The adventures on the island of Perfidia come to a close here, but there is still much work to be done by Leena and others in order to stop the plans of Lynx and FATE. Here she begins the first step on this leg of her journey and meets someone who reminds her of a dear friend. This person will be monumental in her efforts, as this individual is also searching for a missing piece. As always, if you have any questions, please write them into your reviews and I will do my best to answer them here. Enjoy.
Post Contest Intro
"Good, I am glad you have seen it my way," Lynx said. His mouth was pulled back in a sinister smile.
"So, now what happens?" asked Atikon.
"Time for the awakening," answered the feline demi-human.
"But I'm already awake," remarked Atikon, confused.
"Not you, my boy. The power that dwells inside of you," Lynx explained.
"Huh...?" Atikon began, before his words were cut off. Suddenly black tendrils of smoke began to exit his ears and mouth. The noxious fumes covered his whole body, so that there was a thin veil of fog enveloping him.
"What's going on?!" Atikon questioned. "Lynx, what are you doing to me?"
"You're doing it to yourself," Lynx replied. "Or, more precisely, FATE is now joining with you to form a new and improved version. I won't lie to you, though. This will probably hurt. A lot."
As Atikon was examining his form beneath the fog, he began to feel stabbing pains in his arms and legs. Wondering where they were coming from, he was shocked to find little bumps pushing up from underneath his skin. Just when he thought the pressure couldn't get any worse, the precursors to his transformation did just that. With a sickening rip, tiny little machines burst through every pore of his skin and began to coalesce into a dense blanket over him.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Atikon, in searing pain.
"Embrace your destiny..." Lynx laughed, as the boy who used to be Serge writhed beneath him.
"I just don't know what to say," Leena said, aloud. "I want this whole thing to end and for Serge to return to normal. But what wish could I make to accomplish this?" She had been nervously pacing around the ruins for the past forty-five minutes. Every so often she would stop and glance at the hourglass. There were fifteen minutes left.
"What was it that Riddel said?" Leena asked. "There were two visions. One was people ruled over by some mega machine thing. The other was a utopia of sorts and there was...Kid? But Kid is dead, right? It just doesn't make any sense!" Leena slumped down on a slab of stone, her eyes beginning to mist up.
"There's just too much pressure on me! It's not fair!" Leena yelled into the sky. "Harle sacrificed herself so that I could be the one to help Serge! I just can't let her down. She's counting on me. Serge is counting on me. They're all counting on me..." Leena then cradled her head into her hands.
"Why couldn't Serge have come out of the coma?" Leena whispered. "Why did it have to be Atikon? This isn't the way it was supposed to be. Serge and I should have been together forever. And then Atikon was so destructive. He even broke the..." Leena's eyes suddenly lit up as a realization hit her.
"He broke the Chrono Cross!" she shouted, as the village girl jumped to her feet. "I think he said...yes, I'm almost sure he did. He said that the melody of the Chrono Cross was his weakness. We need the song in order to break Serge out from the prison Atikon has him in!"
Leena was prancing around, but suddenly calmed down, as another thought hit her. "Oh yeah, not everyone can wield the Chrono Cross, though. Its power can only be used by a select few. One of them was definitely Serge. But there has to be others, right? I mean, out of all the different dimensions, another person must exist. The question now is where...?"
A plinking sound was heard off in the distance, as the final grain of sand entered the bottom chamber of the hourglass. The air next to Leena began to shimmer as a form materialized. It was wearing the same purple robe and rainbow sash as before, but its face looked very grave indeed. Trutin had arrived.
"Have you decided upon your wish, mortal?" the supreme being asked.
"I think, but if I only had more time..." Leena trailed off.
"Unfortunately, that is one thing we do not have to spare. Even as we speak, the feline monstrosity and his other component are advancing their side of things. Time is up and the wish needs to be fulfilled!" Trutin boomed.
"OK, then I wish for you to stop Lynx's plan," Leena stated.
"I am sorry, but I cannot do that, mortal," Trutin responded, looking forlorn. "I can merely give you the means to carry out your actions. I cannot perform the actions themselves."
"I figured as much," Leena sighed. "Well, then my wish will be in two parts. Is that doable?"
"Most certainly," replied Trutin. "As long as the components of the wish are within my power."
"I think it'll fit in just fine," remarked Leena. "Well then, for the first part of my wish. I wish that the Chrono Cross was again whole and in my possession."
"Done," confirmed Trutin, as the healing artifact solidified itself in Leena's hands. "And the next part?"
"I wish that the person capable of wielding it was where I could find him or her and that together we could restore the true Serge's mindset," the village girl said, her voice filled with resolve.
"Let it be so," Trutin declared. With a wave of his arms, a dark howling rift opened beside Leena.
"What is this?" asked Leena, shocked.
"That is where you will find the one capable of wielding the power you hold within your grasp," Trutin answered. "I cannot bring the person to you, however. It is up to you to greet this mortal yourself."
The Arni girl just stared at the blackness of the stars and space through the hole. Lifetimes flashed before her eyes as the universe continued in its ever-expanding growth. It was a little intimidating, but Leena clutched the Chrono Cross tight against her chest. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "For Serge," before she stepped through the rift and left the island of Perfidia behind forever.
"May you find the courage you need to do what is right," Trutin called out, as the being of all and none closed the rift behind Leena. With another wave of its outstretched arms, Trutin hurried itself back to Praetoria. It was here that the other deities, eager to find out more how they would be allowed to remedy the damage already wrought, greeted the supreme being.
Clutching the charm around its necklace, the person had been trying to find its way home for what seemed like eons. There was a part of it missing, and the life form would not rest until it was whole again. Each attempt to return had brought the figure closer toward its goal, but it was still much too far away.
"I have to keep trying," it said. "I cannot give up until the gap is sealed." The figure clutched the charm even closer and called up the power within. A new gate opened in front of the person. This gate seemed different from the others, however. It seemed almost...divine.
"May the gods be with me," the form whispered, as it stepped through the howling rift, in search of the piece that would make it whole again.
Atikon's cries would make most people cringe. His whole form was bending and breaking itself to match the programming his psyche had absorbed. The sight was unbearable to ordinary mortals and downright wretched for those weak of heart. Lynx just grinned in glee. FATE would live again.
"AAAHHHhhhhhh..." Atikon whimpered, as his screams finally died down. The form that was now in front of the cat-man could not be described as Atikon any longer. With circuitry connecting every part to one another and nanites constantly maintaining its appearance, the new creature could only be described as one thing: FATE.
"Welcome back," Lynx said, an eager tone evident in his voice.
"Yes, my servant," FATE spoke, a grating sound to its speech. "You have done well in reviving me. My power is very limited, however. I need to be rooted in home once again."
"I can facilitate that change," Lynx explained. "All you need to do is send me back to reality. The rest will be taken care of."
"Then that is what will be done," buzzed FATE. It stretched out one of its mechanical arms and placed it over Lynx's head. The sound of motors churning produced an energy sphere at the tip of the grand computer's fingers. From there it settled over the feline demi-human. Lynx vanished from the space beyond reality, laughing the whole trip back. Its energy reserves drained, FATE closed its eyes and prepared itself for the moment it would once again control humanity.
Leena was shocked to find the one thing in front of her that she had least expected: Herself! In a state of slumber, her body was right in front of her, oblivious to all that took place around it. As she approached it, she placed her hand on the other Leena's shoulder to wake the girl up. Try as she might, though, she couldn't shake the form awake. Sighing, she tried to retract her hand, but found it was held tight.
Panicking, Leena tugged with all her might, but it was no use. Her body was stuck to this other person like glue. Attempting to give herself leverage, she used her feet to free her appendage, but they only ended up getting absorbed as well. Finally, an idea dawned on her.
'I think I've been going about this all wrong,' Leena thought to herself. 'Maybe instead of trying to wake this up with force, I need to fully join with her. Anyway, it's worth a shot.' The village girl then relaxed herself and allowed her form to flow together with this slumbering figure. It tingled all over, but Leena choose to ignore it. Once the fusion was complete, everything was once again dark.
'Oh no! I was wrong!' thought Leena, feeling sad at her failure. 'But how to get out of here now?' Suddenly, the world was again filled with light. Leena had an ache in her back and neck. Coughing, she brought her hand up to shield her sensitive eyes. In her hand was the Chrono Cross. Looking around, she came to the conclusion that she was once again in her own body.
In the distance, a figure in a gray cloak appeared. She could not make out its face, but it appeared to be lost just the same. There was nothing above or below Leena, but she quickly learned that she could move around just by thinking it.
"Hey, wait!" Leena called out to the hooded figure. At the sound of her voice, the mysterious person stopped and turned around. A chill wind blew back the cowl of her hood, to reveal a face Leena had never thought to see again.
"Is that really you?!" Leena asked, not believing what she saw. Wasting no time, the villager sped off to greet the figure.
Outside the entrance to Chronopolis, a black ball slowly descended down. The dark sphere touched the ground and slowly began to take shape. Hands and feet emerged. A head popped out. Claws adorned the appendages and a snout and razor teeth found their way onto the face. As the transformation completed, Lynx brought the heel of his boot down with a resounding thud.
"Ah, to be real again!" the feline exulted. "I am finally free from that void-like prison!"
Grasping his hooked blade at his side, the cat-man triumphantly pushed aside the door to his former home. As he entered the main hall, the various maintenance and security drones prepared to defend their domain. They scanned the demi-human and realized he did indeed belong here. Scuttling closer to the biological component of their supercomputer, they prepared themselves for his instructions.
"Yes, I have come home, my children," Lynx thundered. "I have been away for far too long!" The machines shuffled in approval.
"But we cannot rest just yet," he continued. "Your master will be home shortly and there is much work to be done!" Lynx then strode off and the myriad of machines quickly followed behind.
"So what shall we do now, Trutin?" asked Pallad, in the gods' home of Praetoria. "Simply sit here and watch?"
"You are not allowed to directly interfere," answered Trutin. "Although pertinent information is allowable."
"What do you mean?" wondered Ganta.
"There are contestants even now looked within the confines of a suspended rest, are there not?" Trutin responded.
"Yes," answered Pyrika. "However, they are watched over by the guardians of each realm."
"And it is well-known that the guardians have not been obeying our commands ever since two of our contestants prematurely left their confines," added Scyllor.
"Unfortunate for you," said Trutin. "What do you propose to do about that?"
"It seems that we must allow the one true champion to enter into each of our realms. Here she will find a representative of each sphere to carry with her into battle. The only way to do this, though, is to aid her in defeating the guardians," Mephos speculated.
"Your heads are all as dense as stones!" snapped Kylin. "Of course our wise surveyor is practically prodding us to go forth and give the champion and her companions hints. Only by doing this will she prove her worth."
"Patience, my dear Kylin," soothed Trutin. "Although, that is indeed the gist of what I am implying. Now go forth, and assist the girl in fulfilling her own destiny and that of those around her." The gods and goddesses nodded their heads in unison. Each then traveled to his or her own realm, where he or she would wait for the champion to arrive.
"So begins free will's last stand. And with it, our very existence," whispered Trutin.
"Kid? Kid?! Is that really you?" asked Leena, happy to see the energetic girl again.
The face beneath the cowl was indeed that of the blonde girl Leena and the others had come to know well. There was something different about it, however. Leena couldn't put her finger on it, but this was and was not the Kid she had known from before.
"You know Kid?!" replied the woman.
"Yes, of course I do," responded Leena. "You're her...aren't you?"
"I am afraid not," answered the mysterious girl, as she shook her head. "But I have been searching for her long and hard. For you see, I cannot be complete without her. You must take me to this girl!"
"Slow down!" Leena said, exasperated. Things were just happening to fast for her to follow. "If you're not Kid, then who are you?"
"Forgive me for my rudeness," apologized the woman. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am a princess from the kingdom of Zeal, which existed long ago. I have had many titles throughout my lifetime, but I think there is one that suits me best. You may call me Schala."
By: Daredevil3181