HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

23. An old adage: With friends like these

Everyone races up the steps at the end of the castle foyer; the plush red carpet that covers its wooden steps down the middle gives you a little spring to your jaunt. You keep your eyes locked on the blond forest fairy who flies beside you; her eyes being drawn to the right side of the top of the staircase tells you exactly where you should go next. As soon as your foot touches down at the top of the staircase, you pivot your body to keep your momentum as you run down the second floor hallway. Watame, Undine, Polka, Flare, and Nene all follow close behind, their eyes on the lookout for anything dangerous or out of the ordinary, if there can even be an ordinary for a place such as this.

Thankfully the second floor passageway seems to be devoid of any guards or demons. Only the same harmless end tables, mirrors, empty vases, and doors leading to nowhere important, line the walls of the castle corridor. On the way back to the central foyer, Watame told you all about the beasts her, Flare and Polka beat on their way back to you. Could the sorceress who masters this castle already be out of creatures to throw at you? Hector only had so many shadows after all, and creating such beings takes a fair bit of mana it seems. You want to believe that she is the only thing left to deal with, but you have a feeling it won't be that easy.

"What do you think, Pomu? Is what you're sensing anywhere on this floor?" You ask the forest fairy as the end of the hallway looks to be coming up ahead.

"Nuh uh." Pomu shakes her head. "It's further up. Like up, up." The fairy then makes a few pointing prods at the ceiling.

"Then up we go. There should be a staircase just a bit further down." You say, hopeful that at least the ways up and down this castle are in similar spots to the first one you braved.

What could very well be the sorceress' own control over this castle being confused for a stroke of luck, you find a spiraling staircase behind the door at the end of the hallway. You and Watame take the lead and begin to swiftly climb the darkened ascent up the castle. Whenever you reach the opening for a new floor, you look to Pomu for guidance. Once you all stop, she closes her eyes and focuses hard for a moment, and shakes her head to indicate that you all need to continue going up.

Three floors later, the forest fairy gives you an excited nod. Part of you wants to be optimistic; to find the fairies safe and sound on this floor. The other part of you warns you to be cautious. Pomu could still be manipulated like how the foul magic that plagues the forest tried to do with you and your friends. Before Pomu can enter the visible hallway, you hold out an arm in front of the opening.

"Better let Watame and I go first." You try to say nicely to the fairy. "We don't know if our hostess has anything prepared for us."

"Aw, c'mon." Pomu whines a little. "I'm tough now! I even kicked one of those weird snake things earlier! I can be in the front."

"Not when the nut job who owns this place seems to want to kill you where you stand." You retort. "Just stay in the middle for now, we can better protect you that way. I promise you'll be first in line for any witch butt kicking we need to do. Until then, stay back and keep giving us direction. Okay? Boss?"

It seems that even using only half of Pomu's self appointed title is enough to spread a grin from ear to ear across her face. She then stands up straight and gives you a firm, confident salute.

"You can count on me, summoner!" Pomu pridefully says. "This Pomu will be on the lookout for anything unusual, strange, or fairy-like in shape, sound, or smell."

Having successfully convinced the fae to take a more safe position in your formation, you begin to make casual steps into the castle corridor with Watame and Undine close behind you. While you don't see or hear any signs of movement that don't belong to that of your group, you try to take comfort in the fact that at least with Polka and Flare covering the rear with Nene, you'll know well ahead of time if anything tries to sneak up on you all. Still, the fact that even the higher floors seem barren of any opposition worries you slightly. It just feels…too easy.

"Summoner Anon!" Pomu calls in a very official sounding tone to get your attention from her place in the middle of the pack. "I am detecting two signs of whimsical, cute, and possibly depressed lifeforms. They are probably just beyond those big doors up ahead. I am recommending we investigate immediately."

The tone and language the fairy deliberately uses makes you roll your eyes. She really wants to pretend she's one of the characters from her books, but you can't really blame her for that. Sometimes it just helps to emulate someone who has the qualities you might be lacking in the moment. Watame looks amused by Pomu's acting at least.

Without giving the fae a verbal response, you walk up to the doors that may lead to hopefully two of Pomu's missing kin. You place a hand on the metal door handle and begin to pull back slowly. Once the door is pulled back just enough, you move your head so that you may peer through its crack. Your eyes can't see much in the pitch black darkness of the room save for a few very vague outlines that could very well be anything.

"Polka." You whisper, as you wave her over to the door.

"One pair of extra sharp kitsune eyes for all your peeping needs, coming right up." Polka whispers back. She then struts up next to you and pokes her head through the slightly ajar doorway. After only a few seconds she pulls her head back and turns to you and the group; specifically looking at Pomu. "There isn't much in there. If this were a normal castle it would probably be a ballroom or something. Like they have in some old princess stories."

"I hope we can see a real castle ballroom someday!" Watame chirps, her eyes sparkle with what undoubtedly is her own daydream of dancing at a real royal ball. You would be lying if you said that doesn't paint a very pretty picture for you. Maybe someday, Anon.

"So it's just another empty room?" Flare asks to get the conversation back on track before anyone can try to detail it.

"Nah. There's definitely another large set of doors on the other end." Polka starts. "I also saw a cage. With two shapes in it."

Pomu seems to bring herself to full attention at this news. Her eyes laser focused and her ears open to every word the fennec could say next. Could it be? Dare she even hope?

"Shapes with wings." Polka then confirms happily. "I think we finally found some of your friends in there, Pomu."

"Then, I'm really sensing them?!" Pomu asks, in excited disbelief. Her pale rubies begin to shimmer with forming tears.

"Let's go and find out." You answer with a bit of anticipation. You are more than ready to finally rescue some captives. Anyone who has had to stomach this place for more than a day has been here too long already. "I'll make a light. Stay close to me everyone."

After opening the door a little wider, you create a small ball of starlight within one of your hands. The floating orb above your palm shines through the darkness when you step into the empty ballroom. The entire feel of this room creates an uncomfortable pit in your stomach. There is still no telling what manner of monsters the sorceress might have waiting in the wings to make an attempt on your life next. A darkened open space without even a single candle lit also makes you expect an ambush.

Your collective footsteps on the smooth waxed flooring echo throughout the room. The sound of bodies stirring makes you halt and grip your sword handle. Your eyes try to pierce the blackness and spot the small cage along one of the side walls. You all approach slowly. It sounds like it's taking all of Pomu's willpower not to soar ahead of you, but you are thankful she seems to remember how dangerous the situation really is.

Once your light reaches the front of the iron cage, you see two figures turn their heads away from you; the shining radiance from your small spell likely being a little much to take in so quickly. You almost can't believe your eyes. Two girls with clothes similar to Pomu's; one is a light purple, the other a pale pink. They sit huddled together within their cold prison, the leaf green shoulder length hair of the girl clad in purple is disheveled, dirty, and in a desperate need of a brush. The other has her long brown hair tied in a ponytail that looks to run all the way to the floor; sporting its own assortment of split ends and need of some clean up. On the back of your silver-white light, you can also barely make out the translucent wings that droop behind both girls.

You kneel down to be more at eye level with the captive fairies and give them a soft smile. "Hi there. My name's Anon. We're here to rescue you. What are your names?"

The two look back at you pensively, unsure if they can actually trust in you or the hope that you bring. Perhaps a certain someone can help drive the point home that you're on their side.

"Melly? Sophie!? It really is you!" Pomu gasps as she scooches past Watame and Undine to kneel down beside you. "It's me! I'm so glad you guys are okay!"

The two fairies within the cage look at each other, and then back to Pomu. Both of their expressions start to brighten at the realization that another fairy is speaking to them.

"It's you!" The green haired fairy exclaims joyfully, her voice a higher pitch than Pomu's.

"We knew you'd come to save us." The fae with the brown ponytail says nice with relief, her voice was a much deeper tone. "Quick! Before the sorceress finds out you're here! Grab the keys. They're hanging over there on the wall."

You rise and begin to step in the direction where the older sounding fairy points, but quickly stop when you notice the only light source to be found in this room is the one floating above your one hand.

"Watame, would you and Nene mind grabbing that key? Here, take my light with you. It'll be no problem for me to make a second one." You say to the sheep who nods back before you can even finish your sentence. You gently place the small ball of starlight over Watame's cupped hand and extend your own thoughts to transfer it to her. She smiles and holds the reminder of the first spell you were ever able to create up to her face, basking in its glow.

"Aww. Don't that bring back memories?" Polka jokes, snapping the sheep back to reality and the task she had been given.

"At least this time we're both not the ones behind bars." You chuckle, feeling almost nostalgic about your wrongful arrest which led you to meet the smile loving fennec.

"Be right back! Let's go Nene!" Watame chirps as she carefully guides the pair to the other end of the room with the light you've given her.

As Watame and Nene walk further away, you create a second orb of starlight within your hands, and use it to bring illuminance back to yourselves and your newest fairy friends.

"Melly, how long have you been here anyway? " Pomu asks, but is only met with blank stares while both fairies look at one another, as if unsure of who, or how they should answer.

"It's hard to tell anymore…" The green haired fairy decides to answer. "We don't get to see the sun anymore in here…"

"We've probably been all alone in this big dark room for years now." The brown haired one adds. "But that's all over now! You came for us! We knew you would."

"Y-You did?" Pomu asks, taken aback. "Come on Melly…Are you sure? This is me we're talking about here…"

"You've evaded capture this entire time. How could the last fairy standing not come to our rescue." Melly, the fairy with the ponytail answers.

"But…" Pomu starts to say, her cheery smile from earlier gone. You study the expressions of both fairies carefully.

Not exactly how I expected this reunion to go. If Pomu's face is anything to go by, her friends are acting a little strangely. Could the sorceress have done something to these two? They seem alright for the most part. It's a little weird they haven't called Pomu by name even once so far. We should just try to get them out of here and find the rest as soon as we can. No telling when that madwoman will have her eyes on us…If she isn't already watching.

Watame and Nene then return with the cage key and hand it to Pomu, who still looks unsure of something. Hesitantly, the fae inserts the iron key into the hole it belongs to, and begins to turn it slowly until it clicks. The captured fairies rise to their feet and walk over to the door, eager for freedom.

The barred door's hinges creak with the opening of the door, and Melly steps her foot out before Pomu can fully open it. In the underlying light from your spell, you see a dark, crooked smile form on the lips of the newly escaped fairy. Something is definitely wrong.

You then feel your feet leave the ground as a sudden force pushes you into Pomu and Polka; the three of you are sent flying forward towards the middle of the dark ballroom. A sharp curse leaves the lips of one of the fairies, but is soon overtaken by the shocked screams from Watame and Flare. You begin scrambling to get back up, but are entangled within the arms and legs of both Pomu and Polka, who are still trying to register what had happened. The slamming of the metal cell is what you hear next, as you slide yourself free and rise to your knees.

With the orb of starlight that Watame still holds, you can see Melly and Sophie stand in defiance in front of the now closed cage; their smiles revealing fanged teeth. Melly snaps her fingers and the braziers that hang on the walls of the room ignite. The roar of flames comes from overhead as the huge chandelier illuminates the entire dance floor.

"Melly! Sophie! What are you doing?!" Pomu shouts. "Those are my friends! They're here to help us!"

"Friends?" Melly sneers. "Who in their right minds would wanna be friends with you?"

"Only other brain dead fairies. That's who." Sophie answers smugly. "And don't you worry that empty blond head of yours. They're going to help us greatly."

"Why are you guys acting like this?" Pomu starts to sob. "This isn't like either of you…"

"Maybe that witch with the bad attitude did this?" Polka suggests as she helps you up to your feet. "Your friends might still be in there somewhere."

"Polka's right." You say as you begin to assess the shift in your situation. "Whoever she is, she has some magic that can affect minds. We just gotta remember that we can break through it though. We'll save your friends and all the other fairies, Pomu."

"Do you hear that, Gremory?" Melly giggles darkly to the fairy beside her. "They actually think their pathetic fairy friends are here. This is gonna be SOOOO fun."

"I thought I was Melly." The other fairy snickers. "Or am I Sophie? Oh now look what you've done, Kureha. You blew our cover."

"You trick Nene!? You trick Pomu too!?" Nene growls from within the cage, her magic already manifesting her transformation. She charges the iron bars with one of her clawed fists raised. The two imposters notice the primal girl's charge and both quickly place a flat hand against one of the iron bars, as a dark purple glow pulses over the exterior of the metal prison. The gong of Nene's mighty fist against iron rings out through the room, but the cage's bars don't give an inch.

"Nuh uh uh~" Kureha tuts. "You're all just going to have to stay right in there and wait your turn."

"Don't look so upset~ We promise it will be worth the wait." Gremory adds with gleeful malice. "I believe I count six of you after all…SIX souls to torture. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it."

"T-Torture!? Melly! Sophie! What the heck are you doing!?" Pomu starts to wail.

"This is just too good." Kureha giggles as she throws her ponytail back. "The fae still believes we're actually those tacky forest fairies."

"I say it's time we dropped this charade and get down to the fun stuff~" Gremory coos. "Agreed?"

"Agreed. I'm sick of these dreadful clothes anyway." The other fairy flashes a pointed smile as both their bodies begin to radiate with a sinister crimson glow.

The frilly and nature inspired dresses the pair wear, begin to magically come apart bit by bit. As colors of green and purple vanish into the air, they are replaced by dark red and black. The hair of both changes to long, straight pale brown hair that flows just past their now pointed, webbed wings that more resemble a bat's than a fairy's. Their attire changes to something more elegant and almost vain. Starting at the top of their heads, a golden circlet that holds a dark red gem at its center, sits just in front of the thick bangs that now cover the eyes. Golden jewelry looks to be sewn into their puffy sleeves just under their shoulders, along with a bright blue sapphire. The gap in the armwear shows the skin underneath is covered by black tights, before the second half of the dark red sleeve begins, just to end at the wrist that holds golden hoops around them. The blouse looks to be hemmed to expose their midriff perfectly; the once pale skin they had now takes on a hue of an almost sunburnt orange. Their dark red skirts cover just above their thighs which reveals that their legs from the knee up are covered by the same black tights as the arms. Another sapphire at the middle of a set of golden links, works almost as a belt at their waists, while the frilly trail of their skits drops to the floor behind them, where a long, black, pointed demon's tail now swishes back and forth ever so slightly.

"So much better." Gremory sighs as she materializes a small circular mirror within her palm and inspects herself with satisfaction.

A torrent of emotions and thoughts are raging so wildly within you that you can't sort out what to address first. You all had just fallen face first into a trap, and have been completely deceived by a pair of demons. Can you be sure they're actually demons though? What if they're still the fairies you came to rescue, but you just THINK they look like demons now? More importantly, Watame, Flare, Undine, and Nene are now trapped! You need to get them out of there. That's good to focus on…you can figure everything else out after.

"Check out the human." Kureha snickers after she gives her shoulders a couple more rolls to get used to her own skin again. "It's like he's looking right past us. The nerve huh?"

"So true, Kureha. Here he has the two most beautiful creatures he could ever lay eyes on, and he just wants to gawk at the band of frumpy mutants behind us." Gremory mocks before coming to a faux realization. "Oh! Do you think he's going to try and be their dashing hero and spring them free?"

"I sure hope not, Gremory." The other demon waves a finger in the air. "It would just be a waste of effort. We just put a tight seal on it after it. Not even the homely girl with the stuffed bear accessories can break through it."

While you don't want to give their taunting any attention, the one was right about that. Nene had tried punching, slashing, and even biting the bars of the cage just now, and it doesn't look like it even made a scratch. Thankfully Watame got her to stop wasting her energy, but that sure didn't extinguish the fiery look in Nene's eyes.

"What do you mean?" You ask coldly as you unsheath your sword. "What did you both do?"

"And who are you!?" Pomu snaps. "What did you do to my friends!"

"Oh where to start~" Gremory says with a sultry step forward. "I say we leave the introductions for last."

"Good idea. Keep them in suspense while we tell them how hopeless their situation is." Kureha says smugly as she steps forward to be in line with her partner. "First off, we've turned your friends' prison into what's called a 'Demon Soul Cage'. Translation: It can only be closed or opened by a demon who has tied their soul to it. In other words, it will only open without our say so over our dead bodies."

"Next, we didn't do anything to your friends." Gremory says with delight. "They were never here to begin with! We want the little forest fairy to suffer, and what better way than to give her false hope? Oh the look on her face when she finally started to realize that we weren't actually those whimsical FREAKS. I think I'll treasure it always."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself now." The devil sprite remarks. "We've got an entire night of fun ahead of us. When we REALLY start getting into the torture, she's going to make so many wonderful faces for us. And with all that out of the way, it's high time we introduced ourselves properly."

"I'm Gremory." The demon on the left greets as she brings a delicate hand to her face, her long red nails slightly touching the bottom of her lips.

"And I'm Kureha. We're changeling demons of an upper class." The demon on the right says proudly with her hands on her hips.

"How could I have been stupid…" Pomu says harshly to herself; her head pointed straight down in front of her where you can see tears begin to fall.

"Hey. It's not your fault, Pomu." Polka says as she tries to console the whimpering fairy. "These demons play dirty. There wasn't any way you could have-"

"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" Pomu screeches, her clenched fists shaking at her sides. "I knew…I knew something was off…but I didn't want to believe it. I thought maybe they were just acting funny. Years in a dark castle would do that to a girl…"

"Do you hear that, Gremory!? Even though the stupid sprite had a feeling we weren't her bozo friends, she STILL held onto hope that we were them."

"Our acting was terrible too." Gremory shrugs as she laughs. "But all you losers were eating it up. Are you all really so desperate that you'll believe anything you want to hear!?"

"To pray on a girl's loneliness, that's just unforgivable." Polka says angrily as she lifts her hat off her ear so that her baton can fall out of it and into her free hand. She places her signature headwear back on and gives a small adjustment. "Anon. You ready to thrash these two?"

"Yeah." You answer as you rest the blade of your sword on your shoulder. "No one gets away with picking on our friends like that."

"Oooooo~" Both demonic girls respond to your declaration.

"You two really want to fight?" Gremory grins. "You can take a little time to rest if you want. We can easily pass the time by slowly torturing your little friends behind us."

"Yeah. It's a bitch that the elf blew the fairy away just as we were about to trap you all in our cage, but I think we can still have fun with the minor alteration in our gameplan." Kureha cackles.

"We need to make sure the guy dies anyway." Gremory says almost disappointed. "Might as well start with him. Seeing the tough guy fall cold on the ground should make the rest squirm deliciously."

"I'd like to see you try." You bark, your contempt for the pair reaching its peak.

"If you insist~" Both demons say in unison as they open their hands at their sides. A cold wind begins to blow from within the ballroom that causes your hair and clothes to shift back and forth.

The winds continue to pick up around you and Polka, but you both stand firm as the pair of demon sprites remain poised in their position in front of the cage that holds your friends. Your eyes stay locked on the two, waiting for them to make their move. As if to answer your desires, the wind suddenly shifts; leaving your proximity and forming a slow encircling perimeter around the edges of the dancefloor. It's a strange calm you sense, like being in the eye of a storm.

A dark gray mist then begins to form within the room, expanding and thickening with every passing second. Your body tenses up, your opponents are about to make their opening move. As the haze completely enshrouds the area, the shapes of the two demons vanish. Not being able to rely on your eyes any longer, you close them and listen. Only the sounds from the light jetstream that marks the edge of your arena, your own and Polka's breathing, and Pomu's defeated soft sobs, reach your ears.

Something alerting your senses registers all too late, as one of the demon girls appears from within the mist and slashes your side with her sharpened nails; cutting through the fabric of your clothes and drawing blood. You make a reactionary slash at her, but she giggles and fades back into the hazy shroud before your blade can connect.

"Anon!? You alright?" Polka gasps as she tries to hone in on your enemies.

"I'll be fine." You grunt as you clutch the spot where you were struck. "They're hiding in the mist somehow."

"That's right, handsome!" Kureha squeals as she appears from in front of you and grazes your leg with a sharp kick from her heels.

You make a vertical slash downward at the demon, who pierotes out of its path to then deliver a harsh kick to your stomach that knocks you backward. The fennec places her hands on the top of your back to help push you upright, where you motion to make a counterattack, but your enemy has already vanished once more.

"No more waiting for them to come to us!" You resolve as you step forward into the mist and try to pinpoint where either demon may be hiding. "Polka! You got anything to help clear this stuff?!"

"Maybe! But I can't conjure anything like this!" Polka says through strained breaths. "A little help?"

You turn in surprise to see the circus fox just barely managing to dodge direct strikes from both fairy imposters who surround her from within the mist. Gathering your mana and rage into your fist, you thrust your opening hand forward, and unleash a gale wind towards all three. The force takes everything by surprise at first, but both demons quickly retreat to the safety of their magical cover before the mist can be blown farther away from them. It's a start to know that you can actually influence this strange haze, and maybe even get rid of it for good with enough force behind your spell.

"Thanks Anon!" Polka chirps as she adjusts her hat before her eyes widen in shock. "Hey! Behind you!"

Another slash tears through your back from behind as you stumble forward. You scream from the hot pain of your skin tearing. When your knees hit the ground you bring your sword around for a retaliatory slash, only to catch the air. A black heeled shoe comes into your vision before you feel its pointed toe scrape into your cheek. The force of the giddy kick from the demon sends you rolling along the smoothened floor, faint splatters of blood from your face cover the floor along your path.

Through your ringing ears, you hear the struggling grunts of Polka who sounds like she is desperately trying to evade her own opponent's attacks. At least with her heightened senses she isn't getting hit with sneak attacks as badly as you are, but if you fall here, she won't stand a chance on her own. Time to get it together Anon! You need a plan!

"Don't lose focus, little human~" One of the demon's coos from above you as she begins to drop her heel towards you.

You roll to evade the pointed shoe before it can make contact; its hard stomp into the floor echoes throughout the room. The demon wears an eager smile as she looks to delight in hunting you down. Instead of retreating back to the mist, she merely takes long struts towards you, assuming you're weakened. Those last few hits you suffered still make you feel woozy, it's almost hard to focus your vision, even so, you rise to one knee and hold your sword forward to guard yourself.

"Hey Kureha! Stop playing with the little fox and come have some real fun!" Gremory calls out as she stops her advance towards her. "He's got an extra bright spark in his eyes. Those are the best kind to watch being snuffed out."

"Oh Gremory. You know just what I like to hear~" Kureha exclaims as she dodges another swing from Polka's baton meant for her head. "Sorry, clown, you know what they say? Business before pleasure."

Before Polka can retort, the demon opens her palm towards her, where a powerful dark wind that takes the shape of a hand wraps itself around the fennec's waist, and proceeds to fling her away towards the other end of the dancefloor. Polka yelps as she helplessly flies through the air before the winds that block anyone from exiting the main floor catch and cushion her landing.

Having a feeling you're about to fight a losing battle, you place your hand on the cover of the spell book strapped to your side and try something new. You focus hard, hard on the spell you want, the spell you NEED to cast right now. It might be all that saves you from the assault you're about to be under. Please work.

"Stellaruke!" You shout as the book responds in kind by glowing brightly. The veil of starlight covers your body at the last second to help you deflect a conjoined strike from the two demons in front of you. Your blade clangs against hardened nails as the two smiles in front of you grow wider and more sinister. They want to play? You'll play.

With renewed anger and purpose, you swing wildly at the pair who effortlessly dodge your swings. Each missed attack is met with consequences, as sharpened scratches and kicks tear through more of your clothes and draw blood. Those condescending and joyful laughs that accompany each pulse of pain you feel, brings a hot flash of rage to the forefront. Bringing your sword across your body, you only hit thin air again. To make matters worse, both girls flutter above you and deliver hard kicks into each of your shoulders, sending you flying backward, screaming in pain.

"Anon!" Polka shouts as she rushes to help you, but comes to a halt when she sees one of the demons place her foot on your neck.

"Not another step fox girl." Kureha demands.

"I don't know what the sorceress was so upset about." Gremory giggles as she grinds her own heel into your lower chest. "This summoner or whatever is a total pushover. What do you think will happen to the water spirit once we kill him anyway?"

"I don't know, Gremory." Kureha answers with growing intrigue. "Will she turn into a little puddle? Or maybe she'll die right along with him. I'm simply dying to find out. I wonder though. What does the little fairy think of all this?"

"How does it feel, fae!?" Gremory asks manically. "Your so-called friend is about to be at death's door, and it's all YOUR fault."

"Don't listen to a word they say, Pomu!" Polka says to the fairy who was slumped down onto her legs not too far away from the fox. "We'll figure a way out of this! We're going to find the fairies too! The real ones!"

"They're right though…" Pomu mutters. "It is my fault. If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't have come here in the first place…This is all happening because someone has been taking poor fairies prisoner. It's not fair that you guys have to suffer because of me."

"That's right!" Kureha bellows. "They are suffering because of you! You can do nothing but watch too! Watch as all these poor souls die!"

"If…If I give myself up and let that sorceress lady have me…Will you let my friends go?" Pomu asks.

"Now why would we-" Kureha starts before the hand of Gremory on her shoulder interrupts her. They look to be having a silent conversation of sorts before both wear even wider smiles.

"Now that is interesting." Gremory starts as she takes her foot off your chest while her partner removes hers from your neck, allowing you to get some much needed air back into your lungs. "They really mean that much to you don't they? Or maybe you're just trying to trick us?"

"No tricks." Pomu shakes her head as she rises to her feet. "You can take me away, lock me up, eat me, whatever. Just promise you'll let all my friends go. I don't want to see them get hurt anymore more…not because of me."

"That's it huh?" You say through haggard breaths as you try to rise. Gremory apparently does not like you butting into what they might consider negotiations, so she kicks your side hard, sending you rolling a few feet away from the pair.

"Hey! I said!" Pomu starts, angry that you were hit again.

"He was interrupting us." Gremory grins.

"Is that really all you got!?" You raise your voice as you rise to your feet with the help of your sword.

"Oh I got plenty." The demon spits back as she and Kureha disappear once more into the mist. "We were just in the middle of negotiations, but if you're so eager to die, we will be glad to help with that!"

"Is that really how you want this to end, Pomu!?" You shout, your voice booming in the dancehall as your anger grows even higher.

"Anon…but I can't be the reason you guys get hurt…you're the only friends I have left." Pomu starts to cry. "I don't want to lose you!"

"Then fight! Are you really going to let these guys get away with everything they did to you!?" You scold the fairy with your back turned to her. Your eyes focus on where you hope the demon pair is lurking in front of you.

"I don't want to…but what can I do? I'm just Pomu…."

"You can fight with everything you have! Fight for what you believe in, for your friends, for yourself! Was all that stuff about wanting to be brave and a real hero just a lie!?" You shout in anger again.

"No!" Pomu argues back. "It wasn't a lie! I promised I would only tell you the truth, remember!?"

"Then prove it!" You roar as mana and resolve begin to swell to the surface within you. "Fight for the things you care about! Never give in to those who want to take the very things you hold dear away from you! Fight them with all you have. Prove to everyone that Pomu Rainpuff is not someone who will just roll over and die!"

A storm begins to reach its peak within you, you can't contain it any longer. There was so much anger and frustration swirling within you right now, so much rage. You hated what the master of this castle has done to the forest, to the fairies, to Pomu. You hate the demons that tried to hurt your friends, you hate these demons even more for trying to break Pomu's spirit. You hate the pain that pulses from your wounds with each beat of your heart. If you want Pomu to fight for what she believes in, you need to show her how to ignite that spark. Unleash the winds in your heart!

With a loud roar, your own mana bubbles to the surface, uncontrolled and unrestrained, as a pulse of light green wind mana comes from your very being and cuts away the darkened mist that surrounds the ballroom floor. With their means of hiding removed, both demons are exposed within the air, their faces painted with shock when they realize their magic has been undone.

Polka wastes no time, and points her baton at one of the girls in flight. She creates a stream of red ribbon that wraps itself around the demon's sprite's waist and commands it to begin to tighten around her. The fennec then waves her hand, and the ray of purple mana that springs forth creates a small trampoline right under the suspended demon. You run forward, pushing past all the pain you feel, all for the chance to finally quell your rage. With a big bend of your legs, you jump onto the launch pad that springs you up to the hovering girl's level. Gremory, Kureha, it didn't matter which one it was, but they looked at you with such shock as you brought your sword overhead, as you wore what you hoped to be a delighted grin on your face. The blade of your sword collides with the raised arm of the demon that you noticed was now sporting a dark red mana coat, but the impact still sends it hurling down into the ground with a loud crash.

"Gremory!" Kureha yells as she flies to the aid of her comrade. Good, you think you hate Gremory slightly more.

You land on your feet and buckle slightly from the fall, but quickly stand tall once more.

"Thanks for the setup, Polka." You turn and give the fennec an appreciative smile. "Damn I needed that!"

"Anytime, Anon!" Polka cheers as she gives you a thumbs up.

"I hope you were watching, Pomu." You say as you turn your head back towards your enemies, who look to have recovered from your surprise attack. "You're not the only one who has promises to keep. I promised to save your forest and your family. I would never abandon you, even if it cost me my life! I vow to protect all things! People and spirits from anything evil that seeks to harm our world."

"T-Thank you!" Pomu says muffled with her hand over her mouth as she begins to sob even more. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I've been such a cowardly Rainpuff"

"What do you want to do about it then?" You ask sternly. "Are you going to be a big boss and fight? Or are you going to let these jerks just get away with trying to hurt you and your friends?"

"I-I'm going to fight! I'm going to kick their asses!" Pomu shouts back as she slaps the cheeks of her face.

"Yeah right. We're gonna slice your bodies to ribbons, then your hearts." Gremory snarls as she and Kureha had just finished creating another wave of dark mist for them to vanish into.

You and Polka try to ready yourselves for any possible attack that is bound to be coming your way. Pomu on the other hand, whose entire body is starting to sparkle with a light green glow, kneels and puts one hand to the ground. From her palm, a magic circle that takes the shape of a flower forms along the floor, growing wider and wider with each passing second.

While your eyes wish to observe the magic Pomu is creating for your own curiosity, you force yourself to focus on the battle. A dash of movement at the corner of your eyes causes you to turn to see Kureha's pointed hand coming for your throat. Her wrist stops just short of connecting her sharp nails to your jugular, causing you to look at each other in surprise. The demon struggles to regain control of her arm from the strange black gloved hand that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. You wiggly limb back to its source to find that it was growing right out of the magic circle Pomu created. This strange and almost rubbery appendage had stopped the fairy imposter's attack before it could reach you!

Now that your opponent isn't going anywhere, you cock your one fist back and deliver a hard right hook to the demon's cheek, knocking her down onto the floor. Next you hear the forest fairy snicker mischievously behind you as she sounds to be pushing her magic even further.

The shocked screams of Gremory come next as two of Pomu's magically grown erratic arms pull her out of the mist by her ankles. The demon is dragged along her back slightly until she is greeted by the face of a very excited fennec, who now holds a giant black mallet in her two hands. With a mighty heave of her arms, Polka raises the hammer high overhead, before bringing it down with all her might onto the demon sprite's head. The sound of hardened rubber against Gremory's skull makes a very satisfying "bonk" that plays like the sweetest music to Polka's ears.

"Our faces!" Both demons howl in a pitch that borders on painful, causing you to wince from their sudden joint whining.

"Gremory! Let's show no mercy!" Kureha screeches as she recovers from your blow and rises herself high into the air with a few flaps of her wings.

"Anyone who dares leave a mark on this beautiful face deserves to die a hundred deaths!" Gremory answers as she slashes through the arms that still hold her ankles and flies up to where her comrade hovers.

Both demon girls point their open palms toward the three of you. A mighty wind starts to form from their mana, hoping to knock you all off your feet. As you begin to stumble back, you can see the pair swoop down at you, ready to strike. Pomu rises and stands in front of you, her magic erupting to create a wall of wind to deflect the oncoming attackers.

Angered at the unexpected hindrance, Kureha makes a mad swipe through the wind to get to Polka, only to have her clawed nails stopped by your sword. You grin at the angered demon sprite as you place an open hand against her thinly covered midriff.

"Stellar!" Polka chants from behind you. The beam of starlight that erupts from your hand carries the Kureha all the way to the opposite end of the dancefloor where she is forced to collide with the wall of wind she and her partner had created to keep you all inside. Gremory looks behind her in panic, and stops her assault to break through Pomu's defenses to regroup with the other sprite demon.

"What the hell was that!?" Kureha growls as she quickly runs some of the smoke and dust out of her hat.

"I don't know! That wasn't even mana! No more fooling around! We kill that summoner, now!" Gremory hisses as she helps the other demon to her feet.

"But will you be able to find him?" Pomu says smugly as she lets loose another spell, this time a cloud of smoke puffs around the three of you, and you suddenly start to feel…different.

You see the two demonic sprites raise their wings to begin flight, but their determined and angered expressions quickly shift to confusion once the smoke clears. Your own confusion starts to mount until you notice that your arms are covered by the same thin, black arm warmers that Pomu wears…and they are also smaller than normal. You look down to see very dainty girl hands in front of your face, along with the leaf green frills of Pomu's skirt covering some of your body, along with uncovered legs! The metal clang of your sword hitting the ground resounds as you quickly touch your face all over, only to realize it is very much NOT your face.

"Woah! Check you out, Anon!" Polka says as you turn to her voice only to find Pomu's face looking at you with astonishment, along with another Pomu grinning at you smugly.

"Me!? Look at you!" You snap back, almost in a panic. This causes the fennec to look herself up, down, and around.

"Check ME out!" Polka chirps. "I'm Pomu now!"

"I'm Pomu! You're Pomu!" The actual Pomu chirps from between you both. "We're all Pomu!"

"I do NOT want to be Pomu!" You snap before forcing yourself to prepare for battle again. You may look like a blond forest fairy, but you're still Anon! Hopefully Pomu can undo this spell before you start having thoughts about trashy novels.

"Meddlesome trickster!" Gremory spits. "Now what?! We can't tell which one is the summoner. If we kill the actual fae first, that's hours of fun we'll miss out on."

"Calm down, Gremory." Kureha commands before her attention is drawn to the two forest sprites who have flanked her amidst the confusion.

"Stellaruga!" The Pomu, not part of the formation, yells, putting all eyes on her.

One of the flanking Pomu has her one arm extended, as a powerful beam of spiraling starlight shoots from her palm. The blast drills into Kureha's chest and sends the demon and her partner flying backward until the dwindling beam lets them drop to the floor.

When the two demons begin to rise, their frustrated growls grow louder to match the menacing aura of red mana both begin to exude. One of the Pomu involved with the direct assault lets out a confident giggle as she tosses an assortment of colorful balls in her hand. She then throws the spheres hard against the ground which create clouds of purple, red, blue, and pink smoke on impact.

"Hiding again?!" Kureha yells in frustration. "Let's see how long your little smokescreen lasts!"

With a flap of her webbed wings, Kureha creates a powerful gust that blows away the colorful smoke in an instant. Again, three proud and smug Pomu stare back at the demonic pair.

"This is ridiculous! Let's just pick one and kill them!" Gremory barks.

"I think I see how that strange book works. The fox must be the one who can chant the spells. That one!" Kureha points to one of the Pomu who stands further away from the others, brazenly holding the silver-white spell book under her arm. "The spells don't come from her. Let's get her Gremory!"

Gremory and Kureha lift off the ground and soar towards the targeted Pomu with blinding speed. They would rend their prey this time, the other two would not be able to intercept them in time. Then…why is the Pomu who looks back at them smiling so confidently?

"Stellashield!" You shout as your faithful shield spell takes form in front of you, just in time for both demons to collide with it head first.

The shock of the impact knocks both girls flat as they reel from the stars they must now see. Your counterattack isn't over yet, not by a long shot. The genuine Pomu runs up to Gremory who is trying to push herself off the ground to stand again. The fairy hunches over the demon's body to then wrap her arms around each ankle. Pomu then begins to pull the imposter fairy's legs as hard as she can towards the front of her pinned foe. Gremory gasps from the pain of her limbs being forced to bend in a way they are certainly not supposed to, as she pounds the ground in front of her with her fist.

"This Pomu is gonna teach you a thing or two about close quarters combat! The hard way!" Pomu grunts loudly as she bends backwards to pull Gremory's legs even further.

"You uppity forest freak!" Kureha spits as she stumbles to help her comrade, hands raised as thick coats of red mana create even longer nails over her fingers. Before she can offer her partner any aid, your starlight veiled fist lands right into her cheek and sends her skidding along the ground on her side.

You begin to press your advantage and step towards your downed opponent, but your legs hesitate when her eyes fire open and her face contorts to something unsettling. Both demons are pushed to their breaking point; they scream out, causing pulses of dark mana to ripple through the entire castle ballroom. You're lifted off your feet and flung backwards through the air. Pomu's shocked gasps tell you she was also taken off guard by the sudden influx of magical energy.

After you land and regain your bearings, you see that your legs are no longer bare, and your arms are back to their normal thickness. You breathe a sigh of relief to know that you must look like yourself again.

"Anon, Pomu! You guys okay!?" Polka says as she runs up to you and the fairy who lays face first into the ground beside you. The fennec is also returned to her normal clown appearance.

"A-Okay!" Pomu muffles into the floor with an arm raised to give Polka a thumbs up.

"I'm alright too." You groan slightly as you help Pomu up along with you.

"That was some nasty mana those two just threw at us." Polka says, relieved that you and the fairy weren't hurt by the blast. "Give me the spell book, Anon. We're going to finish this with the biggest spell you got!"

"You got it, Polka!" You grin as you hand your tome over to the determined fox. These demons have been pretty resilient so far, and you still have friends who will stay trapped until they're put down for good. The fifth spell is the best chance you have right now to make that happen.

"Count on me to help!" Pomu says with her own determination flashing in her eyes. "I'll fight right alongside you, Anon."

"That's what I like to hear." You say to the fairy, your own confidence rising. "With you and me giving them more than they can handle, and Polka supporting us, there's no way we can lose now!"

"And don't forget this!" Polka chirps as you catch your sword that the fennec tosses to you by its handle.

"Thanks Polka! You ready Pomu?"

"I've never been more ready! Let's dish out some fairy justice!" Pomu responds with building hype.

While you have been regrouping and forming your own strategy, the demonic sprites have been putting their own plan into action. A dark, almost black mist blows out of both their mouths and fills the room more and more. The air around you that is blanketed by the dark haze feels heavy, and breathing immediately becomes harder, as if you were trying to breathe underwater.

"Stellar!" Polka shouts from behind you, and your body reacts to raise your open palm towards the demon pair to fire a blast of starlight at them. Your blast is easily dodged by the two splitting up, but Polka's true goal for the spell was realized; stopping the imposter fairies from further filling the room with that harmful mist, and also clearing some of it from the air in the process.

"Go get 'em! I got your backs!" Polka encourages you. "Stellaruke!"

With the air a little lighter, and the beaming smile from the circus fox cheering you on, you urge yourself to push the pain and fatigue you feel to the side for now. Sword raised, you charge forward towards Gremory alongside Pomu, the forest fairy already priming a wind spell between her two hands. The winged demon was hoping to stay out of your reach by flying higher off the ground, but that won't save her from you.

"Jump Anon!" Pomu suddenly instructs, to which you follow without hesitation. As soon as your one leg hikes up, the forest fairy casts her spell from behind you. You keep your eyes locked on the demon above you, who looks back with confidence and eagerness to shred you with the elongated claws of mana she has made for herself. Your foot then surprisingly finds grounding in mid-air, allowing you to take a step further towards the demon, and then another. A bright grin forms on your face as you realize Pomu had created a series of steps along the wind to take you right up to the smug devil sprite. The blade of your sword sings through the air with your slash aimed at the girl's neck, who in turn guards with her long claws. While your edge is kept from reaching her skin, the impact of your blow staggers Gremory in mid-air, and leaves her open to an attack from behind; an opening Pomu is all too happy to take advantage of. The forest fairy flies above and brings her heel down on Gremory's shoulder, digging into the space where her back and wing connect.

The vain demon falls to the ground with a loud thud; a cloud of that unsettling black mist erupts around her after her landing. Knowing that would be bad to inhale, Pomu flutters her wings and takes your hand in both of hers and through great effort, hovers you both safely out of the noxious cloud's range. She then safely lets you down on the ground and gives her wings a chance to rest while she leans forward panting.

"Sheesh! That was a lot harder than I thought." She says between breaths. "Does that shiny starlight thing you got going add ten extra pounds or something?"

"It could for all I know." You shrug as you look over at Polka who is doing her best to keep Kureha at bay by balancing herself atop a rolling circus ball. "That was great though, Pomu! Please go give Polka a hand. I'll keep the other one busy!"

The forest fairy nods to and wills herself to run towards the struggling fennec, who just barely dodges another slash meant for her head, causing her to fall off her ball. Polka will not be outdone so easily though, from the head of her baton comes an explosion of confetti and ribbons; the sparks of glitter land right in Kureha's eyes, causing her to reel back from the pain and discomfort.

"Why do you even bother fighting for that failure!?" Gremory spits venomously at you as she rises, her eyes glazed with hatred and bloodlust toward you.

"Because she's my friend!" You shout back while you run to slash at the demon, who meets your blade with her own raised knee. "And she's no failure! You're just mad she's dupped you at every turn since she joined this battle."

"Not a failure huh!?" Gremory mocks as you duck a slash meant for your face with those enhanced nails of hers, and bring your sword about to clash with her. "If she's not a failure, then why is her forest in such a sorry state? I'll tell you why, because she failed! She failed to protect the very thing she was charged with. Every single one of her gross fairy friends are also gone because of her."

"Shut your mouth!" You scream as your anger fuels your sword arm, cutting through the deep red mana coat extending from Gremory's fingers. You thrust your sword aimed for her stomach, but she jumps backward and flutters herself a couple feet off the ground.

"Don't hate us just for telling the truth." Kureha says innocently while she uses her wings to create a dark wind that blows Polka and Pomu away from her. "She let the entire forest of fae down. She will let you down next. You're all going to die here because of her."

The lies coming from both demon girls' mouths carry through the air like they had physical form, and begin to gnaw at your brain. You hold your head as a deep pounding is felt in your temples. Your heart knows they are just foul words to get you to doubt yourself. Then why do they give you such pause?

Taking advantage of your hesitation, both demons disappear into the thickening mist, and their evil laughter begins to come from every angle. Your sword starts to feel heavy in your grip, your wounds sting and burn with every beat of your pulse. Breathing becomes harder and harder with every attempt to fill your lungs. Are you really spent? You look down at your shaking hand to see the starlight from the spell has faded away, you can feel your connection to Polka through your book wane as well, the fennec is losing her own strength.

The weight from the air around you becomes too much, you drop to one knee. Every gasp that tries to reinvigorate you seems to be having the opposite effect. It's like your very life is being pulled out of your body. You can't give in, not yet. You promised Pomu you would protect her, and her forest!

"Husband need help!" Nene growls as she tries to break through the demonic magic that seals them within their iron prison, her clawed fists slash at the bars.

"Nene, that won't work!" Flare scolds as she grips Nene's shoulders firmly to hold her back from possibly making things worse and wasting her own strength.

"We need to help Anon somehow…" Watame laments. "Undine, can you phase through the bars?"

"I am afraid not." Undine shakes her head. "Since powerful dark magic is the true lock of our entrapment, I would simply be stopped as if I were trying to walk through a walk in my physical state. However, there is one thing you possess that can pass through these bars."

The sheep looks blankly at the water spirit's smile for a moment, before her eyes light up in discovery of the answer. Watame reaches into her pouch and retrieves the wooden flute given to her by Mayla of the Talonclaw tribe. She takes a deep breath, and plays a single note that pierces the battlefield and reaches your ears.

The familiar melody that you remember hearing when you and Flare were out of options during your rite of ascension begins to carry through the mist. It is so uplifting, and reminds you of that wondrous feeling of freedom you felt when you were carried across an entire ravine by the winds of nature. Freedom…something all living things should have a right to experience. Someone is trying to take that freedom away from Pomu, her kin, and even the forest. You won't give up. Watame believes in you!

It was as though Watame's song gave you a second wind! You feel reinvigorated, strong, and light as a feather. That sheep you love so much comes through for you just when you need her the most again. The gentle reminder of her very being that you can feel within her music, fills you with resolve. Just like how you knew helping her was the right thing to do on that fateful day you both met, you know that helping Pomu is the right thing to do now. You will not waste this second chance that your favorite sheep has trusted you with. It's time to break them free.

"Go ahead! Waste your breath!" You shout into the dark haze as you rise up. "You won't break me! You won't break Pomu either!"

"That's right!" Pomu shouts as she jumps to your side. "I've done nothing but doubt myself ever since the forest started getting sick. Well I'm SICK of that! And I'm SICK of both of you!"

"Fool yourselves all you want!" Gremory spits from within the mist. "It'll just make your final breaths all the more satisfying to hear."

"Sorry you crude copycats, but we have another performance to get to. You two aren't worth being in the finale!" Polka sneers as the book in her grip glows brightly.

Angered by her taunting, one of the winged demons emerges from the mist and glides straight for Polka, seeking to end her life right there. You step between the two and hold the flat of your blade up in defense of the circus fox. Kureha flaps her wings and pushes against you, but you don't budge. With a mighty yell, you jab your blade forward and disengage with the enraged girl.

"Stellaruga!" Polka yells, sending a powerful beam of starlight right into the chest of your stunned foe, carrying her back into the dark mist. "And! Stellashield!"

The book guides Polka's thoughts and intentions right into your heart, you step to her front so your shield spell can materialize to protect you all from Gremory's sudden assault of dark wind magic. The force from the demon's spell cuts through the edges of your celestial barrier, but you and Polka push harder to keep it intact.

"One more blast, Anon! I'm gonna make it a big one too! Let's cut through the darkness and reveal those harpies!" Polka cheers. "You know what to do next? Right Pomu?"

"Get back at those two meanies for hurting my friends? Then yes! I know EXACTLY what to do." Pomu grins as the glow of light green mana shines brightly in her balled fists.

"That's what we love to hear! Here we go! Charge! Stellar!" The fennec sounds off, making your spells move in quick succession.

The stored energy from your shield helps create a wide blast of starlight that disperses the dark mist that comes into contact with its bright light. As Polka keeps the spell flowing, you move your arm to sweep more of the harmful haze away, until both demon sprites are routed from their hiding places.

"You two…are the worst!" Pomu shouts with bite as she lowers herself to the ground and places both of her radiating hands against the floor. A magic circle appears along the floor and quickly grows wider and wider, until it covers the entire ballroom floor. "I HATE that my forest is dying, and that my friends and family are all missing. But do you know what I hate even more?"

Gremory and Kureha look at the forest fairy with false confidence. You can see the uncertainty they try so hard to hide behind their eyes. They are now starting to realize that they tried to trick the wrong fairy today.

"I hate that you tried to use the love I have for my forest and other fairies to trick me! And then you wanted to hurt my friends!? Friends who are risking everything to help me!? You can try to hurt me, deceive me, even kill me. But hurting my friends is something I'll NEVER ignore. You're both UNFORGIVABLE!"

Pomu's anger pushes her magic to new heights, creating two giant wiggly black arms that resemble her own to sprout from the ground behind her. The fairy's eyes stare down the demons with burning hatred as she wills her creations to dart forward and snatch both of them in their grasps before they can manage to escape. Their grip tightens as the breath from the pair is forcibly exhaled.

With your enemies cornered and restrained, you sheath your sword and prepare yourself for the final blow. Polka responds to both your will and the bravery of the fae by pouring all the energy she can into the spell book; its light rising to almost blinding levels.

"The fifth spell! Urou Stellaruga!" Polka roars with passion as the light from the spell begins to instantly erupt and overtake your body.

Your arms reach for the skies, sending the light that radiates around your body upwards where it spirals and forms the giant bear of starlight that hungers for battle. The shining light makes it hard to see clearly, but you can make out just enough to see the panicked expressions on Gremory's and Kureha's faces at the sight of your strongest spell. They deserve no mercy for what they've done. Deceiving Pomu into thinking she found her loved ones, just so they can get some sick glee from her despair. They deserve death! Crush them Urou!

The celestial bear that towers above you all roars again in response to your desires, and takes a mighty step forward. It then lunges and brings its foreclaws down on the pair of screaming demon girls, slamming them into the hard floor with a mighty crash. Polka yells, putting the last of her power and will into the spell to cause the great bear to raise itself onto its back legs, and then drive its mighty paws back down onto the pair of imposters.

The demons lay into the crevice your spell had created, broken. With their last of their life fleeting, a faint hiss travels along the now silent battlefield, as both vanish into nothing. The celestial bear roars in victory before it vanishes into the air in a triumphant twinkle of lights. You start to regain your full senses and fall onto your knees. The sound of Polka hitting the ground behind you forces you turn to make sure the fennec is okay. You see Polka with her arm over the shoulders of Pomu as the fairy helps support her likely very drained friend. The first time casting that spell is always a doozy for anyone.

The relieved voices of your friends who had been trapped reach your ears as they all hurry to meet you all in the middle of the ballroom. You're relieved to know that they're all okay, and that killing the demons actually freed them. Your heart urges you to give each of them a big hug, but your body simply doesn't have the means to right now as you fall backwards to lay on your back.

"Anon! You're okay!" Watame says through excitable tears as she stands over you. "Did it work!? My new song?!"

"You bet it did!" You say through a wide smile. "And like I knew it would be, it was magical and worth the wait."

This causes the sheep to blush slightly as a proud smile forms on her lips.

"It worked for Nene too!" Nene declares as she helps support Polka by her other arm. "Nene say we smash rest of castle and find fairies now."

"I'm game for that." You say as you look up at the chandelier that hangs from the ceiling; all its candles extinguished due to the chaos of your battle. Thankfully the surrounding braziers along the walls provided enough light to see everything clearly.

"You're not game for anything yet!" Flare scolds you as she sits on her folded legs beside you. "Look at you! You're cut almost everywhere!"

"They're mostly dried out already….mostly." You grumble.

"Hush." The half-elf demands as she motions for Watame to help you to an upright position. With adrenaline no longer pumping throughout your whole body, you are actually starting to feel the full damage of the injuries the pair of spiteful sprites inflicted on you. As if all the cuts and bruises you suffer weren't enough, you will definitely need a tailor after all this…great.

"Polka. Bandage me. Watame, lend me a hand, please." Flare says as she holds one hand towards the fennec, and the other gently against your back to keep you steady. "Anon. Shirt. Off."

You think to argue with the half-elf and tell her that you're fine, but you know when she's made up her mind, there is little you can do to change it. Resigning yourself to her care, you quickly remove the top half of your clothing and let Flare do whatever she feels she has to. The way she and Watame gently graze your bare skin with their gentle touches, sends pleasurable shivers down your spine. It almost makes you wish more of you needed medical attention if only to keep their fingers against you more.

"Hold his arms up for me, Watame." Flare instructs next. "We'll need to do a full wrap around for a couple of the spots where they got your chest and back."

"Mhmm!" Watame hums as she raises both your arms straight out. It's almost a little strange to be posed and moved around like some sort of doll, but you are already feeling a little better as your wounds continue to be covered.

"Soooo, would you say this counts as your clothes being in 'tatters'?" Flare asks playfully as she tightens the final stretch of white medical strips around your body to cover one of the wounds along your back.

"No." You say flatley. "You know, if you want to see that outfit again so badly, you could just cash in that favor you still have."

"Trust me, I've considered it." The half-elf says with a grin, making you question if she truly had been, or if she's just calling your bluff. You both hate and love how she challenges you like this.

"Speaking of Anon showing some skin." Polka starts from her seat on the ground a couple feet away from you. "Did you guys happen to see that awesome magic Pomu used on the three of us?"

"Are you referring to when she gave you all her appearance?" Undine asks.

"Yup! So how did it feel, Anon?" Polka then asks with very keen interest.

"I've had worse experiences." You say truthfully. Although it was definitely not your favorite thing to suddenly be bare legged and questioning what of yours is or isn't there, there are certainly worse things that have happened. Things involving a certain coyote specifically.

"I gotta admit. It was pretty cool watching another me sock one of those girls in the face." Pomu says with a chuckle. "I'm surprised how quickly you two just went along with it. I didn't even have to explain what was going on."

"I'm no stranger to confusing my opponents." Polka says proudly. "I knew exactly what you were up to the second I saw Anon rocking those awesome legs of yours."

"Despite how Polka may have figured out your strategy, it was just what we needed to change the tide of that battle." You add. "I also really liked that thing you did that made all the wiggly arms. That was so cool."

"I'm still kinda sorry I froze up for a while." Pomu says, looking down for a few seconds from her own resting seat before lifting her head. "Thanks for giving me a needed kick in the toosh Anon."

"And I'll give you another if you ever think about giving up like that again." You say warmly. "Even if something seems impossible or too heavy to carry on your own, just remember that I'm here too. I'm not going to let you carry that weight all on your own."

"Same here!" Polka nods.

"And me!" Watame beams.

"Nene too. Nene help Anon protect nature." Nene chimes in.

"You'll always have me to back you all up too." Flare adds as she finally gives you your shirt back, which you take graciously and pull it down over your head. As your eyes just poke out of the neckhole, you could have sworn you saw a hint of disappointment on Watame's and Flare's eyes. You can properly address that later.

"Well, with all that out of the way. I'm a little surprised our host hasn't checked in on us at all." You say to bring everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

"It is rather strange that she has been silent for this long." Undine agrees.

"Back when she was talking to us in the dungeon, she said she had more important matters to attend to." Watame brings up. "We thought that meant she was trying to focus on stopping you from tearing down the castle while we looked for the fairies."

"Maybe she thinks her trap for Pomu couldn't fail?" Flare proposes. "But I'm still curious about what else she could be planning."

"Only one way to find out!" Polka says as she stretches to a stand. "I say we keep going up!"

With no better ideas, everyone agrees and begins to make for the opposing doorway that reveals another flight of stairs. Flare helps you up to your feet and begins to walk too, before you reach forward and take both her and Watame by their hands to stop them.

"Hey you two." You start, causing them both to turn and look at you curiously. "Thanks for patching me up. And for helping us win that fight. I couldn't have done it without you two."

"I didn't really do anything to help you win though, Anon." Flare shrugs, but looks to bask in your gratitude anyway. "Watame's song was the only thing that could make it through that cage."

"Yeah, but who pushed me, Pomu, and Polka out of the way so we wouldn't get caged in the first place?" You remind the half-elf with a smile. "You both saved our butts out there, so thanks."

"I always got your back, Anon!" Watame beams as she gives you a tight hug, which sends a mix of soft fluffy bliss, and sharp pain through your body.

"Yeowch!" You try to yelp softly. "Still a little tender there, Watame. Can we save the extra big hugs for when we're out of here, and my wounds have had a little more time to heal?"

"Oops! Sorry!" The sheep says as she quickly lets you go, looking a little embarrassed. You reassure her with a soft pat on the head, which immediately brings back her smile.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest a few more minutes?" Flare then asks. "Watame and I will be able to take the lead in the next fight, but you'll probably find a way to jump in anyway. I'm sorry I don't know any healing magic yet. You'd be fully ready if I did."

"Yet?" You raise your eyebrow. "I thought healing magic wasn't your style?"

"It isn't!" Flare says bashfully. "But if you're just going to keep getting yourself hit like that, SOMEONE is going to have to be able to patch you up fully afterward."

"I don't know." You say a bit playfully, seeing a prime opportunity to tease the half-elf further. "I kinda like the bandage approach you took. Makes me feel rugged and manly. Besides, I might get careless if I begin to count on you to just stitch me up with magic after each battle. You were right about one thing you said back at Pomu's. A skilled warrior probably wouldn't get as banged up as I do, so I got a lot of improving to do."

"We won't stop improving either!" Watame declares with a big flex of one of her arms. "We'll keep making each other better and better!"

"Watame's got that right!" Flare happily joins in. "Now let's find Pomu's family and turn this place to rubble. I've had more than my fill of it already."

You reflect the confidence and resolved looks the sheep and half-elf give you. You know you'll all reach brand new heights together. Nothing can hold you back when you are moving forward for the sake of one another.

After taking the stairs that start just past the ballroom's exit, Nene's nose seems to catch the scent of something interesting. She diligently leads the group to the next floor and begins to follow her olfactory senses through the castle corridors. You and Polka follow close alongside her to make sure nothing takes advantage of the simple girl's diverted attention to try and land a cheap shot on her. Nene soon stops in front of a set of larger wooden doors and points to it with conviction.

"There! Nene nose lead her here!" She says before kicking the doors open with a single hiked leg.

Beyond the doors is the makings of a simple castle kitchen. Shelves line both walls stretching down the room that are covered with all manner of foods. A simple brick oven complete with a metal grate and cooking spit rests at the end of the room, along with more than enough table space to prepare dishes that wouldn't require a heat source. The sight of something edible makes more than one stomach growl at once. Nene wastes no time charging into the room, and begins to gather everything she can from the shelves before dropping them all on top of one of the prepping tables next to the fireplace.

"H-Hold on, Nene!" Flare pleads, as Watame and Pomu begin to do the same. "Guys! How do we know this stuff is even safe to eat!?"

"Hey. Even mad sorceresses need to eat." You shrug as you and Undine walk into the kitchen and begin to eye your choices. This kitchen was fully stocked! Cuts of meat, preserved vegetables and fruits, cheeses, and even particularly mouth watering loaves of bread. You begin to fill your arms with a few slabs of meat and cheese while your eyes are caught by the couple of kegs that are standing a few feet away from you.

"Did anyone start that fire yet!?" You ask as you begin to walk your arms full of food down towards the cooking area.

"I got it, Anon!" Polka calls back, who then leans down and gives the set of wooden logs under the metal grate within the oven a quick light with a flame that appears from her forefinger after a loud snap.

With what only could be seen as organized chaos, everyone proceeds to gather, prepare, and cook. As you lay out the slabs of beef on the smooth wooden cutting table, you take a bite from one of the loaves of bread you grabbed along the way. With so many bottled spices to choose from off the rack that hangs on the wall in front of you, you decide to just go with a few simple, but tried and true options; salt, pepper, and a few mixed green herbs to balance out the flavor.

Nene is already heating an entire chunk of meat as she turns the cooking spit with mouth watering anticipation. It doesn't look like she bothered to season or cut it at all, but whatever works for her, you guess.

Polka looks to be next in line to use the fire as she had already finished cutting a chuck of meat into even strips that are spread out on an iron skillet. Watame and Pomu seem more than content tearing through the different breads and veggies they found. Undine put herself in charge of liquid refreshments as she uses her own command over water to will the clear liquid from one of the kegs into the line of drinking glasses she had spread out along one of the countertops.

Nene then takes her cooked beef off of the fire by the spit's handle and begins to take eager bites into the browned sustenance. Polka happily then holds her skillet over the roaring fire and begins to watch her meal sear and cook.

With your own preparations complete, you decide to investigate one of the other kegs you had your eye on while you wait for the fire to be free. After you pull its wooden lid out of the way, you are hit with the smell of sweet red wine. That might go perfectly with your meal, and something to help take the edge off a little never hurt either.

"Fire's all yours Anon!" Polka announces as she begins to immediately dig into her seared meat cubes with a fork.

"Thanks Polka!" You reply as you leave the wine for later so that you can finally begin to heat your seasoned beef to perfection.

The skillet the circus fox had just used had the perfect amount of fat lining its iron surface. The slices of meat you place on it begin to sizzle instantly. Cooking over a hot fire was always something that was strangely satisfying and relaxing for you. The warmth of the fire along with the blended smell of flavors rolling on the air, and the sight of your own culinary creation progressing on its journey to become a delectable masterpiece, were all things you could let yourself get lost in, and that wasn't even the best part.

Once you are satisfied with the color and degree of searing your seasoned steaks have, you remove the skillet from the fire and move both large pieces onto a large plate you had set aside. With a fork and knife, you quickly cut a small piece and give your creation a taste. Delightfully firm yet has some give, and the seasoning you gave it is just subtle enough to be enjoyed while not overpowering the flavor of the meat itself. Yup. This is definitely servable. You immediately begin to lay the rest of the meat slices you have cut onto the pan and place it back over the fire. While you wait for each side to cook all the way through, you continue to work through the cuts you had heated first. The revitalization you feel from getting some real food in you almost makes you want to cry. You decide to add a little something extra to the skillet as well halfway through; some potatoes you quickly cut into finger length strips. The spuds begin to fry excellently within the secreted animal fat.

By the time your own meal is almost completely gone, the rest of the meat and the potatoes are cooked to browned perfection. With four more plates you found within arms reach, you place an even amount of meat and potatoes on each, except for the one meant for Watame, that one you loaded up with more of your fried potatoes.

"Yo! Undine, Flare, Watame, Pomu! Food's done!" You call over the girls who converse with each other in the middle of the kitchen area, happily drinking from the glasses Undine had given them.

Watame and Pomu eagerly skip over to you at the mention of more food, while Flare looks on a little surprised.

"Anon? You cooked for us?" Flare asks.

"You bet!" You grin as you hand Watame her personal plate of crispy potato straws. "I haven't really had a chance to do this for any of you yet, and with all this good stuff here, I couldn't resist! The taste kicks ass too, if I do say so myself."

"Thank you very much, summoner. I feel this is just what we needed to refuel ourselves for the coming battles ahead." Undine gratefully says as she takes one of the plates you set out and takes it to one of the side countertops so that she can properly cut her food.

"This is amazing!" Watame says with sparkles in her eyes as she eats the cooked spuds with lightning speed. It was good that the sheep did not seem to be bothered by the fact they were fried in the fat of the meat, very good to know for future reference.

"Ohhhh~ A summoner and a gourmet chef!?" Pomu remarks as she digs into her own plate. "Got any other talents you're hiding from me?"

"He's an excellent body pillow too." Flare says smugly through her own tinged cheeks as she takes the plate you hand her, while you make no effort to hide your embarrassment from her comment.

Before Pomu can add her own fuel to the fire, Nene and Polka are both suddenly at her sides and eyeing the cooked food on her plate; Nene quickly wipes a bit of drool from her mouth with her arm.

"You both should try some of mine!" Pomu smiles genuinely, to which Polka immediately stabs her fork into a large cut chunk, while Nene simply grabs a few pieces with her hands, and they both take a bite.

"This is pretty good, Anon!" Polka says after swallowing. "I had no idea you knew your way around a kitchen."

"This makes husband even better~" Nene coos as she looks to be basking in the flavors as she chews.

"I haven't been in many kitchens yet, but if I got some food and a fire to cook it over, I'm pretty confident I can make something more than halfway decent." You say as you let their teasing roll off your back as you take the compliments it comes with. "My dad taught me a lot about cooking your own meals when he was raising me. I'm glad to see some of it really stuck. Oh! There's one more thing it needs though!"

You walk back over to the wine cask and start dipping empty stemmed glasses into it to fill them with the enticing red liquor. As you fill more, Undine comes and offers to help distribute them.

"I feel I did not offer you proper congratulations on your previous victory, summoner." The water spirit says to you on one of her return trips. "I would also like to thank you for helping Pomu like you did. It seems you truly shined a light within her very soul."

"Thanks Undine." You smile at the affections and praise from your dear friend. "I just knew deep in my heart that helping that funny little fairy is the right thing to do. I know neither of us can be sure if she's actually a servant of your sister, but it honestly doesn't matter to me anymore if she is or isn't. She called us her real friends, and I'm happy to call her one of mine too."

"I feel the same." Undine smiles brightly. "Let us face this foul sorceress with all that we have and make her regret her actions."

"It's like you're reading my mind." You chuckle as you hand the composed woman two more glasses.

Once everyone, including yourself, has their own glass you rejoin the group in the middle of the kitchen and begin a toast.

"Here's to fighting our way this far! Nothing this crazy sorceress can throw at us will stop us from finding Pomu's family, and saving her forest!" You say with pride.

Everyone enthusiastically raises their own glass response and then takes a long, deep drink from it.

"Woweeee that's sweet!" Pomu smacks her lips. "And I'm a girl who's seventy percent nectar."

You are about to raise the question that begs to be asked, but you suddenly feel an unfortunately familiar presence in the air.

WHAT ARE YOU FREAKS DOING IN MY KITCHEN?! The sorceresses' voice booms.

"Drinking to your eventual defeat?" Polka offers with a coy smile.

STOP PILFERING MY FOOD YOU MISTAKES OF NATURE!

"Why don't you come down here and make us?" Flare sneers. "Hard to take the threats of someone too chicken to meet us face to face seriously. I think we will just keep enjoying ourselves."

Everyone snickers at the half-elf's taunting of your angered hostess. You honestly can't begin to wonder what the sorceress expected. She was evil, trying to kill you and the nearby forest, and even commanded bloodthirsty demons to attack innocents. Of course you're not going to feel bad about taking some of her food, especially when it's given you all a much needed refill. When your collective laughter dies down, you all eagerly await her reply.

The sound of the woman taking a deep breath comes next.

So you want to meet face to face? Fine. Come to the very top floor. I'll enjoy getting to wring that little fae's neck with my own hands.

"I'll gladly come face you and put a stop to all your crazy plans." You bark back. "But first I think I'm going to finish my glass."

You will drop everything that is mine and leave my kitchen RIGHT NOW. Or else.

"Or else what?" Pomu snaps. "I don't have to do squat for a big meanie like you!"

Or else…I'll slit the throat of every last fairy here! The woman's voice screeches.

"Okay. Time to go." You gulp as you quickly place your glass down.

"We were full anyway!" Watame tries to save face as she does the same and heads for the door.

With a mix of panic and satisfaction for causing some mischief, everyone rushes out of the kitchen and hopes the direction you all take will lead to the way up. You can't be sure exactly what awaits you at the very top floor, or what kind of power this sorceress commands, but with a full belly, you're much more ready for whatever may come.