The TSD Kids:

The Adventurer’s Agency

Lv. 12

Through the Barrier

We’ve just finished the training we had to endure. Now that my Emerald Sword’s been restored, we’ll have even more of a fighting chance! Now that Kyle’s joined the party, all we need to do now is meet Gale at Cornet Castle, where she’ll reveal the thing she’s been working on.

We were now on our way to Cornet Valley. Of course, like before, we had to pass through GreenMountain Village to get there. We had a brief stopover at my mother’s house.

Mom: “Oh, this is the third time you’ve returned, dear! You must really miss me, huh?”

T: “Uh, well… heh, heh… wait, you saw us the second time we were here?”

“I caught sight of you all running through town to the lake. You all looked so busy, I didn’t want to bother you.”

Sofia: “Oh, that’s quite all right.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Harrison told me that T-na and her friends were headed somewhere dangerous today…”

Tracy: “Uh, yeah, about that…”

“It’s okay, I know you’ll be careful. I’ve heard you’ve all been through so much already.”

T: “We’ll be fine! Don’t worry mom.”

A few minutes later during our stay…

Sofia: “Hey, T.”

T: “What up, Sofia?”

Sofia: “Remember when you helped us get rid of those lies Edge put in our heads?”

T: “You mean where you thought I did all that stuff to you? Yeah.”

Sofia: “I remember you saying that now I’m not the only one who can use Thunder Power.”

Sean: “I remember that! You had to have implied that you yourself were the one who could perform such a feat.”

Tracy: “So spill, green boy, how do you do that?”

T: “All right! Everyone, I was working on and completed a program for A.N.A.L.Y.Z.E.R. that allows me to copy data.”

Ellis: “So that’s the program you were working on! I remember.”

T: “Yes. It can be from one who has elemental power, such as you guys, or from an inanimate source giving off large amounts of elemental mana. I copy ‘em, and boom! Behold the Analyze Beam!”

Sean: “Care to demonstrate?”

T: “If you’ll allow me to scan one of you, yes.”

T-na: “Go right ahead.”

T: “Alright, I’ve already done this one before, but you guys probably don’t remember, so… Analyze Beam, copy Sofia!”

I pointed A.N.A.L.Y.Z.E.R. at Sofia, surrounding her and covering her in a green light. A picture of a thunderbolt appeared onscreen.

Sofia: “Oh!”

Sean: “Wow, nice!”

Sofia: “That… felt weird…”

T: “And now… Con…”

Cotton the Bunny: “(Um, sorry to interrupt…)”

T: “Oh, it’s okay, Cotton, what is it?”

Cotton: “(I don’t think we should keep Miss Gale waiting…)”

T: “Ah, you’re so right! I can show you some other time, then.”

Ellis: “Aw, I wanted to see it…”

T: “Sorry Ellis, but we gotta go now. See you later, mom.”

Kyle: “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

Mom: “Take care!”

After we headed outside…

T-na: “(Quietly) Hey, T… how does your mom know my parents?”

T: “Huh, I have no idea…”

Like before, we crossed Lake Green and started heading to Cornet Valley in Train Formation. Like before the wind whipped around us, making our voices somewhat inaudible.

Ellis: “Maybe now you can show us the spot where you found the Byakko Medallion this time, T!”

T: “Sure! Eh? Dang! We passed it again!”

I actually turned my head around, looking behind! Of course, I didn’t notice the shocked looks on everyone else’s faces!

T: “I bet if we double back now, I can show ya!”

Tracy: “What’re ya doin’, green boy?!”

Kyle: “Look where you’re headed!!”

Sean: “(Sigh) We’re gonna hit a wall…”

SMACK!

Sean: “(In pain)…Again…”

We peeled ourselves off the wall I had blindly run into.

Ellis: “T, you’re the one who came up with Train Formation; don’t you know that we’ll get derailed if you don’t watch where you’re going?”

T: “Oops…”

Cutter: “(Dazed) Hey, we’re back at Corny Castle again!”

Tracy: “That’s Cornet Castle!”

Cotton: “(Hey, check that out!)”

Cotton pointed to an immense dome-like thing, just yards away from the castle!

Rick: “Whoa… so that’s the Phanto-Barrier…”

Kyle: “You guys said Cornet Village is just in there, right? Let’s go!”

T: “No!”

We held Kyle back, as he looked like he wanted to use his Burner Mitts on it!

T-na: “You can’t just approach that thing!”

Cutter: “It’d mean certain death!”

Kyle: “Whoa, really?”

Sofia: “Yes, but regardless, we must get through it.”

Sean: “And for that, Gale says she has a way for us to get in.”

Kyle: “Then we should just mosey on to the castle, right?”

Cotton: “(Yep!)”

As we all walked to the gate entrance, the castle guards saluted us.

Castle Guard: “Oh! The TSD Kids! We’ve been expecting you!”

“Please, come right this way!”

T: “Thanks!”

“Oh, and um… remember that one guard you… kicked ‘below the belt’?”

T: “Uh, yeah…”

“(Holding back laughter) Th-that was funny…”

T: “Right…”

We walked into the courtyard, then to the front doors, which the guards gladly opened for us.

Guard: “The queen and her colleague are waiting in the throne room.”

Tracy: “Okay.”

We stepped into the throne room.

“Oh! Here you are, at last!”

Queen Janine was sitting in her royal chair, and Gale was standing next to her.

Ellis: “Hi, Your Majesty!”

Gale: “You all sure took your sweet time getting here! Who’s this, with the red and blue streaks?”

Kyle: “I’m Kyle. I heard about what happened to Nadia, and I insisted on helping.”

T: “Yeah, about Nadia… Janine, I…”

Janine: “Yes, I know, it’s bad. But I believe you can get her back. Just remember it’s not your fault. You did what you could to protect her.”

T: “Thanks. So, what’s this big surprise you have for us, Gale?”

T-na: “How will we get past the barrier?”

Janine: “Well, shall we show them, then?”

Gale: “Yes, let’s.”

They headed out the throne room, and we followed.

Gale: “It’s out here.”

We walked out into a part of the courtyard unfamiliar to us.

Ellis: “I’ve never seen this part before.”

Janine: “That’s because it’s a secret part of the courtyard, closed off from the rest.”

Gale: “Right here is the thing I was working on. Behold!”

We looked and saw large stone structure towering over us!

Tracy: “Wow! It’s… a giant stone window…”

Gale: “It’s more than that, Tracy. It’s a portal that can penetrate the barrier.”

Janine: “Think of it as a doorway in.”

Cutter: “A doorway in? Cool! Let’s go now!”

Cutter ran forward and jumped through the thing, only to get a face plant in a flowerbed!

Gale: “In case you didn’t notice, it’s not on right now…”

Cutter: “Pfft, now you tell me…”

Sean: “Then I guess it’s powered by magic.”

Gale: “Yes.”

Janine: “Are you sure you’ll be okay in there, Gale?”

Gale: “I used to be one of them, I can manage.”

Ellis: “You’re coming too?”

Gale: “Yes. You will need all the help you can get, you know! Plus you’ve never been in Cornet Village before.”

Tracy: “Don’t make it sound like we’re weak!”

Gale: “Once we go in, we can’t get out until our two mission are accomplished.”

T-na: “Two?”

Kyle: “We have to save Nadia, but what’s the next one?”

Gale: “We should just deal with the Officials straightforward and put an end to their false regime.”

Tracy: “In other words, give em’ an pwning they won’t soon forget!”

Sofia: “Sounds fine by me!”

Sean: “We’re ready to go.”

Gale: “Okay. You can start it now, Janine.”

Janine: “Okay!”

Concentrating hard, Janine channeled her Dark power into the stone portal until…

Janine: “Hah!”

A vortex appeared as the sides of the portal glowed.

Janine: “Phew! Well, there it is. The second you go in, you’ll be warped inside the barrier.”

Gale: “Let’s go in.”

We slowly walked into the portal. In a matter of moments, the glowing vortex disappeared after us.

Janine: “Please… let them save my daughter…”

We all continued walking until we realized we had passed through the barrier.

T: “Wow… this is it?”

Ellis: “Everything looks all… weird…”

The grass was a different color, and there were weird circle things flying about.

Gale: “So this is the other side of the barrier…”

Cutter: “Well, it still looks like a valley; it’s all downhill from here.”

Sean: “As well as the town.”

We could see the town a good distance down the way.

T: “All right! Then let’s go!”

We each took one step forward, but then… it felt like something moved behind us.

Rick: “Did anybody else feel that?”

Sean:“Feels like we’re not alone…”

I turned around to take a look.

T: “Hey, look at that! Seems like the barrier came kinda closer…”

Sofia: “What?!”

Ellis: “Don’t sound so casual about it!”

T: “Why? What’s wrong?”

Ellis: “Isn’t that how it gets rid of anything that manages to make it in?!”

T: “Oh… so… should we run?”

The barrier started moving towards us!

Tracy: “Obviously!”

We bolted as the barrier wall started moving faster! We dashed down the hill.

Gale: “So this is how the infamous Phanto-Barrier tries do destroy inside intruders… fascinating…”

Sean: “This is no time for taking notes! I, for one would like to live to see another day!”

Kyle: “What about Train Formation?”

T: “If we were lined up, one of us might get caught…”

Kyle: “Oh.”

Cotton: “(It’s gaining on us!)”

Cutter: “We’ll get caught if we don’t do something!”

Tracy: “But we’re almost there!”

T-na: “If we can’t outrun it, then we can block it! Light!”

Ellis: “What’s your idea?”

T-na: “Holy Shield!”

T-na created a large shield of light energy bearing a cross. It collided with the advancing barrier wall!

T-na: “Ha, ha! I stopped it!”

Cutter: “Not for long! Let’s go!”

Cutter grabbed her hand and pulled her away before the shield broke, and the barrier wall was sent back! The resulting shockwaves sent us into the gates of the town.

Kyle: “Whoa, that was rough… everyone okay?”

Tracy: “I’ll live…”

T: “Ugh…”

I had landed in the same awkward, painful position like before.

T: “Ow.”

I got up.

T: “No harm done… nice going, T-na!”

T-na: “Thanks!”

WHACK!

But apparently, Gale thought otherwise, seeing as she hit T-na with her staff!

T-na: “Ow! What was that for??”

Gale: “You should’ve been more careful! Just be lucky only your shield touched the barrier, if it were you…”

Cutter: “True as that may be, she did save our hides.”

Gale: “Yes, well, that is good. Now here we are… Cornet Village…”

The atmosphere still had a pale color to it. Although there were lots of houses…

Kyle: “It’s like a ghost town…”

Gale: “Probably due to the Officials’ influence. I wouldn’t be surprised if they locked up everyone.”

Then Rick saw someone out the corner of his eye. They were indoors, and when he looked their way, the person shut the windows.

Rick: “Hmm… I don’t think all of the people were captured…”

Cotton: “(Hiding maybe? Not from us, I hope…)”

Kyle: “I’m not surprised. They clearly don’t know us.”

Gale: “That, and despite the different color, T is wearing an Official robe. They might think we’re one of them.”

T-na: “Gee, I hope not…”

Cutter: “Say, this signpost has a town map on it. Whoa!”

Ellis: “What’s wrong, Cutter?”

Cutter: “This village is BIG!”

Tracy: “How big?”

Cutter: “See for yourself.”

After eyeing the signpost…

T: “Oh-ho! That is big!”

Sofia: “You were here before; you didn’t know?”

T: “I wasn’t here long enough to know.”

Tracy: “The center of town looks immense… here’s the plaza, but what’s with the buildings in the very center?”

Gale: “That is where the Officials reside.”

Kyle: “That so, huh? Then we can hit em’ where it hurts!”

Rick: “But the distance doesn’t seem to be a walk in the park, though…”

T: “Then we should just hurry up and do this! The sooner the better!”

We passed through the streets until we came across the plaza.

T: “Good thing I scanned the map; we’d be lost otherwise!”

Ellis: “So this is the plaza…”

We stood on a wide stretch of tiled ground.

Kyle: “They probably hold big parties with a large space like this!”

Rick: “I bet if the Officials allowed them to, that is…”

T-na: “I see buildings over there!

Gale: “Like I said, that’s where the Officials are, hence the name Inner City Officials.”

T: “Sweet! Let’s go, then!”

I ran ahead of the group, moving closer and closer to the compound.

Sofia: “Something doesn’t feel right…”

Cutter: “Yeah, with the way these Officials have been acting, the people are sure to hate em’…”

Gale: “Actually, they do have something to keep intruders at bay…”

As Gale told them what it was, I kept on moving forward. I didn’t seem to notice spike things sticking out of the ground.

Sofia: “(Gasp!) T, get back!”

T: “But we’re almost… Ack!!”

Sofia reeled me in with her whip, pulling me back before walls rose out of the ground!

Tracy: “Whoa!”

In no time, our view of the Inner City was blocked completely by insanely tall walls!

T: “Would you look at that!”

The spikes I failed to notice were lining the top of the wall!

Cutter: “Sharp… if you tried going over with the Balloon ability… don’t wanna think about it…”

Gale: “The Officials put up this gate to keep people out.”

T-na: “How do we get in?”

Gale: “The door.”

Gale indicated the door, which was just as tall as the wall. Two large twin boulders stood on either side of it. The door itself had a large green diamond plastered on it.

Ellis: “How do we open it?”

Tracy: “Can we even bust this down?”

Sean: “Doesn’t seem possible…”

Cutter: “How so? Looks like it’s made of wood. Polished wood.”

T: “It doesn’t resemble any wood I’ve ever seen…”

Gale: “It’s a special type of wood that is reinforced with a special hardening liquid. Not even explosions or fire can mar it.”

“Well, that sucks,” said Kyle, who had some of his bottle rockets at the ready.

T-na: “But now I repeat; how the heck do we get in?”

“So, you want to get in, huh? Heh, heh, heh…”

Kyle: “Who said that?”

“To get in, you gotta beat the gate’s guardian!”

Ellis: “Is that rock talking?”

Suddenly, with two slashes, one of the rocks broke apart, revealing the biggest guy we ever did see!

Tracy: “Who or what is that thing?!”

Looks like our problem just became bigger! What does this large person want with us? We’ll have to find out on the next episode!