Chapter 1 - The Aftermath
It was a mere day after Morando was defeated. Gaylen's core is gone, or so they thought. As Morando was destroyed, Gaylen's core flew into the sky and crashed into the forest. Aja had played out her speech to the people of Arcadia and formally revealed her and her brother's true identity. But it was time to leave, back to Akiridion-5. They will be leaving by tomorrow morning. They have their duties and responsibilities now to attend to with their people. Aja had decided to take a stroll around the street in her human form, as she had gotten used to it.. Her parents were now truly gone, sacrificing themselves in Aja's and Krel's place. She was heartbroken, but had to accept it now as a noble sacrifice. She was almost back at the mothership when she felt something off. Something called out.
"Aja Tarron, I am waiting."
"Hello? Who's out there?" Aja hesitantly asked, pulling out her serrator.
She didn't get an answer. But she then got a weird feeling that was pulling her into the woods nearby, almost against her will, but also captivating her natural curiosity.
She wandered deeper into the woods, growing darker even under the full moon. The wind started to pick up and whispers were heard that were unintelligible. She then saw a bright light emanating from a crater. She moved in closer. She then made it out as Gaylen's core which had not been destroyed after all.
"What?" Aja said, shocked. "How is it here?"
She stopped dead in her tracks. But as soon as she stopped, her body started moving towards it again, without her mind controlling herself.
"Seklos and Gaylen!" She tried resisting, but it was no use.
She stopped right in front of it and her hand touched it. She was right next to a river. It shot up into the air and then went inside her. The wind picked up and started to shake the trees. Aja screamed as her body began to levitate into the air. Her body marks glowing bright blue and her eyes started to shine bright blue. It had taken hours for Morando to integrate with the core. Aja integrated in an instant. As soon as she stopped levitating, an energy wave blasted out of her and spread across the planet and into space.
In the mothership, Krel, Luug, Lucy, Rick, Zadra and Varvatos are preparing to go home to Akiridion-5. The doorbell rang. Krel opened the door, and in came Eli, Toby, Steve, Argh, and even Darcy and Mary were here to say goodbye.
"So you guys are really going home now?" Toby asked.
"Yeah, we got our throne back and have to go rule now." Krel said.
Mary had been more quiet than usual this evening. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she actually liked Krel.
Krel saw Mary's sad expression, and got a great idea.
"How about you guys come back with us for this summer, if you accept?" Krel suggested.
Mary, Darcy, and Eli gasped and then cheered.
"Yes, of course we accept!" Mary and Darcy say. "Me too!" Eli says.
Everyone then looked at Steve, Toby, and Argh to see if they also accepted the offer.
Toby spoke first. "Yeah guys, we would love to, but we got to hold down Arcadia. We never know what can happen next after all this." Argh would stay with Toby.
Steve agreed with him. "I think we will see each other again soon enough."
Krel understood. He has seen and even been part of the strangeness of Arcadia.
Just then, the blue energy wave hit the mothership, causing the lights to go out for a minute.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?" Toby says shocked.
"Wait! Where's Aja?" Steve worryingly asked.
They all rushed out the door to see that blue light was coming from the forest. They all ran into the forest, weapons drawn.
In the Heart of Avalon powered floating city of Camelot, the trolls, including Jim, Claire, Blinky, and Merlin had traveled to New Jersey, but had found no hearthstone. It was just a myth. They were all at the throne room, debating about the next actions they should take now that there is no hearthstone anywhere. They ultimately decided that they should go back to Arcadia and see if there is any way to revive the heartstone. Just as they finished talking, the blue energy surge hit the flying castle. Everyone felt the shake. Claire had just started to begin to access the shadow magic within her, even with the shadow staff gone. She felt this energy go deep inside her. It sent chills down her spine. Merlin became basically immobile for a few seconds. It affected him more. The trolls balanced themselves as the castle stopped shaking. Jim was speechless.
"What was that?" Claire says, shocked.
"Great Gronka Morka, that was unnatural." Blinky said.
Merlin got back up to his feet. "We need to get back to Arcadia as soon as possible." Merlin said, concerned.
Nari had hidden herself in the corner. She had felt it too.
Back in Arcadia, Douxie had just finished his shift at the cafe, while Zoe had finished her shift at HexTech. They had both locked up for the night and went to meet up with Archie, who was currently in cat form.
Archie broke the silence first. "So how was today in your human jobs?"
"The same as any other day here in Arcadia." Douxie responded with sass.
Just as soon as he responded, the blast hit him, Zoe, and Archie. They were the closest wizards to the source, so it hit Douxie and Zoe like a bullet and knocked them out.
"Douxie! Zoe! Are you alright" Archie pleaded, but got no response.
Back in the forest, Aja dropped back down to the ground, exhausted.
"Aja!" She looked to see that her friends and brother were coming towards her.
She then lost consciousness and fell into the river
"Aja!" Krel yelled, running to the river to help Aja. Everyone also ran after her.
"Aja! Can you guys see her?" Steve yelled. "No!" Darcy yelled.
In their flying skull castle of doom, hovering over the sea, the Arcane Order were preparing to execute their plans. They needed Nari and the Genesis Seals.
"We need Nari!" Bellroc claimed, hot-headed as ever.
"Agreed! But Merlin and his mortal mongrols need to be destroyed first." Skrael said with caution.
The Green Knight was in the background, along with shadow mephits and goblins, listening on what the two want to do next for their plans.
Just then, the blue energy wave hits the flying fortress, causing it to violently shake. The goblins fell from the roof, crashing onto the ground. The Green Knight was thrown to his feet. Bellroc and Skrael were hit with the energy blast. They felt the power. It gave them real fear, something that they have never felt before. Even trapped in the shadow realm, Morgana sensed the power, somehow. It was very weak in this dimension, so it was not so significant.
Back in the forest, the group were running at the river banks, trying to find Aja, but couldn't see her.
Then, everything is black. Aja opens her eyes. She is no longer in the river. Instead, she is in a weird dimension. She weakly stands up to find a solid but transparent ground. She looked around and saw stars in outer space all around her.
"Where am I? Am I dead? Kleb!" Aja says, confused.
Just then she heard a voice that seemed to shake time and space.
"Aja Tarron. Welcome, I have been waiting for you."
Aja turned around to see a great being of enormous size. It was the Great Gaylen.
"Seklos and Gaylen! It's you." Aja says as she gets on her knees out of respect and fear.
"Oh, there is no need to kneel, my child."
Aja got up onto her feet. "Wait, what do you mean you were waiting for me? Did you know this would happen?"
"Yes, I knew this day would come." Gaylen responded.
"Ok, but why?" Aja asked.
"Aja, you are more special than you think. You and your family are my descendants."
"What!" Aja said, surprised.
"House Ventis was my descendants, and House Akraohm of Seklos. The houses were fated to join one day into House Tarron. The first born child of House Tarron would be the divine heir of my core, you Aja."
Aja was trying to process all of this insane information that this dead celestial was giving her.
"Lively. This is incredible, but also dangerous. Won't this power corrupt me like it did to you?" Aja asked.
"Not if you can learn to control it, Aja." Gaylen said.
Aja understood, barely, but then more questions came to her mind.
"Wait? Then who did Morando integrate with it and did he see you?" Aja asked.
"You have many questions, which will be answered in time, but now it is time for you to go." Gaylen said.
"What? Wait!" Aja said, but before she could say anything else, her eyes began to glow again and the world began to fade into black again. When she opened her eyes, she was underwater. She started to swim up, when she saw something jump in and grab her. She was pulled out of the water and onto the arms of Steve.
"Aja! Are you alright?" Steve asked, relieved to have found her.
Everyone else stood around them, also happy she was found. But, before Aja could saw a word, she was exhausted and blacked out again.