SPIROGRAPHS / METAL / METAL PROLOGUE 001

One Of Those Somebodies

"WHđ–Šč THE HELL Dđ–Šč Yđ–ŠčU THINK I AM?!"

Sometimes, for just a moment, things seem to get a little darker than they were before. In this desperate moment, it seems as if everything threatens to drift off into the aimless void of nothingness. Everything feels so dark... So grim...

In that moment completely and utterly devoid of hope, who can you turn to? What can you do? In that dire milli, is there anything more you can do than sit and watch as everything crumbles to pieces? All your hard work, all your dedication and pride in what you’ve made... Can you stand by and watch as it’s all torn asunder under the impossible weight of defeat?

In that moment, when it feels like things will never get better... You just need someone to knock some sense into you! Someone to tell you to never give up! In that dire milli, all you need is to be reminded by somebody-- anybody-- that things can and will get better.

If you can’t believe them... Believe in them! Believe in the somebody that believes things can get better! Believe in their belief! Believe in their vision!

This happens to be one of those moments. The moment where somebody is standing on the precipice, choosing between that belief and that horrible darkness. Thankfully, the universe supplied one of those somebodies to knock some sense into it.

Who is that somebody? Spyral Gynaxx, at your service. What needs some good old fashioned sense knocked into it? Qliphearth, New Home of the Alternian Empire.

Currently, our intrepid (and perhaps ill-advised) hero is walking through the woods. Ahead of her is some form of ridge, which she is approaching the crest of.

Yet, everything seems to get darker for just a moment as something impossibly large flies overhead. It blots out the faint pink glows of the planet’s twin moons as she continues at her brisk pace. It’s so brief it’s barely perceptible at all, and yet the tremors it leaves in its wake are anything but.

As if a warship were passing over, she can feel the reverberation throughout her body. Something carried by two large wings, beating air down upon her and sending her cape billowing in the updraft created.

Just above the clouds, a shadow is moving overhead. The feeling of watching it is similar to the one produced when watching a shark swim through the water. An apex predator, moving effortlessly through its domain.

In an instant, it vanishes, moving further upward before doubling back and breaking through the clouds. The large figure begins to barrel down upon her as she continues to walk towards the ridge.

She can’t help but smirk as she reaches the top of the ridge, and the ground quakes as whatever manner of beast landed behind her. She didn’t flinch, nor did she even bother to turn and look at the large, stark white dragon behind her. She, however, had her eyes firmly set on Spyral.

It begins to let out a low growl, before it’s quickly replaced by silence as Spyral holds her right hand up beside herself. She continues to look forward, and the action seems to have quelled the creature.

She gets a sly smirk.

SPYRAL
Dđ–ŠčRAGđ–ŠčNMAZĀ!
IT WILL BE FINE.
WE HAVEN’T BEEN HERE IN QUITE Sđ–ŠčME TIME... IF Yđ–ŠčU THINK I’M Nđ–ŠčT Gđ–ŠčING Tđ–Šč INVESTIGATE, Yđ–ŠčU Dđ–ŠčN’T KNđ–ŠčW WHđ–Šč I AM.

The dragon raises an “eyebrow”, or rather the equivalent muscle, at her statement. It seems she’s challenging the beast.

The beast seems to think this is a very stupid idea.

Finally, she turns towards Mazā, only for the dragon to greet her by blowing smoke in her face. She frowns as it washes over her, scrunching up her face and holding her breath. After it clears, however, her cocky smirk returns and she points to the top of the ridge.

SPYRAL
WE’VE BEEN TRAVELLING Fđ–ŠčR SWEEPS.
I’LL BE GRADUATING Sđ–Ščđ–ŠčN!
THIS IS đ–ŠčUR LAST CHANCE Tđ–Šč Gđ–Šč đ–ŠčN đ–ŠčNE FINAL ADVENTURE Tđ–ŠčGETHER AND WRITE Sđ–ŠčME WRđ–ŠčNGS.
WHAT BETTER PLACE Tđ–Šč Dđ–Šč THAT THAN THE PLACE IT ALL BEGAN?
THINK đ–ŠčF ALL THE PEđ–ŠčPLE IN THE CITY JUST BEGGING Fđ–ŠčR HELP FRđ–ŠčM PEđ–ŠčPLE LIKE US.
PEđ–ŠčPLE WHđ–Šč CAN Dđ–Šč Sđ–ŠčMETHING ABđ–ŠčUT IT!

Mazā would like to remind her that people like them normally get culled by the Empire. They’re lucky to have even lived this long, despite Spyral’s best efforts. The woman in the cape merely laughs at the sentiment, adjusting her shades.

SPYRAL
LUCK AIN’T Gđ–ŠčT Nđ–ŠčTHING Tđ–Šč Dđ–Šč WITH IT, Dđ–ŠčRAGđ–ŠčNMAZĀ!
IF Yđ–ŠčU THINK THE GREAT SPYRAL Gđ–ŠčT HERE DUE Tđ–Šč Sđ–ŠčME BLIND LUCK, Yđ–ŠčU REALLY Dđ–ŠčN’T KNđ–ŠčW WHđ–Šč THE HELL Yđ–ŠčU’RE TALKING ABđ–ŠčUT.
THIS IS WHAT THE Dđ–ŠčRAGđ–ŠčN BRIGADE IS ALL ABOUT!
Dđ–ŠčING THE IMPđ–ŠčSSIBLE.

Spyral turns away from the dragon, making the last few steps necessary to reach the top of the ridge. As she does, she finds herself perfectly overlooking the city of New Gouged Peaks, one of the first cities founded by the Empire on Qliphearth following the loss of Alternia.

The dragon sighs, laying down in the clearing and closing her eyes as she curls up like a cat. Our intrepid hero takes a seat as well, staring quietly at the beautiful lights of the city. So many colors, all across the Hemospectrum, dotting the skyline...

SPYRAL
lđ–Ščđ–Ščk.
peđ–Ščple need đ–Ščur help.
i’ll be damned if i dđ–Ščn’t at least try...

She looks over her shoulder to face Mazā, a surprisingly genuine look on her face.

SPYRAL
đ–Ščne last hđ–Ščđ–Ščrah befđ–Ščre we fly đ–Ščff intđ–Šč the heavens?

The dragon thinks for a moment, before slowly lifting its gargantuan head. It stares at her with a firm expression, before finally giving her a nod. Spyral stares back with an equally driven expression, her confident smirk unwavering.

Without missing a beat, she turns and begins running down the ridge towards the edge of the city proper.

SPYRAL
Tđ–ŠčNIGHT, IT’S NEW Gđ–ŠčUGED PEAKS!
Tđ–ŠčMRRđ–ŠčW, IT’S THE LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT SKY!
EVERYđ–ŠčNE WILL Cđ–ŠčME Tđ–Šč KNđ–ŠčW đ–ŠčF THE GREAT SPYRAL GYNAXX!
ALL WE NEED Tđ–Šč Dđ–Šč IS STEEL đ–ŠčURSELVES AND PUSH đ–ŠčFF WITH Mđ–ŠčMENTUM!

Mazā stares at her in silence as she watches her figure grow smaller and smaller with the distance traveled. She thinks about how she knows Spyral will one day become famous, and that’s exactly what she’s afraid of.

The clouds overhead move away, letting the light of the planet’s moons through in full force as the dragon stares at her charge.

It’s a new night in Qliphearth... She just hopes it isn’t anybody’s last.