~11 Fr: La Solitudine
"Thank you…Haruka…Makoto…Rei…Nagisa…Rin. With your help, I was able to return to my human form and recover my memories and my magic!" – Gen 1.0!Alex, VotMS Book 2: Fellowship of the Magic Six
Storyline B:
Planet Duniya – Our Free! Arc:
Days before the Olympius Duniya
A rainbow of hues appears with the sun rising in Iwamara, marking a brand-new day of life glowing across the skies. There is a bit of a mist in the grass with silent drops of water falling into a pond below, leaving a silent echo across the vicinity. Several birds chirped happily as the coastline of Iwamara had a gentle series of waves.
At the Iwamara Swim World Complex Suites, one individual woke up by the beam of the early light instead of his alarm. He yawns and rubs his eyes before finally getting out of his bed to open the curtains a bit more. Was this all a dream? Was this real?
Either way, he was very happy to be here once more. Being at the ISW felt like a second home to him. A lot of memories were made here during the long year and then some of training for the Olympics.
Finally, the sun makes its peak over the horizon as the colors were fully vivid and visible like a painting. From the yellow and pink hues to the blues and greens and violets, the smell of the sea breeze air and the flora from the newly developed garden helped the atmosphere feel better.
"Che bellisima, stamattina," he muttered his Italian.
(English: How beautiful, this morning)
With a sigh of relief, Alex finally goes to his morning hygiene as the other swimmers were starting to wake up, clean themselves, eating breakfast, and looking at the schedules for what is happening in the upcoming days.
That day is finally here…
That day that they never thought they'd live to experience…
It was just a short time left before the Olympics when the wedding in Lha'li was finally announced, which happened to be today. After getting dressed for the event, Alex meets up with Kyle in the main lobby area. The parents were also present along with Sergi as this was a family trip.
"You ready?" Kyle asked.
"As I ever will be," Alex smiled.
"Awwww, I wish we could all go," Nagisa said, "A wedding sounds fun!"
"We'll have a live recording there," Kyle replied.
"Still though…" he sighed.
"Just be safe…both of you," Rei added as Haruka nodded.
"We'll be fine," Alex answered, "We should be back no later than the end of the day tomorrow. Also, most of our stuff was packed up for the Olympics."
"Sounds good," Makoto replied.
With that, the swimmers followed Alex, Kyle, and the rest of the Marotta family outside as they boarded the train that was set for Lha'li. Everyone waved farewell for now as the train departs.
"You okay there pootsie?" the mother asked.
"Yeah, it just feels like a dream…" Alex sighed, "A lot has happened, but I'll never forget the ones who are dear to me and vice versa."
"Sometimes, it's good to reflect on your blessings," the father reminded him, "Never forget that."
"Yeah," he smiled, "I never thought I'd live to see Ana finally tying the knot."
He looks at his parents and his brother before adding, "I'm just happy that you are all okay especially. I never should've left you guys back then…when I ran away from home. It was sheer foolishness but…for certain I wouldn't have met this beautiful husband here."
Kyle made a small blush and added, "And I certainly wouldn't have been able to find myself back as a reincarnated being."
"What you did back then well, it was hurtful to us, but you made yourself better from it," the father replied, "You learned your lesson, made stronger relations, and you're free from that pain. For that, we couldn't be any prouder of you."
"Even then we knew not to give up on you pootsie," the mother added, "We knew one day you'd find yourself back to us."
"The way back wasn't easy, that was for certain," Alex said, "But I'm glad I wasn't alone in the process."
Sergi was taking some photos of the outside landscape before asking him, "What will you do after swimming?"
"I guess it depends on the outcome of the competitions," Alex replied, "There's a lot to figure out still. What about you? Are you going to become a doctor again in this world or continue your practice?"
"Hm, I guess that's something to find out too hehe," Sergi chuckled.
"Oh you," Alex sighed, "I should've known better than to ask."
"But in all honesty, I want to do more writing. Okay, not with magic of course from the book, but maybe do other forms of writing like newspaper articles or maybe be an editor for scientific journalism," he added.
"That's an interesting choice," Kyle said.
I know one day, I'll have to retire from swimming. But when that day happens, Alex thought as he rested his hand over his own chest.
The family arrived there around lunchtime and changed into the proper attire (for cultural reasons) before visiting this city. A pair of guards led them through the streets. The desert air was definitely a hot one, but the city had several misting technologies to keep the area cool.
Ugh, thank god it's only for a day wearing this, the grandmother thought, I can't imagine wearing these kinds clothes in the heat.
"Are the clothes bothering you?" Kyle asked.
"As long as there's no tag there," Sergi said, "I remember I hated those tags on the tee-shirts."
"Heh, let's not go back there about that," Alex laughed a little, "You grab a pair of scissors all the time."
At the main gates, the guards signaled the order to open. They were in awe of the series of gardens in front of them with endless fountains like Taj Mahal. After 5 minutes of getting through the scenery, the five were greeted by the Sultan and Sultana upon arriving at the Degar Palace.
"How are the girls doing?" Alex asked.
"Both are ready," Castell replied, "The rest of the sisters are here too."
"Very good," Kyle nodded.
"We'll have the ceremony start very soon this afternoon," Cyrus added.
"Wow, I guess this is finally it then," the grandfather answered.
"At least we are living to see this," the wife remarked.
From there, the family reunited with the adopted girls as they were dressed in varying designs of lace in a golden-white color. While a hijab wasn't used on them, they did have long sleeves on and nearly long-lengthy skirts/dress which was a bit challenging to walk.
"It's a little bit of a challenge but we got this," Niki blushed.
"Kinda reminds me back in the Middle East," Maya said.
"Ana is in the back room, she's waiting for you," Laura added.
With that, the family arrived in a separate room as Anastasia was indeed fully dressed in a Dubai-styled design with crystals and flowers scattered in a pattern. The sleeves were also a bit long, but they were shear with pearls scattered around with more flowers around her wrists. She donned a crown and a veil for her head piece. The makeup was fresh with a hint of lavender eyeshadow with sea green accents and red lipstick.
"F-father…d-dad," she breathed in joy, almost wanting to cry, "G-grandma…grandpa, Uncle Sergi!"
"Don't ruin your make up yet," Kyle said.
"We're so proud of you," Alex hugged her, "I'm glad to at least see you here finally tying the knot."
"You look amazing sweetie," the grandma smiled.
"T-thank you," she replied.
"Well, I guess all that remains is the ceremony and reception," grandpa noted.
From there, the ceremony was about to start as the Marotta family sat in the front rows. Nearly a thousand people attended in audience with cameras and drones making a live recording of the event to around the world. Roxana walked with her mother to the front of the ceremony.
Roxana herself was dressed in gold and red with a Hijab and a plated crown. The dress was also lengthy but designed enough to make it easy for her to walk. While the main dress was in red, there were gold accents and lining. The torso side also had crystals embedded to shine the light while she had a large bowtie on the back side. Her arms were also covered in lace likewise.
When it was time for the main attraction, Alex was dressed in a dishdasha robe with a twist of blue, gold and white color to represent his senshi form. He had a head covering likewise with a white shear-like veil and a black headband to hold it in place.
The entire hall was in absolute silence while the soft playing music of the harp was played in the background with some soft drums being played and a vocalist singing a hymn of the ancient language. Alex smiled at his daughter as he couldn't believe this was happening at long last. It felt like an eternity ago that his other self was getting married together for a second chance.
Once they reach the front of the ceremony, Alex gives her a kiss on the forehead and answers, "You got this. I love you forever."
"Thank you…father," she replied.
As the ceremony continued to broadcast, the swimmers were intrigued by the different culture taking place there as it wasn't something they'd seen for a very long time.
"I remember learning about this back in school," Rei muttered, "It's like the weddings in Lebanon and Iran and all the like."
"I'm glad they can have their peace finally," Nagisa nodded.
"How long did they say the ceremony would be?" Rin asked.
"Not much longer than 20 minutes," Makoto replied, "But I heard the partying is like…the rest of the day."
"Oh dear…" Ai had a nervous sweat drop, "They should be ready for tomorrow onwards, right?"
"I don't think they'll drink up that badly," Haruka noted.
"Are you kidding me? This is a wedding!" Momo answered.
"Actually, alcohol is prohibited in many of the Muslim weddings," Sousuke noted, "But of course that's back on Earth. As of here…well…I'm not certain what their traditions are."
Finally, at the climax of the ceremony, the two newlyweds finally kissed as the audience roared in applause. More music sounded the conclusion of the wedding.
"That's…amazing," Tsubasa breathed.
"Hahaha, it's even interesting to see that it's two women getting married," Seijuurou noted.
"For Anastasia…and Roxana!" Isana and Hikaru raised their glasses of water.
Everyone followed suit as they tapped the glasses of their water, juice, and/or flavored club soda. From there, the main broadcast concluded but more shots of video were seen as Anastasia and Roxana were on their way to a carriage-like car where they were driven to the outdoor party reception courtyard filled with palm trees, statues of historic figures, and endless foods of all kinds.
Iwamara Coastal Estates
At a different place in the more luxurious side of the town, Articora!Rei woke up with a yawn as he went downstairs to see his beloved preparing coffee and some breakfast.
"Do I smell some omelets?" he asked.
"I can't replicate the exact recipe like you made a long time ago but…" his husband blushed.
"It smells delicious," the megane smiled.
Articora!Alex lowered the heat on the stove before turning to give him a kiss, "How much I've missed you…words can't even express."
"Me too," Articora!Rei hugged him, "I don't know how this all happened to be exact, but it was like I woke up from dying back in Articora…"
"It does feel like a dream," he nodded, "But I'm sure we'll get this all sorted out with our memories."
"Right," the megane agreed.
They finally set the table up as there was bacon, omelet, and waffles with a boiling pot of coffee. After taking a quick sip, Articora!Alex turned on the TV to see Anastasia and Roxana's wedding taking place.
"Ohhh, is that…?!" Articora!Rei gasped.
"Yeah, I thought about going but…" he paused, "I wanted to spend time together with you again."
"We could've gone…" the megane shrugged.
"It's alright," Articora!Alex said, "As long as one of us is there, that's more than enough hehe."
They continued to eat breakfast as Cali yawned before meowing and coming over to them. Rei gently brushed her calico fur as the cat jumped on the marble counter.
"Cali," Articora!Alex sighed, "You know that's off limits!"
The doorbell rang moments later. Articora!Rei went up to the door to answer as they saw their friends greeting them.
"Wow, isn't this a surprise!" the megane hugged Romio, Shizuru and Ayumu.
"So good to see you again there!" Romio cried with joy.
Articora!Alex arrived at the door to see the trio along with Kaoru and Misaki arriving as well, "Oh dear. Should I make more food?"
"It's alright! We got our own stuff!" Romio holds up the bags from the diner.
"Pardon us if we were interrupting," Shizuru added.
"No, it's absolutely wonderful," the megane smiled, "Please, make yourselves at home."
They all sat down together at the long table with happiness and joy on their faces. Everything felt so surreal and peaceful after a very long time of conflict and chaos. Was this the definition of peace?
"I can't wait for the Olympics!" Misaki commented, "Hopefully I'll get there in the near future!"
"You won't be the only one," Kaoru winked.
"Make that four of us," Romio chuckled.
Articora!Alex smiled a moment but felt slightly sad for he can no longer swim. He rested his fist over his heart as Articora!Rei rested his arm over his shoulder.
"D-did I say something wrong?" Misaki noticed the change of expression.
"No, not at all…but I am a little emotional on missing the ability to swim," Articora!Alex replied, "However, I leave that in charge of my other self. I know he'll do very well."
"We'll support everyone there for sure," Articora!Rei agreed.
"I cannot wait to see how it will play out this time," Romio added.
Chirottori
"Hey, we're gonna be late if you guys don't hurry up!" Tadashi called the Chivashi.
"We're coming, geeze!" Mariko shouted.
"Agh, just remind me why we're getting involved with their business again?" Natsuhisa sighed.
"They offered us free perks for the Olympius Duniya," Reiji reminded him.
"Ugh, eating their food, sounds lovely," he replied.
"Okay I'm sure it can't be all that bad," Rikuto answered, "We might only feast on blood and flesh but for once I do want to try something different."
"Maybe something fishy?" Haruto tilts his head.
"Uhhhh, let's not," Rikuto answered back.
Ainosuke watched the quintet and their silly little conversation before answering, "We owe this to them as well as the people from Frostella. This Olympics will truly unite the world for once in a better stage."
"Well said there, master," Tadashi smiled.
Stellaluna along with Queen Janella and King Goliath finally appeared as they all were ready to visit the town of the humans. With their newly strengthened alliance with the Sierra Forest and the Mullerians of that domain, it was clear that a new era of peace would begin.
Storyline A: The Final Reckoning
HD1 Qusai-Galaxy
Far away into the deepest parts of the observable vs. the unobservable, a group of flying warriors floated in a circle together. An unknown period of time has gone by since they were going through deep space. Alex, however, was feeling awfully sleepy and he was resting in Kotetsu's arms unknowingly.
"P-Prince, Prince!" Kotetsu gently woke up Alex as the latter snapped opened his eyes after what felt like a long time sleeping.
"H-uh, w-where…?" he looked around to see himself floating in space with the other Swimming Guardians.
"You were quite sleepy just now," Yamato said, "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah…" Alex sighed, "Where are we in space?"
"Well, Suiei Kronos was able to give us a major jump speed to our realm," Kazuki answered, pointing at the infrared looking object in the lightyear distance.
"It's not as red as many people believe, don't let that fool you. It's surprisingly a well-formed Galaxy, said to be the closest to the edge of all existence," Takuya added.
"And your home planet is there?" Kaede, "This…Suizei?"
"It is, but we actually have relocated ourselves to its natural satellite, Ares 174," Yamato revealed, "Those of us after the first time our world fell apart, we took our research to the satellite and establish a secondary home there."
"But what happened to Suizei after the first invasion?" Kotetsu asked.
"Many have returned to Suizei and entered a second golden age until now with the Shadow Achaemenian Empire and Memnon going around," Yamato said, "Only this time we were better prepared."
"Are we able to get into Suizei or Ares?" Albert questioned.
"I wish to make a stop at Suizei first," Yamato said, "There are some valuable notes I have been keeping for a long time. It should be given to the right people like you."
"Let's hope they didn't snatch that shit first," Kaede replied.
"Okay everyone hold hands now and focus on your crystals," Hayato instructed everyone, "The transition to Suizei may be tricky but we'll manage this flight. We'll guide you to the atmosphere."
The group linked their hands one by one as Yamato called forth the Yin-Yang crystal as it softly glowed in a golden-yellow hue followed by a brief flash of light among them. They opened their eyes to see Suizei finally present in a short space distance. It was a yellow-hue planet with spotty areas of green-turquoise lakes followed by a single ocean on its opposite end with a similar color.
"The water…is it more green-ish?" Albert asked.
"We have minerals in the water that gives it that color," Toru answered, "But rest assured, it's the same clear blue as your water."
They descended down through the thick atmosphere as the Macedonia Trio and Alex started to cough a little bit on the density here. Realizing this, Yamato quickly created air bubbles for them to breath into through his Yin-Yang Crystal.
"Thanks," Albert sighed in relief.
"Would've been nice for a warning," Kaede cleared his throat.
"Your body will adjust to the settings of this planet," Shouta reassured them.
After passing through the atmosphere, they finally arrive at what looked like an abandoned dystopian figure city with several hundred skyscrapers of varying shapes.
"Heh, quite a sci-fi here," Albert chuckled.
"Makes you wonder how they even support life like this," Kotetsu remarked.
"Out of curiosity, where was your swim facility?" Alex asked.
"It's close to the headquarters, probably less than 10 miles away. It was called the Argrye Capital Swim Club'. Argrye is our nation's capital city here," Shouta explained.
They soared in a northern direction to finally what looked like a floating futuristic building similar to Frostella but geared with technology and smooth architecture as the Argrye Capital Acropolis. Finally, the group landed on the platform as the Macedonia Trio and Alex turned to see the entire cityscape before their eyes with the ocean in the long-distance horizon.
"Is anyone still on this planet?" Alex asked.
"Several, those that are fighting off any threats," Yamato said before adding a sigh, "But unfortunately, the invasion destroyed hundreds of lives especially those in the poverty area."
"That's terrible," Albert replied.
With a wave of his hand on the scanner, the garage-door-like feature opens as they soared through a tunnel before entering the main hall. Indeed, it was very futuristic with low lighting on the ground and high ceilings with holographic images presented.
"Incredible…" Kotetsu breathed.
"For such an ancient planet, I never imagined it'd be so technologically advanced," Kaede agreed.
"It's upsetting that this world has a war zone," Alex replied, "Is there nothing we can really do to help?"
"I'm sure you'll find the answer when we get to the Edge of the Omniverse," Yamato answered as he approached to his work desk where he used his Yin-Yang crystal as a key to open it. The Quintet moved to the side to allow the Macedonia Trio and Alex to approach.
Upon handing Alex a file folder, the latter looked at the labeling, "Swimming and Mizu from Space-Time."
"Is this…?" he looks at Yamato.
"All the known Swimming Guardians and the Mizu Gods," the red-haired man chuckled before going grim, "There's probably more of them than we counted but no doubt about it their worlds fell to Memnon."
The first set of pages showed the planets of Toulouse, Thiene, Saitama, Zo, and Terraus with their respective Mizu Gods and the Swimming Guardians.
"However, it seems that Memnon had his eyes on these fellows here the most," Yamato added, "We were once allies under this contract we have made, the IO Pact with several other realities beyond this list. Each of us has kept a safe list of these contacts."
"IO Pact?" Kaede asked.
"Inter-Omniversal Pact," Kazuki answered.
"Sounds suspiciously political," Kotetsu grunted.
"This is rather sophisticated, but no one has ever contacted us," Albert said.
"In the past, it would've been difficult to reach out to this world," he continued, "But with the shifting of Chaos and Cosmos, well…space travel has become unstable yet more accessible. In a way, no one has been allowed to travel incredibly far into space and time. That was until the Mizu Gods from the past Milky Way Galaxy…traveled to the future Andromeda Galaxy."
"Pardon?" Kotetsu looked confused, "From the Milky Way of the Past to the Andromeda of the future?"
"And you made that pact since?" Kaede crosses his arms over.
Alex took a look at the files and the information here, intrigued by this, "A-are these Mizu Gods even still alive?"
"Probably not…" Uozumi said, "When the Shadow Achaemenian Empire…well you could only imagine."
He lowered his head in sadness, "Right. But even still, that's not fair. They shouldn't have to suffer…"
Because of me, he thought the last part to himself, I can't believe it…has Memnon really taking these lives away that badly all because of me?
"When your powers connected together with your spouse, we all have seen the great vision," Yamato replied, "We saw what felt like a prophecy…of creation, destruction, and rebirth. That is the truth."
Alex was still in shock at how many possible Swimming Guardians existed. Was it thousands? Millions? For sure, the numbers were high with names he had never even heard of. Did every universe have a planet with a Mizu God of some kind? He closed up the folder and set it down.
"Regardless of how many we are, it doesn't change the fact that we are losing a future…" he said, "The magnitude of this war is beyond words."
"We'll bring you to Ares next," Toru replied, "There is a friend who you haven't seen in a while."
Suizei's Satellite: Ares
Arriving at the natural satellite of Ares, a small area of the planet had an atmosphere-like bubble located near the upper portion of the axis. Indeed, it was mostly a barren piece of land like the Earth's moon without the atmosphere.
"This is the Mare Imbrium, the geographic region where many of the Suizei inhabitants are at until the war is over," Yamato introduced the realm as they descended downwards.
"How does one get past the barrier if it's that fragile?" Albert asked.
"The system is used to people going in and out, it regenerates quickly," Toru answered.
Once they got past the barrier, they were able to breathe normally without their crystal's magic. The air quality was much better for sure despite being a smaller habitable zone.
"Our swim club is also located here, but it has a second name, 'Imbrium Campus'," Yamato said, "Whenever I'm not being prince on the clock, I make sure I keep my swimming beyond top tier hehe."
Sounds like the same Seijuurou from our reality, Alex thought.
They walked through several of the streets en route to the said swimming campus when Alex noticed a little statue that almost looked like…
G-Gou, he thought, he was married to a variation of Gou Matsouka?
"Prince?" Kotetsu looked at him.
"It's nothing, let's keep going," he replied.
The swim campus wasn't as big as Iwamara's but it was definitely a fair size consisting of a lobby area, several photos on the wall, the locker rooms and of course the main pool and a side pool facility. Like the palace, it had a futuristic look of sorts but also mixed with the rocks and minerals of the natural satellite to give it a feel of the world itself.
Sure enough, Goro was busy at his work, training a bunch of new swimmers to get into shape with his usual infamous laugh. However, upon seeing the Swimming Guardians, he paused with a jaw drop. Memories of Alex in Iwatobi flashed back into his head.
"Y-you…y-you're alive…?" he approached.
"I guess it's been a very, very long time," Alex said.
Goro stopped in his place as he could almost tell that this man before him was not like who he was back in Iwatobi long, long ago…the half-elder bairn, half human aspect was gone.
"Well, it didn't take much for me to tell you've changed, huh?" he asked.
"Indeed. A lot has happened since the Shadow Mafia," Alex replied, "I guess there's a lot of catching up to do…"
"That won't be necessary," Goro answered.
"W-what!?" he gasped, "Y-you know…it all?"
"I wouldn't say everything but…a friend you might recall, informed me some information," the blond man said.
"But what price did you have to pay to even know about what happened?" Alex looked at him.
"That was something I covered for," Yamato said, "But yes, he is caught up on all what has happened in your relations with the other swimmers."
"How are they now?" Goro asked.
Alex lowered his head for a moment, "T-they're…"
"Memnon attacked you guys as well," the man sighed, "Didn't he?"
"You certainly missed out on that mess," Kaede replied.
"They're not dead," Alex continued, "We'll save them and continue our celebration of swimming."
"Hm, well since you're here, I might as well tell you what happened on my end," Goro offered, leading the Macedonia Trio and Alex to his office.
With a shrug, they followed him in as the blonde coach sat down to listen and converse with them a bit more as well as sharing his new life on Suizei and Ares. As it turned out, Goro didn't have to be reborn per se but he was brought here thanks to the powers of the Chaomos Crystal when Terabithia was formed.
"And…he…is no longer a traitor?" Goro asked upon getting to a certain person.
"No, he's done a lot to bring us all back and then some," Alex smiled, "But I'm sure you have a lot to say to him if it still bothers you."
"Honestly I don't," he shrugged, "But that doesn't mean he won't get a training regimen that's hella powerful if he wants to get to the Olympics likewise, hehehehe! It's like the time when I had to get him and Nagisa back to the pool…"
"Oh dear," Kaede makes a little sweat drop.
"So, when things get better, would you ever come to Duniya?" Alex asked.
"I might," he said, "It'd be good to see everyone again."
At the pool deck, Yamato and his team assisted the new swimmers while giving Goro the time to chat with the four. The swimmers were indeed happy to see their prince back but by the looks on their faces, it was no doubt that the Final Reckoning was indeed a phenomenon happening.
"Speaking of…would we ever attend to the Olympics ourselves? Granted, we might be extraterrestrial to them?" Kazuki thought out loud.
"Anything is possible there, bahahaha!" Yamato grinned.
"I take it he's getting all fired up," Shouta whispered.
"Once this mission is over, I'll definitely reintroduce the Training from Hell!" the prince smirked.
"UEAHHHHHHH!" the four gasped in terror.
Later in the evening…
Unsure of the precise time, Alex sat outside of the swim facility alone to reflect on the losses of his fellow guardians. He had no idea how the time differences work here versus Duniya, only could imagine how much or little time has passed on the other planet.
Hopefully we're not gone for hundreds of years, he thought, my family…I just pray nothing else happens there.
The Aero Star was much different than the star back in Duniya's orbit. This one looked like a giant O-type star (blue hue) compared to the sun back from Earth, Terabithia and so forth. However, since they were on a natural satellite, it was indeed already dark out when the main Suizei planet covered a shadow over.
For where there is light, darkness follows, his mind continued to wonder.
"There you are," Albert called him.
Alex turned to the Macedonia Trio as they had just found him outside.
"They already gave us some stuff to sleep with," Kotetsu added, "You should get some rest."
"I know, I'm just…" he paused.
"You don't want to rest, is that it?" Kaede asked with a sigh.
"The others wouldn't want you to lose your strength for the battle ahead," Kotetsu continued, "Rest is important."
"I know," he replied again, "I just…"
"What?" the brunette asked.
"I'm sorry, Hephaistion," Alex said.
Kotetsu sighed as he felt the spirit of his past surfacing him as he answered, "Prince, it was not your fault that my death separated our relation. None of us knew we'd ever reunite. But I know you are concerned for your man, and you wish to keep the fidelity in check."
"Geeze, maybe you guys need to talk more privately about this," Kaede remarked.
Alex's mind thought back to when he first arrived in Iwatobi, how he was an angry person wanting revenge. He had a mission of that to fulfill, but even though many years later he forgave his classmates and the singer, why was he still feeling a bit like this?
"It's not about us," he finally answered, "It's about them."
"Them?" Albert asked.
"Yeah," Alex replied, "But anyway, enough about me. Are we going to resume the journey tomorrow?"
"I'm guessing we will," Kotetsu shrugged.
Storyline B:
Planet Duniya – Our Free! Arc:
By around mid-afternoon the following day, Alex and Kyle returned to Iwamara at the swim complex while the rest of his family boarded the train to Neo Sportsbrooke. The duo reunited with their swim team members with smiles on all their faces.
"Well, it finally begins after tomorrow," Alex said.
"Indeed," Kyle agreed.
"Our time has FINALLY come!" Nagisa pumped his fist in the air with joy.
"It has been indeed a very long journey," Rei agreed.
"I'm so happy we will finally share it," Makoto wiped a tear off his face.
"Indeed," Haruka agreed.
"Hope you are all ready for what is to come," Rin added, "This is to show who we all are!"
"We will be departing in a couple of hours," Nao revealed the schedule, "As a group. Otherwise, you'll have to make your own travels."
"Hope the rest of the other sports are ready too!" Momo added, "Especially Reki, Langa and Miya!"
"I can't wait to see them all," Ai smiled, "This will be quite a ceremony from start to finish!"
Hiyori turned to Ikuya with a nod and smile as Kaede lightly bumped his head on Kotetsu's shoulder, indicating a hint of love to the latter.
"Every one of you, perform the best of your best abilities," Seijuurou added.
"And if we need to make a change, we will accommodate whatever is necessary," Tsubasa noted.
Once this last meeting was done, Alex, Kyle, and the STYLE FIVE followed the duo back up to their main suite area as they relaxed from the wedding. Alex stared out from the balcony, reflecting on everything that has happened…from his Ancient Greek days of conquest years beyond ago, his first days of Iwatobi…to the betrayal in Italy, to his rebirth on Terabithia, his false career, his growing family, the Dark Curse, the Resurrection, and all the battles that followed onward.
"Something on your mind Sandro-chan?" Nagisa asked.
After a moment of silence, he turns to them, "Back on the old world…before I died…years before I met you all the very first time, I nearly took my own life after giving up swimming. I couldn't bear to live another moment. However, I was unable to…not for my brother's sake.
"From there, I did what I could to make him happy…sacrificing my own. After meeting you all the first time, I realized…what if I could swim again someday?"
"And it's finally here," Kyle replied, "This time…no lies…no cheats…no drugs…just pure hard work, dedication, and passion."
He smiled as he continues, "I made a wish one day…to swim with all of you. True, medley relays are in teams of four…but whoever the three that I team with…I hope we can share a great victory."
Rin tried hard to not cry on this as Makoto smiled.
"I think that wish will come true sooner than you think," Nagisa winked.
"Nagisa-kun," Rei whispered a bit with a slight elbow concern.
"What he is saying is that, even if it's not this time around, there will be more opportunities," Haruka added the statement as Rei sighed in some relief.
"I know…" Alex wiped a tear off his face, "I'm a bit sadden to not have qualified that race…but…at least there's the 100 m free for sure."
"You'll do very well with it," Makoto reassured him.
"Did everyone finish packing?" Rin asked, "I'm gonna check in with the others."
"I'll need to pack a couple more things," Nagisa went to his luggage.
"I'll be back in a moment too," Makoto added, "Seijuurou just sent me a text about the roster."
The married couple went to the outside balcony to watch the afternoon atmosphere as they could see the beach presenting its waters in a picturesque painting. The palm trees were a smooth breeze with the people of Iwamara getting ready for the Olympics likewise with varying vendors selling merch of the varying teams, individuals, etc.
"It's crazy to see how pleasant and exciting this is," Kyle said.
"The Olympics were always something festive to look forward to," Alex replied.
As most of the people continued to finish packing their things, Makoto was downstairs in the lobby office with Nao, Seijuurou, Natsuya along with Miho on a virtual video call with the IOC committee about the scheduling events.
"After reviewing your proposal, we will approve of your usage of the Arena Pool for that day," one of the members spoke, "However, there is under one condition…"
On the train ride to Neo Sportsbrooke, the Marotta father was busy on the phone talking for quite some time in hopes of making some special arrangements planned out. The wife doubted that such a last-minute request would fall through but to their shock, the response was…
"Si, si, in fatto, cantero' all'arena stasera in celebrare dei Olympics! I'IOC mi ha richiesta per la apertura dopo il programma dei nuotari."
"Ahh, mio figlio più antico ama i tuoi musiche per molti anni. Questa sarabbe nostalgia per lui," the father replied.
"What is he trying to do?" Sergi asked.
"No idea," the mother sighed.
"I wonder if he's trying to get a new radio show here," Sergi muttered.
Outside of ISW, a group consisting of Kotetsu, Kaede, Albert, Ikuya, Sousuke, Kisumi, and Hiyori were busy talking in varying small conversations. Most of their things were packed and almost ready to go to Neo Sportsbrooke.
"Oi, Sousuke, you swim butterfly don't ya?" Kaede asked, "How about we race together?"
"I got Asahi on deck first," he replied.
"There he goes again jumping in," Ikuya sighed.
"Don't cut in," Kaede said, "Unless you wanna race."
"I wouldn't mind if I do," he answered back.
"Okay you guys, take it easy," Hiyori said, "We'll have our own races after the Olympics, alright?"
"Heh, I guess Sousuke is being the new celebrity," Kisumi chuckled.
"Oh shut up," Sousuke turns his head to the side.
"I'm just glad that we're finally doing this," Albert sighed in relief.
"Tell me about it," Kotetsu smirked a little.
"Heya wasn't the schedule set for 6 or 7 days again, I don't remember?" Kisumi's mind blanked out a little.
"It's really six days but I think the committee is in the process of approving the seventh day," Ikuya replied.
"So then, are the rumors true?" Kaede asked.
"What rumors are you talking about?" Hiyori asked.
"Well…that thing with Natsuya and Nao…whatever they were doing?" the neon-orange haired man replied.
"The seventh day is to be kept under wraps, that's all I was told," Ikuya said, "We'll get more information as we draw closer, I am sure."
"Agh, you must know something too," Kotetsu replied.
"And what does that imply?" he asked.
"You tell me," the brunette-mahogany haired man chuckled.
"Either way, the seventh day is supposed to be something very important, and we can't really discuss much of it for now regardless," Ikuya replied.
"So much for trying to pry such information," Kisumi sighed.
Back in the Iwasame Suite, everyone was finally packed and ready to go. They all pulled their luggage down the steps (or elevators) before regrouping in the lobby. Everyone felt a sense of excitement, nervousness, yet joy and just happiness.
"What a trip this will be!" Nagisa chirped happily.
"Definitely exciting," Makoto smiled.
"Absolutely," Rei added, "We'll finally be setting the record and inspire so many after."
I certainly don't know what will happen, Alex thought, but regardless, I'm just happy we're all together again. It's quite surreal…
"Sandro?" Kyle asked.
"I'm alright, just…feeling surreal," he answered.
"WAH-HOO!" Momo's voice echoed in the hallways as the Samezuka trio arrived with their baggage.
"Someone's in high spirits," Aoba chuckled.
"Everyone all set to go?" Sousuke asked.
"It seems so," Haruka nodded.
"The others are already outside," Rin added.
"I think they're gonna take the train instead of the bus," Ikuya replied.
"At least that gives us more room to walk around on the Greyhound," Asahi commented.
"Let's do this!" Momo cheered.
They all walked outside with their luggage and headed on a Greyhound bus. Some of the other swimmers like Kaede, Kotetsu, Hiyori, Natsuya, Nao, and the Takagami gang decided to take the later train. As for the relatives and other friends, they have taken their own methods of transportation to Neo Sportsbrooke.
I can't believe it has been a month, trying to get everything all set again, Alex thought, at least it gave us some days to swim.
Gou was busy texting to Natsuya and Nao in a private chat as she was receiving updates from them about the meeting. They have agreed to allow her to know this little project taking place as she was not one to open her mouth about stuff. She sat in the car with her mother as the latter was driving to Neo Sportsbrooke.
"Everything okay?" Miyako asked.
"Oh yeah, just a little…project," she answered, "But I can't really say much for now. It's a secret."
Mizu Temple
All the Mizu gods were happily reunited as they were also busy with their projects with the Articorans, adding some extensions to the temples with surprise decorations for the swimmers upon their return to Iwamara post-Olympics.
"So much history both past and present," Romio whistled.
"I think Gou was already taking off," Shizuru recalled.
"It's fine, I already got something arranged at the ISW," Ayumu answered.
"Eh?" the two guys looked at her.
"We got our own transportation," she winks.
"And you are sure you don't need us to magically whisk you to the city?" Mizu Nanase asked.
"It's fine," Ayumu replied, "It just doesn't feel right if we take advantage of magic. Especially after what happened."
"She is right," Mizu Matsuoka nodded.
"I guess a lot has happened," Mizu Tachibana noted.
"I'm still somewhat sad about that," Mizu Hazuki pouted a little.
"Hey, you know that had to be done…" Mizu Ryugazaki sighed, "All magic comes with a price…"
Mizu Marotta kept silent as he recalled what happened that day from his human self. He couldn't believe that decision would be the ultimatum between Chaos, Cosmos, and even Kronos. However, deep down, he knew that it was the right thing to set the record straight.
"You okay there brother?" Mizu Matsuoka asked.
"Yeah," he sighed, "I'm just happy that we survived all this. It's surreal to think that peace could finally be…"
Yamazaki, Nitori, and Mikoshiba nodded as they walked out of the temple back to the sacred lake as Marotta added, "But whatever they decide from here on…I am sure it will be a happy one."
The Next Evening…Neo Sportsbrooke
Olympus Duniya, Swimming Series – The Night Before
An evening blue approaches the skies with glittering of the stars shining through the space. The World Natatorium of the Aquatics Global Arena had festive lights of blue, green, pink, and yellow with strobe lights as the ceiling was opened up for the cool air to comfort.
All the swimmers were dressed in varying suit colors based on their teams (i.e. Iwamara in sky blue with red shirt and white pants, Neo Tabuk in Sand Brown, Lha'li in Orange, Neo Sportsbrooke in Charcoal, and so forth). Several dancers and volunteers assisted in making a special performance by dancing in the shallow waters on a multi-platform.
A massive fountain in the very center sprung water out in a mist and rainfall style. The rest of the deck had a lot of floating lanterns drifting around in the same colors. Everyone watched in awe and excitement as a video presentation was played, thanking everyone and the Swimming Guardians for the support of making this day possible.
These performers were dressed in all varying costumes from fantasy games to even a mockup version of the Swimming Guardians who praised them for being the saviors of this world. The show was about 20 minutes of calming, relaxing music with a choir singing in a soft background and occasional instruments like the harp and soft flute being played. There was an occasional drum beat as well as violin and other stringed instruments.
Isuzu carried the Olympic Torch as she, Momotarou, and Seijuurou, together with Masaki, Yoichi, Reki, Langa, and a few other athletes walked together in an angular pattern. Together they arrived at the Olympic Cauldron to light up the flame.
Once it was done, five rings of light flashed to life as a voice-over lectured the history of the rings that were once part of the Old Worlds' continents, but it has then transformed into values consisting of Faster (Citius), Higher (Altius), Stronger (Fortius), Community (Communiter), and Eternal (Aternus).
With this, the rest of the arena lights up in calming blue, green, and pink lights as more choreography dancers appeared and brought the audience's attention to a calming show with the 3-D video screen showing various aerial shots around the world.
Finally, the highlight of the night changed when a surprise, hidden guest appearance made her way to the central stage. Just moments before that, however, the lights shined on a "half-suit" on a microphone stand. Everyone gasped in excitement and awe as a bunch of people who do know the upcoming guest was already cheering out loud.
One of the assistants removed it as the star singer arrived on the platform. She was dressed in her signature black suit with golden trim around.
"GRANDE LAURRAAAAAAA!" one of the fans roared.
The audience roared in applause as the music began to play.
"Oh my god! Is that?!" Alex gasped, recognizing the familiar music as Tsubasa and Seijuurou grinned.
"Heh isn't that a nice treat," Kyle looks at his husband.
"Yeah," he smiled, almost wanting to tear up a little.
His phone flashed a text from his Articoran self, he quickly replies with an emotional emoji as well, knowing that the former was watching this on the broadcast/live TV.
The dancers and the swimming performers quickly aligned themselves properly to this song performance. The blue and white-yellow fantasy warrior stood alongside the band with his microphone as the back vocals at ready along with a young lady in a hoodie and fluffy skirt with bunny ears. She had a twin who had a similar outfit but had some skeleton-like crown over her head.
A green-trenched coat man with yellow shirt and black leggings stood alongside with a fiery-colored cloaked figure with his midriff exposed also took the ranks with them along with a larger, rounded figure character in all yellow and orange.
Two more performers were also present. One consisted of a sand-colored, desert-themed warrior stood with a fiery warrior with a long, loose hoodie.
"It really is her…" Sergi smiled with the parents and the Marotta family as they were sitting in a different area of the stadium with other family and friends.
"What's up Neo Sportsbrooke?! Let me hear your voices!" Laura P. calls out to the audience as she turns to her song 'La Solitudine' together with the eight costumed back vocals. Her husband Paolo and her daughter Paola were also present in the band and the back vocalists.
Marco se n'è andato e non ritorna più
E il treno delle 7:30 senza lui
È un cuore di metallo senza l'anima
Nel freddo del mattino grigio di città
"Wow, that's really her!" Nagisa smiled.
"A true talent," Makoto agreed.
A scuola il banco è vuoto, Marco è dentro me
È dolce il suo respiro fra i pensieri miei
Distanze enormi sembrano dividerci
Ma il cuore batte forte dentro me
The audience sung out their voices together as they were all thrilled to experience this song. Alex almost teared up as he could feel the impact of listening to this song since his very childhood…
Chissà se tu mi penserai
Se con i tuoi non parli mai
Se ti nascondi come me
Sfuggi gli sguardi e te ne stai
Rinchiuso in camera e non vuoi mangiare
Stringi forte a te il cuscino e
Piangi e non lo sai
Quanto altro male ti farà la solitudine
(Na-nai-nai-nai-na-na)
(Na-nai-na, na-nai-na)
Haruka closed his eyes to listen to the music more closely despite not knowing this particular language, he could feel the entire journey…
"It's just like how we all first encountered…the loneliness…" Rin muttered.
"I'm glad that's behind us now," Sousuke nodded.
"Yeah," Ikuya added, looking at the pamphlet with the lyrics and noticed, "Oh…is she changing…the language?"
The audience roared even louder with joy and happiness as Laura answered the call, "Mamma Mia! I just LOVE you so much!"
With that, the song continues:
Miro en mi diario tu fotografía
Con ojos de muchacho un poco tímido
Lo aprieto contra el pecho y me parece que
Estás aquí, entre inglés y matemáticas
Ah, so she has done it in Spanish too, Tsubasa thought.
Tu padre y sus consejos qué monotonía
Por causa del trabajo y otras tonterías
Te ha llevado lejos sin contar contigo
Te ha dicho: "un día lo comprenderás"
¡Quizás, si tú piensas en mi!
Con los amigos de veras
Tratando solo de olvidar
No es nada fácil la verdad
"I might not know the lyrics but my god, it's relaxing," Kotarou breathes.
"Yet it feels energetic," Isana noted while Hikaru rested his head on the former's shoulder.
Momo looks at Aoba with a smile, "We need to attend a concert together sometime."
"Sure, whatever you say," he said.
En clase ya no puedo más
Y por las tardes es peor
No tengo ganas de estudiar
Por ti, mi pensamiento va
¡Es imposible, dividir así
La vida de los dos!
Por eso espérame, cariño mío
Conserva la ilusión
Wow, it really is a beautiful song, Rei thought as Gou was trying hard to not moisten her tears as Ai was shocked on the language change again to English:
La solitudine
Does he remember all he said to me?
I've been so up and down so sad, so happy
Feeling good and bad
I'm young, I'm old, I laugh, I cry
I tell the truth but that's a lie
I've been so in and out
So wild, so well behaved,
So pure defiled.
La soledad entre los dos
Este silencio en mi interior
Esa inquietud de ver pasar así
La vida sin tu amor
"Just…incredible, all the way," Hiyori smiled.
"A true talent," Nao agreed as Natsuya nodded.
Shin turned to Ryouta with a smile likewise as the latter was holding the little neon glow stick lights, waving around like some others were doing to celebrate the music.
Por eso espérame, porque
Esto no puede suceder
Es imposible separar así
La historia de los dos
La solitudine fra noi
Questo silenzio dentro me
E l'inquietudine di vivere
La vita senza te
Kaede kept his neutral tsundere look but Kotetsu and Albert were definitely trying to lip synch to the crowd as they enjoyed the song likewise. The brunette tried to get the former to tag along but Kaede sighed and tried to read the lyrics from the pamphlet.
Ti prego, aspettami, perché
Non posso stare senza te
Non è possibile dividere
La storia di noi due
La solitudine
With that the song concludes as the audience roars loud applause and joy. She raises her fist in the air with tears of joy from her eyes.
"Thank you, every one of you to allow me to guest sing for tonight's first ever Olympus Duniya Olympics!" she speaks, "May you all be safe, have fun, and make history!"
Storyline A: The Final Reckoning
Suizei/Ares
After sleeping for some time in a separate room, Alex woke up with a yawn. His head was feeling a bit heavy from all the traveling and being on different planets so quickly. The Macedonia trio were also sleeping here but Alex made sure to stay a safe distance as he didn't want to invest in any of his emotional desire away.
With a shrug, he silently magicked himself to his swimming gear and headed over to the main pool deck before giving in a small dive. He launched in the freestyle, expecting to struggle but oddly enough the water, the density, it all felt the same or at least similar as before. He makes one lap to the wall before being caught by the others.
"Enjoying yourself?" Kotetsu asked.
"I couldn't sleep," he shrugged.
"Honestly I don't blame ya," he answered, "How about we do a race?"
"E-Eh!?" Alex gasped.
"Well, a little distraction wouldn't hurt now, would it?" the brunette-mahogany haired man asked, "I could use some sharpening in my freestyle anyway."
"We can set it up if you guys want," Kaede offered.
"Honestly, I'm down for it," Alex said, "It kinda takes us back to Greece, huh? Didn't we used to make our own little games?"
"That we did," Albert replied, facepalming himself, "And god the things we betted on."
"Don't remind me," Kaede makes a softcore glare.
"I remember the one time I raced ya," Alex recalls, "And I lost…you told me to close my eyes and that's when…"
"Your first kiss, oh my, I can't believe you remember that," Kotetsu chuckled, "I was like…even nervous myself doing it."
"Ooohhh, so that's why you didn't tell us that deal!" Kaede smirked, "Now it all makes sense why you two acted like a couple the next day!"
"I dared him to be like my date for the day but that opened up a can of worms," Kotetsu blushed a little with some laughter.
"Honestly, I did enjoy it," Alex replied, "It was the first time I felt love…without any regard to my origin. Human or Elder Bairn…I felt happy."
"Dammit let's just race, alright?" Kotetsu blushed a bit more red. Albert couldn't help but laugh a moment while Kaede shook his head.
"What should we race for this time?" Alex asked.
"I don't know…I guess it's out in the open," Kotetsu shrugged.
They both shifted their forms to full-on swim gear magically with the caps and goggles as Albert and Kaede used their magic to set the diving blocks at the edge. Albert readied the timer in his hand while Kaede called the shots.
"Take your marks. Ready? GO!"
Kotetsu and Alex dove in perfectly as they were head-to-head with such great speeds. Albert narrowed his eyes with fascination as he could recall back in the ancient days of their youth together in Greece.
M-My body, i-it's heavy, Alex thought as he realized something was a bit off. He was just barely behind Kotetsu as the latter was suspicious that the trauma was hurting the prince.
"I swim…" Makoto's voice echoed.
"Free…" Haruka's voice was heard.
"For the team…" Rin voice added.
"For my precious bonds!" Nagisa's voice chirped.
"Together with beauty," Rei's voice was also heard.
The two made their flip turns at the wall as Alex flung his strength to push outwards finally back to neck-neck against Kotetsu. The competitor kept a close monitor on him, hoping that he could regain composure in his swimming. A soft bell was heard, and Alex was finally barely ahead.
"T-that noise…" Kaede muttered.
"I heard it too," Albert gasped softly.
Alex and Kotetsu struck the wall together in an even match as the former sighed in some relief.
"I honestly couldn't tell who won there," Kaede said, "This was way too close."
"Coming from you that's a shocker," Albert replied.
"Are you alright?" Kotetsu asked, looking at Alex.
"A little better," he replied, "I still don't get why we did this…"
With a sigh, Kotetsu reached over to hug him, much to everyone's surprise as Kotetsu confessed, "I have always admired you, prince. Fate has been cruelling to everyone…even the other swimmers. I guess Rei wasn't the only one who felt sad for a long time."
Alex softly gasped upon this, "Y-you still love me?"
"Always," he said as they both felt their ancient spirits of Hephaistion and Alexander behind them. Kotetsu's heart was certainly weighted after finding out about his former lover's journey.
"It really sucks for me to say but, I can't be in the way of you and Odysseus," Kotetsu answered, "And yet, in a way I am a little jealous of how a copy of you and Rei are together and I'm just myself. But then it changed when…I met Artemis, or rather the false one long ago. I thought I could move on, but I guess that wasn't meant to be."
They both released the hug as Alex answered, "Kotetsu, I believe love doesn't have to limit in marriage or with family and friends. I also learned that it's not limited to just anything sexual. To me, love is knowing that you have people to support you or help you improve yourself along the way, becoming a better human being."
"Dammit, you're making me want to cry," Kotetsu turned his head to the side.
"I'm sorry for not being myself for some time since the Shadow Achaemenian Empire's invasion," Alex added, lowering his head a little. "The stress has really piled up."
He looks at Kotetsu, Kaede, and Albert with a smile, "Kotetsu. Kade. Albert. Thank you for reminding myself."
"You're not going to stop them?" Kazuki asked Yamato.
"I think it's best that they talk among themselves," the prince answered as they watched from the shadows.
"Prince, do you think…we could ever get into the same competition as them?" Hayato looked at him.
"Honestly, it won't be easy, but in time, we will," he said.
"It's just well…our existence…" Takuya replied.
"I'm well aware, I never forgot," the prince answered, "And I know you will fully reunite with the others. We must continue to believe in them…especially the Greatest Light."
"Should we start to get ready then?" Toru asked.
"Yes," he said, "We'll discuss the next stage of the plan once they're ready to keep going."
The four went back to the room when they saw food already on the table to their surprise. They turned to see the others waiting for them.
"You all should eat something after a swim like that," Kazuki said.
"Y-you guys saw?!" Albert gasped.
"It's no secret that you are top-notched, well-rounded swimmers," Yamato answered.
"Maybe one day, you guys might splash in too?" Alex asked.
"That would be nice," Takuya replied.
"We might do some competitions here in this world…once we get this war to end," Hayato said.
"It certainly will," Alex smiled, "We'll stop this mess of Chaos and Cosmos and make sure that every Swimming Guardian…no matter what universe…gets their happy ending, their dream."
"You always like to be a bit mushy," Kaede answered.
"That's his loving nature," Kotetsu chuckled.
"There is something I am interested in though," Alex said.
"Hm? What would that be?" Yamato asked.
"I want to see the other planets…at least the five that I read from the files," he replied, "Something in my heart is telling me to see them. I know it's going to detour our mission but…I have a feeling that each planet is a piece of the puzzle."
"If that's what you want to do, we'll comply," Yamato said, "But don't expect much since those planets were attacked badly."
"Even still, I can't get this feeling of curiosity to go away," Alex nodded, "They were once worlds like Earth, Terabithia, Duniya, even here with Suizei."
"It's gonna take some time getting to each of those five planets," Kazuki commented, "Thankfully the empire didn't break the portals to get there so at least the grueling work is reduced significantly."
"We'll establish a portal here to each world, one at a time," Yamato added, "At least we should do that on the main planet. I doubt this moon will host enough energy for that."
"Sounds like a plan," Alex said.
They walked outside before shifting to their senshi-winged forms again and took off, heading back down towards Suizei as the four used their own powers to create breathing apparatus for the denser air on the planet.
Rhodinean Cathedral Palace
Memnon watched the ten senshi returning to Suizei with a frown on his face. He was clearly not amused by their decision to visit the other worlds that he shattered and stole their crystals.
"Such useless travel," he grumbled, "Now they want a little tour?"
"What do you wish to do?" Suiei Shadow Iwahara asked.
"I'll leave them for the time being," Memnon said, "They decided to tour the damage we've made. Oh, I'll let them see it alright. Maybe then this will make them realize they should surrender their crystals to me."
"You don't want us to attack then?" Suiei Shadow Dalton questioned.
"Leave them," Memnon answered, "But, when they're ready, they will make their way here."
"We'll be on standby for your next command," Suiei Shadow Maurer bowed.
After dismissing the trio, Memnon cracks some cartilage around his neck in a stretch before looking upwards to see the six crystals that were recently obtained. They all represented Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rin, Rei, and Kyle. They were foolish enough to sacrifice themselves in a futile battle against the Rogue Senshi trio he crafted.
"Soon, all the crystals will gather," Memnon said, "And then I'll finally have it all."
With this, he sent the crystals over to where all the others were floating around aimlessly. Among those were even more of the crystals fused together in some chandelier like structure. It was like something made for a very well, posh-rich bitch to own. Memnon walked over to see his work nearly complete.
In the very center was the empty shell of the Chaomos Crystal. But soon, that power would finally reach him.
That power might have outsmarted me for now, Memnon thought, but once I kill Suiei Marotta and take that crystal, everything will finally fall into place. Then there won't be a need for Camelot, the Mahotsukai, or even the Primordial Senshi. I'll erase them for every and all existence and build my real empire. All creation, all destruction…will be mine.