//------------------------------// // Walking in a Winters Wonderland, part 2 // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// 234:00.00 Lv: 7 Off: 44 Def: 58 Spd: 8 Gut: 8 Vit: 4 IQ: 22 Luc: 4 With the Bubble Monkey tagging along, Jeff had readily made his way south to the shore of the lake, the natural boundary between the area where Snow Woods was and the southern areas including Stonehenge and his father's labs. He had been attacked by dogs, crows, and goats, but between the Robo-Pack's defenses and his Magnum Air Gun, he managed to make it all the way without being injured. None of the creatures had targeted the monkey, all of them focusing on Jeff himself, though the monkey had helped out on occasion by leaping onto the goat's heads and scratching at their eyes, a momentary distraction that gave Jeff time for a clean shot. Crossing the lake was a different story, however. On arrival, Jeff had started to plan building a boat of some sort to sail across, but the monkey had nixed the idea. "Ukekeke!" he had insisted, which Jeff had understood - somehow - to mean, One of the many people camped by the lakeside had interpreted Jeff's sudden desire to wait till sunrise to be their shared desire to see Tessie, a 'mysterious creature' that supposedly lived in the lake. Come morning, a very strong wind was blowing over the lake...and yet the water was completely still, save for a single spot that was rippling oddly. Jeff was curious about the phenomenon, but the monkey quickly dragged him over to a spur of land sticking out into the lake before demanding a piece of gum. Confused but curious, Jeff handed it over. The monkey chewed the gum and blew a bubble, floating himself up into the air and over to hover above the rippling water...and a flat purple head slowly lifted out of the water on a long neck to let the monkey land gently atop it. "A...a dinosaur? Here?" Jeff gasped in shock, to stunned in the moment to recognize the type of dinosaur right off the bat. "Ukuk-KE!" "Ukiki!" Jeff continued to stare in amazement as the creature slowly swam up to the side of the land spur, close enough that Jeff was able to step onto its back. It then slowly swam south across the lake, aiming for the far western shore. Much to Jeff's surprise, none of the people out to try and spot Tessie in the lake seemed to realize the creature was even there. "Selective cloaking as a natural defense mechanism?" he murmured in awe. "Fascinating! And it would have to be a type of energy that the Bubble Monkey had, to allow him to see through it and be aware of it...the most likely would be that PSI that was being researched a few years back down in Thunderton...but I've been tested and I don't have any abilities along those lines, so why can I see it?" He continued to mull this over in his mind...only for his eyes to light up. "Wait! Could the ability rely on people's natural acceptance of the world around them? I'm always looking at new ways to think of things, so could it be the field can't effect me because there's nothing I would naturally assume it to be?" Smiling, he shook his head. "I should probably think about that another time, or discuss it with Dad when I meet up with him. I doubt either of my present companions could explain it..." "Kekeke!" Jeff lifted his head to stare at the Monkey in disbelief. "...what?" "Ukikikeke!" "Ukekike!" "...fascinating..." 233:30.00 Stepping off Tessie's back, Jeff watched as the noble creature swam back out into the lake before disappearing into the water. He regretted not being able to study such a phenomenon further, but he had friends waiting for him. Besides, there was always a chance he might be able to come back and study it further someday. Heading further south, he found his path blocked by a giant pencil-shaped statue made of what looked like iron. "This is...odd," he mused curiously. "What possible purpose could this statue have?" "Kukiki!" "I suppose...but it seems odd, nonetheless," Jeff observed before stepping into the surprisingly well-illuminated cave. A nearby sign declared it to be a 'modest dungeon' made by someone named Brick Road, containing a rather curiously designed maze. Shrugging, Jeff made his way through it, dealing with the Rowdy Mice, Mad Ducks, and lumps of Worthless Protoplasm that attempted to attack him. At the other side of the cavern, an old man in grey overalls stood just outside. "Maybe it was too easy?" he murmured thoughtfully before shaking himself off. "My name's Brickroad, the dungeon developer." "Dungeon developer?" Jeff asked excitedly. "Like for tabletop games?" "That's how I began, but now I seek more...reality," Brickroad explained with a wide grin. "I've devoted my life to making dungeons...and by combining my skills and Dr. Andonuts intelligence, I can become 'Dungeon Man', the first combination of human and dungeon in history!" "You know my Dad?" Jeff asked in surprise. "I'm trying to get to his lab-" "Oh it's not far at all!" Brickroad reassured him happily. "Just head through the next cave and you'll be at Stonehenge. Straight south from there is Dr. Andonuts' lab." He waved Jeff on happily. "Let's meet again when I've become Dungeon Man!" 233:00.00 The southern cave was much darker, with water dripping from the stalactites into still pools. Mushrooms grew everywhere, and bats and crocodiles patrolled the chambers. Slugs and mice attacked in the halls, and the entire place seemed to echo with an odd, mad sound that was not quite heard. Jeff pressed on determinedly. Nearly everything he encountered went down from one shot of his magnum air rifle, and Parrying with the Robo-Pack let him take down entire groups of attackers before they even realized it. The only thing of use he found in the cave system was a Cheap Bracelet, which he strapped to his arm just in case. At the end of the caves was a strange starburst blocking one of the paths...but the way it pulsated warned him away. Despite wanting to investigate, he knew he didn't have time. Just outside the caves, Jeff caught sight of Stonehenge...and the Bubble Monkey caught sight of a female monkey. "Kye uki kukyi!" With no more than that, he dashed off after the female monkey, leaving Jeff alone. Rolling his eyes, Jeff progressed south past Stonehenge until he reached his father's lab. As he entered, he found himself relaxing as he became surrounded by the pristine white walls, bits of tech scattered about. He could see his father in the distance...having a heated debate with a woman he didn't recognize. "Seriously, how do you get this lost?" Dr. Andonuts demanded in disbelief. "It's a straight road through the desert! How did you end up on a completely different continent?" The woman looked abashed. "You know I never really got the hang of teleporting," she offered defensively. "And the traffic was backed up halfway across the desert! I couldn't even get into the tunnel! Can't you help me?" Dr. Andonuts rubbed his brow in frustration. "The instant revitalizing device is right over there. I can't loan you the Sky Runner. Without a landing pad, it will crash and be unusable for weeks until the auto-repair finishes! And Jeff's going to need that soon to meet up with your son!" "I've got just under a week left..." Jeff spoke up as he walked forward. "At least, that's what the message from the future said with the timer in my head..." The woman turned to him and smiled. "Goodness, is that Jeff? I see what Theodore was saying about looking back in time, Dr. He looks just like you at that age..." She chuckled indulgently. "So my boy will need your help in Threed?" Jeff nodded. "Yeah, sounds like they're in real trouble..." The woman - Ness' mother, apparently - pursed her lips. "Me and my big mouth..." Dr. Andonuts chuckled softly. "Well for now, you need to get to Fourside, don't you?" "Right," the woman confirmed, walking up to the Instant Revitalizing Device - a large capsule with odd doodads on the outside - and stepping in for a moment. She immediately stepped out before walking outside. A strange noise - like something accelerating to incredible velocities - could be heard, only to fade away. Dr. Andonuts turned to Jeff with a smile. "My, look how you've grown. Already off to save the world, huh?" Jeff rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Well, friends I haven't met yet...but I suppose the world's probably next, isn't it?" "Yes, you're one of those meant to travel with Ness," Dr. Andonuts confirmed. "And you're here with plenty of time if you have nearly a week. Let's see what I can teach you, and how strong you can become here with the equipment you have..." Putting his arm around his son's shoulders, he led him into the lab. 01:15.04 Studying with Dr. Andonuts and training in Stonehenge has increased stats! Lv: 20 Off: 60 Def: 71 Spd: 15 Guts: 15 Vit: 8 IQ: 65 Luc: 10 Dr. Andonuts smiled as Jeff climbed into the Sky Runner, a UFO-like spherical flying craft designed for swift hops across the globe. "I've helped you all I can, son," he said warmly. "Now it is all left in your hands. It should take just over an hour for the Sky Runner to make it to Threed from here. From there, you'll have to track down the others by their PSI signal. The Sky Runner is designed to do that. Be careful of the landing, though. Without a pad, it will crash. Are you ready?" Jeff nodded as he placed his hands on the controls. "I'm ready. Course locked in." "In that case...luck be with you." With that, Jeff fired up the Sky Runner. It shook on the pad for a time, then launched itself into the air through the open skylight directly above. It hovered over the lab for a time, shifting back and forth as it analyzed telemetry...then shot higher into the sky until it pierced the clouds. Jeff grinned widely as he rode in the machine, ducking below the clouds to spy where he was on occasion. It was a most exciting and exhilarating journey, and he wanted to savor every moment of it. Despite the time, it was far too soon for his tastes when the Sky Runner dipped below the clouds into the darkness of Threed. 00:00.15 00:00.14 00:00.13 He took manual control as he steered around the entire town, looking over the grim landscape as best he could. He spotted zombies walking in and out of a tent far to the south of town, but received no signal there. He also saw a passageway behind two zombie guards in the back of the cemetery...but there was no signal there... 00:00.03 00:00.02 00:00.01 00:00.00 As his mental timer counted down to zero, the sensors beeped as they tracked a psychic burst. "That must be the original message!" he declared excitedly, tracking down its approximate location. Because the signal lasted so long, he was able to get the exact location in the north-eastern cemetery in town. However, before he was able to position the craft, the signal cut out. "Alright," he said to himself. "There's probably going to be another message in the present soon..." As he predicted, the signal picked up again...directly below him. Shifting a few feet to one side, he activated the 'Crash Landing Protocols'. He braced himself as the Sky Runner lifted higher...then smashed down through the ground and into an underground chamber. As the craft became inoperable, Jeff braced himself. "Okay...time for first impressions..." Bracing his gun in one hand, he clambered out of the craft, smiling as he caught sight of the four individuals waiting for him. "Did somebody call for a big damn hero?" He felt a little uncomfortable with the expletive, but seeing the grins on those waiting for him filled him with pride... ...right up until he tried to climb down the pile of rubble and stepped on his own shoelace.