SF's "Write Your Butt Off" Competition HD II.5 Remix

[Acacia Sgt]

I would think the other word does pretty much the same thing, considering it's the term for female dogs.

[Shoblongoo]

I think that can have more of a “I’m calling you this because you’re a god-awful human being” context though. 

[Shoblongoo]

1 hour ago, SoulWeaver said:

Hm...I don't know that I like this one. It's interesting, but not really to my liking, though I can't quite place why.

In the meantime...

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/15WjaJT1KjL-9lEV7H5mk45wXL154dAunC9FeiwLT2p0/edit?usp=sharing

Notes:

  Hide contents

Basically I took the opening of Metroid Fusion and turned it into a written piece. So sue me. Overall it feels too dialogue-heavy, especially given it's based on Metroid of all franchises, but it is what it is. I also think I ended up with a more Other M feel to it, which in terms of Metroid fans is a bad thing.
For those who don't know, in Metroid people referred to as 'Bounty Hunters' are actually more like Mercenaries than the typical idea of Bounty Hunters.

 

So I love that you went to the Metroid fandom with this one, and the intro scene to Fusion most certainly fits the call of the challenge. I wish that it was maybe a bit more of your own head-canon and creative supplement to the narrative, and a bit less of a straight novelization of the fusion intro with some dialogue slapped on top of it (I don’t think the piece being dialogue heavy is a bad thing btw). Can’t comment on the Other M comparison because I avoided that game like the plague—but yeah—from what I’ve heard that games a lesson on everything not to do when writing Samus

[TheSilentChloey]

So I came up with something...

 

Title: Unknowns

Word Count: 1,212

Fandom: Original Universe

Spoiler

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_XTh9C693reHT2Iv9RBQgN8Fj3wS81eB7BkmDSF1UMo/edit?usp=drivesdk

Post read notes

Spoiler

So we meet the Dragontouched Adrian's birth parents.  I kind of found this prompt particularly difficult but hey, Neptuna got some backstory so that's good.  A lot of inspiration from mythology here.  I'm trying to make it as stand alone as I can so I hope it works.

 

[Ottservia]

Getting a lot of entries for this prompt.

also @TheSilentChloey I’m surprised you didn’t do another Grima entry for this round as he fits the prompt perfectly. I specifically didn’t do that one because I thought you would.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Ottservia

[TheSilentChloey]

21 minutes ago, Ottservia said:

Getting a lot of entries for this prompt.

also @TheSilentChloey I’m surprised you didn’t do another Grima entry for this round as he fits the prompt perfectly. I specifically didn’t do that one because I thought you would.

I could of...but I didn't actually end up doing that because sometimes stuff happens XP

[SoulWeaver]

On 3/25/2020 at 8:49 PM, Shoblongoo said:

So I love that you went to the Metroid fandom with this one, and the intro scene to Fusion most certainly fits the call of the challenge. I wish that it was maybe a bit more of your own head-canon and creative supplement to the narrative, and a bit less of a straight novelization of the fusion intro with some dialogue slapped on top of it (I don’t think the piece being dialogue heavy is a bad thing btw). Can’t comment on the Other M comparison because I avoided that game like the plague—but yeah—from what I’ve heard that games a lesson on everything not to do when writing Samus

I mean, the game itself doesn’t show how exactly Samus learns the info the game expodumps on us in the opening clip(which I’m linking to here for everyone’s benefit since I forgot to earlier), so that part was mainly my own creation. I also took the liberty of referencing Other M itself near the end, since it hadn’t come out yet back then and so couldn’t be properly referenced within the game. As for more creativity, I have been considering doing a piece based on Prime Hunters if I get the chance, since the game is probably one of the more obscure Metroid games, and it has minimal story so I’d probably take more liberties there. I was actually super torn between Fusion’s more fitting opening and Prime’s complete WTF loss of your power ups. Literally I trip into a wall, hit some electrical wiring and suddenly my everything is gone. Someone explain this to me.

What I did realize I missed was the explanation that she lost her abilities - anyone not used to Metroid is probably going to be confused.
EDIT: Since we haven't hit voting time, I did add a small thing about the missing powers. Not a very good one, though.

Edited March 28, 2020 by SoulWeaver

[KingStaragna]

Alright, this is the first real thing I've written for a while, even longer since it's fiction. Honest feedback is appreciated!

Title: Hairline

Fandom: Fire Emblem Path of Radiance

Word Count: 1728

Spoiler

One shot, one kill. That’s what he’d been taught, that’s what he would accomplish. His enemy hardly knew they were under attack until three of them had already dropped. With his cold precision and keen eye Shinon knew he could take out the rest in a matter of moments. He managed to feather two more before they realized where the assault was coming from.

 With five targets downed and four more to go, he loosed another arrow towards number six, who was barreling towards his perch, and rather gracelessly at that. The arrow whistled through the air, burying itself in the man’s chest. As Shinon grasped for another bolt, he noticed a slight hairline fracture on the upper limb of his bow. He muttered a curse under his breath. How long had that been there? His favorite bow, too. He weighed his options quickly. If he kept shooting, he could probably down the rest of the targets, but there was a chance his bow could break and injure him. Screw that, he thought, slinging the bow across his chest. He had a spare crossbow, but it would take time to procure and load, and time wasn’t exactly on his side. Then there was the dagger at his hip. Not his first choice – he liked to keep things impersonal – but he kept it sharp for a reason.

As he watched the robed figure raise his hand and a tome, Shinon realized (almost too late) that his decision had been made for him. No sooner had he jumped out of the tree than a lightning bolt was called down from the sky, striking said tree and toppling it. The archer landed softly and immediately took off. He had to finish off these enemies, but he had to be smart about it. The crossbow was no longer an option, not unless he got a really good opportunity. A quick glance told him that the tree was falling in his opponents’ direction. Stroke of luck on his side, but as much time as it got him he still had to take out these last three to make way for Ike’s group. As soon as the group was out of sight, he circled back stealthily and hid in a bush close to them. They were still bickering.

“Damn it, Randal!” Shouted one of the remaining men, this one brandishing an axe like most of the rest had. He had just barely avoided the crash of the tree and was berating the thunder mage. “Could’ve killed me!”

“Not the time,” his compatriot said, stepping between the two. “We need to sound the alarm, let Dietrich know what’s happened. If there’s one of these Crimean dogs, there’s ten. Can’t let our guys get taken by surprise. Randal, you need to run and get help. You’re at a disadvantage in the woods. D’ar, you’re with me.” The man unsheathed his sword. “We’re going after that bastard.”

Shinon groaned. Why did they have to be smart? This was already going to be a pain in the ass. He remained deadly still as the two Daein soldiers climbed over the tree and began trudging towards the direction they had seen him, their ebon armor not allowing for great mobility, but would certainly stop anything Shinon currently had in his arsenal. The mage, however, had only a customary robe so he could have ease of movement. Easy prey, especially if the archer could get up close. Not to mention he was definitely the higher priority. This scouting party was a good distance away from the main group, but chances were still pretty decent that someone could’ve heard the tree toppling over and sent someone back. If they met up with the mage, it would be disastrous. However, if the two going after him were to come across Ike, they could stage an ambush. They could do some damage, but how much could they really do before Gatrie crushed them?

No more time to waste. He had to go after the mage. The hunters soon passed his position. He waited a moment to make sure they were not looking back, then darted out, unsheathing his dagger as he rushed from brush to fern to ditch. The mage had no such compunctions about visibility, and he didn’t seem to have much trouble with the terrain either. Shinon had to be quick to catch up. No wasted movement.

The mage soon winded himself, giving Shinon ample chance to catch up. He would never understand how armies had different physical standards for their mages than they did their cavalry and infantry. As he crept up behind the unsuspecting scout, the man became clearly paranoid. Had Shinon made a misstep, revealed himself? The man pulled out an Elthunder tome and started looking around, slowing his pace. Suddenly, he caught a shock of Shinon’s red hair. As he raised his hand to call lightning down on the sniper, Shinon leapt forward, grabbing his wrist mid Sign-drawing with one hand and driving the dagger through the center of his adversary’s palm with the other.

The mage grunted with pain, then twisted his arm out of the grip, taking the dagger with him. Dropping the tome, he pulled the dagger out of his other hand. “Bastard,” he growled as he lunged towards Shinon.

Well. This wasn’t good. Shinon ducked under the knife thrust, grabbing his enemy’s elbow and tackling him to the ground. With his free hand he slammed his palm into the bridge of the mage’s nose, fracturing it and slamming the man’s head on the forest floor. Dazed, the man loosened his grip on the dagger for just a moment, which was more than enough time for Shinon to seize the opportunity. He drove his knee into his adversary’s chest and ripped the knife from his grasp. Without a moment’s hesitation, he buried the knife into the mage’s throat, and with a gurgle, Randall was no more.

Shinon collapsed on his back, gasping for breath. There was definitely a reason he preferred to take care of things from afar. Leave Gatrie to do all the stabbing and such. He took a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. He had ditched his bow a while back, should probably go get it. He could still fix it, with some time. Meanwhile, he finally had time to prepare for another fight. He took a few seconds to procure his crossbow and load it. He doubted it could punch through the heavy armor of the other soldiers who had gone in the direction of his comrades, but it would probably slow them down enough to get way if he were to be caught by surprise. Even then, he had to make sure every shot counted. It took him five seconds to load a bolt into the damn mechanism, and in close combat, that would basically mean death. As he walked back towards the carnage he had previously wrought, he berated himself for not taking better care of his equipment; his master would’ve had him restringing every bow in the school if he’d seen that. And if he wasn’t dead.

Suddenly, as if by instinct, Shinon jumped and took cover under a brush. A half-second later, he heard the large flap of a bird laguz’ wings. He readied his crossbow and dared a look outside his hiding place and saw an untransformed raven flying towards his position. He ducked right back down and felt a nervous sweat trickle down his back. Of course they’d send the damn subhuman, probably the only one in the squadron. The savage didn’t wear any armor, but if he transformed, that might not even matter. One shot, one kill.

Shinon took aim.

The raven spotted him. Divebombed.

In that moment, time stood still. There was the hunter and his quarry, and damned if Shinon was to be prey to a goddess-damned animal.

The bird transformed in an instant mid-flight, metamorphosizing into a giant, pitch-black raven with eyes far too intelligent for its size. In that instant Shinon saw death right in front of his eyes. The bird swooped down, digging its talons into his upper leg. Right as its giant beak reached to tear his throat out, he pulled the trigger on the crossbow, shooting the bolt directly into the monster’s eye. The force of it pushed the raven’s head back and elicited an enormous, low-pitched screech, eliminating Shinon’s last hope for stealth. As the searing pain coursed through his leg, Shinon used his last strength to jab his dagger in what he hoped were vital areas. The bird collapsed on him, and he swore he could hear at least a few of his ribs crack. As he felt his consciousness slip away, he cursed himself once again for being so damn stupid. Hopefully the opportunity he had given his comrades would be enough.

 

Shinon awoke slowly, and found himself in a tent. Rhys was standing over him with a Mend staff which had clearly seen better days. He looked over and saw Gatrie, in full blue armor, trying not to nod off and doing a poor job of it. It seemed the big oaf had been sitting there for hours.

Rhys looked at his head turning with surprise and delight. “Good, you’re awake!” He exclaimed, “You’ve been out for almost a full day and a half. Had us worried for a bit there.”

Shinon tried to sit up, but the pain in his sternum yelled in protest, and so he remained where he was. He grumbled, “My bow?”

“We found it in the bushes, Rolf’s taking care of it. Did you drop it or something? It seemed fine.”

“Nah, it was busted. What about the fight?”

“We were able to pincer them with the Begnion army. They surrendered pretty quick, no one lost on our side. Well, long as you pull through. It’s thanks to you that we were able to get through with minimal bloodshed.”

“Mm. You’re welcome.” Shinon looked over to Gatrie sitting next to him. He hadn’t even noticed the conversation. “I’ve gotta rest. Let the big guy know I’m gonna be fine, yeah?”

“Yeah, you got it. Rest well, we march again in two days.”

Shinon gave the barest hint of a smile and closed his eyes. That was the last time he’d volunteer for vanguard duty.

 

Author's Notes:

Spoiler

Took me a while to figure out that the main character was Shinon, but after that everything fell into place. Also not the biggest fan of the ending, I really don't think he could've killed the laguz like that, but I couldn't figure out how to get him out of that situation in a believable way. Nevertheless, it feels good to finally be able to put something out into the world. Thanks for indulging me.

 

[SoulWeaver]

Ah yes, why we never open the Archer unless it's SoV. Not a bad piece, I like it.

[Anacybele]

I managed to put something together, though I don't think it's my greatest work. It's alright for what it is though, I think. I know this is kind of soon to return to this cast of characters since the last time I wrote them, but it does focus on a couple of them that weren't really focused on much before.

EDIT: I'm moving one of the post-read notes to a pre-read note.

Title: Cursed
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask
Words: 2932

Pre-Read Note:

Spoiler

This piece focuses on the concept of the Mutahylians that was created by me years ago and isn't canon. It's just an idea I came up with over a decade ago and decided to keep around because even today I think it's rather creative. The inspiration for them comes from superheroes and a book I really liked reading called The Girl With the Silver Eyes. This book is about a girl named Katie who, like May, has telekinesis. She also has, of course, silver eyes (though May does not have that characteristic, her eye color is teal blue like her mother's). In the book, Katie is afraid of being blamed for her grandmother's death and seeks to find out why she has these powers and if there are other children like her. She does find three others, and it turned out that all of their mothers had taken a drug of some sort. The mutahylians were created when certain medicines being tested for a disease epidemic caused normal Hylians to begin developing unusual powers, and it resulted in their genes mutating. They were able to pass these onto their offspring, each of whom were born with a power of their own. They were feared and shunned because their abilities were thought to generally be dangerous and perhaps hard to control. They were even hunted down and killed at times, dwindling their numbers somewhat. Since it was noticed that these empowered Hylians would always have children with powers of their own, and thus must've had some mutation in their bodies, they were insultingly referred to as Mutahylians. The term was used for so long that it became the norm as well and was no longer derogatory. The Mutahylian trait is dominant and thus, their offspring always have powers, even if one parent doesn't have it as in the case of Judo and Kelli.

Story:

Spoiler

Cursed

My parents. Are going. To kill me.

Fourteen-year-old Mayula could still not process what had just happened when she and her best friend, Princess Emerald of their kingdom of Hyrule, had stepped into a section of recently discovered ruins. They followed rumors of a mysterious individual with unusual powers being seen in or near the kingdom. And now Mayula found herself unable to use her own.

“Ugh!” she groaned as she tried to focus on the door before her and Emerald, her long dusty brown ponytail flowing behind her.

Even though her mind focused hard, the door barely moved, let alone opened. Her telekinetic powers were near completely blocked.

“I still can’t budge this door or its lock,” Mayula continued. “I am in so much trouble when we get home...”

“Yeah, and you’re taking me down with you, May!” the cherry blonde princess retorted. “My father’s so going to ground me and probably never let me out of the castle again! He’s stricter than your dad!”

“I know, and I’m sorry. At least your dad won’t do anything stupid though! My mom is going to freak out, but my dad will do that and try to go after this crazy character that did it! He always said ‘someone lays a finger on my little Mayberry and they’ll meet the business end of Orion.’ I wish he’d stop using that nickname. I’m too old for it now.”

“Hey, you might get to see the light of day again! I could be trapped behind those stone walls for the rest of my life and my mother will make me study politics more than magic.”

“That’s kind of drastic, isn’t it? I know Sir Link is kinda strict, but come on.”

“Maybe a small exaggeration, but you get my point. We’re both in trouble thanks to you! You just had to insist that we go confront this weirdo on our own!”

“I know… I thought since he’s been said to have unusual powers like my mom and I, he could be a Mutahylian like we are. And we could talk to him and see if he’s not an enemy. And if he is, I could match his power with mine.”

“I’m aware, you said that before. But our parents were right when they said this would be dangerous! We’re trapped in here and you can’t get us out!”

“Yeah…” Mayula replied with a sigh. “I was too reckless… I should’ve been more careful. I am still in training with the Gemini Blades and all, even if I do think my skills are getting pretty decent.”

Mayula then eyed the two identical swords she carried, one strapped to her back and the other at her waist. They were thin blades whose hilts were colored a violet shade, with golden gems embedded in the centers. They had been gifts from her parents a year before.

“I can agree with that,” Emerald admitted. “My magic is coming along nicely too, I think. But unfortunately, it’s not nearly strong enough to bust down a door.”

“Sigh…” Mayula said as she sagged against the old stone wall behind her. “If we don’t find a way out soon though, we’re stuck here. And our parents will be worried sick.”

“Got that right.”

The two fell silent for the next few moments as they pondered their situation. Since May could not budge the door or lift herself or Emerald to a window, they had to look for other options. Maybe there was a secret passage somewhere? These ruins did look like they might’ve once been a fortress or small castle. And since it was located in an older part of Hyrule that was once forgotten, there could probably be endless speculation on what it truly was and was used for. Even though this part of Hyrule had been re-added to the map over a decade before, new things were still being discovered there from time to time.

Both Mayula and Emerald looked around the dim room they were trapped in as they wondered how and when they’d get out. All that inhabited it besides the two girls were a few broken pieces of furniture. Nothing they could use to break out, that was for certain.

Emerald had peered up towards one of the windows, however, when she found her eyes widening and gasped.

“May! Up there! The weird person that did this came back!” she cried.

Mayula jumped as she looked to where her friend pointed. Indeed, the cloaked person, who appeared to be a man, was indeed looking through the window. However, he bolted again a second later.

“HEY!” Mayula shouted angrily, raising and shanking a fist. “Come back here and let us out, you imbecile! And unblock my telekinesis!”

The cloaked man didn’t return again, however, causing Mayula to groan in frustration.

“Is he just making fun of us now?!” Emerald added, bringing her hands to the hips of her not coincidentally emerald colored dress.

“Sure seems like it!” Mayula replied. “When I get my blades on him…”

Suddenly, a familiar male voice rang out from outside the door, and a knocking on it followed.

“May? May!”

“Dad?!” Mayula realized, the voice for sure belonging to General Judo of the Hyrulean knights.

“Emerald? Are you in there too?” another male voice called out, also familiar.

“Daddy!” Emerald replied, recognizing Link. “I should’ve figured both of them would come…”

“Well, it is what it is,” Mayula said and then cried out to the two men again. “We’ve been locked in here! Can you get us out?”

“Yeah, hold on!” Judo replied.

“Thank the goddesses,” Link added.

Within a few moments, the door unlocked and Judo and Link themselves were revealed. Judo had the same dusty brown hair as his daughter and wore fairly large ornate armor befitting of a Hyrulean general. Link had Emerald’s cherry blonde locks and dressed in a golden embroidered green tunic. Behind them were Judo’s great war stallion, Stormfrost, and a few knights. He must’ve decided to bring backup just in case trouble arose.

“Thanks!” Mayula replied. “That weird character locked us in here.”

“What in the name of Hyrule were you girls thinking?!” Link thundered, making both Mayula and Emerald jump.

“I don’t know… I’m very sorry, Daddy,” Emerald replied with a sigh.

“Don’t be too upset with her, Sir Link,” Mayula stepped in. “It was my idea…”

“I had a feeling,” Judo said, his hands on his hips. “Why would you decide to go chase this mysterious person all by yourselves? Look what happened! You’re lucky we heard you in there!”

“I know, Dad… I’m sorry. I thought it would be the best way to confront that cloaked man,” Mayula admitted. “He seemed to have strange abilities, and I figured my own power would be able to stop him if he’s an enemy. And if he wasn’t, I could talk to him to see if he’s like Mom and I.”

“Except you don’t know how powerful he really is!” Link pointed out. “You took a huge risk and you didn’t even ask permission!”

“Exactly,” Judo agreed.

“May thought you might not allow us if we asked,” Emerald said.

“Yeah, I know I was in over my head…” Mayula continued. “That man does have dangerous power! I don’t know if it’s potentially as strong as mine, but… He…was able to cast some kind of curse or spell on me and block my telekinesis. I’ve lost my power.”

“WHAT?!” Judo exploded. “Are you serious?!”

“Yeah…”

“Oh my goddesses…” Judo groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead. “Your mother is going to go through the roof when she finds out.”

“I know… I can’t entertain anyone anymore either…”

“Damn…” Link commented. “Zelda might be able to find a spell to help, but there are definitely no guarantees there.”

“Well, whatever we do, when I get my hands on the cretin that did this to my Mayberry, he’s going to wish he never came to Hyrule,” Judo threatened, clenching his fists.

“Dad…” Mayula sighed in annoyance. “Please stop using that nickname…”

“Not a chance,” Judo replied, folding his arms, only irritating his daughter more. “Especially when you need to be punished for what you’ve gotten yourself and the young princess into. Did this person block Emerald’s magic too?”

“No, for some reason, he left me unaffected,” Emerald revealed. “I’m not sure why, but I’m glad.”

“That’s good to know,” Link said. “Still, you could have been and that would’ve been very, very bad for Hyrule! If you lost your magic, you could not utilize the Triforce of Wisdom to the same potential as your mother! And we need all of the Triforce pieces to keep the kingdom safe!”

“Yes, Daddy, I know,” Emerald replied. “This is the last time I listen to any of May’s crazy ideas!”

“Well, you still will be confined to the castle for the next several days. Though you learning your lesson is encouraging to hear.”

“Ugh…”

“And as for you, May,” Judo added. “You’re grounded too. You sneak out like that again and your mother and I will bring back that spell we used to put on things to telekinesis-proof them! No more flying out of your window or anything of the sort. Not unless you tell us where you’re going.”

“Sigh… Yes, Dad,” May agreed. “You might not even need that spell if I can’t get my power back though.”

“True. We will look for a way to remove whatever spell was put on you. Now let’s go.”

With that, the group turned around to head back to Hyrule Castle. Judo and Mayula were about to mount Stormfrost when suddenly, yet another voice called out. However, this one was entirely new to all of them. Although it also sounded near Judo’s age, not all that young.

“Wait! Hold!” the voice said.

The group turned around to see none other than the cloaked man from before standing upon a chunk of the ruins, eliciting gasps from all of them. He then hopped down from it and approached the group.

“YOU!” Judo shouted, one hand going to the sheath of his sword, Orion. “You dare show your face to us? What the hell did you do to my daughter?!”

“And if you think you can take all of us on by yourself, you have another thing coming!” Link added, placing a hand on his own sword.

“Please, calm down!” the man said, raising his hands in defense. “I meant no harm. I swear to you.”

With that, the man removed his hood. He had dark blonde hair and a goatee along with dark blue eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, perhaps a little older. He also had a diagonal scar across his face between his eyes.

“I should introduce myself first. My name’s Gregg,” he continued. “I was wary of these two girls and mistook them for enemies. I didn’t notice how young they were and I also had noted the brown-haired girl possessed great power. I realize now that I acted too hastily.”

“Oh? And we can believe you how?” Judo wondered. “I could lop your head off right now for what you did!”

“Yes, please enlighten us further,” Link insisted.

“Of course. I can start by lifting the block I placed upon you…May, wasn’t it?” Gregg offered.

“I’m Mayula, yeah. May for short,” Mayula replied.

“Nice to meet you!” Gregg replied. “Now, that block would’ve eventually worn off on its own, but it would’ve taken hours. Here.”

With that, Gregg raised his right hand and focused on Mayula. His hand then glowed for a moment and a spark of light appeared in front of Mayula’s forehead. Moments later, the man was finished and brought his hand down.

“That should do it,” he said.

Everyone now was wide eyed, though also wondering if what Gregg had said was true and if he really had restored Mayula’s power. There was only one way to find out, and Mayula soon did so by trying out her telekinesis once more. Within seconds, as she raised her arms a little and closed her eyes, she began to levitate several feet into the air.

“Whoa…” Link gasped. Judo and the knights were equally mesmerized.

“…Wow! It worked!” May gasped. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Of course,” Gregg replied with a smile. “Again, I apologize for locking that door and blocking your ability.”

“Well, seems we’ve settled the matter, so you’re forgiven,” Mayula said, returning the gesture and to the ground. “I actually didn’t want to fight you if I didn’t have to. I just wanted to talk. I heard you might have some unusual power like myself and my mother. I thought maybe you were…like us.”

“I see…” Gregg said, bringing a hand to his goatee. “That is a remarkable coincidence. I am indeed like you. I had heard that two more Mutahylians lived here and I wished to see. I had not seen any of my kind in years, despite that I’ve traveled a great distance.”

“…That is one heck of a coincidence,” Judo commented. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Yes,” Gregg said. “You did just see my ability for yourselves. I can disrupt and block magic as well as many Mutahylian powers.”

“I guess you didn’t know I could use magic,” Emerald realized. “And that’s why you didn’t block my power, only May’s.”

“That would be it. I couldn’t tell you had magic, as you didn’t use any when I saw you. I can’t sense it, only mess around with it, so to speak. I saw May float and lift something with her mind.”

“So, you’re another Mutahylian, like my wife and daughter,” Judo said. “Are you actually from around here then? Or from Mayia? Or somewhere else? I still would like to know more.”

“Me too. Especially if you are from here,” Link added.

“I was originally from Mayia,” Gregg said. “But my family wasn’t liked much due to our powers. Some of us they hated, even. I was just thought to be weird, not so much threatening. If you know the history and origin of the Mutahylians, that probably does not surprise you. Ever since we came to be, we’ve often been feared and shunned. I eventually left and just decided to travel around, honing my ability and enjoying seeing new places. Even now, I travel. I don’t live in one place anymore.”

“That’s rather sad…” Mayula commented. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’ve learned the history of mine and my mom’s ancestors, but still…”

“You and your mother are lucky,” Gregg said. “I’m glad you have good lives.”

“Yeah!”

Gregg also went on to explain that he actually came to Hyrule once before, to meet a family member, a young woman whom he knew could read minds. Though he was unsure where exactly to find her, as she’d been the cousin of his father and wasn’t a close relative.

“She was the only other family I knew I had at the time,” Gregg continued. “I later learned she had been killed during a war. I was devastated for a while.”

At this, Judo blinked in astonishment.

“Hold on… That sounds like my wife’s mother!” he realized. “Kelli was a baby when her mother died, but she learned that the woman could read minds and had been killed in a war that plagued Hyrule years ago.”

“…By the goddesses,” Gregg said, his own eyes widening. “Then… May, it looks like you and your mother and I are family!”

“Wow!” Mayula gasped. “That’s amazing!”

“This sounds crazy,” Judo said. “But also somewhat believable, I admit. It’s known that the Mutahylians were not especially common even before they were getting wiped out by the haters. It wouldn’t be surprising for some to find that they’re related.”

“That’s true too,” Gregg agreed.

“…Hey, since you’re our family,” Mayula spoke up. “Why don’t you come meet my mom and stay with us? You won’t have to be alone anymore! You’d finally have people that care for you.”

“Ah, I appreciate that, May,” Gregg said. “But as I said, I am a traveler and I like living in different places rather than just one. I’m so used to it now that I don’t know how I would manage staying in just one place for long! Heh. But I will come back some time to visit, you can count on that. And I’ll meet your mother then. Right now, I should be going, before I spook anymore people.”

“Aw… I understand then,” Mayula replied. “Well, I hope to see you sooner rather than later!”

“Indeed. Also, if Hyrule has need of my abilities for any reason, I will be glad to help when I can. I won’t always be far away. Just send by word of mouth that you need me and I’ll eventually hear. Trust me.”

“Well, if you say so,” Link said. “Glad we could settle this matter though. Some people were getting a little too paranoid for my liking.”

“I…do apologize for that,” Gregg said, scratching the back of his head. “Well… This is good bye for now, then. I’ll see you again at some point in the future!”

With that, Gregg departed toward Hyrule’s border. The group waved to him as he disappeared into some nearby woods, wondering where he might go next. And when they would see him again. Kelli, though, would surely be intrigued to hear that she had a living blood family member outside of her daughter. Mayula couldn’t wait to tell her mother all about it.

Post-Read Notes:

Spoiler

- I made Gregg a Mutahylian so we can see how others might live and exist beyond the two we've seen (Kelli and Mayula).
- The part of Hyrule that was once wiped from the map is also an idea I came up with and not canon, to point out. It was also something I added years ago, even before Skyward Sword became a thing and I started making little connections to that game as well (such as Judo and May being descendants of Pipit and Karane).
- Emerald has magic because Zelda does, of course. Zelda appears to be capable of using magic without items, though she would also use spells like the ones actually present in Ocarina of Time as well. And since Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom, Emerald will eventually inherit it.
- The nickname "Mayberry" is a reference to the Andy Griffith show. lol

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by Anacybele

[SoulWeaver]

1 hour ago, Anacybele said:

I managed to put something together, though I don't think it's my greatest work. It's alright for what it is though, I think. I know this is kind of soon to return to this cast of characters since the last time I wrote them, but it does focus on a couple of them that weren't really focused on much before.

Title: Cursed
Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask
Words: 2932

  Reveal hidden contents

Cursed

My parents. Are going. To kill me.

Fourteen-year-old Mayula could still not process what had just happened when she and her best friend, Princess Emerald of their kingdom of Hyrule, had stepped into a section of recently discovered ruins. They followed rumors of a mysterious individual with unusual powers being seen in or near the kingdom. And now Mayula found herself unable to use her own.

“Ugh!” she groaned as she tried to focus on the door before her and Emerald, her long dusty brown ponytail flowing behind her.

Even though her mind focused hard, the door barely moved, let alone opened. Her telekinetic powers were near completely blocked.

“I still can’t budge this door or its lock,” Mayula continued. “I am in so much trouble when we get home...”

“Yeah, and you’re taking me down with you, May!” the cherry blonde princess retorted. “My father’s so going to ground me and probably never let me out of the castle again! He’s stricter than your dad!”

“I know, and I’m sorry. At least your dad won’t do anything stupid though! My mom is going to freak out, but my dad will do that and try to go after this crazy character that did it! He always said ‘someone lays a finger on my little Mayberry and they’ll meet the business end of Orion.’ I wish he’d stop using that nickname. I’m too old for it now.”

“Hey, you might get to see the light of day again! I could be trapped behind those stone walls for the rest of my life and my mother will make me study politics more than magic.”

“That’s kind of drastic, isn’t it? I know Sir Link is kinda strict, but come on.”

“Maybe a small exaggeration, but you get my point. We’re both in trouble thanks to you! You just had to insist that we go confront this weirdo on our own!”

“I know… I thought since he’s been said to have unusual powers like my mom and I, he could be a Mutahylian like we are. And we could talk to him and see if he’s not an enemy. And if he is, I could match his power with mine.”

“I’m aware, you said that before. But our parents were right when they said this would be dangerous! We’re trapped in here and you can’t get us out!”

“Yeah…” Mayula replied with a sigh. “I was too reckless… I should’ve been more careful. I am still in training with the Gemini Blades and all, even if I do think my skills are getting pretty decent.”

Mayula then eyed the two identical swords she carried, one strapped to her back and the other at her waist. They were thin blades whose hilts were colored a violet shade, with golden gems embedded in the centers. They had been gifts from her parents a year before.

“I can agree with that,” Emerald admitted. “My magic is coming along nicely too, I think. But unfortunately, it’s not nearly strong enough to bust down a door.”

“Sigh…” Mayula said as she sagged against the old stone wall behind her. “If we don’t find a way out soon though, we’re stuck here. And our parents will be worried sick.”

“Got that right.”

The two fell silent for the next few moments as they pondered their situation. Since May could not budge the door or lift herself or Emerald to a window, they had to look for other options. Maybe there was a secret passage somewhere? These ruins did look like they might’ve once been a fortress or small castle. And since it was located in an older part of Hyrule that was once forgotten, there could probably be endless speculation on what it truly was and was used for. Even though this part of Hyrule had been re-added to the map over a decade before, new things were still being discovered there from time to time.

Both Mayula and Emerald looked around the dim room they were trapped in as they wondered how and when they’d get out. All that inhabited it besides the two girls were a few broken pieces of furniture. Nothing they could use to break out, that was for certain.

Emerald had peered up towards one of the windows, however, when she found her eyes widening and gasped.

“May! Up there! The weird person that did this came back!” she cried.

Mayula jumped as she looked to where her friend pointed. Indeed, the cloaked person, who appeared to be a man, was indeed looking through the window. However, he bolted again a second later.

“HEY!” Mayula shouted angrily, raising and shanking a fist. “Come back here and let us out, you imbecile! And unblock my telekinesis!”

The cloaked man didn’t return again, however, causing Mayula to groan in frustration.

“Is he just making fun of us now?!” Emerald added, bringing her hands to the hips of her not coincidentally emerald colored dress.

“Sure seems like it!” Mayula replied. “When I get my blades on him…”

Suddenly, a familiar male voice rang out from outside the door, and a knocking on it followed.

“May? May!”

“Dad?!” Mayula realized, the voice for sure belonging to General Judo of the Hyrulean knights.

“Emerald? Are you in there too?” another male voice called out, also familiar.

“Daddy!” Emerald replied, recognizing Link. “I should’ve figured both of them would come…”

“Well, it is what it is,” Mayula said and then cried out to the two men again. “We’ve been locked in here! Can you get us out?”

“Yeah, hold on!” Judo replied.

“Thank the goddesses,” Link added.

Within a few moments, the door unlocked and Judo and Link themselves were revealed. Judo had the same dusty brown hair as his daughter and wore fairly large ornate armor befitting of a Hyrulean general. Link had Emerald’s cherry blonde locks and dressed in a golden embroidered green tunic. Behind them were Judo’s great war stallion, Stormfrost, and a few knights. He must’ve decided to bring backup just in case trouble arose.

“Thanks!” Mayula replied. “That weird character locked us in here.”

“What in the name of Hyrule were you girls thinking?!” Link thundered, making both Mayula and Emerald jump.

“I don’t know… I’m very sorry, Daddy,” Emerald replied with a sigh.

“Don’t be too upset with her, Sir Link,” Mayula stepped in. “It was my idea…”

“I had a feeling,” Judo said, his hands on his hips. “Why would you decide to go chase this mysterious person all by yourselves? Look what happened! You’re lucky we heard you in there!”

“I know, Dad… I’m sorry. I thought it would be the best way to confront that cloaked man,” Mayula admitted. “He seemed to have strange abilities, and I figured my own power would be able to stop him if he’s an enemy. And if he wasn’t, I could talk to him to see if he’s like Mom and I.”

“Except you don’t know how powerful he really is!” Link pointed out. “You took a huge risk and you didn’t even ask permission!”

“Exactly,” Judo agreed.

“May thought you might not allow us if we asked,” Emerald said.

“Yeah, I know I was in over my head…” Mayula continued. “That man does have dangerous power! I don’t know if it’s potentially as strong as mine, but… He…was able to cast some kind of curse or spell on me and block my telekinesis. I’ve lost my power.”

“WHAT?!” Judo exploded. “Are you serious?!”

“Yeah…”

“Oh my goddesses…” Judo groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead. “Your mother is going to go through the roof when she finds out.”

“I know… I can’t entertain anyone anymore either…”

“Damn…” Link commented. “Zelda might be able to find a spell to help, but there are definitely no guarantees there.”

“Well, whatever we do, when I get my hands on the cretin that did this to my Mayberry, he’s going to wish he never came to Hyrule,” Judo threatened, clenching his fists.

“Dad…” Mayula sighed in annoyance. “Please stop using that nickname…”

“Not a chance,” Judo replied, folding his arms, only irritating his daughter more. “Especially when you need to be punished for what you’ve gotten yourself and the young princess into. Did this person block Emerald’s magic too?”

“No, for some reason, he left me unaffected,” Emerald revealed. “I’m not sure why, but I’m glad.”

“That’s good to know,” Link said. “Still, you could have been and that would’ve been very, very bad for Hyrule! If you lost your magic, you could not utilize the Triforce of Wisdom to the same potential as your mother! And we need all of the Triforce pieces to keep the kingdom safe!”

“Yes, Daddy, I know,” Emerald replied. “This is the last time I listen to any of May’s crazy ideas!”

“Well, you still will be confined to the castle for the next several days. Though you learning your lesson is encouraging to hear.”

“Ugh…”

“And as for you, May,” Judo added. “You’re grounded too. You sneak out like that again and your mother and I will bring back that spell we used to put on things to telekinesis-proof them! No more flying out of your window or anything of the sort. Not unless you tell us where you’re going.”

“Sigh… Yes, Dad,” May agreed. “You might not even need that spell if I can’t get my power back though.”

“True. We will look for a way to remove whatever spell was put on you. Now let’s go.”

With that, the group turned around to head back to Hyrule Castle. Judo and Mayula were about to mount Stormfrost when suddenly, yet another voice called out. However, this one was entirely new to all of them. Although it also sounded near Judo’s age, not all that young.

“Wait! Hold!” the voice said.

The group turned around to see none other than the cloaked man from before standing upon a chunk of the ruins, eliciting gasps from all of them. He then hopped down from it and approached the group.

“YOU!” Judo shouted, one hand going to the sheath of his sword, Orion. “You dare show your face to us? What the hell did you do to my daughter?!”

“And if you think you can take all of us on by yourself, you have another thing coming!” Link added, placing a hand on his own sword.

“Please, calm down!” the man said, raising his hands in defense. “I meant no harm. I swear to you.”

With that, the man removed his hood. He had dark blonde hair and a goatee along with dark blue eyes. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, perhaps a little older. He also had a diagonal scar across his face between his eyes.

“I should introduce myself first. My name’s Gregg,” he continued. “I was wary of these two girls and mistook them for enemies. I didn’t notice how young they were and I also had noted the brown-haired girl possessed great power. I realize now that I acted too hastily.”

“Oh? And we can believe you how?” Judo wondered. “I could lop your head off right now for what you did!”

“Yes, please enlighten us further,” Link insisted.

“Of course. I can start by lifting the block I placed upon you…May, wasn’t it?” Gregg offered.

“I’m Mayula, yeah. May for short,” Mayula replied.

“Nice to meet you!” Gregg replied. “Now, that block would’ve eventually worn off on its own, but it would’ve taken hours. Here.”

With that, Gregg raised his right hand and focused on Mayula. His hand then glowed for a moment and a spark of light appeared in front of Mayula’s forehead. Moments later, the man was finished and brought his hand down.

“That should do it,” he said.

Everyone now was wide eyed, though also wondering if what Gregg had said was true and if he really had restored Mayula’s power. There was only one way to find out, and Mayula soon did so by trying out her telekinesis once more. Within seconds, as she raised her arms a little and closed her eyes, she began to levitate several feet into the air.

“Whoa…” Link gasped. Judo and the knights were equally mesmerized.

“…Wow! It worked!” May gasped. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Of course,” Gregg replied with a smile. “Again, I apologize for locking that door and blocking your ability.”

“Well, seems we’ve settled the matter, so you’re forgiven,” Mayula said, returning the gesture and to the ground. “I actually didn’t want to fight you if I didn’t have to. I just wanted to talk. I heard you might have some unusual power like myself and my mother. I thought maybe you were…like us.”

“I see…” Gregg said, bringing a hand to his goatee. “That is a remarkable coincidence. I am indeed like you. I had heard that two more Mutahylians lived here and I wished to see. I had not seen any of my kind in years, despite that I’ve traveled a great distance.”

“…That is one heck of a coincidence,” Judo commented. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Yes,” Gregg said. “You did just see my ability for yourselves. I can disrupt and block magic as well as many Mutahylian powers.”

“I guess you didn’t know I could use magic,” Emerald realized. “And that’s why you didn’t block my power, only May’s.”

“That would be it. I couldn’t tell you had magic, as you didn’t use any when I saw you. I can’t sense it, only mess around with it, so to speak. I saw May float and lift something with her mind.”

“So, you’re another Mutahylian, like my wife and daughter,” Judo said. “Are you actually from around here then? Or from Mayia? Or somewhere else? I still would like to know more.”

“Me too. Especially if you are from here,” Link added.

“I was originally from Mayia,” Gregg said. “But my family wasn’t liked much due to our powers. Some of us they hated, even. I was just thought to be weird, not so much threatening. If you know the history and origin of the Mutahylians, that probably does not surprise you. Ever since we came to be, we’ve often been feared and shunned. I eventually left and just decided to travel around, honing my ability and enjoying seeing new places. Even now, I travel. I don’t live in one place anymore.”

“That’s rather sad…” Mayula commented. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’ve learned the history of mine and my mom’s ancestors, but still…”

“You and your mother are lucky,” Gregg said. “I’m glad you have good lives.”

“Yeah!”

Gregg also went on to explain that he actually came to Hyrule once before, to meet a family member, a young woman whom he knew could read minds. Though he was unsure where exactly to find her, as she’d been the cousin of his father and wasn’t a close relative.

“She was the only other family I knew I had at the time,” Gregg continued. “I later learned she had been killed during a war. I was devastated for a while.”

At this, Judo blinked in astonishment.

“Hold on… That sounds like my wife’s mother!” he realized. “Kelli was a baby when her mother died, but she learned that the woman could read minds and had been killed in a war that plagued Hyrule years ago.”

“…By the goddesses,” Gregg said, his own eyes widening. “Then… May, it looks like you and your mother and I are family!”

“Wow!” Mayula gasped. “That’s amazing!”

“This sounds crazy,” Judo said. “But also somewhat believable, I admit. It’s known that the Mutahylians were not especially common even before they were getting wiped out by the haters. It wouldn’t be surprising for some to find that they’re related.”

“That’s true too,” Gregg agreed.

“…Hey, since you’re our family,” Mayula spoke up. “Why don’t you come meet my mom and stay with us? You won’t have to be alone anymore! You’d finally have people that care for you.”

“Ah, I appreciate that, May,” Gregg said. “But as I said, I am a traveler and I like living in different places rather than just one. I’m so used to it now that I don’t know how I would manage staying in just one place for long! Heh. But I will come back some time to visit, you can count on that. And I’ll meet your mother then. Right now, I should be going, before I spook anymore people.”

“Aw… I understand then,” Mayula replied. “Well, I hope to see you sooner rather than later!”

“Indeed. Also, if Hyrule has need of my abilities for any reason, I will be glad to help when I can. I won’t always be far away. Just send by word of mouth that you need me and I’ll eventually hear. Trust me.”

“Well, if you say so,” Link said. “Glad we could settle this matter though. Some people were getting a little too paranoid for my liking.”

“I…do apologize for that,” Gregg said, scratching the back of his head. “Well… This is good bye for now, then. I’ll see you again at some point in the future!”

With that, Gregg departed toward Hyrule’s border. The group waved to him as he disappeared into some nearby woods, wondering where he might go next. And when they would see him again. Kelli, though, would surely be intrigued to hear that she had a living blood family member outside of her daughter. Mayula couldn’t wait to tell her mother all about it.

Post-Read Notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

- The concept of the Mutahylians was created by me years ago and isn't canon. It's just an idea I came up with over a decade ago and decided to keep around because even today I think it's rather creative. The inspiration for them comes from superheroes and a book I really liked reading called The Girl With the Silver Eyes. This book is about a girl named Katie who, like May, has telekinesis. She also has, of course, silver eyes (though May does not have that characteristic, her eye color is teal blue like her mother's). In the book, Katie is afraid of being blamed for her grandmother's death and seeks to find out why she has these powers and if there are other children like her. She does find three others, and it turned out that all of their mothers had taken a drug of some sort. The mutahylians were created when certain medicines being tested for a disease epidemic caused normal Hylians to begin developing unusual powers, and it resulted in their genes mutating. They were able to pass these onto their offspring, each of whom were born with a power of their own. They were feared and shunned because their abilities were thought to generally be dangerous and perhaps hard to control. They were even hunted down and killed at times, dwindling their numbers somewhat. Since it was noticed that these empowered Hylians would always have children with powers of their own, and thus must've had some mutation in their bodies, they were insultingly referred to as Mutahylians. The term was used for so long that it became the norm as well and was no longer derogatory. The Mutahylian trait is dominant and thus, their offspring always have powers, even if one parent doesn't have it as in the case of Judo and Kelli.
- I made Gregg a Mutahylian so we can see how others might live and exist beyond the two we've seen (Kelli and Mayula).
- The part of Hyrule that was once wiped from the map is also an idea I came up with and not canon, to point out. It was also something I added years ago, even before Skyward Sword became a thing and I started making little connections to that game as well (such as Judo and May being descendants of Pipit and Karane).
- Emerald has magic because Zelda does, of course. Zelda appears to be capable of using magic without items, though she would also use spells like the ones actually present in Ocarina of Time as well. And since Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom, Emerald will eventually inherit it.
- The nickname "Mayberry" is a reference to the Andy Griffith show. lol

 

Hm...an interesting piece, though once more I feel like personally I'd appreciate more background - the bit about Mutahylians could probably have been a pre-read note so I know it's not from canon Zelda, it threw me for a second and I was trying to remember if that was in the stuff I found back when I last did a super lore binge on Zelda. You also reminded me to share this with you, there's a lot more I've written offline, I should be able to get it updated by like the end of tomorrow. It just had a Zelda concept, so you were the one I specifically thought to share with.

[Anacybele]

2 minutes ago, SoulWeaver said:

Hm...an interesting piece, though once more I feel like personally I'd appreciate more background - the bit about Mutahylians could probably have been a pre-read note so I know it's not from canon Zelda, it threw me for a second and I was trying to remember if that was in the stuff I found back when I last did a super lore binge on Zelda. You also reminded me to share this with you, there's a lot more I've written offline, I should be able to get it updated by like the end of tomorrow. It just had a Zelda concept, so you were the one I specifically thought to share with.

Oh, really? My bad, you're probably right. I'll move that to a pre-read note then. As for your link there, I'll look at it! Sounds nice. 🙂

Glad you thought my piece was interesting though!

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

It does not look like I’ll be able to make anything. I apologize again for promising something I did not make the time for, people.

[Rapier]

So, I found it hard to make a story with a beginning, middle and end from a single prompt alone without using a pre-established universe, and without making it too long or too rushed. I chose to make it a "sample" chapter of a concept that, while not really original, seemed interesting to me.

----

Ok, actually I couldn't finish and it looks like garbage and I hate to be submitting it in its current state, but for the first time in a year I want to finally submit something!

Title: Unlikely Encounter

Fandom: Original

Link:

Spoiler

“What are you planning to do?”

Near the heart of the forest, the small clearing on which she chose to make camp alone for the night was dimly lit by the improvised bonfire the girl had made from a few twigs and flints she had found nearby.

The night sky was clear and, were it not for the trees blocking much of its view, would allow one to appreciate a starry sight. The tranquility that came with the faint sound of the flames burning through the wood and the soft breeze that gently carried their warmth toward her and brushed the girl’s long, dirty-blonde hair strands to her face did little to soothe her own thoughts, however. The girl’s eyes were set in the bonfire, two pools of dark green overlooking the flames, yet what they truly saw were too distant to be grasped.

“While you’re at it, you should rethink my proposal”, the voice that wasn’t hers spoke in her head again. It was a mature woman’s, and its tone carried both imperativeness and concern. “You know it’s the most reasonable option. It’s not too la-”.

“Shut up”, the girl replied bluntly, extending her skinny hands for warmth as she sat cross-legged near the bonfire. A blade lay above her lap, sheathed in a brown scabbard further darkened by old, dry blood. The source of the voice which spoke to her. Afterwards, she picked a loaf of dry, brown bread from inside the pouch and began to eat it away.

What am I going to do was a legit question, however, her mind pondered as she eyed the curved sword whose hook-like hilt was unlike any other she’d seen or heard of. Assuming it bestowed power and skill to its wielder enough to make a frail, inexperienced person such as herself able to fight properly trained soldiers, would simply fighting back her village’s oppressors be sufficient?

“I know what you are thinking about”, it spoke to her softly. “Please, let me help you”

“Then you also know I’m not giving you up to go back and spend my life as a serf, right?”

“Listen, Leriah. A weapon is made for killing. There’s only so much you can do through fire and sword. It does not feed hungry mouths, nor govern over people, nor serve as a substitute for overthrown regimes”

“Yes, I know”, she acknowledged, but that thought never came to her head before. Then again, nor did the possibility that she’d come to the possession of such an asset, in first place. “But… Well, I can protect my family, for one. And…”. Her own thoughts made her pause, the implications of her actions pilling up on each other as they came to mind.

“And then more will come for you and for anyone else who might be associated to you”, the other voice spelled out for her. “After they find out about us, you won’t be able to lead an ordinary life. Is this what you want for yourself?”

“If an ‘ordinary life’ is how things normally are, then yes. You haven’t the slightest clue about what we go through every day under their rule. Anything is preferable to that!”.

The other voice quieted down, and the girl felt the weight of these words in her conscience as she laid down in the ground and covered herself with her cloak. Weighing down on her even as she tried, in futility, to sleep.

 

            ---------------------

 

Sleep came eventually, but not without a struggle to overcome her worries and anxiety, judging from the dark circles under her eyes.

 

And, maybe unfortunately, everything that happened in the previous day didn’t turn out to be just a dream - her back hurt from sleeping on the ground, and the hook hilted sword still laid close to her. I wonder if she still has the need to sleep, Leriah wondered as she slowly rose from the ground. The weapon had been a woman once - Aedolyn, a warrior from times immemorial who, according to her story, had been turned into a sword - and the voice that spoke to her seemed human enough. I should’ve asked before.

 

“Finally awake, huh?”, the familiar voice asked her, in a tone that the girl couldn’t tell between concern and mockery.

 

“Mhm”, she answered curtly, still slightly numb from sleep, as she packed her things and tied the scabbard to her belt. “By the way, I was wondering if you can get to sleep at all”.

 

“Well, I can sleep, but there’s no reason to unless I want to intentionally shut off”.

 

“So you control when you get to sleep?”, the girl asked in a curious voice, then chuckled at the thought. “That’s so enviable…”

 

“All things considered”, she shrugged off, and the tone made Leriah self-conscious about her choice of words.

 

“M-My bad, I didn’t mean to say your state is enviable- er, yes, I said it, but that’s not what I meant!”, she blurted out, her cheeks red with shame.

 

“Nah, that’s fine. Really”, the sword assured her in a light tone. “It’s good that we’ve been able to chat without all that tension from yesterday”.

 

“I-I guess…”

 

Her hand went on to grab the last loaf of bread that she brought to her trip. The girl ate as she walked down a trail of dirt, while searching for the main road from which it’d be easier to pick a path.

 

“So... “

 

“If you want to ask what I’m planning to do, I honestly don’t know”, the girl answered, distractedly kicking off a pebble in her way.

 

“I won’t insist for you to give up, but…”. Her partner glanced sideways, as nothing good comes after ‘but’s and she expected the worst. “I must tell you that returning to your home as you are right now is a bad choice”

 

Leriah looked down and slowed her pace, mumbling a ‘mhm’.

 

“I suggest you leave. Preferably to far away, and not just from your village. Far”, she advised in a serious tone. “Where others don’t know you and you can start a new life.  Few would connect the dots to some Kraenorian legend if you travel far enough, and your skills should guarantee you’ll have a roof to sleep under”.

 

My skills, or your skills?, Leriah thought bitterly. If she were to obtain any renown in arms, it’d be due to her companion’s not-so-subtle help, and not from her own merits. At least I can change that with time.

 

“I… can’t abandon everyone”

 

“And you wouldn’t. It’s different. You’d leave for some time, until you grow enough to come back and free them. Because you’ll need more than strength to overthrow the Empire”.

 

“No”, the girl answered with conviction, in a tone that accepted no discussions about her decision. “That, too, I can’t give away”.

 

“Stubborn girl. Although, I confess I do like that in you”

 

Their banter was interrupted by a loud crashing sound nearby, from which birds flew away. Leriah’s first reaction was to immediately stop and turn her head, looking for the source of that noise.

 

“That sound…”, Aedolyn spoke, but her trail of thought was cut short by her partner’s sudden rush toward a direction. “Ah! Be careful!”.

__________________________________________________

My  notes

Spoiler

The concept is that a warrior from centuries ago was cursed into becoming a weapon, and then awakened in an entirely new era where its role is supportive instead of being the main lead.

Or, well, I explained it a little better in this copypaste:

Spoiler

Legends of the distant past (at least a millennia ago) whose deeds helped shape the continent were turned into weapons by some unknown magic. Unearthed and awakened in an era much different from theirs, they bestow legendary strength and skill to whoever wields them. 

 

Our protagonist, Leriah, wakes one such legend, unintentionally. At first with the intention to fix the wrongs done to her and to those close to her, the conflict scales when she is faced with the burden of responsibility from her(?) newfound powers, which draw her into the vortex of internal, political struggles within the kingdom. How will she use her powers to change Kraenoria and the world? 

 

Will she be a force to drive the much needed political reforms throughout Kraenoria, or will she choose to destroy the immediate evils that come her way?

 

I like the concept of having sentient weapons bestowing power to its users and talking to them. I forgot the name of the Tales of ___ game that does it. It's not really an original thing but I like it.

So, I wanted to do a lot more with this prompt. Explore how it is to suddenly find yourself with a seemingly weapon of mass destruction that should give you the power to change your surroundings. I intend to write more stuff in that universe, polish a lot of things and develop the idea.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Rapier

[AnonymousSpeed]

Title: "Bass Takes a Sick Day"

Fandom: Mega Man Classic ( @SoulWeaver and @Rapier please enjoy)

Word Count: Enough 

Spoiler

"Mwahahahah!" cackled Dr. Wily, wiggling his eyebrows from the condescending comfort of his flying saucer. "With the new Quadruple Gear System Turbo- trademark- which I've installed into Bass and Treble, you stand no chance, Mega Man!" Wily pointed at the cadre of heroic pests before him. "Come, destroy them, my creations!"

Nothing happened.

"...Bass and Treble, come! Destroy them!"

A purple beam fell from the sky. Treble had showed up, at least.

Wily wiggled his eyebrows in great displeasure. "I said Bass and Treble."

A little holographic projector popped out of the purple wolf's back and starting showing live footage of Bass, in a bathrobe, rummaging through a fridge.
"Bass!" Dr. Wily shouted.
"Fugg off." Bass retrieved an E-Tank.
"Get over here right now and destroy Mega Man!"
"No. I'm sick."

Bass snorted and slammed the door shut. "Danks Cold Man."
"Don't mention it."
The transmission cut off.

Mega Man and his siblings were getting a bit confused. "What did he say?" asked the Blue Bomber.
"I think he said he's thicc," replied Roll.
"Why would Bass say that? He looks like a curtain rod."
Proto Man shot judging glares from behind the safety of his two pairs of sunglasses. "He's sick."
"Oh, that makes more sense."

Wily drummed the chasis of his ship with his fingers. "I really gotta finish my other super fighting robot," he muttered. "Well Mega Man, it looks like fortune favors you today. Bass will not be destroying you yet, which he totally would have if he was well. Once Bass does get better though, you'll be destroyed! Mwahah! Mwahahahah!" Wily slammed his saucer shut and escaped.

***

Bass tightened his robe around his tiny waist and walked across the L-shaped chamber. It was a very drab room, with bare concrete floors, bare concrete walls, and drop tile ceilings. Half the lights were burnt out and none of them were well placed to begin with, so half the room was too bright while the other half was never bright enough. It had a lot of power outlets though, and most of them worked, so it was were they kept the waffle maker and the gigantic CRT television from Craigslist.

There was a big pile of insulation a few meters in front of the TV. A couch was the sort of luxury that literally everyone in the castle was too cheap to shell out for and too lazy to bother stealing. With a grunt, Bass carefully lowered himself and his E-Tank onto the pile. Moving certain ways caused a sharp pain in his side- he chocked it up to a loose gear or something. There was also a constant dull pain in the same side as Auto-repair went about its regular business of trying to fix something and screwing up everything else in the process.

There was an old laptop on the floor by the pile which was full of pirated movies and viruses. Bass had hooked it up the TV with an HDMI converter he'd stolen from a going out of business sale. With a few clicks, he got Dragged Across Concrete started and kicked back with his drink. He thought about how his sick day might not be so bad. Then someone spoke.

"Why don't you watch a good show?"
Bass had forgotten that Splash Woman's tank was in this room.
"Like Miraculous Ladybug."
"Nah, I'm not a pedophile."
"What? No! It's a good show!"
"What are you, five? Can you be quiet or I'll...flush you. Down the toilet." He chuckled deliriously at his own joke. "You're a fish."
"I am not a fish!"
"You live in a bowl, shut up."
"Hard Man!" she whined. "Wheel me outside!"
"Bass, can you wheel Splash Woman outside?" Hard Man grunted from down the hall.
"Can't," Bass called back. "I'm sick."

Magnet Man swaggered into the room. "Hey, you guys need someone to wheel Splash Woman outside?"
"Yes," said both.
"Hah! Don't worry, Magnet Man will take care of it!" He pointed both thumbs at himself. "Hey Cold Man!"
"Yeah?" Cold Man popped his head in the doorway.
"Can you help me wheel Splash Woman outside?"
"Sure thing!"

Then they did. "Finally," muttered Bass. He pressed play and opened an E-Tank, and for a while it felt like his side was less of a problem.

It was a pretty good movie.

Bass chugged the rest of his fifth E-Tank during the credits and threw the empty can into a trash heap on the floor. He stood up slowly. His side could bend a little more but hurt more at a rest than it had that morning, and he could feel a heat in his back and neck. While kneeling down to put on the next movie, he tested his range of motion a little too much and felt a stitch in his side again. "What is auto-repair even for?" he grumbled, limping back to his mound of pink fluff. He opened another E-Tank. It would hopefully cool him down a bit. Sharp pain, dull pain, he could deal with that, but it felt like his upper half was melting.

Some time during the second act, he grabbed his remote and hit pause. Staring at the screen was starting to give him a headache, that or it was making one he already had worse. No point in watching a movie he couldn't enjoy. He decided he'd just rest a bit. Bass shut his eyes, but he was in a bright spot of the room and the cheap ceiling lights were still bugging him him.

Magnet and Hard Man were trying to build a shelf. Hammering, power drilling, and colorful slurs from the 1980s could be heard from all the way down the hall. There was a loud thud and screaming, and after that it was mostly screaming. Bass could feel his head pounded in rhythm with the shouts. "Stupid junk robots," he groaned, piling insulation over his head.

Whatever was overheating him made it feel a bit like he was wrapped in a blanket, and with his eyes already closed, he felt himself drifting off to sleep. Then someone spoke. Again.

"Bass," said Magnet Man as he walked into the room, "can you take Treble for a walk?"
"No," Bass muttered into the insulation.
"Come on, he's biting my large head magnet!"
Bass uncovered his eyes. This was true.

"Ugh, fine," Bass grunted. He got a twelve of the way up and then collapsed with a grunt, clutching his side. It was hurting more than he had remembered. "Actually no."

"But he's gonna chew it off!"
"You'll look better without it," Bass mumbled.
"How could you say that?"
Bass sighed. "Treble, off him."
The wolf obeyed, running up to his master and licking him on the face.
"Okay boy, I appreciate it. Get in bed."
The wolf whimpered.
Bass narrowed his eyes. "Do it."
Treble did it.

"Hey Magnet Man, do me a favor. Can you throw out all these empty E-Tanks for me?" Bass motioned to a large pile in front of him. "They're starting to cover the TV screen."

Magnet Man was aghast. "Magnet Man is no common trash disposal unit-"
"Do it or I'll rip your head magnet off and shove it." Bass felt no need to say any more than that.
"Right away, my good sir." Mission accomplished. Bass celebrated with a full E-tank.

Magnet Man gathered the metal cans with his powers of magnetism and walked out so he could safely blow them all up outside.

No sooner had Magnet Man walked out than Hard Man walked in. "Anybody seen my E-Tanks?"
Bass looked over. He opened a cold one.
"You do realize my E-Tanks are filled with viagra, right?"
Bass stared at Hard Man and took a prolonged sip.
"How many E-Tanks have you had?"
"Sixty n-"
It was longer than four hours later and Bass was regretting his decisions. He had just woken up from a viagra induced coma.

Hard Man, Magnet Man, and Cold Man were standing over him.

"You're awake!" Magnet Man chimed.
Bass gurgled.
"I knew you'd pull through! Hard Man said you'd probably die."
Bass shut his eyes. "I'm probably gonna die."
"So...you don't feel well, then?"
Bass squinted. "I would kill you if I could move my arms."
"Right. About that."
Everyone looked at Bass's right arm, which now ended at the elbow.

"What the hell?!" Bass scuttled up the insulation, as if he could run away from the sight of his stub. "What did you freaks do?!"

"Ain't nuthin' we did," said Hard Man.
"Your buster was firing non-stop while you were out," explained Magnet Man. "Cold Man tried to cool it down with Ice Wall, but it still overheated. Then blew up."
"Not before you ruined half the room," snarled Hard Man.

Bass looked to see what they were talking about. One corner of the room was filled with bullet holes. The laptop was reduced to a few scraps of plastic. The television was alright, though. It had taken 30 shots, but the old CRT had been made by Nokia. "Ugh. This cannot get any worse."

"Come on, you don't have it so bad, Bass." Magnet Man patted the air reassuringly. "I once dated this paraplegic girl, and she had to-"
"Stop."
"...I mean, I did..."

Hard Man turned to Cold Man. "Why didn't you tell him my E-Tanks were full of viagra?"
"I figured everyone knew."
Bass erupted with rage. "Why do you keep E-Tanks full of viagra in your chest?!"
"I like to be helpful..."

"You're gonna need to see a doctor 'bout this," said Hard Man. "Let's go to Wily."
"No," grunted Bass. "We are not seeing Wily about this. He'll never let me live it down!"
"I ain't gonna either. You need to get yourself fixed."

"Don't worry guys!" Magnet Man proclaimed. "I can help!"
"What're you gonna do?" spat Hard Man. "You ain't no doctor. You can barely even rob a grocery store."
"You might be right, but I've been reading WebMD for years!" beamed Magnet Man. "I'm practically a qualified medical professional. I might not be able to replace the Bass Buster, but think I have just the thing for any aches, pains, and assorted other symptoms. Have you ever tried this great new stuff called grapefruit?"
Everyone looked at him kinda funny.
"Cold Man, give me a grapefruit."
Cold Man reached into his chest and pulled out a big citrus, which he dropped into Magnet Man's waiting hand.

"What's a grapefruit going to do?" scowled Bass.
"Grapefruit can do anything." Magnet Man split the citrus in half. "I read that on the internet. Have some."
"No."
"Come on, try some!" Magnet Man forcibly inserted two halves of a grapefruit into Bass's mouth.
"Ffgrdfd."
"Grapefruit oil also possibly may act as an anti-inflammatory according some studies."
Magnet Man opened Cold Man's chest, took out a tub of orange liquid, and began to generously lubricate Bass.

The ensuing oil wrestling match was surprisingly long on account of Bass having only one arm and being in constant pain. Eventually, Bass managed to kick Magnet Man in the head magnet and then scrambled to hit feet, all the while spitting grapefruit peel out of his mouth. "All of you! Out! Now!"

Cold Man timidly obliged.

"Don't you yell at me," spat Hard Man. "I'm trying to help you out here!"
"Get ou-ow!" Bass had attempted to point violently at the door. He sprained himself.
"You know what? Fine. I ain't gonna force you to stop bein' so stupid." Hard Man walked out.
"Don't take that tone with me! When I get my buster back, I swear I'll-"
"You even try and I tell everyone in the castle about this!"

There was moment of bitter, angry silence.

"Wow," said Magnet Man finally. "He must have been really angry to leave you alone with me."
Bass limped towards the kitchen. He didn't reply.
"Bass?"

The finned robot went over to coffee maker and made himself a cup.
"I don't think coffee is a good idea right now," said Magnet Man.
"Shut up," Bass grumbled.
"I'm just saying, water and grapefruit-"
"Shut up!"
Bass threw open the doors of the medicine cabinet and chugged a bottle of aspirin.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Magnet Man as Bass reached for the isobutylmethylphenylpropanoic acid.
"I said to-" Bass swung his head around, his fins tearing the doors off the cabinet. He flinched, knocking his mug onto the floor with a resounding crash, coffee spilling all over the waffle maker and ruining it.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Bass slowly leaned against the wall.
"You...gonna be..."
"I'm fine" he sobbed quietly.

***

Magnet Man hoisted Bass onto his shoulders and lead him to the broom closet which served as his private quarters. The red robot put his head on a pillow of vacuum bags, covered him with a blanket of vacuum bags, and tip-toed back out into the hallway. He walked down the corridor and soon enough found Hard Man, who  was trying to salvage what remained of an Ikea shelf.

"Punk better get himself looked at soon," grumbled Hard Man
"Yeah, I know, my shoulders are killing me."

Hard Man stared at Magnet Man for a second, then went back to work. "Why'd you two break up?"
"Huh?"
"You and the paraplegic girl. Did you cheat on 'er, was it too hard, or...?"
"Oh, nothing like that! I think we were really working something out."
"What happened, then?"

"Well, you see-" Magnet Man began. "When Dr. Wily moved to a new castle, we didn't live as close anymore, so we started using this chat website to keep in touch."
"Uhuh."
"One day though, the website-"
"Shut down?"
"No, they added captcha to the login page. I could never manage to click the button saying I wasn't a robot."
"...what."
"I never even got to say goodbye..."

This story comes with post-credits scenes:

Spoiler

Mega Man opened the door. No one was there. "Must have been a prank," he mumbled, but then he noticed a sizable package on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he found a small note with it. So he began to read it. "Dear Mega Man, sorry for not being able to destroy you yesterday. As a token of apology, please enjoy these 24 E-Tanks. If you fight me at anything less than peak condition, I will destroy you for so insulting me. Signed, Bass." Mega Man chuckled and opened a cold one. "Hah! I knew Bass wasn't so bad after all."

***

Now for something totally unrelated.

***

"You look like an idiot," grumbled Hard Man.
"Don't be jealous Hard Man." said Magnet Man, striking poses for a raving crowd. "You have fans too."
"I- I do?"
"Oh yes, the ladies like you almost half as much as they like me!" Magnet Man struck another pose. "It's not that surprising, really. After all, you are-" The red robot muffled a chuckle. "You know."
Hard Man narrowed his eyes. "Know what?"
Magnet Man turned around meekly. "You're, you know...are you actually gonna make me say it?"

 

[AnonymousSpeed]

Quite frankly, I'll be surprised if we have as many votes as we do entries.

Poll is up.

[Anacybele]

Oh man, yeah. I got quite a bit of reading to do.

[Rapier]

do yourselves a favor and don't read mine. really. there are a bunch others and I just wanted braggings rights i'll try to submit one that works next time

[Acacia Sgt]

Woah, seems I joined in a crowded round, haha.

It's already kinda late for me to reread them and vote, so I'll start tomorrow.

[AnonymousSpeed]

12 minutes ago, Rapier said:

do yourselves a favor and don't read mine. really. there are a bunch others and I just wanted braggings rights i'll try to submit one that works next time

Gonna read yours first, got it.

[TheSilentChloey]

We'll see if I can come up with a fun little Grima short for everyone to enjoy lol.

[Dragoncat]

HOLY CRAP! Nice that my prompt got so many entries!

[Anacybele]

13 minutes ago, Dragoncat said:

HOLY CRAP! Nice that my prompt got so many entries!

Yeah, I'm surprised at the turnout myself! Awesome though!

I've read pretty much all the entries now, I'll get to my feedback soon.

[SoulWeaver]

20 hours ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

Title: "Bass Takes a Sick Day"

Fandom: Mega Man Classic ( @SoulWeaver and @Rapier please enjoy)

Word Count: Enough 

  Reveal hidden contents

"Mwahahahah!" cackled Dr. Wily, wiggling his eyebrows from the condescending comfort of his flying saucer. "With the new Quadruple Gear System Turbo- trademark- which I've installed into Bass and Treble, you stand no chance, Mega Man!" Wily pointed at the cadre of heroic pests before him. "Come, destroy them, my creations!"

Nothing happened.

"...Bass and Treble, come! Destroy them!"

A purple beam fell from the sky. Treble had showed up, at least.

Wily wiggled his eyebrows in great displeasure. "I said Bass and Treble."

A little holographic projector popped out of the purple wolf's back and starting showing live footage of Bass, in a bathrobe, rummaging through a fridge.
"Bass!" Dr. Wily shouted.
"Fugg off." Bass retrieved an E-Tank.
"Get over here right now and destroy Mega Man!"
"No. I'm sick."

Bass snorted and slammed the door shut. "Danks Cold Man."
"Don't mention it."
The transmission cut off.

Mega Man and his siblings were getting a bit confused. "What did he say?" asked the Blue Bomber.
"I think he said he's thicc," replied Roll.
"Why would Bass say that? He looks like a curtain rod."
Proto Man shot judging glares from behind the safety of his two pairs of sunglasses. "He's sick."
"Oh, that makes more sense."

Wily drummed the chasis of his ship with his fingers. "I really gotta finish my other super fighting robot," he muttered. "Well Mega Man, it looks like fortune favors you today. Bass will not be destroying you yet, which he totally would have if he was well. Once Bass does get better though, you'll be destroyed! Mwahah! Mwahahahah!" Wily slammed his saucer shut and escaped.

***

Bass tightened his robe around his tiny waist and walked across the L-shaped chamber. It was a very drab room, with bare concrete floors, bare concrete walls, and drop tile ceilings. Half the lights were burnt out and none of them were well placed to begin with, so half the room was too bright while the other half was never bright enough. It had a lot of power outlets though, and most of them worked, so it was were they kept the waffle maker and the gigantic CRT television from Craigslist.

There was a big pile of insulation a few meters in front of the TV. A couch was the sort of luxury that literally everyone in the castle was too cheap to shell out for and too lazy to bother stealing. With a grunt, Bass carefully lowered himself and his E-Tank onto the pile. Moving certain ways caused a sharp pain in his side- he chocked it up to a loose gear or something. There was also a constant dull pain in the same side as Auto-repair went about its regular business of trying to fix something and screwing up everything else in the process.

There was an old laptop on the floor by the pile which was full of pirated movies and viruses. Bass had hooked it up the TV with an HDMI converter he'd stolen from a going out of business sale. With a few clicks, he got Dragged Across Concrete started and kicked back with his drink. He thought about how his sick day might not be so bad. Then someone spoke.

"Why don't you watch a good show?"
Bass had forgotten that Splash Woman's tank was in this room.
"Like Miraculous Ladybug."
"Nah, I'm not a pedophile."
"What? No! It's a good show!"
"What are you, five? Can you be quiet or I'll...flush you. Down the toilet." He chuckled deliriously at his own joke. "You're a fish."
"I am not a fish!"
"You live in a bowl, shut up."
"Hard Man!" she whined. "Wheel me outside!"
"Bass, can you wheel Splash Woman outside?" Hard Man grunted from down the hall.
"Can't," Bass called back. "I'm sick."

Magnet Man swaggered into the room. "Hey, you guys need someone to wheel Splash Woman outside?"
"Yes," said both.
"Hah! Don't worry, Magnet Man will take care of it!" He pointed both thumbs at himself. "Hey Cold Man!"
"Yeah?" Cold Man popped his head in the doorway.
"Can you help me wheel Splash Woman outside?"
"Sure thing!"

Then they did. "Finally," muttered Bass. He pressed play and opened an E-Tank, and for a while it felt like his side was less of a problem.

It was a pretty good movie.

Bass chugged the rest of his fifth E-Tank during the credits and threw the empty can into a trash heap on the floor. He stood up slowly. His side could bend a little more but hurt more at a rest than it had that morning, and he could feel a heat in his back and neck. While kneeling down to put on the next movie, he tested his range of motion a little too much and felt a stitch in his side again. "What is auto-repair even for?" he grumbled, limping back to his mound of pink fluff. He opened another E-Tank. It would hopefully cool him down a bit. Sharp pain, dull pain, he could deal with that, but it felt like his upper half was melting.

Some time during the second act, he grabbed his remote and hit pause. Staring at the screen was starting to give him a headache, that or it was making one he already had worse. No point in watching a movie he couldn't enjoy. He decided he'd just rest a bit. Bass shut his eyes, but he was in a bright spot of the room and the cheap ceiling lights were still bugging him him.

Magnet and Hard Man were trying to build a shelf. Hammering, power drilling, and colorful slurs from the 1980s could be heard from all the way down the hall. There was a loud thud and screaming, and after that it was mostly screaming. Bass could feel his head pounded in rhythm with the shouts. "Stupid junk robots," he groaned, piling insulation over his head.

Whatever was overheating him made it feel a bit like he was wrapped in a blanket, and with his eyes already closed, he felt himself drifting off to sleep. Then someone spoke. Again.

"Bass," said Magnet Man as he walked into the room, "can you take Treble for a walk?"
"No," Bass muttered into the insulation.
"Come on, he's biting my large head magnet!"
Bass uncovered his eyes. This was true.

"Ugh, fine," Bass grunted. He got a twelve of the way up and then collapsed with a grunt, clutching his side. It was hurting more than he had remembered. "Actually no."

"But he's gonna chew it off!"
"You'll look better without it," Bass mumbled.
"How could you say that?"
Bass sighed. "Treble, off him."
The wolf obeyed, running up to his master and licking him on the face.
"Okay boy, I appreciate it. Get in bed."
The wolf whimpered.
Bass narrowed his eyes. "Do it."
Treble did it.

"Hey Magnet Man, do me a favor. Can you throw out all these empty E-Tanks for me?" Bass motioned to a large pile in front of him. "They're starting to cover the TV screen."

Magnet Man was aghast. "Magnet Man is no common trash disposal unit-"
"Do it or I'll rip your head magnet off and shove it." Bass felt no need to say any more than that.
"Right away, my good sir." Mission accomplished. Bass celebrated with a full E-tank.

Magnet Man gathered the metal cans with his powers of magnetism and walked out so he could safely blow them all up outside.

No sooner had Magnet Man walked out than Hard Man walked in. "Anybody seen my E-Tanks?"
Bass looked over. He opened a cold one.
"You do realize my E-Tanks are filled with viagra, right?"
Bass stared at Hard Man and took a prolonged sip.
"How many E-Tanks have you had?"
"Sixty n-"
It was longer than four hours later and Bass was regretting his decisions. He had just woken up from a viagra induced coma.

Hard Man, Magnet Man, and Cold Man were standing over him.

"You're awake!" Magnet Man chimed.
Bass gurgled.
"I knew you'd pull through! Hard Man said you'd probably die."
Bass shut his eyes. "I'm probably gonna die."
"So...you don't feel well, then?"
Bass squinted. "I would kill you if I could move my arms."
"Right. About that."
Everyone looked at Bass's right arm, which now ended at the elbow.

"What the hell?!" Bass scuttled up the insulation, as if he could run away from the sight of his stub. "What did you freaks do?!"

"Ain't nuthin' we did," said Hard Man.
"Your buster was firing non-stop while you were out," explained Magnet Man. "Cold Man tried to cool it down with Ice Wall, but it still overheated. Then blew up."
"Not before you ruined half the room," snarled Hard Man.

Bass looked to see what they were talking about. One corner of the room was filled with bullet holes. The laptop was reduced to a few scraps of plastic. The television was alright, though. It had taken 30 shots, but the old CRT had been made by Nokia. "Ugh. This cannot get any worse."

"Come on, you don't have it so bad, Bass." Magnet Man patted the air reassuringly. "I once dated this paraplegic girl, and she had to-"
"Stop."
"...I mean, I did..."

Hard Man turned to Cold Man. "Why didn't you tell him my E-Tanks were full of viagra?"
"I figured everyone knew."
Bass erupted with rage. "Why do you keep E-Tanks full of viagra in your chest?!"
"I like to be helpful..."

"You're gonna need to see a doctor 'bout this," said Hard Man. "Let's go to Wily."
"No," grunted Bass. "We are not seeing Wily about this. He'll never let me live it down!"
"I ain't gonna either. You need to get yourself fixed."

"Don't worry guys!" Magnet Man proclaimed. "I can help!"
"What're you gonna do?" spat Hard Man. "You ain't no doctor. You can barely even rob a grocery store."
"You might be right, but I've been reading WebMD for years!" beamed Magnet Man. "I'm practically a qualified medical professional. I might not be able to replace the Bass Buster, but think I have just the thing for any aches, pains, and assorted other symptoms. Have you ever tried this great new stuff called grapefruit?"
Everyone looked at him kinda funny.
"Cold Man, give me a grapefruit."
Cold Man reached into his chest and pulled out a big citrus, which he dropped into Magnet Man's waiting hand.

"What's a grapefruit going to do?" scowled Bass.
"Grapefruit can do anything." Magnet Man split the citrus in half. "I read that on the internet. Have some."
"No."
"Come on, try some!" Magnet Man forcibly inserted two halves of a grapefruit into Bass's mouth.
"Ffgrdfd."
"Grapefruit oil also possibly may act as an anti-inflammatory according some studies."
Magnet Man opened Cold Man's chest, took out a tub of orange liquid, and began to generously lubricate Bass.

The ensuing oil wrestling match was surprisingly long on account of Bass having only one arm and being in constant pain. Eventually, Bass managed to kick Magnet Man in the head magnet and then scrambled to hit feet, all the while spitting grapefruit peel out of his mouth. "All of you! Out! Now!"

Cold Man timidly obliged.

"Don't you yell at me," spat Hard Man. "I'm trying to help you out here!"
"Get ou-ow!" Bass had attempted to point violently at the door. He sprained himself.
"You know what? Fine. I ain't gonna force you to stop bein' so stupid." Hard Man walked out.
"Don't take that tone with me! When I get my buster back, I swear I'll-"
"You even try and I tell everyone in the castle about this!"

There was moment of bitter, angry silence.

"Wow," said Magnet Man finally. "He must have been really angry to leave you alone with me."
Bass limped towards the kitchen. He didn't reply.
"Bass?"

The finned robot went over to coffee maker and made himself a cup.
"I don't think coffee is a good idea right now," said Magnet Man.
"Shut up," Bass grumbled.
"I'm just saying, water and grapefruit-"
"Shut up!"
Bass threw open the doors of the medicine cabinet and chugged a bottle of aspirin.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Magnet Man as Bass reached for the isobutylmethylphenylpropanoic acid.
"I said to-" Bass swung his head around, his fins tearing the doors off the cabinet. He flinched, knocking his mug onto the floor with a resounding crash, coffee spilling all over the waffle maker and ruining it.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Bass slowly leaned against the wall.
"You...gonna be..."
"I'm fine" he sobbed quietly.

***

Magnet Man hoisted Bass onto his shoulders and lead him to the broom closet which served as his private quarters. The red robot put his head on a pillow of vacuum bags, covered him with a blanket of vacuum bags, and tip-toed back out into the hallway. He walked down the corridor and soon enough found Hard Man, who  was trying to salvage what remained of an Ikea shelf.

"Punk better get himself looked at soon," grumbled Hard Man
"Yeah, I know, my shoulders are killing me."

Hard Man stared at Magnet Man for a second, then went back to work. "Why'd you two break up?"
"Huh?"
"You and the paraplegic girl. Did you cheat on 'er, was it too hard, or...?"
"Oh, nothing like that! I think we were really working something out."
"What happened, then?"

"Well, you see-" Magnet Man began. "When Dr. Wily moved to a new castle, we didn't live as close anymore, so we started using this chat website to keep in touch."
"Uhuh."
"One day though, the website-"
"Shut down?"
"No, they added captcha to the login page. I could never manage to click the button saying I wasn't a robot."
"...what."
"I never even got to say goodbye..."

This story comes with post-credits scenes:

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Mega Man opened the door. No one was there. "Must have been a prank," he mumbled, but then he noticed a sizable package on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he found a small note with it. So he began to read it. "Dear Mega Man, sorry for not being able to destroy you yesterday. As a token of apology, please enjoy these 24 E-Tanks. If you fight me at anything less than peak condition, I will destroy you for so insulting me. Signed, Bass." Mega Man chuckled and opened a cold one. "Hah! I knew Bass wasn't so bad after all."

***

Now for something totally unrelated.

***

"You look like an idiot," grumbled Hard Man.
"Don't be jealous Hard Man." said Magnet Man, striking poses for a raving crowd. "You have fans too."
"I- I do?"
"Oh yes, the ladies like you almost half as much as they like me!" Magnet Man struck another pose. "It's not that surprising, really. After all, you are-" The red robot muffled a chuckle. "You know."
Hard Man narrowed his eyes. "Know what?"
Magnet Man turned around meekly. "You're, you know...are you actually gonna make me say it?"

 

...I am almost ashamed to admit I enjoyed this as much as I did. Only one complaint, 7.8/10 not enough eyebrow wiggles, I've only finished MM2 but even I know there needs to be way more of that.

[AnonymousSpeed]

25 minutes ago, SoulWeaver said:

...I am almost ashamed to admit I enjoyed this as much as I did.

Among the truest compliments a "writer" can receive.

25 minutes ago, SoulWeaver said:

Only one complaint, 7.8/10 not enough eyebrow wiggles, I've only finished MM2 but even I know there needs to be way more of that.

Yeah, in addition to a couple grammatical errors and the difficulty of writing the fractions of twelve, a re-reading over definitely shows were at least one more eyebrow wiggling scene could be.

***

Might as well do some reviews, too. Since Soul is already here, I'll talk about his first.

Spoiler

So, it's basically an exposition dump for Metroid Fusion. That's not terribly interesting, I'm sorry to say. I definitely appreciate that you didn't give Samus much dialogue, though. I'm not a Metroid fan, but that seems to better suit how Samus is normally^T-Other-M portrayed and the overall tone of Metroid.

Also @Rapier I really did read that first (aside from the ones I read as they came out)

Spoiler

So, let me get this straight.

We have an ancient warrior who is reduced to a relic, but they still have some sapience, and use of this relic transfers the powers and abilities of this warrior to the user?

Megamarge! Mega Man Model Sword!

I like that some lip service is paid to the fact that you can't solve all of a society's problems with regime change. I actually found that more interesting than the fantasy lore, which was somewhat "in a vacuum," a bit too disconnected. It was a plain and expository piece. I know it wasn't finished, though.

For a later draft, it would be pretty cool to see more demonstrations of how the sword works. It wouldn't have to be showing the protagonist figuring it out for herself, juxtaposing her competence with and without the sword would be plenty to show the audience while cutting back on direct explanations. It would also allow you to show exactly how powerful the weapon is, which the current prototype doesn't convey with much certainty.