Shantotto's Study

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto still mad that her study had been intruded upon by such a old fossil of a mage, had forgotten that Abigail wasn't like her and Ultimecia. Still, Shantotto did NOT like the interruption though she felt Ultimecia had a legitimate concern.

Shantotto climbed off her stool and began to poke the time witch with her little taru finger. "What mess!? I have done nothing of the sort, if you question my word than show your report! Let us see what the orb has to say shall we, if not then leave me be!" There Shantotto stood arms crossed and tapping her foot, with a very frustrated and furious stare, waiting for Ultimecia to take her to A Rift in Time and check the orb.[/glow]

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]Ultimecia didn't NEED to take them to the rift, instead, she ported in the orb for them to see, the mess of Beast's Castle...

The events missed before, to the way they are now. To the traitorous General, to the near death of the Holy Knight, and the Birth of the Black Knight. In this future, the knight would disappear, the body dead before turning, and therefore making a permanent Heartless that would rampage through beast's castle, and kill anyone in its path... of course, until it was killed, and Agrias was nothing but a gruesome memory.

"Here is your proof, and you know what you must do... correct this!" demanded Ultimecia, clearly, she meant it for the way her feathers ruffled. This was NOT what was supposed to happen this time. She looked to Abigail, her eyes calm once again, " It is time for you to go... only you can change this." [/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail leaned way over to watch the orb when it appeared. Her face took on a horror-stricken appearance, one hand slipping up to her lips. Her eyes were wide and her skin growing pale at the terrors she saw in the orb. And yet, all she could bring herself to say at the moment was a simple, "no..."

She had to take a step back after a little bit, the sights of what happened to Agrias literally making her ill. She'd seen some pretty gruesome injuries, but that torture was just too much. Once her stomach had settled, she looked back, seeing the inevitible final end of Aeur in a future without her in it. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek... but quickly wiped it away.

She picked up her new Apollo staff and set her face in a determined expression. She took a deep breath and looked to the two of them. "Miss... I know I've only just started... or at least feel like I've only just started... but I have to go help! Please... if I have to, I'll come back to finish but I can't let my friends suffer so!"

There was something different about Abigail... she seemed... more confident than before. "If there's anything I can do to help... I have to do it!"

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto stood glancing at the orb. At that moment her eyes began to squint and her ears perked upright. "Maybe Ultimecia had a point." she thought to herself, "Nothing that I would ever admit, not one bit."

Shantotto looked at Abigail and said but two words, "You, hush!" Shantotto then looked to Ultimecia. "As for the OTHER times there is nothing you can prove, those other times I had only improved! O~hohohoho" Once Shantotto had finished her mocking of Ultimecia's rules, she saw that there was another that she needed. Of course with her student distraught, she figured she'd have to do something to fix the issue she had most like incurred. "Well, I guess you and I must go and clean, then at last my power can be seen O~hohoho" Shantotto said to Abigail. "Take your book and staff alike, lets see if you can stand and fight."

Shantotto hit Abigail's back side with her staff in order to herd her to the middle of the room. From there, Shantotto opened up a warp rift out in in front of the two. However Shantotto stood holding the rift as to give time for Abigail to change to her new attire. She then turned to Ultimecia and spoke, "And my business here is none of your concern, I so hope your stay is sojourn. I'd hate to come back to the smell of old magics O~hohohoho!" As soon as that was said Abigail and Shantotto walked off in the rift to Beast Castle.

*Off to Beast's Castle > Return to Darkness*[/glow]

[ultimecia]

[glow=purple,2,800]The witch saw out as the small, and pompous Taru left with her apprentice, and again, she felt the curse of her role within this story.

"Alone." She spoke softly, smiling weakly and closing her eyes. Her wings would curl upon her form once more, and in a quick warp, she went back to her omnipotent room, to watch the events unfold.

**TIME WARP TO THE OBSERVATORY**[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail eeped when she was smacked in the toosh by Shantoto, and moved accordingly. She quickly grabbed her book and squeezed it into her bag of holding before looking inside to find a new set of clothes she had not seen before! She blinked, pulling them out to find a note there that simply read "This is your time". She looked to the other witch in the room only a second before she realized that Shantoto was waiting on her to get changed.

She ran over to a screen, changing into her new attire... an amazingly modern look with black pants, belts, gloves, and a nice white and red hoodie. She quickly grabbed an ether from her bag and downed it to regain her MP. Tying her hair back and attatching her bag of holding to her belt, she nodded firmly to the witch and her master before leaping through the warp hole! It was time to show everyone what she had learned!!

**off to Beast's Castle**

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]After her talk with Ultimecia, Shantotto made her way back to her study. She had to prepare for the new twists and turns that had come. Her focus however was still on her own plight or controlling a world or two, this time hopefully without interruption from Ultimecia.

She made her way to the orb, that was upon her desk. Her stool was still where she left it. Climbing, she now stood at the top of the desk looking through the orb at her other potential mages. Until she saw that Vivi had finally break the magicite. This was indeed a good day. Not only was she to have a chance to manipulate a future Ultimecia, but she could now recruit another mage to her army.

"O~hoho! Vivi was it? Your intellect is such a fright. When I'm through, hordes alone will fear your might" With a gleam in her eye and the evilest of grins she sets off to talk with Vivi.

*Off too Hyperspace > Red Rose*[/glow]

[Vivi]

Being a Black Mage by birth Vivi was able to safely pass through any magical teleportations without fear or anxiety. When stepping through Shantotto's Warp rift he used his Zeus Mace to keep him up; he was somewhat tired but he refused to allow his new teacher to be displeased with him. He stood there and waited for Shantotto, patiently and obediently glancing outward where he assumed her own Corridor-like creation would manifest.

The Miss shall teach me how to control my powers so that I may act freely without the fears of harming or injuring those I would never conceive to...I will be balanced, unlike the many manufactured of my people created by that menace Kuja...

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Moments upon Vivi's arrival, a massive light of purple and green flooded the the area. Out stepped Shantotto with the spherical orb in hand. She stood for a moment looking about for her Cardian counterpart, as to give it the task to build another staff. "You, Cardian! A favor I must ask to reconstruct a Pluto's Staff." She handed the orb to her Cardian, and it simply responded "Y*es%$Do$M#in@#aSh#%an^&Tot&*to"

As the Cardian went to work behind Domina Shantotto's desk, she herself began to walk toward Vivi. "I am Domina Shantotto and thus you shall address. This I demand, or my ire you shall incur, though I do digress." Shantotto pointed to the east of her study at the Cardian standing guard. "That Cardian, prove to me your more than a twit, show me your magical wit O~hohoho"

After she spoke, Shantotto crossed her arms and began tapping her foot, as she watch the Ace of Spades Cardian rolled into Vivi's range. The Cardian twice the size of Vivi, stood staff at hand ready to battle and see just what this mage had to offer.[/glow]

[Vivi]

At last the miss had arrived and for the first time the Black Mage noticed the Cardian what was the Taru's servant. Vivi wasted no time with pleasantries, as he expected there to be none. Readying his staff as was instructed he surveyed the battlefield before him.

Beginning a circle around the Cardian Vivi calculated his opponent, looking for weak spots and coming up with A perfect strategy. He refused to let the miss--Domina Shantotto--down. Determined to learn what he could he was ready.

"Thundaga!" roared the mage, rearing back his Mace and tossing it skyward above the taru's machination. While it suspended far above creating the crackling pillars of lightning and thunders booms fall in a deadly radius around the Cardian, Vivi side-stepped and pounced forward, his hands rubbing together furiously ans he prepared another spell.

"Bioga!"

Soon a cloud of thick, dripping miasma began forming in-between exploding air pockets surrounding the Cardiac, corroding the golem's joints and other body parts, infecting it with something malignant. Added to the lightning the air drew heavy and warm; the biotic miasma setting in would be fatal for a Cardian.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto, standing to the rear of Vivi, stood in her typically degrading posture for laughing at her pray. She watched as the young apprentices feeble attempt to take down one of Shantotto's personal Cardians. She said but one thing, "Your lack of polish shows ..." She began to walk towards Vivi stopping at his side. "Behold!" She said in a soft, fierce tone.

Glancing over to where the Cardian stood, surrounded by the clouds of magic Vivi had cast, the Cardian after a moment spoke out. "*%Di#!s*^pE#%L!!!" Seconds later a mechanical like circle surrounded the Cardian. Purple and black it's hue, gave off a low humming sound. After a moment a loud shattering sound would ring out, breaking the magic surrounding itself. The Cardian simply smashed his staff to the ground still standing at the defensive.

"My Cardian's stoneskin was hardly scratched, O~hohoho your hardly a match. A little bit of work, and maybe your days as a total loser won't be so tragic." Shantotto turn and walked her way to the back where her desk and shelves were stationed. The Cardian at her desk, diligent in his works, was nearing completion of Pluto. Shantotto finally arriving at her shelves of books, the Cardian spoke out. "*^Do^%Min@#a,^&S!@ta$f^F%*IS&*Com&*L$eT#eD%" The Cardian turned to hand the finished Pluto staff to Shantotto. With staff in hand she began to search for a book of some sort.

"O~hoho this shall be of some use, at least you'll take less of my abuse O~hohoho" The book that was pulled read "Black Mage 101" This was to be Vivi's new guide in the fields. Once she retrieved the book, staff still at hand she began to walk toward Vivi once again. "A staff worthy of a mage to adorn. A staff such as this it's new owner must be forewarn." Unlike Vivi's mace, the Pluto staff had been created within Windurst among the many prestigious mages. Wielding this staff similar though opposite to Abigail's Apollo, it's dark powers drawn from within the user amplifying the holders spells ten fold. Increasing their accuracy and potency. Shantotto handed the staff and book to Vivi and expressed a short list of orders to him. "Stun the Cardians attacks, Bind him in place, and destroy the stoneskin which surrounds him. He will not stop attacking until you do! O~hohohoho it's been far to long since the last war I won, to watch a mages duel this shall be fun!!!"[/glow]

[Vivi]

As Vivi watched his terrible, wicked magic rip throughout the chamber and suddenly be dispelled, just like that, he was quickly let down and disappointed with himself. Obviously he disliked his own power, and yet it was more depressing to him that he was ashamed for not destroying the Cardian. He didn't like hurting people...

And then the Tarutaru handed over two collected items; the mage flipped through the book quickly, identifying certain spells the taru described and attempting to memorize them; the Cardian would begin its onslaught once more and Vivi had little time.

"First I have to stun his attacks," he muttered, circling the taru's servant one more, dodging strikes here and there. He would not let down his instructor. When he found the appropriate spell he looked up from his book, raised the Pluto Staff and then slammed it down, calling out his incantation.

"Walk no more, Stun!" A bolt of wind-like lightning shot forth from the staff's tip, racing through the sky before the Cardian, whipping and circling around the golem several times, striking with crackling intensity at each point of pressure even an automaton couldn't resist.

Next it was time to bind the creature...looking through the pages once more he found the next spell. "Warp." In a sudden flash of light below his feet Vivi fell into a vortex tearing through space and time, reappearing through an opening rift below the Cardian; grabbing onto whatever he could of the machination he chanted his next spell.

"Turning point, fit my desires and Bind!" His hand began to glow, and from this aura magical, ghostly belts, chains and buckles enveloped the Cardian, constricting tightly.

Crawling out from beneath the Cardian next he found the last spell he'd need and slipped the book into his large pockets and took a firm grip of his staff with both hands. Laying at the base of the golem Vivi drew back his staff and hurled it forward, smacking the tip to the Cardian's head while crying out his last enchantment.

"Slowly evanesce, o heartless magicks what protect such foul intent! Dispel!" When staff connected with cranium, a previously invisible shield of light appeared and began to shatter around the machine. Vivi backed away while the Cardian shuddered in place, and he readied his weapon once more, preparing one of his older spells just in case the Cardian attacked again when it was brought out of its entrapment.

"What now!?" he called, glancing back momentarily to Shantotto.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]The oh so loving taru heard but a simple question from Vivi after his volley of spells attacked the Cardian. She had but one thing to say. "O~hohohohoho" She stood straight up, a hand on her hip she turn to her side and pointed at her Cardian, the Ace of Diamonds.

Little had Vivi yet learned of Shantotto's guardians, is that he now faced the Ace of Diamonds. This Cardian happened to be the Red Mage form of the three. Highly resistant to enfeebling magics and a master itself in the enfeebling arts and casting speeds. Stun had soon wore from the Cardian, though Bind had held. Though to Vivi's lack of valor on the fields of battle neglected to realize, mages, such as Shantotto never leave just one form of offensive protection. Dispel had simply removed the Enblizzard enchantment from the Cardian. After the volley, it was now the Cardian's turn to unleash. The Cardian began to cast "Erase"
and remove bind. It then began it's own attack volley.

The first of it's spells the Cardian would cast was "Haste" This was quickly followed by "Enthunder" and just seconds after "Shock Spikes" The Cardian now ready, began it's charge at the small mage, reading it's staff it shouted "Re^*t#r!$I*B%^u^TiO@#n"[/glow]

[Vivi]

"Oh firaga..." Vivi seethed, quickly clamboring to his feet and failing his dodge attempts to miss the burst of lightning coming straight at him. At several points he was struck head-on and thrown across the chamber, only to get up and scamper off, then get struck again. He raised his staff while limping around the Cardian at the best opportunity and directed a powerful spell the machine's way.

"Stoneaga IV!" roared the Black Mage, running past the Cardian as it was enveloped in a burst of stone jutting forth from the ground, stray boulder shrapnel flying about and imploding back onto the golem's form.

The mage's next move was imperative to finishing off the Cardian encased in this destructive spell of his; he threw out an open, gloved hand and chanted his next verse: "Thundaga!" He halted in place as a pillar of lightning barreled down from the skies and entered the smoking cloud of crushing stone, hopefully dealing the final move.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Vivi had seemingly dodged the Cardians Retribution. The Cardian stood waiting on it's staffs return just as Vivi began to cast his next volley of spells. No choice but to take the firaga with full force. Staggering foward from the blast as it's staff returned to the Cardians grasp, the Cardian quickly spun around and pointed the head of the staff at Vivi and stunned stoneaga IV. Moments later Vivi quickly cast thundaga. However with the Cardians new enchantments this would be no more than a mere push to the Cardians defense.

The Cardian standing tall, staff still to it's front, and from the rear of the battle Shantotto and her laugh rang out "O~hohohoh" Moments after, the Cardians stoneskin began to crumble and break apart. "Time for you to make your retreat, or you soon shall see your own defeat." She turned to Vivi who still held Pluto and the book which she had given him. "You are still far from true power. Although what you seem to lack in wit, you make up with quiet a hit." She began to walk off toward her desk muttering something along the way. "You should seek out the mage in white, Abby-, Abga-, Aba- A white mage with promise. Do not think everything will come on a silver platter, to expect such from me is but a foolish matter. She should instruct you further on your control." This however wasn't because she couldn't teach him rather, she wanted him to deliver a package to Abigail and simple could not trouble herself for such things.

While sitting at her desk she had a small box wrapped in brightly colored paper with glitter and a fluffy bright ribbon on her desk. She quickly pushed the package to the edge and demand Vivi take this package to the white mage immediately along with a letter she had personally wrote.[/glow]