Chapter 33 – Rebirth of the Butterfly Warrior
Chu's POV
"At last~…we finally reunite~…"
"The true worthy successor of the power created by our queen~…"
"A power to overthrow judgment~…and save all dreams from being devoured~…"
"Dearest child~…you must awake to this extraordinary power given to you by our queen~. And save all worlds from the cast of judgment~."
"You are our only hope~…Chu~…"
"Chu~…"
"Chu~…"
"CHU!"
"H-Huh? Wh-Wha…?" I was suddenly woken up from a deep sleep and realized that Ram was standing in front of me.
"Weren't you paying attention? I said I figured out where Lidelle's mom and that Zodiac girl are at!"
"O-Oh…did you? *yawn* Sorry…I guess I zoned out. Staring at Venom's wings really relaxes me sometimes. Almost like it enters my soul."
"I'll never understand what that feels like and I honestly don't want to…" Ram gained a sweatdrop.
That voice just now…was that a dream? It felt like someone was talking to me. Something about…"awakening an extraordinary power" and…"overthrow judgment"? What does that even mean?
…
"Hey, Ram…did you, uh…hear a voice just now?"
"Huh? A voice?"
"It was a woman's voice telling me about "extraordinary power" and "judgment"…it was like it was talking directly into my soul."
"You sure you're not still half-asleep, Chu? I didn't hear a voice anywhere."
"Y-You didn't?"
So, was it really only me?
"Well, whatever. Come on, let's go! We're one step closer to fixing this mess and getting Lowee back!"
"Uh…y-yeah, sure." Was all I replied with. Brushing off the weird dream to the back of my mind.
…
For now.
"So, where are we going from here?" I asked Ram.
"Okay, so hear this. I found out from that fish brat's butler that they were heading over to a place called Pleione Cove. He said that it looked like they were looking for something."
"Pleione Cove? That's the Lilac Kingdom's ancient beach. On the farthest part of the area." Neva said. "What could they be looking for over there?"
"The Zodiac Stone, perhaps?" Rita asked. "It would make sense that Raum would be trying to get that back. Much like you did."
"That is true…but to start that deep within the kingdom is rather odd. It makes me wonder how long, if at all, have they been here."
"Well, that doesn't really matter to me. I just want to find Mother safe and sound. The fact that she even ended up here…"
"The Former Queen of Hell…" C-Sha said. "…my chest tightens up the more I think about meeting her face-to-face. It'll be such an honor."
"I still don't see how…" Bland gained a sweatdrop.
"So, which way do we go from here, Neva?"
"Well…we're about 100 kilometers from the border between the Celadon and Lilac Kingdoms. You'll be able to tell once the sky starts becoming darker. As to how to get to Pleione Cove…"
As Neva explained where to go, Venom suddenly flew on top of my nose again. And I began to drift off. I just get mesmerized by looking at his wings. Almost like they're telling me a story…"
"Awake~…"
H-Huh?
"Awaken~…true power~…"
I-It's the voice again! And it's telling me the same stuff as before…
"Dearest child~…awake your true power~…prevent judgment from destroying us all~…"
"Please save us~…Butterfly Warrior~…"
Butterfly…Warrior? Wh-What is that? What does any of this even mean? I don't understand any of it.
"Follow~…Venom Knight~. He shall~…guide you to enlightenment~…"
Venom Knight? W-Wait, does she mean…?
"HEY! CHU!"
"H-Huh?! Wh-What happened?!" I snapped back into reality once I heard Ram shouting at me again.
"Like, for real! What's with you?! Do you normally space out like this?!"
"I-I was hearing that voice again! It was telling the same stuff as before and…"
"Again with the voice?"
"Chu…are you feeling okay?" Rom asked.
"Do you need to lie down or something?" Rita asked.
"I-I'm fine. It's just…" I then noticed that something was missing on my face. Well…more like someone. "…H-Hey…where's Venom?"
"Venom? Isn't he always on your head?"
"He was on my nose just a second ago. Right before…"
"Follow~…Venom Knight~. He shall~…guide you to enlightenment~…"
…
…
…
"I gotta go find him!" I suddenly shouted as I started running in a different direction from where we were going.
"H-Hey! Chu!"
"Where the hell are you going?!" Bland yelled.
"I need to find Venom! He's way too special for me to just leave alone! Especially in a different world!"
"But what about looking for Raum and Lidelle's mother?!" Neva asked.
"Go on without me! I'll catch up! I really need to find him!"
And before anyone else could ask me any more questions, I ran off to start my search for my dear pet butterfly.
And to find out if he's hiding something from me.
Venom…what's going on? What does any of this even mean?
…
I'm so…scared…
Lidelle's POV
"*sigh* What's gotten into her?" I said after we all watched Chu run away in a panic to find Venom.
"She really did just run off, huh?" Blanc asked. "And with all these monsters still roaming around…should we go after her?"
"Well…"
"Hey! Guys! We'll go after Chu!" Ram yelled.
"Y-Yeah…" With a silent confirmation from Rom.
"You wanna go after her?" I asked in shock.
"To be honest…Chu told us about this strange voice she kept hearing in her head." Ram said. "We didn't believe her…in fact we thought that she was still half-asleep or something. But now…seeing her all panicky like that…"
"I'm worried about Chu. I wanna see…if she's okay." Rom added.
"Okay, but…will you three really be okay on your own?" C-Sha asked. "There's still all these monsters roaming around."
"Relax, C-Sha. I've got my parasite form, Rom's got her healing magic, and once we find Chu, she'll have Venom backing her up. We'll totally be fine."
"What do you think, Blanny?"
"I honestly think this a stupid and dangerous idea." Blanc said before going silent for a bit. "But…we don't have much of a choice on this one. Rom and Ram are the only ones that have even the slightest idea of what's going on with Chu. And we'll need all the help and power we can get if we want to fix this whole mess we're in."
"So, you'll let us go?" Ram asked.
"Yeah, sure. Fine. But you guys better come back in one piece. And don't go too crazy with your parasite form, Ram."
"Oh, please. I won't." Ram then transformed into her parasite form again. "In fact~…I think I'm getting the hang of it~. *creepy giggle*"
"R-Ram…" Rom said in fear again.
"Seriously…you really need to stop transforming at random like that." I said with an exasperated look.
"Let's go, Rom! We can get a better view by looking from the sky!"
"Huh? Y-You mean we're flyIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG?!"
We all watched as Ram spread open her wings and flew both herself and Rom up into the space-void sky. With the latter screaming for dear life.
"*sigh* So freaking reckless…" Blanc facepalmed.
I wonder where she got that from…
"So…shall we keep going?" I asked.
"Ah, yes." Neva said. "The boarder to the Lilac Kingdom is not that much far from here. We should be there with a few more minutes of walking."
"Well, that's good. The sooner we can find Mother and that Raum girl, the sooner I can get back home. I've got Mario Kart Tournaments to catch up on!~"
"L-Lidelle…" Neva gained a sweatdrop.
"Bring up Mario Kart one more time and I SWEAR TO GOD…" Blanc stared at me with an annoyed-as-hell look.
"You sure are a special one huh, Lidelle?" C-Sha asked.
"Rib ribbit rib ribbit…" Dongurigaeru added with a sweatdrop.
Hmph. Nobody understands my love for Mario Kart…
Rom's POV
This should be far enough. Chu probably ended up somewhere around here don't you think?"
"Hmph."
…
"If we can find her fast enough, we can join up with Blanc and the others."
"Hmph."
…
"Though, what's going on with her? I've never seen her so panicked before. Even though we've only known her for about a week."
"Hmph."
…
…
…
"You're really not gonna talk to me?" Ram asked me as we were walking through a random field of flowers looking for Chu.
"I did say I was mad at you, Ram."
"I said I was sorry. It wasn't my intention to make you wet yourself while flying in the air holding on to my leg for dear life. I don't know why you're still mad about it."
"I don't have any panties on and I'm wearing a skirt! Who WOULDN'T be mad at that, Ram?!"
"G-Geez…no need to yell." Ram gained a sweatdrop.
She's so dense about other people's feelings. It's no wonder Blanc always gets mad at her…
"*sigh* Whatever. Let's just find Chu so we can get this over with. Can't believe I'm actually going commando…"
"Well, aren't you acting like the big sister for once." Ram said. "What's with the change in personality, huh?"
"W-Well… you know…since you keep playing around with your parasite form, someone's gotta keep you under control. S-So, naturally…it falls to me."
"Naturally? This is coming from the girl who's too scared to use the bathroom by herself at night."
"S-So?! You don't know what could be out there at night! Burglars or monsters or *gulp*…j-jumping gay walruses…"
"What the hell is a jumping gay walrus?"
"I-I don't know! They're gay…a-and they jump…Neptune said that they eat your dreams when you think naughty things, so…"
It was then that Ram gained a huge sweatdrop, placed her hand on my shoulder, and said to me with the most deadpanned look:
"Rom…Neptune was totally just screwing with you."
…
…
…
"*moan* Dang it…" I pouted.
I knew the story sounded a little weird…
"B-But I do have a reason for this change in personality…k-kinda."
"Rom, I don't need someone to baby me over my parasite form. I can totally handle it myself."
"I still have my doubts…but it's not just that."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"W-Well…"
…
"…I-I'll tell you later. For now…let's find Chu."
"Uh…okay? You sure are acting weird, Rom."
I quietly sighed to myself as we continued walking through the flower field.
In the end, I still couldn't do it. I couldn't be honest with my own feelings. Even though both Ram and Blanc were completely honest with theirs. And during the most difficult moment of our lives, too.
It's times like this that make me wonder if I really am the older twin…
Chu's POV
"Venom! Venom!"
…
"*moan* Where is he?! I've looked all over this strange flower field and I still haven't found him! Why did that voice even tell me to come here?!"
"Awake~…"
"Awake~…"
"Awake to your true power~…overthrow judgment~…"
"Butterfly Warrior~…we need you~…"
"Ugh! And I still understand any of this "Butterfly Warrior" stuff?! What even is that?! Why me, of all people?! None of this makes any sense!"
"Then allow me to explain it to you~."
"H-Huh?"
Suddenly, a bunch of pollen-like pixels began flowing in front of me. Some of them even make me sneeze a few times from getting close to my nose. And then seconds later, something appeared from the pollen. A woman with long fluffy white hair, bright grey eyes, and pointy ears. Filled to the brim with a butterfly-like aura.
Her purple & white dress was designed after a butterfly and so was her gold crown. And she carried a gold staff in the shape of a flower. With its center having a butterfly encased in an icicle.
The woman looked at me and smiled with a small grin. While I looked back at her with shock, amazement…and tears of absolute joy.
Because I actually know this woman.
"M…Mom?!"
"Chu~…long time no see~. My precious daughter~."
"MOM!"
I rushed over and hugged her as tightly as I could. All while crying hard tears of pure happiness. As it has been a very long time since I've seen this woman.
My mother…Lulisia Duranné.
"*giggle* My my, Chu~. You've grown to be so big~. Your brother must be taking good care of you, huh~?"
"Yep! Shigu's the best! He always looks out for me!"
"Well, that's good to hear~." Mom said as she patted my head.
"There she is! Chu!"
"Chu…!"
"Rom? Ram?" I asked as I saw the twins running up to us. "You guys came looking for me?"
"Of course, we did!" Ram yelled. "Everyone's freaking worried about you and…wait, who's this lady?"
"Why is she all…ghostly?" Rom asked.
"Well…this is Lulisia. My mother."
"Your mother?"
"What? Did she end up here, too?" Ram asked in an exasperated tone. "The amount of people being warped here is getting pretty freaking ridiculous."
"N-No, Ram…she died. I lost both of my parents when I was younger."
"O-Oh…"
"Way to jump to conclusions, Ram…" Rom said with a huge sweatdrop.
"S-Sorry…" Ram bowed with guilt.
"Are these friends of yours, Chu~?" Mom asked.
"Yeah. They're names are Rom and Ram. And they actually came from a different world."
Well…so did I. But that's not important right now…
"I see~…it's nice to meet you both, Rom and Ram~."
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Duranné." The twins replied.
"So…Mom…you were going to explain what you meant by all that stuff you said before. "Awake my true power" and "overthrow judgment"…and what's a "Butterfly Warrior"?"
"Oh, yes~. All of that~." Mom said before lowering herself to my level. "Well, to start off~…I'll explain why I'm here~. You know how much I loved butterflies, right~?"
"Of course. I even learned everything I know from you. You were the butterfly expert."
"*giggle* Glad you thought of me as such~. Anyway~…when I passed away, my soul ended up in this strange world~. As it turns out~…my love for butterflies was so strong that I was reincarnated as one of the top leaders in the bug world~. Simply known as~…the Butterfly Queen~."
"Butterfly Queen?" I went silent for a bit. "So…that voice saying this power was "created by our queen"…"
"Yep~. That's me~."
"Woah…"
My mom's the queen of butterflies! That's so cool!
"Uh…not to sound rude or anything, Mrs. Duranné…but we're kind of in a hurry here." Ram said.
"We were looking for Chu after she ran off looking for her pet butterfly." Rom added. "Our older sister and friends are waiting for us."
"You did find Venom right, Chu?"
"*sigh* No." I said in a sad tone. "And I looked everywhere, too. Even after sensing his presence in this flower field, I still couldn't…"
And before I was able to finish the sentence, a butterfly landed on my nose and stayed there flapping its wings. And there was only one butterfly I knew that did that.
"Venom! You came back!"
…
"I missed you too, Venom!"
"So, you've returned, Venom~." Mom said. "I assume this means everything's all prepared~?"
"Prepared?" We were all confused.
"Mom, what are you talking about?" I asked.
"Well~…going to the more serious part of this reunion~…" Mom then grabbed a hold of me by the shoulders and looked dead into my eyes with a very serious look. "Chu~…inside of you is a power I created and entrusted to you~. This power is meant to be used to fight against the Butterfly of Judgment~. And save all dreams from being devoured~."
"Butterfly of Judgment?"
"S-Sounds scary…" Rom said. "…Wh-What even is that?"
"Centuries ago~…the Butterfly of Judgment was originally born as the Butterfly of Paradise~. It flew across dimensions~…gathering power from entities that have perish through intense battles~. And as the years went by, the butterfly gathered so much power~. To the point where it has the ability to cast judgment on any world it visits~. And decides the fate of the souls of the dead~."
"W-Woah…" The three of us said in shock, awe, and a little bit of fear.
"The only way to combat against the Butterfly of Judgment was to use the power born from the Butterfly of Enlightenment~. A butterfly that has also traveled through dimensions~…gathering power from entities that were victorious through intense battles~. Basically~…the opposite of the Butterfly of Judgment~."
"The Butterfly of Enlightenment…sounds pretty powerful." Ram said.
"Yeah, no kidding." I added. "But…how did this power get inside me?"
"When I was reincarnated as the Butterfly Queen, all of this knowledge was implemented into my now soulless memory~. And with that came the power of the Butterfly of Enlightenment~. It was my duty to find a person worthy of bestowing this dimensional power~…and put an end to the Butterfly of Judgment's hunger for power~. So, I morphed the power into its original butterfly form~…and sent it to the only person I can trust with it~."
…
"And I even gave this power a name~…Venom Knight~."
"V-Venom Knight?" Remembering that name greatly, I took Venom off of my nose and kept him on my finger. Staring at him as he nonchalantly continued flapping his wings.
"S-So, Venom…Venom is the Butterfly of Enlightenment?"
"That's correct, Chu~. And for the past 11 years~…he's been very slowly~…bit-by-bit~…infusing your soul with the powers born from the Butterfly of Enlightenment~. A gift from me~…to my beloved daughter~."
"Holy crap…"
A power born from a dimensional-like butterfly…and it's inside me because it's a gift from my late mom…I'm not sure how to feel about this…
"So, you can get badass dimensional powers from a single butterfly?! Chu, you just GOTTA try it out!"
"What?! Why?!" I yelled at a very excited Ram.
"Well, why not? It's already inside you."
"B-But that doesn't mean…"
"Plus, if this goes well, it could really help us fight against those psycho bitches."
"R-Ram! Watch your mouth!" Rom yelled in a panicked fury.
"Well…yeah, but…"
"Chu~…I know all of this sounds confusing and stressful~." Mom said. "And even a little unfair~…considering that I was never in your life growing up~…and all the hardships you and your brother have faced on your own~. But there's no other person I would ever trust with this kind of power~."
…
"Plus~…with how Venom was always with you~…it eased my guilt of not being a part of your lives~. A burden I've held for so long~…even after death~."
"Mom…" I went dead silent for a while. "…did Dad ever feel the same way? About all of this?"
"If your father was here, I'm sure he would feel the exact same way~. He was the number one supporter for his kids~. Whether they be demons or dimensional butterflies~."
"What a weird-ass family…"
*POW*
"Ow!"
"Ram, be quiet!" Rom scolded her younger sister.
…
…
…
"Alright…I'll do it, Mom. For you, Dad, and Shigu, too…I'll become the Butterfly Warrior."
"*giggle* Thank you, Chu~. You're doing your mother~…and the universe~…a huge favor~." Mom smiled greatly as she hugged me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.
…
I couldn't really feel the kiss. Since she's all ghostly-like. But it was the thought that counted.
"So, uh…how do I access this power? It's been slowing forming inside me, but…"
"To activate the power of the Butterfly of Enlightenment, all you have to do~…is recite a ritual chant~. Oh~…and it would be best if you held onto this, too~." Mom then gave me a really shiny crystal that looked like it was from outer space. The power emitting from it was crazy strong. To the point where it gave me chills.
"What's this thing?"
"Wait…that's a Crystal Shard!" Ram yelled.
"Crystal Shard?"
"It's the thing Blanc and I have that we both got from Nasos!" Ram then took out her own hanging around her neck. "When she gave me mine, she said that it prevented my soul from shattering. Apparently, this thing's a real lifesaver."
"Really?" I then looked back at the crystal.
Now, that I think about it…I remember seeing Amytee with one of these things. She said she got it from a place called…Dream Land?
"But why give one to me?" I asked Mom.
"This is the first time someone is actually fusing with the Butterfly of Enlightenment~. So, this Crystal Shard is only for precaution~."
"I see…" After staring at the crystal some more, I clenched it inside my hand and gained a (somewhat) determined look on my face. "Alright…I'm ready. What's the chant?"
Mom then whispered the chant into my ear. And with it quickly memorized, I walked further out into the flower field, took a deep breath, and began the ritual.
"This is my will…so mote it be.
I call upon the dimensional energy inside me.
To destroy judgment and save all dreams…
Unleash enlightenment until it beams.
For my Queen…to receive all glee…
I am the Butterfly of Enlightenment! And so it will be!"
Once that was said, I felt my soul's insides rise in temperature. And everything around me was engulfed in a bright blue light.
What happened after that…was all a blur…
But suddenly…I feel…sle…sleepy…Zzz…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Chu…"
"Chu…"
"CHU!"
"H-Huh?! Wh-What…?" I was suddenly woken up from yet another deep sleep and realized that Ram was standing in front of me just like last time.
"Geez, you doze off so easily. It's like it's your natural talent or something."
"Well, I've learned from my brother. He's the master of dozing off."
"That's…not really something to brag about." Ram gained a sweatdrop.
"So…what happened? Did the ritual work?"
"Did it work? Take a look at yourself!"
"You look…really cool, Chu." Rom said as both were holding up a mirror that they (somehow) got with them.
I stepped in front of it…and was generally surprised.
My hair grew longer and was somehow made into a ponytail. And gained a shiny light-blue color. My eyes were blue instead of their original red color. And even looked less emotionless. A huge first for me.
My clothes also changed drastically. No longer wearing my favorite grey punk tee & black shorts combo, I now wore a light-blue & white sparkling bright sweater that was kinda baggy on me and (although barely visible due to the sweater) a blue skirt. My shoes were also the same color as the sweater. And so was the scarf around my neck.
And on the top left side of my newly-colored head…laid Venom. He had also changed completely. Going from the blue poisonous butterfly that I knew to a more crystal clear one that matched the color of my wings.
…
By the way…I HAVE WINGS NOW! BUTTERFLY WINGS! THAT'S SO FREAKING COOL!
"Woah…I look awesome! It's like I went through metamorphosis in the span of a few minutes!"
"How long does it usually take?" Rom asked.
"It depends. Most caterpillars can turn into a butterfly in about three weeks. But there are a certain few that take several months to complete the process."
"Wow…"
"That's a long-ass nap…"
*POW*
"Ow!" Ram yelled after Rom based her in the head.
"Can you not curse for just ONE chapter?"
"Why does it matter? We've had blood & gore, sexual jokes, and panty shots throughout the entire series…and yet, you people keep getting mad at me for CURSING? That's complete bullshit."
"All of those are bad…but you keep making it worse."
"Why am I getting all the blame when Neptune's name is in the fucking title?"
"Ram!"
"Uh~…Chu~…what are they talking about~?" Mom asked me.
"I don't really know…" I replied with a sweatdrop.
I never understood any of those "4th wall breaks" they brought up before…
"*clears throat* Well, anyway~…congratulations, Chu~. You have become the Butterfly Warrior~. Reincarnation of the Butterfly of Enlightenment~. I hope you use your new powers well~."
"So, this is the power built inside me…given to me by my mother and pet butterfly…" As I sat there in awe of my look and powers, Venom…or rather, Venom Knight…came off of my head and landed on his favorite spot on my nose. Giving me the same amount of confidence he's given me all of the other times.
"Thanks, Mom. I promise to use these powers to their fullest!"
"*giggle* That's my girl~."
*BOOM*
"H-Huh?! Wh-What was…"
*BOOM*
*BOOM* *BOOM*
"It's coming from over there." Ram said as she pointed to where the sudden explosions were coming from.
"I-Isn't that where…we left the others at?" Rom asked.
"Could they be in the middle of a fight?! Aw, crap! We gotta go!"
"N-Now?!" I yelled in frustration. "But…Mom…"
"Don't worry, Chu~." Mom said to me with a teary-eyed smile. "We may not see each other again after this~…but I will always watch over you~. As long as you and Sig are alive and happy~…that's all a mother could ever ask for~."
"*sniff* Mom…"
While crying tears of my own, I hugged my ghostly mother one last time before she began to fade away from sight. Her returning hug becoming more and more nonexistent.
"I love you, Mom. I'll never forget you."
"I~…love you too~…Chu~…" This was the last thing I heard my mom say…before completely disappearing from my grasp. Making me hug nothing but a clump of air.
It was dead silent for a good while. As I stood there where my mother was last seen. I felt Rom and Ram hug me from both sides to comfort me…which did help a little. But this feeling of losing your mother for the second time in your life is going to take a long time to recover from.
"Hey, Chu…you're lucky, honestly. To have a mom…" Ram said.
"I'm…lucky?"
"We don't have a mom. Or parents, for that matter."
"We were just…born the way we are now." Rom added.
"Huh…"
I wanted to question that logic…but I was too sad to even think of a question. So, I just left it alone.
"*sigh* Thanks, you guys. I think I'm feeling better now."
"You sure?" Ram asked.
"Yeah…I am." I then gained a small grin on my face. "And besides…if I want to honor my mom's legacy, then I'll be the best Butterfly Warrior the universe has ever seen! I'll destroy judgement and save all dreams from being devoured!"
"Alright, Chu!"
"You can do it, Chu!" Rom cheered alongside her sister.
"*giggle* Thanks, guys."
*BOOM*
*BOOM* *BOOM*
*BOOM*
"Whatever's happening over there sounds really bad." I said after we heard more explosions.
"*giggle* Alright, then." Ram said before transforming into her parasite form. "Let's take down whatever that thing is with our new badass powers! And make it suffer~! *creepy giggle*"
"Uh…yeah, I'm not down with the "suffering" part." I gained a sweatdrop.
"Ah, whatever. Let's go, Rom!"
"W-Wait, please don't tell me we're going to be flying agaAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNN!"
And before Rom could finish her sentence, Ram spread her wings open and flew both her and her sister up into the space-void sky. With Rom screaming for dear life as she held onto her younger twin's leg.
"Um…okay, then." Was all I said.
…
"Wait…is Rom not wearing panties?!"
Author's Note: A new hero is reborn. Thanks to her late mother The Butterfly Queen, Chu has become the Butterfly Warrior. Tasked to overthrow judgment and save the universe's dreams from being devoured.
Sorry for the long wait with this one. Not only was life not giving me many chances to write as of late…but also this chapter went through several versions before finally deciding on what you just read. It was definitely one of the harder ones I've written. Hopefully, it gets easier from here on out.
By the way…story's passed 5,000 views recently. A huge milestone for a story that I honestly took a gamble on. To me, there's always a risk when writing crossover stories. Glad this one had a positive reception.
Thanks for reading. Later.
