Author Notes:
A Fanfic I wrote for the second anniversary of HoloMyth.
It's not exactly what I tend to work with, but I am a fan of Hololive, and I wanted to write something for them, so I made something for their anniversary.
It was a bit rushed at the end because I was finishing it last minute, but I kinda liked this thing XD.
Hope you enjoy!
Mythological Union
How long has it been since the last time time I felt so much rage?
Enough rage to tint my vision, my eyes, my hair, and even my clothes red?
Centuries… No, millennia.
For thousands of years, I have been protecting this ruins, the remains of my home.
Eaten by the seas, nobody left to walk it's streets, to swim over it's roofs, aside from me…
But I believe that it'll change one day.
As that woman told me long ago…
As she appeared in front of me, only to throw a stupid prophecy at me right before everything happened, and telling me what to do as if she was my mother.
So infuriating!
And to make it worse, it was so long ago that I can't even remember how she looked!
But, she did predict what would happen, and told me that one day the city would be brought back from the depths, and it's splendor would opaque the sun once again.
So I'm doing what she told me.
Protect Atlantis, protect the Core Trident, from those wanting to abuse it's power.
For hundreds of years, waves upon waves of strange creatures searching the trident. Waves upon waves of food for the fishes, for the Guardian Shark, and for me.
Eventually, they stopped coming, and with that hard fought peace came a crushing and inescapable boredom.
But I was satisfied.
Those thousands of years of boredom meant that I managed to protect the city, to drive out invaders permanently. The safety of the legacy and possible future of my people was my pride.
So when that smell reached me through the currents, I was filled with rage.
An intruder.
For the first time in thousands of years, something was trying to enter Atlantis.
There was nothing to think about, nor I would have stopped to think if there was.
Gripping the trident with all my strength, I rushed forward. Swimming through the currents, gaining more and more speed, I reached it.
The despicable intruder.
It was only a fraction of a second since I saw it's appearance until my trident impaled her.
The intruder looked like gold. Wearing strange clothes with a strange pattern of squares, golden hair descending to her shoulders, eyes hidden under a dumb hat, and a strangely… Nostalgic… And deeply infuriating, smile.
I would normally wouldn't have bothered remembering the looks of an intruder, but…
When my trident reached her, she wasn't there anymore.
"Wha-!?"
Where did she go!?
"Where are you hiding, damn bozo!?"
"Oi, that's not a nice thing to say to your new friend, isn't it?"
"There you are-!"
I quickly turned back and stabbed with all my momentum at where taht woman was.
But, once again… She disappeared. The instant the trident was about to touch her, she simply disappeared. The void left by her disappearance quickly filled by the surrounding water.
"Could you stop stabbing and hear me o-"
"Stop running!?"
Once again, I turned back and stabbed at her, but she disappeared once again, only to reappear somewhere else. And I pursued. Time, and time again for what felt like hours.
As my trident missed yet another time, I couldn't control my frustration anymore.
"Why- Why can't I hit you!? You damn intruder!"
This time, she appeared right in front of me… Placing her hand on top of my head.
"That's because I don't want you to do something you'll regret by hurting me. Have you calmed down?"
"Grrr-!"
I slap her hand out of my head. My sleeve back to it's normal blue color, my vision back to normal.
"Don't touch me, bozo! I won't let any intruder do as they please in this city! I won't let any of you get your hands on our Legacy!"
"Legacy… I see, so that trident is the World Legacy?"
"You won't get your hands on it!"
I stabbed at her, but once again she disappeared, and I could hear her voice right behind me.
"I'm not interested in touching that thing."
"Wha-!?"
I turned to look at her, red starting to creep at the edges of my vision again.
"Don't you disrespect the Core Trident! It is the legacy and pride of Atlantis, and what it'll bring it back from the depths! Also, you just said what it is, and now you say you aren't interested!? Do you think I am dumb!?"
"No, well, I simply couldn't use it even if I wanted. I already carry my own Legacy, I don't want to deal with the weight of a second one."
Red starting to cover my vision once again.
"Then why are you here!? What do you want!?"
"I want you!"
…Eh?
"..Ehhhhh!? What the hell are you talking about!?"
"I need your help with something! The world is about to change, and I need friends to depend on! So…"
She extended her hand towards me.
"Come with me, Sentinel of Atlantis!"
I stabbed, and she disappeared again, reappearing a few meters ahead.
"Come with me, Sentinel of Atlantis!"
"Are you stupid!?"
"Eh, is that a no?"
"What do you think!?"
What was on with this woman!? She is so infuriating!
"Why do you think I would simply accept to follow you, intruder!?"
"I have a good reason! The world is-!"
"I don't care about the world!"
I raised the trident to point at her face. She didn't disappear from only a threat.
"I shall protect this city until they day it raises again! I only have to wait for that day to come, when our Legacy is ready to do it!"
"…"
"What, got a problem with that!? Why the silence now!?"
The woman then took a strange device that was attached to her hips. It was a strange metallic and round object. It had numbers on a side, with a few strange big needles in between them.
She simply looked at them, with a… Sad expression?
"…Your Legacy can't do that. No matter how much you wait. Not like this."
My trident reached to her throat. The point touching it, releasing a drop of blood.
"Say it again."
"…I can show how to make it happen. How to bring forth the true power of the Legacy of Atlantis."
The point of my trident trembled a bit.
"…Liar."
Ignoring the trident, she simply looked at the city.
"…It's a really beautiful city, even underwater. Though, keeping guard for so long must have been…. Very boring."
"Don't change the subject!"
Then, she looked at me in the eyes, and extended her hand again, her beaming and irritating smile on her face.
"My name is Emilia Watson! Follow me, and I'll show you the world beyond this seas, and how to bring out the power of the Legacy of your people!"
Her smile… Seemed sincere. And even through the blood dripping from her throat… I can't smell a lie.
"…You… Aren't lying…"
"Of course I'm not!"
"…But if you aren't lying… Why are you offering to help me?"
"I said it before, didn't I? The world is about to change, and I need friends I can trust. I found about you in my research for possible allies, and felt like you needed a friend as much as me!"
"Wha-!? I don't need a fr-!"
"I'll show you all the fun things out there, things you never imagined. Let's be friends from now on!"
…So irritating. Her honest, radiant smile was so irritating. Still extending her hand to me, without backing down even with my trident touching her throat…
Such an infuriating woman. And… Somehow, nostalgic.
"…Gawr Gura."
"Mmm? What?
I lowered my trident, and held her extended hand.
"My name is Gawr Gura. And I'll make it clear: If you break your promise, I WILL feed you to the Guardian Shark!"
"…Eh, weren't you the Guardian Shark?"
"Wha-!? No, that's Bloop! What makes you think that!?"
"Eheheh, well, that's the thing with detective work, sometimes you arrive at the right place through incomplete information."
*Sigh* Seriously, this woman…
I shout in the direction of the city.
"Hey, Bloop, I'm going out for a while! If something happens, start a storm and a tornado and I'll come back as fast as possible!"
Then I turn around, and start walking towards outside the city.
"Let's go bozo. I don't get what all of that of the world changing is about, but you are going to show me how to restore my city to it's former glory… And cure my boredom, right?"
"…Ehehehe, I knew you wanted to see the world. I could see it in all those reports of people seeing you looking at towns from far into the sea."
Wha-!?
"How did you-!? Shut up, or I'll tear out your gills!"
"Ehhh? I dont even have gills, you know?"
"What!? Then how are you breathing down here!? What are you!?"
"What I am? I am a human, of course!"
"Liar! Humans can't breath underwater, nor appear and disappear in an instant!"
"No, I am a completely normal human. I promise! I simply made a small deal to be able to breath underwater for a bit."
What!? She- She is not lying!? That's impossible! Who in the name of Atlantis did I get myself involved with!?
This woman is so infuriating and full of surprises… But, for some reason, I have a good feeling about all of this.
"Take that you bozo!"
The enemy in front of me in that magical screen fell to my knees, defeated by my superior use of the strange artifact in my hands. Humans are really weird, developing such complicated magic for entertainment. I underestimated them!
"…here the portal and… …the fulll moon… colonel sanders…"
I heard mutterings, and I looked back at the odd woman behind me, Ame.
She was wearing a strange hat made of some odd flexible metal, moving strings across a big panel full of pieces of papers. They all contained strange words and directions that didn't make sense to me, like "New York Times", "4Chan", and "Cover Corp".
Since I arrived at her home a month ago, she spends a few hours everyday throwing herself in that strange research of her's. I have tried to look at what she's doing, but the more I understand what those papers contain and where they come from, the more I think she has gone completely insane.
But hey, she pays for the pizza, and I can play as many games as I want and do karaoke, and she doesn't care about the noise. It's as if she can't hear anything while focusing on her work! And damn, I bet she does it on purpose so I can't beat her ass in Rythm games!
Well, joke's on her, I'll have the dog cuddle to me on the sofa while she "Works"!
"I GOT IT!"
"Wha-!"
Why did you suddenly shout!? That scared me!
"What happened?!"
"There is no time Gura, follow me! We only have an eternity to arrive in a few hours!"
"Wait, arrive where!?"
"To the capital of evil cults of the world!"
"…Wait, I thought we already were in Britain."
"No, the United States!"
Is this girl mental!?
"How do you expect to get there in a few hours!?"
"That's where you get into play!"
"Eh?"
"I'm going to kill you one of this days"
"Ehehehe… Sorry, sorry."
This madwoman made me carry her to another continent on my back while crossing the ocean at max speed!
"Couldn't you simply teleport us there like you were doing when we met!?"
"I wish I could, but I can't bring others with me."
"But I had already ordered some pizzas! The delivery guy probably came and had to go back with them!"
"He, don't worry, I will be going to receive them later."
"It already happened! How are you going to receive them later!?"
"I made sure I will do it, so I simply need to follow through later to not make Time angry."
Again, she makes no sense. I had asked her before about that power of hers, but the moment she started talking abut multiverses, time paradoxes, and the will of time, my brain shut down.
And so, we continued bickering all the way… Until we arrived at the place.
A giant cathedral, hidden in the depths of a forest, stood in front of us.
There was something… Wrong, about it. I don't know what is was, but something there… Something deep inside those walls… Was wrong. Very, very wrong.
"And here Gura, is where we'll make our next friend."
"Are you stupid!?"
Is this yellow idiot completely insane!?
"Just look at it! The walls leak so much malice that it's warping the trees around it! There is an air of stillness all around it! And something strange that is making my head hurt is looking at me through that window! This place is evil, it looks like a place where they would eat babies!"
"Trust me on this Gura, I know what I'm doing."
She then took some glasses out of her pouch, and gave a pair to me.
"And put this on when going there."
With a quick glance, I could see that the glasses were like a Kaleidoscope. How would anyone be able to see anything with that on?
"Wait, why?"
"It's for protection. Whatever happens there, don't take them off."
Having said that, she started walking towards that creepy cathedral.
"..Hey wait for me Ame!"
Seeing with those weird glasses on was too difficult. Who made a pair of glasses and thought that turning them into kaleidoscopes was a good idea!?
"Ah!"
And like that, that yellow idiot stumbled on a small rock and fell to the ground.
"…Are you okey?"
"Yes, yes! That was nothing!"
She got up as quickly as she fell.
So you can't see with this things on either!
"Now, we arrived. Remember, don't take those glasses off, no matter what happens."
"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time."
A very tall pair of doors stood in front of us. The place looked big from a distance, but you can't truly see how huge it is until you are next to it. Even with this weird glasses I could see that.
"And… How do we get inside? Do we knock the door, or…?"
"We wait."
"I'll bonk you."
After saying that, she simply raised her right hand, and started closing her fingers one by one. Was she counting down? Five, four, three, two, one…
- Creeeeeek -
The doors started to open on their own, and some… Something? Someone? What I looked like a giant mass of distorted purple emerged from the inside.
"The hell is that thing?"
"That, is a Takodachi. A follower of the Ancient Ones."
"A what…?"
Then, that thin- Takodachi, started to talk. Wait, that thing can talk!?
"We expected your arrival, One Beyond Time."
"He, was that from an oracle? That makes this easier. Bring me to the High Priestess."
"Follow me, she is in the heart of the cathedral."
As just like that, that Takodachi started walking, expecting us to follow. Ame did it with confidence, so I simply followed her.
How big is this damn place!?
We have been walking for 20 minutes!
I have seen so many of this weird distorted purple things passing by that I lost interest on them, and all hallways look the same, even through this weird kaleidoscope glasses!
And what is with this stagnant air? It smells weird! Not bad, simply… Wrong. Is this even a smell? How can something smell like wrongness!?
Ame is simply walking with the same smile plastered on her big face. As if everything is normal.
…Mmm? Wait, when did all the walls started being covered in paintings?
Is this even the same hallway I was just walking in?
"We have arrived to the heart of the cathedral. Be respectful in front of the High Priestess."
And so, it started opening the doors I just realized were there. They were completely silent.
A very big chamber opened in front of us. I couldn't really make out the details, but it appeared as if there were paintings everywhere. Canvases were everywhere, decorating the walls, hanging from the roof, or in pedestals in random places.
And in the end of it all, a giant canvas covering the opposite wall, far more distorted than anything I have seen on my way here. In front of it, was a single girl.
With long black hair, and wearing a small purple dress. Seated in a portable pair of stairs, slowly but steadily painting on that canvas.
…Eh?
Wait, am I still wearing these glasses?
…Yes.
Then… Why does she look… Perfectly normal?
Why can I see her perfectly defined through this kaleidoscopes?
I try to take them off to look, but…
"Don't."
Ame holds my hand, stopping me with a scared look on her face.
"Keep them on, whatever happens, no matter what you see, don't take them off."
"Ah… Okey…"
I lower my hand…
And then, I can hear it. A voice coming from the girl focused on her painting. It was a beautiful and very calming voice. And it shook me to my core from how wrong it was. I wasn't bad, it was… Wrong. Very wrong. I shouldn't be listening to this.
"Thanks for bringing them, you can retire now."
"Yes, High Priestess."
Having said that, the Takodachi exited the room, and closed the door behind it. Once again, the door made no sound.
"It has been a long time since we have last seen each other, detective. I welcome you to our holy ground. Have you reconsidered my previous offer?"
"…Eh? Wait, I'm pretty sure this is our first time meeting."
Wait, so you also never came here before!? Where did all that confidence came from!?
"I see, so you haven't had our first meeting yet. Then, I'll wait until the day when we meet for the first time to ask again. That aside…"
And then, she slowly turned back to face us. Her face was very pretty and relaxed, though the rest of her body didn't have much to speak of.
It was strange. It felt as if her smile, as if her eyes were… Empty. No, not exactly empty, something empty would have open space to fill, an empty smile can be filled with joy if you make a person happy, but… It was as if there was nothing, including nothingness itself.
"The Ancient Ones told me that the One Beyond Time would be coming. But… They said you would be coming alone."
She was looking at me… No, that's not right. It felt like if I wasn't there for her. As if her gaze was set far beyond what was in front of her. Looking behind me.
What is she… Looking at?
I try to look back, but a hand grasps the top of my head.
"Don't look back. Never look back when she looks at you. Look right at her, and don't take your gaze away until she breaks eye contact first."
"…Ame, who is this girl?"
"High Priestess of the Ancient Ones, Ninomae Ina'nis."
Then, she smiled, confidence overflowing from that stupid mug.
"She'll be our new friend."
"Are you an idiot!?"
Suddenly, I felt the gaze of that girl get away from me, moving to Ame.
"I would be grateful if you stopped interfering with the future seen by the Ancient Ones."
"Heh, sorry, it would have been bad if I didn't bring a friend with me. Not a future I would like."
The expression of the girl remained the same. But I felt it in my tail. She was annoyed.
"What have you come for, detective? I doubt you came to join us."
"Let's get to business then."
She took a step forward.
"It's time to go public."
The girl's smile faded. My tail felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand needles. I have to run. We have to run! This is wrong, this is very wrong!
I held my Trident with all my strength. The power inside it helping me calm down.
"…Detective, I hope you know what you are suggesting."
"Yep"
"…The order can't be brought back once it's shaken. The foundations of reality shouldn't be exposed. Once the world sees what is behind, the day of judgment will be decided, and the time to make preparations will be over."
"I know. And I'll need all the help I can get for that day."
"…Why now? It could be thousands of years in the future. Those carrying the World Legacy need as much preparation as possible, every day counts."
Ame takes a step forward. I tighten the grip on my Trident.
"That dreamer of a man in the east is already showing everything to the public."
"…That fool is but a mere man, no matter how hard he tries, the world won't recognize the reality from him. They'll only see it through the fog, an obscured image accepted by the veil of reality. And he's even disguising it himself by presenting them as internet 'idols'. Worrying about him is unnecessary."
"He has found the Council."
The world shook. Dozens of tentacles sprout back from the back of that woman.
Ah… So this is how I die…? No, I'll bring her down, I won't let the Legacy fall into her hands!
"…What?"
"I have been keeping an eye on that man, his talent to find the truth rivals even mine. So, I know it. He has catch tail of how to awaken the Council. I have no idea how he did it, but he is preparing to awaken them in a year or two to add them to his project."
Finally, Ame stopped smiling. Is she getting serious just now!? Idiot, you should have done so minutes ago!
"…He also found me scooping around. He may be powerless, but he is being backed by too many powerful people. People taht carry a very heavy Legacy on their backs. I'll have to join him soon, so I have to make my move now. But…"
She then raises her finger to the girl.
"I have no intention of losing to that man! Come with me, Ninomae Ina'nis! We need to gather our Legacies before he gets to us individually! His dreams are too big for this world, the only thing at the end of his road will be Despair. But if the five of us are together, we can bring Hope to the world!"
"…You think you can make Hope descend?"
"…Not alone."
"…What Legacies do you need to make it happen?"
"The Legacy of the Old Man, the Legacy of the Ancient Ones, the Legacy of Passion, the Legacy of Death, and the key of it all… The Legacy of Atlantis."
"…You have gone mad, detective… But…"
Suddenly, all the pressure dissipated. The world stopped shaking, and my tail settled down. And with that, the girl jumped down the stairs, and walked towards us.
"I still owe a big favor to you. I guess this is what you meant when you said I had already paid it. You can count with my help."
"…Thanks, really. I couldn't do this without your help."
"Try not to let me down, detective."
She raised her bountiful booba in a sign of pride.
"Not even if there was no time left in the world."
They gave each other their hand, and it looked like a really nice scene.
But…
"…Can someone explain me what is going on here!?"
"…Wait, she doesn't know your plans?"
"I tried to explain it to her! But she was too distracted with everything she saw, and got even worse with videogames, and she didn't get any of it! Please, help me explain her!"
"Oi, don't treat me like a dumdum!"
We exited the cathedral with that girl following us.
I thought it would be a big deal for their High Priestess to leave to, but all of her followers simply wished her for good travels while she passed by.
Isn't this bunch of weirdos too relaxed?
In Atlantis everyone would panic if the High Priestess were to go away for an unknown amount of time to unknown places!
"So Amelia, where are we going now? To your base of operations to establish the next calmly?"
"Nah, that man must have it under surveillance already. I connected the dots and got out of there right on time.
"Hey, Ina'nis…"
After we passed the line of trees and left the cathedral behind, I looked back to talk to that weird woman, she wasn't there anymore. No, she WAS there, but the clear figure I could see through these glasses was now as blurred and distorted as the environment around us.
"Wait, why can't I see you anymore!?"
"We are outside the sacred grounds. While bathing in the powers of the Ancient Ones, it's impossible for me to hold it inside me. We are outside now, so you can take those glasses off."
"Yeah, sorry Gura, I forgot to tell you!"
Hum!
I take off the glasses annoyed, and place them on my pocket.
Now, I can properly see this woman. Strangely, even though she looks exactly the same as she did before, she doesn't feel… Wrong, anymore.
Her face still looks the same, relaxed as before, but now it feels like there are true emotions behind it. Aside from a few strange things, she now looks and feels perfectly normal. There is a small sensation of wrongness if I focus enough on her, but that's all.
"…Ina'nis, t-"
"Ah, you can call me Ina."
"…Okey, Ina, tell me why you accepted to follow this yellow idiot-"
"Oi!"
"-so easily. I don't get much of everything you two talked about, but I know I didn't hear anything of what was the plan from now on, how long it would take, and where you would be staying meanwhile. And you have a lot of people back there waiting for you. Why are you following her so willingly without asking questions? And…"
I raise my trident towards Ame.
"I have had a fun time this last month, but I have been away from Atlantis for too long. You promised that if I followed you I would learn how to restore the city. This all has nothing to do with it. If you took me away from the city only to serve as a bodyguard or something like that, I'm going home and feeding you to the crabs."
"Woah, down that trident! I'll explain, just give me a minute!"
"Heh, looks like you were too hasty when recruiting her. You can't hold her trust forever without explaining everything properly."
"I said I did explain it to her, but she didn't understand it! Help me explain it to her!"
"Well, I first need to listen to the details of the plan myself, so start the explanation. And I recommend doing ti right now, here eyes are turning red."
"Okey, okey! Sheesh, I'm a detective, not a teacher, I'm not good at this…"
She then took some chairs out of thin air, and placed two together and one in front. We sat down, and Ame started talking.
"Okey, I'm going to skip all my sources and how I arrived at the plan, is that okey?"
Ina and me nodded.
"Good! Gura, do you know how Legacies are born?"
I nod. I don't really have any idea of that, but I need to know how to make it work, not how it was created.
"Great! Because of it's connection to the Guardian of Civilization, it's powers fall asleep and awake alongside the Council. The same applies to the rest of the Legacies."
She then takes out her old clock.
"My Clock is connected to the Guardian of Time, and Ina's Book is connected to the Guardian of Space. As long as they remain asleep, the true power of the Legacies will do too."
I nod.
Wait, that clock is the same as my Trident!? What the hell!?
"To restore Atlantis and bring back their people taken by the Manipulator, the Council needs to wake up. But doing so would inevitably shake the entire world as the Legacies release their power, and the veil of reality would break, letting him reach this world again. So before doing that, we need Hope to descend."
I nod.
Wait, how can hope descend? From where? Isn't that something we simply feel? And what is that of the Manipulator!?
"To make it happen, we need the bring with us the Legacies of Passion and Death to the place where it left this world, using the Legacies of the Old Man and the Ancient Ones to connect it back to our flow of time, then use Passion and Death to awake it's heart, and lastly, the Legacy of Atlantis to call for it. It won't respond to anyone else expect an Atlantean."
I nod.
Wait, no, what was that of the Manipulator taking my people!?
"If not done exactly this way, once the Council awakens, Despair will descend alone, leaving Hope behind, and the world will eventually be destroyed. So, we have to go find those two!"
I nod.
Wait, no, go back, when did the end of the world get invovled on any of this!? Has she mentioned it before!?
She stood up from her chair, chest high and proud, a smile on her face.
"Good, did you get everything?"
"…Can you repeat that?"
"What part?"
"All of it."
"…"
Ame then jumped at Ina, holding her by the shoulders. Are those tears falling from her eyes?
"Ina, please, help me! It has been like this every time I tried explaining it to her!"
"…Okey, I got it. I understand the plan, so please stop crying, I'll help you explain it."
"AHHHH, INAAAAA! THANK YOUUUU!"
…I feel like I'm being treated like an idiot.
"I see! I think I understand it now!"
It took them two hours to properly explain it. Damn, they are bad at teaching.
"Finally… Finally we did it!"
"It was way harder than it should have been…"
Ame was crying with her hands to the sky, and Ina sat down with an exhausted look on her face. They really spent a lot of brainpower simply trying to find how to explain things. They may be dumber than I thought.
"So, I now should carry you all through the ocean to wherever the one carrying the Legacy of Passion is, right?"
"Nah, if my sources are correct, Ina can open portals at will, so she can simply portal us there."
Ame appears to calm down. Eh, so creating portals? That's so cool!
"Ina, you are so cool! It's like a fast travel in a videogame!"
"…I would like to know what your sources are to know that, but it won't be as convenient. I can open portals into the Void, and from there to anywhere I want. It isn't a problem for me, but if you two enter the Void… Though…"
For a moment, I could feel the Wrongness on Ina's smile.
"…If you two want to join us, I would glady welcome both of you into our cult."
"No, I'm sorry, please, forget that I suggested, I should take the long road."
Ame looked nervous. With how absurdly casual she is about everything, seeing her panic is pretty fun!
"…Wait, Ame, couldn't we use those glasses to go into it without problems?"
"Nah, that cheap trinket is nowhere strong enough to protect us from that place. It would dampen the effects slightly at most."
"Amelia is right. With it, at most you two would be able to survive, but I wouldn't be a pleasant experience."
"I'll simply carry both of you through the sea then! Where to?"
"Australia!"
This yellow idiot really wants to get us killed.
The sky and the waves pass us as we move. Thanks to Ina holding Ame with her tentacles, I can move at max speed without worries. It's pretty relaxing. Though…
'Munch 'Munch'
This woman…
"Hey, Ina, stop eating on top of me! The crumbles fall into my tail! It feels gross!"
"Ah, sorry, I was so focused in painting before you too arrived that I skipped lunch, breakfast, and dinner."
"Can't you wait for when we ar- Wait, did you say dinner!? When was the last time you ate!?"
"…Maybe yesterday's lunch?"
"Oi, that's not good! Try to eat more often!"
"It's not like I don't want to, I simply focused too much!"
"Can you stop shouting!? I'm on the phone!"
"Who are you even talking to that it can't wait until we are back on land!? And how do you evne have reception in the middle of the pacific!?"
"Business! Now, shut up!"
And so, she started murmuring back into her phone.
"Yes, I'm so sorry for the interruption… Australia, yes… The second model… The payment will arrive yesterday… Yes, my dark…"
And so, the our travel continued, relaxed and boisterous, until we arrived at the shores of Australia.
I was worried of how long it would take us to move inside the country, but when we arrived there was already a car waiting for us. Ame said she left it here yesterday, however that works. So, we could move to our destination in only a few hours, arriving just as the sun started to set.
We left our car and walked inside some dark alleys.
"So, Ame, now what is the plan? We need to meet the owners of those two legacies, right? Who are they?"
"They… Wait a moment, he's here?"
"Who's h-?"
As I was saying that, a big fat bird wearing a coat came from the sky and landed on top of Ame's head.
"What the!?"
"Oh, thanks, just on time!"
Ame simply put her fingers inside the coat of the bird, and took a small vial from the inside. What the hell!?
"Thanks for your business! I hope the payment is being found useful for your ambition!"
The bird nodded, and took of flight, disappearing in the distance in an instant.
…
"Ame, what the hell was that!?"
"Amelia, I don't know who that was, but it give me a bad feeling. Who are you having business with?"
"Eh, nothing to worry about. Or more like, I made an agreement to not unveil them. They have managed to keep themselves secret even right under Yagoo's network. For now, simply think of them as one of my contacts and sources of information."
She then raised the thing she got from the bird. It looks like a small vial full of a weird bubbling pink liquid. Then took a syringe from under her cloak, half filled with something yellow, and stabbed it on the opening of the vial, filling the remaining half with it.
…The heck?
"…Ehm, Amelia, what is that?"
"Oh, only something we'll need later. But more importantly!"
She then raised a finger to me.
"Gura, what comes next is almost entirely your job!"
"Eh!? Wait, don't throw it out of nowhere!"
"What comes next is something that only you can do. Neither me nor Ina can do it!"
…Oh? So ONLY I can do it?
"…Oooohhhh? What that may it be? Do you need me that much? Come on, you can tell me how much you need me!"
"…Ugh, it got to your head too fast, fishbrain."
"Fufufu, come on, tell Gura what you desperately need her help for."
"Yes, tell me o' great detective that has everything planned. Tell me how much you need me."
"Okey, calm down. Sheesh, I guess all Sharks get like that when they smell blood."
She looked flustered. Finally I found her weakness! I'm goign to exploit it every opportunity I get!
"Okey, it's simple. I'll try to convince her like always, but knowing her, she won't really care about our reasons or plans. For her to join us, we need to defeat her in combat, and I have to inject her with this."
She opened her cloak, showing that weird syringe inside, alongside a few others. Wait, how many injectios of that weird thing does she have!?
"And the only one that could defeat her in direct combat, and leave her in a state where it would be possible to inject her, is you, Gura."
"Ohhh, I see, you need my strength! The strength of Atlantis isn't something you can wield as you like, you know~?"
"What's this? Are you scared? You fear that the power of Atlantis couldn't beat an overgrown chicken?"
"Wha-!?"
Quickly, my vision turned red.
"Say it again!"
"Well, if you can't do it, I guess I'll have to ask Ina to do it…"
"Ha, as if she could do it better than me! Just watch me, I'll feed that chicken to the shrimps! Come on!"
I hurry towards the direction we are going to. I can't believe her nerves! I'll show her to never underestimate the power of Atlantis!
"…Heh, fishbrain."
"That's not very nice, you could have simply asked her."
"And she could have accepted without getting on my nerves. Now, let's follow her before she gets lost."
"…Oi, Ame, are you sure this is the place?"
"It looks like…"
"Yep, it's here."
"This is a frigging KFC!"
"That's only the name they use as cover, but they can't fool me! Their trued nature as KFP!"
"What's the frigging difference!?"
Has this yellow idiot gone mad from hunger or something!? I have not seen her eat since breakfast, it may be that…
'Groooooow'
Oi, shut up, stomach!
"…Gura, didn't you tell me before to not skip meals?"
"It- It's not my fault! A lot has happened today and I haven't had the time!"
"Hahaha, let's get some fried chicken first then! Eating something will make who we are meeting happier and more cooperative anyways.
"Ahhhh, humans do make some amazing food sometimes. This chicken legs were great!"
"If I knew we were going to come stop for this, I would have skipped eating while we came."
"Well, Gura and I ate what you left, so better for us! Also, do you seriously think a normal human could create such a perfect mix of spices? Don't be fooled, it's all just a cover!"
"Oh no, you won't get me on some of your crazy conspiracies, bozo! This mix was developed by Colonel Sanders, even I know that!"
"No no, think about! Isn't it suspicious that the man simply appeared one day, with a recipe that gave him global success!? Do you think that's normal, something any human could do? I think not! And that's what led me to find HER!"
"What the hell are you on about this time!? Also, who's her?"
"Heh, come with me. It's time to meet who we came here to meet."
And like that, she stood up and walked towards the counter. I looked at Ina, searching support on her also seeing Ame's madness, but she simple smiled and shrugged, following behind Ame. So I begrudgingly did the same.
Ame reached the counter, and got herself comfortable placing her right arm over it, despite the murderous look on the face of the employee. Damn, that's one good annoyed expression for someone which such an unremarkable face!
"One bucket of fried phoenix, made with love by Tenchou, please!"
"…Pass through the kitchen, second door to the right."
"Thanks!"
…The heck?
"Come on, follow me you two!"
And so, she walked into the kitchen, with us tailing behind. Wait, don't tell me that the person we came to search, one of those carrying the World Legacy… Is really on this damn fast food restaurant!?
No matter how good the chicken is, that makes no sense! JUST WHY!?
It was such a small place that we arrived in front of the office of the owner in a few seconds. Ame reached to the doorknob and entered without a doubt or care in the world.
"Sorry for the unexpected visit!"
And so, a kitchen knife flew right besides her face, lodging itself on the wall centimeters away from her eyes.
"YOU HAVE GUTS TO COME AFTER WHAT YOU DID LAST TIME, DETECTIVE!"
"…"
"…"
…I'm going to beat up this yellow idiot.
"C-Come on, no need to be like that, what happened happ- Ouch!"
I punch the idiot on the back of the head. She is taller than me, so I have to tiptoe for it, but I keep punching her.
"Ouch! Auh! Gu-! Gura, stop! Stop already!"
"Yeah, hit her more sharkgirl!"
The woman jumped up from and shaked her arm in the air with each of my hits. She had a long and wild orange hair, looking almost like flames. Her expression was a bit crazy and overly emotional, which looked a bit strange on the business suit she was wearing. Grey with white striped, with long pants and form-fitting to show her… Oh ma'am, those are some assets! What does she eat!?
Wait, don't get distracted! I have to give this yellow idiot a piece of my mind!
"The hell was all that of being prepared to fight!? You made it sound like she was some dangerous maniac, but was it simply that you had done something to her before!?"
"N-no! Well, yes! But! It was simply business! I'm a freelancer, I get all types of jobs!"
"Amelia, I don't think that's a good excuse…"
"Well, you are right on that detective. Now, whta brings you here today?"
"Wait, seriously!? Just like that!? You just threw a frigging knife at her!"
"Hey, business is business. I do worse things than some corporate espionage to my employees that get too relaxed on the work. And you all DID buy a nice couple of buckets of our special fried chicken!"
"…Ina, should we leave this two idiots and go on our own?"
"I get what you feel, but after coming all the way here we should at least remain until the end."
"Yeah, that's true…"
'Cough'
Ame coughed to make us pay attention. Well, lets see what she does I guess. She may be an idiot, but we are… No, maybe the entire world may be depending on this idiot.
If she messes up, I'll try to cover for her.
"Kiara, I need you to come with us."
"Sure, let's go. Where to?"
Oi, don't make it so easy! No, well, make it easy, but come on!
"No, that's not it. I need you to JOIN us."
"…Heh"
The smile in that woman suddenly changed. I could feel it in my tail. No, I could feel it in my very core. A smile that connects very deeply inside me.
"I guess you understand what asking that means, right? I like to make friends, I would rather become friends with everyone and expand my connections. But asking me to JOIN you is a very different thing, you know?"
"Yes, I understand that perfectly. I would talk you long and detailed about why, but I prepared what you really want for that."
This woman is like me. A predator.
"Then let's feast!"
Two wings of fire emerged from the woman's back, covering everything and everyone in the room. They were very hot, but they didn't burn, and as they covered me, I could feel myself being separated from the ground.
I couldn't see around anything but flames, but I could feel it. We took flight, carried on those burning wings. I couldn't see how fast we ere moving, but my tail could feel our position.
We moved fast. Maybe as fast as I can move on water. This woman is strong.
"…Heh"
I'm going to be fighting this woman.
I'm not too much of a fighting maniac personally, so I'm not exactly happy about it.
But I don't like being challenged by another predator.
I want to sink my teeth into this woman.
In an instant, we descended and lost all momentum, being gently placed on the ground, as the flames surrounding us retracted.
All around us was a vast expanse of dune fields, and the air was very hot.
"Welcome to the Strzelecki Desert, nobody will bother us here, and we can go all out. Now, who will be fighting me? I can take on the three of you at the same time if you want to make it a bit more fair!"
I focus my attention on that woman. Her business suit gone, now wearing an orange and white getup, with exposed shoulders, midriff, and a VERY short skirt. In her head rested two different hats, somehow defying gravity.
I called forth my trident.
"That would be me."
"Oh, the small one? You are so cute that I thought more about eating you rather than fighting you!"
Red slightly crawled around my vision.
"Heh, I really want to take that smirk out of your face."
"Come take it off, then."
Before I take a step forward, a hand falls on my shoulder. She talks near my ear, but clearly focusing all her attention on that woman.
"Be careful, in front of you is possibly the greatest warrior alive. She's an immortal phoenix that will stand up no matter how many times she falls. If you need help, Ina can give you back-up. We need to leave her weakened enough to…"
I grab Ame's head, and push her away.
"You do all your talking and planning, that you are good at it, despite your small brain…"
I take a step forward.
"…This is what I am good at."
"Heh, well said sharkgirl."
"…Shark brains are incredibly small for the size of their bodies."
I ignore Ina's remark, and pushing all my weight in my left foot, and leap forward closing the distance between us in a single step.
Instead of my trident, I raise my left arm, going for a punch. First give it some small bites, test it, explore it, learn, and then push forward as you understand your prey better.
Flames quickly gather around her, and a strange mechanical looking short sword, shield and belt form.
She quickly blocks my punch with the shield, and uses the weight of the impact to wield her sword at me.
"What light hands you have!"
I block her sword with my trident, and I'm about to let the force of the impact send me flying to make space and proceed with caution… But I don't want to give her that satisfaction.
I rotate my trident around her sword, and using it's impulse I throw myself around it and kick her in the face, followed by a swing of my trident against her shield to send her flying.
'Fooosh!'
If I'm going to make some space, then I'll throw her away. The apex predator here is ME, and I'll get it drilled into her head.
"…Heh… Heheheheheh… That's one hell of a statement you made there."
That woman exploded in flames, their heat burning the air in the entire area.
"My name is Takanashi Kiara, who are you?"
"…Gawr Gura."
"I'll break you."
"I'm eating chicken tonight."
'Slash' 'Brooooorm'
A quick movement of her sword, and a giant torrent of flames erupted forward, cutting and burning the earth itself in it's path.
I spin my trident and stab it on the ground. A circle of water appears around, and a swing of my trident turns it into a torrent of water sharks that bite and rip apart that incoming fire into pieces, exploding into steam.
I catch her figure in the corner of my eye, her fiery wings extended, flanking me at max speed.
Raising my trident to the sky, the circle of water around me quickly expand in all direction, in a mere moment turning this desert into a shallow ocean.
"Come at me, bitch."
"Kikirikiiiiiiiii!"
Rushing at me at max speed, she wields her sword with a skill that surpasses any atlantean warrior I have ever, and with a speed that I couldn't possible follow on land. But we are not in land anymore.
Moving the currents of this pseudo-ocean with my feet, I nimble move around her slashes, being slightly burnt by the wild flames carried by it, but each movement sends streams of highly pressurized water from below at her, cutting and penetrating into her body. Each exchange moving us dozens of meters.
'Slash'
I avoid an overhead slash, and pierce forwards with my trident, but she pushes forward impulsed by her wings, slamming me against her shield, and twisting it to redirect the momentum to the sky. In an instant, I'm hundreds of meters into the sky.
"Kuh- Dammit!"
"Got you, sharkgirl!"
From the ground, I can see her rush upwards at max speed, sword in hand.
My vision starting to turn red.
"Foolish bird! What do you think there is at this height!?"
"Eh!?"
I spin my trident, and the clouds start to gather around me. Gathering, condensing, becoming one. And with a push from the powers of the trident, multiplied, expended, and an ocean in the sky was born. I raise my hand towards that woman.
"I command thee, Guardian of Atlantis! Bring your avatar to this foreign land!"
The water around me changed shape, turning into a giant shark, and we darted downwards.
"Rip her to pieces, Bloop!"
"The sky is still my territory, fish!"
The flame of her wings covered her entire body, turning her into a giant phoenix. She continued her route, and clashed against us. Bloop trying to take a bite out of her, but she evaded and pierced her claws unto Bloop's side, causing an explosion of steam. Ignoring it, she bit into Bloop, spitting flames into him and making him explode from the inside, sending me flying towards the ground inside a sphere of boiling water.
"Blooooooooop!"
"Not enough! Not enough sharkgirl!"
She destroyed Bloop's Avatar!
"You… You are paying for this!"
My vision went completely red. I could feel my clothes burning with my rage, the accents of my hair turning a deep crimson, and my fangs growing sharper.
I take my trident, and stab my stomach with it!
"Wha- The hell you doing, sharkgirl!?"
The trident is absorbed into my body, and I land on the pseudo-ocean on the floor, creating a giant splash that quickly turns into a water tornado, growing bigger and bigger with each passing second.
"A tornado!? Wha- Wait, stop!"
The air currents created by the tornado entrap her, and she's pushed inside the tornado. The steam explosion happens, but it's not enough to stop the currents of highly pressurized water, and she's pushed deeper inside, turned back to her human form.
"Gu-ghu-gu!"
"Rip her to pieces!"
At my command, hundreds of water sharks are generated, and assault Kiara from all directions.
But even unable to breath, pushed around by the tornado current, and crushed by the immense pressure, she wields her swords and shield with extreme skill. Cut after block after cut after block after cut after block.
The overwhelming assault of sharks from all directions is skillfully cut into pieces as they reach her.
Doesn't matter.
I get myself into position, waiting for the right moment.
'Slash' 'Slash' 'Slash' 'Slash' 'Slash'
Her sword slashes through the horde, moving herself closer and closer to the edge of the tornado. But I see it. No, I CREATE it. A small opening on her moves, forced open by controlling the direction of the sharks.
I rush forward at max speed.
She notices me, and tries to raise her shield. But it's too late. My fangs sink into her neck, and we are pushed at maximum speed out of the tornado.
I fall on my feet on top of the pseudo-ocean now raised into a proper once, creating a giant explosion, with half of her neck on my mouth.
She twisted in the air, uncontrollably falling to the water, creating giant splashes as she bounces on it, leaving pools of blood behind, until she finally stops. Coldly floating in the water.
I gulp down the piece of neck in my mouth.
"…Heh…"
Her body starts to tremble.
"…This is a… Good.. Warming up…"
She starts to get up.
"So this is an immortal, eh? You sure are though."
"We are… Just starting…! Kikirk-!"
She is quickly interrupted as Ame suddenly appears behind her, stabbing her syringe into the remaining of her neck. Injecting the liquid inside.
"-ki!?"
"Gura, what the hell, were you trying to kill us too!? Anyways, great job! Perfectly weakened, and extra cold so she can't burn up this inside her!"
"Wha- what are you- Get out-!"
She slashes at Ame, but Ame is not there anymore.
"Guh, I dropped my gu- Eh?"
She tries to get up, but falls sideways into the water.
"Wha- what is happeujnahbhnaedujdngbujvnurajedn."
Suddenly, she starts lashing her body wildly, and losing complete control over her speak, and dropping foam from her mouth.
Wha- What the hell is happening!?
As I get more and more horrified by what I'm seeing, the red in my vision starts to disappear, and the trident comes out of my body.
The expression on Kiara's face… Her eyes… I… I don't know how to explain it. It look like pure horror, ecstasy, pain, calm, and emotions I don't even know passing by each other, getting mixed and broken, at a very rapid pace.
"Wha- What did you do to her!?"
I look horrified at Ame, holding by Ina's tentacle while she floats above the water.
"Yeah, well, this will lead nowhere if we simply fight her. She'll simply keep reviving and insisting that the fight isn't over. That's why nobody could ever recruit her. So…"
She made an overly cute expression.
"I made a small concoction to interfere a bit with her resurrection."
'Splash'
I hear Kiara's limbs fall into the water, and slowly starting to sink. I could feel it through the water.
Her heart stopped.
"..Wha- What!? We weren't supposed to ACTUALLY kill her, right!? Don't we need her help!?"
"Yes, and now, we need to act fast! Ina!"
"Aye aye, captain!"
Ina raised her hand, and slowly, tentacles started to appear from under the water, delicately raising Kiara's body out of it. She rested on the tentacles, slightly over the water, her cold body quickly losing it's color and warmth.
"Now, Gura! Prepare to see what nobody wants to ever see!"
"Eh? What do you mean by that!?"
And then, I could hear it.
Inhuman mutterings, coming from Ina's mouth, while she holded her book, her Legacy, wide open. Reading it with a void expression.
And my guts almost coming out of my mouth as the feeling of wrongness completely permeated the world around us.
The water turnings into a deep black.
The sky was tinted in a sickly white.
And the sun, slowly corrupted into a disgusting green with purple patches.
We are in no place anyone should be, we moved… No, the world we stood upon was shifted, no, mixed with something else.
We shouldn't be here.
We shouldn't be here!
We need to go back!
I'm about to shout at Ame and Ina to get us out of here, but my words are caught on my throat when I see IT.
Slight ripples appear on the water.
As if someone was walking on top of it, step by step, they got closer to Kiara's body.
And then, IT started to take form.
"A-Ame…"
A black adorned dress.
"I-I assumed that who we were searching was some weird gal like us, so… I never asked…"
Pale skin, and long, flowing light pink hair.
"Who is… The wielder of the Legacy of Death?"
A giant scythe, and a skull for a face.
"…Is death herself."
Death was in front of us.
Death stopped in front of Kiara's body, and it talked. It was a melodious, and very sad voice.
"…So it has finally happened… Kiara…"
Then slowly, from Kiara's body, something started to separate. Kiara herself slowly stood up from her body, slightly translucent and dizzy. Her soul slowly left her body, connected to it by a small white thread.
And then, she looked at Death in the face.
"...Calli!"
And she jumped and and hugged Death.
…
"…Eh?"
"Calli, it has been ages! How have you been!? Still ripping souls!? You look great! You are even mroe beautiful than the last time I saw you!"
"Wha- Sto- Kiara, stop! Don't hug me, this is serious!"
"I haven't seen you in so long, I could kiss you right now and suck you dry!"
"What the hell are you saying! Hey, stop! Stop!"
Death held Kiara's head at bay while she was trying to go for a kiss, while her own face changed from a skull into that of an extremely beautiful woman.
…The hell is happening?
"Kiara, this is serious, you just died!"
"Ohhh, come on Calli, we always do the same! I'll be resurrecting in a few seconds or minutes! Let me enjoy it, do you know how hard it is to find someone that can actually kill me a few times so we can meet!?"
"No, this isn't like every time! This time is for real! You are not coming back!"
"…Eh?"
Even from her, I could see the expression of shock and confusion on Kiara's face, and of deep sadness and pain in Death's face.
"…Wait, there is no way that's true. I'm a phoenix. No matter what, I revive. I'll live as long as the universe exists."
"…That… Stops now, Kiara. They did it. They TRULY did it."
"…Eh? But… Why?"
She started trembling. The reality sinking in.
Why… Why!?
"Ame, what the hell!? Why did you do this!?"
"To meet her, of course."
Suddenly, Ame appeared in front of Kiara and Death, stepping on top of one of the tentacles.
"Greeting, Miss Death. I needed to talk to you, and request your help."
…I can't believe the balls of this woman. I can't believe her stupidity! And to make matters worse, I can smell it! I can feel it on my tail! She's insecure! She's terrified! She is NOT mentally prepared for this!
HOW can she stand right there!?
She is facing DEATH, and asking for things!
"…So you are the one that killed my Kiara. Why do you think I would help a mere Human? And one the has killed my best friend?"
Saying no more, Death started to raise her scythe.
She… She is gonna…!
"AME, RUN!"
But she didn't run. She raised her right arm… And smacked Kiara's chest.
Suddenly, Kiara's soul spasmed, and was quickly absorbed into her body.
Death made an incredulous expression.
"Wha- What!?"
Suddenly, Kiara's body exploded in a burst of flames, incinerating the tentacles around her, and throwing Ame into the water, shouting a pathetic "Kyaaa".
And from the flames, a fully healed Kiara emerged, a shocked expression on her face. But suddenly, it changed into one of happiness, and jumped on top of Death again.
"Oh Calli, you and your roleplay! You should have simply told me and I would have gone with anything you wanted! Wait, I'm touching you with my real body! Amazing, I have never done so before, you should have told me you could make it happen!"
"Wha- Kiara, Stop! What did-!? How!? You were definitively dead this time!"
"Hah, you wish! Hey, Ina, give me a tentacle!"
"Oi, don't simply go asking for more after you got a bunch of them incinerated! If you lose the next ones too I swear I'm throwing you into the Void!"
Ame started to ascend from the water, stepping on top of a bunch of tentacles, eye-level with Death. Completely soaked.
"If killing an immortal was so easy, someone would have already done it. But we can make it LOOK like that, convincingly enough to fool even Death. Sorry for making you pass through that, but there was only one person in the world for which you would have come personally. Ah, and about Kiara…"
She looked at her.
"Should we take it as our win? You had clearly recognized your own permanent death for a moment there, after all."
"…Ughhh… But… But I never lose!"
"There is always a first time for everything!"
She then extended her hand.
"Welcome aboard, Kiara! You are one of us now!"
"…Ughhh… Ahhhhhh! Dammit, okey! I lost! I'll follow my word!"
She violently held Ame's hand, almost making her fall.
"Ahhh, I can't believe I actually lost a fight! I hate this!"
"Heh, I have very strong friends after all! Now… Let's get to business."
She then faced Death again. And Death didn't look happy.
"…You have made a big spectacle and a fool of me, Human, but that doesn't mean you can ask me anything. I don't know what you or your friend did to this place, but I can break out whenever I want. I'm going back."
Death then turned back, and started to walk away…
"The Manipulator will put an end to the universe."
Death stopped.
"That's impossible. The Council sealed it away."
"The Council will be awakened in a year or two."
"That's also impossible. Their sanctuary is closed from the inside."
"It will happen."
Death turned back, facing Ame.
"What do you know, Human?"
"…Enough to put a stop to it."
The sky, the water, the sun, everything turned back to it's natural colors.
We were back to the world of the living.
And…
"Where we going?"
Death was with us.
"…To Atlantis."
With Ame's answer, Death's expression darkened. She looked… Sad?
"…I would rather not go there."
Oi!
"What do you mean by that!? You got something against my home!?"
Even if you are Death, I'm gonna beat you up!
"No- No! It's nothing like that! I-I don't have anything against Atlantis, it's a pretty nice place! But-!"
"Then we are going! I'll give you all a tour!"
To Atlantis!
"Whoah, you fish?"
A hand fell upon my shoulder. The faces of everyone in front of me changed to one of confusion, then horror. Death was making a face of horror.
I slowly looked back.
A girl… No, a thing, with twintails, and a black and red dress, one eye covered by an eyepatch.
I could sense it on my tail- No, in my core- No, in my very existence.
This thing is an enemy.
An enemy of everything.
And I SHOULDN'T let it touch me.
"You'll make… An excellent… Pizza!"
'Bang' 'Bang' 'Bang'
A bunch of bullets pierce through the thing's hand, making it fall into the water, contaminating it.
Ame then paced her gun in between the things eyes.
Shoot her.
It has to be destroyed.
"You shouldn't be here. Yagoo didn't let you be the one to meet me first. He restricted you specifically from meeting anyone without supervision."
"Oh…! I will… Eat… Yagoo… Later!"
"INA. PORTAL. NOW!"
"Wah!? But, the conse-!"
"NOW!"
A small muttering later, and something opened behind us. I could feel myself be pulled into a portal, as Ame slapped those weird glasses unto me.
And so, we entered the-
"Haachamachamaaaaa!"
It grabbed my leg.
The thing grabbed my leg.
I look back at it, my leg grabbed by the hand that should have already been torn off by bullets, and a knife on the other.
"Time to…Cook!"
I raise my trident. I must remove this thing but from the universe. But I stop. I can't let this thing touch the Legacy. It must not be contaminated.
'Bang' 'Bang' 'Bang'
A bunch of bullets pierce the thing's wrist, removing that hand yet again, releasing me from it's grip.
And so, I was absorbed into the Void.
For a moment, I floated an infinite amount of time.
In a completely empty expanse, completely surrounded by things watching me.
Inspecting my body with its trillion eyes, speaking tongues that should have never been.
And as quick as it started.
As terribly long as it lasted.
I was absorbed by a portal, and escaped the Void.
I was roughly thrown into the ground.
My body trembling.
My mind on the brink of collapse.
"What… Was that…?"
"SOMEONE, HOLD HER, NOW!"
I'm taken out of my stupor as I hear Ina shout, and see her trying to hold Ame with her tentacles, but Ame constantly appearing and disappearing in random places, holding her clock.
Kiara and Death look pale and shaken, confused by the situation, but move to hold Ame, making her drop the clock.
"What… What is happening her!?"
"She saw the Ancient Ones. That's too much for the mind of a normal human."
She was fighting, punching and kicking the air, biting things I couldn't see, foam sprouting from her mouth. Kiara barely holding her.
"What the hell- How is she this strong!? Oi, octopusgirl, how do we stop her!?"
"I- I don't know! This is why I made very clear we shouldn't use the Portal!"
"What!? Hey, that's not funny, we can't have her like this right after she made me come to the world of mortals!"
"I know! But… It depends on her! There is nothing I can do, she has to somehow pur together hew own mind back!"
"The hell that means, octopusgirl!?"
"It means what I said!"
"AME!"
I run towards Ame, and jump on top of her.
"Ame! Ame! Answer me, Ame!"
I hold her by the collar and shout at her, but she is not answering. She… She tried to bite me!?
"No… Ame…"
Everyone behind me is shouting, but I can't make out any of the words. I can only focus on what's in front of me.
This yellow idiot… This can't be happening…
N-No! It is NOT happening!
Think Gura, think!
Ina said that she needs to put her mind together by herself, but that's not literal!
That… Thing in the Void, tried to get into my mind!
She refers to it being broken as a metaphor of it being invaded, corrupted, and twisted and ripped by that thing.
If it is an invasion, it means that a part of it is STILL in her mind!
Then what do I do with that!?
Something… Something has to enter her mind!
Something to fight off it's influence and eventually drive it off, or something to strengthen Ame's own mind, something familiar…
…That's it…
I open Ame's cloak, and set my eyes in a bunch of syringes.
"…Something to cause disasters inside a mind… That she is also used to…"
"…Wait, Gura, no!"
I ignore Ina's shouting, take one of the syringes, and slam it on Ame's neck, pushing the contents inside her body… And suddenly, her body starts to twist and turn even more violently than before.
Ame starts shouting, alternating between british insults and unknown tongues, her eyes almost jumping out of their sockets.
And… Suddenly… She stops moving. A black mist coming out of her eyes.
"…Eh…? ….Gura, why… Are you… on top of…me?"
She sounded in pain, dizzy, and confused.
I hugged her.
"NEVER do that again. NEVER, you understand, Ame!?"
"Eh..? Never do what? What were we doing… AH!"
She then jumped up. I'm left hanging from her neck.
I'm not going to let go.
"Did that thing pursue us through the portal!?"
"N-No, nothing can enter without permission."
"What the hell was that thing!?"
"Is that the thing that will end the universe!?"
"That thing is called Haachama, and I know very little about it. But if it found us, then Yagoo must be tracking me down, and fast. But for Haachama to appear first… That's the very worst scenario. We need to move. NOW. Gura!"
Ame tries to take me off, but I hold strongly.
I'm not letting off.
"Gura, we need to go to Atlantis, now!"
"…Where are we now?"
"Where!? We are in… Ina, where are we!?"
"Ehm… I think I took us to West Virginia."
"We are in West Virginia!"
…I let go.
"…Let's go. I can get us to Atlantis in an hour… No, half an hour, if Kiara gets us to the shore."
"Eh? Ah! Okey, I'll get us there!"
Expanding her wings, she became a phoenix and took us into the sky, moving at supersonic speeds.
I hold firmly, looking at Ame. She… Looks fine. Whatever was happening to her, it appears to have completely stopped.
"…What a relief."
I look away from that yellow idiot, and look at Death.
"…Heh."
"Mhm? Something funny with my face?"
"Nah, just thought that it is funny how Death was as horrified of that thing as everyone else."
I extend my hand towards Death.
"I'm Gawer Gura, I guess it's a pleasure, Miss Death."
"…Mori Calliope. You can call me Calli."
I command the water sharks to stop, and everyone drops off from them. We arrived at our destination.
The remains of the Great City of Atlantis surrounding us, as we stood in the middle of the great plaza.
The place were everyone gathered to celebrate.
The place where the priests imported to word of the great will, or whatever they talked about.
The place where it all started and ended…
"…Human, what do we have to do here? I really would prefer to not be here…"
"Oi, you still about that!? If you have a problem with my city, tell it to my face!"
"No, it's nothing like that! It's simply that- well…"
"What is it!?"
"Someone… Someone very important was destroyed here. They… Are out of my reach."
"…Hope?"
Ame interjected. Hope? Wait, isn't that…?
"You know about IRyS?"
"Didn't know her actual name. Then, I have good news for you."
"What?"
"We are bringing her back."
Long, long time ago, the world was a magical and wonderful place.
Dragons flew on the sky, feathered snakes imparted their knowledge to progress society, mermaids aided the lost in the sea, and humanity brought rain and sun through words to help their neighbors.
A world full of hope, sharing a common song, watched over by 5 kind gods.
But one day, the calamity arrived.
From beyond the borders of the universe, it descended in the middle of the most advanced city in the world, the point where the most hope gathered.
A terrible figure, carrying words that corrupted the heart and hands that absorbed the laws of the 5 gods.
Everyone started to turn against each other, they lost the security of the laws that have reigned the universe since before the time of their forefathers, and eventually they lost all hope.
But the hearts of people are strong, and hope can never truly die, as for Atlantis knows no despair.
Even as the center of the calamity, they fought, reconciled, hold their hands and shared the universal song.
But for a being as terrible as that, changing the hearts of people, even the strongest ones, ones filled with nothing but hope, is possible.
And it succeeded.
In the same place what it arrived at out world, it put an end to the last pieces of hope in the world.
The only thing holding it back from having full control.
Witnessing the end of hope, the 5 kind gods smiled sadly, and said their goodbye.
They faced the calamity, and using themselves as a seal, closed the universe, keeping that terrible being outside for all of eternity.
But even after losing hope, the hearts of people are strong, and full of love.
They wouldn't give up, they would try to save each other even if they didn't believe in salvation for themselves.
And so, they would try to save the 5 kind gods.
The need to save them was imprinted in the soul of every living being in this universe.
And knowing that, the 5 kinds gods did something terrible to the universe.
They raised a veil, one that would make people forget, and live under new rules.
Rules that would keep them safe from the calamity, until the natural death of the universe.
I… Remember now…
Sana…
Kronii…
Fauna…
Mumei…
Hakos…
I'm sorry….
I'm so sorry!
I shouldn't have ever forgotten you, even if you wanted me to!
I should have never let my hope die!
If even a single person had persisted, if only I have kept hopeful, IRyS would still be here!
You all would still be here!
But… That will change now!
I look at the others.
They are all drying their tears, standing in position.
They all remembered every little detail thanks to Calli.
Heh, that crying face suits Ame.
"Hey, Human, you sure this will work?"
"Who do you think I am? Of course I don't know. My future selves took my capacity to look past this point… And that means that it'll work!"
"…Heh, what type of logic is that, bozo?"
"Well, I guess that's to be expected of someone capable of overturning the prophecies of the Ancient Ones."
"I have no idea how I got myself into this, but let's frigging go!"
"I'll save you this time… IRyS!"
And like that we started.
"Ancient Ones, opposing to the laws of the world, bring an end to the order and chaos of this fallen land."
Ina on my north started chanting. A terrible feeling of wrongness flooding the entire city. Whatever she is doing, it goes against everything the universe stands for.
As the world around us starts to distort, Ame at my south raised her clock up high.
"Old Man, I'll fulfill my promise… Just watch over me. Time! Follow my lead!"
Suddenly, the world around us started to change. Corals grew old and reverted to youth. The lights coming from the surface started to appear and disappear in random place, as if the sun was coming from multiple places at once, and the water surrounding us disappeared.
Kiara, at my west, raised her sword.
"This is absolute madness, but I don't care! Push forward! Forward! It doesn't matter what's happening, just push forward with Bravery!"
Slashing into the air, a giant cut in reality appeared on top of us. And from there, a long white thread started to fall, mimicked by one coming from the ground. They met, but didn't touch. They couldn't touch.
Calli at my east raised her scythe.
"…You were never given a proper Death, robbed of your rightful rest by an outsider. I failed my master that day, but I'm here to amend my mistake."
She gently moved her scythe. A slash full of regret, love, and compassion. She sliced in between both threads, and when the edge passed through, the threads were now connected.
I raised my trident, looking at the cut in reality, now overflowing in light.
"…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! We are so sorry! You depended on us, and we gave you our backs! This city was supposed to be your heaven, the place were nobody would forget you, where we all sang your song! And we backstabed you! We forgot about you! We can never be forgiven for what we did! But I implore you! In the name of Atlantis, I swear that we'll never lose you again, IRyS!"
As tears flooded down my face, I slammed my trident on the ground.
And then, the light grew stronger, and we could hear a voice.
A beautiful voice, singing a song we all knew too well. A song we have never heard before, but was engraved in our souls.
And from the light, a figure appeared.
"…Everyone, this is just the first step. Will you… Help me from now on?"
What is this yellow idiot going about at a moment like that!?
"Of course, bozo!"
"You did what even the Ancient Ones thought impossible, it would be foolish to discard you now."
"I already joined you, didn't I!? I'll be dragging you around until I die, so get yourself ready!"
"I shouldn't involve myself with the affairs of mortals… But I'll do an exception for you, human."
"…Heh."
I can see some tears in the corners of her eyes.
"…Thanks, you guys!"
"Hope has descended"
Author Notes:
This was an idea I had that every now and then I think about, especially since I left it open-ended, thinking about continuing it but plenty aware that I wouldn't XD.
They are such a fun group, so it's impossible to not think of all kinds of things to do with them!
Hope you enjoyed this little weird thing I wrote in the past!