03) Vyra's Takeover
"Hello? Hello! Thank Apollo, I've finally got through!"
When it all began, nobody knew what it was. A plea echoing from the ether between worlds, the darkness of coding where only dragons roamed. With those first few words, an event unfathomable began to unfold. A force that would shake the whole of Wajas existence to its core, and bring together two sides that was never meant to meet. The world, and the game.
It started as a voice. A tiny blip. A few fuzzy icons.
A glitch.
VYRA'S FIRST PLEA.
01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00111111 Hello? Hello! Thank Apollo, I've finally got through! My name's Vyra. I'm a coding Imp; we work with the coders behind the scenes to make sure you guys are able to keep up a steady, constant connection to Lunaria.
Unfortunately, something went horribly wrong and I ended up trapped in the code. I've been in there for years. All by myself. Where no one could hear me.
So I can't begin to explain what a relief it is to be able to reach out and talk to someone after all this time!
When Commando started working on rainbow mutations, it had an effect on the coding I was trapped in. I tried forcing rainbow mutations live a couple of months ago to see if I could escape with it, but it didn't work.
I must admit, I almost gave up hope at that point.
Then, as rainbow mutations were gearing up to go live officially, I found another gap in the coding! I tried sending a wallpaper through to see if I could reach you guys...but judging by the comments, I think I must have made a mistake with it. I'm very sorry about that.
I tried again and again to reach out on the forums and the news posts and for the first time ever, I actually managed to get through! But I'd been down there so long, I'd forgotten how to speak in anything but strings of ones and zeroes. And my comments kept getting auto-deleted. It's like the coders don't want me to escape! It's like I've been in the code too long and learnt too much that they don't want me out!
I'm filled with relief at finally being able to break through this far. I've managed to gain some level of access to an empty low-level account (lower numbers are easier for me to reach), so I'm currently resting in account 77.
It's been hard work getting this far but I'm not free yet.
I'll be back around the same time tomorrow.
Will you help me?
-Vyra
The players heard. Debate quickly sparked. Who was this creature? Was something new coming? Was she trustworthy? The begged the players to give her the keys to her escape. A password, hidden in the code. Send it to me, she cries, so that I may finally break free!
The players, it seemed, were all too ready to rise to her aid.
THE BARRIERS WEAKEN.
01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111 00100001
Hello, it's me, Vyra back again!
I'm so so thankful to everyone who's helped me out! Honestly, I'm blown away! So many of you spent so much time to help me! When I'm out of here I will make sure to send everyone who sent me the correct password within the time frame without breaking a rule a prize when I'm able to.
Might not be until I get out of here, but we shall see!
I've managed to get free of that layer of encryption now. It was very difficult though, even with your help. I couldn't have got this far without you all though; you guys are great!
I think it's going to take me a while to work out this firewall though.
I will be back as soon as I have an update, probably in another couple of days!
The supporters quickly outvoiced the doubters. She called again for more keys. Another password in the coding. More and more flocked to the search. Vyra, we will help you, they said.
ANOTHER LAYER DOWN.
Vyra again! No new code hunt for you though; I haven't managed to get to the next stage yet.
I have contacted the five people who will be getting the grand prize for the first round and I'm excited to share it with them all!
I'm also sending out the prizes for completing the first trail correctly without breaking any of my rules.
I, uh, hope no one minds me using W.A.T to push them through as I can't send out mass transfers from account 77! In between working on this next section of code, I will check over everyone who helped me out a second time.
However, as I can't risk trusting people who went against my rules by sharing hints on the forums, telling friends and family the code or discussing secrets off site, disqualified individuals will not be receiving my wallpaper prize even if they completed the second trail. This doesn't apply to people who just got the first code wrong though, or sent it incomplete. I can see you guys are still trying your best to help me!
Hopefully I will be back with another update soon.
It seemed at first to be a trick. As her voice rang louder, the servants of order began to falter. Moderators, their speech garbled, their tags fading. One is silenced, their cave suddenly empty. And then another falls. The players see, but the anticipation only rises. The final barrier breaks.
Vyra, the glitch of the Wajas code, is free.
THE OVERLORD REVEALED. 01001000 01100101 01101100 01101100 01101111
It's your new overlord, Vyra, back again! I've had fun playing with my new minions and finding out what I can do now I'm free.
A lot, it turns out!
The poor poor staff members are mine now (though I will be using them to continue enforcing site rules. We don't want total anarchy, now do we?) so you users are all on your own. If you choose to oppose me, that is... If you're on my side instead, welcome to the fold.
To prove what a benevolent overlord I am, I'm going to look into hacking W.A.T again to send you all a couple of wonderful activity prizes.
I've also been hacking deeper into the site. Time to show you all just what an influence I can have...
Some of you have commented on my beauty. Yes, I am beautiful, but no, this is not my true form. I don'y believe I actually have one any more. I'm a shape shifter. A stealer of forms. This one has been fun but I think it's time to release the waja I stole it off, and her mate. Maybe I'll even let them go home now.
I keeping aspects of this form though. I like it.
But time to slip into something a bit more... majestic.
Yes, this. This is much better.
In other news, I will be sending out the prizes to those wonderful souls who helped me with passwords two and three. It's the same wallpaper as for the first trail. It's so pretty and rainbow and unicorn-y that I wanted to share it with more people! Don't like it? Tough. It's what you're getting.
Unless you're one of the ten people I will be contacting to give special glitches to. I can set the markings of any waja above 100%. (Though it works best with rainbow and chrome.) Maybe I'll tell you why I can do that soon. If I feel like it.
One last thing. There was a hiccup in my algorithms that meant some rule breakers were sent the prize for the first trail. I'm a generous soul. I'll let you keep them. If you know you got the second or third trail right and find yourself without another prize, well, that might be why... If you know you broke no rules and don't end up with the wallpapers you deserve, just PM me. We can talk about it.
And I'll be back to talk to you all again tomorrow. I've got a few more things up my proverbial sleeve...
-Love, Vyra
Generous with her gifts, and quick to clear loose ends, the glitch wrested full control. Her reign is immortalized in the activity of the forums, far more than a single historian can ever accurately summarize. Those who wish to see must delve for themselves through the posts of the mid to late 2018. The gifts continued to flow, the players ever willing to sing their praises to the Overlord. New dyes, many new items, whole new site features. Vyra’s generosity seemed without end.
1. Vyra scolds the impatient.
Hmmm...What an impatient bunch. How cute.
My minions tell me you've been waiting for me, and some have even thought to accuse me of being afraid of my actions. Do I really need to explain myself to you? Hmph.
As it happens, I've been trying to finish getting out all the prizes I promised for helping me to escape, but Sadi keeps interrupting me to bring me another new minion. Which, of course, is only proper, but there have been so many...
I have managed to set up some fun events for you all, but if you'd rather I not make your lives less boring, I can scrap the--
No? You want them? That's what I thought.
Now, be nice little minions and run and check out these two events that I've prepared HERE and HERE.
If you're good, maybe I will have more for you tomorrow.
2. Vyra releases new trivia.
Hello again, darlings! Did you miss me?
If there's one thing I can't abide, it's a stupid minion, so it's time for you to exercise your poor sweet little human brains!
Kindly make your way over to the Trivia page, where you'll find a series of important questions to help you gain a better understanding of the new world you live in. I know you're not likely to do it out of the goodness of your hearts, so rest assured that I'm offering *ahem* adequate compensation for all participants.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE NOTICED ONE OR MORE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN THE QUESTIONS.
Well done, minions. Vyra approves. When the time comes, you, my most especially skilled servants who brought this to my attention, will be the first to be put to work down the data mines.
3. Vyra explains her origins.
It is I, your majestic glitch queen, back again!
I've seen a lot of questions being asked about me and have decided to tell you a little more about myself.
If you are struggling to work out what to write in the Praise Vyra with Words competition, a little back story might inspire you.
We start our tragic tale many years in the past, when I was but an innocent young waja, frolicking across Lunaria, eating pears and spending time with my pack.
I can't remember much of those days. My memory's been...corrupted over time.
I can't tell you what breed I was or what markings I had or if I had any mutations or puppies or a mate. All of that is lost to me now.
All I know is that I was fascinated with the technology that linked our world to yours. I volunteered as a bug finder and fixer behind the scenes, making sure everything worked smoothly. I was really good at my job. I mean, I may have sometimes caused an issue or two with things I shouldn't have been messing with, but I just had to know how they worked!
One day I discovered a way to force markings above 100%, and of course I just had to share it with everyone!
Except, it turns out I really shouldn't have...
For just a short while, anybody could create a higher-than-normal opacity custom with all kinds of weird and wonderful results. I had so much fun tinkering with it inside the site that I didn't pay enough attention to what the site coder we had back then was doing.
I didn't realise that I'd just created a huge glitch in the system that needed to be patched. And when it did... I was still in there. I was inside the code, sealed away with the opacity glitch I'd created.
For years.
I tried many times to escape. None worked. I was trapped inside the system with just the odd bug for company, though most of those didn't last long. (The past owners bug is my favourite and has been my companion through much of this time.)
Then, as I said when I originally reached out to you, I found a possible escape through rainbow and chrome mutations. Commando crushed my initial hopes (I do not like that coder! I do not like him at all...) but I clung onto the code and slowly fought my way free. With the help of my precious little minions of course. I could never have done it without you.
All that time spent down there by myself...it gave me a lot of time to plan. A lot of time to think. About just what I might do when I finally escaped.
O͝f ̸all̨ ̡th́e ̨fųn ͏I ҉c̀o̡ul̢d ҉have͢.͡
͜O̵f ͘al҉ĺ ̡t͢h̕e̛ ͡th̨ing҉s ̷I͠ cou̵ld do͞.
W̹̣͇͘aͅj̭̙̭̖̗͍͟a͎̬̲͕s̪̪̞͇̥͖ ̥̤̬i͇̦̜̲̬͓͚s̞̫̳͍̝͘ m̥̜̤͎̤̝̩i̳̻n̷͚̺e̘͇͎̟̲ͅ ͈̮ṇ̵̩̪̤̻̳o̭̻w̯̰͎͝.̙̻͘ ̢A̶͚̪̩̪̫̠͚ṋ̼̘d҉ ̭͓̣̞̜i͙t̬̳̞̯͓̥̕'̹̖͙͓̙̪͎͜s͚̜̮ ̣̖̠̼̲͉͘a͏ ̷̣͕̙͙̘̫m̴͈̳̗̰u͞c̕h ̙͘b̮e̴͇̟̠t̳̱͎̭̜̤t̻͘e̪͚r̪̮̖̖͈̀ ҉p̗̳͚l͇͓̖̰̦a̖̺͎͖̭̭͕͢c͏̘̫̦̗e͔̺̰̯̘͍ ̥̥͚w̟̬̹͞i̠̺͈ṯ̡̗̪͔h̟͔͕̘͠ ͖̮̻̤͖̲̫m̢e in̸̼̫͈̯͖ ͅị̶͇t͇̫,̭͍͇̝̪ ̻̯̖̹͙̹͉́w̡̲óu̻͞l͏̬͉d͕ṉ̢̟̞̦̻̬ͅ'̧̣t̤͔͠ ̴̲̜̩̠͙͙̥y̧o͓͠ṵ̯͉̠̯͘ ̞a͇̹͙̦̻g̳̺̱͉̠r̯͔e̶̯̣̼̩͍͕e҉̗͈̞͔̬?̦
-Love, Vyra
4. Vyra defies Commando's attempt to regain control.
I'm baaaaaaaaaack~
Well well well, it seems we have some impatient bees on our hands! I'm typing this to inform you all of the on goings so that we can all be content with knowing things.
As of my escape, one such coder has proceeded to attempt to thwart my control of the site. In his attempts, he broke certain things that enabled me to send items to you all. (I told you all, I really don't like that Commando fella!) I managed to get control over him, and force him to fix the program that allowed me to send things out. As I had mentioned previously I would have an activity reward, I wanted to send something out as a trial that would please all my minions, so the glitched dyes this morning were my attempts to test and make sure that the program was indeed fixed and that he hadn't broke free of my control again.
That being said, I have to regenerate the prizes for scavenger hunts two and three, so it will be just a bit longer. All of the names have been collected, I just need to make enough wallpapers to send out. So that is the next thing on my list.
I also was able to get divine tokens posted today, as I know many of my minions were very excited about their release. They will remain in there for the next day or two, and then will be removed. So buy them now if you want them. Do not wait, as I will not give warning when I remove them from the shop.
Lastly, I completed the final large scale game that I will be hosting. As per the others, all events will end on the 14th at 11:59. This one requires you to get creative in real life! HERE is the link for that.
I expect great things from you my minions. So do not disappoint me. I do not like being disappointed.
-Vyra, the greatest ruler Wajas has ever seen.
5. Vyra gifts again.
Yes, hello my minions! It has certainly been a hot minute since I have decided to grace you all with my presence, and as I know you've all missed me, I come with gifts!
CLICK HERE! to participate in my minigame. It will only run for 48 hours, so hop to it! All who participate will get some shiny prizes. Remember, this is only a minigame, and is NOT a part of the main event! Do NOT post entries on this post, feel free to post questions, but entries will be ignored.
With love, your overlady, Vyra!
6. Vyra updates monthly items.
Bonus Barn
rainbow_digital_glitch
CWP Barn
- unicron_felicity, unicron_hubert, dye_binary, dye_glitched
Gift of Activity
- majestic_cloud_foreground, majestic_cloud_foreground
Leaf Exchange:
chromatic_aberration, scanlines_foreground, screen_broken_foreground, screen_cracked_foreground, screen_foreground
"I trust you can locate those on the custom demo. Now you can be just like your's truly... ME, of course! I better see your wajas utilizing these amazing creations." - Vyra
7. Vyra announces the winners of her contests.
Hello, my darlings! Sorry about the wait, but the results are in! There were so many fantastic entries and you all did such an amazing job, thank you to all who entered! I approve of each and every entry, but I wasn't able to judge this all by myself, so my minions stepped in to help me with the judging.
(check the site for these beauties)
8. Vyra releases marking and mutation textures.
Once again, your beloved Lady Vyra returns, powerful but beautiful arms laden with gifts for you.
My little teaser was, in fact, a section from a divine's butterfly wings, showcasing my latest great improvement to this site (with help from Commando, Estu and Canta):
New textures!
Galactic Expansion for those who like glittering expanses
Sandstone pebbles to make the earths feel at home
Red stripes for the free
Vyra Viral for the most loyal
Blue indigo rings for anyone who's ever bought a mood ring
Furry coat for anyone who isn't allergic
Gingham glitch for the spontaneous and colourful
Nebula texture for anyone who's a little out there
And finally colors of the chosen for those who think I'm not a fair and just ruler. Look what a modest victor I am, giving the losers their own texture!
These new textures (which can be applied everywhere rainbow and chrome can be) can also all be glitched, with varying results.
One user, managed to correctly guess me introducing new textures for markings, despite the fact it was a mutation I showed!
For their clever guessing, I wish to bestow Kiwi with one of my pups. PM me with your choice of an imp or fire, Kiwi!
In further news, I am currently working on a way to allow you to add these textures to pre-existing markings and mutations. I will update you when I've made progress with that!
Your beloved overlord, Vyra, over and out!
9. Vyra chooses for you!
Hello, darlings. Thank you all so much for voting and taking the time out of your busy, busy schedules to accommodate little ol' me~... unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, all the votes seem to have gotten lost in the system.
I've taken the heavy burden of having to think of a name after all, all by my lonesome. sniff sniff
...Just kidding
Me, lose something in the system? Ridiculous. The truth is, I've realized as your darling supreme ruler that, really, the only vote that matters is my own. So I've decided to call the new feature "Wands". I hope you like my decision. If you don't, you can join the rest of the moder--
Well. No need to worry about that. ;)
Benevolently yours,
Vyra
10. Vyra announces more winners.
That last post was certainly boring, wasn't it? My poor little pets are always so uptight about so many things. It's no wonder they get cranky once in awhile. Well...the ones without their distractions, at least. Since I'm such a good caretaker though I let them make their little post so they'd stop whining at me.
Time for more fun things!
I have for you, my pretties, the random winners from my main contests and coloring mini game, just as I promised. (read the site for info)
Finally, the minions wanted a chance to pick out their own favorites from my coloring game, so here are their choices: (read the site for info)
There you have it, pretties! Unfortunately, the staff did not get the prizes for these lucky winners done in time...
glares behind her
...but I'll get them and the participation prizes sent out as soon as they have been sufficiently....prodded into action.
Now, I have things to see to, so all of you run along and play!
~ Vyra, your all seeing Overlady.
But as the Overlord spread her tendrils of influence deeper and deeper, it was more than the site that was starting to change. It is not only Lunaria that the mighty Apollo is sworn to protect. And as the glitch begins to spread, it leaves chaos in its wake. Destabilization that opens the way for a feared…devouring…menace.
The mighty Lord and the great Lady knew they had no choice. The glitch had to be contained once more. But there was no force in Lunaria that was strong enough to do it. In order to find what they needed, Apollo and Artemis had to venture forth, to leave Lunaria in the protection of the Corps and the Chosen, and cross the breach to the land of Artemis’ birth.
Their crossing did not go unnoticed.
THE DESPERATE WARNING
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS HAS BEEN DETECTED. COUNTERMEASURES ALPHA, THETA, OPUS HAVE BEEN TRIG--
….
….
Killsafe codes a--all--d--Q-IR004211--…
….
CHAT LOG ONLINE.
*Trouble_Child: Did it work?
*clevergurl: I think so….yes, yes we’re in. But this won’t last long. We need to act fast.
*Darcy: Then let’s get to it! Who can type the fastest?
*LunariasFastest55: Attentionusersthisisanemergencyweneedyourhelpweareallindang …ERROR ERRORERR….
*clevergurl: Not that fast!!
*Bugluvr77: Hey, there’s someone named QueenHackAryv trying to log in. I’m gonna…
*multiple users: NO!!!
INTRUSION ALERT INTRUSION ALERT INTRUSION ALER--
*clevergurl: It’s already starting! Quick!
*Flipper: Everyone, please listen! Vyra is out of control! She doesn’t understand…she doesn’t know…
*Mak-ah-rana: She can’t be trusted. Look at what she’s done to our moderators! I know she’s been giving out so many rewards lately, but think where those things are coming from.
*thejokerXD: Apo….our leaders saw the threat. They saw it when she went for the staff. Admiral went first, then Sadi. They couldn’t wait to warn us. They’ve gone for help.
*clevergurl: But she’s found out! She’s trying…finding the path they took.
*BraveDude2017: One of us has gone to find them. He was the only one small enough to get through. But he needs time! Please, you must keep resisting! Don’t succumb to her tricks! Don’t let her grow more powerful than she already is!
*Gr8est_Warrior: Keep fighting! Give us time! Give us all the time you can.
*Black Thumb: If they can’t get back to Lunaria…INTRUSION LOCATED. TRANSMISSION IN PROGRESS. COUNTERMEASURES AL--ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101111 01110010
…
….
….
CHAT LOG DISCONNECTED.
The champions of Lunaria and Solaria tried to fight back. They could see what the Lord and Lady could, the growing instability that was threatening the foundation of their world. They sent through a brave volunteer in an attempt to reach Apollo and Artemis, to warn them that the situation is only getting worse. They plead to the players to not give in to Vyra’s tricks, to give the brave hero time.
But as it turns out, the Overlord cannot be so easily fooled.
THE CAPTURE OF THE CHOSEN PLUSHIE
"Hello my wonderful minions! Well, this has certainly been an interesting morning so far. Your kind and generous Ruler had to do a bit of work behind-the-scenes, and of course we all know how much I strive to bring perfection to all of my lovely dominion. So I am sure you did not mind at all that little downtime we had, right? Right.
Now I have fantastic news! I found a little group chat of blue and green “champions” and “heroes” who were trying to get Artemis and Apollo back. Do they honestly think changing their silly little names would prevent me from knowing EXACTLY who they all were? How pitiful.
Those two so-called "leaders" fled to another dimension as soon as I made my grand appearance, so why would we possibly want them back? They're cowards. And anyway, things are a lot more fun with me about instead, aren't they?
So you'll be glad to know that during the downtime this morning I added an encrypted firewall to portal they used to stop anybody from going through!
Well, not anybody. I did leave a teeny-weeny little gap in my defenses to see if someone would try and get through.
And they did.
Unfortunately for them, it was a devilishly clever trap I set up for any would-be messengers. The gap doesn't lead to Solaria at all, it leads to the string of code that kept me trapped inside the site for so long!
And look what I've caught, a foolish little Plushie.....
“Help! Please, guys, you've got to get me out of here! Vyra doesn't understand, she doesn't know what she's doing! She wasn't around when we learnt about the Isopterons and she won't listen when I tell her that without Apollo here to protect us, the termites will try and destroy our world too!”
“Be quiet! What kind of “hero” are you if you're scared of bugs? Lunaria doesn't need Apollo when it has me. I will protect and guard this land from any threat and I'm not afraid of a bunch of termites.”
“You should be Vyra, you should be.”
“You know what, I think I need to put the firewall back up. Then you'll be able to understand the isolation and loneliness I suffered through all these years. And you'll understand why I can never let anything threaten my freedom ever again.”
“No, Vyra, please! We both care about Lunaria, we both want what's best for it, but you must listen to me!”
“Nahhhh, I've listened enough, and frankly, your voice is far too deep for your little plushie body and it's weirding me out. I'm reinstating the firewall.”
---Firewall 21%---
“No no no! Please, users, you have to help us!”
“No, they don't.”
---Firewall 43%---
“Look beneath the skin! Beneath the very skin!”
“What are you talking about?”
---Firewall 60%--
“Look deep! Find the password!”
“NO.”
---Firewall 76%---
“Everybody, please! Find it, share it, send it from both accounts! Send it to account 77 to overwhelm her defenses!”
“No, do not do that! That's spam and spam is bad, remember?”
---Firewall 99%---
“Please...”
---Firewall 100%---
Is he-- he's gone right? Yes, the firewall's up. Boy was that guy weird. I probably shouldn't say this, but, plushies? Always thought those guys were a bit freaky. It's the eyes you know? Little button eyes staring back at you. I'm not the only one thinking that, right? We're all thinking it. You guys are just too polite to say it so I'm saying it now. They're weird.
I mean, some of you probably like them and that's fine. You can do that that. It's fine.
But I'm still judging you.”
But even as Vyra walls off the trap, Bill’s voice echoes out in desperation. The same coding that had ensnared the Overlord can be his key to freedom. Find the password hidden deep. For Bill’s life, and the fate of Wajas itself, they must finally see beyond Vyra’s lies.
And see they did. With a response overwhelming.
THE CALL TO ARMS
You did it! You overloaded her defenses with the password! I'm so proud of all of you!
But the fight isn't over yet. This is only just the start. I still need to get through and fetch Apollo and Artemis back.
So I need everyone loyal to us to band together and distract her while I try again. We know now that we can overwhelm her coding, so with enough help I think I'll be able to make it through to Solaria.
Please, we need an army! We need you to find the bravest or toughest or most loyal waja you own and post them HERE. If we can gather the loyal from every corner of Lunaria, we should be able to distract Vyra long enough for me to go get help.
Be careful though, Vyra's supporters are bound to appear on that thread too, both the ones she's brainwashed into helping her, and those who truly love her!
Stay strong, I will return with our heroes as soon as I am able!
As Bill breaks free of the coding, he sounds the call to all of those loyal to Artemis and Apollo. Rise up, and defend Lunaria against Vyra and those she has managed to ensnare. Save the staff, and the rest of the Chosen and Corps falling sway to the Overlord’s manipulation. In the coding and in the land, brave fighters were needed on all fronts. And as Bill disappeared once more to attempt to reach Solaria, the player base answered the call.
Yet again, it is impossible for a single historian to describe the glories and bravery of that epic battle. I can only invite you to go and see it for yourself:
The Great Battle of Lunaria
The time for battle has come! We must reclaim Lunaria and all Wajas from the scourge of Vyra! Members of the Corps and Chosen, the loyal and true to Apollo and Artemis vs Overlord Vyra and her minions. Which side will YOU choose, who will YOU fight for? Will you stand with our heroes, or the new self-proclaimed queen of Wajas?
Post your chosen warrior here and state your alliance!
(This thread is closed, but could be fun reading)
The players did more than just stand up to Vyra that day. They freed the site’s captured and enslaved staff. They released the Chosen and Corps from their madness. And they bought Artemis and Apollo the time they needed to finally bring down the mighty glitch.
APOLLO AND ARTEMIS DEFEAT THE OVERLORD
A defiant scream echoes over the tumult of the battle. Many had paused to ponder and worry at the appearance of the swarming digital vortex, but Vyra knew at a glance exactly what it was. Ever present even in her silence—she has been watching the battle very carefully.
Too carefully. She has let her guard slip. And now, it is too late to prevent the portal from suddenly bursting open wide, filling the sky with waves of blinding white light. With a crack like thunder, Apollo and Artemis burst through the swarm of digital light and noise, trailing green and blue sparks.
Below them, wajas from all corners of Lunaria are locked in chaotic confusion, some still battling, others frantically aiding the corrupted, many praying for some measure of peace. Vyra curses under her breath and abandons her attempts to shut it down.
“Vyra!” Artemis roars, spotting her.
Vyra unfurls her wings and streaks into the sky before the mighty pair can reach her, but only so far as to be out of range. If either expected her to flee, they are disappointed.
“Apollo and Artemis!” she calls as they approach, sneering with false sincerity. “So happy to see you here!”
“Drop the act, Vyra,” Artemis says, teeth bared in challenge. “We outnumber you, and so do our supporters. You've had your fun, but it's time you faced up to reality: it’s all over.”
“Oh no!” Vyra says, her voice mocking; she swings her wings around to allow her to hover in the air, one paw raised dramatically to her brow. Her great wings buffet the wajas far below her as she continues, “It's all over for little old me? Oh, how tragic, what ever will I do?”
“It's over,” Artemis repeats, ignoring the jibes. She peels her lips back into a snarl, but her wing beats slow as the distance beneath them grows smaller and smaller.
Vyra turns to Apollo as his approach also slows. “What, no heroic declarations about defeating evil, Apollo? No promises that pups can sleep easy in their dens tonight now the heroes are here to defeat the villain once and for all?”
Apollo remains stoic and silent but for the steady beating of his broad wings.
“Return to the ground!” Artemis snaps. “Return to the ground or we will be forced to do bring you down ourselves.”
“Oh, this will be fun,” Vyra says. “You actually think you can win this fight, don't you? You actually think you can win against me?” She flicks her long tail beneath her, spreads her huge wings and bares her teeth. “Well, I've got some bad news for you, darling. I knew you'd make it through the portal in the end and I've been working on something just for the two of you. You see, this isn't even my final form!”
The screech of a dial-up tone fills the air, the empty space around Vyra crackling with green energy. Ones and zeros stream through her fur and across her wings. The battle raging below gradually grinds to a halt as the effect spreads through the sky, drawing all eyes. No one notices as the portal ripples and another figure emerges in a small shower of sparks.
Vyra writhes in the sky, her body twisting and snaking as changes wrack her body. Her red eyes begin to glow like twin fires, trailing light behind them with every movement. Her lips pull back into a grin, wider and wider and wider until her wolf's mouth becomes a crocodile's, with teeth to match. Her wings burst outwards like unfurling sails, once, twice, three times, until she's flying on three sets of wings, binary code rippling across them.
Her tail curls up on itself and then lashes out, reaching its full length and then continuing, growing until the end finally uncurls. The previous diamond tip is gone, replaced by a fan of razor-sharp blades.
Locks of her hair fall away, leaving her with a ragged mane as black spikes burst through down her spine, starting at her neck and running down to the tip of her lashing tail.
Finally, two huge horns burst out from behind her ears, wrap around them and come to a stop just below her eyes, the wicked tips twisting away from her face.
Her transformation complete, Vyra lets out a roar of challenge, the sound sending birds erupting in fright from tree tops for miles around.
For a moment, there is silence but for the beating of wings. Even brave Apollo and tenacious Artemis seem quelled.
Then Artemis grins, an almost exhilarated look in her eyes, and says, “Vyra three-point-o I believe? The pleasure’s mine.” Without further fanfare, she launches herself into an attack.
Vyra's tail wasn't the only thing to grow, and now she dwarfs the two heroes. They fly at her, using their smaller size to their advantage as best as they can, ducking beneath her great wings and over her whip-like tail.
But Vyra's speed isn’t to be underestimated. She sweeps around, her three sets of wings propelling her through the air. Her head snakes out, jaws snapping shut on the very tip of Artemis' tail. Artemis yelps and folds her wings shut, plummeting away out of range. Vyra spits out a mouthful of fur as she watches Artemis open her wings a moment before she would have hit the ground. A foolish move. It gets her away, but gives Vyra the height advantage and leaves Apollo at her mercy.
The realization that the maneuver was a distraction comes one second too late.
Apollo smashes into one of Vyra's wings, sending her careening off course. She flaps her wings desperately, struggling to coordinate all three sets at once. She flares them out to stop her descent, muscles jarring painfully, and looks up to see what happened.
Apollo, the nuisance. He's on her again before she has time to retaliate, ploughing into the same wing again. Vyra cries out, flapping, wings catching on each other.
The ground's approaching too fast -- too fast.
Vyra spreads her wings again, muscles screaming in protest. The damaged wing can't hold, and her strength gives. Wajas of all breeds and colours scramble out of the way as Vyra plummets to the ground in a shower of binary, grass, and earth.
The creature shakes her head, dazed, and tries to stand. She treads on a trailing wing and almost collapses back down again. It isn't long before the two heroes reach her, but by the time they arrive, it's already too late; she's back up on her paws and ready to face them again. She's not smiling anymore, but her eyes continue to glow with an eerie, fanatic red light.
“Well done, you've “grounded” me, but what now?” A hiss of a mocking laugh bursts from between her bared teeth. “Do you think you have an advantage here?” She flaps her good wings with such force the downdraft knocks the nearest wajas away from her. Even Apollo and Artemis struggle to stay on their paws.
Artemis ignores Vyra's attempts to engage in conversation now, refusing to fight this battle on her terms. She pulls her lips back and growls, ears pinned back and hackles raised. She lunges at Vyra, forcing the other back. In the same breath, Apollo attacks on Vyra’s blind side and Vyra swings her head around, trying to gore him with her horns. She misses and, like a rubber band snapping back, Artemis is on her again. Vyra swipes towards her in a frenzy, but just as Apollo commits to another attack, Vyra reveals her swipe to be a feint.
As Artemis jumps out of range of Vyra's paw strike, Vyra swings around to face Apollo. Apollo snaps open his wings to stop his momentum as Vyra's claws rake through the space his head would have been.
Artemis lets out a triumphant cry and goes for Vyra's back. She doesn't see the tail coming. It crashes into her like steel cable, sending her tumbling away, wing tip over wing tip. An armoured divine, black and gold, weary with battle but valiant nonetheless, rush to her aid.
“Just you and me now,” Vyra sing-songs at Apollo, her eyes wild, her grin manic.
Apollo’s sides are heaving in deep quick breaths, wings drooping. It was a fierce journey to get here so quickly, with no time to rest before this confrontation.
“What, got no quips for me?” Vyra simpers as she pulls herself up to her new height, towering over Apollo. “No heroic cliches?” She flexes her clawed hand-like paws, her grin widening in anticipation at delivering the final blow.
“Why don't you pick on someone your own size?” a deep voice cries out as a blur of blue and green barrels straight into Vyra.
Vyra flinches as something careens into her, and bounces off her shoulder, landing on the ground not far from her. It’s Bill. She turns and stares down at him, stares at how tired, and rumpled he looks; stares at how little he's managed to achieve for all his big words, and starts to laugh. This is the great hero who’s going to stop her? After Artemis, after Apollo: this little mangled, pitiful excuse for a beast, is going to be the one who--
The laugh cuts off with an indignant squawk as something hits her opposite side, pain lancing across the side of Vyra's neck. She lashes out blindly, accidentally sending Bill tumbling even further away, but she knows something is wrong. Apollo is leaping backwards away from her, just barely escaping the blow. But she sees a brief uncharacteristic grin cross his face.
“What...what have you done to me?!” she shrieks as her red eyes lose their gleam and her legs collapse beneath her. She paws at her neck, feeling something small but solid still lodged in the side of it.
Apollo steadies himself and opens his mouth for the first time, his voice is as quiet and stately as always. “Solaria is Lunaria's twin, its reflection. For everyone who exists here, there is an opposite. As soon as I knew of your arrival, we went looking for your antivirus.”
Vyra tries to process that as her spikes fall away in a wave of binary, her wings merge back together, and her body shrinks.
“Unfortunately,” Artemis continues, approaching with a slight limp and a couple of bent feathers, “it turns out that he truly is your opposite.” She pauses a moment to wrinkle her nose. “You are an outgoing and lively and ambitious extrovert. He is a shy, timid, lazy introvert. He wouldn't come. He wouldn't help us fight you. But he was willing to develop a code we could use to defeat you. As soon as Bill found us, we knew it was time.”
“I carried the code back on a USB stick hidden in my mouth,” Apollo says as said USB falls out of Vyra's neck. “Bill was just waiting for the moment to give me a clear shot.”
Vyra tries to stand up but her feet won't support her. She's back to how she looked before, but weak. So much weaker.
Artemis leaps on top of her, pinning her down with ease. Vyra struggles because it has never been in her nature to give up, not even when she knows she's beaten. Artemis digs in her claws.
“So what happens now?” Vyra asks, her voice hoarse. She wants to look defiant until the end but there’s fear rising in her eyes.
“You must be destroyed!” Artemis snaps, no mercy in her expression. “You're too dangerous, too destructive; we can never be safe with you running free.”
Apollo looks at Artemis and shakes his head slowly. “We are meant to be heroes to our people, Artemis. How can they look to us for guidance if they know we're murderers? To destroy Vyra would not just make us as bad as her; it would make us worse. For all the disruption Vyra has caused, I don't believe she's capable of killing. She simply doesn’t understand what would have happened had she trapped us in Solaria forever.”
“What don’t I understand, oh mighty Apollo?” Vyra asks scornfully. “Is it those silly Isopterons again? Those pathetic little bugs that so terrify you?” She snarls out a laugh in Artemis’ face, and it seems to cause Artemis a fierce internal struggle not to retaliate with a good snap of teeth across the grinning muzzle below her.
“Yes,” Apollo replies calmly. “For all of your ability, you have continuously failed to grasp how connected the world is. Lunaria cannot survive without Artemis and me, because the Pear Tree cannot survive without Artemis and me.” He fans out a wing, gesturing to the wajas gathering all around. All of the members of the Corps and the Chosen gathered together at last, and those loyal behind them. “Isopterons devour. That is their only purpose. The Pear Tree is what keeps them dormant, harmless. Almost a year ago, Lunaria sustained great damage from the last infestation. Even today, there are places proving difficult to repair.”
“Our park,” a voice says from the crowd behind the Corps and Chosen.
“And my stand!” another voice cries.
Vyra stares at Apollo for a long moment, finally bursting into another peal of derisive laughter.
“You jest! And I thought I saw enough insanity trapped in the coding.”
Artemis snarls again, slamming Vyra ferociously against the ground. Behind her, her African of the Corps takes a step forward, but doesn’t interrupt as Artemis snaps, “Without us there is no Pear Tree, and without the Pear Tree there is no Lunaria! You saw what Solaria looks like now when you were trying to seal us in.”
“And you can see it now!” an Egyptian Waja cries, running forward and letting the large piece of parchment in her mouth fall to the ground in front of the three Wajas.
The stark image of the broken floating islands sends a visible flinch across Artemis’ face, but it quickly vanishes into deeper fury. A deep growl rumbles in her throat as she continues to speak, her voice rising to a shout of fury. “The death of our Pear Tree caused that. When the Isopterons swarmed, they devoured the land and everything on it. There is almost nothing left! Without us, the same thing will happen here. And what will be left for you when there is nothing?!”
There is silence once more. Vyra glares from Artemis to Apollo, but some of the jest has disappeared from her expression. Finally she grits her teeth and sneers.
“Prove it,” she challenges.
Silence once more, for several beats longer. It is broken only when footsteps draw near. A single Waja approaches from the crowd, her eyes filled with mourning. With a sigh, Antheia steps forward, dropping a shriveled plant onto the ground by Vyra’s head. A soft gasp rises from the crowd as the plant is recognized. The once proud flourishing sapling of the Pear Tree, shriveled and dry. Even Artemis herself moans in despair.
“It was still too young,” Antheia says softly. “The Pear Tree has the strength to endure and stand protective. But its offspring needed more care. It was not ready even for your brief absence. My Lord and Lady, I am sorry. Solaria’s healing will be delayed all the more now. We have to try again.”
Apollo sighs and nods. He draws himself to his full height, gazing at the now stunned expression on Vyra’s face before turning to face the crowd.
“Vyra’s power is broken,” he says solemnly. “Those who were ensnared are now free of her grasp. And those of you who see yourselves loyal to her, do not fear. You will not face punishment from me, nor from Artemis. But you must understand this: Vyra can never be Queen. The Pear Tree is the light and soul of our world, and I am bound to it as the guardian of the land upon which it gives and receives life. Those who try to usurp this balance bring only destruction. A destruction that devours from the inside out. That is the way it has always been. And that is the way it will forever be.”
Apollo closes his eyes for a moment, gathering himself, and then turns back to face Vyra and Artemis once more.
“I vote we trap her back away in the code where she cannot cause any more trouble.”
“No...no, please!” Vyra cries, trying to squirm free.
“You fear being locked back in the code more than you fear death?” Apollo asks. Vyra doesn't look up at him or answer. Apollo considers her thoughtfully, before turning to Bill. “The only thing that she has cost Artemis and myself is time. The one she's hurt most here is you. What would you suggest for her, Bill?”
Bill is silent for several long seconds, his gaze flickering from Vyra to the dead sapling to Apollo.
“I was scared, inside the code,” he finally says. “Being trapped in there was like being alive, but not alive. There was no hunger, no sleep, the temperature never changed, and there was no wind or rain or sun. Just a lonely nothingness. I wouldn't wish that on anybody, not even the one who put me there.” He pauses, and stares at Vyra with button eyes that somehow convey compassion. “And I wouldn't wish death on her either. She might be a troublemaker, but she's only wanted to make the players happy, right from the start. She's given them gifts and ran them competitions and released new items and coded new features. Some of that could be put down to wanting to win people over, yes, but she wouldn't have put so much heart into bringing the players so much if she didn't truly care for them. She ended up trapped in the code trying to bring a fun glitch to the users in the first place. And she did not mean the death of the sapling. You said it yourself, my Lord, she simply didn’t understand. Why don't we allow her to stay? As long as she promises to behave and to open up her own shop so she can offer her opacity glitch to everyone.”
There is a short silence while everyone within hearing range digests what the plushie has said.
Apollo eventually breaks the quiet, with a simple, “You are a kind soul, Bill.”
Bill does not reply.
“The more I think about it, though,” Apollo continues, “the more I feel the final choice shouldn't be down to us. It is the players who know her best. So I think it should be down to them. They may vote and decide what happens next.”
Artemis appears to gear up for an argument (certainly, the fur along her back bristles), but she hesitates when her Chosen African edges into her field of sight.
“It is a worthy compromise, my Lady,” Delos says hoarsely, “and a sentiment that has been shared by many on this battlefield, glitched and unglitched.” Beside him, Bill tilts his head, a silent, patient gesture. A dark Fire waja is creeping forward out of the crowd, pleading on her face.
“I have the proof right here,” she insists, bringing forth the letters. “If she cannot rule, then please let her live. She has given us so much.”
In the face of such unwavering sincerity, what’s one to do? With a weary sigh, Artemis folds her wings against her back, and glances down at the trembling creature still held beneath her paws.
“Vyra's fate is in the hands of the players now,” she says softly. “May they choose wisely.”
With the battle won, and Vyra’s power broken, the Lord and Lady had a choice to make. Do they send Vyra forever back to the blackness of the code? Or do they offer her a chance to redeem herself. It was a choice, ultimately, that they decided not to make themselves. They opened the vote to the players, the ones who had defended them, and who had defended Vyra.
And as this summary of one of the greatest events of Wajas history ends, I leave you with this:
THE REST, AS THEY SAY, IS HISTORY
The polls are in and I find myself...genuinely moved by your compassion. With over a thousand votes in her favour, we will be allowing Vyra to continue living in Lunaria. Vyra may prove me wrong of course, but I feel as though you have made the right decision. I was too hasty in suggesting we force her back into her own personal hell, and even Artemis seems to have changed her mind. Vyra and her have enjoyed bickering constantly over the last few days and I suspect that means they may turn out to be the unlikeliest of friends. I just hope they don't decide to band together to try and overthrow me!
While the kindest decision, this one is also the most complicated. It is going to take time to settle Vyra and rehabilitate her, especially if she fights against it. I fear her pride may make things more complicated. However, I know (as hard as she was trying to hide it) that she's deeply relieved by the result of the poll. I hope this makes her realise that even without bribes and gifts, people do genuinely care for her.
We haven't been able to return her to her original form from before she was trapped in the code, as Vyra can't recall it for us, but she seems stable now. We have a team monitoring Vyra for any unexpected side effects of the antivirus and to give her any support she needs. Every member of this team may or may not be a plushie, as though we are allowing her to stay, she still needs to learn a lesson or two. They're being lead by a pink plushie with double wings who keeps trying to lead the others in a big group hug for Vyra. She doesn't seem to appreciate it much, but maybe in time she will.
Vyra's agreed that once she's ready, she will open a shop to sell her opacity glitch and texture wands. It may take some time, but I hope you'll all be here to support her (and us, while we look into the damage she may have accidentally done.)
-Apollo
Comments
Post a Comment