*Theme
song: Never Surrender, by Stan Bush*
Christine:
IT'S TOO COLD!!!
Chris:
Just think of it as winter in Crystal Tokyo!
Don't you remember how cold it gets during some weeks?
Christine:
WELL THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH!!!
Chris:
For the love of God, Christine, we're almost there!
It had
been basically the same conversation the two had been having for several hours
now after they had first moved into the storm.
To get to the town of Harrogath, they needed to cross through a mountain
pass.
Unfortunately,
that mountain pass just happened to be in a somewhat constant state of winter
and snowfall.
Christine:
You've been saying that for hours! When
are we going to-
Chris:
Now.
Christine
suddenly stopped looking at the snow-covered roads and ground that they walked
upon and stared directly ahead of her, seeing a fifteen-foot tall gate. They had arrived at Harrogath.
Christine:
Oh.
Chris
chuckled softly, and was about to approach the gate to open it when a voice
suddenly filled the air around the entrance.
It was loud and coming from directly behind Chris and Christine, and it
said one word.
Voice:
CHRIS!
Chris
gasped and slowly turned around. Miya
was standing not twenty feet away, coming into the area they had just been in
from a different path. The two stared
at each other for a moment, looking into one another's eyes. And then, half a second later, they were in
each other's arms, kissing and embracing passionately. Christine and Anna just stared, dumbfounded.
Miya:
I'm sorry-
Chris:
I'm sorry-
Miya:
I'll never do anything-
Chris:
I'll never do anything-
Miya:
-like that again.
Chris:
-like that again.
Anna
walked up to Christine, standing next to her as the two lovers continued to
kiss and hug.
Anna:
Think they were like this before we came around?
Christine:
It was probably worse. The two of us
are the stabilizing factor in this group of nutcases.
Chris
and Miya shot them annoyed glances.
Chris:
Maybe when you grow up, Anna, you'll learn about true love and love at first
sight!
Miya:
And as for you, Christine, I don't think you should be one for talking about
expressions of emotion.
Christine:
Sorry, I just don't believe that two people can suddenly fall in love with one
another when they see each other.
Chris:
Fine, believe what you will. In the
meantime, I recommend we go inside the city and get a warm cup of coffee or
something.
The
others nodded and proceeded to walk inside the city gates. It didn't look very large, with several
barrel fires providing some minor warmth in the technologically deficient city,
people huddled around the fires like moths to a flame.
Chris:
Erg... I can remember the last time we
were here.
Miya:
We've been here before?
Chris:
You haven't. When Charsi and Argent
kidnapped us, they kept us in a basement somewhere in this town.
Miya
giggled slightly.
Anna:
What's so funny?
Miya
held onto Chris' arm and spun around him.
Miya:
It just feels like old times! When the
Titans were first getting together, we traveled from one raggedy town to the
next, making allies and fighting side by side against evil! It feels just like those old times! Especially when I'm with a certain handsome
devil...
Miya
giggled and traced her fingers along Chris' chest, the two embraced and kissed
passionately. Anna and Christine rolled
their eyes, and then noticed a large man wearing golden armor and a long white
beard approaching them. Along with the
man was an old woman wrapped in rags and blankets.
Man:
Welcome to Harrogath, Titans! I am
Qual-Kehk. I am acting as the military
head of Harrogath while demons besiege the area. And this is Malah.
Chris:
Greetings and salutations. How did you
know we were here?
Qual-Kehk:
Word of your arrival has spread far and wide throughout the area, especially of
tales of the dark Andariel and Duriel rising from the grave.
Miya:
Unfortunately, that bit's true.
Qual-Kehk:
Not for long, I suspect! Not with the
legendary Titans after them!
Qual-Kehk
laughed and smiled.
Qual-Kehk:
Now, as happy as I am to greet you to our town, I must organize the local
barbarians for an offensive against a demonic plateau.
Chris:
Well, best of luck to you on that.
Qual-Kehk:
We'll need it!
Qual-Kehk
walked off, but Malah stayed behind.
Malah:
Titans, I have a request of you...
Christine:
Name it.
Malah:
I am the local healer here in Harrogath.
However, in my old age I've relied on others' assistance in certain
matters. One of these helpers, a young
girl named Anya, seems to have disappeared.
Anya was the daughter of one of the Clan Elders before he was slain by
Baal. Anya was investigating on her own
one of the townspeople named Nihlathak.
With the sudden uprising of undead demons, and with Nihlathak being a
necromancer, Anya suspected his involvement.
And now she's disappeared...
Chris:
Have you reported this to anyone?
Malah:
Qual-Kehk believes this to be merely one of Anya's little games. She often did this before her father was
killed.
Christine:
Well, don't worry! We'll talk to this
Nihlathak guy and get the real deal.
Who is he?
Malah
pointed to a man who was hunched over near a fire. His skin looked pale and weak, and he was dressed in a warm black
cloak. And three out of four of the
Titans recognized him.
Chris:
It's HIM!
Miya:
Who?
Christine:
When we were kidnapped and brought to Harrogath by Charsi and Argent, there was
this guy who helped them have a place to store us! IT WAS HIM!
The
sudden shouting by the Titans caught Nihlathak's attention. Recognizing the Titans, he gasped and began
running away in the opposite direction.
Chris:
After him!
The
four quickly gave chase to the old necromancer, who winced when he realized he
had walked into the dead end of an alley.
He turned around and saw the four standing in his way.
Chris:
We'd like to have a little chat with you.
Nihlathak:
Sorry, I've got an appointment to keep!
And
with that, Nihlathak snapped his fingers and was suddenly engulfed by blue
energy. It faded just as quickly as it
had appeared.
Miya:
Well, if this isn't evidence of his guilt, I don't know what is.
Chris:
How can we track him?
Malah:
I can track him.
Malah
was walking up to the group. They all
turned around to face her.
Anna:
How?
Malah:
When Anya first disappeared, I placed a tracking spell to keep track of his
movements. I could create a town portal
to his location.
Chris:
He's probably got his own little defense.
We should transform!
Miya:
NEO CRESCENT POWER!!!
Out of
Miya's heart brooch came three large hearts.
One heart descended down her body, and the other two onto her arms. As the hearts passed over her skin, they
formed the gloves of her Sailor outfit.
As the larger heart passed over her torso and slowly over her legs,
forming the mini-skirt and the boots.
As the three hearts ended at her feet and hands, they shot up to her
head and hit it, forming the tiara and earrings. She stood in a pose with her making a smooching face.
Chris:
ASTEROID BLAZING POWER!!!
A
glittery silhouette of Chris appeared.
Asteroids shot around him, and several blasted into his chest, forming
into the shirt and bow. Asteroids then
shot into his arms, exploding on contact, and forming into the sleeves. Finally, the last asteroids shot into his
legs, exploding on impact, and forming into the pants and boots. The last asteroid shot into his face,
forming into a halo. He stood in a pose
with an asteroid shooting at him from behind.
Christine:
NEO CRYSTAL POWER!!!
The
whole pink glittery thing happened with a silhouette of Christine. She held out her transformation stick in
front of her, and then the stick glowed with a silver brightness, and the
silhouette slowly became covered in crystal.
First her torso was enveloped, then her arms, and finally her legs. The crystal then shattered, forming her
shirt, blue bows, gloves, gold mini-skirt, and boots. She then twirled around, and her earrings and tiara with a blue
gem formed out of nowhere.
Anna:
LIFE PRISM POWER!!!
A
silhouette of Anna appeared, and she twirled her transformation stick around
her. Lights shined from the ground
underneath where she had twirled the stick, and they surrounded her, forming
the gloves, boots, and shirt of the sailor outfit. Five beams shot from around her into her torso, forming the
skirt. She ran her hand through her
hair and the earrings and tiara formed.
She stood in a pose of her just standing there, smiling serenely.
Malah
kneeled down for a moment in prayer, then extended her arms out. A blue portal suddenly appeared before her,
sparking with energy.
Malah:
Good luck, Titans!
Asteroid:
Let's move out, team!
And
with that, the four Titans leapt into the portal...
...And
instantly regretted it.
They
all landed on a solid layer of ice and snow, which only contributed to the
sudden cold winds that blew all around them and attacked their skin. White and blue surrounded them all as they
realized they were sitting on a frozen underground river, every part of it
covered in snow and ice.
Crystal:
So much for the nice heat of Harrogath...
To Be
Continued...