Poppin' Arms ~ Training Facility

[Ambyssin]

"It is... some sort of tendril-sprouting larvae," Bahamut said. "It's tied to the box. You have to open it. You have to swallow that fear. Maybe there are some unpleasant memories you're happier forgetting. But you are the sum of your experiences." He dispelled the Shining Blade. This needed a different tactic.

He was a consciousness. Not a body. Bahamut had to think. Think. Think. Remember the light. The warmth. The beauty. The wonder. The... Photon Geyser.

Bahamut raised a hand. Golden energy crackled in his claws. He didn't release the attack, however, but brought it toward the wyrm. "This... is... power. You have power. You are stronger than this."

 

[Namohysip]

The thing hissed and writhed, but by now Owen had it held firmly. He squeezed it and held it forward, but the way his eyes darted about, it was clear he couldn't see it. He was operating on Bahamut's guidance alone. "If I'm stronger, then I can take it," Owen shouted. "Shoot!"

Y̡o̢u͟'ll͞ kill̛ h͠im.
̵Y͏oư'll ͞ki͟l̨l̀ h̸im.
H͜e'll̕ n̡e̵ve͜r͟ f͞ơrgiv̕è ỳo̧u.

The box had a crackling circle of what might have been Eterna corruption pouring out from it. The fissures were getting wider. They had perhaps seconds to decide before it would overtake the whole building.

 

[Ambyssin]

Now he knew which one was talking. Or spelling. Damn mind games.

"Right then." His free arm was shaking and he put it on Owen's shoulder. "Sorry for calling you a kid. You're as fierce as any hardened dragon."

Bahamut shoved the Photon Geyser into the thing with all he could muster.

 

[Namohysip]

Two cries rang out. One Bahamut knew--it was of Owen, but it was filled with energy and defiance. The other Bahamut had only just met, filled with anger and fear, but then it died out. The light faded, and Owen, singed and burned, remained.

But he pressed through the pain and darted toward the box. He grasped the lock and yanked back. The box itself spurted with black liquid, and Owen beat his wings to gain some distance. He fell onto his back near the entrance to the building as the pain of the attack finally caught up to him.

"I g... got it!" Owen said with a dumb smile, holding up the lock as it dissolved into nothing. He tried to sit up, but everything hurt. "You are... definitely stronger when you have your power," he wheezed.

The box.
I can't see the box.
What's happening to it?

It was opening. Ba-thump, ba-thump... Something alive was inside. But it was much stronger than whatever apparition it had summoned to hold Owen back.

It looked like a hazy pebble. A Core, one reminiscent of Darkwhite's. But the distortion was growing even faster, now, swallowing anything in its path.

Owen managed to get to his feet again just in time to see half the building melt into the distortion.

 

[Ambyssin]

An Ultra Stone? Probably. Maybe. Certainly looked like one. The things had converted into the much more docile familiars with shadows and radiance, hadn't they?

"It was energy from Joule and Diyem that triggered reactions in these things," Bahamut said to Owen. He formed another Shining Blade. "If you're willing, we should try the same thing here. I can supply the radiance if you handle the shadows. You've come this far. We can't back down now."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded and tried to get into a battle stance. "I'm vulnerable after using my best Shadow attacks. We'll have to get away right after. One three..."

The whole building was gone, but that gave them a clear shot to attack. "One... two... three!"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Leave the escaping part to me." The space around Bahamut and Owen distorted as lines of pure radiance crisscrossed the Ultra Stone. "Begone!"

 

[Namohysip]

An abyssal blast and a blinding light enveloped the core at the same time. It roared and shrieked; the distortions shrank to half their normal size, and Owen followed up with a second one for good measure. The distortions were a lot smaller, now, so Owen narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. Several layers of golden Protects enveloped him, but then he pointed at the core. The Protects disappeared from him and reappeared on the core.

Owen made a squeezing motion with his other hand. The damaged core shook and slammed against the barrier--but it couldn't escape. Owen still had control.

"It's sealed," Owen said. "It'll buy us some time--let's go! I don't think... we can beat it right now. But maybe if we got more help... from Diyem...!"

I can't hold it for long.
I'll ward it off.
This is my fight.
Tell the others!

 

[Ambyssin]

"Fair enough. But I will at least leave you a little something extra." Bahamut whipped his left lower wing in Owen's direction. It spawned black chains that grabbed hold of the shadows trailing off Owen from his attacks. A phantom formed up beside Owen. "Protect him." Bahamut pointed to Owen. The phantom nodded and floated in front of the Protect shields.

Bahamut looked once more at Owen, before constricting his body.

<><><>
​

Back in the training room, one of Bahamut's arms whapped against Wishkeeper, then his body began to vibrate.

 

[Namohysip]

Wishkeeper lurched forward and grabbed Bahamut's body and pushed it away with as much power as he could muster, instantly severing the connection. Owen did not stir; the massive Charizard was still in his meditative position. He looked between Bahamut and Owen, then drifted to him.

"...What happened?" Wishkeeper said. "Ever since Owen's body changed, and a little before, I can talk freely to others without Owen's help. But what happened? Why isn't he waking up?"

Wishkeeper gestured to Owen's chest. "It's gone now, but there was a red star on his chest. It disappeared, but Owen seemed tense."

 

[Ambyssin]

"We located and began destroying the block." Bahamut floated up. Gray light slowly filled up again; his body expanded outward to the form he had gotten used to. "It appears the source is... oddly like an Ultra Stone. Owen has it trapped in a barrier at the moment, but I need to get Diyem. I think the block is based in Eterna energy. Give me a moment to contact the others."

His head tendrils sparked with gray energy.

 

[Namohysip]

Wishkeeper frowned. "We were going to quietly approach Diyem about this with others who know--so, you, and Brisa, specifically. Perhaps he can help with this new information. But it might cause a panic if everyone finds out..." He sighed. "Right. We should get ready in case this does not go well."

 

[Ambyssin]

"You underestimate yourself," Bahamut chided. "Most of what I did amounted to a pep talk for his subconscious. Or your subconscious." He frowned. "This manifesting shadows nonsense is one thing I will absolutely not miss about this planet."

 

[Namohysip]

"...Hmph." Wishkeeper looked away. "Perhaps my natural lack of confidence comes from my origins. According to Owen, the real Wishkeeper has more pep. Whatever that means." He rolled his eyes, but then his gaze drifted to Owen. "...Then he's still fighting, even now."

 

[Ambyssin]

“I gave him some of my power to assist,” Bahamut said. “In my training, I’ve learned to mold you shadows into weapons.” He turned away. “I realize the team cares not for how I think or act, but sometimes one has to apply some pressure. This is one of those times.

“I don’t care if the team hates me for doing this to the proverbial golden boy. Someone had to take action and help him help himself.”

 

[Namohysip]

"I don't think we will hold it against you," Wishkeeper said. "It had to be done. Done before the enemy does it instead, no doubt. Perhaps we have it right where we want it." He turned his attention to the meditating Charizard. "Mold shadows into weapons, hm? Perhaps that will be useful in time... I'll donate my arm." He smirked. "Or my whole body. I've been disassembled a few times. The form you see is just a projection, after all."

 

[Ambyssin]

“And my real body stitches itself back together thanks to Malice, my universe’s Eterna energy.” Bahamut shrugged. “Dark Matter sure knows how to pick them. I’ll have to avoid thinking about it if I’m to actually help him fend off Maple.”

 

[Namohysip]

Wishkeeper nodded and drifted toward Owen, staring. "...Hang in there..." He dared not even touch Owen's shoulder so he wouldn't break concentration. "I won't let you be controlled again."

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

"Unbelievable. How did I not see it? How was it so hidden? ...Was this planned?" Diyem growled, standing and pacing in the elevator as it descended with the many others who'd gathered to make sure Owen was alright, one way or another. Diyem had remarked that rather than see if he was alright, he wondered openly if they would have to instead take him down.

The elevator opened, revealing Owen sitting in his meditative stance and Wishkeeper drifting about. Bahamut was gathering his strength for whatever next encounter was within Owen.

"Well, he's not attacking," Diyem mumbled. "Has he changed at all?"

 

[Ambyssin]

“No.” Bahamut was sitting cross-legged. “Owen trapped the source in protect shields and I left him a phantom for additional support.”

He said he knew what he was doing. Did his teammates really have that little faith in him? It wasn’t like he’d betrayed anyone’s trust.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. He took action when no one else would. It was the right thing to do. Owen didn’t deserve to be stuck waiting.