CF-ST-2: A Bright Flame in the Dark Forest

CF-ST-2 A Bright Flame in the Dark Forest	A Flurry to the Flame: Soubo Mountains Previous CF-4 (Story) Next CF-5 (Story)
Old weapons, new weapons.

Characters

Felyne Artisan Felyne Scholar Noir Corne Noir Corne (w/ Rathalos armor) Yato Yato (w/ Kirin armor)

Backgrounds

Soubo Cliff 1 Soubo Forest 2 Soubo Lake 3 Soubo Lake Camp 4

“

Dusk falls. The lost party arrives at an abandoned camp after following a mysterious clue, and catch a glimpse into the village's past. After a bit of rest, the two operators get new equipment from the Felyne Artisan.

”

<Background 1>
[As he walks, Noir Corne noticed a familiar rock.]
Noir Corne	I saw the rock again.
Yato	How many times is that now?
Noir Corne	Let me think... Seven.
Yato	We've been going in circles. We keep coming back here, no matter which way we go. If we could just record our movements... Do we have a long enough rope in our equipment?
Noir Corne	I'll have to remember to apply for one next time... oh yeah! What are you up to, Arty?
Felyne Artisan	M-Meowning for ore.
Noir Corne	Say, don't you have a bunch of good stuff on you? Lemme search your pockets.
Felyne Artisan	M-Mrrow!
[Noir Corne found black powder from the Artisan's pouch.]
Noir Corne	Hey! Hm, this one... aha! Maybe this would work.
Yato	You're right, this black powder could be used to mark the trail. Wait here, I'll try it out.
[Yato leaves to mark the position with the powder, returning not long after.]
Noir Corne	Yato... I see you.
Yato	I see the mark on the ground too. Another circle...
Noir Corne	Mhm.
Yato	We got chased by a pack of rampaging beasts for whatever reason, then we lost the Rathalos's trail, and now we're trapped on some kind of magical hill. All our positioning equipment is inoperative, no graphical displays... What the heck's wrong with this forest? ...I'll try again. We can't just give up now.
Noir Corne	Calm down. Listen, I think this is a natural phenomenon, rather than an active threat. Let's just stay put for a minute and observe our surroundings. Maybe there's something we missed. There must be a way out of this. Plus... Doesn't it feel like we forgot something?
<Background 2>
[Meanwhile, the Scholar is separated from the rest in the forest.]
Felyne Scholar	Yato– Noir Corne– Smithy– Where are you?
[Nobody responds as the wind blows.]
Felyne Scholar	Come on, enough purr-actical jokes. Come out meow. You're hiding behind that tree, aren't you, Noir Corne? I know you're behind that rock, Smithy. Get down from that tree, Yato. No... nobody... Oh no... I was just observing some purr-tterns on the trees, then everybody disappeared. But it turns out that those purr-terns were just useless scratches on the bark. It's meow own fault... No! It's an assistant's job to stay purrt when the scholar is doing research! It's all their fault. They'll never find the Rathalos without meow. They should have res-purr-cted me more. That'll show them how important I am. They must be going pawll-out to find me. Especially Noir Corne and Smithy. Yato... she can be scary, but we have a purr-omise! She won't just leave me like this. N-No need to worry! I'll just wait here for them to find meow.
[Beast voices are heard, spooking the Scholar.]
Felyne Scholar	Mrow! Help! I-In the forest... Biologist of the Scriveners, future authority on Terra... are all nine of my lives going to end here? No! I-I'll– I... I won't go off on meow own again... I won't call Noir Corne stupid anymore... I'll purr-aise Smithy from time to time... I mean, all the time! Somebody... anybody... help... meow...
[Noir Corne walks toward the shivering Scholar.]
Noir Corne	What are you doing, Scholar?
Felyne Artisan	Mrow?
Felyne Scholar	I... Meow did you... You idiot! Stupid Noir Corne! Hornhead!
Noir Corne	Huh? What did I do?
Felyne Scholar	You're interrupting the ecological research of the meow-vellous scholar furmerly of the Royal Pawleontology Scriveners!
Noir Corne	Er... could you repeat that?
Yato	There's a time and a place, people. We've been trapped here for more than two hours. The sun's about to set. We should be spending our time looking for a way out, not arguing.
Noir Corne	...Talk, Scholar! What were you researching?
Felyne Scholar	None of your business!
Noir Corne	Let me see... Yato! There are carvings on the bark! "Record of abnormality in the hills..." "Visual references unreliable. Follow the wind. -Mirai" Must be someone who came before us. The message is telling us to follow the wind.
Felyne Scholar	Mrow? It was writing then?
Noir Corne	You found this? Not bad, Scholar! Looks like I underestimated you!
Felyne Scholar	I... Mrow! What do mew mean you underestimated me?
Yato	The wind...
Noir Corne	We can see which way the wind is blowing by sprinkling that dust from up high.
Yato	Good idea. Let's try it.
Noir Corne	Let me take another look at the carving. Doesn't look like it's been too long... What's this "Mirai"? Hey! Wait for me!
[Noir Corne runs after Yato.]
<Background 3>
[Yato, Noir Corne, and the Felynes reached the shores of a lake.]
Noir Corne	We're finally out of it.
Felyne Scholar	It's a lake. No wonder the wind was purring.
Yato	Hold it. Looks like there's a camp by the shore. There might be someone there. Stay here while I check it out...
Felyne Scholar	Camp! Campfire! Barbecue! Let's get those paws moving!
[The Scholar runs off...]
Felyne Artisan	Meow!
[...followed by the Artisan.]
<Background 4>
[Noir Corne lits the campfire.]
Noir Corne	Finally got the fire lit. This camp hasn't been used for ages. Must have been left behind by hunters. Good thing the stuff here still works.
Yato	...Alright, I guess it's harder to move at night, or spot the Rathalos's tracks. We can rest here for a little bit, but after that we need to keep moving.
Noir Corne	Alright, alright. Hehe...
Yato	What are you laughing about?
Noir Corne	Nothing... Well, just that you never change. You're always in a rush, like you're being chased by somebody. We've been following the Doctor's orders for so long now, yet not a bit of their calmness has rubbed off on you.
Yato	They would want us to achieve our mission as soon as possible.
Noir Corne	Fine, fine. You win. Why don't you listen to me the way you used to, close your eyes, get some rest, and we'll set out again in the morning, fully refreshed? I'll search the camp for anything useful.
Yato	Rest...?
Noir Corne	Looks like the headman wasn't lying. There are no hunters left around here, other than old Kashiwau. This must have something to do with that big cave that we went into. Maybe with old Kashiwau's temper too...
Yato	We'll know when we find the Rathalos. If you've got the time to worry about all this nonsense, then we might as well set out now.
Noir Corne	Fine... Yuck, the box is covered in dust. The lock's all rusted through too. Let me see...
[Noir Corne checks the leftover equipment in the camp.]
Noir Corne	Hey, lots of hunting equipment... machetes, knives, traps, and some solid ropes.
Yato	Take everything that looks useful.
Noir Corne	A spear, too. Looks like the same kind that old Kashiwau carries with him.
Yato	I've seen ones like that around here. The locals use them for hunting.
Noir Corne	This one's broken, though. No spearhead in the box either. What do you think?
Yato	Hm...
Noir Corne	What is it?
Yato	I'm surprised at how elaborate it is. The core of the handle has been hollowed out. Is that a bowstring in it? It's made from animal hair, pretty solid. I see... the switch on the handle controls the bowstring, allowing the spear to be thrown with great force, judging by the length of the string. The broken part is a swivel. Seems like the spear can be turned in a certain direction, or locked, allowing the wielder to deal with different combat situations. ...The designer knew what they were doing.
Noir Corne	Well, you're the expert when it comes to weapons.
Yato	Here, put it back. It's no use to us.
Noir Corne	Hey, wait, there are words engraved in the handle. Akira Kashiwau... is that the owner of the spear? Old Kashiwau's given name is Yoshitaka. A relative of his? I'll see if there's anything else.
Yato	Corne... Huh? What's that on the ground?
Noir Corne	What? Let me see.
Yato	A photo. It must have fallen out of the box when you opened it.
Noir Corne	A gathering of hunters... there's a date on the lower corner. It's from nine years ago. Is that the headman on the right? Did he use to be a hunter too?
Yato	I suppose so.
Noir Corne	He looks completely different in hunter garb. There's a little girl standing to his right. Hey, look at the guy over here!
Yato	Don't shout like that.
Noir Corne	He's the only one in the photo carrying a spear. Looks like the one that's broken, too. Akira Kashiwau... could it be him? He looks pretty young. Wouldn't quite be middle-aged, even after nine years. But I don't remember anyone like him in the village. How about you, Yato?
Yato	Nope.
Noir Corne	So it's a gathering of hunters, but old Kashiwau isn't in it?
Yato	Maybe he just wasn't there for the photo. Put it back.
Noir Corne	Headman Takii looks so young! Did he not get along with the others, even back then? But the younger Kashiwau in this photo looks pretty close to him. There was a hunter statue in the village, but it hasn't been tended to for a long time. And the headman used to be a hunter... Could this all be because of Akira Kashiwau?
Yato	Corne!
Noir Corne	Oh...
Yato	That's enough.
Yato	What does this photo have to do with our mission? Does it matter who's in it or not, or how many people or burdenbeasts there are in the Kashiwau household? It means nothing to us. Our missions take longer than they should because you always get distracted by these things. Even if we could figure out what happened to the old man's family, what does it change? Are you going to give him counselling? What about the others? Are you going to win them over with love and understanding? You saw the people in the village... and that child... The people here are unknowingly walking towards the abyss. The best we can do is save their lives, no more and no less. And the faster we find the Rathalos, the closer we get to the truth, and the better our odds of stopping Oripathy from spreading in the village. We must work harder... do everything we can to ensure their safety. That's our mission, our duty. And you need to understand that, Corne– No, Operator Noir Corne.
Noir Corne	I know, I know. Don't get so angry. It's just that I can't help but think about old Kashiwau. The things he said, the things he did... that inexplicable stubbornness, his insistence on facing everything on his own... It's as if he's running away from something. Have you forgotten? It's just like... No, never mind. Anyway, I can't prove it yet, but I wouldn't be so sure that none of this has anything to do with our mission.
Yato	Very well, Operator Noir Corne, in that case I'm giving you an order, as captain of Operations Team A4. You will refrain from concerning yourself with matters unrelated to the mission objective, until such time that there is evidence suggesting otherwise.
Noir Corne	...Yes, ma'am.
Yato	Good.
Noir Corne	...Yato. I'm... I'm worried about you too.
Yato	...... I'll check the surrounding area for threats. We'll leave once we're rested.
<Background 3>
[The Artisan and the Scholar are fishing in the lake's shore.]
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne is making me catch fish while he goes and purr-lays with the campfire!
Felyne Artisan	They're called Fins.
Felyne Scholar	Based on their appearance and my im-purr-essive knowledge, they're the same exact thing! ♪Throw a buoy, let it float, meow♪
Felyne Artisan	♪Knock knock, meow♪
Felyne Scholar	Remember what I said this afternoon, Smithy? I looked through my notes on the ecology of Terra and I realize why something didn't seem right, mrow. There are no meownsters in this forest! Where we came from, there are always meownsters in the wild. What do the scholars say again...? Yes, balance. They balance the environment, mrow. But we haven't seen any creatures like that here. It's so strange. And those rampaging hornbeasts. They stripped the bark clean off the trees wherever their paws took them. Do you realize what that means?
Felyne Artisan	Mrow?
Felyne Scholar	Silly Smithy. It means things were not always like this, otherwise the trees couldn't have grown. The ecological order of the forest was destabilized at some point. Something... went meowssing. But not to worry! With you and I here, they can deal with the Rathalos, even if they're not so strong! Hey, are you listening, Smithy?
Felyne Artisan	♪Knock knock, meow♪
Felyne Scholar	I shouldn't have had you do this!
Felyne Artisan	♪Knock knock, meow♪
Felyne Scholar	The fishing buoy isn't moving at all! Are there really any fish in this pond?
[Noir Corne walks toward the Felynes.]
Noir Corne	Did you catch any Fins, Scholar?
Felyne Scholar	Purrfect timing! Sit here. Take this.
Noir Corne	The fishing rod? Why?
Felyne Scholar	Don't meowve. Stay!
Noir Corne	...What are you doing?
Felyne Scholar	Watching you fish.
Noir Corne	Why, you–oh!
Felyne Scholar	The buoy sank!
Noir Corne	It's so heavy! What do I do?
Felyne Scholar	Pull! Pull hard!
<Background 4>
[Sounds of blades clashing are heard.]
They're dead... because of you... Stop running... Yato... Because of you...
[Yato snaps out of her hallucination.]
Yato	Argh! W-Why...? It happened so long ago...
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne!
<Background fades out and in>
Felyne Scholar	Four turns! No more than that!
Noir Corne	Look, I was watching this whole time, and it hasn't changed color at all... whoa! Okay, now it has! And now it's burnt...
Felyne Scholar	Your own fault for not listening! You eat it!
Noir Corne	My fault? It's all because you distracted me...
Felyne Scholar	Mroaaaw!
Noir Corne	Hey! Stop scratching my horn!
[Noir Corne shakes the Scholar off his horn.]
Noir Corne	*Sigh*...
Felyne Scholar	Mrrow...
Noir Corne	Shouldn't you be saving your strength for the Rathalos? Don't let me catch you running away as soon as we get a glimpse.
Felyne Scholar	I told you, I know purrcisely how to deal with the Rathalos. I've noted its weaknesses in my notebook. It's just that your weapons are too weak. Good thing I had the purresence of mind to tell Smithy to meowke stronger weapons.
Noir Corne	Rathalos... I wonder what its meat tastes like...
Felyne Scholar	I tell you, Rathalos liver is pawsitively delicious! Nothing is tastier!
Yato	*Huff*...
[Yato heard someone runs by...]
Yato	–! Who goes there?!
[...prompting her to give chase.]
Noir Corne	Yato? Where are you going?
<Background 3>
[As Yato goes after the runner...]
Yato	I saw a shadow in the corner of my eye. It went this way. Who's there? Come out! I know you're there. (Where did they go?)
???	Meow...
Yato	(Over there!) I'll give you one chance to show yourself. (Approaches slowly) You... Show yourself right now!
Felyne Artisan	Meow! It's Yato!
Yato	Artisan? It was you?
Felyne Artisan	Mrow?
Yato	No, it couldn't be... the one I saw was... Are they gone?
Noir Corne	Yato–
[Noir Corne catches up with Yato.]
Noir Corne	Y-You're too fast... Did you see something?
Yato	Yes, but I lost them.
Noir Corne	What are you doing here, Arty?
Felyne Artisan	Knocking on meowterials.
Noir Corne	You're making... armor and weapons? For the fight against the Rathalos?
Felyne Artisan	Don't touch it! No stone! Use this instead!
Noir Corne	Is that really something that can be swapped just like that?
Felyne Artisan	Click! There. Equipment for two!
Yato	You want us to put them on?
Felyne Artisan	Purrt them on! Better against Rathalos!
Yato	It's worth a shot.
Noir Corne	Well, I for one can't wait!
Yato	...You change over there, Corne.
<Background black>
[Yato is heard changing to the armor made by the Artisan.]
Yato	How do I... put this on? Does my arm go through here? And why is it so...? I've never... worn anything like this before. Am I wearing this right? I can't tell.
<Background 3>
[Noir Corne finishes changing, and the armor he wears turns out to be the Rathalos S Blademaster armor from MonHun Generations Ultimate – quite an irony since he is hunting for the namesake monster, complete with a Long Sword.]
Noir Corne	The helmet's so heavy... and stuffy... is this right? Ouch! And why are there spikes here? They're even longer than my horn. Is this really meant for wearing? (The material is light, but surprisingly tough.) (Arty said they made it using Rathalos parts they brought with them. Not even Yato could cut through it...) (But something feels familiar about this material.) (Where have I seen it before? I just can't remember.) Yato? I'm done over here. Where are you? I'm coming! Whoa–
[Noir Corne trips when he tries to walk toward Yato, causing the Rathalos S helmet's visor to shut.]
Noir Corne	Ow, I hit my head... And now I can't see anything. Did it go like this? Finally got it on right. (Looks at Yato) Oh...
[Yato has changed too, now wearing the Kirin R Blademaster armor from MHGU complete with a pair of Kirin Bolts.]
Light, swift, powerful. That's what I always tell people when I talk about this strange new gear afterwards. "That's not what we were asking about!" And that's the answer I always get from other operators. I still don't understand what they mean.
Yato	Its showing so much skin... Is this really supposed to be protective gear? But... I do feel a strange tingling on my skin. And my discomfort from the light is gone.
Felyne Artisan	Look at that, Kirin set!
Yato	Kirin set? Is that what this is called?
Felyne Artisan	Mrow.
Yato	...I suppose I should ask Leizi about it.
Felyne Artisan	Terra meowterial's not bad! Good substitute. (Whisper) ...Thanks, Originium slugs.
Yato	My new blades need to be tested in battle... Corne? What are you doing on the ground?
Noir Corne	I... I tripped. Not used to this new gear. Wait, your mask...
Yato	I took it off. Doesn't seem like I'll need it to block out the light with this gear, and it's extra weight I don't need. What... What are you staring at?
Noir Corne	Nothing!
Yato	...Get up. We can't afford to be caught off guard out here. Get used to it quickly.
Noir Corne	O-Okay!
<Background fades out and in>
[The Scholar rushes toward Yato and Noir Corne.]
Felyne Scholar	Yato! Noir Corne! That strange old man came! He took your gear!