NPF Avatars: Pain and Amazement

[Fenris]

Fenris stood puzzled, and let out a sharp laugh.

"I was planning on killing all of them, but I like your idea better." Fenris went around the group and walked up behind Ecurt.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Ecurt," he whispered into his ear.

[mauve]

Mauve lifted her head from the rubble. The force of the explosion had thrown her backwards, behind the remnants of the counter. Normally, it would have hurt. Really badly. She grinned and spat out plaster dust.

"You're right," she said. "My MP was pretty low. But I do what I can." She bent her arm, showing that her shoulder had healed. In fact, it became apparent as she stood that the mage was completely unharmed, if somewhat dusty.

"Lucky for me I cast that Elemental Absorb, hmm?" The spell had the power to convert elemental attacks into, basically, white magic. The fire from the explosion, then, had been used to heal her body and refill her magic reserves. She actually felt better AFTER getting thrown across the room via deadly explosion than before it.

But now she had a new problem. It looked like Raiden was finished throwing things, and was ready to move into the "pummel enemy with fists" portion of the fight. Hmm. That could pose a large problem. But, on the plus side, she knew that he wasn't fireproof.

"Combust!" she yelled, pointing at the god. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve, but now wasn't the time to use them.

Flames enveloped the god, seemingly coming from within his own body. Mauve knew it wouldn't kill him, but it might slow him down a little.

"Why are you doing this, Raiden?" she pressed. "We were your friends. I thought you liked it here. Why are you turning on us like this?"

[Premmy]

They were moving erraticly on a path towards raiden when garud freaked out, first thing they noticed was how strange he looked the second thing was more frightening. The super star, intended to help Garud fight, was spinning to Raiden in front of a massive wall of ice shrapnel. Blue took off to try to stop it while red and purple continued their attack. Green angrily stomped over to the transformed Garud and thwacked him. "YOU CRAZY SON OF A BITCH YOU'RE GONNA MAKE RAIDEN MORE INVINCIBLE!!!!"

[GARUD]

(OOC: Sorry Premonitions. Didn't realise. What is a shuriken supposed to do? Never would have thought it would make me invincible)

Invincible? That gives me an idea.

Garud flagged blue down. Putting his wings to good use, the demonslayer charged, and intercepted the trinket, reversing the chaos shot spell so he could get the full effect.

"PREMONITIONS, PLEASE WARN ME WHEN YOU DO THAT!"

An evil grin produced on the horrific face of Garud. Invicibility engulfed him as the ice headed further toward Raiden. Premonitions felt a thought enter his head.

<Thanks buddy, for the invincibility. Didn't mean to be so rude. I just get very emotional at times.>

Garud again took wing, flying toward his foe, staff raised, Blasting Zone spell charging up.

[Premmy]

OOC: hey, my mistake for saying he threw it like a shuriken..
A new voice entered his head. Well it was in good company. red,blue green and purple positioned themselves, their plan involved an explosion of course but a good one, plus this plan was an old favorite. They waited to see what garud was going to do. But they waited farrrr away to avoid any magic randomness.

[Raiden]

Raiden looked at his student for a moment. A bit of sadness tinged on the edge of his glowing eyes. Then, his eyes glowed bright and solid.

"You should know the answer to that, my apprentice."

The entire room began to waiver with electric auras. Large beams of electricity that seemed to shape into the heads of dragons wavered behind him. Creatures made entirely of electricity were roaming about the room, keeping an eye on Twiddy.

************************************************** *********
Raiden looked into Mesden's eyes. Though he had no pupils since what consisted of eyes on his body was really just energy in eye sockets, she could tell quite easily he was looking right at her.

"You want a reason. Just one?"

His mouth clamped itself shut. It seemed for a moment that he was fighting at his body, trying to force himself to speak out words. However, no words would come. Finally his mouth opened again with a sigh.

"Even just one reason is something I cannot do quite yet. However, I feel a presence coming. It's someone who should be able to shed some light on this fiasco. If we wait, he'll arrive soon enough."

"I noticed, but still Raiden. If you can not produce a reason right now, then did you ever have a reason? Just damn it Raiden."

Raiden looked down.

"I have my reasons. They're just complicated. I'm a planner, remember? I make plans. I stay one step ahead of the enemy. Such as these puppets. They have upset everyone quite a bit. But for all it's worth, they have slowed you all down enough. I'm just now breaking through the barrier containing the Mashirosen. It will take me a bit longer to get through, but it's not likely that any of you would stop me. So you can kill this puppet, spend time finding your way out of his little reality we've altered so heavily, and end up being able to see me escape. Or, we can wait, and see the One coming."

************************************************** *******
Raiden watched his blade pierce Darth's body. The Thunder God squatted down, getting more level with Darth as he laid down.

"Come on, Gladiator. Is this what happens when your mind tricks are taken away? You're getting your ass handed back to you by a WEAKENED Thunder God! Not just the limits we put on both of ourselves, but the simple fact that I'm a puppet means that it shouldn't be this hard for you."

************************************************** *******
The God-Raging Thunder God took the hit from Pyros, and returned with his own, sending an electrified fist into the face of the pretty boy Fire Angel. As the Fire Angel was flung away, Raiden quickly sent two thick bolts of lightning flying at him. During flight, the bolts of lightning grew dragon heads with solidified fangs, and each bit down hard onto an arm of Pyros.

************************************************** *******
The ice shrapnel flew forward toward the Raiden standing on top of the corpses. They struck the figure...then carried right through. The form wavered slightly as the ice shards passed through the illusion. However, a small form had leapt from a dark corner where he had been hidden, and grabbed the super star.

"No, Garud, I don't think the problem is that I've underestimated you. I think the problem is that I gave you no real reason to feel fear of me."

The super star absorbed into Raiden's body, making it glow in strange colors and make a strange song fill the air.

"Trust me, you will know fear. You both will."

************************************************** *******
Raiden looked at Ecurt and Fenris.

"Of course they are. They're here because they're unwanted. I'm simply cleaning up the trash. Plus, it gave me a bit of time to open my own portal."

A new portal opened behind Raiden. This time, strange electric tigers and fiery birds launched themselves from the portal.

"These are the creatures that will handle you."

************************************************** *******
Raiden's body started aflame from Mauve's combustion spell, but he continued to walk forward. His regenerative abilities kept him going, though his skin looked horrific now.

"You know, so many people have asked me that same question. Why? Why am I doing this? You want to know something? I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE!"

His fist went through a nearby pillar.

"I have my reasons for doing this, and you're in my way!"

His fist rushed out and grabbed Mauve by her neck. He lifted her up, and slammed her against a wall. Glowing blood dribbled down his lips as his teeth were gritted.

"Dammit, Mauve! Attack to end! I can't stop once I've started!"

************************************************** *******
Dragonsbane made his way through the silent tunnel, only to find himself in a strange area. It was large and expansive. It was night time. The darkness and the three moons hanging above them gave it away. A cool wind could be felt. Standing all alone in the room was Raiden.

"Dragonsbane. What little pocket of unwanted void did YOU crawl out of?"

************************************************** *******
As POS and Arhra made their way through the altered tower, they noticed strange sounds coming from every which way. Any time they walked down a tunnel, they seemed to end up right back where they started, as if they hadn't gone anywhere at all.

[Mesden]

"DAMMIT RAIDEN! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET OUR DAMNED DAD INVOLVED! YOU BASTARD!"

She launched a kick into the stomach of the puppet. The impact sent him flying into a nearby wall. His bones cracked from the impact and moving had been a problem. He slowly regenerated the damage, but before he could speak to prepare himself, Mesden was already upon him.

She lifted him by the throat, grasping tightly to make sure no words could escape.

"TOO COMPLICATED! DAMMIT RAIDEN! YOU DON'T WANT ME AS AN ENEMY! WHY THE FUCK CAN'T YOU JUST TELL ME!? ALL I ASK IS ONE THING! ONE CREATOR DAMNED THING AND YOU CAN'T SEEM TO TELL ME EVEN ONE REASON FOR WHY YOU ARE FUCKING UP SO DAMNED BADLY!"

She turned and smashed his back into the ground, still holding him by the throat. Her other arm dove into his chest and grasped the gem. The tight clench would've made him scream in agony were he not being choked.

"I NEVER WANTED TO FIGHT YOU! NEVER! YET YOU CAN'T GET PAST WHATEVER EGOTISTICAL REASONS YOU HAVE TO JUST TELL ME! I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING! EVER! I ASKED ONE THING, ONE SIMPLE DAMNED THING AND YOU PULL OUT THE LAMEST EXCUSE I COULD IMAGINE."

She threw him back into another wall. He started to slowly regenerate the damage, but still too slow. She was punching air in the direction of Raiden. Each punch made a resounding shockwave come from Raiden's body. Every shot made him keel over. She drew nearer with every assault on the former challenge until she was actually punching him. For each punch there were two senses of pain. One physically and the other spiritually. The real Raiden hadn't ever felt anything like this before.

Her hands slowly started to gain their glow as she punched him. Then, after several dozen punches, she drove her hand into his chest again.

"I'LL FUCKING RIP THE ANSWERS FROM YOUR SOUL IF I HAVE TO, RAIDEN!"

Her eyes formed into her soul search form. Scanning into the grasped shard of a gem, searching for answers.

Raiden, still in enormous pain and near death, spoke what words he could to drive Mesden off of him. He was successful in preventing her search of his gem, but not much else.

"WHY DO YOU KEEP THESE SECRETS!? WHY!? DAMMIT!"

She threw him to the ground and motioned her hand into the air. With sprawling lights and colors the area was engulfed in her realm again. She formed a sitting area out of nothing and sat down to stare at the shell of the puppet. It was nearly dead, but now was slowly regenerating what damage it could.

She sat with a cold stare, seemingly waiting for something or someone...

[mauve]

Mauve's wild card was lost as soon as Raiden's fingers wrapped around her neck. She had been waiting for the opportune moment, but she was too slow to catch it before he caught her. An explosion of expletives filled her mind as she was slammed forcefully into the charred wall. Gone. The moment was gone.

Instinctively her hands flew up to his, clawing uselessly against his blackened flesh. Her mouth opened, but no words could come out. His hand clenched tighter, and panic began to set in. She couldn't breathe! She was going to die!

No! Don't panic! She struggled to keep control of her mind. But what could she do? Spellcasting was somewhat out of the question at the moment: Although she could form the spells in her mind, it took the verbal cue to put them into action. No breath meant no speech.

The sounds of rushing blood and beating heart filled her ears. She thrashed with her legs, but Raiden was holding her far enough away that she couldn't kick him. Not that it would have done any good. There was only one more option.

Her hands left Raiden's fist and went to her remaining knife. As quickly as she could, she buried the point into Raiden's arm, just behind the wrist. Gritting her teeth, she yanked the blade down with all her strength. Tendons snapped. Muscles were severed. All the stringy bits that made fingers move were broken. Raiden was momentarily unable to control his hand, and Mauve fell heavily to the ground as his fingers released her neck.

She wanted to just lay there for a moment and catch her breath, but she knew better. Coughing and gasping and rubbing her throat, the mage rolled away and pushed herself to her feet.

Mauve extended a hand towards the crispy and bleeding puppet. He continued to lurch forward. She had to stop him. She had to kill him. Part of her felt terrible about this: It wasn't really Raiden, but it was wearing his face. She almost felt like a traitor.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry I'm in your way. But you're also in mine." And with that, the mage let out fire spell after fire spell, hoping it would do something.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

RFS: 50

Rhiya was bothered. She glared at Raiden with the sort of gaze that could match the heat of a supernova core, before breaking into a small, tight smile. She stepped purposefully to one side now, her hands slowly swinging up. She cracked each individual knuckle, clicked a couple of neck vertebrae, before rushing forward.

And stopped.

The reason for this was obvious. There was a falling die in her path – it was the sort of die that was glowing and had all sorts of weird stuff crossing its surface.
It was also a d20.

“Oh shiiiiiiiiit…..” Rhiya cursed as the die bounced upon the ground, each arc becoming smaller. Everything slowed down around her and the die, until finally…

*** Rhiya Ravenwing rolled 1 20-sided die: 19***

Rhiya breathed again, then continued the charge towards Raiden… only he wasn’t where she last saw him, and the woman barely survived by ducking under the heavy-handed swing that sliced over where her torso used to be.

Rhiya kept charging, running up the wall and onto the ceiling, using her wing tendrils as grip pads. She did NOT want to get in Raiden or Krylo’s way as of now. But an idea was slowly forming up in her mind….

[Arhra]

OOC: Hmm, these actions force a certain review of my intended plan.

It was at about this time, that POS discovered Arhra wasn't actually awake. She was standing up and her eyes were open, but there was no sign there was anyone home. This was perplexing. After all, it meant that Arhra had not only been sleep-walking, but also sleep-running, sleep-yelling and sleep-summoning. An insight might be gained by taking a look at Arhra's dreams at the time. Thus, here is Arhra Dream Theatre, part 2.

Arhra held her staff out in front of her in a warding position as she approached the sheep. Raiden's eyes glowed menacingly and with a sudden spark, a lightning bolt leapt from the ram's horns. Arhra deflected it harmlessly to the side with her staff and then seeing his reserves temporarily emptied, leapt into the fray with a flying kick.

And so began what was quite possibly the battle of the century - Chibi Arhra vs an electric sheep. With the devastating flying kick Arhra had opened with, things were looking in her favour. Raiden had taken the kick in his fleecy side, knocking him down and sending him skidding a surprising distance. Arhra was only a girl here after all. The vague rules of dreams often had strange results.

At that moment, Arhra was sure she heard something, something about bacon. Shrugging it off as probably just her imagination, she blinked.

In the real world, POS had just made his attempt at rousing Arhra, "Yo, Usagi-chan! Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!!" Despite the appearance of her waking up, her body had been operating completely on automatic at the promise of bacon. In much the same way a trained soldier might find himself upright and halfway dressed before he even came fully awake when the seargent came to yell the troops out of bed, Arhra actually began summoning, possibly resulting from confusion between thinking she was under attack and her preference for crispy bacon.

Whatever the reason, Ifrit appeared and laid his trademark fiery smackdown on the office. Arhra, still probably under the allure of the bacon (practically a food group on its own) even yelled "I'm up! I'm up! Where's my bacon?" as she ran down the tunnel after POS. She was quite skilled at somnambulating it seemed. As they slowed down, she blinked.

The sheep rose to it's feet and charged at Arhra in a cavalcade of thunderclaps, horns lowered and glinting dangerously. Arhra rolled ott he side, vanishing in the high grass and the ram snorted as he looked around for where the summoner girl had disappeared to.

Then Raiden evidently decided to use a more effective method. Lightning crackled off his white wool, making a dome of electric death that scorched the grasses. Blinding arcs of lightning danced a destructive path within it, jumping from place to place in a spectacle of shocking sparks. In the aftermath Raiden walked to a particularly large scorched hump of blackened grass in the charred circle of ground around him. About to prod it with his horns, a hand shot out and grabbed him by his wooly throat. A split second later Arhra's head followed as she nutted the sheep.

Jumping back again, Arhra was a little singed looking but otherwise fine. It could be argued it made her look even more cute in a chibi way. A mischevious smile playing over her face she said, "You didn't think I'd be done with that easily did you?"

Meanwhile in the real world, Arhra seemed to be content with dreamily following POS around for now. Her eyes were vacant and unfocused but she seemed to have a slight smile on her face, as if she was having a particularly enjoyable dream. Which was exactly the case.

OOC: And cliffhanger the second. Poor POS left effectively on his own. Someone up there must hate him. Arhra's still busily fighting a dream sheep. You don't see that every day.