Sequel to the previous chapter.
A heart-to-heart conversation between two heart-broken individuals.
Those ungrateful Vexicons. That shady Shadow Mage.
Proxima blasted the chest containing the mystical power in frustration. All she asked was for her minions to retrieve magical water that will strengthen her magical abilities, and then they insult her behind her back.
She blasted the chest again, but she still couldn't get another clue from it. What did she do back then that made it reveal the clue to the first key?
Screaming in frustration, she telaported herself to the roof of the Academy and sat down in exasperation.
Just how much longer until she gets what she truly deserves? And how much more of these nuisances did she have to endure?
She felt a presence behind her and pointed her staff at her would-be attacker.
Turns out, it was only Dreadbane.
Proxima groaned before scowling at the skeleton, "Where have you been? And why weren't you in the chambers when I called out for all of you?"
"I had to get away from those nuisances you call 'strongest warriors'." Dreadbane replied indifferently.
Proxima lowered down her staff, "I can't blame you. And for the record; I never refer to them as that. Currently."
She noticed the skeleton staring at the horizon and followed his gaze. To her surprise, she suddenly feels...calm.
She suddenly forgot why she was stressed out in the first place.
Dreadbane scoffed, "The view from the old academy was better."
"It's not that bad." Proxima countered before materializing something into her hand.
Dreadbane noticed the spark of magic and turned to his... new queen.
She held something in her hand; A bracelet. A golden bracelet with a star gem.
He had seen a jewelry like that before. With the princess...
That look on her face... Just like the one Proxima was having now.
"You miss her, do you?" Dreadbane asked.
Proxima quickly made the bracelet disappear and looked away stubbornly, "What makes you say that?"
"Just a hunch." The skeleton replied.
Great. Now the skeleton knows.
She sighs in defeat, "It's difficult to forget the first person who showed you kindness and asked you to defy orders just to get to know you."
She still remembered that moments; Flying around Drake City on a griffin, eating pizzas together, staring into the starry night sky... If only those moments lasted forever...
If only... she had stayed as her sister...
"I know how that feels." Dreadbane sighed, remembering the times Nessira dragged him out late at night just to train the Original Mysticons.
"Why couldn't they know? How could they have made such a foolish mistake?" Proxima scowled.
But deep inside, she was really sad, and hurt.
"At least they didn't banish you into a desert wasteland and leave you there to rot for an eternity." Dreadbane sighed, "Sometimes you wonder why you stayed by their side even after all these years. And when you finally wish to let them go, they always find a way back into your skull."
Both mage and skeleton sighed simultaneously.
Proxima looked at the skeleton. Arkayna told her that he was the ruthless monster who turned their... her, parents into statues.
Never has she expected such a ruthless monster to be so... in despair. All because his heart was broken by the one he came to love.
Just like her.
"Why did you continue to fight for Necrafa even after she banished you?" Proxima asked.
"I didn't want to be like them." Dreadbane slightly scowled at the memory, "Afraid, all because of a lie. They didn't even bother to come back for her. Unlike their successors. You're fortunate to be associated with those people."
"What?!" Proxima angrily shot back, but was confused when the skeleton closed his eyes.
Dreadbane opened his eyes in confusion, "Sorry. I'm used to being annihilated whenever I disappoint."
Proxima wasn't disappointed. She was just surprised by his statement, "What do you mean by fortunate?"
Dreadbane took a deep breathe as if his answer would yield, disapproving reactions, "They never stopped talking about you. They were desperate to save you, no matter how many times you refused. They even came to me to find an solution to your, predicament. That was one aspect I never saw in their predecessors. Even after she wore the mask, they never knew it was her. They never showed any intentions to save her. The only thing they could think of, was to destroy her."
Destroy her. Ever since she donned the mask, the current Mysticons never did show any intentions of destroying her.
The last time they faced-off, the royal twins saved her.
...
No. They lied to her. They ruined her life. Just like everyone else.
Do they even really want her back?
"If Necrafa somehow survived and is still here," Proxima failed to see the shocked look on the skeleton's face, "and she want you to once more join her side, would you accept?"
"I'd say...!" Dreadbane stopped when he noticed Proxima's shadow changing form and scowling at him with her arms crossed.
He's surprised Proxima still doesn't sense her presence.
He coughed before he continued, "If she does somehow survive... Even if I do accept, she'll destroy me. As always. Like she always do. I wouldn't be surprise if you would do the same once you have gained the powers of the Mystical Beasts."
Proxima looked at him in confusion, "Why would I do that?"
Dreadbane briefly looked at Necrafa before replying, "I'm just another one of your excruciating minions."
Proxima looked away, "So far, you're the most decent one. I don't even remember the last time they showed me any genuine respect. Nor gave me a reasonable conversation."
That really surprised Dreadbane.
When was the last time Necrafa told him he was "decent"?
When was the last time they had a reasonable conversation that didn't involve her trying to destroy him?
He slightly bowed, "Thank you, your highness."
Proxima frowned, "I prefer to not be addressed in that manner."
"I don't want to compare you to that old owl." Dreadbane explained.
Proxima had to agree, "Good point."
For the first time in a while, Proxima found herself smiling with Dreadbane. They actually understand each other.
"You should check on those... others." He advised.
Proxima snapped back to reality, "Another good point. I don't trust any of them. Especially that Tazma. The last thing I want is to be over-thrown by that wannabe shadow mage."
Dreadbane slightly chuckled, "I know what you mean. She always had her own agendas; Become most powerful... Plotting behind my back... Stealing the Codex to make herself even more powerful than her former teachers... I almost couldn't free Necrafa because of her."
Necrafa scowled at that new information.
"Help free you" , huh...?
Proxima felt an angry presence behind her and turn around, but nothing, and no one was there.
She then used her staff to summon an orb to spy on her other minions. Sure enough, they were planning to drink the magical water for themselves.
To the queen's satisfaction and amusement, the Mysticons managed to foil their plans.
"Not to be disrespectful your highness, but how could a powerful being such as yourself create such...delinquents?" Dreadbane asked he watched the scene.
Proxima scowled as the Vexicons taunted the Mysticons, only to be pushed into a mud pit, "That is what I wish to know. If only I had those keys..."
"Even they do manage to retrieve half of the keys, they still need to acquire the chest." Dreadbane flashed a sinister smile, "That is, if, they succeed."
Proxima flashed a sinister smile of her own, "I like the way you think."
This skeleton really gets her.
She made the orb disappear, "I'm suddenly in the mood to try my luck on that hard-core chest again."
"Lead the way, your highness." Dreadbane gestured with his hand.
Once Proxima telaported them into the Star Chamber, she began blasting the chest again with her staff.
Unknown to her, her shadow crossed her arms and scowled at Dreadbane.
"You did told me to be on her good side." The skeleton whispered.
"What?" Proxima turned around in confusion.
"It's, so good I'm not in the receiving side of your rage." Dreadbane fibbed, flashing a fake smile to mask his secret.
Proxima turned back to the chest, hiding the smile and small blush on her face.
She didn't even take note of the number of times she blasted the chest and failed.
Tazma stared at the pouch which contained the vial of magical water in her hand. She was tempted to take it out and take the power for herself, but she knew an even greater power was waiting for her once she retrieves all the four keys and restore her queen to her former dark glory.
She and the Vexicons arrived at the Star Chamber, only to find Proxima laughing while she sat on her throne.
"And then..." Dreadbane chuckled, "they pushed her into a cloud... And..."
"A-hem?" Tazma interrupted, unamused.
Proxima turned to her and realized her minions have returned, "Oh. You're back."
Tazma looked between her and Dreadbane. She could sense something happened between the two while they were gone. But what?
"Did something happen while we were gone?" Mallory smirked.
"That is none of your business." Proxima shot back.
Tazma tossed the pouch at Proxima. The queen inspected the pouch, eyeing it warily.
"How did you manage to easily retrieve this from the Mysticons?" Proxima asked.
"They just gave it up." Kasha replied.
Willa chuckled, "Sissies!"
Proxima wasn't convinced. She opened the pouch and reach out to pick up its content.
To the Tazma's surprise, it wasn't a vial of magical water. But a tiny blue spherical pill?
Proxima glared at her minions while she crushed the pill in her hand. That proved to be a mistake, because once she did, she was enveloped in blue smoke.
When the smoke dispersed, Proxima was transformed into a crying infant.
Baby Proxima stopped crying when she felt being lifted up in someone's arms. Her expression transformed into mortified shock when she found out who was holding her.
"Well... this is awkward." Dreadbane remarked as he stared at the embarrassed infant in his arms.
Mallory laughed along with her fellow Vexicons, "I have got to glyph this!"
"Oh look." Dreadbane held another pill in between his fingers, "Here's another."
He flicked the pill at the Vexicons and Tazma. Like Proxima, they were enveloped in blue smoke, transforming them into infants.
Dreadbane's eyes widened in surprise before he let out a heavy laugh.
As it turns out, when Tazma was a baby, she had long hair which were tied up into multiple, messy braids.
And can Dreadbane laugh for such a long time.
"Are you done yet?" An annoyed Baby Tazma asked.
Just as Dreadbane finally stopped laughing, Baby Proxima made an hourglass appeared in mid-air.
"No."
At Proxima's command, Dreadbane continued to laugh, much to the dismay of Baby Tazma and the Baby Vexicons.
It got worst for Tazma; Necrafa's shadow form scowled at her and shook her head disapprovingly.
The Shadow Mage is failing her. If she keeps this up, there will be consequences...