Shake and Oddity's CYOA

Romaji Sector A trail of smoke darkened the already grim landscape of Romaji. It was a sign that the only chance of escape was cut off. They would have to travel through and beyond this cursed place, once a thriving city now transformed into a world of despair. The Arena, and beyond it the mountains of Karat stood like pillars in the landscape as menacing symbol's; the border of this sector, the mountains still scarred with the markings of Kefka's spell of desperation. Karat had protected the neighboring sector's , but the damage done was all too evident. The pride had left Karat, as it now stood as a testament of Kefka's power as well as a borderline. A warning. Our heroes had chosen to ignore it. To the right of the stadium was the old Romaji forest, now haunted by the undead animals that had transformed into deadly beasts both great in number and fierce in battle. The rumors and tales of bragging warriors who had dared to enter the forest only added to the legend of Kefka. Crono had trained 6 months here. He had strengthened his self-reliance here. He had learned to cope with overwhelming odds and numbers, and it had been the most arduous period of his life. He had trained his mind as well as his body; every emotion and doubt he had ever had surfaced here as he did nothing else but fight and think for 6 months on end. Dante........Marle.........Lucca.......Glenn........... all the guilt seemed to converge in the loneliness of the undead forest. He had tempered his spirit and processed all the memory's of friends lost, it had been the most valuable experience he ever had. For it had been necessary to become what he had been before, to climb out of the abyss and join the struggle once again. The one thing he hadn't been able to do in those 6 months is enter the Arena where he saw Glenn and Lucca all those years ago...........with that eerie blue glow................ A familiar soldier leaned with one hand on the massive flyer. The mood was almost as dark as their surroundings. Snake never wanted to come here. He chose a military installation as a target, a place he understood. Not this land of magic tricks. How Crono had chosen to fight another fearsome enemy when they had the Alliance to worry about, he couldn't understand. But he would be damned if they didn't make the best of it. Amateurs with a cause.......driven by outdated recollections and impressions. And by their homesick emotions. There shouldn't be room for those on the battlefield. No more indecision. No doubt. In or out. No in-betweens. The soldier walked up to their red-headed leader and joined Magus' challenge. Crono was showing indecision. Snake needed clarity, and if he didn't get it, he would provide it. That was just his nature. Cut and clean. Pure and simple. "We should check out the Arena before setting up camp. We're here now, Crono. There's no reason I can see for delaying this. Either tell us what the hell you're so worried about or me and Magus will go on ahead." Snake said in his gruff voice. Magus nodded in approval. "The barbarian has just spoken the wisest words I have ever heard him utter. You may come and throw your lead balls at whatever we may find." Samus intervened. She thought it was a waste of time to come here and babysit the flyer too, but she knew they needed Crono to be unquestioned. They needed unity. To prevent chaos. And Crono was the best man for the job. As much as Snake meant to her, he had stepped out of line. Besides, something was obviously bothering Crono. And it wasn't the Arena. The bounty hunter had gathered that much. "Crono makes the final call. Snake is not the leader of this operation—and neither are you, Magus. Crono will do what is best for the group. If he wants us to stay, I'll stay." Samus said determined with her hands loosely in her sides. I threw you a rope, Crono. Just pick it up. Crono sighed. Everyone expected another flash of temperament, but it didn't look like that was coming any time soon. "Alright. Have it your way. Lets go and scout the damned thing. But after that we are going back to the flyer to set-up camp. Just the Arena. Nothing more," Crono decided with a nod towards Snake. Crono opened his backpack and threw a torch to everyone. " Take these, and stay close and tight. I don't want anybody wandering off. Snake, you take point. Ryu, take the rear. Me and Magus will take the flanks and Samus and Aeris make up the center. Keep an eye on Aeris." The party left the flyer behind and dissappeared into the dark mists . The blue lights seemed concentrated up ahead. Snake signaled to the rest to stop. He took out his night-vision goggles and crawled closer on his belly. Damn, I just had to see it to believe it. No reading whatsoever on 'em, just dead people walking. Alright, time to do our business. Snake crawled back to the party and gave his report to Crono. They were preparing to attack when suddenly Crono's heart froze. There he is again ..... Everybody looked surprised at Crono and then looked into the direction he was staring. A black cat silently walked toward Magus, and stroked up against his foot before returning to the small figure he came from. " Al......Alfador ?! " the wizard stuttered with eyes wide. The child was looking at Magus, and Magus alone. The rest didn't seem to matter. Magus looked into the child's chilling eyes . They are glowing......what is this I'm feeling.....arrghh..... A high pitched noise was straining his ears. All Magus' thoughts began to swim. They made way for something else. The frightening voice of the child was all Magus heard. But not with his ears. Inside his mind..... Flying Through the clouds Wondering About our future Arguing With myself Where Should I go? "What are these riddles you pose? What should I do to save Schala ? " Magus answered while spinning around looking for the source of the voice. He was no longer with the party, but in Romaji forest like it was all those years ago. When Is now? Where Is here? Who Are you? Who Am I? The child went over to a very young Kefka. The child was showing Kefka how to use the spell Fire, standing behind Kefka holding his hands and extending a finger in his right hand. Kefka let out a high pitched laugh as he succeeded in burning a branch. The child turned around as he looked at Magus again. " The struggle......Janus or Magus? "Janus Zeal died a long time ago. I am Magus. Why are you taking me here?!!! Where is Schala?!!!" Magus screamed as he lunged at the child. The child vanished just before Magus touched him and the forest around him fazed away. Suddenly he was in Romaji again, blackened ground and hopeless winds around him. Blue lights disgraced the memory of the people they once were. The view was speeding forward, over the city until a castle came into view. The view went through the walls until slowing down. There stood Schala and Sephiroth, left and right of a throne made of skulls and bones. On the throne sat Kefka, his hideous face pale and smeared with blood. Guiding My own destiny Or ruining My world's fate? Should I stay? Do they need me? I have caused this Will you avenge it? "I haven't caused this. Why are you doing this to me? How could I know? " Magus voice was filled with despair as he answered the child. The view fazed again, revealing his friends and himself frozen in time at the very moment the black cat returned to the child, Crono and the other's staring at the child as blue lights shined up ahead. The Arena stood tall in the background. Will You lose yourself To impatience And die.............. To forego Your Life's destiny? "My life's destiny is to find Schala! What do you mean?! I don't understand you!" Magus yelled. The child turned his back on Magus, the black cat following in his footsteps . Magus stared at him while the world around him shifted from imaginary to reality. The party was suddenly standing next to him as they all watched the phantom and his cat fade into the darkness. "What the hell was that?!" Samus Aran said. "A child surviving alone in these parts? Impossible!" Crono sighed. "I've seen him before. Many times. This is what I saw a while ago.......he predicted one of us would die. Soon." Crono revealed. Ryu was still calm on the exterior, he didn't seem as rattled as the rest. "Lord Kefka's mind tricks should not deter us. We should go on. Once he breaks our will, he can control us. We should ignore these illusions and continue." The soldier made his way over to Crono for the second time today, and Snake raised his voice as he said, “I can't make heads or tails of these things. I don't know what the hell is going on and frankly I don't care. I do know there is an Arena we want to go too and those Christmas lights are in our way. Let's move!" Aeris suddenly interjected. "Guys, over here." she waved. She was standing over an unconscious Magus." Aeris kneeled down and put her hands on his forehead. The glowing was a familiar sight. Even Samus still remembered how swiftly Aeris could heal in battle, and she was even better if she had a healing chamber to focus her powers. She had been invaluable in the old Resistance. Many of the people that were in the new one would be long dead if it wasn't for her. Magus suddenly slapped away Aeris' arms. "Get off me!! Just le..." Magus looked in turn at the faces above him with confusion written all over his face. Ryu and Snake helped him up. " He was in my mind..." He tried to get his bearings, he was dazed from the intense encounter. This is about my destiny.......it doesn't concern them. He shrugged off Ryu and Snake. He could stand on his own two feet. "What happened, wizard? Samus asked." You said something about a presence in your mind? " "You know as well as I do who that child is , Magus. What's he doing here? " Crono said. "IT IS NO CONCERN OF YOURS!!" Magus reacted angrily on purpose. He didn't want anybody to question him about his experience. This was his problem, and it was his to solve. He decided to divert the attention to something else. "And if you don't mind, we have a destination to go to. I am going to free the souls those dark forces have poisoned. You stay here if you want too. I don't need your help." With that, he turned around, his cape swooping behind him. "Free souls? How?" Crono asked . "By destroying them. Better to fade into nothingness then to be exploited for evil. And if you come, stay in front of me. I won't turn my back on you again. No useless pity now, Crono, no remorse." Magus sharply said. There was not a sliver of kindness in his voice. With that he glided toward the blue army. Ryu looked surprised at Snake. " What should we do?" Snake grunted. "I don’t care what you do........just stay out of my way. He's not fighting alone!" Snake sprinted after Magus. Ryu followed suit. Damn....... " Let's go Crono. You said we should stay together, remember?" Samus reminded him as she put on her helmet. "Lock and load." Samus said as she ran with the pack. Crono nodded to Aeris " Stay behind us and heal. We have enough firepower." Crono and Aeris joined the sprint. So many strong wills. So many different desires and codes of honor. The burden of command is starting to get heavy. I have to fix this. We don't stand a chance as we are now, I need the faith of the men I lead. I have to be strong again. I'll go into that Arena. And if it's Glenn in there, I will free his soul, Magus was right. No doubt. Confident leadership from now on. It’s my duty to get all of them out of this hellhole in one piece. Crono vowed to himself. The blue army was well visible now. There were hundreds. "Probably a little short of a thousand," Crono said as he promised himself to clear his mind and lead this attack. "Long range first. We have to thin them out before we can go in." Crono barked, "Aeris, prepare a mass Protect. I don't know how much time we will have once they take the first hit." Snake and Ryu, aim left. Magus and Samus, take right. I will hit them in the center. " Snake pointed his finger first to Ryu and then up, signaling he should aim at the far-away targets. Samus received no such signal from Magus. Snake prepared his Nikita's. Magus was already preparing a dark bomb, as the black energy ball in his hands was growing rapidly. Ryu folded his hands like a flower, and a small blue light was emanating from within. Samus readied her missiles. Crono had a special something for them. These aren't all fighters. They were townspeople. No strong wills or minds to overcome. "Alright, let’s go!!" Crono yelled as he let out his Confuse right in the middle of the undead army. They started mass-fighting among themselves. Ryu let his arms fly forward with a scream “HaaaadoooooooKEN!” A blue surge growing as it traveled took out a large portion of undead. Snake was furiously firing Nikita after Nikita at the walking chunks of rotten flesh closest to his location. Magus nearly took out the entire left wing as he let out a massive dark bomb with a scream of aggression. Samus was firing the same missiles that saved Snake's life when Megaman was on the verge of destroying the soldier, blasting the undead to all sides. Crono was picking of 20 at a time with fast mass-lightning spells. The army was at least halved, but way more scattered and more difficult to hit with ranged attacks then before. Nonetheless they were still too numerous to attack without risk. "Quickly. One more time before we charge," Crono ordered. Aeris released her Protect. The army immediately felt secure as they all fired one last single projectile or spell, and charged at the 100 undead that remained, give or take a few. Ryu went in with lightning punches and flying kicks as Magus fired smaller, accurate dark bombs at the remaining lifeless enemy's. Crono ran right into the thick of it letting his Katana slice and dice as limbs and heads parted with their body's. Snake was picking them of one by one with head shots fired from his Socomb. Samus fired short controlled bursts of energy . She actually preferred this to her missiles. Not so messy. Aeris healed the occasional lucky hit but had little else to do then keep the party protected, just in case. After 5 minutes of organized chaos, the easy but intense battle was nearing its end. As Crono slashed he last of the group he saw there were only 20 or so left a little up ahead, the ones that had been confused by him at the very start. The spell didn't last forever. And then he saw what he had been waiting for. He had expected it, and was surprised not to find Glenn among the army they had just slain. There with the last of them that were still unharmed, stood Lucca. His oldest friend who he had known since childhood. Crono swallowed once. Okay Crono. You can do this. No doubt. No regret. Lucca was firing out a long stream of flames that came out of the palms of her hands. You could see her smile menacingly while eyeing up Crono. "Come to me Crono. We've been through so much," her voice was sharp and full of mock friendliness. " Remember when we were playing outside your house and you kissed me on the cheek for the first time? We were 6 years old. You haven't forgotten, did you?" The blue aura made it a little easier for Crono to forget it was his long time friend. "I haven't. But my house is destroyed, and the girl you speak of is no more," Crono said while keeping his voice steady. It wasn’t easy, but he just managed it. "So she is. Then feel the punishment for challenging Lord Kefka. Give us a KISS" With the last word she powered up the fire from her hands to a blazing inferno. "Aeris, Shell me, quick ! " Crono said as he ran towards Lucca. Aeris outstretched her hands and a sphere could be seen momentarily as Crono disappeared into the flames. Magus and Samus Aran were looking at each other with puzzled expressions. What is he doing........? "SLASH " they heard Crono shout, although nobody could see Crono or Luca because of the blazing flames and the smoke that accompanied it. The flames stopped...........and Crono, a bit blackened because of the flames, just stood there with his back turned to the party. He came walking back heading for Magus and wiped away a single tear with his right hand as he gave what he had in his left to Magus. The wizard was stunned. "There. You better do the same to Schala if we find she's another glow-in-the-dark," Crono said with an accusing look toward Magus. Then to everyone, "No pity. No remorse." Magus looked down into the eyes of Lucca's severed head, the blood staining his hands. His grin and "There may be hope for you yet" were noticeably absent. He threw it on top of one of the heaps of undead. "Everyone, stand back. Black hole!!!" Magus yelled as he pointed to the center of the fallen army. The immense gravity swallowed the remains and slain undead with ease while the party were straining to stand their ground. "Magus, shut that thing down now !! " Snake yelled. He saw Aeris couldn't hold much longer. Magus complied after the last of them were sucked up and vanished. "We don’t want Kefka to raise them again, now do we?" Magus said. Then with a nod to Crono. "Unless you would like to decapitate poor little Lucca again.........." The party proceeded further to the arena. They were about to enter when from a corner a now familiar voice and silhouette appeared : His name Is feared in many places His hands Has taken many lives His soul Is filled with many hates His life Is made of many mistakes The child and cat turned around and vanished into the darkness once again. " That kid is starting to give me the creeps," Snake said. "Let's go inside." They whole party traveled inside to the Arena floor, where Link and Sephiroth had fought for glory and pride, things that seemed trivial and futile now. They could see a man standing inside. Magus went up to the fearsome looking man. No, not a man. He had all the features of a man, but his face and body were too surreal, to evil to be a mere man. His face was as white as snow. The impressive long red hair sleekly rested along his face, covering a part of it. He seemed a warrior in every way, except he had no weapon of any kind. Just his hands. The blue glow was absent, as everybody acknowledged. The warrior raised his head and Magus could see the insanity in his eyes. Aeris let out a gasp. He changed from a grin to a serious face as his voice echoed of the Arena wall's, "Pain. That was the first sensation I knew. I was devoured and torn apart. My body mangled. My soul broken. This was how I came into existence. Thrust onto the stage, To bear the things he could not face. The coward. The weeping child who screamed, Until he learned how to hide. Leaving me to take his place. I am the darkness that lives. I am the demon that lies within.” "Who are you?" Magus interrupted. "I am the destroyer. You must be too if you got all the way here. There were a lot of troops outside. Are you destroyers? Who are you?" The crimson haired warrior replied. He looked eager to hear the response to the question. Magus was thinking. He felt this was important. All that had happened today..............yes. He knew. ------------------------------------------------------------ Choice 1: How should Magus respond ? 1: Don't answer the question, attack him now. 2: We are the Resistance to Link's Alliance , and we are here to recruit Sephiroth. CHOSEN 3: I am Magus and I am here to free my sister Schala. I will not rest until I have her. 4: We are not worthy. We did not slay the army outside. We will leave you now. 5: We are the Resistance to Link's Alliance. We are here to slay Lord Kefka and bring peace to these parts. Authors: Shake & Oddity Back Home