John Skelecoot's Story

His hands behind his back, Jonathan Skelecoot would bow lightly to the departing sisters. "You're welcome, Valfiel and Elyzia. It has been a pleasure meeting you. If you wish to come back on your own accord, perhaps ask the tinkerers in your world if they can create a portal to the Imagiverse. Farewell."
"Bye, gals!" cheered Adam, waving his arm wildly.
The portal would ripple when the sisters pass through it, shaking strongly before the image would turn to static and the portal closes. John would look at the portal for a minute and then call to the world in general. "S.A.M, bookmark the portal location of Grand Gaia. I might have us visit it later."
"_{AFFIRMATIVE, ADMINISTRATOR_JOHN.}"

EPILOGUE:
Now alone again in the mansion, Adam and John would walk out of the lab.
"Nice, weren't they?" exclaims Adam Skelecoot, walking a few inches in front of John.
"Yes. It's interesting, really, when you think about it. A few beings from another dimension entirely stumbling into this world, out of all the worlds they might have ended up in. That, I think, is Fate at work." The dressed skeleton would sit on the bottom of the stairs.
"Or they just got here by chance."
"... Yeah, or that."
Jonathan would sigh. "Sounds a nice place. Well, Adam, if you wish to go there in the future, possibly to hone your skills, we can easily open a portal there."
"Yeh, I mean, the Darkness and all the demons here are fun and all, but it would be nice to have a change, wouldn't it?"
John would glance at Adam. "Well, the Imagiverse changes all the time, doesn't it? But I see what you mean."
Adam would sit next to John, pulling Hope from the back of his ribcage and examining it. "Although, it sounds troublesome in Grand Gaia, doesn't it?"
His brother would look at the glowing sword. Strange thing, but, in the years he's been on these adventures, he's been given the feeling that sword has been regarding him in the way a jungle adventurer watches on an endangered species. Right now, he feels he's being watched by two or maybe another amount of eyes.
"Well, there are definite differences in our world from others. I mean, how many worlds have you heard of that are entirely made of imagination?"
"... One."
"Exactly."
From nowhere, there is an ear-piercing noise of many small things darting past them. The brothers fall to the ground as bullet holes form on the walls and stairs behind them.
"What is it John?" yells Adam. "Skelecoots?"
"Nah, that's not-"
A cracked voice would cackle from the hubbub outside. "Come out, Johnny! You can't hide with a thousand skulls over your head!"
Johnny would groan. "Oh no. Bounty hunters."
The pair would slowly stand up, Adam gripping his sword, and John unsheathing his shotgun from behind his back. He would pull the two barrels back, loading his shots with a click.
"Ready, Adam?" John would mutter with a demented grin.
"Oh, I'm always ready."
They would then walk forward to address their visitors, the Skelecoot way.

"Oh, of course, why didn't I think of that?" said Fancy. "Adam, you're practically of the same blood, figuratively, as John!"
The skeleton did not respond. In fact, he was frozen in fear, a grimace of terror plastered on his skull. His mouth quavered as he tried to speak without metaphysical vocal cords.
Just behind him, a ripple in space-time began to open up, a hole tearing through the fabric of fantasy. Colours yet undiscovered or named swirled within the maelstrom within the hole before the arrow of teleportation had reached it's destination. The immense distance within the wormhole was starting to become shorter.
"Adam, move outta the way, you dunce!" yelled Max, pulling the incapacitated skeleton away from the portal. Now they can see the other end, they became aware of a new shape, getting rapidly closer. As it neared the group, they could make out what it was carrying in one hand; a suitcase.
Jonathan C. Skelecoot, Governor of the Skelecoots, attempted to land on his feet as they flew out of the portal. However, due to the immense momentum picked up from travelling billions of light years across the Imagiverse, he instead touched the ground, where he pivoted to the floor with a thud. There was a crowded second of grumbling from the fallen figure before he stood up.
John was the same lengthy height as his brother, although, unlike his brother's habitual lurch, he stood like a pillar. His eyeholes were more involved with his surroundings than Adam's vacant stare, examining the decrepit building around him. He was dressed in an outfit that, a century ago, would have said that this was a man of high breeding; a maroon trench coat, grey trousers, a long-sleeved white shirt under a red, patterned waistcoat. Oh, and he wore a purple bandana.
Another few seconds drawled by as he took in the building and, finally, his comrades. His gaze finally laid on Owru, an expression that, to those who were unfamiliar with him, suggested an almost fascinated horror. "Lads," he finally said. "What is that?"
"That's Owru, John," said Max. "An Outsider. Apparently she is from Nod, one of those places that you say are near the Edge. I suggest you don't try and dissect her, cause any moment now, she might switch to a more aggressive personality. Oh, and she's a schizo."
The well-dressed skeleton would nod slowly before giving the alien a grimace. After a while, she would realise that this was a smile, which was hard to tell with the crooked teeth and almost malevolent look in his eyes. He would extend a gloved hand. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is John Skelecoot, brother of Adam Skelecoot," he would nod to his brother, who was recovering, though still under shock. "He may have had a shock," he continued, "but believe me, his skull doesn't have much space for it; after a while, it tends to leak out."

Selena stepped back as Orwu began to create a portal from here to Adam's world. Wow...such increddible power to be able to easily manage to create such a thing. Soon another figure had appeared in veiw with a thud...She guessed this means of travel was a rather fast means to get to two points...

Soon the skeletal figure who was introduced as John. A brother to Adam...although it was hard to tell differences of skeletons in their world be because well...they were all bones, it did help that the bandanas were both different colored. Red for Adam and purple for John.

Vargas blinked a few times as Herobrine soon went to sleep. He did say to stand down a bit...but that was a little bit overboard. He gave a sigh and decided to tell this woman the truth of why they were here in a dangerious area. "Well, I see reason to lie to you. My name is Vargas! One of the Six Heroes of Grand Gaia! Our mission here is to slay the remaining Fallen Gods that plauge these lands! So in a sense we are looking for trouble, but we are here to finnaly bring an end to the Gods tyrannical grip. So! What about you?" The man replied with energy. He just spoke about killing a god just as easily as if they were to go to a freinds house.

Dawn blinked as the one man stood down and returned to his napping spot. She thought he must be a very unusual man. She listened as the man, who identified himself as Vargas, introduce himself and state their business. She was excited to hear that there was a group of folk striving to end the plague that the fallen gods had brought upon the land. Especially since the fallen gods tyrannical grip had devastated her beloved forests, making them barren and scarce of the wildlife she loved so much. She wished she could help.

Once the man was finished talking, dawn put away her bow and arrow and continued foraging from the tree in front of her. "My name is Dawn, and I live here. Just down the ways a little. Normally I'm a traveling apothecary and herbalist, but I've had to set up a settlement for myself here for the past couple of years, since traveling alone, especially at night here is a death wish." Dawn explained. "And so I've been gathering stock and providing night time shelter for those brave enough to venture out this far. As well as medical attention if needed." Dawn stated as she cinched up her bag full of foraged materials.

Rosa sat down on the ground and started to brush her angel wings.

Owru blinks, looking at the newly arrived John, and then at Adam who has become less an animated skeleton, and more a science lab display skeleton. On one hand she was elated, she did a clever thing and saved everyone a bit of difficulty, on the other...

"Sorry, m-maybe... I should have asked for permission first before... y-y'know, using your brother as a transdimensional key... n-not that there was much... physiological risk," she mutters apologetically to the newly arrived John Skelecoot, rubbing the back of her lengthy neck. She then hears the words dissect and schizo from Max causing her antennae to rise alarmingly, and fall down in dejection, respectively. She then looks as John offers his hand, to which Owru responds by reaching out with one of her lower set of hands. "S-schizo is a strong word, I prefer... multifaceted. A-and don't worry, my most aggressive side is Laadan, and she's no rowdier than a kitten, a... um... big kitten. Also, u-um... he was... j-joking about the dissection thing, right?"

"Oh, don't mind Max," said John. "It seems to him that the first thing I do when I find a new species is take it apart to find the tick, as it were. But I assure you, that's about the last thing I'd do to a sentient being." The skeleton would take a few steps back before crouching down to open his suitcase.
"Really, John?" said Max. "We're going to fight some Gods, and you're thinking of this whole thing as a holiday? It's not as if we're going to stay here for long."
John would look up at the Robloxian and grin. "Max, you didn't think I was packing clothes did you?" He opened the suitcase. Apart from the usual clothes and undergarment that a regular, sane person would pack, there were... devices. And that was the most appropriate description for the metallic contrivances that littered the interior. Some were identifiable as guns and tinkerer's tools, the rest were as alien as the land of Nod. It soon became apparent that the newcomer was not a simple gentleman. This, the Chosen Few knew already. The figure's mind was that of a highly complex clockwork device, with layers and layers of gears and latches yet undiscovered. He wasn't just clever or insane; he had the mind that would tear apart the universe to find the tick.
"I've been thinking about what to bring for the journey," said John, scavenging through the case. "Of course, I decided to bring all of it. You see, I've being experimenting with Hammer-space, so I can take what I need without having to pack it."
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "You can't jutht toy with Hammer-thpace, John. Only the highly-trained can handle it. You can't tell what you'll pull out of that thuitcathe!"
The skeleton would glare at him. "Jack, I've handled things that would make Hammer-space look like one of the four dimensions in comparison. Besides, what would I be if I didn't toy with the unknown?"
Jack opened his beak to say "dead", but he realised that John was one step ahead of him on that.
Jonathan picked up one of the odd devices, a cross between a hand-held Geiger counter and a crystal ball, and closed the suitcase. "Ah, here we go. Always handy to keep a thaumometer with you in case of arcane emergencies. Now," as he flicked a switch on the side of the device, "let's see what-"
The arrow on the thaumometer swung towards "Magic Storm" and shook vigorously. John, to an extent, looked surprised. "Well, that's interesting."
"Yeah, I think one of the Fallen Gods is waking up," said Fancy. "It might be a good idea to leave."
"Fallen Gods, you say?"
"Remember when the sisters told us about the Gods?" said Adam, now fully recovered. It was true what John said; in one eye-hole, out the other. "Cardes is the one nearby."
In response to some survival reflex, John reached behind him and unholstered a shotgun for his back. From the stains and soot, it looked like it has been used frequently. "Well, might as well start my trip with a bit of God hunting, 'ey?"

Selena understood one thing for certain, these people certainly had some great confidence when it came to fighting very powerful beings. They were like Vargas in that respective, ready to take on whatever the universe threw at them. At the very least they had another member to join up with them, and he seemed to be armed with some sort of firearm. There were firearms where they came from...however his looked much more compact.

"Hello John, My name is Selena of the Six Heroes. I am glad to see we have another person to assist us against the Gods. Its not often that any outsider actually assists us, but to go out of your way to actually fight a God with us? I give you my thanks as well." Selena spoke and gave a nod in his direction.

Vargas simply smiled. "Well, after we finish destroying a God then I'm sure most of us are going to get pretty banged up and exhausted. So we'll be sure to return to you and ask for some medical assistance!" He gave a hearty laugh as he was more than eager to fight a God.

Of course there was one thing he had to do. "Well Dawn, we are going to free this land from the Fallen Gods grip! Stay well out there then! I have to talk to someone of our group." Vargas waved as he turned around when he spotted Rosa. Well, that saved him the trouble of finding her.

Walking up to her and plopping himself next to her. He simply stretched. "Hey Rosa! I think now is a good time to train. If you wanna have a chance to hurt a God then you got to learn two important things. Keep your fear in check and fight! I think its time we boost your confidence!" He spoke. It was not a suggestion, it was more of a mandatory training regime. Like heck he was going to have someone who could not even attempt to fight with them. lthough he had to admit her wings were pretty good. Oh! She could use those to fly and attack from the air...although she was still pretty scared of like...everything but them...so he had to drill in some courage.

Rosa quietly said "umm, I'm not sure, uhh.."

Dawn listened to the man speak, and then he turned and started walking away. "Wait!" She said as she caught up with him. "Let me come with you...Ive been a bowman since i was little, and im not afraid of a fight. And i want my forest back! These damn fallen gods have taken everything i cherish away from me..The animals, the plants, travelers..All of it gone because of the fallen god" Dawn explained. "And i know this forest like the back of my hand, you wont have to worry about getting lost...Please? Let me come with you?" She pleaded.

Owru sighed in relief to hear she wasn't going to end up on the cutting table... then again, it wasn't so much she feared for her life, as she wasn't sure if there was anything vital to cut, well, aside from the spot in the center of her chest. It was more she feared what reaction tinkering could have, and hardly wants to cause an extradimensional disaster. That would not help matters any, for sure.

Soon the brainy bone brother would draw something from his back, and soon she was staring at a shotgun, a well used shotgun. The contrast between the two brothers grew more evident, with John seeming to be the more... practical and straight to the point when it came to combat. No block, parry, low swing, high swing, just bang! Owru then suddenly begins to zone out, eyes dulling, staring up into space as she begins to speak inwardly.

Laadan approves of this, bang bang!
Though I wonder how effective that is against a god?
Hey, it works in games! Guh, Laadan misses those...
True, but we are not out getting points here.
Heh, speak for yourself! Laadan aches for clobbering a god! Speaking of which, haven't you had a long enough turn!? Laadan promises to not eat everything!
J-just a little longer, okay?
FIIIIIIIINE!

"A-ah, um, s-sorry about that, w-was a bit of... i-introspection," she stammers, the bright color returning to her eyes. She then turns to look outside. "By the way, w-we seem to have another new arrival."

With that Owru heads out towards Vargas, Herobrine, and Rosa, barely making a sound as she slips out from the broken down school building, antennae perking up to see Vargas hovering over Rosa, and behind him a... deer person. Certainly stood apart from much of the others she has seen here who are either demons or more human-like in appearance. For a moment, she stares until realizing that she could be mistaken for some kind of monster. With that she holds out her four arms and waves them in a small panic.

"U-um, sorry... hi, I'm Owru, I am a uh... actually that is pretty hard to explain," she then looks over at Vargas and points at him, hoping to resolve any suspicion she may have raised to the stranger. "I'm with him! A-ah n-not-! As in, I'm out to... fight the gods too... a-as a friend and ally."

"Smooth, haha," a very distant voice mocks.

Laadan wants to smash the clown.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you too, Selena," replied John, giving her a small bow. "It truly is a pleasure to meet one of the Gaian Heroes. Perhaps, with the combination of us two groups of ragtags, we could slay this Cardes." There was an inaudible mutter from Max.
The skeleton would draw his attention to the group coming in. A stocky warrior with a sort of fire in his eyes, not to mention in the aesthetics of his armour as well. There was a young man who put him in the mind of some of the ghouls he met in the Underworld, with roughly the same level of gloominess. There was a girl in armour that bore some sort of emblem, possibly belonging to an army division, though by the looks of her ground-state anxiety and cowardice, she must have been enrolled against her will. As for the other...
John had heard of centaurs before, and saw them occasionally in several forests, although they were normally hiding behind the trees or, on one occasion, trying to kill him. This one seems less feral than those, though she had a quiver strapped to her back and a bow in her hands.
"Well, it's not often I meet a centaur in person," said John. "I'm Jonathan C. Skelecoot, but you can call me John, as my title as Governor of the Skelecoots doesn't quite hold much ground in the wilderness. I am also a friend of yours, though I mainly came to help my friends here," he would gesture to the Chosen Few. "The other skeleton is Adam Skelecoot - my half-wit brother," which he said with no apparent malice, "the guy like he was made out of basic shapes is Max the Robloxian," Max would make a questionable gesture towards the mad scientist, "The duck is Jack "The Ducky Boy" Quackers, and the stick figure's Fancy Pants."
"Hello." Fancy would give a wave.

Vargas sighed at Rosa. "Come on Rosa, you gotta grow a spine for goodness sakes. I recommend that we train and you look so nervous right now. But alright...I wont push you for training." Vargas shrugs as he suddenly heard Dawn call out to him.

She actually wanted to join up with them to take the fight to the God that was ruining these lands. Well he had a perfect response for that. "You don't need my permission! Another fellow ally to fight against the Gods are always welcome! We could use all the help we can get so welcome aboard Dawn!" Vargas gave a brave smile as he nodded.


The more the merrier as they say, and in his experience the more allies you had the more higher morale would get and a higher chance they all lived. And they would all get valuable battlefield experience. Of course after letting Dawn join their party even though this was more like volunteer work, he turned to face John and the others. It looks like they had another skeleton joining their cause.

This crew was indeed rag tag, but it was rag tag groups like these that faught the Gods during the long war. Humans, non-humans. It mattered not, they were all allies in arms during war. And here they were gathered to fight a God. However once Orwu motioned for him she said that she was with him. Although he was not sure why she was getting a little flustered. Of course she was with him, like everyone else! They were here to take the fight to a God, and he was sort of leading this group. It made sense for her to say with him right?

Selena noticed Vargas as slowly shook her head. Dense...check...But I think that would be good for Owru because no doubt he would have voiced his opinion.

Dawn gave Vargas a big grin and joined the rest of the group. "Hello, everyone! I'm Dawn, and im a traveling apothecary, If youve got any wounds or ailments dont hesitate to come to me for any treatments you might need. I'd be happy to help in any way that i am able" She said looking around the group. She put her bow and arrows back up, strapped to her back, and went back to her gathering satchel, looking through the contents of the bag and counting them carefully making sure she had managed to grab everything she needed to grab before her gathering was interrupted by her encounter with this group of rag tag characters.

Owru rubs her forehead and strokes back her antennae, trying to regain her calm. It was a bit difficult, given the air was so stagnant at this point, but they had to move on. It wasn't like a malign god was going to just wait for them before starting to cause havoc, and it was just getting worse as time went on.

"I'm surprised, we have yet to run into any of the god's guard this close to him," she says, and admittedly it was pretty strange. Aside from the oppressive air so far, nothing else has been encountered. Was this Cardes a lone act among the gods? Well, he doesn't sound very pleasant so it would not be surprising if he has no friends. "Does this god have no... l-loyal subjects? Or maybe they forgot him after his sealing? Either way, we should m-move soon before he decides to take vengeance... OH and, u-um... f-forewarning, Laadan may be taking over soon."

"So," said John, turning to his mates. "Have any of you gathered much information on Cardes?"
"Apart from feeling his very presence in the air?" said Max. "Not much, except that he was sealed away a while ago. And it looks like he's breaking that seal."
"Great, that means we won't be waiting long!" John said with unnerving brightness.
The Chosen Few tensed up as Owru tempted fate by asking why the god hadn't attacked them yet. There was always that one person.
"Right lads," said John, walking towards the main entrance. "Might as well get outside before the building falls on top of us." He was then followed by the rest of the group.

Selena turned to face Orwu. "I rather not have to encounter any servant of the Gods while--" Selena started as the group could sense another presence nearby.

"Not...Done...Yet..." A familiar voice called out as a man with tattered clothing appeared. Kira was somehow alive! Although he looked plenty beaten up. No doubt after his self destruction from earlier. Kira held onto his two weapons as he stared at the group. "I'm not done yet..." He growled as he raised his weapons.

However, he was not the presence Selena could feel. Soon she could sense much...much more around them. "We have more issue than him right now! We're surrounded!" Selena called out as suddenly from all around them plenty of Soldiers of the God army surrounded the structure. At the head of it all was some sort of humanoid demon.

"Pathetic worms...Lord Cardes has no need to bother with your kind. Its time for the rabble that poses a nuisance to my Lord to be killed..." The figure spoke as he stared down the group.

Kira seemed to look at both sides, he hated both sides. However his rage against the Gods was much...much more aimed to them.

Herobrine woke up and his eyes began to glow red, "hmm back for more" Herobrine said as his right arm morphed into a large blade. "Kira how about a temporary truce, since we both hate the gods." Herobrine said with a grin. "The two of us can do some real damage" Herobrine continued.

Dawn felt a tingle down her spine as a heaviness filled the air. Her ears perked up and swiveled as she listened for sounds of anything approaching. She tied up her satchel and readied her bow and arrows. She knew this heaviness, as she had lived in the forest for a long time, and had encountered it many a time before. Normally, she would have run and hid, as she wasnt equipped to handle such threats alone. But in the company of those that sought to defeat gods, she felt it was time to finally face the evils that plagued her beloved forest.

A lesson learned, never call out something that is in your favor, it is... bad luck. Now they were surrounded by the god army, and this time lead by a... a... demon? Don't they hate those as well..? But something else took Owru's focus, her eyes wide, the figure, ragged as he was, the all too familiar visage of the one she witnessed self-destruct. It was confusing, had he resurrected? Can he do that?

"B-but how d-did you, w-wha," she begins, eyes wide as she stares at Kira, slapping a hand over her face and chuckling, chuckling turning to laughter, the gateway in her chest glowing brightly before a familiar purple arm thrusts out, overtaking Owru as from the first encounter with Zilthai, but it was more willing than forced. Owru even clasping the hand of Laadan with a clap before fading out into a blue mist, as if she were tagging her into a wrestling match. Laadan goes out into a roll before catching herself in a kneeling position, head down and throwing her arms out, her winglike flap spreading out brilliantly, perhaps even larger than before, a gust shot outwards from her as she does so, along with a few bits of purple goo that soon dissolves.

After her elaborate entrance, she stands up stretching, her large upper hands interlocked behind her head, and her lower arms crossed, a glance given back at the now obviously-not-so-dead Kira, taking in a deep breath and sighs, rolling into a growl releasing a cloud of bright green light, almost like fire from a dragon's breath.

"Oh was cruel, pretending to die like that though! Made Owru upset, made Laadan upset as well, she bellows loudly, strangely more concise in her words, still coarse in voice. She sighs again, narrowing her eyes, her maw twisting into a jagged grin, giving herself a sly look. "Thought we'd never meet again to continue our fun little match. Though, you are hardly in any shape for that, you're in tatters, tsk, tsk, that's no good, makes Laadan sad."

Her smile fades as she turns and looks out at the god's army. She props her chin on one of her large hands and glares menacingly at each of the soldiers before resting eyes on the demon, and points him out.

"And you, who do you think you are getting in the way like this?! Laadan does not like distractions, stand aside or be smashed!"