Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 20:41:43 -1000 Subject: [ffml] [MW] The First Battle From: Sky H Ainsworth A figure walked the battlements of the ancient fortress. Bacca had risen before the sun and inspected the defenses, again. He had been up late into the night watching the preparations of the moogle army. Lady Paladin had given up on making him go to bed and left two hours before the High Lord of All That Kicks Ass decided to turn in. Now the sun was cresting the distant mountains and casting its light onto the scene. Bacca's dwarven sight had aided him in already seeing what the light now revealed. A million moogle army had camped around the fortress. On all the surrounding edges of the open field surrounding the fortress, the moogles' tents, palisades, and war machines lay about. Bacca felt his stomach grumble and he realized that he should eat before Mog began his next assault. Descending the stairs to the ground, Bacca passed soldiers coming up to release those on watch. Bacca absent-mindedly saluted them in return, his mind elsewhere. "I have a hundred thousand men, he has a million," Bacca muttered to himself. "Each man is worth three men in a defending action. One man is worth two moogles. Mog has those moogleboars which seem to be worth at least three men. Ah!" Bacca sighed. He reached the bottom of the stairs and climbed onto a chocobo. He then rode the bird to the keep which was just being completed within the inner wall of the fortress. As Bacca reached the keep, Lady Paladin's steed, Golden Melody came up to him and snorted a challenge. "Are you enjoying yourself, High Lord?" asked the horse in his English accent. Bacca looked at the palomino and gave him a cold stare. "It seems to me that you are not enjoying yourself, or that you are enjoying trying to rile me, Golden Melody." Melody tossed his head lightly. "I am not enjoying the fact that you have seduced my lady and dishonor her with your affections and your bed." "Seduced is not the term I would use, my dear friend," said Bacca. "It is more like love that I hold for her, and she for me. Tell me, have you looked into her eyes and seen how blue they get, when she says she loves me? Can you not see that I love her as much as any man can love a woman?" "Then love her as a gentleman should love a lady." "What? From a distance? She I pine away in an attic, writing sonnets to Lady about how she is like a goddess and that I cannot go a day without seeing her? "I am a gentleman, Golden Melody. But I am also a soldier. And because of that, I have no time to sit back and think about how I can win Lady's hand. Instead I have to go out and fight for the fate of humanity. I have to insure that we all get out of this alive. The fact that Lady sleeps in my bed at night is not for my own personal score sheet. "Have you ever been a soldier? Have you ever been fought a war?" "I have fought many a foe and countless times have protected Lady Paladin from dangers." "But," interjected Bacca, "have you ever known that you were going into a battle the next day and realized that you might very well die?" Golden Melody was quiet. "A soldier faces this certainly always and has to live with it. It is not easy, facing your own doom, and so many seek comforts and distractions to live, to just live their lives. Some drink, some enjoy women. Some men even develop a romance with the sweetheart they have back at home. This helps them think about their future. I have both a luxury and a curse because of Lady Paladin. "She is my lover, but she is also this army's top healer. At any moment, she may have to go into a danger zone and be near the fighting, and she might die because of that. It is difficult for both of us to face this. So we find what little comfort we can in each other's arms. "Now, Golden Melody, if you were ever a soldier, you could understand what I am saying and agree with me on it. If we survive this war, then you will definitely see a wedding between us. But if don't, then why live like suitors and courtesans? Why not live as husband and wife now, enjoying each other's company and comforting away the hurts that life brings us?" Bacca stared into the horse's eyes and Golden Melody stared back, unblinking. "Lady is a lover in my bed, but she is also a gun to my head. If she dies, then a part of me will die as well. Hopefully, she'll be a mother to my child and a child to my heart. So, we must never be apart. I hope you understand what I am saying, Golden Melody." Bacca turned his chocobo and kept riding. Melody was quiet. Bacca dismounted and grabbed a plate. He served himself some eggs, ham, and bread and grabbed a wooden cup of coffee from the officers mess and went into the keep. Bacca walked down a main hall, with soldiers moving about running errands. Wanting some quiet, Bacca went to the conference room, and was sorely disappointed. A map of the fortress was on one wall, with a map of the continent they were on hanging on the adjacent wall. The other two walls had doors in them. In the room, a few officers were talking to each other and running over scenarios. Bacca put aside the notion of testing the men and instead went through the other door into a private room. It had one door and could be locked from the inside. This room was created out of empty space that the designer had come up with and so a separate room had been designed. Bacca liked the idea of this room. Any commander, he thought to himself, likes a private place now and then. Opening the door, Bacca saw Lady Paladin sitting at the table in the room, eating breakfast. Despite his desire for solitude, Bacca smiled and welcomed the opportunity to be with his love. "I had a nice conversation with Golden Melody just now," said Bacca as he took a seat opposite of Lady. The healer raised a brow. "You did, huh? I hope you kept the arguing to a dull roar." "No, no yelling, only polite talking. I think that the two of us have come to an understanding now and that there will be no more problems in the future." He smiled. After taking in his words, Lady smiled as well. The two ate in silence for a moment. "What do you think Mog will do now?" asked Lady. Bacca drank in the coffee while he collected his thoughts. "Most likely, he will attack today. This time in mass. That assault yesterday was just a probe, Mog seeing what we have and where we have it, and how far it can reach. I'm sure he'll be surprised when we unleash the dwarven ballistas. Their greater range and shattering impact will prove quite a hindrance to his plans." "I was wondering what you plan to do about those other armies coming here?" asked Lady, concern in her eyes. Bacca stared deep into the beautiful blue circles and drank in their glow. The lamplight was weak, but strong enough to mark all the colors of her eyes. Bacca opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by an alarm. Finishing his meal in one gulp, Bacca raced out of the room. Taking his chocobo back to the wall, Bacca climber the stairs four at a time and made the top. He then watched the scene unfolding below. Marching to the walls, Cloud exhorted his moogles to prove themselves in the battle. The moogles and moogleboars had prepared all that morning for this coming battle and were prepared. The moogles marched forty thousand strong today. Ten thousand from each direction getting ready to attack each wall. Cloud sat astride a chocobo behind the troops making their way to a gate. The blond haired warrior could just make out the stains of blood and ash from the initial assault the day before and was preparing to order the charge, when a whistling sound came through the air. Looking up, the moogles saw several ballista bolts flying through the air. The wooden shafts with sharpened wooden heads, hit the ground amid the ranks of the moogles and shattered into long fragments which shot in all directions. Cries of pain and shots of alarm issued forth from the pack masses of moogles as the wooden splinters tore them apart or impaled them. Cloud was in shock. "A-attack!" stammered Cloud and the moogles, with a little hesitation, complied. The white, furry mass raced across the open field and then encountered the second invisible line and barrage of ballistas and stones. Again, cries of pain erupted from the lines as the moogles were cut down or squashed. Past the third line, more moogles dropped as arrows lanced down and struck the short white creatures. The forward impetus was slowed as the moogles reached the spiked killing zone. The moogleboars even had trouble getting through the sea of spikes which were of varying lengths. At the moat, the moogles began working. Some launched ropes with grapnels up at the forty foot high walls, some begin filling in the moat with dirt and bodies, and others started losing arrows at the defenders. A ram was brought forward, this one twice as big as the last assault's. It was manned by ten moogleboars a side. Wooden planks were nailed to the top, providing a strong roof of protection for the handlers. Added to the roof was a layer of dirt a few inches thick. The oil launched at the ram did not burn much, but instead sat in flaming pools on the earth. Even the hurled rocks bounced off the ram. When the ram made it's way through the spikes, it discovered the causeway was too narrow and the front wheels entered the water. The bottom of the ram rested on the ground and aided in stopping the ram from going further out. The moogleboars were barely able to pull the ram back and onto the main ground. However, several of the moogleboars died. As the causeway was widened, the scaling teams were having little luck. Only a few were able to get grapnels to the ramparts, and those were quickly cut loose. The archers were having better luck, though. Always, the sound of a human archer could be heard as he took a shaft to the body. By the time the causeway was ready, the ram had been destroyed. A large heavy stone had landed on the wooden roof and broken several boards. This jolt knocked much of the dirt and oil off of the roof. The resulting exposed wood allowed the ram to quickly catch fire and no moogleboar was able to touch it. Another ram was brought forward and this one made its way to the gate. As the large wooden shaft met the oak and iron door, it emitted a loud solid thud. Cloud was nearby, under a large shield being held by a moogleboar, and heard the thud and cursed. "That door is a lot thicker then I thought." The battle against the wall continued through the day. The moogles adopted a line of shields which their archers hid behind. Though they were no match for the ballistas and stones, they could repulse the human arrows. Meanwhile, two more rams had been destroyed. At sundown, Cloud ordered a retreat. The wall had not been breached at all that day. Of the forty thousand moogles that had attacked, only twenty five thousand came back alive. The dead and wounded were left behind. On the human side, two thousand had been injured and two thousand more killed. (BTW, Bacca quoted from two different songs. Can you name them? Also, any side stories can be added at this point.) Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 09:48:42 -1000 Subject: [ffml] [MW] Preparations... From: His Dark Lordship "That's all I have to report." said Cloud. "Alright." said Mog. "At least we know what we're dealing with." A Moogle scout ran in. "Sir! Drugga's host, and the mystics have arrived!" "Excellent..." smiled Mog, doing a Mr. Burns impression. Mog went out to meet Drugga and Ozzie. "Awright, weez here. So, ya want us ta attack dat fortress?" "Yes. But it seems to be extremely heavily fortified." Ozzie nodded. "Sounds laik fun." said Drugga. "Count me in!" The same Moogle scout ran up. "Emperor, your bride, Tifa, seems to be in labour." "Man, she's got the best timing." groaned Mog as he ran to the med tent. Drugga spotted Cloud. He ran up to him. "So, yer dat dood wit da bigass sword." he said. "....yes..." said Cloud, somewhat surprised. He know Mog had dealings with orks, but he never actually saw one. So, while Drugga tried to figure out how he could lift the sword, the scout ran to the med tent. "Emperor, the Reptites have arrived." "Uuuuuhh..." moaned Tifa. "Arrgh!" swore Mog. "More perfect timing! I'll be right back, honey!" Mog ran out to greet the reptites. "This had better be important, Mog. I'm still not that keen on being here." snarled Azala. "We have a chance to crush Bacca, but we'll need your help. The longer Bacca lives, the less chance there is for the planet." Azala sighed. "Fine, you have my help, but don't expect us to stick around for the post battle 'celebrations'." "Where's the watcher?" asked Mog. "I figured he'd be with you." "I'm right here." said the watcher from ways off to the right. "Been rallying support from the old lands." Mog looked at the armies below the cliff. He saw something he figured he wouldn't see for awhile. The lizars. They're back. Suddenly, a realization came over Mog. "My wife's having a kid!" he ran back to the med tent, leaving the other generals to converse. The smell of rotting flesh eventually filled the air as a Liche strode up. "Even the undead rallies support?" asked the watcher. "The sooner we get Bacca out of the picture, the better." The Watcher sighed. He knew that the moment Bacca died, the gods would consider Mog having won, and then the other armies would be free to go to each other's throats. In Mog's tent... "It's a boy! And WHAT a boy!" said Mog in joy. "Umm.. emperor, that there is the umbilical cord. This is a girl." "Ooh, just as fancy." Aeris looked at Tifa. She was somewhat jealous. The troopers trained with each other day and night. Weapons were brought in from small trade cities nearby. Some of the armies quarreled temporarily, but due to the leadership of their elders, they quickly became one... Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 15:39:57 EDT Subject: [ffml] Re: [MW] The First Battle From: "It's almost time..." "But master... are you ready?" "Yes, you fool! We will go to Earth... and when Mog's army strikes again, we flood in, too, from the other direction." The Dark Moogle stood from his throne atop the floating Megatropolis of Skyhorn, and walked to the window looking down on his newly acquired solar system. "Bacca's army is being depleted. And so is Mog's. This is the perfect time to attack." He looked down upon his assembled army of black orcs, ogres, and moogles down below. He picked up a scepter, revealing a mechanical arm with claws. He threw back his hood, showing his mechanical laser-sight eye. "They did this too me," said the Dark Moogle, a touch of insanity, even more before, present in his demonic voice, half robotic voice. "I am hideous now... but with this hideous form, brings great power. I will crush Bacca and his army, and the Materia Warriors... they will rue they day they fought me." "But sir," his assistant Moogle Talth said. "They are powerful, and formidable. And you might lose control of yourself, you are still overcome with rage." "Excuse me?" said the Dark Moogle, turning his head. "You DARE contradict me?!?!?!?!?" "Uh..um...sir..." Talth's hands started to shake, as he was overcome with sudden fear. The Dark Moogle let out a cry of rage, and a seeping hot red ray of led poured from his bionic eye right into Talth's forehead. Talth screamed in pain as his head let out a shot of steam, and he flew into the wall, staining it with melted blood. "Oh... how I may miss Talth... for a day..." the Dark Moogle let out a foray of insane laughter, as he gave the command to move the armies out.