Whirlipede hissed as Kane moved to pet his beloved friend. He smirked mischievously at everyone beneath him, but that trademark wily face he had never failed to send a chill down everyone's spine. "I believe a proper 'thank you' is in order." He commented.
"I don't believe it." Dereece murmured. "When did he…?"
"Friend of yours?" Kevin asked.
Joey blinked. "Eh…w-well…"
"No, he isn't." Dereece answered sharply, glaring at Kane. "He's the one who's been trying to kill us several times over."
Kane chuckled. "Oh Dereece, always to the point. But why matter on the past when you should be more concerned about what's in front of you." To prove his point, Buizel suddenly jumped into the air, firing a Water Gun over Dereece's head, blowing away a Parasia. "See what I mean?"
Joey leaned towards Dereece. "Uh, I'm just gonna spitball here but…CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!" he yelled. "What are you doing here, Kane?! Aren't you supposed to be cuddling your creepy Whirlipede and plotting in your bungalow's corner or something?"
Whirlipede hissed defensively, as if to lash out at him, but Kane intercepted him. "Don't let him get to you, my friend. Trust me, we'll have our chance soon enough." He turned towards Joey. "And as for your question, I believe the answer is quite obvious."
"Uh…" Joey flinched. He looked left and right and seemed nervous. "Uh…yeah, sure. But how's about you explain it to Dereece over here? He doesn't get out much." He gestured, earning a deadpanned expression from him.
Kane chuckled. "Gladly. You see, I've been watching you, ever since you left the ports of Hargeon."
Joey and Dereece cringed.
"In order to make sure that I get the best chance of where to ambush you for my best brilliant plan, I came to this island. And to make sure that you didn't get away, I had to make sure we were closed off." He still remembered the other night, while Joey and Dereece were exploiting the forest. His Whirlipede's Poison Tail smashed their boat to splinters and they made a getaway.
"Wait, so then our boat disappearing…" Dereece's eyes widened. "That was you?!"
"Who else would it be?" Kane huffed musingly. "Honestly…but, thanks to my darling Whirlipede and a little Honey, we got a chance to see just how much stronger you've gotten." That was stage 2, the Bug-type swarm they fought yesterday morning. "What sweet nectar can do. I'm sure that was the case for the river as well, thanks to my Buizel of course."
Buizel moved forward but stayed silent.
Joey furrowed his brow. 'So then, that battle yesterday morning…' He questioned why they were swarmed so suddenly. It felt too planned. 'That was all planned! And that Seaking and his gang, they were being aggressive on purpose because they were told to by Kane?'
"I'm sure you've noticed some of my other handiworks to keep you on your toes along the way." Kane didn't give much hints for them to follow, but looking back at it, it was starting to make sense. The sudden drop from the cliffs – that wasn't natural. It was really his Roggenrola wedged under and pulled himself off to allow them to slowly tip forward down the mountain. And atop the mountain cliffs, where Joey and everyone was following Ella, it made sense when that landslide fell. That was wet earth made by Buizel's Rain Dance and Water Gun, and Whirlipede stirring a path for the deposits to drop, causing mud and sediment to follow it. It was clicking; the boat gone; the horde attacks; those few life-threatening instances; it all made sense now! He was watching their every move the entire time!
Dereece's eyes widened, the reasoning clicking. 'So then that feeling I had…' Back at the camp earlier, he thought he felt something in the bushes. It was really Kane, watching them. 'He's been tracking us from the beginning!'
Joey's eyes widened. "Then was Steelix actually yours?"
Kane sighed. "A stroke of pure luck. It's not mine, don't worry about that. But it's because of him that I learned what the secret to this whole island was. I was able to persuade Steelix to not allow you suffer the fate of its Trainer. After all, safety is a concern."
Joey looked at everyone else. It seemed too incredulous to believe. "Okay, I'm, like, so~ confused right now…"
Kane jumped down from the cliff, standing next to his enemies. "My original intention was to go ahead and convince these…things to assist in wearing you down, whereas I come in to savor in your bravado's downfall. However, they nearly tried to kill me. There's no reasoning with these mongrels when all they want is to feast on every human there is."
'Well, that's what she said.' Kevin thought, unknowingly cringing at his unintended catchphrase.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I would love the idea of seeing you get destroyed. But! No one should be allowed to savor your demise, except for me! Only I can be your ultimate end, Joey Haycliff!" he boldly declared, turning around to face the swarm of Parasia around them. "So, as much as it pains me, we have a common enemy that must be destroyed. Just this once, I suppose I can postpone our little get-together for the sake of humanity."
Joey bashfully grinned. "Thanks, Kane." He was a little creeped out that his self-proclaimed "nemesis" was actually cooperating, but he wasn't in any position to argue. They needed all the help they could get.
Everyone turned in a full circle, facing the Parasia army around them. This time, they were regrouped and ready for the attack.
"Let's make use of the Rain Dance while we still can." Dereece advised.
Joey nodded. "You're right, everyone who can use Water-type attacks, let it rip!"
The wild Parasia let out scowls as they advanced onto their foe's alliance.
"Seel, Aqua Jet!"
"Buizel, assist with your Water Gun!"
Seel erupted in water and jetted after the Parasia ahead of her. As she traveled, Buizel turned towards her and blasted a large volume of water that traveled at a swift speed thanks to his ability. The jet of water and the blast soon joined into one, making a massive jet boost that pushed Seel through the Parasia army with large waves around her.
Joey whistled in astonishment. "Wow, that's fast."
"I believe you have my Buizel's Swift Swim Ability to thank." Kane mused.
Kevin reached out ahead. "Swadloon, String Shot!" Swadloon opened his mouth, spiting out large lines of silk and thread that sprayed along the Parasia lined up in front of them. Of course being in the rain made the silk a lot stickier than what was intended to where it felt like mush. All around, a sea of blue aura indicated a speed deduction, just what Kevin needed.
"Now guys! Beedrill, Twineedle! Raticate, Bite! Krabby, Vice Grip!"
All three Pokémon went barreling for different Parasia spread across the area. "I sting yo face!" Beedrill took the initiative with a harsh jab of his painful twin stingers. Raticate shrilled war cries of agony as he chomped down on a stuck Parasia. Krabby pinched his pincers harshly on another, pinching the slimy neck like a chokehold.
Joey smirked. "Buizel's not the only one with Swift Swim. Magikarp, get ready!" He held Magikarp up, whirling him around. "And Splash!"
Magikarp was whipped into the air, sent flopping in midair towards the Parasia. As he descended, the flailing fish was attacked by tendrils shooting for him. However, he flopped out of the way, evading most of them. He splashed about, skipping like a rock over water. Parasia were too distracted with the fast-moving flying fish as it hopped and dodged attacks.
"Now!" Joey shouted. "Tranquill, Air Cutter!"
"Stunfisk, Mud Shot!" Dereece followed up.
Tranquill took to the air as Stunfisk flopped skywards. Together, they released air crescents and mud barrages that barreled through the rain. The Parasia in the distance distracted by Magikarp flopping were caught in spontaneous eruptions everywhere.
Kane raised a brow and turned around, seeing Parasia come closer to him. Coming to his aid were Whirlipede and Roggenrola, the former hissing angrily at the prey.
The Parasia lashed their tendrils at Kane. In a snap of his fingers, Whirlipede initiated his Protect, defending Kane from the attacks while Roggenrola faced the army and launched his Rock Blast. Silver energy as hard as rocks fired repeatedly, causing large amounts of damage into the frontal forces.
"Trubbish, use Sludge!" Joey commanded. Trubbish let out a belch that expelled a large blob of poisonous sludge at the Parasia arm. "Quilladin, back her up! Needle Arm!"
"Okay!" Jumping, Quilladin got behind the sludge and brought his glowing spiky arm back. He smashed his fist into it, causing it to make an airwave and pick up force and speed. The attack went farther into the Parasia horde, making a large, mucky explosion that blew apart so many Parasia.
Buizel turned and fired another harsh Water Gun that shot across the ground in front of Kane, creating a trench that kept the Parasia from getting inside.
Joey turned towards the trench that was piling with rainwater. Seeing the Parasia behind the line made and sprouted an idea. The halted Parasia around them readied their tendrils, but Magikarp's quick flopping across their heads made it impossible to focus.
"Guys, aim them into the seawater! They'll shrivel up faster that way!" Joey crossed his arms and a barrier created before him. "Barrier-Make: Crash!" He shot the barrier into the Parasia across the battlefield, engraving the ground into a ditch that stretched long into the sea river several yards away. The Parasia were shot into the narrow stream, causing many of them to shrivel and wilt from the saltwater.
The ditch Joey created began swelling with seawater. The rush of water filled towards the end, where Joey started it. The Parasia that were too close or had their ankles in the ditch to advance were unlucky as they were shriveling and wilting.
"Limiting the area of their movement, I see." Kane smirked. "Clever gambit."
Joey swiped his arm, yelling out as he summoned another barrier into the trench. With control, he expanded the spell in an arch that cut off Parasia going for the front and shot it as far back as he could. Quickly, seawater began filling it.
"Alright Mister P, now's your chance! Go!"
"We'll hold them off while you go get Ella." Dereece said.
Kevin nodded. "Okay. Swadloon!" To the side, Swadloon jumped as he made the kite lacrima again. With it raining, Parasia were wary if it was actual seawater due to vapor. This was Kevin's break. "Ready!"
"Tranquill, Gust!" Tranquill's wings glowed and he fired another harsh wind that blew into the Parasia. The lacrima kite Kevin was on ascended thanks to the draft and took off.
Joey looked at Kevin go and saw he was getting across the manmade river they made. He was hoping that should help cover him from directly below, but now he has to watch his back. "Look alive, guys!"
All the Pokémon roared.
Everyone around Astral began regrouping after their fights have been completed. Along with them, the defeated Celestial Spirits were supported along the way.
"Gray darling, are you hurt?" Juvia fret, though her own body was shown to have serious injuries, she still put Gray's wounds before her own.
"Don't worry, I'm okay." He insisted. "What about you? Can you still stand?"
Juvia smiled. "Yes."
"Natsu!" Happy flew over to Natsu and Charmeleon, who walked with Cana as she supported the unconscious Loke.
"Hey, Happy." He grinned, seeing everyone gathered around. "Heh, looks like we did it."
"Yeah." Wendy smiled.
"It was a rough going, but it seems we've put quite the dent in King Melchior's plans." Carla said.
"Damn straight!" Natsu beamed. "And best of all, Charmeleon got some sweet attacks, and I kicked Loke's butt!" He laughed triumphantly.
"Is he seriously all about that?" Cana said to the side, crossing her arms. "Geez. And where's that cat anyway?"
"You call?" Off to the side, Cana turned and saw Lupus walk up to her, alongside a slender, four-legged leopard creature that seemed to be gazing at Cana, much to the drunkard's confusion.
"Who are you supposed to be?" she asked suspiciously. She didn't know why, but she felt like her gaze was familiar somehow.
Liepard hummed sassily. "Leave it to that crap you think to make you forget your own partner." She teased.
Lupus chuckled. "Good one."
Cana squinted at the skepticism showing. The peculiar tone sounded all too familiar. She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't having a hangover. "Hang on…Purrloin? That you?"
Liepard raised her head, beaming arrogantly. "Finally. About time, slowpoke. Geez, and here I thought dogs had bad memories."
"I'm not a dog, furball." Lupus commented.
"So that's Purrloin's evolution?" Wendy looked at Liepard, pulling out her PokeDex for the details.
"Liepard, the Cruel Pokémon. Their beautiful form comes from the muscles they have developed. They run silently in the night."
"Wow, congratulations Cana." Wendy eyed her friend's newly evolved feline. She certainly fit the description.
Happy shrugged. "Well I didn't see what the big deal is…is…" He gazed over at Liepard, seeing her enlarged, regal frame. Time slowed down for the Exceed as he was seeing Liepard's tail snap, her frame surrounded by sparkles inside his mind.
Seeing him in a daze and not finishing, Carla waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Happy, you there?"
The blushing Happy couldn't stop his stare at Liepard. His heart was fluttering just like his wings that took him over towards her. Liepard was too busy not caring that she almost missed him when he floated to her side. "H-Hey there…" he sheepishly started. "Remember me?"
Liepard raised a brow at him. "Hm? Oh, you. You're that pink-hair's cat, right?"
"Ayyyye! She remembers~!" Happy swooned, exploding with a flustered background. "W-wow Purrloin, you've gotten so…so…" He was so busy trying to get courage in front of Liepard that he almost forgot Lupus. "Aaaah! Wolf! Not again!" He immediately reterated behind Natsu's shoulder, much to his confusion. "W-w-w-what re you doing with him? H-h-he's a big wolf!"
Liepard took one confused look at Lupus, who returned said look. She then faced Happy. "Yeah, so?"
"B-But I thought you hated dogs! I hate dogs!"
"Well not this one. He's cool. Ain't that right?" She smirked at the overgrown hound, making him snort.
"Heh, what she said." He huffed.
"Honestly, I don't know what your problem is with wolves. They're not all bad. Geez, hasn't anybody taught you not to judge?" Liepard mocked as she walked pass Happy, completely ignoring his pitiful advance.
Happy was completely turned to stone on the inside, gawking like he's seen a ghost that took away his bride. He was so despaired that comical tears ran down his wide white eyes. Carla crossed her arms and raised her nose, turning away huffing, earning nervous laughs from Wendy and Amaura.
"Wow, bummer." Cana laughed.
Klefki floated around Lucy as she tried waking up Aquarius. Though with the damage she received, it's very likely she wasn't getting up anytime soon. "Aquarius? Aquarius?! It's me, Lucy! You remember?!"
Wincing from the constant shouting, Aquarius' hazy eyes weakly opened.
Lucy gasped, tears in the corner of her eyes. "Aquarius!"
"Gnnngh…Lucy?" She weakly turned her head towards the annoying sound. "I…thought that I recognized that annoying brat voice anywhere."
Lucy wiped away her tears and pulled Aquarius into an embrace. Normally Aquarius would be opposed to such affections, but given her lack of memory and her condition, she had to assume something happened to have made her this emotional. Just this once, she'll let it slide.
"Geez, not so hard."
"Sorry." Lucy apologized. Her Klefki above smiled wide.
Loke – who was beginning to come around – blinked. "What happened…? I remember a ritual, then everything went…"
"Loke!" Lucy shouted.
"Hey man, how you feeling?" Gray asked.
"I feel like somebody had the nerve to throw me off the cliff." He grimaced. "Man, does anybody else's head hurts?"
"Well nice to see you again, sleeping beauty." Cana voiced.
Virgo was next to awaken. "Ugh…what punishment…?"
"Man, I felt such a rush. I feel like a cow patty." Taurus grimaced, rubbing his head.
"Baby, I don't feel too good." Cancer mumbled.
Libra and Pisces were completely baffled. With their injuries as well, it was a miracle they were still able to slightly move about. Gemini weakly floated about. Scorpio sat up, his skin sizzling still from Wendy's finishing blow, though he did mumble of something related to "wicked". Capricorn and Aries sat up, battered from the sonic attack earlier. Sagittarius was last to gather his bearings.
Volans looked around, seeing everyone stirring awake. "It appears that they have finally been broken free of Melchior's control at last." He stated.
"Phew! Man. And here I thought we were almost goners." Corvus sighed, before he realized something. "Huh? Hey wait a sec! Where's the king?"
Snover turned around, pointing at the direction of the sea. "Look! Over there!"
Everyone turned their attention towards the sea, which was back to normal. Using his sword as a cane, the Celestial King was dragging himself towards everyone waiting. Beside him, Nic, Kecleon, and Greninja were walking with Erza and Houndoom. Krookodile was behind Vanessa as she used her aura to bind the unconscious Melchior.
They soon met up, with Erza taking the initiative. "Is everyone alright?"
"Too you guys long enough." Gray scoffed. "You have any idea how much a pain this was?"
"Suppose that's your answer." Vanessa commented. She used her aura and placed the king on the ground. Everyone gathered around the denounced majesty.
"So this is the guy, huh?" Gray continued. "Man Nic, you really did a number on him."
"I know." He answered. "Sorry."
"Well you better be considering the hell we went through." Cana chided. "You have any idea how hard it was taking on just one Celestial Spirit?"
"Try two." Greninja countered, looking towards the Celestial King, and then Gemini. "We needed to make sure we didn't have anything in between us and Melchior if this was going to work."
"Lucy, is all your spirits okay?" Erza asked.
The blonde nodded. "Yeah, they're just fine. They're just tired and confused really…" she gave one last look at all of them. "But it looks like they'll be just fine."
Canes paddled up to Lupus with heads down and labored breaths. They also looked tired. The wolf sighed and sat on a rock, having his head down. "I'm beat, too." He huffed.
Corvus fell on his bottom. "Me too. I'm so tired I don't think I can flap my wings anymore."
"We've exhausted too much of our energy. Rest is important right now." Volans voiced towards the king. "Isn't that right, your majesty?"
The Celestial King was silent, but he felt aware if the calamity that had fallen. He recalled what happened before he was taken over. "…the stars…they have been saved yet again." He mumbled. "I know very little of the transparencies during the time of blackening, but I can see clearly now." He turned towards Nic and Greninja. "Nic Pularis and friends, to you all. I humbly apologize. For what our weakness has given you, we humbly wish nothing but your forgiveness."
Nic blinked before shaking his head. "Don't mention it at all." He huffed. "And besides, you were just being used. If anyone's to blame, it's definitely not you." He turned his glare down on Mechior's unconscious frame, revealing the one worthy of blame.
The Celestial King nodded. "Yes, quite so."
"Are you well enough to move?" Greninja asked.
"For now, yes. But, I understand why these injuries are to pass. I tried to do harm to this world and my saviors. The Celestial Crew. For the second time now, you have saved not only me, but the Celestial Spirits themselves. Without you, these wounds would mean nothing to the pain we feel in our hearts. We hope to repay you."
Nic turned around nonchalantly. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about that." He frowned at Melchior. "Right now we have another problem to settle."
Erza looked down at him. "Yes. The anarchist."
"The sour milk in the fridge." Kecleon tilted her head.
Krookodile stomped forward. "Well I say we chew him up, and then spit him out in a nice, cold smoothie!"
"With bendy straws!" Kecleon jumped.
"I say we drag him through our world without those clothes." Lupus darkly suggested.
"I know something better." Natsu eagerly raised his enflamed fist. "Let's make him a practice dummy for our Pokémon. They could use a little target practice."
"Agreed." Charmeleon glared. He wanted to try more of his new Aerial Ace out.
"Yes, and I completely understand. However, I believe this is where we have to draw the line."
"What? Why not, Erza?" Natsu questioned. "You've seen what he did. The guy deserves to get beaten down."
"I know, but you mustn't forget something else." She reasoned. "We came here not only to revive Aquarius' Key for Lucy. We came also for a show of good faith in Hisui's name. His majesty may very well be prosecuted for his crimes, but if he were to die, that could show the country of Seven a sign that Fiore is an inhospitable domain. We'd more likely suffer setbacks."
They almost forgotten about their promise to Hisui. If she caught wind that the Fiorians brutalized the king, their actions could be used against them. Even Natsu was smart enough to avoid this kind of a setback. He didn't want to cause this kind of trouble for someone looking for peace.
Reluctantly, he backed off. "Guess that's it then."
"Sorry Natsu, maybe next one." Happy patted his back.
"But how are we going to break this to Hisui?" Lucy questioned. "In the end, we still hurt the king."
"We'll just have to do our best to explain it to her and authorities once we call them." Erza sighed. "Let's hurry and bind him so he can't use his magic-!"
BOOM!
The earth shuddered as everyone's attention went scattered.
"What the heck was that?!" Corvus squealed.
"An explosion?" Cana questioned.
Vanessa's brow furrowed. She looked in the direction of an eruption of light far within the mountains that expanded outwards. The soundwaves went over their heads, making even the skies quake briefly. She was sensing a very destructive and painful aura that was absurdly immense.
'What is this Magic Power…it's crying out loud.'
Everyone looked in shock at the fading light, confusion spelling across them.
"Nic…" Greninja muttered. "That's…"
Nic was dead silent as his eyes were wide in shock. He was feeling a monstrous flow of magic coming from something, recalling that was the direction Sophie and Duncan were in. He began worrying especially for the latter. 'Sophie…'
Erza looked at Nic, equally as concerned. She knew their allies were up there somewhere. "This is bad…"
Still lying on the ground, Melchior weakly opened his eyes. He stared at the sky, feeling the raging omen in the distance. 'Andromeda…you're the last hope. I beseech you…purge them all.'
Jellal groaned as he stirred awake. Immediately his side started flaring in pain. "What…happened?"
All around, everything was decimated. The clearing where they fought Ara and Scutum was completely tossed over with a clean slate. The earth was soft from the shockwaves that carried Crime Sorciere away. They were all sprawled in various parts of the pathway.
"That just now…what was it…?" In his search for questions, he heard a groan off to his side. He saw sky blue hair tossed messily. "Bellona!"
The woman groaned as Jellal moved to her. He supported her with his arms, trying to shake her dreary body. She was pale and severely scraped – if no less painful as his own wounds.
"Bellona, are you there? Bellona!"
Hearing his cries, Bellona weakly opened her pupils. The first thing she saw was messy blue hair. "Jellal…?" she muttered.
"Don't move too much. Your shoulder looks shot."
Bellona looked over her shoulder, seeing her cape was completely torn up. There was definitely blood on it, but she didn't feel it, especially with her entire body in pain.
Arbok used her Acid to melt away the rocks that buried her Trainer. She hissed and gently grabbed at his leg and pulled him out. Once safe, she looked into his eyes, hoping he was okay.
"Arbok…?" Erik murmured, his one eye seeing the cobra inches from his face. He stroked her head. "Hey girl…"
Yukino stammered up, her Minior following. "What just happened? Big sister? Sorano?" she looked around, barely noticing the unconscious Mantine on her back with Sorano close by. "Sis!" She rushed over, helping her battered sister up. "Hey, are you hurt? Can you hear me? Say something!"
In her musings. unconscious, Sorano's eyelids twitched. "Bellona, please…no more nightmares…I didn't know that sherbet was…" her vision came back, seeing Yukino. "Yukino?"
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"
Sorano sighed tiredly. "Y-yeah, I think so." She looked down in shame. "Though I should be the one holding you upright." She murmured to herself.
"What was that? An attack?" Bellona questioned.
Jellal gazed towards the hill, reliving that blast wave. "…no. That was a shockwave. We were lucky."
"Extremely lucky!" Sorano chirped. "Owowowowow!"
"Stay still!" Yukino ordered.
"I can hear it…the sounds of anguish coming from above." Erik was supported by Arbok as he looked up the hill, his ability to stand completely blown away by that blast.
"What's up there?" Bellona questioned.
Jellal looked to the decimated mountain trail, his face straight with uncertainty. He felt a very dark and mighty magical force high up. Even now, the earth was lightly palpitating. He had a very bad feeling something that happening with his friends high up.
The mountain howled in the fading light. The hill path was completely devastated by the explosion from earlier.
Tophet continued observing as though he was unfazed by the whole thing. He looked down to where Sophie and Duncan were supposed to be.
The fading dust revealed a woman sprawled along the ground, next to a man. They looked completely torn up from that blast that they barely missed. It seemed to have misfired thankfully, this time at least. Ahead of them, their Pokémon were all dazed as well. They were so low to the ground one could've mistaken them as flattened.
Sophie's brows twitched as she managed to open. Her green eyes were hazy as someone went to a 3D movie without the glasses. "Duncan…everyone…?" she started getting up, immediately feeling pain throughout her whole body.
"Sophie…are you okay?" Kadabra grimaced. He reached over to pick up his spoon that fell during the shockwave.
Dewpider struggled to stand, especially with how heavy his head felt. "I'm…good." He grimaced, though he felt it hard to breathe inside his water bubble. 'How come I feel so…?'
He moved a spare claw over his bubble, feeling something slimy. He blinked once, then tapped again. He blinked twice, then traced the claw to a fin. He slowly gazed up, seeing Finneon piled on him in his cramped water bubble.
"What the-?! Get out of my space!" In a panic, he ejected Finneon, sending her flopping to his side. "Seriously, does anyone know what space means?" he hissed low.
Finneon stirred upright. "My apologies. I did not look where I landed."
"Yeah, yeah…" Dewpider looked over, seeing Staryu resize itself thanks to Minimize. It, too, was very close. "What?"
Spiritomb floated over – not even close to being as tired – and tended to Duncan. The Trainer kneeled and took in a raspy breath before he shakily stood up once more.
'What…power.' He was completely stunned at attack missed them, they should've been eviscerated by that blast. He was sure that was an omnidirectional attack. Using his Trainer's instincts, he recounted what Sophie's Kadabra did with Kinesis to lower her accuracy. He looked down at Sophie, who was steadily rising. 'Guess she isn't dead weight after all.'
He reached over to grasp metal, but the rest of his weapon was blown away from that last save. Without a handheld, he couldn't use his magic. He clutched his fists at how useless he felt.
"Duncan, are you alright?" Sophie heaved. She felt like she was gonna throw up, but her stomach was on empty.
Duncan nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine…" he took one look at Sophie to see her condition. A silence fell as he turned back towards Andromeda. "Not a bad move to have."
Barely catching his last-second compliment, Sophie looked to him, but he looked at Andromeda like nothing happened. 'Duncan.'
The Trainer turned towards Tophet, seeing his gesture resolute with no obligation. "Hey, you."
Tophet looked down at him.
"What the hell is this? Who are you?"
Tophet's eyes were hollow, yet his tone wasn't. "Thou must prove himself worthy of such riddles."
"What?"
"May the stars be the judge of your worthiness."
Andromeda's eyes flashed again, her wails of agony splitting Duncan and everyone's eardrums. The Celestial Spirit was consumed in a pillar of crimson celestial energy that nearly blew them away.
Sophie covered up with her forearms, where Kadabra was using Confusion to keep Finneon and Dewpider from being blown away. Staryu was barely hanging in there, but held firm.
BEEPBEEP BEEP!
"What is it?" Sophie muttered through the roars of magic. She couldn't speak Morse code, but had a feeling Staryu was onto something.
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP! The starfish continuously blinked and spun in place, its directing towards Andromeda's insidious wails.
Sophie looked towards Andromeda one more, seeing her pained cries bloom. Staryu was blinking at the glowing chains that were around her wrists. She saw them tighten, further intensifying Andromeda's energy around her body. Her wails grew louder, shaking the atmosphere.
She dropped to a knee, processing what was happening. 'She has an unstoppable amount of Magic Power. Tophet said that she was sealed away for a reason.' Her eyes widened, recalling what the man said beforehand.
"Tetrabiblos gave her no key; apparently he, too, found the wish to be immoral. With no key and her soul in a seal, she had become a Celestial Spirit that is forever chained. To think, his majesty found that very spell to unseal the spirit."
Sophie's brain was running a million miles a second. She remembered that Andromeda was sealed away just as her soul was being extracted. That's when her brain went to work.
"Get down!" Duncan shouted.
Andromeda released a bloody cry as her mouth gawked wide open. A voluminous blast of raw Magic Power dispelled with force far greater than any Jupiter Cannon. The roaring beam expanded into the mountains miles away, reducing the tops clean off into dust.
Keeping their heads low, everyone managed to keep themselves from being blown away by her drafts.
"Duncan!" Sophie yelled through the roaring blast.
The Trainer responded to Sophie. "What do you want?!"
The blast wave slowly faded, allowing the echoes of the next attack to erode out into the stratosphere. As she recharged, everyone got to their feet again.
"Listen, Duncan. I think there's a way we can stop her that doesn't involve hurting her."
"Like what?"
Sophie pointed towards the chains laced around Andromeda's wrists. They were tightening as crimson energy crackled around the aching Celestial deity.
"Those chains, that must be a weakness. It has to be. Tophet said that when she was making her wish, her body was disposed to allow her soul to become a spirit. She was sealed away." She saw Andromeda raising her head, meaning they were short on time. "We have to break those chains!"
Duncan gave her a skeptical look. "How do you know that'll undo the spell?"
Sophie went quiet as she stared ahead with uncertainty. There was a chance that she could be wrong, but right now she didn't have the luxury of reaching for the archives that were scattered in paper files now. "…I don't. But this is our one shot. We have to take a chance, but Duncan…" she glanced at him. "I need your help with this. Please, just this once. Trust me."
Duncan wasn't one to trust easily, that was a given. Everything he did was on his own. Even from his journey's start he was very much alone. Yet staring at Sophie, he was picturing another man in her place, one with the same amount of passion. It was bittersweet for him, but under these circumstances he had no choice. He brought his head down and widened his legs.
"Fine. But only this one time." He snapped his fingers, Spiritomb coming to his side. "So don't go getting any funny ideas, got it?"
Sophie smiled. "Thank you."
Andromeda's red eyes brightened, the chains around her wrists glowed brighter, causing stars above to twinkle. Seconds later, cosmic star-like streams rained down onto them. Sophie gathered her magic and channeled it into memories.
"Memory-Make: Scorn of the Armored Winds!"
Iron tornadoes surrounded herself and everyone around them. "Finneon, Gust!" Finneon flapped her tailfins to summon a gale that was sucked into the tornadoes around them. The wind sapped from Finneon's drafts created a stirring wake that made the tornadoes grow around them.
With the added height and range, a wall of metallic whirlwinds intercepted the beaming starlight. The rest rained down like meteors in the surroundings, making small bursts that topples formations around them.
"Dewpider, Infestation!" Sophie shouted. Dewpider summoned a small swarm of insects from the opening beneath his body. He shot the swarm into Andromeda, swarming around her entire body.
"Kadabra, keep her dazed! Kinesis!" Kadabra lifted his spoon, using his kinetic powers to bend the spoon. Looking at the spoon, Andromeda was getting dizzy, a blue aura enveloped her body.
Andromeda wailed loudly as Dewpider's swarm buzzed around her, nipping at her skin. She looked so dazed that even Duncan noticed her direction was over their heads.
Staryu spun around and began firing around Andromeda. Swift was unleashing golden stars around the head, making light twinkles that kept the spirit at bay.
'I get it now. She's leaving another distraction.' He bent down, picking up the remainder of the iron staff he had left. 'Guess I should wait.'
Dewpider's attack kept Andromeda in place, allowing Sophie to carefully aim for the cuffs. More memories showed.
As she activated it, she suddenly saw a vision of the same spell before it happened. She remembered it being the first one she used since joining Fairy Tail.
"Memory-Make: Stone Lightning!"
Lightning came down at breakneck speeds into Andromeda, specifically her cuffs. The lightning zapped the restraints, covering them in stone.
For a brief moment, Sophie and Duncan watched Andromeda seemingly slow down. It seemed to be working. Duncan gripped his metallic weapon tighter as he poured his Magic Power into it and charged.
Sophie charged up another spell, channeling another thread of memories. This time as darkness spiraled around an ethereal ice-like bow, she had a brief flash of when she used it against Racer alongside Gray's spell.
'Everyone, your spells, give me your strength. You guys…we're together because of these memories!'
Tophet watched Sophie charge up her spell, his glare set in what he felt in her. He looked genuinely piqued.
Once Sophie was charged up, her eyes widened. "Memory-Make: Piercing Frigid Darkness!"
Sophie launched the long arrow of darkness across the atmosphere towards the right cuff. As it launched, frost mixed with misty darkness.
"Spiritomb, use Shadow Sneak to speed it up!" Duncan ordered.
Spiritomb obeyed and her shadow lengthened, streaking across the ground beneath. It reached up, curling around the arrow to give it a shadow helix that made it almost double in speed. It became a dark stream that froze the ground beneath as it crashed into the chain, creating a black and blue flare that exploded. Frost and shadows swallowed the Celestial Spirit, making the ground shake.
With the opening, Duncan charged in, the last of his staff enveloped in his magic. Kadabra reached forwards, activating Confusion to push Duncan harder across the ground. He swung with all his might as rainbow energy ignited at the hollow end, causing a voluminous shockwave on the other cuff.
The shockwave repulsed him, but again, Kadabra's Confusion slowed him down and sat him next to Joey's side. All of them stared in anticipation as the shockwaves rushed passed them.
"Did that work…?" Dewpider wondered.
Sophie went silent.
Nobody said anything as the shadows cleared away. It revealed Andromeda with her head down and levitating silently. The stone cuffs around her wrists were still there, however, it looked like they were severely cracked on both sides. The radiant glow on her body faded in and out slowly as a result.
"It appears that Miss Sophie's hypothesis was true." Kadabra stated.
Duncan huffed. He didn't really think it would really work, suppose he'll have to owe Sophie one for this.
"Ha! How about that!" Dewpider cheered. "That's what she gets for messing with my Trai-!"
CRACK!
"Huh…?" Dewpider trailed off.
CRACK! They heard another crack sound.
Staryu beeped worriedly. It blinked yet again, more surprised at the revelation.
Sophie stared in complete shock at what she was seeing. Her eyes widened as she saw the stone cuffs on Andromeda were cracking and chipping apart, revealing golden lights beneath. It wasn't completely turned to stone at all.
Sophie was at a loss. She watched as the golden glow around Andromeda eat away at the Infestation around her body. The cuffs were cracking apart from the crusted top, slowly unveiling the glowing chains beneath that looked completely unfazed. The celestial energy around her had completely healed her, even to where her eyes went red again. The heinous power she had was a fuming golden-crimson energy that came from the cuffs that waved like tendrils that spread about her body, causing a burning constriction that made her grit her teeth and wail in pain. All everyone could do was watch in horror as all their attacks were washed off like suds. Sophie could feel her palms sweat because of the growing pressure.
'Such Magic Power…'
Andromeda let out one more pained cry as her eyes shined a brighter shade. The ground was consumed in cosmic energy that blasted the earth to bits. It continued its path towards them at an incredible speed, so fast that Sophie didn't have time to memorize and forget the spell. Chances were that it wasn't a spell after all. It was probably raw Magic Power, which she couldn't stop. She and everyone screamed their lungs out as the shockwaves ran pass them. They all barely moved to the side to avoid the direct blast, but were blown in random places as the attack continued its linear direction into the atmosphere, making another rupture in the distance.
"What's that?!" Happy pointed out.
From Astral, everyone was looking concerned, especially Vanessa. She was sensing a very distressed aura from a lot of signatures at one time. It seemed like everyone was in peril – even Andromeda.
Melchior stared at the sky, the sun over the seas. Everything in his world was still set in stone.
"Staryu…guys…" Lucy worried.
The shockwaves of the attack finally dissipated. They were all sprawled around the hill slope and lying about dazed. Sophie and Duncan took the most because of their weight. Dewpider's water bubble shielded the runt of his landing while Finneon was close by.
Sophie's ears rung as her skin was pale. That shockwave tattered up the mass of her clothing, leaving her right side with deep damage. Her hair was also a mess, and her lipstick was dried up. She bent over, gagging out some blood that was brought up from internal damage.
Duncan was another story. He landed on the hollow end of the staff. His side wasn't impaled but it stung really bad, the shock completely paralyzing his right grip. 'Damnit…'
Tophet watched on as none of the attacks they were doing were dealing damage. He seemed to have lost interest. Andromeda's eyes glowed brighter as she recharged.
Kadabra was in a daze. He barely had the strength to lift his spoon. He noticed Sophie on her hands and knees, quickly collapsing.
"So…phie…"
Andromeda howled loud, but Sophie couldn't care less because everything was black and blue to her. Her hearing was a big buzz as her mind went to another place as she laid on the ground. Her breathing slowed as her conscience was going backwards to something.
Sophie's childhood was blunt sort of speak. She was the daughter of a merchant who happened to have fallen in love with a woman and got married. But for most of Sophie's life, she was always on the move with supplies, merchants; a world where she wasn't crammed in a nursery. It wasn't a very comfortable lifestyle, not that any child wouldn't think otherwise. Along the way, Sophie would meet other people and their kids. She loved it, especially when they got to the big cities and a lot of people drop by to look at trades. To her, that's probably where it all began for her magic.
Her father had just closed up shop for the night and decided to use part of the money to go look for groceries. With after hours, the little Sophie with her long blonde head peeked into his tent of collectables that he earned for the day. She was amazed at the trinkets and gadgets he traded, especially antiques her father reminded her over and over again not to tamper with.
"Ohh, what's this?" She scooted over to what looked like a globe with a lacrima in the center. When she poked it, it lit up. "Cool…" she awed. "What about this new one?" She slipped over to a small toolkit, which suddenly rattled and hissed when she came too close. "Uh…no. Oh! What about these!"
"Sophie, sweetie, are you in here?" Walking into the tent was a slender woman with blonde hair that went in two low ponytails down her back. She was Sophie's mother, before her parents' divorce. "Sophie."
"Mommy?" Sophie turned around, looking excited. "Mommy, look at all the stuff daddy bought today."
She sighed. "I know, sweetheart. You know you're not supposed to be in here. You know how possessive your father can be with his material."
"Aww, but I wanted to see more." Sophie whined.
"C'mon young lady."
"Okay…" Grumbling, Sophie sulked as she walked out. But as she did, she tripped over a small stack of books and fell forward. "Ow!" The books sprawled as her mother walked over to help her up.
"Sophie, you okay?" she asked, helping her daughter to her feet.
Sophie whined a little. "I think so." She looked down at the books sprawled. "Meanie books." She kicked one over, causing it to fly open it. With it open, it revealed a picture of magic with big words that instantly caught Sophie's interests.
Curious, she moved to pick up the book. "What's this book?" She squinted and began reading the context. "The Process…Of…Memories." She looked towards her mom. "Mommy, what's that mean?"
Her mother's own interests grew as well. "I'm not sure."
Sophie's father came in, seeing his family inside his tent. "What's going on here?"
"Daddy, look at this!" Sophie showed him the book that she found. "Look at all this!"
Her father took a step back over his daughter's eagerness and scanned the book. The look on his face dampened upon seeing the context. "Yeah, that's something one of my customers sold to me. It was pricy."
Sophie wasn't listening, she was reading the book quickly like she already owned it. Probably a habit from reading children's books and textbooks of materials she did for killing time.
"She looks a little occupied, dear." Her mother pointed out. "Maybe we should let her keep that for a bit."
Her father shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Take a closer look." She did as told and saw the front of the cover facing them. It read The Mysteries of Lost Magic. She looked back at him to see his frown certain. "Now you get it?"
"It's a magic book."
"There's a reason why those sell at high prices. You know why."
The wife sighed. She knew where he was going with this. It's been 2 weeks since they were last attacked by Dark Guild raiders, and that sense of security left them completely open. "That was one time."
"But it can happen again. All these people learn these powers, and for what? To exponentially increase crime rate and destruction? I've seen enough to know what I'm talking about. And I don't want Sophie going down that path."
"If you keep that attitude you will."
"You know I'm right."
"And I also know there's these things called choices, which I've made to marry you. Remember?"
Sophie father went stunned silent at her counter.
"It's going to be okay. And besides, Sophie is a bright young girl, she knows netter than to misuse her belongings…especially when she doesn't get to keep them very long. So just this once, let her at least keep something to herself. She deserves that much."
The merchant looked to his wife then to their daughter, seeing her try to mimic what was in the description. She was closing her eyes and pointing to her forehead, trying to find a focal point. He truly wanted to see his daughter live long and happy, and he was willing to risk anything to assure that, that last raid and losing half their most expensive equipment proved so. But he didn't want to see her go down the path of danger willingly. He was shaky about all this, but for their future and his wife, he had to make a decision.
He walked up to Sophie, who was looking like she needed to use the restroom, if that's what her focus was implying. "Sweetie."
"Hm?" Taking a break, she saw his serious expression. "Hi, Daddy."
He crouched down to her level. "Do you really like that book?"
"Mhm!" Sophie nodded swiftly.
"If I let you keep that book, would you promise to make sure nothing happens to it?"
Sophie nodded again. "Yes. Can I keep it? Pretty please?" She pursed her upper look, giving him an innocent, needy look with glossy eyes. She wanted it so bad.
He saw the look and it melted his heart. He looked back at his wife to see her nodding in agreement. Seeing how he was outnumbered, he chose to accept it. This one time at least. "Okay, you can keep it."
"Yes!" Sophie cheered.
"But!" he harshly added. "You better study every single day, at least thirty minutes. If I catch you slacking in your reading, I'm putting that book on the market. So you better take this seriously young lady."
Sophie saluted. "Yes, sir! Those meanie Dark Guilds are gonna go run back to their mommies, and scream 'Waaah!'! And I'll be all like boom! And kabow! And they'll be like 'She;s too awesome!' Yeah!" She could see herself now as a mage, casting spells and blowing raiders into the atmosphere.
The father sighed again. "Listen."
She stopped her musings and listen to him.
"There's one more condition. It's the most important one. When you learn to use magic, make sure, that no matter what, you use it under one condition…use it to protect your family and friends. When they're in danger, it'll be your magic's power to save them."
Sophie didn't quite get it due to her being so little, but she knew the basis of what he meant. "Don't worry." She said, pointing to her noggin. "I've got that all memorized."
Her blonde hair kept her eyes from view as her nails dug into the soil. She took one more deep breath to get the rest of the blood out of her mouth.
"I remember know…why I'm here." She slowly reached for Dewpider, who was the first to stagger over. Flashes of her friends appeared inside her head as she placed her hand on Dewpider's water bubble. "How I got here…" She saw Team Natsu, and Wendy, and Carla. The glow from her hands made the bubble shine with her Memory-Make Spell: Seabed's Miracle. It was making Dewpider regain some strength. "Who brought me here…" She pictured Erza, then Cana, then Lupus, Volans, and Corvus. She removed her hand as she stood on her own, spreading her feet. As she breathed heavily, she pictured Pavo, then Greninja and Nic side-by side. "Everyone…" The Freaks. And lastly, her best friend – Vanessa. All of those faces looking at her and smiling, it was making her magic burn a fire inside. "It's because of my time with them…" Her eyes flashed open. "That my magic's gotten to where it is today. And now, it's time to give back what I owe to them, for giving so much to me!"
Duncan looked in wonders of her strength. Even he couldn't stand right now.
The interest on Tophet's face grew once more.
"Dewpider. Everyone." Sophie wobbled, but her fortitude was a straight path. "Let's protect them, with our power."
Dewpider hissed. "Whatever you say." He looked at Kadabra, and the Finneon. He knew he had to protect them as well. "Okay…my turn."
A light suddenly encased his body, drawing out a shift in the atmosphere.
"Dewpider?!" Sophie gasped.
Duncan looked with a straight face at what was happening. Kadabra and Finneon, however, had wide eyes and stared in disbelief. They were watching their friend transform within the bright light.
BEEP Staryu was equally as raptured, seeing the light that was as bright as its core resonate.
The glow around Dewpider caused him to change shape and drastically grow. The three-legged arachnid began multiplying in the amount of appendages, with bulbous joints showing at the ends. They all witnessed the head especially growing to a large degree. When the light exploded. It revealed what looked like was something that could give kids nightmares. A massive water spider with a water bubble around his head. He had large blue eyes with pointed gray mascara. The majority of the body was dark gray, but had yellow-green and light brown. He had three large bumps on the head and four fang-like projections beneath. Light brown extensions reached out to attach the bubble to his head. His six massive legs ended in dark gray spears.
The gargantuan water spider hissed loudly.
"My word?" Kadabra eyed the ally's change with awe. Finneon looked equally as surprised.
"My goodness…"
Duncan gave a blank stare, witnessing the evolution of the spider.
Sophie went ahead and puled out the PokeDex. It showed Dewpider's evolution on the big screen with a large sum of stats along the side.
"Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokémon. It has a habit of storing things it values in its water bubble. If its Trainer doesn't watch out, Araquanid will try to put them in its bubble!"
Despite the warning, Sophie was more invested in what changes were made. This was the second time one of her Pokémon evolved. Abra into Kadabra was one thing, but she never thought Dewpider would get this big. It astounded her.
"Araquanid." She repeated the name, making sure it was memorized. "So then, shall we?"
Araquanid spread his six legs defending Sophie with his new bulk.
Andromeda began charging up again. A bright twinkle in the sky turned into a beaming cosmic comet that came down at meteor speeds onto them. Sophie and everyone braced for the impact.
An eerie soundwave pitched throughout the valley all of a sudden. The ripples in the air fluxed as Andromeda was suddenly moved to shield everyone with her back. The attack struck her back, hammering down with explosive cosmic force that swallowed the skies.
Everyone beneath her covered up as the explosion shook the earth with great force. Tophet was again unmoved, but his expression turned to one of intrigued.
As the smoke faded away, Andromeda was seen staggering from her own attack, her body incapable of moving. Duncan saw the opportunity.
"Spiritomb, Shadow Sneak!"
Spiritomb's shadow morphed into darkness and stretched high up, striking Andromeda's gut. The impact made Andromeda cringe, giving Araquanid the opportunity to jump with six legs, the four fangs glowing. He clamped down on Andromeda's large face, creating an explosion of smoke that pushed her away.
Araquanid landed in front of Sophie, the attack fading from his mouth. He scoffed low.
"My word." Kadabra gasped. "My friend, was that a new move?"
"I believe that was Bite." Sophie recalled. Her memory didn't lie. She remembered seeing Joey's Chespin use that attack before. She also knew it was a Dark-type move, which meant it had just as much affect as Bug Bite.
Andromeda reeled backwards, flinching from the effects of the move.
"What just happened?" Duncan was all around grateful that the attack didn't strike them down, but Andromeda wouldn't have moved like that before. He knew that was way out of left field.
Andromeda regained her composition and charged more magic, but that same eerie chime echoed throughout the mountains. Andromeda froze up again before she could finish her spell.
"STAY DOWN!"
A violent swing crashed into Andromeda, sending her into the hillside. Her weight created a magnitude that rattled the atmosphere, and everyone else was covering from the tempests made.
Tophet calmly turned his head in the direction that attack came from. If he had emotion he would've shown surprise.
"What's going on?" Sophie felt another strong Magic Power close by. More accurately, from a shadow that cast over her. She knew she was in broad sunlight by now, so it couldn't be early morning anymore, right? But this chill running up her spine made her throat a little dry.
"Lady Sophie…" Finneon murmured.
Sophie turned and noticed how speechless they all looked. She turned towards Duncan to see his face showing shock – a once in a blue moon incident apparently – at a shadow. Finally irritated, Sophie turned around to see what the fuss was about.
Then and there, her face paled. "What…?"
Andromeda stood back up, meeting red eyes with another pair. This pair, however, wasn't controlled or anything. It looked completely tamed, capable, and extremely strong. There was a slithering purple tail that slammed along the ground, making a crater.
The creature raised her enormous serpentine body, unleashing an ear-splitting shriek that rivaled Andromeda. Sophie and Duncan were too in awe to even notice their eardrums ringing.
Tophet looked on with an invested sense about him. "The snake charmer, has risen."
…
Yukino was making very slow progress with her comrades, especially with the land torn apart. The path up to Wyscan Hill was destroyed by the blasts and shockwaves. Even now, the shockwaves slowed down their progress drastically.
Yukino gasped.
"Yukino, is something wrong?" Bellona asked. She was holding Jellal as they limped up the trail they made thanks to Erik's Arbok spraying her Acid. Though it still took a while for the attack to settle.
Yukino was quiet as she looked uncertain. "…it's nothing. Really."
The others didn't look very convinced, especially Erik. Thanks to his hearing of thoughts, he knew she thought a certain someone was ahead. And his hearing tickled again that made him smirk.
'Looks like things just got a lot more interesting around here.'
As they walked on, the smile on Yukino's face showed. Sorano followed with a grin of her own pleasure.
…
Ophiuchus hissed loudly as she craned her head around. Her deep soundwaves echoed everywhere, yet Andromeda countered with pained cries of her own. The snake's long body made a circle around Sophie's group, shielding them.
"What's going on?" Duncan was less than amused, not that he ever was to begin with. "Is it a friend of yours?"
Sophie ignored Duncan out of her own shock and stared at the serpent towering above them. She couldn't believe their luck at her memory recalling the same one Yukino summoned. "Ophiuchus…"
Staryu blinked, unsure of what to think.
Ophiuchus glared at her foe, a deep silence befalling her as she recalled why so suddenly she came out of her cave. Only a single thought came to her brain.
"Feeling needed by at least one person in your life, is perhaps the biggest purpose you can give yourself."
'Guess that purpose finally came to me.' She sneered, consciously berating herself. 'Better late than never I suppose.'
"You saved us." Sophie awed. Staryu blinked repeatedly, seemingly mimicking what Sophie said.
Ophiuchus glanced down at them. "Hmph." She scoffed. "Sorry, guess I didn't see you there." It was a lie, but far be from her to show her concern to the likes of humans. "So you humans need help or what?"
Sophie and Duncan were in no position to argue. And even then, if they weren't in such a tight bind, they knew they needed to use everything to stop Andromeda. Right now. they didn't have nearly the strength to say otherwise. Ophiuchus could see their slight desperation, it'd be so humorous if she wasn't so serious right now.
BEEPBEEPBEEP-BEEP-BEEP
Seemingly understanding Staryu, Ophiuchus flicked her organic tongue. She faced Andromeda, a high, powerful wind passing between them as pseudo-Zodiac and imprisoned Celestial Spirit faced off one another. One was willing to open herself, yet the other was unable to break free. Now it was the opportunity for the Snake Charmer to show something she was never given.
"I am Ophiuchus – 13th Zodiac of the constellations." She recited. "I am the Snake Charmer, and starting today, I shall make you remember that name!"
Andromeda's eyes flared again, her Magic Power broiling from the chains on her wrists. With a shrilled cry, she expelled another shockwave of cosmic energy that tore into the ground. Ophiuchus raised her tail end and slammed it on the linear shockwave.
An explosion of cosmic energy rippled beneath everyone as a result. Ophiuchus' slam smacked the shockwave deeper into the ground. The explosion happened half a mile down the hill's cliff, rippling outwards.
Sophie was at a complete loss for words, but she used this time to regain some of her Magic Power she had once lost.
Ophiuchus swung her massive tail around again, slamming it into Andromeda. The spirit chimed as she recoiled.
Andromeda rebound quickly and her eyes glowed brighter. The chains intensified their hold, causing her body to wriggle and expel Magic Power in the form of twinkling starlight beams. Ophiuchus looked at the incoming rays from the sky and saw the attack incoming.
With a flick of her tongue, a high-pitched hiss emitted. The downward rays beamed faster than before, but instead of Ophiuchus and the mages, they instead went down on Andromeda. The Celestial Spirit had no prayer as she was struck with an attack too quick to nullify. This somehow made explosion that reached down to the others.
Everyone who was safeguarded by Ophiuchus were holding on through the blast waves. Sophie was kneeling beneath Ophiuchus' hold with her head racing swiftly again. 'Did she misfire?!' She opened an eye to see Ophiuchus flicking her tongue. 'No, it's too coincidental. It must be her doing?'
Ophiuchus faced the smoke cloud, glaring daggers that could put Mirajane's Satan Soul to shame. "None can escape my Dance of the Serpent! All spirits who bear my sight and sound shall be locked in my tune's command!"
The dust wave dissipated, but Andromeda was already back up. She unleashed a painful cry as magic drew itself into her gaping maw, unleashing a monstrous beam that obliterated the superficial layer of the earth beneath.
Ophiuchus' rims started glowing a bright purple light with a hum charging up. With her maw wide opened, she unleashed a massive purple beam of her own. The two attacks shot at breakneck speeds into each other, causing a titanic stalemate that caused the earth to shake beneath them. Anything that touched the two attacks was eviscerated from the pressure. The ground cracked from the force applied, like gravity was suppressing them. Duncan and Sophie stayed as low to the ground and behind Ophiuchus the best they could so they wouldn't get in the way of the monster bash.
Ultimately both attacks erupted in a bright flash, leaving a blank space between the two sides. Through the flare, a shrieking hiss called to Andromeda, dragging her chained figure from her fixed spot again through the flash. All she saw other than blinding white was a tail that slowly came drew closer.
"Stay down!" With her Dance of the Serpent drawing her prey in, Ophiuchus smashed her tail into Andromeda, sending her into the ground with several depressions opening on another at once.
From afar, large quakes and explosions could be seen happening at Wyscan Hill. It looked to everyone that a battle was raging. And to many more, they could feel another power shift.
"What's that?" Gray wondered. He saw another shockwave erupt rocks and dust.
"I'm getting another Magic Power." Juvia sensed. "It's massive."
"Is it Sophie and Jellal's doing?" Wendy wondered. Her nose and hearing were strong, but she couldn't hear from that far away. 'What's this strange smell coming from that way?'
Greninja had a good guess of what it could be. He knew Nic saw it too, the blast of purple in the distance. "Nic, you don't think…"
Nic was silent. He continued observing from afar. He wanted to help, and he thought he was needed there, but it looks like someone beat him to it. And honestly, he knew this wasn't his place…not this time, anyways. Someone else needed to prove herself.
Melchior frowned heavily. He was morally surprised to sense another Celestial Spirit defying him. He narrowed his eyes as he continued looking towards the sky. He could feel Andromeda on the losing edge of the fight. He needed to change that. 'I must…help my friend…' His crown tried glowing, but for some reason it stopped. 'What?! This can't be! Why am I not able to control that spirit?!'
Ophiuchus hissed loudly, a red aura around her body quickly dissipating. No visible human eye could trace it, but to Tophet, amazingly, he saw Ophiuchus unfazed like it was nothing.
"She who is the Black Gate, the scales of her key are impenetrable to the likes of man." He recited. "Those who live in the Black Gates, keys of those kind are beyond that of the realm of celestial realism."
Ophiuchus towered over Andromeda, hissing angrily at her. As she closed in, she noticed the cuffs around Andromeda's arms glowing and tightening. "Hm?"
Andromeda's eyes shot wide open and let out a loud scream. Her body unleashed a large explosion of Magic Power, managing to pick up Ophiuchus' extremely large frame and sent her spiraling.
BEEP! Staryu beeped worriedly.
Ophiuchus flailed downwards, her body slamming into the ground harshly behind Sophie and the others.
"Are you alright?!" Sophie shouted. She heard a charging sound behind, making her and everyone turn around to see Andromeda charging up another cosmic beam at her mouth. 'Not good.'
Andromeda unleashed another beam racing at them. The blast wave was gonna eviscerate them, even if they weren't close. At the last second, a shrilled hiss echoed, causing the beam to suddenly change trajectory into a sharp angle towards the mountains. They all watched as a voluminous explosion vaporized the entire mountain to the valleys below.
A stirring sound caught their attention. They all turned back to find their savior was raising her head, getting out of her daze.
"Gnngh…so annoying." She scowled, her scales regenerating swiftly.
Staryu tumbled up towards her. BEEPBEEPBEEP!
"What is it?" the snake scowled.
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!
"Heh, so that's it, huh?" Seemingly understanding Staryu's message, the snake focused on the glowing chains around Andromeda's wrists. "So that's where it's coming from."
Sophie glanced up at her. "Do you think you can hold her down for us to get a clear shot?"
Ophiuchus snobbishly hissed. "Hmph, I can do better than that. Just wait for when I say!" She raced overhead after Andromeda once more.
Andromeda screamed out as several, star-like glints gleamed in front of her before they shot like shooting stars across the atmosphere. Ophiuchus ducked beneath, evading and dodging every one with her serpentine body. The streaming stars exploded in all her surroundings, but this didn't stop her path. She snaked around Andromeda, getting one coil around her thighs, then again around her arms, pinning them to her sides. Then another around the shoulders in a tight grip to make sure she wasn't going anywhere. She towered over the struggling spirit, fangs bared.
Andromeda shrieked as her eyes glowed in agony. The chains around her wrists were so tight she felt like they were going to fall off any second. She was near the point where it ached just to think. Ophiuchus' tight coils only served to amplify her agony, her loud, boisterous cries of desperate relief echoing.
"Just sit tight! This'll only sting a little." Ophiuchus warned, her fangs glowing purple.
Andromeda let out a much louder cry, magic blooming around her body for another explosion of magic.
"I said sit tight!" In a violent lunge, she bit Andormeda's neck, injecting her celestial venom. Andromeda's screams turned to ear-splitting as the pain she felt the venom course through her heavenly body.
They all watched Ophiuchus bite Andromeda, relative shock blooming as they saw the most natural defense snakes have against their prey. This alarmed them as it did startle them.
"Isn't she gonna kill her that way?" Finneon worried.
"No, look again." Kadabra pointed out.
Sophie and Duncan narrowed their eyes.
Slowly, Ophiuchus' venom was visibly seen invading the veins inside Andromeda. They saw it spread quickly over her body, making her celestial glow weaken somewhat. As she ached and cried out, the cuffs tightened even more, but once the venom reached the wrists, their own bright glow was diminishing somewhat. Her aching was numbing away, her body suddenly feeling some sense of relief. The venom doing this was definitely fast-acting, and seemed to be dazing the spirit somewhat.
Duncan narrowed his eyes, piqued at Ophiuchus' poison. This wasn't like the poison condition he was familiar with.
"Her venom." Sophie started. "It's numbing Andromeda." She noticed how around the cuffs where burn marks were because of it, they were slowly healing. 'Wait, venom that heals others?'
Ophiuchus freed her fangs after injecting enough. She looked at her handiwork, seeing the visible pain on Andromeda mending somewhat. She was honestly surprised herself. She never thought of using her celestial venom to aid other spirits. Normally on humans they would die almost instantly, even the most resilient ones.
Sorano popped into her head again, what she said about her epithet tingling her again. 'The Wounded Healer…' she scoffed.
Andromeda was numb and calm, the cuffs otherwise crackling and containing her body in crackling lightning. It was making Ophiuchus flinch from direct contact.
"Now's your chance! Hit those cuffs with your strongest attacks! My venom won't hold her forever!"
Sophie nodded. "Okay!" She spread her legs, sighing deeply. She was running low on Magic Power. She had to end it, and fast. "Everyone, concentrate on one cuff! I'll handle the other!"
Araquanid eagerly spread his legs apart. "Oh, I've been waiting for this. Time to get back at her!" His mouth glowed, readying for Bite.
Sophie took a deep breath, once more reciting the memories she's shared with everyone. In her head, she could feel the montage of battles she's had leading up to now. Her body started glowing bright. 'Everyone…' She thought about her friends she fought with, up to Pavo's death. Pass that, she thought of Rufus, the cousin she was able to reconcile with. This brought her back to her family and what her father said. 'I will protect you!'
Andromeda was beginning to nudge some. The red sparks from the cuffs were working into her brain, causing her to whine and ache. Her maw opened wide, readying another blast.
"Sucker Punch!"
Before the attack could launch, a glowing purple sweep from Spiritomb sped across the face, stopping Andromeda's attack for a moment. Spiritomb looked down at Duncan to see what he was gonna say. He only stared, but seemed satisfied.
"This is your last opening. Make it count!" he shouted.
Sophie nodded. "Thanks, Duncan." As her memories flourished around her in a massive helix. "Everyone, attack!"
Kadabra raised his spoon and summoned dazzling energy in the base of it. As he charged, so did Finneon with a sudden spherical shape of water. Their own powers were amplifying, and overhead, Staryu's energy core was charging up Psywave.
"I'm ready!" Araquanid shouted. "Let's have at it!"
"Let's GO!" Kadabra screamed with all his might, firing a streaky bright blue beam with yellow and pink circles. It was Psybeam, and it closed in fast.
Finneon screamed as she twirled her body in midair, firing the new Water Pulse with a misty ripple thanks to her earlier Storm Drain Ability.
Staryu launched its Psywave, making a kinetic energy wave beam ahead.
The attacks followed behind Araquanid as he closed in with Bite. He screeched out violently as his attack was coupled by the moved coming from behind. They all combined as they followed and surrounded Araquanid up to his fangs. A field of kinetic energy and water rippled around him as his fangs lengthened some more, opening wide as he jumped the cuff. He snapped down hard, creating a multicolored flared in the fangs thanks to the Psychic-type attacks infused to caused such force.
Andromeda shrieked violently as the left-hand cuff was feeling immense pressure. It tried nullifying the attack, but the Bite was too powerful, especially with typing. Including the other attacks infused, the sealing magic's iron hold was starting to crack.
Sophie's eyes glowed as her body was surrounded by a spring-colored whirlwind. Traces of neon swirled into the front. They became close to neon flames, taking shape of a peacock. Once she was ready and aimed for the right cuff, she let it all out.
"Memory-Make: Peacock Bravery Soar!"
The peacock-shaped energy shot like a bullet across the sky, aiming for the cuff with a shrilled caw. Sophie put her hands out and screamed uproariously to make the attack zoom faster than intended. It almost tripled in speed, becoming a blur.
Andromeda let out a shrilled cry, unable to do anything as she couldn't move because of Ophiuchus.
CRACK!
Energy metal shattered everywhere as time slowed down drastically. Just as the peacock energy sped pass the right cuff, Araquanid's force finally bit off the left cuff. Everything went silent as the cuffs' remained crackled and fell everywhere, while Andromeda's eyes were wide in disbelief.
Everyone else watched the attacks fade away, finishing strongly with a glinting finish. They all watched as Araquanid and Spiritomb drifted back to the ground for distance. Looking back up, they stared expectantly as the seal to Andromeda was lifting.
Her body completely calm, the spirit's body glowed, turning slowly to golden energy that faded skywards. Ophiuchus was loosening herself as she and everyone watched Andromeda's stone-cold eyes returned to normal. Her large brown eyes could see clearly again. She looked down at her giant frame, looking at her hands to find them completely free of shackles. Even as her lower-half was dissipating, she was still in shock that she could feel free from those accursed restraints. She looked at her surroundings, seeing Tophet present. She noticed Ophiuchus, then Sophie, and then Duncan. She ultimately came to conclusion as she realized what they did.
Her eyes started misting, her relief finally coming true. "Thank you…" Those were the only words she whispered before fading away, her head and body turning to golden twinkles that ascended into the sky.
Everyone watched as Andromeda was finally put at rest, her soul finally free to move on into the next part of the afterlife that she was held off from for so long.
Ophiuchus continued observing the sky, hissing in mocking gratitude of the person she saved. It wasn't what she expected, but she still helped. She saved her, that was enough in some limelight.
Sophie finally sunk to her knees, heaving heavily. It was finally over. They won. She raised her head to look at the sky, a smile crossing her face. 'I did it…I really did it…'
Duncan was able to catch his breath, but he looked towards Tophet. They freed Andromeda and now they had won. But to him, he still felt like something was wrong. And Tophet's glare back at him proved it.
To those who can see closely, beneath the dark moustache, he started to loosely smile.
"Buizel, Water Gun! Roggenrola, Headbutt!" Kane ordered. Buizel took in a large breath and fired another blast of water into the horde in a long arch. Roggenrola huffed as he tucked in his head and rammed it hard into a Parasia. They were all knocked down, with the latter's force shoving many into the river to shrivel.
Magikarp continued flopping about. With the rain active, he was making sure to stay ahead of himself. He looked more determined than ever.
As Kevin drifted over the sea river, Parasia were watching the rainwater fill up the ravine quickly. Those close had to step away, allowing Kevin to get some shots in.
"Swadloon, Razor Leaf!"
Above, Swadloon's leaves glowed and he fired sharp glowing leaves down onto his foes. "Look out from above~!" He bombarded the Parasia below with sharp slices and attacks that didn't let up. The eruptions and Parasia wailing beneath continued towards the edge of the trench, where Joey's barrier dissipated.
'There!'
Kevin descended to the ground, finally getting to the back. He deactivated the lacrima kite and stood on his feet with Swadloon against the mastermind of the army. He stared down the Parasia Queen, her one eye keeping track of him.
"GroooOOOOOoohh…" The beast lowly growled down at Kevin and Swadloon. They got on their guards as they glared eye to eye with the beast.
"Alright you bitch, I'm only gonna ask you once. Where. Is. She?" He got another gurgle as a response, irking his ire. "And you know who I'm talking about. You're smart enough to know."
The Parasia Queen's gurgles simmered as her cyclopean eye blinked. As if amused by Kevin's bold endeavor, a blue wave emanated from her body. The command she sent out was soon responded with Kevin and Swadloon on guard.
Coming forward was another Parasia in human form. Kevin didn't have to ask to know if this was a fake. To him, the look in her eyes was all he needed to know this was the real deal. His shock grew on his face.
"Ella…"
Joey backpedaled as Magikarp flopped to his side. He spun and caught the fish in midair, using him as a mace to smack a Parasia. He whistled in amazement. "New record." He looked over to where the Parasia Queen was glaring at Kevin. He could barely see Ella talking to him. 'Guess it's all up to him now. So now…we just gotta do our part!' He tightened his grip on Magikarp, infusing him in a prism of barrier. 'Gotta keep improving!' He slid his heel across the ground, bringing Magikarp's encased body around. 'So I don't die!'
With a swift swing, the armored smack sent more Parasia to the trenches, globbing them with seawater that made them flail to their deaths.
"Pick up the pace, guys!"
"What do you think we're doing?" Kane chimed, swiping his arm to make Whirlipede swing his Poison Tail, smashing away Parasia into the water. "We can't keep them at bay forever, Joey. Tell your friend to hurry up whatever it is he's doing!"
"You hear that, Mister P! Get on with it!" he hollered out.
The chaos behind Kevin mattered not to him. At the moment, his mind and body were in complete standstill as he was once again face to face with his little girl. Her hollow eyes were reminiscent of his own, though they seem far less sincere than what they should really be.
Swadloon slipped on up. "No, Swadloon. Stand down."
"Are you sure about this?" he worried. "Y'all be in serious baddy-bad."
"I know. But trust me on this." Kevin stepped up, leaving Swadloon behind to watch the rear so no other Parasia could advance. As he held down the fort, Kevin stood before Ella, completely solitary.
"Ella…"
"Hello, Papa." Her mind-controlled voice took over, glaring down her victim. "Mama is happy to see you again."
Kevin looked towards the monster that was supposedly Ella's mother. Her one eye was fixed on him with seemingly less anxiety. It was like she knew how anxious he was in the face of death. Regardless he stayed calm.
"I can see that." He started. "But this isn't about 'Mama' right now. Ella, this is about you."
Ella slowly blinked.
"Listen, I know that what I said about you seeing your mom again, it'd be at that…but are you really okay with this?"
Ella meekly smiled. "It matters not. It is Mama's will to continue her life. Once we have found a current to drift the island to land, she can feed endlessly and evolve further."
Kevin sighed. "So that's it then, you're just gonna stand there and let her tell you how to think and feel, is that it?"
"It's how the food chain is. The child does whatever it can for its parent. It must do its part, or it shall be disposed. That is the will of nature itself. Humans are no different."
She wasn't exactly wrong. Kevin wasn't so keen on biology or science, but he knew what she was talking about. He knew this was the creature's influence on her as one of her deluded minions. He stayed calm despite these instances.
"Maybe, but then again, maybe not." He reasoned. "There's a lot more to it than one-sided."
"Is Papa certain that he knows more about facts than what Mama has gained in eons of absorbing human intelligence? If one cannot function, then they are not welcome into a society. So, to continue my existence, I must obey."
"Ella, you don't have to-!" Kevin felt a harsh pain when Ella jabbed her tendril into his shoulder.
"Oh no!" Swadloon gasped. He immediately moved in to help him.
"No, don't." He thwarted Swadloon's attempts at saving him. "It's fine…just…keep back." It felt weird and draining as hell, but he did his absolute to keep his head high. The earlier sensation of being drained made him dizzy, but now he was feeling parched. Must be a side-effect.
Huffing tiredly, he wheezed as he worked sow steps, trudging towards Ella with heavily shaking steps. The Parasia Queen eyed Kevin eerily as he ventured closer to her child.
"Yeah, I admit it. Back then, I really wasn't the best at looking out for you. What you said about me earlier, isn't far from the truth. I have a problem…about being a pervert. How I amuse myself too often with those slender, meaty…thick…" He was beginning to daze into his perverted fantasies, but snapped himself out of it before he was too far in. "But you also knew what I was feeling. You know what I mean."
Ella said nothing. Her tendril arm continued slowly draining Kevin's Ethernano and DNA.
"It's fine…that you chose your mom over me. Ladies are better at tending to their children; nursing them; taking care of them. I always thought that I wasn't cut out for any of that. I never thought about having kids because of that reason…until I met you."
Ella shot her other arm as a tendril that latched onto Kevin's other shoulder. The man winced at the pain he was enduring, his teeth gritted so bad as he continued walking forward. He had to, for her.
"This adventure we shared, we both had some crazy times, haven't we? You've met your crazy Uncles and seen all these creatures running about. We've been in a lot of deathly experiences that almost got us killed. But somehow we still made it through. And the more time we've spent together, the closer I feel we came."
Ella and Kevin were inches away from each other. The man dropped to his knees, unable to stand. His face started paling, but he persevered. "A-and…I realized…I needed to tell you something…"
Ella's eyes widened when she felt Kevin's embrace. Despite the rainfall and both being wet, Kevin's embrace was surprisingly warm. He slung his arms behind her neck as he kept her close.
"Ella, sweetie…I love you."
Ella's fixation was at a complete lost. "You…love me…?" She was so confused, her dull eyes were starting to show light. "I…do not understand. How could you…love me?"
"Because…it's simple." He mustered what strength he could to show a bright smile over his shoulder. "It's because you're my daughter."
For the second time, she was completely baffled. The Parasia Queen gurgled aggressively at Kevin's attempts.
"Joey. Dereece. Those two buffoons feel the same way. We all love you. They enjoyed having you around…I enjoyed having you around. You helped me realize that I was actually capable of genuinely caring for someone than my own balls." He started quivering. "And I know…deep down…you feel just as connected as we are."
Ella's mind drew complete blank. She was acting on orders and instincts from her mother, but her father's influence was drawing out everything in her subconscious. She was starting to see the first time she met Kevin, how yesterday they had gotten used to being around one another.
The hollowness in her eyes was almost fully gone. The Parasia Queen growled as she sent a blue wave to Ella's body, causing her mind to strain harder.
"Gnnngh…no. You are a fool." Ella testified. "What…can you understand about me?"
Kevin felt Ella's struggle, but continued holding her tight. "It's just like you said…I'm your Papa."
Ella's eyes widened again.
"You know what that means, we're family. And family sticks together. Ella…I'm so sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have ran off like a coward and leave you behind. I was scared…and confused…and I know I have a hard time expressing my feelings…but I know this is how I feel now."
Ella grunted, trying to strain for her own words. "But…how can you possibly love me, when I'm the one who's trying to kill you? You…you should be angry at me. Trying to kill me!"
Kevin hugged her tighter, leaning head into her own. "Because…I'm not your mother..." he was finding it hard to talk since his energy was getting low, but he was doing his best to keep going. "Maybe because of the way wild animals live and the humans before that they think realistically…but…real parents should also be looking out for their kids. To make sure…they learn their wrongs and press on."
Ella's strained mind started calming. Her distraught gaze was flashing her back to the times when Kevin made sure she stayed Close. To hold onto her and be safe. The time when she wandered off on her own came back to a fretting Kevin made this all but a fact.
"To love them…no matter what they are…or become. I realized that…even if you didn't want me…at least I was glad…to have met one person that for once I was a positive influence on…" his eyes misted harder to the point of tears. "And as your disgrace of a Dad…let me just say…thank you…so much…for letting name my little girl."
Ella recalled that time as well. Her eyes shrunk when she had that memory – a very fond memory of happiness.
"I got it. We'll name you after my late-grandma. So sweetie…how does 'Ella' sound?"
"Ella…?" The girl scrunched her face in confusion. "Ella…and…this is my…name now?"
"Yes. Ella."
"Ella…" The girl softly smiled, perhaps even more genuine than before. "I like it! I have a name now!"
"Pa…pa…" Her body started quaking. The parasite's mind was racing a hundred miles a second. She didn't know why she was starting to feel so emotional, but everything that Kevin said was breaking every will of the mother. Endlass flashes of the adventures they had kept rushing, and there was no way of stopping them.
With his conscience fading, Kevin smiled as his ethernano and energy were almost gone. He was pale all over and his heart was slowing down. 'I guess…this is it…' he mused. 'Oh well…at least…for once…I could tell someone in my life what I felt about them…' He started slipping off of Ella.
"Kevin, NO!" Joey and Dereece screamed.
CLUTCH!
The Parasia Queen looked wide-eyed down below, as did Joey and everyone afar. Swadloon looked especially surprised at what he witnessed.
"Gnnngh…" Feeling his conscience still with him, Kevin meekly opened his eyes. 'Am I…dead? Why am I so warm?'
Wrapped around Kevin's ribs, there weren't tendrils…but arms. Hugging him, Ella was holding her father upright with her face forward. She had a blank stare as tears were flowing freely from her eyes.
Kevin looked up to her. "Ella…?"
"I can feel it…you really love me." She was leaning her forehead into his own. Like before, an odd sensation linked the two together. Their tears flowed as their eyes locked with another. "You…really do care about my well-being…"
"Ella…"
"Papa…Papa…" Her tears flowed harder as she hugged him tighter. "PAPA~!" she cried out loud, holding Kevin as tight as she could. "Papa! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Kevin softly smiled, returning the hug to his daughter. "I know…you can think for yourself. You're smarter than me, you know. And I'm glad for that."
"Papa…"
Everyone behind watched as the two made up. The rainfall from earlier diminished, the Rain Dance leaving the area and showing the open fissure, casting a bright light onto Kevin and Ella as they cried on the other's shoulder.
Dereece brightly smiled. 'Well done, Kev. Well done.'
Kevin and Ella pulled away from each other, smiling contently. "Papa…if you love me...then I love you, too. I'm sorry I worried you."
Kevin snickered. "You little brat. I told you not to make me worry about you."
"GROOOOOHHHH!"
The booming gurgles of the Parasia Queen caught them by surprise, their touching reconcile cut short. The pair turned towards their new threat, and she looked pretty pissed.
"Mama, I'm sorry. But I have decided. I am not your minion any longer!"
The Parasia Queen gurgled as light blue waves were reaching Ella. Immediately she was straining from the control over her body. She fell to a knee as she clung her head tight.
"Fight it, Ella! Do it for our sake!" Kevin angrily stood, despite how wheezed out he was. "As for you, you wanna get to my daughter…you're gonna have to go through me!" he boasted with pride.
With one swing of her many tendrils, the Parasia Queen smacked Kevin down.
"Papa!" Ella screamed. The shock she felt snapped her out of the headache as she ran up to her father. "Are you okay?"
The Parasia Queen lifted a tendril high above Ella's head and brought it down. Shocked, Ella was suddenly rolled away by Kevin as he flipped her onto his other side, protecting her. "You okay…sweetie?" he hissed.
Ella nodded beneath. "Above!"
Kevin looked up just as several tendrils went raining like arrows down onto him. Suddenly a turquoise energy shield appeared, deflecting all the tendrils. Swadloon swiveled in front with his triangular mouth.
"Swadloon." Kevin gasped.
The Protect faded, allowing Swadloon to open his mouth and spit out String Shot. The laces of silk spread across the Parasia Queen as a blue aura signaled her speed dropping. "Sorry ma'am, but this little sweetheart is off the menu."
Ella reached pass Kevin and morphed her arm as a tendril, jabbing the queen right in her eye. The queen hissed painfully at the retort of its rebellious offspring. "That's for making me kill Papa!"
"Oh, bet she wasn't too happy about that." Swadloon swooned.
"That's what she said." Kevin mused, his health low and time to recover, he reached back and pulled out an Oran Berry – the same one Ella got him earlier. Another gift from his daughter.
The Parasia Queen opened her cyclopean eye slowly and growled. "GROOOOOH!" Her howl of anger caused the Parasia around to slowly turn towards the threat at hand. They faced Kevin and Ella, the two looking back at the numbers around them.
"Looks like she isn't playing nice anymore." Kevin glared.
"That's what she said…yes?" Ella was somewhat unsure of her testimony, until Kevin smirked.
"Yeah, exactly."
Noticing the Parasia changing their directives, the guys looked ahead to see Kevin, Ella, and Swadloon in one place. "Looks like Kevin finally got through to her." Dereece grinned.
"Yes, yes, that's very touching. Now can we please hurry this along?" Kane huffed.
"He's right. No time for the sentiments. Right now we need to get to them and help." Joey held his Magikarp beside him. "Dereece, you stay with Kane and help keep the Parasia on your tail. I'll go and help Kevin stop the queen."
"On it!" Dereece nodded.
"Suit yourself." Kane interjected. "Just try to keep up. I expect that much from Joey's handyman."
"Is that so important right now?!" Dereece chose to focus on the battle and reached. "Stunfisk, go!"
Stunfisk flopped into the air and reared his head back. "Oi! Don't mind me playing dirty!" He inhaled deeply, expelling a large glob of mud that shot like a bomb, exploding at the distracted Parasia beneath him. The explosion shuddered everything within the area, even the ground.
Stunfisk landed, laughing at his own joke.
"Wha…?" Dereece stuttered, seeing the attack was stronger than intended.
"That was Mud Bomb." Kane scoffed. "Seems you're lucky that you learned something stronger." He turned towards the army and swiped his arm. "Now, Buizel, Swift!" His Buizel jumped into the air, swinging his tail around to send glowing golden stars that struck Parasia offspring.
Dereece turned away from the explosion smiling. "Yeah now we're getting somewhere. Go, everyone!"
Heracross tucked in his horn and used Horn Attack, blowing away Parasia. With his back turned, two viruses growled as they crept up behind him. Out of the blue, Beedrill's stingers jabbed their heads repeatedly, puncturing them to mush. "I sting yo face!" he declared aggressively. He turned towards his rival. "I sting yo face!"
Heracross turned back, grinning. "Thanks for that." He and Beedrill were back to back around Parasia. Yanma took a break to perch herself on his horn. The Bug-types were ready to keep going.
"Pin Missile!" Quilladin fired green streams with white orbs that blasted the ground and Parasia nearby. The confusion and all the viruses were completely blindsided when suddenly a swift blur rushed through them.
"GAHAHAHAHA! I'M A ROLLER COASTER MISSILE TRAIN!" Raticate shouted, barreling through the army with Quick Attack. Over his head, Tranquill shot his Quick Attack as well, angling higher due to his height, he added more force that erupted numbers around them.
"Your turn!" Krabby insisted, swinging his glowing red-orange claw onto a Parasia head, via Rock Smash.
Joey nodded. He knew the checkers-obsessed crustacean had a point. It was now or never. He seized Magikarp and held him high. "Alright…let's go! Charge!" He raced ahead in the opening, barreling towards the next big foe.
Swadloon's mouth glowed white as the rims got surprisingly sharp for Bug Bite. He parried the queen's tendril by biting down on it, nipping it to where they were both cancelled out. The queen released several more tendrils that reached pass Swadloon for their intended targets.
Thanks to String Shot slowing her down, this gave Kevin enough time to pull out his lacrima kite and set Ella on it. She ascended into the air and Kevin ducked from the tendrils.
"Swadloon, Razor Leaf!"
His eyes gleaming back, Swadloon's top glowed bright and he released a funnel of shredding leaves that sliced into the queen's tendrils. They were sliced apart, leaving broken tendrils to retreat behind the queen. He landed in front of his Trainer, beaming proudly.
The queen looked angrier until tendrils came down onto her, jabbing her. Roaring, she glared skywards, seeing Kevin's lacrima kite sail with Ella. Her attention turned on the traitor, summoning a dozen tendrils from her gelatinous body. She fired them at Ella, but with her maneuverability with the kite allowed her to outmaneuver the attack.
With another opening, Kevin reached his arm out. "Swadloon, Bug Bite!" Swadloon jumped for the queen again.
The queen wasn't fooled this time. Her pupil glared down at Swadloon and moved a spare tendril into his abdomen, sending him crashing on his back and doubling over.
"Swadloon, you okay?"
Swadloon huffed from that harsh push. "Oof…man, she can play rough."
"GroooOOOOOoooHHHH!" Releasing another below, the queen's powers caused the caverns to shudder. Ella immediately picked up on the formation erupting and maneuvered her kite. Stalactites of rock appeared around the ceiling as she was maneuvering. As she swerved, several more were blocking her off.
With a clear shot, the Parasia queen launched her tendrils at Ella's slowed stature.
"Ella! Jump now!"
With no choice, Ella leaped off the lacrima kite as it was struck by the tendrils, sending into the ceiling. Kevin ran over and held his arms out to catch her as she fell. The force of her fall onto him made him floor, but it preserved Ela. The lacrima kite reverted to its spherical form and drifted to Kevin's side.
"Ella…are you hurt?" he groaned.
Ella nodded. "Yes, Papa."
The queen unleashed another gurgle that caught their attention. She released another dozen tendrils that barreled into them. Swadloon stepped in front and created another Protect, stopping the tendrils yet again. But the queen kept releasing bombarding blasts of the tendrils, making Swadloon grunt as he tried holding the barrier.
'She isn't gonna give us another chance, We've gotta find an opening, and quick!'
The queen raised her body higher, her frame almost completely above Kevin, Ella, and a backtracking Swadloon. She gurgled as she was ready to gobble them all up, much to their horror.
"HIYA!" A sudden fish thrown at her made her blink. It felt like a small bump that surprised her. Looking down, she noticed that a fish that flopping between her and her victims.
"How you like them apples!" Joey accused. "Taste fish!"
"Joey!" Kevin chirped, slight surprise in his voice.
"You guys okay back there? Just sit tight. Kevin, looked after Ella!" he turned towards the Parasia Queen, cracking his knuckles. "Let her Uncle show how to kick ass."
The queen let out a loud gurgle that ran through the atmosphere. Magikarp down below flopped with a readied expression.
"Magikarp, let's go!"
"I'm ready this time!" he declared. In the face of the Parasia Queen, he wasn't going to give up so easily. This time, unlike the other battles, he wasn't gonna back down or be useless. It was time to act on his instincts and prove his training!
The queen swatted at the fish. "Splash!" Magikarp began flopping around the ground, moving over and around the tendrils. He landed and looked up, seeing a tendril slam down. He flopped out of the way as the ground shattered in front.
Joey pointed ahead. "Now use Tackle!" Magikarp gurgled as he flopped into the Parasia Queen. However, her gelatinous mass bounced him off no problem. 'She's got a soft body. Our attacks will just bounce off if they're direct.'
The queen gurgled as her tendrils were in dozens. She launched them again at Magikarp.
"Barrier-Make: Hemisphere!" Joey created a large half-circle shield around himself and Magikarp. The tendrils bounced right off, but a few passed the shield for Kevin and Ella. Swadloon shifted in front and activated Protect again. The two shields were taking fire from her nonstop tendrils shooting down at them. They couldn't find any room to get pass them.
'She's not gonna let up. We have to hit her fast and at her weak point.' Joey figured, his brow furrowing. 'So how are we gonna…'
He looked down at Magikarp, an idea forming in his noggin. The fish looked back at him, his determination set. They looked at one another as silence fell. A period of wonder soon ended when Magikarp nodded in approval.
"Magikarp…" Joey was stunned, but it was replaced with a steeled heart. "Okay, you're on!"
Magikarp faced forward, set to strike. Joey brought down his barrier for the tendrils to come to them.
"Go Magikarp, Tackle!" Magikarp flopped off the ground towards the tendrils. He and the tendrils closed in on another, speeding remarkably fast.
Kevin looked on, wonder overflowing. 'What's Joey thinking? Magikarp isn't gonna be strong enough to handle all those at once.' He looked at Joey to see him take a stance, breathing slowly. 'Wait…that stance. Is he actually thinking of…?'
His focus set, Joey eyed the timing just right. 'Not yet…not yet…' He narrowed his eyes. 'NOW!'
"Barrier-Make: Dragon Ram!"
As Magikarp was inches away from being swarmed by the mass of tendrils, a turquoise barrier in the shape of a Chinese dragon head protected the fish. The tendrils were repulsed and the force of Joey's attack shoved Magikarp higher at the base of the head surrounding him.
"Did Captain really just…!" Dereece looked ahead, dumbfounded.
Kane smirked maliciously. "Well, well, who would've guessed Joey would have a trick like that. How interesting…for now." His eyes sharpened with eagerness.
"Let him have it, Magikarp!" Joey encouraged.
With all his flimsy, fishy might, Magikarp rushed with the dragon-shaped ram armoring his attack. He smashed into the queen's abdomen with extra force applied. The impact created an intense shock that caused her to gurgle in riling agony.
Joey smirked at what his little trick did. 'I knew that would make Magikarp a lot stronger.' He thought briefly to Broly using his barrier armor for battle and how indestructible it was. 'I'm not to that level yet, but at least this way, I know I'm on the right track. I can not only protect myself, but my friends too…' His gaze was fixed on Magikarp specifically. It reminded him of himself. 'We won't ever give up.'
The barrier ram around Magikarp dissipated, his frame in midair. The queen's cyclopean eye dilated and expanded on the fish in midair. Magikarp gulped as he was so close to the monster, and he was unable to escape.
"GRRROOOOOHHH!"
In a violent swing of her tendrils, the queen bashed Magikarp with all her might. The flimsy fish was slammed into the river afar, creating a harsh splash.
"Magikarp!" Joey shouted.
The Parasia Queen gurgled as she eyed the mage. He looked towards her to see her intentions. Beneath him, the ground was shaking apart by her powers, causing him to turn wobbly on the spot. Slamming her tendrils on the ground, a mound of rock jetted pushed Joey, causing him to squeal as he was pushed into the water.
"Captain Joey!" Dereece shouted.
The seawater continued rushing, but Joey found it in him to rise again. Gasping for air, he coughed out a little water. "Magikarp! Magikarp!" he yelled between coughed. "Buddy?!" After a few attempts and looking around, Magikarp's body resurfaced, battered and weakened. He hurriedly swam over, grabbing him before he drifted too far.
"Magikarp, stay with me! Are you okay?" Joey looked for any signs of fatal injury in the water. It stung like hell on him but he chose to ignore it.
Magikarp winced from that harsh lash he sustained, but he opened his eyes. "Ugh…I-I've felt better…"
The Parasia Queen let out another harsh howl that rung through the chambers. A small shake caused everyone to nearly lose footing as she was changing the landscape again to suit whatever she had in store next.
"What's going on now?" Dereece panicked.
Ella held onto Kevin as her Parasia senses were picking up on her theories. Her eyes shrunk as a small breath escaped her mouth.
"Ella, what is it?" Kevin questioned.
Joey held onto Magikarp as they floated down the channel. "Okay buddy, that sucked, really." He told him. "But now we're mad! Wait until we get back there and – say, are you hearing running water?" He thought it was his hearing aids playing tricks on him, but the sound got louder by the second.
Magikarp looked up ahead, his whole body shaking. "Uh, Joey…?"
"What is it?" he turned towards downstream, seeing a complete drop off. His eyes slowly widened. "Ooooooh…crud."
Up ahead was a complete 90degress turn, the water that once made the stream they used to escape had turned into a waterfall that plunged into rocky spikes that waited at the very bottom. With it so far down it was too dark to tell, but enough light could show the pointed ends.
Joey screamed in hysterical panic, immediately turning around and holding onto Magikarp as the fish swam for his life. "Swim buddy! Swim for your life!" he yelled before resuming his screaming.
"Captain!" Dereece fret. "I gotta get over there and fast!" He moved to get to the river, but was immediately denied when Parasia surrounded him. He grunted at his situation. "Aw man, you kidding me?!"
"Blast it." Kane was by Whirlipede as they too were surrounded with no room.
"AHHHHH!" Joey kicked as the current was dragging him and Magikarp, despite their efforts, they were only delating the inevitable. The current was too powerful. "No! I'm too sexy to be dumped into a well! Magikarp, I need you buddy! I mean, like, right now!"
Magikarp hastily continued swimming, but he wasn't getting anywhere. He pulled even harder, only getting a little motion forward.
"That's it! Swim! Swim!" Joey's hopes arose until Magikarp slowed down. His earlier battle wounds were slowing him down. "Aw come on!" He drifted closer towards the waterfall, holding onto Magikarp for dear life.
This was a big problem. Tranquill and Yanma went over as fast as they could, but the queen's outraging tendrils slowed them down. Tranquill had to back away with Yanma, and everyone else was either tired out or surrounded. There was no one to come for them.
'Snap, this is getting bad. My magic is as dense as glass. Even if we survived the fall, we'll probably end up sinking. Of course Magikarp can handle it, but I might…'
Joey knew the circumstances that could come, and he didn't like them. But looking at Magikarp so exhausted, no to mention their situation; at the very least, it was worth trying to protect someone. Bracing, Magikarp suddenly felt his Trainer's hold loosen somewhat. He stopped struggling, turning back towards Joey.
"Magikarp…stay close…I'll protect you. No matter what."
Magikarp felt awestruck as he looked at his Trainer's brave face. He didn't look like he was giving up, even when he was too exhausted. The fish couldn't help but blame himself, but looking back at it, it really wasn't…right?
With a possible fatal fall awaiting, Magikarp's life flashed before his eyes. He recalled the time on the beach where he was almost eaten by a Pelipper, only to be saved by dumb luck and a volleyball. He was so weak it was plain sad to even him. He was saved and met his soon-to-be Trainer, Joey. The fact that he was captured didn't surprise him as much as the effort Joey put into relating to him. They trained relentlessly, and Joey pushed himself to do better.
The battles he's had since then flared in his mind. He was flashing to the times Joey used him as a mace – against all discretions. Still, even when it hurts, he never let himself down by giving up, neither on himself or others. Seeing his Trainer continue to look after and hold him despite what they've been through, he had to do something. They worked too hard.
The flashbacks and – more or less interesting – memories they've shared repeatedly flashed in his head, overlapping constantly until it dragged him to now. In a prolonged silence, Magikarp's expression had went from being stunned, to one of fury.
'We. Won't. QUIT!' Magikarp started swimming again, faster than he's ever been before. 'We won't quit! Not until we're dead! And I'm not dead yet…' He tucked his head to barrel in the current, picking up momentum. 'So I'll become strong…' He flashed to the many battles where he was helped by everyone able. 'So I can help them instead!'
"Captain!" Dereece panicked, seeing them on the brink of the falls.
The falls drew closer to the two going overboard. Magikarp kept swimming for his life while Joey clung on tight. Teeth gritted as Joey's wet feet could feel a curve.
"Keep going buddy…" he quivered. "KEEP GOI~NG!" The two made a complete drop down the side, falling into the abyss of darkness. Through it, Magikarp kept swimming the waterfall, fighting the futile currents that pulled them towards their deaths.
Dereece breathlessly gasped. Kane and Whirlipede turned around at Joey's disappearance. Kevin and Ella stared in horror. The individual Pokémon that watched were beyond stunned, and not in a positive way. The viruses around them looked just as surprised, if not unemotional to the circumstances.
As the sweater poured down the falls, the running water was all anyone heard. The Parasia Queen didn't seem to mind losing one victim. After all, she had three others full of potential.
At the base of the darkness, there was a weak light. The light continued growing until it became a little beacon.
Dereece gasped. "What's that…?"
Kevin and Ella were completely speechless.
"Hmhmhm…that pawn, always so lucky." Kane smirked.
The light bubbled skywards up the waterfall, ascending like a rocket. The light streamed upwards, making the water split apart as something was blitzing at an alarming speed. In the glowing water, there was spiky blonde hair, and a large, eager smirk. The figments grip tightened on the light as he soared skywards.
The light ascended beyond the waterfall while still treading water on either side like a jet. Everyone's eyes were wide open as the light was taking shape. It was a long serpentine figment that had massive fins and a fin-like tail. The light showed eyes opening wide inside and an ear-splitting bellow dissipated the light, revealing a new creature.
The creature's roars certainly backed up its monstrous looks. It was a massive, blue-scaled dragon-like creature with white fins segmented along the back. Its sides had tan-cream scales, with the whole underside being that same color. It had a broad armor-like exterior behind the head with a white fin. The head had blue whickers attached to a face with purple eyes, yellow lips, pointed fangs, and fins behind the cheekbones. What Joey was holding onto was the headpiece, which was a dark navy tri-tip crown that connected to the nostrils.
Time slowed drastically down for everyone as they gazed at the dragon as he roared. They couldn't believe it, not even the Parasia Queen. Even her shock was evident as she gurgled.
Atop the head, Joey peered down, smiling excitedly. "Hey guys, ya miss us?!"
"Joey?" Dereece gasped. "Then that means that Magikarp is…"
"No way." Kevin admired. He pulled out his PokeDex to make certain. The screen showed the titanic sea serpent that shot from the depths of the falls.
"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon. The energy from evolution stimulated its brain cells strongly, causing it to become very ferocious."
Kevin looked back at the creature, smirking. "Well I'll be damned. Joey finally made his Magikarp evolved. Guess the little guy deserved it after all."
Gyarados came down on land, his weight crushing several Parasia at once. The dust cleared, revealing his sharp eyes gleaming at all the viruses and the queen in the distance. When Gyarados locked eyes with her, he snarled. His Intimidate Ability activated, making blue auras envelop all of them.
The queen in defense dilated her eyes. She hollered, emanating blue waves to her minions that started for the gigantic threat rivaling her size.
"Gyarados." Joey started. "Let's show them what real power we've got."
Gyarados roared in compliance.
Behind was the first strike. Parasia fired tendrils towards Gyarados' back and Joey. Glancing back, Joey squinted, summoning a spherical barrier to block the tendrils. Parasia surprisingly jumped onto the shield and stuck like salamanders to keep hold until thee was an opening. The shield suddenly came down, leaving the Parasia in freefall for Gyarados to attack. His fangs glowing for Bite – his new move – the monster snapped the Parasia in front to mush and pivoted, smacking his large body and tail into the viruses and sending them either to mush on the ground or the seawater.
As they finished the pivot, Parasia below shot tendrils into Gyarados' face, but their puny strikes and thin arms didn't do anything, especially since their offenses were diminished.
"Bite!" Joey ordered.
Gyarados snapped his jaws on the thin arms, causing near-severing pain in the viruses. He brought his head around and sent them into the ground, splattering on their brethren.
Time slowed down as Joey's glare rivaled the queen's. They looked angrily at each other for respective reasons. Nothing was standing in their way. "Go, Gyarados!"
The giant amphibian screeched high into the atmosphere. He lurched forward, summoning a streak of water that flushed through the army awaiting him. With the monsters at bay, Gyarados got low and Joey rode him as he dashed across the water like a jet.
Kane's eyes widened. "That move, don't tell me-!"
Gyarados mowed through the forced with a shrilled battle cry. Those in his way were flattened when he blitzed like a jet across the smooth current that lead into the Parasia Queen. Barreling head-on, he smashed his body into her own, causing a massive tremor that nearly split the ground. The monster cried out as it slid along the ground, slamming into the cavern walls.
Gyarados caught his breath and blew steam out of his nose.
"Was that…also a new move?" Kevin questioned.
"Waterfall." He turned to Ella as she explained the move. "That was the new move Gyarados learned along with Bite, another attack with a mild chance of flinching an adversary."
"But how did he…?" Dereece was just as baffled until he looked back at the waterfall the Parasia Queen created in the back. 'Did he learn that when going up the waterfall?'
Gyarados hollered as the queen emerged from the rocks. She groaned as she dislodged herself and snarled at the monster. She summoned several tendrils, all ready to strike.
"Use Splash!"
The tendrils launched, but Gyarados jumped up, spinning his body to dodge the tendrils. His flopping made him some good heights.
"Now, Tackle!"
He came down onto the queen, but she summoned tendrils to strike back at Gyarados. The two interjected until Gyarados was repulsed. He crashed onto the ground several meters away from her. The queen growled as she shot even more tendrils again at Gyarados to smack him. He veered away from each blow, making sure to not take any damage.
"Wait for it." Joey ordered. He eyed one tendril in particular slapping at them. "And…Bite, now!"
Gyarados let out a primal cry as he snapped his jaws down on the incoming tendril. His jaw power was so intense that the queen was powerless when Gyarados hauled her huge towards him. Using her intelligence, she had no choice but to sever the tendril, allowing it to turn to mush.
Joey put his arms forward and created the same stance. "Barrier-Make: Dragon Ram!" With the range close, he summoned another barrier in the shape of a Chinese dragon head that roared. He sent the barrier as a prolonged stream at the queen as she recoiled, hitting her directly in the eye. With her lowered speed from Swadloon before, she wasn't able to do anything but holler and wail.
"Oh my…" Swadloon huffed. "How ferocious…but a tough body." He swooned.
Ella gasped, turning towards Kevin. "Papa! We can do this!"
Realizing their situation, Kevin nodded. "You're right. Swadloon, support Ella!"
Swadloon did as told and moved in front. Ready to attack again, the Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon opened his mouth, unleashing String Shot at the Parasia. She was tangled in the thread, stopping her. This allowed Ella to use her tendril arms to wrap around the silk, holding firm onto her mother.
The mother unleashed a shrilled cry as her tendrils were going everywhere around her surroundings. She screams loudly for freedom as her body wasn't keeping up.
Still atop of Gyarados, Joey sighed. "Okay…this is it…" He reached back. "It's our turn now."
"Uncle Joey! Now!" Ella shouted.
"You heard her! Now before she breaks free!" Kevin scolded.
Gyarados snarled s he readied his final assault. He seemingly was talking out to Joey.
"Yeah, I understand." From behind, he pulled out the stone that Dereece and Kevin used before. "So I guess, this is our chance now." He flashed back to the battles he and Magikarp had before. 'We've came a long way, and in such a short amount of time. Now…' his eyes bloomed with fury. "It's time for all that effort to pay off! Let's do it!" He held the stone high, making it glint.
Dereece saw the object in Joey's hand. "That stone, don't tell me he's gonna…!"
Kane was skeptical about the chances, but he wasn't willing to risk it. "Whirlipede, ready Protect!" His Whirlipede hissed as he moved in front, activating the move. "Buizel, Roggenrola! To my side!"
They did as told and moved behind Kane. They tucked in as the turquoise shield came up to protect them.
"This one is in dedication to Ella! And to all those people you've sucked their futures from!" He clutched the stone, empowering him with a strange insignia with a Z pattern on it. The aura flowed from his body onto Gyarados, causing the creature to have that same pattern that caused an enormous pressure to build up around him. The ground split apart from his bulk and pressure combined.
The shockwaves of his release was making everyone nearby cover up. Thanks to Kane's intuition, his team was spared from the drawbacks. But he was still amazed at what he was seeing.
"Gyarados…GO!" Joey punched forward. "End this nightmare, so we can party to the next week!"
Gyarados released a shrilled roar as his Tackle power was at full capacity. His eyes glinted bright red, before his entire body rushed like a full-speed train across the land. The ground turned to churned trenches that had air pockets burst that lead towards the incapacitated queen. She let out a warning cry as her body wasn't able to respond to the glowing bright yellow light closing in on her. Her pupil shrunk as she let out a bloody, shrilled cry that echoed through the sound barrier breaking in the wake. Everything went silent for a split second as a bright ripple exerted before an explosion of dust, white, and water shattered everything. The shockwaves were immediately rushed after everyone, in which Kevin shielded Ella, and Swadloon used Protect to cover both. The shockwaves diced up the ground and blew away the Parasia minions. Dereece wailed as he was sent flying from the shock. But thanks to his magic, he got vertical with the ground and kneeled in the air, holding himself firm while everything else stirred in the chaos and destruction.
'What…power!' Dereece was at a complete loss through the shockwaves. 'Captain, your Magikarp…he really did get strong!'
The shockwaves soon dialed down, revealing a large cloud of dust. From it, Gyarados emerged, expelling a primal roar while Joey glared ahead at the dust.
Laying in a large crater, there was a completely flattened queen. Her slimy bulk was lazily spread about. All her tendrils were sprawled around like thin laces wedged in the earth, and her large, sideways eye was dull, like a blind man with steam coming out of the bloodshot sides.
Joey and everyone looked down at the beast as its eyes weakly gazed of somewhere. On the edge of the crater, she noticed Ella staring sympathetically towards her. Her mournful gaze made the creature shudder with a disgusted scowl.
"Gr…gr…groooo…"
Ella closed her eyes, calmly accepting the fate f what's to come. "I'm sorry, Mama…but you brought this onto yourself." She muttered. "See you…somewhere else."
The mother gave one last growl before her eye rolled to the back of her gelatinous head. Her body went limp, the last of her life drained completely. Ella fell silent as she lowered her head; Kevin put a hand on her shoulder and smiled in comfort. Swadloon scudded closer to comfort as well.
Dereece, Kane, and their Pokémon walked over, meeting around the creature's demise.
"Looks like it's over…Captain Joey." Dereece said.
Joey sighed in relief. "Yeah, guess that's it." He turned towards Gyarados, beaming a smile. "Gyarados, I'm proud of you." He smiled wide. "Told you it'll pay off, didn't I?"
Gyarados lowly bellowed as he seemed delighted as well. He gently let his head down for Joey to pet him.
Kane eyerolled at the sight. He turned his attention towards Whirlipede, more invested in petting him instead.
"Look, behind us!" Quilladin pointed out.
Everyone turned around to see the swarm of Parasia still left were quivering. They seemed to be irresponsive and growling low, like they were aching. They all got wary as they saw some begin shriveling up.
"Look!" Heracross shouted, seeing one nearby floor and wilt to a dry husk.
Kevin blinked. "They're all…wilting away."
The Parasia around were wilting like flowers, their bodies drying up so fast like liquid was instead diffusing from their bodies instead. Many bodies twisted and fluttered to the ground at one time, it sounded like crumbling tissue paper. They were soon standing over all, their bodies littering the ground.
"Wow…so cwazy…" Raticate murmured before cackling lightly.
Krabby sighed in relief. "Well, now that we've won…" He held up a gameboard. "How about a game of checkers!"
"I STING YO FACE!" Beedrill backlashed, making Krabby shrink in fear.
Ella chuckled lightly. "Papa's Pokémon are so funny." She turned towards Kevin, seeing him sigh. "Papa."
"Hm? What is it?"
Ella smiled softly, the sincerity in her eyes clear as day. "Thank you. Because of you, I'm free…" her smile widened. "I'm truly free."
Kevin saw her light blush and smiling face. He couldn't help but smile dearly towards her. "Yeah…anything for my little girl."
All their sentiments were cut off when the island started shaking, causing them sheer surprise.
"Okay, what's happening now?!" Dereece fret. "Why is the ground shaking?!"
"Is someone using Earthquake or something?" Joey questioned.
Kane glanced around, his hasty stare sharpening.
"Now wait a minute." Kevin said, catching onto something. "Ella…?"
"Yes?"
"Didn't your mother say…that she used her powers to mold this entire island?"
Ella nodded.
"But wait, we just sent her packing." Dereece said, his eyes widening in realization. "Then…that means if she's dead, then…then…"
Ella had a straight face in the circumstances that were to come. "Yes…this island…it is breaking apart as we speak."
All over the island, the shaking was so intense that rocks and soil were beginning to crumble. Sediments and fissures were slowly opening through the forest that Joey and everyone trekked. At the base of these openings, seawater started to rise. The shorelines were flooding with ocean.
The river in the pit chambers started flooding everyone's feet; Kevin quickly picked up Ella to keep the seawater off her.
"The island is sinking?!" Dereece panicked. "We gotta move people, move!"
"Quick, everyone pull out your Escape Rope! We need to get out of here before we're blocked in!" Joey told them, which they reached for their supplies as water was rushing into the Parasia litter. "Now, move it!"
"Right!" They all used their Escape Ropes, everything around them whirling and spinning frantically. In a blur, they appeared in front of the cavern entrance.
Joey's eyes were a little spinny from that experience. "Oof, man. Talk about a rush." A harsh tremor beneath knocked him out of his shock. "A-Anyways! We gotta get off tis island, pronto!"
"I hear that." Dereece agreed. "But what about all the Pokémon on this island? We can't just leave them to drown!"
"Not to worry, I've taken care of that part all on my own." Kane smirked, earning confused stress from his peers, especially his nemesis.
"You did?" Joey blinked.
Kane chuckled. "Yes, very much so." He pulled out a small lacrima stone, which glowed to reveal a hologram of a boat that was cast far out. They could barely see the island in the background. "You see, I spent all of last night rounding up the inhabitance that you just so happened to have ran into and used my magic to simply move them all to a safe location."
Joey blinked in mild shock. He was actually impressed. "Wow…you know I didn't really think your creepy magic could do that."
Kane smirked. "Yes…so now I shall earn a rightful reward and hand these fine specimens to the Cambire Foundation. With that money, I can further expand the details of my next plan to kill you myself, Joey!"
Joey sweatdropped at the dramatic downplay of the scenario. "Uh…o-okay, that's not exactly…what we were going for." He nervously pointed a finger up. "Eh, I don't suppose that you have room for a couple more?"
"So sorry, but I'm afraid that I'm up to full capacity." Kane stepped into the shadows of a tree, pulling out a candle. "Besides, I'm sire that you'll figure it out. You are brilliant that way, right?"
"Uh…"
"It was a distasteful pleasure working with you, Captain Joey. This won't be the end for you...not yet at least..." Kane blew out the candle, instantly disappearing.
"Wait!" Dereece reached out, but he was too late. "Oh come on, man!"
"Man, talk about a jerk." Joey murmured. "Is anybody else starting to hate that guy?"
"Maybe, but right now we need to get the heck off this island, and we don't have a boat!" Dereece panicked.
"And it'll take hours for some uber boat can come pick us up like I took here." Kevin disgruntled.
They were short of time and resources, but Joey instantly rebounded. "Oh, don't worry about that." He smirked. "We've got transportation."
Dereece raised an unamused brow. "Captain…you have that look in your eyes. What are you thinking?"
He cockily chuckled. "Nothing a little improvising won't work. Isn't that right…Gyarados?"
Gyarados roared in understanding. Joey jumped on his back and climbed on top of his head. "All aboard! Final call before undocking!"
"Save me a seat for the ride~!" Swadloon insisted.
They all looked to each other before a harsh shake below made them jump onto Gyarados. They all recalled their Pokémon – save Swadloon – and held on tight as the dragon-like creature took off with a shrilling roar.
The island broke down, causing a massive shake that spouted seawater. In the caverns below, rock and deposits were being swallowed by the sea. The dead mother Parasia was helpless as she didn't have the strength to move. The seawater swallowed her, bringing her, along with the corpses of the dead, to a watery grave. The Queen's body was limp as the massive shadow of an island over her was slowly breaking, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Her eye remained wide as her body was slowly dissolving, leaving no traces as her slimy frame. The wilted minions followed soon after, turning to nothing.
As the island flooded and broke away, Gyarados took everyone away to safety, out by the sea. They all rode him with Joey on the head, pointing towards the horizon. The massive fish monster carried them along, howling outwards in triumph.
In the distance behind them, the dust was settling into the water, and the trees that were created and morphed had all its foliage plunder into the salty abyss. They all looked back to see bubbles were the island once was.
Joey sighed in relief. "Phew…that was a close one." He panted. "Is everyone okay down there?"
"Yeah, I think so." Dereece huffed, flopping on his front. "But I'm so~ tired."
"Yeah, me too." Kevin agreed. "But really, that was awesome."
"As you would put it, Papa…that's what she said." Ella said.
Kevin and everyone stopped and looked at each other. Kevin looked back with a widening smile. "That's my girl alright. Come here." He pulled her into a hug.
"Any room for me perhaps?" Swadloon swooned, earning raised brows from his peers.
Dereece sighed grimly. "Well, guess that job was a failure. That island was a fake the whole time, no wonder why the Cambire Foundation didn't have any topography on it."
"Yeah, that's a real bummer alright." Joey's disappointment quickly dispelled. "But hey, it wasn't a total loss, right?"
Dereece managed a soft grin. "Yeah, I guess so." He turned around. "Especially for ole' Kevin back there."
"Well that too…but I was talking about Gyarados here! Ha! Let's see how Duncan and the others like me now!"
Dereece sighed, expecting no less from his Captain. As Joey went on, he turned towards Kevin. "So, Kevin, what are you gonna do? Your mission was to find all those people, but they…"
Kevin mournfully frowned. "Guess I'll have to explain this to the client. I doubt they'll be happy with any of this…not that I blame them." He sighed.
In his ramblings, Joey stopped and looked down from his perch. "Hold up, don't you need evidence to prove that?"
Kevin snapped his fingers, showing his Search Magic with a series of images revolving around the bodies. "I've already taken care of that. My Search Magic connects with my ocular nerve, so I can save images I see, too."
Dereece looked down at the passing waves. "Well at least, they can rest easy now."
"Yeah."
Ella was silent behind her father, something that caught Swadloon's attention. "Ella, darling. It's okay." He comforted, though she still looked uncertain.
"But…I…"
"I know. And it's okay." Kevin said. "It's not your fault."
Ella looked down in regret of her actions. Though Kevin was right, she was literally born yesterday, but the memories that her past siblings devoured were engraved into her system. Her species did a large number that caused so much pain…and she almost killed her father because of it.
Kevin placed his hand on her head, serving a tender smile. "I know how painful it must've been making your own path, but you did it. And look at you. You're still here. I'm proud of you."
Ella's sadness started fading away, a soft smile appearing on her face. "Papa…"
"Yo! Mister P!" Joey jumped down from his perch on Gyarados, meeting with the rest. "So what now?"
"What do you mean?"
"What else?" Joey swiveled in circles on his Pokémon's back. "You have a kid now, right? So I guess that means you'll have to find room in your place for her, right?"
Kevin was silent for a while before he started snickering. "Yeah, I guess you have a point. I can't have her sleeping on the rugs or couch." He smiled brightly, his sunglasses brimming beneath the sunlight. "I'm sure I'll have to make some more space in my little apartment. I guess I needed a redecorating anyway."
"Oh~, count me in. I might have some designs." Swadloon winked.
"Really? That's great, thanks Swadloon." He looked at The Freaks. "And you guys, thank you for everything. You really are good friends, you know that? I can definitely see why you're part of Fairy Tail."
Joey and Dereece turned towards the other; the former cheekily grinning.
Ella looked down, mournfully grinning. It was a very strange feeling to be surrounded by people that genuinely cared for her well-being. Her programming in her artificial brain was so limited that she didn't fully know the concept of trust until Kevin made it clear to her. More so, what family was now.
For once, she actually felt peace.
"Papa. Uncle Joey. Uncle Dereece."
All three men turned towards her, Swadloon included.
"You guys, you've helped me, even though I tried pushing you away. You still made it back to me. My species…we were a virus that was cast out by humans that had every right to fear us. We grew bitter, but in order to survive, we had to grow, and just follow the laws of nature…but then, all of that changed when you three showed up."
"Awww." Joey cooed. "Ella, don't be so-!"
"The most dysfunctional, eccentric, perverted trio of bulls with as much communication as a letter in a washed up bottle, made an overly-perverted man see a new light.
"Oh…" Joey and Dereece's shoulders slumped. That compliment went in an entirely different direction.
"I never really comprehended the meaning of happiness, until time gradually went on, I learned what that meant. And now…I think that I have it." She looked at Kevin. "It's not about how you get it, it's how you live it. Isn't that right, Papa?"
Kevin smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" Deep in his thoughts he was thinking of what he would've done beforehand. Maybe now, he'd still be after those ripest pickings of feminine wilds, but after his time with someone of the opposite sex – that being his daughter – he could actually learn to appreciate to have genuine female company. "You've really grown up, sweetie. But you know…?"
Ella tilted her head, seeing her father's smile brighten.
"You're not the only one. Look at everyone around you." He gestured to Joey, Dereece, and Swadloon. "We couldn't have gotten this far without you. You aren't a monster…you're human like us."
"Everyone…" Ella looked down, a shadow casting over her eyes as she smiled. "I-I am sorry that I deceived you like that." Her voice cracked. "I merely did so, in order to live. At least, that's what it was at first. But…I do admit…it was…really fun, to take part like an actual family…I…I…"
She reached out to Kevin, her eyes pooling tears for them. "I WISH I REALLY WAS YOUR DAUGHTER!"
Kevin's eyes misted and he gingerly reached around to hug her. "You already are, Ella. You always will be." He comforted.
Dereece came around to pat her shoulder. "Yeah kid, cheer up. You'll be just fine."
"You know we'll always welcome you to parties." Joey said. "Can't wait for that."
In Kevin's shoulder, Ella sniffed. "Well…"
"'Well' what?" Kevin questioned. He didn't like the sound of that. He saw a small twinkle behind Ella's back flow into the sky. "What…? Ella…?"
Ella pulled back, softly smiling through her tears. "Papa, Uncles…even you Swadloon. Thank you all, for everything. I wish…that it could go on…just a little bit longer."
"W-what are you saying?" Dereece stuttered, he wasn't liking the sound of this.
Ella closed her eyes, ready to explain. "As you may have seen first-hand, the Parasia are linked to the Queen, like a human brain to the system. We can't function too long out of range. And also, our bodies have not yet evolved to adapt long outside the island's environment. I-it won't be too long now…until my Ethernano dries up…and I'll…"
Everyone's eyes shrunk to the size of peas. Their hopes of the future and everything they just said were completely wiped from that on explanation. Kevin especially looked horrified beyond belief.
"You…can't be serious…" the pervert muttered.
"What…?" Joey choked.
"E-Ella, stop pulling jokes on us. This is real now." Dereece nervously insisted.
Ella looked to him, her soft gaze being the only answer. They all were petrified as even more twinkles went up her body. A grim silence fell over them.
Joey balled his fists, teeth gritting. "No…" He recalled Broly's dead body smiling, and the kiss he and Camilla shared before she faded away. His body shuddered from the overwhelming shock. "Why…?"
"I'm sorry. I really am." Ella mournfully said. "But I guess, this is where I have to go."
"No! Don't say that!" Kevin shouted. "Don't you dare say stuff like that in front of me!" His mind was racing through the times he shared with her again, his teeth gritting tighter. "After all this, you really…expect me to just let my little girl…"
Ella pulled Kevin into her embrace. She held her father tight like he did back in the cave. "Papa, you remember what you said? When the sun rose and I watched it?"
"But you know, seeing these sometimes…it makes me feel happy. Not so much because I have nothing to do…but it's that kind of first glimmer. You know when you're in a slump and can't get out of it…" he realized what he said and sweatdropped. "Sorry, forgot you didn't know. But, what I'm saying is…even if you don't have memories before, you can always look ahead for new ones. Okay, they're not all that good, but that's part of life." He smiled softly. "And I think there's hope for you."
"You've given me hope. Hope to see a little longer what I could make of my life. And thanks to you, I found what my purpose was."
Kevin shuddered, but he obliged. "And that's…?"
Ella held back a sniffle. "To know wat love really is, and hope that I can find it one day." She smiled wider, her body's glow showing. She was running out of time.
"Ella…" Kevin grimaced.
"Thank you so much…for being my Papa…and looking out for me, even when I was trouble…" she sniffled again. "For showing me…what fun really is."
Joey started tearing up.
"And…to look after your peers, even when you don't want to."
Dereece wiped a tear from his eyes.
"I truly…am so happy, that I have all of you. I only wish…that it could've gone on, just a tad longer. But I'm still happy, that I got to enjoy the time I spent with everyone here. Papa…"
Kevin's teary eyes watched Ella as she met eyes with him. The sun beaming across the sea was lighting her face as the glow around her body and tears were showing. As Ella reached for his cheeks, she bent up and kissed his forehead. In that kiss, the sensation that the two shared linked up one last time. The pain in both their hearts was felt; the tears flowing; the sadness; grief; all of it was pouring out. And yet, through all that, they could see the other's perspective as the journey went along. It was true, they both started changing. The care they were genuinely having was developing along the way. The warmth in them was so intense that it was melting away any hate they could have.
"Thank you…for letting me be your daughter." She whispered softly.
Kevin paused as he processed everything. Slowly, he moved his hands to Ella's cheeks. He touched his forehead with his own, bearing a strong smile through the pain.
"Ella…no. Thank you…" he croaked. "Thank you…for showing me what it means to love someone for once…to look after your own…and…to really have a daughter…" His tears flowed so much he almost went blind, though the shades casted them away. "I'm truly…blessed to have had you…my sweet little mistake."
Ella closed her eyes, the glow taking her flowing hair slowly into particles. "Don't be sad…because I was happy. Life…is really fun when you make it that way. Thank you so much…everyone."
"Ella…" Sniffling, Joey tried mustering up a bright smile. He was breaking down inside, but he knew this time he had to stay tough. Dereece was a sniffling mess, but even he tried smiling.
"Papa…I promise…no matter where I end up…I will always love you. And I know you'll remember that…I'm so happy…so happy…thank you…"
Her Ethernano fully dissipated, her bodily atmosphere levels finally maxed out. Like a spirit, she faded away while keeping her forehead touching Kevin's. Turning to light particles, Kevin watched as her energy twinkled up towards the skies. Swadloon whimpered as he watched her ascend to where she deserved to go.
A visual was seen in the twinkles, smiling proudly. "It was great, to have a family like you."
The seas fell silent, the sea they traveled on never-ending. Joey and Dereece looked gravely saddened as they stared at the sky. The loss of a niece really hammered even Dereece's heart. Swadloon tearily looked towards Kevin, his shades unable to keep away the joy and grief in his eyes.
"Guys…"
Hearing their croaking friend, Joey and Dereece somberly looked towards Kevin.
"…tell me…was I a good dad?"
Joey lowered his head, mourning for his ally. He didn't have a father growing up, so it wasn't in his place to say, but for his sake, even he knew the right words to speak. "Yeah. You were."
Shuddering into a breakdown, Kevin curled over, muffling loud cries into his pant legs. Dereece and Swadloon scooted over to comfort him, putting an arm around the shoulder and giving him the comfort he needed. Swadloon rested his head in his side, but Kevin hastily picked him up and held him close. As much as Swadloon liked the affection, even he knew this wasn't the right time. He knew Kevin needed all the time in the world to recover from this loss…so did he.
His friends accepting the loss, Joey turned forward, looking down as he calmly placed a hand on Gyarados' back. "Gyarados…take us home. Please."
Gyarados growled low, getting the mood. He steadily increased his speed as he swam through the sea back to Hargeon.
Twinkling lights glinted in the sun over their heads, lighting the path that could take them home to live on.
"You guys feel that?" Cana asked, seeing golden twinkles in the distance. "Something just dropped all of a sudden."
Everyone followed her gaze towards the mountains as the explosions subsided. It felt like something settled in the air, relief on their shoulders brimming. Though skeptical of what went down, they could definitely tell that the ominous Magic Power had dissipated.
"It looks like it came from Wyscan Hill." Lucy pointed out. She knew Staryu must've went there. She started worrying about it.
"What happened up there?" Gray questioned.
"I'm not sure." Juvia answered. "Did a battle just end?"
Erza looked forward with a straight face. She knew of all things that there was something in her gut telling her to go check it out. But priorities were certain enough.
"We can check that out later." Natsu said, walking up to the king. "First, let's get this crown off this guy's head."
Even when he was well aware of what his crown did, Melchior was wide-eyed. He was staring at the sky with a despairing look in his cornea. He felt Andromeda no more. She was gone. As were his chances of making everyone remember Celestial Spirits had the superior magic. His bottom lip quivered.
"Okay pal, let's get this off ya." Natsu reached for the crown, but to his surprise, it wasn't budging. "What the? Come off!" He pulled harder, but to no avail.
"Try harder." Charmeleon insisted.
"I am trying! Is this thing glued onto him or something?! I'm gonna-!" Suddenly red lightning came from the crown electrocuting Natsu. He screamed in pain as the jolts sent him to the floor.
"Natsu!" Lucy and Happy shouted. They raced to his side to help him up.
"Are you okay?" Happy asked.
Natsu twitched, red static crackling around his body. "Y-yeah…I'm fine…" He stammered, feeling intense pain in his body to keep him sustained. "What the hell was that?"
They all saw the king's crown glowing red with crackling jolts. The voltage connected the head and the metal together. The electric field around was jolting Klefki's nerves as she got too close and backed away.
"What the heck?" Cana raised a brow, observing the bizarre energy afar. "The hell's that?"
"Body-Link Magic." Erza surmised.
The king's face twisted as the red lightning continued down towards his body. He was not only grimacing from his defeat, but also was low on power. He looked to be in pain, not that anybody noticed.
"Wait, so you're saying that crown ain't coming off no matter what?"
"Then this matter just became a lot more difficult." Volans stated. "We need to keep him from using that crown for as long as possible."
"We'll ask the authorities for knights that can use Enchantments to nullify the crown's effects." Erza started. "For now, let's get him and his men rounded up-"
A spark came from the crown, bringing up everyone's alarms. Nic and Nic-Greninja stared down as tensions began rising from the magic.
"What the heck? What's going on now?" Gray questioned.
"I'm not sure." Juvia worried, stepping back from the discharge.
The king was convulsing on the ground, kicking and grunting uncontrollably. His teeth grinding so hard they could thin wood. The discharge was causing greater pain, making everyone back away for their own safety. It was like a little Discharge, but with a glowing red gem and a very ominous change in the atmosphere. And this wasn't missed by Nic nor Nic-Greninja in the slightest.
"I don't like the looks of this…" Corvus fretted.
Lupus' hair stood on end. He agreed whole-heartedly. Volans' teeth gritted with the discharge making his scales crawl all over.
"Everyone get back, now!" Nic warned.
The crown's discharged bloomed into a red pillar that swallowed the king. His face was painted in horror and pain as he let out a shrilled cry. Red energy bloomed skywards as he was unable to hold back the crown's power at its very source.
The red energy's lightning zapped everything nearby. Nic and Nic-Greninja's heightened senses made it certain they got away in time so they weren't zapped. Erza slid back with Vanessa. The lightning flourished as red plumes expelled across the air.
"Crap!" Natsu yelled, covering up from the explosive energy. Happy was going to be blown away until Charmeleon shielded him with his back.
Lucy cried out as she was too close to the discharge of energy. Thankfully Cana was there to keep her up.
"What's happening?" Wendy muttered. "It feels like the air is burning!"
"Is has to be the crown!" Carla shouted. "It must have overloaded itself! He's losing control!"
Melchior's cries turned ghastly as the red waves rippled everywhere. Waves of electrical pulses went through the humans and Pokémon – surprisingly – but when it struck Taurus, the bull's eyes shot wide open as he felt a merciless pain spike.
"Taurus! No!" Lucy reached out to him, but firebolts buffered her back. Another impulse ran into Sagittarius behind her.
"What's…happening…?!" The Archer Zodiac was going completely numb. His body twitched from red energy putting massive amounts of pressure on him.
The Gemini twins were struck next, then Capricorn, then Aries. One by one, the Zodiacs were twitching in midair as a red light swallowed them, causing an intense cry to echo fiercely.
"My body…GAAAHH!" Scorpio yelled out in agony, sand beginning to erupt from him in a spiral.
Lucy looked over at Virgo, eyes shrunk in horror. "Virgo…"
Virgo looked at the red electricity was closing in on her. Too damaged to move, she turned to Lucy in dismay. "Princess…I do not feel so well…" The electric currents swallowed her in a red light, causing her to shriek out of pain.
"Virgo! No!" Lucy yelled.
"Lucy, look out!" Klefki dragged Lucy away by the hair before a wave of earth shot up around Virgo. She would've been punctured it not for her Pokémon. She and Lucy fell backwards in the dirt.
Aquarius looked on as everyone around her was engulfed in red energy, the sounds of their agony loud and clear. Her blue eyes showed genuine concern as red energy was swelling around her. Already she was feeling a crushing sensation.
"No…"
Along with Pisces and Cancer in the background, Aquarius screamed loudly as a typhoon of water washed around her. Her cries were so intense that rippled in the tidal waves.
"Look out!" Gray summoned a wall of ice to intercept the raging waves, but the currents were cracking the ice faster than anticipated. 'How much pressure is she releasing?!'
"Puuuun!" Plue began cringing, red statics alarming everyone.
"Plue?" Lucy shouted. "What's wrong? Plue!"
Plue let out a cry as he was consumed in a red pillar as well. His cone-like nose stuck up as his frail body was like a thin piece of paper flailing in the wind.
"PLUE!"
The Celestial King was clutching his head, throbbing as he tried to fend the crackling electricity attacking his nerves. It was taking all his remaining strength just to resist.
"Something's messed up! All the spirits are losing control!" Houndoom gasped. He heard crackling from behind and pouts coming from Canes. The hunting dogs all howled in angst as they were suspended like the rest of them.
Lupus looked down at his claws, realizing he was next on the list. He looked to his crew, who seemed just as horrified.
"Guys-!"
Red energy engulfed him, causing the humanoid wolf to howl in pain. He felt all his nerves discharge blue ultrasonic energy everywhere, causing Corvus and Volans to be blown away.
Liepard used her nimble reflexes to evade and slide away from the blast, but she almost lost footing. Her earlier scuffle wore her out some. She saw midnight blue ultrasonic pulses depressing the earth beneath Lupus as he hollered in crying agony.
"Lupus! Hang in there!" Corvus was next, a red pillar calling out all his power in black flaming whirlwinds spiraling in a cyclone.
"Everyone!" Volans was next. His fingers twitched as his chin lifted from the pressure causing severe pain. The force caused his body to expel deep blue water that rushed like tidal waves of their own.
Nobody saw it coming. Chaos was brewing. All that were heard were screams of anguish or lightning flourishing. The literal earth shook beneath the pressure of the numerous red pillars with respective elements bursting spontaneously from them. Whoever was closest to any pillar was either blown away by shockwaves, or elements corresponding to those spirits. Juvia tried suppressing Volans and Aquarius using her water control, but to her shock they were far too overpowering. She was washed up along with Vaporeon, though no actual damage was implied.
"Corvus! Lupus! Volans?!" Cana called out, but to no avail. All she was answered with were screams of agony and surges of power blowing her away.
Erza used her armored forearms to keep the impacts from blowing her off her feet. 'Their celestial energy must be linked to the crown on Melchior's head.' She turned towards Melchior's convulsing body in a deep red pillar with the crown shining brighter than ever. 'If the crown is out of control then the Celestial Spirits are being overloaded. If this doesn't stop soon…'
"Greninja, we've gotta shut him down now!" Nic shouted at Nic-Greninja. He nodded, but before they could take action, their purple eyes linked together noticed a shadow behind them raising a sword.
Their eyes widening, they looked up as the Celestial King was crackling in cosmic blooming energy that was edged into his sword. His eyes were a fuming red from the crown that burned throughout the body. He looked in serious pain right now.
Nic an Nic-Greninja dodge to opposite sides to avoid the king's empowered sword slash that created a tidal wave of celestial energy. It sliced across the atmosphere and ground, reaching linear heights to skyscrapers as it went pass Wyscan Hill. All that remained was a deep trench that went miles inwards.
The two slid to a stop and looked to each other, then back towards the Celestial King. He cried out as he swung his sword towards the ocean, summoning a cosmic pillar from above. The ray vanished into the ocean, erupting miles off that blossomed skywards. He swung his sword madly, causing the eruptive wake to thin out and disperse across the ocean. Waves summoned were cut by the king's sword as he wildly turned.
"Look out!" Erza shouted.
The Celestial King stirred in agony, bringing his sword towards everyone.
"Wide Guard!"
In his Stone Form, Nic summoned a dome barrier of hexagonal pink energy. The slicing wave blinded them as it traveled over and into the pillars. The area was swallowed in a bright explosion that expanded all across Astral. The advisors and members of his order were picked up in the shockwave, turned over by bodies and debris.
The shield lifted, showing no one beneath was harmed. The dust faded as the Celestial King's sword swung around again to strike out of grief.
"He's coming back around!" Gray shouted.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed, her aura flaring around her. "Krookodile!" She exploded in a teal pillar, with her Krookodile jumping in to follow her lead.
"Right!"
The teal pillar expelled a bright light that blinded everyone. The quaking earth pulsed dramatically as the teal and maroon began fusing. The maroon energy had slits of dark that spread across the teal Aura Guardian as it manifested. The energy drew around the body, specifically the head. But the light was so bright it was hard to make out.
The king slashed own on the light, the added rays doing no good for him. His blade was infused with celestial energy that would've cut anything.
CRUNCH!
In a white outline of the sun, the spills of cosmic energy dissipated when it came in contact with the light. Everyone looked on stunned at what they were seeing, seeing as how they weren't eviscerated yet.
The Cekestial King was wriggling around as the light faded, but found it impossible to escape. His blade was revealed to be stuck in something solid.
As the teal and maroon glow faded, it revealed the armor manifestation was Vanessa's Aura Guardian. However, starting at the base, the heels looked to be covered in broad maroon ethereal toe claws with a black strap along the top, as if the keep it attached to the teal heel. Black stripped markings covered the thighs while going along the maroon energy. The upper bodily armor was still present, but around the entire back going up was thick maroon energy with jagged black scales along the spine, similar to Krookodile's back. The black stripes were there as well, and they curved into accented marks into the stomach plating; a long stripe fully connected on the ample chest area. The helmet armor was in the shape of Krookodile's head, with Krookodile's curved eye shape outlining the Aura Guardian's eyes. To fulfill the whole ensemble, there was also the massive maroon and black tail that swung around.
The jaws to the humungous fusion were clamped down on the sword, keeping it firm in place. Nobody was hurt.
"Aura Guardian: Krookodile!" Vanessa and Krookodile voiced, their auras fused inside the core side-by-side.
Natsu's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "NO WAY! VANESSA'S A GIANT?!"
"When could she do that?!" Happy exclaimed. "And where did Krookodile go?!"
Cana was taken by surprise, though it was more of Vanessa's quick thinking than her actual spell saving their guts.
Erza looked on with surprise of her own showing. 'Vanessa used the Aura Guardian to block the attack. She's even infused it with Krookodile. But a skill like that taxes on her Magic Power almost completely.' Something else clicked inside her noggin just then. 'How was she not affected?'
Nic saw Vanessa taking action, a silence filling the air.
The Celestial King was wriggling in agony, trying to desperately pry away his sword as a red aura was pressurizing his body and flushing out Magic Power. It hurt, but the jaws didn't let go.
"Let me tell you something, Celestial King." Vanessa and Krookodile growled in unison, their voices double layered over one another. "Your celestial attacks have no effect on Dark-types! And we'll prove that to you…THE PAINFUL WAY!"
The Aura Guardian's jaws crunched down harder, snapping the blade in two. The one tip shattered and rained as shards that were blown away by the other Celestial Spirits and their shockwaves. The King's sword broken, he fell backwards onto his back with a thud, and the – easily provoked – entity towered over him. Using Krookodile's Crunch, his maw opened wide, which the Aura Guardian did as well, glowing fangs readying to chomp.
As the king bloomed magic into the sky, the beam fluxed constantly into the atmosphere. Yet, sharp fangs went through, snapping down on his midsection. The bone-crushing force of the attack caused the king to grimace, but it restrained him.
"Keep him there, Vanessa and Krookodile!" Nic shouted.
The king struggled in vain as his adversary was overpowering them. As much magic that bloomed from him skywards, it felt like a breeze thanks to Krookodile's infusion. "Sorry, your majesty. But this is for your own good." Krookdile's half bit down harder, causing the king's armor to crack.
Melchior cried out louder, the pillar of light around him intensifying to where it was depressing him in gravity.
All around, Libra's gravity began to run loose without her scales. Her body expelled gravitational waves, pushing things forward and back, and back again. Her bodily power was even making slightly damaged buildings leaned towards her, damaging their structures.
Aquarius and Volans cried out as their tsunamis were swirling out of control. Gray's ice was no match as the elements were overwhelming. The black whirlwinds, and [pressure everyone was using was causing screams to bloom.
The Celestial King was amongst the many. The ground was depressing so many times, even as his body was being held by Vanessa's immense jaws. His body looked like it was about to burst.
Nic-Greninja's eyes widened. "No!"
With a massive cry, the Celestial King's body expelled an immensely dense cosmic energy that blasted into the atmosphere's clear air. The roaring beam pushed far up into the sky, to where it looked like it left the atmosphere. The air rippled outwards as the magical shockwave dispersed and left the sound barrier roaring to a shaking stop.
Nic and everyone looked on, eyes glued to the sky where the attack had dissipated. They saw all that Magic Power in a massive pillar bloom and suddenly it vanished. Yet they knew the magic wasn't gone. It went somewhere, at least that's what Nic's gut was telling them.
Cana was sprawled on the ground as she was fixed on the sky. Her eyes narrowing. "What was…?"
Klefki, still dazed, looked at the sky with wonders. "Lucy!"
Lucy groaned as she looked up.
Natsu's Dragon Slayer hearing picked up on something roaring above. He looked up with Happy and Charmeleon. Everyone's gazes narrowed as they saw something close in at an alarming speed. It was only a small twinkle, but from how far away it was one could tell how large it was.
Nic and Nic-Greninja's purple vision saw deep into the atmosphere of the figment coming in. And much to their own shock, it was a case of déjà vu.
"Is that…?" Liepard questioned.
The hillside was completely decimated, yet somehow it was still in one piece. Duncan and Spiritomb were able to regroup, getting back to their feet soon enough. Duncan had no stick to use for his support, but he wasn't battered like Sophie was. Speaking of such mage, he looked over, seeing her barely able to stand on her own two feet. She stayed on all fours as she caught her breath, her Pokémon equally as wiped from that battle; Araquanid especially.
Holding back the need to spew, the Memory-Make Mage eventually found her bearings, trying to reach for something to lean on. Sure enough she felt one of Araquanid's legs and used that to get herself standing. She started slipping, worrying her friends. "I'm…okay…" she insisted, though it wasn't easy to show she was. She was completely out of Magic Power. Better that than lose her life.
"Miss Sophie, you mustn't overdo it." Finneon insisted. She was being hypocritical right now given how she had to push herself as well, but her Trainer suffered more than any of them. Her health was equally as concerning.
Kadabra nodded. "Yes, please Lady Sophie. Take it easy." He looked towards Araquanid to see his own concern behind his stilled gaze. Staryu beeped again.
Sophie took a minute to compose herself at last. "I'm…I'm okay. Really." Taking one more deep breath, she managed to stand on her own at last. "Duncan."
The Trainer turned towards her. "Don't say it…I'm fine" he rebuffed.
"That's good." She smiled. "I'm glad."
Duncan scoffed again, though he did so turned away. Spiritomb looked at him passively.
Sophie turned her eyes on Ophiuchus. "And you're Ophiuchus, are you not?" she grinned up at the massive pseudo-Zodiac. "We thank you as well…you've saved us."
Ophiuchus looked down at the two humans she's saved, not at all willing to show ample concern. She sheepishly turned away. "Whatever. I didn't do it for you." She boasted. "I just did it because I wanted to." In her mind she thought of Yukino. 'And I guess her too.'
"Either way, we're still glad." She turned towards everyone around her. "Am I right?"
They all nodded with smiles.
"Congratulations."
They heard the raspy, grim tone from above. Everyone turned towards the hill's top to see in front of the altar – which seemed unfazed by the battle – was Tophet. His tattered cape blew passively in the winds as he saw the expectant faces of everyone. Immediately their celebratory mood was replaced with deathly seriousness.
Staryu blinked again, moving in front of everyone as Tophet continued his praise.
"Thou are victorious. I congratulate you all. Well done. You have proven yourselves to Tetrabiblos, and now he has seen the light of this bright fortune. To humans…Pokémon…and Celestial Spirits…the stars have judged you well for this." He turned especially towards Ophiuchus. "As they have guided you down the right path."
Ophiuchus turned her head away, looking disinterested if anything else.
Duncan approached him with Spiritomb at her highest guard. "Alright, enough of your stalling. We've won. So care to tell us who you really are?"
It almost completely slipped Sophie's mind. There was his identity still that they have yet to fully understand. If not for Duncan, maybe she'd accuse him and she'd have to fight some more. Thankfully she would be able to put that thought at rest.
Tophet lowered his guard. "I mean no harm. To you have earned the answers that you seek of me." He started. "Allow me to fully introduce thy self. I am Tophet…a deity that has been Tetrabiblos' calling card to the aegis of Wyscan Hill."
They looked as confused as they were surprised.
"Tetrabiblos'…messenger?" Sophie interpreted.
"Thou might say. Eons ago, when Tetrabiblos blessed this hill with his powers of the stars, he has created me. My task alone is to judge and safeguard the hill and those who are deemed worthy of Tetrabiblos' wishes. My purpose is to watch over the birthplace where man and Celestial Spirits have become one."
"Wait, are you saying…you're not human?" Sophie knew something was off about Tophet, it was clear as day he wasn't like the other advisors the others fought and defeated. 'that explains it. His Magic Power was that different…'
Duncan stayed quiet and continued observing.
"For nearly a thousand years, I have watched many Celestial Mages grow. Those who have become stronger and came to learn under Achilles, the first native Celestial Spirit. As time went on, many more have flourished, and soon come the two sides to the conflict. And humanity as the spectrum." He turned around, looking at the altar. "This hill. It shall never be fallen. There have been many afraid of this hill's legends, and to all they have been evaded those attempts."
"Because of Ophiuchus." Sophie looked up to the snake, seeing as how she was facing forward, dead serious on the matter.
"Those who manage through are then judged by Tetrabiblos. Those who are deemed worthy and have proven the colors of their hearts, Tetrabiblos shall give them the choice of their truest desires. However, those who do make their wishes, they lose as much as they are given."
"What does that mean?" Kadabra's question was left on a silent note. He was morally worried for what might happen.
"You see, as fond of humans as he is, Tetrabiblos is also a man of reason. He does not give his powers to mortals for free. For the deepest of wishes to come true, they must give just as much. Andromeda, was just an example."
Sophie cringed at the prospect. She remembered Andromeda's tale crystal clear. She knew miracles never come that easy, and as a former merchant she knew all about business and prices. If anything it sounded like Tetrabiblos and Tophet were just doing business.
"So then, how did that king found out about this place?" Duncan asked.
Tophet closed his eyes and concentrated, leaving the others impatient. They hear what sounded like paper rolling through the winds and a few slips sped pass Sophie's head. They drifted into Tophet's hands, showing articles and depictions of Wyscan Hill.
"The archives…" Sophie gasped. She watched as Tophet suddenly set them on fire out of thin air. "Wait, what are you…!"
"In his quest for help, his majesty went the archives in the library; the very same ones you have stumbled upon, child." He told Sophie. The articles were reduced to ashes that scattered into breeze. Sophie watched in shock as it all drifted away. "His majesty arrived here one night, many months ago to meet my acquaintance. I warned him of the hill's power and what prices are to be made. But…he did not waver."
Staryu blinked, as if asking a question of its own. It looked troubled.
"What was his wish, you ask?" he repeated. "His wish…was the stars." He looked towards the sky, with everyone, even Ophiuchus – following. "If thou follows the stars, the month that lies now if the time of Gemini. As you have seen as of last night, Aquarius was the constellation. He controlled the star constellations, in preparing for when he would ready the Zodiacs to be reunited."
Now it made sense! Everyone realized then what that meant, and why it felt so strange the stars were like that. Sophie vividly remembered the dates of the time Achilles met Aquarius as well. It wasn't in this month. It was a few months back. Her green eyes widened in realization.
'That explains it. That explains everything.'
Duncan narrowed his eyes. "And what happened then? Exactly what sacrifice did he have to make to get to move the constellations around?"
Tophet closed his eyes, lowering his head. "His most treasured possession…his humanity."
Once again, everyone was quiet.
"You see, in the past, Melchior wasn't like the man you have borne witnessed to today. He truly was a mind king, who willingly helped his people and concerned himself to aid in others." He thought of Oberon and Auriol specifically. "As a Celestial Spirit Mage, he holds onto his promises, no matter the cost. He was willing to forsake his safety in order for their wishes to come true…which ultimately led him to here."
It seemed unreal to them, but when they stop to think about it, they couldn't find ample reason to question it. Kadabra and Sophie looked at each other especially since they went through the archives together. Now that they had time to reflect, Achilles was a good king, and he sacrificed himself for his people. Maybe Tetrabiblos honored him so much that he followed that rule. To give freedom and life, you must take on burdens.
"He did it…for the people…?" Finneon repeated. 'Then we've been facing his mediocre monster-self this whole time.'
"So now you see, that in order to move forward, he had to give up his love for his people. He had to say his goodbyes to treating them fair, so that in turn everyone could be equal, so that those mistreated…should never have to feel that pain again. Equal opportunity for humans and Celestial Spirits. A world that was to be a golden age…as he falls to darkness."
Sophie lowered her head, understanding now what it all meant. She mourned softly for the sacrifice that was the king.
Wendy's eyes shuddered as her knees weakened. "A meteor…?" she was rendered speechless. Not even Carla knew what to say.
Coming down at breakneck speeds was a meteor, enflamed in cosmic energy by the Celestial King. The attack rushed through the cloudless atmosphere, all of which was blown away earlier by the battles.
Natsu's eyes shrunk in disbelief. 'No way…'
Vanessa and Krookodile were too busy holding down the king, but their eyes were focused skywards on the incoming meteor that was aiming straight for them. If Vanessa were able, she'd launch a Kali Arrow to break apart the meteor. However, she was occupied with the king.
'This is bad. If that hits, then not just us, but all of Astral will…' Erza's mind trailed off, trying to think of the positives to this. She balled her fists, quickly thinking of a solution. 'Think Erza, think! What's strong enough to stop a-!'
Her eyes widened as a solution came.
'That could work!' Instantly, she began requipping once more. She transformed into her Giant's Armor, holding the massive spear that came with it. She turned towards her husband. "Nic."
He glanced at her. "What?"
"Do you remember when my mother used that certain spell?"
Nic stared blankly as he deciphered what Erza was talking about. It dawned on him soon that she was talking about the enchanted meteor she summoned. Immediately his and Nic-Greninja's eyes widened.
"You're not saying…"
Erza smirked. She pulled back her arm as Houndoom went behind, readying a Dark Pulse. Erza looked like she wasn't gonna be waiting forever to release the pole to her weapon. "You ready?"
The two looked at Erza, then the other. They saw the look in their eyes and understood. They vividly turned back towards her and pounced onto the pole, hanging on for dear life.
"Okay! Ready!"
"Let's do this!"
Erza brought her foot back and tightened her grip. "Then hurry!"
With one massive motion, Houndoom launched his attack, jumbled dark rings exploding at point-blank range into the spear's end. Erza launched it at that moment, propelling airwaves around the launch zone that caused the ground to shake as the weapon went flying into the sky with Nic and Nic-Greninja.
They soared high into the atmosphere, gliding far up while holding onto the staff with one hand each. Their gazes were fixed on the large meteor that was reaching the stratosphere cloaked in cosmic celestial energy. Together they roared as they went into the sky.
Ophiuchus raised her head. "What's that?"
Sophie and Duncan walked closer to the edge. They looked over the hill's cliff to see several red pillars and shockwaves rippling across Astral. They saw the king swing his sword, sending a blast wave beyond their reach into the mountains. They watched in horror as they were seeing destruction, to land and spirits alike.
"What…is this…?" Sophie trembled.
"Something's wrong." Duncan figured. "This power…it's completely unlike the last time." He cringed inside when he saw a teal pillar infuse with marron. He instantly recognized it as Vanessa's Aura Guardian. His eyes narrowed as he observed carefully.
Tophet calmly looked to them. "His majesty has fallen. However, the rage of his possession continues to no bounds. The rage forever flows, and none are spared from its judgement."
Sophie furrowed her brow. There was no way of knowing what was happening for sure without some intel. She looked towards Staryu. "Staryu. Maybe you should go back to your Trainer. Maybe she's in trouble."
BEEPBEEP-BEEP? It questioned.
"We'll be just fine. You should get going."
Staryu hesitated for a moment, but figured Lucy needed it by now. It was her Pokémon after all. Deciding to take off, it spun over the hill's cliff, gliding down like a frisbee into the lower bases of the mountains towards the mayhem below.
They all watched a pillar of cosmic energy break out of nowhere that went into the atmosphere. They followed it skywards to where it vanished to thin air. Their gazes were filled with shock, but soon they settled back to the battlefield. They saw flood of deep blue water and clear water swirling, and an ocean of sand was spewing with wool scattering. Floods of magic was spontaneously erupting, and in the centers of them were wailing red pillars. Sophie knew those were their friends down there, she felt it in her gut.
Her face turned serious as she looked towards Tophet for answers. "Okay, so how do we undo the wish?"
Duncan faced them again.
"In order to undo one's wish, one must make another." Tophet explained. "However, those of celestial bonds shall only be accepted by Tetrabiblos' hand."
Sophie was beginning to worry. 'Celestial bonds? Does he mean like a Celestial Mage?' She began fretting inside. She wasn't a Celestial Mage, so this could be a problem.
"You." Tophet pointed towards Sophie. "I have seen through your heart and soul. You have befriended Celestial Spirits to where you value them as friends. You have been to the Celestial World. Tetrabiblos, shall hear you out."
The relief Sophie had managed to stockpile; her heart raced just as fast as before though. She swallowed another and looked back at Duncan to see what he thinks. He stared blankly at her before closing his eyes and backed up a step.
With a blink to him, she smiled. 'Thank you, Duncan.' She turned and walked slowly pass the altar pillars, standing at the base of it. Now fully in the middle, the winds gradually picked up like a storm brewing.
As a twinkle could be seen in the sky, the sound barrier roared around them.
Sophie took a deep breath, calming herself as Tophet walked to her side.
"What lies ahead, is a mystery. That is the karma of future." Tophet recited. "If one wishes to cast the die, one must be willing to take thy chance. And to those chances, there's only one number to all that many take granted of." He slowly – and rather ominously turned towards Sophie, glaring her face down. "That number…is one. For one celestial, one wish."
Sophie looked calmly at him. "I wish for my friends to be saved."
Tophet's glare darkened. "If that is your desired wish, you must understand. In order for Tetrabiblos to bestow his power, he requires…a payment."
"Of what…?" Sophie's throat ran dry.
"The magic, demands a sacrifice. In order for one's deepest wish to be fulfilled, that same soul, must be willing to part ways of which they hold dear to them most. One's treasure, for another."
Sophie's lips parted. She had a grim feeling of what this meant, but she didn't want to say goodbyes to everyone in exchange for her own life. It didn't feel right. She had one more flash of everyone in Fairy Tail smiling. She was starting to choke.
"Then…this really does mean the end for me, doesn't it?" she closed her eyes, embracing her evident answer.
Kadabra, Araquanid, and Finneon looked worriedly to one another.
"No."
She gasped. "What?"
"It is not your own life that you value most. It is something that you value, even more so than that."
Sophie was completely confused at this point. She was certain that her own she treasured most was worth giving up to save everyone. She was actually grateful for that she got to keep it, but the fallout made her think of other insecurities.
"Then…my friends?" She hoped that wasn't the answer either.
"Young one…you and I both know where your real wish resides…"
The way his voice trailed off into a whisper didn't sit well in Sophie's stomach. She looked down at her feet, completely confused by everything now. She thought it was her life, but if not that, was it her friends that needed to be sacrificed? But no. Both of those answers were wrong. The reason lied elsewhere, and it would be a minute before Sophie caught up to it.
She thought long and hard about it, reflecting on everything that she has of value to her. She thought of Kadabra, and Araquanid, and Finneon. They weren't it. Yes they mean so much to her, but she didn't peg for it to be that kind of gamble. She remembered the pancakes she likes, would she have to give up loving those? She remembered so much she held of value. Remembering so much, that it…
It clicked. Then and there, she realized the truth behind it all. Her eyes slowly widened, the pupils shrinking at the horrifying realization. "…my memories."
Duncan heard her murmur, slightly surprised himself.
Tophet calmly observed Sophie, seeing her body tremble from the horrific realization. He didn't have to say it for her to know the truth.
"H-How are you so sure about this?" Sophie asked unsurely, hoping for doubt. "Are you certain you know this is my treasure?"
"I didn't have to know." He explained. "I saw it with my own eyes. You told me, child."
Sophie's eyes widened again. "That my magic's gotten to where it is today. And now, it's time to give back what I owe to them, for giving so much to me!" That line echoed in her head, over and over again. She was paralyzed in complete disbelief of the tragic downfall that this will play out.
"You wish to give back your friends' lives you said. And in doing so you've entrusted that power to your memories. If you wish to give what you owe, you must pay that dear price."
Sophie looked down with despair in her eyes. She wanted to deny it, but her heart was choking on the bitter chords deep down. It ate at her, knowing she would have to give up on something she held dear to her. She oved her memories so much. They were what helped her along the way of knowing everyone so well. Her memory was her life. So, in a way, she would be losing her life. Just not physically.
She took one last look at her surroundings, making sure nine of this was a prank. She looked down to see everyone in a wall of destruction made by the spirits. They were aching as well. If she didn't make a decision soon, they'll die. But parting with her memories, if felt like a nightmare. But in what memories she had left, she remembered Lucy sacrificing Aquarius, and how in the end, she had to smack the sense back into her.
For her friends, she had to move on…no matter how painful.
She took one last look down at Astral in destruction, then back towards Duncan and her concerned Pokémon. She looked at Ophiuchus, who was still stable but otherwise played no part at this point. She turned forward, a depressed look in her makeup. "And…this is the only way?"
Tophet nodded. "Yes."
"And if I give your god my memories, in exchange, everything and everyone will go back to normal?"
"If that is what thou wish, then so shall it be. But remember, only 1 wish."
Sophie lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes. However, if one looked closely, they could see a tear stain shine. She breathed out slowly. "…okay. I'll do it."
Everyone behind her gasped.
"Sophie?" Kadabra exclaimed. "A-are you sure about this?"
"Yes…I know. It has to be this way."
Araquanid stepped forward. "Don't listen to that creep! Let's bite his ass and make him talk!"
"No, Araquanid."
"But we-"
"I said no!"
Her harsh tone made everything stop in place. They all flinched as Sophie snapped, a brisk wind making her hair flow off to the side.
"I'm sorry…truly, I am. But we're having no discussion about this. I love you all. You mean very much dear to me…but I'd rather lose the memories of the past that we have shared, if it means you can take steps forward. B-besides…" she looked over her shoulder, tearing up as she bitterly smiled. "It's just memories, right? I can always make new ones."
Just seeing the look on her face was like a shot to the heart. They weren't around her for that long, but they knew Sophie relied a lot on what she has seen from others, and how to act accordingly. True memories overlap one another. But to her, not one memory is replaceable.
Sophie ignored the launch of Nic and Nic-Greninja in the background as she walked back towards her Pokémon. She turned towards Kadabra.
"Kadabra. You were my first Pokémon. I remember catching you as an Abra, and the jobs we've been on…I'm glad you were there for me this whole time. Please, keep being there. I trust your head that much."
"Lady Sophie…" Kadabra started tearing up, but he nodded firmly. "O-Ok!"
"Araquanid." She turned towards him. "Thank you for being protective of me. You keep your friends close, even when you don't show it. Please keep being that way."
Despite having a water bubble, tears were seen in Araquanid. He swallowed his own lump. "W-w-whatever." He murmured. "Just…just don't be surprised when after this, I bite anyone who gets close! Ya hear?!" he sobbed.
Sophie softly smiled at the giant water spider. She moved towards Finneon. "Finneon." She kneeled to her fish. "I haven't known you long. I wish I had caught you sooner…but you're classy and serene. I like that about you."
Finneon softly smiled and nodded, small tears in her eyes.
"Everyone…thank you. Thank you so much. You made these memories worth it." She turned towards Ophiuchus. "And Ophiuchus, I'm sorry. I wish that I could remember that you saved me…but I won't be able to. Please, forgive me."
The snake spirit hissed back, silently nodding like it wasn't a big deal. Although really inside, it was painful for Ophiuchus to watch. Not because it was sappy, but because the first attempt she made of doing good was going to be slipped away from her grasp. At least, in some form of twisted light, she made a change. But she won't be proud of it.
With that, she moved towards the last person there. She turned and stared into the eyes of the Trainer who had nothing but a frown all the time.
Duncan tried to speak. "Listen, Sophie, right? Listen, I-"
"Shh." She put a hand to his lips. "No. Don't say anything."
Duncan fell silent again.
"Duncan…I wish that I got to know you better. Maybe then I'd be able to help you, just like you helped me and everyone. But…I guess in this short time, I think I've learned enough to know." Her teary eyes stared into his shocked dark orbs. "You do care. You really do. Even if you're different, be proud of that. Please, if you see your team again, keep helping them. Give others strength, that the me you once knew was able to show you. So then…I can still live on."
Duncan couldn't believe what he was feeling inside. It felt twisted, and it only grew as he looked into Sophie's tearful stare. He was never fond of these things, but for the respect she deserved he had to at least look her in the eye, just this one time.
"Even though you might hate me. If everyone else can't understand…give them a reason to keep going. That's you." Tears ran freely down her cheeks. "Thank you…for letting me see who you are!"
With those final partings, she took one final breath and calmed her nerves. She went over towards the center of the altar. 'Everyone…I know things will never be the same from here on. The Sophie that you know now, allow me to say to you all…thank you. Because of you, I became the mage who I am today. And because of what you did…I can now return…but giving you guys something to remember me by.'
Standing completely still, Tophet stood off to the side. His eyes began glowing a bright golden seal.
Beneath the altar, runes started running through enchanted accents, running on celestial energy towards Sophie. She stood in the center as the light of the accents began casting beneath her. She could feel gravity defying her as her hair was drawn towards the sky.
As Sophie closed her eyes, the memories began surfacing. 'All the times I've shared…'
It all began when she first saw Nic running he wrath of Erza through Magnolia. She was so dumbfounded that she didn't realize that would be the very first friend she got acquainted with in the guild. To there, it built up to helping Greninja and Staraptor take down Bickslow. The very find parts of all that, she got so acquainted with Nic after the Oracion Seis incident that not only did she journey with him and Gajeel through Edolas but helped him in supporting his relationship with Erza.
'There were good times, and there were bad…definitely crazy ones…'
She remembered the prank she played on Nic and Erza to make them share a bedroom. Speaking of bedrooms, that's when she met her roommate and best friend: Vanessa. She giggled. 'Vanessa. I think I'm gonna miss your lemon-eating habit the most.' She recalled how she slept in and yelled in her ear to wake her up. 'Well…okay, there's that, too.'
Moving on, she saw her battles on Tenrou Island, which was a rather painful experience. To the Celestial World they went, she had to bear the pain of seeing Pavo die, but in return, she met and made new friends that she fought alongside with. With that new strength, she even found it in herself to remember Rufus and their reconcile after the Grand Magic Games.
'But no matter how painful they were, you were all there to look after each other.'
Her memories kept playing beyond that, to the Council War, and spending time with everyone. She remembered of cheering up Lucy and defeating Jackal together. And meeting up again after so long, to saving the world from Alvarez and Acnologia thanks to Nic.
'This guild. The friends I've made…no matter how far apart we'll be, a little part of me will always be there. Always, just like there's love, and hate, and friends. I'm truly blessed to have had you all in my life.'
Above all else, her memories flushed back to her childhood. She won't have to worry too much on all that Hebrew she read in the library; that was just a bonus. She could still remember the study sessions she would have with Rufus and their competitive natures. Her father's words echoed inside her mind.
"There's one more condition. It's the most important one. When you learn to use magic, make sure, that no matter what, you use it under one condition…use it to protect your family and friends. When they're in danger, it'll be your magic's power to save them."
'Father. Mother. It looks like your wish will come true. My magic…it will save others. I only wish…I could say goodbye. Thank you…'
As she smiled in peace, the tears flowed upwards with her hair. She closed her eyes and allowed the light beneath to swallow her. Around her , the illusion of a godly entity with planetary spheres around him revealed himself to Sophie.
The two stared at one another, seeing who the other really was. The entity that was Tetrabiblos looked towards Tophet, who said nothing but nod. He turned towards the smiling Sophie, seeing that she was ready. The hemispheres around him began moving in a circle, glowing bright to make a bright flash above Sophie that turned into a halo.
'I'm finally…at peace…because I've got to meet all of you. So…thank you all, so very much.' She vanished in the light, becoming a white figment that blinded the entire hill. "When we meet again, let's make new memories…together."
The halo turned into a pillar of light that erupted into the sky. Everyone watched with widened eyes as the hill shook the atmosphere, roaring like thunder. A shockwave rushed in all directions, blooming everywhere across valleys and hills throughout Astral.
"NOW!" Nic-Greninja roared.
Nic's purple eyes shined. "Right!"
Ince Erza's spear had lost all its momentum it was rendered in freefall. They jumped off at the same time as a springboard, making another ripple in the atmosphere as their empowered legs shot them skywards.
Nic began glowing, surrounding himself in emerald energy that could've been seen as a green comet with a purple outline. He gained even more speed, getting pass Nic-Greninja. Reading the other's thoughts, they needed another push.
'Now!'
Nic-Greninja brought back his heel for Return and swung with all his might. The attack smashed into the roaring emerald light beside him, causing the air to literally crack apart. Kicked even further, Nic-Greninja began to go into freefall as his Trainer was a roaring rocket of green that was just as fast as the meteor, perhaps even more so.
The green comet spiraled, letting out a draconic shriek that echoed miles away. A closer examination would show Nic in his Mega Rayquaza Legendary Force, the emerald light around him taking on a draconic shade that followed his wake towards the meteor.
The meteor gradually picked up speed as it got into Earthland's atmosphere, flames enveloping it. Nic's trajectory suddenly jumpstarted as he sped up, the green around his form brightening as he traveled at the speed of light towards the falling cosmic rock.
"Maxus Legendary Arts – Dragon Ascent!"
With all his might, Nic rushed into the meteor, piercing straight through it. Time incredulously slowed down as the green stream gushed through clean through the celestial energy. The cosmic and golden glow around the meteor dissipated as the rock returned to being itself. Nic's energy dissipated as he continued on through, coming to a swirled stop behind the rock as it seemed suspended. Moments later, green glints were seen inside bursting and imploded the rock. The attack's force had finally caught up and destroyed the rock completely in a green star in the sky.
From an astrologist's view, that same green star could've been seen from the ground.
The energy faded, revealing nothing more than pebbles and scattered stone that drifted away in space. Nic snarled as he looked back down to Earthland's atmosphere, seeing the whole world's view gleaming in the sunlight on the outer rim.
'So this is what it's like to see from space.' He looked down, noticing a golden light enveloping the atmosphere beneath him. 'What's that?'
The red pillars and elements flooded everything, including everyone. They all were completely overwhelmed as wails and shockwaves were moments apart from tearing apart one of their own. What's worse, neither Natsu nor Erza were able to get anywhere as they were overpowered as black Amaterasu flames and deep blue water were closing in the crush them.
As they braced for the attacks, a faint golden ripple shot right pass them. The incoming threats heading towards them turned from oceanic trench water to golden sparkles that fluttered into the atmosphere. They looked on completely confused.
As sand swirled around with sonic energy, Lucy cried out as she was swept away with the tides. Klefki tried pulling her out but it was no use. It was too strong. Suddenly the sand faded away, leaving a bed of golden sparkles that floated into the sky.
"Wha…?" Lucy opened her eyes, realizing she wasn't buried alive in sand. "What happened…?"
"Lucy!"
The confused blonde turned around, seeing her teammate and his Charmeleon race towards them with Happy overhead. "Guys! Over here!"
"Are you okay?" Happy questioned.
Lucy ignored the scrapes she ascertained. "Yeah, I think I'm okay…somehow."
They looked at their surroundings, noticing everything reducing the golden tinkles that ascended into the sky. The elements and Magic Power that became of the Celestial Spirits stopped all of a sudden and faded into nothing. All that was left were dim red pillars surrounding every spirit that had surprisingly calmed down, like they didn't feel pain anymore.
As the shockwaves dispelled, Vanessa in her Aura Guardian turned to notice the king's Magic Power. It was finally calming down. She was sure that this was a small setback, but her aura was reading his will was completely drained. She deactivated her Aura Guardian fusion with Krookodile, dropping to a knee as she watched the king's body soothingly calm down.
'What's the meaning of this? Are they…are they finally starting to calm down?'
Erza glanced left and right, noticing something from King Melchior's pillar. "Look there."
All their eyes went towards Melchior as they saw the crown on his red glowing a bright golden energy. They gathered around and saw the always red glow it had was now shielded in golden energy, like a protective safeguard. They were all speechless as they watched the crown remove itself off the unconscious king's head.
"What's it doing?" Gray's question was left unanswered.
They all watched as the crown twirled into the atmosphere over their head. It remained inside the pillar as it lifted several meters off the ground. The crown glowed brighter in golden energy, and then it shattered to pieces, despite the unbreakable jewel an armor. The debris and fragments faded into golden sparkles.
The jewel was the last part to fade away, its remnants being the last fragment to fade to ill-existence before all the red pillars around the Celestial Spirits went away. They all fell on their backs to the ground.
"You guys?" Lucy looked at them, seeing even the spirits of the Celestial Crew on their backs. They looked completely out of it. "Guys…"
BEEP
Her brown eyes widened.
"P-Puuun…" a groaning Plue turned towards the sky, seeing a bright core flying through the sunlight.
"Staryu!"
The starfish spun towards Lucy, catching up to her and Klefki. The blonde caught the starfish once it slowed down enough.
"Staryu, you had me so worried." Lucy scolded. "What happened?"
BEEPBEEP Staryu closed in on Lucy and Plue, accepting their embraces.
Natsu raised a brow. "Wait, you mean it went off on its own again?"
"I wonder where it came from this time?" Happy wondered.
Cana looked equally as concerned. She noticed a glow in her back pocket that was weakly dimming. She pulled it out, seeing one end not glowing as brightly as the others. She looked in the direction where the light faded along the hill. 'I've got a bad feeling about this.'
The light of the hill faded into a small golden orb that floated in place of Sophie. The accents along the altar faded away, leaving nothing but cleansed air. However, for everyone else, it was hard to breathe, especially with what they've just witnessed.
The orb soon faded, revealing Sophie as she was standing. However, her skin was completely pale like a ghost. Her eyes were shut as she towered strongly for a few moments before she collapsed to her side, going limp.
"SOPHIE!" Kadabra rushed towards his Trainer, Araquanid and Finneon following. As they moved Araquanid surprisingly picked up Finneon and put her in his water bubble. Normally he would've complained about his space, but now that he has evolved, he had plenty to spare.
They rushed over, while Duncan was left with complete shock at what he just saw. He couldn't believe what he just bared witness to. It almost seemed unreal. Spiritomb had the same reaction.
Tophet closed his eyes, acknowledging the sacrifice. "The wish…has been granted."
Duncan's eyes stayed shrunk as he was fixated on Sophie's still form. All her Pokémon silently gathered around their Trainer, their faces painted with grief and sadness. The scene was causing him a mild headache that surfaced smiles if someone.
"Duncan." Even in his head, he could see the toothy smile and peace sign painted on the man's face, despite what looked like him fading away.
He swallowed a nervous lump, something even Spiritomb seemed saddened by. She empathized with him sincerely. "Duncan…"
"The stars have judged you well. May they guide you down the right path."
Duncan harshly turned towards Tophet, seeing his body starting to fade with a smirk. "Wait!"
"In time…you shall know what you wish…but the path shall be long and hard…until then."
Tophet slowly faded away, his bodily presence no longer around them. With him gone, Duncan's bewilderment went down towards Sophie as she was still lying unconsciously. There was no point being around anymore now that they completed the mission, but it felt anything but a victory. Even if it was a win, somehow, this made Duncan wanna puke. It didn't feel right.
Gathering his bearings at last, he walked over slowly to Sophie's body, her Pokémon looking to Duncan as he stared at her paled face with a brief moment of hesitation before kneeling to pick her up bridal style.
He looked up at Astral to see the chaos had faded away. He no longer sensed any maleficent force. Seeing how Sophie saved the day, he turned away from the beautiful sight and sunrise, his back taking the heat as his face was cast into the shadows of what Sophie said before her memories faded.
"Even though you might hate me. If everyone else can't understand…give them a reason to keep going. That's you." Tears ran freely down her cheeks. "Thank you…for letting me see who you are!"
His cap lowered on its own as his grief piled on tenfold. Even though this was a win, he couldn't help but feel like a big failure for someone allowing themselves to be thrown like that. Normally it wasn't his business, but after what he went through with Sophie, this felt…wrong.
His lips meekly quivered. He did his best to keep his composure, but there was a tint in his eyes that sped down the side of his face.
Spiritomb looked on in silence of her own. Though she knew of Duncan's pain, she, too, felt the grim weight of it in her Odd Keystone.
"Up here!" a voice called out.
From the hill slope, the rest of Crime Sorciere and Yukino followed. They came to a halt when they looked up at Ophiuchus, seeing her present overhead.
"Ophiuchus…?" Yukino looked up, gasping at her spirit glaring down at her. She was shocked to say the least, but she couldn't tell if it was in a good way or a bad way.
The snake spirit looked down at her, flicking her tongue. "Hey."
"Well, well, looks like somebody finally decided to get out of her cave for once." Sorano huffed pridefully. "Well done, snakey. Guess you've just made it on the nice list this year."
Ophiuchus wasn't in the mood for one of her witty retorts for the white-haired nuisance. She slowly turned her attention towards the altar. This caused the others to turn their attention towards the group of magical creatures that stood behind a somber and firm Duncan as he held Sophie off the ground.
"Duncan." Jellal rushed over, almost tripping from how exhausted he was. "What happened?"
Duncan didn't respond. He stayed silent like no one was there.
"What happened? What was that light?" Bellona asked more forcefully than Jellal.
As they were being given the silent treatment, Erik stood by his Arbok as he was hearing everything inside his mind. He could feel Duncan's pain and regret inside the hollow void that was supposedly his heart. He heard the grief and frustration of Kadabra and the others as well. Looking at Sophie, it was nothing but a buzz in his ear. He looked away in small regret of his own.
"Is Sophie…okay?" Yukino worried.
Erik stayed quiet.
Duncan ignored the anxious stares of everyone else and turned towards Ophiuchus. "Hey, you." The snake gazed at him with the same snobbish face. "Can you take us to the others?"
It wasn't like Ophiuchus to be generous by any means, but she truly was sorry for what happened. She bared witness to all of it. The very least she could do as a spirit that helped humans would be to at least see it to the end, even by her own chagrin.
"Fine." She lowered herself, allowing Duncan and the Pokémon to get on. She turned towards Crime Sorciere. "You coming, or what?"
Though confused, they looked to each other to see no rebuttal. They followed onto Ophiuchus' back, allowing her to slither down the mountainside towards Astral.
The battle in Astral had truly come to a close now, they were all sure of it this time. Everyone gathered outside of Astral's plaza in the park, where there was enough space to check on all the spirits that were coming around again. This time they looked even more tired than they did before.
Virgo winced from the pain in her chest, her eyes fluttering open after so long.
"Virgo!" Lucy kneeled to her. "Easy, don't strain yourself."
With hazy vision, Virgo could barely make out Lucy's yellow hair. "Princess…? Is that you…?" she groaned. "I feel like…I've been through punishment."
Lucy wiped away a tear, holding Virgo loosely. "I'm so glad to hear you call me that." She smiled.
Close by, Taurus was groaning as well in terrible shape. "I can't feel a thing, Miss Lu~cy." He grimaced. "Maybe I'd feel netter…if I got a hug too."
Lucy sighed, knowing what he was really after. "I missed you too, Taurus."
Loke clutched his throbbing head. "Man, all of a sudden everything inside of me went and burst…I feel like an empty shell right now."
"Baby."
"Piri-Piri…"
The other spirits were coming around as well. Those that were manipulated by Melchior were so wipes that it took parts of Wendy's healing to keep them stable. Amongst the many that were dazed, Corvus, Lupus, and Volans were grouped with Cana and Liepard as they gathered their bearings after that experience.
"So where's Nic and Greninja?" Corvus asked.
"Yeah, and that blonde one too. Sophie." Lupus remembered.
"The overachiever and his frog should be back from their little skydive soon." Cana bluntly stated. "As for Sophie, she's still not back from that hill she went to check on." She turned towards Wyscan Hill miles off, wondering what that immense light was about.
Nearby, Vanessa was just as concerned, but she had to hold her reservations until she knew for certain Sophie was okay. But even from miles away, her aura was very faint. It made her inwardly anxious.
Erza heard a shrilled cry from above. Getting up from the bench that was miraculously still in one piece, she looked towards the sky to see a green glint descending. She sighed in relief.
Nic roared as his serpentine clothing slithered and whipped through the air with Nic-Greninja on his back. The two dropped slowly to the ground, everyone backing away to give them room for said landing. They glowed and the energy surrounding them dissipated, leaving Nic and Greninja in their normal forms with calmed breathing.
"About time, tardies!" Cana shouted angrily from the distance. "The hell took ya so long?!"
"So you guys took out the meteor then." Gray figured. Anyone could tell with the green explosion that happened high up.
Erza went up to Nic, looking at him worried. "Are you okay, Nic?"
Nic nodded. "Don't worry, we're just fine." He murmured, though he did feel a small headache. "…I think. Are you okay?"
Erza smirked. "You know it takes more than that to kill me. You of all people should know that."
Nic sighed. "Guess that's fair." His brow furrowed as he looked around. The energy from before had completely dissipated. "What happened?"
"You won't believe this!" Happy shouted. "When all the spirits were going completely nuts, we were almost goners! Then this big flashy light exploded from the mountains and all of a sudden it faded away!"
"And that crown the king had just vanished into thin air." Natsu added. "We didn't do anything, it was weird."
Nic processed what Happy and Natsu meant. 'From the mountains…' He looked towards the direction where Wyscan Hill was. 'That must have been the light I saw. Did the others find a way to undo the wish somehow…?'
Before he digressed too far, Greninja brought him out of the loop. "Where's Sophie and everyone else?"
Vanessa frowned. "Not here yet I'm afraid."
"Hey look, over there!" Wendy pointed out. "I see something!"
Everyone turned their attention to the direction that Wendy pointed in. The Celestial Spirits widened their eyes when they felt a strong magical pressure coming from that same direction. It drew closer, causing them all to go on edge.
As something came into view, Volans' eyes widened. "What in the world…?"
Lupus' hair stood on edge.
Corvus quivered in place. "I-I-I-I-I…is what…eh…?"
They all saw a gargantuan snake slither towards their direction. It was so massive that its size was unlike anything they've seen, let alone remembered. It came in close, coming up to tower over them with its mighty presence.
Greninja's eyes widened at the sight. "Ophiuchus…?"
Nic's eyes widened in sheer surprise. Even he didn't see this coming. 'She came out of her cave…' He figured that the snake wouldn't have been so cooperative at first. It had to have been Yukino or somebody. He fell silent.
"Holy crap! A snake!" Natsu screamed.
"Natsu, calm down!" Lucy insisted. "That's gotta be Ophiuchus!"
He calmed down. "Oh, that spirit they mentioned before?"
"The one Yukino used in the games. Ring a bell?" Gray added.
"Huh?" Natsu looked up, but drew at a blank. "Sorry, you lost me."
Everyone groaned.
"His poor brain." Happy grimaced.
"Suppose some things are meant as a constant." Carla chided.
Ophiuchus looked down at the stunned party to see them on edge, but thought little of their appeals. Her attention went to the other spirits and Zodiacs off to the side. She saw the confused and expectant stares of her fellow Zodiac. Normally she wouldn't think so highly or instead belittle them due to the complex she suffered, but she was in no mood as she looked towards the Celestial King. His majesty's eyes glared at her and vice versa. A very silent and subtle tension blossomed between the king of spirits and the forgotten spirit. Neither knew what to think, nor say for that matter. Perhaps it's just one of those moments best left in silence.
After along period of silence, Ophiuchus lowered her head begrudgingly. "Your majesty."
The king was left in silence as he was still processing it all. At a time like this, he wasn't sure he should be thankful or not. He sensed a very odd power from her, but no ill-intent.
Ophiuchus lowered her head to the ground, allowing everyone on board of her to get off. Sorano jumped off first to a skip in her step. "Did anyone miss me~?!" She hopped off to the side as Yukino slid off next, then Erik. Next came Jellal and Bellona, and finally the rest.
"Yukino!" Lucy raced up to her Celestial Mage.
The white-haired girl heard her name and saw her friend. "Lucy?"
"Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, we're just fine now, thanks." She looked up towards Ophiuchus. "Thanks for everything, Ophiuchus."
Ophiuchus didn't bother looking at her master. "…it's no big deal." She scoffed.
"We apologize for troubling you." Bellona stated. "I trust that you all had your own share of delights, yes?"
The despondent chime she carried didn't give anyone good fortunes. The battered looks on their faces says it all, much to her amusement.
"Bellona." Jellal chided.
The mage composed herself. "Right, my apologies."
"So I take it that the mission to Wyscan Hill was a success then?" Erza deduced. She saw the look on Jellal's face. He didn't seem all that confident. "Jellal?" Her brow furrowed. "Exactly what happened?"
Jellal lowered his head somberly. "Well, when we git to the top…there was a problem."
"What problem?" Vanessa could sense the tone in the atmosphere changing. Her aura was picking up heavy remorse around them.
Instead of answering in person, Crime Sorciere fell silent as they moved off to the side. They looked on as all their eyes widened; Vanessa and Nic's especially. There, in Duncan's arms carried bridal style, Sophie was limp and pale. Her body was battered and her magical energy was all used up. Her Pokémon followed behind like a death march. The message instantly turned to horror.
"Sophie." Lucy gasped, her eyes shrunk and shuddering.
Vanessa was at a complete standstill. She was feeling an extremely weak aura coming from her. She was barely alive.
"Get out of the way!" Cana rushed pass everyone as Duncan kneeled and sat her down gently with her support. He stepped back as Corvus, Lupus, Volans, and everyone else gathered around the blonde. Cana hovered over her and put her ear to her chest to check her heartbeat. She heard low thumps, indicating she was still there. "This is bad. Wendy! Nic! Get over here!"
"Right!" Wendy was given way as she rushed to Sophie's side, activating her Healing Magic. Green energy emanated from her hands onto Sophie, healing her wounds. Nic transformed into his Mind Form and kneeled, using Heal Pulse to help speed along the recovery. "Hang in there, Sophie. Stay with us."
"Will…she be okay?" Juvia worried, the answers completely unclear to her.
Gray didn't give an answer. He was unsure himself.
"Sophie…" Corvus murmured.
Vanessa looked on with worry of her own wright. She looked at Sophie's pale face as her brother and Wendy were doing their jobs at healing her. She looked over at Duncan to see what he had to say, but as usual, he was silent, with a deep, scary frown. Looking at her fellow Trainer now, Vanessa always got a densely cold aura around Duncan. But that colored aura was blue, like somber. She didn't have to ask him to feel if he's alright. Reading his aura was an indication of one's emotions, and this would be the first time that it appears to be Duncan actually upset about something.
As much as she wanted to invest on the sullen Trainer, she was more inclined to Sophie. She saw the pale color on her fade slowly.
"Stay with us, girl." Cana chided. She turned towards Duncan. "Duncan, what the hell happened to her?!" She got no response from him, irking her further. "You…"
Nic stared tentatively at Sophie, his eyes fixated on hers. 'Sophie.' His mind raced back to the adventures and fights they shared. He didn't stop to consider it, but recently it's been ages since they've been talking to each other. It made him feel guilty. 'Sorry…' He added more power to his move. 'Come on, stay with us!'
With the added flow of both healing properties, the external wounds Sophie suffered were fully healed. Her skin tone had returned from being pale and sickly, and her hair was given life again. Once their properties faded, Sophie's eyes twitched, a weak groan coming from her.
Natsu's eyes widened. "Look!" He pointed at her face, she her stir.
"I think she's coming back around." Carla said.
"Everyone, give her some room." Erza ordered.
Everyone took a step back and gave a small perimeter to Sophie as she stirred in the dirt. Her eyeliner was smeared, but that wasn't an issue. Her vision slowly recovered, showing her a blue sky.
'W-Where…am I…?' She opened her eyes a little more, seeing birds fly overhead. She felt the ground beneath her, realizing she was lying down. She used her arms to prop herself up, and that's when she sat up and looked down at her clothes, which were all tattered. She noticed how endowed her chest was that she could barely see her dirt-covered stomach. She turned her head to acknowledge the surroundings of hills, grass, and especially the people. The first person she saw was Duncan, who looked down with hands in his pockets. She stared at him confusedly for an answer…but all she got was a morose look. She noticed the other people and animal figures looking at her. Unlike the trainer over her, they looked relieved or otherwise happy. 'Who are they looking at?' her brow furrowed. 'Is it me?'
"Sophie!" Lucy cheered. "Thank god you're okay!"
"Hey girl, how you feeling?" Gray asked.
Volans smiled. "You had us mighty worried there. For a moment we almost felt anxious of your health."
Corvus slumped his shoulders in relief. "You scared us. Please don't do that…like ever again!" he quipped.
Lupus sighed. "You good?"
Sophie blinked. She was completely shocked that animals and humans were speaking to her. 'Wait are they…referring to me?' She continued observing. She noticed that everyone was silent and seemingly expecting her to answer. She stayed on the ground, keeping cautions high.
"I'm sorry, but…what's going on?"
Erza took a step forward. "You can relax now. Nic and Wendy managed to heal your wounds. You should be fine now."
"Nic? And Wendy?" She looked around confusedly, seeing the many faces around her. It didn't help her.
As she looked around disoriented, Vanessa was frowning. She was sensing Sophie's aura, and all she got was a complete blank. The bad feeling she had grew as she looked towards Nic, seeing him glance at her.
When he saw the look on his sister's face, his concern grew. He looked back towards the hill, his brow furrowing.
"Yeah, so how are you feeling?" Natsu asked. "Ready?"
Sophie scrunched her knees closer to her abdomen. "For what? Who are you?"
Natsu raised a brow. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"He's Natsu, you know. The guy who eats a lot." Happy emphasized, earning a glare from him.
"Natsu…" Sophie looked down at her feet, trying to recollect anything that could help…but nothing but a white blank was there. "I'm sorry…but I don't know."
"You what?" Gray asked. "You don't remember? C'mon Sophie, don't play games."
"I'm not. I-I'm lost…does anyone know…where I am?" She looked at their concerning faces rising. "Please, stop staring. It's not helping!"
"Sophie, calm down." Cana said. "It's alright. What happened?"
Sophie tried to think of what happened, but again, she drew at nothing. She couldn't even remember her own name. All that she had was a blank in her head, with no memories. She tried focusing harder, but after minutes of thinking, she looked distressed. "…I don't know."
All their excitement died as their worries skyrocketed.
Nic glanced at Duncan, his serious glare burning into his eyes. "Duncan." He started. "What happened, exactly?"
It sounded extremely demanding, and Duncan couldn't blame him. But he tipped his cap, refusing to speak.
"Lady Sophie…" Kadabra murmured. He, along with Araquanid and Finneon, stayed close together as they mourned for the new amnesiac.
"Okay, I'm lost." Natsu said, glaring at Duncan. "Hey you, what the hell happened to Sophie? If she can't remember squat, there must be something messed up here."
"Natsu…" Vanessa murmured.
Once again, Duncan said nothing. He kept his gaze on Sophie, her own cowarding glance less than encouraging.
Seeing a scuffle beginning to break out, Ophiuchus knew this could get out of hand. She sighed. "Geez, you humans are so stupid." she mocked. "Listen well, because I hate having to explain things twice."
For the next five minutes, Ophiuchus took it upon herself to explain everything that happened in her eyes and experience. She made sure to include as much as everything as possible, including the battle with Andromeda and the Wyscan Hill legends. She explained the extreme price one who had a celestial bond in order to be granted one wish, thus leading to Sophie's amnesia in play. By the time everyone had realized it, they looked back to Sophie to see even she was in shock of what was told. However, to everyone else, it was a heartbreaker, and others were in complete disbelief. Perhaps the most grieving were Nic and Vanessa. They stared down with saddened looks as one of their closest – best in Vanessa's case – was gone, and now all that was left was an amnesiac in a shell. The rest of the Celestial Crew looked just as heartbroken.
"No way…" Lucy broke the silence, her sadness showing in shuddering eyes. "Sophie…sacrificed her memories…?"
Kadabra hung his head in shame. "It's true. We were there."
"So then that light we saw…" Gray started, trailing towards the hill altar in the far distance.
"That was her wish to rid if everything the king had done." Juvia lowered her head in regret.
Cana crossed her arms, her mood as foul as garbage. "So that's it then…that explains why she's like this right now…" she looked at Sophie again, who was processing what happened.
The explanation to her was something that threw her of, otherwise making her sad. She stared down at her feet to realize why she couldn't remember anything. That explained so much then, why she couldn't recognize them. It was because she gave up her memories for their sake. They must have been very important to her to have happened.
Natsu walked up to Duncan, his bangs over his eyes. "And that's what happened. That's what you saw?"
Duncan huffed. That was more of an answer for Natsu.
He hastily grabbed Duncan by the collar, his teeth gritting. "You bastard! You just sat there and let her sacrifice her memories of us!"
"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked.
Duncan remained calm as Natsu glared him down. "That guy was gonna kill all of us and our friends, and you just stayed behind and not find another way than this!"
"It wasn't like there was any other way." He replied calmly. "And besides, what would you know about other ways than just force?"
"Like hell I'll believe that! There's always a way!" Natsu completely ignored the truth in his statement out of anger. "We can't just sit by and let our friends sacrifice themselves for us! It's not fair to anybody! Now look at what happened-!"
A punch to the face completely sent Natsu to the ground, making his cheeks bruised.
"Gah!" He spat out blood, holding his cheekbone, which ached bad. He looked up, seeing who the culprit was.
"Snap out of it, Natsu! Now pull yourself together!" Nic roared, his teeth gritting. He looked upset.
"Nic…" Erza grimaced.
"Did you think Sophie would have wanted us to be like this? Look at what was happening. We couldn't get near the crown, and everything was going out of control. I knew Sophie well enough to know she would never have done something like this without a good reason. You should know too. We're just lucky it was her memories and not her own life she lost."
Natsu looked down at the ground, his teeth gritting at what Nic said.
It wasn't hard to tell from the looks of it that Nic felt just as guilty. His fists were balling to where veins could've been seen, the knuckles almost white. He wanted to punch himself in the gut for suddenly snapping on Natsu, but this hurt him just as badly as anyone else. He figured it was because Sophie held a special place in his heart, she was the one to support his and Erza's relationship when the ball was still rolling. It hurt to know the person he knew was gone, but this was her choice. He had to respect that. Still, that didn't mean it was easy for him to take. And he wasn't the only one.
Cana looked down with Lupus, Corvus, and Volans, the rest of the crew looked sullenly for Sophie.
Greninja put a hand on Nic's shoulder. "Nic."
Feeling his best friend's insistence, Nic closed his eyes, calming down. "…you're right. I'm sorry." He turned away, looking elsewhere. His calm composure seemed to be back, but his teeth gnashed pretty hard. Erza came over, holding his hand to keep him together. In a way, she was. She seemed a lot calmer than he did.
"So what do we do now? She lost her memories. Isn't there anything we can do?" Happy questioned.
"I'm sorry…" Wendy murmured, her eyes misting. "But I don't think that my healing spells are gonna change this."
"Sophie…" Lucy looked towards her, seeing the blank stare of the green-eyed woman. She sacrificed for her friends, just like she did for them back in Tartaros. So in a way, she knew where she was coming from. 'There really was no other way then.'
Of the many folks that watched, Sophie heard footsteps in front. She turned around, meeting a supple hand that reached out to her.
"Sophie."
She looked up to see who it was that was offering to help her up. She was shorter than her, but she had a very endowed and voluptuous frame – amazingly in the lower extremities. Her blue eyes looked a lot like the man that punched the overzealous pink-haired man in frustration. Her long black hair had a yellow bang. Her look seemed completely focused.
"I'm sorry, but I can't remember you." Sophie said sullenly. "Are you…a friend?"
A silence fell as Vanessa stared into Sophie's eyes, her aura feeling familiar to some level, but not a lot. She calmly smiled, the best forced one she could.
"Don't worry about it. And we shouldn't either. I'm very sorry for our reactions as they are. The truth is, you meant a lot to us. Believe it or not, if it wasn't for you, perhaps we all would've been dead…so even if you aren't certain now, just know that we're forever thankful to you, Sophie Lednick."
Sophie blankly nodded, hearing her full name out loud. She must know her really well. "Um…thank you…"
"Vanessa. Vanessa Pularis." She reached her hand out to her. "I understand you're confused, so it won't be easy. But Sophie, you saved all our lives. The very least we owe you, is to help you when you need it now. Will you let us?"
Sophie saw the many faces behind her. A moment ago, they showed sadness and grief, but now they were showing promise, otherwise certainty. She didn't know why, but this strange feeling inside her gut was making her feel warm and fuzzy.
'What's this feeling?' She looked at Vanessa, seeing her eyes fixed on her. 'She looks so calm. Maybe…'
Taking a deep breath, Sophie sighed. "I…may not fully understand what's going on here…but I guess that if what was said is true, then I must have done something very important. You all must have been dear to me for me to have done something like forget who I am…" she looked at Vanessa intently. "So…for now…I guess that I don't have a choice."
She shook hands with Vanessa, pulling her up to her feet.
"So if you say you want to help me, I'll allow it."
Vanessa nodded. "We'll do our best."
Kadabra, Araquanid, and Finneon looked to each other, softy smiling. It was going to be a bumpy road from here on, but they promised to do exactly what Sophie said before. They needed her, now more than ever.
As Nic looked over, he saw Duncan facing away. He traced down to his own knuckles, noticing the blood vessels popped from clutching too hard.
Cana eventually undid the dimension spell she used on the people in the cards, allowing them out again. However, they had a serious case of déjà vu, unaware of what really happened. They were explained that the king's ceremony had gone wrong last night, and in doing so released Magic Power that went on a geographical scale. The folks were skeptical, but some were more concerned with their loss of property, which would take months or years to get back to shape.
The authorities soon arrived to help people with construction and questioning. The group was assessed and testified what really happened. Once they were all questioned, the capital authorities of Seven took the king and the remaining advisors away.
As the king was pushed along pass everyone, he stopped. "Give me a minute, please."
The officers stopped to allow him to speak directly to Nic.
"Well, I suppose a congratulations is in order. Because of you and your efforts, the Celestial World shall stay as it is. And now in time, shall disappear. Consider yourselves blessed with ignorance, if you will."
Nobody bothered to say anything to the king. He was too dazed to probably know what he's saying anyway. The look in his eyes indicated grief from the crown and his attempts having failed. As much as they pitied him, they at least understood his motives. But that didn't make the situation any better.
Melchior sighed. "Suppose this is the end of the golden era…alright men, take me away."
The officers dragged the helpless king away with his advisors behind. They were put in carriage with magic restraints and the doors shut behind them as they were carried off.
Everyone's silence fell hard as the tension in the air slowly settled.
"I guess that's it then." Wendy said.
Carla nodded. "Yes. It would seem so."
"So what now?" Happy questioned. "Guess we just go back leaving things like this?"
Erza walked to them as she finished discussing with an officer. "It's fine. They said that they'll be sending a hand-written apology letter to Queen Hisui, as well as a fully detailed explanation of the misunderstanding. There shall be agreement papers and a treaty negotiation in the works."
"So I guess that means we really can go home." Natsu eagerly grinned. "Man, I can't wait to get some sleep! My back's killing me!"
Charmeleon chuckled. "You can say that again."
Nic sighed. Curious of other matters, he turned towards Jellal. "So Jellal, what are you thinking of doing right now? You said that Crime Sorciere is done after this, right? Are you sure about that?"
Jellal nodded firmly. "I can appreciate your concerns…" he turned towards his allies. "But I assure you, we've made up our own decisions. It's time that we move on to our own beginnings. As what his majesty would say, our own era has come to its end."
Erza nodded in acceptance. "I see. Then we'll give to you both our regards."
Jellal nodded in thanks before turning to Sorano. "Sorano. I believe you said this was your last stop, was it?"
The perky Crime Sorciere Mage jumped. "Yup! This was it! Now that I had this rocking adventure with you guys, it's time to finally be with my sister, right?!" she rubbed Yukino's head affectionately. "So there's no way you're letting go of me now!"
Yukino sweatdropped, but otherwise didn't fight it. "T-thanks, sis."
"I guess this means your next course will be joining Sabertooth if Yukino's there." Bellona said. "Give the others my regards."
Sorano playfully winked. "Will do!"
Jellal turned towards Erik, seeing his back turned. "Erik, what are you gonna do?"
The Poison Dragon Slayer held his shoulders up as he looked towards the sun in the sky. "Nothing sure yet. I'll think of something. But I think now's time to finally go my own way." He turned towards Jellal and Bellona. "You cool with that?"
Jellal grinned. "Yes. I wish you both the best of luck." He turned towards Erza. "And Erza, be well. We both know how rather rebellious Nic can be."
Erza chuckled. "Trust me, I know." She cast a glance to him, making him and Greninja groan.
Erik raised his hand as he started off towards the mountains. "Well I've had my fill. It was nice knowing you guys." He walked off, but not before Nic stepped up.
"Erik, one more thing."
He stopped in his tracks.
"Stop by the guild hall sometime…I'm sure Kinana wouldn't mind seeing you every now and again." He grinned. "You can hear her right now, don't you?"
Erik stared into space as he listened to the many voices afar. He looked passively sound as he was in fact hearing Kinana's voice from miles away. She sounded happy as she was tending to her Seviper. He grinned. "I'll think about it." He waved him off. "Catch ya later."
Nic watched Erik take off, a grin on his face. With his talk with him in the tunnels, he's sure he'll be well. He looked down at his Poke Ball, feeling Arbok inside. His grin widened.
"Nic. Greninja."
The two turned towards the sound. It was Lupus and the rest of the crew, Cana and Liepard were present as well. With them gathered, he had a feeling of what it meant.
"Is it time already?"
Volans nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The Celestial World has returned to a proper state. With the balance fixed, we must now return to our world and rest."
Lupus hung his head, panting. "Yeah, I already sent the mutts back. They looked a little too beat."
"So are you, tough dog." Liepard slyly smirked. "You look like you've been in the sun too long."
Lupus scoffed lightly. "Heh, easy for you to say, little kitty."
Cana raised a brow at their interactions. Just before, Purrloin was cowering away from him, but now it's like they've been best friends for years. The chumminess made her question when it really happened.
Corvus comically cried waterfalls of tears. "Oh come on~! Why do we have to part now?!" he bawled, using his arms to wipe away the floodworks. "W-well…you guys better be safe then. Ya hear?!"
Cana smirked. "Easy there, bird boy. Don't molt before you lose all your tears now."
"We'll be well. Thanks." Nic thanked. Greninja nodded too.
"And Nic. Miss Cana." Volans said, stopping for a moment. He and everyone turned towards Sophie, who was sitting close on a rock, seemingly talking to her Pokémon. "Give Miss Sophie our regards."
Cana mournfully smiled. "Yeah. Sure."
"You don't want to say goodbye to her?" Greninja questioned.
Volans smiled as he shook his head. "It's not in our place to say. Right now, she needs you guys more than ever. Once she catches up, we'll be certain to see her smile at us."
"I see."
"And also, there's one more thing we decided before we have to go." Volans added. He looked towards Lucy, seeing her talk in relief with her team while holding onto Plue. He looked at Corvus, then Lupus, seeing them nod in agreement. They proceeded towards her. "Miss Lucy."
Lucy was smiling at her Klefki as she circled around her head. She heard her name called and turned towards the gathered spirits. "Oh, hey guys. What's up?"
"Hey." Corvus started, impishly grinning. "So, me and the guys here were talking about something. Would you wanna hear us out?"
Although she was confused, Lucy didn't see any reason not too. "Uh, sure?"
Lupus scoffed. "Basically, you know we're buddies with Sophie, right? The girl's gone and made quit a mess of herself."
Volans nodded. "So in order to make sure we keep ourselves looking out for the crew in case of an emergency, we would like to offer a proposition. Lucy Heartfilia…" He raised his thick arm to reveal something he was holding onto. It was a silver key with a fish emblem with wings on both sides. "We would like to offer contracts with you."
"What?"
Lupus held up a silver key, along with Corvus holding his own. The wolf had his respective emblem, as did the crow with a black beak looking down. Lucy eyed the keys at the opportunity at hand.
"You guys, I really can't…"
"We insist." Volans stated. "You and Miss Sophie are part of the same guild. You are a Celestial Mage, as well as a very close friend to Nic and Miss Cana. If we say that you're adequate to serve our keys, then we absolutely insist."
"You guys…thank you." Lucy tentatively accepted the three keys, which Klefki eyed with ogling delights.
"Summon us when you need us. But know this, we look out for our crew. So if they summon us, we take the lead." Lupus chuckled. "Follow the pack leader, ya hear?"
Lucy nodded, accepting the terms. "Okay."
"Though…" Corvus raised a finger, nervously smirking. "How's about Sundays off?" He smiled wide in hopes, but Volans and Lupus looked back with glares that made him sulk. "O-or whenever…you know, either works…"
"Catch you later, tough dog." Liepard playfully whipped her tail. "Better not be whimpering the next time I see you."
Lupus accepted the challenge with a snarl. "Heh, better not see you running around like a scaredy kitty either."
As they bantered like friends they were, Happy was shuddering out of angst and envy. How Liepard could stand talking to the giant wolf and not even bat an eyelash left him to question his own role. As he gloomed at his chances falling lower to impress her, Carla huffed with a tick mark.
"Lucy." Turning around, Loke appeared with the rest of her spirits. They looked battered and in bad shape, but thankfully they were well. "We need to go back, too. We'll need some time to recover from all these wounds we've got. Hope that's not too much trouble."
Lucy shook her head sweetly. "No, of course not. You guys deserve it for the trouble you went through."
"Miss Lu~cy, I'll be ready even if it kills me to see that rockin' bod again!" Taurus awed.
"When I return, I'll happily recite literature that should enlighten your etiquette if needed." Capricorn politely bowed.
"We'll be back up to speed soon."
"Milady, do apologies."
"Princess, even if it hurts, no punishment shall keep me from being summoned by you."
"Piri-Piri!"
Lucy was genuinely touched by everyone coming together, it was making her misty-eyed. "You guys…"
BEEPBEEP
"What is it, Staryu?" Lucy looked over her shoulder, seeing a certain spirit with her arms crossed and looking away. She floated over the ground with a less than happy expression, though she didn't point it to Lucy. "Aquarius."
The mermaid spirit huffed, looking more than a little tired. Nevertheless, she did spare one glance at Lucy as she stood besides her.
"So how are you feeling?"
"…better, I guess." She huffed. "Though it could've been a lot better if we were given a notice."
Lucy took it as a compliment. "Yeah, I guess."
"Still, if I wanted to cause trouble to you, I would've wanted to do it by own accord. Not some 3rd rate tyrant. So, I guess…I'm sorry." She looked at her fixed golden key and passed it over. "Here."
Lucy's eyes widened as she eyed the key that was sitting out in front of her. Her eyes were starting to water at the sheer emotions she was feeling inside. All that work, and all of that sacrifice, and two years later, it finally paid off. "A-Aquarius…"
"Just take it already. I guess you deserve it for all the hell you went through." The mermaid glanced sheepishly. "Just, when you summon me, just don't cry. Or I'll drown you."
Lucy finally accepted the key, Klefki staying extremely close as she eyed the key. Shed love to hold it, but knew Lucy needed this time. She watched her rub the newly repaired key to her cheek, sniffling as her contract and gateway to her first friend had been successfully repaired, hopefully for good.
The Celestial King nodded in approval. Now it was his turn to make amends with a certain someone. "Ophiuchus."
The giant snake shot the king a glare from the corner of her eye.
"While the stars have been far for you, they now bear closer for you to guide others through. You have guided our young friend, who in turn saved us from darkness befalling both world, not just our own. To you, my old friend…I thank you. I am in your debt for saving the lives of so many."
"Hmph, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not an 'old friend'." She mocked, taking a moment to pause. "But…you're welcome, I guess."
Inside, Ophiuchus was actually very happy that the king had acknowledged her, let alone her existence. The rest of the Zodiacs looked up to her with expectant grins of their own full of smiles. Finally, after so long, after years of being ignored, it took a small talk and a lot of crammed convincing to get her going, but in the end she finally made a difference. She made her life worth something, at least for one time. The pseudo-Zodiac was finally one of their own. This made Yukino and Sorano smile.
"Now then, old friends, I believe it is time that we once again say our farewells to you all. We are all very grateful to you, that no amount of stars are made, our bonds have been further strengthened by your hearts pouring to us. We've strayed from our oaths once, and now we are back, looking farther ahead than before. It was right of us to bestow our trust to another world after all." The king began glowing, along with the rest of the Zodiac and Celestial Crew spirits. "May we all continue to work together in the coming years. Through bitter and worse, we stand tall and look out for one another. That is the meaning of friendship. Staryu."
Staryu blinked.
"To you, and Ophiuchus and Sophie Lednick. I thank you three sincerely. May the stars forever be in your reaches. Until we meet again, old friends."
The king glowed and became a radiating light stream that went into the sky. The Gemini twins waved goodbye as Sagittarius saluted farewells. Taurus flexed, Scorpio posed with a smirk, and Aries meekly waves. Capricorn bowed. Cancer snipped his fingers n place of his scissors. Loke softly smiled as Libra and Pisces behind nodded to Yukino. The last the fade was Aquarius, who stared at Lucy with a knowing smile.
"I guess I didn't have to miss you that much after all." She faded away, chuckling to herself. "So much for freetime."
"We bid you all adieu." Volans said. The crew faded away next, disappearing back into the Celestial Spirit World at long last.
"Puuun…" Plue waved Staryu as the starfish returned the gesture before fading.
Yukino heard the sound of slithering and saw Ophiuchus turn away. "Ophiuchus, hold on."
The massive serpent stopped in her tracks, glancing away from her. "…heh, what a day it's been."
Yukino softly nodded. "Yes, it has." A short silence fell as she looked at her. "Ophiuchus, thank you so much. You're a true friend."
Ophiuchus hissed impishly. "Whatever. But…you know…" She hesitated for a moment as she stared to the mountains, birds chirping overhead. "I guess…I can learn to appreciate others than just spirits now. So…thank you again." She glanced back at Yukino. "We'll redo our contract…but don't expect me to be there, you know!"
Yukino nodded. "Promise."
Ophiuchus nodded. "Sure…take care." She ducked her head and slowly slipped back into her tunnels. Her frame slowly vanished from sight as Yukino and everyone watched her go back to her dormant state. Her long tail was the last thing to fade back to darkness as Yukino smiled softer to her spirit.
"Alrighty then." Changing the mood, Sorano raised a fist high. "Now that that's settled, let's go home!"
Yukino grinned. "Sure."
Lucy nodded. "Guess we should go too. I need to take a nice hot bath. Oh! And I think I got this great idea for my novel!" Beside her, Klefki and Staryu looked to each other, blinking and jingling as they followed Lucy.
"Oh, will you let us peek?" Natsu asked.
"Aye, better have fishies involved if it's gonna sell!" Happy added.
"Hell no boys! You stay as far away from those papers, ya hear?!"
Erza chuckled and smiled at the merriment made. She turned towards Nic, shuffling to his side. "Suppose things will be getting back to normal." She teased. "Or rather as normal as they get."
Nic nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." He looked towards Greninja to see him being calm about all this like he was. He looked towards Sophie, seeing how Vanessa was at the ready to guide her. 'I guess for some of us, this is where it has to end. I wonder…' He looked skywards, seeing the sun beaming down on them. 'Is there even an end at all? Who's to say…?'
"Sophie, are you ready?" Vanessa asked. "We'll go home. To your home."
Sophie smiled as she nodded. "Okay…I trust you."
Rom the distance, Duncan watched in silence. He tilted his cap down as Spiritomb floated by bis side. Without a word he turned and started back the trail they came, with her following in silence.
Back at Joey and Dereece's apartment, night had fallen. Dereece groaned as he flopped on the couch. "Oiii…man I thought I'd never be glad to feel leather again."
Joey sighed as he was sprawled on the loveseat adjacent to the couch. "Yeah, I guess so…" His mind wasn't in the best shape at the moment. He was still dazed on what happened following his and everyone's return to shore. It was a bitter goodbye to say the least to Kevin, especially with Ella's death weighing heavily on them. When they bid farewells and shook hands, they promised to keep in touch before going to report their findings to the respective people. For Joey's case, he had to not only send the data of the Pokémon inhabitance, but also the island forgery, as well as the stones. He let Dereece handle that. He also had to relinquish the stone he found too, much to their chagrin.
"They're gonna have their hands full for a while with the forgery that went on." Dereece sighed. "Man, that was so messed up."
Joey meekly nodded. He was still sad of their niece going to a better place. "Dereece?"
The man looked towards Joey.
"Do you think Kevin will be alright?"
Dereece walked over, smiling as he patted his back. He was just as heartbroken, his eyes misting. "We'll be just fine, Captain." He assured softly. "And so will Duncan."
Joey softly smiled. After this, he wouldn't mind seeing him again. And he hoped Duncan shared the same thoughts. He looked out to the window, seeing the stars twinkle.
Under the same starry sky in the woods miles away, a bungalow lied with its lights off. The humble abode was nice and quiet with no disturbance. Inside this bungalow, candles lit up as Kane appeared inside his door. He seemed less than displeased, despite getting a praise from the unauthorized job. Though, as an independent mage, to him, it didn't matter. Money was money.
The home was silent. A little too silent. He frowned as he eyerolled to the shadows. "You can come out now, Whirlipede and I can smell your smoke."
From the shadows, another whiff of smoke whiff in Kane's face, making him sneer angrily. A pair of lips smirked as someone stepped out in a cloak.
"I trust that you had all the patience in the world figuring out what happened during my time away." Kane retorted. "To be honest, your little 'fickle finger' on fortunes isn't what I had in mind…Miss Hoshina."
The revealed woman removed her cloak, smirking as she removed the pipe from her mouth. Her luscious smirk could send as much shivers up one's spine as Kane's does.
"Elaborate again what the fortune was that I paid you for?"
Hoshina did as told and held up her crystal ball. The ball had a misty purple haze inside that cleared away, showing the island that Joey was on previously. "Three men venture into the forbidden. Should a fourth one to arrive, by morning of the third day, may the three suffer a grief to one's end." She shot a humble glance. "Is that what not happened?"
Kane huffed. "Not how I imagined it." To what Hoshina described, he thought the three men would've been The Freaks themselves. And the fourth would've been him, not Ella. But alas, fate twisted boundaries yet again. "You know I can always count on you for some measure of keeping track of my nemesis, Miss Hoshina. But at this expense, but for as long as a business we've had, I was hoping a little more fruit to bear." He stroke Whirlipede, making him purr.
"The future is always full of surprises." She nonchalantly stated.
"And yet your magic allows you to direct the future from reality. So let me ask you, can you, or can you not see a time when I will finally see his end?"
Hoshina blatantly put the pipe back into her mouth. "And to whom 'he' is…"
"You know who I mean! Joey! Joey Haycliff!" he snapped.
She took in a long, relaxing breath, thus making Kane impatiently tap his heel to the ground. He crossed his arms as Hoshina looked into her crystal ball, the mist in the ball was the same emanating from her pipe. "Well now, to what his future holds…" she hummed. "I see anguish. Pain caused to him by someone close. It's there, that he will have to undergo a most difficult burden." The mist faded, leaving a hollow crystal ball. "For the reality of one's future, that is what all I see."
Kane exasperatedly sighed. "I suppose there's other choice then. Guess I'll have to step up my game on my own terms then." He reached into his pocket with a sizeable sack of money. He lobbed it in front of her. "There's your payment, as we have agreed. Now, if there are no more obligations, I leave to you a good night, Miss Hoshina."
Hoshina grabbed the cash and put it beneath her cloak. Now that Kane was through with her, she would have to find another place to accommodate herself. Not that she didn't mind. "I wonder…"
Kane and Whirlipede turned around.
"Your fixation on this man, it's one of the very few mysteries that even I cannot fathom enough on. How very interesting of a human you are, dear Kane. This begs the question…what the reality would be of yours…without him in your life as a purpose?" she held up her crystal ball. "Would you like to see?"
"No, thank you." Kane declined brashly, beaming to his ceiling and tapping his fingers against the chair. "I can see the future clearly, unlike some people."
Hoshina smirked as she blew one last smoke. "Pleasure with the business, Mister Kane." She departed in the shadows, the door abruptly slamming like the wind forced it to.
Unmoved, Kane rolled his eyes. He sighed tiredly. "That is the last time we'll be relying on outside sources, Whirlipede."
Whirlipede hissed annoyed.
"Yes, I know. But trust me, nothing will be of waste." He maliciously smirked as the candle lights dimmed, making the room darker. "Besides…I actually enjoyed seeing how powerful my nemesis has become. Now…time to step up our game."
Whirlipede's hiss echoed in the arriving darkness.
A new morning dawned onto Magnolia, the sun rising over a nice little apartment that sat on the end of the avenue where the guild was. It was hear, in this little place, where Sophie lived. For the most part, she was adapting well, and she slept well in her room. She found herself waking up, taking notice of her surroundings. It was only one night, so she wasn't fully aware of her entitled home.
Stepping out of the shower, the endowed woman was wrapped in a towel and looking at herself in the mirror. She had been staring for some time trying to get a good look at herself. 'So, this is who I am now.' She was told a lot of things by everyone on the way back, how she was a member of a guild, how she and Vanessa lived together, and how she had to pay rent. Pretty simple life style. Nevertheless, it still didn't satisfy this vacant feeling in her chest that seemed like something was missing. She frowned at her reflection, wondering what her routine was like.
'I guess I'll get by somehow. Shouldn't be that hard.' She thought of everyone. '…after all, they promised to help me. Guess I shouldn't worry too much.'
She smiled and looked brighter in the mirror. She reached for her lipstick and applied it to her lips. Did her mascara and got dressed. She walked out of the bathroom and looked at the time. It was close to 9.
'Is Vanessa up yet? Maybe she's at the guild hall.' She looked down the hall where Vanessa's room was. She creeped on over to the door and knocked, but got no answer. "Vanessa? Are you there?" Worried, she turned the handle and opened slowly. Instantly, she was met with a body sprawled with bedsheets and blankets everywhere. Vanessa was sleeping on her side, hugging a pillow tight as her breathing was so heavy it was like she was dead. The sight made Sophie sweatdrop. 'Wow…she's out.' She hesitated for a moment on what to do. Was it right to wake her up? What would she have done in the past? 'Well…we have to go to the guild and all…I guess I should try to wake her up.' She went over, trying to nudge her roommate up. However, Vanessa only rolled to her other side, moaning softly about something incomprehensible. Sophie grew weary and sighed. 'C'mon Sophie…think. What would she get up for? Maybe a favorite food? No, I don't know what she likes yet…maybe-!' She sprouted an idea. 'That should work!' She moved up to the bed. "Vanessa~…"
Vanessa didn't budge. She was sleeping hard. Sophie inhaled deeply and yelled at the top of her lungs.
"VANESSA! THAT KROOKODILE OF YOURS IS BREAKING THE HOUSE APART!"
Vanessa almost jumped out of her bed and sat up. "W-what-?!" She stirred up, looking at her surroundings. She saw Sophie backed to the doorway for caution. "Sophie…?"
She uneasily flinched. "Um, s-sorry for the false alarm." However, inwardly she wasn't. She meekly chuckled to herself. 'Déjà vu.'
Vanessa blinked. This feeling of her waking up to a shout was extremely common, but given the circumstances, she was honestly piqued. "Sophie…" she murmured. "Are you…alright?"
"Yeah, I think I slept well…is that what you meant?"
Vanessa calmly shook her head. "It's nothing." She stood up and walked over to her dresser. She started looking for a new bra, pulling out a light purple one.
Seeing as how Vanessa was gonna change, Sophie took her leave.
"Oh, and Sophie…" Vanessa started.
"Yes?" she looked back, hopeful in her eyes.
"Thanks for waking me up like that." She softly smiled. "I appreciate it."
Sophie was silent as she took in what Vanessa said. She wasn't sure if she was being genuine or formal, but from the look on her face she seemed to have meant well. "You're welcome." She turned away, beaming. "I'll have to remember that when I wake you the next time."
Vanessa watched Sophie smile as she walked down the hall to stairs. 'I know you will.' She finished getting dressed for the day and readied for a new day.
This was Sophie Lednick: Experienced Memory-Make mage and a member of Fairy Tail. As well as Vanessa's best friend. That's what Sophie was, and to her, it was her most valued treasure.
Inside a shaded room, the blinds were down as Kevin laid on his bed, his Pokémon sleeping on the floor beside him. Raticate was twitching in his sleep, and Krabby fell asleep playing checkers with Swadloon. Beedrill was the only one who seemed to be calmly sleeping. Kevin, on the other hand, wasn't sleeping at all as he stared at his Search Magic screen.
When he got back after parting ways with Joey and Dereece, he sauntered back to Blue Pegasus to give the report to Master Ichiya. He made sure to give a flash drive with pictures taken by his Search Magic's properties. He detailed about the people that were found and how they all died; he knew the client and those affiliated would be gravely upset to know their colleagues, but he didn't care. He did his job, and he had evidence sent in. With the pay and his feeble condition, Master Ichiya had Kevin stay home for a few days until he was back on his feet. And right now, he felt like doing anything but move. He was still fixed on Ella, though no one was aware. They just saw him as blank and nothing more. They thought he must have caught a cold while on the island.
Lying in his bed, Kevin's Search Magic screen was blank. He was staring at it for a while now but couldn't find it in himself to resume his leisure delights. He took one look out the blinds to see no one was looking, and down towards his Pokémon to see them asleep. With the cost clear, he typed in a name.
"ELLA"
The search engine related to one file, which he opened. On it was one clip. Hesitating for a moment, he calmed himself as he opened it.
[Namie Amuro – Hope]
It started with Kevin waking up calmly, the first face he saw that morning being Ella. From there, it was all the memories that were made through his point of view, with Ella being the sole focus. It showed him along with The Freaks as the girl was given her name by Kevin: Ella. From there, it showed the battles they fought against the Bug-types, as well as the trek they had along the way. Up the mountain they went, with Kevin fretting about Ella when she wasn't there. It showed their epic slope down the mountain, to where Ella was seen taking the lead while Sewaddle used his String Shot to pull on the trees and launch them. It shifted to Ella landing safely, and Kevin scolding her.
Kevin watched the montage, his eyes misting as he watched the rerun of his whole adventure. He learned a lot, and that's saying something. He never realized what an honor – and pain – of being a parent until she came into his life. Even if it was for one day. Born one day, gone the next. Literally.
The montage went on to pictures take, with Ella's forehead touching his own for the first time, and more clips of them down by the stream. It showed him guiding Ella across and where they showed her how to enjoy herself. To that, it lead to him wishing her good night. Not one thing was left out that night, including the party Joey threw for her. She actually looked thrilled. And that very smile was what broke Kevin's heart.
Tears were flowing down his eyes as he watched Ella and him walk up the hill that very early morning, to where she guided them to the cave. It really broke him how she was really trying to kill them, and yet deep down, he couldn't bring himself to despise that. She was just doing what she could to survive, just like her mother. And yet, despite what happened, they ended up being reunited, like father and daughter.
He truly wished she was still here. If they could have found a way to at east sustain her, then he would've taken it…but this was what Ella wanted. Her last moments of life were filled with so much joy and happiness that Kevin was actually able to give to her. And to a father like himself, he couldn't be anymore proud that Ella found that. They helped each other find family. That's what family was.
The montage through the final battle ended, and the very last scene was Kevin and Ella touching forehead, smiling tears as she faded in the late morning sun. There, it showed Ella's smiling face, with a title beneath it.
Ella – A Real Daughter Unlike Any Other
June 16th, X793 – June 17th, X793
He sighed in content. "You've done good, Mister P. You've done good."
He closed the file.
It's finally done! Two weeks after the last update, we finally reached the end of the arc with a tremendous and outrageous bang. I hereby announce that the Astral Arc is officially done! I'm proud that I was able to end this when I did, but first and foremost, I owe each and everyone of you a huge apology. This arc was WAY longer than I intended it to be, especially this chapter. In retrospect I could've halved this chapter just to save the killing number of brain cells everyone put into finishing this last chapter. I understand that this was 44.5K, and that is WAY, WAY too much. So again, I owe everyone an apology for making this an unbearable chapter in terms of length. This was all coupled with The Freaks' other half of the adventure as well, so this arc on top of a mini arc was an experiment of mine. Now I know what kind of damage this can do, I'll be certain to refrain from doing this sort of thing again. Still, despite the pain of doubling two arcs into one, I hope it was a big enough emotional roller coaster for you all.
So length aside and far overdoing my limits, the highlights were made with Sophie indefinitely this arc. I felt like in the prequel, I ignored her to where she wasn't a major support character anymore. So I really wanted to make her truly mean something in this story again. I hinted early on about Sophie's point of view, and now you see why I did that. She truly earned the spotlight this time around.
As for The Freaks and Kevin's half, it's drawn to a close as well. I know many of you were desperate in seeing Magikarp evolve, well now he did, and all well deserved evolution at that! This is also where Kevin's little character arc ends too I'm afraid. I know many of you are probably pissed that I had Ella die, and I'm sorry. But thanks though for giving this mini arc a chance and showing what Kevin means as well.
I hope you guys also liked what I did with Staryu and Ophiuchus in this arc as well. I guess you can add Sewaddle/Swadloon and Magikarp/Gyarados to that list too since they had vital roles just like Sophie did.
So at long last, Lucy has Aquarius' key back! And on top of that, she also got the Celestial Crew's keys as a bonus! Crime Sorciere finally disbanded at full length and Sorano is joining Sabertooth. We also have Duncan show a little emotion for once for Sophie now becoming an amnesiac, so let's see how this affects his character in the future. With all these plot points FINALLY covered, we can finally take a break and chill for a while.
So I'm going to be taking a while off writing to recharge my batteries and think ahead of the next few arcs to do. Speaking of which, of the Revenge of Alvarez, Glacidia, and Astral Arc, which arc did you guys like the most? I'm curious about which you thought had the best style or plot device to it.
During my break from writing, I'm also going to do some art, as well as officially begin planning for the Fire Emblem Fates/Pokémon crossover that you guys want to see. It'll still be a while, so hang around if you can.
With all said and done, your guys' feedback and reviews are extremely important to me. Let me know your thoughts on everything and how this arc and story so far is playing out! I'll be back soon with some new arc ideas for you guys and that new story! Until then! XD
