PHANTOM BRAVE: THE LOST CHAPTERS

This is a fan-fiction continuation of a not-so-popular Nippon Ichi game "Phantom brave." This game has made it's way into the hearts of many gamers, however, mine included. This is for fans of the game and those who enjoy obscure Fan Fictions. This is not a continuation of the storyline of "We meet again" or "The Hermuda triangle", but of the original "Phantom Brave" story. This contains many spoilers, and should not be read by people who have not completed the game.

Thanks to Martin III for major editing assistance.

Episode 25 – For Her Sake

Murasaki's boat, lower hold

Walnut and Ash studied each other closely..

Ash: 'I thought you had died!'

Walnut: 'I did. '

Walnut: 'Sulphur got my body, but not my soul. I escaped his dimension, and now I'm back..'

Ash: 'You saved us all... please, um, pardon me if I don't trust you entirely, we haven't been on the best of terms...'

Walnut: 'You shouldn't trust me. I'd screw you over faster than a regal scrabbit. I'm only in it for that Marona kid. Not you. Not anyone else.'

Ash: 'You never cared for Marona before...'

Walnut: 'Let's just say that; when I was riding on Sulphur's back down the portal to hell, I thought about a few things. Marona saved my life, more than once. She also proved that she... can be compassionate... without losing her status of total badass. You can go to hell, Phantom, I don't care about you. Just the kid.'

Ash: '… That's very kind of you, Walnut. And I never expected you to care about me. But, I never expected you to care about her either. Look, let's get this straight. I'm Marona's guardian. I'm her sworn protector. I'm not asking you to like me. I'm just asking you to work with me. For her sake.'

Walnut: 'Deal, you undead son of a bitch!'

Walnut grabbed Ash's hand and shook it, and Ash could swear he saw Walnut smirk.

Murasaki: 'Hey, guys! We're at the Isle of Healing Waters!'

Walnut instantly switched over into his phantom form, so no one but Ash could see him. Walnut had a look of worry about him.

Ash: 'What's wrong?'

Walnut: 'There's someone here that I can't let see me. And you know the person. Do not ask any more than that, or we will have a problem, got it?'

Ash: 'Mmk.'

Ash cloaked himself, and climbed to the deck of the ship. He stepped off onto the docks, and made his way through the resort, which he knew better than the back of his hand by then. On the way, he found a beautiful white flower in the brush, and picked it for Marona. He made his way to the door of Castile's house, and knocked, briefly confining himself to his physical form.

Saffron answered the door, and welcomed him in. Ash instantly ran over to Marona.

Castile: 'She's been slipping in and out of consciousness... we've sent for Bamboo Co. doctors...'

Ash: 'No need, I know where to take her.'

Ash thanked Saffron, Joan and Castile for keeping Marona safe.

Ash: 'Saffron, Joan... I'll need Castile's help if Marona's going to live... Please, I'm not taking her anywhere dangerous... '

Saffron: 'Consider it done. Castile would never forgive me if Marona... passed on because she couldn't help. Just.. please take care of her.'

Ash: 'We have three of the 10 swords of Ivoire and the White Wolf Army with us. Your daughter will be safe.'

Saffron: 'Castile, is that okay?'

Castile: 'Yes, father!'

Joan: 'You take care sweetie, okay? I love you!'

Castile: 'I love you too!'

Ash came back to the boat with Marona in his arms and Castile rolling in her wheelchair with him.

Walnut: "!"

Walnut made himself invisible. He did not want Castile to find out he was there. Ash nodded at him.

Ash: 'Alright everyone, we need to set sail for Verdant Guardiana if we are to save Marona's life. Castile will be accompanying us, she has the power to save Marona's life. Everyone, protect her. I will take care of Marona, Raphael, you watch over Castile.'

Castile: 'Raphael the Invincible!? I've read so much about you! You're the invincible swordsman, hero of heroes, slayer of nations!'

Raphael: 'Child, I thank you for your admiration. But if you save Marona, you are the real hero...'

Ash smiled. At least he could hide his egotistical side.

Castile: ' Raphael, where's your holy blade, Heliotrope? That doesn't look like it! I... don't see it!'

Raphael: 'A coward stole it. We will get it back, and I will bathe in that fool's blood for stealing my holy blade!'

Ash thought again about that.

Sienna: 'All aboard!'

The crew made their way onto the ship. Walnut silently slipped away, hiding someplace in the ship.

Murasaki's ship, hours from Verdant Guardiana

Murasaki: Hey, Walnut, what's your beef with that wheelchair chick? Got a dislike of cripples?

Walnut: 'Say one more word about her, and I'll skin you. Got it?'

Murasaki: 'Guy likes his secrets, huh? That's alright, yo. '

Murasaki: …

Murasaki: 'Hey, I'm trying to think of a name for the ship, but I can't think of anything... What do you think?'

Walnut: 'Hmmm... The scanky wench?'

Murasaki: 'Naaah, too blunt...'

Walnut: 'Huh... what about... the Annihilator?' Walnut chuckled his cold, sadistic laugh.

Murasaki: 'LAST TIME I ask a damn Oxide for advice!'

Walnut laughed, and Murasaki continued pondering,

Murasaki: 'Hmmm... How about Sulphur's Bane?'

Walnut: 'Or maybe... Selencia?'

Murasaki: 'Dude... where the heck did an elegant freakin' name like that come from, out of you?'

Walnut: 'Nahh, it's a local brew in Hinterland Isle. Drink that s'will, you'll be chewin' bamboo for hours, know what I mean?'

Murasaki: '...No, no I don't know what you mean.'

Walnut: 'You get so piss drunk, you pass out, even if you have more than a single shot of that crap. Then you wake up face down in the sand, in the middle of the desert, holding a rag with blood on it that didn't come from you... Bad stuff.

Murasaki laughed and laughed. Thus, Murasaki's ship, originally designed from a ship in a bottle given to Murasaki by Marona, was named "Selencia."

Selencia, Public Hold

Ash watched Marona quiver uncontrollably, awake one moment, asleep the next. He never let her leave his sight, and both Castile and Sienna shared in his sadness.

Raphael the "Invincible" happened to be sharpening the sword he currently owned, oblivious to everyone's plight but his own. Ash didn't blame him.

On the deck of Selencia

Raphael's knight: 'Hey... are we gonna get to kill something soon, or what?'

Raphael's other knight: 'Boss said that we sit tight. We're tracking someone down, apparently.'

Raphael's knight: 'I'd follow Raphael to inferno and back. But I don't trust all these new faces.'

Raphael's other knight: 'I don't blame you. But.. Ol' Raphael trusts the bunch. Usually, he doesn't get along with other Nine swords...

Raphael's knight: 'Ten swords, you mean.'

Raphael's other knight: 'Ten swords... anyway what I mean is that he's never gotten along with any of that bunch before... Ash the phantom? Scarlet the Brave? I've never met these people! But what I'm sayin' is that if Raphael trusts them, I do too.'

Raphael's knight: Yeah, okay, you're right. But, we did get orders to keep an eye on that other guy. He makes himself scarce, and we can only see him cause' we're phantoms anyway... but that doesn't mean he isn't there. The Ash kid doesn't trust him... hell, no one on this ship trusts him!'

Raphael's other knight: 'Well... APPARENTLY, that little girl knows him. But we'll only know for sure when she wakes up...'

Raphael's Knight: 'Hmm... well, at least we're away from that damned island. We already died there once, I don't want to have to go back there and die again...'

Raphael's other knight: 'Well, since Sulphur's dead, we shouldn't have to worry about that anymore!'

Raphael's knight: 'You really believe Sulphur's dead? He came back to life once, who says he won't do it again?'

Raphael's other knight: 'I don't even want to think about it!'

Raphael's knight: 'Heh, Raphael seems most alive there, in the thick of evil. He is a true hero, and he seeks to destroy all darkness. Best. Boss. Ever.'

Raphael's other knight: 'Yeah.. but come to think of it, he is a bit ego-frantic, isn't he? I mean... White Wolf Army? Heliotrope? He's a stock character through and through.'

Raphael's knight: 'Hey, be nice. He knows war. He knows pain. We have no reason to judge him, if he's top of the food chain, know what I mean? Besides, like we don't have an ego that soars above all other man ourselves...'

Raphael's other knight: 'Shut up, man. We ARE awesome.'

Raphael's knight: 'Damn straight. I'm getting bored, I'mma gonna go scare some of the human guys in our army... Lucky bastards still alive, so lets make it hell for them! Hahaha! (The soldier was known to make seriously messed up jokes, he does not actually have a sadistic personality.)

Raphael's other knight: 'You said it. Damn fleshys. Lets go scare em'!'

Sienna heard screaming, and she send Murasaki to investigate. No foul play, Raphael's 'Valiant' knights were just being rowdy.

She prayed for Marona's safety, and for the recovery of the man whose soul who was linked to hers... He was a descendant of her bloodline, she could tell. So was the wheelchair girl. It was no coincidence that the two were here, now. They had important parts to play in Ivoire's history. The man abused his power, while the wheelchair girl was handicapped from it. This saddened her, that the people with the greatest power could not use it for Ivoire. Then again, she thought, they were not her harbingers. They would play whatever destiny they so choose. They will, no matter what they do, affect Ivoire in some way. It was their nature, people cursed with such power. She also felt... pity... for the wheelchair girl. She knew what it was like to be powerless. Sienna still dreamed of fighting along the strongest warriors in the world. Raphael, Invincible swordsman. Sprout, master of the Sacred sword... she reminisced on the past, and the future as she steered Selencia to Verdant Guardiana...

Verdant Guardiana

Sienna: 'Ash! Castile! Raphael! We've arrived!'

The misused knights of the great swordsman yet again helped Sienna land the ship at the coast of Verdant Guardiana. Ash warned them of the putties' territorial nature, so only Ash, Marona, Castile, (And secretly Walnut) went. The rest of the group stayed at Selencia, and guarded it from any threats the wilds of Verdant had to offer.

Ash: Okay, Castile, when we arrive at the Putties' village, you need to ask them to heal Marona. Okay?'

Castile: 'O...Oookay! I just hope she's... okay!'

Ash: 'She will be okay. I know it.'

Ash, carrying Marona, was vulnerable to attack. So, he secretly tasked Walnut to go ahead and keep the creatures in the way off of his back. They were able to do this without Castile catching wind of Walnut's presence.

Finally, after traveling through Verdant Guardiana's dense forest, they made it to the Putty village.

Putties: ?

Ash: 'Okay, Castile, please ask them to heal Marona.'

Castile: 'Okay!'

Castile made the hand signs to the putties, and got them to understand. After much debate, she finally got them to comprehend the words, in relation to the signs:

Castile: 'Please, Heal, Marona, Ma, ro, na!'

The putties selected out a member of their village that was wearing a different kind of hat, signifying him a healer. He took Marona from Ash, and laid her across a table covered in leaves and vines. The putties formed a circle around Marona, and hummed a low, creaturelike song, and waved their arms back and forth. White mana bursts began to pour out of Marona, and she rose from the table into mid air. Her scars healed before Ash's eyes, and Marona's eyes opened, revealing bright lights. Her eyes shined like the heavens, and Ash appreciated it in a way he knew only as his own. The putties let Marona down, and she slumped on the ground.

Marona: 'A...aash? Is that... Yawnn... Is that you?'

Ash: 'Yeah, it's me. And Castile. We saved your life!'

Castile noticed Ash's dead phantom eyes light up, and she enjoyed seeing him this pleasantly happy.

Marona: 'Ohh, Castile! Ash! Thank you both so much!'

Ash: 'Wouldn't want you to end up like me, huh?' Ash laughed.

Marona: 'Ash... thank you both so much...'

Ash: Castile, we need to get back to the ship. Tell the putties thank you, please.'

Castile painstakingly acted out something that resembled gratitude, and the three made their way back to Selencia.

Walnut was proud of Castile. She was growing to be a strong little girl, and Marona only helped this. For once, he was grateful. Grateful to Marona for being in Castile's life.

With Marona back on the team, they would all decide what to do next with the problem of the Scarlet Clad Woman, Cynthia.