#ReturnToTheFateGear

17: The Divine Triangle

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#wss366 #MastoPrompt #JMusicFriday

“We have entered the Divine #Triangle!” Captain Mina’s voice boomed over Fate Gear’s speakers.

(“And we know what that means,”) Fate Gear added. (“Nothing returns from the Triangle!”)

“But we shall return as the heroes that brought down the Heavenly Host. And if we don’t, we’ll be legends!”

(“Lucifer is a legend too.”)

“No, I’m real,” a voice issued from the bowels of the ship.

Everyone’s head jerked around, looking away from the foul sprawling spawn above.

(“Ha, ha, fooled you.”) Fate Gear chuckled, accompanied by a trickling whistle.

Sorawo wasn’t laughing, though. She was looking at the sky. The open maw aloft drew ever closer as she waited for Toriko’s return with Benimori. Meanwhile, the captain preached the gospel of resistance, accompanied by sarcastic asides from Fate Gear.

“Words are not enough; resistance is action.”

(“Yeah, asking your grocer why eggs aren’t cheaper. Not enough!”) Fate Gear cracked.

The ship picked up speed as the creeping horror began drawing them in until Yuri started using the anchor and sails for drag.

(“Don’t just insult the rich. Eat them with an egg on top!”) Fate Gear jeered.

“You heard the ship! EAT THE RICH!” Mina was in full swing, frothing at the mouth and shaking her fist at the looming abomination.

“Thank goodness,” Sorawo said as Toriko and Beni arrived.

“What the f-ing hell is that!?” Beni asked, staring at the amoebic rent filling the horizon.

“Later, Beni,” Sorawo said, guiding Toriko’s hand to where she saw the sorceress’ fading portal.

“I can’t get a hold of it. There’s not much left,” Toriko said—"wait—wait, got it!"

The three dove through the hole. The last thing they saw was Captain Mina’s silhouette at the prow against a backdrop of the black eldritch horror and the fading refrain of:

          The master of the underworld
          distort even logic and refuses to downfall his body.
          Moment of liberation has come.
          This holy force,
          The light that erases the shadows.

Force Of The Holy feat.橋村姫　Music Video (Filmed at E.E.F 2025) / FATE GEAR

Conclusion

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17: Burning down the Heavens

#FanFiction #OthersidePicnic #FateGear #EdgarRiceBurroughs
#wss366 #MastoPrompt

After that, things moved swiftly. A balloon ferried Captain Napier to the Fate Gear.

“You capitalist swine! How long have you been leading these running-dog lackeys?” Mina hailed Napier, embracing him. “Never mind. Wait till you hear what I’ve planned! We’re going after the ultimate tyrant. We’ll be burning down the heavens. My cabin, MiLord; the wind has ears. More importantly, I have a 100-year-old brandy looted from Emperor Muskrat’s yacht. Tiss sweet, like poetry, and smooth as silk.”

"#Better than yer rotgut grog and I'll hear yer plan. If it doesn't sound good after that bottle, we'll know it's Tommy rot," Napier said.

The two departed, leaving a scowling Nana with the Otherside pair.

“And what might you two be thinking, lollygagging in the rigging? You may be gunner’s mates to the Captain, but yer nothing but lumps of tar. Get ta polishing the brass or you’ll be wishing you were #home with the fishes.”

Soon, the two were polishing brass and whispering together.

“I don’t like how things look,” Sorawo said. “Mina’s plans to attacking a god.”

“Not just any god,” Toriko said. “The one they worship in Canada—well, actually all the West. He’s one mean hombre sending plagues, turning people into salt, and telling them to sacrifice their sons. His own son had to sacrifice himself to make God back off.”

“So you’re worried too?”

“A little,” Toriko said, putting her arms around Sorawo’s neck, burying Sorawo's face in her bosom. “Protect me.”

“Stop it, you perv,” Sorawo said, pushing Toriko away. “This is serious.”

“You’d better take my tits seriously.” Toriko pretended to pout.

“Whatever! Come on. I need you to stop messing around and listen.”

“Alright.” This time her pout was real.

“When I was looking for the mergaunt’s mother, I spotted a remnant of the portal the sorceress used. If things get bad, you can pull it open.”

“Not without Benimori”

Sorawo, about to protest, stopped. Caring about people was new to her. “You’re right, with Benimori.”

As they spoke, Napier and Mina left the cabin. Whether from the brandy or bravado, they both swaggered across the deck. Napier slapped Mina on the back, causing her to stagger. “I haven't heard anything so audacious in years. Here’s to burning down the heavens.” He raised the nearly empty brandy bottle and drained it dry. “Who’s the eunuch now!” he bellowed out, laughing as he slapped Mina on the back again.

“There she is!” someone shouted as the Fate Gear, Venus Falcon, and the two biremes raced away from Mercury.

Sorawo and Toriko looked up. Undulating in the sky was a black amoebic hole. The monstrous maw sucked everything around it into itself.

”I’ll get Beni!” Toriko said, heading for the galley.

Grand Conclusion Next Week.

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16: Carson Napier

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#wss366 #MastoPrompt

The trireme was now so close that the Otherside pair could read the name on the prow, Venus Falcon. The biremes had fanned out, threatening to flank the Fate Gear from the starboard and port. Meanwhile, the swift galleys marshaled to sweep in once the behemoth ex-prison ship was brought to heel.

“Hold your fire,” Mina bellowed. The order was as sudden as it was unexpected.

“Navigator, I wish to hail them,” the captain said.

Yuri flipped on the amplifiers.

"Hail, Captain Napier! You imperialist dog! Was Venus too hot a berth?" Mina’s voice boomed out.

The man at the prow of the Venus Falcon signaled, and a white flag swept aside the black. The thunder of a single cannon #report drew all eyes to the trireme.

Captain Carson Napier [Note 1] sheathed his sword before making a gesture not found in any book of signals.

“Fly the countersign,” Mina said into the hush that had fallen.

[Note 1] Captain Carson Napier: #Origin: The Venus series (also known as the “Amtor series”) written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Continued next week in Burning Down the Heavens.

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