I would have hated to rupture your guts. You just wouldn't be the same without them", he said with a giggle.

Miranda grumbled and turned painfully on her side, her eyes drifting closed. "Shut up and get out. I'm trying to sleep"
__________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey! Look sharp"

Out of nowhere, a water canteen bounced off the side of Miranda's skull, effectively bringing her back to Earth. She blinked once. She blinked twice. She took in her surroundings. They were parked off to the side of the rode, taking a short rest break by request of the Mayor. Apparently he had "Business" in this plain, boring area.

From what they could tell they were still a good ways from the fortress they were checking for this turtle king. She had talked with one of the Koopa guards before their exit from the town.

"So.. who is your leader Guards-turtle? What is he like?". she had asked about thirty minutes earlier.

"Why that would be the mighty King Koopa, Bowser! He's like us, but bigger... and scarier!"

Bigger and scarier that koopa said. How scary can a turtle get. Personally she found the turtle guards a little cute. When she eventually settles down it would be nice to have a stuffed Koopa guarding her fireplace for an eternity. Maybe she could turn one into a shiny green table and have the rest as turtle stew. She blinked a third time and shook her head. 'Just drink the water...'

Her mask was removed in no time , with its corresponding screws laying inside of this metal imbrace She didn't bother fetching the hose this time. She tilted her head back and poured the cool liquid into her mechanical "Mouth", or rather a cylindrical, meat grinder-like device she used to eat and drink.

With her throat no longer parched she tightened the canteen's cap and tossed it over to Zack, nodding in silent thanks. The dear Mayor Orange that had accomponied them had just returned from his.. "Business" as he put it. She hardly cared in the first place, but he probably went to take a piss off in a nearby lava pool to see if it would eaven touch it before evaporating.

The Mayor's reaction to her jaw-less face was typical for most who weren't used to being around her. Zack was an exception and took no interest, care, or disgust to her.... far less than beautiful feature. He kept looking at her and the world with this huge grin on his face.

Mayor Orange plopped his probably slightly over weight ass beside Miranda, a little to close for comfort. He kept staring and eventually she grew tired of it.

"Keep staring dear Mayor and I'll have to forcibly take your jaw as a replacement"

"If you would put your Mask ba-", he started to reply quickly, only to be cut off

"IF YOU didn't realize it.... we are in a volcanic wasteland. It's hot and metal like this retain that heat. I am going to enjoy not having it on. Go bother Zack, you prick.", she grumbled, looking up at the red skies. If she liked anything about the place it would be that. Red was her favorite color. To her it symbolized strength and power, two principles she treasured.

The mayor slipped off of the rock that was beside Miranda and sat beside the soldier, Zack, who was seemingly enjoying the rest as she was. Well, minus the annoying Mayor.

The mayor observed the soldier's features and coughed to break the silence.."Well Sir. You seem strong. Have you done any physical labor like mining or farming before taking up that eh... steel girder of a sword you have there?", he asked lightly, tightly gripping his orange case in his grip.

[Zack Fair]

Zack had made himself somewhat comfortable sitting on a small boulder, looking out at the now radically different terrain. They had been driving mostly downhill, and the landscape showed it, with more lava streams and pools all over the place, since it had to flow somewhere. They had learned that Bowser's kingdom was mostly subterranean, so it made sense that they were now seeing more of his people and outposts as they descended. Soon, more entrances to the underground would be apparent, but as he saw all this magma he couldn't help but feel a little reservation about going below the surface. He shrugged and tossed a canteen towards Miranda, knowing that hydration was going to be an important thing to keep an eye on.

He glanced over for a second as she disassembled the metal pieces that would actually allow her to drink the water. It was obvious she had some pretty serious injuries, but she had so plainly tried to hide them as best she could that Zack had decided the most respectful thing was to simply say nothing. Still, he had seen some pretty serious injuries in his many days on the battlefield, but this was a pretty extreme one to have to live with. Zack shook his head and dismissed the thought, looking over just in time to catch the returning canteen. He took another sip himself before putting it away, then gave a half-hearted chuckle when he heard her snap at Mayor Orange.

As the Mayor approached him, he gave another glance over, studying the odd fellow for a second. The guy was a bit of a mystery, and hadn't fully explained himself. He wasn't exactly contributing much, either, but apparently he was looking out for his village. It was strange, but Zack was fine with another traveling companion for the time being. The man sat near him and asked a seemingly harmless question, so Zack was content to shoot the breeze with the guy for a few minutes.

"I did a little farming when I was younger," Zack answered his question with a simple shrug. "But I've been a warrior most of my life. Got good at swinging this sword around by...well, swinging this sword around."

Mayor Orange simply nodded and stared for a second, obviously looking for the next piece of conversation. Zack thought about asking him to talk about his village for a little bit, but instead looked over at a small explosion of lava, not too far off. He waited for a minute to see if another geyser might emerge, but they seemed alright for the time being.

"Kind of strange that a friendly guy like you and a hardass like her are traveling together, don't you think?" Mayor Orange broke the silence, oblivious to the possible danger Zack had been analyzing.

"It's the Omniverse, man. Anything's possible," Zack joked as he glanced down, observing the mayor tightly gripping his orange case. He tilted his head in curiosity before making another lighthearted comment. "Hang onto that tight. You might lose it."

The mayor glanced at Zack, definitely not getting his joke. It was obvious because he actually found a way to grip the case even tighter. Zack laughed out loud, and the confused mayor looked at him for a second as tried to figure out why. Zack just shook his head apologetically. The poor guy was getting enough grief from Miranda, he really didn't need to egg it on either. He took another glance at Miranda and smiled for a second. He hadn't really considered her general attitude. Between Sephiroth, Tseng, and sometimes even Cissnei, when she had her business face on, he was pretty used to working with stoic types. It had come to teach him that different personality types could work together just fine.

He stood up and stretched for a second, and the mayor stood up as well.

"Better get a move on," Zack decided, making his way towards his motorcycle as he called over to his other traveling companion. "Miranda! All set?"

He then glanced over his shoulder, intent on asking the mayor if he needed anything before they started moving. It surprised him a bit to see the mayor was already sitting in his car, waiting for them to be ready. He just shrugged and climbed on his own bike, as well.

[Miranda Frost]

"Kind of strange that a friendly guy like you and a hardass like her are traveling together, don't you think?" Pfft, who the hell does he think he is calling me "Hardass?" He's taking me out of context., She thought, gripping the fabric of her coat. Its incredible weight seemed to pin her body to the ground. There was weight to it of course, but by now she lived and breathed in it as normal as normal person. Not once since she'd put it on had she taken it off. Hygiene hadn't really been a big deal in the dry desert wasteland, especially for one destined to fight to the death as she. A few sniffs here and there told her that she would have to change that habit now that she was here.

She slowly began screwing her mask back on, wincing and grimacing as she did. Her skin always tried to regenerate over the plates that would allow her mask to be bolted in. She was used to the pain but it hurt like a bitch when she had to tighten the damn thing. With it secured she stood, glaring at the Mayor. The Mayor seemed to jump back a bit, as if taking a metaphorical bullet. If she had lips they would be smiling ear to friggin ear that moment.

"I prefer to be referred to as.. heavy metal, sir", she said, lingering for a moment over the word "sir", putting a sarcastic and cruel emphasis on it. She walked over to her bike and straddled it, gripping the throttle tightly.

__________________________________________

Miranda opened her eyes to the high noon sun burning through her eyelids. She passed out again during training, and this time it was sooner than the other day. At this rate she would not be ready for Coliseum. It was only months away. Her brother was getting stronger every day. His progress had stunned everyone in town. Today they were supposed to receive the town's blessing, a gift of weapons and armor flavored to the one receiving them. November had received his letter of invitation... but not her. She would be going without the town backing her.

She pulled her body into a ball, trying to go back to sleep. She was successful but in a span of what seemed like minutes, an immense weight crushing down on her and blocking out the sun beaming down on her. Her eyes snapped open, She tried to push it off, pushing as hard as she can, but like a normal fabric, that only displaced a little bit. She frowned and kicked at it, finally moving it to where she could roll out from underneath it to find.... that it was just a large black coat over her.. nothing more. The color seemed just as heavy as its actual weight, being a shade of black darker than most leathers used in town. Who could have created it?

She looked up at her brother, who donned a complete set of gear. "Armed to the Teeth" was an understatement. He wore a light leather jacket over his training get up along with studded gloves, steel shoulder pauldrons, a protective mask, a wide brimmed hat, and a multitude of slings and holsters around him. She cocked her head, a bit speechless of how much they eh... "Blessed" him. She scanned him again quickly to find he was carrying two wakizashis, Father's dueling revolvers, a lance that once belonged to the neighbors, a double edged sword. However the big prize was the massive blade on his back.

November unlatched it from some latch or magnet on his back and moved it in front of her, dropping it straight into the ground. The damned thing had to be at least 6 feet long and a foot wide. The thing must have weighed a ton

"You know.. its not as heavy as it looks. Modern metals and such. That coat I threw on you is much much heavier.", he said with a fake, hearty laugh.

She replied with a simple "hmph" and reached down to grab the jacket. How the hell could such a thing be this heavy. November simply laughed at her attempts and moved to help her, grabbing one shoulder of it. "I dug through Mother's things after the funeral.", he said lightly, almost to a whisper.

On Blessing day this would be the only thing should receive, a heavy coat. She would receive no weapons, no armor, and no medicine. Miranda hung her head low in despair. How the hell was she going to survive with this thing weighing her down?

"Come on.. let me put this one you..", November commanded rather sternly.

Miranda stood up and out-stretched her arms. Her brother slipped the heavy coat over her, zipped it up and held up the shoulders, literally holding up the weight. She knew this thing was going to crush her into the dirt but she steeled her self any way.

"Mother was a warrior to. She got stronger simply by wearing this on a daily basis. Day in day out, during conflict she never took it off. If you take it a step further and train in this, you will become stronger than I am. Get ready.", he said. She could tell by his arms shaking he wouldn't be able to hold it up much longer.

He let go and like Miranda predicted, the massive, crushing weight fell upon her, immediately taking her to one knee. She panted and looked up at her twin brother, who beamed down at her. Now defenseless, he dared to reach down and rustle her her hair. "It also acts as an armor, It will protect from most blows not designed to go through armor. Use it well"

She chuckled and stood up. She struggled, but she managed all the same. She had no idea how she was supposed to wear that hot thing. "I didn't know you were into Heavy Metal"
________________________________________

She started her engines and revved it before looking over Zack, giving him a rather playful wink before she twisted the throttle hard. She rocketed off down the rode, literally leaving the Mayor and Zack in her ash. She wasn't all work and no play. She simply didn't quite like the Mayor. Something about his presence just didn't sit right with her. The way he presented himself, talked, and went about his way.

She was certain that something was terribly wrong with the Mayor, but she also knew that she had a bias towards those in power. Her experience with such people were not good. She even doubted the meeting with King Bowser. The people in the town seemed content. She saw the good nature of the Koopa guards as a direct reflection of the king. She believed there was a direct influence involved. That being said, she was a little nervous about the meeting.

[Zack Fair]

Zack was looking to the side, watching a river of lava gather into a crater lake. The level didn't seem to be rising, so it must be running into the underground through the bottom. He glanced back just in time to see Miranda winking at him, and then had the ash from her take-off thrown at him. He laughed and grinned, gunning the throttle on his own bike and taking off after her. It was obvious she let him catch up, as he gained on her in record time. They both glanced back to check and see if the mayor had caught up. Upon seeing his car right there with them, the windshield wipers furiously swinging at full speed to try and wipe away the ash from the windshield, they were content.

They rode on for what seemed like miles. The ashen trail was worn as though it saw a lot of use, but at the same time completely empty, void of other travelers or even signs on civilization. There was no doubt that this section of the verse saw less use. The mountains may have been difficult to traverse, but at the same time the lava would at least flow down the slopes to the lower areas. Zack figured that outside the few odd travelers, this was likely the Koopa domain. Still, it had been a good while since they saw the last outpost. It made since to space them out, but this seemed a bit much. Maybe he was just impatient and bored, he reasoned to himself.

It was as if that cosmic deity had read his mind, because suddenly the road in front of them literally exploded, sending rocks and lava in every direction. Zack and Miranda immediately skidded to a stop on their bikes, while Mayor Orange locked the brakes on his car as he slid to a stop between the two opposite facing bikes.

Zack cursed under his breath as lava flowed rapidly from the new hole in the ground before them. He looked past Miranda to see that there was a large lake of lava downhill from the left side of the road that had been taking, but then looked behind himself to see what she already was aware of. There was another lava lake above them, and the damn had breached. Lava was pouring down at them, and they were about to run out of options fast.

While Miranda turned around by going around Zack and Mayor Orange, Zack also went to the opposite side of the Mayor's car, stopping to slam his open palm on the Mayor's hood a couple times for emphasis.

"Back up! Back up!!!" Zack hurriedly shouted, glancing at the lava flowing down towards them.

Zack continued forward, rolling at a slow pace as the mayor, in a complete panic, attempted to turn the car around. The road was somewhat narrow before the steep inclines on either side, so it took him a few tries to completely turn it around. Zack shook his head as he waved his left arm forward, encouraging the mayor to hurry up. The mayor didn't waste any more time, gunning the car as fast as it would go. Zack took off, driving alongside Miranda in their usual formation in front of the mayor's car as the lava descended on them. A smaller explosion of lava on his right side, just off the trail, almost caused him to skid out, but he recovered after a small bit of wobbling.

All three of them pushed their vehicles to the limits as they barely escaped the new river of magma that had almost ended their journey. Even after they were well clear of the slopes and lakes that had almost claimed them, they continued to ride for a few miles back in the direction they had originally come from at an accelerated pace, only stopping when they reached a fork in the road they had previously gone right at.

"Whew! I'm gonna change my vote to the other path," Zack said with a smile, looking back at the supposedly safer direction they had come from, then glancing to the left fork they would now have to take. That would would mean another downhill journey, and even less escape routes if something like that happened again.

[Miranda Frost]

"...A-another mission..."

"Well the 'Primes have called us away...:"

"Our true profession..."

"It is time to wear these colors again"

"To bridge the path home"

"Nothing will matter once we begin"

"To unlock the Destroyer that lies slumbering within"

_________________________________________________________________________

It was once said that old dogs could not learn new tricks. Who needs to when the skills one has are already mastered? Flying! It didn't matter if it was red, blue, or a friggin dragon, Blue should be able to pilot it. Blue smirked from the saddle of his newly found Dragon who had wandered in a little to close, Humanity's premiere fairy tale and mythical creature. They were able to convince it to help them. Rather than a mindless beast the dragon seemed rather intelligent. Blue had been downgraded from pilot to director.

The orders were simple, Eliminate the the two primes the superior officer is accompanying. It was almost too simple from this altitude. The aged gunship pilot, and now dragon tamer, turned his head back to the Saiyan warrior sitting barebacked and backwards behind him, rubbing the creature's black scales. Besides the overly spiky hair and pitch black eyes and the tail wrapped around the man's waist, Red could almost pass for human. In his universe, Blue and his comrades had never encountered any alien that was human like in appearance. It was almost unbearable to dwell on it.

He gripped his saddle and peered out onto the Fiery wasteland. This... world was different from any he had seen before. He had been to deserts, tundras, and Earth-like environments but this.. this reminded him of the biblical description of Hell. Although his time here as a Mayor among the Mayor's Guild had told him otherwise, Blue had came to this world believing that he himself had been cast into the fiery pits of Hell, the land of pain and the gnashing of teeth, or rather dragon's teeth.

They were close, he could smell it. No, it was the stink of a Saiyan warrior. At least that is what Red said. Upon approaching the target area he reached down, switching his music on his old tape deck that was roughly installed into the dragon's saddle. He enjoyed classical music and often played various loops while in battle. To some it unnerved, but for him it had a calming effect. While listening he was able to focus fully on the task at hand.

"Ready the victory dance Red.. These guys are going to be easy pickings", Blue said, spotting the small party a couple miles ahead. He, imaginatively, aimed a little ahead of them, targeting a small land bridge the would have to pass. The plan WASS to fry them beyond recognition "Anvil Two, Fox One", he habitually said, slapping down on the dragon's neck. It was unnecessary to say what he was doing considering he was no longer flying a Pelican.

The dragon bore down low, a ball of flame building within its maw. The dragon threw it at the small party below

"You mean those nasty brown sticks you asked me to hold? I was hungry, so I ate them.", the dumb ass of a saiyan said, watching the red landscape go by boredly. "You have bad taste in food....", he added, with a metaphorical knife embedded into his accent. It didn't work to instigateBBlue, and none of it ever will.

"Just...
go get ready to extract the Boss."



The ball of flame struck, any faster and Miranda would have been caught in the blast. Zack didn't even wait for the smoke to clear, and she took it as a good enough reason to turn around. She skidded to a halt, turning rapidly, and throwing a cloud of ash to the air as she sped passed the Mayor's car without as much as a warning. Cold maybe, but one needs to learn to survive in an environment such as this. Besides, he wanted to accompany Zack and Miranda, not go with their protection. That would cost him.

MIranda sped up but stopped at the fork of the road in annoyance of what was before her. It was colored in black scales and flapped the cloud of ash away with its powerful wings. It looked, familiar. It looked similar to the dragon that had been a part of the group of dragons that ambushed them before. It glared at Miranda and kept some fifty feet from the ground, with flames building inside of its rage filled jaw just for her. She knew she could take low caliber bullets with her jacket, but something on this magnitude probably could tear her a new one.

It wasn't her day today. Of course it had to be something to make it worse. Two others were riding atop of the dragon. They weren't firing immediately. They wanted something and they were probably sure this small band of mercenaries had them. The one up front raised a megaphone to his mouth.

"GIVE US THE MAYOR IMMEDIATELY OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE.", the voice rang out just as the others caught up. Miranda could hear some classical music playing. If it wasn't for the ball of flame prepared for her liking, Miranda wouldn't take these guys seriously. Zack still didn't notice this.. thing floating before them.

"Just.. shut up and get the mayor. Probably one of your friends from earlier. I vote not getting shot at.", she said, turning her head towards the Mayor's car.

[Zack Fair]

Cutting the bike hard to the right as he hit the brakes, Zack also skidded to a stop below this odd duo and their ride. The smoke swept through the area, but he managed to see their foes high above them, and he heard their demands just the same. Although he was unsure of what exactly was happening, Zack went ahead and drew the Buster Sword in his right hand, letting the tip of the blade rest on the ground.

Although he was careful to not let these newcomers leave his eyesight, he also made sure to keep glancing back so he could monitor the mayor. He quickly looked over to Miranda, keeping her suggestion in mind, but something was off about this and he wanted to know the details. Sure, the mayor was a bit of an oddball, but he wasn't the type to hand over anyone to someone that arrived in such an aggressive fashion, even if they were the authorities. Not that such a title meant much to him, anymore. Zack glanced to the mayor in his car quickly once again.

"Start explaining. Right now," Zack ordered in a rare serious tone, then gestured his head towards Miranda, knowing the mayor would just love to have a conversation about this with her.

Zack, however, was already focused on the two individuals and their dragon. They certainly seemed like an odd pair, from what little he could gather about them all the way down here. Then again, he wasn't exactly able to criticize an odd pairing at the moment. He decided to yell up to them, and if they couldn't hear him they would just have to get a little lower to the ground.

"Let's just calm down, here, fellas! I think we can work this out without me having to blast another dragon out of the sky!"

Zack was ready to abandon his bike at a second's notice, knowing full and well he'd be more mobile in a combat situation without it. The only problem was he didn't know how Miranda and the mayor could handle another blast from these guys. If this went south, he'd have to move quick. He waited for the mayor to talk and tightly gripped his sword, preparing to jump into action at the slightest indication of any further aggression.

[Miranda Frost]

Miranda squeezed her grip, staring up at the people above them. She didn't think Zack would want to take them on as he did. It shows how much she really knew about him. However they did only meet an hour prior at the least. If there was any relationship growing, it was a work in progress. She loosened her grip and glanced over at Zack, sword ready to cut down anything. The dragon itself appeared angry, so angry that Miranda was surprised that he wasn't bursting into flames just by it looking at him.

The Mayor at this time had already exited the car, gripping that orange suitcase in his hands. He looked up at the dragon and retreated to the back of his car, sitting at the back of it. If they weren't possibly under attack by a dragon and two mystery men, then she may would have laughed at his cowardice. She took a few steps back, but stopped when a cloud of ash drifted over them, severely impairing her vision. She barely could see Zack in this mess let alone the mayor. She acted quickly and kicked aside her bike. She knew the dragon was still there, flapping its powerful wings. She could see the glow of its furnace of a maw. She tried to listen, try to sense anything in this dense cloud, but the beast's flapping and the annoying classical music echoing through the dust.

Two things then seemed to happen all at once. First, a flash of light from the dragon's jaw emitted, signalling that it had fired. The ball of flame flew quickly Aiming straight for Zack. Miranda was caught off guard, watching it sail at her temporary comrade. She turned her head back forward to meet a rather hard fist connecting with her jaw plate, Knocking her down to the ground. Painful was an understatement. The punch had knocked a screw out that was holding her protective mask up. The screw had been connected indirectly with the top of her jaw. The punch had bent her mask and fractured a piece of her upper jaw. She doubled over, hands tearing into the dirt as she silently trembled in pain that spread throughout her body like molten iron.

The ash cloud subsided and returned visibility to Zack and Miranda, but the only thing Miranda could see was red, although metaphorically. One simply doesn't stab a bull in the ass and not get run through. The pain itself had dulled but She felt as though she could tear a man in half. She stood up and wiped her face clean despite the sharp pain stabbing her face nerves when she did. She quickly looked around. The dragon was gone, along with the mayor. However, left behind was a black eyed man with black spiky hair, a wicked grin and a muscular body that was only barely contained in his sloppy worn suit.

The man chuckled and straightened his crimson tie formally. "Dont mind me. By all means, give me a reason"

(sorry if this isn't as good as my other posts, been kinda sick)

[Zack Fair]

Zack stepped off his bike, glancing upwards with narrowed eyes. There was no response from the people above, which typically wasn't a good sign. Still, he had to wonder why.

"Is that music? Can they even..." Zack started to ask aloud, only for a cloud of ash to abruptly sweep through the area and almost instantly block all of his vision. "Oh, that's great."

Knowing he needed to figure out the extent of this hindrance as quickly as possible, Zack quickly glanced around. Miranda and the mayor were both hidden by the sudden cloud, and so were their enemies. As he cursed the abrupt inconvenience, he looked up to see a ball of fire growing larger, visible even through this haze. It was headed straight for him, and it was time to act.

Zack crouched for just a second, and then with a powerful jump easily leaped upwards through the haze, bursting out of the cloud as he closed in on the flying dragon. It was apparent that the neither the dragon nor it's trainer had expected him to be able to ascend to their height with a single jump.

As Zack closed in, he swung the Buster Sword at the dragon, which was already starting to retreat backwards as he approached. Still, he got a good slash in on it's chest, causing a noticeable blood spray. The roar of the dragon and the cursing of it's tamer seemed to be equally loud, in response. As Zack continued to ascend, briefly, he was at head level with this beast by the time it was ready for a counter attack. With no other alternative at such a close range, the dragon threw a powerful headbutt forward. Zack, luckily, already had his sword above his head from the slash, so he was barely able to get in in front of himself in time. While the massive blade took most of the impact, the force alone completely altered Zack's trajectory. He was thrown back downwards from the impact, sliding across the ground a few feet until he bumped into the front of Mayor Orange's car.

"Dammit..." Zack grunted as he stumbled awkwardly, reaching back and placing his left hand on the hood to regain his balance.

He looked up to see the ash cloud clearing up, and he could see why. The dragon was approaching fast, it's powerful wings were parting the ash as it quickly approached. Zack pushed off from the car as the dragon collided with it. He rolled to the side and quickly stood up, spinning and raising the Buster Sword. He was tired of this damn thing, and he was going to clip it's wings right here and now.

Only...there was nothing there. No dragon, no mayor, not even the car. Before Zack could even look up, the mangled heap of metal that had clearly once been the mayor's vehicle hit the ground nearby. Zack looked up and could only see the dragon flying away.

"Next time. Count it," Zack muttered, letting a small smirk form on his lips.

He then turned to see Miranda and this other guy having something of a face-off, so he didn't lower his sword. Instead, he simply shifted his stance a bit and announced his own presence.

"Just when I was thinking everyone in this place was so damn friendly!"

[Harry Dresden]

Harry had followed the first road he'd come across from the area where he'd encountered those corrupted turtle... things. It seemed like a good way to get somewhere. So far, the only things he'd found were heat and random lava pools, neither of which he particularly enjoyed. In fact, the only positive was that the wizard felt more like himself in this intense heat than anywhere else in the Omniverse. If Harry Dresden, Wizard thought it was too hot, then Sir Harry of Winter thought it was absolutely murderous in the Steppes. The savage influence of Winter was so far from his thoughts he could almost forget about it; a combined result of the aforementioned heat and the shockingly peaceful walk.

Of course, nothing lasts forever, especially not peace in Harry Dresden's life. He'd been walking for about two hours before he heard it. A hauntingly familiar tune. No, it couldn't be...

"Why is someone playing 'In the Hall of the Mountain King that loudly out here?"

The closer he got towards the source of the sound, the more certain he was that he'd identified it correctly. His proximity also showed him the source; two men astride a dragonlike creature, similar to the Rathalos, though much less... spiky. It wasn't dripping venom, so that was a plus, and Harry had gotten a good bit stronger since the last time he'd fought something like that. He wasn't too eager to have to try again, though.

Not that his not wanting to intervene stopped him from picking up his speed, rushing towards the dust cloud that the dragon had kicked up. Since when did Harry ever just let something bad happen when he could do something about it? Sure, he might grumble about it, but he'd still intervene. Said intervention, in this case, took the form of an upraised staff and a spell, directed at a man who had dismounted from the dragon he'd been on before the massive dust cloud and punched a woman so hard that the mask she'd been wearing fell off. Harry wasn't too far away, but the details were still a little hard to make out through the heat. That man couldn't really have a tail, could he?

Thankfully, Winter ice didn't bother with trivialities like heat. "Infriga! Forzare!" The first word called a globe of ice into being on the end of his staff. Aiming it upward like a mortar, he propelled the projectile forward with the second one, only planting his feet for a couple seconds to do so. The soccer ball-sized projectile arced through the air...

And planted itself in the dirt directly in front of the man who, by now, Harry could confirm did indeed possess a tail. Missed. Damn. Never one to show up a chance to make an impression, the man walked up to about ten feet from a man who wielded a sword the size of a steel beam before speaking. "That was the warning shot. Now, where did that dragon go?" There was no need to let them know his aim had been off.

What kind of wizard missed with a spell, after all?

[Albert Wesker]

He passed through some sort of gate uneventfully, aside from a sharp spike of disorientation that nearly send him tumbling off his makeshift vehicle, but he managed to stay upright and bring it to a stop to regain his senses.

He took a long look around his surroundings, marveling at the stark contrast to the strange white void of the place he'd just been. The heat of the area reached him mere moments later, and he found it distinctly uncomfortable. He pondered for a moment on returning and seeking out another locale after all, seeing perhaps what lay beyond each of the apparent gates...but changed his mind almost as quickly as the thought occurred to him.

Searching the area for some kind of path or trail that might exist, he pushed his hover-platform forward and went off to see if he could come across anything that might hint at this place being more than an expanse of ash and heat.

* * *

It was several hours of aimless wandering, filled with much observation of the area and very little finding anything out, aside from the general amount of lava present in the area and the inherent danger of exploring too carelessly, before he came across something out of the ordinary.

The faint sound of...music?

It was enough of a curiosity that the soldier navi directed his travel path to take him toward its source, and in a matter of minutes he arrived to see some kind of....bizarre stand-off. That was the only way he could think of it. And he had come just in time to see a man of well above average height making both a threat as well as asking about a...a dragon?

It took Colonel a long moment to debate whether the man might have been crazy, during which he realized several things, the least of which being that the music was gone. The crushed remnants of a car, the fact that the man in the suit, one who was outnumbered, seemed to be the aggressor in the situation....and the fact that he had no idea which side might have been in the right.

With that in mind, he couldn't rightly interfere. He simply dismounted his vehicle, leaving it where it sat, and approached closer, on an elevated ridge off to the side of the path where he was afforded a clear view of the situation -- or at least as clear as the haze of heat and ash in the air provided.

All he could do now was watch and wait for a proper cue to intervene in some fashion.

[Miranda Frost]

MIranda's mask still held on, but another hit or two like that and it wouldn't be. She narrowed her eye at the one who dared make such a fool of her of all people. She was prepared to let the poor Mayor go. There was no need to get violent. Who knows what she would have done to the Mayor had he'd stayed, Those in power often made Miranda's blood boil and Orange was no exception. From the way he had been acting he had shown her that he was weak and cowardly. The only thing he seemed to guard or tense over was that damned case he carried around.

Streaks of bright colored energy hit the ground before the man who attacked her. It was hard to see from where she stood. Vision impairments often happened when tears and ash mixed to form a nasty gunk that got stuck in ones only eye. It was annoying, but it helped her get her mind off the dull pain. A man of some sort had sent a warning shot at her attacker. Pfft yeah right, the old coot probably just missed.

She crouched low, like panther about to pounce on its prey, Her gloved hand dug into the ashes. She looked up at the assailant, who dared to cause Miranda Frost pain. She could only imagined the pain he would feel if she would get a hold of him. There were certain parts of her that she would just love to replace. Perhaps she could gouge out one of his eyes or pry off that wide jaw of his. She could beat him to a bloody pulp and still force him to beg for forgiveness.... only for her to forcibly tear his limbs from his sockets. If she had lips at that moment, she would be licking them. She propelled herself, launching herself forward at the man while he had his back turned to her.

She would first repay him for that blow just moments before.Yes that would be so sweet. She reared back her fist and sent it rocketing forward....

Unfortunately, this strike would not land. At first, her fist seemed to phase right through him, and then his entire form vanished. She tumbled and skidded onto her feet and looked around frantically for the kill that had escaped her grasp.

"I may not be the smartest one here, but I know not to stand in the killzone. Catch you later all later"

With that the man flew off, keeping close to the lava and ground to avoid being targeted so easily. She didn't question such things at this point. After meeting the green plumber Weegee, she had come to expect weird encounters. There was a Friggin wizard standing a few feet behind her for Coliseum's sake. She relaxed and sighed. A careful look revealed that there was another traveler behind the wizard man donning a strange armor. With a loathsome "Humph!", and a spring in her step, she walked over to her rusty old dirt-bike and propped it up. She knelt down to inspect her mount.

The black paint was chipped in places, and the eight etched into the back of it was starting to fade. It didn't take long to give it a once over, before she was back on her feet, propping herself up slightly and crossing her arms. She would let Zack greet the newcomers. After all, she was not in the mood for social activity. She was frustrated at herself for letting herself get struck and not giving back what was due. Though when she thought about it, the absence of the dear mayor did soften her mood, she just hoped these guys weren't as rude and annoying as he.

[Zack Fair]

Zack flinched, and immediately scanned the area visually in response to the sudden ice blast that hit the ground near their adversary. He wasn't quite sure what that had been for, but his odd opponent seemed equally confused, so that was a good sign to him.

"What in the...?" Zack asked aloud, as he suddenly noticed the man approaching them. Warning shot. That was enough logic to him. The man seemed like enough of an ally to get through this mess, so he'd gladly welcome help for the moment.

Miranda's burst into action caught Zack's attention away from the new ally. Instead he paced to the side, never letting this unknown wizard leave his sight but also firmly directing his attention to the proven aggressor in this situation. The Buster Sword firmly in his hands, Zack watched the man as he dodged Miranda's attack in a rather impressive fashion. Though Zack did his best to close the gap and launch an attack of his own, the man had dodged away from his direction. He was convinced of the overwhelming opposition against him, so he made a tactical retreat well before Zack could get near enough to attack up close.

Instead, Zack took his left hand from his sword, and drew his Bolt Materia in that hand. Thankful that he had taken the time to summon at least one Materia during one of their breaks, he aimed his glowing magic orb in the direction of the retreating man, but it was too late. He had experience in tactical retreats, which was plain to see. Annoyed at how the whole thing had gone down, Zack put away his Materia and looked to the newest arrival on scene.

This new guy appeared to be an ally, but their band didn't have the best luck retaining the third member ever since they had begun traveling together. Still, that was never a reason to be rude, as it was always better to make a friend than an enemy.

"Hey there. I'm Zack, that's Miranda," Zack said, gesturing his head towards his only consistent teammate since his arrival. He did not put his sword away yet, but also didn't hold it it in any sort of battle stance while he figured this man out. "You must be lost, to be all the way out here."

[Albert Wesker]

For his part, Colonel was more than content to simply stand by and observe. He was tempted to leap into the fray, but without knowing on what side to jump in for, it would only lead to nasty complications regardless. There was also the matter of his mostly nonexistent combat programming since his arrival here -- his saber was a powerful weapon, but he wouldn't be able to close the distance to use it from as far out as he was without being seen and possibly shot down -- and as outnumbered as the red-suited man seemed to be, he was smart enough not to stick around and fight. With some fancy trick that Colonel could only narrow his eyes at and reluctantly marvel at the effectiveness of, he made a quick escape over the lava.

There seemed to be nothing worth intervening over, and in fact, aside from the general intensity of the situation -- only natural, considering what he could only assume was an unanticipated and possibly random attack, the attacker making a rather hasty retreat, and now another new arrival simply strolling up -- things seemed to be calming down to some extent.

In fact, had it not been for his being noticed, Colonel would have taken the chance to leave just as quickly as he'd come. But instead, he turned smartly on one heel, striding back down the ridge he'd set up post on, and back around to come in from a relatively clear angle of view. He could see all three of them easily enough without having to shift focus to any one of them too intently, and it left him clearly visible in turn. No sense looking like he was sneaking up on them NOW.

He arrived within easy earshot just in time to hear introductions from the dark-haired man with the exceptionally large blade, Zack and Miranda. Relatively easy to remember names. Committing them both to memory, Colonel made his presence known as he spoke up, "Hope I'm not intruding on anything, but what was all that about? I get the feeling it wasn't exactly a friendly scuffle."

[Zack Fair]

Before the wizard could answer, a fourth man had approached and spoken as well, and the four of them looked up in his direction. Zack let out a small chuckle at his arrival, and smiled as he looked over to Miranda for a second.

"Alright, I guess this place isn't as empty as I thou-"

There was a rumbling noise, and the ground shook. Everyone immediately stopped talking and stood still, each member waiting to see if anything else might happen. This would be far from the first environmental hazard that Zack and Miranda had run across, and the other two seemed to have a good enough idea of what might happen. The rumbling slowly faded away, and the danger appeared to have passed.

There was a small moment of silence, then Zack opened his mouth to speak. Before the first word could leave his mouth, however, a geyser of lava exploded between the three of them.

"Move, move!!!" Zack shouted instead, somewhat unnecessarily as the others were already running away.

Zack caught a glimpse of their newest arrival quickly moving backwards, but it was hard to tell since he was rapidly retreating away, himself. Miranda and the wizard were all on different sides of the geyser, so everyone moved in different directions in response. Unfortunately, this meant that keeping track of each other was next to impossible, because waiting meant likely getting caught in a lava flow. Several more bursts of lava erupted from the earth below them, quickly filling the area they were in with magma. Zack turned and looked as he got his bearing back, seeing no sign of any of the others, not even Miranda. He cursed under his breath, but also knew he couldn't help anyone if he was burned to a crisp. There appeared to be a ledge up above, so he figured the best thing to do was get up there and see if he could find the others.

Zack jumped up a ledge, grabbing a hold of a small rock protrusion. He looked down at where they had been only seconds earlier to see lava spewing from the ground from at least five different places, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. He scanned the area and did not immediately see the others, but still felt good, having seen how quickly everyone cleared the area.

The wall he was holding onto started shaking, and Zack looked at it to see a little bit of molten rock leaking out. He immediately pushed backwards, landing on a small patch of land that was not yet covered in lava. As he landed, the magma burst from the rock ledge he had been holding onto previously. The extra flow of lava helped flood the area even faster, so Zack wasted no time in preforming a jump that would take him straight to the ridge the fourth man had been spotted on previously.

Zack landed hard, kicking up dust and ash from his impact with the ground. He immediately scanned the area, seeing that there were multiple routes up to where he was, and that this higher ground might be safe for now. He moved to the ledge, looking down at the newest lake in the Ashen Steppes, and saw no sign on the others. He took the time to actually look around and observe the area, now that he had it, and saw plenty of ledges, both low and high, and realized there was no reason that everyone couldn't escape.

"Heeey!!!!" Zack shouted downwards, waving his left hand as he did. He couldn't see anyone, but maybe they could find him.

For the moment, he kept himself visible, and took a deep breath. He was starting to get tired of this lava filled wasteland, and couldn't help but wonder if there had been a portal that would have taken him to a beach or some sort of tropical paradise. He just shook his head to dismiss that wishful thinking, and went about looking for the other three. He was a tiny bit concerned as he didn't know anyone's intentions other than Miranda, but neither of the other two had appeared to be exactly hostile, just more wanderers in a dangerous land. So he stayed where he was for the moment, looking around and hoping to find them all again.

[Miranda Frost]

*RUMMMMBLLLE*

The ground shook as another tremor took hold under their feet. This wasn't good at all. The already steamingly pissed Miranda was risking getting even more frustrated from this land of desolation. Nothing here seemed stable... and stability was something Miranda held dear to herself. She threw a leg over her dirt bike and started her engines. The feel of her vehicle's rumbling did well to calm her and clear her mind. Now was a time for swift decisions.

She remembered being told to "Expect the unexpected" and that some things are "Too good to be true." The nothing that followed the tremors to here were nothing to her but the calm before the storm. She was moving before the geysers started springing up like those weeds that were hard to get away from your crops. The road and its origin, prior to the ol' fork in the road, were starting to de-stabilize even more so than they already were.

Miranda cleared her head and twisted her throttle, weaving around the geysers and newcomers as they scrambled for safety. To the side of the fork of the road was a raised rocky formation, so safety could be found there. She thought about grabbing Zack, but she couldn't find him in this mess. It was too late, she could not linger as this placed started to fill lest she wanted her meat melted from her bones. She pushed her body down and nearly tore the throttle off of her bike from the pressure she applied to it.

Just like the situation only moments before, it seemed like a river of lava was on her tail. She didn't dare look back and followed the road onward away from the site of their little skirmish. A silhouette of something big lay ahead of her. She set her mind on this object and raced towards it, ignoring the lava that had ceased its chase against her. She was safe for the time being but she didn't stop until she came upon the gates of the castle they were searching for. The two spear wielding turtle things, Koopers if she recalled correctly, standing guard at the black gate dove to the side in anticipation of her crash. They would have been right to do so if Miranda didn't know how to drive her motorcycle correctly.

Miranda pulled her body to the side and skidded her bike through the ash to a screeching halt before quickly removing herself from it. Her fists clenched, she stomped toward the nearest guard. There must be a way for them to get over all of this lava with out much trouble. She didn't care if it was something incredible or incredibly stupid. She didn't care if the transportation moved underneath, through, or under it. She would have a way to move in this wasteland without having to take drastic action every few moments.

The Kooper trembled before the sight of this overly pissed female lumbering toward him. Miranda reached down and grabbed a hold of the front of his shell, hoisting it up to her eye.

"I will say this once and once only. I have a friend out there possibly about to become one with the earth in the most literal of ways. You must have a way through all of this... shit around you. YOU will take me on a ride on this vehicle and WE will find my friend.", She grumbled, her grip cracking the shell out of sheer pressure.

The Koopa seemed speechless, shocked even at the abrupt anger of this random woman storming at his doorstep, but that didn't matter. What mattered was what she was going to do to them if her request wasn't made in the next few moments

"Deny me and I will acquaint you with Hell's fiery embrace... and it will be very... very intimate", she continued, using her other hand to forcefully turn the Koopa's head to the side, forcing him to look out at the expansive lake of fire that burned adjacently to the grey castle.

"O-o-ok j-just let me down", the koopa said, whimpering. Hell.. for all Miranda knew the turtle pissed himself. She tried not to think about that and set him down softly, mockingly brushing his green shell off and putting the spear back into his clutches.

"Go.. and don't keep a girl waiting."

[Albert Wesker]

He never did get the answer to his question, instead having any information he was about to get abruptly cut off by a distinct rumbling noise, the ground seeming displeased by something or other by the way it rumbled. In response, Colonel merely bent at the knees, shifting his posture to a wider stance, ready to spring into movement and action at the drop of a hat. His eyes moved slowly over the area, as if looking for some sign of trouble from the ground below -- or anywhere else for that matter.

The one with the massive blade, Zack, looked about to speak up, before the ground in the midst of them exploded in an erupting geyser of molten earth.

Already prepared for action, Colonel took three quick steps backward, spinning on one heel and making a quick, powerful hop well out of the immediate area, breaking into as swift a run as he could manage in the direct opposite direction of the magma eruption. His progress was stymied by a series of further eruptions, pelting the surrounding area with chunks of glowing molten rock, many of which missed him in his retreat by mere inches, the heat uncomfortable enough at that close proximity, but sending a very nerve-wracking reminder of the pain it would cause if it actually hit him. To say nothing of the injury it might likely cause.

A series of quick, relatively short hops and a final, more powerful leap carried the soldier navi up and out of the immediate danger of the flooding lava, and another leap, impacting with a rocky ledge which he took the chance to aggressively use as a launching platform, kicking against it for the last bit of additional height to reach the peak of a higher ledge with enough room to stand. He landed heavily in a crouch, kicking up a cloud of dust and grit with the impact, his eyes sweeping the area for any signs of further eruption in his immediate vicinity, before slowly rising up to stand and survey the surrounding area.

He had ended up on a rough, rocky ledge well above the immediate danger of being flooded by the flows of lava, but not quite high enough to give him an unobstructed view of the area at large as he'd had from his previous perch before joining the little gathering. He didn't see much aside from swirling clouds of dust, heat haze and magma flooding virtually everywhere that wasn't 'high ground'...but after a few tense moments he heard someone call out.

Peering more intently through the haze, his eyes finally fell on the distorted form of.....someone, hazy and blurred thanks to the heat and grit in the air. A quick series of brief dashes and leaps carried him along the cliffs and ledges, finally bringing him to a rough, rolling halt several feet from who he now realized to be Zack.

His breathing ragged from the infernal air, and partially choked by the heavy, ash-thick breaths he'd been forced to take, he felt more than a little awful, but it didn't show on his face as he merely stood up, shaking his head to clear the dust from his mind. "Think the other two made it out of that intact?" he asked simply.

[Zack Fair]

Zack frowned as he looked out at the lake of lava and didn't hear any responses to his shout. He had faith that the others had made it, but at the same time felt that it would have been nice to actually see them to back up that faith. He waved his right hand in front of his face, blowing some of the thick ash that filled the air away from him for a few seconds, at least. He noticed the ash less and less now, and figured that it was maybe because he was getting used to it. That, or his lungs were just filled with the gunk, already, and he would fall over dead from it soon. Luckily, Omni supposedly would just bring him right back. Supposedly being a key word.

He tried to dismiss that thought from his mind. It just didn't make sense to mill over a hypothetical death when he had so narrowly avoided a real one only seconds earlier. So he pushed the theories aside for the time being, and resumed his search from this vantage point. It seemed fruitless, but just as he was convinced it was time to move and search for the others in some other way, he heard an impact behind him. He quickly turned to see that the fourth man, the newcomer who had watched the battle from above, had touched down in a roll right by him.

As he turned into the cloud that bellowed up from the impact, Zack instinctively held up his left hand to shield his eyes from getting any more of the ash in his eyes. At the same time he reached up and grabbed the handle of the Buster Sword in his right hand. He had no intent on drawing it, it was just such a habit that he didn't even notice himself doing it most of the time. The cloud dissipated and the the newest arrival stood, so Zack lowered his arms and relaxed in response.

The man's question was simple, and echoed the same thoughts Zack had. Things had gotten out of control pretty quickly, so there was little else to do but simply have faith in the others. They could both confirm that at least half of the group had made it, after all.

"I think so," Zack simply replied with a nod.

A momentary silence fell between the two as Zack caught his breath and let his head clear for a moment, and his newest friend, he hoped, appeared to be doing the same. It didn't take long to collect himself, so Zack simply picked up where they had left off, as though they hadn't just narrowly avoided a fiery death.

"Couldn't tell you what that was all about, though," Zack said, all of a sudden. "Those two guys showed up just showed up on that dragon, looking for trouble. Me and that girl, Miranda, were traveling with another guy, but the other two got him. Or maybe he left with them. Hell, I'm really not sure what happened."

Zack paused, thinking for a moment. There was no reason not to explain everything to this guy, maybe he could help fill in some blanks.

"Don't know about that sharpshooting wizard, either. I just hope he and Miranda got out alright. I wouldn't wish that lake of lava on anyone. Except that dragon." Zack continued, still a little annoyed from his scuffle with the beast and his tamer. "Could you tell what was going on from up here? Come to think of it, I'm Zack, if you didn't hear. What was your name?"

Zack offered his hand out for a handshake, a simple gesture of kindness in a wasteland that showed less and less by the minute.

[Albert Wesker]

At the affirmation that the other two had probably managed to make it out of that sudden, explosive mess alive, Colonel could merely give a brief nod. Unless they managed to run across them, there was no way to know for certain one way or the other. Keeping as positive an outlook as possible and hoping for the best was all that could be done. Perhaps a naive way to approach the rather grim situation, but...that roiling mass of lava was a fate that Colonel would wish on no one. Being taken unawares by a sudden, fiery death in such a fashion...it would be a terrible way to go. No question about it.

Scanning the immediate area, Colonel did his best to catch his breath, calming his ragged breathing. It was a tough task, to put it mildly. Strictly speaking, Navis didn't need to breath. They were bound by some of the same standards as humans when it came to operational parameters, and in dense cyber water they could 'drown', as their program data got waterlogged, and they could sustain damage and be injured...but by and large, breathing was a foreign concept. Coping with the stress of choking down the occasional lungful of ash and soot, and the discomfort it brought along with it, was another matter he was having trouble contending with.

To say nothing of the general sense of feeling pain at all.

He narrowed his eyes, squinting into the haze shimmering up from the molten earth, only turning his attention back to the immediate when Zack spoke up again. Seemed like the whole thing was one big confusing mess, with more questions than solid details to answer them. That was typical. When Zack revealed he didn't know anything about the other guest with the fancy trick-shooting, the soldier navi merely shook his head. "I can think of only a very few people I'd wish a fate like that on, myself." He took a step forward, closer to the edge of the rocky perch, peering down at the lava below. "....I got here just in time to see the tail end of things. Lots of dust, lots of noise. Doubt I saw anything that would make things any clearer."

As Zack introduced himself officially, Colonel turned back to fix him with a difficult to read expression, before extending his left hand in turn and reciprocating the handshake. "Colonel."

[Miranda Frost]

it really didn't take that long surprisingly. The turtle rushed inside the keep quickly, its metal gates snapping shut behind him. Left behind was the other guard, who kept his eyes solely on her. Miranda should have kept quiet and patiently awaited the other return. She couldn't help it. She had to amuse herself

"You know what will happen if he doesn't return.. do you?", she asked, turning her body toward the other guard. She approached it, dropping to one knee. The guard was impartial, probably steeling himself. Miranda brought her gloved hand and traced a finger around the top hole of the guard's shell. "I was able to crack the front of your friend's shell. You did hear it right? The back seems thicker but what about...". Miranda moved her hand over to the Koopa's head, gripping the back of it tightly in the palm of her hand. "your head? I'm sure it would make a much... sharper sound.", she said, releasing her hand. She stood and crossed her arms, stepping over the the exact spot she had stood earlier.

There isn't many that could say they were once friends of Miranda's. She led a childhood of isolation from the outside world. She could count the amount of real friends she has had on each of her digits. Those she actually loved only on one hand. Zack wasn't on her friends list, but he was rather close to. It would be a shame to lose him before she could get to know him a little more. Other than a vague description of his job and name, he was rather mysterious. She should have given him a little more credit. With his skills as a warrior.. no.. as a "Soldier" as he called it, he should be fine. However she had learned a long time ago that it is better to underestimate than to overestimate.

Rumblings of an engine could be heard, giving something to smile mentally over. The Koopa just couldn't say no to Miranda. She just felt so guilty for threatening him.. or not. No, that was a lie. She was very amused at their cowardice. It is a wonder they were able to control the majority of the Ashen Steppes. Their leader must be on the move and powerful to keep this... kingdom under his control. Interesting. She was interested in meeting him. Perhaps he was here, within these castle walls, or perhaps beneath the earth in the rumored network of tunnels and underground cities.

Miranda looked up at the sky, its crimson facade staring back down at her. The red sky seemed hostile, unwelcome compared to the blue sky she was used to seeing. Her sky felt.. old to her, maybe even weary. Despite this it always gave out a calm, content vibe. This one seemed angry, unforgiving as the landscape. She would be damned if she stayed in this world any longer after this "Job".

She would go somewhere wear the grass was green, and the blue skies watched from above. She imagined a small shack on a hill, a perfect place to watch the clouds float by in the day, and the stars streak by in the night. She sighed softly and came back to her senses, bringing her eye upon their mode of transportation. It was about ten yards long with and one yard wide. It was a skiff of some sorts, floating above the lava and ground alike.

Peeking barely over the guardrail was the same guard she had sent in. He waved over at her, yelling out "All aboard!".

Heh all aboard indeed.

[Zack Fair]

Zack stepped back as they let go of each others' hands, taking another look out at the bleak terrain for a second. He shook his head as he milled everything over yet again. At the same time, he figured, if it didn't make sense then it was best not to worry about it. He had a feeling they might meet those strange attackers again, which was absolutely fine by him. For now, the priority was getting back on track.

He didn't know where Miranda was, but he had a pretty good feeling that she would keep going towards the fortress if she had made it away from the lava. Common sense said not to bother walking in circles for too long looking for each other, and instead just proceed to the agreed upon destination. He had been standing here for long enough, and given what he knew of her, he understood there was a chance that she might just keep going without waiting. She always was a little quick tempered in his brief experience, and he knew her type well. He didn't expect to be waited on. He turned to Colonel for a second, deciding to make an offer. After all, working together was always ideal in this type of environment.

"Miranda and I were looking for Bowser, of the Koopas. We've heard a few rumors there's some bandits causing trouble out here, and we were going to see if we could fix that problem and maybe get rewarded for it," Zack explained, briefly. "Don't know where you're from or where you're going, but I'm not going to turn down a traveling companion in the Steppes, if you're interested."

Granted, he didn't know anything about the guy, including if he had any combat prowess. What he did know is that he'd demonstrated enough athletic ability simply getting here that Zack felt confident with the assumption he did. Not to mention the guy just had that look, what with being partially mechanical and all. Beyond the look was the personality. Years as a warrior made Zack pretty good at identifying others by simple body language and demeanor.

He shrugged if off, though, and glanced to a somewhat flat spot near them. With his last bike submerged in lava, he would have to summon a new one. He remembered how long it took the last few times he'd summoned something, and groaned a bit as he thought about going through the process again. It made him realize that he'd be relying on this Omnilium substance as little as possible, for the simple fact that he couldn't stand to sit still that long.

Just as he was about to start though, he heard the rumble of an engine in the distance. He squinted to see a small skiff heading towards them. He waited for a moment, wondering if it was those two from earlier, or just another unknown friend or foe. As it became a little more clear in his vision, he suddenly had to grin. He could see a Koopa piloting the skiff, and Miranda standing on board as well. Maybe he didn't know her type, after all, he mused as he walked forward a few steps. He held his left arm up and waved a few times, making himself slightly more visible in the thick, ashy air.

Miranda was the first to see Zack and Colonel, and they could see her suddenly point at the two of them. The Koopa banked hard and turned the skiff in their direction. In fact, he turned it so hard that Miranda actually grabbed the railing at the sudden and abrupt change. Zack laughed as he took a few steps forward. She'd obviously intimidated the poor thing into helping her out, and he was following her orders very quickly and abruptly. As the skiff stopped and lowered to the ground just a bit, Zack grabbed a ladder and climbed halfway up.

"I thought you were going to head on and have all the fun, yourself," Zack jokingly said to Miranda, then gave an appreciative nod to the Koopa. He then turned a bit, keeping his left foot on the ladder and his left hand gripping the railing as he looked to Colonel. "How about it, then? At the very least, we can offer you a ride."