Re: Grand Battle S3G1! (Round Two: The Great Battlefield)
05-28-2011, 01:53 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.
The briefest of moments passed between Miles' death and the disappearance of the other combatants.
A few minutes later, the speakers roared another message.
"CHAOTIC PRESENCE NEUTRALIZED. DISSIPATING GAS. THE PLANT IS SAFE ONCE AGAIN."
Upon hearing the message, Miles Zember Embyweather cautiously poked his head out of the broom closet. (In order to comply with confusing safety regulations, it had been designed to be airtight and the door constructed from Unisteel. Emby had been completely unaware of this and had simply locked himself inside, hoping that all the problems would somehow go away.)
Everything seemed quiet. He supposed Security would be arriving soon, now that the problem had sorted itself out.
He decided it would be a good idea take his lunch break when they arrived.
***
"One down." The Fool smiled. This had been as entertaining as he had hoped.
"Mr. Fogge, sir?"
The Fool turned around to see a four-armed man wearing a dull gray suit.
"Yes? How may I help you?"
The man spoke as though he had rehearsed the message.
"My name is Crowe. I have been sent by the Spectator to inform you that she will destroy everything to find the essence of life and..."
In an instant, Crowe's prepared speech, the Grand Battle, and indeed, the Fool's entire world were shoved aside by a single word entering his mind.
Progenitor.
The Fool blinked behind his mask. Where had that thought come from? Why so suddenly? And why did it seem so familiar?
"...in short, she is going to run a battle."
"Oh, splendid. I applaud that sort of initiative! It's always so boring when they ask first. Tell her - the Spectator, was it? - I will be watching it with interest. Now, run along. I have a battle of my own to manage, after all."
"Yes, sir."
Crowe vanished, leaving the Fool alone once more.
Progenitor...
He'd have to investigate that. But first, he had business to attend to.
***
The combatants found themselves in the middle of a large field. At first, their bodies were frozen in place, but after a moment's pause, they found themselves rotating, evidently to give them a better view of the scenery. It was mostly open plains, but there were some noteworthy exceptions; small forests, foothills, rivers, and even a mountain or two.
There were also clusters of tents in the distance; four of them, by the looks of it. Each carried a different colored flag.
The contestants stopped turning, and the Fool appeared before them.
"Welcome to the Great Battlefield," he said. "This world is actually something of a game. He gestured to one of the camps in the distance; a bright red flag flew above it. "Here, four armies are constantly fighting each other. I've taken them off the field for a moment so you can get a good look at it, but they'll resume their fighting when you resume yours. Ah, but let me bring some of them in so that you can understand the rules of this place, shall I?"
The Fool waved his hand, and two soldiers appeared - one dressed in green, one in blue. Both were armed.
"This is how war works around here."
The soldier in blue fired his weapon. The green soldier fell to the ground.
After a few seconds, he got up again, but his uniform had changed to blue.
"He's been recruited," the Fool said calmly. "Now he will fight for the Blue Army obediently. That's how it always works; soldiers are switching sides constantly as the battle wears on. This also applies to their vehicles and even their higher-ranking officers... in theory, if one army was to take out the general of another army, they'd take over that entire army. But in practice, that's never happened, and they maintain this perpetual stalemate."
The Fool smiled.
"Perhaps you'll be able to change that."
He snapped his fingers. In an instant, he fighters were scattered throughout the field, and released from their paralysis.
"Have fun!"
The briefest of moments passed between Miles' death and the disappearance of the other combatants.
A few minutes later, the speakers roared another message.
"CHAOTIC PRESENCE NEUTRALIZED. DISSIPATING GAS. THE PLANT IS SAFE ONCE AGAIN."
Upon hearing the message, Miles Zember Embyweather cautiously poked his head out of the broom closet. (In order to comply with confusing safety regulations, it had been designed to be airtight and the door constructed from Unisteel. Emby had been completely unaware of this and had simply locked himself inside, hoping that all the problems would somehow go away.)
Everything seemed quiet. He supposed Security would be arriving soon, now that the problem had sorted itself out.
He decided it would be a good idea take his lunch break when they arrived.
***
"One down." The Fool smiled. This had been as entertaining as he had hoped.
"Mr. Fogge, sir?"
The Fool turned around to see a four-armed man wearing a dull gray suit.
"Yes? How may I help you?"
The man spoke as though he had rehearsed the message.
"My name is Crowe. I have been sent by the Spectator to inform you that she will destroy everything to find the essence of life and..."
In an instant, Crowe's prepared speech, the Grand Battle, and indeed, the Fool's entire world were shoved aside by a single word entering his mind.
Progenitor.
The Fool blinked behind his mask. Where had that thought come from? Why so suddenly? And why did it seem so familiar?
"...in short, she is going to run a battle."
"Oh, splendid. I applaud that sort of initiative! It's always so boring when they ask first. Tell her - the Spectator, was it? - I will be watching it with interest. Now, run along. I have a battle of my own to manage, after all."
"Yes, sir."
Crowe vanished, leaving the Fool alone once more.
Progenitor...
He'd have to investigate that. But first, he had business to attend to.
***
The combatants found themselves in the middle of a large field. At first, their bodies were frozen in place, but after a moment's pause, they found themselves rotating, evidently to give them a better view of the scenery. It was mostly open plains, but there were some noteworthy exceptions; small forests, foothills, rivers, and even a mountain or two.
There were also clusters of tents in the distance; four of them, by the looks of it. Each carried a different colored flag.
The contestants stopped turning, and the Fool appeared before them.
"Welcome to the Great Battlefield," he said. "This world is actually something of a game. He gestured to one of the camps in the distance; a bright red flag flew above it. "Here, four armies are constantly fighting each other. I've taken them off the field for a moment so you can get a good look at it, but they'll resume their fighting when you resume yours. Ah, but let me bring some of them in so that you can understand the rules of this place, shall I?"
The Fool waved his hand, and two soldiers appeared - one dressed in green, one in blue. Both were armed.
"This is how war works around here."
The soldier in blue fired his weapon. The green soldier fell to the ground.
After a few seconds, he got up again, but his uniform had changed to blue.
"He's been recruited," the Fool said calmly. "Now he will fight for the Blue Army obediently. That's how it always works; soldiers are switching sides constantly as the battle wears on. This also applies to their vehicles and even their higher-ranking officers... in theory, if one army was to take out the general of another army, they'd take over that entire army. But in practice, that's never happened, and they maintain this perpetual stalemate."
The Fool smiled.
"Perhaps you'll be able to change that."
He snapped his fingers. In an instant, he fighters were scattered throughout the field, and released from their paralysis.
"Have fun!"
There's no reason for this | Or this | Death is inevitable | You can't challenge fate | The smallest change | I'm overwhelmed
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse