PHANTOM BRAVE: THE LOST CHAPTERS

This is a fan-fiction continuation of a not-so-popular Nippon Ichi game "Phantom brave." This game has made it's way into the hearts of many gamers, however, mine included. This is for fans of the game and those who enjoy obscure Fan Fictions. This is not a continuation of the storyline of "We meet again" or "The Hermuda triangle", but of the original "Phantom Brave" story. This contains many spoilers, and should not be read by people who have not completed the game.

Thanks to Martin III for major editing assistance.

This chapter gets back into the real element of Phantom Brave.

Episode 24 – Broken ties reunite

The Bar

Persimmon, enjoying another glass of Ochre, sat a little further back in his chair than normal. In normal circumstances, Persimmon was always alert. But, with the confirmation of a new Chroma to manage, he allowed himself this slight reward. He re-adjusted his glasses, and wrote down some notes about the people that entered and left the bar. Some came to the bar at erratic times, some were just locals who enjoyed a drink every so often, and some were nasty individuals who had dealings he'd rather not interfere with. He systematically calculated who would cause him trouble, and who would not. This systematic nature was known to exist only to him, as he was a timid, blunt individual that left little out of his box other than his business. He had worked with the scum of the Earth, and he had worked with royalty. In all his life, he had never met individuals such as Walnut and the Scarlet-clad woman. Chroma-Oxides were a kick in the teeth in his business. Chromas seemed to be his forte, however. He sipped another drop of the cheap drink, and studied the door as it flipped open, cue the return of the Scarlet-clad woman. He watched her, and found himself grateful for keeping tabs on Ash and Marona since their recent rise in popularity, as he knew many would-be Chroma Oxides would be gunning for them. As the woman approached, Persimmon re-adjusted his trench coat again, as if it was uncomfortable.

Scarlet Clad woman: 'The job is not done, but I have made significant progress. I am done with Marona and Ash. Give me your notebook, I need to tell you something no other ear may hear.

Persimmon gave her his notepad, and he almost spit out the cheap drink when it was handed back to him... (Two of the swords of Ivoire?!)

Scarlet Clad Woman: 'As well, due to a... recent turn of events, you will not need my employ anymore. Don't worry, my bird, you will have another chroma to take my place... someone you knew very well, I think...'

This made Persimmon's mind race... He did not know anyone very well...

Scarlet Clad Woman: 'I need one more thing, Persimmon...'

Persimmon: 'Depends. What do you have in mind?'

Scarlet Clad Woman: 'I need a contact. Someone that can help me find a missing person... name's Fox...'

Persimmon: 'I think I know just the guy that can help you...' Persimmon said, as he received his last payment, and his last visit from the Scarlet Clad Woman...'

Island of Evil

Ash awoke in a very foreign place. He was laying on a medical bed, bandaged and bruised, sitting inside some kind of... one person garrison tent. He could hear faint voices outside. He looked down. Various ointments from Bamboo Co. lay at the bed's side, and the ground was... black. He sniffed the air... Though a campfire was raging in the encampment, he could still recognize the smell anywhere. Sulfur. He was still on the Island of Evil... no...

Ash re-adjusted his pillow and sat up, looking to the campfire. The men sitting around it wore silver knight's armor. He heard one of the knight's voices:

-No monsters have been sighted around the vortex anytime soon, general, but the portal has been acting up. Magic residue spotted around the site has suggested that something has left it recently, but we've kept a tight perimeter around it, nothing could have gotten out...

-Stay alert, comrades. Sulphur could very well still be alive...

Ash knew this voice, very well in fact...

Raphael?

Raphael the Invincible: 'Ash! '

Raphael made his way into the tent, his once shining hair now dull, matted, and black. His armor was badly damaged, and he had a look of discouragement.

Raphael: You're awake... I was afraid you would never wake up...

Ash: 'Raphael? What are you doing here? We thought you were dead!'

Raphael: After Sulphur's defeat, I and... what's left of the White Wolf Army, had taken upon ourselves to see through with Sulphur's defeat. Due to the opening of the portal, we feared Sulphur was not really dead, so... We decided to stay here, and wait it out. Our men are tired, and weak, but... my men are valiant to the end. They have decided to stay here, with me. I fear my men need supplies soon, or they may suffer the same fate as... the rest of my army...

Ash: 'Wait a minute... There's... Cough...something different about you, Raphael... How exactly can you see me? I'm still in my phantom form...'

Raphael: 'How do you think? When Sulphur corrupted my army with darkness, many of us died... but when you defeated me, and tried to save me, I was saved... partially. Many of the members of my own army have suffered the same fate as I... as you... we are now phantoms, Ash...

The remaining members of my army still alive do not discriminate me for now being half dead, they follow me as if I still had blood flowing through my veins... '

Ash: ' Raphael... '

Raphael: 'Well, that's my story. Now, can you tell me why you're on the Island of Evil alone, with no boat docked, and wounded? There's no monsters left on the Island of Evil!'

Ash came to the sudden realization that Marona was not there. His voice became frantic;

Ash: 'Where is Marona?!'

Raphael: 'I do not know, Ash... if you can give me any details, I may be able to help you find her.'

Ash felt insecure, and broken. He had, for the first time, lost Marona.

Ash: 'O...o...okay... We had actually come here searching for you, then this... strange woman appeared... kicked our ass, stole Heliotrope AND Shiva! Marona's gone, there's no boat for me to get off of this accursed island... It's... madness...'

Raphael: ' My... weapon... HELIOTROPE! Now, it's personal. Come. My ship was destroyed in the fight, so we'll have to send a bottlemail to Sienna, she can send for us the ship we need to get off this island. My men can take things from here, the vortex hasn't had any recent activity. '

(Raphael. Heh, egotistical to the end. Tell him about Marona missing, and a new threat to Ivoire, and what is he worried about? That damned sword..)

Raphael helped Ash out of the bed, and they walked outside. About 10 people were camped here, 4 of them phantoms. (Heh, the Island of Evil is like a phantom breeding ground... )

The great White Wolf Army was nothing more than a small armada now, it was sad to see a man lose so much... Thinking about that, Marona's out there somewhere, maybe even... dead...

Raphael: 'Here's a weapon. It's no weapon of the nine sword, but still, you can hold your own in a fight, so I'll need you. We'll send for a ship, and figure out what's going on.'

Ash: 'She'll pay for messing with Marona...'

The bar

Persimmon counted the money that the Scarlet Clad woman had paid him. 10,000 Bordeaux. He stuffed the cash back into his trench coat pocket in disgust, and got ready to pay the tab... When he heard a familiar voice outside...

-Out of my way!

CRASH!

Persimmon ran outside, and what he saw made him almost faint.

Walnut was laying on the ground, hunched over, near death...

Persimmon: 'Walnut! Is that... you?'

Then, he disappeared.

Persimmon looked around for Walnut, but he was gone.

Persimmon: 'I... must be hallucinating, I... need to get some rest...'

He walked back inside to pay his tab, when a chair slid out from the table, and his bottle of Ochre lifted up in the air.

Then, Walnut materialized in the seat, like nothing had happened.

Walnut: 'Peek-a-boo!'

Persimmon: 'What in god's name.. Walnut?!'

Walnut: 'Yep. Long story, Persimmon. I'm dead, I'm a phantom, man... I... can't stay... visible for very long...'

Then, he disappeared again.

Persimmon laid his head onto his hands... I must be going crazy...

Walnut: 'Persimmon, you idiot! I'm still here... I'm just... invisible.'

Persimmon looked up. Walnut was now juggling the empty bottle of Ochre in the air.

Walnut: 'I never knew you liked Ochre, Persimmon... I thought you were the Sachsen kinda bird.'

Persimmon: 'So... Walnut... what happened to you... dying? You saved Ivoire, you're a hero! How are you still.. here?'

Walnut: 'I found my way back. I killed Sulphur, and now... I'm dead. Kinda.'

Walnut re-materialized in front of Persimmon.

Walnut: 'It takes a lot of effort to stay visible. But... I'm back. Got any leads for me?

(Walnut had left Marona at the Isle of Healing Waters. Able to avoid detection, he was able to steal someone else's boat and make it back.)

Persimmon: You saved the world from apocalypse, you... you're DEAD, and you want a chroma job!?

Walnut: 'That was all in a day's work, Persimmon. I... I still need the money.'

Persimmon: 'For what?! You... you're dead! Why do you need money, now? I'm glad you're still here but... what could you possibly need it for?'

(Walnut sat silently, collecting his thoughts. He had to decide whether to tell him or not.)

Walnut: ' …... '

Walnut: 'Persimmon... I... have to level with you.'

Walnut told Persimmon about Castile, and how he secretly helped pay for Castile's treatments.

Persimmon: '…..'

Persimmon: 'I always... heh... thought you were a cold hearted son of a bitch... I never knew..'

Walnut: '…'

Walnut: 'Yeah..'

Persimmon: 'Well, if you need the work... There's a woman I, personally, want you to eliminate. I worked with her recently. She gave me forged cash, and she's running around trying to kill people like a scrabbit with a knife. At first, I thought she was just a no good Oxide... but... she's going in it just for the kill. Good people too. Hear that Marona kid's in the hospital because of her. I'll pay you to stop her, any way possible. '

Walnut: 'Heh, Persimmon, I didn't know you had a heart under all that leather. You go soft on me, bird, and I'll land you one right on that beak, just like when we first met!'

Persimmon: 'I would expect no less. Welcome back... Walnut.'

(Recap: When Walnut and Persimmon first met, Walnut punched him in the face.)

Isle of Healing Waters

Marona was laying on the couch in Castile's house. She was going in and out of conciousness, most of the time delusional.

Marona: 'C... Castile?'

Castile: 'Yes, Marona... it's me...'

Saffron: 'You're awake... Good... we told Bamboo co. about the incident, they've sent us over medicine for you, free of charge. Castile is getting better, by the end of the month they're saying she might walk again!'

Marona: 'T... Cough... That's great news, Castile!'

Castile: 'You're healing up fast, too Marona! The doctors said that by the end of the week, you'll be able to walk again! Though.. they're concerned about your arm... You might not be able to be a Chroma anymore...'

Marona: 'Th...that's okay... Ash... where's Ash?'

Saffron: 'He... wasn't in the boat. We found you passed out In the back of a boat, with no sign of Ash or anyone else!'

Marona: 'Walnut...'

Saffron: 'What?'

Marona: 'Walnut... he saved my life...'

Marona looked back over at Castile, and, for the first time since they had been friends, she realized the connection between Walnut and Faded... just before she lost consciousness again.

Clutter Haven

Murasaki: SIENNA! YO, SIENNA! Check this out! Ash AND Marona are both in trouble!

Sienna: 'What!? What happened?'

Murasaki: 'I was readin' the newspaper, and I read that Marona was in the hospital! That didn't bother me that much, seein' that she's a Chroma and all, but then, this little bottlemail fella shows up, and says that Ash and Raphael the freakin' Invincible are stranded on the Island of Evil, and Heliotrope and Shiva have been stolen! Does that add up? Your head spinnin'? Mine sure is!'

Sienna: 'This is bad. Get the ship you designed ready, we need to be on the ocean before nightfall!'

Murasaki: 'You got it, Sienna!'

Sienna and the faithful scrabbit begin prepping the ship to go. Just as they were ready to leave, an unfamiliar voice echoes off the walls of the dome:

Walnut: 'Wait just a minute!'

Murasaki: 'Eh? Who the heck's this guy?'

Walnut: 'I came to see if you could help a... friend of mine. Name's Marona. Seeing as you own these islands, I thought you could help... I usually don't NEED help, but.. Marona's... different.'

Sienna: 'Then you've come just in time, friend! Climb aboard, we were just heading off to investigate that ourselves!'

(More of Marona's friends, Walnut thought. Since her little phantom friend went missing, he thought he'd try a different approach. She deserved it, he'd be dead right now if she hadn't done what she did.)

Murasaki's Boat, several hours from the Island of Evil

Murasaki: 'I don't trust the new guy.'

Sienna: 'Yeah, me either. He's a phantom like Ash, but something seems fishy about him. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, though. Just keep an eye on him.'

Murasaki: 'Well... where is he now?'

On the lower deck

Walnut: 'Look at all this Bordeaux! This woman makes a fortune! As a phantom... I can steal without being seen... Perfect... The woman helping me will also line my pockets... And... help Castile... '

Walnut stuffed his pockets with the Bordeaux contained in the various crates, but did so carefully. He only stole a bit from the top of each crate, making it look like nothing went missing. He heard the door creak open...

Murasaki: 'Hey, stranger! I can't see you, but I know you're somewhere down here man! Come on back up! I know it looks tempting but you can't steal from Scarlet the freakin' Brave man! Come on back up!

Walnut sat down in a chair pulled out from a desk and confined himself,

Walnut: 'I know that! Idiot. I just got sick of being up there, that's all. I'm not stealing from you. You want me to stay in sight, fine by me.'

Murasaki: 'Eh, maybe you ain't such a bad guy after all. That Marona kid deserves friends like you. Now, cmon', Sienna's getting' suspicious, she doesn't trust very many people, and she's gonna assume that you're stealin' our cash.'

Walnut: 'Heh, wouldn't be the first time... You got any booze on this ship? This ride's gettin' kinda boring...'

Murasaki: 'Aww yeah, we got the good stuff! Class A Ochre, straight from Monetopia baby! Say, you n' me play some cards, maybe have a few drinks? Maybe I can win back all that money you just stole, eh?'

Walnut: '…'

Murasaki: 'Look man, I know a player when I see one. You're some chroma-oxide, or somethin. No on carries himself like you do unless he has more than a few secrets. That's okay. Anyway, you wanna play some cards or what? Keep the cash, man. You look like you need it.'

Walnut was surprised how easily the scrabbit saw through his cover. He had never had someone treat him so friendly, either. Walnut accepted his offer. Sienna smiled, and observed their drunken card game. Murasaki had made friends with an antisocial, sadistic, psychopath player.

Eventually, Murasaki caught Walnut cheating, and Sienna had to break up the fight. The scrabbit broke his chair over Walnut's head, and Walnut retaliated by smashing a glass of Ochre worth a thousand Bordeaux onto Murasaki's skull. The two had a great drunken time, however, and by the time the Island of Evil came into view, Murasaki and Walnut were passed out on the floor.

Sienna sighed and picked up the pieces of broken chair and glass. Murasaki would have to work double shifts to make up for the damage he did... Walnut, however, wouldn't owe anything, for he gave Murasaki someone to pal around with, which, for a scrabbit with no family, was rare.

The Island of Evil

Ash: Look! Sienna got our bottlemail!

(Sienna's ship broke through the fog on the water, its grand scale contrasting against the horizon.)

Raphael: 'Indeed! This is splendid! We can send an order for some supplies for my men from Monetopia through her! And you may be able to be reunited with Marona, wherever she may be...'

Sienna: 'RAPHAEL! ASH! Thank god you two are alive! Let me land the ship; I have some supplies for you and your men on board!

Sienna, with the help of some of Raphael's knights, landed the ship at the beach of the forsaken island.

Sienna climbed down the ship's ladder and greeted the unlikely duo.

Sienna: 'Raphael, we have some supplies for you and whatever's left of your men inside. You can explain what happened later; your men are a top priority.

Ash, we know where Marona is, and she's safe. Help me unload some supplies for Raphael, and I'll take you to her.'

Ash: 'Thank you, Sienna.'

Sienna: 'A brave never abandons her fellow braves. Ash, you and Raphael are bound as Ivoire's protectors. We are sworn to defend each other.

And Ash, you and Marona have saved Ivoire from certain destruction. There is no way we could ever repay you, even if it took a lifetime to do it. Honestly, it's my pleasure to help you, after all you've done.'

Raphael: 'So, Ash knows your true identity, Scarlet? Hm... I'm rather surprised... Come, Ash, let's get these men some food, and we'll discuss this... "Scarlet clad woman..."

Ash: 'You got it.'

Sienna: 'Oh and Ash, there's one more thing...'

Ash: 'Yes, Mrs. Sienna?'

Sienna: 'There's a friend of yours on board. I'm assuming you know him.'

Ash: ( I wonder who that could be? )

Ash face palmed when he saw Walnut of all people, passed out on the floor, with Murasaki laying against him. He would have a lot to explain when he woke up...

Raphael got his men the supplies they needed, and they all decided to accompany Ash and Sienna on the hunt for the Scarlet Clad Woman. The Braves had reunited, and they would stop at nothing to get back the sacred swords of Ivoire. Ash had one more trip to make, however... Protecting Marona meant more to him than any sacred sword, everyone agreed, and... Walnut was too wasted to argue. So, they sailed to the Isle of Healing Waters. There, they would discuss their battle plan.