Me: Bam! Wrote this in about, what, two days since I finished the last chapter! Once I got passed all the awkward emotions and got straight to the action!
Mushra: Semi-action. There was barely even fightin-You didn't even de-*covers his mouth*
Me: I do so hope you enjoy, and as always, I own nothing!
Mushra: Eh, you forgot to say, its in third person! Now we don't have to be in your fangirly little head.
Me: what he said, enjoy!
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Chapter 3—Nightmares Come True
"Aren't you the collection of beauties?"
Such compliments fell on deaf ears as all three females were on their knees, bound to kneel by silver serpents wound around their wrists and legs, slithering up from the earth and over their forms to send chills through them.
Winter kept her eyes shut, using all her willpower to ignore what she knew was around her, slithering on her, binding her. She couldn't even look to her sister, or her friend on Jaden's other side.
Jaden and Heather, however, for all the fear in them were defiant, Heather especially. Her gaze never wavered from the man who was descending from his dragons head and making his way over, cape dragging behind him. Heather even tried to struggle against the serpents binding her, though to no avail.
Jaden looked to her sister, worried for her state of mind with the snakes upon her. "Winter, it's okay, we'll be okay."
"Of course you will be. As long as you're obedient." The Snake Emperor assured them, almost kindly.
Jaden only scoffed, as she turned her gaze to glare at him. "What do you want with us?!" she was not going to draw this out; they needed to know what was going on to know how to handle getting out of it.
"I want just that, you. Well, one of you." He smiled, stopping before the three of them before pacing to look each of them over. He walked before Winter, his eyes staying for some time, before he turned and his eyes shot to her sister. He admired her a bit closer, and Jaden noticed under the half cape draping over his arm, his sword was at his hip. He noticed her eyes but only smiled still, his eyes moving on to Heather as he came to stand before her. He studied her longer, his eyes showing wonder and questioning, and then amusement as Heather struggled, as if trying to jump at him.
"Laugh while you can!" Heather spat, never stopping struggling, though all she did was cause the snakes to tighten each time they were pulled.
Ryuma then went to kneel before Winter, and he grasped her chin tightly between his thumb and forefinger, causing her to gasp in surprise.
"Keep your hands off her!" Jaden complained, struggling in Winter's direction.
The Lord ignored her, turning her sisters' face this way and that, his smile minimal for all the attention he was showing her. "Beautiful, there is no doubt…but you would bring me no joy, no satisfaction." He released her from his grasp. "One look at you screams of frailty I will not have in my halls."
Winter sighed, her eyes opening just enough to look to her sister as Ryuma stopped before her, kneeling down and taking her by the throat. Winter whimpered no and stop, but they were utterly ignored. Jaden just stared him down, breathing quickly and angrily through her nose as he turned her face this way and that. He even glanced down, and back to her face. "Considerable. Certainly you seem more fruitful than she." He nodded to Winter. His hand at her throat then reached to grasp her hair, though, yanking her head back. "Certainly, you would need work…"
"Just as you…" he looked to Heather at last, releasing Jaden who grunted in discomfort.
"Try it, pompous prick." Heather spat, literally, at him, but he disregarded it as he grasped her shorter strands, looking at the hair as if it was a displeasing sight.
"Not the most appealing, and yet…" he looked straight into her eyes, leaning her head back as well as he could with her struggling against every bit of his hold on her. His face was close to hers as he observed those brown red eyes. He smiled brightly then. "Yes…perhaps the greatest. You would offer the greatest satisfaction of them all, surely..! Perhaps.." He glanced once more to Jaden, and then released her and made to stand then, pacing before the group of girls once more.
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "I will rewrite the vision, and that fate until the very possibility falls out of existence! But my steps shall be careful, perfect…"
Vision? Jaden wondered. What she'd gotten to know of this person, however through a show and not in person, was not offering her enough answers other than the simple fact that he had planned to thwart Yakumo and the boys. In his process of doing so he'd decided to take Yakumo as a slave bride to throw it in Mushrambo's face after making him a slave as well.
She looked to Heather, who was looking down on the snakes she seemed ready to tear up if she could find a way. She caught her friends eye, trying to read any of the thoughts running through her mind, but it was near impossible.
"You…" they heard Ryuma speak again, unsheathing his sword and aiming it, they saw, straight at Winter's throat as he continued, ignoring the complaints of the other two girls, "..are of no use to me."
With a gasp and a movement back, Winter seemed to faint on the spot, the snakes untightening, but still covering her. Scoffing and making a comment about her being 'just another rabbit', Ryuma snapped his fingers and made to return to his dragon, Grandora.
The snap caused the snakes binding Jaden and Heather to multiply, over and over as they enveloped the both of them and with a flash, the girls were gone, only to reappear with Ryuma on the back of the dragon. Gasping from the strange experience of the transport, the two rolled until they faced each other. They were settled in a dip in between the dragons three necks and its back, still bound by snakes to not be allowed much movement, the Lord standing proudly with his back to them both, hand on the hilt of his sword.
"What do we do…?" Jaden whispered to Heather.
"We don't let him take us, that's for sure!" she whispered back.
Jaden swallowed, shaking her head and looking around. She tried to stretch her arms to break from, but the snakes were far too strong and tight. She tried pulling her arm upward instead to slip out, but that was just as complicated.
"We…we just have to wait for the right moment…" Heather told Jaden and the other nodded, trying to believe it, but Heather could see how it was hard to wait for, or even believe that moment would come. But Heather was determined, to the end, an attribute she had never let waver in herself. At least Winter had been left behind, it would be easier with it just being two of them having to escape than three.
Jaden rolled on her back to look over Grandora's shoulder, seeing the height they were at, and she turned right back to face Heather, seeming almost sick. "We-we're…flying fast…and I think I know where we're going."
Heather would have asked, but Ryuma spoke then to the dragon, drawing their attention up.
"There will be no more need for carding for discreet travel, my pet. Tear the building apart to get to the portal."
They were returning to Enterra. That fact seemed obvious enough for his next step, though it now had both the girls questioning what his step after that would be. Was New Yora in danger? Would he be after the people? Or would he go directly after the gang?
Answers they would only begrudgingly have to wait to get. Heather struggled to try and sit up, and Jaden would have left her friend to struggle for the moment if she hadn't succeeded. Worrying she intended to attack Ryuma in such a vulnerable situation, she shook her head. Heather didn't listen, finally sitting straight, only to hear a strange noise as she looked down, one of the snakes thickening and growing until it was constricting her completely, making it hard for her to breath.
With a roar, Grandora arrived, and with another, it sent ice shards blasting the building to bits, sending glass, ice, wood, and dirt all over. Using its claws, it tore deeper and deeper, tearing the flooring up completely, half the mansion fallen apart and laying in pieces to the side as Grandora lowered one of its heads deep into the basement, just far enough to reach the portal and the dragon must have touched it, as suddenly, the four of them were yanked through the portal, faster than either girls were used to, coming out on the other side with a roar and a victorious spray of ice and chill. The dragon flew high up out of the portal, out of the trees, and turned flying straight for the city.
"No! SAGO! MUSHRA! KUTAAL! BINKA!" Jaden screamed out, as if hoping they might be lucky enough to be heard.
Heather joined in, "It's Ryuma! MUSHRA! Hyper Form!"
They continued to scream, even just yelling for anyone to run, and it all simply made Ryuma chuckle. That was, until snakes swiftly wound themselves around Jaden and Heather's mouths, silencing them. "Your attempts are pointless, darlings." In such a situation, they could hope it was only useless for the fact that he had no intention of attacking the city, which he flew right over the edge of, heading for a destination unknown beyond it.
Even so, Jaden was bursting with frustration and fear and worry, looking to Heather then. And she noticed to look in her friends eyes, hopeful she had an idea. Until Heather nodded over Grandora's other shoulder. Then she knew Heather had an idea, and it was one she really didn't like.
She was implying they roll right off the flying dragon.
It may be their only option, but Jaden wished it wasn't, as a fear of heights had her nauseous over the thought. She shook her head, only for Heather to nod. Then logic set in to deny this plan, as Jaden wondered if they would even survive the fall if they fell from the dragon now. She looked to Ryuma, and back to her friend and knew it didn't matter. Giving a nod to her friend, Heather wiggled her free foot to count down. Three….two…
With a forceful roll from both of them, they bumped and bounced down the dragon's arms, nearly being hit by its wings as they continued to fall—only to be caught by the beasts hind claws, its master laughing above them. "Your fighting will not save you, nor will the strength of your heroes." He promised, still laughing.
Screaming in anger despite the snakes over their mouths, the two of them still foolishly struggled. Their minds were running as they were still stuck in this situation. They couldn't just stay, could they? They had to fight in whatever way they could, didn't they? It was either fight and possibly reach freedom, or give in and have no choice but to wait and see what this Enterran General had in mind for their friends.
"What?!"
The was the sound of something slicing through the air, a slash, a pierce, and the dragon heads roaring above had the girls hopeful as Jaden and Heather were suddenly released, Jaden screaming through the snakes as Heather looked around, just catching the red form.
Mushra yanked his speared staff from the dragons claw, dipping down and aiming straight for Heather, as he was shining like flame in his hyper form, his phoenix-like wings bringing him to catch her in one arm within seconds. He used his spear to slice straight through the snakes and they seemed to vanish. Heather, able to move again, looked for where her friend had fallen, only to see Binka's hovering turtle flying just a bit ahead of them with Jaden in it, it heading back for the hill, which Mushra followed them towards.
"Did you hear us?" she gasped, wondering if their screams hadn't been pointless after all.
"Winter warned us of what happened just moments before Grandora came through, and we came as soon as we could." Mushra answered, sounding as different as he ever did in his Hyper Form. "We'll handle the punk and his pet, no problem."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure you will-ay!" she complained as she was dropped into Jaden's, and Winter's, lap, who were sat in Binka's ride, devoid of snakes and on the edge of their seats with Sago steering. Heather looked to Mushra, who seemed to be turning around. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Buying you guys some time." He stated, before shooting back straight for the Lord of Reptiles, seeming to ripple with flames as he did so.
"No! Ugh! We can help, just give us some weapons, where's Binka's bazooka!?" Heather searched around in the small space, finding nothing, no matter who's legs she pushed around.
"Hey!" Sago complained when she got to his. "Look, you're not fighting our battles."
"This crap again, really?!" Heather was fuming.
Sago turned to look at her. "This is NOT the time. And don't argue, because this IS our battle, not yours!"
"The moment he made us targets it became our battle, too, Sago." Jaden stood by her friends side.
He shook his head, giving up arguing, feeling as if they were not understanding what he was trying to tell them whatsoever and it was pointless.
"Where are we going?" Jaden asked then, coming to Sago's side.
"To pick up Xavier, and then into the mountains."
"What about Mushra? Is he really going to handle that by himself?" Heather asked.
"He can take distracting him long enough."
Heather just scoffed, falling on her rear as Sago angled down as they dipped by the edge of the city, where Xavier was waiting, Mushra's hover-sphere in his arms as he leapt in between the girls as Sago lowered down enough. And as soon as he was balanced, Sago snatched the board from his arms, his eyes on Heather, knowing her intentions to take it and fly. She glared, crossed her arms and sat as they were rising again, going faster straight for the mountains.
Winter clung to Xavier as he moved close enough, calming as she sat between him and Jaden.
"He's just going to come after us again." Heather stated, sounding sure, and restless.
"And that's why we're going to be ready for him once we reach a hideaway for you three." Sago stated, earning a sigh from Jaden.
"What are you going to do? You and Mushra battle the dragon alone?" Heather offered.
"Xavier as well." Sago pointed out. "Kutaal is back in New Yora with Binka, and other Hyper Enterran's, just as precaution, but we've got what he wants, so I believe he'll be after us." He stated, earning a throwing up of hands from Heather, but she didn't try to say anything else for now.
"You did a good job, going to get help, Winter." Jaden told her sister, giving her a hug from behind as Winter still grasped Xavier, though she released to take the embrace from Jaden, explaining briefly how she'd faked fainting and had hurried as fast as she could with her bike to get through the portal. Jaden held her a little tighter, before releasing a bit and she sat up, looking to Sago's back. "…Thank you, for coming to help us." She said.
Sago just gave a short nod, as he was still coming down from Heather's rage at him.
"He's coming!" Heather said suddenly, at the edge looking behind as the fire Enterran was in sight, flying their way.
The closer he got, the more noticeable it became that his armor was chipped, some of it frosted, and he was bleeding in some placed. His form began crackling with fire and flame, and soon he was nothing but a fiery form. Heather ducked under Sago and yanked Mushra's hover board from his reach, tossing it straight at Mushra as he was once again in normal form, some of the wounds still there, but some healed up in the process of change. He landed perfectly on the board, knelt on and grasping it as it powered up at his touch and he flew right at their side.
"You take him down?" Xavier asked hopefully.
"No, but that dragon of his will be licking its wounds for a little while before they come looking again!" He commented confidently with a thumbs up, the somewhat stoic attitude of his hyper form gone now. "Are we punching it or what?" he asked, zooming ahead fast, Sago and the rest following right after him.
"Are we really just going to sit here?" Heather asked, pacing with her arms crossed, feeling a strong need for retaliation and trying to walk it out.
They were half way in a deep cave at the bottom of a mountain, with Xavier and Winter near the mouth of the cave, keeping watch and keeping close together. Mushra and Sago were settled deeper in, Jaden sitting with them as Heather walking around in a circle. They had been trying to talk her down for some minutes, with no aid from Jaden who, even though she may not be feeling the same emotions as intensely, she entirely agreed with and was not going to argue against.
"You two say you've seen our fights and battles; when has running head-first into battle ever turned out well?" Sago told her, which didn't stop her pacing, but she didn't have a comeback, so he turned his gaze on Jaden. "Look…we need to put emotions aside, at least for a moment, and get to the bottom of this. What happened?" he spoke as calmly as he could.
Jaden sat with her arms crossed as well, though that was half because she was just realizing how cold she was in her wife-beater. Heck, all three girls were still dressed in just their night clothes, not even any shoes to call their own. She took a breath and sighed, brushing her hair back. "We went to bed once Winter got home… It didn't really take me long to sleep. I mean, nothing was….was really weird before that."
"The snakes." Winter called just loud enough to hear, though it echoed anyway, which must have been how she heard the conversation.
Jaden nodded, remembering. She'd been in denial of it being an omen like Sago had warned. Running a hand through her hair, she went on. "There were three snakes again…They shattered the glass with the flowers. I got rid of them." She shrugged, a shiver running over her.
She heard the sliding of some sort of cloth slipping over other cloth and looked to see Sago offered his cape. She shook her head, but when he didn't drop his hand, she just took it and wrapped it tight around her, another chill running before she continued. "I dreamt…well.. He said we all dreamt that…that he'd laid waste to New Yora… That he…hurt all of you. And then he took out his sword and he-" she shook her head again, and then finished the rest of the experience after in a quick breath. "Hearing something roar, we ran out to find out what it was, the ground was shaking, and we came out to see Grandora…waiting…"
"Then prissy pants said he wanted to take us, then started checking us out, like he was going to take us for harem or brides, whatever's his thing now." Heather continued for Jaden, still pacing though slower now as she talked. "It was like he was taking stock on which of us were any good. I just got a feeling that there was a deeper point to what was good about us, to him… He said Winter would bring him no satisfaction. But he seemed to think we might. Jerk dissed our hair, too."
Mushra and Sago looked to each other, before the former spoke. "This has to do with us… Last time he did this against Mushrambo, now its…its either him again, or us specifically."
Sago nodded. "Accept now he sees them as another Yakumo…" he stated, causing Mushra's gaze to fall as he gripped his fists on his knees.
"What..? So what, he thinks you guys are our protectors or something and he knows we're important to y'all?" Jaden asked.
"That, yes, though…to a stronger intent. He could have been watching us all of yesterday, that's why those snakes were there." Sago informed them, very troubled by this. "That's how he knew there was no purpose in taking Winter. She didn't seem to be…to be the object of any of his enemies affections, there for she couldn't be a weapon against us. Not a strong enough one, anyways."
It made sense to Jaden, and yet completely not. Ryuma must not have been watching close enough. How could that whole event yesterday have shown him anything but just Winter and Xavier showing that sort of affection mutually? She just shook her head, and settled with the more likely fact that Ryuma was seeing what he wanted.
"What I don't understand…is how he even remembers us. I mean, we were granted most our memories of our former life after all we went through against Lanancuras, but the Generals? To my knowledge, none of them have remembered us." Sago questioned then, very confused by the fact, his hands together as he watched the ground in concentration. "It…it couldn't be him." Sago stated, implying the influence of Lanancuras.
"No, it can't be. He's completely gone, I threw him out into space." Mushra assured him strongly, though his eyes still wondered.
No one knew an answer, though something returned to Jaden's mind. She was confused by it still, as she had been before, though, as she voiced it. "He said something…something about a vision, and rewriting it or rewriting something." She told them, looking to them both, wondering if they had an answer.
"Vision…?" Mushra scratched the back of his head, looking to Sago, who could only shrug.
"No idea…unless it's as simple as that—he had a vision, pertaining to us, that has him angered with us and wanting some sort of revenge on us." Sago reasoned.
"And he's using us to do that." Heather spoke up then.
"Yes, he is…and we're sorry for that." Sago looked to them both, looking genuinely regretful of the whole situation.
"I'm just sorry you two have left us so defenseless." She shrugged, acting so calm as she accused them and Sago sighed as Mushra stood.
"Look, it's not like we knew this would happen, Heather, we can't see the future!" the fire Enterran yelled at her, ignoring Sago's advising him to quiet down. "We did what we could! And we're doing what we can!"
"Yeah, because teaching us kicks, punches, and flips has done WONDERS!" She stood up to him, even if standing up meant her gaze, though looking to his eyes, was angled up from his chest. They both stood their ground no matter. "You didn't give us any weapons, NEITHER of you tried to teach us how to use any!" she stated, bring Sago into this and he ran a hand over his neck, Jaden saying nothing as Heather went on. "You just think us pitiful humans that you need to protect and save, not friends worthy of helping to defend their selves."
"You are our friends!" Sago spoke up to that.
"Just your powerless friends, huh? We're even weaker than the humans in your world, aren't we? Because we're from worthless, unevolved Earth." She continued.
"Your strength has nothing to do with where you come from, or your sex, before you get started on that!" Mushra spat back, as if hurrying to stop her from continuing.
"Really? Because that wasn't the deal last time?" Jaden spoke up then, looking between him AND Sago, who had admitted to her that that had been the part of the reason that didn't want them fight bigger battles, in a way.
"Guys, how is this helping us?" Winter spoke up then, coming deeper into the cave. "Seriously, no matter our fighting abilities, we're still friends, and we need to continue acting like it; staying strong against what's coming. Unless we just want to be easy prey?"
Everyone was silent with that, until they heard footsteps coming closer and Xavier spoke up. "There's dust or smoke in the distance! Something's coming, I'm sure I heard that beasts roar carrying on the wind."
Sago stood then, taking out his weapon as Mushra summoned his own, slamming its end on the ground and half the spear shot out the top. They both joined Xavier at the mouth of the cave, the girls followed as Jaden offered the cape to Winter, who just huddle under it with her sister.
"He's coming, for sure." Sago nodded.
Mushra looked to Xavier. "Take Binka's turtle, there's an exit deeper in." he pointed inside the cave. "You take the girls—the exit out will take some moving, the exits blocked by some rocks, but it's the best way out."
Xavier nodded, giving a confident look. "I AM an earth Enterran."
"Really?" Heather spoke up again, shaking her head. "Come on, you might have some of a chance with us as at least a distraction, if you don't think we can put up a fight!" she stated, making her way to them, though Xavier grasped her and tried to bring her to Binka's turtle; Jaden tried to help her while her sister was assisting Xavier in holding them back. "You guys couldn't even beat Grandora in Hyper Form, you had to become Mushrambo, you can't do that without Kutaal!"
Sago took a breath, while Mushra just chuckled, smiling back to Heather. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. We HAVE picked up a few things since that fight. Xavier?"
"I'm sorry Heather, Jaden." He stated, shoving them right as they made it to the Binka's ride, the two of them falling in and he jumped in, pulling Winter in with him as he hurried to start it up and ride away, the turtle's eyes lighting up as they delved deeper and deeper in.
Heather could do nothing but resign to going along with it, but she still watched behind them as the light at the mouth of the cave grew dimmer. Jaden joined her in watching, as they heard the distance calls of 'Hyper Flame' and 'Hydro Power'.
For all their attempts, it was for nothing.
The sounds of intense hissing and something long shooting out of the ground could be heard as serpents were coming right out of the ground, latching on to the turtle, and though it sped up on its own with noises of unrest, the snakes became too many, and the ride came to a complete halt, the four of them shot straight out to the ground rolling and groaning.
Jaden winced in pain, as she'd rammed her shoulder on impact, and she looked around, finding serpents, serpents everywhere, slithering out and down the walls, across the ground. "Shit!" She hurried to her feet, collided backs with the other four. They could hurt and kill a few snakes, Xavier might be able to do more damage, just as long as they could avoid being bit—who knows what their venom might do.
That's when she heard the crackling of ice from the other end, and felt the rumbling around them.
On Mushra and Sago's end, the two were waiting, oblivious to the lack of escape deeper in the cave, focus only on the growing ice before them, blocking the entrance to the cave and yet blocking Grandora from them. They were confused up until they saw the silhouette of someone seemed to be coming…through…the ice.
The laughter was heard before its owner was seen, but soon enough, the Lord materialized right before them, hand on the hilt of his sword, mouth still uttering his laughter, and his eyes latched on to the two men.
"I would have loved to catch that pitiful little kitten, too, but you two are just enough, for now. It has been some time…you might say a completely new lifetime… But here we are, again, adversaries, though not evenly matched." He chuckled more.
"Yeah, you're still as puny as a worm." Mushra uttered glaring him down, gripping his staff and preparing himself.
"Funny, that's just what your beloved said." He laughed.
Mushra was just barely put off by that, but didn't stand down, menacing in his hyper form, though wary of whether her might attack or not just yet.
"You leave them out of this." Sago demanded. "You want us, you have us. Make this an honorable fight, coward, face us and us alone!"
"Oh, they're in this whether you like it or not. And I have no plans to fight you; oh no, I plan to take you and shatter your world until nothing of you nor your greatness remains! I will be victorious in every possible way! And you're too late…you should have sent them away sooner…" his chuckles were growing again, as his point was made as there was a scream from deeper in the cave.
Shocked and worried, Mushra and Sago didn't know whether to race to help the girls or to stay and fight; either could be exactly what he wanted! No matter their choice, though, they would play right into his hands.
Ryuma unsheathed his sword, laughter growing as the boys readied their weapons and he pointed his blade into the air. "Grandora, tear it apart! Ahahaha!" his laughter grew until it became a gross hissing, his blade lowering, glinting as he became nothing but a silhouette which formed a large snake before he completely dissipated. The boys wishing they'd attacked sooner, they resigned to not having known if it would have made a difference.
"Damn!" Mushra muttered, just as everything around them seemed to shake and rumble, dirt and dust falling from above them. "..He's bringing the mountain down on us!"
The two of them ran for the exit, rocks falling around them at an increasing rate, and with the rocks, fell snakes of every size, small white snakes to heavy pythons and vicious anacondas, and the harder they ran, the more they seemed to be surrounded, until they found themselves, too late, being bound by the bodies of the serpents. The two struggled to make use of their weapons, and they loosened some of the hold on them with slashes and a few attacks, but two pierces into their flesh that they were unsuspecting of halted that process. They struggled, from the bondage and the affects, but soon and swiftly, they were both paralyzed, just as the others were in sight, and just as covered in the serpents.
"No! We have to help them!" Heather struggled, tearing the snakes off of her, miraculously fighting against the venom for a fleeting moment, though not for long, as it seemed her adrenaline had held it off for only a moment before she fell on her side.
"Heather! Noo-uh..!" Jaden, bitten in the neck, fell to her knees and then back, unable to shut her eyes as she watched her friends all be wrapped in snakes, her sister and Xavier already fallen behind her.
All she could wonder as she saw the rocks falling, and the serpents slithering…as the roar of Grandora pierced her ears once again… Was this the end?
And it all went dark.
::
Me: dun dun….duuuu *Mushra covers my mouth*
Mushra: yes, cliffhanger ending, you're so clever (come on, tell her she's not, this is nothing new, blah blah)—OW! *pulls his hand away as it has bite marks*
Me: *smirks* Please review if you enjoyed~ Stay tuned (next week, haha, im so clever) for the next chapter!