"Nick-kun? You awake?"
I slowly opened my eyes, not fully trusting my own movements after... well, that.
What went wrong, you ask? Well, I just had a rather vivid nightmare of something killing my sister.
And, here comes the oddity... it wasn't my father that did it.
It was... something else.
I couldn't see what exactly it was, though... all I could see before... that... was a pair of demonic-looking eyes.
I wonder if it has something to do with this "Merkabah" that Gargos mentioned before we sent him six feet under...
"Hello, earth to onii-chan! Is anybody there?"
I shook myself out of my reverie just in time to notice Yuki staring intently at me.
"Jeez, Nick-kun, you scared me there! I heard you scream and I thought someone was attacking us!" Yuki exclaimed. "Are you feeling okay?"
Something about the way she was looking at me seemed to trigger a flashback of when that strange demon thing killed Yuki in my nightmare.
I fought to keep it from overwhelming me, but it was a losing battle, and I eventually snapped and threw my arms around Yuki, holding her close to me.
"N-Nick-kun, wha...?"
"Yuki-chan, can we just stay like this for a while? Please?"
Yuki smiled softly, reaching out to hug me back. "Okay. Anything for you, onii-chan."
We just stood there for god knows how long, just holding each other and allowing us to calm down.
Seriously, what was that all about?
(Everything will work out in the end.)
The Blue Time Ranger is proud to present:
Ojamajo Doremi Breakaway Remastered™
Story Created: May 13th, 2013
The Dramatis Personnae (cast, if you will)...
Kosuke Toriumi and Bryce Papenbrook as Nick Kelly
Saeko Chiba and Erin Fitzgerald as Yuki Shinoya
Sakura Tange and Karen Strassman as Akemi Suzuki
Aya Hirano and Wendee Lee as Moriko Takahashi
Atsuko Enomoto and Cherami Leigh as Kurumi Sayoko
Tomo Saeki and Yuri Lowenthal as Saiki Shidoosha
Chiemi Chiba and Laura Bailey as Doremi Harukaze
Tomoko Akiya and Stephanie Sheh as Hazuki Fujiwara
Yuki Matsuoka and Michelle Ruff as Aiko Senoo
Rumi Shishido and Danielle Judovits as Onpu Segawa
Nami Miyahara and Erica Mendez as Momoko Asuka
Ikue Ohtani and Christine Marie Cabanos as Hana Makihatayama
Sawa Ishige and Brittney Karbowski as Poppu Harukaze
Kumiko Watanabe and Sarah Anne Williams as Fami Harukaze
Yui Horie and Amanda Celine Miller as Haruka Reisei
Ai Maeda and Lauren Landa as Ichiyou "Leaf" Kitakaze
Story Summary: Nick Kelly and Yuki Shinoya are siblings that are finally fed up with the way their father has been treating them ever since their mother left. To remedy this, they decide that it's time to break away from their old life, into a new life where all they need is their friends and each other. However, strange forces are at work behind the scenes, seemingly linked to the past and intent on eliminating Nick and Yuki before they can become a problem. With so many bad guys to fight, the looming threat of darkness hanging over the city of Misora, and even missives from many eons ago, can Nick and Yuki break away from the past, or will the past break them first?
On Today's Episode: It seems that fate is still a cruel and fickle mistress. After a seemingly random battle with Nick and Yuki's father, tragedy strikes again, forcing the Ojamajos to band together and storm the Delegates of Darkness headquarters on Christina Island, leading to what could possibly be the final showdown. Can they make it out of this battle alive?
Theme Song Notes: Since I can't post the opening and ending sequences anymore so I won't get my stuff axed, the opening theme for season one is "Futari no Prologue" by Saeko Chiba (the opening theme to Ajimu Beach Story. Who remembers THAT?) and the ending theme for season one is "Innocence" by Miyuki Hashimoto (the ending theme to the Shuffle! anime.) The theme for the battle with Jeff is "Never Turn Back" by Crush 40.
And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer: I, The Blue Time Ranger, do not own anything related to Ojamajo Doremi or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Toei Animation and whoever licenses it for their country. The only things I DO own are any characters and places created by yours truly for the story. And, I do not intend to infringe on any copyrights, only to entertain my readers. Besides, if I did own Ojamajo Doremi, which I don't, why would I be writing fiction on a fan site?
Disclaimer the Second: Any characters originally created by my fellow author MeganePurinko that appear in this story are used with her permission.
Episode 9: Eve of the End
"Ah, it's a beautiful morning again!" Yuki exclaimed as we rushed downstairs to greet the rest of the Asuka family.
"Doesn't look like it'll be that way for much longer," I quipped. "Winter's on the way, remember?"
"Oh, foo on your season disposition!" Yuki giggled, sitting down at the kitchen table and digging into her cereal bowl. "Winter's a lovely time of year!"
"But remember that you're the one who likes it, considering your name," I replied, taking a bite from my muffin. "Me, I personally despise winter, especially around here. Who the heck likes being buried in over two feet of snow, for god's sake?!"
"Oh, Nick-kun, that only happened once!" Yuki exclaimed. "Stop being such a grump!"
"I had to walk all the way to school in that crap, you know."
"Yeah, okaa-san's car broke down. Not fun."
I just barely noticed a tear running down Yuki's face and reached out to catch it.
"Thanks, Nick-kun," Yuki stated.
"I know it's still hard on you, but we'll avenge her. That's a promise," I replied. "We just have to take care of dad and this nightmare will officially be a thing of the past."
"Is everything going okay, you two?" Momoko asked, walking into the kitchen. "You're getting into your serious talk again."
That was something Momoko liked to tease us about ever since we came to live here. Whenever she mentions the "serious talk", she's referring to when Yuki and I are discussing what we're going to do about the Delegates of Darkness.
"We were talking about that huge snowstorm from about ten years ago, and I guess I just made myself a little sad when I thought about mom," Yuki admitted. "Nick-kun's been really sweet about helping me through this."
"Yeah, I thought it was bad enough when grandma died," I replied. "I don't think that sort of pain is going to go away until we finish this nonsense for good."
"You guys are definitely going to have your work cut out for you, though," Momoko stated. "Your father sounds like he's a real badass, and considering how strong Gargos and Waltz were, it really doesn't seem like it's going to be easy for you."
"Hey, we got through that no problem," Yuki responded. "We'll get through this. Dad had better watch himself, because we're not holding back anymore."
Momoko smiled at that. Yeah, Yuki's grown a lot more confident and independent since we routed the Genesis Wave. As I've said, I completely understand that she used to be pretty clingy to me, no doubt due to dad and his actions, but she's done a very good job in overcoming it.
"So, how's training going?" Momoko asked.
"If by 'training' you mean magic practice, then it's actually going pretty well," Yuki giggled. "Majorika-san finally stopped pestering us about the dangers of teleportation magic. I wish she'd realized faster that we're more than capable of handling it! If we could pull off the freakin' Sealing Symbol, for god's sake, we can surely handle basic teleportation magic!"
"She just worries about you guys," Momoko stated. "That's just how she is."
"As for our 'other training', it's going fine as well," I explained. "Yuki-chan and I both learned some new techniques, so hopefully it'll be enough to keep dear old dad on his toes."
Yuki cast a glance up at the nearby clock and almost went into a panic attack. "Oh, jeez! Nick-kun, we need to motor! School starts in twenty minutes!"
That got me moving. How long did we spend discussing stuff?!
As we both raced back upstairs to get our stuff (thankfully it's only a ten-minute walk to school from our house), I missed Momoko's growing smile.
"I really should fix that clock..." Momoko sighed.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in that strange void.
Don't tell me this same dream is going to replay in my mind until we're finished with this freak?!
"Nick-kun, is that you?!"
And sure enough, this part of the dream stayed the exact same.
Once again, I'm forced to be able to do naught but watch as Yuki is frozen in her spot, and then run through by a blade of darkness.
I look up from Yuki's pained expression and, just as before, I saw that demonic-looking pair of eyes.
"Beware... the darkness..."
Okay, that was new...
"Beware the darkness," the voice repeated. "Do not succumb to the blackness of this void..."
"And who are you, mister demon person, to be talking about the darkness when you're a freakin' demon of the darkness?!" I shouted. "Quit trying to force your tired ideals on me!"
"When thinking of how to deal with your father, your thoughts are straying too close to the darkness," the voice continued, as if it hadn't heard a word I'd said. "You claim that they have sold their souls to the darkness, but you must ensure that you do not fall into darkness yourself by trying to take care of them."
"Don't you mock me!" I shouted, summoning Nenshou Hikari and charging straight at the demon-like figure, only to be ensnared from all sides by tendrils of dark energy.
"You know not where the line between light and darkness is," the voice proclaimed. "If you do not tread this line carefully..."
The eyes moved until they were face-to-face with my own.
"...you will be lost in darkness."
Another blade of dark energy flew straight at me, aiming for my heart...
...and I shot out of bed, feverishly clutching the spot on my chest where I thought I'd been impaled.
"Nick-kun?" Yuki asked. Naturally, we sleep in the same bed, so whenever I jerk out of my dreams like that, she'd notice even if she was out cold. "What happened?"
I looked over at Yuki, still a little frazzled from what I'd just experienced.
Yuki just smiled comfortingly. "You need a hug, onii-chan?"
I slowly nodded, and Yuki reached over to embrace me. "If you ever need a hug, don't hesitate to tell me, okay, Nick-kun? I know you're going through some hard stuff right now."
I just nodded, unsure if I wanted to tell Yuki about this strange nightmare. I really don't understand it myself. Why is a demon-like entity, a being born of the darkness, warning me not to fall into the darkness myself?
And I still want to know if this has any connection to "Merkabah"...
Jeez, it's like whenever we solve one mystery, we just end up with about five more to solve...
"Do you... want to talk about it?" Yuki asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, if you're having strange nightmares two nights in a row, maybe it would be a good idea to get it off your chest," Yuki explained. "We might be able to deduce what it means."
"You just want an excuse to play the psychologist, don't you?" I teased.
"T-that's beside the point, Nick-kun!" Yuki stuttered. "Look, I just want to help. It makes me happy knowing that I can help my wonderful big brother with his problems."
"Well, in that case, lead on, Yuki-chan," I replied.
So Yuki sat down by me, and we talked for a long while about what I'd been seeing in my dreams. I swear, she definitely wanted to play a psychologist, as she often kept asking me questions that a psychologist would actually ask their patients.
"So, in my professional opinion," Yuki proclaimed in a psychologist voice before returning to her normal voice, "it feels like this weird-o demon thing is trying to goad you into giving in to the darkness by planting these weird ideas."
"So it's basically playing a game of inception with me?" I replied. "I thought only Saiki-kun could do that."
"Well, this is probably something we've never really encountered before, so who knows what it's capable of?" Yuki admitted. "Remember, Nick-kun, the two goons did the same thing to me just before I acquired my divine power. These freaks are probably capable of a lot of those things."
"Out of one mystery and into another," I quipped.
"We'll figure it out eventually, Nick-kun," Yuki responded. "We've just gotta play smart and not give in to this weirdo."
Let's hope so, because I'm starting to grow a little concerned...
"Careful with that!" Majorika exclaimed as Doremi carried a box of magic beads to the back room.
"Majorika, I'm not a kid anymore!" Doremi shot back. "And besides, I'm more mature now, so I don't think you need to worry about-"
Before she could finish, Doremi tripped on a bauble and went tumbling to the ground. I made a spectacular flying dive to catch the box before it went splat on the ground.
"T-thanks, Kelly-kun..." Doremi groaned.
"See? What did I tell you?" Majorika growled.
"Um, if you look closely, Majorika, that one was your fault," I retorted, pointing straight at the bauble that Doremi had tripped on. "That's your bauble thing."
A giant sweatdrop appeared on Majorika's forehead as everyone in the room stared at her.
"E-eh... hehehe..."
Just then, something whizzed by, just barely missing Majorika's right ear.
"Hey! You don't have to throw things, Doremi!" Majorika exclaimed.
Doremi looked confused. "That wasn't me."
Another strange object whizzed through a nearby wall, creating a medium-sized hole in it.
"Okay, something's not right here," Aiko quipped. "Who's throwing things through our wall?!"
Suddenly, I sensed something. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of this energy.
"Kelly-kun? Is everything all right?" Hazuki asked.
I barely had time to look up as a barrage of dark comets began to rain down onto the MAHO-dou like a torrent, causing heavy damage to the shop as they impacted.
"Hey, hey, what's the big deal?!" Onpu shouted.
As the assault continued, I managed to look into the sky, and now it was easy for me to see who was attacking us.
Not wasting a single second, I brought out my wand.
"If that's the way you want to play, dad! Sear with light, Nenshou Hikari!" I shouted, and the instant my wand had transformed into Nenshou Hikari, I swung hard, creating a wave of light that spread out and neutralized the dark comets that were falling on us. However, it seemed that the damage had been done; the Twin Bells was almost completely destroyed.
"Wait, is he talking about his father?" Doremi asked.
"His dad's trying to kill us?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Did he flip his lid or somethin'?!"
"Get down here and stop being a coward, father!" I challenged. The figure floated down from the sky, indeed revealing himself as my father.
"I see you have improved significantly since our last encounter, my boy," Jeff proclaimed, clutching his battle staff tightly.
"Yeah, well, I don't like to brag about it," I shot back. "Yuki-chan and I have been training intensely just so we'll be ready for anything that you try to pull."
"It would be a fruitless effort, you know," Jeff stated. "I am still much stronger than you."
"That old adage doesn't mean a damn thing, father," I growled. "Just because you're stronger doesn't mean you've got the upper hand. Look at what happened with Waltz when he tried to use the Genesis Wave! He rewrote reality itself, and we still beat him! So I wouldn't count your proverbial chickens just yet."
"Still the same as always," Jeff taunted. "You just do not seem to understand what forces you are playing with. Well, then, let me remind you!"
Jeff spun his staff around and charged away from me.
Oh, no you don't, dad. Not this time!
I spun around and cast a quick teleportation spell to vanish and reappear in front of Yuki, swinging Nenshou Hikari upwards just in time to cleave the top part of dad's razor-sharp staff clean off.
Moving in quickly, I laid into Jeff with a few quick strikes, ending in my new Hurricane Period finishing move where I hopped into the air and spun into a backwards somersault attack, my blade extended the whole time.
"Forget it, dad," I growled. "You're not touching my sister as long as I'm still breathing."
"Well, then let's remedy that, shall we?" Jeff shot back.
I quickly lashed out to counter dad's attack, and much to my surprise, Yuki joined the fray, slicing at dad's prone form with Tobiume a few times before ending off with her own combo finishing move, Ripple Drive, where she swung Tobiume straight upwards and created a spherical field of crystallized magical energy around her that exploded when it came into contact with dad, knocking him back a few feet.
"Dad, snap out of it!" Yuki shouted. "This isn't who you are! The father I know wouldn't have sold his soul to the darkness so easily!"
"Then you really don't know anything, do you, little girl?" Jeff replied. "I have grander purposes in this life, purposes that can only be fulfilled with the power of darkness. And you, my darling, are in our way."
"Well, then, if that's all you have to say..." Yuki growled, focusing her power. Her angel wings unfolded rather quickly.
"Come, o hazy moon, and send my foes to the coffin of hell!" Yuki shouted, drawing Tobiume and infusing it with her divine power as she slashed fiercely at Jeff before delivering a powerful vertical slash that sent him flying back. Yuki quickly raised her free hand and called on her magic to encase Jeff in a gigantic orb of twilight energy. With that, she aimed her glowing weapon straight for the man who calls himself our father.
"Mystic Arte: Moonlight Javelin!" Yuki shouted, throwing her sparkling blade like a javelin straight into Jeff, causing the sphere to explode and knock him back against a nearby building.
"Well, well, you have improved," Jeff conceded. "I can see that this will not be as easy as I thought."
"Yeah, keep on saying that," I shouted. "We're not giving up so easily!"
"So bring it on, dad," Yuki growled. "We're not scared of you anymore!"
Jeff stood there for a few seconds, apparently assessing the situation. He eventually smiled wickedly and let his damaged staff disappear.
"Fine. We will settle this at a more appropriate time."
"Just name it, and we'll be there," I shot back.
"We shall meet in five days at midnight, on the top of the Skywhirl Tower," Jeff proclaimed. Why is it always Skywhirl?! Seriously, that thing's as much of a black cat as the Tokyo Tower!
"Be there or be square, dad," I responded. "Because we won't be holding anything back."
"I would expect nothing less from my own children," Jeff stated before vanishing in a dull flash.
We sheathed our weapons and walked back to what was left of the Twin Bells, noting the shocked expressions on our fellow witches' faces.
"Okay, pardon my bluntness here, but WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Aiko shouted. "Why the heck was your father tryin' ta kill you?!"
I sighed heavily. This is always the hard part. "Girls, remember a few months back when I told you that the Delegates of Darkness had killed my mother?"
Silence pervaded for a few seconds.
"Well... the part that I forgot to tell you... was that the one who killed her was their leader, and their leader... is my father."
"Wait, wait, so your own father is the leader of those nutjobs?" Poppu gasped. "That's insane!"
"That's pretty much what I said, Poppu-chan," Yuki admitted. "It definitely didn't help any that the first thing he did after revealing himself was killing mom..."
Yuki looked up to the midday sky, which seemed to be graying gradually, likely foreshadowing rain. "After mom's funeral, Nick-kun and I made a solemn oath that we wouldn't rest until dad pays for what he's done. At first I had hoped we would be able to purify him, but as we've seen, Nick-kun believes that he's fallen too far into the darkness to be saved."
"After watching that spectacle, I'd believe him," Fami quipped. "He seriously looked like he was out for blood!"
"Guess we've got some more time to get some training in now," I stated. "Let's just hope it'll be enough..."
My thoughts were derailed by a loud explosion from far off.
"Okay, what the heck was that?!" Aiko exclaimed. "Are those stupid city workers messin' with the dynamite again?!"
I was about to question that myself when I somehow started feeling scared; an ominous feeling had washed over my mind the instant I heard that explosion.
If that had come from where I think it did...
"Yuki-chan!" I shouted.
"I know, Nick-kun, I felt it, too! Let's motor!" Yuki shouted, and the two of us rushed away from the remains of the Twin Bells, with Momoko following closely behind. I'm sure she felt the same thing I did.
I really hope that something didn't go wrong...
Unfortunately, the instant we got back to the house, my suspicions were confirmed. The Asuka household was on fire and had been nearly annihilated, almost exactly like the Twin Bells.
"Oh, jeez!" Yuki exclaimed, instantly bringing out Tobiume to slash through chunks of burning wood and hopefully find Minori and Kenzou before it was too late.
Damn it, I really should have seen this coming...
"Nick-kun, I found them!" Yuki exclaimed, and both Momoko and I raced over to her and saw Minori and Kenzou, who both looked pretty badly injured, no doubt due to the force of whatever had struck the house and pretty much obliterated it.
"They're unconscious, but I don't think the injuries are going to be fatal," Yuki proclaimed after checking both of their pulses. "I still say we get them to the hospital and fast!"
Yuki let Tobiume vanish so she could pick up Minori, and I managed to pick Kenzou up just as the ambulances and fire trucks arrived on the scene. You'd have to be an idiot to not hear an explosion like that.
"Any injured?" one of the ambulance drivers asked.
"Just them," Yuki replied, gesturing at Momoko's unconscious parents. "We need a ride to Misora General Hospital ASAP!"
Within minutes, the firemen had the blaze contained and we were barreling down the streets towards the hospital.
"How are they, doctor?" Momoko asked, in tears.
"The injuries are bad," the doctor watching over Minori and Kenzou responded. "But they don't appear to be life-threatening. You two were lucky to get back there when you did."
"When we found out, we hauled butt to get back home," Yuki explained.
"Are they your parents, too?" the doctor asked.
"Sort of," Yuki answered. "My brother and I just live with them. Our parents were killed recently, and Nick-kun's in a relationship with Momo-chan, so they talked it over and now we're living with them. Oh, doctor, please don't let them die..."
"We'll do everything we can, Shinoya-san," the doctor replied. "I promise we'll do all we can for them."
I didn't say a word as they talked. I just stared at Minori and Kenzou's injured forms. I clenched my fist tightly when I thought of what had actually happened.
"You're going to pay dearly for this, father," I proclaimed to nobody in particular. "I swear it."
An hour later, at Misora General Hospital...
This is one of the many, many reasons I don't generally like hospitals.
The grueling, agonizing waiting.
Momoko's parents were still in surgery, and it had been almost an hour since they were wheeled in there. It just hurts every time I see Momoko fidgeting like that, like she's scared of possibly losing her parents.
I'd probably be the same way if our roles were switched.
I've already lost a member of my family. I really hope Momoko doesn't lose all of hers...
"I-it's been almost an hour..." Momoko gasped, a few tears still falling. "I hope they'll be okay..."
"Hey, your parents are tough, Momoko, just like you," I responded, reaching out to hug my girlfriend. "They'll pull through."
"And here I thought dad couldn't sink any lower," Yuki growled. "Trust me, Momo-chan, he's going to pay dearly for what he did."
"You took the freakin' words right out of my mouth, Yuki-chan," I replied.
After about five more minutes, a doctor walked out of the surgery room. Momoko immediately sprung to her feet.
"Doctor, please, are my parents going to be okay?" Momoko cried.
"Asuka-san, your parents were just taken out of surgery, and though their injuries were severe, we give them a very good chance of surviving this," the doctor replied. "You have some tough parents, dear, so I wouldn't worry too much. They're in good hands."
Momoko smiled in relief, though I could tell she wasn't convinced. And I knew exactly the reason why.
"Guys, I'm worried," Momoko admitted as she walked back to us. "I know we can trust the doctors, but what if the Delegates of Darkness strike again when there's nothing I can do to defend mom and dad?"
Surprising my sister, I smiled widely.
"Oh, I've got an idea on how to get rid of that problem."
Later that night, at the Twin Bells MAHO-dou...
("Freefall... for Technology Tree Act 3" by Funk Fiction plays)
"Okay, anyone want to explain why we're meeting up at this place at freakin' midnight?!" Aiko exclaimed as we all huddled in the ruins of the Twin Bells MAHO-dou later that night. It was still raining, giving the blackness of night a bit of a grungy violet hue. "Poppa's gonna give it to me if he finds out I'm out of my bed past my curfew!"
"Yeah, Kelly-kun, why are we all here?" Doremi asked. "Is it that serious?"
"'Serious' is only putting it mildly, Doremi-chan," I answered. "Now I know you all would rather be sleeping right now, but I called you all here because... Yuki-chan and I need your help."
"All of us?" Hazuki wondered. "Is it that bad that you need all of us?"
"Understatement of the century, Hazuki-chan," Yuki responded, twirling Tobiume in her hands. "I'm pretty sure you know that the Delegates of Darkness, more specifically daddy dearest, destroyed our house after we fought him earlier, and he almost killed Momo-chan's parents in doing so. Well, Momo-chan's concerned that even with the doctors and everyone in plain sight, they might not stand a chance if those jerks attack again. So, Nick-kun and I talked it over for a long time, and we finally decided..."
Yuki looked up at the dark sky, the rain streaking across her face. "...that we need to go and eliminate this problem at its source."
Everyone gasped loudly at that, though I wasn't surprised. I'm a little wary of this myself, but it's a chance we need to take.
"Are you planning what I think you guys are?" Onpu wondered.
"You're planning to go to their headquarters?" Akemi gasped.
"Kelly-kun, you can't just go charging into their place all by yourselves!" Aiko exclaimed. "That's borderline suicidal!"
"Don't you think I know that, Ai-chan?!" I shouted. "But I don't think there's any other choice left! We're out of options here, and if we just sit on our laurels while waiting for a chance to stick it to them, we could end up with a disaster on our hands, or worse yet, another tragedy!"
I swung Nenshou Hikari so hard that it caused another wooden plank nearby to break in half and fall to the rain-soaked ground.
"I've already lost someone precious to me because of those assholes," I growled. "I don't want to add any more casualties to that list. So I say we find their squatting grounds and wipe those bastards out."
"Okay, so then why do you need our help?" Aiko asked. "Shouldn't you be insanely strong with all the trainin' you've been doin'?"
"That's the thing, Ai-chan," Yuki answered. "We don't know what we'll be expecting when we get to their HQ, so we figured we'd call on you guys for support. The added backup should outweigh the chance of a potential disaster."
"We'd really appreciate it if you could help us with this, everybody," Momoko sighed.
"Like we'd say no?" Aiko quipped. "Look, Kelly-kun, I'm convinced that just charging head-on into a place like that is beyond suicidal, but I wouldn't just let you two go it alone. Remember, we're friends, and friends look out for each other!"
"Yeah. There's no way we're letting you do this on your own," Poppu proclaimed. "This is something we can only do together!"
"We'd honestly jump at the chance to wipe those ninnies out for what they've done!" Moriko exclaimed. "I'm already getting the itch to punch their lights out..."
"That's why we want all of you to come along," Yuki responded. "We can all watch each other's backs and have a better chance of actually accomplishing something in there."
"So, mon ami, what are we waiting for?" Kurumi giggled. "Let's go out there and kick some faces in!"
"There's still one problem," Fami interrupted. "We don't actually know where the hideout is..."
"Oh, I think we've got a general idea," I replied.
"Between the accident and now, Nick-kun and I did some scouting, and we've discovered a gigantic cluster of dark magic concentrated in a certain part of the city," Yuki stated. "It'd probably be the best place to start our investigation."
"So, where is that cluster of darkness?" Nanoka asked.
"It's right outside the city, on a strange island that's apparently not on any maps," Yuki answered. "Nick-kun and I discovered that only someone with even just a trace of magical ability can see the place."
"Ooh, freaky," Haruka gasped. "And I thought that Storm Station thing was bad enough."
"So, you think this island is the best place to start looking for those nutjobs?" Aiko asked.
"It's really the only lead we've got," I responded. "We should probably transform and head out. The longer we wait here, the more chance dad could have to do something even more despicable."
"Wow, Kelly-kun, I know I've said this a lot lately, but I've never seen you like this before," Hazuki stated.
"Dad's officially crossed the line with this little stunt, so I say we go and kick him where it hurts," I proclaimed.
We all brought out our Spiritual Phones, ready to put an age of evil to its end.
"Spiritualize! Ojamajo Divertimento, Start!" we all exclaimed.
"What do you have to report?" Jeff asked the technician who had walked into his throne room.
"My lord, the experiments are proceeding ahead of schedule," the technician replied. "We are officially ready to start the cloning process."
"Excellent," Jeff replied. "And what of the test subjects?"
"Um... there seems to be a slight problem," the technician nervously answered. "Many of the subjects do not seem to be accepting the new genetic material. Most of them have died almost instantly after the transfusion of the new DNA."
"It is a force of chaos," Jeff sated. "Humans are beings of order. It is tricky to force the two to intermingle without disastrous results."
"S-should we hold off the transfusions for now, then?" the technician asked.
"Proceed as we have," Jeff proclaimed. "I will oversee any transfusions from this moment on, and I shall intervene if we encounter any dangerous situations. You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" the technician exclaimed before dashing out of the room.
Jeff turned around, staring at the strange mural inscribed on his throne.
"Do you really believe this is a good idea? You do know that it has never been recorded that demons can successfully inhabit human bodies."
"You require a vessel, my liege," Jeff replied to the disembodied voice. "And I do not know how much longer you will be able to inhabit this body."
"Be grateful that your inner darkness is keeping my own spirit stable. I will still need a body to inhabit in case events to not proceed according to plan."
"I will find a way, my liege. You will roam this world again soon enough."
"For your own sake, you had better be sure of yourself."
Once we'd all transformed, we set out through the rainy night, on our way to the island where the Delegates of Darkness were supposedly holed up.
I'll admit, the current weather conditions seemed fitting for the situation at hand. It was dark, rainy, late at night, and depressing, but we were going to cut through all of that and get ourselves some richly deserved revenge.
"I seriously hope I don't catch a cold from this," Aiko groaned as the rain continued to fall as steadily as it had been all night long.
"Um, Ai-chan? Our witch outfits are weatherproof," Yuki replied. "Remember, I went into the freakin' atmosphere to shut down the Storm Station."
"Ehehe... good point," Aiko laughed.
"I'm still a little confused about something... why, exactly, are we out this late at night just to wipe out those goons?" Poppu wondered.
"It'll be easier for us to get to where we need to go," I explained. "I'm pretty sure we can't just teleport in there, or things could go sour really fast. So, I figured the direct approach would be a little safer."
"And since most of the people who live around here are already fast asleep, it'll be easier for us to stalk the streets without running risk of being discovered," Momoko continued. "Nick and I both agreed that we need to play sneaky here, otherwise we could end up in trouble."
"And god forbid those assholes get their hands on any of you..." I growled, only to calm down when Momoko patted my shoulder.
"Don't worry, Nick. We're gonna be all right as long as we stick together," Momoko quipped. "So let's draw strength from each other and put these clowns down for good, okay?"
I nodded, happy to see that Momoko was feeling slightly better after what had happened. Guess she feels a little enlightened that we're going to shut these freaks down.
So, we all walked as a tightly-knit group through the rainy midnight streets of Misora, hoping to find our quarry.
As we entered the downtown area, the rain seemed to pick up in intensity (amid Aiko's groans of catching a cold until we again reminded her of our weatherproof witch outfits; she's probably just trying to lighten the mood) as if foreshadowing how close we were to our objective.
After about twenty minutes of searching, we came to the city borders, and sure enough, the first thing that caught my attention was the odd-looking island a few miles offshore.
"Is that the place?" Doremi asked.
"That's gotta be it," Yuki responded. "There's darkness flowing like droves from that island."
"All right, who's ready to kick some faces in?!" Aiko exclaimed.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Yuki proclaimed. "Let's put an end to these guys once and for all."
Yuki brought out her Koseki Poron and aimed it towards the island. "Pururunu pikapikan chanchii! Let's create a bridge to the island!"
Responding to Yuki's command, a bright rainbow-colored bridge extended from our vantage point to the island.
"Let's end this, everybody," Yuki stated.
We all crossed the bridge to the island, at which point Yuki again used her wand to dispel an invisible barrier of darkness that was surrounding the compound.
"After you, onii-chan," Yuki giggled.
Jeff stood up from his throne as one of his subjects entered the throne room.
"What news do you bring?" Jeff proclaimed.
"My lord, we have intruders!" the subject exclaimed. "They just entered the complex! Should we go on full alert?"
"There is no need," Jeff answered, waving his palm. "I will go and personally take care of this nuisance. I believe I know who is leading the intruders."
"You do, my lord?"
Jeff picked up his new battle staff, which was now glowing with the power of darkness.
"I did not expect him to find my lair so easily, but this is as far as his luck goes. I will make him see that his pathetic little crusade is a worthless endeavor."
"Does anyone feel like we're not getting anywhere?" Aiko wondered as we continued to explore the innards of the complex, which appeared to be similar to a sewer system in how everything appeared dank and soaked, most likely due to the island being out over the ocean.
"Well, we've never been here before, and we've still got a lot of ground to cover, so that would probably be what it feels like," Momoko admitted.
"At least they don't have those creepy glass doors that let you see through them," Poppu groaned, still a little unnerved by what she'd seen earlier. After what we'd found in that particular place, I can't blame her in the slightest. Man, those experiments are just sick...
"Why would they perform those kinds of experiments?" Doremi asked, holding Poppu's hand as we continued on our way. "That just seems so wrong, even for psychopaths like them..."
"Probably for a number of reasons, Doremi-chan," Yuki answered. "They're probably working on a bunch of contingency plans for if and when things go awry. That's most likely what I'd do, given the situation."
"Ooh, I wanted to destroy that place and put them out of their misery!" Moriko growled. "Why didn't you let me, Nick-kun?!"
"Because I don't want to be discovered yet," I replied. "What we need to do is find a weak point in this place, something we can knock down that'll send this whole island to the bottom of the ocean."
"Would we maybe try looking for the central core or something?" Hazuki wondered. "Considering how big this facility is, they must be drawing all of their power from a central area..."
"...and if we disrupt that thing, the whole island goes kablooey!" Yuki exclaimed. "Smart thinking as always, Hazuki-chan!"
As the group continued to converse, I kept my senses open to make sure we weren't in any danger.
Just then, I felt a twinge.
"Girls, stay on guard," I proclaimed, taking out my Koseki Poron and quickly transforming it into Nenshou Hikari. "We've got company."
Sure enough, a bunch of people surrounded us, all wearing cloaks with the Delegates of Darkness insignia on them. No doubt the mooks that came to prevent us from reaching our goal.
"Okay, so to what do we owe this unpleasant visit?" I challenged.
"Exactly what it looks like," the mooks' leader responded. "Our lord ordered us to stop you from going any further."
One of them pulled out a rather large broadsword and charged at me.
"You stay away from my onii-chan, jerk face!" Yuki shouted, summoning Tobiume and slashing so hard that she appeared to cut the guy clean in half.
The strange thing, though?
I expected the guy to start bleeding buckets, but instead, both halves of him seemingly popped out of existence, leaving only a dark mist in his place.
"Wait, these generic foot soldiers are nothing but darkness? They're not even human?!" Onpu exclaimed.
"Then that means we don't have to hold back," I realized. "Girls, let's take 'em out!"
Yuki definitely didn't need to be told twice, as she immediately unleashed a Radiant Moonlight that took a good few of them out.
"You're mine, boy!" one of the mooks growled, aiming a scimitar right for my head.
Hazuki was the one to defend me this time, reaching out to block the strike with her Koseki Poron, then slashing it across the guy's chest, causing him to evaporate as well.
"Nice one, Hazuki-chan!" I exclaimed. Hazuki looked back at me and smiled.
"I guess those martial arts lessons you gave me finally paid off, huh?" Hazuki giggled.
"Okay, that's all of them!" Yuki exclaimed, swinging Tobiume around victoriously. All of the mooks had disappeared while we hadn't been looking.
"What?" Yuki gasped when she saw all of us staring at her. "They're just mooks!"
"Right you are, black witch. And the generic foot soldiers would have no chance against your skills, anyway."
I spun back around, and just as expected, dad was standing only a few feet ahead of us.
"Stand back, girls," I stated, readying my weapon. "This one's mine."
"I'm ready, too, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, rushing to my side and brandishing Tobiume.
"Still fighting for the weak link, I see," Jeff proclaimed. "When will you two learn that you do not have any hope of defeating me?"
"Probably never, because we've still got a score to settle with you," I shot right back. "What say we end this?"
Jeff crossed his arms over his chest, and he began to glow with dark power. Not good. "Well, if you wish to die here, then fine. Now you will taste my power!"
A powerful dark aura exploded from Jeff's body at this. "Merkabah, grant me strength!"
Jeff floated a few feet into the air, and the darkness surrounding him solidified into the form of a disfigured-looking creature that floated behind him.
"Merkabah?" Yuki quipped. "Gargos mentioned that name before we sent him to hell..."
"Ever the curious one," Jeff stated. "Merkabah is the god we worship, an ancient demon of incredible supernatural power. No doubt you have seen the experiments we have been performing. For many years, we have been trying to find ways to resurrect the great Merkabah, with varying degrees of success. You see, Merkabah currently cannot sustain its physical form without a suitable vessel to inhabit."
"So... you're saying that you let Merkabah into your soul, and that's why you turned into such an asshole?!" I shouted, the pieces finally falling into place. "But why, dad? Why would you sell your soul to a demon just to fulfill your sick ambitions?!"
"If you're trying to get through to me, it's no use, boy," Jeff taunted. "He has been made into nothing by the great demon that sleeps within my soul. Face the facts. The father you once knew is lost forever. All that remains is the future ruler of this world, and the demon that will join him in remaking this world."
"Nick-kun, is everything okay?" Doremi asked, noticing that I was visibly shaking with rage.
"If you're going to fight me, I would start now," Jeff retorted. "Before another 'accident' happens to that girl's parents."
Momoko's eyes shot wide open at that statement. "W-what?"
"Oh, did you really think they would be safe?" Jeff stated. "I would wager they're dead already."
"You're lying!" I shouted, swinging my weapon angrily.
"If I were, you would easily be able to see it," Jeff noted.
Momoko fell to her knees, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "No... m-mom... dad..."
I turned back around, my gaze locked squarely on the man who was once my father.
"All right, that's IT!" I screamed, throwing my arms outwards and shifting into my super form. "I've about had it with your nonsense, dad! You wanna be despicable and atrocious, then fine! As far as I'm concerned, you're not my father anymore! We sever these broken chains right here and now!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Nick-kun!" Yuki exclaimed, shifting into her own super form as well. "In the honor of everyone that's been lost due to your sick ambitions, dad, you are not going to be leaving this place alive!"
Jeff flexed his arms, and the Guardian behind him did the same.
"If you insist," Jeff proclaimed. "It's your funeral, then."
"Girls, I want you to get out of here," I stated. "Yuki-chan and I will handle daddy dearest."
"What should we do, then?" Doremi asked.
"Find the central power core and destroy it," Yuki responded. "Wipe that thing out, and it'll sink this whole island and everything on it. Once you destroy it, teleport out immediately, understand?"
"Roger!" Aiko exclaimed. "We'll leave the rest to you, twilight princess."
With that, the rest of the group split off to accomplish their task while we confronted our father. Oddly enough, Momoko stayed behind.
"I'm fighting, too," Momoko growled, taking a battle stance. "I'm not letting him get away with what he's done."
"Isn't this precious?" Jeff taunted. "Sending your friends away to their deaths?"
"They can handle themselves," Yuki shot back. "Let's just get this over with, dad, because it won't be long before the girls destroy this place's core and send everything you've worked for to the bottom of the seafloor!"
"Very well, then, we end this right here and now!" Jeff exclaimed, darkness flaring up around him. "Let me show you what it means to challenge the power of a god!"
Looks like this is it. The final battle.
Believe it or not, I'm ready for this after all.
("Never Turn Back" by Crush 40 plays)
"So, it all comes down to this," Jeff proclaimed.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, dad," I growled, ready as I ever was to put an end to all of this nonsense. "On my mom's honor, I swear I will take you down."
"I still held out some hope that you could be saved from the darkness, dad, but I guess there's no more convincing you!" Yuki shouted. "This is in memory of everyone who's been lost because of you!"
"I used to think you were a wonderful person," Momoko proclaimed. "You accepted my relationship with Nick without even batting an eyebrow. Comparing who you were then to who you are now just sickens me!"
"Still so blind," Jeff stated, his Guardian poised and ready to move. "Then I will make you see. You will see the foolishness of defying the future god of this world!"
Not in the mood to listen to anymore of his nonsense, I brandished Nenshou Hikari and charged forward, leaping into the air and attacking with a swift Hurricane Period to put some distance between us.
Before I could attack again, however, the Guardian lashed out with a wicked right hook that I barely blocked in time.
"Okay, so that thing's gonna complicate this fight," I noted. "How can we get around that?"
"Let me try, onii-chan!" Yuki exclaimed.
Yuki rushed forward, her weapon ready.
"Come, Guardian!" Jeff shouted, and his Guardian put itself in front of him to block Yuki's attack.
"Nuts... well, then, have some of THIS!" Yuki growled, swinging Tobiume straight upwards and unleashing a rather spectacular Ripple Drive, the glass-like sphere of energy piercing through the Guardian and sending Jeff reeling.
"Hey, so that thing doesn't like magic attacks..." I realized. From what I noticed, when it's defending, the Guardian can only repel physical attacks. I wonder if we can use that to our advantage...
"Listen to the little kids making small talk," Jeff taunted, shaking off the damage done by Yuki's Ripple Drive. "You always were impatient and impulsive children."
"Yeah, I'll admit that," I stated. "But I'm proud of that fact, because it's kept us alive all this time. That's something you'd never understand, father!"
Nenshou Hikari began glowing as I readied my next attack.
"Protect me, Guardian!" Jeff called, his Guardian again reappearing in front of him.
"Diamond Tempest!" I shouted, swinging Nenshou Hikari and unleashing a wave of crystallized light energy that again broke through the Guardian's defenses and caused Jeff to push back against the ground to keep from getting thrown back.
"Looks like your guardian thing is flawed, dad," I quipped, trying my best to stay on my toes. I know that if we slip up even once, we're finished.
"Don't become overconfident, or you'll just become more bodies for the slaughter," Jeff cackled, charging right at us.
"Sonic Burst!" Momoko shouted, her hand glowing a bright silver as she ripped forwards with a lightning-fast palm strike that struck Jeff in the chest and immediately stunned him, causing his Guardian to disappear.
"Hurry, Nick! Let's hit him before he recovers!" Momoko exclaimed, hastily taking my hands.
"Spirits of the earth..." Momoko chanted, sparkles swirling around her hand.
"Spirits of the stars..." I chanted, electricity gathering around my hand.
Momoko and I tossed our free hands to the side, and our collected energy separated and began to swirl around both of us.
"Lend us your wills and give us the power to grant a miracle!" Momoko and I shouted as the energy surrounding us began to grow fierce. We drew our hands back, not wasting a second.
"Our beautiful souls..." Momoko chanted, yellow electricity bursting from her free hand.
"...shall crush your dark heart!" I chanted, green electricity bursting from my free hand.
"Double Ojamajo Sparkle Screw!" Momoko and I shouted, slamming our joined hands through the energy field surrounding us. This motion caused two gigantic beams of green and yellow energy to erupt from our hands that eventually joined together into one spiraling silver burst of magical power that slammed head-on into Jeff and causing quite a bit of damage.
"You think you've won?" Jeff growled. "Do you honestly think you've accomplished anything?!"
"We're kicking your behind, so I guess that counts as an accomplishment," Yuki giggled.
"Don't you dare mock me!" Jeff exclaimed, thrusting his hands forward. The Guardian reacted to this motion and extended its hands like rubber bands to snatch Yuki away from me.
"Let her go, dad!" I shouted.
"Or what?" Jeff shot back, the Guardian holding its clawed fingers dangerously close to Yuki's neck. "One wrong move and I cut her pretty little throat. Do you think you can strike before I can kill her?"
I just stood there, with no idea of what to do.
Thankfully, Momoko seemed to answer that for me, stealthily slipping behind Jeff and slashing at his back, forcing the Guardian to slip and let go of Yuki.
"Nice one, Momoko!" I shouted.
"Just doing what I can," Momoko stated.
"You brats are really beginning to vex me," Jeff growled, the Guardian rearing its arms back. "Why not just go quietly to your deaths?!"
The Guardian started swinging its arms wildly, sending a bunch of razor-sharp energy discs at us.
Yuki leapt in front of me and spread her arms out. "Santen kesshun, I reject!"
A wide diamond shield appeared in front of us, easily blocking the attack. Wow, I didn't think she'd ever use that move again.
"I've still got it," Yuki giggled.
"Wow, Yuki-chan, I haven't seen you use that since we dealt with Songbird," Momoko noted.
"I apparently didn't give you enough credit," Jeff growled. "But let us see how long these tricks of yours will last for you!"
Jeff rushed at us, but Yuki quickly countered with another Ripple Drive. "Come on, dad, stop using the same old tricks!"
"Very well, then. How's this for something new?!" Jeff shouted, crossing his arms in front of him and charging forwards at insane speeds, giving us no time to counter or dodge.
"Okay, that was a little different," Yuki quipped. "But just stop dashing at us! It's so cliché!"
"You've got quite the mouth on you, girl," Jeff stated, flicking his hand out and forming a dark energy blade on his arm, something I thought was one of Yuki's trademarks. "Let's see how long you'll be babbling after I cut it off of your face!"
Jeff swung hard at Yuki, but I countered with my Slapshot technique, a quick rising slash attack so fast that it seemed to happen almost instantly.
"Why do you continue to resist?" Jeff growled. "You are only delaying the inevitable."
"Just give it a rest!" I shot back. "I'm sick of listening to your nonsense!"
I dashed forward to meet blades with Jeff, and performing a Slapshot to catch him off guard.
"O brilliant blade of coldest steel..." I chanted as I slashed at Jeff with Nenshou Hikari, and then I focused my magical power and began teleporting around while rushing at him, delivering a slash with each teleport I made.
"...rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!" I shouted as I began teleporting with insane frequency, still slashing at Jeff on every pass. After a while of this, I leapt into the air, ready to end it.
"Mystic Arte: Savage Wolf Fury!" I exclaimed, swinging my weapon one last time and dropping a comet-shaped blast right onto Jeff's head.
"I believe I'm done messing around with the likes of you," Jeff proclaimed, the dark aura surrounding him beginning to increase in intensity. "Now you will know oblivion!"
The Guardian began to change shape, turning into something I didn't even recognize. I readied myself for whatever he was going to pull.
Just then, explosions began to occur all around us, shaking the entire area and causing random structures to fall apart.
"W-what is happening?!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Looks like my friends did their job," Yuki giggled. "This place is going down!"
"I didn't expect them to actually succeed..." Jeff admitted.
"And there's your problem, dad," I shot back. "You don't plan for a possible problem because you believe you're above such problems."
"So, what are you gonna do?" Momoko challenged. "You can either get out of here with your hide intact, or keep fighting us and get destroyed along with your organization. What's it gonna be, asshole?!"
After a few seconds, Jeff relaxed his body, and the Guardian disappeared.
"Consider yourselves lucky," Jeff growled. "You will survive for a few days longer. Do not think that I am finished with you yet."
Before I could react to that, Jeff waved his hand and disappeared.
"At least he's a bit smarter than I thought," I stated.
"On to more pressing matters, this place is ker-ploding!" Yuki exclaimed. "We need to get out of here right stat now!"
"Way ahead of you, princess!" Doremi exclaimed as the rest of our group came running. "Where's your father?"
"Sent that son of a bitch running," Momoko quipped. "But let's talk about that later, when we're not being blown into hundreds of little chunklets!"
We all raised our wands in unison, the jewels on the tips glowing with a bright light. As the explosions began to increase in frequency, we chanted our teleportation spell, wrapping the entire group in a sheet of white light that instantly warped us out of the doomed complex.
When we reappeared back in Misora (and exactly where we'd made our way to the island. Irony, huh?) we watched as the island exploded rather violently, leaving only a shattered husk that began sinking into the depths of the ocean.
"Well? Did we do good?" Aiko asked.
"We did good, girls," I quipped. "The Delegates of Darkness are finished. All we have to do now is take care of dad and this nightmare's over."
"Um... we may have a problem," Onpu stated. "The Twin Bells was destroyed along with Momo-chan's house..."
"We can fix that, remember?" Yuki proclaimed. "That's what Magical Stage is for! We remodeled the place before, and we can do it again, right?"
After all agreeing on that sentiment, we set off for what was left of the Twin Bells. If I'd stopped to look around, I would have noticed something strange around a nearby corner.
"So. He is the host. This will be fun."
One Magical Stage later (well, technically two), we had fully refurbished the Twin Bells MAHO-dou alongside our home. I would have felt a sense of triumph at this, but there's still one more problem to deal with.
Now that dad knows how strong we've gotten since the last time we fought him, he's not going to be holding anything back when it comes to round two.
I'm ready, though. He knows what I'm capable of doing against someone who's sold their soul to the darkness.
I'll show him exactly what I'm capable of.
Suddenly, Momoko's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the tiny screen and saw that the call was coming from the hospital.
"No doubt they have something bad to tell me..." Momoko sighed. Steeling herself for the worst, she answered the call. "Hello?"
"Asuka-san, this is the hospital. We just wanted to inform you that your parents are recovering quite well from their injuries, and should only be here for a couple of weeks at the most."
"Really?!" Momoko exclaimed, her expression suddenly brighter. "Thanks, doctor. I really appreciate that."
Hanging up, Momoko turned back to us, a bright and sunny smile on her face. "Guys, the doctor just said my parents are going to make it!"
"Then that bastard was lyin' to us!" Aiko exclaimed.
"What, you expected him not to?" Yuki replied.
"So, then I guess everything's back to normal, right?" Poppu asked.
"Well, almost," I quipped, catching everyone's attention. "Dad's still lurking out there. We've only got three more days until we have to go to the Skywhirl Tower for the last battle."
"Is there anything we can do?" Doremi asked. "We want to help you guys out, remember? That's what friends do."
"I appreciate it, girls, but dad's not gonna be holding anything back this time," I responded. "And I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you."
"Hey, we understand, Kelly-kun," Aiko giggled. "Just 'cause we're stubborn doesn't mean we don't understand when things tend to get personal."
"Oh, it's very personal, Ai-chan," Yuki answered.
"You two just be careful, okay?" Hazuki asked.
"Hey, Hazuki-chan, you're not wearing your glasses," Yuki quipped. "Why did I not notice that before?!"
"Yeah, I'm actually trying out contacts," Hazuki explained. "It took a little bit to get used to them, but I think I actually prefer the contacts now."
"You look so cute!" Yuki giggled, causing Hazuki to blush.
As the girls continued to make small talk, I looked out the window, towards the approaching evening sky. I still have no idea how this next battle's going to play out.
But whatever happens, I'm going to give it my all. I won't let dad get away with what he's done.
Three days later...
"Ugh... damn it..."
"Can't sleep, onii-chan?"
I looked at the clock by our bedside. It read 11:57 PM. Wonderful. I should have realized that I wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep knowing what's about to happen.
"Isn't it obvious, Yuki-chan?" I replied, to which Yuki laid a rather comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Nick-kun, I know you're anxious about what's coming, but you should at least try to get some rest. You wouldn't want sleepiness to mess you up, would you?" Yuki wondered.
"Yuki-chan, after everything we've possibly been through, I don't think my sleeping schedule is ever going to be normal again," I admitted.
Just then, I noticed a gleam from somewhere. Trying to make sure that it was what I thought it was, I scrambled over to the window and looked outside. Just as I suspected, that flash had come from the Skywhirl Tower.
I think I know who's sending us a message.
"Nick-kun?" Yuki asked.
I hopped off of our bed and stood up, my fists clenched tightly.
"It's time."
Yuki seemed to almost immediately respond, jumping up and reaching for her Spiritual Phone on the dresser.
"I'm ready, Nick-kun. Let's go finish this."
"Yuki-chan, before we go..."
"Yes?"
I stepped forward and hugged my little sister tightly. "I don't know what's going to happen, Yuki-chan. I'm not even sure if we'll walk out of this alive. That's how much I'm worried. But just remember that no matter what happens, I love you and I always will."
Yuki smiled brightly, reaching out to return my hug. "Aww... I love you, too, Nick-kun. I know I've said it many times, but you're the best big brother I ever could have asked for. And it really makes me feel safe knowing that you'll always be there to protect me no matter what happens."
Yuki stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the forehead. "I'm ready whenever you are, onii-chan."
With that said, Yuki and I procured our Spiritual Phones and headed out. On the way downstairs, we were stopped by Momoko, who looked pretty sleepy.
"Hey, guys..." Momoko yawned. "You're up already? What's the occasion?"
"It's time, Momoko," I proclaimed. "Yuki-chan and I are going to bite the hand that feeds us one more time."
This seemed to snap Momoko out of her sleepy state. "Just a second, guys, there's something I wanted to give you," Momoko quipped, racing back upstairs. There was no need for subtlety, as Yuki, Momoko, and I were the only ones in the house what with Minori and Kenzou still recovering at the hospital.
When Momoko came back downstairs, she was holding seven spherical gemstones in her open palms, each one sporting a different color: ruby, sapphire, gold, emerald, silver, aquamarine, and amethyst.
"What's this, sweetie?" I asked.
"They look like little ball-shaped Chaos Emeralds..." Yuki quipped.
"Not quite, but the principle's the same," Momoko answered. "The queen visited me a day ago and gave these to me. They're called the Majokai Crystals, and they each hold an insane amount of magical power within them. The queen figured out that we were going up against an ancient demon, so she told me to give these to you in case an emergency happened."
"So, what do they do?" Yuki wondered.
"Any one of them can considerably augment your magical powers," Momoko explained. "However, the queen specifically told me to tell you to save them until you really need them. No one's ever used these things for thousands of years, so we wouldn't want them to overwhelm you, right?"
"So, basically, these little gem things are going to be our insurance policy, correct?" Yuki quipped.
"Yep," Momoko stated. "I mean, come on, you two are fighting a family member who's been possessed by a demon, for criminy's sake."
"I'll keep that in mind," I teased, knowing Momoko was trying to brighten our moods despite the seriousness of this final battle.
"You guys kick butt out there, okay?" Momoko giggled. "And sock him one for me, all right?"
"Acknowledged, Momo-chan!" Yuki responded as she and I dashed out the front door, ready to face our final showdown.
There it was.
The Skywhirl Tower in all of its majesty.
This would be the arena for our final battle with the man who's made our lives hell for so long.
Our last stand against our own father, who had been consumed by the darkness of the demon he sold his soul to.
I'll admit, I'm a little scared.
Knowing what dad can do when drawing on the power of a demon, I literally have no idea how this showdown's going to play out.
But whatever happens, I'll stay strong and fight with all of my strength.
It's what mom would have wanted.
"Anytime you're ready, sis," I quipped.
I took a few moments to ready myself.
This is it.
Our final battle.
And only one side would be leaving this tower alive.
"All right, Nick-kun, let's end this," Yuki stated.
And with that, we stepped inside the front door of the tower, ready to face our destiny.
To be continued...
On the next episode...
Yuki: This is it, Nick-kun. The last battle for the fate of everything! You ready for this?!
Nick: I've been ready for weeks now, Yuki-chan. I'm not stopping now.
Yuki: Good to hear! Because the big fight starts next episode! We finally get some more answers on what exactly Merkabah is and why dad sold his soul to it!
Nick: I personally couldn't give a crap about his reasons. All I need to know is that he's too far gone to be saved, and that's why I'm not holding back!
Yuki: And especially considering...
Nick: Considering what? ...Yuki-chan?! Next time on the final episode of Ojamajo Doremi Breakaway Remastered™, "Nankurunaisa"!
Yuki: The winds will rise to carry our prologue!
