Enjoy!
Chapter 2: A Charmed Encounter
The room was similar to the one Ben and Rook had exited from but with one key difference; two individuals, both of whom were teenagers, could be seen walking towards the top of a rather short staircase.
The one in front is a boy. He is of short stature with an exceptionally muscular build. He has green eyes and messy, ash blond hair with bangs in front of his forehead and a single strand protruding upwards from the center of his head. He keeps his hair together with a black headband, which has a gold-colored insignia of a bull, and has a red-colored four-pointed star with three stitches on the back of it.
He wore a plain-white tunic with a V-shaped collar underneath a dark blue jacket whose sleeves extend only up to his elbows. He sports a pair of matching shorts which has a stitch marks on the left side. His pants also extends just below his knees. His shoes are made out of two different cloths, the parts covering his ankles, the soles the same color as his jacket and pants. The parts covering his toes are white, a vertical stitch mark going from the bridge to his toes.
He also wore a pouch strapped to a brown leather belt, along with a robe that had the same bull insignia woven onto it. It is black and short with gold trimming and covers the upper half of his torso. It also has a hood and a gold-colored button located at the right-hand side to hold it together, while the left-hand side displays the squad's insignia.
Rested on the boy's right shoulder due to him holding it with his right hand is a rather large sword has black markings on the blade and is mostly covered in dirt. The sword also has a heavily ornate hilt with a four-sided guard, a grip with a spiral design, and a sphere for the pommel.
Floating in front of him with a dark red aura is a grimoire with a black five-leaf clover insignia at the center of its front cover, with the grimoire itself being rather tattered and filthy.
This is Asta.
Nesting on top his head,thus making a small pathway at the middle part of his hair, is a very small bird with a pair of sleek wings, a pair of tails that form an arrow at the tip and a black beak. It's feathers are black at the back, white at the front, and red on her face. In addition, It also possesses a pair of horns on either side of it's head and a pair of long black feathers sticking up from the top of it's head.
Perhaps it's most notable feature upon first glance is it's slanted eyes that give it a hostile aura. Furthermore, the feathers around it's neck have a fuzzier texture then the rest of it's feathers, which creates the sense of wearing a collar around it's neck.
This is Nero.
Walking behind Asta is a girl. She has a slender build and pink eyes. She possesses long, silver-colored hair, which is usually tied in pigtails, with her center bangs over her forehead. Additionally, she wears a pair of purple stud earrings with a cross flory fitchy shape, and a silver bracelet on her left wrist.
She wears a sleeveless, backless, short purple dress covered by a silver-colored blazer. The blazer has a backless design with sleeves attached at the back that extend slightly beyond her elbows with gold-colored cuffs. The blazer also has a pair of pins with cross flory-fitchy shapes attached to it around her collarbone area. Additionally, it has frilly edges and a rounded tailcoat that extends down to her knees.
Furthermore, the blazer extends up to her neck where it has frilly edges and is held together by a gold locket. She wears a brown leather belt that supports her pouch, which has a similar color and gold ornaments at its corners. The pouch hangs on her right side.
She also wears a pair of silver-colored leg warmers with a gold-colored cuff at both ends and a pair of sandals. She also wore a robe similar to Asta.
This is Noelle Silva.
"Honestly... He's unbelievable..Captain Yami clearly told him to keep an eye on us, and he just left!" Said Noelle with a tone of disdain.
"Don't worry!" Assured Asta as he made it to the top.
"No matter what kind of traps might spring up, I'll slice through them with my sword." Declared Asta as the two were about to walk own another staircase.
"Must be nice being as carefree as you." Said Noelle as she and Asta came to a stop at the edge of the top.
"This dungeon ain't nothing! I'm going to become the Wizard King after all." Said Asta boldly as he looked at her with a smirk.
"Again with that?" Asked Noelle as he looked at Asta slightly unimpressed.
"I'm going to become the Wizard King before Yuno." Said Asta as he placed his free hand on his waist and looked forward.
"Yuno?" Asked Noelle.
"Yeah.I haven't told you about him before?" Replied Asta as he turned to look at her with a warm smile.
"He's a childhood friend I grew up with in Hage village. We took the Magic Knights Entrance Exam together, and he got into the Golden Dawn." Explained Asta.
"That's amazing, isn't it? He got into the Golden Dawn without being a noble." Said Noelle as she was visibly taken aback by Asta's words.
"Yeah! He's amazing!" Said Asta in agreement.
"But I'm not gonna lose to him! Said Asta enthusiastically as he held his sword forward with both hands.
'I guess even he has his own goal.' Thought Noelle as her expression turned into a warm smile.
"Come on. Let's go." Said Asta as he turned to look at Noelle.
"Looks like we can cross over there." Said Asta as he pointed to a small bridge at the right side of the staircase they were to take down.
"Let's hurry!" Said Asta before walking forward,sightly startling Noelle as she looked at him.
'We're alone right now.' Thought Noelle as her cheeks were a faint shade of pink.
'Silvantus... I mean, Nero's with us, but...' Thought Noelle with uncertainty over the implications of their current predicament.
Upon reaching the lower end of the staircase,Asta would turn back to look at Noelle.
"Something wrong?" Asked a confused Asta as he lightly picked his nose, startling Noelle.
"It's nothing! Nothing at all!" Shouted Noelle before walking towards Asta.
"Let's hurry." Said Noelle as she walked past Asta, leaving him even more confused.
Just as she walked down the staircase,a green hieroglyphic would appear below her feet, holding her in place. Large, thick vines would immediately materialize, causing her to let out an audible gasp. They would then latch onto her arms and legs from both sides, thus effectively restraining her.
"A trap! Oh, no!"Shouted Noelle with dismay.
"Noelle!" Shouted Asta with worry. Tensions would rise even more however,as a large body of water would suddenly materialize in front of both of them, causing an alarmed gasp to escape Asta's lips. The water would dissolve, and standing in it's place at at least 10 feet tall was a cross between an oyster and a venus fly trap. It's mouth was closed, and it's body was dark purple in color, with a part of it's dark-green root being visible.
It would then open it's mouth horizontally, revealing it's middle part to have a softer part of tissue that is light purple, with a part of it's surrounding area outside it being dark red. The top part had small but visible fangs, and the entire surrounding area of it's mouth had crab-like legs, with it being a mix of dark purple and light pink.
The vines would begin to move violently as the creature let out a chilling scream.
"S-Such powerful magic..." Said Noelle fearfully. The vines would begin to bring Noelle slowly closer to it's mouth, and despite her struggles,she couldn't break free.
A diamond shaped slash from Asta's sword would sever the vines instantaneously, freeing Noelle.
"Run!" Shouted Asta, causing Noelle,who was still free-falling to look back at Asta with shock. She would be briefly meet Asta's intense gaze, only for a vine to wrap around the hand in which he held his sword, drawing his attention to it while Noelle landed gracefully.
"Asta!" Shouted Noelle as the vines had managed to restrain Asta's arms and legs. Noelle would then reach inside her bag, revealing a white colored grimoire. But before she could pull it out fully, a vine would wrap around her hand.
"Oh,no!" Shouted Noelle before more vines would wrap around her arms and legs,thus ensnaring her once more. As the vines dragged the duo closer to it's mouth,they could see that the light purple tissue was in fact a pool of purple acid with some skeletons in it.
"Crap!" Shouted Asta fearfully.
But just as the situation seemed completely hopeless,a series of orange energy blasts pelted the vines,thus instantly disintegrating them.
"Waahhh!" Shouted both teens as they began to fall to the ground. A blue blur however, would dash towards them and catch them before they landed painfully. Now, with their backs rested gently on the ground, the duo looked wide eyed at their savior.
Kneeling in front of them was none other than Rook.
"Are you alright?" Asked Rook with concern. Both Asta and Noelle were far too startled to form an immediate response.
"Y-Y-Yes..." Stuttered Noelle.
"That is good." Said Rook with a relieved smile. It wouldn't last though,as the vines would begin to regenerate instantaneously, drawing the trio's attention back to the creature.
Whereas Asta and Noelle looked at the creature with uneasiness,Rook looked at it sternly.
"Pardon me." Said Rook as he detached his blaster from his shoulder and held it with both hands. This is the Proto-Tool.
A charging sound could be heard as Rook placed his left hand on the trigger. Not long after,Rook would fire several rapid-fire, energy shots at the creature and it's vines, causing it to scream loudly in pain.
Asta and Noelle were awestruck as they witnessed large amounts of smoke come off the creature due to Rook ceasing his fire. Once the smoke cleared, the creature looked severely weakened, meaning that the next blow would be fatal.
"Now,Ben!" Shouted Rook as he looked back to a doorway above the wall.
Confused as to what Rook meant,Asta and Noelle looked back as well. They would immediately go wide-eyed as an individual would jump out of the doorway into the air. Though their features were mostly indiscernible due to being high up in the air,Asta and Noelle could tell that it was a teenage boy. The boy in question was none other than Ben.
While still in mid-air, Ben would slam his right hand on the Omnitrix dial, causing a blinding green light to illuminate the entire dungeon. Once the light died down, several green diamond shards would fly towards and hit the creature across it's mouth.
The sound of flesh being cut accompanied with a blood-curdling scream echoed across the room as the creature was cut down the middle vertically. Asta and Noelle's jaws dropped as the culprit stood right in front of them.
Standing with it's back turned was a silicon-based, humanoid life form made of super-hard, green, diamond-like material. It's body is composed of durable pale green crystals. Two crystal shards sported out of it's back along with one at the back of it's head.
From what they could see of it's clothing,Asta and Noelle were able to discern that it was a male,as he wore an all black tank-top that was connected to black pants and black shoes along with green soles.
"What the hell?!" Shouted a shocked Asta as he looked at the creature's right hand. It was in the form of a crystal blade as large as his sword, and it was stained with blue blood that looked rather acidic. Asta would visibly tense up as the creature would flick his right hand,thus causing the blood to stain the floor, before turning to look at them.
As a result, they could see more of it's overall appearance. His head was sharp and pointy, thus giving shape for the shard behind it. His eyes were green, and he had a rather large diamond jaw.
There was a green stripe that went down the middle of his top, up to his belt. The belt was green with white stripes on which the hourglass symbol on Rook's proto-tool was placed.
This is Ben's Petrosapien form; "Diamondhead."
'What... what is that thing?! Another magical beast?' Thought an equally shocked Noelle before lightly narrowing her eyes as she focused her gaze more on Diamondhead. Not long after she did, however,her eyes would widen once more.
'No way! I can't sense any form of magic from it...' Thought Noelle in disbelief.
"Anyone up for some Sushi? Or is it Salad?" Joked Diamondhead as he reshaped his sword hand back to a normal one.
"I'm not exactly sure what this is after all." Said Diamondhead as he looked back at the slain magical beast.
"I do not believe now is the best time to discuss about a potential meal,Ben." Reasoned Rook as he stood beside Ben with his proto-tool mounted on his shoulder once more.
"Dude,I didn't mean it literally." Said Diamondhead as he lowered his head slightly while chuckling.
"But you've got a point though." He then looked at Asta and Noelle.
"You guys ok?" Asked Diamondhead with his hands on his waist.
"I have already inquired about their safety. They are unharmed." Said Rook.
"Seems so. Though they don't exactly look excited to see us." Said Diamondhead as he took note of the stunned expression on the faces of Asta and Noelle.
'Indeed. I presume that we may have unintentionally frightened them." Speculated Rook, causing Diamondhead to sigh.
"Look I know that we don't exactly look normal..." Began Diamondhead.
"Not exactly?" Interrupted Rook, slightly confused.
"Ok,we don't look normal period." Diamondhead corrected himself.
"But we're not going to hurt you. We just wanted to help. We're sorry if we scared you."Said Diamondhead sincerely.
'Who are these people?!' Began Noelle to herself.
'They talk like humans, but look nothing like us. And even then, I can't sense an ounce of magic from them...' Her eyes slightly widened as she came to a realization.
'They're almost just like...' Her eyes then fell on Asta, who's gaze was still fixated on Diamondhead and Rook, but primarily Diamondhead.
"Uh... dude?" Said Diamondhead with concern as he took note of Asta's gaze.
"S-S-S-S..." Began Asta stuttering
"Look out Rook. Panic attack incoming." Said Diamondhead in a joking tone, though his warning was sincere.
"S-S-S..." Continued Asta, worrying the two further.
"Asta?" Asked Noelle,now equally worried.
"Soooo coooooollll!" Shouted Asta loudly.
"Huh?!' Said the trio in confusion.
"So cool,So cool,So cool,So cool,So cool!!" Chanted Asta as he paced from side to side jovially.
"The way you jumped in to kill that monster! Or how you you turned your hand into a sword! So cool!" Shouted Asta as he mimicked Diamondhead's sword hand with starry eyes.
"Heh heh. Thanks man, but it was nothing really." Said an amused Diamondhead.
"It's all in a day's work." Asta looked at Diamondhead with awe as a result.
"And you!" Shouted Asta as he pointed at Rook.
"Thank you for saving me and Noelle!" Shouted Asta as he bowed.
"Oh,um... you are quite welcome..." Stuttered Rook with slight nervousness.
"Asta!" Shouted Asta as he realized Rook's predicament.
"Right." Said Rook with a weak smile, much to Diamondhead's amusement.
"You guys must be Magic Knights." Assumed Asta, taking Diamondhead and Rook by surprise.
'Magic Knights?' Thought the both of them, unsure of what Asta meant.
"Which squad are you from?" Asked Asta.
"Noelle and I are from the Black Bulls!" Said Asta enthusiastically with a grin. Diamondhead and Rook would share a brief glance with each other that was filled with uncertainty and confusion, before looking back at Asta.
"Well, we're..." Began Diamondhead hesitantly.
Suddenly,a large, ice-shaped dagger would land in the middle of both groups, causing gasps of shocks and confusion to escape their lips.
"Huh?" Said a suprised Diamondhead as he looked behind Asta and Noelle. Standing behind them was three individuals,two whom were teenagers, and one a young man.
At the front of the trio with his right hand outstretched was a teenage boy. a He was of average height with a lean build, gold eyes, and messy black hair. His clothing consisted of a pitch-black shirt with a high collar and long sleeves. The sleeves have brown leather that cover the wrists and upper arms. His upper torso was covered by a cloak which is gold in color.
The fabric has an intricate design with a similar color palette as the robe. It also has a blue-colored fur around the border of the hood and a pair of blue ropes coming from the left shoulder and connected to the gold-colored button on the right shoulder. The button keeps the robe properly in place. At the left hand side is an insignia of a sun with eyes and a mouth cast over three castles.
He also wore light brown pants that are cut below his knees and, around his waist, a pair of brown belts that cross each other. Additionally, he wears a pair of dark-colored socks and a pair of boots, and a pouch strapped at his right-hand side of his waist. Floating in front of him with a bright green aura is a grimoire that has a gold-colored cover. The four-leaf clover insignia was also gold-colored, and was at the center of the front cover, with intricate ornaments around the borders.
This is Yuno.
Standing behind Yuno at his left side is a tall, young man with a slender build and slanted light fuchsia eyes. He has a long, thin, and pointed nose with a large chin. His light blue colored hair is short and pushed to the sides and back while also having an angular fringe to his left-hand side. Additionally, he also wears a pair of gold, hooped earrings and dark glasses with rectangular frames. A diamond-like shape protrudes from the bridge of these glasses(seemingly fitted along his face). His glasses are pressed up against his face.
He wore a double-breasted, long-sleeved shirt with a high collar(that reaches to approximately his adams apple) and gold-colored trimmings around the edges. The collar also has a chain connecting both ends of the collar as an ornament. The shirt itself is made of two different colors where it is light-colored at the side and dark-colored on the middle. The sleeves are mostly in light-colored fabric, except the wrist area where it has dark-colored fabric. The shirt extends below his waist and he also wears a light-colored sash on top of it.
Furthermore, He also wears a casual light-colored pants and a pair of high boots to complement it. The dark-colored boots also have fur around the collar. Lastly, He wears a long dark-colored robe on top of his outfit. The robe has enough length to cover his entire body.
His attire was also complemented by a cloak designed similarly to Yuno's.
This is Klaus Lunettes.
Standing to Klaus' right is a teenage girl with a voluptuous build. She has yellow eyes and long wavy vermilion hair with bangs on her forehead. Additionally, she also wears a pair of earrings on her ears.
She wears a puffy cream-colored sweater with long sleeves, white puffy short pants, and a brown corset. Below the corset, she also wears another lighter brown-colored piece of fabric that has frilly edges. The corset is tied at the front with strings. Her footwear consists of a pair of boots that are tightly fit her legs and extends above her knees. They are light-colored and have a split at the top in which are kept together by strings. The boots also have frilly edges below the collars.
On top of all of those, She also wears a dark red mantle, which has a white lining made of similar material as the rest of the mantle.
She also has a cloak similar to Yuno and Klaus.
This is Mimosa Vermilion.
"Yuno?!" Said Asta in disbelief.
"Stand back,Asta. I'll take care of this." Said Yuno calmly as he pointed his outstretched hand towards Diamondhead and Rook. The air around Yuno would begin to blow somewhat violently, almost as if he was charging up an attack, alarming Diamondhead and Rook in the process.
"Wait!" Shouted Asta as he stood between the three of them with his hands outstretched.
"Don't hurt them, they saved us!" Pleaded Asta, taking Yuno and his group by surprise.
"What?!" Said a shocked Yuno.
"He's telling the truth." Said Noelle in agreement as she stood beside Asta.
"We owe them our lives." She turned back to look at Diamondhead and Rook, with both of them observing the situation carefully.
"Oh my." Said a suprised Mimosa as she raised her left hand to cover her mouth.
"What is the meaning of this?" Began Klaus with a tone of annoyance.
"Explain yourselves!" Klaus' sudden raising of his voice startled Noelle and Asta. A hand would place itself gently on her shoulder and Asta's causing her and Asta to look back to see Diamondhead.
"We'll take it from here." Assured Diamondhead,to which Asta and Noelle cleared the way for him and Rook to stand directly in front of Yuno and his group.
"They're right you know? We stepped in to save them from that monster over there." Said Diamondhead with a smirk.
"While being monsters yourselves." Countered Yuno with a steely gaze.
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." Added Klaus with a condescending tone.
"Hmph." Said Diamondhead with a frown, causing Rook to look at him with confusion, before looking back at Klaus.
"We are not monsters." Said Rook.
"Oh? And how is that?" Asked Klaus rhetorically.
"For starters,we have actual names." Said Diamondhead smugly.
'I don't think that's enough to cut it.' Thought Noelle as she sweat dropped.
"My name is Rook Blonko." Said Rook politely.
"And the name's Diamondhead. At least right now." Said Diamondhead with a shrug.
"Right now?" Asked a confused Mimosa.
"You'll find out soon enough." Said Diamondhead with a grin.
'How strange. I can't sense a trace of magic from either of them. Not even a faint one.' Thought Klaus suspiciously.
"What are you two doing here in this dungeon?" Asked Klaus authoritatively.
"It's a bit of a long story, but let's just say we didn't come here by choice." Said Diamondhead casually, garnering raised eyebrows from Yuno and Klaus in the process.
"We are currently in pursuit of a rogue sorceress named Charmcaster. She transported us here to aid her escape." Explained Rook sternly.
"She's about this tall." Began Diamondhead as he raised his right hand significantly high above Noelle's head.
"Has white hair in a ponytail,a magneta coat,and talks to her purse. Trust me, you can't miss her." Said Diamondhead with a snort. His amusement however wasn't shared by the others,as his words, specifically the last sentence raised some concerns from the others.
'Creepy!' Thought Noelle, Mimosa and Asta in unison.
"What do you intend to do to this... 'Charmcaster' when you find her?" Asked Klaus cautiously.
"Well for starters, make sure she doesn't hurt anyone,then get her to send the both of us back home." Said Diamondhead as he crossed his hands with a shrug.
"I see." Said Klaus as he adjusted his glasses by slightly pushing the bridge with his left hand.
"But even if I were to believe your story, which I do not,or to trust you, which I do not." Began Klaus.
'I think you've made your point, dude.' Thought an unamused Diamondhead.
"The fact of the matter is you are both anomalies." Both Diamondhead and Rook looked slightly amused by his words, but didn't show it.
"Neither of you possess any magic whatsoever,yet you were able to slay a magical beast. And judging from your appearance alone, leaving you both unsupervised would be foolish." Said Klaus firmly.
"Meaning?" Asked Diamondhead, though he already knew the answer.
"You are coming with us. We at the Golden Dawn shall make sense of your nature and your true motive. From there, we'll be able to decide whether or not you are threat to the Clover Kingdom." Said Klaus.
"And if we were to refuse?" Asked Rook with narrowed eves.
"Then you shall suffer the consequences." Said Klaus gravely.
The atmosphere of the dungeon had suddenly become hostile, will nearly everyone tensing up due to either nervousness, caution or anticipation at the possibility of a fight breaking out.
Everyone except Diamondhead and Rook, both of whom were just as calm and composed as ever.
"Sounding just like a typical bad guy,pal." Snorted Diamondhead., much to the surprise of Asta and the rest.
"And let me tell you something about bad guys. You know how many of them have told me that?" Said Diamondhead cockily.
"All of them." Said Diamondhead proudly.
"And you know how many of them I've kicked their butts? All of them." Gasps of shock and awe escaped the lips of all of them due to the confidence in which Diamondhead spoke.
"Is that a threat?" Asked Klaus as he regained his composure.
"More of a warning, really." Said Diamondhead casually.
"If you wanna throw down,Rook and I are more than happy to oblige." A small smile crept on Rook's face, unsettling Klaus even more.
"But because I'm a nice guy, and I can tell that you guys are probably on edge right now." Said Diamondhead with a shrug.
"You especially." Klaus gritted his teeth as Diamondhead pointed at him.
"I'll play ball." Said a grinning Diamondhead.
"Huh?" Said a confused Klaus.
"You need us to prove that we're not threats? I've got you covered. For starters, this isn't what I really look like." Said Diamondhead, garnering confused stares from everyone.
"That..." The others would watch with curiosity as Diamondhead would raise up his left hand and place the palm of that hand on the hourglass symbol on his belt. The blinding green light from before would engulf him, startling them and causing them to cover their eyes.
Once it died,to their amazement,they would see another individual standing in the place of Diamondhead. Asta and Noelle were perhaps the most awestruck,as the individual standing before them was none other than the boy from before. As a result,they could see his features more clearly.
"... Would be this." Said Ben with a smile.
'He's...Human?!' Thought Yuno,Klaus and Mimosa in unison.
"I'm Ben by the way. Ben Tennyson." Said Ben politely.
"H-H-Ho-How did you assume that form?" Stuttered a flabbergasted Klaus.
"With this." Said Ben as he held up his left hand for them to all see, showing them the Omnitrix in all it's glory.
"It's called the Omnitrix. It allows me to turn into all kinds of stuff like Diamondhead." Explained Ben.
"You can transform into similar creatures?" Asked Noelle.
"Well not exactly similar one for one. All of the things i can turn into have got different appearances and different powers to name a few." Said Ben with a smirk.
"Amazing!" Said Asta and Mimosa in unison. Though they didn't say, both Noelle,Yuno and Klaus were similarly awestruck by Ben's revelation.
"I've never heard of Transformation Magic that powerful!" Said Asta with starry eyes.
"It's not magic." Corrected Ben with a chuckle.
"Huh?" Said Asta, confused.
"He's right." Said Klaus in agreement, slightly regaining his composure.
"I can't detect any magic from either of them. Not even the device." Explained Klaus.
"Omnitrix." Corrected Ben with a light frown.
"Huh?! But it's got to be a magic watch! What else could it be?!" Asked Asta with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"Some really advanced technology." Said Ben while still smirking.
"What about your friend, Rook?" Asked Mimosa.
"Can he turn into different monsters two? I'm guessing he's one right now." An uneasy smile would form on Rook's face, while Ben's expression would turn into a grin.
"Rook's always like this, so no he can't, and neither is he a monster. But he's not human either." Explained Ben.
"Then what is he?" Asked Klaus.
"An alien." Said Ben casually.
"Revonnahgander to be specific." Added Rook. Their words however wouldn't have the desired effect,as the others looked more confused than before.
"What's an alien?" Asked Asta.
"Well to put it simply... they're different from humans in nearly every way." Began Ben.
"Depending on the species, they look different,they talk different, they act different. They can do things differently from humans. And more obviously, they're not from around here." The others would look at Ben inquisitively while he gave his explanation.
"The Dungeon?" Guessed Asta.
"No, Earth." Corrected Ben.
"Aliens typically live in different planets all across the universe. I am from the planet,Revonnah." Added Rook as he placed his hand on his chest.
"Enough with these fairy-tales." Said Klaus dismissively, suprising everyone.
"Ben Tennyson,was it?" Asked Klaus with narrowed.
"Call me Ben, dude." Said Ben with a sigh.
'And they're not fairy-tales." Corrected Ben with a frown.
"You wanted to know more about us? You got your answers. And though you probably have a lot of questions you wanna ask, you should know that everything we've told you has been the truth and nothing but the truth." Ben's gaze met Klaus', causing both of them to engage in a stare-down,with neither letting up.
"What stands as truth is still yet to be decided." Countered Klaus.
"However, the information you shared with us has made it imperative that we return with the both of you." Klaus subtly adjusted his glasses.
"Though I see you as nothing more than outliers, Captain Vangeance would find you intriguing to say the least." Asta's eyes would widen in realization of what Klaus was saying.
"Hey,no fair!" Shouted Asta.
"I was just about to ask them to come with us!" Said Asta with annoyance, suprising everyone, including Ben and Rook.
"Huh?" Asked Ben in confusion.
"It'd be awesome if you guys were members of the Black Bulls! And I'm sure Captain Yami would think so too." Said Asta excitedly.
"You can't just go around inviting people to the Black Bulls." Said Noelle dismissively.
"Huh?!! Why not?!" Asked Asta with a mixture of confusion and sadness.
"You know why not,Stupidsta!" Countered Noelle with annoyance.
"Hey,Rook." Said Ben in a low tone as he lightly nudged Rook's shoulder, causing the Revonnahgander to look away from the arguing Asta and Noelle to his partner.
"We're in a bit of a tight spot as it is, and we'll probably have to go with one of these squads to avoid making any trouble." Whispered Ben as he placed his left hand to the side of his mouth so that the others wouldn't be able to read his lips.
"If you had to pick one of them, who would it be? Rook would briefly place his left hand under his chin as he contemplated Ben's question, before placing it at the side of his mouth as well.
"The Golden Dawn do seem to have an admirable air of professionalism to them..." Pondered Rook as he too spoke in a low tone.
"Figures." Said Ben as he rolled his eyes.
"But their hospitality leaves to be desired." Added Rook.
"I hear that." Said Ben with a smirk.
"Whereas the Black Bulls may be somewhat uncanny, they are rather accommodating." Reasoned Rook.
"And?" Asked Ben.
"And though I wish they were was more we knew about both squads,I believe we know enough to make an optimal choice." Said Rook confidently.
"Couldn't agree more, because between you and me..." Ben then threw a side glance at an unsuspecting Klaus, causing Rook to follow suit.
"... That guy's a total stick in the mud." A small smirk would form on Rook's face along with Ben's. Klaus would notice their expression and raise an eyebrow in the process. Though he was curious about what they were talking about,he didn't want them to continue, and as a result,he would not so subtly clear his throat.
"Back to the matter at hand." Said Klaus as he adjusted his glasses, drawing everyone's attention towards him. Ben and Rook had stopped their discussion, and had placed their hands by their sides, looking straight at Klaus.
"Our mission is to explore this dungeon. In other words,to quickly reach the treasure chamber buried deep below." Explained Klaus as he walked forward until he standing right beside Yuno.
"We've wasted enough time conversing with these anomalies." Ben and Rook would frown as they knew Klaus was referring to them.
"It'd be ill advised to waste any more on these fools." Though it wasn't immediately clear to them, both Asta and Noelle would realize that they were the ones Klaus was referring to.
"Hey,Yuno. What's the deal with this rude four-eyed dude?" Asked Asta with annoyance as he pointed at Klaus, surprising him.
"He's my senior." Said Yuno dryly.
"Four-" Began Klaus as he grabbed Asta by his collar with both hands.
"You're the rude one! I'm a four...er, I'm a nobleman! How dare you address me so casually?!" Shouted an enraged Klaus, causing Asta's eyes to narrow weakly and his mouth to be open wide in disbelief.
'He's flustered all of a sudden.' Thought Yuno as he watched the exchange. A light chuckle escaped Ben's lips as he took delight in Klaus' outburst.
"Good day,Noelle." Said Mimosa politely as she waved at Noelle before placing her hand on her mouth, and smiling with her eyes closed. Noelle sported a smile of uneasiness as she averted Mimosa's gaze.
"I don't think I've seen you since the royal banquet last year." Said Mimosa. Both Ben and Rook watched their exchange as well, with Ben putting his hands in his pockets.
"You know her?" Asked Asta as he walked towards the two and stood beside Noelle.
"Yes... somewhat." Said Noelle with slight reluctance as she looked at Asta before looking back at Mimosa.
"I'm Noelle's cousin." Said Mimosa as she clasped her hands together and placed them on her chest.
"Huh..." Said Asta in disbelief.
'They look nothing alike.' Thought Ben with a similar reaction.
'Though then again, most cousins don't. Gwen and I are probably one of the few that do, and even then, it's minor similarities.' Thought Ben as he lightly stroked his chin with a smile.
"So, you're here, too." Said Noelle as her right eyebrow was twitching not so subtly.
'It just had to be her.' Thought Noelle with resignation.
"I've heard that the Black Bulls are a very barbaric squad. Have you been faring well?" Asked Mimosa with genuine concern while still smiling, though the way she phrased it could have been better.
"And are you doing ok,Mimosa?" Asked Noelle with fake sincerity..
"Huh?" Asked a confused Mimosa.
"I'm not sure someone as dense as you can make it in the Golden Dawn." Said Noelle smugly.
'Owch.' Thought Ben as he lightly bit his bottom lip.
"Yes! Everyone is so kind." Said Mimosa with a broad smile.
"Because of that, I've been able to use my magic without any hesitation." Mimosa would place her right hand below her chin as she giggled before walking forward sightly until she was a few inches away from Noelle, gasping as she had just come to a realization.
"If I remember correctly, you weren't able to control your magic at all. Have things improved since then?" Said Mimosa bluntly with her tone still sincere.
'Ooof.' Thought Ben as he struggled not to make a facial expression that betrayed what he felt.
'She's as obliviously rude as ever. She still pisses me off.' Thought Noelle as she had no such luck, as her expression was that of a smirk of disbelief.
"I've been working on it." Said Noelle with a hesitant smile.
"They're cousins alright." Said Ben jokingly, causing Rook to look at him curiously.
"They've got the not so sweet but not so sour relationship along with the constantly throwing jabs at each part down to a teeth." Explained Ben.
"I see. This must have been a similar situation with you and Gwendolyn when you were younger?" Asked Rook.
"Pretty much, though I'd say they have it better." Said Ben with a grin.
"Oh,the three of us recently received a star from the Wizard King himself for another mission." Said Mimosa with a smile as she placed her cheek on her left hand. Both Klaus and Yuno stood behind her.
"Hmph." Said Klaus dismissively as he adjusted his glasses. Both Asta and Noelle would smile and chuckle lightly in response.
"We just got a star,too." Said Asta with a broad smile and starry eyes as he placed his hands on his waist.
"Hmph." Said Noelle smugly as she gently flicked her hair.
"You liars." Said Klaus as he stood in front of Asta and pointed his finger at him accusingly. This caused Asta to step back slightly in surprise.
"Newbies from the Black Bulls wouldn't be awarded stars so easily." Said Klaus with his hands crossed.
"We did get one! We're at minus thirty now!" Said Asta defensively.
"That's not exactly something to brag about, dude." Said Ben with a low and unimpressed tone.
"It's laughable that you've been charged with this mission,too." Said Klaus in a condescending tone.
"The Wizard King appointed us to this mission himself!" Shouted Asta boldly as he stood directly in front of Klaus.
"Such a blatant lie." Said Klaus bluntly.
"I'm not lying!" Shouted Asta defensively as he shook his left fist.
"Hmph." Said Klaus dismissively.
'He really is flustered.' Thought Yuno as he watched the exchange once more.
"Come to think of it,I heard there'd be three of you,too." Said Klaus as he was addressing both Asta and Noelle.
"Where's the other one?" Both Asta and Noelle would let out a gasp of shock due to Klaus'question.
"Don't tell me they left you two and ran?" Their expressions would harden as a result of the question.
"Or did they fall prey to one of the traps?" Said Klaus with a scoff at the end. Both Ben and Rook looked at Asta and Noelle curiously,as they wondered what their answer would be.
"He didn't run away, nor did he fall prey to any of the traps." Said Noelle defensively.
"Then where is he?" Asked Klaus, causing Asta and Noelle to look at him hesitantly.
The individual in question was zipping through a narrow pathway in the dungeon. He is a young man of short stature with blue eyes and medium-length messy blond hair. His hair is long enough to cover both his ears and forehead.
His outfit consists of an aqua-blue tunic with long sleeves.The tunic's length extends just below his waist, making it look to be a size larger for him. His pants are teal and extend just below his knees. Additionally, it has light-colored strips with stitch-like cross patterns at the sides, running from top to bottom. He also carries a pouch,which is strapped around his chest with the use of a belt.
Finally, He wears a pair of light-colored brown boots that cover just above his ankles, with said boots being engulfed in lighting, along with a cloak similar to Asta and Noelle.
This is Luck.
"Just a little more!" Said Luck with enthusiasm.
'There's no way we can tell them that he ditched us and went off somewhere.' Thought Asta as he and Noelle looked at Klaus nervously with their eyes completely white
'Nope.' Thought Noelle in agreement.
"I believe he ran away." Whispered Rook to agreement.
"Yep." Said Ben in agreement.
"Regardless, it's clear that you lot consists of filth that leaves new recruits behind." Began Klaus in a condescending tone.
"The Black Bulls...How unsightly. You're an embarrassment to the Magic Knights." His words struck a nerve with Asta and Noelle, and even caused Ben to lightly grit his teeth in annoyance, though his eyes also expressed curiosity at the mention of the word 'Magic Knights'.
"You've got some nerve,you jerk!" Shouted Asta as he pointed at Klaus.
"We're going to conquer this dungeon first for the Black Bulls!" Declared Asta
"Just you wait,Gol,no...Goober?" Said Asta with uncertainty as he wagged his finger in front of Klaus'face.
"No, uh...you guys with the weird masked captain!" Klaus would grit his teeth and clench his fist in anger due to Asta's words.
"Goober? It's Golden! And 'weird mask'?" Said Klaus as his rage had reached it's peak.
"You scum!" You dare mock our esteemed Captain Vangeance?!" Shouted Klaus as he had finally exploded with fury.
"You're the one's with a weird captain! What kind of freak runs around with all those muscles bulging out of a tank top?!" Shouted Klaus accusingly as he waved his finger in front of Asta's face as well.
"What'd you say?! He's manly and totally awesome!" Shouted Asta defensively.
"How dare you talk to a noble like that?! Let alone your senior!" Counterpart Klaus.
"Well, excuse me! My bad!" Shouted Asta sarcastically as he grabbed Klaus by the collar.
"You bastard!" Shouted Klaus. The others watched their exchange unfold with differing expressions; Noelle and Rook with an expression of disbelief,Ben with one of amusement, Mimosa with a sheepish smile, and Yuno with an unimpressed look.
'Yeah, he's really flustered.' Thought Yuno.
Both Klaus and Asta began to pant heavily after letting out their frustrations.
"Very well, you fools!" Shouted Klaus as he adjusted his glasses before looking away from Asta.
"We'll just have to show you the difference between the top of the Magic Knights and the bottom!" Said Klaus confidently as Asta watched him while sweat dropping.
"Mimosa!" Ordered Klaus as he looked at her.
"Sure." Waved Mimosa with a smile as she held her grimoire in her left hand. It has light-colored covers with a three-leaf clover insignia on the front cover. Additionally, the covers are mostly filled with plant-based ornaments
"Plant Creation Magic: Magic Flower Guidepost." Said Noelle as she pointed at her grimoire which had opened itself down the middle, and floated in front of her with a bright green aura.
Through a brilliant ray of light, multiple vines would materialize from the ground and start to intertwine with each other. Flower petals sprout from the tip of the intertwining vines. The flower petals are light-colored with several dark-colored spots covering the area.
Ben and Rook would let out a gasp of shock as they watched a detailed three-dimensional blueprint in a form of a dark orange hologram coming from the center of the flower petals. It displayed a eight story tower with multiple buildings varying in size and shape on each floor, with a long interconnected path transcending from the bottom floor to the top.
Both Asta and Noelle looked equally as amazed as Ben and Rook.
"Let's see..Ah,got it." Said Mimosa as she carefully observed the holographic tower.
"I've learned the basic layout of the dungeon." Said Mimosa, referring to Klaus.
"Very well." Said Klaus before looking at Ben and Rook.
"You two, come over here. We're leaving now." Ordered Klaus.
"Sorry dude, but we're not going with you." Said Ben as he crossed his arms.
"What?!" Said Klaus with a mixture of shock and annoyance.
"We don't have the most positive impression of you guys for starters." Said Ben with a snicker.
"Huh?" Said Asta in surprise as Ben placed his hand on his shoulder.
"And if we are to clear this dungeon, we'd much rather do so with Asta and Noelle here." Said Ben with a grin.
"My condolences. We just simply do not approve of the way you handle things." Apologized Rook.
"If it brings you any comfort,we wish you the best of luck on your expedition." Though his tone was sincere, the smugness in which Ben spoke previously caused Rook's words to greatly irritate Klaus.
"Don't be a stranger,now." Said Ben with a wave, which was the icing on the cake for Klaus.
"Why,you..." Began Klaus, about to explode with fury once more, before managing to control his anger.
"Yuno!" Ordered Klaus as he looked at him.
"Right." Said Yuno as his grimoire began to float in front of him once more. A thick gust of wind would begin to blow around him, before eventually forming into an ark-like vessel. It had enough density that Yuno, Klaus and Mimosa were able to stand on top of it.
It then levitated off the ground due to the wind current generated by two whirlwinds located at the rear of the ark.
This is the "Heavenly Wind Ark".
"He can carry all three of them easily" Said an awestruck Noelle,an expression shared by Asta,Ben and Rook.
"I hope you suffer." Said Klaus with disdain directed towards Asta.
"This isn't over." Declared Klaus with anger directed towards Ben and Rook.
"Never thought it was. Not even by a longshot." Said Ben cockily, causing Klaus to grit his teeth in annoyance. He wouldn't respond however,as the Heavenly Wind Ark would take him,Yuno and Mimosa through the pathway that Ben and Rook came from.
"Impressive as always,Yuno!" Said Asta with admiration.
"All right! Let's go! Noelle,Ben and Rook!" Shouted Asta excitedly.
"Hold on,Asta." Said Ben as he held Asta by the shoulder with his left hand to stop him from running.
"I don't suppose you know where to go exactly,do you?" Asked Ben as he let go of Asta,who looked at him with surprise.
"No, but I was thinking that we could check every path very carefully." Said Asta bluntly, causing a sheepish smile to form on Rook's face.
"That is not a very effective plan." Admitted Rook.
"Yep.. But luckily, I've got a better plan." Said Ben with a grin as he held up his left hand. He then stretches out his right hand right above the Omnitrix and closes all his fingers except his index finger and middle finger. He places the outstretched fingers on the faceplate which reveals a green, holographic wheel with icons of various alien forms.
"What are you doing with your watch?" Asked Asta as he and Noelle looked at Ben spinning his two fingers across the wheel counter-clock wise, causing him to scroll through numerous alien icons until his fingers stops at one with an appearance similar to a dog-like creature.
He taps the icon of the alien,thus making the holographic wheel to disappear. The faceplate of the watch opens from both sides revealing a green core with the same hourglass symbol on its surface, only its mostly green with slight traces of black.
"You'll see." Said Ben, still grinning as he taps the icon of the alien,thus making the holographic wheel to disappear. The faceplate of the watch opens from both sides revealing a green core with the Omnitrix symbol on its surface, only its mostly green with slight traces of black.
Ben then slammed his right hand down on the core, causing a bright flash of blinding green light to cover him.
Standing in the place of Ben is a large orange dog-like creature with no eyes, ears, nose, or tail,and standing on all fours. His teeth are very defined and his bottom jaw sticks out of his mouth. He has various fur-like spines all across his body. He also has three gill-like nostrils located on each side of his neck.
Finally, around his neck is a green and white collar with the Omnitrix symbol on it.
This is Ben's Vulpimancer transformation; "Wildmutt."
"Doggy!" Shouted Asta with glee as he suddenly knelt in front of Wildmutt and began to playfully stroke his neck, much to Wildmutt's confusion, and Rook's amusement.
"What did he turn into?" Asked Noelle with a mixture of confusion and amazement.
"This is Ben's Vulpimancer form whom he calls Wildmutt." Explained Rook.
"With this form,Ben has an enhanced sense of small and hearing along with a thermograph like vision that allows him to perceive the more finer details of an environment far more clearly than anyone else." Asta would stop petting Wildmutt as he listened to Rook.
"So, he's like a personal tracker?!" Asked Asta with excitement.
"More or less" Said Rook with a shrug.
"Awesome!" Shouted Asta with excitement.
"So,we follow his lead?" Asked Noelle with uncertainty.
"On the contrary, you both will have to mount him." Said Rook with a smile.
"Huh?" Said Asta and Noelle in unison. As if on cue, WildMutt would grab Asta and Noelle with his hands, initially startling them, and place them on top of his back, with Asta in front, and Noelle behind.
"Make sure to hold onto Ben firmly." Instructed Rook.
"Got it!" Said Asta in compliance.
"But what about you?" Asked Noelle.
"I appreciate your concern, but it is not required." Said Rook with a smile as he detached his Proto-Tool from his shoulder. It then took the form of a blaster.
"My Proto-Tool will help me to navigate the dungeon." Said Rook as he rested the Proto-Tool on his right shoulder.
"Now then,shall we begin?" A grin would form on Wildmutt's face as a result of Rook's challenge. Almost immediately,he would begin to run forward with great speed, briefly startling Asta and Noelle.
"Alright!" Said Asta in approval as he quickly regained his composure. Noelle,on the other hand, held onto Wildmutt for dear life. With a smirk,Rook would fire a grappling hook towards the pathway that Yuno and his comrades exited from.
Both Wildmutt and Rook would scale the pathway in their own way; Wildmutt by jumping and clawing through the wall to the top of the pathway, and Rook by using his grappling hook to drag himself to the top.
Both would then begin to run down the pathway with a mixture of excitement and anticipation over what they would find inside the dungeon.
But neither of them were more eager than Asta and Yuno,as with a smirk and smile respectively, they both shared one single thought.
'Let's see which one of us gets to the treasure chamber first!'
TO BE CONTINUED!
That marks the end of the second Chapter.
Not much to say except hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i did writing it,if not more.
That and to also remind you of the voting poll, especially if you didn't completely read the ending authors note of Chapter 1.
The voting poll is to find out who you want to be Ben's love interest in the story.
The rules are as follows:
1) You can only vote for a maximum of 3 girls, and can only do so once.
2) Whichever girl reaches up to 10 votes will be the winner of the poll.
The candidates are as follows:
1) Mimosa Vermilion: 2 Votes.
2) Hope/ Charmcaster: 1 Vote.
3) Noelle Silva: 0 Votes.
4) Rebecca Scarlet: 0 Votes.
5) Secre Swallowtail: 0 Votes.
6) Grey: 0 Votes.
7) Fana: 0 Votes.
8) Sol Marron: 0 Votes.
9) Charmy Pappitson: 0 Votes.
10) Mariella: 0 Votes.
Thanks once again to MiniTennyson and Maximum Rhapsody for their votes.
Hopefully Chapter 3 will be released sooner rather than later, but until we meet again, please, have yourselves a good one.
