Chapter 9: N-I-S! And maybe the Hematite…
Third POV:
"Sap-Sap! Goodness, are you okay?" Compa yelled as she rushed over to Sapphire. "Oooh, a kick straight to the face. That must have hurt."
Sapphire, right now, seems to be knocked out by the kick from the dark blue-haired girl.
"What are you doing, jumping right in front of me?!" The girl exclaimed. "I even called my attack so you know to wait, too!"
"Well, I don't know why Sap-Sap rushed right in…" Compa said as she kept slapping Sapphire's face over and over.
Plutia just looked at Sapphire with a worried look on her face.
"She was one of our trump cards…" IF muttered before turning to Compa. "Compa, stop slapping her so much! Her face is already indented from that kick."
Compa then stopped slapping Sapphire in the face but looks at her worryingly.
"Sorry. I went full-force on that one. She might wake up in a few weeks." The girl told IF before turning to the monster. "I'll take care of this monster myself. Leave it to me!"
Before IF even said anything, the girl then rushed to the monster with her sword in hand.
Now! It's time for Dark X-Blade Slash!" She called out her attack as she sliced the monster over and over. The monster, however, was blocking the attack but she didn't let up. She then steps far back and charges in again, dodging the strike from the monster.
"Let's try this again! Dark X-Blade Slash!" And this time when she was calling her attack, the monster couldn't block her attack. So when the monster was destroyed, it dropped the Treasure Gem.
IF, Compa, and Plutia just stood there at awe from what just happened. Even the author who's writing this is at awe from the fact he was able write some sort of fight scene.
"That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I called the triumph of justice!" She announced.
"Wh-Whoa. We didn't stand a chance, but she beat it up all on her own." Compa said in awe. "But, who are you?"
Then the girl turned to Compa. "I am the sole keeper of justice in all of Gamindustri! The one, the only, Nisa!" She then noticed something. "Hmm? What's this? A cry of help? She jumped on the nearest house. "Then. I'm off. Up, up, and awaaay!" Then she jumped from house to house until she was nowhere to be seen.
"What was that…" Compa muttered to which no one answered.
A few moments of silence before IF just sighed and picked up the Treasure Gem. "This is Gamindustri, after all. So many different walks of life…"
"Well, let's just carry Sap-Sap back." Compa told IF and Plutia. "I will treat that dent in her face."
IF and Plutia agreed as Compa carried Sapphire back to Chian's Pies.
A day later… (Back to Sapphire's POV)
We were all walking out of Chian's Pies, feeling rested as ever…
"Ow~!" I groaned as I rubbed my bandaged-up cheeks.
"I'm sorry for slapping you in the face, Sap-Sap…" Compa apologized to me.
"No, it's okay…" I said as I still rubbed to where I got kicked. "That kick was a lot worse than your slaps."
"Either way, we got the Treasure Gem." IF spoke up. "But we still have no idea where the Hematite is… does anyone know where it is?"
"Well… I don't know…" Plutia said sadly.
"Maybe someone just happened to have that information." I spoke up. "Like by some random chance, someone just happened to overheard our conversation and told us where the Hematite is."
"Saps, there's no way that someone just happened to—!"
IF was then interrupted by a guard listening to our conversation. "Pardon me. I happened to overheard your private discussion." The guard said. "You are seeking Hematite, yes?"
"We certainly are," Compa answered. "But who are you, Mister Mysterious Man?"
"Town security, ma'am." He answered. "I recall seeing a deposit of Hematite in a dungeon I visited."
"So could you tell us where it is?" I asked the guard to which shook his head.
"I would be happy to tell you, but how about you do me solid in return?" The guard asked us.
"Why does this guy piss me off?" IF asked herself. "Oh yeah, 'cuz he sounds like Miss Equivalent Exchange."
I ignored IF's comment. "Sure! What is it?"
"Great." The guard smiled. "There's a monster over at Rebeat Resort. Mind giving it the ol' what-for? Since my unit wasn't able to beat it."
"Sure! If you promise to tell us about what you know." I answered.
The guard then. "You got it. Good luck. We're all counting on you."
As we left I felt like there was something wrong.
Why am I feeling like there's something wrong? I thought to myself. Like a bad omen might fall upon someone… It's probably just nothing…
Place: Unknown
Listoria was all tied up with some strange rope that seemed like it's draining her powers.
Where am I? Why can't I move? Listoria thought to herself. Why do… I feel so weak…
Listoria then noticed that she had been blindfolded.
Why did this happen? How could I lose? Please… Sapphire… anyone…
Help… me…
Back to Sapphire…
"Hey! Saps! Why are you walking so slow?!" IF called out to me.
"I-It's nothing!" I told her as I tried to keep up with her. Why can't I shake off this feeling that there's something off?
"Let's just finish up with this request so he tells us the dungeon of where the Hematite is." IF said as she looked around the dungeon and spotted a monster.
"So that must be the monster…" I muttered to myself as I took out my rapier.
IF nodded before taking out her Katars. "Let's defeat it quickly so that we can learn about the man."
One quick battle later…
"That was… easy…" I muttered as I put the weapon away.
"Let's… go back!" Plutia said slowly. "I'm feeling tired…"
"Okey-dokey. Huh…?" Compa then noticed something. "Wait a minute, I see something over there…"
We all saw some kind of cartoonish grey rat, looking kinda injured.
"Chu…"
"Yuck, that's one oversized rat." IF looked at the rat disgustingly. "C'mon Compa, let's just leave it there."
"No way! The poor baby looks hurt…" Compa looked at it worryingly as she rushed towards it. "Let me patch it up!"
When she patched up the rat, it finally woke up but was really confused.
"C-Chu…?"
"How do you feel Mister Mouse?" Compa asked.
The rat suddenly screamed but afterwards, it had hearts on its eyes.
"What's wrong?" Compa asked.
"Chu! Er, um…" It suddenly corrected itself. "C-Can I get your name…?"
What?! It can speak?! I looked at it in surprise.
"Of course! I'm Compa." Compa introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Mister Mouse."
"Compa… Compa, huh…?" I heard the rat mutter under its breath before it stood up left. "Mmmmm, Chu!
"Oh! Where are you going?" Compa asked but the mouse ran away, never to be seen.
LAm I hallucinating or did that mouse just speak?" I asked the group.
"So many weird things…." IF sighed as she turned to Compa as she walked away. "Compa, you ready now? Let's go."
"Aw, Mister Mouse…" Compa muttered as she stood up and we all followed IF. I then heard Plutia mutter something.
"Did I know… who that was?"
Back with the guard…
"Hey, can you now tell us about Hematite?" I asked the guard.
"Well…" The guard then thought for a moment. "I saw some when I was wandering into the Spetent Resort. I believe those pesky Tae Kwon Cats enjoy collecting gems like that one."
"Septent Resort…" I muttered under my breath. "And do you know where Lady Silver Heart is?"
"Well…" He keeps thinking. "I think she's on a mission. But I haven't really seen her come back."
"Oh… I see…" We then left the guard on that note.
"Saps? Why did you ask that?" IF asked me.
"Well… um…" I thought for a moment before answering. "I-It's nothing, really…"
IF then looked at me suspiciously before ignoring it. "Alright, let's go…"
Place: Sepent Resort
"Is that the monster we're looking for?" I asked IF as I was looking at the horde of Tae Kwon Cats that were holding on to what I assume were Hematite.
IF nodded before taking out her Katars. "Let's take them out!"
We all started to charge into the area to which the Tae Kwon Cats noticed and took battle positions.
"Now! Demonic Flame!" IF called out her attack as a group of flames hit the group of monsters "Saps! You're up next!"
"Right!" I said as I charged up my attack. "Energy Shot!"
It blasted one of the Tae Kwon Cats, defeating it in the process.
Then Plutia then slowly walked in and started hitting the next one with her plushies. She then starts kicking it over and over until it is defeated.
"I'm done here, Sappy!" Plutia called out.
Then we all looked at the final one, which held the Hematite and ran off far away from us.
"Oh no you don't!" I exclaimed as I ran after it. "Triple Combination!"
When I defeated it, it dropped the last Hematite. I picked it up and walked back to my friends.
"Great job everyone!" IF smiled as Compa and Plutia cheered. I tried to match their enthusiasm but I felt like there was something off.
Why do I feel like there's something wrong again? I thought to myself. I thought it rested when I asked the guard but I feel more worried than before…
"Sap-Sap? What's wrong?" Compa asked.
"Yeah. You've been acting really weird lately." IF said as she looked at me.
"Sappy?" Plutia also looked at me worryingly. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know…" I answered. "Something doesn't feel… right…"
"What do you mean?" IF asked me.
"I mean…" I looked down in thought. "Shouldn't Listoria be here right now?"
"You heard the guard…" IF said as she tried to reassure me. "She must be fine since she's the CPU after all."
I thought for a moment. Yeah, she might be right…
"Yeah, let's head back to the Basilicom to drop these off." I said. We then left the dungeon and headed to the Basilicom.
At Lastation's Basilicom's doors…
As I reached for the handle of the door, I felt a little hesitant.
"Saps, stop worrying about that." IF reassured me. "Listoria's fine."
"O-Okay…" I then opened the door and then my eyes widened in shock.
"Wh-What the…?!"
That's all for now! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please Review and Stay Safe!