Snowdin(?)

Rocbouquet suppressed the urge to burst out into a fit of laughter as her spell fired off. That skeleton wouldn't know what hit it, she thought, peering over her right shoulder with a sneer. Unfortunately, the ghost claw swatted at Papyrus' back a little too late. A split second before its manifestation, a jet black energy enveloped the trio, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone with the wind quite literally. The temptress clenched her fists in irritation.

“Dammit!” she spat. It barely missed!

Moments after the gentle breeze subsided, the borough began to obscure into a maelstrom of blues, browns, greens, and grays, until the blur became so intense that the landscape went totally blank. When the effects of the distortion faded, Rocbouquet was no longer sitting against a brick wall in a snow-covered town, but rather at the base of a stump—most likely in that blasted decaying wasteland she and Frieza had discovered behind the illusion that cloaked the western outreach of the evergreen forest. Rocbouquet then remembered the shadows in the library window and looked behind her. She clenched teeth and began to growl. Those were no cowering civilians.

"Well it's nice of you two to FINALLY show up after the battle. Sunset and I were doing our best without you and we would have won if you two had stayed with us!"

Rocbouquet leapt to her feet and stormed straight over to Buggy and Sunset. A dark aura emanated from her body.

“What the hell were you worthless maggots doing hiding here!?”

...A battle, huh? This information only made her more upset. The ends of her hair suddenly shot upright. Hissing souls emerged from the writhing strands like steam escaping from a boiling kettle as the girl's temper continued to rise.

“So you let them get away!?” she thundered accusingly, brows quivering more violently the longer she stared at the duo. “You couldn't hold them off for a few more seconds!?” She did not know who exactly "them" was referring to—Team Cosmos? A couple of travelers? Local philistines?—That, she expected Sunset and Buggy to explain.

Snowdin Library // Forest

Sunset continued staring blankly at the wall of books, sitting, not ready to move on. She still couldn’t understand what had gone wrong unless Chaos had lied to them about their powers neutralizing? What if hers were...weaker? The thought infuriated her and her small equine body trembled the more she convinced herself that that was the case.  She ignored Buggy’s thanks until suddenly the wall of books in front of her were nothing more than trees, much like when they had met Chaos.

Watching the library books fade away, Sunset knew immediately that where they had once been, Snowdin, had been an illusion. Her eyes widened momentarily and he looked around briefly, not bothering to stand. She noted that the three Cosmos warriors had disappeared and both Rocbouquet and Frieza had arrived. Great. Buggy began shouting at them and…mentioned they had been in a battle and lost. Oh for Celestia’s sake. She slapped her face with her hoof. He just had to go and open his stupid blabbing mouth. Whatever tiny glimmer of respect for the clown she had gained during that battle was lost now. That idiot! Could this day get any worse!?

Sunset didn’t even bother to face Rocbouquet when the banshee woman started screaming at them. Of course she would. Stupid hussy. She goes off dilly dallying on her own and returns expecting all the work to be done for her. That manipulative b...blowhard! Finding herself trembling in anger again, she stomped her hoof on the ground, mindlessly moving around the dirt.

“Chaos lied to us,” Sunset barked, still keeping her back to them. Her tail swished back and forth as she thought of how to explain.

“Our abilities weren’t neutralized to make us an even match. We were weakened!”

Her face was red with anger as she admitted her weakness out loud. Maybe it hadn’t weakened Rocbouquet or Frieza, she had no way of knowing but she… She didn’t let the thought finish, instead recalling how close she had been to touching that crystal and receiving its power. Only for it to deny her and push her away.

Why had it done that? she thought, teeth grinding. It had even pushed away Buggy when he touched it. Her glare grew even more intense as another thought crossed her mind, “Don’t tell me that it can only be touched by the “pure of heart” or some stupid cliched thing like that.”

That was just ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! However...it made some sense considering how easily that winged human had been able to pick it up, like it was a cheap piece of crystal that scam ponies would try to sell to the uppity Canterlot denizens.

She needed to get back at those warriors and the only way to do that would be to use the crystal that Frieza carried. She had been close to wanting to admit that the four of them needed to work together, but with Rocbouquet’s tirade and the response she knew was coming from Frieza. How could they? Those two would never work with her and she didn’t want their help! But it might be the only way… Sunset sighed. Why couldn’t these have been weak little teenagers that she could easily manipulate to stab each other in the back?

Snowdin Library // Forest

“What the hell were you worthless maggots doing hiding here!?” 

“So you let them get away!?”


Buggy stood up and stood up for himself and Sunset but before he could speak, Sunset roared angerly,


“Chaos lied to us,” “Our abilities weren’t neutralized to make us an even match. We were weakened!”


Buggy then added in a bit of an angry voice and trying to look taller than her, "First off Floozy queen...if you and your boyfriend bones-for-brains were a bit smarter than you are dumber, you would have been able to stop them from leaving with the crystal we were sent after! We tried to grab it a few times but we were both repelled from it instead. So instead of checking out all of those other sites on your sightseeing tour, you can now work with us to try and figure out why Chaos decided to screw us over. Sunset was the one who teleported us to the library which has disappeared now"

Buggy was standing up for them but he knew more than anything that he wouldn't be for long. "Oh, also I wouldn't attack me either. Think about it, if we should be going after Chaos, 4 against 1 is better odds now isn't it?"

Narrative - Asvas

~

The thick snow and ice of Snowdin soon gave way to a significantly warmer climate, brought about by a great abundance of sunlight, favorable geography, and a notable lack of heavy urbanization. Flanked on both sides by plots of tilled and fallow farmland, an earthen trail lined with heavy grass and robust oak trees leads travelers towards a growing community of buildings incorporating both wood and stone into their construction. From this short distance, a stone tower can be clearly seen above the collection of mostly one- and two-story structures.

Few clouds are present to crowd out the sun's splendor on this particularly warm afternoon, instead appearing as a wispy thin garnish to the dim silhouette of distant mountains. A gentle breeze from the rocky crowns can be felt, but none too strong to do anything more than keep the perceived high temperatures in check.

A nearby road sign suggests that they have not only arrived at a road, but a junction.

~

Garland - Asvas

The wind kicked up around Garland briefly, then swiftly returned to a certain familiar sensation - one that he had known for much of his lifetime. He opened his eyes with a start, then briefly gasped and looked around the crossroads. After a moment of hesitation, he approached a wooden sign which displayed directions to neighboring villages, examining the fixture for familiar markings.

"I-.. I think this is the place. It feels like we just arrived at the beginning of growing season."

Papyrus-Asvas
The first thing Papyrus did when the light vanished was to immediately swirl around. He could have sworn he felt sinister energy that was approaching him at a rapid speed, ready to seize him from behind; like a hunter racing to give a killing blow to its prey. 

Nothing but trees and a dirt road met his gaze, and he sighed heavily in relief. Perhaps he was finally losing his sanity. At this point it wouldn't surprise him, though it would amount to even more shame on his behalf. Fiddling nervously with his scarf, Papyrus turned to Garland.

"So I assume this is where you live?" With how Garland interacted with the sudden change of surroundings-Why wouldn't it be? Every other crystal the party had gathered thus far had managed to teleport them to one of their homelands. 

Papyrus could only pray with every fiber in his being that there wouldn't be any rabid creatures ready to try to kill them this time.

Angela - Asvas

After the previous locations that the small group had visited, the current one was a rather welcome change and pleasant surprise. The warm sun, the soft breeze, the green trees and the vintage buildings in the distance. A tower of stone easily caught her attention among the other much smaller structures - what could it be? A monument of some sort, perhaps?

She noticed a nearby sign and decided to check it out. Not that she expected that its content would mean anything to her, considering she knew nothing about this place, but she was mostly curious to see if she would be able to read it at all. Was the common language the same in those other places too? She could understand Garland just fine, after all.

"Growing season?" she repeated as she walked towards the sign post. And if the crystal brought them to the place he lived, like it did for Angela and Papyrus... "Are you a farmer?" she asked, rather amused at the thought. Not that there was anything wrong with it. It just was... almost disappointingly normal? With his feathery appearance, Angela half expected to witness a world of dragons and other beasts roaming freely. But maybe he's just your average magic-gifted winged farmer, which could totally be a normal thing in this place for all she knew.

Decayed Forest

"Chaos lied to us! Our abilities weren’t neutralized to make us an even match. We were weakened!"

“Well, that's your problem! I never trusted him to begin with!” Rocbouquet exclaimed, suddenly placing her hands against her hips and whipping her head toward Sunset Shimmer. “Besides, as long as I've got quick wit and a beautiful body, I don't need power to get what I want!” she pointed out with a sneer. The temptress brought the back of her hand to her face and began to laugh in a more light-hearted manner as Buggy attempted to defend himself by throwing a few spontaneous insults at her and Frieza, while avoiding a more detailed report of his encounter with "them." At this point, Rocbouquet assumed that he meant the trio she had spotted on the pathway. Her eyes narrowed at his mention of the crystal.

So that glint of light had been the crystal in that skeleton's hands all along? The temptress let out a soft growl. Hearing how close she had been to the divine gem—a key with more than enough potential to unlock Wagnas' precious little heart and free the two of them, along with the rest of the Seven Heroes, from the abyss—truly upset her; but her exasperation was short-lived, for Buggy's next statement had her baffled.

“...Y-You touched it!?” Rocbouquet shook her head in disbelief. What an idiot. A magical artifact of utmost significance almost always had a protection spell, or a guardian, to ward off looters and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Even the most average of Ancients placed curses, illusions, and magical locks on their hallowed gathering places, secrets, and treasures; Rocbouquet expected nothing less from a goddess whose purpose was to supposedly maintain the balance of the universe.

“Now, if you were a bit smarter, you would have realized that you're supposed to dispel unfamiliar objects before grabbing at them!” she snarked, bringing the tips of her fingertips to her mouth to stifle her condescending giggles. Clearly she was the smartest of this group. She had managed to get a good look at those three vermin without announcing her presence to them. On the other hand, these two fools calling themselves her "teammates" made it beyond apparent with their griping that they had gone off and blown their cover during an unnecessary encounter with the enemy.

“I don't care why some idiot god decided to play you!” interrupted Rocbouquet, glaring. “In fact, you're probably just blaming him because you don't want to admit how inexperienced you are in battle!” She turned away from the pair and began to gradually make her way over to the galactic tyrant. “Anyway, I don't have time to waste on your petty little baby problems; I've got a bone to pick with a certain skeleton......” Her words trailed off to a murmur as she stopped beside Frieza.

“C'mon, emperor! Let's go! My patience with these gnats is growing thin.”

Rocbouquet was making a bigger scene than was necessary, and she knew it. But she wanted to assert her dominance over the others by belittling them in as many ways as possible to cover up for her own lack of accomplishment in the previous world.

???

Instead of listening to the clear instructions Frieza gave to her, Rocbouquet started firing one of a spells off into the distance. There the emperor was able to make out three figures he must have missed while being distracted by the sounds coming out off the building. With a tremendous speed the spell's projectile flew towards the group, but shortly before it reached them the three of them disappeared. "Dammit!" Rocbouquet spat. Frieza had to admit that her attack was quite formidable. Maybe she would even be able to join the ranks on the Ginyu Force if she was part of his Army.

Just when some rare words of praise were about to leave his lips, the scenery around them started to change. Everything started to whirl together, as if someone had thrown reality itself into a blender, until everything around him looked just like the illusion he and Rocbouquet had encountered back in the forest. Then after another moment everything slowly started to fade, until Frieza and Rocbouquet found themselves in what looked like the same wasteland they were before. But the two of them were not alone: Buggy and Sunset Shimmer appeared back where the building Frieza was inspecting used to be.

As soon as the Clown noticed the two of them, he tried to call them out for not staying at his side. "Well it's nice of you two to FINALLY show up after the battle. Sunset and I were doing our best without you and we would have won if you two had stayed with us!" A Battle? So these three must've been Cosmos' warriors."

Rocbouquet seemed to be really angry about Buggy's remark. Swiftly she  leapt back to her feet and stormed over to the Pirate and his animal companion. Frieza could not only see, but also feel how a dark aura emanated from her body. “What the hell were you worthless maggots doing hiding here!?” She hissed at Buggy, the ends of her hair shooting up straight into the air. Even though the Emperor was still a good distance away from them, he could feel how the spirits that surround the Temptress were flying straight past him, barely missing his body.

“So you let them get away!? You couldn't hold them off for a few more seconds!?" The woman thundered at Buggy and Sunset Shimmer staring them down. For a moment Frieza really could have forgotten that she wasn't one of his minions. It was as if she was able to read his thoughts and handled according to them, without him having to do any work himself.

The horse really didn't seem too impressed by Rocbouquet's sudden burst of rage. "Chaos lied to us, our abilities weren’t neutralized to make us an even match. We were weakened!" The horse barked out as a response to the woman's accusations. "Of course they were." Frieza knew very well that his powers had been weakened, but he also knew that it was the only way to make him somewhat of an even match to everyone else.

The Clown also wasn't too startled. He bolstered his stand and replied in an angry tone: "First off Floozy queen...if you and your boyfriend bones-for-brains were a bit smarter than you are dumber, you would have been able to stop them from leaving with the crystal we were sent after! We tried to grab it a few times but we were both repelled from it instead. So instead of checking out all of those other sites on your sightseeing tour, you can now work with us to try and figure out why Chaos decided to screw us over. Sunset was the one who teleported us to the library which has disappeared now"
Frieza would have been impressed by his sudden boost of courage, if he didn't add "Oh, also I wouldn't attack me either. Think about it, if we should be going after Chaos, 4 against 1 is better odds now isn't it?" shortly after.

Ignoring Buggy at first, she responded to Sunset Shimmer, stating that she never trusted Chaos to begin with, before adding: “Besides, as long as I've got quick wit and a beautiful body, I don't need power to get what I want!” The Temptress was probably right about that. Even though she couldn't be a use to Frieza with her raw physical strength, her knowledge of magic and her seduction skills were pretty useful. Shortly after her remark to Sunset, she asked "...Y-You touched it?", shaking her head in disbelif. “Now, if you were a bit smarter, you would have realized that you're supposed to dispel unfamiliar objects before grabbing at them!” This only strengthened Frieza opinion about her usefulness, as he would have surely tried to either touch or destroy it as well.

“I don't care why some idiot god decided to play you. In fact, you're probably just blaming him because you don't want to admit how inexperienced you are in battle!” With that said, Rocbouquet turned around and slowly made her way back towards Frieza, who still hadn't moved a single bit. He had watched the conversation with great pleasure. Rocbouquet has said everything he would have wanted to say, and the Emperor didn't have to move a single muscle. If only all of his minions were like her.  “Anyway, I don't have time to waste on your petty little baby problems; I've got a bone to pick with a certain skeleton...” She added to her last sentence. When she finally reached Frieza she looked at him, before requesting to move on. “C'mon, emperor! Let's go! My patience with these gnats is growing thin.”

"Ohohohoho, very well Rocbouquet." He said while laughing into the back of his hand, before stretching it out to her. "I grow tired of this damned wasteland." He then tried to focus his Ki onto the Crystal, making no sign that he was about to wait for the other two. He wasn't too sure how it worked, but since their work here was done, he assumed that it would teleport them to the next location if he was able to activate it.

Narrative - Asvas

~

The road sign was originally cut and shaped from hardwood. Though it isn't exactly what comes to mind when thinking of a freshly fabricated fixture, the sign itself is treated with preservatives and is more than thick enough to survive a brusque encounter with a stray wagon. Or, judging from one discolored gash in the otherwise peaceful sign, the wayward blade of a sword.

The crossroads sign bears two directions in a common-form language, one which can be interpreted without much difficulty from the observer.

(West)
Akroteos 150 mi
Lightwane Chapel 2 mi

(East)
Asvas 1 mi

~


Garland - Asvas

"Oh, me? I'm not a farmer, but the township you see off to our east started growing up out of farmers' markets." Garland casually waved off Angela's suggestion with a light smirk, finding a bit of humor in the suggestion. He wasn't convinced that the presence of his wings would have bestowed any great competence in the field of animal husbandry, and the young lady's mostly innocent question had him trying to imagine doing farm work with his wings exposed.

Garland ran his thumb across the wooden groove, then inhaled softly and turned to face Angela and Papyrus with a softer speaking voice, filled with hints of personal regret. "My father was a blacksmith, so I ended up learning his trade through my youth. But I had a bit more ambition than that, and.. well, I came to be affiliated with a coalition of scholars and arcanists called the Enthroned, headquartered right here in Asvas."

Garland raised a hand to point in the direction of the township. "My story isn't exactly brief, but if you have questions I'd be happy to answer along the way."

Angela - Asvas

"Akroteos... Lightwane Chapel... Asvas..." she read out loud. Looks like she could read the sign just fine, after all. And just as she expected, none of these places meant anything to her. She just hoped they didn't have to go to Akroteos. If the crystal decided to transport them a good 150 miles away from their destination, they might as well just try again.

"Oh." So he was not a farmer? Now Angela was almost disappointed that he was not disappointingly normal, having already visualized a world of flying farmers going on about their everyday business in her head. A blacksmith then. Okay. Flying blacksmiths is still good enough. "The Enthroned? Did they teach you to use magic? Was it difficult?" she inquired as he spoke about the group of magicians.

She was reminded of her own personal struggles with magic as she asked her questions. Would she even have been able to use magic at all if she had not met the Mana spirits? Or would she have remained a disgrace to the royal family of Altena forever?

She began to walk for a few steps, before remembering that she had no idea where to go to, so she turned to Garland, expecting him to lead the way. If he knew which way to go to, anyway. They hadn't been able to sense the crystals so far, so they'd probably have to rely on a good educated guess.

"What kind of people are they?" His tone appeared to be a little more somber than before - was his experience with them unpleasant, she wondered? It would not be too surprising for wizards to be rather stuck-up, she figured, especially if he was struggling.

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus had been lost in thought, staring at the trees as they walked-and was feeling slightly calmer with each step. He listened to the conversation between the two, and his heart did begin to feel lighter. The talk of family made him wonder how his brother was doing-probably sleeping. Not just his normal everyday naps either, all of the town would be sleeping too; Papyrus had been summoned in the middle of the night, after all. 

He remembered that Lady Cosmos-someone who he was starting to feel a bit negative towards; He hated to admit-said that they'd return to their homes and no time will have passed, but was that really true? Papyrus couldn't shake the feeling that she had withheld information from them. Sure, she warned of danger-but this much and this often? It's like they were constantly fighting-Papyrus had lost count of how many creatures that had been encountered up until now. Perhaps he was taking his frustrations out on the regal guardian and was overthinking; but now it seemed like he was in a better place mentally then mere minutes before. 

In an attempt to get himself out of this bitter mood he'd developed, Papyrus decided to insert himself into the conversation:

"What about your parents, Angela? What do they do? Do they know a lot of magic too?"

The mention of Lightwane Chapel was enough to send a brief chill through Garland's veins, briefly prompting the winged man to shiver. He began to leisurely walk towards Asvas, guiding from the side of Papyrus and Angela so they could see the humble sights of the city without having to stare past his body.

"Well, at first I was beneath the Enthroned's attention. I was mostly a plain and ordinary guy.. ahem, without wings too. I learned the beginnings of spellcraft at a local university which had been founded by a collection of arcanists. At least two of them were from Zuoja's Fall, but the majority of its founding members were growing old and wanted a warmer climate in which to live and practice their crafts. Snowbirds was the running joke at the time, but they helped bring more wealth and propserity to Asvas."

Garland decided he'd tackle Angela's questions as they came, offering as much information as she wanted. It had been years since the family tragedy had occurred; he had been strong enough to live through it then, so why falter now?

"My father was against the idea of my attendance, but it took my late mother's wish for him to change his mind. Even after my graduation, a serious threat emerged - only then was I able to get the Enthroned's attention. The resurgence of blisterbone changed the lives of many in Qayssa, especially my own."

Papyrus then inquired of Angela's parents, prompting Garland to rub his chin and cast a curious gaze to the young sorceress. He hadn't fully described his parents, but was open to talking further of them were questions to be raised.

"The Enthroned are good people. I'm glad I met them."

Angela - Asvas

"Oh? No wings?" Angela's curiosity was peaked. She had pretty much gotten used to the wings as something different, from a different world, like their skeletal friend, but now it turns out that he actually did have the appearance of an average human and simply sprouted wings one day? "How did you get them?"

She flinched as Papyrus switched the subject to her and her own parents. "Oh, mine..." she fidgeted with her hair for a bit as she replied. "Mother is a supreme sorceress. In fact, it's her magic keeping the entire kingdom warm, preventing the blistering cold of the Sub-zero Snowfield from creeping inside."

"I... I was actually struggling to use even elementary magic until very recently. I was trying, really! But I couldn't get the hang of it. It was so frustrating, especially with the pressure I had to deal with," she lamented. "Apparently, it was so unacceptable for the Queen's daughter to be unable to use magic..."

At this point, Angela was much more at ease with her two companions that she did not realize that she had not mentioned her royalty status before. But she wouldn't have expected it to make a difference to a pair of foreigners, anyway.

"As for my dad, I... actually don't know who he is," she answered solemnly. "Mother doesn't want to talk about him, for some reason or the other."

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus could hardly contain his surprise upon hearing his companions tales. He certainly had been looking foreword to hearing about their origins, being from different worlds outside of his own and all, but stories this spectacular? One had been officially summoned to do their kingdoms bidding by the crown themselves? And the other...-

"A PRINCESS!?" Papyrus yelped, jumping into the air. "There was royalty walking with me, and I didn't know!?" He looked to Garland, quickly adding "and a real hero! Picked by royalty themselves! WOWIE! THAT'S AMAZING!"

Of course, there were more to their stories then just the parts that Papyrus was temporarily obsessed over-and who wouldn't be? A member of the royal knights, and a real-life princess, walking around and fighting alongside someone like him? If it weren't for all the chaos, it would be a dream come true! If it were possible for the skeleton's eyes to be sparkling with admiration towards the two of them, it would clearly be happening now. 


"YOU TWO ARE SO COOL!" He continued to shower them with praise out of his own excitement. "And to have overcome so much to be so good at magic! It's incredible! It's inspiring! It's no wonder Lady Cosmos summoned the two of you-you're both so powerful!"

And yet, why did Lady Cosmos choose him? It was best for Papyrus not to think this way and shove that incredible doubt deep into the back of his mind. This was a peaceful time; There was no fighting. Just friends talking and taking a stroll down a woodsy lane-and what incredible friends they are!

Buggy tried sticking his nose in it again, making some attempt to stand up for them, but he should have known better.  Rocbouquet went on another tirade and all Sunset could do was huff and roll her eyes. This is why Sunset Shimmer worked alone. Whatever the hussy screeched at her went into one ear and out the other. Sunset didn't care what she thought of them. It was embarrassing to have failed so horribly, but Sunset would not let the words of some coquettish banshee woman get under her hide.

Rocbouquet could throw her words in her face all she wanted. It wasn't going to deter her. If Rocbouquet was so smart, she'd have realized that the crystal wasn't going to let them touch it. Sunset may have eagerly grabbed the crystal with her magic, but she did not believe a dispel would do what Robouquet thought it was.

Sunset ignored whatever Frieza added to the conversation, but when the two moved to leave, she grit her teeth so hard, Sunset was pretty sure she chipped a tooth.

"Come on," Sunset grumbled only loud enough for Buggy to hear, finally standing and trotting towards the two. She wasn't about to let them leave her behind. They could yell and screech and do whatever they wanted. Sunset Shimmer would get her due.

It was difficult to simply eat up and bask all the glowing attention that Papyrus was bestowing upon Garland and Angela, but he did not want to trouble either the royal guardsman or the plucky, pretty princess with the harsher aspects of Shayllan's reality until they made more direct inquiries - or, heaven forfend, such troubles came to visit them.

The winged hero scratched his head when the skeleton refered to both of them as either royalty or royally appointed. He hadn't specified how his cabal of do-gooders were organized, and were it not for the prescience of past guildmasters, the Enthroned might have worn out their welcome in what was otherwise a land of humble people.

"Ahh.. Papyrus, there's no monarch to rule over the people here, but instead we've got a council who handle the daily affairs of Asvas. The Enthroned is a separate agency that works alongside the government, but you could come away with the impression that at least a few of their members conduct themselves with a truly noble soul."

When Angela let it slip that she was in fact a princess, Garland couldn't help but to grin in her direction. Whatever conceits she held as a royal heir were eclipsed by what he thought of as a generally pleasant young woman who was invested in the welfare of her friends. She was also courageous in adversity, making the beauty of her spirit far eclipse that of her already admirable body.

"The worst anxiety I faced at the academy was the perception of me as some big dumb jock who was intruding upon the space of intellectuals. I can sort of imagine what you went through, but the social pressure and exposure must have been worse for you than it was for me. At the end of the day, I'm still the son of a retired knight and blacksmith who lives out in the sticks surrounded by acres of farms."

At that point, Garland inhaled and then let out a mild huff for dramatic effect. "You would think the other students would have invested more time in learning the concept of counterspelling; none of them ever managed to beat me in a magic duel.."  The winged man trailed off, looking between Papyrus and Angela for a moment to regain his train of thought. His face then lit up with a realization upon recalling a certain unanswered question.

"Oh, Angela! Since you asked about my wings, I think it will be easier to share that tale at the tower."

Angela - Asvas

Angela couldn't help but blush at Papyrus' surprise and remarks. Right. She had never mentioned that she was a princess. Oops. Well, she did trust them by now, so no harm done. "Oh - uh, it's not such a big deal, really!" she managed to reply.

Not too long ago, Angela would have probably basked in the attention - and would have probably made sure that she received it much sooner than that - but her recent journeys with her friends back in her world had instilled a sense of humility in the young woman.

Perhaps she was actually maturing. She was no longer the spoiled bratty princess that she used to be. Or at least not that much.

Angela tilted her head at Garland's intriguing response to her inquiry. "Something about that tower then...? How interesting. Don't think I'll forget!" she teased as if he simply wanted to evade her question, which she followed up with another one that came to her mind as she looked at him. "Soooo... can you actually fly? Like an actual bird? Or are they just for decoration?"

Garland - Asvas

A brief grin crossed Garland's face when Angela decided to indulge in her curiosity concerning the man's feathered wings. "They are fully functional! I can fly at least as well as some birds, but I also know a little bit of magic which made that possible before my change." That same magic helped Garland buffer a potentially ruinous blow during the fight with Kraid, but he didn't need to mention that fact aloud.

Garland pointed towards the trail stretching onward to Asvas, past rows of trees which served as natural fences between the road and farmland. "I don't want you to forget it. We'll likely be going to the tower during our search."


Narrative - Asvas

~

Extending past the crossroads, the dirt trail leads into a vast plains stretching onward towards the eastern horizon. The geography is generally flat and level, punctuated by the presence of a few gentle slopes and a freshwater river flowing from the northwesterrn lands.

The dirt trail beneath their feet eventually gives way to a paved sett road, and the first building to greet them is a traveller's lodge, built from sturdy wood and thatched with layers of straw. A simple carved sign is mounted to overhang the street and advertise its purpose - a wild hog's salivating, ravenous mouth overlooking a hot meal and a tankard.

~

Forest

Buggy stood there after standing up for himself and Sunset and listened to Rocbouquet and her pet boyfriend chew them out without thinking of anything Buggy and Sunset told them. He watched them start to walk off as he then looked down at Sunset to see her reaction.

Buggy wanted to say something back but he figured now that Roc and Frieza would yell at him more or even worse...try to kill him. Then he heard a grumbled voice telling him to follow and watched Sunset trot over to the others, causing Buggy to come over as well.

"Well, what are we waiting for? I mean what's next that is?"

~Narrative~

Quote :

As some time has passed since their battle, all injured members of both parties regain 0.5 H2KO.

~

The team of Chaos attempts to teleport to the warriors of Cosmos and the crystal they lost!

Nothing was happening at first but for awkwardly holding hands for a few seconds. As soon as they realized that they had to concentrate on their destination, the black crystal initiated the teleport as intended.

Rocbouquet, Frieza, Sunset Shimmer and Buggy appear directly in front of Angela, Papyrus and Garland, the two groups only a few steps away from each other!

Decayed Forest

“...Emperor?”

Frieza offered his hand to her. Rocbouquet reached out and accepted it with reluctance. Did they really have to hold hands for this? Ah, whatever. A smirk soon replaced the befuddled pucker in the corner of her lips as she brought her other hand against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

She did not notice Sunset and Buggy approaching: Quite frankly, she did not care whether they decided to join her and the emperor. Her mind quickly grew occupied with her weak recollection of the shimmering crystal. What color was it up close? How much beauty did it truly possess? Would it make a good pendant? How happy would it make Wagnas? Happy enough to make her his bride?

Her thoughts shifted from the matter at hand to the battlements of a stone castle floating in a vast sky over a mountainous earth worlds away where the winged beauty greeted her vivid imagination with a serene smile. Around his neck, she noticed a large crystal on a silver, wired chain—its shimmer too vague to be a satisfying piece of jewelry, but he seemed rather content with it.

Wagnas, did you braid your hair? You look so beautiful, she sang out in her head at the image in her mind, a light blush filling her cheeks.

The crystal, Rocbouquet, his gentle voice reminded her. Before she had a chance to respond to the thought, her mental rendition of Wagnas' beautiful hourglass figure burst into thousands of white butterflies, which scattered past her vision like petals in the wind, leaving her in a void with the faint twinkle of the coveted crystalline mass as the only means to light the way.

“The crystal....” She murmured out loud as she eased back into deep concentration.

---

Asvas

The next time she opened her eyes, it became immediately apparent that the same winged man, skeleton warrior, and sorceress from the previous world's winter wonderland were standing a few meters ahead of her and her teammates on a sett pathway leading into a small agricultural village. Rocbouquet's hands slowly slipped away from Frieza to cover her mouth. So they teleported right in front of them? Just great.

“......”

Quick to use her surprise to her advantage, the young temptress took a couple hesitant steps forward, mouth agape, arms hanging limply at her sides, as she stared at the landscape in shock. Her eyes began welling with tears until the glistening pools overflowed, spilling over her voluminous eyelashes, trickling down her pretty little pale face and then finally joining up at her chin where they made one final leap to the stone-paved earth. Rocbouquet clasped her hands to her mouth, then suddenly let out a distressed wail as she faced her own allies and blubbered accusingly at them.

“Y-you lying monsters! You promised you would return me safely to my brother if I showed you where it was hidden!” Looking back at Cosmos' warriors, Rocbouquet suddenly gestured toward Garland and then the surrounding trees and gently rolling farmland. “This is not my brother or my village!” she whimpered. The distraught girl made a pathetic attempt to run away in the direction of Garland and his companions, but overwhelmed with sorrow, she collapsed to her knees and began sobbing into her hands.

Of course her tears and emotions were all part of an act, but it was an act she had perfected over thousands of years through the inheritance of knowledge and experience; an act with a genuine innocence borrowed from the memories of her victims—beautiful maidens with delicate hands and dreams of a prosperous future, and dutiful young lads who sacrificed themselves to protect her—twisted into a story of its own creation to fool countless hordes of men who crossed paths with her, eventually enabling her to usurp the throne which rightfully belonged to Jeanne, the true Queen of the Jungle.

Rocbouquet's encounter with the three unsuspecting travelers in Asvas was yet another chapter in this never-ending tragedy that first captivated the hearts of those braving the jungles of Salamat to rescue her, the poor queen trapped up in the ancient tower, on behalf of the Eirunepean villagers who pleaded for her safe return. Though she may have never ended up on this infinite path of deceit had she obeyed her brother and went with their people to a new world instead of guilting him into finally accepting her as a member of the Seven Heroes. But she couldn't have imagined a life without him or Wagnas. Fleeing to another dimension with the rest of the Ancients, leaving the most important people in her life behind knowing they were fighting to protect what they believed in, along with the village—and the world—from complete destruction would have shattered her heart.

She wanted to go wherever they went, do whatever they did. To be with them to the very end, no matter how many monsters and demons tore through her. No matter how many times her body faltered and needed to be replaced. That was her great sacrifice. And the frustration associated with these fragile memories, now obscured over several millennia by selfishness and darkness and a sense of betrayal, in combination with the essence of her unrequited love for Wagnas and deep admiration for her brother, drove her to produce a genuine batch of tears for her newest targets—the three unsuspecting travelers standing a few paces further down the pathway—who further inconvenienced her in her never-ending cycle of consumption and despair.

“B-big...b-brother...” She choked between uneven gasps for breath. Behind her innocent facade, however, Rocbouquet watched them like a predator patiently awaiting a gesture—a subtle twitch of the brow, a weak smile, the shifting of uncomfortable feet—that would signify their trust, or lack of; so that she could adjust her conduct accordingly to toy with their emotions and encourage them to react in her favor with her silver tongue—especially the man with the wings. He would make an excellent pawn when the time was right. She glanced up at him with the helplessness of a damsel whose big teary eyes begged for freedom from her awful captors. In the back of her mind, she knew Frieza would catch on to her acting, for it was he who had recognized her talents when he attempted to trick Chaos. Now, she could only hope that the other two were smart enough to realize what she was doing.

Decayed Forest

At first it seemed like the bursts of Ki Frieza was directing into the dark crystal were having no effect. This gave both Sunset and Buggy enough time to close the gap in between them and touch the Emperor as well. As soon as both of them touched him, the Crystal started resonating and the teleportation process began, just as if the Crystal had a mind of its own and was waiting for them.

The lavaish wasteland slowly disappeared before the Tyrant's eyes and gave way for a much more beautiful scenery. A soft, warm breeze started to touch his skin, and he found himself under a blue sky. Not that Frieza cared much about it. He could survive just as well in the hell they were before, as in the cold embrace of space. The green landscape and the distant mountains reminded him of some planets before he had conquered them.


Asvas

What caught his attention though - even more than a huge tower made of stone in the distance- were three people not too far away from his group. He was only able to catch a brief glimpse at the figures Rocbouquet attacked, but the Alien Overlord was almost certain that the group of three in front of him were the Warriors of Cosmos.

Rocbouquet's hand quickly slipped from Frieza's grasp, as she took a couple of hesitant steps in the direction of the other group. Her arms were hanging limb beside her body. What was the woman up to now? Tears started to run down her cheeks as she called out Team Chaos for not bringing her to her brother, before Rocbouquet eventually collapsed in between the groups and sobbed into her hands.

It wasn't hard for Frieza to deduce that this was one of her acts. He tossed the Crystal towards Buggy, and quickly followed up to her, picking her up with his tail. The Temptress was now directly in between Frieza and the other group, as if he was using her as a shield.

"Foolish woman." He joined in on the act, with a huge smile on his face. "You might have not been able to lead us to the Crystal in time, but you are still of use." He then directed his attention towards Team Cosmos. "If I may introduce myself: I am Lord Frieza, Galactic Emperor and Ruler of most of my Universe." He took a couple of steps back with Rocbouquet, until he was at the point where they arrived. "Now, if you would kindly hand over the Crystal you have stolen from my acquaintances. I also suggest removing any harmful effects it has. Wouldn't it be a shame if I touch the Crystal, and the surge of energy ends up killing my hostage?"

Asvas

Rocbouquet let out a startled moan when Frieza yanked her up from the ground and held her out in front of him by the neck as if she were a shield. The temptress was relieved that he chose to play along with her—maybe some emperors weren't so pesky after all?—but she did not let it show on her face. With so much currently at stake, she could not afford to falter.

Rocbouquet brought her hands to the tail around her neck and squirmed a little as if she were struggling to break free from Frieza's grasp. However, the moment the word "kill" emerged from the tyrant's delightful discourse, her face lost all of its color and her body became as stiff as the stone tower overlooking the village behind her, her amber-colored eyes reflecting fear as if she had seen her entire life flash before her. Her breath shallowed. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, while her eyes watched Garland, the assumed leader of the group. What would he do?

Rocbouquet's solemn gaze then fell upon Papyrus and Angela. What about them? Would they try to rescue her too? Her teeth sunk down on the corner of her bottom lip to hold in her "urge" to scream out to them for help, and as she and Frieza had staged it, "provoke" her tormentor into suddenly cutting off her breath.

Decayed Forest/Asvas

As Buggy and Sunset got over to Roc and the Emporer, the crystal they had started to glow and they were on the move again.

When things changed again, The Chaos Crew were in a new land which looked much nicer to Buggy then Snowdin did as there was no snow anymore and his eyes then went wide as he saw those buggers that he and Sunset fought earlier.

He then saw Roc doing something but he at first couldn't tell what. He watched for a minute or two then understood in his mind what she was doing. Buggy then turned his head when Lord Frieza apparently caught what was going on and tossed the chaos crystal to Buggy, who caught it putting it away with his posters in his pocket.

"Yes you wouldn't want to harm a hostage now, would you? Buggy mentioned.

Angela - Asvas

Of course she was not going to forget her question. From what he was sharing, apparently there was quite some backstory to those wings of his, so that piqued her curiosity even further!

The group of three continued their journey through the trail ahead of them until they reached the first signs of a town - paved roads, a tavern of some sort... It would be more than likely empty, of course. How long had they been here, anyway? One battle after the other, Angela didn't really have much time to think about food, but...

Speaking of battles, their adversaries from before appeared right in front of them, and this time they brought reinforcements, apparently. Just great. "You again!" She only spat out, her staff at the ready; she was ready to initiate one more of her spells, but she held back for a moment. Who were the newest additions? There was a blue-haired woman - the only somewhat normal-looking person out of the four, save for her questionable sense of fashion - and an overgrown lizard? Angela did not like lizards. Those back home were pretty dangerous, after all.

Were they the pony's subordinates?

Before Angela could make heads or tails out of the situation, it began to unravel itself. Those three tricked the girl into believing they would bring her to her brother? Angela shivered at the realization. A hostage?? How despicable. Bad memories flashed through the mind of the young sorceress as she was reminded of how Koren had forced Angela and her friends into surrendering the Sword of Mana to him, using the Fairy and her Mother as hostages.

Was it going to be the same all over again, with the crystal?

The lizard introduced himself as Frieza, Galactic Emperor. Such a pompous title. "So are you the leader of those two? What good do you even think that crystal will do to the likes of you? Why do you go to such lengths for it??" she questioned defiantly, glancing over at Garland.

What should they do? Even if Angela wanted to, she had no idea how to turn off the crystal's protection magic. They could hand it over to him but it would probably blast him away all the same, which might be dangerous for the girl's well-being...

Asvas

Just as Frieza had expected, Rocbouquet managed to adapt to the situation he had created without any problems. The Emperor could feel how her body grew stiff, as if she was in total shock. Gazing down at her for a second, he could see how she was staring at the other group, her eyes almost devoid of any life. If he didn't knew any better he would have believed that he was really holding her as a hostage.

The rather young looking girl of Cosmos' group spoke up first. She really didn't look like much of a threat, and with his full power at hand, Frieza would probably be able to crush her without any effort. "Leader of those two? Do you really think I would surround myself with such worthless minions?" He replied to Angela's question with a clear sign of disgust in his voice. "But I'm feeling generous today, so I will answer your question: I have no use for the Crystal. I have been summoned by Chaos to stop the warriors of Cosmos from retrieving the Crystals holding her power. While I certainly don't enjoy being a pawn in the dispute of some puny gods, Chaos is the only one to who can send me back to my Universe. After all, I have an Empire to rule."

The Tyrant then paused for a brief moment, tightening the grip around Rocbouquet's neck to create more tension, while still making sure that she is able to breathe. "But now that I have told you my story, I am interested in yours. What are your motivations for doing Cosmos' dirty work? Ohohoho, let me guess, she promised it would help to stop people like me."

Papyrus-Asvas
There was talk of monarchies, castles-even flying-but Papyrus wasn't paying much attention to that. He was just taking in all the sights from the wooded path. It was a relief to be somewhere where there was sunlight-Samus' home worlds were dark and fairly unwelcoming, and the underground is, well, underground. Papyrus gazed at the clouds above him, letting the weight of the anxiety he'd been bound with for so long lift off of his shoulders. 

They were here and those other people were not. Only one crystal left, and their mission would be complete. Then they all could go home. He could go home. 

This brief moment of peace was all but shattered with a bright flash of light. When it faded, multiple people remained in it's place-including the two that had so brutally attacked them before. There were two unknown faces amongst this violent group.

"What?" Papyrus was unaware that he had made a sound as they exchanged names and demands, and Angela also retorted back-but everything was happening so fast, it was difficult for Papyrus to keep up. He'd just managed to calm down, and the all-too-familiar sensation of dread and panic returned so swiftly it left his mind spinning as he gazed at the scene before him.

The scariest one of the group, the galactic lord-had no sooner arrived after the girl had begun to cry had grabbed her by the neck, and was increasingly tightening his grip. The word "hostage" was something that he had hardly managed to pick out through his panic-but the situation was as clear as the crystals they'd been sent to retrieve. 

They either lead the group to the crystal, or the girl dies. Papyrus felt his breath catch in his throat-it was as though he was the one getting strangled instead. They couldn't let this girl die because of them! They just couldn't!

It was at this moment, the galactic lord posed a question to them-a question that left Papyrus even more panicked. It was as though the frightening man had gazed right into his soul-how else could he have known of Lady Cosmos' request? 

How on earth were the three of them supposed to defeat him?

Even still, Papyrus found himself unable to keep quiet any longer. Regardless of how afraid he felt; how much doubt threatened to consume his thoughts- the girl had to be feeling far worse. 

"Let her go. Please. You don't have to kill her. Your fight is with us, not her."


He'd gladly give the crystal he had to them if it meant she'd live; if it would prevent needless bloodshed. 

For some reason, Garland could never feel weary whenever he was in his homeland. Being able to bask in the natural light and warm climate of Qayssa was an invigorating, uplifting sensation. Even if it were for a few precious moments between periods of political strife or murderous conspiracies, having just a few moments to soak in the sunlit serenity was generally everything Garland needed to keep fighting for the safety of his land and the greater world.

The sudden appearance of a woman, a strange lizardman thing who looked more man than lizard, and a familiar pairing of pirate and pony assured that their piece would indeed be limited to a few precious moments.

A lump rose up in Garland's throat when the mysterious lady collapsed before the Cosmos warriors. Was this an act, or was it genuine sorrow and grief that drove her to tears? Everything was happening very quickly, with the warlord striding forward to seize the blue-haired waif with a menacing tail. Lizard-thing introduced himself as Lord Frieza, wasting little time in demanding that Garland, Angela, and Papyrus surrender their recently acquired crystal. Worse yet, the galactic tyrant's prisoner was looking directly at him as if it were a silent plea to take action.

Rather than cross his eyes in anger, Garland drew in a deep breath to gather his thoughts concerning the self-important Emperor from a distant realm. Angela and Papyrus spoke up while he was silent, one voice of outrage and another of concern. He didn't want to surrender the crystal, though Frieza was surprisingly candid and collected in their verbal exchanges. It wasn't for any direct gain or claim to power, but to fulfill his own wish to return to his own realm. Fair enough, Garland mused, but the alien sovereign had a loose enough moral compass to threaten violence if his wishes remained unsatisfied.

If anything was certain, Frieza's actions were certainly mirroring those of politicians with experience in making power plays.

Garland stepped forward and pointed a finger towards the space ruler and his 'useless' minions, gazing at them with veiled contempt while speaking with the outward calm of a diplomat. Could he, the assumed leader of the Cosmos warriors, possibly sow doubt into the tyrant's ambitions? He would soon find out.

"To stop people like you, Frieza? That presumes much, considering you don't know anything of how I came to arrive in this rapidly changing realm. I respect that you do not wish to be manipulated, but how can you even be certain Chaos can or will send you back?"

Garland then lowered voice and looked back to his fellow champions, lowering his voice in an effort to keep Frieza or his pitiful picaroons from eavesdropping.  "I think we're going to have to discharge the crystal and give it up if we want the best chance to save her."

Angela - Asvas

Their motivations?

That's right... What was it? It had been some time since they met the deity of Harmony, and it she had to be honest, Angela could not say she had entirely understood her story. She had mentioned that they had to collect the crystals and unleash their energy in order to purify the realm and restore the balance in the power of the opposing forces... Or something like that? Well, they had already used the power of two of the crystals, but things still look more or less the same...?

Well. Maybe that 'purification' effect or whatever isn't visible like that. Surely Cosmos would explain how that works when they were done. If they were done. Perhaps two crystals would be enough? Must they really gather them all?

Papyrus chose to simply plead for the girl's life, but Angela doubted the success chance of that strategy, as easier as it would make things be. Garland then offered a rather vague reply to Frieza's inquiry, which suited Angela just fine - if she even tried to explain what they were trying to do, she'd probably confuse herself even more. Might as well go with the flow, at this point. There was no turning back, after all they'd been through.

"That's right!" she backed Garland's seeds of doubt to buy themselves more time. "Do you really believe that Chaos will congratulate you on a job well done and send you on your merry way? Give in to his demands, and he'll just ask for more! Instead, I'm sure Cosmos will gladly send you back wherever you came from, if you do not obstruct us."

"I guess so," she turned to reply to Garland in a lowered voice as well, "but how do we even do that?"

Asvas

Buggy watched on, standing next to Lord Frieza and the 'hostage'. He was listening to what all three of them had to say and Buggy thought to himself, 'you know they have a strong point about Chaos but I am going to keep going with this'.

He then spoke up, "You three really think that we are going to stand here and believe all that? let me ask you something then...after you decide to run and jump through all of Cosmos' hoops, what do YOU think will happen? That you will go back to your normal lives like nothing ever happened or will she too give you more and more to do since your all goody two shoes idiots? You might as well just fix that crystal and hand it over to us unless your wanting to see this woman dead"