The Lunar Sanctum

Skyworld…

Pit and Jared rush to the door to start the adventure.

"Again today I will go soaring through the sky!" Pit said, singing.

Pit and Jared leap through the door and flies through the night sky.

"My enemies, I'll dish 'em up in a stir-fry!" Pit said, singing. "Gracious goddess of light watches from up above! At dinnertime I always show the cook some love!"

"What are you singing?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"Just this little victory song I made up." Pit said.

"Tonight the moon has rose in a crimson red." Jared said, singing.

Jared looked over at Pit holding his Palutena's bow.

"But roses gotta wither, so I'll live forever instead. And now I can't get rid of all of these thorns in my head. Bring on the hemorrhaging. I guess I'll live inside your memory." Jared said, singing.

"What are you singing?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"Oh, just one of Calliope Mori's original songs."

"We stopped Viridi! Now it's time to take down Hades!" Pit said, excitedly.

"Not quite. We still have to contend with her forces. Specifically, Arlon the Serene." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Oh, is he one of her commanders?"

"Yes, and he has a weapon so lethal, it makes Reset Bombs seem like firecrackers. Arlon's base is close by. You see the moon?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"Yeah, it's really pretty tonight." Pit said.

"And what about that?"

Jared looked up to see another moon in the sky. He then got a phone call from Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika. The fanboy answered it and linked it to his telepathic call with Palutena.

"Like I said, they're pretty. Wait a sec...there are two moons?!" Pit exclaimed.

"Why are there two moons?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Can you tell us what is going on?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Starting with there being two moons in the sky." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"They're like eyes watching the both of you." Palutena said, telepathically.

"I wish they wouldn't. I get stage fright." Pit said.

"I prefer the moon on the left." Jared said, looking at the moon that was part of the Lunar Attack. "Memories of some of my girls."

"That being us!" Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Well, Hibiki and the others." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

The second moon begins to split open.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What kind of moon IS that?!" Pit exclaimed.

"THAT'S Arlon's Lunar Sanctum. Clearly, there's more to it than meets the eye." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Very cool!" Pit said, excitedly.

A large laser beam shoots at Pit and Jared from the Lunar Sanctum.

"And dangerous!" Pit said.

"What was that about it being cool?" Jared asked, looking at Pit.

"I take it back! It's not cool at all!" Pit said, terrified.

"We're going in!" Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared approach the Sanctum.

"We're getting close!" Pit said.

"I'll get the both of you there. Just focus on avoiding fire." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Right." Jared said, looking down at his bow and arrow.

Palutena flies Pit and Jared in closer.

"Those lasers are quite the security system." Palutena said, telepathically.

"You're telling me!" Pit said.

"With all THIS firepower, Arlon must be preparing for a massive attack."

"Why on earth would I be attacking? I'm far too busy...defending, my dear." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Huh?!" Pit exclaimed.

"You must be Commander Arlon." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Palutena. And yours too, young masters Pit and Jared. I have heard tales of both of your prowess and the prowess of your Symphogear friends from our Mistress Viridi." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Well, that's...weirdly nice of her…" Pit said.

"She knows about us?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"How?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Symphogear is as loud as Torchwood and the Avengers." Jared said, sadly.

"That is true." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"She said I mustn't let your attacks spread chaos HERE of all places. Before you cause a most unnatural harm, let us sit down for a chat." Arlon said, telepathically.

"I might consider it if you withdrew your forces…" Palutena said, telepathically. "...and banded with us to face the Underworld Army together."

"Those decisions fall to the will of Mistress Viridi. Unfortunately, it's entirely out of my purview. I do hope you understand."

"What's a purview? And why do you talk like that? Bad guys are supposed to be more like 'Graaahhh!' and 'I'm gonna KEEL you!'" Pit said.

"He's a vampire?!" Kirika exclaimed, her voice over Jared's phone.

"A vampire? Where?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"There is no vampire." Jared said, sadly.

"The young master is skilled in impressions, I see. Would you care to perform more?" Arlon asked, telepathically.

"Uh, that's all I've got." Pit said.

A part of the Sanctum's core opens up.

"Pit! Jared! Watch out!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Huh?" Pit asked.

The core fires a massive laser beam, which Pit and Jared narrowly avoids.

"Damn." Jared said, looking at the Lunar Sanctum. "That's no moon...it's a space station."

"It's too big to be a space station." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Aaaaaugh! Is now the time for Star Wars references?" Pit asked.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"That attack was vicious! I see a corridor we can enter through. Hold on!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jared exclaimed. "Putting us in the same room with the baddies?"

Palutena flies Pit and Jared away from the center and to a section on the Sanctum's side, which is filled with Forces of Nature troops.

"Yeah! It's not much safer in here!" Pit said, looking over at Jared.

"As I mentioned earlier, the Lunar Sanctum is very heavily fortified. But a victory here could help us contain all of Viridi's army." Palutenaa said, telepathically.

"We'll take care of it somehow!" Pit said.

"We will." Jared said, taking out the enemies with Pit.

"Sayaka told us about what happened in the TARDIS." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Time zombies?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Right. About that…" Jared said, sadly.

"Huh...their defenses are thinning out." Pit said.

"I'm still detecting enemies, though, so be careful." Palutena said, telepathically.

Flages suddenly appear all around, obscuring Pit and Jared's view.

"Augh!" Pit said.

"Let me introduce you to the Flages, the covert-ops specialists for Viridi's army. Do they strike your fancy?" Arlona asked, telepathically.

"Uh, NO!" Pit said, angrily.

"No way!" Jared said, taking out a Flages.

"Personally, I'm quite fond of them." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Right, 'cause we care SO much." Pit said, sarcastically.

"Your concern is noted."

"I WAS BEING SARCASTIC! I don't care at all!"

"Same!" Jared said, holding his bow and arrow.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Forgot what?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"To close the gates! And the gates...go...shut."

"Van Statten's Vault?! Of all the things to be replicated!" Jared said, squeezing his Palutena's bow.

Walls form in Pit and Jared's path, forcing them to break through them to proceed.

"Yikes! Cut it out!" Pit said.

"The power of flight is running out. We have to move! Find the breakable spots on the gates, and shoot through. You can also break through with melee attacks." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared successfully infiltrate the Lunar Sanctum.

"There's an entry point through a duct up ahead. It's tight, so watch out!" Palutena said, telepathically.

Palutena crashes Pit and Jared through a duct.

"Hrrt?!" Pit exclaimed.

Lunar Sanctum…

Pit and Jared skid to a halt in the Lunar Sanctum's interior.

"Talk about ritzy!" Pit said, happily.

"You definitely improved the foundation of Lunar Ruins." Jared said, smiling.

"All it took was four years." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"It's like a whole other world. A classier world." Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"The Lunar Attack still happened." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone. "But this is still an improvement. Even if it is an improved copy."

"I'm deeply flattered by your gracious compliments." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Who knew the Lunar Sanctum would be so nice?" Pit asked.

"I could get used to a place like this!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Perhaps you could. But the Lunar Sanctum doesn't have room for any...MORE guests." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Uh, it's not THAT nice."

"I don't care how nice this place is! It won't stop us from taking you down!" Pit said, angrily.

"It really won't!" Jared said, clutching his Palutena's Bow.

"I understand. You have no regard for other people's property." Arlon said.

Pit and Jared encounter a green hologram of a Nutski.

"Great. Holograms." Jared said, sarcastically.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" Pit asked.

"Arlon seems to have a penchant for visual trickery." Palutena said, telepathically.

"It's just a little something I whipped up to whet your appetite." Arlon said, telepathically.

"This is so annoying. Lady Palutena. Help me out here." Pit said.

"Deploying the Palutena Super Sensor…" Palutena said, telepathically.

"I didn't know you had a super sensor!"

"Hee hee. I don't. You know I like to make stuff up."

"I can't believe you're messing with me at a time like this!"

"Don't fret. You can use the green arrows to guide your way."

"Thanks. I love you for that, Palutena." Jared said, happily.

"Now how did you manage to place those here? Ooh, it seems you've infiltrated the Lunar Sanctum's control core, Palutena. That leaves me relatively defenseless. I'd best rectify that posthaste. If you'll excuse me, I must go gird my loins for your arrival." Arlon said, telepathically.

"TMI! Nobody wants to hear about your loins!" Pit said.

"Thank you! What's a loin?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"You really don't want to know, Kirika."

Near the area with the first Grind Rail, a random conversation may trigger.

"Anyway, this is what happened in the TARDIS." Jared said, looking around the place. "The TARDIS exploded."

"It exploded?!" Kirika exclaimed, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Again?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"The Doctor and I fixed it." Jared said.

"With what?" Maria asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"A big friendly button. Clara forgot about the Doctor's name in the process too."

Pit and Jared enter a room with a mirror.

"Now what do we do?" Pit asked.

"Look carefully at the mirror's image. You'll notice some inconsistency." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Clara knew the Doctor's name?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Isn't it bad knowing his name?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"It is." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"That's why I had to make Clara forget about it. Only the Doctor and I can know it. Since the two of us end up there."

"Trenzalore." Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika said, their voices over Jared's phone.

"Yup. And we can't stop it. It's a fixed point in time and space."

Pit and Jared waits around without proceeding.

"Compare what you see in the mirror to your actual surroundings. Looks like there's a way to advance through the wall to your right." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Y'know, I haven't seen Ryuko Matoi in a while." Jared said, sadly.

"The one with the scissors?" Shirabe asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Yup. It's been two years. I liked Ryuko and her sailor uniform. They were badasses."

"Like us?" Kirika asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"You girls are my idiots. Remember that, okay? That's why I love hanging around Symphogear these days." Jared said, happily.

Pit and Jared waits too long before hitting the invisible switch in the room with three switches.

"There's a switch that you can only see in the mirror." Palutena said, telepathically.

"How am I supposed to trigger it?" Pit asked.

Pit falls off the path with Jared 3 times in the room with invisible paths.

"Look carefully in the mirror. And don't push yourselves into each other. You should see the path you're supposed to follow." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared arrive at a red room, where they notice Dark Pit and Oriru in front of the Lunar Sanctum Control Center.

"Pittoo!" Pit said.

"Seriously, that is the last time I want to hear 'Pittoo!"" Dark Pit said.

"Oriru!" Jared said.

"For the last time! Oriru is a Japanese name! Do I look Japanese to you?" Oriru asked.

Dark Pit and Oriru strike poses and the battle initiates.

"Arlon, did you call Pittoo and Oriru here?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"I most certainly did." Arlon said, telepathically.

"They're not usually ones to follow orders. How did you persuade them?"

"It was quite simple, actually. Just the mention of young master Pit and young master Jared's presence…" Arlon said, telepathically. "...was enough to send their twins running here."

"Pittoo and Oriru just aren't happy unless they're fighting someone." Palutena said, telepathically.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Dark Pit said.

"It isn't one!" Oriru said.

"You stay out of this!" Pit said.

"Yeah. You don't have the right to talk!" Jared said, clutching his Palutena's Bow.

Pit defeats Dark Pit and Jared defeats Oriru.

"Now what, fool!" Pit said.

"Just wait till next time!" Dark Pit said.

"We won't go easy on you!" Oriru said.

Dark Pit and Oriru hops into the air and disappears.The two are defeated before the Control Center.

"Destroy the Lunar Sanctum Control Center." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared destroy the Control Center.

"The Control Center is toast!" Pit said.

"Oh shoot boys, we're toast." Jared said, smirking.

"We're just not your bread and butter." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

Pit and Jared take a platform upwards.

"Where are we?" Pit asked.

"I love how I'm on the moon again." Jared said, smiling.

Pit and Jared arrive outside and find the path ahead is made up of narrow walkways with no ground beneath them.

"We know. It's not that bad." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Whoa!" Pit said.

"It's a bit daunting, I agree." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared proceeds through the narrow walkways.

"Ha...." Palutena said, telepathically. "...chooo!"

A meteor suddenly crashes into the ground.

"Augh! Are you trying to get us smooshed?" Pit asked.

"Huh? That wasn't my doing." Palutena said, telepathically.

"You sure? Like you wouldn't bring space rhinos or spiders to the moon." Jared said, scoffing.

"Goodness. So sorry. I must have lost myself in the golden melody of her sneeze." Arlon said, telepathically.

"That's why you should cover your sneezes." Pit said.

"I would never! A strong sneeze is the sign of a strong spirit." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared head through a door, arriving on a lunar surface.

"This is so cooool! It's like the surface of the moon!" Pit said, excitedly.

"Me and Symphogear, we have a history with the moon." Jared said, smiling.

"We were on the moon four years ago." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"That feels like ages ago." Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"It does." Maria said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Why was the Lunar Sanctum built anyway?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"That information is highly confidential." Arlon said, telepathically.

"That only makes me more curious."

"Curious or not, I took an oath of silence, and I intend to honor it!"

"Now, now, no need to get all bent out of shape."

"After all, your name IS 'Arlon the Serene.'" Pit said.

"Yup. Which is even more ironic, considering Maria's younger sister." Jared said, laughing a lot.

"I'm well aware of my name! But back to the topic at hand. I cannot tell you the reasons WHY this sanctum was built. But I can say that it runs on my powers. Without me, it's just a husk, an empty shell, an orbiting house of cards." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Ooh, that sounds fancy." Pit said.

"I don't think we're getting the whole story here…" Palutena said, telepathically.

"You're in no position to demand explanations. I am beholden only to Mistress Viridi, and you three are thorns in her side." Arlon said, telepathically.

"You've made your allegiances quite clear."

"Then enough talk! Let's get back to fighting!" Pit said.

"Why does everyone here talk so much?" Jared asked. "So many voices in my head."

Pit and Jared proceed through the sanctum and head into its interior, where they take an elevator up to a higher floor.

"So, this is an elevator?" Pit asked.

"That seems to be the case." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Elevators are nice." Jared said, happily.

Pit and Jared enter a room with mines and Clobblers on top of a rotating platform.

"Don't just shoot wildly, Pit, Jared. You do NOT want to get those Clobblers mad. Try luring each one into a mine." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Good idea!" Pit said.

"You got it!" Jared said, smiling.

"Pit and Jared are lucky to have such an excellent guide. Though we're on opposing sides, I must commend your work, Palutena." Arlon said, telepathically.

"Thanks. It's just part of my job. Besides, Pit and Jared are the ones doing all the heavy lifting. Which is especially impressive for someone so small." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared proceed through the next room and reach the boss door.

"Arlon's quarters are directly ahead. Good luck." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared arrive at an outside area and encounter Arlon, who is sitting in mid-air with a spotlight over him.

"Arlon!" Pit said.

"Welcome. Please make yourselves comfortable." Arlon said, standing up. "It is my great honor to represent Mistress Viridi and the Forces of Nature."

"He reminds me of Batman's butler:" Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

Arlon bows and his eye gleams red.

"Alfred?" Jared asked.

The battle then begins.

"That is a possibility." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

Arlon partially shrouds the battlefield in darkness.

"I can't see!" Pit said.

"Great, making things a bit grim for me." Jared said, frowning.

"Focus, Pit, Jared. Pay attention to where Arlon's attacks are coming from. After he attacks, shoot in that direction." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared successfully lands an attack on him.

"I say!" Arlon said.

"Good! Just like that!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Why do you think Arlon reminds you of Alfred?" Jared asked.

"Butler." Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"That is true. He does give off the butler vibe." Shirabe said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Didn't Iron Man's father have a butler?" Maria asked, her voice over Jared's phone.

"He did. Edwin Jarvis." Jared said, sadly. "I hoped I would have seen him someday. Like I did the Brigadier. But he's dead now…"

Pit and Jared take too long to get Arlon's health down halfway.

"Even in the dark, Arlon's attacks are still visible. Stay on the move to avoid his shots, but keep an eye on your surroundings." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Very impressive, young masters Pit and Jared." Arlon said, shrouding the entire battlefield in darkness. "But it's time to reveal the true extent of my power!"

Pit and Jared defeats Arlon.

"Blast!" Arlon said.

"Whew! We can finally catch our breaths!" Pit said, looking at Jared.

Epilogue.

Pit and Jared fly away from the Lunar Sanctum as it begins to fall apart.

"Lunar Sanctum defused!" Pit said, excitedly.

"Death!" Kirika said, her voice over Jared's phone.

"Yup." Jared said, smiling.

An unknown creature bursts out from the Sanctum's side.

"But what's that...THING breaking free?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

The creature quickly flies past Pit and Jared and out of sight.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing." Pit said.

"I'm...not so sure. Jared, do you know what it is?" Palutena asked, telepathically.

"Spoilers." Jared said, sadly.

A light shines down over Pit and Jared.

"But Viridi's forces are still a threat, so let's keep the heat on them." Palutena said, telepathically.

Palutena whisks Pit and Jared away.