Narihito: Dammit they keep coming! Mokdai, behind you!
Mokdai: Ow, hot! My robe got a little burned! Borealis, MC, are you two okay!?
Borealis: ...ugh, these things are getting in the way. It's somewhat hard on the ears, but not enough to be a problem for the concert.
MC: I'm okay! / S-somehow!
Mokdai and Narihito are dealing with the Micros on stage while Borealis continues performing. The battle and music are coming together like it's all one show.
Borealis: ...oh, nice sounds Mokdai. Go help Narihito, I'll gather Views.
Mokdai: Okay! Present for you, Narihito!
Mokdai pulls out a shining present box out of his bag Parallel Weapon and gives it to Narihito.
Narihito: What?
POOF
Narihito: Wow, I feel power flowing through me!
Mokdai: Eheh, my Parallel Weapon's meant to give people hope and courage!
Narihito: Cool, lemme interview you after this! But first, time to pull this out for the Micros! (activates his notebook Parallel Weapon to Mega Man Mokdai's default power glove)
Mokdai: I-isn't that mine!? Oh right, Narihito Great Memorias you can do that!
Narihito: Ditto power activate! Megaton Crusher! (high jumps and slams the fist into the Micros)
Micros: HISSSS (shatter)
MC checks the VP collection status while operating.
MC: Great comboing everyone! The Views are coming in, so I'll call Hisaki!
Mokdai: Okay! Our suits won't cancel out if you're looking away for only a little bit, so we'll handle the battle!
MC nods and calls Hisaki.
Hisaki: MC, nice timing! I was about to call you myself! We'll have enough VP to fire the cannon in a few minutes, and it'll fire as soon as that happens! There might be a shockwave, so grab onto something!
MC: WHAT
Hisaki: The heroes should be fine, but tell them just in case! Make sure you don't get blown back either! ...okay, VP charge complete! Changing phases, confirmation that the artificial satellites have--(click)
MC: Guys, the cannon's about to fire soon! Get ready for the shockwave!
Borealis: ...understood. Mokdai, Narihito! Time for a grandiose performance! Make it brilliant, we are doing all this for Views to begin with.
Mokdai: R-right! Camera drones switching over to cover mode! Switch to the low angle shot! Get Borealis and the cannon behind him in the shot!
By the time Mokdai finishes his inputs, light gathers at the top of the cannon. The ball of light gets bigger and bigger from all the VP pouring in.
MC: MY EYES! / Fire round one! / I need to grab onto something...
The cannon fires off the shot like a giant lance of light, paired with a surge in Borealis' music. The shot pierces Megas, putting a giant crack on its body and exposing its core.
MC: The shockwave!
MC manages to grab onto something, but the force of the shockwave still blows them away.
MC: AAAAAA
Mokdai: MC! A-are you okay? Are you hurt?
Mokdai catches MC, and Narihito and Borealis turn to look.
Narihito: MC! ...oh good, you seem to be okay. Watching the cannon fire was amazing...I'm still seeing stars.
Borealis: ...I wasn't expecting the cannon to be quite so loud. Maybe I overdid the performance? Still, not bad Mokdai. All my music drones are okay. Time for Act 2.
Borealis grips his baton again, and the drones restart the concert. Suddenly, Crowne calls in.
Crowne: You guys okay? I kinda saw it coming, but it's still my first time seeing a cannon blast off like that.
Mokdai: Honestly I was almost blown away too...for now, we're all okay. Anything happen, Crowne?
Crowne: Right, news update. We've succeeded in making a huge crack with that shot just now. That was some pretty thick armoring. Next is the pinpoint shot to take it down. Calibration will take some time, but that's why we have high precision optical weaponry. Everything is going as planned. But... (frowns)
Crowne: That fragment we shot off? It's falling this way and it's bigger than the Micros.
Mokdai: A huge Monster is coming this way!?
Crowne: Yeah, you gotta hold it off while getting the VP for the next shot. Here's a picture of it. (shows a picture of the giant meteor piece along with a ton of Micros.)
Borealis: ...Wha-!?
MC: ...Borealis?
Borealis's hands stop, and then so does the music.
Title card: Starlight Elegy
Flashback
This was the home planet Borealis was born on, the place he spent with his friends and family. And this was the day its fate was decided.
Operator: ...it's finally time. I'm nervous.
Borealis: ...yes, but don't be too tense you snap.
Operator: ...yeah. I have a bad feeling though...
Borealis: ...how unlike you. You usually smile at times like these.
Operator: ...right. It's because it's time like these I should smile! (pumps himself up and pats down his chest)
Operator: Oh right, here's a present!
Borealis: For me? ...what is this?
Operator: Earplugs! I had to get them from another planet since there aren't any here. You can still have normal conversations with them on, but they'll block out ambient noise. It was hard finding large size ones! You can hear heartbeats right? I thought that could be tiring...
Borealis: ...thank you, I'll treasure them.
Borealis puts the earplugs in.
Borealis: ...how do I look? I've never had anything like these before.
Operator: Great! I'm glad they fit perfectly.
Borealis gives a small smile back, then pulls his sleeves up and puts his conductor baton out.
Borealis: ...our help request for heroes of other planets went through. You and I will need to hold out against the meteorite until they arrive. This planet WILL have a future. I'll need to get you a return gift after it's saved.
Borealis puts his serious face on.
Borealis: ...I'm going to do another check. The smaller meteorites will be coming in first. First we should protect the only terminal building on the planet and our home. I probably cannot handle the giant meteorite on my own, so we will need the reinforcing heroes all together to stop it. If they can't make it in time...if we see the light of the meteorite, this operation has failed. In that case, you should take the remaining residents to safety and tell the ones with the spaceships to get as many of them as possible off planet.
The planet's tech level was unable to keep up with the rest of the galaxy, so there is no large scale refuge ship available for the citizens.
Borealis: ...okay, time to start the hero livestream. My concert's sound waves should be able to slow down the meteorite's falling velocity and even destroy the smaller ones.
Operator: ...okay. Activating the transformation!
After transforming, Borealis starts focusing on sounds. The earplugs block out the sounds of the blizzard and the Operator's heart...
Operator: Let's go! We have to protect this planet!
Turns out Borealis can still hear the Operator's heart but pretends not to because they hoped for that. Most of the time things are background noise, but Borealis can pick it out if he tries. And right now, Borealis can hear bits of anxiety and discord coming from his friend.
Borealis: ...right. Beginning the concert.
Several hours pass as Borealis and the Operator continue the fight alone. Fatigue sets in as Borealis keeps it up.
Borealis: There's so many! But I won't let you stop my melody!
Operator: Incoming from behind! At this rate they'll collide with the Terminal Building's central sec--we don't have enough VP, we won't make it!
CRASH
Borealis: What!? Dammit! W-what is this sound!?
Loud noise is coming from the hero-operator connected phones because the comm facility has been destroyed.
Operator: No! The phone is down! Can you hear me!? Video streaming errors are happening! We'll lose all VP at this rate...!
VP leak sprung.
Borealis: We need to fix it, fast! Reinforcements will be here soon!
Borealis attempts to call the reinforcements. The call fails to connect, but the meteorites keep coming. Then a giant meteorite falls in between Borealis and the Operator, creating a giant chasm they can't jump over.
Borealis: No!
Borealis grabs his phone hard enough to crack the screen.
Borealis: Can you hear me!? Go on ahead and lead everyone else to safety! Get as many of them as you can out of here! I'll go around this hole and head to the space port as soon as I--
Meteorites crash into the ground one after another, and many shooting stars cross the sky.
Operator: B-but I can't leave you like this...!
Borealis: LEAVE! NOW!
The Operator cannot bring himself to say anything else, so he nods reluctantly, tears in his eyes as he looks at Borealis one more time before running to the space port.
Borealis: ...
Borealis collapses to his knees, tension cut from his body. His friend's heartbroken expression is seared into his mind. The Operator disappears from view shortly, and all he sees anymore is snow and falling meteorites.
Borealis: ...what good is being a hero anyway?
Borealis's phone says he only has 1 VP left. And now that last person watching him is gone. What can a hero with no Views do?
Borealis: What was the point of being a hero!? I couldn't save my friends, family, or home! I'M POWERLESS!
Borealis's rage is drowned out by the meteorite impacts. The VP counter drops to 0, and Borealis's suit cancels out.
Borealis: Why can't I protect anything!? Why am I...!?
The endless rain of stars destroys Borealis's home planet, smashing it to pieces. Borealis takes out his earplugs and holds them to himself.
Borealis: I...! I...!
Borealis's wordless laments echo across the ruined world. So ends Borealis's hero career.
MC: Borealis! The music's stopped!
Borealis: !!
Borealis snaps back to the present, then makes a grand sweep of continuing the concert while hiding his emotional state. Things continue organically like he had just adlibbed the blank section in. Only he hears what MC says next.
MC: O-oh, was it supposed to be like that?
Borealis: No, I had to play that off as an improvisation. Sorry for losing focus, and I want to ask you to handle the operation again. We will continue the concert and battle like so. You may have instructions for Mokdai and Narihito, but keep me on the line too.
MC looks back at the falling Micros. Mokdai and Narihito are still keeping on top of things with the livestream.
Mokdai: They're coming from above! Here's another present!
Narihito: Thanks, Mighty Knuckle! Time to get aggressive!
MC: Mokdai, fight hard! Narihito, over there!
Borealis: ...
Borealis watches the rest of the party fight while he continues performing, projecting his old memories onto what's currently happening.
Borealis: MC, that image I saw earlier reminded me of my past.
MC: Back when you stopped conducting? ...did something happen?
MC: When I first met you in that back alley, I heard a familiar sound from you. A very unique one...oh, and I don't mean what we normally think of at the word "sounds." I can hear the tone of your very being. If I listen closely, I can tell how someone is feeling to some extent. I have better hearing than the average person, so it's something of a special skill of mine.
MC: Wow! / I see. So when you say familiar...
Borealis's shoulders rise in surprise.
Borealis: ...you believe me. Of all the people I've told, the only others to understand so quickly were...my best friend and family.
MC: Well you don't have a reason to lie about it, and I don't think you're a bad person.
Borealis: ...no, I am bad and aware of that.
Borealis keeps his focus on his conducting so his attention doesn't slip while he keeps talking.
Borealis: I was a hero once, but I failed to save my family, my friends, and my home planet. It was then that I realize how powerless heroes...or rather, I was. I only talked to you because your sound resembled my friend's... I've treated you rudely. I'm sorry. I know you and he are different people, of course...that's all the resemblance between you two, and it made me think he was alive here.
Borealis adjusts his grip on his baton. The Micros are still falling. There's a sadness somewhere in the intense war song playing.
Borealis: ...it was terrible. A crumbling planet truly seemed like hell. Stars were falling then like this too. If I were stronger...if I were able to gather more views...maybe things wouldn't have gotten as bad as they did then. I can't help but think that.
MC: I see... I'm glad you're okay.
Borealis: I was saved by the heroes I asked for backup who came late just before the planet completely collapsed. I don't actually remember much from that period, yet the part I want to remember least is the bit that's clearest. After I recovered, I looked everywhere on a nearby planet, but I found nothing about my friends and family... That's why I decided to devote all the power I had into finding them.
Borealis scoffs at himself, like he's okay with you laughing at him.
MC: You aren't powerless, Borealis.
Borealis: ...MC, there's no need to console me. I failed at being a hero. I am only helping here because it would benefit me. I told you, I am a bad person. You can think of my talking to you as an apology for my rudeness towards you. That's all.
MC: ...I see. What if I had an ability to know what other people feel like you do?
Borealis doesn't hear this over his earplugs.
Borealis: ...it's natural you wouldn't understand, but these ears aren't as great as you think they are. There are times when I hear thing I don't want to...it's like a curse. Sometimes I wish I could plug them up.
Borealis lightly touches his earplugs.
MC: But if you do that you can't hear the things you DO want to hear.
Borealis makes a small frown since MC's serious operation voice has a bit of kindness mixed in.
MC: Try listening. There's great applause happening!
Borealis: What? (turns off the noise blocking function of the earplugs)
Mokdai: We're gonna win this battle! Here's a cool video present for everyone watching! The highlight of this battle is Great Memorias's attack, Millennium Fist!
Narihito: Haha, thanks! I'll protect everyone with the borrowed power of legends!
Mokdai and Narihito turn to talk to the camera.
Narihito: Okay, all you watchers! You too can be superheroes with believing hearts that protect the future!
Mokdai: Right, I gotta step up too! Cheer for me, guys! We'll put up everyone's messages on the secondary channel! Don't touch that dial, folks!
Mokdai: Woo, nice recording there Narihito! Also that line you said earlier...
Narihito: Oh you got the reference? It's from an old hero cartoon I love! I was hoping I could be a cool superhero like that!
Mokdai: Yeah, I got it! Awesome! Maybe I should put that episode on the channel later...
Borealis: W-what!? What's going on!? I haven't heard anything about a secondary channel or hero show being shown... Mokdai, you aren't ruining the concert mood, are you?
Mokdai: I-it's okay Borealis! The secondary camera is shooting somewhere else from the main camera!
Narihito: Yeah! There's tons of different people enjoying the concert and hero show on both channels! Great editing, Mokdai!
Mokdai: Look at all the messages cheering us on!
Mokdai and Narihito start streaming these messages on a holographic screen visible on the stage from all sorts of people.
Message A: I'm so happy I can listen to Borealis's concert in real time!
Message B: My family's cheering you guys on! Go heroes!
Message C: This is the most moving Christmas ever, I'm in tears! Good luck!
Message D: Thank you for the great Christmas present! Best wishes to the heroes of Orient City!
Borealis: ...w-what...!
Borealis can hear the kind notes coming in through the screen.
MC: Look at all that support!
Message E: My home planet was eaten by Monsters, so I hope this time the heroes win! Go, fight!
Mokdai: This one came from a refugee camp! How nice! Right...heroes are hope to people from destroyed planets. I don't remember much of anything of my home planet, but I painfully know how that feels! ...okay, let's take down Megas and make those kids happy!
Borealis watches as Mokdai thumps his chest.
Borealis: ...
Borealis: ...I see. So this is the sound you wanted me to hear.
MC: Yes, even if they're away we share the same feelings...so we have to protect this planet!
MC smiles. Their heart is worried and nervous, but there is an honest will inside. It's similar yet different to the sound Borealis heard from his friend that day, and hearing it makes him smile a little.
Borealis: ...very well. I have no plans on cutting any corners of course. It is my belief to play the best music, whether this is a concert or a hero show. Also, I will not permit a performance to be stopped partway through... you will be staying with me until the last note ends, MC.
MC: Of course!
Narihito: MC, Borealis! More Micros incoming!
MC and Borealis nod without looking at each other, but they feel both is feeling the same.
Mokdai: I can keep going too! It's back to back, but we're counting on you to operate, MC!
Narihito: I'm good too! I'll try holding out a bit longer to live up to those cheers!
Borealis: ...of course. I still need to think of an encore. Time for a splendid melody!
BATTLE START
No comments:
Post a Comment