I don't have the time for any story witticisms so I'll just do the important things.
First my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all you who reviewed.
Blu Rose
Maronakins
Lacto3.1415
Keikun4283
Osilus
Kid-author
The Usless Sempai
Ramon Noodle wishes and Cocoa Cola dreams to all of you. I'm single bachelor, no way I can afforded Champagne and Caviar.
Of second essential importance is what we fanfic writers call covering your ass or the disclaimer.
I don't own a damn thing from Disgaea or Phantom Brave. I should also include Rhapsody as well and maybe Metal Gear to be on the safe side.
Episode Four part B
You see boats everywhere in this part of Ivoire and the ship "Mother Green" was not by itself amazing. The simple wooden merchant vessel was well made and cared for with a beautiful carved women figurehead. Now there were a few things that made the Mother Green stand out. One it was converted into a battle ship by the Monster Libation Front. Two it was crewed by Monsters from small Scrabbites to large Behemoths and lizardmen. Lastly and most impotent was that it was flying over the city of Monetopia and blasting the heck out of the Hamm Circus. There was a huge gasbag over the ship where it's masts should have been that kept it afloat and massive fish like fins on the sides pushed it thru the clouds.
A cute pink furred cat girl walked out from the pilot house onto the deck. She looked sixteen or so and was dressed in a white nurse's uniform but it was altered to allow for a cat's tail and ears. Her legs where long, toned and smooth. Her bust was as flat as a desert horizon but this was natural as this fine image of a cat girl was if fact a boy. His name was Karl but insisted on the name Carla.
The cat boy Carla ran thru wisp of smoke from the ships canons and quickly found the person he was looking for. A young man looking over the side of the ship by the name of Raiden. Raiden was twenty years old, dressed in a yellow vest with a gray hood shirt and khaki shorts. He also had neck length blond hair but his green eyes like those of a bird of pray.
"Raiden-kun!" Carla cried out as he hugged the other boy and almost lost his balance and fell overboard.
"Would you stop calling me Raiden-kun!"
"Maybe, if you call me Carla once in a while."
"You're a boy Karl so just accepted that."
"But my heart is that of a pure maiden and it beats only for you Raiden-chan."
Raiden sighed as he remembered why he puts up with the gender confused cat person. Even for all of Carla's oddities he was the only other person to survive that hell with Raiden.
About Seven years ago Raiden and Carla were human lab rats used in Fusion experiments. That time was a bluer of pain and loneliness for Raiden as hundreds of Monsters had to have been fussed into him. After awhile all the little parts of the monsters souls add up and become grater then the human psyche can hold. Raiden lost his mind and all that made him human. It took years for him too get back to being someone normal.
Carla just suffer physical mutations as a result of the experiments cared out on him. When they were done with Karl any bit of the person he was had shattered and his mind glued the peaces back as best as it could. The end resolute was Carla beloved himself to be a cat girl and was hopelessly taken with Raiden.
To Raiden this was his family, Canary the man who rescued him was like a father, the cofounder was a mother and Carla was like a little brother slash sister to him. As Raiden thought about his past a small black raven flew up and landed on his shoulder.
"Nevermore!" Qouth the raven, Qouth also being the raven's name. Raiden nodded his head as he took in this new information form the cofounder's pet raven.
"Ok, Karl it seems that our cofounder and her advanced troops have the humans on the run. So I want you to find Penpen and free him. Try and avoid fighting, I'd like low casualties on both sides."
"Oh Raiden, your just like the noble warrior I always knew you to be."
Before Raiden could say anything back about ten glowing spheres of golden energy slammed into the side of the Mother Green. The airship shook violently and Carla lost his balance and landed right on his tail.
"Hey, who's taking pot shots at us!" Carla yelled as he rubbed his sore butt.
Raiden looked over the side of the ship, his keen eyes spotting their attackers.
"Some Rabbit looking kid with blue hair and a bunch of warriors, I bet their Chromas. I'll take care of them, you just get the ship out of range and find Penpen." Raiden said before jumping over the side of the boat without a second of hesitation or a parachute.
Back on the Ground
Laharl laughed as he saw the airship limp away. The fools up there didn't expect such a powerful attack like his Overlord's Wrath.
"Haahaha! That's right, run you cowards!"
Laharl was with Marona and everybody else in the now empty main plaza. They were sounded by large and impressive buildings. It was kind of scary that such a beautiful part of the city was now trashed by the fleeing masses or the just how still it had become.
"Hey somebody's falling!" Sanjuro said as he picked out Radian's fast falling form.
"NO, I can't look." Natsuko cried and covered her eyes but moved two fingers so she could peek out.
Raiden drifted toward one the tall building and was falling parallel to it. Then he reached out and clawed the building with one of his bear hands and ripped a lager groove out of the building. Radian's death grip on the building was actually slowing him down. When he landed it was as if he skipped the last few steeps of a staircase and not gone plugging thru thousands of feet of sky.
Gao whistled, she was impressed by the whole thing.
Raiden was also taken back by the fact that there where three children in the group, Marona, Natsuko and Laharl. "Look I don't want to anyone to get hurt here, especially not some kids."
"Then perhaps you'll surrender, No?" Leo asked.
"Sorry but I cant just walk away. I gave you a chanc so don't go crying about it later." Raiden said as he drew a black handled Katana and flipped the blade so he could strike with the flat end.
"Viridian Karma!" a powerful but unstable aura shimmered around Raiden. It was so unreal that Marona felt her hair tingle just looking at him.
-The Monster Rescuer Group Mobile lab-
The needle in a monitoring devise jumped back and forth wilding with the release of a massive magical energy. The lab tech monitoring this called over one of higher ranking doctors.
"Sir, Look at this! This energy spike is so powerful it's of the carts."
"Ah, that must be Raiden."
"Raiden?"
"I guess your new. Raiden was an experiment of our some years ago. We fussed anything we could find into that boy. It nearly killed him a few of times but the end result was his abilities to channel physical Magic on an near quantum level, we named that effect Viridian Karma. Truly that man is a human weapon."
"Sir, why would we do that to someone like that? I mean what was the goal of such treatment."
"Laramie wanted to see how long till a human body died form fusion. Specking of she devil I haven't seen her."
"The Chief took the new Golem and it's portable control devises out for a filed test. We told her it's still far form field ready."
"Well if she killed by it I get a promotion. Keep monitoring the battle."
"Yes Sir."
-Back to the Battle-
Sanjuro's daggers flashed thru the night as he quickly pulled them form their sheaths. "So your planning on handling us with kid gloves, Huuh? Well that's going to be your last mistake."
As the demon Chromas prepared to fight Laharl did something very out of character, he started to leave. "I'm going to find Penpen and keep him safe."
"Your Leavening us now?" Rosenqueen asked.
"Look your all capable of kicking blonde's ass over there but if we loss Penpen the we loss our pay." 'not to mention he could get away to the Netherworld and tell Etna that he saw me here.'
"Yeah, I see your Pont."
Laharl took off running without say another word and left everyone one else to deal with the inhuman Raiden. With Laharl gone our hero's fighting power dropped considerable but they still outnumbered Raiden seven to one. This should be an easy win, right?
The heavy hitter of Leo, Gao and Sanjuro moved in around Raiden but he was not in the lest bit fazed by the odds. The three demons attacked together as if one.
Forest green light played off Radian's free hand as he placed his palm on the coble stone street." Burning Refuse!" Large rings of fire blazed out around Raiden like a shield to protect him from the attacking demons.
Sanjuro was quick enough to get away before being burned but the fire hadn't even died down when Raiden jumped thru flames to attack the him. The dull side of Radian's sword smashed Sanjuro's right arm out of joint before he could even get his guard up. Still even while under attack Sanjuro lashed out with his the dagger in his left hand.
"Fire Slash!"
This sort of close quarter fast combated was Sanjuro's specialty and yet Raiden ducked under Sanjuro's counter attack with a amazing speed that no human could match. He then grasped Sanjuro's neck and slammed his head into the ground. Thankfully before Raiden could beat Sanjuro anymore Leo came to the rescue.
Leo attacked with his ax held high and swung with enough forces to smash a rock to pebbles. Yet the attack was halted in mid strike not by a parry but by Radian's own hands clapped around the ax blade. It may have looked comically if Leo didn't fell like he was livening in some nightmare.
"Mega Ice!" off in the distances Natsuko finished casting the spell but Raiden was so fast he managed avoid most of it, only right arm was frost bitten by the every edges of the attack.
Just as Raiden moved away from Leo the knight thought he saw something in Radian's eyes. He had walked thru fire and stopped a fly ax with out so much a flinch but the spell from Natsuko had caused a flick of fear in his eyes.
Now seeing a real threat Raiden made a B line right to the witch girl. Natsuko started casting another spell but Raiden was not going to let that happen. Once again the forest green light of physical magic shined from Radian's free hand.
"Tangled Ivy!"
Green thorny plants sprung up around Natusko's feet and grow with surprising speed. In a few seconds the ivy had wrapped around Natsuko's arms and she was held fast and Raiden came even closer.
"Ayeeeeee! I'm being molested by plants! Help, before they violate me in dirty unnatural ways!"
There was a screeching sound as Raiden lost his footing a slid the last few feet to Natsuko with a large sweat drop hanging off the side of his head. The young girls accusations left him shocked and comply unprepared.
'Good it work, now if I can just string him along till help arrives.' Natsuko thought to herself as she smiled cutely but switched back to a look of fear and horror when as Raiden got to his feet.
"Help this sicko going watch as I'm dishonored by plants!"
"Just what kind of man do you think I am…?"
"I'll even be able to look myself in the mirror again."
"Look I think you got the wrong idea here… …"
"There's no choice left, I'll have to commit Hari-Kiri to regain my honor as a women."
"Stop it! I'm not going to anything like that."
"Really?" Natsuko asked as fake tears dripped down her checks.
"Really, I'm just trying to stop you form hitting me with any magic." It was then that Raiden remembered that he was in a battle and that Natusko's friends were rushing to help her. 'Why am I consoling the enemy?'
"You're messing with are aren't you?"
In an instant Natsuko drooped the damsel in distress look and suck her tongue out at Raiden while she pulled down one of her eyelids. "And you feel for it, Baka!"
Raiden smiled viscously at Natsuko as he flipped this katana around so the sharp edge was facing out. The blade slashed at Natsuko with the speed of a thunderbolt and fully aimed to separate her head from her shoulders. Natsuko started to scream but it was cut short.
A lone red Santa hat rolled down the street being cared by a gust of wind. Raiden stood still as death his face a mask of regent and shame.
"Dear god… what have I done. Not one foot away and I comply miss."
Natsuko crouched low her eyes wide with fear. Radian's sword had only knocked her hat off but she had felt the blade pass just over her head. She wanted to move but her body felt weak and shaky.
'How do you like that you brat? Not so much fun when someone else is messing with you is it? I'm not going to kill you but a little love tap from the flat side of my blade will send you off to dreamland and out of my hair.'
As Raiden drew back his sword to strike he saw a flash of moment out of the corner of his eye.
"Blade Rush!"
Marona covered the last few yards to Raiden in a bust of super speed. Marona's sword was Vic al Vic with Radian's own. Raiden only had on had on his sword but Marona had to use both of hers and it took all her power to hold him off.
"Why are you attaching a Circus full of innocent people just out for some fun?"
"Innocent? Don't make me laugh, no human is innocent. This curies uses the life's of it's imprisoned monster as a sores of entertainment for the human masses. By sacking this place it sends a warring to all who would abuse this world for there own gain and shows the new and daring tactics of the Monster Liberation Front." As Raiden spoke he pushed harder on his sword and slowly but surly Marona was being pushed back.
"I'm not going to let you get away with this!"
With strength that surprised Marona as much as it did Raiden she pushed him off balance and he tumbled backwards. She could have pressed the attack but getting Natsuko to safety was far more important.
Marona slashed low and severed the root of the Ivy that held Natsuko. Quickly she grabbed Natsuko and they took off running as fast as they could.
Raiden had gotten to his feet and was about to go after them when he senesced something from behind.
"Gale Slash!" Rosenqueen's sword cleaved thru the sky with a lime colored glow as she attacked.
Raiden easily block the merchants attack but she had already set up her next move.
"Keep the change, Profit Punch!" Rosenqueen yelled as she slammed a fists full of coins into Radian's abdomen.
It wasn't a powerful attack but Raiden bent over as the air was forced form his lungs. Rosenqueen took this chance to regroup back to the others and Raiden was now beyond pissed. "That's it no more messing around!"
Raiden drove the Pont of his sword into the earth and the deep green glow returned but stronger then before. "Warthquike!"
The earth erupted in front of Raiden in giant sharp daggers of rock that rushed toward our heroes. Nyx steep in font of the on coming attack and held her staff high as she cast a spell.
"Magicwall!"
A glowing dome of light surrounded everyone as the Physical magic spell bounced harmless off. Still maintaining the shield took much of Nyx's power and she doubted she could keep it up much longer.
Raiden cast a earth healing spell on himself and Marona tented to her friends behind Nyx's shield. It seemed as if the fight had reach a draw with nether side gaining and advantage but soon the fight would start again.
-else where in Monetopia-
Laharl jumped over toppled circus booths and split cans of garbage. Humans that fled the monster attack had trashed the circus in their panic. The circus was smashed and nothing was where he remembered it.
"Damn all human cities and the fools who designed them!"
There was also the fact that Laharl was lost but he's not going to admit that now is he. He turned down a side street which he hoped was a short cut and barely had time to doge the huge stone fist that came flying at him. Before the demon prince stood who most have been the most terrifying Golem even made.
"Damn that was to close." Laharl said as he readied his six foot long katana.
The Golem was dark brown in color and was huge even by the standers of such monsters. There was also the same darkness about it like the summon monsters Laharl had fought at Windmill Promontory.
Unknown to Laharl, Dr Laramie was hiding in a side alley as she watched one of her prized specimen stare down a real demon. In her hands she held a large remotecontrol used to manipulate the Golem.
'Alright Demon, let's see how your stats rate.'
A few control flips later and the golem was on the offensive. Laharl was far more agile but it would only take one hit from the golem's to smash him flat. There was a constant shower of blue sparks as Laharl's sword collided with the rock of the golem's skin.
Laramie couldn't take it anymore as started to giggle to herself as she watched Laharl fight. 'Give it up, boy. We used the most powerful impacted drivers and drills known and couldn't even chip that golem's skin. Your death is only a matter of time!'
Laramie broke out into another chorus of cartoon vileness laughing. Then one of the golem's punches sent small rocks flying everywhere and one of then knocked the control out off her hands and it shattered against the ground. Now Laramie didn't need to be a genies to know what was going to happen next. The Golem stopped it's assault on Laharl and turned it's malice filled eyes on Laramie.
"Oh Shit."
Laramie turned to run but the Golem already drew back it's fist to attack. In her mind Laramie's cold rational already calculated the weight, velocity and the forces of the impact the Golem's punch would have on her. It was with 100 currency that she could not escape and death would be instant. In about 0.5 seconds it would be over. Laramie then saw and fleet a red flash of silk crest her check from behind and a sudden rush of speed.
In that half a second Laharl had grabbed Laramie and dashed about two blocks down the alleyway. As the reality of what happened sank in Laramie saw that Laharl had broke out in Goosebumps and dropped her a heartbeat latter as if she was a raw bag of trash.
"Damn you women! I actually had to touch that sexy body of yours. After that it may just take some effort on my part to kill this hulking beast. Overlords Wrath!"
The golem armored skin shattered and large chunks of it's body were blown away. The giant monster reeled back and fell over sending a could of dust blowing over Laharl and Laramie.
Laramie was still getting over the fact that by all scientific right she should be dead. This just didn't seem real, was Laharl really this strong and if this was him handicapped what was his true potential? Laharl just started toward the golem like a hunter closing in for the kill. It was over so fast Laramie couldn't register most of it.
From the ruined remains of the golem a dark miasma came seeping out. Laharl extend a hand and let the darkness leech into his body. As the Dark Mana entered him, Laharl could see visions of pain and snuffing unknown to anything living. The hate of something unknown power and the whisper of something else but it was over quickly. Laharl just smiled for another fraction of his power had retuned.
"I few hundred more like that I can return to my former self."
With the Golem dead Laharl strolled down the alley comply uncaring of anything right now, drunk on his new power. As the Overlord walked pass Laramie she could feel the power he had radiate off him. She felt her breathing and pulse quicken as he legs went weak and gave in under her. All the thoughts of data and calculations faded from her mind. With an Overlord the number just didn't add up right.
After Laharl had left and Laramie had most of her senses back she made a decided. "Laharl I'll have your power as my own someday, This I swear."
With her mind made up Laramie begin thinking of the perfected tarp for this new highly sought after specimen.
Once again back to Marona.
Marona was working some healing Magic on Sanjuro as Nyx was still to busy keeping the magic wall up. Natsuko had recovered for the shock and Leo had only minor injuries. Gao just had some singes and sot on her face from Radian's fire attack.
"Are feeling any better?" Marona asked.
Sanjuro gave her a weak smile. "My arm feels fine thanks to you but my pride has taken the worst of it. It's not ego when I say this but I'm the fastest one here. Yet that Raiden guy made me look like I as standing still. If anyone has any ideas on how to take that basted down I'm open to suggestion."
"Maybe we could all hit him at once?" Gao suggested with her common grasp of tactics.
Leo shook his head. "Non, Raiden has speed we can't even touch. Being so swift it's an almost flawless defense."
Marona scratched the side of her head in frustration as nothing was going right. "It aggravating to fight someone so unbalanced. How can anyone get that fast and that strong?"
Even as Nyx struggled to keep the Magic wall up she carefully said one word. "Fusion."
A light bulb appeared over Natsuko's head as Nyx's relation hit her. "Dud how dumb could I be, it's so obvious now!"
"What so obvious?" Asked Marona.
"Sword boy over there got all his super speed and power from fusion. I'd bet good money that's how he can cast physical Magic without a natural item and why he went after me. If all his abilities came from fusion then he should be very weak to magic. Now if only he could stand still or I knew were he was going to be could hit him with a spell and it be over."
There was a sudden smacking noise as Gao punched her fist into open hand and cracked her knuckles. Gao had a somewhat maniac look in her eyes.
"All right. All we need to do is get Natsuko hit him with a spell, no problem. Natsuko I want you to start casting your strongest spell."
"like I just said, it's no good. He's so fast I can't target him."
"I didn't say target him. I want you to aim your spell directly at me."
"What?"
Before anyone could stop her Gao rush out of Nyx's protective wall.
"Hey, you tree hugging girly boy! That's a nice sword, do they sell weapons for MEN where you bought that! It must be hard getting a girl with looks of yours. Every time you try it must be, 'Sorry lady I don't swing that way' but the guys are probably all over you!"
"Thor's Finger!" Raiden was sensitive about his looks. It was hard for him to keep up a tough guy image when you had a sixteen year old boy hanging off every other seconded.
Gao had a slit second warning and dove forward just as a bolt of blue lighting exploded just behind her. Gao's body was just hitting the pavement when she pushed herself back up and into a run. She risked a look back and saw the Raiden was chasing after her and closing in fast.
Running was useless now and Gao turned to face Raiden and it was then that prepared to strike and he was not using the flat of his blade this time. Gao just smiled as he came after her and she knew this fight was over and she had won.
Ice blue sprites of frost danced around Gao and Raiden as the swordsmen worked out what had happened. Raiden had been suckered and Gao smiled at him as if to say, 'Happy trails!'
"Gaga Ice!"
Natsuko put all of her magic into the one spell freezing both Raiden and Gao inside a huge block of ice. It lasted only a seconded or two before shattering as if it hit by a iron wrecking ball and that force was transmitted right to their frozen bodies. Raiden fell forward numb and unable to stand under his own power. He would have hit the ground had it not been for Gao's foot racing to meet his face.
"Drill Kick!" The kick from Gao sent Raiden flying backwards and into some garbage on the other side of the street.
Gao was still sore for the ice attack but still she stood tall and prod. Slowly she walked toward her downed opponent with only a slight limp. "Your fast and strong, unbelievably so. Yet you didn't earn that power did you? Because if you did your Strength and Speed would have been balanced out with something you lack… …"
"… Endurance!" Gao barded her fanged teeth and she pulled back as her black gloves.
A beautiful feminine silhouette dropped out of the night sky with black wings extending as she landed gracefully on the ground in front of Gao. The Amazon stopped for a moment just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
"It can't be you…" Gao said as the women before rose to her feet and unsheathed a katana. A small black raven landed on the women's shoulder as she fixed the red rose in her lapel.
"……Crowdia!"
Crowdia smiled sweetly at Gao for only a moment. After all that happened Gao hadn't changed at all, headstrong and reckless as ever. Before Gao could say anything else Crowdia held up her left hand and started to cast a fire spell.
"Don't push me Gao. I'd hate to hurt you but you know I will if I have to."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the cofounder of the Monster Libation Front and that young man you just attacked his our acting commander."
"That's not a good enough reason to threaten our own family like this."
Crowdia didn't answer. She saw that Gao wasn't going to attack and stayed her spell. Then she turned around to go help Raiden. Of course Carla was already there appalling a healing spell to their downed leader.
"Sorry but I was a little over zealous and bungled this mission." Raiden said to Crowdia as Carla helped him to his feet.
"Don't say that! Just give me the word and I'll mess them up good!" Carla said as he bared his fangs.
Raiden laughed softly, Carla was almost useless in a fight but he had a good sprit. Without even thinking it he scratched the pink haired cat boy's ears as if he was a pet. Carla felt the anger and tension rushing out of him and he almost purred.
"Your too kind Karl."
"All I want is to be useful to you, Raiden-kun."
"Come on you two. We should cut our losses." Crowdia said as she cast a white magic circler around herself and her friends. Then with a word they all disappeared in the still night air.
With the enemy gone Gao give into the weariness of the fight. She sat down the ground and tried to work the soreness out of her neck. Still Gao had won and she could see Marona and everyone else running up to her.
Natsuko was the first one to reach Gao but before Gao could say anything the witch girl slapped her and started cry.
"You stupid selfish Jerk! How could you make me do that? I could have killed you!"
"Hey, hey it's all right we won."
"I thought we were like sisters so how could you? I don't wont to loss anyone my magic. I don't want to kill another big sister with my magic everagain!"
Natsuko bared her head into Gao's chest and stated to sob uncontrollably. Shame filled Gao as Natsuko cried and it wasn't long till tears started to run down her eyes as well. Leo and Sanjuro had the good manners to look way and not say anything.
A few seconded later Laharl came walking down on of the side streets looking madder then he's ever been. "Damn Prinny got away."
"Tch! So Mr. I'll run off and take care of this while you guys handle the sword welding super freak comes back empty handed! We may have lost out on the reward because of you!" Rosenqueen said with disgusts.
Laharl tensest with anger, anger not at Rosenqueen who only said what everyone else was thinking but at himself. Penpen had gotten away and must be on his way back to the Netherworld and because the target despaired their pay might go with it.
A soft hand fell on Laharl's should and he knew it was Marona's instantly. She gave him that beautiful cheerful smile that could reassured him and gave him strength at the same time.
"It's ok Laharl. We're all safe and I'm sure everyone at the circus got out unharmed as well. We also managed to drive off the Monster Libation Front and that's got to be wroth something, right?"
Laharl didn't believe a word Marona said, after all in his mind humans are little better then greedy jackals that walked on two legs but her smile. That smile that made his heart skip a beat. This was not the first time since meeting Marona her calm and forgiving behavior put Laharl at ease and he smiled back at her.
While Marona and her friends gathered themselves the escape Prinny had tasted freedom and it was sweet. The panicking humans gave Penpen his best chances to make a brake for it.
Getting out of the cage was ease for Penpen. He blow the door open with a bomb that was about twice the size of himself that he pulled out of his small fanny pack. How that works is not well known put he did it anyway and was now free.
"Gatekeeper get me out of here, Dood!"
A long few minutes passed before Penpen accepted the fact that the gate keeper was not going to help him. Now that Penpen thought about it he came to Ivoire by accident so the gate keep might not even know this world. Sadly this meant Penpen would have to use the old Prinny way to get to hell.
Quickly Penpen found just what he was looking for, a seven foot tall Lizardman from the Monster Libation Front. He didn't give himself enough time to think it over and just acted.
"Prinny Dood!" Penpen yelled the tradition Prinny war cry as he attack the large monster with two knifes. Lighting fast but weak blows rained down on the lizardman making it more angry then causing real damage.
The lizardman's plate sized hand grasped Penpen with a vice strong grip. Surprisingly and comically the Prinny squeaked like a childes plush toy. The scaly monster hurled the Prinny thru the air.
"I'm dead, Dood!" Penpen cried before hitting ground and exploding.
Now Penpen was back in the netherworld, out cool and in a broken painful state but he was home. Hell had ever felt so good.
The sun had come up and the damage to the curice was not that bad really. Still there were no happy faces as Marona meet with Ringmaster Hamm and a young male tech from the Research Group as Dr Laramie was called away or so he said.
"On behalf of everyone at the group I like to thank you for you efforts today."
Marona bowed politely. "Your welcome and it was our pleaser."
The tech coughed a little no sure on how to say this. "While you have our thanks the objective of protecting Penpen has gone unfilled so we can not pay you the agreed sum or any money at all."
Marona looked really hurt but she had ready herself for the hurt this time. "But we all tried so hard and Gao, Gao almost died today fighting off Raiden. No one else even tried to fight back but us, that must be worth something!"
"Your right and you have our thanks. Good day."
Without so much another word the tech left leaving Marona with Ringmaster Hamm. Marona bowed to the Ringmaster but it was low and apologetic.
"I'm sorry I could not look after you star attraction like I said I would Mr. Hamm."
"Well… … yeah, thanks. You see…." Hamm stumbled for words as confuting people was never something he was good at. Yet he could not leave the Marona like this.
"You did good work today Chroma and I mean that. Ravens would have only looked out for the paid target not even thinking about others around them. You may have lost Penpen but you save my circus, my livelihood. For that you have my thanks and that of my employs and if I need a Chroma your at the top of my list."
Marona looked up at Hamm and smiled. "Mr. Hamm your so kind."
Hamm had been called many things over the years. Some you wouldn't repeat to a sailor. It had been years from the last time someone called him kind.
"Well little girl think I can give you some small token of my thanks."
Later at the dock Marona meet up with the rest of here demon crew with a long flat brown box tucked under her arms.
"Hey guys I'm back!"
Rosenqueen notes that Marona didn't have the money and sighed deeply. "I knew those cheep assholes wouldn't pay up."
"Maybe so but Ringmaster Hamm gave us a little something for our trouble, Look!"
Rosenqueen took the box from Marona and opened. All the colored drained form the merchants faces as a big purple rubber Prinny suit fell out of the box. It was the same Prinny suit she had to ware when she had a side job as mascot. She could partially smell the sweat and shame rolling off the stupid thing.
"Cute, huh?"
FOWBD!
Rosenqueen slammed the head piece on Marona backwards and then marched off to the hovercraft. Leavening a puzzled Marona behind her.
The Overlordess Castle in the Netherworld
The Overlords Castle had not changed much under the rule of Queen Etna. The throne room was redone with a some pink and black drapes to give it what Etna called, 'a little sexing up.' Still the place was a lot calmer then it had been in years past.
When the short rule of Laharl came to an end it was like the age of anarchy all over again. Powerful or not there were many who didn't take to a common born demon like Etna as their new Overlord. With the help of her trusted Vassals Etna restored power rather quickly.
However the gate that locked Celesta and the Netherworld apart was no more. That had been no out right attacks or acts of war from either side but it was only a matter of time. The angels would not let the death of their leader go unavenged, Lamington would disapprove if he knew of this. Vengeances was not the way of angles.
Bruised and broken Penpen dragged himself into the Throne Room to tell Etna the news. The Over ordess was sitting calmly on her throne looking almost bored but she still had that salutary almost cat like grin affixed on her face.
Where there was Etna there was her number one vessel, Flonne. The Angle had, under Etna's constant insisting, done some sexing up her self. Gone was the white angle trainee robe, in it's place was a dark blue mini skirt and black short sleeved shirt with purple lacing around the stomach and arms. It showed off just about as much as Flonne old clothes around the legs but the new look exposed her midriff and bellybutton.
It was Flonne who noticed the injured Prinny first that or maybe Etna just didn't care.
"O Lord, Power of Love." the angelic healing spell worked it's magic on the beaten Prinny.
"I found him." Penpen rasped out painfully.
"Found who?"
"The Prince, I found Laharl."
A spilt second later Penpen was being pulled between Etna and Flonne like a plush toy between two children. Etna won the tug of war and stated shacking Penpen and yelling at him.
"Prince! Where! When! How!"
"Laharl was on some human world called Ivoire. I got lost in a failed teleportation gate and wound up as an oddity in some curies. I saw Laharl in the crowed just before I made my daring escape."
"Who the hell cares about you! Why didn't you bring the Prince with you when you came back?" Etna yelled and tossed the dizzy Prinny on the floor in disgust.
"The gate keeper couldn't open a portal so maybe Laharl's trapped there." Penpen answered with swirls of eyes and a sharp pain in his head.
Quickly Penpen shock his head clear and started rummaging thru his fanny pack. "Wait a seconded I found a picture of Laharl when I made my brake out."
Flonne and Etna snatched the glossy photo from Penpen's flipper in a heartbeat. The two girls looked so happy, seeing Laharl after eight long years even if it was just a photo. Then it went wrong, their hands clenched white with rage.
There was something in the photo the girls didn't like. The border of Prinnies holding up hearts with the words "Our First Date" at the bottomed but that wasn't the problem. The problem was Her, that girl Laharl holding oh-so-close and him. A green hair Human girl of all thing. jealously, betrayal, anger, sadness, rejection and so many other emoting tore at Flonne and Etna leaving both of them royal pissed off.
"Who is that flat chested, green haired, human hussy!" Flonne and Etna boomed in sonic duet. At that moment Marona felt a sudden chill run down her spine.
Episode Four end.
Vyers: Bon Jour Everybody.
Laharl: No, not this fruitcake again!
Marona: Is Vyers a friend of your Laharl?
Laharl: More like an unwanted pest.
Vyers: Pleases lessen to my tragic story, of passion and of love lost but not forgotten. My tall begins with the end of my true loves life. Her life gone in a accident on the day of our wedding!
Natsuko: poor guy.
Marona: that heart breaking
Rosenqueen: Horrible, just horrible.
-All the girls started crying-
Laharl: Your not all buying this are you?
Vyers: we meet on the dance floor and fell in love with each other moments and the beat of the music, our souls moving in harmony. With her gone I feel the throbbing bass of the dance no more and have give up that life.
Laharl: Good, last thing anyone wants is a disco throw back like you.
Marona: Laharl, shush! some of us are trying to watch.
Natsuko, Rosenqueen and Gao: Yeah shut it brat!
Vyers: Then on day I hear he soul call out to me and order me back to the dance floor. I train night and day wining compaction after compaction and daces till my body almost gives out. For her my love is everlasting.
Laharl: if your all still buying this I have a bridge I want to sell you.
Vyers: Next Time on "Love Dance Rebellion" Episode Five. Secret Symphony.
Vyers: Feel the rhyming of my love in the beat of the dance.
Laharl: Your not foreshadowing anything here are you Slayzer?
Slayzer: I'm just going to say the next chapter will be interesting.
Laharl: I want a written guarantee that your not dragging Midboss into this fic.
Slayzer: … … … …
Laharl: Hey! Say something damn it!
Slayzer: I don't make promises or guarantees.