A/N: sorry this took forever, i got lost in a rabbit hole chasing another story idea XD
Enjoy!
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
"Ooooh! Hey Nim! Nim! Niiiiiiiiiiiiim! NimNimNimNim! NIM?!"
"WHAT?!" the high pitched voice of the chimera Blade snapped to as she jumped up. The Phonex dragons on her shoulder started biting and screeching as well.
"Agh!" Kora, the overly chatty electric demon put her hands to her ears, jumping back in shock like Nim had, "Jeez! Lighten up! I was just curious if you'd seen the lightning bolt that just shot across the sky!" her sunny disposition immediately returned, hands under her chin as Kora wiggled and giggled, "It was just so cool! You should'a seen it, like seriously, it was amazing and-!"
Nim just raised her hand and put it over Kora's mouth. Over the several months they'd been out here she found that was literally the easiest way to deal with Kora's motor-mouth. It was just a result of being an electric Blade, Nim figured. All the Electric Blade's had some display of over-excitement; Vess made WAAAAAAAAAY too many dumplings when she got into it, Electra had her shocking hugs, even if they'd gotten better, and Herald could destroy a mountain without even trying. Kora just talked… a lot.
And she seemed to prefer the physical contact over being told to shut up, still bouncing and smiling behind her hand, even kissed it a few times to try and gross her out. Kora was weird.
A scowl passed the chimera Blade's face as she counted in her head with Kit and Sunny ticking off every other second, seeing how long Kora would last this time.
The excitable electric Blade seemed to start vibrating and bouncing… then licked her hand.
"EW!" like touching something hot, Nim retracted her paw-like hand and started shaking it.
"Pleh, hair!" Kora was hunched over, wiping her mouth, "Okay, that was a bad idea, I keep forgetting you have paws not really hands!"
"Hey I've got thumbs! They're hands!" the earth type healer just jumped up and down, still waving her hand around. After a moment, and realizing how silly this was, she raised her hand up to her shoulder and had Kit check her paw. The weird Phonex dragon seemed to sniff it, snort, shaking his head then finally lick it clean… after Nim growled something at him. The moment he was done he licked her face causing her to squeak, "Hey, hey, hey! Kit! Don't do that! It's like you kissed Kora and then kiss me! It's weird!" Sunny turned and licked her other cheek, making Nim release some kind of high pitched squeal, "GAH! Not you too Sunny!"
"Hey Sunny?!" suddenly Kora was next to the red maned Phonex-dragon, "Give me one!" and pointing at her cheek.
The red maned Phonex did a happy little chirp before leaning over and seemingly kissing the electric demon's cheek, causing her to giggle.
Nim was completely mortified, "SUNNY!" the two Phonex-dragons started chirping back and forth, laughing at her even though she'd be the only one to understand that. Covering her face didn't help, they seemed to chitter more.
"Hey, come here you two," there was a voice in front of Nim, behind her hands. The chittering stopped and when she dared to look between her fingers she saw Kora smiling, scratching both of the Phonex-dragons under their chins making them hum happily.
Lowering her hands enough to pout, Nim narrowly eyed Kit and Sunny. They seemed completely subdued by Kora's scratching and she could 'sort of' feel it as well, it was really weird being connected to the two at times.
"Hehehe," for some reason the black horned electric demon looked down, then smiled in Nim's face.
Those narrow eyes got more skeptical, lowering her hands and her shoulders, "What?"
"Your tail's wagging," Kora was wiggling again, unable to stay still.
"Huh?!" startled, looking down, Nim moved all about, stomping her hooves and trying to get a better look at her feathery tail… which was wagging… sort of, "Oh, no, come on, don't do that too!" it was like she couldn't control her own body!
"Oh no! Now you're pouting!" Kora's hands moved from Kit and Sunny and went to Nim's cheeks, seemingly to rub them. Instead she pinched them and seemed to be trying to physically get her to smile, "There! See! Not so hard!"
"Ko-ra!" Nim growled, arms down and completely deflated… though Kit and Sunny seemed pleased and her tail was still moving.
"Hehe!" seeing her opponent had completely given up, Kora stopped pulling on her cheeks, pushing them together instead, "Sorry Nim! You can just be so cute sometimes! And fun to pet!" seemingly on a whim, the electric demon just leaned forward and kissed Nim's funny animal like nose, making her fuzzy little aquamarine ears go back.
Instead of seeming flustered like one would expect, Nim just seemed annoyed, particularly when the thunder demon finally let her go, "You're so mean, Kora!"
"What?!" not even phased, she pat that aquamarine hair, "You're just so cute sometimes! Especially when you're all pouty!"
"Ergh!" shaking and waving her hand-paws about, Nim finally managed to get out of Kora's obnoxious grip. This only resulted in the thunder demon giggling as she followed Nim's stomping hooves.
In a huff, now with Kit and Sunny happily chirping on her shoulders and Kora skipping not far behind, Nim almost wish she hadn't left Mor Ardain. Almost.
Six years and Nim still didn't like Mor Ardain, despite her Driver being the Special Inquisitor! Morag was a great Driver! She put up with a lot for Nim! And the poor confused chimera Blade put in a lot of effort to try and make up for her initial prejudices to help her Driver… but she still didn't like the place so much.
… even if it had changed since the World Tree fell, the scalded dead red dust of Mor Ardain had become green fields. The toxic waters washed clean from the salt water, the entire environment had changed drastically. There were even flowers in Alba Cavanich on a regular basis nowadays.
Every time she went back, since she preferred to be out in the wild trying to find animals to talk to, there was some new detail about the scary place that she couldn't help but like. Even if she still hated the idea of Mor Ardain.
Their technology was harsh and abrasive, hadn't really changed that much, but with the lack of titans… well… the ones still around were really only the modified ones the Ardainians used, and Newt assured her time and again they liked being how they were… since apparently Newt could understand them and Nim couldn't no matter how much she tried!
It still was annoying… and she'd talked with Morag about this stuff. At least her Driver understood! At least she knew this technology was bad! … but Mor Ardain needed it for one reason or another… but she was trying to encourage less destructive technologies but it wasn't like they'd go full Urayan any time soon…
It was a lot for Nim to think about, though she mostly just left it there, pouting and wondering off into the new nature of Elysium to find something new to try and talk to.
When the whole offer to check out other areas had been offered by Morag, like the other blades Nim had been excited! Mostly because no else wanted to go check out Temperantia like she did. Her main reason to head out that way was it was FAAAAAAAR away from Mor Ardain, even if technically her mission was to check on the relay base that was still there. That would be the 'official' reason for going out there, but it'd be a small portion of her journey!
Truthfully she just wanted to go see if the Phonexes were still out there. She hadn't seen many of them around on the other major Titans, even Leftheria seemed oddly devoid of the foxlike creatures. Temperantia was the only place she hadn't checked…
… and Ciara liked to pull her hair, Kit and Sunny didn't like it but if they so much as looked at Morag's daughter funny, Nia would glare at them and she could be REALLY scary… especially in her Blade form!
So Nim had set out for Temperantia… and Kora followed for some reason.
Neither were really sure how long it took them to get there, neither of them were really the sorts to keep time properly like KOS-MOS or Herald, but when they finally found the Ardainian base on the Temperantian Plateau, apparently they'd been late by a month.
Nim had been unsettled by the soldiers, and they seemed to assume Kora was Morag's Blade, addressing her about all their reports, supply lists, and something about a Judicium Titan literally just wondering off into the wilderness…
Kora probably remembered it, she could recall all sorts of details that seemed really trivial, while Nim just held on to her, hiding behind her really until they could leave the Ardainian Base. Apparently they'd been managing to survive pretty well, despite the odd conditions and sparse supplies from Mor Ardain, showing off foods they'd discovered to be edible along with new animals that were also edible… and built some actual housing since most of their tents got demolished by one too many monster attacks…
It showed Nim the Ardainians were capable of being adaptable and could work with nature… when forced to. She supposed that was some progress.
During her time in Temperantia she'd been trying to find the Phonexes, and most days she wouldn't find any sign, and Kora would drag her back to the Base, so they at least had a nice bed to sleep on, which didn't seem like an issue for Nim. She liked sleeping on the ground, Kora was the picky one.
From what the Ardainians at the base could tell them, the entire Titan of Temperantia had just 'landed' on a mountain range six years ago. Their base managed to survive the HUGE migration of the giant monsters as they fled the place… though a few stayed and have become even bigger and scarier.
Apparently by the toxic Titan landing in Elysium, on a mountain range no less, it had settled, melding with the surrounding land and created a kind of plateau, now dubbed the Temperantian Plateau by the Ardainians stationed there. Most of the place now could grow Elysium grass and even had a few huge trees, and some of the toxic pools had purified… though it made a kind of super enhancing stuff that could get a person messed up if they drank it. It still wasn't safe, but in a pinch could help you run away faster! It was likely this new weird water that made the monsters more dangerous, or at least that was the theory…
And one of the Judicium Titans they'd been stationed there to watch had just walked off in the night… since it apparently figured out it could do that… they had no idea where it was or what it was doing.
But still, the Ardainians had no news on the Phonexes, and that upset Nim.
So the fist-fighting duo had set off to explore more of this new, weirder, Temperantian Plateau. Kora often complained about the rough conditions but Nim found it cozy… until a thunderstorm struck, which were REALLY prevalent, then Kora would be super excited and dancing in the rain while Nim was trying to find somewhere to hide.
It had been a weird… however long they'd been out here.
They'd found old stone ruins, big monsters they ran from immediately, huge trees that made no sense how they formed so quickly, and strange neon plants that glowed at night. Temperantia was just exploding strange life now that it was part of Elysium.
But back to the here and now, it was barely mid-morning and already there was a dozy of a thunderstorm starting up, making Kora excitable, and Nim curse as this way she wouldn't find any sign of the Phonexes if it just started raining again…
"*Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech*"
Kit, Sunny and Nim's ears all perked up at that sound! The chimera Blade gasping deeply, looking around frantically, "That was a Phonex!" getting down on all fours she started sniffing the ground, cursing that it just smelled like a brewing thunderstorm, while Kit and Sunny were looking around frantically.
"Hey, Nim, isn't that-?!" the chatty electric demon poked the feathery tail sticking up.
"Quiet Kora!" sniffing around frantically, Nim's ears were moving parabolic trying to pick up any sound that would indicate the Phonex's direction, "I'm trying to find them!"
"Yea, but, isn't that-?!" again she tugged on Nim's tail, and again got a growl in return. "Ugh!" rolling her light green eyes, Kora just pulled Nim's tail.
"YELP!" that had the earth type Blade up and standing instantly. Turning back to glare with narrow orange eyes, she saw that Kora was just pointing, "Huh?" Kora didn't point or use body language, she talked… FOREVER!
Raising a blonde brow, Kora just nudged her head, clearly telling Nim to just go look at what she had been trying to get her to look at.
Still a bit confused, and weirded out by her companion, Nim turned and saw…
Was that an overgrown arachnid trying to slam its face into a hole too small for even one of its claws?
"*Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech*"
"OH NO!" with a deep gasp she was running, summoning her weapons, and jumping with a fierce growl… punching an overgrown arachnid in the face and sending it over an edge!
"Nice one, Nim!" Kora just jumped about excited, bouncing over to the spot the arachnid had been attacking, "Helllooooo? Anyone in there?!"
Talking a calming breath, Nim unsummoned her weapons and turned around, spotting Kora leaning over a small dug in hole. Her ears twitched, there was a small growl coming from it… "Wait! Kora! Don't put your hand in-!"
"YEOWCH!" pulling her hand out there was something white attached to it, and Kora was jumping trying to get it off, "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! Get it off! Get it off! GET OFF!" a bolt of lightning hit not far behind Kora… right where the hole had been…
Wide orange eyes were staring at Kora, not sure if she meant to do that or if that was just a coincidence. Either way it was way too much! "KORA!"
"Er... um… s-sorry Ni-YEOWCH! GET OFF ME!" turning the electric demon held out her hand towards Nim, clearly indicating she needed to get the whatever-it-was off her hand!
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down, shhh… shh… its fine…" Nim spoke softly, holding up her hands trying to calm down the creature… though with the way Kora was staring at her with teary eyes she wondered if the electric demon thought she was talking to her? -Weird-
Either way, when Kora calmed down enough to stand still, holding out her hand, Nim could see what had attached itself to her.
It looked like a Phonex… though not like any she'd ever seen. It was white for one… and where the other types had three tails this one had only one big one, and it was rather pudgy.
Kit and Sunny both screeched something at her that had her chuckling, putting her hands around the pudgy Phonex, "Oh come on, that's just silly Kit, Sunny? How could this be a baby? It's the size of an adult Phonex!" with her claws around the thing, and a few scratches, it seemed to whimper, letting go of Kora's hand, and Nim brought it to her chest, letting Kit and Sunny talk to it while she listened, "There, see, you're in no trouble with us around!"
"Not so sure about that," Kora scowled, rubbing her hand. That had hurt… a lot! And she'd get her revenge… maybe, someday… okay probably not, Nim seemed to have finally found a Phonex, as weird as this one looked and…
"Hehehe! Stop, no need for that! Haha!" the pudgy Phonex was licking under her chin, tickling her and rubbing all over her chest.
Okay it was damn cute, Kora could admit that. This was probably the happiest she'd seen Nim since the World Tree fell, and that was saying something. The weird chimera was really something else when she was around the Phonexes…
"Oh, hey, huh? Really? Huh…" Nim's funny ears twitched, listening to the Phonex speak, "Is that so? That's what happened?"
"Hey! Ya mind translating!" Kora jumped up annoyed, "Not all of us here can understand those fuzzballs!"
The Phonex curled further into Nim, tickling and licking her, making her giggle again, "O-okay! I-I'll try! Hehehe…" she pet the baby, "Well, apparently this little guy's name is Lux! And he got separated from his family when a big monster came through and tried to destroy their village! So he's been on a quest to find someone strong enough to help out!" by the end of it, Nim had one hand in a fist and fire burning in her eyes.
"Heh," Kora could only shake her head, posing with her hands on her hips, "Once the hero of the Phonexes, always the hero of the Phonexes, huh?"
"Eh-heh," nervously, Nim scratched behind her ear, "Well, it's not like we can just leave this little guy on his own, can we? We've got to help! Save his village and wipe out this monster!" again, that fire was back.
A blonde brow rose, "So, where is this Phonex village?"
"Er…" immediately all three heads on the chimera Blade deflated, "Well… it seems Lux got lost so…"
"So he doesn't know where he is or where his village is, hmm?" Kora leaned forward, eyes flat.
"Well… yes?" there was a squeak from Nim, as Kora grabbed her free hand and started dragging her away, "H-hey! Wait, Kora! What are you doing?!"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" light green eyes rolled as she pointed up with her free hand, "That storm is about to break any second, and you two aren't exactly any good during those," a terrified look passed all four Phonex like faces, fur fuzzing out and everything, "Sooooooooooooo~" Kora sing-songed, wiggling her finger and smirking back at them, "I'm finding a dry spot for you guys before I go have some fun in the rain!" then gave a wide, encouraging smile, knowing this plan was kind of silly, "Then we can start finding that village for Lux, right?!"
"Oh, Kora!" suddenly Nim launched herself around the thunder demon, nuzzling her face-to-face and wrapping her free arm around her neck, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" then without even thinking Nim, Kit and Sunny all gave her a peck on the cheek.
Kora, of course, just giggled, her pointy ears wiggling, "Well, now, I think I know how most people feel with me around, huh?!" it didn't dissuade her at all, this was a lot more fun now!
They found a cave not far away that was dry, Kora grabbing a few giant leaves and such, throwing them at Nim to find some way to use them to keep dry before the thunder demon ran off, just as the downpour started and lightning struck not far away.
Nim just wrapped up in the leaves, keeping to the back of the small cave, using her body to keep the young Phonex warm. Kit and Sunny laid down on her shoulders, clearly intent to take the chance to fall asleep, Lux was out as soon as he was comfortable. Leaving Nim to sit there watching as the storm progressed…
Watching as Kora went around acting silly, acting like a lightning rod more than once, catching the lighting herself and throwing it off into the distance or absorbing it.
It was funny to Nim, she'd never actually sat and watched what Kora did during the thunderstorms before…
So they were still lost a few days later…
Thanks to Nim's ability with fish and the plentiful water sources in this part of the Temperantian Plateau, they at least weren't hungry, though Kora was getting sick of zapped fish. It just tasted weird after having it every day.
Lux didn't seem to mind, though he spent most of the day trying to find his way back to his village… and somehow being a magnet for monsters! Kora swore every time they turned around he was being chased by something else!
Kit and Sunny were very concerned by the Phonex-pup's lack of sense… though Nim would just go running after him without a single thought, so they might have just been worried about their own safety. Kora may not be able to understand their screeching, but even she could see the way they shook their heads and snorted in disapproval!
This time it seemed to be a bunch of lizards… big lizards, but still lizards. The thunder demon may have considered the idea of frying them and seeing how they tasted. Nim of course just kicked them into the next continent so there went that idea…
Though apparently that wasn't what had startled Lux this time, as he was screeching at some wall…
"Huh? Something above?" Nim was scratching her head, looking up.
A blonde brow rose as Kora stood with her arms crossed, "Is it just me, or is that a body print in that wall?" leaning in close, she got a better look at the outline, "And why's it look weirdly familiar…?"
"HEY! I HEAR SOMETHING!" came a scary bellowing from the body-shaped hole.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" all of them yelped, Kora clinging to Nim while Lux jumped into the chimera Blade's arms.
"Oh, wait… huh?" it seemed like the whole ledge just shook? "Ah, there we go, OKAY I GOT THAT ROCK OUT! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!"
Another yelp, but the trio slid closer to the weird body-shaped hole, the least they could do was see who it was… then decide what to do, right?
Standing in front of the body-shaped hole, both Blades caught sight of green, mostly a pale cream color but DEFINITELY those familiar, practically glowing, lime green eyes.
"ZENOBIA?!"
"Hey! Who'd you think it was?!" the wily wind Blade seemed to growl, echoing thanks to the hole she was in, before dropping it and looking up, "Huh? How long I been in here? Could'a swore I just took a nap?"
"Zenobia?!" Kora jumped forward, gaping shocked, "Where have you BEEN?! No one's seen you in years?!"
The trapped Blade seemed to lean to the side, or her head as much as she could, "Huuuuuh? Has it been that long?" she seemed to try leaning the other way, "Hrm, thought I just took a nap?"
"H-Hey?!" Nim jumped up, next to Kora, blinking surprised, "You can get out of there, right? I mean I could probably…" her gaze fell as her words slowly dropped off.
"Hrrrrrmmmmm… hrrrrrrrrmmmmm…." Zenobia seemed to twitch this way and that, before giving a long, groaning, roaring sigh, "Uuuuuuuuuugh! All this damn earth Ether! And its so freakin' cold in here! Gah! I got no wind!"
"Uh?" Nim and Kora just shared a look, the thunder demon shrugging while the chimera looked so confused. Scratching her head, Nim just looked back at Zenobia, "Well, if it'd help…"
"NO!" a sudden yell from the body-shaped hole had the two jump back, "NO! DAMNIT! I'M THE STRONGEST BLADE! I CAN DO THIS!"
"Isn't, like, KOS-MOS and Herald the strongest Blades?" Kora questioned behind her hand to Nim.
The poor earth type Blade just shrugged, "I though Mythra was still the top Blade?" all she got in response was a just as confused shrug from the electric Blade.
"HELL NO IS MYTHRA BEATING ME AGAIN!" and it seemed with a sudden burst of SPIRIT! Zenobia yelled!
In fright, Nim jumped into Kora's arms.
… only for the rocks to shake and nothing to really happen?
The two Blades on the ground were just staring wide eyed at the lack of progress, even Lux, in Nim's arms, was unable to make sense of this.
"Oh… wait! Why didn't I think of that before?!"
Suddenly a huge gust of wind gathered and seemed to nearly pull everything into a vortex.
"YEA! COME BACK TO ME BABY!" and suddenly with a bright flash the rock was shredded, cut finely by impossible swipes and as the pieces fell around her, Zenobia stood in the air with a fanged grin and her weapon on her should, "Ha-ha! Beat that!"
The two Blades and Phonex on the ground just stared at the wind Blade, blinking incredulously.
"Wait?!" Kora suddenly dropped Nim, who squeaked, just so she could angrily point at Zenobia, "ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU FORGOT YOU COULD JUST SUMMON YOUR WEAPON!?"
Lazily, the axe-wielder scratched the side of her head and yawned, "Hey… I just woke up…" slowly she descended down to the two, deciding to 'sit' in the air instead of stand as she unsummoned her weapon again and appeared to lazily float in front of Kora, "So… what you guys doin' here?" her fanged grin appeared again as she leaned in like a thug, "Come to give me a challenge?!" before either of them could so much as move, Zenobia had sat up and punched one hand into the other, cracking her knuckles, "I could do this! Take you both on! BARE HANDED! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"NO!" Nim shot up from the ground growling, Kit and Sunny also screeching, "We came here to find out what happened with the Phonexes!" she held up Lux, "And to find this little guy's family! WE WEREN'T LOOKING FOR YOU!"
"Huh?" Zenobia seemed to lazily pout, cleaning out her ear with her pinky, "You guys didn't come here to get me? Then why'd you pull me out of that rock?"
Nim was glaring, apparently vibrating already with some manner of fury for having to deal with Zenobia's weird attitude.
Seeing this wasn't going to go anywhere soon, Kora just slipped in between them, smiling widely, "Hey-hey! We can do both! I mean no one's seen Zenny in like, I dunno, what was it? Three years? She's got no idea what's been going on! She could tell us all sorts of stories about cunning and bravery and I'm sure there's a good reason she was in that rock and totally got out herself!" at this point light green eyes glared at the wind Blade, since Zenobia seemed to momentarily forget she JUST got herself out in such a dumb way! "But! First things first! We got to finish this mission for this cute little guy!" and leaning down, Kora scratched Lux under his chin, to happy chirps from the white Phonex.
Again Zenobia was scratching her head confused, "Is that thing even a Phonex?" she pointed at it, seemingly completely ignoring anything Kora just said, which was just as well, no one really paid much attention to what the chatterbox said anyway.
"I can understand it!" one of Nim's ears twitched, clearly annoyed, "So its got to be a Phonex, right!"
"Hey, sure, suit yourself," crossing her arms, Zenobia was leaning over, looking the chubby white Phonex over, "Could'a swore I'd seen something like this before…"
There was a surprised gasp all around.
"Really?" the thunder demon raised a skeptical brow.
"Is that true, Zenobia!" Nim leaned over, trying to look the wind Blade in the eye, "Do you know where his village is?! Where his parents are?!"
"Mmmmm…" the weird wind Blade just seemed to roll over in the air, seemingly thinking hard, "I could have swore I'd come across a big white thing like a Phonex…" she rubbed her chin, eyes closed and not even paying attention to the others, "Did I fight it?"
Panic spread over Kora and Nim's face, if Zenobia fought with the Phonexes, which didn't make a lot of sense since they were so small, then they'd likely have been wiped out!
There was some kind of squeak and the chimera Blade collapsed, Kora diving to catch her, "Hey! Hey! Nim! Nim! Wake up! Its okay! I'm sure she didn't mean it!" she was smacking both sides of her cheeks trying to get the fuzzy Blade to wake up.
"Huh?" lime green eyes opened, and Zenobia floated over to the two, looking down from her 'resting on air' position, "What's up with her?"
Kora had to take a deep breath, her eye twitching at this point before turning a glare at the floating dimwit! "YOU JUST SAID YOU MIGHT HAVE FOUGHT THIS GUY'S PARENTS! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED OFF THE PHONEXES! OF COURSE THAT WOULD UPSET NIM!"
"Whoa, hey, chill out, thunder-tits," Zenobia spoke calmly, waving her hands about as she returned to a sitting position, "I never said anything about killing them? Little guys like that aren't worth my time, ya know?" at the continued glare she scratched behind her head, "I was remembering fighting this big bug… it was going after some white critters, trying to eat them all… I just wanted to punch it to be honest, looked like it'd be a decent fight!" that fanged grin was back along with the light in Zenobia's eyes.
A flat glare just met her, before Kora just sighed, "Of course you would…" glancing from the unconscious Nim to Zenobia, a blonde brow rose, "You wouldn't happen to remember where you fought this bug thing?"
"Not a clue!" was Zenobia's immediate response, spoken with a bright and honest smile.
The thunder demon just sighed, "Of course you wouldn't, nrrrrggghhh…." Kora just deflated a bit. One more clue, and of course it didn't get them any closer to finding this pudgy Phonex's family.
"Here," finally the mostly white clad wind Blade set foot on the ground, leaning down to pick up Nim, holding the chimera under her arm like a sack of potatoes and tossing the Phonex to Kora, "I'll hold on to her, you got that little guy, and the two of us can look around!" that fanged grin returned, "Pretty sure I was fighting something big that smacked me into that mountain, might be around here, I need to handle that before we deal with this guy's monster!"
Frantically, Kora caught Lux, holding him close with a deep sigh. Once Zenobia started moving she couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Yes, of course, Zenobia, got to keep up those priorities right!"
"Now you're getting it! Ha-ha!" and with a boisterous laugh the wind Blade lead the way.
The black horned thunder demon wondered how long it'd take her to teach Zenobia what sarcasm meant… considering how much she could talk, and how fast, it shouldn't take that long right?
They found the carcass of something that looked remotely like a titan, all big and grey scaly skinned, only it didn't have a core crystal and its body was still around. Still the thing was HUGE and there were a few distinct gashes in it that looked just like Zenobia's axe might have done it.
The smell had been enough to wake Nim back up, scrambling out of the windy hunter's grasp and trying to find air in the bushes that didn't taste or smell like a dead animal.
Kora just held her nose, looking at the thing, "So… this one of your hunts?"
"Yep!" Zenobia seemed proud for some reason, summoning her axe and poking the body, "This bastard was a fun fight, not like that Thanatobeast, but decent enough…"
"Um…" a blonde brow rose, "Could I ask why you're poking it?"
"Checking to see how long I was in that hole," Zenobia crouched down, sifting through some gross stuff, turning Kora's stomach enough she had to turn around, "This guy could put things to sleep with a gas it produced, this thing hit me with that then launched me into that wall… and looks like I was there a couple of days," reaching in she pulled out some fleshy bits and sniffed it, "Eyugh… yea, this guy isn't good to eat anymore…"
"YOU WERE GOING TO EAT THAT THING?!" apparently Nim had recovered enough to yell at the windy hunter, looking just as sick as she did a moment ago.
"Hrmm?" Zenobia had a bit of frown on her face, using ether to clean off her hands, "Yea, why not? Lot of big things around here can be eaten!" suddenly she gave a fanged grin, "Mmmm, I should really find one of those big Sauros, cut off its tail, cook it over a big fire…" and she started drooling.
"Okay," light green eyes rolled, as Kora looked down and pet Lux, "Now that that 'mystery' is solved, can we go find this little guy's home or whatever this mission entails?"
"Yeah!" Nim bounded over to her friend, holding her nose as this place still smelled of a big dead animal, "But we don't know where to look…" she side eyed the carcass, "And can we get away from that?"
Before Kora could even nod in response, a sudden gust of wind picked up, pushing the electric and earth type Blades back a bit.
"You guys leave the scouting to me!" with a vicious grin, Zenobia punched one hand into the other, looking up towards the sky, "Ain't no better place to scout than in the air! I GOT THIS!" and with seemingly little effort she shot up into the sky.
"WAIT! ZENOBIA-!" Nim tried to stop her, but the windy hunter had always been a 'smash first, ask questions never' sort, "Ugh! She doesn't even know what we're looking for!"
"Well, at least she's gone and entertaining herself," Kora just snorted, looking back down and giving Nim a sympathetic shrug, "If nothing else she'll find something else to fight and we might have something to eat that's not fish…" then turned to leave the area, Zenobia may have blown some of the carcass away with her wind but the smell was making a comeback.
"Hey!" the chimera Blade pouted, shaking her fists down and waving her tail about, "I LIKE FISH!" then followed the thunder demon. If anything they could get away from this place and look for more clues elsewhere. If they were really lucky, Zenobia could remain on task long enough and actually find something useful, and not just food or a super monster to fight…
They both knew which was more likely…
"So then I rushed down! BOOM! ZAM! CRACK! Right on this guy's skull! Hehe, he's not going to be terrorizing anything anymore!" the boisterous voice could be nonother than Zenobia, recounting her tale of masterful aerial combat before spoiling any kind of heroic image with her complete lack of table manners… not that they had a table.
Nim was stuck staring as the wind Blade somehow managed to devour half of this creature's leg in less than a minute. Picked the bone clean!
"Of course its not going to terrorizing anything anymore! YOU'RE EATING IT!" Kora growled, she didn't like growling as it wasn't very lady-like nor cute, but Zenobia could just get under her skin sometimes! She was so blunt, and stupid! And over powered and got way too excited about fighting she completely forgot the whole reason she'd gone scouting in the first place!
… the only redeeming quality to the windy hunter was she got them FOOD! Some large pterodactyl looking thing, it had apparently attacked her, tried to eat HER while she was in the air and well… any encounter with Zenobia never ends well for most giant wildlife.
"Hey, you going to finish that?" mouth still full and bits of grilled flying lizard on her cheeks, Zenobia pointed at the shell-shocked Nim who had some part of the thing's wing in front of her.
"Uh, what?" before Nim could fully comprehend what was going on, Zenobia just leaned over and grabbed what was in front of her and started eating again. Not wanting to get lost watching the horror that was the wind type Blade eat again, Nim shot up and squeaked, "I'm… I'm going to go… fishing…" and stiffly walked away from their little temporary camp.
"I honestly think I might join you…" even Kora wasn't immune to the weirdly captivating power of Zenobia's poor table manners. -Where does it all go?!-
"Oh, hey! Wait!" before Kora could so much as decide to stand up, Zenobia was leaning over, grabbing her arm and holding her in place, giving a wide fanged grin, "Weren't you going to tell me what you guys were doing out here?"
Immediately the thunder demon's shoulders slumped, as Kora eyed her flatly, "Didn't we just tell you about finding Lux's family?"
For some reason Zenobia laughed, waving her hand as she sat back straight on her stump, "Ha-ha, no, not that part!" sharp lime green eyes stared at the blonde, "I'm asking why you are out here? I get fuzzy," she pointed the way Nim went, "She goes running after these little guys if she gets a whiff of something wrong with them," reaching down, Zenobia pet the plump white Phonex that was nibbling a bone near her, "So that makes sense, but what are you doing out here, thunder-tits?"
"I feel like if I told you to stop calling me that you wouldn't remember and just do it again," with a pout, Kora crossed her arms over her chest as her windy adversary just held up her hands and shrugged before finding another piece of flying lizard to eat. Light green eyes narrowed on the hunter, "What about you Zenobia, why are you out here? Its been years since anyone's seen you and while no one was really worried, your Driver just figured you'd gone off to find big monsters to fight, that can't be the only reason you've not gone back to Tantal?"
The cream haired Blade just looked up, cheeks bulging with food and blinked, her funny antenna twitching about, "Hrmmm…?" she looked up to the sky, tilted her head and swallowed, "Huh, didn't really think about it?"
"Yep! That makes sense for you!" Kora just sighed, holding up her hands in a defeated shrug.
"No, no, I mean… I got in a fight with Sheba, right?" Zenobia was now pointing at the thunder demon with the bone of her latest meal, "She was doing that weird thing she does all the time, being goo-goo-eyed at me and the other girls, I don't really care, that's just how Sheba is, right?"
"Well…" nervously, Kora scratched the side of her face, "You're not wrong…"
"Right, so!" carelessly, Zenobia tossed the bone over her shoulder, Lux made a chirp and went to go get it, "I told her if she wanted to be all prissy with me she'd have to beat me in a fight!" now the wind Blade was pumped, holding up her fists and grinning wide with that fang showing, "So we went outside so as not to get yelled at by our Driver, or have him interfere, and we get going and suddenly BAM!" she punched her fist into her hand hard, making a loud popping noise to accent her point, "She kicks me SOOOOO FREAKIN' HARD! I wound up out here!" then gave a shrug, "And well, I just haven't figured out where I am and every time I go exploring these huge monsters attack me, so to be honest I didn't even realize I'd been gone that long…"
The electric Blade could only stare, mouth hanging open, "You're… you're kidding right?" the only response she got was Zenobia shrugging with another bone in her mouth, "You've been missing for YEARS simply because you got LOST?!"
"Uh…" again Zenobia looked up to the sky, seeming to be considering something deeply for a few minutes. Only to shrug and talk around the bone in her mouth, "I guess so…"
Kora was vibrating. This was so stupid! But it was also so Zenobia! The muscle head only paid attention to the fights she could get into, practically propositioning everyone, like Sheba, only looking for a fight instead of the weirdness that was Sheba. So of course it'd make sense those two not only got along but somehow their passions colliding resulted in something this DUMB!
Taking a deep breath, Kora let it out, let her perkiness resurface and looked the idiotic wind Blade over again, "Okay! Here's the deal Zenobia, we were sent out here to check on the Ardainian base since this is Temperantia!"
"Wait-whaaat?!" one of those funny white brows on Zenobia's tan face rose, both confused and shocked, "Nah, this can't be-!"
"Ah! SHUSH!" Kora held up one finger and looked at the fight-nut seriously, "Lemme tell you everything first!" when she got a shrug she figured it was okay to continue, "So Nim's Driver sent her out here to check on them! But you know how she gets, despite her Driver being the super-uber-REALLY-important Special Inquisitor for Mor Ardain, Nim's still got this hang up about the Ardainians, especially the military and how they treat nature, right?"
Zenobia just snort, "Oh man, don't get me started, that girl is crazy! Ha-ha!"
It seemed the windy hunter ignored the flat look sent her way, because Kora knew there was no point in pointing out she was no better! "So we got out here and JUST LOOK!" she pointed all around them, the huge dense rainforest of overgrown vegetation, "This place looks NOTHING! Like it did six years ago! It was a poisonous dead rock!"
There was a wistful sigh from Zenobia, "Yea, I kind of miss it…"
"You would," light green eyes rolled as Kora crossed her arms, "But that's not the point! Nim wanted to come to check on the Phonexes!" she waved her hand, "Sure, we caught up with the Ardainians, they've been doing well out here on their own basically abandoned and standing their post cause, pfft!" there was a scoff, "Really? What else are they gonna do, right?" that garnered a snort from the wind Blade, "And Nim wanted to leave them ASAP, so we go off in the wilds, find NOTHING! For what must have been months, and OHMIGAWD! I haven't been this long without an actual shower!" pulling her hands up into fists at the sides of her head, Kora released some manner of frustrated squeal, "I want to go back! I thought this would be interesting… and it sorta, kinda, maybe has been fun! But FUN'S OVER! I want to get back to those Ardainian hot springs! Get an oil message or something! Maybe a full body facial! I don't know!"
Zenobia was laughing at Kora's obvious frustration, she'd never been one to understand the 'finer' points of anything really.
Pointy ears twitched, and with a frown Kora opened her eyes and looked at Zenobia flatly, "But before all that…" she slowly deflated, her voice dipping low as she rested her arms on her knees and looked at their fire, "We got to help Nim find the Phonexes, she's been worried sick about them, and this big-little one and his whole village problem, ugh!" Kora pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, "You know what I mean, right?" she eyed the wind Blade, "You can't be that thick?"
There was just a wide fanged grin as Zenobia sat straight, arms crossed and looked proud, "I think you care enough about your friend to put up with all the things you hate just to see her smile, thunder-tits!" she ignored the glare Kora sent her way in order to give a boisterous laugh, "And why the hell not?! Sounds good enough to me! We handle this little pup's problem, maybe get to fight some legendary monster! And you two can help me get back home!" punching her hand, her grin widened, "I owe Sheba her winnings! And a rematch!"
Kora just sighed dourly, "Ever the optimist, eh, Zenobia?"
"What better way is there to be!" put her hands on her lap, Zenobia just threw her head back and laughed, "HA-HA!"
The thunder demon could only groan, how did she ever think Zenobia was 'easy' to deal with?
"Um…" the two Blades at camp stopped and saw Nim standing not far away, scratching behind her funny ears, with a strangely fake smile on her face.
Kora stared at the chimera Blade, suddenly wondering how much of that she heard!
"Hey, ya find anything?!" Zenobia, oblivious as always, punched her hand and kept grinning. Her question could mean anything useful, but it was obvious she was wondering if Nim found anything she could fight.
"Er, no…" Nim just nervously scratched her forehead, "No sign of anything, useful or dangerous," she deflated, looking like a sad puppy, only to bounce back with some prodding from Kit and Sunny, and held up her other hand, holding three huge fish, "But I did find some more fish, ehehe!"
"Sweet!" excitedly Zenobia clapped her hands, "You guys dig into that, I'll finish this bastard off! Ha-ha!"
Kora just groaned, leaning on her arm, "What I'd give for a dessert…" when Nim shyly sat down next to her, looking oddly nervous and subdued, offering a fish, the thunder demon just sighed, giving in, "Well, at least we've got an actual fire this time…"
She wasn't going to admit how adorable Nim looked when she perked up, wagging her feathery tail…
There was another rush of thunderstorms so Kora was having the time of her life for a short while, as even the likes of Zenobia shied away from them.
"I'm looking for fights! Not to get hit by lightning!"
It seemed even the fabled hunter wasn't fond of a few stray bolts of electricity. The thunderstorms were about the only time Zenobia sat still and even then it was just her passing out in whatever cave Nim and Lux had taken over to wait out the storm while their resident thunder demon ran off to play in the rain.
Nim often found herself sitting at the edge of the cave, arms wrapped around Lux as he chirped at the rain and squeaked at every bolt of lightning or crash of thunder. The chimera Blade could almost say she was getting used to them by now… only for a loud BOOM! To hit nearby forcing her to jump in her seat.
"Eep!" she huddled around Lux, Kit and Sunny crouching down low on her shoulders and shivering too. No animal really liked the loud noise or the obvious danger it presented.
"HAHAHAHA!" yet, out just below the rain, there was laughter to be heard.
Cracking open one orange eye and twitching her funny ears, Nim tried to find Kora amidst the water-washed world. Occasionally she'd spot lighting that was the wrong color or accented by hearts as it clashed with the naturally produced stuff crashing down from the sky. So she always had an idea where Kora was, just…
Another bolt and crash, another laugh…
And Nim had her eyes squeezed shut, trying not to shiver from her natural instinct to run from the weather.
-SNOOOOOOOOOORE-
The only thing that could remotely compete with the crashing thunder, rain and laughter outside was the horrendous snoring coming from Zenobia as she slept. It was one of the reasons Nim and her Phonex friends couldn't sleep, not just the restlessness from the thunderstorm, and why she was sitting so close to the edge of the cave. It was as far as she could get from Zenobia's snoring without going outside.
If she reached out her hand she could touch the rain…
Another loud snore from the windy hunter combined with a crash of thunder making a horrible cacophony that had the chimera Blade and her Phonex friends squeaking.
Looking back, Nim glared at Zenobia, not that it would do her any good… she was only brave enough to really glare at the powerful Blade in moments like this, when she was most approachable… and unconscious.
He ear twitched and she picked up the laughter again, a bright flash in the distance going off as Nim turned back to the wall of rain.
With a sigh, she set her head down on Lux.
"Only a bit longer… I promise…" whether that was to comfort Lux, herself or just a prayer the thunderstorm would pass soon was anyone's guess.
Nim was acting weird. Same with Kora.
They were wondering around again today.
It was really boring.
Zenobia yawned as she sat on a rock.
They had stopped for some reason, Nim talking with the big white baby Phonex, apparently he said something, or she did or her two Phonex heads did… the windy hunter didn't know, she wasn't really paying attention. Point was it sparked some argument between Kora and Nim so Zenobia had to drop from the sky (after punching some big bird in the face cause it was being a pest. Like it could take her out! HA!) and figure this thing out.
Both Nim and Kora yelled at her to 'butt out' and that just irked Zenobia in so many different ways. Honestly, if they both weren't so cute and yelling about stuff she didn't get, and were probably the only ones to know how to get out of this place back to Tantal, she' probably have just hit them both with her axe to end this 'argument'.
At the moment she was almost bored enough to do it.
"Pleeeeeeaaaaaase Kora, it wouldn't be that hard…" the chimera blade had her hands together in front of her pleading. Even her little Phonex dragons were doing it.
Zenobia raised her white brow, propping her chin on her hand and looking at the two with one eye open.
Kora was blushing.
-Well that's just weird?- that white brow rose higher.
"Lux was just asking!" Nim bounced from side to side, a funny smirk on her face.
Zenobia watched her closely. It wasn't normal for the little beastly weirdo to be on the advantage here. –And what's she talking about that little puff ball asking?- lime green eyes glanced down by her foot, Lux was sitting next to Zenobia and watching the 'dispute' like she was. He was probably just as confused too.
The thunder demon stomped her food, "Do you, like, even know how this works!" Kora's face was red.
"Um… no…" Nim mumbled, poking her fingers together seeming meek for a moment… before pumping her fists and jumping up and down, "But our Drivers did it! It can't be THAT hard!"
Somehow Kora's face got even redder.
Zenobia swore there was steam coming out of her pointy ears. When the windy hunter looked down at the big white Phonex pup they shared a look. –Little bastard sees it too…- these two were acting weird.
"It's not that simple Nim!" the thunder demon was jumping up and down, blushing like crazy.
"B-b-but it's the only way to…" Nim's face went red too, her fingers poking together and she was squirming.
"And who's to say he needs one!" Kora had her eyes closed, pouty shouting.
"How else will they defend themselves!?"
They went back and forth for a while, Zenobia and Lux just watching, as both seemed to get louder with increasing color on their faces.
It was safe to say the windy hunter was tired of not know what was going on at this point…
"Oi?" sitting up straight and crossing her arms, Zenobia looked at the two as they jumped, "What are you two going on about? And what's with all the nerves and blushing? It's not like you're asking to sleep with each other?!" she gave a broad laugh, wiping her eye, "That'd just be silly, right?!"
Nim and Kora were finally still, blushing vibrantly.
"Haa?" Zenobia tilted her head, raising a brow as her funny antenna twitched, "What? I was kidding…"
The fidgeting and blushing didn't stop.
"Jeez! Of all the people to comment-!" Kora put her hand to her face, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"She hasn't been around in… three years? She wouldn't know what's going on" Nim wasn't doing any better, her blush still easily noticeable, trying to hide it behind her knuckles. Even Kit and Sunny were hiding their faces behind their dragon paws as they were low on her shoulders.
"Haa? What? What I miss?" lime green eyes moved from one fist Blade to the other.
Nim and Kora shared an uncomfortable look.
The thunder demon just sighed, shrugging, "Well I guess someone ought to tell her…"
"Thanks Kora," the chimera smirked, still hiding it mostly behind her hands.
Pointy ears twitched as Kora put her hand on her hip, "I feel like I just got conned…" Nim giggled, but she ignored it, telling Zenobia what had been going on the past year. KOS-MOS' meddling, their Drivers having a kid, but most importantly all about the new process for making core crystals…
Zenobia only really had one thing to say, "Huh."
Orange and green eyes blinked.
"Is that SERIOUSLY all you have to say to ALL that?!" Kora's eye was twitching. Next to her Nim was just stuck blinking, just as surprised by the lack of response as her friend.
"Eh?" Zenobia just shrugged, face placid as she sat there on the rock with her arms crossed.
Flexing her hands, Kora just couldn't comprehend. "Ugh!" throwing her hands up she had to get away, stomping off for a bit. Really just trying to not punch the clearly idiotic wind hunter.
"Um…" Nim just looked confused, not sure what to do.
"So you want to give this little guy a core crystal, right?" lime green eyes flatly looked between the two, landing on Nim in the end, "And you just need a 'partner', right?"
"Ah-eh-haha…" looking to the side, Nim seemed to be sweating, scratching her cheek with one of her big paw like hands, "Y-yes…"
"Well why didn't you just ask?!" Zenobia was grinning wide, fanged tooth showing.
"Uhhh…" Nim seemed to shrink, looking like a terrified animal.
With a burst of wind ether Zenobia shot up onto her feet, looking big, intimidating and excited as she approached the smaller Blade, putting both hands on her shoulders.
Nim looked terrified of what was going to come out of the windy hunter's mouth.
"Well! Just let me take care of-!" was as far as Zenobia got.
"NIM YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!" before Kora just grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her away from the clearly deranged overpowered Blade.
Zenobia just blinked, scratching her head, "huh?" she pouted, crossing her arms, "If you wanted to spar with her so bad thunder-tits, why didn't you just say so before?!"
The windy hunter just grumped, hopping into the air and crossed her legs, sulking.
She only really paid attention to about half the things Kora said, and far as she understood to make a core crystal a Blade needed a 'partner' and it took a lot of work. –Sounded like good training to me…- it would have probably been really fun.
She could probably try it with Sheba when she got back…
Nim was blushing furiously.
In her hands was a core crystal with a brown and yellow aura.
Kora was blushing near her, but smiling all the same. The thunder demon seemed a bit embarrassed but she wanted to be encouraging to her… friend.
Those orange eyes met seafoam green ones.
The two still blushed when their eyes met. It was a bit awkward but there had been some improvement.
According to Zenobia they could look at each other now.
"So that's how it's done huh?" the windy hunter sat floating in the air, looking at the core crystal in Nim's hands. The weird little chimera Blade had been acting worn out for the past month, and she was struggling and sick for the past few days. Kora took care of her, refusing to let anyone else do it, so this was the first time Zenobia had gotten this close to the two in a while. She leaned in, looking at the core crystal from all sides, "Huh…"
"Don't sound so impressed," Kora huffed, closing her eyes and shrugging, "This is normal nowadays."
Nim just sat there blushing, she really had nothing to add.
Lux chirped wagging his tail, making a cute little sound almost like whistling.
It made Nim smile, Kit and Sunny were doing a little dance on her shoulders, chirping along with the white mega-Phonex.
The chimera Blade kneeled on the ground, holding out the core crystal to the young mega-Phonex, "Here!"
Lux chirped and smiled, standing up and doing a little padding dance, before putting his nose on the core crystal.
Kora and Zenobia stared, blinking, not even having a chance to say a thing as the little mega-Phonex activated the core crystal.
There was a flash of light, and when it disappeared there was a large white fluff ball in front of them.
All three Blades raised their brows, surprised by this…
Lux jumped, chirping as he padded over to the white fluff ball. He poked it with his nose and it seemed to shake and quiver.
Suddenly it seemed to roll over and there was a long yawn…
It seemed the white fluff ball was actually a large furry white pelt on a small girl's back. From the hood it looked to be a Phonex, a large white mega-Phonex in fact, with two tails on the end. She appeared to be a little girl, but with some Phonex features similar to Nim such as her fuzzy ears and nose, though had black horns like Kora.
When she opened her eyes they were orange like Nim's as the girl seemed to be in a daze of waking up.
"Eep!" the moment she became a bit more aware she popped up immediately, eyes wide, blushing adorably and her funny ears perked, "Ah-um…" she fidgeted, the two white tails actually seemed to be attached to her as they waved about.
Lux chirped, padding his front paws and waving his tail about back and forth.
The odd girl looked down and noticed him. She gasped happily, putting her hands together and smiling wide, "Oh, nice to meet you my Driver!" she reached out and picked him up, humming in her throat as he chirped some more, loving the attention, "Hehehe…"
"Huh…" Zenobia blinked, leaning over to look at the odd girl, "And I thought Nim was weird…"
Absently Nim just nodded, blinking unsure how to respond. Kit and Sunny were chirping behind her head, clearly having some conversation only she could hear.
Or so they thought…
The fluffy girl started laughing, her ears perking up through her hood, "Papa Kit and Papa Sunny so funny!" she grinned, showing her fangs.
"Eeeeh!" Nim tilted her head, "You can understand them?"
The little girl's matching eyes blinked as she looked towards Nim, "Of course, Mama!"
The chimera Blade just squealed, going down on her knees and grabbing the girl and Lux, squeezing them both, "Oh you called me Mama! You're both adorable!"
Lux screeched while the girl giggled.
"Ah-umm…" Kora leaned over, pointing at herself, "What about me?"
Nim paused, blinking at her friend…
The girl just grinned, reaching out to Kora, "Other Mama!"
The thunder Blade couldn't resist, squealing as she reached forward hugging her with Nim, "Oh she's so adorable!"
The two 'moms' squealed a bit while their daughter just giggled between them.
"So uh…" Zenobia just stood there, looking confused, "What's her name? Weapon? Element?"
Squeezing out between Kora and his Blade, Lux chirped and wagged his tail, apparently explaining everything.
Too bad Zenobia couldn't understand a damn thing. She leaned on her hand, floating in the air looking grumpy, "Yea, sure, that explains everything…"
It turned out the little girl-Blade's name was Lana, and she was an earth type fist fighter like her 'birth' mother…
"Ragh!" Lana punched a hole through one of the giant arachnid monsters, orange eyes shimmering as she threw up her hands and her fists disappeared.
It turned out that despite not having 'hands' for the fist-type weapons to attach to on Lux, they warped to his tail, stacking on each other and making a mace of sorts he could bash at enemies. The little guy was starting to get really good using some art that had him spin like a top and clear the field before tossing the fists back to his Blade.
Zenoboia didn't want to admit she was impressed, but she was! Who knew the little baby boy had it in him!
"YEA!" the windy hunter spun her axe around, grinning wild as she sped up to the largest of the arachnid horde, slicing the king bastard in half.
It seemed, ever since getting Lana, Lux was hanging out with Zenobia more, learning the ways of the mighty hunter… or so Zenobia liked to the think. The little guy wasn't being a useless fluff ball anymore they had to defend, with Lana at his side he could do it himself and he was getting quite impressive.
The little guy chirped triumphantly at Zenobia's foot.
"Heh," the windy hunter sent the little guy a fanged grin, "Doin' good Lux, keep it up!"
The little white mega-Phonex pup padded his feet, excitedly chirping as his Blade came and picked him up, giggling just as much while putting him in her head. Lux sat neatly between her horns and she smiled up at the strange older Blade, "He says we'll have this area cleared in no time!"
"Well we ought'a!" Zenobia snorted, smirking as she set her axe on her shoulder looking around the area, "It's been how the hell long? About time we found this guy's village," she sighed, "Though to think it'd be overrun with these pests! Honestly, it's like none of you guys ever learn!" she set her axe down… amazingly on an arachnid monster that was trying to come up behind her and attack, smashing its head and it squealed in death.
Zenobia, Lana and Lux just blinked at the dying bug.
Lux growled at it, snorting and looking out at the field. Lana frowned up at her Driver, interpreting his growls before turning to Zenobia, "He says this place was once peaceful, his parents spoke of a great hero that saved them here long ago, then the world came down and everything changed…" she tilted her head, putting her finger to her chin, "I wonder who this hero was?"
"Probably you're mom," boredly cleaning out her ear, Zenobia yawned, flicking her finger, "I remember there was something with her running around here all crazy before it got like this…" those lime green eyes looked around, taking in the overgrown forest that had sprung up, "Assuming this is Temperantia like she and thunder-tits claimed…" a frown passed Zenobia's face, she still doubted that was true but it wasn't like she had any other explanation for this place and how it came to be.
All she cared about was finding this kit's family, dropping him off and having the other two find her a way back to Tantal. She had a score to settle with Sheba and it was WAAAAAAAAAAAAY overdue!
The ground around them shook, boulders the size of Lana started rolling and they could all feel the ground beneath them start to give way.
"EEEEEEEEEKKKK!" Lana squeaked and jumped, running for safety. In the distance she saw her parents and bolted right for them, "MAMA!"
"Lana?" Kora turned with a blink, spotting the little white furball that was her and Kora's child running right at them… and behind her was a massive monstrosity of an Arachnid burrowing its way out of the ground with Zenobia laughing and zooming around in the air nearby, "WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Over here baby!" Nim shouted, holding out her hand.
Lana reached out to grab her hand, but the ground below her cracked and gave way…
Nim's eyes went wide, "NO!" and her hand became a fist, punching the ground, forcing earth ether into it and creating a pillar of earth that shot the little girl Blade right up in the air.
"I got her!" Kora caught the white furball out of the air, smiling brightly at her daughter as she turned around and bolted for a safer spot.
Nim was handling their defenses, punching the ground here and there, putting up walls the large arachnid monster tried to hit through or making fissures to stop others from getting to them. Kora was finding it amusing how well Nim, despite being a healing Blade like her, could adapt to being defensive when they needed it. –I guess she's picked up a thing or two from her Driver, hehe-
In all honesty, Kora found this protective side to the normally so timid chimera Blade quite adorable, and it let her focus on healing them all with Nim being her back up. It kind of reminded her of their Drivers, if she had the time to think about it.
Ducking under a large arachnid claw, Kora rolled, Lana rolling out of her arms and the thunder demon coming up with an electric-heart-themed punch to the thing, producing an ether bottle she then threw at Zenobia, "HERE!"
The bottle hit Zenobia in the back of the head and splashed all over her, well it healed her, that's what mattered, "THANKS!" the windy hunter had a crazed look in her eye, grinning something sharp and vicious.
This arachnid mother monster was the biggest thing she'd seen here yet! If she could take this down she'd have every reason to go back satisfied.
"THIS ENDS IT!" dashing into the air, Zenobia held up her axe, summoning as much wind ether as she could muster. A great typhoon appeared around her, sucking in smaller bugs, bushes, trees, and anything else. Zenobia was finally going to have a chance to bring out her true potential!
Her axe glowed green, buzzing with power and ether and for a moment the large monster arachnid mother probably looked scared.
With a menacing grin, the windy hunter brought down her axe and the storm with it, cutting the giant beast in half causing a shockwave that cleared the area.
…
..
.
As the dust settled, Kora pushed herself up from underneath debris, blinking and patting herself down, making sure she was alive, before glaring at the swath of destruction in front of her, "WHAT THE HELL, ZENOBIA?!"
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US!" came another shout not far away, Nim standing with all her fur and feathers on end, Kit and Sunny angrily screeching on her shoulders while Lana was holding Lux next to her looking surprised.
In the middle of it, laying on the body of the monster she'd just slain, Zenobia just let out a laugh, "HELL YEA! THAT WAS FUN!"
The healers just growled, hoping this would soon be over.
With the horde of mega-arachnids cleared out, the Phonex would surely return. Lux chirped and Lana translated for him, stating the others would be back soon enough.
Nim clearly wasn't satisfied with leaving just yet, despite how much Zenobia complained, and Kora tried to act as a mediator between the two. They stayed a few more days, cleaning up the arachnids, mostly Zenobia eating them which still stunned the two healers how she could pack away so much bug-food…
"What? Its protein!" the windy hunter spoke around some carapace she was munching on.
Nim and Kora just stuck with fishing… it was all too weird watching Zenobia. One could literally lose hours captivated by the monstrosity…
Lux and Lana helped out where they could, moving bug bodies, tossing them to Zenobia, and the like. Lux wanted to clean up the area so when his parents and fellow villagers returned everything could go back to normal… or as normal as it could, he'd have to strut a little bit, now that he was a hero and had a Blade after all.
Lana found her Driver's enthusiasm to be adorable… though she was curious about the older Blades that had helped them. She seemed to instinctively understand the two fist healers were her 'parents' and the windy hunter was another comrade of theirs. She found herself, and Lux, following the three around often enough. Lana would try to spy, to observe these older Blades naturally.
She and Lux could never sneak up on Zenobia, the windy hunter always either in the air lazily or off hunting for something else. She was easy to find, but she was always aware they were there. But at least she was free and honest with her stories. While Zenobia may have seemed annoyed having to 'babysit' the two, she'd tell them whatever they asked, in generally graphic detail…
Her parents on the other hand…
Well, Lana and Lux managed to catch the two fist-type Blades more often than not lost in some conversation or sparring… or fishing as Nim liked to do, and Kora would just be sitting with her, leaning on her, probably asleep, as fishing was boring…
It was interesting to watch, at least for Lana… her parents were pretty cute together… when they weren't arguing, whining, or trying to flee from Zenobia doing something crazy.
But after a few days, Zenobia had gotten bored, antsy, and ran out of things to eat…
"Let's get the hell out of here!" the windy hunter complained, arms crossed as she sat in the air looking at the other two flatly, "We did what you guys wanted, now take me back to Tantal!"
Nim and Kora flinched under Zenobia's flat gaze, giving each other a look. Kora shrugged, holding out her arms, and Nim pouted.
"But-but we haven't found the Phonexes…" the chimera Blade rubbed her fingers together, pouting with her ears back. It was the reason she'd come out here… and to get away from the Ardainian base, but still…
Reaching out, Kora put her hand on Nim's shoulder, trying to give her an encouraging smile, "Hey, c'mon!" she pumped her fist, "We managed to take out a horde of those big creepy crawlies AND saved Lux!" she pointed at the chirping white mega-Phonex, "He's even got a Blade! He doesn't need us to look out for him anymore, Lana's there for him!" Kora squeezed Nim's shoulder, pulling her close, "I'm sure he'll find his family just fine now!"
Nim pouted, but she was really trying to suppress the blush Kora's contact brought out in her, squirming as even Kit and Sunny were coaxingly agreeing with the thunder demon, "Ooooh! You're all so mean!" she vibrated, clearly frustrated, in Kora's grip but didn't have the heart to move her… er… friend, "F-fine!" with an angry, adorable, pout she blew air out her nose, "We'll head back! Drop Zenobia back in Tantal! But!" she held up one paw-like hand, orange eyes narrowing on Kora with a serious pout, "Then we come back… it's our job from Morag to keep an eye on this place… and Lana and Lux might miss us… and by then the Phonexes might be back!"
Green eyes rolled, as Kora shook her head, "So demanding…" without even thinking she leaned over and kissed Nim's funny nose, then let her go and started moving, "But we're spending a night in Tantal! I DE-SERVE! A spa day after all this!"
Nim was twitching, red from funny ears to hooves…
"Uh, Mama?" Lana poked her mother.
Lux even chirped at her, but only Kit and Sunny chirped back.
The little Blade and Phonex-Driver shared a look.
"Hey, c'mon you fuzzy weirdo," Zenobia, being Zenobia, just grabbed Nim's arm, not even caring for her catatonic state and started dragging her away, "We got places to be!" a fanged grin spread on her tan face, "And all sorts of monsters to kill! Ha-ha!"
There was some manner of squeal from Nim as she tried to shake off Zenobia's grip, to absolutely no avail, "But! No! I need to say goodbye!"
"Bye Mama!" Lana smiled, waving as the trio left. Lux chirping his farewells next to her, waving his tails…
"Ah-but…" Nim whined, finally just letting herself get dragged away. She waved back, Kit and Sunny chirping as they shook on her shoulders. They'd all miss the two… but she'd see them again soon enough.
As they were leaving, several large white horse-sized creatures came out of the jungle around Lana and Lux. As they got closer they appeared to be Phonex… just all white and MASSIVE compared to their normal state.
Two stepped near Lux, fanning out their tails and chirping at the little one…
He chirped back happily, Lana squealing…
Nim could still hear them, and watched the scene as it grew smaller thanks to Zenobia dragging her away. Well, she found the Phonexes, they just seemed to have mutated the same as nearly everything else in Temperantia.
She was just glad they were okay… and Lux found his family.
The chimera Blade smiled, eager to come back and see them all again.
"MORAG!"
Upon arriving at the Tantalese palace, the Special Inquisitor did not expect to be rather roughly jump-hugged around the neck by one of her 'missing' Blades!
"N-Nim?!" light brown eyes blinked, pushing the chimera Blade back enough to get a good look at her face.
Nim was smiling, tapping her furry knuckles near her chest, feathery tail waving about, funny turquoise ears back, and even Kit and Sunny her Phonex-dragons on her shoulders were chirping happily and swaying.
It was just such a shock to see her again, "The Ardainian base in Temperantia reported you and Kora had gone missing… nearly six months ago?" with a slight frown, Morag looked at her Blade sternly, "Why haven't you reported in… and why are you in Tantal?"
Nim shrunk a bit, now partially hiding behind her paws, ears low and tail curled in as she made a rather adorably upset face, "I-I'm s-sorry Morag! A lot happened in Temperantia… and we lost track of time… and then found Zenobia… and-and…"
Morag just looked at her Blade sternly, hands on her hips, looking about to reprimand her… only to sigh, reaching out and petting her head, "I'm glad you're safe-!"
"ThankyouMorag!" not even letting her Driver finish, Nim reattached herself to Morag's person, this time around her chest, rubbing her face in the woman's uniform while Kit and Sunny latched on where they could and did the same. Nim was too happy and excited to really care, wagging her feathery tail.
Morag's shoulders slumped ever so slightly, her hand dropping from where Nim abandoned it, and stared ahead flatly, "I will require a report once I return to Mor Ardain…"
"Mmhmm!" nodding far too quickly, Nim obviously didn't hear a word her Driver said.
Nia, standing a step away from her lover and holding their crabby child all bundled up for the cold of Tantal, just flatly looked at the scene, "Oi, where's Kora?" her ears perked, going this way and that, "I don't hear incessant chatter…"
"Honestly, Driver!" a certain voice appeared next to Nia, making the Gormotti woman jump. Kora glared with her light green eyes, hands on her hips at her shorter Driver, "Not an ounce of worry for me? Like, you don't even care what happens if I go missing?!"
Those cream colored grey Gormotti ears went flatter, same with Nia's gold eyes as she glared at her Blade, bouncing only slightly for Ciara's sake, "And why should I, ey? Seems you can handle yourself well enough! I ain't here to babysit you!"
Those green eyes rolled on the thunder demon, "Tch, course not!" Kora completely ignored whatever hissing Nia was about to start on, leaning over to pet Ciara's little black head. The baby Gormotti seemed to turn with a narrow look, shockingly similar to Morag's glares, and while this would have weirded Kora out, the little detail she noticed about the baby's eyes completely threw that out the window, "AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!" the thunder demon squealed, "Her eyes are gold now! They're so cute! Aren't you just precious you adorable little bundle of squishy cute-!"
"Kora! Less words!" Nia growled. Ciara hadn't exactly been 'happy' about this whole family trip all the way here, the poor baby not used to the sudden stimulation and since they stepped into the cold of Tantal that baby-crabbiness had increased. Nia was sure any second now she'd start crying and then she'd have to give up her claim on the baby to her mother…
Morag and Brighid were still the only ones that could get the little black haired Gormotti baby to calm down in a timely manner, no matter how much Nia tried.
By some act of the Architect, Kora seemed to actually listen to Nia. The thunder demon's pointed ears twitched, and she pulled her hands back with an embarrassed chuckle, letting the grumpy baby curl back up in a ball in her father's arms and probably go to sleep. Kora couldn't resist one last pat to those adorable little black ears, before standing straight and smiling at her Driver.
This put Nia on edge, as she narrowed her gold eyes on her Blade, "Wut?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing," innocently, Kora waved her hands.
Nia's suspicion went through the roof. Her narrow gold eyes went from her normally chatty Blade to Morag's overly fidgety one, and both of them were being oddly… docile… it was weird, "The heck happened to you two while you was off lost in Temperantia, ey?" it was an honest question…
"NOTHING!"
… Though the both of them suddenly shouting that at the same time certainly didn't help.
Raising a brow, Nia looked from one Blade then the other again, "Oi, are you two blushing?"
"C-course… not!" Nim squeaked, shrinking in on herself, "W-why would we be?!"
Now Morag had her brow raised, looking at her Blade.
"Y-yea… it's not like anything CRAZY happened… in Temperantia… while we were…" Kora coughed, looking away, "Lost…"
Both Morag and Nia looked at their Blades flatly, clearly neither of them buying any of this.
"I expect that report before I head back to Mor Ardain, Nim." The Imperial Inquisitor said curtly, hands behind her back as she continued on into the Tantalese palace.
"Y-yes, Morag…" Nim nervously responded.
Nia had a sly-smug look on her face as she looked at her own oddly-acting Blade.
"What?!" one of Kora's pointy ears twitched, not wanting to look at her Driver.
That sly-smug grin grew as Nia moved to follow her lover, "Must'a been some story if you're not goin' on and on' about it… hehehe…"
Red completely covered the thunder demon's face, "S-shut up!"
Nia was cackling as she followed Morag into the palace, it really must have been some story for their Blades to be acting like that. She couldn't wait for Morag to hand her the report so she could read it…
As her dad moved along, Ciara moved so she could stare over her shoulder, eyeing the two Blades that her parents left behind.
Kora and Nim couldn't help but fidget under that oddly stern golden eyed baby gaze…
"Oh she's cute she reminds me of Lana!" Kora couldn't handle it anymore.
"I know!" Nim squealed just the same. The two really couldn't wait to go back and see how their little girl and Lux were doing…
Meanwhile…
Zenobia was grinning from ear to ear, just strutting around the castle in Tantal happy to be back to somewhere familiar.
She had a certain favor to repay, and was just wondering around trying to find Sheba to keep up her promise. Zenobia hadn't been paying attention to anyone else in the palace scurrying around her.
She didn't notice Theory and Praxis gawking at her like they'd seen a ghost, Praxis obviously more blunt about while Theory was more subtle.
She did not hear the sneer from Dagas as he rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Daliah, who was here for some reason, blinking surprised at her presence.
She did not see Floren drop a probably expensive tea set as she walked by.
In fact the only thing that may have slipped into Zenobia's notice was that Kassandra was nowhere in sight causing things to break… everyone seemed to be doing that themselves just completely shocked by her mere presence.
Not that Zenobia cared, she had a mission after all!
Walking up to one of the top balconies of the palace, giving a nice view of Tantalese sky, Zenobia found who she was looking for…
Lounging in her watery bathtub, Sheba was looking off into the distance, seemingly forlorn about something, lightly sighing to herself.
A fanged grin spread on the windy hunter's lips as she boldly walked out onto the balcony… completely oblivious to EVERYONE else that had followed her crowding around the door frames to see what was going on.
"HEY SHEBA!" Zenobia shouted without a care in the world, "I'M BACK!"
The shrill voice startled the blonde Urayan Blade, causing her floating water tub to shudder then dissolve, dropping the royal Blade on her royal hinny.
"Haa?" that dumb voice! "You okay there?"
Blue eye twitching, Sheba turned to that voice and spotted someone she had written off years ago!
Zenobia was standing there, stupid fanged grin, stupid overly huge axe on her shoulder, white hair defying gravity and those funny antennae of hers twitching happily. Not a care in the goddamn world!
"So hey!" Zenobia just continued on, not seeming to notice anything, which really wasn't new, "I got lost, but fuzzy and thunder-tits found me and brought me back!" she held out her hands, "And you won so I got to pay up right!"
Clearly angrily, Sheba got to her feet, hands in fists at her sides as she marched up to the idiot…
"Also they were telling me its been years or something?" lime green eyes staring up at the sky, Zenobia had no idea what was headed for her, "And they were saying some stuff happened, about core crystals? I wasn't really paying attention so…"
Now within striking range, Sheba stood, glaring up at the idiot…
"You disappeared…"
"Haa…?" a white brow rose, Zenobia not understanding the low voice.
"You said we just had to beat you and you'd join our harem…"
Everyone at the door noticed how Sheba was shaking, bracing for what was to come.
Zenobia just looked puzzled, "Yea, I know, that's why I'm here, to pay up right?" that stupid confident grin returned, "I never thought I'd get beat, and so easily, so yea I owe you a lot Sheba! Ha-ha!"
"DAMN RIGHT YOU DO!"
And without warning, at least from Zenobia's point of view, Sheba raised her mighty heel and kicked the power-obsessed idiot, hard enough to make a hole through Tantal's dead shell and probably into the stratosphere… if they were lucky she'd come back down in Temperantia again…
"Oooooh!" everyone at the door collectively winced.
Sheba may have been 'special' but they all knew better then to get within kicking range when she was pissed off… clearly, Zenobia had not learned from the last time they 'fought'.
Lowering her foot, Sheba stood triumphantly… for about a second until she realized she just kicked away the only willing woman within a hundred miles.
"DAMNIT!"
It seemed Sheba would have to wait probably another three years for that idiot to return… hopefully next time her fury at getting stood up wouldn't get the better of her…
A/N: a commenter over on AO3 mentioned how Zenobia basically agrees to Sheba's blatant hookup request on the condition she could beat her... they liked the idea of the ship and while its not high on my Blade-ship-list i can see a lot of humor in such a pairing~ so had to play with it in my Charlie's Angels detour~
hopefully i can get back to doing this more regularly, i just got lost in another story for a bit, so sorry guys =3=
Till next -salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!
-Ikasury