Chapter 16: Ash vs. La Mortua
The other seven, worried about what happened to Ash, fought with all their might, trying to beat La Mortua. So far, success was little, as La mortua kept healing himself after every strike. In addition, with Ash inside, they were panicking on a way to stop the behemoth form of La Mortua. "Dammit, why can't he just roll over?" Junpei growled.
"If we knew what keeps him regenerating, we can cease it and have a chance to kill him," Al hypothesized.
"Easier said than done," Rin moaned. "Ash has been swallowed whole, and, even though he's alive, I doubt idling here will keep him safe."
"I know that," Asuka hissed. "Fifth Child doesn't sit still in anyplace. I'm sure he'll find a way out."
"Or a way to defeat him," Kari choiced. Junpei, Asuka, Al and Rin peered at the brunette with an intresting look.
"What do you mean a way to defeat him?" Rin asked.
"Well, I've been thinking. We've been nailing him over and over, but he keeps recovering from all we dish out. Maybe Ash thinks the weakness isn't a headshot or a groin shot."
"Why didn't I try that yet?" Junpei hollared as he bolted towards the giant. "I hope you know how to sing soprano!" He pulled his fist back, ready to strike La Mortua in the groin. He lunged high, and targeted the spot. Suddenly, La Mortua lifted his knee and thwacked Junpei...in the crotch, making the girls turn away in disgust. The massive low blow sucked the wind out of the brute's lungs, before being flung to the far wall, and crashing into it. After landing, Junpei curled up, holding his groin in place.
"Ouch," Al muttered.
"My...baby maker..." Junpei whined in a squeakier and higher tone.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Asuka mocked. "I think I should've told him that I tried it before." Kari and Rin gave Asuka mean looks, making her sweat drop. Meanwhile, Ash was swimming through the bodily fluids of La Mortua. As he glided through the body, he was coated in a bubble of water, for protection from the stomach acids. After flowing through the acids, plus the veins, he found the heart.
"So, this is what makes him tick," he said. He flew up to a device, and saw an unconcious girl in a pink royalty gown. It was when he saw the head, that got the Pokeman in shock. "That looks like the ghost Kuriko loaned us. Is this a joke?" That's when a voice echoed through the walls.
"It's no trick, my little warrior." It was La Mortua. "It seems you and Princess Elizabeth have had a history together."
"Princess Elizabeth?"
"Queen Pandora's only child. I guess you only heard of what had occured to the Queen's fate. I know the back story."
"Of course, I would like to hear how the spirit of a girl I found in the Aoi Campus was the Princess of Darnell Lunaria, from a murderer."
"Sarcasm aside, I was wondering where she went. I searched every dimension from Ohfun to Chicago."
(A/N: Ohfun is the setting of "Rune Soldier Louie" and Chicago, Ill. is the setting of "Gunsmith Cats," which are owned by ADV films. Just thought I'd point that out. Love ya, Tiffany Grant.)
La Mortua continued, "Before I stormed the castle, the queen had casted a spell over her daughter, seperating her body and spirit. She knew that the princess would be benifical, if the two parts were together."
"Let me guess, you lured us here to help you find her."
"Actually, I was waiting for you from beyond the door. And, I do apologize for making an appearence in your dreams. You see, the outer shell of my demon form is rather syntheic."
"You mean, that this is fake?"
"Yes. The reason is that I can interogate you to help me find Elizabeth...before I kill you." Ash flashed a grin, trying to intimidate the killer.
"Kill me? You have no clue in who you're messing with."
"Moxy, aren't you? Against the most powerful magician in all dimensions? Surely, you and that body of yours can't defeat me in my home turf."
"Just what I like: encouragement about me being the underdog." Ash charged and fired a Bullet Seed/Ember mix attack, but, with wand in hand, La Mortua twirled it around, deflecting the attack. La Mortua flung black magic missile, but Ash countered with a Bubblebeam attack, snuffing the missiles. Another barrage of Bubblebeams were shot, alongside another round of Ember attacks. Instead of trying to hit La Mortua, the two attacks collided, kicking up a cloud of steam, hindering the magician's sight.
"Very clever, young man. However, this cloud won't stop me." With a wave of his wand, he cleared the steam cloud. However, Ash appeared to be gone. "Going a little fast for your own good?"
"Oh, you think? Might as well give me a speeding ticket." Ash reemerged behind La Mortua, with frozen Leaf Blades on his arms. The swing connected and cut the skin on La Mortua's chest. The black blood oozed from the wound as he knelt from the pain.
"You're the second person to ever lay a finger on me."
"May I ask who was the first?"
"The one who exiled me before I had my revenge: King Pandora." As he yelled the dead king's name, he launched throwing daggers at Ash.
"Better put my back to the test." Ash flipped, exposing Torkoal's shell. Suddenly, the daggers changed color to blue before hitting Ash, actually sticking on. The pain from the daggers sent Ash to the ground.
"How pathetic. You think that shell could protect you from my magic aqua daggers? Custom made." Ash had to think of something to remove the daggers from his back. He reached back and clamped one of the daggers and pulled it out. The dagger had some blood on the blade, as he tossed it to the side. As La Mortua closed in, Ash pulled every dagger out fast.
"Allow me to show you how pathetic this is." He tried to perform a smokescreen, but, for some reason, he couldn't. Then, La Mortua nailed Ash with an electric whip across his face. La Mortua followed up with a hidden sword strike, piercing Ash's chest, through and through. After removing the sword, Ash crumbled to the ground, distraught and bewildered that he was going to die.
"Look at you. You couldn't fight to save your life, much less your friends." He evily chuckled as he started to walk from the limp body. Without warning, Ash was rising to his feet. Weakened from the stab wound, Ash's legs were wobbling very badly.
"So, are you proving that you're a coward?" The sound of Ash startled La Mortua, now realizing he's still alive. Then, sounding somewhat like InuYasha... "I can still kill you where you stand." Suddenly, Ash's body started to glow as the wounds were closing up. La Mortua saw what appeared to be Yuna, not knowing who she was, using her magic to heal Ash.
"How is it that you can recover from my death blow that fast?"
"I can be pretty stubborn at times. Right now, you need to worry about how you'll go down." Charging, La Mortua had no idea on what Ash had planned. He swung the sword and hit Ash, but he vanished on contact.
"What the-" He turned around to see several Ashs staring down on La Mortua. "What kind of trick is this?"
"Ever heard of Double Team, you so-called magician?" Then, all the Ashs charged at La Mortua, different colored pincers, glowing. As they made contact, it kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke. Suddenly, La Mortua appeared, shaken, but unhurt.
"What skill. What power. This boy may be the death of me." Ash emerged from the smoke as it cleared.
"May be? You have no idea what my friends are capible of, even those who aren't here." Then, Ash's Leaf Blades and Pincers merged as it transformed into two golden swords. Ash was surprised to see the swords in his hands.
"The...the treasures...the treasures of Queen Pandora." Ash saw that he was a pathway to Elizabeth's body, and dashed. The swords were changing colors, like a rainbow, as La Mortua brought out his sword. They brought their swords back, ready to finish the other off. When they met, they struck. Outside of the body, the others were trying to think of a new plan. Suddenly, the giant started to struggle as it was being killed from the inside out.
"What's going on?" Kari wondered. A minute later, the giant dropped and started to dissolve.
"Did we...win?" Sasami questioned. Then Kari saw Ash, falling from mid-air.
"Ash!" As soon as he and Elizabeth's body thudded the ground, she and Rin ran over to help Ash up.
"He did it!" Al cheered, also joining the help. When Rin saw the body, she was surprised to see Elizabeth in the whole.(spirit-less still)
"It's Elizabeth," she muttered. This drew out Elizabeth's spirit, who also wanted to see what was going on.
"Of course," she realized. "I had my body separated when that man came by." Kari was trying to wake Ash from his sleep. That's when Koga saw blood below Ash's body.
"Oh no," he murmured.
"Ash..." Kari hummed. When he was turned over...
TO BE CONCLUDED...
Did Ash survive his battle with La Mortua? Is Elizabeth able to return to her own body? What about the others and their way back home? These will be answered as the Quest comes to a close.