Cielo and the Phantasy Star

Chapter 3: The Dashing Princess!

Solarian Hideout

Forest of Certain Death

1 week ago

Hidden within the Forest of Certain Death, lay a crumbling fortress, built in an age long forgotten, its true owners and purpose lost to time. For the last 20 years however, it had served as a suitable refuge for Mina and her cohorts, now calling themselves the Solarian Loyalists who, until now, had been waging a pathetic one-sided war against Echo Creek and its residents. Due to the fact that besides Mina Loveberry, who still had her military experience despite losing her powers, they were nothing but a gang of royals with no experience in war; even with the training their children had received from Mina, they were, at best, a slight nuisance. Today however, that was about to change. As at the bottom level, the dungeons, Mina was striking a deal with someone who could help turn the tides for her group.

At one side of the table sat Mina. Without the enhancements she once had as a Solarian warrior, she had visibly aged, her face creased from age and stress. Yet she still held herself with the dignified posture of a warrior, wearing a red military uniform crafted from the meager materials found in the fortress.

Seated on the opposite side of the table was a person who stood out in the dreary room. They wore what appeared to be a black a lab coat covered in intricate designs, while some sections seemed to glow a vicious red. Underneath they wore a purple undershirt and pants, made of the same synthetic material as the coat. Their features were hidden behind what appeared to be a gas mask, their eyes hidden by a purple visor. The only features that were not hidden were their long tapered ears, and neck length black hair.

Mina looked upon the stranger, unsure what to make of him. Normally they would have killed him to keep their base hidden, but the fact he came alone and was expecting them made her wary. The fact that they wanted to make a deal put her on edge. "I make it a point to never trust strangers, so why don't you tell me who you are, and what you want."

The stranger took a second look around, seeing the frightened looks of the Solarian loyalist, how the old averted their gaze while the young failed to hide their fear. They let out a haunting chuckle, and spoke in a deep, feminine voice that seemed to echo in Mina's mind. "Oh I could hardly tell. Is it wrong to want to lend a hand, especially to a sort lot like this? Though, you're correct to suspect me, as my help won't be free."

She stood up, and despite their face being hidden, Mina felt their piercing gaze. "As for who I am, I am known as Dark Falz Temple, though you may simply call me Temple."

Although she maintained her calm in front of the being known as Temple, Mina was panicking in her mind. She'd heard of how another such being had recently attacked Echo Creek, and how powerful it was; now one was standing before her, and she felt like a mouse cornered by a rat. All the more reason to make them an ally rather than an enemy.

Taking a slight gulp, Mina steeled her nerves. "Tell me then, Temple, how you intend to help us, and what you want in return; we have neither riches nor treasure, so you clearly don't want money."

Temple clapped at her clever deduction. "You're correct; what I want is simply your assistance in a certain matter. In return, I'll provide you with arms, as well as return you the power you once had."

With a flick of their hand, weapons of various types materialized on the table, from rifles and pistols to swords and spears. Wide-eyed, Mina admired the armaments that were presented to her, and could not help but wish they were in their armory. What really caught her attention, however, was Temple's promise of returning her power. "Let's say I believe you, what would you want in return?"

Standing from the table, Temple walked towards a nearby cell, its sole occupant hidden in the dark. "Simple. I need you to retrieve something for me. Nothing beyond that concerns you, only that it involves my little guest."

Temple walked towards Mina, creating a portal with one hand and reaching into it as they neared her. As they retracted their hand, they pulled out a large, double-edged sword from the void, its slender blade tapering aggressively from a strong about as wide as her hand to sharp point, its face inlaid with glowing runes organized in neat lines within the fuller. The hilt assembly was more complex, its high-tech cruciform guard housing a gemstone that pulsated with power, and its knurled grip was long enough to accommodate three hands before terminating in a dome-shaped pommel. Overall, Mina eyeballed the sword to be almost as long as she was tall.

Holding the hilt towards Mina, Temple continued. "All you need to do is bring me the rod, and this power will be yours."

Tempted, Mina reached for the hilt; upon touching the handle, she instantly felt its power flow through her. She could feel the power she had as a Solarian warrior returning to her, as if the passage of time had restored her to her prime.

The moment of greatness was brief, however, as Temple retrieved the sword from her grasp. "Now you see what I have to offer, all for a simple task. As a sign of good faith, however, I'll allow you to keep the weapons I brought you today." They then looked back towards the other Loyalists, specifically towards the youth. "As well as another boon I will grant you; I know you have children, bring them here."

Despite having not trusted them earlier, Mina obliged his request. "Solaris, Solaire, come here at once!"

From the crowd walked two children, a pair of 10-year-old fraternal twins that Mina had been training as warriors. The oldest of the pair was Solaris, her purple hair done in a large ponytail and green eyes, standing confidently in the worn uniform once used by Mina, with the addition of a shoulder guard, stoically standing at attention. In her training, she had shown much promise as a warrior, much like her mother, and was just as eager to fulfill their mission.

The younger twin, Solaire, on the other hand, had messy purple hair and bright blue eyes, and wore clothing scavenged from the trash of Echo Creek, shorts that were half eaten, and a shirt that was a size too large, as he stood there fearful of his mother and Temple. He was regarded as a weak soldier, always hesitating when he sparred with his sister, failing to live to his mother's expectations.

The Dark Falz inspected them with an appraising eye, examining their features, before quickly making their conclusion. "Just as I expected; pathetically weak! Soft and Frail! At least, as they are now."

They turned back towards Mina, who was confused by their statement. "If you would allow, I can easily remake them into suitable warriors. Suitable enough for both our purposes. So tell me, is it a deal?"

They extended their hand to Mina.

Solaris was piqued by their words. Despite being the daughter of Mina, she was willing to do anything to prove herself to her, no matter the cost. Solaire, however, felt nothing but terror at Temple's words, yet he could say nothing to object. He looked upon his mother, hoping that she would see reason…to refuse the deal.

Mina looked towards the outstretched hand, and grabbed it. "Deal."

…..

Butterfly-Diaz Residence

Kitchen

Present time

Cielo was bored, incredibly bored. Usually, that would be impossible on a Saturday of all days; today Glossaryck had finally decided to pay her a visit to see about her training, dragging Meteora along with him. Normally Cielo would have just ditched his lecture, but she'd promised her mom and grandma that she wouldn't stray too far from her wand and risk it being lost or stolen. Which was an issue at the moment because the blue weirdo decided to hand off both their wands to Solomon for some kind of examination while he just kept babbling on and on.

"At least Barbs and Mari don't have to deal with this," she thought, knowing that their friends were waiting for them in the living room.

"And that is the story of how I discovered the miracle that is pudding!" Glossaryck cheerfully finished his story, even though it was clear that both girls had stopped actually listening quite some time ago, Meteora having even fallen asleep. This didn't really seem to matter to Glossaryck, as he simply opened up yet another packet of pudding.

Realizing that he'd finally finished with his story, Cielo woke up Meteora so they could get some answers from him. "That was a nice story and all, but I was wondering if you could tell us why you lent our wands to Solomon when you said you wanted to discuss our training?"

A bit irritated herself, Meteora angrily swiped the pudding cup away from Glossaryck. "Yeah! I came here expecting to train with Cielo!"

The small blue being sighed in frustration. "Well, I'm here for various reasons. For starters, your parents decided that it was time that we informed you of a certain development that's come up. As of late, many people have been petitioning for the reinstatement of the Butterfly Monarchy."

This news took both girls by surprise, with Meteora managing to collect herself first. "Why would people want to do that? All that royalty nonsense was nothing but trouble!"

Cielo held similar views, but quickly realized that there was also another issue with this. "Wait, who would they even pick to take the throne? Technically both me and Meteora both have legitimacy in this."

Hearing them out, Glossaryck understood their concerns, and wanted to make sure they understood the situation well enough. "Well apparently many people still very much look up to your parents for guidance and help, and feel it would be appropriate. They've even managed to get the American president to consider, not hard when Moon and Eclipsa have been especially helpful with dealing with issues with the Newmans. Not that you'd be in charge. Mostly just certain responsibilities like that monarchy in Britain."

Before continuing, he floated towards Meteora and took back his pudding and quickly scarfed it down and looked at Cielo. "As for who, that's the complicated part. Many people want to install You on the throne due Your mother's reputation and career as mayor, though many detractors say you're too young and inexperienced, and have yet to prove yourself." She couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at once again being compared to her mother, as if she was expected to be just like her.

Now he directed his gaze towards Meteora, who was now expecting to hear what people had to say about her. "As for you Meteora, like Star, your mother is very popular, especially with the monster population, and there's the fact that you're directly descended from the original line. Those opposed, however, have pointed out that you yourself have been a bit of a troublemaker in your adventures, Especially with property damage." Meteora scowled at this, but couldn't deny there was truth in these statements.

Although it was now clear that those who were petitioning to reinstate really thought out their decision, there was still one issue. "I can understand their reasoning, but at the same time, it sounds like they still haven't decided."

Glossaryck sighed, feeling just as annoyed at the indecision. "Yes, it's a major issue and why they haven't advanced this plan yet. So after your parents and I talked, we decided that ultimately we'll just wait and see how your training advances and how you'll deal with things in the coming year."

Before he could elaborate further, they heard the front door open, Marco having arrived back from his shift on the city patrol. "I'm home guys!"

Walking into the kitchen, he noticed the serious look on the girls' faces. "So I guess Glossaryck told you already."

Cielo looked towards her dad, hoping he could give them some out to this. "We don't have to do this, right dad? Can't Mom and the city council just reject the petition?"

Sighing, Marco placed his rifle and sword to the side. "That's the thing Cielo; we've been doing exactly that ever since Meteora turned 15. But ever since your party and that falspawn attack, not only has there been more push behind the petition, people have also been discussing more openly on who to put on the throne. I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do."

Meteora groaned in frustration. "Well, could you at least get to the part of how we're gonna decide?"

She looked back towards Glossaryck who emptied his pudding cup. Finishing his snack, he put on a sheepish grin. "We're not even sure how to decide; not even looking into every possible future gives a clear answer. In the meantime, we could at least address your training. Which is the next topic I wish to speak to you about."

Glossaryk teleported back to his book. "Normally, I'd let you two develop your magical abilities at your own pace." He then conjured up an image of one of the falspawn creatures they had encountered, specifically one of the humanoid types. "However, due to the severity of this threat, we may have to be a bit more proactive in your training."

Looking at the image, Meteora couldn't help but scoff. "I don't see the problem. I've taken care of myself against baddies and freaks before, and Cielo knows martial arts and some spells from Star."

Marco sighed, looking at the girls with a solemn expression. "The thing is, from what Solomon has been telling us, these aren't threats you can just blast away and be done with;. you take out one, two take their place. That they have a leader makes it even worse. As much as I trust you two, I don't think you are prepared as you should be if they attack again."

Just then, Solomon came in, holding their wands. "Well, I've finished my examination on these two." He then handed them back to their respective owners. "It'll take some time before I can finish shifting through the data, so unless you wish to discuss anything else, I'll be at the guest room."

Smiling, Glossaryck beckoned him over. "As a matter of fact, there is something you can do. Sit down please."

Intrigued, Solomon took a seat. "What exactly do you need my assistance with?"

"Nothing much, it's just that due to recent events, we decided that these two should focus a bit more on their magical training." He pointed to Cielo and Meteora. "And considering you've admitted to being quite adept yourself at magic and these techniques you mentioned before, I was hoping you could be of assistance."

Taking a moment to take a deep breath, his response was swift. "Absolutely not."

Meteora furiously slammed her hands on the table at hearing this "Why the fuck not?!"

Marco was quick to level a glare at her. "Language, young lady!"

While she was contrite for her use of profanity, Meteora settled for glaring at Glossaryck. "Sorry, but I can't deny that he's refusing to help us after all we've done for him!"

If Solomon were afraid, he did very little to show it, his voice calm as he spoke. "I have no intention of being ungrateful for your hospitality, but I simply cannot deviate from the standards set by my family. You can't just go up and ask to train alongside the crown prince or king; such an opportunity is only ever given to others recognized by the crown to be of royal descent, which neither of you are, or as repayment for a debt."

Marco raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean by 'debt?' Like if you owed someone money?"

Solomon couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "Nothing of the sort. I speak of a scenario where an individual performs an act of great importance, such as rescuing a member of the royal family or saving a city from a great threat. In that case the royal family is obligated to repay them; riches, titles, even an opportunity to train, we will oblige any requests so long as they are within reason. Now if there's nothing else you wish to discuss, I have a book to get back to."

Sitting up, Solomon left the kitchen with a book in hand. Not too long after his departure, a loud crash could be heard from upstairs, shaking the house. Everyone scrambled to find their footing, mostly grabbing onto the wall or the table, as Mariposa and Barbara rushed in to make sure everyone was safe. Looking towards the ceiling, Solomon quickly realized that the sound came from the expanded room he was staying in, and realized the implication. "I left Canopus up there!"

It didn't take long for everyone to realize that not only was someone breaking into the house, but was also trying to steal Canopus. Hoping to catch the thief before they could escape, the entire household scrambled upstairs; upon arrival, they saw that a hole had been blasted into the wall, dust wafting through the air, obscuring their view outside. In the middle of the room, the case containing Canopus had fallen to the ground, fortunately unharmed from whatever ventilated the room. From the dust, Marco quickly made out the silhouette of Mina Loveberry alongside two of her Loyalists wielding rifles he did not recognize and sabers sheathed at their hips, eliciting anger and surprise from several members of the group. Even Solomon had come to learn about her zealous movement, and was less than pleased with their appearance.

As Mina grabbed the case, Cielo pointed her wand at her, ready to attack. "The hell are you doing here?! I thought we already told you you're not welcome in this town!"

Looking at her, Mina grinned maliciously. "As if I would abandon the mission Solaris gave me. It's not too late for you to see reason; join us, and we can be rid of the monsters!"

Without even bothering to give her a response, Cielo went on the offensive. "Diva Spider Webs!" Intricately designed spider webs flew from her wand aimed at Mina and her cohorts, to immobilize them. Before they could reach their mark, a metallic figure sped from the hole in the wall and sliced them apart.

Now standing before was what appeared at first to be a young girl, but the heroes soon realized that she was not human. Her white skin and purple hair appeared synthetic, and her red eyes appeared robotic and unnatural. Mechanical joints could be seen on her hands and limbs, as she wore armor designed after Mina's original green uniform as well as additional armor on her arms and legs, with red glowing lines tracing along her body. She stood between Mina and the heroes, wielding a pair of black knuckles covered in sharp spikes.

Looking upon her, Mina brimmed with pride. "Good job Solaris, you really are making your mother proud."

Clutching his head from a sudden headache, Solomon quickly regained his composure as he realized what he was seeing. "The hell!? Don't tell me you turned your own daughter into a CAST!? They told me you were insane, but this…! I didn't think you'd stoop this low!"

Solaris then spoke in a synthetic voice, laughing at the perceived insult. "Ahahahaha! You would never understand what we're willing to do to free this world from monsters! Smash them, tear them apart! Ahahaha!"

As she then charged at them with full force, Barbara leapt to intercept her with a flaming fist. They impacted one another, seemingly at a standstill until Solaris applied more power, sending Barbara into a wall. Using this opportunity, the Loyalists readied their rifles, barely giving Meteora enough time to conjure up a barrier shaped like a shield, which barely managed to survive the barrage. In the chaos, Mina and Solaris made a run for it to the forest. Not wanting to lose an important artifact to terrorists, Solomon quickly cast a lightning technique, Gizonde, upon the remaining Loyalists, shocking them and knocking them out. He then picked up one of their rifles and sabers, and leaped out of the hole in pursuit.

Worried for his safety, Cielo followed him while the others checked up on Barbara. Landing on the ground, they saw that Mina and Solaris had yet to vanish into the forest, and joined the pursuit. Following them to the edge of the forest, they nearly lost track of them, but Cielo managed to catch them in the distance, and continued the chase. As Solomon was about to follow her, he was pushed to the ground by someone, and began to struggle to get them off.

Looking back, Cielo was about to help him when he yelled at her. "I can handle myself! You need to stop them!"

Despite seeing him in danger, Cielo knew that he was right, as whatever Mina wanted the rod for, it likely wouldn't be good, and so resumed the chase. As she ran deeper into the forest, she finally caught up to Mina and Solaris, who's path was blocked by a massive fallen tree. She quickly held up her wand, hoping to avoid conflict. "We could end this here Mina! Just give back the rod, and we'll let you leave."

When Mina turned around, however, instead of a face of defeat or fear, Mina was sporting a large grin on her face as she began to laugh. Confused, Cielo suddenly heard the sound of leaves rustling and rope moving, and looked down to see a noose tie itself around her ankle. Before she could process what was happening, she was yanked off her feet into the air, losing her grip on her wand as her hat fell to the ground. She could only watch as Solaris walked over to her, and knocked her out with a punch.

Looking over the results of their attack, Mina was ecstatic at what the future held. Not only had they managed to get a victory over those monster lovers, but now she had one of the wands, and someone who could use it. "Solaris, carry her back to the fortress. Time for our friend to honor his end of the deal."

Getting Cielo down and tying her up, Solaris couldn't help but wonder. "What of Solaire and the others?"

Not even bothering to consider their allies, Mina began making her way back to the fortress. "Leave 'em. They'd just slow us down, especially your brother."

…..

As Marco and the others caught up to Solomon, they found that he had just managed to incapacitate another assailant. They were surprised however, when they recognized the person as Solaire, one of the children Mina had conceived in exile. To their horror, they saw that he too had been changed into something else, a dueman, much like Solomon. His skin was now just as palid, a small horn jutting from his forehead, and there was a grey streak in his purple hair. He stared at them with terrified eyes, his left eye now a brilliant red.

Placing handcuffs on him, Marco carried him on his back as the group tried to find Cielo or Mina. They couldn't find any trail or clue, all except for her hat. Furious at not only failing to prevent the theft of Canopus, but also the kidnapping of Cielo, Solomon had Marco release Solaire so they could question him. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Putting up his hands in the air in an act of surrender, Solaire was quick to explain himself. "Please, I was trying to stop you walking into a trap! I'm on your side!"

Scoffing at his plea, Meteora had her wand trained on him. "As if we'd fall for that! You've been at your mother's side this whole time, and now suddenly you're on our side? As if!"

Scuttling back in an attempt to distance himself from her, he tried to convince them. "That's because mom's really lost it! She made this deal with this weirdo who gave her all these weapons and turned me into this, and turned my sister into some kind of robot!"

Hearing this, they decided to press him on the subject. "Who did she make a deal with? And what do they want?"

Realizing that they were willing to listen, Solaire took a calming breath. "It was this scary person who just showed up a week ago, promising all kinds of things to mom in exchange for that rod you had with you. I never really saw her face, but she said she was called Dark Falz."

At the mention of this name, panic filled everyone, knowing how dire the situation was. Not wasting time, Marco uncuffed Solaire, and tried figuring out where they needed to go. "Solaire, if you want to help us, you need to tell us where your mother is holed up."

Rubbing his wrists, Solaire explained as best as he could. "The Loyalists are camped out in an old fortress to the north. It's really well-hidden if you don't know what to look for."

With a plan in mind, the group began to walk towards the direction indicated, but Solaire called out to Solomon. "Wait, there's also something important I need to tell you. When that Dark Falz weirdo came, they also brought with them a prisoner, a girl who looked a bit like you. I've been talking to her, and before I came here she told me to look for you."

Turning around, Solomon quickly grabbed him. "What was her name?!"

Struggling in Solomon's grip, Solaire got out a single word. "Naomi."

…

?

Groaning, Cielo woke up to find herself sitting in a chair in front of a table. Looking around, she saw that she was in some kind of field, flowers scattered everywhere; not a cloud in the sky, only the sun, one that somehow felt unfamiliar. The field continued as far as she could see, the only landmark of any kind being the table that was in front of her, and a giant black pillar in front of her.

"Quite a sight isn't it?" Startled, Cielo looked to her left to find a young woman sitting next to her.

Looking upon this stranger, Cielo noted how she seemed to be around her age, but it was difficult to be sure. She wore an elegant yet simple white gown that reminded her much of the tapestries she'd seen of past queens of Mewni. Her face was hidden by a white veil that covered her head, though she still wore a tiara, as locks of golden hair could be seen underneath. She wore pristine white sleeves with embroidered flowers that came up past her elbow. Despite her elegant clothing, Cielo noticed that a hole was present in the gown around her stomach, and instead of flesh there appeared to be "space", as it appeared like the blackness of the night sky as stars drifted across.

Turning towards her, the stranger offered her a tea cup out of nowhere. "Care for some tea?"

Confused, Cielo gently pushed the cup away. "No thanks. If you don't mind me asking, who are you, and where are we?"

The stranger giggled a bit, setting the tea cup onto the table. "Forgive my manners, I did not take into account that you would be unfamiliar with this place. It's a bit difficult to explain."

Gesturing around her, she began to explain. "This place is of a phantasmal nature, both real and imaginary, a fleeting memory. Though I must point out that only I am truly here, your presence is but a passing presence."

While this confused Cielo, the stranger did not seem to care much about her understanding, and continued. "As for who I am, it is a difficult question. I have had many names over my existence, yet I have never been given a proper name. For the sake of convenience, however, you may call me Oracle."

Sure that this was just some silly dream, Cielo tried pinching herself. It hurt, but she was still here, causing her to groan in exasperation. Oracle, on the other hand, found this to be funny, giggling a bit as she stood from the table. "There is so much I wish I could tell you, but there is not enough time, nor would you understand it all. But I have been patient enough waiting for you. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have kept you waiting."

She then walked toward the monolith, beckoning Cielo to follow. Seeing no other way out, Cielo decided to humor her; after all, there were more questions she wanted to ask. "What do you mean you've been waiting for me? Why now of all times?"

Oracle stood in front of the Monolith and looked up to its top, taking a moment to think before speaking. "There is a time for all things, though not even I may understand fully. You are here because you are troubled. Chasing the thieves, you flew into their web; an outcome I had foreseen, but never wanted. Though at the very least the prince lives—and before you say you could have taken them if it wasn't for the trap, every outcome I saw always resulted in your capture."

Frustrated, Cielo was losing her patience with this lady. "Okay, so maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Still doesn't explain why I'm here besides being scolded at."

Turning to face Cielo, she took hold of Cielo's hand into her own, clasping it close to her chest. "Because I wish to ask something of you. On the horizon I can see a terrible dark, an evil greater than Dark Falz; I have long foreseen its arrival, but for all my power, I am unable to stop it. I wish for you to succeed where I failed."

Feeling the weight of her words, Cielo felt droplets on her hand, realizing that Oracle was crying, as she struggled to continue. "I beg of you, protect and be a pillar of support to my beloved friends in the face of this evil."

Letting go of Cielo's hand, Oracle began to wipe away her tears beneath the veil, Cielo retracted her hand, realizing she was holding what appeared to be a broken hilt of a sword, yet she could feel great power from it.

Looking back to Oracle, Cielo saw that she had managed to compose herself. She considered the woman's request, and despite not knowing anything, she knew her answer.

Cielo stepped forward and gave Oracle a comforting hug. "I promise. I'll do my best."

Stepping away from the hug, Cielo still had one question. "Just one thing though. Who is your beloved anyway, and how do I get back home? What am I even supposed to do with this anyway?"

Although her face was still hidden by the veil, Cielo could sense a smile on her face as she spoke. "You will know, soon enough. As for how you will return, you need only wake up."

As Oracle said this, the world around Cielo began to fade, as a new voice began to ring out.

Wake up!

….

Solarian Hideout

Cielo sat up, gasping as she woke up. Looking around, she realized that she was in the Solarian hideout, likely their dungeon. It appeared that they left her in a cell, and past the bars she could see an older member of the Loyalists standing guard, though he had clearly fallen asleep in his chair. She was not surprised to find that her assailants had tied her up after feeling the restraints on her wrists; what did surprise her, however, was what she was holding.

In her hands was the very same broken hilt she got in the dream. "But I thought it was all a dream?"

Unsure what to do, she quickly pocketed the hilt.

"Hey, are you still asleep or something?! I'm talking to you!"

Whipping her head around, Cielo found a girl chained to the wall of the cell. She wore a white dress with pink edges akin to what she'd seen worn by many a princess who visited Echo Creek, and like them, she wore a tiara on her head. The amount of armor she wore was scant, consisting of a pair of gauntlets, greaves, and pauldrons, along with a breastplate she wore over her dress; overall a combination that emphasized mobility with leeway given for protection. At first glance, this elegant suit of armor seemed almost new, though she noted signs that it had seen its fair share of action and was well cared-for.

What really stood out, however, was how she appeared to be one of Solomon's people, a deuman, though clearly younger than him. Her skin was porcelain white, though her face had a youthful pink to it. She had long, jet black hair with neatly cut ends, and dichromatic red and blue eyes that stood out in the dark. The most peculiar difference, however, was that while Solomon only had a single horn, she had two of them, though shorter, and were more flat and slightly curved, almost like knives.

The girl was eyeing Cielo, an annoyed look on her face. "Finally, you've woken up! I was starting to think that you died! It's rude to keep a princess waiting, you know!"

Looking at her cellmate with mild confusion and irritation, Cielo couldn't help but frown. "Sorry if I'm being rude here, but I have no idea what you mean. Who are you anyway? I'm Cielo, by the way."

The girl seemed quite taken aback at Cielo's response, though she quickly put on a confident if pompous expression, seemingly trying to puff out her chest. "Well I'll forgive you for not realizing who I am, since no one here recognizes me either. I am the Dashing Princess, the king's daughter, the one and only Princess Naomi Dusk Reina Arcanum!"

Cielo was very much surprised by what Naomi was saying. "Wait, princess, Arcanum? By any chance do you have a brother named Solomon?"

Upon hearing his name, Naomi gave Cielo a serious look and began speaking quickly. "Solomon? You know Solomon?! Is he okay?! Where is he?! Did he talk about me?!"

Not expecting such a reaction, Cielo was quick to try to calm her down. "Yes, yes! Just calm down! I'll tell you what I know!"

Eager to hear news concerning Solomon, Naomi relented and allowed Cielo to speak. "He's been with us for about a month, after we found him on my birthday. He's been trying to get home since, eager to get back to his family. We didn't know you were here on Earth-ni too. How long have you been here anyway?"

Thinking about Cielo's question, Naomi took some time before answering. "I'm not really sure, things were foggy for a bit, but I think I've been here for about a week after that freak captured me. I had hoped that my new friend would be able to find Solomon, but I guess these jerks found you first."

Before she could ask Naomi about who it was that captured her, she heard steps coming down the stairs. Walking towards the bars of the cell, Cielo looked out to see the guard scrambling to sit up and appear alert as the doors to the stairway opened, two figures walking into the torchlight of the dungeon. The first figure she immediately recognized as Mina, a smug look on her face. It was the masked person who stood alongside her, however, that she did not recognize. All that she could tell was that their presence made her feel uneasy, like an animal cornered by the predator.

The stranger walked towards the cell, inspecting their prisoners, before turning back to address Mina. "So this is the one you wish to use? It will be quite simple then."

Banging on the bars to grab their attention, Cielo questioned them. "Why did you bring me here?! You know you'll never convince me that there's any good in your goals!"

The stranger turned her attention towards Cielo, and chuckled. "Oh child, your cooperation is not required. When I am done with you, you'll be the perfect puppet that Mina oh so desires. A pity then she made it clear that I only modify your mind; you possess greater potential than those brats of hers."

As Cielo processed these words, she realized to her horror what this person had done. "Oh god, you're the one who turned Solaris into some machine! What kind of monster are you to do something like that to a child?!"

Motioning towards Mina, the stranger began to explain. "All I did was offer power. They had no reason to accept my gift, but they did. As for what I am, that's simple. I am one of the Dark Falz, though you may refer to me as Temple."

Now knowing the stranger's identity, Cielo understood how the Solarian Loyalists got these new weapons and why Solaris was now some kind of machine, though she still didn't know why. So Cielo made sure to keep a brave front towards her captors. "What is it you want? I doubt you gave them help for free. Was it to get the wand, or were you after just Canopus?"

Temple walked closer, her masked face inches away from Cielo. "Oh little one, what does it matter to you?" she tittered, "When I am done, all that will matter to you is serving the Solarian cause. Not that it matters to me. All you need to know is that now that I have the Genesis Arm and the princess, I have secured my freedom."

Seemingly done with her conversation with Cielo, Temple made her way back towards the stairway, followed by Mina, though not before she took a moment to gloat. "You should be proud. After all, you'll have the honor of exterminating those monsters! Hahahaha!"

Realizing how important it was to escape, Cielo walked to the wall where Naomi was chained up. "Okay, you weren't kidding about her being a freak. Do you have any plans for escaping?"

Naomi took a moment to contemplate, before figuring something out. "I saw them stash my weapons while they were escorting me here; I'm guessing they put your stuff there. The issue is getting me out of these manacles and that rope off of you. These things just suck the strength out of me whenever I try anything. Anything you could do about that?"

Thinking it over, Cielo thought that she could possibly find the key to the manacles on the guard, but even if she got him to enter the cell, she couldn't possibly subdue him while her wrists were tied. She was unsure how she was going to manage that, until she looked back at Naomi's horns, and smiled upon realizing a plan. "Actually, I think I know how we can get you out. Hopefully you're a good actor."

….

Forest of Certain Death

Carefully making their way through the forest, the group followed Solaire as he led them to the base. While Marco coordinated with the town authorities on his phone to send officers and possibly soldiers to the general location given by Solaire, Mari, Barbs, and Meteora kept an eye on their guide with Solomon walked closely behind him, a rifle in hand to subdue him if needed, as he began to question the boy.

As he looked at the boy in front of him, one would think that the glare he was giving would bore holes through Solaire's head. "Tell me Solaire, how exactly have you ended up like this, and how do you know my sister? And do not lie to me, lest I render you into ash."

Fidgeting with his hands, Solaire did his best to recall what had occurred over the last few days. "It's hard to explain. It started when that weirdo in black and purple calling themselves Temple arrived at our hideout a week ago with your sister all tied up. Not even sure how she found us, only that she started making offers to mom, saying that we'd be given weapons and power if we stole that rod of yours. Surprise, surprise, mom took the deal."

Hearing his story, Solomon began to suspect who this stranger was, though he decided to wait to get the full picture when Barbara spoke up. "Wait, that explains the weapons your buddies had, but it doesn't explain how your sister is now a tin soldier and you've sprouted a horn. What happened to the two of you?"

Looking down at himself, Solaire couldn't help but Sigh. "Yeah, that was part of the deal with Temple. She told mom that we could be remade into warriors - I didn't want that weirdo anywhere near me, but mom made her choice."

He stopped walking and turned around while looking down to the ground. "From there, things got blurry. For the last week we were in the dungeon -which was converted into a makeshift lab- I remember being strapped down and getting injections or feeling a knife cutting into my skin before blacking out every time, sometimes waking up to my sister screaming. The pain was unbearable, and I thought I wouldn't make it, but your sister kept me strong."

He then looked up towards Solomon. "At night, when no one but me and my sister were in the dungeons with Naomi, she'd talk to me; said that I was stronger than I thought I was, that I'd survive. She promised that she'd save me, and that you'd be able to help me and my sister, which is why I'm helping you; I never wanted to be the kind of warrior mom wanted me to be. I get that you don't trust me, but at least trust that I want to help."

Having heard Solaire's story, Solomon lowered the rifle. "I still don't quite trust you, but I know that those are the kind of words my sister would give. If she chose to believe in you, then so will I."

Having cleared things up to an extent, they resumed their march, as Marco finished his call. "Well good news, Star managed to get some soldiers from a local military base to help us. Hekapoo is also gonna bring Rhombulus to deal with Mina. It'll take some time for them to get there, so we shouldn't wait on them."

Remembering how Solomon seemed to recognize what Solaris had become, Marco was curious as to what extent he knew about her change. "Excuse me Solomon, but back at the house, you said that Solaris had been turned into a 'CAST'. What do you mean by that?"

Glancing back at Marco, Solomon decided that he owed his benefactor an explanation. "Yes, you would be correct. I'd forgotten up until now, but there are 4 prominent races from my world besides humans: First there are those like me and Solaire, duemans; Solaris on the other hand is now what we call a CAST, those whose bodies have been replaced nearly entirely by machinery. I'd go into more detail but we have no time to waste. What I can tell you however is that nothing good will come from whatever Mina's benefactor has planned."

Worried, Marco wanted clarification on what he meant. "What do you mean? They seem to be giving Mina an edge in her goals, how much worse can it get?"

Sighing, Solomon decided to be direct about the issue. "That's because from what I can gather, this benefactor is an individual whose knowledge puts us all at risk. The records called her Temple the Malefactor for a reason."

….

Solarian Hideout

Dungeon

Forest of Certain Death

Jeremiah woke up from his nap, stretching as he stood up and looked at the clock he brought with him, making sure he hadn't napped for too long. Although they had ensured that the prisoners had no way to escape, they couldn't take any chances, which is why he was here. It wasn't too much of an issue for him, though. All he had to do was occasionally check on the brats until Temple performed her "adjustments".

Walking over to the cell, he expected to find them girls as they were, only to hear a scream from the cell. "Aaaaaahhhh, help! Someone help her!"

Rushing over, Jeremiah found Cielo slumped over on the ground, groaning in pain, while Naomi was distressed, unable to do anything to help. "Please help her! She just started convulsing and fell over!"

Knowing that if the girl died, their plans would be ruined, Jeremiah grabbed the keys from his belt and opened the cell door, running over to Cielo's side to try to turn her over. "Hey! Don't you die on us! You're no good to us d-AH!"

As soon as he reached down to touch her, she sprung up and punched him in the face. Startled, he stumbled back as he tried to ascertain what was happening, he focused in front of himself, and saw that Cielo was free from her bindings and rushing towards him. He barely was to let out a sound before she swiped at his legs with a kick, causing him to fall on his stomach. Cielo then proceeded to put him in a headlock, and applied pressure to restrict his air flow, until the lack of oxygen caused him to fall into unconsciousness.

Grabbing the keys from him, Cielo went up to Naomi and began to unlock the restraints. "See? The plan went off without a hitch."

Dropping down and rubbing her head, Naomi couldn't help but puff her cheeks in annoyance. "Yeah, well you still need to keep your promise of not telling anyone you used my horns to cut your bindings."

After locking the cell to make sure the guard doesn't escape to warn anyone, the girls began looking around for their confiscated items. Unsure what to look for besides her wand, Cielo checked with Naomi. "So what exactly are we looking for, some kind of sword?"

Holding up her left gauntlet, Naomi pointed to an indentation around the wrist. "It's my Photon Amplified Device, though everyone just calls them PADs. It's where I have my stuff stashed. Mine looks like a silver bracelet with a round pink crystal."

Not managing to find either Cielo's wand or Naomi's PAD in the section of the dungeon they were in, they were unsure where their possessions were, Naomi grimaced as a realization hit her. "If they're not in here, they might have put our stuff into the screaming room."

Noticing her reaction, Cielo began to worry. "The screaming room? What do you mean by that?"

Pointing her hand in the direction opposite the stairway entrance, Naomi drew attention to a set of metal doors that appeared to have only recently been added. "It's some kind of room that Temple weirdo set up when she came here. I don't know what's really in there, but I know that's where she did whatever it was she did to Solaire and Solaris, and it involved them screaming a lot."

Cielo wasn't liking what she was hearing, but knowing that she needed to find her wand, resolved to enter. Looking at Naomi, she inferred that she had come to the same conclusion, and so they walked to the metal doors, and opened them.

They found themselves standing in a room that was like nothing else in the dungeon. The room was full of tables covered in futuristic equipment and test tubes of various sizes. In the middle of it all was a large table on which a device was projecting a holographic interface displaying information. Behind the interface was Cielo's wand, Naomi's PAD, as well as Canopus and other items. As Cielo grabbed her wand and Naomi adjusted her PAD back into its proper place, their attention was quickly drawn to the two bloody operating tables to the side of the room, with some form of machinery next to each, as well as additional terminals, each one displaying a file named after one of the twins.

Wanting to know what happened, Cielo approached the terminal displaying Solaris's file, and made a tentative swipe up, as the display moved as she suspected it would. Looking through the file, she had trouble understanding what was written, finding many terms and concepts that were foreign to her, as well as diagrams of Solaris's new body, but she eventually found a recording made by Temple.

Whatever reluctance she had for seeing whatever horrors that had been inflicted upon her had been overridden by curiosity, and so she pressed the button. To her horror, the first sound that first played was Solaris screaming; before she could voice her disgust, Temple began to speak. "So the initial operation was a success. After scanning her brain, it was a simple matter of removing her frontal lobe and some nerve tissue; though I daresay, after the integration, her brain has successfully taken to the new body. Although her mind is having difficulty adjusting, this could easily be remedied with a memory wipe, but doing so would be a detriment to her combat abilities, and Mina is expecting results. No matter, I can simply adjust her brain to make some semblance of sanity, at least long enough to perform her duties. Though I must add that while these Newmans appear identical to humans, there does seem to be some minute differences. I'll look into this more later, but for now I'll place the remains of her old body in a cold storage device."

Backing away in disgust, Cielo looked to what she now realized was a freezer, containing what was undoubtedly Solaris's original body. "Oh my god! I can't believe Mina would do this to her own daughter!"

Looking at the other table, Naomi suddenly found a lump in her throat. "Yeah, this is pretty sick. This is definitely no way to treat her own kids."

Approaching the second interface, Naomi opened the file concerning Solaire. There were various photos of what appeared to be shed skin, but it quickly became apparent that Temple made a point to record her work and progress, as another audio recording was found. Knowing full well that whatever she would hear would not be pleasant, she played it nonetheless.

To her dismay, the first sounds from the recording was of Solaire's agonized howling and occasional sounds of retching, as Temple began to recount her findings. "As predicted, the boy's body has successfully integrated the genetic coding implanted. After 24 hours, the body has already begun undergoing the expected changes so as to properly express the traits introduced, shedding layers of skin alongside old body tissue and as well as horn growths in the cranium. It was only 36 hours after the initial operation that rejection symptoms had manifested in the form of vomiting of rejected body tissue and organs being rejected; it had reached the point to which I had to sedate him before repairing the damage. While he has entered the final stages of the conversion, his body continues to expel rejected tissue even now; perhaps I'll store the discarded tissue for further study."

Holding back the urge to vomit, the girls stepped away, unable to believe the cruelty that had happened here. Looking at the tables and knowing what had transpired here, Cielo felt anger and disgust. "This is unforgivable. They were just kids, yet they went through all this. Mina is not getting away with this."

The two prepared to leave, and so they went to retrieve Canopus, when Cielo noticed something else on the table. Picking it up, she realized that it was a bracelet similar to Naomi's , though it was gold instead of silver and in place of the round pink crystal was a rectangular blue crystal. "Hey, why does she have this with her?"

Looking at what Cielo found, Naomi was surprised at what she had found. "Wait, that's Solomon's PAD, what's it doing here?!"

Deciding to put it away in her pocket alongside the sword hilt, Cielo began walking back towards the room's exit. "Well however it got here, Solomon will appreciate having it back. We should get out of here before they figure out we escaped."

Suddenly, the doors flew open as Solaris walked in, her face bearing a maniacal grin, as her red eyes and body markings glowed ominously in the barely lit dungeon. "Well, it looks like our guests got out of their rooms. Don't tell me you couldn't wait to get your treatments?"

Knowing that Solaris posed a serious threat to them, Cielo readied her wand as a blade of magic emerged from the end, while Naomi held her hand out as a large partisan materialized, it's blade glowing a bright blue. Bashing her gauntlets together, Solaris stood ready to attack.

"Solaris, you don't have to fight us!" Cielo pleaded, "We know what they did to you; this can't be what you want, right? We can escape together, and we might even be able to make you normal again. So please, don't fight us."

Solaris began to cackle maniacally, before it quickly turned into laughter. "But this is what I want! To be able to fight and kill, just like Mother wanted! Ahahahaha! This feeling, this rush, I can't get enough of this! I'm actually happy you got out, you know. Ahahahaha! 'Cause that means I get to break you two! As long as you don't die, I get to play as much as I want! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Doesn't that sound like fun!?"

Realizing that this was the mental instability that the recording had mentioned, Cielo began to worry that the girl was too far gone for reason. She began to mentally prepare herself for what may soon happen, as sweat dropped from her brow.

As her laughter ended, Solaris lunged at Cielo, only for her strike to be met by Naomi's blade, who was easily managing to hold back the force of the strike, as her red eye now glowed intensely. "You're not breaking anyone! I'll show you how outclassed you are, and why I'm called the Dashing Princess!"

With a battle cry, Naomi jumped over Solaris and spun around, slamming into Solaris's side, sending the girl flying into the wall, as well as leaving a cut in her side. Seeing an opening Cielo ran in to make a strike, only for it to be blocked by one of Solaris's knuckles. As she stood back up, there was a smile on her face as she grabbed Cielo by the arm and spun her around before throwing her against the wall. Reacting quickly, Cielo quickly ducked out of the way just as the wall behind her head was smashed in, an opening presenting itself as Solaris's fist was stuck. Cielo delivered a swift, strong kick to Solaris's wound, causing her to recoil in pain. Not allowing her a moment of respite, Naomi rushed in, delivering several spinning blows to Solaris, who screamed in a mix of anger and pain. Solaris frantically swiped at Naomi, but she jumped away before any of the blows could land on her, giving her enough clearance to try and break free. Seeing an opportunity, Cielo cast a spell to freeze the floor under Solaris's feet, causing her to lose her footing and slip. Seeing a way to end this battle, Naomi brought her partisan down on Solaris with all her strength, separating Solaris's torso from her lower half.

Despite her state, Solaris continued to make attempts to attack the two, trying to drag herself across the floor, her mind barely holding together as she muttered imprecations under her breath.

With the battle over, Naomi put her weapon away, panting from the exertion as her red eye returned to its normal state. "Don't worry. Even I could tell you that a CAST like her won't go down from losing their legs."

Despite having tried to kill them, Cielo couldn't help but feel pity for what the girl had become, as she aimed her wand at her and cast a webbing spell, confining and constricting Solaris. "I'm sorry it had to come to this; you deserve better. I promise, we'll fix you.."

After putting Solaris in one of the cells, the two resumed their escape, unaware of the events unfolding outside.

To Be Continued

Well that's the longest chapter I've ever written. For those who may remember, yes, I promised to have this out by April, but there were complications with college and life. Also due to the length of this story I had to split it into two chapters. Either way, if you enjoy, be sure to follow for updates and don't be afraid to leave reviews and even PM if you have questions.