A motley crew of creatures from all over Evelon stood independently on the large platform of the Lambastia World Bridge, their distance from other trainers and their pets; yet closeness to each other making it obvious that they were a group. They eyed each other warily from across the rough circle they formed; an occasional stamp of hooves or awkward shuffle of feathers and scales the only noise to pierce the awkward silence that held this group in it's grasp. Their attention seemed to all be focused on one thing (though their gazes slid to each other sneakily on occasion): a little bear, seated in a strange chair, in the center of the awkward circle they'd formed. It was tiny, far smaller than any of them, and quite worn out, yet they treated it with a mix of respectful anger and loathing. One would think that any one of them could rend this being to shreds in an instant; yet none of them did. Curiouser and curiouser.
Someone coughed, the baby of the group scratched herself, a little ball of darkness gave a depressed sigh. Finally, someone decided to break the silence. Hard hooves left the ground as a vividly red stallion reared, pawing the air and letting loose a powerful bugle from his throat; a strained mix between a roar and a whinny. The hooves struck the ground hard, only to have his hind ones lift off as he gave an irate kick, throwing his head about and squealing; prancing in place as he expressed his anger. The teddy bear (for that was what it was, a cuddly creature made of stuffing, thread, and worn felt) watched the Penticorn's temper tantrum with mild amusement, occasionally glancing at his chubby wrist, as if he had a watch there (which he didn't).
"That boy's got quite the vocabulary there." A slithery, feminine voice broke the vow of silence placed upon the rest of the group, it's owner stepping up towards the bear with a smirk of amusement upon her coal-black muzzle and a rattle of hooves. Red eyes gazed out from an elegant, yet menacing face, silently observing the wildly bucking beast with a look of fascinated cruelty. "What's he saying?" The bear calmly remarked, beady little button eyes never leaving the figure of the Blaze Penticorn. "You don't want to know." The Nyghtmare was the only one in the group gifted with human speech, though a few of the others could talk with their minds. The group watched for a few more minutes as the bucking slowed, looking back to the bear when Tyson finally slowed his fit. The Penticorn cast a disgusted gaze at the bear, turning around and presenting him his rump. The bear nodded and turned to speak to the rest of the group.
"Well, now that that's over with, we can begin." It pressed a few buttons on the device it was seated in, moving what appeared to be a joystick. The black chair floated upwards, bringing it to eye level with most of the group. "My name is Fluffy, Fluffy Bear. You shall all address me as Mr. Bear, however." So, it was a he. The stitches that formed his mouth twisted into a grim little smile, ripping open once more to speak, revealing the fluff inside. "I've been observing you all for quite some time now. I know who you all are. I know your names, your family, your friends... Everything about you." He tilted another joystick, slowly moving around the circle and looking each beast in the eye before moving on, chair bobbing up and down in midair slowly. Returning to the center, he settled himself with a little wiggle of his fuzzy bottom before speaking again. "There were many candidates, but only those who stand here passed my rigorous selection progress. Congratulations." He took his paws off the armrest, clapping them together several and producing a dull little thumping noise, a teddy's twisted form of applause. Selected for what? All heads turned towards the source of the voice that rang in their heads, meeting the frosty gaze of a mare. A Zephion mare, to be specific. A pissed off Zephion mare, if you want to get technical. The bear gave a grand little sweep of his pudgy arm, mouth breaking into an indulging grin. "Ah, I was just getting to that part. As Nur here stated, you've all been selected because of your unique abilities. Selected to be a member of my team. It's a great honor, you know." He paused to let the effect of his words sink in, ignoring the angered cries of everyone as protest was made. "Now now, no need to thank me." He loftily stated, waving his arm about once more. "You can all repay me by doing your very best. That is what I hired you for, you know." HIRED us? More like kidnapped! Nur spoke up again, coldness beginning to radiate off her form as her anger grew. Those next to her edged away, wary of the large spirit who could command the snow and ice. "Details, details." He cranked the joystick again, zooming off in his little hovercraft, going right up to the mare's face. "How you came to be here is of no concern. What matters is that you are here, and part of my team. The greatest team there ever will be." A fanatic gleam grew in his black button eyes (or was it just the product of light reflecting off of them?), throwing all those who saw his expression off a bit. A quiet little chuckle escaped his stitched lips.
And what does being on this team entail? A bold, inquisitive voice emerged from the mind of the only other male in the group, a dog-like creature who possessed the wings of a bird. Fluffy Bear turned towards the 'speaker', addressing his next comment to him. "Why, all you have to do is be yourselves, my dear boy. Train, train those abilities you have, grow stronger, learn to work together. Defend your right to be the best. Become the strongest fighting team there ever has been or ever will be." The creatures eyed each other again, shuffling nervously, now that they knew they'd be stuck together for quite some time. That's it? A rather depressed looking Penticorn 'spoke' for the first time since being here, blinking faded-looking eyes. Her outline was dim as well. In fact, her whole being seemed to be on the verge of fading away. The others found this very strange, though not quite as strange as the collection of vague blue lines that formed the dim shape of another Penticorn. They didn't quite know what to make of that one. "For now. Phase Two can begin once you've become stronger." His voice was a soothing purr, smiling indulgently around the circle. An awkward silence prevailed once more as the 'team' glanced at one another, glaring or smiling or simply staring, depending on who they were. Well, sounds okay. Zion spoke up again, licking his chops lazily and wagging his tail slowly.
"Excellent. Well, I'll let you all get to know each other and pick where to head off to first. I suggest Wilt'no Desert. It's far, but an excellent place to train. I'll be keeping an eye on you if you need to get in touch, so don't try anything funny. Well, toodles." He zoomed off in his little chair, heading off, presumably to his evil lair or something like that. The group stood dazedly for a few moments, collecting their wits. It had all happened so fast. Well, what now? The Yonyuu inquired, glancing around at the group. He spoke in his native tongue now, for there was no trainer to translate for. Mr. Bear spoke human speech only, it seemed. Everyone stayed sullenly silent. Fiammetta, the little Radish Onpachu and the baby of the group, began to wail. Akeldama turned away with a disgusted look on her face while Emo McEmpants watched with a detatched look of boredom, bobbing up and down as the more righteous members of the group attempted to comfort the sobbing babe. Easy little one, everything will be alright. Soothed the Zephion mare, standing over the draconic creature and nuzzling it tenderly. She also had switched to her native language. My name is Nur, as you probably all know by now. Pleased to meet you. Her voice turned cautious once more as she introduced herself to the rest of the group, glancing around before returning her attentions to Fiammetta.
Zion. Pleased to meet you as well. Tyson. The Blaze Penticorn spoke up, his voice a rich baritone and filled with a hot pride. Fi. Fiammetta. The Onpachu had stopped crying, taking the moment to shyly introduce herself, blinking big innocent eyes up at Nur. I am... Elysia. The faded Penticorn spoke softly, lowering her head and staring out from beneath her forelock at the group. There was a pause as each member who'd spoken turned to the Nyghtmare expectantly. The black mare looked back and snorted eventually, tossing her head in an arrogant manner and turning back to the group. Akeldama. Just call me Boss. She sneered, obviously considering the others to be inferior. Tyson was about to protest, by Nur shushed him, not one for conflict. The group turned to it's last two members, staring expectantly for quite a while. The Angst Ball simply bobbed up and down, staring back at them blankly. The Concept lazily blinked (or so they thought, it was difficult to tell) and flicked it's tail, not speaking either. Oo-kaay. So I guess you guys don't talk much, huh? The ball bobbed. The sketch stared. Several more terse seconds passed before Nur spoke up. We'll just call you Sketch, I guess. She spoke to the Concept Penticorn, shaking her forelock out of her eyes. The Concept seemed happy with the name, spinning around a few times and idly drifting around. Sketch it was. The Angst Ball gave an unhappy sigh. Will you stop doing that, mister Emo? It's pissing me off, and you won't like me angry. Snapped Akeldama, hovering slightly. Emo. We'll call you Emo. Zion declared, flapping his wings slightly and stirring up some miniscule debris that had collected on the bridge. Emo simply sighed again and continued bobbing. Well, he didn't protest. Boomed Tyson, looking towards Elysia to check if she'd been impressed by his statement and prancing anxiously. She either didn't notice the stallion's vy for her affections, or she didn't care. Either way, Tyson slumped his shoulders and resolved to try again.
Alright, they'd all introduced themselves... But what now? Each stared at another, wondering what exactly to do, until Zion, ever the leader type, broke the silence. Maybe we should ask someone where these bridges lead to. He offered, flying up above their heads to scout around for someone within range. It seemed like a sensible suggestion, so everyone else turned to look around too, all except for Akeldama and Emo, the latter of which stared blankly and bobbed, while the former sneered pretentiously and turned to groom herself. The team was getting off to a rousing start.
Someone coughed, the baby of the group scratched herself, a little ball of darkness gave a depressed sigh. Finally, someone decided to break the silence. Hard hooves left the ground as a vividly red stallion reared, pawing the air and letting loose a powerful bugle from his throat; a strained mix between a roar and a whinny. The hooves struck the ground hard, only to have his hind ones lift off as he gave an irate kick, throwing his head about and squealing; prancing in place as he expressed his anger. The teddy bear (for that was what it was, a cuddly creature made of stuffing, thread, and worn felt) watched the Penticorn's temper tantrum with mild amusement, occasionally glancing at his chubby wrist, as if he had a watch there (which he didn't).
"That boy's got quite the vocabulary there." A slithery, feminine voice broke the vow of silence placed upon the rest of the group, it's owner stepping up towards the bear with a smirk of amusement upon her coal-black muzzle and a rattle of hooves. Red eyes gazed out from an elegant, yet menacing face, silently observing the wildly bucking beast with a look of fascinated cruelty. "What's he saying?" The bear calmly remarked, beady little button eyes never leaving the figure of the Blaze Penticorn. "You don't want to know." The Nyghtmare was the only one in the group gifted with human speech, though a few of the others could talk with their minds. The group watched for a few more minutes as the bucking slowed, looking back to the bear when Tyson finally slowed his fit. The Penticorn cast a disgusted gaze at the bear, turning around and presenting him his rump. The bear nodded and turned to speak to the rest of the group.
"Well, now that that's over with, we can begin." It pressed a few buttons on the device it was seated in, moving what appeared to be a joystick. The black chair floated upwards, bringing it to eye level with most of the group. "My name is Fluffy, Fluffy Bear. You shall all address me as Mr. Bear, however." So, it was a he. The stitches that formed his mouth twisted into a grim little smile, ripping open once more to speak, revealing the fluff inside. "I've been observing you all for quite some time now. I know who you all are. I know your names, your family, your friends... Everything about you." He tilted another joystick, slowly moving around the circle and looking each beast in the eye before moving on, chair bobbing up and down in midair slowly. Returning to the center, he settled himself with a little wiggle of his fuzzy bottom before speaking again. "There were many candidates, but only those who stand here passed my rigorous selection progress. Congratulations." He took his paws off the armrest, clapping them together several and producing a dull little thumping noise, a teddy's twisted form of applause. Selected for what? All heads turned towards the source of the voice that rang in their heads, meeting the frosty gaze of a mare. A Zephion mare, to be specific. A pissed off Zephion mare, if you want to get technical. The bear gave a grand little sweep of his pudgy arm, mouth breaking into an indulging grin. "Ah, I was just getting to that part. As Nur here stated, you've all been selected because of your unique abilities. Selected to be a member of my team. It's a great honor, you know." He paused to let the effect of his words sink in, ignoring the angered cries of everyone as protest was made. "Now now, no need to thank me." He loftily stated, waving his arm about once more. "You can all repay me by doing your very best. That is what I hired you for, you know." HIRED us? More like kidnapped! Nur spoke up again, coldness beginning to radiate off her form as her anger grew. Those next to her edged away, wary of the large spirit who could command the snow and ice. "Details, details." He cranked the joystick again, zooming off in his little hovercraft, going right up to the mare's face. "How you came to be here is of no concern. What matters is that you are here, and part of my team. The greatest team there ever will be." A fanatic gleam grew in his black button eyes (or was it just the product of light reflecting off of them?), throwing all those who saw his expression off a bit. A quiet little chuckle escaped his stitched lips.
And what does being on this team entail? A bold, inquisitive voice emerged from the mind of the only other male in the group, a dog-like creature who possessed the wings of a bird. Fluffy Bear turned towards the 'speaker', addressing his next comment to him. "Why, all you have to do is be yourselves, my dear boy. Train, train those abilities you have, grow stronger, learn to work together. Defend your right to be the best. Become the strongest fighting team there ever has been or ever will be." The creatures eyed each other again, shuffling nervously, now that they knew they'd be stuck together for quite some time. That's it? A rather depressed looking Penticorn 'spoke' for the first time since being here, blinking faded-looking eyes. Her outline was dim as well. In fact, her whole being seemed to be on the verge of fading away. The others found this very strange, though not quite as strange as the collection of vague blue lines that formed the dim shape of another Penticorn. They didn't quite know what to make of that one. "For now. Phase Two can begin once you've become stronger." His voice was a soothing purr, smiling indulgently around the circle. An awkward silence prevailed once more as the 'team' glanced at one another, glaring or smiling or simply staring, depending on who they were. Well, sounds okay. Zion spoke up again, licking his chops lazily and wagging his tail slowly.
"Excellent. Well, I'll let you all get to know each other and pick where to head off to first. I suggest Wilt'no Desert. It's far, but an excellent place to train. I'll be keeping an eye on you if you need to get in touch, so don't try anything funny. Well, toodles." He zoomed off in his little chair, heading off, presumably to his evil lair or something like that. The group stood dazedly for a few moments, collecting their wits. It had all happened so fast. Well, what now? The Yonyuu inquired, glancing around at the group. He spoke in his native tongue now, for there was no trainer to translate for. Mr. Bear spoke human speech only, it seemed. Everyone stayed sullenly silent. Fiammetta, the little Radish Onpachu and the baby of the group, began to wail. Akeldama turned away with a disgusted look on her face while Emo McEmpants watched with a detatched look of boredom, bobbing up and down as the more righteous members of the group attempted to comfort the sobbing babe. Easy little one, everything will be alright. Soothed the Zephion mare, standing over the draconic creature and nuzzling it tenderly. She also had switched to her native language. My name is Nur, as you probably all know by now. Pleased to meet you. Her voice turned cautious once more as she introduced herself to the rest of the group, glancing around before returning her attentions to Fiammetta.
Zion. Pleased to meet you as well. Tyson. The Blaze Penticorn spoke up, his voice a rich baritone and filled with a hot pride. Fi. Fiammetta. The Onpachu had stopped crying, taking the moment to shyly introduce herself, blinking big innocent eyes up at Nur. I am... Elysia. The faded Penticorn spoke softly, lowering her head and staring out from beneath her forelock at the group. There was a pause as each member who'd spoken turned to the Nyghtmare expectantly. The black mare looked back and snorted eventually, tossing her head in an arrogant manner and turning back to the group. Akeldama. Just call me Boss. She sneered, obviously considering the others to be inferior. Tyson was about to protest, by Nur shushed him, not one for conflict. The group turned to it's last two members, staring expectantly for quite a while. The Angst Ball simply bobbed up and down, staring back at them blankly. The Concept lazily blinked (or so they thought, it was difficult to tell) and flicked it's tail, not speaking either. Oo-kaay. So I guess you guys don't talk much, huh? The ball bobbed. The sketch stared. Several more terse seconds passed before Nur spoke up. We'll just call you Sketch, I guess. She spoke to the Concept Penticorn, shaking her forelock out of her eyes. The Concept seemed happy with the name, spinning around a few times and idly drifting around. Sketch it was. The Angst Ball gave an unhappy sigh. Will you stop doing that, mister Emo? It's pissing me off, and you won't like me angry. Snapped Akeldama, hovering slightly. Emo. We'll call you Emo. Zion declared, flapping his wings slightly and stirring up some miniscule debris that had collected on the bridge. Emo simply sighed again and continued bobbing. Well, he didn't protest. Boomed Tyson, looking towards Elysia to check if she'd been impressed by his statement and prancing anxiously. She either didn't notice the stallion's vy for her affections, or she didn't care. Either way, Tyson slumped his shoulders and resolved to try again.
Alright, they'd all introduced themselves... But what now? Each stared at another, wondering what exactly to do, until Zion, ever the leader type, broke the silence. Maybe we should ask someone where these bridges lead to. He offered, flying up above their heads to scout around for someone within range. It seemed like a sensible suggestion, so everyone else turned to look around too, all except for Akeldama and Emo, the latter of which stared blankly and bobbed, while the former sneered pretentiously and turned to groom herself. The team was getting off to a rousing start.