The Superkid Chronicles - The Robotnik Wars - Marc the Superkid Quest

Prologue - Restless Spirits

	"--aaaaarc!" Anna yelled as the swarm of SWAT-Bots circled in closer, like vultures.
	"Anna!" Marc screamed back, trying to push his way through the line of SuperRobots that were separating the two.
	A Diablos, the grim-reaper shaped SuperRobot dressed in dark blue robes that covered its skeletal form, hacked away with its energy scythe, tearing apart a few of its comrades with vicious ease. Laughing, it advanced on Marc like it was programmed to do. Marc shot at it with a powerful burst of energy, but there was no effect. The Diablos shrugged off the blast and continued its malicious march.
	"Marc," Blaze shouted over the confusion, "We MUST escape, NOW!"
	"Blaze, Anna's still in there! I HAVE to save her!"
	Blaze took hold of Marc's arm but was torn from his brother as a SWAT-Bot opened fire upon the two. Marc, not seeing his fallen brother, found Anna among the sea of SuperRobots and other denizens of Robotropolis. Quickly he drew in energy, ignoring the swarm of robots that was surrounding them and even ignoring Anna's dispair for a brief moment. When he'd gathered enough, he started running towards Anna, his hand outstretched in a reach. "Teleport Dash!" he shouted, his words echoing amonst the landfill that made the city of Robotropolis.
	All the energy he'd gathered gave incredible power to Marc's already incredible speed. He ripped through the phalanx of robots and quickly his view of Anna increased. He saw her smiling face and her hand reach out for his. Just before their hands touched, Marc noticed one of the small gold rings that was used for currency as well as small amounts of power flying towards him and he turned his head to the right to see the path and the source of the ring. Blaze had performed his own Teleport Dash just moments before Marc had and threw a ring in Marc's path, knowing that Marc's technique would be given even more power because of the ring. In less than an instant, Marc's hand touched the ring and Blaze grabbed on to Marc. With a flash of blinding light the two were gone.
	As they disappeared, Marc's words cried out, "NOOOOOO~~"

Chapter 1 - The Fire That Burns Within

	"~OOOOOO!" Marc screamed as he awoke from his slumber. He panted as he realized that it was just a dream. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked around the quiet room. Back in Home, in his bed, alone, he sat. He looked over, half expecting half hoping to see Anna there, dozing peacefully, but she wasn't. No, she was still in that horrid location on the planet, Robotropolis. The same place she'd been since three days ago, where she'd been left during the failure that was their last mission. For three nights he had the same nightmare of the same incident, and for three days he remained confined to his room, choosing not to leave. He didn't want any sympathy or pity at this point in his life. With a heavy sigh, he slowly climbed out of bed, dressed, then walked downstairs.
	As he entered the kitchen he smelled that faint and pleasantly familiar smell of eggs and bacon cooking on the stove. Yet another memory of Anna that brought him to tears. He calmed himself then made breakfast and ate in silence. After his meal he walked to the window in the living room and pulled open the curtains, deciding he'd spent too long in mourning. He looked around at all the happiness that still remained in Home then pulled the curtains shut with a disgusted growl. He walked back upstairs to the training room, but this too reminded him of Anna. Not wanting to break down and cry again he walked back to his room. He took one look at his bed then turned away, fighting a sniffle in his nose. He walked down the hall a ways, looked at the bathroom, and decided that it wasn't worth chancing it.
	Feeling trapped, Marc took a cautious step out of his house, and then another, and another, then fell over to the ground. He rolled over and looked up at the sky through the trees. He heard footsteps coming to him, but he didn't bother seeing who it was. Blaze walked into his view of the leaves high above and moved his head aside, trying to ignore Blaze and just watch the leaves.
	"Ya finally decided to get outta the house and breathe in this fresh air?" he said cheerfully.
	Marc grunted in reply. Blaze laid down beside him and looked at him.
	"Hey, I'm really sorry, but we've all lost people in war. I'm with you, I wish we DIDN'T have to do all this fighting, but we do. If we don't, who will? No one, exactly. Casualties are just another part of war."
	"Not MY casualty."
	Blaze sighed. "It was only a matter of time. I always had this feeling that something else would happen to you. I mean, first Dad roboticizes you and you turn into a human...Mobian...mix...and now this."
	Marc growled. "Why does this have to happen?! Why can't he just give up? Why must he cause so much pain? He's never even giving a reason for what he does, he just does it."
	Blaze shrugged. "He probably just wants to rule the world, like all those bad guys on TV when we were young."
	A dark, red flame surrounded Marc's entire body and his eyes glowed an unholy white light. Blaze jumped up, realizing what this was. It wasn't the first time that he'd witnessed Marc perform a Rage Break. Remembering what Marc could do in this state, he pulled out a Calm Bubble from his pocket and threw it on Marc, who lunged at him with a furious growl. The bubble popped on Marc's head and the blue gel surrounded his body and calmed him. Marc dropped to the ground, panting. He looked up at Blaze, the frustration in his face quickly faded into sadness. "Why?" he said, almost sobbing.
	"Marc, you know as well as I do that you go berserk when you're like that. If I didn't do something you might've gone crazy and blown up Home or alerted Robotnik to where we are. Hell, we already have enough trouble without your help."
	"I...I...I just want my Anna back."
	"I know that, but there is no way you could get her like that. Given the idea, you probably would've barged in there looking for h...aw, crap!"
	"Look...for her...Blaze, that's it! I gotta get her myself! I never would've seen such a simple solution earlier! Thanks, man!"
	"Marc, wait!" Blaze grabbed for Marc, but he'd already run back into his house to prepare for the journey.

	"Now, let's see...what will I need to break into Robotropolis?" Marc wondered as he looked around his house. "Food and probably some items would be useful."
	He went into the kitchen and put ingredients into his backpack then put a few of the readily available potions and ethers in as well. Seeing the limited space left in his pack, he walked over to one of the computers in the wall and phoned the Packs. A Vid-Window opened in the wall and the three images of the Packs appeared in different sections on the screen.
	"Yeah?" an expressionless-faced person said after a few rings.
	"Oops, wrong number." Marc said and was about to close the link.
	"Wait!" The person pulled off the mask he was wearing and Marc saw that it was MechaMarc. "Marc, you called right in the middle of the play we're performing."
	"Oh, is this a bad time?"
	"No, but try and make it quick."
	"What's up?" DragonBot in warrior mode asked.
	"Hey, DB, how are the kids?"
	"Well, they're a handful, but...they're just sooo cute!"
	Marc grinned. Hearing this powerful, and sometimes rather rude, fighter calling children "cute" made him want to laugh, but he decided against it.
	"Hello?" Tygar said.
	"Hey, Tygar," Marc replied. "Listen, can you guys get back really quick? I'm kind of in a jam here and I need your help."
	"Um, play, remember?" MechaMarc said and held up the mask.
	"I'd help, but the usual nanny hasn't returned yet. Besides, I'm in Sol Tower over on the Serdio continent," DragonBot said and was pulled down by one of the children. His image disappeared from the screen.
	"I'm sorry, but I am away from the Vid-Window at the moment. If you leave your name, number, and a brief message after the tone I will try and get back to you as soon as possible."
	Marc sighed and shut down the Vid-Window. "Looks like I'm on my own."
	He looked at the stairs then remembered the training room. "Well, if I'm gonna be going by myself then I'd better pump up some."
	As he walked up the stairs he shuddered as he remembered the Diablos he saw destroying his own robotic kind. The wicked grin on the Diablos' face sent a chill down his spine. At least he didn't kill any living creatures, especially Anna. Marc didn't want to think about what he would've done had she been killed. Fortunately, the Calm Bubble was still working and didn't allow him to think 
like that for very long.

	"Computer, command line: Open Program Training Colon Right 
parenthesis.exe," he told the computer, rolling his eyes at the silly program title Anna had given the training program. "Parameters: One random enemy, level 7. Execute parameters after each enemy's defeat and until I say otherwise."
	"ACKNOWLEDGED," the computer replied and the door to the training room unlocked and opened.
	Marc stepped inside and the door close behind him. The holographic projectors whirred softly and a Crabmeat appeared in front of him. Marc smiled and easily destroyed the computer generated version.
	Marc continued fighting more holograms for an hour, but only 4 different robots were in the system. If Anna was here, he thought, then they could come up with more challenging robots to train against. Those SuperRobots would be perfect for training against. A sniffle got loose and soon he was sobbing, the Calm Bubble's effects finally wore off. The computer presented a Crabmeat for Marc's next opponent, but Marc took no notice of it. The Crabmeat scuttled up to him then used its special energy ball to attack Marc. Caught unaware, Marc was flung back into the wall. All the anger from before returned and the same flame surrounded him. "You arrogant little robot!" Marc roared.
	The Crabmeat, not knowing what to do, just stared at Marc. With a mighty roar, an explosion of Marc's energy ripped through the entire training room, destroying it completely.
	Fifteen minutes later, Marc finally crawled out of the rubble that used to be the training room. All his anger was gone with the room, but Marc could only think of what Anna would do to him when he got her back. He grabbed his backpack and headed out the front door.

	"Marc, don't do it!" Blaze pleaded.
	All of Home had gathered to try and stop Marc from this mission they thought was certain suicide.
	"Sorry, Blaze, but this is something I have to do as a warrior. Father has gone too far this time, and now I'm going to make him pay."
	To the villagers of Home, this sounded like Marc was attempting to stop Robotnik all by himself. A mad cheer erupted from the crowd, except from the main Mobian Force members.
	"I may not be king of Mobius any more," King Acorn said and walked to Marc. He placed a fatherly hand on Marc shoulders and continued, "but even I know that this will not be an easy task. You must know that this is tempting fate, herself!"
	"Sire, I don't care. Wouldn't you do the same if it was your wife? This is MY quest that I MUST accomplish in order to consider myself a true Mobian. If I can't even attempt at finding Anna, alive or...otherwise, then I don't deserve to live. If I can't save her, then what right do I have in trying to save the rest of you?"
	"Marc, Daddy's right," Lily said and stepped forward. "I know that you love Anna, but what about those SuperRobots? Not even you could beat them, so what makes you think you can now?"
	Marc looked at her, determined. "I don't. But I'm sure as hell gonna try. It's a lot better than what any of you are doing."
	"Marc, if you go...you go alone," Blaze said solemnly.
	Marc looked towards Robotropolis, then back at Blaze. "So be it."
	With a final good-bye, Marc kicked up a gust of wind and disappeared.

	Marc ran at full speed through the Great Forest. He knew that he was alone but that didn't matter to him. All that was on his mind was Anna's smiling face and her warm embrace. He stopped at a cliff looking over the Great Forest and faintly saw Robotropolis in the distance. He looked on, scanning the scenery and overheard a loud, pained roar.

Chapter 2 - Persevere! Let's Go!

	"--E WITH US," one of the SWAT-Bots said and prodded the large, green dragon with its tazer baton.
	The 8 foot tall dragon was backed up against a row of trees, two SWAT-Bots stepping closer to him. He flapped his wings but the SWAT-Bots stabbed them with their batons.
	"Hey!" Marc shouted angrily. "Leave 'im alone!"
	The SWAT-Bots turned to see who had come to the aid of the dragon. A quick scan told them what to do. "PRIORITY 1: CAPTURE MARC THE SUPERKID!" they both droned and raised their beam arms at him.
	With their attentions diverted, the dragon quickly ran to Marc's side. "Ra rag rah rag?" he growled in a low, gruff voice.
	"Well, SWAT's aren't THAT big of a deal, but I understand your desire for some revenge," Marc replied and stood in his fighting stance. "If you can fight, feel free to do so."
	The dragon let out a gleeful grunt and held out his claws. Marc ran at one of the SWAT-Bots and grabbed the arm with its laser attached. He easily lifted the SWAT-Bot off the ground and swung it around, hitting the second SWAT-Bot to the dragon. The dragon grabbed the flying SWAT-Bot by its head and slammed it to the ground, the head smashing like tinfoil. The dragon then took the limbs and ripped them one-by-one from the body.
	Marc, already done with his robot, watched the dragon tear his robot apart like he was eating a crab. "Um...Mr. Dragon," he said as he watched the dragon begin pulling the metal plating from the pieces. The dragon stopped and looked back at Marc. "You can stop after the head is gone."
	Marc pointed to his robot. The head was torn off and Marc had posed the body so that it held its detached head in its right hand and its left hand was a peace sign. The dragon chuckled and dropped the SWAT-Bot remains then stood up.
	"You're not a bad fighter," Marc said and held out his hand. "A little violent, but you've got potential. I'm headed to Robotropolis to find my girlfriend, Anna. Would you care to come with me?"
	The dragon looked down at the heap of metal at his feet. "Rag ra raa, rah ra rag ragh?"
	Marc nodded. "If there are robots this deep in the Great Forest, I'm certain there will be more along the way."
	The dragon grinned wickedly and nodded.
	"Great! My name is Marc the Superkid."
	"Ragh."
	"I...I'm sorry, did you say your name is 'Rarg'?"
	"Ragh..."
	"Rang?"
	The dragon stamped its foot. "Ragh!"
	"Rag?"
	The dragon jumped up and down several times. "RAH-AH-GA-UH!"
	Marc put his hand on the back of his head. "Oooh! Sorry, I do that a lot."
	Ragh turned around and snorted.
	"Hey, I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
	Ragh turned back slightly. "Raa~~.."
	"Please, O Great and Powerful Dragon of Lore, please join this humble Mobian on his quest."
	Ragh turned back and saw Marc kneeling in front of him. He let out a slight chuckle and nodded.
	"Great!" Marc said and shook Ragh's hands, surprising Ragh with his strength. "I just might need your help."
	"Ra rag rah raaa?"
	"Well, our destination is, of course, Robotropolis. However, I'm running a little low on supplies, so we'll be taking a short detour at the town of Trum, then we spend a day in Mt. Rikuroa and from there it's a straight shot to Robotropolis."
	"Rah rag ra?"
	"Shh! We're trying to preserve all the walls here!"
	With that, they continued their journey to the town of Trum.

	"You think you can handle the LegoMen?" Marc asked. He and Ragh were just about to enter a cave that would take them to Trum when they were attacked by a SWAT-Bot and two of the 30 cm tall, yellow-faced, blue-bodied robots that Marc referred to as "LegoMen."
	Ragh laughed cruelly as he stomped towards the two LegoMen. "He loves his work," Marc said with a sigh.
	Using little effort, Marc took down the lone SWAT-Bot then watched Ragh fight. He loomed above the two LegoMen and his deep, disturbing laugh echoed against the cave's entrance. With a small jump, Ragh landed right on the heads of the LegoMen, literally flattening them into the ground. Ragh stepped back and watched as one of the LegoMen comically pop up like an accordion that characters in one of those ancient cartoons did. Ragh gingerly reached down and picked up the LegoMan by its head. Marc almost felt sorry when he heard the LegoMan whimpering as Ragh pulled his arm back, preparing to throw the helpless LegoMan. With all his might, Ragh launched the LegoMan into the air, sending it flying to 
the east where it would eventually land in the ocean and maybe drowned.
	"Ragh, don't be so mean with 'em," Marc scolded. "I'm starting to wonder if bringing you along was the best of choices..."
	They continued into the cave and soon found themselves in total darkness. "Ragh, can you breathe fire?" Marc asked.
	Ragh shook his head, but Marc couldn't see him. "Well?" he said.
	Ragh grunted out a "no" in his normal language, making Marc sigh once again. Feeling along the wall, Marc looked for something that could be used as a torch. He felt something that was like fur on metal. He gave a tug and ripped some of the fur off. He used some lightning magic to light the fur, creating a temporary light source then looked in front of him to see what he'd acquired the fur from. He jumped back with a yelp as he remembered the creature he'd first seen four days ago in Robotropolis. The brown, stone golem that had patches of hair on its head that Marc referred to as "Kron" stood in front of the two, rubbing its head. The SuperRobot growled menacingly when it realized that it was now bald; the one thing that made him even remotely alive had been torn away from him.
	"Run!" Marc yelled at Ragh and ran at deeper into the cave, dropping the fire and its tender.
	"Raaa~!" Ragh cried, not having nearly the same speed as Marc did. The Kron followed Ragh in his run, swiping at him with his powerful arms.
	Realizing what he'd done, Marc stopped and turned back, trying to see movement in the cave that would, hopefully, be Ragh. He ran back towards the entrance but bumped into a rock or something. He held out his hand and another burst of electricity temporarily lit the path in front of him. That one moment 
was all Marc needed to catch a glimpse at a second Kron staring down at him. "Of course they can see me!" Marc yelled at himself in his mind, "They're robots; they have sensors and probably don't need light."
	Growling, the second Kron slammed Marc with his stone fist, sending him flying back into a cave wall. Marc hit his head and was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. Before he could, he fumbled into his backpack, searching for something that could help him. His hand slipped across a glass beaker, but he couldn't remember what it contained. Shrugging he pulled it out, broke the top, and drank the contents. Refreshing energy course throughout his body, 
revitalizing him and healing his wounds. He stood up and finally remembered that what he'd drank was one of the potions that inventor Marc met some time ago, Vin, had given him. "Vin was right," Marc thought, "the potions taste terrible but 
they work wonders on the body."
	With renewed strength, Marc threw longer lasting bursts of lightning in front of him that encircled the advancing Kron. Startled by the stronger light that now surrounded him, the Kron cried out and covered its eyes. Marc smiled, realizing that their sensors must've been so used to the dark that the sudden entrance of intense light would temporarily blind them while the sensors adjusted. Marc used this opportunity to launch his attack.
	Not wasting the chance, Marc used his most powerful attacks to defeat the Kron. He burned the Kron with his Tornado Flame, weakened the rock with Tempest Kick, then finished it off with Thunder Punch. "These SuperRobots aren't so tough!" Marc thought. He suddenly remembered Ragh and hurried past the fallen Kron to the entrance. Just before he reached the entrance he bumped into something else, but this was fleshier than a Kron. He poked at the flesh and was slightly startled to hear a warning growl from his traveling companion.
	"Ragh!" Marc cheered and hugged his friend.
	"Raar!" Ragh cried back and returned the hug. "Raa rag ra rah!"
	"Yeah, I'm sorry. I tried to come back sooner, but I had to deal with a Kron. Speaking of which, what happened to that other one?"
	"Raagh ra raaan ragh Ragh ra rang!"
	"These SuperRobots ain't so tough! And look how scared I was a few days ago."
	Marc reached down and picked up one of the small rocks on the cave floor. He sent enough volts of electricity through the rock to makea light source that would last for a while. They continued deeper into the cave, fighting off a few more groups of Robotnik's patrolling robots and SuperRobots along the way. By the time the rock grew dim they'd wound up in a large, hollow cavern. They decided to use it as a shelter, so they entered and piled several large rocks in the entrance to give them some protection, or at least an early warning sign if someone tried to get in.
	Marc pulled out several blankets from his backpack and tore a piece of one of them off. He ventured deeper into his backpack to use something to keep the fire he intended to make going long enough for them to cook with. He found some SlimeGoo that had been stuck inside his backpack ever since he was young when he found a Slime rummaging around his backpack. He pulled out the Goo and tossed it to the ground, enjoying the squishing sound it made when it hit. He put some fabric into the Goo with some of it sticking out to be used as a wick then set it afire with more of his lightning magic. Exhausted from his repeated use of his magic, he slumped onto his blanket.
	"Raa rag?"
	"Hm? Oh, right, food. Hold on." Marc pulled his backpack closer then pulled out several large pieces of meat and two cans of juice. He tossed a piece of meat and can of juice to Ragh then held his own meat to the fire.
	For several minutes they sat in silence, waiting for their food to cook long enough to their likings. "Y'know," Marc finally said, "I'm glad I brought you along. I find places like these creepy beyond anything else."
	"Ra? Rag ra ran ra raa?"
	"Yeah, I'm not a fan of cramped places. One of those aftereffects of when I was...never mind. Anyway, I think that if I was alone I probably wouldn't have been able to handle any kind of SuperRobot."
	"Ra Ragh raaa raa rn ragn ruh..."
	"Yeah, but that was only because I knew I had to get back to you. If I hadn't, I probably would've run even further into this cave and wound up falling into a deep pit or skewered on a stalactite or something. Rem-sama knows how many troops Robotnik has sent to the Great Forest."
	"Ragh ri?"
	"The mountains are our only real protection, which is why we had to move Home deeper into the forest. Robotnik was getting too close to our original location, so we decided it was best to do so. Still, he sends troops deeper into the forest so there might be a time where he's completely weeded us out. Really, the only way to get into Home now is through Mt. Rikuroa and from there this cave and boom, you're in the forest, really close to Home. Unfortunately, that is basically the same path you have to take to get to Robotropolis if you want to be safe. Normally it's not so difficult or long, but ever since Robotnik found out how effective his SuperRobots are he's been a lot more aggressive."
	Ragh yawned and growled out something untranslatable then laid down and fell asleep. Marc smiled, knowing he was almost there himself. "Sleep and those Diablos' are the only enemies that beat me every time."
	He finished drinking his juice and munched on his meat meditatively. He looked deep into the fire, thinking how well SlimeGoo burned. Something about this fire made Marc draw back fond memories of the past. The warmth from the fire soothed him, then suddenly he remembered why. That one day, three years ago...

<<Three years ago, December...

	"Marc, first snow of the yeaaaar!" Anna said cheerfully. She held out her hands and smiled. Marc rolled his eyes and walked to her. She pulled him close then pushed them onto the couch. She snuggled into him and, when she was settled, pointed at the fireplace. A spark lit and the fireplace soon held a pleasant 
fire.
	"Where'd we leave off?" Anna asked and looked into Marc's eyes.
	"Chapter 2," Marc replied.
	"Ah, that's right." Anna opened the book and began reading it aloud so they would both be on the same page.
	Marc held Anna close, enjoying the warmth that was in the room. This was a good memory...
>>

	Marc smiled, still able to feel Anna's body pressed against his. That was his favorite memory and he remembered it sparingly, so he wouldn't wear out the feel. Just before falling asleep he tucked it back into its niche in his brain so it would stay nice and safe.

	The next morning Marc and Ragh removed the rocks that had kept them safe then they ventured back into the cave. While they slept, Robotnik had been busy. He'd sent even more of his troops to Home that Marc and Ragh now had to face. They were indeed slowed by the assault, but they still managed to press forward.
	Quickly, Marc grew experienced to fighting the SuperRobot breed Kron, but the more he did, the more he found that they, too, learned from the battles. Marc figured that they were able to communicate the fights through a link. Soon he felt that they were becoming hard to handle again. The Krons began dodging attacks that the previous fell victim to and used more of their natural power that the fallen had held in reserve. More and more frequently did Marc find that he and Ragh needed the restorative powers of the potions, but even those did not completely heal the mental exhaustion he was feeling.

Chapter 3 - Delay in the Troubled Town

	Marc dropped to his knees in exhaustion. "Finally! Trum!"
	Tired, Marc fell over and fell fast asleep. Ragh sighed and threw Marc onto his shoulders and found an inn, paid for a room, then tucked Marc into bed. Realizing that he was equally exhausted, he yawned and fell into the bed next to Marc's and went right to sleep.

	"~OOOOOO!" Marc screamed as he awoke from his slumber. He panted as he realized that it was just a dream. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked around the room, thinking he was still in Home. He looked to his right then let out a startled yelp when he realized that it was not Anna sleeping in the same room as he, but an 8 foot tall, green dragon snoring loudly. He jumped out of the bed and looked around the room in a panic, trying to remember where he was.
	"Oh, right...Trum," he said with a sigh. He looked back at the bed then thought, "Even in a foreign bed I have the same nightmare. Perhaps beginning my quest is not enough. I MUST complete my mission to find peace."
	Not wanting to disturb the dragon's slumber, he quietly ate breakfast and read the newspaper that had been delivered. He found it interesting that even in these times of war, the people around him still carried on with their lives. He smiled as he bit into the jam-filled roll and read the depressing news. "More children and livestock have gone missing," the main headline read. "Turgon offers reward of 600 gems to the one who defeats the Red Dragon."
	Marc wondered if this town even knew of the troubles facing the rest of the world. Perhaps this dragon was Trum's Robotnik. He looked over at Ragh, wondering if it was wise to bring a dragon to this town. Green dragon...no, the newspaper said the dragon was red. The people might be safe from his traveling companion. He would be worried if Ragh knew a style from the City of Two Tails. 
With his awesome strength, he could go berserk and wipe out the planet, probably, if he went into Rage.
	An hour later Ragh awoke and lazily walked over to the table, sat down, stood up and wiped the crushed chair from his backside, then sat down on the floor. "Raaaaagh," he growled sleepily.
	"Morning," Marc replied and sipped some orange juice. He tossed a handful of oranges and other fruit to his friend then stood and stretched. Ragh ate the meal quietly.
	"By the way, thanks for bringing me to this inn. Wouldn't wanna get picked over by the local thieves while I slept in the street, would I?"
	Ragh waved his hand side to side, still in concentrating.
	Another half an hour later they left the inn and looked around the town.

	The town of Trum used to be almost packed with houses made out of wood, like Home. It was famous for its medieval feel and paths to numerous mines and other exciting tourist traps. However, for some reason, the town seemed almost empty. There were only a few houses littered about and a castle with its east side estroyed. A large wall, at least 30 meters tall, surrounded what was left of the town and appeared to be quickly made, but sturdy nonetheless.
	"What happened here?" Marc wondered aloud.
	Ragh shrugged as they walked towards the castle. Inside they found a large group of people training in some ancient art of fighting. Marc saw a man that seemed to be the leader and walked over to him.
	The man was just a little taller than Marc and was a human, but Marc didn't think less of him because of it. The man stood tall and proud. His silver armor shined brightly, but the red bandana on his forehead offset the armor's splendor. Blond hair covered one side of the man's noble face and just barely came down to his shoulders. The man had his eyes closed in meditation but opened them when he sensed Marc's approach. Marc was slightly startled to see that a human had turquoise eyes that were fierce, but had a sense of total calmness in them.
	"Greetings, traveler," the man said with a voice as mighty as a lion's roar. "I am Turgon, master of the L.o.R.D. style of fighting."
	"Lord?" Marc wondered. "Christians came up with a martial art?"
	Turgon smiled. "Legend of the Red Dragon. L-O-R-D. It was originally created by a man named Sethable Robinson and has been modified through the ages." Marc noticed the way Turgon bowed when he mentioned the martial art's creator's name, slightly humble but not the same as the way of bowing he'd learned.
	"I am MacGyver Alan Robotnik Camien, but people call me Marc. I study under the Kame style of the Hyper Arts of the City of Two Tails."
	Turgon and Ragh both were shocked when Marc gave his name and title.
	"Y-you are of Robotnik?!" Turgon asked, still surprised.
	Marc lowered his head. "Yes," he said regretfully. He looked directly into Turgon's eyes then added, "But I am a member of the Mobian Force! I did not always look as the way I do...it is because of him. It is also because of him that I am on this journey to Robotropolis. He stole the one whom I care for more than anything else in this cruel world!"
	The determination in Marc's eyes made Turgon smile. "You have a noble cause."
	Marc relaxed. "I'm in Trum to rest and purchase supplies, then I'm off to Mt. Rikuroa."
	"Unfortunately, that is not possible."
	Marc took a step back. "YOU aren't working for Robotnik, are you?"
	Turgon let out a hearty laugh. "No, no, no." His features turned grim and he sighed. "The Red Dragon I spoke of has appeared."
	Turgon led Marc and Ragh aside and told one of the fighters to continue the lesson.
	"Three years ago," he began, "a fearsome dragon flew over Trum. With one great blast of fire he burned down many of the houses and destroyed that side of the training castle. I, and others, tried to fight him, but none of us were a match for his thick hide and awful, awesome power. I barely managed to escape. Shortly after, more warriors fought the beast, but few were as fortunate as I.
	"We built the wall around Trum to block off the dragon, and most times he just stays deep in the forest. Sometimes, however, he comes out and destroys a home or eats some people. We build the wall higher and higher, each time hoping it will be enough to protect us, but we are beginning to reach our limits. For 
some reason, he closely guards the path to Mt. Rikuroa. Therefore, the only way to Robotropolis is the three day trek around Trum or defeat the dragon and then the one day trek through the mountain."
	Marc was in quiet contemplation after Turgon finished. "I wish not to sound cold, but I must find Anna. I am truly sorry to leave you, but I must save her quickly. However, once I am done I promise to return and save you."
	"I understand," Turgon replied. He patted Marc on the shoulder. "Then, go swiftly and save your love."
	Marc nodded and he and Ragh left the castle.
	"Ragh...ra rag rah ragh rag?" the green dragon grunted.
	"We buy supplies and then go around Trum," Marc replied solemnly.
	After they bought supplies they headed back to the entrance. As they headed through a robot that was even taller than the wall walked into the entrance, unknowingly kicking Marc and Ragh 10 meters back into Trum. Recovering quickly, Marc jumped up and shouted, "HEY! Watch it!"
	The robot was tall and thin. Its arms and legs were about as long as silos from the ground up and were just about as thick. The body armor plating was tan and covered its grey/black body parts. The head resting on its stiff shoulders was shaped like one of the cottages of Trum except green plates for eyes where the windows would've been. It even had a pipe coming out of the top of its head! Each hand had only three fingers as long and wide and thin as doors. The palms appeared to be cannons that probably shout out lethal amounts of energy. On the chest of the robot was a symbol that looked like a metallic skull. Marc recognized the symbol, but he couldn't remember from where. The mouth of the robot opened up and three yellow objects that Marc couldn't see well walked out.
	"We're the Bonds!" a high-pitched voice, like a young boy's, announced from speakers built into the robot's body.
	"We're pirates!" another voice said, a deeper version of the previous.
	"Don't even try picking on us again!" a third voice warned, slightly higher than the first.
	"Again?" Marc wondered. He shook his head then shouted, "Can you move your 'bot outta the way, please? I want to leave."
	"Mistress Tracy gave us orders not to let anyone leave," the first voice said. "If they try, we blast 'em!"
	The robot extended its left arm and shot out a small burst of green energy from its cannon. The energy exploded like fireworks a meter in front of Marc, but he jumped back anyway.
	"Ragh...ra rag rag..."
	"Yeah, a fight would probably destroy this place," Marc sighed. There was now only one way through Trum and Marc didn't like it...
	"I'm going to get rid of the Dragon. But, when I do, I'm outta here."
	Turgon nodded. "You said you were of Kame, right?"
	"Yes."
	"I'm afraid all of those styles are useless. The City of Two Tails was the first place we turned to for outside aid. They failed. L.o.R.D. style is the only thing that seems to damage the dragon."
	"So...how do I learn this 'L.o.R.D.' style?"
	"Just go into the forest and it will come naturally. Remember, energy and fists have little effect. Weapons and magic are what will see you through. When you feel ready enough, come back and face the training master for your level. I will watch your progress as you fight. Now, hurry. Fight like us and save our 
town. I beg of you!"
	"You plead, we succeed," Marc said with a smile. Turgon returned the smile as Marc and Ragh left.

	"Raaagh rahn," Ragh grunted.
	"Yep, might as well get started." Marc found that the forest was actually the Great Forest, but was separated from the town by the wall. As Marc admired his new surroundings a generic RPG Slimes slid into view. Marc smiled and extended his hand. He shouted and a ball of energy shot from his hand. The ball flew fast then hit one of the Slimes hard. So hard, in fact, that it exploded. Marc laughed. "If this is all there is to L.O.R.D. style, that dragon won't stand a chance!"
	Even as Marc finished his sentence, the exploded pieces crawled back together. When the Slime fully recovered it turned red then expanded to five times its original size.
	"RAG RA RAAGH!" Ragh shouted.
	"Like I knew they can regenerate!" Marc shouted in reply.
	The Slime charged Marc, steam coming out of its body. Marc stood in a defensive stance and prepared himself for the attack. When the Slime hit, it felt like a large, wet marshmallow pressing itself into Marc. The Slime wrapped its body around Marc and soon he was trapped inside the Slime.
	Marc clawed at the Slime's insides, but it was like he was trapped in a pool of water. The memory of when he was roboticized by his father returned in his mind. This entrapment in the Slime was exactly like the fluid tube he was put into. The pressure, the lack of air, the whole situation sent Marc into a frenzy. He frantically tried to think what to do, trying to remember how he escaped the first time. His panicked mind brought him no help. Desperately, Marc tried firing ball after ball of energy, but there was no oxygen so he couldn't gather any more power.
	Suddenly, it came to him. He remembered the time when he was training by himself in the woods five years ago. He was being attacked by a trio of Gobu Gobus, nasty thief-like monsters that try and mug unfortunate travelers. Marc was almost killed, when he'd tripped into the fire he'd made to cook his food. Strangely, the fire didn't burn him. Instead, it wrapped itself around his right hand. He shot out his arm and the fire leaped off and onto one of the Gobu Gobus. Screaming as it was burned to death, it fell to the ground. Its companions, seeing their fallen comrade, turned and ran away. From that day forth, Marc was able to call upon fire from within and it was available with just the slightest amount of oxygen.
	Realizing what he was able to do; Marc let out the remaining air from his lungs and then quickly concentrated on the magic he'd used so long ago. "Fira!" he thought and the bubble of oxygen that was still in front of him burst into flame then grew and burned the Slime. The chemicals in its body made it very flammable and it quickly dissolved in the flame, but the flame didn't harm Marc at all.
	"I feel so hot!" Marc cheered as he struck a pose.
	"Ra rah raa raahg."
	"Yeah, probably," Marc replied with a laugh. "Okay, energy blasts just tick 'em off. Magic works, obviously."
	Ragh smiled slightly. "Ragh ra raa ray?"
	"Well, physical damage might hurt the monsters, but I think the Slimes would bounce back if you stepped on 'em."
	They continued into the forest, finding more monsters and learning how to fight L.o.R.D style.

	As they were coming to a clearing in the forest, Marc saw an old, human man sitting on a log and appeared to be lost or confused. "Hey, old man," Marc said, "You need some help?"
	The old man, startled, raised his hands up in terror. "Please, don't hurt me! I don't have any money!"
	"I'm not going to hurt you and I don't want your money."
	The old man looked at Marc, blinked a few times, then looked harder. "I'm sorry, son. I thought you were one of the possessed men that roam the forest. I am looking for the Dragon's Claw Tavern, but I keep losing my way. Every time I think I'm going the right way I'm attacked by monsters."
	Marc looked around a few times then back at the old man. "What monsters? I don't see any."
	"Yes, this is one of the few safe havens in the forest. The monsters seem to be repelled from this clearing..."
	"Well, I guess we could take you to the tavern. I need to rest a bit anyway."
	"Oh, thank you, young man."
	"Might as well," Marc muttered. "I'm helping out everyone else I meet..."

	The forest was more dangerous than Marc had originally given credit for. The monsters that inhabited the forest showed Marc no mercy while he did his best to get the hang of L.o.R.D. However, he did seem to be showing much improvement after several battles. Much to his delightment, the different types of monsters didn't seem to be learning from their fallen comrades, making it easier for Marc and Ragh to kill them after a while. It was long and hard, but Marc finally found his way to the tavern.
	"Oh, thank you so much," the old man said and shook Marc's hand with more strength then Marc gave him credit. "I don't have money, but you can have these few gems I have."
	Marc took the 5 gems the old man handed to him and looked at them in wonder. They appeared to be the same as Chaos Emeralds, but Marc didn't sense any power radiating from them. "Gems? What good are those?"
	"Well, there are many parts around Trum that use them as currency. Some of the better items can be bought with gems, so you may want to hang onto them. Now, I take leave." The old man turned to the bartender and shouted, "Chance, fill me up!"
	"Old man..." Marc sighed as he watched the old man saunter up to the bar and drink rather heavily.
	The warmth of the room soothed Marc. There was something about the crackling fire in the old fireplace that brought back many fond memories, memories that drove out the bad ones for now. He walked to the fireplace as though he was in a trance and held his hands to the fire.
	"Is it THAT cold out there?" someone to his left asked.
	Marc looked over and saw a human dressed in summer clothing smiling at him. Marc smiled back and replied, "No, but this fire does something for me. Reminds me of my girlfriend, I guess."
	"Ah, fires always do that, it seems. Hi, the name's Tween. Nice ta meetcha, chief."
	"Hey, the name's Marc, and this is Ragh."
	Tween looked at Ragh, who nodded, then back at Marc. "Cool."
	"So, what ya doing here?"
	"Ah, I'm just a wandering musician from Blue Brook and I've been stuck in this town ever since the dragon showed up. But, I can't really complain. Haven't seen the dragon that much and there is a lot of nice people here. I'd say it's one of the best places on the planet."
	Marc nodded. "It has some charms."
	Tween nudged him coyly. "Like Violet?"
	"Who?"
	"The barfly at the inn. She's...not your type. Anyway, if there's anything you'd like me ta play, just ask, chief!"
	Marc thought for a moment. "...Do you know 'Requiem de Legaia'?"
	Tween pumped his chest proudly. "Comin' right up!"
	Tween hurried back over to his piano, cracked his knuckles, then started playing the hauntingly pleasant, but fairly depressing, song. From out of no where, someone threw a mug at Marc. The mug shattered and he cried out in irritated pain. He looked around the room angrily. "Who threw that?!"
	He saw a woman dressed in red and orange robes stand up. She fluttered out her body length feathered wings and brushed her golden orange hair out of her angry eyes. She looked at Marc, but there was something about her eyes that gave Marc the impression that she wasn't completely there. "Yuuu change tha back ta da udda wan na!" she said, her voice slurred.
	She stumbled to him then repeated, "Yuuu change tha back ta da udda wan na!"
	"Excuse me, but, are you drunk?" Marc inquired, holding his nose from the foul odor of alcohol.
	"Sa wat ifff I an? Yuuu gann do sumthn 'bout it? Yuuu gann kill da reddin dra-gun?"
	"That's the plan," Marc replied coolly.
	The woman blinked and in that brief instant she became a completely different person, mentally. Her eyes seemed to be clear and she fixed her hair. "Whoa, that sobered me up! Did you just say you were gonna kill the dragon?"
	Marc nodded. The room quieted. Even Tween stopped playing to listen to the conversation.
	"Hot damn, boy!" the woman called and put her hands on her hips. "What makes you think, you a little bitty boy, who's probably a virgin, think that you can beat the big, bad Red Dragon?"
	Marc growled at the virgin statement. "You want me to prove how I'll beat 'im by kicking your butt all the way back to wherever it is you came from?!"
	The woman grabbed Marc's hand and shook it furiously. "I'm Tina, Tina Flaihaiya from Raspberry Fields, and anyone with the balls to make a statement like that to ME had better use 'em properly!"
	Marc, not knowing how to react, stammered, "T-thanks...Please leave your name, number, and a brief message after the beep."
	Tina slid right up to Marc, leaned in, then whispered into his ear, "Tina, 366-3669. I'll see you later, sweetie."
	Marc fell over. Ragh laughed as the crowd cheered Marc on. Tina strutted around, flaunting herself to the approving crowd.
	After she'd had enough, Tina reached down and picked Marc up. "Listen, I've decided that I'm gonna follow you two around and see where this thing leads. Besides, with the dragon there I can't exactly get back to the Fields, now can I?"
	Puzzled, Ragh pointed to himself. Marc wiped the still dripping blood from his nose and said, "W-well, I guess that's okay. Ragh?"
	Ragh shrugged and nodded.
	"Heh, your friend don't talk much, do he? Anyway...it's settled! From now until I decide otherwise I'm with you. Now, I'm gonna celebrate this monumentus occasion with a drink. Who's with me?"
	Marc shook his head and threw the tissue away. Tina grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bar and sat him down. Ragh shrugged and followed. The bartender brought three mugs then filled one with a brownish liquid Marc assumed to be liquor. The bartender winked, "This is a MAN'S drink."
	"Hey, Chance," Tina growled, "what are you implying?"
	"Nothin, nothin, just telling the BOY that he needs some real balls to handle this stuff."
	Marc grinned while Tina shout out a string of curses and obscenities at Chance and his family. He and Chance both knew that there was no way for Mobians to handle liquor, as it causes severe problems with their anatomy. Still, their mugs were not empty. Chance filled Marc and Ragh's mugs with warm strawberry juice. "House special," Chance said and pushed the mugs closer to them.
	"On the house?" Marc added as he picked up the mug.
	Chance laughed loudly and pointed to the old man. The old man looked over and held up his own mug, grinning. "On him," Chance said.
	Marc smiled and downed the drink in one gulp. The warm juice coursed through his body and renewed his strength. "This is great!" he said after finishing the drink.
	"Go ahead, have all ya want!" the old man said.
	Marc nodded and motioned for Chance to give him a refill.

	That night Marc, Ragh, and their new companion, Tina, walked into inn. Tina was, of course, drunk and had to be propped up on Ragh.
	"Marc?" a familiar voice called.
	Marc looked over and saw his sister, Sonya, and her boyfriend, Sai Eiji, sitting at a table. "Sonya! Sai! What are you doing here?"
	Marc handed Ragh some money and told him to get the room then walked over to the table and sat down.
	"Yo," Sai said in his typical gruff voice.
	Marc nodded to him then looked at Sonya. "You guys trapped here too?"
	"Yeah, but we've been here a bit longer than you. Actually, about 4 months longer. Only today were we released from the hospital. Sai was called by the City of Two Tails to fight against the dragon and of course I had to come. Unfortunately, we were creamed. We barely were able to escape with our lives. I'm telling you that dragon is vicious and lethal."
	"I've heard," Marc said grimly. He smiled. "But, if those monsters in the forest are any indication, I don't think the dragon will be any problem."
	"Have you faced any of the castle's training masters?" Sai asked.
	Marc shook his head.
	"Then you have absolutely no idea what you are up against."
	Marc let out a sigh, "Why does everyone keep saying that? I've yet to be completely convinced that this omnipotent dragon is all that I've heard..."
	"Speaking of which," Sonya said and looked around. "That drunk woman didn't look like Anna. Who was she and, for that matter, why are you in Trum? Here for the reward?"
	"I didn't even know there was a dragon here 2 days ago. No, I came here for some supplies then got wrangled into helping to fight against the dragon. I tried leaving through the main entrance, but this big robot is blocking the entrance."
	"Still, why are you here? Couldn't you get whatever you needed from Home's store or were their supplies running thin as well?"
	Marc let out another sigh, sadder this time. "No...Did you hear about the storm on Robotropolis that we did about a week ago?"
	"We've been in the hospital for the last 4 months," Sai reminded him.
	"Oh...well...it was a total failure. Now, Anna's somewhere in that rotten city and I'm trying to get her back. If it wasn't for that damned dragon I would be at least through Mt. Rikuroa by now!"
	Marc pounded on the table in frustration. He looked over at some gamblers at a card table then saw a woman dressed in a silk, purple gown. The woman looked over at him; her purple eyes touching something in his soul and making him want her to do something else to him. She winked at him then puckered her lips in a kiss. Marc's face turned a deep red and he looked back at his two friends.
	"That's Violet," Sai said with a pointed nod towards the woman. "She's the town slut."
	"Sai!" Sonya scolded.
	Sai shrugged. "Listen, Marc, I know that Anna means the world to you, but you may have to face facts that she's gone."
	Marc frowned. "If she's gone, so will be Robotnik."
	"Marc," Sonya sighed. "Then what? You will be alone with no real purpose in life. Is killing Father REALLY the way to solve things?"
	"Do you honestly think that one day, after all these years, he's going to come around to our way of thinking and just up and quit?! He won't listen and I don't care anymore!"
	Marc looked away to recompose himself. He looked back and said in a calmer tone, "Hey, since you're all fixed up, why don't you come with me and help take on the dragon? The more the merrier, as someone once said."
	Sai shuddered violently. Sonya looked at him, worried, then back at Marc. "We just spent four months in the hospital. Do you think we're eager to try again anytime soon?"
	Marc smiled and stood up. "No, I don't suppose you would. Well, if you ever change your minds, just let me know."
	Marc started to walk away but Sai stopped him. "Try again in number 2."
	Puzzled, Marc shook his head and walked to the stairs to go up to his room. "I don't need your help in the bathroom," he muttered.

Chapter 4 - Pains of the Heart

	"--aah!" Tina yawned as she woke up and stretched. Her head still ached from the hang over, but she was used to them by now. She looked over and saw her two new friends weren't in their beds. Panicked, she quickly ran out of the room and into the inn's large dining hall.
	Once there she saw Marc and Ragh laughing and carrying on with a group of locals. She watched Violet inch her way to Marc but he took no real notice. Tina growled and hurried over to Marc then sat, loudly, down in between him and the advancing Violet. "Marc," she sobbed, "you went off and left me in bed! How mean!"
	Marc pointed at a clock on the wall. "Its noon and you're just now waking up." He sighed and shook his head. "How one person can drink so much alcohol and not drown is beyond me."
	"Practice," Tina announced and proudly puffed out her chest.
	Marc shrugged and went back to conversing with the townspeople.

	An hour later they left the comforts of the inn and headed to the castle. Marc finally decided to test out his skill on the training master. Turgon welcomed him and instructed one of his disciples to fetch the training master.
	"You've become stronger," Turgon observed while they waited.
	"Eh, L.o.R.D. style isn't THAT hard to get the hang of," Marc replied and cracked his knuckles. "Though, I will admit that that one slime did catch me off guard."
	"Raa rag ra raah," Ragh muttered.
	"Oh, shut up!"
	A scrawny, pale, sad looking man came down the stairs and feebly walked to Turgon. "You need me?" he asked, a tone of desperation in his voice.
	"Yes, Hinen. Marc here believes he is ready to take the Level 1 test. Try not to be too rough on him."
	The man, Hinen, looked Marc over then nodded. "He appears to have some skill."
	"I should," Marc said with a shrug, "I've been learning how to fight since I was 3 years old."
	"Then, come with me."
	Marc followed Hinen to a roped off area of the castle. Hinen undid the rope then motioned for Marc to continue following. The area that was so special was a large square, about 15 meters a side, filled with evened out sand. Marc didn't like the idea of sand getting in his shoes, but he told himself that he had no choice in picking the location for the fight. Hinen pointed to a blue line drawn in the sand then walked over to another line on the opposite side of the ring. He motioned for Marc to attack and said, "Come on, now. Let's see what you've got."
	With a bored sigh, Marc ran faster than Hinen could see and stopped right next to him. With a flick of his hand, Marc sent Hinen flying across the room. The training master flew past the rope then landed, with a slight bounce and slide, at Turgon's feet on the opposite side of the castle. Turgon looked at Marc in disbelief. He knew Hinen was weak, but he believed there was no way Marc could've used such power without even trying.
	"Did I win?" Marc shouted.
	"Wait there!" Turgon shouted back. He pulled the same boy out of the people working out and told him to get the next training master.
	For fifteen minutes Marc waited in utter boredom. The way Turgon talked made it seem as though L.o.R.D. style infused a warrior with such power that even the weakest of weaklings could stand up to even Biron fighters. He leaned up against the stone wall while he waited for who knew what and almost fell asleep when he saw a fat, pink, man-sized pig walk up to him. He pondered the creature and its purpose.
	"You great fighter Master Turgon says battle reel good?" the pigman asked in a deep, almost grunting voice.
	Marc shrugged.
	"I Level...um...wha...wha...one...no...Um...what come after wha-wha-whan?"
	"2?"
	"Yes, I Level 2 master: Barak. You tuff? No, me tuff. Me strong! Me kick butt like no tomorrow!...Now we see who so tuff. Fight!"
	The pigman ran at Marc, who was still lazily resting against the stone wall. With outstretched arms the pigman ran at him, wanting to grab him and tear him apart for outsmarting him. Yawning, Marc stepped aside and watched as Barak comically ran into the wall. Marc would've laughed had it not been so pathetic to see something actually fall for that trick.
	"Hey, Turgon," Marc shouted. "If all your training masters are weak, stupid people, I might as well just fight the dragon now, cuz this is just sad!"
	"Just wait, they get much tougher!" Turgon shouted back.
	Marc turned when he heard several of the stones fall and saw that Barak's hard head kept him safe. Barak growled as he saw Marc's arrogance. He pulled out his axe and ran the edge against his finger, drawing a little blood. Marc raised an eyebrow.
	"Boomeraxe!" Barak yelled and threw the axe at Marc with an intensity that almost surprised Marc.
	Almost.
	As the axe went past, Marc grabbed the handle and showed his feat to Barak. With a smile he shouted, "Boomeraxe," and threw the axe even harder than Barak did.
	The axe flew past Barak, cutting open his left shoulder, then hovered some. Like a boomerang, the axe came flying back and soon became lodged in the right side of Barak's back.
	Barak squealed in pain and sunk to his knees. Marc shook his head as he watched his opponent fall. "Your attacks are as easy to learn as tying one's shoes. I suggest you actually try and learn how to fight instead of running around like the rest of the charging idiots in the world."
	Barak sobbed at Marc's statement. "I don't know how tie shoes yet!"
	Sighing, Marc turned and left the fighting area and headed for the castle exit. As he passed Turgon he said, "Call me when you get a real challenge. Meanwhile, I'll be checking out the rest of the town. Just leave me a message at the inn when you find one."
	Marc, Ragh, and Tina left the castle and headed south. "Marc," Tina said, "I know that you thought those two were easy, but that's what EVERYONE said before Turgon began the real challenge. Believe me, I've watched many face the dragon and only a handful have lived...three to be exact."
	"I sincerely hope that there is a challenge. I only find honor in fighting when my opponents are worth fighting." Marc stopped walking and looked at Tina. "If the next person doesn't put up more of a fight I'm going into that forest, find the dragon, and fight him right then and there, regardless of anyone's warning. If neither of you like it, leave. But don't come back to me after the fight is over, whether I'm dead or alive. Got it?"
	Startled, Tina slowly nodded. Ragh put his hand on Marc's shoulder and looked down at him. Marc looked up at his dragon friend then sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. It's just that...that dream I keep having...it's really getting to me. I have to hurry and save Anna before the dream drives me insane."
	He smiled slightly then looked at Tina. "So, what are some nice sights to see around this place?"

	Without warning, someone ran into Marc. Marc turned and watched as the child-sized, yellow cylindrical-shaped headed person reach down and pick up the vampire mask that had fallen off. The person scrambled to put the mask on then looked up at the puzzled Marc. He recognized the shape and style of the head, but couldn't recall from where. "Are you...a LegoMan?"
	Shocked at his secret being revealed, the fake vampire took a step back. "I'm a Kobun!" he announced.
	"Kobun?" Marc wondered. He looked back at the Kobun and said, "That's Robotnik's word for LegoMen!"
	"U-uh..." The Kobun looked around for support as he backed away.
	"DIE!" Marc shouted and drew his sword.
	The Kobun jumped back and stood in his fighting stance. "Meteor Break!" he called and held his hands to the sky.
	A small storm cloud appeared over the heroes. The cloud grew darker and lightning began to flash around it.
	"GRIP!" Tina shouted and pointed at the Kobun.
	Paralyzed, the Kobun stopped calling the magic required for its attack. The storm cloud dissipated and the air around the heroes became less moist.
	The Kobun struggled to break the spell that bound him, but he was too weak. Ragh now loomed above him, grinning wickedly. The Kobun gulped and closed his eyes. With a slight grunt, Ragh stepped on the Kobun like he did with all of their kind. With one fluid motion he reached down and tossed the flattened Kobun to Marc.
	In mid air, the Kobun managed to pop himself back to his normal, three dimensional self, but it was too late. With one swipe of the sword, Marc finished the Kobun off.
	"Nice teamwork, everyone," Marc said and picked up a few rings the Kobun had been carrying. "Now, let's continue sightseeing."
	The three continued south and found themselves in a pit with several gates leading to other paths. Next to each gate were urns, and some of the urns had fires blazing in them.
	"This pit," explained Tina, "leads to the world renowned tourist traps. Those pots are called 'Illuminated Ground Markers.' When they're lit, you can visit that place."
	"'L.o.R.D.'...'IGM'...geez this town is full of acronyms," Marc thought to himself. "I wonder if this is supposed to have any kind of significance..."
	"--ver there," Tina said, drawing Marc back to reality, "is Pleasant Valley, owned by a man named Vahn Stryker. It's still under construction, but I hear it's going to be completed soon. That one leads to Violet's Cottage, and that one leads to Barak's House. The Free World is over that way, but that place is REALLY weird. And my place of choice, the Fairy Village." Tina turned to Marc and held his hands. "Can we pleeeease go there?"
	Slightly embarrassed by Tina's actions, Marc stuttered, "Uh...okay."
	The three headed to the westernmost gate and pushed it open. They walked several meters and found themselves in an area that made them feel completely content. The air was warm, but had a pleasant moistness to it, like a light rain had recently stopped. Fragrant flowers were planted everywhere and almost overpowered Marc's nose. Peaceful music was being played from somewhere, but the scenery was too pleasant to find the music's source.
	The only thing that offset the atmosphere was the horribly constructed cottages. Many had loose boards hanging from the sides and shingles on the roof looked like they were just thrown on. Windows seemed to have been placed at random, and few of them had the familiar rectangular shape. The sidewalks leading from cottage to cottage had noticeable cracks, large ridges, and bumps in them.
	"Um...I don't mean to be overly critical, but aren't fairies supposed to be masters of beauty?" Marc asked. "The designs for those houses...kinda sucks..."
	"Oh, shut up!" Tina yelled. "We only had three years to build them."
	"Yeah, but wouldn't that be more than enough time?"
	"I said shut up!"
	Ragh stepped in between the two, trying to calm the situation. "Ra...rag rah raa ragh ra ri?"
	"Good question," Marc replied.
	"What'd he say?" Tina asked and looked up at her dragon friend.
	"He wants to know why all the fairies in this town are tiny, but you aren't."
	"We can shrink and grow in size whenever we want."
	"Raa~~..."
	Ragh looked down at Marc and growled slightly for Marc's bad impression of him. Marc looked up and smiled then looked back at the village. There was a warble coming from somewhere that had caught his attention. "What was that?"
	"Chinco birds."
	"Did you say 'chocobo'?"
	"NO!! Chinco! God, you really need to learn how to pay attention."
	"No thanks, I already had lunch," Marc replied with a smile.
	Tina sighed, becoming annoyed. "ANYWAY, Chinco allow you to fly across great distances when you ride them, but some can only fly short distances. There's a farm that raises them if you have one."
	Marc shook his head. "We have all day, so we can check it out later."
	
	They wandered around the village, stopping at a tent that was selling specially made medicine. Marc purchased a few that would be helpful and then they continued wandering around. The Chinco's warbling continued, drawing Marc's curiosity to investigate further, but he was stopped by another short person bumping into him. He looked down to see a Kobun poorly disguised as one of the 
fairies. The LegoMan looked up at him nervously.
	"Are you a LegoMan?" Marc asked, just to be sure.
	"U-um...no, I'm...outta here!" With that, the Kobun ran at full speed to the north part of the village.
	"H-hey! Get back here and die!" Marc yelled and ran after the Kobun.

	"Hold it!" a female-shaped dirt clod said.
	The heroes found themselves in a fenced of area of town. The Kobun had jumped the fence and was now frantically running around the pen. "We've gotta kill that LegoMan," Marc explained. "Please, let us through!"
	The dirt person shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can only let you enter if you are going to take the Fairy Challenge."
	Marc jumped back and forth, anxiously. "B-but I just wanna kill something!"
	"Then give me 10 rings and go in there and get 'im. You got 2 minutes to do so or else you are ejected from the pen."
	Marc fumbled through his pocket and pulled out a gold ring. The dirt person was shocked to see an actual gold ring, as they were extremely rare in any part of the world. She opened up the fence and deposited the gold ring into her cash register. As she counted out the 5 ring change to give to Marc, he rushed through the gate and drew his sword. "DIE!!" he shouted and chased after 
the Kobun.
	Marc wasted 45 seconds trying to corner the Kobun, swinging his sword wildly. When he'd finally cornered the Kobun, the Kobun realized that he had no choice left but to fight. He lunged at Marc, but Marc's wild swinging actually connect with a target. The Kobun screamed as the flat side of Marc's blade connected with the Kobun's head, knocking it across the fenced in area. Marc ran over and began stomping on the helpless Kobun; he was completely absorbed in the fight. Not liking Marc's new attitude, Ragh ran over and grabbed Marc's arms and held him up.
	The thirst for battle faded away and Marc had realized what he'd done. He looked at Ragh with immense fear in his eyes.
	"Time's up!" the dirt person called and reopened the gate.
	Marc leaned on Ragh shoulders as they walked back to the village. "I...I completely lost it back there!" Marc said. "W...H...Have I be...What's going on? Ragh? Tina? Am I doing the right thing?"
	Neither of the other two answered until they were back in their room at the inn. Marc sat quietly on his bed, staring at the ground. Tina walked over and sat beside him. She put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. "It's alright, Marc," she said in a comforting tone. "Sometimes the smell of battle can overtake even the best of fighters. Just try harder next time."
	"B...but I beat that helpless, scared, LegoMan senseless!" Marc said, fighting back a sob. "I might've done something horrible to that little...kid?"	Ragh sat on his bed, across from Marc's. He put his hand on Marc's knee. Marc looked at his dragon friend, finding it hard to fight the tears. "Ra...ragh ra raan ra ri raa rah. Ragh ra rna rag raaaa."
	Marc smiled. "Thanks, you guys."
	"C'mon, let's get some rest. It's been a tedious day."

	The next morning, Marc had almost completely forgotten about previous day. He yawned and walked to the inn. He saw Sai and Sonya sitting at a table, talking, and walked over to them. "Hi, guys," he said and yawned again.
	"Yo," Sai replied.
	"Morning," Sonya said and waved over the waitress.
	"Yes?" the waitress asked and pulled out a pad of paper. "What can I get for you?"
	"Two coffees, an orange juice, three pancakes, two eggs scrambled and one sunny-side up, and three steaks. Medium, please."
	The waitress quickly wrote down the order then said, "Very good, ma'am. I'll get that too you as soon as possible."
	Marc sleepily watched the waitress hurry away. "Steak? For breakfast?"
	"Steak brings good strength for the hard battles," Sai said and cracked his knuckles.
	"Speaking of which," Sonya said shifted in her seat. "How goes the training?"
	"Well, yesterday I beat Barak, so I suppose I'm L.o.R.D. Level 3 now. Know how many there are?"
	"10."
	"Good, cuz those battles were dull. I hope they get tougher."
	Sai nodded. "Don't worry, Aragoner is a tough cookie."
	Marc chuckled. "Yeah, but that's what Biron fighters say about anyone that can fight."
	"Shut up, Kame-boy!"
	"Now, now," Sonya said, "Save your energy for the real fighting."
	Marc brushed the hair out of his eyes. "You're right. I got some work ahead of me."
	"Oh, yeah, that reminds me, did you hear that Pleasant Valley has finally been finished?"
	"Really?" Sai said. "It's about time. Y'know, that thing has been under construction for about 5 years. That Vahn guy really needs to get his act together."
	"Hey, cut him some slack, it's not easy making an entire town by yourself."
	"Might I remind you that I am in charge of the ENTIRE Floating Island?"
	Marc stood up and stretched his arms. "Well, I think I'm going to go pay the training master a little visit before I have some breakfast. Fighting on an empty stomach keeps me alert, ya know."

	"BEGIN!"
	Marc was amazed by the speed of this training master. He didn't appear nearly as weak as the previous two and seemed to have some fighting skill. This one, Aragoner, was an actual vampire, not like that LegoMan Marc had fought the 
other day. His bat-like wings were draped around his body like a cloak. His skin was blue and hair purple, making Marc think he'd come back from the grave just to continue fighting. Whatever the case, Marc knew this one was indeed tougher 
than the previous, and the two hadn't even begun fighting.
	Marc sidestepped out of the way then shot forward, passing the training master. Unlike Barak, Aragoner knew better and quickly grabbed Marc has he passed. Startled, Marc used an energy releasing attack by instinct. The energy 
forcefully pushed Aragoner away, giving Marc plenty of time to scramble away. Marc turned to his opponent, but Aragoner was nowhere to be found. Marc frantically looked around, forgetting how to sense his opponent's whereabouts. 
His mind was too relaxed from his previous fights for him to react like he normally would.
	Aragoner, however, could sense Marc's frustration clearly. He smiled and waved his cloak at Marc, creating dozens of bats to attack. Without hesitation, the bats flew at Marc, screeching gleefully. Marc gasped when he saw the bats 
flying towards him, the memory of the dark cave he'd gone through a few days earlier returned to his mind. Screaming in terror, a deep red flame shot out from Marc's body as he went into Rage. The bats were disintegrated by Marc's 
sudden attack, some letting out a screech as they turned to dust.
	With incredible speed, Marc ran at Aragoner faster than either one thought possible. Marc was no longer in control of his body; he was merely a spectator for now. His body hit Aragoner over and over with such intensity that Marc had 
to scream at himself to stop the assault. However, the damage had been done. Aragoner fell to the ground, exhausted and bleeding blackish red blood.
	Marc sunk to his knees, once again his rage overcame him and he was near helpless to stop himself. He became afraid of his own power once again. The events of the previous day flooded his mind, causing tears to flow. Turgon walked over and placed his hand on Marc's shoulder. "Stop," he commanded.
	Suddenly, the tears stopped and Marc was completely calm once again. Marc looked up at Turgon with surprise in his eyes.
	"I thought you said you were a great fighter. Impossible! No fighter this advance would ever let his emotions take control of him so easily!"
	"I...I...I can't help it. Ever since--"
	"Silence! If you can't control yourself, how can you possible hope to save your girl? She is counting on you to stay cool and composed. No...YOU cannot possibly be the same fighter I met three days ago. That man was truly a great 
fighter who believed in his own strength. YOU are just a sad, scared, little boy who cannot fight at all."
	Marc scowled. He knew Turgon was right; he was no longer the same Marc. He knew something in him was wrong, but he couldn't tell what. All he knew was that whatever it was he had to take control once again.
	Turgon smiled. "I want you to meditate for the rest of the day today. Tomorrow, go into the forest and find yourself in battle until you are able to control your emotions. Once that has been accomplished, return here and you will 
fight Tsuraika."
	Marc nodded then returned to the inn. For the rest of the day he sat on his bed and meditated. Tina and Ragh wondered what was going on with him, but decided it was for the best if they didn't disturb him.

Chapter 5 - Rage like None Before

	"Fira!" Marc shouted. The Slime burst into flames and cried out as it burned to the ground. 	This was the fifteenth group of monsters Marc had finished off that day, but he still couldn't tell what was wrong with him. Tina 
and Ragh kept their distance, still trying to figure out what was wrong. Marc sighed and looked at them. "Not yet."
	"What's not?" Tina asked.
	"I don't feel like I did when I first arrived in Trum."
	"Ra raa?"
	Marc smiled. "Besides 'dead tired.' I mean, I don't feel like the same person I was."
	"Perhaps you've just grown up?" Tina suggested.
	Marc shrugged. There was a rustling in the bushes near them and they turned to see what monster was going to attack next. A woman in a red robe came walking out, looking at the ground. She stopped when she realized that there 
were people around. She looked at Marc then ran to him. "Please!" she said as she held onto him.
	Marc blushed heavily as he looked at this woman with wide eyes. "A...Ano, er...excuse me, but what are you doing?"
	"Please, take me!"
	Marc forced thoughts of him and this woman in a room together out of his mind.
	"Take me to the Free World!" she continued. "My friend, Princess Alicia, is trapped in one of the castles there. I just came from the Tavern, but no one would help me. They all said it was crazy to go there."
	"I'm not surprised," Tina said. "That place is like one big funhouse that isn't very fun."
	"Please!" the woman repeated.
	Ragh leaned down and whispered something into Marc's ear. Marc looked at Ragh then back at the woman. "Listen, how about we go find her for you while you wait in the inn? It'll be safer for you that way."
	"Oh, thank you so very, very much!" the woman said and kissed Marc's cheeks repeatedly.
	Marc blushed a deeper shade of red this time. "A--um, what's your name? So we can tell her that she's being looked for?"
	"I am Olivia Sarinous. Please, I fear for her safety."
	Marc nodded and the three hurried to the part of town called Free World.

	"Tina wasn't joking," Marc thought. "This place is like...vertigo."
	Shades of reds, blues, and purples illuminated the area, radiating from something far off in the distance that Marc figured to be a sun of some sort. The ground seemed to shift every so often. Sometimes one of them had to scramble 
onto solid ground because a section they were standing on suddenly disappeared from under them.
	"This place IS really weird!" Ragh said, surprising both Marc and Tina.
	"Chi china tiii naaaaaaaaa!" Tina tried to reply.
	"Yeah, we'd better hurry and find that princess before something permanent happens," Marc said.
	Out of nowhere, a sign grew out of the ground under Ragh's feet, throwing him into the air. Marc held onto the sign, thinking that it might disappear at any moment if he didn't. "This way to the castle," Marc read.
	Beneath the line of text were three buttons, each labeled differently. Marc looked at Tina and Ragh, and shrugged. He pressed the button marked, "Castle Coldrake," and suddenly disappeared. Tina and Ragh shrugged and pressed 
one of the other buttons, "Castle Minto" and "Castle Woldnar," respectively, and they too disappeared.

	"H-hello?" Marc called as he opened a door in the castle. "Are there any princesses that need rescuing in here?"
	A woman ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said and hugged him tighter. "I was captured by the beast of Woldnar and locked in that room. I thought I'd never get out!"
	"Yeah, Olivia S...Sarinous, could you...stop...hugging me?"
	"Oh, sorry!" The princess let Marc go and he began gasping for breathe. "Olivia sent you? Oh, she is such a good friend."
	"Yeah, c'mon, I'll get you back."

	Three hours later, the two finally were able to return to the inn. Princess Alinia ran to Olivia and they exchanged greetings. "This fine young man saved me, and I have you to thank," Princess Alinia said and hugged her friend.
	"She likes to hug..." Marc thought and rubbed his head.
	"Kind sir," Olivia said and walked to Marc. "Please accept these small tokens of my appreciation."
	She handed Marc several dozens of potions and 50 gold rings. Marc was amazed at the gifts he'd received and suddenly remembered why he fought. Grinning, he waved goodbye to the two girls and went back to his room.

	That night, Ragh and Tina finally returned, slightly worse for wear. Ragh looked especially trashed. "What happened?!" Marc asked in disbelief.
	"Ra...ragh ra rina Ragh ra raan raal raaagh!" Ragh replied and fell onto his bed and went right to sleep.
	"Yeah, Tina added. "What he said."
	Tina fell asleep even before she'd completely fallen onto her bed. Marc smiled and quietly said, "Rest well, my friends."

	"Now THAT was a fight!" Marc said as he shook Tsuraika's hand.
	Tsuraika, the ancient armor-clad samurai, nodded. "If it was in the budget, I would gladly fight you again. However, I have been proven to not be worthy enough to fight you. Continue on to Level 5 with pride."
	Marc nodded and walked to Turgon. "Thank you, Turgon," he said and shook his hand as well. "I finally remembered why I fight."
	"Is that so? Then, tell me."
	"I fight to protect the people that need it. I fight to stop the evil in the world and, hopefully, one day live in peace. And it is because there is not enough peace in this world that I will fight with my heart and all the power in 
it."
	Turgon nodded and smiled. "You have my permission to do so."
	Marc returned the smile then left the castle. He waved to Tina and Ragh as they ran to him, shouting something he couldn't hear. "--atc---ut!" Tina yelled.
	Marc frowned, trying to figure out what she'd meant. Suddenly, a flame hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Marc hurried to his feet and saw the infamous Red Dragon hovering above him.
	"It's the Red Dragon!!!" someone yelled.
	Everyone that heard screamed and ran for their houses. The dragon roared and began flapping around, chasing some of the people as they ran. With one lethal breath, the dragon incinerated the people as they ran. Some of the nearby 
houses caught fire as well, sending the people inside running from the house in terror. Marc screamed in anger then launched several energy attacks at the dragon, trying to get draw its attention away from the innocent civilians. The 
dragon turned then flew back to Marc.
	"Great, genius," Marc thought angrily. "You've got its attention and now it's pissed! What're ya gonna do now?"
	Marc held his hands out then shouted. A burst of fire bounced off the dragon's tough hide and harmlessly landed on the ground. Marc gasped and took a step back. "Idiot!" Tina yelled as she and Ragh ran to Marc's side. "Why'd you 
challenge the Red Dragon NOW? We're gonna get slaughtered!"
	"Then why are you here?"
	"Stupid, like we'd let you get killed all by yourself."
	Marc smiled and the three stood in their fighting stances. Marc drew his sword and pointed it at the dragon. "You may scare these people, but we'll show you what the power for three years worth of pissed off people can do!"
	Marc ran at the dragon and jumped at its neck then slashed at it as he went passed and landed on the dragon's back. With a mighty battle cry, he shoved the blade deep into the base of the dragon's neck, causing it to roar in pain. 
Ragh began pounding the dragon's belly with his powerful fists, surprised by the screams the dragon let out saying that he was actually damaging the dragon. Tina focused on attacking the dragon with her magic, not wasting any of her power to 
stop this menace.
	Marc continued hacking away at the dragon's wings with his sword, trying to ground the dragon. With a burst of energy, he shouted, "Neo Star Slash!" and began a new sword attack that finished the task of removing the wings. The 
dragon dropped to the ground, right onto Ragh. Ragh cried out in pain from the tremendous weight and tried to claw his way out. The dragon let out a burst of fire that caught Tina off guard, as she was in the middle of another spell. She 
screamed as the fire engulfed her.
	"Tina!" Marc shouted and focused on a healing spell to stop the burn. He succeeded, but the dragon took this opportunity to attack.
	The three heroes were thrown back by the dragon's fists, its power in just its fists was far more than Marc ever expected. They flew back together and landed together, skidding into the ground. They picked themselves up and stood 
weakly, the dragon's punch had knocked much of their strength from them. With one, tremendous, terrifying roar, the dragon swung its body around, catching Tina and Ragh in their heads and flinging them back.

	Marc watched Ragh and Tina drop to the ground and not get up. Feeling the fatigue begin to overtake him, Marc looked at the dragon that appeared to be grinning.
	The dragon opened its mouth, drawing in its breath for the finishing attack.
	"No!" Marc screamed and burst with a fire more intense than any before. "Desperation Finale!"
	With incredible speed and an animalistic fury, Marc unleashed every physical attack in his arsenal in rapid succession. The dragon was too surprised by the sudden, vicious onslaught to defend itself.
	When Marc finished he hopped back and began powering up for his ultimate energy attack. Marc screamed as he gathered energy from everything around him. Soon the energy radiating from his body was so powerful that it made an 
invisible sphere that grew with each second, pushing the ground into itself.
	When he'd gathered enough energy, Marc quickly cleared his mind and focused on the attack. He held his hands forward, feeling the energy around him fighting against him, begging to be released.
	"Final Blast," he said calmly then let go of all the energy at the dragon.
	The energy was in such quantity and power that it was visible to even the most untrained of eyes. The black/purple energy made a beam that hit the dragon with the force of the cosmos, ripping the dragon apart like dust in the wind. 
Soon, the dragon was no more.
	Now, all the energy in Marc was gone, used up by the attack as he knew it would. Weakly he smiled as a gust of wind blew into him, causing an inertia that pushed him over and out of consciousness.

Chapter 6 - Farewell, Till We Fight Again

	"--upid fool!" Marc heard someone say as he woke up.
	"Sai, he saved us all," he heard her sister say.
	"Still, he should've known better. He's lucky to be alive."
	"It's been 10 days, stop harping on it."
	Marc slowly sat up and weakly looked around the room. He was in the same room he, Ragh, and Tina had stayed in while in Trum. He looked over and saw his two companions sleeping.
	"Marc, you're awake!" Sonya said.
	Marc tried responding, his words came out as a raspy gurgle, but he didn't notice.
	Sonya smiled. "I'm not surprised you can't talk. All your energy was drained and you've been sleeping for 10 days straight."
	Sai stomped over to Marc and hit him over the head. "Idiot!"
	Marc fell over, his head hitting the pillow. Struggling, Marc raised his arm and extended a choice finger then dropped his arm in exhaustion.
	"We'll let you get to sleep," Sonya said. "But it'd probably be a good idea to get something to eat first. Don't want your stomach to finish you off, do ya?"
	Marc smiled and gurgled again in reply. Sonya and Sai headed out. Sai stopped in the doorway, looked back, and muttered, "You better make it to 2..." then left.
	Marc stared at the ceiling, thinking back to the battle he'd just won. He wasn't certain, but he thought he saw LegoMen being flung out of a robot dragon. Could Robotnik have created a robotic Red Dragon to terrorize the inhabitants of 
Trum 3 years ago? He wondered. Possibly, but actual robots weren't really Robotnik's style. But, that would explain the SuperRobots they'd encountered in the raid on Robotropolis three weeks ago. The raid...Anna!
	"I can't save Anna like this!" Marc thought. "Gotta get my strength back"
	Marc slowly pulled off the covers and stumbled to the table that already had food set. Halfway there he tripped and fell flat on his face. Grumbling, he crawled to the table, determined not to be beaten by a little thing like hunger, 
especially when he'd just been in the toughest battle since the battle against Songi so many years ago.
	"I knew this was going to happen," he thought. "When I first began learning the Final Blast, Sorun-sensei told me it'd require more in me than I would have when I used it. I suppose that's why they call it Final Blast...Still, it was a pretty awesome attack. Sure taught that dragon a thing or three. I wonder if Ragh feels bad about having to fight a fellow dragon. I think he passed out before I finished the dragon off, but he might still be a little sad. But, it has been...what? 10 days. He might be over it...Maybe it was the Rage Break that gave me the energy I needed to beat the dragon. Thank you, Rem-sama."
	He pulled himself to the table and slumped into the chair. As he gasped for breath, he began to realize how much he took for granted. Not just big things like flying or Anna, but also the simple strength to move around freely. 
He made up his mind to not use that much energy again. However, deep in his mind he had a feeling that some point in the future he would have no choice but to go all out again.
	He ate a peach without his hands. Instead he leaned down and bit into it, the juices running down his cheek. He suddenly felt like a baby again, his mother feeding him and he would have the baby food all over him like now. Then 
he realized that he'd never known his mother. In fact, his mother had died after giving birth to him, Sonya, and Blaze. This new thought made him feel very alone in the world. He ate some more, feeling the strength return to him as he ate. 
Before he'd finished eating the peach he was able to pick it up with his hand and bring it up to his mouth. He was filled with pride at accomplishing this, normally, simple task.
	Marc finished off the meal, savoring the tastes and textures of each part. When he'd finished he walked back to his bed, smiled, then fell onto the bed and into a peaceful sleep.

	The next morning Marc awoke and went into the dining area of the inn. A cheer erupted from the large crowd that had gathered, awaiting Marc's return to the living. Marc looked around the room in awe, everyone in this room was cheering for HIM! He walked to the exit, seeing many familiar faces as he did. Olivia, Princess Alinia, Tween, Chance, the old man he'd taken to the tavern, the dirt woman from Fairy Village, Violet, Sai and Sonya, and finally Tina and Ragh. Everyone he'd met, except Turgon, was there to celebrate. Violet stopped Marc and pulled him back to the inn and they declared a feast in his honor. Marc was filled with supreme happiness and joy at all the attention he was getting. Suddenly he wondered what the response would be when he beat Robotnik, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.
	They all ate and drank the entire day, even Tina decided to stop drinking alcoholic beverages and start drinking the same drinks Marc and the other Mobians drank. In the evening, Marc left the inn to get some fresh air. He waved 
to several of the townspeople and smiled when he overheard several children reenacting the fight that slayed the Red Dragon. As he walked around he heard metal clanking behind him and he turned. He saw Turgon's armor reflecting in the 
moonlight as he walked up to him. "Yo, Turgon!"
	"Greetings, savior of Trum!"
	Marc grinned when he heard Turgon refer to him by his new title.
	"Marc, I foresaw great things for you, and it looks like my assumptions were correct. I trust that this experience has taught you many a things."
	"Yeah, don't get Tina drunk for one," Marc said as he scratched his ear.
	"I am glad to hear you speak your usual wisecracks. Anyway, I have something to give to you in thanks for your deed. My sword: Madness Hero."
	Marc was shocked. "Turgon, your...sword? I can't take something like that from you!"
	"I insist. It has served me faithfully these many years, but now that the dragon has been slain I have found that I no longer desire to fight. However, my blade is a restless soul. It hungers for battle and I foresee you to be many in 
the near future."
	Marc, still shocked, took the sword and looked it over. The blade was three feet in length and had a very fine edge. The hilt and handle felt heavier than Marc's, but he sensed the great power this sword contained. "Thank you, 
Master Turgon."
	Turgon nodded and walked off.
	Marc looked at the blade once more then returned to his room in the inn for the last time.

	"Let's go!" Marc exclaimed and he, Tina, and Ragh ran through the forest to Mt. Rikuroa. Marc shouted in glee as he ran passed the trees, feeling like a tremendous weight had been lifted off his back. He waved to Princess Alinia and 
Olivia as he ran passed, then Tween and some traveling minstrels, and then he jumped over the old man he'd taken to the tavern so many days ago. 
	Quickly they reached the wall that had been intended to stop the dragon. Marc stopped and held onto the wall then turned back to look at Trum one last time. He looked over at Tina and said, "Hey, since the dragon is gone, I suppose 
you'll be heading to Raspberry Fields."
	"Nah, you guys are way too much fun!"
	They all smiled and continued through the rest of the forest then up the path to Mt. Rikuroa.
	"I feel so hot!" Marc shouted.

	They all smiled and continued through the rest of the forest then up the 
path to Mt. Rikuroa.

Chapter 6 - Get Outta my Way, I Can't Stop!

	Marc, Tina, and Ragh stared up at the ominous, overbearing, and downright 
frightening Mt. Rikuroa. Marc narrowed his eyes as he looked up the path that 
would take them into the mountain. "This is it, guys," he said. "Last chance to 
back out."
	"No way!" Tina said and slapped his back. "We've already gone this far 
together; there ain't nothin' that'll keep us apart at this point! We fight 
together, and we'll win together!"
	Ragh growled in agreement. Marc's eyes watered. Suddenly, the mountain 
didn't seem so big. Together they hurried up the path that they had fought so 
hard to finally reach. Each step they took felt easier to take than the last. 
Soon they were at the cave that would lead through the mountain. However, the 
small shop that was built next to the cave was too inviting to jump right into 
the cave.
	"Welcome!" the shopkeeper said as the three entered the store. "It's not 
often that people come to our store."
	Marc shrugged. "Well, we were on our way to Mt. Rikuroa and figured we 
might need some supplies."
	"Oh, dear. These days Mt. Rikuroa is overflowing with those new robots 
Robotnik created. We're lucky that they're on their way to the Great Forest and 
not causing us trouble."
	They looked through the store and bought some useful items then left. 
"Take care," the shopkeeper said as they left.
	Marc raised his hand as he shut the door. "SuperRobots," he thought. "Just 
what has he sent to stop me now?"
	"Marc, hurry up!" Tina said and waved to him.
	"Right!"

	Marc grinned as he held out his hand and a ball of fire appeared in his 
palm. "I'm glad I got the hang of regular fire magic," he said and lit one of 
the torches he'd bought.
	"Ra rag rah rang?"
	"Yeah, but the Tornado Flame is a more temporary burst of fire."
	"'Tornado Flame'?" Tina said.
	"Just one of my special attacks, ya know. Oh, wait, no you never saw any 
of my Hyper Arts, have you?"
	Tina shook her head.
	"Well, just wait till we find some 'bots."
	"Speaking of which, I don't know anything but L.o.R.D. style...do you 
think that will work on these robots?"
	Marc shrugged. "If not, you can probably get the hang of fighting robots 
instead of those monsters. There isn't that much difference, but I'm willing to 
bet those robots got better since we've been gone."
	They continued deeper into the mountain. Unlike the cave, Mt. Rikuroa's 
tunnels were much more complicated. Many circled in on themselves and others 
could take an unaware person back to the entrance if they didn't have any way to 
mark the passages. The passages also amplified the footsteps of the patrolling 
robots and echoed them throughout the walls, making the three feel surrounded. 
Fortunately, the robots didn't take notice of them until they accidentally 
crossed paths halfway in the mountain. Marc and Ragh easily took down a Kron 
while Tina practiced on SWAT-Bots and other, less difficult robots.
	The fighting alerted the other robots who quickly zeroed in on their 
position. "DIABLOS!" Marc screamed and started backing away.
	"Pull it together!" Tina said. "Remember what you learned back in Trum!"
	Seeing Marc's weakness, the two Diablos' cackled wickedly and slowly 
stepped towards him, swinging their scythes like before in Robotropolis. Marc 
backed away at the same pace, petrified. Soon his back was to the wall and he 
was afraid for his life. As Ragh finished off another Kron he looked over to see 
Marc shaking with fear. He ran over and lightly chomped down on Marc's arm. Marc 
screamed and came to his senses. "Thanks, Ragh."
	Ragh gave him a thumbs up and stood by his side. Marc looked at the two, 
still advancing Diablos' and pointed at them. "I'm tired of being afraid. It's 
time to see what you're really made of!"
	Undaunted by Marc's bold words, the Diablos' continued. Marc let out a 
battle cry and ran at the two of them, drawing out the Madness Hero and 
preparing to strike. The Diablos on the left swung his scythe at Marc, but Marc 
caught it with his blade and held it still. The Diablos tried to pull back the 
scythe's blade, but Marc held firm. With all its might, the Diablos pulled back 
and at that moment Marc let the blade go. The first Diablos fell back causing 
the scythe's blade to sever the second in half. The second Diablos screamed in 
pain as it fell over then exploded. Before the first Diablos could recover, Marc 
charged and skewered the skull-shaped head right between the eyes. "That's for 
Anna, you robotic BASTARD!" he screamed with the intensity of the Red Dragon's 
roar.
	The Diablos slid off Marc's blade then exploded as Marc walked away, 
triumphantly. "Way to go, Marc!" Tina cheered. Ragh patted Marc on the back so 
hard that he fell over, laughing with relief.
	Hearing the group of celebrating heroes, another pack of robots and 
SuperRobots came stamping in. "Alright, fun time!" Marc cheered and ran at the 
robots.

	That night...
	"We're almost there!" Marc said as he finished setting up the campfire. 
"Just one more day and I'll have my Anna back in my hands!"
	"Hey, Marc," Tina said as she sat down on her blanket, "I've been meaning 
to ask, just who is this 'Anna' anyway? Do you have a picture?"
	Marc reached into his backpack then tossed the picture of Anna he always 
kept to Tina. "That's her. That's my girlfriend. She's been with me ever since 
we were born. We were born at the exact same time, ya know."
	"Does that mean you're betrothed?"
	Marc nodded. "Yeah, but Anna takes that more seriously than I do. I told 
her that once the fighting was done we'd settle down and get married, but she's 
fairly impatient."
	"Ra...ragh ragg rah ra?"
	"Man, shut up, she ain't that kinda girl!"
	Ragh shrugged and munched on his piece of meat. Marc opened a can of juice 
then started drinking it when he suddenly realized a very crucial piece of 
information he'd forgotten. "I have absolutely no clue on how to navigate 
Robotropolis!"
	"WHAT?!" Tina shouted and fell over.
	"RA?! Ragh raan raa reagh ra ran?"
	"Well, I always had a map to help me. But that map was in my computer and 
my computer is babysitting some kids in Sol Tower..."
	"CRA~~~P!" Tina sighed. "Some hero you are..."
	"Oh...shut up. We can always go to the City of Two Tails and see if Kame-
sensei has one."
	"But only Guardians can enter the City, right?"
	"Yeah, but you guys can wait outside. It's not going to take me forever to 
get ONE stinking map."
	"Aren't YOU the one who wanted to get to your girlfriend as quick as you can?"
	"I...SHUT UP!"
	Ragh calmly put his hand over both of their mouths and growled low. Marc sighed and pushed his hand away. "Good night," he said then laid down and closed his eyes.
	"Good night," he heard Tina say as he fell to sleep.

	"~OOOOOOO" Tina screamed as she woke up. It was still the middle of the night, but the time of day was hard to tell from deep inside of a mountain.
	Marc mumbled something as he woke and sat up. "Wassamatta?" he said, wondering if he was dreaming or had actually heard Tina.
	"I...I..." Tina panted. "I had the most horrible dream. I dreamt that I was eaten by a large dragon and then turned into a robot...then...then..."
	"That's nice..." Marc mumbled then fell back and returned to his slumber.
	Tina, still panting slightly, looked over at Marc, his body was hard to make out now that the fire had died out, but she could faintly see a shimmer from his partially drawn sword. "Yeah, I guess it's okay for you to wake up screaming, but where's the concern when the rest of us have nightmares?" she muttered as she rubbed her eyes. She frowned and wanted to smack him in the head for his insensitivity toward her feelings.
	"I...I love you..." Marc mumbled in his sleep.
	Tina was shocked. Her entire face flushed, not that anyone would've been able to tell easily, and her pulse quickened. She violently shook her head, trying to rid her mind of these romantic thoughts. "I'm not supposed to feel like that. I can't! I'll get in trouble if I do!"
	"P-please, stay with me...be with me forever...my love..." Marc mumbled and rolled onto his stomach.
	"No! I can't! It's not allowed!" she whispered. "I..."
	"I know you...l...me!"
	Tina put her hands to her warm cheeks and again shook her head. "No! P...please stop saying that! I don't...I...don't...love you..."
	"Self...fic...blurbaga!"
	Tina looked in Marc's direction in surprise, not knowing what he meant by that last statement, then she realized that he was only talking in his sleep. She let out a sigh of relief and laid back down. "I love you," she whispered and fell back asleep.
	"I love you, too," Marc mumbled after she'd fallen asleep, "Anna..."

	"Gooooood morning!" Tina called as she shook Marc awake.
	"Fluffernutter!" Marc cried as he woke awake, startled. He frantically looked around then remembered where he was. "Life's not good when you're always fighting."
	"I made you some eggs and pancakes. Would you like milk or tea with it?"
	Marc looked at Tina, wondering what about her had changed during the night. She only was this cheerful during a long night of heavy drinking. He shrugged it off then said, "Milk."
	"Coming right up!"
	Marc nodded slightly then looked over at the still sleeping Ragh. Smiling, Marc lightly tapped the slumbering dragon on his wings with his foot. The dragon gurgled and scratched his wings. Marc raised an eyebrow then kicked him harder. Ragh muttered something then rolled over. Marc let out a sigh then kicked him hard in the face. Ragh roared and jumped up, thinking he and his friends had been found out by the patrolling robots. Seeing none, he looked down at Marc. Marc smiled and pointed at Tina. Tina looked up and saw a charging dragon coming to tackle her. Marc burst out laughing then let out a startled gasp as his two friends ran at him. He jumped out of the way then rushed over to the large boulder that they used to protect their temporary camp. With all his might he pushed the boulder out of the way then looked out for any on coming robots. Seeing none, he turned back around to see Ragh and Tina standing over him, snarling and flexing their muscles.
	"Uh...yeah, c'mon we got a long way to go and less time to get there."
	