At Wu Fan's estate, everyone was buzzing around getting ready for the wedding. Servants were decorating the garden for the big day: the chefs were making the feast and guards were doing rounds the estate and watching for unwelcome guests.
Heikin stood in front of a large caldron, making a permeant version of Fu's potion so that Autumn would stay Wu Fan's perfect bride forever. It was a good five hours before the wedding so she still had time to finish the brew. The witch went into the next room to check on Autumn, who was being pampered by the female servants as she sat a tub filled with bubbles. Autumn smiled brightly at the witch.
"How much longer till the ceremony?" she asked impatiently.
Autumn's voice had changed, becoming much softer and delicate sounding, having no trace of her American or Irish accents. The redhead's hair was also much longer, so long that it almost touched the ground.
"Not till sunset child," She chided as one of the servants washed Autumn's hair.
Autumn giggled. "I can't wait much longer! Wu Fan and I are dying to start our family, and I can't wait to carry his children."
Heikin had to hold back a smirk. The young woman's mind was completely focused on having babies, and being Wu Fan's perfect wife. The potion had erased the moon soldier Autumn Moon and replaced her with the chubby, pampered, simple-minded Autumn Lilly. She decided to leave the girl and return to brew.
Autumn sighed happily as the servants dried her hair and helped her into a robe. The red-haired girl was then taken to her room to relax for a while before getting dressed for her big day. She stood in front of a full-length mirror and ran her hands over her body and smiled. She had put on a few more pounds due to the side effects of the potion but also due to Wu Fan insisting he feed her at every meal. Her thighs rubbed together making her waddle as she walked, if only slightly. Her belly was hanging over slightly and her arms were getting soft and doughy. Even her face was getting a bit fat with chubby cheeks that dimpled when she smiled and she didn't mind one bit. However, her reflection had a differing opinion
"You look disgusting." It sneered.
Autumn jumped back as her reflection morphed into her former, warrior self. She was fifty pounds lighter and wore her blue gi with her fans and whip on her hip. Her hair was pulled back into a braid with Raven Queen's feathers sticking out of it. She also proudly showed off her moon badges.
"This isn't you Autumn," it said. "You are not some pampered princess. You are a strong, confident fighter who could beat Wu Fan's ass with both arms tied behind your back."
Autumn looked down at herself and then back at her reflection. "Master likes my body."
The reflection rolled her eyes. "' Master likes my body.' HE IS NOT YOUR MASTER! HE BRAINWASHED YOU SO THAT HE CAN BOOST HIS EGO AND MAKE YOU HIS SUBMISSIVE OBEDIENT WIFE! WAKE UP! YOU ARE ATUMN F****** MOON!"
In a panic, Autumn threw her hairbrush at the mirror shattering it. The sound of the breaking mirror alerted a male servant.
"Is everything okay Lady Autumn?" He asked.
Autumn nodded. "J-Just saw a spider."
The servant sat her down on the bed. "Would you like some tea?"
Autumn nodded, her hands shaking.
He left and came back with a cup of purple tea, instead of her usual pink and handed it to Autumn who drank it thankfully. Soon Autumn relaxed and another servant came in to take her to get a massage to help her calm down.
"Wait a second, I want to know your name," She said the male servant.
The young man smiled softly. "Its Tempest,"
As the sun began to set guests made their way to the main courtyard for the wedding ceremony. Within the crowd were Lin Chung and disguised Mystique Sonia, Mighty Ray, Fu, and Ah Cy. Also, among the guests was a dolled up Jilpa Zhou and a familiar red monkey on her shoulder. The guests were ushered into the main courtyard for the ceremony. The courtyard was decorated with large white lanterns that hung from the trees, candles lighting the path and white and gold flowers. Large cushions were set out for the guest to sit on.
Lin Chung held back a growl as he spotted Wu Fan hanging out that the alter, flirting with one of the female servants before taking his place at the front of the alter.
"I'm going to kill him."He whispered to Sonia
"I'll help," Sonia whispered back as she watched Heikin talk with Wu Lei.
"Shh, here comes Autumn." Mr. No-Hands said.
Said redhead was walking down the aisle in a long white and red dress. that seemed to hang off of her like a large sweater on a wire coat hanger. A white veil covered her face, making it almost impossible to see any part of her face. She made her way up to the altar and stood by Wu Fan's side as the ceremony began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls in eternal love and companionship," Heikin started. "Today Autumn Lilly becomes Autumn Fan and joins the great lineage of the Wu family. Wu Fan do you take Autumn to serve you, to love you and to carry your children for the rest of your days?"
"I do." Wu Fan said.
"Wu Lei, do you accept Autumn into your family and home?"
The obese man laughed. "Of course!"
Heikin smiled. "Does anyone object to this marriage?"
Wu Fan smiled and held Autumn's hands. "Soon nothing will be able to break us apart." He whispered.
"I OBJECT!" A voice said from above.
Everyone looked up and gasped in shock. Autumn was standing on the roof, fans in one hand and whip in the other. The redhead also lost a good chunk of the weight, but not all of it, still leaving her a good twenty pounds bigger.
"WU FAN I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She yelled
Wu Fan stepped back and looked at the girl standing next to him. "Wait if she's up there then who the hell is this?!"
Heikin ripped off the veil off the girl's head, to reveal Tempest in a wig and drag! The coyote leaned in and kissed him on the lips like Bugs Bunny did to Elmer Fud in the Looney Tunes cartoons. Wu Fan gagged and tried to wipe the kiss off his lips.
The coyote smirked and kicked him in the groin. "That's for brainwashing Autumn!"
Wu Lei growled "Guards!"
Dozens of the hybrid stormed the courtyard, making the guests run for cover. First Squad stood up ready for a fight.
"Well handle the guards you go after Wu Fan," Sonia said.
Lin Chung nodded and ran at Wu Fan on all fours. Wu Fan dodged and grabbed a branch off a tree and swung it at the panther. Lin Chung sliced the branch in half with his claws and pinned him to the wall. Wu Fan snarled and kneed Lin Chung in the gut, knocking the panther back.
"How dare you touch me you filthy beast!" Wu Fan said and pulled a dagger off his belt. "I'll have your pelt for ruining my wedding!"
The pompous young man stabbed at Lin Chung, only for it to be blocked by one of Autumn's fans. Wu Fan looked at the angry young woman standing in front of him. Her eyes and fists were glowing with moon energy.
"Autumn?" Lin Chung said.
The red-head kicked Wu Fan, sending him flying into the air. She unhooked her whip and swung it at him, wrapping it around his waist and pulled him down to earth, creating a crater where he landed. He stood up and glared.
"Is that the thanks I get for making you a proper woman?" He snarled.
"Proper woman?! You brainwashed me/her!" Lin Chung and Autumn yelled.
Autumn created an orb of chaotic energy and moon energy in her hands. Lin Chung gathered his harmonic energy in his paws in the form of a large snowball and shot it at him.
"AHEMAHEMAK!" Autumn yelled as she fired a beam at Wu Fan.
Wu Fan smirked as the two attacks hit him, creating a large explosion that sent the two flying back. In the dust of the explosion a dark figure appeared.
"NoW leT'S HaVE SoMe FUN!"
"Arbor Imperium!" Heikin yelled.
Nearby trees swung their branches at Sonia, but the beauty of First Squad dodged, only to be surrounded by the hybrid guards. One of the guards lunged at her, but Yaksha knocked them back with his arms.
"We're surrounded. Mighty Ray! Send up the flare!" She yelled
The shorter teenager nodded and swallowed some bananas and shot a large bolt of electricity into the sky, signaling the Ram and Snow Leopard armies. From the tops of nearby hills, rams and snow leopards ran towards them in a horde of righteous furry anger. Rams ran through the walls like a bullet through gelatin. Snow leopards sliced through anything that got in their way with their razor-sharp, whether it was trees plants or even guards.
While the guards were distracted by the furry armies Heikin hit Sonia with a blast of black magic, making the raven-haired beauty cry out in pain.
"YOU RUINED MY LIFE SONIA AND NOW I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU!" She screamed.
Sonia was suddenly grabbed by Wu Lei in a crushing bear hug. She struggled but it felt as if her energy was being sucked out of her! Looking up she saw Wu Lei's face had twisted into a horrid demon's face with razor-sharp teeth, dark red eyes with black slit pupils.
"I will enjoy consuming your soul!"
Sonia screamed as felt her life force being drained from her body. Her struggle began to weaken and her vision began to blacken. For a short second she thought this was the end until she heard an all to familiar battle cry:
"FEAR MY EYEBALLS!"
The demon screeched in pain, dropping Mystique Sonia and expelling its self from Wu Lei. The shadowy monster snarled and flew at Mighty Ray and Sonia, teeth a claw bared. Yaksha lunged at his fellow demon and tried to ensnare it in his long arms but was unsuccessful as the demon phased through him with ease. Mighty Ray tried to fire another lightning blast but all that came out was tiny sparks. As the demon got closer, Mighty Ray did the only thing he could think of, he threw himself between Sonia and the creature of darkness. He closed his eyes and waited for the demon to slice him in half.
"LAST RITE!" Someone yelled behind him.
Mighty Ray and Sonia watched in shock as the demon and Heiken were sucked into a large black book by Jilpa.
Said mage gritted her teeth as the beast was sucked into the pages, as the force was enough to push her into the ground. As soon as the two were completely sucked into the book, she looked over at the red monkey hiding in the trees.
"Blayze! Now!" she yelled.
The monkey launch himself out of a tree and at the book. He grabbed a nearby rope and quickly tied the book up as it trembled and shook so it couldn't open.
"Done!" Blayze said as he threw the book back to Jilpa who stuck it under her arm.
"How did you do that?" Sonia asked as she approached the duo.
Jilpa smiled. "The spell last rite allows the user to exorcise demons, unfriendly spirits and other evil things from the living world and seal them in an object such as a book or a bottle."
"The spell is also one of the original spells animals taught humans long ago," Blayze added as he perched himself on Jilpa's shoulder.
"And you are?" Sonia asked.
"I'm Jilpa Zhou and this is-"
"THAT'S THE MONKEY I SAW IN BIG GREEN!" Mighty Ray yelled.
Blayze was about to respond when both he and Jilpa were yanked back by one of the hybrid guards. The two struggled as the guard lifted them into the air, just above some sharp pieces of debris.
"WOOYA!" -Hands yelled as he tackled the guard.
The guard dropped them, but before they could be impaled Tempest, back in his coyote form, tackled them away from it.
"THIS IS FOR TOUCHING MY WIFE!" Mr. No-Hands yelled as he kicked the guard until its ribs cracked and the monster was coughing up blood.
The others watched in shock as the former leader of first squad beat the ever-living life out of the guard, even after it had stopped breathing.
"Jian! JIAN STOP!" Jilpa yelled as she pulled the warrior away. "He's dead Jian!"
-Hands stopped and broke down crying. "Is it really you Ji-Ji?"
Jilpa cupped her hands around his face and smiled. "It's me my love."
The two embraced, both crying tears of joy as their friends and teammates watched in shock.
"Hate to ruin the moment, but there's still a battle going on." Tempest coughed.
The two broke apart, blushing like two thirteen-year-olds who got caught making out behind the bleachers at school.
"AAHHHHH!" Lin Chung yelled as he was thrown across the courtyard.
On the other side of the courtyard, another demon was standing with Autumn wrapped in its inky black tentacles. Unlike Wu Lei, this demon was much taller, ten or eleven feet tall and was completely solid black, no eyes or mouth. Four long skinny tentacles sprouted from its back, one of them holding an unconscious Autumn.
Lin Chung tried to stand up only for a shot of icy cold to shoot through his body. His fur was starting to turn white and his legs were starting to stiffen up, making him drop to the ground in pain.
"Lin Chung!" His friends cried.
"Aww is the poor kitty tired?" Wu Fan taunted. "Let me put you out of your misery."
The demon raised his tentacle to deliver the final blow when a blast of yellow energy severed the appendage. Everyone looked at Autumn who was awake with eyes glowing a bright yellow color before slowly turning into a dark inky blackness. Suddenly the sky began to darken, the fighting stopped as everyone turned to see what was going on. chaotic energy, harmonic energy, and moon magic began to swirl around the three.
"I call the darkness unto me…." Autumn chanted as the energies began to darken, becoming black just like her eyes.
"What is she doing?" Sonia asked in fear as she watched as the shadows began to move on their own.
From deepest depths of earth and sea…
The winds began howling, Blayze, Tempest, and Jumpy all cower in fear.
"She's using it…." Tempest gulped as he hid behind -Hands.
Eclipse my heart with rightful power… STAND BEFORE ME AND COWER!
Time and space seemed to stop as the redhead floated into the air, her hair moving with the wind, her eyes black and emotionless. She pressed her hands together and slowly a ball of multiple energies began to form. Sonia's and Jilpa's magic were being drawn out of them each taking on a bright white color.
FROM ANCIENT EVILS UNAWOKEN TAKE MY WORDS AS TOKEN
TO BLACKEST NIGHT I PLEDGE MY SOUL AND CRUSH MY HEART TO BURNING COAL
The wind became deafening as Autumn continued the inaction.
"WHAT SPELL IS THAT?!" Might Ray yelled over the wind.
"The forbidden spell of the eclipse: Nox Atra Polum," Blayze said, "Also known as…."
TO SUMMON FORTH A DEATHLY POWER
"Final Death."
AND SEE MY HATED FOE DEVOURED!
The ball of energy expanded, surrounding everyone and everything within the estate. For a brief second, it was quiet, but soon the sphere imploded on itself with a blinding white light. When the light faded the demon formally known as Wu Fan was nowhere to be seen, leaving Autumn in a crater, unconscious and barely breathing.
First Squad along with Blayze sat outside the Ram's medic tent and waited for Jilpa to come out and update them on Autumn's condition. Lin Chung paced, shivering as his breath came out in a fog. When the older mage finally came out, she had a very grim look on her face.
"She's awake, but she's shut herself down," Jilpa said.
"What do you mean?" Lin Chung asked.
Jilpa sighed. "See for yourself."
Autumn was laying on a cot thrashing and screaming in her sleep. The moon on her forehead was flashing bright yellow with every scream and cry of pain.
Mr. No-Hands pulled his head back out and looked at Jilpa.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked.
"It could be many things, but my guess is that she's traumatized. That spell was slowly erasing her very self and after what you told me she went through with Twin Masters, I'd say she's hit her breaking point." She explained. "Her mind is trying to cope with this but it's not doing too well."
Sonia looked at her. "What can we do to help?"
Jilpa sighed. "I'm not sure there is anything you can do other than give her time."
"But we don't have time," Mighty Ray said. "We need her to save Lin Chung before he freezes."
"There might be a way to help her," Blayze piped up. "If you could somehow enter her mind you could get to the root of the problem and help her from inside."
"Is that even possible?" Lin Chung asked.
"It's possible but only three of you could enter her mind at one time, any more could parentally damage her psyche," Jilpa explained. "I know a spell but it only lasts a few hours, and even if you could help her she may never be the same."
"We have to try. I'll go in," Lin Chung offered but gasped in pain as his fur began to turn white again.
"No, you will stay here. If your mind leaves your body you'll die." The red monkey said.
"Then I'll go in," Tempest said. "I know her better than anyone."
"Then I'm going in too." Mighty Ray said. "Autumn's like a sister to me."
"Make that three," Sonia added.
Jilpa nodded. "Alright, everyone but you three need to stand back, I've only done this once."
Lin Chung looked at his friends. "Be safe."
"We will," Tempest said.
The rest of the group stood back as Jilpa began to chant:
"Heaven's mind open now
I send these three into my student's mind
Through the darkness of the mind and light of the soul
I send them in so that they may bring control".
Suddenly Sonia, Mighty Ray, and Tempest all fainted and Autumn's screams stopped.
