Pools of Information

{EAX034}

{<<< From Internet City: Commercial Area: Navi-Net Shop <<<}

=== CHAPTER 7: In Too Deep ===

Blue navi and pink associate landed on a teleportation pad very close to their desired destination; in fact, the venue's business billboard was visible as they took their first steps forward. As they walked down a neatly-assembled tile path, passing the occasional navi and Prog in the process, Amy was able to make out the finer text underneath the two larger words that had been emboldened in a cursive font.

[Seisen Onsen]

[Be comfortable in your own shell]

"What's that supposed to mean...?" the butterfly enquired.

"Errr, I don't know. I thought the whole point of this is that it's a pool, no?" Amy had half-expected Eric to offer some advice, but when the commlink remained silent both ladies shrugged it off and continued walking towards the front gate, where a female navi in a long, narrow patterned dress rose up from her seat when she realised that the duo was heading her direction. Amy was intrigued by the style of the dress and did a visual search on it, but the only word that came up in the results was 'yukata' as they stepped up to a service desk.

"Welcome to Seisen Onsen. Is this your first time here?" the lady asked. Her gentle tone and small bow during this question caused Amy to hesitate before responding; it didn't feel right to respond casually to such a person.

"...Yes."

"Is it just the two of you?"

"Yes. Wait, no. My friend as well."

Lily fluttered her wings in response to the statement, which the lady observed and understood.

"Excellent. Do you wish to bathe in one of the traditional onsens or a modern one?"

The question brought a brief silence, both girls hoping the other would answer.

Lily was the one to finally take the initiative. "Forgive our ignorance, but what's the difference?"

"My apologies, I shouldn't have assumed you knew." The assistant stepped out from behind the desk, her navy blue dress becoming more visible as the gold and white flower pattern became fully visible. She walked to the two pathways in front of them, each one bordered off by large dome-shaped rocks that stacked upon each other to make walls. One pathway led off to the left, while the other led off to the right.

"The pathway on my left will take you to a selection of the 'traditional' onsens, where one can bathe as did our ancestors. It is requested that all personal possessions and clothing be removed before entering these bodies of water."

"That makes sense; you don't want anything contaminating the water, right?"

"...That is one aspect of it, yes."

Amy looked shocked as she looked down to Sakura first, and then back to the attendant. "So... everybody in there will be... naked...?"

"That is correct, but nobody will be able to see your figure once you are submerged."

"What about the other one?" Amy inserted rather bluntly, all of her earlier manners lost in a moment of concern.

"The 'modern' onsens allow for those who are unable to remove their outer garments or do not wish to do so to experience a taste of the 'traditional' onsens. It is said though by many of our clientele that the experience in a modern onsen is not as... refreshing... as the traditional ones."

I'll take my chances, thank you.

"I think my friends would like to try a modern onsen first," Lily suggested, correctly reading her navi's trepidation.

"As you wish. Several of our regular clientele first started as regulars in the modern onsen before trialling a traditional experience. This way please," she finished by directing Amy and Sakura down the pathway on the right. After a few minutes of walking, the pathway's stone-dome walls opened out to a tiled platform that oversaw a number of pools of water in front of them, to the west, the north, and the east. Most of the onsen were large enough to house several dozen navis of larger builds, but half walls of the same stone-domes meant that each of the onsen appeared to have a somewhat secluded, private setting once you descended down the stone staircase in front of them.

"Whichever onsen you choose is up to you. However, if you may allow me to say so, the onsen toward the back are often selected by some of our... more opinionated clientele."

"Understood. Thank you for your help."

"It is my pleasure." The assistant bowed once more before returning down the pathway they had entered from.

After walking down the staircase, Amy's first instinct was to head towards one of the pools furtherest to the west of the entrance zone, however as they walked past each secluded semi-circle the first, second and third pools were all already occupied by a number of navis, and the final pool contained one rather large boulder-shaped creature that reminded the pair of the rock that had tried to eat Meep the day before.

"Hard pass on that one. The fact he's alone could be a sign not to risk it."

"Agreed."

The same situation was true when they navigated towards the east; the first and second pool were reasonably occupied, but the third pool was swarming with child-like navis, similar in size and shape to Sakura.

"It's perfect! She'll have plenty of navis to play with!"

That is, of course, if the little princess hadn't moved behind the navi's purple hair, trying to hide herself from the hysterical laughter and squealing taking place.

"Let's... just keep moving."

Resigned to the area that they'd been warned to avoid, Amy and party headed down to the northern section to find five pools arranged in a formation resembling a hand's fingers. The thumb was occupied with a number of navis wearing business-like attire, as a few of the occupants took note of the party's entrance. A few of the females gave the navi a dismissive sneer before returning to their conversations.

The pools that resembled an index finger and middle finger were both occupied by creatures that, while technically wearing clothing, were very much unconcerned about how much of their features were on display for others to see. Amy felt no consideration to such a display, but for reasons she couldn't explain her hand instinctively moved across the eyes of the child in tow as she too turned away.

"Prude much?" the butterfly mocked.

Amy remained silent as her eyes passed over the onsen resembling a ring finger containing six navis that were styled as mermaids and mermen. They were too busy talking amongst themselves to even notice the group that walked past their area.

Amy was ready to give up on the whole idea when the last onsen surprised her. Granted, it was a tad smaller than its surrounding brethren, perhaps able to house only 20 navis before things became a little crowded, but its main selling feature was... it was unoccupied.

"Ours?"

"Ours."

Amy's outer clothing was no stranger to water, but it didn't seem right to keep her boots on when the pebbles that lined the water's edge looked comfortable, almost calling out to her feet to experience their texture. The boots were dismissed, allowing her toes the rare opportunity to sense something other than a snug shoe. The navi continued holding Sakura's hand as the pair waded into the water.

The water was nothing like what Amy had experienced before. The heat was the first thing she noticed; it wasn't scorching hot, but it also wasn't the typical mild sensation she felt when stepping into any body of water. Initially her muscles responded to the heat with resistance, as if they were coming into contact with a threat, but as the seconds passed by and the two waded deeper and deeper, a calm began to shut down that hesitation. Something was in the onsen's water that made every gentle current rub against her body feel like the onsen was massaging her extremities. It was as if her dress wasn't even there, although she knew full well that it was, as she would occasionally pass her remaining hand over her body, just to be sure it hadn't in fact melted away. The aroma that wafted off the surface of the water further added to their serenity.

"Amy."

"I know."

"This is amazing."

"I know."

The group slowly drifted across the pool to the opposing edge, where the onsen's floor slowly raised back up, allowing one to sit down in the water if they so desired. Amy took the invitation and propped her head up against the dome-stones, allowing all but her head, shoulders and chest to remain submerged. Lily's wings disappeared as she crawled out of the dress' back seam and into the water. Her wings reappeared momentarily as her miniaturised yellow wings created a semi-buoyant raft of sorts, acting as makeshift floaties for Lily's body as she bobbed up and down on the water's surface. Sakura, noticing an opportunity of her own, spun around in front of Amy and sat down, using the navi's lap as a smaller bench, taking up a similar position to her big sister.

As the girl's head came to rest on her chest, a warm feeling blossomed from within her. A week ago... she would never have imagined such a situation would be possible for her. And yet... here she was.

"Eric?"

"Yes?"

"...Nothing. Just making sure you're there."

The navi's eyes closed as she continued to absorb the warmth of the onsen.

"Tell me you're joking. Surely he's not that stupid."

"I'm not, and he is. Idiot deserved what came to him."

Amy's eyes opened to the sound of two voices broadcasted her direction as they searched for the source. At the entry end of the pool were three humanoid female navis dressed in matching bikinis, making their way into the onsen's water. The tallest navi wearing a shade of pink had her orange hair pulled up into a bun that rested on her head as she conversed with the smalled navi wearing a shade of gold, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. The final navi was following behind them, her red bikini almost a match to her own bold red hair, its length down to her ankles and not tied up in any manner; it floated on the water as the trio waded further in.

"Hold up, looks like we have company."

Amy maintained her focus as the three sets of eyes locked first onto her, then onto Sakura, and finally to Lily, whose position hadn't changed at all since she'd deployed her wings as a raft.

"Great. That's just great," the navi in red complained. "I swear, they'll let just about anybody in here these days."

Excuuuse me...?

"Just tell them to move. We have seniority here, and this is OUR area."

"Time to clear off kids, the adults want to relax."

Her fists were tightening with each word that came out of their pretentious mouths, but with Sakura fast asleep in lap the navi didn't want to cause a scene. Thankfully she didn't need to, as Lily's wings made ripples in their miniature pond as she took to the air. Hovering a small distance above the water, her wings rippled with the faintest crackles of electricity as she placed herself between both Amy and this new party.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise we were in the presence of royalty," she gasped, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Please, tell us the names of the ladies with which we have been given the privilege- no, the HONOUR of making acquaintances with," she continued, her body bowing down whilst still hovering mid-air.

"Do you think that's funny?" the navi in pink growled, taking her own step forward to position herself in front of her friends.

"Oh, I know my humour is awful. In fact, I'd say it's rather shocking." Her wings lit up with a flare of yellow light, to further drive home the cringeworthy pun wasn't just a pun.

"Stupid program, you'd be hitting your own friends in the process."

"My friends are more than capable of insulating themselves from a little electricity. What about you?"

The tall one moved her arms into a ready stance, but the navi in gold stopped her.

"Don't. She's not worth it."

Finally, some reason.

"Just let the silly delinquents have their fun, we'll stay down this end."

...Nevermind.

The pink bathing suit returned to its friends as Lily floated back towards its operator. Sakura had awakened during the stand-off, and was now watching the three with an intense stare.

"Ignore them Sakura, they're just rude people," she reassured the girl whilst stroking her hair.

The navis proceeded to forget about our group and returned to their previous conversation as if the encounter had never happened.

"So what happened?"

"Obviously he was wiped out; sent back to his PET in a fragmented mess. Operator was furious; PMDs aren't easy to come by. Probably won't see him for a while."

PMDs...?

"I still can't believe he didn't bring an Untrap subchip with him. The damn things aren't that expensive, especially when you consider the potential rewards. Mimics are a stain on the network, I tell you; getting a ride out of the suffering of unsuspecting navis just looking for a quick buck."

Mimics...?"

"Forget subchips, they're only good for one use."

"Hey," Lily whispered into Amy's ears. "You don't suppose they're talking about mystery data, do you?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," she whispered back.

"Not everybody can afford expensive NaviCust upgrades and expansions like us, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Lily kept repeating Amy's thoughts as they crossed her mind.

"Oh give me a break. The parts are only 2,500 zenny each, and expansions are cheap enough. If you can't afford something that basic, you shouldn't be navigating those sections of the internet anyway."

"You're only saying that because you HAVE all the programs. I only have the Millions and Bugger programs; my operator doesn't care about battlechips so he won't shell out for the Collector program. 'I'm strong enough to defeat anything the internet throws at me'. She damn-well knows that's a lie."

"That's too bad," her friend replied without a hint of sincerity. "With these three programs in place, I never have to worry about encountering a Mimic... ever. I'll open every mystery crystal I can get my hands on."

Those words were music to Lily's ears. "Millions, Bugger, Collector," she repeated.

"What?"

"We're finding out what those are later," she chuckled.

All three navis suddenly turned towards the entranceway, their focus seeming to be in unison. Amy couldn't make out what was worth their attention until the blue dress came to their water's edge.

"I beg your pardons, but may I humbly request the assistance of any navis trained to deal with virus problems...?"

"Sorry, no operated navis here," the navi floating in a puddle of red hair fired back.

What, you're speaking on my behalf now...?

"What's the problem, anyway?" the gold navi asked, her back already facing the attendant.

"A group of the region's viruses are harrassing the clientele as they try to enter our establishment. I do apologise for the interruption," she finished with a bow as she turned and headed out of the area, presumably to the next pool.

"Amy."

A pause. "..........do we have to...?"

"Well, no... and I know we have to look after Sakura, but..."

"...But if we were the ones in need, you'd hope someone would help you...?"

"See? This is why we work well together."

Amy placed her arms underneath the child's legs and against her back, allowing her to cradle the pink dress and bowtie as she crossed the deep of the onsen. The trio of ladies noticed their approach and moved aside, as if the girls were somehow diseased.

"That spot won't be there when you get back," the navi in pink sneered as they made it to the pool's edge.

"Good riddance," the red navi added.

The butterfly paused as Amy continued back towards the north sector's communal area. "Thank you," Lily replied whilst doing a mid-air bow with her wings.

The orange navi scoffed. "Whatever for?"

"For reminding me what kind of navi I never want this lady to become, someone who thinks only of themselves."

Violet hair was already vibrating the remaining water off Amy's head while Lily's body slid into the seam of her dress, her wings expanding once again to navi size while shifting from yellow to cyan. The navi's boots reappeared as they sealed her feet back up into a combination of purple leather and reinforced rubber. The lady gave both boots a light tap with her feet, as if she needed proof they were assembled correctly before rushing forward, looking for the attendant.

She found the lady in blue as she entered the main entranceway, her concerned expression suggesting she hadn't found anybody to assist her.

"Hey!" Amy called out, surprising the attendant as she whirled around to the source of the call. "What's the problem?"

"Oh, thank you very much!" the lady bowed low before running up to Amy. "Please, please, let me take your child and I'll show you the way!"

"She's... she's not... my..." Amy stammered, but it made little difference as the delicate hands removed Sakura from Amy's arms.

"Can we trust you?" Lily perked up from behind.

"I will treat her like she were my own daughter. Now please, hurry!" she stressed whilst running towards the stone wall that led back to the entrance. Amy and Lily followed closely behind her, unsure what to expect and hoping they hadn't just signed up for a fatal encounter, but as they passed by the desk at the entrance way, the navi nodded towards the area of concern, a few paces ahead of them, as if Amy and Lily hadn't already noticed.

"I don't know if that's a problem or not, but I'm not equipped to deal with viruses. Please, protect our clientele," she urged.

Amy wasn't about to let Sakura out of her sight, but once again her desire to remain safe was being overrun by her desire to help.

What to do, what to do...

In reality though, there was only one thing she could do to ensure she could watch over the child in their care whilst entering a potentially hostile situation. Amy's pedicels poked out of her hair as the pair began moving towards the disturbance.

"Uhh, are your antenna stronger than mine...?" the butterfly questioned.

"Nope," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Then..."

"Can't be helped. Not if I want to keep an eye on Sakura. Let's just get this done."

----------

Party:
Amity.EXE: 230 / 230 HP [Hypersensitivity]
Liliana.SP: 80 / 80 HP [Equipped to Amity]

{{{ Battle #1, let's do this. }}}

As amity and Liliana chased after their friends, terrain underneath their feet, an unfortunate incident would occour, leading the navi to stop dead in her tracks. A massive virus would drop down attempting to crush her under it's weight, leading the navi to stop short and avoid it's sneak attack. As this creature, an undernet staple no less in shape and appearance, would clack it's needle shaped feet across the ground as a new battlefield would begin to appear around the two, small bits of the normal paneling would remain, but, a trio of small pools would take shape in a rough triangle shape as a metric ton of hot coals would begin to appear, just barely covering Amity's feet as the Scuttle in front of her postured and moved side to side.

The sky blue of the virus, instead of a darker icy blue it's undernet counterpart had, would chitter and scuttle about, looking over the navi and SP before finally letting out a roar into the air, not loud enough to disrupt Amity, but enough to bring in a duo of viruses to it's aid. The heavy, strong virus in the Monosword would soon warp in as part of it's sub-routines, a massive claymore slung over it's shoulder and in a battle ready stance as it stared daggers at Amity and Liliana. Meanwhile, the second of the pair, a massive plushie teddybear with massive, sharp and serraded claws would warp in...in a pair of pool noodles and sunglasses, seems it was on a day off or something when the Scuttle would come and ruin it's day. Either way, the Teddy would just sit in the pool and float there, hoping Amity wouldn't bother with it for the most part. Battle routines flared up, it was time to do or die...and hope her friends didn't get too far away as she tussled with the fake-ish Scuttle, all while a glinting green diamond would sit nearby behind her.

-- Viruses --
Scuttle-Scuttle- (Scuttle-)

Scuttle- is an angry looking insectoid creature. Unlike the virus it was designed to be like, it is sky blue instead of blue. This metavirus were made in an attempt to recapture the devastating power of the LifeVirus's creations, byte for byte, to the inclusion/exclusion of various aspects of their virus components, such as removing all flight capability, and cranking up their innate aggressiveness. That they were regarded as failures is more an indication of the real things' incredible might than the metaviruses' weakness. They're still extremely vicious, and very much prefer attacking to dodging.

Area: All

HP: 410
Element: Aqua

Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 40 Aqua + Break + Piercing + Group Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: B (special)
Primary Attack Description: Lines up with a target and launches a hardened bubble at the enemy. Accuracy decreases by one rank with each hit.

Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Aqua + Knockback + Ground Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Creates a wave of ice water that crashes into an enemy.

Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Aqua + Small Ice Terrain Change + Cone Attack
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: C
Tertiary Attack Description: Uses freezing cold breath to coat the enemy and the ground in ice.

Special: AquaAura: Begins each battle with a 10 HP AquaAura, which is pierced and instantly destroyed by Elec attacks. This reforms at the end of each turn.
Special: WaterProof: Cannot be inflicted with Freeze. Takes half damage from Aqua attacks.

Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Blizzard1, AuraHead1, AquaAura1, Aqua+20, AquaLine (Rare), Zenny: 410 HP (Right in front of Amity) (AquaAura10)(Special: Waterpoof; Halves water damage taken, immune to freeze)(Coal)
MonoSwordMonoSword (MonoSword)

MonoSword are distant cousins of Swordy, but have evolved further in an attempt become more a threat. They attack by teleporting in front of their target, and slashing with their namesake before returning to their original position. Their blades are sturdier than most, and can cut through things regular ones cannot, such as shields. Their bulky armor also gives them above average stamina, but it weighs them down to the point where they do not move or dodge, aside from attacking. Despite it lacking any sort of defense that would bestow such a weakness, they ironically take additional damage from Break attribute attacks.

Area: Netopia, Yoka, Hades Isle

HP: 120
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Null + Break + Slashing + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Delivers an armor cutting slash.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BreakKnife, Zenny
Special: Break Weakness: Attacks with the Break attribute deal +100% Source damage to this virus, as though hitting an elemental weakness.
Special: Moves by teleporting. This is not treated as a formal Teleport, and does not confer any bonuses.: 120 HP (To the right of Amity, roughly a dodge away) (Coal)
TeddyTeddy (Teddy)

Area: ACDC, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Yumland

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 + Slashing
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Tears at an enemy with its claws.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 + Impact x 2 targets
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Picks up and throws one enemy at another.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: (Varies) + Impact
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: Picks up and throws an object at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): RageClaw1, Zenny
Special: Will only use its secondary attack if there is more than one enemy. Will only use its tertiary attack if there is an object capable of being thrown.: 100 HP (In the northern Onsen pool) (Onsen)

-- Navis --
Amity.EXE: 200 HP (Roughly middle of the field, in front of Scuttle-) (Coal)
Liliana.SP: 80 HP (Equipped to Amity)

-- Terrain -- (A medium sized battlefield, one movement is sufficent to make it to one end from the other, a fient will suffice to make it to make it to one side from the center, roughly)
55% Coal

• Fire Elementals gain +20 Strengthen/turn, but must be allocated to Fire Element attacks only. Any Coal Strengthen vanishes after moving off of it.
• Non-Fire Elementals get Burn (5 Fire/action for 1 turn or until cured) the turn after they come into contact with Coal Terrain.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to to Lava.
• PanelShot: Imbue Fire.

(Middle of the terrain that spread out to surround the others)
30% Normal

• No effects.

(Spread out in three small islands in a V shaped pattern, one the north-west, one to north-east, one to the middle-south)
15% Onsen

• Aqua Elementals gain 3 HP/action partially or fully submerged, Non-Aqua Elementals only when partially submerged.
• If any Sea Terrain exists in an adjacent panel, Onsen panels will change to Sea Terrain, except in Yoka (Sea will convert to Onsen).
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua + Blast1 Blind.

(Three small pools that connect to each other in the south-east, south-west and middle-north, one action is needed to move between the pools when submerged, each pool connects to one another via a series of tubes shaped like a triangle, able to make it to any pool from any other)

-- Objects --
GMD: 15 HP (Just in front of the south-east Onsen)

Battle mode: Elite, Kill the Metavirus (Scuttle-) to win! Bugfrags rewarded regardless of other viruses deleted, but deleting them will render their chips as potential battle rewards!

-- Battle 1 Ready? Start!! --

A disturbance indeed. Bodies of water had moved, terrain had terraformed underneath them, and three viruses had taken centre-stage to ruin the fun for all those daring to walk near.

Well, technically two. Amy recognised the figure of the Teddy instantly, but this one seemed like it wasn't even interested in battling. Its unusual choice of clothing was either unsettling or unexpected (or possibly both), but it caused the girl to chuckle regardless.

"Amy, we're got a bigger problem." The butterfly's wings had already begun to reverberate in response to the perceived threat as one of the fronds pointed forward.

"I can see that." The Teddy was quickly dismissed in Amy's mind as a non-threat, but the two other viruses were a different tale, particularly the one whose aura seemed much more intimidating than anything she'd encountered to date. "Eric, got a minute?" she mused, as if he had a choice.

"Something wrong?" a somewhat muted voice echoed back.

"Busting time, Eric! What are Scuttles and MonoSwords?"

A loud knock vibrated through the intercom, no doubt the result of their distracted operator getting the message, but it wasn't long before the pages of paper scuffing paper transferred through their channel.

"Monosword. Attacks by teleporting in front of their target temporarily to conduct a widesweeping defense-breaking sword attack before returning to its original state. Rarely moves or dodges, except when attacking. Weak to breaking-style attacks."

Defense-breaking. Not ideal - her shields were going to be useless in this battle.

"Excellent," she sighed as the MonoSword became her first target. "Send me the FireHit chip and look up the Scuttle as well." It wasn't a harsh order, just hurried. Thinning out the number of enemies was the first priority.

The sleeve of her right arm fluttered as the end began to glow with blue light. Flickers of embers started poking out the end and sparkled against the white frills as the inferno reached full intensity - an aqua navi with a fireball for a sleeve would have been a nice party trick, but Amy was quick to discharge the flame once its potency was at full charge. Her first swing was hurled forward with such force that her whole body orbited in place. That same momentum meant that a second swing wasn't needed, her centripetal action was enough to launch the second orb the same path as the first, but it didn't stop her spinning a third time from the remaining movement.

"-piercing bubble attack that will affect multiple targets. Weak to Elec-style attacks."

Amy had been so distracted by the quasi-pirouette that she hadn't noticed Eric had been talking, nor that Lily's wings had come to full charge. The four leaves unleashed an ion wave towards the Scuttle, as she tried to see if the Teddy had reacted to their engagement but to no avail.

The navi was about to ask for a repeat of Eric's explanation when she noticed that the ground beneath her was beginning to cause a searing pain in her feet, an achievement for a self-healing aquatic program. The pain continued to grow, necessitating a change of scenery. Her first instinct was to cast down a wall of snow to the panels beneath her, but the surrounding pools of onsen water seemed like a much better option as she kept her eyes forward whilst shimmying towards the pool on her left flank as fast as she dared move.

"Cannon and ZapRing, Eric!" With little delay the fatter hub of the Cannon grew out of her right arm as the electrical rod burst forth from the left arm. The projectile of the cannon was traditionally her heavy-hitter, but if this virus was weak to Elec-based attacks and the ZapRing connected, it was going to score a little bonus of its own.

Her focus locked on to the awkward looking creature as the two weapons were pointed forward. Its multitude of legs were further agitating the poor girl as she heard buzzing of a non-insect variety, the glow on her shoulders indicating that Lily too was ready to launch a second attack.

"What do you suppose that thing's supposed to look like...?" her partner asked.

"No idea. None at all."

A trio of hardened steel, pulsating energy and electrified wind surged forth to fill the void towards their foe.

----------

Actions:
[LA] Turbulence >>> Protect Amity/Liliana (shot/lob potential only)
[A1] [Disruptor] FireHit1 [60 Fire DMG] >>> MonoSword [1/2]
[A2] [Disruptor] FireHit1 [60 Fire DMG] >>> MonoSword [2/2]
[L1] Ion Wave [30 Elec DMG] >>> Scuttle-
[A3] Move/back up towards south-west onsen pool
[A4] + Dodge
[A5] [Disruptor] Cannon [60 DMG + Knockback] >>> Scuttle-
[L2] Ion Wave [30 Elec DMG] >>> Scuttle-
[A6] [Disruptor] ZapRing1 [40 Elec DMG + Stun1] >>> Scuttle-

Cooldowns:
None

Party:
Amity.EXE: 230 / 230 HP [Onsen][Turbulence active, Hypersensitivity]
Liliana.SP: 80 / 80 HP [Equipped to Amity]

((Welcome back, and sorry for the delay. Life's been full lately))

Amy and Lili didn't have too long to assess the dangers of the situation; the invading metavirus was, whatever other information Eric was able to dig up, unnaturally aggressive. The pair had barely gotten their bearings before the many-legged creation leap back from the coal onto one of the onsen pools and launched a high-pressure ball of fluid in their direction with a wet screech of fury.

There was no time to dodge the attack, fast and violent as it was, but the buffeting turbulence around Amy was enough to deflect the ball and sent it flying up and away to one side where it exploded in a shower of fresh water. Despite being water itself, there was little doubt that being hit by such a projectile would be bad news for just about anyone.

Threat narrowly avoided, Amy turned her attention to removing the more powerful virus' minion helpers, but as she spun to send her first fiery attack towards the Monosword virus, it seemed to assume she would be focusing on its boss – it warped to appear before her, putting itself between Amy and the scuttle, and inadvertently causing her first attack to miss. Her second spin, however, released a fire blast that connected point blank with the sword virus, weakening it substantially.

Off to the side slightly, the Teddy had spend the first few hectic seconds of the combat... rummaging in its fur. It pulled out a bright pink inner tube and inflated it with a single deep breath – though it seemed to be trying to do so... quietly? What followed next, in the side-lined onsen pool, was an almost comical effort of the large bear attempting to board its pool ring as stealthily as possible, but without any measure of grace. It slipped, half dunking itself in the water, and almost lost grip on the pool toy, pulled it back partially under itself, nearly overbalanced in the other direction, and eventually managed to get itself situated into something of a stable sitting position, all accompanied by a great deal of splashing and rubbery squeaks. The bear glanced about, shoulders hunched, seemingly hoping that no-one was paying attention to it.

Meanwhile, where the actual battle was taking place, Lily released her first ionised wave of energy towards the real foe, shooting past the blocking Monosword to connect with the larger metavirus directly. The watery field around the virus immediately dissipated, while electric shocks seemed to course over its form and arc between the water and its already highly conductive body. It roared, screeching with fury and pain as its body shuddered and spasmed, legs stamping and splashing in erratic movements.

It reared up on its hind-most legs for a moment then slammed its whole body down, sending a crashing wave of water back towards the perceived attacker but the sparks still danced across its form and its assault thundered wide of Amy and Lily. The creature didn't hesitate or slow however, repeating the motion with wrathful, violent sounds. The second wave was better aimed but Amy was able to dart away from I in time as she repositioned herself off the burning coals and onto the surface of the soothing onsen. The wonders of net physics in the area let her stand comfortably on the surface of the pool, at least while battle was pitched, but she could sense it would be easy enough to let herself sink into the warming liquid and start benefiting from its regenerative properties if she wanted.

For now, though, the pair prepared a multi-pronged assault on their main target, hoping to score another telling hit quickly, before the massive virus could respond further. As they launched their attacks, however, the Monosword that remained near them swung with its blade. The strike was more aimed at the flickering wings that the Monosword seemed to identify as the source of the painful electricity, and though its blade missed Amy herself, Liliana took a grazing blow just as she released her second ion wave. It was enough to throw her aim off, but fortunately, Amy's two attacks both found their mark. While the heavy cannon shot made its mark on the virus, it was the electrified zap ring that really did a number on the violent virus. Another series of infuriated, pained roars came from the creation as it jerked and flailed in place, wracked with stunning electricity.

A soft splashing sound off to one side marked the efforts of the Teddy, pay tips just barely in the water, trying to quietly scoot itself to the far edge of its onsenpool, as far away from the conflict as it could get without drawing attention to itself. Meanwhile, Amy was becoming keenly aware of the uncomfortable burns on her feet from a moment too long spent on the coals; the onsen was soothing, but they still stung. If it was any consolation, the damaged Scuttle seemed to be suffering a similar experience – though this likely wasn't improving its mood.

-=Viruses=-
Scuttle-Scuttle- (Scuttle-)

Scuttle- is an angry looking insectoid creature. Unlike the virus it was designed to be like, it is sky blue instead of blue. This metavirus were made in an attempt to recapture the devastating power of the LifeVirus's creations, byte for byte, to the inclusion/exclusion of various aspects of their virus components, such as removing all flight capability, and cranking up their innate aggressiveness. That they were regarded as failures is more an indication of the real things' incredible might than the metaviruses' weakness. They're still extremely vicious, and very much prefer attacking to dodging.

Area: All

HP: 410
Element: Aqua

Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 40 Aqua + Break + Piercing + Group Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: B (special)
Primary Attack Description: Lines up with a target and launches a hardened bubble at the enemy. Accuracy decreases by one rank with each hit.

Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Aqua + Knockback + Ground Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Creates a wave of ice water that crashes into an enemy.

Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Aqua + Small Ice Terrain Change + Cone Attack
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: C
Tertiary Attack Description: Uses freezing cold breath to coat the enemy and the ground in ice.

Special: AquaAura: Begins each battle with a 10 HP AquaAura, which is pierced and instantly destroyed by Elec attacks. This reforms at the end of each turn.
Special: WaterProof: Cannot be inflicted with Freeze. Takes half damage from Aqua attacks.

Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Blizzard1, AuraHead1, AquaAura1, Aqua+20, AquaLine (Rare), Zenny: 140Hp [Onsen (South-East Onsen Pool)][Stun: 1 Action][Burn: -5Hp per action, 1 round][AquaAura: 10Hp][Waterpoof; Halves water damage taken, immune to freeze]
MonoSwordMonoSword (MonoSword)

MonoSword are distant cousins of Swordy, but have evolved further in an attempt become more a threat. They attack by teleporting in front of their target, and slashing with their namesake before returning to their original position. Their blades are sturdier than most, and can cut through things regular ones cannot, such as shields. Their bulky armor also gives them above average stamina, but it weighs them down to the point where they do not move or dodge, aside from attacking. Despite it lacking any sort of defense that would bestow such a weakness, they ironically take additional damage from Break attribute attacks.

Area: Netopia, Yoka, Hades Isle

HP: 120
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Null + Break + Slashing + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Delivers an armor cutting slash.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BreakKnife, Zenny
Special: Break Weakness: Attacks with the Break attribute deal +100% Source damage to this virus, as though hitting an elemental weakness.
Special: Moves by teleporting. This is not treated as a formal Teleport, and does not confer any bonuses.: 60Hp [Normal (Just beside Amy)][Burn: -5Hp per action, 1 round]
TeddyTeddy (Teddy)

Area: ACDC, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Yumland

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 + Slashing
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Tears at an enemy with its claws.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 + Impact x 2 targets
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Picks up and throws one enemy at another.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: (Varies) + Impact
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: Picks up and throws an object at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): RageClaw1, Zenny
Special: Will only use its secondary attack if there is more than one enemy. Will only use its tertiary attack if there is an object capable of being thrown.: 100Hp [Onsen (back of the North Onsen pool)][Equipped: Pool Ring (30Hp, Light), Towel (20Hp), Sunglasses (10Hp)]

-=Navis=-
Amity.EXE: 200Hp [Onsen (South-West Onsen Pool)][Burn: -5Hp per action, 1 round]
Liliana.SP: 60Hp [Equipped to Amity]

-=Terrain=- (A medium sized battlefield, one movement is sufficent to make it to one end from the other, a fient will suffice to make it to make it to one side from the center, roughly)
55% Coal

• Fire Elementals gain +20 Strengthen/turn, but must be allocated to Fire Element attacks only. Any Coal Strengthen vanishes after moving off of it.
• Non-Fire Elementals get Burn (5 Fire/action for 1 turn or until cured) the turn after they come into contact with Coal Terrain.
• 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to to Lava.
• PanelShot: Imbue Fire.

(Middle of the terrain that spread out to surround the others)
30% Normal

• No effects.

(Spread out in three small islands in a V shaped pattern, one the north-west, one to north-east, one to the middle-south)
15% Onsen

• Aqua Elementals gain 3 HP/action partially or fully submerged, Non-Aqua Elementals only when partially submerged.
• If any Sea Terrain exists in an adjacent panel, Onsen panels will change to Sea Terrain, except in Yoka (Sea will convert to Onsen).
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua + Blast1 Blind.

(Three small pools that connect to each other in the south-east, south-west and middle-north, one action is needed to move between the pools when submerged, each pool connects to one another via a series of tubes shaped like a triangle, able to make it to any pool from any other)

-=Objects=-
GMD: 15Hp [Normal (Just in front of the south-east Onsen – careful, it's kinda in the middle of everything]

-=Battle mode: Elite=-
- Kill the Metavirus (Scuttle-) to win!
- Bugfrags rewarded regardless of other viruses deleted, but deleting them will render their chips as potential battle rewards!

((Thank you, always good to be back. And no worries, I get it - I turned my back momentarily and two years passed...))

The frail stems bouncing around on the girl's head were giving their owner a constant reminder of their perilous situation. A frequent buzzing kept Amy reminded that they had a will of their own, and right now, they wanted to hide. Ignoring their urges, a scan of the lobby area showed that Sakura was safe and sound next to the navi in navy blue.

I know, I know. Bear with it a little longer.

The burning sensation under her feet hadn't gone away, even though the party had moved to the leftside onsen. Its healing properties should have rendered the burn mute, but it still persisted. It was at this point that Amy could feel a new channel of gel sliding down her legs, promptly moving to the areas in pain and applying what had to be some form of numbing agent, as the feeling slowly began to dissipate.

Her own insect-like companion had successfully deflected what had appeared to be some kind of explosive water bomb - perhaps she should have asked Eric to repeat what she'd missed, but after looking at the current state of their enemies and the success of their first assault, her mind turned from protection to clean-up.

The actions of the Teddy only further reinforced in both navi and support program's mind that, like them, it wanted no part in this battle. Both Amy and Lily were happy to leave it be and try to work around it as best as possible. But Amy only noticed now the jewel that lay in the middle of the arena.

"Hey, mystery data!" she exclaimed. Her first instinct was to reach out and grab it, but doing so with the MonoSword in such close proximity was likely to invite danger with her back turned toward it.

Instead, a memory sprung up in her mind. "Lily, grab the crystal!"

"Are you crazy?! I'm not touching that thing!" Lily's wings began to reverberate as the repulsion field began to regenerate around her, but no twitch implied that she had the inclination to move from her post.

"Just do it! They're useful to us in the long term!"

"They cause more trouble than they're worth! You grab it!"

No time for an argument. "Fine! Do that thing you did last time with the DrillArm then!"

It took Lily a second to understand what Amy was talking about, but when the memory came back Lily just laughed, perhaps a little sinisterly.

"Fine, your problem then." It took no time to charge her wings with the magnetic energy required, the bottom layer charging negative energy whilst the top layer prepared positive energy to send through the air. "You'd better to be ready to catch it."

One earnest flap of the top leaves sent microabrasive winds charged with positive energy towards the mystery data crystal. A roar from their enemy distracted Amy as something lifted off the ground from the centre, giving her only a fraction of a second to catch whatever had flown their way. No time to inspect it as the purple-haired lady stuffed it through the back seam of her dress, to the complete ire of her riding companion.

"HEY! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!"

"I'm putting it on my hip! Don't touch it and you'll be fine." A sigh followed as Amy allowed her body to conjure up some ionised aloe gel. Ideally it would be enough for both of them, but her systems weren't capable of metering out that much healing power at once.

"Meanwhile..." Lily trailed off as her wings buzzed with new energy. The Scuttle was her target, and she wasn't having the sword wielder get in her way. The slippery-like state of her own ionised energy radiated from her wings long enough to lock a path to the insect-like creature that had generated itself another aquatic shield, and a strong flap of her wings sent the energy on its way - hopefully it was enough. As the heat separated from her body, Lily could feel a new heat coming up through Amy's chest - a welcome relief as always.

"Eric, that SeekerBomb chip we talked about, send it through please!" The pair had decided this morning to take a moment and properly research each of the chips they'd acquired over the last week - not knowing what they were capable of had probably put their team in needlessly precarious situations. At this moment, Amy wanted to ensure that this MonoSword wasn't a nuisance for much longer, and an attack that had homing abilities sounded like the right choice, now that it had been given a fiery punch to the face. Or, whatever you called the front of that thing.

Amy tried to keep her wits about her as the chip data arrived in her hand. Most of the chips she'd used until now had changed her arm completely, so it was always reassuring when chip data only added to her hand, not replacing it. A sudden movement reminded the girl to stop dawdling - with the bomb in her hand and activated, she took aim at the sword-wielding virus and threw the bomb into the air.

The remaining portion of aloe gel was now complete, and it wasted no time in bestowing its effects onto the navi. Some restoration work and a little glow emanated from her dress as it created a helpful barrier of sorts to dampen whatever further animosity was heading her way. The refreshing feeling working through her body could have been the work of the onsen pool or the aloe gel - it was hard to tell. Either way, as if responding to her hesistancy to calm down, a final serving of aid came forth to her other hand in the form of cleansing gel. This too was carressed in her hand before taking aim towards the Scuttle and launching the gel blob with a small thrust from her palm.

----------

Actions:
[LA] Turbulence >>> Protect Amity/Liliana (shot/lob potential only)
[AA] Status Cure >>> Amity (Remove Burn)
[L1] Spring Breeze [Gravity] >>> GMD (protected against damage with Gust ability)
[A1] Catch GMD(...?), attach to hip under dress
[A2] FAIR {A} (30+6 HEAL + 40 HP Barrier) >>> Liliana
[L2] Summer Heat (60 Elec DMG + Phasing) >>> Scuttle-
[A3] Dodge anticipation
[A4] [Disruptor] SeekerBomb1 (80 DMG + Seeking + Homing + Blast1) >>> MonoSword
[A5] FAIR {B} (30+6 HEAL + 40 HP Barrier) >>> Amity
[A6] Calming Spray {A} (40 Aqua DMG) >>> Scuttle-

Cooldowns:
Spring Breeze [Used; 0/1 TCD; Recharging]
FAIR {A} [Used; 0/2 TCD; Recharging]
Summer Heat [Used; 0/2 TCD; Recharging]
FAIR {B} [Used; 0/2 TCD; Recharging]
Calming Spray {A} [Used; 0/1 TCD; Recharging]

Party:
Amity.EXE: 230 / 230 HP [Onsen] [40 HP Barrier] [Holding GMD(...?)] [Turbulence active, Hypersensitivity]
Liliana.SP: 80 / 80 HP [Onsen] [40 HP Barrier] [Equipped to Amity]

((I initially didn't give you the onsen effect, since it requires partial submerge, but in retrospect I think I was being overly picky – the intention is likely just that being on the tile gives you the basic effect, after all. Rectified the discrepancies as of this post))

Across from Amy and Lily, the Scuttle twitched and stamped its various limbs in erratic, uncoordinated frustration, unable for a brief moment to act properly. It gave the navi and her companion enough of a moment to sort out the vulnerable mystery data and secure it for the time being.

Nearby, though it continued to burn, the sword-wielding virus swung its weapon again trying to strike at what it seemed to view as the threat to the Scuttle virus. Its attack was slow and clumsy, however, missing everything of note while May took an extra moment to heal and protect Lily's more vulnerable situation.

The respite didn't last long, however; the Scuttle itself shook off the stun with a small cascade of lingering sparks before its whole body drew back then exhaled long and low, blasting a cone of frigid ice and mist across the group. Amy had just enough to item duck away from the blast of freezing air and though Lily was clipped by it in the process her new defence was able to absorb the damage of the attack, leaving her unharmed. Unconsidered in the crossfire, however, the Monosword virus caught a blast of ice to the back; whatever enforced loyalty the powerful and enraged Meta seemed to hold over the other virus, it clearly was not a two-way consideration.

While the ground beneath them was encrusted in a layer of rime and frost, Amy re-positioned to give her companion space to work. Liliana's ionised wave of force rippled towards her target; the Monosword glanced towards the beating wings, seemingly just in time to warp itself to a braced position between them and the scuttle, trying to intercept the blow... but the wave tore right past it, unstopped as it first ripped across the Scuttle's outer aura and then traced a mass of crazed cracks and spidering fractures across its form.

The scuttle screeched and flailed, its upper body thrashing wildly and its limbs stuttered and splashed in the momentarily electrified water. There was no peace within, for the strange viral composite, however; it roared and spat to the last breath as the shell of its body broke apart and dispersed. There was no becalmed or peaceful soul beneath this creature – only more unending rage and destructive wrath. What remained in hazy ephemeral form only loosely held itself in a far distant echo of the shape of the life virus of legend, dashing, clawed arms outstretched towards Amy, its roars now reduced to a stretched out spectral gasp. Its form crashed through her, but this contact proved to be more than the wispy remnants could withstand and Amy found herself briefly encircled by a shell of resilient energy that lingered only a moment before the last wisps of light faded and dissipated into the air.

Amy was free to look around for a moment, her new chip ready for any further targets, bomb in hand, but as the Scuttle had broken apart, the Monosword virus ha faltered as well, recovered its senses for a moment, and then promptly fled the battlefield in a flash of light. Off to one side, a shape that might or might not be a large Teddy in a floating inner tube had produced a comically large newspaper which it was now attempting, poorly, to casually hide behind and avoid attention. The fight seemed to be over, at least – though she still took the final moments to make use of the gels already prepared for use and restore the rest of her vitality.

-=Viruses=-
Scuttle-Scuttle- (Scuttle-)

Scuttle- is an angry looking insectoid creature. Unlike the virus it was designed to be like, it is sky blue instead of blue. This metavirus were made in an attempt to recapture the devastating power of the LifeVirus's creations, byte for byte, to the inclusion/exclusion of various aspects of their virus components, such as removing all flight capability, and cranking up their innate aggressiveness. That they were regarded as failures is more an indication of the real things' incredible might than the metaviruses' weakness. They're still extremely vicious, and very much prefer attacking to dodging.

Area: All

HP: 410
Element: Aqua

Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 40 Aqua + Break + Piercing + Group Attack
Primary Attack Accuracy: B (special)
Primary Attack Description: Lines up with a target and launches a hardened bubble at the enemy. Accuracy decreases by one rank with each hit.

Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 50 Aqua + Knockback + Ground Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Creates a wave of ice water that crashes into an enemy.

Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Aqua + Small Ice Terrain Change + Cone Attack
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: C
Tertiary Attack Description: Uses freezing cold breath to coat the enemy and the ground in ice.

Special: AquaAura: Begins each battle with a 10 HP AquaAura, which is pierced and instantly destroyed by Elec attacks. This reforms at the end of each turn.
Special: WaterProof: Cannot be inflicted with Freeze. Takes half damage from Aqua attacks.

Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Blizzard1, AuraHead1, AquaAura1, Aqua+20, AquaLine (Rare), Zenny: CLEANSED (?)
MonoSwordMonoSword (MonoSword)

MonoSword are distant cousins of Swordy, but have evolved further in an attempt become more a threat. They attack by teleporting in front of their target, and slashing with their namesake before returning to their original position. Their blades are sturdier than most, and can cut through things regular ones cannot, such as shields. Their bulky armor also gives them above average stamina, but it weighs them down to the point where they do not move or dodge, aside from attacking. Despite it lacking any sort of defense that would bestow such a weakness, they ironically take additional damage from Break attribute attacks.

Area: Netopia, Yoka, Hades Isle

HP: 120
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Null + Break + Slashing + Wide Attack
Attack Accuracy: C
Attack Description: Delivers an armor cutting slash.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BreakKnife, Zenny
Special: Break Weakness: Attacks with the Break attribute deal +100% Source damage to this virus, as though hitting an elemental weakness.
Special: Moves by teleporting. This is not treated as a formal Teleport, and does not confer any bonuses.: FLED
TeddyTeddy (Teddy)

Area: ACDC, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Yumland

HP: 100
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 20 + Slashing
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: Tears at an enemy with its claws.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 10 + Impact x 2 targets
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Picks up and throws one enemy at another.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: (Varies) + Impact
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: Picks up and throws an object at an enemy.
Element: Null
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): RageClaw1, Zenny
Special: Will only use its secondary attack if there is more than one enemy. Will only use its tertiary attack if there is an object capable of being thrown.: NOT MY CIRCUS, NOT MY MONKEYS

-=Navis=-
Amity.EXE: 230Hp [Onsen (South-West Onsen Pool)]
Liliana.SP: 80Hp [Equipped to Amity]

-=Objects=-
GMD: 15Hp [Carried by Amy]

-=Battle 1, Victory!=-
Spoils: 750z, 15BugFrags, AquaAura1Protection: Any Non-Elec attack lower than 40 HP
Accuracy: S
Description: Negates any Non-Elec attack less than 40HP
Duration: Three turns, or until destroyed
Element: Aqua
Special: Status Guard: This chip blocks debuffs.
Trader Rank: C

Open GMD?

((All good - I had no idea so I just went with it.))

Amy was surprised to see that this unusual monstrosity did not break down to the typical composition she'd encountered time and time again. Instead of the outer layer breaking down to expose the vulnerable inner core, something far more sinister lay waiting inside. With its prison bonds unshackled, it leapt at the navi, its claws aiming to finish what its full form couldn't.

Amy hesitated long enough for the energy form to surround her being, but by the time she'd had the thought to react, the moment was over. Whatever lingering data remained of the creature had gone - not floated away, not retreated into the distance, just... gone. Blue eyes searched for the MonoSword, but it too was nowhere to be found. The Teddy was still lingering in the onsen pool a few steps away, but its attempt to hide behind a newspaper of unknown origin was perhaps a signal that it wanted nothing to do with our team.

Without a target worthy of wearing its wrath, Amy dismissed the Seekerbomb in her hand, its assistance no longer required. Some lingering data held its form two steps away from her, so after closing the gap she analysed the information, pretty certain of what was to follow. "Eric, new battlechip data," she reported while assimilating it into her being.

A blank chip went into the reader, shortly followed by a new chip being ejected. Eric looked at the readout of the chip programming before running his finger through the battlechip index. The resulting information brought a smile to the man's face. "I think this is a good one Amy. AquaAura - for 3 battle cycles, this chip creates an aura that nullifies any non-Elec attack with a damaging power of less than 40 hitpoints."

"Wow." Amy was indeed impressed. "We'll have to make sure we take advantage of that chip."

Her next thought was to retreat back to her younger companion, who had broken away from its caretaker's side now that the danger had subsided, but as quickly as Amy moved to turn towards her friend, a shrill voice halted her steps.

"Sakura, stay back!"

Amy could feel Lily's appendages detach from her back as the wings grew in size. Cyan wings returned to golden yellow as the butterfly flew towards the child in a pink and white dress. Those same wings grew again as the support program and child met, as if it was shielding her from an unknown threat.

"Lily, what are you doing?" the navi asked with a raised eyebrow. The battle was over, there was no thr-

Oh.

Eyes rolled as her hand slid through the back seam and pulled out the mystery data.

"Lily, this isn't a threat. They help us," she assured the pair as she held up the green crystal.

"The first one buried me in sand, and the second one attacked us."

The navi sighed. This was true, but only from a very limited perspective. "Okay, okay, I get it. You haven't had good experiences with these. But they're not all bad - I got a lot of money out of one, and the one that attacked us ended up becoming the SeekerBomb chip."

Lily pondered on that information for a moment, but it didn't seem to change her resolve. "Fine then - if you want to open it, do it over there." Her upper right wing gestured to the area behind her as the butterfly's body hovered backwards, forcing Sakura to take a few steps back as well. Once the girl had been repositioned to stand beside the onsen caretaker once again, Lily's feet landed on Sakura's head, partially hidden by the large bow.

Amy was the navi of this team - SHE was supposed to be the boss. A disgruntled scowl was thrown towards the support program in protest, but looking slightly southward to see the child's uncertain gaze, it was quickly decided that this was a battle not worth fighting. A final sigh as she turned around and took a few more steps away from the group.

The caretaker had been watching this event in a stoic silence, but this ended with a simple, quiet question. "Forgive my impudence, but if you're afraid of the crystal being a threat, why not have your operator activate an Untrap subchip...?"

The butterfly's eyes orbited upward to meet the lady's. "Untrap... subchip?"

The lady nodded in confirmation. "Yes. One subchip has the power to neutralise any threats in a single crystal."

This information was music to the program's ears (or at least Lily's equivalent of ears). "Eric, do you have any Untrap subchips?"

A pause followed. "...No. I have... two MiniEnergy subchips, but that's it."

"Never mind then." Lily's attention turned back to the caretaker. "I don't suppose you have any we could buy? Or even trade for?"

The navi gently shook her head. "Unfortunately I am not equipped with battle systems, so such equipment is not entrusted to me. I only know of such information because of various conversations I've had with clientele, but not from my own personal experience."

"I understand. I had to ask though."

Satisfied she'd put enough distance between herself and her defiant assistant, Amy placed the crystal down on the ground and took one step back. Lily's negativity had rubbed off a little on the navi, but her mind played back to the rest of the mystery data crystals she'd opened until now. One out of four. That's the number of bad results she'd encountered. Now that Eric had properly explained the features of each battlechip in their folder, she could reliably say that of the three good crystals, the two battlechips provided by mystery data had been mostly junk, but the money bestowed upon them by the third had been handy.

All in all, it was worth the gamble - that's the mindset our lady in cyan decided upon as she crouched down and tapped the top of the crystal three times.

----------

Battle #1 Complete!

Rewards:
Zenny: +750 (1170 >>> 1920)
Bugfrags: +15 (11 >>> 26)
New Battlechip: AquaAura1Protection: Any Non-Elec attack lower than 40 HP
Accuracy: S
Description: Negates any Non-Elec attack less than 40HP
Duration: Three turns, or until destroyed
Element: Aqua
Special: Status Guard: This chip blocks debuffs.
Trader Rank: C
Battlechips: 21 >>> 22

((Poor Amy - having to face the crystal on her own. [Open GMD] ))

Despite Lily's own trepidation, Amy's luck seemed to be in, at lest today. Activating the crystal resulted only in a fairly standard data unpacking process as the panels of the crystal folded away and in on themselves to reveal a small bundle of credit sticks once set aside and long since forgotten. All together, the totals on the sticks added up to a neat 2500 zenny, with no other traps or tricks this time.

GMD: 2500z

A small money chest. Two hands eagerly brushed aside the hair from her face as the navi knelt down to further inspect the crystal's contents. A quick glance left and right satisfied the lady that all was well, and the credits were absorbed into her wallet hastefully.

With the alleged threat of another attack gone, Amy could finally head back to the group, the slightest hint of a smug smile creeping on to her face.

It didn't go unnoticed by her teammate. "Oh whatever. I still stand by my choice," she remarked before floating through the air towards her ride.

Sakura was only a step behind, eager to grab a hold of her friend-turned-bodyguard. Both hands gripped the dress tightly as Amy had to fight the pull of their tugging.

"Yes, I know," she finally chuckled as she finally lowered herself down to get a better grip on the girl. Picking up the small figure in her arms, Amy walked back over to the caretaker as Lily continued to fly alongside the blue-flowered head.

The caretaker took an extended bow as the group approached her. "You have my gratitude for dealing with that disturbance. I cannot reward you with anything of value, but please know that you have helped ensure the safety of the visitors of this establishment."

The commendation made Eric's navi feel a little uncomfortable. "Pl-please, don't think anything of it. We just did what any good person would do."

"We're just glad nobody got hurt."

The caretaker rose back to a standing position as she gestured back toward the onsen. "If you wish to resume your bathing activities, please feel free to do so."

Lily expected her partner to decide that they'd seen enough excitement for one day, but was surprised and somewhat elated when purple hair shimmered in the air as Amy did a small bow of her own and then walked back towards the entrance to the hot pools. Not quite yet ready to retake her usual post, the butterfly once again landed on the child's head as her eyes looked ahead to the onsen facility. "I think we should skip the back pools. Agreed?"

Very much so, acknowledged with an earnest nod from the lady in cyan. The caretaker gave a small wave to Sakura as the trio departed - to Amy's surprise, Sakura reciprocated the gesture with a small wave of her own.

As they one again headed down the pathway leading to the right, the same scenery spread out in front of them - pools to the west, the north and the east.

"Maybe try the western pools again. Maybe one became free," Lily wondered out loud.

Sure enough, one had indeed become empty - the third pool was now vacant and ripe for the taking. This section was the third of four rounded pools, connecting at their base to look similar to a dog's paw. This one was a tad longer than the ones surrounding it, that same half-wall giving a small air of seclusion. It didn't stop the sound of children laughing in the adjacent pool from entering their area, but perhaps that was more tolerable that their previous company.

Amy placed down the small child at the pool's edge as she once again dismissed her boots. One step after another, both females slowly submersed themselves into the healing aura of the onsen pool in front of them as they half swam, half floated to the far edge of the puddle's domain. The heat Amy had experienced earlier began to grip at her sides again, willing her limbs into a numb submission as she surrendered herself to the water's energy. With one hand holding on to Sakura's, the two began to doze off as Lily once again used her wings as makeshift submersibles to float effortlessly on the water's surface.

----------

A few hours passed, with navi, support program and child remaining motionless and silent, until Amy heard a noise at the entrance to their area. Two voices seemed to be getting louder in intensity.

"I hardly think that your reaction to my observations required such an enthusiastic response. You asked for my opinion, and I provided it to you."

"And it was incorrect, my good friend. I am simply asking you to acknowledge your error and give me that upon which we agreed."

"...Why Cedric, I do believe that this onsen has been claimed."

Blue eyes opened to observe two average height but thinly built male navis wearing overly fashionable tuxedos enter their onsen's enclosure. One navi was wearing a well-fitted tuxedo with a deep red jacket, trousers, vest, and dress shoes, but the shirt was black and the tie was white. The navi next to him, referred to by his companion as 'Cedric' was dressed in the exact same manner, however his jacket, trousers, vest and dress shoes were black in colour, his shirt was white, and his tie was a shade of red that matched his companion's tuxedo.

"Dear me Howard, you would appear to be correct."

The manner in which they spoke was unusual to Amy - they shared a common accent, implying they were possibly from the same region.

Lily's gentle movements back toward her operator caused the two male navis to take a step backward. "Please, do not be alarmed. We have no intention of disrupting your enjoyment of this facility. If you will allow me and my friend to stay at this end of the water, we will do our best not to disturb you," he added while gesturing to the end they were already standing at.

When Amy and Lily presented no rebuttal, the two gentlemen slid into the water, not removing a single article of clothing from their bodies. Such behaviour amused the navi as she shuffled a little closer to Sakura, keeping a close eye on the both of them as the new party continued conversing at a distance.

"Do not think that I have forgotten our little wager, my friend."

"Oh dear. I had rather hoped that little distraction had diverted your attention to other matters."

"Not at all. In fact, I am still surprised you would even wager a bet against our good friend Reginald. That navigator has twice the resources and thrice the willpower of the pair of us combined. Something as unimpressive as a... a... what did that lady call it...?"

"I do believe she called it a 'fetch quest'."

"Ah yes. I cannot keep up with the youths of these days and their... cultural references."

"I know what you mean."

"But yes, one of these 'fetch quests' in a Beach Net rogue network would be no challenge for such a distinguished netbattler like Reginald."

"'Fetch quests'? 'Rogue network'?"

Amy recognised the voice and turned towards the source. She hadn't noticed Lily take flight from the water's surface, instead heading towards the pair and now hovering at an arm's length away from them.

"Dear me, I do believe we have piqued the curiousity of this lady," 'Howard' responded while turning to his friend with a smile.

"Sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt you, but..."

"One should never apologise for wishing to pursue knowledge," 'Cedric' rebuffed while turning towards Lily. "I would never mock another for a lack of understanding of the cultures of our modern day, but surely a creature such as yourself has heard about the rogue networks."

When Lily shook her head, Howard chuckled and grinned further as he began to explain. "Simply put, rogue networks are layers of our common network that sit far below the normal server activity of layers like this one," he explained while gesturing to the area around them. "Rogue networks are, in effect, another layer of the internet, as the new is built on top of the old."

"Layers...?"

"That is correct," Cedric confirmed as he joined in. "We are currently at the highest level of the network... hierarchy, for lack of a better word." Cedric gestured with his right hand by closing the gaps between its fingers and flattening his palm, then raising it in front of him to create a floating platform. "Below the standard network domains are what the humans refer to as... chaos networks." His left hand became flat as well, being moved to sit below the right hand. "If you were to venture down to these areas, you would find yourself surrounded by a world that humans forgot, where viruses roam free and are able to grow and mutate without limitation."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Very much so. In fact, most navigators do not wander down to the chaos networks unless they have a need to do so."

Howard now moved forward and, using the same gesture, moved his own flattened hand underneath Cedric's left hand. "Rogue networks are one more layer down, one more step towards the unknown. Only the bravest and most resourceful of programs dare travel to such unrefined locations."

"So... your friend went to the worst place possible to prove his strength...?"

Both navis chuckled and looked to each other upon hearing the butterfly's enquiry.

"It is true, the Rogue networks are in fact a harsh and unforgiving environment."

"But make no mistake our fluttery friend, the Rogue networks are not the most dangerous place for a network navigator to find themselves in."

"There you are!"

Amy's gaze wandered past the conversing group to notice a familar deep blue yukata and its wearer waving her down.

"I do apologise ma'am, but... could I please request your help once more...?"

The navi had almost convinced herself to join in this conversation of minds, as it was already exposing truths and understandings of her world that nobody had discussed with her before. These two navis didn't seem as intimidating as they had originally appeared, but just as she was about to introduce herself, it would appear that the internet had other plans.

"Is something wrong?"

The caretaker bowed again to the group as her head seemed to stare at the ground. "I am deeply sorry, but another situation has occurred in one of the traditional pool areas. May I please borrow your expertise in solving problems like these...?"

That word - 'traditional'. Amy was about to offer a gentle rejection, deeply desiring not to head to that side of the onsen park, but her companion's words echoed first.

"We'll help, not a problem at all," Lily replied before turning to her ride. "Come on Amity, let's go."

Hearing her full name was always a little jarring, but even more so when it came from Lily's mouth. It was perhaps that show of impersonal separation that led Amy to utter the next words. "Alright then Liliana, let's go." Still holding Sakura's hands, the two females waded across the pool to meet with the two gentlemen sitting at its edge, along with the yukata-wearing assistant.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Lily complemented whilst doing her own mid-air bow to the suit-wearing navis.

"The pleasure was indeed all ours," Howard reciprocated whilst bowing himself.

"We intend to be here for a little longer yet," Cedric affirmed. "Once you have finished assisting this fine shopkeep here, we would be happy to continue this conversation further."

"We'll be quick then," the butterfly assured them as her navi counterpart shook out the final waves of water from the lower dress region and resummoned her navi boots. Sakura tried to replicate the same gesture but with little success. Floating back into the back seam of Amy's dress, Lily's body disappeared and wings of yellow turned back to wings of cyan.

"That is a rather fascinating trick," Howard marvelled. "Be sure to come back quickly."

"We will," Amy confirmed, turning her back to the pool and moving quickly to meet up with the caretaker. "Where's the battle?" she asked as they climbed the stairs leading back to the main entrance.

Sakura squeezed Amy's hand as the pair of them followed behind a clearly flustered navi. Once reaching the entrance courtyard, the group now headed down the left pathway. "To be honest, I'm not sure a battle is necessary," the caretaker quipped nervously as they moved down the path.

"What makes you say that?"

"You'll... understand in a minute. I don't know if this situation is the fault of viruses," she clarified as they reached the edge of the tiled platform that ended with sets of stairs leading down towards the western, southern and the eastern pools.

----------

GMD Rewards:
Zenny: +2500 (1920 >>> 4420)

Party:
Amity.EXE: 230 / 230 HP
Liliana.SP: 80 / 80 HP [Equipped to Amity]

{{{ Battle #2 - you must be =this tall= to enter }}}

((Just sent you a quick chat note - I'll grab your mod as soon as I've got a moment, but just sent you a quick query about your goal here; given your prose above I just wanted to get a guide on what you're aiming for so I can set up appropriately ^.^))

The leftward path that led to the more traditional section of the onsen presented a small landing before the branching stairs descended to the three main pools – beyond, Amy could get a partial glimpse of the relaxation areas beyond, but a haze of steam obscured most of what could be see from here, and even that was mostly blocked by low semi-circular walls that offered pockets of privacy and seclusion throughout the area, with slightly taller divides further marking off the three primary divisions. Between the landing and the pools, however, the party could see that each stairway passed down through neat enclosed rooms made of similar natural materials to the rest of the onsen's decor. Their guide hesitated, a flustered, fraught expression warring on her features.

Ah... I do apologise, ma'am, truly but, ah... Our Traditional Onsen is further divided into sections, you see.” She gestured with a hurried hand to each of the stairs in turn. “For those presenting masculine forms, feminine forms, and the largest area, mixed and open to all. The situation is in—” As she pointed towards the mixed onsen, shouting and clamour could be heard coming from that direction and the caretaker winced. “O-only, ma'am, I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to fully disrobe before passing beyond the change area. I must insist that all obey the rules of the Onsen, please, ma'am, I'm sorry, it's my job.” As the sounds of disquiet rose, the caretaker looked pleading to Amy with an apologetic bow of her head, then glanced nervously towards Sakura.

“If you or the young miss aren't comfortable with her going down there as well, I can keep the little one safe here for you, I promise, only... please hurry, before it gets any more out of hand!”

Despite the flustered caretaker's insistence, Amy probably still had some options here – there seemed to be little that would actually stop her from simply barging in, regardless of the rules of conduct, especially since the caretaker had mentioned more than once that none of the staff or clients were navis suited for conflict... though at the same time, if the situation was already in need of diffusing, it might not be a good start to rush in breaking rules – potentially even breaking more rules than any viruses present, considering that most weren't really the clothing-wearing types to begin with.

Regardless of how Amy decided to proceed, if she did, she'd find the enclosed change area to be small and mostly perfunctory – smooth tiles, and a small handful of digital storage lockers, though not very many; it was probably safe to presume that most navis generally didn't have any need for physical storage for their clothes, after all. The normal fixtures of a traditional onsen pre-bathing area were all present for Amy to avail herself of if she felt so inclined before passing through to the main spring beyond.

Beyond, the steam was a drifting mist, though nowhere near dense enough to properly hide in or even obscure vision, and it would have been a soothing atmosphere is not for the increasing sounds of shouting and panic ahead.

The mixed traditional onsen was comprised of a wide central pool that started shallow at the edge of the tiles, but swiftly became deeper towards the centre, to allow for programs of different heights to find comfortable places to sit and relax. A handful of narrower channels – perhaps a half dozen – fanned out in slightly curving arcs from the main pool, set at regular intervals. Each curved away towards more secluded and private bathing pools, that each in turn were ringed by low curved walls about two feet high, providing some small additional cover from the main pool.

Taller walls, each about six feet high, separated this area from the other two traditional pools, to either side, but there were enough problems to worry about here and now. The Onsen was, if not packed, nevertheless moderately busy. At first glance, Amy wold be able to see more than a dozen other programs of various shapes, sizes and body-types about the spring; here there were several that clearly didn't have anything approaching a humanoid design, but net norms being what they were, most were some variation on human-like, a mix of masculine and feminine forms. Like it or not, this was something Amy had no trouble perceiving, since, at the moment, very few of the navis present were taking the situation sitting down.

Towards the back centre of the area, a section of the pool seemed to house something of a control system, where fresh water flowed in and a console for adjusting small elements of the temperature or atmosphere. There were probably proper controls for actually running the Onsen elsewhere – these ones looked to be just the simpler ones that public clients could access with limited freedom. The problem here was that the steam and mist around the controls was not only particularly dense, but particularly agitated as well. Within the clouds, Amy cold just make out the two shapes, shifting and moving with deliberate life, even though they were just denser patches of steam. Hints of curious and excited expression occasionally showed through in the condensed mist shapes as they curled and drifted around the controls and the water inlet, seemingly revelling in the heat of it and gradually making it hotter and hotter.

Around them, a handful of other navis were standing on the edge of the tiles, out of the water, muttering and talking to each other with a sound of frustration while they tried to get close to the controls, with no luck – they seemed hesitant to get close to the seemingly animate wisps of steam, who in turn turned to face them with warning hisses any time any navi attempted to reach the controls. The two most eager to act, amongst the small crowd of navis clustered about, were a blocky navi with a body that looked more like a centaur made of cinder bricks; four thick limbs and large, blunt feet. Their upper body became more serpentine and narrow - a single flexible, extension with a compact head that clustered most of the features of normal face all into a single narrow cone point. The upper body also had two snake-like arms that were long and had no obvious joints in them, more resembling tendrils or tentacles. They continuously tried to reposition to somewhere where one of their arms might reach a control unnoticed by the steam-beings, in between making side comments to a second navi who was trying to act as flank to their efforts on the other side. She was more humanoid, designed to be what some might call unfairly eye-catching and attractive with a slender and lithe build, with just the ideal average amount of curve and roundness is all of the traditionally desirable locations. Her skin was a dark hazel colour, with hair that was a bright, vibrant blue falling about her neck and shoulders – though the grooming lower down her body showed that this wasn't her natural hair colour.

A short way off, to one side, more of the clients were having a different issue – potentially less dangerous, but with no less shouting about it. One of the side channels appeared to be thick with dark, bubbling mud. It filled the side pool it came from and was slowly spreading out in a widening fan across the central pool as well. Standing near the contaminated pool, three navis were debating with each other; one stood at about six feet, with a toned form, a somewhat etched and well defined chest and light olive skin tone was coated in thick brown mud up to his waist, and had clearly at some point put a very muddy hand to his face, and run it through his otherwise rich black hair. He was in the middle of making an exasperated gesture towards the muddy pool while talking to the second male navi. This one was about five foot tall and also covered in mud to the same height, though this meant it nearly reached his chest. Where he wasn't coated in mud, he bore an orange pattern of diamond-shaped scales. Spined ridges ran down his back and became a thin, sinuous tail that was presently coiled comfortingly around the waist third navi standing between them, who, rather than argue was simply looking on at the mess with an expression of deep disappointment. She stood only about four foot tall, with a very curving and bountiful feminine figure, marred by the mud coating that went all the way up to the top of her rather ample-for-her-size bosom.

Within the side pool, Amy could catch occasional glimpses of two fish-like viruses that seemed to be very happy to enjoy the mud they were making, and were merely amused by other navis' failed attempts to grab or wrangle them out of the spring. All around these two groups, other navis watched on, or called for something to be done in a growing chorus of irritation. Beyond them, there were still quite a few others who were doing their best not to be a part of this whole situation and just keep to themselves in various other places about the spring.

-=Not The Usual Clients=-
MudfeeshMudfeesh (Mudfeesh)

This virus looks like a sausage shaped fish with a brown underbelly, a blue/green/red/black back (depending on the version) with a wavy dorsal fin, a mouth that constantly gasps for air, beady little eyes and a large flat tail that it uses to propel itself. It moves by flopping around very erratically, granting the family a passive dodge effect.

Area: Yoka, Okuden Valley, Beach, Yumland

HP: 60
Attack Damage/Effect: 15 Wood + Impact + Slow
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: It leaps at its target, attempting to slam into it with its slimy belly.
Element: Wood
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): MudFlop1, Zenny
Special: One passive dodge per turn.
-Creates mud terrain where it moves. A: 60Hp [Mud][South-Western Pool]
MudfeeshMudfeesh (Mudfeesh)

This virus looks like a sausage shaped fish with a brown underbelly, a blue/green/red/black back (depending on the version) with a wavy dorsal fin, a mouth that constantly gasps for air, beady little eyes and a large flat tail that it uses to propel itself. It moves by flopping around very erratically, granting the family a passive dodge effect.

Area: Yoka, Okuden Valley, Beach, Yumland

HP: 60
Attack Damage/Effect: 15 Wood + Impact + Slow
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: It leaps at its target, attempting to slam into it with its slimy belly.
Element: Wood
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): MudFlop1, Zenny
Special: One passive dodge per turn.
-Creates mud terrain where it moves. B: 60Hp [Mud][South-Western Pool]
MistyMisty (Misty)

Misty are essentially blobs of scalding hot steam, with no true form. They use this to their advantage, employing as many ways to cover their victims as the imagination can dream up...and maybe more. Though they are Aqua type viruses, their bodies are so hot they can burn virtually anything just by touching it.

Area: Yoka

HP: 100
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Aqua + Impact + Burn(5)
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Attempts to touch and scald an enemy in any one of a myriad of ways.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): MistConvergence1, Zenny
Special: MistBody: Immune to Aqua attacks. If anyone besides another Misty touches this virus without some form of protection (active chip attack, shield, etc.), they are inflicted with Burn(5) status.
Special: Burn(5): Deals 5 Fire damage per action to the victim starting the turn after this attack hits. This effect stacks with other timed damage effects, including other Burn effects. Can be cured with Status Cure. A: 100Hp [Normal][Southern central section]
MistyMisty (Misty)

Misty are essentially blobs of scalding hot steam, with no true form. They use this to their advantage, employing as many ways to cover their victims as the imagination can dream up...and maybe more. Though they are Aqua type viruses, their bodies are so hot they can burn virtually anything just by touching it.

Area: Yoka

HP: 100
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Aqua + Impact + Burn(5)
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Attempts to touch and scald an enemy in any one of a myriad of ways.
Element: Aqua
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): MistConvergence1, Zenny
Special: MistBody: Immune to Aqua attacks. If anyone besides another Misty touches this virus without some form of protection (active chip attack, shield, etc.), they are inflicted with Burn(5) status.
Special: Burn(5): Deals 5 Fire damage per action to the victim starting the turn after this attack hits. This effect stacks with other timed damage effects, including other Burn effects. Can be cured with Status Cure. B: 100Hp [Onsen][Southern central section]

-=Not Her Usual Problem=-
Amity.EXE: 230Hp [Normal][Northern end of the are, near the entrance to the spring]
Liliana.SP: 80Hp [Equipped to Amity]

-=Not Sure What's Going On=-
Centaur-Brick Navi: [Normal][Near the southern controls]
Unfairly Attractive Navi: [Onsen][Near the southern controls]
Handsome Muddy Navi: [Normal][Near the Muddy side-pool]
Short Muddy Navi: [Normal][Near the Muddy side-pool]
Scaled Muddy Navi: [Normal][Near the Muddy side-pool]

Other Navis: ??? [Varies][There are numerous other navis present – feel free to define your own NPCs to talk to if you'd like to!]

-=Terrain=-
60% Onsen

• Aqua Elementals gain 3 HP/action partially or fully submerged, Non-Aqua Elementals only when partially submerged.
• If any Sea Terrain exists in an adjacent panel, Onsen panels will change to Sea Terrain, except in Yoka (Sea will convert to Onsen).
• Terrain changes between Sea and Onsen do not inflict damage upon submerged entities, nor do they eject submerged entities to the surface.
• Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
• PanelShot: Imbue Aqua + Blast1 Blind.

[Large central pool, about four feet deep at the centre, but shallow around the edges. Five out of six side pools spaced equidistant around the central pool, connected by water channels broad enough for a single navi to wade/swim through]
30% Normal

• No effects.

[Anywhere not in the water is smooth, slightly slick tiled flooring]
10% Mud

• Non-Wood Elementals get -10% Evasion penalty and reduced movement speed, 25% (+/-25% RP) chance to fall or get stuck (1 action to get free).
• Automatically triggers Aqua Boost for appropriate chip attacks.
• Wood attacks: Change terrain hit to Soil.
• PanelShot: Imbue Wood + Slow1.

[South-Western of the six side pools, including the channel that connects it and a small spreading semi-circle of mud at the edge of the main pool where it emerges]

Layout: Area is a broad central pool, surrounded by six smaller pools, spaced evenly around the main one. Each side pool is connected by a water channel that a navi could wade or swim though if they wanted. At the far south side, a public access control system for adjusting minor elements of the Onsen is set at the edge of the pool. Each small pool has a low wall half encircling it, to screen it slightly from the central pool. These walls are low, only a couple of feet high; they'll hide a person sitting in the pool, but not someone who stands up, or who stands or sits on the tiles out of the water. A six foot wall to the west separates the mixed traditional onsen from the feminine traditional onsen, while a similar wall on to the east separates it from the masculine traditional onsen. Sounds of surprise and curiosity are also drifting over these walls as others hear the sounds of a ruckus.

-=Objects=-
Onsen Control Unit: 80Hp [Southern central area, at the edge of the main pool]

-=Encounter 2, Resolve!=-