"DL, get them out of there!" yells Drychar.
DL sighs.
"No point letting them get slaughtered out there. I'll try and get the
townsfolk too..."
In the next moment, Bacca, LP and a lot of mages are standing in the Dark
Keep.
DL opens his eyes.
"I missed a few....damn"
Meanwhile, in Mysidia.. Palom and Porom sit there shivering as some winged
shadows bow before them....
Elsewhere in the keep:
Jaana looks up as she approaches Kaitlin's room.
Jaana: Damn!
She closes her eyes and opens a portal in front of Palom and Porom. They
hear her voice...
Jaana: Quickly! I can't keep this open for very long!
The twins rush into the portal. It opens in front of Jaana and Palom and
Porom step out. Just as the portal begins to close, three moogles fall out
of it.
Jaana: Oh crap! You brought back some of the enemy forces!
Palom: Whoops!
Porom: Sorry!
Jaana: You keep them busy, I'll be there in just a second!
The twins draw their weapons as Jaana runs to Kaitlin's door and bangs on
it.
Jaana: Kaitlin! KAITLIN! Get up! There's some trouble out here....
The door slowly opens and a half-asleep Kaitlin peers out.
Kaitlin: Wha?
Jaana: I really could use your help right now....
Kaitlin peeks around the door jamb and sees the moogles. Her eyes widen.
Kaitlin: Oh my. There are moogles in the hallway.
Jaana: Um.....yeah....do you think you could you give me a hand?
Kaitlin: Okay.
She grabs her staff and runs into the hall. While Palom and Porom battle it
out with the smallest of the moogles, Kaitlin proceeds to beat one of two
remaining over the head repeatedly, while Jaana wrings the other one's neck.
Jaana: (while shaking the stunned Moogle) This is for what you did to
Sephiroth!!!
Moogle: ack....gag....gck
Kaitlin gives the now-dead moogle at her feet one last blow to the head.
Jaana drops
the moogle corpse she is holding.
Jaana: (to Palom and Porom) Are you guys okay?
Porom: I think so.
Palom: We got this one good! (he kicks the moogle body for emphasis)
Jaana: He he....watch this....
She opens a portal and kicks the moogle bodies into it. On the other side
of the continent, a portal opens and deposits the bodies at Mog's
feet.
Jaana: He'll get a kick out of that. (turns to Kaitlin) Well.....glad to
see you're okay.
Kaitlin: Same here. Last I heard, you went off on some crazy quest to
retrieve Sephiroth.
Jaana: I did. And I got him, too.
Kaitlin: You what?
Jaana: (laughs) Yep. He's sleeping back in the master bedroom. I'll go
wake him up and we'll see what our friend the Dark Lord is up to...
*************
Mog looks at the dead body..
Mog: Speak your last words...
Moogle: Da... ark Keep...
Mog: Ah, so the Dark Lord's providing sanctuary, eh?
Celes: Wait. Before we go charging into his trap..
Mog: You have a plan?
Celes: No, I just feel the urge.
Mog: Even better. :P
***********************
Tojo-Mojo (not giving up on the dark Materia YET- just taking a
break) and his army of 150000 Mohonian knights (No casualties yet?!)
march in behind DL.
Tojo: I think Kait, Jaana, and Bacca can take care of Palom & Porom.
In the meantime, we better stop these moogles... and their stupid
song. I'm ready, I just need you to tell me one thing...
DL: What?
Tojo: Where are we, where are Bacca & co., and what are we doing?
DL: You're at my keep, Bacca & co are over there, and we're preparing for
siege. I've just received word Mog's marching towards here this very minute.
Tojo: Great.
DL: By the way, there's not enough room for 150000 knights. 50000 of them are
gonna have to camp outside.
Tojo: Dammit!
DL: Kidding.<laughs>
Tojo: That's not funny.
DL stands there, in a trance.
DL: Huh? Oh, yeah, whatever. I just got word Mog stopped off at Fabul and
Damcyan, and stole the Crystal of Wind. He has four of them. Lovely...
Just then, a carcass of a young boy, put to death by kupo, flies out of the
air and hits DL on the head.
DL: Oww...
Trooper on the battlements: They're here!
DL: Dammit they move fast.
DL runs to the battlements.
DL: Okay Mog, you think you're ultra powerful now that you got the crystals?
Well you're right!
Tojo: GREAT strategy DL...
Mog: Ah, actually, we'll let them live a little longer. We still have the
highwind... Cya.
Suddenly, the moogles are all gone..
DL: Okay, be prepared for siege! We got nothing to lose now.
"Okay," said Bacca. "We were ready to battle, now we are back here
at the keep. I don't like this. If we are going to battle, then let's get
out there and do it."
Bacca paced back and forth in front of DLE, Lady Paladin, Druid
Kaitlin, and Jaana.
"If we are going to fight the moogles, then let's our act together
and go somewhere and kick some butt. Kaitlin, Jaana, what are your skills
in combat?"
Kaitlin looks at Jaana and scowls
Kaitlin: I really don't have to put up with this, do I?
Jaana: Bacca, Kaitlin is a very powerful Druidess....
Bacca: Well, how was I supposed to know?
DLE: _Everyone_ knows that.
Bacca: Oh, well, I do apologize milady if I've insulted you. Perhaps I've
been away for too long.
Kaitlin: It's alright. I'll forgive you this once.
Bacca stares at Kaitlin, not sure how to take her comment. DLE chuckles
under his breath.
Bacca: Thank you. (turns to Jaana) And what about you?
Jaana: What about me?
Bacca: What can you do?
DLE: I take it you've never seen her in battle....
Bacca: (slightly annoyed) Why do you say that?
DLE: Because if you had, you wouldn't be asking that question.
Jaana: That's right.
Jaana unsheathes Masamune and slashes the air in front of Bacca.
Bacca: Ah! (backs up a little) A swordswoman....
Jaana: Among other things...I know my way around a spell bag, and
Sephiroth and I have been working on a few double techs
DLE: Yeah, I bet...
Jaana: Watch it Dark Lord.....
DLE stares at Jaana innocently (well, as innocent as a Lizar can look).
Lady Paladin: So, are we going to kick some moogle butt or what?
Palom: Yeah! Let's get 'em!!.......
"Where do you think you're going?" asked Bacca of the child.
"I'm going to fight with you," said Palom, smiling up at the tall
man.
"No you are not," said Bacca. "You are too young and too small to
fight with us. Besides, we already have two experienced magic users with
us; Lady Paladin and Druid Kaitlin."
"But I'm good, too," said the short wizard. "I can fight with you
guys with no problem."
"I do not think so," said Bacca.
Jaana mumbles a few words under her breath, moves her hands, and a bolt of
lightning cuts through the sky and zaps Bacca.
Jaana: Make that three magic users....
Bacca: OW! OKAY! *Three* magic users. Jeez, you didn't have to zap me!
Jaana chuckles.
Jaana: Sorry....I just couldn't resist. You know, Bacca, I think the kids
should come. Have you seen their Twin skill?
Palom: Yeah!
Porom: It is pretty impressive.
Lady Paladin: And we really could use the extra help. Unless you were
planning on taking on the WHOLE moogle army by yourself.
Bacca: Well, we could use them as bait.....you know how Mog loves kids...
All of a sudden, another bolt of lightning strikes Bacca. Palom tries to
look innocent.
Kaitlin: I vote they come with us.
Jaana: Me too.
LadyPaladin: Me three.
Jaana: Looks like you're outnumbered.....
DL: An I'd just like to note that they ARE children. They might be powerful
mages, but at the same time, should something happen to them...
He turns off.
DL: I'm against it, but you're vote still wins either way. They're you're
responsibility though...
Lady Paladin: You know, just because they're children, doesn't mean they
can't take care of themselves. I mean, it's not like they're unfamiliar
with the ways of battle.
Palom: Yeah! We kicked some serious butt with Cecil!
Porom: And we've gotten stronger since then!
Palom: We'll show you! We can use this guy for practice! (points to Bacca)
Bacca: I don't think *that* will be necessary. If they want to come, let
them come.....but I'm not saving their butts if they get in trouble
Palom: Fine
Porom: Fine
Sephiroth enters the room and sits down on a couch.
Sephiroth: So what about the moogles?
DL: You people are awfully overconfident. Do you honestly think the moogles,
with their twenty story tall war machines, are gonna lay down before you?
Suddenly an apparition appears before the group. It's Mog.
Mog: Greetings, fellow victims of society.
Bacca reaches for his sword, but the dark lord raises a hand.
DL: You can't hurt him. Let him talk.
Mog: Thank you Dark Lord, whom I might add has broken the peace treaty by
allowing Sanctuary for these ruffians. But that's a different vision.
Mog: I am informed that there's a bit more than our little petty war and my
belief that raping prisoner's to death is a good disposal at stake here.
Mog: The dark moogle is being a bit of a nuisance to us all. Especially you
Tojo. <winks> And, he's obviously gonna turn on you once you've helped him
achieve his goal of annihilating me.
Mog: We can fight as you wish, but should he be an annoyance, I would happily
help you in showing him not to involve himself in our little affair. <turns to
blank air> What's that? Oh. Sorry guys, gotta go. I got some Dark Moogles to
execute... Hee hee hee....
Mog disappears.
DL: Interesting....
Bacca gripped his sword in it's sheath and stared vacantly the
place where the white moogle disappeared.
"I see," said Bacca. "We have something of a two-sided battle
going on."
DLE grinned. "Well, we can just wait till their two armies start
fighting each other and then defeat the winner. That would make things a
lot easier."
"No!" said Bacca in stern tones. "Fighting a weak enemy who has
just been in battle is dishonorable. I am a man, not a vulture, and do not
like easy, one-sided battles." Bacca gave the Dark Lord a hard look, his
brown eyes boring holes into the Lizar's visage.
"Okay, sorry," said the DLE. He paused. "But I think I have an
idea."
"Let's hear it," said Lady Paladin.
"Everyone seems to be avoiding each other." grunts the Dark Lord. "I say we
engage the moogles, and hopefully we can draw the dark moogles in and give
both of them a beating.. Any other thoughts?"
"I like that," said Bacca. "But here is the thing, if we engage
the white moogles and defeat, which I know we will," Bacca flashed a quick
smile, "then we will need time to rest and replenish our resources long
enough to be able to fight the dark moogles. Or, we take on the dark
moogles first and then take on the white moogles.
"My grand pappy once told me a story about the War of the
Bracelets and how there was a battle of four or six armies, I can't
remember exactly. Anyway, I don't want something like that. We need to
know who are allies are and what we can do....."
Bacca thought a moment, then snapped his fingers. Flashing his
widest smile ever, Bacca looked at his comrades.
"DL, remember how you were saying you would use Palom and Porom
for bait?"
"Yes, yes, I remember," said DLE, looking away. "I promised that I
wouldn't do it, though. Okay?"
"No, that's not what I'm talking about," said Bacca. "How about we
use something, or someone, as bait to lure one army around while your army
engages the other?"
"That sounds like a good plan," said Jaana. "But what can we use
as bait? And who would be attracted by it?"
"I seem to remember somewhere, something about Materias," said
Lady Paladin. "I think that Mog wants them all or something. If we can get
the ones he doesn't have yet and leave a trail for him to follow while DL
takes on the Dark moogle army, then that might work."
"Even if it does," said Druid Kaitlin, "who would be the bait? How
would we lure Mog on a trail, with his army in tow mind you, and keep him
from over taking those the decoys?"
Bacca smiled his widest grin. Lady Paladin shuddered.
"I don't like the look of that grin," said Lady. She shook her
head.
"Alright," said Bacca, with a sigh. "But allow the victor time to
rest before we engage them in battle."
"What sense does that make?" asked Jaana. "Why not immediately
attack them and defeat them?"
"That is dishonorable," said Bacca. "If you guys even think about
doing this, I will not fight with you. I cannot abandon my honor for such
a thing."
"Who cares about honor?" the Druidess screams suddenly. "They're the
enemy. Did you hear me? E-ne-meeee." She throws her hands up in the air.
"Not only do they not have honor, they're also worthless."
The Druidess shoves her hands in her robe pockets and sighs, then
narrows her eyes. "I'll do what majority says we shall do, but . . ."