Here's the third chapter of my fanfic, rewritten and ready to go. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 3: CHAOS
It was morning in a small suburb village near the Altamor border and the townsfolk were going about their everyday business. The village was mainly a farming and market town, where everyone was doing their part to help with the harvest or to sell their produce.
As the people went about their daily tasks, sitting at a fountain in the market, the enigmatic Crea looked around at the townsfolk. As she did, she envied them.
She sighed and said, "Humans… such weak beings and yet they are so certain of their history. Unlike me… I have power, but my past is clouded. All I have are my dreams, but what do they mean? The battle… the Megalith… the white stones… why do I constantly dream of them? What do they all mean?"
As she finished musing, Crea got to her feet and walked through the market. She looked around at the people, whose voices were so numerous it was impossible to tell what they were talking about. After walking for a minute, she stopped and sighed.
All of a sudden, Crea felt a sudden surge of pain run through her head, unlike anything she had felt before. It wasn't like what happened when her energy was low; this was something altogether different. She clutched her head and screamed from the pain, wishing it would stop. As she held her head, her body began to glow with a strange pattern running across her body. As it did, she lost control of her limbs and began to fall backwards, but suddenly she began to float a few inches above the ground as her body surged with energy. The energy resonated around Crea and people around her fled in terror as the energies wrecked everything around her. A shimmering light then surrounded Crea and her eyes glowed as she screamed in agony.
Everything went black through Crea's mind. She then found herself floating in an endless void filled with glittering stars. Her body felt limp and weak. Then, she saw it: a white stone, bearing the Dako Sigil on it right before her.
"The White Stone of Chaos…"
Crea tried to lift an arm to touch it, but strained as she did.
"What does this mean? What… does… it—"
She then touched the stone, but as she did the stone then emitted a blinding light, which startled Crea and forced her to shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself staring right into the monstrous green eyes of the Megalith. She gasped slightly at the sight. The Megalith roared as it reared its claws and a wave of energy surged forth from its body. As the wave of energy struck Crea, she screamed.
--
Crea shrieked as she bolted upwards in a bed. She breathed heavily for a moment and put a hand to her chest to calm her nerves. What she had just experienced was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her breathing eventually slowed, and then she looked around. She was in a bedroom, though not an inn room. She slowly pushed herself out of the bed and stepped over to a nearby mirror. She checked herself; nothing was different with her.
"Oh, you're awake," said a voice behind her.
Crea turned to see a portly middle-aged man in the doorway. He was simple in appearance, aside from a beard and a fine wardrobe, but then again Crea did not really care for how people looked. To her, he was just like any other human.
"That's good," the man continued. "That was certainly quite a scare you gave everyone. Care to explain what was going on there?"
"Why do you wish to know?" Crea said almost demandingly.
"Oh, well… I am the mayor of this here town, and it is my duty to ensure the safety and security of the town and its people."
"Hmm… isn't that pleasant."
"Uh, pardon, little lady?"
"You are already so sure of your path in life and your role in this town. It must be nice knowing everything there is to know about your place in Rados."
"Mmm?"
"It would be pointless to explain it to you. Now," Crea walked toward the man as she spoke, "out of my way. I have better things to do."
"I am sorry, miss, but I can't just let you leave. Besides, the townsfolk are mighty—"
Before the mayor could finish, Crea had thrust a hand at his collar and harshly pulled the man to her face. Her arm was glowing with energy.
"I said move!"
Crea then tossed the mayor to the side and he yelped as he crashed into a nearby table, which broke apart as he struck it. As the man lay in a heap, Crea strode off down the hall.
Soon Crea made her way to the entrance, but as she left the town hall she looked down to see a large mob of people waiting down a flight of stairs. It didn't take long for her to figure out that they were after her.
"There she is!" yelled one man. "The little witch girl!"
The crowd jeered as the man finished and began waving various tools such as rakes, hoes and torches at her threateningly. A few of them had Spell Stones, but not many.
One large man walked out of the crowd and shouted, "People, this fiend is a menace to our community! It is our duty to rid ourselves and the rest of humanity of this threat!"
The crowd cheered at this speech and raised their weapons in approval. After a moment, though, Crea began to laugh, and the crowd fell silent as they stared at her.
"Just like you humans!" Crea shouted. "Always trying to justify yourselves as the dominant species of the Realm, yet you're too blind to see your own weakness."
This obviously angered the crowd, as they began to roar furiously at Crea. Many of them charged up the stairs at her. A few energy blasts flew at Crea, but they struck a barrier harmlessly.
"Heh. Fools."
Crea spread her arms apart and her body slowly began to glow. She then rose a few inches above the ground. Crea shut her eyes, and when she opened them again they were glowing. A large number of small spheres began to form around Crea that spiraled around her. The crowd stopped and looked on it awe at the spectacle. Crea's eyes then narrowed, and then the lights jetted at the mob erroneously. As the spheres flew forward, some of them struck nearby objects, exploding as they did. The crowd began to panic and ran from the oncoming destruction, though some were killed quickly by the devastating attack. As the spheres flew into the town, their blasts quickly set the town ablaze.
Back atop the stairs, as the destruction and screams continued and as more of her energy spheres flew into the town, Crea began to laugh maniacally.
--
Later, at around noon that day, the Di-Gata Defenders sped down the road. At the front, Seth was keeping one eye on Melosa, who was riding beside him. The four of them were presently traveling to the Pinnacle, where they hoped to help Mel deal with her Wizard attacks once and for all. Seth was hoping they would reach the Pinnacle soon, as Mel's condition was only getting worse as each day passed.
Erik then rode up beside Seth and said, "Hey Seth, I was just looking at the map and there's supposed to be a merchant town nearby. Maybe we could stop there for supplies."
"Not now, Erik," Seth answered. "We need to reach the Pinnacle as soon as possible. Besides, we've got enough supplies to last us for a bit anyways. Maybe after we get Mel's powers under control."
Seth then looked over at Mel and realized his words at somewhat disheartened her. Mel had always felt her Wizard powers were a burden, not a gift, and so far they had caused more trouble than had been useful.
Kara then said behind them, "Uh, guys?"
She pointed in front of them. The Defenders looked to see several pillars of smoke rising into the sky, and when they looked down, they saw a town engulfed in flames.
"Oh, man…" Erik said.
Seth then revved the accelerator on his bike and shouted, "Come on, guys!"
Seth sped down the road; the others quickly followed him.
--
The Defenders entered the town, only to find panic and destruction wherever they looked. People were screaming as they fled the town, while several men were trying to put out the fires. In another location, some other villagers were tending to the wounded. And wherever the Defenders looked there was death. The sight of it was painful to them.
"By the Sigils of Power…" Erik said.
"This is horrible…" Mel said in a tone of distress.
Seth tried not to let the horrid sight distract him as he looked about at the people. He then fixed his eyes on one man and ran up to him.
Seth then shouted, "What happened here?"
The man turned and said crossly, "What business is it of yours, kid?"
As the other Defenders walked up beside Seth, he said, "We're the Di-Gata Defenders. We want to help."
"Well, if you're so keen on helping us," the man said, "you can help put out these fires. They're out of control!"
Seth turned to the others and said, "Guys—"
"Already on it," Erik interrupted as he, Mel and Kara ran off in different directions of the town.
Seth then pulled out his Guardian stone. Kragus, take form! The stone giant emerged from the ground and roared.
"Kragus, go see if you can find any more survivors!" Seth shouted.
Kragus roared in acknowledgement, and then began working his way down the street.
Seth then turned back toward the man and said, "Now, tell me. What happened here?"
--
On one side of town, a large storehouse was blazing uncontrollably. The men were in disarray, unable to douse the fire. The flames continued to grow in strength.
"It's out of control!" one man shouted. "Run for your lives!"
As the men began to flee, they stopped as Robotus, Erik's guardian, rolled through them. One of the machine's arms had been turned into what looked like a cannon. The other arm had a large set of hose attached to it.
Erik then ran up and shouted to the men, "I need water! Lots of it!"
One man pointed toward a nearby stream, from which some other men were hauling buckets. Erik pulled out the hose and ran to the stream, lowering the end of the hose into the water. He then turned a nozzle on the hose and water began to flow through it. As the pressure reached Robotus, the machine turned and began spraying at the fire. However, the water could only slow the fire.
"Crap," Erik said. "The flames are too strong!" He paused for a moment, scratching his head, then in an inspired tone exclaimed, "Unless…"
Erik raised his gauntlet. Generator! The spell formed into a circular device and floated in front of Robotus, who had stopped spraying. Once it hovered into place, Robotus fired into the center of the device. As the water went through the device, it massively increased in volume and intensity and struck the blazing building hard. The fires were almost instantly doused. The men cheered at Erik's success, while he just stood and smiled.
--
Above the village, Kara and her guardian V-Moth flew over the town, with Kara looking for any survivors. She then heard screaming down below and looked to see a woman and a little boy trembling on top of a house roof. The building was burning on the inside. Kara steered V-Moth down toward the building and stopped her guardian next to the villagers.
"Hang on!" Kara shouted. "We'll get you down!"
"Please," the woman cried, "take my son first!"
The woman lifted her son toward Kara, who helped the boy onto V-Moth's back. The guardian flew toward the street and hovered low enough for the boy to get off.
"Don't worry," Kara said to the boy. "Your mom will be fine."
Kara pulled on V-Moth's antennae and the guardian began to fly back to the house. As they approached, though, the building began to collapse beneath the woman, who shrieked in terror.
Kara gasped and shouted, "V-Moth, hurry!"
The insect guardian hastily increased its speed. As Kara reached the building, the roof gave way under the woman's feet and she began to fall. V-Moth dove quickly after the woman, flying through the thick clouds of smoke.
"NO! MOMMY!" the boy cried.
As the boy began to weep, he suddenly heard V-Moth, and the guardian flew up out of the smoke, with the woman's collar in its pincers. Kara, her face covered in soot, looked at the child and gave him a thumbs-up. V-Moth let the woman go next to her son and they embraced, the boy sobbing happily.
--
At the town hall, Melosa ran up to the stairs. She could hardly believe what she was seeing; the chaos and destruction were almost too much for her to bear. Then, as she reached the top of the stairs, she felt something; a strange energy, unlike most she was used to sensing. It brought about a sense of anxiety in her, for the energy was familiar to her. Then it all clicked in for her, much to her dread.
Suddenly, a man's voice came from the town hall. "Help! HELP!" it cried out.
Mel turned to look at a window on the upper floor of the building. The voice was coming from that room. She turned to the entrance and ran inside the burning town hall. As soon as Mel entered, she found it hard to breathe; the air was very hot and filled with smoke. She choked for a moment as she made her way to the stairs and climbed them.
The man's voice sounded again: "Help! Someone please, HELP!"
Mel looked to a room down the hall. She began to walk toward it. Suddenly, about halfway there, the floor gave underneath her. Mel screamed as she fell and grabbed the nearest ledge she could find with both hands. As she hung from the ledge, she looked down to see a blazing inferno beneath her, threatening to incinerate her. Sweat trickled down her face.
"Whoa… that was too close."
She slowly managed to pull herself up the ledge and got to her feet. By this time, though, the heat and smoke were starting to get to her; she started to feel weary and sick. She coughed on the air for a moment, then got to her feet and continued down the hall.
Mel finally reached the door and looked into the room. Fire raged all about the room. In the middle, buried under a pile of rubble, was a portly man. It was the mayor.
He saw Melosa and said, "Oh, young lady! Please, help me! I can't move!"
"Hang on!" Mel replied. "I'll get you out of there! AHH!—"
Flames roared before Mel, causing her to fall backwards. Thick flames blocked Mel's path to the mayor, increasing in intensity by the second. She got to her feet and pulled out her stones. Blizzard! A snowy wind rushed through the room, causing the flames to recede. Soon, the flames were mostly gone. Mel ran over to the mayor and began removing the rubble on top of him.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" the man exclaimed.
Just then, the floor around the two crumbled and broke, causing the mayor to yelp in terror. Below them an inferno raged, and it was growing stronger.
"Don't thank me just yet," Mel said, as she removed the last of the rubble from the man.
Mel looked around; for a moment, she thought the situation hopeless. Just then, a nearby wall crumbled to the ground, leaving a wide opening to the outside. But from where Melosa and the mayor were they were too high up to jump, and even if they could jump the flames were too strong.
"Don't worry. We'll get out of this."
Mel's amulet then began to glow. Draykor, Subzero! The ice drake materialized before Melosa and screeched, which seemed to frighten the mayor.
Mel then said, "My guardian will fly you down, okay? Draykor!"
Draykor screeched as it flew above the mayor and wrapped its talons around his shoulders. He yelped as the drake lifted him off the ground and began to fly him out of the building. The guardian soon cleared the building and began to descend towards the ground.
Mel watched as her guardian brought the mayor to the ground, but her attention soon turned to the inferno roaring below her. It was getting dangerously close to reaching her. As she stared at the flames, Draykor flew in to pick her up.
Suddenly, Melosa felt a strange force beginning to well up inside her. The instant Mel felt this she would have panicked, if she could. It was her Wizard powers, going out of her control again. Mel began to glow a brilliant blue aura and her eyes shined a white light. Energy crackled all over her body, making her feel weak and lightheaded. As the energies surged, Draykor screeched as an errant energy bolt struck it. The ice drake vanished, returning to Mel's pendant. The Wizard attack soon passed, and Melosa fell back onto the raised floor, unconscious.
The floor beneath Mel cracked as the flames grew closer. Soon, the floor gave way and Mel's body fell. As it did, a giant stone hand emerged beneath her and caught her. Outside the building, Kragus roared as he moved her away from the fire.
Outside the town hall next to Kragus, Seth looked on as his guardian brought Mel toward him. Seth had seen the light of Mel's Wizard attack and was deeply concerned for her safety. Kragus soon set Mel down on the ground and backed away from her.
"Mel? Mel?! MEL?!" Seth said fearfully as he cradled her in his arms.
Melosa slowly stirred and opened her eyes. She then started coughing out soot. Seth, relieved that she was still alive, wrapped his arms around her as she wheezed.
--
Later, at around dusk, the flames in the town finally died down. From the ruins, pillars of smoke still continued to rise.
Near the town hall, Seth and Mel sat on the wrecked stairway. Melosa was wrapped in a blanket with Seth at her side. Soon, Erik and Kara walked up to them.
"Well," Erik said, "that certainly wasn't very enjoyable."
"I'll say," Kara replied. She then noticed Mel and said, "Is Mel okay?"
"I'm fine," Mel said. "Just a little singed."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Erik said. "We've gotta find out who did this!"
"Yeah!" Kara said eagerly. "I'm ready to kick some serious—"
"That may be a problem, guys," Seth interrupted. "I found out who did this."
Erik and Kara looked at Seth, slightly confused. Mel, however, looked as though she already knew what Seth was going to say.
"It was Crea."
Almost in an instant, Erik and Kara's eagerness turned to shock and horror.
"Oh, man…" Erik stuttered.
"You're kidding…" Kara continued.
"Seth's right," Mel interrupted. "I sensed her energy. Crea did this."
Seth then said, "The people described a young blue-haired girl who practically razed the town singlehandedly. They then said she disappeared into thin air after she finished."
"Yeah, that's her alright," Kara said in a slightly sullen tone.
There was a pause, then Erik said, "So Seth, what are we gonna do about it?"
Seth hesitated for a moment at this question. He had seen what Crea was capable of, which unnerved him. Trying to fight her would certainly be suicidal. But still, they couldn't just let her get away with such a massacre.
"We're going after her," he said with determination.
Obviously, Seth's decision surprised the others, for they all looked in shock at him.
"SETH, ARE YOU NUTS?!" Erik practically shouted. "You know how powerful that girl is! It'd be crazy to fight her!"
"I know, Erik." Seth said sternly. "But we have a duty to protect the people of Rados, even if it means going up against Crea. I have to admit, I don't enjoy the prospect of fighting her either, but we can't just let her get away with this."
"I agree with Seth," Mel said. "Something has to be done, and I say we do it now."
Kara nodded affirmatively to Mel and Seth, but Erik was still skeptical.
"I see what you guys mean," Erik said, "but didn't the people say she VANISHED into thin air? How do we know she's still in the area?"
"She is," Mel interrupted. "I can sense her energy. It's faint, but it's definitely her."
"Well, which way is it?" Seth asked.
Mel pointed northeast and said, "That way. As far as I can tell, at least."
"Are you sure?" said Erik.
"Pretty sure."
Seth then spotted the mayor, who was speaking to a group of men, and shouted, "Mr. Mayor!"
The mayor turned and replied, "Um, yes, Defenders?"
"Can you tell us if there's anything northeast of the town? Any landmarks or buildings?"
"Hmm… Well, there is a large stone quarry about two miles from here. It's rich with natural ores, but we usually don't go there. Quite an unstable energy zone."
Upon hearing the mayor's last words, Kara exclaimed, "That's it! That's where she is!"
"Huh?" Erik said. "How are you so sure?"
"When I met her back in the forest, she did something to a tree. When she finished, it looked like she sucked the life out of it."
"Of course!" Erik exclaimed. "She must have absorbed the energy from the tree into her bodily structure. She probably uses—"
"Let's not get technical here, Erik," Seth interrupted. "What matters is that we now know where she is."
--
The sky was beginning to darken as the Defenders sped northeastward. Soon, they reached a small outcropping leading into a large stone quarry. The area was littered with large rocks, many bearing Sigils on them. The Defenders dismounted from their bikes and walked up to the ledge.
Seth then turned to Mel and said, "Mel, can you sense anything?" Mel paused and shut her eyes, trying to focus.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and said, "Yeah, it's her."
Just then, a faint light began to shine in the middle of the quarry, catching their attention. Seth pressed a button on his visor, activating it, and zoomed in on the light source. There, standing next to a large stone was Crea, her hand glowing up against the stone.
"I see her," Seth said. "She's doing something with a large stone."
"She's absorbing energy," Mel said. The others turned to her as she continued, "I can sense her energy getting stronger. Not by much, but still stronger. It's more like she's recharging herself."
"Okay, we can't take her on directly, considering what we know about her. Here's what we're gonna do."
--
In the middle of the quarry, Crea continued to siphon the energy from the stones around her. Destroying the town had been somewhat enjoyable to her, but nonetheless it had taken a lot of energy. But at this moment, she was concentrating on something else, not just her recharge.
Nearby, Seth stealthily moved his way through the rock formations, slowly closing in behind Crea. In other locations, Erik, Kara and Mel did the same. Soon, they all managed to get close to Crea, surrounding her, but remaining out of sight. They all readied their stones.
"Okay…" Seth said to himself quietly.
Just then, Crea stopped draining the stone and stood still for a moment.
"Tell me, Defenders," Crea said loudly, much to their surprise. "How long do you plan on hiding behind those rocks?"
"What…? How…?" Seth whispered.
"Seriously," Crea continued, "did you really think you could just sneak up on me and catch me by surprise so easily? I sensed your presences the moment you set foot into this pile of rock."
The Defenders were distraught. They had completely lost the element of surprise. Moreover, they never had it. She had been expecting them all along.
"So much for our plan," Erik said to himself.
Seth shouted, "Crea! Why did you destroy that town? Why did you kill all those innocent people?"
"Innocent? Those bastards? They were the ones who raised their stones and their arms to me, just because they were scared of me. They got what they deserved: a swift death. That is what awaits all those who dare to challenge my power. And it is a fate you face as well. That is, unless you flee with your lives right now. I may show you mercy if you do."
"Not gonna happen! Not until you pay for what you've done!"
Crea laughed and said, "How brave of you." She then turned to where Seth was hiding and said, "So be it then… today you face death."
Seth, even knowing facing Crea directly would be insane, bolted out from behind his cover and cast his stones. Pandemonium! A series of jellyfish-like creatures flew forth and began to race toward Crea. She merely grinned as she raised her hands, with their index and middle fingers together. From her hands, two glowing yellow threads extended from her fingertips. As Seth's spell approached her, Crea whipped the threads out at the spell. The threads cut through the creatures with ease and, in what seemed like a matter of seconds, Crea had neatly cut apart the spell.
Crea then held her hands up and smirked at Seth. Just then, Mel's voice sounded to the side. Crystal Casket! A stream of ice bolted at Crea and began to engulf her in ice as it struck her feet. In a moment, Crea was completely encased in ice. The threads dissipated as Crea froze.
Seth turned to Melosa and said, "Nice one."
"Thanks."
The two were then cut off by a nearby rumbling. They turned toward Crea to see the ice surrounding her starting to crack. The ice then exploded around Crea, forcing Seth and Mel to shield themselves from the shards. They then looked back at Crea, dismayed to see she was undamaged.
"Oh, great…" Mel groaned.
Crea brushed herself off, then turned to face Mel and said, "That… was uncalled for."
Crea then thrust out a palm at her; as she did, a beam of energy shot out of her hand and flew at the Defender. Mel shrieked as she dove out of the way, the blast barely missing her and striking a rock, which exploded. Crea then swung her other hand over her head and to the ground in Seth's direction and a wave of energy flew at him, shaped like a blade. Seth quickly shifted to the side and the wave barely passed by him. Seth then broke into a run, hoping to evade Crea's attacks.
Behind Crea, Erik readied his gauntlet and swung out from behind his cover. Robotus, Activate! The machine guardian appeared, its arms as four energy cannons, and it took aim at Crea. Crea turned just as Robotus fired a volley of blasts at her, to which Crea raised a hand to the attack. A barrier materialized in front of Crea's hand, blocking the barrage. She grinned confidently and slowly starting walking toward Robotus as it continued to fire. As she moved, so did her barrier around her, which was showing no sign of weakness under the barrage.
Realizing the attack was ineffective Erik raised his gauntlet again. Generator! The spell formed a series of strange devices around Robotus' blasters. As the guardian resumed firing, the blasts fired were amplified by the devices and struck Crea's barrier with much greater power. As her shield strained under the pressure, Crea grimaced, and then her barrier began to glow much more brightly. As it did, the blasts became less effective as Crea's shield increased in strength.
"Come on, buddy!" Erik shouted. "Let her have it!"
Robotus continued to fire at Crea, but it was no use. Soon, the girl reached Robotus and in a quick movement she swung her free hand at Robotus, releasing an energy blast that blew off the robot's left side cannons. She then quickly darted to the guardian's exposed side and thrust a hand to the robot. Robotus then began to spark with energy as Crea unleashed an energy surge into its systems. Robotus went haywire, firing its shots in random directions. As it reached critical power, Crea kicked off of Robotus and the guardian exploded. Crea landed neatly on the ground as Erik caught his guardian's stone.
Crea then said, "Honestly, is that it? I was hoping you would be a bit more of a challenge."
Kara then leaped up from the top of a nearby rock and cast her stones. Bolt of Altas! As Kara landed, a storm cloud appeared above Crea. She looked up at it and a bolt of lightning shot down at her. Crea quickly raised a hand to the lightning, which seemed to enter her fingertips. She then pointed her other hand at Kara and a bolt of lightning shot out of her fingers. Kara yelped as she jumped over the bolt, which struck a nearby stone and exploded.
Seth looked on at Crea with a tinge of fear. He had witnessed her power before when she battled the Order of Infinis, but now that he and his friends were the targets of her power it was far more daunting. Seth then pulled out his guardian stone. Kragus, take form! Kragus appeared next to Crea. She whipped around as the guardian roared and swung a massive fist at her. She jumped back, the blow missing her, and then she began to float in the air.
"Oh, come on, Seth!" Crea taunted. "Your guardian is no match for me and you know it!"
She then flew forward at Kragus and her arms began glowing. She threw a fist at the stone giant, but Kragus raised his arms and blocked the strike. To Crea's surprise, Kragus held her back and then, in a sudden movement, the guardian flung her backwards. She flipped and planted her feet neatly on a stone behind her.
"Impressive," Crea growled.
"You'll have to do better than that, Crea!" Seth yelled. "Kragus is a lot tougher than when you last saw him!"
Crea jumped away from the rock as one of Kragus' fists flew at her and it smashed the rock. She then began to glide sideways.
"Well, then," Crea said, "I guess I'll just have to hit a little harder!"
Crea stopped a few meters away from Kragus and raised a hand to the giant, her palm facing forward. Her arm began to surge with energy and a crackling orb appeared in Crea's palm. Kragus roared as he launched another fist at Crea. Just before the fist struck, the orb in Crea's hand streamed forward in a massive beam, which obliterated the stone fist and continued on toward Kragus. The blast blew the giant to pieces and Seth's guardian stone reappeared in his hand. Seth growled at Crea.
Yin-icane! Crea turned around just as a twister crackling with electrical energy flew at her and enveloped her. Crea floated in the middle and growled as she attempted to create a new shield, while the winds and electricity violently struck her. Incinerator! A large fireball flew at the tornado. As it struck a flaming spiral added to the tornado's destructive power. Twisting Chaos! Frigid Tempest! From two directions, a snowy wind and a black spiral flew at Crea and combined with the flaming and sparking spiral. Soon, the combined attack began to overload, causing a massive explosion of energy. The Defenders shielded their eyes from the blast.
Soon, the explosion passed, and the Defenders looked back at where Crea was. As the smoke cleared, Crea appeared, floating shortly above the ground. Her red cloak had been disintegrated, though her other clothing was only slightly damaged. Various parts of her body were damaged with cuts and energy burns. Crea's injuries seemed to be releasing what looked like blue particles instead of blood. But at the same time, small green lights were materializing around the injuries, joining with her skin. Crea breathed heavily as she stared at the Defenders.
Then, after a moment, she started laughing, first softly, and then almost maniacally. The Defenders, however, stared in bewilderment, as they had no idea what she was laughing about.
"Not bad, Defenders!" Crea cried. "I thought this wasn't going to be much of a challenge."
The Defenders then realized why Crea was like this. As the green lights surrounding Crea came into contact with her, they quickly began repairing her injuries. The Defenders stared with a mixture of confusion and horror as Crea's body regenerated.
Crea then continued, "And then you go and surprise me. I have to congratulate you on that. To my memory, no one has ever done this well against me."
Soon, her injuries disappeared and the green lights disappeared. She slowly touched down as the Defenders readied themselves to fight again. After she landed, Crea raised a hand above her head and moved it in a circle. As she moved her hand, a glowing yellow halo appeared. The halo slowly began to expand and a short distance above Crea's hand. Soon, the halo reached a radius of at least two meters.
Crea then looked right at Seth and said grimly, "But now, our relationship must come to an end."
As she finished, the halo dropped straight to the ground. As it hit the ground, there was a massive explosion all around Crea, which engulfed everything around her yet did not touch her. The blast sent the Defenders flying back. Seth and Kara skidded across the ground for a bit as they landed, while Erik slid into a large rock. Mel, however, flew through the air and hurtled into a large rock. She fell to the ground. As she did, her bag opened and the Dako Pure Stone rolled out of it onto the ground.
As the dust around her cleared, Crea looked on at the Defenders, finishing with Mel. She then noticed the Pure Stone; the sight of it instantly brought a look of surprise to Crea's eyes.
"The White Stone of Chaos…" she said.
Crea then began to stride toward the stone. As she did, Seth, Kara and Erik struggled to their feet and saw Crea walking toward the Pure Stone.
"The Pure Stone!" Kara cried.
"Stop her!" Seth barked.
The three quickly cast their spells at Crea. Forge Fire! Dark Anarchy! Typhoon of Power! The spells flew at Crea, but they all struck a barrier around her as she continued to walk toward Mel and the Dako Pure Stone. Soon, Crea neared Melosa, who scrambled in front of the Pure Stone. Mel readied her stones to fight Crea.
"Breath of the— AHH!"
Crea harshly kicked Mel aside before she could finish. Mel sprawled across the rocky floor. Crea then walked over to the Pure Stone and picked it up with both hands. She raised it to her face and stared at it inquisitively. To the side, Erik and Kara ran over to help Mel, while Seth cast a spell at Crea in anger. Doom Dart! A bolt of energy flew at Crea.
Just then, Crea's eyes began to shine a brilliant white light and she became surrounded by a field of red energy. Seth's spell struck the field and fizzled out. Crea didn't even notice, but seemed entranced by the Pure Stone. She did not move a muscle.
"Mel, are you alright?" Erik asked as he knelt down beside her.
"Uh… I'm okay." Mel said wearily. "But, the Pure Stone…!"
The two looked at Crea's motionless form. Seth was already running at her to retake the Pure Stone, but as he struck the energy field he flew back and landed in a heap.
"Okay," Erik said, "that's not gonna work." Seth glared at him.
Kara ran up near Crea and said, "What's happening? What did the Pure Stone do to her?"
"I think she's in some kind of trance," Melosa said.
"You don't think the Megalith's trying to possess her, do you?" Erik said almost fearfully.
"I'm not sure. Who knows if it could?"
"Whatever's happening, we have to get through this barrier," Seth said.
"But how?" Erik said. "We've barely got any stone energy left, and that field looks really strong."
"I don't know… But we'd better think of something and soon."
--
Crea found herself standing in a vast wasteland. All around, the sky was green and bleak and there were no signs of any life. Crea hadn't the faintest idea what had happened to her or where she was. Suddenly, a strange feeling ran through her. Something was nearby… something powerful… something horrible… something familiar….
She then heard a loud roar behind her. She quickly turned around. Looming right in front of her, the great form of the Megalith looked down on Crea and roared.
"You… the Megalith…"
As Crea stared on at the mighty beast, fear and admiration of the Megalith went through her mind. She had only dreamed of the Megalith before, but now she was standing before it, and it was surely not a dream this time.
"You are the one from my dreams…" Crea said as she slowly stepped toward the great beast. "Years ago, the Di-Gata Defenders defeated you and your master. No, they did not defeat you…"
As she approached the Megalith, she started to see things from its mind. She then realized what had happened to it on the day in her dreams.
"They sealed you within the white stones to contain your power. But you do not wish to remain here… You wish for freedom, to serve your master… To serve Nazmul… So he is your master… No… he's not your master… you are bound to him… bound to his soul."
The Megalith did not move, but growled at Crea. It was almost as if it were trying to speak to her.
"But… you and I… why do I dream of you…? What do these dreams mean to me? Please, answer me! PLEASE!"
As she said this, the gemstone on Crea's forehead began to glow a red light and her eyes glowed white. As it did, the Megalith's center eye also began to glow a brilliant, yet eerie green. A Henge made of all eight Sigils appeared briefly in the Megalith's eye, and then a beam of white energy left the Megalith's eye and connected with Crea's gemstone. As the two linked, the beam was surrounded by a swirl of red energy, originating from Crea. The two merely stood for a moment as the reaction continued. Soon, the same Henge in the Megalith's eye appeared surrounding the gemstone, and as quickly as it appeared it faded away. Then, the gemstone's light began to intensify and a shimmering light engulfed Crea and the Megalith.
--
Back in the quarry, the energy field around Crea suddenly began to intensify. The Defenders stared on in surprise as the gemstone on Crea's forehead shimmered with a red light. Then, her body began to glow in a strange pattern. Crea suddenly gasped, having regained consciousness, and the first thing she felt was an intense surge of power rushing through her. She dropped the Pure Stone and screamed. The energy rushing through her was a sensation Crea had never felt before, but she loved it. The red field around Crea began to become erratic and started wrecking everything around her.
"What's happening?!" Kara screamed.
"How should I know?!" Erik responded.
"Something's changing in her!" Melosa shouted. "Her power, it's increasing!"
"Well, what do we do?!"
"I don't know! But we'd better do something or—"
Mel stopped at this moment when she felt a surge of energy build up inside her. She then began to glow a blue aura and her eyes started glowing blue as well. She then looked sternly at Crea, out of her own accord, and extended her hands at Crea.
Then, in an almost otherworldly tone, she chanted, "Infinis, Sum, Altas!" As she finished chanting, Mel's arms began to crackle with immense energy.
Crea sensed the energy and turned to face Melosa. Almost instantly, she sensed the power of Mel's Wizard energies. She quickly realized that the Defender posed a threat. As she did, a massive blue beam of energy streamed from Melosa's hands and soared at Crea. Crea raised her hands to block the beam, but the beam pierced right through her defenses. Above the battlefield, there was a massive explosion as the beam streamed through the quarry, wrecking a line across the field.
Melosa stood in place as her Wizard energies receded. She panted heavily as she and the other Defenders looked on at Crea. Crea trembled and gagged in pain and shock. Melosa's attack was causing her energies to go out of control. Various parts of her body looked as though they were coming apart, and all across her body blue energy channeled across her.
"Damn it…! Not… like… this…" Crea growled in pain. "I… won't die… like this…!"
As she said this, Crea was surrounded by numerous blue lights, which creating a flash of light as they massed around her. The Defenders shielded their eyes from the light. When the Defenders looked back, Crea was gone.
After a moment, Kara said, "Is… is it over? Is she gone?"
"I don't know." Seth replied. "I hope so."
"Are you kidding?!" Erik exclaimed. "Mel fried her! There's no way she's still alive!"
"I'm not so sure that worked, Erik," Mel said as Seth knelt down beside her and picked up the Pure Stone. "We barely know a thing about Crea, and I'm not even sure of what I just did to her."
As Mel finished, she looked up at the sky and wondered whether they were truly rid of Crea.
--
Elsewhere, in a nearby cliff region, a mass of small blue lights converged on top of one cliff. With a flash of light, Crea warped in, still coming apart from Melosa's attack. Crea's legs gave way as she touched onto the ground and she fell to her knees, throwing out her hands in front to hold herself up. She groaned and almost gagged in agony.
Crea could not remember the last time, if ever, that she had sustained such an injury. The attack had disrupted much of her bodily energies, and as a result Crea's body was falling apart. The problem was she didn't know how to counter it. The attack would soon kill her if she could not stop it. Crea swore to herself that if she were to survive this that she would make the end for the Di-Gata Defenders a slow and painful one.
Suddenly, the gemstone on Crea's forehead began to glow a green aura, and she was surrounded by a green energy. Crea suddenly felt the pain of Melosa's Wizard attack begin to diminish, but she couldn't understand what was happening. Then it hit her: her body was acting of its own accord, working to preserve itself from death. She looked at her arms to see the various portions that were once coming apart reconstructing themselves. Soon, her whole body came back together.
As the green glow around Crea faded, she felt a terrible weakness wash over her. Too weak to hold herself up, Crea slumped to her side and onto her back. Her vision began to become blurry as she looked up at the stars, and then everything went black. Crea lost consciousness, but her white-centered eyes remained open as if she were awake.
END OF CHAPTER 3
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