Oz: Crossroad of Legends

"I think I'm done here, too," commented Irving, who has been continuously adjusting his helmet ever since trying it on. "I'll just head back to the castle after exploring town a bit."

"Your the greatest Barker," Catie said placing Barker in a super ultra Catie hug.

Catie took the form and began skipping towards the armory.

Sam was taking a cat nap (:3) while Catie was filling out the forms. Well he was until Catie scooped him up and placed him on her shoulders. "Really I don't wanna go to school today," Sam said.

Catie skipped into the armory and gave the clerk the form and told him that Sgt. Bob Barker told her to come on down she's the next contestant on the price is right and she could get that spider ryfle thingy. When the clerk handed her the sniper, he also handed her some things he called bullets (but Catie thought they were funny looking arrows) and she strapped the ryfle to her back. "Thank you kind sir, I can't wait to tell Baron about what I learned to do today," Catie said with much enjoyment.

"I am just shocked at how quickly you took to Oz weaponry," Sam said.

"Well I had such great teachers today," Catie said petting Sam. "Anyways back to the castle can't wait to say Baron and show him my new ryfle thing," Catie said as she left the range and skipped towards the castle.

"Actually, a little jealous that my dog would just up and abandon me like that," Aylssa said while heading towards the shower to freshen up. "Well at least I feel like I have energy today, and enough mana," Aylssa said as she froze a drop of water in the shower. "Hmmm I wonder how useful I could be right now, too bad I had to show off yesterday with that maneuver, ehh live and learn," Aylssa said as she left the shower area.

"Well at least he gets along with the princess really well, that's good to know," Aylssa said while putting on a simple t-shirt and a pair of pants. "Now to find where this dining hall is, actually really hungry," Alyssa said while she left her room. Aylssa asked the guard where the dining hall was and the guard gave her a seris of directions.

Alyssa passed Bowser Jr. and Joshua on her way there she was going to stop and ask how they were but Joshua looked like he was busy so she just walked past them. When Aylssa arrived she saw Bowser asleep, Mario and Starlow were talking with the princess and her maid, and Baron was just kicking back chillin. Aylssa grabbed her plate of food and began to eat. Charlie having seen Aylssa with a plate of food left Lana's side and started staring at Aylssa.

"Oh now you want to be my friend," Aylssa tteased Charlie. Charlie just countinued to stare at her and began army crawling towards her. "Maybe your new best friend Lana will give you some of her food," Aylssa said while Charlie just tilted his head and began crawling closer. "Sigh your lucky I love you," Aylssa said as she handed Charlie a piece of ham. Charlie happily ate the piece of ham and was looking at Aylssa like he wanted more.

Celeste paused at Joshua's question. "Give me a moment," he started, before tapping something into his Files Manager. Images of the previous day began flashing on his glasses as a refresher.

"Let's see...skipping the chat with God, don't ask, lab, prison, explosion, market. Right, ok. I was in a puddle with the shapeshifter you may or may not have run into by now. I remember that because I started face-down. I was then surrounded by people with guns, probably guards, but they didn't seem to have any official uniform. They brought me to the castle and then another host of guards took over and just locked me right up into a room with a bed. I didn't catch anything anyone was saying unfortunately. I was a bit preoccupied with the whole new world thing. I suppose I was rather unlucky showing up in a populated area."

"Hey Joshie you were there when Mario was doing his demonstration right?" Bowser Jr. asked. "When Mario uses that cool leaf thingy he turns into a tanooki thing is that shape shifting?" Bowser Jr. asked. "Oh and what about that lady with the tail Catie?" Bowser Jr asked. "She had this stone thing and when she closed her eyes she turned into a wolf," Bowser Jr. said while he winded up another Mechakoopa.

---

"Hey mom," Lana said as she steped out of the portal into the throne room. "I was wondering if it would be okay to take some of the Outlanders out to the market place?" Lana asked.

"Hold that thought, Junior," Joshua muttered to the Koopa Kid as he observed the image of the green substance Celeste projected.

Hmm... I think I saw the scientists using something like this to power up some of their devices. I'm going to have to inquire further about what it was.

"Simply put," Joshua said to Celeste, "I have a suspicion that you might have entered this world as a card, and I want to know if there was something that could've caused you to be able to become human. As of right now, whatever that thing is is our biggest clue."

---

"The Outlanders?" Glinda asked. "Which ones?"

"Okay," replied Glinda. "You are allowed to go with an escort." She smiled warmly at her daughter. "I hope you have fun."

"Thank you mom your the greatest," Lana said hugging her mom.

"Oh I would love to hear about the little incident between you and Mario," Lana said playfully. "The one where your hit by a magical leaf," Lana said.

"Oh and try to relax when your with that masked Outlander, I think the two of you are really cute together," Lana said as she skipped through the portal.

"Okay guys just need to get a couple of guards and.... oh boy," Lana said as she arrived in the dining room. Bowser had Chompy out and she (yup it's a she :3) was barking and lashing out at everyone passing by. Charlie was growling at Chompy while Aylssa was finshing her breakfast.

"Hey hey what's on?" Lana asked Bowser.

"What she has her chain chomp, and what I can't have my chain chomp, thats being whats the word discriminatory," Bowser whined. "Can't a Koopa get a break?" Bowser asked.

"Well Bowser, and everybody else I will be right back, just have to get a couple more people before we leave" "If you need to do anything to get ready nows, the time," Lana told the Outlanders. "When your done with everything just meet me at the entrance," Lana said skipping to Bowser.

"As for you Mr. Turtle you better have Chompy under control by the time I get back," Lana whispered to him. "Otherwise I know a certain maid who would love having the extra help and trust me you don't want me to unleash her on you," Lana told Bowser. "On that note Chompy can stay but if she nips just one person here well, there will be a price to pay," Lana said as she skipped off to get some guards.

"Ummm err, Chompy come here," Bower said hding Chompy. "Umm wouldn't want you to mess up your coat," Bowser said as he waved away Chompy. The other Outlanders that were present just looked at Bowser before they went to there repective rooms to get ready.

If Glinda wasn't requested to keep a secret, she would've pointed out that of the two Outlanders she could have been speaking about, one of them seemed to have a significant other in his world, and the other was outright married with children.

Is that what she's been thinking about? That is... interesting. However, I have matters of greater importance to think about, and... I do not see myself finding someone after Vance.

If I had known she was going to take the Outlanders to the marketplace, however, I would've tried to arrange spending money for them quicker.

---

Emma heard a lot of tables and glass breaking coupled with incoherent yelling inside the building Hugh disappeared to. After about a minute, the spiky-haired friend slipped out of the backdoor, grumbling something under his breath as he walked over to his partner.

"I've learned two things," Hugh began. "One is what a pufferfish is, and why some people were calling me that. The second is that it's unwise to reveal who we are, because the guards would be called."

The door he came from slammed open again as a large man in a white tank top pointed at Hugh and yelled "Hey, you!"

"So which reason caused that bar fight in there?" Emma asked, passively watching the thug out of the corner of her eye.

"Doesn't matter," Hugh said, having noticed the thug, but elected to ignore him. "I don't think the guards got a good look at me, though, so we don't need to worry about being identified walking around town."

The thug did not like getting ignored. He began storming over to Hugh, who had his back turned, saying something about wanting to give him a piece of his mind for some reason or another. Hugh crossed his arms.

"These people are really fanatical about their government, though," Hugh said. "Suggest something negative about them and they get defensive, and they'll call the guards on us 'Outlanders' on a moment's notice. Probably to take us to their leader."

The thug winded up his fist.

"So... Do we want to meet their leader?" Emma asked.

Hugh pressed a button on his forearm. His helmet clamped shut over his head right as the thug launched a mean jab at the back of his head. Hugh's bio-field sparked briefly as the thug fell to the floor crying in pain and clutching his likely-to-be broken arm. Hugh wordlessly pressed the button again and his helmet retracted back into his body armor.

"I can't paint enough of a picture of the so-called emperor," Hugh said. "I don't know what's an unbiased opinion around here. I don't want to go over to his palace -- assuming it's a palace he lives in -- only to get coerced into a situation we don't want to be a part of. I like my neck without a bomb collar strapped on it is what I'm trying to say."

"I think we're going to have to pick a side eventually," Emma said, "but I guess the tree with the dragon on it comes first while we slowly figure it out. Anyway, want to go buy clothes? That armor and undersuit of yours doesn't look like it would be comfortable in the long-term."

"I was thinking the same thing," Hugh said. A little louder, so he could be heard over the agonized yelling of the thug calling him a child conceived out of wedlock. "How about you? Doesn't the suit chafe?"

"Not anymore," Emma said as they began walking off. "Dad knew what he was doing. But yeah, sounds good."

The thug would've been angered further if he wasn't distracted by his arm.