AN: Shorter chapter tonight because I'm not feeling that great. I had more planned but I'm just not up to writing it all down today.
"Wait, Nashi?" Storm asked, eyes wide.
"My archive link still works," Persephone explained with a smile. "She's okay."
Storm sighed in relief.
"Has she found our parents?" Cato asked.
"Not yet, but she says she's on her way towards them. She got her grandma to help her for a little while, now she's going to where someone else can help her."
"Is there anything we can do?" Storm asked.
"I don't think so," Persephone answered. "But at least we know she's okay."
"Persephone…" someone called through an archive link.
"Nashi?"
"No, it's Carmen."
"Carmen?" Persephone frowned. That was a surprise!
"Yeah, it's me. Listen...doesn't that water wizard in your guild have a healing spell?"
"Yeah…"
"You think he'd use it on Malla?"
Persephone's brow furrowed. "What happened?"
"Well...she didn't do too well in that game. She only came in seventh place. So, um…"
"Carmen?" Persephone asked.
"So...the little brother of the Phoenix Grave guild master, Micah I think his name is? He, erm, force-fed her some of his acids…"
"WHAT!?" Persephone shrieked, causing everyone to jump.
"She's...she's in a lot of pain. I know we've given you guys a headache but...please? You think he'll help her?"
"I'll ask him."
Persephone walked to Storm's side. "Hey, Storm, Carmen just contacted me."
"Huh?" Storm arched an eyebrow.
"He wants to know if you'll do him a favor…"
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Nashi squinted as she kept walking through the canyon. It looked like she was about to hit a dead end. She picked up the pace a bit. Sure enough, she hit the end of the canyon, which was just more of the brown, rock walls that the sides were made of. The only difference was this one had a long rope ladder dangling from the top.
"Yeah, I'm not climbing that," Nashi said as she conjured her Eos wings and flew to the top of the rock wall.
She gasped as she found herself standing in what looked like a prairie full of flowers. All kinds of flowers of all kinds of colors.
"Wow!" Nashi sighed as she walked forward, brushing her hand over the petals. "So pretty!"
"Well, well, well," someone said from behind her.
Nashi whirled around and saw a short man dressed in all purple standing behind her. He had a pointed hat and what looked like two ghosts standing next to him.
"Who are you?" Nashi asked.
"The Titan Fire Wizard right in front of me," the man chuckled.
Alright, so this guy knew who she was. But Nashi was fairly certain she didn't know him.
"Last time I saw you...well, I never actually got a chance to see you. I tried to. I tried to take you for myself, but those stupid Fairies ended up getting me killed!"
"Wait, what!?" Nashi shouted. This guy tried to take her? Okay, yeah, he DEFINITELY wasn't here to help!
"Well, since you're here, I guess I could take you now. Not sure what good you'll be to me now that I'm...dead...but, I'll think of something!"
He snapped his fingers and the two ghostly figures charged towards Nashi.
IIIIIIIIIIIII
"This one, I think," Persephone said as she and Storm ducked into a broom closet in the hallway. Carmen was inside, Malla curled up in the fetal position behind him. She had sweat pouring down her face, gluing her black hair to her face. There were burns around her mouth. Tears poured down her face. She was trembling as she cried.
Storm gasped as he knelt by her side.
He set one hand on her forehead and conjured up a ball of water with his others.
"C...Carmen…" Malla shuddered. "Why are they here?"
"They're going to try and help you," Carmen answered.
"But...why…"
"Try not to talk for me for a minute, okay?" Storm said as he placed the water over Malla's torso. "Cleanse."
Persephone tapped Carmen's shoulder and gestures to a back corner of the closet. They both moved to give Storm room to work.
"So, good news," Persephone said. "Nashi got to that limbo place you were talking about."
"She what!?" Carmen exclaimed.
"Yeah, she even found someone to help her."
"Are you guys crazy!?" Carmen hissed.
"Maybe, but the good news is we'll get our parents back soon. Which means Storm's dad can take those marks off you and you guys can be free of Elena."
Malla gasped and turned her head towards Persephone and Carmen. "Carmen, what's going on?"
Carmen shifted uneasily.
"Carmen…" Malla tried to sit up, but Storm pushed her back down.
"I need you to sit still," Storm said. Malla laid back down but still stared at Carmen.
"Carmen?"
Carmen sighed. "They think that...if they can get their parents back one of them can take our guild marks off."
"So...what's that mean?" Malla asked.
"It means we can escape," Carmen answered.
"Really?" Tears began welling in Malla's eyes. "We can be free?"
"Yeah, we'll help you guys out once Nashi brings our parents back," Persephone nodded.
Storm had been listening to the whole conversation but said nothing, focused on healing Malla.
"Gosh, they tore you up!" he exclaimed as he continued moving his water through Malla's body. "What the heck did they do this for?"
"Because I screwed up the game," Malla answered. "And cost us our chances at taking first place again."
"So what?" Persephone asked. "It's just a game."
"I didn't even want to go," Malla cried, tears pouring down her eyes. "I'm a wind wizard, I was made for speed and flying. I don't do well with riddles."
"I told them to send Tate," Carmen sighed. "But they insist on keeping him out of the games in case…" Carmen gasped.
"What's up?" Persephone asked.
"We may have a problem," Carmen said. "See, five of us, me, Malla, Tierra, Collin, and Georgiana all remember our parents. But, Tate...well, he was the first kid Elena took. And she took him while he was a baby. I hate to say it, but he's never known life without Elena. He even calls her 'mother.' Getting him to go along with the plan may be difficult."
"And if he finds out you've got someone looking for your parents...he may try to go and stop them."
"What!?" Storm exclaimed.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry too much," Persephone shrugged. "Nashi's a tough cookie. She could take him."
"But what would the rest of Phoenix Grave and Elena's group do to the rest of you in the meantime?" Carmen asked.
"...Right…" Persephone scratched at the back of her head. "So, maybe don't let Tate in on what's going on until we get Storm's dad to help you…"
Storm continued healing Malla for a few seconds more, then stopped. "That's all I can do, but I hope it helped."
"I did...but…" Malla frowned. "Why? We've been terrible to you guys. We tried to kidnap your friend. Why-"
"But you're not doing it because you want to," Persephone said. "You're doing it because you were forced to. And...you're being held captive. Even if you've roughed us up a bit, you don't deserve that."
Malla hung her head, a strange look on her face.
"We should probably get back before someone notices we're gone," Camren said as he helped Malla to her feet.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Iapetus!" Nashi shouted, two fiery, black swords appearing in her hands. The two ghosts continued charging towards her, one slightly ahead of the other.
Nashi ducked, then swung up, cutting at one of the ghosts. It sliced through the cloak but did little else. The second ghost grabbed her by the hair, jerking her backward. Nashi yelped in pain, swinging her swords behind her to try and get them to let go of her.
"Hmph!" the man in the pointed hat sniffed. "I was expecting more from you. I must say, I'm disa-OUCH!"
The man jumped back as one of Nashi's swords flew by him, burning his face.
"Wrath of Thea!" Nashi shouted, still stuck in the ghost's grasp.
Several crimson, firework-like explosions went off all around the man.
"AUGH!" the man screeched. As he cringed the ghost disappeared.
"It worked!" Nashi cheered.
"Oh, my, a wisecracker, huh?" the man asked. "Thought by breaking my concentration you could win. Well, it won't be that easy. I'm not letting you get away."
A circle of ghosts appeared around Nashi and charged her. She gasped, lifting her hands to conjure a spell before she was completely overcome.
BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook as what sounded like giant footsteps came behind Nashi.
She tried to turn around to see what was going on, but before she could a giant hand grabbed her and lifted her into the air.
"Huh?" Nashi gasped, trying to figure out what the heck was happening.
"Oh, no!" the man in the pointed hat whimpered.
"Still messing with my children, Jose?" an angry voice screamed over Nashi's head. "Even after death?"
Nashi looked up and gasped, tears in her eyes. "Gramps!"
Makarov, in his giant form, smiled down at the little girl. "Hello, Nashi. It's good to see you again. My, how you've grown."