"So we agree," Oni declared firmly, "I am to help your cause."
Oni stood in the middle of a small room. The room was completely made of metal, with small screens mounted on the wall in front of him. All around him, Vermillion stood with swords all raised at him. They didn't make a move on him, but they were prepared to. The only light in the room was from the screens, which were so dim most of Oni's body was hardly visible against it.
"Do you understand what we're trying to do?" On the screen, Krux's voice echoed from behind a large helmet that covered most of his face, "Our plan is already in motion. If you intend to disturb it…"
"Well," Acronix, in similar garb, laughed, "We'll have other things for you to worry about!"
"Whatever your intentions behind Red Dawn are," Oni shook his head, "It has the power to restore the balance that you threw apart by destroying the vagabond's home. I will aid you if your intention is to set the balance back into place."
"You were not part of the plan… but we will work with you," Krux frowned under his helmet, "We've learned better than to make enemies of all those we meet. If fixing a little balance you're going on so much about is what it takes, let it be done. We have bigger things to focus on."
"Then go help those two with their mission!" Acronix declared, "Once you finish those pesky guys off, we'll let you use the power of Red Dawn for whatever you need. How about that?"
"So long as I may take the Sword of Sanctuary for my own," Oni nodded his head.
"Sure, sure," Acronix flippantly waved his hand, "Just get going! We've got stuff to do!"
"Understood," Oni nodded his head. Krux smirked and leaned forward, hitting a button to turn the screen off. When it didn't happen, he tensed up and growled, hitting the button several more times. Acronix snickered at the display. Hearing his brother's mockery, Krux brought his hand down on the button, causing the feed to go static and then shut down, casting the room into near darkness.
Oni took a long moment to look around the room, sensing the locations of the Vermillion. Within moments, he could no longer sense them as the snakes disappeared. He paid no mind to this, instead turning away from the screen and walking out of the room. He entered a thin hallway which was just as dark, but now with a hint of light in front of him.
When Oni emerged from the room, he found himself standing in the middle of a large, cloudy field. The sunlight above him was filtered through deep gray clouds, casting the entire plains around him to be little more than grass. There was no sign of life anywhere around him, and that was nothing that he paid mind to. The building he emerged from was truly made of scrap metal, welded together to form a dome with the hallway leading into it. If he looked, he could see the last of the Vermillion dispersing across the grass in all directions.
Oni heard a noise. He looked across the plains, trying to locate it. When he did, he saw the sight of none other than Ophiod, holding his staff. The Serpentine slowly lowered his staff to be completely in front of him, the scroll dangling from the end of it. Oni stared at this without much thought, instead simply moving to find a comfortable spot to sit down.
Ophiod inhaled deeply. As he did, the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu began to burn orange at the tips. Oni reached down onto his side, opening up a bag he had resting on his hip. From it, he pulled out a half carved mask, a chisel, and a small jar of blue paint. He laid the blue paint to his side, resting the mask on his knee. He lowered the chisel down to the mask, then began to slowly carve at the surface.
"...NINJA-GO!" Ophiod shouted. In a flash, his body flared up into Spinjitzu. His tornado was a burning copper blue, one that began to cascade up and down the tornado in small colored ribbons. Oni watched out of the corner of his eye, keeping his focus on his work. As Ophiod spun, the colors in his Spinjitzu began to flare with the slightest bit of orange. The longer he spun, the more the glow of the scroll began to infuse into the tornado.
In another flash, Ophod shot forward. The tornado skated across the ground like a top across ice, heading right for a long tree standing atop a small hill. The Serpentine flew straight for it, his body careening in the swirling mass. The second the tornado struck the tree, it vanished. Ophiod slid his body in a clean arc, landing with the staff held out behind him. The tree gave a long creak, then slowly fell as a clean slice appeared in its trunk. The tree fell to the ground, a loud cracking noise splitting the air.
Oni took a moment to look up from his work. When he did, he saw Ophiod straightening himself up. Ophiod's empty hand slowly shook, then it clenched up. The Viper scowled as he looked over towards the staff he carried and the now limp scroll lightly blowing in the breeze. His eyes remained fixated on it for several long moments, then he turned fully away from it. The look of anger on his face remained as he slithered away from the hill, back towards he'd started. In doing so, his eyes looked up to see Oni sitting there in the grass, carving away at the mask. For a long few seconds, the Viper remained frozen in place. Oni didn't look up.
A shadow loomed over Oni. When he looked up, Ophiod was in front of him, blocking what little sunlight was coming through on this overcast day. Oni took a moment to look at him, then he looked back down at his carving. Ophiod looked confused for a moment, then planted his staff in the ground.
"Why were you watching me?" Ophiod asked.
"I wasn't, not truly," Oni continued to carve, "I simply decided to sit here to do my work."
"Work?" Ophiod narrowed his gaze. His eyes were drawn to the carving that Oni had in his hands. Oni didn't speak, instead returning back to his carving.
"Yes," Oni stated after Ophiod had opened his mouth to question further, "This is my work."
"And, that work is?" Ophiod asked.
"They destroyed one of the masks that I brought with me," Oni responded, "I am making a new one."
"You're… making another Oni Mask?" Ophiod frowned, "I thought those were relics of the Oni Warlords. They brought them with them when they came to hunt down the First Spinjitzu Master."
"Yes," Oni nodded. Ophiod frowned more when he refused to elaborate.
"...How can you simply make another one?" Ophiod asked with a groan.
"The masks themselves are nothing special," Oni responded, "Many Oni had them. They were signs of power, and of status. To make one, you simply need Oni power," He raised his hand to make it flare with purple flames, "And the paint that is needed to bind that power to the mask. Everything else is simple."
"That blue paint?" Ophiod asked. Oni didn't respond. Ophiod took another moment to sigh and slither around Ophiod, looking to the side for a moment.
"What did the Twins say?" Ophiod asked, "Are you our ally?"
"I always was, but if you require their approval, I am now," Oni worked on carving out one of the eye designs on the mask.
"...Then we'll be working together," Ophiod frowned, "We'll need to communicate. We'll have to find where they are. They disappeared, and-"
"They're in one of their worlds, they're too reluctant to come after us," Oni declared, "We'll search for them later. I'm working on my mask right now."
"...Alright then," Ophiod turned around, "I'll be going now," The Serpentine slashed a portal open in front of him with his magic. Oni didn't make a move to stop him. Ophiod ignored this fact, slithering through the portal. Soon, the field that Oni sat in vanished, and in its place was the large trees of a nearby forest. So long as he'd been to a place once before, teleporting there was no issue.
"Ophiod," Skales called out. Ophiod turned to see the Hypnobrai sitting up from a nearby tree. Ophiod made his way over to him, at which point he opened his arm up. Skales walked over and stepped into it, letting Ophiod hug him to his side.
"Skales," Ophiod let out a small smile, "I'm sorry I was gone so long. I was waiting for Oni to finish with his… well, meeting. I got busy with other things while I waited."
"You were practicing with the scroll, weren't you?" Skales asked. Ophiod tensed up and let his arm drift down from Skales' side.
"Yes," Ophiod shook his head, "I have to learn more about it, Skales. I've barely been able to tap into its power now. I need to use more of it. This is getting dangerous."
"You shouldn't put so much effort into something like that," Skales crossed his arms, "You're a plenty powerful sorcerer. What need do you have for something like that?"
"My mother said this was one of the most powerful artifacts that she had ever laid hand on," Ophiod ran his hand along the staff's length, "She said that if someone could master it, nobody would ever be able to face them in battle again."
"Yet you stole the thing before you could even ask more about it," Skales scoffed, stepping away from Ophiod, "The only reason you're struggling to use it is because you were too anxious to get going. Now look at you."
Ophiod lowered his head, "I… knew that mom would want to know why I wanted it, Skales. And if I explained that, she'd forbid me from going. I had to leave before she found out what I was planning. She… she wouldn't have let me go if she knew."
"...I know," Skales groaned, "I also know why you're doing this, Ophiod. I just don't like it."
"..." Ophiod frowned, lowering his head further, "I'm trying, Skales. I know what I have to do. I have to free him… I have to show them all that I'm not just a Half-Breed. I'm going to do this to show them that, I was stronger than all of them. To prove that I'm, worthy of being their Prince."
"You don't need to prove yourself to anyone, Ophiod," Skales countered, "You're the most powerful Serpentine sorcerer your family have ever seen. You've done things no other snake could. You don't need to hurt others to do it."
"...Yes I do," Ophiod gripped his fists, "It's all I can do. They only respond to power. To… to glory. I can't beat them by conquering them. But I can conquer something else. I can… I can prove myself on another battlefield, and then return home to defeat their doubts about me."
Skales took a long moment to puzzle over what Ophiod said. After Ophiod felt his small rush of determination fade away, he began to slump over again. It was at this point Skales walked over to him and gripped his chin, lifting his head back up. Ophiod blinked in confusion, but Skales held his face still as he eyed the Serpentine all over.
"Look here," Skales growled, "Other worlds or not, as crazy as all this is, you're still my Prince. And you don't hang your head like that. You are Ophiod, not some apprentice swordsman. You're the strongest we have out there. So stop mopping. Show me the true Prince of the Serpentine that I pledged my life to."
"..." Ophiod took a moment to inhale long and deep, "I am."
"Good," Skales reached over and touched Ophiod's hand, "Prove yourself. Do what you have to. Just let me be there to support you. And don't think about leaving me behind," Skales frowned, "Just promise me that you'll be safe. We don't know what the scroll fully does. And the one time that someone tried to tell you, you yelled at them to stop," Skales scoffed, "So just don't go doing anything stupid, you hear me?"
"I hear you, Skales," Ophiod's smile returned in force, "Thank you, I needed to hear that."
"Good," Skales turned his back to Ophiod, "Now put that scroll down. You've got more to do than that. You haven't rested in days, it's time you stop running around like a blind Constricti and focus on something else."
"Something like you?" Ophiod asked. Skales nodded his head.
"Exactly," Skales waved his hand, "We have things to do. Namely, you haven't been taking care of your scales lately. I'm going to work on that. A Prince shouldn't look like you do."
"Are you saying I look like a commoner, Skales?" Ophiod asked, even as he moved over to a tree and sat down. Skales scoffed.
"I'm saying you've thrown yourself into far too many situations where you're just trying to see how much you can take before someone shreds these things right off," Skales moved behind Ophiod and forcibly tilted his head to the side, "Now hold still before I make you hold still."
"If you would let me teach you magic, I could teach you several immobilization spells," Ophiod responded. All at once, Skales reached up to yank a dislodged scale out of Ophiod's neck, making him gasp at the sensation.
"Hmmph, you just want to use magic to get things done faster," Skales ran his hand along Ophiod's neck and worked around the smooth sheen, "I have other ways of getting you to stop moving."
"Be gentle," Ophiod groaned out, "I haven't had a chance to work on them myself. Else I'd have taken better care of myself."
"Because you're running yourself ragged for no reason," Skales grumbled, yanking another broken one from Ophiod's body, "We don't exactly have a timetable here. You could do to let yourself actually sleep for once in awhile."
"Agh…" Ophiod winced, "If I promise to take tonight to simply rest, will you stop being so rough with me?"
"Maybe," Skales groaned. Ophiod just smiled at him and nodded his head gently.
"Hold still!" Skales held Ophiod's head still. Ophiod gasped.
For the next hour, Skales plucked small, almost imperceptible scales out of his shiny copper blue neck, head, shoulders and arms. His tail scales were far smaller and meant to be far more durable. Skales went for it, but Ophiod just playfully raised his tail and swatted him with it.
"Alright," Skales groaned, "Now you look a little more like a Prince. Or at least presentable for a Serpentine."
"Thank you, Skales," Ophiod smiled.
"Honestly," Skales waved his hand, "When was the last time you even shed? You'll have to at some point. Eventually you'll stop being able to fit in those things."
"I'll shed when we get a chance for it," Ophiod responded, "Now then, I'll work on you."
"Hmmph," Skales smirked, "Unlike you, I check myself everyday. So I don't need it."
"Really?" Ophiod slithered over and checked. True to his world, Skales didn't have a single scale out of place. When he backed off, Skales was still smiling at him.
"A few minutes to your morning ritual would do you good," Skales walked over into a small clearing to stretch, "You have to take care of yourself. Prince or not, you're a symbol for us Serpentine. Don't think others don't take notice of how you look."
"I'll remember that," Ophiod sighed, "...In truth, all of that made me rather tired. Do you think that we can perhaps retire now?"
"Now?" Skales looked up. While the overcast sky made it hard to tell, it was evening. It was early to be doing so, but Ophiod's eyes were starting to flutter. Sitting still for that long had likely broken whatever defense Ophiod was using to stay awake. Skales couldn't help but just roll his eyes at that too.
"Alright," Skales nodded, "I found us a comfortable spot. Let's go."
"Lead the way," Ophiod yawned. Retrieving his staff, Ophiod wrapped his arm around Skales as the two of them slowly slithered off into the woods together, the trees enveloping them even as yawns began to overtake the proud and determined Viper.
The chill air of morning cut deep into the world. The sunlight had barely begun rising above the horizon, and thus the world still shone with the dew of the early morning on all the plants around them. The sunlight hadn't even risen high enough to truly best the trees, meaning that aside from a haze of blue slightly brighter than the dim indigo of night, there was hardly any light to guide by.
"Ophiod!" Prime's voice cut through the still air as he trudged along the forest, "You there?! Ophiod!"
Prime sighed. Oni said that Ophiod had gone out to train last night. Given that the Viper hadn't come back last night, Prime had decided to go out looking for him. Invictus was standing over the forest at its edge. Walking the mech through would have destroyed far more trees than he needed to. Thus, he was going on foot, even if the air was cold and he didn't enjoy the feeling of leaves against his jumpsuit either.
"OPHIOD!" Prime shouted. He took a step forward, entering what looked like a small clearing. As soon as he did, he looked around to see a number of slashes and marks around the area. He looked around, trying to locate where the Serpentine might be.
"Alright, think Prime," Prime began to walk around, crossing his arms, "If I were a snake, where would I be…?" When he walked to the edge of the clearing, he turned to see a rather large tree with roots that formed what looked like a small cave in the ground. After a moment of thought, Prime crawled over and peered inside.
Ophiod and Skales were deep in sleep. Skales was curled up in Ophiod's arms, his large Viper tail curled around Skales' body several times. Skales, in turn, had his head up against Ophiod's chest. Both of their weapons were on the ground beside them. The two's breathing was almost completely in sync. The two were completely curled up with the other, their bodies warming the other in the cold morning.
Prime shifted, causing his body to cast a shadow over them. The moment he did, Skales' eyes shot open. The Hypnobrai turned to see someone at the entrance to their den and reacted immediately. He grabbed hold of his golden blade and yanked upwards, causing Ophiod's tail to fall from around him. Ophiod's eyes opened a moment later as Skales pointedh is blade at Prime.
"Woah, woah! It's just me! It's Prime!" Prime put his hands up, "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you too."
"Where is your mech?" Skales spat, "I normally recognize you by the ridiculous approach you make whenever you want to talk to us."
"Prime?" Ophiod yawned, sitting up, "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to talk," Prime chuckled, "You two look cute together."
"What?" Skales growled. Ophiod put his head on Skales' shoulder, causing him to simmer down. Skales looked down for a moment, then slowly relented and put his blade down. Ophiod slowly moved to crawl out of the den, forcing Prime to take a few steps back. The Viper reached his hand back, magically calling his staff back into his hand. Skales crawled out after him a moment later.
"So, are you two, well?" Prime chuckled, putting his hands on his hips, "Together?"
"What makes you think you're allowed to ask that question?" Skalse growled.
"Skales, let's not antagonize him," Ophiod sighed, "We are. He is my knight and my sworn mate. The two of us are exactly as you think of us," Ophiod looked to the band of gold he wore on his arm, "I thought this bethrovement jewelry would be enough to show it. I suppose it is not something that transcends customs, then."
"What, a ring?" Prime shrugged, "I mean, I just thought it was some sort of Prince thing. But you two are perfect together," Prime waved his hand, "Come on, I'll give you a ride in Invictus. It's over…" He looked up to see the mech's face peering up over the trees, "Well there."
Prime moved to disappear into the treeline. As soon as he did, Skales groaned and slid his blade onto his back. Ophiod did the same with his staff. The Hypnobrai turned to Ophiod and slowly grumbled out at him.
"What exactly do you see in him as an ally?" Skales sighed, "He wouldn't know subtlety if it smacked him with his mech's sword."
"He's just being a good person, better than some others," Ophiod wrapped his arm around Skales, "Come, we're just tired from sleeping on the ground," The Viper leaned down and gave the top of Skales' head a small kiss, "I love you, Skales."
Skales tensed up and scoffed, "I… ugh, you're insufferable sometimes." He leaned up and gave Ophiod's cheek a peck, "I love you to, now let's follow him before I take it back."
Ophiod gave a playful roll of his eyes and began to slither through the woods. It was a short walk for them before they arrived at the foot of Invictus. Prime was waiting with his back casually leaned up against the thing's foot. He hopped up as soon as the two Serpentine arrived, opening a panel on the foot of Invictus to tap in a few buttons. A series of small bars extended out along the mech's leg, acting as a ladder for them to go up towards the main cockpit. Prime waved for them to follow as he climbed up. The two followed him without pause.
Once at the mech's hips, Prime put his hand on Invictus and focused. As soon as he did, the armor on the torso folded back to open up the circular entrance to Invictus. Prime swung himself inside and helped the other two inside. Once there, the mech's systems activated, causing the dark walls to light up in a display of the world around the mech. The tiled floor rose up to form two seats for Ophiod and Skales.
Prime took his stance in the center of the cockpit focusing as the holographic display of commands. Prime reached forward and placed his hand on it, causing the screen to go green. Beside him, a meter slowly began to rise. Prime's body trembled as he took long, deep inhales. He held on for a long few moments, the meter steadily rising. When the meter was at half, Prime slowly exhaled and pulled his hand back. Holographic rings appeared on his hands and ankles, at which point he held his arm forward. Invictus took a moment to lurch, then turn around and walk away from the forest.
"Alright, I'm all synced up, we're on our way," Prime stretched his back out, "I'm gonna hold off on the jets for now. Need to conserve fuel and all."
"That hasn't seemed a problem for you in the past," Skales pointed out.
"Well, it is now," Prime nodded his head, "I got Invictus fixed up to be stronger than ever. We'll be able to take on an entire armada if we must."
"Let's hope we don't," Ophiod sighed. Prime gave him a chuckle.
"Oh, I'm sure Invictus can pull through," Prime smirked, "I'm the one piloting it, after all. Invictus can do anything that I need!"
"Except get knocked out by a bow and arrow," Skales pointed out. Prime's smile fell.
"Well, that won't happen again," Prime declared, "I'm going to win this fight. No matter what it takes to. I won't let myself get knocked down again. Not me, or Invictus."
Those words were enough that Ophiod and Skales didn't have much to say. Both of them slowly went silent. Prime's smile didn't return to his face as Invictus walked through the large landscape. The action made Ophiod's mind drift. It'd been a long while since he had been in a moment of calm like this. They weren't facing off against the travelers, or doing something like planning. They were simply walking in his mech, without anything in sight. Had there been another reason that Prime wasn't flying right there?
"Hey, Ophiod," Prime cut off Ophiod before he could talk, "Why are you fighting these guys? Or rather, for the Twins?"
"I've already told you that," Ophiod frowned, "The Twins will free my father if I win."
"Mhm… is that it?" Prime asked.
"Yes," Ophiod nodded, "The Twins say that they can reverse what happened to him. If I have my father back, I can go on to be an even stronger Prince than I am now."
"Really?" Prime sighed, straightening his back, "You sure you aren't trying to prove something?"
"Prove… what?" Ophiod asked skeptically.
"Like the fact that you're running away from home with a scroll you don't know how to use and saying you're fighting to free your father," Prime pointed out, "You sure there isn't more to it than that?"
Ophiod's body stiffened up as he heard that. Prime, hearing that Ophiod didn't have a response, sighed. He tapped a few buttons on the mech's console and turned around to face the Serpentine. Prime was controlling Invictus with his mind now. Ophiod looked into Prime's eyes.
"You should know what you're really fighting for, Ophiod," Prime frowned, "Are you fighting to prove that you can free your father, or to prove that you're strong enough to do it?"
"What would you know about that?" Skales jumped in with a hiss, "You're nothing more than a loud boy in a suit of armor."
"...Because I know what it means to fight just to prove you can do it, rather than actually doing it," Prime scowled, "And I paid the price for it. You seem like a good person to me. You don't deserve to get caught up in something like this without reason."
"Fine," Ophiod sighed, "Then tell me what you're really fighting for, Prime."
Prime took a moment to think on that, then he chuckled. He placed his hands on his hips and looked up at the ceiling of the cockpit. Ophiod, confused by the gesture, was more confused when Prime pointed his hand up towards the ceiling.
"I'm fighting because I'm Prime!" Prime declared, "I'm the wielder of Invictus, the savior of my home! I'm here to win for them, again. And I'll do whatever it takes to do it!"
Ophiod was confused by what Prime just displayed. Prime smirked and returned his arms down to his sides, then moved over and back to his holographic console. He looked out towards the beautiful sight of nature in front of him, the one the mech was walking through. His eyes grew distant for a moment, taking in the space, the beauty, and all that he could.
"Well, you saw my world," Prime chuckled, "You know what I'm really fighting for. I'm fighting to win the way I wanted to. Everything happened because of me. I can't let them all live like that. So I'm going to undo it. The Twins promised me something like they did you. Only mine is a bit more specific."
Prime turned back to face the group, "I lost everything when the Overlord ordered every one of his creatures to explode with him. Once I take down those guys, I'm going to go back and make sure I cut off his head faster. Then I can be with my team again."
Ophiod didn't respond. Prime sighed and looked out the cockpit again. His thoughts were building up again. He took a moment to reach down, running his hand along his suit. As he did, he thought back to what he felt when he was in this mech. He let out a small chuckle.
"I need to fix my mistake," Prime declared, "Everyone lost everything because of me. I lost everything too. My friends, my home, Akita…" Prime gripped his chest, "I'm going to fix this. Everyone still looks at me like a savior. They don't see the boy that failed to stop them from losing their homes. They see the one that destroyed the Overlord. They see me as the one who won that day. And oh, I did win," Prime gave a hollow laugh, "And look at what victory got me."
"Akita… you have only said that name once to me before," Ophiod frowned, "Who are they?"
Prime's shoulders tensed. Ophiod thought he wasn't going to respond. After a moment to take his thought in, Prime moved to slowly tap a few buttons on his console. When he did, an image displayed on the screen to the outside world. It was an image of a young woman, one with deep, bushy black hair in a jumpsuit much like Ophiod. She was frowning in the picture, leaning against what looked like some sort of wolf-mech hybrid. The image looked to be taken from some sort of handheld, so the image was slightly blurry.
"Akita… she was my partner," Prime chuckled, "I found her, one day. I was doing a patrol of the Frozen Wastes and found her. She was fighting off the darkness in a mech she made herself. I rescued her and she demanded that she be allowed to fight with something like Invictus. I… I helped her build her own mech… Kota," Prime gripped his fist, "...And I integrated it into Invictus. The two of us fought side by side for years. She… she was my everything."
"You loved her," Ophiod half spoke, half asked. Prime's body tensed.
"Yes… yes I did," Prime lowered his head, "I brought her into this fight. She became apart of me when she did. I did everything I could to help her. I fought everyone who said she couldn't do it. She didn't have a core. Her mech wasn't like Invictus. I tethered its power supply to Invictus. I… I was making her a core. That's how we control things like Invictus. I was going to give it to her the day after the final battle, when I finished it. And… and then I…"
Prime gripped his fist, "...I told her to join the others in battle. I had to take on the Overlord, alone. He was the one sending all of the darkness, all the monsters to us. I couldn't subject her to that. I went into full sync during that fight. I knew I would have to. I couldn't let her get hurt with me when I did that. So she was on the battlefield with the others, when… when the Overlord…" Prime took in a long and deep sigh.
"Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for her," Prime chuckled deeply, "I say it's to save the people, to give them a new life. And I do want that. But more than anything, I want to go back and save her. I want to pull her out of this life that I dragged her into… the life that took everything from her," Prime turned back to Ophiod, "You wouldn't understand the feeling, Ophiod. You haven't lost anyone like that. Someone that you shared your soul with. Be grateful that you have Skales. Be thankful… be thankful that you still have someone with you like that."
Ophiod felt a strange feeling flare up inside him. He slowly reached over and wrapped his arm around Skales, holding onto him tightly. Skales didn't object, instead just staring at Prime with mistrust in his eyes. Ophiod watched as Prime's fists dug harder into his palms as he raised his head up towards the sky.
"I'll trample anyone that says I can't be with her again," Prime growled, "Those travelers… they're with the Overlord. They're fighting alongside him. He calls himself Over, but I know what he really is. He's their greatest threat. Someone like him… someone who has that evil in him… I won't stop until I wipe him off the face of all of the universes he ever dares to touch," Prime growled, "And anyone who dares to call him an ally."
Prime took a moment to let out a long sigh, then lower his head. The two Serpentine had nothing more to say to him. His words left Ophiod with a hollow feeling in them. This boy's motivation was deeper than he knew it to be. There was hatred in those words. A feeling that left Ophiod's chest feeling cold. For the moment, he put it aside. To confront Prime in this state would likely only make Prime find reason to dislike him. He needed to be with Prime in this.
"You mentioned full sync," Ophiod asked, moving the subject away from Over, "What does that mean?"
"Ah… it's to do with how the cores work," Prime didn't move when he spoke, "Invictus has no control system. The only way that it moves, fights, all of that, is with me. It's my mind that moves this machine… and to do that, I have to sync to it," Prime raised his head, "I have to be at 30% just to make the mehc move. The higher I sync, the more control I have over Invictus…."
"And, what at full?" Ophiod asked.
"At full, the mech would move as fluidly as I do. I would have control of everything… Invictus and I would be one," Prime inhaled, "But I would suffer any injury that Invictus does. Or my mind would think of it as such. It's my price to pay for it. The more powerful you become… the more you risk getting hurt by it."
Ophiod looked down at the staff he carried, namely the scroll on the end. Hearing those words drifted his mind towards it. Somehow, they did. And Prime seemed to notice it. He took a moment to stare at Ophiod. To look at the Viper just as the Viper looked at his staff. And the longer that the two looked, the more that they both found themselves wanting to look away.
"Just make sure you remember why you're fighting, Ophiod," Prime frowned, "You've taken this fight seriously until now… but that isn't enough. We have to do more if we want to please the Twins… if we want to make it through this. We have to do more. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to take down Over and his friends. You should ask yourself what you're willing to do."
Invictus stopped moving. The two had arrived back at the field that Ophiod had originally journeyed from, and the outpost that the Twins had set up for them to communicate with. Prime deactivated the controls on Invictus, taking a long moment to inhale and let the breath out. Ophiod felt a long pit in his chest.
"Come on," Prime waved his hand, "We should report to them. We still need to find those meddlers."
"Wait," Ophiod put his hand up, "...Prime, do you hate me?" Both Skales and Prime turned to look at him in shock.
"What?" Prime blinked wide eyed, "Of course I don't! I… I guess I was a bit too intense there. Ahem…" Prime rubbed his neck, "She always did say that I could get too wrapped up in myself."
"I don't want us to be at odds with each other," Ophiod slithered forward, "The reason that those six evade us, is because they are all united by one goal. And that goal is to stop the ones that are here to help us. Can we not be united by the same cause?"
"To… stop them?" Prime asked, cocking his hips, "Sorry, but I don't get what you're trying to say."
"Helping each other," Ophiod slithered closer to Prime, "...I want to free my father more than anything else. You want to bring back the ones you loved and fought beside. I understand that feeling. I'm… I'm, well…"
"Well?" Prime smirked, "What are you trying to say?"
"I… well…" Ophiod bit her lip, "What I'm saying is… I, want, us to take on each other's goals. Let's, work together to, help each other achieve them. We'll, do the same with, Oni and, you know. We'll be a group."
"...You're being too shy there, so I'll ask it instead!" Prime beamed, throwing his arm around Ophiod's shoulders. Ophiod's eyes widened as Prime grinned at the Viper, "You want to be my friend, then, that's what you're asking?"
"Y-Yes," Ophiod lowered his head, "...I, apologize. I don't quite know, what that entails."
"You haven't had a friend before?" Prime blinked, "No way."
Ophiod didn't want to admit that living in a palace of servants that were all dedicated to making sure that an assassin didn't take him out didn't give him many chances to make friends. Prime looked at Skales, who confirmed that same feeling with the look he gave. That alone was enough that Prime chuckled and nodded.
"Alright, then that's it, we're friends," Prime nudged Ophiod's shoulder, "I'll help you out with what you need, you help me out with what I need. And I'll show you what it's like to want to be friends. Trust me, it's something you'll want to indulge."
"You… would?" Ophiod slightly pulled away from Prime, who just clung onto him, "But, you already have friends, or, had… I-I mean!"
"Having friends doesn't mean you don't make more, it just means you manage them," Prime sighed, "We're gonna work on how intense you are all the time. Cause I'm sure that's why you haven't made a lot of them."
"...This was the way that I was taught to speak," Ophiod protested. Prime rolled his eyes.
"Look, we're on a massive universe hopping mission here," Prime waved his hand in front of him, "We're seeing things that almost nobody else can ever see! You can do to lighten up just a little bit. Don't worry. Next time we go hunting for those guys, we'll work on getting that down. Don't you worry about that."
"You're, far more confident than I am," Ophiod admitted. Prime just grinned again.
"That's because I'm Prime!" Prime let go of Ophiod to just his arm skyward, "The one and only pilot of Invictus, and savior to all those that look to me! I may not be much of one anymore, but I won't stop working to be just that! Now then!" Prime pointed his arm at the sliding glass wall to the exit of the mech, "Let's be on our way to adventure!"
Prime darted his way out of the cockpit, leaving it open for Ophiod to follow. The mech pilot slid down the mech's torso and did several flips from portion to portion, all but showing off as he landed on the ground with a roll he sprung up from with vigor. Skales stepped forward beside Ophiod and looked to him for a moment, then groaned.
"I still don't like or trust him," Skales crossed his arms, "But you need allies. I guess you working with him isn't the worst of things. We've kept him at a distance until now."
"I… would like to make friends," Ophiod inhaled, "And you're right. It's in our best interests to ally with them. I'll do my best."
"Then go talk with him," Skales yawned, "I'm staying back here. It's cold out there and the mech is warm. It'll be harder to make friends with him if I'm there."
"Are you, sure?" Ophiod blinked, "Wouldn't it be, more helpful?"
"...You need him more than you realize," Skales walked forward and gave Ophiod a shove, "Go. I'm staying here. Go and make friends."
"Thank you, Skales," Ophioid smiled weakly, "I'll, do my best."
"Leave the staff," Skales waved his hand, then moved to curl up in the side of the cockpit. Ophiod laid the staff down and left the mech, giving Skales one more smile before he climbed down far less recklessly than Prime did. When he got do the grass below, Prime was standing near Oni, who seemed to have not moved an inch since the last time Ophiod saw him, yesterday.
"Why not make me a mask?" Prime asked with a chuckle, "I think I'd look good in them!"
"They are not for accessory," Oni droned out, holding up a mask that was fully carved now, "I need them in order to bring out my Oni powers."
"What do you mean?" Ophiod asked as he slithered up. Prime smirked at him, while Oni still refused to budge from the spot.
"My Oni Powers are not like those of the others," Oni placed his hand to his chest, "I am not full Oni. I am a mixture of my human, Oni and Dragon sides. My powers are… unique in that instance. I cannot use my Oni magic in ways that others can. Producing the smoke was through a special spell that I cannot use in the same way my brothers can."
"Why can't your brothers teach you?" Ophiod asked.
"Because I do not have them," Oni raised his head, "They did not see me as one of them. I told them I was. We fought. I was the one that won."
"Hrmm… so, what, what's your story?" Prime asked, "You know, the details! Come on, you have to have some."
"Details?" Oni raised his head, "...After my adventures, I learned that there was imbalance in myself. There was an imbalance in my reality that I could fix. So I left to the First Realm and purged myself of what I saw as imbalance. I brought my three sides into balance by accepting them. I became the ultimate fusion of the three. The one that truly was the definition of it. And, after that… I learned of other worlds through my meditations, and now I am here."
Oni opened the bottle of paint he had on him, the one that Ophiod had seen before. Slowly, he turned the bottle so paint dripped down on the surface of his carved mask. As soon as the paint touched it, an acrid scent hit the air as purple flames began to burn up through the air. The paint slowly slid across the surface, seemingly etching itself into the surface. The blue paint even began to change color as it slid across the surface, its shade altering based on its position.
"Is that how you make them?" Prime asked, "Well… I could do without the smell."
"It will take time before I finish it, but I know what power I will bestow into it," Ophiod nodded, "It is the power that the one who called himself Omega once claimed to have. Destruction. I will realize that power. When I complete it, we will use it to finish off the ones that will continue the disturbance in the void between our worlds."
"Right…" Prime nodded, "Well then. Void or not, we should figure out where they are first. Hard to do something like track them down if we don't have a start."
"Logic would dictate they wouldn't go to a world that we have seen them in already," Ophiod paused, "But what they would consider a place we have seen them in already is suspect. I would imagine that Lloyd's world is off limits to them now. They would likely see Mage's world suspect as well, since we met with Over there. I would imagine that they would likely go to a place like Monty's world."
"Or Harumi's place," Prime smirked, "Pretty nice that they only have five places to go. Makes it easier on us."
"Unless they have access to your own worlds," Oni pointed out. Both Prime and Ophiod paused at that thought.
"...We'll add that to the list," Prime admitted, "They stole her core from me. They were there at least once. I would guess they probably have gone to your place too, Vipe."
"Vipe?" Ophiod narrowed his eyes.
"You know, Viper? Vipe? Nicknames," Prime smirked, "Friends do that."
"...I suppose?," Ophiod blinked several times, "Should we report to the Twins, then?"
"Hrmm… you know, now that I think about it, Oni already talked to them, right?" Prime stretched his back out, "No need to worry about that then. We'll report when we have a reason to."
"But, you brought me back to report to them," Ophiod pointed out.
"And now I'm saying we can go do something else!" Prime gripped his fist, "Like go find where they are. Sooner we do that, the sooner we fulfill our mission."
"Must we leave now?" Oni asked, "I am busy."
"Hrmm... " Prime shrugged, "Well, that's up to you. If you wanna work on your mask, have fun here. Ophiod and I will get to that task. Right?"
Ophiod slowly nodded his head. Prime gave one more grin and waved his hand. Oni continued to pour that strange paint over the mask, letting it run over and paint the thing. He showed no signs of wanting to move in the slightest.
"We'll get ready to head out asap," Prime grinned, "Once we do, we'll be coming for them. They better watch out for us. Let's go, Ophiod!"
Ophiod thought for a moment. Prime seemed wild, unpredictable and confusing to him. His moods weren't straightforward, animated like he wasn't entirely committing to any feeling. He wasn't like people Ophiod had met before, and now he was asking him to be his friend. He was odd, out of place… and he understood the feelings that Ophiod had for Skales more so than anyone else that he'd met before as well.
"Yes, let's head out," Ophiod slithered after him, "We have much to do."
As the two allies began to make their way across the field, Oni gave them one small look before returning to his mask. The grass of the empty world blew across them, filling the air with melancholy and washing away the warmth in the air. And even despite that, Ophiod and Prime made their way to leave, a feeling of happiness in them both that blocked out all else for now, and all that the two could have to worry about.
Author's Note:
This chapter is a bit of a departure from the format so far, but I figured it was important to show the other side of this conflict. And also have confirmation that yes, Ophiod and Skales are a couple.
I want to also mention that another chapter of Universal Deviations has gone up today, specifically one focusing on Harumi's world! More so her friends and daily life. It's a rather long one, but I think it will help to flesh out some details to come! It's a fun chapter, at least in my eyes! NINJA-GO!