Amara rushed out of the room. She fell into a grey and silver abyss. She screamed, yet she was mute. She flailed, yet she couldn't reach a thing.
"Amara?" Armina(?) asked.
Amara was sitting in the Queenless Cafe with Arnold, Arturia, and Armina. The trio were looking at her with concern. She sat down, flustered.
"'Re ya doin' okay sweetie?" Arturia asked, handing her her grey coffee.
"No no no," Amara exclaimed, spilling the coffee and standing up.
"What're ya doin'?" Arnold exclaimed.
"Calm down, sis," She urged, placing her hands on her shoulders. "We're here fer ya,"
She shook her head, pulling herself free, "This ain't real. I know how the nightmare wor-,"
"People often know how something works," Carina entered, gently nudging Amara to sit down with them. "Yet they're still susceptible to it. Ain't they?"
"Carina!" Arnold exclaimed, giving a bow. "Lookin' as lovely as ever,"
"Oh stop," she responded, hand on her cheek.
"Not sure how Amara lucked out with this one," Arturia chuckled, taking a drink of grey.
"My sister has a way with words, ya know," she exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder.
Amara narrowed her eyes at Armina, "Armina wouldn't be so nice to me,"
"What're ya sayin'?" she questioned, holding her hands. "I love ya, sis,"
"I-I…I know-," she responded, looking down.
"She just don't normally treat ya with respect, right 'Mara?" Carina commented, hugging her from behind.
She whispered in her ear, "Imagine if she didn't question yer every decision, cause ya know what yer doin' right?"
"Course I know what I'm doin'," she argued, getting back up, her fists closed.
"Then why does she have to keep questionin' ya?" she asked, grabbing her fist and looking up at her on her knees.
"Ya took classes, went to school by Omnes's sake," She continued, standing up and relaxedly opening her fist.
"She stayed on the street, in the sludge," she added, placing her hand on her chest.
"Ya should know better, dontcha think?" she insisted, eyes narrowed, an evil smile on her face.
Carina's just was warm. She could feel the heat transferring through her hand into her. She was starting to feel sleepy, her vision becoming slightly blurred.
The ringing exploded in Amara's ears. It felt like she had been slammed into a speaker. She flinched, her hand on her head.
"I gotta get to work!" She exclaimed, running off.
"What's she on about?" Arnold questioned.
"She just gets flustered sometimes," Carina responded, with a warm, yet hollow smile.
Chapter XXIX
Lynception
AKT X
Prepare for Trouble{reference to Team Rocket, Pokemon}
Dubstep violin played in the background. The students and soldiers wandered the thick fog with great unease. The ground beneath them was like drying mud. It wasn't quite a goo, it felt very lumpy, almost like wet sand. You could feel the little specks of dirt within, sticking to their boots or falling off. It sent a shiver off their spines.
"COME ON!" Armina called out. "LET'S GET A MOVE ON!"
"Let's not rush this, Guardian," Lyn called out, lighting a cigarette.
"Dontcha talk to me 'bout rushin' when yer the reason we're in this Omnes darned place to begin with," She snapped.
"Patridiot ain't the only person in the world, Guardian," Lyn shrugged.
"Why ya no good, self centred piece of {bleep}," she exclaimed, steam coming out of her ears.
She smirked, "ya seemed like the swearin' type,"
She groaned, "D'ya even care, Reaper?"
"If ya got time to ask questions, then time ya got," she commented, hands behind her head.
"Don't dodge the-,"
"Upupup, up" she interrupted, snapping her fingers.
There was a rattling in the distance.
Armina narrowed her eyes. The two readied their weapons.
---
Arturia coughed.
"Ya doin' okay?" Arnold asked, tilting his head.
"We're runnin' outta time," she commented, taking off her heels. "Let's get a move on!"
"Maybe Lyn's right?" Arnold questioned.
"Don't take 'er side," she coughed into her hand.
"Just tryin' to think of the big picture 'ere," he shrugged.
"That's the kind of thinkin' that got us married," she rolled her eyes.
"And it's the kind of thinkin' that'll get us divorced too," he added, patting her on the back.
"'Re ya ready fer that?" she questioned, glancing at him with widened eyes.
"Least Amara thinks we are,"
"EEP!" she exclaimed.
"What is it?"
"Somethin's 'ere," she stated, summoning a wooden sceptre with a fiery end.
"Ready when ya're," he responded, putting the jukebox on the ground and readying a fist and grappling hook.
---
Bow and the soldiers looked around through the fog. She narrowed her eyes and crouched down. She picked up the mud, taking a good look at it.
It was black and dusty. Its texture and shape, especially in the dry parts, resembled pencil dust.
Her eyes widened, "TEACHERS!"
---
Lyn and Armina jumped back. A large, muddy claw reached out of the ground, trying to grab them.
Lyn smirked. Using her gauntlets, she dashed forwards, punching right through the claw.
Claws gripped onto the soldiers and students, trying to pull them down into the mud. Armina rapidly cut through them, though she lost a few.
---
"CRAP!" Arnold exclaimed, being pulled down by multiple claws.
"Gotcha!" Arturia called out.
She stuck the sceptre down into the mud. In a burst of flames, Arnold was shot out of the mud.
"Thanks," he exclaimed, getting his bearings.
"It's the least I can-," she exclaimed, confidently smiling, raising her chin, and puffing her chest.
Arnold pulled her out of the way. Something crashed into the ground, attempting to attack them.
---
Bow rolled out of the way of a coming strike. She pointed her musket and fired a shot of yellow.
It blocked.
It was like one of the teachers, but it was bulked up. Its body was covered in armour made of the mud, enhancing its limbs to be larger, albeit slower, than previously. Instead of rulers, they wielded massive, thick, gravelly claymores.
It SMASHED its blade down on Bow. She rolled to the side, keeping herself close and getting past the blade's reach.
She pointed her musket right into the Teacher's face and FIRED!
More were coming.
"Everyone! Hold the line!" she called out. "Keep yer distance'r get in close!"
---
A tidal wave of mud was coming.
Lyn dodged the blades of her foes. She casually kicked multiple teachers up into the air like footballs{European}.
And like one would do with said footballs back at the wave, "GOAAAAL!"
The Teachers just fused with the tidal wave, growing ever larger. A great white flash CCUTT through it.
"Wrong goal, scum," Armina criticised, her eyes flat as she frowned.
Lyn snapped her fingers with a big smile, "Whoops,"
Three teachers leapt upon them, only to get hit by fireballs. Their armour shattered, leaving them open for Arnold to grapple and smash them.
"Armina!" Arturia called out.
"I know," she replied with a nod. "We need to find the source an'-,"
"See ya in a wee bit," Lyn interrupted with a wink, a hop and skip over the next wave.
Armina sighed, "We maintain 're push! Get everyone together an'-,"
She back stabbed a teacher, "-an' get the troops pushin' forward. I'll handle these, y'all cover the back!"
"Affirmative!" Arnold and Arturia responded with a pound of their chests.
The group moved into place, but the soldiers were struggling in this predicament. The trio lightened things up for them.
Arturia shot her wooden troops with her sceptre, lighting them aflame to give them a boost. In a line, the wooden soldiers charged and took on the teachers with their rulers. In a line behind them, the students readied their muskets and fired away, their shots lightly cutting through the soldiers and into their enemies. Off to the side, in front, and around, Armina took on stragglers and made her countered waves! And as ordered, Arnold and Arturia handled the back.
"Ya know, aside from everythin', we work together," Arnold complimented, punching down teacher.
"Then once we get that divorce, let's keep workin' together as friends," Arturia stated, throwing down a massive fire ball behind them.
"Deal,"
---
Lyn crashed down into a MASSIVE pile of sand and mud, causing it to EXPLODE into a cloud, "Ya morons need to this place up, it's not great fur guests ya know,"
The fog in the area was much more indigo than green.
"Why lass, that's the best part," a familiar voice called out.
The pencil clone of Lyn stepped forwards. Lyn smiled a little.
"Well if it ain't this ol' ugly mug" she commented, flipping her scarf with her right and placing her left on it.
"Oh, do ya not prefer this look?" It questioned transforming into more of a mirror image of Lyn currently. "How about this one?"
"It's like starin' into a backed up toilet," she shuddered. {reference to DMC 3}.
In a black flash, Pencil cut at her with a wave of dust!
She punched through the wave. She *kicked* her double.
Pencil countered with an equal kick! Dust and mud exploded everywhere at their clash!
She shot at its head. It dodged and *sssuuper* shot at her!
She dodged, a hint of surprise in her eyes. The shot was incredibly long and thick like a missile.
"I'M EVERYTHIN' YA 'RE BUT BETTER!" It exclaimed, firing multiple missile sized shots at her.
"Wow, Taipan would be more disappointed than usual," she commented, right hand on her hip.
She jumped onto the shots, hopping across them like she were playing the floor is lava. She fired at the double.
The double dodged, but with every shot, she grew ever closer. With a smirk, she dropped down below the shots.
The double panicked, ceasing its shots and looking around.
She jabbed up at it. It crossed its arms to block. In an explosion of dust, it sent scraaaping back.
Lyn narrowed her eyes. She had left cracks in the double. It had cracks in its body leaking purple energy.
"Didn't anyone teach ya it's not nice to steal?" She remarked. {reference to Devil May Cry V}
Another silver light flashed through the Nightmare Realm.
The double's wounds healed, "Yer one to talk, ya frickin' THIEF!"
It powered up, purple and silver energy surging through its body. She powered up too.
It shot itself upwards, rapidly shooting at her with a storm of silver missiles. Lyn FLASHED upwards through the storm, heading for the clouds.
Once she reached it, it dashed at her. She blocked.
It made and jumped off a tiny platform of sand, shooting back at her. She blocked again.
It made the same move rapidly and repeatedly. It struck from all sides before CUTTING down on her with a MASSIVE SWORD!
She crashed down to the ground!
Before she could dust herself off, an array of hill sized claws grabbed at her. She spun, cleaving through one before hopping, backflipping, and sliding around others.
Through the dust, her double dashed, cutting at her neck. She ducked down, watching the blade pass by her face.
The double's sword went flying.
She had cut off its arm.
Screeching, it regenerated an arm immediately. It clawed down on her.
---
The light reached the group in the back. They all flinched. Attacks from the soldiers intensified.
"Oh no…," Arturia exclaimed, shooting a teacher, only to crack its armour, but not break it.
Arnold grabbed a teacher with his grappling hook, only to be thrown forwards. Arturia tried to help, but she stumbled, coughing into hand, the tips of her fingers turning grey.
Mud claws reached up and grabbed all of the soldiers and students. They struggled to no avail.
In a white flash, everything was okay, albeit for a moment. Armina reached for Arturia's hand.
"'Re ya okay?" she asked.
Arturia looked in the direction Lyn went. She looked back at Armina, narrowed her eyes, and gave a nod. Armina's eyes widened, but she didn't argue.
"TAKE DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS!" She ordered, flashing off towards Lyn.
The group huddled together in a circle. Students fired muskets at anything coming, while soldiers cut at any claws and teachers that came close. Arturia crouched in the centre, summoning massive fireballs while coughing into her hand. Arnold, unable to do anything, just hugged from behind.
---
White Armina countered the double's strike, protecting lyn.
"Never knew ya cared?" Lyn commented.
"Focus!" she stated, tears in her eyes.
Lyn narrowed her eyes, and ceased her smiling, "Got it,"
She spun around Armina and cut at the double, severing its arms. They charged it, rapidly cutting at it.
It zigzagged around trying to dodge their blades, yet still receiving quick cuts. It raised a massive mud dome around them! They quickly shot the dome down. It regrew its arms, plus two extra.
Like speeding bullets, they cut at it from multiple sides, in Xs, Ys, and Zs. It blocked every strike. Lyn snapped and LEAPT up firing down at it! It blocked the shots, spinning its blades like a fan.
Armina SSWEPT THROUGH, cutting two of its arms. Lyn shot down the next two. It SCREEECHED!
Lyn crashed to the ground with a "CANON BALLLLL"! Armina and the double were sent flying into the air.
The double tried to hop away to get some distance! Armina GGGRAPPLED its leg, her eyes sharpened!
She pulled it closer and rapidly cut at it! She reached into its body and ripped out a purple spine before landing and CRUSHING IT WITH HER BARE HANDS IN A FLASH OF PURPLE! {Reference to Metal Gear Rising Revengeance}.
The mud and sand ceased to move albeit for a moment. The sand consume and surrounded Armina.
Before either could react, the sand dissipated, revealing Armina's upgrade. Her silver armour had expanded, covering her whole body and even covering her head. She looked through a white visor, observing the new suit with its purple spine.
"Nice drip, Guardian," Lyn remarked.
"We need to hurry," She stated, looking back where she came.
"Come on then," she responded, patting her on the shoulder.
Armina sighed, "I'll be back, Arturia…,"
She coughed and sped off after Lyn, towards the metal dome in the distance.
---
The mud cleared, but everything wasn't safe yet. They all fell to their knees.
"W-hat's happenin'?" Bow asked, as silver infected her body.
Arturia coughed up silver, "Stay…strong…my-,"
The entire group was infected by silver. Their bodies became glass-like, their skin grey, and everything else silver. Drescher masks formed on their faces.
Taipan crashed down in front of them. The nightmare Arturia raised her sceptre! She screeched, and they charged.
To Be Continued...…