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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 27: The Dark and the Life

Beta-Reader: Ant0nius

Bengala once thought that this mission would be a fun way to get to know some of the new ladies. As well as … 'him'.

Obviously, events didn't go down exactly as he would have planned for them, especially when he was soon urged to an insane chase when things hit the fan and- maybe he should backtrack a little. The operation to retrieve the Life Crest had started smoothly. He got to talk with Love and Water, while tensely starting to understand the Queen's Grand Knight. For a while, he had felt jealous of the human. Not due to his role, but the way this new development meant that he was part of kind of ruined the little 'protector of Light' ambition he had gotten through Kate. Without a Queen from the main line surviving, Kate would have been the new holder of the throne and, truth be told, it would have been awesome to protect such a pretty princess. Not like he would stop now to tease the cute blonde whenever he could, after all Kate was still a cutie he wasn't planning to let go until he could feel all that her heart was withholding from him. It was clear. The girl liked him more than a friend and… he wanted to see it all unfold. So that his own heart could stop beating so loudly around her. Yet the Tiger Prime was legitimately bummed at the thought of that plan going awry.

And his irritation shifted into the one he could blame without feeling awkward as the Queen was a hot bombshell herself. The human, Theo, was… a good guy. All in all, nothing in his own code of morals would scream of him being foul. In fact, his bitterness was rather short-lived, especially when he started to learn some new things as they wandered through the forests of Central Africa. The trip made for quite the torrid experience to face, especially with how intense the heat of the wind was. This wasn't like back home, where he had grown accustomed to the mild weather that was common in India. It was the first time he faced this kind of hot temperature, his fur becoming a hindrance in this rare occurrence as he remained barely dressed for the occasion, and all emotions bluntly exposed as he mimicked everyone's current state of distress. It wasn't widespread or too horrible, but the temperature played a relevant role in bringing out truths, answers and even more questions.

Making conversation was a must to keep his nerves cooled off, with the group he was leading through the wild forests being open as much as he was. Grace was once a prisoner in a cold planet, thus she was a bit uneasy at the notion of exploring something so 'warm' and uncharted. Somehow, she was still holding a greater composure than them all through the light clothes she put on. An explorer outfit that was cooled before being put on, thus providing her an extra layer of protection. Bengala regretted the notion that he could have done that too if he hadn't taken a long time ogling at the new chicks. It was a temporary regret, meant to exist only for this cursed heat. Xeanica handled the heat better as she seemed to retain 'water' better than anyone else, while Theo was… rightfully miffed by it. Bengala was almost tempted to think it was as much as he was, but he could tell the human was finally relieved that his lack of fur gave him this much of a reprieve from the infernal weather. The sun was just scorching, but the furless being definitely enjoyed a better situation compared to him.

A Grand Knight that started humble, faced the demise of Adela's mother, helped her through the space-faring journey, befriended all the Crests they came in contact with and… he barely looked the self-pompous prick one would imagine with that resume. In fact, Theo looked only tired, if not older, than what his age was. Bengala remembered the wise words of his master when he told him that hardship made one mature faster than anyone else. And he saw this first with Ambar due to how teasing yet mature the Bear Prime was. He had faced his own share of trouble, but… he could tell those couldn't compare. And when it came to this mission, where the human would have had the right to call the shots, he left the burden to Bengala. Why? He was the one that knew this kind of environment better than anyone else. And… it wasn't that easy.

Even with a ship within the orbital region of the area they were checking through, there were few rumors and signs of the Life Crest. Geecku wasn't an easy element to find within the setting they were stuck with, and with animals within their surroundings being mostly poisonous and known to attack other living beings, it was clear that they had to keep vigilant all the time. And they did through the entire journey. While part of him wanted to talk more with the ladies, having realized that existed a sexual tension between the human and the Love Crest that sparked his curiosity for the sake of teasing, Bengala had the strong gut feeling that they weren't safe enough to do that. It was odd considering that neither his group or the ship scanning their position was finding anything to be worried about. It was his instinct, his own Crest mumbling at him that something wasn't just right about the area. Something was moving, and it wasn't an animal. Not a Crest either. Something that he couldn't notice on the spot, that was slowly lurking behind and… then it happened.

Just as he turned to the side to check through a few bushes, the Tiger Prime paused when he finally saw the issue. A random vine was moving. He thought someone was handling it, but a thorough look confirmed nobody was around. No animal, no native, nothing… The vine was moving on its own. And then it clicked within his head – Geecku was the Life Crest, and her power was to manipulate Life… specifically natural life.

"We need to get out of here," He blurted out without thinking.

There was nothing to think about as Geecku was aware of them. She knew of their approach, of their current position, and had cleverly set up an ambush meant for them. It was an encirclement from nature itself. Before he could explain why they needed to leave, the vines snapped into action and… they reacted to the sudden assault. Theo's sword cleaved through a few of those around him, while Xeanica's Chakram was whirled around and shredded through a few distant ones. Grace had a bit of trouble due to her weapon having a slower time facing the approach to it and… yes, it was becoming a real problem. The Courage Crest still kept a grin, his armored gauntlets cutting through the roots and vines trying to ensnare him, while also providing the Gazelle Prime some reprieve from the ambush.

It was intense, but everyone was holding well and things were slowly getting better. For a time. Just as Bengala finished to handle the few remaining vines on his side of the field, things took a wilder turn of events when the ground shook, with thicker green tendrils emerging and renewing the offensive and starting to get an advantage on them. Xeanica yelped as one of the vines managed to sneak behind her, wrap around her waist and throw her into a bush, the landing depriving her of her chakram. Grace suffered a similar fate, but she managed to break free from the vine's hold and… they needed to leave. The Water Crest rushed quickly to retrieve her weapon when he gave the order, no one having reason to say no to this due to how untenable the whole mess was getting. One thing was trying to handle a predictable and limited number of foes, another was being overwhelmed by cleverly mustered vines that were coming from various directions. They were far from prepared for this. But just as they were about to leave, the vines made it clear that their creator wasn't planning for that.

In fact, from aggressively attacking, they all started to get incredibly close and try to wrap around their limbs, waists and necks. They mostly got through with that… except for Grace. The Gazelle Prime's disadvantage shined the most on this occasion as she was unable to move and fight in these circumstances. And her saving grace proved to be Theo as the human cut through the vines holding her… but left himself open for the take. A sword was good to deal with this kind of threat, but particularly futile in a situation where the tendrils were wrapping too tightly around his body. Bengala tried to help the fellow guy out, but the Grand Knight was instantly pulled away, other tendrils covering for that retreat and forcing them all to actually give chase. It was risky and it brought to nothing as nature stopped paying them attention, only focusing on Theo. Gritting his teeth, the Tiger Prime knew this was going to shake some bad feelings once it was told to the queen. She looked quite fond of Theo and… yeah, this was going to get him shrieked at, that much he could tell...

This… this would be tougher than Bengala had wanted it to be. Definitely worse.

Carmesi felt uneasy.

A gut feeling that she could trust and gain worry from as something had gone wrong. For them? No, they had yet to land on their destination. The dropship had just started its landing procedure, with one of the doors opening to allow the cold wind to finally settle into their bones. It was chilling, unpleasant. The Fire Crest felt the furthest away from the ideal setting she had wished to be stuck with. She utterly despised feeling cold, having long accustomed that sensation to whenever she was close to dying and one moment away from losing everything. It worried her and, worse, it pissed her off. Not a good start for a diplomatic effort. The furthest feeling necessary for anyone to actually handle this kind of task. She had made some promises. If she did things right, she was getting bed privileges tonight and… she wanted to get back in that blasted bed even just to cuddle with Theo.

She had recovered from her wounds, she had a scar to hide at times and… the Fox Primes missed being hugged in her bed. It felt so lonely now to sleep alone as she knew how pleasant it was to have a warm body to cuddle with beside her, right under the sheets and… with a questionable lack of clothes at times. That was a strong enough thought to handle a blizzard, some lousy morons deciding to tell them little about where their target was, and then handle Pulsar's efforts to strike a conversation with their enigmatic team member for the task. Kate Aryoko, Crest of Light- by Ambar and Adela's words, the one that was meant to lead them in terms of Crests. Now, Carmesi had no trouble accepting someone above her in the ranking system, knowing full well that strength had little to do about it, especially when Light had an advantage over Chaos that Fire didn't have.

It was an unfair advantage, but not one she could pout about because it wouldn't make the difference. Instead, what made her so miffed was how 'stoic' this individual was. And how she was actually curt with her answer. Carmesi didn't mind at first. It was legitimate for someone to be this unwilling to deal with Pulsar, especially since it was clear how she was comparing him to Bengala and… the Courage Crest wasn't bad, just a massive teasing moron from the looks of it. So, it was clear that it worked against Pulsar in the long run. Sem didn't say much, the Death Crest witnessing the discussion rather than being part of it, mimicking Carmesi's own passive approach to it. But, differently from the Fox Prime, the newly-recruited Crest watched and listened carefully, adding just a few words before excluding himself from the whole situation. Nonetheless, the real issue happened as Theo became the topic of the conversation. And it was Kate that brought it up. For a while, the Fire Crest worried this was going to have a serious impact on their relationship. That this could be the troublesome beginning of a rivalry or something… but then the real focus jumped to her attention. It wasn't Theo as a person that came up to the questions, but something he was known to hold and show when there was training and fighting to deal with. She was asking about… his sword?

"...Are you into swords or something?" Carmesi blurted out mid-conversation, stunning the two other Primes in the process.

For the first time they had met, the Light Crest blushed at the accusation, her orange eyes turning to the confused look the Fox Prime was giving her.

"I-I'm not 'into' swords. It's just that I'm fascinated by them. My father was a sword maker," She reasoned, and her 'cool' composure cracked completely and… provided a good way for Carmesi to finally interject.

"So, you just make conversation with swords? How about training? From what I got you were disciplined in handling the sword you were given."

"The Shin-Aki? I… yes. It was a gift from my clan, my family and… I'm its guardian."

"So, would you be willing to test me out against me? I've been training with the Imperial curriculum, so I would be willing to give you insight on their fighting style… but I want to spar with you at full power."

The Light Crest… smiled at the challenge. "I see no reason for me to refuse. I will humbly spar with you, Fire Crest."

Polite, a bit too polite at it, but Carmesi didn't care. She just got a new sparring partner, and this one was a new one that gave her the chance to gauge the power of her 'new leader'. She doubted that their power differences were the same and… she wanted to see it herself rather than stop at mere deductions. She wanted to fight. Eventually that conversation stretched for a while, adding more info about the Grand Knight while still keeping to skills and his sword and… they finally reached a possible lead. After wandering into the least explored region of Northern Norway-Sweden for two hours, the group reached a small village enclosed by some snow-covered hills. The place was primarily owned by Primes, with a few humans in them and… a small house the furthest away from the valley's entrance. Asking around confirmed it, that's where the Dark Crest was and… where the source of many headaches would unfold.

To their early but brief relief, Howl was willing to take them in as guests. He was cordial, kind, and particularly gentle. Kate spoke the most, not because she was trying to take charge away from the others. No, Carmesi could tell these two could communicate due to how many things in common they had, especially the few weapons kept within the building which were once used by the Wolf Prime. Dark fur and hair with some white lines running between both. Yellow eyes that exuded a clear emotional mirror which provided genuineness to his warm welcome. Yet, the Fire Crest could pick it from a mere glance. A spark was missing, something that became even more evident when the main reason for their visit became known by the Dark Crest.

"I'm sorry, I can't take part in this conflict," Howl quickly refused, showing a strong and resilient unwillingness to even listen to their reasoning. "I just can't."

"But this isn't something we can avoid-" Pulsar tried to make an effort, only to be rebuked almost instantly.

"I understand. And when the fight will reach this sanctuary, I will. But… I can't leave this place. It's my home."

"I'm not going to take part in a war because of something beyond my control. I had my conflicts, now I seek my peace," The Wolf Prime grumbled in frustration, leaving Kate and Pulsar stunned by this vicious rejection.

Carmesi… wasn't too surprised. She knew what was up, but waited as they were escorted out of the building to react about it. Everything had been quiet and fine, nothing too fierce to spark any violence. So, the Dark Crest was pretty much caught off-guard when, as he expected silence out of this and to be in charge of that conversation, to be struck with a kick to the side of his head. He twirled due to the strength put in that hit, dropping to one knee due to the half-concussion he got from that. Howl blinked, the Wolf Prime's glowing yellow eyes staring first at the ground and then at his attacker only to be met with a thin sword aimed at him.

"Stand up, I challenge you to a fight."

...

"W-What?"

"I said I challenge you, you coward. I win, you come with us, we lose, you remain to rot in this place you decided has to be your grave."

…

"You- You think I would just-"

"I suppose that's how it has to come out. That you are a stupid coward that can't even stand up for himself. Look at you, not even bothering to stand up, to nurse that wound, how pathetic!"

While Carmesi wasn't someone that could decipher deep emotions, she could still perceive a fighting spirit being forcefully suppressed.

"I can't just-"

"You said that you are strong enough to protect these people. You whined about it, how about you show this off to me and prove your point rather than being just that, a whining fool."

There, denting at his patience, eroding his calm, forcing his anger to bubble as he stood up, unsheathing his sword as it glowed through the runes engraved in the blade.

"You're going to pay for that."

Kate looked ready to jump in, to stop this violent situation from fully unfolding but Pulsar stopped her.

"Let her be. I can tell she has something in mind."

"It's… it's foolish. We're trying to convince him, not force him."

The Ice Crest shrugged. "I don't think that's Carmie's purpose. Sounds to me that she is confident it will work and, truth be told, she isn't exactly that dumb. She has to have seen something that gave her that certainty. Something about Howl we haven't noticed."

"I believe she did," Sem agreed. "She perceived his fighting spirit, quite weakened but still present and asking to be pulled out and shown. It's tragic to admit it, but it seems quite clear butting heads would make more of a difference than mere talking in this instance."

Kate was still skeptical about the rough approach but… nodded. After all, the Fire Crest didn't look like she was doing this for nothing more but to get this mission dealt with as properly as possible. Yet, known to only Carmesi's mind, this was now a good way to finally have a live fight after her brief break from real spars while also 'winning' her bed rights tonight with Theo. Oh yes, there was nothing better than winning over this kind of preciousness through battles. It made her blood boil in eagerness, to face a strong opponent and… have a comfy mattress to cuddle with her human.

Her Crest purred in delight at that notion, supporting her to the fullest as the two Primes started the brawl to decide whether Howl would be part of them or not.

This was perhaps one of the craziest situations I was in. Sure, I had faced plenty of strange circumstances before now, back when I was in space but… this was in the top ten.

It was clear the source of the vines was the very individual we had been looking for, and that she had preferred to get me because I was… a human. I could only imagine through the lenses of this individual that the Life Crest was curious to know why I had been stuck with that bunch of individuals. I had expected someone clever, someone primal in nature and a little talkative. I expected… a predator that had grown resourceful, gritty and… none of that came to mind as I finally met Geecku. Because, when I say that it was crazy as an event to be part of, it wasn't the surreal dread within it. But the odd wholesomeness of the overall situation.

The vines took me in a dark cave far off from where we had been exploring, numerous trees, bushes and other natural obstacles preventing it from being seen without anyone actually stumbling upon it. I blinked as the vines shifted away from my body, giving me the chance to stand up, look around and- get instantly tackled by someone I hadn't seen in the dark. I didn't even perceive their presence as I was dropped there. A pair of arms tightly wrapping around my neck and almost slamming me to the ground with the momentum gained by that tackle.

"Gotcha~!"

I panicked at the sudden assault, but managed to quickly realize that the purpose behind the 'attack' was to… cuddle and snuggle up with me. A bit surprising since it wasn't the violent escalation I had expected but… it was embarrassing. She had long blue hair, and curious and naive yellow eyes. The girl was wearing nothing, with her Lizard/Gecko-like appearance, primarily green with large sections of soft yellow and small spots of violet and blue on her back, arms and legs, meshed with the humanoid frame all Primes had. A long tail stretched from slightly above her rear, waving like a dog's one would normally wag like in an amused situation. I couldn't exactly struggle out of the hold as I instantly took note of her strength.

"You smell so good… and experienced. So, you will definitely be a good mate~!"

...Hold up, what?

A loud alarm activated at that proclamation and I instantly replied to it with the first thing I could think of. And… it wasn't the brilliant response I would normally have with some time to think more about it.

"W-Well, I can't be your mate!"

She blinked and stopped, releasing me from the hug, but still grasping at my arms. "Why?"

"Because..."

The Life Crest blinked again, intrigued yellow eyes piercing at my own. "Why no?"

"I… I want to be your… buddy!"

Geecku gave me a long look and for a moment I thought she could tell that I was climbing on mirrors with that excuse. But what came out of this would… Well, I think I should go back to the dialogue itself.

"Buddy? What's that?" The blue-haired Prime asked, childish curiosity dripping from her words. She tilted her head to the side to emphasize her confusion, and it added to the overall cute factor.

"It's a kind of friend. Like a super-friend!"

…

Even more confusion from the girl. "What's a Friend?"

My eyes widened. "You don't know?"

"No, Geecku not heard that," Geecku replied, finally showing that she had a bit of a grammar issue when building up sentences of this kind. "What's that?"

"Well, a friend is someone that hugs you, that plays with you and keeps you company."

Her eyes widened in the most adorable display ever. For someone that seemed bound to go beyond the hugs and be rather intimate with people, she sure felt like Xeanica in this regard… except more open about it.

"Really?! So, if Buddy better, means you even more hugging and playing?" Geecku inquired, almost begging for it by pressing herself more onto me. I ignored her gorgeous body… because I genuinely felt bad for her. I mean, she knew what a mate was but not a friend? It was preposterous. "That's correct. That's why me and my buddies were looking for you."

"Oh? Geecku thought you steal Geecku cave."

"None of that. We're just trying to find you to be your buddies. See, there is a really mean guy that wants to hurt us and you," I tried to explain it as simply as possible. I wasn't trying to baby-talk her, but at the same time I took under consideration her lack of grasp when it comes to speaking. "This mean guy is after you and others that have special powers. You were the one that used the vines, right?"

She slowly nodded. "Yeah?"

"That power is called the Life Crest. There are eleven other Crests, each with different powers."

"Oh really? What yours?"

I offered a sheepish look. "It's a bit more complicated."

"Well… uh, your name?"

It was there that I realized how I knew her name but she didn't know mine.

"I'm Theo. Nice to meet you, Geecku."

"Nice meet you, Theo," The girl then paused and hummed. "Should be buddy?"

"Well, we can call each other either by our names or buddy, yes."

She grinned, tightening the hug. "Then you's buddy!"

I smiled awkwardly at how strong her arms were wrapped around my neck and I managed to reach up and pat her upper back.

"You're quite the lively gal, you know that, buddy?"

"You quite funny, buddy!"

She giggled loudly after she said that and I could tell that I might have made an interesting friend out of this cutiepie.

Of course, things were far from safe as Chaos was soon turning the corner and… bringing issues to us all…

AN

Geecku is here. The lewdest and yet quite the adorable Crest in the list!