Hello loyal readers. Oh man longest chapter ever. Well, this is it. The final climax of the mercenary returns. The battle of jack's life is about to begin. Will the element king succeed in killing him? Or will he manage to turn it around and win? Find out now in the final chapter of The Mercenary Returns.
Chapter 12
Bumblebee talking
Third Person POV
The knife plunged towards jack's heart, but a second before it pierced his flesh Master Carina shot a small blast of fire straight at it blasting his hand to ashes.
"AHHHHH!" He yelled in pain clutching his wrist where his hand was already growing back.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SON/PARTNER!" June and arcee shouted at the same time.
"You will pay for that." EK Said through gritted teeth, his hand had fully regenerated.
"Aww did the baby get hurt." Jack sneered as Kooro freed him from the slab.
"Autobots now!" Arcee yelled over her com system. After she said that the wall opposite her burst in and there stood optimus, bulkhead, and bumblebee.
"Please tell me miko and raph aren't here." June said coming up to them.
"She and raph as being watched by ratchet at the gate to the palace." Optimus said
"Jack we will deal with everyone else." Carina said "You handle Element King."
"Right!" Jack yelled just before the EK flew forward, grabbed him around the waist and shot them both through the wall of the palace and into the valley below.
"What do we do?' Arcee said blocking several energy blasts by hiding behind a piller "We can't use force on them or we could kill them."
"I need you, kooro, and the rest of the autobots to keep them at bay while june and I prepare to free them." Carina said
"What?!" June asked surprised
"We're going to use the ultimate healing sign to destroy the rings and free everyone in the palace." Carina said taking her hands.
"But I barely managed to reverse the effects on arcee." June said "I don't think I can do it to the whole palace."
"We just need a large enough amount of water." Carina said leading june down one of the hallways.
"Where are we going?" June asked
"To the source of water for the palace and the village." Carina said.
"Where is that?" June asked
"The hidden spring." Carina said as they found themselves at the end of the hallway.
"This is a blank wall." June said
"Things aren't always what they appear to be." Carina said placing her index and middle finger on the center of the wall and drawing the sign for water.
Once she completed the sign the wall opened to reveal a staircase that appeared to be made out of turquoise, the lamps illuminating the hallway were made of amethyst giving everything a calming purple light reflecting off the stairs.
"Amazing." June said in wonder as they descended the stairs into the heart of the mountain. "This place never ceases to amaze me."
"I know the feeling." Crina said as they came to the bottom of the stairs and stopped in front of a large turquoise encrusted wall with the statue of a women made out of amethyst. She looked exactly like June.
"Who is that?" June said in wonder. "She looks just like me."
"She is the wife of the first elemental master." Carina explained. "Her desire to help those who were hurt was so strong, she gave birth the the healing signs, she was the world's first and perhaps best doctor."
"I guess the element king was right." June said.
"Yes." Carina said "You are indeed her reincarnation. But not just because you look like her, it's your spirit, your strong desire to help other that has convinced me."
"What was her name?" June asked in awe.
"Her name was He Xian Gu." Carina said "She is remembered in history as one of the chinese goddesses of health. Now we must get to the spring. I need you to place your hand on the base of the statue."
June did as she was instructed, the second her hand touched the base the statue's eyes began to glow bright purple and the wall split down the middle and began to open.
June gasped as she saw what lay beyond the door. The spring was beautiful, it was about the size of an olympic pool, perfectly round with a waterfall feeding into it at the far end, but the most amazing thing was what lay in the center of the pool, a small island covered in soft green moss, and in the center of the island sat the most amazing tree june had ever seen. It looked like a cherry tree in full bloom, but the most amazing thing was that the blossoms on the tree were colored like a rainbow. (Fairy Tail Episode 73)
"This place was set up by the first elemental master." Carina explained, "This is where He Xian Gu unlocked her power and created the healing signs. We must use her purifying sign to free everyone."
"But I've learned the sign for healing not purification." June said getting worried, "What if I-"
"June." Carina said cutting her off "you can do this. I know you can, and deep down you do to."
"Alright." June said with a determined look on her face. "Let's do this."
"Now we must be on the island." Carina said as she took off her shoes and began to wade through the spring with june following close behind.
"I feel strange walking here." june said "It's like the water is washing away all my fatigue."
"That is the power of the spring." Carina said "Now hurry take my hands and repeat after me."
"Oh great spirit of water and light." Carina began but as she said those first words a strange feeling came over june, her eyes went wide and began to glow the same color as the statutes, then in a voice that was not her own she continued with Carina.
"Oh great spirit of water and light." She said "We call upon your aid to help rid the palace and Valley of the evil which has tainted it. Use your water to clear away the tainted soil, and use your light to purify the land!" As soon as she said that the water began to glow and rise, suddenly a huge wave of light exploded out from June and passed through the walls and ceiling, bathing the whole palace and surrounding valley in purifying light.
Once the light faded June collapsed into Master Carinas arms.
"You have done wonderfully June." Carina said pushing junes hair behind her ears, "Now we must rely on jack to defeat the Element King."
Back with the autobots
June and Carina had left to do something about the controlled people leaving the autobots to keep them from following them.
"Remember autobots." Optimus said blocking the passageway with bulkhead "these people's actions are not their own, we must contain them without harming them until June and Master Carina can free them."
"Easier said than done." Bumblebee said as he was pelted by multiple sharp rocks.
"Yeah!" Bulkhead said "these humans are strong. OW! HOT! HOT! HOT!"
One of the disciples had blasted bulkheads hand with blue fire causing tit to glow white hot.
"Just hold out!" Arcee said using her blades to cut through a boulder thrown by a disciple
"AAHHHH!" A familiar scream sounded from outside.
"MIKO!" Bulkhead yelled before charging through a wall to save miko.
"Bulkhead stop!" Arcee said but it was too late he was gone.
The bots kept getting pushed further and further back until they were all backed against the wall they were holding the disciples at bay but not for much longer, arcee being the smallest went down first. Bumblebee tried to protect her but he soon went down as well, finally it was just optimus and Kooro. Optimus tried to prevent them from getting past but he soon fell.
Kooro wasn't faring very well either he had managed to knock out a good number of the disciples but he'd taken just as many hits, his limbs felt like led, and his vision was getting blurry he got so tired that he finally fell to his knees and finally one of the disciple managed to score a significant blow to him,he ran up with a sword in hand and stabbed kooro though the chest, missing his heart but sill piercing a lung and his spine. Just as the first few ran past his limp form to chase after Carina and June, a bright wave of light passed over them, all at once the rings around their heads vanished and all of the disciples collapsed on the ground.
"June and Carina did it." Optimus said as he slowly lost consciousness.
Kooro gasped as he awoke, he really thought he was dead, looking around he saw that the fight seemed to be over, and that the disciples would be fine, looking to his left he saw the wall that EK had smashed jack through, instantly he knew what he had to do, and charged through the hole.
Jack
"Jack we will deal with everyone else." Carina said "You handle Element King."
"Right!" I yelled just before the EK flew forward, grabbed me around the waist and shot us both through the wall of the palace and into the valley below.
We crashed into the ground hard and created a fairly big crater. Quickly we sprang up and began to circle each other.
"I was willing to end your life quick and painlessly but now that I think about it this is a better place." EK sneered. "I can finish this where it all began in the valley of death. This place will be your grave jack."
"Only in your dreams." I answered quickly summoning his axe. "Once this is over you'll be history."
"We'll see about that." EK said summoning a strange black sword. Quicker than lightning he charged me. I was barely able to block it in time, but he came again and again each time was a near miss. "You know jack for all your talk I was hoping for more of a challenge."
"I'm just getting warmed up." I said "Do you know why my name was shadow during my days with the hidden lotus?"
"Because you were a coward who had to hide in the shadows?" Ek sneered.
"Because I can become them." I said smirking before I dived into a tree's shadow and disappeared.
"Impressive." Ek said circling around.
"YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN YET!" I yelled before jumping out of a shadow to his left and slicing him across the chest before diving into another shadow.
I repeated this again and again once even succeeding in chopping off one of EKs arms.
"ENOUGH!" He yelled and punched me square in the face with his one good arm as I dove out towards his punched knocked me through a few trees.
"You can't do any serious damage to me jack. He said reattaching his arm. "My body and spirit are immortal, I cannot be killed."
"Maybe." I said "But that won't stop me from trying."
"Your welcome to try." Ek sneered
We continued to exchange blows each of us occasionally cutting the other but unfortunately his cuts healed almost instantly. Mine however continued to bleed.
"You're slowing down jack." Ek said kicking me in the gut so I fell on the ground he then proceeded to stab me in the shoulder with his sword.
"AAAHHH!" I yelled in pain.
"You were foolish to challenge me." He said grinning at my pain. Raising his sword over his head he prepared to finish me off.
"Goodbye jack don't worry I'll take good care of our mother." He said But before he could bring the sword down, the entire valley was bathed in a warm bright light, that filled me with strength. The light seemed to have the opposite effect on the element king.
"AAAHHH!" He screamed as his body was wracked with pain while writhing on the ground.
"Mom." Said somehow knowing this was her handy work. Throwing down my axe I said "Well Element king. Let's end this."
"Yes lets," he said getting up and throwing away his sword.
"Cleansing water evil!" I yelled shooting a massive blast of water at ek
"Earth shield me from harm!" He said blocking it. Quickly making another sign he said "Fire engulf my enemy!"
"Wind smother the fires of evil!" I shouted blasting his fire with wind dissipating it.
"Impressive." EK said "But not impressive enough!"
We continued to deliver blows to each other but I began to slow down again. Finally I fell and EK stood over me
"You are weak jackson darby." he said as his hands were surrounded by black fire "and you will lose" (Harry Potter 5)
Just before he could deliver the finishing blow however, Kooro came out of nowhere and stabbed him through the head.
"Kooro?" I said blearily staring up at him.
"Jack." he said beginning to heal me. "I need to tell you that you were right."
"What?" I asked not understanding him
"You were right about me." Kooro said "I let my jealousy poison my heart and Ayla paid the price for that. Nothing I say can ever make up for that but I hope my actions can help even if it's just a little."
"I can't beat him alone." I said "We need to team up."
"The hidden lotus returns." Kooro said grasping my hand and pulling me too my feet.
"Lets show him what we can do." I said grasping his hand in return.
"LET'S DO IT!" We both shouted charging EK as he finally managed to pull Kooros sword from his neck.
"So you think that the both of you can win?!" He sneered "Come you two I shall kill you both at once."
"You're welcome to try." I said as both kooro and I prepared our signs.
"Jack you have to use your ultimate move!" Kooro said deflecting EKs attacks with his sword which was surrounded by white flames
"But-" I began
"I know you swore not to use it but it's the only thing powerful enough to immobilize him long enough for us to end this." Kooro said
"Alright!" I said clicking a small button on the base of my axe which caused it to come apart. I saw that Kooro had somehow gotten EK in a full nelson "Kooro you need to get out of the way!"
"NO!" Kooro shouted "DO IT NOW WE NEED TO BEAT HIM!"
RIGHT!" I shouted and drew the sign for lighting on one blade and hurricane on the other "THIS ENDS ELEMENT KING! TIME TO PAY FOR ALL THE HORROR YOU'VE CAUSED! UNITY ATTACK LIGHTING! HURRICANE!"
With that I began to spin both parts of my axe which generated massive amounts of lighting which then shot into the sky and came down on Element king. Koor managed to jump away just in the nick of time before EK was blasted.
"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" EK yelled out in agony as he was engulfed by the lighting.
It looked like it was over, EK lay on the ground looking like a piece of charcoal.
"Man that was crazy." I said walking over to kooro and helping him up.
"The hidden lotus wins again." Kooro said
"Come on I said we need to get back.
"Right, let's g-" Koor began to say right before he was stabbed through the gut by a black sword.
"KOORO!" I yelled standing over him. Looking behind us I saw the element king standing up again
"You forgot I'm immortal jack." He said still looking like a burned piece of wood.
"No." I said looking at kooro's unmoving body."
"Now it's your turn." EK said
There's no way I can beat him I thought hopelessly, but then I remembered what Master Carina had told me "Since beginningless times darkness has thrived in the void, but it always yields to purifying light, and the light I sense from you is the purest I've ever felt."
I knew what needed to be done. I picked up Kooro's sword and faced Element king.
"You still believe you can beat me jack?" He asked in a board tone "I know every sign including the sign of creation there is nothing you can do."
"Except create my own sign." I said raising my left index and middle finger.
"Impossible." EK said "What sign could you create?"
"The sign of purifying light." I said weaving the sign onto Kooro's sword causing it to glow with bright blue light.
"AAHH!" EK said as the light hit him burning his skin. "How can that hurt me?"
"Don't you know anything Element king?" I asked "You are darkness. I am the light."
With that I rushed him and in one fluid motion sliced him in half, he went down and didn't get back up again.
"AAAHHHH! WHY AREN'T I HEALING?!" He yelled in agony.
"Simple." I said "the sign of purifying light vanquishes all evil. Immortal or not."
"Kooro!" I said dropping his sword and rushing over to him. "Kooro don't you dare die!"
"Jack." he said weakly "did we win?"
"Yes." I said with tears in my eyes "We did now just lie still while I heal you."
I tore off his shirt too look at the wound it was pitch black.
"You can't heal that wound jack." EK said coughing up blood. "You may have defeated me but you won't be able to heal him."
"No." I said still frantically trying to heal Kooro
"JACK!" A familiar voice shouted looking up I saw mom, Carina, Miko, Raph, and the autobots rushing towards me.
"Mom help him!" I said frantically pointing at Kooro
"Not even she can save him!" EK said
"Silence." My master said chopping off his head, arms and legs.
Mom closely examined the wound. "I think I can heal him." she said pulling out a small bottle. "This water is from the spring I was going to use it to heal you but he needs it more."
She covered her hands and said "Oh great spirit of water and light I call upon you heal this man remove the darkness from him heal his body and spirit." Once she said that she pressed her hands on the wound causing it to steam.
"AAAHH!" Kooro shouted in pain but miraculously the wound closed and began to heal.
"Impossible." EK said
"No it isn't" I said standing and walking over to him. "You lose."
I created one last sign and every piece of the element king's body was sealed in rainbow crystal.
"What should we do with him?" Arcee asked
"We shall separate his body parts." Carina said "They will be guarded in different locations around the world, he will never come to power again."
"I have an idea." I said "Ratchet can the ground bridge portal make it outside earth's gravity?"
"With some adjustments why?" Ratchet said
"I say we launch his head into space." I said "That would guarantee his demise."
"I agree with jack." Carina said. "You have done well jack and you kooro, rest now."
And rest we did, when we both woke up it was three weeks later, each one of the element king's body parts was given to one of the masters to hide and guard. His head was given to optimus who as we suggested had it thrown through a ground bridge portal and into space, so that it may never return. Apparently we learned from ratchet that the head had been sent to a comet and was now travelling away from earth and out of our solar system. So we knew we would never see the element king again. Finally it was time to decide whether to stay or return to Jasper.
"I know what I want to do." I said "I'm going to return to jasper for school but i'd like to come here during the summer to continue my training if that is okay master."
"Of course jack." Carina said "looking at team prime assembled in front of her. "All of you are welcome to return here if you wish, The crystal palace will honor your names forever."
"Oh yeah!" Miko said pumping her fist in the air. "Can raph and I learn this stuff too?"
"I suppose." Carina said, smiling.
"Jack." Kooro said walking up to me. "I'd like to-"
I held up a hand stopping him "you don't need to say anything. Saving my life and helping me defeat the element king made up for it."
"Thank you." Kooro said smiling/.
"So jack." Miko said "If raph and I learn these elemental signs can we join the hidden lotus?"
I don't see why not." I said "What do you think Kooro?"
"Of course." Koor said "we need new members."
"Yes!" Miko and raph said before high fiving each other
"I believe it is time to go." Optimus said before opening a ground bridge bulkhead and bumblebee both transformed letting miko and raph climb in and drive through the portal.
"June." Kara said "I'd like you to return with jack as well. I'd love to teach you more healing signs."
"I'd like that June said hugging her goodbye and climbing inside ratchet before disappearing through the portal."
"This is goodbye." Kooro said to me holding out his hand.
"Not forever." I said pulling hm into a hug. "Later. Keep practicing, I want a good fight when come back."
"You got it." Kooro said smiling
"Goodbye master." I said bowing.
"You have made me so proud jack." She said pulling me into a hug. "See you in the summer."
"Come on partner let's head home." Arcee said transforming and letting me on.
"Yes lets." I said taking one last look at the palace before driving through the portal and on toward home.
And close the book, that my friends was the last chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading the whole story. This one was fun to write, originally I had planned on maybe four chapter max but then I was hit with all the ideas about the elemental signs, and the element king. There probably won't be a follow up story to this but you never know. Don't forget to check out the rest of my stories!
Until we meet again!
PrimusPrime Out!
