Karasz Zaritoni's Story

"I'm sure you will," said Dr. Y. "And I'm also sure monkeys will fly out of my butt in two seconds."

Two seconds pass.

"Huh."

Luckily, I have a backup plan...

The demon uses his dark magic to trap the attackers inside the burning cages... well, most of them now that his red jewel is now cracked and weakened.

My magic is still weak... but it is enough to catch you anyway. Now you will DIE!!!

"I am trapped! DAMN IT!" Toniyo yelled.

"I cannot move! AHH!! CAGE IS BURNING ME!" The RED Heavy screamed

"Heyoo?" Steve looks scared.

"TWILIGHT! ANYTIME NOW!!!" Karasz is losing his patience. He really wants Tenebris to stop.

I love to see you burn to death! Screaming makes it better too!

"You still think that a fire cage will stop us from attacking you?" Toniyo asked, "Well, you'll have to check again on that one."

Check what again?! I will be the victor.

"She's kind of busy!" Red snapped to Karasz. "Here, I'll handle this!"

With that, Red conjured another water magic trail, which snaked through the fire cages, dousing them. Jagger assisted by again slowing the air molecules of the fire, cooling it off. Zenmei also helped by conjuring Waterflow, a water chakra producing a wave that rushes along the ground, putting out any fire in its path.

While they were doing this, Twilight and Valentine were about to do something about the goldified ones.

"...You understand?" Valentine concluded.

"Got it!" Twilight replied.

"Then let's begin triage!" Valentine prepared her AED pads to perform the Forbidden Procedure: Rebirth Ex Machina, but with a specified enchantment - Twilight is channeling a magic into the AED which corresponds to anti-greed.

"CLEAR!"

Valentine struck the AED onto Leilanie. This should restore her to her original state.

Big deal.

Tenebris raises his arm in an attempt to crush his enemies. But his move is interrupted as he gaze upon Leilanie's revival. Leilanie looks up to Tenebris with a grin on her face. He should've underestimated the hunters. Karasz and Toniyo cheered over Leilanie's return.

WHAT?! BUT... HOW?!! I TURNED YOU INTO GOLD TROPHIES!!!

"...You really think that my mind is all about greed?... ...Do you really think that your fucking magic will stop White Tiger from succeeding her goal?.... You may have done that once.... ...but you will not do it again...." Leilanie pulls out her explosive kunai, "Heh heh heh heh.... Pathetic."

But... Your mind is filled with greed....! I... Impossible....

"It was.... but not anymore." Leilanie aims at Tenebris' red jewel and throws it directly at it, "It's about revenge, you blue bastard..." The kunai hits the red jewel as it flashes brightly on him. An explosion that big completely obliterates the red jewel and defeats Tenebris Lucern. Without the red jewel, Tenebris has no magic left, and he falls down on the ground. This also revives golden victims from their petrified state.

Urff.... I don't believe it..... I was released.... and now I was beaten by mortals... How can this be.....? The power of greed consumes you... and you won?...... Arghh..... I will never live this down...

"Down...and out," Twilight said.

"Indeed," Valentine agreed.

Rainbow Dash and Spike were a bit groggy, having just recovered from a golden doom. "Urgh...what...what happened...?" Spike groaned.

Just then, the five shards collected around the globe, along with two more at the top and the bottom, appeared before the group. They merged together, forming a seven-pointed crystal star - the Tower Key has come back together!

NOTE: Sorry I can't always keep up, I'm in a different time zone, and my internet is weird so... yeah. :D


Renna fought hard in the battle. When the others started to turn to gold, she got REALLY mad. "Oh you've done it now! NO ONE turns the coolest people ever who could have been my FRIENDS into gold!" She fired a shot at the beast but it did nothing. She and the others were trapped in fiery cages. Chelle quietly shot portals out so she got out of the cage easy enough, and was going to do the same for the others before the fires were doused. The beast fell at everyone's feet with a crash, and Chelle nearly fell over. They all stood in awe as the key was brought back together with a flash of bright light. It hovered in the air, sparkling slightly. Renna slowly approached it, putting her goggles on. Seeing it seemed to have no effect that could harm her, Renna walked up to the star, and gently plucked it out of the air. It lay in her palm, twinkling almost like a real star.

"Wow...." Renna whistled and laughed in relief. "That was a close call! But worth it for this beautiful thing. Twilight, could you come over here?" She beckoned to the purple alicorn, zooming in on the crystal with one of her goggle's functions. "So what do you think of this? It's very VERY fine working. Seems to be made of Aura Quartz. But there's some sort of marking in the middle of it..." She squinted, pointing at a small rune-like etching in the middle of the star. "What IS that?"

While in the cage, Ted only started to sweat. He didn't feel much heat and was using his gas burner to make a opening in the cage.
But because the cage was on fire, it didn't do much.

Captain Qwark and Claptrap are shaking themselves off from the golden coma and see that the Tower Key is finally formed together. Qwark approached the key in awe and smiles at his teammates. "Everyone, it looks like our quest is finally over! All these priceless artifacts will belong to a museum within days. Now people will discover more history about the priceless relics and their origins--"

"Forget that, greenie! I finally got the treasure! FAME AND FORTUNE BABY!" Claptrap hops up to the key, but can't reach it since it hovers away from Claptrap, "Wha-- ?! Hey! Get back here! Your new master commands you!" Then, Leilanie throws a shuriken and it hits the floor in front of Claptrap, "AAHHH!! Okay- I'll share! I'll share! Just don't use your shurikens to kill me."

I suppose I will give you your reward. Perhaps you treasure hunters wanted them to store more history to your museums or keep them as souvenirs...

The dark vortex behind Tenebris is disappearing, and it reveals a key slot that shaped like the Tower Key. Tenebris is getting up and moves aside from the door.

Place the Tower Key into the slot and the treasure is yours to keep. But be warned, mortals... If you are still too greedy and take EVERYTHING from the treasure room, you will be locked in there for all eternity.

Renna held the crystal star up out of Claptrap's reach when she heard Tenebris moving. Renna looked up, and saw the slot. "Whoop, well no time to examine it now. Let's open this thing." She grinned, and walked over to the door. She took a deep breath and inserted the key, pushing it into the slot. It slid in smoothly, and locked into place as the door creaked open, revealing a dark passageway. "Well." Renna looked back at the group, scratching her head. She pulled out a torch and held it up, clicking it on. "Shall I lead?" She grinned, and took the key out of its slot, and walked down the passageway, lighting up the dark. The others followed behind, using what light sources they could as they ventured further.

Ted follows them aswel.

(Double Post. :( )

Dr. Y and Ganymede follow, despite the former being unlikely to take much treasure and the latter not needing any. Ramses, after being un-golded, follows, finally deciding he's getting paid enough for this. Even though he didn't do anything to help.

A resounding boom suddenly echoes throughout the Bell Tower, the aftershocks of the source slightly rocking the ancient pagoda; just enough to unsettle the dust likely collected over the centuries. Several other, much more muffled crashes can soon be heard from within - almost as if someone is trying to force their way through the barrier.

-----

Meanwhile, nearby the Bell Tower, the Metal Legion's aquatic base and its entourage has surfaced - the airships quickly taking off into the air, circling the almost-depleted barrier around the Bell Tower and pelting it with furious cannon fire. At the same time, large high-tech turrets suddenly sprout up from what remains of the seabed rock attached to the base itself, blasting the barrier with heavy laser bolts; although, having to charge up each shot for a bit before they do so.

Onboard one of the many airships fluttering about, Plantium and Ripsaw stand about on the deck, the former surrounded in an eerie purple aura, his eyes closed; likely channeling energy, although the purpose for which is unclear. The latter is, well, just eagerly waiting for the barrier to give way, regardless.

"What was that?" Karasz feels a tremble, "Guys? I have a feeling that this journey is not finished."

"Are you kidding? So what a small quake will slow us down? That doesn't mean that there are airships outside, right?" Claptrap denied it, "We came so long to get the treasure, so at LEAST--"

The Bell Tower is under attack... I sense that there is a sinister force is coming for your reward.

"What sinister force are you--?" Leilanie then gasps that Plantium is here, "Oh shit... Plantium."

"Very bad..." The Heavy commented on this unfortunate moment.

"WHY IS HE HERE?!" Claptrap yelled.

Just like what you treasure hunters are used to have, they want the treasure of the Bell Tower... But I fear that they want more than just the treasure. Make sure they don't take it. The treasure will fall into the wrong hands!

"Wait! I thought you wanted to destroy Yuyake! What made you change your mind?" asked Leilanie.

I, too, was greedy like you. I kept all the treasure to myself while I was sealed... I never thought that irony was involved in such a way.

The impact shook the tower, making Zenmei, Red, Jagger, Spike, Peacock, and Valentine almost lose their balance (keyword "almost" for Red and Valentine).

"Them...!" Red growled. It's then that Tenebris agreed to fight against the Metal Legion. "Good call. But we're gonna need a lot of force to blow them away..."

"And we have that force, right here," Valentine said, motioning to the Tower Key.

"The Tower Key?" Jagger asked.

"It's true that it can unlock a gate to other realms, but at the same time it can also power up the protective powers of the Bell Tower - much like a wind-up key."

"A wind-up key...heh, ironic," Peacock remarked. "But anyhow, if the Tower Key's our key to blastin' those tin cans, then let's do it!"

"Right! Uh, let's see..." Twilight pondered. "First the Tower Key itself needs to be energized - that's what the Astronomical Phenomena book said."

"Energized? With what?" Spike asked.

Zenmei gave a smile of inspiration. "I think I know what to charge it with," he said, tapping the center of his chest.

"WHAT?! That's crazy! You life forms need to look closer at the situation we're dealing with," Claptrap doesn't believe that Zenmei's plan will work, but Tenebris scratches his chin though, "How will that work? That plan of yours is so *BEEP*ed up--"

It just might work...

Claptrap looks up at Tenebris and evreyone else in in the party. He taps his clampers together and... now he knows.

"Alright, wolf boy! Let's go with your plan!" Claptrap will accept it.

"Let's hope you know what you're doing, kid," said Dr. Y.

"Go for OVERKILL!" Ripsaw screams above the sound of numerous flaring airship engines; a metallic claw tapping the side of his head, accessing a built-in communications device and speaking to the soldiers manning the aquatic base. "Hisss lorrrdship wantsss that barrier utterrrly SHATTERED! Use ALL of the cannons, if need be!"

The gargantuan citadel soon sprouts several more high-tech cannons, all of which also begin firing upon the Bell Tower, chipping away at the barrier in an effort to knock it down.

----

The occasional tremors continue seemingly without cease; it's clear that Plantium desperately wants inside.
Speaking of which, a ghostly purple flame - a manifestation of someone's spirit, it would seem - suddenly forms nearby, flickering with a pseudo-brightness in the dank room.

"..You know, at this point, I am uncertain as to whether I should thank you people for making it this far, or string the lot of you up by your entrails and play puppeteer," a certain voice faintly emanates from the spirit, dripping quite vehemently with murderous intent. "Still weighing my options."

"I would go for option three," said Dr. Y. "Fuck off before we hurt you."

"Yeah!" Ted said, although he has no idea what Dr.Y was saying.