"You know, when the resistance said they needed our help I was hoping for a little more butt-kicking." Toby said, punching the air.
"This is the least we can do for them Toby." Nick said.
The lords of nature followed Lavor deep into the forest region. The resistance had called upon the lords to help fetch Shiva leaves from the highest tree in the forest nation.
Shiva leaves had healing properties, perfect for a well known illness that causes Lava gormiti to overheat. Sometimes even the lava gormiti couldn't handle the heat. Since tension between the fire gormiti and the other nations were high, Boss asked the lords to help.
"What are you waiting for? Those leaves won't be picked by themselves!" Nick gleamed, marching to a tune.
Ever since Volcano Mountain, Nick became less angsty and more like his usual self. Toby assumed it was because the resistance promised their insider would keep tabs on Kagami and report back if anything urgent happened as part of their agreement – the lords help out the villagers and the resistance gives them intel of the going ons in Volcano Mountain.
"Hey, can we really trust the resistance?" Toby said.
"Boss seems like their heart is in the right place." Lucas answered. "But Lavor…"
"I heard that!" Lavor said.
The last they saw Lavor, they were sworn enemies. They teamed up with the lava gormiti before, but this time was different. Lavor is a good guy now. He was on their side, fighting against Magor.
"Hey Lavor, why did you switch sides in the first place?" Lucas asked.
Lavor grunted, "It's not like I wanted to disobey lord Magor. Since Vestalt showed up, that lousy weasel changed up the whole hierarchy! I used to one of the top fire gormiti serving lord Magor and now I'm churned out lunch."
"So you left because of your pride."
"N-no!" Lavor said, flushed, "I left for self-preservation! Vestalt was planning on using me as her test rat, turn me into one of those…shades! I had to leave. But now that you guys have the power to reverse the curse of Tartarus I'm stuck with the resistance. I've committed the ultimate betrayal. I can't go back."
Lavor hadn't changed a bit.
"We're here. The tallest tree in the forest nation." Lavor said.
"No kidding. This tree trunk is so long you can't see the top from down here." Lucas said.
"And you want us to climb that?" Nick's legs quiver staring at the never-ending broad tree trunk.
"It's fine Nick. I'll go and collect the leaves." Jessica said monotone, her first time saying anything since landing in Gorm.
"Are you sure you can make it?" Toby asked. Jessica looked sick when they met this morning. Though his constant boastings on trying to get Jessica to come with them to Gorm, Toby felt Jessica should've sat this one out.
Jessica nodded. "I'm not called lord of the air for nothing."
"It's important to keep the leaves in optimal cool temperature when we get back to lava territory. These leaves are fragile and easy to melt." Lavor explained. "That's where the lord of the sea comes in. He'll freeze the leaves to keep them cold."
"And I can keep the heat from melting the ice by blasting cold air into my energy sphere." Jessica concluded.
"Hm. Easy peasy if you ask me." Toby said.
"Don't jinx it Toby." Nick said.
"Don't worry guys. I'll be back in no time. " and Jessica took off.
Jessica flew to the canopy of the tree. She saw a bundle of leaves green mixed with silver. The silver leaves glistened in the sunlight, making the top of the tree looked like a graze of ice.
Jessica summoned a whirlwind of air, sweeping a hep of leaves along the wind.
"Energy sphere!" Jessica called and with a flick of the wrist a translucent sphere materialised. The wind guided the leaves into the sphere.
"Ow!" Jessica winced, a sharp burning sensation in her chest. Jessica's orb glowed violent blue.
The wind picked up velocity. More leaves sweeped off the branches and spiraled around Jessica.
"Stop!" Jessica yelled. Electricity sparked rom her orb. One struck the branches of the tree.
"I'm…losing…control."
Her orb burst into a flurry of lights and sparks. Jessica's wings stopped mid-flutter. She was plummeting to the ground, the leaves trailing her descent.
She blinked in and out of consciousness. The last thing she saw was the tumbling of the Shiva leaves, their white snowflake-like veins shimmering in the glistening sun from above.
Kagami wandered back to her chambers, muscles sore from a long sparing session with Anchor. Kagami didn't mind the long hours, it was better than doing nothing. Anchor was insistent on training together. She wondered why.
A stalagmite crashed, almost hitting Kagami. A green liquid dripped on the stalagmite.
'Acid.' Kagami thought. She forwarded her attention to the laughter above her.
Spider and Bombos.
Kagami walked away, finding no reason to confront them. But trouble wouldn't end there. Fireblaze blocked her way.
"If you want to insult me, say I'm unworthy or accuse me of being a traitor, please make it quick." Kagami insisted.
"Aw, are you growing accustomed to me?" Fireblaze said.
Kagami turned around, no longer willing to engage Fireblaze in his tiring banter.
"Wait! You're not the least bit interested in what I have to tell you?" Fireblaze said.
"No, not at all." Kagami said.
"Aw, not even it's about Lord Magor's - or should I say Vestalt's plans for you?"
Kagami stopped.
"You are interested."
"No, I'm not. This is another one of your tricks and I'm not falling for it." Kagami twirled to face Fireblaze. The pale red of her skin burned a passionate red, boiling in rage and annoyance. Kagami calmed herself, took a cool breath and walked away. She would fuel her frustration into her training instead of pummelling Fireblaze's face.
Fireblaze tailed behind. "You don't want to hear about Lord Magor's plan to expropriate you?"
"If Magor wanted the orb, Vestalt would've taken it and left once I completed it."
"Ah, but she needed you to open the portal to Gorm, something only you could do with the power of the orb. But if Magor wielded that power, well, he'd be unstoppable. You are a liability to our Lord, siphoning his powers as we speak."
"What?" Kagami paused again at the revelation.
"Vestalt didn't tell you? As you get stronger, Lord Magor grows weak for you are his successor, the new lord of this land and we can't have both now, can we? Magor isn't going to willingly give up his throne for a pesky human. Vestalt and her little chameleon servant are scouring the book of Tartarus for a spell to expropriate the orb. They're running experiments. I can show you Vestalt's personal lab if you want to see for yourself."
Kagami couldn't contain her anger and socked Fireblaze face first to the dark, heated stone ground of Volcano Mountain. She brandished her blazing sword, pointing the tip to Fireblaze's neck.
Vestalt promised Kagami control. Vestalt promised Kagami power. She wouldn't betray Kagami.
Would she?
"Why should I believe you!?"
Fireblaze cackled, "I only listen to Lord Magor. Vestalt is a pitiful no-named lava scout who cheated total annihilation. She is not fit to be Lord Magor's second command. Our enemy is the same."
"And you don't think I'd tell Vestalt all this?"
"Please by all means tell her and see what happens! She's being gracious letting you delude yourself to being anything more than a gatekeeper to Lord Magor's orb."
Kagami lifted her sword. Eyes, hair and armour are lit aflame burning all around Kagami. her sharp piercing gaze glued to Fireblaze, gritting her razor sharp teeth at the gormiti.
She brought her sword down, Fireblaze still laughing to the bitter end.
Her sword scratched the floor.
The flames perished and Kagami unsheathed her sword. She took a shaky step back.
"Ha! Foolish human, you couldn't do it!"
The halls grew stuffy. The heat that Kagami was accustomed to, were chocking her. She fled.
"If you want to see the truth you know where to find me!" Fireblaze shouted.
But Kagami kept running. Never looking back.
Jessica awoke to a throbbing at the back of her head. She was laid out on an sofa, a solft quilt draped over her. The last thing she remembered was falling from the skies of Gorm.
Anxiety washed down Jessica's spine. She was in an unfamilar, apartment. The apartment was cluttered to the brim. Jessica gagged at the stench of alcohol. Jessica couldn't see the floor, littered with stacks of unread letters, newspapers clipped and cut open, bottles , beer cans and uncleaned laundry. The kitchen wasn't any better. It stank worse than Toby's bedroom.
Yep, she totally had no reason to panic.
Among the mess of letters on the counter something piqued Jessica's interest. A photo frame jutted out from the pile. She picked it up, hoping it'd her a clue to where she was.
Kagami was in the picture with two other adults Jessica didn't recognize; a man and a women. Kagami had the man's eyes and she erriely resembled the women to a T, she had to be her mother. All smiles, Kagami had her hair done up, fashioning in a sleek white dress that fit her willowy bod. She was holding a trophy.
Jessica relaxed into the sofa; glad she was safe and didn't end up in the hands of some weirdo. Then the sober realization hit.
This messy apartment belonged to Mr. Ono.
The front door clicked and swung open. "Oh, you're awake." Mr. Ono said.
He waided through the stacks of newspapers and laundry, pushing away the unclean kitchen cutlery to make room for the package in his arms, "Sorry about the mess. I would've cleaned up if I was expecting visitors, but your friends carried you back here unconscious and concerned out of their minds and I didn't have time to clean up."
"I don't mind," Jessica said, "Thank you for letting me stay here sir. Oh and here by the way. Kagami looks stunning. She should part her bangs more often!" Jessica handed Mr. Ono the photo. She didn't want to state the obvious, the state of the apartment clued her in to Mr. Ono's internal grieving.
Mr. Ono motions Jessica back to the living area, implying her to sit. "You shouldn't push yourself Jessica, I can call Elisa to do a quick check up."
"I appreciate the concern but there's no need. I just lost control of my powers. I stayed out in the rain yesterday and have a bit of a cold." Jessica said. She really didn't want to discuss further.
"I think there is more to it than a simple cold. You've been having issuing summoning SOL. And you've lost a lot of weight in very little time." Mr. Ono sat on the sofa next to Jessica. "Jessica is there anything I should know about? Did something bad happen back in the cabinet?"
Jesssica stared down at her clench hands on her lap.
"If it's too traumatic to tell me I understand." Mr. Ono said.
"I wouldn't say it's traumatic. I've been through enough shit fighting in the Gorm. Oop!" Jessica covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry! I didn't mean to swear."
Mr. Ono chuckled. "It's fine. Shujin hurls the worse profanities at my face all the time. And I mean the worst."
"How bad?"
"Eh, I don't think it's a good idea for me to translate."
They both laugh.
"...it's a bit embarrassing." Jessica said half-heartedly.
"That's subjective."
Jessica took a deep breath, prepping herself to divulge everything to Mr. Ono. She told him about the twins and how according to them Jessica wasn't mental prepared to delve into her orb, her mental block and what happened at the make-believe school. She even went into her relationship problems with Mark and how that manifested in the orb.
Mr. Ono's expression hardened somewhere throughout Jessica's story and stayed that way after she was done. "It's all deeply concerning." He said after a short silence. "Based on your story I'm shocked the orb didn't completely consume you."
"It's that bad?" Jessica asked.
"Unfortunately. It is purely speculation, but it seems you may have 'forced' a merge with your orb."
"Forced a merge?"
"You didn't overcome your mental block, and the orb is eating away at your strength little by little. Like a virus feeding off its host." Mr. Ono explained.
"If I overcome my mental block, I can control my powers and summon SOL?"
"In theory yes but…Jessica, I think you should let the old sage remove the orb."
"No way!" Jessica stood abruptly. "All I have to do is fix my relationship drama and all is good. I can do this."
"Do you really want to defend the Gorm? Nobody will doubt you for quitting."
'Toby would' Jessica thought.
"I am the lord of the air. It is my destiny to defend the Gorm, my people and the Earth from Magor. I can't back away from my responsibilities." Jessica said.
If she quit, she'd be letting everyone down. Her friends, the world, the Gorm, and Mr. Ono. The love for his sole granddaughter and despair of her loss – Jessica couldn't walk out of this apartment and feel content with doing nothing knowing she's one of the only who can.
"Jessica you should worry about school, college, summer jobs, boyfriends and parties like every other teenage girl. Whoever decided that you, a child, should bear such a heavy burden is a cruel, cruel man." Mr Ono said, "It is not your destiny to defend the Gorm, it is a choice and it will always a choice. Your destiny is yours and yours to shape."
Jessica didn't know how to respond, however, she could tell those words came from years of experience.
And regret.
"Thank you, sir. I would've exploded keeping everything to myself." Jessica said, "I'll take your advice to heart."
"No worries," Mr. Ono said, "But, you should take a break from Gorm. Temporarily. Until you feel better. You have my number, yes? Please don't hesitate to call me by all means."
"Sure. I probably should've sat this mission out in the first place if we're being honest." Jessica said.
"I'm glad. Ah Let me drive you home." Mr. Ono said in his signature goofy smile.
Him and Jessica hop into his old Jeep, the older man saying something in Japanese to the head chef – Shujin that earned him a demonic scary scowl from him. On the ride, they make small talk on Food. Mostly Jessica gushing on about Shinzuku's amazing desserts and Mr. Ono raving on about ingredients. By the time Jessica noticed, they were parked at her porch.
"And can we keep it a secret from the guys? I…don't want them to worry." Jessica said, closing the car door.
Mr. Ono gave a stern 'I don't know about this look'.
"Please?"
Mr. Ono relented. "Okay. Just because I know how those boys get when they're over-emotional."
"Thank you again sir!"
A/N: Final release for June! Very late and behind schedule but here we are. (lol only figuring out now the schedule was wrong)
A lot of scenes were cut lol - just felt redundant. But if ya'll want, I'm down to upload the cut scenes on my deviantart.
July we'll have to wait and see how things will infold for the schedule (and for Jessica and Kagami hehehehe...)
Updates on deviantart : Typereg
Slight spoilers for the next chapter but the blizzardstorm is coming guys (￣ω￣)