Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
"Oh, Pyrrha!" Athena hugged her daughter tightly. "We were so worried about you."
"I'm sorry I scared all of you… I did not mean to imply actually taking my own life. I should've been clearer…" She closed her eyes. "And please, don't sweep this under the rug by saying "It happens to the best of us"..."
"We weren't going to say such a thing." Nora said. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"So, why do you often go to Yoshi Falls anyway?" Jinx asked.
"It's my favorite place… I tend to go there either to clear my head or if I want some fresh air and enjoy the scenery. Of course, I do not know why there's a race track in the middle of the area, but regardless, I just needed some peace and quiet. I even thought about jumping into the water for a quick swim… but thanks to Dedede, I would have jumped straight into some rock spires that I wouldn't have seen before it was too late."
They breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Dedede." Jaune said.
"Yer welcome!" Dedede smiled as her team, plus Jinx, hugged her as Pyrrha hugged them all.
"I truly didn't mean to worry all of you…"
At that moment, Erza approached with a cloth over her hands. "Here, you left these in your closet." She said, revealing her armor and weapons. "With this, you can-"
Pyrrha yelped, flinching back to where they all dropped to the ground with a loud clatter. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"I was afraid of that…" Dedede said.
Erza's eyes softened and gave her a look of understanding. "Baby steps…" She said softly as she hugged her. "We'll get through this…"
"I sure hope we will…" Pyrrha mumbled.
Back at Rutoh Village…
BGM: At One With Nature - Rutoh Village (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"I must apologize… I had assumed you were a novice Rathalos rider." Maolo explained. "I had dismissed your comments earlier because it is not easy to tame a Rathalos, let alone a Rathian. I had thought you were but a mere beginner who easily lost their Rathalos… but seeing as how you and the Rathian are comfortable with one another, I have been mistaken."
"I can see why you thought that." Weiss said.
"Tell me, how did you lose your Rathalos?"
"Well, a few days ago, I haven't been myself. Someone that I know basically made my life miserable and a lot of people were blaming me and my family for something that they all believed that could be easily avoided. I… lost myself for a time but my sister brought me back. After that, I was… not myself for a while. And that's when Adam took my Azure Rathalos away while I was trying to recover."
"Hmph." Maolo closed his eyes. "I do not need to know the tragedy, but for someone to steal away your Rathalos in your moments of grieving… that is unacceptable. I was unknowingly fanning the flames… for that, let me apologize to you again. You have been through a lot these past few days. I believe you will need rest once you reunite with your Rathalos."
"That's an understatement…" Weiss mumbled.
"But know this, you have my support in hoping you will find this Adam and your Rathalos. You also have my respect, given how you were able to tame a ravaging Rathian controlled by the lights… a pink one, at that."
A smile formed from Weiss's lips. "Thank you."
"Have you a name for this Rathian?" Zellard asked.
"I thought of one before landing. Saki."
Zellard smiled. "That sounds like a wonderful name for this monstie."
The Rathian growled, seeming to agree with Zellard.
"Grandfather!"
Maolo turned to see Ena approaching along with everyone else. "Ah, so you've made it safe and sound?"
"Yes. And the egg is about to hatch." Ena explained.
"Is it now? Hurry then." Maolo said as Kora nodded, pulling the egg out and putting it on the pedestal where Saki once stood.
"Sooooo, what you got to say about Weiss now?" Zinnia asked.
"We've already talked. He's apologized for it." Weiss said.
Alwin looked at her in surprise. "The Elder apologizing? That's… a rarity! He's far too prideful to actually apologize… er, no offense, Elder."
"Do not worry, my boy." Maolo said. "It is wise for a prideful individual to be fed some humility every so often, lest their pride leads to a catastrophic downfall."
"I… suppose that makes sense."
End BGM
BGM: It's Time To Awaken (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Now then, Kora. Raise your stone." Maolo instructed as Kora did so, then he proceeded to swing his staff around. The egg shook in kind as Kora's eyes widened, activating her Kinship Stone as the egg continued to move as an ominous aura started to come out of the egg.
However, with Kora's best efforts, the egg started to crack… and then a baby Rathalos emerged from the egg. Although, the wings were quite small for the Rathalos, causing Zellard and Maolo to be concerned.
The Rathalos cried before looking at Kora. With a smile, the Rathalos leaped into the air, trying to fly toward her… only to fall. Kora quickly caught him and smiled as the Rathalos nuzzled against her.
"Aww, you're so adorable."
"His wings are… small." Ena said.
"Oh, it's just the cutest! He's got cute widdle wings!" Navirou grinned.
"I've never seen a baby Rathalos with tiny wings. Usually their wingspan is a bit bigger." Cardin said.
"Might be a birth defect." Mine shrugged. "Still, it's cute~!"
The Rathalos then turned his attention to Filo. "Hmm?" She wondered as the Rathalos jumped into her arms and nuzzled against her. "Whoa…!"
End BGM
"Pfffft… hahaha!" Major Malfunction cackled, falling on his back in laughter. "Oh my Yggdrasil, that's hilarious!"
"What's so… funny?" Ruby wondered.
"A dragon being interested in the fluffy pipsqueak!" He laughed before muttering "I know the Rathalos ain't from Erdrea, but that's hilarious!"
BGM: Ominous Aura (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Hmm… Elder."
"Hmph… make no mistake…"
Behind them, and hidden from view, Tsukino watched this from afar with some binoculars. "So that's it…?"
Unbeknownst to her, Adam was also watching from a tree branch, hidden within. "So that's the Wings of Ruin, hmm?"
"What are you talking about?" Navirou asked.
"This is the destructive monster from legend." Maolo warned.
"Huh?" Navirou looked at the tiny Rathalos that was getting adored and pets from both Kora and Filo. Even Weiss and Meryl were giving him affection.
"Somehow, I was picturing something more… impressive." Zellard said.
"Hmph… he may look weak now, but one day…"
"Can you just stop with the doom and gloom?! He's just a little baby!" Navirou defended.
"And currently growing." Mahiru added, taking pictures of the little guy.
"Zellard, you must show them." Maolo said.
Zellard nodded. "If it's proof you're seeking… you'll find it at the Dragon Shrine."
Zinnia perked up. "Now when you say "Dragon shrine"..."
"Easy now…" Gloria chuckled as they followed him to the Dragon Shrine, while nearby, Tsukino finished writing a note and gave it to a bird, which flew away as she then hurried over to the hatching site.
She gasped. "I must report back to Kyle. This Rathalos is no runt."
She shifted her eyes, quickly turning around to see nobody. "...Mmm, I'm definitely a bit paranoid." She mumbled, quickly disappearing as Adam emerged from the staircase and peeked at the egg shell.
"Yeah, this definitely has "Wings of Ruin" written all over it." He smirked, knowing full well that he can use this to his advantage.
Back with the heroes, they made their way to the Dragon Shrine, where Zinnia was immediately attracted to the sight of the ruins, immediately taking it in while also studying what it could mean. Hmm? Part of it's faded out… She thought.
BGM: Pernicious Light (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
Zellard handed her a torch. "Here, some light may help."
"Ah, thank you!" Zinnia smiled.
"This is the legendary monster… Razewing Ratha, the monster with the Wings of Ruin." Maolo began. "It is said that long ago, a flightless Rathalos was born in these lands. At the same time this Rathalos was born, disasters started to befall the world. Sensing that the Rathalos was responsible, the people banded together to hunt it down. In an effort to escape, the Rathalos' wings great and it took flight. It blanketed the world in light and brought ruin to all in its path."
"Razewing Ratha… was responsible for all this?" Weiss asked.
"So the legend says." Zellard said. "It's thought that because of this legend, Rathalos are as revered as they are in Kora's homeland."
Kora frowned, saying nothing as she looked down at the Rathalos as he had curled up to take a nap. He then woke up and proceeded to happily roar at Kora. "Oh… you…" She whispered and hugged him close.
"I see what you're saying as he resembles Razewing, but…" Navirou frowned.
"Is this entirely accurate?" Rosalina asked. "Surely, this is the legend of the past. There is no way a calamity of that extent could happen again. This could surely be a coincidence at best."
"I'm with Rosie. Something's definitely off about this." Aqua agreed.
"Mmmm… if some of this wasn't faded out, I'd be getting the full picture here." Zinnia grumbled.
"Your logic is sound, Rosalina… but our ancestors passed down this story. There must be a reason why."
"Probably to keep their descendants entertained with a horror story…" Veronica snarked.
"Hmph… it would be folly to ignore its warnings."
"Well, what do you expect us to do?! You want us to get rid of this little guy?!" Navirou asked as Kora instinctively put her arm back in front of the Rathalos. To Kora's surprise, even Weiss and Filo got a bit protective.
"I'm not sure if this is a good idea to throw the little guy out just like that." Yang said.
"Absolutely not." Ruby mumbled.
End BGM
"Hmmm…" Zellard thought to himself before an idea came to his head. "What if we were to awaken its power?"
Everyone looked at him with some slight confusion.
"Zellard, I don't understand…" Alwin said.
"If we believe the legend, it means this monster's true power is still lying dormant. In my opinion, the Rite of Channeling won't be enough to help us. But if we can draw out it's true power, we can see if it's the force we all fear."
"...But what if it truly does possess the Wings of Ruin, like in the legend?" Alwin asked. "In that case, what do we do?"
"I know of a Wyverian who can both awaken and inhibit a monster's abilities. If the worst should happen, he should be able to seal away this Rathalos's power."
Kora smiled. "You think so?"
"Well, we can also try to limit the power of the Rathalos so he's not totally destructive." Russel said and then whispered to Cardin. "We can do that, right?"
"We have Rosie, I'm sure we can do that." Cardin said confidently.
"That sounds like a good game plan, Zella-... wait, that guy sounds awfully familiar." Navirou mumbled. "I wonder…"
"The last I've heard of him, he was staying in Kuan Village."
"Kuan Village?! I knew it! It's gotta be ol' Dede!"
"Dede?" Ruby quietly mouthed, causing her team. Gloria and Meryl to shrug.
"You know him?" Ena asked.
"Yeah! He and I go way back. I know the road to Kuan like the back of my paw!"
"That doesn't surprise me." Kora giggled.
"I'll go with you all." Ena spoke up. "I'm the one who gave Kora the egg. I will stay by your side until we understand the truth of Ratha's power."
"I hope you realize what you are getting yourselves into. This will be neither easy nor safe. There's no guarantee we'll succeed. With that in mind, do you all still plan on going?"
"We've faced worst odds before, this is right in our ballpark!" Yang smiled.
"H-hey, I was gonna say that!" Ruby snickered.
"That gives me a lot of confidence, soooo… yeah!" Kora nodded.
Maolo turned to Zellard. "What do you think, Zellard?"
"Legends can be interpreted in a number of ways. None of us can say what they mean for sure. Having said that, if there is even the tiniest sliver of hope, I believe it is worth the risk."
"Hmm…" Maolo nodded. "Alwin, set things up for them to depart."
"Yes, sir!" Alwin took off running.
"Go if you must. We'll pray for your safety."
Nearby, cloaked within some cloaking magic, Adam had knelt down and listened to the entire conversation. Alwin had nearly bumped into him while climbing up the stairs. He simply chuckled with a smirk and rose up, turning around and walked away.
Later…
"Here, take this." Alwin said, handing Kora a potion of some sort. "It's Hot Mist. This will protect you all from the cold. Honestly, I wish I could go with you, but leaving the village would be-"
"It's alright, I understand." Ena said. "Alwin, please take care of everyone."
"Right." Alwin then approached her. "Here, take this." He said, handing her some sort of necklace.
"What is it?"
"The Elder told me to give it to you. He said it was an amulet passed down through the family." He proceeded to tie it around her neck while everyone else was waiting for them outside of the village. "Please, be careful."
"Don't worry, I'll be okay. I have fine protectors with me."
Alwin smiled. "Take care, everyone." He said, tossing a bag toward Navirou. "Heard you were complaining about there were no doughnuts around, so I had the baker make a few based on your description."
"Ooooh, these look absolutely delicious! I'm definitely gonna savor it all!" Navirou said. "Thanks, bud!"
"Anytime." Alwin chuckled as they walked away. "...Strange, not once did I feel my allergies kick in with Navirou around, yet Sheele shoved him in my face when I was sneezing." He said as he folded his arms. "Wonder if one of those Felynes shed their fur at the worst time, went up my nose and when Navirou was shoved into my face, I sneezed. Most of the time I didn't sneeze with him around…"
He rubbed his chin in thought before shrugging. "Could it be…" He closed his eyes. "...I'd rather not test this theory, just to be on the safe side."
Up in the trees, Tsukino watched them all disappear, hoping that Kyle wouldn't show up in the worst possible time to alert the human Felynes.
BGM: The Pair in the Shadows (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"So that's the monster with the Wings of Ruin?"
Tsukino silently breathed a sigh of relief and hopped down near Kyle. "You got here quick."
"You know me. Every second counts."
"Looks like my hunch was on the mark. Should we cut them off before they reach Kuan?"
"No, we shouldn't."
"And why not?"
"We don't know if it's the right monster. Our mission is to see if it truly has catastrophic power…" He started to walk away.
"By then, it might already be too late."
"The mission is everything. That's what dad…" He stopped himself.
"That's what he would do. Correct?"
"...Let's go."
Tsukino shifted her eyes. "Who's there?" She asked as they turned to see a shadow in the shrubbery.
"About time you noticed me." Adam approached the two. "It seems we have the same goal in mind. The Wings of Ruin."
"Who are you?" Kyle demanded.
"Me? I'm just a humble local who wants to… take care of some business. Those people with potentially the Wings of Ruin are dangerous. They should not be taken lightly."
"How are they dangerous?"
"I can concur… their abilities seem unnatural at best and can take on anything that's thrown at them. Not even a Nargacuga or a Tigrex can best them." Tsukino said. "However, they don't seem malicious at all. Just a ragtag group of people who seem interested in helping a Rider out, not to mention in search for some Rathalos, taken by someone who is named Adam."
Adam smirked. "It's true they are looking for a Rathalos… and while my name is indeed Adam. I can assure you… it's a different Adam they're searching for."
Tsukino narrowed her eyes. "I see…"
"My main interest is the white haired individual. I'd like you to do me a favor. Separate her from all the others… so I can pay her back."
"And why should we?" Kyle asked.
Adam took off his mask. "The white haired girl, Weiss… is the leader of a cult, and her friends are all defenders of the cult. This is what happens when you cross the cult… you're branded." He put his mask back on.
"Uh-huh…" Tsukino folded her arms.
"That Rider is probably part of her cult then… and considering they potentially have the Wings of Ruin…"
"That's right." Adam nodded. "With the Wings of Ruin, they can take over the world with destructive power and annihilate anyone who crosses them. I, myself, am lucky to be alive… however, they kidnapped and brainwashed a girl named Seryu Ubiquitous… now she's a part of them and happy to be with them."
"Kidnapping… brainwashing…?!" Kyle looked at him with horror.
Tsukino closed her eyes. "Mmmm…"
"Indeed. But, I've managed to gather up a small army that can help us out. I will not blame you if you don't want to join… but, the greater numbers we have, the better chance we might have against those despicable people."
"Quick question." Tsukino opened her eyes sharply. "What is the name of SDC, the letters on your face?"
"Schnee Dynamite Crusaders."
"...No offense, but this all sounds complete Banbaro shi-"
"We're in." Kyle said. "If we can take the Wings of Ruin away from them and get the cult leader away… then the world might just have a shot at not being destroyed."
"I knew you would see things my way."
Tsukino closed her eyes with a sigh. "Kyle, I feel as if you just signed a deal with a Deviljho…" I don't trust you, Adam…
End BGM
With the heroes…
"I can't believe you ate it all just like that." Blake said as they walked through the fields.
"Whatever happened to savorin' it?" Gloria wondered.
"I was savoring it! …I just thought there would be a lot more doughnuts in there."
Cardin chuckled. "Fair enough."
"Now then, there's something I need to address here." Navirou said. "Out of all you guys, there are three individuals here who are the strangest." He pointed to each individual. "Captain Slime. Tech. And Major Malfunction."
"Hmm?" All three wondered.
"For starters, Captain Slime has a weird monstie. It's nothing more than a smiling gooey teardrop!"
"...So?" Captain Slime shrugged.
Navirou pointed to Tech. "You're a strange metallic monstie."
"I'm a monstie?" Tech wondered.
"And you… are a strange humanoid Monstie. Which, by the way, is Major Malfunction your actual name?" Navirou wondered.
Major Malfunction smiled. "Well, actually… Mandrake Majors from Erd-" He paused for a moment. "Er, Astera-" Both Tech and Captain Slime nodded their heads in approval. "Our races birth names always begin with Mandrake. Following that is our real names. My name is Mal or Mandrake Mal, whichever you prefer."
"Uh-huh…"
"However, my full name is Mandrake Mal Fun Xion."
Everyone stopped as they turned to Major Malfunction, all but the Erdreans giving him weird looks. Even the Monsties looked at him strangely.
"...Beg pardon?" Seryu asked.
"That is indeed my name!"
Wendy blinked. "I… I… I heard that name correctly too, didn't I?"
"Oh good, I thought my ears were acting up…" Blake said.
"Does that… mean Xion technically shares a name with this guy?" Ven asked, causing Aqua and Terra to shrug.
"You gotta be kitten me! Does your parents hate you to be called that?"
"Oh no no no! My parents happened to care about me when I was young. In fact, they were worried about me when I began to follow in their footsteps. I am proud to be the son of Major Misdirection and Major Miscommunication!"
All of them sweatdropped, some of their eyes twitched as they couldn't believe what they just heard.
"Misdirect-... Miscommun-..." Meryl pinched the bridge of her nose while Weiss was absolutely speechless.
"Oh… um… good for you…" Rosalina said, attempting to form a smile, although it was a worried perplexed smile.
"I'll be honest, I never met them in Astera…" Hendrik mumbled.
"Those are… very unique names…" Veronica said.
"What… she said." Kora said, scratching her head.
"How the heck are you guys so calm about this?" Navirou asked.
"Yeah, I'm used to it. Major Moron sometimes talked about his past to me, though I'm more annoyed with how reckless he is on missions…" Filo said.
Navirou groaned. "I'm getting a major migraine from this…"
"Major Migraine?" Major Malfunction perked up. "Hey, that's my younger cousin!"
"OH COME OOOOOOOOON!" Navirou yelled, loud enough to wake up a far away Testsucabra.
Several major migraines into Loloska later…
BGM: Tranquility of a Wintry Trail - Loloska - Night (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Brrr…!" Kora shivered.
"Yup, the climate's different. We're definitely in a snowier region." Yang said.
"Y-Y-Yeah… obviously…!" Zinnia shivered.
Kora pulled out the Red Mist and sprayed it into the air, enveloping everyone… though Weiss and Rosalina didn't mind the cold one bit.
"Seriously… I was originally your dark clone, how the heck am I not immune to the cold?" Meryl sneezed a bit.
"There there." Weiss patted her back. "You'll get used to it."
"I doubt it… buuuut that mist feels nice." Meryl smiled as they walked along the pathway, taking out some Baggi that got too close to 'em, but they were able to take out the Baggi as they continued along the path.
Further along, Kora faceplanted into the snow. "Ooomph!"
"You okay?" Ruby asked.
"I'm fine… I just never knew snow could be so difficult…"
"Ah! That's right, you're an islander. You're not used to this sort of thing." Navirou said. "The first thing you gotta do is-" He suddenly tripped and rolled down a slope. "WAAAAAAH!" He cried as he came to a gentle stop as a snowball, "Oooogh… don't do that…" He groaned.
"Is now the best time to be playing?" Ena wondered as both of them were helped out, but then they heard growling coming from Ratha, who had his attention at the top of the hill.
"What's up?" Weiss wondered before she looked up and saw pink lights. "Huh?!"
"The same lights as before!" Mine exclaimed as they got closer to the light, which was coming out of a frozen lake… and then suddenly, a massive creature breached out of the water and roared at them all.
End BGM
BGM: Fangs Lurking on the Surface of Ice (Monster Hunter 4)
Amphibious Ice Shark - Zamtrios
"Yikes! It's a Zamtrios!" Navirou cried as they heard roaring as they turned to see Zamites and Baggis coming in to help out. "And company!"
"Alright, split up! We'll take care of the shark here!" Ruby said as they all split up, leaving Ruby to deal with the Zamtrios alongside Kora, Weiss, Gloria, Aqua, Luminary and Cardin.
"I know what to do here." Gloria smirked, whistling to get her Paolumu's attention while also calling out her Toxtricity.
"Toooox!" Her Toxtricity cried before turning his head to see the Paolumu. He tilted his head before shrugging, turning toward the Zamtrios as her Paolumu roared, eager to work alongside the Toxtricity while Gloria transformed into her Ampharos form.
The Zamtrios roared in a frenzy and lunged, headbutting them but they were able to dodge as Cerberus let out a howl, buffing up everyone's defenses with Kiran also joining in on a melody before switching out with Saki.
The Zamtrios breathed out a torrent of water as Gloria fired back with a Thunderbolt, pushing the torrent of water back as Toxtricity hopped on Puffy as they proceeded to divebomb into the Zamtrios, with Toxtricity hopping off and using Overdrive on his body, then hopping away just in time for the Zamtrios to try and roll him off of it.
Ruby and Kora lunged, proceeding to swing their scythe and blade into the Zamtrios while Weiss stabbed the amphibian several times as her Rathian swooped in and swung her tail, giving it a face full of poison.
At that moment, Ratha jumped in and with a roar, he flanked the Zamtrios and headbutted into his gills, which was enough for the Zamtrios to roll over in agonizing pain, giving Luminary and Cardin enough time to swoop in and slashed the amphibious shark, the former following up with a Kazapple.
The Zamtrios snarled, letting out a roar as its whole backside, and gills, were covered in ice, complete with a sharp horn front and center. "Ice?!" Gloria said in surprise. Is it a Water/Ice type then?
"Best be on our guard… this might get tricky." Aqua said as the Zamtrios leaped into the air and tried to impale Weiss, but she put up a gravity glyph to protect herself as Kora slashed the underbelly as Ruby got into position, changing her scythe into a crossbow and proceeded to fire silver arrows at the underbelly as well, then her Rathian swooped in and shoved the Zamtrios away.
The Zamtrios roared before suddenly inflating itself like a balloon. "The heck…?!" Ruby said in shock.
"Okay, anyone got a pin?" Gloria wondered as the Zamtrios rolled toward them, but they dodged and counter attacked as the Zamtrios rolled back to its position and unleashed a powerful icy breath attack, but Cardin put up a sand shield to block it out with the help of Weiss and her glyphs.
At that moment, they heard a roar as they looked up to see a young woman flying on a Barioth as it swooped in and clawed the Zamtrios, letting out a pained roar as the woman pulled out her club and swung it into its gills, knocking it over as it let out a pained cry as it writhed on agonizing pain, where the Barioth hopped over and impaled the Zamtrios with its tusks.
The Zamtrios tried to fight the Barioth off but the Barioth refused to let go, swiping at it until it fell limp when the Baroth's tusks dug deep inside, puncturing a few vital organs as it did.
End BGM
"I… certainly wasn't expecting that." Cardin said as the Barioth let out a loud roar to startle away the other monsters.
"I'm surprised you were able to handle a Zamtrios, they're no laughing matter." The woman said before turning her head to the Barioth. "Nice job, Frostfang." She smiled before turning to the others. "I'm-"
"Avinia!" Navirou waved her over. "Good to see you again!"
BGM: Rebuild and Recover: Avinia (Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin)
"Hello Navriou, it's been a while, huh?" She said with a smile.
"And Frostfang, ol' pal! You look like a million zenny!" Navirou jumped into head and nuzzled him as Frostfang simply let out a friendly growl in response.
"I never thought I'd run into you out here. Life is full of surprises." She said, then turned around to face the crowd. "My name is Avinia. I"m a Rider from Kuan Village. Who are all of you?"
"This is Ena! And my new buddy, Kora! As for everyone else… well, considering there's a lot of them, it'll take a timeskip to introduce all of them." Navirou said.
"...What?" Avinia sweatdropped.
"Ah, don't worry about it. Just roll with it." Cardin said.
"I see…"
Ena cleared her throat. "We've been told there is a Wyverian here who can seal a monster's powers. We'd really appreciate it if you could tell us where to find him."
"Seal a Monster's powers? A Wyverian, huh? I might know him…" She put her fingers on her chin in thought.
"Yeah, it's Ol' Dede! So, where's Pops been hanging out these days?" Navirou asked.
"Well, to be honest, I haven't seen him around here in a while."
Navirou slumped. "A-are you kitten me? We came all the way out here for nothing?"
"Maybe not for nothing. He might be around here somewhere." Rosalina said.
"I hope you're right…"
Avinia turned her head to Ratha. "Are you hoping to try to control this Monster's power?"
"That's what we're hoping to do." Blake said.
"I see… this Monstie…" Avinia narrowed her eyes, only to be distracted by a growling stomach. "Hmm?"
Everyone inspected one another, wondering where it was coming from, only to pinpoint Ena, who blushed and held on to her stomach. "Oh dear…" She said.
"I'd love to talk more. Why don't we go to my house for a bit? I'll whip you up something to eat."
"That's kind of you…" Ena smiled sheepishly.
"Your house… that's in Kuan, right?" Navirou asked. "Is the village all back to normal and rebuilt now?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly put it that way… But we're all working on it. Everyone came back to the village!"
"That's great! I'm glad to hear that!" Navirou smiled.
"Thanks. The village is this way, let's go." Avinia walked off, but not before turning to the body of the Zamtrios. Here too… She thought to herself as they walked off to follow her.
Meanwhile…
"Hah… hah… hah… hah…" Chiaki panted as she was on her hands and knees at Memory Skyscraper. "No matter what I do, she… she just cancels it out… she's… she's a monster… and everything I throw at her, she-"
"Going somewhere?"
Chiaki froze, getting back up as she turned around, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Twilight Chiaki approaching her.
BGM: Majora's Theme (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)
"Y-you…!"
"You can't even touch me. I thought you were my equal." Twilight Chiaki said before tilting her head with a sadistic grin. "But I guess that proves that I'm the superior one and you are just beneath me~"
She raised her fist up high, the Triforce glowing brightly as walls rose up from the ground… and then Chiaki found herself in a maze.
She gasped, terror filled in her eyes as she let a whimper. She hugged herself, crossing her arms in an X as she tried to stay calm, yet she was quickly hyperventilating.
"Hmhmhmhm~" Twilight Chiaki approached her, the Master Sword scraping against the pavement as she tilted her head sadistically. "You, of all people, are afraid of mazes? Oh, that's hilarious! I thought you were braver than that… ahahahahaha!" She cackled. "Oh, that's rich!"
"Sh-shut up…!" She whimpered, her back against the wall.
"Now why you don't just be a good little bitch and die like all the other villains I've slaughtered~"
End BGM
Suddenly, the wall near Chiaki started to crack open. She shifted her eyes as she felt something trying to break through of the wall. "Huh…?"
The wall shattered, sending dust everywhere and nearly blinding the two Chiakis.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of this."
Chiaki rubbed her eyes from the dust, and when her vision cleared, she saw Weiss standing before her, in her Fierce Deity form.
BGM: Trial of Fates - Bare Your Fangs (Fire Emblem: Engage) (Start at 1:09)
"Weiss?!"
Weiss turned to Chiaki, giving her a confident wink as she turned to Twilight Chiaki.
"Who the hell are you?!" Twilight Chiaki asked.
"Your worst nightmare." She responded, lunging forward as they both clashed with their blades, but Weiss slashed through Twilight Chiaki, sending her crashing into Memory Skyscraper as Weiss snapped her fingers, as ice stalagmites rose up and destroyed the maze before disappearing.
Chiaki watched on as Weiss jumped into Memory Skyscraper.
End BGM
"Weiss!" Chiaki sat up quickly. "...Agh! Ooof…" She rubbed her head.
"Hangover still there?" Hajime asked.
"No… just… sat up very quickly… hoo… okay, dizziness is gone…"
"Hey, looks like you're up and at 'em!" Nyx smiled as she approached.
"Hey Nyx…" Chiaki chuckled. "...Hey, um… do you mind if… I take a shower?"
"Oh, go for it. I don't mind."
Chiaki smiled, getting up and kissing Hajime on the cheek as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Glad she's back with us…" Nyx smiled.
"Yeah." Hajime nodded.
Ding dong!
"Hmm?" Nyx turned her head toward the door and walked over, opening the door to see Myra at the door. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, uh… does Nyx live here, by any chance?"
Ibuki: Yay! Chiaki-chan's awake! Too bad she probably just missed Myra. Wonder how she'd react to the Shadow Queen...
Only time may tell.
Deadpool: Yeah, not to mention Kyle is being an idiot.