Chapter 6: The Hunted

Ray, Jen and their group were chasing after the school bus. "Not getting away this time!" Ray exclaimed. But the bus driver drove away without even waiting for them. While Ray, Gabe, Terry, Greta, Portia and Maribel stopped to catch their breath, Jen and Allie continued to chase the bus. "We know you see us, you sadistic little jerk! Stop the bus!" Allie exclaimed. But they stopped to catch their breath as the bus drove off. "I am so reporting that idiot to the school for this." Jen panted out. "School is 2.4 miles away and it's 7 minutes and 16 seconds to the bell. We're gonna be late!" Gabe cried with worry. "Any idea how we can fix that?" Maribel asked. "I know a spot where we can use the Azurite to transport us to school without getting spotted. Down here." Ray said as he led the others down the alley. "I gotta say, Ray sure knows how to get us out of trouble." Portia said. "And that's usually the Kazamas' job." Maribel joked.

Just then, everyone stopped when they heard something crying from afar. "You guys hear a baby crying?" Ray asked. "Yeah, I hear it too." Jen said. They followed the sound and saw a van. "Shh. It's coming from that van." Ray said. As they reached the back of the van, they peeked through the window and saw something wrapped in a blanket. "That's no baby." Allie said. "It looks like some kind of lizard." Terry said. "I knew it. It's something from the Creature Realm." Ray said. Just then, they heard a door open. "Someone's coming." Gabe whispered. They peeked around the van and saw Alakshmi and Saanvi. "It's those goth chicks again." Greta whispered. "The ones who trashed my house!" Allie whispered. "The Choten's errand girls." Ray whispered.

Alakshmi was on the phone with the Choten. "Saanvi and I are about to take possession of the materials you requested, Master." She said. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the kids ducking back behind the truck. "Uh, may I please call you back?" She asked before hanging up. "What's wrong, Alakshmi?" Saanvi asked. "I thought I saw something by the van. Stay here. I'm going to check it out." Alakshmi said. The kids shook with fear as she approached the van, preparing her tech gauntlet.


(Intro)


When Alakshmi got to the van, gauntlet ready, there was nobody there. "I swore I saw someone." She said with confusion. "Alakshmi!" Saanvi called. Alakshmi turned her attention back to her sister, who was now standing with a worker. "You need to sign for the chemicals. And pay too." Saanvi said. Alakshmi put her gauntlet away in her jacket and walked back to the factory. The kids, having silently moved to the side of the van, watched as Alakshmi and Saanvi walked into the factory with the worker.

Allie started tugging on the locked door, trying unsuccessfully to open it. "Help me break the cute little guy out of here before those witches slither back." She whispered. "That lock's reinforced, Allie. No way we're breaking into that." Gabe said. "But isn't there some way we can get the little guy out without actually breaking into the van?" Greta asked. Just then, the Azurite started glowing. "Looks like the Azurite has an idea." Ray said. Suddenly, the little baby creature was teleported out of the van and into Allie's hands. "Whoa. Now that was neat." Portia said. "And this little guy is so totally cute!" Allie exclaimed as the little lizard creature crawled around her shoulders and back into her hands. "Are you the cutest little wutie cutie?" She asked in baby talk. The little lizard playfully bit her nose, making her giggle. "Even his bites are cute."

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but we still have to get to school before we get detention." Jen said. Everyone gasped as they remembered. Just then, the Azurite started to glow again. "Looks like we're about to get to school on time." Ray said. The Azurite teleported the group and the little lizard away from the factory and into a secluded hallway in the school. "Whew. Made it just in time." Gabe said as the bell rang. "Okay, let's hide the little guy until after class." Ray said as they headed to class.

Meanwhile, Alakshmi and Saanvi came back out with the worker wheeling out a barrel of chemicals. "Yes, just put it in our van." Alakshmi said. Saanvi led the worker over to the van with the chemicals. Suddenly, Alakshmi heard her sister gasp in horror. "What's wrong?" She asked as Saanvi ran back over. "The baby Dune Gecko is gone!" Saanvi exclaimed. Alakshmi was shocked and furious at this news. "This is not happening." She said venomously as thunder boomed in the sky.

Meanwhile, at the school, the kids were eating alone and away from the other students as they examined and played with the little lizard. "The texture of his armor is fascinating. Like an armadillo's shell crossed with a crustacean's carapace." Gabe deduced. "He is such an energetic little fella. What kind of creature is he?" Terry asked as the lizard crawled onto his head. "I think he's a baby Legionnaire Lizard. A Dune Gecko from the Fire Civilization." Ray said, comparing the lizard to one of his drawings. "Oh yeah. We learned about them at the temple." Jen said as the little Lizard leapt at her, licking her face. "I remember that they're not exactly the best fighters as hatchlings." Portia said. "I bet we can train him to defend himself. Right, little buddy?" Ray asked as the little Lizard leapt into his lap. "So, here you guys are." Sakura said as she, Kaito and Miku surprised the kids. The little Lizard squeaked in fear and curled into an armored ball. "Whoa! What happened to Hissy?" Allie asked in surprise, naming the little Lizard as Hissy. "He must've gotten scared and rolled up into a defensive posture like Armadillidiidae. You know, the common pill bug." Gabe said. "Who's Hissy?" Kaito asked. "This little guy." Ray said as Hissy unrolled himself. "A baby Legionnaire Lizard? Where'd you find him?" Sakura asked. "We rescued him from one of the Choten's vans." Maribel said. "Well, I think you should tell the Masters about this." Kaito said. "Already on it." Ray said as he dialed his phone. "I've never seen a baby Dune Gecko before. He is so cute." Miku said as she took little Hissy. "You are just so cute, aren't you? Aren't you?" Little Hissy playfully bit her on the nose. "Aw, I think someone likes you, Miku." Allie said.

Meanwhile, in the temple, Hector was meditating in his fire chamber when his received Ray's call on his earpiece. "Long story, Master, but the gist, we rescued a baby Legionnaire Lizard from one of the Choten's vans." Ray explained. "You're fortunate to have escaped unnoticed. Bring it in as soon as you can. And Ray, Jen, keep it out of sight." Hector said. "Yes, Master C." Ray said, ending the call.

As Ray hung up, he saw that the others were playing with Hissy, rolling him like a ball. "Okay, guys, as soon as school's finished, we have to bring Hissy to the temple." He said. "Right. But until then, we have to keep Hissy hidden from the teachers and other students." Jen said. "Uh, actually, there's one minor snafu in our leaving when school ends." Gabe said. "Oh, right. We promised that we would help clean up the school afterwards for extra credit." Terry said. "Yeah, those idiot bullies really don't learn their lessons." Greta said. "Well, at least it gives us a chance to keep little Hissy around for a while longer." Allie said with baby talk as she nuzzled Hissy. Just then, the bell rang. "Oh, there's the bell. Let's get going, team." Sakura said. Allie put Hissy in her backpack as they headed back to class.

Later, as it started to rain, when school finished, Alakshmi and Saanvi waited outside the school as the students started leaving. "You sure the baby Legionnaire Lizard is here?" Saanvi asked. "I tracked the baby's mana signature to this exact place. And I also discovered that those kiddies we ran into and the Kazama Triplets also go to this school. If we find the kiddies, we find the lizard." Alakshmi explained. Suddenly, she received a call on her phone. She answered it and the Choten appeared through a video contact. "Alakshmi, my dear, you and Saanvi are overdue. Where is my hatchling?" The Choten asked. "It's on route now, Master. We, uh, had a little car trouble." Alakshmi said. "Mmm-hmm. Well then, do take your time. Wouldn't want to read about you in the papers tomorrow. Not when you 2 still have so much to learn." The Choten said. "We won't disappoint you, Master." Alakshmi assured. As she ended the call, she gripped her phone hard as the lightning flashed. After all the kids left, they walked up to the entrance, only to find that the doors were locked as the lightning flashed again. "Razorkinder Puppet!" Alakshmi called, using her tech gauntlet to rip open a portal and summon Razorkinder. "Welcome back, my beautifully evil toy. Open the door, won't you?" She asked. Razorkinder used his claw to slice the lock and open the door. "Now what?" Saanvi asked. "Seek this creature." Alakshmi said, taking out the blanket Hissy was wrapped in and tossing it to the floor. Razorkinder picked it up and sliced it up, picking up Hissy's scent and jetted off into the school. Alakshmi and Saanvi smiled wickedly as the lightning flashed again.

Meanwhile, the group was split up to work on their extra credit work. Gabe, Terry and Maribel were in the music room with Hissy. The group agreed to take turns looking over Hissy. Gabe, Terry and Maribel had first dibs. "Well, it's a good thing the music room isn't too messy. In fact, it's a good chance to systematically organize." Gabe said. "You always seem to find your inner peace in these situations, don't you, Gabe?" Terry asked. Just then, Hissy hopped out of Gabe's backpack. "Aw, I think the little guy wants to help out." Terry said. Just then, as soon as Hissy saw his own reflection in a tuba, he freaked out and curled back into his defensive shell. "Aw, no worries. It's only a tuba. A musical instrument." Gabe said. He picked it up and blew it. But Hissy still kept himself in his shell. "Well, that proves that you're not band material." Terry said. Suddenly, a smooth flute symphony began playing through the room. Gabe and Terry turned to see Maribel playing a flute.

[Lugia's Song from Pokémon]

As she played in unbelievably perfect key, Hissy unrolled himself and listened to the sweet, beautiful music. Gabe and Terry were surprised at how well Maribel was at playing the flute. As Maribel finished the last note, Hissy leapt into her lap and nuzzled into her. "Wow, Maribel, that was really beautiful. And really well played in perfect key." Gabe said. "Where'd you learn to play so good?" Terry asked. "Well, I took lessons when I was 6-years-old. I became top of my class. But after I started going to school and hanging out with Portia, I…kinda lost touch with my passion for the flute. But I guess watching Hissy reawakened my passion." Maribel said, rubbing Hissy's shell. "Maybe you should consider taking up the flute again." Gabe said. "Yeah, it's obvious that you still love it." Terry said. Maribel looked at the flute and thought about it.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to think about it. Alakshmi and Saanvi were watching them from the next room. Alakshmi picked up a conductor's wand and started waving it. Just then, Razorkinder appeared behind the kids and shut off the lights, surprising them. Hissy shuddered in Maribel's arms. "It's okay, Hissy." Maribel assured, rubbing the scared baby lizard's head. "Yes. Blackouts are very common during thunderstorms. Nothing to worry about." Gabe said, obviously scared. Razorkinder silently moved across the ceiling. "We're not alone." Terry said, sensing the puppet creature's movement. Gabe grabbed a clarinet to defend himself. "Ray? Jen? Is someone there?" He asked with a scared tone. Alakshmi and Saanvi smiled wickedly as the lightning flashed again. "Okay. Gabe, try to find the light switch. We'll watch the room and keep Hissy safe." Terry said. Gabe felt around the wall as he tried to find the light switch. "Come on, lights. Where are you?" He said, not noticing Razorkinder coming down behind him. Maribel slowly turned and saw the evil puppet. "Gabe, watch out!" She cried. Razorkinder stabbed the light switch as Gabe was about to turn on the lights, scaring him. As he started swinging the clarinet at the evil puppet, Saanvi turned on the sound machine. "Good afternoon, music fans. My sister and I would like to conduct a classical masterpiece for you. Do enjoy it." Alakshmi said, wickedly.


Razorkinder started slashing at the trio, but they dodged each slash. Gabe tried to whack the evil puppet, but Alakshmi controlled and coordinated Razorkinder like an orchestra. Razorkinder started spinning, but the kids flipped out of the way, staring at the puppet creature with terrified faces as the lightning flashed again. "Okay, Freak-occhio, you wanna duel? Let's duel." Terry said as he and Gabe readied their gauntlets. "Reef Prince Glu-urgle!" Gabe called, summoning good old Gargle. "Essence Elf!" Terry called, summoning Essence Elf. Alakshmi and Saanvi grinned as they watched. "Hey, what up, G-Abriel?" Gargle asked. "Time to duel." Gabe said. "Elf, hold that puppet off as long as you can. That'll give Gargle time to build something." Terry said. Elf chittered as she nodded. "Then let's go. Thorn attack!" Terry called, motioning his hands. Elf sprouted her thorns and whipped them at Razorkinder. "I'm up for a little practice. Or in your case, it'll be target practice." Alakshmi said, conducting Razorkinder's claw attacks with the conductor's wand, slicing Elf's thorns. Maribel backed up to the wall, holding Hissy protectively in her arms. Gargle started gathering instruments like a tuba, a clarinet and a trumpet. "What's Gargle doing?! Elf needs help!" Terry exclaimed. "Gargle, I need you to help Elf and attack!" Gabe called. "Ah, we'll play some tunes, bust a jam and knock his socks off." Gargle said as he fused the instruments together and created a cannon. "Uh, this isn't a battle of the bands, Gargle! And how's that thing going to help us?" Terry asked as Razorkinder pushed Elf back into his arms. Gargle readied a mouth piece in front of Gabe. "Blow him away!" Gargle exclaimed. "Do it, Gabe!" Maribel exclaimed. Gabe took a deep breath, blew the instrument and fired a sonic blast, blowing Razorkinder into the wall and knocking him out. "A sonic amplifier! Brilliant!" Gabe cheered. "Talk about the power of sound." Maribel said. The group turned their attention to Alakshmi and Saanvi. "Let's give them an encore." Terry said. "Play it again, Sam." Gargle said. Gabe blew the amplifier again. But as it fired, the amplifier blew up. Alakshmi and Saanvi ducked down as the blast cracked the viewer's window. "Huh. One hit wonder." Gargle said. "Well, that's infuriating." Terry said.

Razorkinder got back up and started slicing through the chairs. "For now…party's over!" Gargle cried as Razorkinder slashed him, making him disappear. "Gargle!" Gabe cried. Elf wrapped her thorn roots around Razorkinder, squeezing him tightly. "Maribel, get Hissy out of here!" Terry exclaimed. "I'm not leaving you guys here with those 3!" Maribel exclaimed. "Don't argue! Just go!" Terry exclaimed. Maribel hesitated, but ran out of the music room with Hissy. Razorkinder broke free from Elf's grip and slashed her, making her disappear. "Gabe, get Ray on the phone! Hurry!" Terry exclaimed. Gabe quickly dialed in Ray's phone number and hit the call button.

Meanwhile, Ray, Jen and the Kazamas were cleaning up the gymnasium. "Oh, man! That is just wrong!" Ray exclaimed as he picked up dirty jog-straps with a grabber. "Seriously! You'd think athletes would take more responsibilities!" Jen exclaimed as she put away the dumbbells. "Truth be told, I've worked out with some of those losers today and they don't give a rat's behind about cleanliness." Kaito said as he, Sakura and Miku pushed in the bleachers. Just then, Ray's phone rang. Ray took out his phone, saw that it was Gabe and answered it. "What's up, Gabe?" He asked.

"Ray! We got trouble! Those freak chicks found us!" Gabe exclaimed. "What?! Where are you?" Ray asked. "We're in the music room! Maribel got away with Hissy, but me and Terry are stuck with the wicked puppet of doom!" Gabe exclaimed. Suddenly, Terry was shoved into the wall and got knocked out. Razorkinder loomed over his unconscious body until the lightning flashed again, disappearing in the flashes. Just then, he reappeared in front of Gabe and removed his mask. Gabe screamed at the sight of the terrors. "Gabe! Gabe, are you still there? Gabe!" Ray exclaimed. Alakshmi and Saanvi looked around, but Hissy wasn't anywhere. "That other girl must have the hatchling. Split up and find her." Alakshmi said. Both girls ran out of the music room, leaving Terry unconscious and Gabe traumatized.

"Gabe! Gabe!" Ray exclaimed with worry. "This is bad. If those 2 psycho chicks are here looking for Hissy, they could tear up the entire school looking for him." Sakura said. "We have to find Maribel. Gabe said she took Hissy when they were attacked." Miku said. "But still, it could take a while to find them since school's pretty big." Jen said. "But not if we split up. Each of us should take a hallway and try to find them." Ray said. "Good thinking, Ray. Ready your gauntlets." Sakura said. Ray, Jen, Kaito and Miku put on their gauntlets. "Alright. Good luck to you all." Sakura said as she put on her gauntlet.

Meanwhile, Allie, Portia and Greta were cleaning the cafeteria. "Oh, cafeteria control is disgusting! I can't take this!" Allie complained. "Oh, quit your complaining, Allison. You know what you signed on for when Ray and Jen volunteered us for these extra credit assignments." Greta said. "Yeah, I'm all for these extra credit assignments. Just be thankful we're not stuck cleaning the bathrooms." Portia said. Allie just sighed as she looked at her watch. "42 minutes and 18 seconds left. Oh, great. Now I sound like Gabe." She groaned. "Ease up, Allie. It's all good work." Portia said. Suddenly, Maribel ran in with Hissy. "Guys!" She cried. "Maribel? What's up with you?" Greta asked. "It's those 2 psycho girls! They're here and they're after Hissy!" Maribel exclaimed as Hissy leapt out of her arms and into Allie's. "Aw, poor Hissy. Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you." Allie said.

Just then, the lights went out again. "Oh no. Not the lights again. That means they're here." Maribel said in fear. Hissy leapt out of Allie's arms and hid in a trash can. "Alright. We know you're here. Come on out." Allie said, not showing any fear. Suddenly, Razorkinder appeared, crawling right up to the girls. "Okay, you're a bit terrifying." Allie said, not showing fear as she backed up. Just then, Alakshmi and Saanvi appeared behind her, causing her to jolt to the side. "And yet, you're not frightened, are you, precious?" Alakshmi asked mockingly. "I don't scare so easily. In fact, I want a little payback for you 2 trashing my house." Allie said, putting on her gauntlet. "Just be glad we didn't trash your family." Alakshmi said, preparing to duel. Allie readied her gauntlet as Alakshmi motioned her hand for Razorkinder to attack. "Steam Star Grappalog!" Allie called, summoning Steamy. "Go find the hatchling." Alakshmi ordered. "With pleasure." Saanvi said. But before she could even take a step, Greta got in the way. "You're not going anywhere, skank." She said, readying their gauntlet. "Oh, you wanna catfight? Then show me your claws." Saanvi said, readying her tech gauntlet. "Oh, I'll do you one better. I'll show you tusks. Sun-Clan Tortoise!" Greta called, summoning Sun-Clan Tortoise. "You summoned…a turtle?" Saanvi asked in disbelief. "Yeah, why?" Greta asked. "No reason. Just thought it was really…pathetic compared to this." Saanvi said, ripping open a portal with her gauntlet. "Gorgeon, Shadow of Gluttony!" She forced a big plumpy periwinkle ghost darkness creature through the portal. "Whoa. And you thought Tortoise was bad?" Greta asked mockingly. Saanvi was not happy with that. "Attack!" She exclaimed. Gorgeon charged as he prepared to bite down on Tortoise.

Meanwhile, Portia and Maribel watched the battle from behind the countertop after retrieving Hissy's garbage can. Portia dialed Ray's phone number. "Portia, what's going on?" Ray asked as he answered. "It's those crazy Choten chicks. They got us in the cafeteria and they're looking for Hissy." Portia whispered. "Are Maribel and Hissy with you?" Ray said. "Yeah, Ray, we're right here." Maribel whispered. "You have to get out of there and keep Hissy safe." Ray said. "But we can't leave Allie and Greta to duel those crazy chicks alone." Portia whispered. "No, he's right. Gabe and Terry did the same for me and Hissy. If we're still here when they beat Allie and Greta, Hissy won't be safe." Maribel whispered. "We're in the hallways right now. I'll text Jen and the Kazamas to meet up. Meet us there." Ray said, hanging up. Just then, Hissy poked his head out of the trash bin. "Come on, Hissy, we're getting you out of here." Portia whispered, picking him up.

Meanwhile, as Razorkinder tried to slash Allie, who defended herself with her mana shield, Steamy grabbed him and pulled him back. Gorgeon tried to bite into Tortoise, but the shell was too tough to bite into. During this, Alakshmi and Saanvi search for Hissy. "Where are you, putrid lizard?" Alakshmi demanded as she looked under the tables. Steamy hit Razorkinder with his steam attack, but Razorkinder struck back with his claws. Steamy then tried to stab the evil puppet with his tentacles, but Razorkinder dodged the attacks with wicked grace. Tortoise started spinning around fast in his shell as Gorgeon kept trying to eat him. The spinning was so powerful, it sanded the darkness creature's teeth like wood, forcing it to let go. Allie hid under the table as she watched Portia and Maribel sneak away with Hissy. But then, Alakshmi found her. "Your boyfriend's not here to save you this time." She said, mockingly as she motioned her hand. "Okay, he's not my boyfriend. Or…at least…not yet." Allie said, blushing hard. Suddenly, Razorkinder surprised her, forcing her out from under the table. "Now, Steamy! Grab and stab!" She exclaimed. Steamy appeared behind Razorkinder, grabbed him, threw him against a column and stabbed him, pinning him against the column. "Nice job, Allie! Your turn, Tortoise. Spin attack!" Greta exclaimed. Tortoise kept spinning in his shell and struck Gorgeon repeatedly in the head.

"Razorkinder, use your grab and stab!" Alakshmi exclaimed. Razorkinder raised his arm, released several strings and wrapped them tightly around Steamy. As he gripped his claws, the strings tightened around Steamy, making him disappear. "No!" Allie cried. "Your turn, Gorgeon! Vibration attack!" Saanvi exclaimed. Gorgeon's bone feet eyebrows started moving, creating a vibrational attack and stopping Tortoise from spinning. "Tortoise!" Greta cried. "Finish it!" Saanvi exclaimed. Gorgeon spewed some strange liquid at Tortoise, freezing him in place. Gorgeon then opened his mouth and swallowed Tortoise whole, making him disappear. "Wait. Where are the other 2?" Saanvi asked, noticing that Portia and Maribel were gone. Alakshmi growled, figuring that the 2 girls got away with Hissy. "Ha! Slow much?" Allie asked mockingly. "Oh, we're going to take our time with you." Alakshmi said as she and Saanvi sent Razorkinder and Gorgeon after Allie and Greta. "Gotta catch us first!" Greta exclaimed as the chase commenced.

Meanwhile, Miku made her way to the music room, where Gabe was still traumatized and Terry slowly came around. "Gabe! Terry! Are you guys okay?" She asked as she checked on them for any injuries. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bump on the head." Terry said, rubbing his head. "The puppet. There was the puppet." Gabe said, traumatized. "Snap out of it, Gabe. Are you sure you're alright?" Miku asked, shaking Gabe to snap him out of his trauma. "Yes. You can stop shaking me now." Gabe said. "Those 2 Choten sisters. They're after Hissy." Terry said. Just then, Miku's phone rang. She picked it up and answered it. "Guys, we found Portia, Maribel and Hissy. Meet us back in the main hallway." Ray said. "I got Gabe and Terry. We're on our way." Miku said.

Meanwhile, Alakshmi and Saanvi had Allie and Greta trapped. Razorkinder and Gorgeon continued attacking their mana shields until they ran out of mana, shattering the shields as their gauntlets turned back into gloves. "You're not bad at using darkness tactics, Red. Too bad you had the wrong creature for it." Alakshmi said. "Yeah. You fared no better than your friend did." Saanvi said. "What do you want with us? We thought you were after the Gecko." Allie said as she and Greta got up. "Oh, we are. And when you start screaming, your friends will bring it to us." Alakshmi said as she, Saanvi and their creatures began advancing on the 2 girls. "Allie!" Ray called. "Greta!" Terry called. Allie and Greta turned around to see the others running towards them. "Like so." Alakshmi said as she and Saanvi ran up and grabbed Allie and Greta, making the others stop in their steps. "Let them go!" Ray exclaimed. "The Gecko for your friends." Alakshmi bargained. "No deal." Ray said as the Azurite started glowing. Suddenly, Allie and Greta teleported out of Alakshmi and Saanvi's arms, and right beside the others. Alakshmi and Saanvi were shocked. "How the-" Saanvi tried to ask. "Let's move!" Ray exclaimed as he led the others away from the 2 psycho chicks. "You can run! Too bad there's nowhere to hide!" Alakshmi exclaimed, cackling as she had Razorkinder slash out the lights while chasing the kids. They made it to a door, but it was locked up tight. They turned around as Razorkinder prepared to strike.


Suddenly, as Razorkinder leapt at them, Ray summoned a mana shield and pushed him back. "Quick! Outside!" He exclaimed. The kids ran out to the lunch area while it was still raining. "Obviously, those 2 darkness creatures are strongest in the dark." Gabe deduced. "No kidding. We need to summon a light creature." Portia said. "But we don't know a light creature strong enough to summon." Maribel said. "And my Haven's Elite can't match against them in this weather. And he's too big to fit in school." Miku said. "Then we need another light source." Gabe said. "Like what?" Kaito asked. "Wait. You have your flashlight?" Ray asked. "Of course, Gabe keeps a flashlight in his backpack. He wouldn't be a mega nerd if he didn't." Allie said sarcastically. "Allie, why don't you do us a favor? Stay here and slow them down with your witty assigns." Gabe said as he got his flashlight out. Suddenly, Razorkinder appeared behind him and wrapped his arms around his face, suffocating him. Luckily, Ray grabbed the flashlight and lit it in Razorkinder's face, frightening him. Razorkinder backed off and fired his claws at the kids as they ran back inside the school. Just then, Ray and Jen noticed the theater room nearby. "Into the theater. Come on." Ray said.

Alakshmi and Saanvi stood out in the rain as Razorkinder and Gorgeon opened the doors for them. "Time to end this little game." Alakshmi said. She and Saanvi ripped open a portal with their gauntlets and summoned Ambush Scorpion and Jackalax.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Alakshmi called as they entered the theater room. Ambush Scorpion climbed up the wall as Jackalax flew up. Just then, Alakshmi and Saanvi noticed Ray and Jen on the stage with Hissy in Jen's arms. "Hey, puppet masters! You want our friend? Then you're gonna have to duel!" Ray exclaimed. The others watched from the rafters. "I hope Ray and Jen will be okay." Allie said. "Most of us don't have enough mana to summon another creature." Gabe said. "Wait. Why are they low on power?" Terry asked, noticing that Alakshmi and Saanvi's tech gauntlets were running low. Just then, Sakura turned around and saw Ambush Scorpion. "I think I know." She said. Ambush Scorpion leapt down onto the rafters. As the kids backed up, Jackalax flew up on the other side, trapping them.

"Ha! Duel us with what?" Alakshmi asked mockingly. Just then, the Azurite started glowing again. Suddenly, a portal opened behind the Okamoto Twins as a big bird-like creature that looked like it was made of quartz came through. The kids, Alakshmi and Saanvi were shocked by this. "With her." Ray said. "What kind of creature is that?!" Greta exclaimed. "The Sunspout Quartz. I've never seen it until now." Sakura said. "A Spirit Quartz?! How did you 2 summon that creature?!" Alakshmi demanded. "We didn't." Jen said. Alakshmi and Saanvi motioned their hands as Razorkinder and Gorgeon prepared to fight. "You ready to duel?" Ray asked. The Sunspout Quartz spread her wings, ready to fight.

Meanwhile, Ambush Scorpion and Jackalax started closing in on the kids. "Well, if we go down, we're going down fighting." Sakura said, readying her gauntlet. "Wait. Where did Portia go?" Greta asked, noticing that Portia was gone. "Hey, Fang Face." Portia called. Jackalax turned around to see her and Eye of the Tides. "Give him an eyeful, Eye." She said. Eye of the Tides widened his eye and fired a psionic attack. Jackalax howled in pain at the attack on his brain before disappearing. "Nice move, Portia." Greta said. Ambush Scorpion lunged for Allie, but she dodged to the side and dropped a stage light on its head, making it disappear. "Whew!" Gabe sighed in relief. "I second that." Allie said.

"You can't possibly control a Spirit Quartz! Just spare yourselves the trouble and give us the Gecko!" Alakshmi demanded. "You are not touching him!" Jen exclaimed, shielding Hissy in her arms. "Are you 2 seriously that foolish! The Gecko is not a pet! It's a tool to control!" Saanvi exclaimed. "And you 2 are the Choten's tools. What makes you 2 any better than them?" Ray asked. Suddenly, Saanvi froze up, wondering why he said that. "Razorkinder, show him!" Alakshmi exclaimed. Razorkinder removed his face, showing them the same thing he showed Gabe. "Now!" Ray exclaimed. Sunspout Quartz unleashed a powerful force of light. Razorkinder and Gorgeon shrieked in fear and pain by the powerful light. "What trickery?!" Alakshmi exclaimed. Sunspout Quartz fired a beam of light, hitting the darkness creatures and making them disappear. Alakshmi was now furious. "This isn't over! I still have enough power for one more creature!" She exclaimed. Just then, Hissy started chittering. "What's that? You wanna help, little buddy?" Ray asked. Hissy chittered as he curled up into his shell and rolled out onto Ray's hand. "Alright then, little guy. Let me give you a little boost." Ray said, giving Hissy a mana boost. Alakshmi and Saanvi were shocked by this as Ray threw Hissy at them, sending them flying into the theater chairs.

Later, the kids headed down to the stage and walked up to Ray and Jen. "I can't believe it!" Gabe cheered. "You did it! Way to go, little guy!" Allie cheered. "That was one heck of a duel, you guys!" Terry cheered. "We knew Hissy could do it. He's more than just a cute face." Ray said. "Yeah. Little Hissy is going to be a powerful fighter one day." Jen said as Hissy licked her face. "One other thing. How did you guys summon the Sunspout Quartz?" Sakura asked. "It wasn't them. It was the Azurite that summoned me." A lovely woman's voice said. Everyone turned around in shock at Sunspout Quartz. "You…talk?!" Ray asked in surprise. "Yes. And I was more than happy to assist you in battle, Azurite wielder." Sunspout said. "You are amazing. But so was Hissy here. He made us so proud today." Allie said, taking Hissy and hugging him. "You 2 and your friends truly have a gift for bonding with creatures. May I ask why that is?" Sunspout asked. "We just see the creatures as more than just simple dueling beasts." Jen said. "We treat creatures as friends. Like they should be." Ray said. Sunspout looked at them with a grateful interest.

Suddenly, Alakshmi recovered and fired her tech gauntlet's claws towards Hissy. "Look out!" Sunspout exclaimed. Just then, the Azurite started glowing again and everyone was teleported out of the school theater. "NO!" Alakshmi exclaimed angrily.

The Azurite teleported them safely back to the temple and told Hector everything about what happened at school. "You have done well with protecting the Gecko today. Especially with being able to summon a Spirit Quartz. We have never been able successfully summon one ourselves as they are hard to control." Hector explained. Sunspout didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an offense. "Thank you, Master C. But we didn't summon or control her." Ray said. "The Azurite summoned her when the Choten's girls prepared to take little Hissy from us." Jen said. "And I was proud to help my new friends, Fire Master. And I would do it again at any time, in any place." Sunspout said. Hector was confused by this, but smiled, knowing the kids. "But why did the Choten want Hissy to begin with?" Greta asked. "When a Legionnaire Lizard reaches adulthood, their mana production increases exponentially." Hector said.

Ray looked at Hissy with concern as he started playing with the Azurite as it started glowing again. Suddenly, Hissy started glowing too. "What's happening?" Jen asked. As Ray put Hissy down, he started growing rapidly. When the glow died down, in Hissy's place stood a fully grown Legionnaire Lizard. "Hissy? What happened to him?" Allie asked in shock. "The Azurite must've accelerated his growth and turned him into an adult." Gabe said. "But why did it do that?" Ray asked. "Because the Azurite sensed the little one's passion to help you back at your school. And in return, it aged little Hissy into an adult so that he may battle beside you again someday." Sunspout explained. Ray smiled at Hissy as he licked his face, making everyone laugh.

Meanwhile, the Choten was not happy when Alakshmi and Saanvi returned to him emptyhanded. "Not only did you fail to bring me the hatchling, you were both defeated by 2 children who were somehow able to summon a Spirit Quartz and control it." He said in disappointment. Alakshmi and Saanvi bowed their heads in shame. "But you both still have so much to learn. You'll have the moment to redeem yourselves someday. And you brought the chemicals I need for my experiments." The Choten said. "Thank you, Master." Alakshmi said as she and Saanvi took their leave. But after they left, Saanvi stopped in her steps, remembering what Ray said back at the school. 'Is what the boy said actually true? Are Alakshmi and I just tools to the Choten?' She thought. She just stood there, lost in her thoughts.

Wow! Tell me that was one of the best. Because that was one of the best! Ray, Jen and their friends rescue a baby Legionnaire Lizard from one of the Choten's vans. But Alakshmi and Saanvi track them to their school and attack. But with the help of a Spirit Quartz, they managed to save little Hissy from the 2 sisters and use the Azurite to teleport themselves back to the temple. And now, the Azurite granted Hissy's gift to help his new friends, aging him to a full adult. But what will Choten plan next? Will Ray's words drive Saanvi to the truth? Leave a review if you'd like.