If you're okay with it, I was thinking Kirux could still be hiding near the gates - he got too nervous and wasn't able to fulfill his part of the plan.
That works for me. He could also have just not had the energy to create a portal at that point, like, he didn't wait long enough or something. Unless that doesn't work, then, well, we have an explanation.
Fidel walked alongside Skull/Megara as they made their way to the gates, Megara occasionally issuing a complaint about how Skull was walking on her leg.
"So..." Fidel said awkwardly, "How does-" he gestured vaguely at the body Skull was possessing, "-that, work? Like, um, is it just something anyone who dies can do in your world or...what?"
"Well," I said, a musing tone to my voice, "I can tell what she's thinking about right now. She's very, very angry with me, and would probably stab me if it's wasn't inconvenient."
I paused.
"I can't," I clarified. "And she is in here, too - she's just a little salty about this whole situation."
"Oh," Fidel said, "Aren't you worried that she might....you know, once you're not in her body?"
"Gods this kid has a short memory," Megara commented. She really didn't have a problem with stabbing him now. It was just the fact that there was a doctor right there and Skull likely had a self-preservation instinct in there somewhere, so she would probably survive such an action. After all, a skilled mage with healing magic ready to go could heal even the most lethal of injuries if they could be there right away to make the attempt.
"I can't tell if you're talking about me or Fidel," I said, "but I'll let you know that I'm very offended if you're talking about the first one."
Then I turned my attention back to Fidel - giving him a nonchalant shrug. "I'm technically a robot right now," I pointed. "It would take a lot to get a knife through me, and I'd have plenty of time to hop right back into her body if I had to."
They were nearing the front gates, a fact that killed Fidel's voice in his throat. There were guards. Even from this distance, around the corner without a view of the gates themselves, the robotic henchmen were visible, spilling around the corner with their backs to the odd group of assassins.
And they all were, Megara begrudgingly realized. They'd all killed the king with the expressed purpose of getting his son on the throne instead. Ergo, they were all assassins.
"It sure is bold if you to assume that I won't stab myself to be rid of you." She hadn't meant to say it to Skull, merely to think it. But of course, she had to forget her self control.
"I didn't realize you were so self-deprecating," I said, my voice falling quiet as I saw the multitude of guards. It wasn't like I hadn't expected that many, but I had also assumed that Kirux would have made that distraction by now. Where was he?
I studied front gates, realizing just how difficult it would be to get through them without some kind of diversion.
"...I'm starting to think it was a serious flaw in our plan to leave Kirux alone," I said.
"Yeah yeah," Megara muttered, "For the record, this is your fault. Leaving all the planning to a single person is never a good idea. We could have caught this beforehand if you'd have put that tiny little brain of yours to work and helped." She was getting defensive. She knew she was getting defensive. Did that mean she was going to stop getting defensive? Probably not.
A guard started to turn in their direction and Fidel pulled them behind the corner. Above them, guards could be heard walking atop the wall. If even one decided to glance down the machicolations they would be dead.
"Well, most people don't like my plans," I said - thinking of a certain brunette in particular. I thought most of them were pretty good, even when it may or may not have involved her running away from all of her problems. Look, I liked Lucy. I didn't want her to die. I didn't care as much about the rest of her friends, but the last thing I wanted was for Lucy to join me as a ghost. "Something about the running away from everything dangerous and occasionally murdering a person really doesn't sit well with them."
Spoiler! :
What if a "guard" approaches them but it's actually Kirux? I'm not sure if they'd jump the gun and think that whoever comes around the corner is a guard, or if there's technically human guards intermixed with the robot ones, but it would be really funny if they're ready to fight him and Kirux just starts crying.
Alternatively, Kirux finds a bunch of robotic parts and made a makeshift disguise, because disguises are probably something he's really good at right now - it's basically just dressing up, and little kids love dressing up.
Fidel, though he was only getting half the conversation, got suddenly angry, no, more like stern. As though he were a parent correcting his child for breaking the playground rules. "Stop it," he said, keeping his volume below the sound of the guards so only Megara and Skull could hear him, "Now is not the time." He ran a hand through his hair, further messing it up in frustration, "Look, I have no idea what to do here. You two are the ones with any experience, and you're currently sharing a head so please stop arguing and try to figure out how to get us out of this mess."
Spoiler! :
Anxieties are pretty high, so I think it's possible they'll freak out initially and get defensive. Or, Fidel will. Skull is kinda controlling Megara's reflexes right now.
Also, about how Kirux got to be looking like a guard, what if the guards are all hollow? My idea is either they were built with the possibility of having a person inside to control them (to give them the benefit of being less predictable in a fight, to make them capable of planning things out rather than just busting in and fighting as their only move, etc.)or and the king just didn't trust and living, thinking human with the kind of power to guards provide, so he kept them all dumb robots for the group to mow through. Or, alternatively, they just have an armored crawlspace inside to provide the royal family with a sort of escape pod in emergencies.
I love the idea of them being hollow! Kirux could have almost gotten caught by one and used his keyblade on it, only for the keyblade to unlock the way into the guards.
...Now that I think about it, he's basically Iron Man.
If we want to make things really funny, Skull can try possessing the robot guard and only possess the exterior. Kirux still has control inside, but Skull is controlling the robot, so Kirux doesn't really have control.
Fidel had a point, even though I didn't want to immediately admit it. I glowered for a second before actually following through with his suggestion. What skills did we have at our disposal? Megara was injured. Fidel could control plants. And I could possess people, as well as the occasional other ghostly skills - I just wouldn't use those ones unless I absolutely had to.
"I could possess one of the guards," I suggested. "We just need one to wander over here so I could hop from Megara's body into it. Then I could trick them into going away from the gate - we just have to figure out where Kirux is first."
I paused.
"...What if he got caught?" I realized. "We might have to go to the dungeons."
Little did I know, but the robot guard I needed to lure over was heading over to us - it was only a matter of time before it turned the corner we were hiding in.
Spoiler! :
If you want, you could have Kirux turn the corner in your post - Fidel and Megara would both have a chance to react before Skull possesses Kirux.
I like the idea of Skull possessing Kirux's Iron Man suit. Much drama. Much freaking out.
Fidel opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. His eyes had gone wide and his jow had gone slack. He made a small, mouselike noise and stumbled backward into the wall.
Megara cursed, "Well, this is great," she said.
A guard had turned around the corner while they were talking, and was now looking directly at them.
And then I had the smart idea to try and possess it - after all, I did need one for the plan. I started to stroll forward to grab onto it. But then I forgot about Megara's injury. My leg gave out as I tried to reach for the guard, and I went stumbling right into the guard instead.
At least I made contact.
I switched from Megara's body to the guard's. I went to steady her - and push her away, because she definitely deserved it - but then my arms didn't move as easily as they were supposed to.
I had control over the robot's body, so why did it feel like I was fighting something? I couldn't even feel a will to be fighting against!
I struggled for control. With more strength than I had originally been intending, I pushed Megara away from me with more force than intended - sending her right into the ground.
Gender:
Points: 1234
Reviews: 590