Team PAUWNCH Discussion

Ok then
I won't add all the stages but I will add some.

~~~Part 2/5~~~

I am now on the hunt for Pho. I was informed by Sanaki that he is an enemy, and I need to make certain that it is true. I finally confront him. It has been quite some time, as Pho is a tricky person to track. I finally catch up to him at the and I confront him. At first, he acts friendly toward me. He isn't aware that after he left Sanaki had appeared, or he probably wouldn't have left.

I ask where his true allegiances lie and he responds that he is firmly with Sanaki, the God of Dreams. I then ask why we attacked the Hero. He responds that the Hero is a Shadow Lurker. I then counter by asking that if the Hero is a Shadow Lurker, then why is that Sanaki himself told me otherwise? Pho responds by revealing that there is a Shadow Lurker that can change forms. He says that this Shadow Lurker probably shifted into Sanaki to cause me to doubt my own ally. I accept it, but I am still a bit suspicious. I ask him then how does he know this Shadow Lurker? He responds by saying that he himself fought this Shadow Lurker. I shake my head, that was obvious. I ask again, but this time I ask him that, if there is a Shadow Lurker who can shape shift, then how does Pho know that this Shadow Lurker can shapeshift?

That gives him a bit of pause, but not much. He mentions that this Shadow Lurker shape shifted in front of him, to try and make him doubt me. I feel bad, but I hear a clash of steel. I look behind me, and the Hero is standing with his back toward me. He blocked an attack that was aimed at me. I am surprised, but my surprise costs me. Pho attacks me from behind. He knows I am suspicious now, and he knows that unless he can think of something, I have lost my usefulness as a weapon.

I feel betrayed. I trusted Pho above all others, and he is now my enemy. I hesitate, knowing that if I fight, I will be forced to use my power again. I know that if that happens, there is a chance I will berserk, and I don't want that. Unfortunately, it seems as if I have no choice. I warn them that

Battle 2: Me (with an assist of Hero) v Pho (with an assist of Dragmire)
Theme: This time, a Realm of Emptiness
Arena: Crystal World

In this battle, I am injured, and so my health is cut if possible. Similar to Hero's fight against Dragmire, I have the statistical advantage. Problem: my summon stone in here is going to be something like Bahamut. To be more precise, AUTO Bahamut. Pho...has Omega. Omega is Pho's Eidolon, and as such, is going to be the summon that Pho has in all of my bouts against him. Furthermore, he does have better equipment than I do. I am however, significantly higher leveled than him. To prevent things from being too easy due to level advantage, Pho will also have very high AI, as in, Maximum AI. You see, when I say I have the level advantage here, I mean as in, if I'm level 70, he's level 55 or so. However, while he has level 55 equipment (or higher if it's possible in a quest fight), I have level...30 or 40 equipment. He also has better accessories than I do. The reason for this is that I was summoned when I threw away my armor, and I never got a chance to buy a new sword or anything like that before I was summoned. Pho on the other hand, was summoned when he had his best equipment at that time. So he is better equipped than I am.

Although I am injured, the Hero and I manage to drive off both Pho and Dragmire. But Pho was analyzing me as we fought. When he leaves, he notes to himself that after our fight, I am more exhausted than I normally should be after the fight. He also notes that for a while, I couldn't harm him, but then something happened and I suddenly got a huge power boost. Finally, he noticed that throughout the battle, I seemed to be trying to gather up energy for something. At the moment, he can't figure out what it all means. He knows that I have to use some of power boost to fight effectively, but he doesn't know why I have to go through all that trouble. So he decides to observe me very carefully.

I wonder aloud if I'm supposed to head off with Hero, but the Hero rejects that notion. He warns me to keep an eye out from now on and that in this war, Pho and I are enemies. Any previous bond I had with him has to be severed, or I will be dead before he can help me. My pride is stung at that remark, and I tell him that I can fend for myself. I don't need his help like a child. Hero shrugs and mentions that if he hadn't come in when he did that I would have died. He then goes onto say that while I may be powerful physically, I lack the emotional strength to use that power wisely and correctly. I go to retort but he cuts me off. He warns me again to cut my ties with Pho. They are getting in the way of my common sense. No matter how much I try to deny it, I know him to be right. It is hard, but I finally accept that we are enemies now. I nod in acquiescence and tell Hero that next time Pho and I meet, I will not be as lenient as I have been. Hero scoffs, believing that I am merely saying that. He then chastises me for my hesitation to fight. He mentions that he noticed me hesitate before the battle. My tone turns cold and I reply that my hesitation to fight has nothing to do with Pho himself. Hero just scoffs again, not believing my words. I shrug, knowing that he does not believe me, and he probably won't no matter how much it is true. However, I know now the truth. I know that Pho and I are enemies. No matter how much it hurts. Hero turns to leave, but I stop him and ask him where he is going. He replies that he senses someone in danger, and I tell him that I will go instead. He scoffs and mentions that he will be the one to go and help, but I am insistent. He finally gives up and points me to where he senses the disturbance, and I head off in order to help. Perhaps I will find what I need.


I do appear childish in this scene, but it is important to remember that my interaction skills are not very good. It is also important to remember that Pho was the only person I have actually talked to at all during my entire life, so I naturally hold a strong bond. However, nearly killing me made me subconsciously sever that bond, and my conversation with Hero makes me acknowledge it to myself. This scene is important in showing several of my traits. It shows that I am inept at social interaction for one, and it shows that I have my pride.

Also, I hope that my planned conversation with Hero keeps us both in character...

These are fun to read.

I'm guessing next you have to meet up with the team.

...timeline wise you've been alone for quite some time.

Yes. My third fight is against Kitmeng, with Aqua as my assist. At that point I join their team. There will be a couple battles where we separate, but for the most part, I'm with my team from fight 3 on.

jeryl, I quite like it so far. You seem to have Hero's personality down quite well too, and I appreciate your attention to detail.

One thing I also like is noting conditions for the battle. We all need to remember that this is a game as much as it is a story, and as such, putting conditions on the battles themselves makes it more interesting.

... I do hope that the actual Create-a-Quest can fit in most/all of our ideas. I guess we'll learn more when the game comes out in Japan (one week left!)

I will most likely add the battle condition to my story some time later.

Before I actually wrote this I made sure to sit down and read your story, and see if I could get the details of your personality down. Yeah. I did research, because I feel it would be a disservice to the people I'm using if I misrepresent them in my story, so I take steps to avoid that. Also, I'm a fanfic writer, though I'm currently stuck in writers block for my stories. Still, my experience with writing fanfics have taught me to pay attention to details, as it's necessary for a good story. To be quite honest, it's going to be difficult to try and get Aqua's personality, since I really have nothing to go by with her. Or very little. Kit is also going to be difficult. Ah well, this is fun.

The conditions make it interesting to be honest. They allow me to actually represent the events of the story. The only thing that would be difficult to represent is my decay issue.

I too hope we can actually set all these conditions. That would make this much much more satisfying to play, as we can actually play like we envision the battle. So, I hope we can keep these conditions. I can't wait until the game comes out in Japan. I'm looking forward to it. I also hope D. Chaos is a playable character. That would make me very happy. Finally, one thing of note is that we can't share our stories from long distance, so we need to make youtube videos pretty much of them. At least, from what I've read.

~~~Part 3/5~~~

Adreneline is rushing through me at this point. I know I need to hurry. I am however, struck by a thought. How did the Hero know that someone was in danger? I am in doubt, as at that point, I don't know that the Hero has the ability to sense those in trouble. Did the Hero set this up? I don't know, but at the moment, I can't be wallowing in suspicion. If the Hero's words do in fact ring true, then perhaps I will find some answers, and perhaps allies. At the very least, I will find guidance, which is something that I lacked before.

I arrive at my destination to see Aqua and Snow being assaulted by Kitmeng and another Shadow Lurker (I'm actually thinking Ballandchain). I carefully consider the situation, but it doesn't take much to see who the people in trouble are. Even though Kitmeng and Ballandchain are wounded, Aqua and Snow are in worse condition. It is obvious that the people in trouble that the Hero told me about were Aqua and Snow. I don't hesitate, and I jump into the fray.

Obviously both sides are surprised and both sides are wary. I glance at Aqua and Snow for a moment then face Kitmeng. I give only a brief warning before I attack.

Battle 3: Me (with an assist of Aqua) v Kitmeng (with an assist of Ballandchain)
Theme: Battle against the Four Fiends
Stage: Old Chaos Shrine....Omega version.

This battle is an interesting battle. I'm actually using the Old Chaos Shrine's Omega Version as the battle field here. Both my assist and my enemies are injured. Therefore, my equipment will mostly be EX-boosting equipment, to reflect the injuries of my partner. Afterall, accessories that boost EX also weaken assists. My enemies health is also cut to represent their injuries. However, once again, my opponents have far better equipment than I do, and unlike Pho, they are exactly at my level. Going on the basis that I am level 70, I still have my level 30 or 40 equipment, while my opponents have level 70 equipment. They also have accessories improving their damage and EX absorption. My summonstone does counter theirs however. They have Iron Giant, I have Atomos. Anyway, back to this battle. The twist is that I am fighting in the Omega stage. With a couple of exceptions, I am going to be fighting in the Omega stages, due to Pho's traps.

After the battle, Kitmeng remarks that it is not yet time. He also notes that my intervention was unexpected, but that was the only reason that I won. Kit then notes that I seem to fear my power. Ballandchain scoffs and calls me a weakling and a coward, but I stay silent. Kitmeng and Ballandchain both leave. After they leave, Aqua questions me. I had just appeared out of no where, after all, just when they seemed to need the help the most. How did I know? I responded that I met with a man with flaming red hair and he had pointed me. She scoffs, it seemed too convenient. I ask to join their party, and Aqua reluctantly agrees, if only so she can keep an eye on me.

Thus my time travelling with my party begins.

I am not happy with this part. At all. I am likely going to edit this in the future, but at the moment, this is it.

Well for now I'll add it to the timeline.

Alright. My minds not working very well today, and it's difficult for me to get a handle on Kit and Aqua's personality...for now it will have to do.

Couldn't you just ask them for input? I know that's what I'm going to have to do, I won't just rely on my guesses to include people in my story.

I have no method of contacting Aqua...she never seems to appear at the Mugen board anymore either...>_>

I will get Kit's input when Kit comes on, but for now I have to use guesses.

Odd, I'm used to these sites having a method of emailing people, but it seems to be absent here. Shame too, since that could have helped you out. No clues then on Aqua, though she should have a friend, maybe contact her?

You can PM people
Just click on the user and go on Contact.

Aqua isn't on here. Kit is, admittedly, but I'd rather Kit post here to give me ideas. Otherwise I would PM Aqua.

Before I begin on the fourth part, I'm going to mention a few things.

1st: My second DO takes place long after my first one. In fact, it takes place after Aqua and maybe Snow has already gotten her/their crystals. I'm still working out the timeline details for that one.
2nd: At the beginning of my second DO, I end up splitting from my team, with the exception of my seventh battle, in which Aqua is my assist.
3rd: Don't use my first post here as an endall guide to what I'm planning. Although I did end up keeping most of it in tact, I did change several things. The fourth fight is against Ballandchain for example. I did not change my fifth, sixth, eighth, or tenth battles however.
Finally, a major person in my story makes an appearance in this chapter. Have fun figuring out who it is. You'll find out in my second DO.

Now, with that out of the way, onward!

~~~Part 4/5~~~

It has been quite some time since the last battle. We have been travelling together for some time. They have been trying to get to know me a bit better, but I don't trust them very much at all, only letting on small parts of who I am. The tension is rising palpably, and it finally blows over. There is an argument between the three of us, and in a rage, I storm off...heh...what a mistake that was....if I could...

A couple of days pass by, but they seem empty. Despite my seeming distaste for them, and despite my distrust of them, I have grown used to their presence. Now that they are gone, and that we parted on such terrible terms, it feels like a void has settled in my heart. But I am convinced. I cannot go back. Not now. Not like this.

It is then that a voice speaks to me. I jump in surprise, as I had not noticed anyone anywhere near me. I turn around, and I see a man whose face is obscured by a hood. Although I don't show it, this man intimidates me. I don't know why, but his very presence causes me to tremble.

"Why did you leave your companions? Do you not share the same goals?"

His voice is deep but inquisitive. His tone has a cutting undertone, as if scolding a child. He is right of course. We all search for our crystals, and we all search for them to help Sanaki. Further, without them, how can I know who is an ally and who is an enemy? Still, my mind refuses such a rational thought. Stubbornness born of many lonely years clouds my mind.

"We do. We had too many differences to work together."

I don't know why I felt a need to comment at all. I certainly had no reason to. The man snorts. He is obviously not very convinced.

"Is that all? Differences can be worked through, but companions cannot be replaced so easily."

He casually dismisses my excuse, as if it were worth less than dirt. If I look upon it clearly, it is. For a minute, his blunt dismissal startles me into silence, a silence that is broken by the mysterious man.

"Listen well, the bonds between comrades, friends, or family are stronger than any known force. A grandmother can lift greater forces than the strongest man in the world if it is in defense of their family. Differences mean little in the face of such force. Learn to appreciate them, and together, there shall be no force in the world capable of keeping you from your crystal."

His words shock me further still. He is single handedly destroying my beliefs that I had held for years, beliefs that had only been challenged by Pho.

Pho. The person indirectly responsible for my plight. When we traveled together, I felt this power that the man had talked about. But then Pho betrayed me as soon as he saw me here. He had used me as a tool, and discarding me when I questioned him. How was I supposed to trust, when the only person I ever did betrayed me? Was a tool all he saw of me when we traveled together? Was everything planned by him?

I had no way of knowing. None at all. In a sense, that was triggered my issues with trusting others. Pho was the only person who I ever trusted, and he betrayed it. He crushed it under his heel. It is then that I notice that he had specifically referred to my goal. My objective of gaining my crystal. It seemed as if he knew exactly where it was! I cannot ask though. The man doesn't let up.

"That woman on your team, Snow, is about to fight her foe, NarutovsIchigo. They are at the End of Dreams. The villains will outnumber your team. If you wish to get your crystal, then go! But remember this: You are not a leader. You are not fit to lead. You are, at most, a planner or a fighter. Use what you are to your advantage."

I recoil, as if struck, but he is right. I have to accept that. Before I can thank him, he vanishes, as if he were nothing but a figment of my imagination. Oh, what a helpful figment he was!

With renewed purpose, I head toward Dream's End. I am determined to try and help. I had been selfish, and it was time to make up for my mistake...no matter the cost.

When I get there, a number of villains decided to take them out of the picture. NarutovsIchigo, Elice, Blade, and Zell all teamed up to fight. Just before the battle begins I arrive. My team is shocked to see me, but it's not entirely unwelcome. At least now the sides are even, but still, one person will have to fight two people by themselves. I decide to be the one. It is not my place to fight Snows villain for her, but the rest...the rest are fair game.

I enter the fray. Fueled by desperation, a desperation to survive and a desperation to make amends, hesitation goes by the wayside. I split the villains into two groups. NarutovsIchigo and Elice on one side, and Zell and Blade on the other. I motion toward Zell and Blade, as NarutovsIchigo and Elice start attacking Snow and Aqua. They gladly take my invitation.

Battle 4: Jeryl (No assist) vs Zell (w/ an assist of Blade)
Music: Since Zell currently doesn't have a theme song, Force Your Way.
Stage: Dreams End (Omega)
Notes: Alright, this battle has several conditions. First: I am alone. I have absolutely no assist whatsoever. I was half tempted to have Dachi come in and be my assist, or have that Hooded Man be my assist, but in both cases, I discarded it. Anyway, back to the battle. Levelwise, Zell is at a slightly higher level than me, about 5 levels higher. Furthermore, he has much better equipment than I do. I, on the other hand, have a set that boosts EX mode immensely, to offset my inability to use assists. Our summon stones have an inverse relationship to each other. Zell has the Land Worm summon stone, zapping my bravery when I'm far away. Mine on the other hand is Malboro, which drains his Bravery the closer we are to each other. Zell will have Very High AI.

I manage to successfully drive them off. I had never fought with as much fury as I did in this battle, and as a result, when it's over, I am suddenly racked with coughs. I cough up blood. I was decently injured by my fight with the two, and truth be told, I barely won. Aqua and Snow are concerned but I wave them off, telling them that whenever I fight with my full power my body weakens, but that I am fine. They question as to why I came back, to which I respond by saying that I had an epiphany.

Unknown to me, Phostopho heard every word, and he is formulating a plan to take advantage of my weakness...


So there's the fourth battle. It's not as complex as the earlier battles or some of the later battles, but it works. What do you think? I hope I didn't screw up the timeline any...

I'll need to change the timeline.
But I'll wait for you to finish.

Gotcha. May take a while.

Here's the end of the first DO. The second DO is going to be much more eventful than this one. This DO is mainly setting the stage and getting me to get over a few of my conflicts, since I do have so many. The next DO...is going to be crazy. Yes, I do have a crazy twist planned, but it only really affects me, my DO, and my SI, so I'm keeping it close to myself.

~~~Part 5/5~~~

It has been a while since my last encounter, but I am no closer to acquiring my crystal. At the moment, that does not faze me. In the time since my last encounter, I have grown close to my companions. I finally understand what that Hooded Man was talking about. My friends....I shall not let harm come to them!

I am worried however. Pho has not made an appearance at all since I last saw him, so long ago. That bothers me. If this Pho is similar at all to the Pho I know, then he will not have given up so easily. Where is he?

I lay to sleep, yet my mind is not at ease. I know something is going to happen soon. I can feel it. My instincts scream at me that something is wrong, something is terribly....dreadfully...wrong.

As sleep claims me, I suddenly see the visage of the Hooded Man for but an instant, so brief that I dismiss it as a figment of my imagination...but then I realize...was the Hooded Man not a figment of my imagination as it was? After all, it was my understanding that even those who can teleport do not do so without some sort of sign....what then was he if not a figment of my imagination?

If, then, it is as I suspected and the Hooded Man was merely my conscious warning me, what was it trying to tell me now?

My eyes snap open, to an unfamiliar place. I find myself in front of a castle. Land masses appear and disappear around me, and all is unfamiliar. What is going on? I hear laughing...a familiar laughing.

I turn and narrow my eyes. It is Pho, but he has another accompanying him, someone whom I had never seen before. This newcomer is dangerous, but my focus is solely on Pho.

He once again seems to be putting up his facade of friendliness.

"Why are you here?" I ask coldly.

"He is here because I asked him to." The newcomer replies. I am taken aback before I realize.

"You're a Shadow Lurker." The newcomer shrugs his shoulders. I would later realize that this was only a half truth. I curse to myself. I am in an unknown territory, facing two Shadow Lurkers at the same time.

"You're holding yourself back." The newcomer states bluntly. I am taken aback. " Why do you fear yourself?"

I flinch, how did he know!? I had never met him in my life! Had he been spying on me? I am unable to come up with a decent response, or indeed, a response at all. My lack of a response makes him scowl.

"You will die as you are. If you do not overcome your hesitation to fight, then you shall die in this conflict. When you die, your friends will follow right behind you."

I snap out of my confusion at his words, and I am enraged! I see nothing but red and I am about to loose my fury on this man!...but then memories surface. I see the last time I was this mad. I see the results of such a rage, and I know that that cannot happen again, but then I question why not? The only people here are my enemies. Then logic regains control, and I calm myself. Pho notes my reaction and smirks.

"Do you know why you are so weak? Do you know why you cannot obtain your crystal, no matter how hard you try? You are dwelling on your past, and it's dragging you down. You refuse to fight with all your strength. You refuse to take fighting seriously. You know how to get your crystal, and yet you refuse to take the steps to do so."

I am taken aback. He noted one of the reasons why I refused to fight and he was spot on. How had he known...

Pho's visage becomes deathly serious, almost apathetic.

"Do you not know? Forming your crystal requires several things, among them is an acceptance of your self."

The mysterious stranger scoffs and speaks and gets in a fighting stance.

"If you don't want to heed our words, then fine. You shall die here."

Suddenly he and Pho attack. I am taken aback, and they seem to be handily winning. Cue cliche anime sequence. I see Aqua and Snow. I see Sanaki. I see them with expressions of happiness. I see myself with that same expression of happiness...then the scene changes. Aqua, Snow, and myself are all mangled and bloody. Sanaki gazes at me with a disappointed expression. I see a large monster of fire. Chip. I hear a mysterious laughter, both terrible and beautiful...

Pho shakes his head disappointedly.

"I thought you had more sense than this..."

"It isn't over." I reply. I stand up, ready to fight. My hesitation has vanished, at least for the moment. Pho and the mysterious stranger both smirk.

Battle 5: Jeryl (no assist) vs. DEKM (w/ an assist of Pho)
Stage: The Rift (Omega)
Theme: Battle on the Big Bridge
Notes: No other way about it, this battle is hell. Jeryl has his HP cut and has no assist. DEKM is a good 10 levels higher than me, and he has better equipment as well. My summonstone is Calcabrina which reduces his bravery to 0. He...has Barbaraccia, switching his Bravery with mine, so it's generally a good idea to not use the summon here. The advantage I have here is similar to the advantage I had last battle: in this fight I have on a really good set of EX boosting equipment. This helps me get into EX mode, and stay there for a while. The strategy for the fight should be to get into EX mode, and then whittle away at his brave and HP. The stage is fairly spacious, so it should be somewhat simple to run away, but that applies to him too. Just don't EX burst, and you should be fine.

After the fight, they both smirk, and all of a sudden, there is a feeling similar to an earthquake...

I open my eyes to see Aqua and Snow shaking me. I am confused. Was it all a dream? It only takes one look at myself to realize that no, that was not a dream. I still have all the wounds from our battle...what was going on?



I know that neither DEKM or Pho are in character here. They aren't meant to be. I'm not very satisfied with this chapter. This is the most cliched chapter I've written, but meh. At the moment, I can't think of any other way to get this to work, so it'll have to do unless I come up with something better.

Due to all the detail added in this one thing that can't be done in the quest maker itself I think we should make the scenes themselves when there done (the same way Negi is making the trailers)

----Destiny Odyssey 2, Revelations----

~~~Part 1/5~~~ (or would you rather I label it 6/10?)

It has been quite some time since my last battle. The encounter with Pho and that mysterious stranger troubled me. They had acted...strange. Almost as if they were mere phantasms...yet that was not possible was it? I had never heard of such an ability before...I knew I probably shouldn't dismiss it offhand, but still...

Was it possible? If it was, then who could have such a power? The power to manifest illusions as reality...the implications were frightening to me.

Not too long ago, perhaps a few hours at most, my team and I decided to split up to cover more ground. Snow was looking for a person named Negi, Aqua was looking for someone named Ballandchain. I was supposed to as well, but I convinced Aqua that we would cover more ground if we split up. I still feel guilty about deceiving her as I had. We resolved to meet in three days at the Crystal Tower.

That talk with that man had certainly done me wonders. I trusted my team more than ever, but I had to find out. Anyone who could do that...was a threat, a threat to my team and myself. I could not let such a threat go unchecked.

But I needed leads. Without any way to discover the truth...I was left with a conundrum. I wasn't left with many options.

When I found my answer I wish I hadn't.

It began when I stumbled across my rival, the Shadow Lurker opposing me, my mentor Pho, at the Crystal World. He seemed to be in conflict with two other shadow lurkers, one of which looked suitably demonic..

"Why do you betray your god?"

The demonic looking lurker asked. Wait...Pho betrayed Chip? What was going on? I had heard that Shadow Lurkers were evil...what was going on?

Pho scoffed. It appears he had disdain for the man. "You are no god, Stunna. Or would you rather face Chip and find out first hand?"

Stunna seemed angry at Pho. So...it made more sense now. Pho had been playing this man, Stunna. He had pretended to be loyal to him, although I can only imagine why, and had betrayed him...

"You insolent bastard. You know nothing of power!"

Pho was about to reply, but then he suddenly jerked and looked in my direction. The smirk that appeared on his face was malicious. He called out...

"Aren't you going to help me, Jeryl?"

What? I walked out, angry. Why would I help him? His smirk was gleeful as I approached. I suddenly aimed an attack at Pho.

"You dare? You dare ask for my help!?"

I hated traitors. I hated them with a passion. Having my feelings toyed with by someone ultimately aiming for your death...to me, traitors were some of the most loathsome people around. His smile did not diminish.

He is hit by Stunnas Vacuum Wave, but he ignores the pain, and instead turns to me.

"Heheh, I played quite the role in your past, didn't I? Well, I wonder what would happen if I were to die here? After all, the me that you know is my future. How will your life change without me, I wonder?"

I recoil as if struck. He is right. It was Pho who helped me become who I am...I never thought about it before. He certainly made sense...yet something didn't sit right with me. How did he know that I knew him in the future?

Stunna attacks again. This time I block it with my own attack. Pho's grin turns victorious. I am reluctant. I don't know what to do. If I kill him, then it is quite possible that I never become who I am...what would happen then? Still, what if he was lying?

I couldn't take the chance. I took up my arms. I would fight. At the moment, I had no reason not too. Yet, I still hesitate for but a moment before the fight.

Battle 6: Jeryl (w/ an assist of Pho) vs. Stunna (w/ an assist from one of his lackeys)
Music: Awakening
Stage: Crystal World (Omega)

Notes: First thing is first, Jeryl's equipment is finally as good as his opponents! Yes he finally got an upgrade! During the time skip between the two DO's, Jeryl was finally able to find and/or purchase better equipment, so the playing ground is a bit more equal. The thing is, Jeryl is also about 5 levels lower than Stunna. Still, this battle isn't too complicated. The difficulty lies in two main facts. First, his summonstone counters mine. I have Brynhild and he has Hecatonchier. Second: His accessories are focused around EX Depletion, and he has quite a few boosters on. This means that I cannot let him hit me, or there is going to be problems. Further, he has Maximum AI, which means he is no pushover.

After the battle, Stunna and his lackey vanish. Pho turns to me, and mocks me.

"Hehe, good job...partner."

I grimace, but I have no choice but to listen, for the moment. I ask a question.

"How?"

Pho merely raises an eyebrow. I wasn't very clear admittedly. His grin doesn't fade.

"How....what?" He responds. He obviously is confident in his threat.

"How did you know that I knew you?" Pho laughs a full blown laugh. He is obviously very amused by my question.

"Haha, if you must know, then why don't you ask him yourself? The reason I know...haha...is located at the Lunar Subterrane." I am suitably annoyed. Still, I can do nothing, I resolve myself to seek the answer regardless...

That sounds like Stunna.

Though if he flees it's cause he fears for his life (one of the reasons he is wanting god hood is so he can't die...and rule the world as well)

Prepare for plot twists a plenty!

~~~Part 2/5~~~

I am distraught. It was a bad idea, going all alone to try and find my answers. Dammit...if I hadn't then someone could have talked some sense into me...someone could have done something to help me....I have been a fool.

To make things worse, I was going to do it again. I was too far into trouble as it was. I did not want to involve my friends...

So I resolved to go by myself to the Lunar Subterrane. I needed my answers.

When I arrived I saw a sight that surprised me: The Hooded Man. The man I was so sure was but a figment of my imagination, of my conscious. The man turned toward me.

"So you came."

His voice was just as deep as I remembered...yet it seemed to have some sort of undertone...as if it were more than one person speaking in tandem. It creeped me out...

"Yes. I have come...."

"...for answers?" He finishes my sentence. I am surprised...how did he...

"Read you so easily?" he asks, and I visibly recoil. He finished my thought! What...what was this? What was this trickery, that allowed him read my thoughts?

"Ask. I shall answer." His voice startles me for a minute. That minute is entirely too long for his liking. "Oh? Afraid? Then I shall ask for you. Why did I allow Phostopho to know of his relation to you? Because I knew he would guide you to me. Why am I so concerned about you? Is not the king supposed to be concerned with the well-being of the queen? After all, while the king is important, it is the queen who enforces the king's will, is it not?" I am intimidated now. This man...what is he? His last answer rouses me out of my stupor and I am about to respond, but he yet again beats me to it.

"Oh? Are you going to protest? Perhaps you are thinking that you are not performing my will, or that you will never serve me? Allow me to continue with your questions, Jeryl. We are just getting to the interesting questions!" Again, he takes the thoughts from my head. I interrupt and he lets me finish.

"How? How are you doing this?! What is this trickery!?" I demand to know. How does he keep reading my thoughts!?

"Your mind is an open book to me, Jeryl. That is to be expected." He suddenly vanishes and reappears right in front of me. The movement took less than a second. I am surprised. He backhands me into the rock formation behind me, destroying it through the sheer force of the blow. His face is impassive.

"I will answer if you answer me my question. Why have you not taken my advice?"

He asks. His voice is cold. I am confused. I had made certain to follow his advice, and it had helped me greatly. I had let my friends have my trust, hadn't I?

"What..what are you talking about? I followed your advice!"

He stabs me in the arm with a lance that appeared out of no where.

"No you have not. I advised you to leave your hesitation behind when you fight. Yes, Jeryl, that dream you had was of my making, and you ignored my advice. I suppose I should get to the crux of the matter. You asked me, how I was reading your thoughts...your answer is simple. I am your creator." The shock is visible on my face. He continues without stopping. With every sentence, he teleports around me. The voices...they echo throughout the lunar air.

"I created you to be my weapon against ChipNoir. I created you eighteen years ago. Everything that happened in your life happened at my will and my accord. You meeting Pho, your Pho's death, you going berserk...all of it happened by my hand, so that you would have reasons to fight. So that you would be my champion. You often wondered why you suddenly became so accepting of your team. That was because I wished it. I can read your mind, because I am the one who is giving you thought."

My mind is reeling. This man must be lying. He MUST be! There was no way he was telling the truth!

"Oh? You have summoned by a god to fight a god. Is it so hard to believe that another god created you? Or were you foolishly assuming that you were created by that man, Cid of the Lufaine, who created the rest of the manikins? Were you assuming yourself defective?"

Again he hit the nail on the head. Each of those things....everything he said....was right on the money. I had indeed thought both of those things...the next question naturally was..

"Who...who are you!?"

This time when he spoke, I noticed...one of the voices speaking in tandem with each other...one of them was mine...

"Oh? You wish to know my name? Very well. I...have been called many names throughout the millennia. You mortals now know me as Etro, so I suppose Etro will do."

Etro. I had heard of her...yes, her. Etro was, in my world, the Goddess of Death. She held the balance of the world in her hands. If any had a problem with this war, then surely it was she, but I knew now that this person had to be lying. (from now on, instead of referring to Etro as a he, I will be referring to her as a she, despite the fact that she is still in a male form)

"You cannot be Etro."

"Why is that? Because I am male? Stop being so blind and stupid Jeryl. I take this form because it is what you fear. This hood serves to hide my features, and cloak me in shadow. Do you not realize it yet? You fear the unknown, and so I chose my form accordingly. The strongest people you know are men, so I have taken the form of a male." Etro teleports back in front of me, back in her starting position, and she crosses her arms in front of her.

"Let's finish our little Question and Answer session, shall we? Why am I interested in the war? ChipNoir and his followers disturb the balance of life and death. It stands to reason that I have a problem with it, so is it hard to believe that I decided to take steps to correct the problem? Why do I not just fight Chip myself and be done with it? The laws created by the maker of this war prevent me from doing so. I was not meant to fight directly, nor was I appointed by any of the other Gods. So I could only influence this war through a loophole. You. Why did I convince you to rejoin your teammates? Leverage. Doing so allowed me a small safety measure. Luckily, it seems to be unneeded. There is the small matter of that limiter that Chip implanted in you upon your creation, but even so you have performed your duties admirably. Do you understand now Jeryl? All this time, you have been doing my will. Simply by being in this war and emerging victorious, you have been doing exactly as I have wished. Do you still require more proof?" She merely waves her hand at me, and commands me to slash myself with my own sword. As if my body was following the commands from a puppetmaster, it moves of it's own accord, picks up one of my swords, and slashes the arm that Etro pierced.

I have lost hope. Everything Etro says...I know to be truth. Something inside me recognizes her words as truth. It makes sense, too, though her disregard for my life runs parallel to the stories. She recognizes my thoughts and chuckles, an unearthly sound coming from her.

"You are wondering why I am so different from the tales? I am but Death incarnate."

I despair. My life was a lie. All that I knew...had been a lie. All that I was was a lie. I had no reason to hope...Aqua...Snow...I am sorry...

A light. A light came from the end of the tunnel. I hear footsteps, and I look to the side. Aqua. Apparently more time had passed than I had thought. Five days since I parted from her to be exact. When she found Ballandchain and yet could not find me, she knew something was wrong. I stand up, and Etro frowns.

"I shall be a pawn no longer! For my friends, I shall break the ties that bind me!" Etro scoffs.

"There is nothing you can do about it, Jeryl. But if you wish to try, then come."

Battle 7:Etro (no assist) vs Jeryl (w/ an Aqua assist)
Battle Theme: Nascent Requiem
Stage: Lunar Subterrane (Omega)

Notes: No, you have not lost your mind. Yes, you are reading that right. In this fight, you control Etro and you fight Jeryl. Yes, Jeryl went from fighting a god wannabe, to fighting an actual god. Unlike Sanaki, Etro doesn't hold back. Remember when I was talking about the difficulty level and that I described the previous battle as difficult, then went ahead and said that this one was '...not so much'? Yeah, this is why. This could be more accurately described as a curbstomp battle/slaughter/massacre. Etro has no assist. That is her only disadvantage. She is level 100, Jeryl is at most Level 50 (in this battle anyway). Jeryl's life is cut, Etro's isn't. Jeryl has Behemoth as a summon, Etro has Omega. Etro has far superior equipment than Jeryl has and a couple of her accessories decrease the opponents EX gauge. Do you see where this is going? Don't be confused however: This battle is meant as a breather before the difficulty ramps up immensely.


After the brutal beatdown that was that 'fight' Jeryl struggles to stand. Etro looks on impressed.

"Heh. Your will is admirable Jeryl. You even managed to conceal your thoughts from me, if only briefly. But I must ask...why do you fight? We share the same goal."

I respond, fueled with the determination to protect.

"We may have the same end goal, but it is our methods that contradict each other. Furthermore, you controlled me, and used me as your own."

I growl out at her. I obviously have gotten over my fear, or perhaps, I just learned to suppress it. I cannot afford to fear, not when my life and the life of my friends are at stake.

"What else does one do with tools?" Her response is callous and cold. In a sense, I understand where she is coming from. To one with her power, indeed, all I am is a tool.

"A tool that is cared for does its job. A tool that is neglected, never shined or refined, loses it's edge. The owner throws away the tool never realizing that it is their own negligence that caused their tool's demise. Thinking that they have done what they could, they blame the tool." My words seem to affect her, though it is more likely that she is merely making a show of it. She shrugs and responds.

"You are interesting. Do you know what the crystal's purpose is?"

I am staggered by the sudden change in topic.

"Crystals grant their owners deepest desire. It is, indeed, a manifestation of desire. Find your purpose, lose your doubt and hesitation, and the crystal might still be yours."

With those words, she vanishes. I know, somehow, that that is not the last time I will see her...

(Surprise. I am going to refine this chapter at a later date, but I wanted to get this out so that I could answer questions. Yes, I changed Jeryl's origin. This is mainly because Sanaki pointed out that neither Chaos nor Chip can create the manikins, so I brought in another character. Etro actually is the canon Goddess of Destruction in the FFXIII world, but she is portrayed as more benevolent than she is here. Do not mistake her as a villain however. She isn't. Not at all. She's more of an anti-hero. If you had to have an assist here, the assist would be a Gabranth alt, to represent Jeryl. I still might do that, but I dunno. If I do, I'll add another portion to this part showing her creating the other 'Jeryl'. Anyway, as mentioned, this is the easiest battle in either of my DO's. Obviously, it's a goddess vs. Her creation, and the goddess isn't holding back. Obviously it's not going to end well for her creation, especially in these circumstances. That was my big twist, or one of them really. What do you think?)

If this new person is still alive by the end She is going to have to be one of the 5 bosses in the final story

Oh, nice. Like my story, we get a surprise substitute player character, though the situation and premise is different in both cases; Hero thinks he's Dragmire in mine, while this has the player switching sides for the battle.

Also, I think afterward you'll have to explain how much of a time jump there was between the two parts.