ExDraco: And now we're here at chapter 2!
Risk: So, what's gonna be in store for this round?
ExDraco: You'll find out. Though to summarise…
Xavier: He plans to feature another fight between you and Adrien.
ExDraco: How did you find out?!
Xavier: Using my powers I can see right through your thoughts!
Peleus: Honestly… I suppose I'm gonna be the one to talk about sensible stuff.
Risk: Uh huh? Like what? *completely ignores the author and Xavier's argument*
Peleus: Simple. ExDraco is featuring a new location system for his fanfics.
Risk: Location system?
Peleus: You'll find out.

Fallen Light

Chapter 2: Energy Manipulation

-Adrien-

Location: Twilight Forest
Date: 15th April 2179
Time: 5:56 AM
Historia: Present

"Tch… where is that asshole…"

I was currently looking for that asshole hybrid that the leader of my squad had ordered me to recapture with, and I quote, 'extreme prejudice, without holding back'. Although, if I actually tried to do that I believe I might end up killing him, and that would greatly disappoint Sir Zero, the leader of Betrayal Force. If you're wondering why his name sounds so strange, that's because its just his codename, I've never bothered to ask for his real name, and also because he told me never to ask.

At the current moment, I was still traversing the thick layout of Twilight Forest, where sources had informed me that I could find Peleus Altair, the supposed brother of Fallen Light, or Risk Altair, if you prefer his real name. I don't really care either way; I just want to get this over with. Twilight Forest was once a sacred place where one could harness the moonlight for medicinal properties, and if one soaked in them too long they could end up 'Moonlit', a state where they lose their mind and go crazy.

Not that I minded going crazy, since I was forced to act crazy around two years ago and Sir Zero described my personality as 'twisted, with a large hint of the longing for blood'. My mind instantly drifted off just for that brief moment, flashes of those long-past scenes being relived inside my mind. I slapped myself to get off those memories, and when my senses finally returned I found myself giggling maniacally, albeit at a very soft volume so only I could hear it. Then I felt the depressants injecting into my left thigh, and I felt those memories fade into black.

With a new six-hour lease of sanity, I put my focus back onto finding the group of those people and hybrids that made up the scouting group of the PPA, their leader being my sole target. Twilight Forest was relatively thick, and it was near impossible to spot anyone in this darkness of night, but it was a good thing that I had brought a pair of night vision goggles, loaned to me by the weapons and technology department, courtesy of Sir Zero.

It forced my vision to go a whole lot greener, but at least I could pinpoint any signs of human or hybrid life in this forest without issues, and since I doubt the PPA had any of this technology I bet I could spot them before they spotted me, giving me the distinct advantage I needed to finish the battle quickly and assassinate them all without much retaliation.

Though, at the current moment I hadn't had much luck, since I couldn't even sense a hint of life in this forest besides the occasional bird and forest creature dance across my night vision screen. Nothing humanoid in shape or size appeared on my monitors, and the results of this mission started to look bleak, without any hope of completing this with any good turnout.

At least, that's how it was until my ears picked up a rustling sound coming directly east of me. My acute senses and reflexes instantly responded and my green-ish vision instantly turned to the left. The scanner line went up and down a few times, the soft electronic hum was the only thing to accompany me while waiting for those few seconds. And then the excitement began, when I noticed green silhouettes appear on my night vision screen, and upon habit I giggled for a moment.

I was careful not to make a single sound, as any rustle of the grass would immediately alert them to my presence. I sneaked up on them, creeping behind the façade of two intertwining trees, and I saw them. From an elevated level of Twilight Forest, down below and in front of me was the entire party of the scum from the PPA, my target leading them. Peleus Altair had finally showed himself.

Not giving them a chance to react to my sudden assault, I sliced one in half with Leaf Blade, and in their confusion killed another with the same move, two down, and four to go. I stepped forward at the stunned soldiers, and my momentary hesitation gave them enough time to get over their shock. Immediately they let loose their arsenals and volleys of bullets and charging foolish humans armed with blades and the like, all with the intent of finishing me off.

I scoffed at their attempts, their completely futile efforts to fight me off. What could mere grunts do to harm me? I used 'Stealth Camo', and dashed off to the side, using their sudden confusion as the sign that I had completely disappeared from their line of sight. The soldiers were confused, but the two leading weren't. Peleus and the kid that was right beside him before I had attacked rushed to the back to view my handiwork while the other two soldiers stood on guard. Taking advantage of their lowered guard, I swiped my tail upwards, the bright green after-slash of Leaf Blade trailing my tail through the poor maimed soul.

I made my mistake right there, letting down my guard. It was one of the most important lessons Sir Zero taught me, and yet I make that mistake from time to time. In that instant, a bullet pierced my left thigh, and it immediately erupted in sheer pain. Wrath filled my eyes when I spun my head, and before my eyes was a shivering soldier armed with his rifle, metaphorical smoke rising from the barrel.

I took one step forward, the first part in a much more potent technique. I dashed forward, combining my agility with my Stealth Camo ability, using it mid-dash to create a disappearing charge attack. With my sudden vanishing act, even the soldier looked around with utmost caution simply to determine my whereabouts. Little did they know that I was really just in front of them. Two quick swipes through the soldier standing in front of me and he resulted in mere corpses, pools of sparkling red staining the ground and unfortunately, my tail in the process.

All of the soldiers were now defeated, and the only one left was their leader, and my target. Actually my mission wasn't to eliminate him, but to capture him. For what reason I have no idea, but since it was a request that came straight from Sir Zero, I could do little but accept and perhaps I was compelled to.

"Who might you be, assassin?" questioned Peleus.

"Please, don't compare me to a mere assassin, I am Sir Zero's personal warrior, Adrien Mercer. You'll find, however, that I do not show even a shred of mercy, unlike my last name."

"Sir Zero… That would be the leader of the Betrayal Force, I gather?"

"Enough talk. You will not get any more information out of me. My orders were to capture you, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!" I shouted, dashing forward and using that same vanishing technique.

Strange, where is the kid he was with earlier? Did he escape? No matter, I'll eliminate this fool first.

Peleus unsheathed his sword, and the silver blade glowed brightly in the moonlight, a majestic and sleek sword that strangely matched his style. He took on a defensive stance, one of the many battle stances that Sir Zero had taught me. It was commonly known as the 'Nine-Sphere' stance, an all-out defensive stance that allowed the user to effectively block any incoming attack from any direction. It was also known as the 'Perfect Guard', but only if one could use it very well. Let's test how strong his defense is.

I struck from behind him, and his ear twitched for that small instant before I charged, as if he was hearing my movements. He immediately blocked my attack, and then switched to an attacking stance and his blade struck the side of my rifle. It was a good thing my rifle was made of carbon steel, a compressed metal that could not be destroyed or broken easily. I skidded to a stop in front of him, only to see him charge when my eyesight recovered, sword raised.

I sidestepped to the far right, using Stealth Camo to blend in and vanish once again. He halted his attack mid-dash, and took on a cautious look once more, constantly spinning his head left and right to try to anticipate my attack. While I was invisible, I had a window of time to think of a plan, and since this guy is a sub-leader of the PPA, I really did need one as of now.

"Come out of hiding, you coward! Face me straight on! Let's see who's more powerful!"

I kept silent, knowing that if I spoke even a word or made even a sound my cover would be blown and even more danger would come my way. I struck once more at instantaneous speeds, my Leaf Blade clashing with his silver blade, the force of the clash causing waves of pure force to fly outwards in all directions, the ground responding with pieces and fragments of the earth flying outward.

I jumped off the clash, somersaulting through the air and landing on my feet a fair distance from Peleus. It was at that moment when things began to go serious.

"I have no time for this!" he shouted, his words obviously directed at me as he took a stance with his blade's tip pointing backwards behind his back, the blade began to glow accompanied by a soft hum.

"Silver Fenrir, Awaken!" Pure energy erupted from him, and the earth responded even more fiercely, the silver aura that surrounded him resembled violent flames being blown apart by a ripping typhoon. The surrounding force condensed, a silvery energy taking shape just in front of him. It began to grow legs, a mane, a snout, and it's physical form solidified into a wolf.

This must be the blade of legend I've been hearing about. 'Argentum, the Silver Fenrir', and its true form, a wolf with a shining silver mane that can move at beyond godlike speeds.

"Lost Limit! Force Stream!" The wolf charged forward at speeds beyond anything imaginable, a trail of golden mist following its silhouette, the only evidence that it even existed in motion, its speeds making it literally impossible to track with the naked eye.

"What the-" I didn't even get to finish my exclamation of shock before I got smashed by a godlike-speed body at full force, the only sounds out of my mouth were a instantaneous 'Oof!'. My stomach convulsed in pain, and my arms instinctively clutched my stomach in pain, trying my best to not lose my concentration.

I must not lose concentration… I need to focus!

This time, my mind was clear. A rare occurrence, but it does come to me from time to time. I watched closely, and easily anticipated the attack coming, dodging out of the way and vanishing into the surroundings. The wolf stopped instantly; with no target most probably it was confused and didn't know what to do next. Peleus' only orders were to stay on guard, most probably for my appearance. While they looked left to right and stayed sharp and aware of the potential danger, I sneaked around to behind them, in the cover of some nearby trees.

I climbed to the top, careful not to rustle the leaves of the trees too much, in case I alert them to my presence. At the top of the evergreen trees, I unslung my rifle, arming it with five rounds of my favorite explosive bullets. My cover instantly exposed itself, and I shouted 'Vastitas!', releasing all five rounds, one-hundred and twenty bullets in total in a volley of bullets, even the godlike dashing wolf was too shocked to even think about dodging them.

A chain of explosions erupted on the ground below me, and when the smoke cleared all I saw were the charred remains of Peleus, barely breathing with drips of blood staining the brown soil, his clothes nearly burnt to a crisp. I leaped down, re-slinging my rifle on my back in the process. Landing on my feet, I walked slowly over to his body, and just out of a little evil I kicked his stomach, more evil than to check if he was still alive. Still, I got the intended response of him coughing out a whole lot of blood, his reaction proof enough he still was alive, albeit barely.

I lifted him up, and was immediately thankful that he wasn't too heavy. As I prepared the portal device that Sir Zero had provided for me, I scanned the battlefield once more. There was something missing…

Where's his sword? Shouldn't it be here?

My thoughts were broken by the low hums of the portal opening, a weak suction pulling nearby flecks of dust being sucked in.

Oh, well. I suppose I should get going. I'm already late, and I really don't want to make Sir Zero wait any longer.

I jumped into the portal, the spiraling green the last thing I saw before I warped back to the HQ.

-Xaleil-

Location: Outskirts of Gehenna Plains, on the way to Vernier Forest
Date: 15th April 2179
Time: 6:23 AM
Historia: Present

Oh, man… I am so screwed. I need to get to 'that' place immediately! Brigadier General Peleus is counting on me!

Oh, right, I suppose I should explain how I managed to get away from that psycho who captured the commander. Well, it all happened like this.

Time: 5:46 AM
Historia: Past

Our entire party was taking a nice walk through Twilight Forest, taking the same route as merchants did long ago. After all, Twilight Forest was a place that was more than two thousand years ago, and it was only in the recent years did anyone decide to make this a forest. Just some backstory, Twilight Forest used to be known as Moonlight Plains, back when trees were scarce and only merchants used this place as a pass to other better-known places of the world.

Anyway, at present we were travelling with a party of six, Brigadier General Peleus, with me at his side, and another four soldiers that were part of a Grade S squad, some of the best fighters we have in the PPA. Of course, I was much more powerful than any of them. I was Brigadier General Peleus' assigned partner, allocated by the Marshal himself.

We passed by numerous different trees, though in the dead of night it really just looked like all the surrounding nature blended with each other, making it impossible to notice their differences. Brigadier General Peleus was like a father figure to me, since I had no family of my own, and he was very particular about my… education. He personally tutored me, on many subjects. Though the most interesting one was still 'Combat', I particularly put 'Natural Biology' as second favorite.

Due to that, I was very used to seeing many different species of creatures and plants, particularly rare herbs. I could differentiate plants very easily, but in this darkness I could hardly make out anything. Truth be told, I was surprised I was even chosen for this mission, there were plenty of people that were so much more suited for the job, but Commander Peleus picked me.

"While there may be many more people more skilled and more suited for the mission, I can't trust them as well as I trust you. There's no one I would rather have for this mission." Brigadier General Peleus had said on the day we left.

I was honored, of course. But with each passing day we faced more and more dangers and each time I couldn't help but chicken out. Brigadier General Peleus was always looking out for me, and I was more of a burden than help. Even as we stepped into Twilight Forest my courage deserted me and left me with a void of nerves. I couldn't help being paranoid, particularly in this time of night. I really hated the dark.

I suppose Brigadier General Peleus' senses were sharper than I thought, and once he saw my head looking downward deep in thought, his words snapped me back to reality, "Reminiscing, Xaleil?"

I looked up in a panicky way, and my eyes met Commander Peleus. He was quite taller than me, so I constantly had to look up when I talked to him. The first thing I learned in the PPA was that to one should always look at the person when talking to him or her, so one could show the person utmost respect. I took that lesson to heart.

"It's nothing, Brigadier General Peleus. Its just…"

"Ah, now I remember. You're not too fond of the dark, are you?"

"…No… I'm not."

"Ah, then I see the problem. Well, there's not much we can do for now. It'll be another four hours until sunrise, so until then I hope you can bear with it. We'll be out of Twilight Forest in a couple of hours, and then you'll get to see the sun, alright?"

"Alright, I'll stop thinking about it then."

My ears twitched, picking up gossiping whispers from behind me. Ever since I had turned into a Plusle-hybrid, my hearing had become much more sensitive, and I could pick up even the faintest of sounds.

"Man, I think the Brigadier General dotes on the kid too much." The first of the four soldiers walking behind us said.

"Yeah, I mean, the Brigadier General acts as if the kid is his younger brother or something. Jumping in just to save him from danger and all. And now just because the kid is scared of the dark the Brigadier General's consoling him! The kid really needs to grow up." The second agreed.

"Hey, come on guys. So the Brigadier General likes him and treats him like a little brother. That doesn't give us the right to be gossiping behind his back, so shut it. Try to remember, the Brigadier General lost his little brother last year." The third retorted.

"You're right… maybe this is his way of atonement. Let's just keep quiet, or the kid and the commander will hear us." The fourth made all of them shut it, after ending the conversation with a neutral standpoint. I have to say, the fourth seems to be the smartest.

After that it was just plain silence. The only sounds were the occasional whooshing wind that blew past the branches of the trees that lined the two sides of the path and our feet trampling and rustling the grass below us. It was peaceful, for once, a rarity on dangerous quests like this one.

At least, that's how it was until we heard impossibly loud screams behind us. The two soldiers at the back of the group screamed for a moment, before their voices were hushed, and a pair of glowing red snake eyes appeared as its eyelids uncovered the irises, a silhouette of a hybrid accompanying it. The figure vanished off into the trees, leaving the two corpses of maimed souls behind. Brigadier General Peleus and I rushed to see what happened, and the sight almost forced my stomach to convulse in disgust.

He had used a Leaf Blade technique, slicing through the two soldiers clean through, leaving nothing but four parts of disembodied humans, their blood and organs spilling onto the ground. It was the most disgusting sight I had ever seen. But, it wasn't as surprising as what happened next.

I heard Brigadier General Peleus whisper to me, and it sounded like a direct order.

"Listen, Xaleil, when the assassin returns and attacks again, I want you to 'Spark' into hiding, and don't come out until the battle is over, got it? If I should lose this battle, I want you to take my sword and head to Zone C-35, and get there within the next three hours, before daylight. My sword will be at that bush over there," He paused, before pointing to a bush directly left, then he continued, "Hide there, and get out if things go bad, got it?"

"Huh? But Peleus-"

I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence before another streak of green energy flashed across the air, taking out another soldier and leaving him in the same state as the previous two. I followed Brigadier General Peleus' orders, using my warp ability 'Spark', which is similar to Brigadier General Peleus' 'Blaze', I warped to the bush he had pointed at earlier, and watched the whole scene unfurl from there.

The assassin got unlucky, taking a shot in the left thigh from the remaining soldier, but eventually even the last soldier was taken out. Brigadier General Peleus unsheathed Argentum, and the battle got even more intense. Argentum began with a Force Stream attack, but missed the assassin completely! There has never been anyone who was able to block, much less dodge that attack! The battle went left and right, each fighter exchanging blows. But eventually Commander Peleus was defeated, and that assassin opened a portal, with both their silhouette disappearing into the rift.

Once the battle had ended, I looked around in the bush, until something sparkled in my eye. I picked up Argentum, the same place Brigadier General Peleus told me it would be. With determination in my eyes, I used Spark, keeping the intervals between each use of the skill as short as possible as I warped through the forest, and eventually I reached the exit. It was still dark out, which meant it was still as terrifying as it was back in the forest, but I forced myself to keep going.

Time: 6:31 AM
Historia: Present

As of now, I'm still using Spark to get to Zone C-35, where Commander Peleus said to go. I had a squadron of Betrayal Force soldiers on my tail a couple of minutes ago, but it looks like I've shaken them off. Oh, I hope I can get there in time.

-Risk-

Location: Vernier Forest: Central Hideout
Date: 15th April 2179
Time: 6:49 AM
Historia: Present

I sat at the table, Xavier sitting exactly opposite me. We both had our poker faces on, staring at each other as if the both of us had just committed some sort of grave crime. Xavier revealed his hand from under the table, the very deciding factor contained within his very palm. He unclenched his fist, and in a flash flicked his thumb upwards, the object flying skyward before eventually landing back on his palm. We made our bets, then and there.

"Heads!" I shouted, taking the opportunity to make the decision.

"Then I'll go for tails!" He retorted, revealing his palm to check the face of the coin inside.

It showed the crest of Pylius, along with the date, and year the coin was made. That face of the coin… was heads!

"Aw yeah! I won again!"

"Aw man, this is the two-hundred and fifty ninth time!"

"Looks like you lose, Xavier, now fork over the cash."

He handed me a wad of cash, and I smiled a surprisingly evil grin.

"So, wanna keep playing? Cos' you know you'll just lose again!"

"Nah, I'm gonna need some time to recoup my losses. Man, you're good at gambling. Family trait?"

"Not at all, just something I picked up as a kid. Luck skyrockets for me every time!" I snickered; amused by the infinitesimal number of times Xavier might've lost to me if he kept going. Just thinking about how many Lyrions I could get just by gambling with the richest people in the high-tech cities of Pylius was literally enough to make dollar signs appear in my eyes, and I could've sworn I saw Xavier rolling his eyes, not that I can blame him.

"So, what do you want to do now? It's been peaceful for the last couple of days. Partially due to Vernier Forest's automatic warping abilities, we haven't had much action for the last couple of days. So, what do you want to do?"

"No plans, Xavier. As of late, I'm still researching the Fallen Light powers and I've only managed to come up with so little. I'll be doing some more digging and hopefully I'll get to the bottom of this."

"Right… I hope you won't mind if I go out to town for a couple of hours."

"What do you plan to do, Xavier? You know your physical mutations are too noticeable for anyone to not be able to see them in public." I reminded him.

"I know, but I was planning on doing some shopping, with the Lyrions I have left."

"You know, if you need a loan, don't be afraid to ask, that gambling spree really was just for fun. Since we'll be working together, the money we have is practically shared. And don't be so prideful to be unable to ask for a favor. Now, what is it that you wanted to buy?"

"Oh, it was just some supplies that I wanted to buy. I wanted to stock us up on emergency supplies just in case we might have to leave Vernier Forest one of these days."

"Oh, if it was just that, you have no cause for alarm. We have plenty of emergency rations stocked in the back room. You don't need to go out, and besides I don't want to risk Betrayal Force finding you and capturing you. I think we better stay here unless we really don't have a choice."

"Alright then… I'll stay here."

Seeing as we were both in agreement, I left him to his thoughts as he headed back to his bedroom in my little hideout here in Vernier Forest, while I headed outside the cave labyrinth for some fresh air. I had been cooped up inside for most of the morning, and majority of the time I had been gambling with Xavier. Not that I could complain, with the eighty thousand Lyrions I got from him. I was quite surprised he had that much money on him, though.

The cave's darkness soon faded into bright morning sunshine as my walk through the caves came to and end. A strong breeze of fresh grassy air struck me in the face as my eyes squinted from the light rays, taking a good two seconds to get used to. I put on a sky blue cap, a rarity for me to be wearing, but the sun just was something too bright for me not to block out for the day. My hands slipped into my jean pockets, and my legs moved on their own, taking me for a walk through Vernier Forest, the same route I had taken for a long while.

It was peaceful, like many days here on my safe haven. No one ever found me here in Vernier Forest, well, except for some Betrayal Force soldiers on some particularly unlucky days. Summer was coming to an end, and autumn was almost upon us. In response, the trees had begun to shed their leaves, the green feathers of nature changing into a multitude of colors. They came in a wide variety, red, orange, brown, and a whole lot of colors in between. The leaves fluttered down to the ground almost everyday and like a shower of falling petals, the green grass that dotted the landscape of Vernier Forest now covered in a blanket of leaves.

This made today's walk that much more interesting. And little did I know, it was today that just got much more twisted.

It happened at the edge of the forest, where I usually went when I wanted a little peace of mind and a glimpse into the outside world. But this time, instead of peace and quiet a loud panting noise blew along with the gentle breeze, and a string of electric sparks dotted the land below the large hill that Vernier Forest had recently warped to. I watched as the sparks appeared and vanished just as quickly, their pattern quite erratic as they seemed to get closer and closer…

Wait, is it just me… or are those sparks headed for us?!

I thought too late, the sparks dashed towards me, and struck me straight in the chest, sending me flying back into the tress. A silhouette appeared from the sparks, and upon first sight I realized the sparks weren't electric, it was a kid! A plusle-hybrid!

I jumped down from the branches he had knocked me into, and took a closer look at him, taking note of everything I saw. Grey hair, shorter than me, looks around fourteen, cream-colored streak across his hair, slightly cream tinged skin, plusle ears, plus signs on the back of his palms. And in his hands…

No way… is that the silver blade I saw Imperius wielding on the night of our escape? How did this kid come to have it? Ah, stupid! I should get him inside the hideout; his injuries look serious!

I picked him up, and thankfully he wasn't in the least bulky or heavy, being quite younger than me. I slung the silver sword he had carried along with him over my back, and carrying his body the way a mother would carry her baby (that sounds weird) and rushed through the forest. The grass split from the ground and clouds of dust trailed my steps, my silhouette going at top speeds to reach the cave that was quite the distance from the edge of the forest. There wasn't long to wait, however. Within a matter of seconds the cave entrance came into view, the particularly dense part of the forest concealing the entrance to the cave, in case of invaders.

The forest blended together in a blur of green and brown, my feet running at fleeting speeds into the cave entrance, through the elaborate labyrinth of cave corridors and finally into the hideout itself. Xavier was nowhere to be found, I could only assume he had already left for his trip into town, which was fine by me. Hopefully I could patch this guy's wounds by myself. I proceeded to the room that I had set aside for hospital purposes, and put the guy on a bed that I had guiltily stolen from a Betrayal Force hospital. I suppose that wasn't too fair, but then again all's fair in love and war.

Once I set him down, my shallow breathing subsided, slowly stabilizing to a gentler pace, with me taking much deeper breaths to make up for the lack of oxygen on my way here. I relaxed for a short moment, before I set to work, preparing whatever medical supplies I had salvaged from my lab raids over these six months. I mentally reviewed the list of items that I could use as of now: bandages, medicinal cream, cooling patch for fever, and a couple of other stuff that seemed unimportant.

I raised his shirt to reveal his abdominal area, the bright yellow color of the T-shirt concealing the deep gash that was planted there. A steady stream of blood still leaked out the side of the wound, originally staining the back of the shirt and currently staining the bed with its crimson shade. I quickly grabbed a bunch of cotton, and sprayed the antiseptic that I found among the medicinal supplies. I slowly dabbed it on the wound, careful to do it cautiously in fear of it being infected. Now THAT would be a serious problem, if it should arise.

He winced in pain at the cold sting of the antiseptic spray, which was a normal reaction, even in unconsciousness. His body recoiled for a moment there, probably out of instinct, but I somehow managed to keep his body from jerking too much and slowly cleaned the wound out. Once the blood had dried and the wound was cleaned, I began applying the bandages to it, though with a gash that big I had to resort to the really serious injuries type of bandages, wrapping it around his abdomen like a mummification process.

Soon the entire process was done, and I lifted my hands from his body. I tugged on his shirt, covering the bandage that now concealed the wound, and wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead, the entire experience clearly taxing my mental nerves. I washed my hands in a nearby flowing underground spring, the 'cave' version of a sink. Heaving a sigh of relief, I walked out of the 'hospital room', leaving the injured plusle-hybrid to rest. At that point, I heard the familiar shuffling of footsteps coming down the stone steps that lead to the upper levels of the hideout, and I almost panicked for a moment. The familiar flygon showed his face, and relaxation overtook my worries.

"Hey, Risk. What happened? You look like you've been through a great ordeal."

"I have! In case you haven't noticed, I'm panting my lungs out here!"

"Alright, chill. What's the problem?"

"We have an injured hybrid in the infirmary, that's what."

"What!? Let me take a look at him!" He rushed into the infirmary, tossing the supplies he had bought on his trip to town at my face, leaving my poor head to take the impact of the overpowering amount of items he had purchased, and I could've sworn I heard myself yelp.

Once my face had recovered from being squashed like a pancake, I joined Xavier in the infirmary, and he looked even more worried than I was. This is so cliché, when I'm worried, Xavier's relaxed, and now we switch places! He was closely examining the unconscious hybrid's wound, and his facial muscles tensed like they had some problem relaxing.

"What seems to be the problem, Xavier? You seem so… tensed."

"You didn't notice, did you? I suppose I can't blame you, nightshade poison is really difficult to pick out."

Wait… POISON!? WHEN THE HELL DID THAT CROP UP!?

He continued explaining, "Nightshade poison comes from the sap of the nightshade trees, grown very rarely in this part of Pylius. They're commonly found in the upper arctic regions of Pylius, growing particularly well in freezing temperatures. The colder their growing temperatures are, the deadlier the poison. The poison's symptoms can be easily distinguished by these black veins from the wound," He gestured to the black crack-like veins growing out of the bandage, "but it is very hard to cure it even after identifying the poison."

"Then, would you happen to have a solution? I need to ask him something when he wakes up."

"I might, but it may take a couple hours to work."

"Do whatever you can, I'll try to prepare something herbal."

I left him to his antics, my last glimpse of him featured his palms facing the unconscious plusle, palms wide open and mysterious wisps of faint light dancing off his fingers, dissipating upon contact with the poisonous veins. I had no time to worry about what he was doing; however, I had to prepare something that I had learned how to prepare over the last six months.

Truth be told, I was no good at herbalism and the like, in fact I probably wouldn't be able to tell a normal tree from an oak tree from a willow tree even if I stared at the three for six hours. I was never any good with herbs and medicinal plants, but my mother was. She'd make herbal remedies for whenever my brother and I got sick, tired, or just plain injured.

I never bothered to learn any of the recipes my mother ever made, the only thing that I could say was that I regretted not learning them after I became a hybrid. If I did, those recipes would come in handy thousands of times in the span of one month, the danger level of being a hybrid fighting against the Betrayal Force on a scale of one to ten was infinite upon infinity.

But still, in these six months I had managed to learn one recipe, albeit from memory of my mother making it multiple times. It served as a rejuvenation remedy, healing both injuries, and doing wonders to replenish lost energy. It did absolutely nothing to counteract poison, though, so for that I would have to leave it to Xavier's expertise.

I entered the kitchen that I had made in the caves over the months since I found Vernier Forest and this hideout, and sitting there was everything I needed. Thankfully the forest warped near a swamp very recently, and I was able to gather a treasure trove of herbs thanks to it. Thank you, Elpius was the first thing I thought when I came back. I quickly set to work, boiling a pot of water over the fire, started by gas stoves that I had (again) stolen from Betrayal Force facilities. Come to think of it, almost all the electrical stuff I had here was stuff I raided from my enemies, so I guess they weren't completely useless and annoying.

The water soon heated to a boil, numerous bubbles of air rising to the surface that created a continuous popping sound that covered the kitchen entirely. The water continued to boil, as I worked directly beside it, preparing the herbs to be boiled. There were many different ways to prepare herbs for boiling, and various different herbs had various different ways of preparation. For example, Enixious, a type of herb that did wonders to heal injuries, was best prepared for boiling by first removing the flowers and stalk to leave only the leaves behind, then chopping the leaves into tiny little flakes.

I dropped the first of herbs into the boiling water, and the transparency shifted to a natural green. The second batch of herbs were dropped, and from green it changed to a turquoise color, green and blue mixed, after all. The third batch of herbs was boiled, and from turquoise it slowly changed into a cyan color, the wonderful glow that colored the morning sky. I then proceeded to stir the herbs in together with a ladle, sprinkling in an herb that was commonly used in spices, just to make the medicine easier to take in.

I turned off the gas; the fire shrinking until it completely vanished, leaving no traces of its existence. Lifting the pot of cyan boiling water off the stove, I balanced it on the side of the table for a short instant and used my free hand to place a sieve on the pot itself, to make sure no leaves accidentally get inhaled. With the sieve in place, I poured the boiling water into ten separate bottles, and then put in in the fridge, which wasn't powered by electricity, but by Xavier's ice abilities; handy, isn't it?

The bottles had to be frozen to cold temperatures before taken out to defrost before they could be taken as medicine. If done wrongly, the medicine could prove to be fatal if one took too big a dose or if the preparation was flawed. Or at least, that's what I remember my mother telling me in the past. I took a break, placing the pot and the other materials I used in a mini-waterfall that I had created by breaking the wall above to let the water flow in, so that they could be washed and ready for the next use. My muscles slowly relaxed in the seat of the table in the main room of the hideout, my eyes irresistibly closing as the strenuous worrying finally came to an end.

The next time my eyes opened, I realized I had dozed off without realizing it. Xavier was seated directly opposite me, in the exact same position that we were in when we were gambling earlier.

"So, you're finally awake. I was wondering when you'd finally open your eyes, you sleepy-head."

"Oh, shut up. So, how's the plusle? Is the poison purged from his systems yet?"

"He's fine, the nightshade has been completely eliminated from his system, and I collected the remaining liquid in a bottle, in case it comes in handy."

"Ooookay… I'll try to find something useful for that I suppose."

"So, where's that herbal remedy you were talking about?"

"Oh, right! I should take out the liquid to defrost before giving it to the hybrid."

I walked over to the fridge, all the way in the kitchen, and took out all ten bottles to defrost. I put it in the place where I would usually do laundry, not that we needed laundry since we weren't that well-to-do and we didn't have luxuries like buying clothes, so we just stuck to our everyday outfits. Anyway, I placed the bottles on a metal tray and put it in the sun, under a skylight that would let the sun's rays and heat shine down on one sole area. The sun would speed up the defrosting process, and I was in and out in ten minutes. I took one bottle of the herbal medicine, and poured it into a cup, lacing it with sweet honey to mask the bitter taste. The rest of the unused medicine was stored in a wooden cabinet, to be used when the need arose again.

I took the teacup to the infirmary, passing by Xavier who was snoozing on the table with his head leaning on his forearms, and was relieved to see that the hybrid had finally come round.

"Hey, glad to see you're finally awake." I said, his momentary confusion causing him to look around and scan his surroundings for a moment.

"Here, drink this," I carefully placed the cup in his lap, after which he held it within his palms, "it'll make you feel better."

He glanced at me, then at the cup, then back at me and said, "Alright!" With no hesitation he began sipping the remedy as if he was sipping tea, the faint bitter taste of the medicine an obvious normality to him. I just hoped the sweet taste of the honey would mask majority of the medicine's taste.

"This tastes good, what is it?"

"It's… actually a herbal medicine. If you say it tastes good that means the honey did its job well."

His expression changed, and then he said, "Oh, so it was the honey. Well, I'm feeling a lot better now, the medicine must really have a strong effect."

"I suppose so."

"Ah! I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Xaleil, Xaleil Impetus."

-?-

Location: Skyward Peak, Icarus Resistance HQ
Date: 15th April 2179
Time: 8:31 AM
Historia: Present

A flash of light streaked across my black vision, lighting it up to a mix between white, orange, red and yellow, a bright mixture of colors that would have given me a seizure if I didn't open up my eyes in shock. My body bolted up instinctively, the sheets of the bed that covered me flipped off in an instant, my head feeling massive pain as it knocked into someone else's, causing a sudden scream followed by the distinct sounds of moaning and groaning, not that I wasn't participating.

I rubbed my forehead, the red swell already beginning to appear. When my vision finally cleared, I managed to look down at the person that had the audacity to even try something like that. My sight spotted an orange horn, and a certain crimson red hairband holding back a bundle of raven black hair tied in a ponytail. My eyes moved downward again, I spotted forest green irises and a distinct orange horn that grew out of the person's forehead, and I saw a fair complexion… No doubt about it, that person is…

"Raven! What did I tell you about waking me up like that!"

"Haha! I know what you said," she paused, then closed her eyes and said, in a perfect annoying imitation of my voice, "If you ever wake me up like that, so help me I will send you to the land of souls there and back a hundred times." And then she switched back to her voice, "but I can't help it! Your expression each time is priceless!"

"How do I stand you is beyond me… So, any reason you woke me up at, " I paused to check the analogue clock that was hung on the wall that my bed was against, "8.30 in the morning? You know I like sleeping late when there isn't anything important."

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot. I thought you might want to know; 'Virtue' Excius is back from his mission."

"What? Excius is back already? Well, then, I better go and see what he obtained from his mission. Please tell Excius that I will see him in ten minutes. Please ask him to wait for me in the central portal room."

"Very well, Lady 'Seraphim' Serene." She said, switching back into a formal tone.

She left the room, without another word, her footsteps barely making a sound as she trudged across the marble floor and the door clicked open as she turned it's doorknob, her silhouette disappearing beyond the my line of sight as the door closed shut. Now that I was alone, I quickly got out of bed; I had only ten minutes, after all. Changing from my nightgown into my priest robe, my normal appearance here at our headquarters, I grabbed my rapier on my way out and left my quarters to its silence.

There were already many angels walking around, awake to begin their early morning missions. Many were still in bed, just as many were waking up and leaving for the day, and just as many had already left. I passed by more than one door, and beyond each door contained a living quarter for three or more angels. Bunkrooms, the modern world called it. With each angel I passed, they bowed their heads in respect, and honor that I still felt embarrassed to be given even until now.

I suppose an explanation is in order. This is Skyward Peak, the tallest and most treacherous mountain in the entire world of Pylius, and where the Icarus Resistance had built their headquarters. It served two functions, a place where the warrior angels could hold up and plan their missions, and a gate to Limitless Village, a sanctuary for all hybrids who wished to live their lives in peace. I joined the Icarus Resistance around two years ago, just after I had turned into a Braviary-hybrid.

The hierarchy or ranks here at the Icarus Resistance followed the angelic hierarchy, and I was currently at the highest rank, 'Seraphim' or 'Seraph'. The 'angels' I referred to were the multitude of hybrids at the lowest rank here at the Icarus Resistance, warrior angels who carried out small missions and jobs. The 'Archangels' were one rank above the normal angels, and they were leader angels that commanded small groups of normal angels.

The hierarchy is split up even more, with the 'Rulers' commanding three to four Archangel groups at once, and they were usually the ones for the Archangels to report to after their missions, and being a Ruler really is torturous (I speak from experience, sadly), since most of the time their just doing a whole lot of filing and sorting of reports. Together these three make up the 'Third Sphere' of the angel hierarchy.

Those reports are then given to the 'Authorities', the 'librarians' of the Icarus Resistance who guard the archives, both past and present pieces of writing that are being kept there. They don't do much else, but the occasional Authority may be chosen to do other guard-based jobs. After them come the 'Virtues'. They are often referred to as commanders of a large portion of the Icarus Resistance, and they command around four to five Rulers, which in turn commands around twenty to twenty-five Archangel teams.

And above them would be the 'Dominions', which were also known as the champions of the Icarus Resistance. In this position would be a select few angels that had extremely adept abilities in battle. These three ranks made up the 'Second Sphere' of the hierarchy.

Which leads me to the top three: Ophanim, Cherubim and Seraphim. There were only three of us, one taking each place. These three made up the 'First Sphere', the highest-ranking angels here at the Icarus Resistance. I was at the top of the entire hierarchy, Seraphim, after the previous one had retired to Limitless Village. My assistant was Raven Eltear, the girl that liked to wake me up with crazy and 'devious' ways, a Dominion and my personal friend.

It seemed the entire walk had ended earlier than I had thought, it was over in five minutes, and the angels that buzzed in and out of the portals that served as the entrance and exit of the headquarters were paid no heed by my mind. I walked down the flight of stairs that lead to the central hall, where the central portal was located, just in between of the two flights of stairs that lead to the upper level, curved in a way that it looked almost like a grand hall.

In the middle of the central hall floor was the Icarus Resistance insignia, a holy orb spreading four white wings, two were spread wide open and two curved, half-spread. Standing on that very depiction was 'Virtue' Excius, someone I had asked to take care of a mission for me. Upon seeing me, his posture and body language changed from a casual one to standing straight with his hands beside him. I walked slowly towards him, taking step by step slowly, with no sense of hurrying.

"Welcome back, Excius. How was your mission?"

"Well, Lady Serene-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before I stepped forward at blinding speed and pointed my rapier at his throat, causing him to gulp.

"Getting careless, Excius?"

"I could say the same about you, Lady Serene."

I looked down, and I saw that his sword was unsheathed as well, pointed at close range at my abdominal area, the same length as my rapier was from his throat.

"Hmm, I suppose we could call this a draw. And stop calling me 'Lady', you know how it makes me feel."

"Oh, does it embarrass you, Lady-"

I rushed forward and gave him a hard knock on the head, causing him to grip his head in pain while mumbling, "Ow…" This also gave Raven, who was standing quite close to our little meeting, quite the shock.

"I said, SERENE. No 'LADY'. Get it?"

"Alright, alright, I concede defeat, okay? Man, you're scary when you get serious, Serene."

"Good, and don't you forget that. Come on, we'll head to the Tri-Room for our discussion. As for you, Raven, you're free for the day, perhaps you might want to check on your brother, Heath? He always likes seeing you whenever you have time."

"Good idea. Thank you for giving me some free time, Lady Serene."

Excius and I watched as Raven blended into the crowd, disappearing beyond the multitude of hybrids and vanishing into the depths of the portal that lead to Limitless Village. Once she had gone to Limitless Village, Excius and I made our way to the Tri-Room, a place much like a throne room but it was consolidated among the First Sphere of angels. Each of us had a throne, and the room was built just like a courtroom, but it was completely made of precious metals such as gold and silver, and the Icarus Resistance insignia was plastered on the wall above the three thrones.

The majestic white ivory door was pushed open, and the glory of the Tri-Room lay within. The current Ophanim and Cherubim were nowhere to be seen, and my only guess would be that they would be somewhere where they could battle and spar with each other; they always liked to keep their skills sharp. Though, for our little discussion, peace and quiet was exactly what we needed. Excius and I headed to behind the Seraphim throne, and into my little 'office', as many people called it. I shut the door with a faint thud, and opened the curtains, letting the rays of sunlight illuminate the room.

"Well, now that we're alone, I would like your full report on your mission, Excius."

"Alright, Serene. Where would you like me to start?

-Excius-

Location: Survival Lab Ruins
Date: 14th April 2179
Time: 5:46 PM
Historia: Past

Under the orders of Lady 'Seraphim' Serene, I undertook her personal mission. It was sort of a scouting mission, but more of spying than scouting. She had wanted me to gather information on a certain individual by the codename of 'Lapsus'. Doing as she commanded, I departed from Skyward Peak at 5 PM sharp, and set out for the ruins of the Survival Lab where traces of a Fallen Angel energy was detected around six months ago. According to Lady Serene, the First Sphere of angels had originally wanted to send out a search party when they first detected the Fallen Angel energy traces, but they were short of numbers to compose one, and after six months she supposed the other two had forgotten about it. She hadn't, however, and this mission was solely dedicated to that.

My speed was impressive, and that same comment came from many hybrids around me, allowing me to move at lightning flash speeds that got me to my destinations fairly quickly. I dashed through the woods and plains and many other landscaped just blurred past me as my speed took me flying through them all, leaving nothing but a trail of dust and a dark blue silhouette behind. After all, I am a Swellow-hybrid. The most distinct mutation I had obtained from being a hybrid was the pair of wings that resembled a majestic Swellow, with a wide wingspan and sharp tips to reduce drag and increase speed. The wings were not only good for flying but they also helped when I needed extra speed on the ground.

Soon, I reached the border of the destroyed forest, and I walked through the green trees into a field of blackened soil, with charred tree stumps and near-collapsing tree branches dotting the landscape of the once beautiful forest. It was a place of devastation, a wide circle of blackened soil with a radius of two miles, and just beyond its edge were the remaining parts of the forest that survived the blast or whatever was unleashed here.

This time, I walked slowly, using my sharp eyes to observe every detail of the charred area, and with each tree I passed the situation became more and more intriguing. The trees weren't charred by fire, because the nature of the blackened spots were spiked in one direction, as if an outward blast of enormous power was unleashed right at the center of this wide circle. The soil was charred, but when I dug through the first layer of soil I found that even underneath the soil was charred, something no normal explosion or blaze could do.

Eventually, my search came to the center of the circle, which was a massive structure that once looked like something, but now it was just charred ruins of bricks and stone, and nearly three-quarters of it looked like it had disintegrated, with the dust scattering on the outside like outward facing ashes. The outside structure still seemed to actually look like a lab, but the inside had suffered worse, if you could even tell the difference between the two now that only a few structures and walls still stood upright while the rest had been reduced to dust.

I stepped 'in', if you could even call this place an indoor area, and continued my observation, which was my job here, after all. I studied the results of the destruction carefully, the char marks much worse than the ones that I found on the trees outside, with most of the standing walls completely blackened to the point where no one could tell what they used to be, and even the remaining walls looked like they were still crumbling.

My theory was proven correct when I accidentally bumped into a wall by accident, and I was forced to dive for cover as the ceiling held up by that wall and surrounding ones collapsed on the ground. That was the last ceiling in this structure, and everything could just be considered as rubble by now.

And then I sensed it, a force of dark energy blow past my wings. A chill ran up my spine, the feeling stretching to even the tips of my wings and instinctively caused them to curl around my body, as if the temperature was somehow dropping. It wasn't, though, it was merely an effect of the residual dark energy that was left behind here, probably by the attack that destroyed more than half the forest. Upon feeling that energy, I became much more worried, and I rushed around, seeing if I could pick up the residual traces so I could bring it back to the HQ.

My eyes soon rested on a piece of dug up ground, and in that tiny pit was a small pool of blackened water, with black colored steam slowly rising from it. It seemed like a poison that was just as dangerous as acid that could burn through flesh and bone, and every instinct in my body told me to either ignore it or approach it with extreme caution.

With a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of caution, I managed to gather some of the blackened liquid, which I then pocketed in the sling bag that I had brought alone with me, hoping that one of the 'Authorities' back at the HQ would have something on this, or at least something that could analyze its composition. With my work here done, I took whatever notes I needed on paper, and got out of there before the residual dark energy could affect my mental state any longer. Whoever released that energy, he would either have to be so evil that he deserved to be in hell, or be a really pitiful soul that was cursed with an evil power.

My wings wasted no time in recovering from the exposure to the dark energy, and soon I was back to moving at lightning speeds, dashing through the forests and landscape back to my point of origin, Skyward Peak – The HQ of the Icarus Resistance. At least, that was my original plan until I heard certain explosions sound in the distance. The force and ensuing winds from the bright spheres of fire and light knocked me off my dash, blowing me backwards into a nearby tree and smashing against its trunk with an enormous amount of force.

This intrigued me, and so I headed the direction where the explosions came from, my curiosity for more possible information about 'Lapsus' giving my conscience no choice but to head into the line of fire.

Location: Lyra Woods
Time: 5:15 PM

I peered into the thick ensemble of trees, and unfolding inside was what looked like a battle of epic proportions. It was a one-on-one battle, and both of them looked like grass-type hybrids.

One one side, there was a hybrid that seemed to have taken on a servine form, with a servine's tail and a forked tongue that constantly flicked out, and he also sported a distinct set of slit-like red irises. He was clad in a green colored stealth-type armor that seemed to have been specially made just for him, his tail being uncovered and a bulletproof helmet with enough space for his tongue to flick out. The most intriguing thing about it was the insignia plastered on the right side of the chest plate.

That's… Betrayal Force's insignia! He must work for them!

I turned my eyes to the other side of the battlefield, and there stood a blond-haired boy that looked around 17 years old, with him possessing a light green colored complexion and a head-leaf that overlapped with his blond hair, leading me to believe that he had taken on a grovyle form. On his forearms were three leaf blades each, and they were all arced backwards, cutting through his clothes. He also possessed a three-leaf tail, and his irises were crimson-red, and he was wearing a typical teenager outfit.

This boy… He seems to fit the description of the picture that some of our Archangel teams had managed to capture. Perhaps he is the one I am looking for.

I did a high jump and landed on a nearby tree branch, perched there while watching the battle unfold.

-Risk-

Location: Lyra Woods
Date: 14th April 2179
Time: 5:17 PM
Historia: Past

"So, you've found me again… I'd hoped I'd never see you again, psychopath."

"…I have a name, and you might as well use it. I am Adrien, personal assistant to Sir Zero!"

"Who cares what your name is? You tried to kill me last time, and I won't let that happen again!" I charged forward, Leaf Blade prepped to do some serious damage.

I shouted as I was on top of him, slashing across his position hoping to do some serious damage. But, it was just wishful thinking for him to just stand there and take the blow. He moved at lightning speeds, dodging my attack with ease. His silhouette faded high into the air, leaping over my head and landing right behind me. I spun around without second thoughts, charging once again with my leaf blades swung back glowing bright green. This time, I slashed straight downwards, and he side-stepped it easily. His speed was something that I could only hope to achieve, his agility imitating a shadow.

I anticipated his dodging pattern, having used this myself a couple of times, and instantly switched my attack from a downward slash to a side-swipe, but even then he managed to dodge it, albeit escaping with a minor gash to his right arm.

"Hmph… I see you've gotten at least a little stronger since last time, but it still won't be enough to defeat me!"

"Tch… Shut up." I muttered, getting quite pissed off by this guy.

I joined my hands together, both thrust in front of me as an orb of green energy glowed and enlarged, accompanied by a soft and low hum as the energy from the forest around me gathered and focused into the compressed sphere. I shouted 'Terra Flare!' invoking the attack's name and tossing the orb of energy in a straight path towards Adrien, creating a gigantic green explosion upon impact. It did little to slow him down, since he dodged by doing another high jump and leaping over the attack, landing in front of the impressive green semi-sphere.

"Please, if that's all you've got, then this is a waste of time. I suppose I should just finish you off right now."

He took on a fighting stance, and he then dashed sideways, his Stealth Camo ability cloaking him as he blended in with the environment, as if he was an assassin from the shadows. I could no longer see where he was, and it was a bit worrying, to say the least. The last time he used this ability I fell prey to it, and it did not end well last time.

There has to be a way… But if I just stand here I'll be giving him an easy shot. These types of techniques most likely give the user a tendency to dash around the opponent in circles, so if I did the same… It probably WON'T work, but at least it'll make it harder to hit me.

I dashed into the plumage of the woods, pausing for a second to activate Instant Flash, giving me an instantaneous burst of speed and allowing me to dash around the battlefield haphazardly, making it that much more difficult to hit me if he was trying to aim a shot at me with his rifle. Unfortunately, I seemed to have overestimated myself and deeply underestimated his ability to predict my moves. It took a good thirty seconds, but he eventually found a pattern in haphazard dashing and he managed to counter it, unleashing a Leaf Blade attack that I dashed right into, the repelling force of the attack sending me flying and crashing into two trees at once.

I put both of my hands on the ground, my palms feeling the soft grass below me, as I put some energy into my arms and pushed myself up, getting back on my feet to continue the battle. However, my efforts were only met with even more disaster, as my eyes caught on to a stream of purple liquid I recognized as Toxic just in time, and I sidestepped far away from the attack, the liquid poisoning the tree that it hit and causing it to wilt within seconds.

It didn't stop there either. Multitudes of purple streams came flying towards me, and I had to use all the senses and energy I had left just to dodge all of them, and even then I had a whole lot of close calls. I dodged one, and another would come flying towards me, along with a whole more to block off nearly all of my possible dodging routes, save one or two. With each one came more, and it seemed to be an endless wave. During this whole time, I kept wondering, 'Why doesn't he block off all of my escape routes? Why leave one? And why does it seem like he doesn't tire at all?'

The toxic ensemble finally ended, giving me enough time to charge up another Terra Flare and release it just as I sidestepped the last of those purple streams. The orb of energy flew through the air, unleashing another massive explosion where Adrien once was, a futile attempt in which Adrien simply countered by dodging out of the way.

"Tch… Screw this. Let's see how you like this!"

I conjured another Terra Flare, the energy building and compressing slowly into the small ball of energy. I pulled back my arm, ready to toss it at the intended target, when a voice flashed through my head, almost like a conscience… or a battle aid?

"You really are dumb, aren't you?" The voice said.

The voice caught my attention, temporarily surprising me and causing the stored up energy to dissipate and disintegrate.

"Wait a minute… who are you anyway?"

"Ah… that you have no need to know. But for now… I'll settle with teaching you the importance of manipulation."

"Manipulation? What do you mean?"

"Just give me a minute…"

I waited, and watched as Adrien charged, his tail glowing bright and burning green, his Leaf Blade prepped to strike me, and the he just… paused. Literally, he just stopped in mid-air, screaming and ready to slice me into pieces and all that. It was as if time had stopped, and that kind of made my fighting stance practically redundant, without Adrien being able to move.

"Well, now the wait is over."

"How… did you do that?"

"Ah ah, explanations are redundant. Now, let's get on with the lesson."

"What lesson?"

"Listen carefully and you'll find out. Now, as you might already know, energy is the force that flows all around us, and a select few can learn to control the energy, using it to conjure up unimaginable feats of 'magical' properties, which can then be used for many things, such as fighting and everyday activities, correct?"

"Yes… I know that, I picked that up from a book I recently finished. I think it was titled 'Concepts of Energy'." I said in my mind, talking to the possibly inexistent voice, an imaginary whiteboard appearing in my head as I processed all the information he was giving me."

"Good, then I won't have to waste too much time explaining it to you. Now, the energy that the select few can control, can manifest in many forms, such as a burst of energy and a blast of energy, correct?"

"Yes…"

"Well, now. They may manifest in different forms, but ultimately they are all generated from the same source of energy that flows around us. The raw power and energy that constantly flows around us is exposing us to a relatively minimal amount of energy radiation, but it still exists, nonetheless. Those that can learn to harness it and control it are considered more powerful than those who can't, but that is not the extent of energy manipulation."

"It's not?"

"Indeed. The highest level of energy manipulation is not just controlling the energy, but being able to switch the energy from one form to another. I shall now teach you to change your one and only energy attack, to one with much more variety."

"You mean Terra Flare? You want me to change it to something else?"

"Yes. I seem to recall you telling yourself that your Terra Flare attack was too slow for you to hit Adrien, right?"

"Yes…"

"Well, now. That is because it is a compressed sphere of energy, and because it stores so much energy it is considerably slower than Adrien's Toxic attack, which he releases in short bursts. Instead of firing a compressed sphere of energy, why not try splitting up the energy you gather into smaller, less powerful versions? They'll be weaker, but faster, and repetition attacks will help."

"Split up the energy? I've never thought of that… I suppose I could try it…"

With the new instructions from the 'voice', and with the frozen time around me, I had all the time in the world to practice this new attack. I took the same stance, preparing the compressed sphere of energy that I would normally gather to launch Terra Flare. Then, instead of tossing the orb like I used to, I punched my hand straight into the energy until my hand was coated with it, and swiped across the air as fast as I could. The intended result was met, the energy was scraped off my hand by the air pressure, and small shots of energy flew across the air at high speeds, impaling and toppling a nearby tree.

"Well done! I've never seen anyone manipulate one form to another that quickly. From Flare to Blitz, ingenious."

"Terra Blitz, huh? Looks like I just gained another weapon in my arsenal."

I watched as a low hum emanated from all around me, the time spell fading as the paused time slowly returned to normal, and time began to replay.

"Wait a second, how did you get from here to there!?" Adrien exclaimed in disbelief.

"Heh, that doesn't need any explanation. Let's continue. And this time, you'll find something different about me…"

ExDraco: Well, well, what an amazing turn of events. I wonder who that voice is?
Risk: You know you haven't yet joined up the part where Xaleil was gonna tell me and Xavier something, right?
ExDraco: Oh, relax; I'll do that in the next chapter.
Peleus: Now, allow me to actually explain what the location system's 'Historia' means. Basically, it represents the state of time. Past or present, though, I kinda find it redundant since the future will never be in perspective.
ExDraco: Ah ah ah, don't be too sure of yourself. I have some stuff in store… But you'll have to find out in the 'future'.

ExDraco: So, to sign off… Read and Review and thanks for all of your patience. See y'all next time!