* Just as you're about to head to the town's square, the door to the local bar kicks open. You turn and face the poor, brave fool.
* Something about this barkeep... She gives off an eerie energy as she approaches.

ROSE: As you might have noticed, the town is empty. When Terezi got her information, she then passed it on to myself, and I to the rest of the town, eventually...
ROSE: . . . It took me a while to get past what I had heard.
ROSE: Kanaya... That was her name. And to think, I never even got a chance to meet her in person... Now, I never will.
ROSE: She was my friend.

ROSE: I know I should've evacuated with the others, but someone has to stop you now before anyone else gets killed.
ROSE: Maybe it's my self-destructive tendencies... Maybe it's the will of the outer gods... Maybe I just don't care anymore...
ROSE: Whatever the case...
* Rose draws her wands.
ROSE: Let's dance.

Every Rose Has its Thorns

* You trudge through the snow, more blood fresh on your hands. Eventually, as you're about to head through one of the many gates and proceed to the Land of Wind and Shade, you get the feeling of being watched.
* A flash of green happens to your side and in an instant, Jade appears.

JADE: alright. that's enough. i can only keep playing along for so long!!
JADE: dave said that if we just stayed patient and waited, you would just go away. that you would disappear and we would be fine. but there are so many others that have been hurt and will be hurt if someone doesn't stop you!
JADE: we are gods. we should be able to handle one human!
JADE: i mean, you aren't even god tier!
JADE: me, on the other hand? i have that and the power of the green sun!
JADE: grrr... just quit while you're ahead or die now, i don't care!

* Green flames surround the two of you. Jade is giving you an ultimatum.

Grimbark

* You progress along one of the many bridges crossing the oil in the Land of Wind and Shade. Much more blood has been shed.
* As you approach the other side, a voice can be heard from behind you. A familiar one. An ANNOYING one.

NEPETA: :33 < *ac spots the human that she had been following from the shadows, much like the huntress she is*

* The feline Troll girl approaches you.

NEPETA: :33 < hey!
NEPETA: :33 < fur some reason karcat had told me to stay away from you?
NEPETA: :33 < he said that you, well, hurt a lot of people
NEPETA: :33 < but uh
NEPETA: :33 < that isnt true, right?

* You turn your face from her.

NEPETA: :33 < hey, why arent you answering me?
NEPETA: :33 < and whats with that look on your face?

* You turn and approach her, causing her to step back cautiously.

NEPETA: :33 < oh
NEPETA: :33 < oh i

* You can tell that her heart is pounding. Her eyes are darting around frantically. She finally musters up the courage to speak.

NEPETA: :33 < hey
NEPETA: :33 < y-youd b-better st-stay right where you a-are
NEPETA: :33 < beclaws if you want t-to hurt anyone else, youll

* She takes a combative stance, her claws extending from her gloves.

NEPETA: :33 < you'll have to go through me first
NEPETA: :33 < and-

* You don't even give her the time to react. She's in your way, and she's a free ticket up the echeladder. You ready your hammer for a powerful strike...
* ... only to hit Karkat in the skull. He reels from the damage taken.

NEPETA: :33 < karkat! youre hurt!
KARKAT: TCH... THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO TO HIM.
KARKAT: I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS FREAK. YOU'D BETTER FUCKING LISTEN NEXT TIME, ALRIGHT?
NEPETA: :33 < okay :((
KARKAT: I'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS.
KARKAT: YOU, HEAD OFF TO LOHAC. GO TELL EQUIUS TO INITIATE AN IMMEDIATE EVAC TO THE VEIL.
NEPETA: :33 < i...
KARKAT: GO!

* Nepeta takes one last tearful glance at Karkat before dashing away. Karkat, his face covered in his own blood, turns to you with a grimace.

KARKAT: HEH... I'LL ADMIT, I HAD A FACADE ON THERE. I DOUBT I'LL MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ONE...
KARKAT: BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER... BECAUSE NEITHER WILL YOU.

* His eyes are drawn to the pit below, spotting something. He lets out a coy smirk as he draws his weapon... what is he plotting?

KARKAT: KANAYA. TEREZI. JADE.
KARKAT: DEEP WITHIN ME, I CAN FEEL A BURNING SENSATION THAT I CAN'T DESCRIBE.
KARKAT: A FEELING THAT ONLY FUELS TO ENHANCE MY UNDYING RAGE.
KARKAT: YOUR RAMPAGE WAS NEVER ABOUT SATISFYING A KILLING URGE OR TWO, WAS IT?
KARKAT: IF YOU GET PAST US, YOU'LL DESTROY THE WHOLE UNIVERSE, WON'T YOU?
KARKAT: TROLLS. HUMANS. EVERYONE.
KARKAT: EVERYONE'S BONDS BROKEN. EVERYONE'S BLOOD SPILT. ALL AT YOUR HAND.
KARKAT: I'M NOT ABOUT TO LET YOU DO THAT.
KARKAT: RIGHT NOW, IT'S AS IF I CAN FEEL THE HEARTBEATS OF EVERYONE, ALL AT ONCE.
KARKAT: AND THEY ALL HAVE ONE WISH. FOR YOU TO DIE!
KARKAT: HUMAN ISN'T A FITTING DESCRIPTOR FOR YOU ANYMORE. YOU'RE MORE OF A MONSTER THAN US TROLLS.
KARKAT: FOR THE SAKE OF ALL EXISTENCE.
KARKAT: I, KARKAT VANTAS, WILL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!

* Karkat turns and spreads his arms wide before he falls backwards off the bridge, plummeting down into... something brown and cocoon shaped?
* As soon as you hear his body hit the bottom, it starts to glow bright before shattering. Moments later, the bridge almost entirely decimated, you see him start to rise up in Knightly garb.

KARKAT: I MAY HAVE TO GET OFF OF SPIDERTROLL'S ASS FOR ALL OF HER LUCK SHIT, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY LUCKIEST BREAK EVER.

* He floats back onto to the bridge, standing right before you.

KARKAT: SORRY, BUT THAT LAST HIT IS THE CLOSEST YOU'RE EVER GONNA GET.

But He Began To Ascend

* KNIGHT OF BLOOD 99ATK 99DEF
* The final form of Karkat's resolve.

Knight of Blood

* You've quickly made your way through LOHAC and are nearing the end of your travels on LOPAN. You've raked in so much EXP that you've nearly reached the top of your Echeladder.
* You just need to take one final transportalizer before you reach your goal... Billious Slick.
* As you continue down the path, you spot her... that robot troll that's been trying to take you down since LOHAC. She's standing inside another cocoon-like structure. You preemptively draw your hammer as you enter.

ARADIABOT: s0 y0u have finally arrived
ARADIABOT: i w0nt waste y0ur time with s0me lengthy preamble
ARADIABOT: just kill me already

* You can tell she's bluffing. You know that if you kill her here, she'll just ascend to the God Tiers just like Karkat did.
* You call her bluff. You use your hammer in one massively powerful swing to crack the entire cocoon.

ARADIABOT: well then
ARADIABOT: there g0es that idea
ARADIABOT: luckily i have a plan b
ARADIABOT: in the time that it t00k f0r y0u t0 get here equius made s0me m0dificati0ns t0 my r0b0tic shell
ARADIABOT: m0dificati0ns which w0uld n0t 0nly serve t0 amplify my psychic p0wers tenf0ld
ARADIABOT: but als0 revive me thanks t0 the essence 0f an ancient ring
ARADIABOT: it may be a risk but it is 0ne that i am willing t0 take
ARADIABOT: are y0u ready? because here i c0me

* Aradiabot's core flashes brightly as her shell shifts and folds. With a blinding flash, instead of the robot that was before you, there now rests a pile of scrap metal and a beacon of sorts, which you deduce is the amplifier she was talking about.
* Floating higher than that is the troll herself, newly resurrected.
* Let's reacquaint her with death's cold embrace, shall we?

d0uble death

* As you progress through the Felt Manor, you get a feeling in your gut, telling you to stop moving. It's a good thing you did, as a troll crashes through a wall.
* He stops hovering and lands on the ground before you.

TA: hey.
TA: remember me? becau2e ii 2ure remember you.
TA: you triied two kiill me once. ii got away.
TA: ii wa2 keen on ju2t hiidiing away, lettiing you keep on goiing untiil youve had your fiill.
TA: but you never 2topped.
TA: you ju2t kept on kiilliing and kiilliing.
TA: ii 2aw what happened to them.
TA: kanaya. tz. ff. kk. aa.
TA: ii couldnt ju2t 2iit back and watch you de2troy everythiing any longer.
TA: 2omethiing in my freakii2h mutant braiin wouldnt let me, and nor would the voiice2 of the one2 you kiilled.
TA: ii cant afford not two care anymore.
TA: 2o here we are.

* Red and Blue psionic energies crackle along Sollux's body.

TA: you ready, heiir?

==> Heir: Tell the Mage to "Bring it."

dualiity

* You proceed through the Felt Manor, hammer in hand. After having dealt with the psychic troll, you feel nigh unstoppable.
* You make your way to a long hallway, the only illumination coming from the windows. At the end of the hall, you spot a caped figure.

TG: yo
TG: lets just get to the point
TG: youve done some terrible shit
TG: you must not care
TG: or dont feel anything at all whatsoever
TG: only seeing people as stuffing for graves
TG: ...
TG: ive had enough
TG: jade was a hero
TG: so was karkat
TG: im not but someones gotta fill the role of knight around here now that hes gone
TG: i hope youre ready for a beatdown
TG: cause if you take another step forward?
TG: youre really not gonna like what i might have to do to you

* You step forward, calling his bluff.

TG: ... well
TG: i tried to warn you
TG: gave you this last moment to think about it all
TG: what youve done
TG: to change
TG: ... sorry troll lady
TG: forget all about my promise

TG: hope youre ready
TG: cause were doing this strider style
TG: i know my death would be heroic
TG: but yours should damn well be justified
TG: so theres no turning back

TG: Your shit is wrecked.

==> Foxx: Editor's note.
we finally made it. the track that started it all, sunslammed. i've been holding onto this file for a while, the song was finished mid 2023. it ain't about the destination though, but the journey.
a journey that started all the way back with the first version nearly seven years ago. what a ride, huh?
i can't thank you guys enough for listening in. this project has helped me develop my musical skills so much
OST ain't complete yet, there's still a few more tracks to upload. until then, here's a link to the "solar smashing" playlist i made back when i first started. you guys can see the evolution of the track for yourselves ( https://soundcloud.com/foxx-973295713/sets/solar-smashing )

Sunslammed

* You make your way through the halls of the Felt Manor. You locate Meenah and slay her before she can even reach for her trident. You run into Caliborn and crack his skull open with your hammer too. Now nobody is able to get between you and your Freedom.
* You notice that Meenah had a key on her person. You take the key, which you gather would let you open a door someplace. Curiosity strikes as you wander the manor looking for a room that matches its spade design.
* You eventually find it, after what feels like an eternity... You unlock the door and enter. Inside is a small room with a ladder going down.
* You climb down the ladder, hearing a grumbling noise coming from the room at the bottom. You enter to find a tall, carapaced figure grumpily smacking around a console with a black screen.

???: C'mon, come on! I need to see my new protégé continue our work! What happened to the frog?!

* You clear your throat. The man turns and looks at you.

???: Hm?- Oh, it's you. My student, my protégé, my... employee? No, underling fits better.

* You ask him who he is.

???: Oh, you meant my name. You can call me the Sovereign Slayer, Jack Noir.

* You ask why Meenah had a key to his room.

JACK: Long story short, she managed to somehow beat me in a fight. She locked me up down here. I could break out of here, normally, but something's keeping these damn dog god powers at bay. None of that matters now, you've FREED me, kid. And now? We have work to do.

* You ask what he means by work... you also ask what he means by we.

JACK: We're going to keep filling graves until there aren't any more to fill.

* That doesn't explain why you should work with him.

JACK: Oh, now you're trying to quit on me? I'm the guy that made you who you are now. Powerful. Godlike, even. With this console I could influence you with the power of suggestion. Took a damn long while for me to figure it out, and even longer for you to actually notice, but you did. You put those schmucks where they rightfully belong: their graves.

* . . .

JACK: So come and shake my hand, we're getting out of here.

* He reaches his sole arm out to you. You look up at his canine face with distain.
* You smack his hand away.

JACK: ... So that's how it's gonna be, eh? Fine.
JACK: They always said it was lonely at the top.

* He draws the sword he had embedded in his chest.
* You draw your hammer. Time to show him the true power of the monster he made you become.

Slick

* Jack Noir 99ATK 99DEF
* The self-proclaimed Invincible Demon. Let's call his bluff.

Noir Stabs Back

the final track of the au.

a lot has happened in my life over the years. i've picked up and put down this project so many times, either out of doubt for my own skills or simply getting caught up in other stuff
i know i always wanted to complete this, but as it got closer and closer to the end, i never wanted to stop

eventually, you just need to put that last nail in the coffin.

thank you all so much for listening to my tracks, ideas, and evolution as an artist. i can't confirm if i'll do another au page like this but i'd sure like to explore other avenues to tell stories

i'm currently developing an RPG based off of my friend's series, team sapphire. if you'd like to check out his stuff, here's a link: https://gamejolt.com/@PUN-adian
on top of that, i'm currently doing voice work for a couple projects, one of which includes fnf yellow!
https://gamebanana.com/mods/539563
please take a gander at it if you'd like. many fantastic individuals have come together to work on it, and i've enjoyed my time so far as a part of the team

i've never been the best with goodbyes, so i'll end things off on this note...

i'll see you guys around some other day

-foxx

New tracks tagged #FM!Understuck