A Dark Cloud 2 Fanfic
Chapter 9: The Kingdom of Ruin----By The Several
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The Several: Hello again! Sorry I haven't updated in the last week. Other than this fanfic, I'm also doing another one that's not DC2. It's based on a Rockman Zero Battle Network crossover, so if you're interested, look in my profile and read it. I'd be happy to hear your response!
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Milane and the others wait patiently for Monica to come out. It's been hours since Mena came out of the Moon Flower Palace with a cold fever, and still Monica has yet to show herself.
"I wonder if she found out anything," Milane said, facing to Donny.
"Either that, or she's fightin' one o' them Dark o' Ancients, again," Donny replied with a nod. "These guys ain't no pushovers and are unpredictable, so they might show anytime!"
"Yeah… She most likely saw another one on the way--- Hey! There she is now!" Milane exclaimed, pointing at the gate of the destroyed Moon Flower Palace. She sees in the distance, the faint figure of Monica, walking slowly towards them.
"It IS her! I'm gonna go alert everybody!" Donny says with a huff and a retreat inside the train to inform everybody of her arrival.
Milane waits until Monica was within earshot. Monica stops beside Milane, facing in opposite directions. Milane noticed her cold, vacant stare.
"From that expression, I take it you found something important… or confusing?"
"………….."
"Oh, right. Sorry," Milane sighed, forgetting that Monica wasn't able to speak.
Monica stayed silent for a moment, and then she looked up at the sky. She looked at Milane, and as Milane looked back, she could see the hidden hope in her eyes.
'Max….' Monica muttered.
"What do you mean?"
Monica looked to the sun again, and then smiled at her. 'The moment I'm able to really talk again… the first word I want to say… is Max.'
Milane closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah… let's make sure that happens."
Donny came out of the train with an optimist's face, running towards Monica. "Hey, Monica! Yer back!"
Monica looked towards the train where she sees everyone waving out to her from the train's windows.
She looked back at Donny, who declares, "Well… Where now, captain?"
Monica looked over to the horizon where the sun will go down, grinning confidently. 'We end this now… to Raybrandt Kingdom.'
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With a loud screeching noice, Blackstone Ragna came to a sudden halt. Donny came out and inspected the terrain.
"Man…." Donny muttered, scratching his head. He went over to where Monica was looking outside the window and said, "We can't go any further. The train tracks end here. Looks like the railroad was never finished when Emperor Griffon attacked and the areas around Palm Brinks was decimated."
Monica went outside and looked at the tracks herself. It was true. The rails were never finished, and the terrain was too uneven even for the new train to make it through.
Monica looked to the train. 'I guess I'll be going on foot then.'
"You can't go alone! It's dangerous!" Milane shouted from the window.
"That's right… Which is why I'm going with you," Donny declared, tapping his fist into his chest. "Don't bother tryin' to lose me, 'cause me goin' with you is the only way yer goin' at all! I'm not lettin' a friend go by themselves… no matter how good at fightin' they are!"
Monica was silent for a minute, and then closed her eyes, nodded and smiled. 'Heh… just like Max. Always out there for a friend, eh?' Monica opened her eyes slowly, and looked at the sky. You have good friends, Max… You always have… And they're exactly like you… Always there…
Monica then looked to Donny and nodded. 'Okay, let's go on then!'
Together they walked towards the direction of Raybrandt Kingdom.
…I think I finally have a way to bring you back, Max… You'll be with me soon…
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Monica and Donny continued to walk in the uneven bounds outside the Raybrandt Kingdom limits. The whole area was one big uneven red earth, pure red mineral. Rocks and crystal formations were the only ones not red on that yet-barren wasteland.
Monica sighted the familiar, yet unfamiliar terrain. 'Looks like this place hasn't developed yet in this time… I wonder how the Raybrandt Kingdom looks…'
"Not to worry," Donny replied as he red her lips. "I'm sure the place is juuust fine!" Donny said in a positive voice. "But…"
'What is it?'
"…There's somethin' you're not telling us."
'…What do you mean?'
Donny looks away and then suddenly faces her with such a suspicious face that Monica was bewildered.
"Ya know… When I first met you, I didn't trust ya… pulling Max into just about everythin'… Time travel, eh? Bah…"
"I can't believe Max believed you… He was always like that. He'd trust anyone."
Monica looked to the ground sadly. 'So… you still don't trust me?'
Donny looked to her and she looked back. Donny sighed and says, "I do, but the way you keep actin', how do you suppose anyone could keep trustin' ya?"
'I'm sorry… If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you what I have in mind…''But keep in mind,' she warns him. '…We mustn't let the others know what I'm about to tell you.'
Donny thumps his fist into his chest with a sign of agreement. "I hear ya. So… what is it? An idea?"
Monica then walked again to Donny's surprise. She looked back with an uncomfortable smile. 'Let's keep walking while I talk. We've already wasted too much time.'
As they walk towards the Raybrandt Kingdom again, Monica tells Donny her surprising find…
"You've figured out a way to bring back Max?" Donny screams in both surprise and delight.
'It's just a guess, but if I'm right and it works, I can bring Max back…'"How'rya gonna do that?"
Monica was just about to reply when they unknowingly reach the outside walls of the Raybrandt Kingdom. Much to Monica's surprise, the walls were in deep ruin.
'The walls… they're destroyed!… Did the Dark of Ancients attack this place?'
Donny was about to examine the walls when Monica suddenly leaped from behind and entered the foreboding place.
"Monica! Wait up!" Donny said as he tried to catch up.
Monica ran inside the kingdom walls, examining everything in her sights. To her horror, everything left and right was broken and destroyed. She ran deeper into the heart of the town within the walls, where a huge magic device was supposed to stand. Not surprisingly, when Monica got there, there was nothing but a big bottomless hole in the ground.
Monica fell on her knees with despair. 'The Raybrandt Kingdom… It's… ruined…'
"Monica, relax," Donny said from behind her with a more optimistic expression. "I know what yer thinkin', but that's not it. This place wasn't attacked."
Monica stood up and looked to him in confusion.
"I examined the place. Judging from the age of how long and since this place has been in ruins, I'm pretty sure this place was like this for at least hundreds of years."
'W-What?'"You heard me," Donny continued. "If my guess is correct, your kingdom from 100 years in the future was built there probably recently in the next few years! That means that the Raybrandt Kingdom never existed yet, it was only newly created!"
'So this place…' she mutters as she looks around the great ruins she once knew her home. '…the Raybrandt Kingdom was created on the site of these ruins of old.'
"That's correct," a voice from above them calls out. Monica and Donny looks up and there she was. "Dark Monica", watching ominously above them as she perched on top of a ruined building. "How amusing that Shulammite, one of the Dark of Ancients would lead you here against my will. I knew I shouldn't have released her…"
"Released her?" Donny asked in confusion.
"Never mind," replies the Monica look-alike. "I'm getting tired of these games… you will either fall now or later, so let's hurry things up shall we!"
The dark-haired woman raises her hand and shouts, "…Dark Paznos, arise!"
Suddenly, the ground began to quake seismically. The ruins around the area began to crumble and rocks fell from the wall peaks. Then to Monica and Donny's utmost horror, a shadow version of the great Gigantor Paznos arose from the bottomless pit of the town center.
"I hope you both enjoy playing with my latest acquisition. He may not be as big as the original Paznos you summoned from the future months ago, but I think the odds are enough to tip it against your favor!" She then laughs maniacally and disappears in a cloud of dark mist.
"Another shadow servant? This is getting tiresome!" Donny complains to Monica.
Monica takes out her sword Daedalus and her gun. Donny could see that she hadn't given up yet. He sighs frustratingly and takes out his own special gun, to Monica's surprise. "Heh. You think the gun I gave Max is my ONLY gun?"
Monica grins and faces the dark giant with grim determination.
'I've gone too far now just to die…' She then wields her sword and gun and aims it at the giant opposition. 'I'm not going to lose!'
To be continued…--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT CHAPTER: Monica and Donny square off with their biggest challenge yet… a shadow version of the giant Gigantor Paznos! While they waste time fighting the giant dark-copy, the Dark Monica uses this delay to get ready activating the final Ender once and for all…
The Several: Whoah! That would be a fun boss fight, huh? Fighting against the giant Gigantor Paznos (the famous robot-mode of the battleship Paznos)! If they ever made a DC2 sequel, I wish they'd have one of those.