Asvas (Tower Roof)

Rocbouquet sneered at Papyrus' pathetic attempts to get through to Garland.

“Don't waste your time. A man under the influence of my enchantment magic cares of nothing except for me!” she taunted.

"A hero? Is that really what you think you are? Don't fool yourself. You're nothing but an evil witch."

Angela's insult bore a striking resemblance to the words of her own people fearful of what she and the others had become in the process of saving the kingdom—and it stung.

“Something I wouldn't understand?” Rocbouquet repeated, looking at Angela with a smile that could kill. A brief silence ensued before the tranquility around her being erupted into an ominous burst of wind that seemed to emit the sorrow of a thousand lost souls as it howled through her hair. The pigment giving each strand its vibrant color receded with the gust, leaving behind only the faintest traces of blue as a beautiful pair of large, jet black wings emerged from her back; and thick, jet black wisps, resembling tail feathers of some sort, draped beneath her skirt. As soon as her transformation was complete, Rocbouquet stretched out her wings and laughed.

“I understand a lot, actually. A lot more than a modern human like you,” she revealed, walking among the group, hips swaying in a playful manner as the tips of her wings bobbed up and down in cadence with her step. She stopped a few meters away from Angela and Papyrus and placed her hand against her hip. “Now, what I don't understand is how you two could be so naïve to believe that this so-called Cosmos would send you back home just like that.” Her eyes narrowed into a lifeless stare, the hurt in them apparent. With her distant gaze, the emotion drained from her voice:

“There is no place for heroes outside the battlefield. Once the balance is restored between worlds, you will no longer be needed. To Hell you shall plunge! Betrayed by those you thought you had saved!” Rocbouquet paused and giggled coyishly—“Well, I guess if that's what you really want~”

She was about to say something more to her involuntary audience of two when Sunset interrupted to tell her that she needed to hurry up. Unsurprisingly, Buggy chimed in shortly after with his loud mouth to agree with the unicorn and proclaim it as the real leader of this group he apparently believed her to a be a part of. Rocbouquet rolled her eyes at the privateer. Typical idiot, constantly changing his mind to suit the needs of that stupid baby animal. What did he even find so special about it?

“Didn't I just tell you to shut up, you pesky fly of a man?” she snapped at Buggy, giving him a look of utter abhorrence. But as much as she hated to admit it, Sunset was right. They had endured these annoying pests for far too long. Something needed to be done about them. The temptress placed a hand against her cheek and brought that mocking glance of hers back toward the dreary sky as she returned to her two options: She could let them have the crystal in exchange for Garland's soul, the Noel-approved method of negotiation, or she could leave them all dead with nothing, like Wagnas would. The choice was an obvious one, but she continued pretending to think about it anyway.

“...Well then, I guess I ought to meet Wagnas' expectations,” she finally stated after taking a moment to waste everybody's time. “My brother's idea of conflict resolution is quite boring, and I'd much rather have a bit of fun with my new prisoner of love.” Giggling, the temptress puckered up her lips and looked at Garland. “What do you think, Garland? Would you like to have some fun with your queen? I don't suppose your 'friends' would dare lay a finger on me—Not unless they want to see that sword cut through your pretty little throat,” Rocbouquet reminded the two warriors of Cosmos, making brief eye contact with Angela, who had yet to drop her weapon. “It would be pretty awful of them to make you do such a thing to yourself, now wouldn't it?” She sneered, knowing that she had Angela and Papyrus exactly where she wanted them.

“That being said, I would like for you to go take that crystal over there and dispel whatever curse is placed upon it—“ Rocbouquet then motioned the palm of her hand toward Angela “—Oh, and if this feisty firefly here even dares act out against my request, kill her. Crush her like the worthless insect she is!”

Angela - Asvas (Tower Roof)

Rocbouquet's words did not fail to inflict a degree of doubt upon Angela. It was true; it's not as if they had any guarantees that Cosmos would stay true to her words. Then again, was it not the best choice they had, right now? If she would not, then who would? That witch? Angela kept her glare unwavering towards that icy smile she received, and responded only with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders. Allowing that person to capitalize on her doubts and concerns was the least that they wanted right now. She already had one of them under her spell, and that was one too many.

Her expression remained unfazed as the blue-haired witch suddenly underwent a transformation of some sort, though she was fairly certain that it did not signal any good news for the group.

She also gave up trying to reason with the unicorn, who was apparently stuck up in her own stupid desires. What's rightfully hers? The crystal? Just how did she even think that it was rightfully hers, she wondered? But there was no sense in asking. Angela had little doubt that she would not get through to her, either, at this point.

After taking some time to seemingly deliberate on her choices - which suited Angela just fine, considering that stalling seemed to be their best bet for the time being - Rocbouquet finally declared that she should first have some fun with her prisoner, and not without reminding Angela of her precarious position. It was over, wasn't it? There was nothing she could do without endangering Garland's life. She gritted her teeth for a moment or two, but finally relaxed her posture. She lowered her head, her eyes staring lifelessly towards the cold floor below. She had to admit to herself that they had been bested. Her grip on the staff loosened and she almost let it slip through her fingers...

But then what?

Would she let them go?

Would she let him go?

How stupid can she get? This has all happened again, hasn't it? A sickening case of history repeating itself, she considered, as it all flashed right through her eyes.

How Koren, Altena's Crimson Wizard, had managed to brainwash and turn her own Mother against her. How she surrendered the Sword of Mana in exchange for her life. And how he took her with him, nonetheless.

And now the Dragon Emperor is threatening to destroy her world. Because she gave up when she shouldn't.

Is she putting his life at risk by acting now? Perhaps. But her inactivity may only lead to his certain doom. Would he even want her to give up?

"I'm just tired..." she finally spoke up softly, her mind settled on her course of action.

Slowly, she raised her head again. Eyes that only spoke of defeat rapidly flared up again, defiant as ever, as she tightened her grip on her staff once more and swiftly directed it towards the winged pair.

"I'm tired of people like you, thinking that they can do as they please with this world!"

"Wake up, you idiot!!" she pleaded tearfully, as she launched her spell of holy light with not a second wasted. She would not give up. She would not give him up. Even if this did not work, it should distract them long enough for her to get over there and stop him before he tried anything funny with his sword; even if that meant breaking her own staff on his head.

Action:

Papyrus
Papyrus felt his heart drop into his stomach as Rocbouquet's hair changed yet again-the souls of the damned screeched  to the heavens as wings as dark as night appeared behind her. What suffering these souls must have experienced! Such impossible, inconceivable suffering!

Tears of frustration and helplessness beaded in Papyrus eyes as the blue haired vixen suddenly approached them, her true form a terror to behold up close. How her other two party members weren't frightened of her; Papyrus could only guess. 

And Rocbouquet intended for the both of them to fall to the same fate! Even worse-that Angela would fall upon Garlands' sword! If he didn't fall on it himself first-at her witching command. 

"This isn't happening..." Papyrus mustered out to everybody and yet nobody. He looked toward Angela; at a total loss. If she didn't drop her staff, Garland would get killed! But Angela, in fact-did NOT drop her staff. Instead, with a resounding cry-she cast a spell in their direction. 

Ready to hit the both of them. 

Which meant she was intending to hit Garland! 

"NOOOOOOO!"

Papyrus rushed to the opposite side faster then he ever ran, swirling to face Angela with his back facing Garland-arms and legs outstretched as far as he could manage. 

"YOU CAN'T!" He screamed just as the ball of white light engulfed him.

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Garland's Air Screen fades away!

~

Angela uses Holy Ball against Rocbouquet and Garland!
Rocbouquet's Magnificent Morale Booster! +50 defensive roll bonus to Garland.

Angela (offense): 738
Rocbouquet (defense): 567
It hit! (-1)
Garland (defense): 981 1031
It m--

~

Papyrus attempts to intercept the hit directed to Garland! He moves in the way!

Papyrus (defense): 262
It hit! (-1)

Battle Info:

Asvas (Tower Roof)

Rocbouquet's face lit up with delight. She could hear Wagnas' proposal to her in the back of her mind as Angela lowered her head in defeat while continuing to hold her staff out parallel to the floor. Now, all she needed was for that stupid girl to hurry up and surrender, and then everything would finally be perfect for her and Wagnas! Rocbouquet giggled. She couldn't wait to dress like a beautiful bride!

“......”

The jungle queen's pupils suddenly narrowed with contempt. Oh. But what was this? The grip that had been loosening around Angela's weapon became tighter than ever before, and that Amazonesque defiance reemerged in her glare as she looked back up at Rocbouquet and pointed her staff toward her and Garland, declaring:

"I'm tired of people like you, thinking that they can do as they please with this world!...Wake up, you idiot!" before firing off a spell.

Wait. She fired off a spell!? Why that little bi— Rocbouquet braced herself as Papyrus suddenly rushed forward at the speed of light, shouting for Angela to stop. His unforeseen action distracted her attention long enough that a blinding ball of light managed to hit her in the face before she even had a chance to shield herself with her wings.

“Ack! My eyes!” she shrieked, staggering backwards, protecting her face with the back of her arm instead. It was so bright! But Angela's holy magic was merely a nuisance in comparison to everything else happening around her. Rocbouquet quickly recovered from the blinding attack, shaking her head side to side and blinking away the burning sensation in her watering eyes. Among the remaining black spots clouding her vision, she saw Papyrus standing there with his arms spread out, protecting Garland from the attack. Had she...really gotten through to him earlier?

“Why?” Rocbouquet murmured to Papyrus in disbelief—“Why would you do that knowing how easily I could have had him stab you in the back?!”—But then she laid eyes upon Angela again, and all tenderness and curiosity left her gaze. How dare that stupid maggot disregard her instructions like that! The temptress puffed up her cheeks and erupted in a fit of indignation, stomping her foot against the roof. No matter how harshly she wished to yell, her voice always projected itself so pleasantly, and this only made her angrier.

“Garland!” Rocbouquet called out to her knight in shining armor. “Forget slitting your own throat. Cut off that treacherous wench's head and stick it on a pike!” she ordered, pointing toward Angela in disgust. The temptress then leapt backwards, using her wings to guide herself closer to Garland and Papyrus. As her feet came in contact with the stone rooftop, she twisted her arms to the right side of her body and she uttered something else below her breath. A violent gust of wind tore past the trio as an orb of dense, dark matter collected between the palms of her hands and rapidly increased in size until she could hold onto it no longer. Rocbouquet hurled the nebulous vortex toward the purple-haired princess.

Rocbouquet's action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Rocbouquet uses Dark Sphere on Angela!

Rocbouquet (offense): 712
Angela (defense): 945

It missed!

Battle Info:

Oh, yes, it would certainly be awful if Garland was forced to take the sword to his neck. Didn't the sorceress and skeleton understand what was at stake here? If they had any sense, they'd realize that having concern for his well-being meant that Rocbouquet's threats were not at all hollow. Better that they accede to the queen's demands; after all, as he had stated before, no one had to be hurt. However, Garland had his duties to fulfill, and pleasing his mistress was top priority. She was eager to tease him with puckered lips, but who could refuse such a request? If the brilliant crystal was cursed, then it would be upon him to dispel the baleful enchantment.

"The crystal shall belong to Queen Rocbouquet!" Garland groaned, haltingly proceeding towards his target. Single-minded was he in the pursuit of Rocbouquet's satisfaction that he did not pay heed at all to Angela or Papyrus - at least, not until the younger sorceress cried out her words of condemnation and pleaded for him to 'wake up.' What the hell did she mean? He couldn't get the crystal while being asleep, much less even hear the words.

A moment of indecision soon led to briefly-lived panic when a sudden burst of bright light elicited a sudden shriek of pain from his liege. Turning around, he noticed the lingering signs of Angela having exerted her own personal mana. She had launched a magic attack against them; so focused had Garland been on the crystal's retrieval that he failed to notice her gathering the spell's energies or even the fact that Papyrus had just taken a hit for him.

Oh, no, no.. the queen will not like this.

Sure enough, Rocbouquet brought forth a call to arms, and it was time to act against the one who dared to harm Her Majesty. With a grunt, Garland brought up his sword in an aggressive forward stance and began to rapidly close the distance between himself and Angela. She was a threat that had to be removed!

Actions:

Papyrus
Searing pain ripped through his body as Papyrus took the full brunt of the magical explosion. Every ounce of him was screaming, every inch and old injuries begging for him to move as the pain grew more and more intense. 

And yet he refused. 

As the pain faded and the vision returned to his eyes, he was still standing-arms and legs outstretched in a protective motion. He could hear Rocbouquet mutter in disbelief of his actions. He turned his head to look behind him-to double check on Garland's state. He'd been so injured moments before-who knows how he would have managed that blast! 

And yet Garland was none the wiser. He was truly entranced by the dark spell that had ensnared his mind.  It was as though Papyrus and Angela did not exist. It was just him, Rocbouquet and the crystal. 

Or that is how it would have been, had Rocbouquet not screeched out an order that made his blood run cold:

“Forget slitting your own throat. Cut off that treacherous wench's head and stick it on a pike!”


"STOP!" Papyrus cried out; but he may as well have been talking to a ghost. As Angela managed to evade the black magic cast at her-Garland was coming in close.

Too close. 

Perhaps it was the adrenaline. Or it could have been absolute madness-true desperation that Papyrus had never felt before. The three of them had been through so much together, and yet he'd just witnessed them posed and ready to fight each other. 

To kill each other. 

With speed he never knew he had, and perhaps would never have again; He'd made it to Angela's side in time and did nothing less but tackle her out of the way-turning to face Garland, who's blade that had been used to defend them mere moments before was raised to strike a fatal blow. 

Papyrus could see his own beaten and fear-riddled face in the reflection of the sword as it came closer. 

It was all he could do to call out to his friend, one final time.

"GARLAND!"

Angela - Asvas (Tower Roof)

'Please work...' Angela thought to herself as the spell was about to fire off. She concentrated-- and then a loud 'NOOOOOOO' drew her attention.

'YOU CAN'T!'

What-- wait-- what is he doing?! Before she could try to halt her attack - or even attempt to at least reorient it to the witch only, despite stunning Garland being an essential part of her plan - Papyrus got right in the path, arms stretched as wide as he could. And inevitably, he was hit in Garland's place.

"No!! What are you doing, you fool?! We have to distract him! Or do you think that your words mean anything to him right now?!"

Luckily, her plan worked to a degree, since that evil sorceress was fuming about getting hurt by the blast. She commanded Garland to kill Angela instead of himself, which was exactly what she wanted; protecting herself was something that she could handle - hopefully, that is. But to prevent someone from hurting themselves? There were no guarantees that she would be fast enough.

Right after her command, the enchantress wasted no time in throwing an attack of her own to the mix. She launched a growing sphere of pure darkness right towards Angela, but obviously, she fully expected such a retaliation, so she managed to step out of the way just in time. The sphere flew past her and blew up at the edge of the rooftop.

Angela stuck her tongue out mockingly to her blue-haired adversary following the failed attempt to hurt her. Was it childish? Sure. But she needed to rile her up further, make her focus on her and forget about any previous threats to Garland's life. She did manage to get under her skin earlier with a simple comment, after all. The more mad she was at Angela, the better.

She noticed that Garland brought up his sword and began to approach her. Yes, that's great. Do that, she thought to herself as she brought her staff at the ready. Plan B then. A good whack at the head and he would hopefully be knocked straight back into his senses. Or knocked out altogether, but that was fine, too. Better than dead, she figured.

However, being focused on Garland, she did not notice Papyrus move towards her this time, who then proceeded to shove her out of the way. A short "aaah!" was all she managed to utter as she fell to the side, startled.

Her frustration grew as she watched Papyrus now standing in place to take the hit from Garland's sword. "Can you stop trying to get yourself killed for just one second???" she yelled in exasperation.

Asvas Tower Rooftop

In the last few moments, Buggy was looking back and forth between Sunset and the crystal and what was going on with Roc and the others...except when the bright light engulfed them. He then saw Garland go after Papyrus and Angela and it caught his eyes. He knew quite well what Rocboquet could do and he wanted to join in on the fun and let Sunset have the crystal she had wanted for a long time.

After watching Papyrus pretty much tackle that poor floozy Angela, he went over as quietly as he could and as Pap yelled for his friend Buggy took out a Muggy Ball and stuffed it in any open spot on him he could find then he saw that Floozy looking in his direction. 

Buggy's actions:

Asvas (Tower Roof)

At her command, Garland lunged for Angela, ready to make the fatal blow.

“YES! That's right, Garland! Off with her head! YES! You can do it!” Rocbouquet cheered him on, pumping her fist into the air, gleeful as ever despite having witnessed Angela parry her attack and then taunt her. That girl's head would soon be rolling on the floor!

It came to her as a great disappointment when Papyrus suddenly went bolting across the battlefield again, this time shoving Angela out of the way to take the hit instead. Rocbouquet clenched her fists. A thousand years of bitterness swelled up from the bottom of her tainted heart. She didn't even notice Buggy sneaking around with bombs, let alone Angela's screaming. Papyrus now had her full attention. The enchantress glared at the skeleton warrior between the tears of frustration that were now welling in the corners of her eyes.

Why? Why did he insist on protecting these two humans at the cost of his own life?!

“You're not a hero! You're just a monster! A monster!” she proclaimed pointing at him, the obvious hurt and jealousy piercing through the otherwise pleasant undertones of her captivating voice as she spewed out the same rationale used against her by the ancient kingdom to justify her own cruel fate. “Stop trying to become what you were never meant to be!”

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Garland is in position to strike Papyrus!

~

Buggy attempts to booby-trap Papyrus with a Muggy Ball!

But at the same time...

-----

~Narrative - Chaos Land~

'At least they're getting serious... About time,' Chaos thought to himself, as his eyes started to glow a deep red.

-----

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

The black crystal that Chaos had granted the nefarious trio emerges on its own accord from Buggy's back pocket. As it floats over him, it begins to radiate an intense black light, which rapidly expands and engulfs everyone atop the tower's roof...

Angela, Papyrus and Garland are repelled by the crystal's dark energy, away from Buggy! (-1 H2KO)

Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer's wounds are completely healed! The dark power raises their maximum vitality!

Through the power bestowed by Chaos, they are now able to cast elemental black magic!
Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer have learnt Fire 3!
Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer have learnt Ice 3!
Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer have learnt Bolt 3!

All positive magical effects are dispelled by the dark energy.

The dark light finally subsides and the crystal disappears, returning to its rightful owner.

-----

~Narrative - Samus' world~

Samus could not shake the feeling that she had failed. But why? It was not her responsibility to look out for those people that she had got to know for literally no more than a few hours. Yet she felt the need to protect them. And she allowed herself to be defeated like that.

She clenched her fists. That should not have happened. What could be going on, right now? Would they fare well by themselves? And would they succeed, ultimately? She had not managed to gauge how battle-trained they were, and they had no prior experience of working together. Then again, they had performed relatively well thus far, hadn't they?

Suddenly, a feeling of uneasiness began to build up within her. Why did she feel like that? She did not enjoy this sensation of hopelessness one bit, but there was nothing she could do about it, anymore. Now, she could only stand back and pray for the success of their mission...

-----

~Narrative - Lightning's world~

What a day. Not only Lightning got summoned out of the blue to do the bidding of some self-proclaimed goddess of harmony, but everything since that point went as terrible as it could, too! It was as though someone had tampered with her powers; her attacks missed their target so many times, and then she got smacked by a large boulder on the head, just to top things off.

She did not quite understand the magic that summoned her to that strange world, or the one that sent her back, somehow, but this was no dream; that much was evident by now. Would the others be okay? She was the only healer of the group, after all.

A feeling of dread coursed through her veins all of a sudden, which Lightning attempted to shake away. She stood still for a moment, praying for the safety of her former acquaintances, wishing that she had managed to be able to help them out more.

-----

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

No more than a couple seconds after the dark light faded, Papyrus' yellow crystal activated in response to his anguish, channeling the prayers of his former allies! Its soft yellow light starts to intensify, glowing brighter and brighter, before engulfing the two groups!

Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer feel nauseated by the blinding light. However, the dark power received by Chaos prevents them from getting hurt.

Angela, Papyrus and Garland's wounds are completely healed! The holy energy raises their maximum vitality!
All negative magical effects are dispelled! Garland's Charm status wears off!
Buggy's Muggy Ball disintegrates by the divine blast!

The holy light finally dissipates, and the crystal stops glowing altogether, its energy expended.

Battle Info:

Garland - Asvas (Tower Roof) 

As two massive, opposed eruptions of primordial energies erupted upon the top of the Enthroned tower, the last clear memories swimming around in his weary mind were of Rocbouquet asking him to hold still while she "healed" him. The exact details following that moment were hazy, but he could remember enough that any fondness for the young lady was now quickly evaporating above a kiln of tempered fury that was growing hotter by the second.

Damn. Damn the witch, damn her scheming, and damn his own moment of carelessness! Something truly awful could have arisen from the brief moments in which Garland had fallen prey to Rocbouquet's sorcery. It was very fortunate indeed that his two friends were still intact and healthy, at least relatively speaking. Though it might not have been beyond the reach of Garland's abilities to revive them with painstaking effort and the expenditure of significant resources, such a miracle might have only been possible within his homeworld. This twisted carnival of reflections was somewhere distant and uncharted within the greater multiverse, stretching the winged magician's arcane abilities to their limits. The best cure for whatever injuries Angela and Papyrus would have sustained would be prevention.

Would that conniving temptress still believe he was affected by her charm magic? Perhaps he could feign it to distract her for just a few precious seconds, but that wouldn't be enough. There had to be some sort of believable lie that could be spoken to cause a lapse in Rocbouquet's awareness, however how momentary. As Garland staggered back up to his feet, he glanced towards Angela - and then he had his answer. He raised his sword, putting forward the appearance as if he was getting ready to launch a melee assault upon Cosmos's chosen champions.

"Queen Rocbouquet," Garland breathed out with a heavy groan that he hoped was close to what had been previously uttered in his shameful short-term memory. "Let me take care of them for you! You need not dirty your own hands with them!"

Garland briefly turned his back towards the temptress and her lackeys such that only Angela and Papyrus could see him wink in a conspiratorial manner. A short moment later, the tower's master began to recite the words of a familiar arcane phrase to strengthen his true allies.

Garland's Action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Garland uses Haste on Angela, Papyrus and himself!

Boost magic! Angela, Papyrus and Garland are not defending against Haste.
Low accuracy: -250 roll penalty

Garland (offense): 81 -169
Angela (defense): 0
Papyrus (defense): 0
Garland (defense): 0

It missed!

Battle Round 1:

Battle Info:

Waiting for Rocbouquet to make that fool man do her will was unbearable. Just get it over it!  Sunset only managed to roll her eye's at Buggy's declaration of loyalty to her, calling her the true leader. Idiot. Though something tugged at her to feel something about actually having a friend that seemed to care and want to follow her. It was useful...but she compartmentalized any sort of emotion dealing with that and pushed it aside for good. It didn't matter. Once Rocbouquet did what needed to be done, she could be well on her way without them all. She just needed that crystal...

Then chaos erupted and Sunset nearly felt ecstatic as Angela sent an attached in defiance to Garland and his newly found master. Finally she'd get what she deserved! But what about...she glanced frantically back towards the crystal. Perhaps it was time...

She turned, ignoring whatever was going on, who cared what happened to those idiots. Who cared if they showed bravery, loyalty, kindness and friendship.

Who. Cared.

She just had to get the crystal...the crystal...the cry--



A black light suddenly engulfed the rooftop. She felt a surge of power within her and her strength return to normal. What was this? She felt more powerful than before and like she could use different magic than she remembered before. Her eyes glowed red with flames dancing around them and her mane seemed to take on a magic of it's own, flowing constantly behind her, regardless of environmental effects. Dark spots had tainted her shining sun on her flank.

"Oh...this is wonderful!" she exclaimed, right when another blast of yellow light suddenly burst forth. The light didn't hurt, but made her temporarily sick to her stomach. Was it the darkness inside her that did that, the light? She shook her head, trying to shake off the nausea. How dare they not let her relish in her moment!

Then she heard a weak sound. The first thing after all of the eruptions of light and dark was a weak "Queen Rocbouquet". Hearing the stupid sorceress's name triggered something inside her and Sunset decided she had finally had enough. That stupid man was still weak enough to be under her charm and she couldn't take it anymore.

"Queen Rocbouquet this. Queen Rocbouquet that," she said in a mocking tone, her eyes darkening to a glare towards Garland.

"I'm so sick of hearing it! Die!"  

Sunset decided now was as good time as ever to try out her new found abilities, one for each person. A fiery death
for Garland, a frozen one for Papyrus and electrocution for the last dimwitted fool, Angela. Her horn glowed a red, flames erupting from the tip, aiming the blast at Garland.

Action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Sunset Shimmer uses Fire 3 on Garland!

Sunset Shimmer (offense): 637
Garland (defense): 140

It hit! (-1)

Battle Round 1:

Battle Info:

Papyrus
What a naive fool Papyrus had been-all of this was his fault from the beginning. He was the one that suggested they should work together; that they should be friends. If he wasn't so focused on making sure everyone was comfortable and safe-he would have noticed the hints of their deceit. 

Even his best efforts to keep Angela and Garland from hurting each other would be for nothing. Garland wouldn't awaken from the spell-and Papyrus would die for it. Something was happening behind him, too-he could smell something burning. Yet there would never be any time for him to ever learn what that was-as yet another painful sensation burned through him. An evil magic had enveloped the battlefield, ensnaring everyone and striking Papyrus with a familiar terror similar to when he'd first laid eyes on Rocbouquet's form. 

Papyrus had failed; an incredible misstep that would cost him his life. Everyone back home would wake up from their nightly slumber to him missing-never to be seen again. There wouldn't be anything for them to have a memorial service for him, either. He had been there one day, and gone the next. Knowing this made despair well up in his heart as the blade was ready to deliver Papyrus to his bitter end. 


“You're not a hero! You're just a monster! A monster!...Stop trying to become what you were never meant to be!”

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped him, bathing him in an indescribable warmth. Any pain-emotional or physical was gone in an instant as the shower of gold engulfed the surrounding area. Such a sensation of serenity came over him-a burning, bright hope he hadn't felt since he first set his eyes on the sunlit sky for the very first time. 

And just like that, the light died down-leaving trails that seemed to be coming from Papyrus himself. Dumbfounded, he could only watch as they grew thinner and thinner-pointing at his breastplate. A lingering warm sensation became apparent in his pocket before fading, and he quickly reached into it. 

Their saving grace had been the crystal Papyrus had found on his doorstep back in snowdin-the one that they had needed to take away from Buggy and Sunset. It was now as dark and as dull as the crystal they'd all been using to track the others. 

Garland faltered-and Papyrus just managed to catch the quick wink he passed to him before addressing Rocbouquet once more. Papyrus could have cried in relief-Garland was back to normal! He was okay! 

They were all okay!

Filled with power he'd never felt before, Papyrus rose to his feet. With an unwavering gaze, he finally addressed the one who had been taunting him-the one behind all the trickery that had put such their lives in danger. The one whose words had filled him with such doubt-and then would later help him restore his confidence and his will to return home to his friends and family. 

"Everyone has good in them, even if they don't realize it. People who are able to draw from it can become heroes-no matter what. Human, or monster."

Papyrus stared Rocbouquet down intently as he placed the dead crystal back into the safety of his breastplate pocket. He waved his wrist upon removing his hand-summoning up a bone shield around Garland and Angela once more. 

"Anyone who says otherwise is just making excuses because they don't want to try."

Papyrus action:

Asvas Tower rooftop

As he waited for the KABOOM!! and...never heard it? Then suddenly the black crystal from his back pocket begun to float over him and suddenly the area was covered by in intense black light of darkness...

Suddenly Buggy went from feeling weak to feeling better than he ever had in his entire life. Plus something else was there too and he didn't know what it was at first...it felt good to him but he wasn't really sure how to even use it. 'Well I just better try something then' he thought to himself.

Before he could do much though there was an intensely bright light that came over everyone and he was starting to gag from it. He didn't like it...and it seemed that Sunset and Rocboquet didn't either. He had to close his eyes tight so that he wouldn't be blinded by the light.

When he opened his eyes and got his vision back the next thing that he heard was Sunset madder than ever about someone saying Queen Rocboquet or something. 'Note to self...never say that again..note...noted' he thought once more...then watched her use something he didn't know she could do..fire.

He then heard that dumb Skeleton idiot Papryus talking and he was angry with him after something he did cause one of his muggyball's to not work and after Papyrus spoke and was trying to do something Buggy spoke to them.

"You really think that you're going to be able to protect these two? Garland can't even protect himself from Roc's spells or even the fire that Sunset lit upon him... And the Floozyiest Floozy of all Floozy-Time over here...well I will be the one killing her...NO ONE SLAPS CAPTIAN BUGGY THE STAR CLOWN AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!! You got that Floozy-queen?"

now that he finished his speech.. 'Now to figure out these new attacks?? spells?? Wait...I know magic??!! I KNOW MAGIC!! Boy will all the boys and even Shanks will be proud of me now'

Buggy then with red-hot determination in his eyes and his red nose sweating as he stared at The Queen Floozy...Angela and stuck a hand out in front of him, palm facing Angela and said, "You will get a SHOCK from this!!"

'Hopefully...' He thought.

Buggy's action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Papyrus uses Bone Shield on himself, Angela and Garland!

Total defensive bonus of 500 roll points for Angela, Papyrus and Garland!

~

Buggy uses Bolt 3 on Angela!

Buggy (offense): 534
Angela (defense): 719

It missed!

~

Rocbouquet's Regen status activates!

Battle Round 1:

Battle Info:

Asvas (Tower Roof)

Everything happened so fast from the moment Garland lunged forward to the second the malevolent crystal left Buggy's back pocket on its own accord and started to emit a pitch black aura. Rocbouquet was taken back by the interruption, but held her palms out nevertheless and allowed the darkness to fall upon her. She needed no explanation for the sudden burst of energy surging through her veins. This was all Chaos' doing. She recognized this with a slight pout after witnessing the doubly-terminated black crystal vanish into thin air after mere seconds spent hovering above Buggy. Had Chaos been keeping an eye on her this entire time? The thought of that ugly grinning face reacting to her every movement made her want to vomit. Rude! Only Wagnas and Noel were allowed to watch over her like that!

As if Chaos' intervention was not already annoying enough, the same thing happened again; only this time, it was somehow Papyrus' doing! From the yellow crystal tucked safely within the skeleton's breastplate pocket came a blinding light that illuminated the rooftop with a sickeningly bright flash. Rocbouquet clutched onto her stomach. For a split second, it seemed like she could have purged every last ounce of darkness from her soul, though perhaps this nausea was merely disgust tied to the notion that Chaos had been spying on her. Otherwise, surprisingly, she felt no pain associated with the flash, unlike before, when a similar pair of heavenly rays had pierced through her barrier back in Chaos' realm. Even the phantoms seemed unfazed by the dazzling light as they drifted above her head uttering nothing more than a curious whimper at the holy magic that encompassed them.

...Why was Chaos protecting her?

What part of 'I'm not fighting for you or your cause' did that idiot god not understand?! Rocbouquet thought with a snarl, insulted that Chaos would even consider intervening to "assist" her when, in her opinion at least, she had been doing just fine on her own. And what was with him still assuming that she would help him out? She had made it clear from the start that she had only decided to tag along with Sunset, Buggy, and Frieza because she had made a promise to learn more about interdimensional magic for Wagnas, beloved Wagnas!—The only man, besides her brother, who meant anything to her in this universe filled with deceit, this wretched existence plagued by insufferable amounts of flies and worlds she could not bring herself to care about—So why did Chaos insist on believing that she was capable of serving him after all she had revealed to him? What did he even see in her beyond her wretched beauty?

“I am not some god's plaything! I am one of the Seven Heroes! And Wagnas and Noel are the only ones whose lives matter to me!” she asserted defiantly to the overcast sky as if her unabashed disobedience would somehow reach him worlds away. Rocbouquet was sick and tired of all this meddling. First the Amazons, then the Emperor of Avalon, and now all these idiots from several worlds beyond her own, including the so-called God of Discord Chaos, who above all else, pitied her twisted mess of minds enough to protect them from the encroaching light. Even Garland, whom she had grown rather fond of as a protector, and a pawn in her own personal affairs, had now become a nuisance. A complete and utter nuisance! Hmph! Chaos, Garland, Angela, Papyrus, and Buggy (who had tirelessly devoted all of his energy to that nonsense talk of working for Chaos and sticking up for that baby unicorn): They must have all thought they were heroes....

As if on cue, Papyrus confronted her with his wisdom, only further confirming her suspicions. This was indeed what they thought! And what a thought it was! Rocbouquet's pupils suddenly widened in shock as a memory flashed before her eyes of her standing barefoot in the jungle, weeping before a man wielding a sword—his face indistinguishable, though he seemed hesitant to bring his weapon any closer to her despite her pleading him to do so—and it burned to the core of her existence. The enchantress clutched her hand against her chest. The spirits grew increasingly agitated. Something was weeping out from inside her.

"Everyone has good in them, even if they don't realize it. People who are able to draw from it can become heroes—no matter what. Human, or monster. Anyone who says otherwise is just making excuses because they don't want to try."

“I-I've heard enough!” Rocbouquet declared, dismissing both the memory and her ghostly entities with the swish of her arm. The temptress rose slowly above the battlefield with her jet black wings spread out to full length, her brow twitching in irritation as she looked between the three warriors of Cosmos.

“......The only heroes you'll ever be are those of the maggots that will feast on your rotting corpses in the farthest reaches of Hell! Now begone!”

Rocbouquet's Action:

Angela - Asvas (Tower Roof)

And just like that, Garland was ready to deal his blow. Angela hoped that Papyrus would at least have the sense to try and deflect with a shield of his instead of welcoming it with outstretched arms, but she wasn't counting on it anymore. At the same time, she noticed that the irritating clown had drawn closer to the group as well. What did he want now, sneaking around like that? Well, with everything that had previously transpired, she had adopted a shoot first ask questions later policy when it came to him.

Glaring at Buggy, she was just about to send some fireballs towards his way for good measure, when a crystal popped up from his pocket, hovering mid-air. What's that? It looked just like the one Cosmos had given them...

But before she had any time to react, it practically exploded, blasting her head-on. She shuddered as the dark energy enveloped her, overcome by a brief feeling of dread. Such a terrible sensation... Did they receive that crystal from Chaos?

Luckily, the timing of that little outburst was at least quite convenient as it interrupted the scene unfolding with Garland and Papyrus. Angela made an attempt to get up on her feet, but before she could do so, the crystal that Papyrus had picked up in his home of Snowdin somehow activated as well, showering them in its brilliance just like their other two crystals had done some time ago.

When the whole crystal showdown was finally done and over with, Angela found herself feeling restored. Her wounds had been completely healed, and she felt stronger than before. She finally stood back up, holding her staff on defensive position, looking at their ally-turned-puppet who exclaimed that his 'Queen' need not bother with them... And then he winked at them?

Could it be that the crystal's energy cured him from the dark magic of that wicked sorceress? She kept her gaze on him unwavering, so as not to betray any plans of his. But that was for naught, as he was blasted by the unicorn's fire mere moments later.

Papyrus finally addressed the evil witch who appeared to be rather obsessed with Papyrus' kindness and heroism despite his monster identity, as she put it. That ought to rile her up even further; good. Angela wanted to start clapping, but then that pirate/clown started rambling about. Flooziest floozy of... what? Floozy Queen? Wow, was someone mad over getting rejected or what. She could have laughed it off, had it not been for his subsequent attempt to electrocute her! How dare he!

Angela clenched her fists. She was so done. Done with that stupid enchantress and that tactless pirate. Done with those stupid crystals flashing in turns whenever they feel like it. And now she was done with that unicorn too, which had so far been at least the most tolerable of everyone.

With a swing of her staff, right as Rocbouquet prepared to strike again, three diamond-shaped gemstones materialized in the dark sky above. They instantly shattered into six sharp shards each, which were launched directly towards their three enemies below, pointy edge first.

"We've dealt with you before, and we'll do it again! Unless you think your 'Queen Rocbouquet' will save you this time," she retorted.

Action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Rocbouquet uses Dark Wash on Papyrus, Angela and Garland!

Bone Shield roll protection is split among those protected by it.
Shield breaker effect! Any strike will negate the Bone Shield entirely - however cumulative roll differentiator must exceed 500 for damage.

Rocbouquet (offense): 946
Papyrus (defense): 189 356
It hit! (-1)
Angela (defense): 203 370
It hit! (-1)
Garland (defense): 627 793
It hit! (-1)

Papyrus' Bone Shield dissipates!

~

Angela uses Diamond Missile on Rocbouquet, Buggy and Sunset Shimmer!

Angela (offense): 485
Rocbouquet (defense): 767
It missed!
Buggy (defense): 982
It missed!
Sunset Shimmer (defense): 625
It missed!

Battle Round 1:

Battle Round 2:

Battle Info:

Garland - Asvas (Tower Roof) 

The magical energies within this realm were strange and unpredictable; for whatever reason, Garland's spell had failed to take effect. There were a number of potential explanations - lack of a strong connection to his native universe and its leylines, or perhaps even active interference. It wasn't exactly clear what was happening, but he didn't feel as if he was moving any faster. That was a bad thing, particularly against an aggressive and bloodthirsty enemy who was all too willing to use betrayal and deception to accomplish their goals.

It seemed that his feint of allegiance to Rocbouquet was taken as truth.. and then their foes started to unleash rather potent magical attacks. An intense flash of heat and fiery pain wracked his own body for a brief instant, only to then be followed by a surge of dark energy from that lying wench! Now was not the time for any further charades.

Despite his first failure with the haste spell, Garland began to repeat his former attempt. It would be the surest way for Angela, Papyrus, and himself to even playing field, and then he could start employing his own experience against enemy spellcasters.

OOC:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Garland uses Haste on Angela, Papyrus and himself!

Boost magic! Angela, Papyrus and Garland are not defending against Haste.
Low accuracy: -250 roll penalty

Garland (offense): 511 261
Angela (defense): 0
Papyrus (defense): 0
Garland (defense): 0

It hit!

Angela, Papyrus and Garland can attack twice in succession for 2 rounds!

Battle Round 2:

Battle Info:

Sunset couldn't help but roll her eyes as the so called "heroes" spewed their normal cliche nonsense, blah blah blah. It felt good to see Garland take a direct hit from her blast of fire magic. In fact it felt so good, that she barely noticed the diamond shaped projectiles that crashed around her. That must've come from that other--admittedly not nearly as annoying as "Queen Rocbouquet"--woman, Angela. She had planned on taking them down one by one but plans didn't have to always be followed.

Her horn glowed red with flames again as she aimed another fire magic attack, this time at all three of them.

Action:

~Narrative - Asvas (Tower Roof)~

Quote :

Sunset Shimmer uses Fire 3 on Garland, Angela and Papyrus!

Sunset Shimmer (offense): 307
Garland (defense): 689
It missed!
Angela (defense): 986
It missed!
Papyrus (defense): 779
It missed!

Battle Round 2:

Battle Info:

Asvas (Tower Roof)

“Hah! You call that spellcasting?”

The shards launched by Angela were easily avoidable. A simple flap of the wings was all it took for Rocbouquet to maneuver herself above the jagged diamonds before they could strike her. As the bottoms of her stiletto boots returned to the bleached marble floor, Rocbouquet could only laugh at Papyrus' misfortune when his benevolent bone shield instantly shattered against the force of her dark magic—though more amusing to her yet was how it happened only moments after Angela had retorted, and with such confidence too! How pathetic of that feisty firefly to believe any of them could stand a chance against one of the Seven Heroes!

Rocbouquet fell silent once more, however, when her attention returned to Garland, who appeared to be up to something rather...annoying. She was not entirely sure what the mage was planning, but given the nature of his concentration, his forthcoming spell seemed passive in nature unlike the intense solar flare he had summoned to defeat the golem.

Meanwhile, the unicorn and privateer seemed content with their newfound spellcasting abilities, with Sunset eagerly shooting another set of fireballs from her horn, though this time she targeted the entire Cosmos group instead of just Garland. The temptress used this fiery distraction as an opportunity to ready her next course of action. Even though she, Buggy, and Sunset weren't officially working together as a team, Rocbouquet recognized that if she could manage to at least complement their offensive actions with an appropriately-timed spell, it would bring her much closer to realizing Wagnas' goals. Thus, she closed her eyes and held her palms out in front of her, concentrating harder than ever before for Wagnas' sake as a black pentagram appeared beneath her feet. The temptress' eyes flashed wide open.

“...Plunge into darkness! Deadly Drive!” she cried out. At her command, a crushing curtain of darkness fell upon the battlefield, its chilling vibrations sending nauseating waves of fatigue through the bodies of those standing in its wake.

Rocbouquet's Action:

Papyrus
The shields all but shattered against the rippling darkness that washed over him-apparently, Papyrus rebuttal hit the mark. He'd barely had time to collect himself when fire all but danced across the battlefield. He narrowly made it out of the way in time, just to see that Angela's magic had missed the mark as well. 

A familiar burst of energy rushed through him-it appeared Garland was still intent on playing the part of possessed. Papyrus couldn't understand why he'd continue such a charade-especially since he'd narrowly killed them because of it-but he seemed determined about it. He'd almost been lost once-gods forbid that Papyrus do anything to expose Garland's true intentions and risk him being gone again. 

Papyrus clenched a fist, and more then a dozen transparent blue bones shot from the ground at a rapid pace in a counter-clockwise formation-all of varing sizes. When his fist opened, about half of them levitated-changing color and becoming a solid white. Turning on their sides-they flew in a variety of directions, but their intended targets were all the same.

"I thought we were working together! I thought that we would be friends! Why? How could you do this?" Papyrus shouted his questions of disbelief at the trio hurt from the horrible act of treachery. 

Was all of what Papyrus said a fruitless effort? Even Papyrus was aware of the futility of his statements. And yet there was still a small chance that his question would be answered. This would be the only chance he'd ever get.

actions:

Asvas (Tower Roof)

"I thought we were working together! I thought that we would be friends!"

At it again, was he? Rocbouquet allowed her mana to taper off before turning her attention to Papyrus and giving him a slight grumble and an eyeroll.

“I don't need friends when I can count on Wagnas and big brother to always be there for me!” she retorted, sighing in exasperation at Papyrus' continued effort to make conversation with her and her 'teammates' after she had told him off. He was almost as bad as the Emperor of Avalon!

"Why? How could you do this?"

And nothing seemed to satisfy his need for answers either!

“...Such nosy questions coming from a monster. Are you sure you weren't a human before this?” The temptress commented, bringing her right index finger inquisitively to her lips. After a subtle pause, Rocbouquet cocked her head to the side, chuckling a little in amusement. “—Though I guess that would make two of us,” she taunted, resuming a more serious expression as she answered Papyrus' inquiry in a more heartfelt manner, even managing to blush a little at the thought of her own response:

“Because I made a promise to Wagnas that I intend to keep no matter what happens to me,” Rocbouquet explained. She looked him dead in the eyes and fanned her wings out, ready to dodge the projectiles being launched at her. “Wouldn't you do the same for the man you love?”

Angela - Asvas (Tower Roof)

Unluckily for her, Rocbouquet's dark energy struck Angela the moment she was about to fire off her own spell, which interrupted her focus and resulted into an embarrassing attempt. And as if that was not bad enough on its own, she had to listen to her adversary's taunts to top things off! Why, that little...

She could feel Garland's familiar magic finally taking effect, but then that unicorn was at it with its newly-found love for fire magic, once again. This time, it was directed at all three of them, but Angela managed to quickly dive out of its path, and so did the others from what she could see. What is up with that pyromaniac foal?! If she likes fire that much, then she should try it out herself, Angela thought as she aimed her staff at Sunset, causing a series of fiery explosions to initiate and expand towards her.

Papyrus went on with his pleading, but at least he had gone into the offensive as well. Angela nearly gagged at the mention of being friends with them - she would most certainly have never been able to be friends with that person, even if she actually were the innocent damsel that she pretended to be. Hmph. Men. What had they found in her, anyway??

To his questions, the now-winged sorceress responded that she will keep her promise to Wagnas, no matter what. She had mentioned that name before, hadn't she... 'The man she loves?'

"Ha," Angela scoffed audibly as she prepared to fire off another spell, while dodging the new wave of darkness emitted upon the battlefield - she sure had a pattern, if anything. "You're doing this for love? That's rich. Do you really believe there can be love for a manipulative enchantress like you? Either that Wagnas person will find out what you really are and abandon you, or he knows exactly what you are and he's using you, just like you're using others."

With another swing of her staff, large chunks of ice began dropping towards their three enemies.

Action: