Year 902 – East Virdis
"Crap, they're gaining on us!"
"They're just kids! How are we having this much trouble shaking them off?!"
Riding recklessly through the open plains, a group of brigands fired arrows at their pursuers while their Tauros companion tried to keep ahead. The arrows sailed randomly, striking the ground and missing the pursuing duo by miles.
Chasing after them were a young Pikachu and Thwackey, both effortlessly keeping pace with the fleeing wagon. The Pikachu raced across the land covered in an electric aura while the Thwackey surfed along the ground on a pathway of glowing grass conjuring below her feet.
Zana smirked. "They're looking frazzled, aren't they?"
Jason glared. "Focus. If we lose sight of them, all those supplies will be lost."
"Quit your worrying, I know what I'm doing." She pulled out her sticks and ignited her light swords "Besides, we already know where their hideout is thanks to Sadie. That girl is surprisingly sneaky."
"She's not much of a fighter, but she knows how to pull information." Jason weaved around another bombardment of arrows. "We'll chase them for a few more minutes before taking a dive. After that, we let the fear settle in before striking at their hideout."
Zana snickered. "I didn't take you for the dramatic type."
The duo kept up the chase for a moment longer before going down as planned. Jason caught an arrow out of the air, clutching it to his side and pretending to fall. Zana 'tripped' over her feet after an arrow sailed past her legs, taking her down. The brigands could be heard laughing, though with clear stress in their tones, as they rode off into the distance.
Zana sat up and laughed. "Man, this is fun! This is the most fun I've had in years, actually!" She grinned at Jason as he tossed the arrow aside. "You've seriously been doing stuff like this for the last several years?"
He groaned. "Not exactly for my own enjoyment."
"Come on, you get to travel the region at your leisure. That's pretty cool."
"…I guess."
Zana leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky. "Where do you think of traveling to next?"
"…Possibly Great Gate. Maybe in a few months."
The grass monkey's excitement fell instantly. "Great Gate, huh? Fun…"
"I know Arcania isn't exactly on good terms with them—"
"Not how I would describe it, personally."
"It's purely to find more recruits for my team. Construction is still being done back in the Forbidden Forest. Once our hideout is complete and all our traps are set, we can finally make our move."
Zana frowned. "Seems like a whole lot of work just to get revenge on the king."
"I've lost everything because of him. I want him and his daughter to suffer for the pain they've wrought over the years. Nothing else matters to me."
"…" Zana looked aside. "You do you, I guess."
"I'm guessing you're still not interested in joining."
"My place is back in Arcania with my folks and community. As one of the last high-ranking clans, it's my duty to protect the village from harm." Zana clenched her fist. "I can't think of ever leaving home knowing I'll be putting my people at risk. That's my purpose. My reason to keep fighting."
"…" Jason leaned back on his hands and gazed up at the sky. "It's not the best of reasons, I admit, but I just can't forget that night. I just can't let it go unpunished. If I have to drag an entire kingdom into ruin just to get my point across, so be it."
Zana frowned. "But is revenge really what you want in the end? I don't think I could handle that kind of pain like you do."
"…" He sighed. "Somedays, it gets harder and harder just to keep myself from going over the edge. I know how strong I am, and that scares me."
"…" Zana touched his shoulder. "Hey. You may think this is some solo crusade you're going on, but you at least have others who will follow you into this crazy scheme. Even a small sign of affection can make the coldest heart melt."
"…"
Zana leaned back before flipping onto her feet. "Anyway, I think we've let those guys stew in the fear long enough. Let's go ambush their cave and scare the living daylights out of them."
"…" Jason smirked before standing up. "Right."
All hell broke loose in Midnight Village.
The fire that broke out at Daarkston's shop that rattled the small village became a thought of the past as an explosion rang out from the forest. Eyes fell upon the dark forest as lightning, fire, and light erupted in the distance, closing in on the village little by little.
Daarkston ran to the front of the crowd, eyes wide in shock. "What the devil is going on out there—"
Out from the trees, Zana, Bellatrix, and Vauquelin soared into the village with smoke wafting off their clothes. The trio looked frazzled beyond measure, their expressions gripping with fear. They landed in front of the startled crowd.
Zana immediately took command, shouting, "All non-combatants, flee to the main path and stay there until I give the order!"
No one questioned the Thwackey's command, rushing to the main path while only the few trained in combat stayed behind. The only non-combatant who didn't flee was Daarkston, too flustered by the commotion to move his legs.
"Zana! What's going on?" Daarkston exclaimed.
Zana grimaced. "Jason knows about the project."
Daarkston blanched instantly. "Oh gods…"
"Where's my father?" she asked.
"He might be out on patrol. I'm not sure if he heard the noise, though—"
"Get him. NOW!" Zana ordered. "We need every able-bodied fighter we have on hand for this—"
"Uh, Zana?" Bellatrix gasped, pointing toward the forest.
Zana turned and scowled as someone stepped out from the forest. Alight with electricity crackling through his fur and sword, Jason glared at the main trio. He dragged his blade across the ground, burning a line through the grass.
Vauquelin growled at Daarkston. "Don't just stand there! Move!"
The elder Kabutops yelped and took off running after the villagers. The main trio steeled their nerves, turning their full attention onto the sinister Pikachu as he calmly approached them.
Bellatrix winced. "Wouldn't it be better for Vauquelin to get your dad, Z?"
Vauquelin shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "Can't take my attention off this fight. I'll support you two from the backlines."
Zana activated her light swords. "Bellatrix, keep your distance and try to snipe him while I spearhead the attack."
The Braixen shuddered, but put on a brave face and raised her wand. "R-Right."
Jason glared at the trio. "Stand down, Zana. I don't want to hurt any of you. And I bet you don't want to hurt me, either."
Zana clenched her teeth. "I don't…but does it look like we have a choice?"
"Don't do anything stupid—"
"Wild Rush!" Zana made the first move. She leapt ahead as a vibrant trail of green light emerged under her. Upon landing on this trail, she darted across the village at breakneck speed. "Light Blade Lv.1: Dual Saber!"
A vicious combination of techniques that would take out any opponent with her blinding speed. However, she wasn't foolish to believe the same maneuver would take out Jason. The moment she crossed the distance between them, Jason had already reacted, stopping her blades in their tracks with his own.
"Zana, this is idiotic!" he growled. He effortlessly parried her attack and attempted to grab her.
FWOOSH!
Her fur slipped away from his fingers as she teleported out of sight. The moment she disappeared, a flurry of lights sailed across the sky and bombarded onto him. He twirled and flicked his sword, cutting through the fiery projectiles. The ones that missed him whirled back around and attempted to snipe him from behind, but he cut those down to.
He flicked his gaze up to the sky and spotted Bellatrix taking flight, jets of flame roaring from her feet. "Spirit Charm!" Flames manifested around her, condensing all their heat into miniature orbs that orbited around her. With a wave of her wand, she rained down an endless flurry upon the land.
"Thunder Fairy Step."
Jason rocketed backwards, dodging the first wave of attacks. He landed against a tree, then darted through the upper levels above the village, ducking in and out behind the leaves. Bellatrix turned her attention skyward, attempting to track his movements with her Spirit Charm. The flaming projectiles exploded against the branches, marking areas she caught the briefest glimpse of the Pikachu's lightning trail. Her flames left minor singes against the trees and leaves, extinguishing before they could grow out of control.
She caught sight of lightning rushing past her, barely aware of the lightning trail soaring toward her back. However, she, too, teleported out of the way, causing Jason to overshoot his attack and land against a tree.
His eyes flickered rapidly, absorbing all visual information in less than a second before soaring back into the air, dodging a psionic blast that ripped through his perch. He ricocheted through the village, ducking behind homes and weaving around trees as psionic blasts rained down after him, each one missing by a hair.
He landed behind a house to catch his breath, but heard the familiar fwoosh of teleportation. He jumped back, dodging an ambush from Zana as she plunged her twin blades through the ground. She instantly deactivated them and sped forward on her Wild Rush technique.
Jason flipped off his hand after regaining his balance and took off running with Zana close behind. She placed one hand on the ground to keep her balance as the two wrapped around the perimeter of the village, trails of yellow and green circling the buildings.
"This wasn't an easy decision for us, you know!" Zana shouted. "Living under the threat of total annihilation, and we're forced to keep our mouths shut and obey! You think we wanted this?!"
"You don't seem too beat up about kidnapping my subordinates!" Jason snapped.
"We didn't want this, either, but we're willing to do anything to keep our kingdom alive!"
Jason scowled. "Zana, you and the rest of Arcania need to accept the facts! The Arcania Kingdom you knew is no more! It's been dead for years!"
"Shut UP!" Zana kicked up her speed and closed the distance. She activated one of her light swords and swiped at him, but he vanished in a flash. Her fur stood on end, feeling the vibrations of his movements through the air. "There!"
She spun around instantly and blocked an electrified slash. She caught his sword between both of hers before grabbing him by the hood. However, Jason suddenly released his sword and grappled around her arm. Before she could react, Jason threw the rest of his momentum forward, throwing them both into a spin off the ground.
Jason landed first and used the last of his forward momentum to throw the Thwackey across the ground. She skipped multiple times before slamming into a tree, the pain magnified by her sensitive sense of touch.
Jason caught his flying sword and sped forth, almost nailing Zana with his Lightning Breaker Z-Palm. Zana teleported at the last second, causing Jason's strike to blow a hole through the tree with the repulsive force.
He scoffed. Vauquelin. His clan's mastery of teleportation surpasses Percival's academic understanding of it. He's probably one of the best teleporters of the east. Maybe even all of Virdis.
Jason took off running again as more of Bellatrix's Spirit Charm attacks bombarded from above. With Vauquelin and Bellatrix fighting from the air, Zana keeping up with her own speed, and Vauquelin providing the necessary recovery, a fight against all three of them would be taxing for most combatants.
They, however, weren't the only issue at play.
The few that remained were Daarkston's assistances, throwing off their robes and charging into the battle. A Carkol took the lead, manifesting burning coal from her back and firing it at Jason. He weaved around the burning projectiles, each one exploded into burning pellets that peppered the land. He darted for her next.
A Slurpuff intercepted his attack, projecting his sticky hair into a giant, fluffy guard. Jason dug his sword into the ground to stop himself in time, recognizing that the defensive technique would trap him if he touched it.
Finally, a Sawk joined the fray, his robe billowing off his shoulders as he came down with a flurry of punches. Jason bounced back, watching as the punches pulverized the ground to dust. The Sawk rushed forward, charging energy through his fist as he closed the distance toward Jason.
Jason landed and went for a slash, but the Sawk teleported out of the way and reappeared above. Jason spun his sword around without turning and blocked the punch.
"Touch of Zeraora."
An electrical current shot through the sword and traveled up the Sawk instantly. He screamed out in pain and recoiled from the counter. Jason swung his sword around and battered it across the martial artist's side, throwing him against a building.
The Carkol gasped. "He's fast…"
Slurpuff, with rising panic, fired a cluster of gooey webbing at the Pikachu. Jason walked toward it and, with a flick of his sword, incinerated the webbing with his electrical aura. He flickered forward in a flash, grabbing both alchemists by the face and flipping them onto their backs so hard that the ground cracked beneath them.
Bellatrix landed in a tree and winced at the brutality. "I thought all those rumors about him were exaggerations…"
Vauquelin teleported into view. "If we can keep him still for just a moment, I can grab him with Psychic. He won't be able to break out of my psionic hold."
"You positive?"
"Hopefully."
Zana jumped out of the trees and shouted, "Just stick to the plan! If he wins, we're all doomed!" She leapt down, spinning through the air with her light swords activated.
Jason caught a glimpse of her before speeding out of the way. She slammed her attack into the ground before immediately bursting forth on Wild Rush. Jason ricocheted off trees and buildings, launching himself through the air, while Zana tried her best to keep up with him.
During Jason's initial attack in the underground prison, Luna and Victoria managed to free themselves and raced back to the village to witness the commotion. Luna recoiled in awe at the wounded alchemists laying motionless in the middle of the village, undoubtably taken down by the rogue Pikachu.
"Great Xerneas…" she gasped.
She and Victoria recoiled, feeling the rush of Jason and Zana zipping past them. The air tingled with electricity and radiated in a positive aroma of life energy. Luna tried her best to keep track of their movements, astounded by the streaks of light racing around and trading blows.
"I…don't think I've ever seen Jason fight before, or at least this close," she mumbled. "Is this even his top speed?"
Victoria winced. "I hope he's not going to hurt them."
Luna glared. "We need to help. I'll try and distract the others." She tried to run in, but Victoria grabbed her shoulder. "H-Hey!"
"Luna, I think…it'd be best if we stay out of this."
"But it's three-versus-one!"
"Exactly. Meaning you'll just get in Jason's way."
"…"
"Luna, I don't say these kinds of things lightly, but he looks pissed. Do you really want to get in the way of that?"
"…" Understanding the Azumarill's warning, Luna stepped back, resigning herself to obverse the fight with growing concern. How's this even going to resolve?
"This isn't a game, Jason!" Zana shouted. "You of all people should know that the world doesn't play fair! We've been the enemy for over a hundred years, and we just keep losing everything! It's people like that that make me sick the most! Those who look down on us, thinking all we're good for is our alchemy! No one ever stops to care about us! We've always had to look out for ourselves!"
"…" Jason scowled.
"If it means the rest of Virdis has to suffer for it, then they get what they deserve!" Zana dove toward the ground and slammed her fists into it. "Queen of the Jungle!"
A vibrant pulse rumbled through the earth before manifesting a field of glowing green light. It shined like a cluster of stars in the night sky, illuminating the shaded village in its verdant glow.
"Wild Rush!"
Her speed magnified tremendously, darting across the ground as nothing more than a grassy, green blur. Jason had to catch himself in a tree and track Zana as she zipped in and out of sight.
"You would know what that's like better than any of us!"
Zana rocketed in from a blind spot. She clenched her fists and absorbed the vibrant energy of her terrain, enriching her energy in its harsh glow.
"Savage Heart!"
Jason tilted his head aside, narrowly avoiding her fist as it tore through a chunk of wood. Zana clawed into the tree and whipped herself around to strike Jason from behind, but he caught her wrist and threw her off, following it up with a diving tackle.
"AAAAGH!" Zana careened into the ground, gasping in pain as Jason drove his fist down on her stomach. She bit through the pain and grabbed him by the face. "Savage Heart!"
With her other fist, she finally landed a solid strike against his side, throwing him across the village. She sprung up and, with teleportation assistance from Vauquelin, caught Jason with Wild Rush and pinned him against a tree.
Zana held him by the neck as she charged up Savage Heart again. "Please, just go to sleep for a while. That's all I'm asking." She amped up her energy and swung at his face.
"…Tch."
Jason caught her fist in his hand, containing her blazing aura in a field of electricity. Her eyes widened as he pulled the energy off her fist and channeled it through his body, condensing it into an orb in his other hand.
"How did you—"
"Perfect control of my bioelectricity. Remember?"
Zana immediately jumped back as Jason threw the trapped energy at her. It sailed into the air before exploding a hole through a tree, knocking away some of its branches. Zana took off on her Wild Rush again and hid away.
As Jason pulled himself together, massaging his throat, he spotted more of Bellatrix's Spirit Charms hailing down on him. He kicked off into the air and landed on a branch above. However…
"Incineration Charm!"
Jason felt heat swelling behind him and looked back as a ring of fire opened up on the side of the tree. He leapt off in the nick of time, dodging an infernal pillar that reduced his perch to ash.
Bellatrix summoned an orb of flame from her wand and fired it over at Zana, who was catching her breath. "Comet Charm!"
The fireball reached Zana and circled around her, releasing embers that gradually restored her vitality and healed her injuries. Zana felt herself breathing easier under the gentle warmth of the fox's flame.
Bellatrix sighed before glaring. "Okay, time to take this seriously." The flame atop her hat burned brighter as she took off flying. "Foxfire Charm!" Bellatrix created a massive wave of flame, condensing it into a double of herself, the features so lifelike that it almost just looked like a Braixen with fiery fur.
Jason glared. "Bellatrix…"
Bellatrix and her double split up, circling over the village. "Spirit Charm!" She summoned up more condensed fireballs and fired them upon Jason.
Jason sped through the village once again, dodging the massive bombardment of attacks littering the street. Along the way, he spotted rings of fire manifesting in his path and weaved out of the way before they erupted below him. He caught a glimpse as Bellatrix's double, performing the motions for the Incineration Charm.
She's nowhere near her father's level of pyromancy, but her creative application is astounding. A semi-autonomous double to cast her spells.
Bellatrix climbed higher into the air. "Foxfire Charm!" She created a third fire clone and had it take over firing her Spirit Charms. She soared closer to the ground as her clones continued to put the pressure on Jason, leading him in circles throughout the village and blocking off paths with huge volumes of flame.
All she needed to do was keep him still long enough for Vauquelin to teleport him away. Fortunately, area control was her specialty.
"Sorry about this, Jason!" she cried, manifesting a huge volume of flames from her wand.
Her clones steered Jason through the village until there wasn't much else to escape to. Bellatrix soared above as the flames encroached around Jason, giving her the opening she needed.
"Meteor Charm!" Flames spread from her wand like gathering clouds. With a swing of her wand, massive balls of flame rained down on the untouched land, all converging on Jason.
Jason electrified his sword and lunged at the leading meteor. He slashed into it, but his sword was caught against the dense flame, almost like it was actual solid rock. Can't cut through it like normal.
Bellatrix winced as Jason and the meteor fell closer and closer to the earth. Oh no, I think I overdid it. I'll need to extinguish most of the power so it doesn't seriously hurt him—
"Thunder Fairy Step—"
Her eyes widened as piercing blue slashes sliced through her meteors one-by-one. A snaking trail of electricity shot off the last meteor, and she felt a hand grabbing the back of her robe.
"Plasma Cutter Z-Strike."
Jason tightened his grip, whirred the Braixen around, and threw her back toward the ground. She shrieked, pouring flame from her feet to slow her descent. She touched down safely, but was immediately tackled by Jason as he dove after her.
"AGH!" she cried as he slammed her up against a tree. The next thing she knew, bolts of lightning circled wildly around her, and she was instantly tied down with rope. "Eh?! What the—"
SPLASH!
She blinked twice as water suddenly splashed over her, matting down her fur and extinguishing her hat's flame. Jason tossed aside the bucket he grabbed and turned his back to her.
"…Huh," was all she could muster as her flame doubles above extinguished themselves.
Jason didn't linger too long on the Braixen's capture, immediately dashing off and dodging a psionic crushing force. Vauquelin, lazily raising his right hand, fired off psionic pulses in the Pikachu's path, missing each time.
"He's as quick as they say," the Magmar mumbled. He snapped his fingers, displacing pieces of earth from the ground and teleporting them to his side. "Let's see how fast he really is." With a motion of his fingers, the rocks broke themselves apart and fired upon Jason with bullet-like pebbles.
Jason went for cover behind the trees as the pebbles shredded through the bark and wood. Vauquelin whipped his hand around, spraying the projectile rocks as Jason darted into the trees above and ripping through branches like nothing.
Once his ammo ran out, Vauquelin fired another psionic pulse ahead of Jason, causing the Pikachu to immediately rebound and dart back on ground level.
"See, I already know your weakness, Stormbreaker," Vauquelin announced. "You're fast, but you don't have the heightened perception to see where you're going. You can run as fast as you like, but the moment you start going too fast—"
Vauquelin lifted his hand, summoning clusters of Focus Blasts above his head.
"You'll eventually have to stop."
With a flick of his wrist, Focus Blasts rained over the village, striking in discreet spots as to not obliterate the entire village. The seemingly random storm of attacks seemed to work to his favor, forcing Jason to stop for the briefest of seconds to analyze his route. Vauquelin poured down more Focus Blasts, leaving only the narrowest of paths for the Pikachu to escape to.
"Bellatrix is good at shutting down an area, but I can also predict where you'll run to. You have to be smart to make all those calculations in an instant, otherwise you'd be slamming your face into everything the second you started moving like a lightning bolt. I think the same way, which means it doesn't matter if I'm announcing any of this—"
Vauquelin, without even looking, stretched his arm out and closed his fist. A psionic burst rushed through the air and sniped Jason out of his airborne escape, trapping him in the air.
"—because you'll have figured that was the only safe path for you to flee to."
Vauquelin flung Jason and pinned him up against a tree. He flicked his finger and disarmed the Pikachu of his sword. Despite being trapped in the Magmar's psionic hold and barely able to move, Jason didn't appear bothered.
"Cool under pressure as always." Vauquelin concentrated his energy. "Now then, you want to know the exact height and speed I can drop you from that'll leave you immobilized for at least a month without killing you? The second I teleport you into the sky, you're helpless—"
Jason dropped something from out of his sleeve and flicked it at Vauquelin. He instantly stopped it with Psychic, but Jason's electricity caused a reaction. The pellet that the Pikachu had thrown exploded, releasing a burst of light in the Magmar's eyes.
"AAAGH!" Vauquelin covered his eyes and backed away, but immediately realized his mistake. He opened his eyes a second after and fired a psychic blast, but Jason had already escaped.
Vauquelin scanned the area quickly, only to notice an electrical trail flying right at him. He teleported out the way in time, relocating a meter over the attack. However, he didn't have time to catch his breath as Jason reorientated himself in a second and sailed for the Magmar's new location.
Again, Vauquelin teleported out of the way and tried to catch the Pikachu again, but Jason was moving faster and faster by the second. For each failed attempt to grab him, Vauquelin had to teleport out of the way. Jason wasn't even stopping to observe his surroundings, just blindly bouncing off every conceivable surface until he had Vauquelin surrounded in an electrified cage.
Soon, Vauquelin couldn't focus on capturing and focused on teleporting around Jason's attacks. As fast the Pikachu flew, the Magmar flickered around the village, dodging streaks of lightning by the skin of his teeth.
Calm down. This is nothing. I just need a moment to gather my bearings. His speed is remarkable, but I still have the edge. As long as he keeps moving like this, he doesn't truly know where I am. These are just blind rushes.
Vauquelin pulled his other hand from his pocket and clapped his hands together. Sparks erupted between his two brands as he separated them. The brands glowed in his psionic energy, gathering into an orb between his palms. Unlike a normal Focus Blast, this one glowed a dark blue that clashed with Jason's electricity in the light.
I was hoping to avoid destroying the village, but I need to disrupt his movement.
"Now! Distortion Bomb—"
TAP!
Vauquelin's eyes widened, feeling a hand touching the back of his head the split second he exited teleportation. In that split second of being touched, he soared out of the sky and smashed into the ground. Before he could even act to teleport, a powerful current of electricity shot through his body, seizing up his muscles and scrambling his concentration. He screamed out in pain, feeling like his nerves were on fire.
Letting up on the attack, Jason stepped off of the Magmar's back, glaring as he lay motionless in the crater. During all that time Jason was ricocheting around the village, he activated Storm Tango in the event he got close enough to grab Vauquelin, knowing it was only a matter of time before he caught him off guard amidst the confusion. Taking Vauquelin out as soon as possible eliminated the most irritating combatant.
As for possibly the strongest—
"HI-YA!"
Jason sidestepped a dive attack from Zana. She plunged her sticks into the ground, reactivating her Queen of the Jungle terrain. Once the glowing energy field stretched across the village, Zana activated her light swords and rushed down Jason.
He whipped out his sword and blocked both her initial strikes. He glanced over her body, seeing her injuries had been undone thanks to Bellatrix. He tightened his grip and swung at her side, but she used Wild Rush to pivot around, sliding up behind the Pikachu in an instant.
"Take THIS!" Zana performed a cross slash at his neck, but Jason stopped both blades from touching his nape and parried her attack. She flipped through the air, landed, and sped off on Wild Rush.
Jason assumed a defensive stance, keeping track of Zana as she raced circles around the village, ducking in and out behind cover. He scowled. "Zana, will you just listen to me—"
"No, you listen to me!" Zana snapped, her voice echoing around the village. "All that crap you said about our kingdom already being dead? You think we're ready to say goodbye to everything? You think this is easy? Not all of us are like you, Jason! Some of us just can't close our hearts off from the tragedy in this world! You may think this is second nature, but some of us just can't let go!"
"…" Jason narrowed his eyes.
"We'll keep fighting for our home until the bitter end! We'd rather die with our kingdom than lose everything!" Zana launched from behind a building, gathering energy from the ground. "Now! Light Blade Lv.2: Luminous Hope!"
Her light blades raged from the energy gathering into them, extending and growing in size. The extended to triple their original length, and the blades expanded, resembling massive lances. A four-point cross guard of energy erupted from the hilts.
"This is our home!"
Jason leapt back as Zana brought her attack down, searing the earth with a single slash. She landed and launched forward on Wild Rush, instantly catching up with the fleeing Pikachu.
"Plasma Cutter Z-Strike!" Jason swiped across his sword, coating it in a dense layer of electricity, and matched blows with Zana's light blades.
Nature and electrical energy erupted between their weapons as they pushed back at against each other. Zana's height gave her a bit of an edge against Jason, pushing down on his sword, but Jason maintained a firm stance to keep her at bay.
"Do you even understand how difficult this is for us?!" Zana screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. "Over and over, our home has been scorned and raided, left to rot over and over again! And now we stand here, at the mercy of our enemy with only the slimmest chance of hope, and it may as well be another trap! This cycle will never end!"
"…" Jason growled. "Zana, you…!"
"Please! Just give up!" Zana cried. "Why are you so insistent on stopping us—"
Jason suddenly let himself go limp, throwing Zana forward. He rolled on his back, kicked the Thwackey in the stomach, and threw her over his head. He rolled back onto his feet and launched at her. Zana was quick to recover, slamming one foot down to activate Wild Rush, and slammed into Jason's counterattack.
Jason parried her blades, shrugging off the searing slash that nicked his cheek, and sped around until he was behind her. Zana, in turn, spun on her heel and struck back against his strike, throwing him into the air.
"You may be one of the Three Deadly Storms, but I'm just as powerful as you!" Zana soared at the Pikachu, spinning herself into an energy blade.
Jason slammed his electrified sword back against her attack, holding out against the tremendous energy output before crashing into the ground. He redirected her attack away before all the weight crashed atop of him and rolled onto his feet. Zana spun out of her attack and sped toward him, dragging her blades through the ground and leaving searing trails in her wake.
Jason scowled. "Enough of this." He reared his sword back, pouring the full might of his electricity through the blade. It crackled wildly, and the electrical aura hissing around it roared and shimmered with greater light. Smoke hissed off his arms, yet he tightened his grip and darted at the incoming Thwackey.
Zana growled. "I…won't…LOSE!"
"Ultimate Plasma Ripper Z-Hurricane—"
"ENOUGH!"
A massive fissure of light erupted between the two, stopping them in their tracks. Both their attacks cancelled out as they stared at the wall of searing solar energy cutting, raging for mere seconds before vanishing like a flash of lightning.
Luna and Victoria worked together to untie Bellatrix from the tree and ran over to check on Vauquelin. When they arrived, they saw the villagers gathering back into the village. Leading the group and approaching Jason and Zana was a huge Rillaboom dressed in a brown loincloth. His bushy mane of hair was tied back into a ponytail. On his right hand was the same three-ringed brand that Zana possessed.
The massive gorilla blew smoke off one of his drumsticks before sticking it back into his mane. He glared at the duo, though his expression contained sadness rather than anger as he looked around the little bit of damage done to their village.
He breathed a heavy sigh before speaking with a deep, booming voice that contrasted with the soft manner he spoke.
"Enough. That's…enough."
Winter Moon, Year 902 – Midnight Village
"A shame you'll be leaving our little village. You're more than welcome to stay a few extra nights."
A small ceremony was made for Jason, Blitz, Sadie, Jet, and Eadwulf as they stood by the main path. Nearby, hidden away from the eyes of the villagers, was Marie, who pulled on her hood to keep her face obscured.
Zana, Bellatrix, and Vauquelin joined to see the group off. Joining them was Zana's father, who finished shaking hands with Jason. The Pikachu shook his head. "We'll have to decline, Zorzo. We've got a lot planned back in the west. We're aiming to put King Penworth in his place and bring some degree of order back to the Verde Kingdom. Someone needs to stand up to that corruption."
The Rillaboom smiled sadly. "Indeed. You lot are braver than most."
Sadie wrapped her arms around Blitz's. "Come on! We've got a long trek back to the Forbidden Forest from here. Tank's team should almost be done building the fort."
Jet scowled. "Don't rush him! We leave when Jason says so!"
Jason rolled his eyes. "Good grief. We'll be leaving soon, be patient." He turned to Zana and extended his hand to her. "It wasn't for too long, but I enjoyed your company, Zana."
She smirked and shook his hand. "Likewise, though you could learn to crack a smile more often. Your face is going to get stuck if you keep scowling all the time."
He huffed. "I'll consider it." He nodded at the others. "Alright, let's get a move on." He waved them along and started taking the lead.
"…Hey, Jason."
He stopped and looked back at Zana. "Hmm?"
Eadwulf smiled. "I'll take the lead. We'll meet you up front."
"Alright."
Blitz bowed. "Thank you again for your hospitality. Good day."
With that, Eadwulf took the lead down the path with the others while Jason stayed behind. He raised his brow, noting the way Zana awkwardly scratched at her nape. Something seemed to be bugging her. He wasn't sure how to approach it. He usually maintained formal etiquette, so any comforting acts of affection were beyond him. The only person he was remotely affectionate with was his grandmother, mostly so she didn't worry over him.
So, he just did what came naturally.
"So…what's wrong?"
"…" Zana sighed. "Well, um…" She noticed her friends and father walking away to give them some privacy. She shook her head and smiled awkwardly. "Well, we've been in some dire straits recently, but…I wanted to give you the good news."
"Oh?"
"We…received a notice from the royal family of Echo Bell that they want to help restore our land. In exchange for some of our supplies, of course. Compensation and whatnot."
Jason's expression softened. "Arcania's actually reaching out for help?"
"Well, they…reached out to us, but…yeah. We're still a little unsure if anything's going to happen or not, but…things might be looking up for us soon."
"…" Jason managed a smile. "That's great."
"Heh. It wasn't the easiest deal to accept. We've always been a distrustful of outsiders. But they made a convincing argument, and it looks promising. This…might work out for us. We might actually become the Arcania Kingdom we once were."
"Hopefully not completely like the old Arcania. You all weren't saints back in the old days."
She laughed. "Was anyone back then a saint?"
"Hmm, probably not." He nodded. "Well, I'm glad you all are opening up to help again. This is a big deal."
"It is. It…It really is." She scratched her arm awkwardly. "Maybe we won't have to live in fear anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"…" She smiled. "It's nothing. Nothing important. Once the restoration is complete, whatever worries that plague us will be a thing of the past." She scratched her nape. "And once things have settled over here, I'd…be honored to join your group."
"I thought you weren't interested."
"My place is here protecting my home, but I want to help you when I get the chance. I've enjoyed our time together." She punched his shoulder and laughed. "Besides, someone's got to teach you to lighten up, and your brother's doing a shit job at it."
Jason shrugged. "Whatever. Still, when you're ready, there's always a seat waiting for you. I'd be glad to have you as a Forester, Zana."
She smiled. "Of course. After all, you're…probably one of the first outsiders I feel I could trust. I hope you feel the same for me."
"Of course. I trust you, too."
"Heh. That means a lot. Thanks…"
Zorzo knelt before Zana, patting her on the head. "You did good, Zana. You did good. But it's over now."
Zana frowned. "Dad…"
The older ape sighed, standing up and acknowledging the scowling Pikachu. "Stormbreaker. I…apologize you found out this way. We are ashamed of the secrets we've kept from you. The conspiracies we've made against the region. Our anger doesn't justify the suffering we'll bring upon the other kingdoms."
"…And yet you still went through with it to save your own hides."
Zorzo sighed. "Indeed. We are not proud of ourselves. For too long, we've been the victim of our enemies' endless search for power. We researched the natural world and developed our alchemy so that we may be closer with Virdis itself. My wife and daughter are all I have left, and we've lost so much since the last invasion on our homeland. We aren't ready to part with it. We never were."
"…" Jason sheathed his sword.
He knelt and bowed before the Pikachu. "On behalf of my people, I deeply apologize for our actions against you and your friends. You are our guests, and we've treated you with hostility. For that, we cannot be forgiven."
"…If you want my forgiveness, destroy those infernal contraptions you've been making for Last Autumn."
Zorzo frowned. "I see…"
Luna cautiously approached Jason. "Destroying them might be ill-advised. They each contain a piece of the Scarlet Flame."
"Pardon?" Jason growled.
"They're controller bands. They're designed to control some kind of artificial army."
"…" Jason glared at the ground. "What the heck are they up to—"
"H-Hold it!" Zana cried, stepping forward. "Are you insane?! That's our only bargaining chip with Last Autumn! If we destroy that, we're dead!"
"Zana, that's enough—" Zorzo tried to grab her, but she batted his hand away.
"After everything the other kingdoms did to us, you would rather let us perish?!"
Jason glared. "I never said that—"
"Then what are we supposed to do when they send their guy to collect the headbands?! There aren't many of us left! We'll get eviscerated if we have nothing to give them!"
"Then let the Umbra Clock Kingdom help you—"
"Help us?! After everything they've done?!"
"Zana!" Zorzo snapped, but she wouldn't listen.
"What makes you think we're putting our trust into them? They've stolen from us! They've even killed some of us just for trying to get our stuff back! You think we're just going to let that go?"
"That was way before you or your father were ever born!" Jason snapped. "Thing's change!"
"Have you seen this shithole of a region, Jason? Nothing's changed in the last two hundred years! The only difference is the monsters in charge and the monsters that make up its criminal underworld!" She scowled. "How much more needs to be taken away from us until you all are satisfied?!"
"Z, stop…" Bellatrix whimpered as she helped Vauquelin along.
The Magmar narrowed his eyes. "Zana. Maybe we should listen to him—"
"I don't want to hear it!" Zana yelled, tears brimming around her eyes. "I was almost taken by those monsters, remember?!"
Jason flinched. I don't remember that part…
"If they found me, the Takigawa Clan would've taken me like the rest of our members. I don't even want to think about what could've happened if I was…" She covered her eyes and shuddered. "L-Lucco hid me from them. He protected me. He gave his life just to make sure I wasn't found. I lost my brother, and now I bear this brand that should've been his!" She gripped her wrist. "Do you know the hate I feel for myself every time I look at this brand? This shouldn't be on my hand, but his! He's gone because of me…"
"…" Jason narrowed his eyes. "Zana—"
She angrily wiped her tears and scowled at him. "I don't expect you to understand any of this! Someone so cold and emotionless toward the world that he probably doesn't even feel anything for his parents anymore—"
A flash of anger spread over Jason's face. His fur crackled with electricity, and Zana instantly realized she screwed up.
"Wait, I didn't mean—"
"Jason, STOP!" Luna shouted, trying to grab him, but it was too late.
Jason bolted toward Zana at blinding speed, striking the terrified Thwackey…
…with a hug.
Everyone stared at the two in awe and bewilderment. Zana's fearful expression melted into one of relief and confusion as Jason tightened his embrace around her. She could feel the calm beat of his heart and sensed the flow of tears from his eyes, each of them combining into a somber, yet heartfelt melody only she could hear. That was the gift of the Moonleaf Clan: whatever they feel or touch becomes music to their senses, and each song was unique to them.
This was the first time she ever felt this song from Jason.
"J…Jason—"
"I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened. "W-What?"
"I hated myself for the longest time, thinking it was somehow my fault my parents were gone. I was so angry, so terrified of that rage inside that I buried everything just to keep myself under control." He sighed. "But now, little by little, I've been learning to let go. Not forget, but to let go. Letting go of the chains that burden me with that pain."
"I-I…"
"Zana, you still have the people here. You still have your parents. You still have your future. I lost my future and my parents, but I still have people who keep me grounded." He pulled away, laying a hand on her shoulder. "And I won't let one of my friends go down the same path as me."
"J-Jason…" Zana blinked twice, a stream of tears falling down her cheeks.
He sighed before turning away from her. "I'm not going to force you to accept our help, but that's really up to the village. However, you know as well as I do that you cannot give Last Autumn those headbands."
"B-But—"
"Arcania will never truly die, not while you all are still here."
"…" Zana looked down, gripping her wrist rightly. Zorzo placed his hand atop her head, patting her gently.
Jason approached Luna and Victoria, stating, "Send a letter back to Umbra Clock for an immediate return. Inform Tadhg of everything that happened here."
Luna winced. "But…what about them? I mean, they still have the…"
Jason glanced over his shoulder, glaring at Zana. It wasn't a hostile expression, however. It was a foreign look to the Thwackey, one filled with compassion and light. How much had Jason changed since he was last in Arcania? She hardly recognized him from the scowling Pikachu he once was.
"I trust you, Zana. Do you trust me?"
"…" Zana looked down unsurely.
He sighed, patting Luna on the shoulder and heading off. "I'm going to Great Gate to find Melissa. I'm leaving the rest to you and the others." He stretched his legs, dropped onto all fours, and dashed off as a bolt of lightning, disappearing into the forest.
An awkward uncertainty hung in the air. Luna and Victoria looked back at the villagers, all averting their eyes with shame. Perhaps the most distraught was Zana, who fell onto her hands and knees with tears dripping off her face. Bellatrix moved closer to comfort her while Vauquelin floated nearby, nursing his aching head with a despondent glare.
A kingdom wracked with guilt and mistrust of the outside world, desperately trying to get by in a land so cruel to them.
The burden of action rested on Luna's shoulders now, and only one thought was on her mind.
Where do we go from here?