Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
Knock knock knock
"Pyrrha? Are you okay?"
Silence.
"Pyrrha!"
More silence, followed by a sigh. The doorknob tried to twist, but it was locked. "Locked?"
BGM: Ghosts of Reach (Halo 2 Remastered)
Erza phased through the door. "I hate to do this, but-" She blinked, noticing that the room was empty, and seeing that the window was open.
"Did she step outside?" She wondered as she looked around the room. She noticed her scroll was on a coffee table holding down some sort of paper.
However, she also noticed that the doorknob to her closet had been melted off. She tilted her head as she peeked her head through, seeing all of her armor and weapons were inside.
"What…?" Erza wondered as she pulled her head out as she looked out the window once more. She then looked at her scroll and picked it up, then she picked up the piece of paper, seeing that it was actually a note.
"Hmmm…" Erza rubbed her chin, tilting her head as she walked toward the door, unlocking it and walking downstairs.
"Is she okay?" Her mother asked.
"I'm not sure. She wasn't in her room. All I found was this note, along with the doorknob to her closet being melted off and all her armor and weapons were stored inside. The window was open too…"
"Oh no…"
"Don't worry, Athena. I'll find her. I just need to know where exactly she's going based on this note." She said, showing it to her.
"...I… I have no idea what that could mean."
"In that case, I'll go find her team. Surely they'd know something."
"I'll start looking too. I can't just sit here waiting for my daughter to come home."
Erza nodded. "Right."
Both of them hurried out the door.
End BGM
Back with the heroes…
BGM: Star Studded Sky: Alcala Highlands - Night (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
The ship docked at the beach as everyone hopped off while Rosalina telekinetically brought the boat onto the sand so it wouldn't wash away.
"How is she doing that?" Ena wondered.
"Cosmic power. At least that's what they've told us." Kora said.
"As in… from the stars?" Ena looked up at the sky. "Fascinating… that would probably explain how she was able to expand the boat."
"Some of them also have magic!" Navirou chimed in.
"Magic? I've never heard of such a thing… where are you from, exactly?"
"Astera." Ruby said, glancing over at Cardin to make sure she said the name correctly, which he nodded in approval. Nailed it!
"Astera? Can't say I've heard of this place…" Ena said. "But, it probably does sound exciting!"
She turned around. "Come on, Rutoh Village is this way." She said as they walked ahead with the others following her.
However, as they approached, some green Slagtoth got in their way as they charged ahead, but were quickly taken care of by everyone, then they walked ahead… only to be greeted by several Jaggi and a Great Jaggi.
"Geez, talk about a welcoming committee!" Yang said as the Great Jaggi roared, commanding the Jaggi to attack, but where taken care of easily by the sword wielders. The Great Jaggi snarled and charged, dodging a few gunshots from Mine only to get socked in the face by Yang to knock it to a wall, then Mine shot it in the head to finish it off.
"Squirrely…" Mine mumbled as they walked up the hill, and saw the lay of the land in front of them.
"Wooooow!" Sheele's eyes sparkled. "Breathtaking…"
"Goodness, I can get used to a view such as this…" Mahiru said, taking a few pictures as she took some photos of an Arzuros and some Gargwa… and then said Arzuros pounced on a few Gargwa.
"Ooooh…" Mahiru grimaced, putting her camera down as she witnessed it mauling them alive. "Poor things didn't stand a chance…"
She then noticed a Gargwa running away, only for a Great Jaggi to ambush it and proceeded to maul it as well.
"Neither did that…"
At that moment, the Rathalos egg started to move. "Huh?" Kora looked to the side and put it down.
"Something wrong, bud?" Navirou wondered.
"I think… it started to move."
"Really?" Ven asked as they gathered around.
"Ooooh, I bet it's gonna be a clawdacious Rathalos!"
"Indeed." Ena nodded.
"Hey Weiss, what do you think?" Blake asked.
"Huh?" Weiss looked up as she was standing next to her Pukei Pukei. "...Oh… right… I… think it'll be a good Rathalos…" She mumbled, to which Meryl wrapped her into a hug, as did the rest of RBY, causing her to flinch but teared up in gratitude.
At that moment, they heard a loud cry.
"...I know that cry." Cardin said as they looked up to see a Legiana flying overhead. "That's a Legiana!" He exclaimed as it swooped in and snagged a hold of Ena.
"Wh-hey! Where are you taking me?! Let me go!" She exclaimed as the Legiana flew away.
"Ena!" Navirou exclaimed.
"Oh no, you don't!" Zinnia said, calling out her Salamence and hopped on. "After it!" She ordered as Salamence flew off.
"Wait up!" Ruby said as they chased after them.
Pause BGM
The Legiana landed deep in the forest. "You're safe now." A man said.
"Wait… Alwin?" Ena wondered as she hopped off. "...And hello to you too, Shaulk!"
Shaulk growled a bit, seeming to say hello.
"Yes, I'm glad that you're-"
Alwin shifted his eyes, hearing the rustling of the leaves as Zinnia hopped off of Salamence.
"Alright, I don't know who you are, but you just kidnapped one of our own. I don't take kindly to that."
"Kidnapped? You're the one who surrounded her!"
"I'm not the one who flew in from an icy blue dragon and snatched her out of thin air!" Zinnia pointed out.
"Wait wait, Zinnia… it's-"
"This coming from the one who was with her, so you were probably going to do something to her."
"Alwin, wait-"
"Oh, so apparently giving her a friendly slap on the back is a crime to you? Give me a break." Zinnia rolled her eyes. "Now hand her over niiiice and easy." She said, as her Salamence walked up with a growl.
Alwin growled, pulling out his bow as his Legiana snarled, getting in front of Ena. "I will not let you harm her."
"I was going to say the same thing." Zinnia said, cracking her knuckles.
BGM: Face It (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)
"I'm not afraid to throw down, Elf Boy. Same with Frostbite over here!"
Shaulk let out a threatening growl as Zinnia reached into her pocket and pulled out a Master Ball, aiming it at them.
"Don't make me use this against you, Chill Breath."
"Will both of you knock it off!" Ena pleaded in dismay.
"Don't worry, Zinnia! Backup is arriving!"
At that moment, Navirou came in along with everyone else, Kora with her sword at the ready.
"Looks like you've got everything under control, but we'll help you out!" Terra said.
"EVERYONE, STOP!" Ena yelled.
End BGM
"I know it looks like I got kidnapped, but this is just a big misunderstanding." Ena reassured. "It's okay… just put down your weapons."
"...Ye sure about that, lass?" Gloria asked as Ena nodded. "Oooo… kaaaay…"
Alwin noticed Kora's Kinship's stone. "Wait… that Kinship Stone! Red…?" He wondered as he pulled down his cowl.
"Uh, no… but I'm his granddaughter."
"Oh… of course."
"We met on Hakolo Island, along with her new friends." Ena explained.
Alwin's eyes widened before regaining his composure. "If you had just told me you were going to Hakolo Island…" He approached her. "I've been worried sick, Ena! I thought you would have been kidnapped, or worse-"
He says as he supposedly kidnapped her… Zinnia rolled her eyes.
"Wait, hold on! You know this dude?" Mine asked.
"Yes. He's from Rutoh as well."
"My apologies for surprising you… and… having you assume I kidnapped her. Water under the bridge?"
Zinnia folded her arms, shrugging. "Sure, I guess…"
"I'm Alwin. My duty is to keep our village secure."
"Well, it looks like we might have gotten off on the wrong paw, huh?" Navirou asked, glancing over at Zinnia who casually ignored him while everyone else nodded. "Anyway, I'm Navirou! This is Kora, and this is-"
One introduction later…
Alwin sweatdropped. "That's… a lot of names to take in."
"You can see why we just skip to the good stuff." Rosalina said nonchalantly.
"I can tell…" Alwin nodded as he turned around. "I'll show you to the village. Follow me."
Unbeknownst to them all, Tsukino watched them from a cliff. "Target spotted. The moon's blessing is with me."
However, Blake and Sienna's cat ears twitched as they turned their heads, forcing Tsukino to hide. Both of them narrowed their eyes suspiciously before they walked off.
Human Felynes? I'll have to be extra careful. She thought.
The group walked through the pathway, taking out an occasional Slagtoth until they came across the village in question.
BGM: At One With Nature: Rutoh Village Theme (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Welcome to our village." Alwin said.
"Whoa! This place is so cool!" Ruby's eyes sparkled.
"Not bad, honestly." Mahiru said as they walked around the village. The Wyverians gave them curious looks as Alwin guided them to the Village Elder's house.
"Elder Maolo, we're back." Alwin said.
"Ah, good to see you… and I see you brought a lot of folks along." He mused.
"Yeah, Ena went to Hakolo Island all by herself." Alwin explained.
"All alone?!"
"N-now, hold on, grandfather… my apologies for worrying you, but-"
"What were you thinking, running off to Hakolo Island like that?"
"I had to keep my promise to Red. He wanted his old Kinship Stone taken there."
"And you crossed the sea on your own just for that?" Maolo's confidant, Zellard, asked her.
"Elder, Zellard, this is the Rider from Hakolo Island, Kora."
"Hey." Kora greeted.
"And these are her friends-"
Another introduction later…
"I feel like I didn't properly introduce myself from that…" Navirou mumbled.
"Hmph. So you are Red's grandchild. I do see the resemblances, I suppose…" Maolo spoke to Kora. "We all owe your grandfather a great debt. If there is anything we can do for you, as well as your friends, by all means… ask."
"Well, I was wondering about this in particular…" Kora said, pulling out the Rathalos egg.
"And where did you procure this?"
"Guardian Ratha gave it to me." Ena responded.
"...And then you brought it here?" Maolo asked in surprise.
"I had no choice! There are Hunters after it. Please, let's keep the egg here. Just until it hatches."
End BGM
BGM: Ominous Aura (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Elder… could this egg be…?" Zellard wondered.
"Indeed…" Maolo narrowed his eyes. "Descendant of Red. Do you know of the Rite of Channeling?"
"Uuuuh… the what now?" Kora tilted her head.
"...I see. So you have come here without having completed the rite. Hmph! You are inexperienced as a Rider, and have nowhere near the power held by your grandfather."
Wow, dick. Mahiru thought.
"You would not be capable of forming a bond with the monster in this egg."
"What?" Ena asked.
"What do you mean?" Kora wondered.
"What do you all know about the Wings of Ruin?" Zellard asked.
"Mmm… aside from being a fabled legend of destructive capabilities? That's all we've heard." Sheele said.
"Legend speaks of Razewing Ratha, a monster so powerful it can bring ruin to the world with every beat of its wings. Some even say it was such a monster that laid waste to the village that once stood on this site."
Alwin's eyes widened, looking back at the egg. "So you're saying that inside this egg…?"
"It matches the description of the egg in the legend." Maolo nodded.
"Hold on just a moment." Rosalina spoke up. "Are you suggesting that this Rathalos will cause destruction the moment it hatches? No one is truly born evil, same with this little one in the egg."
"I agree with that statement." Aqua said.
"Yeah, she's right! You can't just decide the monster's gonna be evil before it's even born!" Navirou added.
"I know that it doesn't exactly sound fair…" Zellard said. "However…"
"Should this Rathalos hatch and awaken to its destructive power, you will be to blame for what happens." Maolo said to Kora.
"What?!" Kora said in surprise.
"Are you prepared to take that risk? Your friends will also be at fault for letting this Rathalos destroy everything in sight."
"Okay, that's a load of Tauros shit!" Zinnia said. "You mean to tell me this lil' guy will just be born and start wrecking house just like that? AND you're gonna blame her AND us because of-... okay, you know what? Y'all are just paranoid as hell."
"I have to agree. This sounds like paranoia, not to mention how you guys are acting like the whole thing is true!" Veronica said.
"Don't you think you're being too hard on it?" Luminary asked.
"Not only that, but blaming us for it? You gotta be shittin' me." Cardin said.
"I will admit, to outsiders, this does seem like a folk tale that anyone would think would be foolish to believe…" Maolo nodded. "But make no mistake, this is, indeed-"
"Okay, I've heard enough!"
End BGM
They all turned to see Weiss hopping off of Susan and approaching the duo. "I'm not going to sit back and listen to this Rathalos slander for a second longer. As a Rathalos rider myself, I can assure you that this Rathalos hatching from this egg is-"
"If you are a Rathalos rider, then where is your Rathalos?" Maolo interrupted.
Weiss clenched her fists. "He's… he was taken by a bandit. He took my son away from me."
"Ah, so you've hatched a Rathalos of your own?" Maolo mused. "I would consider your words… however, you let a single Bandit take hold of your Rathalos and let him escape. How can you call yourself a Rathalos rider when you let your ride be taken away from you? To me, that's carelessness. Do you jump from Rathalos to Rathalos when one is no longer useful?"
"He was outside when I was in my home-"
"If he was outside, you wouldn't have let him be taken away so easily. Such recklessness. In the wrong hands, a Rathalos would be used as a tool for destruction, same with this Razewing Ratha. Would you really call yourself a Rathalos caretaker if you let such a creature get kidnapped?"
Weiss clenched her fists, tearing up and saying nothing as she looked away in shame.
"What the hell is wrong with you…" Meryl glared as she wrapped her sister into a hug as even Rosalina and Aqua hugged her as well. Kora, meanwhile, gave Maolo a "What the hell, dude?" look.
"You have to forgive him… we're a bit on edge given that that particular Rathalos egg is before us." Zellard said.
A BIT? Everyone, including Alwin, thought.
"That said, it's a Rider's duty to protect the egg they've been entrusted with, no matter what kind of egg it may be. As a start, let's see if the human youth has what it takes to participate in the Rite of Channeling."
"Hmph… I confess, I am curious to see what the young one can accomplish with Red's Kinship Stone. That said, it is getting rather late. Perhaps you should get a good night's rest and we will see to it in the morning."
"Oh, is it late already? Didn't even realize…" Mine said. "Is there an inn nearby?"
"Yes." Maolo nodded. "Alwin will show you."
"Right this way. The Stables are over here for those with Monsties." Alwin said as he guided Weiss and Mine to the stables.
"I can't help but notice the young Rider doesn't have a Monstie with her." Zellard said.
"Hmm… perhaps she had one but it got destroyed in the process." Maolo mumbled. "She will need one as soon as possible."
Later into the night…
"Nnngh… Mmmm…" Weiss groaned in her sleep as she gasped, sitting up on her bed. "Azure!" She whispered before wiping her tears. "Ovi… Kuku…"
She got up from her bed and hurried off to the stables.
In the morning…
Meryl woke up, stretching as she walked to Weiss's room. "Hey, sis… morning…" She knocked on the door, only for it to open up. "Hmm?" She opened the door and saw the bed was empty.
"Mana!"
Meryl turned her head to see Manaphy. "Oh hey, sweetie. What's up?"
"Mana Mana!" He pointed toward a direction, urging her to follow him as she curiously went after him.
"Why are you taking me to the stables?" She wondered as Manaphy opened the door and walked in where Meryl saw Weiss sleeping on her Pukei Pukei's stomach. "Oh!"
"Mama…" Manaphy walked over and gently nudged her.
"Okay, that's… strangely adorable." Meryl said as she knelt down. "Hey, sis… wake up…"
"Zzzz… wha… mmm…?" Weiss woke up. "...Oh… mornin'..." She mumbled, and then noticed where she was. "Oh… what…? How did I…?"
"Did you sleep walk?"
"Not that I'm… aware of…" Weiss mumbled, walking out of the stable while rubbing her eyes. "I did have a nightmare where Adam killed my monsters… I had to make sure Susan was okay… I guess I dozed off…"
"You were worried…" Meryl gently hugged her.
"Not only that, but the Elder's words just… stuck to me."
"Oh, don't listen to that old curmudgeon… don't let him get to you."
"I wish it was that simple…"
"Come on, they just made breakfast at the inn. Maybe that'll cheer you up."
A few minutes later…
BGM: Funny Footsteps (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Everyone looked on in shock as they watched CRDL eat through gigantic meal platters like it was nothing.
"My word…" Ena said.
"...Goodness, what am I looking at?!" Kora said as Navirou munched on some doughnuts.
"And I thought some monsters had big appetites!" Navirou chuckled while Alwin was absolutely speechless at what he was witnessing.
"How… are you guys not getting full from that?" Weiss asked.
"Well-" Cardin said between bites. "Let's just say the more you find yourself exploring and hunting monsters in a world such as this, the more you'll get used to eating stuff in big proportions before taking on a quest or two."
Weiss sweatdropped. "Ooookay?"
Ruby chuckled. "You guys have been getting into a lot of this stuff, haven't you? I've noticed this during the end of the Phazon War months ago."
"Phazon War?" Ena tilted her head.
"Big blue radioactive goop." Mine said.
"Oooh, so that's what that was…"
"I thought it was just some kind of weird blue jelly! I dipped it in a doughnut and took a bite out of it. I thought it'd enhance the flavor!" Navirou said. "...Nope, it just made myself sick for a few days. Then next thing I know, it was gone."
"Oh yeah, I've eaten some of that stuff!" Filo said. "All I got was a little stomach bug, but I was alright."
"HUH?!" Ruby yelled.
"My word, you ate that and you turned out fine… for the most part?" Rosalina asked in shock.
"Yup~!" Filo smiled as Veronica, Hendrick and Serena looked at Luminary with worry.
"Don't look at me! I was just as shocked as you were." Luminary said.
"So, to answer Ruby's question… we usually like to visit places like Astera or Kamura Village-" Russel paused for a moment, hoping the locals didn't hear that slip of the tongue, but it seemed they were a bit more concerned over FIlo's well being. Phew… "We like visiting those places during our free time."
Russel then continued eating. "Oh, man… at times like this, you guys should visit Astera sometime and try out Meowscular Chef's cooking!"
"Dude, are you kidding me? Try Seliana near Hoarfrost Reach! Grammeowster Chef's cooking is the best!" Sky said.
Dove raised an amused eyebrow. "Really? I thought you liked Yomogi's cooking in Kamura Village the most."
Sky chuckled. "Dangos are a completely different thing, Dove."
"You like those Dangos too?" Seryu spoke up.
"Mhm-... wait, what do you mean by "too"?"
Sheele smiled. "Oh, that's simple. When we're not out on missions with General Esdeath, we tend to visit Kamura Village all the time. In fact, we started going there around… oh… after we had our vacation at Siren Island."
"We're regulars at the Tea Shop." Seryu said. "And we're fans of the Bunny Dango as well. Not to mention we sometimes take mission requests given by either Hinoa or MInoto whenever we visit the village."
"Nice!" Cardin smiled. "...Wait, you two get requests from Lady Hinoa and Minoto too?" He asked, then shifted his eyes to see Filo going to town on her meal, causing him to jawdrop in surprise as she was eating a large platter like it was nothing.
"Yummy~!" Filo smiled.
"My gods, how much can this girl eat?!" Mine asked in horror. And here I thought Akame, Kurome, Iris and Nora were beasts too! Don't get me started on Natsu… oh no… I hope he doesn't meet up with either Kirby or Yuyuko…
Meanwhile…
"You're absolutely right! This strawberry shortcake is delicious!" Natsu said.
"Poyo~!"
"Poyo indeed!"
Yuyuko giggled. "It's simply delicious~"
Back with them…
Why do I have this feeling I just jinxed myself… Mine thought with her right eyebrow twitching.
"Soooo, I'm just curious… how long did it take you guys to get used to meals like this?" Mahiru asked.
"Okay, okay…" Cardin chuckled. "Truth is, it took us about a month to get used to eating like this. Hell, the first time we ate a big meal platter like this from Meowscular Chef in Astera, only one fourth of our platters were eaten and that we were already full by then."
"Of course, the big guy understood that we couldn't handle that much food yet and that he was also nice enough to let us take home the leftovers to go. But still…" Russel shuddered. "I don't wanna forget how kinda overwhelming it was for us the first time."
Gloria sweatdropped. "I… can… somehow believe it."
Ilia looked at CRDL's plates and then at Filo's plates. She let out a groan. "I feel like I just lost my appetite…"
Later, once breakfast has finished…
BGM: At One With Nature: Rutoh Village
"I see you have been all well fed." Maolo said. "Hmph, good. Now, let's see if our young Rider has what it takes. A wild Paolumu appeared in the forest a little while back. Some of our Riders were injured trying to escape."
"A Paolumu?!" Navirou asked in surprise. "But those fluff balls are adorable! How could they hurt anybody?"
"True, normally, they don't attack anyone at all." Zellard said.
"Let me guess… this one isn't normal." Navirou said with his arms folded.
"Indeed, this is the first time we've had to face such a threat. We'd like you to help investigate. Show us your skills as a Rider, Kora."
"So soon? Are you sure this is wise?" Ena wondered.
"This should be a good experience for her. And what's more, she has Red's Kinship Stone. This is a good chance for her to show if she's capable of taking part of the Rite of Channeling."
"I agree with Zellard." Maolo nodded. "If you plan to form a bond with a Rathalos, you must hone your skills as a Rider."
"Well, if you put it like that, then challenge accepted! We'll help Kora out with this Rathalos no problem!" Navirou said.
"W-wait a moment, elder!" Alwin said. "She doesn't have the necessary experience. I can't say the same with her friends, but-"
"Hey! Whose side are you on? We took down an Anjanath, and not just by a whisker!"
"And yet, you were ambushed by a Glavenus who easily took out two of Weiss's monsters and Kora's Velocidrome." Alwin said. "Your overconfidence will be your undoing, especially considering this Rider of yours is able to tame a Glavenus, of all things."
"Why I oughta…!"
"Elder, the safety of this village is my responsibility. I'd prefer it if-"
"Relax, Alwin. I see where you are going with this. You may accompany her."
"Thank you, sir."
Kora turned to her friends. "Alright, I more than likely need just a few accompanying me. Any takers?"
A few minutes later…
"Paolumu live amongst the Etulle Lofty Trees, just a little ways beyond the village." Alwin said as he took off with Kora, Navirou, Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Gloria and Aqua.
"Hey, Tech." Captain Slime approached him.
"Yes?"
"What do you make of Adam right now?"
"Hmm… by my calculations, considering what he had done the previous night, I have a hunch that we may have to kill him. He's too dangerous to be kept alive."
"I… have to agree on that." Blake said as she overheard the conversation. "He won't stay in prison for long, he'll find a way to break out…"
She sighed. "I hate to say it, but the Adam I once knew is long gone…"
End BGM
With the group…
BGM: Vital Fauna: Etulle Lofty Trees - Day (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Wah! Oomph!" Navirou yelped as he fell on his back when a large dragonfly flew over to him.
"This area has remained unchanged since ancient times." Alwin said. "Many kinds of monsters live here, along with some rare species of insects. That said, a lot of them have been disappearing lately."
"So you think strange things are happening here too?" Navirou asked.
"Let's hope not. There was much more wildlife around here in Red's time, though."
"Oh, so that means you knew my grandfather then?" Kora asked.
"Yes."
"Ya know… everyone talks about him like he's a famous celebrity. What's the deal?" Yang asked.
"It's hard to put into words. I knew him almost his entire life. I have so many memories of him. Our village has long since been inhabited solely by Wyverians. Not everyone was happy about him being allowed to come and go as he pleased. However, he never let any of that bother him. He and Guardian Ratha just kept showing up again and again. He was always so open and friendly… he was freedom incarnate. A perfect match for the King of the Skies. An incredible man."
"King of the Skies, huh?" Ruby wondered.
Navirou nudged Kora in the leg. "Guess that runs in the family, huh?"
Kora chuckled. "I suppose you're ri-... wait, hold on. You said you knew him as a kid. How are you still young?"
"Anti agin' cream?" Gloria asked.
Alwin turned to Gloria. "That's a thing? …Anyway, the way that Wyverians and humans age is a little different. By that, I mean we live longer and age slower than humans."
"Oh, that's cool! …I wonder how old Ena is…" Navirou said before his eyes widened. "Oh geez, she could be as old as Elder Dragon!"
"Somehow, I can see that…" Ruby said. Though, imagine her being as old as a goddess… pffft, naaaah.
"When Red first arrived here, everyone said it was impossible for humans and Wyverians to be friends."
"Why would they think that?" Weiss wondered.
"Because we can only spend a short time together. Humans mature in what feels like a blink of an eye for us." Alwin explained, while also putting his hand on Kora's forehead.
"That… would make sense, now that I think about it." Aqua said.
"Hmm… were you afraid humans wouldn't wanna be pals with you anymore once they grew up?" Navirou guessed.
"Yes. But we were wrong. Even though I can no longer meet Red anymore, I still consider him one of my closest friends. Therefore, I'd never be able to forgive myself if I let you get hurt on my watch."
"So that's why you insisted on coming with us…" Navirou said.
"Soooo, does that mean you're friends with us now?" Yang asked.
"I… am not a hundred percent su-"
"Too late~! C'mere you!" Yang pulled him in for a hug.
"Hnnnngh! Too… tight…!"
Crack!
"Mmmph!" Alwin grunted as Yang let him go. "Hah… hooo… I think one of my lungs popped…" He said as he paused. "Do you hear that? There's a monster nearby?"
"I hear one too…" Ruby said.
"Yup, same here." Gloria nodded.
"My whiskers didn't pick up any signals… you've got better senses than me, huh? I'm impressed, Alwi-... wait, huh?" He turned to Ruby and Gloria.
"This is nothing, This is completely normal for us." Alwin responded. "Back in his day, Red trained his senses to an even higher level. The best I can do is pick up on distant sounds, but he could actually hear the voices of monsters."
"Kinda like with you and Pokemon." Ruby nudged Gloria with a wink.
Gloria shrugged. "Eh, comes with the territory of transformin', I suppose."
"Time out, hold on! Before we go any further…" Navirou turned to Gloria and Ruby. "How can you two pick up on monsters so quickly?"
"I guess they trained their senses too." Kora said.
"Yeah. It's the Zinogre in me~!" Ruby grinned.
"And Pocket Monster for me." Seriously, that's so fockin' weird to say…
"The… Zinogre in you…?" Navirou blinked.
Alwin looked at Ruby, then looked at Cerberus, then shifted his eyes back to Ruby who casually walked off with the others. "I guess… humans bond with monsters in unique ways, I suppose."
"What, are you suggesting that-" Navirou blinked. "...Naaaaaaaaaaah!"
"You're right, it does sound absurd. Perhaps she was abandoned as a baby and several Zinogre took her in and raised her as one of their own."
"Now that's a lot more believable." Kora said as they walked after them, where she used her Scoutflies to examine where the Paolumu could actually be.
A few Jaggia ambushed them, but were swiftly taken care of. As they continued their investigation, Weiss heard a faint snap behind her. She turned around and saw an Arzuros stalking them.
Pause BGM
It let out a snarl and charged ahead. Weiss let out a yelp and quickly brought out her weapon, getting in front of Susan…
And then Yang jumped in and slugged the Arzuros in the cheek to knock it back.
BGM: A Visitor in the Forest (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Weiss, you okay?" Yang asked.
"I… I think so…"
"Get your Pukei out of here. I'll deal with this big guy myself!"
"But-"
"Go! I'll be fine!" Yang said as Weiss nodded and took off. "Alright, you fuzz ball. Let's fight fire with fire." She said, pulling out a Pokeball. "Alright, Teddie. Let's beat this guy down!" She said, throwing it up in the air and out came her Ursaring.
"Ursa!" Teddie cried as the Arzuros snarled, standing on its hind legs as Teddie kicked his back paw back. They both let out a roar as they both grappled each other until the Ursaring pulled back one paw and then used Slash, cutting through the Arzuros's skin.
With a snarl, the Arzuros bit down on Teddie's shoulders.
"Show 'em what you got!" Yang encouraged as Teddie nodded, and then grabbed the Arzuros and suplexed him to the ground, then jumped up and landed on his stomach with his elbow, then used Slash again with his other hand for good measure.
Teddie got up, grabbing the Arzuros by the paw and threw him toward a tree, which scared the daylights out of a Qurupeco who had come over to see what the commotion was. As soon as the Arzuros was thrown, the Qurupeco hightailed it out of there.
The Arzuros growled, standing back up and charged, attempting to swipe at the Ursaring but he weaved to dodge it and then rolled his arm before throwing a Hammer Arm, shoving him back into the tree.
"Put your arms together!"
With a smirk, Teddie pulled back his arms to charge up an attack, and then once finished, he unleashed a Hadoken.
…If you can call Hyper Beam a Hadoken, that is.
The Arzuros was obliterated by the Hyper Beam, where it also knocked down a few trees and crushed an unfortunate Great Jaggi that was taking a nap.
End BGM
"That's my guy!" Yang grinned, high fiving her Ursaring as she then pulled out a Hyper Potion and healed him up, then they walked off… only to find a Den.
"Hmm? What's in here?" She wondered as both of them went in.
With the others…
The group followed the Scoutflies after picking up a Paolumu's whereabouts, quickly going into Paolumu's den.
"We must be close by!" Aqua said.
"Aw yeah, time to knock this fluffball out!" Navirou exclaimed as they quickly went toward the nest… and saw nothing there.
"Uh… are we in the right den?" Ruby wondered.
"We have to be…" Weiss said as they walked around, weapons at the ready. "...Is Yang still not back yet?"
"Ah, she'll be fine." Ruby said as they looked around and saw an empty nest.
"Well… I suppose it wouldn't mind if we snatched an egg if nobody's home~!" Navirou grinned.
Ruby noticed a patch of fur on the ground, picking it up and started sniffing it. She immediately closed her eyes. Now I have your scent… She thought, giving it to Cerberus so he could get a whiff of it too.
Cerberus growled as Ruby opened her eyes, quickly turning to see a Paolumu floating in the air behind them.
"Above us!" Ruby said as they turned to see it as the Paolumu screeched and dive bombed at them, forcing them to get out of the way as the Paolumu growled.
Gloria smirked, pulling out her Pokeball. "Alright, Cinderace, Let's-"
Another Pokeball opened up, seeing that her Zubat was ready to go. "Zubat?! …Ye wannae fight instead?"
Zubat screeched with a nod, turning around toward the Paolumu.
"Awright… let's do this." Gloria said, immediately going into her Ampharos form.
BGM: Swaying Grasslands (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"I'm not sure what that little creature will do, but I'm sure it will be of help." Alwin said, readying his bow as the Paolumu flew forward and thrusted its talon at Ruby and Cerberus, but they quickly dodged the attack as Ruby jumped in and slashed at the creature while Cerberus swiped at it, then let out a howl to charge himself up.
The Paolumu swiped at Gloria, but she rolled out of the way and used Thunderbolt while her Zubat used Poison Fang. Weiss jumped in and stabbed the Paolumu a few times as Susan ran in and headbutted the Paolumu, then swiped it away with her tail.
Kora then jumped in and slashed at the Paolumu, only for it to headbutt her to knock her down right as Alwin shot arrows at him and Shaulk used an icy breath attack. "You alright?" Alwin asked.
Kora sprang up. "Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me!"
At that moment, the Paolumu puffed up its neck and started floating in front of them. "Heads up, it's gonna do something wild!" Navirou said as the Paolumu body slammed Aqua, but she frontflipped out of the way and unleashed Raging Storm, pushing the Paolumu back.
The Paolumu corkscrewed into Zubat, but he flew out of the way and responded with Air Cutter as Gloria threw in an Electro Ball as well, then Weiss hopped on Susan. "Let it rip, sweetie!" She said as Susan smacked the Paolumu away with her tail and spewed out a Venomous Drench from her tail up in the air… which caused it to rain down as Susan used her tongue to shield Weiss while she put up glyphs above everyone's head to shield themselves from the rain, though Gloria switched to her Scolipede form.
The Paolumu growled, flying up into the air as Zubat pursued it. Both of them screeched as they both charged and slammed into each other, which was enough for Zubat to fall but he recovered and used Air Cutter right back.
The poison rain batted down on the Paolumu, where it let out a grunt from the acidic poison but both of them went for another tackle, both of them headbutting each other as the Zubat fell once more, but it let out a screech and flew high into the air…
…And it started glowing.
End BGM
Gloria's eyes widened. "No way…"
"What's it doing?" Navirou wondered.
BGM: Battle! Wild Pokemon (Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire)
The glowing stopped as Zubat had evolved into Golbat. "Gol… BAAAAAAAT!"
"Aw sweet!" Ruby grinned.
"It… matured?" Alwin tilted his head.
The Paolumu screeched as did Golbat, both of them flew at each other once more and slammed into each other, this time being more evenly matched as Golbat used Poison Fang to chomp down on the Paolumu's inflated neck, causing it to "pop" in a way as the Paolumu came crashing down.
Golbat flew down to chase after it, proceeding to use Air Cutter before flying back and flew proudly in front of Gloria as both Kora and Alwin launched ahead and slashed through the beast as Shaulk peppered it with ice.
"Alright, let's wrap this up!" Ruby declared, hopping on Cerberus. "Ready, big guy?" She asked as her Cerberus barked. "Good!"
She immediately went into her Zinogre form, both of them jumping back as they launched forward, both of them launching out lightning bolts that struck the ground before they launched high into the air.
Ruby stood up. "This'll shock ya to the core!" She said, jumping off as she used her semblance, wrapping around Cerberus to create a gigantic lightning bolt twister as they struck the ground, creating a massive electrical explosion that, if it was night time, would light up the entire night sky as they both landed on the ground, both of them letting out a victorious howl.
Once the smoke settled… the Paolumu struggled to stay standing, which prompted Kora to charge in and slashed through it to finish it off.
End BGM
"Woo, way to go!" Navirou cheered as Kora turned around, sheathing her sword with a grin. "We're one step closer to the Rite of Channeling!"
"I have to say… I'm actually impressed with that maneuver." Alwin said as Ruby turned back to normal.
"Ahehehe, it was nothin'!" Ruby blushed, rubbing her head.
"Golbat Gol!" Golbat cried happily as he turned around and flew to Gloria.
"Mmmph!" Gloria flinched, shutting her eyes to brace for the worst…
…Only she felt wings wrapping around her as she opened her eyes to see her Golbat nuzzling against her. She breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his head, though cautiously.
"Baby steps…" Ruby smiled.
"Geeeeeez, what the heck did we miss?" A voice asked as they saw Yang approaching an egg in her hands while Teddie had two in his.
"Wow! You made out like a bandit in a den!" Navirou exclaimed while Kora picked up an egg from the Paolumu nest.
"Eh, couldn't just take one." Yang chuckled as they started to move. "Oh!"
Both of them put the eggs down as one by one, they hatched into an Arzuros, Qurupeco, and a Great Jaggi.
The Qurupeco waddled over to Weiss as it immediately started growing to full size.
The Great Jaggi ran over to Kora.
And the Arzuros stuck with Yang.
"Wait, really? I get you? Awesome!"
"Huh… I was expecting her to get something a little more… punchy." Aqua said.
"Maybe this is just to tide her over?" Ruby shrugged as the egg hatched in Kora's arms, which was none other than a Paolumu, where it hopped off of her arms and flew straight for Gloria.
"Wah!" Gloria yelped as the now bigger Paolumu tackled her to the ground and nuzzled her. "Mmmph! …Little help?"
"Hmm…" Kora rubbed her chin in thought in wonder. "What to name you guys…"
Deadpool: Just think! That Golbat is gonna be a hell of an awesome Crobat before she knows it!
Ibuki: Looks like Gloria-chan's about to get used to Golbat! *grins*
Yes, indeed! And she's got a Paolumu too!