Chapter 33: Fusion?

Dave's POV

I woke up the next morning to get ready for school. Remembering last night, I pocketed the charge vial for later. I went out of my room and saw Ringo in her room, in front of a mirror. "Ringo… did you change your hairstyle?" She noticed me approaching her. "Yeah… I gave the events of yesterday a lot of thought, as well as all the stuff with Maguro from the past. Before... I tried to just forget about the past, like you told me to. Although, no matter how much I tried… it always came back to haunt me. Now though, I'll embrace the past and be a tough girl. My change in hairstyle will reflect that development of mine. I ditched the ponytail curls for this. I realized that they didn't make me look like a proper young woman... So, I turned them into legit twintails. How do I look?" She asked me. "I think you look lovely… and nice going with embracing the dark parts of your past, Ringo." I said. "Thank you so much, Dave…" She smiled. We hugged wholesomely and it felt great. Me and Ringo walked to school, feeling a little better than last night. We met up with Lemres, Feli, and Risukuma. "Girl, you look different…" Lemres noticed. "Hey, she does look different… I think I prefer this look of you, Ringo." Feli complimented her. "Th-thanks, Feli." She blushed. "So... Lemres, Feli… about yesterday..." I started. "We already know, dude. Amitie felt like she needed to tell us about Tee causin' problems. It's unfortunate… he was a great and formidable rival of mine, then he turned over to the dark side." Lemres stopped me. "Oh… okay." I kind of stared at Ringo, more enticed with her than before. "What are you staring at?" She looked at me. "Umm, well your body has this really fine look now- ACK!" I was electrocuted by her. "*sigh* Please Dave, not here... and certainly not now, you dumbass. I'm not exactly in the best mood at the moment." She became irritated. "S-sorry, Ringo." I got back up.

We went through the school day, working as hard as normal. Then, lunch came around. "Ringo seemed to be bothered by something more than what that Tee guy did to you and Ex… do you know what's up, Dave?" Feli came up to me. "Well, her father was killed… she doesn't know what caused it, but I do." "What is it?" "Tee killed him… can you imagine how livid Ringo will be if she finds out?" "Ooooooh, she'll be piiiissed." "Mhm. She'll want to give him absolute penance, but she is nowhere near as strong as him. Ringo will die in like two seconds to him." "So, how do you know this fact, anyway?" "Satan informed me of it, also…" I had summarized that entire exchange of words to Feli. "Fusion… that could work… If you and him combine to be one and drink the vial… it might be enough to match Tee's strength." She nodded slowly. Lemres came in to be with us. "What's this "fusion" about, guys?" He wondered. I explained to him as well about the fusion. "That seems to be kinda neat to me. So you're plannin' on fusin' with Satan and drinkin' the charge vial afterwards… Yep, pretty smart to me." He nodded. "That's IF the fusion works as it should... If it doesn't, we'll have plenty of issues on our hands." I covered an eye with my hand. "Well, we won't be there to cheer you on, Dave… but, we believe in you." Feli kissed my cheek. "Yeah, we know you won't let us down, dude." Lemres added. "Thanks, Feli and Lemres." I smiled slightly. We left after the bell rang and went to Primp for potions class.

The bell clapped as the class began. "Alright class, settle down. … Yesterday, I had you all test your mental stability. Today though, will be quite the opposite. Your mind will be pushed to think fast with this assignment. You will have only thirty minutes to collect ingredients for another potion. So think of this being similar to the charge vial one, but rushed. Also, this is one of the few times that combat will be utilized. That's right, if you see an ingredient that you want, but somebody else has… you'll have to take it from them in battle! Just make sure you do it quickly, since there's little time. And this time... you are all on your own, so no groups. This will strictly be a solo effort. Lastly, I'll be watching each and every one of you from this crystal ball. Understand, class?" Witch spoke. "Yes, Instructor." We all said. "With that being said… I'll transport you to the area that has the following. Make damn sure that you remember this ingredient list, because it's going away now. So… off you go, children~!" She teleported us away. Crap! So we're expected to not only get all the ingredients that we might have to fight for, but also to navigate back to the classroom in thirty minutes?! This is fucking outrageous! And what if I have to fight my friends? My mind went crazy.

I arrived in a small grassy plain, just next to a forest, along with a few other students. I was able to pinpoint that I was just outside of the woods I've been going in and out from. By this point I partially knew where some landmarks were. It's not like I was still lost or anything. I was curious to see if my transformation would be allowed, but fuck if I ever got a rude awakening before. I heard Witch's voice coming into my ears, as if it was at the end of an earpiece. "I should have mentioned this to you personally, Dave… if you transform, you will automatically get a big, fat zero on this. So don't do it, you'll end up steamrolling the other students into mushy paste!" She told me. "Wh-what?! How are you even speaking to me right now?!" I looked around. "*sigh* Don't think about that, you're losing time dammit! You may not know the entirety of the woods, so I'll lead you into the right direction if you feel lost." She continued as I began to run. "Why are you helping me? You said it yourself, this is a solo effort." "I realize that you're not very strong without that crazy armor of yours. In fact, you seem pretty average right now." "Your point?" "I want you to succeed without resorting to your "deus ex-" … whatever the hell you call that term. Just be resilient outside of that form, Dave. You may run into Schezo, since he seems to be getting annoyed from everybody coming near his cave. I'll take care of him if he stalls your progress." "Gee, thanks for the insight…" I don't know how he'll do anything to stop potential students from loitering by that rock… His sword broke in that scuffle with Vyle. I rolled my eyes and looked about for the ingredients.

I saw the first one being held by a random male student. "Perfect." I launched a spell at the guy. "Hrr! Cryogenic Bomb!" "Wh-what?! Aaaaaaaargh!" He dropped what I needed and continued. I soon found the second one by a tree, alone. A couple of minutes later, trouble found me. "I'll be taking those from you." A female student tried to snatch them out of my hand. "Buzz off, I don't have time to play with you, lass. Lightning Clap." I denied her. "Gyaaaaaah!" She flew back and I high-tailed it out of there. I saw the third one hidden in thick grass and grabbed it. By the time that I was searching for the fourth, I looked through the more familiar landmarks. The only one that I didn't go to was near Schezo's cave, for obvious reasons. So, I got lost after some exploration. Because of that, I was forced to slow down. "Ya need some direction, boy?" Witch's voice came in again. "*sigh* Yes, I do. Also, your tone seems… different. What's up with that?" I wondered. "That's just how I am... I'm less professional when speaking outside of class or alone. It's hard to say what it is. I guess it's just called "change of the tongue"? I dunno… but, you're close to another ingredient. It's by your left somewhere… I think." "You think?" "Hey! Even I don't remember all of those dang locations, Dave!" "Okay… I'll be going off on your words." I turned to the left for a look. ! It's Feli, she has the item I seek, but I don't want to fight her. I shook my head. "I'll look somewhere else…" I moved away. "What?! Why aren't you gonna get that from her?!" "Because Witch, I want me, Feli, and Lemres to all complete this thing. I'm not fighting my friends, you got that?" "Fine, be that way. Just for that, I won't help you at all now, since you are so stubborn... you're on your own." Her voice left me. "Tch. I swear..." I went to leap across the trees to get a better view of things.

As I was leaping through the trees though, something unexpected happened. "Candy Blast!" I heard Lemres conjure up. "...! He saw me and is now firing in my direction! I guess my friends are desperate enough to steal from me." I dodged and landed on the ground. The tree behind me turned into partial candy from exposure. "Lemres, I thought that you were better than this." I spoke to him. "Nah, I just wanna get a good grade for this, jus' like you. And if I have to fight ya to do so... then I'm goin' all out, Dave!" He expressed. "It's funny, I haven't really seen you fight up until now, let alone against me." I stood strong. "Hm? Aren't ya gonna transform, dude?" "No, I wasn't allowed to." "Well then... a shame, really… I was hopin' for a good tussle, but it looks like the instructor disappointed me. It wouldn't matter anyway, I know what the limit of your form is. And… I could've just turned the armor into candy, knowing how much abuse it takes." "Wh-what?! How long were you keeping that a secret from me?" "Is it really relevant to talk about that here? 'Sides, were on a strict time limit. I'll make this quick… Gum Wad!" Lemres shot a big wad of gum where my legs were. I might have been able to avoid it if I knew it was coming, but this guy was hiding some tricks from me. "! Sh-Shit, I'm stuck!" I stayed in place. "That's the entire point of the attack, Dave. I'll be takin' those three off your hands, if you don't mind. And, goodbye! *chuckle*" He grinned. "N-no! Come back, Lemres! Dammit! This gum is too sticky! Hrrrrrrrrr!" I tried getting out.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't get myself freed from this gum. Then though, I realized what I could do. "! That's it's! That pond is very close to me. If I can just push my own body into the water, the gum will lose a lot of its stickiness. The problem though is me being super stuck… I still have time, but not a lot left. I need to make this count…" I reached toward the water, but to no avail. "Welp, it looks as though I'm too stuck…" I sighed. "Hey little, guppie. You seem to be flailing a lot, mind if I get'cha unstuck?" I heard an echoey voice. "Huh? Who-?" A big fish jumps out of the water, in front of me. "W-woah!" My body jumped in place. The fish examined my predicament just after he came up on his two legs. "Whale, whale, whale... you seem to be in one mighty sticky pickle there, fella." "Um, excuse me… but who are you, exactly?" "Why, I'm glad you asked! I'm the funkalicious, water traversin', and dancin' fish known only to the world as-! Suketoudara." This is so bizarre... I witnessed. "Anyway, what's your name, kid?" "Dave." "Aw, that introduction was so borin'! Don't you have ANY enthusiasm?" "I would be more in line with being enthusiastic if you can get me out of this gunk." "Right, right, right… I'll have you outta there in a jelly." "And how are you going to do that?" "With this! ... Riptide!" He summoned a small wave of that pond water to splash on the gum. "Alright, let's see… ! Yes, I'm freed! Thanks, Fish-man." "It's… Suketoudara, don't ya go and forget it." "It's hard to pronounce, but I won't forget." "Good... take care, lil' guppie." Suketoudara leapt back into the water, not to be seen again. "Okay now, where was I?" I went to search around again through the trees. A single minute later, I found every item I needed in one spot. Hm? This could be a trap… I need to be careful. I noticed. I quietly snatched the items and dashed off through the trees one final time. "Shit, I need to get back, like right now!" I looked at the time. I sped up the pace, to where no one could catch me. "Hold up, Dave! Hand over those to me!" Feli demanded. "Sorry Feli, no can do! I worked my ass off for these!" I zipped away in a hurry.

At last, I came out of the woods and ran to the class. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three…! I made it! I sighed in relief. "... Oh thank God…" I stopped running. "Well, Dave… I wasn't expectin' you to free yourself from the gum, how didja manage that?" Lemres wondered. "I'll tell you, Lemres. I was watching everyone... specifically, Dave… and he got some… help." Witch told him. "! You saw that?!" My jaw dropped. "What? Did you seriously think I buzzed off completely? Ohohoho! You make me laugh… but, you did what you went out to accomplish. Although yes, you had outside help that I did not allow or anticipate. Still, your efforts warrant a pass for you to do the second part of this. And to think, you did it without your big armor… my charming pupil~." She pinched my cheeks. "Oooow! C'mon, thish is childish, Inshtructor! Shtop it!" I flailed my arms a bit. "Step off, I don't like what you are doing with him." Feli puffed her cheeks. "Alright, I will. It is to my understanding that you are one of three girls that is in love with Dave… am I correct to assume it to be so, Feli?" "Wh-what? What are you talking about? Th-that's ridiculous, right Dave?" "Y-yeah, that's just inconceivable, Feli." I nodded on a whim. "C'mon you two, don't lie to her like that…" Lemres pressured us. "So she IS a lover of yours, Dave. I thought that was the case…" "What made you guess that?" "Oh, I didn't just guess, I knew already." "You WHAT?! H-how?!" "Draco told me yesterday. So Feli, along with Draco, and another girl, make up a trio of harlots…" Feli didn't take Witch's comment too well. "W-We are NOT prostitutes of his! He's not paying us to get down and dirty with him, we have legit feelings for Dave!" "Then why the harem, girl? Oh! Lemme guess... he can't decide on the one girl he should love, and he just hogs you three all to himself." The other comment struck me hard. "Ah-!" "Hm… judging by my assumption and your reaction... I must've hit the nail on the head, Dave! Oh… you dirty boy…" Witch embarrassed me. "*sigh* Can we please move on to the other part of this class period, Instructor?" I requested. "Oh-! That almost slipped my mind entirely… yes." She recalled.

We stood there as Witch brought out the same cauldrons from before. "So… what're we gonna make from these…?" Lemres asked her. "Since that first part of class was stressful, I thought it would be fitting to make a potion that calms anyone's nerves in a pinch." She said. "Eh?" I turned my head to a side. "Does it have a name?" Feli brought up. "Yes, but it's a boring one, the calming shot." She gave us. "... Like a shot of… whiskey?" I scratched. "I suppose, it does cause the consumer to be a little drunk." She nodded. "So then that plant item there must have a natural additive or somethin' that is also put in alcoholic drinks." Lemres concluded. "Correct, Lemres. This plant develops a substance that it adds to itself after growing for some time. This is why you are historically my best student. Remember what I said yesterday, regarding the process of making potions in general. Forget that and you'll be in a world of pain from me. It's simple to understand, but if you dare to muck it up… there'll be consequences!" Witch stared at us semi-menacingly. "W-we understand, Instructor!" We all bowed our heads. "Good. I'm sure that you three can do the rest on your own. Oh yeah, just like before… no helping each other here." She went back to observe the other students.

Okay, if I do this right… First, I add the mineralite, then wait for it to settle and dissolve. Secondly… add the pinch of honey and give the mix it a good stir in a clockwise direction… What the hell…? Why does the direction of which I stir matter here? … Bah! I can't just go off on my own preferences. I have to do what this thing shows and tells me. Alright… Third, place the lobster grass inside and don't stir until one full minute passes. Fourth, add the mint leaf, then stir slowly for thirty seconds and let it settle for that same amount. I guess that's why this potion's called the calming shot... Finally, put in the clear clover and repeat the stir process from step four. The potion is then finished after all steps have been done properly. My mind processed. "Phew. It looks like it came out okay…" I looked. "Dave, there's no telling whether this potion's good enough if you just look at it. No, you have to smell how strong its scent is. If it is weak, then you got it right. *sniff* Hm… there's almost no scent to be had… that's astounding!" Witch praised me. "Wait, seriously? Dave got it nearly scentless?" Feli could not believe it. "Heh. The dude is always surprisin' me in new ways… he might've just outdone MY work. Hehehe." Lemres smiled. As it turned out, I had the prime calming shot compared to everyone else's. Lemres' mix was the only one to get very close to the level that mine was at. The class ended and I went to Accord's room. I recalled yesterday night as I entered in silence. Satan promised that he would look around the area and warn us of whenever Tee arrives. Rulue and Ex were already in there with my classmates.

I came over to talk with them, saying that me and Satan have a sinking feeling Tee will come soon. "Huh?!" They reacted appropriately. "W-when, Dave?!" Ex asked me. "We don't know exactly, but Satan's looking around the premises as we speak. And don't worry, we formulated a plan last night to stop him at all costs. Should he find Tee coming this way… he'll warn us ahead of time. No matter what, we'll be ready for this strike. Just make sure you tell Ms. Accord about this too. I need all three of you to be on the same page so that class doesn't really begin." I said. "Y-yes, of course!" They nodded to me. My classmates looked at me, unaware of the event taking place… that included Ringo as well. I took my seat as class "began" a couple of minutes later. "Hm? I see… Well kiddies, we will have to postpone classwork training for now. Dave brought to our attention... that Tee is more than likely coming here today, intending to kill." Accord made clear to them. The others gasped from shock, specifically… Ringo. "He's coming… here?!" Amitie exclaimed. "Yes… we don't have much spare time. The school has to know that it must brace for any potential impact. This may come about with students and instructors being killed in the midst of it… There needs to be an evacuation in place for this, no?" I stood up. "H-hold on! We don't even know for certain that he's-!" Ringo was stopped by me. "No, I sense his overwhelming energy, he's coming! Dammit, where's Satan?!" Satan came by without another second lost. "He's approaching, Dave!" He told me quickly. "Alright, thanks for the heads up, man! Let's get ready to rumble!" I dashed out and around to the outside. Everyone else followed me out as well.

I kept running until I was in the area between the school and the woods. "! Tee! So you've come for us!" "Yes, and I will destroy you." "Come on, Tee… this isn't right! You were a good person, then you betrayed the trust of others. Not just Ex, but also Lemres, Amitie, and Ringo-!" "Don't speak of Ringo to me, jackass! You ruined my future life of love with her… What gives you the right for you to say that I'm in the wrong in all of this?!" "Tee, that is just how to cookie crumbles... you can't force people to think and believe what you want!" "That's what you think… Bah! This is damn argument is meaningless! If we can't agree on anything, we might as well fight to the death!" Ringo came in to my aid. "Tee, stop this! Just because I chose Dave… doesn't mean I don't like you. I'm still your friend at the center of it all!" "Ringo, how can you possibly say that with a straight face… when you love him over me?!" "L-look, I'm sure we can work-" ""I'm sure that we can work something out!" What the hell kind of sorry excuse for apologizing is that?! No, you shattered my feelings, you heartless bitch!" "! N-no… I'm… not heartless…" "Guess what?! Since you were heartless to me, I did the same." "Wh-what?" "Ringo, I'm the one who k-" He was interrupted. "No, Tee! Keep that goddamn mouth of yours shut!" Me and Satan demanded. "Dave? Do you know something that I don't...?" Ringo turned to me. "No, it's nothing. He was just going to feed you lies." I said. "Teeeeeeee! We will put an end to your misguided path!" Satan swore. "Oh really? And how will you do that, Satan? From what I've heard, you're not as strong as you were in the past… And then there's Dave and Ex, they didn't stand a chance. So, what makes you think that even all of you combined will defeat me?" Tee wondered. "Heh. Actually… that's what we were somewhat hoping for, but not in the way you'd think. I plan to fuse with Dave, so that we can kick your sorry ass and make you stop this." Satan told him "F-fusion…? This isn't just a bluff, right? Tricks like that won't scare or deceive me." He doubted. "So you doubt me then, Tee? Here, allow me to show-"

Ringo stopped Satan. "Wait! I want to know what you and Dave are hiding from me." She demanded. "We're not hiding anything from you." I insisted. "Dave, when will you learn to let the truth out?! Ringo, I'm the one who killed your dad!" Tee let out. "! …" Ringo became pale. "That's right... How does it feel to have something taken away from you? You now know how that feels… it must be painful." Tee stared down at her. "... ... TEE! You- You killed somebody?!" Ex's anger erupted. "Oh Ex, must you always be the false moral compass? I did it as a punishment to Ringo without her knowing that I brought her it… for choosing Dave over me." He emphasized. "How deplorable can he be?!" Yui expressed. "No! You took that too far, Tee! I will not let you get away with this, you son of a bitch!" Ringo yelled at him. "And so, the bitch that deserved retribution bites the hand that she once knew… how despicable." He replied. "Satan, you can fuse with somebody, right?! Fuse with me! I'm taking down this bastard if it's the last thing I do." She requested. "B-but-! Ringo… I didn't plan on fusing my body with yours. There's no telling what the result will be! And… we're not going to kill him..." He told her. "I don't care, this is now my fight!" She rolled her hands into fists. "*sigh* Fine… I'll fuse with you instead of Dave." He gave up. "R-Ringo! I can't risk you holding back Satan's power level! … Tee wants ME to be killed by his own hand, not you. Please, don't do this, my love!" I insisted.

Ringo's face turned into an amalgamation of different negative emotions. "You stay the hell out of this, Dave! This is my fight now… he murdered my dad without any regrets. Do you think he'll just realize his faults after he mercilessly killed an innocent person?!" She spat at me. "B-but…" I tried speaking more. "Dave… I think you should let her do this. She's too fixated on this… Besides... me, you, and the fused can fight as an unbeatable trio against Tee. Don't you agree with me?" Ex stopped me. "... Oh, alright… the outcome could be better like this. I just didn't want Ringo to be in danger." I nodded. "My friend, sometimes… you just have to let your comrades in arms do what they believe is for the best. You can't act as the say all, end of story every time... you know? Someone else has to take the helm for once. Have faith in her, Dave. I know that she'll be great after fusing." He told me. "Yeah… you're right, Ex. Hey Ringo, just promise me that you spare Tee's life. You won't be any better than him if you kill him." Ringo looked at me with frustration. "*sigh* You really are a pacifist, Dave… I swear to God. … … Satan, I'm ready for this shit." "Hell yeah, that's the spirit, girl! Now, this may feel a little funny… so focus." "Right!" Satan seeped into her body, then it glowed brightly. Before our eyes, Ringo's physical body changed in type and size. The light show ended and I saw the temporary fuses body, unveiled. "Th-that body…! I… think I'm gonna burn up…" I persistently stared at her.

Ringo's new body was tall, her hair flowed in the air, and her eye color was now red. I got kicked at the back of my head a few seconds later. "Ow!" I fell down. "Now's not the time to be invested in that, Dave! Seriously, why is every guy around my age so fucking strange?!" Yui complained. "But…! The huge rack… the proportions... and the clothes…! Ringo never had that…" I reached up. Powerful lightning struck near me and I scrambled. "Gyah-!" I scrambled backwards. "Fool. If you fawn over this, compared to my actual body… I can guarantee that you won't be around to hear the end of it!" After she yelled at me with a mature tone, I trembled in fear. "Sh-she's scary…" I stuttered. "Now there's a lady that you don't want to cross…" Rulue observed. "So, where's this charge vial at? I have the mind of Satan in me, so I know that you were planning to use it after fusing with him… which of course, did not end up happening." "Here, catch!" I tossed it to her. "Good…" She popped the glass open and drank the potion. "... Heh. Yes... My power just multiplied by a good deal… like by 2.346368." She smirked.

Well, at least it's still Ringo with the mathematics… I twitched while thinking. "How long is that fusion going to last?" I asked her. "I dunno, why are you asking me that? Either way though, it'll be enough to kick Tee's ass. Join me as support." She came into the forefront of the battlefield. "C'mon, Dave!" Ex urged me. "Mhm!" We transformed into our armor and joined this three-on-one air battle. "So you are all here… Dave and Ex, neither of you are worth my time with the level you're both at. Therefore, to insure that you will not be a nuisance… I trap you in a space of aura!" Tee declared. "H-huh?!" I exclaimed. "What?!" Ex reacted. Before long, me and Ex were both stuck in an aura that we could not break. "Dammit! This thing's tough!" I clenched my teeth. I didn't know why, but this stuff was also suppressing me. I couldn't transform as a dragon if I wanted to. "Now, Ringo… assuming if it is still you… If you manage to beat me by yourself, I'll let your boyfriend and Ex go. Should I beat you, they'll both die in a gruesome death." He laid down the conditions. "That's not gonna happen, Tee… I'll show you that you've been in the wrong this entire time, Tee. I've beaten you before, back when we visited the farthest edge of spacetime. If I was able to do it before, I can do it again!" She glared at him.

Author's Notes: Tee arrived at the scene after Dave came into Accord's room with his classmates and Ringo. The group encountered him on a stretch of land in the middle of the school and the forest. After learning the truth about her father's death, Ringo became bitter over Tee's actions. She demanded that Satan would fuse with her, so that she could stop her former friend. With the body fusion becoming successful, Ringo came up to Tee, as did Dave and Ex. However, Tee sealed the two dragon warriors in a barrier of aura, unable to escape. He promised to Ringo that if she beats him, he would release them both. How will this scuffle decide things for our heroes? Can Ringo defeat a friend from the past who has gone rogue? Will the fusion last long enough for her to carry out this burden? Next chapter, Chapter 34: Tee's Morals.