Chapter 15: Sentient Sweeper

The air around Miranda's office was tense. After the encounter with Team Rocket, Jessie mentioned Oboneron to Ash and the students. The staff seemed shook at the name. ("That's not a good feeling,") Pikachu gulped. Croix palmed the Mouse Pokémon's head.

"Headmistress," she called. Miranda felt the tension tightening around the others.

"Ash, please leave us," she ordered. Ash's eyes shot open. Miranda didn't want Ash to learn about Oboneron.

"Are you sure that-" he started before Samantha palmed Ash's back, her wrinkly hand offering a slight nudge.

"It's already uneasy for any of us," she warned. "It would be easier for us to discuss matters among adults."

"Not to mention that a storm is coming our way," Nelson added. "Head on back and practice more from your tome." Ash sighed, feeling denied to be informed.

"Let's go, Pikachu," he muttered. Pikachu returned to Ash's shoulder, patting his head.

("I know how you feel,") he sympathized. They left the office. As they stepped out, Anna followed briefly after Ash and Pikachu until she saw Hannah and Barbara approaching.

"Excuse me," she called for the students. Hannah and Barbara came to the group.

"Miss Anna?" asked Hannah.

"Could you escort Ash back to the tower?" requested Anna. "Just one of you." Barbara rose her hand.

"I'll take him," she volunteered.

"Thank you," Anna praised. "I remember you two are with Diana." She handed Hannah a note. "See if Diana has this book in her shelves." Hannah looked at the note before nodding.

"I'll get right on it," she agreed. The kids broke with Pikachu on Barbara's shoulder. Anna returned to the rest of the staff.

"Is the brat away?" mulled Anne.

"Restrain yourself, Annie," Croix dismissed. "Anyway, Miranda… Oboneron sounds like bad news if you wanted Ash away from this conversation." Miranda retreated back to her desk, sitting in her chair.

"This is what I have about Oboneron from about one thousand years ago," she started. "Oboneron was birthed by magic as the last resort to save Babylon. However, the magical entity became sentient that the Babylonians lost any control of him. He destroyed them, erasing the race out of existence. History books would say otherwise, but Oboneron backstabbed them after his creation. Not satisfied, he began attacking the rest of Europe. No countryside was safe, even Transylvania that also vanished in history books. In this realization, the House of Cavendish housed those who possessed magic: Witches, mages, alchemists, shamans… They sought a way to stop Oboneron before his conquest of destruction was too great. Hundreds of magic users faced Oboneron, but none could do much against the monstrosity. It was known as Oboneron: The Hexkrieg of Babylon."

"A magically rushed battle," Pisces clarified. Anne nodded.

"Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people died during the Hexkrieg of Oboneron," she added. "It's terrifying how something like that became a threat like that. How was it killed?"

"How can you kill what isn't alive?" questioned Miranda. The other teachers seemed confused.

"I don't quite get it," Nelson shrugged. "Are you saying Oboneron's causing all of this as a revenant?"

"Not exactly," Miranda corrected. "Oboneron was a creature of pure magic. No normal tools like fire or swords or cannons could do anything to it. With today's technology, the firearms and other devices meant to hinder or harm people would do nothing to Oboneron."

"My god…" shuttered Anna. "I am not one who understands magic, I'm just a maid for the House. I heard that a book about Oboneron's fall was within the family, but I believe it's either here with Diana or it's back at the House. It also may contain a method to reseal Oboneron." Anne believed Anna's information could help in the situation.

"If this was the case, how was Oboneron originally defeated?" asked Ursula. Miranda turned to Ursula with an answer.

"There was a wizard that had mastered a new form of magic," she started. "A young teen boy in blue that had heard about the Hexkrieg. He never said a word about his method but did acknowledge that he needed a few witches to aid his effort, one of them being from the House." Anna nodded, sensing the connection.

"Just as I figured," she sighed. "Perhaps, Diana may be involved with this if what Ash said is true."

"But what about this wizard?" wondered Croix.

"Oboneron was cut off around the boarder of where Belgium and the Netherlands are on the way to destroy and become a god," Miranda continued. "The wizard created a tome and used a language no man had heard of before. When he chanted the language, this made Oboneron confused. When the attacks struck, Oboneron suffered. His spells crippled the magical intake Oboneron took. Though the magic was powerful enough to weaken Oboneron, it put a lot of strain on the wizard and the witches who survived. He instead had the witches seal a tomb and bury it deep within the mountains. Oddly enough, he forgave Oboneron. He proclaimed the magical creation as one born out of desperation and anger. He gave the tome to the two witches who aided him. Then, he simply vanished. His grave was never found anywhere in Europe." The story made the staff ponder if this was replaying itself again.

"After centuries have passed, we now have a new problem with Oboneron," Ursula murmured.

"Not to mention that he's looking for revenge to…" paused Croix, realizing a missing name. "Who was this wizard?" Miranda rested her chin on her interlocked knuckles like a bridge.

"He only went by Aaron," she replied. "There was something else, but I do not know what it was." This made others curious. At the tower, Ash, Barbara and Pikachu watched the rain and lightning from the doorway.

"It's a good thing we got in before the storm hit," Ash sighed. Pikachu ran around, elating at the bolts ripping through the darkened skies.

"Is Pikachu okay?" asked Barbara.

"He enjoys these storms." A lightning bolt came at Pikachu who stood. The bolt nailed Pikachu, but he stood firm and felt recharged.

"I see what you mean. It's like getting a new battery." Pikachu returned to the trainer and Barbara happily. "I bet you feel ready to take on something big."

("I can't wait!") cheered Pikachu. Ash snickered to the reaction.

"Hey, remember the last time you were struck?" he asked. "It created that massive Electro Ball that freed Meloetta." Pikachu laughed to the memory before he sensed something. He turned to the trees. The storm had died down. "Pikachu, what is it?"

("I don't know…") he squeaked. ("I just hear something.") Ash felt the need to follow Pikachu's concern.

"Barbara, stay here if Miss Callists comes back," he advised.

"Be careful," Barbara warned. With his Pokémon leading, Ash and Pikachu headed to the wooded area. Leaves and branches were scattered and destroyed from the abrupt storm.

"Anything?" he asked. They looked around when they saw a fallen tree rock back and forth.

("Over there!") shouted Pikachu. They raced to find a broom under a massive tree that had been struck by lightning and burning frantically. The broomstick looked like an arrow. ("How did a broom get out here?") That's when the broomstick moved as if it was alive. Being in the magical land, Ash realized that it was a magical broomstick.

"It's in trouble… Hang on!" He whipped out his wand. "Let's see if I get this right… Hands of Strength!" A flash of his wand woven created giant hands made of light.

("Okay…") a deadpan-looking Pikachu squeaked. Ash guided the hands onto the tree before they lifted the wood. The fallen tree was heavy. Ash concentrated on the tree as much as possible. After a minute, the broom moved, its bristles being feathers and having wings. It flew to Ash as he relaxed himself. The hands vanished and the tree fell back to the ground.

"That'll do it." Seeing the broomstick flying, Ash figured that it was okay. "Hey, you're flying!" The broomstick circled around Ash and Pikachu as he crawled back up to the shoulder. The two seemed humored to the flying broomstick. Then, it leveled itself. Ash seemed puzzled. "Now what?" Its wing waived Ash over. "You want me to get on you?" It wove the wing again.

("I think so.") Hopping on, Pikachu wove Ash over. Ash obliged and mounted the broomstick. It took to the sky before zooming off through the sky. It gradually gained speed where Ash and Pikachu had a hard time holding on by hands as their legs slipped off. They yelled out of excitement and fear. Students heard Ash's yells before stepping out of the dorms. The broomstick flew upward but the speed became too much as Ash lost his grip. The students gasped in horror. They feared Ash and Pikachu would fall to their deaths. The two kept rising despite dismounting, but the broomstick looped around. Ash began to believe the broomstick wanted to try something.

'Trust the broom…' he repeatedly thought. The broomstick came back to Ash and Pikachu as Ash prepared his feet for landing. That's when Ash and the broomstick reunited with Ash landing feet first on it and riding it like a surfboard like he did in the race. Ash and Pikachu recovered and felt the ride become easier while still going incredibly fast.

"Is that… Shooting Star!?" asked Akko.

"I think it is!" gasped Lotte.

"Oh god…" hushed Sucy.

"Ash is a real badass!" cheered Amanda. After a couple more minutes speeding over the campus grounds, Ash and Pikachu landed with the new broomstick.

"You're a handful for a broom," he teased. "You know that, right?" The broomstick spun itself around.

"Ash, that was amazing!" cheered Akko as she hugged the two. "The way you handled Shooting Star was special!" Ash and Pikachu blinked at the name.

"Shooting Star, huh?" repeated Ash. "That's a fancy title!"

"It has to be," Hannah agreed. "Shooting Star is the fastest Magic Broom in existence" Ash and Pikachu awed Shooting Star's title and couldn't believe they rode on something so fast.

"You showed me after I got you out of there, huh?" realized Ash. Shooting Star danced around Ash and Pikachu again. To the students, Shooting Star found its rider. The next day in the cafeteria of Luna Nova Academy, Ash joined with Akko, Lotte and Sucy for lunch.

"So, Miss Callists didn't tell you about what Team Rocket said the other day?" questioned Lotte.

"I didn't bother since it wasn't her decision," Ash replied. "The Headmistress suggested that unless the situation does come up, she'd tell me."

"A prophecy staffed by in the midst of the name implicated," Sucy murmured.

"Which means that if I find out about it, lives might be in danger," Ash followed. Sucy seemed perplexed with Ash's reply.

"You know that I wasn't really serious about it," she tried to clarify.

"But what if Ash is right, and this Oboneron is a real threat?" worried Akko. "Shiny Chariot may come and save us. I know she can." Ash seemed interested to Akko's wish.

"Shiny Chariot?" he repeated.

"Akko, I don't think Shiny Chariot's enough," Lotte doubted. "If Shiny Chariot does come by, it'll be miraculous… but that's it."

"But by that, I'd have to help since Giovanni's involved as well," Ash added. The others blinked.

"Who is Giovanni?" asked Sucy.

"Giovanni's the boss of Team Rocket," Ash answered. "I told you that story of how the three beasts of Unova were in his control and used Meloetta to bring them over. When I battled Team Rocket prior to arriving in Luna Nova Academy, Giovanni had Meloetta disrupt the balance of nature and summon Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus. Then, Giovanni used the Revealing Glass to turn the three into their Therian Formes. When Pikachu's huge Electro Ball struck Giovanni's platform, a light struck the boss, and he became fixated on destruction."

"In other words, he gave himself a god-complex as his method of a temper tantrum," Sucy shortened.

"But could that look I saw before Pikachu and I came here be what brought him to Oboneron?" guessed Ash.

"We won't know, but we don't want to underestimate Oboneron," Lotte supported.

"Right," Ash agreed. "I'm gonna need some special training with the magic from the tome and the Pokémon." The girls agreed as Hannah came by.

"Ash, Diana has a question she wanted to ask," she voiced. Ash blinked before turning to Hannah as Diana came forward.

"Diana?" he repeated.

"Ash, I know this is straight out of the blue," Diana started. "But… I want to bring you out on a date around London this weekend!" Ash blinked to the request.

"A date?" he repeated… again.

"A DATE!?" the students repeated themselves. Seeing the seriousness on Diana, Ash smiled.

"I haven't been on a date, but sure!" he replied. This gave Diana a smile as well.

"Thank you, Ash…" she sighed happily. Some of the students were elated for Ash to be asked out by Diana like Molly, Hannah and Barbara. Other students like Akko and Amanda got upset, jealous to the date. Anna, hearing the commotion from outside the cafeteria, mulled.

"So, it must be back at the House," she muttered. Could the item be beneficial to Oboneron's demise?

TO BE CONTINUED...