~Episode 6: Rogued and Exiled~
Flashback: The Matoran Universe
35,000 Years Ago (34,000 years prior to the Great Cataclysm)
A Ta-Matoran was running through a forest, heading back to his village after being in pursuit by a Muaka tiger. Living in the village was rather a crappy one as he had to rotate certain jobs, one of which included hunting for food throughout the Great Forestland. However, most of the residents feared this area due to a large amount of dangerous Rahi including the Muaka.
He finally arrives at the village in relief, carrying a sack of some food supplies of berries and a few fish. It wasn't as much as he hoped.
Great, I'm gonna have to hear it from the captain, he thought, why can't I just be a Toa?
Living on this 'Northern Continent' was a big landmass but he had not really explored much of it except for the region he lived in. Not to mention, the Makuta species have been tasked in watching the landmass across this realm and many others. He wondered if the increase of the Rahi was due to their involvement.
"The Turaga wishes to speak to you," one of the villagers said.
"What?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"I don't know, go. I'll help sort out whatever you found," the villager answered.
With a shrug, the Matoran makes his way to the hut where the Turaga stood by a small firepit decorated with crystalized Protodermis all around. However, there was a Toa present which surprised him.
"Is something wrong, Turaga Celrax?" the Matoran asked.
"No. On the contrary, I'd like you to meet this fellow Toa," she answered, "He's going to be here in town for a little while to assist our needs."
"That's great!" the Matoran replied with some relief.
"The name's Taranuka, I'm a Toa of Air," he introduced himself, "And you're…?"
"Duncan," the Matoran answered, "I'm sure our Turaga has filled you in about our village. Not quite the best but…"
"You have nothing to worry about," Taranuka replied, "If anything, this village is a good spot for my journey."
"You're not going to stay here permanently?" Duncan asked.
"I'll stick around for a while," he said, "It's not like I'm on an active mission."
Duncan turned to Celrax, "Your ladyship, my group faced another encounter with the Muaka in the Great Forestland. Please forgive me on the lack of resources."
"I know your group is doing very well to keep our villagers alive," Celrax said, "But it's clear that someone else in this village is being very catty due to jealousy."
"Of course," Duncan sighed, "Should've known."
"But don't let that discourage you. The will of Mata Nui…" Celrax begins.
"Yeah, yeah…I know the three virtues," he answered, "Unity, Duty, Destiny."
He sounds a bit broken, Taranuka thought.
"Go get some rest now Duncan," Celrax said.
The Ta-Matoran nodded and left the hut before returning back to his place. Not wanting to speak to his colleagues, he shut off the light stone and took a nap.
Back in the other hut, the Turaga was reviewing a carving from Toa Taranuka before looking back at him, "And you're willing to stay here for that amount of time?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep them out of this village," he replied, "Not many Toa pass through here."
Celrax smiled, "We are definitely honored to have a Toa like you here."
Taranuka nodded before looking at his reflection at a bowl of liquid protodermis. His Kanohi Volitak shimmered briefly in response.
In the days that followed, a couple of the Po-Matoran were able to craft a suva area for this Toa's Kanohi collection as he had the Kanohi Kadin, Pakari and the Kakama. Even still, he knew this wasn't enough to be satisfied for himself.
He placed the masks in their slots when he saw the Matoran Duncan instructing his group of the Matoran hunters before sending them off. With a shrug, he approached the Matoran.
"T-Taranuka!" Duncan bowed, "Forgive me if I was loud to my team for your solitude."
"You're good," he replied, "In fact, I was curious about your knowledge of the Great Forestland."
"Oh, well I am flattered but I only go there for food hunting," Duncan shrugged, "It's not something I enjoy."
"You don't like to travel?" Taranuka asked.
"I like to travel but not to that miserable area," he said, "It's like a survival game every time."
"Being a Toa is a survival in its own right," the Toa of Air answered, "Even with my own abilities…I still feel like I have lost…"
"Lost?" Duncan looks at him.
"It's nothing," he shook his head, "But perhaps if you show me this Great Forestland, I might be able to lend a hand or two."
"Alright," he nodded.
Duncan led the Toa of Air on a stony pathway that traversed through a couple of harsh ravines of sharp rocks. Several unfortunate Rahi that would stumble here often were killed off by the hazardous conditions. The Matoran held on a torch to provide some light of visibility once they were approaching closer to the forestland.
"It's always good to keep a light source on you," Duncan explained, "Rumors say that the Makuta lurk here and throw random Rahi without warning."
"And they lurk-find without their masters?" the Toa asked.
"They say they have some infection that makes them berserk." The Ta-Matoran shrugged.
Once they were on the flat dirt again to the Great Forestland, they both heard a low nearby rumble. It was coming from the nearby shrubs.
"Stay put," Taranuka jumps over ahead while reading his weapon when he sees…
"What?!" he gasped, "A Kikanalo? But it looks…"
Duncan rushed over and recognized the beast, "That's no ordinary Kikanalo…"
Taranuka frowned, "Only one possibility this could have happened."
Moments later, they heard a soft noise of the wind. Taranuka turned over and fired a blast of wind at two oncoming Rhotuka spinners fired from a pair of Visorak.
"Dammit!" Duncan growled.
"Throw the torch at those vines," Taranuka pointed.
"But the forest will go ablaze!" Duncan gasped.
"I got this," he winked, "Throw it now!"
Without a shrug, the Matoran flings the torch at the vines where it exploded a great burst of combustion at the Visorak, incinerating them before the Toa of Air unleashed a wind cage to keep the flames within before sucking the air with his blade to disable the fire. Duncan's eyes widened in amazement by the powers of this Toa before him.
"First things first as a Toa of air, remove the oxygen and it'll shut away the flames no matter what other sources it comes from," Taranuka explained.
"It's too bad I'm not a Toa of Fire," Duncan sighed.
"Well…maybe you don't have to stay a Matoran forever," Taranuka digs into his pouch before revealing a crystalize structure the size of the palm of the hand.
"T-this is…!?" Duncan gasped.
"Indeed," Taranuka answered, "Though it belonged to someone precious of mine, I decided to turn it into a Toa stone in hopes for rebuilding a new team. I kept the last part of the crystal on me."
He gestures the Matoran on the necklace he wears containing the same stone before continuing, "Keep it safe. And hopefully someday…you'll rise to defend your destiny."
Spherus Magna: Present Day
As if there hasn't been enough darkness on the planet, another storm clouds appeared, rolling down from the skies with some flamed and entwined lightning before it impacted the ground and released several beings.
The 13 Swimming Guardians along with Artemis, Duncan, Dante, Taranuka, and their four prisoners emerged from the magic that transported them here from Planet Duniya.
"W-where are we?" Makoto asked.
"This place…" Alex narrowed his eyes as his armored boots were in the sand.
"Is this some sort of quicksand!?" Nagisa gasped.
"Don't worry. It's not really as sand as you think it may be," Dante revealed.
"Well isn't that a bizarre place to land but hopefully far enough away from that bitch's base," Duncan muttered.
"But it seems to be lush over there," Rin pointed out.
"That area was given to us as a blessing from the Great Spirit. Most of the Bara Magna desert was converted to grassland," Dante explained.
"Well perhaps we should get going and not sink into this…sand," Kotetsu answered.
Once they got themselves out of the area, they checked in with each other as the four prisoners were grumbling about stuff. Atakus wasn't looking forward to his paths with Rocko while Perditus didn't care if he was going to be executed for betrayal. As for Kabrua, he only desired for his herd whether he is allowed to live or not. Akilev on the other hand was intrigued by these humans' willingness to help but he too wonders if all will go to plan.
"So then, where to now?" Kaede asked.
"We'll have to head up north but steer to the west and avoid the city of New Metru Nui," Dante answered, "I'm sure that's where our enemy is located."
"And your comrades?" Hiyori added.
"We'll find them," Dante answered, "They have to be…"
He suddenly clutched his fist as his heart rate was suddenly speeding up. Alex quickly stands by his side to keep his health in check. Dante took a few deep breaths. Everyone stared in silence and was somewhat horrified to see this powerful entity in such pain.
"T-thank you," he answered.
"That was way too close! I didn't think it'd take effect that quickly!" Nagisa gasped.
"That's what the curse does," Duncan shrugged.
"Now that we've seen it firsthand, safe to say any suspicions any of us may have had can now be thrown out the window," Kyle said.
"I don't think anyone was that suspicious of them," Ai shrugged.
"So then, what do we do from here?" Sousuke asked.
"For sure, we need to find the others. Granted, this may put myself and Rocko at a higher risk of death but..." Dante begins.
"You want to set an army against her, don't you?" the Makuta asked.
"We're out of options," the Jungle Lord replied.
"An army will only set her off," Akilev answered.
"You honestly think you're in a position to discuss how we fight her?" Taranuka looks at him.
"I didn't think you'd allow me to speak," the rogue Mahotsukai sighs.
"Not like we'd be that useful to you anymore you traitor," Perditus grumbled.
"Did you guys think I wanted this whole mess to happen in the first place!?" Akilev glares at the fire Glatorian, "I wanted a family with her but of course, I was tasked to watch the first robot being built but that shit blew up b/c of how unstable it was."
The group paused as Alex recalled the first robot that was a prototype, "I…I know that one…"
"You are impressive there human," Akilev notices his expertise, "By the time I came back to my team...well...she had disappeared along with the child. It wasn't till I discovered that one of my brothers betrayed all of us.
"He snatched the baby and placed it one of the tribes of this world but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find him. As for her...well...she was driven underground where she lost her ability to dream. In fear of confronting her again in such a madden state, I took up the role to go onto the Great Spirit Robot for over 100,000 years."
"So...that's how you came in contact with us, back then?!" Perditus gasped as the Vorox glares at him.
"Surprising you even tell us this now. You seem the type to take that kind of information to the grave," Kabrua hissed.
"And what happened to the Child of the Earth?" Alex asked.
"I never found him. But words of his status would appear among my colleagues, but I was already lost in my vengeful mind and recruited this little team here," Akilev revealed.
"Something else to add to the list of chores. Aside from getting the people their planet back, find leads on this "Child of the Earth"," Nagisa shrugged.
"That might be a little hard to do in our current situation. If that guy hasn't found any leads in centuries, I doubt one will fall in front of us," Ai answered.
"Stranger things have happened, Ai-chan," the blond looks at him.
Dante turns to the prisoners, "What do you want to gain from all this? Aside from a family reunion."
"I for one, want to start my own league. The Fire Tribe has disappointed me quite a bit," Perditus grunted, "They never paid me well to keep my…former vehicle in check."
"Nothing else matters but the wellbeing of my tribe. As long as they prosper, to hell with everything else," Kabrua hissed.
"The Rock Tribe has proven themselves less than worthy in recent days themselves," Atakus shrugged.
Finally at the right response, Dante answers, "Then, once we take down this Mother Nature and break this curse, I will speak to my team. However, you will also have to speak with your representative Lords."
"I guess it can't be helped," Perditus sighed.
"If he even has a valid thought to listen to such a request," Atakus rolled his eyes.
"Very well," Kabrua grumbled.
"We'll take care of these four," Duncan nods to Taranuka before turning to the swimming guardians and Dante, "The rest of you go on ahead. If you do find the other Element Lords, let them know, alright?"
The 14 senshi take off with Dante as Alex kept close to the Jungle Lord. They were heading in a northern direction while Rin was using his X-ray vision to find any nearby destination and landmarks. Artemis also kept a monitor sensation in place to ensure nothing would attack them suddenly.
"Quite a vast landscape," Albert observed the entire landscape of grass and flora with scattered trees and mountains.
"Almost to no end," Kaede grumbled.
"You could easily get lost in a place like this. What's our first move?" Kotetsu asked.
"I'm assuming we're just letting Dante take the lead," Makoto shrugged.
"This world has certainly changed a lot," Dante said before he notices some of the dying grass patches at random, "She must be draining some life of this world."
"Why would this Mother Nature drain life if she is a giver of life?" Sousuke asked.
"The same as the cycle of life, death, and rebirth," Dante said.
"Point taken," he shrugged.
"But I'm sure whatever she's got in mind, it's not good," Dante continued, "If what that Great Being said is true...that would mean…"
He stopped in his tracks as his brain was starting to piece up the facts…if this entity was the one who fell in love with this Eden…and if this Eden was powerful like Gaea Terra…could it be?
"Are you alright?" Alex looks at him.
"I…I don't know, there's…too much to think," he answered.
"There's no need to be afraid. You are safe with us," Artemis added.
With a sigh, Dante rests his hands on the ground as he concentrates on his power before two beams of green energy radiated out and flashed across the landscape until they disappeared from sight.
"W-what was that?" Rin asked.
"I timed a spell that will reach out to the others...hopefully the ground doesn't ward enough for her attention," Dante revealed, "It should give them the hope they need to keep going."
Back up to the northern region of the planet, Tajun, Vulcanus and Clint took the knowledge of the Earth Tribe and the blessings of the Great Spirit with them. They were back on the same chariot with the Spitik, making their way in a southern direction.
"I still wish he could come with us," Tajun said.
"Well, probably for the best he doesn't leave until this is over," Vulcanus shrugged.
"Don't really want to give away too much of a position," Clint agreed.
"But I still don't understand why the Earth Tribe..." the Water Lord sighed, "They were just minding their own business but then, that bitch."
"You think it has to do with what we found in the cavern back in the lab? Whoever this Eden…and if Roxtus is related? We still don't know who this Child of the Earth really is…"
"I don't want any more tension between our tribes. We had an era of peace for the longest time," Tajun frowned.
"Let's finish this conflict and hope that it's the last one," Clint agreed.
"Well, I'm confident that we'll win this fight but...if we do...then..." Tajun replies but pauses.
"You're worried about the Child of the Earth?" Vulcanus asked.
"I think if we can find a way to negotiate peace between that bitch and whoever that child is...but what the hell do I know. We've already been betrayed enough times," he answered.
"If it's possible, why not try? I mean, the worst that could happen is... she kills us?" Clint shrugs.
Moments later, a green burst of soft energy flashes in front of them, followed by a small eruption on the ground. They readied themselves for whatever attack may be, but the ground erupted a bit and revealed a small golden flower blossoming perfectly and flawlessly.
"What the hell is that…?!" Clint gasped.
Tajun narrowed his eyes and carefully approaches it. With a wave of his power, he senses the droplets of life within it. Moments later, the little bit of moisture connected to the source of the message from which it was sent. With this, the Water Lord begins to tear up.
"T-Tajun?" Vulcanus asked.
"What's going on?" Clint narrowed his eyes.
"Don't you guys get it!? That wasn't a normal growth of a flower..." he turns to them, "It's him…"
"By the will of this planet…" Vulcanus gasped.
"But I don't understand...if coming back here without...the poison," Tajun looks at the flower again.
"Maybe he found a cure?!" Clint asked.
"I don't know...but we need to make haste," Tajun readies the reins after getting back on the steed, "HYAAA!"
Sand Tribe Outpost: Dune Shelter
Roxtus, Atarus, and Iconox were busy trying to figure out how to continue making peace with their tribes when the same flash of green light appeared from the sands, spooking them a little.
"Whoa there!" the Sand Lord gasped.
"Another attack!?" Iconox readies his ice powers.
Moments later, something erupted from the ground in front of them, a flower growing rapidly on a catus-like plant before blooming in white and yellow petals.
"A flower...here? What could it mean?" Atarus muttered as he approached it.
"The hell are you doin'? That thing could be rigged!" Roxtus snaps.
"Then let's put a lid on it," Atarus replies.
"I'll encase it," Iconox sighs as he makes an ice-like cage around the flower to protect it.
Atarus puts his hands on the ground to feel the sand beneath his feet and tries to locate where this magic came from. Moments later, his eyes widened with a small hopeful look on his face. He turns to the Rock Lord.
"You of all should realize this," he smiled.
"What do you mean?" Roxtus looks at him skeptically.
"Well, if this flower suddenly grew here…" Iconox narrows his eyes before realizing.
Roxtus suddenly feels a pulsating feeling from the ring as he could feel a familiar warmth in the air coming from the plant before him. Then, his heart began to ache with a hidden tear leaking from his eye.
"He's alive...and he's here..." Roxtus breathed, "My love…"
"He must have found a way around the curse," Iconox smiled.
"We haven't a moment to lose then. I think our next goal is simple. Roxtus, whenever you're able..." Atarus turns to him.
With a nod, Roxtus gets up, "We have to. But I am also poisoned as well. We need to be careful to not set either of us off."
"We won't let that happen," Iconox vowed.
Flashback 2: The Matoran Universe
25,000 Years Ago (24,000 years prior to the Great Cataclysm)
Taranuka and Duncan arrived at the northeastern shores of Zakaz, said to be home of the wild Skakdi species. These beings were once nomadic tribes of peace when a Makuta was said to have come here and altered their existence with elemental powers, vision abilities, as well as a limited number of weapons.
"There have been rumors and reports that a lot of ships from Xia were coming here," Taranuka noted.
The Toa of Fire looked at his Lava Sword briefly before returning the response, "Why would they come here of all sorts if these beings have become savage?"
"I'm sure some have to had retained some intelligence," Taranuka narrowed his eyes through his mask, "I'll scout ahead first."
Activating the Volitak, Taranuka's body shimmered to invisibility before adding, "Distract the guards over there with your fireballs."
"Fine," he shrugged as he closed his left fist for a few mere moments before finally unleashing several fireballs from his sword. Some of the Skakdi guards saw the flames but were unsure of which direction it was coming from.
When one of them made their way to where Duncan stood, the fire Toa had already hid behind a structure before knocking the Skakdi out to unconsciousness.
These beasts are strong, Duncan thought.
At the signal of wind from Taranuka, Duncan followed the trail that the former left behind as they were now approaching towards a nearby slum village. However, at a second glance, they saw what looked like scattered pieces of robotic parts all over the area like trash.
"What are those?" Duncan muttered.
"It must be the pieces that the rumors were saying," Taranuka said, "Someone said that the Skakdi were going to vamp up their ongoing Civil War by adding these robots all over the island."
"That's crazy," Duncan said.
"When I looked at those pieces, I recognized the trademark from Xia. I'm sure some of the Warlords are making deals with the Vortixx," he muttered.
"Then what are we waiting for? We should get rid of these," Duncan said.
Taranuka was about to reply when they were both ambushed and knocked out by two Earth Skakdi that created fist dirt attacks.
They were then brought over to the ruins where Nektann himself sat on his throne with his Spiked Muaka growling softly.
"Toa," he spat, looking at them with distaste, "You must be fascinated with my ongoing project. Yes…this Civil War hasn't come to an end just yet. But what brings you here, hm?"
"Speak up!" one of the guards pointed his spear at Duncan's neck.
"We've come on our own volition," Taranuka answered.
"My kind could easily outnumber you and throw your remains into the winds of this land," Nektann warned them, "However, I can offer you a deal.
"You both leave now from this land unharmed but will be marked with my Muaka scent that if you dare to return, this pet will trace you out. Or…you could work with us and strip of your honor as a Toa," the warlord said.
Duncan was feeling scared for his life while Taranuka was already feeling numb to the point of this offer but that was until a blast of water and lava exploded into this room. The Skakdi turned to see their attacks as a couple of Toa Teams appeared.
"T-The Toa Hagah?!" Nektann gasped, "Those who served the Brotherhood!"
Taranuka's eyes widened in shock while Duncan was feeling emotionally relieved. The conflict continued until the Toa were able to get their comrades out of Zakaz and went to another island far away enough from Zakaz.
"I had this under control," Taranuka grumbled, "What are you all doing here?"
"We've been worried-sick about you since you left the team like this," Iruini answered.
"And I'm surprised you didn't go alone there," Bomonga noted on Duncan's appearance.
"That's none of your concern," the Toa of Air replied.
"Easy brother," Iruini said.
"Am I worthy to be of a brother? Not when I lost my beloved!" he spat, "You guys are wasting time serving those bastards!"
"The Makuta have sworn to keep everything in order," Gaaki said.
"I don't trust them…especially after what happened back then," Taranuka said.
"Forgive us for bringing you into this mess there," Norik turned to Duncan, "I guess he hasn't told you."
"Told me what?" Duncan looked confused but Taranuka kept silent.
"This fellow Toa was once part of our team as the Toa Hagah," Pouks revealed, "Then of course one of the members of the Makuta brotherhood went all crazy and took it out on his beloved. However, Teridax see to the one responsible and disposed of him properly."
Taranuka grunted as he clutched on his necklace, "You're not going to take me back there."
"I know you weren't wanting to but why did you go to Zakaz?" Norik interrogated him.
With a sigh, the Toa replies, "Because I'm looking for that person…the one who can open a portal and send me away from this blasted place."
The others gasped while Duncan was starting to feel concerned about this. Ever since he became a toa over 10,000 years ago, everything from training to exploring the lands were all fun and games as such. But he had never seen this side of Taranuka before. It was definitely clear to him that he was hiding something, a tragedy not wanting to be told.
"And you think someone could help you with that?" Gaaki asked.
"I'm not asking for your sympathy," Taranuka said, "To be fair, I wouldn't have mind being a mercenary like the Skakdi but since that's not an option for me, I want out."
Present Day: New Metru Nui
While tending to the empty crib, the Element Lord of Earth gets up and makes her way to a wooden table where she had kept all kinds of magical items secured here. However, a change in the air was felt as she realized that something within her wouldn't be extinguished. Instead of feeling vengeful and chaotic, her mind felt sadness and broken.
"Why...am I doomed to be this way? Wh-what should I have done?" she muttered but her mindset changed, "No. The plan will succeed. Now that they're all here...I will finally drain their powers.
"So that I may reclaim the one in my bloodline...that bastard...who took my child. True, they may have killed him before I had the chance but still...I was cheated of my revenge!
"No...I mustn't...not for my baby. I know he's here. He's out there…but a monster like me could never redeem that. You were right all along…Eve."
The senshi followed Dante as Alex and Kyle kept close to the Element Lord of the Jungle to ensure his health remains stable. So far, it was indeed working while they were in awe of the crystal-air nature of the planet despite the skies being in total darkness.
"How are you holding up?" Alex turns to Dante.
"I'm fine…" he shrugged.
"Heh, you know…my brother's middle name is also Dante," he said.
"No way, that's neat!" the Jungle Lord seemed impressed.
"Well, it came from a great uncle of ours from my dad's family...he used to um, live in Tennessee," he shrugged.
"Ohhhh, yes, I've never been there but I know of it," Dante said.
"Ever thought of going there?" Kyle asked.
"Well...my fiancé...he doesn't sing country," the Jungle Lord makes a nervous sweat drop.
"Then what does he sing?" Haruka asked.
"Rap, hip-hop, r&b, all that," he revealed.
"Oh dear…" Alex makes his own sweat drop, "That's not what I expected."
Kaede smirks a little by that as Kotetsu remarks, "A rapping lord of the elements. Why not?"
"Hey, his music's got to be something pleasant than most labels if he's managed to snag a fellow Element Lord. Just saying," Nagisa shrugged.
Ai kept quiet while Rin shrugs at the commentary.
"Has he ever won awards?" Sousuke asked.
"He has won a few platinum plaques and some of the mainstream stuff in Canada," Dante revealed.
"Oh, I didn't realize he was Canadian..." Alex gasped.
"Well, isn't that very interesting. So, if he's from Canada, where did you come from?" Ai questioned.
"New Cleveland," he said.
Everyone stopped in their tracks as Alex paused in his footing upon hearing this town.
"N-New Cleveland…?" Kyle looks at Dante, confused.
"Well...it's a city up by the Lake Erie and..." Dante begins but Alex's chest began to throb a little bit, forcing him to fall to his knees.
"P-Prince!?" Haruka, Makoto, Sousuke, and Nagisa gasped.
"Is he alright?!" Ikuya asked.
"D-Did I say something…?" Dante muttered.
Alex kept a grip on himself but his heart was racing as his mind was now throbbing as if the very same space-time was etching throughout his body. Kyle assisted to his attention while the other guardians checked their surroundings to make sure they were not in the ways of danger.
"T-Tera…b-bithia…" Alex muttered.
"What's going on?!" Ai asked.
Moments later, the prince's eyes flared up bright yellow and white before finding himself in a nightmare apocalypse scene taking place on Terabithia. Was it the final reckoning? A great explosion of dirt and fire erupted everything and everywhere around him as he saw a sole figure floating way above him.
"T-this can't be…" Alex muttered, brushing his hand on his sword.
"Prince!" Haruka shouted.
"Sandro-chan!?" Makoto cried out.
"C-child...of...t-the Earth..." he breathed out.
"Did he say Child of the Earth?" Dante looks at him sharply.
Alex looks up to see the Element Lord of Jungle, reaching out his hand. Before Dante could realize it, his hand also gripped Alex's as they were now both drawn into the nightmarish realm before their eyes.
Planet Duniya
Iwamara Swim World
Back on the other planet, Sergi sat down in the lobby area as he observed what was happening in the two books. So far it seemed that something was about to happen but the problem with realm traveling is the disconnection by so many infinite possibilities which make things harder to see the updated pages.
He sighed for a moment and could only pray and hope they all make it back home. Natsuya and Nao were walking nearby when they saw him there.
"You alright there?" Natsuya asked.
"They made it, to Spherus Magna," he said but his tone was concerned.
"Well that's good right?" Nao looks at him.
"I just don't know what the outcome of this conflict since both stories will be are now entwined in this...fate, twisted beyond words. I am sure Sandro and the others will pull this off but..." he sighs.
"What is it?" the brunette looks at him.
"It's like the time when I discovered this Merlin has existed in both of these books. I discovered something...more terrifying and..." he begins but pauses.
"Is it something you're able to share with us?" Nao asked.
"As the author, I cannot...for it may also alter the course of destiny and the future. A single drop of change can have ripple effects beyond measure," Sergi answered.
"We'll have to be patient and see," Nao nodded.
"That's all I can do. I cannot write their destinies, only record the truth. Their choices, their decisions, the outcome..." Sergi looks at the book.
"It must be a burden to some extent, having to watch them like this," Natsuya commented.
"It does. The same reason why I can't help my brother fulfill his dream...in a more genuine way," Sergi said.
"You don't have to worry about him," Natsuya turns to Nao.
"The amount of progress he and the others have put in, it's only a matter of time until everything takes flight," Nao smiled.
"I just want him to smile more. He hasn't been happy in a long time. I mean, yeah, he saved us all numerous times but, not on a normal basis," he replied.
Natsuya hands Sergi a small piece of folded paper, "Here, why don't you look at this. We were meaning to give it to you sooner but just hadn't have time to do so."
"Huh? What is…?" Sergi takes the paper and opens it.
"A piece of the past written here...we thought maybe this could be useful for you," Natsuya explained.
He opens it up and sees the notes written there which shocks him a little, "Wait…this is like in my handwriting but…how did it make its way here?"
"No idea. It must have been something left behind a long time ago..." Natsuya crosses his arms, "From what we could speculate, you were there that day, weren't you?"
"Maybe not me but...the other one would know," he lowered his head before going to a page from the earlier chapters recorded but couldn't find a matching site.
"Well, I do think this would be a splendid idea...assuming we survive this...Final Reckoning," Sergi muttered.
"We will. All of us dream for that future to come true," Nao reassured him.
"And is my brother really doing well with his training?" he asked.
"Sandro seems to have most of his pieces together, but the times are dangerously close. We still don't know the stats from potential swimmers in Lha'li and possibly Neo Tabuk..." Natsuya explained, "Back then, that was a different time, a different era...they were on their own. At least that's what the other me explained."
"Now they have each other and more allies than ever before. More people in the circle to help make the blossoming future a reality," Nao said.
"How about this. We'll let you in on a little secret...about your brother and what we have planned," Natsuya said.
"Think you can keep it safe?" Nao winks, "We're counting on you, you know."
"And no one else...knows about this?" the younger Marotta brother asked.
"Eventually we'll discuss with the others, but for certain not to your brother at any or all circumstances...Final Reckoning or not," Natsuya answered.
After a moment of silence, he looks at both of them with a nod, waiting for their instructions.
Planet Earth/Terabithia
Articora
JINGLE-JINGLE
JINGLE-JINGLE
After a few days of silence and uncertainty, the soft bell of Articora was heard. Alex wakes up to hear the bell once more and goes over to the main living area where Rei was still sleeping with the four spirts using their life forces on him still.
He wakes up Romio and Shizuru from their huts and leading them to see what was happening. Ayumu joined in after a meeting with the giants on regarding a new defense system on the further lands.
"The air has changed…" Shizuru muttered.
"Did something happen to Master Rei?" Romio asked.
"He's still resting apparently but I knew I heard the bell, I swear!" Alex said.
I hope the other me is alright too, he thought, resting both his fists over his heart.
Finally, Rei wakes up with his singular eye as the spirits gasped.
"Master, do you sense anything?!" Arizona asked.
"Don't push yourself," Samezuka added.
Rei gasps and slaps a hand over his wounded eye/eye area, "It's worse than we thought..."
"What do you mean? Is the Final Reckoning about to happen?!" Iwatobi gasped.
"It's similar...but no. There's something...peculiar about this...I can't..." he winces in pain.
Getting desperate, Alex rushes over to hold onto his hand, "Rei, I can't lose you now...I don't have magic, but I hold the same light as the other me!"
Rei makes a small smile, "I know you've been waiting for me…"
He suddenly grunts in pain before hearing voices of a crying baby and a mother pleading out in desperation as he describes, "A child…a baby…I do not know which or who. Someone just…NO! DON'T TAKE THE CHILD!"
"A-a child?!" Mayfield looks at the other spirits.
"Whose child is this?!" Alex asked.
New Metru Nui, Spherus Magna
Grunted in pain, the Element Lord of Earth could feel her sanity and insanity fighting within. Some strange power has indeed come to this world and its no doubt it will change the future of this planet once more.
"My son…" she breathed, "You can't…leave…"
She looks at the baby crib again with another lone tear.
Flashback 3: The Journey of Duncan and Taranuka
-The Red Star-
Alarmed at the destruction of his friend, Taranuka gathered the remains of the deceased Toa of Fire and quickly threw the parts inside a vortex of air to keep them contained before jumping through the newly opened portal arriving in some bizarre large room.
Realizing what the Kanohi Olmak led them to, Taranuka tried to open another gate, but it was too late. A few of the Kestora workers arrived to see the commotion.
"Such a loss for a precious Toa," one of them said.
"Not to worry fellow Toa," another one reassured him, "We'll get him back to where he started."
Annoyed, Taranuka called them out, "But you do realize he'll be a Matoran again, right?! I granted him the power of a Toa because of an unfulfilled destiny!"
"We might…have some ingredients left for a Toa, but I doubt Artakha would've kept such a thing for us now, would he?" the first Kestora pondered on this.
Taranuka sat down on one of the chairs as the group of 4 Kestora went to work on repairing the broken Toa but of course its programming was shut down. With muttering in between, the purple and black builders decided to go to another room to conduct something as an experiment. Taranuka tried to get over there, but a few others blocked him. Threatened, he blew them away softly with his air powers as a warning.
There, he arrived to see the pieces of the former Toa being poured with some green-ish substance. At first, he thought it was something original but the aura was too dark and familiar.
"No, STOP!" he shouted, "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THAT IS!"
The Kestora already poured the Antidermis before setting on a switch to cause an explosive transformation occurred as more mechanical bits and pieces from the supply room flew over to this room and assembled on the newly created Makuta.
Duncan opened his eyes as he could feel the power of Shadows now lurking within him. He stared coldly at Taranuka and answered, "You…foolish Toa. I asked you to let me go!"
The Kestora looked at their experiment in awe at first but the newly created Makuta launched a sonic scream in their heads, forcing them to collapse to the ground.
"I died as a hero and reborn as a Makuta…heh, what a fitting way to start over," the darkness spoke, "I guess it didn't help the fact that your tragic story…"
"My wife's death was nothing to do with your journey as a Toa!" Taranuka shouted back, "Even I…I am loss of words at what they've done to you. This…no."
"Even if I am a Makuta, you reject me?" Duncan stared at him.
Slamming the Olmak on his face, Taranuka opened the portal finally and answered, "There are tools here that will bring you back to the old universe."
Duncan shouted him out, but it was too late, Taranuka disappeared into the dimensional voyage while the Makuta growled in rage of this shameful betrayal. Knowing that there was no other choice, he used the remaining tools that would relaunch him back to the Matoran Universe, trying to act like among the brotherhood until an agent of the Order of Mata Nui suspected his origins.
Once that happened, he swore on a secret duty assigned to him by Helryx for the last few thousands of years prior to the Great Cataclysm but once he was caught by Icarax, he fled back to the base and demanded to also leave the realm. With no other choice, the Order agreed and sent him to another place where he spent most of his days until he was rediscovered by Taranuka years later.
Despite the hurtful reunion and the fights, they both came to a truce and decided to become "Rogue Ones" of their kind…an Ex-Toa and an Ex-Makuta. To the Makuta's surprise, Taranuka had also become a mutated Vampire of sorts, discarding his honors as a Toa hero and also gained some organic substance to make him more human cyborg like.
Eventually, they were brought back to Spherus Magna of their reality where they discovered the wrath of the Element Lords as well as the missing girls that were taken into an experiment. Together, they spied on this so called reality and discreetly used specialized tools to break the reality apart for them to escape. Duncan saw his eyes on one of the former contestants, recalling his days as a Toa of Fire when he developed a former crush on a visiting Toa of Water from another team long ago.
"Don't make the same mistake I did," Taranuka reminded him.
"Yeah, whatever your ex-Toa brain says," Duncan replied.
When peace was restored to Spherus Magna for the Third Reign, Duncan retired to his own experimental lab where he was finally able to create Rahi while Taranuka was a bail bonds person, capturing some criminals here and there for commissions. When the Earth Tribe and Mother Nature prepared for the Dark Curse, Mata Nui summoned them both for a secret meeting at the Maze Valley.
"This curse will put the test to the Element Lords," he warned them, "Both of you need to assist Dante."
"And what will we get out of this?" Taranuka asked.
"Continual freedom and whatever your projects are currently ongoing," he said.
Duncan rolled his eyes through the Kanohi and answered, "And you honestly believe that we'll be able to do this?"
"You were both heroes once," Mata Nui answered, "It doesn't have to be a Toa to be a hero. Several Matoran and many others…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know the story of the Toa Inika and the Matoran there," Duncan shrugged.
"There isn't much time, both of you need to get ready," the Great Spirit warned them.
"And what will you be doing?" Taranuka asked.
"I'm going to hide here for now until the time is right," Mata Nui takes off the Ignika as his body dissolved into the sand. From there, the Mask of Life floated away into hiding somewhere. With the Olmak safe with them all this time, Duncan set for the correct location on the portal, heading to a place called New York where they would eventually find the Jungle Lord after the fateful encounter of the past and future…
Present Day:
Iwamara
As the other senshi have taken their mission to Spherus Magna, the remaining members continue to develop their training as well as rotating on duty for any potential Visorak threats.
The area that was damaged from Perditus and his Thornatus V9 was undergoing a cleanup. As that was going on, the processes for gaining more swimmers and other athletes for the upcoming Olympics were underway.
Natsuya and Nao received more data from Anastasia and the girls that were assisting the swimmers in Lha'li. A bunch of swimmers from the former Aeuropa City (now renamed as Neo Sportsbrooke) were also undergoing their own regimen in hopes to make it to the top likewise.
At the Iwamara Beach Trail, Aoba was listening to Momo's story as they were jogging together.
"After that, Sosuke-senpai had the audacity to say we couldn't use magic while we were rehabilitating Rei. Can you believe that?" the orange-haired man recalled, "I could understand the 'no sex' part. Not like we were getting any anyway. Seriously, years of celibacy, and neither of us were even considering riding the sack. What the hell was he thinking?"
Aoba snorts and nearly chokes on his spit from listening to this.
"Oh, come on! It's not funny! It was torture! How could I hone my skills if I can't even use them?!" Momo replied.
"Which ones?" Aoba tried hard to not chuckle.
"What do you think, dummy?" Momo makes a fish face.
"Well...now...do you think?" the blonde shrugged.
"Think what?" he asked.
With a sigh, Aoba pauses in his tracks, "If you had the chance to go deeper in a relationship, would you be willing to take it this time around?"
Momo makes a soft blush before pausing for a second. Finally, he answered, "I never really thought about it. I mean, I spent my teenaged years in a concentration camp."
Aoba kept silent as Momo added, "I couldn't really explore those feelings if I wanted to. You have to believe me. None of us had any privacy. Not even to wash ourselves, if we had that luxury."
With a sad sigh, Aoba rests his hand on Momo's shoulder and answered, "I'm sorry you really had to go through a rough period of time. But all of you have managed to surpass it."
"That's true," he said.
"I still don't get it though about how all that torture was done by a stroke of a pen by such evil forces that resulted in endless pain for eons," Aoba muttered as they both recalled the 'Resurrection Day' when Alex and the False Artemis working together as the Suiei Cosmos to blast down the witches.
"To be fair, I didn't think I'd fall into this category of mystical savior. I just wanted to swim and be normal," Momo said, "As normal as I could be...I still wonder what my life could have been like if both nii-chan and nee-chan found me sooner. Or if I had never been separated from my family in the first place."
"It must have been a lot for you especially," Aoba answered.
"I mean, I'm doing okay, I guess I know I'm no Makoto, but I'm getting there. Then again, Sosuke-senpai really surprised me. I didn't think he'd change his style like that," he replied.
"He still does butterfly, just...not as often. But then there's Hiyori...and whoever we'll be facing off with Lha'li and the Neo Sportsbrooke..." Aoba counted on his fingers.
"That's true. I didn't take Hiyori into consideration..." Momo nodded, "He's pretty good, too. Am I getting ahead of myself here? Jeez..."
"We all share the same dream...making it to the top. I just hope...we even get there at all," Aoba answered.
"What's with this 'if' junk? Of course we will," Momo smiled.
"You're right. We just need to have faith in all of us," Aoba agreed, "You know...you could still surprise your two siblings. Getting any of the medals will make them happy."
"Yeah. I could. Don't count yourself short either. You're getting some, too," he winks.
Back at the outdoor areas near ISW, the remaining Takagami Senshi continued doing their exercises both physically and magically in a series of drills. With the other senshi teams on Spherus Magna, there was no time to at least keep a defensive system going just in case.
"You all got this! Keep focused and no one will take you down! Hahahaha!" Seijuurou cheered Tsubasa onwards as the blue-haired man completes his circuit run with a badass landing.
"There! Not bad, huh?" he winks as the red-haired man gives him a towel to wipe off the sweat.
"Perfect! But you better keep up with me though too, hehehe!" Sei grins.
Tsubasa grins a reply but they both turned to see Rei and Asahi coming out to the circuit likewise. For a moment, they were both a bit confused but the two of them were determined on their faces.
"Got room for one more? Maybe two?" Asahi asked.
Tsubasa looks at Sei briefly with a nod before turning to them, "We have some space left, but are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"I can't be lying around doing nothing while the others are out there risking their lives. If I don't train, I may as well be a lump taking up space. And we don't want that," Rei crossed his arms.
"Like he said," Asahi agreed.
"If that's what you want to do, who are we to say no? Okay, Shiina, you're with me. I'll show you how the Hidaka boys do things!" Sei accepts the deal.
Tsubasa raises a fist bump for Rei, "Then welcome, to our Shimogami crew, Ryugazaki-kun."
Rei returns the bump with his own, "By all means, don't go easy on me before I'm partially broken."
The trio briefly chuckled sadly as Rei clears his throat, "Anyway, what shall we do first?"
Sia La Luce e La Vita Ristorante
As the word of the swimming begins to spread around, the other potential sports were also having their own rising. One of which included the skaters as the main trio were practicing a lot at the new S location as well as being sponsored by their respective mentors.
Langa watches his videos on his progress on some of the training obstacles, "Well the leap is good at the gap."
"Yeah that was fantastic!" Reki smiled.
"But don't forget to keep your balance on the board," Miya reminded the prince.
"Relax. He's using one of my boards, remember? Very durable," Reki pats himself on the back.
"That may be, but we don't know how much um...little knick-knacks we're allowed to have," Miya rolled his eyes.
"Seeing that this is the first ever, I'm sure it'll be lenient," Langa shrugged.
"Heh, this is getting exciting! I can't wait for the festivities to begin! The whole world watching as our sport becomes legit! We're not street punks anymore! Hee-hee!" Reki grins happily.
"It does feel weird though...that it's only three of us at this time," Miya said before turning to Reki, "How's your sister doing?"
"She's good, but not that good. She's not quite a pro like the rest of us. Even she's told me she's not quite ready for a grand debut like that. Maybe the next time around," Reki recalled, "'Course, I see her making big marks as the first female badass skateboarder in Duniya. Like brother, like sister, after all."
Langa smiles and adds, "I'm sure she'll be very happy to make a milestone."
Finally, the trio turned to see Joe, Cherry, and Shadow arriving in with a bunch of other supplies for tonight's practice.
"That's a lot of stuff there," Miya said.
"Well someone took notice," Shadow grumbled.
"Yo!" Joe greeted the trio.
"'Sup?" Reki replies.
"We got here early like you said," Langa said.
"Thank goodness you can still follow directions," Cherry sighed in relief.
"So, are we still going to do the next round tonight?" Miya asked.
"The obstacle course has been finalized, designed for the three of you. It will be the closest thing to what you'll face at the Olympics," Joe said, "These are just leftover stuff."
"What you did with Adam in the day, Langa, will pale in comparison. At least that's what I hope, anyway," Cherry warned them.
"Too late to back out now," Shadow winked.
"As if we were going to let them," the pink-haired man said.
"And don't forget, no magic either," Joe reminds Langa, "I know it may have helped you in some of the casual matches, but this is to be done purely with your own skill."
"I know," Langa nods as grips his fist, "But lately, I'm worried my magic is telling me something..."
"What do you mean?" Miya asked.
"Well, I've heard there was a recent incident in Iwamara," Langa said, "And my parents messaged me about some of the findings they discovered from recent visitors."
"More Visorak?" Joe asked.
"Let's not…" Reki answered.
"It's not the Visorak, but regardless, do you think...?" Langa begins.
"As much as I'd like to help them out, they have magic and powers far beyond our league," Miya sighed.
"While It's something you shouldn't ignore for sure, but not enough to the point you shirk your responsibilities," Cherry answered.
"It'd be nice if we could supply some assistance, huh?" Shadow sighed as he recalled the day when the Skaters and the Volleyball folks gave their powers to the Swimming Guardians to fight off the three fates.
"I don't see why we can't. I mean, if another Visorak pops up, we'll handle it. But that's not happening now, is it? Come on, guys, let's stay focused on the goal in front of us, huh?" Reki nods.
"Then let's head off to the New S," Langa agrees.
Neo Sportsbrooke Beach Park
Oikawa, Kei, Gino, and Gabriel did a two vs. two/ match of beach volleyball as one of their practice/training rounds. Each of them was determined to face off the others in the Olympics likewise. However, they were still in need of a bit more people in order to have a full roster.
After the match was over, Kei and Oikawa sat down on the sand-grass border in relief while Gino and Gabriel were talking about something.
"Well...that was fun," Kei answered.
"You're improving nicely. Glad to see everyone putting in the work. We'll be unstoppable before too long. Now if only we can find the last pieces of this puzzle..." Oikawa grins.
"Well...there are a few others in this town but granted it may require intensive training," Gino said.
"I'll see if I can find anyone to join," Gabriel goes onto his social media to find some of the buddies he recalled.
"Find anyone who's willing and able. The more, the merrier, I say," Oikawa encourages him before turning back to Kei, "Wonder how the others are doing on their end."
"I'm sure they're fine," the blonde megane answered, "But then again, Atsumu has been sending texts on the recent happenings...the Visorak, those robotic beings."
"I assume the swimming guardians are investigating that then?" Oikawa asked.
"From what it sounds like," Kei shrugged.
Gabriel facepalms in shock, "Dammit! Did he break away from his social media?"
"Huh, I thought he was still posting stuff there...he used to have done Volleyball too...right?" Gino asked.
"Speaking of, any hits on any other peeps in town? Or anywhere that's looking for a team?" Oikawa asked.
"We had this one friend who was able to hold his ground well but he only played volleyball for a short period of time," Gabriel recalled.
"Who?" Kei asked.
"I think his name was Toshiro," he said.
"Him yes but...oh that's right! There's also Tatsuto!" Gino added.
"Any idea where they're at?" Oikawa asked.
"Well, I have no idea where Toshrio has gone to since he disabled his social media. Tatsuto hardly posts stuff," Gino shrugged, "There's got to be a clue how to reach out to them. I mean, it's not like they can be that far from here or Iwamara..."
"I think Toshiro posted something about 3 days ago, at some beach. Not here though," Gino said.
"Where?" Kei asked.
"Uhhhh," Gabriel rubbed the back of his head.
"I'm sure it has to be one of the other beaches out here…unless it's at a private resort," Oikawa shrugged, "My geography is craptastic at best."
Masaki's Shrine
Since the visions during practice, Minato stayed out of contact for a bit until he regained some of the courage and went back to the shrine alone to find Fuu and Masaki in the moonlight of the silent archery shootout. His head was still sunk with sadness and horror, but he couldn't bear to hold his emotions any further.
The soft footsteps could be heard as Masaki and Fuu turned to see the young man slowly approaching.
"The prodigal son hath returned. I didn't think you'd show up any time soon. Still facing some trigger panic?" Masaki asked.
Minato kept silent as the former continued, "Hey, we all have our slips. It'll be fine. Kazemai is pulling its weight in the competitions. We're on equal grounds with Shuu and the boys of Kirisaki."
However, the other man was still quiet, making Masaki a bit worried, "Is this about Tsujimine? Eisuke may be intimidating, but I know he's..."
"It's not about anyone of our league or the other teams," Minato answered, looking at Masaki in the eyes.
"M-Minato..." he breathed.
"You know what's been troubling me, Masaki. I can't shake what I saw that day. All the death and destruction. Those sights...everything...Is what we're doing even going to matter in the end? Even if we go on to the Olympics, then what? That's not going to prevent what I saw from happening, is it?"
"Minato…" Masaki sighed, "I'm truly sorry you had to see that dark vision like that. I didn't think any of you would ever receive such a vision."
"How are you so calm? Aren't you scared?" Minato asked.
"Of course I am. It's because I'm scared that I want to make the best of my life, what little there may be left. I want to bring smiles to others, have fun, shoot some arrows, and conduct ceremonies," Masaki revealed, "I want to bless more grounds for people who are wanting a brighter future in their households or wherever they may roam.
"More importantly, I want to keep sharing moonlit nights like these with the people I love. Those who help me stay out of the dark as much as possible. Life isn't about being scared and hiding away; it's about exploring endless possibilities, even if your end is in sight."
"I see…" Minato nodded.
"What about you, Minato? Even if the end is coming, isn't there something you want to bring about in this life?" Masaki asked.
The black haired man could feel the tears ready to come out as he replied, "I...I don't want to lose anyone. I know eventually we'll all have to go but I'm not ready yet. There's so much left I want to do.
"From finishing school with the others, to presenting ourselves to the world…I want to be able to shoot a perfect shot every time I step up and make that perfect Tsurune sound. Not just in high school meets. I want to make it reverberate throughout the stadium at the Olympics.
"With Seiya, Shuu, Ryouhei, Nanao... even Kaito and Eisuke, if the opportunity presents themselves. I want us all to be there when it happens.
Finally, Masaki wraps Minato in a warming hug as the tears come down as the former replies, "You will. You all will make it there, back here, and in many more events to come."
They break up the hug and have a seat nearby. Minato dries his eyes and wipes his face with his handkerchief.
"We're not going to face this disaster alone. You know as much as I do that the Swimming Guardians have resurfaced. They may not be the same ones who walked our earth and swam our waters, but there's definite similarities," Masaki continued, "And a friend of mine is among their numbers right now."
Minato's face lit up with some hope, "What? Really? Who?"
"I doubt you know him. He was a rambunctious one, that's for sure. Maybe once this is over, we'll meet at the Olympics," Masaki explained, "I'm certain he will be able to help avert whatever coming disaster is on the horizon. He always had that potential in him."
"What was his name?" Minato asked.
"Kotetsu," he smiled.
"Kotetsu...interesting name," Minato rested his fist beneath his chin.
Changing the subject, Masaki asks, "So what do you say? Think you can shoot a couple tonight?"
"Huh?" he looks back up to his attention.
"If you're going to make it to the Olympics, you can't let your performance go down to nothing," Masaki winked.
"Right," he nodded.
Spherus Magna
Roxtus, Atarus, and Iconox were making headway to find Dante and the other ELs when they too were stopped by the chill in the air and the nightmare visions of destruction now flashing in their eyes.
Ataraus and Iconox looked horrified to see what was happening in front of them as they saw what looked like their homes back on Earth undergoing catastrophic destruction in front of them.
"T-This…no, stop this!" Atarus shouted, "This can't be real!"
JINGLE-JINGLE
JINGLE-JINGLE
T-that bell, the Sand Lord thought.
Iconox looked at the middle of the desolated planet before looking up to see someone floating in the shadows, raising some sort of a weapon.
However, Roxtus was seeing something else as he saw himself in a lone space where a baby crib rested several yards away. A bunch of cloak figures were surrounding it. He could hear the baby crying for several moments.
The Rock Lord rushes his way over to knock down the cloak figure dummies and finally sees…
"W-what the…?" he stops to see this child before him.
The Child of the Earth looks at him with tears in his eyes, reaching out his hand. Roxtus subconsciously links him as a rainbow explosion of light erupted out of them.
At the lobby of the ISW, Sergi gasped as the pages of both the books were flipping around rapidly before he slammed at the one page that appeared to them. He couldn't' believe his eyes on the discovery of their recent findings…
"T-The Child of the Earth…they found him…" he muttered.
Back on the main trail, the senshi watched as Alex and Dante's eyes were both highlighted in their neon colors before the latter finally made a small tear.
"Did you find out!?" Haruka asked.
"They must have found something…" Nagisa muttered.
They both disconnected their hands as Dante looks up to the skies and answers, "It was you…all along, my…love."
~Episode 6 END~
~Episode 7 PV~
Dante: Rocko…no this can't be, he's…
Iconox: The Child of the Earth…he's the son of Gaea Terra.
Atarus: But what does this mean for all of us?!
Clint: We can't let the Earth Lord take over his existence!
Alex: We'll find him Dante, that's our promise!
Makoto: Then we have to stop this shadowy reign before she even tries to influence any more trouble!
Rocko: …for years, I spent running and hiding in fame. But…what am I if I can't face the truth about myself? Did I really cause all this pain to my friends…to my fiancé? Am I truly at fault for what the Earth Lord has done to all of us!?
Tajun: None of this is ever his fault! Roxtus is our ally, our friend, and a hero!
Vulcanus: We'll reclaim our home and make it a fairer place for everyone!
Rin: Next Time, Free! Child of the Earth.
Ai: We'll win this fight Dante, and to all those who love this planet.