Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience, I hope this particular chapter is worth the wait. We are getting closer and closer to the epic and final confrontation of this story (for the Season 1 portion anyway), and things are only going to get more exciting down the road. With that being said, let's get started.
The Battle for Meridian Plains
Guards and soldiers practically pore into the castle town and began to tear it apart, looking for any sign of the rebels or their hiding spot. The day of Elyon's coronation grows closer, and the Rebellion has only grown bolder, the villains were starting to grow desperate. The people were all but helpless as they saw their homes invaded, their possessions torn apart, and even being forced into questioning.
Cedric and Daolon Wong appeared to be leading the raids as they stood by a well where a civilian was brought before them for questioning.
"I'm sure you're well aware of how much bolder the rebels have been acting these past few months." Cedric began. "And they would love nothing more than to disrupt the Coronation Ceremony. Where is their hiding place?"
The civilian said nothing in response, either out of ignorance or pure defiance.
"If that is how you wish to play it, then let us take what you value most." Daolon Wong approached the well and began to recite a dark chi chant. As he chanted, he raised his scepter over the well and cast a surging bolt of dark magic directly into the water at the bottom of the well. The moment it made contact, the water turned into vapor and blew straight out into the sky before the well was dried out completely.
"The more you remain silent, the less you'll drink." Cedric told the gathered civilians, causing them to look in horror and even several guards began to look more than a little disturbed.
Elyon was shown a large golden throne by her elder brother. It was so shiny and beautiful, the kind of throne that a princess from a fairy tale would sit upon.
"This is the throne you shall sit upon to greet your subjects, dear sister." Phobos presented.
"It's so beautiful…" Elyon looked in awe. "May I?"
Phobos merely gestured toward the throne with a smile, allowing Elyon to step up on sit on the throne. However, the moment she did, she began to feel so weak. Her skin turned pale as the color left her eyes.
Suddenly, everything around her was set ablaze. A raging fire surged around her like a vicious inferno. She was so weak; she couldn't run away or even scream. When the fire crept closer and closer, a large figure emerged from the flames and loomed over the terrified girl. She couldn't make out the features of this beast, for they were obscured by shadows. But there were a pair of glowing red eyes. One look into those eyes paralyzed her with fear as the flames completely engulfed the poor girl.
"NO!" Hay Lin awoke with a scream. Her body was covered in sweat as she looked around in a panic, her mind catching up with her body as she saw that she was still in her own room, and nothing was set on fire.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but even though it was just a dream, it felt so real; and there was no mistaking the fear that Hay Lin herself felt once she saw those red eyes.
Sheffield Institute
Later that day, after meeting the girls at lunch in the cafeteria, Hay Lin began to tell them everything she saw in her dream.
"I was Elyon!" She exclaimed. "I was sitting on this big chair, and I was real happy! But then… I started to feel totally draggy and weak and then… everything was on fire!"
"Whoa, looks like you got some premonition powers, huh?" Jade commented.
"But what if it was just a regular nightmare?" Alchemy asked. "I mean, between all the fighting monsters, the Oni masks and the Shadowkhan, I'm surprised you guys aren't getting nightmares already."
"Yeah, those Bat-Khan and even the Shadow Eaters were real nightmare fuel." Irma said.
"For me it was the Squid-Khan." Taranee said. "All those tentacles…" She shivered.
"But what if it's not a dream? What if Elyon really is in danger?" Cornelia questioned.
"Her Coronation Ceremony isn't till after New Years, and that's still a little over a month away." Will replied. "Maybe we're just a little stressed out is all."
"Or maybe it really is a premonition." Jade suggested. "What else did you see?" She asked Hay Lin.
"Well, there was something else there." She responded. "I couldn't quite make it out but… it was big. Like bigger than Cedric and he's pretty huge. And there were its eyes… I don't know why but… just looking into those eyes made me so terrified. Whatever that thing was, it was evil. Like pure evil."
All the other girls looked toward each other with concern and even a bit of worry; all silently hopping that whatever Hay Lin saw in her dream, it was only a dream.
Meridian – Phobos Castle
The dark prince looked with a calculating and even pained expression over his balcony toward the Castletown below. At this point, it was safe to assume all the wells had been destroyed, leaving only the people with a very limited supply of drinkable water. He had done so many questionable things during his reign, but he honestly never imagined himself going this far. He silently wondered what his mother would think of this, but he knew deep down that she would be ashamed.
"Oh, there's no need to be so glum, Phobos." Tarakudo appeared from out of nowhere. "Once you have Elyon's power, you can give them all the water they need. This is a necessary sacrifice."
Phobos' fists clenched, indicating he didn't like it no matter how necessary it is. "All the good it will do if we don't find the Rebels hideout! Elyon's coronation grows closer each day! Even if what you've told me about the Oni masks is true, with the many victories Chan and the Guardians have gained, they and the Rebels could have the confidence they need to stop the Ceremony!"
"You're right to be concerned." Tarakudo said. "And I've actually been giving that a bit of thought. You remember Cavirgor?"
"My most secure prison, now a pile of rubble, what of it?" Phobos questioned.
"When our enemies attacked, only half their team came in through the front door." Tarakudo explained. "The other half appeared to be already inside somehow. So, either they allowed themselves to be captured and brought inside, or…"
"They were able to find another way in." Phobos realized.
"They probably came in from below." Tarakudo continued. "Perhaps the use of tunnels, or even an underground base."
"Which explains why they went so far as to destroy the prison!" Phobos caught onto the Oni King's logic. "It wasn't just to keep me from using it, it was to cover their tracks!"
"Hard to dig for evidence if there's a mountain's worth of rubble piled over it." Tarakudo said with a smile.
"In my youth, my father once told me stories of an ancient city beneath our kingdom. But he could never find it." Phobos said. "And until now, I thought it was only a myth; especially seeing how my leading warrior and my wizard, with all of my soldiers at their disposal haven't found it yet."
"To be fair, Meridian is a rather large kingdom." Tarakudo commented. "Thought that might also be the reason why Cedric and Wong haven't found it. They're both cunning in their own right, but they're also too forceful. Leading an army of soldiers through your kingdom makes it obvious they're looking for something. So instead, let's try something a bit more discrete."
"What do you have in mind?" Phobos asked.
"Let me look for this hidden city." Tarakudo suggested. "As the king of an army of monster-ninjas, I know a thing or two about stealth myself."
Heatherfield – Uncle's Rare Finds
The girls met with the rest of the Chan Clan, along with Yan Lin, Caleb, and even Blunk in the Chan's family shop as Caleb had told everyone what had been happening in Meridian.
"They're taking away the people's water?!" Tohru exclaimed.
"Phobos has gone too far." Jackie stated with a glare and clenched fist.
"Right, cause kidnapping, lying, attempted murder, and helping a floating demon head bathe the world in eternal darkness, aren't far enough." Irma said with sarcasm.
"The people can't last without water." Caleb said. "They're bravery is being tested every day they remain silent about the Infinite City."
"Phobos has become desperate." Uncle said. "Only one Oni mask remains, and Elyon's ceremony is a month away. He will do everything he can to ensure victory."
"Yeah, and there's nothing more dangerous than a bad guy when's cornered." Jade said with an unusual seriousness in her voice.
"Are the wells the only place the people can get water from?" Will asked as she looked over a map of Meridian. "What about this lake?"
"That was their water source for years, but something got into the lake." Caleb explained. "Something they call a Kathim."
"What is that? Some kind of kraken or magic shark?" Alchemy asked.
"It's a lethal predator, but it's not like anything you've seen before." Caleb replied. "I guess you could say it is the lake. Anything that tries to take water from the lake, people, animals, they get sucked into the water and they don't come out. Not even their bones float to the surface."
"Well, that's not dark or anything." Cornelia said as everyone looked more than a little disturbed.
"If this Kathim is the lake itself, could it be a creature of magical nature?" Jackie asked, glancing toward his uncle.
"Hmm, Uncle will need to see creature for himself." The elder chi-wizard said. "If creature is made from magic; then magic shall defeat magic."
"That thing sounds as scary as my dream." Hay Lin said.
"Your dream?" Tohru asked as he, Uncle, Jackie, and Yan Lin listened, even Blunk who appeared to have a runny nose.
"I was Elyon and… I think it was about the Coronation Ceremony and… there was something else there." She recalled the dream, shivering at the thought of it. "It wasn't Phobos or even Tarakudo but… it was horrible. Something pure evil… it was a nightmare."
"Can you describe what you saw, Hay Lin?" Jackie asked.
"All I saw were a pair of glowing red eyes, and fire everywhere." She replied. "It almost felt like I was being dragged down into Hell itself."
Yan Lin shared a glance with Uncle before she spoke to her granddaughter. "You know Hay Lin; the Air Guardian often has power to anticipate other's feelings."
"Did you ever experience something like this, Mrs. Lin?" Tohru asked.
"A few times when I was a Guardian, but my dreams were never too concrete." She replied. "They were vague, which made it difficult to point out the details."
"Previous Air Guardians have had similar abilities." Uncle also explained. "Some to a greater degree. If you have same gift, Hay Lin, then there is terrible evil approaching."
"We've already got Phobos and Tarakudo working together, not to mention Daolon Wong with his own plans, and that's not 'terribly evil' enough?" Will questioned.
"What's next, we got Darth Vader or Voldemort thrown into the mix?" Jade questioned irritably.
"When we go to Meridian tomorrow, I need to time the shifts of the castle-guards, which means getting close." Caleb explained the plan before glancing at their Passling ally, who's nose was still runny. "Blunk can't smell anything with his cold, not even himself."
"Lucky him." Irma snarked.
"Let me guess, you want Will there to use the Heart to create a portal just in case?" Jackie assumed.
"Yeah, that's it." Caleb confirmed.
"Alright." Jackie nodded. "Will, Jade, and I will help Caleb; everyone else will assist Uncle in removing this Kathim from the lake."
"Sounds like a plan." Tohru said with a nod.
They all heard Blunk's sniffles and saw that he was about to sneeze. He grabbed the nearest piece of paper from a wall, which just so happened to be a scroll and sneezed into it like paper; much to everyone's disgust and Uncle's shock.
"Aiya! That scroll was worth over two hundred American dollars!" The chi-wizard exclaimed. "Passling must get unsick! Now!"
"Sorry… Blunk will try fix…" Blunk then began to lick the snot off of the scroll in an attempt to clean it, much to everyone's disgust. Even Taranee looked like she was about to hurl.
"Great… now I'm feeling sick." Alchemy winced.
Meridian
Night had fallen as a single rebel soldier quietly made his way through town, being extra careful not to be seen by any patrolling soldiers. He soon made it to the town's garbage dump. Taking a second to make sure he wasn't followed, he quickly went toward what appeared to be an overturned boat, and opened a secret entrance, which he used to make his way underground.
However, what the rebel failed to realize was that he had been followed and spied on the entire time. A pair of eyes blinked open from a small doll in the pile of trash before the face of Tarakudo himself emerged.
"Hmmm, certainly seems like an ideal place to hide a secret base." Tarakudo mused before he sent a small wave of his psychic powers toward the hidden entrance, but once they made contact, they were blown away by a surge of green energy that briefly shined around it.
"Good chi magic. Looks like I found it." Tarakudo said aloud before using his powers to call in two certain individuals. He waited for about six seconds before the screams and yells of Cedric, in his giant serpent form, and Daolon Wong were both telekinetically pulled from two separate directions and crashed onto the ground in front of him. "There's no need to be so down in the dumps, you two." Tarakudo joked.
"What do you want, Oni king?" Cedric hissed in annoyance. "I do not appreciate being suddenly pulled across the entire town!"
"Oh, not much, really. Other than the fact that I've found the Rebellion's hidden base." Tarakudo revealed the hidden entrance, which he struck again with his powers to show the barrier of Chi Magic that kept it protected.
"Ah, the work of that old novice." Wong recognized the spell. "Seems this is their hidden fortress."
"So why don't make like a good Dark Wizard and lift the spell so that we may be able to enter it, would you?" Tarakudo requested with a smirk, causing Wong to growl before he aimed his scepter and began to cast a powerful Dark Chi spell. As he chanted, his scepter glowed a strong dark blue before blasting it at the entrance. The green glow from the good Chi Spell faded away, thus allowing the entrance to become open to them.
"Now the gate is open, but why don't you scout ahead Cedric, check to see if there are any traps or anything?" Tarakudo told the shapeshifter.
"Why me?" Cedric questioned.
"Because I told you to." Tarakudo told him before gesturing with his face toward the entrance.
Realizing he couldn't defy the Oni King, Cedric gave a low growl before opening the door and entering the tunnel that led underground. Cedric soon descended down a flight of stone steps, half-way down he saw a familiar face that appeared to be standing guard, who quickly gasped in horror upon seeing the massive shapeshifter.
"Hello Vathek." Cedric sneered.
Acting fast, Vathek pulled down on a rope that hung from the ceiling, pulling out a support beam and caused a cave-in that blocked Cedric's path, but it also left Vathek trapped with the enemy.
"So, the Infinite City is not a myth." Cedric said to the glaring Vathek. "Time is suddenly on our side."
Meanwhile, the other rebels currently in the Infinite City had heard the sound of the cave-in and quickly inspected the blocked entrance.
"Please tell me those onion-charms are still intact." Aldarn said.
"They're still here." One rebel pointed to two rings of onions with Japanese sutras that hung along the sides of the entrance. "That floating-head thing won't be able to get in, and the other entrances are still hidden."
This news was only bittersweet however. "With the city discovered, we've lost the element of surprise. How much food do we have?"
"Not including all the onions, enough to last a week at least."
"Even if we surface through the other passages, I have nowhere in the village to hide a thousand men." Aldarn said. "We're safe for the moment, but they'll get through eventually."
"Then maybe we should stop hiding." Julian said as he stepped forward. "It's time we take the fight to Phobos." He declared as he drew his sword.
Earth – Uncle's Rare Finds – The Next Day
Will had used the Heart of Kandrakar to open a portal that would lead to Meridian as the entire group of heroes stood before it. Caleb quickly stuck his head inside the portal to see that the other end hovered directly over Hoogoon Gorge.
"There's a bit of a drop." He commented.
"So, everyone knows the plan." Jackie reminded. "Jade, Will, Caleb, and I will go to Phobos' castle and scout; Taranee, Irma, Hay Lin, and Cornelia, you will help Uncle and Tohru dispel this Kathim creature that is inhabiting the lake."
"Got it." Irma said as everyone else nodded.
"Alchemy, maybe you should stay with us." Will told her.
"What?! But… I know Chi Spells, I can help!" Alchemy tried to protest.
"Too dangerous!" Uncle shook his finger.
"Sensei is right." Tohru agreed. "You know only the basics when it comes to Chi Magic, not enough to dispel a creature that's likely made from dark magic. You'll be safer with Jackie and everyone."
"Right, cause going to a castle owned by a psycho prince and a floating demon head is way safer than a haunted lake." Alchemy muttered in sarcasm.
Will then took out the Heart of Kandrakar once more and said the magic words. "Guardians Unite"
The six Guardians of J-WITCH flew through the portal; Cornelia carried Caleb, Jade carried Jackie, Will carried Alchemy, and Hay Lin and Irma carried Tohru before they all set on the ground with Taranee carrying a large bag over her shoulder.
"We know you have a choice, so thank you for flying Air-Guardian." Irma joked. "We hope you have a pleasant time fighting evil during your stay."
"Good luck with the Kathim, the villagers are counting on you." Caleb told the group tasked with defeating the creature. "You have everything you need?"
Taranee opened the bag she was carrying. "We got a cauldron, a whole bunch of plants, roots, and other stuff used for Chi Spells, and several walkie talkies."
"Why do we need walkie talkies?" Jade questioned. "Can't we have Captain Black hook us up with cool Mission Impossible headsets or something?"
"Because there are no satellites or cell service in Meridian, even cell phones won't work here." Jackie explained. "Walkie Talkies are the best we have."
"Guess we'll have to make do." Tohru said with acceptance as Taranee began to hand out walkie talkies to everyone.
"I don't care if it's primitive by Earth standards." Caleb said. "They'll be a major help when we attack Phobos' castle."
"Now I know Uncle's not too big with technology, so everyone else besides him gets one." Taranee said.
"Seriously? You don't know how to use walkie talkies?" Cornelia questioned the old Chi Wizard. "These things are like the simplest piece of technology known to man!"
"Uncle is wizard not scientist! Pay attention!" He told her, causing her to sulk with annoyance.
"So, excluding Uncle, that would make ten pairs total…" Taranee counted, but she could only count for nine. "Wait, one's missing."
Jackie used his walkie talkie to try and call and find the lost one. "Hello? Hello?"
"Blunk here. Ten-Four."
They all groaned in annoyance. "Blunk…" Jade rubbed her hand down her face.
"Blunk?! Where are you?!" Caleb questioned.
"Home with Mama!"
"He has a mother?" Will questioned.
"Don't all living creatures have moms?" Alchemy responded with her own question as they even heard Blunk's mother on the other line.
"Need stogey root."
"Awe! He's sick and his mama is talking care of him!" Hay Lin gushed.
"Why did you take the walkie-talkie?!" Caleb questioned.
"Blunk think can sell as back-scratcher!"
"We do not have time for this." Jackie said. "We'll get it back once we see him, but we have a job to do."
"Right, let's get going." Will agreed as the heroes split off into their respective groups.
Phobos' Castle
The dark prince stood over his balcony as he was brought the prisoner Cedric and the others captured. "Ah Vathek, it's been a long time." Phobos sneered. "How ironic that you will now be imprisoned in the very dungeons that you have guarded for so long."
"You won't win Phobos." Vathek said defiantly. "Even if you do defeat the Rebellion and the Guardians, Meridian will never accept you as its ruler!"
"We shall see. Take him away!" Phobos ordered the guards who escorted Vathek away, leaving Phobos alone with Tarakudo, Cedric, and Daolon Wong. "So, the Infinite City does exist. Excellent work, Tarakudo."
"Given the name, it's safe to assume there are other entrances." Tarakudo replied. "But it is also highly likely that each of them is lined with a protective spell. Even the discovered one has layers of Good Chi magic that prevent me from entering."
"Even if there are other entrances into the city, we only need one." Wong stated. "I can remove the magical spells that keep us from entering, while the soldiers handle the physical labor."
"We've already begun that process." Cedric revealed. "Several soldiers are already on their way to stomp out the Rebellion once and for all."
"It's a little early to be taking out the victory cake, don't you think?" Tarakudo commented. "Their base might be discovered, but the Rebels are still an active threat. We have gained a significant advantage over them, yes. But this also means that now they're the ones who are desperate, and there's nothing more dangerous than desperate people."
"You don't believe they are so foolish enough to openly attack my castle, do you?" Phobos questioned.
"You'd be surprised how far desperation can take someone." Tarakudo advised with a serious look in his eyes. This expression told Phobos that this was a possibility that he couldn't afford to overlook.
"Very well, send half our soldiers to be ready for when he breach the Infinite City." Phobos commanded. "But have the other half remain on standby here, and ready the beasts and Lurdens as well. Prepare for an attack."
Infinite City
Aldarn, Julian, and Drake stood in the center of the arena where Aldarn had fought Caleb over control of the Rebellion as the entire army sat and stood in the stone seats around them, all of the men and women spoke and murmured to each other with worry; and seeing how the enemy had found their hidden fortress, it wasn't hard to understand why they were so worried.
"Listen! Everyone listen!" Aldarn got their attention. "We could wait, yes. But Phobos will just be more prepared to meet us, and we'll be weaker! How many men does he have out there?" He asked Drake next to him.
"At least five thousand." Drake replied.
"Then we have to attack the castle!" Aldarn stated.
Needless to say, almost everyone in the Rebellion spoke out in shock and even outrage. Attack the castle?! When they weren't ready for Caleb's plan at the coronation ceremony?! And without the Guardians and their allies?! That sounded like a suicide mission!
"I know, you're all afraid, and the plan was to wait and launce a surprise attack on the day of coronation!" Julius spoke aloud. "But we don't have that luxury anymore! Phobos has maybe half his forces out there, so his defenses are weaker! If we attack now, while we still have the strength, we may just have a chance."
Meanwhile, the group consisting of Uncle, Tohru, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Taranee, and Irma had just arrived at the large lake that supposedly contained the deadly creature inside.
"Well, here we are. Ready to fight a lake." Irma said.
"Lake not important. Creature within lake, is." Uncle said as he took out his cauldron. "In order to prepare proper spell, I need sample of creature."
"So how do we draw it out?" Taranee asked.
"Maybe like with fishing?" Hay Lin suggested. "If we use bait, we might be able to get it out."
"What kind of bait do we need to draw out demon water?" Cornelia questioned.
"Well, if this thing eats people…" Irma flew out, much to everyone's surprise. "Hey! Mr. Kathim!" She waved her arms around as she flew over the lake. "Pretty girl ready to be eaten alive right here!"
She even went so far as to tap her right foot into the lake to further tempt the creature. However, just behind her, the water began to bubble as a tentacle of solidified water emerged with a glowing light at the end, almost like an eye, looking directly at her.
"Irma! Behind you!" Taranee warned just in time, causing Irma to fly straight up and avoid the tentacle lashing out at her. The other Guardians flew over the lake as several more water tentacles emerged and tried to lash out at the Guardians, who defended themselves with their respective elemental powers.
"This is why I drink bottled water." Cornelia muttered as she threw a series of rocks at it, breaking apart several of the tentacles. Taranee tried to boil it by directing her fire-control at one tentacle that shot at her, which opened up like a mouth to try and devour her, but since her attacks didn't work at first, she instead blasted a column of fire to reduce the tentacle to steam.
Irma tried to use her control of water over a tentacle in front of her to try and hold it still. "Okay! I got it! Good time to get a sample!"
"I'm on it!" Hay Lin flew in, creating an air-disk in her hands to slice off the end of the tentacle and then quickly created an air-sphere around it to contain the discarded limb before flying back toward the ground where Uncle was at. However, another tentacle shot out from behind Irma to hit her in the back before lashing out at Hay Lin, she screamed as the attack struck her and sent her crashing to the ground.
The tentacle was about to reach out and devour her, but Tohru quickly came to her defense with a blowfish to blast a stun spell, causing the Kathim to roar out in pain as the tentacle retracted, much to Hay Lin's relief.
"Thanks, Tohru." She smiled as she still held her air-sphere, still containing the severed water tentacle.
"Any time." Tohru said. "It appears stun spells can work on it to."
"Stun spells only stun Kathim, they cannot destroy it." Uncle said as he walked up with a glass vial in his hands. "Hay Lin, sample."
"Right here." She held the air sphere over the vial and directed it so the discarded water tentacle of the Kathim entered the vial without a single drop spilled, which Uncle was quick to close with a quark.
"I will do research and devise a counter-spell." Uncle said as he walked toward his cauldron. "But you all must keep Kathim distracted until spell is prepared."
"Yes sensei." Tohru nodded as he held two blowfish in his hands. He and Hay Lin looked toward each other with nods before running to assist their friends in the fight against the Kathim, which then began to emerge from the lake and take the shape of a massive colossus-like creature made entirely out of water with dozens of tentacles emerging from all around its body.
"Bad day." Hay Lin said with a gulp.
Meanwhile; the entire Castletown appeared to be empty as all the guards and soldiers were either called back to the castle to ready its defenses, or join in the effort in preparing for the attack on the Infinite City; while all the civilians had boarded up their homes and dug themselves in to preserve what little food and drinking water they had left. So, for the moment, it appeared there was no activity around the city.
That is until a single shed was opened up, which was revealed to be one of the many entrances to the Infinity City and several rebel soldiers began to emerge from it. Likewise, sewer lids opened as several more soldiers came out. It wasn't long before the entire Rebellion emerged in various parts around the city, carrying not only the weapons they had, but even making their way to their safehouses scattered throughout town to gather the weapons they stored there; which included swords, shields, axes, hatchets, spears, crossbows, bows and arrows, staffs, clubs, hooks and ropes, even gardening and blacksmith tools and whatever was handy that could be used to hurt and kill someone. Whatever weapons they couldn't carry, they loaded up onto various horse-drawn wagons which they began to pull alongside the catapults they had built and hidden in those very same safehouses as they marched.
Over a thousand men and women, which made up the entire Rebellion, marched through town with one destination in mind: Phobos' castle. They knew they would be fighting an uphill battle, outnumbered against not just soldiers and guards, but whatever monstrosities their enemies had there waiting for them. Many of them might not even come back alive, but they've made peace with that. The battle they had longed for was now upon them, and it was now or never.
At the same time, within the moat and beneath the roots that were just below the castle walls; Jackie, Will, Jade, Caleb, and Alchemy were in the middle of their scouting mission as Caleb observed what was going on with a pair of binoculars.
"There, that guy's new."
"So, the guards change shift every two hours or so." Jackie observed. "Perhaps we can…"
"Uh guys…" Jade spoke up as she faced away from the group and the castle. "We might have a problem."
"What? Are we spotted?" Will questioned.
"No, but they might be." Jade pointed in the direction she was looking. Caleb used his binoculars to get a better look where he could see the entire Rebellion either marching toward the castle or making their way across the moat by boat.
"What's going on? I thought we were supposed to attack in a month?!" Alchemy questioned.
"We are! We're not ready! What are they doing?!" Caleb questioned.
"Something is wrong." Jackie said with a serious expression.
Phobos, Wong, and Cedric had already taken notice of the army of rebels approaching them. "How many?" The dark prince questioned.
"At least a thousand." A guard reported.
"So, it would seem Tarakudo was correct." Daolon Wong commented. "Desperation has pushed the Rebels into attacking."
"Phobos!" They heard Elyon call out as she, the Dark Chi Enforcers, and Miranda made their way toward them. "What's going on?! Are we under attack?!"
"Sure, looks that way." Finn said as he and his friends saw the army approaching.
"Uh… that's a lot of guys." Ratso said with worry.
"You wouldn't happen to have a bunker or escape plan, would you?" Chow asked nervously toward Phobos, who only narrowed his eyes at the Enforcers before turning his attention toward his sister.
"Elyon, I will handle this. But I need you to stay inside the castle, where you are safe." Phobos told her.
"But I can help!" She protested. "I'm so much stronger now and I have better control over my powers…"
"This is not up for debate!" Phobos told her, catching her off guard with his fierce tone before speaking more sincerely. "Elyon, you are stronger yes, but I know how to defend my castle. Those in the Rebellion believe they are fighting for a righteous cause, which makes them all the more dangerous. And I believe whoever is seeking your powers is using this to try and get close to capture you. I cannot allow that. So please, stay inside and stay safe. Miranda and your guards will protect you."
Miranda placed her hand around Elyon's before she spoke as well. "Your brother knows what he's doing, let's just let him handle this."
With a reluctant sigh, the princess seemed to accept her Phobos' request. "Alright. Just… Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you either."
Phobos smiled as he lightly patted her head and gestured for her to go, which she did with Miranda close behind her. He then glared directly at the Enforcers.
"Nobody touches her. Understood?"
"Y… Yes sir!" Chow said as he and his friends stood straight.
"No problem, Big P." Finn added.
"Yeah, kid will be safe with us." Ratso said sincerely as they quickly caught up to Elyon.
Once they were gone, Tarakudo appeared before the villainous trio. "See? What did I tell you? Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Phobos smirked. "Tell me Tarakudo, have you seen anything like this during your reign?"
"Oh yes." Tarakudo replied with a reminiscent smile. "Ah, I still remember the sounds of those blood curdling screams. Desperate warriors making their final stand against my Oni generals and their shadow minions. It was quite a show, and I'm certain this will be just as entertaining."
"Indeed." Phobos agreed. "We will end this war tonight!"
It wasn't long before all of Phobos' forces mobilized and prepared to meet the approaching Rebellion. There were at least five thousand soldiers and Lurdens, and several hundred different beasts, including more Gargoyle-creatures that marched out. It wouldn't be long before the two forces clashed.
"This isn't good! We're out numbered!" Caleb stated as he and his group tried to get closer. "Can we communicate with the others?"
"I don't think the Heart of Kandrakar can do that!" Will replied as she held the crystal in her hands to see the rest of her team were currently occupied with the Kathim.
"So, let's just use the walkie talkies!" Jade suggested.
"We're too far away. We're out of range." Jackie stated as he held his own walkie talkie. They suddenly heard a familiar sneeze and turned toward the side to see none other than Blunk, who appeared to be searching the water for something.
"Stogey root… Stogey root…" The Passling searched the water with his runny nose.
"Blunk!" Alchemy exclaimed, getting his attention. "We need your help! Do you still have your 'back-scratcher'?"
The Passling took out his walkie-talkie. "Yes. Here."
"Good." Jackie then began to instruct Blunk. "We need the rest of the team. Go straight west and keep calling them with the walkie talkie. When they reply, tell them there is an emergency."
Blunk saluted and ran with the walkie talkie straight west. The group then looked to see the battle had already begun as the opposing forces clashed.
"Even with the rest of J-WITCH, we're going to need some serious firepower to blow through that many bad guys!" Jade stated.
"Jade, you're right." Jackie nodded before turning to the redhead. "Will, can you open a portal to Section 13?"
"Yeah, you got it." Will used the Heart of Kandrakar to open a portal back to Earth that would lead to the government facility.
"Alchemy, go to Captain Black and tell him what is going on." Jackie told the only non-Guardian girl present. "We will need as much help as we can get."
"On it." She said before running into the portal.
"In the meantime, we have to help the Rebellion as much as we can." Jackie stated to Will, Caleb, and Jade.
"Looks like we're storming the castle after all." Jade stated as she generated a shadow-katana in her hand before she and her friends rushed in to help the Rebellion.
Already it had erupted into a full-scale war as soldier fought soldier and/or monster in all directions. All around the moat, on the massive roots that circled around the castle, and on the ground. Metal clashed with metal as sword struck shield. Bows were launched and spears were thrown. Horseback riders of the Rebellion cut down the enemy forces that were near them, only to meet the castle guards on rhino-like steeds or get attacked by larger monsters such as Lurdens. Flying monsters came down with their claws to tear whatever they could to shreds, and even met the rebels that used their gliders to try and push forward.
Caleb made his way through the warzone, cutting down any enemy he saw with his katana before he spotted his brother-in-arms Aldarn just as a volley of enemy arrows was launched. Aldarn and the soldiers near him raised their shields to protect themselves.
"What happened?!"
"Phobos found the Infinite City! We had to attack!"
Seeing no way to turn back now, Caleb simply joined his fellow soldiers in the battle. That is until something landed hard in front of him and Aldarn with enough force that it created a small explosion on impact and sent them both, and several rebels, flying backwards.
"What was that?!" Aldarn questioned as they tried to pull themselves up, only to look in shock, or horror, in Caleb's case as a familiar silhouette was seen from the clearing smoke.
"It is death, who has come to claim his prize!" The Dark Chi form of Hak Foo stood tall as he cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"Bad day…" Caleb said with worry.
Section 13
Captain Black appeared to be working with a few agents at one of the consoles. "Run a background check in…" Suddenly a portal opened up right behind him, catching him off guard. But he was even greater surprised to see Alchemy running out of it, a panicked look on her face.
"Whoa, Alchemy… what happened?"
"We need back up, Captain Black! Lots of it!" The girl exclaimed.
Meridian – Lake
"Dried powder of newt…" Uncle added an ingredient to his cauldron before looking closely at the contents of the spell he was making, trying to figure out the next ingredient, seemingly oblivious to the noisy battle that was going on behind him.
Tohru ran around the side of the lake's shore, blasting stun-spells from his dual blowfish at the Kathim. Though these did appear to cause it pain, it only served to anger the creature as it shot several of its tentacles at Tohru. Fortunately, Cornelia was able to fly in and raise a large rock-wall to block the Kathim's attack.
Taranee, Hay Lin, and Irma all flew in to try and keep the Kathim pinned by blasting it with their respective elemental attacks; a constant column of flame from Taranee, a whirlwind from Hay Lin, and a stream of raging waters from Irma. However, the Kathim shot out more of its tentacles and spun its body around to force the three Guardian girls back.
"Hey Uncle! Anytime you wanna have that spell ready! We're kinda doing our best not to die out here!" Cornelia called to him.
"Aiya! Spell not ready!" Uncle exclaimed. "Necessary ingredients are present, and spell can be prepared, but we are missing one key factor!"
"What?!" Irma shouted as she tried to dodge another tentacle before slicing it off with a blade of water.
"The Kathim is energy! Energy must defeat energy!" Uncle stated. "Uncle does not have necessary amount of raw power for spell!"
"How much power do we need, Sensei!?" Tohru called out as he slid along his side to blast the Kathim's body with more stun spells.
"Lightning! We need energy as powerful as lightning!" Uncle exclaimed.
That got Taranee's attention. "Wait… Lightning?! We can manage that! Ice crystals and rising clouds get negatively charged! If we can direct the lightning at the Kathim, will that do the job?!"
"Yes!" Uncle confirmed as he took out two dried lizards and dipped them both in his spell. He handed one of them to Cornelia before calling out to his apprentice "Tohru, get to other side of lake and prepare to chant spell! But do not chant until lightning strikes!"
"Yes, sensei!" Tohru nodded as he ran around the lake with Cornelia flying to hand him a dried lizard while also keeping him covered from the Kathim's attacks.
"Irma, Hay Lin, follow my lead!" Taranee told her friends as they combined their powers into a swirling stream of fire, water, and wind, which shot through the Kathim's liquid body and further up into the sky. Already dark clouds began to form as lightning cracked across the sky.
Phobos' Castle
The battle continued to rage as the Rebels fought with everything they had. But with the vast numbers in Phobos' army, the long ranged weapons at the castle like bows and arrows, and catapults with large boulders, as well as the massive monsters that were also present, it was a losing battle, even with the heroes providing a helping hand.
Jade used her shadow-katana to cut down one massive root and send it toppling over a group of soldiers and monsters. "This ain't a sight-seeing trip! Keep going!" Jade told the rebels as they pushed forward. She was however attacked by a pterodactyl-like creature from the sky as it caught her in its claws. "Hey! Back off dino-boy!" Jade generated a shadow-spear in her hand and jammed it into its side, forcing it to let go before she coated both her fists in shadow magic to generate a large sphere, which she used to smash its head in and send it crashing to the ground.
Jackie was also on the ground, doing his best to dodge each weapon sliced toward him before grabbing a pair of discarded shields to block the swords and spears lunged at him. He ducked before leaping over into a group of soldiers to land on his hands and spread his feet out for a spinning kick to knock them all down before getting back up again. A Larvek was about to lunge at him, but Jackie threw one of his shields toward its eye to knock it off balance, allowing him to run up its body and leap toward its other eye to smash his other shield into it, blinding it before kicking it down and sending it crashing into a group of enemy soldiers.
Will flew toward a gargoyle-like creature and kicked it in the face to knock it off the root it was standing on and into the moat below. She then flew down to take on a group of soldiers; using every Kung Fu trick she learned from Jackie to dodge each weapon sliced at her before lashing out with a roundhouse kick, a chop to their chests, a punch to the face, and every attack she could think of to knock them all down.
Caleb and Aldarn both yelled as they swung their respective swords toward Hak Foo, but he easily caught them in his hands before attacking. "Tornado Decimates Trailer Park!" He spun his body around rapidly, generating a twister around him, while pulling Caleb and Aldarn along for the ride. They were both sent flying toward a Rebel catapult and barley had enough time to recover before Hak Foo attacked again. "Raging Bull Obliterates Stick House!" He ran at such speed that he generated a blue fireball around him straight toward the catapult. Caleb and Aldarn were barely able to dodge out of the way in time as Hak Foo blasted the wooden weapon to splinters upon impact.
The Dark Chi warrior them slowly loomed his way toward the downed Caleb. "Black Dragon Corners Helpless Knight."
"Caleb!" Aldarn called to him to try and warn him, but Hak Foo was already over him, raising his foot to crush his skull in.
*BOOM!*
A rocket was blasted at Hak Foo point-blank, blowing him up and causing the Dark Chi warrior to poof away, much to Caleb's surprise, who looked in even greater surprise to see a familiar face offering him a hand up.
"You look like you need some help." Captain Black smiled, holding a rocket launcher in his hand.
"Captain Black…" Caleb accepted his hand as he was pulled up. "You got our message?"
"I did." Black said with a smile.
"So, you brought reinforcements?" Caleb hoped.
"And then some." Captain Black gestured to the portal that Will had previously created as it suddenly grew larger, almost ten times its original size and allowed more than two dozen heavily armed Section 13 vehicles to pour through and onto the battlefield. These included armored Humvees and troop transports, full-fledged tanks, and even transports that carried massive laser-like cannons attached to it. Even a dozen helicopters entered the fray.
"Attention all units!" Captain Black got on his radio. "Provide as much back up for the rebels as you can! Shoot anything that doesn't look even remotely human! Choppers, provide air support and clear the skies! Heavy artillery mounts up from the rear, clear a path directly to the castle!"
Following their captain's orders, the forces of Section 13 provided aid for the rebels. All the Humvees and troop transports pushed their way to the front lines, running down any monsters that tried to stop them. When they had to get on foot, the vehicles came to a stop as the human soldiers and agents piled out.
"Let's go! Move it! Double time!" They all stepped out and opened fire with their rifles and guns, tearing down any guard, Lurden, Larvek, and anything else that was attacking the Rebels. One group of Rebels led by Drake found themselves cornered against a Gargoyle-monster, but a series of rockets were shot at its face, blowing off its rock-like head and killing it in the process. Drake looked toward a Section 13 agent in surprise, the later smiled and offered him a hand, which he took with a smile of his own.
Helicopters flew across the sky as they opened fire with their missiles towards the catapults to obliterate the long-ranged weapons near the castle, while gunmen on the sides opened fire to shoot down all the flying monsters that tried to tear at them with their talons. Tanks and laser-canons remained near the rear as the fired at the castle directly, shaking much of it to its foundation and causing all the archers and long-ranged weapons along the wall to lose their balance and even fall off. Already, it seemed like the tide has turned in the Rebellion's favor.
Jackie, Will, and Jade regrouped with Captain Black and Caleb.
"Damn… you really know how to bring the calvary, Cap." Jade said with an impressed smirk.
"Thank you so much, Augustus." Jackie said sincerely. "I know this is technically outside your jurisdiction, another world, and it's not your war but…"
"It's alright, old friend." Captain Black assured. "We're law enforcement, remember? We help those who can't help themselves."
"And we sure need that. Thank you." Caleb lowered his head in thanks.
"Where's Alchemy? Is she with you?" Will asked.
"She's staying behind in Section 13." Captain Black replied. "A warzone like this is no place for a kid, at least one who doesn't have any magic powers."
"That's good." Will breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what's the plan?"
"Should be simple." Captain Black answered. "Take down the enemy commander, and their forces won't be able to coordinate anymore."
"Phobos." Jackie said with a serious expression.
"Alright, Jade and I will help Jackie get to the castle and take down Phobos and his goon squad." Will began. "Captain Black, can you and the rest of your men help the rebels?"
"Consider it done." Captain Black nodded as he loaded his pistol, his rocket launcher slung over his back.
"Look at you giving orders, fearless leader." Jade smirked and playfully nudged her best friend, who replied with a chuckle of her own.
"Let's go." Jackie said as Will grabbed him by his shoulders and flew straight toward the castle alongside Jade, leaving Captain Black and Caleb together.
"Think you can keep up, kid?" Black said with a smirk.
"Can you, old man?" Caleb smirked back as he drew his katana once again and they both joined the fray.
Meanwhile, at the top of the wall, Phobos had to steady himself to keep himself from tipping over as the entire castle shook. He, along with Tarakudo, Cedric, and Wong looked below to see just how quickly the tide turned against him as the combined forces of the Rebellion and Section 13 pushed through his own.
"What in the name of Meridian is happening here?!" Phobos exclaimed. "How could the tide of war quickly change?!"
"Those aren't just Rebels down there." Cedric said as he recognized some of this technology. "They are forces of Earth!"
"It would seem so." Tarakudo agreed. "Section 13, their allies of Chan and the Guardians. Strong ones at that."
"But how could they have crossed the Veil?!" Wong questioned. "What are the odds a portal would open here and now?!"
"You losers got other things to worry about!" They heard Jade's voice call out as Jade flew in at top speeds, still carrying her uncle, before she let go, causing Jackie to fall at the same kind of speed as he shot his foot out, scoring a direct hit on Phobos with a flying kick that sent both of them off the wall and into a courtyard below.
Before the either villains could respond, Jade generated a set of shadow claws around her hands to slash at Tarakudo's face and knock him back, while Will also came in to sweep her feet and knock Cedric and Daolon Wong off their feet before the two Guardians came back-to-back.
"Oh, what's the matter boys?" Will mocked. "Don't like losing?"
"Too bad, cause you're both about to get a face full of it!" Jade finished as the villains recovered, Tarakudo and Wong growling while Cedric transformed into his massive serpent form.
In the courtyard, Jackie had recovered from his landing and stood on his feet to shake the sense of dizziness from his head. "Those kinds of movies make it look so easy." His attention was then caught by a blast of magic, which he quickly leapt to avoid before facing the raging Phobos, magic surging from both his hands.
"Chan… you have interfered with me for the last time!" Phobos exclaimed.
"The way you treat your people is despicable and inhumane!" Jackie told him with a glare. "And I will not let you cause them suffering any further!"
"Any action I take, no matter how cruel, is for my kingdom's benefit!" Phobos argued. "You can call me evil all you wish, but it is a necessary evil! Just as necessary as your immediate destruction!" He blasted another wave of magic at Jackie, who backflipped to avoid the attack.
Back at the Lake
Lightning continued to crack through the sky as Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin continued to press their elements through the Kathim, while Uncle and Tohru were in position.
"When you hear the word, get the spell going!" Cornelia told Tohru before she shot into the air, higher than the Kathim could reach, getting close to the clouds. A few seconds later, she felt her hair stand on end, the static already buzzing through her hair. It was coming. "NOW!" She exclaimed, flying out of the way just in time as the lightning bolt struck the Kathim, and the other girls flew away.
Immediately, Uncle and Tohru began to recite the spell. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!" As they chanted, large bolts of green Chi Magic shot from their respective lizards and into the Kathim. The lightning that surged through the creature made contact with the spell immediately, giving it the boost in energy the spell needed. Instantly, the entire Kathim began to glow a bright green as the Chi Magic began to surge through, the creature bubbling and boiling before it expanded like a sphere until it couldn't handle the power and finally exploded in a bright flash of green light.
The Guardians and Chi-Wizards covered their eyes to advert the blinding flash of light. When the flash subsided, what was left of the Kathim had evaporated into steam as the dark magic was purged from the lake, returning it to normal.
Cornelia and Taranee flew down to pick up Tohru and carry him to the other side where Uncle, Irma, and Hay Lin were waiting. "Is that it? Did we do it?" Tohru asked.
"Kathim has been defeated." Uncle nodded with approval. "All is right again."
"Mission accomplished." Irma said as she shared a high-five with the other girls as well as Tohru.
"GIRLS! GIRLS!" They heard Blunk's voice over the walkie talkies from the bag that contained them. Taranee was quick to answer.
"Blunk, Caleb told you not to play with this stuff." She told him.
"NO PLAY!" Blunk practically screamed over the other end, forcing Taranee to wince away from the loud voice that banged against her ear. "EMERGENCY! BIG FIGHT AT CASTLE! COME QUICK!"
"Looks like our job's not done yet." Taranee told the group as she and Cornelia picked up Tohru again with Hay Lin grabbing onto Uncle before they and Irma flew off toward Phobos' castle.
Blunk breathed a sigh of relief, he had been running for quite some time, but he was glad to have finally got through to the others. There wasn't much for him to do at this point then, other than… His eyes set upon a certain herb, the very kind that he and his mother had been looking for.
"Ah… Stogey Root…" He picked up some of the root and ate it, but instantly spat it out it tasted so bad. "Better sick!"
The war continued to rage around the castle; the combined forces of Section 13 and the Rebellion seemed to push past the rest of Phobos' own forces, making their way closer toward the castle. Despite the losses they suffered early on in this battle, the Rebellion had more man-power, while Section 13 had all the heavy artillery, which was enough to overwhelm most of the enemy army of guards and monsters that continued to fight them off. Already they made their way toward the castle walls and began to use hooks and ropes, along with grapplers to climb the walls while the helicopters in the area kept them covered from the air.
The sounds of battle had reached Elyon's room as the Dark Chi Enforcers looked with fear clearly evident on their faces.
"Holy crap…" Chow commented. "This is insane…!"
"No kidding." Ratso agreed. "When I signed up with Valmont, I never expected it would lead this."
"It's a freaking war out there!" Finn added. "How are we supposed to…"
The trio's attention was caught by an ominous feeling from behind them. They glanced towards Elyon as a powerful magic aura began to surge around her.
"Hey, hey, take it easy kiddo." Chow tried to tell her as the Enforcers slowly and cautiously made their way toward her.
"Yeah… why don't you sit down…?" Ratso offered.
"This is… my home…" Elyon said in a low growl.
"Look Little E, things are pretty crazy out there and you don't wanna…" Finn tried to speak to her, but she was already hovering in the air, her eyes glowing brightly with the aura around her. "Uh… Elyon…?"
Back outside, Will and Jade continued their battle against Cedric, Daolon Wong, and Tarakudo; the Oni king blasting a psychic wave at the pair, but Jade was quick to block it with a wall of shadow-magic before shooting several shadow spikes toward him, forcing Tarakudo to fly back and avoid it. Cedric attempted to get the jump on her from behind, but Will flew directly up to his face to deal a cartwheel kick, allowing Jade to fly past him and throw a set of shadow-whips around his neck before hauling him down to the ground. Daolon Wong attempted to blast Jade with his Dark Chi magic from his scepter, but Jade blocked it once again with a wall of shadow-magic, allowing Will to fly past her and deal a punch to his face to knock him down.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard below, Jackie ran and dodged all the blasts of magic that Phobos threw his way, trying to get closer to Phobos while expertly dodging each attack. He was able to get close enough as Phobos prepared the next blast, only for Jackie to grab him by the wrist and forcing him to shoot away before kicking him in the chest to knock him back. Phobos recovered with a glare as he materialized a blade in his hand, moving in close to Jackie to hack and slash at him, but Jackie proved quick and nimble in close quarters combat to avoid each slash, striking at Phobos' wrist to parry him and avoid getting sliced before leaping over him to sweep his feet and knock Phobos down.
As he was down however, Phobos blasted a point-blank wave of magic at Jackie to send him rolling across the ground. As Jackie attempted to recover, Phobos began to hover over him with deadly intent.
"I have had enough of you… Jackie Chan…!"
Suddenly, he was blasted by a stun-spell, which knocked him down onto the ground.
"And Uncle has had enough of you, foolish prince!" Uncle said as Hay Lin brought him onto the scene.
"Jackie!? Are you okay?!" Hay Lin called out.
"Yes! Thank you!" Jackie said with a smile.
Back with Will and Jade, the later had slashed Tarakudo across the face with a shadow-katana before blasting him away from the castle with a surge of shadow-flames. She and Will prepared to square off against Cedric and Wong; only to be pelted by blasts of fire and water, distracting them enough for the ground beneath them to shake and crumble apart, causing them to fall off the castle walls and down to the moat below.
"Thanks guys, not that we needed the help." Jade smirked as Irma, Taranee, and Cornelia flew in, the latter two carrying Tohru before setting him down with them.
"How in the hell did this happen?!" Irma questioned. "I thought the attack wasn't till the Coronation!"
"We'll explain later." Will said as Hay Lin helped Jackie and Uncle to the top as well. "We need to help the Rebels and Section 13 to the top!"
But it seemed they had it covered for the most part as several dozen Rebels, almost a hundred total, along with several Section 13 agents have managed to breach the outer walls and enter the castle grounds; including Caleb and Captain Black as they continued to fight off the guards and monsters.
"Keep pushing! We're almost inside!" Caleb told everyone.
"NO!" They all heard Elyon's voice boom through the air as she hovered over all of them. "You will not enter my castle and ruin my home!"
Almost all the fighting inside the castle came to a halt, but not the conflicts outside as they could not see the hovering princess. The Guardians and Chan Clan saw her as well as Cornelia tried to fly in and reason with her.
"Elyon, wait please! Look, I know you think we're being brainwashed, but we're not! The rebels are the good guys! I know this is all pretty crazy but you have to…!"
"NO!" Elyon exclaimed again as she sent Cornelia back with a wave of magic. "This fighting ends NOW!"
She hovered past the castle to see the rest of the chaos and conflict that was occurring past the castle walls. She saw scores of bodies scattered everywhere, and neither side showed any signs of slowing down. All this fighting and bloodshed made her own blood boil even further.
"ENOUGH!" Elyon channeled all her power as she was engulfed in a bright and powerful surge raw magic before massive pillars of the same energy shot down into the lakebed below and up into the sky. All the fighting stopped as everyone looked in mixtures of awe and fear, even her own friends, the Guardians, Chan Clan, and all their allies had similar expressions.
"Whoa nelly…" Captain Black uttered.
The insane surge of power could be seen from miles around the castle; and even drew the attention of the recovering Phobos, Wong, and Cedric from their respective locations.
"Elyon…" Phobos muttered at seeing his sister like this. Even the Dark Chi Enforcers' jaws dropped at the sight of that.
The light soon changed into a dome of magic that began to grow and encompass the grounds around the castle and even the castle itself. Suddenly, countless massive roots and plant tendrils emerged from the ground to ensnare almost every single person and monster down below, even agents of Section 13. Vehicles and larger weapons were tipped over and ripped apart by the tendrils; it was almost as if Elyon was controlling the will of Meridian's own nature to stop this battle.
This insane demonstration of power was observed by Tarakudo from a safe distance as he merely smirked in amusement. "Cute."
"Captain Black! Caleb! We have to leave! Now!" Jackie tried to tell them as they attempted to regroup.
"He's right!" Will agreed.
Captain Black immediately took out his communicator. "All units retreat! We're falling back now!" Even Caleb silently admitted it was time to leave, cursing himself in the process.
Earth - Heatherfield
It was an absolute mess trying to escape from what had happened at Phobos' castle. Nearly everybody they knew was captured, be they Rebels or Section 13 agents. The Chan Clan and Guardians were just barely able to escape with the use of a portal via the Heart of Kandrakar, however Captain Black ended up getting captured himself as he tried to cover their escape. Currently, the group of heroes, including Alchemy, sat at and around a bench in the park contemplating the fiasco they just escaped from.
"Whoa…" Alchemy said upon being told what happened. "Elyon really did all that…?"
"I figured she was powerful and all… but I didn't think she was that powerful!" Jade stated. "She… honestly kinda terrified me."
"Hey… at least the villagers have water now." Will tried to find some kind of silver lining. "You guys did a great job."
Despite that real victory, none of them felt like celebrating. "Caleb… how bad is it?" Taranee asked the young rebel leader.
Caleb sighed before answering. "At least two or even three hundred men and women lost their lives in that fight. Over a hundred were captured, including your men from Section 13, everyone else ended up getting scattered… they'll go into hiding but… all the heads of the Rebellion were taken; including Aldarn, Drake, and even my father."
"Elyon even captured some of those monster-things too." Cornelia added. "She doesn't even know they're on Phobos' side. Looks his lies were pretty convincing."
"Captain Black was also taken." Tohru said with a glum expression.
Jackie sighed as he placed his hand on his face in shame. "I should never have involved him in that."
"Hey, we'll find a way to get him back." Irma said, placing a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "We'll get everyone back. This thing ain't over yet."
"Elyon's powers will only continue to grow as her coronation draws near." Uncle said. "Phobos and Tarakudo will be that much determined to keep her away from us. It will only be harder from now on."
"But I don't think it's just them anymore." Hay Lin said, getting everyone's attention. She held her own sides as she shook slightly, vividly remembering the flames and the unrecognizable monster that emerged from them. "I had the dream again last night. I still don't know what exactly it was but… I've just got this feeling that… that as horrible as Phobos and Tarakudo both are… something worse is coming."
Done.
So, that all happened. The battle at the castle was even crazier than it was in the canon. There was one issue I had with that particular episode when it came to the numbers; there were at least a thousand rebels that attacked the castle, but only a hundred were taken. What happened to the other nine hundred? It was never said, but I can only assume that those who weren't killed in the battle ended up scattered and separated; so that's what happened here.
But now Captain Black and everyone he brought with from Section 13 have also been captured. However, they won't be held captive for long as our heroes bring in some old friends to help stage a rescue.
And of course, Hay Lin is beginning to sense that there's something on the horizon that's even worse than Phobos and Tarakudo, and we all know what, or rather who, it is. (evil laugh)
I look forward to writing the next chapter as well as all the others as we get closer and closer to the finale. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Love you guys.