Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Despite what others may think, Alear was a relatively light sleeper. It scares her deeply to rest her eyes, even more for a moment. She spent the past 1000 years sleeping after the first war against the Fell Dragon Sombron. Although she has no memory of her previous life, she must have had friends that were dear to her. Allies that celebrated with her, flown wit her, drank with her; allies that would die for her, and that she would die for in turn.

She feels terrible, guilt even, that she has forgotten about them. Forgotten dear friends and close allies. It scares her that she would live for thousands of years, and all bonds she has forged would be taken away by the cruel fate of death. Her mother managed to, but could she do the same? Lumera, despite her caring and motherly nature, seemed… distant, when speaking to the stewards. A warm smile, yet so very distant all the same, to all but her daughter. 

Would she become the same? Scared of forging bonds because of her extended life span? Too afraid even but in the effort and spending the days of her immortal life in Lythos Castle, turning it into a prison of her own making? 

Perhaps what scared her was her immortality. Watching her friends and loved ones grow old and wither away, while she remains youthful and vibrant for millennia.

Vander, Clanne and Framme, Alfred, Céline, Chloé, Diamant, Alcryst, Lapis, Anna, Yunaka, Fogado, Timerra.

Ivy…

Slowly, she would watch them disappear. She would watch them all die. While she would never age a day.

Alear’s eyes snapped open, taking in deep breath as though she had been submerged in water for hours. It was a far cry from when she first awoke from her thousand year slumber, or when her allies would enter her room.

Immediately, Alear felt that something was missing. She quickly picked herself up and dusted herself off, getting rid of the grass stuck in her two-toned hair, and investigated her surroundings. She was standing in the middle of grassfield. Exposed rocks and the occasional tree littered the flatlands. There were small scatterings of untamed flower beds, yellow and white ones.

This wasn’t Elyos. There was something off about it. It felt manufactured, fake. Like the setting of an intricate play. Somehow, it didn’t feel real. Nothing felt real. It was like a dream, like the same dream she had for thousands during her slumber. Alear tried to control her breathing, but she felt her panic rise steadily. One hand reaches for the other.

“Marth?” Alear asks quietly, tightly gripping her hand. Her heart sinks.

She lowers her hand, searching for the Ring of the Hero-King. It’s gone.

Panicking, Alear begins searching all over for the Ring. But after a few minutes, she falls to her knees, arms limp at her sides as she blankly stares into the horizon.

“He’s gone…” Alear mutters in disbelief. The missing weight from her ring finger bores a hole into her very being. Choking back a sob, Alear cries out in rage and sadness, slamming her fist into the ground with enough force to leave a small web of cracks.

“GODDAMMIT! NOT AGAIN!” Alear shouts into the ground. Again, she’s lost so many people. How many years had passed? She remembers her allies, her closest friends, but how many others did she forget? Did the war even end in their favor? The last thing she remembers was Vander’s report of Elusian warships reaching Solm’s shore. And then, nothing.

It’s all a blur. She remembers fighting, those horrible Corrupted, and then… Nothing. It’s as though she is reading a book, completely engrossed by the narrative, only for her to turn the page and discover the last pages had been ripped out and torn to shreds.

But even before, she still had some familiarity. Marth’s presence was the calm in a storm of confusion and panic. But now, that calm had disappeared, leaving Alear stranded and drowning.

She had nothing.

Before she could wallow in her own sadness, Alear heard a sharp howl pierce throw the air. Immediately, her training with Vander kicked and she shot to her feet, hands tightly wrapped around the hilt of her sword, Libération.

Instinctively, she called out for Marth to stand by her side. Only to be reminded that he had vanished as well.

A shadow fell over her, and Alear leapt out of the way before an old, withered sword could tear her apart. She grimaced, narrowing her eyes at the quartet of Corrupted, one of them wielding an axe while the other had swords. Their ragged breaths and broken snarls sent shivers down Alear’s spine, but she took a deep breath and steeled herself, ready to lunge at the opportune moment.

Until her mind went back to that howl. It sounded like it came from a wolf, so why hasn’t it shown itself yet? 

Her eyes went wide as another monster pushed the Corrupted out of the way. Its fur was black as night, as if it absorbed the sun’s very light. Its limbs were lanky and long, allowing it to stand on its hind legs, on its paws were long, sharp claws made out of bones. The beast’s face was covered by a bony mask, red markings running along the snout. The eyes glowed red with hatred, leaving trails of light as it moved its head around and sniffed the air.

Another monstrous wolf emerged, shoving the Corrupted to the ground and howling loudly. Alear’s eyes widened in fear as they silently stalked towards, anxiously moving backwards as they approached. She tightened the grip and her sword and tried to calm her breathing.

This is fine. She’s faced Corrupted before. She’s fought and killed Corrupted, running beside and riding on their own undead wolves like horses. These new beasts shouldn’t be so different, even if they looked completely different.

Alear blinked as she sensed another, stronger presence behind them, hiding itself as if in waiting. It seemed to be the one leading these foes from a distance, hiding somewhere. Taking a deep breath, Alear gripped Libération’s hilt tightly and got into a familiar fighting stance. The monsters seemed to take offense, growling and snarling a bit louder at the site of her.

“All right then… Come at me!” Alear shouted, releasing a war cry as she ran towards the monsters. They howled in response, and raced towards her.

Battle: False Wonder World

[Victory Condition]
Rout the Enemy

[Defeat Conditions]
Alear or Kaito falls in battle

Enemy Units:
Sword Fighter (Undead) / Corrupted - Lv 2 (x3) [FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE]
Axe Fighter (Undead) / Corrupted - Lv 2 [FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE]
Grimm (Monster) / Beowulf - Lv 1 (x2) [RWBY]
Axe Armor (Monster) / ??? Lv 3

Player Units:
Divine Dragon (Dragon) / Alear - Lv 1 [FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE]

Ally Units:
Number Hunter (Duelist) / Kaito Tenjo - Lv 1 [YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL]

[NOW BEGINNING BATTLE]

Walking through the flat plains of the Easin Hills was a young man with blonde hair, dark green bangs, wearing a black trench coat and white pants. On each side of his belt are two small rectangular boxes used to hold playing cards. 

After a few minutes, the boy sighs and places one hand on his hip, and the other over the right side of his face.

“Haruto… The people in that village. Is that what has become of you and father?” He says under his breath. “How am I even supposed to free you from this place’s spell?”

A woman’s grunt tore him away from his inner thoughts. Looking around, he found those black creations from earlier and new pair lupine monsters he’s never seen before. They were combatting a woman with long blue and red hair and white clothing, looking straight out one the fantasy video games Haruto would play when they were younger.

“She doesn’t seem to be in trouble right now…” The boy muttered, “but there's usually a larger monster attached to these small groups. It'd be better if I stuck around, just for a while. Besides, she could be just like me… Conscious, so to speak.”

With a snap of fingers, the boy’s clothing changed, the shades of black transforming into bright whites. His left eye turned bright red, and a blue tattoo appeared over it. In addition, a crescent-shaped device appeared on his left arm, extending like a blade. He took one of the decks from his hip and slotted it inside the device, briefly examining the first five cards he received from it.

“So… how well can you handle this new world?” The boy muttered as the monster rushed towards Alear.

One Beowulf managed to reach Alear before the other’s, extending its long arms to rip into her. She swung Libération in front of her, blocking in the incoming claw swipe. The lupine monster attempted to strike with its other arm, but Alear slammed her knee into the monster’s stomach, making it bend backwards from the force. She brought her left arm back and slugged the monster’s head, and then quickly slashed with her sword and knocked it into the incoming Sword Fighters.

The Axe Fighter jumped into the sky and slammed its weapon into the ground, Alear jumping backwards to avoid the hit. She blocked another strike from the other Beowulf and used her sword to push it away, and quickly turned around to slash at the Axe Fighter’s armor. It tried striking again, but Alear swung and disarmed the monster with one slash to its hand. She leapt forward and drove Libération’s tip into the chest, skewering the monster. It disappeared in a black puff of smoke shortly after.

Alear sidestepped an swipe from the Beowulf, and ducked underneath its legs as it tried attacking again. She was about to strike at its back, but she had to turn her body to avoid one of the Sword Fighters from stabbing her. She swung her sword in a wide arc in front of her, knocking the Sword Fighters away, and drove her elbow into the Beowulf’s snout as it tried to attack her from behind. She delivered a fierce roundhouse kick into the monster’s exposed skull, cracking it and sending it flying away.

She held Libération in a reverse grip, and slammed the hilt of one of the Corrupted, cracking its helmet and exposing the rotting face. With a grimace, Alear spun around and slashed, decapitating the monster in one strike, and then delivered a full powered punch to the other Sword Fighter. She brought her leg up and kicked it in the face, and brought her leg to her chest to land her foot firmly in that monster’s stomach. The other Beowulf tries scratching her again, but she simply slashes at the beast’s offending arm, dismembering it. Alear spins and kicks upward, slamming her heel into the Beowulf’s chin and sending it upwards into the sky. She then corrects the grip on her sword and stabs upwards, the tip of her sword breaking through the monster’s skull and killing it

As the Beowulf with the cracked skull struggled to its feet, it noticed a saddened and angry presence off to the side. It howled, alerting the two remaining Corrupted and Alear. The boy gives a passing glance at the approaching wolf monster, and merely rolls his eyes.

“What the–!? Get out of here kid!” Alear shouts, having barely noticed the boy. She runs over to help him but is forced back when the Corrupted appear in front of her and attack. The Beowulf howls as it jumps up and slashes it claws downwards. In response, the boy calmly picks a card from his hand and places it on the device strapped to his arm.

“When I control no monsters, I can summon Photon Thrasher from my hand,” The boy announces, voice bored and monotone. Before the wolf’s claws could make contact, a robotic warrior carrying a large, single-edged blade and wearing dark blue armor materialized in front of the boy, blocking the strike.

“When I control a Photon monster, I can summon Photon Advancer ,” The boy recites, as if he said those exact words thousands of times before. Another robotic warrior appears, wielding no weapon and dressed in white armor instead. “When I control another Photon monster, Advancer doubles in strength.” The energy circulating underneath Advancer’s armor begins to glow brightly. The attack it manages to land completely crushes Beowulf’s head.

Alear watches, amazed at the blonde’s summons and their strength. Gritting her teeth, she pushes back against the two Sword Fighters, and sweeps her feet to make them trip. With a wave of his hand, his two summons launch themselves towards the fallen Corrupted. Photon Thrasher slashes at the monster’s torso, cutting in half. Photon Advancer rears back its fist and punches right through the Corrupted’s chest, leaving a gaping hole as it pulls its hand free. 

“T-thank you for your help,” Alear says, watching the boy as he walks towards her, his two summons floating closely beside.

“Don’t thank me yet. The big one should be showing up soon,” The boy tells her, drawing an additional card from his deck.

“The big one? You mean that hidden presence I felt earlier?” Alear questions. On cue, a small portal appeared beside them, and a large, four-bladed axe crashed behind them.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear,” The boy says, giving a half-hearted glare to Alear. She mutters an apology as an eight foot-tall armored knight lumbers toward them, raising its oversized axe over its right shoulder, and shouting at them with a loud, distorted roar.

Axe Armor (Monster + Armor)/ Giant-One - Lv 3 
[Sonic and the Black Knight]

The Giant-One steps forward and raises its axe, making the four of them scramble away before it crashes into the ground that they stood on moments ago. The boy slams a card into his device, causing a card to appear face-down in front of him, and disappear shortly after.

“Photon Thrasher, distract it! Photon Advancer, cover her as she goes on the attack!” The boy orders. Wordlessly, Thrasher begins hovering towards the Giant-One, small cuts appearing on the dark knight’s armor as it swings its blade around. The Giant-One sings its axe wildly, attempting to swat the robotic warrior away.

“Whenever you’re ready, go on the offensive. I can cover you from a distance with my cards, so be sure to cause as much damage as you can!” The boy tells her, another face-down card appearing and subsequently disappearing. Alear looks at him, confused, but eventually gives a nod of affirmation and races towards the Giant-One, Photon Advancer floating beside her. It reminds her slightly of Marth and the other Emblems when they fought with her and her allies. 

But it doesn’t feel the same.

Photon Thrasher digs its blade into the back of the Giant-One’s leg. The knight’s knee gives out as a result, causing it to stumble to the ground. It sees Alear running towards it, and it raises its axe to disrupt her attack. Thrasher jumps up to its helmet and slashes at its visor, blinding it temporarily, but leaving it open to be swatted away the Giant-One’s open palm. Behind her, Alear could hear the boy’s pained grunt as Photon Thrasher lands in a heap and explodes shortly after. 

The Giant-One swings its axe downwards, but Photon Advancer manages to catch it. It struggles for a moment, just enough for Alear to slip by and stab Libération into the Giant-One’s helmet. As she attacks, she hears Advancer’s arms give out as it’s crushed by the knight’s axe, another grunt coming from the boy. Alear looks back in concern, drawing annoyed huff from him.

“I told you, just worry about killing that thing!” The boy shouts in annoyance, adding a third card to his hand. Alear nods, and leaps away as the Giant-One attempts to grab her. She stabs her sword into its hand, and then runs up its arm, dragging the blade with her and it cut’s into the Giant-One’s armor. The knight shakes her away, making her stumble as she lands on the ground. It then swing’s it axe in a wide arc, the blade’s inches away from tearing into her flash.

“I activate Lumenize !” The boy declares, one of his face-down cards revealing itself. “I negate that attack, and then add its strength to yours!” Before the axe could tear her apart, a shield made of light surrounds her, protecting Alear from imminent death. Afterwards, that same shield encloses itself around her, encasing her body in a golden glow. Alear stands in awe of the card’s power for a brief moment, before once again slashing wildly at the Giant-Ones torso. Immediately, she could see the effects of Lumenize, as Libération cut deep gashes into the Giant-One’s armor. Her movements also felt faster and more fluid. The knight attacked her once more with its axe, but Alear managed to deflect it with ease, sending the axe flying into the air.

Alear, invigorated by the boy’s card, jumps up and attempts to decapitate the knight, only for the boost in power to finally dissipate, and her sword barely managing a scratch on the Giant-One’s helmet. Alear cursed as the Giant-One grabs her with its hand, and tossed her into the ground, forcing the air out of her lungs. The Giant-One attempts to stomp on her, only to be interrupted when a bright red burst of light appears in front of the blonde boy, temporarily blinding it.

“Photon Lead lets me special summon a Level 4 light monster from my hand. Daybreaker can summon another copy of itself when it’s special summoned,” He explains, as Starliege Lord Galaxion hovers behind him, two glowing spheres orbiting around it as it draws its two large blades.

“By detaching two overlay units, I’m allowed to special summon a monster from my deck!” He announces shortly after, the two spheres flying into Lord Galaxion’s blades. With one sword, it creates a tear in the space-time continuum, and then flies towards the Giant-One, slashing at its exposed chest. Alear quickly picks herself up and joins in on the attack, driving her sword into the it’s armor.

At the same time, a clawed hand grasps the cut that Lord Galaxion made, and proceeds to push it further, tearing through the fabric space-time as it does so. “From the darkness of the universe comes a ray of hope! A true embodiment of the light!” The boy chants, closing his fist and punching the air in front of him, a wide grin forming on his lips. “Say hello to Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!”

The portal and the air around it shatters like a pane of glass, as a dragon made of stardust emerges and roars proudly. It opens its eyes, revealing a sclera dotted with stars and pupils made entirely of galaxies.

The dragon lunges and scratches the Giant-One, attacking with enough force to make it stumble backwards. Lord Galaxion slashes at its chest, making the knight fall onto the ground and land in a heap. As it struggles to pick itself up, Alear jumps in and lands a punch in the center of its chest, denting the decorated metal with an audible creak. Afterwards, she stabs Libération into chest and jumps, dragging the sword along with her until spinning in the air and slamming the blade into the ground, knocking the Giant-One into the ground.

“Galaxy-Eyes’ effect activates! If it's attacked or is attacking, I can banish both it and its target for a few seconds!” The boy exclaims. Galaxy-Eyes howls and opens its mouth, a stream of cosmic energy pouring from its mouth and flying towards the Giant-One. Before the attack could land, the dragon and the knight fizzle out of existence, disappearing a shower of sparkles.

“Ready your strongest attack. They’ll show up in no time!” He tells Alear. She nods braces herself, her and Lord Galaxion taking position close to where the Giant-One once stood. At the same time, the boy draws yet again, smiling at his card as he activates his second face-down.

“Tyrant Wing! I equip this card onto you, and increase your strength!” He shouts. Alear blinks, feeling two large wings sprout from her back. Again, she feels herself brimming with power, though not to the same extent as Lumenize.

In front of her, she sees the Giant-One materialize, stumbling to the ground as if it were dizzy.

“Strike ‘em down, Starliege Lord Galaxion! Let ‘em have it, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon! PHOTON STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!”

Lord Galaxion attacks first, running through the Giant-One with an x-shaped slash, and cutting off its arms at the shoulders. They tumble to the ground and disappear in a cloud of smoke. Galaxy-Eyes moves next, firing another cosmic blast from its maw. The stream of energy pierces through the Giant-One, leaving a large, gaping hole in the center of its chest.

Finally, Alear flaps her new wings, rushing towards the Giant-Ones head and brandishing her sword. “This ends now!” She shouts, running through the Giant-One with her sword.

Alear gracefully lands on the ground, her wings slowing her descent. As she does, what remains of the Giant-One is sliced in two, one half falling forwards while the other collapses backwards. The armor darkens, until it starts corroding, finally dissolving in a puff of black smoke.

[STAGE COMPLETE!]
[MVP: Alear]

The Divine Dragon sheathes her blade, a small sigh escaping from her lips. The wings on her back dissolve, making her frown. Even if it was for a brief moment, she enjoyed being able to fly, even if it wasn’t the same way her mother did. Turning around she looked up at Galaxy-Eyes and Lord Galaxion.

“Thank you for your help in this fight. Please send my regards to Advancer and Thrasher ,” She says, giving a small bow to the both of them. Galaxion sheathes its blades and turns its head sharply, almost as though it was scoffing. Galaxy-Eyes lets out an amused snort, lowering its body so that its large head was only inches away from her. It playfully nudges her with its nose, making Alear fall to the ground with a laugh. With a loud roar, the two monsters disappear from existence. 

“And thank you as well,” Alear says with a smile as the boy walks towards, his clothes having returned to normal. “If it weren’t for… whatever it is that you did, I surely would have perished in that battle.” The boy studies her for a brief moment, the strange tattoo still over his eyes.

“Don’t mention it,” He says, crossing his arms. “You would’ve done the same thing if it were me in trouble.”

“I would…?” Alear asks. “How can you be so sure?”

“Just a feeling. You remind me of a friend I have. Granted, he’s infinitely more irritating than you, but I think the point still stands,” The boy sighs, slipping his deck back into its box. Alear smiles awkwardly at the comment, unsure of whether to take it as a compliment or otherwise.

“He sounds like a good person, your friend,” Alear says politely, drawing a grunt from the boy.

“Unfortunately for my health, he is,” He mutters under his breath. “Moving on, what are you doing all that way out here? It’s not everyday you see a girl that looks like a Pepsi mascot in the middle of nowhere.” 

‘Pepsi mascot? What does that even mean?’

“To be quite frank, I would like to myself. One minute, I was with my comrades, preparing for battle. After that–”

“Let me guess; the world suddenly goes white, and the next thing you know you’ve found yourself in the middle of nowhere, in an unfamiliar location with unfamiliar people?” He finishes for her.  Alear blinks at his comment.

“Not exactly, but that’s the gist of what happened. Has… has something similar happened to you?”

“I knew it… There’s more people out there,” The boy mutters, ignoring Alear’s question.

“I’m sorry, what? ‘People like us?’ What are you talking about?” She asks, her voice growing slightly panicked. The boy’s eyes briefly glance at her, until he shakes his head and sighs.

“Might as well rip off the band-aid while we’re at it,” He says to himself, Alear furrowing her brow in confusion. “My name is Kaito Tenjo, though there are some who simply call me ‘Kite.’ I’m from Heartland City, Japan.” 

“I am the Divine Dragon, Alear. I live on the continent of Elyos, and preside over the Somniel,” She tells him. “ Wait a minute… ‘Heartland City?’ ‘Japan?’ I’ve never heard of those places before…”

“And I’ve never heard of a person who calls themselves a ‘Divine Dragon,’ or a place called ‘Elyos’ or ‘The Somniel,’” Kaito responds, drawing a confused look from Alear.

“You haven’t? But…” She says, her voice faltering.

“The point I’m trying to make, Alear, is that you and I are from different worlds. And somehow, something brought not only us, but people from across hundreds, maybe even thousands of different worlds into this one,” He says bluntly.

“Other worlds? Like the Emblem Rings?” Alear says in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Is this some sort of elaborate prank?”

“I don’t know what an Emblem Ring is. If you need more proof, I can show you,” Kaito tells her. “There’s a town over to the east called Greenhorne. You’ll see what I mean.” 

Kaito walks past her, gesturing with his arms to follow him. Alear, left in a state of confusion and anxiety, follows after him. She clenches her fist tightly, her nails digging into the fabric of her gloves.

Then, a thought passes through her mind. If Kaito really is telling the truth, then a thousand years have not passed. That could mean that her friends are still alive, and perhaps in this world as well.

With newfound determination, Alear’s eyes gleam, following Kaito towards the sun rising over the horizon.

Dragon of the Somniel - ALEAR has joined the Party!
“My mother was everything a Divine Dragon should be. I will honor her last wish and bring peace to Elyos,” -Fire Emblem Heroes.

Class: Divine Dragon
Special Notes - Dragon [Takes increased damage from Dragon and Fairy units.

Growth Rates:
HP - 70%
Str - 45%
Mag - 20%
Dex - 55%
Spd - 65%
Def - 50%
Res - 35%
Lck - 30%
Bld - 10%

Skill(s):
Divinely Inspiring: Adjacent allies deal +3 damage and take 1 less damage.
Divine Spirit: Charging period for this unit’s Final Smash Meter is shortened.
Perceptive: If this unit initiates combat, grants Avo +15 during combat. Avo increases with high speed (+1 Avo for every 4 Spd)

Gear:
Libération: Divine Dragon and related classes only. Fills up the Final Smash Meter slightly when the user OHKOs an enemy.

Final Smash:
CRITICAL HIT - The user, ALEAR, attacks the opponent with divine power coursing through her veins. This attack always results in a critical hit, and ignores any stat changes the target has.

Hunter of Heartland - KAITO TENJO has joined the party!
“The radiance of the solar system guides me to a new world!” -Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links.

Class: Number Hunter
Special Notes - Duelist [If this unit controls a monster(s), reduce all damage to 0. If a monster this unit controls is defeated, inflict damage equal to the amount taken by the destroyed monster. During the start of your army’s turn, this unit draws a card. They can only have up to seven cards in their hand. This unit can only normal summon a monster once per turn, but can special summon monsters and activate as many Spell/Traps cards as they want.]

Growth Rates:
HP - 65%
Str - 30%
Mag - 65%
Dex - 75%
Spd - 45%
Def - 55%
Res - 75%
Lck - 60%
Bld - 5%

Skill(s):
Number’s Rule - All “Number” monsters controlled by this unit and their allies take damage, except by other “Number” monsters.
Destiny Draw - If this unit’s HP is below 50%, they can draw one card from their deck. This Skill can only be used once per turn, and only twice per battle.
Draw Sense - Light: The unit has a higher chance of drawing Light-Attribute monsters.

Gear:
Galaxy Photon Deck - Monster’s Str and Def stats are added to the unit's current stats during combat.

Final Smash
DESTINY DRAW: GALACTIC SPIRAL - The user, KAITO, adds “Rank-Up-Magic Galactic Spiral” to his hand from outside of his deck.

[Rank-Up-Magic Galactic Spiral (Quick-Play): Target one Level/Rank 8 “Galaxy-Eyes” Monster you control and reveal one “Galaxy-Eyes” Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck; change the targeted card’s name to the revealed card’s name, then Special Summon one Rank 8 or 9 “Galaxy-Eyes” Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck, except the revealed monster, using the targeted card as Xyz Material, and if you do, the target card’s name becomes the revealed card’s name while it is attached to the Xyz Monster summoned by this effect. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Material attached to the target also becomes Xyz Material on the summoned monster.) If a “Galaxy-Eyes” Xyz activates an effect that detaches an Xyz Material, you can banish this card from your graveyard instead.]

Chapter Text

The sound of footsteps echoes throughout the grasslands. Out in the distance, a small task force of Koopa’s marched, filled with Hammer Bros, Koopatrols, Paratroopas, and Magikoopas. The army is led by a special group of minions, often being assigned to Bowser and being his most trusted allies, just below the Koopalings, Kamek, and Kammy.

The Elite Trio, as they like to call themselves, consists of Sergeant Guy, Private Goomp, and Corporal Paraplunk. Sergeant Guy is a green Shy Guy with an open backpack, which holds extra wands, hammers, and a small flag with the Bowser’s logo on it. Private Goomp is a Goomba, wearing blue clothing and blue hat, and is accompanied by a small squad of Goomba that he directly orders. And lastly, Corporal Paraplonk is a Paratroopa with a red shell, green shoes, and a red bucket on his head.

As they march, a Magikoopa riding a broomstick flies in front of them, causing them to stop and salute. Because of the sudden stop, the Sub-Goombas around Private Goomp trip and fall, causing the entirety of the strike force to collapse on the floor, except for the Paratroopas.

“Huh? Who said you guys could take a break, huh? Get to it!” Kamek orders the task force. The Koopa’s pick themselves up and salute, muttering a few grievances as Kamek pulls the Elite Trio to the side.

“What’s all this about, now?” Sergeant Guy asks. “Aren’t we supposed to be heading towards that Greenhorne Village place?”

“You still are, there’s just been a slight change in plans. His Grouchiness and I will not be able to join, as we have an assignment that comes directly from The Boss ,” Kamek explained, eliciting a gasp from the Elite Trio.

“ The Big Boss! ?” Private Goomp asks.

“ The Head Honcho !?” Sergeant Guy asks.

“ The Guy Who We’re Playing the Pronoun Game With !?” Corporal Paraplonk asks. “You can tell he’s a force to be reckoned with because his name is in bold text!”

“Quiet, all of you!” Kamek shouts, silencing the Elite Trio. “Yes, that Guy . Apparently somebody has gone and made multiple unauthorized deviations to The Script. The Great Sage has gone off radar, and Bowser was told to figure whodunnit. Naturally, I will be accompanying him.”

“Alright, but what does that have to do with us? The Main Characters are supposed to be powerless by the time we get t’ Greenhorne,” Corporal Paraplonk states, making the other two nod.

“If you’d let me finish, I’ll tell you!” Kamek says angrily while waving his wand at the Trio, making Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy hide behind Corporal Paraplonk, who sticks half his head in his shell. “I just said that some other changes have been made to The Script! That means that the Main Characters are Conscious, as well as a bunch of other people!”

“Wow! That sounds like a big problem for us!” Private Goomp exclaims. “What does conscious mean in this context?”

“It means that the Main Characters still have their memories,” Sergeant Guy explains, being the only one to pay attention to any of Bowser’s meetings. “Wait a minute… the MC’s still have the memories!?”

“We're gonna get our butts handed to us!” Private Goomp cries out.

“What do we do!? Do we call off the march!?” Corporal Paraplonk asks in a quivering voice, his head still inside his shell.

“No. Even if the Main Character is Conscious, that doesn’t mean squat if they can’t fight naturally! After all, we have an army and the Big Thing!” Kamek explains. “Besides, you know who important this mission is! Finding Peach and the Koopalings takes top priority! Everything else can wait until after you guys scour the village! Wherever she is, that sniveling plumber follows! And with him on our side, he can take down the Big Boss, and once Mario is tired from all the fighting… BAM! We can finally take over the Mushroom Kingdom! So, put your backs into it, and find that princess!”

“Yes sir!” The Elite Trio salutes. Kamek gives them a nod and flies away, returning to assist Bowser.

“Hey, boys? A thought occurs,” Sergeant Guy says, drawing the attention of his companions.

“We’re gonna get our butts handed to us if the MC knows how to fight?” Corporal Paraplonk says matter-of-factly, as Private Goomp nods with him.

“Well, yes. But also, let’s say that MC just happens to be Mario… You know what that would mean for our career path?”

“Woah… We find Mario, and then that means we can beat the Head Honcho way ahead of schedule…” Private Goomp thinks out loud, putting the pieces together.

“That’s a one-way ticket to Promotion City!” Corporal Paraplonk says with glee. “We could be the Head Honcho’s boss when we help Bowser take over the multiverse!”

“I bet that we’ll even be Kamek’s boss!” Sergeant Guy adds. “Imagine us, the Elite Trio, being the top dogs of the multiverse!”

“We can’t mess this job up! Everybody, full speed ahead!” Private Goomp shouts, urging the Koopa Troop to march faster. At this rate, the task force would reach Greenhorne thirty minutes ahead of schedule.

Alear follows behind Kaito quietly, staring at him rather intensely. Currently, they are walking down a small dirt road, one that Kaito said would lead to Greenhorne. Already, she can see a small town close by, one that looks very similar to the rustic villages across Elyos. Despite that, she can’t help but feel something… incorrect, for a lack of better term, about her surroundings. Earlier she compared the Easin Hills to an elaborate play, but somehow, it felt much more sophisticated than that.

“So, Kaito,” Alear starts, attempting to make small talk. Kaito turns his head slightly, looking back at her with one eye. “Earlier, your clothes looked different. How did you manage to change your appearance, if you don’t mind me asking?” Kaito regards her question for a brief moment, looking back at the horizon as he does so.

“It's a process called Photon Transformation. It protects me from the negative influences of… certain artifacts, I guess you can call them,” Kaito explains. “In short, I can’t be mind controlled, and my emotions can’t be tampered with through any supernatural means.”

“That sounds like an extremely useful ability!” Alear compliments, her smile turning dour. “…I knew somebody who would’ve greatly benefited from magic like that.” She sighs, but shakes her head, removing those thoughts from her mind. “Is there anything that your transformation can do?”

“Well, it also lets me see information that isn’t normally accessible from sight alone. For example, I know that you’re over one thousand years old. Despite your human appearance, you are a dragon. You have an aura that emanates from you, which tends to give a power boost to nearby allies. Also, you have Light energy flowing through your veins,” Kaito says, making Alear blink.

“Yes, that’s all true. Most of that is public knowledge in Elyos, but you haven’t heard of me. Your Photon Transformation is impressive, scarily so,” Alear says. “However, that makes me wonder if your abilities can only receive information that the person you’re looking at already knows?”

“That’s what I wonder,” Kaito smirks, drawing a confused look from Alear. “Because, in addition to Light Energy, you also have Dark Energy inside of you.”

“I do?” Alear asks, her eyes widening slightly.

“Heh, figured,” Kaito smirks, taking out a card from his deck– Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon –and handing it to Alear. “The information is formatted like that card. On the top right of the card is a monster's attribute, above the stars and next to the card's name. Your card's attribute is Dark, hence the Dark energy inside of you. However, there is nothing on your card, in the card text or otherwise, that suggests that you are also a Light-attribute monster. It’s as though somebody else's power has made you a Light-attribute, sort of like a lingering effect.”

“But… how is that possible? …Perhaps the information your eye gave you is faulty. We were fighting the Corrupted, and as well as those dark beasts. Maybe that’s how you received the Dark energy coming from me?”

“Perhaps. And my gear did start acting differently when I first woke up in this world. I’ll have to find a way to run diagnostics, but with the current level of technology, I won’t be able to do that anytime soon. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish Orbital was here. That would make things so much easier…” Kaito muttered, though Alear didn’t listen to what he was saying.

She stared at Galaxy-Eyes’ card, specifically the bright yellow gem that signified the beast’s attribute. She blinked twice and handed the card back to Kaito, he stuffed it back inside his deck box. “Once you’ve managed to… run a diagnostic, whatever that is… Can you look at me with your special eye again?” Alear asks him.

“If you want,” Kaito responds. “Why do you want me to, though?”

“…Back in Elyos, the people worship me as deity,” She starts, making Kaito snort. “It’s true!”

“Sorry,” Kaito quickly apologizes, gesturing for her to continue. Alear sighs, and does so.

“Anyways, before all of… this, we were at war with the Fell Dragon, Sombron. The undead soldiers we fought a while were his creatures. If I truly do have darkness in my veins, I fear that my friends would abandon me; think of me no different than Sombron and his daughter, Veyle.” Alear’s face grimaced as she mentioned Veyle, and Kaito could see anger burning in her eyes.

“If they do, then that means they never really were your friends,” Kaito remarks, making Alear stumble.

“I’m sorry? But, I’m their deity, their god–”

“So?” Kaito shoots back, silencing Alear. “You may be their ‘god,’ but you're still a person, first and foremost. A dragon that looks like a person, but a person nonetheless. If they decide to turn their backs for something out of your control, then they’ve never deserved your friendship in the first place.” 

He turns around, glaring at Alear with his cold, light gray eyes. “Do I make myself clear?” He asks calmly. The Divine Dragon looks at him in shock, until she eventually starts laughing, hiding the giggles behind the palm of her hand. Kaito raises an eyebrow, confused.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing! Your behavior is… refreshing, in a way. Whenever people talk to me, there’s always an air of reverence, or awe. They always call me Divine One, and act as though I can do no wrong. Nobody, nobody , would talk to me the way you do. It's a nice change of pace, being treated as just another person.” Alear says with a smile.

Kaito studies her for a moment, the makings of a smile forming on his own stoic face. “Then I hope you won't grow tired of it,” He snarks. “Regardless, you should trust your friends. Even if you do end up being some sort of eldritch abomination, your true friends will remain by your side, all the way to depths of hell, and even deeper.”

“I think I understand what you’re talking about…” Alear says, giving Kaito a heartfelt smile. “I assume it’s something you learned from experience?”

“Unfortunately,” Kaito says, giving Alear a light smirk.

[ALEAR and KAITO have reached Support Rank C.]

“We’re here,” Kaito says, the smirk disappearing from his lips. “Brace yourself.” Alear nods, tightly holding onto Libération’s sheath. The two walk past a sign saying “Welcome to Greenhorne!” as the dirt they were walking on slowly turned into one made stone. After reaching a stall, Kaito stops walking and holds up three fingers. Alear glances at him, confused as he closes his fist and a light smirk appears on his face.

“Hey there!” A loud voice shouts behind her as two large hands are placed on her shoulders. Alear yelps and turns around suddenly, which only serves to make her screams louder. Standing behind her with a big goofy smile on his face was a large, red skinned… thing with four muscular arms, four bright green eyes, and two-toed feet. He wore a white t-shirt and black pants.

“Name’s Four-Arms, the Carefree Guide of our fair town! It’s nice to meet you, stranger!” The large red alien says, using all four his arms to wave at her. Alear, still in shock, stutters with her words, until eventually giving him a weak “Hi.”

“Ah, Kaito, you’re here too! Is she a friend of yours?” Four-Arms asks.

“Yeah. She’s new to the area, so I thought I’d give her a tour.” Kaito tells the alien. Alear looks at Kaito, bewildered, and then back at Four-Arms. The red alien gives Kaito a pat on the back, nearly causing him to stumble onto the floor.

“Sounds great!” Four-Arms, and then turns to address Alear. “If you think Kaito’s tour is lackluster, you can always come to me! I’ll be glad to show all the stuff that this guy forgot about!”

“I’ll… keep that in mind,” Alear says. “Kaito, we should get going.”

“Right. See you later, Four-Arms,” Kaito waves goodbye, Alear following after him.

“Kaito, who exactly was that… individual?” She asks as soon as they’re out of earshot.

“One of the people trapped in this world, mentally and physically,” Kaito explains cryptically. “Just take a look around you. Nothing is as it should be.” Alear glances at him, confused. Slowly, she turns to look at the people walking to and fro as she tries desperately to keep her jaw from falling to the ground.

She could see normal humans, sure, but they are in the minority. She can see small men in white suits with glass helmets, followed by red, yellow, and blue creatures with leaves and flowers on their heads. There’s what looks to be a duck wearing a blue coat and tap hats talking to another duck wearing a black sailing uniform. Off to the side, there’s a woman with long purple hair and bright blue flames, wearing a revealing outfit, fretting over a small monkey with a red t-shirt and a cap with the words “Nintendo” printed on it. Looking just past them, there’s a large blocky golem with a big nose and red eyes, keeping a watchful eye of the village.

“What in the world?” Alear whispers.

“And that’s not the only thing whoever trapped us here borrowed,” Kaito says, snapping Alear from her shock. He points over to the right, where she laid eyes on a large, 5 story school with white walls, and blue roof and dome. In front of the school that read… 

“‘Smell my farts?’” Alear read off the sign. Kaito audibly groaned and slapped his palm against his face. There were multiple letters scattered on the floor, as though somebody had rearranged them.

“Damn kids. It’s supposed to read ‘Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.’” Kaito tells her. “Anyways, now do you believe me?”

“I suppose I’ve no other option than to believe you,” Alear responds, ignoring the small, yet smug look Kaito sends her. “We really are from different realities, and so is everyone else here, and they don’t seem to care.” Next to her, Kaito grimly nods.

“Even worse, the person or group who did this needs to be extremely powerful. I might not know much about the greater universe, but I doubt you can kidnap multiple world’s worth of people and expect local gods to be okay with that,” Kaito says. Alear winced.

“Y-you’re right… If multiple worlds are here, then thousands of gods must have been angered. A-and if those gods still haven’t done anything about our predicament…” Her voice falters, becoming as silent as a whisper. “What chance do we have of winning?” To her shock, Kaito gives her a shrug.

“Who knows? But we’re awake–so to speak–and that means we can do something . And I refuse to live the rest of my life living in some crappy fantasy world somebody else slapped together!” Kaito says, clenching his fist. “I assume the same goes for you as well?”

“Y-yes,” Alear says, still unsure of herself. Kaito raises an eyebrow. “Yes!” She repeats more forcefully. “Even if it seems hopeless, I won’t just stand idly by while I have the power to help those in need!”

Kaito smiles, and then nods to the school “I didn’t wake up here alone. There’s somebody else in the school, trying to come up with a plan to help get everyone out of here.” Alear nods, and follows him as he enters the school grounds, passing by a large, cage-like structure that surrounds it. 

“What kind of person builds an academy with a cage around it?” Alear asks, grimacing at the severed head of a bear with white and black fur. Kaito gives her a noncommittal shrug as they both walk towards a circular building made of glass. She flinches when the glass door slides open automatically. Kaito glances at her briefly, mutters something under his breath, and continues walking. Alear follows him, her hand at her sword’s sheath if the doors would suddenly slam shut.

They are inside a room with two floors, each with four sets of doors on the left and right side. Each door had a small square placard in the center, with the vast majority of them having the word “VACANT” scribbled on it. The exceptions were two doors, both of the second. The first resembled the backs of the cards Kaito uses, though it also had an upside triangle with a strange looking X in the center.

The second placard had the image of a pegasus taking flight with a trident in the background, which appeared as though it was coming out of the water. As Alear walked further into the room, the placard for a door on the bottom floor started glowing, changing into a ring with a square shaped gem with a line down the middle. One side was red while the other blue. Kaito noticed the placard change and pointed to it with his thumb.

“I suppose that’s your room now,” Kaito absentmindedly noted. “This place will automatically transform the inside of that room into something that you're familiar with.”

“What kind of magic do you need in order to make something like that work?” Alear asked, opening the door to reveal her bedroom from the Somniel. Strangely, the windows were whited out, so she couldn’t see outside. She could feel her heart clench as her gaze landed on the bed. What she wouldn’t give to see Clanne and Framme at her bedside again.

“Who knows? It’s either manifesting them from our memories, and they're a portal back to our home world,” Kaito thought aloud.  Once Alear closed the door, Kaito walked up the steps to the second floor, and walked over to the other occupied. He knocked twice, and Alear could hear tumbling. She looks at Kaito, confused, who only rolls his eyes in response.

“Coming!” A voice called out, younger than both of them.

“By the way, Kaito, how old are you?” Alear asked.

“Eighteen,” he says without skipping a beat. Alear blinks and gives him once over, something that he notices. “Is something wrong?” He says a bit defensively.

“You… look younger than eighteen,” Alear comments.

“You don’t look like you’re 1000,” Kaito huffs.

“Fair enough.”

A couple seconds later the door opens, revealing a young man with tanned skin black hair, wearing an orange t-shirt, blue jeans, and black worn down shoes with stripes that read “Reeboks” on the side. His eyes were a vibrant shade of green, one that vaguely reminded her of the sea.

“Hey, Kite,” The boy said. “How did–” He then noticed Alear, blinking twice as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Anybody ever told you ya look like a Colgate mascot?” The boy asks.

“Uh, what’s Colgate?” Alear asks.

“I’ll tell you later,” Kaito intervenes. “Percy, this is Alear. She’s a sort of dragon god. Alear, this is Percy Jackson. He’s a half-god, half-human hybrid.”

“Hey?” Percy Jackson says, waving his hand awkwardly. 

“...Hi,” Alear says in response. Kaito looks between the two of them with an unimpressed look, until his gaze lands on Percy.

“It’s the hair, isn’t it,” The duelist assumes, prompting Percy to nod.

“Yes, yes it is,” The demigod admits. “Look, your hair is pretty dumb: it looks like a white radish–” Kaito’s nostrils flare at the comment, “–but yours is just two different colors and really long. I’m not sure if an Apollo kid could pull something off like that, much less make it look good!” He then turns to Alear, waves his hand in her general direction, and just asks “How?”

“It’s natural,” Alear says, though it comes off as more of a question than an answer.

“Cool, cool,” Percy mutters. Kaito looks like he’s in visible pain by watching the two interact. He begins to walk out of the room, shuffling his deck as he does so.

“I’m going out to get some food. Anything in particular you want, Alear?” Kaito asks over his shoulder.

“Anything fish related, please,” Alear tells him.

“And something blue for me!” Percy cuts in, prompting Alear to look at him strangely. Even Kaito gives a deadpanned look.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Kaito grunts and walks out, leaving the two not-really-gods by themselves.

“Sooo… godhood huh? How’s that working out for you?” Percy asks.

“I’m not actually a god. My mother and I are revered as deities, but we are still mortal.” Unfortunately…

“Huh? How does that work?” Percy asks.

“I think it’s easier to think of us as politicians and religious figures, rather than actual gods,” Alear explains. Percy blinks and places a hand on his chin, as though he were thinking.

“Huh. Y’know, the last time government and religion mixed in my world, it didn’t end so well,” Percy said. “Lots of decapitation, civil unrest, bloody revolutions, and unexpected inquisitions.”

“Oh.” 

…

“Sooo… you’re half-human?” Alear asked, trying to break the ice. Thankfully, Percy wasn’t as intimidating as Kaito.

“Yeah, son of Poseidon, or Neptune if you’re Roman,” Percy boasts, as if she’d known who they were.

“I don’t know who those are,” Alear says.

“Oh, right. Sorry, still trying to wrap my head around this whole ‘trapped in a dimension with people from other dimensions’ thing,” Percy apologizes. “Poseidon’s a god of the sea and earthquakes. He also made horses that one time.”

“Since Poseidon is a sea god, I assume you have a natural affinity for water magic?” Alear assumed.

“I only have hydrokinesis, technically. But, I can control boats, talk to fish and horses, I’m a built in compass when I’m in the ocean, and I can breathe underwater,” Percy says, lifting up a finger with each power he listed. “What about you? Can you turn into a dragon or something?”

“I can summon ghosts from magic rings,” Alear says. “The ghost rings have special abilities,” She quickly adds upon seeing the look of pity from Percy. A bit of an overgeneralization, sure, but it's the easiest way to explain things without having to explain specifics. Besides, it’s not like she’ll be able to showcase that power anytime soon.

Her ring finger twitches.

“That’s kinda neat actually. Y’know, I have friends who can talk to ghosts, and summon skeletons,” Percy mentions. “So does that mean you’re, like an Underworld Dragon or something.”

“Divine Dragon, actually. The ghosts aren’t that live in the rings aren’t actually dead, they just don’t have a physical form,” Alear clarified. 

Before Percy could say anything, the feedback of a megaphone pierced through the air, making the both of them flinch.

“That sounds vaguely like modern tech,” Percy noted. “Look like lunch’ll have to wait.” With a groan, he grabs the railings and jumps down from, followed closely by Alear. The two rushed out of the Ultimate Academy and onto the town square, where the golems were busy ushering people into the homes.

“Alear! Percy!” The two turned to see Kaito, who was carrying a pair of bags in his hands, and his Photon Transformation already active.

“Kite! What the heck is going on!” Percy asked, reaching into his pants pockets and pulling out a… pen?

“There's an invasion force coming from the south! The town militia is already fighting them, but a few managed to slip by!” Kaito told them, placing the bags down and slipping his deck inside the disk.

“What are they doing here?” Alear asked, watching as the pen turned into a sword as she unsheathed her own sword. She’ll have to ask about that later. 

“I dunno. It sounds like they’re looking for someone, and they’re willing to tear down the place to look for them!” Kaito says, drawing five cards.

“Well, we can’t exactly let them get away with it can we?” Percy smirks, a confident smile on his face. “Who are we going up against?”

“Turtle creatures, flying, armed, and armored. There’s a lot of them, but they’re cowardly and not that much of a threat. As long as we take out the chain of command, the army should disperse.”

“In that case, we should spread out and look for the commanders. Help any civilians that are in danger, and support the local militia if needed,” Alear orders, walking forward with sword in hand.

“Sounds like a plan!” Before they could run off, Kaito pulls something out of his pocket and tosses one to Alear and Percy.

“D-Gazers. They can be used for long distance communication,” He explains. Alear looks at her D-Gazer–it was white with gold markings and a blue visor–and pushes a button on the side. A small piece extends the end, hooking itself around her ear and ending near her mouth. After adjusting it, the device turns on and a mechanical voice coming from the Gazer echoes through air.

Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.

The world is flooded with information, so much of that Alear can hardly keep up with it.

“It's what I see everytime I use my Photon Transformation; you get used to it!” Kaito assures them.

“This probably would’ve been a lot cooler if we weren’t supposed to get used to these things during a battle!” Percy snarks.

“In his defense, I don’t think any of us expected to be attacked out of the blue like this!” Alear says, trying to ignore the dizzy feeling in her head.

“Well I did!” Percy shouts back, drawing a confused look from Alear. “Kite, if I die, I’m ditching Elysium just to haunt you!” After that, Percy rushes forward, sword in hand, ready to meet the advancing army.

“Now you’re just being petty,” Kaito mutters, following after him.

Alear watches as the two engage the enemy, smiling to herself. “I’d think you’d get along just fine with the others,” She comments, rushing into battle herself.

Battle: Here Comes the Koopa Troop

[Victory Conditions]

Defeat the Boss:
Private Goomp, Corporal Paraplonk, Sergeant Guy

[Defeat Conditions]
Alear is Defeated

Enemy Units:
Axe Fighter (Back Up) / Hammer Bro - Lv 2 (x5) [MARIO]
Axe Fighter (Back Up) / Sledge Bro - Lv 1 (x4) [MARIO]
Sword Fighter (Back Up) / Boomerang Bro - Lv 2 (x4) [MARIO]
Mage (Mystic) / Fire Bro - Lv 2 (x2) [MARIO]
Mage (Mystic) / Magikoopa - Lv 2 (x7) [MARIO]
Sentry (Armored) / Koopatrol - Lv 3 (x3) [PAPER MARIO]
Sentry (Winged) / Paratroopa - Lv 2 (x4) [MARIO]
Sentry (Qi Adept) / Sub-Goomba - Lv 1 (x8) [MARIO & LUIGI]

Elite Trio (Qi Adept) / Private Goomp - Lv 4 [MARIO & LUIGI]
Elite Trio (Backup) / Sergeant Guy - Lv 5 [MARIO & LUIGI]
Elite Trio (Winged) / Corporal Paraplonk - Lv 4 [MARIO & LUIGI]

Brawler (Paired) / ??? - Lv 3

Player Units:
Divine Dragon (Dragon) / Alear - Lv 2 [FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE]
Number Hunter (Duelist) / Kaito Tenjo - Lv 2 [YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL]
Camper (Backup + Holy) / Percy Jackson - Lv 3 [HEROES OF OLYMPUS]

[NOW BEGINNING BATTLE]

After pushing through a few villagers, Alear reached the northern gate, where an army composed of turtle creatures stood. One of the commanders, a turtle with wings and wearing a bucket for a helmet flew up with a megaphone in hand. He tapped it, creating a grating sound that irritated Alear’s ears.

“Uh… hello? This thing is on, right?” The winged turtle asked. Despite the fact that the village was being attacked, one of the villagers happily confirmed it for him.

“Great! So, uh, are you the mayor or something?” The turtle asked Alear. “We’re looking for a guy called Mario. He’s about this tall, wears a red shirt and blue overalls, and a hat with the letter of his first name on it.”

“Oh! Tell ‘em about the mustache!” One of his soldiers said.

“Oh yeah! He also has a mustache!” The winged turtle says, without any further explanation.

“Are we sure these guys are dangerous?” Percy snarks. Alear looks in shock as two holographic images appear in front of her. The army didn’t react, so she assumed only she could see them.

“I have a Level 1 Monster that can summon Galaxy-Eyes from my deck. It’s better to proceed with caution than to let our guard down,” Kaito warned them.

“He’s right. For all we know, they can be the strongest enemies we’ve ever faced,” Alear says, gripping her sword tightly.

“Alright, but I’m just sayin’,” Percy says.

“So… is that a no on the Mario? No Mario currently living in the village?” The turtle asked. All he got in response was an awkward silence. “Okay then. I guess we have to like, fight ‘n’ stuff, now,” His tone sounded more like a question statement.

Without further warning, the army advanced with an enthused yell.

“Oh dear,” Alear muttered, moving into a defensive stance.

Alear raised her sword, deflecting an incoming boomerang that was flying right at her. Before she could react further, a large, overweight turtle wearing green armor stomped the ground, sending out a shockwave that paralyzed her. Afterwards, she was struck by a magical blast, knocking the Divine Dragon into a nearby building.

With a growl, she picked herself up and dodged a couple of hammer swings, blocking each blow with her sword. She slowly approached the portly turtle, knocking down everything that stood in her way. The Sledge Bro raised its weapon and tossed it at her. Alear took notice, and grabbed a nearby Boomerang Bro by the scruff of its neck, and tossed it at the incoming hammer. The collision knocked the hammer of course, and the blue turtle unconscious. Once that was over with, Alear ran up to the Sledge Bro and slugged him in the center of his face with enough force to send him spiraling into two Hammer Bros, knocking them out.

“Guys! Giant missiles with faces on them!” Percy shouted through the D-Gazer, making Alear flinch. A second later, she felt an explosion rock the ground, and a large fireball coming from Percy’s position. “I thought these guys were fantasy monsters! Why the heck do they have freaking missiles!” He shouted again, having avoided the incoming Banzai Bill.

“The same way galactic dragons and war ships made out of sushi can exist in the same game!” Kaito growls. “We need to find out where they’re launching those Banzai Bills, otherwise this whole town will be blown to kingdom come!”  

“I think I see something from over here!” Alear tells them. In the distance, she can see a large cannon being handled by a small man in green robes and a white mask ordering similar looking men with red clothing as they loaded the cannon with another Banzai Bill. Standing beside the green man was a brown mushroom-looking creature and the same flying turtle from before. “I’m willing to bet that they’re the ones leading the attack!” She was about to run over to stop them, but was blocked by a Magikoopa and a Hammer Bro, each slinging their respective attacks at her. “I’m busy at the moment, can anybody else get them?”

“I’ve got it covered!” Kaito responded, slapping a card onto his Duel Disk. “I build the Overlay Network with Level 4 Galaxy Dragon and Photon Chargeman ! Be born, Galaxy Photon Dragon !” Red lights exploded in front of Kaito, forming into white armored dragon with light blue skin, and multiple yellow orbs dotting its body. The dragon roared, causing a boost of energy to fill Alear’s body.

With a flap of its wings, Galaxy Photon Dragon took to the skies, flying as fast it could towards the Bill Blaster, firing lasers from its maw it attempted to shoot down incoming Paratroopas.

“Show off,” Percy muttered, prompting a laugh from Alear. At the same time, she saw a massive fist made out of water crashing into the ground.

“Says the person who can control water with his mind,” Alear snarks, slashing at a nearby Hammer Bro. The boost she got from Galaxy Photon Dragon’s effect allowed her to move faster and hit harder. The Magikoopa threw another spell at her, but she was quick enough to reflect with her sword, sending it towards the Hammer Bro and knocking him out cold.

“Hey, summoning a giant dragon looks a heckuva lot cooler than throwing water around,” Percy counters. Kaito grunts at the statement, but says nothing.

“If it’s any consolation, I think you're both impressive fighters,” Alear says, making Percy snort. She jumps as another Sledge Bro slams into the ground, avoiding the resulting shockwave.

“Kite’s only impressive because he has his trading cards and hologram thingy. He’s basically cheating,” Percy nonchalantly says, stomping on top of a Paratroopa, and making it fall to the ground with its wings fluttering away. He kicks the shell, knocking it into a nearby wall and sending ping-ponging into two more Koopatrols and a Fire Bro.

“The way I see it, I’m using everything in my power to win,” Kaito fires back. “For example, by detaching one Overlay Unit, I can send Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon to the graveyard, and then immediately revive it with the Equip Spell from my hand, Galaxy Zero !” With that Galaxy-Eyes burst from the ground beside him, and howled loudly, stars dotting the massive beast's scales. The sight monster sent the enemy troops in a panic, even more so when they received a Photon Stream of Destruction to the face.

“Is this the best they can do? ” Kaito asks. Just then, another Banzai Bill is fired, aimed right at Alear. Galaxy Photon Dragon opened its mouth to blast it out of the sky, but before it could…

“Hey, dragon! Open up wide!”

“Your inside’s ‘bout to get jumbled!

“Special delivery from Rough & Tumble! Grand Stink Bomber Slam!”

Something forced itself down Galaxy Photon Dragon’s throat. As it tried to heave the intruder out, a white furred humanoid jumped up and tackled the dragon to the ground. The dragon then started inflating, and exploding from the inside out, revealing the attacker to be a dark blue skunk with a wicked and smug grin on his face.

“Must’ve been something it ate! Haw!”

Brawler (Paired) / Rough & Tumble - Lv 3
[IDW SONIC]

Kaito grunted from the destruction of his monster, feeling as though his inside were about to rupture. Alear tries rushing over to his aid, but the Banzai Bill crashes into the ground next to her, sending her flying into the air, resulting in Paratroopa slamming into her gut and knocking her into the ground. Even worse, without Galaxy Photon Dragon , the small boost in power she received had dissipated completely.

“Hey, Kite!? You doing okay?” Percy asked.

“He won’t be okay for long!” The blue skunk, Rough, taunted, his tail swishing from side to side.

“Yeah! Especially after we smash him once we knock the rings outta him!” The white skunk, Tumble, growled. Kaito glared at the two skunks, drawing a card from his deck.

“ Photon Stream of Destruction !” Kaito yelled, willing his dragon to attack. The two skunks yelled in surprise and scrambled out of the way. Once that attack was done, Kaito slammed another card into his disk, Special Summoning Galaxy-Eyes Afterglow Dragon from his hand.

“Oh great, another one!” Rough grumbled. “You think we can take it out with another Grand Slam?”

“I dunno. He looks like a smart guy. Smarter than us anyway,” Tumble growled, getting out of the way of another blast. Afterwards, Tumble charged right Afterglow Dragon , ripping out a support beam from a nearby house to use as a weapon. As the white armored dragon charged a blast from its mouth, only for the blue skunk to jump out of nowhere and punch it across the face, laughing as he leapt to the rooftops and ran back into the hiding.

With the blow disorienting Afterglow , Tumble ran up and stabbed the beam through the monster chest, destroying it, Kaito grunted in pain. Tumble then rushed up and tried to slam his fist into Kaito, but an energy field managed to deflect the blow just in time. “What the…!?” Kaito smirks, grabbing a tuft of the skunk's head fur and pulling him face down to meet his rising knee. After tossing him aside, Galaxy-Eyes plunked Tumble from the air and slammed him into the ground with enough force to form a crater. 

“You need to get your dragon a leash!” Tumble roared, somehow finding the strength to push Galaxy-Eyes hand off himself. Again, as Galaxy-Eyes was off balance, Rough sped towards them and tried going for another attack, but the dragon noticed this, and leaned back just enough so that it could snap Rough’s tail in its jaws.

“Oh crap!” Rough managed to yell, as Galaxy-Eyes slammed him into Tumble, somehow launching them both in the sky, and blasting them both with its devastating stream.

“That takes care of them!” Kaito exclaims. “Now–”

“Actual, Kaito… they’re over here with me now!” Alear shouts over the intercoms. Kaito groaned in annoyance. 

“Percy, go support Alear! I’ll have Galaxy-Eyes look for the Bill Blaster!” The duelist said, summoning Photon Slasher from his hand.

“On it!” Percy jumped away from a Magikoopa’s blast, landing in the water of a fountain. With a smirk, he willed the water to rise, and with a wave of his hand, sent it crashing into multiple Magikoopas and Fire Bros. Looking up, he spotted a Parakoopa in the air, currently in its shell and revving up for an attack. The Parakoopa dropped like a rock, taking out a chunk of the fountain and grazing Percy’s side. Before it could get out range, Percy willed the water to move again, forming a hand that grabbed the flying turtle by the tail.

“Mind if I use this? Thanks!” Percy taunted, forming the water into a fist and slamming into the Koopa, sending him flying into the atmosphere while his winged shell fluttered to the ground. Percy grabbed the red shell, and using the targeting feature in his D-Gazer, aimed it at Rough, he was currently landing potshots on Alear while Tumble distracted. Once the target was set, Percy threw the shell as hard as he could, and then tied off the tendril of water around it and his arm, using the shell to drag him over to the fight. And no, he will not ask why the red shell can swerve around opponents and focus solely on the skunk.

Tumble threw his fist forward, and Alear blocked with the flat of her blade, but the sheer power behind the attack was enough to send her skidding across the floor regardless. 

“Hah! Not so tough without those goofy rings of yours, aintcha!?” Rough taunted, slamming his elbow into the back of Alear’s head. Her miscolored eyes snapped open. Before she could demand an answer, Rough grabbed her by the hair, and then slammed her into the ground. Just as she got up, the blue skunk released a smokescreen, practically choking Alear with the smell alone.

“Looks like you’re out of game!” Rough started, winding up a punch aimed for Alear’s head. Alear tried opening her eyes, but the musk stung her eyes, and she felt a large foot pin her to the ground.

“Even with those rings, you’d still get jumbled!” Tumble continued. The dragon tried raising her sword to attack the skunks, but she felt another foot stomp on her sword hand, making her drop Libération. 

“Here’s your Game Over from Rough & Tumble!”

Before the skunks could land a blow, a red shell slammed into them, and knocked them off their feet. A calloused hand helped Alear, and she felt water splash over her, getting the skunk stench off her clothes.

“Thanks,” Alear says. There was a fire in her eyes, and Percy noticed her pupils were starting to look more like slits. The dragon blood must’ve started to kick in, he reasoned.

“No problem,” Percy responds, lifting his sword up as the two skunks jump back to their feet. “You can still fight?” He asked.

“Of course,” Alear says, marching up to the skunks. “Those rings you mentioned earlier. How do you know about them?” She growled, pointing her sword at them.

“Uh, hello! Who doesn’t use rings!” Rough shouted back, curling up into a ball and spinning rapidly around the two swordsmen.

“Don’t let him!” Alear shouted, crouching down and jumping forwards. Rough jumped as well, heading towards the humanoid dragon, but Percy managed to run up to him and deflect the attack with the flat of his sword. Meanwhile, Alear advanced towards Tumble at a frightening speed, panicking as he dodged the first slash.

Alear’s blade was a blur, moving from side to side as Tumble walked backwards to just barely avoid them attacks. He spun to dodge, the tip of Alear’s blade just barely managed to cut off some fur from his tail. Tumble’s eyes widened when he saw the white fur flutter to the ground, and he immediately went on the offensive. He brought his arm up, deflecting Alear’s sword with the buckles on his bracelets. As the blade clanged against his bracelet, Tumble pushed forward, and knocked Alear off balance.

“Nobody messes with my tail!” Tumble roars, and lands a devastating punch right into Alear's stomach. The wind is knocked out of her lungs and blood flies from her mouth as she’s sent careening backwards.

“Alear!” Percy shouts, just as Rough releases another smokescreen, covering the demigod in putrid gas. Rough’s fist slams into the cheek, and Percy skids across the ground.

Alear coughs as she stumbles back up, and has to spin away in order to avoid Tumble’s fist from caving in her tail. At the same time, her mind races as she replays the last few seconds in her mind. Particularly, how the large skunk suddenly changed demeanor when even a few stray hairs were cut off.

“Percy, can you handle the white skunk for a moment. Aim for his tail,” She whispered into the D-Gazer’s mike. A few feet away from her, she locks eyes with Percy, who’s currently dueling the blue skunk.

“Got it,” Percy whispered, before smirking at his smelly opponent. “Hey, did you know that people with hydrokinesis can manipulate blood?” He asked, an evil smile on his face.

“Wait, what!?” Rough shouted, backing away from Percy, only for the sea demigod to slam the hilt of his sword into the skunk’s nose, knocking him away. Once he caught his breath, Percy rushed towards Tumble, grabbed his tail. The white skunk seized at his touch, allowing Percy to pull him up and slam him into the ground. Tumble let out a groan as rings came flying out his body.

“That’s it!” Tumble seethes, grabbing Percy's sword. The sea demigod attempts to punch him with his free arm, but chokes on the air as Tumble lets out a stink bomb. “Nobody touches the tail!” He shouts, and grabs Percy by the throat, eyes filled with rage. 

Before he could do anything drastic, Alear runs up behind him and slashes into his back. Tumble squawks as more rings pop out, and drops Percy in the process. Simultaneously, the two sword wielders clench their fists and punch Tumble on either side of his face, as hard as they could. No rings flew out, and the skunk crumpled to the ground.

“Hey! That’s my brother you're messing with!” Rough shouts, and zips over to them. Alear tries to slash through him, but Rough moves significantly faster, and dodges the attack completely. Percy moves in next in an attempt to scare Rough from fighting, but by then the fear from earlier had worn out.

Percy thrusts his forward, but Rough dodges, and grabs his arm. He swings Percy around like a ragdoll, smacking him into Alear and sending them both flying. Before either of them could hit the ground. Rough grabs both of their heads and slams them together. Percy grits his teeth while Alear cries out, both of them getting a concussion from the blow.

Alear blacks out for a moment, unable to see or feel anything. For a brief moment, she can see Rough lunging at her, fangs bared and gloved hands outstretched, aiming for her throat. But before she could, the corner of her vision lights up. The display shows Kaito activating another copy of Galaxy Zero , and using it to sumon Galaxy Photon Dragon .

Alear narrowly avoids Rough’s attack, and grabs his wrist again. She tugs forward, and slams her knee into the skunk's stomach. Before he can fly away, she grabs him by the tail.

“Hey! Alear!” She looks in front of her, and spots Percy with his hand on Tumble’s tail. He takes a large step forwards and throws the unconscious skunk towards her. “Batter up!”

Alear smiles wickedly and whirls around, ignoring Rough’s cry of panic. With a power swing, she slams the skunks together and lets go, watching as they fly away, crash landing into a nearby house. Their eyes are in the shape of spirals as small chao begin flying in circles around their heads, signaling their defeat.

“That’s two stink bombs down!” Percy cheered. Alear giggled slightly at his enthusiasm and was about to add her own little cheer, but another explosion rocked the ground. A few seconds later, Kaito’s voice came through the D-Gazer.

“You two better be done with those skunks! The turtles are trying to box me in, and my monsters are just big targets for them!” Kaito told them.

 “Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon!” Percy said. He dashed towards the north side of the town, and Alear followed suit.

“Percy… Your father Poseidon, can he communicate telepathically with you?” Alear asked as they ran through the village. Percy glanced back at her for a moment, and looked like he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was silent for a moment, before he finally spoke.

“In my world, most demigods have dreams. Usually, they’re just nightmares about monsters or glimpses of the future, but it's also how the gods can communicate with us,” Percy explained. “I was asleep before Kite showed up with you… but I didn’t receive any dreams. Not from Poseidon, not from Zeus, or…from anybody. It’s weird.”

Alear sped up, so that he could see her out of the corner of his eyes. “Don’t worry. We’re going to help them, no matter what,” She reassured him. Percy glanced at her briefly. He smiled before turning his attention to the oncoming swarm of Hammer Bros and Koopa Troopas.

“Yeah, I know. Wouldn’t be the first time I saved their hides,” Percy said. “Let’s hurry up and save Kite already. I’m getting hungry.”

That managed to get a chuckle out Alear.

“Right… Let’s do this.”

Child of the Prophecy - PERCY JACKSON has joined the Party!
“In a way, it’s nice to know that there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong” - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse

Class: Camper
Special Condition - Backup + Holy [Higher chance of being targeted by Monster units]

Growth Rates:
Hp - 70%
Str - 60%
Mag - 20%
Dex - 55%
Spd - 30%
Def - 55%
Res - 25%
Lck - 60%
Bld - 10%

Skill(s):
Sea Progeny - Heals +4 Hp when standing in Water/Shoal. Unit’s movement is not impeded and Avo is increased instead of reduced when standing in Water/Shoal. 
Fire Resistance - Unit takes 6 less damage when struck by fire based attacks.
ADHD? - Grants Str+10. Grants Avo+10 when in combat.

Gear:
Riptide - Camper and related classes only, allows wielder to counterattack in the next combat after being Broken. Deals increased damage against Monster units.

FINAL SMASH:
Hurricane Poseidra - The user, PERCY, summons a hurricane using the water in the air and in the ground, dealing damage to all enemies within 2 spaces. Fills 4 random spaces within 5 spaces from Percy with Water for 3 turns.