Neo-Shogunate Mission Request Hub

Entered the building.

Mission Request for a first SP Core for Nightshade.EXE (DragonierMan.EXE and co. accompanying, requesting standard rewards). --DragonierMan.

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Greetings, DragonierMan-

Please see the below mission posting from the Neo-Shogun Empire and respond if you accept or would like to seek another opportunity.

-Global Network Administration

Quote (Yasu)

Well met, DragonierMan. We have another mission that could use your unique qualifications.

Our client, SafariMan, has asked for Neo-Shogun representatives representing the Chinese Zodiac, to join them on a hunting expedition... I cannot fathom their reasoning for such a request. Perhaps they are just lonesome. At any rate, with some coaxing, we have managed to get Roc to agree to participate. I figure that you can go fill the role of dragon and I'm sure your partner can find a way to fit one creature or another. It seems like a rather asinine requirement to me, but they're footing the whole bill for your rewards and then some, including funding for the empire, so that's good enough for me.

It sounds like your mission will be routine virus hunting in the wilds of Netfrica. I can only apologize that there is not something more intriguing to offer you. Perhaps the normalcy will be a welcome relief after the odd tasks we often put you on. These things never turn out quite the way they look at first blush, so I would recommend you stay on your guard. I'm going to send some extra back-up. Pest will be patrolling the sky to keep an eye on things. Feel free to communicate with Roc and Pest throughout.

If you feel this is beneath you, let me know. I'm sure we can scrape together something else for you to do.

-The Sky-Severing Ronin, Natural Blademaster, First General Yasu

DragonierMan accepts the mission.

When Nightshade accepts the mission, please provide the coordinates.

Nightshade.Rx Accepting the mission!

DragonierMan, Nightshade-

We have informed the client of your acceptance. The attached coordinates will take you to the meetup point in Netfrica Net.

-Global Network Administration

*Coordinates.DAT attached*

Mission Start!

Mission End!

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DragonierMan, Suzume, and a sleeping Pest appeared in one of the waiting rooms near the Neo-Shogunate mission request counters. Suzume lay Pest out on a nearby couch while DragonierMan approached a terminal to log the completion of the mission. Then they waited for Aya and Nightshade to get back.

Although Nightshade hadn't shown up yet, the receptionist at the counter was willing to see DragonierMan regardless. "DragonierMan? I recognized you. We've received word that your mission was a success. We have rewards ready for you and your companion," the receptionist navi spoke up, waving him over. "Although... I guess that's not Nightshade. We'll have the reward ready for him, though. If you'd like, we can let your superior, General Yasu, know her subordinate is here for pickup. Don't worry: this is a neutral zone, nobody can do anything to her here."

((Nightshade gets: SP core, 6000z, WyrmEgg1Damage: 110 + Ground Attack + Phasing + Homing
Accuracy: C
Description: A fire-attuned snake slithers across the field, hunting for an enemy.
Duration: Once
Element: Fire
Trader Rank: D x1, 40 bugfrags))
((DragonierMan gets: 12,000 zenny, ThunderBeam3Damage: 120 + Seeking x 3 Targets
Accuracy: A
Description: Shoots three beams of electricity at three different enemies. Pierces Invis.
Duration: Once
Element: Elec
Trader Rank: B x1, MetaGel2Damage: 130 + Slow + Drop Attack x 3 Targets
Accuracy: B
Description: Summons three Metagels to drop down on three different opponents. Causes Slow on contact.
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Drop Attack: This attack originates above the battlefield, and falls to the ground. It gains one rank of accuracy against High Altitude targets.
Trader Rank: C x1, 20 faction points, 100 bugfrags))

((FXP to come tomorrow))

And in that precise moment, a cat-dragonier hybrid comes crashing down the door, which had been promptly exploded open, sliding face first all the way to the counter, stopping with a faint thud once his helmet hit the wood of the table. One claw poked out from down below, wigglign left and right.

"MADE IT!" He squealed at the top of his lungs, slightly out of breath.

The hybrid was back on his feet paws rather quickly. "Ayashade reporting for duty!" The navi chimed, more at Drago than the receptionist. If anything, he seemed more intrested in his "dad's" attention more than the rewards themselves. His tail sure was going a mile an hour.

DragonierMan looked up from the console, before he did much on it, as the receptionist flagged him down. He walked over to the counter with a nod. "Then please inform General Yasu about the situation and arrange a pickup." It was then that Ayashade came crashing through the door. Drago's head spun to look at the door, his body following the movement. He blinked before calling over his shoulder at the receptionist. "But tell her not to hurry. It looks like we will be here a while."

Drago then stepped forward toward Ayashade with a discerning frown on his face. Suzume looked up from tending to Pest, and did a double take, before noticing Aya sheathed on his belt. "Well, we completed our mission. How did it go on your end?" Drago!Dad asked. "I noticed Aya has equipped herself to you. Seems like you ran into quite the trouble if she went that far."

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The young navi hopped up on his clawed feet and stretched. "Wasn't too bad. We had to deal with alot of weird clones, a teleporter and Bull Lady." He replied, still gleefully enjoying his fusion with Aya. As a matter of fact, one could tell he was very proud of the armor he was wearing just by the confident pose he was in.

"No big deal though. We were wayyyy too strong for those guys. It was weird at first, having big sis inside my head. You know. Sharing thoughts and all. But now that my body has accustomed to Aya's code, we are beyond strong!" It was at that moment that the hybrid noticed Suzume staring at them. He waved at her, chuckling.

Returning his gaze to what he now considered his dad, the little feline navi drew Aya in a flash, showing Drago his proficiency with a weapon he had never really used before. Aya's presence was obviously still strong within him. In all honesty, Nighty would have guessed that his sister code was so deeply rooted in his own to have reached his core by now. Or something similar anyway.

"We...we're about 50/50. I mean. I'm still me, but I also kinda feel myself acting a bit more like big sis Aya. It happens alot in combat, but that's not a bad thing at all!" He reassured, wagging his tail at his dad. By now Nighty was already craving for the older navi's undivided attention. He sure wouldnt mind some hugs.

"In the end...this is nice. Feels nice, looks nice." Ayashade concluded,placing a hand over his chest,where the dragonier insignia was engraved in purple on his shiny black armor. He returned his weapon to its sheath.

"I was even able to turn into a dragon! Sure my dragon form isn't as big as yours, but it's a start. Besides, we accomplished our side of the mission efficiently and without problems. Pretty sure Safariman will think twice before messing with us again."

It seemed that the navi quite enjoyed his new Dragonier heritage. He twirled on his heels to give Drago a good look at him. "So? Are you proud of us, dad?" Nighty asked, really eager to just jump at Drago for cuddles yet Aya's influence keeping him from doing so due to her discipline.

"Man I can't wait to see big sis Magistrate's face when she sees us." Ayashade snickered.

Suzume smirked. "I see you inherited her penchant for boasting as well. Careful, you might grow too big a head... with... two minds filling it," Suzume finished, seeming to struggle a little with finishing the analogy. The blade that was Aya tried its best to 'glare daggers', through the unmoving handle's eyes, at Suzume. Suzume seemed to feel the gaze and smiled more cheekily.

DragonierMan moved closer and reached out to pat Ayashade's shoulder with one of his hands. "Excellent work." He withdrew the hand and stepped back a little. "Oh? You transformed into a dragon you say? Well that will be something to see when we aren't in an enclosed space, such as here," he motioned around him. He then laughed, "Indeed he will! Especially now that he is locked up in Net Police custody." Drago then gave a hearty thumbs up. "You did real good, so of course I am proud of you."

"Unfortunately you won't see Magistrate anytime soon," Suzume added with a little sympathy. "She headed home early to begin analyzing the various robots we recovered." She turned back to Pest. "Though now that we completed the mission and got you an SP Core, she will of course hold to her word, and help you make your own dragon friend. So you'll just have to be a little more patient."

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"That's fine. We are in no rush." Ayashade replied with a nod. "Big sis might be an egghead and always fixated wirh studies and all, but she got more important stuff to research."

As soon as Drago gave his thumbs up, no matter what Aya tried to do,the sheer willpower Nighty exerted towards getting cuddles was so strong the hybrid simply magnetized himself to Drago's waist, hugging tight against the older navi's belly.

It'd be a minute before Aya would be able to somewhat regain control of the navi's body and pull him away from Drago. Ayashade folded his hands and looked out in the distance. "Though, there is one thing that bothers us. There was a whole warehouse of those bots where we were. When I flew in through the teleporter, there was a terminal with some coordinates. I don't think they were for our place. Perhaps there is still a network of those things spewing out copies of Safariman? Why would he need hundreds of progs just for a dozen of navis and their SPs."

As he returned his gaze to Suzume, Ayashade finally saw Pest. He hopped over to his sister's side, leaning it with faint curiosity. "And who might she be?" He asked, curious.

DragonierMan was caught off-guard by the sudden latching onto his waist by Ayashade. He just as quickly recovered however, smiled, and placed his hands around Ayashade's shoulders to complete the hug. Aya herself was a sea of emotions, which blended with Nightshade's urges, forming a tropical storm of feelings. Overwhelmed as she was, her consciousness retreated to a deeper part of his mind, secluding herself. That immediately ceased her grip on Night's core and caused her to go silent in his mind.

Drago and Suzume listened in as Ayashade explained what they saw, frowning and nodding at the information of a warehouse cranking out a robot army. It would definitely be something to check on in the future. Then they watched as Ayashade came over and asked about Pest. "This is Pest," Suzume replied. "She works with us as a member of the Neo-Shoguns. Technically, her position in the organization is as a member of the Aerial Squadron. Roc, whom you met earlier, is also a member. They have a total of four members currently. The other two members that you haven't met, are a woman named Skywriter, and their leader MachMan."

"And no," Drago interrupted, before the obvious question came up. "Even though we dragoniers can fly, we are not members of the Squadron, or have our own division. Our little group tends to be sent on a variety of missions, like the one today, where flying isn't the most necessary thing to have." He chuckled. "Though having the ability to fly has never hurt."

"Even though he - or Aya for that matter - doesn't like it, a lot of our missions have been diplomatic," Suzume continued. "As some of the strongest and more versatile members of the NS... they use us to 'fill in the gaps', so to speak, on teams. So we tend to have a few other NS members working alongside us, like today." She looked back at Pest for a moment before frowning. "Unfortunately, there tends to be a pattern of at least one of them getting the short end of the stick."

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The newly formed Dragonieer hybrid quietly listened to Suzume's explanation, slowly wiggling himself closer to his sister and into her grasp. Now that he was sharing his body with Aia, the little navi could clearly sense a strong feling of affection toward Drago and the others.

Not that he didn't like them before, but they were particularly strong now that he had reunited with the other Dragonieers. He soon squeezed Suzume in a heartfelt embrace, enjoying how nice her own energy felt. With Aya's code so deeply integrated into his being, it felt like whenever he got close to his dad or his sis, his own energy always started resonating with their own.

Suzume was...incredibly strong, just like Drago. Yet, her energy didn't feel wild and destructive like dad's. It didn't feel like a thunderstorm and more like a waterfall. Controlled chaos.

Nighty clutched Suzume's waist a little tigher in his hug. "I don't wanna defuse" he mumbled at her. "I...I wanna stay like this." He didn't want to give up his right to belong in the Dragonieers. He didn't want to give up being one. "I want to stay with you. I want to help you help Pest and all of your friends."

He buried his face in Suzume's chest. "I want a family too..."

Suzume embraced Nightshade. "Aww sweety, it's okay." She patted his back, trying to comfort him. "You can be one of us without having to be one with us." She tried to gently nudge him back a bit before kneeling to look him in the eyes, her hands on his shoulders. "Listen," she said, trying to run a warm hand over his cheek. "Aya has her own life to lead. You wouldn't want to deprive her of her own freedom would you?"

"And what about your own self?" she continued to ask. "Would you really be satisfied with only being one of us in a composite form? Don't you want familial love to be genuinely for you, alone?"

Suzume stood back up and stepped back to give Nighty space. DragonierMan looked at Nighty with an interested expression, clearly set to judge the next actions carefully. "What does your heart tell you?" he asked as he placed his own hand on his chest, where his heart would be if he was a flesh and blood human in the Real World.

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"...That big sis Suzume is right..." He said with a pout. He really didn't want to give up what he was riht now, but Suzume was right. He unsheathed his dagger and held it out to Drago. "I will get to become part of her again right?" He mumbled, somewhat sad he was about to lose what made him an aftual dragonier.

Well, still, Aya needed her freedom. So he wouldn't oppose himself to Drago and Suzume's wishes.

DragonierMan smiled and took the dagger out of Nightshade's hand, reverting him to his previously armored form, and reached up to pat his head with the other hand. "Probably. At least until you are strong enough to stand on your own." He then stretched his weapon arm out to the side and dropped the dagger. As it hit the floor it sort of puddled outward, as if he dropped a water balloon instead of a sharp blade. It then pooled together and rose from the ground, reforming into an armored Aya. She clutched her head, swayed a little as if she was dizzy, and then collapsed backward. Drago easily caught her from so close and steadied her on her feet.

"Welcome back," Drago said. Aya looked like she had been wrung through the ringer. "Ugh. So much emotion. Uhh. Overwhelmed." Aya placed one hand on her stomach and made a dry heave. "Urf. Uughh."

"Come on, over here," Drago said as he helped a sick Aya over to another nearby couch to lay her down. Aya clenched at Drago's arms with her free hand as they hobbled over. "Here we go. Just lay back. I'm going to get you a glass of water," Drago said. He then went back to the counter to ask for some water.

Suzume smiled. "That was very brave," she said. "Worthy of her power," Drago said. "Uughh." Aya said.

"So," Suzume continued. "Have you thought about who your new dragon friend is going to be? It's size, shape, color, and personality?" she asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

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Nighty observed his armor and dark powers dissoolve i to smoke. He was quite sad about it, but he could always hope to merge again with his sister sometime soon.

"Well...I was thinking about a tigershark dragon of course, not too big, no biger than a pony. Hm...colors...how about bluish gray and and dark gray fo the stripes? Personality...hm...I dunno..."

"Well, a personality is something you are going to have to give it when you create it. Otherwise it will just be a blank slate. Although I guess it could develop a personality on its own, given time," Suzume commented. "A 'tigershark dragon'?" Aya questioned as she tried to roll onto her side to look at them. "You are an odd one."

"Aya be nice," Suzume scolded her younger twin. Aya just rolled her eyes and slumped back onto her back, holding her stomach and forehead. Clearly she was still recovering and couldn't give another retort.

Suddenly there was a pinging sound in their head. DragonierMan reached for his ear. "I guess Magistrate has arrived at White Tower and gotten everything ready. Suzume, stay here and watch over Aya and Pest. Once both are better, join us."

He then waved his hand and a portal opened up. "Follow when you are ready Nightshade," he said before stepping through it. The portal stayed open for a few minutes before it closed, more than enough time to make up one's mind. Although if Nighty did decide to stay where he was until the portal closed, he could probably get Suzume to open another portal there. Or if he studied the portal-link, and learned where it went, he could probably do it himself.

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