dark-night-sky: XD Thank you!!!!!

RBMIfan: Really?  Honestly? ^_^  My guess is that you don't like flirts, huh? XD You really think so?  Wow, that's such a compliment! ^_~  I can't tell you which kingdom is next, but it's not any of those you named, XD.  Sorry!  Must follow order…

Ojamajo Doremi DOKKAN: Wow, interesting name.  *waves*  I love your site, dedicated to the best beyblade team in the whole wide world (I'm not that wild about Robert tho)  Thank you!!!!  It's updated every 5 days! XD

Kirsty: I see, XD, but they're not in a 'relationship' yet, either of them likes each other that much. XD

The Great Kuro Neko: Omg, how did I make it that they'll like Tala? XD  Never think positive on purpose, let me tell ya, it never works.  Obsession is good, *nodz* I get mad when it's Kai/Hilary *spits*, disgusting.

~kai~: I hate all exams…except my Info Tech one which included sitting in front computer for 3 hours just surfing the net! XD  Flirt with cute guys…like Tala? XD

Reicu: ;_; Hope you got your voices back, yes I'm tired of exams, I'm getting me report card this Thursday and if I don't have a 95% average, I'm going to scream.

Britt: ^_____^  Hey ya!  You don't wanna know Carly's reaction when Johnny 'tells' her, it won't be as expected, but it's still some ways……

~*~Prodigious girl*~*: Aye!  I watched Shaman King once, it's looks pretty good, I'll have to tune in next time.  It's good to have all kinds of personalities for the mages, so they won't all be stiff-necks. ^_^

Jazzy Jade Gurl: *glompz*  I looooooooove your fic!  No…I've never been sailing, I've been a ferry, but looking at water makes me sick, I can't swim so I hate water.  Umm…I don't know how to pronounce, just how it looks like I guess, not my character.  Kai's snide comment, *snickers*  Ahh…Moonlight Shadow…should update that…I'm losing interest in that. X_X  I've updated, hope you do soon too!

dreamer_gurl: *nodz*  It has been long. *giggles*  Did you catch up all the chapters?  Where d'ya go? ^____^

Beyblader-grl: Ah well, review is still better than no review! ^____^  I love sleep…^_^

Kerry: Gosh you post a ton!! ^_^, love reading long reviews.  LoL, that was funny. ^____^

whisper*2*imaginary: Can't forget the temper tantrums he throws, that's funny too! XD  I love it when people deny it, I always do. XD  Kane is absolutely gorgeous, mine mine mine! XD

scarlet diamonds: Sooooooooorry again that I overlooked your review.  Thanx for visiting Ty Kamara as well!  I like putting in different personalities for all the mages, if it's possible to have like 12 different personalities, but it's a change! ^_____^  Imagine if they were all replicas of the Fire Mage? ^_^U

bimbo-blonde: Really? ^_^ Lol, bubbly is good something, but I'm rarely like that. ^_^  Glad ya liked!

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Chapter 31: To Kill or Not to Kill?

         "Bye guys, hope you have a safe journey your Majesty," the Water Mage said cheerfully.  She covered her mouth, "Ooops, I forgot that you and I both dislike fancy royal titles.  See what the Fire Mage did to me???  He brainwashed me!  Now I've got all these royal titles stuck in my head, your Majesty, your Highness, your Excellency, argh!!!"

Cassandra sweatdropped, "Thanks.  See you later."

"Bye!!!!" the Water Mage said, giggling and spinning in the air.

"Good riddance," Hru muttered darkly.  She stormed out as fast as she could.

"Wow, what's eating her?" Tala asked in awe.

"Maybe she got up on the wrong side of her bed," Johnny replied.

"Hurry up!!!!!!!" Carly yelled, "Come on, come on, keep it moving, don't stop there!  We've got places to go, did any of you hear Ray?  His Kingdom is getting FLATTENED and he's not going to be very pleased if a typhoon hits his royal palace."

"Thanks for letting us stay," Holly said, gracious as always.

"You're welcome," the Water Mage said as they swam north, "Come back and visit anytime.  Bye now!"  She blew them a kiss.

"Ack!" Kai grunted, "I wish I didn't see that."

"I wish she was human," Enrique added sheepishly.

"I wish you had brains!" Carly snapped at him.

"I wish we never came here," Hru muttered, "My life would've been much more healthier."

Cassandra was looking at her Water Card, "It says we go north, or swim north, whatever.  The Water Palace isn't too far off, we should reach it in about half a day."

"Speak for yourself," Max said, stumbling in the water, "The good news is, I'm not seasick anymore.  The bad news is, it's really hard to move around in the water."
"It takes a while getting used to," Cassandra told him, "Once you get the hang of it, you'll feel like a fish!"

"I don't want to be a fish," Tala muttered.

"I wish you'd turn into an ant, then I'd squish the life outta you," Hru mumbled.

Tala overheard and stared at her with wide eyes, "Whoa, nasty today, aren't we?  What did I ever do to you?"
"Just never mind, leave me alone!" Hru snapped, swimming ahead.

Tala shook his head and glided up beside her, "What's wrong with you?"

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" Hru snarled, "What part of that sentence do you not understand?  Do you want me to spell it out for you???"

"I know what you said," Tala replied, as patient as ever, "But I asked you what was wrong?"

"Go away," Hru groaned, rolling her eyes, "You are so pathetic, you know that?"

"Now what did I do?" Tala asked, looking innocent and confused.

Hru groaned again, but she couldn't help a tiny smile at Tala's expression.

"What's wrong?" Tala repeated.

"Nothing," Hru finally answered, "Nothing, just a phase I go though in the mornings.  Got a little over touchy, that's all."  She was relieved when Tala didn't press on.

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         They were nearly at the Water Palace by mid day, they didn't see anything unusual, except for the fact that they narrowly escaped an area covered with whirlpools.  They passed all sorts of sea creatures and weird sea plants.  By then, most of them have already gotten used to their Water Resistance advantage and were moving around easily.  But Cassandra was by far the most at ease.

"I am SO sick of swimming," Tala muttered, "I am never going to go near water again, never ever."

"How do you plan on taking a bath?" Carly asked dryly, "With some purified sand???"

"You guys are regular comedians, aren't you?" Tala scowled.

"It wasn't supposed to be funny, man, I was being super sarcastic," Carly corrected.

"You guys, I think something's coming," Johnny said quietly, "Some sort of herd."

"How can you tell???" Kai demanded, "I don't hear a thing!"

"Me neither," Holly agreed.

"I can't hear anything either," Johnny said, "I observe, being a knight has its rewards you know, you become acutely more aware of your surroundings.  Look, all the small fish are scattering as fast as they can, that means something's coming.  And the fish are going the same way we're heading, that also means that whatever's coming is coming from behind us, otherwise the fish would be heading the other way."

"I've got to hand it to you," Kai said, "You're good at this stuff."

"Johnny, you're such a genius," Carly said with a false sense of sincerity, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up Carly," Johnny groaned, "You are so annoying!!"

"Something's coming," Holly said nervously as the water shook and faint dots were visible.

Tala squinted, "Looks like a bunch of jellyfish...and some squid."

"Eeeeew," Kailee said, "Squids are so gross, they have such slimy tentacles."

"How can you see??" Hru craned her neck, "I only see blurry dots."

"I have 20/20 vision!" Tala exclaimed, squinting again, "There's an octopus as well and...a few electric eels."

"They're friendly right?" Willow asked, "Just nature's creations passing by and leaving us in peace."

Then an electric shock was hurled at them, followed by bursts of black ink.  They all scattered away to avoid getting hit.

"Does that answer your question???" Cassandra yelled.

"Why can't they be friendly??" Kailee cried.

"Guys, these aren't normal sea creatures!" Hru shouted, "They're evil servants, look at their eyes, they all glow red."

"Now is a good time to run for it!" Max said.

"We'll never out swim them!" Kai scoffed, "There's too many and they're natural born swimmers!  We're foreigners!"

"Then that leaves one choice," Hru said, drawing her Spirit weapon.

"We fight," Tala finished for her, smiling grimly, "Just the way I like it."

"Nooooo," Kailee cried, "They're living creatures, we can't kill them!!!"  They all ducked as more ink spurts came at them.

"So are we," Tala pointed out, "And they don't have a problem with killing us!!!!"

The sea creatures were close enough to observe now, there were a few jellyfish and electric eels, a couple of squids, and one octopus who seemed to be in charge.

"That octopus is HUGE!!!" Kai yelled, "It looks like it hit its growth spurt a little too hard!"

The octopus raised one of its tentacles and all the creatures rushed at them.

"Curse all of you!" Carly snapped, smashing her bow into a squid's head, "I HATE jellyfish."

"Why???" Johnny yelled, beating one back with his axe.

"I don't know," Carly shouted back, "I just felt like I hate them all of a sudden."

"You're strange girl," Johnny said, shaking his head.

"Why are they attacking us????" Willow cried, defending herself with her staff, "They're not monsters!!!!!"
"They're being controlled, I think," Holly said, "They don't look like creations.  But how can we tell for sure??"

"Ask Hru to drain their spirits," Tala said, "If they're real creatures, then their spirits will be white, they're evil, their spirits are black."

"But then if they are white spirits, we would've killed them anyways!!!" Kailee cried.

"Do I look like I care???" Tala demanded.

"Why not?" Hru said, posing her Spirit Weapon ready, "I'll do it!!!!"
"Wait," Willow objected, "Don't!!"

The electric eels were circling Cassandra and trying to thundershock her while she was smacking them with her trident.

Hru had enough, she spun her weapon around and shot out a few black spirits, ready to suck the spirits out of their attackers.  But the sea creatures just scurried away.  "Oooh, I'll get you!!!!"

"Someone, get me out of this!!!" Max gasped as one of the squid wrapped its tentacles around his arms, "Let go!!!"

"Max!!!" Kailee cried.

"Ow ow ow!!!" Max wailed, "Kailee help!  Do something!  My arms are going numb!  I can't feel them anymore!"  He was trying to kick free.

Kailee was panicking and she did the first thing that came to mind.  She whipped out her wand and a stream of sparkles shot out and smashed into the squid.  The squid squealed and let Max go in its surprise, a trickle of blood streamed out from its head where Kailee hit it.

"Whew, thanks so much Kailee." Max said in relief.

Kailee was trembling and crying, "Oh oh, I'm so bad, I hurt another living creature.  I'm just like a murderer."

Max put his arms around her, "Don't cry, Kailee, it's not that bad.  It's okay.  That squid would've squeezed the life out of me if you hadn't acted the way you did."

Kailee kept crying, "I hurt it, I shouldn't have..."

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         "These eels are so annoying!!!" Cassandra groaned, trying to avoid being electrocuted.

Enrique swung his mace and tried to hit one, but it just glided away, "They're so slippery!!"

"Argh, ew, get away from me!!!" Carly yelled as the jellyfish tried to tangle her in their tentacles (or whatever you call those dangly things).

Willow was hitting the squids with her staff while Hru tried to get a good shot in, but the sea creatures were slippier than ice.

"What happened to Kailee??" Holly asked in alarm when she saw her crying.

"She's upset cuz she hit a squid," Max explained, "The squid had me and she used her wand by accident, I think, and she's really upset she hurt the squid."

"Don't cry Kailee," Holly said comfortingly, "These creatures can't be evil, they don't look like creations, they're not monsters."

Meanwhile, Johnny, Kai, and Tala were trying to size up to the monstrous octopus who was floating underwater and wiggling its slimy tentacles.

"Go!" Johnny yelled, swinging his axe at the octopus.

Tala followed with a twister his Wind conjured in the water, blowing the octopus off balance.  Kai's sword came down hard on one of the Octopus' tentacles and he followed with a good electric shock.  The octopus grunted and moaned, a blackish blood flowed out of his wound and drifted in the water.  The leg that was cut of by Kai dissolved into thin air.

"It's fake," Tala said, "That doesn't happen to living creatures.  This octopus is another stupid creature, that means we can kill it without hearing Holly and Kailee's whining."  He sounded annoyed.

"My sister and Holly do not whine," Kai said testily, "They're just concerned that's all."

"They need to set their priorities straight!" Tala shot back, not the least bit ashamed.

"Shut up," Johnny scowled before Kai could reply, "Don't freak out Tala, they're just different that's all.  And I agree with Kai, at least partily, Holly doesn't whine, Kailee's a different story."

"My sister's just sensitive that's all," Kai said, "She loves living things-"
"You guys watch out!!!!" Cassandra yelled in horror.

Before the boys had time to react, three tentacles shot out and wrapped around Kai, Johnny, and Tala and squeezed tight.

"Let go!" Kai growled, struggling to free himself.

"All living things huh??" Tala snapped, "Including creepy gigantic octopuses???"  He was thrashing around so much that the octopus squeezed him even tighter!

Johnny groaned and tried not to move in case the octopus decided to squeeze his lungs out or something.

"Hang on!!!" Cassandra yelled, her hands full with the electric rays, "STOP IT!!!!!"

Enrique used his Psychic hold to try to freeze the eels for a sec, "Cassandra, do something, I can't hold on for too long!"

Cassandra grabbed some long seaweed, which looked like streamers wiggling underwater and wound it tight around the eels, rendering them helpless as they sank on the ocean floor, struggling to free themselves.  Cassandra and Enrique started to swim towards the octopus.

"We've got to go help them!" Hru said, whacking her weapon on the squids and making them dizzy.

Willow copied Cassandra's suit and wound the seaweed tight around the confused squids and they started to swim too.

"Stay here with Kailee," Holly said, "I've got to go help them.  They're in serious trouble."

"Stupid boys!" Carly growled when she caught eye of what happened.  She snarled as the jellyfish rounded closer again, "And you're even more stupid, you know that???  I HATE jellyfish!!!!"  She fired a great blast of Ice from her hand and froze the jellyfish into a lump of ice which sank to the bottom of the sea.  She hurried to the octopus as well.

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         "Let go!!!!!" Johnny hollered, fighting to keep the tentacle from getting to his neck and throat.

"We have to slice off the tentacles!" Carly yelled at the others, "Hurry, before the guys choke."

"I'm on it!" Hru said, brandishing her Spirit weapon and slicing.

The octopus gave a wail of pain and smashed Hru back with one of its free tentacles.

"Be careful," Holly told Hru, "We should attack together and get one of them at a time."

"Tala first," Cassandra said, "He's freaking out there.  If he struggles anymore that tentacle's going to catch his neck."

"On it!" Hru leaped up again and sliced, this time, Enrique was behind her with a whack of his mace and Cassandra finished with a jab of her trident.

The octopus shrieked as its tentacle was detached from his body, more black blood oozed out and the tentacle dissolved.

Tala gasped for breath and landed tiredly on the ocean floor, completely winded.

Cassandra and Enrique started after him to see if he was okay.

"Don't bother," Hru said, shaking her head, "He'll be fine."

Carly swam up the other side and blasted Ice from her hands, freezing part of the tentacle that was holding Johnny so that the tentacle couldn't move or tighten. 

Johnny pried himself free and joined Carly, breathing heavily, "Thanks..."

"No sweat," Carly replied, "I still hate jellyfish."

Kai let out Thunder from his hand and shocked the whole octopus since no one would get injured now.  While the octopus was quivering in pain, Kai swung free and joined the others, panting heavily.  "Whew."  The Thunder was still electrocuting the octopus, making it wail and scream with pain.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick and painless!" Johnny snarled, smashing his axe into the octopus' head, "That's for choking me!"

Tala swam up and blasted lazer beams from his gun, eyes glittering, "And that's for winding me!"

Carly shot a couple of arrows straight into the octopus' eyes, "And that's for sending jellyfish!!!"

"EEEWWWW!" Kailee shrieked from behind, "That's gross!!!!"

Max hugged her close protectively, "Don't look."

Willow turned away as well, shivering in horror.

"Carly, that was sick!" Holly said in disgust, "If we have to kill it, can't you at least kill it in a civilized way??"

"If killing was could be civilized then it would be made legal!" Carly shot back, "I have perfect aim!"

Hru swung her weapon at the octopus, "And that's for attacking us!!!!"

Cassandra swam under the octopus and threw her trident straight into its mouth.  The octopus gave a strangled scream and dissolved.  Cassandra's trident floated down into her hands.

"We did it," she said in relief, "Whew, that was some battle."

"What are you going to do with those???" Johnny asked, pointing to the trapped sea creatures and half laughed at Carly's frozen jellyfish.

"We'll do this!" Hru said before anyone could stop her, releasing spirits hunters from her hands and letting them run through the helpless creatures.

"NO!" Kailee cried tearfully, "NOOOOO!!!!"

The spirits that came out of the sea creatures were all white and they started to float to Hru's spirit weapon.

"Stop!!!!" Kailee yelled, snatching Hru's weapon out of her hand, the white drifting spirits stopped and waited for the spirit weapon to be returned to its rightful wielder before continuing into the weapon.  "You killed them!!!!!!"

"So????" Hru snapped, reaching for her weapon, "Give it back!!!  It's mine!"

"Kailee!" Kai said, "What the hell are you doing???"

Kailee looked stubborn, "We can't kill them, they're living creatures!!  See???  They have white spirits!  We can save them, they're just brainwashed, we can make them into beautiful sea creatures again!"

"Well, I don't want to!" Hru snatched her weapon back and the spirits drained into her weapon, "There!  All done!  They deserve to die!"

"NO!" Kailee cried, tears filling her eyes, "You have to give them back their spirits!!!"

"Why?????" Hru demanded, "I don't HAVE to do anything!!!"

"Don't cry Kailee," Max said, turning to Hru, "You should give their spirits back Hru, they're not evil, they don't deserve to die anymore than we do."

Hru gritted her teeth and looked to Carly and Tala for support.
"I say if they die, they die," Tala said coldly, "They deserve it.  Who cares???"
"Come on people," Carly said, rolling her eyes, "Let's get moving!  Leave Hru alone, those creatures are as good as dead, personally, I don't care whether they live or die,  But the jellyfish deserve to DIE!!!"

Johnny and Kai sweatdropped.

"Guys," Holly pleaded, "They deserve a second chance.  They were alive and I can purify them with my Light.  Please Hru??  Please give them back their spirits."

Willow nodded in agreement, "Come on Hru, don't be a killer."

"Yeah, it's as good as murder!" Kailee cried.

Enrique didn't say anything, he didn't seem to care at all.

"Just give them their spirits," Cassandra said, "Then we can be on our way!  We'll never see them again anyways."

"I am not giving it back!" Hru yelled, "She called me murderer!!!"
"That what you are!!!" Kailee burst out, "If you kill those poor creatures!"

Kai held his sister back as she tried to grab the spirit weapon, "Kailee, NO.  Don't push Hru.  You apologize, right now!  Hru, if she apologizes, will you give the stupid sea creatures their stupid spirits back???  I'm sick of this whole argument!"

"Fine," Hru grumbled, eyes flashing, "Next time, I'll stay away from all you guys when I do my spirit hunting!"

"Sorry," Kailee muttered.

Kai shook her arm, "For???"

"Sorry for calling you a murderer," Kailee said softly to Hru, looking as if she really meant it, "I didn't mean it, I just wanted to save the animals."

Hru nodded curtly and let out the spirits with a whish of her weapon which traveled back to their rightful owners.  Holly let out soft white light from her palms and the Light purified all the sea creatures.  Cassandra released the electric eels while Willow untied the squids.  The eels and squids bubbled their grateful thanks and swam off.

"Carly, unfreeze the jellyfish!" Kailee said.

Carly shook her head, "As if, no way, do you know what those bastards did to me???"

"They were under an evil spell!" Kailee cried, "They didn't mean it!!!"

"I HATE jellyfish and I won't unfreeze them," Carly said stubbornly, "I'll stand here and argue all day if I have to!"

"Carly, please," Kai said, looking warningly at his sister as she opened her mouth, "Let's just go okay???"

"This once," Carly said in a menacingly voice, "But only because Kai asked me and he's one of my best friends.  This is the only time I'll unfreeze something I intentionally froze.  Never ask me again!"  She blasted more Ice at the frozen jellyfish and struck it so hard the ice shattered and the jellyfish swam off, "Stupid cursed jellyfish!"

"Now we can go!" Cassandra said, swimming off.

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            No tiiiiiiiime!!!!!!  I hope you enjoyed this, remember to review, man I'm a heck outta my mind with being busy, I'm sick of being busy.  Love all your reviewers, I haven't gotten this many reviews for this fic in a long time!!!! XD  I'm praying for winter break soon! Gosh, laterz, and review and enjoy!