Olympus Under the Retro Sun (Prologue: The Sun Rises)

[Black Clay Lord]

Officially beginning my other big project.

This was inspired by those Retro Sun videos Zorah did in the summer.

So I've decided to apply the concept in my own works.
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On a quiet night, when the Harvest Moon was high, the ½ Mermaids were tucking their siblings in for the night, contemplating on how peaceful their realm was, aside from the fact that monsters roam the world still, but while certainly not an issue, there was one thing the girls wished would happen: Increased excitement. Staring out atop the household roof on the balcony, glancing at the harvest moon, Rhodos sighed some. “Man alive…” She said with a heavy sigh.

“Sometimes I wish the sun would arise with a different vibe than the usual one…” She soon heads downstairs to her own bedroom, entering the room and closing the door behind her. “But with the land being at peace as it is,” Rhodos mused. “I guess I really can’t complain.” She soon threw a blanket up on her bed, prepping her bed for her entry as she changed from her typical clothes into her rather sexy PJs, before hopping into bed and turning the lights out.

Falling asleep, Rhodos dreamed soon after. But she did not dream of rainbows & unicorns. No. Rhodos dreamed… Of quicksand. Inside of Rhodos’s dream, the ½ Mermaid stood in a swamp, pumping her legs to cheerfully go down into the depths of this muddy quicksand. Rhodos drove herself deep and quick, but she did not care. All that mattered to her was how good the quicksand felt on her body, and incidentally, it exceeded expectations for Rhodos easily.

Rhodos smiled as she dreamed her quicksand dream all throughout the night. The next morning, strangeness started to abound. Rhodos’s radio was playing the iconic music to Quick Man’s level in Mega Man 2. One problem: The radio wasn’t even turned on. Rhodos pried her eyes open halfway. “Mm… Lost… Vikings…” She muttered before rubbing her eyes. “Ichiro, Jiro. If that’s you two playing Mega Man, turn it down!” She then exclaimed, sitting straight up.

Her attention turned to her radio, the source of the music. “What in the world…?” Rhodos asked herself, tuning her radio some. But her radio does nothing. The music just kept coming out, even though the radio was turned off. “What’s going on here?!” Rhodos then asked herself. Looking outside her bedroom window soon after, she caught sight of something most unusual. She got out of bed, and walked onto her balcony soon afterward, looking at the sky.

It looked as if a laser grid had been painted in the blue heavens above, and synth waves glided across them. “Mother of Shenron…” Rhodos gasped in disbelief. “What just happened?” She then asked. “Hey! Why’s my radio playing You’re the best around?!” Pearl suddenly asked in annoyance from a few rooms down the hall. There was definitely something wrong this morning. Rhodos went downstairs and walked into the backyard, with Pearl close behind.

And that’s when they spotted the answer to their mystery: For some reason, the sun they would normally wake up to has not risen. Instead, what they spotted was a sun that was outlined like it had a look from the 1970s and/or 80s. “What in the…?” Pearl asked in disbelief. “What happened to the sun?” Rhodos asks. “I haven’t the foggiest idea.” Pearl answers. “Wait a minute…” Rhodos started. “Could this be the Retro Sun that appeared one summer?”

Pearl & Rhodos pondered and came to the only conclusion possible in seconds. “It is!” They both exclaim. “It sure is a pretty sun though.” Pearl says. “Shame we have a duty to banish it…” Rhodos said. “We better organize a meeting on how to deal with this.” Pearl replies. Rhodos nodded in agreement as the sisters went back inside the house. After breakfast, Pearl & Rhodos gather up their sisters Leuconoe, Ingemar, Jorah, Coventina, and Camilla for a pep talk.

“So, this retro sun curse came to our home, has it?” Jorah asks. “Appears so.” Rhodos asks. “This sun cannot stand.” Coventina says. “I believe we must find where it is being channeled and smash the source asap!” She then declares. “Or we could just dress in matching outfits and banish it in different locations.” Camilla says. “…Seriously?” Asked Ingemar. “What good will dressing up do?” Jorah shook her head. “Hold on, sister.” She then spoke, smiling.

“I believe Camilla may be onto something.” Camilla nodded. “How else would you appease a mysterious sun?” She then asks. “Sounds crazy enough to work actually.” Said Pearl. She soon pulled out a map of the entire continent of Olympus. “Okay, let’s decide who should go where.” Pearl then says. “And decide what to dress like.” Camilla giggles. “Yes, of course…” Pearl sighs. First, she points to one of the northernmost deserts: The Clay Sea Desert.

“Rhodos, why don’t you take on the Clay Sea Desert?” Pearl suggested. Rhodos nods. “I’ll take my Pink Ariel Dress.” Rhodos then says. Pearl nods, then gestures to the Clay Marsh. “Leuconoe, we’ll send you off to the Clay Marsh.” She sends. “I’ve got a Sarah J. Conner outfit begging to be broken out,” Leuconoe says. “Sinking wise that is.” Pearl nodded, then pointed to the Marbled Mudflats. “Ingemar, why don’t you head for the Marbled Mudflats?” She asks.

Ingemar crossed her arms. “Very well,” she said. “But there will not be many hiding places for me there.” She then adds. “Besides, my hunter suit gives me a vibe that would suit the retro suit nicely anyway.” “Right. The Yautja…” Jorah quips. “Otherwise known as the Predators.” Ingemar replies. “Can we get back to the mission planning?” Pearl asks. “Sorry.” Ingemar & Jorah say. “Right… Jorah, you’ll travel to the Carlylse Bog.” Said Pearl.

“I’ll be going in my Sailor Moon costume.” Jorah said. “You sure you don’t want to dress like someone else?” Rhodos asks. “Like… April O’Neil?” Jorah shakes my head. “Nope, my decision is made.” She answers. “Anyway, where will you go, Pearl?” Jorah asks her fellow Arch sage. “I’m going to the Rich Clay Swamp.” Pearl reveals. “Dressed like the ever-popular Princess Peach Toadstool.” Pearl then points to the Clay Jungle. “Coventina,” She starts.

“The Clay Jungle—” “I say nay to that!” Coventina interrupts. “Sister! What’s gotten into you?!” Rhodos asks, eyebrows furrowed in partial anger. “I had an adventure in the Clay Jungle last week!” Coventina answers. “Okay then.” Pearl calmly says. “Then which jungle do you want?” She then asks. “I had a dream of the Amazon last night,” Coventina says. “I shall be riding to the Amazon Jungle dressed like one of Don Bluth’s ladies!” She proclaimed.

“O…kay.” Pearl said, almost hesitant. “That leaves just you, Camilla.” Camilla giggles. “Dearest Pearl,” She said. “I’ve made up my decision as well.” Camilla then points to the Ancient Quarry. “Here’s my stop: The Ancient Quarry.” Camilla reveals. “And you may find me dressed like the fair Princess Zelda.” She adds. “Sounds good to me.” Pearl says. “Let’s recap then.” She then starts. “Rhodos. Clay Sea Desert, Pink Ariel dress.” She goes onto say.

“Leuconoe. Clay Marsh, Sarah Conner cosplay.” She then said. “Ingemar, you’re at the Marbled Mudflats with your hunter suit.” Pearl then says. “Jorah, you get the Carlylse Bog as Sailor Moon.” She continues. “Coventina, Amazon Jungle.” She went on. “Camilla, you’re at the Ancient Quarry as Zelda.” Pearl says. “And that leaves me with the Rich Clay Swamp.” She finalizes. “And you’ll be dressed as Princess Peach.” Rhodos states. Pearl nodded.

“Coventina, you didn’t specify who you’ll go as.” Rhodos notes. “I will cross that bridge later.” Coventina replies. Nevertheless, the 7 ½ Mermaids head to their rooms to dress up and begin a journey to different corners of the continent to dispel the retro sun that now hangs in the Olympian Skyline. Will they succeed in their mission? Or is the retro sun poised to hang around for a nice long while? The day of the Retro Sun in Olympus, has only just begun…

Rhodos, Pearl, Ingemar, Leucone, Jorah, Coventina, Camilla: Me