paixaorpg | The Path Diverged [Open/Active]

Entry tags:

The Path Diverged [Open/Active]

Character(s): Urd, Open
Content: Urd continues her journey in the Pride Lands, stopping at the Watering Hole.
Setting: Pride Lands
Time: Week 32, morning
Warnings: None

Urd stared into her reflection shimmering on the surface of the water, frowning. She was undeniably a meerkat -- an oddly colored, oddly marked meerkat sporting jewelry, but a meerkat just the same. She lightly touched her forehead marking and sighed, slumping onto the ground.

She had gone her separate way from Terra and her boy the previous night, but not before insisting that they stick together no matter what. Not a hard order for them to obey, she wagered, and likely an unnecessary thing to say to begin with. Anyone could see the bond between them, the devotion the little guy had for Terra. They would protect each other, even in the new roles of predator and prey.

Now Urd placed her chin on top of her paws, sulking down at the water. Her journal lay ignored some feet away. She'd made it this far alone, but what was she to do now? What was she even looking for? Why did she come alone?

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"Goodness, Nee-san, you seem so serious!" A familiar voice made itself known behind Urd, who she could see in the reflection of the watering hole. Belldandy had taken the form of a hyena, though her blue forehead and cheek markings were still there. Sitting down and tilting her head, she smiled. "I've never been here before; it looks so so much fun!"

As the shadow of a hyena loomed over her, Urd gasped, rolling onto her back -- and froze as she stared up at...

"Belldandy!?" She slowly sat up, hardly believing her eyes. "What...what are you doing in the Pride Lands? I thought I left you behind in Paixao!" Urd scrambled to her feet, both relieved and annoyed to see her sister. Ah, but there was one important question...

"Wait, are you able to shift back to your original form?" Urd hadn't been able to -- in fact, using her powers at all seemed to be much harder than usual, as if she were blocked. But Belldandy was a First Class goddess...maybe she could!

It wasn’t long since Aladdin decided to go explore the new level he recently heard about in the castle. The Pride Lands. It came to a surprise for him that he changed into an animal form, but it seemed that Halloween Town had the same effect. Guessing by what Genie used his magic for sometimes. It was probably to blend into the environment. Though how the worlds worked to do that, he couldn’t know. However, it didn’t seemed that important as Aladdin pressed on ward into the tall grass in his new form, a vervet monkey, still adorning his fez on his head.

Aladdin came near to the watering hole, catching his eye over to the meerkat and hyena conversing. The markings and colors were much different than an average kind. He had a guess those two were previously human like him. Aladdin approached them with curiosity, his head tilting, then. He recognized that voice coming from the meerkat, “Hey guys! You’re exploring here too?”

Looking over at the hyena, was that Belldandy? He smiled at them both. “It’s me, Aladdin! You recognize me, right?” the monkey pointed to himself.

[ooc: I'm assuming that the magic that binds them to these forms isn't something that can be undone. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.]

"Aladdin-san!" Belldandy the hyena did her best to clap her hands together in joy, which she somehow managed to accomplish. "Of course I recognize you!" The shape of his soul was still very much the same as it was when he was in human form; that was something Belldandy couldn't miss.

Turning back to Urd, she shook her head apologetically. "My apologies, Nee-san, but this level's magic is far more powerful than I am at present." She confessed. "If I were still connected to Yggdrasil, I may be able to decode it with time, but I'm still far too unfamiliar with the working of Paixao's algorithms in general to do something as advanced as to undo the machinations of this place." She still had some of her abilities in this form, but it was nowhere near the level of a first class deity.

Not one to leave a question unanswered, Belldandy continued. "I was worried about you, so I came." And Urd knew better than anybody that once Belldandy got an idea in her head, it was nigh impossible to dissuade her from it.

[ooc: You are generally correct! Some characters could probably shift back and forth no problem but, at least for Urd, I've decided she's stuck like this while in the Pride Lands.]

Urd sighed, disappointed but not surprised. The dimensional make-up of Paixao and, in general, this Castle Oblivion they were trapped in, was unlike anything she'd seen before. Nothing about it made sense. Why would it make sense on a new floor? She nodded, patting her sister's...paw. "It's okay." How odd to be the shorter between the two.

She gave Aladdin a smile, though it was subdued. "Al...Belldandy's right, of course we recognize you. What are you doing here? Does Genie know you're here too?" The thought of Genie made her heart hurt a little as she recalled her discovery on the journals, the secret he'd been keeping. And now his best friend was here -- he'd never forgive her if something happened to Aladdin, surely. This was becoming complicated.

Oh good, they did recognize Aladdin. He grinned before rubbing the back of his neck, good thing some of his friends decided to visit the Pride Lands as well. He listened to Belldandy talk about the levels of power and magic. It seems they may be having a trouble over something. Aladdin took his time to try and think what they may be discussing about. Were they discussing about this world here? Oh! Perhaps it was about why they were in animal form.

Aladdin looked down toward Urd and gave a sorta sheepish grin, “Eheh, I didn’t… Exactly, tell him where I was going but, I’m sure he’s ok with me being out and about exploring around the castle. He already saw me exploring before around one of the other levels, I think it was called Spira, we ended up just hanging around there with Sheik. Nothin’ bad happened, met a couple of monsters, but I was able to handle them.”

Taking in a bit of pride, Aladdin put his monkey hands behind his back with ease as he waved it off, “Wasn’t a big deal or anythin’, Sheik was pretty great at handling some of the big ones too. I think Genie mentioned playing golf with some of creatures there or something.”

"Well, Aladdin-san, both Nee-san and I will do our best to protect you." Belldandy smiled, slightly tilting her head. "Most mortals aren't able to hold their own against such ferocious beasts! You must be very skilled." She observed.

Taking a sip out of the watering hole, Belldandy looked around. "What should we do now?" Belldandy asked, returning her gaze to her elder sister. "Shall we explore?"

"Skilled is right," Urd agreed, smirking in Aladdin's direction. She knew he had an adaptability and street smarts that could keep him alive, based on Genie's words. But that didn't make it any less troublesome for him to be here, in the Pride Lands. A mortal tagging along when there weren't any risks was one thing, but in this dangerous new territory, who knew what could happen?

But as always, her sister's serene and cheerful disposition set Urd a little more at ease. Meerkat or no, she was still Urd! Smiling wider, she climbed up Belldandy's side to sit on her back, resting her arm against the back of her head. "Definitely exploring! We'll need to keep an eye out for more than just predators, though. I'm certain Heartless have to be lurking around here as well."

She grinned down at Aladdin from her comfortable position. "You up for some adventure, Al?" Urd pointed to her journal on the ground. "Seeing as you have actual hands still, mind keeping track of that?"

Aladdin eyes widen a bit, he didn’t like that protecting term. Helping, sure, but protecting? That makes him sound like a damsel in distress or something. Aladdin opened his mouth to almost object, but instead just kinda rolled his eyes and made a pout. Honestly, he couldn’t really argue with girl like Belldandy. Especially when she made a compliment to his skills. He kinda just grumbled, blushing under his fur.

Slumping shoulders Aladdin looked over to Urd who leaped onto her sister’s back. Aladdin observed her as she spoke folding his arms as he looked out to some of the Pride Lands on mention of exploring. Giving a confident smirk and a nod at Urd. He definitely was here for that reason, and was totally ready to hit up on that.

Aladdin grinned as he took the journal, “Sure! I can keep an eye on it,” looking out he stood by Belldandy as he nodded, “Alright! Let’s go explore this place! Which path should we go off on first?”

"I haven't seen such a terrain, except perhaps during my study of the surface world." Belldandy commented, amazed and in awe of the majestic beauty surrounding them. Unlike the towers and carefully positioned greenery and pristine feel of heaven, the area about here was completely wild and untamed, a beauty which could never be replicated so easily. Exploring such a vast wonderland was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Eying the environment, a particular monumental stone popped out: Pride Rock. Motioning over to it without disturbing her elder sister's form on her shoulder, Belldandy smiled at her companions. "Perhaps we could go over here in order to better survey the surrounding area?"

Urd smiled as she watched Aladdin flush, amused that the Belldandy Affect continued even in these forms. But then, this was the best goddess in Heaven, hyena or no. At Belldandy's suggestion, Urd clenched her meerkat paw into a determined fist, her smile widening into a grin.

"Right! There's no way we can't check out the view from up there. I bet it's beautiful. Let's go!" She pumped her arm like a warrior charging into battle, heedless of the fact that their little group was being watched.

Aladdin gave a smirk of amusement at Urd. She sure does look cute in that form when she’s all enthusiastic like that. He had to admit. It was a much different perspective to see her look like that, than her normal goddess form. Aladdin gave a laugh of encouragement, “Right, you bet it might be! Let’s move!”

Going down from a kneeled position, Aladdin put his monkey hands on the ground and started his journey with Belldandy and Urd. It was a bit easier for him to adjust to being a monkey. He observed Abu for a long time enough to know how they can walk. Aladdin gave a chuckle, “Man, it’s good I’ve known Abu for the longest time, though I never thought I’d ever turn into a monkey anyway. Except for maybe you know, Genie decides to be random one of these days.”

"This is so much fun; I wonder why we never tries running around in such forms before!" The goddesses were no strangers to shrinking themselves for a lark, but they've never tried transmogrifying themselves into different forms.

The trip to the place known as Pride Rock was fairly uneventful, but even visiting it for the first time Belldandy could tell that something was off. The regal feel of the area was obvious, yet it seemed subdued, somehow. Her eyebrows betraying her calm exterior, Belldandy turned to her elder sister; she would also have felt it. "Nee-san, I believe that we may have company."

"Mm," Urd replied in agreement, eyes narrowing as she glanced out of her peripheral. There was Darkness close at hand, sentient and feral. She hadn't noticed it at first, not having the eye for detail that her sister possessed, but here at Pride Rock, the feeling was undeniable. She hopped off Belldandy's back and scampered in front her companions, fur on her back rising. "It's likely a Heartless," she murmured quietly, scanning the shadows of the nooks and crannies carved into the massive rock. The cave they faced was silent, the darkness deep and unmoving...

...until two pinpoints of yellow formed, accompanied by rattling. Out from the cave, the Heartless leapt. Monkey-like in its form as well as it's movements, it shook the staff in its long tail, masked face tilted at an almost inquisitive angle. When it shook its staff again, blue fire formed at their feet.

Urd leapt back, gritting her teeth. "Watch out!"

Aladdin lets his eyes dart the moment Belldandy mentioned they had company. He held out his arms as he turned around slowly, concentrating on all that was around him. Something was among them, he knew not to let his guard down. Aladdin glared in the same direction Urd did, taking out his scimitar sword once he saw the darkness creeping up from the ground.

Wasting no time, once the monkey like heartless created the blue flame from underneath them Aladdin flipped in the air and landed back on his feet. Holding is sword out in front of him. He gritted his teeth. Aladdin spoke to Belldandy and Urd, “This guy means business, and we may have to get behind him so he won’t see us when he tries to attack. We’ll have to move fast.”

Belldandy nodded, shaking loose an earring from her ear. As it fell to the ground, it extended into a stave which she grabbed with her teeth and swung around, creating a gust of wind which dissipated the flames surrounding them. It wasn't much of a secret that Belldandy rarely ever executed offensive spell algorithms, and it didn't help much that in her animal form that her powers were even more restricted than even with her limiter she was forced to wear when visiting the surface world.

Well, with two people with her, she couldn't afford to care about the potential consequences.

"Holy Wind Press!" A whirl of wind formed from her twirling of her stave toward the tunnel to keep the Heartless bottle-necked.

Urd smirked despite the tense situation as she watched her companions react. Despite her personality and gentle ways, Belldandy could be counted on in a battle and Aladdin was no slouch, especially for a mortal. In the wake of such courage, how could she help but try and match them, even in this form?

As Belldandy kept the Heartless in position, Urd charged forth, a tiny dark blur along the stone beneath them. Electricity crackled around her slim body, arcing off her as she prepared a spell -- but something seemed to short circuit before she could even finish. She tripped and rolled under the Shaman, who seemed far more interested in her companions than her.

The Heartless rattled its staff once more and suddenly its body disappeared. The voodoo mask remained, glowing a faint blue as it hovered briefly in the air. Without warning, it shot towards Aladdin and Belldandy, unstoppable and temporarily invincible.

"No!" Urd cried out from the mouth of the cave, shooting her paw out to send a fireball after the mask. Her relief at being able to cast magic was short lived, however, as it didn't even seem to singe it.

Edited 2011-06-29 20:59 (UTC)

Without a word, Aladdin took off while Belldandy held the heartless in place. Holding his sword out from him as he leapt out toward the back of the heartless, using one of the rocks that were around to get up higher. As he began to give out a multitude of slashes with his sword, in the middle of his attack, the creature vanished. Leaving the mask hovering in the air.

This of course caught Aladdin by surprise in mid air, since he didn’t expect the heartless to suddenly disappear in front of him. Rolling back down on the ground he held up his sword back up, legs spread out as he kept his eyes widen to try and see where that mask was hovering off. Then, it unleashed its attack toward Belldandy and him!

“LOOK OUT!” Aladdin shouted as he held out his hand to push Belldandy away from the attack on them. From pushing Belldandy and himself out of the way, the attack singed him from behind. Aladdin cried out, but chose to ignore it for now. This was no time to worry about that, all that matter was running out of the way from this mask’s attack on them. Still trying to make sure Belldandy was with him and doing all right. Aladdin kept dodge rolling out of the way from getting attacked.

Nodding a thanks to Aladdin, affirming his actions, Belldandy knew that things were getting tougher and tougher. The bottleneck was broken and now a horde of Heartless were surrounding the trio. There was only so much two goddesses and a mortal could do in such a situation, and those options were severely cut down by their present forms.

Rolling over several times from Aladdin's shove in order to dodge what attacks she could, Belldandy gritted her teeth as she slammed her stave once more into the ground. Now was the time for a heavy duty spell algorithm. Complex equations filled with numbers, letters, and runes began to arise from the earth as Belldandy's facial markings were aglow. Usually, a song would be sung, acting as the medium for such command prompts.

In this instance, however, the howling of a hyena had to do.

The moon above lit brightly, and storm clouds covered the daytime sky. In an instant, several miniature tornadoes swept across Pride Rock, sweeping up all of the Heartless where they stood... well, floated, now.

Maintaining this spell, Belldandy hoped that her companions would now take the gravity-less Heartless and know what to do with them.

Where did all these Heartless come from? Urd scrambled to her paws again, cursing her weakness yet again but more grateful than she could say that Aladdin was there to help Belldandy. Not that her sister needed that much help -- even in this form, she was powerful. Dodging the attacks of the shadowy creatures around her as well as the seemingly invincible voodoo mask that continued its attempt at knocking them off the cliff, Urd was at a loss at what to do.

But then Belldandy howled her song to the sky and storm clouds gathered, her offensive spell immobilizing the Heartless. An idea forming -- and a long shot at that -- Urd concentrated with all her strength, ignoring the chaos of her senses battling each other. Alone, her power was weak, but if she could piggyback on the power of the storm her sister summoned...

Urd's eyes flew open. "Al!" she shouted, though she knew he'd already understand without words. While he attacked with his sword, thunder boomed across the sky to add to the howling wind. Lightening cracked down, darting through several of the Heartless at once.

The mask stopped moving, the monkey-like form that wore it appearing once more.

Gripping the sword, Aladdin knew if he obtains another injury he could take out one of his potions to heal himself. Leaping from side to side, dodging what attacks he could from the heartless. Taking his sword to attack the various shadow heartless that were among the ground. Then once Belldandy produced her spell he noticed that they were all being lifted in the air. Aladdin’s eyes darted along the battleground, in between the thought of what to do next.

Aladdin twisted around on call of his name, seeing that Urd was about to cast a spell to damage the heartless and possibly get the mask to stop hovering around. He gave a nod to her, crouching down to prepare a leap, crying out to her to show he understood, “Got it!”

After several of the heartless got struck by the lightening bolts. Aladdin jumped into the air spinning around as he landed and bounced off the creature’s mask, to up and around his back. Delving his slashes away with his sword at the masked heartless’ weak point.

As the manifestations of the emblem heartless dissipated into the air as hearts rose from their carcasses, Belldandy gave a sigh of relief that her companions were able to finish things off; things would have ended very differently were she facing this horde alone.

Back on all fours, the stave she had utilized during the fight went back to the form of an earring and attached itself to her ear as she made her way to her allies. First checking on Aladdin, Belldandy then turned to her elder sister. "That was quite unexpected," she observed, "I wonder if there's something here which is attracting the Heartless here."

Urd slumped, feeling the effects of using so much of her power. "It's...it's not safe here. For either of you." She looked wearily over her shoulder at the wide horizon of the Serengeti. It seemed peaceful now, the summoned storm dissipating, rays of sunlight shining down. But it was a false peace. There was no safety here.

She shakily rose up, making an uncertain path toward her companion as she spoke. "You two...you have so much brightness in you. It's as much a beacon to them as the darkness in me." She tripped and stumbled into Belldandy's foreleg, holding on.

"We have to part here. Go back to the city, I'll meet you th-there."

Wiping a brow, Aladdin walked away after the heartless disintegrated. He came over to Belldandy and Urd with a smile. Glad to see everyone was all right. They were all able to defeat the heartless pretty well he thought. Sure it was tough, but they made a great team. Aladdin nodded, “Well wherever they came from, we sure did a good job getting rid of them for now. I think we make a good team.”

Then Urd said something that caught Aladdin’s attention. What did she mean? Why would they only be after Belldandy and him? Wouldn’t they be after her as well? Aladdin eyes widen, not believing what he was hearing from his friend, mostly because he can’t see why she would think that. Aladdin reached out to Urd, “What? Urd, but-That’s not true, you’re-”

Oh what did Aladdin know about the balance of darkness and light? That didn’t seem to matter though, he didn’t want to just separate from one of his friends! “Urd! We can’t just leave you alone here, you might be and danger and-…And we’re all friends, and… We have to stay together, Urd!”

[ooc: Sorry for the late. Stuff happened.]

Belldandy couldn't really add a lot to what Aladdin said, so she simply gave her elder sister a knowing stare. After all that they had been through together as sisters, she would just throw all of that away? It was true that Urd was selfless when it came to this sort of thing - though she'd never admit it - but at this junction she was also being exceptionally selfish. Not that Belldandy could blame her; all of the Norns seemed to share that trait, yet Urd's selfishness in this situation was taking on all of the burden herself.

The stare turned into a discerning glare, Belldandy's stubborn nature coming forward. "If we are going to the city, we are going together, Nee-san." If it came down to it, Belldandy would take on hordes upon hordes of Heartless to drive home her point; they were sisters, bonded by blood and song - even if the difference between them was as plain as night and day, nothing would tarnish their tie.

Oh, these two. If Aladdin's words didn't make her shift uncomfortably, Belldandy's stare certainly did. "You two can cover way more ground without me," she persisted, though she took a step back. "Look, I'll go back to the city and you guys can continue on this adventure. Either way, I need to move alone. It'll be safer."

She sighed and looked up at Aladdin, her expression somber. "I didn't even want you two to be here in the first place. This was supposed to be a solo mission of mine." Glancing over to Belldandy, she continued. "You have to trust me, okay? Things will be okay. Just do what your big sister says and take care of Aladdin. See if you can find any clues to the next floor."

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The Path Diverged [Open/Active]

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