Clash of the Elements Part 5 (R): The Lover From the Lost Aura

by mewmaster93

Called in to assist an old friend of the original Elemental Overlord, his successor Mew finds himself wrapped up in a battle for control of the ancient city of Sancturia, home to the Aurians and the secrets of their powers. With the friend's daughter Kairi tagging along, Mew shall combat his way through the legendary Planetary Aurians and their leader to liberate this city, or...

19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Fate, Fortune, and Feelings

Coming straight out of the portal to Uranus, Mew stretched his arms over his head and let out a strenuous grunt. Kairi followed behind a few seconds later, the stamp she got pushing the portal aside. Mew turned around to face the sliding portal and thought, "Two to go...Neptune and...Pluto."

He scoffed a little at the latter but decided to go along with it. He then moved his attention towards Kairi and saw her looking at the ground. She wasn't anywhere close to being as chipper as Mew was expecting.

"Geez, you were all smiles a few minutes ago..." As callous as his thoughts came across, Mew DID have a guess as to what was bugging her, "Though after all that..."

Mew held up his shoulders then dropped them as he sighed, "Can't say I blame her. She's starting to see how big the world truly is...And how bad things can get for other people."

Mew looked at her face and saw her looking around. Her gaze was as lost as her mind. So, being the nice guy he is and all, he thought to try and set her back on the right path a little.

"Hey," Mew waved his hand up to grab her attention from the corner of her eye, "What's up? You won, you oughta be celebrating!"

Kairi swung her head up glaring at him and exclaimed, "What do you care?!"

Mew closed his eyes and with another sigh thought, "Oooookay Mew, just baaaaack away, don't push your luck..."

Thus he quietly walked around her and started going up the stairs. He looked over his shoulder until he was certain she'd be following. She caught up in seconds and gave him grief for moving on ahead.

"D-Don't go without saying anything asshole!" She was really pouring on the "mean" this time around. Mew was worried about her being like this again, considering the steps she had been making.

He cocked his head towards his left shoulder and chuckled, "Sorry you just didn't look very into it anymore."

"I-I'm fine! Send me at the next Planetary Aurian! I'll take 'em down!" Kairi swung one fist up but her movements were limp and embarrassingly forced if even Mew could figure out she was faking bravado.

"Haaaa..." Mew closed his eyes with a smile, "Just leave the next one to me. You need to take a break."

"But-!"

"No buts!" Mew said in a humored tone, "We're too late in the game to be taking risks, and you ain't fooling anyone with that tough guy act."

Kairi actually stopped resisting, not even to give a "Hmph!" or a pout. Mew paused for a moment then delicately told her, "I know you're feeling down in the dumps, but fighting like that will get you killed."

Kairi shifted her gaze to the left and guzzled down her pride to admit, "Ughhh, fine. I'll sit this one out."

"You just don't understand..." She then mumbled under her breath as Mew turned forward. It was a comment that he logged away for later.

The climb to the ninth floor took them on a zig-zag path for a few minutes longer than expected. When they finally arrived there was...a whole lot of nothing. For the first time since the entrance Mew was greeted by empty space and featureless walls.

"D-Did somebody just move out or...?" He had half a smile, mostly from unease, as he drew his attention towards where the portal lied. There, he'd find his answer.

The portal was locked up behind a golden gate twenty feet wide, fifteen feet tall, and five feet deep. Its locks and mechanism were too numerous to count and every square inch was made out of solid twenty-four karat gold...Except for the tiny window that confirmed the portal was even behind the damn thing.

"What in the world?" Mew whispered as he made his way right over, Kairi barely keeping pace.

He rubbed his hand up and down the front of the gate. It was as smooth as a baby's bottom.

"At least...I think so?" Little known fact, Mew has never been in contact with a baby's bottom.

Mew scrunched up his face in confusion then looked the whole thing over. While he did Kairi had her own tired observation to make.

"Can't you just...break it open?"

Mew knocked a couple times then puckered his lips, squinted his eyes, and let out a blubbering scoff.

"You kiddin'? This thing looks expensive, and I ain't looking to get sued!" Before Kairi had any other halfhearted ideas Mew happened to notice something on the left side. It was a lone button hovering over a slot. The whole thing just kind of blended together so much that truly, only someone with his exceptional eyesight could have figured out it was there.

"Oooooo, what does this button doooo?" Mew dangled his pointer finger in circles on its descent to the button, his voice sounding rather high-pitched and obnoxious.

He tapped the button down and on the moment of release a coin fired out of the slot. Mew quickly snatched it out of the air and laid it before his face. It said "V.I.P." in a darker shade of gold than the rest of the gate.

"V.I.P.?" Kairi said, her head tilted over Mew's shoulder. She retreated when Mew saw and started tapping her foot on the ground. Mew smiled, balanced the coin on one finger, and spun it around.

"Guess the next Planetary Aurian's got a fancy side to them?" He observed. Then, out of the blue, the gate started to operate on its own. Starting from the bottom gears to the top hinges, the gate split in two slid along the ground. Even for how heavy it must be it didn't make a sound. Something both Mew and Kairi were eternally grateful for.

For once, someone was waiting for them in front of the portal. They were a young adult woman roughly a couple inches shorter than Kairi but, to call them a human would...potentially be jumping to conclusions. She had the slender frame, average sized breasts and skin of a woman but the color of said skin was a bright pink and her arms down to her elbows were covered in various different sized, dark pink, rock-like scales. Her hair was combed down to her waist to look like a curtain of rosy silk but also did a terrible job hiding the crop of thorn-shaped horns atop her head. The most telling sign of what manner of lifeform she is came from her fingernails, or rather, claws. They were an inch thick and rough like processed coal, with the tips appearing sharp enough to turn the gold around her into paper thin shreds.

Yet despite all beastly manner of appearance this woman was fairly dressed in a delightful white butler suit with short cuffed sleeves and a pink bow tie at the bottom of her neck. She complimented her appearance with beige pants, a brown leather belt to tie the two halves together, golden bowler shoes, and black cotton socks. To top it off, she wore white gloves that were specifically designed with her claws in mind, with holes pre-cut into the fabric to allow them to slip through.

The woman slowly walked away from the portal without missing a step or looking anything like a fool. She stood between her two guests with poise and then laid one arm up before her chest to take a bow.

"Mew, Kairi, I trust you have been well?" She politely showed that she had already familiarized herself with the two and then raised her head while they'd been rendered speechless and opened her eyes. The sclera was pitch black like the darkest reaches of space while her irises were a soft blossom of sapphire. The pupils were slits like a snake's, but there was nothing venomous about her demeanor nor posture.

"She's pretty." Mew didn't have any shame admitting that. This mysterious woman clearly put a lot of care into her appearance and didn't mind that her more beastly features would potentially detract from it. Actually, considering the way her sleeves were presented to show off her scales, she clearly didn't think there was anything to be ashamed of.

When neither of her guests responded the woman turned around and remarked "Come with me" as she made her way back into the portal.

Mew looked at Kairi and she was fluttering her eyelashes. She was thinking the same thing Mew was, "H-How does she know who we are?"

"Heh," Mew patted her on the back once then laughed at her confusion a little, "We already beat seven of her comrades. Not surprised the word's gotten out to the last two."

He then firmly stared at the portal and advised her "Don't let your guard down" as he too made his way inside.

Mew was no astrologist but he knew that Neptune was yet another gas giant. So would they wind up on one of its moons? Or would it be like Saturn where they fought elsewhere close to the planet?

When he got out of the portal and Kairi followed a little later, Mew could barely see anything. The only light came in through a window barely bigger than Mew's head, and the "mysterious" woman was nowhere to be found.

"Where are we?" Kairi wondered.

"This isn't like any Neptune I'VE ever heard of." Mew chuckled.

"Correct." The woman's voice punctured the darkness, the side of her head poking out in the corner of the glass window.

"Pardon my rudeness. I forgot to introduce myself." The woman coughed, and the room they were in shook for a moment. A soft hissing heralded the act of the door she stood in front of sliding open.

"My name is Priscilla Silverfang, and I wish to welcome you both..." As the door finished opening the woman closed her eyes, bowed her head, and stepped aside, "To Casino Neptune."

Mew and Kairi took their first steps into a spectacular world of shining gold and luck-based games. The part of the casino they entered was hundreds of feet tall and had many floors dedicated to slots, card games, and bingo just to name a few. Spread between them were restaurants serving food from far out locations, the cooks hustling to keep their customers stomachs filled. Sparkling lights and scenic views covered the spaces in-between, with a tightly locked glass window keeping the happy-go-lucky customers from being jettisoned out into the gassy blue skies of the planet.

There was too much to take in all at once. If Mew wanted to describe every unique facet of this place he'd be standing there for an hour. His time, he felt, was better spent on just what kind of customers this casino attracted. Him and Kairi were the only humans here. Everyone else were aliens. There were your usual suspects like the slimy guys with tentacles and the floating brains in glass jars, but that alone wasn't enough to jog Mew's interest.

Cause among the crowd of millions he could pick out a couple recognizable species. The purple mushroom headed Shroobs, the armored four fingered lizards known as the Covenant Elites, and the battle-hungry reptilian Krogans were just a few species who numbered the ranks. Needless to say there were certainly a lot of...dangerous species gathered in one place.

Mew and Kairi stood there gawking for their own reasons until Priscilla stepped in front of them and remarked, "Unfortunately, you are both too young to gamble here. So if you had any prior predisposition to make some cash..."

Mew clamped his mouth shut and stared at the aliens some more. As his warning signs started blaring "Code Red" he waggled a finger up and stuttered, "I...would like to voice a complaint to the manager."

Kairi clobbered him in the hip with her elbow and whispered for him to "Zip it!", and he threw his hands up going "What?"

Priscilla kept up her professional air and remarked, "You'll have your chance soon enough. Now, if you would..."

She turned around and headed straight into the thick crowd of aliens unopposed. Mew and Kairi exchanged a glance, shrugged their shoulders, then figured they had no choice but to follow along.

The crowd didn't give them any trouble. Priscilla's path guided them through the least bustling part of the casino. They were heading towards a staircase past the slots, but where that would lead was a mystery only Priscilla could solve.

As Mew's nose was assaulted by the offensive odor of thousands of excited, sweaty aliens, he pushed his way through the crowd and asked Priscilla, "Actually if you don't mind me asking...What's up with all these aliens?"

"Casino Neptune exists as a melting pot for aliens all across the universe to gather and have fun. The most important rule, and perhaps the only one, is to not cause any trouble while you stay." Her answer was swift and covered every base Mew was thinking of. He couldn't tell if that was because she was just that good at her job or, more worryingly, she could read minds.

Priscilla put one foot on the steps and suddenly jerked her head back, her horned ears perking up from the sides of her hair. Mew thought he had hit the mark on the latter until he heard the sound of metal breaking upon metal. Kairi and him turned around and saw the aliens forming an unorganized perimeter around two particular troublemakers.

Broken slot machines served as pedestals for a Shroob and Covenant Elite to gnash their foul tongues at one another using their unique languages. But they both recognized aggression, and it wasn't long before they drew their weapons. The Shroob's dingy laser pistol looked pathetic when matched up to the Covenant Elite's glistening energy sword. In a couple seconds the floor would be bathed in purple blood, and nobody seemed to know why this fight was happening.

"Shouldn't there be a bouncer or something?" Mew remarked as he put his right hand up, sighed, and prepared to draw his sword. However, he felt a rise in aggression coming from behind. He swore he heard the roar of a dragon in his head and turned back to find Priscilla adjusting her tie a little.

"Forgive me. Just one moment..." She whispered before disappearing from sight, the dust at her feet rising in the time it took Mew to turn to the crowd.

The second after both aggressors were smashed face first into the ground with Priscilla bent down between them, her arms transformed into bigger, scalier claws. Her thick claws wrapped around their necks and nailed them to the ground. Two of the most dangerous aliens in the entire universe...Pacified like a couple of babies.

"If you wish to fight, take it elsewhere!" Priscilla shouted, her nostrils flaring with the fumes of a volcano's breath. Her voice dug deep into the aggressor's hearts and shook them up. Priscilla then breathed out slowly and lifted the two aliens to their feet and forced them to turn and face her.

Both of them, and in truth the whole crowd, stood silent as Priscilla closed her eyes and lectured the creatures in their respective languages. A change in tongue couldn't hide that she was exasperated at the cause of their conflict.

But when the negotiations were over Priscilla gave each of them some money and sent them on their way. The aliens all resumed gambling at the other working machines, while Priscilla snapped her fingers and called up a pair of barrel-chested triangular grunts in suits to clean up the mess that was made.

She then zipped right on back to where she was without an inch out of place and readjusted her tie to resume her gentlemanly tone of voice, "Let us continue."

Mew walked a little past Kairi and heard her whisper, "I-I didn't even see her move..."

Mew smiled as big as a whale's mouth and giggled in joy, "I know its so exciting!"

He couldn't even wait until they were all at the top of the stairs to tell Priscilla, "I can already tell you're going to be a fun opponent."

Priscilla stopped at the half-circle door a few feet over and gleamed at Mew over her shoulder. Her pupils thinned and she scoffed loudly his way. Mew's smile slowly diminished until he was left confused.

"You aren't tough enough to beat me, Elemental Overlord..." She said not as a puff of hot-air, but as a sincere statement of fact. Her rougher side slipped through only for that moment, for as she opened the door in front of her with a wave of the hand she remarked, "And besides...I am neither the Planetary Aurian nor the manager of this casino. That would be..."

Priscilla closed her eyes and slowly let out air through her nostrils like she sounded flustered. She then looked back at both Mew and Kairi staring at her and recomposed herself with a cough.

"Well...enough talk. Let us head to the V.I.P. Room." She guided her guests into the room beyond. Inside were a few dozen golden bullet trains and even more tunnels for them to enter through. But out of all the trains Priscilla went for the centermost one which had a tunnel all to its own. She turned around and waggled one of her hands out.

"I will take your pass now, if you would please."

Mew pulled out the coin he got and handed it over. Priscilla nodded and stuck the coin into the door of the train, allowing it to slide open and allow them in. She stood aside, gestured at the door, and Mew and Kairi stepped on inside.

Mew plopped right down on the soft red cushions and leaned his hands up behind his head to relax. Kairi sat down on the seat, starting with her hands on the edge, and slowly working her butt down. Priscilla went right up the front where the control panel was and shut the door behind her. With one press of the button the train's anti-gravity field went off and levitated the vehicle off the ground. It was a rocky start but once it smoothed out the train sped straight for the tunnel ahead of them.

It must have been moving faster than a rocket but the ride was so smooth it was like they were canoeing on a gentle river. They were quickly shot out of the building and given a full view of just how big the casino truly was. As it turns out, the section they were in was merely one-twentieth of this one building. There was a second building thousands of miles away where a couple dozen different alien spacecraft parked themselves. The parking space also came equipped with a hotel.

Mew turned and pressed his hands up against the window to get a better look at the scenery. The gas clouds of the planet weren't as thick around the casino, and the supposedly gloomy atmosphere was non-existent thanks to the bright lights around both major buildings. The buildings were connected together by thousands of tunnels rode by thousands of trains. There was likely a tunnel for every destination imaginable FROM every destination imaginable.

But the tunnel they were in was one-of-a-kind. It only went to one location – a giant roulette wheel high in the sky. It didn't glow as bright as the other buildings but the attention to detail present was very clean and smooth.

The trip up was quick and quiet. It didn't need to be anything more than that in Mew's mind, cause the scenery of this casino told him everything he needed to know about the Planetary Aurian. He came out of the train smirking and closing his fists ready to fight. Priscilla took the lead and guided them down a very short hallway into what would be a very, very open space.

Mew discovered that a lot of this building's detail was all on the outside. A vast majority of its insides were featureless empty space. The walls and ceiling did not offer much light, and there was no glitz or glamour to be found throughout. Yet Priscilla insisted on carrying forward into the darkness, and Mew and Kairi really had no choice but to follow.

After a few seconds Mew started to hear the sounds of glass balls clacking. A distinct noise that could only come from the act of playing a game of pool. Sure enough there was a pool table just sitting there in the very center of the building, with someone leaning over and entertaining themselves all by their lonesome.

Priscilla stopped but a few feet away and let out a coarse cough. The person at the pool table stopped and perked upright as they were addressed in a rather fluffy tone by their straight-laced guide.

"Your guests have arrived..."

"'Your guests have arrived'...What?" The person's voice was deep and suave, and only a little masculine.

Priscilla froze up, bit her teeth and grumbled, "I-In front of the guests? Really?"

"Don't be shy Priscilla. Anymore pink in the face and you'd be bubblegum. Which is fine by me, for I tend to eat y-"

"O-Ok!" Priscilla blurted, her rugged composure melting like sugar in the face of her scrupulous boss. She took a deep breath, tried her hardest to push Mew and Kairi's presence out of her mind, and said in a far more relaxed if not lucid tone of voice, "Your guests have arrived...honeybell..."

The person turned around and leaned their elbows against the edge of the pool table, their pool stick tucked underneath the left arm. Unlike their pink-skinned compatriot the boss of this casino wore a dashing long-sleeved black tuxedo with a light-green undershirt and dark green cuffs. They preferred loose black nylon pants with a silver belt to hold them up, and a pair of slick brown bowling shoes. A white bow-tie topped off the undershirt and a set of rings adorned all fingers but their thumb. A ruby ring lied closest to their body, followed by a sapphire, emerald, and topaz ring as the fingers went further out.

Their fingernails were glossed with sparkling green polish, which proved a surprisingly nice compliment to their light blue-purple skin. Their hair was short and mint-green, with the bangs cut to just below the ear lobe. Their eyes were similarly colored. Finally, a tiny golden dice earring hung from each ear.

The choice of clothes and delicate frame actually made it super difficult for Mew to piece together the manager's gender. But as they pushed themselves away from the pool table and walked towards Priscilla their hips subtly started to sway, giving Mew the last hint he needed to solve the puzzle.

The manager stopped a step away from Priscilla and leaned her head up under her chin. They gently pulled the pink-skinned chauffeur's head down by the chin and smiled. The manager was a couple inches shorter than Priscilla but was in full control of her every foot of her body. The two's eyes locked and Mew could feel a tingling sensation coming between them that made him shudder.

"Ring ring..." The manager whispered as the two turned their heads in opposite directions, closed their eyes, and pressed their lips together. The sounds of them kissing reached out to Mew and filled his cheeks red with embarrassment and his heart green with envy. He tried standing on his tip-toes and leaning around for an opening to watch them go at it, but Priscilla's hair proved to be an impenetrable wall of lust that kept Mew out no matter which way he turned.

After ten seconds of them passionate kissing Kairi nervously coughed up an "A-Ahem!" and they slowly but surely came to a stop. Though judging from their lack of a reaction, they were finishing up anyways. The two lovers then turned to their guests. Priscilla's cheeks were dark red and her draconic eyes slipped around the room.

But the manager stood upright with a smile and graceful posture and laid a hand up to their chest as they addressed Kairi directly, "Is there something the matter?"

Kairi socked her lips a couple times as she stuttered out a cough and then bluntly remarked, "I-If you want to make out then go it in private...L-Like normal husbands and wives do."

She slowly opened her eyes and turned away. Mew was seeing a whole other side to her, one that was very vulnerable to the concept of true love. However...

"Heh," He chuckled, much to Kairi's confusion and annoyance. He waved his arm towards the two lovers and remarked, "You wanna try again?"

"W-What are you talking about?" She stuttered with a hand up to her chin and a nervous biting down of her teeth.

The manager propped their pool stick under their chin and hands and wiggled a finger up, "If a question has two answers, and one is wrong, then the other one must be correct."

"Question? What question?" Kairi stared on, clearly not getting it.

"Hooo boy..." Mew sighed and left the manager to clean up this mess.

They closed their eyes and riddled Kairi in a sultry voice, "You're so close. All you need is a little more iron in your diet and perhaps it'll come to you."

As strange as the riddle was, Kairi seemed to get it after a little thinking and her jaw instantly dropped towards the floor as she exclaimed, "Y-You're a...girl?!"

"If that makes things easier for you then yes, I am," The manager lifted their head and laid one arm over their chest, saying in a familiar, courteous tone, "I am the manager of this bustling little casino. But, I suppose you would know me more as the Planetary Aurian of this sector, mmmhmm?"

She closed her eyes and remarked, "As long as you are here, you may refer to me as Neptune."

"And when we aren't here?" Mew joked.

"Then you will still call me Neptune," She opened one eye and wiggled her nose mischievously, "Wouldn't want to be inconsistent now would we?"

Mew laughed at that while checking up on Kairi. She was still awe-struck. A whole new world has just been opened up to her, and her mind was struggling to process it.

"B-But girls...can't kiss girls..."

Mew laid a hand flat against the side of his face and wound up sounding like a soft-spoke librarian as he told her, "When we get him I think you and I are going to have a niiiice long talk about lesbians."

Kairi turned to Mew, swung her hands out at the loving couple and babbled out, "B-B-But it doesn't make any sense! How...how can they make babies?!"

Neptune let out a soft, hearty chuckle and looked over at Priscilla, who had a big smile as her lover remarked, "My my, it seems we've reeled in a fresh fish."

Neptune then unleashed her smooth, lustful gaze upon Kairi's pure, vulnerable heart. Kairi froze upright and twisted her head back as the manager took a few steps closer and leaned her shoulder up against Kairi's bosom. Neptune wiggled her fingers out like she was playing a piano then winked at the bewildered girl.

"I may not know how to tune a piano, but I do know how to tune a fish."

Priscilla groaned very loudly and Mew rolled his eyes. Kairi sucked her lips into her mouth and weakly murmured, "I-I don't think I'm ready to be in a harem..."

A moment later Neptune backed up and turned away, brushing her hand up beside her hair as she announced, "You have nothing to fear. Too tall, too busty, too pale skinned, too scaleless...I'm afraid you just aren't my type."

Neptune nestled up next to Priscila and forced her arms around one of hers. The embarrassment she had seems to have gone to the wayside upon the realization that there's no hiding their feelings now.

But as heart-racing as this display of true love was Mew had bigger priorities on his mind, "I totally support your relationship and all but if you don't mind me asking..."

Mew punched his fist into an open palm and grit his teeth fiercely as he demanded to know, "When we fighting?!"

Neptune and Priscilla looked into each other's eyes and spoke without a word. The two broke apart and Priscilla went straight on over to Kairi in the blink of an eye. Kairi was still struck with a deep moral quandary regarding what she knew about sexuality and Priscilla's dangerously close presence would only serve to worsen the matter.

"Kairi, if you would please follow me I would like to show you around the facilities."

Kairi stuttered and slowly cocked her head towards the half-dragon, "W-What?"

Priscilla gently put her hand around Kairi's wrist and even so was easily able to drag her along towards the hallway they first entered from.

"There are spas, a luxurious movie theater, a weight room, the kitchen, our bedrooms..." Priscilla trailed off and Mew watched as Kairi swung her right hand out and seemed to mouth "Help me!" while dragging her feet against the ground.

Mew cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered out, "You'll be fine! Just keep your guard up!"

Despite his joking tone Mew was a little worried for Kairi's well-being, "Sorry Auris, but I think I screwed up big time..."

Mew felt himself getting prodded in the butt a couple times and turned around. Neptune stood sideways with her poolstick behind her back and prodded him once more in time with a wink.

"Shall we begin?" She expertly twirled her stick into one hand and propped it up next to her as she walked back over to the pool table.

"Sure! What's the name of the game here?" Mew crossed his arms and scurried on over to the pool table. Neptune tapped a button underneath it and all of a sudden a rack of pool sticks shot up behind the table.

"How familiar are you with pool?" She asked while gathering the balls out from below and setting them up inside of a plastic triangle.

Mew scratched the side of his face and chuckled, "I've caught a few games on TV but besides that..."

"Then take a pick. Choose any stick." Neptune's innocuous rhyming gave Mew swift flashbacks to Uranus' and made him shudder for a moment on his way to the pool sticks.

There were seven to choose from, each colored after a different gemstone. Neptune's own stick was made of finely smoothed diamonds.

"I guess this is like with Seth...All I got to do is win and we'll be able to move on." Mew grabbed the ruby pool stick and the moment he took it out the rack slid back into the ground.

"Ah, the ruby. The jewel of courage, emotion, passion...and love," Neptune leaned up against the edge of the pool table and wiggled her fingers up against the sides of her face, "I've been waiting for an opponent like you, Mew."

Mew went to the corner next to Neptune and asked, "Did Saturn tell you my name?"

Neptune wiggled her right pinky up and giggled, "Do you even have to ask?"

"Well its just that...Its only fair that you tell me your name if you know mine."

Neptune gently closed her eyes, stood up and said, "My name is Belle."

"Ok B-" Neptune pressed two of her fingers up against his lips and said, "But you will still refer to me as Neptune. Only two people in the whole universe can refer to me by my real name."

"Priscilla's obviously one of them. But who would the other be...?" As Mew thought about this Neptune removed her fingers and set the balls in the center of the table. She took off the triangle and edged her way around the left side of the table.

"The rules are simple. We will play until all balls are in the holes. You can go for any number you wish, in any order you want."

"Sounds pretty straightforward," Mew sold to himself softly in his head, "...If only it were that easy."

There was no doubt some trick to Neptune's game that would give her an overwhelming advantage. Mew would just have to keep his eye out and hope its obvious to someone like him.

"And since you're the guest of honor, you can make the first move," Neptune bowed her arm at the table and looked up Mew with a smirk and wink, "And there are no tricks. We are playing an honest game of pool. I stake my reputation as the owner of this casino on this fact."

"...Well, if she says so." There was still a need to be cautious, but Mew felt like letting his guard down just a little bit because of her honesty.

He leaned down at the table, laid his pool stick out towards the balls, and set up his hands along the stick's length as he remembered seeing on TV. Neptune leaned up against the adjacent side and silently watched over him.

"...Just think Mew, pool's a lot like..." Mew widened his eyes and felt the literal egg on his face as he realized, "Uhhh, crap I don't think there is anything else like pool."

He had to trust in his instincts. He had no other options. So he lined up his pool stick and took a shot at the white ball in his way. The balls broke off from each other and bounced around. The pool table was pretty spacious compared to the one's back on Earth. As much as he'd have liked to get all the balls in at once, he only managed to get one in.

"...Huh, that wasn't so bad." It felt like something worth bragging about as he stood up and set his stick by his hip.

But then Neptune stepped up to the plate and lined up her shot. She held the pool stick like a pro, gently gliding her fingers up and down to subtly adjust the angle and force of her shot. Her eyes were locked straight onto her target and no distractions on the outside. Her posture was incredible. She had the perfect height and build for playing pool.

Mew was worried that he had started the game only to instantly lose, but when Neptune took her shot at the white ball all her fancy rebounding simply amounted to her sinking one ball in.

"Hmmm..." She hummed and didn't lay her intentions bare. She simply backed up and let Mew in.

As he went on to the other side of the table Neptune planted her elbows on the edge and kicked one foot up, hanging it there for a bit before switching sides.

"So, how is my sister doing these days?"

"Gckk!" Mew held back on his shot at the last second and had to readjust himself for a second attempt. All the while he stared at the petite manager and tried to match her appearance up with any of the other Planetary Aurians.

There was no one who looked like her. But, as crazy as it sounded in his head, there was one connection he could make to a previous opponent.

"Oh, you're...Jupiter's sister?"

Neptune playfully closed her eyes and perked up her smile. It was scary how she was once again on the same wavelength with Mew's thoughts, "We looked a little similar...When we were younger."

Mew closed his eyes and matched the two's appearance side-by-side in his head, then tried to imagine Jupiter a few years younger with hair like her sister. And to his surprise, "Wow they...actually look like sisters then."

But even if he could match the appearances he couldn't consolidate their personalities and professions. As interesting as this game was, he was much more interested in learning more about Neptune and Jupiter's past.

After taking his shot he stood up and asked, "Soooo...the casino business?"

"Do you want to know what inspired me down this career path?" Again, Neptune had property rented out in Mew's mind.

As she set up her next up shot she had most of her attention on Mew despite her eyes not displaying such affection. He attentively nodded his head and she started without missing a beat.

"Noel and I came from a rather...untamed world. Beasts ruled the jungles, and criminals ruled the cities. Our parents were slaughtered by wild animals, but I was too young to remember that. Noel kept me safe from harm. Even as a five-year old she had the ferocity to rival the king of beasts.

She would punch them, bludgeon them with rocks, even bite them if that's what it took to keep our broken family together. We struggled to survive every single day, feeding off the land and clothing ourselves with trash. All we wanted was a place to call ourselves home.

Our journey took us to the largest city at the center of the world. There was plenty of food to scrounge up and even the trash tasted divine. There was no use complaining. Noel saw fit to remind me to appreciate the little things while telling me how someday, we'd make it big in the world.

She pushed herself so hard for my sake and I felt guilty that I couldn't do more to help. So one day, when I was around I believe...ten years old? I went out on my own to surprise my big sister with something special. Something unique that we'd never find anywhere else.

And that is where my troubles began. In the naivete of my youth I had wandered out of my sister's protective shield and into the shadow's of the criminal underground. Two terrifying thugs found and kidnapped me for their boss, who ran a casino with a positive public image.

The thugs called me 'good servant material', hyping me up to their boss for the right to earn a higher pay grade. But I was just a frail little girl, too scared to even speak. The boss must have seen something deeper though, for he decided to take me under his wing.

He was a nasty mob boss but also the closest thing I had to a father. He gave me clean food and clothes and, much to my surprise, taught me how to perform magic."

"Magic?" Mew gasped after taking his shot. Neptune leaned her back up against the opposite side of the pool table and clasped her pool stick between her elbows as she leaned her head back.

"Yes. Magic. What he saw in me must have been a gift for the arcane arts, and a potential to take over his role as the leader of the casino. And so for the next six years he raised me for that role. He gave me a job as a waitress in the casino when I was thirteen, my quiet personality making me perfect for the role. It seemed like the perfect life, but no matter how much I gained there was something I couldn't replace...

I wanted to find my sister. I knew she was still out there somewhere, trying to find me. Even if it was just for one day, I wanted to leave the casino to find her. But on the day I attempted to leave, I stumbled upon something that would change my life forever.

The casino was not run by an ordinary mob. Everyone, even the man who raised me, was a demon in disguise. They enchanted the machines with dark magic designed to feed on the greed in people's hearts and convert it into blood money that they fed on to live, grow stronger, and reproduce. Their end goal was to overrun the entire planet in demon kin and offer it to some unknown 'master'. And by raising children like me as their 'vessels' it would greatly increase the amount of greed they could produce.

I was shocked, but ultimately powerless. I could tell the people in the casino, but who would believe me? No. I knew in my heart that I had to be the one to banish this scourge from the planet for good. So in secret I began to learn greater magic for a few more years, waiting and watching for any weaknesses in my caretakers.

On the eve of my sixteenth birthday, I prepared to strike. I was confident in my abilities. I had taken the necessary precautions to avert any causalities. All that was left was to take the mob down, even if the odds were against me.

But, as fate would see fit, I would not fight this battle alone. The local police unit, formed in response to the overabundance of criminal activity across the planet, busted into the casino after finding out about the demon menace in control.

The casino turned into a bloodbath of demon flesh with the police taking the lead and me picking off the stranglers in secret. During the mayhem however I ran into the last person I ever expected to see again.

My sister Noel, in the years since we were separated, had grown up into a fine, headstrong woman under the tutelage of the police's commander. Our appearances had changed so much over the years but with one look we knew we were family.

Our reunion would have to wait, however, as the mob boss shed his mortal coil and revealed himself as a Demon Lord. He challenged me as a fool denying my greater purpose...And so me and Noel beat the crap out of him."

Mew's eyes widened at the coarse language Neptune suddenly chose to use. After she finished a shot she lifted her head with a smirk and pushed a couple fingers up to her lips, "Oops...its seems a bit of my sister slipped out there."

After that not-so embarrassing slip up Neptune continued.

"The Demon Lord fell, cursing me for my betrayal, and he died with a genuine plight of remorse that I did not wish to be his successor. Though his final words shook me, the chance to sit down and speak with my sister again cured the wounds left behind by years of deception and slavery.

Of course, I had to answer to the police for a couple days. I DID have some involvement with the demon's activities, after all. But after that was all cleared up there was still one more surprise left in my store for me...One that would decide the course of my life thereafter.

As it turns out the mob's casino was legally purchased for. That means everything they owned, from the building to the money inside, belonged to someone else as dignified by the will of the boss. And that person, as fate would once more dictate, would be me.

At first I didn't know quite what to do with all that money. I could practically be considered loyalty by now. But I never wanted to be a queen, nor a king nor emperor or anything else in-between. No, what I wanted was something a little...More.

I guess you could say I inherited some of those demons' greed. I had this grand idea. A casino to end all casinos. It took all of my money and some help on Saturn's end, but I was able to move the casino here and start my business in style."

She leaned her elbows up against the pool table and let out a sigh as Mew took his shot, "Doesn't that sound like such a fairy tale ending? Well unfortunately it wasn't that easy."

"As it turns out, setting up a casino in the middle of nowhere isn't the best of ideas. Who knew?" Neptune shrugged her shoulders without a care and continued on her merry way, "My only recourse was to advertise in places with a bunch of space travel. Unfortunately I could not rely on Saturn for help, as her, my darling sister, and that guy with them were too busy wandering the universe and kicking butt."

"'That guy'? Ouch..." Mew had some deep pity for Seth's state of affairs.

"And that is where Gravitus came in." The story had been interesting up until this point but now THIS was the point where Mew stopped playing the game to pay super close attention. Neptune seemed fine to oblige this little break.

"He sold me on his ideals and we worked out a mutually beneficial business relationship. He would use his know-how to advertise my casino across other worlds, and in return he would receive a 10% cut of any profits I make.

And he made good on his word. Business blossomed at an exponential rate, and I actually struggled at first to keep up with the demand. I expanded my building with the funds while Gravitus took his cut and used it in the service of his ideals."

Neptune stood up and leaned back against her pool stick. She raised her right hand out to Mew and said with a tiny smile, "And as of right now my casino is the biggest, most bustling hot spot across 99% of the known universe."

"Heh, talk about humble beginnings." It was a nice story overall, but there were a couple gaps Mew wanted filled immediately.

"But...where does Priscilla fit into all this?"

"Ask her if you're feeling particularly daring," Neptune said with her continued laid-back tone, "Oooor you could bet against me for the right to the story...If you're willing to wager your soul."

"Hahaha..." Mew dryly chuckled at her straight-faced sense of humor then waved his hand down and told her, "No thanks, I like my soul where it is."

"Interesting..." Neptune whispered as she leaned in to continue the game.

"And one other thing...What was Gravitus' pitch to you?" Mew slanted his mouth and said in a mocking tone, "Does it have to do with peace?"

"But of course," Neptune's response was quick and serious, "He is a man with unbridled ambition, and the will to make his dreams a reality."

"What?"

After taking her shot Neptune propped her stick under her chin, leaned in closer to Mew and whispered, "If you need any proof look no further than his empire...And the hundreds of planets that he has brought peace and prosperity to."

Mew stood still and slowly closed his eyes. Then he thrust them wide open and exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

"What seems to be the problem?" She asked innocuously.

"Oh where do I even begin ummm..." Mew whispered then swung his right arm out and exclaimed, "He's a tyrant?!"

"A tyrant to whom though?" Neptune proposed an interesting question, "To the children he's clothed and fed? To the people who can now rest easy, knowing their worlds are shielded from harm? Perhaps it is the tides who raise their hands in protest..."

Mew just stood there and took Neptune's soft but scathing judgment of his opinion on Gravitus, which she nailed into him with one particularly crucial remark, "Think of it this way, or perhaps you already have...Saturn follows Gravitus. She would never tolerate tyranny. Ergo, what you have been led to think, might not ultimately be the truth..."

She stood up and waved her hand out beside her face with her eyes closed, "Let me make one thing clear. I owe Gravitus for a lot more than you know...But in the end him and I are merely business partners. If the path you travel leads to his demise, I will mourn, but I will not avenge. My business can survive without him now."

She perked one eye open and smirked his way, "This is just a little something for you to think about."

Mew didn't know quite what to think about all this. Just as his opponents seemed to get tougher the further into the Pyramid he got, so too did it become harder to determine the kind of man Gravitus truly was. A tyrant? A saint? A savior? A murderer?

"No...Something's still not right!" And the crux of Mew's steadfast refusal to quit lied in the Neo Drive. Still, there'd be time to hash out these thoughts later.

He looked over at Neptune and said, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You still have to survive the odds." Neptune tucked her stick behind her back and tapped the pool table to draw Mew's attention towards it.

During that long conversation all the balls had gone into the holes. By looking at the sides of the table Mew could see that Neptune had him beat by three balls. She tapped the pool table one more time the ground opened up to suck it straight down.

"And unfortunately, it seems you will be starting off...poorly." Neptune closed her eyes and waltzed right on by Mew as he slowly turned his head to follow her.

"So that was all just a warm-up..." Mew tucked his fists into his pockets and once Neptune was twenty feet away she turned around and raised her pool stick towards him.

"Are you ready to fight now?" She said assertively.

Mew smiled but Neptune immediately waved her stick at him and chuckled, "That's the wrong answer. See, you lost the game by three points...Which means..."

The tip of her pool stick glowed with green sparkles and she muttered the words "Maximus Triplicus!" as a bolt of energy shot forth from her stick and struck Mew before he could before.

Immediately Mew felt his body pulling downward. This was nothing like the increased gravity of Jupiter's moons. His whole body, even down to his teeth and organs, all felt naturally heavier.

Neptune pulled her strange magic wand back to her hip and said, "I have made your body three times heavier."

Mew struggled to lift his head and crack a cocky smile at this magical little minx, "N-No big deal! I fought your sister on Jupiter's moons!"

"Indeed. So far you have beaten the best of the best in our ranks. Gabriel, the Bravest. Catherine, the Smartest. And Noel, the Strongest."

Neptune swiped her left hand out towards the air and all of a sudden the supposed roof of the building swung wide open, revealing a crowd of millions of aliens all gathered in their seats. They were roaring, chomping and lashing at the stage of battle, their cacophony stunning Mew silent.

Neptune then raised her hand to the sky and tucked her staff at her rear. Her voice echoed to the high heavens, demanding the attention of all who resided in her domain, "Ladies, gentleman, and all in-between! I bring to you...a once in a lifetime special event! Hailing from the planet Earth standing six feet tall and currently weighing 525 pounds..."

"Haaaa...so much for my diet..."

"The Elemental Overlord himself, the illustrious Mew!" Neptune thrust her open hand towards Mew and immediately the audience erupted into hisses and angered roars.

Mew looked up as best he could and whispered, "Ooof, tough crowd."

Neptune planted her arm up by her chest and declared, "I believe I require no introduction. As the ringleader of this little casino, I promise to offer you the fight of the millennium. So place your bets, so that our match may begin!"

Mew and Neptune looked up at a monitor as the numbers rapidly climbed from 1 and ended on the obscenely high 24,593,876 to 1 odds...AGAINST Mew.

"W-What?!" Mew's face turned pale and his confidence retreated to the deepest reaches of his mind.

Neptune guffawed and waggled her finger up at the gobsmacked boy, "Don't feel too ashamed. The hatred for the Elemental Overlord runs deep in some of these aliens hearts. As for the rest well..."

Neptune sat atop her pool stick like a broom and levitated off the ground. A few white pool balls zipped past Mew's face and floated up next to Neptune's body. She crossed her legs and leaned back, exuding with confidence.

"Lets just say they know better than to bet against me."

Mew regained his cocky grin and then forced his arms up with all his might to draw his sword in both hands. Thankfully it wasn't any heavier, otherwise he'd be in trouble.

"Guess you'll be sending a lot of people home with empty wallets then!"

Neptune smiled to her cheeks and lit up with a hint of glee as she declared, "Splendid! We may be defined by different upbringings, but in our hearts we know that we can only feel alive when we face and triumph against nigh impossible odds!"

Neptune swiped her right arm out and her pools balls stagnated in the air to aim themselves at Mew, "Stand and face me, for when it comes to magic I have no peer! And if you cannot dazzle me with your courage! Your emotion! Your passion! ...Then you will simply be another statistic."

Vs. The Gambling Empress: Aurian Neptune!

Next Time: A Bet on this Bout