Chapter XII: Brothers-in-Arms ~Lich

It had been great force, volcanic and arcane, that had created these mountains. They stretched from sea to sea, their mighty peaks toppling into the water. They eroded over millennia, caves forming, with a small plateau coming into existence. This plateau hosted a town called Mandala, with a great temple nearby in dedication to "The Ancients". Its "veedios", an exclusive word of Pandoran tongue, were the source of wisdom and enlightenment - those brave and strong enough to survive the climb up the Lofties' peaks were well rewarded. Their heads swelled with the accumulated knowledge.

But the temple wasn't all that sat on the Lofties. Nearby, two caves held significant importance - on a mountain peak lived Sage Delos, the recently appointed Guardian of Wisdom with the death of Sage Joch after many centuries of long life. He lived in solitude, ever seeking to increase his knowledge. The road to his peak passed another cave of importance - the Palace of Darkness. Its architecture was in the style of the other seven Palaces, as they were all built at the same time. Its décor lacked in variety - it ranged from black to grey. Even though it was built in a small, open field on the other side of the cave, it had no windows whatsoever. All light seemed to be shunned save the torches' ethereal ultramarine flames.

The Palace and the town were now hosting ceremony that had, only for the second time, had someone of offworldly heritage as its focus - the first was his brother. Both of them had a Yamauchian bloodline, and were the first generation of their family to have hatched on Fa'diel - hatched, as they were both of the reptilian race known as the Yoshies. They were now strolling down the main street of Mandala, discussing about the next day, when the Ordination of the Guardian of the Ebony Lance would take place.

The elder of the two was Dyluck Thanatos Yoshi von Kippo, Lich to his friends. He had orange skin and brown hair that he had now allowed to grow so that it curved from his head and hung over his small forehead. He did not wear the traditional boots, rather a pair of black and sea green thongs that kept striking his heel with a "plofp" noise as he walked along the street. He wore blue pants, with black bands around his legs and his short tail. A leather belt was wrapped around his waist, holding six devices known as Pokéballs, the small spherical homes of his loyal monsters, as well as a loop containing none other than the Xol'Arago, the Boomerang of Light, or as by his Guardian title, the Cyan Arc.

The younger was Ark Beruga Yoshi von Kippo, with magenta skin and blond hair arranged in five blond bangs around his head. He was more liberal in his wardrobe than his brother, and was now sporting a pair of cream trousers and a black T-shirt that had a picture of a town in the mountains and the word "Mandala" written beneath it - he couldn't help himself as they passed a souvenir shop. What was set, though, was the gold chain with an emerald pendant around his neck, the stone a gift from Lich in their childhood. He was not carrying the Spear of Darkness, as he would be presented it as part of the Ordination. Even so, he was noticeable.

"What I don't get, Ark," Lich said as they passed a fruit shop, "is why you decided on 'Ebony Lance'. It doesn't have anything…poetic about it. I mean, you tell someone that this is the Cyan Arc, the poetry in the name heightens the power, they're in awe. 'Ebony Lance' falls dead on my lips."

Ark laughed and said, "Yes, I suppose you're right, Dy. Shade itself suggested it."

"I would have thought that the Elemental of Darkness would have been more creative."

"Shade? Creative?" Ark asked indignantly. "Salamando's Tail no, Dy! Not once while I was proving my worth did it do anything creative."

Suddenly, there was a tugging at Ark's trousers. Looking down, he saw a small child, his skin tanned and his hair black. He grinned, revealing missing front teeth.

"Are you the Guardian of the Ebony Lanth?" he asked.

"Not yet, not until tomorrow," Ark smirked. "I have to be Ordained first."

The child oohed, before asking, "And are you Guardian of the…the…Thee-an Arc?"

Lich took the Boomerang out from his belt and showed it to the child. "Sure am. Don't touch it, though, it'll give you a nasty shock."

"Why?"

"Because it's got a lot of electricity running over it."

"Oh. I want to thee you throw it."

"Well, I don't think I'm allowed to in town…"

"My father utheth hith weaponth in Kakkara..."

"That I do," a voice interjected.

Looking up, the two brothers saw a man approach, his skin tanned by long exposure to the sun, crowned with black hair. He was wearing a burnt sierra coloured shirt and coffee coloured trousers. Lich's eyes widened.

"Theutes," he acknowledged him, surprised by his presence.

He held his hand forward and they shook.

"Long time, no see, D'krim…heh heh."

Lich scowled at the slave name he had been given while both of them were in Tullabanariga.

"You must be Ark, if I'm not mistaken?" Theutes asked.

Ark nodded.

"Theutes Whalki," he said, shaking his hand. "I remember hearing music playing from the basement and hearing talking about you. It's funny though, all I can seem to remember of Zolott is when your brother was one of my slaves. I had no idea who he was until he revealed it to me."

"He told me about it…or what he can remember," Ark said. "I don't remember much about the place either. There must be something about everybody who went there: their memories seem to have been closed. He wrote an autobiography."

Ark poked his brother and Lich became bashful for a moment before he asked, jerking his thumb at the boy, "Is this a new arrival, Theutes?"

Theutes put an arm around the boy and held him close.

"To tell the truth, no. I had Fortor just before I disappeared. I told Sacho of this, and she left me, taking Fauako with her, so…"

"Well, it's good of you to be here," Lich said.

Theutes smiled meekly and nodded.

"Is that Markior fellow going to be here?" he asked.

"No, he sends his apologies."

Theutes nodded and said, "Well, I'd best be off. I'll see you both tomorrow."

He waved to the two Yoshies and continued walking along the street, behind them.

"I hope not," Lich muttered when he was out of earshot.

"Oh?" Ark asked, and the two started walking again.

"Did I tell you what he did to me at the Fire Palace once?"

"The raft?"

Lich nodded, and said, "I don't hold grudges, but I make an exception for him."

After walking past a bakery, and purchasing some bread and small cakes after the smell enticed them, they went back to the inn on the southern side of town, part of the Kor Undi chain. It was decided that they would stay there on the grounds that their father, Reuben, worked at the Kippo inn of the same company, and would gain a discount for them. After entrusting the care of the Navel Falls View to the Kippo shopkeeper, Rumpil, both Kara and Reuben came to see their younger son's ordination. As they walked in, they saw Reuben arguing with the innkeeper.

"This is not the way I run my inn…if a customer wants a drink, they can get one!" he said, madly gesticulating. "After nightfall? What rubbish is this?"

"Well, sir, this is not your inn, is it?" the innkeeper replied.

Lich and Ark looked at each other, before Ark strutted forward to his father and tapped him on the shoulder. Reuben turned around, disgruntled at the interruption, before his face lightened up.

"Ah, Ark! Could you tell this man about serving drinks before nightfall?"

"Dad, you're making a scene," Ark said. "If you want a drink, Dy and I saw a pub along the street."

Reuben looked at Lich who nodded and called, "Past the bakery, on the right."

"Well," Reuben scowled at the innkeeper, "I will have to remember this the next time I come to Mandala."

He trotted out of the building under the watchful gaze of his two sons.

"Sorry about that," Ark apologised.

The innkeeper shrugged and got on with bookkeeping.

Ark and Lich then went upstairs to their mother's room.

"We got some bread," Lich said, withdrawing it from his Mana Storage and placing it on the table.

"Something you might like, too," Ark seconded, putting a tart beside it.

"Thank you," Kara said. "I'm proud of you two…I would never have thought that my two sons would become Guardians of legendary weapons…and that they would rub shoulders with the Yoshi gods."

She smiled and hugged both of them.

"I think we ought to go to a fancy restaurant."

"I'll pay," Lich said.

"No, I will," Kara replied.

"Nonono. Don't worry about it, I'm the one with the most here…Ark'll join me tomorrow."

It was true: Lich was paid a lavish amount of money for being the Guardian of the Cyan Arc - it was how he was able to finance Ark's robotic experiments.

The three of them left at dinnertime (Lich dressing more formally), taking Reuben from the pub, and went to a nearby restaurant called Joch's Garden. As they walked in from the street, they were met by a young man with brown hair and white skin, dressed in a black lounge suit.

"Lich!" he called, and embraced him.

"Nase! Glad to see you!"

"Parano, Syoro, Syora," Nase addressed Lich's parents with the formal Pandoran words, letting go of the orange Yoshi.

They nodded a reply.

"I see you made it, Lich," he said.

Lich laughed and was mockfully indignant as he said, "Me? Miss out on my brother's ordination? I think not, Nase."

"Shall we go in?" Ark suggested.

As they ate a meal of baked eggatrice in a light red wine sauce, Nase spoke at length about his duties as the Guardian of the Water Palace. The one succeeding the great Sage Luka had died "prematurely" while experimenting with Undine's spells - he froze himself and fell to pieces, Nase claimed. So, he was appointed due to his vast command of the Water Elemental's spells while still young, a year out of school.

"I'm always in the know about most things, too," Nase said. "The water brings me news from all parts of Fa'diel. It gets scary at times, though."

"I'm certain the journalists always talk to you," Ark stated.

"By Undine's Fins, yes. I'm supposed to talk to them everyday, but they won't get me today, nor will they tomorrow. Everyone deserves time off."

They parted after dinner and the Yoshies returned to the inn. After watching television for some time - Mandalan programming centred exclusively on learning - they went to bed. Lich and Ark stayed up for a while talking about the ceremony, the pre-Ordination order of service being thrown from one pair of hands to the other many times.

"It says here, 'Syo. Yoshi von Kippo arrives unrobed,'" Ark stated. "Which of us, and what does it mean by unrobed?"

"You, and without your vestments, stripped to the waist." Lich replied. "I don't see why they state it when everyone knows you will be presented with them."

"It seems on this copy they took it directly from your ceremony, take a look on page two."

The booklet was thrown across the room and Lich studied it.

"Ah. Well, I hope they picked that up and changed it. I certainly don't think you'll be saying, 'I, Dyluck Thanatos Yoshi von Kippo'."

He threw it back to Ark.

"And when they dress me, do I help them put my vestments on?"

"All you have to do is raise your hands for things to slip on occasionally."

"Ah. Oh, it says here that you're doing the homily."

"What?!"

It sailed through the air again and smartly hit him on his nose. Lich winced as Ark apologised, then picked it up and flicked through the pages.

"No-one told me I was doing it!"

"Well, you know now, don't you."

"But I don't know what to talk about!"

"Me. You. Kippo. Flood. Boomerang. Spear. Zolott. Better start writing."

Lich groaned, withdrew a pen and notepad from his Mana Storage and started scrawling his speech. The scritching noises sent Ark to sleep, and soon, Lich followed into a dreamless one.

When he was awoken by the morning sun, he found himself two-thirds of the way down the page, with a line curving from the last letter down off the bottom of it. He sighed, cursed his misfortune, and decided that he would make up the rest of the homily on the spot. However, Shade itself would be in presence…dare he? He decided to risk it.

He swung his legs around and stood up. Ark was still sleeping peacefully. In his sleep, the bedclothes had slipped back to reveal his bony chest, which Lich watched rise and fall with his breaths for some time. His blond hair had fallen about his face so that his closed eyes were covered. Soon he stirred, and opened his eyes to see his brother lean over him and say, Good morning, Guardian of the Ebony Lance."

Ark groaned and muttered, "Not yet…not until the Ordination…let me sleep…"

He buried his head under the pillows.

Lich shrugged and walked over to the window, looking out over the street. Magenta and black bunting adorned the entire length of it, stretching from building to building.

"Pfft. I didn't get this at my Ordination," Lich muttered. "And you would have thought, in Gold City…damn misers."

He went back over to Ark and said, "Your Highness is advised that decorations have been put up in your honour."

Ark pulled his head out, sat up, rubbed his eyes, got up and went to the window. "Erk" was his only reply.

Lich opened the cupboard as he returned and said, "Festive little place, this, eh?"

Ark nodded, but his gesture was unnoticed as a white alb was pulled over Lich's head.

"How they can bother to wear these things all the time, I have no idea," Lich said. "Be prepared, this'll itch when it's new." He tightened the cord around his waist: two smaller cords twisted together, one gold, the other silver, and said "I had a hard time stopping myself from scratching."

Ark smirked and got out Lich's rod and held it. It was shoulder length, turned from a branch of the Mana Tree, with boomerang patterns extending up and down it. It flared outwards in places along its length, with a gold ring halfway down, and a golden, cup-shaped base at its foot. At the top of the wood lay a silver disc, and a gold setting for Lich's Symbol of Office: A thin gold circle, in which lay a gold parabola, thin at its bases which pointed away from each other before flaring out in its middle. At its widest point was a hole cut in the shape of a boomerang.

Lich looked down to check that the alb hadn't been caught up in itself and extended to the floor, before slipping on black shoes, and pulling out a stole. It was cream, with a cyan stripe running up the middle. Gold, silver and cream tassles adorned the ends of it, and gold thread ran throughout, creating boomerang shaped patterns on the cyan stripe. As he hung it around his neck, the two embroidered Luminas were at waist level while two Symbols of Office lay at chest height, gold on a silver background. Satisfied with its appearance, he unfolded his chausible: gold at the shoulders and silver at the points, with a white stripe running up the middle and a cyan boomerang shape that divided the gold from the silver. In the upper left quadrant lay a Yoshi egg, orange and white, while in the other was the crest of Pandora: A silver sword in a brown stone as blue waves washed outwards from either side of it. His Symbol of Office, in the same design as his stole lay in the centre of the chausible's front.

"My back looking alright, Ark?" he asked.

"Not until you put the cape on," he answered.

Lich nodded and unfolded the cape. It was silver, with a clasp adorned by a pearl. Down it lay gold boomerang shapes, lined up so they made zigzag patterns across it. Slipping on a golden ring with a diamond in a princess cut and taking his rod, all that he needed was to slick back his hair, and he would be ready: the cape billowed behind him as he trotted down the stairs heightening his impressiveness. His parents and Nase were waiting for them.

"Here they are," Kara said to Nase, dressed in his Guardian robes - mostly having a blue and white scheme.

"And here's the Yosh himself," Reuben called, slapping Ark on the back. He wore only a pair of blue pants and green boots.

"This decent enough?" Ark asked Nase.

"I think they would only care if you turned up naked, not that it matters with you Yoshies," he smirked.

The five of them ate a quick breakfast before a young man entered, dressed entirely in black, an assistant priest of Shade.

"I have come to take you both to the palace," he announced.

"Let's get this show on the road, then," Lich said.

To his dreaded half-expectation, the priest closed his eyes, brought his hand up as light flared from it. Soon, the light exploded over them and they were gone from the inn.

Lich felt as if his body had been pulled away from beneath him and felt it twang back as they arrived in a back room of the palace. His head spun as he leant it against a wall, closing his eyes, his hands resting on the wall above him.

"You OK, Dy?" Ark asked.

"Just give me a moment…Heratu's doesn't just disappear, you know."

After about half a minute of nervous watching from everyone else, Lich raised his head and stood upright. There seemed to be a sigh of relief from his parents, Nase and Ark. With his hand on his forehead, he stumbled a little as he began to walk with everyone along the black corridors, flanked by cerulean-flamed torches, towards the stage room.

It was so called as in it lay a ziggurat-like structure, with coloured liquid flowing along its tiers. On top of it, accessed by a series of steep steps, was an open box, in which one of the eight Mana Seeds rested. It was also here that the Palace's Elemental usually resided.

They stopped before the closed door to it, while another priest opened the door slightly and showed Reuben and Kara to their seats. The first priest then directed the other three along another corridor.

"Dismal place, this," Nase said, looking around.

"Not the type of place I'd live in," shrugged Lich, "but if it's what Shade likes, well…"

"Reminds me too much of home," Ark sighed.

"Home?"

"Caves."

Lich nodded as he understood, and started thinking about the homily again.

"This is where all the Guardians are waiting," said the priest as they entered a room filled with people in vestments. "However, you must come this way, Syoro von Kippo."

The priest then showed Ark along another corridor and out of sight.

"Ah, Dyluck," an old man's voice seemed to carry over the din of everyone talking, as he walked towards them.

"Shero! You made it!" Lich cried and shook the Guardian of the Light Palace's hand.

"Why are you so surprised, lad? I may be old, but it doesn't mean I don't get around. Give your brother my congratulations. How is the Arc? I haven't seen you refine it for a while."

"It's fine. I was actually going to come by the Light Palace on my way back to Yamauchi."

Shero nodded.

The Guardian of the Dark Palace, Lerinpe, then called out, "Ladies, gentlemen and korogu," he said, using the personal non-gender collective, "the Ordination will now begin. Please line yourselves up in the order I gave you, and we shall process in."

Lich was placed immediately after all the Palace Guardians (they also acted as the High Priest of their Elemental), behind Nase and before Sage Delos. As Lerinpe led the to the main doors of the stage room, Lich was about to strike a conversation with Sage Delos, but looking at the man deep in concentration, he decided against it, and continued to piece together the homily in his head.

There was a pakasi fanfare, before the doors were thrown open and the Guardians processed to their seats to stage's left. As he walked up the centre aisle, Lich looked for people he recognised - there were various people from Kippo, Pandora and Potos he had become acquainted with. He spotted a few dwarves he had asked once about getting into the caves to rescue Ark. He got to his seat between Nase and an empty one at the end of the row, sat and checked to see if the mistake in the provided order of service had been corrected (which it had.) After doing so, he placed it in his lap and surveyed the audience. He received a fright as he saw, in the front row on the other side, King Yetiro the Fifth of Pandora, seated with his Queen, Rallia, and their adolescent son, Prince Eripos.

"They're here?" he whispered to Nase.

"His Majesty wants to talk to you afterwards," Nase replied.

Lich looked at Nase in disbelief. Nase nodded, and Lich began to wonder why.

Lerinpe had remained standing until all the Guardians had been seated and the doors shut behind them. He then turned to stand at the foot of the steps leading up to the Dark Seed, raised his arms and cried, "Shade, Elemental of Darkness, come forth from your shadows and show yourself to your servants!"

Lich looked above the stage and stood as, with a flash of dark light, a black line drew itself downwards before a set of wings extended to either side. A large eggplant-coloured eye opened itself between them.

"I am here," Shade spoke. "Where is my servant for which we are gathered here today?"

There was knocking on the door with some implement, and the doors swung open one more time with another fanfare as Ark entered, followed by what appeared to be some sort of robot. It wasn't one of Ark's creations. Lich saw it, and it brought back memories.

…a forest, beside a stream, walking beside it…

Ark approached the stage and bowed at the foot of the stairs to the Darkness Elemental.

Markior was there, some human with a…"hockey" stick…

The robot stood at the back of the chamber and folded its arms, a small plume of steam escaping its head, crowned by a radial fin.

Multehx…

Everybody sat down, Lich following blindly, without realising.

"I charge you to answer in my presence, on the behalf of my brothers, sisters and korogren and in presence of all gathered here, to declare your vows as Guardian of the Ebony Lance," Shade addressed Ark, dispelling Lich’s thoughts.

"Do you vow to do everything that is possible within your power to fulfil your duties as Guardian of the Ebony Lance?"

…desert…battle…loss…

"I, Ark Beruga Yoshi von Kippo, solemnly vow to do so."

"Do you vow to only use your powers to uphold all that is noble, just and good?"

…screen…ghastly images…throw of Boomerang…Markior…

"I do."

"As a Guardian, do you vow to uphold your duties in all times and places?"

…street... "or have Tullabanariga and successions of slaves…"

"I am the Guardian of the Ebony Lance, wherever my feet will take me. I do so vow."

"Do you swear loyalty to Undine, Gnome, Sylphid, Salamando, Lumina, Luna, Dryad and me?"

…power…casting spells I never knew…

"I place myself in your and their care."

"Do you accept that you will only be Guardian of the Ebony Lance, and no other?"

Tob…horrible…

"I accept it."

"Do you accept that you are the Guardian of the Ebony Lance until the day you are taken to Paradise?"

Dark Lich…petrification…

"I accept it."

"To all gathered here, I ask, do you promise to help Ark Beruga uphold his vows?"

"We do," the crowd called back, Lich speaking it without even realising it until afterwards.

Shade proclaimed, "I deem you worthy of the Ebony Lance, the Spear once given by the Sage Luka to the Mana Knight, Randi. High Priests of myself, my brothers, sisters and korogren, bestow the blessing for him, my good servant."’

Lich's thoughts were dispelled as the eight seats along from him creaked as the Palace Guardians stood and walked over to Ark, four on his left and four on his right, back to the stage. Nase was the first to step forward.

"May Undine's waters always keep you in good health," he said, sprinkling droplets of water onto Ark's bare back.

"May Gnome defend you from harm," the Guardian of the Underground Palace, a dwarf, blessed him, pouring soil from his hand onto his back.

"May Sylphid keep your mind clear so that pure thoughts may blossom," the Guardian of the Wind Palace, a Mantangese mushroom, spoke as he formed a small whirlwind that stirred the dirt around, going up and down it.

"May Salamando's flames keep you strong," Theutes said, as ethereal flames started to dance on him, not harming him in anyway.

"May Lumina keep your path lit as you journey," Shero said, raising his hands in front of his face as Ark glowed with a white light.

"May Luna smile on you always, and bring good luck," the Guardian of the Moon Palace, a desert woman, spoke as she sprinkled golden dust over him.

"May Dryad grant you long life," declared the Guardian of the Tree Palace, a young man, as he threw leaves of the Mana Tree onto the pile.

Lastly, Lerinpe stepped forward and said, "And when you leave this mortal plane, may Shade carry you on its back across the Darkness to Paradise."

With his words, black orbs sailed into Ark's body, absorbing all the other tokens in the process.

Lich looked up to see Shade, at the mention of its name, remain unblinking and shake its black wings once. Shade's eye then moved and stared at Ark, and it telepathised to him as the Palace Guardians, except Lerinpe, moved back to their seats. As the silent communication took place, Lich looked across the hall and looked at the robot. It stared straight back at him and tapped its wrist with two of its fingers, the metallic noise filling the chamber.

"Let him receive his vestments of office," Shade declared, breaking the spell.

Ark stood and faced the audience as music began to play.

"By Undine," Lich muttered as he recognised his own writing, "they’re playing that?"

Nase heard him and whispered, "I know why. You said that the wagalbo parts capture Ark, word passed along, and here it is."

Lerinpe withdrew from his Mana Storage a grey alb and slipped it over the magenta Yoshi’s head. Lich noticed the immediate discomfort and smirked slightly – he was itchy. He tightened the black and silver cord around Ark’s waist, before withdrawing a stole and placing it around his neck – it was in the same design as his own, but black with a silver stripe, white and silver tassles, and with Shade embroidered where he had Lumina. His Symbol was repeated twice – a gold semi-circle outline resting on a rectangular one with a silver spear in its centre, extending from the bottom left to the top right of it, like a compass needle at north-east. At the bottom was a black semicircle, framed by what looked like a golden single-arched bridge, that the spear rose out of into a white semicircle, filling the rest of the Symbol. Lich realised the symbolic nature of it instantly, and decided that it was a good choice.

Next came the chausible, which was silver with the Symbol at its centre in the front. It was not divided into quadrants like Lich’s, but it still had the same symbols as his in the same places, with a magenta egg in place of his orange. Lerinpe then withdrew the cape, and clasped it around Ark’s neck. It was black, with long, thin, silver isosceles triangles, their bases situated at the end of the cape, reaching up to the tops of his shoulders. As Lerinpe removed his hands, the obsidian clasp was revealed. He had a gold ring slipped onto a finger, crowned by a black opal. Lich waited for the rod, but none eventuated – he gathered that Ark had decided on the Spear itself as his rod.

Lerinpe stood aside as the already dim lights dimmed further. Above Shade there was a flash of dark light, and the Ebony Lance appeared spinning, its dark, metallic tip pointing to the ceiling and flashing.

"Behold the Ebony Lance!" Shade cried.

The Spear then floated down to Ark, and Shade proclaimed, "Take that which is yours to rightfully guard."

Ark reached out with his right hand and grasped it, before holding it in both hands above his head. There was a "Hurrah!" from everyone, before everyone applauded. As the clapping continued, he sat in the empty chair beside Lich.

"Congratulations, Ark," Lich said to him.

"You’re up, Dy," was his only reply, and Lich realised it was time to do his ill-prepared homily.

When asked about it anytime later, he was unable to recall anything he said in that speech. He would remain baffled as to why the audience gave him a standing ovation. Shade had even telepathised him with "I enjoyed that, well done."

As he sat down and received Nase’s appreciation, Ark was sobbing on his shoulder.

"Come now, in front of everyone?" Lich asked him, patting his brother’s shoulder.

"You’re the best brother in the multiverse, Dy," Ark sniffed.

As the applause died down, Ark stood up, wiped a stray tear, and made his own speech.

Throughout it, Lich studied the crowd, in particular the robot. He was intrigued as to why the robot seemed so familiar…was it here to gatecrash the party? Lich patted the Cyan Arc at his side as he studied it, providing him with some comfort.

Ark received his share of applause, before Lerinpe stood and said, "May the blessing of Shade and the Elementals be with you. Go in peace."

With another fanfare, all the Guardians stood and processed from the chamber as Shade watched on.

The robot has a grave concern to tell you, it told Lich.

He stopped momentarily and turned, out of surprise. Shade flapped its wings a few times before disappearing with a dark flash as if nothing happened. Ark bumped into him. Lich turned and kept walking. As soon as he was outside, he stepped away from the procession and waited for the robot to arrive, down a dark corridor away from everyone. It arrived about half a minute later.

"I know who you are, I’m Ratch," it spoke in Rhenzin.

Suddenly, a few pieces of the puzzle fell into place in Lich’s head. He remembered the name as Multehx’s nemesis, and whipped out the Boomerang and held its point to the robot’s chest. It was a little surprised, but generally unfazed by the action. The orange Yoshi wiped his lips with his fingers, staring into the robot’s eyes.

"Where is Multehx?" Lich said coolly, now also speaking in the universal language.

"I suggest you stop pointing your laser gun at me and letting me explain the entire situation."

Lich looked at Ratch, his eyes filled with distrust as a shout of jubilation extended from where the Guardians were gathered. He lowered his arm but still gripped the Boomerang.

"Thank you. You might or mightn’t remember Pseudo Havering, but what he was after was an ‘Era of Perfection’, which basically meant that he would rule the cosmos. There’s loonies that want to continue the work he set up in the first place. We need your help to stop them."

"You want…me…to help you stop a bunch of…insanity stricken people. I suppose you’ve got a nice little train of heroes and wannabes with you that could do the job perfectly. Doesn’t seem that big a job to me."

"It’s bigger than you think. These aren’t the type of loonies that you put in an asylum, we’re talking about people with power – they pose a real threat to everybody’s existence. They’re after what are known as the ‘Creation Weapons’. Yours and your brother’s may just be two of them."

"I’m sure you’re deluding yourself."

"Suit yourself, but I’m certain I heard your brother vow something about using your powers to uphold what is noble, just and good."

Lich sighed.

"It seems my employment has, yet again, stepped in at an inopportune time. Fine. I’ll just go grab Ark and tell my parents that I’m going away on a big quest to quench small-minded people."

Lich turned and walked towards the room where the Guardians were. As he entered the crowded antechamber, he heard a male voice say, "Syoro von Kippo, I wish to speak with you."

He turned to find the King of Pandora standing behind him. Lich immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what do you have to say?"

"It has come to my attention that you have performed many heroic deeds and benefited society many times. I have noticed your work, and I wish to reward you for it with a Knighthood."

Lich was taken aback.

"Your Majesty…this…this is a great honour," he said, stumbling.

"When do you wish to have the knighting?"

"Is right now too much to ask?"

"It is, I’m afraid," Yetiro smiled – it was a warm, joking smile.

Lich smiled in return, and said "A minute ago I was requested to join up with a band of heroes who are currently travelling to rid the multiverse of an evil demon’s influence. I think that the Mana Weapons are under threat, including the Cyan Arc and the Ebony Lance."

"I see. It shall take place when you return – arrive at Pandora Castle, tell them at the gate who you are, they’ll take care of everything. I shall inform all who need to hear of this, thank you for telling me. Good luck, Syoro von Kippo."

The King extended his hand and Lich shook it, before he bowed once more and hurried off to the Guardian room. Ark was in the middle of a sea of people.

"Ark, we need to go," Lich called. "Now."

Silence descended on the room and everyone turned to look at him.

"Why, Dy? The party’s just begun!" Ark cried.

"There’s a rather impatient robot that I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley, or a lit one at that waiting outside, who would gladly come in here and force you out, in pieces if needs be."

Ark sighed, said his farewells to everyone as moans and begs for him to stay filled the room, until he left.

"Heck, Dy, you’re right," Ark said, tugging on his alb. "This thing itches like Elementals-know-what."

"Where’s Mum and Dad?" Lich snapped.

"Probably waiting for us along here to invite them to the party…yes, I was right."

They turned a corner and found Reuben and Kara.

"Mum, Dad, you’re not going to like this," Lich said.

"Oh no," Kara groaned.

"We have to leave right now on some quest to save the world and everything, you know, the usual fare."

"Hurry up and go, then," Reuben said. "Take care."

They hugged their children and watched them as they hurried off to meet up with Ratch. Upon laying his eyes on him, Ark was enthralled by Ratch’s design.

"Good, let’s go, the Spectrum waits outside," Ratch said as they followed those who were leaving already.

They rushed along the corridors of the Palace.

"I like your design," Ark chimed as they rounded a corner.

Ratch’s grunt was the only reply.

"Who built you?"

"Alpha Tek."

"Never heard of them."

"You don’t want to."

They went through the cave and into the broad daylight. They winced and allowed their eyes to adjust to the brightness, before Lich saw what appeared to be a floating…

"Train?" he asked.

Ratch nodded. "Was Havering’s, it’s how he got around. We just took over it."

A – well, let’s say it was a man – came out of the train and greeted them.

"I remember you two well," he said. "The two brothers re-united on Zolott."

"Zolott?" Ark asked. "I don’t remember such a place, I met my brother at his house in Yoshibane, on Yamauchi. Who are you?"

"I’m CR, I keep a close watch on things, and I need you both as you’ve already shown me your abilities. Come inside, I’ll explain it better on the way."

"On the way where?" Lich asked.

"To the next place. Hurry up, get in, time’s moving on."

The two Yoshies and Ratch entered the Spectrum.

"Ah, Lich! Ark! Looking good!" a green Yoshi clad in armour called, getting up from a seat.

"Sixtyfourhundred?!" Lich said, taking a step back and surveying the room. "Sapphire?! Prism?!...and Naaro?! You all in this?"

They nodded.

"Let’s get going," CR said, closing the door. "Omega!"

The train suddenly took off, and Lich lost his footing. As well falling over, when the train arrived at its next destination a few seconds later, Heratu’s kicked in. Soon Lich’s face lay unconscious in a puddle of his own vomit.

Ark picked him up and hurried down a corridor with a sign over it that said "Sleeping Quarters." He opened the first door he could find, and lay him down on a bed, stripping him of his now stained vestments. He had been through this many times before, and it appeared that he would do so many times yet.