Chapter 12

"Well, well. She's all alone. And just a little punk. Who are you, fool?" The boy had spiky purple hair with a row of tall black spikes. What should have been the whites of his eyes were instead black. His irises were red. He also had what looked like a sideways third eye tattooed on his forehead. An earring that looked like a shield with a cross hung from his left ear. "I'm Girom, of the Chess Pieces! And I hope you've written your will!" he sneered.

"You think she's alone?! Blind fool! What do you think I am?!" Babbo shouted indignantly.

Girom looked at him blankly. "Babbo…" he smirked. "You're the leech Peta was talking about…the one using Phantom's ÄRM!" He laughed. "You really think a speck of dirt like you…will ever know how to use a weapon like that?!"

Sol rolled her eyes. "Seems I was right." She said to Babbo, who looked at her curiously. "He's stupid." Babbo snorted a laugh.

"I'm so glad you came." Girom hadn't heard her comment. "I'll have a nice welcome home gift for Phantom!"

"So, Girom was it? You destroyed Vestry?" Sol's tone was bland, like she didn't care.

"Orco did most of the destroying. My specialty is killing. Especially women! I wanted to kill a few more…" he shrugged and indicated the boat, "but we had to come look for the ÄRM that's supposed to be at this lake. Trouble is, I don't see any sign of an ÄRM. You didn't pick one up did you? If you hand it over, I'll kill you quickly." He turned to leer at her and jerked back in surprise. She was standing on the railing of the ship! How did she get over here so fast?!

"You? Kill me? Don't make me laugh." She kicked him in the chest, knocking him back. "Like a moron like you can do anything on your own." She stepped down onto the deck, Babbo already on her right arm in his Hammer ÄRM form.

Girom snarled. "I don't like your attitude, girl! This ÄRM will take care of you!" He activated a ring ÄRM and chunks of ice started launching from his outstretched hand.


Snow sat with her eyes closed, the Healing Angel ÄRM glowing in her hands. The man she was sitting next to was clearly in pain. His expression relaxed as the ÄRM healed his injured arm. "Hey…the pain!" he grinned as he moved his arm.

"Amazing! That's the 10th person! Bruises, cuts, broken bones…what an amazing ÄRM!"

"Princess, please take a break!" Ed pleaded. "You look pale! Your concentration can't last!"

"No." Snow's expression was set. Ed's ears drooped as he recognized that stubborn expression. It then shifted to an overly cheerful smile. "And if you try to stop me, I'll turn you into an ice cube!" Snow chirped. Ed ducked in fear.

"Earth wave!" Jack was digging rows for growing food. "Ok, that should do it! So here!" He turned to the villagers that were standing nearby. He held out some of the beans he was always carrying. "My special beans! We're all gonna plant 'em! They'll bear fruit after one night!" The villagers exclaimed in excitement and expressed their amazement as they set about planting the beans in the torn up soil.

Jack looked towards the cave entrance. We're working hard out here, Sol! So you just do your best!


Sol dodged the flying ice easily and got right up in Girom's face. She slugged him, knocking him back. Seriously?! This clown… He jerked out of the way of another swing, Babbo grazing his shirt, is as powerful as me?!

Putting some distance between them, he activated his ÄRM, creating a huge ice claw around his right hand. "Why so mad?! Just 'cuz I offed a few chicks?!" he antagonized her. I don't get it!

Sol curled her lip. "Stupid brat." She feinted right, then kicked him in the chest as he moved to block. He skidded back again.

"Gghh!" With how much that hurt, he suspected that she'd fractured a rib.

"Help…" Surprised, Sol froze. Who had said that? She lunged back, just avoiding a blow to the face. "Help…"

"Who's saying 'help'?"

"Huh? You're the one who needs help! Bitch." Girom sneered. "But instead I think I'll give you-" he raised his hands over his head and a huge ice ball started forming, "-Mega Iced Earth!"

"Help… help us…"

Sol's eyes widened as she realized that it was the ghosts she was hearing.

"Please let the ship out to sea… we don't want to stay here forever… let the ship out…" A small group of them moved to the back wall and looped in a circle. "The rock wall… destroy it and make a hole… help us… please… and we'll bestow on you an ÄRM!"

Sol looked back at Girom. The chunk of ice over his head was the size of a boulder. Getting hit by that'll probably hurt. She looked at the wall. "Fine. Babbo, it's time to use him."

"What?! Tell me you're joking!" He exclaimed.

"Nope." Sol closed her eyes, focusing.

The wave-length of her magic… it changed?! She's… she's up to something! Girom sneered. "But it's too late!" he yelled. "Time to die!" He threw the ice ball.

"But – I – You can't – Oh fine! I take no responsibility!"

Sol's eyes opened. "Version 3. Gargoyle." Babbo disappeared from Sol's hand. The ship shook as a huge hole opened in the floor. Girom's eyes widened as something huge rose out of it. It was red and encased in a ragged set of wings. The wings snapped open as the creature roared. With one punch it shattered the ice ball.

The creatures name suited it. A red stone gargoyle with black stone arms. The crosses from Babbo's hammer were visible as a dark gray stone against the black, with the magic stones embedded in the corresponding points. It had no legs, instead having a huge glowing crystal that it levitated on. It had to be at least 20ft tall. Finally, clenched in its jagged teeth was a gold ring, engraved with numerous symbols.

Girom's jaw was hanging. His eyes wide, he found he was shaking in terror. A guardian?! I've never seen one like it before! And why… does it feel so different from other guardians?!

Sol remembered the first time Snow saw it.

"Sol… what is this?!"

"Version 3, Gargoyle. I thought a guardian would be fun."

"But… it's huge! And… the power I'm sensing from it…!"

"Consider what it's based on Snow."

Snow looked distressed. "Just… promise me you'll be careful. It could kill you, Sol!"

"Only if I'm stupid with how I use it." Sol stated. She pointed to the trembling bishop. Gargoyle reached for him, as the kid stumbled back.

Girom grabbed his earring. "Orco! Come here, damn you! Why don't you answer me?!" Gargoyle was almost on him. "Augh! Y-you're gonna regret this!" He fired his ÄRM. Gargoyle closed his wings as a shield, then opened them and roared in Girom's face.

Girom stepped back and tried to look innocent." H-hey… don't be so grim! If I promise not to kill anymore… will you let me go?"

Sol just looked at him. "You really think I'm that stupid, you little shit? And when the people of Vestry asked for mercy, what did you do?" Girom giggled nervously. "Get rid of it, Gargoyle." Gargoyle swung, launching Girom off the ship and into the water. There was a crack as his skull connected with a rock. Sol looked away as he started to sink.

"Now," the ghosts swirled around her, "how to get rid of that wall." After several moments, she shrugged. "Let's start with the basics. Gargoyle, pummel it."

Gargoyle moved to the wall. Then, like a machine, he started swinging, hammering the wall repeatedly. After a full minute, Sol told him to stop. He moved so she could view the progress. There was a large crater in the wall, but this really wasn't going to work. Sol pursed her lips, the shrugged. "It is what it is. We'll use that." Sol flicked her hand.

In response, Gargoyle released the ring in his mouth. It hung suspended in the air in front of his mouth and started to spin. The symbols started to glow as it spun faster and faster. Finally, Gargoyle roared. A huge beam of energy erupted from the ring, blowing a massive hole in the rock wall.

Babbo turned back and floated back to the ship. Sol was sweating and breathing hard, but she was standing. Babbo ground his teeth. "You cretin! You used too much energy!" Sol winced at Babbo yelling in her ear but didn't protest his tirade.

"Thank you…" one of the ghosts appeared beside them, cutting Babbo off. It was female, looking to be about Sol's age, maybe a little older, and dressed in a sailors attire. "Now all of us who have been trapped in here… can go to sea… and rise up to heaven."

"Good." Sol said.

"As a small token of our appreciation… allow us to give you this ÄRM and a magic stone. May they prove to be of help."

Sol nodded her head in thanks and acknowledgement. Then her exhaustion hit her full in the face and she dropped to one knee before slumping to the floor, Babbo shouting in alarm.


Phantom had sent Girom home after Sol had stopped looking at him. A small reward for helping him see just what Sol could do.

First was the hammer. I didn't think that was too clever, but… that guardian. That was astounding.

Walking back through the cave, he finally heard Orco, mumbling to himself. He waited around the corner.

"Orco… going home. Get… help… from…" Orco came around the bend and jerked in surprise at the sight of Phantom, who he didn't recognize. "Wh-who?! Another mean one?! Don't hurt me! I can't fight!" he cringed.

Phantom had been aware of Orco's loss. However this… this was disappointing. "The eyes of a coward. It's hard to forgive that in a Chess Piece." He activated one of his favorite ÄRM s. Orco shattered. "You should take a page from Sol's book… in your next life." He teleported back to the castle with a cruel smirk.


"Ooo! She's awake!" Dorothy squealed as Sol sat up.

"So, you defeated a Chess Piece too, eh, Sol!" Nanashi chirped as Sol took note of the fact that they were back at the entrance.

She looked at Babbo. "Where did… Tom go?"

Picking up on the fact that she didn't want to alarm the others he said, "I didn't see him after the fight. He must have left."

"Hmph… how did we get here?"

"I carried you!" Nanashi told her.

Sol blinked. "Thanks." She noticed something was in her hand. "A key?" She realized it must be the ÄRM the ghosts gave her. There was a magic stone beside it. Sol plugged that into Babbo's hammer.

Sol held out the key to Dorothy. "The ghosts gave me this. Said it's an ÄRM. Any idea what it does?"

Dorothy took it and held it for a few minutes before passing it back with a shake of her head. "I fiddled with it a bit just now… but I couldn't invoke any powers."

Sol nodded and looked away. Well Koyuki… how'd I do? Think those villagers will be happier? Sol stood and walked out of the cave with the others. 'Violence isn't the answer' says on quote. The others were running towards them. 'Revenge will solve nothing' goes another. The villagers were starting to smile. Yet one cannot deny that giving a black eye to the jackass who made you cry will definitely put a smile on your face.

Sol looked to the right and raised her hand in farewell to the ghost ship sailing out to sea.


Two things:

1) If you look at pictures of Gargoyle next to Ginta (the original character that Solara replaced), his head reaches about half way up Gargoyles crystal. Take into account that Ginta's recorded height is 5'2", Gargoyle is probably about 20' tall, since his upper body is about the same height as his lower crystal.

2) I've already indicated that Sol has an… issue let's say… with her temper. That will be better explained eventually. They never really explain where Gargoyles strength comes from for Ginta, but for Sol, Gargoyle is literally a representation of her rage. Thinking about it that way, which is scarier: Gargoyle or a pissed of Solara?