User blog:GamerNerd i/Transcript: It's About (Messing With) Time - Act II (For Real This Time)

Hopefully this one won't be as... er, graphic as the previous one. I still can't unsee it.

I also hope that everyone's recovered. Not just N, but also the plants that were locked in the box. Plants need sunlight and nutrients, and it's doubtful that they got either in that box. Okay, maybe they don't need the nutrients as much, but sunlight for sure. Here we go...

Actually, here are some links:

If you're new to my writings, start here. If you don't need the exposition, start here. If you just want to see all the stuff, then it's in my user page.

Transcript
So we start in a new place. It's a strange amalgamation of technology and magic. The grey brick walls are lined with holographic screens. There are markings reminiscent of a circuit board all along the walls.

Portals stand open along the walls. Peering through them, they each lead to a different place. One leads into a technological workshop. One opens into a fiery forge. Another looks to open into an alchemist's lab, with a bookcase and various chemical devices and vials of liquid. Yet another leads into a library. Each is marked with a symbol on a nearby holographic screen. The shop was a wrench, the forge an anvil, the lab was a flask, and the library was... Well, a book.

"Rotom, why'd you start recording already?" I hear Ai say. Rotom turns around to face the voice and there are more portals. Ai comes out of one marked with a medical cross. He's wearing actual robes this time, but he has an odd red backpack on his back too. "We're not in the field yet."

"I... I did?" Rotom asks. "I didn't mean to this time!"

Ai sighs. "Okay, fine. Don't turn it off now. So, my friend," he's now talking to me. "Welcome to Camelot Castle. Or at least a recreation of it. Which should explain the unusual mashup. N and I have modified it to fit our needs. The castle serves as a base of operations. We've put portals to different places we might need." He gestures to them. "I assume you've figured out which is which. Each is pulled from one of the many worlds, however. They're recreations of those places, like this hub area. I-" coughing comes from the portal he had exited. "I guess I'll show you the infirmary now. Come on." He rushes through the opening and Rotom follows.

Inside is what looks like the sick wing in the Hogwarts movies. Rather than humans on the beds though, there are planting troughs. A few plants occupy each one. Most of them look healthy, but N is nearby the few that still look sick. Unfortunately, N doesn't seem to be doing well.

"Ai! *cough* There's still some *cough cough* left apparently! I-" Her mouth appears to fill up and Ai pushes Rotom's view away as I hear her retch. "Ugh..." She groans. "I... I don't feel anything anymore. I think that's it." Rotom looks back.

"That's what you said last time," Ai activates the View and glances at N's stomach area while simultaneously vacuuming up the sickly liquid with the backpack. "But I don't see any other pieces, so I think you're right this time."

"Thank you, finally." She washes her hands and rinses at a nearby sink. "I learned not to do this the hard way."

"To be totally fair, I think Chomper would've been proud of you," a Bonk Choy remarks. "Your mouth isn't nearly as big, but you still got him in one bite. Even if you were a crocodile."

N glares at him as Ai steps in front of her. "I think it's time we got everyone home, isn't it?" He opens the zigzagged rift back to Zgypt and all the plants hop through it. "In you go..." Soon after they all hop back into the infirmary looking panicked. Ai is confused. "Uhh..."

"It's Zomboss!" One of the Twin Sulfowers says. "There's not enough of us to beat him!" The other adds.

"Did you press a random button?" Ai asks. N gives him a questioning look.

"Uhh... I think that would be me, mate." A Bloomerang says apologetically. "I tripped over the blasted thing."

Ai takes a deep breath. "Welp, I know what universe we're in at least." He summons a huge hammer and a small circular device. "Don't worry friends, I will be your shield. Get behind me." He marches through the portal followed by the plants and N and Rotom.

The Sphinx-inator isn't as huge as the other bot, thankfully. It's actually about the size of a tool shed. Naturally, tool sheds don't usually have four legs, a single huge eye, and a Sphinx motif, but there's Zomboss' thematic tastes for you.

Once Zomboss saw the plants coming out, he was ready. The second one came out he shot ALL the missiles. That results in a lot of missiles being fired, but Ai's shield was holding pretty well as the plants got away to get help. The sand kicked up by the missiles made it hard to see things, but Zomboss's maniacal laughter was clear even over all the explosions.

"Shield is failing!" Ai yelled over the racket. He was right - the energy wall was showing cracks. N made a quick upward stroke of her hand and a solid rock wall shot up in front of Ai. Both crouch behind it as Zomboss continues to hammer it with rockets.

"Geez, how many does this guy have?" N asks.

"Way too many," Ai responds. He pulls out a deck of cards from his pocket. "The worst part is, each one - oh, poop. I forgot!"

The rockets stop coming and N's wall crumbles. After the dust clears, the two are surrounded by a lot of graves. A rather confused Zomboss stares at the two.

"Well, that was... unexpected." N says.

"For me also," Zomboss remarks. "I did not expect to see you two here, but I suppose I shall have to destroy you." He presses a button and the robot opens its mouth wide. A lot of zombies start walking out. "GET THEM!!!" Zomboss commands.

"Meh." Ai pulls a card out of his hand, and it materializes into a vial. There's an orange liquid in it, and the cap is fashioned after the head of a dragon. "Have a Dragonfire Potion." He tosses it into the horde, and soon fire engulfs the battleground. After a brief eruption of orange, nothing stands between the Recreators and Zomboss. "Your turn now." I notice Ai press a button on the View. "Are we seriously doing this again?" Zomboss says in disbelief. "Fine!" He summons another horde. It consists mostly of tough zombies. Gargs, Pharaohs, Pryamids... The usual. Then he laughs, "Come and get me!" He laughs maniacally and begins shooting rapid-fire missiles again.

"Which side you want?" N casually asks.

"Doesn't matter. It'll be easy either way." Ai responds.

Then N charged into the right flank. Ai stood back, but faced the left half of the horde.

As to be expected, N favored Egyptian magic. She'd punch up into the air and a fist would throw a bunch of Zombies around nearby. She changed the course of the nearby Nile briefly and swept a good amount of them away. She pointed and a group spontaneously combust. All the while she had to block or dodge Zomboss's many missiles.

"Hmmm...." Ai was looking at the cards in his hand. "'Your spells cost 0 this turn.' I'll take that." He tosses one into the air and it dissolves into purple dust. "'Your minions cost 0.'" He reads next. "That's a really good card. Such value." He tosses it into the fray. Where it lands, a massive dinosaur emerges. It stomps around a little bit, squishing a bunch of Zombies as Zomboss narrowly dodges it. Unfortunately, a few missiles take it down and it turns to dust.

"Wow. You scumbag! Let's see you counter my missiles." He throws out a bunch of cards at once. Each splits into a set of 3 purple missiles, some larger than others. Most hit the horde, but a good number of them hit Zomboss as well. The Zombot starts to look pretty damaged, but it seems to be functioning fine.

"Ah, screw it. This combo's fun anyways." He tosses out one card in front of him. A skeletal mage engulfed in fire springs from it.

"YOU LIKE TO PLAY WITH FIRE???" the Wild Pyromancer yells to no one in particular.

Ai clenches a card in a fist and raises it in the air. At its peak, it begins to glow and an energy wave spreads from him to the horde, advancing quickly. The Pyromancer followed up with a similar wave of flame. This kills it but effectively takes out the horde too. Zomboss looks panicked now, since it was at this time that N finished clearing her side of the horde. She goes back to Ai's side as he presses that button again.

"Well?" She asks. "How strong's the signal?" In the midst of all this action, I'd forgotten about their actual mission.

"Stronger than before, but still weak." Ai responds. "We can take him out."

"Actually, let us do that!" A voice says behind them.

Rotom and the two turn around. Sure enough, the plants came back with reinforcements - more than enough to take out Zomboss. The army of Bloomerangs, Repeaters, Cabbage-pults, and Bonk Choys probably could've taken out Zomboss and his army on its own.

"Be our guest," N replies, gesturing to the Spinx-inator. "We've had our fun anyways." Giggling, she and Ai move out of the way as the Bonk Choys charge forward, led by... well, the commander.

All the others launch their volleys and soon Zomboss is the one trying to dodge. He charges right into the Bonk Choys, but all of them just grab onto the machine and start pummeling it.

Ai snickers. "It's like Kirby Mass Attack. This is actually kinda funny."

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY!!!" Zomboss yells. He's trying to pilot his machine out of the way of the various projectiles while simultaneously avoiding being punched in the... everywhere, really. "START ESCAPE SEQUENCE!!!" He frantically presses buttons and the Zombot begins to glow blue, like it did last time after the Recreators had fainted.

N makes a move to stop him, but Ai grabs her arm. "There's no point," he says. "He's going to get out anyways. That's just the way the game works."

"Fine..." she says. "Just let me," she fires a small device from a glove that she just made. It flies through the air and latches onto the Zombot before it disappears.

A cry of disappointment and frustration goes up from the plant forces. "Oh, COME ON!" A Bonk Choy says. "I didn't even get a good hit in!"

The commanders approach the two. "Blast him!" Bloomerang exclaims. "The fool got away!"

"He left a parting gift, though." Bonk Choy says. "Here, take this. Cabbage has the real note to give to the bosses, but this is a copy." He gives the paper to Ai.

"Actually, would you mind if I took a look at the real note for a sec?" Ai asks, glancing sideways at N. "I, uh, want to compare it to the other one I got before."

"I... I guess." Cabbage-pult says. "Here it is... Just don't rip it or something."

"Thanks," Ai says. He touches the View, which seems to scan it. Then he gives it back. "Nothing interesting. Same ol' note."

Repeater looks confused but doesn't argue. "Hey hey," he begins. "We we saw that you you could open portals portals. Cabbage Cabbage, Twin Twin Sunflower, Grave Buster, and Snow Snow Pea," he gestures to those he mentioned. "kinda got got dumped dumped here. Dave dropped us us and left left, saying he'd come come back back. Do you think think you you could... Y'know... Take us home home?"

"Absolutely," Ai responds. "If you others," he says, referring to Bonk Choy, Bloomerang, and Iceberg Lettuce. "Want to come along too, that's fine. But keep in mind that you probably won't be able to come back until Dave returns to the present."

"I'm cool with that." Iceberg Lettuce says. "Er, pardon the pun." The others nod in agreement.

Ai opens a zigzag portal into the Modern Day. "In you all go." He glances at Rotom. "Uh, N, could you finish this? I think it's run a little long."

"Just a little?" N retorts. "Alright. So," she turns her attention to and gets Rotom to focus on her. "I don't think you need an explanation. But apparently that signal or whatever is moving away still. And I don't know what Ai plans to do with that replica. But either way," she exhales sharply "Man, I'm tired. I guess Ai and I will take a load off after this. But until next time... Take care." Then she turns the camera off.

Trivia / References
incomplete, will return