I tried to make this one longer and less rushed than the last one, butI think it's still a bit too fast at the end.
Dis: (enter standard disclaimer here)
Nobody tried to stop them as they made their way up three flights of stairs into the throne room.
In the room were four women. One was sitting on the throne, and the other three were kneeling in front of her. Andriana, understandably, didn't know who they were, but Arietta would know them in her sleep. Barnette, Kodelle, Glamyss, and Catranne.
"Who are you? Why have you come here?" Barnette demanded. The three witches turned around and faced the two teens.
"My name is Arietta, and this is Andriana. We were told that you may be able to help me," Arietta said, silently laughing at the recognition spreading over their faces. Kalas and Gibari sighed at the same time.
"Arietta? As in the Guardian Spirit that our Queen bonded with?" Barnette asked.
"That's me. And that's also the reason we need help."
"'We'?"
"Yeah, somehow… Everyone got turned into Spirits when I was thrown back into my world, and they came with me, and we can't figure out why they're still Spirits."
The four Wazn natives looked stunned for a second. Andriana nudged her best friend.
"I think you should start from the beginning." Arietta nodded and began to explain.
---
"And that's basically what happened," Arietta finished. There was dead silence for a minute before someone spoke up.
"I'm not sure how to help you," Barnette finally said.
'You mean we came all the way from Mira for nothing!' Kalas exclaimed. Andriana jumped.
'Hush, Kalas,' Xelha admonished.
'Calm down, kid, it's not the end of the world,' Gibari reasoned.
'Uh, guys? The name 'Eris' ringing any bells? Hello?' Kalas replied hotly.
"Will you three PLEASE stop arguing?" Arietta finally cut in, startling the others in the room. She sighed at the instant silence. "Thank you. Now, Kalas, stop being gloom and doom, Gibari's right, it's NOT the end of the world, yet." She glared at the dark blue light. An image of Kalas superimposed over the light and glared back.
"Unfortunately, that day may come sooner than expected…" Barnette said gravely.
"What do you mean?" Andriana asked, adapting to this world quicker than Arietta expected. Kodelle held out a sheet of parchment. Heart sinking into her stomach, Arietta took it and read it out loud.
"The storm has passed, the rainbows come, and after rainbow, sun. Then thunder roll and lightning flash and Chaos then is done. Golden shine then Rainbow fair, next to go is the Frontier."
"Frontier? Which island is that?" Andriana asked. A feeling of sick fear settled in Arietta's chest.
"Alfard, then Anuenue, next is Sadal Suud…" she whispered. "We have to get there as soon as possible to warn Rodolfo."
"We will give you what aid we can," Barnette said. Arietta nodded and dragged Andriana out the door.
They had just reached the main staircase when Arietta heard Catranne's unmistakable footsteps. (AN: I swear, she's a duck!)
"Hey! Wait up!" Arietta and Andriana stopped. Catranne came up to them and held out a pair of Magnus. "I found these a little while ago, maybe you can use them." Arietta took the Magnus with a word of thanks, and Catranne went back to the others. Soon, the two friends were back in the brilliant sapphire airship bound toward Sadal Suud.
"So, what were those cards that the chicken-girl gave you?" Andriana asked. Arietta felt a flare of indignation from Xelha. Arietta looked in the direction of the pulsing red light.
"Oh, Xelha, chill out, it's not like I didn't think the same thing when I first saw Catranne," she said.
'It's true, she did,' Kalas added. For a split second, she saw Gibari's image superimposed over his teal light, a grin on his face. Arietta caught the contagious grin and looked at the Magnus. When she did, she felt her heart jump. Shining Seraph and Demons of Darkness. She opened her mouth to say something when the airship gave a lurch, sending the two girls sprawling to the ground.
"Are we in port already?" Andriana asked.
"No, it takes longer than that to get from Wazn to Sadal Suud. Something's up." Arietta heard a loud and very familiar screech from outside. "Oh no… not another one…" Quickly, before Andriana could follow, Arietta pulled out her Wings and left the ship.
Since it didn't have a main deck, she was transported into thin air by the teleporter thing. Though she would never admit it, her heart skipped a beat when she fell a few feet through the air. Pulling out her Hellfire and Demons of Darkness, she regained her bearings and flew over to the other side of the ship. What she saw made her stop dead. She was expecting one or two Diablos. She got a whole flock of them.
"Uh, guys? Anyone got a REALLY strong fire move? Please?" she whimpered. "Or dark or time? These just can't cut it."
'Is it possible?'Lyude asked, but Kalas was already pushing energy through the bond. Arietta accepted the energy gratefully, letting it shape itself into the attack Kalas was giving her. It shocked her when there was a flash of blue light and her right Wing turned into his.
'Less gawking, more fighting!' he reminded her. She nodded and brought out the borrowed energy.
"Here goes… Sword Style: Chaotic Illusion!" She swung her arm around, copying the way Kalas would use his swords for the finisher. Half the Diablos squealed in pain and fell to their doom. The other half, however, just got pissed. "Any one else wanna take a shot?" she asked. A surge of magic from Xelha answered her question, along with a flash of pink as the Ice Queen's Wings replaced the mismatched pair on her back.
The Diablos advanced on her as she let Xelha's magic take form. "Magic: Bells of Fate!" The tolls of the bells wiped out all but one of the Diablos. The last monster looked smug, if that's at all possible, and kept advancing. Now Arietta was getting pissed that it was taking so long. She took out her own Magnus and 'pulled' the magic seam apart. "Lingering Time! Die already, dammit!" the monster shrieked in pain and plummeted to its death.
Xelha's magic left her system as she was pulled back inside the ship. The iridescent pink Wings faded back to the membranous black and violet.
"What did you do? The lights were going haywire! There was screaming from outside! I thought you were dead!" Andriana exclaimed. Arietta plopped down on a cushioned seat and pulled her Wings back in.
"I didn't see YOU shooting off any time attacks at the Cor Hydrae monsters!" Arietta retorted. There was silence for a few seconds.
"Just… Don't scare me like that?"
"Fine. When we get to Sadal Suud, remind me to get you some Magnus."
"Deal."
"We are now approaching the Pherkad Port in Sadal Suud. Please be ready to disembark soon," the captain's voice came over the loudspeaker.
There. Review, please? I need reviewers!
