RPG OtakuBoards Survivor: Game On! <PG>

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Suddenly the two leading teams saw a flashing line on the road ahead.

"Look!" Ada shouted to Shadow. "It's the finish line!"

Mario and Lara had realized the same thing. "Focus on it", Lara adviced Mario, although she was confident on his driving skills with this particular kart.

"It's our-a victory!" Mario said between gritted teeth.

Mog appeared next to the flickering red line with a huge chessboard-patterned flag.

The Red Fire and the Parade Car sped towards the line side-by-side, but Team Kickarse's vehicle was slowly getting ahead with it's superior properties.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a blue spiked shell struck the Parade Car, flipping it over, and allowing the Red Fire to pass to the first place.

Mog waved the huge flag as [COLOR=SeaGreen][B]Team Plumber & Plunder[/B][/COLOR] crossed the finish line as winners of the ninth challenge.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A little later at the CPU, [B]Mario and Lara Croft[/B] hugged each other as they were congratulated by the other contestants.

"Kupo, enough with the celebration, it's time to get down to business. Mario and Lara, you won the race with your phenomenal co-operation and quick wits, although I'm not saying that experience and luck didn't have any part in it as well, kupo."

"However, your 'reward' won't be much fun. You see before you three pairs of your rivals: [B]Yuna and Ling Xiaoyu[/B], [B]Ada Wong and Shadow[/B], and [B]Krystal and Crash Bandicoot[/B]. Some of them you know better than others, but it's now up to you two to decide which of these pairs will get deleted next."

Mario and Lara glanced at each other, troubled by their task.

"Take your time to ponder about it, kupo, just remember that [B]you have to choose one pair[/B], not two people from two different pairs. It'll be hard, but this is the spirit of the game, kupolly."

Mog directed the two winners to a room where the others couldn't hear them. They had the hardest decision in the whole game ahead of them.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After a long while, Mario and Lara came out of the isolation room, and handed a piece of paper to Mog.

"Kupo, the result is crystal clear. The two contestants deleted tonight - the eleventh and the twelth in order - are...

[CENTER][B]Ada Wong[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/delete-Ada.jpg[/IMG]

[B]Shadow the Hedgehog[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/delete-Shadow.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

"I knew it!" Ada shouted, jumping up in her chair. "I blame you, needleass!"

"Watch it, you frigid..." Shadow started, but stopped as he noticed that most of his body was gone.

Ada turned her head towards the other contestants. "Oh well, no hard feelings. The winner takes it all, right?"

The six remaining contestants gave her a nod. Then the tall woman and the short black hedgehog were gone.

"And then, kupo, there were six. Yuna, Lara Croft, Mario, Ling Xiaoyu, Crash and Krystal; congratulations on making it to the last level of this game. From now on, it's every videogame character for him- or herself. You are now..."

[COLOR=Purple][B][SIZE=3]Survivors of the Ultimate Game[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/team-survivors.jpg[/IMG]

"You will all stay here at the CPU - there are separate quarters programmed for everybody - for the remainder of the game. You have some time to rest before your first individual challenge begins, so use that time well, kupo."

"But most importantly, keep this kupo [I]Game On[/I]!"[/font]

[Solo Tremaine]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal's knees gave way; partly by her own admission and mostly because they decided the stress was getting to be too much. She sat down heavily on the CPU's swirling blue floor and took in a deep breath. Everyone looked equally stunned and apprehensive; Lara and Mario in particular looked quite awful after having to make the decision to oust Ada and Shadow, both of whom had been on Lara's team at separate times.

It seemed so long ago that they were on Solitary Island. The game felt so much different now; knowing that everyone here was really all that was left of the original eighteen... this was where the real test was going to begin- she'd have to rely on herself [i]by[/i] herself, without neccesarry prompts or guidance from other team-mates. Although some of the time she'd just be dragged along anyway, it was more daunting than anything she'd had to face so far.

Yuna lent down and offered Krystal a hand. "Are you okay?"

The blue fox smiled back. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Yuna."

Mario gazed at the CPU's undulating blue. "I hope-a our rooms won't be this... whoo..."

"...nauseating?" Crash suggested, folding his arms.

Mog looked a little disdainful. "It isn't nauseating. It's programmed to induce a feeling of mystery. You try creating an insubstantial void that [i]looks[/i] like a void and is still easy on the eyes."

Embarrassed grins shot through the remaining six.

Krystal looked towards a door that had appeared to their far right; circular steps leading up to it. "Well, um... can we see our rooms, then?"

She didn't anticipate there'd be much time to actually use them, though...[/COLOR]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]The six remaining contestants followed Mog up the stairs, and into the door.

It lead into a corridor which stretched off into apparent infinity on either side. Fortunately, the Survivors didn't have to walk that far to reach their quarters. Three were on one side of the doorway they were standing in, three on the other. Each doorway had a nameplate on it, made of burnished brass and inscribed with the player's name. Mog coughed, and cleared his little voice.

"The next challenge is reasonably soon, so I advise all of you to have a good rest, or at least wind down a bit. I'll be seeing you all soon."

---

Crash slumped on the bed in his room. It was quite comfortable, if spartan in design. Soothing cream walls, matched by various low-toned furniture. Very modern, and very chic. Very minimalistic too, but all it really needed was a bed. All in all it was just what Crash wanted. He was exhausted.

He buried his face in his hands, only to realise how badly they were shaking. Both mentally and physically he was exhausted. Laying down on his bed, he put the pillow over his head and went to sleep.[/size]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]The six survivor candidates had gotten a day's rest that they used to load their batteries and to get to know each others better. Despite being separated for a long time to males and females, all former alliances seemed to fade away as they became individual rivals.

But the peace was cut short by Mog's announcement that a new challenge was about to begin. The six remaining contestants made their way to the main hall of the CPU, where the host was already waiting for them with six peculiar guests.

"Kupo, welcome to your tenth challenge, [SIZE=3][B]Battle Royale[/B][/SIZE]. We have some, eh... interesting guests here standing behind me, kupo."

Mog waved at the his petite paw at the six quirky figures. There was a strange masked samurai, a tall dark-skinned woman with a veil over her mouth, an agile oriental woman, a disturbing blindfolded and gagged man, a jaguar-headed hulk... and a giant panda.

"It's Panda, my beloved Panda!" Ling Xiaoyu squealed, and the beast replied with a wave of a paw.

"Ahem, focus please!" Mog said to her with a strict glare. "Thanks, kupo. Now, in this challenge [B]each of you will face one of these characters[/B] behind me - all from famous fighting games - in a [B]one-on-one fight[/B]. Each pair will be warped to a special stage for fighting called the [B]Battle Dome[/B]. There you will [B]fight[/B] your opponent until you [B]win[/B], kupo. Or lose, but I'd prefer the other way around. Here's some specific rules:"
[INDENT]1. One-on-one battle, one round, one winner, simple as kupo. Meaning only [B]one post per contestant[/B] for the whole challenge!
2. No [B]projectile[/B] weapons allowed, kupo! Only méleè arsenal.
3. Once all players have finished off their opponents, I will personally judge their performance, and make a decision on who will win, thus getting an [B]immunity from votes[/B] in the following Team Council.
4. After this challenge, one of you six will leave this game for good. So do your worst, kupo![/INDENT]

"And now you're probably itching to find out who you're up against, kupo?" Well..."

[CENTER][B]Yuna
vs.
Chun-Li[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-chunli.jpg[/IMG]
A legendary female martial artist from [I]Street Fighter[/I] -series. She's fast and furious, and can easily sweep your feet under you.

[B]Lara Croft
vs.
Voldo[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-voldo.jpg[/IMG]
He is blind, mute and barking mad from spending decades locked into his master's treasury in Sicily, but now he's out, slicing and dicing all objects from his way with his sharp katar-blades. He hails from the [I]Soul Calibur[/I] -series.

[B]Crash Bandicoot
vs.
Yoshimitsu[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-yoshimitsu.jpg[/IMG]
A Feudal Japanese bandit with supernatural skills. He carries a katana and a flag, which he can use as a bogo-stick and a propeller, respectively. He can definitely spin you senseless. He makes appearance in both [I]Tekken[/I] and [I]Soul Calibur[/I] -series

[B]Krystal
vs.
Mileena[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-mileena.jpg[/IMG]
A mysterious she-warrior who uses twin [I]sai[/I]s. Her face-veil covers her hideous mouth that is filled with long razor-sharp teeth. She can just eat you alive - for real. She originates from the [I]Mortal Kombat[/I] -series.

[B]Ling Xiaoyu
vs.
Panda[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-panda.gif[/IMG]
A beloved pet of Xiaoyu from [I]Tekken[/I], who trained her well in the art of battle. Let's see how she fares against her owner...

[B]Mario
vs.
King[/B]
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/battle-king.jpg[/IMG]
This big kitty-cat is another beast from [I]Tekken[/I] -series. He sports immense brutal strength and formidable speed, so it seems like an impossible task to make this cat purr.
[/CENTER]

"Kupo, you must use every ounce of your physical strength to beat these professional fighters, so before you teleport into the Battle Dome, I want to wish you good luck, and [I]Game On[/I]!"

The six contestants prepared themselves for the sudden test of power, gulping as they looked at their fearsome opponents.[/FONT]

[Ellerby]

[color=#333333]Mario winced when he saw his opponent. This hulk of a fighter was at least two times his size and had the head of a [i]Jaguar[/i]. [i]I hope-a that's a mask.[/i] Mario thought. He wiped the worried look off and put on his battle face. It was almost time to fight.

Mog spun around a few times and Mario watched as sparkles flew from the arm pointed up. Soon came a huge white flash and the plumber stood face to face with his combatenant. They were in a large dome room with huge grey pillars and a stone-covered floor. To Mario's left was a large circular fountain sprouting water and to his right stood a statue of King. Jaguar-man spoke up first.

"I hope you're ready to die, Luigi." he growled.

[i]Luigi?![/i] Mario stomped his feet furiously and glared at King, who was laughing deviously. He had said that on purpose! This made Mario even more angry and was ready to pummel the wrestler when all of the sudden, a booming voice echoed throughout the room.

[CENTER]"[b][size=3]Ready, kupo? Fight![/size][/b]"[/CENTER]

Startled, Mario dived at King and threw a punch at his face. He was surprised to see that his opponent was sent flying 7 feet back into the wall, crumbling a pillar in the process. [i]It seems as though all attacks are over-exagurated here...[/i]

With no more time to think, Mario found himself in the grasp of King. He lifted the plumber up and tossed him onto the ground, finishing the combo with a whooping stomp. Mario dazily got up and rubbed his head. He ducked under an incoming fist and rammed his head into King's stomach.

'Luigi' threw his hand back and whipped it forward, pitching a fireball right into the Jaguar head. King roared angrily and put out the fire with his hands. He pounced overtop Mario and bearhugged him then lifted him off the ground and slammed the unfortunate plumber into the rock-hard surface. Mario decided enough was enough.

[i]I'll-a never beat-a him this way.[/i] He reached into his pocket and put on two raccoon ears. Instantly, a bushy brown tail sprouted from his behind and the ears attached themselves to Mario's head. He grinned at the confused King.

"So what? You have a tail and ears too. That won't win you the fight!" yelled King. The pro wrestler chucked himself at Mario but to his dismay, missed. Mario was floating above him, wagging his tail as it made a very annoying sound. Just like a dive-bomber, the mustachioed raccoon threw himself at King and kicked him in the face, sending him flying into his own statue. It crumbled a bit, which Mario took note of.

Since King was still getting over the pain, Mario jetted behind the statue and started pounding at it with all his might. Eventually, the statue cracked and with a simple push, it plummeted toward the ground, crushing King. Mario waited impatiently to see if it had worked. But he hoped to soon because the broken pillar was soon shattered by the fist of the King. The wrestler stood, obviously hurt, and panted while looking at raccoon Mario.

"You'll pay for--"

[CENTER]"[b][size=3]Finish him![/size][/b]"[/CENTER]

Mario was just about to kick him in the face again, when his raccoon power-up wore off. He fell to the ground and scrambled to his feet in time to get smashed in the chest by the enraged fighter. Just as King was about to finish him off, Mario rolled to the left and jumped behind him. He pulled back his clasped fists and a large wooden mallet formed in his hands. He pounded the wrestler's back as hard as he could...

[center][img]http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/2825/king38qm.png[/img][/center]

Instantly, his opponent shattered into a billion pixels and floated away, leaving a bloody, bruised, panting plumber behind.[/color]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Yuna entered the arena, her guns had been taken from her, along with the spheres that used guns or projectiles. She wasn't really left with a lot was what she noticed. She glanced across at the other door and saw a Chinese woman with her hair wrapped in buns walk through wearing a blue outfit and spiked bracelets around her wrists.

Yuna and Chun-Li approached the centre. The Chinese woman gently put her right fist into her left hand as if punching it. The slender fingers of her left hand enclosed the fist in a soft carress. She pushed it out away from her body, bowing her head. Yuna nodded and copied the action smoothly. They both straightened and heard a voice boom around the stadium.

[B]"FIGHT! Kupo."[/B] Mog called.

Chun-Li leapt forward immediately, her right leg was outstretched, whirling around in a flurry which would be dangerous if she was hit. Yuna evaded the attacks, but she couldn't get close because of her leg. She came up with an idea and flipped over the top of her to try to attack her unprotected spot. The plan backfired as Chun-Li stopped kicking and outstretched her arms, before Yuna knew it, the Chinese woman was surrounded by a large sphere of energy which served as a damaging shield.

Yuna was blown away and she slammed into the nearby wall. Yuna groaned and got up, quickly dodging a powerful punch from Chun-Li. She wanted to change spheres but she didn't have enough time at the moment.

Yuna performed a series of backflips as her opponent wildly attacked. She was trying to find her weak point where she was vulnerable, but it seemed like she had all areas well protected especially since she had that shield. Yuna was surprised when she was attacked by small fireballs, she jumped them and pulled out her spheregrids quickly, not caring what path she was taking as the white light surrounded her. She felt the weight of large daggers form in her hands as she spun them naturally, Yuna had made a nice change to Thief.

She rushed Chun-Li, stabbing at her. The Chinese woman dodged and blocked the heavy kick placed. The shield went up again and Yuna hefted one of her daggers, lancing it at the barrier, it bounced off and the shield went down since it was attacked. Yuna was ready and landed a number of blows, as well as accepting many from her Lightning kick.

Chun-Li flipped onto her hands and spiralled her legs in the air, she quickly made her way toward Yuna, aiming to hook her legs around her neck or to attack her, one leg outstretched and crashed down on her collarbone. Yuna cried out in pain and gripped at the injured spot with her hand. She flipped backwards and decided she needed another change. She activated the last trail on the grid and reappeared in her Berserker outfit, one of her most useful.

She moved up close to Chun-Li in absolutely no time and dodged the flurry of limbs, punching her heavily in the abdomen, she gasped sharply and rose into the air. Yuna shoved over and over, pushing Chun-Li backwards as she gained her bearings, trying to block the oncoming attacks.

Chun-Li lashed out with a kick and Yuna jumped backwards swiftly in time. The girl swiftly put up a shield and tried to catch her breath for the short time she'd be protected. Yuna growled as she paced, waiting for the barrier to wear down. The woman clothed in blue silk crouched, ready to spring as she knew that her protection would soon disappear.

The glowing sphere evaporated and Chun-Li faked, jumping only a bit off the ground, touching down as Yuna shot up. She realised her mistake too late as she felt the strength of a leg come in contact with her side, sending her flying to crunch into the wall. Due to the adrenaline flowing through her body from the dress sphere, she got up quickly and was ready and rearing to go, ignoring the pain her body felt.

They were both tired, Chun-Li more than Yuna since she didn't have the advantage of having a costume that made her full of energy. The two women charged at each other, Chun-Li gripped her arm and flipped her over her hip swiftly, crashing her into the ground aggresively before backflipping gracefully.

Yuna leapt into the air and soared toward her opponent, Chun-Li crouched down, leaping up her right leg was extended and blazing came up and nailed her in the abdomen since she couldn't move in time, being airborne, then her left leg came down on her back. Yuna grunted and plummeted to the ground with help from the hefty kick to her spine.

Yuna got fed up and pressed the secret button that appeared, changing into her special dress sphere, Floral Fallal. The first thing she noticed was the pain and fatigue that plagued her body, then she was surrounded by large petals that waved as if a wind was blowing them as she rose up, levitating in the air.

[B]"Great Whirl!"[/B] Yuna called, flourishing with her right hand.

An transparent, yet visible wave emitted from her, encompassing the field. She recognised that Chun-Li had put up her shield again, but she kept the magic flowing, knowing hers would last longer than the shield, then the Chinese beauty would have no protection.

Yuna held it for a few seconds longer before releasing. She saw a battered Chun-Li lying on the ground and she was starting to slowly fade away. The girl looked up and smiled weakly.

[B]"You're a great contestant. Good luck."[/B] she said just before she fully disappeared.

Yuna fell from the air, hitting the ground from exhaustion. She changed back to Gunner and limped her way out of the arena.[/COLOR]

[Raiyuu]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]Upon being warped to the Battle Dome, Xiaoyu was hit by a wave of nostalgia for the King of Iron Fist tournament. She'd competed every year she'd been old enough; she knew every arena, every regular contestant. This place was familiar in both of those senses. As she wound (pink) protective wrappings around her fists, she giggled at the smell of old wood that filled the Mishima family dojo, bounced happily on the smooth boards under her bare feet, fondly remembered slamming Heihachi through the fragile paper-and-balsawood walls. Finally, she grinned widely at her lifelong pet, friend and pupil.

[b]"Heya, Panda!" [/b]she cried, waving excitedly. [b]"You better've been training while I've been away, or this'll be too easy! Don't feel bad when I win, 'kay?"

[/b]Panda grunted in acknowledgement and crouched over into a ready stance. Xiaoyu somersaulted into her starting position, just to make sure she was ready and limber, and that the floorboards still had as much spring as she remembered. After all, this wasn't the real Mishima dojo, just a construct of it, made by Mog and branched off from the CPU, just like the Lotus Garden had been.

The moogle himself fluttered down from the ceiling to hover between the two contenders, calling out, [b]"Ready, kupo?"

[/b]Xiaoyu steeled herself. She had an idea what Panda would do first.

[b]"FIGHT!"

[/b]Mog dispersed into pixels, disappearing to start another match, and barrelling through the cloud of white and purple particles came Panda, charging forward with her front paws clenched together over her head. Xiaoyu was coiled and ready, and sprang off to her right, curling up and rolling over her shoulder to land on her feet behind Panda. Throwing her weight forward, she lashed out backwards with her foot, flicking Panda up into the air with a well-practised rear kick.

[b]"Too slow, Panda!" [/b]she taunted, twirling to face her friend as she picked herself up off the floor. Xiaoyu was well aware how strong Panda was, and that her own main advantage in this fight was speed. She'd have to pour most of her energy into avoiding those massive paws, and attack little and often, exploiting openings.

As Panda charged again, Xiaoyu watched closely for the swipe, jumping from the springy floorboards to kick lightly off the incoming paw and launch herself onto Panda's head, where she delivered a swift kick before leaping once more to land neatly in a crouch, ready to attack again -

- or at least, that was the plan, but Panda had spun around with more speed than Xiaoyu remembered her being capable of, sweeping her paw around with both muscle power and rotational force, catching the girl unprepared, mid-landing. She only just managed a feeble block before being lifted off her feet and hurled through the air.

[b]"Waa~aah!" [/b]she wailed as she smashed clean through the wall [/font][/color][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]and out onto the cloistered colonnade running around the outside[/font][/color][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS] of the building. There was blood in her mouth, Panda's claws had ripped through her pink silk dress and left red runnels across her stomach, and her back was full of splinters.

She wiped a hand across her mouth, backing off into the flagstoned courtyard and mentally taking stock. She knew Panda's moves, but she'd underestimated Panda's knowledge of hers. And if that made the fight even, she knew she'd lose, because she could take far fewer blows from Panda than Panda could withstand from her.

There was a huffing and a scratching from inside the dojo. Panda was pawing the ground. Probably preparing to charge for a tackle.

A grin spread over Xiaoyu's bloodied features as it came to her. [/font][/color][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]The key to winning any fight was the element of surprise. [/font][/color][color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]She'd taught Panda, and so in theory Panda knew how she'd react in any given situation. But Panda's predictions would be based on Xiaoyu's teaching, so to win she had to do something that went against her own lessons, right?

Panda exploded out of the floating sawdust that had once been a wall, charging straight for her teacher. Xiaoyu's grin just got wider. The rush of a really good spar was something she'd been missing for weeks, months, all the while she'd been competing in Survivor. She was back in her element, doing the one thing she really loved. It often unnerved her opponents in the Tournament when she showed such obvious joy in a bout; there was something about fighting against a smiley happy schoolgirl that made them hesitate, and that had won her more than a few rounds.

How had there ever been any doubt about this challenge? She'd been placed in her natural environment, against an opponent she knew better than any other. She'd win [b]Battle Royale [/b]for sure!

Panda's charge seemed to grind through the air in slow motion. Xiaoyu raised a hand in front of her face, palm towards Panda, and lowered her centre of gravity into the Hypnotist stance, lazily circling her hands around one another.

[font=Tahoma][i]~~~[b]"Don't use Power Moves except when the other guy's on the ground, 'kay?" [/b]she'd told Panda time and time again. [/i][/font][b][font=Tahoma][i]"Use 'em any other time, they can just punch you while you're charging up! That'd be really dumb!"[/i][/font][/b][font=Tahoma][i]~~~[/i][/font]

The surprise was evident on Panda's face as bright yellow sparks began to form and play around Xiaoyu's hands. The animal's momentum was so great that she couldn't stop her headlong charge. A sparkling miasma of gold surrounded Xiaoyu's entire upper body, reflecting and growing larger in Panda's black eyes.

Both Xiaoyu's arms swung in a windmill arc, leaving a shimmering golden trail in the air, as she brought her palms down flat on the back of Panda's neck, abruptly ending her tackle rush as her face and chest were slammed into the flagstones. Sparks and shards of Xiaoyu's energy exploded outwards from the points of impact, bathing Panda in a warm yellow glow as she began to dissolve into a cloud of black-and-white pixels.

[b]"Kay - Oh, kupo!" [/b]boomed Mog's amplified voice.

[b]"Yaaay!" [/b]called Xiaoyu, jumping for joy. [b]"Nice to see ya again, Panda, but I said I'd win, didn't I?" [/b]she told the cloud as it drifted away.
[/font][/color]

[Solo Tremaine]

[color=#503f86]The soulless eyes of Krystal?s opponent made her blood run cold. The veil covering the assassin?s mouth hung delicately on her face, such a stark contrast to the promise of what lay underneath. She was a good foot taller than the fox, too; her stature and body language reflected the look of deadly intent in her gaze, and her battle outfit seemed barely a formality.

Krystal took hold of her staff and held it upright, the tips at both ends fizzling quietly with blue energy. The best bet would be to stay on the defensive and observe her tactics, then to find the most efficient way to counter it. Thankfully, if she fought stave against sai, she would have a certain distance advantage. But if the muscles on Mileena?s thighs were anything to go by, Krystal would have to move very quickly in order to keep up with her.

The assassin?s face contorted slightly, as if hiding a smile. A movement of her sleeve hinted at a metal blade tucked into the thick piece of studded material wrapped around her waist.

The refereeing Moogle then gestured for the two combatants to step forward, and in an instant they were warped to the Battle Dome. As they did so, with a flick of her wrists Mileena whirled two sais from her waistband and flicked their blades outward, poising herself ready to launch straight into a deadly attack. Her eyes narrowed into slits, the burning yellow of her irises searing into Krystal.

?Don?t underestimate me,? Krystal growled, brandishing her staff.

Mileena let out a silky laugh. ?I don?t underestimate. I already know exactly how long it?ll take me to kill you.?

Mog scrolled his claw down a holographic window- the Battle Dome's image setting. Although the text appeared backwards to her, she noticed him pause on Arena 11. His finger hovered over it for a second. Giving the fighters a quick glance, he made his selection.

The CPU dissolved away, and in its place a dark, gothic temple materialised around them. They stood on a narrow, suspended brick pathway that divided into three circular platforms. The only barrier to speak of to stop them from falling off the edge was a tiny brick border Huge pillars of stone stretched into darkness above and below them, punctuated by soft blue lights and red lasers which created a blood-hued web underneath them. This was [URL=http://www.mortalkombatdeception.com/arenas/arena11.jpg]Arena 11[/URL].

Krystal tightened her grip around her staff and took on a fighting stance, showing as little target to her enemy as possible. Mileena lowered herself to an [i]en guarde[/i] position, raising one sai over her shoulder and the other forwards, both pointing directly at Krystal?s head.

Mog raised his head authoritatively.

?Ready??

A tense silence, broken only by the steady hum of the laser beams below. Krystal kept her eyes fixed on Mileena?s, pulsing with determination.

Mileena silently changed the angle of her forward sai.

?Then FIGHT!?

Mileena sprang forwards; Krystal whirled her staff and caught the shaft against the tsuba of one of the sais, deflecting it. The second sai came whistling down her face, she just managed to avoid it by leaning back. Mileena twisted her deflected sai round and locked it against the haft of Krystal?s weapon; with brute force she swept it over both their heads, giving her an opening to whip the second sai into Krystal?s side. The fox stumbled back, ripping her staff free and swinging it over to land a crushing blow on her opponent?s left shoulder.

Mileena winced and drew back, flourishing the sai menacingly. Her eyes burned with a greater ferociousness than before as she prepared herself for another attack.

Krystal?s breathing was ragged; she watched Mileena closely but didn?t anticipate her movements to be so quick. She was barely able to prepare for that last attack.

The assassin lunged towards her; this time Krystal held her staff out like a lance and held her position. At the last possible second, Mileena launched herself into the air and somersaulted round. Krystal followed her with the point of her staff, hoping to impale her on its sharpened point. In a flash, Mileena kicked the tip aside and landed behind Krystal, wrapping her arms around her in a snake-like grip. She felt two blade points pressing deep into the underside of her jaw, constricting her breath. Her arms flailed helplessly in Mileena?s lock; she tried in vain to whip her staff round fast enough to get her to let go.

?See,? Mileena hissed into her ear, ?I knew how long it would be before I killed you.?

?I? warned you,? Krystal croaked, ?Not to underestimate me!?

She twitched her staff round so that the spear-shaped end pointed directly at Mileena?s arm. A burst of blue energy shot down the veins carved into the haft and a spurt of ice enveloped the demon woman?s upper arm. A hideous shriek echoed through the temple and Mileena clutched at her now frozen left arm. Krystal dropped to the ground, rubbing her throat.

?Quite the vicious vermin, aren?t we?? Mileena spat. She strode forwards, spinning the sais so that the pommels faced towards the blue-furred fox. Krystal stepped backwards cautiously; the two hadn?t yet moved from the narrow walkway yet, and Krystal didn?t want to give Mileena the chance to get behind her again. She backed away, keeping herself focussed on the fighter?s movements.

Mileena?s face twisted itself into a smile again. ?You can?t watch what you can?t see.?

Suddenly, she slipped through the ground. Krystal froze, stunned. Above her, she heard a faint whistling and looked up just in time to catch both Mileena?s feet in her chest. She collapsed back, the air beaten from her lungs in an instant. She rolled on the floor and rested on her hands and knees, gasping to restore her breath and watching in panic as Mileena strode towards her.

She stood upright; her vision began to blur. All she saw was a flash of purple before her eyes and a flurry of punches in her stomach catapulted her backwards. She landed heavily in the centre of the larger platform, a dust cloud swirling around her.

?Such a shame you?re so weak,? Mileena purred, her voice oozing contempt. She reached down with her right arm and grabbed Krystal by the throat. Her soft, jade eyes were wide with fear. ?At least I?ll have a chance to show you what I keep behind this mask. I think a suitable end for you will be to just have you disappear.?
She raised Krystal aloft and, with her partially frozen arm, unclipped the veil that hid her face. Huge, dripping, razor-sharp teeth glistened with saliva, unsheathing themselves from hideously mis-shapen gums. Between them, Krystal could see inside a gaping void of a throat waiting to devour her. Mileena?s grin became even more twisted the closer to her mouth she lowered Krystal?s head.

?I shall enjoy your flesh.? The monster slavered.

?[i]Will you?[/i]? Krystal?s voice suddenly rang in Mileena?s left ear. ?[i]I?m behind you.[/i]?

Mileena spun round, aiming a high sai shot at the level of Krystal?s head. She growled in frustration as she swiped at empty air.

?Nice trick! But you won?t-?

Krystal had disappeared.

She looked all around her frantically, trying to place the fox?s whereabouts.

?[i]Lost me?[/i]? The voice seemed to come from everywhere. For a split second, she saw the dust on the floor displace, then the image disappeared.

?What is this?? Mileena spat, enraged.

?[i]I?m telepathic, bitch. I can make you think I?m anywhere I want you to think.[/i]?

Saliva ran down the sides of Mileena?s mouth. Her grimace twitched slightly. ?But you?re still here, aren?t you? clever little fox, but my sais will find their way into your stomach, your throat, your pretty eyes? All I need to do is find you. And find you I-?

A heavy object impacted against Mileena?s left shoulder again, then another landed at the base of her spine. She tripped forwards and writhed herself into an upright position again. Her sais began glowing a deep purple; still not being able to see Krystal she threw them randomly into the darkness, trying to listen for ambient noise that would give away her position.

Nothing.

?You can?t hide everything!?

Mileena ripped another two sais from her belt and threw them to the ground, stirring up tiny clouds of dust. Again and again she took out sais, throwing them at the brickwork. It splintered and cracked, sending up more dust spurts and leaving a fine crust of brick chips coating the ground. She wiped her chin and stood perfectly still, moving only her eyes.

[i]Crack.[/i]

A section of brick clicked to her left. In a flash she threw two sais in the direction of the noise. One span off into the darkness, the other lodged into something solid, and blood began to slowly drip down its metal shaft. She grinned as a blurry image of Krystal came into view. The sai had embedded itself her right leg. Quickly she threw another, impaling Krystal?s foot and nailing it to the ground. Drawing two more, she scraped the blades against each other. She would enjoy watching her die; every sai shot would pierce a vital point until she was nothing more than a perforated, bloody skeleton. She drew back and let fly a volley of sai; it was only on her fourth pair that she noticed none had hit their mark- a glowing blue shield had surrounded Krystal and they had all bounced off.

Tearing the sai from her foot with an agonising scream, Krystal lodged her staff under her right arm and charged forwards, energy pulsating up and down the shaft of the blade. Mileena held a sai forward to parry; Krystal released the Ground Quake energy of the staff and catapulted it away, also sending Mileena spiralling backwards along the platform. Krystal was close behind her, following up with hard hits from both ends of her glowing, gilded stave. Suddenly, Mileena snapped back and began stabbing frantically in reply. At close range Krystal was at a high disadvantage; she rolled back and prepared for a final charge. Mileena pre-empted her, though, and was already giving chase. The two met in the centre of the platform with a sickening crunch.

Blood dripped on the arena floor. Mileena?s mad grin was broken by Krystal?s staff, smashed through her teeth and rammed into the back of her mouth. Both of Krystal?s shoulders had been pierced by the sai. Wincing with the pain, Krystal removed Mileena?s hands from the sai handles and stepped back. The assassin?s eyes had turned a much duller shade of yellow. She let out a tired sigh of defeat and collapsed, dissolving in a cloud of pixels. The Battle Dome's arena disappeared, and Krystal found herself back inside the CPU.

She gave Lara and Yuna a teary smile before collapsing, succumbing to tiredness.[/color]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]Cracking her knuckles in anticipation, Lara limbered up for the next challenge. Hand to hand combat was not really her style but beggars couldn't be choosers when it came down to battle. Closing her eyes and inhaling a slow breath lara indicated to Mog that she was ready with a swift nod of her head. In an instant she found herself transported to a vastly different environment from that of the CPU.

Lara gazed about warily. It seemed that she now found herself in a large cavernous area. The sound of water dripping from the rocky ceiling was disconcerting, causing Lara to shiver unconciously. She stood upon a crumbling stone bridge that stretched the length of the cavern. Water moved sluggishly underneith the bridge, its depths unkown beneath its murky veneer. A tattered carpet was all that adorned the bridge and lara couldn't help but wonder if it had sometime been a part of some kind of wealthy house, now sunken below the ground.

Any further musings were interuppted suddenly by a low hiss. Turning swiftly Lara frowned as she caught sight of a human figure approaching from the opposite end of the bridge. Or at least Lara thought it was human. What stood before her now, arms moving in a slightly hypnotic way was like something out of a Hellraiser movie or a particularly hardcore fetish convention. The man, for he looked male, was dressed in straps that bound his body, not including his arms. His mouth and eyes were also constricted, and in his hands he held two wicked looking katars, glinting in the torch light. Hearing a small fluttering noise Lara turned to glance at Mog, who had arrived to start the fight.

[B]"Lara Croft, Tomb Raider!"[/B] Mog bellowed, in an uncharacteristically deep voice. [B]"Meet Voldo, Tomb Guardian!"[/B]

A wry smile tugged at the woman's lips as she lightly shook her head.

[B]"Funny you little furball, bloody hilarious."[/B] Mog did not respond. he simply puffed up his little chest and called out one word.

[B]"FIGHT!"[/B]

The creature named Voldo leapt forward as if spurred by some unseen force, an inhuman growl wrenching itself from his throat. Acting quickly Lara dove to the left, rolling as Voldo shot past, his katars digging into the carpet where she had been only moments before. Rolling to her feet Lara unclipped the knife she held in her boot, bringing it to bare before her. Turning on her heel Lara brought the blade up just in time to clash with the creatures own lashing weapons. Steel grated on steel as the tomb raider pushed forward with a surge of strength, driving Voldo back a few steps. Like a snake he swayed from side to side and it seemed that even blindness was no hinderance to him. Lara darted towards him, lashing out with a well aimed punch, her fingers gripped firmly round the hilt of her knife. Voldo rocked backwards on his heels, avoiding the jab and swung his arms horizontally before him. The strike would have beheaded Lara in an instant, had she been there. As it was the blades cut through thin air as she dropped to the floor, her leg extended in a sweeping kick that sent the man thudding to the ground.

Lara flipped back to her feet, but had little time to compose herself as Voldo lifted himself up from his prostrated position into a crab-like manouver and scuttled towards her with great speed.

[i]What the..?[/i]

Aghast at what she saw Lara was unprepared as Voldo launched himself towards her, his blades slashing her torso. His weapons were wickedly sharp and Lara grunted loudly as hot pain lanced across her side. In retaliation Lara backhanded the creep savagely, sending him sprawling against the railing of the bridge. Clutching her injured waist Lara winced. Bright red blood ran rapidly downwards, seeping into the waistband of her shorts, staining it a dark crimson, and trickling down her leg.

Gritting her teeth Lara tried to surpress the pain and darted quickly across from the seemingly dazed Voldo. Hoping to catch him unprepared Lara spun the knife in her grip, the blade pointing downwards and quickly brought it in a backhand manouver aimed straight for the man's uprotected back. The blade was stopped suddenly short and Lara cried out as the scissored katar bit into the flesh of her wrist. Somehow, Voldo had anticipated her move and had twisted in time to defend himself. A gurgling hiss greeted her as she wrenched her arm back, blood spraying her opponent across his face. If the strap had not been in the way Lara swore he would have tasted it. Flipping backwards in an agile move Lara caught Voldo under his chin with the heel of her boot. But as he stumbled backwards Lara, pain coursing through her side, collapsed to the floor, unable to complete the flip.

Lara rolled onto her back but immediately rolled back again as a sharp blur spun past her. Looking up Lara gasped as she saw Voldo, bending himself into a wheel, spinning around for a second pass. Grimacing lara got to her feet in time to dive to the side once again as Voldo careened towards her.

[B]"What [i]are[/i] you." [/B] She whispered, her voice tinted with fear. Without her guns it was infinately more difficult to fell her opponent. Lara was weakening and it seemed that Voldo had only just begun.

The creature stalked forward, savouring its opponents vulnerability. Rising up Lara moved forward with all the speed she could muster. Avoiding the slashing blades that whistled past her head she moved in close against Voldo, wrapping her arms around his torso. From her close proximity Lara was able to deliver a ferocious headbutt, cracking her skull against his. Voldo thrashed violently against her grip. His flailing arms caused minor lacerations against her back but their awkward positioning was not enough for a deadly blow. Lara nailed him with another headbutt then, with a flash of inspiration, brought her knee up to deliver a crushing blow to Voldo's groin.

Such a hit, at least, seemed to have some effect, and Voldo dropped to the floor with an agonised hiss, while Lara clung gamely on. Twisting round so she was at his back Lara positioned her grip into a full nelson, pinning his arms out to the sides. Pressing her knee firmly into the small of his back, Lara dug in sharply, eliciting a pained groan from her opponent. By the now the pair of them were stained with dried, rust coloured blood, admitedly most of it Lara's. The woman was panting heavily as she fought to contain the thrashings of the figure beneath her.

[B]"Don't make me do it."[/B] She gasped from between clenched teeth. [B]"Don't you bloody well make me do it."[/B] Voldo ignored her pleas, his katars tearing at the carpet as he struggled wildly. Closing her eyes tightly Lara pulled backwards with all her strength, her knee a steady constant on the mans back. His incomprehensable garglings were silenced as a sickening crack echoed through the cavern, his spine breaking under the pressure. The figure in her arms hung limp as Lara rolled from ontop of him, lying breathless beside his prone form.
[B]
"I told him not to make me do it,"[/B] she whispered quietly. Her eyes were still closed as she heard his body burst into pixels. [/SIZE]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Crash nervously bit his lip as the CPU dissolved in a vortex of blue pixels, and he found himself in a lush forest. There was no-one in sight. The humidity was oppressive, and Crash found himself sweating even as he stood, waiting, for any sign of his opponent. The bugs chirped in hidden hollows, and the dim sounds of an 'alive' forest filtered through. It was quite peaceful, exce...

"[b]FIGHT![/b]"

Crash's musing was interrupted by the shout from Mog, magnified several times past any likely volume. The noises of the forest had completely ceased, and absolute silence reigned. Crash moved forward a few steps, wary for any attack. A small rustling was heard to his left, and he turned sharply, wishing he had a weapon to back him up. The rustling grew louder, and then a wild yell was heard. Out of the dense undergrowth came a creature, racing towards him on four legs at high speed. It leapt at him, hands outstretched for his neck. Dropping backwards, Crash watched as the creature went flying straight over the top of him, before smoothly rolling and standing once again.

A [u][url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Pose_Yoshimitsu.jpg]horrible sight[/url][/u] met Crash's terrified eyes. He ran out of the clearing at full speed. This was crazy, how could they expect him to fight like this, it was suicide, and oh shit this bloody thing was chasing him and oh damn and....

Strong arms wrapped around his neck, and light breathing ruffled the fur on his ears.

"Not much of a fight, my dear little friend." the creature murmured into his ear. So, Crash did the one thing he knew how to do best. He used his whirlwind spin to disengage from Yoshimitu's grasp. The crature was sent flying, crashing into the trunk of a tree.

"Ahah, some spirit! I love a proper fight." hissed Yoshimitsu, as from his back he pulled out a glowing sword. Settling down into a combat stance he swung the sword to and fro meaningfully, grinning evilly at Crash. Taking the bait, Crash ran forward, charging at the patient fighter. Stooping suddenly, Crash hefted a large rock, and without stopping his sprint, he threw it full force at his opponent. With unbelievable speed, he dodged the projectile, but his balance was slightly off, and he was unprepared for the flying leap from Crash, who planted his feet solidly in Yoshimitsu's face. The creature went cartwheeling back, again slamming into an ancient tree trunk. Pine needles rained softly down.

With a roar he came charging at Crash, swinging the sword like a scythe. Crash ran backwards, wishing that he had something to ward the attack off with. The next swing from the sword swept right past his nose, just as Crash tripped over a dead tree trunk behind him. He was on his back, as perfect a target as any, as the triumphant Yoshimitsu prepared to savour his victory. Raising the sword in the air, reverse-grip, he prepared to impale Crash. But the downward death-stroke bit only dirt. Crash, with absolute disregard for dignity, had rolled forward, straight between Yoshimitsu's outstretched legs. Rolling straight into an upright stance he turned to face the glowering space-ninja. As Yoshimitsu stepped forward threateningly, Crash used his slide-tackle to knock Yoshimtsu down. As they both lay on the ground, side by side, Crash elbowed the warrior in the head, before getting to his feet. Yoshimitsu rolled quickly onto his back, bring his sword around, but Crash was already in the air. And coming down hard. Unable to avoid the sword, it lacerated his side deeply, as he body-slammed Yoshimitsu, who was still lying on the ground.

Staggering to his feet, and backing off, Crash held his side with one hand. Warm blood flowed between his fingers.

Crash grimaced. He had died numerous times, but [i]this[/i] was what it felt like to actually be wounded. Fortunately for Crash, who was rapidly descending into a state of shock, his body-slam of Yoshimitsu had obviously done some damage. The creature was still on the ground, though as Crash watched, a green glow enveloped Yoshimitsu's body. His eyes sprang open and he leapt straight from a prone position to his feet.

"Neat trick" taunted Crash.

"If you thought that was good, wait until you see this" snarled Yoshimitsu. He began to spin his sword arm around at an amazing speed, and amazingly enough he began to hover. The sound of the sword slicing through the air set Crash's teeh on edge, but he now saw his opportunity. Yoshimitsu was too high in the air for most people to reach him... but Crash had a trick or two up his sleeve too.

He leapt high into the air, but then from his midair point, he leapt higher again. His double jump placed him right at Yoshimitsu's knee level, and with a grunt he grabbed hold.

Yoshimitsu glared down at him, and with his free hand he reached for a small dagger on his belt. In desperation Crash did the only thing he could think of.

He bit off one of Yoshimitsu's toes.

With a cry of pain and anger, Yoshimitsu's concentration failed him, and with his prosthetic arm stopping it's rotation, he plummeted to the ground. With a burst of effort, Crash pulled on Yoshimitsu's legs, so that Yoshimitsu was falling first. The raging ninja swung at Crash in midair, but the blow swept narrowly over the top of Crash's head.

Yoshimitsu hit the ground with a loud thud, Crash landing [thankfully] on top of him. A much better landing than Yoshimitsu had gotten.

Crash stared in horror at the tree limb protruding from the chest of the great warrior. With a rumbling sigh, the body dispersed into hundreds of tiny pixels, which floated away, indistinguishable from the gnats hovering lazily in the fetid air. Crash wiped sweat from his eyes, only to discover with horro that it was blood. Reaching to the top of his head, he gingerly felt around. Warm wetness greeted his search.

The last blow had cut the tip from one of his ears. Crash felt light-headed, and fainted, unaware as the forest around him disappeared and he returned to the CPU.[/size]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Not long after the six contestants had warped out the CPU they returned one by one, all exhausted and wounded.

"Tough fights, kupo? I must say I was very impressed with everybody, but before I go on... [I]Curagajadama[/I]!"

All six survivors' wounds were magically healed, and they all felt refreshed.

"With that settled, kupo, it's time to judge everybody's performances individually."

[INDENT][B]Mario[/B]: Your fight was filled with the traditional taunts, which was positively amusing, and you used your natural skills with variety. You also used the environment to your advantage. However, the battle lacked excitement and it was a bit one-sided, kupo.

[B]Yuna[/B]: I would say the same things to you as I said to Mario, kupo, about the good use of your skills, but it made you a bit overpowered. Not that thrilling of a fight... Flashy but not surprising.

[B]Xiaoyu[/B]: You had the advantage of knowing your opponent beforehand, and you used that information well. Poor Panda never stood a chance, kupo... I was also expecting more emotional stuff, kupo.

[B]Krystal[/B]: You had a long and grueling battle with Mileena, that really required all your strenght. Your use of telepathic skills were innovative and surprising.

[B]Lara[/B]: Your battle was emotionally charged, and you did well despite your lack of any supernatural skills. It required you to use your imagination, kupo, and you did that well.

[B]Crash[/B]: A proper fight, you literally fought with your claws and teeth. It was not very exciting, though, and it lacked that something that would make it notable.[/INDENT]

"With judging over and done, I'll announce who won of this tenth challenge. The winner is..."

[COLOR=Purple][SIZE=3][B]Krystal[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

"Really?!" the blue fox exclaimed surprised. The other contestants slapped her back, congratulating her.

"Really, kupo. You are now safe from votes in the next [B]Team Council[/B] that starts immediately."

"The others of you... Crash, Lara, Yuna, Xiaoyu, Mario... One of you five is going to be deleted tonight. To revise, [B]everybody can vote[/B], but Krystal can't be voted off. It's time for the first individual Team Councils, kupo, so [B]cast your votes[/B]."

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After all six had voted, Mog came to tell the result.

"Kupo, and interesting situation, this first individual voting..."

The contestants looked at each others.

"[B]Crash[/B]..."

The orange bandicoot froze as he heard his name. He looked like he knew he would be deleted in a matter of seconds.

"...you got two votes, kupo."

"[B]Lara Croft[/B]..."

The adventuress narrowed her eyes. There was definately something going on... Was it a tie?

"...you too got two votes. And so did you..."

Ling Xiaoyu and Yuna looked at each other worriedly.

"...[B]Mario[/B]", Mog concluded.

"So there's been a tie between three people: Crash Bandicoot, Lara Croft and Mario. Because you won the immunity, [B]Krystal[/B], it's up to you to decide who of these three gets deleted, kupo."

The blue vixen gulped loudly. "Oh no, not this..."
[/FONT]

[Solo Tremaine]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal's head hung low; she stared at her hands, wringing them anxiously. She'd seen the looks on the others' faces when they were nominated.

"Well, at least I know it won't be me, now..." she sighed quietly.

She paced around, some distance away from the others. Mog was looking a little irritated at her slow decision-making; she bit her lip and desperately tried to justify each choice she could make. Crash- he'd been her team mate on two separate occasions now. He was strong, funny, reliable... Similarly, she'd spent the most time with Lara and felt a connection with her that she didn't share with anyone else. Mario, she didn't know at all, but Yuna was watching him anxiously.

She shook her head. This was a competition- she couldn't be soft any more, not at this stage. She had to assess who would be the biggest threat to her over the coming events. In which case, she guessed Lara would be the most prime for knocking out, but even then...

* * *

...some time later, she raised her head and turned to face the others, looking fraught. She avoided eye contact with her chosen figure. Taking a deep breath, she made her announcement.

"Mog, I have made my decision. I would like... um, I mean... I nominate [b]Crash Bandicoot[/b] to be deleted."

There was a tense silence.

"I'm sorry."[/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]A tomb silence fell upon the contestants as Krystal announced her decision. Finally Mog broke it.

"That's it, kupo. [B]Crash Bandicoot[/B], you are the thirteenth person voted out of OtakuBoards Survivor: Game On! Kupo, bye bye!"
[CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/delete-Crash.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

The furry adventurer started to fade away, muttering something about "voting the best out".

When Crash was gone, Mog looked at the remaining contestants.

"You are the final five, kupo. The next three challenges will drop out three of you, one by one, until there's two remaining. At this point, any one of you can be in that final twosome. May the kupoest survivor win!"[/FONT]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]A sensation made up of equal parts relief and sadness came over Lara as she watched Crash disappear from the CPU. Odd as it may seem she had come to respect the furball during their time spent as a team and later competing against one another.

Looking over to Krystal Lara winced at the sense of guilt that consumed the fox. The older woman walked slowly over and placed a gentle hand upon a downy shoulder. Krystal looked up and attempted a small smile, the expression failing under Lara's sympathetic gaze.

[B]"Its okay."[/B] Lara murmered softly, giving Krystal's shoudler a gentle squeeze. [B]"He won't hold it against you, and neither do we."[/B]

Krystal sniffed softly before standing slightly straighter, nodding at the Tomb Raider.

[B]"All's fair in love and war right?" [/B] Lara grinned and drew the fox into a sideways hug.

[B]"That's right! So don't think I'm going to go soft on you, when I win the next challenge." [/B] Lara skipped backwards laughing as Krystal moved to elbow her in the ribs. Lara gave the fox a quick wink before moving up behind Mog, giving their host's tail quick tug.

[B]"Not meaning to be impatient, but a new challenge wouldn't be unwelcome."[/B][/SIZE]

[Ellerby]

[color=#333333]Mario waited patiently for the tomb raider to finish with Krystal before he went over there himself. When she walked away, the short plumber trotted up to the blue canine and took his hat off like he would during the National Anthem. He bowed his head and then looked at her.

"Words-a cannot describe how grateful-a I am." he said, and with that walked to his room which he had yet to explore.

As he came to the door, he noticed it was very... [i]whoo[/i], as he had put it earlier. Mario tossed his hat onto the dresser that had been provided. Taking a second glance at it, he realized how [i]dirty[/i] it was. This brought him to the decision of getting changed.

Once in his new appeal, Mario crawled into his bed and looked at the illusion of a ceiling. He thought of his friends back home; Luigi, Toadstool, Koops . . . [I]Peach[/I].

The name echoed throughout his head. He clasped his hands into a fist and widened his eyes, staring at the roof of his bedroom. He had sworn to win this for all the people in Mushroom Kingdom, and all the true Nintendo fans who didn't want the Nintendo games -especially the Mario ones- go under.

Mario pulled his blanket over his body and turned onto his side, closing his eyes to rest before the next challenge.[/color]

[Sandy]

[FONT=Century Gothic]When Mog the Moogle summoned the five remaining contestants to their eleventh challenge, each of them had their mind on the looming final. They all were so close, although not quite there yet...

Lara Croft, Yuna, Ling Xiaoyu, Krystal and Mario stepped into a line in front of the host of the game.

"Welcome, kupo, to face a contest that's my personal favorite so far - and the most demanding one you will encounter in this game, I might add, kupo."

"I like to call it [SIZE=3][B]Château Du Mog[/B][/SIZE]."
[IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/OB%20Survivor/place-mogcastle.jpg[/IMG]

"The rules for this challenge are simple, but they also leave much depending on each of you, kupo."
[INDENT]1. All five of you will [B]inflitrate[/B] my custom-made magical castle, where your objective is to [B]find a treasure[/B] and bring it back to the CPU.
2. Each of you will navigate through the maze-like castle, avoiding the [B]traps[/B] I've set there, kupo.
3. The trick is that I've also invited the most horrendous, gruesome and lethal [B]monsters[/B] of videogaming history to guard the castle. Who are they, it's up to you to see for yourselves, kupo!
4. What comes to the [B]treasure[/B] hidden inside the castle, I'm not going to reveal that either. By the end of this challenge, I'm expecting to see five items in front of me, out of which one hopefully is the right one. The [B]bringer[/B] of that treasure will be the [B]winner[/B].
5. Just to not make it too easy for you, all five of you will be [B]stripped out of all your weapons and special skills[/B], so you'll be reverted to the very first phase in the history videogame characters - a mere pawn. I'd advice you to [B]rely on stealth and wits[/B] to avoid the enemies and traps, kupo.
[/INDENT]

"I hope you are ready the enter my Château, because it's [I]Game On[/I]!"

With those words, all five contestants were suddenly teleported out of CPU, with all their arsenal and other belongings left behind.
[/FONT]

[Raiyuu]

[color=Purple][font=Trebuchet MS]There was a brief feeling of being upside-down and inside-out, and then Xiaoyu found herself not in the CPU but in a grand entrance hall.

Across a wide expanse of smooth floor, twin staircases swept elegantly upwards in serpentine curves to a gallery with an ornately tooled balustrade. A huge, complex chandelier hung in the centre of the ceiling, jagged arcs and bridges of crystal swooping around each other. Doors lined the walls to either side of Xiaoyu, both on her level and upstairs on the gallery.

The entire room - walls, floor, staircases, chandelier - was made of smooth, glassy, pale pink crystal. It was eerily silent, especially considering the amount of monsters with which Mog had claimed to have infested the [/font][/color][font=Trebuchet MS][color=Purple]Château, but the silence seemed to ring and reverberate off the smooth surfaces, producing a sound like a finger around a wineglass-rim, which Xiaoyu was sure was only in her head.

[b]"Too many doors..." [/b]she commented to herself, glancing around and unsure of where to start her search. The wineglass-ring picked up her words and added their echoes to the eerie sound-that-wasn't-a-sound.

Deciding quickly not to make too much noise, Xiaoyu racked her brains. The view of the [/color][/font][font=Trebuchet MS][color=Purple]Château Mog had showed them in the CPU had been made of pink crystal, so that was the wing she'd landed in, presumably. It had had lots of turrets ... and if Xiaoyu knew anything about treasures hidden in castles, it was that they were always at the top of the tallest tower, guarded by some ferocious beastie.

That was the plan, then. Keep heading upwards till she found the tallest tower. Bring back whatever she found there.

She noticed the difference as soon as she started moving: her steps had lost their finely-honed agility, and she seemed to have forgotten how to maintain that alertness and awareness her martial arts had taught her, to guard against surprise attacks. She grimaced, imagining Mog snickering back in the CPU.

Trotting up the staircase, she chose a door at random and pushed. It swung open silently, gliding on crystal hinges.

As the door swung closed behind her, it threw reflected glimmers of light across the hall, playing across the crazy curves and angles of the chandelier. Striking the many-faceted surface, the light split, scattering sparkling pinpoints that reflected back from the glassy walls and floor to strike the chandelier again, splitting further until a fine web of light had built up between the chandelier and the floor. The beams intensified as they reflected back and forth, growing into a solid-seeming mass of white light and heat, warping sheets of heat-haze rising to the ceiling.

The cocoon of light grew to blinding intensity, the hall's wineglass-hum rising to screeching pitch, until it shattered into a million glittering shards, revealing [i]something [/i]inside, which glided across the floor and phased through the door Xiaoyu had entered...
[/color][/font]

[Ellerby]

[color=#333333]When given the signal to enter, Mario bolted ahead of all the others and leaped through a window at the side wall of the gigantic chateau. Instead of ending up in the very first room like he suspected the others did, Mario found himself far into the castle.

Cold and damp air wafted around him in a foggy sort of way. The opaque mist hid most of the room, but the fog wasn't what caught Mario off guard. It was the sillhouette of the great Koopa King himself in the far off corner of the room.

Luckily, Bowser hadn't noticed Mario yet so the short plumber quickly ducked to the floor and lay on his belly. The floor was a soggy lumber and often you could hear rats scurrying across the wood. There were also small patches of a gooey slime substance spread around in one area.

Mario slowly crawled forward, using his arms to pull him closer to Bowser. As he got closer to the dinosaur beast, Mario spotted a treasure chest behind it. The large wooden casket held a firm, golden lock clinging it shut. He decided that it was one of the five treasures.

Carefully, Mario managed to slip right behind Bowser and in front of the treasure chest. Best he could tell, Bowser had the key to the lock and thus, the only way to get the treasure would be to defeat the Koopa King.

[i]No problem-a[/i], Mario thought. With his strength and speed, the big lug would be a sinch to beat. But wait, there was the whole being stripped of his powers thing. Mario would have to outwit Bowser. [i]Oh, gee... like[/i] that[i] will be hard[/i], he said to himself.

The Italian quickly thought up a plan and put it into action. He took off his shoes and tied his shoelaces around Bowser's huge toe nails so he wouldn't feel the string. When that difficult task was done, Mario slid across the floor into Bowser's visible sight and stood up.

"Graar~!" growled Bowser, "You truly [i]are[/i] a foolish one, Mario." And with that, Bowser stomped right at Mario. Wait... what? It seems as though the shoelaces had just snapped in half as soon as the giant dino moved!

Mario panicked and threw his loose shoe at Bowsers face, who incinerated it without a second thought. [i]Well, that's not fair![/i] thought Mario. He ran away into the fogginess of the room and await Bowser to wander in. When Bowser was in sight, Mario jumped onto his spiny shell and used his spikes as holsters. Since the shell and spikes are much like toe nails or hooves, Bowser did not even feel the excess weight add onto him instantaneously.

Letting go of the leftmost spike, Mario grabbed Bowsers hair and tugged as hard as he could. Immediately, Bowser growled in anger and tossed Mario off of his back, along with a tuft of hair.

"You panzy!" laughed Bowser. "Prepare to meet your doom, Mario. [I]Grar rar rar rar rar rar[/I]!"

Mario scurried to the chest and picked it up. It was surprisingly light. He managed to make his way back to the window he had used to enter and somersaulted out into the courtyard. He galloped towards the waiting Moogle and slammed the chest on the ground, breaking the lock.

"I-a found a treasure!" yelped Mario with excitement. Mog smiled grimly and motioned for Mario to open the chest. To his surprise, inside was [i]Toad[/i]!

"Thank you Mario, but our treasure is in another chest!" exclaimed Toadstool with a seemingly evil tone. Mario sighed and looked to Mog.

"Guess you'll have to go and keep looking, kupo!"[/COLOR]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Yuna sighed as she pulled out the metal plates from her hip pouch, handing them over to Mog. She undid her guns and handed them over too, she felt so exposed, worse than in the last challenge since she'd had her magic at least.

Yuna breathed out calmly as she was transported from the CPU, she was in front of a large building but she couldn't see any of the others around, she guessed that they had been transported to different parts of the enormous Chateau. She heard the signal and ran forward into the entrance hall, it was surprisingly empty and long, with a door at the very end. She set off at a run, she wanted to admire the beauty of the place but there wasn't any time. Yuna knew something was wrong as soon as she'd been running for a few minutes, but the door wasn't getting any closer. She wondered what was going on, was it an illusion?

Yuna stopped, taking in a few deep breaths. She put her hand forward, her palm tingled as she felt an invisible wall. She frowned and brought the hand back, punching it. She heard a cracking sound, and the wall shattered into pieces, falling around her feet. She ran over them, her feet crunching pieces into powder, that running for nothing had taken up precious time. Now Yuna ran with a hand outstretched incase there were any more walls.

After punching through two more walls, she arrived at the door finally. She pressed down on the delicate looking door handle, pushing forward. Yuna looked around the new room she was in, it was quite spacious, and along the wall were round holes with a pole across the very top, each big enough for her to fit through. Above each hole was a coloured arrow pointing down, indicating that she should choose a path. [I][B][Imagine Golden Saucer in FF7][/B][/I]

Yuna picked the hole with a blue arrow above it which was the first from the left, she ran and grabbed the bar, swinging her body into the hole, hoping that she'd be ok at the other end. She slid all the way down the dark slide leaping out the other end. The walls were blue as she walked along, the room she was in was completely empty with no doors, but like the other rooms she had been in, it was huge.

Yuna took a few steps toward the centre of the room, there was mechanical grinding sound and she looked up at the ceiling to see it parting in two, sliding away from each other to allow something to get through. Yuna swallowed and backed up to the door, her fists were up in a fighting position. Three [URL=http://ffonline.com/1_ff9en/zuu.jpg]Zuus[/URL] flew down screeching. They spotted Yuna and started to dive at her. She quickly rolled under them and got up, it was tough because these birds were tough, not to mention they were flying and have the ability to heal themselves. She could tell this was going to be a long challenge.[/COLOR]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]"No weapons? What am I supposed to do without any weapons?" Lara grumbled as she made her way towards the main door of the castle. The glass panes that made up the walls glinted in the unnatural light, echoing the faint noises from within with an unnerving timbre.

Raising her hand to open the large glass door that stood before her Lara suddenly stopped, her fingers inches from the translucent handle. Narrowing her gaze Lara took one step backwards, casting her eyes over the great expanse that stood before her. In her previous experience, it was often not a wise descision to use the front door. All manner of traps and triggers could await those foolish or proud enough to simply waltz in. Boulders, trap doors, spikes and blades, all these had been used against Lara in her quest for ancient treasures, and this case was no different. With that in mind Lara analysed the front of the castle, searching for any hint of a seperate entrance.

A wry smile tugged at her lips as she spied a small switch sitting snugly at the base of one of the towers. The material it was crafted from made it almost invisible against the glass of the walls, but its shape was distinct to Lara's keen eye. A thin lever was held securely in a short, vertical slot and Lara, grasping it firmly, pulled it downwards with relative ease. An ominous clicking aound accompanied this motion. lara leapt backwards swiftly as the ground fell away in the place she was standing, revealing a worn staircase crafted, unsurprisingly, from glass. Glancing about carefully Lara shrugged her shoulders and started to descend, her footsteps echoing in the cavernous darkness.[/SIZE]

[Solo Tremaine]

[color=#503f86]Krystal stared in awe at the massive pink megalithic structure in front of her. She was outside, on an outcrop of pink mountain that ran all the way towards two gargantuan front doors, gleaming in the pink hue of the clouds around her. In fact, almost everything around with the castle was pink, and rather garishly so. She imagined Xaiyou would be fairly happy.

As she drew nearer, she noticed a strange silver sheen adorning the outer surfaces of the building, almost as if it were made of mirrored glass. Knowing Mog's taste for colours and surfaces, she wouldn't have been surprised if it was like this through and through.

She stood in front of the door and looked up, craning her neck to try and catch a glimpse of the rest of the building, obscured by the pink mists above.

Nothing.

She let out a quiet huff of derision and then proceeded to push against the doors. They didn't move.

She pushed again, throwing her whole weight into them. They still adamantly refused to move.

"Damn it!" she hissed, digging her heel into the ground. She paced around a few times, muttering obsceneties under her breath and occasionally giving evil looks to the massive hinged obstructions in front of her.

As she passed in front of them for the tenth time, she noticed that her heelprint was still on the ground. She knelt down and pressed her hand into it; the ground gave way llike hard, crumbly mud. Lying on her front, she peered at the small space under the door. She could see a very shiny marble-esque surface with coloured light reflecting off it and a few shadows, but couldn't make out anything apart from that.

"Well," she sighed, cracking her knuckles. "Time to get digging, then."

* * *

Some minutes later, she dragged herself free of the hole and stood up, caked in the weird pink mud-rock. She'd had to dig underneath the marble flagstones and push them aside in order to get in. Thankfully, her naturally small size was something Mog couldn't take away from her. Course, it would have been much easier with either her flight, portal open or ground quake ability, but she didn't have those luxuries.

She took a minute to absorb her surroundings. Huge marble pillars of white, pink and emerald green towered above her in a hallway that made her feel minutely small. Ahead of her was a gigantic hall that seemed to be even taller than this one, and she could see a spiral pathway stretching around its walls.

She wondered whether anyone would notice the misplaced sections of paving. Carefully she placed two of them back, and kept one loose just in case she needed to jump back outside.

Sticking close to the walls, she quietly trod her way down the immense corridor, keeping watch all around her.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling shook the ground; she stumbled back and watched incredulously as the wall above the archway began to change shape. Lumps of marble broke free from the ceiling and hovered in the centre of the entrance to the hall, forming a gigantic, polygonal face. Its rhombus-shaped eyes flickered open, glowing a brilliant blue. Its mouth opened and closed a few times as its constituent parts sealed themselves in place.

Its eyes appeared to scan the area briefly; Krystal ducked behind one of the pillars to hide herself.

"I am Andross!" it roared. "Show yourself!"

"Bugger that," Krystal whispered, looking back towards the entrance. The marble slate was still loose...[/color]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Yuna bounced on the balls of her feet, moving smoothly, she tilted her neck to each side, popping the vertebrae. Her eyes followed them warily, she moved with them but soon they were hovering in a triangle formation with her in the centre. She was constantly turning, watching each for signs to show that they were about to attack. In unison, their beaks opened and a strong blast of flames burst forward, surrounding her. Yuna rolled out of the path of two Fira spells, but was hit in the back by the last one, her shirt burnt in a patch with the skin beneath blistering painfully. The woman hissed at the pain but grinded her teeth, accepting it. She turned, jumping up, hitting one of the Zuus with a roundhouse kick to the head.

It fell from the air, crashing into one of the other bird monsters, they skidded along the floor. Yuna raced over and pounded on them swiftly, jumping out of the way as an Aera spell was delivered from the Zuu that remained in flight. She continued her assault, dodging the flurry of scratches from their sharp claws. She felt the heat of another Fira spell and rolled sideways off the tangle of birds, leaving them to take the heat. The two black birds flapped up into the air again weakly, suddenly they both beat their wings and a wing swirled around them, they were rejuvinated and ready to fight again. Yuna glared at them, she hated White Wind.

[B]"Damn birds with healing powers."[/B] she growled.

She looked around the room, she needed a weapon of some sort to be able to beat them. Yuna spotted some piping around the room and stood by a length, hoping her plan would work. The birds screeched, lining up horizontally and diving toward her. She moved out of the way and their sharp claws sliced through the piping like a hot knife through butter. Yuna picked up the longer piece and held it, it was cool in her hands, but more importantly, heavy, as a good melee weapon should be.

[B]"Come and get me you oversized turkeys."[/B] she taunted.

They swooped down past her, she dodged each, whacking them on the heads as they went past. They were crumpled on the floor and Yuna continually pounded them with the pipe and kicked them in combination, not giving them time to attack or heal themselves. When the damage was enough, they shimmered and disappeared, dissolving into pyreflies and flying away through the walls.

Yuna waited for something else to happen, and she saw the hatch in the ceiling opening again. She prepared herself for more monsters but was surprised when she saw a blue treasure chest slowly float down to the floor. It settled quietly and Yuna looked at it. She wondered if what was in it was what she needed. She walked up to it and opened it, pulling out the blue sphere within.

She was disappointed when she played the sphere, [B]"Sorry, this is the wrong sphere, it's not the treasure you're seeking. Keep searching. But this [I]will[/I] take you back to the central room."[/B]

Before Yuna knew what was happening, she was back in the room with all the tunnels. A pillar rose from in front of the blue tunnel that she had gone down, there was indentation and she placed the blue sphere on it instinctively. As soon as it clicked into place, it glowed with an inner light.

She still had her pipe surprisingly so she tucked it into the front of her belt for safety as she slipped into the next tunnel along, the Red hole, wondering what was waiting for her down below.[/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[color=#333333]As Mario walked back to the entrance of the Castle, he repeated Mog's words in a mocking tone.

"Guess-a you'll have to-a go and-a keep-a looking. [I]Na-nana nana[/I]. I'm-a so-a cool-a 'cuz I'm a moogle. [I]Neener neener neener[/I]." he said. He even used hand gestures to imitate Mog's mouth.

When Mario reached the doors, he slipped inside trying not to make any noise so the others wouldn't find out about his false treasure. He walked down the long crystal hall and took the third door on the left into another hallway.

This hall didn't have any doors like the other one. In fact, it was completely different. This particular hallway had no pillars, and it wasn't crystal-coated. The walls seemed to extend higher than the black sky here and were a navy blue.

Suddenly, about 10 feet above Mario's head, a large white sphere blipped into existance. Mario quickly dodged to the right, expecting it to fall. But it didn't.

He cautiously walked on, looking above his head every minute. He soon realized that there were more than one of these white spheres and they continued along the whole hallway.

After about 15 minutes of walking, Mario was forced to make an immediate right turn, as the walls formed an L shape. That's about when he heard it.

[i]Rumble, rumble.[/i]

The walls started shaking and at the end of the hall, Mario could just barely make out a yellow ball, about three times the size of the white ones. From what he could see, it was eating the white spheres.

[b][i]Wakka wakka wakka wakka![/b][/i]

[i]Oh no.[/i] thought Mario. [i]This is a giant game of Pacman![/i][/color]

[Doukeshi]

[SIZE=1]Her footsteps echoed along the darkened glass passage way as Lara descended the last of the stairs. A chill breeze flowed through the confined space, raising goosebumps upon the exposed flesh of Lara's arms. A stale and putrid smell hung in the air like a cloud, dense and stagnant. The Tomb Raider wrinkled her nose in disgust.

[B]"Phew. For someone with such a pretty taste in architecture, Mog certaintly has a long way to go in house cleaning."[/B] Lara muttered as she walked slowly down the black corridor. The darkness was all encompasing, solid almost in the deep underground. Not even the faintest glimmer of light shone to guide her way so ever footstep was carefully placed with sure gesture, lest she cross something unexpected.

Keeping her hand trailing against the glass wall so as not to lose her way Lara stopped when the surface abruptly left her fingers, leaving her hand hovering in space. Frowning Lara took a step backwards, feeling once again for the wall that had eluded her. Her fingers, running through air for some time, eventually found the edge of the finely crafted glass. It seemed that the wall had turned sharply into a corner with little warning, leaving Lara out in the open of the junction. Following the corridor once again, Lara was once more hit with the fetid stench she had encountered before. She resisted the urge to gag at what stank horribly of something that could only be described as rotting meat. The tips of her fingers came into contact with a slick substance coating the wall and each footstep resulted in a wet crunching sound.

Stopping yet again Lara raised her slick coated fingers to her noise, sniffing softly at the substance lingering there. Lara grimaced as she recognised the strong metallic scent. Blood, and fresh blood at that. Lara stood silent, the urge to flee back the way she came bubbling up in her chest. Any descision making was abruptly brought to a halt however when a low rumble echoed from the end of the passage way. Lara's breath caught in her throat as heavy thudding footfalls began to sound. The footsteps were accompanied by a loud grating noise, as if a large metal object were being dragged across the floor. Lara stepped back in growing panic as the noises grew progressivley closer. [/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Yuna slipped out of the tunnel and glanced around the room, ready for a surprise attack. Instead she found stable stalls lining the walls. One side had 5 yellow birds in them, with the other 4 stalls empty, and the other side had only one large stall. She was curious at what to do and her eyes landed on a sign pinned to the red wall.

[I]"To get your sphere, you'll need to breed a [B]Golden Chocobo[/B], kupo. If you breed the right combinations you should have no problems, kupo. The starter chocobos you'll need are in the stalls, and the nuts are in piles to your right, kupo. Good luck!"[/I]

Yuna started to sweat, it had been a number of years since she'd bred chocobos, and at that time they weren't coloured, they were just ranked. She looked to her right, and lo and behold, there were two "piles", one pile consisted of one nut, the other had three, there was a word written in front of each pile on the ground; Carob, and Zeio, Zeio being the pile with one nut. She walked down the path and looked at the yellow birds, on the door there were labels.

[B]"Good Male; Good Female; Great Male; Great Female, Wonderful Male."[/B] Yuna read as she walked past, the other stalls were labelled too, with Green Chocobo, Blue Chocobo, Black Chocobo and Golden Chocobo.

She was guessing that the colours were similar to the rank that they had in Spira so she opened the stalls of the [B][COLOR=Orange]Great Female[/COLOR][/B] and the [B][COLOR=Orange]Good Male[/COLOR][/B], leading them into the large stall. She ran back up and plucked a Carob nut from the pile and threw it into the stall, closing the door and walking away.

She returned after a few minutes and smiled at the cute [B][COLOR=Green]Green[/COLOR][/B] chick that had been born. She returned the parents to their stalls and placed the green one into the stall marked Green Chocobo. She watched as the bird grew rapidly before her eyes, and he was soon an adult like his parents. Yuna just raised an eyebrow since the bird then stopped growing, and began strutting around his stall, head raised high, looking very proud of himself, Yuna raised an eyebrow at his attitude but shrugged, moving on.

She scratched her chin, she was having trouble remembering what combination it was that she needed. She thought for another few minutes before grabbing the [B][COLOR=Orange]Great Male[/COLOR][/B] and [B][COLOR=Orange]Good Female[/COLOR][/B]. She had a bit of trouble with the male as it refused to go with her, lashing out with his beak and claws, laying on scratches to her already battered body. Yuna swung up onto his back, holding onto the reins of the Female. She kicked the bird in the sides, steering them into the large stall. She dismounted and tossed the two of them a Carob nut as she fled from the stall as the Male charged at her. A number few minutes later she heard a soft [B]'kweh'[/B] and there was a small [B][COLOR=Blue]Blue[/COLOR][/B] chick. Yuna put her in the stall marked Blue Chocobo and just like the Green Chocobo, she sprouted immediately, becoming full sized, she was strangely the opposite of the green as she sat and tucked her head into her feathers. The male didn't put up a fight as she put him back into his stall, she grinned because he looked exhausted while the Female looked quite pleased with herself as she walked into her own stall.

Yuna led the [B][COLOR=Green]Green[/COLOR][/B] and [B][COLOR=Blue]Blue[/COLOR][/B] Chocobos into the large stall, throwing in the final Carob nut. In next to no time another chick had been born, the colour of [B][COLOR=Black]Soot[/COLOR]. [/B] Each of the coloured birds were put in their respective stalls and now there was only one last combination to do.

The final unused [B][COLOR=Orange]Yellow[/COLOR][/B] bird was brought from his stall and placed with the newly grown [B][COLOR=Black]Black[/COLOR][/B] bird. The final and only Zeio nut was given to them and a new life sprouted, the bird's plummage shined a bright golden colour. Yuna let out a deep breath of relief, she remembered the combinations, she was lucky. When the [U][B][COLOR=Chocolate]Golden Chocobo[/COLOR][/B][/U] was put into her stall, she grew up like the others and a hatch in the wall opened, revealing an alcove where a red treasure chest sat.

Yuna sighed and pulled open the lid, picking up the red sphere.

[B]"Bad luck, this isn't the right sphere either. Keep at it and try again."[/B] the sphere chimed.

Yuna growled but didn't have time to do anything as she was teleported out of the stables. She sighed as she looked at the familiar room that was the tunnel room. Another pillar rose up and Yuna set the red one down, there were two tunnels left, Green and Yellow. She wanted this challenge over with already. She ran at the Green tunnel and swung herself in, hoping there wasn't a hard task ahead of her.[/COLOR]